Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Red Eyes under The Moonlight ❯ Chapter One : Mission Start ! ( Chapter 1 )

Red Eyes under the Moonlight

By:

Deandra-Sama

 

Heh-loh everyone ~ Well, after this chapter is done, I'm probably going to take WAY longer to put another chapter, since school's starts again … Damnit. I'll try to put up at least one chapter a week, though … since I don't want to abandon this fic~ Anyways … Enjoy~

I would like to note as well that this chapter is 2 year and a half years after the prologue.

 

Disclaimer:

Goddamnit, I'm not repeating the damn thing!!

 

Chapter One : Mission Start!

 

The sun had started to rise over Konoha, it's warm light waking up the early risers of the village. In a mansion garden near the Hyuuga estate, 15 year-old Natsuo Inuzuka was training with his dog, Rei.

The young Chuunin and his dog jumped through the trees like animals whilst hitting the targets they had placed below. After hitting the last target, the duo descended from the trees and lay on grass. Natsuo breathed heavily as he congratulated his little friend.

 

“Natsuo-niisan! Ohayo gozaimasu!” greeted a boy with empty eyes.

 

“Ah! Hokuto, Ohayo!” Natsuo replied to his younger brother.

 

“Eto … Seiji-niisan is waiting at the gate, he said to hurry.”

 

“Shimatta! I totally forgot! Ikusei, Rei!”

 

“Woof!”

 

Natsuo took his bag from his room and ran as fast as he could to join his friend outside.

 

“Natsuo! Where are you -“

 

“I've got a mission! See ya later dad!” said Natsuo as he ran passed his dad.

 

Seiji Nara had been counting the seconds that it took for his best friend to join him at the gate. When the canine man arrived, Seiji was proud to announce him a new record. Laughing, the two friends raced each other to the Hokage mansion.

 

The night before, the Rookie Nine (as well as their kids) had a huge reunion at Ichiraku's. Before the two boys left, Rokudaime Hokage-sama told them to come as early as possible the next day.

It has been their first mission in weeks, Natsuo and Seiji were happy to finally happy to be put to use.

 

When the two Chuunins arrived at the Hokage's mansion gates, they stopped to breath.

 

“Aha! I won again!” Natsuo proclaimed proudly.

 

“That's … So … U-unfair!” Seiji screamed.

 

“Stop being a grouch!” Natsuo joked opening the gate. “I wonder what kind of mission were getting.”

 

“I hope it's not another escorting mission. I'm tired of those.”

 

“Tell me about it.”

 

In no time, the boys arrived at Hokage-sama's office door. Seiji knocked on the door and the two entered when they heard a certain voice let them in.

 

“Seiji, Natsuo!” Naruto said, slightly surprised. “Wow, I said early … I didn't mean this early.”

 

Natsuo grinned. “The early bird catches the worm, right?”

 

“That's rare, you actually said something smart.” Seiji commented.

 

“Shut up!” Natsuo defended. “I can make smart remarks sometimes too, y'know!”

 

Naruto laughed at the two rivals. They have been like that ever since the young Hokage can remember, even though the reason of their rivalry had disappeared.

 

“Alright, settle down.” Rokudaime started. “You two have a mission, so listen up!”

 

“It's not another escort, is it?” Seiji asked nervously. “'Cause if it is then you can always as-“

 

“No it's not, don't worry.” Naruto interrupted. “It's an extermination mission.”

 

“YAHOO! Finally, a mission worth going on!” Natsuo exclaimed.

 

The Hokage ignored him, remembering that himself had been like that at his age. “Apparently, Tori no Kuni is being `haunted' by a huge raven. You are to go to there and exterminate the Raven and …”

 

Naruto stopped and turned around, his back facing the two boys.

 

“And?” Seiji repeated.

 

“And, you must confirm a certain … rumor…”

 

“A rumor?” Natsuo repeated aswell.

 

“The person behind the raven is someone with a sharigan. You are to find information about this and then exterminate the bird. If you do find a person with a sharigan, then you must bring he or she back to Konoha. Got it?” Naruto concluded facing the two chuunins again.

 

“Yes sir!”

 

“Alright, you may leave at any time today. Be sure to return 6 days from now. Dismissed.”

 

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@

 

Three hours later, Natsuo and Seiji we're ready to go. The two boys left the village enthusiastically; it's been so long since they actually got an interesting mission.

 

“Ne, Natsuo.” started Seiji.

 

“Hm?”

 

“I've been thinking.” He continued.

 

“About?” Natsuo replied. Then again, when aren't you thinking?

 

“About the person with the Sharigan…”

 

“Oh that, well … if it's a really sharigan then there is four possibilities to who it might be.” Natsuo concluded.

 

“Right. The first is Kakashi-sensei, but since he's been in Konoha for a while now, it can't be him.” Seiji said putting up one finger.

 

“True, then there's Itachi …” Natsuo replied putting up another finger.

 

“No way it'll be him, he's in Akatsuki and there's not a chance that he'll do something so trivial.”

 

“Right, so there's two left, that Sasuke guy and …”

 

“Saruko.”

 

The two boys remained quiet. It's been almost three years since they had seen their best friend.

 

“You don't think it's her … do you?” Natsuo said breaking the silence.

 

“It would explain why Hokage-sama looked so sad giving us this mission.” Seiji explained his friend.

 

“Wouldn't he be sad too if it were Sasuke?” Natsuo asked.

 

“If it were Sasuke, Hokage-sama would leave a Kage Bunshin and do the mission himself.”

 

“Right … so that's why he chose us …”

 

“It makes sense.”

 

Deciding to leave the topic and set up camp, the two boys cheery mood returned. They would ignore the subject until they had arrived at Tori no Kuni the next day.

 

“Here you go, Rei.” Natsuo whispered giving his precious dog some meat. “Enjoy~”

 

“That's nice, but what're we gonna eat?” Seiji commented watching his friend feed his companion.

 

“RAMEN! What else?” He replied happily taking some out from his bag.

 

“Haaa? Are you sure you're Kiba's kid? That's sounds like something Naruto-Sama would say!”

 

“Whatever, you're going to eat it anyway.” Natsuo said giving his friend a bowl of instant Ramen.

 

The dog-like chuunin took some hot water from his bag and poured into his ramen. He watched the noodles slowly soften and the water taking color. He licked his lips as he stared into his meal.

 

“Itadakimasu~” He exclaimed before devouring his ramen rapidly. “Gokusou-sama!”

 

Seiji stared at his friend. In a matter of fifteen seconds he had boiled and eaten his meal … heck! It took longer to boil it than to it! The more reserved guy, looked down at his own bowl of ramen and started to eat.

 

After setting a few traps around their tent, the two boys went to sleep. Oblivious to what awaited them the next day in the Bird Country.

 

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@

 

The next day, Natsuo and Seiji had arrived at Tori no Kuni by noon. The sun has high in the sky and it has started it's descent towards the western horizon. The beautiful warmth and light of that star illuminating the earth below it. The two Konoha Shinobis walked around the already active village excitedly.

 

“Come to think of it, we never did get any mission this far from home.” Seiji commented looking around. “Natsuo?”

 

The wiser chuunin looked at his left where Natsuo was just a second before. The stopped walking and turned on himself trying to spot his best friend.

 

“Occhan! A dozen of taiyakis please!”

 

Seiji looked to his right and saw Natsuo with a huge bag of food. Not bothering to ask how he got that much food in a space of ten seconds, Seiji took his friend by his hood and dragged him away.

 

“We have to book a hotel first, dobe!” He snapped at his hungry friend.

 

“Tche, I was just browsing around.” He defended.

 

“We're on a mission Natsuo, not a tourist trip.” Seiji argued letting go of his friend so he can get up.

 

“Ravens don't come out of nowhere in midday!”

 

SWOOOOSH!

 

“I stand corrected.” Natsuo corrected waving a small white flag in his right hand (So … Where DID he get the flag?!)

 

“Don't be so depressed! We get to kick some butt now!” Seiji replied enthusiastically as he ran towards the enemy.

 

It seemed as if the world despised Natsuo, making all, even the ones that makes sense, his statements wrong. Just when the young Inuzuka had finished the word `midday', a huge raven flew overhead; its gigantic wings casting a shadow over the entire village.

 

Ready for combat, the two konoha shinobi placed themselves ontop of a building in front of the huge menace.

Seiji, who was always Natsuo's backup in missions like these, analyzed the enemy. The raven seemed like a summoned beast, like Naruto-Sama's frog boss, rather than a wild animal. If he was right, and he usually was, then the raven's master should be nearby.

 

“Natsuo! Try and take down the bird, I'll try to find it's master.”

 

“No problem!” The canine chuunin replied. “Rei!”

 

“Warf!”

 

As the two partners got ready, Seiji leaped off to find the summoner of the huge bird; which was pretty difficult due to the hoard of villagers trying to hide. Seiji kept his eyes open and finally he found someone who looked suspicious. The person had a mask on his face and from Seiji's height, he couldn't figure out if it was a woman or a man.

 

The young chuunin descended from the roofs and followed the suspect by ground. Seiji followed him until they got to a deserted clearing. It seemed like he knew that he was following him. Seiji took out a kunai from his weapon pouch and stopped when his target stopped.

 

“What you do want from me, Konoha shinobi?” asked the suspect with a strong voice.

 

The voice doesn't sound feminine … I guess it isn't Saruko. Seiji thought, observing the target closely.

 

“Are you the one who summoned that bird?” He asked.

 

“And what if I am?”

 

“Then it's reason enough to capture you!!”

 

The young Nara charged the target with his kunai but as soon as he reached him … the target disappeared.

 

“Huh? Was it a clone?”

 

“Oi! Seiji!” called a voice from afar.

 

“Natsuo! Did you get rid of the bird?”

 

“Ah ie… It disappeared.”

 

Seiji didn't have time to explain his side of the story, a troop of Bird soldiers were following Natsuo. The dog-like boy laughed nervously.

 

“Oh them? I kinda rushed here because I didn't want to explain who we were …”

 

“Dobe!!” Seiji snapped punching his friend on the head.

“You two! By order of our Lady Toki-Sama, identify yourselves!” ordered the apparent leader of the troop.

 

“Eto … We're shinobi from Konohagakure no Sato. We were ordered to exterminate the Raven that's tormenting this village.” Seiji explained nervously.

 

“Konohagakure?” repeated a voice from the troop.

 

“H-hai.” Natsuo replied. “I'm Natsuo and he's Seiji. “Yoroshiku!”

 

“Naruto-Sama sent you?” asked the same voice. “How is he doing, anyway?”

 

“Eto, Fine, I guess.” Natsuo answered slightly surprised. “You know him? I mean … personally?”

 

“Hai. When he was still a Genin he pretty much saved this country.” He explained. “I'm Shima.”

 

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@

 

A few hours later, Natsuo and Seiji settled in a room within the palace. Shima told them that after they had gotten ready to head to the dinning room to meet with Toki-Sama. Seiji still didn't find the time to tell Natsuo what had happened, so he decided to tell him after the dinner.

 

“Natsuo-kun! Seiji-kun! Come sit down.” Shima said happily when two boys entered the room.

 

The two konoha shinobis acquiesced.

 

“Ano, if I may ask …” Seiji started. “What did Naruto-Sama do, exactly?”

 

Natsuo turned to his Seiji. He's too curious for his own good. He thought, but Shima didn't mind. The man smiled.

 

“Years ago, Naruto saved Toki-Sama from an evil man who wanted the lord's power. Eto … Back then, Toki-Sama has disguised as Sagi-Sama, her late twin brother, and … eto …”

 

“Gah! I don't get it!” Natsuo cried.

 

“Sumimasen, It's been years, I can't really remember anymore.” Shima apologized.

 

“Shima! How could you not remember how Naruto saved us?”

 

“Ah! T-toki-sama!”

 

Shima and Seiji bowed down. Natsuo looked at the two more or less confused.

 

“Yo!” He said smiling and waving at Toki-Sama.

 

“NATSUO!!” Seiji snapped grabbing his friend's head and banging it to the ground. “Sumimasen, Toki-Sama … He's kinda deranged.”

 

“WHO'S DERANGED?!” Natsuo screamed releasing himself from Seiji's grasp.

 

“Baka! Be more polite!”

 

Shima and Toki laughed at the two rivals.

 

“It's alright. Anyways let me tell you what really happened.” Toki-Sama said as she sat down at the head of the table.

 

After Toki-Sama had explained to the two how Naruto and his friends saved the country. It had happen when Naruto went over the boundaries of their mission (which was to unmask Noroimusha, a so-called ghost who turned out to be Toki-Sama in disguised) and learned of the conspiracies against Toki-Sama.

Seiji and Natsuo listened contently to the tale as they ate the food served. After dinner, the two chuunins went to patrol around the town for hints on the raven.

 

 

The village was quiet and empty, the moon serving as the only light. The two boys walked slowly and attentively around the empty town.

 

“Ne, Seiji.” Natsuo started. “Did you manage to find the bird's master?”

 

“Yeah. I don't think it's Saruko, though.” He explained.

 

“What makes you say that?”

 

“Well, his voice was very firm and unfeminine. It sounded like a man.” Seiji answered.

 

“That isn't reason enough. If I remember well, Saruko's voice wasn't girly either.” Natsuo argued.

 

Seiji didn't reply, for once, Natsuo was right.

 

“Also, it's not impossible that she disguised her voice on purpose.” Natsuo continued. “Like what Toki-Sama did when she was disguised as Sagi-Sama.”

 

“Alright then … So it might've been Saruko.” Seiji said.

 

The two ninjas walked in silence for a while, each of them trapped with their thoughts. Then, Seiji realized something.

 

“Natsuo …”

 

“Hm?” The boy replied.

 

“Why are you insisting it might be Saruko?” Seiji asked. “Are you hoping it's really her?”

 

Natsuo turned away briskly, blushing. He put up his hood, causing Rei to jump off it, and hid his face.

 

“N-no! It's not that …” He explained. “I just wanted to … to prove you wrong.”

 

Seiji looked at his friend and smiled. I know you're lying Natsuo, but still, If it's her … I will not let you have her. The boy thought.

 

“Anyway, we should to where I last saw the suspect. We might find something.”

 

The Konoha shinobi walked, once again, in silence towards the clearing. Once they arrived, it was quiet and not a single clue was left. Slightly disappointed, Natsuo went to sit on a rock. He sighed.

 

“It's no fun looking for clues.” He said.

 

“Man, this guy should've at least leave footsteps.” Seiji commented as sat against a tree facing his friend.

 

Natsuo and Seiji sighed. But, not wanting to get depressed, Natsuo stood up and put his fist to the sky. Rei barked happily at him knowing what his master wants to say. Seiji smiled, his friend's determination was incredible.

 

“No way we're gonna give up!” He proclaimed to the sky. “Black-mask dude we are go-“

 

Natsuo had jumped off the rock, but before the boy could finish his speech, his ears sensed danger.

Seiji got up, taking a kunai from his pouch and getting into a fighting stance. Natsuo called his dog and got into their fighting stance aswell. The two chuunins let their senses brush their environnements for the villain who hid himself in the leaves.

 

A gentle wind blew causing the leaves to rustle and disguise any sudden movements. A dark shadow moved from tree to tree, taunting the boys who were trying to find it. The figure stopped moving once the wind stopped, it hid behind a tree to wait for another breeze. Natsuo's nose finally picked up a scent, he nodded to his dog and they got into position. Seiji sensing his partner's movements he backed away.

 

“JUUJIN BUNSHIN: GATSUUGA!!”

 

Natsuo and Rei's attack surprised the enemy, who didn't expect to be found so easily. Although, the shadow was surprised, it still managed to dodge the attack.

 

“I didn't expect that.” He said smirking under his mask. “But you won't get me a second time!”

 

Suddenly, the enemy disappeared from sight. Seiji and Natsuo stood ready for any attack, but when it didn't come, the two boys got confused. Seiji took two steps back and felt a mysterious wind, he turned around and realized what the enemy had done.

 

“NATSUO! He trapped us in a wind cage!”

 

“That's right.” said the masked figure. “But, this technique is fairly useless on its own.”

 

“So why use it?!” Natsuo screamed, angry that they've been caught in the enemy trap.

 

The shadow smirked. “Katon : Goukakyuu no Jutsu!”

 

Due to the wind cage, that huge amount of fire used for that jutsu became even huger. The cage then became a cage of flames.

 

“Hinote Kago no Jutsu.” whispered the enemy. “That is what I call it.”

 

“Fire Cage?” Natsuo repeated. “How unoriginal.”

 

“SHUT UP NATSUO! The both of you will be trapped in that cage until I dispel it.” the shadow explained. “Which is, until I escape, of course.”

 

“WHAT YOU SAY?!”

 

Seiji's eyes widened. Did he just say Natsuo's name? The boy turned to his friend. He didn't seem disturbed, then again, he might've been to angry to notice. The young ninja listened to anything coming from outside the cage. There wasn't anything there, the enemy has escaped.

 

A few minutes later, the cage was dispelled, leaving a furious Natsuo and a disturbed Seiji alone in the forest clearing.

 

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@

 

“Finally!” Natsuo proclaimed when they had finally reached their room at Toki-Sama's mansion. The hyper-active chuunin jumped face first on his bed, enjoying its warmth and softness, Rei jumps on it and barks happily. Seiji looked at Natsuo, who was smiling at Rei for no particular reason, it didn't seem like he noticed that the enemy had said his name.

 

“Natsuo …”

 

The boy turned to his older friend who had a pretty worried/concerned face. Natsuo furrowed his brow, Seiji looked serious.

 

“What's wrong?” He asked Seiji cocking his head left like he always did when he felt something was wrong.

 

“You … You didn't hear her, did you?” Seiji replied as if he didn't expect an answer. He walked towards the sliding door and opened it; a soft night wind took over the room.

 

The two boys sat there in silence. Out the door was a beautiful pond surrounded with flowers and stones, around that pond was a small grass field.

When they were little and Saruko was still around, the three friends would play in a place like this in the Hyuuga Estate. They would train, talk and simply have fun. When Saruko left, the two boys never played there again; they vowed to not return there until Saruko had come back, like she promised.

 

Although, as years passed, Seiji and Natsuo began to doubt Saruko's vow but Naruto's determination didn't let them give up and so … they kept their promised.

Seiji smiled nostalgically at the scene before him. It brought back such beautiful memories.

 

“Remember when we used to play at the pond in Neji-niisan's place?” Seiji said, breaking the long silence.

 

“Hai. Mom and Dad still lived there …” Natsuo stopped himself, he realized what his comrade had said.

 

“Saruko was still around.”

 

“Yeah, I remember that whenever she made up a move, I'd laugh at her creativity.”

 

Natsuo brought his hands behind his head and laid on his back to stare at the blank ceiling.

“Saruko … had no imagination whatsoe-“

 

The boy's eyes widened. No Imagination. He suddenly got up and looked at his friend's back; Seiji had already realized who the enemy was. Chikusho, I didn't realize it!

 

Reading Natsuo's mind, Seiji mearly nodded. The room was silent once again.

 

“DAMNIT! Will the mood ever lift up?! I'm sick and tired of the nostalgia! Seiji, look, were just going to have to think up a plan and beat the sense into our bitch of friend!”

 

The hyper-active man jumped off the bed and raised his fist with a determined smile. Seiji turned around and smiled too, there's no way a person can stay depressed with a guy like Natsuo around.

 

“Now …” He started, actually making Seiji hope he has a plan. “ … What to do?”

 

Seiji threw his head down. I've lost all hope on this guy. He thought with a sigh.

 

“Look this is what we should do …”

 

~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@~@

 

A/N: … Well, I can't say I'm too proud with this chapter … It leaves me with this … I dunno … Feeling. Anyways, I'll make the other one better! Hehe~

Kudos~