Naruto went down with a punch to his jaw, but then picked himself right back up.
"Wanna fight?" asked the leader, confident in his backup and superior size and strength to this shrimp.
"Better not regret it, guys," said Naruto, intending to create a bunshin but feeling something else stirring within him. Something that made him say something else. "Raiuton!"
With the little boy's hands now literally crackling with power, things went a little differently.
One of them wet himself before turning and fleeing with all the speed he could bring to bear.
The other two merely fled, screaming into the night.
"Byakugan," said Hinata, watching in wonder as the boy who came forward to rescue her DID rescue her. And was using what looked like a powerful technique.
"This... this is cool," said Naruto, turning a bright smile to the girl he'd rescued. "You wouldn't happen to be a princess would you? I've always wanted to rescue one."
"Well, I suppose in a way," said Hinata, as she examined the technique.
"Cool," said Naruto brightly before collapsing.
"Hinata-sama!" yelled Ko before finally catching up with the runaway.
"No, the seal has NOT broken," said Jiraiya. "The boy is just showing signs of developing a new kekkei genkai."
"New?" asked Koharu.
"Wood is a combination of Earth and Water elements," explained Jiraiya. "This one is one we haven't heard of before. Fire and Lightning."
"Wasn't that what the Third Kazekage used?" asked Koharu.
"No, the Iron Sand techniques were due to his abilities to convert his own chakra to magnetic fields," said Jiraiya. "That was a kekkei genkai, but not an elemental fusion. Naruto hasn't been able to fully manifest since rescuing the Hyuga girl, but he has managed four partial manifestations and I can put together the details enough for that."
"So what IS this new element?" asked Shibi Aburame.
"Plasma, for lack of a better term," said Jiraiya. "Potentially very powerful and destructive. Best suited for long range techniques."
"You're sure that this isn't the fox?" asked one of the other 'concerned parties.'
"Positive," said Jiraiya. "He's not using the fox's chakra at all. His control is still shaky, at least partly because bits of the fox's chakra still leak out. He's an Uzumaki though - and the fox chakra isn't going to harm him."
"It isn't HIM that I'd worry about," offered Koharu.
Homura cleared his throat. "Still, with shaky control and a potentially dangerous ability, perhaps it is time we dealt with this issue."
Jiraiya wasn't inclined to let the councillors unveil their plan. "Already taken care of."
"Eh?" asked several of the shinobi.
"I'm taking the boy under my wing for extensive training," said Jiraiya. "I really hate taking any time off from my journey, but this has to be done. Naruto's new technique is potentially a danger to himself as well as others. The sooner he learns to control it, the better. I want to get the basics of control drilled into him before we leave though. Maybe two or three months..."
"You're taking him outside the village?!" asked Koharu, aghast.
"Well, yeah," said Jiraiya. "Remember? 'Very powerful and destructive'? Need to move around a lot and visit areas where he can cut loose without worrying about the area being destroyed."
"Oh," said Koharu and Homura both as they considered that.
"What can you tell me about the Uzumaki clan?" asked Hiashi Hyuga.
"From the Land Of Whirlpools, which you might remember was very friendly to the Leaf until Iwa destroyed it," said the genin. "Their skill with fuuinjutsu was considerable, and their chakra reserves above average."
"You didn't need to look anything up?" asked Hiashi.
"You're the fourth clan head to ask me about it at this point," said the geneaologist. "Whirlpool, and the Uzumaki clan, were well regarded until their destruction - their symbol is found in many elements of our shinobi forces. That was history though - when the village was destroyed - they were gradually forgotten about."
"I see," said Hiashi. So that many others were looking into things now?
"I have a written copy of the full report," said the genin, holding up a scroll. "After the second inquiry I made copies."
"Your problem is that you have so much chakra that it's hard to control," said Jiraiya, clicking the manacles into place.
"What's this supposed to do?" griped Naruto, noting that the chain linking the manacles had been removed. Also raising an eyebrow when a second set was applied to his arms and legs.
"These are chakra limiters, normally used to help control ninja prisoners who are too dangerous not to take such measures," said Jiraiya. "They'll limit your available chakra until you learn to control that amount. Then I'll remove a set and we repeat. Once you have decent control of your chakra, I'll teach you a few jutsu that should further develop your control."
"Why are you doing this for me?" asked Naruto.
Jiraiya paused, he'd thought about this at length. With the way he'd been treated, Jiraiya knew that Naruto would ask eventually.
"I'm not allowed to say anything," said Jiraiya after being silent for awhile. "Beyond this: I was counted a friend of your parents."
As expected, Naruto then responded by throwing a barrage of questions - all of which Jiraiya simply shook his head out. Finally he spoke up. "One more word on the subject and I'll leave you to train yourself, brat. I already told you I'm not allowed to say. And the reason I'm not allowed to say is that you can't keep that mouth of yours shut when you need to. There are times, most times really, when a ninja needs to be quiet."
Jiraiya noted some of the bushes nearby moved a little, with a pale hand doing the moving. "So, you gonna introduce me to your friend?"
"I don't have no friends," grumped Naruto, glaring up at the guy.
"Oh?" said Jiraiya, who suddenly vanished.
"EEP!" squeaked a little girl who was plucked out of the bushes and held at arm's length.
"So what is this then? A ninja spy from another village?" asked Jiraiya, looking over the little Hyuga girl. Who else had eyes like that?
"Hey, it's that..." began Naruto.
"Maybe it's some shapeshifting tanuki, and we ought to roast it up and eat it," mused Jiraiya.
The little girl drooped and started crying.
"Aw hell," said Jiraiya. "Stop that. I was just kidding. So, Naruto, you didn't tell me you had graduated to princess rescuing?"
"She IS a princess?!" asked Naruto. That was something REAL ninja heroes did after all.
"Oh yes," said Jiraiya. "Of the prestigious Hyuga clan. You've noted the eyes? Only the Hyuga have those eyes."
"Wow," said Naruto. At first he thought it was weird, but now those eyes were proof he was on his way to his goal of Hokage. Rescuing princesses was definitely a sign he was on the right track.
"B-b-but I'm not..." stammered the little girl.
"Of course you are," said Jiraiya. "From a certain point of view, the Hyuga are like nobility within Konohagakure. Their Byakugan allows them great abilities. You don't have a seal - so you're of the Main House. That makes you the heir and sort-of a princess."
"So I should call you 'hime'?" asked Naruto.
"N-no, I'm just Hinata," said Hinata, blushing.
"Okay, Hinata-hime," said Naruto.
"Now, you two, let's get to those control exercises," said Jiraiya. "Actually, princess, if you'll use your Byakugan to look at Naruto's chakra - tell me what you see when I have him do the exercises. Then we'll start on other training."
Kurenai Yuhi, chunin, watched from the comfort of a tree branch. When the Hyuga didn't assign a Branch Family member to keep tabs on the children, they often used it as a chunin mission. She'd gotten along well with the young Hyuga so it wasn't too odd to find herself in this duty.
She really hoped the seeds of friendship she saw here would grow - that might help the Hyuga heir more than anything her family had done for her.
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(Posted Mon, 16 Aug 2010 04:43)
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