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ᗰOᑎᔕTEᖇ	By : Sessakag Category: Naruto > Het - Male/Female > Naruto/Hinata Views: 44706 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
Chapter Fourteen
Mystery

May 17, 2009

“As the heir of the Yamanaka legacy, your expertise will be invaluable to our intelligence gathering, Ino.”
Ino followed quietly. She’d been summoned to the Hokage office several minutes ago. Expecting a mission of some sort, the kunoichi had dressed in her purple crop top, long skirt and restocked her nin tools. She hadn’t expected to be told she was needed immediately in a different capacity, one that would require her removal from active duty for some time. She had assumed it had something to do with the vacancy her father had left for the Analysis Team, one she had been preparing to accept in a year or so, but so far, the silver haired leader had yet to mention it.
Instead, he’d only asked her to follow him to the underground labs where the more sensitive, not always ethical testing, interrogations and examinations occurred.
The sinister side of the Leaf few were privy to.
The unavoidable evil that took place between those metal walls, visible only to those willing to stain their hands in any way necessary for the sake of the village, those dedicated to the safety and security of the Nation of Fire, sometimes at the cost of their humanity, their very souls.
People like Itachi. People like Danzo and Root.
Tainted shinobi they were called.
He stopped, typed in the code at a keypad protected door, then turned to speak to her directly.
“This research project is highly classified. The documents you signed are binding and will be enforced, not only by me, but by the daimyo himself should you, at any point, become in breach of contract,” Kakashi warned, with a pointed gaze, “I need you to understand that, Ino.”
She nodded, understanding what he wasn’t saying. She wasn’t the least bit embarrassed about her history of spilling hard to come by details among her closest friends and wouldn’t pretend to be. In this case, she understood he wouldn’t be able to allow lax protocol in this situation. She could only remember two other times of having this conversation. It was rare that the Hokage made it a point to enforce discretion, at least with her. The Yamanaka were fiercely loyal to Konoha and would never speak of things that would jeopardize the village. The little she let slip aided in that protection in a more informal capacity, spreading information to the right people quicker and more efficiently than waiting for the proper bureaucratic response.
It was somewhat of a tradition among the Yamanaka Clan and the sitting Hokage. One that had become integral to the functioning of Konoha.
Seriousness wiped from his face, his usual laid back friendliness returned.
“Good.” he said, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he smiled beneath his mask.
He turned and walked through the open door, leaving her to follow. She caught up to his retreating back, eyes moving over the people they passed. Most of the men and women wore long white coats, while a spattering of Anbu moved purposefully past and even fewer normal ranked shinobi. Many bowed briefly to the Rokudaime before maneuvering around the pair.
“Does this have anything to do with Sai’s new position?”
The blonde kunoichi was still left in the dark about what her boyfriend was up to. Sai was a former member of Root and he took vows of secrecy very seriously. His lips were as sealed as her lips were loose. His continued silence drove her nuts. Even her strongest glare and cutest pout couldn’t break his grim resolve. Short of invading his mind, something she would never do just to learn what he wasn’t willing or able to share, she had reached a dead end.
“I can’t speak about that.”
Ino huffed without much heat. She figured he’d say that but she had her own thoughts about where Sai might have been reassigned.
The day he had been summoned to the Hokage’s tower, Sai had returned home unusually quiet, something unnerving considering her love was already considered unnaturally quiet on a good day. Later that night, she’d feigned sleep, watching and listening for any clue about what was bothering her boyfriend. He’d lain beside her for nearly an hour before he had left their bed and padded into the living room.
Ino had contemplated following him but he returned before she could make a choice. Her lover had climbed back into bed, then turned on the dim, bedside lamp.
For long minutes, he had thumbed through a tattered old book.
Ino had recognized the picture book immediately. The beaten up hard cover was her boyfriend’s most beloved possessions. One, he had explained, that reminded him that he was human when the soullessness of his upbringing eroded his quest to recover his nearly eradicated emotions. She was almost certain his new position was taking him close to those days of Root, and while she didn’t like the thought of him having to relieve painful memories, she trusted her significant enough to let him make the decision of what he could and could not handle.
Facing old fears was just as healing and freeing as therapy. If he could face his past and still remain the Sai she loved, she could damn well support his choice and be there if he needed her.
Kakashi opened a door a few minutes later.
Ino stared down into the darkness. Metal steps descended into the pitch black, curving around the wall. Kakashi silently led the way. Dim floor lights winked on with each step into the yawning abyss. Vibrations, echos of some distant sound, reverberated through the walls, and hard metallic surface beneath her feet.
“What is that?” she questioned, her head leaning slightly towards the noise.
The silver haired leader halted.
“Screams.”
Taken aback, Ino stopped, eyes on the broad shoulders of the Hokage.
“Ino, what have you heard about the disappearances of shinobi and the massacres taking place?”
She’d heard enough to know the problem was growing and not just in the Land of Fire. The Yamanaka Clan were well known for their skill of espionage, intel gathering and interrogation world wide and with that reputation and skill set came channels of information. Lines of communication from sources as close as neighboring Nations and as far as foreign lands many had never even heard of. With the death of her father, Ino had begun assuming control of these long lived relationships. The things she’d learned over the past year…some of it, she wished had never been revealed.
The young woman had needed to take a step back afterwards, to purge her mind of the horrible truths she’d been ignorant to. It was a difficult thing, continuing the legacy of the Yamanaka. A burden that could hollow one’s soul.
The human capacity for cruelty was a fact many of her Clan, herself included, found hard to reconcile at times.
“About as much as you’d expect my father to know, though I must admit, even our most trusted and loyal sources aren’t talking much,” she admitted, “Is there an active gag order out?”
“You could say that,” he replied cryptically before returning to previous subject, “The Yamanaka are second to none in intelligence gathering. Those abilities are what we need. We believe we’ve captured the people responsible for the slaughtered villages.”
Shock washed over her.
That had to be good news right? From the thing’s she’d heard she had expected some sort of creature that needed to be eliminated. The injuries they left behind, she certainly hadn’t anticipated something human to be the cause. And if there were actual people behind it, wouldn’t Ibiki be enough to get the information he needed?
Ino shivered, his dour, scarred face and soulless stare rising to her mind’s eye.
Ibiki Morino, head of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force could extract answers from a daisy if he were of mind.
“Believe? You’re not sure?” she questioned.
“They’re incapable of speech, leaving traditional means of interrogation useless,” he explained, “Some of them…we aren’t even sure are human any more.”
Blue eyes widened.
“Not human?” she repeated, “Then what are they?”
“That’s what we need your help in finding out. Their minds aren’t normal by any stretch of the imagination. Someone of Inoichi’s level is necessary.”
Meaning her.
He began moving again. Ino followed, endless possibilities of what was up ahead turning over in her mind, none of them good.
“There’s one more thing,” he murmured, stopping in front of a metal door. “With Inoichi…no longer with us, your name has been brought up among the Analysis Team. They’re very impressed with the skills you’ve demonstrated and have recommended you to take over your father’s position as head of the Analysis Team, should you accept.”
Ino didn’t pretend to be surprised. As of two weeks ago, that was old news. She would have been surprised if she hadn’t been offered the job.
“I’ve already started the paperwork,” she admitted, “The Yamanaka have always headed that department.”
“Then congratulations on your impending promotion, Ino. We all look forward to working with you.”
The noise was increasing, becoming more distinct, making the fine hairs at her nape stand on end. The pair stopped before another door and a metal slab slid from a compartment in the door. Kakashi placed his hand on the palm shaped scanner.
“Ino, we’re going to need you start as soon as possible.”
The door slid open, then another, and another and another.
Icy fingers of dread slid over her spine as each door opened, the sounds that had been muffled growing in volume. The vibrations became distant cries, raising steadily to become ear shattering wails. Ino swallowed, fighting the urge to place her hands over her ears.
The screams were thunderous, bestial and full of pain.
Her heart hammered against her chest, sweat slipping down her temple.
She had never heard something so horrible. The sounds chilled her to the bone. The noise burrowed under her skin, like a million hairy legged spiders crawling over her flesh. She shivered, sliding her hands over the goosebumps pebbling her arms.
Kakashi turned slightly as the last door opened, waiting for her to proceed him.
The blistering howls coming from within were indescribable.
Her legs locked.
She didn’t want to go in there.
“Ino…you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, and I wont force you to,” he said softly, “but we do need your help.”
Wide, frightened blue eyes met the silent, patient stare of the silver haired male.
xxxxxx
Naruto glanced around at the dead trees and dry vegetation. Brittle blades of grass crunched beneath their feet, skinny twigs snapping as they passed. After several hours of traveling, the lush green surroundings had slowly become dull and listless. The air felt stale and arid, a faint scent of something repugnant drifting with the wind. His instincts were going haywire, the hair at the nape of neck standing on end.
Something was wrong.
“Sensei.”
Naruto glanced over at the silver haired genin, unsurprised he’d picked up on the undercurrent of unease. The youth had lightly wrapped his fingers around the handle of the blade strapped to his back, amber eyes shifting over the rotted foliage.
A moment later, Sanzo stopped, Tani following seconds later. The group halted, tensing in the hushed forest. Naruto searched harder for the source of the danger. That wail was back, buzzing louder than it ever had.
“Do you hear that?” Naruto asked, wanting to confirm whether or not the three could also hear it.
The group fell silent, listening.
“I don’t hear anything.” Sanzo refuted after a moment.
“Me either, sensei.” Seinosuke replied.
“I don’t hear anything either, Naruto-sensei.”
He wasn’t surprised to hear their answer. Sai and Kiba hadn’t heard it either the first time he’d encountered the noise.
“Defense, now.” Naruto called out sharply.
He hoped he was only being paranoid, but knew deep down, it wasn’t just a case of an over protective team leader.
Something was out there.
The genin moved, pressing their backs together, unsheathing their weapons of choice.
Seconds later, yellow, frog slit eyes shifted, blonde brows furrowed in concentration. Naruto strained, searching for the direction of disturbed energy. The low frequency howl of earlier rang in his ears, the baying wail no longer on the edge of his hearing. It was loud, vibrating through his brain, but it didn’t feel like sound. He couldn’t describe the sensation that grated his ears, and raised goosebumps along his flesh.
A frigid streak exploded through the warmth of natural energy.
Naruto turned, tossing the group of genin a few feet away, and bringing his arms up to block the blow, as something big and pale slammed into him with the force of a mammoth.
The figure drove him through fragile trees, the decayed trunks snapping like twigs.
His feet dug into the ground, halting both himself and the attacker. Ringed lavender met shocked blue. Another familiar vibration tickled his ear, negating his shock in lieu of the new danger. Naruto shoved the powerhouse in front him, knocking him several feet back. He brought his hand up and formed a seal.
A puff of smoke billowed next to him.
The clone took off, shooting across the dead forest turned battle field in seconds, touching down in front of his students before lunging forward, driving his fist into the face of the second attacker.
His students protected, Naruto turned his attention to the…man in front of him.
“Who the hell are you?” he demanded.
The male in front of him was humanoid, but he could tell something wasn’t…right.
The pallor faced man looked feral, his mouth twisted into a drooling snarl. His canine teeth were longer than Kiba’s. His figure was contorted, a human experiment gone wrong, but one he recognized. The man looked like a failed transformation of Asura’s Path. Four arms were attached to his emaciated torso, one of the two extra limbs growing out of his chest, the other skinny and crooked, lay useless beneath the hollow of his left arm. A second snarling face sat atop his head, the salivating visage glaring up at the sky.
The serrated, tail-like blade that normally accompanied the transformed of Asura’s Path was missing completely.
There were no rods that he could see anywhere on the man.
He studied the light purple orbs.
The rings of his eyes were spread apart, wider than any Rinnegan he had ever seen, some of the dark lines crossing over the others. Large, predator like pupils, sagging and misshapen, split the overlapping rings. The black, elongated, vertical pupil bled into the light purple.
The Rinnegan, but not from any natural means.
A badly created imitation of the true dojutsu.
“Where did you get those eyes?”
Empty black orbs met his, the depths cold, and ravenous. Bloodlust, mindless starvation radiated from the snarling form.
No human lived inside there.
His ears ached.
The jonin had finally figured out where that “sound” was coming from. The creature standing in front of him had something inside of him that was wailing. Screaming in a frequency only he seemed to be able to detect.
Blues eyes narrowed. He could sense something else, glowing faintly beneath the skin of the male’s rib cage.
The creature’s jaw snapped open, a metal tube emerging from its throat. Naruto was moving long before the beam cleared the warped human’s mouth. The beam crashed into the area he’d stood, a swirling dome of heat and fire blasting away trees, leaving behind a steaming crater.
“Rasengan!”
Naruto slammed the blue ball of chakra into the chest of the monstrosity, sending its body crashing through trees. The drooling beast hurtled through debris, before smacking with bone shattering force into a boulder. Cracks stretched from the point of impact, the dark veins crisscrossing the gray rock. The humanoid collapsed to the ground below, a green orb rolling from its chest, sliding along the dirt floor.
His gaze narrowed.
He moved cautiously to the fallen enemy, leaning down to reach for the sphere. This was what he’d sensed below its skin, but it wasn’t the source of the screaming.
He examined the object.
It was soft, spongy, radiated a forest green glow and felt warm in his hand. Chakra swirled within. He had no idea what it was, why it was inside this man turned beast and what it meant. He gave the orb a curious squeeze and it burst, exploding with a small pop.
“Sensei!”
Naruto straightened, turning to the group moving towards him. Tani raced ahead of her teammates, her little face worried. He took a moment to give her a reassuring smile and a gentle pat to her green bob when she reached him, before turning his attention to his other genin charges. Seinosuke and Sanzo followed at a more sedate pace along side his clone. His look-alike had a body slung over his shoulder. Naruto winced as they drew closer, the new fallen enemy bringing with him that painful wail. The combination of both creatures emitting that terrible frequency setting his teeth on edge.
“Are you guys alright?” the jonin asked.
“Yes, thanks to you sensei.” Tani nodded.
Seinosuke nodded silently.
“Yeah, we’re fine.” Sanzo confirmed, his usual sarcastic tone missing.
The clone tossed the body next to the augmented one.
The enemy his other self had defeated bore none of the modifications of the Asura’s Path imitation. It looked human aside from its elongated canine, black claw tipped fingers and from what information the clone relayed, had a normal pupil surrounded by bright red sclera.
“What are they, Sensei?” Tani questioned.
He was wondering the same thing. Who in the hell could replicate something like the Rinnegan? Even if it was a cheap knock off, something like that was impossible right? Transplanted Rinnegans he’d seen. Rinnegan awakening through natural means, rare but certainly not impossible. But this creature wasn’t an Uchiha anymore than he was and he didn’t think it was a transplant.
Who would want to transplant a faulty Rinnegan?
And that noise. What else was lurking inside these beasts that was making that God awful sound and why was he the only one hearing it?
Whatever was going on, he knew for damn sure he didn’t like it.
Not one bit.
“I don’t know,” he answered, “but we’re going to have to cancel the mission and return to the village.”
They’d take the beasts back to Konoha and get answers.
Tani screamed.
“Sensei!” she cried, pointing at the creatures.
The fake Rinnegan user had risen from his slumber and was moving. Naruto tensed, ready to lay it out again. Shock held him in place when the thing turned on its partner, sinking sharp fangs into the unconscious creature’s exposed throat. Ripping, tearing and swallowing with clumsy urgency, feeding on the flesh and ruby fluid in desperation. A carmine geyser erupted from the open wound, dark blood pooling, soaking the dirt below.
Screaming filled the air, coming, this time, from its crimson dripping mouth.
Its cry terrifying as it ate.
One of the boys gagged. Tani gripped his jacket with shaking hands, pressing her face into his back.
“Make it stop, sensei! Make it stop!” she cried.
xxxxxx
“Useless creatures.” Toriyama sneered.
Toneri ignored the comment, gazing dispassionately at the group of nin. The two males sat atop the sturdy branch of a large, decayed tree, their vantage point over looking the Leaf shinobi in the distance.
Toriyama stood, bones creaking, his haggard appearance worse than it had been a week ago. The often aggravated male had slowed the decomposition significantly over the past few months, but now his pale splotchy skin was beginning to sag, drooping slightly over dark hollow eyes. The body snatcher was long past due for another vessel but was stubbornly holding his current one together to spite their absent leader and further antagonize Myoku.
Toneri could only shake his head at the move.
While it was true, Toriyama was an asset they hoped to keep, he was willing to bet that Myoku would decide to make due without him if pushed too far. Toriyama had a temper that was explosive and easily spotted. Myoku’s ire was much more elusive to discern. By the time it manifested, death or horrific injury would most likely have already occurred.
Toriyama was playing a dangerous game, his fear of death making him reckless.
“Mere fodder,” he continued, “We need more. They need to be stronger.”
“They’re stronger than the Zetsu, at least physically.” Toneri pointed out.
The white haired puppeteer leaned into the hollow of the tree, drawing up a knee.
“They’re not meant to be indestructible,” Toneri commented, “Mere soldiers to buffer our defenses while we mount our offense.”
“They need to be stronger than that!” Toriyama spat, throwing an arm out in the direction of the group, “Those eyes are pathetic!”
“The blood is unstable, a defective product is the result.”
“I’d have thought the brat would have found a way to fix that by now.” came the disgusted reply, “He may be smart but his brother is smarter.”
“The elder brother no longer dabbles in dark science.”
“Mores the pity,” he growled, “Of the two twins, we wind up with the idiot.”
“Hardly an idiot. He was able to decipher and implement the tablets you left with his ancestors to an acceptable degree. Had you returned sooner, perhaps we may have gotten both twins.”
The bony man had no reply. He knew he’d sorely miscalculated, had put the majority of his eggs all in one basket and hadn’t anticipated ever having to rely on the long-shot he’d set up a lifetime ago. The difference a few decades made was staggering. Time, once something trivial to him, was now something he seemed to be running out of.
He swallowed, swiping a clammy hand over his mouth. The disgusting taste of fear turned his stomach.
At the time, making off with the sacred slabs of stone along with the seedlings without losing his life had been the only thing he’d worried about. Years later, fearful that he and his theft would be uncovered, he’d stayed as far from this dimension as possible, returning to his never ending search for salvation, unaware he had already exposed himself to the Clan Head. That the eccentric male had hijacked his Plan B in some hare brained scheme in pursuit of “fun”.
“Those orbs of yours are going to be useless if they’re knocked out so easily,” Toriyama complained instead, “They turn on each other the moment its dislodged.”
“Maintaining control will become easier and more efficient with the coming improvements,” Toneri shrugged, “Word has it Toju-sama will add his touch to the serum.”
“If what you say is true, perhaps the Mad Leader isn’t as unbalanced as he presents himself,” he scuffed, “Even still, I’ll withhold judgment until I see it for myself.”
“Do you honestly believe he would allow this…experiment to be anything less than a success?”
“He is bored, starved for the rush of danger. I think he would do anything, risk anything to assuage his boredom.”
“Bored enough to risk being less than prepared for the dubbed ‘Eater of Worlds?’”
“As I’ve said, he is mad,” Toriyama muttered, “When you live that long, what else lies ahead other than madness? Cyilo is the shinning example of that. Toju-sama follows his footsteps.”
“If what you say is true, are you not rushing into the same fate?”
Arctic blue eyes watched the play of emotions twist the skeletal countenance of his companion. The tint of insanity his dark eyes only whispered at before, was even more apparent now as the male contemplated the parallels of his situation and those he criticized. Toriyama was further along the path than even he realized.
“Madness is the fate of all that seek the fruit.”
The softly spoken words were hollow and monotone.
Almost like a mantra than a organic verbalized thought. Toneri could believe the words to be true. Even he himself questioned the decision he’d made to join this disaster waiting to happen. He didn’t know what had enticed him to integrate himself in a battle that had been waged longer than his own mind could process. What forces within himself continued to goad him down this path, knowing the things that lay at its end. Was it some misplaced loyalty to a Clan he could only distantly claim? Perhaps it was the tainted blood they shared? Common ancestry that put them closer to acts of lunacy. Or was his own risky dance with sanity and reality of his own making?
Toneri shrugged to himself.
Did it even matter any more?
xxxxxx
May 20, 2009

“Kakashi-sensei, what the hell is going on? Flesh eating zombies with fake Rinnegans?” Naruto asked the moment he stepped into the Hokage’s office, “You said you needed a few days to examine the creature I brought back, do you know what it is, where it came from? You can’t just make a Rinnegan, right?”
Naruto had been more than a little riled when they returned to village. His clone had informed the proper channels of what he held and waited several miles outside the village with the human turned beast until the Anbu had arrived. They hadn’t given him any information or any verbal indication whether or not they’d ever seen the thing before, flat out ignoring his peppering questions as the cargo exchanged hands and he was sent to the Rokudaime to report and be debrief.
His former teacher hadn’t been as dismissive as the Anbu, but had been more closed lipped than he was used to. In the end, he’d asked the blonde for patience and secrecy while they investigated, his mention of Ino being assigned to assist stemming some of his demands.
Even still, the agitated Uzumaki didn’t like the new changes that were starting to effect him more and more every day and made no bones about telling his leader that.
The daimyo, the creepy adviser Myoku had no clue what they were doing.
Were pulling strings and causing more harm than good, not just for the ninja directly affected, but for the people of the village that counted on the shinobi to protect them. Kakashi-sensei had listen calmly, his inky black eyes conveying his own displeasure with the way the village was changing.
It had done little to mollify him. Not with his genin so upset by the incident.
He’d had a hell of a time calming Tani on the way home. His youngest pupil had cried nearly the entire way home, her small form trembling, refusing to release his hand until they were well past the gates of Konoha. He’d instructed a clone to notify the Anbu of his cargo, allowing him to see her home and into the care of her doting mother, apologizing for the state he’d returned her daughter. Tani’s mother, a jonin herself, had waved away his expression of remorse, thanking him instead for returning her child to her unscathed. The green haired mother had asked for no explanation, knowing, had he been able, he would have already offered her one.
Next, he’d seen to his silver haired genin. The teen was in a better state than his teammates and appeared mostly calm as they navigated the city to his home. On the way back, once his initial shock and horror had faded enough for him to speak, Seinosuke had been full of questions, seeking answers his team leader didn’t have. His final question, one revealing the nature of his thoughts, had left Naruto in no doubt that the outer calm the teen presented was only skin deep.
“Naruto-sensei…” he had murmured, a slight tremor in his voice, “that thing has the Rinnegan…just like Pain…could he…destroy the Leaf again too?”
It was sometimes easy to forget his pupils had also lived through the destruction of their home. That at a tender age, all they had ever known and loved had been reduced to a massive crater.
The question had torn at his heart.
With Tani’s desperate clutch around his hand, the jonin had stopped to address the fears of the youth, taking a knee and placing a comforting hand on his thin shoulder.
“I can’t tell you something like that will never happen again, ‘ttebayo,” he’d admitted, “Life isn’t that simple and I won’t lie just to make you all feel better. What I can tell you is that each and every citizen of the Hidden Leaf, you, Tani, and Sanzo included carry the Will of Fire, passed on from generation to generation. Its that Will that binds us, that makes us a village, a family. Structures, buildings come and go, things change, but that Will, connecting each and every one of us is what really matters. As long as a single person with the Will of Fire lives, the Leaf can never be destroyed. And from that Will, a new, even better Village Hidden in the Leaves will rise.”
The boy had looked thoughtful after, some of the unspoken worry clearing from his amber eyes. With a ruffle to his closely shaven hair, Naruto had stood and returned to lead his charge home, Tani’s grip a lot looser, her tears drying.
Both parents of the Kato resident had been home when Naruto escorted the youth home. While the reunion hadn’t been the overly emotional scene it had been for the weeping Tani, Seinosuke’s sharp eyed father had instantly sensed his son’s disquiet. Another apology dismissed in exchange for thanks, the jonin had turned to his final student.
The two had walked in silence most of the way.
In contrast to his teammates weeping or poignant questioning, Sanzo had been unnaturally silent on the way back, his green eyes wide each time he glanced over his shoulder at the group of clones carrying and guarding their unconscious prisoner. Tied with thick rope and its mouth forced shut with a makeshift muzzle made of steel wire from Naruto’s nin tool pouch, the beast had been tightly secured. Even so, the young teen had been on edge, fearful even with the competent Uzumaki at his side.
Naruto was worried about his normally mischief-making student. The poor kid looked traumatized.
“You wanna talk about it?” he’d asked the teen quietly as they walked.
“No.” had come the sharp reply.
“It’s okay…to be scared.”
“I wasn’t scared!” he’d declared testily, a flush staining his cheeks.
“Of course not,” Naruto had backtracked.
The two had fallen silent for several minutes before the jonin tried again.
“But if you were, that’s normal,” Naruto had murmured, “Everyone gets scared. Even me. Being scared doesn’t make you weak. Being afraid doesn’t mean you stop fighting.”
More silence, interrupted by the shuffle of feet and idle chatter of passing citizens.
“...What…What are you scared of, Sensei?”
“Lots of thing, dattebayo!” the jonin boasted, “Ghosts, Sakura-chan’s fists and Tsunade-baa-chan’s forehead flick, Hinata’s tears, oh and needles.”
Naruto pulled a face.
“I used to end up in the hospital a lot, and the first thing they did was turn me into a pin cushion.”
Having earned a small smile from the boy, Naruto gave a more serious reply to the initial question.
“I’m afraid of being alone, of losing people I love, of failing to protect what’s important to me,” he said softly, “Even so, I won’t let fear stop me from fighting to keep the people I love safe, and neither should you.”
After, the two hadn’t spoken again until Naruto had delivered him into the care of his father, engaging in the apology/thanking routine before heading to the Hokage’s office, his gaze sharp and determined.
“Naruto,” Sakura glared, bringing him from his memories of the past few days “At least for Kakashi-sensei to explain what new information he has before you start a barrage of questions.”
The jonin turned, cerulean gaze startled.
He hadn’t realized she was there.
“Sakura-chan, when did you get here?”
She face palmed.
“She’s been here the whole time, Naruto.” Kakashi informed his former student, “And she’s right. We’re waiting for one more person and then we’ll talk more about it. Once she gets here, let me explain what we’ve learned so far and we’ll go from there.”
The rude opening of the door brought three pairs of eyes to the wooden panel.
Clothed in neatly pressed, silver garb, Myoku stepped purposefully into the room, his frigid gaze moving over the trio before setting on a pair of irritated blue eyes.
“You can’t just burst in here like-”
Sakura gripped his arm in warning. Naruto glared at her before turning back to the haughty adviser. This was the first time he’d come face to face with the right hand man of the daimyo and much like that Toneri bastard, he didn’t like the arrogance oozing from his thin form. He could see why the adviser and Shikamaru were butting heads, why many that had come in contact with the overbearing man had only negative things to say.
“Rude, classless and without discipline,” the arrogant male murmured quietly, “Uzumaki Naruto I presume.”
“What was that?”
“I do not recall an impairment of hearing being apart of your file. Perhaps it needs to be updated.”
“Insulting my subordinates is not part of your job, Adviser Yagutsu, and I would thank you to keep personal attacks to yourself while in my office.” Kakashi warned before the steaming Uzumaki could open his mouth, “I’m currently in the middle of assigning a mission, perhaps the…urgent business that brought you to my office can wait until I’ve finished?”
“I think not, Kakashi,” pale brows narrowed, black eyes as cold as glaciers, “I don’t recall seeing a copy of the details of this mission make its way to my desk.”
“Perhaps someone misplaced the report,” Kakashi returned smoothly, “It was certainly sent well before noon.”
The air in the room grew tense, the two males locked in a silent stare.
“Since when does Kakashi-sensei have to clear things with you?” Naruto demanded, anger coating his question, “Kakashi-sensei is the Hokage. He doesn’t have to-”
“By order of the daimyo, Konoha will be brought to order,” the man informed him, “The days of reckless assignments and blatant disregard for protocol and the rule of law are over. Those that resist, those that will not follow will be stripped of rank and removed from active duty. That includes you, Uzumaki Naruto. Hero or no hero.”
Sakura gripped the tense muscle of his forearm, squeezing tightly when the jonin took a step in the pale man’s direction.
“Adviser Myoku,” the Rokudaime drawled, his tone loose but his eyes sharp,“The daimyo granted you great authority in this village, making empty threats to my subordinates is not one of them.”
“I don’t believe in making empty threats, Hatake.”
A knock at the door broke the tense conversation.
“Enter.” the Hokage called.
“We’re done here, adviser.” the silver haired male dismissed.
Empty eyes moved over the three.
“Far from it, Hokage-sama.” came the mocking rebuttal.
With a swish of white hair, the adviser turned. Myoku moved slowly to the door as it opened. The enraged, glaring Uzumaki nearly missed the next person that stepped into the room. He was mildly surprised to see his girlfriend, dressed in mission gear step into the office, her lilac eyes lighting up when she saw his face, then dimming in hesitation when Myoku halted in his retreat to stand before her.
“Hyuuga,” the pale man greeted with an undertone of relish, “Hinata Hyuuga, am I correct?”
Surprised, it took her a moment to nod.
For the first time since his arrival, the adviser’s lips curled into a smile that set Naruto’s teeth on edge.
“It is a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said, inclining his head slightly, “Do be careful on your mission, Ms. Hyuuga.”
With that, he stepped around the flustered, confused woman and out the door. Naruto was disturbed by the brief exchange, and from the look on the face of his girlfriend, she was too.
“Now that everyone is here, I’ll explain what we’ve learned and the objectives of your mission.” Kakashi began, drawing their attention.
xxxxxx
So I took a small break. Couple of really over the top private messages got me a bit irritated, won’t name names but anyway telling me I should go “kill myself” because I’m not writing what you want me to is pretty ridiculous. Chill out. It’s not that serious. I’m not forcing anyone to read my fic. If it’s upsetting you that much, please hit the red X at the top, open Microsoft Word or whatever word processor you use and feel free to write what makes you happy.
I spend more time than I should writing this, so if you have an issue, at least be respectful in how you express it. Please and thanks.
The break wasn’t all bad though, also, had a couple of my salty friends dragging me away from my computer for some Call of Duty. Black Ops 2 is backward compatible for those (Like me) that didn’t know XD
That out of the way, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. A lot of you seem to really enjoy "Secrets of the Hidden Leaf" XD I'm glad! Next chapter for that will be out tonight or tomorrow afternoon, so stay tuned!
Gn0stic- Thank you! I’m really glad you’re engaged in the story and I’ll keep the chapters coming as fast as I can XD I do hope you enjoy this chapter as well and I look forward to hearing from you again!
That’s all for now. Please review and I’ll see you in the next chapter.
Later
~Sessakag
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