Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Ashes to Ashes ❯ An Unlikely awakening ( Chapter 2 )

Chap 2

 

“AHHHH! What are these weeds doing growing here! Just die already!” Ino screamed and Hinata cringed slightly. It had been one month since they had formed team eight and Hinata had not gotten used to Ino's angered screams from all those D-rank missions assigned to them. During the course of the month Ino had tried to get Naruto to open up more but the only words he ever said were “done” and “useless”.

 

Hinata didn't know what it was exactly but each time she looked at him her heart warmed and she felt herself being pulled to him like a moth to the fire. Sure the boy was attractive, the one glance they got at him, but why did she feel like this, she had hardly said a word to him after all. Hinata couldn't figure it out but even when Naruto didn't speak to them she didn't feel as though he was being cold or mean, just distant, like he didn't want to get in too deep. She got the feeling that he was trying to hide away and not get too involved.

 

Hinata looked down at her hands, dirt marring her pale skin, and she shook her head. Even if these feeling for him pointed towards liking him she knew she had no chance. She was from the noble Hyuuga clan and that title drove people away, and there was also the fact that she was not considered beautiful like Ino was, with her long silky hair and developing body. What did Hinata have, some strange white eyes and a small figure? That would really bring the boys to her. Hinata looked down to the ground studying the brown earth below her, whatever this warm feeling was, whatever she felt inside her, she could not possibly act on it, wasn't it better to not get hurt?

 

Hinata was startled when she heard the rustle of a cloth and a canteen being put into her hands. She didn't need to look up to know who had given it to her and her insides fluttered, he was so close and, and, Hinata turned around just in time to see him disappear, the light of the sunset beating against his back. Whatever this feeling was, no whoever this person was, he felt familiar.

 

XXXXX (Next Day)

 

Ino gritted her teeth in anger and frustration, what the heck was this? She had thought being on a genin team would mean going on rescue missions and acting cool but pulling weeds? She was supposed to be picking flowers not weeds! It was not only the “Find the cat” missions that bothered her but the fact that she had made no progress. She had talked to him constantly, telling him about all her exploits as a little girl, from saving Sakura to going shopping, but he didn't say a word. After that initial get together at that ramen stand, which made Ino want to learn more after hearing Naruto might have been around here before, the boy would always turn back her offers to go eat or whatnot.

 

What made it even worse was that even though she knew nothing of the boy she was practically telling him all about herself like some love struck animal looking for its mate. SHE was the one the boys should chase after, not the other way around. Ino looked up at the clear blue sky while continuing to the meeting place.

 

Come to think of it why exactly was she trying? The guy hardly said a word, didn't seem to ever have an opinion, and he was so distant, like some other boy Ino had chased. Maybe that was it, maybe it was because Naruto was like Sasuke, but that couldn't be, Naruto was different. Sure they were both dark and mysterious but Naruto didn't hold that arrogance and superiority that the Uchiha showed like a badge of passage. For that matter when she thought about it Naruto didn't even seem that distant because even though he never said anything he was always observing them, always giving them water on particularly hot days or taking the lead in capturing a known feline monster so there wouldn't be a possibility of them getting scratched.

 

Ino bit her lower lip as she reached a massive tree with wooden benches beneath it, and not for the first time coming to the conclusion there was more to the boy than he let on. Before she could take a seat Ino was waving and calling to her now approaching instructor and the petite girl beside her. “Well shall we get our mission now?” Kurenai stated, not needing to look around for the dark boy to know that he was in a tree observing them and would soon be walking behind them, as he normally did.

 

“I'm not gonna take another one of those crappy weed pulling missions again! We're going to go on a real mission.” Ino declared while walking with her team to headquarters. Hinata blushed at the looks the group got from Ino's outburst but she was silently agreed with her teammate. `Enjoy these times of peace while you still can Yamanaka-san' Naruto thought, knowing that the lives of shinobi were of war and death.

 

Upon reaching the mission handouts the village's #1 Blonde kunoichi burst into a tirade, not caring that she was speaking to the Hokage, he was only the villages most revered idol right? “You better not be giving us any more of those D-rank mission's old man! If you do…” Ino tossed her head, staring straight at the Hokage with a smile on her face. “Some people will be interested in what happened at Yamanaka flower shop.”

 

The elderly Hokage's eyes widened just a bit and he coughed, nodding his head. “I believe this team is ready for a higher mission.” Sarutobi looked through a few papers and decided on one of them, handing it to Kurenai. “C-rank retrieval to the Tree country. Meet Ichi for further information.” Their Jounin instructor read off.

 

Team eight walked to the instructed home, their blood flowing from anticipation, except for Naruto of course. After a swift knock on the door a man in his late fifties greeted the team. “Is there something you're looking for?” the man asked, running a hand through his brown hair, which had touches of gray in it.

 

“You should tell us. Ichi-san correct?” It took a moment before the information registered in his head and then his eyes widened. “You're here for the mission? A bunch of kids and a woman?” The man began to laugh until Ino stared at him flatly, obviously wanting to hurry and get on with the mission and hating being looked down on because she wasn't an adult. “Is there a problem with that mister?” Ino asked him in a tone that dared him to cross her. The man just shook his head, motioning them to follow as he went into his home.

 

“Ok. Basically all you need to do is head to Tree country and get a few things for me that I left at a friend's house. Once you're there head to a shop called Emaki's and give them this.” Ichi handed Kurenai a small leather pouch, “Tell them that I sent you and you should get a scroll.” Ino arched an eyebrow after the man finished his instructions. “If it's your friend why do we need to give him something?”

 

Ichi swallowed the lump in his throat, “It's-It's a gift, look.” He motioned for Kurenai to remove the object from the pouch and when she did out slipped a black pyramidal shape with what looked to have closed eyes engraved into each side except for the bottom which harbored closed lips. Naruto eyed the object suspiciously, what kind of gift was that? Something just didn't feel right.

 

Having received their instructions team eight left Ichi's home, heading off to prepare for their departure at Noon. Naruto prepared all his things and was walking out of the village gates, a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Why exactly did the client seem so nervous? What exactly was that thing that Kurenai was holding? Just why did he come back to Konoha?

 

Naruto's head snapped up as he heard a female voice calling for him. “Hurry up you slowpoke!” Naruto pulled the hood of his cloak lower; making sure no one saw him as he reached his team. “OK! Time for me to show off what I can do!”

 

XXXXX

 

Ino dragged her feet as she walked behind the rest of her team. They had been walking for about an hour and absolutely nothing happened, nothing but the dirt path and the trees around them. Ok so maybe there had been some animals or plants that she had never seen before but other than those few moments of something new, there was absolutely nothing. She had tried to spark some conversation but no one would talk, or talk without mumbling or stuttering. Ino sighed, looking around herself at more and more of the same scenery. A smile soon crept up her face and she had decided; if she had to endure this then at least she could do it with a companion.

 

A small rustle of the leaves brought Ino's knife zipping from her hand at the disturbance, `That should scare it stupid.' Quickly Ino went into the bushes and grabbed a hold of a long furry animal as she let out a disappointed noise. “I wanted a rabbit not some weasel.”

 

Hinata looked back at her teammate, horrified at what she had done to the poor thing. Sure it was a long trip but there was no need to do something like that. Hinata began to walk back to Ino to make sure the animal was all right when something leapt out of the trees, heading straight for Ino.

 

Fear consumed Ino as she stared into the man's face. What was happening? Why was he jumping at her? Why was he pointing a kunai at her? It took a second later for her to realize that death was approaching, that she was going to die. Fear glued her feet in place and Ino screamed, throwing her arms over her head protectively, she didn't want to die.

 

A sudden warmth washed over her and Ino realized she was staring at the back of a familiar cloak. That's right. She didn't need to be scared. She had her sensei right? She was safe right? Kurenai-sensei would surely protect them. And she … Naruto violently kicked the man away from his team, making the man slide along the dirt trail.

 

The attacker quickly stood up and the slight shift in Naruto's eyes didn't betray his thoughts, the man was different. The ninja, or so Naruto thought he was one, was deathly pale and his face was contorted in eternal rage and horror. What seemed off the most about him was that his eyes were simply lifeless orbs looking blankly at Naruto. Naruto grabbed the hilt of his blade, its power rushing out at him, and he knew the man was begging for death.

 

It was only a moment, a small gap in time, from the point in which the attacker leapt at Naruto to the point where he fell to the ground, cut into two clean pieces. Blood coated the dirt and the soon to be corpse struggled hopelessly to stop the bleeding. The man's eyes soon went blank and Naruto closed the man's eyes. Naruto swiftly flicked the blood from his sword, returning it to his back, and turned to see Ino staring at the corpse. A man had just died. They had just killed a person. Ino's knees gave way and she fell to the ground, still looking at the blood seeping into the dirt. Naruto began to walk towards her and something snapped in Ino. He had killed him. He had killed that stranger and he didn't even flinch and…

 

“Wh-Why? Why did you kill him?” Ino knew that her voice was quivering and that her hands were shaking but she had to know why, she had the right to know why. The dark boy's eyes seem to pierce her, as though weighing her and finding what it needed, and Naruto spoke. “There is only death in the shinobi world. What did you believe we were, some sort of circus? Shinobi's are killers and are rewarded for killing or did you believe that ninjas are just people who prance around without hurting anything?”

 

Ino shook her head slowly, knowing everything he told as true. “B-But why did you need to kill him?” Naruto continued to walk, passing her, “He was begging for death, for a way out of it all and I just gave it to him.” Ino buried her head into her hands but Naruto couldn't worry about her.

 

He looked at his other ashen faced teammate and could tell that more of the same questions went through her head but he also saw that she understood. Hinata's eyes closed and her legs began to falter as she fainted. Naruto carefully caught her and set her on the ground, looking at his Jounin instructor who was standing before a tied up man. The man was bearing his teeth like an animal, trying to get to his teacher in a vain effort.

 

Kurenai sensed the presence of her student and looked to find Naruto. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight that lay behind him and she cursed for totally focusing on the man tied up and not even realizing that there was another one. Naruto's hand slipped into his cloak and before Kurenai knew it his sword was coming to slice the captive's head horizontally. He stopped a mere inch from the skin but the man kept on trying to gnaw at his captors. `No fear.'

 

Naruto turned to his sensei, “Is there anyway to get info from him? Like why they waited for so long?” Kurenai arched an eyebrow, was this boy ordering her around? Who exactly was he? How come he wasn't afraid like genin should be? And mostly how could he kill a man and not worry about it? He's only twelve!

 

Kurenai snapped out of her brief moment of wondering and decided she would look into the boy's past later, but now she had a mission to complete. The Kunoichi formed a few hand seals and her fingertips glowed with charka as she placed them on the man's forehead. Naruto recognized the jutsu at once, a simple truth technique. The skill had the ability to make the user spill out some key words as to their activities but it only worked on those with weak minds. The man began to convulse terribly and he began to stutter incoherently until he spoke a few choice words. “Kill… Eyes… Find… Leaf… Lord…” The man's eyes rolled back into his head and Naruto's mind raced at the clues laid before him, there was defiantly something strange about that item they had gotten.

 

“We need to go.” Naruto turned around, walking back to Hinata and Ino while Kurenai stood up. Wait. Why was he telling her what to do, she was the teacher right? Kurenai was about to give him a piece of her mind when Naruto went to wake the unconscious Hyuuga. “Hyuuga-san. Hyuuga-san. We are moving out.” When Hinata began to open her eyes Naruto moved onto Ino who was still on her knees, she would be tougher.

 

“Yamanaka.” Ino looked up to see Naruto's exposed head, he found himself more persuasive this way. “Yamanaka, we need to get moving.” Ino wrapped her arms around herself and shivered and that was when Naruto knew he needed to do something. “If you are so afraid of death then quit being a shinobi. A shinobi must face death with each mission they accept and they must be willing to accept death.” Ino's eyes widened and she held onto herself harder. Naruto turned to leave and without looking back he spoke. “I thought you would be better than this.”

 

Shock filled the blonde girl as she looked at the back of the retreating boy, was he trying to encourage her? This odd feeling when he spoke those words that brought her out of the memories of death; he must have been encouraging her, helping her. Did he- did he really feel disappointed? Did he want her to become a Kunoichi? Something gripped inside of her and into pushed herself up weakly. “I won't give up! I won't quit! I'll be a Ninja! Just you wait! I'll be the BEST!” Ino yelled but found herself acting stupid and Naruto was already with their sensei, talking to her.

 

“This mission is too dangerous for us right now, we need to go back and decline it.” Naruto hated to say that but it was the truth, with two traumatized ninja's he couldn't risk going on. Kurenai nodded. “Yes, we will go back and give this a B-rank, this is too much for us to handle. I didn't expect for us to meet ninja's on this mission, and that is my mistake.” Their sensei cast her eyes downward, regret on her face.

 

“What! Just like that we're gonna quit! NO! I'm not going back! We went this far and we need to complete the mission!” Ino yelled, getting a look from Kurenai. “Look. You just saw a man get killed so you're probably in shock so the best thing we-” The Jounin was cut off by the blonde girl. “NO! I'm not in shock or anything! I'm fine. We're so close so it would be stupid to not go on anymore! Sensei! Please! Can't we just do this! I promise I won't bug you anymore.” Ino gave her a pleading look and Naruto had decided that she really had over come her shock, he was impressed.

 

“There's still Hinata-chan. She's as scared as you are so we're going back.” A quick shake of the Hinata's head brought all the attention to her. “I-I can go on.” It was Kurenai's turn to shake her head. “No! Hinata-chan, you just saw someone die and we need to go back for your mind to rest, that goes for you too Ino.”

 

Hinata gave her mentor a pleading look and Kurenai let her head fall. “What do you think Naruto?” The Kunoichi's looked at the boy in anticipation. “It does not matter to me.” Ino jumped into the air, yelling mightily. “HAHA! Here we go!”

 

XXXXX

 

Team eight trekked along the beaten path, an unnerving silence in the atmosphere. No one had talked since the incident about those two attackers and they left it at that because both Naruto and Kurenai seemed to be in deep thought. So many questions were racing through their minds about what had occurred and what was to follow. `There's something seriously wrong with this mission. Those two men were way too fearless and that other guy, was he some kind of creature? Was he possessed?' Naruto closed his eyes for a second, then opening them to look at the blond haired girl in front of him. `I misjudged those two. I thought they would fold and not want to be ninja's at the first sign of trouble but. but… they had the desire to fight through it.' A quick yelp brought Naruto to look at Ino stumbling from a small ditch. She quickly recomposed herself and brushed it off as though nothing happened.

 

A slight feeling on Naruto's skin gave him just enough time to deflect a kunai aimed at his blue haired teammate with his long sword. “Get ready.” Naruto stated calmly, pulling down his hood to scan the trees lining the road. The thick mass of trees, which the tree country was named for, did not help in the visibility but Naruto could make out a few shadows as well as feel them nearby, four of them.

 

A slight shift in the ground was all Naruto needed to tell that something was on its way. The boy quickly grabbed onto his two teammates and leapt back, seeing a mass of giant brown roots shoot up and separate them from their teacher. Naruto set the girls back down and undid the cloth holding his cloak while the girls finally got to their senses and dropped into a defensive position.

 

“Don't do anything foolish, we don't know their strengths yet.” Naruto spared them a quick glance and he could tell they still weren't ready. “I'll take care of them so just defend yourselves.” Naruto drew his sword, trying to sense the best opportunity for him to strike at his hidden opponents.

 

Suddenly Naruto darted towards one of the trees along the road, bringing his sword across to destroy the trunk. To his teammates' surprise Naruto was able to knock the tree down with a combination of cutting it and using the weight of the sword to smash through it. Naruto didn't pause in his movements as three dark green figures appeared in the sky, landing on the road and in between Naruto and the two kunoichi. “That was pretty good you bastard but-” the man was cut off as Naruto charged at him, not wasting a second.

 

Again Naruto swung his sword from his side but his was surprised to find that they were able to dodge it. Naruto's mind worked for a way out as the three began their assault. `These guys are around upper genin alone but their team work is pretty good. I gotta break their rhythm if I'm gonna have a shot.'

 

Naruto parried a kunai as it came at him and kick the attacker away, backing up a little but that was a mistake. The sudden prickle in his skin did Naruto no good as he was sent sprawling by a branch from the tree. The blonde quickly recovered but saw that one of the nin's had their eyes closed, focusing, and he suspected it was to make the trees surrounding them attack.

 

Naruto cursed at himself as one of the ninja's connected with a hit to his face, sending him skidding back to the girls HE was supposed to be protecting. Naruto had had enough fooling around for one day and his hands formed a seal in the shape of a “t”. “Kage Bunshin no jutsu!” Ten clones popped into existence and the two male ninjas slowed their approach but Naruto didn't give them any time.

 

The clones split into two groups and attacked the ninjas, who could only defend, while Naruto went after the last one standing near the trees. The branches began to converge on him but Naruto easily dealt with them with the swing of his sword. The man's eyes opened and his face filled with terror as Naruto brought his sword crashing into the man's side, throwing in charka, which made the sword blunt, so that the ninja wouldn't die. Naruto had no inhibitions about killing men but he knew that this man did not truly deserve death because he did not reek of blood.

 

Naruto turned to see his clones effectively beating down the other two ninjas and he quickly approached the still standing barrier of roots. Naruto's muscles tensed as he prepared to swing his massive weapon. Naruto let out what seemed to be a battle cry, more of like a roar to the girls, and the thick appendages were swept out of the way with a swing of his sword, revealing their teacher trapped by more roots.

 

“Run! She's too strong for you!” Naruto called but Ino didn't pay any attention and ran at their teacher's brown haired assailant. She was fed up with waiting for someone to do the work and decided it was all or nothing. The kunoichi threw herself at the woman, presumably at Jounin strength, and Naruto was surprised that she didn't get herself killed. The ex-grass nin, again Naruto presumed because of her slashed forehead protector, kicked the genin aside as she ran towards Kurenai.

 

The nin was about ready to slash the newly appointed teacher's throat when she had to move aside to dodge an incoming… object. She slid back and eyed the boy in front of her, kinda cute if she did say so herself, who had a massive blade in his hands. “What do you want boy?”

 

Naruto held his sword steady in front of him, eyeing the traitorous ninja. The kunoichi had short brown hair and half of her face was covered in a dark mask. The woman wore a green tank top, which was why Naruto knew she was a woman because she looked exactly like a man otherwise, and loose fitting black flack jacket along with dark pants.

 

“So what do you want boy?” she asked again and Naruto looked directly into her eyes. “I need my so called teacher here.” The nin snorted, laughing. “That weakling? She's a teacher!? Don't make me laugh kid.” Naruto couldn't really argue with her there. Even though Naruto knew he wasn't exactly at Jounin level he had been around strong people long enough to know that Kurenai wasn't exactly strong. In fact if Naruto had to be honest he didn't know why she was even a Jounin because from what he saw, a weak genin test and showing emotions everywhere, he didn't think she deserved the title.

 

That didn't really matter though because Naruto knew he had to free her or else he would never hear the end of it, as well as for his own conscience. Naruto charged without warning and he began to swing his sword at her, lot letting up as she dodged effortlessly. “Naruto! Stop! She's Koyasu Yoko! She's been a missing nin for four years now.” Kurenai yelled but the boy didn't heed her word.

 

Yoko began to leap away from Naruto and Naruto quickly tried to keep her close, throwing a knife from the strap across his chest. A look of annoyance flashed in her face as she landed, her hands pressed to the ground. Naruto flew at her, seeing his opening but his sword was intercepted by more roots, slowing the sword down so that Yoko had time to escape.

 

“You'll pay for killing my beautiful roots!” The woman lunged at Naruto, roots covering her arms and forming a point at the end as she began to try and stab the boy. It was all Naruto could do not to take a critical hit and he tried desperately to gain a little more distance. The blonde parried a blow and was able to leap back, composing himself as she charged again.

 

This time Naruto dashed to meet her, determined to strike first when something erupted from the ground, giving him a blow to the stomach, which was just what Yoko wanted. The kunoichi kicked away Naruto's sword, ensnaring it into her roots, and then she kicked Naruto sending him sprawling.

 

Naruto slowly got to his feet, his eyes losing focus and his knees giving way. What was this? He shouldn't be tired from such a short fight and none of the injuries he suffered were close to being able to do this. Naruto's eyes focused just enough to see Yoko calmly walking towards the boy, a triumphant smile on her face.

 

“So. You're feeling the stunning effects already eh? You thought that by just avoiding critical hits was enough? No. No. My dear little boy.” Her smile turned into a dark one and Naruto's jaw was caught in an uppercut. Naruto could see Hinata with her hand over her mouth and Ino staring in disbelief and he desperately hoped she would give him an opening.

 

“What? Can't do anything without your precious little sword?” she glared down at him, sweat beading down her face. “Are you that low of a man to rely on a tool? Huh! Can't you fight with out it!? You must be a really lowly ninja if you rely on a tool. HaHa to think-” Naruto had found his opening and he lunged at her with everything he had. Yoko's eyes widened as she fell backwards, a tip of steel poking through her back. Yoko landed with a thud and Naruto stood over her, a long knife dripping with blood in his hand. “If I relied on a weapon then I could never call myself a ninja.” Naruto brought the knife down to finish the job when the woman was wrapped up in roots, carried beneath the earth. Naruto let out a curse and he fell unconscious.

 

Plz read and review, thx, tell me wut u think and hope to get some more out soon