Movement can be heard upon landing. A ninja dog appears, its face grumpy. " here were those smells. There was a very intense battle near the Fire Territory " spoke the summon to the silver-haired man who arrived at the expansion area with his team. They were sent to investigate by the Hokage himself, who feared it might be a declaration of war from one of the two Rain Villages.
Kakashi, stopping, squinted his only visible eye. " It seems it was a very strong fight. Have you noticed anything else strange, Pakkun? "
The dog sniffed the area, observing that several trees were gone. " It looks like Lightning Release was used, and very powerful ones at that. I can't continue tracking. We arrived too late and the scents have blended with the environment. "
While Kakashi spoke with his summon, Naruto looked around, discovering torn, filthy fabrics that almost disintegrated to his touch, even a bit of hair. Seeing a piece of hair, he approached his sensei smiling. " look, sensei! It seems whoever fought here went bald " he laughed a little, showing his foxlike grin.
Kakashi turned to look at Naruto, meeting red hair. He narrowed his eyes. Red hair...
Could that child be here again?
He felt a slight headache as he now saw Sasuke approaching with an indifferent look. " here I found this; they seem to be items too. I don't know if they can be of any use " the mild rivalry was noticeable as he looked at Naruto with his narrowed eyes.
Sakura was the only one examining the area, analyzing the impact marks. " sensei, I think it was just a fight and not a direct declaration of war. "
Kakashi looked at his students, then sighed with his eyes closed. " yes, all right, then... "
" Kakashi, I'm sensing three types of ninja; they might be Chūnin level and one Jōnin " Pakkun spoke upon detecting them within his range.
Kakashi fell silent. " everyone, hide right now and keep your chakra to a minimum " were the only words he could say. Everyone, even Naruto, took the matter seriously and disappeared from the area where they stood.
At that moment, three ninjas arrived, wearing forehead protectors with the Rain symbol. A blonde-haired woman, a tall boy with darkened hair and a slight scar, and who was possibly their teacher, a white-haired woman wearing glasses very similar to those used by the Aburame clan of Konoha.
" well, look at that; someone had fun fighting. Nobumi, check the area right now. Uguma, see if it's possible that the ninja we're looking for caused this " the white-haired woman smiled as she sent the boys under her tutelage. Nobumi, that girl with almost gray eyes, no longer had a smile, nor did the boy; both had a cold, piercing stare.
" as you ordered, Gomu-sensei " the girl whispered, closing her eyes. She was a very good sensory ninja, Kakashi could tell, as she took the same stance that sensory ninjas he knew used.
With a gesture, she ordered her students to step back, they did not want unnecessary confrontations. It could also be seen as a declaration since they were at a deadlock where three villages met. Even if one was one of the Great Five Nations, the Third Hokage wanted to avoid pointless battles.
The team Seven vanished, leaving the Rain ninjas searching for clues. Once they were far from the meeting point, Kakashi looked at his students. " you still have the samples, right? "
Naruto laughed at the question. " of course, sensei! I'd never forget something from the... mission, sensei... I think I lost it " he said at the end as he searched through his orange jacket, causing Sasuke to click his tongue.
" you're still useless. "
" shut up, Teme! At least I found proof! "
" what did you lose, Dobe? "
" stop fighting! I think you've irritated Kakashi-sensei " the pink-haired girl spoke to her companions. Naruto frowned, boasting, and Sasuke simply looked away.
Since the encounter during the Chūnin exams, Sasuke had been a bit more distant than before, but it all seemed like just a scare.
Kakashi merely exhaled. " well, what can you do? With what you showed me, it was a fight... and a very tough one. Don't worry, I'll report properly to the Third Hokage " he reassured his students, leaving Naruto simply embarrassed, he had lost a piece of evidence so clumsily.
Meanwhile, with the Rain ninjas, Nobumi finished searching the surrounding area and found nothing. " Gomu-sensei, I found nothing. "
" but I did " Uguma appeared as silently as always; his lifeless expression brightened with hope, a piece of red hair. He knew no one else with red hair except the Uzumaki siblings, and Karin was still in Amegakure.
The woman with glasses approached calmly, touching the hair and smiling faintly. " so, could it belong to that ninja our savior searches for so desperately? "
Nobumi stepped closer when she saw her comrade had found evidence; tears welled in her eyes. " he's not dead! We can take this to Konan-sama! He's fine... so why hasn't Yūji-chan returned home? " The girl's voice sounded discouraged, not understanding why the boy still hadn't come back. If only she knew that Konan-sama was mobilizing every willing ninja in Amegakure.
Konan-sama was paying them as if these were highly important missions. It seemed she didn't mind spending just to have everyone searching for Yūji. The last time she appeared before the purple-haired woman, it was painful with tears falling, she believed Yūji had died amid his rise as a Chūnin. But knowing he was alive, she was still worried and searched desperately for him.
Miss Gomu simply sighed amusedly. " don't you remember my lessons? "
" you never taught us anything; you just threw us to die. "
Ignoring Uguma, the girl raised a finger playfully and wagged it back and forth. " lessons, the most important lesson is not to judge duty and non-duty. If I had something dangerous with me or were doing something wrong, I wouldn't return to where I have loved ones. Although, well, I don't have loved ones, so that's not important... " She muttered to herself the last part.
Uguma fell silent upon hearing those words. " if... I had something dangerous, I wouldn't return to harm my family, " he murmured softly, narrowing his eyes. Nobumi only heard that phrase and felt like crying.
" ah, Yūji-chan must be suffering because he fears and is alone. Something must have happened in the exams, and he doesn't want to return out of shame " The girl simply wiped away her tears but became animated when her sensei applauded, wanting to pull them from that reverie.
" good! Since you're getting sentimental, it's time to return. We have good news for Konan-sama. She'll surely give us plenty of money to go eat somewhere around another village or the best food stalls near Amegakure. Let's move, team! " The woman started moving, she was swift.
" sensei! You never wait for us! Damn woman " Sometimes Nobumi had no respect for her sensei, watching her leave with hatred. She did it on purpose; she merely sighed.
Uguma, with that neutral expression, bit his thumb, drawing some blood, and made the corresponding seals. When he struck the ground, smoke appeared, and they found two twin wolves: one black and one white.
The white wolf spoke calmly, giving a small bow. " Uguma-sama "
The black wolf nodded; no more words were needed to understand their summoner and their first master.
The boy calmly climbed onto the white wolf without looking at Nobumi.
The girl blushed and even smiled awkwardly, behaving cutely. " oh, thank you for summoning the dark puppy for me, I don't feel like running today and... "
" move out "
Nobumi watched as Uguma left with his wolves, that bored, disinterested gesture causing the girl to start shouting at him. " you damn traitor, since you found the place you were searching for, you've become like this! I'll show you, I'll have summons too! "
In the end, Nobumi had to run after the two of them. Surely Gomu-sensei had already arrived with the news. Despite their momentary anger, a genuine smile appeared on the girl's face.
Yūji wasn't dead. Although Konan-sama had mentioned that he was truly still alive, a part of her believed it was just a facade, that Konan-sama couldn't accept reality. But really... he was fine.
So much time without knowing him, and he had appeared. " Yūji... we will find you and beat you until you return to Amegakure. Your sister has suffered a lot because of you, brat. "
That was all she said before disappearing into the underbrush and the immense tree canopies.
...
Pain was on a hologram, seeing two of the Akatsuki standing before him, specifically Itachi and Kisame; the others had free rein, so they weren't important.
" I have a mission to entrust to you " he spoke in a deep voice, squinting to visualize them better, they were the only ones present.
" I'm ready for anything " smiled the blue-skinned one with sharklike features. Beside him, the dark-haired boy with a tied-back ponytail did not move, simply waiting calmly, but a pair of red eyes glowed menacingly despite no apparent intent.
" you must find Orochimaru... I need to ask him some questions specifically and, if possible, make a deal " The man's voice was firm, prompting Itachi to finally react, narrowing his eyes in confusion over Orochimaru. Remembering how that vile serpent tried to take his body, which was when he deserted as well.
" Orochimaru... we have to search multiple bases. He's a serpent, a very slippery one " Itachi's Sharingan glowed threateningly in the dark, but Pain didn't care, remaining firm before them. They possibly expected the main plan to be executed.
" the attack on the bijū remains on track, but this involves something I need to do... in three years, it will begin " Pain murmured, and with his Rinnegan, he looked at both members. " so you must find that serpent. According to external information, he is in a new hideout near the village he founded himself... don't disappoint me, for you are the best team that fits together. I have entrusted this to you. " After all, it was true: the others were always fighting, and often for those same reasons, they delayed missions.
Kisame merely shook his head with amusement. " what will we do? Can we kill him after you finish what you need to do, boss? "
" do what you want, just after the mission is complete "
With that, the hologram shut off, causing Itachi to sigh softly.
" let's move... we have to find that serpent. "
" he never appealed to me, at least not when he tried to steal your body " Both men slowly left the cave where they had activated the hologram. There, the black cloak with red clouds and white trim was clearly visible.
Both men disappeared as soon as they exited. Though they knew it would be a long journey, a mission was a mission. As they began running from branch to branch, Itachi didn't respond to Kisame's words. He listened, but his mind was elsewhere.
What is Pain trying to do? Why was he looking for Orochimaru when he was exiled from the Akatsuki? He knew that in the end, everything happening would need to reach the Third Hokage. It was strange, as he had noticed something different in the leader of the Akatsuki himself.
Fulfilling his duty as a spy.
And while those people also mobilized, everything was disrupted by a red-haired boy, who now seemed calmer. The wounds he had received from Daigo hours ago had healed, but Daigo was still in bad shape. The man ate calmly but then began to speak.
" I can't believe how good your body is at healing. The blows you gave me were very strong " he smiled amused at the thought. Yūji paused his meal, pursing his lips.
Should he heal him? He didn't think it was that bad.
" well... I just have good genes... I think " he scratched his head a bit. " but I'm also good at healing. Do you want me to help you? "
Daigo blinked in surprise. " you're also a medical ninja? You must be a complete shinobi, kid " he seemed amused. Yūji just returned his smile.
" I'm very novice in those areas " he stood calmly to approach Daigo. " but my mother passed down a technique only she could perform. Now, " the boy raised his arm toward the man. " bite. "
" huh? "
" huh? "
Both Daigo and Genshō had blank expressions as they saw the boy raise his arm.
Yūji wore a very strange expression for the two.
" didn't you want to heal fast? Bite the damn arm! "
" what a mouth you have. Was that how you spoke to your sister? " The man seemed nervous, even uncomfortable, seeing the boy bringing his arm to his mouth. Genshō even dropped his chopsticks upon seeing Yūji's gesture.
" is this for real? Well, I can see why they were hunted long ago " he muttered. It was useless, the boy was quick and threw a stone at his forehead, knocking him to the ground. Of course, the white-haired boy didn't see it coming.
Daigo sighed. " all right, all right. Don't get angry. You weren't like this before " He chuckled softly and bit Yūji's arm. The boy didn't flinch; of course, his blood was corrosive, but only if he allowed it.
He watched as Daigo covered himself in a greenish mantra, chakra healing his wounds. When he was finally fully healed, the man clapped in surprise where he'd had bandages. " wow... it doesn't hurt anymore. It's amazing."
Yūji smiled proudly, rubbing his nose. " well, of course. I healed you. I'm not that bad, right? "
" you should've said so earlier. How was I supposed to know you had healing chakra? " He resumed eating his noodles, watching the boy complain before him.
" you never asked! "
" that blow hurt... "
So many events in a short time. Yūji sighed and fixed his eyes on the noodles. " we need to move soon. With the map Mui gave us, I think it will take a few days to reach the Land of Whirlpools. "
" so exactly why do you want to go there? As far as I know, it's just wasteland. There's nothing left there. I feel it'll be a waste of time " The boy simply seemed defeated by the child's desire to undertake a long journey.
Yūji, from his little time with them, noticed that Genshō was very straightforward. The boy's eyes softened as he pulled out a scroll and took out what he'd stored inside. Upon doing so, a small box appeared. It was simple wood but covered in seals he couldn't understand. " this box was among my mother's belongings... it has many seals I can't decipher. Can you understand at least one? "
The eldest of the three approached to look more closely, narrowing his eyes. " it's high-level fūinjutsu. From the detail and the thickness of the overlay seal, I can say that now that no Uzumaki remain, no one could open this box " he whispered upon noting how well sealed the box was. " was it among your mother's belongings? Didn't she have anything else? " The man looked at the boy, who blinked slightly.
" well... I think so " he pulled out something else from the scroll and, yes, it was the note with that red swirl. Daigo confirmed more that it could be special.
" that seal, I've seen it a lot. It's the special seal used by the Uzumaki clan leader. Maybe over time it's worn down, but I can perfectly make out that relief " He took the worn paper from the boy's hand and examined it.
When he tried to read it, sadly it was wet and unreadable. " yes, this writing, before the destruction of the Uzumaki clan, seems very neat... " His good memory more than anything was speaking, though he mostly talked to himself, leaving Yūji with questions.
" what are you muttering about? "
" this writing was from the last Uzumaki clan chief " He returned calmly. " I read it once from my father, before... " He pressed his lips, falling silent. " well, before its downfall. "
Yūji blinked a couple of times, holding the note again. " I had no idea... " At least now he understood that this letter wasn't from his mother. He merely looked at it calmly and sighed, putting the box away. Throughout the interaction, Genshō watched silently, after all, he was attentive to their conversation. " because of this box is why I want to go to the Land of Whirlpools. I want answers and, if I can find something to help me become stronger. Nothing more. I suppose I've got nothing to lose by trying " He gave a smile to his companions.
The white-haired boy sighed with nasal laughter. " I suppose. I hope you train me this time. I won't stop bothering you! "
" well, on the way, I hope to train too... we'll have busy days if we want to be strong " He gave his best, amused smile, looking at his companions.
It felt quite good to be accompanied, although he still worried about Suiren, since the girl hadn't emerged from her shadow, and no matter how hard he tried to locate her he couldn't. It was impossible, she was so good at hiding.
And with Sukuna, despite having recovered from Satori's blows on his domain expansion, he was quite proud; he wouldn't let him enter their consciousness. No matter how much he spoke to him, he couldn't pull him out. Maybe he was ashamed of himself. Could that really be it? He almost laughed at the irony, yes, maybe he was just like that because his pride was hurt.
This time, he simply remained calm. For the moment, he would let him rest. He felt that, even if just minimally, now that he had that self-imposed... or was it binding? It didn't matter, he could control Sukuna better now. He smiled slightly, hidden in his food so that his two companions wouldn't see his smile.
He felt that he was improving at a good pace. He mustn't forget he was still a child, he had to take care of himself if he really wanted to grow back to how he was before. What problems could there be right now?