Since he had become a genin, Naruto had discovered that his favorite time to train was in the early morning, before anyone else was awake. That was no different when he was away from Konoha. He was surprised at how much he missed the warm, temperate mornings of the village. It was best to train before the sweltering Konohan sun reached noon. The Fuma clan grounds were situated much further north and as such, were much colder in the early morning.
He watched fleeting, misty clouds of breath escape from his mouth. He regretted that he had left his warmer coats and jackets at home. His usual orange jacket was worn and the fabric had thinned considerably since it had become his favorite several years ago. Now, it hardly protected him from the biting winds of the Land of Iron.
Despite this, he continued his routine. After stretching and working through his katas, Naruto practiced the small, but growing number of ninjutsu he was capable of executing. He continued to try to develop his wind nature and especially its cutting ability. In addition to his wind jutsu practice, he explored the many uses of the shadow clone jutsu.
When the old man had taught it to him, he'd made special note of its use as a training aid, given its ability to transfer experience from the clone to the original user. Naruto had already found it to be quite useful for taijutsu training and for his wind jutsu training.
As far as first missions went, Naruto was disappointed by the lack of interaction, both in terms of the act of fighting and that of diplomacy, that they had encountered thus far. He didn't want to feel as if he was there to merely tag along like a little kid. So, when he saw Akane approaching him, he brightened. Perhaps, he could find the words to get her to open up. In Naruto's opinion, there was no better way to understand someone than through the act of fighting.
Akane's steps were purposeful as she moved with single-minded intention toward Naruto. She doesn't waste any movement, he thought.
"This training ground is for Fuma clan members only," she said.
She had come to a stop roughly ten meters from his position. Her arms were crossed. Akane's hair, which had spilled, long and straight, down her back last night was now intricately braided and wrapped tightly at the top of her head.
"I'm sorry if I took your usual training spot," Naruto said, "I hate it when my spots are taken too."
"Well, get lost, then," she said. Her flat nose wrinkled and her brows knit together.
Naruto stroked his hand through his hair and his lips curled into a slight smile. As he made his way back toward his quarters, he turned and said, "I totally understand if you say no, but how about a spar? I've been restless," he said.
Akane regarded him through narrowed eyes. The seconds passed like tree sap on bark. Naruto couldn't begin to understand what she might be thinking, so he turned to go. Then, she said, "Fine. These are Fuma training grounds, but I can make an exception. Let's see what the mighty Konoha teaches you at your Ninja Academy."
"Give me a minute to warm up," she said. She commenced her stretching routine.
"Of course, Akane," he said, "I appreciate you!" Akane rolled her eyes and directed him to move out of the grounds with a pointed finger. He lowered his head, a smile on his lips. Naruto raced off to the side of the grounds where she allowed him to watch her katas.
Her precision was impressive. Akane was lithe and Naruto could clearly see her muscles tensing as she exerted herself. Naruto observed her style. It was fast, fluid, and flexible and he fully understood the intention in each step and that despite her size, she was a formidable fighter. She practiced with the confidence of a battle tested ninja. She's probably seen combat, Naruto thought. He thought back to Akane's comments from the previous night.
There is no other way to protect our way of life. It was clear to Naruto now. Every member of the Fuma clan was expected to fight and even someone as young as they were had contributed to the protection of the clan. Naruto's heart beat faster with excitement. She might outclass him, but he would have the chance to get stronger, even on this mission.
Akane came to a stop near Naruto. Her face glistened with a light sheen of sweat. She considered him for a moment, then her face split into a roguish grin. "Now that you've had your chance to watch and steal my moves, what are the ground rules here? Taijutsu only? Weapons? Ninjutsu?" She said.
Naruto was taken aback by her grin. Akane's usual distant mannerisms had washed away. She likes to fight, Naruto thought. He too broke into a wide grin.
"There's actually a ninjutsu that I've learned, but I haven't had a chance to use. Taijutsu, ninjutsu, and weapons are all fine with me," Naruto said.
"Really?" Akane said, "I hope you're ready to bring it then."
As soon as Naruto slid into a defensive stance, Akane pushed off the ground with a burst of speed. She moved considerably faster than she had when she demonstrated her katas. It occurred to Naruto that perhaps her show earlier had a real purpose. It was one meant to conjure assumptions of what she was capable of achieving. And it worked.
She came careening toward Naruto from above with a shriek like a shrill alarm. Her leg crashed into his arms and Naruto felt his knees nearly buckle under the force of her attack. She thrust herself backwards and flipped into a ready position before bursting forward again. Her kick caught him square in the chest and Naruto toppled end over end before he was able to find purchase. He coughed and wheezed as he clutched at his chest. Akane smiled serenely at him.
"You wanted this, little Konoha ninja. Don't look so sour already," she said.
Naruto chuckled and his grin returned. She'd let him catch his breath and even he knew in a real fight, she wouldn't have let up. Naruto barrelled forward with a shout. He was eager to make an impression on Akane. He flanked her right side and they exchanged blows. Between punches, he attempted to strike her knees and ankles, in an attempt to slow her down, but she didn't appear to be pressed in any manner. She moved slightly and without much wasted energy. His blows struck air and he began to sweat under the exertion. There was a dissatisfaction in continuing to strike at nothing and that feeling was building steadily in Naruto.
Her ferocity was admirable and though he wasn't one to underestimate someone based on their size, even he was surprised by the power she generated. Akane was roughly the same height as Naruto and with a similar build, but to Naruto it felt like he was trying to fight someone twice his size. Each strike that she landed reverberated through his entire body and he vibrated like the strings on a biwa.
Due to her barrage, Naruto had been fighting on his back foot for the entire fight. He realized that they were close to the tree line. Coniferous trees lined the grounds. Aware of his surroundings, Naruto grasped any opportunity he could to put some distance between them. At the tree line, Naruto broke from their engagement and leapt backwards through the trees.
He could feel Akane, hot on his tail. Naruto snagged a limb and pulled it back with all his might as he passed. The limb was not yet old enough to be rigid. Naruto could feel its wiry strength as he hauled the branch along with him. When he let go, the limb snapped back. Akane yelped in surprise as the branch glanced off her shoulder and knocked her off balance. It wasn't enough to damage her, but it was enough to produce space. Sufficiently distracted, Naruto brought his hands together.
"Shadow Clone Technique!" He said.
As Akane regained her footing, fifteen identical copies of Naruto appeared around them.
His clones pounced all at once in a discordant jumble of feet and arms. Naruto too leapt into the fray. Though pressed initially, once Akane had regained her footing, she was able to dispel the clones one by one. They threw themselves at her with reckless abandon. His clones were leaving themselves wide open and had made themselves easy targets.
Naruto cringed as the memories of his clones returned to him. Akane's strikes were harsh and unforgiving and left memories of erupting pain and abrupt nothingness. The sensation was peculiar and Naruto soon realized he would have to be more strategic with his clones for this strategy to work successfully.
As Akane dispelled his clones, Naruto replaced them with more. One way to disrupt a more experienced fighter was to tire them out. Naruto had an excessive amount of energy. In his past, his rambunctious energy had only caused him trouble, but now it was a strategy that would benefit him.
In an attempt to avoid wasting his clones and to mask their carelessness, Naruto began to kick up dirt around the training ground. In between kicks, he infused his hands with wind chakra, cutting up the ground and loosening large amounts of dust. Before long, a large cloud of dust had filled the field and effectively obscured the scene.
Though Akane was still able to dispel many of his clones, he could feel the tide of their spar changing. His clones' strikes had begun to connect. Naruto followed his clones and darted into the cloud in waves of three. Each successive wave produced better results. The first wave, only a single clone was able to touch Akane, but as he continued the assault, it was evident that Akane was not able to keep up with his stamina.
"Screw this," Akane said. As Naruto darted in with two of his clones his only warning that the battle had changed was the whistle of something as it whirred through the air. Naruto dove to the ground just in time to dodge. A moment later, the memory of his clone rushed through his brain. A staff whizzed through the air and caved the clone's head in. Shit, he thought.
Naruto bounced to his feet as the memory of more clone destruction crashed into his mind. The clones that had helped him turn the tide of their spar were erased as quickly as he created them. The sheer amount of information piling up in his mind was difficult to parse through and distracted him. His movements became sluggish as he shook his head to refocus. He was beginning to understand the disadvantages of this technique and he would need to get used to the transfer of information when his clones were destroyed en masse.
Naruto realized that his clones could not get close to Akane with the length of her staff. She swung it around with fury and strength that Naruto didn't know she still had.
Naruto continued to send clones at her, but even he could feel the strain on his body and mind from the creation of hundreds of clones.
Akane brought her hands together in the snake seal.
"Earth style: Binding Sediment," Akane said. She swung her staff through the dust filled air and with each swing, the dust clung to the end of her staff and congealed into small clumps of dirt. With each swing more of the dust clung to her staff. The visibility shifted and became clear. Akane's eyes watered from the hazard he had created. Her staff was covered in small hard balls of earth. She spun and whipped the accumulated clumps toward him.
His eyebrows rose sharply and he raised his arms in front of his face at the last second. The clumps thudded into his arms and chest with a painful thwack. When he pulled his arms down, Akane had spun again, this time she pulled her staff through the earth. Her staff cut through the ground like water, collecting a massive amount of soil on the way. Stuck to the end of her staff like a whip, she spun again, hurling the extension around. Any clone still on the battlefield was bisected before it could react.
The clone next to him assisted Naruto in bounding over the whip-like extension as it spun around. I have to get close to avoid getting caught out here!
Naruto raced forward as Akane reared and spun around again. As he approached, he caught Akane's eyes as she completed her spin. She was smiling, ear to ear, and when she locked eyes with him, she released all the soil that was attached to her staff. It crashed to the ground around him. She took the end of her staff and jabbed it forward. It caught Naruto in the shoulder. Akane dug the staff in and knocked him off his feet. She pinned him to the ground. The staff dug painfully into his shoulder. Akane had unsheathed a short sword with her free hand and positioned it dangerously close to his neck.
"I surrender," he said. He held his hands up and smiled. Their chests both heaved from exertion, but their faces told a different tale. The elation of a duel was well appreciated by both combatants. Naruto felt satisfaction in fighting someone as skilled as Akane.
She held her hand out to him and he grasped it. She pulled him up. Her eyes alight with energy.
"I've never seen someone create so many clones before. For someone so direct, you're quite a wily fighter," she said. Naruto laughed.
"I'm told that I'm hard to pin down," he said. He tittered with mirth at the thought of dodging his academy instructions and anyone else who'd had the audacity to think they could hold Uzumaki Naruto accountable for his innumerable pranks.
They sat in the shade of a tree and spent several minutes catching their breath and re-hydrating. From the pack Naruto had brought, he produced two oranges. He tossed one to Akane who caught it deftly. Her eyebrows rose when she realized what she was holding.
"This is a treat to see so far north," she said, "thank you."
He began to dig his nails under the soft rind of the orange. The fresh aroma of citrus clung to his fingers as he peeled the rind.
"Of course! They're pretty common in Konoha," Naruto said. He thought about all the foods he'd tried last night including exotic root vegetables that stained his teeth red, preserved salty vegetables and meats, and more foods he had no name for. He realized they must not eat much fruit here. He bit into the tender fruit. Juice spurted from the slice and dribbled down his chin.
"Do they teach you to wipe your mouth in Konoha? Or does a clone do that for you, too?" Akane said. Her eyes twinkled with amusement.
Naruto wiped his chin. He tossed a piece of rind her way with a smirk, though Akane easily avoided it. They continued to eat in contented silence and watched as the sun rose above the treeline. It sent beams of orange light across the field and cast long shadows from the trees.
"Say, how did you learn those earth techniques?" Naruto said. Akane's easy smile fell and her brow furrowed.
"Oh," she said, "my brother taught them to me." Naruto tensed as he felt her chakra turn uneasily inside her. Given her change in demeanor, he wondered if this brother was still around, or if he had perished. Naruto understood that life as an unaffiliated clan could pose dangers that ninja living inside the Five Great Villages didn't have to deal with on a daily basis.
His eyes knit together in concern. "Sorry if I opened old wounds," he said, "I didn't know you had a brother."
Akane shook her head. "It's nothing to apologize for," she said, "The clan doesn't like to talk about him anymore after he deserted us and renounced the clan."
"Wow," Naruto said. He wanted to say that he couldn't imagine losing a brother in that way, but instead said, "that's hard, I'm sorry."
His words felt hollow, especially given that he couldn't relate. He tried to imagine if Shikamaru defected, but it wasn't easy to think of an analogous situation. Naruto didn't have any family, though he had finally found a group of people that was almost as close.
"It is," she said, "but the Fuma persist. My clan has faced many challenges, including that one, but it makes us stronger."
"What do you mean?" Naruto said.
Akane turned her head toward the thatched roofed town. "When he left, I was the only child my father had left. I was thrust into the role of becoming my father's sole protege. That carried the weight of all of his expectations and all of the clan's hopes too. I had no choice but to get stronger. I didn't think I was ready," she said, "but I had to be."
Naruto gulped, his eyes wide. Her words swirled around in his head and he suddenly thought not of Akane's ordeal, but of his own and the weight of the seal on his stomach. He leaned in.
"How did you handle the pressure?" He said.
"We can handle a lot more than we think we're capable of handling," she said, "especially when you know that it'll make the lives of the people you care about easier."
Naruto flopped back and pulled his hands behind his head. He stared up at the bright morning sky, then turned his head to look at Akane. "Wow, ya gave me a lot to think about, just now," he said, "thank you for sharing that with me."
Thoughts of the fox bounced around in his head. Akane leaned forward and rested her chin on her hand and gave him a half smile, clearly full of recognition for his current state of mind. "Anything you want to share, Uzu-boy?" she said.
He guffawed and sat up on his elbows in a reclined position. "Maybe one day," he said, "I've barely figured anything out myself, so I'll let you know when I do."
"Well, at least you're honest about it. Most people delude themselves for most of their life," Akane said, "you're young, so you'll have time to figure out whatever it is you're dealing with."
"You act like you're so much older!" He said, "Give me a break."
"You're twelve, no?" Akane said, "I'm fourteen. Trust me when I say there's a big difference."
They bantered on for some time. The cold weather and heavy thoughts slowly receded as the morning progressed. Soon, his teammates found him and informed Naruto that it was time to go. Naruto would admit that it was sad to go so soon, but the mission had been relatively straightforward and they had likely stayed past their welcome already. He knew this was not goodbye forever, though he wondered when he would have the chance to come back.
He was honest when he said he wanted to update Akane on his self-discovery. He thought about all the people who had helped him in his life. Iruka-sensei, Teuchi and Ayame, Shikamaru and Ino, and of course, the old man had been the most important people in his life so far. He recognized that he had come a long way since the days of lonely nights. He knew the gravity of his position as a jinchuuriki, but he had people to help support him. He hoped he would get the chance to thank Akane for her perspective. Naruto promised himself he would guarantee that chance.
Catching up with an old friend like Souta was not a pleasant experience for Hiruzen. The ninja that had made it to this advanced age were never as they once were. In his youth, Hiruzen had never considered what old age would entail.
Souta had once been an impassioned young man with a terrifying demeanor that had struck fear in enemies and allies alike. Now, in his old age, Souta's posture was crooked and his belly was rotund from years of excess. It was the result of decades of fighting and the unseen consequences of abuse on the body. The dozens of empty liquor bottles scattered around them was a testament to that. For some ninja, the bottle became an indispensable appendage.
There was a reason that Hiruzen had felt little need to return to the Fuma Clan grounds in the last decade and a half. As he packed his things in preparation to return to Konoha, he remembered the aches of discomfort brought on by his conversation with Souta.
They had spent the night conversing, lamenting, and hooting with laughter. Hiruzen spied the position of the moon and noted that it was well past midnight. He began to pack another pipeful of tobacco. Souta stared down the barrel of his sixth bottle, then his bleary eyes turned to Hiruzen. "Old friend… my old friend," he said.
Souta's shift in tone caused Hiruzen to glance up from his pipe. The pleasant aroma of freshly ground tobacco helped mask the pungent smell of liquor. "What is it, dear friend? You're not going to start wallowing in the pits of despair, are you?" Hiruzen said with a chuckle.
"You don't understand," Souta said, "my clan is in peril."
"You are serious?" Hiruzen said. He lit his pipe and puffed gently. The room filled with wafts of smoke.
"The Land of Iron is overrun with fools. Mifune is as powerful as he ever was, but as an institution, they are unaware of the danger that lurks around us. They are arrogant and idealistic in believing themselves to be untouchable. They believe their reputation to be enough of a deterrent from ninja, but it is their own former members, the ronin, who run with abandon through the country and wreak havoc on this land. They've begun to work with the more bold among the nations numerous missing-nin," he said.
"Missing-nin and ronin working together," Hiruzen said. He stroked his goatee and his brow knit together. Konoha had more than their fair share of traitors and miscreants running wild throughout the lands.
"Yes, you see," Souta said, "it is unprecedented and the Samurai are wholly unprepared for this moment, I assure you. We, in this clan, are doing all we can to stave off the inevitable."
"What is 'the inevitable' that you refer to?" Hiruzen said. He leaned forward in his chair. His pipe dangled freely between his lips.
Souta leaned in as well and his response came as a whisper. "It is the total and utter destruction of the Fuma and the complete disruption of Konoha's supply of weapons," Souta said, "you see the implications, I am sure."
Hiruzen wondered how much of this premonition was the rambling of a paranoid old man whose time had passed him by. Alternatively, he wondered what would happen if he didn't respond proactively to this threat. Suddenly, their good time had been squashed by the implications of the wider world.
He placed his pipe into the tray beside him and looked directly into the bleary eyes of Souta. "What do you suggest is to be done about this? What information have you gathered?" He said.
Hiruzen finished sealing his belongings. His mind swirled with thoughts from the previous night. If Souta's intel was to be believed, there was a credible threat to the Fuma clan's supply lines, both in their purchase of necessary materials and to their distribution networks. Fortunately, it did not appear imminent. Hiruzen made a note to deploy a team to gather intel on possible leads and a strategist to assist the Fuma clan in protection of their goods.
Naruto had been gone for an hour, though a clone had confirmed he was training with Souta's child. Shikamaru and Ino had been roused by sunlight, which now shone like a beacon. When they had rubbed the tiredness from their eyes, he said, "Shikamaru, retrieve Naruto, we'll be leaving soon."
Shikamaru departed with a wave of his hand.
His last student, Ino, had finished packing the previous night and with nothing to do, she opened her Individual Training Program scroll. Hiruzen observed as she made notes in the margins. She lifted her head, perhaps sensing eyes on her.
He smiled at her. Her meticulous nature suited her impeccable standards well, though Hiruzen did worry that even at this young age, she would burn herself out.
"My most studious student. You never waste a moment, do you?" Hiruzen said.
"I can't afford to," she said, "my dad always says that it is important for a young ninja to create as much extra training time as possible."
Hiruzen barked a laugh. Ino's face scrunched up in thought at his reaction. "What's funny about that?" She said, "A ninja has to work hard to get any edge they can."
"Sorry," he said, "you are right in a sense. My laughter stems from who told you those words, rather than the words themselves. If you could have seen your father at your age, you would understand." A chuckle escaped his lips again.
Ino perked up and scooted to the edge of the bed. "Really?" She said, "What do you mean?"
Hiruzen stroked his goatee and thought back to the days of young Inoichi. "He was talented, like you, but he was often distracted from his studies and training by the typical boyish mischief. He certainly was not creating extra training time," Hiruzen said, "He likely is trying to teach you from his own reflection on his youth."
Ino was silent for a moment and her brow was knit together in contemplation, then she grinned. "It's hard to imagine him that way," she said, "he's so serious now."
"Yes, time changes us all," Hiruzen said, "why do you think I told you this? Why did I make this plan for you?" He gestured toward the scroll she was holding.
Ino thought for a moment. Her thumb absentmindedly stroked the scroll in her hand. "I think you made this scroll to help direct our learning. To guide us in the right direction."
Hiruzen's lips curled into a smile. "Precisely. At your age, your father lacked direction and like most children, he followed his whims. Understand that you have time to develop and learn. You will grow into the ninja that you were meant to be, I assure you of that," he said.
Ino nodded and ended up packing her scroll to be used at a different time. At his suggestion, they spent the remainder of their time trading riddles and witticisms, something that Ino excelled in, especially for her age. She was clearly well read, likely due to the very drive he had seen in her just now. But, still, it would not hurt to take a break.
Shortly, Shikamaru returned with Naruto in tow. They soon gathered their materials and bid farewell to their hosts. As they left, Hiruzen caught the bloodshot eyes of Souta. His eyes were sunken deeply into face. He did not smile as Hiruzen's team left. Hiruzen remembered the conclusion of their conversation.
"I am not the man I once was, that is no secret. My original heir is gone, dead to me and to his people. While Akane is strong, she is not ready to take up my mantle. To stave off our inevitable destruction, I will need Konoha's full support," Souta said.
Hiruzen met the eyes of his longtime friend. "I will do what I can. I will send a team upon our arrival home."
Souta cast his eyes down. "I fear by then it will be too late."