After Sasuke tried to bash his own head against the wall for revealing such embarrassing thoughts, he finally took some time to calm down.
"Better?" Naruto grinned from ear to ear, he had the whole thing recorded, and later, with Itachi-chan's help, he can input Sasuke's mental thoughts into the recording as well!
Sasuke's expression wasn't the greatest, but knowing he can't take back what was done, he took in a deep breathe and asked.
"You...wh-what's your name" He asked after struggling a great deal.
Naruto leaned on one hand
"My name? Is it important?"
"To me, it is" Sasuke replied
"...is this a proposal~? Aw~, how sweet of you, sorry, but I have someone I like~" Naruto winked at him with a playful grin.
"..." Sasuke's hand instinctively grabbed the hilt of his sword
'Why does this attitude remind me of...' His mind went back to when he was thirteen, and how Naruto grabbed his hand for the two of them to pass Kakashi's test...
Just the thought of that memory made him shudder, be it the interlocked fingers, or Naruto winking at him as he faked a blush.
Now, this so called assistant is doing something similar, and their images overlapped.
"Take this seriously" He growled
"How co~ld, if you really want to know my name...I should tell you something about me first" Naruto grinned
Sasuke tapped his finger against his arm in frustration
"What?" He asked impatiently
"You see, there are two types of people who I dislike" He said with a grin
"What type?"
"The first type, are those who don't finish what they are talking about" Naruto grinned
"And the second?" Sasuke asked
Naruto sat there, smiling at him. The next moment, he teleported away! He frickin vanished after saying one thing!
'What about the second type? And he didn't even tell me his name! That b*stard!' Sasuke's rage reached the pinnacle, and for a moment, he felt his sharingan throb...
'Oh my...at this rate, his sharingan will become the mangekyo sharingan without even losing someone close to him' Itachi-chan joked
Sasuke stood up and turned to Itachi-chan
"Tell me how I can get stronger!" He said
'Oh? Finally putting the pride away? You only ever treated me as a sparring partner before, now you're willing to put it all away? Really?' She asked as she floated closer
Sasuke's body trembled
"Yes"
'Hehehe, my dear brother, I will make sure you become much...much stronger'
All this time, she has only trained him inside the dream scape, so the only thing she could teach was hand to hand combat, but now that he is willing to accept teachings outside of the dream world, the variation has increased drastically.
She let out a hearty laugh
'Just don't cry once we begin' She smiled
"Who do you think I am" Sasuke spat
Itachi-chan floated closer, and placed a finger under his chin
'Then...let's begin training'
-Days later-
In the Hyuga compound, Hinata returned to bother Neji with numerous sparring matches, causing him to almost cry. He thought he could finally escape now that she set her sights on Hiashi, but he was wrong!
Hiashi was slipperier than expected, and he escaped whenever Hinata has the intention of sparring!
And even when he didn't escape in time, he had so many excuses to bail! Even today, he claimed he was seeing a special guest!?
But at this moment, Hiashi was indeed meeting someone, and depending on how the meeting goes, this person might indeed be 'special'.
Inside his office, Hiashi sat face to face with a young girl-ahem, young boy, Haku. The two spoke with a smile on their faces, seemingly casual and calm.
From afar, it was a calm meeting, but as one approached, they would hear a subtle tension within each word from Hiashi.
"I heard you and my daughter are close" Hiashi asked with a smile
"I wouldn't say close, but she comes over to my place often" Haku responded respectfully
"Kugh, I see" Hiashi faltered a little, but he maintained his smile
"What is she like usually?" He asked
Haku rubbed his chin, as an idea came to his mind. Hiashi may not have acted the part in her early life, but he is definitely showing signs of becoming an overprotective father.
He also knew the outcome of Naruto and Inoichi's little conflicts due to said nature, so he started to make notes on how to counteract such a possibility with Hiashi.
The tension from Hiashi certainly isn't a good sign
"She is strong willed and determined, but there are times where she show a weak side" Haku said
"Oh?" Hiashi leaned over
"When?" He asked
Haku smiled
"When she talks to Naruto, cause she's had a crush on him since young"
*Crack*
Hiashi's smile was still there, but the mood had shifted drastically.
"Crush?" He asked
"Yes, she's openly declared it multiple times" Haku nodded
"I see, hahaha, perhaps I should take a break from managing the clan for a bit, take a walk, some fresh air...and visit someone" He said as his smile slowly dropped
"That's a great idea, managing a clan isn't easy, you can't spend all your time working" Haku acted oblivious to his statement, and said with a sweet smile.
Hiashi nodded
"Yes, a break is needed, should it be the hands or legs that breaks" He muttered the second half
Haku pretended not to hear it, and continued to smile
*Achoo*
Naruto sneezed at this moment
"I sense trouble" He muttered, not realising Haku had used him as a scapegoat in his journey to pursuit Hinata.
Hiashi leaned back onto his chair as his smile slowly returned
"But, let's talk about your thoughts, after all, you're not all clean either, are you?" He asked
Haku smiled back
"Well, I did openly tell you that I like Hinata, didn't I?" He laughed
"Seems like you remember, if you hadn't told me, maybe you could have diverted my attention to Naruto completely" Hiashi said calmly
Haku sighed quietly
"It cannot be helped, Hinata and Neji were too tense at that time to properly talk to you, I couldn't think of anything to help them calm their nerves, so I decided to draw your attention to me, and give them time to calm down" He said, his smile was a little low as he shifted his gaze to the side.
Hiashi listened as a faint smile grew on his face, feeling a little intrigued
"So you outed yourself so they can talk to me with a better mindset?"
"Something like that" Haku replied
"By the way, Hinata cried because Naruto rejected her" He quickly added
"..."
"I'll be right back" Hiashi stood up and said
Haku felt a strong pressure from Hiashi at this moment...why does his Byakugan look red??? Bloodshot eyes perhaps? That must be it...right?
If Naruto was here, he'd explain it in two words...dad mode. He would then take the time to escape out the village.
As for right now, Haku knew he had succeeded at directing Hiashi's attention to Naruto, so he felt quite at ease.
"I should go spar with Neji and Hinata now~" Haku smiled
In the following days, Haku would often train with Zabuza, then go to spar with Hinata and Neji, it was a simple schedule, but also quite compact as Zabuza isn't one to go easy on him during training.
As for Naruto...
*Bang*
Naruto burst into Tsunade's office and jumped behind her chair before hiding behind.
"What the-"
*Step*
A figure stepped inside the office, someone Tsunade doesn't see often.
"Lady Tsunade, sorry for the disturbance" It was Hiashi, he was an apologetic smile on his face as he walked on.
"No worries, but...what's going on?" She asked
"Hahaha, nothing much, I'm just...doing a training exercise with Naruto, who seems to be hiding behind you" He said with his Byakugan activated, sensing the second chakra flow behind Tsunade...
"...he is" She replied
"Right, so I'll just pick him up and-"
"But you're chasing the wrong person, this is a clone" She said
"..." Hiashi's expression darkened
"This is already the fifteenth clone I found, just how many does he have running around the village" He muttered
Tsunade chuckled
"Finding him isn't easy, unless he goes to you himself, it's hard for even me to get a hold on him" She replied
"Not to mention, he's so frequently chased by Inoichi, did you think he didn't develop countermeasures? The clones around the village acts as both a informants, and distractions, if one clone is caught, the information is transferred back to the main body, so he is constantly updated on your whereabouts" She explained
"Tsk"
Hiashi clicked his tongue, then glared at the clone who hid behind Tsunde.
"Why are you chasing him anyway? For wheat I know, Naruto and Hinata aren't dating, so I don't see a reason as to why you'd be acting like Inoichi" Tsunade asked
'If anything, doesn't that Haku kid have a fling for your kid?' She thought
"Hah, that kid made Hinata sad, so naturally, as a father, I should be standing up for her" He replied
Naruto's clone clicked his tongue, so that was why! All his other clones got chased down without getting much information, but now, with Tsunade's help, he understood why Hiashi was hunting him down.
"Well, you keep doing what you're doing, I'll be minding my own business" She said as she turned back to the table of paperwork.
The clone decided to dispel itself to transfer the information back to the main body, who began to contemplate the situation.
'The fact that Hiashi only found out now is likely since they started to interact more, however, Hinata and Neji are not the type to mention such a thing, if anything, they'd rather keep quiet about it, and counting the people who goes to the Hyuga clan...than only leaves you, nii-san' Naruto thought
"But why would he do that?" He muttered
At this moment, Naruto himself wasn't even in Konoha as he knew Hiashi was hunting him down, and now that he knew the reason, he was a little speechless.
"Hah, so if I chase after a girl, the dad hunts me down, if I reject her, the dad also hunts me down...what does this world want from me?" He looked up and a drop of tear ran down his face
He shook his head
"Well, whatever nii-san's reason is, I'll be a benevolent brother" Naruto said
[You'll forgive him?] Kurama asked
"Huh? When did I say that?"
[...]
"If it was anyone else who did this to me, I'd hunt them down, turn them into the opposite gender, and have that recording spread across the entire shinobi world" Naruto said with a smile
[And what about Haku then?]
"Since he's my dearest brother...I'll forgo the hunting down part" Naruto smiled
[Hah?] So, he's going to do everything else he mentioned!?
Naruto took out a scroll
"If I remember correctly, it was here~" Naruto licked the side of his lips as he searched through his massive list of recordings.
Soon, he came upon on, the recording where he had used the gender bend jutsu on Ino and Haku at the same time because they threw hands with him.
"Here, now I just need to adjust it a bit" He cut out the section with Ino, leaving only Haku
"And there we go, I'll be nice and only spread it around my friend group, especially Hinata" He let out a sinister laugh as he took out dozens of empty scrolls, and filled each scroll with the recording of Haku.
Once the scrolls were made, Naruto teleported back to Konoha, and created dozens of clones, assigning each of them with a scroll.
"Nii-san, have fu~n" He laughed before teleporting away.
In just two days, all of Naruto's acquaintances had received the scroll, and it didn't even take them two seconds for a few to realise why he had done this.
Everyone knew that Hiashi was chasing Naruto down, and a few knew that Haku has feelings for Hinata. It was obvious, Haku said something to Hiashi so he'd shift his attention away from himself while he goes to chase Hinata.
The three who understood this the fastest were Hinata, Neji, and finally...Sakura. Everyone held the scroll in their hands whilst holding back laughter, and as for Haku...
One day, during training, Haku noticed that Hinata and Neji weren't battling, nor resting, they were looking down at something. They were looking at it quite intently, as they didn't notice Haku approaching behind, so by the time they realised, he already caught a glimpse of what they were looking at.
It was a scroll, a scroll he vowed to exterminate, a scroll that held one of his most embarrassing moments...
Dressing like a girl a vastly different to actually becoming one, so to Haku, who experienced that transformation, it was a massive humiliation.
So when he saw Hinata and Neji with that scroll, he knew it was Naruto's payback for what he did. But that wasn't the issue, the issue now is that these two quickly hid it, and tried to pretend nothing happened...
"Th-That...forget that, in fact, d-destroy that scroll" A blush appeared on Haku's face as he stuttered
Hinata hid the scroll behind her back and coughed
"What? What scroll?" Hinata replied
"..." The red colour on Haku's face became even more vibrant, and Hinata had to admit, it was fun teasing him.
Haku is usually quite calm and indifferent, but when he blushes, it brings out a new charm.
She almost had the urge to say "You wouldn't want this to spread? Would you?", however, since she and Neji both got one, it's likely Naruto already started spreading it to other people as well.
Haku covered his face with his hands, unable to look at them directly.
"I shouldn't have antagonised him" He muttered quietly, his voice almost as quiet as a mosquito's.
He clenched his fists
'Since I started this, I can't show weakness, and see this through' He thought as he steeled his heart.
"I won't be joining today" He said to Hinata and Neji before leaving
Hinata thought she that she may have pushed him a bit too much, and felt a little guilty seeing him leave so abruptly.
"I'll go after him and apologise, as for the scroll...destroy yours" Hinata said
"What about the one you have?" Neji asked
"...anyway, I'll go find him now" Hinata said as she left hastily
Neji's lips twitched, so she's keeping it?
Hinata followed Neji, who for some reason, went to a bookstore and purchased a large number of books. After he left, she entered and inquired about the book Haku bought, and the shop owner gave her a faint chuckle.
"Young girls these days" He shook his head and went to fetch the book Haku bought
He passed the book to Hinata, who decided to purchase it first. After that, she left the store and opened the book.
It was a story she found familiar...hold on...why do the characters seem to resemble a certain yellow haired fox boy, and a black haired Uchiha boy?
Not to mention, with how the story is going...it's a love story!? She found herself reading more and more deeply, and when she got to the end, she shut the book with a red face.
"T-To think Naruto-kun...h-had such a relationship with Sasuke" She muttered
But then she shook her head
"No, no, that's not how it turned out!" She held the book tightly...
"I'll keep it for now" She muttered as she tucked it away
But at least now, she knew why Haku came here. He's here for revenge! It seems he's about to do something similar, and spread this love book around!
However, that gave Hinata another question...who wrote this book!? And why is it so in line with Naruto's life as well!?
As she was thinking about all this, she couldn't help but feel that she forgot about something...
'Wait, Haku! I was meant to follow him!' She exclaimed in her heart
She began searching for him again, but in the end, he was nowhere to be found. After searching for a while longer, she gave up, if Haku had the heart to go buy those books, then it means he wasn't really hurt by her actions.
Though she decided to still apologise after meeting him again.
As for Haku, over the days, he took a less direct approach than Naruto. When he visited people, he would subtly mention the book casually, and when the person got curious, he would 'coincidentally' have a copy on hand.
Other times, he would visit, and 'accidentally' leave the book behind when he left. Like this, he gave many people that book, and naturally, Naruto's 'relationship' with Sasuke also began to spread.
"Bestie, bad news!" Sasuke ran into the flower shop owned by Ino's family with that book in hand
"What is it?" Ino asked
"The book containing Naruto and Sasuke's deepening relationship has spread" She exclaimed
Ino lifted a brow
"Bestie...why are you acting so shocked when you provided half the information in that book?" Ino didn't look surprised, rather, she was a little speechless in regards to Sakura's reaction.
If she had the guts to work with Jiraiya to make the book, why should she be scared about it spreading?
"Uh...come in bestie, that's such a boring reaction, I was hoping to see you shocked at least" Sakura sighed as she tucked it away
Ino rolled her eyes
"Well? It's not a big deal" She replied
"Pfft, not a big deal? People all think Naruto is stepping in two boats at once between you and Sasuke" Sakura chuckled
"Then shouldn't you be the one that's scared? If Sasuke comes back and sees this, won't people try pushing him with Na-kun? When that happens, it'll be you crying~" Ino chuckled
"Hah? You'll be in the same boat then! Naruto would be pushed with Sasuke, so won't you also be affected?"
Ino placed her hands on her waist with a triumphant huff
"Fufufu, that is because Na-kun will always be mine" She said proudly, leaving Sakura speechless
"Well, whatever, those two will be fighting tooth and nail with one another if they meet, but aren't you worried about Naruto's reputation?" Sakura asked
Ino shrugged
"He said he has nothing to lose in terms of reputation anyways, he wouldn't care" She replied
"Really now?" Sakura squinted her eyes and asked
"Probably" Ino laughed
"You sure are casual about this"
"Worrying about things doesn't solve anything~" Ino responded
Sakura lifted a brow
"How...mature of you" She said
"Praise me more" Ino laughed
"I see Naruto's infected you with his shamelessness, be more humble next time" Sakura sighed, knowing the reaction she wanted from Ino won't be happening.
Ino grinned in response
"Hehe"
Meanwhile, Naruto received a message from one of his clones that Tsunade wishes to meet him in person, so he teleported over.
"Another mission?" He asked
"Mn, the difficulty is uncertain with it being a peace talk, so I decided that sending you would be best, alongside team Guy and Sakura, Guy is busy, so Kurenai will be watching over this mission" She said
"Aren't I a Jonin as well? Why do we need another?"
"Normally yes, I'd let you go alone, but I'm scared you'll stir sh*t up and kill thousands, a peace talk isn't exactly your forte, your main role is to stand guard in case anything does happen, while Kurenai will do the talking" Tsunade replied
"...wow, you have no faith in me when it comes to this, do you?"
"I have extremely high confidence in you, I'm confident you can fend off enemies, and I'm also confident you will cause the peace talk to fall through if you open your mouth, the confidence I have in you is immeasurable" Tsunade said with a smile
"...sis, honesty is a policy, but it hurts, y'know? Say less truth next time, kay?"
"I'll think about it" Tsunade smiled
Naruto sighed
"Well, when do we set off?"
"The team is organised already, meet them at the main gate in an hour" She replied
"Kay~"
At that moment, Naruto sneezed
"Caught a cold?" Tsunade asked
"Nah, someone's talking about me behind my ba-achoo" He sneezed again
"Correct, lots, a lot of people-achoo" Naruto rubbed his nose as he sneezed once more
Tsunade was a little speechless, so he sneezes whenever someone talks about him behind his back?
"I think it's a cold" Tsunade suggested
"If it were a-achoo- a cold, I'd have you-achoo, cure me already, and I have more than enough medicine for simple-achoo- colds" He said with a straight face
"But it is odd, I don't usually have this many people sh*t talking about me before" He added
Tsunade's lips twitched, she wanted to laugh, but she also felt confused about this whole thing.
"Probably that" She muttered
"Hm?"
"Nothing" Tsunade shook her head
"Go prepare, I have work to do" Tsunade urged
"More like you have work for Shiki to do" Naruto retorted
"Counterpoint, it's not just him, I also have Shizune" Tsunade replied proudly
"That's my sis~" Naruto grinned
*Achoo*
He sneezed right after speaking.
"You should get that checked out" Tsunade said
"You're the best doctor in the village" Naruto replied
"...come here" Tsunade sighed
After a thorough check...there was nothing wrong...
"..."
"See, I told you, people are talking sh*t about me right now, I'm sure it'll die off soon" Naruto said
For the first time, Tsunade was stumped by a person's medical problem. This is obviously a strange body reflex, yet she can't find the source! Could it really be as he said, that he can tell when some talks behind his back???
It didn't make sense!
"Actually, I have another issue" Naruto said
"What?"
"For some reason, when Sasuke yells my name really, really loud, I instinctively shout his name back to him" He said with a serious expression
"...go flaunt your bi-sexual desires elsewhere" She snapped
"Oi oi oi, I was neither flaunting it, nor is it my desire" Naruto said
"So you are bi?" Tsunade lifted a brow and asked
"Is that your focus?" Naruto gasped
"Why wouldn't it be? I just learned my little brother might really get seduced by Sasuke" Tsunade replied
"He's nowhere near as charming as Ino~" Naruto hummed
"Heh, and yet you respond when he calls you out of instinct" Tsunade replied
"Bah, that's an issue with fate, a natural world order, a phenomenon of the world, not something I, a mere mortal, can control" Naruto shrugged
"Keep telling yourself that" Tsunade chuckled
After their little back and forth banter, Naruto left for the main gate of the village, where he found the rest of the team already there, waiting.
"I know I usually say the most important person arrives last, but I came an hour early, and you're all already gathered?" Naruto exclaimed in shock
"I've got nothing to bring, so I just came to wait" Lee said with an earnest expression
"I needed to run from Hinata's obsessive spars" Neji replied, after Hinata left to find Haku earlier, he received the message, and didn't think twice before leaving.
"I always have everything on me" Tenten said with a peace sign
Kurenai glanced at the three, and focused on Neji
"Is...Hinata that scary?" She asked
"Sensei, are you really in charge of her team? Or are you pretending not to know?" Neji exclaimed
"She's usually quite well behaved, well, there are times she is a bit...extreme" She replied
"Point proven"
Naruto then pushed in
"Enough chatter about that, what's the mission about? Sis only told me that it's a peace talk"
Kurenai sighed
"It's a peace talk with Kusagakure" She replied
"That place? Don't we already have an alliance with them?" Naruto asked
"It seems that they're bringing up the old incident during the third Shinobi war where we destroyed the bridge leading to Iwagakure, resulting in a massive financial issue, but that's what confuses us, Konoha definitely gave them proper reimbursement during the time" She replied
Naruto shrugged
"Whatever, let's just get it done and over with" He said
"So boss, how do you want me to handle this? Would you rather them accept our terms willingly, or unwillingly?" He grinned
"...Naruto, I was asked to keep you out of the peace talk when it happens, just stand guard outside when it happens" Kurenai said
"..."
Naruto slowly turned around, placed his hands behind his back as he looked up into the sky with a look of melancholy on his face.
Slowly, he sighed
"Even my team shuns me, oh world, why have you forsaken me?" He muttered
"Naruto, stop being a drama queen and follow along, we're leaving" Kurenai said, and when Naruto turned around, he realised everyone already started to leave!
Damn, no one respects his act!
"Wait, isn't it still an hour away before departure?"
"Why wait when we're all here" Kurenai replied
Grumbling under his breath, Naruto followed behind.
During this trip, everyone noticed something was off with Naruto, as he would sneeze every so often.
"Did you catch a cold?" Tenten asked
"Nah, people are talking about me behind my back" Naruto replied as he rubbed his nose
"Eh? Wait, could it be..." Tenten came to a realisation
"What? You know who is doing it?" Naruto asked
Tenten coughed as a faint blush appeared on her face. She turned to Neji, who seems to understand what she is thinking about, then at Lee...who was clueless.
Sakura however, snickered
"What?" Naruto asked again
"Nothing...just thinking about your great relationship with Sasuke" Sakura said
"...hah?"
"You know, your affectionate tales" Tenten chipped in
"Quite a loving story" Neji added
Kurenai and Lee however were completely out of the loop, while Naruto was just as confused.
With a grin, Tenten pulled out a book and flashed it in front of him
"Tada~ a story about your love with...Sasuke~kun hehe" Tenten grinned, awaiting a response from Naruto.
The other two also glanced over to him, wanting to know how he'd react.
Naruto was stunned at first, but when he saw that book, he settled down quickly.
"Oh, that, it's quite well written, though I had to complain that it portrayed Sasuke as the top in the relationship, but that also answers my question as to why people kept talking about me behind my back" Naruto said as he rubbed his chin
????
The look of anger and embarrassment didn't happen, instead...he seems really frickin calm about it! He even had a complaint about who is the top!? Wait, shouldn't his focus be on something else!?
"Y-You read it?" Tenten asked
"Yeah, I read it with Ino" He replied calmly
!?!?!?!
It was one thing that he read it, but he read it with Ino!?
"She's the one who provided information for the book after all, her and Sakura worked with Jiraiya to write it, otherwise, how did you think it's so in depth about my life?" He replied
Tenten's eyes twitched
"Y-You're not angry about this?" She asked
Naruto wore a blank face, his eyes portrayed zero emotions whatsoever.
"Why would I be?" He asked
"I-I mean, you're portrayed to be into the same gender in this book, won't most people be quite angry about this? It's also without your permission" She said
Naruto waved his hands and chuckled
"Who cares about the gender crap, if I've already kissed the guy, a fake story hardly matters, and as for my permission, Jiraiya later approached me and offered me a fifty/fifty split for the book's sales, so I agreed" He said casually
"...oh my lord" Tenten gasped
Neji and Sakura both gasped as well, not expecting such a response from Naruto at ALL! And he even brought up the matter about kissing him!? That was such old news, and he had the gals to bring it up!?
Sakura grabbed his shoulders
"Wh-What you said back then, a-about being my love rival, that's a joke, right? Right!" She asked
Naruto rolled his eyes
"I've got Ino, end of story" He replied lazily, being rather sick of people asking that
"So gender was never a problem for you!" She asked again
Naruto sighed
"Why did you help write that book if you're so bothered about this?" He asked
"Because I never expected you to actually like guys!"
"Sakura, I think you've gotten your perception of me all wrong, I don't like guys, I like the person I fall in love with" He replied calmly
Hearing this, Sakura slowly calmed down, she took in a deep breath as she stared at him
"Calm?" He asked
"I'm calm" She said as she pulled her hands back
"Good, any more questions?" He asked the others
"Me" Lee raised his hand
"Yes?"
"I have no idea what's happening, can someone explain?" He asked innocently
Seeing this, Naruto patted his shoulder
"Lee...never change, you are too pure for this world" He said sincerely
"Huh?" Lee was genuinely baffled, but seeing that Naruto seems quite sincere, he took it in good light and nodded
"Right" He smiled
Kurenai was quite baffled by all this
'I am still single...yet these kids have such intense drama happening between them all already!?' She was rather amazed that such young children can have such fruitful tales...
The stories were all spicy as well! What was it about Naruto and Sasuke kissing? They have a book about their love? Sakura is in on this love triangle? So much is happening!
'This trip...probably won't be boring with these kids bantering'
And reality proved her right
"Wait, so the reason you gave me that scroll with Haku-san turning into a girl was because he threw you under the bus so he can pursue Hinata!?" Tenten gasped
"Yep, Hiashi chased my clones down for days because of nii-san's plan, hah, what a waste of my chakra" Naruto sighed
"Guess the book was his revenge" She said
"Not much of a revenge, only Sasuke would care about such a thing" Naruto said, remembering Sasuke's reaction when he had him read that very book.
"I can't tell if I should be impressed by this or not" Tenten muttered
The trip was filled with banter, and it wasn't long before Kusagakure was in view. The team stopped at the entrance, where a man wearing a long black cloak stood.
"Long black coat, long black hair, he certainly likes the colour black, in fact, I think he likes it long and bl-mrf" Before Naruto finished what he was going to say, Tenten and Neji acted fast, and slapped his mouth shut.
'Hokage-sama was right, we can't let him speak during the peace talk' Kurenai gulped, if Naruto finished what he said, that man may very well want to attack him directly!
Unfortunately, that man heard everything, and veins bulged form his forehead, but he did his best to hold it in.
"Welcome, shinobi from Konoha, I am Mui, warden of the blood prison, and the one who will be in charge of the meeting" He said with the calmest face he could maintain.
"Hello, I am Kurenai Yuhi, I was sent by the Hokage to take charge of this talk...and I apologise for my team member's remark" Kurenai responded.
He gave a faint nod in return, then the two shook hands as greeting, but when the others were about to introduce themselves, he turned around and started to walk back into the village.
"The elders are waiting inside" He said
His disregard for the others made Kurenai frown faintly, to blatantly ignore the shinobi of Konoha, it was incredibly disrespectful.
"Annoyed already? Don't worry, if the peace talk goes south, I can ensure they agree to all our terms 'willingly', just wink at me when you need my help" Naruto grinned at Kurenai
"Wow, really?" Lee gasped
"Of course" Naruto rubbed his nose and said proudly
"Ignore him Lee, or you'll be infected by his stupidity" Tenten pulled Lee away and sighed
Sakura then passed by him and slapped his back
"Don't start a war, and Tsunade-sama will already be surprised" She hummed and followed the rest
Naruto sighed
"Woe is me" He shook his head and followed along
[Hm?] When they entered the village, Kurama's voice sounded with clear interest
'What?'
It was rare for Kurama to show interest in anything, so he was curious
[This village...it has an interesting object] Kurama chuckled
'Oh? What is it?' Naruto's interest was instantly piqued, if even Kurama said it's interesting, then it had to be.
[Not sure, but it has a strange chakra resonance, in any case, it contains immense chakra, and isn't anything from this era]
'Can you locate it?'
[Hm...odd, I can clearly sense it, but it's as if my senses are distorted]
Naruto frowned
'Keep trying to find it, if not, I'll send clones to investigate in the future' Naruto said
[I'll see what I can do]
The group followed Mui through the village, soon entering a large hall where elders of Kusagakure awaited them. Mui took a seat at the furthest seat down, with Kurenai sitting by the side, and the rest of the groups standing behind her.
"Welcome" The elders greeted with a smile
"Let's be direct, Konoha has already reimbursed Kusagakure for the bridge, so why are we in need to talk about this matter again" Kurenai went straight to the point, her voice was firm and carried strong dignity.
Mui leaned back
"Indeed, Konoha has already reimbursed, which is why I don't quite understand either" Mui said, which surprised Kurenai, as well as the others.
The elders shook their heads
"They reimbursed us for the cost of rebuilding the bridge, but do you know how much we lost over the years while the bridge was being rebuilt? Trade has gone down by almost half!" One of the elders said with his brows furrowed
Kurenai crossed her arms as a frown grew on her face
"Yet you mentioned nothing when agreeing to Konoha's suggestion, even when you were reimbursed, nothing like this was mentioned until now" She said
"W-Well, we initially thought that it would be too much of a burden on Konoha after the war, but as time went on, our village began to decline" Another elder said in a hurry
Kurenai's expression darkened, that was an elaborate way of saying they needed funds right now, and needs support, yet they make it sound as if it was Konoha's fault.
Mui, at this moment, slammed his hand against the table.
"Enough! Are you all not ashamed? When you requested for this meeting, I thought you had a proper reason!" He yelled furiously
Mui's expression was darker than Kurenai's.
"Konoha had given us ample support, yet you want to leech more off them? This is a peace talk, but it's sounding more like a one-sided rip off right now" Mui snapped at the elders, who couldn't look him in the eyes.
After snapping at the elders, he turned to Kurenai
"I apologise on their behalf" He lowered his head and said sincerely
Kurenai's eyes widened, not expecting Mui to show anger on their behalf, and even apologise.
"It's fine" She waved her hand and said
"No, it's not" Naruto muttered, but received a cold glare from Kurenai in return.
Mui raised a hand
"Elders, you may leave, I will proceed with this talk with Konoha's representative myself, if possible, you five may leave as well" He said as he turned to the five behind Kurenai, especially Naruto...
Sensing his gaze, Naruto gave him a smile, then...flipped the middle finger at him before leaving.
On the way out, Tenten bowed as a sign of apology towards Mui. Though he was disrespectful when they met, it was likely because he held a grudge against Naruto, not to mention, he didn't seem like a bad person from the way he spoke.
He held a strong sense of justice
'That's the warden of the blood prison for you' Tenten thought
When they exited, Sakura let out a deep sigh
"Naruto, sometimes, you are so mature, but other times...do you have a split personality?" Sakura asked
"Gasp, how did you know?" Naruto asked sarcastically
"Hah, normal people don't just say the word 'gasp' you know?" Sakura placed her hands on her hips and said
"Well, now you have witnessed a normal person do it" Naruto said with a straight face
"Crazy" Sakura sighed
"Flat" Naruto replied
"Creepy" Sakura snapped
"Loveless" Naruto said casually
Sakura gnashed her teeth
"Are you picking a fight?" She growled
"I'm not picking one, I'm receiving one~" He replied, she was the one who started this argument after all.
Sakura took in a deep breath
"Hah, you win"
"Heh, always do" Naruto grinned
"Impressive! You won a fight without even using your fists" Lee said with a clueless smile
"...Lee, talk less, your smoothness is showing" Tenten said with a sigh
"What does that mean?" Lee asked, genuinely confused about her statement
"She's talking about your brain" Neji said, but was jabbed by Tenten
She gave him a 'shh' glare, then smiled at Lee, who still didn't understand what the term smoothness had anything to do with his brain.
"Don't mind them Lee, they're jealous of your skills" Naruto said as he hung his arm over Lee's shoulders.
"Ah? Is that so? Guys, don't worry, no matter how much more skilled I am compared to you, we will still be good friends and comrades" He said with an earnest smile
Pfft
In that instant, Tenten almost coughed out blood, as if an arrow struck through her heart, viciously twisting it inside...
Damn him and his honest truthful words! They hurt!
"I believe that with more training and belief in our youthful spirits, even you, Tenten, can become one of the greatest" He added
"..." A trickle of blood seeped out the side of Tenten's mouth, why did he point her out specifically? Because Neji is incredibly skilled, so he was not mentioned!
Lee had compassion, but zero tact!
Naruto and Sakura both looked away, their shoulders shaking uncontrollably as they held in their laughter.
"Lee, this is why we're friends" Naruto said
"Eh? I don't understand, but yes, we are good friends!" Lee patted his chest and said
The others stared at Naruto in utter speechlessness, with how he is, even the pure and innocent Lee will someday be corrupted by him!
As others shot glares at him, Naruto's gaze subtly shifted elsewhere, catching a blurry figure vanish towards the outer edges of the village, seemingly about to leave.
He made a hand sign behind his back with his free hand, whilst still maintaining his smile on the surface.
A clone was created silently, hidden by him and Lee. The moment it was created, it transformed into someone else, mimicking the clothing of the villagers here to blend in.
Of everyone, Neji immediately noticed it, but when he met eyes with Naruto, he tactfully said nothing, acting as if nothing had happened.
"Let's see where you're going" The clone smiled as he vanished in the direction the figure left earlier.
In the distance, he saw the person gradually stop at a secluded spot in the woods, his gaze wondered around to check for any possible tails, however, Naruto maintained a distance that made it hard to notice.
His eyes narrowed
'That person...is one of the elders from before' When the man came to a stop, Naruto finally got a closer look at him, and realised it was the very elder who raised arguments about the village's losses.
The fact that he was this far out while there is a peace talk going...
'Suspicious'
He then saw another figure make its way over, the other party was fully covered from head to toe, and had no distinct features that would link them to any other force.
Naruto crept closer, making almost no sound as he approached to hear what they would say.
"-kill them before they get back" The cloaked man said
"Understood, I'll send a signal for when they leave" The elder nodded
The cloaked man nodded, then left hastily. Once the man was gone, the elder also turned to leave.
Naruto's expression darkened as he took out two thin needles, so thin one would hardly notice it, and at the end of it, was a small talisman.
*Whoosh*
*Whoosh*
The two needles shot out silently, one embedded itself into the cloak of the man, and the other dug into the hair of the elder, neither noticing that something had struck them.
Once they parted ways, the clone dispersed itself, allowing all the information to return to Naruto.
'I see, a traitor, and another village that wants this talk to fall through'
Naruto rubbed his chin
"I'm gonna go look for something to eat, see if this place has any local specialties" Naruto stretched and said
"What about guarding this place?" Sakura asked
"You're all skilled enough, and I won't be gone for long" He replied
"If you say so" Sakura nodded
'I'll be back rea~l soon'
When he turned around, his figure vanished into a bright golden light, disappearing from their sights. The moment he teleported away, Sakura flinched.
"...he's...not going to get food, is he?" She sighed
"What do you mean?" Tenten asked
"He teleported" Sakura replied
"And?"
Sakura pinched between her brows
"He teleported in a village he has never been to, and he said he wanted local specialties" Sakura said
"Oooh...I see" Tenten nodded, finally understanding
"I still don't understand" Lee interjected
The two stared at Lee for a moment, then patted his shoulders with a smile...
"G-Guys?"
"Neji, you can explain, right?" Lee turned around and asked
"Naruto has no flying raijin marks in this village, but he still teleported, it means he used food as an excuse to leave and do something else" Neji replied
"Ah?"
"I also saw him make a clone earlier in secret, I assume it has something to do with what he's doing" He added
"...which way did the clone go" Sakura asked
"We should stay to stand guard still" Neji said calmly
"Well, we can't let Naruto have all the fun~, how about I go then? You three stay to stand guard" Sakura grinned
Neji turned to Tenten, who shrugged
"Fine" He sighed
"The clone headed out the village, towards the side gate over there" He said as he pointed Sakura off in a direction he saw the clone leave in.
"Thanks Neji~" Sakura said and dashed forward
'If he left on his own using the excuse of food, it means the enemies won't take long for him to finish off, I've been itching for a fight, can't let him have all the fun' She thought as her smile gradually widened.
-Outside the village-
Naruto's first target was the elder, he wanted to remove him from the equation before he returned to the village, after all, once he returned, he'd need evidence to actually attack him.
Sure, he could extract his own memories and imprint the things he had seen and heard onto a scroll, but...where's the fun in that?
The elder was returning to the village when he sensed something appear behind him.
"Who!" He shouted as he struck with his fist
*Bang*
A hand caught his strike, followed by a powerful strike against his chin.
"Kuagh!" He almost choked when he got struck, and blood started to flow out of his mouth.
"Argh, hah, wh-who are you" His eyes widened from fear and shock
"Shh, don't be scared, don't make a sound, I'm very friendly" Naruto smiled as he pressed a finger over the man's lips.
The man opened his mouth
"Ah"
But when he made a sound, a blade tore through his chest.
"I said not to make a sound, didn't I? Well, at least I kept it painless, right?" The last thing the elder saw was Naruto's gentle smile as light faded from his eyes.
He then took out a small bottle and poured the liquid over the corpse, dissolving it completely, leaving no traces, blood and all.
Naruto then poured it over his hand, causing the blood on his hand to vanish completely as well.
"Well, now that he's gone, time to go question the one that actually matter" He smiled as he picked up a needle from the ground, the same one that pierced the elder's clothes.
He tucked the needle away to ensure no evidence is left, then teleported towards the next location.
The moment he appeared, he sensed immense danger and pushed off the back of the man he teleported to.
Intense heat rose as he witnessed a blurry figure appear in front of him.
*Psht*
Steam rose, scalding his skin, the man that appeared before him delivered a powerful kick, sending him flying back.
Sweat ran down from his face due to the intense heat, his eyes narrowed in on the person that attacked him.
"My, where did you pop out from?" The person landed, he was fully covered in thick red and grey armor.
His face was mostly covered by a mask and red kasa, leaving only his eyes visible. What caught Naruto's attention was the large red furnace like object on his back that constantly released steam.
"I should be asking that question, I didn't think someone of your caliber would appear here so casually" Naruto wiped his sweat as he stood up straight
"Hahaha, is that a complement? I'll take it, I really like you, sadly, it seems we're enemies" The man said as he lowered his body and burst forth with a powerful momentum.
The man Naruto teleported to quickly scrambled off to avoid being caught in the intense steam release.
"Sorry, I have a lover~" Naruto replied as he took out Kiba, and slashed at the man who appeared before him in a mere instant.
The man threw his arm in front of the blade, and contradicting to it's appearance, the armor on his body seems to actually be softer than expected, but it didn't break.
It dented down, however, he started to feel his blade get pushed back by raw strength as the man swung his entire arm, almost causing his blade to slip out his hand.
"Tch, I hate dealing with proficient taijutsu masters" Naruto muttered as he jumped back.
But the gap he opened was immediately closed as steam burst forth from behind the man, with his body twisting to the side as his leg swept at Naruto.
'Too fast' He thought as he raised Koba to block the attack.
When it came down, Naruto felt his arms soften from the impact
'This is insane, which village has a user so proficient in steam release, his attacks feel heavier than Guy sensei's!' Naruto exclaimed in his heart as the kick sent him tumbling, almost hitting his head against the ground had he not stabilised himself quickly.
The man left him almost no room to breathe, so he took the moment he was sent flying to throw a needle at him.
The man saw the sliver of metallic glimmer under the sun, and released a massive amount of steam that pushed his body to the side, avoiding the needle that would usually be impossible to escape in such a short distance.
The needle flew past, embedding itself into a tree.
"You endured two hits from me already, you're pretty strong, huh?" The man smiled beneath his mask, but he didn't stop his assault, pushing himself forward with both physical momentum and steam.
Naruto smiled wryly
'Kurama, it seems I'll need your help today' Naruto thought
[Hahaha, I haven't been excited for a battle in so long] Kurama laughed
His excitement surprised Naruto, he didn't know why Kurama was in such a good mood right now, but he didn't have time to think about it as he quickly teleported to avoid the incoming strike.
His figure appeared next to the needle that struck the tree, catching the man by surprise, but he didn't stay still.
"You're slippery" He said with a casual laugh
"How about we pretend we didn't meet, I'll be on my jolly way~" Naruto asked with a smile
"If you were in my shoes, would you believe what you just said?" The man asked
"Yes" Naruto replied confidently
"...I see, I was fighting a mad man from the start, first time for everything" The man said
Naruto quickly created a large amount of clones, and had them split up.
"Playing tricks won't work" The man chuckled, from the furnace on his back, steam rose faster and faster, spreading across the area.
It not only obscured Naruto's vision, but he could see his clones struggle with it around, with many of them being destroyed after being exposed to it for too long.
"You've got to be kidding me, my clones are able to get cut by blades and still barely hold on, yet this guy can destroy them by simply releasing high heat steam?" Naruto's lips twitched, it seems there are more things he needs to train in.
'First thing I do when I get back is to boil myself until I can resist intense heat' He thought
"It's already impressive that your clones lasted for than five seconds under such intense heat" The man crossed his arms and said
Naruto clicked his tongue, the heat was not only intense, but his vision is also obscured. If not for Kurama helping him track the man down through chakra, he'd be having a headache.
The man began his assault once more, charging at Naruto without a care for the remaining clones that escaped the range of his steam.
Naruto smiled
"Not going to destroy my remaining clones?" He asked as he raised his hand to shove an incoming kick to the side, barely avoiding getting kicked by directing his momentum aside.
"As long as I finish you off, your clones will disappear as well" He replied as he twisted his body mid air and had his kick spin around towards Naruto once more.
The kick connected, but the impact felt light.
*Poof*
Immediately after, Naruto exploded into a puff of smoke.
"Sorry bud, my clones aren't simply for attacks" Naruto's voice rang out
He looked up, and Naruto was standing on a branch, outside the area of his dispersed steam.
"I don't remember you switching in with a clone" He asked
"Secret" Naruto grinned
The man huffed
"The mission specified that there would be two Jonins and a few Chunins, if I remember correctly, the one leading should be a woman, so that leaves you to be the other Jonin, correct?" The man stood up tall and asked
"Correct~" Naruto smiled
He stared at Naruto with a hint of surprise
"To think I'd meet such a young Jonin, I heard Konoha creates monsters, but I didn't think much of it, now, it seems I was wrong" He said
"Hahaha, thanks for the complement, so, ready to die now?" Naruto smirked
The man let out a hearty laugh as he crouched down
"Far from it, I'll need to eliminate you for the greater good of my village" He said in a low voice, the ground beneath his feet cracked as he exploded forward with incredible momentum.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Naruto, but upon impact, the same thing as before happened, he exploded into a puff of smoke, disappearing from sight.
"I was thinking, how do I deal with this steam that keeps me from using my clones effectively, then it hit me, I can blow it away, can't I?" Naruto's voice rang out again
The man looked back, a strong gust of wind swept by, and the source was from a strange orb of chakra in Naruto's hand. He created a rasengan with powerful expulsion force, and threw it towards the center of the rising steam.
*Whoosh*
The rasengan spun, blowing away the steam around, gradually clearing the area.
"Interesting jutsu, but it's not enough" The man's gaze sharpened as heat began to rise from his body, even more intense than before.
Naruto trembled slightly, the chakra emitting from this man was growing by the second, and the pressure he exerts is denser than ever.
"This chakra density...a jinchuriki?" Naruto exclaimed
[Bingo] Kurama chuckled
'This old fox, no wonder he was so elated, this is another one of his brothers, yet he didn't tell me?' Naruto cursed
'Of all the tailed beasts, the one that uses steam and boil release...the five tails, I see, they are from Iwagakure' Naruto thought
He got the gist of it, but before he could make an in depth theory, the man in front of him had vanished.
[Kid, dodge!]
*Bang*
Naruto didn't even have time to react when he felt a powerful impact smash onto his arm, sending him crashing into the ground.
"Ah...f**k" He coughed as he crawled up
*Bang*
Before he could get up completely, another powerful strike came from the side, sending him flying into a tree, bashing through it completely before landing against a rock.
"Hah...hah...this is way above my current pay grade, I better get a raise later" He muttered
"Later? You speak as if you can leave this place alive" The man walked closer, seeing Naruto in such a poor state has eased him a little, but he didn't let his guard down.
Naruto leaned against the rock, the two strikes just now had broken the bones in his left arm and fractured a few ribs.
"Hooh...yeah, how about giving me a few seconds to breathe?" Naruto asked with a bitter smile
"Sure" The man smiled
"Well thank yo-"
*Bang*
A fist appeared in his face, but this time, he rolled to the side just in time to avoid it. The rock behind him however, it was crushed to bits, demolished completely.
"...bro, I thought you were chill" Naruto gasped
"I'm sorry, I work more with heat that chill" The man replied with a chuckle
"Damn, he's got me good" Naruto muttered
He got onto his feet
"Alright, no more playing around" Naruto said
"You're right, no more playing around" The man nodded, his eyes emitting strong killing intent as the heat around him intensified even more.
"...I meant me, what are you getting stronger for?" Naruto gasped
"I simply responded to what you said" The man replied
For once, Naruto had no retort. He simply popped a clone that had gathered nature energy, and immediately activated sage mode.
"Phew, let's get this started" Naruto said
"I was bored from waiting" The man replied
*Bang*
His movements were almost instantaneous, as if he is teleporting, but Naruto could tell that it was simply his body being pushed to the limits.
'If he learns the eight gates, he'd be unstoppable' Naruto thought
With sage mode active, his mind felt clearer, and when the man appeared beside him, he reacted much better than before. He pressed his hand against the incoming strike, pushing it aside with almost everything he had.
The man's physical body was beyond strong, and when he removed his hand from the man's armor, the skin on his palm were peeled.
'The heat from his body is hotter than flames, his body can actually withstand this?' He gulped
"Not bad, keep me entertained!" The man laughed
*Bang*
*Whoosh*
He struck relentlessly, and each time, Naruto had to either avoid the strike, or shift it aside, not once could he take it head on.
[When will you use my chakra, hm?] Kurama asked
Naruto didn't reply, his feet dragged against the floor constantly as he shifted his body around to avoid the man's strike.
As time went on, the man felt something was off, Naruto refused to move from his current spot no matter what. When he couldn't dodge or shift his attacks, he would rather get hit, and stubbornly remain where he stood.
Even more odd is that his feet kept dragging around the ground...
'Could it be!' He looked down, and beneath their feet is a large seal, formed by the indent in the ground from Naruto's movements!
"Too late" Naruto said as he pressed his hand against the ground, and the seal lit up brightly
Chains shot out from the ground, binding the man's limbs.
'My chakra is sealed!' He exclaimed in his heart
Naruto didn't stop after he sealed the man's chakra and movements. He took out Kiba and pointed it towards the man's eyes.
"No hard feelings" He said as he thrusted the blade forward.
Seeing the incoming blade, the man's eyes widened.
*Crack*
*Bang*
Cracks formed in the chains, and his arms trembled faintly before bursting through the chains. Now, a dark red aura covered his body, his gaze carried a deadly glimmer, the eyes of a beast.
"Tsk, I was hoping I could kill him before this happened" Naruto sighed as he jumped back.
The man looked up at Naruto, and the red chakra dissipated.
"Hm?" Naruto was confused, he used his beast's chakra, and now he stopped using it?
The man's body trembled slightly
"Grr, I am not handing my body over to you" He snapped
'Ah' Naruto realised the problem, and relaxed a little
The man looked up at Naruto
"I will leave it at this then" He said
"Not going to keep fighting?" Naruto asked
"Are you kidding? I'm here on a mission to disrupt, not engage on a full on war, dealing with you won't be easy, nor can I seem to kill you on the short run, I'll retreat, consider t your win" He replied, maintaining a clear head and judgement.
Naruto lifted a brow
"Is Iwagakure declaring war on Konoha?" Naruto asked, causing the man's movements to pause.
"How?" He asked coldly
"You're a jinchuriki no doubt, and it doesn't take a genius to realise it is the five tails with all this steam going around" Naruto replied
"Hah..." The man sighed
He sat down on the ground
"What do you want" He asked
He initially thought he could silence Naruto, so he went all out with the steam, but Naruto turned out stronger than he expected, so now, he could only bargain with him.
Naruto walked over and sat down in front of him
"Tell me the reason why Iwagakure is trying to ruin the relationship between Konoha and Kusagakure" Naruto asked
"If I answer your question, will you keep Iwagakure's involvement a secret"
Naruto rolled his eyes
"As if, but at the very least, I can make sure it stays between only us and our two Kages, think of it as owing the Hokage a favor" Naruto smirked
The man clenched his fists
"Keep your promises" He said
Though he attacked, he doesn't want Iwagakure and Konoha to start a full blown war, so he agreed to the request.
"Hooh...we had two goals, first, is to ensure that Kusagakure's relationship with Konoha falls through, so in future wars, this bridge will not be destroyed like lats time" He said
"Makes sense, what's the other goal"
"The second...is to verify whether the rumors of Kusagakure possessing an ancient weapon are true" He explained
"Ancient weapon?" Naruto's eyes lit up, knowing it is likely the thing Kurama mentioned earlier.
"So you won over an elder here for those two reasons?"
"Yes"
Naruto nodded slowly
"Good talk" He smiled
The man stood up
"Before I go, can I ask who you are" He asked Naruto
"Naruto Uzumaki, jinchuriki of the nine tails" Naruto replied
His words made the man freeze up...
'I see, so even if I used the beast's power, I may not have won' He sighed in his heart
"I am Han" He reached out one hand towards Naruto and said
"Hope that next time we meet, it won't be like today" Naruto said, his words coated with a lace of threat.
Han chuckled
"I certainly hope our next meeting won't be as enemies, but with how Iwagakure is operating nowadays...hah, my pay isn't high enough" He shook his head and turned around
"Keep your promise" He said, then became a blurry figure as he vanished from sight.
After he left, Naruto undid sage mode, and let out a deep breath.
"Phew...he's dangerous, much more than anyone I've faced lately, Akatsuki aside I guess" Naruto muttered
*Whoosh*
At this moment, a figure landed beside him
"Where's the enemy? Did the fight end already!?" It was Sakura, who had followed the sound of combat over, but when she arrived...it was already over!?
Naruto was a little surprised she found him
"Yeah" He replied
"Damn! Who were they anyway?" Sakura asked
"No one important" He replied
"Tch"
She looked around at the destroyed environment, then at Naruto's battered up state.
"Need some healing?" She asked
"I'd love some" He replied
When she gave him treatment, she was shocked to realise he had so many broken bones!
"This is done by no one important!? Just who was the enemy?" Sakura questioned
"Just stop asking, I will only inform sis of this" He replied
"Tch, boring"
After that, the two returned, and came to see Kurenai already finished talking with Mui. The peace talk went well once the elders were out of the picture, allowing Kurenai to take a proper breather.
"Let's return, thank you for your time, Mui" She said to Mui
Mui gave her a faint smile as he nodded
"Yay~" Naruto stretched, wanting to go back home and sleep after such an intense battle
Upon seeing Sakura, Tenten leaned over
"So, how was it?" She asked
"Urgh, don't get me started, it was over already when I arrived" She grumbled
"Eh? Well, you'll have more chances in the future" She comforted
Sakura nodded with a sigh
Seeing the team leave, Mui's smile gradually faded
"Kusagakure will rise...for that, you will be a necessary piece, nine tails jinchuriki" He muttered as he eyed Naruto in silence.
Afterwards, the elders who left earlier gathered around, their previous annoyance was gone, replace with wide smiles.
"Did they agree to the request" They asked Mui
Mui chuckled
"Yes, from now on, Kusagakure will officially handle prisoners for Konoha" He said
"Good, good! Now, we can proceed with the next step" The elders all wore wide smiles
Not knowing that what she had agreed on will cause in the future, Kurenai returned to Konoha with the team, and reported back to Tsunade.
The trip back was simple, Naruto teleported them back, cutting off hours of travel time. When they returned, the sun had begun to set, and Naruto went back to his house.
"I'm home~"
--------------------------------
This is the end of Naruto, next will be Shippuden arcs, as well as a time skip to where Shippuden begins. I never thought I'd reach this far, then again, I have plans for many things in Shippuden...far more prepared than the past few arcs I did XD