Kapitel 45: Chapter 45: Hope
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
"Hmm…."- Bijuu, Black Zetsu
Chapter 45:
Hope
Naruto had his eyes closed as he felt the world around him in a calming manner. He was currently in his Sage mode as he sat on top of the very mountain of gigantic spikes where he had trained to master this power. He had come to pay the toads a visit today, skipping the academy for the day. He didn't really have a specific reason for not going. The blond just knew that he couldn't stand being in a classroom yet again, especially since it brought him a lot of memories that he'd rather not remember. He also knew that Kushina wasn't going to be too happy with him skipping. Naruto knew that he would have to do a lot of begging when he saw her tonight at the compound.
The blond opened his eyes when he felt a familiar chakra down below. Looking down, he saw that it was none other than Jiraiya who was waving at him.
Smiling, the blond jumped down from his position in a confident manner. He was still in Sage mode, so he knew that the impact wouldn't affect him.
Jiraiya whistled when the Uzumaki landed in front of him. He was already examining the boy's eyes with a look filled with pride. "I thought Pa had been joking when he told me about this. But it looks like you really did master senjutsu to a whole new level that I have not."
Naruto chuckled. "It wasn't that hard really. I guess you're just slow, Ero-sennin."
Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Mock all you want. But don't forget: you were once a puny brat under my wing! Even though I have no memory of it…."
It was Naruto's turn to roll his eyes. "Whatever you say. But what are you doing here? I thought that you would be getting the final preparations done with so that we can leave as soon me and Sasuke graduate?"
Jiraiya waved his hands in dismissal. "Don't worry about that. Everything will be ready by then. Especially since we have that cute servant of yours coming with us. Hehehe…."
Naruto sweatdropped. "You know she's not interested in you, right? And she's not my servant!"
Jiraiya patted the blond's head before retracting his hand as Naruto made to swat it away. "Don't be like that. Just because you have a hot woman willing to do anything for you doesn't mean that you should ruin the fun for the rest of us."
Before Naruto could deny that claim, Jiraiya leaned forward with a serious look that made the blond freeze. "…have you ever considered making her wear a maid uniform?"
Naruto growled as a blush appeared on his cheeks. "I had forgotten just how much of a perv you were, Ero-sennin."
Jiraiya laughed as he leaned back. "Hahaha says you! I can already tell that you're thinking about it!"
"No, I'm not!"
But Jiraiya ignored him as he shook his finger at the blond. "You're also forgetting something: I'm not a pervert. I'm a SUPER pervert!"
Naruto face palmed. "You seriously need to have someone check you over, Ero-sennin. You have a problem."
Jiraiya huffed. "And here I thought that you would have come to appreciate the wonders of the female flesh by now. I can't believe that my student is such a prude!"
Naruto waved his fist at the man. "It's called decency! You should get some! Then you might actually get some without having to pay for it!"
Jiraiya growled as he leaned down to look at his pupil in the eyes. "What did you say, you brat!?"
"You heard me, you old pervert! You can't get any!"
That was the sight that Fukasaku came to as he hopped in front of his two students: they were butting heads while arguing with one another back and forth.
"Now, now, Jiraiya-chan," he began, "Naruto-chan here has been quite popular with the girls. Why, he even brought one here for a date!"
Jiraiya paused at hearing this before a grin plastered itself on his face. "Is that so? I can't believe you were holding back on me, brat! So what did the two of you-"
The white haired man paused when he saw a look pure of sadness appear on Naruto's face. It seemed as if he had walked into forbidden territory here.
Also seeing the same thing, Fukasaku could only assume the worst: Aika had died in the attack on Uzu. Naruto hadn't told any of them about what had happened that night, though. But the old toad knew that the blond had his reasons for not sharing. It was a difficult topic to begin with. It definitely wasn't something that one would want to talk about, that was for sure.
"Naruto-chan, I didn't mean-"
"It's fine," Naruto quickly cut in, his grin back in place. "But don't worry about that, Ero-sennin. It's something of the past now."
Jiraiya merely nodded, knowing better than to stir up any bad memories. If the blond wanted to share, then he would listen. If not, then he would respect his pupil's privacy.
"Where were we again?"
Jiraiya sighed as he rubbed the back of his head. Motioning for the blond to follow him, Jiraiya began to make his way away from the training area and to the forest surrounding the home of the toads, Naruto following behind him as Fukasaku quickly hopped on the blond's shoulder.
"I was just curious on some things," Jiraiya began as master and pupil continued on their walk. "We haven't exactly had the time to sit down and have a conversation ourselves."
"Things have been hectic," Naruto agreed.
"This plan of yours," Jiraiya continued as he glanced at the whiskered jinchuriki, "do you really think that it'll work?"
Naruto frowned, not exactly sure how to respond to that. No, it wasn't that he didn't know how to respond. He just couldn't believe that it was Jiraiya who was asking him this.
Voicing his confusion, he said, "I thought achieving peace and understanding among the nations is what you've wanted."
Jiraiya chuckled. "Indeed it is. Other than studying the beauty of the female body, it's my dream. One that I'm sure will always be with me."
Ignoring the first part, Naruto asked, "Then what exactly is the problem?"
Jiraiya sighed again. "It's not really a problem. Just a concern. Having a dream is different from actually going out and trying to achieve that dream. As of right now, I myself have no way of knowing how I can achieve that dream of bringing understanding among shinobi. I'm guessing my indecisiveness continues even through your time."
Naruto merely nodded. Although the blond wouldn't actually call it indecisiveness. More like clueless. That probably wasn't any better, though.
Nevertheless, Jiraiya continued. "You yourself have a vision of coherent unit. The shinobi nations acting as one."
"But they will still keep their respective identity," Naruto added. "Konoha, Kumo, Iwa, Suna, Kiri. I don't want to eradicate them. But at the same time, I want them to start thinking about each other as allies and people that they should work with instead of fighting against. I'm sure that's what the Shodai had in mind when he created the ninja system. But instead, it got twisted into what it is today. Two major was have already happened. There is still suffering. Hatred is still pervasive. Shinobi identify themselves with the village and nation they serve under. It's not all that different from when the clans were fighting against one another."
Kurama h'mphed in his mind. "Good thing you actually read up on your history when you were still in the academy in Uzu. You needed it."
Naruto ignored the fox, already knowing that the bijuu was simply trying to push his buttons like usual.
"Yes, but that's not something that can be so easily achieved," Jiraiya replied with a shake of his head. "Every village has a grudge against one another. Like you said, two wars have already taken place. The villages hold each other in contempt. You also have to understand that all the villages, including Konoha, are still under the command of the feudal lords themselves. They're the ones that pay the villages their commissions each year that keeps us sustained. There's no telling what they will do if they catch whiff of the villages helping each other out. It would be cutting power away from them, after all. It's not something that they would take lightly."
"I already know what you mean," Naruto muttered, remembering his trip to the capital of the Land of Fire. He also remembered Ty's plight that day where she had been pushed to try and assassinate the feudal lord to alleviate her and her family's situation. Politics in that level were certainly corrupt.
"But that's not going to stop me," Naruto continued, shaking his head. "I've come too far for that. If the feudal lords try something, then I will deal with it when the time comes. For right now, my main concern is the villages themselves. Once we're all working together as one, it won't matter what the feudal lords try to do. We'll be self-sufficient by then with one another. It's a radical idea, I know. But all of this has been radical since day one. And you're the one that started it, Ero-sennin. It's because of you that I'm on this path now."
"No," Jiraiya said with a smile as the two came to a stop. Placing a hand on the blond's shoulder, he said, "All of this has been possible because of you. It's your character, boy. You started down this path because of your own choosing. And that includes inheriting my will. I'm eternally grateful for that."
Fukasaku chuckled at seeing all of this. "In all my years of living, I am glad that I have been able to live this long so that I can see this with my own eyes. You're going to become someone even more important for the shinobi world, Naruto-chan. Of that, I'm confident of."
Naruto smiled. "Thanks, Pa. For believing in me. You too, Ero-sennin."
Placing his arm around the blond's shoulders, Jiraiya grinned. "Well, now that that's over, how about joining me in a research trip, brat? Since you skipped the academy for the day, you might as well make it memorable. Aye?"
Naruto sighed. "The moment…it's gone, isn't it?"
Fukasaku chuckled. "I'm afraid so, Naruto-chan."
Sighing again, Naruto shook his head. "Anyway, I'm going to have to decline, Ero-sennin. There's something that I have to do."
Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. "And what might that be?"
Naruto grinned. "I have to pay a certain someone a visit."
Sasuke suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. 'Huh. That's weird.' It was certainly windy up here in the rooftop of the Hokage tower. But still. Not enough to actually make him shiver.
'I must be over thinking things,' he thought to himself. But over thinking what, he didn't know.
Sarutobi shook his head as he stared at the village, his infamous pipe in hand. "You and Naruto are too reckless. Honestly. Skipping class now? That's not exactly something that you want to have in your records."
Sasuke shrugged. "It doesn't matter. The exam is in a week. After that, we will have more important things to worry about. Hell, we already do."
Sarutobi chuckled. "That is certainly true, my boy. But what can I do for you today? It's not like you to come pay me a visit like this."
Sasuke sighed as he closed his eyes, his hands in his pockets. "You already know that we'll be leaving for Ame as soon as we graduate."
Sarutobi simply nodded at that, already having been told by Jiraiya about this.
Opening his eyes again, Sasuke looked at the Hokage. "With my grandfather gone, I can't exactly trust the council in the Uchiha to not try anything while I'm out of the village. At this point of time, things are delicate. No one is thinking about trying to rebel. But it won't stay that way forever. One mistake and we will have an attempt at a civil war just like in my original time."
Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. "Then what exactly are you proposing that we do? Naruto has no say in your clan. Given the boy's charisma, I'm sure that he would have even won those old coots over. But….."
Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to depend on Naruto for this. This is an issue with my family. I will take care of this in my own way."
Sarutobi frowned. "That's not a healthy mentality to have, Sasuke. After all, you and Naruto are working together now."
Sasuke sighed. "It's not as cut and dry like that. This whole time, it's been him helping me. As much as I hate to admit it, I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for him. I don't want to cause anymore burdens. I will handily my problems through my own methods."
"Friends are there for you to lean on in such situations," Sarutobi replied.
"I know," Sasuke said with another sigh. "Both my brother and Naruto have made that perfectly clear to me. That's why I'm here in front of you right now. Like I said, I will handle things my own way. But that doesn't mean I won't ask those I can trust for some help."
Now, Sarutobi looked curious. And impressed. "So then, what do you have in mind, my boy?"
Looking up at the sky, Sasuke was silent for a few moments before he answered. "The first thing that needs to disappear is the isolation of the Uchiha clan from the rest of the village. That is why I'm planning on doing away with the wall that is built around the compound. This will be the first sign to the rest of the village that times are changing. Next, I want to institute my new policy: the clan is free to settle in the rest of the village as they see fit and not be confined in the compound. They can also seek out relationships with those that aren't Uchiha if they would like. Similarly, other people from the rest of the village can settle inside the compound. They will give a more friendly atmosphere to the compound. It will also show the rest of the village that we are no longer isolated." Looking back at Sarutobi, the Uchiha stated, "We the Uchiha are here to stay as a part of Konoha."
Sarutobi was silent as he heard all of this. He had been expecting something along these lines. But to think that Sasuke actually wanted to go through with this…..
"These are radical moves, Sasuke," Sarutobi said after a moment's silence. "I doubt that this will go well with the conservative portion of your clan."
Sasuke shrugged. "It's why I'm not going to force anyone to go through with this. Those that want to live in other sections of the village will do so of their own free will. Same for those that will move into the compound. The only part I'm mandating is the taking down of the walls. But it's a necessary part. I won't budge on it."
Sarutobi chuckled. "I see. It looks like some of Naruto's stubbornness has started to rub off on you."
Sasuke h'mphed. "Whatever. But you already know why I'm telling you this, Sarutobi."
Sarutobi nodded. "Indeed. You want me to carry these out in your place."
"In a sense," Sasuke said in return. "These are still my decisions. I will let my clan know of that. But with your backing, it will be a bit more legitimate. Especially since the council will no doubt try to block this."
"You are technically too young to take the mantle as clan head," Sarutobi pointed out.
Sasuke smirked. "You don't have to remind me. But I already have a way around that. In the end, the council will have to bow down to my decisions. If not, they will lose standing within the clan."
"You are rather vicious when you want to be, aren't you?" Sarutobi said with a small sweatdrop.
Sasuke simply shrugged. "But with this, the Uchiha clan will start regaining some of its former glory. I want to make my clan the best in the village. That's my personal goal right now."
Sarutobi smirked. "Is that so? Even better than the Uzumakis?"
Sasuke smirked in return. "Especially better than the Uzumakis. We Uchiha still have our pride, after all. We are not about to let anyone take our spot on the top."
Sarutobi couldn't help but shake his head in amusement. It seemed as if Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry was going to be taken to the next level. Even so, the Sandaime knew that this would work for the best interest of each clan as well as for the village as a whole.
'An entire new era is about to commence. I can just feel it.'
Naruto wasn't exactly known to be a great planner by any means. It just wasn't his style. He'd rather leave that sort of thinking for Shikamaru. But when it came to pranks, he was an unstoppable thinking machine. Except that some might not consider this to be a prank. In many ways, Naruto himself didn't think of it as a prank. He just knew that it might irritate Sasuke, so why not do it?
But what was he talking about exactly? Well, the answer was simple: Mikoto. For reasons Naruto couldn't fathom, Sasuke didn't have the guts to actually get closer to his own mother. It seriously made no sense to the blond. It was what Sasuke had wanted all this time. To have his family back. But after having been on his own for so long, Sasuke no longer knew how to exactly act around his parents. Fugaku was easy. That guy had a serious stick up his ass that it wasn't hard to actually be around him. The guy just didn't care.
Mikoto was a different story, however.
Another interesting fact was that most of the guys in their class, hell the entire academy, held Mikoto as some sort of goddess. Naruto could see it. She was obviously beautiful and very powerful for her age. The only ones who stood above her were Minato and perhaps Hiashi. Naruto didn't count himself or Sasuke since it wasn't exactly fair to the rest of the class if he did.
At any rate, Naruto had found a quiet spot in the training areas in order to practice his non-lethal techniques in peace. It was during one of these times where he had seen Mikoto head into another training ground where she had practiced on her own all afternoon. It certainly made the blond a bit curious. He already knew that the Uchihas had their own training grounds within their compound. It only made sense for her to train there and not here. But she wasn't. And the blond wanted to know why. The fact that he would also be messing with Sasuke was also a plus.
"You can be so childish at times, I swear," Matatabi said with a sigh.
'It's called living life!'
"It's called getting your ass whooped," Son Goku retorted. "Seriously. Don't come running to us when she finds out that you're tailing her."
'Yeah…..well…..I don't know!'
Kurama sighed. "I really don't even understand why you're doing this, brat. It's pointless."
'Call it harmless curiosity. That's all.'
Before any of the bijuu could reply, Naruto's attention focused back on the real world when he found a boy his age training instead of Mikoto.
'That's weird. I was sure that this was her training ground,' the blond thought before shrugging as he turned around. 'I might have to actually use Sage mode here…..'
The bijuu were too shocked to tell him that that was overkill. It was shocking to them because the blond couldn't realize that.
"Hey, you. What are you doing here?"
Naruto paused when he heard the soft voice behind him. Turning around, the blond squeaked in surprise when he saw the boy standing right in front of him.
"W-when did you get here so quick!?"
The boy, who was wearing a white and gray-ish oversized jacket with a high, upturned collar that covered the bottom side of his face, dark brown pants, black shinobi sandals, and dark shades that covered his eyes from view, was silent for a few moments. He also had dark brown hair.
"I've been here since the academy ended for the day, Naruto-san."
Naruto raised an eyebrow as he calmed down. "How do you know my name?"
The boy titled his head to the side ever so slightly. "Hmm. I'm in your class."
The simply answer only made Naruto wonder just why he hadn't noticed him before. Not only that, but this guy was seriously starting to remind him of someone else that he knew.
"Is that so…what's your name then?"
"Aburame Shibi."
Naruto's face became blank. 'Aburame…Aburame…Aburame…..'
It all made sense now. He didn't know how or why. But right then, Naruto knew he was talking to Shino's future dad. The feeling was too similar to that of his future stoic friend.
"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Shibi," Naruto said as he extended his hand towards the boy, coming out of his shock as quickly as he could.
Shibi for his part stared at the hand for a few seconds, almost as if contemplating what he should do next. But before Naruto could comment on this, he grasped it with his own.
"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well."
Naruto grinned as the two shook hands. He had made another friend. And while it wasn't as entertaining as messing with Sasuke, it was-
"What are you two doing here?"
Naruto paused when he heard the feminine and irritated voice. It couldn't be…..
Shibi looked over Naruto to see that it was none other than Mikoto standing there with a hand on her hips.
"Ah, Mikoto-san. It's a surprise to see you here."
Mikoto rolled her eyes. "This is my training ground. What exactly are the two of you doing here?"
"I stumbled upon this place today myself," Shibi admitted as he looked around. "It is a nice and quiet place. I can see why you chose it."
Nodding, Mikoto then focused her attention on Naruto was now sweating bullets. Crap, what was he supposed to say now? That he had accidentally stumbled around here? It had worked for Shibi. It should work for him too…..hopefully.
'No, wait! I have a better idea!' the blond screamed inside his head, making many of the bijuu groan. This couldn't end well alright.
"Uchiha Mikoto!" Naruto announced dramatically as he pointed at the girl in a similar dramatic fashion. "I am here to challenge you to a fight!"
The training ground became quiet after the proclamation; Shibi was merely watching the proceedings in interest while Mikoto was staring at Naruto like he was an idiot.
"How exactly is it that you knew I would be here?"
Naruto began to sweat again as he looked around for anything to give him an idea. But nothing came to mind.
"That doesn't matter!" the blond said at last. "Just know that I am here to fight you!"
Mikoto sighed. "And why, pray tell, do you want to do that?"
Naruto shrugged. "Why not? You're apparently strong. I want to see how I measure myself against you."
'I've certainly heard that before,' Mikoto thought, thinking about a certain Inuzuka. But she shook her head. "I'm not interested. So ask someone else to be your sparring partner."
'So, she's going to play like that, huh,' Naruto said to himself as he got into a defensive stance. "Sorry, Miko-chan, but I'm not taking no for an answer!"
Mikoto's eyebrow twitched. "What did you just call me?"
Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Miko-chan. What else?"
Mikoto felt her cheeks reddened as she screamed out, "Don't call me that!"
Naruto grinned. "Fine, I won't. If you can beat me that is."
Next to him, Shibi sighed, already knowing what his classmate was trying to do. And it looked to be working too.
Mikoto t'ched, her cheeks still read. "Fine! If that's how you want it. But you're never to call me that again once I win."
Naruto chuckled. "You say that as if you've already won."
"Oi, are you really going to beat her?" Kurama asked, actually curious to know what his partner's end game was.
'Possibly,' Naruto replied. 'I'm not sure yet. I'll wing it as I go.'
Shibi took a few step backs in order to make some distance between himself and the spar that was about to happen. He wanted to watch it, not get caught in the crossfire.
Mikoto took a small breath in, knowing that it wouldn't do her any good to get riled up in a fight even if it was just a spar. But she had already riled herself into going through with it to begin with. She knew that she couldn't have the blond going around calling her that, though. It was too embarrassing. No one other than Obito had ever given her a nickname.
Naruto didn't move as he waited for the girl to make the first move. The blond also wanted to know if she already had her sharingan or not. So far, he had never seen her use it in the academy. He was certain he could push her to use it if she did have it, though.
The whiskered blond didn't have to wait long as the girl rushed at him. He had to internally whistle at the speed she displayed. It was certainly faster than most of their classmates at the academy. Naruto knew that she was definitely faster than Kushina.
Even so, the blond ducked to the side as a punch came flying by him. He quickly grabbed her stretched arm as he twisted her around in the air in an instant.
Mikoto didn't know what had just happened as she stared at the blue sky above her. It wasn't long before Naruto's grinning face came into her line of sight, however.
"Is that all you got, Miko-chan? Hopefully not. Otherwise, you might as well forfeit now."
She really wanted to punch him right now.
Off to the side, Shibi was watching this with great interest, not quite believing that Naruto had actually bested Mikoto so easily. No one would ever believe without first seeing it, that was for sure.
Mikoto growled as she stood back up. Naruto took a few steps back as he observed the Uchiha girl before him, wondering for a moment if she was going to try anything else.
And she did.
Naruto grinned as he began to duck and evade all the kicks and punches she threw at him with relative ease.
Mikoto couldn't believe what was happening as she continued to try and land a punch on the blond but to no avail. The boy was simply too fast for her.
In the midst of her frustrations, she gave herself quite a few openings, one of which Naruto used as he grabbed her wrist with a strong grip and halted any further attacks.
"At this rate, you're not going to win," Naruto said in a teasing tone. He was really pushing her to reveal her sharingan. If she had it. Hopefully she did. Otherwise, this would all be for nothing. Except for the teasing he would get out of this.
Mikoto growled for a third time. She didn't like any of this teasing. No one teased her, lest of all some boy she had never talked to before today. She wasn't his friend. They were simply classmates. And she wanted to beat that cockiness out of him so badly.
Losing herself to her frustration, Mikoto finally activated her sharingan, forgetting the fact that she had wanted to keep it a secret until after graduation.
Naruto raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw that she had two tomoes on both of her sharingans. If he remembered correctly, that was what Sasuke had had after their mission to Wave.
Naruto jumped back as Mikoto tried to knee him in the gut. But seeing the fight through her sharingan now, the Uchiha girl was soon on top of him again, this time her combos being even more precised than before.
'I guess the sharingan really does bring out the best of the Uchiha,' Naruto thought to himself as he continued to dodge Mikoto's attacks.
This only infuriated the girl even further as she jumped back to put some distance between herself and the blond. She was already panting too. She had been putting a lot of effort into trying to land a hit on the blond.
"You…..how strong are you!?" she exclaimed with a scowl, not exactly believing that she was being bested here.
Naruto hummed, actually contemplating the question before he shrugged. "I have no clue. I'm just me."
Both Mikoto and Shibi looked at Naruto with blank faces. What kind of answer was that?
Naruto then titled his head. "But I guess I'll be calling you Miko-chan from now on, Miko-chan."
Mikoto t'ched as she brought her hands together. "Then why don't we step up our game!"
Naruto grinned at seeing this.
"Katon: Gokakyu no jutsu!"
'That jutsu really is an Uchiha favorite,' Naruto thought to himself as he crouched. He didn't posses the water nature on his own. And he didn't want to reveal any of his stronger wind style jutsu. He would save those for actual opponents. So that only left him with one option.
Thank to his shades, Shibi remained stoic at seeing the flames of the great fireball jutsu, even when the jutsu clashed with Naruto. At least, that was what his eyes told him.
Mikoto panted as she noticed this as well. Had she gone overboard with this?
"My, my, Miko-chan. I didn't think that you would actually want to burn me like that. I'm hurt."
Mikoto's eyes widened when she heard the blond's voice behind her. Shibi also raised an eyebrow in both surprise and respect at the blond's skills. He had not been able to seen how the boy had dodged the jutsu.
To Naruto, it had been simple. He had simply substituted himself with a shadow clone before either Mikoto or Shibi could take notice. Mikoto still wasn't efficient enough with her sharingan to have noticed what he had done.
Mikoto sighed as she deactivated her sharingan. She could almost sense Naruto's grin from behind her. "Fine…..it's my lost."
If this had been a real battle, Mikoto knew that she would be dead already. There was no point in going forward with this. As much as she hated to admit it, the blond was stronger than her. She couldn't get around this fact.
Naruto smiled as the girl turned around to face him. "It was a nice spar, Miko-chan!"
Mikoto t'ched as she looked down. "You're really going to call me that from now on, aren't you?"
Naruto chuckled as he scratched the back of his head. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?"
Mikoto sighed. "Whatever. I lost. Do as you want."
Naruto hummed. "Don't be like that. You really should brighten up. You'll be cuter that way."
If anything, Mikoto's blush returned full force. "W-what?"
Humming again, Naruto nodded to himself. "That's right. Smile. Laugh. I'm sure that you will be ten times cuter than before."
Mikoto didn't know how to respond to that. She could only stare at the blond with wide eyes, her blush still going strong. This was the first time anyone had ever told her something like this to her face. She didn't know how to take it.
"Anyway," the jinchuriki continued as he brought his hands behind his head, not really knowing in what state of mind Mikoto was in right now, "I'll see you around the academy. And if you want to spar again, just tell me. You too, Shibi. I would gladly be your sparring partner as well."
Shibi nodded as he adjusted his shades. "I'll keep that in mind, Naruto-san."
Naruto merely threw a wave behind him as he made his way out of the training field and back to the Uzumaki compound. He was hungry. He really needed to check out Ichiraku Ramen before he left to Ame too. He had been so preoccupied with other things that he had completely forgotten about his favorite ramen stand. It was a crime! He would soon rectify that, though.
Mikoto on the other hand couldn't help but stare at the retreating blond.
'Uzumaki Naruto…..'
Kushina had no idea how she had ended up in this situation.
Things at the academy today had been pleasant like usual. Thanks to Emi and Tsume, she now had her own group of friends to hang out with. So that was definitely a plus. The only part that had irritated her was the fact that Naruto had decided to skip class out of nowhere today. The blond really needed to be more disciplined. She would scold him as soon as she returned to the compound. After the academy had ended, she had been invited by Emi to hang out with them for the afternoon. The redhead had agreed wholeheartedly. They had gone into a ramen shop as per her request. After she had caught one whiff of the ramen, she hadn't been able to help herself. It was apparently called Ichiraku Ramen. And the ramen was definitely delicious as far as she was concerned. The others didn't seem to mind either. But it was then that things had gone downhill.
"C'mon, Kushina," Emi said with a grin. "It's not a hard question."
Kushina blushed as she looked down at her hands. "It kind of is…"
Tsume sighed as she shook her head. "See, it's that kind of answer that won't make her shut up."
"Because it means that she already has a crush on someone!" Emi defended herself with a huff. "Besides, I kind of want to know whether she likes Sasuke-kun or Minato-kun."
The girl next to her scowled. "I still can't believe you actually like them."
"They're gorgeous, okay!" Emi had to defend herself yet again. "You can't deny that, Yoshino."
Nara Yoshino shook her head. "You actually have to get to know someone before you can claim that you have actual feelings for them. Otherwise, you're just shallow. And I know nothing about them. So count me out."
"Hikari-chan! Help me!" Emi exclaimed with fake tears.
Hyuuga Hikari chuckled uneasily. She was sitting on the other side of Yoshino. She was wearing a snow white battle kimono with blue shinobi sandals. Around the bottom edges of the kimono were black stripes. Along with Kushina's, her dark hair was the longest out of the group.
"They do have a point, Emi," Hikari said in a careful tone. "You just can't fall for someone on looks alone."
"I'm all alone!" Emi exclaimed in despair.
Tsume rolled her eyes. "Calm yourself already. But Emi does have a point, Kushina. Are you interested in someone already?"
Kushina squeaked when the attention was focused back on her. "W-what difference does it make if I do!?"
Emi sprung right back up, her eyes sparkling. "So she does! I knew it!"
Yoshino looked over at Kushina with a raised eyebrow. "So you do, huh? Who is it?"
Kushina looked away. "It doesn't matter, okay! It's just a crush. That's all."
Tsume hummed as she glanced at the redhead. "It sure doesn't sound like 'just a crush.'" And that was saying something considering that romance didn't interest her in the slightest.
"Can't we just drop this already?" Kushina said in a begging tone.
"But we can't!" Emi exclaimed. "We have to make sure that your romance comes into fruition! That's what it means for us to be your friends!"
Yoshino sighed as she pointed at the Yamanaka. "When you're friends with her, this is what you get. You might as well get used to it."
Hikari smiled. "But that's what makes her Emi."
Emi waved her hands. "Yes, yes. I'm awesome. But enough about me. This is about Kushina now. So! Tell us. Who is it!?"
Kushina didn't know what to say as four different pair of eyes zoned in on her.
'How could this happen to me!' Kushina exclaimed in her mind with animated tears pouring down her face.
On the other side of the counter, Teuchi only shook his head as he heard the conversation. Girls these days. If he ever had a daughter, he could only pray that she turned out to be a bit more modest.
"Hidan. Kakuzu. From now on, you two will be partners."
Kakuzu grunted in slight annoyance at hearing this while Hidan merely shrugged. He didn't particularly care at any rate. The Jashin worshiper was now dressed in the same Akatsuki uniform as the rest, robes and all.
The seven present Akatsuki members were gathered in the same shrine that Hidan had arrived to a few days ago. They were deciding on their first course of action after the sealing of the Yonbi had been completed.
Tobi looked at Kakuzu. "From now on, I want you to handle our finances. Right now, Akatsuki needs money in order to expand our operations and place ourselves in the underground market."
Kakuzu nodded while Hidan t'ched. "Oi, oi, oi. I don't kill people for money. That's not my thing. Nor am I hoping to be a part of a get-rich-quick scheme. I hate people who kill for money the most."
'I'm really going to hate him,' Kakuzu thought to himself while Fuka smirked. This was going to be interesting.
Tobi turned his attention to Hidan. "Working with us means working for us. But don't worry. Our true intentions lie way beyond money. In order to sustain ourselves, however, we need money. And lots of it."
Hidan h'mphed. "Whatever." It was obvious that he still wasn't pleased.
Putting that aside, Tobi turned to look at Zetsu. "Head to Ame. Locate Nagato as quickly as you can."
Off to the side, Kazuki raised an eyebrow at this. 'So he's going after the Rinnegan wielder already.' This was news to him.
Zetsu didn't respond as they sunk into the ground. They had a clear objective already. They wouldn't fail.
Tobi then turned to look at Fuka and Sasori. "You two will be coming with me to Ame."
"Why are we going there?" Fuka asked.
"You'll know soon enough," was Tobi's answer before he looked at Kazuki. "You are to return to our hideout. Understand?"
Kazuki frowned but nodded. He already knew that Tobi wanted him to work on his Mangekyo powers. All of them. From what Tobi had told him, he had yet to master the most powerful jutsu of them all. Only then would he actually have a chance against Sasuke and to achieve the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Besides, this was simply a retrieval mission. It had nothing to do with the bijuu. So he could sit this one out.
"I guess we're partners now then," Fuka said cheerfully. Sasori merely glanced at her before closing his eyes. This only caused the woman's eyebrow to twitch.
'They have to be gay or something,' she thought to herself with a huff. She was hot. And they weren't attracted to her at all. It was the only solution she could come up with.
"You all know what to do for now," Tobi continued. "If anything else comes up, I will contact you."
With that, he and Kazuki disappeared into a vortex.
"Let's go," Kakuzu said as he turned to exit the temple. "We have a lot of money to collect."
Hidan growled as he followed behind. "Like I said, I ain't killing for money! And neither should you, Kakuzu. You need to follow the commandments of the great Jashin-sama!"
Fuka chuckled as she watched them go. She knew that it would only be matter of time before Kakuzu tried to kill Hidan. And with the way Hidan kept going on about his great god, it wouldn't take long. Kakuzu wasn't interested in such ideals, after all. To him, the only truth was money. It wasn't a sentiment that she particularly agreed with, but Fuka knew that money was more tangible than the religion Hidan stood for.
"We should get moving as well," Sasori said, speaking up. "We need to be in Ame as soon as possible. I don't like to keep people waiting."
"Yeah, yeah," Fuka said in return as she followed behind her fellow redhead. "No need to be so uptight about it."
Sasori didn't reply, which only ticked Fuka off even more. Her new partner was a second Kakuzu all right.
Nori chuckled to himself from on top of his throne in his castle. Everything was proceeding wonderfully all right. Soon, he would make his next move.
"You're in a surprisingly good mood considering that you were just rejected."
Nori smiled as he heard the feminine voice next to where he was seated. He already knew who it was. But it wasn't like she was going to show him her true form. She was fickle like that.
"That was only a small setback. In the end, I will be the one to come on top. Although I didn't expect for you to come see me so suddenly. Is there something troubling you?"
The shadow scoffed. "No, that's not possible for me. Especially since I have nothing to lose or gain from this game of yours."
Nori chuckled in amusement. "Is that so? Then why did you even bother to accept Hagoromo's offer to begin with?"
"I simply want to see where this ends. I don't care if you win. It's never been my priority."
"So, you really have no favorites then," Nori said with a wistful sigh. "And here I thought that you and I were going to get along just fine."
There was a pause. "No. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I have no favorites. But it certainly isn't you."
Nori raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Then who?"
"Naruto."
If anything, Nori became even more amused. "Really now? A being such as yourself is invested in such a lowly person?"
"It's because of that same lowly person that the world is on the verge of changing yet again. A new revolution. It's far different from your pessimistic views."
"My pessimistic views are based on reality," Nori stated with a small frown. "I may not be as old as you, but I have seen many things. Humans don't change. It's simply conflict after conflict. The reason doesn't even matter. Ideals. Resources. Revenge. Love. Or just because. It's all meaningless in the end. The ending is always the same. In order to achieve what they desire, humans will take everything from others." Nori's hands clenched into fists. "They don't care how much it may hurt the other person. In the face of their greed, morals are abandoned. In order to survive, they will do anything. That is what is known as reality. Asura-kun doesn't want to acknowledge this. He believes in his own dreams despite the fact that there is a long list of humans who would shatter that dream without a second thought."
"What is reality then?"
"What?"
"You're claiming this from your perspective. What you perceive reality to be as. Naruto doesn't share that perspective. His definition is the opposite of yours. He believes that anyone can be redeemed. I'm sure that he would even forgive you if you really meant it. In the face of such different ideals, one can't help but wonder which is true and which is false. Or maybe there isn't even an answer. In which case, all of this is pointless."
Nori stood up from his throne. "Do not worry. I will soon show you that the value of my ideals is the truth of this world. Asura-kun's entire excuse is hope. He clings to such a vague concept like no other. But in the face of despair, hope will disappear. I will simply add to that despair. And I will show you just how right I am."
The shadow didn't respond to that, already knowing that Nori was too set into his ideals. But it didn't concern her anyhow. She was only a spectator.
"Although if it weren't for you, this next event wouldn't be possible," Nori added with another chuckle.
"It was on a whim."
But Nori wasn't buying her excuse. He wasn't going to call her out on it, though.
"The pieces are all in place!" he exclaimed. "The stage has been decided! Now, let's see who wins this next round, Asura-kun."
'No matter in what shape or form, all humans carry hope inside them,' the shadow thought to herself. 'Even though you might think yourself better from the rest of your race, Nori, you are no exception to this. Then again, I guess I have been infested by that too,' she finished with a chuckle.
'Let's see how you overcome this next, Naruto.'
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein