Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Mended Hearts ((Revised)) ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did, but I don't.

 

Summary:AU Naruto hides many secrets from Konohagakure no Sato. As time continues, Naruto's precious people learn the hard way that many secrets are best left untouched, and that Naruto is not at all what they believed.

New Summary: AU Beginning and ending with his name, Naruto's past is veiled in mystery. Even as Kakashi teaches him the meaning of affection and love, Naruto's secrets come into the open, and it falls to Naruto's precious people to protect and support him as his father's name and legacy threatens to crush him and destroy the Hidden Village of the Leaf.

 

6/11/2008: Greetings! This is SanadaSayuri, once again! As many of you many have previously noticed, the older version of Mended Hearts has been taken down. While I'm waiting for inspiration to strike from my muses, I decided to fix up Mended Hearts! Well, then. Here is the new and improved Chapter 2! I will be updating this story once a week, so please look forward to it.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Chapter 2: Turbulence~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

The Huntress felt the tug in her chakra that warned her that one of her alarm traps had been triggered. She frowned. Why would anyone be this far away from the village, and why would they come this deep into the forest? The only time anyone would enter the forest would be if the shinobi were cutting through the country for the sake of speed or pursuing a quarry of sorts, but which was it? If they were merely passing through, where they going, and if a quarry was being hunted, then who was the prey, and who was hunting them?

 

There was a quiet rustle of leaves moving gently in the trees around her as the wind blew softly through the forest giants that were Konoha's namesake. It was a peaceful scene, and she almost missed the near undetectable ripple of chakra that was closing in fast. She recognized the chakra. That soft warmth that was free of malice or killing intent that contained no emotion but the serenity of a mirror still lake but bore the heat and intensity of a raging blaze was familiar to her.

 

Zeiguwa was nearby.

 

But why did she not sense the fear or desperation that would normally come from a Hunter's quarry despite their best efforts to hide it?

 

Was Zeiguwa even following a quarry?

 

If not, then why did he have an ANBU squad with him?

 

She sensed another faint ripple of chakra, and with a soft swish, the Hunter dropped from the trees and landed soundlessly.

 

“Zeiguwa-kun,” the Huntress said.

 

“Kou no Tori,” Zeiguwa answered, his voice cool and level as he drew the katana at his side.

 

The Huntress felt a sudden twinge of fear as realization dawned.

 

She had been discovered!

 

She was the quarry!

 

She barely had time to draw the katana on her back as Zeiguwa surged forward, his katana glinting in the light of the weak sun.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Kakashi watched his superior from behind his ANBU mask. Not for the first time, he compared the Hunter's movements to that of a certain blonde genin that he knew. To his knowledge, Zeiguwa had been a Hunter-nin since he was seven, at least, that was the first time he had seen the diminutive Hunter. There were times, he thought absently, when Naruto seemed like Zeiguwa, especially three mornings ago during that mission where they had been attacked by yokai, the similarities had been glaringly obvious.

 

The four man ANBU team, led by Zeiguwa, made their way silently through the trees. The Hunter turned his head slightly and paused on a branch, and crouched to bring another branch to eye level. Cerulean eyes hardened behind the porcelain mask as he noted the bark which had been scraped off the tree by a careless shinobi.

 

The imposter is very good at deception, Naruto thought as he examined the mark. If I didn't know Kou no Tori as well as I did, I would have thought that these marks were made by her. The real Kou no Tori would not be as careless as to leave behind such an obvious sign of her presence. And even if she did, she would not have allowed her sandals to scrape off so much bark.

 

Satisfied that they were at the very least moving in the right direction, the Hunter motioned for the ANBU squad to follow him as he leapt into motion once more. They moved swiftly through the forest, unseen and unheard. The Hunter effortlessly led the ANBU team that accompanied him through the maze of traps, swiftly avoiding what could be avoided and disabling that which they could not. A grim smile curled underneath the mask as the traps increased in number and complexity. He did not need to speak to his subordinates to know that they had noticed, and that they had drawn the same conclusion he had.

 

Their quarry was nearby, and she was resting.

 

Zeiguwa made sure they tripped at least one alarm trap as they went along.

 

He could see her now, and he realized for the first time in a while that her chakra was hidden. It had been Kou no Tori's greatest strength, as the enemy never had a chance to realize her presence until she had been right on top of them. Now it had been Konoha's greatest weakness, as it had allowed the imposter to take Kou no Tori's place, and no one had noticed the difference until the corpse had turned up.

 

White hot anger surged through him.

 

Kou no Tori had been his first sensei. While she had not liked him, she had treated him like a human being.

 

Over time, they had become good friends, and she was usually the one who cared for him after missions.

 

Naruto saw the imposter rise and study the trees, and unseen behind the mask, his lips compressed into a thin line. He motioned for the ANBU to stay hidden, and dropped from the tree. He hit the ground lightly, without a sound or a burst of displaced air.

 

“Zeiguwa-kun,” she said.

 

Naruto gave no sign of his anger. “Kou no Tori,” he intoned, drawing his katana.

 

He felt a surge a satisfaction as shock and fear laced her body language and chakra. Kou no Tori-san, I will avenge you today.

 

He surged forward, flicking the tip of the blade toward her neck. Kou no Tori leapt back, drawing her katana as she retreated. Naruto pulled back, his body and senses tense and alert. Kou no Tori lunged, sweeping her sword in a wide arc, as he parried the blow, and kicked her in the stomach, sending her back several steps.

 

The two combatants lunged once more and their blades clashed. The combatants were a blur of movement, dodging, slashing, stabbing, and leaping off trees and into the air. The forest rang with the sound of blades clashing as the Hunter and the false Huntress sidestepped and parried, dodged and attacked, the air around them shimmering, and their blades reflecting the dappled light of the forest. The ANBU waited in the trees as the two Hunters clashed, dancing a deadly dance for the upper hand, and ultimately, victory.

 

Naruto, for all his skill, was still only 15, and his body could only take so much abuse. He saw a chance and swiftly debating his choices before selecting the best possible action. He stepped forward, allowing Kou no Tori's blade to pass through his shoulder. He slammed a chakra enhanced fist into her solar plexus, forcing her to drop her weapon as she gasped for breath. He used the hilt of his katana to knock the false Huntress unconscious, and she collapsed.

 

He signaled for the ANBU who dropped from the trees and set to work tying up the imposter.

 

“Zeiguwa-sama,” the ANBU with the wolf mask said, “You're hurt.”

 

Naruto glanced over at the ANBU. Kakashi… he identified the ANBU by voice.

 

“I'm fine,” he said curtly. It was going to be a long day.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“She was an Sound spy,” Zeiguwa said. “Orochimaru intended for her to discover the identity of the Hunter who brought Sasuke back to Konoha last year, and to report back to him. According to the spy, Orochimaru intended to attempt to convert the Hunter, and if the Hunter in question could not be converted, she was to kill him. At the same time, they would retrieve his preferred vessel.”

 

Tsunade's eyes were worried. “Did she know when this was to happen?”

 

Naruto shook his head. “No. Apparently, Orochimaru was going to tell her what to do next after they met up. There is a high possibility that Orochimaru was supposed to meet with the imposter sometime that same day. I felt it would be more prudent, however, to ensure that there are no leaks and to return to Konoha to report the occurrence rather than to stay and attempt to engage the enemy.”

 

Tsunade nodded. “I also heard that you were injured.”

 

“It is fine.”

 

“Naruto…”

 

“It's been healed since we entered the village.”

 

Tsunade sighed, knowing that Naruto wouldn't back down. “Very well. Dismissed.”

 

Naruto bowed and vanished in a puff of smoke.

 

He reappeared on top of the Hokage monument. He stood there for a while, watching the stars twinkling in the sky. The village was silent; the village's residents were all in bed but for the Hokage and the shinobi who got patrol or guard duty. An occasional window spilled forth warm golden light where a ninja had stayed up late, preparing for a mission, or cleaning up after one, or an Academy teacher, up late to grade papers. It's a pity that the view from up here is not complimented by the people actual actions of the village's people itself… Naruto thought bitterly.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

He stood still amidst burning logs and destruction, his dark eyes staring sightlessly at the destruction around him, lost in his memories.

 

---It had been three years since he had left Konoha. He had already known that he was marked as a nuke-nin for years, but he did not expect to see a hunter-nin this close to Sound territory.

 

“Uchiha Sasuke,” the Hunter intoned, “You are to return to Konohagakure immediately.”

 

“No!” Sasuke yelled. “I'm not going back until I gain enough power to kill my brother!”

 

The Hunter sighed. “Yare yare, I suppose I have no other choice. I suppose I will simply have to take you back by force.”

 

“You can try,” Sasuke snarled as the curse seal spread over his body.

 

The Hunter sighed again and shook his head. “Why must you all always do things the hard way? All it ever does is create unnecessary complications.”

 

“Urusei!!!!” Sasuke lunged forward, pulling kunai from his pouch.

 

The Hunter stood calmly, his arms at his side. Sasuke slashed at the Hunter, only for him to bat the boy's hands aside and pressed his gloved fingers lightly against a pressure point, freezing Sasuke's movements.

 

“An Oto-nin is weak because they care only for themselves. A Konoha-nin's strengths lies in the fact that all Konoha-nin have something to protect,” The Hunter took Sasuke's chin in a firm but gentle grip, and tilted his head back. Sasuke could see the brilliant blue eyes through the slits in the mask. “You are doing this because you envy the Uzumaki boy, aren't you?” the Hunter murmured. “Do you know why he is so strong? Why he grows in leaps and bounds? It is because he has precious people. He has people he wishes to protect, and he puts those people above his dream.”

 

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. “How would you know anything about Naruto?”

 

The Hunter laughed, a dull, dead sound filled with bitterness. “How would I know? Because I am like him, and that is all you need to know.”

 

The Hunter said nothing more, and lightly pressed another pressure point. Sasuke knew no more as he fell into the oblivion of darkness.---

 

Sasuke shook his head. He had a meeting with his team soon. He couldn't afford to be distracted. Wordlessly, he turned and left the training area and vanished into the house. `What is the connection between the dobe and the Hunter?' he wondered.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

Kakashi watched as Naruto sparred with Sakura while Sasuke watched from the sidelines, waiting for his turn.

 

Strike, strike, block, dodge, sidestep, counter, strike, strike, counter, dodge

 

Kakashi watched his students closely, and saw the faintest signs of fatigue in Naruto's eyes. Dark bags were visible under his eyes, which were a dull and lifeless blue, his reflexes sluggish, his movements and voice lacked energy. Kakashi frowned. What was happening that would tire out the blonde so much? What was he doing when he was supposed to be off duty?

 

A bird's call attracted their attention.

 

Eagle, Kakashi thought. The Godaime is summoning the Jounin and the Hunters.

 

He glanced at his students and said cheerfully, “Let's call it a day. Team 7 dismissed.”

 

He vanished in a puff of smoke.

 

Naruto's shoulders sagged slightly and he breathed a resigned sigh. Duty called. He parted ways with his teammates, straining to keep up a cheerful façade, only letting it drop once he was leaping through the trees. Had he looked back, he would have seen the worried looks that Sasuke and Sakura exchanged after his departure. Naruto quickly slipped into his apartment and changed into his uniform and vanished in a puff of smoke.

 

Zeiguwa reappeared in the hallway outside the Missions Office, and unobtrusively slipped into the room.

 

“You look completely exhausted,” a soft voice murmured.

 

Naruto glanced at the Hunter beside him before shrugging. “It has been a long week.”

 

Karasu chuckled. “Indeed. It's the first time I had ever seen Zeiguwa performing everyday assassinations on a regular basis instead of guarding the Uchiha boy.”

 

“Being near that boy on a daily basis is more than enough to drive any Hunter to the brink of exhaustion,” Naruto answered dryly.

 

“Oh? I thought that you would have been jumping at the chance to be near the Uchiha prodigy.”

 

“Some prodigy,” Naruto snorted. “I took a chidori through the chest to keep my cover the first time I was sent to bring him back. If it hadn't been for the Kyuubi's healing factor… That boy is more trouble than he's worth.”

 

“True,” Karasu said, “I can't help but pity Kakashi. Being his sensei must be rather harrowing.”

 

“Harrowing? Perhaps. Amusing? Most definitely. Kakashi gets much amusement out of reading passages of that book to Uchiha during their training sessions. If the boy didn't cause me so much trouble, I might just feel sorry for him,” was Naruto's dry reply. He glanced up in time to see Tsunade enter the room. “Ah. The Godaime has arrived.”

 

Karasu and Zeiguwa faced forward, and the hushed whispers of the conversations drifting throughout the room fell silent as the gathered shinobi came to attention.

 

“Shinobi of Konoha,” Tsunade said solemnly, looking over the assembled jounin and Hunters, “We have recently received new information that indicates that Otogakure no Sato may invade Konoha in the near future. To prevent the invasion, we will be sending fifteen Jounin and ANBU led by three Hunters into Sound territory to do whatever is necessary to prevent the invasion, or delay it…”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

“Gah!!! Why does he call us out so early, but never show up on time?! And where the hell is Naruto?!!” Sakura yelled.

 

“Hnn,” Sasuke leaned against the railings of the bridge.

 

There was a puff of smoke signaling the arrival of a shinobi and Sakura spun around to glare at the disappearing wisps of smoke.

 

“YOU'RE… not Kakashi-sensei,” Sakura finished lamely as the last bit of smoke vanished.

 

“I should hope not,” a familiar voice said.

 

“That's insulting,” another familiar voice said. “Neither of us are chronically tardy like Hatake-san.”

 

She blinked as she recognized the two people standing on the arch near the bridge. “Yamato-taichou! Sai-san!”

 

“Ohayo, Sakura,” Sai and Yamato smiled.

 

“Why are you here?” Sasuke asked, “And where are Kakashi-sensei and Naruto?”

 

“Hmm… I believe Kakashi is preparing for a mission of some sort, and Naruto is at a meeting with the Hokage,” Sai said.

 

“Oh… So I guess Sai will be taking Naruto's place on Team 7 while you substitute for Kakashi-sensei, right, Yamato-sensei?” Sakura asked.

 

Yamato nodded. “We'll have a survival training today to get the three of you used to working together, and we'll start with a D rank mission later on today.”

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

TBC…

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

A/N: Well, there is the new Chapter 2. I hope you enjoyed it. Please leave a review and tell me what you think of it. I look forward to hearing from you all.

 

SanadaSayuri

 

SanadaSayuri

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CSA Version 7 Mended Hearts What Are You Hiding?