Sarutobi, took a puff of his pipe, as the door to his office opened, revealing his silver haired, perverted student. "Wha'd you want old man? I was getting great research for my next issue." He said with a lecherous grin on his face.
Sarutobi sighed, Jiraiya's books were admittedly, quite addictive but still, such a blatant admittance that he was a perverted letch did not do well for either of their immages.
Not wanting to dawdle on Jiraiya's nature he simply took out a file and tossed it on his desk.
The pervert took a single look at the first page that held the picture of an all black Anbu with and scowled at the old man. It was the main reason Jiraiya stayed away from Konoha and the reason the relationship between master and student was so very strained.
He remembered that day. So did Sarutobi. It was not at all pleasant to recall.
"Sensei this is crazy, he's Minato's son!" Jiraiya said in outrage. In front of him was the third Hokage, standing above the crib of a newborn baby boy. The baby cooed and giggled up at the old mans wrinkled face.
"There is nothing I can do Jiraiya." The third said, his voice cold and unwavering, hiding his own sadness and anger at the decree of the council.
"Let me take him!" Jiraiya said stepping forward. "I can take him, we'll hide out until this whole thing just blows over. They'll never find us."
Sarutobi whipped his head around seeing the absolute seriousness in his old students eyes. It was heart warming really. Sarutobi was about to accept his proposal when his mind, ever analytical started wandering, thinking, immagining and deducing the outcome of such a course of action.
Should Jiraiya take the boy, the council would move to turn him into a missing nin, when Orochimaru had deserted it had been a struggle to keep his title, and standing as the Hokage. Some of his enemies on the council, such as Danzo, had said his teachings were the reason Orochimaru had turned from them, should Jiraiya as well leave, with what the council viewed as Konoha's weapon, they would push him to name him a missing nin.
And should he refuse…then that would only solidify Danzo's claim that his teachings drove the three most prestigious ninja of Konoha to leave, meaning they could and would force him to step down from his position and name another, one that would not hesitate in dealing with Jiraiya in order to recapture Konoha's living weapon.
He could live without his title. He could not live with his students being labeled traitors falsely. Even if that meant that this one would end up hating him.
He could live with that.
"I cannot allow you to do that?"
"What? Why the hell not!" Jiraiya said stepping up to him. "This is my student's son? The council wants to turn him into some tool. Don't tell me your actually gonna let it happen sensei."
He received no answer.
"Sensei…" He prodded again. His eyes then lit up with fury, he firmly grabbed the edges of the older mans cloak and lifted him a good foot and a half off the ground. "You son of a bitch! You owe him more than that!" He yelled in anger, barely holding himself back from striking his teacher, and leader outright..
Sarutobi felt his resolve crumbling, he owed Minato...they all did. He owed Naruto, that was true. But to curse the boy to a life on the run wasn't much better than this and at least with this choice, perhaps somewhere along the line he could set things right. But if Jiraiya continued, his resolve may very well crumble entirely, he had to end this now.
With firm hands, and unflinching gaze he gripped Jiraiya's wrists and pried him off. "Jiraiya, this is what the council has decided. It has been affirmed and this conversation is over. Uzumaki Naruto…belongs to Konoha now."
Jiraiya felt as if he had been kicked in the gut. His sensei, the man he had revered as the kindest, most gentle man he had ever known…was condoning this? "You…you don't mean that." He said shakily.
Sarutobi stared back at him, unflinchingly. "This conversation is over." He repeated. Like the sealing of a great iron door, Saruobi turned his back on his student, and stared down at the blond baby boy.
Jiraiya stared at his back in stunned disbelief before his face contorted into one of contempt. He spit on the floor at the old mans feet before turning and walking out the door.
Since that night, they scarcely talked, and each meeting was always laced with an underlying tension and they would both steer clear of any topic involving Minato or Naruto in any way. Jiraiya could count on one hand how many times they had met face to face in twelve years. He always just sent his messages by bird or chunin messenger.
For the old man to bring the boy up so blatantly, Jiraiya knew something was up.
His eyes lost all mirth and he stared straight into the old mans weary brown ones. "What?"
Sarutobi held back the urge to sigh and merely settled for taking a deep puff of smoke. He opened his eyes again and looked straight into Jiraiya's unflinchingly. "I want you to train him."
Jiraiya snorted. "For what? Your weapon needs more techniques? No thanks." He turned and made his way to the door. "Good bye Sarutobi." The old Hokage nearly winced at his tone, it was always either an affectionate 'old man' or a respectful 'sensei' never his name, especially not laced with such...contempt.
Sarutobi stood. "Jiraiya wait!" He called. "Please." He added after a moment.
The silver haired man, stopped just as he gripped the doorknob. The…the desperation in his sensei's voice gripping him and holding him still.
Slowly he turned ad face his sensei's pleading eyes. "Just…hear me out." He said after a moment.
Jiraiya swallowed once, and slowly, he turned and sat down on the chair infront of the desk. "Go ahead, talk."
Sarutobi sighed and allowed himself to relax against his chair.
After over a decade of silent feuding, student and sensei finally reconciled.
Jiraiya sighed as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop in search of the blond boy. He had a 'picture' of him, which was halfway decent, considering a mask was over half his face. But still, not many people had that kind of outfit or hair. So he should be able to find him easily.
Key word in that sentence is should.
He was like a fucking ghost. He couldn't catch hide nor hair of him. He went to his estate, to every training ground and finally to the hotsprings...just to make sure of course.
Finally, just as he was about to give up he caught a small sliver of something from the corner of his eyes.
He snapped his head around and found the kid walking down the street. He immediately landed and rushed after him. "HEY BRAT!" He called. For a moment, Naruto wasn't sure if he was addressing him, but after a while that he could hear footsteps behind him he turned as Jiraiya stood before him.
"Jiraiya, the toad sannin." He said blandly. "What are you doing here?"
Jiraiya cleared his throat. "Well…at the request of my sensei, I've been asked to train you. 'Among other things.' He added silently snickering. In reality, first he was to get to know the boy, then…he was to simply annoy the hell out of him. Get a rise out of the boy, for him to show some form of emotion, since Jiraiya was currently the only one who had a hope of seeing Naruto annoyed or angry without being burnt to ashes he was the logical choice.
"I find that there are few things you could teach me." Naruto answered. Jiraiya frowned. That wasn't a braggart's confidence. Just what the hell had they done to this kid that he thought even a Sannin couldn't teach him anything?
He didn't let any of his discomfort show however and merely smirked. 'Maybe, but I think I have a few things I can teach you." He stated moving forward and putting an arm on the boys shoulder. He barely refrained from narrowing his eyes as he saw the boy turn to look at the arm that had touched him in such a familiar fashion as if it was alien.
"Come on brat, I think its time you learn my favorite technique. The rasengan" He stated with a smirk pulling the confused boy along.
Jiraiya groaned in pain from his spot on the ground.
It had been three and a half weeks since he had begun teaching the boy the Rasengan and he had taken to it amazingly quickly of course.
But that's not what was causing him pain, after the first week or so he had begun his 'annoyance' tactics.
It took almost an entire week before the blond told him, in a somewhat heated voice 'Shut up' Jiraiya obviously ignored him, and continued annoying him by talking endlessly, dragging him along to the hot springs, inviting him to food while then leaving him with the bill and such things.
Finally, now, only three days away from the finals in the chuunin exam had the blond finally done something.
Jiraiya had gone peeping again and had just settled himself in a comfortable spot when the wall that hid him suddenly collapsed, exposing him to all of the females in the hot springs, which included a very pissed off Yuuhi Kurenai and an even more irked Mitarishi Anko. Add to that two temperamental teenage girls, one with pink hair, one with blond hair and you have an entire truckload of 'females righteous fury'
The reason he knew the blond had done it was because as he had moved to run away, a single, distinctively clawed fist socked him right in the jaw stalling him long enough for the females to reach him.
So yes…he was in very real pain…
And the women had hid him deep in Konoha's forest, making sure that no simpathetic male assistance would be at all forthcoming.
Meaning he had to drag his own carcass back to Konoha.
It didn't help that all his limbs felt like they were broken...or dislocated. Or both...
So it was with great pains that Jiraiya of the sannin, began crawling back to his home village, all the while hearing a faint laughing that sounded suspiciously evil following him all the way through.
Hinata stared at her father with disbelief. "You…your…YOUR DISOWNING ME?" She yelled standing up. "Because of just one Loss!" Her byakuugan flared in her anger. Next to her, her sister, Hanabi had her eyes open wide in utter disbelief at what their father was saying.
Hiashi nodded. "You lost to Neji during your preliminary rounds. This is unacceptable to that of a main branch member."
Hinata clenched her fists. "So you'll give Hanabi the title of clan heir?" It was not said in a venomous tone, it was more for assurance that her sister would be safe.
But what Hiashi said next made her blood boil. "No, Hanabi is weaker than you, therefore, I have decided to name Neji the clan heir. The two of you shall receive the cage bird seal by the end of your chuunin exam."
Both girls gasped. Hinata seethed. "You BASTARD!" She yelled, rushing him, she got to his desk and leapt over it when two branch members rushed in and grabbed her, pinning her to the far wall. Hanabi gasped as Hiashi calmly stood. "The two of you are dismissed." He said casually.
Hanabi, took a slow breath and bowed once before exiting.
The two branch members holding Hinata spared the girls sympathetic glances as they practically dragged her out.
When they got out they stood infront of the door to bar her path. She sneered at them. "Get out of my way!" She practically spat.
The two branch members hated the fact that they had to do this, especially since she could kill them with a single handsign but they still blocked her. "Hinata-sama, we are sorry, but we cannot let you pass."
Hinata yelled in frustration before turning, finally noticing that her sister was nowhere in sight.
She walked down the hall towards her sisters room, hearing the faint sounds of her crying. Hinata's eyes softened as she opened the door and silently walked behind her sister. Her shoulders were shaking with repressed sobs. Hinata slowly wrapped her eyes around her younger sisters and whispered soothing words of comfort in her ear. "Shhhhh, it'll be okay…I promise, I'll find a way out of this." She promised.
Neither girl really noticed, a certain Hyuuga branch member had heard the whole thing.
Naruto allowed his eyes to scan over the stands over the coliseum where the final rounds of the chuunin exam were to be held.
He let his eyes travel to the Kage booth, raising his head a little higher than normal to look from underneath his hood and cloak. Jiraiya had given it to him, imbuing the cloth with some seals for storing items and such, allowing him to carry more equipment within easy reach. And because it red just suits you. He'd added, along with some gauntlets. They were almost of Anbu design, the metal was thin, the fingers tipped and pointed so as to claw out someone's face.
It hadn't been his idea but he wasn't wholly opposed it it either. It would make him hit harder, much harder.
The stands were beginning to fill up with people.
He noticed however…that his opponent…Hyuuga Neji was missing. As was Hinata now that he looked around. He knew she was out of the hospital. How did he know? Well when an Anbu went to the hospital and demanded that reports of her state be delivered to his estate weekly, the Hospital staff tended to comply, allowing him to keep track of things.
She should be here, Few people in the village ever missed the spectacle that was a chuunin exam.
Still, it was of no consequence weather or not she or her cousin arrived. Neji would lose the match regardless.
Soon the referee called them down. "Will Naruto Uzumaki and Hyuuga Neji please come down to the arena." Many kept speaking, but many and more stopped entirely, startled. His name was not one to be forgotten lightly. And too many of those had believed the child dead as did most of the chuunin ranked ninja in the crowd
After three minutes or so Hayate spoke up again. "If Hyuuga Neji does not arrive within the next two minutes then he will forfeit the match."
A few minutes later the referee called the match.
Will Sabaku no Temari and Nara Shikamaru please come down to the arena.
The match, though…'slow' was not boring, Naruto saw that the Nara boy had much potential as a Shinobi strategist, perhaps even more so than his own father.
The next match was called between Sabaku no Kankuro and Aburame Shino, with the puppet user surrendering.
Then it came to the fight between Sasuke and the other Jinchuuriki Gaara.
Except, Sasuke too was nowhere to be found.
Up in the Kage booth the 'Kazekage' turned to Sarutobi. "Hokage-sama, I am quite interested in seeing how my son Gaara measures up to the last Uchiha."
Sarutobi resisted the urge to smirk, his foolish student was so transparent. He held it back and turned to the 'Kazekage' "Kazekage-sama, I will not dishonor this exam by showing such blatant favoritism. Sasuke will be treated in this exam like any other."
The Kazekage's eyes narrowed by a fraction. "I see…" He paused. "Then this charade is unnecessary!" He said, appearing behind the Hokage with a kunai to the old man's throat, as his two Anbu bodyguards morphed and vanished, revealing four individuals that quickly killed his two chuunin guards and rushed to the four corners of the building and formed a strange purple shield or force field all around it.
The Kazekage then leapt up, taking the Hokage with him to the roof.
Sarutobi replaced himself with a roof tile and stood across from the Kazekage. "I see you are now making your move Orochimaru!"
The Kazekage smirked and tore off his face revealing the pale 'young' looking face of his former student.
The profesor's lips curled at the sight. "I see that you perfected that twisted, disgusting jutsu for your immortality." Sarutobi said disdainfully.
Orochimaru smirked. "That I have sensei…" He drawled. "And now I will kill you and end the leaf village." He looked to the side. "Especially since your pet…can no longer assist you." He said with a wicked smirk.
Sarutobi shifted his eyes to the side and saw Naruto, using his two blades covered in wind chakra furiously swiping at the barrier between them.
Sarutobi then saw, through the confusion, Gaara, Suna's weapon leaving the battle and going into Konoha's forest. He couldn't allow them to leave. "Naruto!" He called, catching the boys attention. "Go after the Suna ninja, Gaara! Stop him! I will deal with this."
Naruto seemed reluctant for a moment before he inclined his head in a slight bow. "As, you wish." He said slowly before turning and letting his eyes scan the area once. He caught sight of Gaara just as he vanished into the dense foliage and took off in a rush.
Orochimaru chuckled. "Kukukuku." Time to die Sensei."
Sarutobi smirked as he threw off his robes. "Do not think me so weak just yet student. These old bones can still keep up with the young ones."
Gaara and his siblings rushed past the trees of Konoha, moving as fast as they could in order to get to the designated point where Gaara could transform in order to cause the most damage to the Konoha shinobi while avoiding their own casualties.
Gaara hated transforming, since the Shukaku was always closer to the surface. But he would do what he had to do for his village.
They hopped off another branch when Gaara felt an incredibly powerful Chakra approaching them. Fast...much too fast! It was his chakra! He had to get his siblings out of here, he would catch up to them soon.
He skid to a halt, Temari and Kankuro doing so as well, nearly falling over in their surprise. "Gaara what are you doing? We have to keep moving!" Kankuro yelled desperately.
"Get Back!" He shouted just as a tree behind them exploded in splinters and shrapnel, wisps of red chakra showing, Gaara, and his two siblings snap their heads up, coming face to face with the shadows cast by the hood that now hid the boys face. The two blades glinting in the light with murderous intent.
Naruto flipped once before coming down with a powerful downwards swing using both blades, his strength and his momentum, made Gaara kneel from the pressure on his ultimate defense, the tree branch beneath him buckled and broke off sending both of them falling to the forest floor.
Gaara formed a platform of sand on which he managed to stand on, stopping his fall. Naruto continued to fall until he managed to stick to the tree trunk with chakra.
He rushed up towards the red headed Suna nin. Gaara extended his arms, two pillars of sand rushing the hooded ninja.
Naruto side stepped the first, the pillar of sand crashing and cracking the wood behind him, but not breaking it entirely. He charged his blade with wind chakra and as the second pillar approached he swung the razor sharp blade horizontally as he leapt right at it, the sand splitting like nothing, allowing Naruto to slip between the opening, heading straight towards Gaara.
The red head moved his platform of sand avoiding Naruto entirely. The blond flipped in mid air and landed on another branch.
"Kamaikachi!" Naruto turned his head to the side as he saw a gust of wind blades approaching him.
He raised his hand and with his own wind manipulation sent her attack right back at her with almost three times the force.
Temari, eyes wide in disbelief barely had enough time to put her fan infront of her, allowing it to take the brunt of the attack. Even so, a large, yet not too deep gash formed at a diagonal angle, going from her left hip to her right shoulder as one of the wind blades tore through her weapon of choice, and others nicked her sides, arms and legs.
Needless to say her weapon was useless now
Naruto then turned to the side as another attack, from a puppet with blades for arms tried to strike at him. He cris-crossed his own blades to block and with a vicious kick to the puppets chest, pushed it back with an audible crack as its chest area caved from the force of his blow.
Naruto then back flipped in order to avoid another pillar of Gaara's sand that broke through the tree he had been standing on.
As he moved through the air, Kankuro seized the opportunity and got behind him, with Karasu appearing infront of the boy.
He charged from behind as he had Karasu move in from the front.
However, before he managed to get within three feet, his enemy spun around and launched five kunai with deadly precision, Two hit his hands, two more hit his hips and pushed him back until he was pinned against the tree. The last was aimed at his forehead but Gaara managed to catch the projectile with his sand at the last minute.
However, this distraction proved to be enough as Naruto appeared behind Gaara and delivered a vicious hit to the back of the boys head, faster than what his sand could react. Gaara was sent flying.
He hit another tree with a vicious and resounding 'crack'. His sand couldn't even catch up with him in order to cushion his fall He groaned in pain and slowly opened one eye, and saw the hooded Konoha ninja moving towards him.
He leapt up, once again forming a platform of sand, when he was well above the tree's his sand platform formed a sphere of sand. Naruto who couldn't reach the boy without summoning Manda himself, calmly watched from the tree tops.
Finally, after thirty seconds or so, he sphere of sand dissolved, revealing Gaara, his entire form as that of a miniature Shukaku.
He roared once, catching sight of Naruto as he dived in a freefall towards he boy.
Naruto braced himself, spreading his arms wide with his swords at the ready and with a violent crash Gaara slammed into him, the two of them breaking the tree branch and rocketing towards the forest floor.
Naruto stabbed one of his swords deep into what would have been Gaara's rib cage while using his right hand, still holding his second sword to pound away at Gaara's transformed face. Gaara raised his massive claw like arm and struck the other Jinchuriki, sending him flying, slamming him into another tree and then sending his sand to pin him there.
Naruto let out a battle cry, using Kyuubi's super hot chakra to turn the sand into glass and then breaking free. Gaara snarled.
Temari, who had managed to pull, the now unconscious Kankuro to a safer part of the forest had her eyes wide in astonishment. Just who the hell was this? No one could go toe to toe with Gaara like this! Ever!
Gaara hissed and launched his two claws forward, the two extended appendages rushing the blond.
Naruto charged wind chakra into his blades and leapt over the two claws rushing Gaara, his speed, so fast the Jinchuuriki could barely keep track. Before the Suna shinobi knew it, his two arms had been cut off from the shoulders and multiple gashes appeared all over his transformed body, his sand had been able to provide adequate protection against the wind chakra.
When his arms regenerated and his cuts healed, Naruto rushed again, this time, not letting up on the attack. His form seemed like a blur of black and red and Gaara could do little more than cross his arms in order to put up a weak defense as he struggled to force his sand into a denser, more resiliant state.
Gaara felt his eyes go wide, this was insane, he was creating cuts and scratches faster than what his sand could repair them. If this kept up then eventually he would chip away the entire sand armor and would start hitting his actual skin.
But what Gaara found most frightening was that he could sense no demonic chakra.. this was all human.
He was brought out of his thoughts as a sharp biting pain burnt straight across his back. He gasped, wondering for a second what the hell hit him. Then realized that the blade had broken through his sand.
He had no choice, he had to take it one step further.
Naruto appeared behind Gaara but before he was able to hit him again, sand exploded outwards, he quickly replaced himself with a log and appeared above the forest canopy, watching as a massive wall of sand rose above the earth taking the form of a gargantuan tankui, with Gaara appearing on its head, his upper torso exposed.
Naruto gave a disdainful 'Hn' before he cut his arm, letting the blood flow down to the summoning tattoo. "Kuchiyose no jutsu!" He said slamming his hand down.
Then in a plume of smoke he rose above the ground, standing high atop the purple scales of the one and only Manda. Boss summon to the snakes.
The massive creature looked up at him. "So, you are the new summoner that defeated Orochimaru." The beast stated before looking out to his opponent, narrowing his eyes. "The Shukaku?" It hissed. "At least you do not summon me for meager affairs like that fool tends to do. You shall grant me fifty sacrifices for this fight." It demanded.
Naruto responded. "You shall only receive your sacrifices if you do your job well. I will not waste chakra and effort if you are not worth it."
Manda's eyes snapped up to him, glaring. Whaaaaaatttttt? You dare? I should revoke your contract now!"
Naruto glanced down at the snake, his eyes flashing a permanent red as demonic chakra began to pulse around him, staring right back into Manda's eyes without even a hint of fear.
The snake summon stared into his eyes long and hard before grinning. "I like you fool. You have guts to stand up to me like that. Very well, no sacrifices are required from you."
Naruto 'Hn'ed again his eyes vanishing beneath the shadows of the hood again as the red chakra dissipated.
Manda then turned his eyes to the approaching sand demon. "Very well. Let us begin."
The snake suddenly darted forward, he was unbelievably fast for his massive size.
Gaara, now in his final form was still getting used to it, so his reaction time was sluggish This is why he hated this form, it took too long to get used to it.
The sand Tankui raised its paw and tried to bring it down on Manda's head. The massive snake summon twisted around his blow and wrapped up his arm. Its massive fangs glinted in the sunlight for half a second before it dug them deep into 'Shukaku's' front right shoulder.
The sand corroded and hissed as purple and black poison oozed between the grains, bubbling like acid. The arm hardened and cracked as Gaara tried to move it. Gaara let a spike of sand shoot from Shukaku's shoulder in an effort to impale the beasts head. Manda twisted around that blow as well and retreated as spikes appeared throughout Shukaku's entire front leg.
The Shukaku turned to Manda and took in a deep breath before releasing a massive air-like bullet towards the purple Anaconda.
The snake hissed. And the wind attack hit dead on, but when the smoke cleared all Gaara could see was the snake summons shed skin.
He felt his eyes widen when a resounding Boom came from behind him. He snapped his head around and saw Manda explode from the ground. Its massive maw open wide heading straight for him. Its fangs glistening with green deadly poison, Naruto, stood atop his head, unmoving, unfazed.
He held up his arms and form a sphere of sand to block himself as best he could.
Naruto whispered to Manda as the creature headed towards the now shielded Suna nin. "Restrain the Shukaku, I will deal with the medium."
Manda would have smirked, another difference to add between this new summoner and Orochimaru, this summoner like things up close and personal, Orochimaru never liked getting his hands dirty in a fight.
Naruto formed a bright, swirling sphere of chakra in his hand, the blue light shining radiantly, spinning so fast it made gusts of wind.
As soon as Manda dug his fangs into the Shukaku and wrapped itself around the beast Naruto leaped high into the air, right above the sphere that protected Gaara.
He reared his fist back and only the deafening roar of the attack itself drowned out his shout. "RASENGAN!"
The sand that formed Shukaku's head exploded in a massive cloud of sand.
Gaara, felt as if he had been hit by a freight train his head was pounding, and the flow of his blood was loud in his ears. He felt a sharp, coppery taste in his mouth. He realized with a start it was his blood. He opened his aqua eyes and looked straight into the black void that masked Naruto's face.
He…he had lost?
He tried to move his arm, but he found he couldn't, he then tried to move the other and felt a sharp, horrible pain race up and down its length.
He then noticed that…Naruto was getting further away…
Was he falling?'
He opened his mouth and tried to breath, pain shooting through his chest as he did so, causing him to cough. As he did, he noticed blood, red and coppery leave his mouth.
Naruto watched as the Suna shinobi fell, the red fluid that was his blood flew past his face as his gravitational pull down to the earth was greater than it. Gaara was completely out of it, his right arm was broken, and the muscles in his left arm had been torn to shreds by the Rasengan, even through the sand.
Gaara's form was limp as he fell back to earth. While Naruto landed on the forest trees gracefully Gaara crashed into the tree branches, bouncing like a pin ball down to the forest floor, numerous cracks from both the wood and the boys bones echoed through the area.
He finally hit, the ground with a thud. Naruto leapt down, landing on the grass. Not even a rustle of leaves indicating his presence. He unsheathed his blade again, making his way towards him.
Gaara, slowly opened one eye, his other, covered in blood from a nasty gash on his forehead he had received on his way down.
Naruto raised his blade ready to bring it down and end the red-heads life when a cry reached him.
"NO!"
The suna Kunoichi threw herself between them, blocking her brother from Naruto.
"Stand aside. My mission is to eliminate him."
Temari shook her head, tears rolling down her cheeks as she stood over her brothers broken body.
"Move or you perish with him." Naruto spoke coldly.
Again she shook her head, planting her feet, stubbornly refusing to move even as he could see the fear shaking her heart. Making her quiver.
It was a vaguely familiar sight, it brought a memory to him.
He turned to the hunter nin, who's mask had broken due to the chakra enforced attack, revealing a feminine face. "You took his place…" Naruto sounded genuinely puzzled. 'Why?"
Haku coughed up blood, staining the gray floor of the bridge red. "Because…" He rasped out. "He…is…someone I would protect…at any cost."
"Even your own life?"
Haku nodded, and smiled at the taller blond.
"Why?"
The feminine boy let out a small laugh. "You'll, have to learn for yourself."
Naruto didn't move or say anything for a moment before he raised his left hand. "Rest." With a swift chop, Haku's neck broke and he slumped, dead.
He shook his head Why did people continually put their own safety on the line for another. There was no mission here? No assignment as was his vow to the Hokage? He could understand sacrifice for the sake of duty but this was not that. He didn't know what motivated these people and it infuriated him.
Temari's eyes glistened with tears. She kept her eyes fixed on Naruto. "Please…don't."
Naruto's eyes snapped over to her, frustration and anger over the answers that eluded him made his eyes bleed into red, in a fury he raised his sword.
Temari, seeing that he would kill Gaara and her yelled out without even thinking. "KILL ME INSTEAD!"
That stopped Naruto. Again, just like that boy on the bridge, she was willing to give her life in exchange for his. "Why?" That confounded question plagued him more and more these days, like a constant buzzing in his head.
She sobbed. "Because…he's my brother." She said.
A blood bond? Was that the reason they placed ones life above the other?
No…Hinata and Neji are blood relatives, as was Uchiha Itachi. So there had to be something else…something deeper than that.
While he was contemplating this, a single clump of sand, wrapped around Temari's wrist and forcefully yanked her away, pinning her wrist to a nearby tree trunk. "GAARA!" Temari yelled.
Using the last of his strength, Gaara held her in place, breathing heavily. "Don't…hurt…her." He breathed out between gasps for air. "You came for me. So kill me. Leave her out of it.."
Naruto stepped forward and held his blade to Gaara's throat. A small trail of blood fell down his neck as the razors edge nicked him.
Gaara closed his eyes and waited for his death.
Naruto however. Stoof rooted to place he willed his arm to move, but the appendage remained stubbornly still. His mind screamed at him to move...complete the mission.
But something held him in place. Something was stopping him, holding him back. Like a Nara with a stranglehold on his shadow.
But he had to. The Hokage had said…
The Hokage had said…to go after Gaara. To stop him.
Temari cried as she thought she was about to see her brother die right before her eyes when the most unexpected thing happened.
The Konoha nin sheathed his blade.
With a stiff turn the boy left the clearing, leaving a stunned Temari and Gaara behind.
A squad of Anbu stared through the purple barrier towards the battle taking place beyond them. They each wanted to simply rush in there and help the old man but they were practically useless.
It was then, in a black blur that Naruto appeared next to them. "Report." He growled at an Anbu with a hawk mask.
The Anbu looked at him. "Who the hell do you think you are boy? Get back before you get hurt!" He sneered.
Naruto unrolled a scroll and in a cloud of smoke, his familiar Anbu mask appeared before them. Making all the Anbu in sight reel in surprise sending looks of sympathy towards the hawk masked Anbu who you could practically feel turn white as paper.
"Your superior." Naruto growled, though none could tell through his mask. "Now I will not repeat myself. Report!" He commanded.
The Anbu hastily bowed and stuttered as he spoke. 'Yes…umm, Orochimaru has currently used a forbidden jutsu to summon the Shodaime and the Nidaime. Hokage-sama is fighting, but unless we can break through this barrier then he will most likely lose the battle."
Naruto nodded stiffly. "Then tell me what the hell you are all doing standing around. The barrier will not fall just by looking at it. Attack!"
"But…if we touch it we'll be incinerated." One Anbu spoke shakily.
"Then don't touch it!" Naruto snapped, beginning his hand seals forming a fire jutsu to hit the force field."
The other Anbu spread out and began following his example.
Naruto growled after a while. Everything just proved useless. He was about o start another Jutsu when he saw something that made him freeze.
The Sandaime Hokage…was standing, with a sword impaled through his chest.
An untold, unexplainable fury gripped him. His fists, held in mid seal clenched tightly, so much so that the metallic gauntlets in his hands groaned and cracked loudly. Red chakra bubbled from his feet and continued upwards until it completely covered from head to toe.
He looked to the arm holding the blade. The pale arm of the snake sannin, with a wicked smirk on his lips.
His eyes bleed into red, red mist flowing from beneath his eyes. A bloodcurdling howl of rage and blood-lust tore itself from his throat. 'OROCHIMARU!"
Red chakra, burning, evil and violent exploded from him! The wood beneath his feet lit aflame and soon the chakra took a form around him, taking shape, one tail, followed by another, and another and finally a third.
His red, cloak like garb was blown away in its ferocity his hood along with it! With a furious snarl he tore away his facemask as it limited his breathing. Showing his jagged whisker like marks and his bared fangs, in a snarl that twisted his features.
The boy reared his hand back, forming a sphere of bright red chakra. Spinning far more rapidly than his previous one and being several inches larger.
With a battle cry he launched himself at the barrier, as his Rasengan hit the barrier the purple chakra rose up his arm, trying to burn him to ash but his own chakra, the foxes chakra healed him almost as soon as the damage was done.
Inside the barrier, the sound four had to divert to their second stage curse seals in order to hold the barrier up, and even so they could feel their chakra draining rapidly, if he didn't stop in the next thirty seconds the barrier would collapse.
Meanwhile, throughout the entire city of Konoha, shinobi and civilians alike froze in familiar fear as that terrible chakra became known to them. It was the same as thirteen years ago. It was…the Kyuubi's chakra!
Naruto snarled as the barrier seemed to buckle beneath his assault. With a final cry, the rasengan exploded, making a large hole in the barrier that was quickly closing up. Naruto didn't waste a second and leapt straight through the opening. Other Shinobi were to slow to follow as the barrier closed behind him.
Orochimaru, gloating over the death of his sensei, did not notice the approach of the threat until it was far too late.
He barely managed to turn before a clawed fist, punched straight through his stomach. His eyes went wide and blood escaped his mouth. How? Now? In his moment of triumph? He was going to die?
Naruto snarled, pulling his arm out of the man's stomach with a sick squelching sound before his second hand lashed out at Orochimaru's face, tearing off his entire lower jaw. Before the snake sannin, could fall however, Naruto caught him by his hair, raised him up to eye level and formed a third Rasengan before slamming it into the mans chest. Right above his heart.
The attack twisted and turned, blowing the snake nins mangled corpse into his own barrier where he was immediately turned to ash.
Naruto let the red chakra recede into him, before he turned to the Hokage, who was breathing faintly. He knelt. "Hokage-sama." He asked, his voice, now unaltered made the Hokage open his eyes. He looked upon Naruto's unmasked face and smiled. "I…I am glad…I got to see you again…before I…die." He spoke his hand, moving slowly to grasp Naruto's. "I…am…sorry…Naruto…I…failed you."
"It was my mission to protect you…it is my failing here."
Sarutobi coughed up blood. His life, fading from his clouded eyes. One regret. Only one.
Now, that he was out of the way. The council would no doubt put him back into the Anbu, undoing all of their progress.
But…perhaps…perhaps he could give him one last mission…one that would help him discover his humanity again.
"Naruto…come closer." He gasped out, his breaths weak. "I have…one…last assignment…for you…"
The blond boy, ever the faithful servant, leaned in. "Yes Hokage-sama."
"Naruto…your last order…(cough)…your last order is to…to…make…a…world…of peace….where people can be happy…this…is my last…order." And with that said…the Sandaime Hokage gasped his last. His head, rolling to the side.
Naruto, bowed his head. Slowly, he put one arm under the old mans knees, and the other, under his back. He silently lifted the old man in his arms. His face set in stone hiding everything.
He had his final mission.