Capítulo 67: 66. Moving Forward
"Yakushi Kabuto, huh…" Gaara crossed his arms as he closed his eyes in thought.
He, his siblings, Naruto, Lee, and Tenten were sitting down in the Kazekage's office. The window was open, given the room some slight natural lighting from the rising sun.
"I don't know how much you knew of him." Naruto said. "I know that you all had worked with Otogakure and Orochimaru during the invasion of Konoha, but I don't really know what your relationship was with Orochimaru or if you even knew who Kabuto was."
"I mean, we knew of him somewhat." Kankurō spoke, frowning. "What we knew of him was that he was Orochimaru's 'go-to' errand boy. We were told he was a spy and that was in the Chūnin Exams to observe, so we were told not to engage at all costs."
"He visited our hotel often to chat with Baki though." Temari offered. "He was polite but came off incredibly fake. Which obviously he was, since he was a spy."
"Naruto…" Gaara opened his eyes and looked at his fellow jinchūriki. "What you just told us is incredibly concerning, especially how he was able to acquire the kekkei genkai of Pakura."
"He had only just taken that body, didn't he?" Tenten asked, frowning. "That means he doesn't need to have a lot of 'research time' to obtain the kekkei genkai from bodies!"
"And that's also not touching on his ability to perform the Edo Tensei." Gaara added. "Having… our father… attack Suna was troublesome. It is now seemingly possible that Kabuto would be able to do this with any deceased shinobi if he had access to their body."
"Imagine if he were able to raise an army at some point of all the strongest shinobi from history…" Kankurō mumbled.
There was a pregnant pause that overtook the room. It was finally broken as Lee proceeded to cough.
"This is a legitimate risk that all shinobi villages need to be aware of." He said simply.
Gaara nodded his head in agreement as he pulled out a scroll. He immediately began to write in it.
"We need to spread this information. I'm going to send warning to all shinobi villages. This is not a threat that anyone should take lightly." The Kazekage noted. "This is something that every village should be able to agree upon. I do not want Kabuto graverobbing my village again to steal kekkei genkai and I'm sure that other villages do not want the same!"
"I can't imagine any village actually rejecting such information." Tenten noted. "Obviously Konoha will understand and try and take more precautions to keep bodies safe! Kiri and Iwa should follow suit as well and the minor villages like Taki and Kusa would also be willing to take similar precautions!"
"Hmm…" Kankurō pursed his lips. "I noticed you did not say Kumo."
Tenten said nothing. The room grew quiet once again; Gaara took a moment to collect his thoughts on the subject as well. Kumogakure – the only asterisk to Tenten's statement. 'The Village Hidden within the Clouds' had not taken the news well that the other great shinobi villages were starting to increase communication and cooperation. The increased hostility in diplomacy and interaction with Kumogakure shinobi in Rai no Kuni has put a strain on their relationship with the opposing villages.
"… Kumo and the Yondaime Raikage has placed a lot of value on kekkei genkai." Lee finally spoke with a frown. "It's why they were involved in unethical behavior to obtain them. I'm certain that they will at least take this information into consideration."
Naruto developed a frown of his own as he shook his head: 'More than unethical. Kumogakure tried to kidnap Hinata-chan!' Still, the frown on his face grew deeper. 'Still, it's not fair to judge the whole village for that one act. Plus, it would be terrifying for Kabuto to have access to their graves and get any powers they had and powers that they had stolen!'
"I'm going to send a letter to the Yondaime Raikage." Gaara spoke as he continued writing in his scroll. "If he does not respond, then I'll simply speak to him in person during the Chūnin Exams. He will have to at least acknowledge the threat of Kabuto."
"I'm sure your Godaime will also be acting." Temari said.
"He definitely will!" Naruto exclaimed. "However, he needs to know about all of this stuff right away and although I could send a toad, there's some things I'd like to talk about in person with him. And since my genin team has finished the mission we came here for, we're actually going to be leaving back for Konoha today."
"Completely understood." Gaara nodded his head. "I assume you will be leaving in a few hours."
"Yeah. I'm just letting them get some sleep. We should be out no later than 10:00, if even that." Naruto said with a shrug. He then turned to face Lee and Tenten. "I know you two are doing some kinda mission to help with Suna-Konoha relations, so I suspect you'll still be staying here."
"We should. My apologies, Naruto-kun." Lee bowed his head.
This caused the blonde to chuckle slightly: "Hey, it's a mission. I don't care!"
"We'll return to Konoha as well probably in about a week." Tenten said. "You can give an initial report to Hokage-sama that the mission is going well and that I think we're making an impression on the Suna academy students."
"You both are and thank you for that." Temari added, smiling.
Both Tenten and Lee shared a look with each other, grinning, feeling pleased with themselves.
"Regardless, Naruto, if you're going back today, you should get some rest." Gaara suggested. "Get some sleep. I can tell you haven't gotten any in a little while."
As if on cue, the blonde proceeded to yawn.
"Possibly. I might try and take an hour nap." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "I don't really want to sleep too long though, cause once my students get up and get ready, I'd like to be on the road."
"Then go back and get your rest!" Kankurō stated, chuckling slightly. "You need some form of sleep."
"We can talk before you leave again, Naruto. Just rest for now." Gaara told him.
"Yeah, yeah…" Naruto yawned again as he started to walk towards the door. He waved goodbye before leaving.
It was going to be a long day, after all. Any rest he could get would be necessary.
"You're here on time. Good. Come in."
Neji nodded his head as he walked into the Uzumaki Clan sealing hall, following Masakado. His hands began to fidget with his forehead protector as his eyes started to wander the room slightly.
The room's walls were painted a dark green color and had the Uzumaki Clan symbol painted in dark blue on all four corners of the wall. Along the walls, underneath the spirals, were hanging scrolls that depicted four different individuals – Uzumaki Mito, wife of the Shodai Hokage, Uzumaki Rei, the Shodai Uzukage, Uzumaki Kanji, the Nidaime Uzukage, and a man that represented the Rikudō Sennin.
The room itself had no windows; a dim light, emitted from two seals on the ceiling, kept the room from being consumed in darkness. Outside of the walls, the room was bare. The only thing in the room was a large green mat in the center of the room.
"Such a simple room, but it seems to emit a sense of power just being here." Neji noted.
"This is my own personal sealing chamber, although I suppose Naruto could use it if he really needed to. I normally spend my time here working on a personal project of mine, but I'm inviting you in here for today." Masakado answered. His eyebrow rose slightly as he studied the Hyūga. "Did you get good sleep last night? Eat something? Believe me; we are going to be in this room all day. Potentially longer. Are you ready for this?"
"I've been waiting for this moment for as long as I can remember." Neji answered as he started to untie his forehead protector, revealing his cursed seal. "This can change the life of every Branch Family Hyūga and the direction of our clan altogether."
"That is true." The Uzumaki nodded his head in agreement. "Then we will begin. Please, lay down on your back on the sealing mat."
Neji walked over to the mat on the ground and proceeded to lay down. Masakado walked over to him and pulled out a scroll and a pen from his pockets. He laid down on the ground, right next to Neji's head.
"As you are aware, this seal that was placed on you was placed on your brain." He stated. "As a result, I will have to be especially careful when applying this new seal onto you. Every stroke will take me at least thirty minutes to an hour. While this seal could potentially endanger your life, I am going to be cautious in to maximize the likelihood of your survival and the success."
"I understand." Neji spoke.
Masakado uncapped his pen. He opened up the sealing scroll and began to analyze the notes that he had previously written. His eyes closed slightly as he began to lift his seals and practice brush strokes with his pen. Chakra began to flow through his body to his right hand and into the pen itself.
'Father, watch over me. Wish me luck.' Neji closed his eyes in prayer. 'With this moment, I am choosing my own destiny!'
Ten O'clock came quickly. Naruto and his genin team gathered their belongings and quickly left the Kazekage's Mansion. They proceeded to arrive at the gate to Sunagakure. Gaara was standing there, eyeing the Konoha shinobi.
"Yo." Naruto waved his hand to the Kazekage. "Thanks for letting us stay at your place, Gaara. While I wish the time could have been better, it was awesome to see you again. And it's especially awesome to see that you're the frickin Kazekage!"
"It was an honor to see you too, Naruto. I wish that the time was not so chaotic, but I am pleased you were able to assist us while you were here." Gaara replied, bowing slightly. His eyes then moved to his genin team. "It was an honor to meet you three as well. I know that the three of you will make excellent shinobi in time."
"We'll try, Kazekage-sama." Hanabi bowed, smiling.
"Please, I feel like I told you all; no need to be formal. Just call me Gaara from now on." He replied.
"Well, okay then. It was nice meeting you, Gaara." Katsumi replied, smiling impishly at the man. "Next time you see us, we'll be at the Chūnin Exams and we'll impress the hell out of you!"
'I don't recall saying anything about the Chūnin Exams.' Naruto frowned slightly, but kept the comment to himself.
"I look forward to it." The Godaime Kazekage said. He then turned his attention back to Naruto as he reached into his robe and pulled out a scroll. "If you would not mind giving this to your Hokage, Naruto."
"Of course." The Kyūbi jinchūriki grabbed the scroll and pocketed it. "First thing I'll do when I get back."
Gaara extended his hand out to Naruto. A smile developed on the blonde's face as he took it, shaking his hand.
"See you again, Gaara. Show this village how awesome of a Kazekage you are." Naruto informed him.
"I will." Gaara replied, smiling back. "You keep doing well yourself. I intend to see you with the Hokage's hat at some point."
"Oh you will!" The Uzumaki chuckled. "I'm not gonna let myself fall behind you for too long!"
With those words, the Konoha shinobi departed from Suna. The Kazekage remained at the gate, waving goodbye to them as they disappeared.
The time in Sunagakure was a hectic time, but the Konoha shinobi were grateful to have stayed in Gaara's mansion and stay with him and his family. They were all already looking forward to when they would see him again next.
"Alright, lets end it here." Shikamaru suggested. Both Hinata and Dosu nodded their heads in agreement.
Since none of the three shinobi had any missions, they had agreed to meet at Training Ground Seventeen for some basic training, which consisted of exercise, sparring, and jutsu practice and experimentation. They managed to stay training for five hours before they called it a day.
"You know, Dosu, I am impressed with the additions to your fighting style." Shikamaru stated as he eyed the 'melody braces' that were attached to the former Oto shinobi's ankles. "I'm surprised it took you this long to finally implement some type of sound modification device on your feet."
"I had to build these braces. It took a while to make a pair that would amplify sound without dragging down my overall speed." Dosu replied simply. "But I'm glad it got working, finally."
"It makes you tougher." The Nara noted with a smirk. "Maybe tough enough to seek out that overdue jōnin promotion?"
"Possibly." Dosu replied, chuckling lightly. "Regardless, I worked up an appetite after the sparring. Would you two like to go get something to eat?"
"I'm down." Shikamaru replied as he put his hands in his pockets. "What about you Hinata?"
"Hmm?" The Hyūga heiress looked over at her friends in confusion. "Did one of you say something?"
Both Shikamaru and Dosu frowned in response.
"Are you alright, Hinata? You've been rather spacey today." Shikamaru noted. "Something on your mind."
"I'm alright. I'm just…" Hinata sighed. "Today's the day of Neji-nii-san's sealing."
"Oh?" Dosu's eyes widened slightly in realization. "So, Masakado-san has finished that seal he has been working on for your family."
"Yes, but it's admittedly rather risky to implement. There's a chance that it could do some serious harm to Neji-nii-san's brain if he puts it on incorrectly." The Hyūga heiress noted, frowning. "I trust Masakado-san to not take a risk he wouldn't be comfortable with, but I can't help but be nervous. I don't want anything to happen to Neji-nii-san."
"It's fair to be concerned, but I wouldn't stress too much about it." The former Otogakure shinobi noted. "Your cousin obviously feels like the seal will be successful."
"I agree, but I also can't help but think he might just be taking a risk in hopes that the seal works. If it does, it will help both of us with accomplishing our dream of uniting the Hyūga Clan." Hinata stated. "So, I think Neji-nii-san might be trusting that it will work out of hope that it will work rather than whether or not he thinks it will work."
"Hinata, you said it yourself; Masakado would not do anything that would put Neji at any unnecessary risk." Shikamaru spoke. "I get that you're worried for him, but you've gotta trust both of them. Masakado will not do anything to harm Neji and Neji understands the risks. He'll be fine."
"I… know." The kunoichi sighed again. "It's just stressful waiting for the results, I guess."
"Let's eat, then. So we can help you de-stress some more." Shikamaru offered. "Yakiniku Q anyone? I'm down for some barbeque."
"Whatever you two want is fine. I'll find something to eat anywhere." Dosu shrugged his shoulders.
"That… sounds lovely to me." Hinata said.
The three shinobi began to walk away from the training ground back towards the village center. They walked at a rather leisurely pace as they walked past civilians and shinobi along the way.
"Wonder when Naruto and Anko will be back from their missions." Shikamaru wondered.
"Naruto-kun's mission shouldn't take too much longer, to be honest. It's only a supply delivery to Suna from what I recall. He should be back maybe in a few days." Hinata offered. "Anko-sensei, though… who knows. Her missions in Kiri sometimes can take forever."
"I wonder why…" Dosu mumbled.
"Hmm?" Shikamaru turned his attention to his friend. "You know something?"
"Not officially, but I have a theory about something." He replied.
The Nara rolled his eyes: "And your theory is?"
"That Anko-taichou and Zabuza-san have a thing for each other." Dosu answered.
Both Hinata's and Shikamaru's eyes widened as they stared at their friend in surprise. They were quiet for a moment, processing it, before they both started to laugh loudly.
"I have no idea where you came to that conclusion, but I hope that's true." Shikamaru snickered. "They're both sadists; they're perfect for each other."
"They'd be so cute together! I hope you're right about that!" Hinata exclaimed.
"It's just a theory of mine, but I've always noticed that they have chemistry and I find it rather suspicious that he's the one who always comes by to 'pick up' Anko for missions in Kiri." Dosu stated with a light chuckle. "Who knows, though?"
The trio continued to laugh as they discussed Anko's potential relationship status along the way to Yakiniku Q. It was a light-hearted topic and it cleared up Hinata's mind. For the first time since the morning, Hinata was able to rest and not stress about Neji and the sealing.
Along the countryside of Mizu no Kuni, three members of the Seven Swordsmen of Kirigakure were walking down the countryside of Mizu no Kuni. They were approximately one day away from arriving at the gates of Kirigakure.
The trio walked in silence until one of them felt their nose start to rustle.
"ACHOO!" Anko sneezed loudly.
"Getting sick, Anko-san?" Kahyō questioned.
"If you are, stay far away from me. I hate getting sick." Zabuza grumbled, crossing his arms. "I'd rather take a kunai to the back then catch a fucking cold."
"I'm not getting sick; don't worry. I think some bastard is talking about me if I had to guess." Anko grumbled.
"Alright, this seems like a good spot. Let's set up camp for tonight here." Naruto sighed as he dropped his bags down.
Naruto's genin did as he instructed and dropped their bags as well. They then proceeded to quietly start getting their sleeping bags out and getting prepared for the evening. Naruto watched the group with a small frown on his face.
His genin squad had, for the most part, been quiet along the way ever since they left Sunagakure. The Uzumaki did not particularly enjoy the silence, but let it last for a while. Now that they were stopped for the night, though he was not so content with it.
"So, you three upset about something or you all just have something on your mind?" The jōnin asked as he sat down on the ground.
The three genin, as if on cue, stiffened at his words. They all turned to face their sensei. Naruto's eyes moved across the faces of each of his students. Both Hanabi and Katsumi had rather nervous looks on their faces while Kanji had a neutral, almost tired look on his.
"… Come on guys. It's me." Naruto said with a light chuckle. "I'm not gonna bite your heads off. Whatcha thinking about?"
"… Are you really certain that we are going to grow to your level one day?" Katsumi finally spoke up.
"Hmm?" The Uzumaki tilted his head. "Where'd that come from?"
"From that situation with that Kabuto guy." She answered, crossing her arms as she started to frown. "It felt like we were deadweight there. I know we weren't there for the whole thing, but-"
"It seemed as if the seals your clones put on us is the only reason we're alive." Kanji finished.
Naruto sighed. The Uzumaki shook his head as he closed his eyes, taking a moment to collect his words.
"Yakushi Kabuto is an incredibly dangerous missing shinobi. While I don't know his rank in the Bingo Book, I'd be willing to bet he's at least high A-Rank, if not an S-Rank shinobi." Naruto spoke. "I wouldn't-"
"Wouldn't what?" Katsumi spoke-up, her frown turning into a scowl. "Compare ourselves to him? It's kinda hard when we got into a fight with the guy!"
"It's… demoralizing, to be honest." Hanabi spoke, looking down.
The Uzumaki shook his head once again. He took in a deep breath as he opened his eyes and gave his students a sharp look.
"If it bothers you that much, then quit." He stated.
"Ex-Excuse me?" Hanabi mumbled, her eyes widening.
"I said quit." The Uzumaki repeated. "If it bothers you that much, then quit. The shinobi lifestyle might not be the correct path for you, if you're that afraid of a shinobi that's only currently stronger than you."
Katsumi's scowl seemed to deepen: "So you think we should quit-"
"I didn't say that." Naruto interrupted, his eyes focusing on her. "I said, if that's what you genuinely feel, then quit. But that's not what I am telling you all to do."
"Then what are you trying to tell us?" Kanji questioned.
Naruto grabbed the shirt underneath his Konoha flak jacket and held it forward. He showed off the kanji on it – the kanji for the number three.
"On my first C-rank mission, my squad ended up in a fight with two missing shinobi in Tsuchi no Kuni, one of them an upper A-rank shinobi and the other an S-rank shinobi. They were merciless and nearly killed me and my team. One of the only reasons we all ended up surviving was because I lost control of the Kyūbi and it was able to fight and kill off one of the missing shinobi." Naruto spoke. "I didn't really talk much about it with my squad at the time – a lot of things were happening all at once then on that mission – but it was pretty scary knowing how close we all were to dying."
Naruto's grip on his shirt grew tighter. A small smirk developed on his face as he looked down at the kanji on it: "But in the end, I still persevered and stayed true to who I am. I grew stronger. And I was able to use that as motivation to get my stronger. My jōnin-sensei, Mitarashi Anko, used that experience as a motivator to push me and my team through harder training and toughen us up even more. We became strong like that so something like that could never happen to us. Nothing like that ever did and nothing like that ever will. And the same thing is true for you three."
Naruto finally let go of his shirt. He looked at his three students and his smirk dropped into a more gentle smile.
"You three are great shinobi. I refuse to hear otherwise!" He exclaimed. "Katsumi, you already knew Earth Style ninjutsu before I even met you while you were just an academy student! Kanji, you have a great mastery of your clan's techniques and have a great strategic mind that can get developed even more. And Hanabi, you graduated two years earlier than you were expected to! You're great with your clan's signature techniques, especially with your modifications with Hebihiro! All three of you are excellent for genin and as you get older and stronger and train harder, you'll get even better and better!"
"I don't want you all to be constantly afraid of stronger enemies. There will always be stronger ones out there. But that's your motivation to always get stronger yourself and to keep training. So you can fight them off. Cause in the end, you all do have the one trait I'd love in all shinobi. You have the Will of Fire." Naruto stated. He brought his hand up to his Konoha Forehead Protector. "You knew that Kabuto was 'out of your league' and still came back because you were worried about me, a comrade and fellow shinobi of Konoha. I don't agree with how you three got into the fight – I would have been more careful, and I want you all to exercise more caution when you fight stronger enemies – but I agree with that mindset. You all have had the desire to protect your comrades is the most valuable thing to have and how I know all three of you will be amazing shinobi."
Katsumi, Kanji, and Hanabi were silent as they looked at their jōnin-sensei. Hanabi and Katsumi both had wide eyes on their faces as they stared at him in awe. Kanji had a more neutral expression as he brought his hands to his face in thought.
"I… I've been overwhelmed a lot over this whole journey with all the stronger Suna shinobi and that Kabuto guy…" Katsumi broke silence, as her surprise morphed into a large smile. "But you're right Naruto-sensei! I'm going to work harder to make sure that never happens."
"Naruto-sensei…" Hanabi spoke-up. She clapped her hands together as she looked at him expectantly, a smile developing on her lips. "You said your jōnin-sensei made your team go through a much harsher training regime after your mission. I assume you'll do the same for us?"
"You better!" Katsumi exclaimed, pounding her fists together. "Give us anything you got! We can take it!"
"I know you all can." Naruto said, smiling at his students. "And believe me; I'm going to be utterly ruthless!" The blonde then stood up and proceeded to look around their campsite. "But for now, let's get a fire going, some food cooked, and then hit the bed so we can get back to Konoha!"
His three genin immediately got up and started following his suggestion. Naruto watched them gather wood for fire and set up camp in much brighter spirits. A smile developed on his lips as he watched them.
It was genuinely surprising to him how good it felt to be a jōnin-sensei.
A loud knock sounded on Hinata's door, alerting her. The Hyūga heiress was about to fall to sleep when the noise reverberated throughout her bedroom. She proceeded to get out of bed and inch closer to the door.
"Who is it?" She questioned. 'It's a bit late for someone to stop by. Maybe it's-'
Her eyes widened as the thought developed in her head. She immediately activated her Byakugan to see beyond her door. Outside of her room stood both her father and Neji.
She immediately opened her door and stepped outside to greet them, her eyes focused on her cousin.
The Branch Clan family member was holding onto his forehead protector in his right hand. His forehead, however, was changed. Directly surrounding the green 'caged bird' seal was a blue-colored seal in the shape of a flame that connected all of the lines of the old seal – the exact seal that Masakado had shown the trio prior.
"Neji-nii-san!" A large smile was on Hinata's face as her eyes focused on the seal. "It… It worked, right? Right?"
In response, Neji simply smiled. He then turned to his uncle: "Hiashi-sama, if you could demonstrate for Hinata."
Hiashi nodded his head and immediately brought his hand into a single hand sign. His eyes narrowed as he started to apply chakra. Neji, however, had no reaction whatsoever. He felt no physical pain in the slightest. After a few seconds of trying, Hiashi finally brought his hand back down. A large smile – one larger than Hinata had ever seen on her father – developed on his lips.
"As you can see, Hinata, it's not working. The negative side-effects of the seal are no longer there." Hiashi stated.
"I am free." Neji stated simply, his eyes moving upward as tears began to fall. 'Father… the cage is finally open!'
Hinata quickly reached forward and pulled her cousin into a tight hug, which he returned. Tears of her own began to develop, which only caused her to tighten her embrace of Neji.
"Neji-nii-san… I'm so happy. I'm so, so happy for you!" Hinata exclaimed. "This is it! This is how we unite the Hyūga Clan!"
"The actual physical task has been completed." Neji noted as the two cousins broke their embrace. "All that's left now is the final steps."
The final step to uniting the clan: getting Hinata marked with her own new seal and then proving to the elders of the clan the benefits of uniting the clan together.
"This is a radical change in our family's dynamic, so I alone can't make this decision. The elders of the clan need to also approve." Hiashi noted. "They, particularly Yoshikane, are a traditional group and will be hard to sway."
"Grandfather…" Hinata frowned at her father's use of his name.
"Having said that, I believe you two are strong enough to sway the feelings of the clan as a whole. Hinata and Neji, as I have said multiple times to you both, you two have become some of the strongest shinobi our clan has ever produced. Present yourselves strongly to them and they will accept this decision. I'm certain of it." Hiashi declared.
"When should we confront the elders?" Neji questioned.
"I would say to wait until Hanabi returns to the village. She should be told the news, first." Hiashi said. "When she returns, I would like to set up a meeting between the elders no later than a day or two from then."
"Understood." Both cousins nodded their heads in agreement.
'Naruto-kun will be back in the village for this then, as well…' A look of determination developed on Hinata's face as she tightened her fists. 'I'm glad. He will see me accomplish my dream. He is going to see Neji-nii-san and I unite our clan!'
"Naruto-sensei?"
Naruto yawned as he opened his eyes and started to stretch slightly.
It was still dark over the campsite. His eyes moved over to his side and saw Hanabi and Katsumi, still asleep in their sleeping bags. He then turned his head and noticed that Kanji was sitting up, staring at him.
"Kanji?" Naruto asked, still yawning. "What are you doing up?"
"Couldn't sleep." The Yamanaka admitted with a sigh.
"You know that I got clones surrounding the area, yeah? They'd wake us up if something was approaching us." The Uzumaki informed him.
"I'm aware, but that's not why I can't sleep. Just…" Kanji sighed once again. "Look. Can we talk? Just us?"
The blonde pulled himself up to a sitting position. He yawned one last time before his eyes steeled themselves, becoming more alert and awake.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Look… I just wanted to talk to you a little a bit about your speech from earlier." Kanji said as he started to bite his finger nails. "It… was… what I needed to hear, but… look, I just need to know; you're being serious about your assessment of us?"
"I wouldn't lie." Naruto said.
"Why do you think I'll be a great shinobi?" Kanji asked.
"Hmm?" Naruto frowned. "I already told you; you have great skill with your clan techniques, you have a good strategic mindset, and you've actually picked up on the lightning style jutsu I gave you. You're getting stronger from the criticism I gave you that one time after the graduation test I gave you, which also showed me you're willing to get stronger and you're not stubbornly stuck to 'your way' and all that jazz."
"Hmm…" Kanji pursed his lips as he closed his eyes in thought.
"I think you'll be an amazing shinobi, Kanji." Naruto stated again, his frown deepening. "This isn't the first time you've suggested this feeling, though. You've always said about how you are destined for mediocrity. Why do you think that?"
"Cause I'm not supposed to be." Kanji answered, his lips turning into a frown. "I'm a random Yamanaka shinobi. I'm nobody special in the clan. I'm destined to just be a statistic in our village's casualty list one day."
"Okay, now that's not true!" The jinchūriki's frown turned into a scowl. "Who gave you that idea?"
Kanji was silent for a while. Naruto sat quietly with him. He remained quiet until his student was comfortable enough to speak. After a few seconds, Naruto's scowl faded into and he gave the fellow blonde a gentle smile as he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. Kanji stiffened at the action, but it seemed to finally give him a voice.
"Naruto-sensei, have you ever noticed how many clan-family shinobi are out there? How many various shinobi belong to clans like the Nara, Aburame, Akimichi, Inuzuka, and Yamanaka?" Kanji questioned. "Other than me, how many of them do you know outside of just the clan heads and their immediate family?"
"I know plenty of Nara and Hyūga shinobi-"
"The Hyūga doesn't count. Thanks to the Byakugan, they're a special case. Even the branch shinobi are meant for greatness." Kanji interrupted, frowning. "But you know a few Nara shinobi. Okay. I'm assuming it's cause of that Shikamaru guy that was you teammate, yeah?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Okay then, let me tell you something rather blunt; us 'clan-family' shinobi are meant to be statistics only." Kanji continued to interrupt. "Only the clan head's immediate family is actually going to go somewhere. For the rest of us, we're destined to be middle-of-the-road shinobi, that will receive the rank of chūnin and nothing higher. And usually, we are the ones who are destined to die in war first."
Naruto was quiet for a moment as he let go of his shoulder and looked at his student. He studied the rather neutral, tired look on the blonde's face.
'… Kiba has told me that the lost shinobi war resulted in lots of Inuzuka Clan shinobi dying. And I know that quite a few Nara and Yamanaka shinobi died then as well…' Naruto's eyes started to widen, as he started to notice the pattern that the boy was talking about. 'And I don't know many shinobi from the various clans either. But that's still bullshit! That's not-'
Naruto's widened further as a realization just dawned on his face: "So that's why you hate Ino, huh? You're jealous of her being Inoichi's daughter."
"Hate is a strong word. I don't hate her. Or at least, I try not to hate her." Kanji sighed. "… But yes, I will admit that I'm jealous of her and all the opportunities that she has that I will never have. I am incredibly jealous."
"Ino can't control who her father is." Naruto stated sharply, crossing his arms.
"I'm aware. I understand that it's irrational and all, and that she's a nice girl and she's a good shinobi in her right, but you must understand what I'm talking about! All the coincidences related to all the various clan family shinobi. They aren't coincidences. They're just the way life is." The Yamanaka stated bluntly. "In the end, we're just statistics. No one even cares when a random Yamanaka shinobi dies."
Naruto's face softened again: "You can't actually think that, can you?"
"I do. I watched it happen to my older brother." Kanji admitted.
"You have a brother?" Naruto questioned.
"Had." The Yamanaka corrected. "His name was Yamanaka Fū and he had bright orange hair that no one else had. I really liked it; I always told him it explained his fiery personality." A small, bitter chuckle escaped his lips. "My brother was supposed to be a rising star in the clan and was making tons of headway in the shinobi academy. And then, one day, he just vanished. And no one cared."
"What do you mean?" The Uzumaki asked, frowning. He already knew he was not going to like the answer.
"I don't know. Literally, Fū went to the academy one day and never came back." Kanji answered. Tears were starting to develop in the boy's eyes as he shook his head. "He never showed up at the academy that day. We tried to look for him throughout Konoha and we couldn't find him. He literally just vanished!"
"Kanji…" Naruto's frown deepened as he placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm sorry-"
"And not a damn person cared!" The Yamanaka hissed as he swatted his sensei's hand away. "The academy moved on as if it didn't happen. No shinobi seemed to care. Not even our clan head cared too much; when I asked Inoichi, he just frowned, told me that there was nothing we could do about it, and just move on!"
Kanji's body started to shake slightly. Naruto grabbed for the boy and pulled him into a hug. This time, the Yamanaka did not try and push him away; he, instead, returned the hug.
"W-We had to have a funeral for him, but only my parents, the Hokage, Inoichi, and I were there. No one else came. Cause no one knew him, so no one cared. Because that's just the way it's meant to be." Kanji sobbed. "We're just supposed to be a statistic… that's all…"
Naruto tightened his hug the boy tighter. Kanji stopped talking and proceeded to just cry quietly against the jōnin's shoulder.
It took a minute before he finally stopped crying. When he finished, Naruto let go of the hug. He then looked at his student directly in his still-red eyes.
"I can't say anything about most shinobi, but I can just tell you from my own experience; I see s a lot of potential in you as a shinobi. You're not forgettable; you're an amazing shinobi destined for excellence. And I'm going to make sure you become the shinobi you were meant to be, no matter what!" Naruto told him, smiling.
"Naruto-sensei, that's not-"
"How things are supposed to be?" The jinchūriki interrupted, shaking his head. "The Hyūga Clan is supposed to be divided, but right now, my girlfriend and her cousin are in the process of bridging the gap and uniting the clan into one family. And they're going to do it. As you are going to become a great shinobi!"
Kanji looked downward. He rubbed his eyes, getting rid of any tears that were still in them.
"I think I asked you this when we first met, but now, I am not going to accept any other answer than the truth. What is your dream?" Naruto asked.
The Yamanaka was silent for a few seconds. He took in a deep breath before he looked up again, facing his jōnin-sensei.
"I want to join ANBU, or at the very least, be a strong jōnin." Kanji answered. "I want to be strong enough to prove that a shinobi like me can become one of the greatest shinobi. I want to become strong enough to make my parents and clan proud, keep everyone in my life safe, and be an inspiration for clan family shinobi like me."
"Then we're going to make that happen." Naruto stated sharply as he grinned. "I'm going to do everything in my power to help you grow stronger so you can surpass your own dreams. When I'm done with you, you'll be the frickin ANBU commander!"
A small smile developed on the boy's lips as he shook his head. Tears were, once again, developing in his eyes, but for a seemingly different reason.
"Naruto-sensei, why do you say such cheesy things?" Kanji asked. His smile widened as he tried to wipe away his tears. "I… okay. I don't believe that it's possible for me to be anything but average. But I'm going to believe that you wouldn't lie to me."
"I wouldn't. I wouldn't sugarcoat my thoughts like this." Naruto stated.
The Yamanaka opened his mouth to reply, but he ended up yawning instead. The Uzumaki smirked as he laid back down in his sleeping bag.
"Now, get some sleep." The jōnin suggested. "We're back on the move at sunrise!"
"Yeah, yeah." Kanji shrugged his shoulders as he went back to his own bag.
When the Yamanaka laid down, he was able to fall asleep almost instantly.
Three days of travel had passed quickly. Before too long, Team Nine had arrived back at the gates of Konohagakure, their mission complete and returning home.
"Oh it feels great to be back home!" Katsumi exclaimed. She took in a deep breath as they walked through the village before her smile grew larger. "The air just smells so nice right now!"
"Strange realization. Nothing about the air quality has changed since we've been back in Hi no Kuni. Your nose is probably acting up." Kanji spoke as seriously as he possibly could. Despite his tone-of-voice, he had a large grin on his face. "Let me know if you're getting sick, so that way I can make sure to leaf before I catch something."
"Kanji, I swear to-" The civilian-born shinobi cut herself off as her eyes went to Hanabi, who was eyeing her curiously, before she took in a deep breath and sighed. "Shut up. Just shut up. I'm trying to enjoy being back home, okay?"
"I know you all want to go home right away, but we got some business to take care of first with the Hokage, alright?" Naruto questioned.
The genin team nodded their heads in agreement as they walked through the streets of Konoha. It only took them a few minutes before they found themselves in the Hokage's Office.
The conversation was standard, as Naruto talked to Jiraiya about completing the mission. He mentioned briefly the situation with Kankurō and the treason accusations, but nothing more. When the formalities were finished, Naruto dismissed his genin, who quickly left the room, eager to go back home. Naruto was now alone with his godfather. His eyes moved to the man as he pulled out a scroll.
"Alright, so now that we're alone, let's talk." He said seriously as he placed the scroll on the desk. "There's a lot of shit that went down in Suna. Yakushi Kabuto was the one responsible for that grave robbery I mentioned earlier. There's a lot more to it in that report."
Jiraiya said nothing as he grabbed the scroll and started scanning its contents. His eyes widened with almost each passing word. By the time he finished, he placed the scroll down on his desk and brought his right hand to his head.
"Fucking Kabuto. Everything would be so convenient if we had gotten him killed back then…" Jiraiya grumbled, shaking his head. "We're going to have to strengthen our security even more. There's always the possibility that man could turn up here sometime."
"It's very likely. Although, he suggested he already has a body from this village. That's something I actually wanted to talk about." Naruto stated, crossing his arms. "Jiraiya, what Uzumaki shinobi are buried here in the village?
"I can only recall two shinobi-" Jiraiya's eyes widened in realization. A memory began to resurface in his head, of a conversation that Hiruzen had with him related to the fallout of the Suna-Oto invasion. "Oh God…"
"What?" Naruto's face dropped as he brought his hands to face. "Jiraiya. Please. Don't tell me. He doesn't have my Mom's body on him… does he? My Mom's body is right where it always has been… right? Please…"
"Naruto… I can be fully honest with you. He does not have your mother's body." Jiraiya answered.
Immediately, a sigh of relief escaped Naruto's lips. 'He doesn't have her. Thank God!'
"Naruto, while I understand you must have been worried about your mother and her corpse, it would have been better if he had Kushina's body." Jiraiya stated sharply as a dark look developed on his face. His right hand gripped onto his desk hard, causing some of the wood to come off. "He has Uzumaki Mito's body. He has the corpse of the strongest Uzumaki shinobi, the original jinchūriki to the Kyūbi no Kitsune, and the wife of the Shodai Hokage at his grasp for his research."
Immediately, the sinking feeling returned to Naruto's face as he realized the extent of Jiraiya's words. He felt a strong urge to vomit at the thoughts running in his head.
'Kabuto… I am going to kill you. I am going to fucking kill you!' He internally snarled.
Yakushi Kabuto smirked as he heard thumping footsteps stepping on gravel. He had been waiting at the meeting point – the same cave that he and Sasori had last met in Kaze no Kuni – for at least a full day and was finally excited to make progress.
He waited patiently, his eyes down the path, as a man slowly entered the room. It was a young looking man with short, messy red hair and grey-brown eyes, wearing the standard Akatsuki robes. The man walked forward directly towards Kabuto. The silver-haired shinobi eyed the man in curiosity.
"You aren't wearing that large puppet of yours, Sasori-sama? I'm surprised." Kabuto admitted with a smile. He bowed, almost dramatically, towards the former Suna shinobi. "It's an honor to see you like this."
"Do not patronize me, Kabuto." Sasori replied. No longer wearing the puppet, his voice was slightly higher in tone. It conveyed a much more palpable feeling of annoyance. "I'm currently working on some modifications to Hiruko, so I'm not wearing him right now. Now, let's get this over with. How did your little mission go?"
"Well, let me get the bad news out of the way first." Kabuto said as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yūra and Mukade are dead."
Sasori's eyes narrowed: "Idiots. I'm also impressed that they died after only one directive since regaining their memories." He sighed slightly before his eyes relaxed. "Well, you said that was bad news. I'm assuming you have something positive to say?"
"I do." Kabuto smirked as he pulled out a scroll.
The former right-hand to Orochimaru set the scroll on the ground and made a hand sign. In a poor of smoke, the body of Pakura appeared on the ground. Sasori's eyes widened as he rushed over to her body.
"I'm finished with my experimentation. As promised, here's a body for you to turn into a puppet." He stated.
"… Excellent. Excellent!" Sasori exclaimed as he ran his hand down her cheek. A gleeful smirk developed on his face. "Her body is so well preserved. She'll make an excellent addition to my collection!" His eyes then turned back to Kabuto. "I've already converted the Kaguya into a puppet and he's most formidable. Deidara and I sparred and I was able to take him by surprise with the puppet. His abilities make him most advantageous. I know Pakura will be just as useful."
"I am pleased to hear that." Kabuto smiled in response. "On the topic of Akatsuki, I wanted to ask you something Sasori. What exactly are your goals with the organization?"
"They're an ends to a means." He explained simply. "I intend on living forever and was simply recruited by the one man who has ever been able to beat me into combat. It was more advantageous for me to aid him in cause than simply forfeit my life."
"You are referring to 'Pain', correct?" Kabuto questioned.
Sasori's eyes narrowed on him: "I'd question how you know that name, but I am assuming Orochimaru mentioned him before."
"Precisely. There's a lot that interests me in him, but the thing I am most interested in his end goal to create a new world of peace. And… I don't like it." Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "I'm concerned of the possibility that, in his new world, someone like you or me would be considered a threat to peace. He would certainly not like the idea of immortal beings that could outlive him and potentially create chaos in the political vacuum that would occur after his death."
"You're claiming to have immorality?" Sasori's eyebrow rose.
"No, not yet at least. But that will come in time, given more research." Kabuto dismissed, a smirk developing on his lips. "I noticed that's the first comment you focused on. Not the open concern and threat that I made about your leader."
"Your statement is valid. I am also concerned about an eventual altercation with Pain. If his plan were to succeed, I would be a sitting duck for him to kill if he ever felt reason to distrust me. However, I am certain that he would have no reason to distrust me. I have been loyal to Akatsuki since joining." The red-head's eyes narrowed on the man in front of him. "What exactly are you offering, Kabuto?"
"I discussed a partnership the last time we met. I want to make an end goal sort of established." Kabuto said as he placed a hand of his own on Pakura's body. He quickly sealed it back into the scroll and picked it up. "You and I are both similar in our pursuits and passions. I am dedicated to a life of science and research, intending to obtain immortality to continue Orochimaru-sama's research and master all ninjutsu. You are dedicated to art and making your body and your work last forever. All I am suggesting is that you and I look out for each other to make sure we both can live forever and accomplish our goals."
A scowl developed on Sasori's lips: "I have no intention of betraying Akatsuki."
"And I have not been trying to get you to betray your organization. In the present moment, I have no conflict with Akatsuki." Kabuto answered. "All I'm asking for is for you to look after my back. In exchange, I can provide you with more bodies to convert into puppets. For now, though, please just consider having a separate partnership with me. One that will not conflict with Akatsuki's goals, but will prove all the more beneficial to your real end goal for life."
Sasori said nothing as he brought his hand to his chin in thought.
He was loyal to Akatsuki. Kabuto's remarks were concerning to him and presented the silver haired shinobi as a potential threat to the organization. However, he was right; Kabuto's end goal was more aligned with his own. Working with Kabuto, so long as he did not go against Akatsuki, would be beneficial to him.
The former Suna shinobi watched Kabuto extend the scroll with Pakura's body towards him. After another second of thought, Sasori reached forward and grabbed the scroll, a smirk on his lips.
"So long as you're not a threat against Akatsuki, I will work with you." He stated.
"I promise, I will be no threat. As a matter of fact, I could maybe be an ally to the organization, if they were interested." Kabuto's smirk became malicious.
Quick Notes:
1: So... just making a note here of this. When I first envisioned Kabuto stealing 'a body' from Konoha, it was always meant to be Kushina. It always had been. And then, Riku Uzumaki leaves a review that, to put it as simply possible, does not leave my head. And after reading it, I cannot imagine why Kabuto would not have stolen Mito's body. I wrote the last chapter with the intent of it being Kushina. However... yeah. It makes more sense. So I am changing it. Thankfully, this is not a change that negatively impacts my plans. Everything still works very smoothly. However, I just wanted to address that point. So, thanks Riku Uzumaki for the thought. It had never occurred to me before and I appreciate it! :)
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