"Sorry," said Okoi, bowing in apology. "I didn't know whatever it was that's going on is some kind of secret."
"I visited the Hokage," said Naruto, frowning at the ground. "As I understand it, he's the local authority to consult on this. So, per his office - if you want me off the team after you hear this - something can be arranged."
"How much do you actually know?" asked Kakashi.
"I suspect you know more," answered Naruto. "I know enough."
"So, despite this being an 'S-class secret' we can hear this?" asked Sasuke.
"Yeah, you just can't repeat it," said Naruto. "I'm allowed to tell people because it is me, and the only reason I know about it is because the monks told me years ago. They also started me on exercises to deal with it all."
Okoi sat down, folding her legs under her to listen, clearly nervous about what she was going to hear.
Sasuke was sure that whatever it was, his own past was more scarring than anything the swordpriest could unleash.
"On the day I was born, my mother died," said Naruto. "She was what they call the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox."
"She was the what of the what?" asked Okoi.
"The priests taught me about this," said Naruto, looking down at the ground. "There are twelve of these Tailed Beasts. Each a remnant of something more powerful and awful. Each one is usually sealed within a human - and the term for the one who is the prison of a beast is 'jinchuriki'."
"So you..." Okoi pointed.
"The 'Kyubi' that attacked the village on the day of my birth was the result of my mother being killed, or so the priests felt was the likely case," said Naruto with a nod. "The Yondaime was the one who did the sealing, but the method he used killed him."
"Oh!" said Okoi, slapping a fist down into the palm of her other hand. "That's the Dark Chakra!"
"Right," said Naruto.
"So you've got a demon sealed in you," said Sasuke, lifting one shoulder in an almost-shrug. The swordpriest certainly didn't ACT like a demon. It just meant that he'd have to keep an eye out on the blond going nutsoid like his brother.
"Well, that's two chakras, what's the other?" asked Okoi, leaning forward with eyes bright as if she could directly glimpse the chakra in question.
"The Kyubi chakra that I've managed to purify using rituals and meditation," answered Naruto. "There have been a few trials I've had to go through. Face my evil self in a mirror, things like that."
"You really like his chakra," noted Sasuke to Okoi.
"Hey," said Okoi, shrugging. "If you could taste it like I could, you'd be sold too. That's potent stuff."
"So if you two can't work with me any longer, I understand," said Naruto. "You also know now why I keep my emotions mainly bottled up. Rage, hate, the darker stuff - that gives the Kyubi more access to control."
"Ah," said Okoi, getting up. "Well. One thing to say about that."
"Oh?" asked Naruto, closing his eyes.
WHACK!
"That hurt, you know," said Naruto, feeling her fist still resting atop his head.
"I am Okoi of the Kisaragi clan," said Okoi. "Don't insult me by saying I would dump a member of my team because of a little thing like a demon inside him. If I can handle you not being a ninja, something like that ain't gonna do it."
"Hmph," said Sasuke, shaking his head.
"You want a demon, check out my big brother Saemon. He can be scary," said Okoi. "Especially with his particular talent."
"Ah, Saemon Kisaragi," said Kakashi. "Special jonin. I've met him. Pleasant fellow. Infiltration specialist."
"That's him," agreed Okoi.
"Uhm," said Hinata. "I really don't feel you're much of a demon. Some of those spectres around here are much more frightening."
"'Spectre'?" asked Okoi, raising an eyebrow at the sword. "As in ghosts? You're kidding, right?"
"You do realize that you're asking that of a ghost that is bound to a sword?" asked Kakashi.
Some of Okoi's tomboyish hairstyle went into further disarray without apparently any jutsu being used. "You mean... real ghosts?"
Sasuke glanced to the side as the tall, athletic, taijutsu tomboy seemed about to transform herself into a frightened little girl. "Why? Scared?"
"Sasuke," said Okoi nervously, "what kind of ghosts do you suppose would linger in a ninja village? I'm thinking that it wouldn't be the happy kind."
"More the howling for vengeance kind?" asked Sasuke, thinking that sounded a bit more likely.
Naruto sighed. "If it comes down to it, we can deal with those as missions. I can put them to rest if they get active."
"Speaking of which," said Kakashi. "I managed to get us an interesting mission."
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(Posted Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:53)
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