Chapter 24
Six days later...
There was something truly therapeutic about getting your face caved in while dishing out the same punishment. For one, he was doing it for himself and no one else. There was no rhyme or reason behind his fist, nor did he have to try to justify it. With each blow he received and with each painful blow he endured, he could feel the world around him fall away. And when it was all over, his mind was too focused on the pain to think about anything else.
Was this why Fū liked to fight so much? Because it was the simplest form of human interaction? It was a nice thought, though a bit 'barbaric' as Sothis would put it. Luckily for her, he wouldn't make this an everyday thing. One, because his inner friend wouldn't allow it even if he wanted to. And two, Fū hit hard. Like, really hard. Thankfully, she was slow, so she didn't get many in, but when she did, they left lasting damage.
In short, they hoit. They hoit really bad.
In fact, he was sure she'd actually killed him once or twice during their sessions. Unlike her who healed naturally through her Jinchuuriki powers, he has to use a pulse to reverse the damages. It also didn't help that compared to her, he was basically a normal human with limited time abilities to her almost limitless regeneration and bug-shell like defense...
Yeah, challenging a Jinchuuriki to a no-holds barred brawl wasn't such a good idea...
The sound of the water splashing brought him back to his current reality. Peaking over his stomach from his prone position on the ground, he saw Fū holding a makeshift spear in her hands filled with skewered fish as she loudly proclaimed, "I caught dinner!"
With a groan, he pushed himself up from his spot before making his way towards the firepit. Fū joined him moments later, setting the stick with fish across two more sticks to allow the skewer to be held over the fire. Leaving it to cook, she took a seat across from him on the dirt.
For some reason, she was smiling. In fact, the smile hadn't truly left her face since he'd asked to fight six days ago. Even when they were doing their best to break each other physically, her smile never diminished. It was weird for the blonde, while, for some reason, Sothis found it amusing.
When the fish was done, Fū snatched it from the fire. Instead of removing the fish onto another stick like a normal human being, she-
*SNAP*
...Broke the makeshift spear in half and passed him one of the sides. She didn't even wait for him to take it before she was biting into her food, letting the juices pour down her chin while a look of pure bliss sent shivers down her spine.
Naruto decided to do the same, only slower. When he got a hold of his meal, he carefully bit into the cooked fish, making sure to get the scales, bones, and juices into his mouth. It wasn't the best thing since Ramen, but it was passable. Say what you want about Fū, but at least she never fed him raw or burned fish.
"So," Naruto looked from his fish to Fū who'd already finished her first and was going for the second. "You gonna finally tell me why you're here now?" She asked while biting into her second sea creature.
"No." Was his flat response.
"Figured... Can't blame me for trying, though." She surprisingly accepted. There was a lull between the two before she decided to push further. "Was it your teammates?"
"No."
"The mission?"
"No..."
"The princess?"
"I thought our agreement was that you wouldn't ask questions?"
"It was, and that was 6 days ago, and as far as im concerned, that agreement expired and I'm now curious. Now, was it the princess or not?"
"...No."
"Your space friends?"
"Can you stop?"
"When you tell me."
"I will leave."
"And I'll kick your ass when you return."
"And if I don't?"
"Then I'll go to your village and kick your ass."
Naruto sighed and put his uneaten fish aside. He'd had a feeling the girl wouldn't let him go without an answer. Unfortunately for her, he has no intention to talk on the matter.
"If I teach you something new, will you drop it?"
Fū stopped eating to ponder on the question.
"Depends on what you're teaching." Seeing she was intrigued, Naruto crawled around the fire till he was sitting next to the girl. Comfortable, he held out a hand towards her. Fū blinked stupidly at the hand before she frowned and pulled the hand holding her fish away from the blonde defensively. "Not your fish, idiot. Your hand."
"Don't call me an idiot." She retorted defensively.
"Then don't act like one. Now give me your hand." Fū glared down at the hand distrustfully, but eventually relented. Shifting the stick to her free hand, she placed the other into the Uzumaki's awaiting one. Immediately, she felt his hand grip hers firmly and she looked to him in confusion. "Try to use your chakra."
Frowning, the greenette did as asked. She concentrated her chakra in her palm and waited for whatever the blonde was planning.
Only to realize she couldn't. Her eyes widened marginally as she tried molding her chakra to her other hand only to get the same result. Slightly frustrated, she called on Chōmei's chakra, hoping at least one tail would be enough to break whatever Jutsu he had cast on her.
To her utter surprise, nothing happened. In fact, upon trying to pull her grip from the blonde, she found that she couldn't. His grip was iron tight, which was more impressive seeing that he didn't look to be straining at all to hold her in place. Eventually, she gave up and looked at the blonde with an angry pout.
"Ok, I give. How are you doing that?" Upon her surrender, he let go to hold his arm out parallel to the ground. Sending chakra to his arm, it responded by illuminating black patterns along the skin that weren't there before.
"This is a seal. It's the first real seal I ever learned from my Sensei, and the very same one I used to hold you down when we first met."
"Wooooooooooow." Fū awed at the intricate patterns along the blonde's arm. "So, how does it work? Do you just touch someone and it activates?"
"Not quite. You have to give it chakra. I honestly didn't know how much it could take till now. I can show you how to draw these, but you have to stop asking questions."
As expected, Fū nodded eagerly before bringing her index and thumb together to her mouth to mimic zipping it close.
"Good. Now take off your clothes."
The girl froze, her mouth unzipped and hanging slightly open in disbelief of what she'd just heard. "Wh-WHAT?!" She all but shouted, a slight tinge of pink adorning her cheeks as she backed away from the blonde who tilted his head in confusion.
"I have to draw on your skin. I can't do so with that suit on, so take it off." He said slowly, yet that did nothing to diminish the blush on her face. In fact, it only seemed to make things worse as her arms came up to cross protectively over her chest.
"B-b-b-b-but I'll be NAKED!" She exclaimed, her voice squeaking embarrassingly. Meanwhile, Naruto blinked as if the matter was trivial.
"And?"
The flat way he said it, as if it didn't matter to him at all, caused the mint-haired girl to go darker. The blood rushing to her head was causing her brain to overheat. Steam began coming from her ears, and words suddenly became difficult to speak. She tried looking away, but even when she wasn't looking directly at him, she could feel his gaze on her. For some reason, she didn't know if it was the feeling of being uncomfortable or not.
In fact, why was she so flustered at all? I-it was just a bit of skin, right? They were friends! She'd seen other naked girls, and boys, before! This shouldn't be a big deal!
So why did her body not listen to her?! Why did she feel so nervous?! Th-this was just for a Jutsu! Yes! Think about nothing but the Jutsu!
Briefly, she glanced back at the blonde.
Only to turn right back around. Maybe it was better that she not look at him. Yes, not looking at him would make things a lot less weird. Breathing in to fill her lungs, she let it flow out naturally, however shakely. She still felt hot and embarrassed, but...but this was for a Jutsu! Nothing more!
"F-f-fine." She spoke, it almost coming out as a whisper before she added much louder this time, "O-o-o-o-o-only for a second, got it!"
"...I can't do it in a second." He replied equally uncaringly. By Kami, how was he so composed?! Did he not feel as weird as she did?!
"J-J-JUST SHUT UP! A MINUTE AND NO MORE!" Naruto responded to that with a slow nod, not making her feel any less uncomfortable.
Slowly, the girl moved her hands. She gripped the zipper of the suit tightly, the last remnants of her embarrassment showing. She tried to will her hands to pull down, but she was so nervous that her hands began shaking.
"Need help?" She flinched and whipped her head towards the blonde. Low and behold, he still looked unbothered, even despite the genuine worry in his tone.
"N-no! I-I'm fine! J-j-just g-g-gimme a sec!" She yelled. For the third time, she inhaled deeply, but instead of letting it out, she held her breath and pulled down the zipper. It stopped just between her chest, but that did nothing to cool her down. The zipper was the easy part. The next would be significantly more difficult.
Next, she reached up to the collar of the suit and pushed it aside until her bare shoulder could be seen.
Her heart rate increased exponentially. Her blood now felt like lava coursing through her veins, and her cheeks were practically an inferno by now. The further she went, the more exposed she felt, yet she couldn't for the life of her figure out why.
But seeing as she'd already come this far, she decided to finish what she started. For the Jutsu, of course!
Her right hand went up to push down the other part and ultimately succeeded. Both shoulders were now exposed, meaning the only thing stopping her from revealing her chest were the arms still holding up the suit.
But Fū was no quiter! She was almost there! It was just stupid skin, s-so what did she have to be nervous of! Yes! If she just dropped her arms, he would be able to see...to see...her...
She suddenly felt lightheaded. Swirls appeared in her eyes as she suddenly started breathing heavily. It was getting harder to think by the minute, and her arms felt numb. She...she felt as if she was about to-
"WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU CHILDREN DOING?!"x2
Two voices screeched simultaneously. In a puff of smoke, Chōmei appeared on Fū shoulder while in a twirl of light, Sothis appeared above her ward. Both held disapproving expressions, even if it was hard to tell on the palm-sized beetle's mandibles.
"WHAT IN FODLAN'S NAME ARE YOU TRYING TO MAKE THIS POOR GIRL DO AT YOUR AGE?! HAVE YOU NO SHAME?! WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU ABOUT GIRLS AND MODESTY?! HAVE MY LESSONS GONE RIGHT OVER THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS?!" Sothis shot at rapid fire, not giving the blonde a chance to defend himself.
"Fū? FŪ! Get a hold of yourself, Youngling!" Next to them, Chōmei tried, and failed, to get her host to come back to reality. Despite her chocolate skin, she was beet red. She was wobbling in place, her brain finally being overloaded until-
*THUMP*
Everyone looked down at the girl face down in the dirt, rear in the air and all.
"FŪ!"x2
Immediately, the beetle and Goddess quickly shouted instructions to the only tangible one available and Naruto followed every order to the letter. An hour later, Fū had been revived, yet nearly went back into unconsciousness after remembering the events leading up to her fainting.
Turns out, despite her exuberance and upbringing by the Biju, the beetle neglected to give one of the most important lessons in a lady's life. Admittedly, Sothis was no better, having explained the importance of modesty seven years prior but not adding important information in his teens.
So, that night, they had the 'talk'. Both Jinchuuriki listened, and both understood. Safe to say, once Fū fully understood the reason behind her emotional distress, she was not happy.
Shimura Compound
A week has passed since Team 4's 'administrative leave'. For the most part, it was spent away from any team-building or extracurricular activities. In fact, none on the team had so much as glanced at their fellow members since they all went their separate ways.
Tenten has decided to spend her time back with her father to work in the shop. Neji had taken to training on his own in the Compound, finding it much more hospitable than his own clan's. Kagero was off doing whatever traitors did, while Naruto...
No one knows what the blonde did during his free time. He had the tendency to disappear without a trace, so it wasn't exactly surprising that he could not be found.
However, this time around, his fellow teammates couldn't help but question what he had going on during this free time.
Reconvening back at the Shimura Compound gates the morning after their break, Tenten and Neji waited for their Sensei and extra teammate—their expressions detached.
Then their last team member finally arrived.
"...What the hell happened to you?"
Tenten's question was followed by a slow blink from the person in question.
His clothes looked pristine enough. Not even a scratch could be found on the orange/green attire aside from the headband he had wrapped around his neck.
It was under the clothes where the problems lie.
His arms and legs were completely covered in bandages, not to mention the bandages around his face. What little skin could be seen was an assortment of blue and black, which in this case was his face. His right eye was swollen shut, and a dark purple bruise was under his left eye, giving it an almost sunken appearance. Why he reported for duty and not the hospital was beyond them.
"Fū is surprisingly accurate when she's angry..."
The duo stared at their blonde teammate for what spanned a minute. Then they turned to resume their meaningless gaze into space. Whatever the blonde got into during his time away was none of their business.
Not 5 minutes later, Kagero appeared before them in a puff of smoke. The woman immediately analyzed the three, and pedicably, her gaze stopped on the blonde. She said nothing, nor was there any change in expression. If this were a normal team, the site alone would be cause for laughter. Unfortunately for this team, the Genin weren't exactly on speaking terms with their 'traitor'.
Eventually, she was able to tear her gaze away from the blonde to focus more on the other two Genin in her care.
"We have personally been requested for a C-rank." She spoke over the group, to which Tenten muttered, 'Straight to business as always'. "We'll be meeting with our client at the gate. It will be a simple escort mission. We are to protect a fellow Konoha Shinobi and his partner as we escort them to a town north of the village. We will stay as their bodyguards for three days before returning."
"Why would a Shinobi need an escort?" Neji immediately questioned.
"His partner is pregnant," was all Kagero had to say on the matter for the Genin to understand.
"Are there any hidden agendas this time that we need to know about?" Tenten asked next, a valid question she and her fellow Genin needed to know before they went anywhere with the traitor.
"No," was their sensei's flat reply. "No hidden agendas, no hidden missions—full transparency from here till the end of the mission. If we had not been requested, then we would be training for the Chunin Exams."
...Ah, that's right. The Chunin Exams were right around the corner. It was hard to remember that fact after the hell they had been put through in the last month.
"Isn't it risky to have your team on missions when the Chunin Exams is in two weeks?" Neji questioned once more, to which he received an immediate answer.
"I agree. However, it does not look good on your record to deny personal requests, no matter who they are from. Accepting and completing even the most benign task will tell your future clients that you are flexible. The more traction behind your name, the better the opportunities you will have as Chunin going on."
Neji accepted the answer and had no intention of arguing any further on the matter.
"Good. Then, if there's nothing else-"
"One more thing." Kagero stopped before she could dismiss the trio. Looking at Naruto, she saw him glancing between his fellow Genin before all their eyes turned to her at once.
"We want an apology." Was his ultimatum, to which Neji and Tenten agreed with a nod of the head.
"...What." The word was spoken simply, almost as if her very existence had just been insulted.
"An apology." Naruto repeated. "Last mission, you abandoned us. No matter what reason you had, it is still inexcusable. If we are to go on another mission with you, then we want an apology, and for you to follow our demands."
"...Excuse me?" The woman asked almost incredulously, her patience truly being tested the more the Genin spoke.
"If we are to travel with you again, then we expected an apology. A sincere apology." It was Tenten who spoke next, her voice as firm as her previous teammate's. "As for our demands, we request that a Jonin of our choosing accompany us on any mission outside the village from this day forward. This is non-negotiable."
The silence was palpable as Kagero stared down at the children before her. To say she was angry would be an understatement.
Rage unlike anything she'd ever felt before coursed through her. Her hands clenched and unclenched as a desire for violence flooded her veins. Around her, the air began to grow cold as her killing intent threatened to seep out, yet there was no change in her facial muscles. If not for her training, she was sure she would have snapped.
"And what makes you think you have any right to make demands of me?" She retorted, doing her best not to allow the anger to show through her tone. "You are Genin, and as Genin, you do not get the right to question my methods. The Hokage-"
"Has already been informed." Neji quickly cut in, stopping the woman from continuing once more. "The fact of the matter is, we no longer trust you. You took an oath as our sensei to guide us on and off the field. You broke that oath and put our lives in danger. We will not forget, nor will we ever forgive one who has proven to be untrustworthy."
"I, am no traitor." Kagero growled out, unable to stop the rage from slipping out at the accusation.
"It doesn't matter if you are or aren't. Point is, we no longer trust you with our lives, and the only way we are willing to travel with you again is if our demands are met. As you said yourself, we don't need this mission and are willing to accept whatever consequences that come from denying it. Though I don't think it will look very good on your record if you deny what the Hokage himself has already agreed to."
There was no smugness in the way the Hyuga spoke, yet every word felt as if they were intended to mock her. At this point, her nails now treated to break skin, and she genuinely feared losing her cool anymore than she already had.
This feeling...it felt like defeat.
Yes, in this matter, she was had no way out. Her pride wrestled with her true thoughts on the matter, but it didn't change the fact that there was nothing she could do. She was sure her father would understand her point of view, but at the end of the day, he was under the Hokage. If she disobeyed the Hokage, then she would bring dishonor to both her name and her father—and she'd be damned before that day ever came.
Swallowing her pride, she unclenched her fist and took in a deep breath. Upon releasing it, she felt some of the anger leave her, along with the tension.
"...I, apologize." She spoke slowly, the words feeling like ash on her tongue. "I, did not consider the effect my actions would have on you, and for that, I...am sorry." It took everything within her to choke out the last part. Like her words to the Hokage, it felt like a lie on her tongue. But that didn't matter. If swallowing her pride was what she needed to do to not dishonor her father, then she would do it a hundred times over.
On the Genin's part, they all observed the Shimura carefully. Their expressions mirrored their sensei's perfectly, right down to the letter.
Then Tenten's lips twitched upwards, breaking the mask before she turned to the boys of the group and spoke.
"She actually did it." Her voice was filled with disbelief, as if not expecting the outcome.
"I guess she really does have a conscience." Naruto added, leaving their Sensei confused further.
"Or she understands that pride often comes before the fall." Neji finished. By this point, Kagero's constipated expression vanished to neutrality as she now sought out answers.
"What is the meaning of this?" She asked, not sure how to feel about the comments.
It was Naruto who answered her. "We never went to the Hokage to force an apology." He explained, instantly making her eyes widen.
"It was something we came up with while waiting since you obviously weren't going to do it on your own." Tenten added with a smile, one that was not shared by her acting superior.
"So you did this...to humiliate me?" Their Sensei growled, the woman not able to admit she felt just that.
"Yes." Was Neji's flat answer. "It is not exactly to my taste, but it is all we can do without being court-martialed. Consider it a blessing compared to the stunt you pulled."
It was at this point that the woman decided she had enough of her charges for the moment. Feeling humiliation wasn't normal for her, but combining it with anger and the weird feeling that made her want to congratulate them did weird things within her she couldn't explain. If she spent another moment here, she feared the outcome.
So without a word, she vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving the Genin to revel in their victory.
"...What do you think is gonna happen when she finds out we weren't joking about the first part?" Naruto had to ask, to which Tenten's smile grew further.
"Don't know, but I wish I could see the look on her face."
...
Upon arriving at the gate, it didn't take long for the Genin of Team 4 to find and identify their clients. A man with short, sky-blue hair and wearing the standard Chunin uniform with a backpack over his shoulders stood at the gate. Next to him, a black-haired woman wearing an identical uniform stood, but with an obvious bulge in her stomach that told of a life soon to enter the world.
"Mizuki-sensei?" Tenten gasped. Upon hearing his name, the man turned. A smile immediately lit his face upon seeing the approaching team.
"Well, I'll be. It's so good to see you guys after so long." He said happily, scanning over the three Genin as they stopped before them. "Oh my, and to think you've grown so much in only 5 months! Hard to believe you are still the same kids I taught math back in the academy."
Tenten could feel herself blushing at the memory, while her teammates remained unfazed. Their silence did not go unnoticed by the man who was ready to comment before he really took in the blonde's appearance.
"Um, did something, happen, Naruto-kun?"
The blonde was unfazed by the man's concern.
"...I fell down some stairs." Was the excuse he decided to go with. It was clear from the look on Mizuki's face that he wasn't buying it. Nevertheless, he smiled, a sweat drop visible.
"Well, accidents happen, I suppose."
Just as he said that, the black-haired woman stepped forward. Just like her partner, her smile was bright, yet somehow it held more light. Naruto didn't know how to explain it, but it felt as if her smile was more...genuine.
"Are these children to be our escorts, Mizuki?" Her voice was as soft and kind as the smile she wore.
"Ah, yes." Mizuki confirmed before gesturing to the group of Genin. "This is Team Four. Genin Naruto, Neji, and Tenten. I was their math teacher back in the academy. They are also star students and one of two teams that passed the Genin Exams this year."
The woman looked surprised at that revelation. Despite that, she held her stomach as she bowed slightly to the kids and introduced herself, "It is very nice to meet you, Team 4. My name is Tsubaki, and we are very grateful for your help in escorting us."
Tenten was the first to respond, giving the woman a bright smile of her own as she greeted back, "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Tsubaki-san. I hope we are able to fulfill our part in this mission."
"Oh my, you all are so well mannered." Tsubaki giggled. "Not to worry. It will be only a days journey to my home town. We would normally travel alone, but my Mizuki is a worrywort." She glanced teasingly at her fiancee who sheepishly rubbed the back on his head.
"W-well, I was originally, but I also thought this would be a good opportunity to spend time with my former students. I couldn't pass this up. Besides, you guys have been making it big since you left the academy. I thought the best way to reward you would be by giving you the easiest C-rank mission you'll ever have on record."
The Genin's eyes all widened marginally at the confession. Compared to when they got here, their respect for their former academy teacher went up drastically.
"Uh...well...thanks, Mizuki-sensei." Tenten thanked the man, looking at the Chunin in a completely new light.
They shared idle chatter for a bit more before it evenly died down to a comment every other minute. An hour later, they were wondering if they had the wrong time for the mission. An hour after that, annoyance seeped in, and they were ready to march back to Hokage Tower.
They stopped, however, upon noticing the two figures approaching.
Team 4's Sensei was easily recognizable. The mask of neutrality was present, yet the Genin could easily point out the slightly more furrowed brow than normal. It wasn't enough for most to tell if she was upset, but the Genin knew their Sensei well.
What, or who, they didn't know was the man standing next to her. It was hard to tell anything about the man.
He stood a foot taller than Kagero herself, with gravity-defying silver hair that gave him at least 6 more inches on the woman. The Hitai-ate protecting his forehead was slightly pulled down to cover his left eye, while a mask covered everything else other than his remaining eye. He wore the standard Jonin attire, and in his hand was an orange covered book with a man happily chasing an equally happy woman on the cover.
Mizuki and Tsubaki bowed slightly in respect upon seeing the duo, to which they received no acknowledgement from either. Kagero had her 'not' glare on the Genin who stared back unblinkingly, while the scarecrow next to her kept his nose in his book.
Only when she was done glaring holes through her Genin did she acknowledge their clients.
"We apologize for the wait. We are prepared to depart whenever you two are ready."
Mizuki confirmed before turning to the scarecrow.
"I didn't know a simple C-rank mission required two Jonin. Especially not one of your caliber, Kakashi-san."
The revealed Kakashi did not look away from his book but did address the Chunin—his voice lazy and his words dragging.
"Ma, that is normally not the case. However, my cute little Kouhai here was a very bad girl last mission, so I've been requested to be her babysitter from here on." He finished by turning and giving Kagero an eye-smile, to which she retaliated by staring harder into her Genin's souls.
Ah, revenge was sweet.
A/N: Ladies and gentlemen, today we witness what it means to be young, while teaching a valuable lesson on 'what goes around, comes around'. Fū gets 'the talk' while Naruto gets a rehashing of why it's bad to ask women to take their clothes off. In doing so, Naruto becomes more human, Fū learns a new Jutsu, and both Sothis and Chōmei no longer have to worry about waking up to such circumstances.
I believe the last Chapter was the chapter that got more in depth comments than any other. Most pointed out how flawed Naruto's logic is due to the fact he can literally reverse time and consequences, while also pointing out how neither Edelgard nor Naruto is exactly 'wrong' for how they think.
In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with wanting to save people. Most people do deserve a second chance and can Even be redeemed to become valuable allies in the future. However, for giving everyone will lead to them taking advantage of you. They will eventually understand that there are no consequences for their actions and will continue down their path unless someone more willing comes along to stop them, or they succeed. But at the same time, killing every single person who has wronged you no matter the crime doesn't lead to a good society.
However, the question you should be asking yourself is whether or not Naruto is doing this for himself, or doing it because he doesn't want the disappoint the only person who has ever believed in him. Hope that little rant was enough to answer most of the reviews with my own view of things!
Thank you all for the follows and favorites. If you like this story, consider giving my other work 'The Fate We Have Chosen' a try. Reviews, both good and bad, give me motivation to write, so please keep them coming, and I hope you all have a damn good day.
Next Chapter: Interlude - Edelgard
