Here is chapter 8. I hope you all enjoy it. I'm confident in this story, even though it's different. I'm walking on icy waters with this one, but a wise man once said, "If you're going to walk on ice, you might as well dance."
There is a crucial author's note at the end of the chapter… other than that, Enjoy!
Chapter 8: The Waterfall in the Desert
Kidal is a migratory city nestled amidst the foothills of the Golden Mountain Range. It is surrounded by snow-capped peaks to the north and west and the vast Gaara-Gum desert to the south and east. Kidal is a hidden gem, with beauty rivaling even the most secretive shinobi villages. Fig palms, olive trees, and deliciously sweet date palms grow within and around the city. Trained warriors stand vigilant at its borders, protecting it from rival tribes and marauders.
The homes were built of adobe, with wool and camel hide carpets on the floors, warm braziers alight with flame, and a long table across the house, usually one foot off the ground. The Akhani ate, sitting cross-legged on the ground with their fingers. There were no kitchen utensils or chairs in Kidal, so you had to get used to eating bread, rice, meat, and sauce with your hands. Most people lived in tents.
Unlike the permanent homes made of stone, there was comfort in living inside an Akhani tent.
Inside the tent, everything was cushioned, and the air was filled with the comforting scents of coffee and mint. During the day, it was cool, and at night, the heavy flaps made it warm, a perfect refuge from the desert's harsh conditions. No matter where you pitch your tent, the city was always within reach, centered around the great oasis built into the basalt and obsidian rock of Mount Kidal. Ancient fountains carved out of stone-filled pools led to the entrance of the Great Temple. Asa's tent was just across from the temple, next to the village hospital and the Akhani Hall, where sumptuous feasts were held. Despite the lack of modern entertainment, there was a unique comfort in living inside an Akhani tent.
For Naruto, he found Kidal to be magical.
It was a completely different world than Konoha. The air was crisper and sharper and much more challenging to breathe the higher he climbed the mountain. This made training under the warm sun and the endless dunes south of the city complex.
He spent hours training with Moarri, sword blades clashing, sparks flying, ears ringing, eyes quivering, and arms weak from exhaustion.
He spent weeks sparring with Fuu under the burning sun and icy moon.
He spent months mastering the tree walking, water walking, and sand walking chakra control exercises.
After over a year in Kidal, he had now become one with the environment. He could camouflage himself in the desert and walk silently in the quiet of the night. Living with the tribe taught him how to pick where to set camp, which caves might have bandits, and which roots he could eat and chew on for water. Surviving the Gaara-Gum was as much a part of their training as getting along.
They were all learning Akhani-style Taijutsu, which required quick jabs, takedowns, and relentless kicking and punching. Umar taught them how to fight tooth and nail under intense four-day-long strength and conditioning exercises every warrior learns. They would carry forty, eighty, or one hundred pounds of weight up rocky bluffs and steep mountains. These days, they were marching up the hills with gravity seals set to test their limits.
His body trembled under the covers from today's march.
He had marched forty miles for two days under gravity seals, which were preset to weigh as much as his body. He could map out the mountains blindfolded and how often he hiked to the top of the Golden Mountains, leaving his body in pain at the end of the day. The Kyuubi would always fix his body, no matter how badly damaged. But even though wounds healed, that didn't mean he was changing for the worse.
Eating to his heart's content daily, he weighed 110 pounds and grew to over five feet and two inches tall. He was proud of his muscles, the strength he fought with, and his speed, which was unrivaled in all of Kidal.
Their chakra control was more advanced than most genin, yet his regular clones still looked like bloated gelatin. Now that they were learning new jutsu and fighting using new weapons. He could safely say he couldn't have two better friends and allies watching his back.
Gaara was learning more Earth-natured jutsu and was improving his Akhani taijutsu form. His weapon of choice, the halberd, was connected to a seal tattooed on his left hand. This made Gaara deadly at both long-range and close-range.
After their match inside the belly of the desert, Gaara became more tame and easygoing, at least in terms of how he acted before. He focused on improving his to be quicker and more decisive. Gaara could now travel ethereally in a sandstorm and appear anywhere on the battlefield. A move that he doesn't have a counter to at the moment.
On the other hand, Fuu utilized the bow and the sickle sword known as the khopesh. Of the two weapons, she was most deadly with the bow. Most impressive were her wings, which allowed her to fly. She often flew into the heavens, firing volleys of arrows—a sight that always mesmerized him, for she always nailed her targets while flying.
She was an angel among shinobi.
Her chakra control was stellar, the best among them. She could punch through wood and hug him half to death. She knew Earth Release, making the second member of their team to know elemental ninjutsu. She, indeed, was an impressive shinobi in the making.
Fifteen months had passed since their training began, and Naruto could safely say he made significant strides. With some help from Himeko, he mastered his chakra control exercises. He had mastered Akhani taijutsu and kenjutsu under Umar. Under Umar's tutelage, he had become proficient in incorporating Akahni strikes and take-downs with his Sanda. His true talent was kenjutsu, the art of the sword. He seemed to have inherited his mother's skill, generation!
He memorized strategies for incorporating his shadow clones, and fox summons with Gaara and Fuu's abilities. His specialty was close-range combat, which he complimented with Moarri. As far as knowing jutsu, he was the furthest behind. Arctic Fox was the only jutsu he could replicate when the Kyuubi possessed him. Even when he replicated it, the jutsu didn't turn out right.
Instead of ice foxes, he manifested a tiny kitten made of ice. The only reason he kept trying to perfect it was that Fuu thought it was cute. She'd always give him pointers and spend hours helping him become consistent with using Ice Release.
Even with hundreds of shadow clones working on it, he was only as far along to mastering Ice Release as when he had started. That didn't mean he wasn't making progress. Umar promised to begin learning the basics of elemental ninjutsu on his twelfth birthday. Until then, he had to learn to be patient.
Which for him was impossible.
There were few books or comics in Kidal. The few he had, he read enough that the covers and pages were worn. All he could look forward to was the next exercise, the next jutsu, and learning more Akhani secrets. Besides training, he had Fuu and Gaara. They often would spend their time playing poker inside their tent or playing ninja inside Gaara's sand castles. Gaara's sand castles had a medieval look, with sharp parapets and small windows. The only problem was that Gaara rarely played games with them.
Naruto could relate to that feeling. He had been friends with Fuu much longer than Gaara, and sadly, the redheaded boy was still antisocial. That type of loneliness, isolation, self-loathing, and terror still haunted his dreams some nights.
Dreams of him living in Konoha, starving, crying inside a cardboard box all alone.
For most of his life, he had been lonely.
His whole life passed by feeling pain, his fists white with rage, and his tears falling like rain.
But all of that changed when he met Fuu.
She was like a desert rose, beautiful yet dangerous to hold, especially when she hugged him to death. She was the prettiest girl he knew, with orange eyes, mint green hair, and a smile that always made him feel welcome. She could hold her own against him in a battle. What he liked most about her was that he could trust her with anything, unlike Sasuke, who sometimes told Kiba or the others at the academy his secrets. Fuu held her mouth and never once blabbed about Uncle Kazuhiro.
Fuu was his partner in crime. She never shied away from playing pranks on travelers. They'd go on long walks around the mountains and by the dunes. Often, they held hands when they ventured out around Kidal, showing her the cool caves he discovered. They'd discuss history, trade jokes, read dirty limericks, and sometimes, if he were lucky, she'd sing to him after training. They'd sleep beside each other when nightfall fell, and Gaara was not far away.
Just like tonight, under the low red light of a flashlight, his eyes drifted left to right, along with an old folded-up letter from his father.
I stood atop a mountain when Rasa pointed to a scar on my wrist. The words he spoke to me made me think of Obito, my student. I thought of those I lost on the way: Tashi, Aki, Rin, Kazuhiro, Dan, Sakumo, and so many more. Many were teachers, students, teammates, and friends. We formed bonds of fellowship during those senseless wars. One day, the camaraderie we formed during the darkness of the Third Great Shinobi War will be told for generations. If not, the lessons we learned through blood, death, and misery only continue the cycle of violence.
Death is inevitable, but what is troubling me as I write this letter are those words Rasa said to me. Kushina, my love for you is deathless. It binds me with cables that not even omnipotence can break. I think of you every night in the desert where life shouldn't flourish. Sand is drifting in the wind, and I think about our child growing in your womb by day. As Hokage, I fear I must give up my life for our nation and leave you and Naruto alone. I'll keep fighting to create this alliance with Suna so that day will never arrive. The only solace and hope I have is that here in the desert, I see the fragility of life. Each day, I'm more amazed by the resilience of those who live without water. Here in the desert, where life shouldn't flourish, somehow it does.
That gives me hope that when the world one day ends. Life will find a way, no matter what.
Sincerely, your beloved husband,
Minato Namikaze
Naruto reread his father's letter under the red light of his flashlight. Gaara was out meditating outside their tent under the full moon. Strong Autumn winds crashed against their tent flaps, shaking the tent's stilts. Fuu was curled beside his aching body in a separate sleeping bag. She appeared asleep, but that made him only contemplate his father's words about the Land of Wind.
"What did Rasa say to Dad?" he pondered quietly while closing his eyes. "I wonder where he was when he wrote this."
Naruto felt Fuu shift closer to his body. He smiled, feeling good from the warmth she radiated on this cold Autumn night. He fell asleep thinking about life in the desert.
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Naruto was walking around Kidal dressed in a white thoab tunic, which went down to his knees. He wore his white shemagh, tied with a golden agal rope, but he kept his green goggles strapped to his forehead for the unpredictable sandstorms that often ravaged the region. Uncle had sent him blue baggy trousers, which he was wearing now. His grandfather's red bandana twisted in the wind.
He walked up the great white sandstone trails to Asa's tent. His sapphire eyes scanned around as travelers, traders, and vagabonds were moving to and from the central square of Kidal. Today was Friday, often the day of the week traders and caravans passed through the city. For obvious reasons, there were few trading hubs between here and Suna.
Foreigners were often accompanied by camel trains of Akhani warriors and traders who guided them from warring regions. Many of them were gathered in the city's Great Hall. Some had set up trading stalls or were preparing tents. However, he saw something strange as his sandals clattered closer to Asa's tent.
Two men in delicate brown stitched jackets and long golden robes stood before Asa's tent. They wore regal red pakols with embroidered golden jewels. Both men wore glasses and had stiff, almost curious demeanors. One was bald and smoking a long cob pipe, while the other had short brown hair and was fiddling nervously with his fingers.
He had never seen such odd foreigners, even in Konoha. Naruto walked behind the two men and shrugged his shoulders.
"Who are you guys?"
Both men turned around, frightened. The bald man dropped his pipe and venomously replied, "Don't startle sneak up me, boy. We are dignified professors from the University of Miam in the Land of Wind."
"Really?" he said with wide eyes and a bright smile. "My name's Naruto and I've always wanted to attend a big school. Not one of those ninja schools, but like a place where I could have had a decent education."
"Hmm, you don't look like the other Akhani…" the brown-haired man said. "It's a shame that most of our nation is still academically behind. I am Professor Sami from the Al-Miam University on the Gold Coast. Our university specializes in many fields, including engineering, physics, ninjutsu theory, and most importantly, archeology, which is my specialty."
"Wow!" he gushed with an even wider smile. This was the first time he had met a professor of anything. They were rare, especially within the Elemental Nations. "I can't believe there is a place like that here in Wind Country. How come I haven't heard about this place before?"
"It's because over in Dahab, where our university was founded, it has been separated from the rest of the Elemental Nations. Rasa Sabaku has invested in our railroad initiative, hopefully within two to three more years. Sadly, the other nations lack academia due to the destruction of over twenty of them during the Third Great Shinobi War. Most of the Daimyo don't like us because we allow the exchange of knowledge and thought even to the lowest peasants. Thankfully, our Kazekage has kept our school running, even though the Daimyo wants us gone," Sami explained while shaking his head. "We are the oldest school on this continent. We have been around for nearly three thousand years, but the feudal system wants us gone."
"Sami, don't speak such blasphemy. This tribal boy might get you in trouble or worse," the bald man barked.
"I swear I won't tell anyone you said that!" Naruto shouted.
He frowned and shook his head. This was one of the reasons why he hated the feudal system within the Elemental Nations. The people at the bottom always suffered, while the lords at the top lived in luxury. That was the way of the shinobi. A sad fact he learned from Umar's experience during the last Great Shinobi War.
"Tsk, how long will that old man keep us waiting out here?" the bald professor asked.
"Patience is a virtue, dearest Ku," Sami retorted.
The tent flaps to Asa's tent opened, and two armed Akhani warriors held the heavy wool flaps open for the professors to crawl under. Both men shook their heads and entered. Naruto smiled at the warriors warmly, and they smiled back at him. He crawled like a baby through the tent flaps, seeing the elders nodding approvingly. He sat down on an empty cushion not far from Asa.
There was a reason for why he was here. He needed to ask Asa about a rumor he heard. Was he about to become a genin after his twelfth birthday, or was this something Gaara kept murmuring about? He was also just bored and wanted something to do. Watching Asa give council and settling disputes involving his people was the closest thing to what a Kazekage would do in the future.
The professors sat down cross-legged on cushioned pillows before Asa. He watched the exchange curiously. Asa gestured to several women behind him who were churning what looked like a wooden butter maker, but it was an old Akhani coffee maker. They kept mashing wooden poles inside the gadget that made a distinctive loud beat. Many onlookers clapped their hands at the sound of the coffee being made.
An old woman sitting to his right had a sizeable, rounded, smelly ball in her hands. She handed the ball to him and gestured for him to take a bite, but he shook his head and returned it to her. She frowned, held it to him again, and croaked, "Little boys need healthy food."
"Oh, I'm fine," he protested.
"Nonsense, eat. It's good for you," she croaked. The woman ate a piece of the cheese she had previously grabbed and smiled. "See, it tastes good."
Feeling on the spot, he took the tiniest piece from the ball and returned it to her. His face turned green from the smell of feet and old cheese.
He stared at the yellow lump of camel cheese between his fingers and groaned. The Akhani made the cheese from the camels, and it always smelled and tasted awful. However, like the coffee tradition, anyone who spoke or witnessed the Akhani elders was encouraged to eat camel cheese. While this went on, the professors and Asa drank three tiny porcelain cups of coffee. Traditionally, coffee is drunk during negotiations and celebrations, but often, Asa prepares the coffee if there are special guests. Drinking three cups of coffee was required to sit and talk with Asa.
"Thank you for partaking in our oldest tradition. You two wise men have traveled far from the Gold Coast to my humble home. What brings you here?" Asa asked the professors.
"You are very welcome. The coffee was delicious, but we are here on critical business. As you may remember, forty years ago, your tribe helped us locate the Ten Rings of Outer Heaven," Ku said while shaking his head.
"Yes, the ten rings belong to our people. Ten rings that trace their origin back before the Sage of the Six Paths. Your university promised to keep them safe, yet I heard eight years ago they were stolen. Have you two finally located where they are?" Asa asked desperately while settling his coffee cup on a silver tray.
"Sadly, they were stolen in such a manner that they didn't trigger an alarm in the exhibit hall where they were kept, but we have a witness who saw men with black robes with red clouds wearing yellow and red rings. They appeared to be traveling to the Land of Fire, but our sources end there," Ku explained.
"Red clouds and black cloaks. This sounds like a vigilante group, but why would they take those rings from the Black Star Temple? A temple that has been sacred to our people for generations," Asa lamented.
"That is the problem," Sami retorted. "We believe those rings are far more important than we previously thought."
"How so?"
"You see. We were excavating a site close to the Delqani lands west of Kidal. An inscription on the walls indicated that the rings were beacons or signals to summon something vile beyond our imagination. The few tests we ran on the rings revealed some interesting results," Sami explained before pausing. He took out a scroll and handed it to Asa. "As you can read in that scroll, all ten rings are made of one hundred percent Iridium. Iridium is one of the rarest metals on this planet. It doesn't exist naturally in any place on Earth. A geologist on our faculty believes that Iridium is of extraterrestrial origin, meaning the metal may have come from an asteroid."
"So you came far from the comforts of your school to teach me about rare metals. Now you are making me sad that our people didn't sell them to you in the first place," Asa chuckled, causing everyone in the tent to laugh at the professors.
"We came here because we are after the City of The Dead," Ku piped in, nudging his glasses up his nose. "Whoever stole the rings may be after finding the Sage of Six Path's most sought-after artifact."
"I must stress to you, wise men, that your journey will only end in sorrow. You aren't the first academics to walk into this tent nor the last who will search the Garra-Gum endlessly for the Necklace of the Black Sun. It doesn't exist. I would know, for our people have sung the tales of his deeds for generations. Better to spend your time finding those ten rings than to allow them to be used for nefarious means," Asa explained.
"But what if the necklace is real?" Sami countered.
"There are many strange things in this world. I've lived long enough to see many odd things, but I haven't once seen a wraith or a dragon. If I were you, I'd treat the Hashirama's necklace similarly. Myths and fairy tales hold many truths, but to take them literally is foolish," Asa shook his head and pulled out a pipe from his maroon thoab.
"Thank you for the warning, dear leader of the Akhani. But I know, you know, that myths aren't something we pull out of thin air," Sami interjected. "We make things out of which we were made. The greatest story is the one that Kami created. That story is history, and as an archeologist, I must find out if it is real."
"There's not much I can offer you besides the cold hard truth. It is better to keep your lives than to wander through these lands. Our people don't prey on travelers, but the same can't be said of the Delqani or the Kamakura. Thank you two for the information on our rings and who may have stolen them. May you two have a safe passage back to your school, but heed my warning. The sun isn't your only enemy in this desert," Asa warned forebodingly.
The two professors nodded to each other and got up from their cushions. They bowed before Asa and shook his hands. Both men left the tent in quick haste. Naruto's eyes met Asa's. The wise elder looked at him peculiarly as if something was off. He thought about his Uncle's strange book and what it meant.
Were these rings and the necklace tied to whatever the Black Sun was? Maybe he was thinking too hard on this topic.
Asa lit his pipe and waved his hands in the air. He coughed out grey clouds of smoke and said, "I am done speaking today!"
Warriors helped the elderly and fellow onlookers leave the tent. On his way out, he heard Asa holler, "Naruto, come over here!"
He turned on his heels and felt his cheeks burn in confusion. Sitting down on a cushion across from the elderly Akhani elder, he felt an odd stillness inside the tent, alone with the old man. Asa pulled out a polished oaken GO board with black and white tiles. His bony fingers settled the board between them. There was a small copper bowl filled with fresh dates and pomegranate from the trees outside his luxurious tent.
"Is something wrong?"
"No, my sweet boy, there is nothing wrong. I haven't seen you appear in this tent in over a fortnight. You remind me of a great warrior who sought my council over twenty years ago," Asa affirmed with a smile. "Many great warriors from all over the world have broken bread and coffee with my people. This one was most peculiar and curious about everything just like you."
"Who was this great warrior? How was he like me?"
"She was a lot like you."
"She?" he repeated with his blonde eyebrows raised.
"Yes, it was a she. She was curious about many things. Brash, prideful, and some might call foolish." Naruto pouted but smiled. He twirled a round white GO stone between his fingers. "She was one of the most beautiful women to walk this Earth. Her hair was scarlet red, flowing in the wind like a horse gliding across the desert. Like you, she was from Konoha, but when she came to see me about the Kyuubi, there wasn't much I could do to help her."
"You knew my mother?" Naruto's lips were wide open, and he stared at Asa, baffled by the revelation. "When, why, just…" his words were caught in his mouth. "What was she like?"
"Kushina was one of the first jinchuriki that came to our people before we had the fortune to take you three in. She came to my tent after a mission under the guise of a beggar. She asked how to control the Kyuubi, but our nations were at war then. There wasn't much I could do for her besides give her shelter for a few days and rations to make it out of the Gaara-Gum."
"Oh," Naruto faltered. His face dropped, and his eyes became blurry. "I wish I had met her."
Asa patted him on the back and smiled wistfully. He pushed aside the GO board and raised his face.
"Naruto, you have your mother's heart and soul. I have seen many warriors, wisemen, legendary shinobi, and even the most beautiful yet tragic characters. Kushina Uzumaki was a great woman who loved her nation, but most of all, she loved your father. I swore to her that I would never tell a soul that she came to Kidal, for if Konoha found out, she would be tried for treason. But for you, I break that vow."
A few tears fell from his eyes. His fingers trembled, and his throat became stuffy. His mother, the one woman he had yearned for his whole life, had met Asa. So many nights, he dreamed of what she looked like, but hearing the truth only made him shake his head. Naruto wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at Asa.
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because here, at the heart of the Akhani lands, I must be honest with you. There are strange tidings over the horizon. Villains wearing black cloaks with red clouds wander the Shinobi world wearing the Ten Rings. Your training will end soon, and you three will be alone. I wish I had more time to protect you children from the dangers of this world, but the Kazekage's will ties my hands." Asa looked at him with guilty green eyes. He settled his pipe down on the ground and grumbled. "Jinchuriki aren't cursed because of what they carry inside them. No, you three are cursed by the coming wars and the clash of steel. I've done my best to give you three a normal childhood, but I feel I failed you."
"Asa, you haven't failed us!"
"No, but as the head of this tribe, I could have done better. Whenever I watch you gaze at Fuu, it reminds me of your mother. She had the same look when I asked why she wanted to control the Kyuubi."
"Wh-what do you mean?" he stammered, his curiosity spiked by the conversation. "You watch me and Fuu? Since when?"
"My boy, I may be old, but I'm not yet blind. Your mother told me she wanted to control the Kyuubi so that one day when she married the love of her life and had a child. She would be able to protect you. Sadly, fate intervened, and I stand before her son, trying to prepare him for the harsh shinobi world. That incident a year back at the Belly of the Desert has set back your training. I have yet to teach you the advanced ways of controlling your Biju. But grab that wooden box in the back. I have a gift for you."
Naruto got up and walked behind Asa. He saw a polished red chestnut box on a table beside a lit brazier. The blue flames from the fire cast bright azure colors over the wood. He carried it back to the tribal elder, who opened the box.
"This here is a scroll on Fuinjutsu," Asa said, pulling out an old yellow scroll covered in dust. He grabbed another scroll with blue characters spelled 'air' on the wooden handle. "This scroll covers the basics of learning my tribe's air-based fuinjutsu. Take these scrolls and study them. Your training will be over within a few months, but until then, keep strengthening the bond with your future teammates."
He bowed before the Akhani elder. Asa smiled and brought his pipe back to his lips. He stuffed it with tobacco and smiled. He raised his right hand and said, "Now go and enjoy life. Enjoy it while you can!"
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Time passed by quicker than Naruto would have wanted. A month slipped by, and tomorrow was his birthday. He was walking down the steep, arid slopes of the Golden Mountains with Gaara walking by his side. They were returning from a mission commissioned by Umar. Their task was to deliver a letter to a local watering hole where camel trains were coming from the west. Fuu didn't join them; instead, she was practicing a new ability that could make her skin as tough as iron.
The sun was blood red and settling over the horizon. Hundreds of hollowed caves whistled and echoed as they passed by. Their feet and sandals were covered in dusty yellow grains of sand. Their faces, used to the intense sun, were covered in head-clothes with a faint slit for seeing. Half-strong gales blew dry air and sand across the slopes of the mountain.
Naruto felt uneasy about the journey back from the watering hole. They hadn't passed a single soul on their back to Kidal. Luckily, they were just a few more miles from returning home to Fuu-chan.
He had been looking forward to seeing her smile all day long.
"I hate that Umar sent us on a fifteen-mile trek just to warn the traders of Delqani raiders," Gaara grumbled.
"Fuu was smart not to go," he replied as they trekked onto the flat bluffy ground overlooking Kidal three miles away. "I wish I was as smart as her."
"You have your moments, Uzumaki," Gaara muttered quietly next to him. "Your biggest hurdle is your audacity and pride. Maybe that's why you two get along so well."
Naruto pouted and puffed out his chapped, dry lips. However, he remembered something odd he had noticed about their hosts, and Gaara was the only one who knew possibly could give him a straight answer.
"Gaara, I need to ask you something," Gaara turned to him as they walked on. "We've been training out here for sixteen months, but I haven't seen any bloodshed or war between the tribes. Why are the Akhani so protective of us? This is our first time being sent out on a mission alone. Is there really so much war here in the desert?"
"The desert tribes have been fighting for thousands of years. Just because the Akhani treats us kindly doesn't mean they aren't part of the problem," Garra uttered briskly.
"What do you mean?"
"Naruto, I've lived in the Land of Wind my entire life. I know these people more than you ever could…" Gaara took off his shemagh, revealing emotionless teal eyes. His puffy black rings around his eyes were creased from the heat of the desert. "You are my friend. At least, I consider you my first friend. The question you ask isn't something you'd like to hear, but it's time you heard the truth."
They stopped between four rocks with hundreds of blue, white, and black shinobi ribbons fluttering in the dry wind. Naruto took off his shemagh and gazed at Gaara.
"What do you know about the tribes of the desert?"
Gaara shook his head and sighed.
"When I was five, my father had to leave Suna for a six-month-long campaign. The Delqani Tribe has always been antagonistic to the Akhani and the Tribe of Reto. Suna has always been aligned with the Tribe of Reto. Reto was the first Kazekage, and he helped rebuild Suna after a thousand years of being lost to the sands. There are over sixty separate tribes within the Gaara-Gum, and none have been united since the Sage of the Six Paths. That was so long ago that the legends of them being united is as much a myth as them working together in harmony today," Gaara explained.
With his right hand, he grabbed a long blue ribbon fluttering off the rocks. The sand fluttering in the air stopped as Gaara held onto the ribbon.
Naruto watched Gaara rub the ribbon as if he were petting a dog or cat delicately.
"Uzumaki, these ribbons used to be forehead protectors. They belonged to the warriors who sacrificed their lives in the last three Great Shinobi Wars. Each soul is left here among the rocks to flutter in the wind until the end of time," Gaara lamented with his eyes closed. "All of their deaths were caused by one simple thing."
"What was that?"
"Water," Gaara answered. "Blood is cheaper than water. It is best not to forget that Uzumaki because these tribes will fight to the last man and child for water. That watering hole we visited is the only one for miles on end. The Akhani control the best oases in the Gaara-Gum. The mountains hold water. Beneath the earth, there is water, but everywhere else, it is as dry and lifeless as this mountain."
Naruto nodded his head. With his left hand, he grabbed a spare ribbon on the rock. There was an odd, surreal feeling when his palm grasped the long blue cloth. Someone once wore this cloth around their head. Whoever they were, they were now long dead.
He felt a weird coldness brushing against his hand in the hot sun.
Was he feeling their spirit?
He shook his head, and the coldness went away. Naruto left the rock and continued walking towards Kidal. He looked back at the ribbon he held.
Just another blue ribbon fluttering in the wind.
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Naruto looked at the sealing array he made and the one outlined in the scroll Asa had given him. He had made three separate Air Cutter Sealing Tags. The purpose of the seal was to create a pressurized land mine that would cut someone or something in half if they ever dared walk on it. Looking back at the scroll, he reread the basics of creating the seal.
Fuinjutsu is the art of sealing and unsealing objects, living beings, chakra, and various things within one object (typically a sealing array). At the same time, that is the colloquial definition of Fuinjutsu. That is only cutting the very surface of this ancient shinobi art. The very soul of Fuinjutsu comes from the sealing array, which shinobi professors have determined involves scientific and mathematical approaches to performing this type of jutsu. However, most practitioners of Fuinjutsu are ignorant of the science and math behind the sealing array (so if you aren't good with math or science, fear not!). The most common Fuinjutsu array is the Explosive Sealing array: this seal uses the dimensional compression of the array to create a sudden, volatile explosive reaction. The Air Cutter Sealing Array does the opposite, as this reaction involves a sudden burst of energy quickly being unsealed. For generations, Akhani elders have practiced using wind-based Fuinjutsu to create air-cutter sealing tags.
The best examples and uses for this sealing tag are for motion sensor land mines that can split an armored soldier in half. Better uses involve using a bow or a knife and letting the tag explode into an enemy or object to split it in half in one quick, sudden burst. Remember that every sealing array involves melding chakra into the ink, blood, or any liquid that forms the Fuinjutsu array.
The following array is copied below for how this is performed. Be careful and copy this array precisely as it is outlined. Otherwise, the reaction either won't work or may create a massive explosion, as this array is the chirality of the Explosive Tag Sealing Array, making it an advanced Fuinjutsu array. Remember, Chirality is the same array but mirrored opposite, but by remembering this, you can learn both the Explosive Sealing Array and the Air Cutter Sealing Array simultaneously!
Naruto placed the air Fuinjutsu scroll away and looked at the three tags he had created. He had been practicing making Fuinjutsu tags with Umar for over a month. However, it was late in the day, and he was the only one still training. Today was his birthday, and while he could have left many hours earlier, he wanted to get this down and practice his Ice-Style ninjutsu.
He looked around at the arid white training ground outside of Kidal and noticed he was alone. He placed the Air Cutter Sealing tag in the middle of the ground. He formed the Tiger seal, feeling the chakra he had pumped into the scroll. He inwardly released the chakra from his tenketsu points and looked at the tag.
Hard, white, arid earth rumbled and screeched against the ground in a loud, whistling burst of energy. Pebbles and sand flew from the burst tag in all directions, releasing a small plume of dust in the air.
When the dust cleared, he saw a two-meter-long straight line of carnage that cut deep into the Earth. It had worked!
"I did it! I did it! Dattebayo! I'm going to become a sealing master like my father!" He screamed happily on the balls of his feet.
He jumped up and down in joy for half a minute and placed his remaining Air Cutter Sealing tags in his leather weapons pouch. He took several deep breaths and returned to practicing his Arctic Fox jutsu.
He made the hand signs and slammed his fists on the arid white ground outside the Kidal. He yelled out, "Arctic Fox Jutsu!"
To his dismay, three tiny chibi-sized kittens made entirely of ice formed between his feet. They scampered out into the desert, running on all fours quickly away from him. The ground became frosty with each elegant stride from their paws, leaving darkened spots on the arid earth. To his dismay, the ice foxes quickly began to melt in the red-orange sun beating down on the training ground.
Naruto grumbled when he saw Fuu smirking across the training ground as the ice foxes burst into tiny puddles of water close to her bronzed feet. She giggled and smiled his way, but he didn't find it amusing.
After all, he failed to perform the jutsu.
"Whisker-kun, the whole city has been waiting for you," she said happily.
Her hips shook as she sauntered closer to him. His face burned crimson as his longtime crush appeared less than a foot away in front of him. Fuu was wearing a long black, purple fractal patterned skirt that went down to her knees. It was roomy enough to move her legs freely if she wanted to fight, and it looked good. Her butt and hips hugged the fabric, revealing her feminine charm, and he hated that he couldn't stop but stare. It was a problem he couldn't control, and he remembered all the girls at the Academy who punched him whenever he glanced at them…
Fuu was tapping her left foot on the arid earth, her orange eyes glinting knowingly and her mouth forming a wry, peculiar glance.
"Naruto Uzumaki! Did you hear a single word I said?" she rattled furiously with a raised mint-green eyebrow.
"Oh, uh, sorry about holding everyone up. I've been busy training…" Fuu smiled but continued to tap her foot. "Fuu-chan, how long have you been here?" he asked, slightly embarrassed while scratching the back of his head. "Is something wrong?"
Fuu was wearing a white sleeveless midriff shirt with green flowers patterned at the bottom. He couldn't help but stare at her exposed belly button and her developing body. God, what was wrong with him?
"Naruto-kun, my eyes are here!" Fuu exclaimed with glimmering orange-red eyes, which reflected the setting sun. "And nothing's wrong. It's your birthday, and you shouldn't be out here training yourself to death like you have the past few weeks."
"I'm not training myself to death!"
"Oh, yes, you are! Umar caught you passed out yesterday covered in ink and sealing papers," she accused.
"It's called Fuinjutsu, the art of sealing. Besides summoning foxes, it's the only thing I'm talented at! I can't even master a single elemental jutsu…" Fuu walked up to him and grabbed his cheeks. She rubbed his whisker marks and shook her head. He looked at her orange eyes and noticed two beautifully done lace braids keeping her mint-green hair out of her face. Two identical orange hair clips kept both braids in place, the same color as her eyes. He sighed and said, "I don't want to disappoint you."
"Naruto-kun, how could you ever disappoint me?"
"Because I'm not as talented as you or Gaara, especially when learning new jutsu. We are teammates! Letting you guys down because I can't even master a single jutsu is tearing me apart," he admitted dejectedly. Fuu remained silent, but her mouth opened in disbelief at his every word. "You've brought up how much I mean to you, but I never once admitted how much you mean to me. Fuu-chan, you mean the world to me!"
Before he knew it, her arms were around his shoulders. She held him tenderly instead of hugging the air out of his lungs. His heart began beating faster, and he could smell honey and pine. His head rested against the thyroid of her smooth, dark neck. They remained like this as the sun began to set below the horizon.
"Naruto, don't you ever loathe yourself. You're perfect in more ways than you can imagine. I love you for always being you. Now, come on, let's celebrate your twelfth birthday, my blonde-haired, whisker-marked fox," she purred into his ears.
She held his right hand in an ironclad grip. They walked back to Kidal together under the red sun sinking below the horizon. Purple, orange, and blue shadows reflected off the sand and rocks in their pathway to the brightly lit tent city.
His birthday celebration wasn't dull, but Naruto didn't for the festivities. Akhani villagers, teenagers, and warriors congratulated him on turning twelve. Old ladies gave him pistachio cookies called barazek, while Umar's wife baked him a dark brownish orange cake made of dates and flour.
He blew out the twelve candles alongside Fuu and Gaara and then feasted on the legs of a lamb under the blue fires of the bonfire. Gaara gifted him two shining gold coins with the face of the Daimyo and three blank scrolls for making seals. Umar gave him a rhinoceros horn hilt dagger made of well-forged crucible steel that made rose-petaled patterns along the blade. Naruto attached the dagger to his left hip.
Those were the standout gifts of the night. The rest were primarily pastries some villagers made that he shared with Fuu and Gaara. Speaking of his fellow red-haired teammate, Gaara was dancing with an Akhani tribal girl by the blue bonfire.
The night grew darker, and the moon rose higher in the sky. Villagers left for their tents and homes. Most of the warriors on duty were chewing khat or snoring at their posts. Naruto stood beside the blue bonfire, which was diminishing into charcoal bricks.
He saw Fuu approaching him with a broad smile and bright red cheeks. She was the prettiest, friendliest, and strongest girl he knew. She was his best friend, and having her by his side only made him smile back like a goofball. At least he hoped he didn't look so goofy as he scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Blondie!" she greeted warmly. She grabbed both his hands and led him away from the bonfires. "Come follow me! I discovered something spectacular here that I gotta show you!"
He wanted to say something, but the butterflies fluttering around his stomach twisted all the words he thought up. So he followed her through Kidal past Akhani Hall to the Great Akhani Temple inside the mountain. The warriors keeping watch over the temple were snoring loudly at their posts.
They slipped past them and entered the temple. Flowing water churned and bubbled at the edges of the ancient stone pools alongside the temple's walls. There were many altars of various gods Naruto had never seen. Weird obsidian cave art glimmered white from the faint light of the moon. Water dripped from cracks in the walls of the cave. Fuu led him through dark cave passages.
She pulled him slowly through the passages for what felt like an eternity. All he could see was darkness, but his other senses were kicking in. He felt bumpy rocks with each step of his feet. He heard dripping water and drafts of wind rumbling down the corridor. Fuu radiated her calming scent of honey and pine, a smell he could never forget. Her soft hands guided him, and her warm breath brushed against his neck as they exited the darkness.
"Where are you taking us?" he asked quietly.
"Somewhere special," she answered briskly.
They came upon a large open aperture in the Temple. A large waterfall crashed off the crevice right in front of them. The light was bright blue, with milky beams of moonlight reflecting off a mystical pond at the center of the chamber. His mouth was wide open as he stared at Fuu's face. She looked overjoyed by his reaction.
"Fuu-chan, how did you? No, just when did you find this place?"
"Silly boy, I like exploring as much as you," she said happily.
"But this is so beautiful. The one thing I always miss about Konoha was…" he said before pausing. He didn't like talking about Konoha and couldn't bring himself to admit what he loved most about his home city.
"Water," she answered for him.
He nodded and smiled.
"I missed the Great Lake of Taki and the Great Tree too. I sometimes sneak out of our tent at night and come here alone because this reminds me of home. None of the Akhani tribesmen come here, and well…" Fuu stopped talking and brought him closer to her waist. "I wanted to share this place with the only boy that has always made me feel special."
He noticed Fuu was wearing the scarab necklace he had given her for her twelfth birthday. It once belonged to his mother, but no one deserved the gift more than her.
"I do?"
"Of course you do…" she faced him. In the blue light of the waterfall, Naruto could see her nervousness. She looked at him with adoring orange eyes and said, "Naruto-kun, I never admitted this, but…"
"But what? What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong! It's just, uh," she paused and ran a hand over his lower back just above his butt. "I've never kissed a boy. I thought I'd go my whole life without ever finding love… would you be my first kiss?"
His heart was pounding so loud he thought Fuu was hearing it. All he could do was nod his head nervously. She brought her thumbs over his eyelids, shutting them. Then he felt her soft, luscious lips pecking his. His heart soared in the cave's blue light. The crashing waterfall echoed beside them as they continued to kiss.
His first kiss!
Naruto briefly opened his eyes and saw her eyes closed, but their lips were still connected. He closed them again and held her waist tenderly. Fuu held him tightly, and they continued kissing like this for an eternity. An eternity that he didn't want ever to end.
Fuu pulled her head away after a minute and smiled awkwardly. She looked away at the waterfall, slightly guilty, which made him feel off.
"Fuu-chan, that was amazing! Are you alright?"
She turned around and smiled before saying, "H-happy birthday!"
"You were the first girl I've ever kissed," he admitted.
"I'm glad I could be your first," she said, chuckling. "If you ever want to kiss or hug me, just ask."
He nodded and saw Fuu sitting at the edge of the waterfall. He sat down beside her and gave her a half-hug with his left arm.
"Soon, we will be shinobi. I'll always remember this moment with you until I die because you mean the world to me," he said with a broad, foxy smile.
"Good! You know, you aren't that bad of a kisser."
"I'm not?" he asked with crimson cheeks.
She pecked his lips again as they sat beside the waterfall. This one was brief, but as she pulled away, she was grinning.
"But you're going to need more practice!"
They kissed one final time beside the waterfall. Out of all his birthday presents, this was the best one of them all. As he hazily followed her to their tent, Naruto thought about many things that night.
He thought about his Uncle back in Suna. He thought about the professors he saw discussing those ten magical rings, Asa, Umar, and all the people in Kidal he was beginning to love. Most of all, he thought about Fuu and her wonderful birthday present. They would be on the same shinobi team soon, and hopefully, everything would turn out just like he imagined. Their training would be coming to an end very soon, and they'd be shinobi.
But for one brief moment at that waterfall with Fuu… He finally felt like an ordinary boy and not a monster.
Was this what love felt like?
This is the end of chapter 8. I want to apologize for the late release of this chapter. I wouldn't say I like talking about my personal life, as it can be used against me. However, I must admit that during the entire month of August, I was in and out of the hospital. I was dying with a severe infection and have been on a slow recovery back to getting better. There was even a cancer scare, but so far, the scans and biopsies have returned negative. Writing hasn't been easy since I left the hospital, as I had to return to work. This experience has left me with a new perspective on life.
I want to apologize to those I promised to Beta read, those I promised to help out, and everyone here at FFN who was waiting for this update. I was making plans in the hospital with my best friend that he'd finish this story in my place if I died. Luckily, I'm back in better health and plan to finish this story. The following chapters will be fascinating as we'll finally have the team dynamics to make up this story's next 3-4 arcs with an interesting Jonin sensei as their leader.
I plan on releasing a few more fanfics, but as I'm getting healthier, I'm just taking things a day at a time. Chapter 9 will be out within one week. Can you believe that? Again, sorry for the late update. I was going to make a health alert update while I was in the hospital, but I'm just happy to have an entire chapter out for those who are still keeping up with this story!
Follow, favorite, and review. Other than that, I hope everyone has a good month! Chapter 9 will be out soon, if not in a week, then anytime before September 18th!