章節 68: Chapter 22: Hero's Resolve
Chapter 22: Hero's Resolve
Konoha was still in devastation over the attack it had suffered earlier in the day with various people just now resting, from helping to rebuild parts of the village that were destroyed. The damage although not tremendous, was enough to keep them occupied for a few days.
Tsunade sighed as she stared at the dark sky outside. Turning around she sat down in her seat before looking at the three occupants of the room. The Hokage's advisors Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu and the Kazekage were present.
Gaara was seated in a chair a few feet away from the desk of the Hokage whereas the advisors were standing. Homura adjusted the glasses on his face before speaking, "What exactly are you suggesting?"
Tsunade leaned back in her chair, "Once the repairs are done, we will continue with the finals. There is no need to completely abandon them."
The old lady who went by the name of Koharu spoke next, "Is this fine by you Kazekage-sama."
Gaara answered nonchalantly, "I came here for the finals of the chuunin exams. The council and Kankuro can handle Sunagakure for a few more days." His answer left them with no room for question.
Homura cleared his throat, "The weakness shown today has struck the people with fear. They know they aren't as safe as they believed themselves to be."
Tsunade rubbed her forehead, "We didn't anticipate an aerial attack. A ninja that can drop bombs on you from a hundred feet in the sky isn't common, not to mention that this particular Akatsuki member was believed to be dead."
Koharu calmly addressed the Hokage, "Indeed, we had his information collected; Deidara, an S-class missing-nin, formerly of Iwagakure and now part of the Akatsuki for unknown reasons. Also, previously presumed dead at the hands of Hatake Kakashi."
Homura continued where his fellow advisor left, "They are becoming very daring. They were prepared to attack us for their objective." He paused knowing full well of the gravity of his next suggestion, "We can't let them attain the Kyuubi…even if it means we have to do something about it."
Tsunade raised her head to meet the old mans eyes with a steely glare, "What are you trying to say?"
Koharu spoke on behalf of her comrade, "That we should get rid of the jinchuuriki."
Gaara's eyes twitched as his sand gradually became active. Tsunade felt her fury intensifying as she rose from her seat slamming her hand on the desk, "THAT will not happen while I am here!"
Gaara's sand slowly calmed but he remained as attentive as ever to the discussion. Koharu stood firm, "The fact that they were willing to attack the strongest shinobi village in the world means that they are close to achieving whatever it is they are planning."
The Godaime spat out her words, "They are in no way unbeatable and they've already lost 4 of their members."
Homura remained in his calm demeanour, "The important factor at the moment is them not acquiring Kyuubi. We have no idea why they are pursuing the power of bijuus but if they set them free, the Kitsune will surely be paying us another visit. We can't let that happen."
Tsunade punched her desk destroying it before shouting at the two advisors, "Then maybe we should concentrate on keeping Kyuubi away from them by protecting Naruto!"
The two advisors refrained from speaking as silence loomed over the office of the Hokage. Tsunade calmed herself, "If I hear anything about an attempt to kill Naruto by Danzo's little squad, you will pay for overstepping your authority."
Homura looked a little taken aback at the frankness of the Hokage, "Are you threatening us?"
Tsunade grinned, "I'm promising you." Her eyes held a determined fire fully supporting her earlier comments.
Gaara rose from his seat walking towards the exit. The other three occupants stared at his retreating form wondering what he was doing. Gaara controlled his sand to open the door of the office in order to leave. Before departing he said his final words, "I have heard all that I need to." He paused momentarily before resuming, "If you attempt to kill him…consider your alliance with my village short-lived."
XXXXXXXXXX
Naruto stared at the book in his hands. The attack on the village weighed heavily on his mind. All the destruction happened because Akatsuki came for him. He sighed before placing the book in his pouch.
He was sitting on his small bed; the moonlight reached through his window and illuminated parts of his shadowed room. He rose from his seat and walked over to his assortment of scrolls. He looked through them all before picking out a long yellow one. He had received the scroll from Jiraiya 2 months ago, before he began training.
Pocketing the elegant scroll, he walked towards his door. He had already made his decision on what to do and all that remained was to find the frog hermit. Looking through his pockets, he withdrew a small sachet of powder. He paused for a few moments looking at the white substance before he put it back in the safe confines of his trouser pocket.
He walked towards his apartment door and opened it to leave. As he left his miniature apartment he was taken by surprise when he came face to face with emerald eyes. Closing the door behind him he spoke, voicing his curiosity, "Sakura-chan?"
Sakura looked at the blonde, examining him from head to toe. She had been worried about his condition throughout the day but she had been occupied with treating the injuries some of the citizens sustained earlier on during the attack. Sakura reached her hand forward brushing the shirt the jinchuuriki was wearing. Naruto was still wearing the same attire as he did during the day. There was no jacket, only a torn black shirt and ruined trousers, "I came to see how you were."
Naruto tried to put on a smile but ultimately failed, "Not too bad. My injuries have healed up."
Sakura could see that the genin was disturbed. Trying to cheer him up, she put on a smile before speaking in a playing tone, "You still need to clean up though…or do you like being dirty?" She raised an eyebrow at him at the end of her comment.
Naruto walked past her, "I'm going to clean up later."
Sakura walked behind the Uzumaki as he descended the stairs, "Where are you going?"
Naruto headed onto the street as Sakura walked alongside him, "I needed to find Ero-sennin."
Sakura nodded, "Do you know where to go?"
Naruto focused in front of him as he answered, "He's always at Ichiraku's once he's done his research." Naruto knew that the only reason the perverted hermit would always be at the ramen stand was because of Ayame.
Silence loomed over the pair as Naruto continued onwards to his destination. The streets were deserted leaving only the two ninja walking in solitude. Sakura remained quiet thinking of whether to ask her next question. She had been able to connect all the actions of the jinchuuriki, "Naruto."
Naruto put his hands behind his head as he continued, "Hm?"
Sakura tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, "You knew they were going to attack us didn't you?"
Naruto stopped in his tracks, "…yeah."
Sakura looked at the ground, "Why didn't you ask us for help?" She looked upwards at the shinobi, "What were you afraid of?"
Naruto turned to face the kunoichi, "You have helped." He walked closer to her, "You're going through a lot right now…what need is there to worry you."
Sakura shook her head, "I can handle it."
Naruto closed his eyes before placing his hand on her stomach. Sakura stared at his hand before he spoke, "There's someone else with you now." He opened his eyes looking at the kunoichi and gave a small laugh, "Or have you forgotten?"
Sakura looked into his sapphire eyes surprised by his joking demeanour, "Of course I haven't."
Naruto moved his hand before gently touching her soft cheek, "Even though you beat the crap out of me…I still like everything about you." He stroked her chin with his thumb, "…Over the past month…every time we've been together, you made me forget about my training…I enjoyed spending that time with you…those brief moments, I was happy." He leaned in towards her face, "That helped me enough."
He gave her a soft kiss on her lips. Sakura returned the gesture but couldn't help but feel torn inside. Naruto moved back, "Get some rest, you look tired."
Sakura didn't understand but the jinchuuriki had left her without questions. She nodded before moving towards the direction of her own home. Looking back, the pink-haired medic called out one last time to Naruto who had already began walking towards his destination, "I'll see you tomorrow."
Naruto waved as he continued onwards. He could see the lights of the ramen stand as well as the figure of someone seated at one of the many stools. Normally, it would be hard to identify someone just by seeing their legs but Naruto could see the long white hair of his mentor. He walked into the ramen stand, "Having fun?"
Jiraiya, broken from his lecherous thoughts of Ayame, looked back into the face of Naruto, "I was gaki, until you came."
Naruto didn't pay attention to his words and took a seat at the stool next to the older shinobi, "I'll have a large bowl of miso-ramen."
Ayame nodded at the demon vessel, instantly getting to work. Jiraiya observed the condition of his student, "Things didn't go too well huh?"
Naruto rested his chin on his hands, "No."
Jiraiya scratched the back of his head, "There were two of them, you know."
Naruto looked towards his mentor, "Are you sure?"
Jiraiya poured himself some sake, "Yeah, I found 3 Anbu unconscious. That was after the attack had already started. Whoever took them out was there recently so it couldn't have been the same one who attacked the village."
Naruto moved back as Ayame placed the bowl of ramen in front of him. He picked up the chopsticks before beginning to eat, "Do you know why he didn't join the attack?"
Jiraiya finished his cup of sake before pouring some more, "I'm not sure but I think they're just trying to lure you away from the village."
Naruto swallowed the luscious noodles in his mouth, "Is that so?"
Jiraiya nodded, "So, what are you doing here? You came just to eat?"
Naruto finished his bowl of ramen moving it away from him, "I needed to talk to you…or rather I needed to ask you to do something for me."
Jiraiya placed his cup on the counter, "Go ahead."
Naruto spoke cautiously knowing of the perverted hermits tendencies, "You know when a man and a woman…" He drifted off as Jiraiya raised an eyebrow.
The frog hermit began to think of what he could mean before his eyes widened, he pointed at the jinchuuriki frantically, "You…you…and you call me Ero-sennin." He began to laugh excitedly, "I always knew you were perverted. Great students always take after their teachers."
Ayame looked from her work towards the only two customers in their stand. Her father's attention had also been aroused as he looked at one of the legendary sannin curiously.
Naruto noticed the prying eyes, "Heh heh, he's had too much to drink."
Jiraiya rubbed his hands together, his face a slight shade of red, "Ero-gaki!"
Naruto turned to the now eccentric hermit, "Nani?"
Jiraiya laughed before looking at Teuchi, "Hey, old man, get me a fresh jug of sake!" He turned to face Naruto, "Ero-gaki, that's what I'm going to call you from now on."
Naruto shook his head, "I'm not perverted. I love her."
Jiraiya turned to face the Kyuubi vessel, a devilish grin on his face, "So who's the lucky girl? Eh? Is it the mini-Tsunade?"
Naruto sighed, "Yeah, but that's not what I want to talk to you about."
Teuchi placed the jug of sake in front of Jiraiya who was laughing, "Ero-gaki, Ero-gaki…you're the one who bought it up in the first place."
Naruto noticed his mentor's condition. He knew he wouldn't get a better chance. He pulled Jiraiya's cup towards him as well as the jug of sake. Without the currently haphazard shinobi noticing, he emptied the contents of his sachet into the cup as well as filling it with sake. Glad that his actions didn't catch Jiraiya's attention, he pushed the jug away from him before slamming the cup in the hermit's mouth, "Drink, so you shut up and let me speak."
Jiraiya willingly accepted the cup of sweet sake gulping it down unceremoniously. Naruto began to speak as the frog hermit was occupied, "I need you to pass on something for me."
Jiraiya slammed his cup of sake down on the counter, "What are you talking about?"
Naruto watched Ayame and her father clean up, "I'm going to be a father."
Jiraiya stopped his refilled cup of sake meeting his lips, turning to face his student. Naruto didn't meet his eyes instead reaching into his pouch and withdrawing two items. One of which was a large black book and the other a familiar yellow scroll. He placed them on the counter in front of the curious pervert. Jiraiya picked up the scroll, recognising it to be the one which contained the details of the Hiraishin No Jutsu, "You've learnt it."
Naruto nodded, as Jiraiya picked up the black book examining it intriguingly, "When the time is right…" He spoke in a whisper, "…give them to my child."
Jiraiya observed the genin's behaviour. He knew the pain Naruto had suffered through as a child. He could feel his heart aching as he saw the young shinobi. The frog hermit began to open the book but found his vision began to distort. He shook his head as Naruto rose from his position. The blonde walked behind his mentor who was beginning to feel light-headed, "Forgive me, I didn't want things to end like this."
Jiraiya felt a sharp pain in his neck as Naruto delivered a swift blow rendering him unconscious. The sound of Jiraiya's head meeting the counter top drew the attention of Ayame and her father. They turned to face Naruto who laughed, scratching the back of his head, "I think he's drank enough for today."
He pocketed the book and scroll before paying the money for the sake as well as his ramen. Placing Jiraiya's arm around himself, he left the stand in the direction of his house. He jumped from the top of the buildings towards his home pausing momentarily as he landed close to Sakura's home. He stared at the window, able to see a silhouette of the person sleeping in the bed, 'Arigatou for everything…Sakura-chan.'
He took off once again silently speeding across Konoha before reaching his apartment. Walking towards his door, he kicked it open before making his way inside. He walked into the kitchen; the only sound was Jiraiya's feet being dragged across the wooden boards of his floor. He dropped the unconscious shinobi onto the chair next to his small table. Pulling out the book and elegant scroll from his pouch, he placed them on the table next to Jiraiya. The frog hermit's face was expressionless as he dwelled in nothingness.
"I know that I can't forbid you from using it now. But try not to utilize it unless you absolutely have to."
The words of the legendary sannin echoed in the corners of his mind, his hand brushed across the seal on his left forearm, "Gomen, I might not have much of a choice."
He turned heading into the bedroom. Walking towards his small drawer of clothes he opened the compartment at the bottom. He moved the articles of clothing out of the way revealing an elegantly wrapped package. He picked it up walking to his bed, not bothering to close the small compartment. He stared at the last gift he had received from the now deceased Sandaime. His thoughts drifted to the day where he learnt an important lesson.
Flashback
The Sandaime chuckled as he saw the brooding young boy seated on the floor in front of him. Naruto had his face turned to the side, his legs crossed. The Sarutobi shook his head, before picking up a piece of paper from his desk. On it was a picture of the blonde jinchuuriki but it had to be retaken so it looked more normal. "It looks much better this way."
Naruto paid no attention, "It took me three hours to get it done the other way." He emphasised the word three.
The Sandaime chuckled again at his childish behaviour. He had seen the genin's interaction with his grandson earlier in the day. They had departed ways just as the sun was beginning to set. On his way home, Naruto was intercepted by one of Konoha's jounin before being forced to retake his picture. The sun was still in the process of setting changing the normally bright blue sky into a shade of red.
There was a silence for a few minutes before the Sandaime spoke, "Most families reward their children when they graduate to become one of Konoha's shinobi."
Naruto eyes twitched, briefly letting show his uneasiness at the word family, but the revelation was gone as quick as it came. "What's your point old man?"
The Sandaime rose from his position picking up a package from the floor before walking towards the genin. Naruto stared at the approaching Hokage as he sat down in front of him cross legged. His attention was on the package in his hands.
The Sandaime placed it in the blonde's lap, "This is my reward to you."
Naruto looked at the package unmoving. He felt a range of emotions flow through him ultimately ending in a sense of gratitude. He slowly undid the wrapping exposing a set of clothes. He stared at the ensemble; a sleeveless black shirt with patterns of fire on it's back as well as three quarter trousers with similar patterns running up its sides.
The Sandaime looked at the genin who was curiously gazing at the clothes, "What do you think?"
Naruto turned the set of clothes around examining the fire design. "They're too big for me."
The Sandaime gave another of one of his hearty chuckles before getting up and walking towards his desk, "They should be, I received them when I was 17…they were a gift to me from the Shodaime and Nidaime."
Naruto looked up at the Hokage, "The Shodaime and Nidaime?"
The Sandaime nodded, "That's right."
Naruto turned his attention back to the clothes in his hands, "Why are you giving them to me?"
The Sandaime turned to face the young genin, a serious expression across his visage, "The patterns on those clothes…they symbolise the will of fire."
Naruto looked at the powerful flames, "Will of fire?"
The Hokage walked towards him, "The will to protect our village… the will to protect our ideals… the will to protect our precious people…even at the cost of our lives."
Naruto listened to the words of wisdom before rising to his feet, "That's the will of fire?"
The Sandaime placed his hand on the shoulder of Naruto, smiling down at the young shinobi, "Hai, there will come a time Naruto, when you may have to stand up and fight even at the cost of your own life…what will you fight for? What is more important than anything else? I believe you will understand…at that time wear these with pride like I did before you."
Naruto looked at the old man whom he considered a grand father, the tears in his eyes restrained partially. He moved forward giving him a hug. The Sandaime smiled returning the embrace.
End Flashback
Naruto had a smile across his face as he remembered the Sandaime. Discarding his current attire, he changed into the clothes that had been passed down from the founder of Konoha. He sat down on his bed, wrapping a set of bandages from his forearms to his wrist. Looking at the small cabinet to the side of his bed, he picked up the leaf headband placed on it. He rose from his position tying it around his forehead. He walked towards his kitchen picking up the bouquet of flowers he had bought earlier. Before leaving, he gave one last glance at the unconscious hermit and the book near him. Closing his eyes he smiled before departing the small apartment and jumping across the rooftops towards his destination.
The wind blew roughly, brushing his naked arms and ruffling his yellow hair. The stars shimmered gloriously next to the moon, brightening the dark streets of Konoha. He ran across the bridge where Team 7 would always meet before reaching his destination. He slowed in pace walking towards the large grave of the man who died protecting Konoha.
He stood calmly, the flowers still in his hands. The atmosphere was extremely peaceful, no sounds emanating except the whistling of the wind. He stared at the name carved on the grave before bending onto one knee and placing the beautiful flowers down.
He remembered all the times he had spent with the Sandaime; every time they looked at the monument of the Hokages or those few days when they would eat ramen together. Naruto smiled, "I never had the chance to tell you when you were alive…but everything you taught me…I'm grateful for all of it."
He looked on as a butterfly flew in front of his eyes; he put out his finger as the small creature landed softly. "Today, the people of this village felt fear…their hearts trembled…"
He rose to his feet letting out his hand as the butterfly took off, "I'll make sure their hearts fly…that feeling of peace…I'll bring it to them." He wiped a solitary tear from his eye, "…I won't fail you." The thoughts of his companions as well as the people of Konoha filled his mind, "…and I won't fail them."
He turned to embark on his personal quest. A feeling of harmony and determination flowing through him and the words of the Sandaime in his mind, as he left the village of his birth.
"I believe in you Naruto…"
Hiraishin No Jutsu - Flying Thunder God Technique
每周推薦票狀態
-- 推薦票
榜單 
-- 推薦票