Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
"Oh God this hurts!" Naruto exclaimed in agony his eyes shut tight.
"Quit your whining." Jiraiya said with a chuckle as he looked on at his pupil's discomfort.
If Naruto knew what this was what Jiraiya had in mind he would've never accepted his offer. He was currently doing the splits on a pair of logs, his legs being stretched out as far as they could go and to make things even worse he was being forced to hold a heavy cinder block as well.
"Halfway done," Jiraiya said and placed another cinder block on top of the one Naruto was carrying. Naruto grunted and groaned in pain at the additional weight being added.
"How is this helping again?" Naruto asked him.
"By enabling you to do the splits and strengthen and pull your leg muscles so they don't tire out and gain flexibility." Jiraiya answered as he looked at the timer, Thirty minutes remained.
From a distance away Tayuya snickered in amusement at his misfortune. The redhead watched on as Naruto was in the second day of his training. They where about two miles out of Konoha and they was in a forest area near a small farming village.
She had found it rather amusing to watch as the blonde was being put through his training by the Pervert. Having watch him train the past few days and she could tell he was pretty talented, possibly a match for Jirobo of the Sound Four at his current state, he just needed to focus and be properly developed on his technique and quit spamming his Kage Bushin in her eyes and gain some other forms of Jutsu.
She heard a cough and she turned her head and saw the white haired figure hack and cough a bit and clung at his chest. She frowned as she looked at him as he hunced over a bit, he spat out some saliva and wiped his mouth.
"Why are you here?" Kimimaro asked her his back to her.
"To make sure you don't keel over and die out here in the freakin' woods. Why are you here?" She asked back
"…To train my cousin, to see to it that Shikotsumyaku doesn't disappear."
"…I see, you're planning on turning him over before we attack." Tayuya said thinking she had figured it out. "He'll be most pleased with you to have-"
"No," Kimimaro interrupted and he stared at her with his green eyes. "I won't turn my only family over to him. Naruto won't ever join him, he'd kill himself first."
Tayuya looked at him not understanding. "You're basically giving Konoha a one man army that could thwart our master's plans, what the hell is going on through your thick skull?" She asked him. "Our loyalty is to him and him only, it sure as hell is not to The Leaf."
"He sees no purpose in me anymore, if I can't have any purpose with him then I will use my last days ensuring that our clan's legacy continues." Kimimaro said as he knew the truth, he was going to die. "If you tell him this I will hunt you down and kill you." He said warningly to her surprising Tayuya as he glared at her.
"I wonder what they are talking about?" Naruto asked looking on from afar at them. His cousin seemed upset about something and the redhead who he wasn't sure he could trust where talking about something he couldn't make out.
"Focus on what you're doing right now boy." Jiraiya replied to him and Naruto grunted. The White Haired man looked on though at them, he didn't exactly trust the girl who was rather foul mouthed at times and the other one was hiding something as well.
Later Naruto had finished his training for the day.
"Okay we'll pick up where we left off tomorrow, Tayuya take Naruto home." Jiraiya said as the sun was setting.
"What?" Tayuya protested
"Either that and you can hang with me and be the model for the new series I'm writing." Jiriaya said with a grin.
"Let's go asshole." Tayuya muttered dragging Naruto off the boy protesting her going so fast due to the pain in his groin.
Jiraiya turned and saw Kimimaro leave as well. "Hang on there," He called out to him. Kimimaro stopped but didn't turn around. "I know who you are, You're an Kaguya. And you're also Ayako's kid aren't you?" Jiraiya asked and Kimimaro's body stiffened.
"How do you know my mother?" He asked as this was the first time anyone in seven years had mentioned her name.
"I knew her, both her and her sister, your Aunt Kushina, Naruto's mom. They both where from Whirlpool." Jiraiya stated. "She was perhaps the gentlest soul in the world growing up. And I know who it was that found you after your clan was destroyed." He said his voice turning serious.
"What of it?" Kimimaro asked not caring.
"You've had an harsh upbringing haven't you, I've heard that Kimura single handily nearly destroyed your Clan with his actions and choices during my travels. And then afterwards you were found my former Teammate Orochimaru. I can only think of the things he did to you."
"…I was to be his next vessel." Kimimaro said in reply to him. He reached towards his chest on that, towards the Seal he had hidden. "And now The Uchiha is his desired body…"
Jiraiya looked on in disgust. "You could've had a better life, Konoha could've found you and brought you in, made you a Leaf Ninja and along with Naruto be under the authority of the Hokage and protected. You didn't deserve to be used as an experiment by that twisted man. Used and then discarded once you was no longer useful."
"Naruto didn't deserve to be treated like trash by Konoha either, whether he had Shikotsumyaku or was the Kyuubi vessel!" Kimimaro responded anger in his voice.
"I know, neither of you deserved what's happened to you." Jiraiya said and he thought back to what happened years ago. A part of him before he left had thought about taking the infant Naruto with him. But that would've been no life for him, with as busy as he was he would've have had the time to raise him, with them on the move on the time only staying at a spot for a certain number of weeks then going somewhere else. That was no life for a toddler, always on the move and not understanding what was going on. "You serve him, why?"
"He gave me purpose, he was the first since my mother to look at me. I would gladly have done anything to please him."
"Even kill your only remaining family?" Jiraiya asked him. "What is Orochimaru planning? It involves Sasuke I know that from what I figured. He's the Otokage and he's got something planned right?" He asked him
"…We'll continue training the boy tomorrow, by the end of the month, he'll know all that I can teach him."
Kimimaro walked and Jiraiya started to saw something when he noticed the teenager's steps. In his lifetime Jiraiya had picked up many a things just by watching other people and he didn't like what he saw in the Kaguya's steps.
Those where the steps of a person who believed he would soon die…
At Ichiraku's…
"Oi, Teuchi-san! Another bowl!" Naruto called out finishing his fourth bowl.
"Where does he put it?" Tayuya asked herself looking on. She had just finished her own bowl and he was on his fifth that the cook's daughter gave him.
On the way back Naruto had insisted on eating dinner at Ichiraku's, Tayuya at first had told him to get over it but the boy had insisted on eating it and so he would be quiet she had agreed to it. The ramen was pretty good she'd admit but the way he was eating it he acted like it was food reserved only for kings.
"Another bowl?" Ayame asked her with a smile surprising her. She wasn't used to friendly service from people
"No, I'm fine." She muttered.
"Naruto?" A voice said and the blonde turned and saw a pink haired girl enter the small restaurant.
"Oh, hi Sakura." Naruto said to her looking up from his food. The girl sat beside him and got herself a bowl. "What you've been up to?"
"Not much, trying to get some work done. Visited Lee at the hospital and gave him some Flowers." Sakura said to him noting he was acting more like his old self. She looked past him and saw Tayuya behind him who she recognized as the rude girl she had seen before. "You've been training for the Exams?"
"Yeah, I've been busy with both-" He was cut off when Tayuya elbowed him sharply in the ribs. "I mean with this guy named Jiriaya. He's not bad, a big time pervert though. He seems to know what he's doing. Make sure he's not around if you go to the Hot Springs though."
"Okay…" Sakura said not sure what to think of his newest sensei.
Tayuya got up out of her seat and left leaving them, she saw no reason to stay now.
Naruto watched her go and looked back at Sakura who shrugged. He shrugged as well and resumed eating.
Outside looking on a familiar feminine boy smiled watching the scene.
Haku walked past Ichiraku's having seen Naruto. He hadn't entered the restaurant as he had mostly kept to himself and it did him good to see Naruto alive and well.
He walked through the streets and through the bazaar.
"Haku…" A voice called out drawing his attention. He looked around and walking to an alleyway heard the voice again and discovered the source.
It belonged to the youngest and newest member of the Kurosuki Family.
"Karashi what are you doing here?" He asked as he hadn't expected to see the young boy just yet.
"I'm here to see if you found out anything." Karashi said to him.
Haku shook his head remembering why he was sent here. In honest he had treated the whole thing like a vacation for the past couple of days. "It's too early, I've yet to find anything. This place seems strong though, Raiga's underestimating the Leaf." He said to the boy who nodded his head. "You should head back to your village, forget being a henchmen of Raiga."
"But if he finds out, he'll…" Karashi said and trailed off remembering Raiga's punishment to those who broke his laws.
"You're not a fighter Karashi, despite what you might think. Go back to the village and your grandmother and work in your Curry Shop." Haku said to him. "You don't want to see what's going to happen." He said to him his voice serious. He did not want the boy getting involved.
Karashi frowned at him and backtracked into the alleyway and disappeared from view into the shadows. Haku watched him go and let out a sigh.
The next morning…
"So what are we learning this time? Going to make me do the splits again and double the cinder blocks this time around?" Naruto asked dryly as the foursome meet. Kimimaro was seated on one of the log stumps Naruto had done and put a medicine pill in his mouth and swallowed it.
"I believe it's time you've understood chakra control." Jiriaya said to him.
"What?" Naruto said a bit annoyed. "I already understand chakra control, I can already do Water Walking and Tree walking as well. I was able to walk on Ice on well one time." He said as he felt the Hermit was underestimating him.
"Calm down, what I meant was you need to focus your chakra. Not just on walking on water or strengthening your attacks. I mean chakra as a whole, the chakra that's inside you and everyone." Jiriaya said to him not wanting him to get cranky.
"He is correct," Kimimaro said and stood up. A cough escaped him but it didn't bother him as he stood beside Jiriaya. "Before my father ruined the Kaguya, my mother gave me this, that which had been passed down from my clan and your clans' ancestors for generations." He said and doing hand symbols summoned a scroll. "This is what the Kaguya in their prime dedicated themselves, to mastering Chakra in their bodies." He said and handed it to Naruto.
Naruto unfurled it and looked at it as several words written in Kanji where on it. Jiriaya taking an interest in it looked at it and nodded.
"Hmmm, this must be a copy, The original must've been destroyed. I should know cause I read it in my youth during a trip to Whirlpool." He said recognizing it. Now then listen Naruto and you too Tayuya. You might find this interesting to hear." He said to the redhead who looked on with a bored expression on her face.
"Chakra is within every person, me, you, everyone. It flows throughout your body like water in a river, formless and doesn't fight by itself yet if used correctly can overcome or stop any thing in your path. People use it without even realizing it." Jiriaya's voice spoke as the scene changed to Naruto sparring with Kimimaro later on. Kimimaro blocking his attacks and fists with ease as Naruto hit at him and winced when he felt his fist hit his cousin's hardened skin and bruising his knuckles
Later that afternoon, a shirtless Naruto was doing pushups on the dirt, the sun beating down on him. Squatted in front of him with a short bone blade was Kimimaro who swiped at his arms and forced Naruto to push his arms up to avoid being cut.
He collapsed after doing two hundred of them exhausted.
"A Sculptor uses Chakra," Kimimaro's voice spoke up. "When he makes his art and uses his hammer and chisel to carve masterpieces, work so lifelike there are no cracks and can stand the binds of time."
"Ah! Look at this view!" Jiraiya said as he and Naruto where on a hike. "Enjoy the scenery, feel the fresh air hit your lungs as you enjoy Nature's beauty. A painter could make this scene immortal!" He said as the two walked.
SQUISH!
Jiraiya stopped as Naruto walked ahead and The Sannin lifted up his foot and looked at his sandal in disgust as he had stepped in something left behind by a Cow. Rubbing it against the grass he went to catch up with the blond.
"The Gardener uses chakra, to grow flowers who's petals and beauty put the sun and moon to shame."
Naruto kneeling before a grave left the gift of flowers he had been growing in his home at Hayate's grave and bowing respectfully went away. From afar Yugao looked on not understanding and stepping forward saw the beautiful tulips he had left.
"The Blacksmith uses Chakra, doing so to create weapons. But only so that others will use them not to kill, but to protect."
The days passed and later on, Naruto stood in the center of a clearing of the forest wielding two swords one in each hand. Going through a slow series of cuts and swipes, of blocks and parries, his movements a mixture of grace and danger. None of the anger that had been inside him the past couple of days was inside him now, finding himself at peace.
He created two clones and tossed them the swords and pulled another out. The three then attacked an imaginary foe simultaneously on three fronts, utilizing and performing the Dance of The Crescent Moon, a move that Naruto had recently been taught and had learned, before it had required three Shikotsumyaku users to do so but by using his Bushin Naruto had made his own version similar to Hayate's.
He continued doing so as Kimimaro watched on, looking on his cousin's improvement as he learned more and more.
"Even The Musician can use Chakra, her music melting stone hearts and moving brutal Generals to tears." Jiraiya's words spoke into his mind as they taught him the lessons as his training went on.
Naruto stood in the middle of a stream, his eyes closed as he meditated and listened to his surroundings.
Not far away Tayuya played a soft tune on her flute, the skillful kunoichi's playing her melody, unlike the harsh melodies she would perform for her enemies, this one was gentle and peaceful, as the redhead's music echoed across the area as Naruto listened on.
"Chakra, the key component in life. Seek it out Cousin, but do not trap it. Find how others use their Chakra and then discover your own way of using it." Kimimaro's voice whispered as two weeks had passed.
During a rare day off Naruto was walking around the village and was rather oblivious to the stares he was being given. Unlike before they weren't looks of mistrust, they where instead looks of confusion. As if something had come over the boy
Sakura watched on as Naruto passed by and noticed how different he appeared to be now, as there was something different about him, the brash, cocky boy was gone and so was the angry anti social teammate, as if someone else had taken their place.
Naruto walked by Kakashi who looked on at his student and nodded smiling under his mask sensing the boy getting stronger.
Also looking on from his crystal ball, Sarutobi smiled as he watched the boy's training as despite the grueling tasks he was given by them, Naruto excelled and continued to learn as he understood what Chakra was truly about, it was not a mere weapon like some thought it was. It was a tool, a tool that could be harnessed in different ways yet the first one who used it believed it to be used for peace, something that his father and his father's father and the First and Second Hokages had put in The Will Of Fire, that which burned brightly in the old man and his lecherous Student. His only regret was that is wasn't the same for his other students.
The boy's training continued as he learned from both of them, learning of Shikotsumyaku from Kimimaro and Jutsus from Jiraiya as well, as well as gaining a summoning contract from The Toad Boss Gamabunta. Finding how to use his Kage Bushin to its most effectiveness as anything the clones learned he would learn as well.
"And remember Naruto above all us," Jiraiya said giving him the final lesson. "Chakra is meant to be used but not controlled, to fight with it but not as its master. It is free flowing and cannot be contained just like Water, those who seek to use it as a weapon will never understand the true meaning of Chakra."
Naruto stood in a center of a field, channeling his chakra, focusing it into the palm of his hand. Slowly a ball started to form in his hand as he focused everything on it. The ball started to take shape and spiral. Channeling it he held it upwards and knew he had to do it now.
"RASENGAN!" He shouted and threw the spiraling ball which hit a tree and smashed it to pieces.
"Yes!" He said as he finally did it, learning the move from Jiraiya.
"Hmm, took you long enough." Jiraiya said watching from afar. "Well we got a week left, I guess there ain't much more I can teach you in that time. You should be able to handle Neji and anyone else in the Exams."
"Yeah, I'm becoming Chunin for sure." Naruto said in reply. Jiraiya smirked at the blond and turned his head over at the other two.
"Can I go home now?" Tayuya said dryly. "There sure as hell is no reason for me to stay here."
"You know you should smile more often," Jiraiya replied. "A guy doesn't like a scowling woman, she'll never let him touch her if all she does is-YIPE!" Jiraiya dodged a kunai thrown at his groin as Tayuya glared at him.
(Sheesh and I thought Kushina was a fiery redhead.) He thought to himself as the girl cursed under her breath.
Naruto snickered at Jiraiya and looked over at Kimimaro. "I've gotten better haven't I?"
"Yes you have…" Kimimaro said slowly. Faintly a smile showed on his face. "I don't think I can call you by your nickname anymore Naruto." He said and Naruto smirked remembering him calling him Trash which had irritated him at the beginning.
"You've learned most of what I can teach you, from now on any technique it'll be on your own." Kimimaro said to him. He then started to walk away
Naruto looked at him. "Is this the last time we're seeing each other?" He asked him.
"Naruto…li…ve" Kimimaro started to see when the illness in his body took his toll on him and he collapsed to the ground.
"Kimimaro!" He faintly heard Naruto say as he slipped into unconsciousness.
At Otogakure…
"FIND HIM!" A voice echoed all across the building full of fury and rage.
"Find him at once!" Orochimaru his face twisted in a expression of anger and destruction shouted. "Find Kimimaro this instant!" He shouted and the Sound Nins quickly fled to avoid their master's wrath.
"Where is he?" He shouted. "How could he be gone!" The Snake Sannin cursed in fury at what he had discovered, already three men had been killed by him in his wrath.
Orochimaru in making his plans for the planned attack had not checked on the Dream Vessel in months time as he had been so busy he never gave the boy any attention. He hadn't planned on it tonight but he had stopped and checked on the room only to find him gone.
His anger had exploded as his killing intent could be felt all around the entire area. Even Raiga had stayed out of his way The Swordsmen not even thinking about crossing his path.
"Find him now!" Kimimaro shouted and he beheaded a Kurosuki gang member who had gotten too close.
"Orochimaru-sama we don't have a clue where he is." Kabuto said cautiously. "None of us could possibly know where is. He maybe dead for all we know."
"I don't want excuses! Find him, or find his corpse!" Orochimaru snapped seething with rage not ever expecting this.
The remaining Sound Four looked on.
"He's pissed off." Kidomaru said looking on
"Can you blame him? Kimimaro's been gone for who knows how long, if he knew before hand he's been doing this he'd be even madder." Sakon said and Ukon nodded.
"And now Tayuya's gone as well." Jirobo said as well
"No one is to rest until he is found!" Orochimaru snarled and he turned his gaze onto the group. "Get out there and find him!" He ordered and the group kneeled. "I will not have Kimimaro be used against me, find him or his corpse! It doesn't matter which!" He said his eyes promising agonizing death for whoever didn't listen to him.
Orochimaru was furious, how could this happen? How could Kimimaro leave, and thus potentially skewer his plans? If he was found by The Leaf he could be captured and brought before that damn Sandaime, and once he discovered the Cursed Seal of Earth on him his former teacher would know what he was planning. He could just use one of the damn Yamanaka's special abilities' to enter his thoughts and find everything. His plans to destroy Konoha would be ruined
Calming himself down he focused and did hand seals and brought them together performing a Jutsu. "Where are you Kimimaro?" He hissed quietly looking to find him within the area by drawing on his seal. Sakon and the others reached at their necks in pain as slowly markings from their own Cursed Seals covered their faces but The merciless Sannin ignored them. If he was anywhere within the area his cursed seal would activate and he would know. Tayuya's wasn't activated as well either as he didn't sense her either as the range of the Jutsu was only limited inside Oto.
After a few minutes he stopped and an angry growl escaped him. Nothing, he wasn't anywhere within the Jutsu's radius. Nowhere near Otogakure or Rice Country.
"Find him now!" He said warningly to the remaining three. "Find him and Tayuya and bring them back before me, Dead or Alive I don't care! I will not have my plans foiled, if you fail I will use you all instead of the Sound Trio in Edo Tensei! Now GO!" He shouted and the group fled at once to carry out his orders.
At The Hospital…
"We're losing him!" A voice called out.
"Pump more chakra into his lungs!" Another one called out that the teenager faintly heard.
"Keep it steady, don't over exert yourself with it. Nurse get me some more medicine!" A third one said as he was barely aware of his surroundings.
"My god, how is he still alive?"
He could hear the voices and he didn't know where he was as he slowly regained consciousness, hooked up to a machine and with an oxygen mask covering his face which he slowly breathed from.
"This isn't looking good, I'm afraid there's not much we can do at this state."
Just as fast as he regained consciousness Kimimaro felt everything going dark again.
"Shit! He's out again, give me that. Clear!"
He didn't feel it as he slipped back into a sleep like state.
In The Waiting Room Naruto sat in the chair not saying anything as he looked on at the room where Kimimaro had been taken. Jiraiya was with him as well the man standing not seated. Tayuya wasn't there as she had mysteriously disappeared after they had brought him to the hospital. Jiraiya had given some ANBU orders to look for her but so far nothing, she had vanished from sight.
The door opened and Naruto saw the doctor enter. The man wiped his head which was full of sweat. They where lucky and had pulled off a near miracle.
"His conditions stabilized for now, he's asleep right now. You can see him." The Doctor told them and Naruto got up and entered the room.
Kimimaro laid on the bed in a motionless like state and Naruto was stunned at how many machines were hooked up to him. He was in a lifeless state and seemed to be in more of a coma than asleep.
"I don't know when he'll wake up, right now he needs rest, he'd been overdoing himself for what I can tell and he's been sick also. This has taken a toll on his body and he collapsed due to the strain he has put himself through." THe Doctor said to him.
Naruto remembered how Tayuya said back at Wave that if he kept this up he'd kill himself. Was that what she meant? He hadn't paid much attention to it afterward, he knew he was sick but he thought he was overcoming it. Why didn't he tell him he was sick?
"I'll let you two have some time alone, Toad Sannin?" The Doctor said and Jiraiya noted he wanted to talk to him in private.
Jiraiya grasped Naruto's shoulder to give him strength and left the room with the Doctor.
Naruto sat by Kimimaro's bed looking over his cousin who appeared to be lifeless, as if all life had been drained from him. He wasn't moving and the only sound that could be heard was that of the Machines.
Watching on Naruto wondered if he was ever going to wake up.
"I'm afraid it's worse than what I told him." The Doctor told Jiraiya the two in his private office. "There's not much more we can do."
"What's the problem with him? What ails him?" Jiraiya asked as he had felt that he was sick but the boy didn't say anything.
"He has contacted a very rare disease, a disease in his lungs that is fatal. We have recently developed a cure these past two months for it but only in the beginning stages. I'm afraid he's gone too far, the cure wouldn't have any affect on him now as he's in the last stages of it. I'm honestly surprised he's alive right now, with how bad his lungs are." The Doctor said shaking his head as he had nearly died back there. "The only hope he has is if your teammate, Tsunade tends to him."
Jiraiya didn't say anything in return. He hadn't seen her in eleven years, the odds of finding her where slim to none. And he doubted she would return. By the time he found her, told her what was going on and somehow managed to convince her to return Kimimaro would have already passed on.
"How long does he have?" He asked the Doctor
The Doctor shook his head. "Not much I'm afraid, I'm sorry to say this as I feel it would break the boys' heart. But he only has three weeks to a month left at most. A tragic fate for one so young."
Jiraiya didn't say anything in response. He walked back to the room and saw Naruto still seated there, looking at his lifeless cousin.
In anger Jiraiya gritted his teeth thinking it all a cruel joke played by the Gods. This wouldn't have happened if he had found him instead, no doubt cause of the Snake was the reason he was in such a state.
"Damn you Orochimaru…" He cursed silently and turned and left.