🛑 WHAT IF KURAMA was FEMALE and she was GOOD to NARUTO from the START | First Season | FANFIC 💥

Hello all my dear followers. Welcome to a new fanfic for the channel. Welcome to What if Kurama was a woman and was nice to Naruto from the beginning. I hope you like it and I ask that you give it a chance. As always, I ask for your like and subscription to continue growing. Without further ado, enjoy. Age six. A little blonde boy by the name of Uzumaki Narut was already a well-known person in Kenoha. The only thing that he didn't like is that while everyone seemed to know who he was, he was constantly ignored, and he had no idea why. Many of the pranks he pulled gathered him some attention for a short duration, a few minutes, perhaps up to an hour, depending on how complex the prank was. His latest prank in the making was a work of pure genius. Or at least that's what he was telling himself. It was currently very early in the morning. So early that the sun was only just now beginning to peek over the horizon. Nearly everyone was still in bed. And Narudo himself wouldn't have been up this early if it wasn't for a very important reason. He was currently in the process of attaching a bucket of water to a set of strings that would dump the water when a trap was walked through. The trap was set right in front of the door of a local merchant, one who totally ignored Nar when the boy was only trying to purchase a few groceries. He wanted to teach the snob a lesson. Though he might get into a little bit of trouble over this, it would definitely be worth it to see the look on the merchant's face when he was dowsted with water. Chuckling to himself, Nar leaned forward to tie the bucket to the trap for when it was to be released. Unfortunately, as he leaned, he felt the rope that was holding him up jerk a little bit, and he dropped down a few inches. The young Narudo started to sweat as he remained still. He was still a good 10 to 12 ft up in the air, and any fall would hurt big time. He looked up, panicking slightly. Apparently, the air vent that he tied his rope to wasn't very sturdy. Either that or the rope itself was weak. Being sure to be as careful as he could, he slowly leaned forward once again in an attempt to attach the bucket to his trap. Luck was not on his side, however, as he felt the rope give another lurch and drop him another few inches. Breathing heavily, he decided to just drop the heavy bucket full of water and try to climb back up the rope to see if he could fix the rope that was holding him up. He didn't have time to make that decision, however, as there was a loud groan of stressed metal from somewhere above him, and he dropped like a rock. In the seconds before he hit the rough cobblestone street below, he could remember hitting the ground too quickly to shout out, "Not that it would have done any good." Pain exploded in the back of his head as he hit the ground, and he vaguely recalled that there were thin clouds in the sky as his vision faded to black. Drip, drip, drip. Narudo woke up with a startled gasp. He was currently sitting in a pool of something. It was like water, only thicker. Raising up one of his arms in curiosity, he noticed that it didn't get him wet, either. The liquid merely drained off of his skin and clothing. Slowly rising to his feet, he felt the back of his head. surprised to find that there was no bump or bruise. It didn't hurt at all. Smiling despite the fact that he couldn't remember how he got where he was, he looked around. There wasn't much to see. It was a decently sized tunnel made of some kind of stone. There were large pipes running down both sides of the tunnel that seemed to connect to the wall at various spots, but it all looked completely random. No lights could be seen, but for some reason it was not dark. The water-like substance at his feet came up to his ankles and it filled the entire tunnel as far as he could see. Picking a direction at random, little Narudo started to walk. Somehow he got in here, so there had to be a way out. He tried calling out to see if perhaps anyone would reply, but the only thing he could hear was the echo of his own voice. The strangest thing, though, was that depending on what direction he shouted in, he would eventually hear his own voice echoing from behind him. The tunnel was completely straight and boring, but it didn't take long for him to encounter a door, one that led to a very large room. At least it seemed large, unlike in the tunnel. The room was completely dark, except for two small lights that he could see at what was probably the far end. He entered the room and looked up. The ceiling was taller here than in the tunnel. As soon as he entered the room, he could see the ceiling and the two walls on either side of the room. And as he continued walking towards the back, the light seemed to move with him because it never got dark where he was. When he finally got to the back of the room, he stared wideeyed at the huge cage. There was no way to open it that he could see except perhaps if he moved that piece of paper that said seal on it, but he was way too short to reach it. There wasn't anyone he knew who was that tall. There was a low rumbling he could hear from behind the bars, but other than that, he couldn't see anything. It was totally dark, just like this room was before he moved into it. He was small enough to walk between the bars of the cage. But for some reason, he was feeling too scared to get too close. H. Hello. Is anyone back there? As soon as he spoke, the rumbling noise he had heard before stopped. It was completely quiet. Nar looked around the room again, then spoke once more. "Is someone there? Can you tell me how to get out of here? How did you get here? The loud voice seemed to come from all around him in the room. It was very deep and spoke slowly, but even Narudo could feel the power behind the words. He let out a little yelp and stumbled backwards a step, but did not fall. The voice said nothing else, so he answered it. I don't know. I was going to play a pee prank on a mean man, but my rope snapped and I fell. I closed my eyes and woke up here. Naruto's hands fidgeted nervously. He wasn't sure if this voice would tell the old man that he was going to play another prank. Getting in trouble sucked, though the old man was always nicer about it than whoever caught him. How old are you now? Um, I'm six. There was silence for a moment until he heard a louder rumble than before. Too young. Close your eyes and think about waking up. You will return. Naruto blinked several times. The voice was strange. It wasn't going to tell on him and told him he could get back just by closing his eyes. What did it mean? He was too young. For what? Hey, what am I too young for? I'm old enough for lots of things. And the old man just got me my own apartment. I'm better than lots of other kids my age. Naruto waited for the voice to return and say something, but it did not. Hello. Are you still there? Hello? Go away. Naruto was about to retort, but all of a sudden, a huge eye appeared from behind the cage. It was bloodshot like the matron at the orphanage's eyes usually were, but the iris was a deep red, and there was a black slit going down the middle. It looked nothing like any eye he had ever seen before. He couldn't help but let out a startled shout and stumbled backwards as soon as it appeared. He didn't catch himself this time, though, and fell backwards into the shallow waterlike substance with a splash. Because the water was so shallow, he hit his head on the ground again. Waking, Narudo sat up quickly, feeling the back of his head immediately. It hurt this time, and he could feel a bump starting to grow. Looking around, he recognized immediately where he was, the bucket on the ground right next to where he was sitting. Thinking back, Narut remembered the strange place he just was, and wondered how he got there in the first place. That unique voice and the eye behind the cage too, just thinking about it made him shiver. Hopefully, it was just all a really odd dream. Looking around once more, he noticed that it didn't seem like much time had passed, if any. Grabbing the bucket, Naruto set out to refill it quickly. He just dumped the water on the merchant's head if he couldn't find another secure place to tie a new rope. He set out to refill the bucket. The voice and the eyes soon forgotten. Age 8. No, no, no. You need to feel the object you're trying to substitute with. We start you off being able to look at the object so this way you can learn what it feels like. I don't understand why you're having such a hard time with this. Everyone else in class got it right away. Narudo squinted and concentrated hard, the tip of his tongue sticking out of his mouth. He was listening to his sensei, but also trying to use the Kawarimi technique that they had learned in class earlier. Everyone else in his class was already done and back inside. Naruto was stuck outside with one of the teachers from class trying to figure out why he couldn't perform the easiest technique in all the elemental nations. After a few more moments of staring at the log in front of him, Narut sighed, then made the hand sign again. Since the technique was so easy to do, one of his teachers had shown the class that it could be done without hand signs, but that they would need to use them to learn the technique. He grumbled as he thought about some of the other kids in his class and how so many of them performed the technique correctly on the first try. I understand that you must be frustrated, Nar, but I really don't know what else I can do to help you. This is the most basic technique that there is. If you can't do this, then you probably just aren't cut out to be a ninja. I'll go talk to Hokag Sama and see if Dash No, no, I'll do it. I really will. Just can I take this log home to practice please? He recalled his other sensei mentioning that these logs were special, that they were laced with a special kind of chakra so that they would be easy to sense. But he didn't know how to sense it. When he asked about it, both of his teachers just said that he should just be able to feel something different about the log. Try as he might, he couldn't do it. The log didn't feel special to him at all. In fact, he couldn't even feel the log or anything else for that matter. He had no idea what they were talking about. Fine, it should be okay for a day or two. But if you still can't do it by the end of the week, I will be talking to Hokag Sama. Understood. Narut nodded his head rapidly, scrambling forward to pick up the supposedly special piece of wood. You might as well head on home now and get started. There's only 15 minutes left in class anyway, so I give you permission, but you still have to come to school tomorrow. No skipping out to work on the Kawarimi. Got it? Nodding once again, Naruto quickly scampered towards the school exit, eager to get home and figure out what exactly it was that he was doing wrong. "Gra, I don't get it." Naruto smacked both hands down on the floor in front of him, frustrated with his inability to swap positions with the log, just sitting on the floor barely over a meter in front of him. Supposedly, you only needed a small amount of chakra for the technique to work. And his teachers had confirmed that he had quite a lot for a boy his age after he managed to unlock it. But knowing that there was something all the other kids in the class were able to do, but he wasn't, even if he was the youngest kid in class, it stung. The blonde briefly considered going to the old man to ask for help, but he didn't want to disturb him. While the old man made a point to stop and visit a couple times a month and was around to watch after him on his birthday, he knew that many other important people were agitated whenever the hokag spent too much time around him. He didn't really understand why other than the fact that the hokag was an important person in the village. Everyone needed the hokag in one way or another. and maybe they felt the old man had more important things to do than visit an orphan like him. Shaking his head, Narudo sighed and glanced at the clock, noting the time. It had already been 2 hours, and he had nothing to show for progress. Bringing his hands together in the now too familiar hand sign, he closed his eyes this time and concentrated. Maybe he needed to find his own chakra again before he could perform the technique. It was worth a shot anyway. So far, nothing else had worked. So, the young boy concentrated, doing the same thing he did when he unlocked his ability to use his chakra. Turning his senses inward, he tried to think of things that made him happy, things that made him who he was, his blonde hair, his mastery of pranks, even his excellent getaway and stealth skills. It didn't take long for him to feel completely calm, until his skin began to tingle slightly, and a slow dripping noise forced him to open his eyes. Drip, drip, drip. Peeking with one eye first, his shoulders slumped for a moment until old forgotten memories clicked back into place. He remembered being in this sewer before with the light that followed him wherever he was, the big room with the cage, that voice, and the eye. Opening both eyes and quickly jumping up, Narudo started breathing heavily when he remembered that bloodshot eye and how it seemed to look through him. It was a memory, but it had quickly faded. Looking around nervously, he scanned the tunnel only to notice that the entrance to the big room from before was only a few footsteps away. Carefully easing forward, he leaned towards the opening to peer inside. Nothing had changed from before. The cage at the back end of the room was still rather far away, two torches barely illuminating it. Gathering his courage, he moved inside the doorway once again, noticing how the walls inside the room became visible and how the light moved with him. So, the young one returns, stopping quickly, Naruto stared wideeyed at the bars to the cage, expecting to see the eye looking at him again. The voice was back, but apparently the eye was not yet. Anyway, sooner than I expected, however, Nar didn't move any closer and fidgeted nervously. He wasn't sure if this voice wanted him to reply, but it was nice to him before, so maybe it would be again. you. Um, I just D did the same thing back when I unlocked my chakra. The silence lingered for barely a moment before the voice responded. Narudo couldn't tell for sure since it talked so deep and slow, but it almost seemed curious. Interesting. I had not anticipated that you would have been able to return here at this point in time. At least you can use chakra now, unlike before. Yeah, my teacher said I had a lot more than anyone else my age. and at least twice as much as the strongest person in my class. They are all two years older than me, too." The old man didn't seem surprised when I told him, though. There was something akin to a snort that came from behind the bars along with a deep rumbling. "Well, he is your hokage after all." Hm. Yeah, the old man is really, really smart. He probably already knew that I would have a lot of chakra. That's why he let me go to school 2 years early. No, they let you go to school early for another reason. Nar peered curiously behind the bars. He had been slowly walking closer as he talked to the voice. Huh? What do you mean? There was another reason. Two eyes and a big smile full of shining white teeth were slowly made visible, causing the young boy to let out a shriek and scramble backwards from the cage. So, you can learn to try and control me. Narudo scrambled to his feet, turning and running for the doorway. He kept running and running, looking behind him at a cage that didn't seem to be getting any further away. The big smile full of teeth was gone, but the two eyes were still there, staring intently at him. Naruto felt shivers run down his back, then looked in front of him once again. Nothing to be seen anywhere ahead of him. It was all just completely black from beyond the point of where the light that followed him reached. Even the area that the light covered seemed to be smaller than he remembered. calm down and think about an exit and one shall appear. The young boy stopped running, breathing hard. Willing himself not to turn around, he slowed his breathing, closed his eyes, and concentrated. He thought about the door that he had used to enter this room, and when he opened his eyes again, it was right there in front of him. Eyes wide, he turned to look towards the cage again, only to find that he had not moved very far away from it at all. The room had shrunk. How did How did you know what I had to do? How did I do that? What's going on? What do you mean that I can control you? There was a sound from behind the cage, like something very large was shifting position. The eyes closed and darkness was all that was visible from behind the cage. Once again, much of what I could tell you will be beyond your ability to comprehend. Naruto was going to say something else, but then his face quickly adopted an angry scowl. Hey, what do you mean I can't calm or copper comprehend? He paused, mouththing the word to himself several times. Shaking his head, he pointed at the cage, at the being he believed he now knew was behind it. Are you calling me stupid? A deep rolling chuckle echoed from behind the bars. Not yet. We shall see what happens as you age. You are still very young for your species, mortal. The boy didn't understand what the voice was trying to tell him by that and was getting ready to say as much until he remembered that the voice also told him he wasn't going to understand a lot of what it had to say yet. So, he settled for a grunt, then plopped down on the ground with a little splash. It didn't take long after that for him to remember his original predicament. Hey, mister, do you know how to do a kawareimi? There was a long moment of silence. He was about to ask if it was still there until, as if on Q, the voice responded just as he opened his mouth. Of course, it didn't take but a couple seconds for Nar to jump back up to his feet, excited. Really? Can you tell me how? I've been trying for a long time, but I can't do it. And my sensei doesn't know what's wrong. I was going to go ask the old man, but he's always busy, and people get angry at me when I distract him. There was another rumbling noise from behind the bars for several seconds before the voice spoke once again. Imagine your chakra covering your body. Then push it out. You should be able to feel objects around you. Try to pull that object to you as you move towards it. That should be enough. Blinking. Naruto nodded dumbly open-mouthed. It was really that simple. He pumped his fist in the air and cheered. All right. Thanks, mister. I'm going to go try now. Narudo quickly ran through the doorway, exiting the room. Barely a minute later, he returned panting. Hey, um, how do I get out of here? Close your eyes and think about waking up where you were before you got here. You will return. Following the instructions, Narudo closed his eyes and immediately disappeared, taking the light with him. Now all that remained was a cage, two torches, and the voice. This could prove interesting. The next day at school, Narut returned the log to the teachers and displayed to them that he could now perform Kawarimi. After that, he spent the rest of the day using the technique on the chalkboard erasers, annoying his two teachers to no small extent. It wasn't until they threatened to tell the Hokag that he was misbehaving using Shinobi techniques that he settled down. A small part of him wondered if the voice would have been proud of what he could do now. Age 10. Hey, old man. Can I have your job yet? Saratobi Hirozen blinked, then barked out a quick laugh as he quickly stuffed his old students latest work into the nearest desk drawer. Why, Nar, what brings you here? You didn't get in trouble again, did you? No. I've been good today. I even made an appointment to see you this time. The child had such a big grin on his face that Hiroen was able to mask his surprise by returning the smile and offering a chuckle. He knew that he had several small appointments lined up today, but he did not know that Nar was one of them. He was not aware that Nar knew how to do such a thing, but he assumed his secretary must have set this up. Only if he could have borne witness to that conversation. My my, I admit, I'm impressed that you managed to do such a thing, Narut Kuen. The hokag leaned over his desk slightly till he could get a clear look at the boy. So, what can I do for you today? Having hopped up into one of the chairs as her asked the question, Naruto looked around for a second. He then pursed his lips together, apparently thinking about something. Um, old man, I have a friend and he told me to ask you about what really happened to the Q.B. That was certainly not what Hirozen was expecting to hear. and the shocked look on his face clearly showed it. But he quickly composed himself, leaning back in his chair and giving the blonde an appraising stare. Narudo simply stared back impassively, waiting for an answer, his feet kicking back and forth since they did not quite touch the floor. I thought they told you what happened in class, Narudo. The Q.B. attacked the village 10 years ago on your birthday. The Yandame Hokag fought the Q.B. and managed to defeat it, but lost his life in the process. Naruto had started scratching his head halfway through Hirozen's talk, looking confused and antsy at the same time. My friend told me you'd say that. He says that there is more to it than what they teach in school. No one else will tell me what really happened, and neither will my friend, so I was hoping you could, old man. Saratobi looked at Narudo for several long moments before he let out a sigh, then rubbed at his eyes with his fingers. this friend of his, could it? Well, it likely was, and that in and of itself was a scary proposition. Minato had assured him that the seal he was using would filter any negative effects. He now had to determine if there was any damage to the child, and if there was, if the damage could be reversed, Narut Kuan, I will tell you what really happened. If you do something for me first, the young boy simply stared at the Hokag wideeyed, eagerly waiting. I need you to answer a couple of questions for me. Can you do that? Sure, old man. I haven't pulled any pranks for a while, though, so if that was one of your questions, I don't have anything to tell you. That caused the Hokag to smile. At least Narudo seemed like he was still his old self. Ah, no, that was not going to be one of my questions, but I am glad to hear it all the same. My first question actually was going to be this. Does this friend of yours have a name? Is he someone at school? Nar merely blinked, clearly not anticipating what he was asked. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he bit his lip, probably trying to think of how best to answer. Well, no, he's not a friend from school. I can see him whenever I want to buy just thinking about it. Some of the other kids at school laugh at me when I talk about him, saying I'm too old to have an imaginary friend, but he's not imaginary. He helps me with my homework when I really, really need it. He also explains things to me when I don't understand them in class. And dash Saratobi held up a hand. Wo there, it's okay, Naruto. I have been watching your progress in school, and you have indeed been doing better, which I am happy to see. But you are still almost failing. The blond's face scrunched up and he crossed his arms. Yeah, well, school is boring. The only classes I like are the ones that teach us to be ninja. Besides, if I'm going to be Hokag, I need to know how to fight. This caused the Hokag to sigh. As much as he would love to see young Narut grow up to be Hokag, they had this discussion every time he saw the boy. Naruto Coen. Fighting is not the only thing a hokag needs. You need to know and understand other people too in order to bring peace to everyone, not just in your own village. Yeah, yeah, it's still boring. Blleh. Naruto kept his face scrunched and his arms crossed, staring defiantly at the old man sitting on the other side of the desk. Hirozen couldn't help but feel the urge to grab his pipe, but he tried to avoid using it around children. Anyway, Naruto Cohen, does this friend of yours have a name? I don't think you answered that question yet. At this, Nar frowned. I've asked him a few times, but he won't tell me. He's only said something like, "I won't understand what his name means, so I should ask someone else to tell me. He won't even tell me how old he is. But he sounds like an old man sometimes. He sounds like me." Naruto looked surprised for a second, then shook his head. Nah, he sounds kind of like Shikamaru's dad. He talks really slow and with a deep voice, but it's really loud, too. And Shikamaru<unk>s dad is kind of quiet. Hiroan couldn't recall Q.B. ever talking when it attacked Kinoa. If anything, it seemed like a rabid animal thrashing about at anything in sight. What Narudo was describing now, someone that was helping him with homework and by all appearances willingly interacting with the child. Naruto, have you ever seen this person? The boy shrank back in his chair and almost looked frightened for a moment as if he remembered something scary. After a few seconds, he shook his head. No, I haven't. I did see something, but when he didn't continue, the sandame had to prod him onwards. Well, sometimes I see its eyes or its teeth. One of his teeth is as big as me, probably bigger. I wasn't really close when I saw them from behind the cage, but it scared me. I saw his eyes, too. They are huge and really red. They look like the eyes on the cat of my neighbor, except for them being red and not yellow. Oh, and when I see his eyes, they have those red lines in them like the matron lady at the orphanage always had. But Saratobi listened carefully to all of Naruto's explanation. This really was the Q.B. interacting with him after all. But this particular QB was an unknown quantity. He had never been made aware of any situation where a Beiju had willingly corresponded with its host in his lifetime with one minor passing rumor he heard about a ginuriki from the cloud village. That rumor never amounted to anything, however, and it was a long time ago as well, so he never paid it much mind. Now, however, the memory of that old rumor was returning swiftly. Perhaps it was possible if what he was hearing any indication. It could also be a trap by the Beiju make Narudo trust it then turn on the boy later when he got older. Hiro inside and rubbed his forehead in aggravation. This was definitely not something he could have foreseen happening. Perhaps when he unlocked his chakra, he did it in such a way as to trigger the seal. But Minato had assured him before he sealed Q.B. that they likely wouldn't interact until after Narudo had become a ninja and needed to draw upon a large amount of chakra all at once. The one thing that did ease his mind was Narudo mentioning that he had witnessed the beast being behind a cage. Hey, old man. Are you all right? You look sad. He shook his head slowly and offered Nar a small smile. No, no, I'm fine, Nar. Now, it seems I have to answer your question about what really happened. I had planned on telling you after you graduated, but it seems as though your friend has forced my hand a bit. Narudo simply looked confused. So, the Hokag continued talking, trying to get out the explanation before more questions popped up. Let's see. Now, 10 years ago, the QB attacked this very village. No one knew why, and any attempt to hold a conversation with the Q.B. was met with violence. The Yande met the Q.B. in the forest to the east of here before it made it to the walls. Once they met, the battle was swift and the Q.B. was sealed away. The boy was listening intently until the earnest look on his face was once again replaced by one of confusion. Sealed away. Where? Here was the hard part. Inside of you, Naruto Kuan. The boy simply let out a little then looked at his hands and started shaking slightly. Hirozen stood from his seat slowly walking around his desk, then deliberately got down on one knee in front of the young boy and placed a steady hand on his shoulder. "Look at me, Nar," the young child did, looking rather panicked as he did so. There were small tears starting to form in his bright blue eyes. "Am I QB?" The Hokag chuckled softly and shook his head, gently ruffling Naruto's wild hair. No, no, my boy, not at all. You are and always will be my little friend. Umaki Nar, it is because of you that the Q.B. did not destroy the village. You are a hero, Nar. The child started to smile and wiped at his eyes, but then hung his head once more. Then why does why do so many people ignore me? Well, Naruto Kuan, I think some people have a hard time understanding what happened. A lot of people lost family members and friends when the QB attacked our village. They died trying to keep it away to protect those who cannot fight. Just like you lost your parents before you ever got to know them. Their sacrifice gave the Yandame enough time to do what he needed to do. And you, Narudo, are what saved us all. Your sacrifice protects this village every day you live. So, you need to grow up and become a strong ninja. This way, someday that which tried to destroy us may one day end up helping to save us all. You are going to be Hokag and let me retire, aren't you? Nar rubbed at his nose, smiling at the Hokag in earnest. Yeah, thanks, old man. I'll do my best. Saratobi smiled and nodded, then grunted as he returned to his feet. Good. I'm glad to hear it. You should keep quiet about who your friend is, though, because it is likely that some might misunderstand you and something bad might happen. Do you know what I mean? Slowly nodding his head, the young blonde frowned. I can't tell anyone. No. Bad people might try to come and take the Q.B. away from you if they find out about it, and you would get hurt. I would be very sad if you were hurt. You don't want me to cry, do you? Narudo chuckled, rubbing at his eyes a little. Nah, I like you too much to make you cry, old man. I won't tell anyone. I promise. Grinning a little, Saratobi returned to the chair behind his desk before focusing his attention on his young charge once again. Is there anything else you need to know about what your friend the QB told you? Thinking for a moment, Nar eventually shook his head negatively. Nah, that was the only thing that he really nagged me about, finding it curious why the Q.B. simply did not tell the boy what he was. He offered the boy another smile, then dismissed him. It didn't take long for the energetic yet slightly subdued boy to jump out of the chair and quickly leave the room, slamming the door behind him. Saratobi stared at the door for several moments before sighing, then making a signal with his hand as he rested his head in his hands, arms propped up on his desk. 3BU appeared almost immediately. Yuggo, please continue to observe Narut at a careful distance. Just make sure he's all right. I don't know what he may be thinking after what I just told him. Theu with long purple hair nodded quickly, then immediately disappeared. Venma, your shift is almost up, isn't it? Go ahead and take the rest of the day off. I need to talk to Kakashi about a few things. I will have a discussion with you tomorrow when you report in. Yes, Hokag sama, excuse me. Theu gave a swift bow, then disappeared as well. Leaning back from his desk and folding his arms in his lap, Saratobi moved his chair slightly to look out the window behind him. Do you think he'll be okay, Kakashi? The last of the ANBU trio that had appeared pulled his mask away from his face, letting it rest on the side of his head. His voice was still slightly muffled through the other mask he wore that covered the lower half of his face. He's proven to be strong so far considering his treatment by most people. I think he'll be able to handle this too. Saratobi nodded more to himself than to Kakashi. He had feared about telling Nar about the Q.B. before he graduated from the academy. Hopefully, everything would work out for the best. I've actually been meaning to talk to you for a few days now, so it's good that Narutkin decided to visit me today. I'm going to be restoring you to regular duty in the next couple months. Kakashi nodded. You want me to take Nar on a team as we discussed when he first entered the academy? Exactly. Since his father is no longer with us, I believe you are the most logical choice to instruct him. Kakashi chuckled. Sensei probably would have rather had Aido or even Ren teach Naro before I ever got a chance. Naruto's personality is nothing like mine or bound to clash perhaps, but as his teacher, you can keep him grounded. At the same time, he can teach you how to lighten up. Do you still visit the memorial everyday? Kakashi looked away outside one of the windows, but chose not to reply. There was a moment of silence, and Kakashi chose to change the subject instead of reply directly. So, what should I do if he doesn't pass the graduation exam? We both know his grades aren't the best. The Hokag grunted and reached for his pipe, prepping it. Indeed. That may be a problem. If that is the case, I'll probably hand you the worst group overall and you have my instruction to fail them. Until you get Nar on your team, be as harsh as possible. Kakashi's eyebrow over his visible eye was clearly raised. Isn't that rather mean? I can understand where you are coming from. Not everyone is cut out to be a shinobi, but to deliberately fail students. Hi took a couple puffs from his pipe before responding to Kakashi's inquiry. He closed his eyes for a few seconds, formulating a response that would hopefully not come across as completely callous. You said it yourself. Not everyone is cut out to be a shinobi. I have enough trust in my staff at the academy to believe what they tell me about certain students. We do place the worst person in a class with the two best because that is all we can typically salvage. Some children have the motivation, dedication, and drive to become shinobi. Others do not. Even if Narudo places last in his class, every teacher he has had so far tell me that he has the strongest drive to become a shinobi that they have ever seen. He could potentially become the youngest graduate of the academy since Aihiatachi graduated at age seven. Kakashi. He won't if his grades don't improve. Why are they so low? Hirozen grumbled. While the teachers do notice him, they only take so much time explaining things to him. Unfortunately for the boy, Nar is a very politically galvanizing person. Any one teacher gives him more attention than someone else who may be the child of a council member, a wealthy merchant. The list goes on. And I'll have inquiries coming from where the sun doesn't shine. Everyone will want to know why the Q.B. child is getting more attention and help than their child. It only takes one. Nodding as the Hokag's voice drifted off, Kakashi sat down in the chair Narudo had since vacated. So keep failing my teams until Nar graduates. Then sighing yet again, the sandame set his pipe on its holder. I've been thinking about something else, too. Even if it is rather uncuth of me, regardless as to if the boy passes his exams or not, I may force Naruto Kuin to graduate when he turns 12 along with others his age. The extra training may help, and I also believe that would place him at about on par to graduate with the last Aha. Correct. Some have requested that I move that boy onto the fast track for graduation, but I do not feel it would be wise to cater to him too much. Thinking for a moment, Kakashi scratched at his cheek. Aiha Sasuke, I think so. I honestly don't know much about the kid other than his circumstances. Reminds me a little of myself. There was a moment of sadness in Hiroan's eyes before he shook his head, getting back on track. It may work out best if both of them graduate in the same year. This way, you can have Nar on your team and Sasuke as well. He'll need a teacher who knows how to use the sharing gun. You're the last one left. Are you sure? Won't that distract me from teaching Narudo? Saratobi gave Kakashi a hard look. No, you will be teaching your entire team. I know you haven't had to teach Jennine before, but they will all need your attention. You must avoid favoring any student over the other. My apologies. I didn't mean Dash. Saratobi held up a hand. I know. It's fine. Just remember what I said. Now I need to explain what's going to happen to your current team. Why didn't you just tell me what you were? Narudo stared pointedly at the darkness behind the cage. He knew what was back there now, even if he could never see it. He was actually surprised at his own boldness. He was only 10 and angry at the creature that nearly killed his entire village if the yandame hadn't stopped it. He supposed that the only reason he could act like this was that it hadn't hurt him so far and had actually helped him more than anyone else in Kenoha, including the old man. Would you have believed me if I told you what I was without the explanation coming from someone with authority? Naruto opened his mouth as if to speak, but quickly shutting it, realizing Q.Bi was right. Even if it had been helping him for the past 2 years, he still would have found it hard to believe that the monster described in the history books was helping him. the one who was constantly ignored, but it did explain why he was ignored. He might only have been 10, but having to fend for yourself made you grow up fast. He was smart enough to put the pieces together. The old man was right. He was Usuzumaki Nar, but many people chose to see him as what was inside him. Exactly how that worked, he didn't know. But he did suppose that it had something to do with the piece of paper on the cage marked as a seal. So, why did you attack the village then? The silence dragged on for nearly a minute before Nar realized he probably wasn't going to get a response. This was a typical tactic of the Q.B. to just ignore anything it didn't want to respond to. No amount of weedling on Naruto's part had so far been able to pry anything out of the Q.B. that it did not want to offer. While he could understand the need for a person's or being's privacy, this was really important to him. Gathering up his nerve, he moved closer to the cage and started banging on one of the cage bars with an open palm. Hey, Q.B. This is really important to me because it's about my home. I need you to tell me why you attacked it. There was no warning as something behind the bars moved swiftly, banging hard against the inside of the cage. The concussive force of that impact was enough to knock Nar off his feet and send him flying backwards several meters. After lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling for a moment, registering what just happened, he grunted slightly as he propped himself up on his elbows. Looking towards the cage, he noticed that the eyes were visible and looking at him for the first time in a very long time, and a thin row of teeth were visible. Insulent Welp, I will decide when you need to know something. Not before. Telling you what happened now would be of no benefit to either one of us. The Q.B's 's voice rang throughout the room and in his head. It was the loudest he had ever heard it before. Wincing slightly, Narut pulled his knees to his chest and hugged his legs, sufficiently cowed. When the QB understood that it would not get any further lip service from the boy, the eyes closed and the teeth disappeared once again. Naruto sat there staring ahead blankly at the cage for several long moments, listening to the steady dripping noise coming from the hallway behind him. He argued with himself for a little while, wondering if he should press the issue about the attack, but realization set in when he questioned if Q.B. had ever misled him before. It was true that there were many things it would not tell him, but it also explained things to him that he never would have expected, in ways his teachers in school never thought to. If it wasn't for QB, he might not even still be in school. I'm sorry. There was silence after his spoken words, and Narudo pressed his forehead against his knees. He felt tears approach his eyes when he realized that he might have somehow insulted one of the first friends he ever had and it wasn't going to forgive him. There is no need to be sorry for anything. You are still but a child. You will learn. Naruto looked up again, sniffling and wiping at his eyes with the back of his hands. The eyes of the Q.B. opened slightly, this time upon hearing the noise, and a quiet sniffing noise could barely be heard heard from behind the bars. Why can I smell that you are in tears? I merely informed you that it was pointless for you to ask a question for which you would not be able to appreciate an answer. That is all. Slowly stumbling to his feet, Narut mumbled out a reply. I thought you were angry with me. You were talking so loud it made my head hurt. Angry? The Q.B.'s voice came across as genuinely curious, which was rare, and the eyes behind the cage closed once more. the so-called human emotion that denotes some form of aggressiveness. Yes, I guess you could believe my speech contained this anger. My intent was simply to get my point across in such a way that you would not be so inclined to perform in an unsemly manner again. Trying to wrap his mind around what the Q.B. was saying, Narut frowned. You don't know what anger is. People get angry at me all the time for pulling pranks. I know what anger is. I am saying that I do not have that emotion or any of your human emotions for that matter. I seem to be able to emulate them even if unintentional. However, what? Nar was totally shocked even if he really only understood the beginning of what Q.B. just told him. But how do you not get happy or angry or sad or anything like that? Waiting patiently for an answer, Naruto was soon dismayed to find that one would not be coming. Apparently, it was yet one more thing he was not able to understand yet. Holding back a sigh, he tried something else. Will you tell me when I get older? Again, there was no reply. Letting his shoulders droop, he closed his eyes, preparing to leave this place and returned to his room in his apartment. Just as the image of his room appeared in his mind, a voice rang through the room he was still in. Perhaps Narudo woke up in his room with a small smile on his face. age 12. Nothing ever went the way he wished that it would lately. Narudo had run to school in a panic. He had slept through most of his alarm and barely made it to his class in time. In his defense, he was up late into the night practicing the clone technique, the one he failed to perform his last two attempts, and would likely give him hell again this time. The Q.B. had been strangely silent as the test date approached, and he wasn't quite sure why. It had mentioned something about him passing on his own merits and something else about being worthy. But as to what the Q.B. was referring to, Narut didn't understand. As was typical, further inquiry was met with silence. In the past, he had griped to Q.Bi about not waking him up when it was important via mental proddding like it used to when he was younger. But Q.Bi simply stated that if Narudo always relied on it, then he wouldn't amount to much as a shinobi. It was only after a long period of Naruto frowning as he thought about it did he realize that Q. was in fact correct. Almost not making it to class in time was only a minor setback. However, it had happened plenty of times before, and he had only gotten what he felt were gentle reprimands from Raa, his home room teacher, for the last 2 years, and an occasional detention. The worst part about his mourning so far was that he managed to make a fool of himself in front of his beloved Sakura Chan yet again. Someone had tripped him as he was running up the large steps towards where she was standing at the end of Sasuke's row. As his luck would have it, she turned to look at him wearily as he jogged up towards her. He was so focused on her, however, that he didn't notice when the foot was stuck out from one of the class benches, and he tripped over it. He would never forget the look of shock on her face as his own crashed directly into her chest and the force of his movement knocking them both to the ground with him on top. He had immediately panicked and jumped off of her, reaching down to offer her his hand. It was to no avail, however, as she continued to lie there on the ground, arms covering her chest, an expression of rage on her face that he had never seen before. The next several seconds were a blur as she started yelling at him with words strung together so quickly that he could only pick up bits and pieces, mostly revolving around idiot, insulting, and Sasuke Kuan. She got in a few good hits, too. Some of which he was unable to protect against completely. One of them that still achd on the side of his head. He had managed to back away far enough from her to where she wouldn't follow. If one thing was predictable about Sasuke's fan girls, it's that none of them would wander too far, lest another one find an opening. Huffing angrily, she twirled back around and began apologizing to Sasuke, claiming that Nar hadn't stained her or something like that, going so far as to state that she was still pure for him. Nar had tuned out her ramblings as well as the laughter that still circulated the classroom. Finding a still empty row, he sat down in the first chair at the end near the aisle and rubbed at his sore head. It wasn't until I sensei entered the classroom that he decided to smile again. I failed to understand why you continue to fawn over that pink-haired harpy in your class. She has nothing of value to offer you as a potential mate that I can discern. Naruto looked up at the glowing red eyes that were peering at him from behind the bars of the prison. He let his hands fall to his sides from the position that they were in previously. He had been channeling his chakra through a hand sign in his mind as Ria reviewed some boring stuff in class, testing the limits of his chakra control as Q.B. had suggested he do a long time ago whenever he was bored or had free time. It wasn't as efficient as real world practice, but it helped him concentrate if nothing else. Huh. Sakura Chan, what about her? I just think she's pretty. That's all. There was a large exhalation of breath followed by a low rumbling. Listening to her shrieking voice is a nuisance, and she only pays attention to that achieum regardless of whatever childish antics you perform to gain her fleeting attentions. Narudo scrunched up his face in confusion for a moment, thinking about what the Q.B. said. Sometimes it used words that he didn't know, but since they had been talking so often now, he was able to understand what Q. was saying if he thought about it long enough. Sometimes Q.B. would explain the meaning of a word. But then moments like those would only last so long before it got irritated and went silent. After he finally grasped what Q.B. was getting at, Narudo began to stutter something about Sakura until it clicked that it had insulted Sasuke. Narud pointed up at the Q.B's cage. Hey. Sasuke may be annoying at times, but he's not scum. Take that back. A deep chuckle filled the room. I refuse. He is still young, much like yourself. I will be watching closely to see if he succumbs to the same curse of darkness that has befallen many of his ancestors, those with the damned eyes. Damned eyes. What are you talking about? Silence met him, which was not unusual in the least. While QB had become much more talkative over the past years since they first met, there was still a multitude of things that it refused to comment on further or explain. Hey, hey, you've been around for a long time like you said, right? Do you have any ideas that might help me get Sakurachan to go on a date? Q.B. simply stared down at Narudo for several long moments. Naruto turned away, pouting after a little while, figuring that Q.B wouldn't answer this one either. Are you seriously asking me that? Naruto whirled back around surprised. The Q.B.'s voice was filled with incredul though Nar simply believed that the Q.B. was surprised at the question. Or at least it seemed to be. Nar didn't believe that Q.Bi didn't have human emotions and he didn't understand what that emulation thing that Q.B. kept talking about either. Of course, it was silent for another few seconds as if contemplating whether or not to continue with the conversation. I will give you advice if you agree to make a bet with me. Naruto's eyes narrowed slightly. This was new. Q.B. never offered to make bets, and he always had to beg and plead for any kind of information that it didn't want to give out. Even then, the begging and pleading rarely worked, and he just had to wait for whenever Q. felt like parting with the information he desired. Are you going to try to trick me? No. You wanted information. I will give it. However, it will come at a price. Namely, making this bet with me, thinking about it for a second. Narudo slowly nodded. Okay, what's the bet? You actually thought about it for a moment without jumping in regardless of the consequences. Good. You're making progress. Naruto pined slightly as Q.B continued, "The bet is as follows. After I give you advice, if she accepts this date of yours, you win, and I will teach you something new that you didn't learn in school." The blond's eyes went wide and he opened his mouth to say something. But the QB continued talking over him. If she turns you down, however, you lose and you will have to stop playing pranks and acting like an idiot around everyone to gain attention until I say otherwise. Naruto's mood instantly settled. So that was the catch. But if I don't, I'll just keep being ignored. Why do you insist on needing attention? You have the attention of your hokage as well as the attention of the greatest of the tailed beasts. Do you really need more? Naruto's mouth opened as he immediately went to reply, but then quickly snapped shut as he had thought about it. Another thing that Q.Bi had somehow instilled in him, think things through. If he didn't, he wouldn't get the information that he was looking for, as the Q.B. had proven to him on many occasions before. Now, it it hurts to be ignored, to be alone. I don't like it. One of Q.B's eyes opened fractionally from where it was behind the cage, examining him. That meant that his answer was acceptable or that it did something like surprise the Q.B. It only ever opened its eyes or showed teeth when it had a point to make or Nar had somehow surprised it. Did you forget? You are never alone. I am here with you. It was Naruto's turn to open his eyes. The difference was that his flew wide open. While the statement was very simple and strangely comforting considering the source, he had never really thought about it like that. Even if the Q.B. didn't talk to him whenever he came to visit the prison in his mind, it was still there, always inside of him. It didn't have to talk. Nar could easily feel the presence behind the cage. While Nar felt that Q.B. was a friend, even if a rather strange one, Q.Bi itself had never given Nar any impression that it felt a connection with him. This was the closest Narudo had ever gotten to an admission of their solidarity. He was going to inquire further about how exactly QB felt, but it chose that moment instead to continue talking. Running away from pain is not something a true shinobi would do. As for the information you want regarding the female, listen carefully, for I shall not repeat it. Hi. Sakura Chan had left the classroom, taking the first student with him to be tested for graduation. It was the clone technique again, his worst, but he was pretty sure that he could nail it this time. Using that confidence, he bolstered himself as he went to confront his crush. Q.B's advice was something that he had never really considered before, but everything else had worked so far, so he figured it was worth a shot. He was prepared for the scathing look that Sakura sent him, but not so much the one from Eno, who was sitting next to her in their row. What do you want now, stupid? I'm trying to have a conversation with Eno. If he didn't have people in the classroom paying attention to him when he got out of his seat, he certainly did now. Sakura didn't make any attempt to keep her voice down. Narudo had to fight the urge to say never mind and bolt back to his seat and managed to keep his face somewhat serious. I didn't mean to interrupt. I I wanted to say sorry for falling into you before. I didn't mean to, but I didn't know I was going to be tripped. Surprise blossomed on Sakura's face, and he vaguely noticed Eno<unk>'s expression looking similar. The way he was staring at her must have been slightly unnerving because Sakura quickly jerked her head away. WL, since you actually seemed to mean it, fine, I forgive you. This time, Narudo had to fight the urge to place his hands behind his head and give her a big grin. As much as he wanted to, QB's voice still rang about in his head. All of his progress would come undone if he looked like an idiot now. Is there something else you want, or are you going to keep standing there? This time, it was Eno who spoke up. Narudo glanced at her, nodding briefly, before turning his attention back to Sakura, who was once again giving him the same weary look from when he first entered the classroom. One more thing. Would would you go on a date with me, Sakurachan? At first, Sakura bristled in her usual manner and looked ready to call him an idiot and hit him over the head as was their usual scene. This time though, any word she was going to say to him appeared to die on her lips. Her mouth opened, but no sounds came out. Her mouth clicked shut and Nar wasn't certain, but it looked like a light blush formed across her cheeks just before she spun away in her seat, closing her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. Nar stood there, waiting patiently for her to answer as she was obviously turning the question every which way in her head. Once again, he found himself resisting the urge to place his hands behind his head and grin. Sakura opened one eye to see if he was still there. And he heard her sigh lightly before she opened both of them and turned back towards him. There was a slight frown on her lips, so before she could say anything, Naruto decided to fall back on some more of Q.B's so far helpful advice. Holding up a hand, open palmed and facing outward toward her, she frowned yet again. But this time, one of her eyebrows rose sharply. Now she was looking like she was going to beat him upside the head, so he tried to speak quickly and get it all out. Oh, look, Sakura Chan, I know you say you like Sasuke all the time. That's fine, but he turns down everyone who asks him on dates. I'm just asking for one, that's all. I'm hoping you'll like it, but if you don't, Narut let out a little sigh, shaking his head as he thought back on his conversation with Q. If you don't like it, then I promise I'll never ask you again. He dropped his hand and watched as Sakura's face went through a quick series of emotions. It started out as shock and surprise as an intense blush worked across her face, followed by a quick glance at where Narut briefly remembered Sasuke was sitting. The brooding teen must have been looking at them because she visibly panicked and quickly whirled around in her seat, her back almost completely to Nar now as she pleaded with Eno. Eno, what should I do? I don't know. Eno was only partially paying attention to Sakura as she was still looking at Narudo, surprise etched on every corner of her face. It wasn't until Sakura grabbed the girl's shoulder that she completely focused on what her rival was asking, "What do I think you should um probably do it?" Eno sounded as if she didn't really believe herself when she was talking, which just seemed to aggravate Sakura. Naruto simply stood there waiting, his fists clenching and releasing rapidly. It was getting to the point where he was about to shrug the whole situation off. He had no idea his heart could beat this fast, and he couldn't really ever remember being this nervous over a simple yes or no his entire life so far. He focused on Sakura once again when he could no longer hear her talking, only for him to notice that she was looking at him over her shoulder with her eyes half closed as if she was sizing him up. Naruto tried to give her a small sincere smile, but as soon as he did, Sakura's eyes opened and her eyebrows shot sky-high, followed by her head jerking around to face Eno once again. "Aha, I'm on to you now, Eno Pig." Eno simply stared at Sakura, blinking hoolishly. "What?" Sakura faced forward in her seat, arms crossed over her chest again, eyes closed, and a smug grin on her face as she spoke. I bet you talked to Narudo sometime before class and asked him to do this and then told me to say yes to him so I'd no longer be competing for Sasuke Kuan. It seems that your plan has backfired. Still blinking, Eno began to slowly shake her head. Uh, no. I don't talk to Nar. I'm just as surprised as you. Ha, of course you're going to deny it. It all makes sense now. What are you talking about? Forehead. I will win Sasuke Kuan on my own. There is no reason for me to resort to such dirty tricks. Naruto let out the breath he didn't remember holding as the two constantly competing rivals fell into another one of their arguments. With a sinking feeling in his stomach, Narud realized that he didn't even get a yes or no. He was simply ignored, which is exactly what he was afraid of. It would have been easier if she had simply said no. Sakura had seemed to consider his offer for a while, which raised his hopes, but deep down he had a feeling it would end this way. Q.B. had sort of prepared him for this outcome in its own way. On no uncertain terms, it had declared Naruto was too young for things like this, but was willing to humor him anyway. Turning away from the two girls, Nar walked to the row directly across from them. There was an empty seat at the end of the row, to which he immediately sat down on, only to lean forward and place his face in his hands as his elbows rested on the desk. Q.B. would now hold him to the bet they made, which meant no more goofing off. He was going to be a shinobi soon anyway, so that made sense. So, what if he had to put up with being ignored for a little while? He'd be Hokag eventually anyway. Leaning back in his seat, he tuned out the two still arguing girls, turning his head to look out the window. In so doing, he realized that he actually sat down a seat over from Sasuke and there was only that empty seat between them. Hey, Sasuke. The other boy was leaning forward slightly, his hands folded in front of his face as his elbows rested on the desk. It was how Narud typically saw him sitting if there was nothing else going on. Sasuke didn't acknowledge him with much more than a glance from his peripheral vision and a raised eyebrow. What do all the girls like so much about you anyway? Sasuke actually turned his head in Naruto's direction this time, beginning a sort of staring contest for nearly a full minute before the raven-haired boy looked away. "If I knew, I would stop it." "They all annoy me," Nar growled internally. That answer was much too similar to ones that Q.B. gave him. Essentially, it was an answer that didn't really clarify anything. Something told him Sasuke knew exactly what caused the girls to swoon all over him, but the uchiha simply chose to ignore it. Naruto was about to snap out a retort, but the classroom door opened, and one of his classmates stepped through with a large grin on his face and a forehead protector in his hands. He began talking excitedly to another one of his classmates in the front row as Iraka sensei leaned in through the doorway, announcing for the next student to follow him. The reminder of the exam was all Narut needed to forget about Sasuke, Sakura, and the rest, and to proceed back into his mind to work on his control some more. Irakuan, do you have a moment? The young Chunin's back went rigid as he promptly whirled to his right where the Sandame Hokag was currently gazing up at him. Oh, of course, Hokag sama, what can I do for you? The sandame gestured with his head back towards the entrance of the academy and Raa immediately fell into step next to him after excusing himself from the parents he was talking to. There were no words spoken as they traveled back to the entrance. Ria was a stickler for rules and common courtesy was that the hokag always spoke first. Hi did notice asa discreetly looked back over his shoulder towards where a boy was sitting alone on a swing at the far end of the academy grounds. If the situation were not so serious, the act might have brought a fond smile to the Hokag's face. As soon as they entered the school building, Hirozen continued walking down the hallways, casually greeting other teachers and students still in the school, doing likewise when appropriate. It wasn't until they entered the empty teachers lounge and closed the sliding door behind them that the Hokag spoke. You still don't agree with this entire process. I can tell immediately stiffened but eventually shook his head as he sat down in the chair at his desk. The Hokag sat down in another chair across from his. No, Hokag sama. I don't agree. It wasn't fair to him. He should have passed. Hirozen Saratobi nodded slowly. I agree with you. Ria looked at the hokag shocked. But then, but then why dash? A hand went up and Raa's mouth clicked shut. Of all people for him to question, I understand your frustration completely. Were I in your shoes, I know I'd be feeling the same way. What I couldn't tell you before is that there are several other things going on that influenced the way this whole situation has played out. Naruto is a strong boy. He can handle it since I have it on good authority that he will be a shinobi by this time tomorrow. The first thing felt go through his system was relief. followed by sadness and a bit of anger. I think I understand, Hokag sama, but for the record, I don't believe it was fair. Perhaps it wasn't. But that's why it's my duty to make the decisions like this. Allow me to explain a little more, and perhaps then you'll be able to fully comprehend my reasoning. The scarred Chunin simply nodded, leaning back in his chair as the Hokag started his explanation. As I told you before, I have always planned to have Narut be placed under Hitaki Kakashi for more than one reason. If Naruto had passed his first graduation exam, he likely would be a Chunin himself by now. However, he did not pass. Therefore, we had placed several contingency plans into effect. Naruto's test was altered so that he failed his second exam on purpose. The reason for this was because one year was too little time for Kakashi to train Narud. I didn't want to push the boy out from Kakashi's toutelage too early. There was another student coming along that I had to place under Kakashi as well because of his eyes. Realization was slowly dawning on Araka's face as the Hokag continued. Hirozen found himself smiling slowly as Ria began to realize what was going on. Now I know you're probably curious as to why Narudo still hasn't passed and why I had you mess with his grades. It is common knowledge that the first and second best students in their overall grades get partnered up with the worst student because that is the best we can hope to salvage from the failures. The emphasis placed on the word failures was not lost on and he sighed as it all started to fall into place. Narudo hadn't failed any of his tests. In fact, he had fallen around the middle of the class for most of them including the written test. However, the Hokag had assigned Aya a mission to mess with Naruto's grades to make them just one point worse than the overall worst person in the class. Nar Shikam just happened to be the person with the worst overall grades in class. Having him on a team with the smartest girl and arguably second smartest boy in the class after the real Shikama that was sharp witted and incredibly intelligent would have made them a superb team. However, other plans were in effect that would keep that from becoming a reality. the latest of which was currently learning. Of course, it went without saying that he felt dirty and horrible for messing with the grades of one of his students, especially one that was doing fairly well for himself. That might have been part of the reason why he made sure to take special care of Narudo outside of the academy in the beginning at least. After a while, the blonde had simply started growing on him, and he found himself looking forward to spending time with the boy outside of the classroom. But the look on Naruto's face when he had to tell the blonde that he had failed to make perfect clones, that would be something that lived with him forever. If he hadn't edited Naruto's grades, the boy still could have passed based on his performance in other categories, and he only would have had to edit the grade slightly to keep him as the overall worst in the class. In an ironic way, it made him feel even worse because he was essentially being paid to fail the boy. As if he was picking up Ria's distress, the Hokag placed a wrinkled yet strong hand on the Chinan's shoulder. Araka Naruto's failing of the clone test was not your fault. There is another thing I need to tell you and another mission I need to give you. Nodding slowly, Raa gave the Hokag grim smile and awaited his assignment. Clearing his throat, the sandame continued. I read your report after the final test, and I could tell you were confused about why Mizuki would seemingly want to nitpick on Naruto's clones when you usually saw him as being the more lenient of the two of you. Over the past several months, I've been made aware of a spy within Kohaa. Raa immediately sat up straight, focusing completely on the Hokag's words. You don't mean Saratobi simply tapped the desk he was sitting at. Ria looked and realized with a start that it was his assistant's desk. Mizuki, what? How? The person he is spying for has many means of getting information in and out of Kenoha. Of that, I am certain. You don't need to concern yourself with that. However, we leave some channels of communication open simply so we can know who uses them. In this case, your assistant has been using one of those methods frequently and we know what he is after. Kenoha's forbidden scrolly pale at the implications behind what the hokag was saying. Granted, the forbidden scroll wasn't in the most difficult of places to access, but since it was located just outside the Hokag's office, any attempt at stealing it was like trying to commit suicide. Between the Hokag and Ambu that guarded him at all times, there was a lot to deal with before even attempting to take it. But he couldn't possibly wait. worked it through his head for several moments as the Hokag simply watched him, waiting for the Chunin to piece it together in his head. It wasn't long before had his head in his hands, shaking it back and forth slowly. So that's why he wanted to fail Narudo. It's his plan to get the scroll. If Narut can't get it, he should prove to be enough of a distraction to allow Mizuki to get by and take it himself. Nearly everyone in the village, especially the shinobi, know that you and Narut are fairly close, and he plans to use that to his advantage. Hi smiled at the teacher, nodding. Very good. We anticipate that Mizuki will have a meeting location set up should Naro somehow manage to get the scroll. I've told my to stand down and shadow Narudo should he get by me. I'm actually excited and curious to see how he would do it. You don't mind if he gets the scroll. The Hokag actually laughed at that. I've actually already noted a section of the scroll that I'm certain he'll focus on as soon as he sees what I've written. It should help him out with his clone creation problem. But the only thing I can think of that would be similar and in that scroll is the shadow clone technique, isn't it? But the rank of that technique dash, it is S-ranked and forbidden. Yes. However, the main reason it is forbidden is because of the chakra drain. To someone like Nar, it will likely barely tap his reserves. If he learns of its secondary function, he could literally be unstoppable by the time he's 20 years old. Unst. But wah, what could make someone that strong in so little time? Ria's voice was dripping with incredul. Even the densets who know Sanin weren't recognized as such until they were in their early 20s. and powerful though they were, they weren't exactly unstoppable. The Hokag grinned and wagged a finger back and forth. Aha! It's forbidden for another reason, too. I'm afraid that's all I can say. Chuckling as he shook his head, couldn't help but let out a sigh. So, when does my mission start? Ah, yes. While you were thinking, one of my motioned to me through the window that Mizuki has made contact. They will shadow Naruto for the rest of the day. As soon as you leave the school, one of them will hand you a communicator so that you may listen in and follow what is happening. As you wish, Hokag sama. Hiroen chuckled as he stood up, stretching slightly. I hope you're a good actor, Raakuan. You'll need to make it look like you have no idea what's going on in front of everyone, myself included. Araka couldn't help but grin. It's been a while since I've been able to do any pranks, but I think I can manage. Nar, what are you doing here? Only those who graduated are supposed to be here today. Narudo simply grinned at the classmate who asked him and jerked a thumb at his forehead protector, the exact same one that all the other graduates were wearing. What do you think this is? I completed a mission Mizuki Sensei gave me, and they made me a shinobi. A mission? What did you have to do? Another classmate asked this question and Narut noticed that several people were now paying attention to him, likely interested in what he had done. Even Sasuke had turned to look at him. Well, you see, Mizuki sensei had asked me to get him a scroll. Narudo proceeded to regail the few classmates of his that were listening in about how Mizuki wanted him to take a scroll from the guarded section of the Shinobi archives. If he could do it, then they would acknowledge he was Shinobi material. Of course, it was a greatly edited version to downplay what he actually did since several things needed to be kept secret. They couldn't know about Q.B. obviously, nor about the forbidden scroll and how Mizuki sensei was actually a traitor after the Forbidden Scroll. Of course, every time Narudo thought about Mizuki, he had to hold back laughter at the look of surprise on the Chunin's face when he tried to tell Narudo that he was the Q.B., Narudo simply scoffed at him, said he knew the Q.B. was sealed in him and proceeded to use his newly learned shadow clone technique to beat Mizuki's face in since his sensei had broken that no telling rule. The fact that Mizuki was threatening him and had injured Ayra sensei who had come to investigate and tell Naruto what was really going on didn't give him any reason to hold back either. His story told most of his classmates that were listening and seemed to accept it with a few tossing him skeptical glances though no one challenged him outright. Even Sasuke seemed to accept it and appeared to be giving Nar a more critical appraisal than he ever had before. Nar, that was his name, being called by a voice he clearly recognized. Turning to look, his eyes widened slightly as Sakura stood before him. Briefly recalling the scene from yesterday, his heart started beating faster. After hearing of his mission, perhaps she had, "Can you move? I want to sit on the other side of you next to Sasuke Kuan. His fragile hopes dashed once again, Narut turned his head the other way to see Sasuke simply scoff and shake his head. Remembering that he had been ignored yesterday, he pretty much classified that as the Hano answer, and he was going to follow up on his promise to not ask her again. Shrugging his shoulders, the blonde pivoted his lower body from where he was sitting. This effectively moved his legs into the main aisle, allowing Sakura to easily shift past him and over to the middle seat of their row. When she didn't move to go past him immediately, as he would have expected, he looked up at her curiously. For some reason, she was hesitating. But as soon as his eyes met hers, she broke contact and quickly moved past him with a murmur, "Thanks." Shifting back properly into his seat, Nar did his best to not look in the direction where he could hear Sakura's monologue of love coming from. He didn't have to ignore it for long, however, as Airaka sensei walked through the door shortly after, effectively stopping most of the conversations currently taking place. Naruto closed his eyes as he leaned back in his seat, listening to Raa drone on about congratulations and what it meant to be a shinobi. He found himself nodding his head on occasion to show that he was listening, even just barely. The blonde figured it was probably a good time to go speak to the Q.B. about their bet. The time spent in his mind was only a fraction of the time spent out in the real world and he had been too tired to concentrate last night. I was expecting you sooner. Opening his eyes, Narudo saw that he was standing in front of the Q.B's prison as usual. He had gotten better in the last few months of appearing exactly where he wanted to in his own mind instead of having to travel through tunnels to get here. Q.B. had attributed it to both his growing concentration and chakra control. Sorry, I was too tired last night after everything that happened. I couldn't concentrate and fell asleep. I am aware. I meant I was expecting you earlier today. Oh. Narudo scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously. I uh didn't think about it before now, honestly. Q.B. grumbled slightly from behind the bars, but otherwise said nothing. Hey, um you won the bet from yesterday, remember? So, I won't goof off for attention anymore. Okay. He was expecting Q.Bi to open an eye and look at him, but it didn't. I decided yesterday that I would not hold you to that bet. The terms were that you would get a yes or no answer. You received neither. Therefore, the bed is void. Narudo had to brace himself slightly as a wave of hot air, the Q.B's breath, it didn't stink at all like he thought it would, washed over him, blowing at his hair and clothes. However, I think it would be in your best interests to act more seriously from now on. You are recognized as a shinobi of your village, and while you are still but a child, people will look at you differently from someone who is your age and not a shinobi. Narut pondered this for a few moments. If nothing else, it was worth a shot. The QB said it wasn't holding him to the bet, so if things didn't work out, a prank or three wouldn't hurt. Nodding to himself, Narudo closed his eyes and imagined himself back outside of his body. When he became aware again, was preparing to read off the team lists. Opening his eyes, he looked around the room as various classmates reacted to hearing who their teammates would be. Strangely, he found himself not really caring who his teammates would be. Just a few days ago, he really would have liked to have Sakura and didn't want Sasuke, but Q.B. told him it didn't really matter since no hidden village would turn down a good shinobi who shows promise anyway. Even if their teammates are horrible, they'll just put them somewhere else. It sort of put a damper on things, but nothing Q. said to him so far had ended up being false. So, he understood that so long as he proved he was capable, they'd put him anywhere. Team seven will consist of Huno Sakura, Aiha, Sasuke, and Uzumaki Narut. Your Jonin sensei will be Hitaki Kakashi. Narudo saw Sakura jump up in a cheer about halfway through the team announcement, then go rigid and slowly sit back down when his own name was announced. Sasuke didn't move at all, which Naruto expected, but he was puzzled by Sakura's reaction. He had expected her to groan and complain, or at least something other than what she was doing now, that something was looking at him wearily. Yet again, was just finishing up listing teams and moved right into giving a congratulations speech, so he wasn't about to ask her what was wrong just yet. He tried to ignore it, but she wasn't exactly being discreet about staring a hole in his head. That's all I have to say for now. Take a break for the next half an hour. Your J and sensei are still in a meeting with the Hokag and won't be out for a little while. When we come back, your teams will leave one by one. dismissed. By the time had exited the room, Narudo forgot all about Sakura and immediately headed for the exit. Araka mentioned food and whenever food was mentioned, all Narudo could think about was gods of ramen demanded he visit and Nar was more than happy to oblige. Okay, I guess we should get this meeting started by introducing ourselves to each other. Nodding his head, he waited for one of the three in front of him to take the queue and start talking. The girl of their group did, but not quite in the way he was expecting. Uh, sensei, we don't know anything about you. Maybe you should start and show us how it's done, right? My name is Hitaki Kakashi. I have a few things that I like and dislike. I have dreams. Well, they're more like hobbies. Okay, you next. Kakashi pointed at Narut, who was frowning. Sakura echoed his thoughts that all the man in front of them told them was his name. They still knew nothing about him. Sighing, Narut slowly shook his head, then began to talk. My name is Usuzumaki Narut. I like ramen, gardening, and training. I don't like the 3 minutes it takes for ramen to cook, arrogant know-it-alls, and being ignored. My dream is to one day be Hokag so that everyone will acknowledge me. Kakashi was giving Nar what he would have had to call a bored look. Giving a minuscule nod in Naruto's direction, he turned his head to the next person in line. Nice dream. Okay, you next. My name is Haruno Sakura. She blinked, then giggled a little and turned her head slightly towards Sasuke. Well, I like um giggling again, she covered her mouth with her hands and spoke through them. My dream is to well, more giggles. Naruto had seen this before many times. It was annoying, but didn't really affect him anymore, especially after yesterday. He had to hold back a snicker, though, as he watched his new sensei roll his visible eye. My dislikes. I hate Nadash. Narud stiffened as he heard the beginning of his name come from her mouth. If he had to be honest with himself, he knew it was coming, but it would still hurt to hear it. When the silence dragged on, however, he turned a curious glance towards her. For some reason, she flinched as he looked over, but then she quickly looked away and muttered a never mind and didn't appear inclined to say anything further. How thoroughly interesting you? Next, Sasuke grunted, let out an extended sigh, then began talking. I'm Aiha Sasuke. I like training and learning new techniques. I don't like sweets and I hate idiots with big mouths. My dream, no, my ambition is to kill a certain man and then restore my clan. Narut and Sakura both looked over towards Sasuke in surprise. It was the longest either of them had ever heard him speak and not say something condescending at the same time. That's nice. All right, you three. Each of you take one of these memos. It has the information on it that you need to prepare for your survival training tomorrow. Survival training. Sakura looked up at Kakashi with a puzzled expression as she received the memo. But didn't we already pass the academy? We did survival training there? Kakashi nodded slowly. That's true. You did. But this is different. The training from the academy was testing you to make sure you have the ability to become Jennine. If you pass this training tomorrow, then you become official Jennine and can start taking missions. So, what's the catch? The other three turned to Nar and stared at him with varying degrees of surprise. Sakura was wideeyed once again. Sasuke was squinting at him. And Kakashi simply seemed to have honest curiosity on his visible features. What do you mean? Narudo briefly scratched the back of his head, offering his new sensei a puzzled look. Well, they always tell us far in advance if we had a test coming up in the academy. But if they didn't tell us about this, that must mean it's really hard, right? Why else wouldn't they warn us? Kakashi chuckled lightly as he gave Nar a somewhat appraising stare. It was still hard to tell as most of the man's face was covered by his headband and a mask. Well, you're pretty sharp after all. That's a good sign. The catch is that of the 27 graduates, it's likely that only three teams will pass this test. That's nine people. It has a 66% failure rate consistently pretty much every time this test is given. So, I suggest you all get plenty of rest and don't eat breakfast, otherwise you might puke. That said, Kakashi promptly disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sakura sat there staring a gape at where their new sensei was a moment ago, but both Sasuke and Narut rose to their feet at the same time. Well, see you guys tomorrow morning. Later. Narudo waved a hand, catching the attention of the other two, then promptly began jogging towards the stairs that they arrived from. Hin Sasuke didn't linger around either, walking in the same direction as Nar, but at a slower pace. Ah, wait for me, Sasuke Kuan. Nar. Hey, Nar. The blonde stopped walking, turning around for the familiar voice. He had just left at Churaku after a nice big celebratory meal because his team passed the second graduation test and he couldn't help but be in high spirits. Placing his hands behind his head and offering a big smile, he greeted the girl who ran up next to him. Hey, Sakurachan. What's up? The pink-haired girl was panting slightly and leaning over with her hands on her knees. After a few seconds, she straightened then gave him a slightly puzzled look. I'm sorry about earlier when we were all leaving. I was so busy listening to Kakashi sensei that I forgot we left you tied to the pole. How did you get out? I've been all over the village looking for you. Naruto's grin became more of a grim one as he dropped his hands, then jerked a thumb against his chest. I'm a shinobi, remember? It didn't take me that long to get out of it. That was enough of an answer to cause Sakura to go red in the face from embarrassment and look away quickly, muttering more apologies. Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto idly looked about for a few seconds, watching various people walk by on the street. Itchu was located on one of the main paths in the village, so it got a fair amount of traffic. Not quite enough to get lost and even during the busiest parts of the day, but enough to give anyone standing around enough to look at. Turning back towards Sakura after a few moments, he was slightly startled to see that she was staring at him again. Apparently, she realized that she was staring when their eyes met as she let out a squeaky noise and promptly turned away again, but didn't move away from him. "Is something wrong, Sakura Chan?" "Huh?" Sakura turned to look in his direction again and was obviously still blushing, though she was looking everywhere but his face. "Oh, um well, I was wondering. Are are you well okay?" Naruto's head tilted to the left as he looked at her puzzled. He made a slight show of looking at each of his hands and arms, then down at his torso and legs. Looking at her once again, the puzzled expression remained. Yeah, I feel fine, Sakurachan. Do I look hurt or something? His teammate hesitated for a few seconds before quickly shaking her head. I don't mean physically. I mean, you look like you're okay. But you've been acting well different. So that's where this was going. Q.B. had warned him later that day that people might question his change in personality, even if it always was his real one, and he was just goofing around for attention before. I'm not different, Sakura Chan. This is me. I was just playing around before because it was fun. But I'm a shinobi now. I can't really act like that anymore. I've got to grow up. Sakura once again looked shocked. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but no sound came out. Eventually, she looked down at her feet and spoke quietly. "You know, if you acted like this all the time, when you asked me out on a date, I might have said yes." Narudo winced internally, and he was pretty sure it showed on his face, too. From her posture and sad expression, not to mention the whimsical tone to her voice, she likely didn't mean it in a harmful way, but it still hurt. Well, you were never able to give me a yes or no answer even once. Anyway, you either ignored me or called me annoying or an idiot. Sakura s expression was bouncing back and forth between Floren and angry. Her eyes were squinting and appeared to be getting wet. It didn't take long for her to start yelling. However, well, what did you expect me to do? You were always acting like an idiot in front of everyone. Anytime I tried to get Sasuke Kun's attention, you were constantly in my way, trying to get mine. Naruto let her words sink in for a moment before shaking his head and sighing. I tried to get your attention because I like you, Sakurachan. That's all. Sakura let out a small choked gasp as he spoke. Her fists were clenched and he could see her shaking. Naruto was surprised with himself, being able to tell her that he liked her so directly. Yet strangely, he also felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders. His heartbeat was also slowing down again as he relaxed. Strangely, he couldn't recall when it started beating faster. His teammate's expression had displayed the entire spectrum of emotions so far in their short encounter. And now it was flickering between embarrassment and outrage, but she seemed to be having a hard time coming up with something to say. Because of that, Narudo figured it would be best if he simply finished it for them. You never gave me an answer when I asked you for that one last chance. So, I guessed it would have been a no anyway. You can give the bastard all the attention you want to now, Sakurachan, because like I promised, I won't ask you on dates anymore. He tried to avoid looking at her as he finished his statement, barely noticing as her expression finally closed in on itself, then proceeded to turn around and walk away. Waving a hand, he spoke over his shoulder. See you during tomorrow's training, Sakurachan. That said, he continued walking. Sakura didn't follow. Naruto grunted as he sat down in front of the tree he was supposed to be climbing. Well, not exactly climbing, but more like running up the side of it. Of course, he had seen Shinobi in the village climbing up walls all the time, but it was such a natural occurrence that as he got older, he didn't really think much about it. He knew that it would eventually be an acquired skill, but he had no idea that it would be this annoying to obtain it. Part of the problem, he figured, was that he was still aggravated by that little Torpinari's comments just over an hour ago before they began training. Team 7, his team, was staying at their client's place. It belonged to some drunk bridge builder named Tzuna, along with his daughter, Tsunami, and his grandson, Inari. The kid kept telling them they were going to die, and it was all Narudo could do to hold his temper in check. That wasn't the worst of it, either. Apparently, Inari had a really hard life, and everyone from Kenoha had very simple, easy lives. Naruto noticed Sasuke visibly twitch a few times, and he knew his own face was turning red as his anger increased. If it wasn't for Sakura tugging slightly on his jacket arm and pulling him outside, he likely would have started a shouting match. On their way to the training area, Kakashi had admitted he was impressed that they all managed to keep quiet, as it was probably for the best. Naruto knew Kakashi's eyes were on him as his sensei spoke, likely because Kakashi was surprised that he had remained silent as well. Sasuke, as always, didn't appear to care one way or the other, and Sakura was giving him the strange looks again. Thinking about his pink-haired teammate caused his thoughts to slant off in a new direction. Naruto honestly had no idea what was going on in Sakura's head, and he found himself hesitant to ask her what was wrong. Over the last few weeks of running D-ranked missions, she had been talking to him about regular everyday things. It didn't matter who started the conversation. They were all civil and typically brief. It also wasn't difficult to notice that she was nagging Sasuke less often about dates. And as a result, Sasuke had been slightly more receptive to talking with the both of them, so long as the conversation had a purpose. That didn't mean that any of them were on best friend terms, likely nowhere near it. Nar was more confused by these changes than anything else. And whenever he went to QB for advice, it simply muttered something about human nature and refused to elaborate, effectively leaving him to come to his own conclusions. Leaning back and bracing his hands on the ground behind him, Nar looked at the tree once again, checking his progress. He had made it barely a couple meters off the ground according to his highest canai scratch. There was a crack noise to his left, and he turned his head to see Sasuke do a flip in the air, then land in a crouch as small pieces of bark fell around him. The raven-haired boy placed his hands on his hips and looked up at his latest scratch, which was easily several meters higher than Naruto's own. "Hey, Sasuke, do you have any tips for me?" Sasuke looked over his shoulder and let out a snort, then bolted for the tree one more time. Shaking his head, Narudo turned slightly to look over at Sakura, who had finished climbing her tree a while ago. He noticed her head jerk away as he spotted her in his vision, purposefully making it seem like she wasn't looking over at him. It was yet one more thing that made him wonder what was going on. Many times when he had looked in Sakura's direction, he could notice her head shift away from him. She was obviously looking at him, or at least in his direction, but for some reason, she always refused to make eye contact. It wasn't annoying or anything, but it was definitely disconcerting. He usually only got her glares or exasperated looks, and that had morphed into more neutral, worried, and curious glances over the past couple months. Rolling his head back, Narudo looked up at the sky before he let his eyes close. He briefly contemplated going to ask the Q.B. for advice, but part of him was hoping that he could figure this one out on his own. The Q.B. had often given him advice regarding new techniques he was learning from school. And even when he learned the shadow clone technique, but it had never taught him anything original. Supposedly, there was a chance he might have been taught one if he had won that bet. But since he didn't win, he'd never know now. Nar. The blond's eyes shot open and he sat upright looking to his right where he heard the feminine voice. Sakura was sitting there next to him on her knees, a careful distance away, but still close enough to where she could talk quietly and he would be able to hear. What's up, Sakura Chan? Sakura immediately looked away for a second in the direction of Sasuke, who was currently sitting on a low tree branch and staring at his latest marking. Narudo followed her gaze, only to snap back towards her when he heard her inhale, then ask a question. Do you want me to give you some pointers? Narudo blinked and he realized that his mouth was likely hanging open, so he immediately closed it with a slight click noise. His reaction must have amused Sakura in some way because the corners of her lips were definitely twitching upwards. "You uh sure, Sakura Chan. Anything you can tell me would be great." He was sorely tempted to give her a big grin as a form of thanks, but decided against it as she had been more receptive to him when he didn't do that. it was likely the better choice as she immediately started rattling off a list of things he needed to do in his mind to prepare. She even recognized that it was likely easier for her since she had a small amount of chakra compared to him and Sasuke, something that he hadn't even thought of. The two of them went over some brief exercises of Sakuras that she claimed always helped her focus. Narudo wasn't sure how well they would work since he simply had so much chakra, but at this point, he was willing to take any pointers he could get. As soon as the little impromptu study session was concluded, Narudo hopped up to his feet and simply focused. Calming his mind, he first imagined his chakra flowing through his body, then began to gradually pay more attention to the chakra running through the coils in his feet. As Sakura said, when first learning things, it was best to take it slow and steady. Eventually, with enough practice, things like this would become second nature. imagining his chakra reaching like a hand and grabbing hold of the ground underneath him. Nar then focused on releasing the grip just enough so that it could be firmly reestablished as soon as he put the foot down again. He could feel both of his teammates eyes on him as he walked around in a slow circle on the ground, getting a feel for his chakra grabbing and releasing. Slowly, he walked faster and faster until he got up to a small jog. After getting enough of a feel for it, he stopped in front of the tree and looked up it one more time. Sakura started to say something, but he didn't hear her as he took off at a sprint towards the tree looming ahead of him. As he approached the base, he promptly leaned backwards, letting his first foot release from the rough dirt below and latch onto the rough bark of the tree. At nearly a 90° angle, it was quite the momentum shift. But after a tiny stumble, Narudo focused on the grab and release of chakra under his feet. Left, right, left, right, left, right. He kept going and going, still running full speed. The pull of gravity was grabbing for his head, shoulders, and back, willing him back down towards the ground. But the blonde managed to find enough concentration to reinforce his legs and hips and continued running up higher and higher. After dodging two branches, he finally noticed that he was running out of room to place his feet. The trunk of the tree was getting smaller the closer he got to the top, and eventually there was nothing left for him to step on. His momentum kept him going up into the air for a brief moment, and he hung comically suspended in the air for a handful of seconds before landing on the top of the tree, where the trunk split off into two small horizontal branches, leaving a spot to stand in the middle. Naruto inhaled deeply, shocked that he made it all the way to the top after a few small pointers from Sakura. Thanks to her, this was one thing he wouldn't need to bother the Q.B. about. He was pretty sure that he heard her shouting congratulations from down below, but a nice breeze rustled through the leaves, drowning out most other sounds. After taking in the sights from the top of the canopy for a minute, he began looking for a clear way down. Seeing what looked to be a good spot, Narudo jumped a bit, falling down through the canopy below. As he burst through several bunches of leaves, they were obscuring a rather large branch almost directly under him. His original plan was to use the branch to slow his descent as he approached the ground, but the snap judgment proved to be his downfall. There was a resounding crack noise as the combination of his weight from the freef fall and his chakra grabbing the branch simply ripped a chunk of wood right out of it. It slowed his descent certainly, but it twisted him about at the same time. As a result, he landed on his back, knocking the wind out of him and leaving a distinct ringing noise in his ears as the back of his head hit the ground, too. Nar just lay there for a moment, staring up at the sky through the canopy and didn't really focus on the voice he was hearing until a panicked face and a mop of pink hair obscured his vision. N O Narrow O Fuzz. His vision gradually cleared, and he began to inhale big gasps while trying not to cough at the same time. Sakura was waving a hand in front of his face. So he reached up to grab it as proof that he was coherent enough now. The ringing continued, but he could clearly focus on Sakura's words now, so it didn't bother him that much. Thank goodness. What happened? You did so good going up, but you messed up coming back down. The blonde nodded, still inhaling deeply and coughing. In the middle of one of his coughing fits, a funny thought struck him, causing him to laugh and cough even harder. Sakura started to fuss over him, but he simply waved her off and tried to smile through the coughing and watery eyes. I just I just thought it was pretty funny. Sakura seemed puzzled, but worry was still the most visible emotion on her face. What was funny about you crashing to the ground? Narudo chuckled and coughed again, shaking his head as his breathing finally starting to settle down. I just thought that I was so cool getting up there in one run, only to make an idiot of myself on the way down. The worst part is that this time I didn't want to. Narudo rubbed his chest as he laughed, finally sitting up a little. He absently noticed that Sakura had gotten down on her knees next to him at some point as she was now climbing back to her feet. The worry that was on her face before had vanished, and her relief was obvious. He was cracking jokes now, and she apparently couldn't help the small grin that worked its way onto her face. Shaking her head, she offered him a hand, which he graciously accepted. "Silly! Maybe you should just run down it next time instead of jumping." "Hey, that's a good idea. Wish I'd thought of it." Sakura snorted and rolled her eyes, but was grinning even more. But before either of them could say anything else, a colder voice interrupted them. Nar, how did you do that? The two teammates looked at their third member briefly before both looking at each other again. Naruto couldn't help but frown. Sure, Sasuke was a frigid bastard, though he was sure that the Aiah had been warming up to them a little over the past couple months. The name calling had pretty much stopped between the two of them unless one of them did something really stupid and deserved it, which was still progress. But he couldn't understand why Sasuke had to act like he did. First, he would refuse to help anyone. Then, when someone did things better than him, he expected help or answers automatically. Shaking his head, Naruto's frown grew deeper as he saw Sasuke scowl before he had even said anything. I can't tell you. Before Sasuke could blurt out an angry comment, Narudo placed a hand on Sakura's shoulder and spoke up quickly. But Sakura Chan can explain it. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have been able to do it. I'd probably just mess something up and make you angry at me anyway. The aiha scowl immediately faded, and he gave a grunt and a barely perceptible nod, his way of saying that the explanation was acceptable. Naruto got a few private chuckles at his knowledge of Sasuke's facial expressions and grunts. He had developed a sort of grunt sense that let him know Sasuke's intent, merely by the look on his face and the noises he made. The blonde gently pushed Sakura's shoulder forward towards Sasuke. She took a few steps before turning and looking back towards him. "Do do you really think I can explain it?" Narudo chuckled, then jerked his thumb up against his chest. Sakura Chan, if you can teach me how to do something, then all you have to do is breathe and the prodigy can probably figure it out. So, don't worry. If he gives you a hard time, come tell me and I'll kick his ass. Sasuke's expression quickly soured once again, but for a change, he decided against making any guttural noises. Sakura, on the other hand, she was actually smiling at Narut for the first time in well, ever. It wasn't just any smile either. It was the same smile he had seen her gazing at Sasuke with, only this time, she was looking at the blonde directly into his eyes. Thank you, Nar. I will. The blonde struggled to remain coherent as he pitched forward slightly, sluggishly moving one leg forward to balance himself. Wobbling on his feet, he looked around, having to spend more energy on movement than he would have liked. Unfortunately, his peripheral vision had started going dark, and he could only see a small area directly in front of where he was. He heard Sasuke's heavy breathing as well, and still failed to understand why his teammate had entered this ice prison. According to Sasuke, it was on Kakashi's orders, but the way Sasuke was focused on the mask dice user make Narudo think otherwise. Sasuke had mumbled something about the masked shinobi in front of them having a familiar chakra signature, but he couldn't really place it. He had an idea, but needed to see who was behind the mask to confirm it. Something about it being similar to someone he met in the forest when he had passed out from exertion due to the tree exercise. Apparently, he had been out in the forest all night last night. Continuing the exercise even after he had managed to climb the tree. According to the very brief explanation given, he met someone out there who seemed to be very similar to the person facing them. Now, though he wanted to confirm it, unfortunately, he was already running lower on Chakra than he would have liked. There was an attempt on the lives of Tsunami and Inari, and then he had to expend more just getting to the bridge they were supposed to be protecting in a decent amount of time. A whistling noise sounded from within the dome. And before Narudo could really think about what he was doing, he simply acted. Moving as fast as his legs could get him, he stood in front of Sasuke, taking in the multitudes of needles that were meant for his teammate. He grunted and hunched forward. Spikes of brief pain followed by numbness overtook most of his extremities. He was having a hard time standing on his feet. Trying to pump chakra into various places on his body wasn't working either. He was simply going numb all over. And Nar, you idiot. Why did you take those for me? You're already weakened. Nar snorted, turning his head completely to look at Sasuke's spinning sharing gun via what little vision he had left. I I don't know. You're You're my friend, my teammate. I have to I'm stronger when I when I have something to protect. Narudo barely finished speaking before falling to his knees. Thin sambon needles stuck in his legs, snapping like twigs, but he didn't feel any more pain since his they were already numb. He was barely aware of falling forward onto his chest as his vision had faded out to nothingness. He swore he heard someone calling his name, but it sounded muffled, as if he was underwater. No matter, for some reason, he felt really, really tired. Drip, drip, drip. Did someone leave the water running? Drip, drip, drip. Naruto slowly opened his eyes, only to see a ceiling made out of something that resembled brick. Drip, drip, drip. Shooting upright with a large gasp, the blonde shinobi placed his hand over his heart as he felt it begin beating a mile a minute. Taking several deep breaths in a row, he took a moment to get his bearings as he looked around where he was. There was the Q.B's cage. It was still sealed, and he didn't really feel the Q.B's chakra anymore than normal. So, he wasn't dead, but somehow was forced into his subconscious. Looking around the room for more potential hints, the only thing of note was that the waterlike substance that was usually about ankle high was only about a centimeter in depth. What could that mean? Q.B., are you awake? Yes. The deep grating voice of the Q.B. pressed down on his senses a little more than he was used to, but that was only a minor inconvenience right now. I know I'm not dead, but do you have any idea what's going on? There was a low growl from behind the bars and the noise of something very large shifting position. That could mean that the explanation might be a long one and he might not understand all of it. Your opponent used needles to strike at various pressure points and tenetsu on your body. This did two things. It made you numb and severely restricted your chakra flow. Right now, if anyone was to check on you, they would believe you were dead. Your chakra is flowing just enough to keep you from true death, nothing more. Naruto blinked rapidly as he began to process exactly what Q.Bi was saying. So, he was dead, but he wasn't at the same time. Naturally, his thoughts wandered towards what Sasuke must be thinking. And then, what would happen with Sakurachan, Kakashi sensei, the old man? But if I'm here, then I'm not dead. How can I wake up again? There was a loud snort and Naruto's clothes and hair blew about as the hot air washed over him. You cannot, huh? I've always been able to wake up before. Narudo closed his eyes and focused on waking up outside his body, but nothing was happening. He remained in his subconscious. What the hell is going on? To any medic, you would be dead. Only an exceptional medic would be able to find the subtle traces of your chakra and recognize that you were in a deep induced coma. Do not worry. Your tenetsu will fix themselves gradually. You'll likely wake up in an hour or two and be at full strength again by tomorrow. I don't have that long. Naruto slammed his fist against one of the large metal bars of the cage in aggravation. My teammates are in danger out there and could die. I can't let it end like this. An hour is too long to wait. Frustrated, Naruto immediately spun away from the cage and began pacing back and forth. A look of intense concentration on his face. After several minutes of this, he let out a grunt, then sat down on the ground, his head in his hands. I can't fail them. I need to think of a way. Uggh. I'll never be Hokag at this rate. Well, there is a way. Naruto was immediately back on his feet up at the cage bars once again. What? How? You would need someone to open your tenetsu. That would awaken you. Since I am a separate chakra source, I can do this. What are you waiting for? Do it. The Q.B. made a rumbling noise before answering. It will hurt. That simple statement was enough to make Narut take a step backward, eyes wide. In all the time he had known Q. It had never warned him about something hurting before. Plenty of things he had done in the past had injured him. Some of them were rather bad, too. But the Q.B. had never ever warned him about pain before until now. That alone made him consider the offer for several moments. Thanks for the warning, but do whatever you have to do. I refuse to wait here until I wake up normally. Besides, if it's your power, I'm going to have to get used to it eventually, right? Naruto was grinning up into the blackness of the cage, hoping the Q.B. would appreciate that response. Of course, he wasn't exactly looking forward to the pain, but it would be something that he'd have to deal with eventually. Might as well start adjusting to it now. I can respect that answer. As a special consideration, tell those whose lives you value to get out of the way because you will not be able to control my power. Now, prepare yourself. Before Narudo could say anything, an itching sensation began to work its way across his body, which eventually turned into an intense burning. It suddenly flared, and he felt himself come alive again. He would have screamed at the sheer power and the and the malice, hatred, pain, suffering. Narudo felt a weight and a slight dampness on his chest as his eyes opened wide and he inhaled sharply with a startled cry. The cause of the pressure on his chest leaned up, shock on its her features. And Narut, you're alive. I checked and I swear I swear your heart wasn't beating. The itching sensation was climbing through his limbs now. His entire body was on pins and needles as the numbness was forcefully removed from him. Blinking and glancing at his teammate, he noticed that her hair was a mess and her eyes were bloodshot, tears smeared across her cheeks. She had obviously been crying a lot. For who? Him. Turning his eyes slightly, he saw the old bridge builder, Tzuna, looking at him with no small amount of surprise as well. Looking beyond the old man, he saw what appeared to be his opponent from before on their knees and holding their shoulder and Kakashi sensei standing in an aggressive stance. but facing in another direction. He couldn't see Zabuza or Sasuke, though in the distance the mist was slowly clearing. Something squeezed his hand and he turned his head to stare at it dumbly. It barely registered that Sakura was holding his hand and she had moved her other one to his neck, apparently checking to make sure that he really was alive. Saw Saku Nar, how do you feel? Can you understand me? We thought you were dead. Her fantic look spoke volumes, and Narudo vaguely began to recall what Q.B. told him before the pain hit. He needed to tell her to get away from what he didn't know, and that scared him. But as the numbness wore off, he felt the surging anger, the hatred for the person who had caused this pain for him, for his teammates, for the old man and his family, and this entire village. And Narudo sat upright, causing Sakura to gasp, then gradually climbed to his feet as the power surged through his body. He was angry. He was pissed. And this power felt so good. And Narut, his head turned to look at his teammate who was starting to look scared. Scared of him. Sakura was looking at him in panic, but he didn't know why. She still had a vice grip on his hand, though. For whatever reason, he needed her to let go so that he could go stop her. Their teams pain suffering. Someone needed to die to fix it. Someone kill her. Kill her. No. Esakura. Sakurachan. Get get back. What? No. Nar, what's wrong with you? You were just dead. And now. And now. The well of power that Narut had tried to hold back as it surged through him finally broke beyond what he could control. And he felt the air around him shift as whatever it was pushed outwards. Sakura was yanked from his grip, or pushed away, more accurately, and she hit the ground behind her with a pained cry. He was vaguely aware as he heard the old man grunt from somewhere nearby. Apparently, it hit him, too. Raising an arm, he saw as reddishued steam rise from the exposed areas on his arm through his jumpsuit. That was definitely new. But now was not the time for idle curiosities. Someone needed to die. Focusing his anger, the first person he thought of was the Hunterne impersonator. If it wasn't for them, he would not have had to take the fall for Sasuke, and they could all be working as a team and fighting, fighting. He approached the Hunter swiftly, who was too busy clutching the stump of their arm at the shoulder, apparently too concerned with that to pay attention to him. It would be such an easy target to kill. No. Focusing again, he pushed back against the surging well of hate as he knew that this ninja was just the puppet of another. As they had said, "Yes, just a tool. A tool for their master." Sabuza. Without a master, a tool is useless. With a new focus, Narudo sped past the injured ninja, who made no movement and still didn't even acknowledge that Narudo had just run by. There, Zabuza was facing something. A crowd of of mercenaries. It didn't matter. The missing Nin was only looking at him over his shoulder. A look of curiosity. Maybe it was fear. Fear was good. Fear meant he would have a good death. Because if it wasn't for him, none of these bad things would be happening. Time to kill. What is that feeling? Is that blonde twerp the one causing it? You guys, I'll double your pay. Get rid of Zabuza. And that blonde hate was replaced by confusion at the words. Narudo wanted to kill. But kill what? Why were these mercenaries going to kill Zabuza? They didn't get to kill Zabuza. He was going to kill Zabuza. But then, why did they want to? Looking around briefly, Narudo finally took note of his sensei, Kakashi, who was standing very, very rigid. A cursory glance noted that he had one arm and hand spread out at his side, holding back an agitated looking Sasuke, while his other arm was covering a bloody gash over his chest. Kakashi sensei, what's going on, Nar? Is that really you? Of course, it's me. Who else would it be? Now answer my question. Nar idly noted that Sasuke seemed surprised at something. An expression that only stood out because he had never seen it before. Kakashi however did not change and simply answered the question. Remember we talked about God the man behind all these problems. It seems he tricked Zabuza into attacking Tzuna. He was never going to pay him in the first place. Ha. That's right. You ninja are all so gullible, especially the ones who have forsaken their villages. All right, you morons. What are you standing around for? Get them. Naruto turned his gaze to Zabuza, who returned the stare evenly, expression openly readable since his mask wrap was hanging in tatters around his neck. "So, it's true." The missing mean nodded briefly. "Yes," Naruto smiled, and he was sure that his seemingly enhanced vision picked up on some of the hairs on the back of Zabuza's neck and head stand upright. "Good, they can all die." But first, Gateau. Less than 5 minutes after Naruto's last spoken word, a severed head that still had a look of complete surprise was dropped at Kakashi's feet. A few seconds after that, a 12-year-old boy, spiky, blood splattered blonde hair, orange, and blue jumpsuit dyed a deep crimson passed out on the ground next to it. Kakashi later, Sasuke. Much later, age 13, 3 weeks before the Chunin exam finals. Thunk. Naruto turned his head lazily to see if his canai hit the target. Just like the dozens before, he usually managed to get them near the center, but rarely, if ever, hit the bullseye. Looking forward once again, he pulled a cany from the pouch at his thigh and brought it up towards his face. Inspecting it briefly, he put his forefinger through the loop and spun it around a few times. Tossing it up in the air. It looped once before falling back down towards him. He quickly shot his hand out to grab the handle, then closed his eyes and imagined his target. Focusing for a moment, he quickly brought his arm across the front of his body, flinging the cany towards the target. Thunk, opening his eyes and turning to look once again, this one hit the second ring closest to the outside. Even worse than his last throw, sighing to himself, Narudo reached into his pouch once again, only to find it empty. Grumbling to no one in particular, he turned to go pull his canai from around the target and try again. That is until a feminine voice halted him in his tracks, causing him to turn around. Nar looking in the direction the voice came from. He saw the girl from team guy walking along the path towards where his current training area before. He didn't know her that well, but she obviously knew who he was. Everyone from the first part of the chin exams likely did. Hey there. Uh 10 gave him a small pout followed by a small smile as she walked closer. 10. Uh yeah, 10. Sorry, I forgot. The girl waved off his apology as he looked at her sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. It's fine. I know you've probably only heard my name a couple times, whereas you seem to be the talk of the exams. Nar looked genuinely surprised. Really? Now it was Tenton's turn to look surprised about him being clueless. Yeah, all I hear about is how your team survived an ambush by Orochimaru. How your team is probably one of the strongest Kenoha has entered into the exams in a while and stuff like that. I heard Ga Sensei grumbling about how unthful it is that people are placing bets already that your team will sweep the exams. While Narud started to look pleased at first, that quickly faded when Ten began talking about his team. That was an entirely different matter. While things weren't bad between them, they had all been giving each other a rather wide birth since their mission to Wave, which was just over 2 months ago. Now, at the end of that mission, he had woken up being carried on Kakashi's back as they were traveling back to Kenoha. To his surprise, Zabuza was there as well, and so was Haku. Noticing Haku only had one arm and was carrying a package in it, he asked only to find out that it was his arm that had been ripped off by Kakashi's Chidori. Since it was removed cleanly, he had frozen the arm in hopes that someone could perhaps reattach it. They were going to Kohaa to ask for asylum in hopes that a doctor there would be willing to perform the operation. Feeling queasy upon realizing that it was Haku's frozen arm in the package, Narudo had remained silent for the remainder of the trip. He wasn't the only one who was silent either. Sasuke kept looking like he wanted to say something, but was continuously being stopped by Kakashi as Narudo could see Sasuke's eyes drift back and forth between them. Sakura, on the other hand, she never looked back at him one time, at least not that he noticed. He was tempted to call out to her to apologize for knocking her away, but figured it would be best done when they had all settled down and reported in. It came faster than he thought as apparently he had been knocked out for longer than he believed. They arrived at Kenoha within a few hours. Zabuza had immediately been taken into custody and Haku was led to the hospital by one of the Chunin centuries on watch. Their team, however, went straight to the Hokag's office. They all stood still as Kakashi explained what happened up to the final outcome, obviously leaving a lot out. Narudo cringed at points, vaguely remembering what happened. his memory of that time rather hazy. Sasuke kept looking back and forth once again between him and Kakashi while Sakura visibly trembled at points. The Hokag asked Narut if it would be all right for him to explain what was going on and after giving a brief moment's thought to it, slowly nodded his head. The Hokage sent him on his way, saying that the rest of his team could catch up with him later and to take the week off. The week passed without anything happening, so he managed to keep himself busy with personal training. To his surprise, Kakashi had shown up on more than one occasion to offer him some pointers before taking off, saying that he was still needed for higher ranked missions, but that he'd try to offer tips when he was in the village. Once the week passed and his team gathered again for missions, he was the first to arrive, hoping to be able to talk to at least one of his teammates about what they thought. Sasuke was there first, as he expected, but other than a nod in his direction, nothing seemed to have changed. He was about to ask until he heard Sakura's voice calling both his and Sasuke's name. She ran up, greeted them both, then promptly pulled a book out of a bag she was carrying, and began reading. Upon attempting to apologize about what happened in Wave, she merely smiled at him, said it was all right, then promptly ignored him after that. Since that time, nothing further had changed. Kakashi made more than one mention about how their teamwork was incredible, but outside of their missions, they had absolutely no contact. The teamwork was there, but the trust was not. Much to Naruto's surprise, Sasuke had confirmed that he was jealous about Naruto's secondary power source, that he could have used it to avenge his clan, but otherwise, he didn't care. Sakura said she was just mad that Narut hadn't trusted her or their team and tell them about it, but also confirmed that she'd get over it eventually as she gradually accepted his reasons why he didn't. Ever since then, they had slowly been getting back into their old groove, though Sasuke was talking to them both more on a regular basis, and Sakura hadn't nagged Sasuke about dates once. As time went on, it was obvious to Naruto that Sakura was showing even a little more respect to him, as she had apparently made a conscious choice to look to him for decisions occasionally instead of constantly expecting everything from Sasuke. Nar the blonde promptly snapped back into focus, realizing that he had unintentionally started daydreaming. Ah, I'm sorry, 1010. I didn't mean to. I was just thinking about what Gensei said. I guess a lot of people don't know that Sakura Chan dropped out. 10 looked scandalized. What? Why? Naruto offered the girl a sad smile. She said she wasn't ready for the finals, but she didn't want to hold back Mi or Sasuke from going further. After she beat Eno, she talked to both Kakashi Sensei and the old man, asking if she could be removed from the last competition to concentrate on other things. She knew her limits. Did she say why she didn't think she was ready? Naruto shrugged, shaking his head. I didn't want to pry and she didn't say anything to me or Sasuke. Kakashi explained to us a little of what she said. When I went to her house, her mom said that Sakura Chan had been reading a lot of medical books and was taking some courses at the hospital, so she wants to be a medic. Mean 10en was tapping her chin with her forefinger, obviously thinking about it. Sounds like it, but I haven't seen her since the end of the second part of the exams, so I don't know. That sucks. Some teammate. Narudo frowned. Hey, Sakura Chan is a great teammate. Tentan immediately held her hands up in a surrendering gesture. Wo, I'm sorry. I just don't think it's right for a teammate to not let you know what's going on, that's all. Naruto was about to agree with her but frowned after a moment, shaking his head. Well, I would deserve it, huh? What did you do? I Nar stopped, wondering if he should tell about his little secret. Shaking his head once again, he decided against it. He didn't know her well enough yet. Maybe if they became better friends. Never mind. It's a really long story, and I probably shouldn't tell someone from another team. At least not yet. I'm sorry. Ten frowned briefly but eventually nodded her head. I understand. It's okay. Shrugging her shoulders, she pulled the huge scroll off of her back, then set it on the ground in front of her with a dull thud. What's that? Nar immediately leaned forward, inspecting the huge scroll. He'd always noticed it before, but never thought about asking what it was before. Now, this is my weapon scroll. What? You fight with that? It's got to be heavy. Tenan let out a quick giggle, then started unwrapping it a bit. No, silly. I keep my weapons stored in seals written on the scroll. A few of my techniques use it. Naruto's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Doesn't that take a while to seal all those weapons away, though? Not really. This scroll is special. I can just set a bunch of weapons on top of it, and it has a unique seal that automatically puts them in the proper spots. Narudo was staring at the scroll, wideeyed, and nodding his head as Tenten pointed out various things about it. All the talk about weapons caused him to look back at the target from earlier, realizing he still had most of his canai stuck in them. Since you use weapons a lot, I bet you're really good at them, aren't you? Ten smiled at him, then held her head up high and struck a pose as if enjoying the praise. I've been told more than once that I'm a prodigy with weapons. Could you teach me? I've never been that good with them, but I need to get better. At first glance, the girl looked incredibly enthused about teaching someone else how to use weapons properly. However, that slowly settled into a more thoughtful look. I don't know. Tenton's face scrunched up momentarily. I would, but don't you face my teammate Niji in the finals. That wouldn't be right. Naruto tried to give her his best pout, and she looked about to cave, but still held fast. I really would, but it wouldn't be fair. How about after the exams, though? I wouldn't mind then. At first, he was going to try and beg a little more, but seeing the look of seriousness on her face decided against it. He wouldn't want anyone from his team giving his opponent advantages, so he wouldn't place 1010 under that pressure either. Besides, he wanted to win fairly. Smiling, he held out a hand. After the exams, returning his smile with one of her own, Tenent grabbed his hand and shook it. Deal. For days before the Chunin exam finals, QB, there was a noise of something large inhaling before two large eyes opened from behind the cage. Nar, it has been a while. I was beginning to think you had forgotten all about me. Narut frowned from where he was in front of the cage, then looked down at his feet. Yeah, listen. I'm sorry I haven't been back sooner. I guess I guess I was a little afraid. Fear. Typical for a human. At least you're honest. Naruto's head shot up quickly. What do you mean typical? I've never been afraid of you before, and I'm still not. I was just afraid of well the power you gave me just felt so right and I didn't want to hurt my friends your so-called precious people as you've mentioned before yes I know without my will behind my power it will do as you desire if that desire is to harm the QB's voice drifted off after giving Narudo more information about itself than it ever had before even this information though managed to bring about more questions your will. You mean you weren't controlling what happened? No, you were. I merely gave my power to you to do what you will with it. You wanted to hurt those who had harmed your friends, and you did. You almost lost yourself with the minuscule amount I gave you. However, why didn't you merge with me to help me control it? I cannot. Naruto opened his mouth to shout another question before realizing one important thing about what Q.B. just told him. It couldn't merge with him. As for the why, it was the same reason that it never had before. The Q.B. was still locked behind that cage. The representation of the seal. Very good, huh? I didn't say anything, did I? No, you didn't. I could tell what you were going to ask. However, that you didn't ask it means you answered it on your own. Though your progress is slow, it is acceptable. Naruto didn't know if he should take what the Q.B. he said as a compliment or an insult. So he settled for keeping his mouth shut as that was usually the best thing for him to do when dealing with the Beiju. Sighing, he began to think back to his original purpose for coming here. Q.B. Aerosen wants me to use your power to perform a summoning technique. There was a pause, then a gust of air washed over Nar, followed by a brief laugh. Q.B. had never laughed before. This was new. So you choose to call him that, too. How fitting. Shock overcame Naruto's features as he ran up towards the cage, placing his hands on the bars and looking through them eagerly. You mean someone else calls him Aerosin, too? That's awesome. Who is it? Q.B's eyes closed as Narudo finished shouting, and it let out a boom noise. It's not important now, but if he needs you to use my chakra, then use it. It's always there. I don't understand why you don't just take it anyway. Naruto stepped back from the cage. I wouldn't take something of yours without asking for it first. Both of Q.B's eyes opened again, the red iris focusing intently on Nar for a moment before closing halfway. Why? Standing his ground, the whiskered blonde looked straight up into the Q.B's half-litted eyes. Because that wouldn't be right. The fox closed its eyes, letting out a rumbling noise. Use what you need now. Go. Frowning a little at the short dismissal, he closed his eyes. The moment the blonde disappeared from the room, the QB let loose with another short chuckle. Naruto, you have no idea what you're getting into, do you? Chunin exam finals. Forest aside, Kenoha. Naruto's eyes grew wide as he witnessed Gar completely release his inner demon. The creature was huge, easily towering over everything nearby. He knew he had to do something fast. Only he was facing a rather large predicament. He had no chakra left. While normally performing the mass shadow clone technique wouldn't drain him that badly, he was already running on fumes because of the constant fighting since the exams took place. He probably would have had plenty left if Niji hadn't closed his tenetsu earlier, as the gentle fist technique completely messed up his normally rather impressive chakra regeneration, too. He was out of options with only one recourse left and he really didn't want to have to beg Q. For more chakra, there were only two unfortunate spots. First being that he didn't have any other choice. And secondly, he'd have to take without asking this time because he didn't feel there would be enough time to ask. That just meant he'd have to make a point to apologize and even thank Q.Bi for letting him use it without asking. Reaching deep within himself, he immediately felt the well of primal energy, which automatically began rejuvenating him the moment he brushed across it. The aggressive nature of the chakra was clear. As soon as he tapped into it, he felt like fighting something. Feeling Shikaku's sand start to cover the left side of his body, he immediately performed the summoning technique he fully mastered just 4 days ago. Naruto's perspective of the battlefield immediately shifted as the boss Toad Gamaba was summoned underneath him. What? Back again so soon? Eh, is that you, Nar? Hey, boss. Sorry about summoning you again so soon, but as you can see, we have a bit of a problem. Gamabunto was silent for a moment, and Nar could feel him shifting underneath his feet as he took in the opponent. Shikaku, the sand spirit. What's he doing out of his cage? He's like me, boss. His container's name is Gar. Though unlike me, he only likes to kill people to gain recognition. I see. Well, I really don't want to fight this guy. You see, my leg has been sore for the past couple days. Dash, what? Boss, come on. If I don't stop this guy, I don't want to know what he'll do to Kohaa. H Gamabunta shifted again, facing Shikaka. Now, Narut was actually rather surprised that Shikaku hadn't attacked them already, but he attributed that to the fact that Gar was likely still in control and having fun watching what Narut was willing to do to help him prove his existence. Please, boss, I don't want to have to summon Q.B. summon Q.B., how can you? No. Better yet, why would you do a crazy thing like that, boy? No, I'll do this. I don't feel like listening to Jeriah complaining later. Narudo sighed internally knowing that his bluff had actually worked. He couldn't summon Q.Bi. It wasn't possible as far as he knew. Perhaps it would be something worth asking later, though. He didn't get very far on that train of thought, however, as Gamabanta told him to hold on tight and charged right towards the sand spirit. Having plenty of time to prepare, Gar used Shikaku to start shooting bullets of air at the boss toad. Naruto held on for dear life as Gamabanta tried evading them or using water bullets to knock them out of the way. At the same time, he was silently hoping that Sasuke and the others were far enough away from this fight as the amount of forest that was being torn up was massive. Things only got worse, however, as realizing there was a stalemate, Gar decided to forcefully put himself to sleep, allowing Shikaku to take full control. The demon was obviously insane as it began destroying everything in sight and throwing whatever it could at the boss toad. Knowing it was only a matter of time before he would run out of chakra, Gamabunta knew they had to get in close. Nar. Yeah, boss. I'm going to get in close so you can wake up that kid and make Shikaku lose control. However, I won't be able to hold on like I am now. So, you're going to have to transform me into something that can grapple. Got it. Just grapple. What the hell am I supposed to turn you into? Unfortunately, Gamabunta didn't hear him as there were several large explosions nearby. Quickly launching towards Shikaku, Narudo thought once again of the Q.B., the only thing large enough that had sharp teeth and claws which would be able to grapple well. There was a large burst of smoke around them as the transformation took hold, and Narudo could have sworn he saw the eyes of the Tanuki go wide as they emerged from the cloud. In no time at all, the shape-shifted Gamabanta got in close with Shikaku, grabbing on tightly. The moment they made contact, Nar leapt off Gamabunt's head, straight towards the slumbering form of Gar, pulling his fist back, the moment he got close enough, he launched it forward, straight into the slumbering boy's cheek. Gar woke immediately just as the whales of Shikaku filled the air around them. His moment of triumph didn't last long, however, as Gar immediately focused on Narut, sending sand in his direction and holding his feet down with yet more. Gamabunta managed to wrap his tongue around Nar to keep most of the sand away. But the bit that was clinging to his feet slowly began moving up his legs. Knowing he'd have to use Q.B's Chakra again since he still didn't have enough to get out of this. Naruto decided to pay a quick visit this time. Not being too fond of taking chakra twice without asking. Closing his eyes and focusing, he surprised himself when he immediately heard the dripping noise, signifying that he was in the strange place that contained the cube. Do you really have time to be here? I came to ask permission to use your chakra again. I'm sorry for taking it before without asking, but it was an emergency. Is it not still an emergency? The ache is not an easy opponent. You You know, of course I do. Welp. We come from the same place. Take what you need and go if you want to live. Oh, thanks. Immediately closing his eyes, Narudo promptly disappeared from within his mind. It wasn't long after that in which Q.Bi felt the tug upon its chakra once again and gave it freely. It's a few millennia too soon for you to best me or my container. Ichibi 2 weeks after the failed sand/sound invasion, Sasuke, the raven-haired youth, stopped in his tracks, turning his head to the side slightly. That was all the acknowledgement that was needed for Nar to pick up his pace and run up to his teammate. How's the curse, Mark? Sasuke's head turned sharply to look at the blonde, but Nar kept facing forward, expression impassive. He snorted out a quick, "Why does it matter to you?" This time, Narut did turn to look at Sasuke with a serious expression. "Because you are my teammate." Sasuke stared at Narudo for several moments before facing forward as they walked. He didn't answer immediately, so Narudo just continued walking next to the other teens silently until the boy decided to speak. While waiting, he decided to look around at the surrounding area they were traveling through. Everyone still seemed to be feeling down after the death of the sandame. The village itself was okay for the most part. There was some damage that needed to be repaired in a few areas, mostly near the outer wall, but luckily a lot of the village escaped and scathed. The loss of the sandame, however, hurt worse than any destroyed buildings, and he had heard from Jeriah that they were scrambling to find someone to replace the old man. They had supposedly asked Aerosen to do it, but he had turned it down, though he refused to say why, focusing on his teammate once again. The silence continued a little bit longer until they reached the old bridge where they used to have team meetings. When they got up to the railing and looking out over the water, Sasuke finally answered the question. I have the mark under control, Nared as he leaned up against the railing next to his teammate. You say that, but then do you really want to have it under control? I have no idea what you're talking about. Naruto sighed, knowing that Sasuke would not make this easy for him. He had talked with Q.Bi about this for the longest time, but the Beiju seemed adamant that Sasuke would fall to the darkness no matter what Narut tried. It was in their blood for too long. Exactly why, though, the chakra construct wouldn't say. Instead of trying to dance around the issue, Narudo hoped that perhaps Sasuke would appreciate the blunt approach. You're still jealous of me, aren't you? The effect was immediate as Sasuke whirled to face him, a scowl on his face. What are you talking about? Dead last. Why the hell would I still be jealous of you? Keeping his own face impassive, Narut only turned to look out of Sasuke from the corner of his eye. if it didn't mean so much to you. I don't think you'd be acting the way you are now. Sasuke calmed down somewhat, but it was easy to see that he was still agitated. That was made clear with his next question. When did you suddenly start thinking you were so smart? I don't ever remember you being like this in school or even when we were first starting as a team. Naruto sighed, resting his chin on his hand while his elbow was resting on the railing of the bridge. Honestly, Sasuke, I've kind of always been like this. I used to pretend to be an idiot so people would pay attention to me. Having a demon sealed inside you makes people want to forget you exist. I wasn't always smart, I admit, but I've never been as dumb as people like to think. Sasuke mellowed out immediately after that, but surprised Naruto by keeping the questions coming instead of closing in on himself like he usually did. Why you anyway? I still don't understand what made you so special that you had to have a demon sealed inside you. Naruto was going to answer right away but paused for a moment thinking about it. Q.Bi always avoided discussion about what happened so he was still clueless about the whole thing. The sandame gave little bits of information but wasn't much better than the Q.Bi about giving that information before his passing. Kakashi always ignored it and Jeriah always changed the subject. It wasn't too hard to figure out people were keeping things from him. I wish I knew. According to the old man, I was barely 5 minutes old when it was sealed inside me. I was just born at the perfect time. Apparently, though, I still don't know if my parents volunteered or what. I have no idea who they were. Would they be proud of me now? Sasuke let out his usual HNN instead of replying directly, but had since moved back over to the railing to look out over the water. Q.B. wants to see what kind of path you will take. Naruto's teammate turned to face him quickly, obviously surprised. Q.B., why? The blonde opened and closed his mouth a couple times, apparently not sure how to explain what he knew. I'm not sure, honestly. Q.B. thinks that your clan has the damned eyes, but it won't say why. Whenever I've tried to defend you this past week, it's laughed at me and said, "You'll always choose the wrong path to power simply because it's in your blood." That got me thinking about your curse, Mark, and made me worried. When Sasuke didn't say anything, Narudo continued, "I know you want a lot of power quickly to avenge your clan. Like you said, I'll train with you all you want, and I'm sure Sakurachan would be willing to help when she's not busy with her medic stuff. I could probably try to talk to Aerosen, too. Maybe there's something he can do that Kakashi sensei hasn't thought of yet. There were several moments of silence before Sasuke responded, "Why do you care so much? Why can't I gain power the way I want to? Because you're my friend, my teammate, and my rival. I don't want to lose you because you made the easy choice." Who are you to know what's easy and what's hard? And why would it matter anyway? Power is power. Sasuke's voice was rising once more, and Narut couldn't help but close his eyes and sigh. Perhaps Q.Bi was right again after all. I don't know, Sasuke. I'm just afraid that someday you'll have to do something like kill me or Sakurachan to gain more power and then you'll be lost forever. I want to do everything I can to dash. That will never happen. Sasuke tried to sound convincing as he cut off what the blonde was saying, but Narudo could hear the slight waiver in his voice, not to mention how much more pale Sasuke looked after his last comment. He only hoped that Sasuke believed what he said because he really didn't want to lose his friend. Giving Sasuke a little pat on the shoulder, he said he hoped so, then promptly turned away from the railing and began walking back the way they came. Nar stopping, the blonde turned to look over his shoulder at Sasuke, who was still looking out over the river. "Thank you." Chuckling to himself, Nar simply gave a little wave over his shoulder as he walked away. 3 weeks later, the hunt forsunade. "I seem to be saying this a lot lately. Can you really afford to be here right now?" Naruto looked up towards the cage from where he was sitting, then turned away as he sighed and shook his head. "That big summon crushed my leg. I'm playing dead at the moment until your chakra fixes it. Q.B. didn't respond, though. The blonde could hear it breathing from behind the cage. He was sorely tempted to ask the Q.B. for advice about what to do against Kabuto. But after seeking help with the raising gan training, he didn't know if the Q.B. was going to start demanding some kind of repayment for all the advice it had been giving him. How long are you going to be in here? Startled, Nar looked up at the cage once again before his face adopted a pensive expression. Well, it's noisy out there because of the fighting and the pain in my leg was making it hard to think of a strategy for how to deal with Kabuto. So, I came here to think, hm. The Q.B.'s voice rumbled, echoing off the walls. Several moments of silence passed before it spoke up again. You haven't asked me about how to deal with this. Kabuto, yet why? Narudo scratched at his chin, not looking at the cage this time. I've asked you for advice so often already. I'm probably getting annoying, aren't I?" The Q.B. surprised him by chuckling. Though the voice of the Q.B. was generally deep and forboding, the laugh seemed to be an honest one, as if it was genuinely amused. The blonde decided to remain silent to see if the Beiju would explain what it felt was amusing. However, the very fact that Q.B. was laughing was strange enough. He distinctly remembered the chakra construct telling him that it could only emulate human emotions but did not have them itself. Nar, if I found you annoying, I would have stopped giving you advice long ago. The simple fact is that if you die, I would die as well. I don't want that. Though your death would be admittedly a lot more permanent than mine. You don't want to dash. Nar stopped talking as he climbed to his feet, then started again when he was finally standing facing the cage. How can you die though? Aren't you just made of chakra? The Q.B. chuckled again, though it didn't last nearly as long as the first time. That is something we can discuss at a later time. For now, you simply need to immobilize that Kabuto to hit him with a raisin gan. I suggest you hurry, otherwise someone important to you will suffer. Naruto's eyes went wide at this before he exclaimed, "Who?" Aerosen. Even if he was poisoned by that old lady, he said he'd be fine. No, that womanade. Kabuto will kill her if you don't act. Nar closed his eyes as if to leave the cage area, but asked one more question before leaving. Why did you say she is important to me? It's not like she's done anything other than make a bet with me. Now is not the time. It will become clear later. Go. Huffing to himself, Narudo focused on returning to awareness and gradually felt as the throbbing in his leg became a dull ache. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked around where he lay as the rest of his senses slowly came back to him. Jeriah and Orochimaru were still battling a little further away now. Shizun looked to be knocked out not too far away from where he was. Just past her, a smirking kabuto was saying something to a bloodcovereds who was trembling uncontrollably. Grunting, he pushed himself to his feet. Looking at his leg, he saw that it was perfectly mended without a scratch. Other than a dull throbbing, it would be impossible to tell that he was injured at all. Snapping his attention back to Kabuto, he felt his anger grow as the older ninja hits a few times. Quickly coming up with a crazy plan to immobilize the sound spy, Narudo grinned ferily and sped forward, interrupting one of the punches aimed forsunady. Grunting at the impact against his forehead protector. His feral grin turned into an icy stare as he looked up towards the older boy. W. What are you doing? Naruto Kuan. I'll admit you surprised me, but you're still no match for me. Not saying anything, Nar promptly brought his hands up into the familiar cross-shaped formation. Kabuto pulled his fist back from Naruto's forehead and then quickly took a large hop backwards as two clones popped into existence, one on either side of the teenaged blonde. You can't do everything with shadow clones, you realize. Ignoring Kabuto, the two clones moved forward in front of Nar. The one on the left held its hand out as the other one brought its hands over and started rotating them. Slowly, a glowing bluish white orb began to form in the hand of the clone on the left. Naruto still stood there staring grimly at Kabuto, who seemed to tense slightly. He also heard a small gasp from behind him, followed by a gentle shaking tug on the back of his jacket. Nar, what are you doing? He's too fast. You won't be able to hit him with that. Get out of here. Looking over his shoulder, he tossed the older woman a small grin before his expression evened out, and he turned to look at Kabuto again. As he did that, his clones let out a roar and charged the spy, quickly closing the distance between them. Unfortunately, was right. The clones were no match for Kabuto. Expertly dodging the thrust from the clone with the raising gan, he quickly elbowed it in the side. A swift kick in the gut of the second clone promptly dispelled that one as well. Turning to face Nar andsunade again, Kabuto gave them his mocking smile as he pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Come now, Naruto Kuan. You should know parlor tricks like those won't affect me in the slightest. Now, why don't I do you a favor and allow you to step aside? If you do, I won't kill you this time. Narud growled, feeling his anger rise. Never. Bachchan is going to be the next Tokag of Kohaa. As a ninja of Kohaa, it's my duty to protect her. I won't back down. That's my ninja way. Naruto heards mumble something from behind him, but Kabuto's laughing drowned out whatever it was she was saying. Oh, that's rich. A Jennan thinks he can take me on. You saw what I did to your clones, Narut Kuan. This is your last warning before I take you out to get to the weak woman behind you. The blond's eyes squinted as he stared Kabuto down.Sunady began yelling something behind him, but he tuned her out, turning his entire focus on Kabuto. He had to do something to keep the other shinobi from moving away in order to hit him with the raisin gan. Even though the blonde had an idea, it was risky. Narudo simply grinned, causing Kabuto to snarl and pull a canai out of the holster attached to his thigh. I thought you were smarter than this. Naruto Kuan. You will die for your arrogance. As Kabuto began to charge him, Nar slipped down into a taitu stance. The tug on the back of his jacket became more forceful now, andsunade was literally screaming behind him now. Narut, stop it and run. I don't want you to die. Hearing sununade yell only strengthened his resolve and he saw Kabuto smirk as the silver-haired man brought down the cany point first. Bringing his own hand up suddenly, Narudo winced for a moment as the canai pierced the palm of his hand and bit back a yelp as specks of his own blood fleck across his face. It seemed like a good plan at first to go Kabutoo into attacking him, though he hadn't really planned on a knife factoring into it at first. Gripping Kabuto's hand in his own, the spy looked completely flabbergasted, making Naro chuckle as he shifted his focus from the pain in his hand to the creation of a single clone. As the clone started controlling the chakra Narut was releasing from his free hand, he chuckled and talked to who was still clutching his jacket behind him. Don't worry about me, Bachan. I won't die until I become Hokag. I promise. Kabuto was pulling backwards with force at first, trying to free his hand from Naruto's impossibly strong grip. The moment the raisin gan was complete in his hand, Narudo quickly thrust it forward into the spy, ignoring the fact that Kabuto's other hand was against his chest now. Apparently believing his reach was longer and he could therefore keep the blonde back. Not letting it affect him, Narudo simply pushed forward harder. There was a screeching noise from where the raisin gan hit Kabuto as it was released and Naruto released his grip on Kabuto's hand, causing the spy to go flying away as the pressure of the chakra mass sent him careening backwards. He couldn't keep the smirk off his face as he saw Kabuto's body lying smashed up against a nearby rock once the dust cleared. Then two things happened at once. First, he couldn't help but stare in shock as Kabuto slowly wrenched himself free from the rock. then took a lurching step forward, the wound on his abdomen still smoking. Secondly, he felt several sharp pangs of pain from his chest, followed by a cough. A normal cough wouldn't have alarmed him, but the metallic taste in his mouth told him it was pretty bad. He was vaguely aware as Kabuto started saying something, but Nar was unable to focus as the pain increased 10fold. The adrenaline was wearing off and the increasing pain in his chest followed by his throbbing hand was making him lose consciousness. Fighting to stay awake, he coughed again and his legs gave out on him. Naruto's last coherent thoughts were of a scared-l lookinging sununade just arriving to look over him. Closing his eyes, he immediately opened them again, vagely aware of where he was. Nar, that voice, it sounded familiar. But for some reason, he was having a hard time paying attention. The pain in his chest, it was just too much. Naruto, focus. Use my chakra to heal yourself. Use chakra. Why? To heal. How? Naruto was blinking his eyes rapidly trying to make sense of what was going on, why he was here, and figure out who was talking to him. Useless human. Wake up. It's getting darker in here. I cannot passively fix the damage you took fast enough without your help. So what if it was getting darker? Yes, his chest hurt, but like all of his pains, it would go away eventually, right? You are going to die. So am I. Is that what you want? No, not really. He didn't want to die, nor did he want anyone else to die either. Strangely, the moment he thought that, the pain at his chest started to lessen. The pressure was still there, but it didn't sting anymore. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he let out another cough, then tried to open his eyes again, only to find that he couldn't. Pausing for a moment, then trying again, he managed to force his left eye open enough to see what was going on. To his surprise, a panic-l lookinging was on her knees next to him, her hands glowing green and pressed against his chest. He smiled a little bit, realizing that whatever she was doing was helping him to breathe a little easier. A glint in the sunlight showed her necklace that was dangling loosely in front of her. Grinning very slightly, his mind immediately remembered their little bet and her promise to him about giving him that very necklace. He managed to pull off the raisin. So, by all rights, he won that little bet. Straining, Narut managed to lift his injured hand just enough to be able to grasp the necklace and tug on it. immediately started looking down at his hand. Her face quickly adopted an expression of hope as she looked down, then focused her gaze on his face, searching for a sign that he was okay. He managed to open his eye a little further and grin a little bigger. The bet I won. The look of shock and relief that crossed her face was enough to make him want to laugh out loud, but suddenly he felt a wave of tiredness wash over him. Closing his eye again, he released his grip on the necklace and let out a sigh, finally feeling a little comfortable. Another sensation of strange warmth washed over him. He opened his eyes again to see what it was. Blinking as he waved his hand in front of his face, Narudo realized he could now open both eyes and move with no problem. Looking around from where he was lying, things gradually came into focus around him. The first of which was the very large cage. Seeing that, various memories finally started snapping back into place. You're back. Startled, Nar looked up at the cage again, but didn't see anything from behind it. Planting his hands on the ground, he sluggishly started to push himself to his feet. Kikubi. Yes. Grunting as he managed to stand up, Narudo sighed deeply as he realized he could barely do so and promptly leaned forward, his hands resting against his thighs. I feel so tired. Lethargic would be the better word to use. That's what happens when you have a close brush with death and the adrenaline wears off. Death. Narudo couldn't keep the incredul out of his voice. Really? I felt like I was dreaming, but not really. The Q.B. grumbled from inside its cage. You almost died and didn't respond to me. That ninja was using his technique to damage the blood vessels around your heart, which you likely only interpreted as him trying to keep you away. Already feeling tired from standing, Narudo chose to sit back down in the liquid that was all around. Truth be told, he still didn't feel completely aware of what was going on, but at least he had control this time. I didn't feel anything strange until after I had already hit him with the raisin gan. He likely could have killed you instantly if he wished. Since he survived your technique, he likely understood that he needed to either protect himself or conserve his chakra to heal himself later. Naruto humped to himself as he rubbed his eyes. Well, I still got him, and that's all that matters, right? Of course, it matters. Both of the Q.B.'s eyes opened wide and its lips peeled back in fury, exposing its rather imposing mouth full of sharp teeth. Naruto would have recoiled had he not faced this before. Feeling as tired as he was didn't make him feel like reacting either. You almost died for your foolishness. If you die, so do I. And as I explained earlier, I have no desire to face death again. You could simply have used my chakra to eviscerate that cocky spy or even covered him in your shadow clones to pin him down, then hit him with that raisin gan. But making yourself a target? Foolish. Completely foolish. I expect better of you, Nar. After the spiel was done, both eyes closed and the teeth disappeared. That was the longest Q. had ever spoken continuously, and he had actually started to tremble slightly towards the end. All of the points hit home, of course, except for the fact about using Q.B's chakra. It hadn't really even crossed his mind. He had been so hung up on doing everything on his own. sighing. Narudo rubbed his face. Saying he was sorry at this point would cause the Q.B. to do nothing more than scoff at him, even if it did that at this point. An angry Q.B. was something he didn't want to deal with. While the QB stated it didn't have emotions, Narudo wasn't sure what made it believe that. He had seen more than a few today. Anger at him having acted stupidly. Humor when he had first appeared after his leg was crushed. worry when he was dying, likely both for itself and him. All of these thoughts simply caused more questions, however, and it was very unlikely that Q.Bi would be willing to give him answers after everything that had transpired. Another wave of fatigue washed over Nar, and he realized that not only did his body need rest, his mind did, too. After the trauma of near death, closing his eyes and lying back down in the liquid around him, he sighed one last time, promising to himself to find out more about the Q.B. when it would be willing to talk to him again. Before completely losing consciousness, Naruto idly wondered if Q.B. yelling at him was what it was like when a parent scolded a child. Two months later, the Valley of the End go. Sasuke rolled his head over to the side to stare at Nar in shock. He tried to speak, but then winced and coughed up some blood, grunting as he rolled onto his side. The raven-haired teen tried to catch his breath as he stared at Nar with incredul. Naruto, meanwhile, sat there calmly at the edge of the water, watching as the gentle waves caused by the waterfall lapped upon the rocky shore. He listened as his teammate shuffled around behind him, likely trying to sit upright. He had taken a beating, even in his second cursed seal form, courtesy of Naruto's cub. Reinforced fists. Sasuke had come charging at him with a Chidori, and Narudo had performed a faint by appearing to clash against it with a raisin gan of his own. But he had dropped the raisin gan at the last second and concentrated on dodging the Chidori. Sasuke was obviously too focused on clashing with him if his surprise was any indication. And Narudo had proceeded to pummel his rival relentlessly until he crashed down upon the beach, coughing up blood. It was then that Sasuke's raspy voice reached him. WWA, what are you saying? Was everything you said before and during the fight did it mean nothing? Just asking that much must have proven to take quite the amount of effort as Narut heard another series of hacking coughs. The blonde let them settle down before giving his answer. Do any of us mean anything to you after all, Sasuke? You said I was your closest friend, but even I have to wonder about that. Do you remember our talk a few months ago? How do you feel now that you know you've proved the QB right? He heard the hitching of breath to his side, then sighed to himself and continued. Lots of people are stronger than you, Sasuke. Sununade Bachan, Aeros, Senin, Kakashi, Sensei, Ga Sensei. Those are just a few who are. As I proved now, I'm stronger than you two. Naruto turned to glare at Sasuke and was mildly surprised to see his teammate flinch. There are plenty of people who would be willing to help you get stronger, but you're not going to get stronger overnight. Even I haven't. And unlike you, I have barely had anyone help me get where I am today. Everything I have is through a lot of dedication and hard work. I can only use a tiny fraction of Q.B's power, otherwise it will overwhelm me. So, I'm not strong enough either. Sasuke had managed to push himself up to his knees as rain started falling around them. He was either clutching his stomach or holding one of his arms close, but Nar couldn't really tell. While the other teen still hadn't said anything further, Narudo could easily hear the ragged breathing coming from where Sasuke was kneeling. Narudo chuckled a bit and noticed that Sasuke gave him a sharp questioning look. Shaking his head and smiling, Narut decided to explain what was funny. You know, I think Sakurachan understood you before even I did just now. When we were being organized to chase after you, she wished me luck but said that she talked to you before you left. Do you know why she didn't try to stop you? Because she told me the exact same thing Q.B. did, just a little differently. She didn't exactly give up on you. But she doesn't think you want to be helped either. At least not by anyone in Kenoha. That's not true. Do you know how many times I asked Kakaash? Sasuke's outburst was interrupted by yet another series of hacking coughs, causing him to pitch forward and spray blood across the rocks in front of him. Narut frowned, but otherwise didn't move from where he was sitting. You never asked, Sasuke. You demanded and then got angry when people wouldn't teach you what you felt you needed to know. It's like Q.B. told me a long time ago, you need to learn what you're given first before you can move on to other things. Knowledge and power comes in steps through experience. You may have had a bit more power than me in our fight just now, but I was smarter. So now you have a choice. You can leave and see what it's like learning from a bastard like Orochimaru, or you can come back with me and learn the right way. They sat in silence for several long moments before Sasku finally pushed himself to his feet. He stood there rather unsteadily for several moments, looking at the ground. Narudo noticed his fists clench and release quickly before Sasuke finally looked towards where he was sitting. I'm going. Narudo closed his eyes and frowned, hearing subtle chuckling coming from the back of his mind. Once again, Q.B. was right. How it always seemed to know these things was beyond his understanding. Fine. Narudo ground out through clenched teeth. Grabbing Sasuke's forehead protector from the shore near where he was sitting. He tossed it at his old teammate, who bumbled with it for a moment before staring at it impassively. I don't need this anymore. You're taking it. Don't make me come over there and cram it down your throat. Sasuke scowlled at Narudo before quickly rolling his eyes and tucking it into his rather torn up Canai pouch. I don't see the point. You're keeping that. This way, every time you see it, you can remember I'm out there ready and waiting to kick your ass again and again, just so I can prove you made the wrong choice. Naruto's voice had raised a bit as he pointed at Sasuke, who simply stared at him with mild surprise. Much to Naruto's own shock, Sasuke simply smirked at him before turning away and stumbling towards a cave near the waterfall. Narudo sat and stared at Sasuke's back the entire time. When the other teen finally reached the entrance of the cave, he stopped and looked back briefly. Narudo chuckled when Sasuke actually gave him a very brief wave before disappearing into the darkness of the cave, sighing and closing his eyes. He was fully expecting to go into his mindscape and listen to Q. gloat only for them to flash open again as his body went rigid when he heard another voice speak up. Well, that was an interesting speech. Quickly turning his head to the side, he looked at his J and sensei who was looking down at him with both hands on his hips. Kakashi sensei. How long have you been here? He idly noticed one of Kakashi's mean dogs, Packin was sitting down next to him. Since your little fight ended, Sama isn't going to be happy, you know. Narut sighed, closing his eyes once again. The entire time we were chasing after Sasuke, I kept thinking about what Sakurichan said and realized that she was right. Sasuke wasn't happy in Kenoha. And after beating him, I knew he still wouldn't be happy when I brought him back. Knowing how much Orochimaru wanted Sasuke because of our little fight during the Chunin exams, I have a feeling he'll give Sasuke whatever he wants just so he can make him stronger before he tries to take him over. Kakashi was surprisingly quiet, listening to Nar, but not offering any words of his own in agreement or to the contrary. Taking this as a good sign, Narud continued, "I beat Sasuke this time, and I'm going to do just like I said, beat him again and again to prove that he made the wrong choice. If I'm lucky, maybe he'll eventually agree that he made the wrong choice and come home. If not, I'll be able to bring him home before Orochimaru tries anything." Naruto turned to look at Kakashi, who simply shrugged and moved over closer to Narudo, crouching down next to him. I guess we'll find out. I just hope you don't come to regret this. Can you move? The blonde planted his hands on the ground and shifted his weight forward, only for his arms to give out as he used them to gain leverage. With a grunt, he crashed down sideways into the rough shoreline. Kakashi chuckled slightly as Narudo grumbled, "I guess I can't." Using the Q.B's chakra takes a lot out of me, so it seems. With help from Kakashi, Narut managed to get situated comfortably on his sensei's back. Kakashi dismissed Packin and the two of them carefully proceeded up to the top of the cliff and then into the forest. So, Nar, what should we tell sunama? Nar barely thought about it for a second. The truth. Are you sure? She might view it as treason. The blonde tried to figure out what Kakashi was thinking, but he grinned a little as something clicked in his mind. Yes, she might. But if she does, you'll be in trouble, too. I don't think she'll punish you too badly since you're one of the best Jon and she has. And if she punishes me any differently, it will cause a double standard. Kakashi's head shifted slightly as he trained his uncovered eye on the side of his subordinate's face. Why do you think I'll get in trouble? I simply arrived at the end. Yes, but you were there long enough to hear my entire speech to Sasuke. I think if you didn't agree with me, you would have stopped Sasuke yourself. Right, Kakashi sensei? His sensei's head faced forward again. And even though the chuckles were faint, he could certainly feel the vibrations caused by the laughter against his chest. "So, what about the rest of your team?" Narud blinked in confusion. "Yeah, what about them? They won't be happy to hear that you let Sasuke go in the end, especially after beating him. The blonde thought about it for a moment. He could tell them the truth, and as a result, it would likely cause any injuries they sustained to be for nothing. Morale would drop, and many of them would probably hate him. On the other hand, if he lied and said Sasuke got away, he could still salvage his friendships. At least until Sasuke showed up again, I'll stretch the truth. Oh, I did beat Sasuke, but I wasn't in any condition to do anything after beating him because I was too exhausted. I did manage to give him that one last speech, though, which I'll tell everyone. I don't think he would have listened to me if I didn't beat him, so it wasn't a total loss. If anything, I'd say the outcome was just postponed. Kakashi was chuckling again. My my Nar, how very clever of you. Well, I am a ninja indeed. Naruto felt as Kakashi shifted slightly, getting a better grip on his legs. You should try to get some rest if you can. There will probably be quite a few questions when we get back. Nodding, Naruto rested his chin on his sensei's padded shoulder, trying to relax and get a quick nap in. It would probably be a lot easier if the Q.B. would stop that incessant chuckling in the back of his mind. 10 days later, the road leaving Kenoha. So, are you and that pink-haired girl like this? Jeriah was sticking his tongue out at Narudo, a perverted look on his face as his middle finger wrapped around his index finger. Nar blushed slightly before frowning and looking away. No, we're not. We're teammates. That's all. Are you sure? She seemed pretty sad to see you go. The blonde gave the sage an exasperated look. I just said, "Why? We're teammates." I was sad to leave, too. Chuckling, Jeriah straightened up and grabbed the two straps of his backpack with each hand. "Yeah, but the way she was clinging to you before you left was leading me to believe otherwise." Narudo frowned at this. Thinking back, she had seemed a little more clingy than he had ever remembered, and even hugged him twice, which was very rare. He just chocked it up to the fact that he'd be gone for a while, and he was her only other teammate. But her sadness seemed to be tempered by the fact that she told himsade had agreed to take her as an apprentice. So in a strange twist, now each member of his team was being apprenticed by one of the densets no sanin. I didn't look into it too much. Besides, it's not like I'm completely disappearing. We can still send messages, right? Jeriah nodded. Sure, but I don't want to do it too often. We're trying to keep a low profile and the more messages we send out, the greater the chances are of us being noticed. I also only like to use the toads for emergencies. Before you ask, nodding his understanding, the teen fell into step beside his new sensei. Kakashi had not seemed the least bit upset about not having any students anymore, but he didn't seem happy about it either. Upon inquiry, the cycloptic Jonin said that he wasn't losing him or Sakura permanently, and that he'd likely be running missions with both of them upon Naruto's return. Thinking about Kakashi also got him thinking about another who had taught him quite a bit. Since they were now out of Kohaa, he figured it would be a good time, as any to ask a question that had been eating away at him for a while now. Hey, Aerosen. Hm. Is it possible to get QB out of the seal? Two things happened simultaneously. He had to hold back a grin as Jeriah promptly stumbled and nearly fell to the ground before catching himself. The other thing was a slight burning sensation behind his ears due to the Q.B's chakra. He had come to notice eventually that while the QB could not influence him, it could utilize the small amount of its chakra that was constantly in his system and sort of focus it. While he had never asked about it, it would seem that the Q.B. could perhaps experience what Nar was to a lesser amount through its chakra. It helped him a lit a bit too. He could hear more clearly, see better, his taste would be a bit stronger, but other than that, he ignored it because the sensation was often brief. He hadn't asked the Q.B. if moving it from behind the seal could be done. It was entirely possible that the Q.B. itself didn't know, but was quite obviously interested in any potential answer. Nar was swiftly brought out of his musings when a hand whacked across the back of his head. Ow, brat. Don't joke about something like that. Naruto stared at Jeriah, who was giving him an exasperated look. I'm not joking. Jeriah's expression morphed into one of carefully guarded neutrality as he apparently waited to see if Naruto was trying to lead him on or not. When no sign made itself visible, Jeriah sighed and looked down at the ground, then turned to continue walking, waving for Nar to follow. As the blonde fell into step beside the much taller man, he asked a question instead of answering. First of all, what possible reason could you have for wanting to have QB outside of the seal? It would destroy everything in sight. Nar frowned. That's not true. How can you say that? It attacked Kenoha before. What's to say it won't again? Nar opened his mouth to reply, but quickly shut it. Q.Bi still refused to talk about why it had attacked Kenoha, but it had hinted that it didn't attack the village just because it felt like it. I can't really say other than I believe it wouldn't. For some reason, the mild burning sensation intensified behind his ears. It wasn't painful, but now it was definitely noticeable. Jeriah looked at Narut intently out of the corner of his eyes. You do know how powerful the Q.B. actually is, right? It could probably crush me in an instant if it really wanted to. Considering how little power it has given me before, and I've been able to do some crazy things with only that much. Naruto's voice trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. Jeriah had turned his head to look at the young boy fully now, sizing him up once again. "You never answered my very first question." Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion. "I didn't. What reason do you have for wanting QB outside the seal?" "Well," Narudo paused for a second, unsure exactly as to how he could phrase this. "I've been in my mind to where Q.B. is. It seems kind of cramped in that cage. I just thought it would be well nice for it to be able to come out for a little while. Jeriah looked completely incredulous. That's it. You've got to be kidding me. Nar scowlled at his sensei. He knew it was better to get this question out of the way. But having not experienced the attack himself, he had no idea what the problem was other than by secondhand accounts. Aerosene. To begin with, if it wasn't for QB, I'd have been dead several times now. One of which was no thanks to you. Or did you forget about throwing me off that cliff? H hey, I only did that because I need Dash because you knew I had the Q.B's chakra, right? So even you put my life in Q.B's hands. Jeriah grumbled and looked away but didn't argue the point. Narudo smirked a little as he continued. Besides, I don't think Q.B. is nearly as bad as people say. I don't know why it attacked Kohaa the day I was born and it won't tell me either. But I've known and talked to Q.B. for seven years now, and it's helped me more than any other sensei I've ever had. So, I have a different perspective than everyone else does. Besides, why wouldn't it be cool to have QB as a summon? Could you imagine if I had to go fight Missing Me only to summon the Q.B so it could smush them? Naruto was grinning, and he definitely heard Jeriah let out a few gaps. After they settled down, the white-haired Sunin looked at his charge with a small smile. While I can't guarantee anything will work, I'll see what I can do with the seal. Maybe something can work. Since you seem to trust Q.Bi, I'll trust you. Okay. Yes, thanks. Let me go tell Q.B. It says it doesn't have emotions, but I wonder if I can surprise it. Naruto noticed Jeriah's face adopt a puzzled look. But before the man could inquire, Narut promptly closed his eyes, focusing and then opening them, he immediately appeared in front of Q.B's cage. To his surprise, both eyes were open and looking down at him. Hey Q.Bi, guess what? I talked to Aerosin and he dashed. I already know. Ah, so you were listening in. Lame. Why? Naruto looked around the room pointedly. Do you like being stuck in here? Q.B. snorted. It is not a matter of liking or disliking. I do know what pride is, and being locked in here is insulting. Well, I'm trying to find a way to help you out of here, at least for a little while at a time, Q.B rumbled a moment behind the bars. I failed to understand why. Just think of it as a thank you for helping me out these past years and for letting me use your chakra, even if you were just doing it to keep yourself alive. It kept me alive, too. There was several moments of silence as Nar waited to see if the Q.B. would reply. Since it didn't look like it would, he closed his eyes in preparation to leave. Nar? His eyes immediately snapped back open. Yeah, just to clarify something you said earlier. I do not smush things, as you so eloquently put it. Ha. The confusion was clear in Naruto's voice. I don't simply smush them. I completely obliterate them. There is a difference. The blonde was completely silent as he registered this latest comment. He rolled it around in his mind a few times before concentrating to become aware of his surroundings to see Jeriah staring at him curiously. Needless to say, the man wasn't expecting Nar to suddenly bust out laughing and took a quick step backwards. Nar, I am seriously beginning to doubt your sanity. 14 forested area somewhere in river country, 6 months on the road. Ba, I want ramen. I'm tired of rabbit every day. Jeriah scoffed at his apprentice. You really need to stop complaining and get used to this. What do you think is going to happen when you have to go on a long-term mission and live off the land? Naruto sighed as he watched the fire pit slowly cook the rabbit that Jeriah had placed over it on a cooking spit. The sage would occasionally flip the rabbit over. It never took very long for the small animals to cook well enough. I know. I just get bored of eating the same thing over and over. Can't we at least pick up some spices? Jeriah pondered it for a moment before slowly nodding. Our next destination may have some trade stalls. We can see what they have there, if anything. I don't want to spend too much. Naruto looked at his sensei curiously. Spend too much? Last time I looked at your bank book, there were quite a lot of zeros. The white-haired man looked positively scandalized. You were looking through my bank book. That's private. Naruto, however, simply scoffed and tapped the pouch fastened on his new belt. Like, you aren't constantly asking me how much money I have. I've been living alone for most of my life. I know how to manage my money." That particular comment brought a shade of emotion to Jeriah's face. Whether it was shame or sadness, Narudo couldn't really tell since it was quashed nearly as fast as it had appeared. Regardless of whichever it was, Jeriah carefully removed the rabbit from over the fire and started preparing it, though he didn't change the subject. I didn't mean to insinuate anything. I was just making sure you were doing things properly. As for my bank book, all ninja are taught to only use what they really need. I've lived through two ninja wars, and I know the importance of keeping money only for when you really need it. But then, if you die, it all goes to waste. Jeriah shrugged. Not really. Any money you have to your name will automatically go to any primary family relatives. If there are none, then it gets split between apprentices and students you had. If there are no apprentices or students, then it all goes to the village, usually to handle things like repairs or to pay for orphanages, especially during wartime. Narud nodded, watching as Jeriah handed him some of the rabbit. Oh, yeah. So, you paid at least some attention in school then? Most of the reports I read about you said otherwise. Q.B. Ah, I see. The two of them sat in silence for a little while as they ate their food. The sound of rushing water from a nearby waterfall permeated the area with a steady blanket of noise that Narudo found rather comforting. It didn't take long for Jeriah to finish, and Narudo watched as the man started rumaging around in one of his bags. I'm going to go take a quick bath before we settle down for the evening, but I want you to start reading up on ceiling. Jeriah grunted as he climbed back to his feet, a large towel in one hand and a thin book in the other. Looking at it briefly, he then tossed it to Nar as he walked past the blonde fu and jutsu. Yep. Read that book. It will get you started. Why do I need this? Jeriah stopped walking for a second, then turned his head to the side slightly, though not enough to look over his shoulder. Aren't you the one who wants to find a way for the Q.B to get out? I won't help anyone who doesn't know anything about the ceiling arts. Naruto's eyes went wide as he looked at the small book in his hands. It looked well used, as if it had been thumbmed through many times before. Even though they had been on the roads for half a year now, Naruto's constant whining about doing something for Q. seemed to be falling on deaf ears. He finally gave up a while ago, determined to find out something on his own later. He had no idea if this book was a recent acquisition or if Jeriah had it all along. Opening the book, the first few pages had scribbles of all sorts on them, most likely notes that he didn't understand yet. The first chapter of the little book explained the basics behind fu and jutsu and quickly got into the creation of simple items like exploding tags. Naruto was immediately hooked. If only he had known about this before he could have saved a lot of money on supplies. He got further into the book than he thought he would since it felt like no time at all had passed and Jeriah returned to the camp, still ringing his hair dry. He chuckled with amusement as he walked by the blonde teen. That far already, huh? I guess you're interested. Naruto nodded quickly, snapping the book shut and going to grab his own towel. You bet I am. I can save a lot of money on supplies. How come you didn't show me this before? And why don't they teach stuff like this in school? Jeriah sighed, giving Narudo pause. Holding his towel in his hand, he looked to his teacher to find the man looking at the little book on the ground, apparently deep in thought. After a few seconds, he shook his head and looked back to where Narut was patiently waiting for an answer. They don't teach fujutsu in the academy because there is too much you can do with it. That is the simple answer anyway. It's also incredibly risky because if you don't apply chakra in precise amounts, bad things can happen. It's usually left up to individual sensei to see if a student has the aptitude for it because you can do nearly anything you can imagine with f and jutsu, assuming you have the chakra to spare. Jeriah tossed Narut a cheeky smile. Luckily, you've got tons of chakra, so you can afford to experiment a bit. Now go wash down and when you come back I'll start going over the basics. Not needing to be told twice, Narudo promptly gripped his towel in his hand and darted towards where the waterfall sounds were coming from. 5 weeks later, Eastern Fire Country, Narudo followed Jeriah as the older man landed in a small clearing, settling down next to him as he looked about curiously. Jeriah had made a comment when they first started out about wanting to hit the eastern shore of Fire Country to catch a boat to Water Country before sundown. It was rapidly approaching evening, however, and Narudo knew they weren't moving as fast as they could have been. But he kept his mouth shut, knowing Jeriah often changed plans on a whim. It was something he learned very early on in their travels. Aerosene, why are we stopping? Jeriah looked up towards the tree canopy, likely attempting to judge the position of the sun via the light filtering through the leaves. After looking around for several seconds, he turned to face Naruto and offered a small smile. Change of plans. We'd never make it to the shore by nightfall. Anyway, send some clones out to collect firewood and see if any of them can nab something to eat, too. After giving Jeriah a funny look, Narut shrugged and created four shadow clones, which immediately took off into the nearby forest. After they disappeared from sight, Nar removed his backpack and set it down at his feet. fiddling with it to remove his bed roll. Are you sure you want to fire Aerosen? I thought we were trying to keep a low profile. Not today. I'm actually hoping someone finds us. Turning to look at his sensei sharply, Naruto narrowed his eyes and studied Jeriah. The man looked back at him impassively, so Nar couldn't help but be confused. Granted, they were in friendly territory, but Jeriah spent the last two months drilling Shinobi protocol into his brain. And giving away positional information because of campfires was definitely a bad thing. Why? After all this time of telling me campfires are bad, unless you're in a full team, why make one now? Chuckling, Jeriah leaned back against a tree and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked towards his charge. Because this fire is a signal for one of my contacts, and this particular one is constantly on the move. The smoke from the fire will help them to pinpoint our location. I only was able to give them a vague idea. Narudo snorted to himself as he spread out his bed roll. Leave it to Jeriah to break his own rules whenever it was convenient. Must be an important contact. Very. It's also risky for me to meet them for multiple reasons. You should be glad I'm willing to do this for you. Surprised, Narudo turned to look at his master once again. Jeriah had since settled down at the base of the tree, fiddling with his own backpack. For me? What? Jeriah looked up from his backpack towards his student, an unreadable expression on his face. You are serious about the Q.B., aren't you? Of course. Naruto's reply was immediate. He didn't even need to think about it. Hell, he'd been thinking about it for over a year, so backing down now was out of the question. Good. Once the fire is going, we sit and wait. Hopefully, we'll only have to be here for one night. I don't think he has a large window of time to meet us. Anyway, Narut sighed as he finished setting up his bedroom, then reached around in his backpack until he located the newest book on ceiling they acquired for him just the other day. He'd spent most of last week putting together his own explosive tags and was happy to report to Jeriah that he'd made all of them without a single problem. They went to test them just the other day, and he was pleased that they all worked as well. The explosion area was quite large, so they didn't stay in the vicinity for long in case anyone decided to come looking. Jeriah seemed to be both proud and a little worry about just how much chakra the teenager had pumped into tags, while Naruto was just glad they weren't duds. He barely made it through the first page he was looking at when there was a rustling to his right. He looked up and to his right just in time to see two of his clones come back through the foliage with their arms full of kindling and dry leaves. Naruto observed as they used his knowledge to quickly build a small dirt barrier for the fire pit, then set down plenty of dried leaves and some of the wood they had gathered. Using an academy level technique to send some sparks onto the leaves, they almost immediately began smoldering. It wasn't long until a full fire was going in the pit and they still had plenty of wood left over. Seeing that their task was complete, the two clones smirked at their boss and quickly dispelled. Jeriah grunted as he climbed to his feet and Narudo watched as his sensei moved closer to the fire and sat down nearby. Realizing that he should probably do the same as they would be running out of sunlight soon, he was about to hop up to his feet when a third clone entered the clearing. He noticed its expression frown a bit before it swiftly moved over to the little pile of wood and promptly dumped its own load, then immediately dispelled. Narudo easily caught the look that Jeriah sent him. "Did your clone just get upset?" "Yeah, looks like it." Narudo chuckled as he climbed to his feet. "They have all of my most recent memories and get my emotions, too. They're just copies of me." So, it was probably telling itself that it would be the first one back and start the fire, but it wasn't. So, it got upset. I would have too. Jeriah let out a snort. Of all things to pout over. It's what keeps me going. This isn't the first time my clones have competed with each other or with me. You've seen a spar? Yeah, they can get pretty ferocious. I'm surprised they're as skilled as they are. Most of mine are only about half as good as me. I think it's because of how much chakra I put into them. The more clones I make, the worse they are, and the shorter they last. If I just make one clone with a lot of chakra, it's almost exactly like I am in every way. Jeriah slowly rubbed his chin as he thought about it. It made sense, and Narudo had enough chakra to go places with techniques that most others could only dream of. Have you figured out the other secret to the shadow clones yet? Narudo shot his sensei a baffled look. Other secret? What are you talking about? Jeriah chuckled to himself, shaking his head. Well, I'm not surprised. It took Saratobi sensei telling me about the secondary function as well before I realized it. You're mature enough now to handle it. I think. Go ahead and dispel your fourth clone, and I'll explain. We have enough firewood for tonight, and we can just munch on rations. Nodding, the blonde closed his eyes and focused on the small chakra link that connected him to his last clone. Finding it, he issued the mental command for it to dispel, which it did. Well, opening his eyes, Naruto looked back to Jeriah. Well, what do you have memories of things that you know you didn't do? Closing his eyes and thinking back, Naruto's face lit up in surprise as he realized he did have memories of leaving their clearing in four different directions. the memories of going out and collecting wood, returning to the camp, prepping the fire, and one point of view even feeling upset at being late. There was, however, one memory that simply blacked out after picking up a branch, and he didn't remember seeing or feeling anything particular from that memory. It was unusual. Still, Naruto brought his hands up to his head and groaned, "I can't believe I didn't notice this before now. Am I an idiot?" That comment caused Jeriah to laugh heartily for several moments, making Nar scowl at the older man. After settling down, Jeriah lifted an arm and gave Nar a hefty pat on the shoulder, still smiling. I wouldn't worry about it too much. The exact same thing happened to me. I think I even said it the same way you did. Nar scoffed. Did the old man laugh at you, too? Jeriah sobered up immediately, which Nar easily noticed. His sensei shook his head as he smiled rofully into the fire. No, he simply gave me a small smile and a little laugh, then pat me on the back and said the exact same thing happened to him. And Tobberama chuckled at him as well. So, you're just the latest in a long line of many. Naruto felt his heart lighten for a moment, proud to be included amongst a group of that caliber before speaking up about his fourth clone. Aerosen, the memories of my last clone go blank in the middle of gathering wood. Do you know what could have happened? I happened. Naruto Kuan. Both Narut and Jeriah looked up across the fire at another figure that moved into their camp scene. At first, Nar couldn't tell who it was as they were dressed all in black and wearing a plain black cloak that covered their features. As they approached and pulled the hood back, Narudo gasped and found himself scooting backwards across the clearing. His expression mixed between panic, anger, and shock. "You," the shinobi standing across the fire, simply gave Nar a small nod, the corner of his lip twitching upward slightly, being the only indication of any amusement. His gaze did not linger on Nar for very long, however, as it promptly switched over to his sensei. You know how risky this is for me to be here. Jeriah sama. For more than one reason, I might add. Jeriah nodded slowly rising to his feet. Sorry, I know. But since you were due to report in anyway, I figured I might as well pick your brain about another matter as well. Understood. I'd appreciate it if you made it fast. I only have a week, so that leaves me 3 days to return to bird country. Jeriah whistled. That's going to be quite the trek for three days. The man was going to say something, but Naruto's shrill shout cut him off. Itachi, what are you doing here? What the hell is going on? Aerosen. The other two shinobi turned to look at the blonde, who had scooted backwards until his back pressed up against a nearby tree. The teen was pointing a finger at Itachi, who now seemed to be looking at Narut with amusement. Should I tell him, Jeriah sama? Jeriah frowned, then grunted as he waved a hand. No, I don't think he'd believe it coming from you. Nar Itachi works for me. The sage watched as the cogs turned in Naruto's head, the ginuriki's face morphing through several expressions rapidly, as if he couldn't decide what he wanted to feel about this situation. His mouth opened and closed several times before he finally figured out what he wanted to say. T. Then why did he try to capture me before with that big guy who looks like a shark? He's in that organization to keep an eye on it and report anything major to me. He needed to come after you to keep up appearances. Though I am curious, Jeriah turned back to Itachi. What would have happened if you managed to capture him? Itachi shook his head. I could sense Sasuke nearby and knew he would distract me long enough for you to show up. The emphasis Itachi placed on the word distract was not lost on the other two shinobi. Jeriah chuckled slightly while Narut appeared to settle down a little, though he was still wary. He knew he still stood no chance against someone like Itachi. So, what do you need me to do, Jeriah? Sama. Jeriah immediately began rattling off some obscure bits of information that Narudo had a hard time following. He knew that at least some of it was related to the ceiling arts, but there were a bunch of things he still didn't understand. Apparently, Itachi was confused about some parts as well since he was asking for clarification on a few things. Unfortunately for the blonde, he still didn't understand when Jeriah clarified. Just as he was getting bored listening to them chatting about things he didn't understand, Jeriah turned to look at him. Nar, go into your mindscape for a moment. Why? Jeriah scowlled lightly. Just do it. You'll see why soon enough. Naruto frowned at the order, but let out a sigh as he closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. Opening them a few seconds later, he found himself in front of the cage that housed the Q.B. once again. Strangely enough, after all this time, he had started considering this place as something like a second home, even if it was supposedly in his own mind. Hey, Q.B. There was a low rumble and a few other noises as the Q.B. likely shifted behind the cage, but otherwise it said nothing, which Narud mused was nothing unusual. I guess you know what's going on out there. Yes. Narudo started pacing back and forth in front of the cage. Just you wait. It will be awesome. You know what will be awesome? Naruto Kuen. Nar promptly pivoted on his feet, staring in shock at the intruder in his mind. How did you get in here? Itachi's head turned so that Nar could see his face clearly and the red glow of the shaing answered that question with no words needing to be spoken. "So, you're the clan killer?" Nar turned to look at the Q.B. through the cage. It had both eyes open and appeared to be staring rather intently at the Aiha through the bars. Yes, I won't be here long. Jerasama simply asked me to inspect some of the more intricate details of the seal, which is more easily done from the source. There were a few moments of silence as Itachi moved his head back and forth, obviously inspecting the cage and likely seeing things that Narudo could only imagine. He was biting his tongue, keeping himself from asking more questions, only to be startled when the Q.B. actually began talking once again. Since you are doing nothing more than you said you would, I believe that not everything was as it seemed when you killed your clan. Correct? Narudo easily noticed Itachi go rigid, but it was promptly corrected. The older Achiha did not answer the Q.B's inquiry, however, causing the Beiju to chuckle slightly. Your silence is answer enough. Interesting. Wait, what's interesting? What are you saying? Itachi shook his head as he turned to face Narudo, his back now directed towards the cage. His eyes appeared to be glowing brighter than they were when he had first arrived. It's nothing you need to concern yourself with, Naruto. When the time comes, you will learn everything you need to know. Arg. Narudo stomped a foot onto the ground in his mind, kicking up a small amount of the watery substance with a little splash. Why does everyone always say that? It's getting so annoying. Itachi offered a hint of a smile. That's life, Naruto. Now, Itachi's eyes faded back to their black color, and the young man let out a sigh. You will forget the entirety of this encounter. I could put you in a jin jutsu to make you forget this meeting, but I have a feeling the Q.B. would not let that come to pass. A low rumbling noise from behind the cage was all the answer Itachi needed. The Aiha closed his eyes and grinned ever so slightly, letting his head dip forward a bit as he shook his head. When he opened them again, he focused on Nar with a serious expression. Get stronger, Naruto Kuan. The people working from the shadows are stronger than you could imagine, and you're too young to rely on Q.B. to bail you out. Next time we meet, we will unfortunately be on opposing sides once more. For what it's worth, I'm sorry. That said, Itachi's form shimmerred, then disappeared from his mindscape without so much as a noise. Naruto simply sighed and scratched the back of his head, then looked up towards the cage and the total blackness behind it. I'm confused. There was another small rumble from behind the bars. I find myself not being surprised. For days later, southern island of water country, Jeriah grunted as the pressure of Q.B's chakra nearly overwhelmed him. The plan was that they tweaked the seal containing Q.Bi so that Narudo could both experiment with his own seals as well as help him to better understand and control the Beiju<unk>s incredible power. Unfortunately, plans can go ary as the current ones seem to be showing him. This was unlike anything he had seen before. Previously, Narudo had always been visible through the red chakra cloak that surrounded him. This time, however, the red chakra had literally burned away Naruto's skin before Jeriah had lost sight of the teen. After a moment of waiting, the amount of chakra pressure permeating the area had crushed down upon him 10fold. Struggling to remain on his feet, the Toad sage adjusted himself into a more battle ready stance. Whenever Naruto decided to appear, he had a feeling that he would be in for the fight of his life. Luckily, he had prepared a few paper seals that should push back the chakra, he had pumped enough of his own chakra, and the seal he was going to use to completely exhaust even himself for several days. His eyes went wide as a deep roar shook many of the rocks near them. He had moved Nar here before they started this in hopes that it would keep them away from any populated areas in water country. As far as he knew, no one lived in the small secluded wasteland where they were camped. That didn't mean that no one would come to investigate the sudden surge of chakra, which gave him another reason to end this quickly. A red chakra appendage with a clenched fist attached to the end of it shot out from the black circle that Naruto was currently inside of. Jeriah leaped to the side just before the fist crashed into the ground next to him, throwing up all kinds of small rocks and dust. Preparing to dodge in midair should it be necessary, he was relieved when the appendage slowly shrank back towards the black circle and disappeared back inside of it. Coming to a landing nearby, he knew just from the looks of the appendage that Nar had gone beyond anything previous. Hopefully, it wasn't more than four tales since he didn't know if he'd be able to handle that on his own. Not to mention that if Nar attacked him, he likely wasn't in complete control anymore, if he even had any control at all right now. Another roar forced the black bubble around the Ginchuriki to burst, and Jeriah could only gape in equal parts amazement and horror as he stared at what Narudo had become. For tales of pure chakra were waving rapidly behind him, and he had crouched down to walk on all fours. He had taken on a distinctly more vulpine appearance, turning into the Beiju contained within him. However, this transformation seemed to be more painful than anything else, as the sage was certain he could make out some moans among the rumbling growls. Reaching into a pocket inside his vest, Jeriah grabbed a seal on a piece of paper, one that should push back the Q.B's chakra and allow Nar to regain control. His original intent was to only use this in case of emergencies, but he was wary about battling against Narud all out while in water country. If they were in fire country, it would be a different matter, though still dangerous. Wasting no more time, Jeriah clenched the seal and promptly sped forward towards Narut. The possessed boy turned his head with huge wide eyes to look at the man as he approached, forcing Jeriah to slow down briefly in case an attack was launched. None was, however, so he promptly picked up speed once again and dashed full tilt towards the boy. Naruto seemed more curious about him, if anything, and appeared to be sitting there and watching him patiently. When Jeriah finally got close enough, he unceremoniously slapped the seal onto Naruto's forehead and waited, tense, for anything to happen. The boy let out a roar, and Jeriah thought he had succeeded, only to see a chakra fist form right underneath Naruto's chin and promptly smash into his chest. He coughed and felt the wind get knocked out of him as several of his ribs gave way and the sage was vaguely aware of flying backwards only to come to a hard stop as his back smashed into what was likely a boulder. Coughing and trying to inhale, Jeriah tasted blood in his mouth and just knew that he was likely coming close to death, if not dying. Cursing his own stupidity, he tried without much success to continue breathing. His rib cage was shattered. Of that there was no doubt. Trying to think of something to do, he realized that he couldn't even move his arms, so there were likely other problems as well. He would have sighed, but not being able to breathe made that an impossibility. To make matters worse, his vision was starting to dim. 3 minutes ago, 6 mi to the east, the fourman squad came to a sudden halt as an eerie pressure started to settle around their shoulders. They all shared a look as they each knew what this feeling was even if they had experienced it under different circumstances. What is Narutkun doing here? It's known within the village that he was traveling with Jeryama. They are probably out here for the same reason we are. Wouldn't you agree, Zabuza? The lanky Jan spared his counterpart a brief look before turning and nodding to one of the other members. We<unk>ll go and investigate. I indirectly owe the kid. So if he's up against something where he's got a call on the QB, I doubt it's a pretty situation. Diamond formation. I'll take point. GMA and Raidu on the sides and Haku bringing up the rear. Let's get there fast. A chorus of agreement met the former missed Shinobi's ears, and he promptly turned in the direction where the feeling was coming from, taking off like a rocket as dust and gravel was kicked up under their feet. The area of the island they were on contained a dormant volcano. However, most of the area was still nothing more than rocks and other debris. The hills were easy to get lost in as well, so pinpointing Naruto's exact position would be slightly difficult since the power was so completely overwhelming. Due to the amount of gravel-sized rocks around, footing could be treacherous, as well to all but the most experienced in chakra control. Luckily, it didn't take as long as any of them thought it might since there was a trail of what looked to be smoke rising in the distance, and the aura of power seemed to originate from that location. Pouring on even more speed, Zabuza didn't look back to see if the rest of the squad was keeping up with him. He'd been itching for a real fight for a while now, and if Naruto was fighting, he'd be more than happy to jump in and assist. After cresting the next ridge, though, he stopped short as the source of the power came into view. There was a black ball with a trail of smoke coming from it and Jeriah of the Densetsu no Sanmine was standing a respectable distance from it. Wh what's going on? Zabuza turned to realized that the other three members of his squad were lined up to his left. Rau, the one next to him was the one who asked the question, but before he could say anything, Gimma shook his head and answered him. That's definitely Naruto's power. It's probably just Jeriah sama testing him. A roar interrupted anything else that might have been said, and a concussive wave from the sound forced them to all take a step backwards to keep from being knocked over. The squad continued watching the scene unfold, only for all of them to stare in shock as Jeriah moved up close to the cloaked Naruto, then quickly get sent backwards, crashing into a nearby boulder. Right as Jeriah went flying, Narut began howling in earnest as he clutched at his forehead. Well, crap. Haku, go and check on the old man. Raidu GMA on me. Hopefully, we can stop Nar before this gets out of hand. He didn't wait for affirmatives as he burst forward, coming to a stop right in front of the howling teenager. Nar, can you hear me? The howling stopped for a moment, and Zabuza felt unsteady as the eerie white eyes looked him over once before the boy grunted, then started moaning and clutching at his head again, reaching over his shoulder to grab his sword. Zabuza only stopped when he realized that one of the tails was disappearing. Zabuza, how should we do this? None of us have any suppression abilities. The squad leader tossed Gimma a quick glance before looking at Narudo once again, realizing that the remaining three tails all look shorter. We wait. It looks like something is happening. Sure enough, once the tails had completely receded, the red and black chakra began pulling away from the rest of Naruto's body. The groaning and whimpering continued unabated, especially as Naruto's face became visible. His eyes were screwed shut and a constant grimace took hold of his features. As the remainder of the chakra cleared, a white note that had the word seal scrolled on it revealed itself on Naruto's forehead and promptly fell to the ground when all of the Q.B's chakra had receded. Naruto stood unsteadily on his feet for several seconds after that and GMA and Raida quickly rushed in from the sides to catch his arms and set the teen down gently. Zabuza leaned over and felt Naruto's neck, searching for a pulse. Finding one, he pulled his hand back and nodded to the others. He's alive. Looks like the chakra burned his skin, though. Doesn't seem like he has control, huh? Raid shook his head. It's known by most of the shinobi of Kenoha that he doesn't, but I'm surprised Jeriah sama allowed it to get this far. Zabuza shrugged and looked towards the older man who was laying on the ground nearby. Haku had apparently finished up as the young man was walking over towards their group. I'm sure the man had his reasons if he planned for this. That is, "What's the situation?" Haku. The effeminate teen nodded as he approached, then quickly settled down next to Narut, checking him over. Jeriah sama had many broken ribs, but was otherwise very lucky. I fixed them as best I could out here without a backup, so he will need proper medical attention. The sooner the better. As for Naruto Kuan, it just looks like his skin is burnt. I can fix that easily," Zabuza grunted, then looked at the other two. You guys help me prepare the old man for transport to a medical facility while Haku finishes up with Nar. I think there was a hospital in our last town, so we'll have to backtrack a bit. No sooner had the other three moved off, Nar groaned and slowly opened his eyes. What? Ugg! What happened? It seems that you used four tales worth of power when you were not prepared for it. Blinking, Narut looked at a face he recognized, but couldn't place a name. Hey, I I know you. You're your um Haku. We met and fought briefly in wave country. Yeah, Haku. Naruto breathed in heavily for several moments, closing his eyes and obviously thinking for several moments while Haku worked on healing him. It looks like you got your arm reattached successfully. Yes, the doctors in Kenoha performed the operation as we hoped. I got most of the mobility in it back thanks to them as well. Narudo smiled and opened his eyes again as he winced. All of his skin still felt like it was on fire. Glad to hear it. How did you get here anyway? Did you go back to the mist village? The blonde heard Haku chuckle, then winced as a bright light flashed in his eyes momentarily. Blinking a few times, Narut slowly focused on what it was that was causing the reflection and let out a coughing laugh when he realized it was a Kenoha forehead protector that was wrapped around the arm that Haku had lost that day on the bridge. We had a mission to come out here to establish what has happened and missed. I'm assuming you and Jeriah Sama are out here for the same reason. Naruto nodded slowly, letting his head rest back down on the hard earth. There were rumors that the fourth Mizukage died not too long ago. Arosen wanted to verify it, so we were meeting with some people to find out. He blinked once, then quickly spoke up again before Haku could say anything. Oh yeah, is he okay? What happened? Haku simply looked puzzled. Arrow Sen. Narut simply chuckled. Yeah, that's my nickname for Jeriah Jazison. He's an old pervert. I I see. Well then, yes, we are out here for the same reason. Jeriah sama is in stable condition as well. You injured him, but I fixed the worst of his injuries already. H Thank you. Narudo went silent, feeling remorseful as Haku continued to heal the burns, most of which felt like they were gone. He couldn't believe that Haku was a kinoa shinobi. Now, Sasuke would be surprised if he didn't already know. Those thoughts eventually reminded him of something else. Hey, what happened to Zabuza? What? Oh, he's our squad leader. Eh, Zabuza joined, too. How? Haku chuckled again as he pulled away from healing Narudo, helping the younger teen sit up. We were being kept in Kenoha for a while on the grounds of having potential information, but we both really understood it was because of my bloodline. Then one day, God hokag sama came to me and offered to fully restore the mobility of my arm and offer permanent asylum if both myself and Zabuza sama would join Kohaa's forces. Haku continued helping Nar as he talked, stabilizing the teen who was wobbling a bit as he climbed to his feet. It all really changed that day, especially once I went to ask Zabuza sama what he thought about staying in Kenoha for a while. 3 weeks later, an island near sea country. The bright colored sand under his fingers shifted as Narut took his time drawing seal designs in the fine grains of the beach. Any noise this action would produce was drowned out by the ambient noise of the sea as small waves crashed upon the shore. Jeriah had brought them to one of the minor outlying islands of sea country that was supposedly uninhabited. The reason for this was twofold. It gave plenty of free space where Narudo could practice his fu and jutsu without being bothered. Secondly, in case something did happen with what they were going to try, the collateral damage would be kept low. Narudo had spent the last several hours drawing the design for the seal needed into the sand on a part of the beach. After months of study, he was fairly sure that he had found the proper adjustments needed for his current seal to allow him more control over what happened with Q. And not in a negative way, either. As for Jeriah, he had been wandering around the current island they were on during that time, supposedly checking to make sure that no one lived on the island like the main island inhabitants claimed. Strangely enough, just as Narudo put the finishing touches on the array he had been working on, his sensei had come from around the side of the beach where he was, giggling as he scribbled furiously in one of his many notebooks. Frowning, the blonde watched as the white-haired older man gradually approached, then paused for a moment, as if thinking about something. A few seconds later, he grinned leerously once again and began writing like a madman. Aerosen HM. Oh, hey, Nar. The man didn't even look up, but continued writing instead. Let me tell you, there is a really nice view on one of the other islands southeast of here. The ladies seem to be enjoying themselves a lot. While not exactly a total pervert like Jeriah, Naruto appreciated the fairer of the two sexes most certainly. Various images quickly passed through his mind before shaking his head and even frowning a little. We came out here to get away from other people. If you can see them, aren't they a little close for comfort? Jeriah slowly stopped scribbling, looking at Nar and squinting for a moment. After having a staring contest with his charge for a few seconds, the man shook his head. I had to use my telescope and even then I couldn't see very well. This island is uninhabited and isolated from all the others which is just what we need. If QB somehow gets loose, I've set containment seals all around the perimeter of the island so it wouldn't be going anywhere except back inside you or me if it became necessary. Though the chakra would slowly burn me inside out, so I'd need to hightail it to Kohaa. Narudo nodded and turned back towards his sealed design in the sand. Walking over to a backpack with his items, he rummaged around for a few seconds and pulled out a large bottle of ink. Moving back over to the sealed design, he took the cap off the container and slowly tilted it so that a thin line of ink streamed from the opening. Moving swiftly, he stepped around the design, the ink taking to the guided course in the sand that Naruto's fingertips had made. His face scrunched up in concentration. Narudo carefully filled in the entire drawn outline of the seal in the sand. The reason for doing it this way was once again twofold. The most important was the malleability of the sand itself. It helped to draw a rough outline in a medium before actually using the ink. A person was less likely to waste ink and possibly paper that way. The second was for both pride and secrecy. The ink wouldn't last long in the sand, especially not with the incoming tide. Once the seal was used, that was it. Except in rare cases, it would be easy to remove any trace of this seal having ever been here. Most seal artisans wanted to keep their unique seals to themselves or close friends and not have others reverse engineer them for their own purposes. Jeriah watched carefully as Narudo finished up, then replaced the cap on the ink container and set it down in the sand next to his pack. Jumping up, the blonde teen focused for a second, then leaped up into the air and landed right in the middle of the seal in a small closed circle. Bringing his hands together into a now very familiar cross-shaped sign, he focused yet again, longer than the last time, and shouted out the name of his signature technique. There was a cloud of smoke, as was typical whenever Nar created a shadow clone. After it cleared, Nar and Jeriah both stood there and stared as the clone stared right back at them. It was Naruto who took a step forward, waving his hands slightly, his eyes slightly squinted as he looked at the clone. Well, did it work? Or are you me? The clone simply blinked at Nar for a moment, then slowly looked down at the ground, then the surroundings, and finally raised its hands, looking at them somewhat curiously. Finally, it spoke, and while it sounded like Naruto's voice, it was also slightly deeper. What is this? You mean it actually worked? Are you QB? It was Jeriah who spoke this time. Both his expression and his voice gave away how shocked he was. Of course, I am. What is the meaning of this? How can I exist like this? I don't feel my chakra at all. The voice started growing in pitch, but Nar ignored it, instead cheering and quickly embracing the clone. At first, the QB clone looked at the side of Naruto's head with a completely blank look before promptly placing its hands between them and roughly forcing the blonde teen away. "What have you done, Nar? I thought your plan was to free my form from the seal temporarily, not place my mind into this this abomination." Nar simply laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Getting you out is a little more complicated than I thought it would be. But I thought getting you out for a little bit, even if it's in one of my clones, would be better than making you sit in there and wait. You mean Dash? Narudo waved his hands in front of him, looking slightly panicked as the Q.B. stared at him with something resembling a glare. It was hard to tell since he was used to looking at expressions on a face that always looked like it was angry and in the form of a fox. I'm still working on it, though, I promise. I wanted to do something that was temporary first, just to let you get outside. That's all right, Aerosen. Jeriah simply chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. I was going along with your ideas, brat. I wasn't completely sure what you had in mind, but I wasn't going to be surprised if a giant red fox suddenly showed up. I'm kind of glad that didn't happen, though, because that would just cause panic if anyone saw it. The older man turned his gaze onto the Q. Clone, looking curious. How does it feel, QB? The clone's face scrunched up in yet another expression. This one resembling distaste. I do not know how to explain it. Uncomfortable perhaps. I cannot feel any of my own chakra. What did you do to me, Narudo? The blonde in question shrugged. I figured out a way to link a summoning technique to the seal that keeps you contained inside me. However, like most summoning techniques, it uses the summoner's chakra to initiate the summoning transfer, and the summon finishes it using their own. The problem was that your chakra can't leave the seal so I could summon you, but you wouldn't have a body to go into. That would be bad. So, you made one of your clones and dumped me into that. I see. Q.B. gained a calculating look, staring at the seal that Nar had placed on the ground before performing the technique. Naruto heard Jeriah chuckle a little from behind him. I've got to say I'm impressed. I don't think I would have thought of doing that. I probably would have gone for broke trying to get all of the Q.B. out or nothing at all. The blonde rubbed the back of his head and grinned, blushing at the praise. He quickly stopped thinking about it. However, when QB crouched down and started tracing fingers over the sealed design on the ground, "What's up?" At first, Q.B. didn't respond. Eventually, the fingers stopped tracing, and the occupied clone raised its head to look at him. Naruto's own eyes widened slightly when he saw the Q.B.'s eyes staring at him. They were still his own striking blue color, but the pupils were no longer round. They were the sharp slits that Naruto usually saw from behind the cage. I find myself having to admit that even I am somewhat impressed, if such a thing is possible. I am forced to wonder why no one has ever thought of something like this before. Standing up, Q.Bi looked around the beach and then up at the sky before talking again. I don't understand why, but I believe I'm feeling something that you humans call gratitude. Whatever. I must think on this. Before either Naruto or Jeriah could say another word, the clone promptly dispelled. Both Shinobi stood still for a moment and stared at the spot where Q.Bi dispelled itself before Nar suddenly jumped up and began cheering. Wo there, kid. Settle down. You did good, but you still have a lot of work to do. Remember, the hermit sighed with a resigned smile on his face as Narudo tore down the beach towards the water, still cheering. Oh well, he could let the kid celebrate for a little while. Two months later, an oasis in the deserts of Wind Country. Aw, I'm so thirsty. Jeriah chuckled as he looked up from his notes, squinting in the bright sunlight as he watched the teen drop his packs and sprint for the small lake. He still couldn't get over his shock at how Narudo had turned down his offer to get him a new orange outfit since his old ones were getting all worn out. Not to mention the fact that the boy finally hit his growth spurt. At first, he had looked so excited about getting a new outfit, but his expression had become sullen as he stared at a new orange and black ensemble. He mumbled something under his breath, and Jeriah thought he heard the Q.B mentioned, but he didn't ask for the teen to repeat. Then to his surprise, Narudo came back with something that actually seemed like decent shinobi gear. Black pants and shirt with mesh underneath and a dark green vest to go over the shirt. The vest was a simple thing with only two pockets. It was obviously made for civilian use, but Narudo had since placed various seals all over the place. Some of the seals Narudo was using Jeriah had never even seen before. He wanted to ask about them, but was willing to let his student keep some things to himself and share only if he wanted to. He thought all of the orange was gone, but there was one strip of cloth that had made its way into the pile. After going into the changing room and coming out, apparently Nar decided he needed some orange after all and had that strip of cloth tied around his left bicep. The sage couldn't help but snicker and paid for it later when Nar decided to prank him the next time he left to do research. Aosen Jera started as he felt a punch against his arm. Apparently, he had been so deep in thought that he had ignored his student. Not a wise thing to do knowing the things Naruto was capable of when he wanted a person's attention. Huh? Sorry. What's up? I said, do you think I can try the modified version of the summoning seal I've been working on all week? Is it safe here? I'll check. Give me a moment. Exhaling and calming himself, Jeriah slowly began to draw on the power of nature around him. Entering what was dubbed sage mode by the toads was always a risky proposition, but he'd been getting a lot of practice recently when he had to make sure no one was around just in case Narudo had an error with his seals. He didn't need to enter fully into the mode, just enough to be able to detect human chakra sources nearby, most of which stuck out like a sore thumb when compared to natural energy. Unfortunately, it would be a little tricky in the desert as even natural energy tended to be very thin here. I can't sense anyone within a few kilometers of here. You should be fine. Naruto nodded and then turned away likely to go prepare for the summoning, but then stopped and looked back over his shoulder. Hey, can you teach me how to do that sense thing that you've been doing? Jeriah blinked at his student for a moment before chuckling and shaking his head. I'd love to teach you, but you need to be a little older and have a better grasp over your chakra than you do now. If you attempt to learn what I need to teach you too early, it could damage your chakra coils by crushing them, or you could be turned to stone. Naruto looked shocked and seemed to pale, but it was hard to tell in the bright light. Okay, never mind then. I'll ask again later, chuckling, the white-haired man watched as Narudo walked away from the water of the oasis and towards the nearby sand. He had to admit that he was amazed by the blond's progress with Funjutsu and was curious if it was something in the Uzumaki blood or if it was something he inherited from both parents. Even though the teen still didn't know who they were, something Jeriah vowed to tell the boy before they got back to Kenoha if he found the opportunity. He had likely been lucky enough to inherit his mother's understanding and his father's ingenuity. Kusha was superb at fing jutsu by all rights. But it was a skill that every Yuzumaki was very well-versed in as it was the forte of their clan. Minato, on the other hand, was a genius and able to bend the rules of everything Kushinet taught him to make it his own. Hatian was the man's signature technique, and Jeriah laughed every time when he remembered that it was created totally by accident. He watched as Narudo skillfully made swift lines in the sand, never moving his fingertips away to check his work, almost as if he knew exactly what he wanted to do and what was the next turn he wanted to make. Surprisingly, this seal so far seemed much smaller than the last time. Apparently, Narudo had figured out a way to change what he had done before back in sea country. All things considered, it made sense. Jeriah had suspended Naruto's other training because the team requested some free time to study Fujutsu more in death. Whenever they weren't traveling, he would see Naruto's nose in a book or making some kind of notes of his own or even asking for advice. It was surreal since the teen could still be an immature, hyperactive brat at times. But as soon as he focused to Jeriah, it felt like teaching Monado all over again. Besides that, Narudo had figured out about using his shadow clones for training. At the end of last week, he found out the hard way that reading with clones is not the same as physically training with them. However, as his mental fortitude could not handle the encyclopedia worth of information dumped on his brain, he was promptly knocked into unconsciousness and was there for 8 hours, and he barely remembered anything after waking up. The best way to learn with shadow clones was with hands-on experience, so he generally read up on techniques while the clones practiced them. Before Jeriah realized it, the blonde was forming the hand sign and summoning another clone. Involuntarily holding his breath, he waited for the small amount of smoke to clear and was finding himself almost disappointed when the clone looked exactly like Narudo once again. Nothing was said between the summoner and the clone for several drawn out moments. The two simply stared at each other, as if they were communicating mentally. Jeriah's eyes opened wide as he thought more and more about the implications of that and decided to find out if that was really what was going on. Hey you two, how's about sharing the conversation with the third party? Both blondes turned to look at him, but to his surprise, it was the Q.B. that asked another question, and a rather simple one at that. Why? Jeriah's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of the water a few times before he found his voice again. Well, I am Naruto's sensei, correct? Shouldn't I know what's going on in case he needs any help with anything? The QB clone's face twitched and settled into something resembling a grimace while staring at him. It is not something you need to know about at this time, told Sage. He will tell you when it works properly. Once again, Jeriah found himself dumbfounded. He was expecting a Q.B. that would shred everything in sight to pieces once it got any kind of freedom. But this one was actually sparring with him verbally. Well, so long as it wasn't actually Naruto playing some kind of elaborate prank on him. The blonde did currently have a very amused look on his face. But still, those seals were definitely real enough. And this clone did have something slightly different about it. So, can you at least tell me what's changed? This clone feels a bit different from the others, but it doesn't remind me of quite what Q.B.'s chakra feels like. That's because Narudo managed to pull enough of my chakra through the seal and put it in this clone to reinforce it. If possible, it feels more natural to me as well. The last time, my consciousness was essentially prisoner to Naruto's chakra. This time, I have some of my own to control and mold Naruto's chakra in this clone as long as he allows it. Jeriah listened carefully as the Q.B. talked. It was almost a surreal experience, and even Nar seemed to be surprised at how much the Q.B was saying if his expression and posture was any indication. Then all at once, something seemed to click in the sage's head. Wait, have you been helping him with the seals? Q.B. simply stared at Jeriah. Deadpen. Of course, but last time you were out here, you didn't seem to believe what had happened was possible. I did not know what Narut meant when he spoke of summoning me, much like you didn't. When I finally understood what he was trying to do, I decided to help guide his studies. That is all. Before Jeriah could make any reply, there was another brief cloud of smoke that surrounded the Q.B. Clone. When the light smoke cleared, both Shinobi stared in shock as the clone did not look like Naruto any longer. Instead, now it had the appearance of a human who was in their late 20s to early 30s. Dark red hair that turned black at the ends, which went down to the middle of his or her back. At first, Jeriah thought it was a female because of facial features and the length of their hair, but then upon further inspection, he quickly noticed it had no bust to speak of. If nothing else, the figure was completely androgynous. The clothes were relatively old-fashioned, however, of that there was no denying. You both can stop examining me now. This is a form I once used. Since I have some of my chakra with me, I can apply a transformation to Naruto's clone. This new form's voice was surprisingly light and soft compared to what Narut claimed Q.B's voice normally sounded like or even when it was using Naruto's own voice. Narudo voiced his opinion before Jeriah could. Wow. When did this happen? I've never seen you like this before. Jeriah watched amazed as the new figure looked at Nar with now bright red eyes and gave him a tiny ghost of a smile. What? Did you think I always traveled around as a huge fox? 15. Five months later, southern rice field country. Naruto let out a grunt as he was pushed backwards, his feet digging into the ground behind him in order to keep his body from toppling over. His current sparring partner certainly had no desire to pull any punches. Even when he was obviously caught off guard, he was granted no reprieve either. The moment Narudo steadied himself, his opponent quickly lashed out with a brutal series of swipes, staggering him until he tried to move backwards again, only to find himself backed up against a tree. That's three. You have lost again. The blonde shinobi let out a sigh as he rubbed his throbbing forearms, sliding down along the side of the trunk until he was sitting on the soft dirt at the base of the tree. Every time I think I see an opening, you catch it and hit me. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Q.B. stared down at Naruto with its bright red eyes, frowning. It's called baiting, and you always fall for it. I have won our last 36 spars. I was expecting you to best me, or at least come close in one of them by now. Not using your shadow clone should not [ __ ] you to this degree. You've been keeping track. Naruto's voice was a mix between embarrassment and indignation. If I could use the clones, I would have won by now. Of course. I know how you are when it comes to competition, even if you don't like to admit it. You have changed since you were younger, but not that much. As for the clones, there may come a time when you will not have the opportunity to use them and will need to rely on your own body. That is what I am trying to teach you. Besides, the clones are only as skilled as their creator. Naruto stared at Q.B's 's typically expressionless face for a moment before closing his eyes and nodding. He heard the Beiju snort, then begin to walk away, the grass rustling under its feet. It was odd for him to still think of the Q.B. as an hit, but the Beiju was still strangely determined about not being classified by human gender terms. Then again, its current look was so androgynous that it was hard to decide on what gender to use. Anyway, Q.B.'s human face reminded Naruto of Haku in a way, as it could be classified as either male or female, more likely female if you couldn't see the rest of the body that was attached to it. Q.B.'s build was rather live and seemed to be able to bend in ways that Narut knew would likely break or severely strain his own bones and muscles if he tried. Having a form that was made entirely of chakra likely came with the bonus of not being inhibited by such things. The spars they had been doing lately were only possible because of Naruto's growing skill in fujutsu. Even Jeriah had been astounded with the progress, though he chocked up much of the blonde success to the constant use of shadow clones. They had come in handy for things other than fujutsu practice as well. Every other shinobi discipline that Jeriah was trying to pound into his skull was moving forward at a rapid pace. After taking time off from training to work exclusively on Fenjutsu for a while, Jeriah told him that they were quickly catching up to where he planned on being by this time in his training. His fian jutsu now allowed him to send a marginal amount of Q.B's chakra into his own clone, the one Q.Bi inhabited whenever Narudo summoned it. At first, the Beiju appeared agitated about being summoned on a near daily basis, but eventually became accustomed to it and even seemed to expect and even anticipate the summons after a few months. Naruto had noticed some other changes about the Q.B. as well. While it never pulled punches in spars, feeling this pain will not only make you stronger, but you will likely also want to avoid feeling it again. It still seemed to genuinely care for Naruto's well-being in an odd way. Not just because if he died, Q.B. apparently died as well. But as they interacted more and more, it seemed as though Q.B. would often be analyzing him. Perhaps he was looking into it too much, and it really was nothing more than the Beiju trying to make him a stronger ginuriki. Are you quite done examining my behavior? Narudo quickly sat upright, his eyes opening to see Q.B. frowning at him from the opposite side of their clearing. I was broadcasting very loudly. Oops. I didn't know I was. He heard Q.B. snort once again. this time in his mind. Obviously, come follow me. There is something here you may be interested to see. Offering a mental nod, Narut quickly hopped up towards his feet and joged towards the other side of the clearing where Q.B. began swiftly moving through the trees. The mental connection they shared was yet another thing he had added into his special summon, courtesy of direction from the Q.Bi. When he originally asked why, the Beiju had surprised him, saying there were some things that it may have to tell Narudo which others didn't need to know, including Jeriah. Narudo wasn't sure if he should have considered it as a symbol of trust or pragmatism, but it still did a good job of making him feel special. It didn't take long for the blonde to reach an opening in the trees, or more accurately, the end of the tree lean. The line itself was easily visible once he was able to look around more. Q.B. was standing up at the top of a little hill not too far away, beckoning for him to come closer. Doing as instructed, he swiftly moved over or around a few smaller trees, shrubs, and rocks in his way to the top of the hill. He wasn't expecting the hill to suddenly stop, however, and if it wasn't for Q. sticking an arm out. He might have barreled right over the edge of the cliff. It was a breathtaking sight looking out over the edge, it was easily a 100 meter drop, probably bigger. It was obviously not a natural valley. The sides of it were a bit too smooth, and down below, there was no river running through the middle of it. There were no trees either. From what he could see, it was all tall grasses or bushes. There was another cliff on the other side of the clearing, which was about 40 m away, though it was barely half the height of the one they were on. Wow. It doesn't look natural, but it's still cool. Hm. Q.B.'s voice came across fairly monotone as usual, but there seemed to be a hint of pride to it when the Beiju spoke. It is not natural because I made it. Naruto's head shifted around so fast, he probably came close to breaking his own neck. What? Why? As if prepared for this question, the redhead began talking right away. It was here long ago that I fought and fatally injured the host of the Hachibi. Kimogakir located me and wished to capture me for their own purposes and brought a fairly large force along with the Hachibi Ginuriki to do it. They failed obviously and lost the life of their host once they extracted the Hachibi from him since I crippled said host beyond redemption. Unfortunately, since my location was revealed, I knew it was only a matter of time before others would come. One did. Who? Q.Bi was silent for a moment and Narudo pouted, figuring it was one of those things that he wouldn't get the answer to yet. Sighing and turning to look out over the valley again, he was surprised to hear the Q.B. speak in a more subdued voice, which was highly unusual. His name is Aiha Madara, Yuachiha, like Sasuke and Itachi. Correct. Was it just him or did Kohaa forces come with him? Q.B. chuckled. Another thing it did rarely, but it had been doing more often over the past few months. He had already exiled himself from Kenoha a while beforehand from what I knew. He came alone and subdued me alone. Nar just stared incredulous at what Q.Bi was saying. There was someone able to subdue the most powerful of all the Beiju alone. He had a hard enough time just handling three tales. Q.B. noticed Naruto's discomfort as it nodded and turned to go back down the hill. This is why you are training Naruto. People like Madara are ones you will have to face likely sooner than we may realize if what Atachi said had any merit. Come, it's time for more training. The sage should be back soon as well. Narudo followed behind the Beiju silently. Jeriah had told him more about the people of that organization. Akatsuki. Things would definitely get worse before they ever got better. That was for certain. Six weeks later, Iron Country border post with Lightning Country. Jeriah chuckled as he left the border post of Lightning Country. The stiff drowning guards making him glad most of Kenoha's forces didn't act like they constantly had a stick shoved up their asses. Cloud was known for their tightly structured military, however, so it didn't really surprise him much. The fact that one of the Densetsu no Sanin was in their backyard for a while likely also had them tense. The sage grumbled and rubbed his arms underneath his cloak as a breeze kicked up. It was already cold in Iron Country, as was the norm for this particular area. Unfortunately, it was starting to snow. And while not a bad sign, it was certainly an inconvenient one if there was a lot of accumulation. Finished already, jumping up slightly. Jeriah whirled around to see a woman standing not too far away from him. a woman that looked rather familiar due to the length of her hair, its deep red color with black ends, and her bright, almost glowing red eyes. The facial features were bordering on what Jeriah would have considered regal, strong jawline, dainty nose, pouty lips, thin eyebrows. It was as far as he had ever been concerned. The works. If he didn't know who it really was, he would have been smitten. Kubi, good. So, I am still recognizable. Jeriah nodded slowly, his eyes going up and down over the Q.B's new form several times. It was definitely more womanly than before by far. The Beiju had apparently decided to update its outfit as well in such a way that nicely complimented its full hourglass figure. Not to mention the subtle emphasis placed on its chest. Very nice. If you're ogling me that much, it means I was correct in my decision. Now, let's get back to camp before the snow gets heavier. The sage nodded, noting that his mouth was suddenly a bit dry. Q.B's new form was giving him ideas, however, and he casually reached into one of his vest pockets to grab his pencil and notebook. What are you doing? Uh, taking notes about Jeriah briefly contemplated telling a lie, but he was unsure exactly how the Q.B. would interpret what he was going to say or what it would do to him when it found out he lied. So he decided to go with the simple truth. Seeing you in that form gave me inspiration for my book. Q.B. was silent, but Juraya refused to turn and look at the Beiju, mostly out of fear for the look it may have been giving him. Even though it was cold outside, he could feel sweat starting to form on his brow. Human literature. It has been a while since I've paid attention to any. Naruto doesn't really read much other than textbooks and technique scrolls, so I ignore most of it. Strangely, Jeriah didn't feel any calmer. Well, my literature is known to cover a rather unique field in the book world. Some drama, some humor, and some um sex. The silence dragged on for what felt like an eternity. I suppose I did well by choosing this form. Then, if you're willing to write about it in such a manner, at least I know I will be able to get your attention when it is needed. Perhaps I should read your work when it is finished. Jeriah gulped and nodded slowly, thinking it might be best to change the subject now. Ah, what about Nar? Has he seen you yet? No, really. I thought you'd show him first. Q.B. chuckled. Jeriah found himself enjoying that sound and just realized that the Beiju's voice hadn't really changed a whole lot from its previous form, but it most certainly had a more feminine tone to it now. I know as an adult human you would understand your species traits better than Naruto. If this form will grab your attention, then it will certainly hold his. It has been something I've been pondering about for several weeks as I sparred with him. Jeriah looked at Q.B. shocked. You did this for Narudo. The redhead looked back at Jeriah as they walked and nodded. Expression serious. Yes. I don't think he has had enough experience fighting human females. I took this form so that he could get that required experience. Even though Shinobi are supposed to ignore the gender of their opponent, I know for a fact that does not happen. The older white-haired man nodded, understanding completely. Some opponents he had faced in the past were definitely lookers, and the only reason he didn't look for too long was because was on his team. He had plenty to look at any time he wanted to. Usually, there were a few incidents that he wasn't terribly keen about remembering. The two of them continued walking in silence for a while longer. The only noise being the crunch of their feet on freshly fallen snow and the occasional screeching noise as Jeriah scribbled a few notes here and there. Unfortunately, he found his desire to write using the Q.B. lacking, especially after hearing the Beiju tell him that it would read it after he was done. The fact that it actually seemed interested in what he wrote surprised him, but not as much as he was expecting it to. While the redhead had so far been close to emotionless, there were a few moments where it seemed like it wanted to behave differently, as if it was catching itself. The only reason he caught these moments were because of his profession, and he was an expert at understanding body language. Perhaps it would be something to ask later, sometime before they headed back to Kenoha. I have a question for you, Sage. Surprised, Jeriah turned his head to look at the Q.B., who was still staring straight ahead, though its arms were folded under its now generous chest. Jeriah found that he had to forcefully tear his eyes away and stare straight ahead again. Yes, there was another few seconds of drawn out silence before the Beiju spoke. "I know this may seem random, but what is your reasoning for not telling Nar about his parentage?" Jeriah stopped short, his face having gone slack. As if it was expecting this, Q.Bi had stopped walking at nearly the same time, watching him intently. I'm actually surprised you didn't tell him a long time ago. Our reason for not telling him was for his own protection. He'd have more than Akatsuki after him if word about who his parents were got out. When he was younger, he wasn't exactly known for being quiet. QB nodded, then looked up towards the snowing sky. I see though it was the circumstances he was placed under that made him that way. I know. Believe me, do I know? Jeriah sighed, shaking his head. I was planning on telling him before we went back to Kenoha. Are you okay with that? He wasn't sure, but he could have sworn that he heard the Q.B. inhale sharply. It was a long moment before the Beiju lowered its gaze, piercing him with bright red eyes. As far as I am concerned, my only responsibility is making sure that he is adequate enough in combat so that he doesn't get himself killed. For everything else, you may do as you wish. Jeriah had a feeling there was more to it than what Q.B. was saying, as what it had just told him made a lot more questions pop into his mind. Foremost being why it was worried about Narudo staying alive in the first place. Should I just tell him when we get back to the inn then? QB hummed before replying. That may be prudent. Get it out of the way now. I'm certain he will have some venting to do. I would not be surprised if he gets angry. Wouldn't that benefit you? No. Angering Narudo benefits no one, least of all myself. It just makes him easier to subdue if he cannot fight properly. I was always led to believe your chakra was led by anger. Q.B. glanced at Jeriah briefly before answering. One thing that has always interested me about humanity is that you must affix a label to that which you either fear or cannot understand. My chakra is simply the focused primal energies of nature, nothing more. It is on such a grand scale and so powerful that I have been told it feels dark, heavy, and oppressing to those who do not understand the source. Hence why my brethren and I have been classified as demons, though we are nothing of the sort. Once again, Jeriah found himself completely stupified. All this time, the Beiju were believed to be harbingers of doom. Their chakra powerful enough to burn anyone who touched it, and it was simply an error in judgment and understanding. Why didn't you or any of the other Beiju try to clarify? You allowed us to believe you were all monsters. Does it really matter? Who would have believed us? We were simply content to live out a solitary existence as was our guidance from the sage of six paths. Unfortunately, however, it was not long before his teachings were bastardized and we were hunted down. But that is a story for another time. We should get to Narudo. He is getting antsy. How do Oh yeah, that mental thing you two do. Yes. He has asked me where we are at least five times since I informed him that we met up. Jeriah found himself chuckling, even though he was once again surprised that Q.B. was apparently able to handle two simultaneous conversations. Very well. I guess we should move faster then. Nodding, his companion said nothing, but immediately took off down the path at a decent clip, kicking up snow behind it. Sighing, the sage stealed himself for the conversation that he knew was to come. 30 minutes later, and in within a small hamlet, Iron Country, welcome BA back. Both QB and Jeriah nodded to Nar as they entered their large room. Jeriah was breathing heavily and red in the face, likely from both exertion and the cold outside, whereas Q.B. looked completely normal, other than the fact that it now apparently looked like a human woman. Kubi, why do you look like um that? Naruto knew he had to be blushing and nervous even though he shouldn't. He kept forcing his eyes to drift away from Q.Bi as it was very attractive in its current form, making him feel strangely uncomfortable. The Beiju must have easily picked up on his discomfort as it snorted and stalked over towards the window in their room, looking outside. I look like this for the exact reason you're acting like a fool. Now, you need to be prepared to encounter other humans of all kinds, and that includes the females of your species. What will happen the moment an enemy Kunoichi tries to seduce you? Naruto's eyes became saucers. You're you're going to SS seduce me. Do not be ridiculous. Q.B growled and brought a hand up, rubbing its face in a show of irritation. Perhaps this is working a bit too well. Explain, Sage. Jeriah blinked as Nar promptly whirled to look at his sensei, face openly curious. Nar, you have plenty of experience fighting Shinobi, but you haven't fought any Kunoichi yet, have you? The blonde slowly shook his head. Not really. Unless you count Sakurachan andsunade Bachan. Jeriah waved a hand and scowlled slightly. No, they don't count. I already know that you pull punches with your teammate and as you are now sununady could still beat you easily if she actually tried. He gestured towards the window. That's where QBI comes in. You were already blushing as soon as you saw her. I mean it. Because of Dash. The man was going to continue explaining but the Beiju cut him off. No, it would probably be best if you referred to me as a female for the foreseeable future anyway. Naruto looked mildly surprised at this revelation, but Jeriah's eyes narrowed in curiosity. Are you sure? I thought you didn't have a gender. I don't. Q.B turned away from the window and looked back and forth between the both of them before continuing. However, it is within my understanding that we will start coming in contact with your human civilization more frequently as we approach the return date. I do not believe it would be wise to continue referring to myself as it and Q.Bi. Therefore, I will need an identity and gender established. Jeriah nodded, rubbing his chin as he started to grin. Yeah, it would make sense. Besides, it's not going to go well in Kenoha if Nar starts calling you Q. Within the middle of the village, being in a female form will also help him become accustomed to being near and fighting with a powerful Kunoichi. Jeriah's grin slowly morphed into a lear. Besides, you're the most attractive woman I've laid my eyes on in a while. Naruto obviously wasn't sure if he should blush or pale, but for him to remain speechless as long as he had was a feat unto itself. Q.B., on the other hand, was just staring at Jeriah blankly, though one of its eyebrows had shot skyward. From what I know of human females, I would either be blushing right now or calling you a pervert. Whether you would consider it to be luck or the lack thereof, I am choosing to do neither. Jeriah chuckled and shook his head, then focused on Nar. Well, kid, I think you should do the honors of giving her a name. The blond's mouth opened and closed a few times as he looked back and forth between Q.Bi and Jeriah, both of whom were staring at him expectantly. "Um, how about Kitsun?" Jeriah face falted, though Q. closed its eyes and actually seemed to consider it for a moment. Nar, that's not hiding what Q.Bi is at all. It will be completely obvious. Q.B. held up a hand before Nar could retort, if he was going to. Both males focused on the newly realized female of the group. In my wanderings, I have heard of human females with the name Kitsun before. It also pays homage to the full form I was given, so I have no argument against it." Narut smiled and cheered while Jeriah sighed and shrugged. If that's what you want, I won't argue, but I think it will be obvious to some. It was the newly named Kitsun's turn to shrug. So be it. There was a moment of silence as the trio digested the new information. Kitsun seemed to be about to turn around once again, but stopped when Jeriah spoke up. Speaking of our civilization, Kitsun, I think Narut is going to have to instruct you on how to act a little more human. Kitsun's eyes narrowed. Why? because otherwise you'll stick out like a social outcast if anyone tries to talk to you. Don't worry, I'll drag you around to some bars with me and you can also run around with Naruto a bit too. Both of the other occupants seem to be staring at him. Naruto with incredul and Q.B. with resigned acceptance. Upon further consideration, I believe it would also be more appropriate if I imitated a form closer to Naruto's actual age. Having used this form before, I know it will garner attention, though likely not the type we will need right now. A younger form, go ahead, go ahead. Jeriah rubbed his hands together and cackled with glee as he stared at Kitsun, completely forgetting that Naruto was still in the room as well. Kitsun gave him an odd look before closing her eyes. And with a burst of red chakra, her form immediately changed, as did her attire. Woohoo! Perfect girlfriend material for Nar. Aeros Senin. Nar stared at his sensei completely agast before turning back to look at Kitsun and promptly going red in the face. The new Kitsun was nearly as impressive as her older counterpart, though her hair was now much shorter, only going down just below her shoulders. Naruto was sitting cross-legged on the ground, so they couldn't compare how tall she was to him. But since she looked to be about his age, they were probably about the same height now as well. Her figure had slimmed slightly too, though her bust size appeared unchanged. It was hard to tell without staring too much, however, as her attire was another large adjustment compared to the formal attire she had been dawning previously. It was now a good imitation of Naruto's, minus the Kohaa forehead protector. The vest wasn't green either, but was instead a very deep red. In another gesture of similarity, instead of an orange piece of cloth around her left bicep, she had a bright red one. What's the matter, Narud? Is she a little too hot for you to handle? Nar waved his arms about in a panic. No, it's just weird. I'm used to Q. Being a big fox, Kitsun, the blonde, turned to gape at the girl who had corrected him, only to catch himself staring at her before turning away and blushing even more. She was every bit as pretty as she was in her older form. But now it would be even more distracting since she was obviously closer to his age. He was so shaken up that he didn't even think twice about her correcting him to use her new name. Oh ho ho. As much as he will like to deny it, I think little Naruto Kuan has a new crush. Naruto settled for growling and leveling a glare at his sensei who simply chroled as he poked fun at his student. It wasn't until Kitsune spoke again that the teasing session ended. Perhaps you should talk to him about what we discussed earlier. Sage Jeriah's teasing effort promptly died along with any enthusiasm that he had been displaying. The sudden change was easily picked up on by the blonde who began tossing worried glances between the other two in the room. What's going on, Nar? It's Jeriah let out a long sigh as he moved to sit in one of the chairs in the room. I know you've asked me this before, but I refused to talk about it before now. It's about your parents. The Gin Shuriki tossed a quizzical glance towards Kitsun, who was standing still with her head tilted forward slightly, eyes closed. Noticing that, he immediately focused on Jeriah with his full attention. You're going to tell me now. The pure excitement in his voice as he bounced a little from where he was sitting was very obvious. Yes, I am. But before I do, I want you to understand that there were reasons why you weren't told before. Now, the first of which is that at least now you're able to protect yourself well enough when alone, and even better when Kitsune helps you." Narudo simply nodded, hanging on every word. Jeriah leaned forward in his chair, placing his forearms on his knees as he stared at his latest student. "You've known for a while now that what we teach the children in the academy is that the Q.B. was killed by the Yand Hokag. That is a lie which we've already talked about several times before." A snort from Kitsun filled in the brief silence between Jeriah's statements. Another secret that has been kept from the entire village and the majority of its shinobi population is that the Yandame Hokag Namay's Manado was in fact your father. Narudo stared at his sensei in shock for barely a second before promptly looking down at his hands which opened and closed a few times. Jeriah paused, willing to let Naro come to terms with what he had just been told, mentally preparing himself for any outbursts. Letting his eyes briefly wander towards Kitsun, he noticed that she was watching Nar intently as well. I see. The blond's voice was but a murmur, growing louder as he continued talking. What about my mother? Jeriah took a deep breath before continuing. She was from the former Whirlpool country. She came to live in Kenoha as a young girl about a decade before her home was devastated by the third Shinobi war. Her name was Usuzuaki Kusha. Nar nodded as he absorbed the information. There was a long pause where no one spoke or moved, but the blonde finally looked up again and asked the question Jeriah knew would come, the one he dreaded. I know my father died using the technique to seal Q. Kitsune inside of me. What happened to my mother? Jeriah cringed internally. He hadn't actually been there, but had been given the entire blowby-blow account courtesy of Saruto sensei. With Kitsun actually being right there, it would be a lot harder for him to say this than if she was still the fox that I killed them. Both of the males in the room focused quickly on Kitsun, who simply stared emotionlessly right back at Nar. Jeriah scowlled slightly. Kitsun obviously wasn't sympathetic in the least, if she even knew what the word meant. Naruto, on the other hand, his expressions were constantly flickering from shock to outrage to sadness or some attempted combination of two or all of them. After a few cycles of this, they eventually evened out. Though it wasn't hard to see that he was forcefully reigning himself in without another word, he promptly shot up to his feet and moved swiftly towards the door, yanking it open, but quietly closing it behind him. Even when he was agitated or in obvious pain, he was considerate of any others who may have been at the inn. Rubbing his eyes briefly, Jeriah sighed as he stood up. Well, that went better than I thought it would. I was expecting him to go ballistic. I guess I should go find him and attempt to perform some sort of damage. K dash. No. Kitsun's interruption was sharp and Jeriah looked over his shoulder towards her. What? You know as well as I do that the first question out of his mouth will be why. Do you know why I did it? I don't. But you could always tell me. I have to say that I've been curious. I will explain my reasoning to you after I tell Nar. They were his parents after all. Sighing yet again. Jeriah shook his head this time as he turned to face Kitsun. Just try to be nice. If it's something you can do, I mean, we shall see. As Kitsun started to walk around him, he asked a question. I know this seems random, but if you need to say anything about me, it might help if you call me Aerosen. I'm sure it will get him to smile at least. Tossing him a glare and a low growl, Kitsun continued towards the door, yanking it open much like Nar did, and slamming it behind her, apparently not caring about any others at the inn. What? I thought it would be a good idea. It wasn't until much later that he realized Kitsune showed signs of both worry and agitation. Perhaps there really was more to her than anyone knew. 10 minutes later, cops of trees near the hamlet. Kitsune observed the snowflakes as they fell to the ground, tracking Nar via the imprints his footwear left in the minor accumulation so far. The few humans she had encountered as she followed Naruto's footsteps had shot her odd looks. Most likely confused as to how she could walk around out here in the cold without more weather protection. They didn't know that she was merely residing in a chakra construct that could easily desensitize itself to things like temperature. Much like her original fox form, she didn't need to do much adjusting, however, as the clones of Narut were nearly immune to temperature, only detecting extremes. Until the time came where Narudo could form a clone using only her chakra, she would likely be numb to quite a few things that would normally affect others. since his chakra always had to act as the shell. It wasn't long at all before she came across the blonde, sitting still and hunched over on top of a rather large boulder that was easily a meter taller than her current human teenager body. She had to stop and adjust herself mentally for a second. It was disconcerting having to look up at him, even if he was sitting on top of something. When talking to Nar and his mindscape, she was still generally always looking down, and even her adult human form was taller. This was the very first time she had ever looked up at him. Setting that thought aside, Kitsune didn't bother making any extra noise as she approached, as her feet made enough noise in the snow. Not only that, but their mental connection acted as something of a homing beacon. Narudo had suppressed his chakra to a great degree, but no matter how hard he tried to hide, she would always be able to find him, as could any summon he called upon. It was the one unavoidable similarity between all summoning techniques that the chakra of the summoner and summon be linked. As a result, he would be able to feel her approach from a mile away if he so wished. The moment she stopped and stood still, Narut managed to grind out a single word, his strain obvious. Why, there it was, exactly as she had told Ba. Aerosen. Calling him such would likely take some getting used to. Why did I kill your parents? I have an answer for you, but it requires you to listen to a bit of a story. Are you willing? She heard him sigh and felt the stirrings of the human emotion of amusement as he turned a glare on her. I don't have a choice, do I? I can tell you the answer, but you won't appreciate it unless I explain everything. It will also explain why I didn't tell you of this sooner. The glare slowly withered and resignation took hold. Nodding slowly, he turned away from her. Walking closer, Kitsune moved around the boulder Naruto was perched on until she stood directly in front of and below him. She continued to simply stand there until he looked directly at her, puzzled blue eyes meeting serious bright red. I will begin by telling you that according to your human calendar, I am just over 163 years old. If Narudo was at all surprised or intruded by this revelation, he did not show it other than a minor twitch of his eyebrow. The blonde continued staring blankly at Kitsun as she resumed her monologue. I also have what is referred to as an idetic memory. That is, I can remember everything I have experienced in perfect clarity from the first day I existed. Of the nine Biju, I was the last one created by the sage of six paths and also the most powerful. I do not know why we were created with such an obvious power gap. But then the sage of six paths did many things I still fail to understand. My brethren and I were spread throughout the lands, though within the first 30 years, I began hearing tales of the capture of the Achibi and Nibby. I know that others were somehow captured as well. At the time, I did not comprehend how they figured out how to subdue and control us. The first among us, the Achibi, was always known for being insane, so I believe it could not have been difficult to capture it. Kitsune held up one of her hands and watched as snowflakes began to slowly melt in the palm of her hand. While shadow clones did not generate heat like a human body would, chakra flow itself generated a small amount of heat. Kitsun's chakra, the pure primal energy of nature, was therefore warmer than a humans by default. Naruto had commented in the past during their spars that some of her impacts felt like they burned, and it only got worse as they figured out how to get more of her chakra into his clones. I existed in solitude for nearly 100 years, every so often mingling with the humans in smaller villages when I needed information. By traveling from place to place over time, I learned much about the children and disciples of the sage of six paths, but most of it was not what you would refer to as good. I began to understand human emotions as I interacted with them and realized that I found myself loathing your species. It was perhaps the first emotion of humanity that I was able to grasp easily simply because the examples of it were plentiful. Kitsun had since looked back up to where Narudo sat on the boulder, occasionally shifting, but granting her his full attention. The last sentence she spoke raised his hackles a bit, however, and he seemed ready to interrupt until Kitsune held a hand up to stop him before he started. Let me finish, Narut. When I'm done, you can ask all the questions and make all the comments that you wish. The blond's mouth snapped shut and he glared again. Not that it had any effect on Kitsun. Slowly, he settled back down and let out a low grumble, but nodded to her nonetheless. I am nothing more than an accumulated force of nature. The environment itself is what gives me my power. The sage of six paths realized that this power needed a focus and gave us an intelligence. We were originally one mind, but with all that power, even one mind could not control it. So therefore, what was once one was split up into nine, of which I was the last. As I said before, knowing that I was created from a part of nature itself, I began to view humanity as nothing more than a virus. Always using and taking more and more, rarely appreciating or giving back. Granted, there are several among your number who are appreciative, but they are a very small minority. Once humans realized that the Beiju, as we were named, could be used as a means to power, things only got worse. When the stories became more widespread, I gradually separated myself from your human civilization. Around 80 years ago, I discovered that there was a clan of Shinobi descended from my creator who had the ability to suppress the chakra of Aiju. They called themselves the Senju, and it was they who had been assisting in the capture of my fellow brethren. Recognition immediately clicked in Naruto's eyes as his back went rigid. Kitsune allowed herself a small grin, knowing that Nar was once again hanging on her every word. They had since formed a military alliance with the second clan, which descended from the first sage, the Aiiah. Together, they could capture and control any of us, but alone could not do both. We were too powerful for an aiha to control us for long. But with our powers suppressed by a senu, they could control us indefinitely. These abilities combined gave them an unprecedented amount of power at the time, which they used to broker alliances and helped form what you refer to as the five great nations today. I did not know it at the time, but found out later that they had originally planned on giving out two each of the Beiju to the other large nations that formed as a way to guarantee balance. The great shinobi war had taken many lives and there were many who didn't want to see another like it. The Aiah wanted to keep the power to themselves but the Senu wanted to spread the power as a balancing force. The Senu ideals won in the end and three of the great nations got two of the Beiju as the weakest of the great nations wind country only got one. The last went to fire country's first declared ally and strongest minor nation waterfall. The other nations knew that they could not use their biju against the combined Senju and Achiha clans. So therefore, Fire Country was to be avoided. Not only that, but Fire had agreed to keep me for themselves if they ever managed to find me. Kitsune hummed for a moment as she brushed the accumulated snow off of her shoulders and out of her hair. It had started falling faster as she was talking, and the ground had since become completely covered in white where the terrain was flat. There were still patches of green and brown around the trunks of a few of the larger evergreen trees. Do you remember the valley I showed you before and our discussion? Narudo had started brushing the snow off of himself as well, but stopped to look at Kitsune when she asked the question. Yeah, why? Because even though Cloud came for me with one of their ginuriki, they never would have found me if I hadn't been betrayed by a human eye once. I guess I could say trusted. Knowing that Narudo would inevitably have questions, Kitsun once again held up a hand and began speaking right away. His name was Taku, and he stumbled upon me by chance since he was a hunter. Naturally, he was curious about what he thought was a human alone in a forest. Unfortunately, I had just left a village and was still in my older female form that you witnessed earlier. So, like most other human males of early age, he became smitten right away. The purpose of that form was to gain information, and I already had all I needed. Kitsune sighed and closed her eyes, looking up towards the sky, allowing snowflakes to fall on her face. I would have killed him right then and there, and no one would have known, but as a hunter, he had a certain appreciation and fondness for nature that I was able to bear witness to. I decided that I would give him a chance to live. He attempted to visit me many times after that, but only for a few of those visits did I make my presence known. To this day, I don't understand why I did it. But one day, I approached him in a smaller fox form to see his reaction. Nothing seemed a miss at first. But after that day, I never saw him again. I did not think much of it at the time. About a month after that, I felt the presence of the Hachibi and went to investigate. He was forced to attack me, but was struggling against his container. Apparently, they did not get along. I managed to win that fight rather easily as a result. Otherwise, it would have dragged out much longer. I also understood through the Hachibi's words that I had been sold out, so I knew right away who did it. Naruto managed to insert a quick question. Was he there? The redhead nodded. They forced him to come to show them the location where I had been. It was my own fault for not moving away, but I still did not understand the human concept of betrayal. Apparently, I had a bounty in Kumo, and Taku wanted it. Do you know what happened to him? Kitsune opened her eyes and looked at Narudo, feeling the melted water from the snow run down her face. She tossed him a grin. I killed him along with a large chunk of the kumin. I even ate two of their stronger ones, though they were tougher than even I realized. Something protected them from my own chakra, and I was forced to regurgitate them. Naruto looked queasy and somewhat startled, but otherwise chose not to comment. Kitsun stood casually, letting her arms rest at her sides as she looked up at Nar. He held her gaze for barely a moment before blushing a little and turning away, missing the Beiju<unk>s little smirk. It wasn't long before they retreated, and I remained where I was, convinced that I had scared off anyone else. Unfortunately, I underestimated you humans, something I have been actively taking steps to avoid ever since. The first to come to me after Kumo was none other than Achi Madara. I did not know how the Aha had managed to control my brethren before, but it became clear barely moments into our fight, if you could really even call it such. He used his sharing gun, and at that moment, I knew something was wrong. I had become a slave to my own body. I knew things were happening, but I was not in control. And no matter how much I fought, I could not get it back. He immediately set us on a course for Kenoha, which took very little time for me going full speed. In a few hours, we had reached the area that is now called the Valley of the End. Kitsune side, looking at her hands once again. Senju Hasharama came to meet with Achiha Madara. For whatever reason, at the time, I did not know or care. I simply wanted my body returned to my control. They began talking at first, but it did not take long for them to begin fighting. To this very day, I do not know why Madara used me as everything I did was suppressed by Hashiamarama. Perhaps I was just a distraction for some other plan. Regardless of the reason, it would seem that Madara ultimately failed at his self-appointed task to attack and destroy Kohaa, and I was sealed away for the very first time. Kitsun did not know what expression was on her face, but facing those memories was something that she did not like in the least, and it must have shown. Naruto must have been completely caught up in her story as he had quickly moved down from the boulder and now stood in front of her with a concerned frown. Was it like sighing and turning away, Kitsune slowly walked around the clearing, thinking about how to best explain it. It was like nothing I had ever experienced before. complete darkness with no concept of time and no control over a body. I simply was and wasn't at the same time. There would be moments of light and understanding when my my container kitsu nearly spat the word decided to come to me asking for information. Otherwise, I was alone. It wasn't until later that I knew I had been kept in the dark for close to 60 years. I'm sorry. Kitsune whirled around, at first staring incredulously at her latest container, but then changing it into a mild glare. What do you have to be sorry for? None of this was your doing. Your desire to offer some fashion of atonement for your predecessor is neither wanted nor needed. Narudo visibly flinched as if struck, and Kitsune found herself re-examining her words. Taking a deep breath, she shook her head, slightly wet hair prickling her cheeks as it swayed back and forth. Perhaps that came out wrong. I did not mean to rebuke you in such a manner. However, remembering nothing but constant darkness for such a long period of time is a horrible experience for any being, especially one that can remember every detail of such nothingness. The blonde nodded, his own hair matted down slightly from the snow melting in it. His outfit was getting wet as well, especially along his arms and shoulders. He made no effort to return indoors. However, so Kitsun did not say anything about it. So you were sealed in someone else before they sealed you in me. Then I was sealed twice before I was sealed in you. The first time was into a woman named Uzumakimito who was the wife of Senju Hasharama. She was present at the battle because in case Hashiamarama failed, she would at least be able to seal me away. She still did the ceiling regardless, though I didn't find out until later that she was too old to be able to use Abiju's power. So, she never became a true ginuriki. She had to completely separate her chakra from mine. Otherwise, mine would overstress her chakra coils and slowly kill her inside out. That was why, as she aged, they had another container prepared for me, one who was much younger and would be able to merge with my chakra and use it. She became the second container and her name was Usuzuaki Kusha. Narudo gasped and muttered out, "Mother," to which Kitsune nodded. She was very well aware that the blonde seemed to close himself off to the outside world for a time. She mused about the potential scenario where he retreated to his mindscape like he usually did when troubled and sometimes talked to her only to realize that she was in fact already outside. Deciding he had enough time to ponder the scenario, Kitsune faked clearing her throat and continued talking. It was much different the second time as your mother was very close to your father from the first time we met. Your father was brilliant for a human and I was able to learn much through the things he told your mother as I was no longer locked away and once again aware of the outside world. Then one day I was listening in on a conversation and realized I had a chance to be free. The seal that contained me was weak during childbirth, namely yours. I knew it was a long shot, but I still had to try. I did not want to be used like a tool any longer. Naruto's face had been a mixture of emotions as Kitsun talked, obviously happy to hear about his parents, even briefly, but apparently pained when hearing about her imprisonment from this point of view. It was on your birthday, however, that Achiha Madara returned. Somehow he knew when the seal would be at its weakest as well and used that to his advantage. I am not aware about what happened on the outside, but I do know I felt a chance to be free only for Madara to appear and take control of me yet again. Kitsune began to get angry thinking about what happened back then. Once again, she lost control of her body and most of her mind being forced to do things against her will. She heard Narut let out a startled noise and looked at him only to see him flinch and take a step backwards. A flicker of dark red in her peripheral made Kitsune look down at her arms, seeing her own reddish chakra dancing about them. Realizing what was happening, she immediately closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. The act worked for calming humans, so she believed that it should work for her as well. We can stop talking about this if it's upsetting you. As brave as he tried to sound, Naruto's voice was still wavering. No, it's fine. I was just thinking about that day and it began to upset me. I usually try not to think about it. I already spent several years doing what you humans call it. Sulking, I think. I did that when I was sealed in you. I see. Naruto looked away, nervously, scratching the back of his head. Well, um, maybe we should stop for now and get back inside. I'm getting pretty wet and I don't want to catch a cold or anything, so should we go? You want to know why I killed them, though, don't you? The blond's eyes went wide for a second before he gave her a faint smile and dropped his gaze to the ground. Nah, that's okay. I'm sure you had your reasons. Besides, even if I don't have them anymore, I still have you, right? Kitsune found herself blinking several times as she stared at the young human Nar in front of her. Even for someone as old as she, he managed to say things that caught her completely offguard. The redhead supposeded she should feel some sort of gratitude towards the boy for his opinion of her, even if he was technically her jail cell. Unlike the previous two, at least he had made attempts at giving her some form of freedom. how generous he would remain after she told him the full story. She didn't know. At worst, she would be confined to the cage in his mindscape again for the rest of his life. Unless he managed to forgive her. Regardless of the result, it would be best to get everything out now so there will be no complications later. Yes, you do. But I'm still going to tell you why anyway. Your father had somehow defeated Madara or scared him off. I don't know which. But all I can remember is that I was free for a brief moment before your mother made an attempt at keeping me pinned so that I couldn't get away. If she had let me go, I would have simply left. But I never got the chance to. She started dying the moment I was removed from her. Anyway, my chakra was a part of your mother's chakra system, and without it, she would not be able to live much longer. Your father made an attempt to seal me into you, but as you know, the only way to seal something is to have an equal or greater amount of chakra than the thing you are sealing has. I knew he had no means to do that, but he went further than I ever expected a human to. He called upon the Shinagami to take half of my power and seal it into him right then and there. I felt it as soon as I lost a lot of power. I knew that I had perhaps one chance left to be free. And in order to do that, I had to destroy the thing they were going to seal me into. Therefore, I tried to kill you. Kitsun watched as Naruto's expression changed from shock to anger and finally to sadness. His mouth had opened and quickly closed several times in a row, as if he wanted to say something, but was unable to find the words. Since you and I are both still here now, I think it's obvious that I didn't succeed with that plan. Your parents saved your life at the cost of their own. They still would have died anyway without me doing anything, but I did hasten their demise. I simply wished to be free. The two of them stood in silence for a while, neither moving. Kitsune kept her red eyes focused on Nar, who simply had his fists clenched and was staring a hole in the ground. Noticing his shoulders had an accumulation of snow again, Kitsune glanced at then brushed off her own. I don't know if you'll be able to forgive what I did or understand my actions, but regardless of that, we should probably head back indoors. It is snowing even more heavily than before, and I agree that the last thing you need to keep you from training is a cold. Kitsun's footsteps crunched louder in the snow as she started walking back towards the inn. The moment she started to step past Nar, however, his hand reached out and settled heavily on her shoulder. The red head stopped, looking curiously at the hand, then backwards over her shoulder to where Narut still remained. "Thank you." Kitsun's eyes opened a slight bit wider as she digested those two words. They likely symbolized that Nar appreciated something she did. But considering what she had just finished explaining, exactly what the thanks were for was hard to figure out. I just told you that I was responsible for the deaths of your parents, and you're thanking me. The hand on her shoulder squeezed slightly and she felt herself holding back a comment to remind him that these clones still weren't all that durable yet. No, I don't like that my parents died or that you tried to kill me. But after hearing how long you were kept alone and then locked away, I think I can understand a little bit. I should be angry that because of you that I never got to know the love of parents like all the dash. You're wrong. Naruto's grip slipped off of Kitsun's shoulder as he stared at her in shock. W what about your parents not loving you? I witnessed enough of your mother and father to understand what it means to say one is in love. Even if I failed to comprehend why one would love another. It probably has to be the most confusing emotion you humans have. Yet your parents said it over and over to you as an infant before they died. Naruto's face adopted an expression that Kitsun found impossible to interpret, but one of his hands quickly moved up to rub at his eyes, and she was fairly certain he started sniffling. Interesting. This was the first time he had cried for a reason other than pain in several years. It was impossible to miss Naruto's shivering as he rubbed at his eyes, so in a decidedly human gesture, Kitsune moved back towards him and grabbed at his other forearm. Naruto looked surprised until the redhead started dragging him back in the direction of the inn. Come, I can see your cold and the last thing I need is you complaining about your training while sick. Both of them trudged through the snow with loud crunching noises and Kitsun found herself wondering why she felt like grinning when Nar muored another thank you. 3 months later, Kohaa. Whoa, Nar, is that you? Who's the babe? Naruto's head turned to the left only to see Isumo and Kotetsu grinning at him like the idiots they were. He tossed them a grin and a wave of his own, then held a finger to his lips, gesturing for them to be quiet. Hearing them laugh, he looked over to his right where Kitsune was walking next to him. In the last few months since telling him about his parents and her past, Kitsune had gradually become reaclimated to human civilization. She grumbled about how stupid they were from time to time, but for the most part, Narudo found her interactions with most other people amusing. She still continued wearing a wardrobe that was a near copy of his, but had recently decided to start placing her shoulderlength hair in a ponytail, which strangely seemed to make her look even younger, like now. She was almost cute, the way she was shooting a mild glare in the direction of the check-in booth. Nar might have laughed if he didn't know that she was likely the strongest being in existence that he knew of. You aren't going to defend poor Kitsun Chan's honor. Narudo, the blonde in question, shrugged as he looked over his shoulder at Jeriah. They were just complimenting her in their own sort of way. Besides, if I tried to defend her again, she may just haul off and hit me like that time in Tanzaku. I was nursing that bump on my head for days. Jerayaga fought in laughter at the memory and Narudo tried to avoid having his gaze linger on Kitsun as he faced forward once again. For some reason, she was very aggressive when it came to the concepts of pride and honor. That was likely because they were some of the first true feelings that she truly understood humanity's label for. As they gradually increased their distance from the main gates, Narudo looked around at the various shops on the street. They were traveling down towards the central building towards where the administration building was located. Not much had changed in the last 3 years, which was both a good and a bad thing. It wouldn't take him long to get familiar again with where everything was, but it would likely make it a bit harder to find things that actually were new. Spying a large pole up ahead, Nar gestured towards it. I'm going to run up that and get a good look around. All right. Jeriah nodded and Kitsune let out a humming noise. Taking this as a sign of approval, Narudo took off at a jog, then adjusted himself and ran up along the side of the large pole. Upon reaching the top, he inhaled a large breath and took a look around. There really wasn't anything noticeable that had changed at all. They had finished fixing up the section of the outer wall which had been destroyed by one of Orochimaru's snake summons. Other than that, they had carved the latest Hokag's face into the mountain, and that seemed to be it. Nar, your harpy of a teammate approaches, as does your hokag. Hey, Sakura Chan isn't a harpy. We shall see if she has changed. I won't hold my breath. Nar looked around below, and sure enough, Sakura andsunade were walking down the path towards them. They had likely been alerted of the arrival of Jeriah and his student. There was no extra security either, so Jeriah had probably mentioned Kitsun tossade at some point in one of his letters. Narudo had a feeling that she was still being watched just in case. Hearing voices coming from below him, Narut looked for a good landing spot between the groups and jumped. 3 seconds later, he landed in a crouch and heard Sakura gasp his name. Slowly standing up, he turned back around to see Sununade appraising him as Sakura simply stared at him, mouth slightly agape. Nar raised a hand and gave them both a big smile. Hey sununade Bachan. Sakura Chan. Sununade immediately scowlled while Sakura actually blushed a little and smiled. Nar heard Kitsun mumble something behind him that he didn't quite catch, but it was likely that Jeriah caught it since the man started laughing lightly. Hi, Nar. Welcome back. We missed you. Ah, really? Nar grinned and scratched at the back of his neck. How have you guys been? Anything interesting happened? Sakura's eyes lit up and she looked about to say something, butsunade beat her to it. Oh, there has been plenty, but this is not the place to talk about it. Let's go back to my office. We can talk there. She worded it like a friendly suggestion, but the look on her face spoke otherwise. Sakura looked a little upset about being interrupted, but nevertheless nodded with everyone else and fell into step next to Nar as they headed towards the administration building. The walk to the building wasn't a long one, and the two reunited teammates had passed the time with idol chitchat. Narudo mentioned a few of his new skills, while Sakura related some of scary ideas of training. Once they entered the building, they encountered Shizun near the entrance, barking out orders to some of the staff. After another round of greetings, they all headed up towards the Hokag's office, stealing themselves for the discussion that was likely to come. Looked around her office as she sat down in her chair. Jeriah had taken up his typical position whenever he visited, half sitting on a window ledge off to one side of the room. Shizun moved up next to the desk opposite from where Jeriah was. Naruto meanwhile had shifted to stand in front of her desk with Sakura standing next to him and Kitsune on his other side about a step back. Watching the interaction between the two during the walk had been interesting. Sakura was cordial at best towards Kitsun while the disguised Biju did a fine job of pretending the other girl didn't exist. Whenever Narudo tried to get them to interact, it was brief at best before Sakura started talking about something else or Kitsun simply stopped responding. The worst part was the old pervert who was walking next to her. He was listening to the two teenagers and Beija talking and she had to put up with his giggles as he was likely thinking about some scenario or another. At least he didn't pull out that notepad of his otherwise she would have clobbered him. All right, now that we are all here, let me first say, "Welcome back. It's good to be home." Bachchanade let that particular comment slide, unable to be upset after having not seen Nar for nearly 3 years. She did find it rather amusing watching Sakura lightly hit him on the arm and telling him not to call her that, but then was startled as Kitsun glared at the pink-haired girl and let out a low growl. She intervened quickly in order to keep Sakura from potentially escalating matters. The poor girl would have no idea what she was getting into. Had only told her apprentice that Narut and Jeriah had picked up another traveling companion, but not how or who it was. Settle down, you three. Sakura, if I haven't ever been able to get Naruto to stop calling me that, I doubt you have much of a shot now. Ah, sorry, master. It's fine. Now, how should I say this? As her eyes drifted over to the redhead, who apparently knew it was her turn to be addressed. The Hokag felt a shiver go down her spine as the bright red eyes focused on her. It is interesting to meet you, Q.Sunate he heard gasps come from Sakura and Shizun, both of whom took an involuntary step backwards. Narut was frowning as he took in their reactions, but kept his mouth shut. That meant they had likely talked about potential reactions before coming here. The Hokag found herself being pleased with that thought, especially with Nar, who actually didn't voice his opinions right away for a change. I could say the same, Hokag. I have no doubt that while I am here, I will have many more interesting acquaintances. We have decided, however, that it would be more prudent if I was called Kitsun rather than Q. That makes sense. Shot an amused glance towards her first apprentice. Surprised, Shisun, as if shaking herself from a stuper, Shisen shook herself and then looked towards the blonde Hokag. Sunade sama, is it really? Getting a serious nod from her hokage caused Shizun<unk>s expression to mellow out and she looked nervously back at the girl calling herself Kitsun. She introduced herself in a shaking voice and was surprised when Kitsun actually quirked a smile and let out a small chuckle. There is no need for you or anyone here to fear me. Except perhaps the harpy, though I haven't decided her fate yet, Kitsun, what? Kitsun seemed unperturbed by Naruto's outburst and merely glanced at him. You know my thoughts. Nar, though not angry, still appeared upset. We've been over this already. Yes, and my position has not budged. Did you forget? A few months of being nice to you does not make up for years of previous ignorance, insults, and ridicule. I may not be human, but even I can understand that. But we were still young and uggh. Narudo rubbed at his forehead and turned to Sakura offering her a strange smile. I'm sorry, Sakura Chan. Kitsun has gotten really protective of me lately, and I don't think that dash just lately. How long have we been talking? How many of your injuries has my chakra helped heal? Narut turned back to face Kitsun again, putting his hands up in a placating manner. As he began trying to explain himself to the Beiju, Sununade couldn't help but feeling slightly amused at the interaction. Both Narut and Kitsun did talk to each other like friends who had known each other for a long time. Sakura, meanwhile, was trying to defend herself from Kitsun's blatant put downs, no matter how truthful they might be, and keep herself visible to Nar. For what reason, Sununade could only begin to guess. Looking at Jeriah, the Hokag noted that he was watching the goings on with a small smile of his own. It only took her looking at him to gain his attention, and she asked the unspoken question by raising both her eyebrows and gesturing towards the threesome with her head. He offered a warmer smile and a shrug, which likely meant this type of biplay was normal. Only now Sakura was entered into the equation. Taking the situation at face value, sununade turned back to the arguing group and cleared her throat. "All three of them immediately quieted themselves and stared at her expectantly." "I'm glad to see the three of you are getting along so well," Sununade stated dryly. "I do need to get a bit of information, though, mostly in regards to Kitsun." Sakura and Narut, you are both dismissed. Shizun, take them to meet up with Kakashi like we planned earlier. Yes, sununade sama, please come with me, you two. Without another word, Shisun started for the door. The Hokag watched as Narut shared a look with Kitsun before nodding to her, then turning to follow. Sakura did not move until Narut did and not before frowning at the Beiju. Once the door closed, the redhead spoke up immediately. I can tell the question you have by the look on your face. Yes, Narut and I can communicate mentally. Both of Sununade's eyebrows lifted again for a brief moment before she grinned. Huh, I bet that's convenient. Yes, especially when we talk about Aerosene. That comment caught Sununade by complete surprise to the point where she almost comically fell out of her chair. It took several moments of her staring at the top of her desk to regain her bearings. And then she began to doubt her sanity upon looking up to see a small smile on Kitsun's face. What the hell is going on, Jeriah? The sage chuckled as he scratched at his head. I told the brat to help Kitsun get used to acting human. I didn't know that he'd teach her how to tell jokes and prank people, too. Sununade rubbed at her forehead and let out a deep sigh. One Narudo was enough still to think that he could teach or even manipulate a Beiju of all things in such a way. Joking aside, I guess I should get started with the serious part of the discussion by asking if there are any large limitations that I should be aware of with how you manage to inhabit a shadow clone. Jeriah has explained a little about how it works, but just an overall summary from you should work. Kitsune looked down at the floor for a second before looking back up and staring at sununade with her piercing red eyes. At first, it was nothing more than my consciousness inside a shadow clone shell created using Naruto's chakra. Over time, we've been adjusting his summoning technique that he created to allow him to summon me with at least some of my chakra. Right now, it isn't much, but it's enough for me to maintain a henge for at least a full day. Every time he summons me, he manages to pull out a little more of my chakra each time. Can he summon you with say? Waved her hand idly as she searched for the right words. A tales worth of your chakra. The tails are merely a representation of how powerful each behu is in comparison to each other. I have no accurate scale to judge how much power there is per tail. I can tell you that I do not have enough of my own chakra to form a full cloak around this clone. However, I can enhance its capabilities somewhat, such as making it durable enough to spar. I see.sunade paused for a moment, leaning forward, her elbows perched on her desk as she pressed her fingertips together. Do you think you are capable of running missions? He you aren't dash. Quiet. Jeriah, I wasn't talking to you. Kitsun's eyes had narrowed as she looked at the Hokag. Her head tilted to the side in a show of curiosity, causing Sununade to wonder where exactly she had picked up that trait from. I would say it depends on the kind of mission. The village still follows the standard D through assignments. I presume, simply nodded. I see. I should be able to accomplish D rank missions with no difficulty, much like any newly minted genon would. Likewise, for C ranks, so long as we don't face other Shinobi, facing a competent enemy Shinobi or Kunoichi, I likely wouldn't be more than a distraction at best. That likely places anything be ranked or above out of the question, at least until the summoning seal is improved or changed to allow me the use of more of my chakra. Very well. If you're ever in need of something to do, come see me about an assignment. Next time you use the henge, give yourself a headband. I do not see why you want to do this, but very well. The Hokag leaned back in her chair, grinning. I have a couple reasons. First, knowledge of your presence is limited. If it ever gets out, I'll be able to prove that you have in fact been helping the village since you got here. Besides that, it will also give you an income of your own. Not that I know what you'd use money for, but think of it as a buffer for Narudo should you come up with no other ideas. My second reason relates to your travels and experiences. It's been made clear in Jeras writings to me that you have limited experience in regards to interaction with humans. Taking lowranked missions will let you do things on your own for a bit. Leaned forward again, staring at Kitsun with a serious expression. The Beiju stared back unflinchingly. As for the why, I trust Nar. That's it. Nar trusts you. Therefore, my trust will extend to you as well. The more you do to help him and us, the better your defense gets should any issues arise. Kitsune nodded. I understand. Is there anything else? No, that's it. Unless you have any other questions. I have none at this time. What about you, Sage? Jeriah looked a little startled as the attention in the room suddenly shifted to him. W what? What about me? You've looked like you wanted to say something for a while now. The hermit shrugged and waved off the comment. I had no idea was going to do what she did. It caught me a little offguard, that's all. But her plan has merit, so I'm fine. Looked cross for a moment, grumbling out a, "Of course it does." Which got a chuckle from Jeriah. Very well. I will be with Narudo. He's telling me that he has a test coming up. Jeriah looked from Kitsunade. A test. The blonde nodded. Yes, it's to test his potential alongside Sakura. They will be working with Kakashi in the future, and I wanted him to examine their teamwork. It will likely be starting soon, so we should get moving if we don't want to miss it. A burst of smoke was all that was left of Kitsun as she dispelled when Sununade finished speaking, leaving the Hokag to stare blankly at Jeriah, who was opening a nearby window. She returns to the seal. Just like that, Jeriah grinned. Yep. Just like that. Hm. Convenient. The next few months should prove to be interesting. I'll say, "Hey, what?" [ __ ] Wo wo. What are you doing, Heim? Jeriah had to quickly move his hands as the window he was opening quickly slammed shut, rattling the glass and nearly severing a few of his fingers. Sununade simply glared at him, brow twitching as she pointed to the door. I still need to talk to you. I am not leaving through the window. Understood. The white-haired man held up his hands in a surrendering gesture as he slowly backpedalled towards the doors, stalking after him. Oh, of course. He anything for you. Hm. Damn right. Let's go. 9 days later, after rescuing the Godame Kazak Gara, I thought I might find you up here. Is there a reason why you have been avoiding me? Naruto looked over his shoulder at Kitsun, who was still standing a couple meters back from where he sat on top of the Yandame's head. I've been avoiding everyone. I just needed to think for a bit on my own. Besides, you always know where I am anyway, in case you really needed to find me. Kitsune hummed for a moment, then took a few steps forward to stand next to him. Thinking about the situation with the achieits glanced down at the teen. What was that? His name is Gar. Not a ginuriki. Naruto repeated what Kitsun called Gar in a sarcastic tone which was not at all lost on the Biju. Very well. While you see the human for what he is, when I look at him, I cannot help but see another Beiju like myself. But I will call him Gar from now on since he is in fact no longer a container. Naruto went rigid for a moment before settling back down. Something that Kitsun watched with idle curiosity. He was doing one of those human things that could be so irritating by closing himself off so he could attempt to deal with whatever issues he had on his own. Unfortunately, that typically made him a pain to deal with for days at a time. I do not understand why you are acting this way. He is alive now, is he not? Naruto let out a sigh. Yeah, but he was dead. I thought I'd never see him again. It wasn't fair after all he'd been through and finally being recognized to just have Akitsuki take it all away because he contained something that was put in him before he was even born. If it wasn't for Granny Chio, Naruto trailed off. And for once, Kitsun found herself without anything to say. Something caused Nar to form a strong connection with the other Ginuriki. And it was likely because they were treated the same when they were younger, with fear, ignorance, and disdain. This current episode of his might go on for a while, and there was one way to get him out of a funk this serious that she had learned over time. Would you like to go get some ramen? Narudo quickly looked up at Kitsun incredulous. W what? But you don't need to eat. Kitsun shrugged, looking back out over the village. True. But I can still taste the food, and I have to admit it does not taste as bad as I had imagined. If you wish, when we go, you can call it one of those date things. Kitsune waved one of her hands in a circle before finishing her sentence, consciously using the human mannerism to display indifference. Narudo stared at Kitsun open mouth for barely a moment before frowning. You don't even know what a date really means, do you? I do know what the word means, but I do not understand the purpose behind it. Why give a name to something that you can do with another human at any time? You used to go with the harp Haruno when it was as a member of a team after your graduation, but she would not go with you when you asked her to go as a date. She'd go with me now if I asked," the blonde attempted to state matterof factly, though his expression gave a different opinion, one of uncertainty, perhaps, "But what would be the point?" "From what you and I know of her," she might say yes, but would likely add some sort of catch to it. Unlike her, at least your mother was straightforward when dealing with your father. The last sentence was only mumbled by Kitsun, which caused Nar to grin slightly, even if she didn't really intend to cheer him up. Just being here and talking to him was making him feel better already. You're probably right. Besides, I told her that I would not ask her on dates anymore. Since I graduated, I haven't gone back on my word once, and I don't plan on starting now. The blonde looked up at Kitsun again, who was looking back at him now with a small smile. He couldn't tell, but she looked either happy or proud. It disappeared shortly after he looked up at her, however, and she spoke again before he could ask what she was thinking. "Good for you. Now, do you want that ramen or not?" Narudo chuckled as he rose to his feet. I guess, but I don't have my money on me, so we have to stop by my apartment. Our apartment? Also, I offered, so I will pay. Araar, wait. You'll pay. How? You're just in a clone. Naruto's incredul was completely obvious, both via the tone of his voice and his expression. Kitsun nodded. I know, but my chakra can regenerate itself naturally while I'm in your clone, as I have discovered. I cannot increase the amount I have, but it can be restored to the original amount you put in it. Haven't you thought it odd that you haven't had to reummon me? The blond's eyes remained wide at first and slowly narrowed as he spoke. Now that you mention it, yeah, it has been a few days. I Well, I haven't really been thinking about much other than, you know, I know very well, especially since I've been trying to tell you about it and you have been going out of your way to avoid everyone, myself included. I was willing to indulge your desire for a little while, but it has quickly grown old. Sorry, Narudo murmured, finally letting his eyes fall closed as his posture slumped. This time, Kitsun sighed, shaking her head. It doesn't matter any longer. If it became a large problem, I would have dispelled and done my best to give you cramps. You can do that, Kitsune turned to see Narudo looking a little pale. I do not know. I have never tried. Your mother used to complain about cramps once a month or so and would sometimes blame me for them, so I thought it was perhaps an unintentional side effect of my chakra going through her system. It was something I noticed but never really paid much attention to. Naruto quickly looked away from Kitsun, muttering, "No, I don't think it was your chakra. That is something that all girls and air women have to deal with once they hit a certain age." At least that's what Aerosen said. He's usually pretty accurate when it comes to things about them. H Kitsune hummed for a moment before returning to their previous conversation. As for me paying for the ramen we are going to get, it was something I discussed briefly with your hokag. While I am not an official shinobi of this village, I am still fully capable of acting as such. I have at least all of your capabilities plus my own. Not that I would need to use them here. She has however allowed me to do some of your villages dank missions so that I may understand things better. Narudo had since looked back at Kitsun again, not quite believing what he was hearing her say. But when did all this happened? You didn't tell me. Kitsun's face went strangely blank as she looked back at him. What were we just talking about? Who was the one who was avoiding everyone? Oh yeah. Naruto's embarrassment was obvious if the tone of his voice and slight flush of his cheeks was any indication. As they finally began making their way down the monument wall, Nar began to think a little more about Kitsun's situation with his clones. So, how long do you think you can stay in that clone? Then, Kitsun just shrugged. This is an entirely new situation for me, so I cannot say. I can remain in this form indefinitely because my chakra is regenerating faster than I'm using it to maintain this henge. Your chakra, however, which acts as the shell of this clone, it will eventually run out and I will likely be dispelled against my will when that time comes. So then, the more chakra I put into the clone, the longer it will last. That seems to be the most likely scenario. Kitsune nodded. Though I cannot say if my chakra erodess yours while in this clone, at least not yet. I have not remained in a clone for very long after using my chakra when we've sparred previously. Narudo thought about it for a moment before tossing out a suggestion. Should I make you a new one now so we can test it? That is not necessary. We can wait until you wish to spar again. I admit I am curious to see how much longer this one might last. They continued in silence until they reached the bottom of the wall, then started a casual walk towards Naruto's favorite place to dine in the village ramen. As they walked by other people, Narudo chuckled internally how some people seemed to be giving him curious looks as if they were trying to remember something about him, either who he was or who he might have been related to. Most people had been doing double takes as he was no longer wearing his orange outfit. It was widely considered to be his defining characteristic before he left on his training trip. The other glances were sent to his companion, many of which were wideeyed, some with accompanying blushes or jealous scowls. A lot of the looks would change when they noticed that the two of them were walking together and were wearing nearly identical outfits. Most of them were surprised with a few grins and other more discreet displays. If Jeriah were around, he'd be having a field day. Narudo couldn't help but chuckle and toss Kitsune a brief smirk. It seems you have a few admirers. I'm used to it. You know, I've traveled through human villages before. The attention wouldn't last if they knew who I was. You never know. If they know you didn't attack the village under your own control, I'm sure a lot of them would think differently or at least give you a second chance. Kitsune snorted. If that is what you believe, so be it. You know my opinion. Do you really hate us all that much? Nar spoke quietly, but he knew Kitsune heard him the moment she stopped walking alongside him. Her sudden stop caught him slightly off guard, causing the blonde to trip over his own feet as he tried to turn around and keep walking at the same time. He started to chrole lightly, slowly stopping as he saw her staring at him seriously with her bright red eyes. When she continued to maintain her silence, Naruto's somewhat curious stare turned morphed into a frowning one. Right after the change, Kitsune closed her eyes and sighed and let her head tilt forward until she could have been staring at the ground if her eyes were open. The simple answer is that no, I do not hate all humans. I'm finding myself feeling neutral towards more and more of them as time goes by. My initial impression was colored by the sage of six paths who instructed us Beiju to avoid humans as best we could. I'm sure you understand why by now. Narud nodded solemnly as Kitsune raised her head to look at him, eyes open again. I've never interacted with humanity on this scale before. Previously, I would avoid them at all times unless I traveled through a village to get information about what was going on in the world. From an outside perspective, there didn't seem to be any redeeming qualities about any humans I met. I've kept that mindset for my entire life. Then you freed me. Just like that, everything I had believed before was shattered, and you have caused me to begin examining humankind more closely. I have come to understand after much consideration that yes, there are humans out there that are just as I believed all of humanity was like, but there are other humans who do not fit into any predefined mold that I had imagined in my life before now. Kitsune continued staring straight at Narut, who simply stared right back. Does this answer your question? The blonde nodded slowly. So that means you actually do like it when I summon you like it as in appreciate it and want it to happen more. I would have to say yes. You didn't seem to want me to at first. I've already explained that when you first started doing it, I had none of my own chakra. It was even worse than being behind that blasted cage. But once you found a way to bring some of my chakra with me, I began to too. Kitsun's mouth opened and closed a few times as if searching for the appropriate word anticipated. I looked forward to being summoned. I still do. Does that make sense? It is a foreign concept to me as the only other time I believe I ever looked forward to something was when I had a small chance to escape your mother. Yeah, it makes sense. I'm glad you're happy. Narud had one of his big grins on display with one hand behind his head. He purposefully ignored the comment about his mother. His parents were still a bit of a touchy subject between them. Even after all this time, it was done and over with. He just didn't want to think about it if he didn't need to. Thank you. Ha. Narudo stopped grinning only to stare in shock as Kitsun leaned forward slightly in a small bow towards him. While the words used stopped most of his motor functions, the fact that the most powerful of the Beiju was actually bowing to him nearly put him in cardiac arrest. It wasn't exactly something that was easy for Naruto to wrap his head around at all. It is the first time I have ever said those words. It is also the first time that I can claim I have ever been able to recognize what this feeling you call happiness is. I was fully expecting to live behind that cage until I was 200 years old or even older. You managed to stop that from happening and are still trying to make my situation even better. So, I thank you. Naruto's mouth was agape and he had clearly started blushing, not used to any sort of praise from Kitsun ever since he had known her. It took everything he had to force words out of his mouth. You helped me out all the time when I was younger, and you still do it. It was the least I could do. Be that as it may, you are the only one who has bothered to make an attempt with any of the Beiju to the best of my knowledge. Perhaps perhaps we could try to pass it along to my other brethren, if possible. They might be behind different kinds of containment seals, but the technique itself should still work with a few adjustments. The blonde looked carefully at his companion. It was odd. He had never really seen Kitsune appear so eager for something before. Her eyes were wide and she was even leaning forward a bit. A part of Narut was wondering if Kitsune even realized just how human she looked right now. I can ask Aerosen and to see if he has any contacts that know the locations of other Ginuriki. I guess it would be a start. Yes, good idea. Kitsun seems strangely enthusiastic, leaving Narudo stunned. His once again slackjawed expression must have snapped Kitsun back to her usual self. Since the redhead almost immediately mellowed out and folded her arms over her chest, looking away. What an odd feeling. It seems once I understand the meaning behind an emotion, I can express it without even consciously trying. I will have to think about that. But first, I still owe you that ramen. Come with me and close your mouth unless you're trying to catch insects in it. Naruto was only vaguely aware of his mouth clicking shut as Kitsun grabbed his arm and started dragging him towards a Churaku. This was scary. Kitsun was quickly starting to turn into another Sakura. 5 days later, heaven and earth bridge. It's<unk>s Orochimaru. Naruto tensed, noticing the new figure appearing from the other side of the bridge just as Sakura hissed out the all too familiar name. They had come here based on some information that a now deceased member of Akatsuki named Cesori had given them. After returning from rescuing Gar, Sakura had reported that the man she fought had given her a meeting location for one of his spies who would likely have information that Kanoha would be very interested in obtaining. When Sakura asked why he was telling her this, he simply stated that it was a gift for defeating him. The information was relative to an old thorn in his side, but Kenoha would likely benefit if they acted on it as well. Their new squad leader, Yamo, had gone out disguised as Cesari to meet with this spy. Narut and Sakura both tensed in their hiding place when Kabuto revealed himself. Both believed that with Kabuto around, his master was not far away. Unfortunately for them, they were right. Arg. Naruto's fists clenched and released rapidly as he looked over the bush they were positioned behind. Should we ignore waiting for the signal and go back up? Yamato Taiishu. Sakura shook her head, a grimace on her face. No, we wait. I don't like it either, but he may still get away. The girl spoke too soon, however, as Kabuto made a show of protecting Yamo, only to turn and destroy the disguise shortly thereafter. It was barely another few seconds before Yamo was motioning for them to come out from hiding. The two of them, plus their newest member, Sai, all sprung from their spot, landing in front of Yamo. Surprise was written all over Kabuto's face while Orochimaru appeared to be more amused than anything else if his small chuckles were any indication. My my isn't this such a nice surprise. Kabuto, I think our good friends from the leaf must have finished off my old partner since they are meeting us here disguised as him. Ichim, I guess the leaf is good for something after all. Orochimaru sama. Kabuto's voice was dripping with sarcasm and a grin slowly appeared as he pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose. Indeed, I must say, I'm surprised to see you here. Narudoku, dearest doesn't keep you on a leash like other villages do with their ginuriki. Narudo visibly flinched and glared at the word Orochimaru decided to use. Bachchan knows better than to do that. I see. Well, good for you, I guess. Orochimaru paused for a moment, his eyes wandering behind the trio to the man standing behind them. I see they are making use of my other gift as well. Narut and Sakura shared a confused glance at that, then looked at Sai, who simply looked back at them with his typically expressionless face. They didn't get a chance to say anything of their own as Kabuto asked the question in theirstead, "What do you mean, Orochimaru sama?" The snake summoner chuckled again, then casually pointed towards Yamato. My little Mokutan experiment, standing there in the back. I was trying to recreate the bloodline of the Shoai Hokag, but I had believed all of my experiments were failures. It would seem that one of them made it, however. How fortunate. Naruto, Sai, and Sakura all looked over their shoulders at Yamato, who simply gave them a brief nod, his expression unusually grave compared to anything they had seen before. Several moments passed where no one said anything further, until Orochimaru spoke again, amused as always. "Well, it would seem we are at an impass. I was fully expecting one of you to start screaming about how you would be trying to get Sasuke Kuan away from me." Naruto was going to retort only to be stopped by Sakura's dark chuckle. He looked over at her slightly surprised. Sasuke Kuan will do whatever he wants. If it wasn't for Narut, he wouldn't be with you now anyway. Orochimaru<unk>s eyes immediately narrowed. Explain. Sakura jerked a thumb towards her blonde teammate. Narudo beat Sasuke Kuan at the Valley of the End when they fought. He could have brought Sasuke Kun back if he wanted to, but he let him go for reasons that I agree with. Kakashi sensei was there too and agreed as well. If we really cared that much about him being with you, he wouldn't be. It was hard to read Orochimaru<unk>s expression, but he didn't look pleased, though he didn't look angry either. Very interesting. Sasuke Kua neglected to mention that little tidbit when he found me. Perhaps I should increase the level of his training. Though if Naruto Kuan was able to beat him those years ago, Orochimaru's snake eyes focused on the blonde of the group and Narudo felt a shiver run down his spine. I would assume that you have gotten even stronger since then, especially if it's true that you were running about and training with Jeriah for several years. I'm very curious to see your strength. What do you say? Think you can take me on? Narudo frowned slightly. I already know I can't beat Aerosin orsunare Bachan, so I doubt I could beat you. But the blonde began to smile, then slowly began to draw upon Kitsun's chakra. I am curious as to just how far I can go. Narudo heard Orochimaru begin to laugh again while both Sakura and Yamato began calling his name. Kabuto was staring at him curiously, as was Sai, though he could only begin to guess what was going through the other boy's head. What are you doing? You can't handle the amount of chakra you'd need for me to be able to take him down. Kitsun's voice rang clearly through his head, making him wse. This was yet another workaround they had found regarding the Shiki Fujimun. Previously, Kitsun would have to be summoned in order for them to communicate mentally, but now he could summon her awareness into his body if she was willing to leave her chakra behind the seal. It essentially let her be aware of everything that was happening in real time, though she could do nothing other than talk to him. I know. I'm not trying to take him down. I just want to see how far I can go. It's been a while since I've attempted TCH. Whatever. Just don't lose your mind to my chakra. I'll try to keep it down to four tails. Any more than that, and I can't say I'll keep control. Kitsune didn't respond as she likely moved her awareness back behind the seal to control her own chakra. He immediately turned to stare at Sakura, who was giving him a worried look. Kitsun's chakra had already begun whipping around him, and without looking over his shoulder, he knew that he had already pulled upon at least three tails worth. A fourth tail was not far behind, as he could feel the wild chakra pushing down upon his consciousness. It wanted him to give it a directive and then let it take over, which was exactly what had happened the last time he had done this with Jeriah. Sakurachan, you and the others should get back. I'm going to try to keep control, but it will be very dangerous for you to be here. What? But Nar, this is dangerous. I can back you up. You'll need dash Sakura. The girl flinched back as Nar shouted her name, then immediately grunted and rubbed at his forehead. Please, Sakurachan, just go. It's hard enough for me to maintain this state without losing control. If something happened to you, to any of you, I would lose control and put everyone else at risk. Please. Even though she was frowning and her fists were clenched, the pink-haired girl took a step forward again and stared at him seriously. Good luck, Nar. Thanks. Hopefully, I won't need it. As soon as their exchange was done, she took off back towards the end of the bridge where they had arrived. Sai and Yamo both looking back at him, but following her shortly thereafter. Kabuto, perhaps you should depart as well. I don't need my best agent to be put at risk needlessly. Yes, Orochimaru sama. Kabuto disappeared in a flash and Nar didn't pay attention or really care where the spy went. So Narudoku, how do you want to start thash? Narudo already knew what the man was likely going to finish saying before he did and quickly took the initiative, literally flying across the short length of bridge that separated them and smashed a chakra laden fist into the snake summoner's face. The blow was more than enough to send the pale- skinned man flying off into the distance. His first objective was to get Orochimaru away from everyone else, and now that task was complete. Taking a deep breath, he finally allowed the fourth tale of Kitsun's chakra to settle upon him. The blonde grunted and held his head in his hands for a moment. The chakra was powerful, and even at this stage, he could barely keep his wits about him. Nar was calm, but Kitsun's chakra was anything but. The pressure was weighing down on him so much that he noticed his feet were leaving indents on the bridge. At the same time, however, the chakra caused an odd dichotomy. The added weight in general made it harder to move. Yet, once he actually was able to focus on the simple action of movement, the very same chakra reinforced his muscles and made any movement much easier. The wild chakra did anything he wanted so long as he was able to maintain his wits. Realizing that he still had to go after Orochimaru, lest the man come back here, he quickly tore through the forest, kicking up all manner of debris in his wake. The best chance he would have at winning this match was taking his opponent out early, even if it did seem to be an impossible task. This would likely be his only chance to test and see how strong he was when compared to people of Orochimaru's caliber. Sparring and Jeriah was fun, sure, but they would pull punches. Orochimaru definitely wouldn't. Upon reaching a small clearing that had been created courtesy of the snake summoner smashing through everything in the area, the blonde came to an abrupt stop and looked around. Orochimaru was sitting patiently on the trunk of one of the larger trees in the area, smiling at him. That wasn't very nice, Naruto. I hadn't finished talking. But since you're so eager, I won't hold back either. Immediately, two of the felled trees next to him burst into smoke, only to be replaced by snakes. They both opened their mouths wide and went for him, only to be stopped short as red hands of chakra reached out from the cloak surrounding him, grabbed the snakes, and squeezed. Two more bursts of smoke later, and the snakes had dispelled. It is impressive for you to have come so far at such a young age. But I believe you can't go further yet. Otherwise, you probably would have. Am I right? Narudo had to forcibly hold his aggressiveness in check. He knew Orochimaru was goating him on. And with enough pushes like this, he would lose control of Kitsun's chakra. H I must be. It's amusing to watch your face go through so many different expressions as you try to control that chakra. I've never had the opportunity to experiment with a ginuriki before since they are always so well-guarded. But I cannot imagine a bou control. I don't control anything. I work together with my bou. I've been training, but but ug. Naruto collapsed forwards, feeling the chakra starting to overwhelm him. There were so many things about Orochimaru that just plain pissed him off. And it was even worse because he knew what the man was trying to do. Yet, he still fell for it. Naruto's vision started turning red, then black around the edges as Kitsun's volatile chakra quickly utilized his anger at the snake and despair over losing control to take over, to do what he couldn't. Mindscape. Naruto snapped awake, sitting up quickly. He didn't remember laying down, but realized what was going on as he looked around. Somehow, he had been forced into his mind. Kitsun's cage was directly facing him. Uggh, what's going on? An all too familiar rumbling noise filled the room, though it definitely didn't sound as deep as it used to. He was going to ask more until he noticed that the red chakra was floating around the room on top of the waterlike substance. Either that or the substance had become the chakra. It was hard to tell. The only thing he knew is that it was slowly climbing up his body. Jumping to his feet and letting out a yelp, he tried to forcefully wipe if off, but the chakra only stuck to him and proceeded to spread from his hands. Now, Kitsun, what's what's going on? What is your chakra doing? You pulled upon too much. I warned that you weren't ready for this. Now it will follow your desires before you arrived here. Narudo vagely noted that the voice while still deep definitely had a feminine sound to it compared to previously. Unfortunately, he didn't get time to consider it further as the chakra began rapidly expanding on his body. But can't it be stopped? Nar was thrashing about wildly, but the chakra was almost covering him completely now and quickly moving up his chest and neck. No, it cannot. Why? Kitsune. Kitsun. With a splashing noise, Naruto's body fell backwards as he succumbed to unconsciousness. Unknown, the blonde groaned as he slowly became aware again. His entire body felt like it was on fire, and it didn't take long for him to remember why. If he was becoming aware again, that meant the chakra he had foolishly pulled upon had likely run its course. Suddenly, there was a cool feeling that began in his chest and gradually started to work its way over the rest of his body, removing the burning sensation. Getting curious, he started to lean forward and open his eyes, only for a warm hand to press over his eyes and pull his head back down. Only then did he notice that his head was slightly elevated. Whash Narudo tried to talk, only to let out a series of hacking coughs. His throat was very dry, but considering the way the rest of his body felt, he wasn't surprised. After a moment of consideration, he realized that he was in his mindscape still. He couldn't hear or smell anything that would symbolize actually being awake. Be silent and wait, Nar. You are being healed. Let your teammate finish and do not talk until it is done. The surprise got Nar to be silent more than anything else. He hadn't given any thought to who the hand had belonged to. The voice was definitely Kitsun's though. Somehow she managed to get in her human form outside of the cage. Unless he was for some reason inside of it. Not being able to see or talk kept him from knowing. Since he was still in his mind, though, that meant on the outside Sakura was healing him, which meant she was still all right. That was good news. Hopefully, he won the fight. The cool sensation had spread through pretty much all of his body by now, getting rid of what he assumed were burns from using Kitsun's chakra. Once it was done, Kitsune lifted her hand, and he was finally able to open his eyes, only to see her leaning forward over him, a strange expression of concern on her features. Her bright red eyes were looking over him curiously, and he couldn't really remember ever seeing her like this. How are you feeling? The question surprised him, mostly because he'd never heard it before. Usually she just scoffed at him or talked about his injuries as if they were nothing. Much better than I was a minute ago. You said Sakurachan was healing you. Yes. She foolishly tried to intervene in the fight when you got knocked back across the bridge, but I managed to keep my chakra from harming her. Barely. Naruto's eyes closed and he let out a sigh. Thanks. I was too weak again. Kitsuned him over another time before shaking her head and replying, "You just don't have enough experience in using my chakra. We will need to find a way to enable you to practice without alerting everyone within miles." Other than that, you'll need to learn to accept who you are before you can fully master using my chakra. Accept who I am. What do you mean? All of those human emotions and feelings you suppress. You may not realize it, but I can hear your true desires in some situations like I did when you went to fight Orochimaru. You wanted to kill him, even if you were just telling yourself it was just to test your own strength. Kitsune let out a small sigh before continuing. Until you understand and accept the way you feel about yourself in your life, my chakra will always be conflicted within you. I'm sure you've noticed how well it works when you get angry, Dash. Yeah, I've been trying to stop that. Well, don't. There is a difference between controlling your anger and letting your anger control you. I'm sure you know which one has been happening more often. Naruto grunted as he braced his arms on the ground, then slowly pushed himself forward. He opened his eyes as he sat up, turning slightly to look at Kitsun. She was kneeling on the ground, and he felt a butterfly sensation in his gut upon realizing that his head had been resting on her lap. The moment he turned around more fully, she nodded at him, then began fading from view. Hey, where are you going? Back behind the cage. Your awareness is returning, so I can no longer manipulate the seal to any degree. I could only bring my awareness out here, but all my chakra is still behind the cage. I simply used your chakra to create this form. Naruto was surprised, the emotion coloring his voice. You can use my chakra only to a limited extent. Kitsun's human image disappeared and the voice resumed after a small break once again louder and deeper throughout the entire area. Though Narudo could still clearly hear Kitsun's human voice mixed in. I know my own chakra cannot go beyond the seal. But I did not know if my awareness could without you coherent enough to summon me. I found out that I could draw upon a small amount of your chakra to give myself a clone of sorts here in your mind. Apparently, your subconscious would allow me to while you were unconscious, but once you began to awaken, my hold on your chakra began to slip away until I lost it. I could try to give it back." Nar had since moved to his feet and was stumbling towards the large bars. Kitsune chuckled, though it didn't sound nearly as menacing as it used to. Let's<unk> stick to doing one thing at a time, shall we? We<unk>ll continue work on modifying the summons and training you to use my chakra as well. For now, however, you should try to wake up soon. I believe your team may be getting ready to take desperate measures. Narudo stopped moving and looked up, peering through the bars, though not seeing anything behind them. Letting out another sigh, he nodded slowly and concentrated. "Right, we<unk>ll talk more later." As the blonde flickered from existence, Kitsune chuckled again. "Indeed, I'll be waiting." Five weeks later, newly created training area just outside Kenoha's walls. Naruto fell backward onto the soft grass, exhausted and dripping wet from head to toe. As he closed his eyes and calmed his breathing, someone stood in such a way to block the sun from his face. Curious, he opened his eyes again to see Kitsun looking down towards him before she tossed a towel over his head. Hey, you should dry off a bit. That water was not warm. It wasn't that bad. Sheesh. Following directions anyway, the boy sat up and proceeded to dry himself off. Wiping down his exposed upper body first, he placed the towel over his head to rub his hair, but paused first when he noticed Kitsun staring at him still. What? Kitsun's eyes narrowed, and she offered a barely perceptible shrug. I was looking at you and trying to understand what a female human would find to be desirable about a male. Naruto felt a blush rising to his face. Kitsun was checking him out. It was flattering, if not a little strange, coming from her. He tried to say something, but ended up stuttering out nothing discernable, though Kitsune ignored it and continued talking. Anyway, I understand a small amount considering what I learned through watching your mother, though she was already focused on your father before I was sealed in her, so it is still difficult for me to interpret what other females look for. But with so many human pairs that I have seen in this village alone, it is not that difficult to process, is it?" Naruto opened his mouth to reply, only for a giggling noise to interrupt him. Both he and Kitsun turned to look at Kakashi, who was leaning against a nearby tree stump, orange book in hand. Yamato was sitting nearby on the ground as well, eyes closed in a meditative posture. Kakashi had easily accepted Kitsun's presence, much to his relief. Thinking back, however, he recalled that his sensei was one of the most laid-back people around when not being attacked or threatened. Anyway, his reaction shouldn't have come as much of a surprise. Yamato was a new team leader to Nar, and the blonde had purposefully not told the man about Kitsun being able to appear in the shadow clone until after they got back from meeting Orochimaru and Kabuto. It wasn't because he didn't trust the man, but it was more because he didn't quite trust their other new team member, Sai. He also thought that Sununade might have mentioned it since he would be leading their team in Kakashi's absence. But Yamo<unk>'s reaction upon their return when they met was very amusing to both Nar and Sakura. They had both burst out laughing when their captain simply pointed and stared, open-mouthed and shaking, not saying a word. Kitsun, meanwhile, simply returned the stare with an eye roll followed by a very small smile, perhaps amused or exasperated in her own unique way. As for Sai, both Nar and Sakura had a feeling that Yamato knew something about the boy, but he wasn't telling them, and insisted that they asked the Hokag if they really wanted to know. He had apparently gone to investigate the fight between Narut and Orochimaru against Yamo<unk>'s orders to remain where they were and on standby. And Sakura believed he had gotten caught up in one of the large blasts that filled the area. Their captain had hinted that Sai was not dead and had a wood clone following the team, but other than that did not elaborate. He offered them the option of going after the boy and Nar was planning to accept. Sakura, however, quickly intervened, saying that getting Narudo back to Kenoha to make sure there were no side effects after what happened took precedence. The blonde wanted to argue, but she stopped him, saying that it was her duty as a medic to make sure he was in good health, and that she'd rather take care of an injured friend and teammate and make sure he was okay rather than go try and hunt one down that went against Yamo's explicit orders to stand down. Their captain almost immediately agreed with her, and they returned to the village, their newest teammate's whereabouts unknown. A light bonk on his head made him flinch, and he craned his head to look up at Kitsun as she gave him a slight glare. You used to complain that I didn't talk enough, yet now that I do talk, you have decided to ignore me. The blonde pald, "What? No. I'm sorry. I just I was just thinking back about the bridge, and we don't know what happened to Sai still." Kit soon stared at him for a moment, then offered another one of her imperceptible shrugs. So, he understood even less about emotions than I did. Neither of us like him at all. We've discussed this. I know. I know. It's just, "Oh, never mind. What were you saying before?" Kitsune growled before answering. I was asking if it was truly a difficult process for humans to find a partner considering how many of them I've seen in this village alone. A partner? You mean like on a team? No, a companion or a mate. Narudo was stunned once again, but managed to keep his face impassive somehow. This was probably one of the very last conversations he ever expected to have with the Beiju as she had always previously displayed nothing more than a passing interest in any humans with few exceptions. It can be hard sometimes. I know there are some that are part of clans so they don't get a choice or sometimes they can be required to have more than one uh mate. But for everyone else, it usually happens where you are with or around someone for a long time and just start liking them more and more. You weren't with Haruno for very long before you started chasing after her. That comment brought Narudo up short, remembering back to when he used to constantly nag Sakura about dates. Sakura Chan was like me. She wanted acknowledgement like I did. I tried to give it to her, but as you know, she didn't want it from me. Naruto sighed and shook his head. So, it doesn't always work out. But if you want to know what girls look for in a guy, you should probably go talk with Sakura Chan. She could probably tell you what girls look for since I obviously have no idea. Kitsun's face morphed into an expression that could be best described as having tasted something repulsive, but it didn't last long. I cannot think of anything better, so we will go with that. Anyway, you've rested long enough. It's time to practice drawing upon my chakra now. Narudo groaned as he rubbed his forehead, slowly climbing back to his feet. Ugg, slave driver, you know it. I'll go grab the Mokutan user, you prepare yourself. The blonde sighed as he looked up at the sky. When the hell was lunch the next morning? Where are we going? Sakura turned her head slightly so that she could look at her current companion out of the corner of her eye. We're going to pick up Eno at her family flower shop before we meet up with a few others at the park. Eno, she's the Yamanaka. Yeah, why? Kitsun idly scratched at the side of her chin. I can remember dozens of women named Eno that I've heard of or met briefly over the course of my life. I was just trying to remember that she was the most recent. You can remember them all. That's pretty amazing. Sakura usually kept herself to neutral when talking to Kitsun, but she couldn't help but express some small amount of awe at Kitsun's memory capabilities. It can be a boon or a curse depending on your perspective. I never forget anything I experience as if it happened yesterday. Sakura wasn't quite sure what to say to that as she could imagine it being exactly as Kitsun said. Something horrible may happen that she'd be able to remember in perfect clarity for the rest of her life. She couldn't help but shiver just thinking about it. The rest of the short trip to the flower shop passed with silence between them. The pink-haired girl still was not certain what to make of the Beiju walking next to her. Other than being incredibly blunt about things and sometimes downright rude when she talked to people other than Narudo, Jeriah, Sununade, and a small list of others, Kitsun was known for being quiet and observant. Though, if anyone came across her sparring Narudo, they'd think she was incredibly strong. Things between them were still cool at best. Apparently, she had done a good job of ruining her image in the eyes of Kitsun when she used to ignore or turn away Narudo constantly in the academy. While she had apologized to both Kitsun and Nar for acting that way, she did state that she was still a very young girl at the time. Narud forgave her easily as he always did. But Kitsune was still chilly towards her until today. Apparently, Narut and Kitsun had shown up at her doorstep this morning with the blonde begging her to go out and about with Kitsun and tell her all about the girl things that he had no idea how to explain. He didn't stick around to clarify what he was saying either, as he had promptly shot off like a rocket the moment he finished talking, leaving Sakura there dumbfounded as Kitsune stared at her impassively. It took forever for her to understand just what it was that Kitsune wanted or needed to talk about. Deciding it was best if she had a group opinion about the questions Kitsun was tossing at her, she offered to get a group of them together to talk about things. After thinking about it for nearly a full minute, Kitsune eventually agreed. The ringing door chime brought Sakura's thoughts back into focus as she stepped through the doorway into the store. She had walked the path to Eno's so many times before. She could do it blindfolded if she needed to. Good morning. Welcome. Oh, hey, Sakura. I got your message. So, can you come out for a little bit? Then, she noticed as Eno<unk>'s eyes flashed over to the redhead who had just walked in the door behind her, then back. Sure, let me just go in the back and let my mom know I'm going out. Sakura nodded as the blond-haired girl turned around and disappeared behind a curtain. She wasn't sure what the glance towards Kitsun meant, if anything at all, though most people were cautious around the relatively new unknown. After all, she had just randomly shown up with Narut the same day he returned to the village and was usually only ever seen around him. In the rare occasion that she was spotted alone, she was usually doing a mission and only spoke in brief sentences, if she even said anything at all. Okay, I'm ready to go. I'll have to be back by midafter afternoon though. I hope that's okay. It's fine. What I have to ask shouldn't take that long. That kitsune answered was surprising to both Eno and Sakura. The two of them turned to look at the redhead who appeared to be focused on some roses. I I see. All right, then. Let's go. As the three of them left the shop and began walking down one of the many roads in the village towards the park they were meeting at, Eno began chatting with Sakura about some of the latest village gossip. While the pink-haired girl didn't have much of a desire to know every little thing that went on in the village, she did have to admit that some things Eno knew about were rather amusing. There was even moments where she could have sworn she saw Kitsun's lips twitch upwards, though the Beiju did not comment on anything she may have heard. The park Sakura had selected to have this discussion that was not a very busy one early in the morning and wasn't very far from Eno's house either. Barely 5 minutes later, they arrived at the designated clearing only for them to immediately spot 10 and Hinata chatting comfortably in the shade of one of the many trees scattered about the area. Hey 10, Hinata. Eno waved her hand over her head as she shouted at the other two girls who both quickly looked up and smiled. Ten waved back while Hinata quickly dipped her head forward a little. As they approached, Tenten focused on Sakura. So, what's so urgent that you needed to talk to us first thing this morning? I wanted to sleep in today. Ah, I'm sorry. This might sound a little strange, but I wanted some other opinions on some questions Kitsun has been asking me. You've all met her at least once before, right? All of the girls nodded, though Hinata was looking at the redhead curiously. Yes, though I've only seen her in passing as she was usually with Naruto Kuan. Kitsune turned a redeyed gaze towards the Huga Aerys. Well, that would make sense considering what I am. Hinata's eyes shot wide open and her face quickly turned bright red. Tenten simply grunted out a hu while Eno<unk>'s screech probably woke up anyone else who may have still been sleeping nearby. What? Considering what you are? Oh, this might be good. What are you to Naruto? Huh? A secret mistress? A hidden wife? I have to admit, I'm envious of your looks, though. I don't really know what you found that made that goof a keeper. At first, Kitsune looked annoyed, but it slowly shifted towards a smirk as she listened to Eno ramble on. "Nothing quite so fancy as that." Kitsune turned her head to stare at Sakura. "Perhaps you should tell them about me. I don't think they believe it coming from me." Sakura frowned. Did Narudo say it was okay? I mean, that law is still in effect, isn't it? He gave permission. He plans on telling the males of his generation while you're here with me, though he believes some of them already know, much like you did. I see. Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then opened them again and looked at Eno 1010 and Hinata in turn before continuing. What I say here cannot be repeated by any of you at any time ever unless the law is lifted or Naruto says it's okay. Got it? They all nodded. Hinatus and Tentons were slow to come. Curiosity etched across their features. Eno was slow to respond as well, though she was frowning slightly as she gazed at the red head. Kitsune is the Q.B. in human form. The other girls were surprised, certainly, though they quickly adopted looks of understanding, as if some puzzle pieces were quickly falling into place. None of them made any shocked outbursts or even seemed scared in any way. No comments or screams. I'm surprised. All of the girls looked at Sakura, including Kitsun. Eno and Hinata looked like they were going to say something, but they both stopped themselves. It was 10 who decided to explain. I think it's one of the best worst kept secrets in Kenoha. No one can talk about it openly because of the law, but at this point, everyone knows Naruto has a second source of chakra, especially after the exams. Eventually, things start to fall into place if you just pay attention. As for me, I got confirmation from Niji. He wouldn't say anything directly about it, but the law didn't say anything about not confirming a well-thoughtout guess. I It was the same for me. After talking with Nijinizen about his fight with Naruto Kuan during the Chunin exam, I went to our clan archives and did some research on secondary chakra sources. I noticed that the day of the QB's defeat was also Narut Kuan's birthday. So, I went and asked my father about it. He confirmed that Naroku was a ginuriki. As Hinata finished speaking, everyone turned to Eno, expecting her to offer her story next. She just let out a light chuckle and shrugged slightly. Nothing that exciting about how I found out. Shikamura figured it out on his own and told Chuji and I. We both got confirmation from our parents. The end. As soon as she finished, the blonde girl rounded on Kitsun, pointing a finger at the Beiju and grinning wider. Now, what's this about you and Nar, huh? Something interesting going on between you two. Probably not in the manner you are thinking. Kitsune folded her arms over her chest as she returned the blonde girl's grin. My question merely pertains to human males in general. Naruto is just the best example that I can understand since I know him better than any other. Any explanation with him as the subject would enable me to understand your explanations better. There are many things about human social patterns that I am still unfamiliar with. Eno nodded slowly and adopted a thoughtful pose, rubbing her chin. I see. Ask away. The great Eno Sama shall be happy to answer your questions on this day. Sakura groaned and rubbed her forehead, annoyed at Eno<unk>'s antics at a time like this. Luckily, Kitsun seemed to ignore it and went about asking her question anyway. What exactly is it that human females look for in males? As I was telling Nar yesterday, I see plenty of pairs all throughout the village, so it cannot be that hard to find a mate, can it? All of the girls, other than Sakura, who already knew the question, simply stared at Kitsune in mute shock. Eno<unk>'s previous thoughtful pose seemed to just disappear as she went rigid. And much the same could be said for Tenten and Hinata, who had turned their heads to look at each other, as if they weren't sure about what they heard. Wait a minute. Eno held a hand up as if that would keep anyone else from talking. What brought this on anyway? Did you just randomly start thinking about this or something? Kitsune just shrugged non-comdily. I've been watching Narudo train recently and even my mind is prone to wandering. When I think back, if I compare him to other males that I've seen during my life, I would have to consider him, how should I say it? Handsome, attractive. I know the meaning behind the words, but I'm still unfamiliar with how to determine if a person exemplifies those properties. From what I can gather, Naruto's general demeanor and physique matches up with what human females tend to strive for in a partner. Unless all of you disagree, Sakura was looking down at the ground while Eno was staring at Kitsun like she had two or even three heads. Tentan had begun tapping her chin with her forefinger and apparently in deep thought. Though unlike her, Hinata had turned beat red and was looking everywhere else but towards their group. Well, Enos's dragged out the word until everyone focused on her again. I wouldn't say that girls aren't attracted to Naruto. I mean, I'll admit that he's kind of cute, but I don't really know him well enough to be attracted to him more. He was away training for 3 years, and I've only seen him briefly a few dozen times or so since he got back months ago. He's probably nothing like I remember him being in school. Does that make sense? Kitsune nodded but said nothing, waiting for other opinions. Tenan decided to speak up shortly after Eno finished. I think he's pretty good-looking. Yeah, if I got to know him better, I could easily see myself falling for him after the few times we've sparred and I've helped him with canai training. He's always busy though, and I haven't seen him much since he got back because I've been busy, too. But unless he seeks me out for some reason, we'll probably just stay friends. I'm fine with that. She finished her comments with a shrug, and the other girls all seemed to nod, fully accepting of her explanation. Eno, Kitsun, and now Tenten turned to look at Hinata and Sakura, who seemed to be unsure about what to say. Sakura opened and closed her mouth a few times, though Hinata began to speak before she could actually say anything. I Ivy liked Naruto Kuan for a long time. Hinata's shoulders sagged as if she was in the process of explaining some heavy burden. Unfortunately, he isn't a member of a clan. And as my clan is right now, they will not allow me, the Aerys, to marry someone who isn't in a clan themselves. So, until my father decides to step down, I I Hinata choked back a sob and both Eno and Sakura moved closer, resting a hand on each of the girls shoulders. It's okay, Hinata. We understand. You don't have to continue. Hinata nodded, wiping at her eyes as she gave Eno a watery smile. Unfortunately, I do not understand. Why can you not simply say how you feel? Ah, she could say it. Sakura began to explain, but she wouldn't be able to enter into a relationship with him because of her clan's rules right now. Essentially, she's saying that if she were to start something now, they may reduce her status or even kick her out of her clan, her family. When she becomes the matriarch, however, she would be free to pursue whoever she wants, but there is no guarantee that Narudo will still be available. Am I right, Hinata? The somewhat sullen girl let out a heavy sigh before she nodded. You are correct. Hm. Kitsune walked up a little closer and looked carefully at Hinata. The other girl let out a little deep as she was being inspected and fidgeted slightly, but Sakura and Eno<unk>'s hands on her shoulders kept her from backing away. May I ask, what is it that attracts you to Narudo? It didn't take long for Hinata to blush and continue getting redder. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as her eyes darted around everywhere. Though before she could say anything, some interesting thoughts must have popped into her head since she fainted dead away. Both Sakura and Eno let out startled shouts of surprise. then had to quickly adjust in order to hold the girl and set her down gently before she landed in a heap. I can't believe she still hasn't grown out of that. What? Sakura looked over at 10, who seemed more amused than worried. Niji used to complain about this from time to time. Whenever Narut ever came up in their conversations, she'd turn into a wreck. He doesn't know how to break her from that either, and he doesn't want to think she's a well, a secret pervert or anything. Sakura blushed as she looked at the dark-haired girl on the ground once again. Hinata. But now that she thought about it more, as interesting as this conversation is, Narut is calling for me. Apparently, the sage has a mission for him. He seems excited to get going, and he believes I will be as well. Kitsun paused for a moment, taking a deep breath and apparently preparing herself to say something else. Sakura, Eno, and Ten, however, were simply trying to change gears in their minds as Kitsun had totally changed the subject. I appreciate your explaining to me your opinions on the matter. It has been most enlightening." She paused again briefly and looked at them all once more time, even the unconscious Hinata. "When I return, perhaps we can talk some more." "Farewell." As soon as she finished speaking, she promptly dispelled in a cloud of smoke, similar to the way that Naruto's did. Only this time, it was tinted with a faint reddish color. Most enlightening. Eno mumbled the words quietly to herself several times. "I can't say I've ever heard someone talk like that before. It sounds so, so mature," Eno looked at Sakura and shrugged. "I was going to say old-fashioned, but it doesn't matter." Her voice dropped down into a more conspiratorial tone. Hey, she didn't get to hear about what you think about Nar, did she? The pink-haired teen slowly shook her head. She already knows and told me not to bother. Her best friend looked positively scandalized. What? Why? Sakura looked down at the ground, noticing that Hinata was starting to stir. Because of how I treated him before. She didn't say never, but she made it very clear that I shouldn't bother right now. Someone that doesn't understand attraction was telling you to not be. Sakura tossed her friend a rise smile as Hinata began moving again. Ten was leaning down to help the girl to her feet. I know. Funny, isn't it? I'll tell you more later, but right now I'm going to make sure Hinata is okay. Sure thing, forehead. Eno's voice dropped down low enough to be just a mumble. This I've got to hear.