Sakura's eyes widened as Hinata turned her eyes upon her. Hinata's skin looked bone white. She braced herself, unsure of what to make of the once quiet and stuttering girl. "Move child, or you shall share his fate."
Sakura saw the Gentle Fist stance of the Juken, and Sakura was unarmed and between what she could think of as heaven and hell.
(And Now)
The rigid hand was caught just before impact.
"KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Sakura screeched in relief as her sensei caught Hinata's arm by the wrist.
Kakashi grunted.
What is she? He thought as it was taking everything he had to hold the hand from connecting.
"Sakura…move." Kakashi ordered, his concentration on the girl before him.
What the hell happened to her? She looks possessed. Kakashi thought and shoved hard, sending the pale Hyuga back out the door.
"She said she's going to kill Sauske-kun!" Sakura said.
"Stay back Sakura." Kakashi ordered. "Something isn't right with her."
"No duh." Came the cold voice.
Hinata stood there, her eyes locked on Kakashi. "You too have done harm to him." the black eyes scanned the three people in the room.
"Contempt…hate…apathy. He just wanted to be accepted, acknowledged and you all did is hate and spew your spleen upon him."
"Who? Sauske-kun?" Sakura asked confused.
"Stupid twit. The one this shell favors. The one you all know as Naruto."
"What?" Sakura was confused even more. "Who cares about that baka. He attacked Sauske-kun. Look what he did to him." Sakura said pointing at the coma patient.
"By rights he should have killed him, but he kept his vow to you Haruno. He brought him back. He kept him out of the hands of Orochimaru and the Sound village. And what did you do to him?"
Before anyone could blink Hinata was before Sakura and held her down so she was eye to eye with Hinata.
"Lust, envy, you stink of them. Your soul is stained with corruption. Look into my eyes, and feel the pain you have inflicted upon Naruto-kun. Feel MY wrath…PENANCE STARE!"
Kakashi tried to intervene, but he was intercepted by Tsunade.
"We need to stop her. She's possessed." He informed the Hokage.
"I'm aware of what she is Kakashi. Hinata is the host to the Spirit of Vengeance. She made a blood pact with it."
"WHAT? Why?" Kakashi asked.
His head snapped around hearing Sakura's keening wail as she slumped to the floor and folded herself into a fetal position. Her eyes wide, her breathing rapid, and she broke out in a cold sweat.
"What did she do to her?" He asked looking at the Hokage.
"She showed Sakura all of Naruto's pain." Tsunade said. she'd found some scrolls that mentioned the Spirits capabilities.
The Penance Stare was considered the worst punishment other than death that the Spirit could inflict. Sakura if she recovered would forever be marked by what she mentally witnessed.
Hinata moved towards Sauske. "STOP!" Tsunade ordered. The black eyes turned towards her.
"By what right, do you order me to halt vengeance?"
Tsunade sighed. "Naruto fought to bring him back alive. It would be foolish to kill him after the suffering him and his team went thru to bring him back."
"Vengeance must be served." The Spirit's cold voice said thru Hinata's lips.
"It will be. You have my word." She offered her hand to the girl. "Read me." She said.
"Lady Hokage?" Kakashi said in concern.
"Read my aura. See what Naruto means to me." She told the Vengeance driven Hyuga.
A pale white hand lashed out and Tsunade was surprised how warm the girl felt. She felt the spark and knew that the Spirit was reading her aura.
"You claim sisterly affection, but it matronly that you truly feel. You hide your feelings for fear…" the spirit released Tsunade's hand and glared at the unconscious Uchiha.
"Your punishment has been postponed Uchiha. Know that Vengeance might be delayed, but never stopped." The black eyes turned towards Kakashi. "You…"
"He is being punished, and will be punished further." Tsunade said.
"Pervert, know this should the one this shell calls Uzumaki Naruto desire vengeance, it shall be his to claim. The more memories I see from my host and from those around, the more and more I see that Uzumaki Naruto has the right to call for Vengeance, for Konoha has failed to honor a true hero time and time again, even ignoring the dying wish of the Fourth Hokage…"
"How do you know…" Tsunade asked.
"Your aura held some of the knowledge, but it was his memories I saw. Kakashi Hatake, holding your sensei's own son in contempt…what would Minato say…" Hinata smirked then and it wasn't a friendly one. "Or my previous host…my, my, my. The son of my previous host…" the black eyes unfocused for a bit.
"The girl is aware of all that has happened…this shell was most displeased to hear how the one called Naruto Uzumaki was treated, it looks like I might be very busy in the coming years."
Hinata slumped and Tsunade caught her.
"What happened?" Kakashi asked.
"The possession leaves her exhausted. She'll sleep another day." Tsunade looked at the jonin. "Was she right? Did you mistreat Naruto?"
Kakashi winced knowing he was going to get it no matter what he said.
Naruto woke to the sun in his face and he could hear the light sounds of the wind chimes scattered around the former temple.
Yesterday had been enlightening speaking with Master Kwai. The Shaolin Priest had listened to Naruto's story from as far back as he could remember, only asking questions to clarify certain things.
They talked a bit about the Kyuubi, and then Mica told Naruto about his own training and his ability with the wind came from his demon heritage.
"Where you are a vessel, I actually had a demon in the family. She was one of the wind dragons, Her name Sanya."
Naruto felt the Kyuubi in the back of his mind, he could feel the nine tails surprise at hearing that name, and decided to ask him about it later.
"So because I am descended from a demon, I can control the wind." Mica finished. "Do you hate me for not telling you?"
"NO!" Naruto yelled. "Stupid teme. I have the Kyuubi, you think it matters to me who you are descended from?" both boys exchanged a look and chuckled.
"As enlightening as this is." Master Kwai had said clearing his throat. "There is much we need to discuss, as well as plan your training schedule."
Naruto remembered the hours they spoke about his past training and the looks Master Kwai and Micahamaru had.
"They are not fit to be called sensei Naruto-san." Master Kwai said to him before letting him go to bed.
"Know that in the coming weeks and months, I will teach you properly, and when your training with me is complete, I will offer you an option to learn from someone with more experience than me." Kwai said in that even tone he'd used.
Naruto and Mica were shuffled off to bed with promise of training to begin in the morning.
Now he was awake and getting dressed. He stepped out of his room to find Mica in pants and a grey shirt looking owlishly around trying to wake up.
"About time you woke up." He muttered. "Sensei had me up before the sun running laps."
"And in the days after this Naruto-san will be joining you." Master Kwai said from where he was sitting. A cup of tea in one hand and a walking stick laying on the ground next to him.
"Now Naruto, first we need to get your body prepared. You will run laps with Mica-san and then the two of you will fetch water from the stream. The tanks are running low."
Naruto looked out to the yard to see the large water towers. "NANI?"
"There are six of them, the two of you will carry water from the stream at the base of the mountain. Mica will show you the direct path."
Mica cursed under his breath. "Let's go Naruto. We have laps to run first, then water to get."
The silver haired teen set off at a steady jog.
When they were on their laps, Naruto looked at his friend. "Mica." Naruto said getting a grunt from his friend.
"I thought you said he'd train me."
"He is Naruto. Your body needs to be strengthened. Once he's sure of that he will begin teaching you his taijutsu styles. Trust me bro, this is going to be a long haul, and in the end it will be good for you."
Naruto grumbled about running. "He wasn't serious about hauling water up the mountain was he?" Naruto asked on their fourth lap around the mountain.
He was panting and had a stitch in his side.
"Deadly serious."
"Why not use a water jutsu to fill them?" Naruto asked.
"Because carrying buckets of water up the path is another form of exercise. You need to know Naruto, you were badly trained. Basic exercises that would help you, obviously you weren't told of."
"But none of the other students in my class knew it either. I never saw any of them doing this." Naruto said as he continued to run. He could feel the Kyuubi's chakra healing his muscles as he ran.
"I don't understand it either. I know the other villages I've been to since leaving Konoha, their ninja undergo extreme training, but they seem weaker in genjutsu's and ninjutsu's. a lot of other nations seem to focus more on the weapons and taijutsu's, while Konoha is known for its kekkei genkai fetish."
"Look at it this way, if you ever get trapped, or can't use chakra, you'll be physically stronger."
Naruto thought of another Genin, one that couldn't use chakra, one that should be back on his feet if…
He stopped that thought. It led to depression thinking of Tsunade.
She exiled me. She signed the order herself. He thought of her flowing script and sigil at the bottom of the document.
They did ten laps around the mountain, and overhead the noon son beat down upon the sweating pair.
As they stumbled into the temple courtyard they found Master Kwai sitting in the shade of a sakura tree sipping his tea.
"Water." He said and both boys glared at him.
"When are you going to start training?" Naruto asked.
Kwai sipped his tea.
"HEY!"
Naruto saw the monk raise an eyebrow at him but continue to sip his tea.
"THAT'S IT!" Naruto lunged, only to find himself changing direction in mid air and Kwai just look at him with a raised eyebrow.
He grabs Naruto's wrist dodging the intended blow and without moving twists it so Naruto is on his knees facing away, his arm bent at an angle that indicates it can be broken easily. Master Kway sets his tea cup down and motions for Mica to move the set away.
He then turns his gaze upon Naruto.
"Do you think you could actually beat me?" the old man sounded amused.
"YES!" Naruto yelled trying to wrest his arm away, but Kwai shook his head and added more pressure.
"I could snap your arm like a twig and kill you where you are. Now, do you actually think you could beat me?"
"NO!" Naruto gritted thru the pain. What the hell is this old guy. Last night he was all smiles and looked like a breeze could blow him down…but this is insane. Naruto thought.
"You are aware I could kill you for attacking me?" Kwai asked.
"Yes." Naruto said thru the pain, his shoulder felt like it was on fire, and he couldn't move off his knees to relieve pressure.
"Is it your wish to die then?" Kwai asked stroking his beard, his eyes amused.
"NO!" Naruto shouted and tried to struggle, but Kwai added a bit more pressure stopping him from moving.
"Then you are simply stupid." Kwai said shaking his head.
"Rise stupid and look at me. I wish to peer into your eyes and see what I have to work with."
He released Naruto's arm and the blond took a moment before getting to his feet to shake his arm and rotate his shoulder making sure it wasn't damaged.
Naruto stood, his eyes down and Kwai laughed.
"You are weak. Out of shape. With one move you are breathing hard. If this is the caliber of ninja in the world today, then it is perhaps time for the way of the ninja to pass."
Naruto said nothing but he was seething inside.
"Is there anything you do well other than yell like a howler monkey?"
"I fight well…I know some kick ass moves…"
"Ah yes. Your doppelganger jutsu and the Rasengan." Kwai shook his head. "Far too dangerous in the hands of someone so stupid to attack without thinking."
Kwai stepped away from the tree.
"Well then stupid boy, show me your kick ass moves."
Naruto spun and putting his fingers in the cross position summoned up the chakra.
"SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" he roared and with a puff of smoke there were a hundred Naruto's in the temple courtyard.
Kwai stood there impassive with an eyebrow raised. He looked over at Mica. "You might want to fetch water, your friend is going to be unconscious in a moment and I would like some tea."
"OH, ITS ON NOW OLD MAN!" Naruto and his clones roared. Many of them started to form the Rasengan. Kwai looked bored at them and stroked his beard.
"YOUR GOING DOWN!" The real Naruto roared.
"RASENGAN!!!!"
A/N: Please Support Me On patreon.com/The_Alchemyst