Bab 14: Chapter 14: Persona Part I
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
"Hmm...."- Bijuu
"Hmm...."- Flashback
AN: For reasons that will be explained throughout the course of this chapter, said chapter is composed of fifty percent of flashbacks or something like that. Also, each flashback is in order in which they happened. At any rate, enjoy!
Chapter 14:
Persona Part I
A hooded figure walked calmly with the crowd composed mostly of merchants as they made their way to Kumo. Said hooded figure was the only one wearing a cloak, which made him stand out from the rest of the group that he was with. He was also the shortest one there. Most of the other merchants had not bothered to ask the person who he exactly was or why he was trying to hide his face from them. In turn, the person didn't interact with them. What the other merchants would be more surprised to learn of was the fact that the cloaked person was even more nervous to approach them than they were of doing the same to him. And the reason for this was simple: the cloaked person was none other than Naruto who was trying to remind himself of what his plan was.
On hindsight, however, the blond did realize that his furry partner had warned him of this. Mainly about rushing out of Uzu without much thought. But in his defense, getting the Hiraishin from his father had made him too excited. There was just no way he would be able to contain that excitement, not that he saw any reason to do so in the first place. His first task had been to master it of course. But then he realized another issue: he only had that one kunai. If he was going to use it in combat any time soon, after he mastered it of course, then he would have to have many more of them. In order to accomplish that, Naruto had done something that he had never done before: he researched. As a side note, books DID have a lot of useful information in them. At any rate, the blond had soon found out that the only possible location that his father could have made his Hiraishin kunais from was none other than Kumo. Only that village possessed the mines with the metal required. Naruto had wondered how his father had been able to acquire the metal given the fact that Konoha and Kumo didn't have the best of relationships during this era.
"How the hell would I know such a thing?" Kurama had said after Naruto had gone to the fox for some answers. "I was never sealed inside the Yondaime. And before you ask what I already know you're going to, even after I was sealed in your mother, I didn't know of anything of the real world. I only caught glimpses of it during your mother's stressful moments. And even then, it was barely. That damnable Mito wasn't an expert of fuinjutsu for nothing."
So with Kurama out of the question, Naruto had instead decided to deduce it on his own. And his theory was that more than likely his father had been able to purchase the metal during the period of time where Konoha and Kumo weren't at war between the Second and the Third one. Of course, since he still couldn't remember when the Second Shinobi War ended, he just couldn't wait around. He needed the technique in his arsenal. And that was why Naruto was glad that shadow clones were there to help him. It really was the best true technique that he could have learned first. With the clones, he had taken to doing all the research that he needed for his little operation. It was also through the clones that Naruto had been practicing with the Hiraishin for the past three days. It was a slow process of course since there was only one kunai. But the blond wasn't deterred in the least.
"Just don't over do it," Kurama had recommend after he had seen what his host was doing. "The overloads of information could cause you to pass out afterwards from all the stress placed on your brain. Undo the clones after you know you're at a safe place."
And Naruto had taken the advice gratefully. After all, he really couldn't afford any screw ups. It was do or die on this one. Everyone else was the enemy, and he was alone. Okay, so scratch that. He wasn't alone. He still had Kurama, and it went without saying that the furball was indispensable. The fox was really helpful with all the advice he had to give and all the knowledge he contained. Not only that, but Naruto found the bijuu's presence relaxing. So far, the fox had been the one true friend that Naruto had been able to turn to. After all, no one else knew of who he really was nor of what he had been through so far.
But thanks to his recent run in with that mysterious female puppeteer, Naruto had been able to gain eight other companions who knew exactly who and what he was.
Flashback: Start
Naruto scratched the back of his head as he stood in the inner workings of his mind, even deeper than the sewer based one that his seal had created. The situation he was currently in required a setting more uplifting than a dirty sewer. Kurama would have been offended that the blond referred to his home as "dirty," but given the fact that it was Naruto's mind, the fox still would have agreed to it.
As to the special occasion, it was none other than the sudden appearance of the other eight bijuu in his mind. Okay, so it wasn't exactly sudden since he had absorbed all their chakra when that woman pulled them out of her Obito-like vortex. Needless to say, the whiskered blond was still trying to wrap his head around all that since he still had too many unanswered questions. But focusing on the now, the blond Uzumaki didn't know what to say as he stood in the middle of the circle formed by all of the bijuu.
"So? What exactly is going on here, Kyuubi?" Matatabi, the two tailed flamed cat, asked in a curious tone. "I thought we were still trapped inside that statue."
It was a sentiment that rang true for the rest of the bijuu.
Kurama t'ched as he said, "I go by Kurama now, Matatabi. Remember that."
The rest of the bijuu, including Shukaku, were taken back in surprise by that. It seemed as if the nine tailed fox's change really was going to be permanent. Then again, as they all glanced at the still confused looking blond, they realized that they should have expected that. Not that they were going to complain about it. It was a good thing to not have their brother cursing them the minute that he saw them.
"As for your question," Kurama continued, "I don't know what happened honestly. We weren't even expecting any of you to show up just like that either. We have a lot of questions about it too."
"Hold up," Naruto spoke up, bringing the attention of all the bijuu to him, "weren't you the one that said that there were others inside of me as well?" he asked while pointing up at Kurama who stood directly behind him.
"That was different," Kurama said. "Remember when they gave you some chakra after you freed them from their former hosts?" At Naruto's nod, Kurama continued. "Well, that's what I was talking about. After our hasty arrival to this time period, though, their chakra was in disarray. So they needed time in order to return to normal. That's what that puppeteer sensed. But since the originals are now here, they simply reabsorbed all of the chakra back into themselves. They now know of everything we've done up to this point. Well, except for Shukaku and Gyuki."
"That doesn't really tell us much then," Gyuki, the eight tailed ox, commented. He and Shukaku had already been told of everything that they knew of by the others. "I mean, just how did we get freed from the Gedo Mazo?"
"Another question is how was that woman able to collect us too," Chomei, the seven tailed beetle, added.
"That can be explained through her powers," Son Goku, the four tailed monkey said. "Given what we saw her use, her powers are similar to that Uchiha who bound us. If that's the case, then it's more than likely she had us locked up in some sort of dimension."
"That still doesn't explain how we escaped the Gedo Mazo," Kokuo, the five tailed horse, said with a shake of his head. "I'm certain that we weren't the ones responsible for that. Maybe she did it herself too?"
Naruto looked around as all the bijuu, excluding Kurama, had troubled looks on their faces. Which was confusing to the blond. Why would they be troubled? Voicing his concerns, he said, "What's with the gloomy looks?"
Isobu, the three tailed turtle, looked at him in slight confusion. "Because we don't know how we got here?" It seemed even he wasn't certain.
Naruto shook his head at the response. "You guys shouldn't be worried about this. I mean, I'm curious as to how all of this happened too, but still. You're now freed from Obito's control. You all should be happy!"
Shukaku scoffed at that. "Free? Yeah, right! The only thing that changed is that we now have a different jailor! Well, guess what!? I'm not about to be controlled by some brat like you!"
"Naruto was trying to save us!" Saiken, the six tailed slug, spoke up in Naruto's defense.
"He's right," Gyuki said as well. "We told you this, remember?" The bijuu still remembered how Naruto had freed the others from their former jinchuriki hosts in hopes of freeing them from Obito's control. He also remembered how the blond treated bijuu in general. And it wasn't anything like Shukaku what hinting at. If anything, he treated them like they were normal people and friends.
"I can vouch for the idiotic looking blond," Son Goku said with conviction. The idiotic part did cause Naruto to pout slightly and for Kurama to smirk. "He hasn't even once tried to use any of us as weapons. Not only that, but even Kurama has acknowledged him. And everyone here knows how stubborn the fox is. So that fact rings a high tune."
That caused Naruto to smirk and Kurama to t'ch at his fellow bijuu. "I'm not that stubborn dammit."
"But you admit that you're stubborn then," Matatabi said in a playful tone.
Realizing his mistake, Kurama did the only thing he could think of.
"...Hmph."
It had the immediate effect of causing the other bijuu to chuckle at the fox's expense. Watching all of this, Naruto smiled. It was nice to see that the bijuu still had a strong bond after all this time. This was something that didn't go unnoticed by the bijuu, including Shukaku who frowned.
"What the hell are you smiling at?"
Despite sensing hostility from the one tailed bijuu, Naruto answered honestly, "I'm just happy to see that you are all getting along. I mean, you're all basically brothers. It wouldn't be right for you to fight among each other. And I'm always for seeing Kurama happy, which he is now that you all are here and safe despite what he might say."
Behind him, Kurama simply looked down at the blond who stood with his back to him. It was at times like these that Kurama could really see the Old man in Naruto. And it just wasn't the natural charisma that the blond had. Kurama really didn't know how to describe it. But then he realized that he didn't have to. He should simply go with the flow and enjoy it. It was a sentiment that was shared by the other bijuu, including Shukaku who was already starting to see the same thing as the others.
"So?" Matatabi asked, breaking the silence after a few moments. "Since we really have no choice but to put how we got here in the back of our minds for now, what exactly are you two planning on doing for the moment?"
Naruto scratched one of his cheeks at hearing the question. "In the position I'm currently in, there's not much I can do unless I figure out a way that I can leave Uzu without anyone else noticing. Cause that would be bad since it would raise the suspicions that Kurama and I have been able to suppress for now."
"But it seems like you two have a goal in mind right now," Kokuo said, picking up on that little detail.
Naruto nodded. "Yes. But it's kinda of a personal thing for me than anything else. Not that it won't be beneficial later on since getting stronger is never a bad thing. Saying that, I have to ask what the rest of you plan on doing from now on. I don't plan on forcing any of you to join us in what we're trying to do. That wouldn't be fair for any of you."
"Are you saying you would free us if we ask you to?" Isobu asked incredulously.
Naruto nodded without hesitation. "Of course. I mean, apparently the Sennin told Kurama about us being in a different plane or something like that so that he wouldn't disappear even if there are two of them in this time. And since that's the same way for the rest of you and none of you have disappeared and the universe hasn't exploded or anything, then I guess it's the same way with you as us. That means that none of you would have any troubles living out your lives the way you see fit."
Behind him, Kurama smirked at everything that Naruto just said. It seemed as if the idiot just loved to remind him that there was no way that he had a mistake in picking him as his first true partner.
As for the rest of the bijuu, they looked among one another in complete surprise, obviously not having expected any of that from the blond. That was until Son Goku exploded in laughter.
"Hahaha! You truly are something else, brat! I don't know about the others, but I plan on sticking with you for the time being. At least until all of this has been completed and resolved. It'll give me a bit of entertainment too."
'So, he's even managed to be truly recognized by the proud monkey,' Kurama thought as he glanced down at Naruto who was looking at Son Goku in surprise. 'You really are something else.'
Shukaku h'mphed, bringing the attention of the others to him. "Do you really think I'm going to let the fox hog all the fun!? No way! I've made up my mind! I'm joining in on this too. But I'm not doing this for you! Only because I want to. Got it!?"
Naruto slowly nodded, his face basically saying that he really didn't know why this was happening.
"Of course you can count me in too," Gyuki said next. "I'm sure Bee would have felt the same way if he was here right now too."
"I do owe you one as well," Kokuo spoke up. "You've proven yourself to be a trustworthy person. You have shown us respect. I see no reason as to why I shouldn't help you."
"That goes double for me!" Saiken exclaimed in a cheery tone. "I really have no reason for not wanting to help you."
Matatabi chuckled. "Well, since my siblings have put it that way, I must also agree that helping you isn't a bad idea. This also appears to be father's wish as well. Meaning that you now carry on his will, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Indeed," Chomei agreed. "You will have my support as well. Maybe that's the reason why we were brought here in the first place."
"Except that even when I think of it that way, I don't mind it," Isobu said. "If you'll accept it, I would like to help you as well. Saving the world doesn't sound like a bad idea, after all."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, an embarrassed look on his face. "I don't really know what to say."
"Don't say anything then," Kurama said, bringing Naruto's attention to the grinning fox. "Just accept the trust that we bijuu have in you, brat. And be honored by that. You're the first human to ever accomplish such a feat since the Old man. So don't let those feelings down, or I'll never forgive you for that. Got it?"
Naruto stared up at the nine tailed bijuu, his blue eyes meeting Kurama's crimson ones. A smile appeared on Naruto's face a few moments later. Turning to the other bijuu, Naruto did the only thing he could think of in this situation. It would be the third time in his life that he ever did such a thing: he bowed.
"I thank you all for this. And I promise to not let your trust down. I promise on my ninja way. And I never go back on my promises."
Kurama merely observed how his fellow bijuu, including Shukaku, were certain that they weren't going to regret their decision. And Kurama knew for a fact that they wouldn't. Because, after all, he hadn't once ever regretted approving the blond. The others would no doubt come to share his sentiment.
The idiot was just that likable.
Flashback: End
Naruto munched on a piece of bread as he and the group of traveling merchants he was currently infiltrating took a break from their walking. It wasn't a problem since, from what the blond Uzumaki had heard so far, Kumo was about two hours away, tops. But as he continued to eat his snack, Naruto realized two things: one was that he wished he had brought ramen with him since that would have been far tastier as a snack; two was the fact that he and the others were now being watched.
'Oi, Kurama, you sense it too, right?'
"Of course. Although they're doing a very good job at hiding their chakra."
'Probably because there could be a hidden shinobi in the group, so they don't want to take that risk.' Which was true since Naruto was with them. But it wasn't like he was trying to do anything bad in Kumo. Then again, he doubted that any Kumo shinobi would be likely to believe him. Well, whatever. As long as he didn't draw any attention to himself, everything would be fine.
Kurama snorted at that. "You're already attracting attention to yourself by wearing the damn cloak, you idiot. Why are you doing that again?"
'Because Saiken said it would be cool!'
In the three days that Naruto had obtained the rest of the bijuu, he had gotten to know all of them much more. During that time, he and the six tailed slug had just managed to hit it off right off the bat. It shouldn't really be too much of a surprise since the bijuu was as cheerful as they come. Basically, he had taken a strong liking to Naruto's personality.
'Besides, this way I get to hide my looks too,' Naruto added. 'I mean, I can't use a henge here. I'm pretty sure they're going to be checking us once we get to the village, and they'll detect it. That's why I hid away my whiskers too.'
"Oh, yes. With makeup. I wonder what your mother would say if she found out that you use makeup."
One of Naruto's eyebrows twitched. 'Oi, this is a top secret operation! I'm sure she would understand...'
"Whatever you say, brat."
'Whatever!' Changing topics, Naruto asked, 'How are the others doing by the way?'
The blond was talking about the fact that the rest of the bijuu had been extremely exhausted after they had been sealed into Naruto. In order to recuperate, they had each taken to resting inside of different parts of Naruto's mind until they were back to one hundred percent. But it had been three days already.
"Those lazy idiots," Kurama said in an annoyed tone. "They should already be back to normal, but they're taking advantage of this in order to just laze around for as long as they can. And that's usually my job!"
Naruto sighed as he realized the real reason as to why Kurama was so annoyed: since the other bijuu were napping, he couldn't nap himself. And that had to due with what they were currently doing. The bijuu had made a rule which basically said that at least one of them had to be with Naruto at one point or another. And Kurama had gotten the short end of the stick apparently. On another note, though, Naruto was glad that the furball was actually following the rule. Despite all the grumbling, Kurama really didn't mind any of them or the rules, no matter how much he tried to deny it. The furball just couldn't be honest with himself.
Sighing again, Naruto finished the last piece of his bread as he leaned back against the tree he was sitting under. Looking up at the sky, Naruto guessed that it was just after noon. None of them in the group had bothered to stop to eat lunch since they all wanted to push towards Kumo. From what Naruto had heard, many of them depended on the things they were going to sell there. Another reason they were being so bold about the whole situation was that they didn't need to fear a bandit attack. With the war still raging on, just about every main road was secured by one ninja village or another. That was why the group of merchants weren't afraid to travel all by themselves without an escort. It was totally different from Naruto's time as the blond clearly remembered some of the missions he did as escorts to some convoys before he left with Jiraiya on the training trip.
Well, at least there was one good thing about the war. Then again, that single little pro didn't outweigh all the cons. And Naruto already had a big list of them. That was one of the reasons why he wanted nothing more than to just march onto the Raikage's office and make the man withdraw from the war. But even Naruto knew how reckless that was. Not to mention that that wasn't the way that Naruto wanted to accomplish his goal. He wanted for all of the other villages to come to peace willingly, not because they were being oppressed and forced to do so. That was no different from a dictatorship, and it wouldn't last long either. Someone would always try to break free from the chains of oppression. Add to the fact that that method wasn't all that different from what Obito was trying to accomplish in the sense that it didn't give anyone a choice in the matter.
"But it's effective."
'Are you really telling me that you would do something like that, Kurama?'
Kurama shrugged within Naruto's mind, or the closest thing to a shrug. "No. I have no desire to rule over humanity. It would be too much of a hassle. But I'm only bringing a true point into your equation, brat. While I don't like the idea of having my freedom taken away, it's the fastest and shortest way to accomplish a goal. Others would have no choice but to follow you."
'Fear only goes so far,' Naruto retorted with a frown. 'But I never would have pegged as you one to having such a belief.'
Kurama chuckled. "Again, you're misunderstanding. I said I was only bringing up a point. It has nothing to do with whether I believe in it or not. But from as far as I can remember, humanity has always chosen such methods to gain control and eventually peace."
'Momentary peace,' Naruto corrected. 'Peace like that isn't peace at all. It's no different than from what Obito and Nagato tried to accomplish. Things would fall apart quickly, and war would come about again.'
"I never said it'd be long lasting. But you're right. I could never get on board with such an idea. There are others who would disagree, though. The question then is what will you do about it."
Naruto frowned again. That was something that he didn't want to think about. He knew he would have to kill. It was unavoidable. There were some people who just couldn't be saved no matter what. That didn't mean that he wouldn't try to minimize that, though.
Putting his hands behind his head, Naruto focused his attention back up to the sky again. He idly wondered for a moment what Sasuke was up to right now. Just what sort of problems would the teme have to deal with? It was weird. It almost felt like an eternity since he had last seen the Uchiha even though the truth couldn't be farther away.
Thinking of Sasuke made Naruto recall both Aika and Haru. Thinking of the two also made the blond remember what had led to their talk after their little adventure in that old temple.
Flashback: Start
"All right, whiskers, spill already."
Naruto was currently on his knees in front of a towering Aika who had her arms crossed while tapping her foot impatiently. Behind her was Haru who was sitting down beside the tree trunk. It was noon yet again with another lunch break in the academy. It had been a day already since the little fiasco in the temple, and Aika had reached her limit in waiting for Naruto to answer their questions. The blond had done his best to avoid it until now where she finally cornered him. On the other side of the field were the other students who were watching this while whispering to themselves. They were too far away to listen to anything, but they could still speculate based on what they were saying. Needless to say, they weren't good speculations.
Kushina, who was with the group of girls she usually hung out with, watched all of this with a frown. She didn't like what she was seeing. Mainly, Aika ordering Naruto around. Because to the young redhead that was what it seemed like. And Aika had no right to do that.
But Aika paid no mind to any of that. She wanted her answers already. The anxiety was killing her. Haru shared her feelings, only that the boy wasn't bold enough to demand answers like she was. But the girl didn't care where she got them. Just that she did.
"Do I really have to say?" Naruto asked in what was almost a whisper.
"Yes!" Aika replied almost instantly. "After everything we went through yesterday, the least you can do is tell us just why that old hag was after you. Or how you even managed to get away from her."
"But I don't even know what she wanted!" Naruto said truthfully. "I was just as surprised as you were!"
"Fair enough," Aika said with a sigh. She could tell the blond wasn't lying about that. "But that still leaves my other questions."
Naruto began to sweat again at that. The girl just wouldn't back off! Then again, if he were in her shoes, he would probably be doing the same thing too. Maybe.
"Just why does it even matter?" Naruto asked. "I mean, it's nothing for you two to concern yourselves with. It's my problem, one that I have to deal with on my own."
Aika went silent at that for a few moments, a frown on her face. Finally, after what seemed like eternity, she said, "Do we really mean that little to you, Naruto?"
"Of course not!" Naruto denied immediately as he stoop up, grabbing the girl by both of her shoulders. There were gasps from the other students who were still bothering to watch them and still didn't know what was going on. "You two are precious friends to me. So of course you mean a lot!"
"Then why are you trying to push us away?" Aika asked in response, making Naruto go silent at the question. "I can tell that there's something been bothering you since I first met you. But ever since yesterday, it seems like there's something even bigger weighing down on you. I just can't stand to see you like that."
Of course there was something weighing down on him. He had received a dire fortune. And while the whiskered Uzumaki wouldn't usually believe in such a thing, there was still a haunting chill that kept coming to his bones every time he thought about it.
"I just don't want to put you two in any more danger," Naruto finally said as he let go of her shoulders. Facing away from them, he said, "I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything happened to either of you because of me."
"It wouldn't be because of you," Haru said, speaking up for the first time. He had heard enough. He didn't want to see his blond friend acting like this. "Both Aika and I are here because we want to. We chose this. And we're ready to stick by you, no matter what."
Aika looked at Haru with a small smile on her face. The boy had grown to be a bit more sure of himself ever since the temple incident. And he should be too. He did save her life. He needed to be at least a bit more confident after that.
Naruto on the other hand looked at Haru with surprise before he sighed, knowing that the boy had him there. That didn't mean he liked any of this. He already had a plan. And part of that plan was to keep the two of them as far from the truth as possible. But that damn woman...she ruined it all!
"You insufferable human!" Shukaku roared in Naruto's mind. "I can't get any damn rest with all of your emo thoughts!"
Emo thoughts? He wasn't emo.....
"Ugh, just tell them already! And here I thought you were always so sure of yourself. That's what Gaara made it seem like anyway. But you're actually all indecisive. Wuss."
Naruto was left in shock as Shukaku retreated further into his mind. Who knew the bijuu had such colorful language? But Naruto knew that the bijuu had a point. It wasn't like him to be so indecisive. But this was a major decision. Looking at them both, however, Naruto realized that the two weren't going to budge no matter what. They had already made up their minds to help him. And while part of him wasn't too comfortable with that, he knew that he needed to rely on his friends more. If there was one thing that he had learned from Itachi, it was that someone who tried everything on his own was doomed to failure.
'Thanks, Shukaku.'
The bijuu didn't respond, but Naruto was already certain that the one tailed beast had heard him.
Turning his attention back to Aika and Haru, Naruto made his decision, consequences be damned. He would face whatever fate had to throw at him.
Nodding to them, Naruto motioned for them to follow him back into the classroom. By this point, only a few of the academy students saw them leave with the rest having had lost interested. One of those remaining students, however, was Kushina who watched them go with a bigger frown.
The redhead didn't know how to describe the current feeling that was coursing through her when she had seen Naruto grab Aika like that. She tried to understand it for a few moments, coming to a shocking conclusion.
It was jealousy.
But Naruto wasn't aware of what was going on inside his mother's head. Instead, he was grateful that he had gained two new friends to help him along with his goal. He had no doubt that neither would mind what he was trying to do. At least, that was his hope. Because if they didn't, then he didn't know what he would do.
He only hoped that that wasn't the case.
Flashback: End
And as it turned out, that didn't happen to be the case. Both Aika and Haru had heard him until the end. Of course, he had omitted some things, like him being a jinchuriki or that Kushina was his future mother. He had only told them that he was from the future and that he was here to stop things from turning into what his future would become. By the end, the blond Uzumaki had been nervous beyond belief. After all, there was still the chance that they could have had rejected him and what he was trying to do. But to his utmost surprise and happiness they had done the opposite. They had understood everything that he had told them, and that they would still abide with what they had said earlier. If nothing else, Naruto was extremely grateful that he had found the two. They possessed a certain kind of maturity that was rare to find. Naruto had also noticed that after the revelation, they had still treated him the same as always, even if they now knew that he had been turned into an eight year old boy again.
Needless to say, everything went perfectly in that regard.
Naruto stood up once he saw that the others were already making their preparations to move out again. He could still feel that they were being watched. But the blond guessed that he would have to get used to the feeling from here on out. And it wasn't like Naruto could fault Kumo for taking these measures in order to secure their safety. This time period was really troubled, after all.
The blond's only complaint was the fact that he was an eight year old trying to sneak into a ninja village. While in some cases it was a blessing since there were less of a chance of a kid being suspected, it did hurt him in other aspects. His only reassurance was the fact that he had made some friends within the group in the two days that he had been traveling with them. While the merchants did tend to keep their distance from him, some had approached the blond before and asked him what his deal was. That was when he had told them that he was all the way out here in an errand because his parents were too weak and poor to hire anyone else. They had believed him in an instant. The Uzumaki only prayed that the Kumo shinobi would buy it too.
'Just why did the Sennin have to send me back as a kid again,' Naruto thought in slight exasperation as he made his way to rejoin the group.
"About that," Kurama began as he waved his tails in front of him in a bored manner inside of Naruto's mind, "I've been trying to figure out how was it that the old man was able to accomplish that."
Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. 'What do you mean? Doesn't he possess that power?'
Kurama scoffed. "Use your brain, brat. If you think he could manipulate age like that, then why wouldn't he have used it on himself when he was alive? That way, he could have lived forever, and there would be no such thing as the shinobi world that you know as today."
'Okay, furball, you got me there. But if he wasn't responsible for it, then who was?'
"I do have a theory," Kurama said slowly. "But that's not the only thing that's been bothering me."
'What else then?'
"You really haven't stopped to think about things, have you?"
'Uh, hello? Do I look like a thinker to you, furball? But more importantly, do you think I've had the time to stop and think about how the Sennin has been able to do some things? The best I can do is accept them as they are and worry about it later.'
"True. But what I was talking about is the fact you can still use all of your ninjutsu, senjutsu, and my chakra like it's nothing."
'That's because it is nothing to me.' And the whiskered jinchuriki wasn't just bragging either. It was almost like second nature to him when he used Kurama's chakra and used senjutsu. Which was why the blond was confused as to where the bijuu was going with all of this.
Sensing this, Kurama elaborated. "While in the past, and when I say past I mean the things we've been forced to deal with before this, stuff like that wouldn't matter. The fact that you're literally just a brat and still able to use those high level techniques along with my chakra without putting a heavy strain on your body.....well, it's an extraordinary thing. And an impossible one too."
'Impossible? But I'm able to, and I'm still in one piece.'
"Exactly. Which leads me to believe that the Old man must have done something to your body. Probably that of the Uchiha's too."
Now Naruto knew where the bijuu was going with it. Then again, said nine tailed fox had basically explained the important parts of it. But still.
'But if he wasn't the one that made us into kids again, then maybe he wasn't the one that altered our bodies in some other way. It could just be the other person, whoever he is.'
"Hmm.....true enough," Kurama finally said. "There are too many questions popping up for my tastes, though. I don't like how we're basically walking blind right now."
Naruto grinned at that. 'Oh. I guess you really do like to know everything.'
"Knowledge is key, brat," the bijuu stated. "It can lead one to either success or failure depending on whether he has the knowledge or not. If there is one thing you can ever remember from me, it's that."
'Yeah, don't worry. I got it. Why do you think I've bothered to study up on this time period in the first place?'
Kurama smirked at hearing the annoyance in Naruto's tone. His host most certainly didn't enjoy going through those particular memories of his clones when they dispelled. But at least he knew the value of it and still went through with it. In some odd way, Kurama was proud of Naruto for doing that.
"Don't get too comfortable, though, Naruto," another voice cut in.
'Gyuki?'
"What do you mean by that?" Kurama asked.
"I mean that the man in power in Kumo during this time is in all sense of the word a monster," Gyuki answered. "If you recall, Naruto, you've fought him already."
'Ah!' Of course Naruto did. That old man had been powerful. If he hadn't been able to discover from Gyuki how the Sandaime Raikage's spear was stronger than his lighting armor, then the fight would have been longer and with many more casualties.
Kurama h'mphed at that. "To think you got defeated by a man like that."
"I don't want to hear that from you, Kurama," was the eight tail's instant response. "After all, you got defeated by Naruto's parents. Some humans are just that surprising."
'Oi, no fighting,' Naruto chimed in before Kurama could retort in a tone that was harder than steel. 'You're a family now. So act like it you two.'
Both bijuu were taken back by the seriousness in Naruto's tone. It was one that they had rarely heard Naruto used unless he had been in combat. Needless to say, it was weird. Even Kurama was dumbfounded.
Nodding in satisfaction, Naruto turned his attention back to the caravan which finally began to move towards Kumo once more. It wouldn't be long now before Naruto finally reached Kumo.
"Just don't get too carried away once you get there," Gyuki said, getting past his shock from before.
'What? Me?' Naruto said in response in an innocent tone. 'When have I ever gotten carried away?'
Gyuki couldn't help but sigh. "I swear. You're too similar to Bee at times. And what I mean is what you were thinking of before about confronting the Raikage. If there's something I can remember from that man is that he doesn't take insults lightly. And you demanding anything from him is certainly an insult to him."
"Besides," Kurama cut in with a grin, "you did make that Aika girl a promise that you wouldn't do anything stupid after she and that other boy helped you out of the defenses of the island remember?"
Naruto knew the bijuu had him there.
Flashback: Start
Aika was currently trying to wrap her mind around Naruto's supposed "idea."
"Are you really going to try this?"
Currently the trio were making their way out of the academy. Aika had already told her parents that she wouldn't be coming straight home today while Kazumi already knew that, if Naruto didn't go straight home with Kushina, then he was with Aika and Haru. Some part of Naruto did feel bad at making his mother walk home by herself, but this was necessary.
Looking at Aika, Naruto nodded. "But of course! I mean, what's wrong with it?"
"You're going to try and infiltrate another ninja village," Haru said with some wonder in his voice. "And it's Kumo to top it all of."
Naruto, who was glad that Haru was no longer shy around them, shrugged. "It's not that big of a deal. I mean, I'm not trying to do anything illegal. I'm just trying to get a blacksmith to forge me what I need."
"Do you even have the money to do that?" Aika asked, already knowing that her blond time traveling friend hadn't thought all of this completely through.
Naruto opened him mouth to answer only to close it up as he realized that the girl had him there. He didn't have any money. Crap. How was he going to get the kunais made then!?
"Looks like that's a no," Aika said with some amusement at seeing Naruto's look of dejection.
"Well, I'm sorry if I hadn't thought about everything," Naruto said in a dejected tone while playing with his fingers in a Hinata like fashion.
Seeing this, something inside Aika screamed at her to just hug the blond and tell him that everything was going to be okay while stroking his whiskers. Squashing that voice, she instead said, "Fine, whiskers. I'll give you some money."
Naruto looked at her incredulously. "Are you serious!?"
Aika nodded. "Yep! My parents do give me an allowance, you know. I've never really used any of it since my dad buys me all the equipment I need, and they give me clothes and food too. So it's been piling up."
Naruto didn't know what to say. "Are you really sure? I mean, I don't want to be a bother."
Aika waved her hand in dismissal. "Don't sweat it. It's only money. It can be replaced. And you can always pay me back too. Besides, this way I can at least somehow help you with this."
Naruto instantly grabbed a hold of her hands, causing Aika to take a step back as Naruto closed the space between them a little more than usual. "Thanks, Aika-chan! I'll pay you back someday, I swear!"
"R-right."
Haru raised his hand. "I'll give you some too, if you want."
Naruto turned to him, releasing Aika's hands which caused the girl to let out the breath that she didn't know she had been holding in. "Really?"
Nodding, Haru explained, "Yeah. My father is loaded. And while he doesn't know it, I know where he keeps his checkbook too."
"But then he'll-"
"I'll erase the evidence later," Haru said, already knowing what Aika was going to say. "My father is not that well suited to paperwork like that even though he's technically the second in command."
Both Naruto and Aika looked at their friend in stunned silence before Naruto pointed at him and stated, "Even though you're shy as hell, you're really evil, Haru."
The boy looked offended at that. "Hey, I'm only doing this to help you!"
"And make no mistake, I appreciate it," Naruto said with a nod. But then he added, "That doesn't mean you aren't evil, though. I mean, I've always heard that the shy ones are the crazy ones. Guess they were right."
Haru sighed while shaking his head. "I wonder why I said yes to being your friend."
"Aww, c'mon," Naruto said in a mocking hurt tone as he placed his arm around the boy's shoulders. "You know it's because you love me!"
Haru merely sighed again.
"While that's nice and all," Aika said with a cough which brought the boys' attention to her, "how exactly do you expect to keep the fact that you're going to leave the island from everyone else? I mean, you can't be in two places at one. Not only that, but how are you going to get out of the island in the first place? Security has been doubled now that we're at war."
Naruto opened his mouth to say shadow clones until Haru beat him to it. "Oh, that's easy. I have a solution to both."
The other two simply turned to look at him again, making the boy smile uneasily for a moment.
"Haru, you're the best!"
Haru merely stood there while Naruto continued to hug the life out of him. The trio were now in Kenji's old store room which was cluttered with a multitude of scrolls that were lying all over the floor. Aika was kneeling on the ground while she read one of the scrolls that Haru had given them. It basically showed one how to create a blood clone through fuinjutsu.
"Are you sure this is going to work, though?" Aika asked with a small frown. "I mean, everyone here is an expert at fuinjutsu. There's a chance they could see right through this."
"Not really," Haru answered after Naruto had release him. "There's practically no difference from the original. It can even take massive amounts of damage before it's dispelled. It's the perfect espionage jutsu, even surpassing the Nidaime's shadow clones."
Naruto had to disagree with that. His shadow clones were the best. But in the situation he was currently facing, Naruto knew that a blood clone would be more suitable.
"Not only that, but it requires massive amounts of chakra to maintain," Haru added in his lecture tone. "It's the main reason why the jutsu is better suited to a Uzumaki since we're born with massive amounts of chakra. But right now, someone at our age wouldn't be able to pull it off since we're still nowhere near close to having chakra at that level. But Naruto does. No one would suspect that, though. So it all works out."
Aika had to admit that Haru was right. That didn't mean that she was liking where all of this was going, namely that Naruto would really be able to leave Uzu for several days. One would then wonder why she had offered to give money to the blond to help him leave if she didn't want him to.
"What about the defenses?" Aika asked, thinking of the other problem Naruto would face if he wanted to get out of the island nation undetected.
Haru shrugged as he answered, "My father has the seal sequence to deactivate and reactivate a small portion of it in his office. So no problem."
'Oi, why would he leave something that important in his office?' Naruto wondered to himself with a frown.
"Remember where you're at, brat," Kurama reminded him. "This place is about the safest spot in the Elemental Nations. After all, everyone here is from the same clan, a clan that values family more than anything else. Not to mention that the chances of a spy entering here is literally nonexistent. That's how good their defenses are. That's also how Uzu has managed to stand this whole time. Everyone in the clan trusts one another. So there's really no problem nor is it odd for the boy's father to do something like that."
Naruto continued to frown despite the explanation. After all, if this place was really impenetrable, then how had Uzu already been wiped out during his time? That was a question to which Kurama had no answer to.
Realizing that Naruto now had all the pieces he needed in order to leave the island successfully and without anyone else finding out, Aika walked up to the blond, this time she being the one that grabbed a hold of his hands. Naruto looked at her in slight surprise at the sudden action.
"You have to promise me that you won't do anything stupid out there, whiskers." There was a slight tone of desperation in her voice. "We finally got to meet the real you. Don't let us miss the chance of getting to know him, okay?"
The only thing that Naruto could do was nod.
Flashback: End
It had been a piece of cake after that. Naruto had taken the rest of the day to mastering his first fuinjutsu, which hadn't been all that hard to do with the help of shadow clones and Haru. He had left the blood clone and during the night sneaked through one of the less guarded areas of the perimeter using his Sage mode and the deactivation seal sequence that Haru had given him. Speaking of the boy, Naruto knew that he wouldn't have been able to leave Uzu undetected without the boy's help. He had really come through. Naruto knew that he was in the boy's debt now. Aika's as well.
"Alright, guys, we've just about reached the village gates!"
Naruto's ears twitched when the shout came from somewhere in the front of the caravan. So, it was finally time then, huh? The moment of truth.
He was about to infiltrate Kumo.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone