XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Neji's POV (Hyuga Head Residence - Hidden Leaf)
It had been a two hour long argument between him and Hiashi. Neji had never been someone to move impulsively and yet after seeing his friend discriminated to such a degree he felt desperate to aid him. He stormed into Hiashi's office. Suffering a cruel activation of his seal, but he had known such was likely and rode out the pain in silence. Once freed of the shameful pain he had launched into a request to have the Hyuga support Naruto.
It had gone as expected to Neji's dismay. He knew it was unlikely due to the ramifications of supporting a jinchuriki but needed to at least try. Yet after the failure he had found himself pacing. He had never been someone to accept failure. But how could he convince the clan? He was merely a branch member.
"Neji-neesan? A-are you ok?" Hinata asked nervously happening to walk into the courtyard he was thinking in. "Should I return later?" She asked a bit more nervously as Neji's intense gaze locked onto her. He and Hinata had been training together for a while now. The woman had become somewhat confident to an infuriatingly polite degree. She had shown great skill in gentle fist but wasn't quite at his level, yet to his shock she seemed to be creating her own style. Even creating her own jutsu to fit it to her preferred style. She would be evasive in combat using subtle movement and jutsu to slowly shut down her opponent. At any moment capable of ending the fight at a mere touch if she so pleased. Neji was confident in her chances in becoming the next Head now. Hanabi, while still a rival to her, simply couldn't match her outside of pure taijutsu bouts. As well as her attitude slowly becoming more unbecoming to a leader. Though it was doubtless she wasn't out of the race yet. What she lacked in maturity she matched it with a shocking level of raw intelligence… Even if he convinced Hinata if Hanabi pushed against it. It would likely be meaningless.
"Hinata…" Neji asked quietly. "What would it take for Hanabi to support us in a matter regarding my teammate?"
"Your referring to Naruto Uzumaki? You've mentioned great things about him. I-it was heartbreaking to hear how they treated him. B-but unfortunately she would likely side with father. Especially now that I seem to be the more likely candidate." Hinata explained fiddling with her fingers as she often did when she was younger. A habit Neji had yet to correct for her.
"Hinata you're still developing your own style right?" Neji asked tapping his chin.
"H-hai. Nowadays in training we mostly spar or do chakra exercises. It's difficult for you to help me form my Flowing Gentle Fist."
"Exactly so what if we offer her the training that allowed you to surpass her." Neji explained.
"But it wouldn't be as useful as it was for me. We accidentally discovered my own way to fight. For her it would merely sharpen what she already has." Hinata said, confused.
"Precisely, she'll close the gap but your own style will make it meaningless." Neji explained. "It will get her on our side without jeopardizing your reign."
"It feels u-underhanded to do so." Hinata said. "I-I suppose if its to help your friend though…"
"Thank you Hinata-sama." Neji bowed.
"N-N-No! We decided not to bow!" Hinata nervously chastised. Before bowing as well.
"Merely showing my appreciation to my future leader." Neji said with a small smile.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Jiraiya's POV
Jiraiya had intended to leave the boy to his thoughts. A young man should be encouraged to reflect, or so he had been told. He found it hard to understand young people. Ironic since most referred to him as childish, but he struggled to relate to them or understand their way of thinking. He had expected Naruto to scream or cry, rage or grieve, but instead he merely seemed to meditate while holding a leaf. He had always been interested in his godchild but it was odd to see him act like his father. Perhaps we start the training early. He was sure Kushina wouldn't mind.
He crept closer to the blonde. He noticed he did seem to be aware of the area around him. But no mere rookie could detect him! He silently walked behind the blonde preparing to poke him.
"How did you get so close to me?" Naruto asked, he sounded somewhat annoyed. "Also why are you back?"
"Not bad brat, still would've died but at least you would've gotten to scream out! HA!" Jiraiya belly laughed at his own joke.
"Great… is there something you want?" Naruto posed indignantly.
"Ungrateful little… patience sage… Mhm" Jiraiya cleared his throat. "I'm here to offer you a once in a lifetime opportunity! The chance to be the student of the Great Sage Jir-"
"I'm already the star pupil of Kakashi the copy ninja." Naruto replied blandly. "I wouldn't betray sensei like that."
"He's merely your Jounin sensei, it's not unusual to have multiple of them. Besides, Kakashi is alright… But can he do this! Rasengan!" Jiraiya roared as he formed a ball of swirling chakra in his hand and raced forward. He slammed the ball through one, two, three trees. He spun to face the blonde as it dissipated in his hand. With a smirk and a raised brow.
"Ok that is undoubtedly cool, but I'm busy." Naruto countered as he focused on the leaf in hand and suddenly his chakra flared. The leaf was cut from to the middle of the leaf. "Dammit, I'm trying to do something specific. I don't have time to learn that move." He then discarded the leaf and grabbed another with the ground. Now focusing on the leaf again.
Jiraiya had to stop himself from gritting his teeth. This was oddly familiar to him somehow. "What are you working on that could possibly be more important than my Rasengan?"
"I want to make my own technique. Besides I have a feeling I might need it for this one guy." Naruto started picturing Gaara being unharmed completely by a technique that could cut a boulder in half and was strong enough to take on teams of Genin. "I need to win these exams."
"So you're thinking of a wind technique, hmm." Jiraiya let his mind drift a bit seeing a younger Minato also focused on making his own technique. It led to the creation of the Rasengan. Perhaps it could wait for now. "How about I help you?"
"What's to say you'll be any help?" Naruto posed wishing the man would leave.
"Come on squirt, think about it, my Rasengan is a technique of pure Chakra Shape Manipulation. If you're gonna make your own jutsu you need someone well versed in Chakra Manipulation." Jiraiya boasted subtly standing taller as he got to talk himself up to his unknowing grandson. "The first question is what do you intend for this jutsu to do?"
"I figured using my Wind Element would be a good idea since it lends itself well to strong offensive jutsu. It needs to be able to bypass a massive amount of defense near instantly. And I can't afford for it to miss." Naruto explained as he struggled to slice the leaf again.
"Wise to use your own element. It always uses less chakra, and has more of a punch. Something that can't miss might be best to be close range then. But to bypass a massive amount of defense?" Jiraiya asked, confusedly. "We're talking about Genin here. You're not trying to kill anyone, are you squirt?"
"No, I used an attack against him I've seen cut people in half. He tanked it and was unharmed. I need something to set him up." Naruto explained.
"Set him up? Wouldn't want to smash through his defenses and him before he had time to counter? Setting him up suggests another step."
"Yes he seems too good to promise a clean hit. So this first one is gonna be kinda like sword play. It's gonna smash through his defenses and counters leaving him open to my final hit." Naruto finished grasping his sheathed tanto on his back.
"Are you sure you have another technique to finish him off?" Jiraiya posed.
"Yes. I haven't found all the secrets of my blade here, Riptide." Naruto explained as he unsheathed the blade in question. "But I discovered a while ago Riptide has the ability to store chakra inside it. Once full I can unleash an attack using most of my chakra at full without actually using my current chakra. Figure it will be the perfect way to finish him off. My Uzumaki Style: Raging Wave hits hard."
"Ok then so either cut it or smash through it…" Jiraiya pondered.
"What if I could crush it?" Naruto asked.
"What?"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Kakazu's POV (Outside of Land of Iron)
He watched emotionlessly as his cords tore into the new corpse seeking his heart. He seemed to be a good replacement water heart. The rookie had gotten lucky and killed his Water Heart as well as beheading Hidan for being careless. He was an odd redheaded man with a mohawk. Who had run into them, they would've let him go but upon seeing their cloaks he attacked. Screaming something about avenging his master's honor. He had originally assumed he meant Orochimaru but now he was confident it was the mysterious Uzumaki Ikam. Both are enemies of their little collective and sure to aid them if it hurts them. Furthermore, the man wielded axes with absurd cutting ability. His cords could resist chakra-enforced steel, even elemental flow yet somehow they had cut through them once the man activated his seals. Turning him into a jutsu-proof man with blades that could cut them in half. Certainly impressive in its way he supposed. He was happy to see he would make some kinda profit from this. But he had not been near enough to kill him nor Hidan. He did hope though death did stick with his infuriating partner.
"Damn it you old bastard reattach my head!" Hidan roared as he carried his head over. "Do you have any idea how freaky it is to talk without a throat? It makes no sense?!"
"If I do reattach your idiotic head will you be silent? Or will I have to shut your lips shut?" Kakazu asked angrily.
"Fine, but just know one day your ass is going to Jashin."
"Only if I'm unlucky." Kakazu complained as the threads grabbed the head and quickly sewed it back on. The skin once fastened together seemed to simply heal instantly. The threads of Kakazu released themselves from him once they did. Before it suddenly started to shut Hidan's mouth while lifting him in the air so he couldn't fight back. "Hopefully that works for a while."
Hidan was let go once the job was done. The man painfully grunted as he attempted to free his lips from one another.
"The grunts are just as annoying but at least it sounds like it hurts." Kakazu marched forward a bit, forming a hand sign as he felt for chakra signatures on the level of the tailed beast. Only to discover the Five had become Three. Those three were fairly powerful and well-guarded as they were all together. Hidan and he would likely have to leave them be as the leader cautioned. The leader would want to know of this and Ikam's meddling.
This wasn't going to be good for business.
Leifazu had no response, his soul long having left his body.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Naruto's / Kushina's POV (Uzumaki Residence - Hidden Leaf)
Naruto supposed he must be more stressed than he had realized. He rarely slept in, simply being too energetic for such. Furthermore, he loved the old leather couch in his living room. Apparently being one of the few things his father ever splurged on, but he never slept in it. He also rarely slept outside of his beloved pajamas Kushina had given him on one of his birthdays, yet he had collapsed on the couch in his dirty clothes after training. His mother sensed his mood he supposed because she merely let him be. Naruto felt bad but was honestly too tired to think about it much. He had whatever training Kakashi had for him, a jutsu to invent, exams to ace, and villagers to win over. His plate wasn't full, it was buried.
With this affecting the blonde he lazily rose from the couch with a stretch. He was thankful as he smelled eggs being cooked in the kitchen. His mother had never missed a meal and was proud of it. He silently padded down the hall of his home. First, he passed his mother's room, formerly an office of his father's; she had made it her own upon his death. This led Naruto to pass the old bedroom shared by his mother and father. Now sealed, only his mother entered once a month to clean it. Passing his own room currently in the constant state of disarray he left it in. Finally, he arrived in his own bathroom, he sighed as he pulled out a toothbrush and his mind whirled with the look of the villager's faces as they had admonished him. He looked up at the mirror blearily as he began brushing his teeth. He froze as his gaze focused on the visage of the mirror. He saw himself, same face, same hair, same whiskers, staring back at him. But it lacked the toothbrush in his mouth. Instead, the poor copy smiled back cruelly. As quickly as the vision appeared it faded. Naruto continued brushing his teeth, focusing his mind on training as opposed to recent figured he must be out of it. He finished brushing his teeth and he washed his face and body. Then toweled off walking into his room to change. He threw off his tattered clothing and replaced it with a more subtle outfit. It lacked his normal orange and black jacket. Instead he wore a dark blue hoodie raised over his blonde locks. As well as a black pair of thick utility pants, littered with pockets. It was an outfit he rarely wore but felt it might be best for the present climate. Less noticeable than his normal get up.
Another subconscious sigh escaped the blonde as he walked into the dining room. He saw that his mother had already set up breakfast for the two and was slowly eating it. He sat as well with a quiet thank you. The two silently dug into the meal prepared by Kushina. Naruto wanted to say something to break the tension but his tired mind offered no effective method of doing so. Luckily his mother seemed more daring than he.
"Sweetie… I'm sorry for yesterday. It hasn't been easy raising you on my own. Even less so when I have to play both roles. I just lose it when people act like that towards my baby… you're all I got." Kushina explained sadly. "Of course, I'm not forgetting Kakashi or Mikoto, ya know? They are family too…"
Kushina was interrupted by a small chuckle from the blonde. Naruto's mother often rambled when nervous or uncomfortable. The only time one would dare call the fiery woman meek. While it was not his trademark ecstatic laughing it made Kushina smile all the same. Naruto shook his head with a small smile at her. "Mom I get it… I don't blame you. It even makes me happy to know you have my back in this. But I don't want things to stay this way." Naruto explained tiredly as he ate with the enthusiasm of a five-year-old with a plate full of broccoli.
"That's why I tried to stop them…" Kushina started.
"I don't want things to be that way either." Naruto countered before she could finish. "I know they're being unfair… it hurts me and pisses me off… It makes you want to protect me…"
Kushina frowned at the look of troubled contemplation on the blonde's face.
"But I want to prove them wrong. And I want to do it the right way. I just know if I keep working and don't lash out they'll see their wrong about me. After all, I'm going to be the Hokage one day, I need to earn their love and their trust." Naruto said with a small smirk as he rinsed his plate and left it in the sink to soak. He was ready to get on with his day and face the troubles it may bring.
Kushina's POV
Kushina was stunned by her son yet again. He had nearly spoken the very words his father had told her years ago.
"I may not have a reputation yet, but I will be Hokage soon. First I'll earn their trust, then their love. I have to do things the right way, Kushina."
Her bout of sudden nostalgia was broken by a silent gasp from Naruto. She turned to see what had bothered him to such a degree. Only to match his gasp with her own as she saw what waited in front of their home. The building in front of them was a rather popular grocery store. Somewhere She and Naruto had shopped for years. Popular due to the large billboard on the front facing the street showing they're often very competitive prices. Instead of showing any such deal it instead was blank except for a message painted roughly on it. It read something that made Kushina growl in fury.
NARUTO UZUMAKI IS A DEMON
KUSHINA UZUMAKI IS A DEMON
INO YAMANAKA IS A DEMON WHORE
Kushina could feel her rage build as she prepared to tear down the board with her bare hands. Not only did they insult her and some other young lady, but they had the gall to insult her child as well! Before she could launch off though she felt the gaze of her son land on her. She flinched as she remembered yesterday. And with a considerable effort relaxed herself. Naruto offered a fragile smile at this as he marched on. Kushina was frozen as she watched her son leave their home. Various people whispered as he walked by. Some even physically distance themselves from him. Yet he casually walked; it looked as if none of it bothered him. But as his mother she had seen the pain in his eyes. He was being hurt and she couldn't help him. Yet while she had nearly flown off the handle again Naruto had taken it maturely and merely ignored it. Naruto was growing up fast… he was already starting to act like Minato…
She had to tell him. She marched off as she sent off their messenger hawk to reach Jiraiya. She would have to wait till tonight to talk to Naruto so she may as well hear some advice… God, she was going to Jiraiya for advice.
Maybe she would ask Mikoto too, the woman always seemed so calm. She raced off to meet with one of the few remaining loyal Uchiha. Kushina knew Jiraiya would have no issue finding her once her message was received. He would offer her advice on how to approach it.
She would not continue hiding the truth from her son.