Unleash the Kyuubi
Two Years into the trip
Chakra is a powerful thing with diverse abilities. It is defined as a mixture of physical and spiritual energy that everyone possesses. Some people have their chakra system unlocked while most do not. Those who don't are essentially relegated to the bottom of the food chain. In terms of personal power that is; some of the most influential people in this world are the daimyos and none are chakra users currently. But their power lies in their wealth and authority. Nothing compared to those who found their chakra systems and brought that energy to the forefront. Unlocking it for personal usage.
That is where the real power lies: enhanced physical abilities both passively and active, clinging to surfaces, a wide range of ninjutsu and genjutsu. The basic stuff available to every user. Aside from that are abilities gained through mutations of the body and chakra like dojutsus and bloodline limits. But despite the techniques blocked off by genetics or clans guarding them religiously, there are even more that anyone with the requisite chakra control and quantity can use. Some people are fine with specializing in just a few while others go above and beyond.
Hiruzen Sarutobi once held the title of God of Shinobi due to his mastery of the shinobi arts including all five of the elemental affinities and all public jutsus from the Hidden Leaf.
Kakashi Hatake is called the Copy Ninja for having used his sharingan to copy over a thousand jutsu.
Orochimaru of the Sanin is famed for having jutsus from all the main elements as well as several forbidden jutsus.
Just those three are great examples of what one can achieve with the right mindset and tool in the case of Kakashi.
I happen to have both. I want to learn all the techniques I can and with shadow clones, I can do that faster than most people. Of course, I know that jutsus aren't the end all be all in combat. My style for example, relies on the speed and power of my taijutsu complimented by ninjutsu I've trained to be handseal-free and ninja tools. Why bother standing around matching jutsu for jutsu if I don't have to? That mindset is further compounded by the fact that someday I'll be able to go Super Saiyan and end fights before they start with one serious punch. And I already saw what higher levels of taijutsu can accomplish from the Madara vs Gai fight.
But I also know that it is better to have something and not need it than to have the need but not the means. There are times when ninjutsu can be quite useful; like defending a stationary object or person. Or perhaps when range is necessary. Or as a method of crowd control. Completely logical reasoning. The fact that I want to be able to use all of the five elements and perhaps learn to combine them in the future is just an afterthought.
Long story short, the last several months had been spent training my lightning, fire, and earth affinities to an adequate level to make better use of the techniques that Jiraiya taught me. Those elements had not been mastered by any means, but that training was paying dividends in chakra economy and proficiency. I may have a lot of chakra available to me, but that is no reason to settle for simply overloading jutsus to make them stronger.
Leaving that to my clones, I had personally seen to something more impressive: completing the rasengan. Twice over since I already had two highly trained affinities.
The wind variant took me almost no time, only a couple weeks. Which admittedly felt like a while compared to the seemingly short time period in which canon Naruto managed to make his. I'd like to think that creating the final product with the wind blades and also turning it into a ranged technique made up for it. And that was without natural energy stabilizing it for me.
Once that box had been checked, I moved on to the water-based rasengan in which I had put quite a bit of thought.
Water is an essential in life. From plants to animals, it sustains us all. We would all die without it. But it can also be deadly in its own right. Nature itself presents us with displacements of large volumes of water which can then lead to tsunamis. High and powerful waves that ripple out from the point of disturbance and are capable of devastating property damage and death to living creatures. In my world, man learned to harness water in the form of firefighter hoses and water hydrants. Anyone who's seen these can attest to the power that they contain. As for this universe? Well, water jutsus are created and learned for a reason.
What these examples have in common are the large amounts of water needed along with the high velocities. My idea for achieving that was simple: create a hollow rasengan and then fill it with water chakra. That compressed water would then wreck havoc after the shell containing it collapsed. Seemed like a logical thought process. Of course, before even attempting it, a method of delivery had to be chosen. Keeping up with the current theme, if one truly amounts to such, I went with range. But unlike the rasengan, I had no intentions of throwing it. Tailed beasts don't throw their attacks; they either launched them as balls or consumed and then fired them as a beam. I had no intention of swallowing my rasengan but firing it from my hand should be possible. So, I backtracked and learned to launch a normal rasengan before getting back to the new technique.
Starting off with the exterior of a rasengan, I had poured water chakra into it. I envisioned it like a whirlpool; with all the energy seeping in and then funneling into one point at the center. After forcing in what had to be a full one percent of my chakra, I was left with a super dense rasengan the size of a baseball. A light blue ball of mass destruction if the new crater in the middle of the forest was any indication.
I would remember that scene forever. Standing half a kilometer above the ground, arm tense as the technique was pointed downward. The slight recoil as it was launched and the sound of impact as it hit the forest floor a fraction of a second later. The roar as the condensed water was allowed free into every direction. Trees and shrubs alike swept away. Me dropping down to stand in the middle of the muddy crater that might someday be a large pond. The realization that the new jutsu would be a force to be reckoned with. Something that could reshape the land around it.
The following months had been spent finetuning it. Although it would likely be the start or finishing move of a fight, the time spent building it up was too much. That was improved along with creating estimates of how much chakra had to go in to get desired outcomes. I made a point not to cause too much damage, but sacrifices had to be made. I'm sure the wildlife would appreciate the new bodies of water.
…
Sitting in front of me is a small scroll. One with the new storage seal that I had designed and relied on Jiraiya to make a reality. After using storage scrolls for so long and seeing how useful they were, I had gotten curious. With the use of fuinjutsu, people were able to essentially create pocket dimensions that could hold things ranging from simple to complex depending on the design. With a scroll as the medium, the seal acted as a door to that space whenever chakra was applied.
My question had been simple: could there be more than one door to that sub-space?
I hadn't liked the fact that once created, a storage seal could not be easily altered. And if it was ever damaged? Then the contents inside that scroll would be lost forever.
That was something most people did not know about storage scrolls; the fact that you don't actually put things into the scroll but instead you anchor a portion of space onto the scroll and then create an entrance and exit to it. The medium, mostly scrolls, determines how big the space will be and what exactly it can hold. The seal plays a part in that too, but the medium is more critical. An example would be how people are used to hold the tailed beasts rather than a scroll. Not only does it not make sense to put one there where it would have little use, but the paper simply couldn't do the job for something of that size and complexity. And jinchuriki also exemplify how the medium doesn't hold the contents itself. Cutting open my stomach wouldn't reveal Kurama because he isn't in me in that sense but rather a sub-space.
Going back to the anchor part, a damaged seal no longer works for that function. The space collapses and placing another seal onto the same medium only creates a new space. The original is lost. But if there were two doors to that space, one could be destroyed without effectively losing the contents. Crisis averted.
The fact that such a scroll could also be used to send messages between two people had been my selling point to get Jiraiya to help me. I was nowhere near good enough with fuinjutsu to attempt something like that on my own and hope to succeed. Thankfully he had been happy to provide aid and after three and a half months, we had a working model. Two scrolls that shared the same sub-dimension. As long as only one was activated at a time, things could be sealed and then unsealed from either end.
That was what I was currently waiting on. Jiraiya had my scroll's counterpart and would be sending me a signal after his preparations had been made. We would be unlocking the seal today and rather than do it here, he had enlisted the toads to help and thus the procedure would take place at Mount Myōboku. He had told me of his plans this morning and I had told him to go ahead and just give me a warning before having me reverse summoned. We would be spending quite some time there meaning I had to go procure groceries to last me the duration of my stay. Eating bugs was not something I ever wanted to experience.
Movement coming from the scroll grabbed my attention. Part of the seal had activated for a few seconds and then went inert again. Meaning that someone had activated the twin scroll. Prodding it with a finger and giving it some chakra, a small piece of paper was expelled.
'In thirty. -J'
Looks like he was ready.
Picking up the scroll and raising to my feet, I wondered what it would feel like being reverse-summoned. Perhaps something like the substitution jutsu; as long as you prepared yourself, the transition wasn't all that unpl-
The scenery suddenly changed.
The sky was no longer just white clouds on a blue background. Instead there seemed to be slight aspects of pink and yellow added on. It was simply so… vibrant. The vegetation shifted to mainly tall blades of grass and mushrooms. Those were also full of exotic colors that would have screamed toxic back home.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if someone described this scene as part of their drug induced hallucination. I always imagined being high would look like this.
Minus all the toad paraphernalia.
In front of me was a waterfall, made from toad oil rather than water, leading to a fountain in the form of a toad with oil coming out of its mouth. To my sides were numerous statues which I knew to be once living creatures who fell victim to natural energy. Hopefully Jiraiya didn't meet the same end while trying to perfect his sage mode.
And on the ground in an indented circle, lied what Jiraiya came here to prepare and another reminder that facing sealmasters on their own turf was usually very foolish. I could make out several things from the seal matrix; a barrier around the boundary of the circle, various parts to drain chakra from whatever was inside the vicinity, paralysis aspects, and more. It likely took forever to link so many functions into one coherent seal. Which I approve of. It meant he definitely wasn't playing around with the seal this time.
While I had been appraising the area the two toads there had been doing the same to me.
"You're right Jiraiya boy, he looks so much like Minato-chan."
"Like a clone of him."
"Minato's looks and, until recently, Kushina's temperament." Said Jiraiya with a chuckle. Turning to me he introduced the two toads on his shoulders, "Naruto, on my right is Fukasaku-sama and on my left is Shima-sama. They are elders here at Mt. Myōboku and are above even Gamabunta, the chief toad. Elders this is Naruto, Minato's son and my current pupil."
"Welcome Naruto. We are pleased to finally meet our latest summoner." Said Shima.
She was relatively small for a toad summon, both of them were actually. But I had no urge to put more thought into the size disparity I had noticed among the toads. Gamakichi was small as a young toad, Gamabunta huge as an adult toad, the elders small as old toads, and the Toad Sage big as the eldest toad. Doesn't make sense to me at all. That aside, Shima was a pale shade of green with purple hair compared to Fukasaku and his darker shade and grey hair. Each one was wearing a cloak around their frames.
"Yes, Naruto boy, it's good to finally see you. Jiraiya speaks highly of you." Added Fukasaku.
"Pleasure to meet you two as well." I responded. "I appreciate you helping us with the unlocking procedure." Even if their aid likely wouldn't be needed.
"Think nothing of it. We'll only be helping Jiraiya maintain sage mode. If something goes wrong, then perhaps we may take a more active role in things." Shima stated.
"Jiraiya's trump card, huh?" I turned to my sensei, "You sure that will be enough?"
"Of course. Senjutsu is one of the strongest forces in this world. Should be enough to handle this." He replied immediately. "And if its not, the seal should help to contain you."
"Sounds good. So, how do we begin?"
"First, we need the key." Through a method that I had forgotten about, Jiraiya went into a gagging fit and regurgitated a new toad. An orange and black one with what looked like a folded accordion connecting the top and bottom half of his body. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he addressed the toad. "Gerotora, if you would."
"Fine. But know this, he's not ready for such a task. I am only consenting because you won't stop bothering me." With that he rose to his full augmented height and unraveled a scroll. On it was inked a long and complex array of kanji with a simple square box around the center.
Honestly, how much time did Minato have to create all of this? First a seal that was almost custom-designed for Naruto to get stronger over time as well as this key? Dude was either really talented or he had these measures prepared just in case. Although I feel like the key was added as a concept way later in the series. But I digress.
And Jiraiya was beginning to explain what he had in mind.
"You will be positioned in the center of that seal Naruto and Gerotora will bring the scroll to you. Your only task is to place your hand on that square and accept the key. Gerotora will quickly leave the seal and then I will activate the barrier while we wait. If at any point in time we feel something is wrong, I'll also activate the other parts to suppress the nine-tails power. Got it?"
"Yeah. Let's do this." I responded while already in motion. Taking off the layers on my upper body and getting into the middle of the seal, I beckoned over the storage toad with a hand gesture. After letting him get into position, I channeled chakra to my fingers and placed a hand onto the square. This event had not been something I paid particular attention to while watching the anime, so what happened next was new to me. The kanji on the paper pulsed and then moved in towards my hand and then down my arm and body to my navel. It left an odd sensation down the path it traveled. Almost like a chill.
While I watched this happen, I could sense Gerotora leave the seal and then a hazy wall go up around me. Sitting down on the ground, my conscious went inwards to my mindscape.
…
It hadn't changed much.
The forest, clearing, and cave were all still there. The white sky had not changed except for the addition of a ball of light. Functioned as a sun during the day and then a moon at night.
"This moment has finally arrived." Came Kurama's deep voice.
"Yes." I turned to see him standing just outside the clearing. "The moment of truth."
"Indeed."
With a thought, the manifestation of the key appeared on my arm again. And seemingly as if part of a chain reaction, the seal lit up beneath me in the form of interlocking plates in a spiral formation. Slowly, I picked up the front of my top which had reappeared with me here to place a hand on the corresponding symbol on my stomach.
"Here we go I guess."
I rotated my wrist and a clinking sound began. Both seals were becoming undone in a spiral pattern, starting from the inside and spreading out, until there was only a black circle.
On the ground, the now unlocked seal flashed before disappearing. I felt the change right away. I heard it too.
The roar Kurama let out threatened to deafen me. As it was, only clinging to the floor with chakra kept me from being blown away.
I stood my ground as the giant fox approached me. Either the seal had held back a large degree of his aura, or he was purposely channeling it onto me. Despite that, even as he lowered his head to put his snout at my level, I held his gaze without flinching. Something undecipherable flashed across his eyes.
"Two years ago, we made a deal." His voice rumbled. "To work together in return for two things. I had my doubts, but I agreed to the bargain all the same."
I remember the day he was talking about with perfect clarity. The day he called me back into the mindscape with his answer after our initial talk. We had indeed made a deal that day. One that I intend to uphold.
"But today you have proven that your words hold weight. That you can be trusted. So, I'll place my faith in you. Continue to walk along this path, and you will always have my active support. Of course, if you renege, you will face my wrath. But until then," Making a fist with his massive hand, he reached out to me, "We are partners."
I couldn't help but feel some relief as I raised my fist to bump his. "Partners."
A ripple spread out from our hands. A wave of energy that transformed the mindscape around us. Everything started to look more realistic; the trees lost their copy paste appearance, the sky became more natural with clouds and an actual sun, there was even the sound of birds and other wildlife. The clearing that had only been meant for me expanded to easily fit Kurama. What we had tried and failed to achieve over a period of months, had just occurred in a few seconds. But that fine though, progress is progress.
Kurama's appreciative hum told me he likely agreed.
"You know, I didn't imagine this to resolve itself so anti-climatically." I began, "I thought you would want to 'test' me or something. Seemed like something you would do."
"…"
Hearing the hesitation, I wrenched my eyes from the new landscape to look at him. "You actually planned to fight me?" I asked with a laugh.
"Yes. That was my intention some time ago. Not anymore."
"What changed?"
"Fighting would have had no benefit." Kurama huffed. "You can't truly defeat me in here and I likely wouldn't have been able to land a meaningful hit on you."
"True." I nodded my head, "Guess I won't have a reason to use the new rasengan just yet."
"Perhaps some other time."
There was a brief lull in the conversation before he spoke again.
"Are you not going to deal with that?" He asked to my surprise.
"You can feel it too?"
"Yes." He affirmed, "I am even better attuned to you then before. Something like that can't be hidden from me now."
"Fine. I'll see you later then." Following the connection that had made itself known earlier, I vanished from the mindscape and appeared somewhere else. The first thing I noticed was how bright it was. The second was the figure already waiting there.
"Naruto-kun…" She whispered as she moved towards me, arms outstretched.
She was around my height. With fair skin, violet eyes, and a slender build, she was the picture of a gentle lady. The long red hair was also a nice touch. If you didn't know who Kushina Uzumaki was while she was alive, you wouldn't be blamed for assuming she was a normal housewife. Her white top under the green dress also helped to sell the image.
Of course, you would be wrong. Hell hath no fury like Kushina when enraged. Jiraiya had provided me with the inside scoop. Basically, don't piss her off; especially while she's pregnant.
You would think that would be common sense. Not to Jiraiya.
She's not pregnant right now, but it doesn't make what I have to do soon any less scary.
"Not quite." Was my response.
Her eyes which had been teary with happiness and sadness alike narrowed in confusion and slowly rising alarm. "Kyuubi?"
"Not that either," I began. "I am Naruto and more. A mixture of my previous self and a transmigrated soul."
"Dear kami." She gasped. "Are you okay? Was your soul damaged? How did this happen?" Each question was rattled off into one barely articulate bunch. Good to see that mothers will be mothers even after death.
"It's a long story. And even I don't know how it happened." Sitting down on the ground which looked just like the rest of this place, I patted the space near me. Still with a worried look, she sat right across from me. "I went on a critical mission and my opponent landed a fatal attack on me. Instead of dying, I woke up in the hospital with these new memories. I knew they weren't mine from the beginning but just having them there, it changed my perspective on a lot of things. I didn't even tell any of the villagers this, consider yourself lucky."
Kushina returned my smile with a shaky one, "What were the changes?"
I shrugged. "I stopped being so immature is what Jiraiya tells me. He says I used to act like a younger version of you but now I'm more like my father." Calling him that feels so weird.
"Like me? What's that old bastard trying to say?!" Her face became almost as red as her hair. "I wasn't immature!"
"His words not mine. Believe it!" I said channeling the old Naruto.
That brought her out of her plans for vengeance. She stared at me with a funny look before bursting into a laugh.
"You definitely got that from me 'you know'. I would say it all the time, no matter how hard I tried not to."
"Trust me, I know."
She stared into my eyes for a little while searching for who knows what. "You're really not lying. My son has two souls inside him." She said wistfully.
I stayed silent.
"It feels like just moments ago I had baby you in my arms; and now you're almost an adult. So much happened that I wasn't there for. Will never be there for. But you're still my little boy. My son. No matter what." Raising up to her knees, she wrapped her arms around me in the hug that had been interrupted earlier. "No matter what."
I little uncomfortably, I put my arms around her too. It might sound callous of me, especially to a mother excited to see her son one last time, but I couldn't wait for this part of the conversation to be over. I didn't like playing at being Naruto, but I also didn't want to tell Kushina that her son was long gone. In the end, it meant hugging her back until she finally released me and sat down again.
"So, two souls aside. What was your childhood like?" She inquired. To which I had to hold back a wince. Starting off with the hard questions.
"Well, I won't say I grew up under the best circumstances," Seeing her expression and her opening mouth, I forged on. "But there were highlights. I found people who I could rely on and I'd like to think that's what matters in the end. It took some time, but I'm in a good place at the moment. I've left any regrets behind."
"I'm so sorry Naruto-kun." Clasping my hand in hers, "Minato and I had known things wouldn't be the best, but we'd had no other choice but to seal the Kyuubi inside you."
I didn't like seeing her in tears. Even more so because I wasn't the one truly affected by the village's scorn.
"Don't worry about it. You're not to be blamed for what happened to me." I said squeezing her hand. "No need to apologize to me."
While she was wiping her eyes with her free hand, I saw it flicker. It must have meant what I think it did because all of a sudden, she was back to hugging me. I honestly thought we would have more time. Guess not.
"Before you go," I said, to which she pulled back to look me in the eye, "You likely helped in the creation of the hiraishin, right?"
"I did. With the more esoteric parts. Are you re-creating it?" She asked with astonishment.
"No," I laughed. Me? Working on the hiraishin right now? If only. "But since you are somewhat familiar with it, would you know of any barriers that can prevent the use of space time techniques like that? Or how to go about creating one?"
She quirked her head to the side in thought, "Well, I never created one specifically for that purpose, but…"
…
Out in the real world, I opened my eyes.
That was quite the experience. And it was actually talking to Kushina that had been the most eventful. Although I had not expected to meet either of the parents due to not being at any risk inside the seal, I was grateful for the information that Kushina gave me. It wasn't a solid plan to restrict the kamui, but it was a place to start. Add that to my to do list after returning to the Leaf.
Slowly getting back to my feet, I looked to where Jiraiya was standing to see him already in his sage mode. With a bulbous nose, amphibian eyes, and facial markings, I could see why he didn't like using it. Shima and Fukasaku were attached to his shoulders also looking ready to intervene if necessary.
"I'm in control." I told them, "You can lower the barrier."
Jiraiya spent a few seconds analyzing me. Probably using the enhanced sensory aspect of sage mode to detect any traces of Kurama's chakra that could influence me. A moment later he made a handseal and the hazy wall collapsed. I walked over to put my shirt back on.
"You were only out for a couple minutes. We had assumed it would take longer." Stated Jiraiya.
"And that there would be a noticeable difference." Added Fukasaku. "But nothing happened."
"That's not quite true." I walked over to the edge of the oil pool after getting dressed. "You just can't see the difference until I do this." With that, I pulled chakra from Kurama for the first time since waking up in this world. I was able to watch the transformation occur on the surface of the pool.
Like I suspected, instead of the initial Kyuubi cloak, we had moved straight into the second form. I had been wearing a black, long sleeve top and matching pants but one wouldn't know that now. My upper body was covered in a layer of black with yellow tomoe around my neckline. The yellow coloration formed a line from my throat to my stomach where it combined with the black to form concentric circles, a representation of the unlocked seal. My pants and sandals were yellow now with a black line going down the front of each leg. Perhaps the most conspicuous part of the new look, aside from the blazing chakra cloak overall, was the haori that had formed out of nowhere. I could see more tomoe on its collar and knew that there were other designs on the back as well.
Aside from a layer of chakra also covering my skin, my face had changed a little. My pupils had become slits and the whisker marks had thickened.
"Well, what do you think?" I asked my captivated audience.
Jiraiya looked stupefied and the two elders weren't far off. Even Gerotora the skeptic had an expression of shock.
"You still believe sage mode is the most powerful force you've come across Jiraiya?" I goaded him.
"That's impressive, yes. But to think assume its stronger than Senjutsu? Absolutely not." Was his comeback after breaking out of the trance.
"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?" I took a step forward watching his eyes narrow.
"You've been getting over-confident as of late Naruto, perhaps it's time I beat it out of you." He got into his ready stance. "Bring it, brat."
I moved.
I could see his expression of shock as my fist broke through his hasty defense and struck his nose. Watching him rocket off into the weird mushroom forest, I glanced at my chakra coated hand. There was so much potential in this form and outside of clones of me, a sage would be the best method of testing exactly what it could do. Good thing I had one handy.
Feeling Jiraiya rapidly closing in on my location, I put that thought to the side and got ready to go all out.
-GoS-
Shippuden timeline
Neji Hyuga was feeling an emotion that he always went to great lengths to hide from those around him.
Uncertainty.
All throughout life, he was called a prodigy. The best that the Hyuga clan had produced among his generation. Even if he was only a mere branch member. Success had been the precursor to that title and after obtaining it, further success became an expectation. The clan, his superiors, his teammates; they all expected the best from him. Some were undoubtedly waiting for him to fail but others were supportive and had only the best of intentions. Despite that, Neji couldn't and wouldn't allow any weakness to show on his exterior. It was something he grew up with and even the lesson he had been taught by someone he would like to call a friend couldn't change that. It was his ninja way.
But the fact remained that this mission was turning out to be more formidable than he had expected.
First it was the intense battle against the missing-nin from the Mist, Kisame Hoshigaki. Called the tail-less beast due to his vast chakra pools which he had made great use of. Upon defeating him, Team Gai had discovered that it wasn't even the real rogue ninja; it was a copy. Likely one much inferior to the real threat. That experience had truly opened his unique eyes to the monsters that were S-rank shinobi. People with such strength that they were considered suicide for regular ninja.
And there were two more of them that they were expected to fight. Two who had supposedly defeated and captured a kage from one of the five main nations. An unsettling prospect.
The sight of the multiple-eyed creature on the other side of the rock barrier had further raised his discomfort.
It was only the presence of his sensei and then later the arrival of the Copy Ninja that had calmed his nerves somewhat. He also took solace in his teammates, Tsunade's apprentice, and even the representative from Suna. Every little bit would help in the fight to come.
After learning of the mechanics behind the Five-Seal Barrier and pinpointing the location of the tags, Neji was in the process of equipping the wire-less radios that Gai had brought. They were rather useful for circumstances like this. A simple solution to an obstacle that would have barred any team that wasn't composed of 5 byakugan users. Now if only Lee would stop causing that irksome noise. He needn't have bothered thinking about admonishing him.
His still active byakugan allowed him to catch the next sequence of events and react to them, even if it was too little, too late.
"Gai-sensei!" He shouted in alarm.
The cause?
The two quickly approaching chakra signatures. With one being so bright it was like looking at a miniature sun. And that was over a kilometer away.
A few hundred meters out and the moving star dimmed in presence along with a drop in speed, but it still landed just outside the group before his last syllable could get out. The second figure was not far behind.
Being a jonin of the leaf, regardless of how recent that promotion had been, Neji could immediately recognize Jiraiya of the Sannin. The red pigment and the horizontal bar around and in his yellow eyes had not been part of the description but the overall appearance could only fit one person.
'If that's Jiraiya, then that means…'
He turned to the first figure again. The black and yellow armor was certainly new, as was the golden eyes, but the blonde hair and whisker marks gave it away.
"Naruto?" He heard Haruno whisper. He did not blame her for questioning her senses. The sudden appearance and weight of their auras had momentarily robbed him of his higher thinking as well.
'Such presence. Just how strong are you now, Naruto?' Was his thought that went unanswered.
Neji would remember what happened next for years to come and credit it for why he threw himself into more rigorous training.
"Where are they?" Naruto had asked with his eyes on the Forbidden tag.
Neji had thought it was addressed to him but Jiraiya had responded faster with the coordinates of the four other tags.
Five clones had popped into existence and taken off in the required directions while Naruto had created a blue orb of chakra in one hand. At an unseen signal, the clone that had jumped onto the rock entrance tore off the tag and the barrier had fizzled out. Three things had then happened in consecutive order:
Naruto had pointed his palm holding the rasengan at the wall and the jutsu had launched itself into it.
The clone, who had flipped off the rock face, and Jiraiya both ran into the cave despite the pieces of rock falling down. In one hit Jiraiya shattered the skull of a blonde ninja sitting on a body while the clone had launched itself at the other bulky figure and decimated it with large fist seemingly made of chakra. Both had exited seconds after running in with the kazekage on Jiraiya's large shoulder.
They had barely passed by Naruto before he had unleashed a jutsu into the cave. The temperature had plummeted before the gust of freezing air even left his mouth, turning the inside of the cave into frozen wasteland.
And just like that, the fight had been over. He had barely seen it with his eyes that could see through walls and descending boulders, so he doubted any of the others had any idea what had occurred just then. But from their faces, he had known they were likewise amazed.
Naruto and Jiraiya had shared a look before the sannin had called for a retreat.
Everyone had followed leaving only Naruto standing there which had confused Neji before his eyes had presented him with the reason.
Dashing away, he had paid witness to it all. His friend floating high in the air. The collection of black and white particles that formed a black ball between splayed hands. The technique being fired and the devastation it caused. Leaving no trace of what had once been there; no cave and no bodies.
As the dead kage was resurrected and his villagers came out in full to show their love for him in a heart touching scene, Neji couldn't find it in himself to really enjoy the positive atmosphere.
His mind kept replaying what had transpired. The ease at which two S-class shinobi had been utterly defeated. Two powerful criminals snuffed in seconds. And one of them by a clone of someone who had been around his level just years ago. A clone.
After that defeat during the chunin exams, Neji had started to believe in Naruto's dream of being hokage. Maybe not right away because although he had the strength of personality, his physical strength was lacking. But he had seen him easily acquiring that power in a decade or so. Maybe longer.
Instead, he seemingly had it right now.
In two and a half years, Naruto had eclipsed the entire Konoha Eleven. Maybe the entire village. Was there any single person who could contend with someone who could remain out of reach and rain death upon them? Create craters the size of the one he had just seen? Perhaps the loyal sannin.
'Was Naruto S-class already?' Based on the little he had seen, it was possible.
That made him reflect upon himself. What could he do in order to improve? He had and was already doing everything that he could to get stronger. Was he missing something?
Perhaps Gai-sensei would have suggestions. And asking Naruto wouldn't hurt either.
And thus, having a plan of action, Neji put those thoughts out of his mind.
He could worry about that back in Konoha.
A new chapter! What did you think? Those emotional scenes continue to try my skills as a freelance writer, but I think everything else went okay. A lot happened. Naruto now has the Kurama chakra mode, second stage. We got to meet Kushina but not Minato, are people annoyed by that? Furthermore, I don't know if you all noticed, but Jiraiya mastered sage mode at last. And then we finally got to the main story line. And we saw an initial reaction to the new Naruto; don't know if I characterized Neji very well but it was fun doing it.
The Story Begins
Suna
I would consider my stay at Mt. Myōboku as time well spent. I had achieved my primary goal which was fully linking with Kurama as well as learning sage mode. I will admit that becoming a sage was on my list of things to do but I had been fully willing to push it off if I had to. Luckily for me, I had found the time for both.
The abilities of the two modes had some similarities but were distinct.
They both enhanced the physical body. The Kurama chakra mode, or KCM, gave more linear speed. From point A to point B, it was faster than sage mode. In return, sage mode allowed for greater understanding of one's body and surroundings leading to faster reaction times. Strength went to sage mode and stamina was hard to decipher due to neither mode having a limit that I could test. KCM came from Kurama while sage energy came from nature. One would take a long time to deplete while the other was infinite as long as I had a way to continuously absorb it. Which I did. Durability went to KCM.
Regarding extrasensory abilities; KCM provided much greater range and precision to Yin-release: Empathy, but only for negative emotions. Sage mode improved my chakra sensing by a wide margin. It had greater range, was more precise, and was a passive ability unlike my chakra radar. As an extension of the greater understanding of one's body and environment, sage mode allowed for better situational sensing. Stealth maneuvers against a sage were almost impossible due to these traits.
Sage mode was the better enhancement for techniques. It provided both a boost in power along with greater control. A medic-nin would benefit greatly from using Senjutsu. Assuming they had the large chakra pool and strong body to evoke sage mode. KCM only augmented power as it allowed for more chakra to be used.
They had other traits unique to each state. Using Frog Kata, which I was surprised to learn was its actual name, a sage could take the natural energy and surround themselves with it. From there it could be used as an extension of their body to increase the range or power of their strikes. That energy was completely invisible to all senses unless one was also a sage.
KCM allowed for the use of chakra limbs. They could essentially come from anywhere on the cloak which added another degree of unpredictability. They helped close the strength gap that existed between that form and sage mode. And finally, there was the Kurama avatar. Although only the Yang half, it was still the full size of Kurama when he was let loose on the Leaf village; something that Jiraiya and later Gamabunta confirmed. That was one of the reasons I had been happy to unlock the seal and then test my abilities far away from the Elemental Nations. Keeping something of that size private would have been impossible. And I was all for having secret moves in my back pocket.
The training the two forms required had been different. They both added onto my baseline stats but only one of them gave me perfect understanding of how to make use of that boost in abilities. So, unlike sage mode, I had to learn to maneuver with KCM. Learn how much effort to exert to get the desired outcome. After that came incorporating all aspects of combat while in the shroud.
Upon getting a good grasp of using the chakra cloak, I had moved on to learning to harness Senjutsu. Something that Jiraiya had been refining while I was busy. Either due to having me there with him or just having that span of interrupted time to train, but he made great progress with his sage mode. The day he was finally able to enter that state by himself with only the standard changes was one to remember. It was interesting to note the difference in the color of the pigment around his eyes compared to canon Naruto. His were red, a color already associated with him while Naruto had had orange, a color that he was infamous for. Lead me to think that personal preferences played a role in the final outcome.
Until I obtained sage mode with orange pigment as well. So, either preference didn't matter, or I had vestiges of Naruto in me. It was disappointing either way.
Casually inferring about the benefit of clones in sage training had seen Jiraiya passing another benchmark. I was happy that both of us had gotten something out of the trip.
In the end, I had managed to stack the two modes to get the best of both worlds. Furthermore, I had been able to control the KCM to the point where I hovered just under the threshold that would bring forth the full shroud. It provided a fraction of the physical enhancements but was more discrete, I only gained the golden eyes from the full transformation. It had no specific name, but I could maintain it as long as I was conscious. I'd like to think it looked like a personal dojutsu.
Our departure from Mt. Myōboku had been heartfelt; they were a nice bunch and their hospitality had been great. I had also gotten the confirmation that Gamakichi and his friends had completed their training and were okay to be summoned. I likely wouldn't need them for battles much, but they were enjoyable to be around.
With a month left before Tsunade would expect us to return, we had gone to the capital where Jiraiya introduced me to a craftsman specialized in metalwork, specifically armor. He had seen most of the designs that ninja villages used and was able to give sound advice on what would work. After some compromise, we had settled on something reminiscent of what they wore during the Warring Era and the anbu vests. Of course, the color scheme was as I had decided early on during the training trip. A matte black that did a great job of not reflecting any light with golden trim and highlights.
It consisted of a plate that covered both of my shoulders, a portion of my upper back and chest, and came with a raised collar. Two other plates were then used to cover both sides of my torso. Connecting them all were a series of straps made from something that looked like thick ninja wire. One went from the top of the chest plate to the top of the back plate holding them up over my shoulders. Another was used to hold those plates tight to my body and were connected at the side. The last set were straps that went into my pits and held the shoulder plate down. Due to the way they were positioned, only the ones at my side were visible. Not that any ordinary strike could sever them; they were very durable. In that manner, the three separate pieces combined to form one cuirass that didn't limit my range of motion while protecting the essentials.
Besides that, I had also gotten a set of vambraces and a new forehead protector. My old one hadn't been damaged; I had simply wanted a different one. It was a replica of Jiraiya's except it had more prominent horns that pointed straight up and rather than 油 it was engraved with 無限. A rather appropriate act of symbolism that everyone should strive for, not just me.
Drawn onto the equipment were a number of seals. They were numerous and had taken quite a bit of time, but being able to anchor seals onto something close at hand was one of the reasons for my purchase of armor. With sage mode and KCM in my back pocket, I had natural defense measures for high level combat where the odds of being injured were present. But the armor provided me with a convenient place to have seals rather than depend on scrolls which took extra time.
So, that whole endeavor may have been a result of my vanity, but I appreciated the appearance and functionality of the get-up, nonetheless. A person had to know when self-reward was appropriate after all. It was the least I deserved after wrapping up a training trip that had seen me rise from a mere pawn in someone's plan for world domination to a significant player in the game. Because regardless of how much I had known, being weak would have doomed me in the end.
But circumstances had changed and thus, fate would be re-written.
-GoS-
We had been making our way back to the Leaf village when a messenger toad had reverse-summoned itself to us. Urgent news had come from Suna, so in an attempt to hasten the process, Tsunade had sent the notice through her summons. From the home of the slugs, it had taken only a few hours to get to Mt. Myōboku, and from there they simply sent a toad with the message. It was a rather crafty way of communicating between two summoners when location was unknown.
Our hasty journey had taken us on a path that bypassed Konoha and lead directly to Suna where we had picked up the trail left by Kakashi and the gang. One stop to rest and then another for Jiraiya to summon the clone left behind to gather nature energy and then we had been in position to blitz in. Honestly, Sasori and Diedara were not the type of ninja that posed a legitimate threat to us. They were the kind that used their special techniques at range so being landlocked and in a cave with only one exit? Might as well be sitting ducks.
Gaara had already died but Lady Chiyo had revived him like I had hoped. That possibility had been what I had banked on when I decided to make no mention of sending a two-way scroll to Tsunade. Fortunately, it worked out.
Anyways, after the events of yesterday, it had not been the right time for a proper reunion, so we had made plans to get breakfast before retiring to our rooms. Rooms comprising of an entire floor in the best hotel Suna had. They were a grateful bunch.
Or most of them were.
…
Walking down the sand pathways, I was discreetly scanning the people up and about and those still in their homes. At first, I had set out this morning to get the lay of the land and to check out their odd architecture. I had thought it was interesting how they designed their round buildings out of what looked like clay. They likely had earth users who could create more of them as needed. Similar to Konoha and how Yamato could create wooden buildings.
But buildings could only hold my attention for so long before the people took it. They seemed friendly enough, with the civilians offering smiles and morning greetings while the few shinobi were more reserved yet still welcoming. Empathy detected traces of wariness and tension hidden under calm exteriors but that could be attributed to foreign ninjas walking around unmonitored. Nowhere near the results I was expecting from people who had conspired with another village to attack their ally.
But they hadn't been given a choice in that, had they? The kage commanded and they obeyed like the fatalistic patriots they were trained to be. That probably helped in putting the experience behind them. It also hadn't been their home that was invaded.
Taking note of the sun's position, I looped back towards the hotel. Across from it was the restaurant we had picked and since Jiraiya's signature was in there, the others were probably there too.
I pushed the cloth entrance aside and yup, everyone was present.
"Naruto! Over here." Yelled my pink-haired classmate from where they had combined multiple tables to fit the whole group. The three actual adults were sitting on one side talking while the youths were conversing among themselves.
"Sorry for the wait. I woke up early to explore the village and lost track of the time." I explained taking the open seat between Sakura and Neji. "I'm sure you're all hungry."
"It is no problem Naruto-san. We haven't been here long." Lee spoke up.
"Good. So," Looking around the place for a server, "should we get to ordering now? After we see the menu?"
"Actually Naruto, we already ordered. I picked something that I'm reasonably certain you will like; steamed rice, miso soup, soybeans, and some water to wash it down. My treat." Jiraiya informed me.
I gave him a quick nod before turning back to the others. Unlike the adults, they had all grown over the last two and a half years. They had gotten taller and filled out into proper teenagers. And the attire was similar to what I remembered from the second part of the series.
Mentally, I changed the possibility of Lee being Gai's son from maybe to likely. That resemblance was uncanny.
"Well, we didn't get a chance to talk yet. How are you all doing? What have you guys been up to? Anything interesting happen while I was out?" I asked to get the ball rolling. I already knew they were curious about what I had done.
"Uhm, I can go first," Sakura volunteered after looking at the two guys and sole gal. "I trained with Lady Tsunade as her apprentice. She says I've really come a long way!"
"Tsunade trained you huh? Then I'm guessing you learned iryojutsu and maybe her super strength technique. How about her Strength of a Hundred Seal, or the Creation Rebirth?" Taking the nodding and then shaking of her head as confirmation of what I already knew, I continued. "That's still pretty useful. And perhaps she's waiting for something in particular before teaching you those techniques."
"She hasn't even brought them up yet," She replied moodily, "We've focused on healing and her style of taijutsu. I appreciate it but I feel like I'm ready for more, you know. I just want to be a strong kunoichi like her."
Hmm, I hadn't known she was so caught up in that.
"Like I said, maybe she's waiting. In the meantime, there's nothing stopping you from progressing in other areas. I know that having a diverse skill set is important." I advised.
"I guess. But where would I start?" Sakura asked with hopeful eyes. Something that didn't last long; I wasn't trying to make any unnecessary commitments just yet.
"That's for you to decide. Think about where you're at and then where you would like to see yourself. Fill in that space however you can. You can also ask Kakashi for help, I'm sure he has experience with this."
The out was there, so I took it. I actually did have some ideas, but I didn't want to become a crutch. I'm not getting paid to teach people. But now that I think about it, I doubt the jonin instructors were paid themselves... Eh, they signed up for it.
"Fine. But I don't know where he is most of the time. It's like he isn't even in the village." She complained, "That will make getting his help even harder."
"Consider finding him as part of your training." I shrugged. If that didn't work out, I would pull out my list of complaints about her Shippuden showing.
"Indeed Naruto-san. Training can be done at any moment my youthful friend." Guess who said that. "I shall go next. As you know, taijutsu is my passion meaning my body is the ultimate tool. So, after Lady Hokage gave me permission, I continued to hone it towards perfection. For like Sakura-chan, I too wish to be as strong as my sensei." Lee exclaimed; fist clenched in determination.
"I'm sure you will Lee. Tell me, just how heavy are your weights now?" That had always been a question of mine.
"I- I'm not quite certain," He replied, "But I have more than tripled it sense we last met."
So whatever amount he had on during the chunin exams times three plus? That's a reasonable increase. Not very specific though.
"Impressive Lee. I ask because I also use weights to train. It's in the form of a belt with a special seal on it. By adding chakra, you increase the weight which is spread throughout the body."
"Really? And how heavy is yours Naruto-san?" He asked leaning forward.
"I don't know either. Can't quantify the chakra in it. But I have to reinforce my arms to put it on every day so it's quite heavy.
"Yosh! Do you have it with you at the moment? I wish to see it!"
"Of course," I patted my right armguard, "I keep it sealed here when not wearing it. It's really convenient. I can show it to you later."
"Actually. That's something I've been wondering about Naruto. Where did you get that armor? I haven't seen that design before." Tenten butted in.
I only raise my eyebrow at her.
"Fine. I trained with Gai-sensei, learned to use more weapons, and picked up some sealing tricks. I'm also a chunin now." She rolled her eyes, "Now your turn. The armor, where did you get it?"
"Huh, I forgot to ask about promotions. But to answer your question Tenten, I had it made at the capital of the land of fire. A man named Hanashi forged it." I replied.
"And the headband? Why 'infinite'?"
"That too. I had him make it like Jiraiya's. And why not infinite? It just means that I will strive to keep getting stronger. Until there is no one above me." A long-term goal of mine.
"That is an admirable goal Naruto-san, just like your dream of becoming hokage. But what do you hope to do with all that power?" Asked Neji.
My mind flashed to all of the issues I had to deal with: Akatsuki, Sasuke, Orochimaru, Black Zetsu. Aside from those were potential threats. Madara Uchiha with his original rinnegan. Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the babe hidden in the moon. And then whatever Kishimoto put into Boruto. Following after that war arc means that those antagonists would have to be crazy powerful. Or cheats.
The problem is that I never took an interest in the sequel to this series aside from the occasional YouTube fight. I would be going in blind. Meaning the only way to ensure victory was to be stronger. To have such overwhelming power that when the time comes, I'll curb stomp my enemies like Madara did to the Shinobi Alliance. But with no real knowledge of what the other horny aliens or ninjas could do, there was no way to know when I had reached their level. So I would have to aim high and hope for the best.
Not that I could tell anyone about this. Not directly. But I had more obvious reasons to provide.
"I just want to live a long and fruitful life, Neji. One on my own terms. But as you've likely become aware, there are some significant barriers in the way of that."
"The Akatsuki."
It didn't take him long to figure it out. Made me wonder just how much he and the others knew about my situation.
"Yes. The Akatsuki. A group of S-rank criminals who have made it their goal to hunt down all jinchuriki and take their tailed beasts. Killing them in the process." I confirmed for him. And then to test my hunch, "And I am on their list of targets. I hold inside me the nine-tailed fox that attacked the village."
Ignoring the reactions of the Lee and the two girls, I continued to analyze Neji and his emotions. He wasn't surprised by this. There was resignation and even pity but no surprise. Definitely wasn't dealing with an idiot here.
"As long as they are around, I won't be able to exist peacefully." Breaking the heavy silence. "Either they will come for me like they did with Gaara or they'll catch me on a mission. Conflict between us is inevitable. So, I decided to prepare myself and take my future into my own hands."
"I see."
"But you are not alone Naruto-san. As your comrades, we shall help you carry that burden."
"Thanks Lee. That's nice of you. But that's a subject for a different time." I turned back to Neji, "What about you? What have you been up to?"
"I too trained with Gai-sensei. I progressed in all shinobi arts and learned more clan techniques. The village saw fit to reward my success with the rank of jonin."
"Hmm, can't say I'm surprised. Knew you had potential. Congratulations. To all of you, I'm sure you all worked hard to be here." I told them.
"Thanks, but enough of that. I want to hear about your training Naruto." Said Sakura.
"I would like to hear this as well." Confessed Neji. "It must have been very intense to produce such drastic results."
"Yeah, you look so different! Taller, none of that bright orange, and much quieter." As if your pink hair didn't draw just as much attention…
"I like the changes. You're much cuter now." Tenten threw in her ten cents.
"There's not much to say. I covered a number of areas but focused on taijutsu and ninjutsu." I shrugged.
"Like the new rasengan? I've never seen you launch it before." My old teammate pointed out.
"The same technique, different application."
"The wind jutsu you used on the cave?"
"A personal creation."
"What were the other things?" Asked Neji changing track.
"The building blocks for a real ninja. Like stealth, tracking, proper usage of tools."
"Do you have other personal jutsus?"
"Yes." That's all they were getting from me.
I wanted to change their view of me from the previous Naruto while still remaining somewhat friendly. Nowhere did it say that I had to reveal any of my true secrets to them to do so. I didn't trust them enough to tell them anything that wouldn't be common knowledge soon. That just went against my code.
Actually, what was taking so long with the food?
"Wow, Lord Jiraiya taught you a lot huh." Sakura commented with a faraway look. "To think we were all trained by members of the sannin."
"You could say that," I snorted, she had no idea. "The only thing I can say was neglected was using a primary weapon."
"Oh, why is that?" Tenten perked up.
"As a wind user, any bladed weapon becomes downright deadly in my hands. I would have liked to pick up the sword during the trip." But Jiraiya only knew so much about using one, stuff he saw from his ex-teammate.
"Really? I'm a weapons mistress myself. Perhaps I could help you out, some one on one training?" She offered.
"Perhaps. But just to clarify, would you be showing me how to properly wield them or how to throw them at my opponents?" I couldn't help myself.
To my side, Sakura snorted and quickly looked the other way.
"… I'm going to pretend you didn't say anything." Tenten said with a glare.
"Hey, that's a genuine concern," I laughed, "Last time I saw you fight, you did exactly that. Against a wind user."
"I didn't know she was a wind user until it was too late! Besides, that was the past. I would definitely beat that 'I wear a kimono while fighting' fan-girl now."
That got a little laugh out of me. Guess she wasn't fully over the fan to the back thing. The Sand siblings used to be vicious back in the day. Even the makeup guy.
"I'm sure you could," I lied, "And I had originally planned on just paying a sword user to spar with me. But I'll see if I can fit you into my busy schedule Tenten."
"You make is sound like it would be you doing me the favor."
"Like you wouldn't benefit from having another moving target?" Sensing something, I raised a hand to her. "Shh, the food is coming."
Indeed, a couple servers were wheeling over a cart laden with steaming plates. The smell emanating from them made me even hungrier. Nothing beats having hot food prepared for you. Almost nothing.
…
Our stay in Suna had finally come to an end. And because I had friends in high places, the kazekage and his associates had come to see us off. The rock steps and setting sun created a nice backdrop to touching moment.
"I suppose this is goodbye, Naruto."
"More like 'until next time'. I have a feeling we will see each other soon. Stay safe, Gaara."
"And you as well." He responded, taking my outstretched hand.
"Make sure to stay in contact. You have no excuse now." Lowering my voice some, "And deal with that too."
"I will." He replied, head dipping just a slight bit to signal he had received the message.
I nodded and stepped back, ending the handshake. "Well, I'll take my leave now. Its about time Naruto Uzumaki returned to the leaf. Temari, Kankuro, until next time."
"Bye Naruto."
"Farewell."
With one last round of goodbyes, we began our trek back home.
He should be fine now. Since Shukaku was removed, the Akatsuki had no reason to come back to Suna. None that I knew of at least. And with a pair of dual-end scrolls linked to me and soon Tsunade, Gaara should be able to communicate with us faster in case something does happen.
Only time would tell.
-GoS-
Konoha
"Good work Teams Gai and Kakashi. I expect written mission reports by noon tomorrow, but for now, you're dismissed." Tsunade commanded the members of the Gaara rescue mission.
Falling out of attention, they trickled out of the room. Sending one last look over her shoulder, Sakura closed the door behind her leaving inside the exact group of people who had been present when I left for the training trip.
Moving to stand directly in front of her desk, I compared that day to the present. Not much had changed. Shizune was still wearing her black outfit and standing behind Tsunade. The hokage looked the same on the exterior. Jiraiya had found the same wall to lean against with arms crossed. The room looked just as underwhelming as last time.
I swear, if I ever got swindled into taking that position, I'll rearrange some things. A nice throne instead of a desk and chair. Some steps leading up to it, nine steps would be symbolic. Seals on the wall cutting off outside stimuli from everyone inside except me. New wallpaper too.
Yeah, that could work…
"I can see the training had great results." Started Tsunade bringing an end to my egotistical thoughts.
"Of course. What were you expecting? The same kid with a bigger rasengan?" I joked.
"No. I had complete faith in you." She smiled. "I'm happy to see it was worth it."
"It wasn't all me. Although he may be lazy at times, Jiraiya has a lot to offer." He really did. I can't make excuses for his canon counterpart, but this one just needed a slight push and an attentive student to really shine. I can see how he helped produce some of this world's strongest shinobi.
"That he does," She cast a glance to where he stood getting a thumbs up in reply. Turning back to me, she pulled two things from her drawer and placed them onto her desk. "Jiraiya sent me word of your progress and the missions you did. Here, this is well deserved."
Catching the sealing scroll and releasing its contents, I held a green flak jacket draped over my arm and a smaller scroll in my hand.
"Naruto Uzumaki, you are hereby given the rank of special jonin and the responsibilities that come with it. Do the village proud." Tsunade declared officially. "That scroll has the basics of your new position. I don't think I have to tell you to read it soon, do I?"
"No, you don't." I put the items back into the storage scroll. The jacket would likely remain there as I had no desire to wear it. The manual would be read later. "I didn't ask for it, but since you offered, I'll accept this promotion."
She snorted, letting go of the hokage air, "Was there any possibility of you turning it down?" She asked.
"Not really. I wouldn't want to be the only genin from my graduating class." And genin were heavily restricted in the departments they could access in the village. This would unlock some doors for me.
"I'm sure it would have been amusing watching you take the chunin exams again." She said with a laugh, "I could have won big betting on you."
"I doubt anyone would look at me and then bet against me." I countered.
"You do have the look of a strong ninja." She agreed and then talked over my response, "A bit pretentious but strong nonetheless."
"Jealousy is not a good look on you Tsunade." Wiping a hand across my new forehead protector. "What's in the other thing?"
"Oh, this is your key to your new apartment. I signed the papers in your name and used the rest of the money to furnish the space. The address is written down."
"Thank you," I reached out for the parcel. "What about food?"
"A genin team was assigned a D-rank mission to stock your fridge and shelfs. I believe it was Konohamaru's team actually."
"Perfect. And actually, I have something for you as well." Sending a pulse of chakra into a seal on my left gauntlet, I handed over what came out.
"A scroll? Wait, one for storage. And blood and chakra identifying elements." Tsunade commented while analyzing it, "It's better than a common storage scroll, but why exactly do I need this?"
"Prime it and then I'll tell you. Go on, its not dangerous."
"Hmph." Doing just that with a drop of blood and a chakra infusion, the ink flashed red and then went back to black. "It's done."
"Good. Now, that seal is something Jiraiya helped me create," I explained. As my spiel came to an end, both Tsunade and Shizune who had crept forward for a better view were looking at it with calculating eyes.
"My Lady! Think of the possibilities. We could-"
"I know Shizune. So simple in concept yet this could be extremely beneficial to our ninja." She sent a glare at Jiraiya, "Why didn't you tell me of this earlier?"
"It's not his fault." I butted in. "He helped me yes, but it wasn't his creation. As such, it was entirely up to me regarding who got to know about. And I decided to keep it close to my chest until I found a way to secure the mechanics behind the seal." No one would be benefitting from my creation for free.
Taking in Jiraiya's nervous smile and my unapologetic expression, she huffed before turning back to the scroll.
"This is connected to the one the kazekage holds?" At my confirmation she continued, "Could you make some connected to me on one end but open on the other?"
"I can. I have a system in mind that could work, if you are indeed thinking what I am thinking. Give me a day or so and I can make you multiple sets."
"Fine. I have other questions, but I suppose you would want to settle in first. Stop by the hospital tomorrow around midday and then return here."
"Got it. See you tomorrow. Bye Shizune. Later Jiraiya." While heading to the door, I pulled out the parcel with the key and address.
'Now, where exactly is this place?'
…
My first reaction upon walking into my apartment was a positive one. Located in a nicer district with a greater shinobi presence, it was a real upgrade from my old one.
The front entrance opened up to the main room with an alcove to the left side where the kitchen was located. A short hallway at the back led to two doors, one was the bathroom and the other the single bedroom. As Tsunade had promised, each area had the appropriate furniture and the kitchen was well stocked. It still lacked the personal touch to show someone was currently living in it, but it would make quite the bachelor pad. Just needed some decorations. And one more thing.
Going about unsealing various scrolls from my armguards and then unsealing my belongings from those, I placed everything onto the bed. It wasn't a small quantity; clothes, souvenirs, cooking supplies, and other miscellaneous items. I kept almost everything I owned in seals, which is why I had gone to such lengths to protect them. It just so happened that the method I used had other applications as well.
Setting aside my sealing equipment, two shadow clones came into existence and grabbed them. They had the task of adding protections to the apartment. Nothing outrageous like the 5 Seal Barrier but convenient all the same. Proximity seals around the door and windows to detect people who would try to enter the apartment. Privacy seals that aren't public knowledge; these were used in the hokage's office and other important buildings. They prevented members of the Hyuga clan from gazing through walls at their leisure. Needless to say, they were a well-guarded seal and only Jiraiya being my sensei had given me access to them.
Other privacy-oriented seals would be added but they were of lesser affect.
Moving around the room and organizing my belongings, I thought of my plans for the immediate future.
The hokage expected more dual-ended storage seals tomorrow, which was easy to manage with the aid of clones. As long as she provided the scrolls for them. They weren't overly expensive, but I would need a large number as each set required two of them. My funds were rather low after my recent expenditures.
She also wanted me to get a medical examination before going back onto active duty. Or that was my reasoning for the hospital visit. It was likely though, my information from years ago needed to be updated for the registrar.
Going to see some old faces was on my list of obligations as well but reunions would be postponed for a while if I couldn't get them done soon. Because in a few days I would have to leave the village for a special rendezvous with some snakes.
When I had silenced Sasori before he could expose his secret, it hadn't been because I forgot about his little spy. Rather, it had been because I already knew that I didn't give him a chance to talk about it. The meeting being exactly 10 days after his defeat had made it easier to remember the when. And approaching the where like a multiple-choice exam on a map of the Elemental Nations had gotten me the Tenchi Bridge. It was the one of two that sounded familiar and the other one was where Kakashi's life had gotten derailed.
So, with the necessary information, there had been no need to allow others to hear about a spy with connections to Orochimaru. Because after seeing how it went down in canon, I had an idea of what following that route would have led to.
At my current level, it wouldn't have been too farfetched for Tsunade to ask me to capture the spy and bring them back. Even if it did turn out to be Kabuto. In fact, depending on the composition of the team, she might have expected for Orochimaru to finally be caught as well. The infamous traitor imprisoned and made to pay for his misdeeds at last. The Leaf would rejoice, and everyone would feel safer.
Unfortunately, that's not what I wanted.
I wanted them dead. I wanted them out of the picture with no chance of returning.
There was a reason why I considered Madara and then Kaguya as potential threats. If I could prevent the resurrection of the ultimate Uchiha, then the war arc was almost guaranteed to not happen. At the least it would be shorter. Kaguya may have been released and used as the big bad guy, but Madara had done most of the leg work. In fact, I have doubts about Naruto and Sasuke being capable of victory because unlike with the Ōtsutsuki, they would have had to kill Madara to win.
Therefore, Madara should not be allowed back. Short of using the rinnegan, there was one other way people could be brought from the dead in this world, Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation. A kinjutsu that the rogue sannin had stolen and one which Kabuto would use to great effect in helping Obito fight his war.
Its not impossible that others knew how to use it. With Black Zetsu having spied on and manipulated many important figures over the years and Obito having the ability to warp into protected locations. But Zetsu wasn't capable of jutsu on his own and Obito could never be as great with that technique as Kabuto would be. Furthermore, those two were hard to pin down until later on.
The snakes on the other hand, they would essentially be coming to me. Propriety would dictate I go forth to receive them.
It was not written in stone that capturing them would end with them escaping again. Rather, the possibility of them being executed for good was there. But the consequences of either one escaping could be disastrous. As such, I would deal with them myself.
Besides, it was about time I met the latest reincarnation of Indra.
Anyways, nothing really happened in this chapter. People asked for reactions so I tried; this is the most dialogue I've ever written. Hopefully it didn't feel off. And the intro about the different modes is my personal breakdown of each, I included that as a reference for later scenes where the MC will use one over another. Different strengths basically. Moving on, the training trip is fully over, our MC is back in the Leaf and already has plans to head back out. What do you all think? Did you enjoy the foreshadowing of an epic fight? Are you ready to see his approach to Sasuke? Lucky for you all, the wait won't be too long.
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Last edited: Feb
<< Index >>
Last edited: Feb 14, 2021
Jan 19, 2021Report
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