Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Written In Ink ❯ Chapter 22
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Desiree Dee 
Naruto has a discussion with the demon fox.
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Shounen / Martial Arts / Drama / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.27.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.3K | Visits: 361 | Status: Work In Progress
Naruto has a discussion with the demon fox.
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Shounen / Martial Arts / Drama / Comedy / Adventure / Action | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 05.27.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.3K | Visits: 361 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 22
Temari and Shikamaru had come across Tsunade and Gaara as they were discussing the next exam. Finding that they were too late to prevent the ringmaster’s early demise, they were relieved to find that Gaara himself had calmed down and were going over the facts of Sumi’s past with Tsunade.
“From all that we have been able to gather, this is the best scenario I can come up with.” Tsunade explained.
“Somehow, all of Sumi’s village save her father and herself were destroyed. She must have still been an infant, but her father took her to a new village where he remarried and they started a new life.
“How their lives were at that time is still a mystery, but we do know that Sumi was just discovering her blood limit when that Dmitri character came across her.
“She was abducted from her home while her father was on a mission. Being around eight years old, she would have received some basic ninja training, so this explains why she was able to pick up on it so easily. Still, it proved a problem for the ringmaster, it meant she was not as easy to control as he had hoped.
“Her father came home to find her missing and went after her. He stopped in the sand village on his search where he left the picture. Sometime after that, he found the circus.”
“Where they killed him in front of her.” Gaara Stated. Tsunade nodded.
“It caused her to go into such a rage that she could barely be controlled.” Tsunade continued.
“So, they took her to the monk that put a seal on her. Her memories were altered to suit them until she decided to run away.
“That’s when she encountered the monastery in the mountains and gained her tattoos. She was then betrayed, and the circus recaptured her. That basically brings us up to the point hat they arrived in the village.”
“Well, the seal’s been broken, what do we do now?” Shikamaru asked.
“Those are demons that she alone will have to face.” Gaara whispered. Everyone turned toward the figure that was sleeping under the tree.
88888888
“Awe, “ Naruto grumbled as he flopped onto the ground. “Which way did he go?”
As good as he was at tracking, Gaara was better at avoiding being tracked. This fact annoyed him just as much as his inability to find out what was going on with Sumi. With a final grumble, Naruto adjusted his position and once again tried to meditate.
He closed his eyes and focused on blocking out all of his other senses. The world around him was dark and silent. A slight breeze rolling across his face caused him to open his eyes. Instead of the forest that he had expected to see, he was still surrounded by darkness. He looked towards the source of the breeze and turned to face it.
With that motion, he realized that he was no longer sitting, but standing and he could feel water around his ankles. It seemed to be flowing from the same source that the air was emanating.
He began following the sensations to their starting point when he was met with the smell of rotting meat. He readjusted his headband to cover his nose and mouth so that he could breathe a little easier. A small pinpoint of light. Slowly but surely, it grew. As he came upon it, he could see that the light was dim and barely illuminated his surroundings.
The water he was wading through was dark and the air was barely breathable. Wisps of the stench hung in the air glowing from the small amount of light they absorbed. Soon, he found himself in front of the familiar chamber that held the fox spirit.
“What’s happened?” Naruto called out to the darkness behind the bars.
“You did.” The fox’s voice was quiet and barely audible. “It’s bad enough that I am trapped here, must you torture me too?”
“What do you mean?” The confused youth asked.
“Your self-doubt has been eating you from the inside, causing this horrid stench.”
“Self-doubt?” Naruto shook his head. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“At best I can estimate it to when you failed to bring your friend home. He beat you to within an inch of your life, and I had to come to the rescue once again.” The fox-spirit hissed.
“Rescue! Apparently he was too much for you as well!” The boy shouted back.
“The despair you felt at not being able to help him hindered me.” The spirit glared. “As much as I hate to admit it, even without me here, you do have extraordinary power. I don’t know where it comes from, but it is enough to keep me here and prevent me from using my full potential. Maybe that’s why you of all people were chosen for my prison.”
“That doesn’t explain anything!” Naruto grumbled.
“It explains much. Your strong spiritual power manifests itself in many ways. Lucky for you, the stench isn’t nearly as bad as it once was. Did you recently find your comrade? I am only vaguely aware of what occurs when I am not aiding you.” The spirit seemed to have a disinterested tone.
“No.” Naruto hung his head and the stench grew.
“Well, something must have happened!” The fox quickly stated. “it must have something to do with the other strong power I sensed. What was that?”
“Huh?’ Naruto jerked his head up. “Are you talking about Sumi?”
“Is that their name?” The fox noticed the smell recede slightly at the reminder of this person. “Tell me about them.”
“I didn’t think you cared what went on in my life.” Naruto gave the nine-tails a suspicious look.
“I am interested to find out about such strong presence.” The fox hoped the boy would take the bait. Lucky for him, this was one topic he was more than eager to speak on.
88888888
Sumi groaned as she opened her eyes. The pounding in her head seemed to recede as the world around her came into to focus. She was lying on her side and could make out the figure of Tsunade seated and talking. The person must have been sitting in front of Tsunade since Sumi couldn’t see them.
“What happened?” Sumi mumbled as she attempted to sit up. The sudden movement caused the throbbing to flare back up.
“Don’t push yourself,” Tsunade rushed over to Sumi’s side. “You had a blow to the head, I was afraid you weren’t going to wake up.”
“Did I fall out of a tree again?” She asked. Shikamaru strolled over to her. He must have been the person Tsunade was talking to. He gave her a sad smile and bent down to help her up.
“I’m sorry, that was my fault.” He said. “Tsunade asked me to help test some of your skills. I guess you still need to work on them. I forgot how easy it was to attack you.”
Sumi didn’t miss the small look that crossed Tsunade’s face before she placed a fake smile on her face.
“That’s right. I’m sorry, Sumi.” She rubbed the girl’s head affectionately, careful not to cause any more pain. Sumi was too disoriented to press the subject, but suspected that they were both lying.
“So, when are we going to continue with my training?” She asked.
“How about we get a meal into you, then we’ll work on self-defense, since it seems to be a problem.” Tsunade suggested.
“I’d love to continue helping, but I have a class to help teach.” Shikamaru stated.
“Do me a favor, and don’t tell Naruto about this, okay?” Sumi asked.
“Okay, but why?” He asked.
“He’ll be worried, and I don’t want him to think that I can’t even defend myself. If that’s the case, how can I defend him?” She answered.
“It would also be best if he didn’t know where we were.” Tsunade stated. Shikamaru nodded and jumped into the trees without even uttering a goodbye.
88888888
As Naruto finished his tale for the demon fox, the air was almost breathable.
“She seems unaware of her own vast power.” The fox answered. “It also seems that she heals you where others could not.”
“What do you mean?” The curious youth asked.
“She’s helped you restore some of your fiath in yourself. Not to mention given you something more to work for.”
“You really think so?”
“If anything else, she seems like the perfect ally for getting that boy back.”
“What makes you say that?” Naruto gave the spirit a queer look.
“From a tactical standpoint, She’s perfect.” The fox explained. “She has a tactic that can only be used by those of her bloodline. Since it has no seals, and uses no chakra there is nothing for that boy to copy. I may not know much of what goes on out there, but some of your thoughts and feelings drift down here and I do know of that boy’s power.”
“Are you suggesting I use Sumi?” Naruto looked appalled. “I would never….”
“As a ninja, this would appeal even to her. If it were a mission, she would be ready to do anything to accomplish it, and if what you’ve told me about her is accurate, I do not see her refusing this, or taking it lightly. Just consider it.”
“That’s all beside the point. I came here to talk to you about sharing your power a little more freely. I’m told it is the only way I could learn a new move.”
“So, it’s ok to use me?” The fox commented.
“Let’s get serious.” Naruto’s voice lost all emotion. “You and I both know that the only way for you to get out is by me dying, and I don’t intend to do that any time soon. So, it would probably be best for both of us if we work together.
“I will be Hokkage one day, and if you want to fight me the whole way, I’m sure I could find out how to get rid of you entirely. If you work with me, I’m sure we could find some way for both of us to live a little happier in this situation.”
“Boy, a little more of my power is seeping into you each day. Who’s to say that I won’t eventually take over?”
“You would have done it already, while I was at my weakest.” Naruto crossed his arms and smirked. “I think we both know that you’re afraid that one day you will no longer exist. Work with me and I will do my best to make sure that is not the case.”
“You’re more perceptive than you let on.” The fox stated.
“Let people see how smart you are from the start, they tend to expect more from you. Come in looking stupid, and your window of surprised is opened that much more.”
“Using perception and first impressions as a weapon?” The fox seemed to smile. “We may get along just yet.. I agree to lend you more of my power, but in exchange, you have to allow me out once in a while, not just when you fight or train, but when you do simple things as well. For once, I would like to enjoy the feel of the sun in my face instead of worrying about fighting off an enemy.”
“I think you have a deal.” Naruto agreed.
“One day, you must let me meet this Sumi. Her tiger spirit sounds interesting, but if they can work together, I don’t see why we can’t.” The fox retreated into his cell to indicate he no longer wished to talk..
When Naruto reemerged into the physical realm, he opened his eyes to find the sun had set. He made his way back to the village with no thoughts in particular on his mind. Just enjoying a feeling of peace he had not felt in a long time.
88888888
“Finally, it’s over.” Kakashi sighed.
“Come on, it wasn’t that bad.” Iruka laughed.
“Let’s just say I won’t be applying for the teaching exam anytime soon.”
“I don’t know, I don’t thing the girls have ever paid so much attention in my class.” Iruka smiled as Kakashi rolled his eyes. “How about I buy you another round?”
“I thought you were already paying. Of course, I’m getting another round.”
7777
Sorry for the delay. Had it typed, just got really busy and forgot to post it.
Thanks to Kira,Battosai25, and Raven_Thornheart for your reviews!
Temari and Shikamaru had come across Tsunade and Gaara as they were discussing the next exam. Finding that they were too late to prevent the ringmaster’s early demise, they were relieved to find that Gaara himself had calmed down and were going over the facts of Sumi’s past with Tsunade.
“From all that we have been able to gather, this is the best scenario I can come up with.” Tsunade explained.
“Somehow, all of Sumi’s village save her father and herself were destroyed. She must have still been an infant, but her father took her to a new village where he remarried and they started a new life.
“How their lives were at that time is still a mystery, but we do know that Sumi was just discovering her blood limit when that Dmitri character came across her.
“She was abducted from her home while her father was on a mission. Being around eight years old, she would have received some basic ninja training, so this explains why she was able to pick up on it so easily. Still, it proved a problem for the ringmaster, it meant she was not as easy to control as he had hoped.
“Her father came home to find her missing and went after her. He stopped in the sand village on his search where he left the picture. Sometime after that, he found the circus.”
“Where they killed him in front of her.” Gaara Stated. Tsunade nodded.
“It caused her to go into such a rage that she could barely be controlled.” Tsunade continued.
“So, they took her to the monk that put a seal on her. Her memories were altered to suit them until she decided to run away.
“That’s when she encountered the monastery in the mountains and gained her tattoos. She was then betrayed, and the circus recaptured her. That basically brings us up to the point hat they arrived in the village.”
“Well, the seal’s been broken, what do we do now?” Shikamaru asked.
“Those are demons that she alone will have to face.” Gaara whispered. Everyone turned toward the figure that was sleeping under the tree.
88888888
“Awe, “ Naruto grumbled as he flopped onto the ground. “Which way did he go?”
As good as he was at tracking, Gaara was better at avoiding being tracked. This fact annoyed him just as much as his inability to find out what was going on with Sumi. With a final grumble, Naruto adjusted his position and once again tried to meditate.
He closed his eyes and focused on blocking out all of his other senses. The world around him was dark and silent. A slight breeze rolling across his face caused him to open his eyes. Instead of the forest that he had expected to see, he was still surrounded by darkness. He looked towards the source of the breeze and turned to face it.
With that motion, he realized that he was no longer sitting, but standing and he could feel water around his ankles. It seemed to be flowing from the same source that the air was emanating.
He began following the sensations to their starting point when he was met with the smell of rotting meat. He readjusted his headband to cover his nose and mouth so that he could breathe a little easier. A small pinpoint of light. Slowly but surely, it grew. As he came upon it, he could see that the light was dim and barely illuminated his surroundings.
The water he was wading through was dark and the air was barely breathable. Wisps of the stench hung in the air glowing from the small amount of light they absorbed. Soon, he found himself in front of the familiar chamber that held the fox spirit.
“What’s happened?” Naruto called out to the darkness behind the bars.
“You did.” The fox’s voice was quiet and barely audible. “It’s bad enough that I am trapped here, must you torture me too?”
“What do you mean?” The confused youth asked.
“Your self-doubt has been eating you from the inside, causing this horrid stench.”
“Self-doubt?” Naruto shook his head. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“At best I can estimate it to when you failed to bring your friend home. He beat you to within an inch of your life, and I had to come to the rescue once again.” The fox-spirit hissed.
“Rescue! Apparently he was too much for you as well!” The boy shouted back.
“The despair you felt at not being able to help him hindered me.” The spirit glared. “As much as I hate to admit it, even without me here, you do have extraordinary power. I don’t know where it comes from, but it is enough to keep me here and prevent me from using my full potential. Maybe that’s why you of all people were chosen for my prison.”
“That doesn’t explain anything!” Naruto grumbled.
“It explains much. Your strong spiritual power manifests itself in many ways. Lucky for you, the stench isn’t nearly as bad as it once was. Did you recently find your comrade? I am only vaguely aware of what occurs when I am not aiding you.” The spirit seemed to have a disinterested tone.
“No.” Naruto hung his head and the stench grew.
“Well, something must have happened!” The fox quickly stated. “it must have something to do with the other strong power I sensed. What was that?”
“Huh?’ Naruto jerked his head up. “Are you talking about Sumi?”
“Is that their name?” The fox noticed the smell recede slightly at the reminder of this person. “Tell me about them.”
“I didn’t think you cared what went on in my life.” Naruto gave the nine-tails a suspicious look.
“I am interested to find out about such strong presence.” The fox hoped the boy would take the bait. Lucky for him, this was one topic he was more than eager to speak on.
88888888
Sumi groaned as she opened her eyes. The pounding in her head seemed to recede as the world around her came into to focus. She was lying on her side and could make out the figure of Tsunade seated and talking. The person must have been sitting in front of Tsunade since Sumi couldn’t see them.
“What happened?” Sumi mumbled as she attempted to sit up. The sudden movement caused the throbbing to flare back up.
“Don’t push yourself,” Tsunade rushed over to Sumi’s side. “You had a blow to the head, I was afraid you weren’t going to wake up.”
“Did I fall out of a tree again?” She asked. Shikamaru strolled over to her. He must have been the person Tsunade was talking to. He gave her a sad smile and bent down to help her up.
“I’m sorry, that was my fault.” He said. “Tsunade asked me to help test some of your skills. I guess you still need to work on them. I forgot how easy it was to attack you.”
Sumi didn’t miss the small look that crossed Tsunade’s face before she placed a fake smile on her face.
“That’s right. I’m sorry, Sumi.” She rubbed the girl’s head affectionately, careful not to cause any more pain. Sumi was too disoriented to press the subject, but suspected that they were both lying.
“So, when are we going to continue with my training?” She asked.
“How about we get a meal into you, then we’ll work on self-defense, since it seems to be a problem.” Tsunade suggested.
“I’d love to continue helping, but I have a class to help teach.” Shikamaru stated.
“Do me a favor, and don’t tell Naruto about this, okay?” Sumi asked.
“Okay, but why?” He asked.
“He’ll be worried, and I don’t want him to think that I can’t even defend myself. If that’s the case, how can I defend him?” She answered.
“It would also be best if he didn’t know where we were.” Tsunade stated. Shikamaru nodded and jumped into the trees without even uttering a goodbye.
88888888
As Naruto finished his tale for the demon fox, the air was almost breathable.
“She seems unaware of her own vast power.” The fox answered. “It also seems that she heals you where others could not.”
“What do you mean?” The curious youth asked.
“She’s helped you restore some of your fiath in yourself. Not to mention given you something more to work for.”
“You really think so?”
“If anything else, she seems like the perfect ally for getting that boy back.”
“What makes you say that?” Naruto gave the spirit a queer look.
“From a tactical standpoint, She’s perfect.” The fox explained. “She has a tactic that can only be used by those of her bloodline. Since it has no seals, and uses no chakra there is nothing for that boy to copy. I may not know much of what goes on out there, but some of your thoughts and feelings drift down here and I do know of that boy’s power.”
“Are you suggesting I use Sumi?” Naruto looked appalled. “I would never….”
“As a ninja, this would appeal even to her. If it were a mission, she would be ready to do anything to accomplish it, and if what you’ve told me about her is accurate, I do not see her refusing this, or taking it lightly. Just consider it.”
“That’s all beside the point. I came here to talk to you about sharing your power a little more freely. I’m told it is the only way I could learn a new move.”
“So, it’s ok to use me?” The fox commented.
“Let’s get serious.” Naruto’s voice lost all emotion. “You and I both know that the only way for you to get out is by me dying, and I don’t intend to do that any time soon. So, it would probably be best for both of us if we work together.
“I will be Hokkage one day, and if you want to fight me the whole way, I’m sure I could find out how to get rid of you entirely. If you work with me, I’m sure we could find some way for both of us to live a little happier in this situation.”
“Boy, a little more of my power is seeping into you each day. Who’s to say that I won’t eventually take over?”
“You would have done it already, while I was at my weakest.” Naruto crossed his arms and smirked. “I think we both know that you’re afraid that one day you will no longer exist. Work with me and I will do my best to make sure that is not the case.”
“You’re more perceptive than you let on.” The fox stated.
“Let people see how smart you are from the start, they tend to expect more from you. Come in looking stupid, and your window of surprised is opened that much more.”
“Using perception and first impressions as a weapon?” The fox seemed to smile. “We may get along just yet.. I agree to lend you more of my power, but in exchange, you have to allow me out once in a while, not just when you fight or train, but when you do simple things as well. For once, I would like to enjoy the feel of the sun in my face instead of worrying about fighting off an enemy.”
“I think you have a deal.” Naruto agreed.
“One day, you must let me meet this Sumi. Her tiger spirit sounds interesting, but if they can work together, I don’t see why we can’t.” The fox retreated into his cell to indicate he no longer wished to talk..
When Naruto reemerged into the physical realm, he opened his eyes to find the sun had set. He made his way back to the village with no thoughts in particular on his mind. Just enjoying a feeling of peace he had not felt in a long time.
88888888
“Finally, it’s over.” Kakashi sighed.
“Come on, it wasn’t that bad.” Iruka laughed.
“Let’s just say I won’t be applying for the teaching exam anytime soon.”
“I don’t know, I don’t thing the girls have ever paid so much attention in my class.” Iruka smiled as Kakashi rolled his eyes. “How about I buy you another round?”
“I thought you were already paying. Of course, I’m getting another round.”
7777
Sorry for the delay. Had it typed, just got really busy and forgot to post it.
Thanks to Kira,Battosai25, and Raven_Thornheart for your reviews!