Naruto Uzumaki: Unwilling Medium
Chapter 6: Live or Die
Notable Feedback and Response
(N) narutoman12 FF
Keep up the good work, and I like the new way of telling the story, especially Sasuke being in the village. It brings in fresh air from somewhat keeping with the story. Happy to impress, having discovered this scattershot method of storytelling seems to be my style and perhaps to stick to what works for now. Realized it would be fun to stick with Team Seven as well. DiA doesn't allow me to use the OG team so this story will prove a chance to try that out. Hope you enjoy~!
RECAP
Naruto's group retired for the night. However, the blonde is interrupted by Shion, who exposes the hidden Hinata. (much more tame than it sounds, folks) The resulting chaos caused the full group's grief until Naruto snapped and silenced them. (Much more tame than it sounds, folks)
Jiraiya, forced to leave Naruto for now, had explored and found a hot spring and subjects to study. However, the pervert was timely interrupted by his old teammate Orochimaru. The snake asked the toad for help but was rejected. Jiraiya decides to rely on Naruto to deal with the threat Orochimaru warns him of, much to the latter's dismay.
Team Seven decided to look for the missing Naruto, unaware of his current adventure. The group attempts to check his home only to discover it sealed off. Alarmed and thinking the worst, the group decides to report to Tsunade to talk to her husband, Dan Kato. Unknowingly, inside the home and outside the bond, Iruka confers with his ghostly warden, Yunami. His efforts to pry and be freed are for naught, as the ghost believes Iruka to be a pet or possession of some sort.
Itachi has arrived and has been forced to take over the Hidden Grass Village. In fact, he has gained something of an unwilling army. Using said army, Itachi turned the village into a massive fortress, hoping the considerable party would be enough to stand against Hanzo and his force.
Obito and Hidan went ahead with the former's plan and razed a village near the Fire Temple to force a confrontation with Chiriku. The plan works, and Obtio and Chiriku engage in a short but intense round of combat. Chiriku's counter to Kamui and his own use of Spiritual Ninjutsu allowed him to stand independently, but Obito's pure skill and versatility allowed him a quick victory. Obito intends to force Chiriku to help them with Hanzo.
Naruto's POV (Priestess Temple - Land of Ogres)
Breakfast had been a tense and silent affair the following day. It was clear both Shion and Hinata were playing safe after his show of temper last night. Naruto felt a bit guilty about it, but the dull tiredness of his spotty sleep the previous night kept him silent. Stewing in it a little would calm the two down.
Honestly, Naruto was struggling a bit to look at or deal with the two at the moment. How could he be blamed? His life thus far had been eventful but beautifully simple in one aspect: his dating life. He had never had a girlfriend, been asked out, or, as far as he knew (yesterday outstanding), been the subject of a crush.
It wasn't like Naruto wasn't interested! Like most people, he wanted a partner, someone he could be close and affectionate with. A trusted duo to face with, for someone who had once struggled with loneliness, the idea was more than appealing.
While there was no shortage of attractive women around, there had only been one thus far that had caught his eye, Sakura. Who had never given him the time of day? Oh, his time during his training trip made him aware of how poor his efforts were and how little interest his teammate had. He had even sought Jiraiya's advice for aid. Who had lamented his own failed pursuit of Tsunade…
An experience they had bonded over, even if it hadn't truly made Naruto feel better, had an unintended effect. On that day, Naruto swore to move on from Sakura and accept her lack of feelings regarding him. Naruto loved Jiraiya; he was his idol, and he had made him into the man he is today. But he did not want to be his age, single, perverted to the nines, and writing the filthiest of smut.
Naruto had even made himself a new goal! On top of being Hokage, he intended to fall in love again, and this time with someone who felt the same! Now he apparently had his wish…
Not one but two separate women pining after him. One is one of his former comrades, Hinata Hyuga. Hinata was an oddball to Naruto; she was soft-spoken and quiet, and his presence affected her. Yet she was also the same woman who had fearlessly faced down Neji and offered him medicine when he was injured. Naruto couldn't claim the two hung out or even had been around each other often, but somehow, Hinata had taken an interest in him.
Her unending support had seemed odd; she had always seemed to be quietly on his side. Naruto had noticed and even appreciated such, so he had thrashed Neji in her honor, but he always thought it was her kindness. To know there was something deeper there…
Naruto felt his heart beat faster in his chest just thinking about it. Somehow, just knowing Hinata saw something in him made him hesitate. And the kiss… it had been… a lot. His second and third kisses had been even brief, but Naruto remembered them well. Her lips had been… soft.
But it had been the second kiss of the night. When this ghost nonsense had started, Naruto had the brilliant idea of seeking aid from Shion, and he had done so because he believed it would simplify matters. Never had he imagined it would complicate them even more.
Sure, she seemed to be their perfect savior, seemingly aware of the supernatural. But Shion had laid even more on the table than Hinata. She didn't just like him; she wanted to get married…
Naruto's mind went blank just thinking it over. He remembered the first time they met, it had been mere weeks ago. The Priestess had openly disliked him, and Naruto had felt the same. If he was frank, he had thought her a mean-spirited bitch on their first meeting.
It had only been as they traveled and fought together that the two had grown closer. The mission had only grown more and more dangerous, leaving the two alone to dispel the big bad. And as they fought, it seemed Naruto had slowly gotten through to her.
They went from frosty allies to friends. Naruto could even remember the fear she showed him. And when they had bested that demon, Shion seemed downright warm to him, making Naruto swear to help her legacy in the future…
How the hell was he to know what she had meant! Naruto had figured there'd be another demon lord or something they'd need him to care for. Not signing off to become a husband!
It wasn't like he disliked Shion anymore. Naruto had also grown to understand and like her better during their travels. He could appreciate her humor, even if it was sarcastic and blunt in nature, and he learned she wasn't nearly as cold as she pretended. In fact, just as he had, she had formed a mask to protect her heart, one of cold indifference in contrast to his attention-grabbing nature, but a mask all the same.
Honestly, it would be a lot to process and ponder if either of the women were into him, but both at once would be confounding.
While Naruto was deep in thought, the three of them were waiting for Shion near the Temple's front entrance. Now that it was day, the Priestess had decided to attempt to deal with their stalker here and now. While she prepared for her ritual, the three of them waited as the guards and servants prepared them.
Each of them was armed with large paper shakers and small clay charms at their hips. They were also given red robes to wear over their current clothing. As they did, such servants sprinkled salt all over them gently.
"Anyone have any clue what's going on here?" Naruto asked bluntly as he hesitantly allowed a lady servant to sprinkle salt in his hair. "This seems pointless…"
"I hate to agree with Naruto, but I fail to see how any of this will be effective either." Shikamaru agreed with a sigh as he tugged at the red robes. "We tried many methods to deal with our foe, but we fail to see how this will change anything."
"I apologize for the inconvenience." One of the servants offered as the others worked on them. "It may seem random and even frivolous, but each of these acts is part of traditions that we of the Land of Ogres have used for years to combat spirits."
"They are supposedly the leaders in spiritual matters throughout the Land of Fire… though knowing their head priestess I doubt the effectiveness of this…" Hinata sneered.
"You may lay your doubts to rest," Shion interjected as she suddenly appeared from the temple entrance and joined the group just before the main gate. She was clothed in red and white robes and covered in various tags. There is also a golden crown and trinkets throughout. "The salt is a purifying element; its presence deters negative energy, curses, and even spirits. The colors of red are said to drive fear into them. And the shakers you wield are blessed; if they touch a spirit, it will cause them minor harm."
"So, in theory, the bastard won't be able to touch us!" Naruto concluded excitedly, swinging his shaker wildly. You gave us weapons!"
"Deterrents." Shion corrected. "While effective, those defenses alone won't be enough to stop your spirit."
"Once again, spirits are not real." Shikamaru sighed. "I'm still convinced it's a shinobi with some unknown bloodline. We could be walking up to a threat with these… trinkets."
"You saw the damn thing, you really think that's human?!"
"You can generate an army of clones at will, I can control my shadow and even weaponize it, and Hinata can literally see our damn insides, and from what I've heard, Shion here can see the future! How the hell is this damn stalker so outside the realm of Ninjutsu but none of that is!"
"To be fair, mine is not Ninjutsu or a Bloodline." Shion pointed out. "But gifts from the gods given to my family long ago."
Shikamaru barely bothered sighing that time.
"Anyways, ignore Shikamaru's chronic need to ignore the obvious. What exactly is our plan for dealing with this ghost? A huge back-and-forth pitched battle we barely win only after giving it our all?"
"I'd prefer we just talk to the damn thing." Shikamaru complained. "We tried the whole attacking angle, but it didn't work. Now that we have a scam artist-"
"EXCUSE ME?!"
"I mean, psychic medium, we should be able to communicate with it now, right?" Shikamaru asked. Naruto stifled a chuckle as Hinata openly laughed. He guessed it was funnier than he had thought.
"No, you blasphemous cretin!" Shion bellowed. Naruto frowned as he realized he could scarcely define either of them as Shion shook her finger at the Nara. "We'll confer with it first, but it obviously has imprinted upon Naruto."
"Like another certain b-" Hinata started before Shion suddenly snapped her shaker into her face, knocking her back.
"Spirits don't behave like humans despite being one of them at one time. Due to them facing death and lacking the full experience you and I have, they can behave strangely, even in ways you or I would describe as insane. Likely, we will have to be forced to leave him alone." Shion explained.
"So then we kill the creep…" Hinata darkly whispered.
"Not quite; spirits can be battled back, banished, and even repelled from a person or place. But as they have already died, they cannot be permanently killed again. Our goal will be to attempt to dissuade it and convince it to find peace." Shion further explained. "Finding peace, as we refer to it, is when spirits leave our mortal realm and enter the next, whatever the afterlife entails. This is achieved by a ghost conquering whatever ails them; a spirit is trapped on the earth by negative emotions; it can only leave it by leaving those emotions behind. This would be the most preferable option; otherwise, the spirit will target someone else. If that fails, we'll be forced to banish it from the lands and clear Naruto of his link with the spirit."
"Link!?" Naruto cried out in panic. "Break it now!" the blonde cried, shaking the Priestess back and forth. Hinata stood behind him, demanding the same.
Shikamaru sighed and shoved both of them away from Shion, who thanked him with a nod. "She said she'd break it; let her finish."
"Yes, spirits of most kinds can access a litany of spiritual abilities. One allows them to "Link" with a select human target. This allows them to track, be seen by, and even possess the human if done properly." Shion explains. "More than likely, the spirit realized Naruto's powerful body and sought it themselves. Unfortunately for them, I will defend what is mine without failure. Shion, the Priestess of the Land of Ogres, has declared it!"
"Okay, so that's all tracks; why is it just the four of us?" Shikamaru asked with a raised brow. "You have a literal army; wouldn't literal human shields be useful right about now?"
"Shikamaru!" Naruto cried out in shock.
"Hmm, it would be an honor to die for Naruto." Hinata agreed seriously with a nod.
"Normally, I'm all for risking my men." Shion agreed with a heavy sigh. "However, they would only worsen the problem. Spirits become stronger the more humans around them. Sights cannot eat, sleep, taste, or even smell. This means most are desperate to experience anything, and one of those favorite things is the fear of humans. It creates a euphoric experience for them and makes them stronger. So only those of brave hearts and high skill should be present."
"Aren't you more of a damsel than a warrior?" Hinata asked cattily. "From what I heard of your travels with Naruto, you spent the whole time being carried and defended while everyone else fought…"
"Mostly." Naruto agreed innocently.
"Hmph!" Shion reacted snarkily. "You heard only part of the truth then! I was crucial in the defeat of Moryo. I don't remember you saving Naruto's life!"
Hinata whipped her head over to Naruto as if doubting her words. But her face dropped as Naruto nodded with an innocent smile.
"I still don't like you," Hinata muttered. Shion huffed with pride and stepped forward, leading the group mere inches from outside the gate.
"The plan will be simple. First, we will summon the spirit to our location and begin negotiations. If anything goes wrong, we attack en masse." Shion ordered as the four marched out of the gates of her home to confront the strange stalker. "It's time to show this spirit that Naruto is mine…"
"Right! Wait, what was that second part?" Naruto asked with a confused, raised brow.
"Just leave it." Shikamaru spat out as the group prepared for the fated confrontation.
Sasuke's POV (Hokage Manor - Hidden Leaf Village)
"So, to summarize your report accurately. Team Seven had their recently returning teammate report some sort of threat to them. Ignoring the possibility of this being a real danger, you scorned his concern and cry for aid." Tsunade asked, her face calm and unmoving, unlike Shizune beside her, who seemed to grimace more and more as they spoke. If Sasuke didn't know any better, he'd assume the two found the news unwelcomed…
"Indeed. As you doubtless know, Naruto is, in fact, an idiot." Sasuke explained as if talking to a child. He found this tone worked better with most people. "Due to this, we have learned to filter his words. Most of it can be safely ignored."
"To be fair, my lady!" Sakura exclaimed worriedly beside him, bowing as if some offense had been made. "Naruto has always been a known trickster; we figured this to be some hair-brained prank!"
"Okay, so he goes missing after this. How long until you reported this to Kakashi? While you all have grown and are somewhat independent, he is your squad leader and senior officer, so any concerns regarding team members would be immediately informed…. Right?" Tsunade asked intensely.
Sasuke was certain now that he detected annoyance in her tone. Did she not truly understand how useful and necessary ignoring Naruto was? He went to explain such before Kakashi chimed in, surely to smooth things over.
"No, mam!" Kakashi reported chipper. Of course, Sasuke was foolish to assume the smooth Kakashi would get caught up in this… "They failed to inform me of this meeting, which led to his missing status. As such, I expected him to be resting; as soon as I was told, I investigated!"
"Oddly responsible for you, Kakashi." Tsunade complimented with a respectful nod.
"It's annoying not to arrive last, mam!" Kakashi informed with a salute.
"Don't push it," Tsunade growled. "Over on this side of the room."
Kakashi immediately ran over to her side with a sigh of relief. "Why does what side he's on matter?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.
"If we don't save this conversation, it'll matter much!" Sakura bellowed, covering Sasuke's indifferent face. "Allow me to take over the report, my Lady!"
"It would be for the best," Shizune agreed hesitantly. Tsunade begrudgingly nodded as Sakura continued, and Sasuke sighed, annoyed.
"With Kakashi's orders in place and our concern for our teammate at an all-time high." Sakura began.
"Eh," Sasuke responded before Sakura flicked him hard enough to knock him on the ass. As Sasuke was stunned by her gall, she continued.
"We decided to check his home to see if he was there. However, we discovered that the inside of his home had somehow been sealed off." Sakura said worriedly. "Kakashi-sensei seemed certain it wasn't something we could deal with…"
"You don't mean…" Tsunade began worriedly.
"Indeed, it seems, my young student." Hiruzen's old and kind voice sounded. Team Seven turned to see the Third Hokage joining them with a grim frown. "Are you certain, Kakashi? Is this truly related to Spiritual Ninjutsu?"
"Hai Hokage-sama," Kakashi answered.
"Spiritual Ninjutsu?" Sasuke asked with a curious, raised brow. "I've heard of no such thing. Are you telling me it's responsible for the barrier within Naruto's home?"
"More than likely," Kakashi answered grimly.
"I've never heard of Spiritual Ninjutsu…" Sakura chimed in, confused. "I've spent literally days studying Ninjutsu theory, and I've memorized the literal textbook. Yet I've never read nor heard of it either."
"That would be because of the First Hokage," Hiruzen answered dramatically as he stood in front of them all. The lights dimmed as he spoke, and the room seemed to grow colder.
"Show off." Sasuke and Tsunade muttered at once, nodding at each other in solidarity.
"The First Hokage discovered a secret during his deep and intense study. A branch of Ninjutsu was practiced and mastered by a rare few, a branch so unique and powerful it threatened to upturn the Elemental Nations. Luckily, after years of war and bloodshed, it had become a scarcely known or practiced art. The Hokage ensured it stayed that way, even using his power to hide it further. Since then, it has been a secret closely guarded by a knowing few throughout the Elemental Nations. However, it seems the time for it may again be upon us…"
"The time for what?" Sakura asked curiously.
"Spiritual Ninjutsu was originally developed in response to the growing supernatural threats in the past," Tsunade explained. "Back then, people were constantly plagued by spirits, demons, even gods. So much so humanity was but a fraction of what it is now. Even with Ninjutsu and the aid of the great "Sage," we would soon be wiped out until he discovered the art of Spiritual Ninjutsu. It allowed the users to combat even those outside of our realm. It eventually led to us beating back the forces of the supernatural entirely. For eons now, those in the know have carefully waited for the time to come again."
"The time of what?" Sasuke asked impatiently.
"The time the dead walk among us, the time where spirits do not rest… but rage," Hiruzen said worriedly. "If Naruto's home is truly sealed off and he is missing as you described, our problem seems clear. Naruto's been kidnapped and trapped within his own home by a ghost…"
"That's why we're going to Dan Kato…" Sasuke figured. He's the only exorcist within the Hidden Leaf Village. However, if Spiritual Ninjutsu exists, why not teach it to the masses? If it's as powerful and useful as you say, it seems like an easy choice."
"It cannot be learned by just anyone," Hiruzen explained. "Hokage Tsunade and I know of the spiritual world, but we cannot wield spiritual ninjutsu. One is either born with the talent or not; even then, it is an oddity. Likely, one or two of us in this room could learn it…"
"But Dan already has… so he must be the Leaf's representative as it were…" Sakura guessed.
"Yeah, my husband is eccentric but kick-ass," Tsunade explained smugly. "However, even for Naruto, I can't just run off, and Dan doesn't stay in the main village. So Hiruzen will escort you to his home."
"We don't need a babysitter." Sasuke spat.
"In this case, you likely will," Hiruzen answered with a quiet laugh. "His home is haunted…"
X-X
Thunder boomed before lightning flashed in the pitch-black sky, illuminating dark, angry clouds that poured water to the ground below. Despite the Land of Fire being known for its lush forest, the plant life here was bare and fleeting. The warm air this time of year blew with an impossible chill. Among a cluster of leaf-bare trees was a small shack that spat smoke into the sky.
It was clearly a man-made shack assembled from the same trees surrounding it. It had all sorts of seals, trinkets, and even life-sized dolls written all over it. Odd lights shone from the various windows of the shack, and a litany of rotating colors seemed to glow unnaturally bright.
"How the hell is this within minutes of the Hidden Leaf Village?" Sasuke asked with disbelief.
"This does seem… alien for the area." Sakura agreed.
"I would assume so…" Kakashi reasoned. "Just like the barrier within Naruto's home, it gives me the chills; definitely, there is a lot of spiritual energy in the air."
"Correct, you are Kakashi," Hiruzen answered helpfully. "Areas infested with the supernatural, by amount or power, will be affected by their presence. Due to their unique status and mind state, the effect is usually negative. Now follow behind me closely, a single file line."
"We. Are. Not. Children." Sasuke answered angrily.
"No, but you will be terribly lost if you don't," Hiruzen answered patiently. "Due to the presence of Dan here, spirits infest the area, mostly weaker ones. However, they tend to band together to attack visitors; they'll attempt to use their power to throw off your senses. Making you wander mindlessly until you are hopelessly lost. Until you die…"
"Hiruzen may not be a user," Kakashi explained as Hiruzen slowly marched the group through the dead grass and shrubbery as they drew closer to Dan's home. "But he is incredibly knowledgeable and experienced in supernatural matters. It makes him resistant to their weaker tricks and attacks."
Sasuke was too shocked to react. He couldn't see the area around them; the woods seemed to grow and shrink. Where were they again?
Sakura gasped fearfully, grabbing Sasuke's arm and holding them close. "Where are we?!"
Kakashi chuckled at the two and snapped his hand before Sasuke's face, who blinked and did the same as Sakura. "Just keep following me. I can't tell where we are either. We have to trust Hiruzen."
"That is hardly reassuring!" Sakura complained.
Team Seven followed the former Kage through the odd surroundings until suddenly, they seemed to be just outside the door of Dan's home.
"LIVING OR DEAD!" A man, presumably Dan's, roared from within the shack.
"Alive for now," Hiruzen answered.
"NOT MY PROBLEM THEN!"
"Tsunade sent us," Hiruzen replied with a roll of his eyes.
Team Seven watched with interest as the shack door was thrown open. A man with long blue hair dressed in a messy bun jumped out of the shack. He was covered in ornate red robes covered in paper seals warding off evil. The man was coated in so much salt that it literally fell off him in waves. The man excitedly raced to Hiruzen in an impressive show of speed.
"My love rings?! Is she visiting soon…" Dan asked like a child asking for candy.
"Not quite; allow us to enter and explain."
"Business then. Shame was hoping for a booty call, but work first, beautiful wife second." Dan answered with a nod, turning around with another wave of salt falling off him. "Come inside…"
? / Hanzo's POV (Miles from Hidden Grass Village)
Death was terrifying. It was their new beginning but also a definite end. Their bodies have been cruelly and mercilessly torn apart, their souls barred from moving on and then gazed upon by it. It had looked at them, tinged them with its influence, erased who they were, and remade them as it saw fit.
It couldn't remember who it was before anymore—not its name, not its gender, not even its previous dreams or memories. Where that had been was just a jagged emptiness. The rest of them were filled with one directive: follow the orders of both it and Danzo.
The Shinigami itself had created and destroyed them, and now it had chosen General Hanzo to lead them. It was sure that if it could remember what was before, it would be sad. But now, it lived for one purpose: to serve.
Today's work was simple, a routine among their forces. In order to take over the world and enact the will of the Shinigami, they needed power, numbers, and followers. But humans would never be enough; it had once been human…
No humans had to be shattered, remade by the Shinigami, given true purpose and existence. But they could only be graced by once in its clutches…
They needed to die. To die terribly enough for their volatile soul to be used by the Shinigami. Many needed to die, and executions had become necessary. It and many others were assigned to that task today. Chained-up humans were slowly marched toward their doom. They would enter a room where they would be sliced to pieces.
As needed for their task, they were not physical beings. Their souls were their vessels, and using the unique energy given by Shinigami and distributed by Hanzo, they allowed them to interact with the world around them. Using their wielded blades, they sliced their soon-brothers to pieces and heralded their soul to the next room.
The next room was where Hanzo resided, where it was leading the newest batch of souls to him. The man would use the gift he had given to send the souls to the Shinigami shortly after they returned. Better, his.
X-X
Hanzo's POV
Hanzo watched as his spectral soldiers dropped off the vaguely human-shaped clouds. They tossed them like luggage, the damned souls landing in a pile before him. It was funny seeing how easily souls were taken, like sheep, he was no different.
But he was the favored sheep; he would graze the best, be spared from pruning… perhaps his "revival" had affected his sanity. It would matter little, however, for this all served one purpose for the man. To finally achieve the goal of which he never could in life. To make the Hidden Rain Village one of the big four and THE Hidden Village…
All he needed to do was serve the Shinigami loyally. The god did not need this world; this little attack was only due to spite. So once he had made its wishes, it promised to reward him and allow him to rule the physical world as an undying king. All he needed to do was do whatever was required—demeaning but necessary.
Hanzo held up a hand as a vortex of strange energy suddenly appeared and began to suck in the souls. Suddenly, alarmed human voices sounded out, recently killed. It was only now the souls realized they were yet again in danger. But it mattered little, for soon, their screams were blocked out by the inhuman laughter of the Shinigami as the souls were sucked within.
The slaughter of most of the infernal Akatsuki had been grand. It was a sign Hanzo's forced alliance with the Shinigami was worth it. To kill the group that had caused his downfall was nothing short of thrilling. Though some of the members had escaped his wrath…
Thus, he led his army forward to weed out the hiding cowards. The Shinigami had, of all things, a hit list, a group of people it deemed absolutely necessary to have killed, and thus under its thumb.
From what he saw, Itachi Uchiha had been one of those survivors. Not a man he was familiar with, but clearly one who intended to impede them. The Shinigami had gifted him the ability to track his targets, and Itachi had stuck close. Did the man intend to impose himself? It would make things simpler if he did.
The vortex suddenly spat out the souls in their vaguely human new forms.
"Follow this spirit to the armory to be briefed and armed. You now serve under the Shinigami, rejoice…" Hanzo listed off before the spirits silently left him. "Itachi Uchiha, you will be the first to perish…" Hanzo darkly warned as he prepared to deliver the next batch of souls.
The spirits dutifully drifted off, determined to follow his every whim. The Shinigami's touch-enabled the spirits to interact with the living world, but just like Hanzo himself, they could not harm them. It had been what he had always wanted: an army of tireless, immortal, blindly loyal men, the Hidden Rain Village. Now, he had it in his hands.
He would soon catch the closest of his targets using this new power. The man was not unskilled but outmatched in this case. His hiding among the riff-raff in the Hidden Grass wouldn't protect him. It would just ensure his army would grow tremendously after their victory.
But the Shinigami had warned him, and it had deemed there would be a threat. The thought was ludicrous; even while alive, he had been genuinely peerless among the living. Now that he was dead, they truly stood no chance of harming him; they were truly beneath him. But all the same, his forced Lord had bemoaned a threat, a human gifted enough to challenge him. A team even, the supposed god, did not know who, but it was sure they would arise to oppose him. Even that they would be powerful enough to potentially fell him. Hanzo had scoffed at the idea, but an unexpected team of humans had beaten him before…
As such, Hanzo developed a secondary objective. He would simply kill everyone, every single human who dared breathe within the Elemental Nations. The Shinigami would not be opposed to such, seeming to truly hate the living, and it served his own purposes well. If he killed everyone, the Shinigami would remake most of them as mindless spiritual servants. Ones that would be partial to Hanzo as well… He would become the true king of the world. With no possible usurper in sight…
Naruto's POV (Just Outside of Bounds of Priestess Temple)
They stood tense outside the bounds of Shion's home safety. It was funny; Naruto couldn't see the barrier's protection, yet the prospect of facing a spirit made him feel naked without it. Hinata stood directly in front of him, arms protectively extended as if to ward off an unseen attacker, helped a little. But Shikamaru nervously smoking ten feet behind them made it worse. Even the skeptic among them was nervous about this. Shion, similar to Hinata, was less affected, grimly drawing a summoner circle with intense focus. It seemed the dirt wasn't the best surface for painting a delicate seal, for Shion quietly cursed as she worked.
"You're nervous," Hinata whispered to Naruto.
Naruto flinched at how easily the Hyuga called him out. "That obvious?" He joked.
"Your heart rate increased from a healthy 85 to a hundred and ten," Hinata whispered. This is a clear indicator that you are uncomfortable… I know spirits affect you, Naruto. If you need us to, we can do this without you…"
Shikamaru suddenly leaned in from behind Naruto, whispering as well. "If you need support getting out of here, I'm your guy."
"No," Naruto answered with just a tinge of hesitation. "Ghosts have always scared me more than anything. I've faced death so much, but I've always done so with the knowledge I could win. I could reach them if it was a battle or even a war of words. But a spirit? One that has already lost everything? I can't do anything about that… or so I thought. Thanks to Shion and the two of you, I now have a way to face my fear!"
"No need to worry, beloved." Shion chimed in with a small smile. "With this summoning circle I'm nearly done with, this spirit will be in our control."
Naruto would've loved to reply, and he was sure Shikamaru and Hinata would've as well. But Shion was unaware their foe was right in front of her. It was insane. Naruto had been looking her way, yet it seemed she blinked, and suddenly, it was there.
The spirit looked as creepy as normal, yet somehow seemed more defined? It was a fully bodied apparition now, most of which was cloaked in a red robe. Its face was still slightly off and simple, as if drawn, but its hair was more tame now. A long white mane tied into a large ponytail. Its eyes focused solely on him, and they were different now. Still milky white, but now it had gray horizontally slitted pupils. It looked… familiar now…
"Shion!" Shikamaru cried out, rushing forward with his shaker. "In front of you!" He warned.
"Let it get you!" Hinata advised before Naruto rushed forward to help. He swore he almost heard her curse before she chased after him as well.
Shion flinched, rolling away from her circle with a gasp as she faced the spirit. "It came before I summoned it?! How?! It shouldn't be willing to get this close to the barrier!"
"N-...aruto." It spoke in a croaky, almost frog-like voice.
Shion recovered her cool, and as she leveled her shaker at the spirit, she turned her head to speak to the others. "This spirit is clearly powerful, and if my intuition is correct, irregular."
"An irregular?" Naruto asked as he joined Shion at his side. The four lined up as they observed the spirit, calmly staring back at them. "What the hell does that mean? And what is it doing?"
"Irregulars are spirits that contradict the established normal behaviors and aspects of normal spirits. They tend to be powerful and motivated in odd ways." Shion explained. "This spirit must be one to be this confrontational but passive."
"Na-u..to." Its croaky voice called again. "Me…"
"It's clearly trying to communicate with us," Shikamaru sighed. "It seems to be struggling?"
"It must be newly dead." Shion guessed. "Newly dead spirits are not too unsimilar to children. A spirit takes a while to figure out its new existence and how to interact with the world. This one must hold quite the burden and die quite the death to be this powerful as a newly dead."
"Great, I'm being stalked by the world's largest and creepiest baby," Naruto complained.
"Not quite," Hinata pointed out. It maintains its memories from life, I would guess. Meaning it's not actually simple; it's just struggling to express itself. I can kind of relate."
"Course you can flower." Shion sneered with a semi-friendly smirk. "However, luckily for us, I can ease that struggle. However, maintain your guards; since it's here on its own accord, it can attack…"
Shion approached the spirit and pointed her finger at it, and it began to glow. "Conversation with the Dead." She spoke before the light slowly wafted from her finger and entered the spirit. "My name is Shion, the Head Priestess of the Land of Ogres. The men beside me are Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of the Leaf, and Shikamaru Nara, general bum."
"Fair enough." Naruto and Shikamaru agreed in sync.
"You forgot me…" Hinata whispered darkly.
"Easy to do," Shion responded with a smile before returning her attention to the spirit. "We have noticed your pursuit of Naruto and seek to know why, and insist you stop such. If you refuse, we will use our gifts and my power to propel you to do so from now on…"
"I thought we were starting diplomatic?" Shikamaru asked but was ignored.
The group silently waited as the spirit looked at each of them. It spoke slowly as if unaccustomed to such. "I do pursue Naruto," it said simply. "Need to, he's min—" Naruto blinked, however, as Shion suddenly swung the shaker and cracked it aside the head of the spirit, which stumbled back and actually hit!
"Jump him!" Naruto cried out in glee, plan forgotten as he realized they could handle this much more straight forward than he thought.
"Wait!" Shikamaru cried out as Hinata and Naruto shot forward, and Shion laughed at the spirit. It attempted a desperate wave of its hand to fend Naruto off, but he easily dodged around it and swept its legs. As he did, Hinata jumped above them and slammed her shaker into its head as it hit the ground. It attempted to climb to its feet but was suddenly bogged down as Hinata, Naruto, and Shion surrounded it, raining down salt and the shakers equally as they attempted to beat it down. "Damn, you all. I said wait!" Shikamaru cursed before his chakra flexed. "Shadow Possession Jutsu!" The three suddenly froze.
Naruto realized Shikamaru had used it on the three of them as he walked back, and the three were forced back from the spirit which had cradled up to protect itself from their assault. "We said we'd start diplomatically, you three." The Nara chided.
"It said Naruto was his!" Hinata declared.
"And it most certainly is not!" Shion agreed.
"Yeah! What they said!" Naruto agreed. "Thing has been terrorizing me! Time for revenge!"
"Revenge!" The two women agreed.
"Hey, ghost or whatever you are, " Shikamaru said with a strained voice. "Explain yourself while you can; I don't think they'll be keen on hearing you out otherwise."
The spirit stood, and Naruto blinked as it realized its face had changed. In fact, it even looked familiar… "Is that?!" Naruto cried out in shock. Hinata gasped, and Shikamaru released his Shadow Possession as he belly laughed at the newest turn in their adventure.
"YES!" Jiraiya roared angrily. His new form was strange, him somehow being a ghost even more so. "I was just about to say you are my godson before you kicked my ass! The hell?!"
Naruto forgot his previous fear and confusion and replaced them with indignant anger as he marched forward to get into Jiraiya's face. "Well, we wouldn't have if you hadn't chased me around! And why the hell do you look like that?!"
"I don't know! You try dying sometimes, you damn brat. It changes ya!" Jiraiya roared angrily in response. "Besides, you see your beloved sensei from beyond the grave, and you're not even phased?"
"I won't lie. The you dying thing is kind of a bummer," Naruto admitted. "But you're right here… so it's kinda like you're still alive?"
"You heartless shit!" Jiraiya roared, shaking Naruto back and forth. "Your sensei died and is trapped on the mortal plane, and you're still unphased!"
"Hey, you're the reason I'm even out here! What the hell happened anyway? Finally, push Tsunade too far?" Naruto challenged.
"Try an awesome climatic battle against at least ten S ranks!" Jiraiya countered. "A little snot like you wouldn't have last ten seconds!"
"Apparently, a big dead snot like you didn't either!"
"That's deadist!"
"That's not a word, old ghoul!" Naruto roared as the ghostly master and alive student bickered back and forth.
"Um, Naruto?" Hinata offered as the others stood stunned, watching the spectacle. I think Jiraiya here has a story to tell us. If it's him who's been pursuing us, and he's died… it's probably important."
"She's right, Naruto; save the argument for later." Shikamaru chided. We all have some catching up to do. My hunch tells me this day has just become a lot more troublesome."
Ino's POV (Ichiraku Ramen - Hidden Leaf Village)
Ino lay glumly on the counter of the ramen bar. Besides her, Choji picked lazily at his food. On the other side of the booth sat an equally gloomy pair of Shino and Kiba.
"So, is it the same for you?" Ino asked.
"No way!" Kiba complained. "We had a terrible day! Hinata upped and disappeared!"
"We have no reason to believe it to be anything more than her taking a break. She left a letter explaining such a thing. He's glum because Kushina and her being out of action means we're off duty." Shino replied.
"See, Ino, we are the worst! Hinata is missing because of us, too!" Choji cried, dropping face-first into his ramen and sobbing into it. Ino sighed as their secret was exposed.
"I feel an explanation is due," Shino said gravely as Kiba murderously nodded next to him.
"Not much to tell," Ino said with a heavy sigh. "Naruto and Hinata came to our team looking for help with a ghost."
"Not real." Shino and Kiba replied in sync.
"I thought so, too. But it came, in the confusion Choji and I escaped-"
"Left our friend behind!"
"Left them behind." Ino amended with a growl. "They got chased off by the ghost after."
"She left us behind to adventure with a ghost!" Kiba complained. "That's it! Come on, Shino, we're going after her!"
"Unlikely," Shino answered. "She's too far for me to track, meaning she has left the village and will likely be too far for your nose. But my allies on her haven't died, and I can sense that much, meaning she must be alive and well."
"We should still report it to the Hokage!" Kiba declared.
"He's right…" Choji moped from within his bowl of ramen.
"Eh." Ino and Shino replied in sync, with respectful nods to each other.
"Shino said they were fine and they have Naruto and Shikamaru with them." Ino excused. "They have a brain and brawn with them; they're fine!"
"I also would prefer to enjoy our time off. I am on vacation, I am vacation Shino now." Shino replied, removing his hood and placing on a stylish fedora. "I intend to lounge around and look good."
"The hell are we really not in this story?!" Kiba complained.
AN
No they really are not lol. Anywho enjoyed this chapter a lot. It was fun to explore the system behind NU:UM and to slowly build up both our main cast. Also enjoy the chance to write characters freely, crack fics are fun it seems. Hope you enjoyed it, and Peace~!