Hello everyone. I would like to apologize for the late upload. Work this week has been hectic and it appears that is going to be the case for the rest of the month. Because of this my normal upload schedule will be thrown off until it returns to normal. This does not mean though I will stop working on the story just that I will not upload when I usually would. Thank you for your understanding. Now on with the chapter.
Tsunade and her entourage reached their first stop on their way to Tanzaku Gai. It was a small gambling town accommodating games like Liars Dice, Odds or Evens, and Roulette tables. While they were not games she was known for playing, she was very aware that to many, they didn't care so long as they got her money. Giving a look to her Anbu guards, they implemented their disguises before they made their way into the town to commence their plan.
To ensure they hid properly but not stand out in the event there were shinobi from other villages in the area, Tsunade's Anbu escort activated the special seals that were placed in their masks that allowed them to use a Henge no Jutsu that did not require the user to utilize chakra to maintain it, instead using the chakra stored and hidden in the mask. This meant that the henge could only be detected by a natural sensor. The only downside was that only their face and hair were changed by henge so the agent needed to pack additional attire. These changes to the Anbu masks were made to ensure that the Anbu could always protect their Hokage before these additions were added to the rest of the Anbu to aid in infiltration missions.
Once the Anbu were changed and had hidden their larger weapons in seals that were hidden on the underside of a small vambraces which could be written off as large bracelets, the group made their way into the town in a loose formation to hide their duty from the populace. As they walked through the town, its serene atmosphere was on full display for the Konoha shinobi. Soon a group of kids ran by, nearly bumping into Tsunade as they did so. As the children passed one of the Anbu allowed his focus to be drawn to the passing children, giving them a scrutinizing look as they ran off. His attention was drawn back to his surroundings by his Captains subtle orders. "Do not spend so much time on the children, instead focus on their hands and their destinations" she ordered as she walked close to him. Their suspicions were not unfounded. Afterall, it wasn't uncommon for unscrupulous characters to use children as means of securing wealth from another as thieves or runners.
The next orders that left the Captains mouth were directed to her whole squad via the hidden short wave radios they wore under their masks. "Focus, Tsunade-dono is under our protection and none shall harm her." The squad became more vigilant at their commanders' words. The loss of the Sandaime was a big blow to the Anbu, even to those who were not part of his guard detail. It was due to the loss of the Nidaime that the Anbu were assigned to become the guard detail of the Hokage and that they had lost another was something that the Anbu were not happy about. At least the guard of the Yondaime were confirmed to have died prior to the Hokage.
The first thing to do was to secure lodgings, which is what Shizune did, while Tsunade enacted her part of the plan to lure Jiraiya toward their intended destination. At that the Anbu split themselves up, with Gazeru and Tora staying with Tsunade while Iguru and Fokkusu split off for Shizune as losing the Godaime's aid would prove to be a security risk.
As the day of gambling, and losing, came to a close, Tsunade made her way to the room that Shizune had selected. She secured an additional set of rooms near hers and Tunade's while using a henge to obtain accommodations for the Anbu. The Anbu may be the best of the best when it came to Konoha shinobi, that didn't mean that Tsunade was going to have them sleep outside as she was in a warm room. They could rotate their time guarding her room while ensuring they were not noticed by sleeping outside.
In her room, Tsunade was working on the mild amount of paperwork with ease as even now she still used a Kage Bunshin to lighten the load so she could ensure that she would not be kept awake just to finish her work and risk experiencing some form of delirium. As she worked her thoughts drifted towards a young, spiky haired blonde. 'I hope you are ready Naruto she thought as she looked towards the closed window. 'As soon as we're reunited, your training will pick up in earnest' thought the Slug Sannin. She looked back to the small amount of work she had left and immediately set about finishing her work.
Naruto and Jiraiya were resting in another town in Hai no Kuni. He had grown weary of reading Cellular growth and stimulation: How Medical Chakra affects a Body's cells, so he put the book down and figured it would be a good idea to move onto something else. He took his question book back from his Kage Bunshin before dispelling it and moving onto another subject, Nature Transformation. According to the texts sent by Tsunade, one of the first things he was to do in order to improve his ability to use Futon was to cut a leaf using nothing but chakra.
The first thing Naruto did when he was getting ready to practice his leaf cutting was get out the reference material Tsunade had sent him and read the instructions. According to the text in his scroll, he is to hold a leaf between his hands and channel his chakra into it. There was an addendum from someone named Kaito that told him to visualize your chakra as if it were becoming as sharp as possible by changing it so it flattens out to a very thin line. The idea was that the thinner the line of chakra the easier it is for his chakra to cut into anything. There was another note that said this was the first half of Futon manipulation as there was also the side of hurling large gusts of wind at an opponent. The first exercise that was meant for that side of Futon manipulation was to hold a leaf in an open palm and, using only the wind, to levitate it and prevent it from blowing away by creating an opposing force of wind if a breeze kicks up.
There were follow ups like cutting a rock, cutting a waterfall, cutting a log as if he had an axe, and finally sharpening a blade without damaging it. For the other side, he was levitate a rock or equally heavy object, keep a gust of wind going that was capable of creating a dirt storm, create a hurricane class windstorm with the goal of being able to transition between them or merge them with a single attack whether it was a blade giving off a torrent of wind when he struck or a gust of wind that had several blades of wind within it. When it comes to the levitation, he saw a note to first concentrate on creating a swirl of wind before trying to levitate a few leaves.
After reading the texts that explained what to do, Naruto then made ten Kage Bunshin and ordered them to grab several handfuls of leaves, which he did himself. With that all set, Naruto and his bunshin set about cutting their leaves.
After almost two hours Naruto only managed to cut an eighth of the way into his leaf, with his bunshin achieving a similar result. Despite the notes he had, Naruto was struggling to visualize what Kaito was had written for him to do. Letting out a sigh, Naruto got back to the grind. He didn't discard the leaf he had already cut into as that would be a waste of his leaves. The other issue was noticing was he was cutting into different places sometimes rather than cutting into the same spot every time. When he visualized his Futon chakra, he saw a hint of green within his own. Using his great control he easily separated it from his normal blue and deeper blue Suiton chakra. The second he tried to guide it he noticed some difficulty.
The Futon was always flowing as if he were trying to control a breeze. Letting out a cry of frustration that got Jiraiya's attention Naruto cried, "Arg! Why is this so difficult?!" Jiraiya turned toward his traveling companion and noticed the ten or so bunshin following, all with their hands clasped and concentrating very hard. "What are you working on?" asked the Gama Sannin. Naruto let out a sigh and explained. "I'm trying to work on my elemental manipulation but I can't seem to get more than part way through the leaf." Jiraiya nodded along. "So what is the part that you are struggling with most right now?" he asked. "Well I can visualize the thin line for cutting but it seems like I'm not able to maintain it" replied a dejected Naruto.
Jiraiya understood the boy's plight. After all, maintaining what you visualize is the hard part for any chakra control exercise and ninjutsu. Naruto continued to voice his aggravation. "I thought I would get this easily, ya know? With as good as my control is I didn't think I would struggle this much." Jiraiya let loose a jolly belly laugh that got Naruto scowling at him.
"Sorry but that's not how it works. You are making great progress that's for sure" he said reassuringly, getting Naruto to lose the scowl for a cheeky grin. "But just because you know a similar skill doesn't mean you are as good in the skill you are trying to learn. You need to learn all the attributes that go into it even if they are 'easy' or 'something you already know'. Mastering a similar skill just means that you'll grasp it faster" explained the Gama Sannin. "It's like sewing and needle point. Just because you are good at needle point doesn't mean that you are instantly good at sewing. They are separate skills that share similarities that knowing one means you will have an easier time learning the other."
Naruto was in intrigued by the explanation. Even through this pervert of a Sage didn't do much to help in his training, he did have good words of wisdom from time to time. It was then, Jiraiya gained a reminiscing look in his eyes. "I bet even Tsunade would tell you the same thing." Those words immediately got Naruto's attention. "Really?!" asked an excited blonde. Jiraiya nodded in affirmation. "Yeah. Every time she researched a different field of medicine, she would always retread the basics as there was something different she would notice when she looked into another field. Nature Transformation and chakra control are no different." Naruto took in Jiraiya's words with a contemplative look.
Jiraiya brought the conversation back to Naruto's training. "So to help with your visualization …" Naruto immediately tuned in so as to not miss a word. "… start with using an object as a reference for now." Naruto looked slightly confused so Jiraiya decided to use as recent example. "As you know, the rasengan is round like a sphere. However just because you know what a sphere is, doesn't mean you can visualize a perfect sphere every time as you learn this jutsu. That is part of the reason the Yondaime used ballons and rubber balls. The way they are cut allowed him to create the rasengan in the shape of a perfect sphere" explained Jiraiya. He was not going to tell the boy that the main inspiration for the jutsu was the primary attack of a biju that nearly killed him and his team during the Third Great Shinobi War. This got Naruto to think. If what Jiraiya was saying was true then he needed to focus on something that is really thin.
It was then one of Naruto's bunshin thought of something else. "Wait how do I prevent it from cutting from different angles?" asked one of the bunshin. "Now that is where your control comes in. The visualization gives the wind shape while your control is how you direct it" explained the Gama Sannin. "Best thing with Futon when using it to increase cutting power is to have your chakra provide a path for the wind. Yes your are forcing the chakra to take sharpen itself but with no path for it to follow it can't be directed" explained Jiraiya.
Naruto nodded in understanding before he and his bunshin ditched their current set of leaves and grabbed a fresh one. He was grateful for the explanation. One of his bunshin made sure to copy those words down for the original to write in his own book. Naruto focused on the thinnest and sharpest object he could think of. Kunai? No, they were too big if he wanted something small. Scalpel? No, the blade is thin but the handle is really thick. Shuriken? Even he thought that was rather dumb. Then it hit him. Senbon. He remembered those super thin needles that Haku used. They were so thin that the only way you could see them when they are in flight was the light they reflected when the sun hit them at the correct angle. Heck, he could barely see them in the Hyoton users' hands. After a silent prayer to his deceased friend, Naruto got back to work at conducting his Futon chakra.
Once he clasped his hands over his leaf, he began to visualize his Futon chakra running along an object as thin as a senbon needle. He held the image in his mind as he molded his chakra. He then began to guide it across the leaf. Soon after he felt the chakra move more smoothly than before, his concentration faltered. When he eagerly looked at the leaf in his hands, there was a single, thin cut going across the leaf. With all the happiness he could muster, Naruto let out an excited cry as he jumped in the air. "Yata! Look at this!" he cheered as he showed off his leaf to both the white haired Sannin and his bunshin. Jiraiya gave the boy a thumbs up as some of his bunshin looked irritated while some looked just as happy with similar length cuts on their leaves.
Tsunade thought about Naruto's Nature Transformation training. He currently had the materials to learn how to mold his Futon chakra. And if Jiraiya was going to do something positive for this waste of time, he was helping her apprentice. However, she needed to ensure that she talked to him about opposing elements. Despite the fact that Futon empowered Katon, Futon was indomitable by its opposing element. Though to be fair every element could be circumvented by the one it is supposed to defeat, though that was if you either knew what made them vulnerable to their opposing element or master a significantly more advanced Nature Transformation for an element. There were also elemental kekkei genkai but that was because they are combinations of two elements, one of which could be a counter to whatever element they were combating.
Tsunade would make sure that the boy who wormed his way into her heart would learn the more advanced Nature Transformations for his elements, or at least understand what allowed every nature to no longer be vulnerable to its, normally, dominant counterpart. Her thoughts then began to take a different turn. 'Next time, I'll be sure to not let my Naru-bear get far away from me because of a false mission' thought the Slug Sannin. 'Who knows. Maybe I should make him an office aid when he has openings in his new schedule. Afterall it would help prepare him to be Hokage if he sees what I do when I'm not handing out missions' she continued to ponder.
Soon a devious grin made its way onto her face. 'Plus with his own set of Kage Bunshin, there would be no bureaucracy that could stop our combine might' cackled the Queen of Elixirs catching the attention of her guard and assistant. "Umm is Hokage-dono alright?" asked Gozu. Shizune could only let out a sigh. "Tsunade-sama was probably thinking of something that she found entertaining" replied Shizune. "Pardon me Shizune-san but the laugh she is giving off is like that seen coming from the mouth of one classifiable as insane" replied Gozu.
The next day, Tsunade and her entourage set out again. As they were walking through the town something caught Tsunade's eye leading her to stop walking, forcing Shizune, Tonton and her disguised Anbu guard to follow soot. Turning towards her master Shizune asked, "Tsunade-sama, what is it?"
Tsunade shook her head before responding. "It's nothing Shizune. I just saw something that caught my eye." At this looked to where Tsunade was staring. She was looking into the window of a clothing store. However, it was what was in the window that drew Shizune's attention.
As Shizune was taking in the sight of the article Tsunade was more than likely looking at, Tsunade made her way to the store to purchase the item. Quickly snapping back to reality, Shizune chased after the Slug Sannin. "Tsunade-sama! Wait for me!" cried out Shizune as she raced on while Tonton let out an oink for her troubles.
Tsunade was the first to walk in, followed quickly by Shizune while the Anbu took up discreet positions outside the shop while one made their way inside. The store was rather simple in its design. With cream-colored walls and green baseboards. The floor was deep stain with a hint of red in it. There were racks of simple clothes, kimonos and their accessories as well as shinobi sandals and other footwear that were placed along the walls. There were a few articles that were hung up in the window, one of which was what Tsunade was after.
Tsunade approached the saleswoman who had sat up the moment the bell above the door rang. "Greetings" she welcomed with the cheeriest attitude she could display. The saleswoman was a woman in her mid-twenties with deep chocolate brown hair that was tied up into a high bun. She had fair skin with black eyes. She was wearing a blue and white striped blouse, navy blue capris complimented by white canvas shoes under a forest green apron. "How can I help you?" she asked as Tsunade and Shizune looked to her.
"Hello" Tsunade greeted back. "Yes you can. I am interested in the haori you have hanging in your window" Tsunade said as she gestured to the article in question. The woman nodded that she understood and quickly moved to retrieve the haori. The article is a black haori with orange sleeves and embroidery. In the orange sleeves were swirl like designs while the linger was a brilliant black silk. Tsunade figured that it would make a great gift for Naruto when his birthday came around. After all, one could never shop too early for such festivities.
The saleswoman quickly brough over the garment and hung it on a metal stand next to the front desk. Once the garment was hung the saleswoman brought out a registry book. She quickly looked through the book that held the inventory of the store, the specifics of each product as well as their price. It took a little time before the saleswoman found the haori in question. "So this is an adult medium …" the saleswoman said as she gestured to the haori, "… and is crafted with a cotton shell and silk liner so the haori can be worn with less formal attire and you don't need to worry about it being difficult to clean" the saleswoman red from her book.
Tsunade nodded at the details before commenting, "With such a crafted garment, I'm surprised that on one wants it." The saleswoman let out a sigh. "Well you see, no one wanted this garment because of its bright orange sleeves. Most of the people in the area prefer clothes in more forest or natural colors" she explained. Letting out a sigh the saleswoman continued, "Often times clothes that are not part of this scheme don't sell to well" she said sullenly.
Tsunade couldn't understand people's thoughts sometimes, then again psychology was not one of her preferred fields of study so she just let it go. "Well I would like to purchase the haori" Tsunade told the saleswoman before asking for the price. With a smile that seemed to brighten up the room the saleswoman quickly turned her attention to the entry of the haori in her book once again. She read the price, telling the two women that it was 11,929.06 ryo. Nodding at the price, Tsunade brought out a scroll from a seal on the inside of her haori. Unrolling the scroll, Tsunade produced the necessary funds for the transaction before sealing the garment away. As she, Shizune and the unnoticed Tonton left the store the saleswoman called out "Thank you and have a pleasant day!"
When they were out of the store Shizune turned toward her master and asked, "Tsunade-sama, why did you buy that haori? It isn't exactly complimentary for your clothes." Tsunade gave a large smile to her apprentice. "It's for Naruto" she replied cheerfully. Shizune's eyes widened in realization. She soon wanted to smack her forehead for not realizing it sooner. With no more stops in town, the Konoha shinobi made their way out of town towards their next destination before Tanzaku Gai.
It had been a day since Tsunade had left Konoha. Within Orochimaru's hideout in Hai no Kuni, Kabuto was calmly making his way towards his master's chambers to report his findings.
"Orochimaru-sama" stated Kabuto as he knocked on his master's door. "Enter" came the raspy voice of the Hebi Sannin. With the permission granted, the silver haired man calmly opened the door to find his master sitting up in his bed while his face showed he was in immense pain. The pale man turned his gaze towards his right hand.
"What is it Kabuto" asked the in pain Hebi Sannin. "We have managed to locate Tsunade Senju" spoke the silver haired subordinate as he adjusted his glasses. Orochimaru said nothing, but his intense, painfilled glare ordered Kabuto to continue as he was in no mood for letting the spy's report be told any way that was not expediate. "She has been seen heading to a gambling town in the southwest. Given how she normally is on the move as soon as she burns through a fair bit of money, she may not be there for long."
Orochimaru commented on Kabuto's report as he wheezed out what breath he could get. "Tch of course not. Tsunade is ruled by her grief so she will more than likely be moving toward greener pastures to bury her woes in sake and a gambling den." Contemplating about the potential options, Kabuto spoke. "If that is the case, then it seems she may be headed towards Tanzaku Gai as it is the largest gambling center in the area." Orochimaru gave a pained smile as he spoke. "Excellent. Let's move out immediately! The sooner we meet with Tsunade, the sooner I can have my arms restored" ordered Orochimaru.
Orochimaru turned toward one of the darkened corners of the room. "Guren!" called the Hebi Sannin. A person stepped out of the shadow of the wall right next to the bed.
Guren is a porcelain skinned woman with dark eyes and light blue hair that she ties into a rather long spiky fanned out ponytail with shoulder length side bangs and spiky bangs that cover her forehead. The most noticeable thing was the eye catching bright red lipstick she wore over her thin lips. She wore a deep red, sleeveless turtleneck body suit that stopped just below her shapely rear. Over her body suit she wore a deep green kimono with black embroidery and a large white lily on the left side over the left leg that stopped just over he knee. Her kimono also had a grey fur, fluffy collar. The kimono has a short right sleeve and a long left sleeve. Her kimono was tied closed with a muted yellow rope belt tied into a falling bow knot as the excess also fell to her knees. She wore brown, knee-high shinobi sandals along with wrist length brown gloves.
"Yes Orochimaru-sama?" asked the blue haired woman. "We are heading out, prepare for our departure" the pale man said as he moved to stand from his bed. The woman nodded at her orders and left the room to prepare the necessary supplies for herself, Kabuto and their master. Kabuto in the meantime stayed and looked over Orochimaru to monitor the deterioration of his arms. As he looked over the appendages, he noticed something disturbing. His fears must have been shown on his face as Orochimaru asked, "What is it?"
Kabuto was hesitant to answer, fearing what his master would do with the information he was going to tell Orochimaru. "Orochimaru-sama … it's not good. Due to whatever the Sandaime Hokage did to your arms, lacerations are beginning to form across your arms. They aren't opening but the tears are starting to show." Orochimaru was not happy at the news but what came next would light a fire against his former sensei that could not be quelled. "It also seems that your arms are becoming necrotic. Meaning that current iryo ninjutsu knowledge cannot help, as the tissue is either dead or dying."
Once more Orochimaru scowled at the news. "Damn you Old Man!" the Hebi Sannin cried out. Kabuto winced at the volume of the shout. Sadly, with Kabuto being the only one in the room as well as his best doctor, Kabuto was now the target of Orochimaru's ire once again. "If you cannot heal me then leave and ensure that Guren is ready. I must get to Tsunade as quickly as possible" ordered an enraged Orochimaru.
With a deep bow, Kabuto left the room to locate Guren and ensure that all materials are packed as per his master's orders. After a little time, Kabuto found Guren in the armory of the base with three scrolls laid out on long display tables. Kabuto said nothing as he entered into the room, he just stood silent as he observed the blue haired woman. Taking notice of the spy that had no reason to hide Guren, called out to Kabuto as she looked over her shoulder. "Hey glasses, I need you to pack whatever medicine you need for Orochimaru-sama. We cannot allow him to die on us after all."
Kabuto remained silent for a minute. Guren, assuming that Kabuto was contemplating what he would need, remained silent as well. After a while Kabuto spoke his thoughts. "I don't know what I can do with the state his arms are in. Their condition seems to be deteriorating as if they were no longer alive." Not really caring for the explanation, Guren responded as she turned to face Kabuto with a scowl on her face. "Tch! You're useless." She then placed her hands on her hips as she scolded Kabuto. "Look, why don't you go be useful for something then and go fumble around in your little medicine cabinet and get something to help Orochimaru-sama rather than just standing around like all the other useless fodder" she said with a wave of her hand as she turned back to pack supplies in the scrolls for the journey.
Kabuto scowled at her words before he responded with venom concealed in his next statement. "You might want to watch your tongue Guren, you wouldn't want to come down with something you can't walk off." Guren glared at the medic over her shoulder as she retorted, "I'd like to see you try. Remember I am Orochimaru-sama's next vessel now that Kimimaro is bedridden." At those words a smirk crept across her features, "Another one of your failures I might add, so be careful who you are threatening."
Internally, Kabuto smirked. 'Then I guess she hasn't heard about Sasuke being Orochimaru-sama's next vessel then. Fine, let her find out the hard way that her standing has fallen' thought Kabuto as he pushed his glasses up. Kabuto gave one last glare to the woman before he left to gather what he believed would aid in alleviating Orochimaru's pain. After a few hours, with the supplies packed, the three set out from Orochimaru's hideout in Hai no Kuni to Tanzaku Gai to talk to Tsunade.
It had been nearly three days since Tsunade had left Konoha. Within a dimly lit bar a few days away from Tanzaku Gai, Jiraiya was enjoying himself a fair amount of alcohol as well as the pleasant company of a few women were dressed for pleasant company but not for polite company. He also changed his outfit to that of a bright red kimono with a mesh armor shirt underneath with tabi socks to go along with his geta. He also tied his hair into a spiky braided ponytail to further change his appearance. Inside his kimono was a seal to hide his money so he couldn't be pickpocketed as he enjoyed himself.
As Jiraiya laid back into the couch he was sitting in, with a drink in one hand and women curled into his chest who giggled lightly at every word he spoke, another woman approached the Sannin.
Looking up, Jiraiya recognized the woman immediately but continued as he was. "Well hello ba~by" he said with a slur to his words. "Why don't you come an give this Great Sage some company" he said as he freed on of his hands and patted his lap. The woman smiled seductively and took the Sannin on his offer. With a delicate jump, the woman landed softly in Jiraiya's lap forcing all the other women back as they scowled at the newcomer. The woman began to playfully rub her hands across Jiraiya's chest, feeling up his muscles while discreetly dropping a capsule from the inside of her bracelet to a hidden pocket on the inside of his kimono.
After Jiraiya left the bar with so much sway it was a wonder to many that the man could even stand, he made his way to the hotel he and Naruto were sharing to read the message he was given by one of his contacts.
He entered the rather plain looking room quietly so as to not disturb Naruto who was sleeping soundly though seemed a little uncomfortable. 'Must be because he is an unfamiliar environment' thought the Gama Sannin. It made sense, whenever beyond the walls of home a shinobi was always in enemy territory and should never let their guard down. Jiraiya took a seat and lit a candle he had in his own packed scroll so as to not wake the boy and to be able to burn the message if need be. As he read the notice his eyes widened a fraction. Apparently, the boy was telling the truth that Tsunade is the Godaime Hokage. He hadn't asked for this kind of information specifically just any big events that were happening in his home. 'Yeah that would fit my criteria' thought the Gama Sannin as he scratched his head.
He was not going to admit to the boy that he was right. Naruto was already being difficult. If he admitted he was right, Jiraiya was sure the blonde would never let him live it down. The best thing he could do was make their way back discreetly and hope Tsunade wouldn't be mad at him for undertaking a useless mission, or at least talk his way out of nothing more than a stern talking too. That went out the window when he read that Tsunade been spotted heading in the direction of Tanzaku Gai. Now Jiraiya was confused. If she was Hokage, what reason could she have for heading to the city. Well it didn't matter. What did was to make sure she got back to Konoha.
The morning soon came for Naruto, who was tired from staying up late training his Nature Transformation. His internal clock, that he had developed while training with Tsunade and Shizune, had seen that he didn't sleep into close to the afternoon. As he woke, he saw that Jiraiya had returned. Figuring that the Gamma Sannin would crawl out of bed when he finished getting ready, Naruto made a Kage Bunshin to torment the Gamma Sannin as he left the room to freshen up for the day's events.
Though Jiraiya was asleep due to the hangover he gained from last night to receive a drop, registered the pop of the Kage Bunshin's creation. When he felt a presence creeping towards him, he acted and smacked whatever it was with a free pillow, dispelling the bunshin. Naruto received the memories of his bunshin being dispelled and smiled as he brushed his teeth, knowing that he woke the pervert who no doubt had a splitting headache.
When he came out of the bathroom, Naruto saw Jiraiya rubbing his temples to alleviate the pain he was feeling. "Were you out drinking again?" asked the blonde as he raised a judgmental eyebrow at the Gama Sannin. Jiraiya shot a weak, one-eyed glare at Naruto. "Shut it" retorted Jiraiya. After a little time, he stood to his feet and called out his usual attire. "Anyway, let's get something to eat after I change. I learned where Tsunade is" spoke the older male.
Naruto gave a snort of derision as Jiraiya passed him. "Yeah, she's in Konoha. Like I've been saying!" he shouted out at the end. Jiraiya stopped at the bathroom door and looked over his shoulder. "No. She is headed to a city called Tanzaku Gai." Naruto looked confused at the name. "Never heard of it" he told the white-haired man. Jiraiya turned back to the bathroom. "I figured you hadn't. But I'll tell you about it after we hit the road. I don't want other villages or bounty hunters learning of this." Naruto nodded in agreement, "Yeah got to keep the Hokage safe after all."
The duo were once gain back on the road. As Jiraiya said he would, he told Naruto that Tanzaku Gai is a prominent gambling den, a bit of a vice for Tsunade but Naruto claimed that she had greatly cut back on said vice.
Naruto didn't buy that Tsunade left the village just to gamble. He then remembered that she messaged him, letting him know that she would head out to get him and Jiraiya. Once he recalled that, he crossed his arms and spoke confidently. "I bet she's out here to takes us back." Jiraiya eyed the blonde, no longer discounting his words given how he was right about Tsunade being Hokage.
Jiraiya didn't know why she was out but he suspected he knew. Nevertheless, that didn't mean he couldn't continue to rile up the blonde. "No. If she is head to the town then it's to gamble away a healthy sum." Naruto looked aghast at the accusation. "No way! If Tsu-chan is going to gamble then she would only do so reasonably. Besides she's really busy as Hokage so she probably doesn't have time for that stuff right now."
In a card den a little less than a day's journey from Tanzaku Gai, Tsunade let loose a sneeze that startled her and nearly caused her to drop her cards. "That was close" Tsunade said with a sigh. 'Who is talking about me? They better not be doing so perversely thought' Tsunade thought with a scowl inadvertently making the others believe she had a bad hand. 'Or if its Naruto he probably is thinking of questions for me to answer when we meet up' she thought fondly, confusing the other players even more.
Jiraiya looked at the kid, once more out of the corner of his eye. He had to give him credit for sticking to the story about knowing Tsunade for as long as he was, but it was getting old. When he would inevitably meet with Tsunade again in Tanzaku Gai, he would definitely call the kid out about being Tsunade's apprentice.
Once again Tsunade and her entourage had stopped at another town. This time Tsunade was playing the part of a woman burying herself in alcohol, though many of her entourage were worried that she may be getting to into the part. The blonde was well into her fourth bottle and despite being able to negate many of the issues of a hangover, that did not stop Tsunade's company from worrying about her ever-growing rate of consumption or her ramblings that started after she was halfway through her third bottle. It was only when she was starting her sixth bottle did she begin speaking loud enough for the others to hear.
"I miss my Naru-bear! I mean he is my cuddly teddy bear!" whined an intoxicated Tsunade as she laid her head down on the table as well as her sake dish as waterfall tears began to roll down her cheeks. 'Apparently she had been going on and on about Naruto' thought Shizune as a comedic sweat drop formed on the side of her head. "Why did Jiraiya need to take him on this pointless mission? If only the council would have said something then Naruto would be back home with me!" she whined. The Anbu in disguise couldn't tell in what way she meant those words. Sadly, like any time at an establishment surrounded by gambling dens, some rather intoxicated individuals made their presence known as they attempted to flirt with the drunken Tsunade.
"Hey pretty thing" slurred the leader of the ghastly group of three. "We'll be your teddy bear if you want someone better" commented the man as he attempted to flex his nonexistent muscles as he leered at Tsunade. He nor his companions saw the fist coming but when it struck, all three men were launched out of the establishment breaking through a wall and landed in the street in a heap. In her angered and intoxicated state of mind Tsunade stood in her booth and planted a foot on the table while another was on the cushion of the booth she was sitting in. She was posed as if resembling a leader getting ready to lead a charge. "SHUT IT! NO ONE CAN TOUCH ME LIKE THAT EXCEPT MY NARU-BEAR!" she shouted as she pointed at the men who were piled up in the street outside the establishment, the red cheeks she sported hinted that she was highly inebriated. Shizune let out a sigh as she shook her head in her hand, she now knew too late that her Master did indeed have to much to drink.
As the pair traveled Naruto chose to work on another of his skills, one he had to be remined he had when he was tracking Gaara, his sensory abilities. Normally he would be forced to be still and concentrate to use it but what if he could use it like a byakugan? That would mean he would never get taken by surprise unless he wasn't focusing. The mere thought had made him giddy with excitement and eagerness to train. For this he took a different approach. Instead of creating a load of bunshin, who would probably dispel from running into something or tripping over a road obstacle. He created a bunshin who used some rope he had for a stretcher around his body like a harness. It would then use the rope to guide him like a seeing-eye dog. With his strategy now implemented, Naruto was about to begin to train before his bunshin made a good suggestion. "Hey boss, why don't you make some more of us to practice using our chains so we could use them instead of some rope. I mean we never practiced using them to hold someone gently just use them to move objects."
Naruto thought about his bunshin's suggestion. It was true that he practiced how to manipulate his chains but he had yet to use them for delicate situations like holding a VIP or catching a falling comrade. Liking the idea, he chose to create even more bunshin to practice manipulating his chains for delicate tasks since his Kage Bunshin dispel very easily. Jiraiya watched on as his secret godson went through a myriad of emotions after he created a single bunshin that he had tie a rope harness around him. His bunshin then suggested work with his chains. Jiraiya had to admit that Kage Bunshin were an excellent target thanks to their lack of durability. It seemed as whatever Kakashi did train him in, seemed to be giving Naruto good ideas. Never mind that Naruto was doing such things well before he met the silver haired Jonin.
After another day of travel, Naruto and Jiraiya were going to make one last stop before they would reach Tanzaku Gai. Naruto was continuing to train his chains and sensor ability as he was yesterday. He had noticed two rather large chakras nearby. He was really impressed by the chakra size of Jiraiya. He was almost, if not as large as Tsunade leading to Naruto to think that the pervy Sannin may be worth his title.
Today though he had been detecting the two powerful chakra signatures following him and Jiraiya. Looking back at it, it seemed there were three sizable chakra signatures it was just that two were right on top of each other. Either way they were following them. Surprised by this, Naruto focused hard on these large chakra signatures to learn their shapes and access their threat levels.
He was surprised when what appeared to be a sword that had its own chakra network. The other two seemed to keeping pace as if they were traveling together. The shorter one seemed to have more chakra focused on their eyes. 'He must have a dojutsu' thought the blonde. He felt some tension in the rope around his chest, meaning he bunshin was guiding him in a different direction. Getting back on focus the second signature terrified him to the point he was visibly sweating. Who ever they were, they had more chakra than Tsunade and even himself. He was immediate put on guard because if they were hostile, he would need to defend himself. As they seemed to be staying a good bit away from him and the Gama Sannin he couldn't determine their hostility them. 'What is with their chakra pools? They probably in the same league as the pervert and Tsu-chan' thought the startled blonde.
Could he take them? Maybe but he definitely couldn't fight them like he did Gaara, he would need to fight with all his skills. Then again what were the odds that they would charge him like some kind of crazed bull, right? Kisame let out a light sneeze. Itachi gave the man a withering glare for not covering his mouth when he sneezed. Itachi didn't want to come down with something if his companion was. With that in mind Naruto knew he at least needed to tell Jiraiya. If the man had as much chakra as he sensed then maybe he would know what to do.
"Hey Pervy Sage!" Naruto called. Jiraiya quickly rounded on the blonde and shouted, "Don't call me that!" Naruto squinted his eyes at Jiraiya before speaking again. "Whatever. Listen there are three large chakra signatures following us and one is a sword" spoke the blonde with worry following every work he spoke. Jiraiya was surprised by the blonde's news as his eyes widened imperceptibly for someone of Naruto's skill to notice. Speaking quickly, Jiraiya asked "Are you sure?" not caring how Naruto knew of such information.
"Yeah…" he replied with a nod, "…they are keeping their distance but they are going along the same path as us." Jiraiya's mind immediately began contemplating what to do. He would not have worried about what Naruto had told him if not for the fact that one of the individuals following them having a sword that had a large chakra signature on its own. Letting out a deep breath Jiraiya re-laid his orders. "Alright keep an eye on them. If they get closer let me know." Naruto nodded in affirmation.
Just then something immediately popped up in Jiraiya's mind. "Also when we get to town you're going to need to dispel your bunshin so as to not cause a ruckus." Naruto was about to protest until the bunshin holding the rope that was guiding him spoke first while nodded in understanding. Naruto pouted that his bunshin answered for him but Jiraiya was right. Explaining why he was wrapped in rope was not something he wanted to do.
He also felt like more should be done about those two following them. To that end, he created a few Kage Bunshin to brainstorm potential ideas in case he needed to fight them while he went back to tracking the two large chakra signatures. Since he needed a target for training his sensory abilities, he would keep track of them as an exercise. Even if they tried to suppress their chakra, he would still see the outline it provided him when he looked at them. Now the hard part would be being able to track the signatures and walk unaided.
The two reached a new town that Jiraiya said was a day's journey from Tanzaku Gai. It was well into the afternoon and Jiraiya figured it would be a good idea to stop so as to not campout if the two powerful chakra signatures are still behind them. That part Naruto could agree to. With that the two went into town only to find some kind of festival preparations underway. Children were running through the streets while many shops were hanging lantern strings between the shops.
Naruto was giddy at the sight as every time he tried to go to a festival back in Konoha, he would either be kicked out or the villagers would make it very clear he was not welcome. As they walked through town to find a hotel, Naruto saw a porcelain mask store. Naruto got really excited now. When he was a kid, he saw a fox mask he really wanted but he was kicked out of the store before he could buy it. Now though he had a chance. Without a second thought Naruto purchased the mask.
The mask had white wrappings to secure the mask. It had red filling inside the ears while black ovals encased the eyes with red highlights. There were black and red whisker marks on its cheeks while the muzzle was made to look like the barer was smiling with curled lips that were also highlighted red. Naruto wasted no time in running into the store to purchase the mask. When he entered the rather standard looking store the salesman happily turned toward Naruto. "Hello young man how are you?"
The salesman had short black hair with a rectangular face. He was wearing a plain, loose fitting gray shirt with navy blue cargo shorts and blue shinobi sandals underneath a brown apron. Naruto responded back with a cheerful smile of his own as he responded. "Hello! I'm doing great!" The salesman looked happy at that. "Well are there any products that have caught your eye?" Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah I was looking to get the kitsune mask you have." The salesman looked to the mask Naruto was pointing to before he retrieved it.
When he set it down on the counter, the salesman pulled out a brown leather leger so he could give the price of the mask. When he found the entry, "The mask is 1,342.39 ryo" said the salesman. Naruto pulled out his Gama-chan and paid for the mask. When the transaction was completed, Naruto dawned his mask and ran out of the store, making sure to thank the salesman as he left.
When Naruto left the store, he nearly ran into Jiraiya who did not look happy. "And just where were you" he asked far to calmly for the mood he appeared to be in. Naruto grinned widely beneath his new mask. "I saw something I really like and since we have been moving the next day, I decided to get it now" replied the blonde. Jiraiya seemed to scowl at the blondes reply but said nothing as he walked on. Sadly, because he was no longer focusing on his sensory abilities the three chakra signatures were standing on a nearby roof looking down on the scene.
"So what are you thinking Itachi?" asked Kisame. Itachi was silent with contemplation. They had been lucky to pass by the two as they planned their next move to locate Naruto. All they needed to do was plan their next move to kidnap the Kyuubi jinchuriki. "We will use one of Jiraiya-sama's vices to separate them. Afterwards we will act." Kisame smiled at the plan. "Fine, but I was hoping to take on one of the Densetsu no Sannin" replied Kisame. Itachi said nothing as he attempted to locate a suitable woman for their needs.
Naruto and Jiraiya found a suitable hotel for them to spend the night. Before they went inside Jiraiya stopped Naruto and asked, "Naruto you brought your wallet with you right?" Naruto looked up suspiciously at the Gama Sannin before answering in the affirmative. Jiraiya nodded in approval. "Hand it over" said the Gama Sannin as he held his hand out. "Hand it over. I have been covering the cost of this mission so far so it's only fair that you chip in yourself."
Naruto looked aghast. "HELL NO!" shouted back the blonde. You're team leader you can get reimbursed when we get back! Plus if money was so important to you then you should have been less frugal with your money" retorted the blonde. Jiraiya was not happy to hear that response. Honestly, because of what he spent a majority of his money on was not mission related so he couldn't get reimbursed for it. "Listen this isn't up for discussion" Jiraiya said as he managed to swipe Naruto's wallet.
"Hey get back here!" shouted the blonde as Jiraiya went to the hotel's front desk. Naruto was too late to reclaim his wallet as Jiraiya used some of the money to pay for their hotel. All Naruto could do was pout with his arms crossed as he watched his money get spent. Suddenly a beautiful woman in a tight and alluring red dress walked by getting Jiraiya's attention as his mouth hung open in awe. The woman turned back to Jiraiya and gave him a flirtatious wink with a blown kiss.
Jiraiya immediately gave Naruto his wallet back and told him, "Hey kid, go up to the room and don't wait up." Naruto looked aghast at what happened to his poor Gama-chan. "Hey! Where …" Naruto's words died in his throat as when he looked up, Jiraiya was gone. Grumbling, Naruto made his way to their room. Unknown to the two, Itachi and Kisame readied themselves to act.
When Naruto got to his room the first thing he did after locking the door to the room was let out his anger at Jiraiya, a man who took his money just to he could continue to be a skirt chaser. How was it Naruto's fault that he blew his money? What right did that give him to take his money?
So caught up in his anger, Naruto didn't notice the incoming presences that arrived outside his door. A knock came from the door to Naruto's room. In his anger, Naruto stood to his feet and made his way to the door. Only to stop when he began ranting about how the pervert got dumped did he realize that if it were Jiraiya he should have just walked in as he had a key of his own.
Cautiously, Naruto closed his eyes and used his sensory ability to see who was on the other side. His heart nearly leapt from his chest as it was the three large chakra signatures that had been following him and Jiraiya for the past day now.
On the other side of the door, Kisame was getting impatient. He was still somewhat livid that they were forced to abandon the fight in Konoha and now this brat that they are supposed to capture was taking forever to answer the door. I mean shouldn't the kid at least be a little curious as to who is at his door? "What's taking the kid?" asked an irate Kisame. Itachi continued to look at the door to Naruto's room as he spoke, "Patience Kisame. He will answer."
Kisame scoffed at Itachi's reply. "Tch! If he doesn't open the door soon then I'm breaking it down." Itachi's only outward reaction was a slight twitch in his neck before he spoke. "There is no need for that, he is a child. His curiosity will lead him to open the door."
On the other side of the door however, Naruto was unsure of what to do. Naruto quickly thought back to some of the plans his bunshin devised, running through what he could remember of them until he settled on one. Or at least he thought it was just one.
His plan would see him create several Kage Bunshin, and as soon as they door came open everyone would send a flurry of chains at the door. As soon as that happened, he would make a break for it out the window so he could summon Katsuyu so she could take him to Shikkotsu Forest or directly to Tsunade since Jiraiya wasn't here and the two outside had chakra levels that would imply they are very strong.
With his patience fully exhausted, Kisame burst through the door, startling Naruto who just finalized his plan. Acting quickly Naruto summoned over a dozen Kage Bunshin. Before the smoke that signaled their creation dissipated around their forms, each bunshin sent a flurry of chains into the door. Kisame was taken completely off guard by the appearance of several gold glowing chains charging toward him. Sadly because of where he was standing, he was bound by the chains as he attempted to maneuver so as to not be impaled on their spear tips.
Itachi was surprised by the chains. He had only heard of one other person in Konoha that had this kekkei genkai and Naruto had shown no signs of the ability before he left the village so he froze in place for a second which cost Kisame. Kisame was bound by the chains from both surprise and being in the door frame which left Itachi behind him so he had no room to maneuver out of their path.
The chains successfully bound Kisame, however one bunshin acted on its own and rushed toward Kisame with a charged punch to send the bound swordsman through the hotel and to the other side of town, hoping that his fellow bunshin would release him as soon as he cleared the exterior wall of the hotel. Itachi snapped out of his surprise after a few seconds. The next thing he saw was Kisame flying through the walls of the hotel with the chains following through with the flying Kisame.
Itachi took up a position at the door to try and peer past the chains however he was taken by surprise by what he heard next. There was a poof, signaling that something was summoned. Shortly after there was another poof followed by several more as the chains soon disappeared. Peaking inside, Itachi found the room empty. With the aid of his sharingan, he saw chakra smoke dissipating but no Naruto.
Suddenly there was a much louder poof of smoke behind him. Itachi quickly rounded on the sound only to see Jiraiya standing atop an orange, armored toad holding an odachi in its webbed hands. Over his shoulder was the woman in the red dress as he stood in theatrical pose. "FOOLISH EVIL DOERS! DO YOU BELIEVE THAT I, THE GALIANT JIRAIYA, WOULD FALL FOR THE CHARMS OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN?! WOMEN THROW THEMSELVES AT MY FEET TO BE EMBRACED BY THE GREAT SAGE OF MOUNT MYOBOKU FOR I AM THE ILLUSTRIOUS JIRAIYA!" he bellowed for all to hear.
Itachi was nervous now. Not only was Kisame gone but so too was their target. And to make things worse, before him was one of the Densetsu no Sannin. He needed to get away and quickly. His best option was to stall so he could cast a powerful genjutsu to escape. "Jiraiya of the Sannin. I didn't expect you to be here so quickly" spoke the calm Uchiha. Jiraiya set the woman down against the wall as he spoke. "Hmph. No woman under such a spell would ever be able to charm the likes of me."
Itachi decided to make note of that, as he seems to be vulnerable to it initially. "I see" was Itachi's only response. When Jiraiya stood to his full height, he took special care to not look Itachi in the eyes, though he was unaware that Itachi was preparing a genjutsu that he didn't need his eyes for.
Jiraiya soon became far more serious. "What are you after?" Itachi merely raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" asked Itachi. "I know that the group you are part of is after the biju, but what are you collecting them for." Itachi now understood what was being asked. "That is not something you need to know" commented Itachi, "all you need to know is it is something that will reshape the world" said Itachi as he now had enough time to shape his chakra to subtly catch Jiraiya in a genjutsu now all he needed to do was influence Jiraiya's chakra.
This was do able as an angered Kisame came through the hole in the wall he had ejected through earlier with a snarl on his face and Samehada in hand. "Grrr! Where is that damn gaki? When I get my hands on him, I'll rip him to shreds no matter what!" barked Kisame. Taking advantage of Jiraiya's shift in focus, Itachi cast his genjutsu, catching Jiraiya in a scene of lust with women of Jiraiya's own imagination on a beach that was soon overtaken by Gai posing in the center of Jiraiya's view converting the women from sexy pinup models to muscle mommies. Jiraiya was locked in a sensation of confusion and inspiration.
When he was sure that Jiraiya was caught in his Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu, Itachi turned to Kisame. "You okay?" Kisame turned to face Itachi, a snarl still on his face. "No, that kid has an incredibly strong punch" commented the irate swordsman. "Well the boy is gone. I was able to look into the room before Jiraiya arrived in the hall." Now Kisame's anger was growing to new heights. Not only did he get struck out of the hotel by some gaki, now he finds out that their target is gone.
Kisame is about ready to throw a tantrum but Itachi intervenes. "Kisame, we need to leave. I don't know how long Jiraiya will be under the genjutsu. For now we need to retreat as our priority is taking the boy not picking a fight." Kisame was greatly angered about all the events that had taken place over this mission. He was placed into a fight he was not able to complete. Then they tracked down their target only for him to be punched out of the hotel they followed him to with the force that most definitely would have broken most of his rib cage if not for Samehada. And now they were being forced to retreat because their target is missing. "Fine" Kisame said begrudgingly, "But we are taking a mission with a lot of fighting in it, I need to burn off some steam" commented the former Kiri swordsman. Itachi nodded, if for no other reason than to quickly leave.
It would be a little time late after they left before Jiraiya would escape from the genjutsu. The first thing he did was pullout a small notebook and began writing whatever had come over his mind since he was in the genjutsu.
When he completed his writings, he began to look around and take in the situation before him. So far the hallway was unchanged so he made his way to the room. Carefully, Jiraiya inspected the door frame to ensure that no trap was left for him if he needed to track the two criminals, but he did find small cuts into the wood made by rather small blades. With no traps detected Jiraiya went into the room which seemed to be untouched. Slowly and methodically, Jiraiya checked the room only to find the blonde missing. Jiraiya let out a string of curses, fearing he was too late to prevent Naruto from being taken. But realizes that Itachi was alone. "If they had taken Naruto there would have been no reason that Itachi would have still been in the hall by himself and crouched at the door as if he was preparing to enter" commented the Gama Sannin. "That would mean that they hadn't gotten to Naruto so where could he have gone. There was no mess, meaning he didn't leave the room by normal means." Jiraiya let out a sigh as there are a few methods to leave a room with no trace and the boy had been saying he knew one for part of their journey. "Let's hope he is Tsunade's second apprentice" he said with a sigh.