Ino's POV (Uzumaki Residence - Hidden Leaf Village)
Ino watched as Kushina and the other senior shinobi moved in to disperse the angry crowd. At first, merely ordering it, most shinobi, even Genin, could give orders to villagers. Yet alone the Jounin, Anbu, and Sannin present. If things had gone right, the civilians would recognize the situation and disperse. Instead, they seemed offended by the orders.
"The demon commands them!" A seemingly drunk voice had called out.
Despite how illogical and unlikely it was, the crowd started to surge at this soon, shouting abuse and even shoving at the assembled shinobi. Several of the new Anbu forces arrived and dived in. Now, the shinobi, who had before attempted to calm the crowd, were getting more forceful. Gently physically guiding the more rowdy members back. The crowd became even more incensed by this. Ino heard a crowd was only as innovative as their dumbest member, her father had often taught her during their psychology studies. She now fully understood what he meant. Before, the crowd had been rude and jeering but had seemed subdued once the shinobi moved in. Now, it appeared each escalation done by any member would be adopted as the norm for the whole crowd. Soon, the bigger and braver members start to swing at the shinobi. Ino could even see some shinobi seeming to join the crowd. Shinobi had rights, one of which allowed them to protect themselves against even civilians. Ino watched as this was enacted. The dark Anbu did not hesitate to slam or strike those who acted out of line. One even went as far as to break the arm of a large drunk man. Kushina and Co were trying to be more gentle, but with the crowd slowly getting more violent, they got more involved. Grimly striking those down who refused to calm.
Despite the scene before her, Ino felt numb. She felt like a small, foolish girl trembling from the scorn of those around her. She had become strong, she had thought. Matured, but now, as the hatred that Naruto dealt with was leveled towards her, she felt she had not grown at all. She was still the coward she had always been. She was concerned with how others saw her. It was just like then…
She could remember how her career had started. Ino walked into her classroom shyly. She was Ino Yamanaka, heiress to the infamous Yamanaka clan. Her Daddy had told her of its importance and the job she would one day inherit. He told her she was exceptional! She had promised him to try her best. But if she was honest, she hated school. She had assumed that she would be a big deal. She was from a big clan, and her Mom had assured her she would make friends. Ino wasn't sure why her family was such a big deal, but she was proud of them.
On her first day, she had loudly declared her name in her introduction. She was only meant to say her name as an introduction. But Ino had simply been too excited, and she had always enjoyed attention. She bragged about her family and some of their history. It was only once she finished she realized her classmates were unimpressed. In fact, they were somewhat uncomfortable with her. She later found out she was the only clan student in her class for the year. There was a slight difference in her opinion, but it mattered. Her classmates seemed to sense the difference and did what kids did best. Alienate it.
It had started subtly enough. At lunch, she was often left to sit alone. Each table with her classmates was seemingly full. Even the one or two with space remaining had rejected her. One boy called her a brain eater. Ino, as a child, hadn't realized, but to students like these naive to the shinobi world, her power wasn't extraordinary. It was weird, weak, and, to some, even scary. Soon, even in the classroom, she was left alone. The teacher caught onto this and attempted to fix it by assigning seats, but then the children would merely ignore her. Soon, the alienation evolved; as if an unseen and unheard signal had been enacted, the ignoring became harassing. Boys in class would throw things at her. The girls would treat her like a disease. Whenever her back turned, she would be insulted out loud. Brain eater alone had made the young girl want to cry. But the children made many mind stealer, mind reader, and creep. The title didn't matter; each was a hammer to her. Soon, she had lost her excited facade; she was careful not to show her Mommy and Daddy. They would be disappointed in her for not doing well. She faked her usual self around them. But soon, she became shy and flighty. Always worried about how they would treat her. One year of this had gone on. Ino's parents, of course, caught on eventually and raised hell for it. But even switching classes didn't help. However, Sakura had changed that.
Sakura had been somehow worse off than herself. Ino may have been a pariah, but she was doing well otherwise; a big, important family backing her ensured that.
Sakura had no such fortune. The young girl had decided to become a shinobi out of curiosity. And to her credit, she was incredible book-wise. Unfortunately, the pinkette had a difference as well. A prominent forehead was all it took for the class to victimize her. Sakura took it wrong; her reactions often entertained the group. Ino, despite being young, knew how to make things slightly better with her bullies. Sakura held no such wisdom, and soon, she became the target of even Ino. Ino had taken her suffering as well as she could. It had made her shy and nervous around others. Yet seeing Sakura suffer as such made her determined to do something. Ino threw herself into her psychological studies. She learned as much as she could about people. Learned how to be charismatic and likable. She gained popularity quickly once she had known. It became easy to befriend her former tormentors. They seemingly forgot her status quickly once her demeanor had changed. Ino had figured out the social hierarchy and exploited it in her favor. Her confidence soon returned, and she gained flair. But one day, seeing Sakura crushed after another bullying day, she decided to become her friend. As soon as Ino had adopted her, things became better for both. Ino had promised herself to maintain her popularity.
The world only treated those with status well. So Ino had assured them she was cool, friendly, and fashionable. Anything to escape the scorn of those around her. Ino hadn't told the tale to anyone; she knew how easy it was for people to alienate different people. Her father knew something was wrong, and eventually, Ino told him. He had said she may be suffering from Autophobia. She was terrified of being ignored, isolated, abandoned.
For years Ino had never been concerned about her childhood woes. She had done as she intended all of those years ago. Become popular, liked, included. She had first thought of it again after meeting Naruto. Similar to Sakura, he had always been an outsider. Shikamaru, her own friend, had introduced the blonde with a sort of desperation. Ino had yet to think much, not seeing the need to be involved with Shikamaru and co-offering aid. It had piqued her interest in seeing someone who could make Shikamaru go out of his way. But they never indeed interacted. But once they had formed Team Seven, she had sucked into the days of old.
Neji was cruel and cold; he treated them both like trash. It had reminded her of those days. She had been stunned at first. But unlike her and Sakura all those years ago, who had been meek and shifted themselves to escape scorn. Naruto took it head-on. He didn't care that he was disliked or seen as odd. At least not in the same way. He was determined to prove his worth to people authentically. Not afraid like her. It was something she found endearing about the blonde and had been the main reason for their friendship. Naruto simply made her uncaring towards her reputation and what others thought. She could be herself around him. Now, her connection to him had brought one of her worst fears to light. She was terrified of being a pariah.
Neji stalked in front of the both of them, Byakugan activated and veins around his eyes seemingly ready to burst as he seemed to try to glare the crowd into submission. He stood in a wide defensive stance as if to shield both of the blonds from the crowd.
"Pay no heed to them, teammates. Those who are blind can only see darkness." Neji said to the two.
"Ya screw 'em, Ino." Naruto forced a laugh. "At least we have each other. Who cares what they think?"
"I do." Ino answered softly. Naruto froze at this, surprised at her answer. Neji in front of them stiffened.
"What, but why would yo-" Naruto started.
"You don't get it… I… I can't stand people treating me like this." Ino said sadly, tears falling from her eyes in clumps. "I worked so hard on making them like me… and now." She sobbed brokenly after that, covering her face with her hands.
Naruto was silent; shell-shocked by Ino's tone.
"Ino maybe tread lightly, don't say something you may regret." Nei warned. "People are fickle; this will not stick."
"You know better, Neji!" Ino screamed, now rising to face them with red, teary eyes. "Just because of Naruto, I'm hated now! After I tried so hard to avoid it…" Ino stopped catching up with her words. Her eyes raced up to Naruto's face, which for a moment contained a level of anguish Ino had never seen from the blonde.
"Because of me…" Naruto said slowly, staring at his hands as if coated in blood. "I'm sorry." The blonde told before suddenly poofing away in a body flicker.
"Naruto!" Neji called. He glared at Ino before shaking his head. "Take the time you need to think this over. Once you have, I'm sure you'll see what you just did." The Hyuga said darkly.
A sob broke from Ino's throat. She raced away in the opposite direction of Naruto.
Neji growled to himself as he faced the ground. He hadn't meant to hurt her, even after her mistake. He would endeavor to talk to her again after speaking to Naruto. He likely would need some company. Neji poofed away as well. Having a decent idea where the blonde went.
The raging crowd continued its scrap against the allies of Naruto. The fighting crowd did not notice Naruto's exit.
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Ikam / Reizo's POV (Land of Water / Land of Iron)
It had taken a while to find a location suitable for his needs. He needed a space to create what he needed. Mishiro had found them a cave that should work. Ikam brought her and Ashira along. Knowing he would need their combined efforts for this.
Ikam worked patiently. His plans here were numerous, but he would prefer if his first would bear fruit. He had planned originally to sign up for the Okama's clan summoner. From his knowledge of summonings, he figured earning would be easy enough. He was powerful, intelligent, and could be charismatic when needed. Yet, within minutes of appearing in their home, the Raccoons had rejected him. To a man with more minor aims, they would let this be. Summons often yielded significant power and were unafraid to punish humans who stepped out of line, shinobi or no. But Ikam was not a man to be told no. He had a contact seal on him that would allow him to control any being as long as he was stronger. He had managed to land it on one of the elders but had shortly been banished by the head Elder.
It was a short setback, to say the least. His seal seemed unable to activate with him being so far from it, or at least if it did work, it was not giving his orders to have him unbanished. So, he had to find a different solution. While it was nearly impossible to find a summons home without being summoned there. Due to many wielding odd powers to hide it. He could use seals to bypass this. His teleportation technique only required him to picture where he was going and a large sealing array with a changing amount of chakra. It made it less than helpful in combat, but here, it would be perfect. But first, he needed something else to be done.
He glanced at the wall covered in Kanji. Each inch of the wall was covered in kanji symbols and lines. Each connected speaking a language only a Fuijutsu master could decipher. To his right and left stood Ashira, finishing his own wall. The man was the greatest Fuijutsu master he had ever met. He had spent the two walls and the floor when it took Mishiro and Ikam to do one. But now that they were complete, it was time.
"Ashira, Mishiro."
"Sir." Ashira answered dutifully. The man had been prepared to die at his orders. But after being defeated, he had became more determined to serve him than ever. The old fool.
"My love." Mishiro answered even more dutifully. She was his right hand, the only one he could fully trust. He had chosen his members well.
"Prepare yourselves. We finished the seal now, so I may visit our friends." Ikam ordered. Usually, he was more personable with his men. He knew the value of loyalty, after all. But he was restless to gain control of the Okama clan. The fools would serve him by choice or by crook.
Both nodded grimly as the three Uzumaki weaved hand signs at an absurd speed. This went on for a full minute before all three chorused at once.
"Devil's Possession: Evil Array!" The three rang out before the floor was suddenly covered in Kanji, symbols, and lines similar to the walls. Though these came out blood red.
Ikam marched forward excitedly, eager to enact his latest plan. Since entering the Land of Iron, Ikam had been keen to gain his new weapon. He knew if he were to oppose the Five Nations so openly, he needed to become even stronger. To do so, he would need a weapon worthy of him. Luckily, he gathered the mask he needed back in the Leaf. It had been challenging to figure out how to use it as he intended. But as always, his Fuijutsu offered him a way around this. He chuckled as he pulled the mask in question; the room darkened as if the light was drained from it. Ashira took a step back. He had been open in his hatred of the mask, claiming they were integral to the logic of slaying the Uzumaki. But Ikam only saw them as yet another tool for him to use. And what a powerful tool it was…
Ikam removed the mask from its case. Mishiro forced Ashira to turn as he did. He sighed to himself, dispelling the slight feeling of dread the mask seemed to emanate. He gazed upon it hesitantly, the Tsukumogami Mask as it was dubbed. It was one of the more interesting ones in his possession. The mask looked like an older man smiling in joy of his creation. Yet the feeling of joy was sickly sweet. He supposed it was fitting.
"A cruel trick indeed…" Ashira added. "The Tsukumogami mask is one I fear more than the others. It was the first of the five discovered. A scroll found with it detailed a powerful Yokai in ancient times was sealed within it. The beast was taking the souls of unfortunate victims and merging them with objects. These objects were often powerful and alive. Even acquiring traits from the soul fuzed."
"Such as bloodline traits." Mishiro continued throwing her hair behind her head with a smile. She often liked to think back to her days of stealing the mask. "When I stole them, I sealed my Husband's soul within my blade." She said darkly. "It became a blade capable of slicing through Fuijutsu, inherited my husband's famed ability to destroy seals."
"Which is perfect. It is time for Mifune to see the value of the blades I gave him." Ikam said excitedly. "Let us begin." He said as he put on the mask.
As he did, the candles lighting the room snuffed out instantly. Mishiro and Ashira flinched as they felt a presence among them. An ancient and powerful laugh sounded off around them from seemingly everywhere.
I see a new user. Do you wish to use my power from so far away? Oh, I see; such clever creatures you humans are. It's why I assist in repurposing your lot. Easier to deal with as tools. I shall play along for now. Let us form a new being!
Mishiro and Ashira realized the voice was coming from Ikam. Suddenly strands, glowing strands of dark matter seeped from the mask. It appeared to be liquid but flowed like gas. The Kanji of the room pulsated with light as the odd light poured into them.
First to get the soul! Ikam, possessed by the being, roared as the dark energy flowed even faster.
Reizo's POV
Reizo demonstrated to a crowd of men. Each was a newly promoted samurai. His most trusted men, they each had been gifted the swords Ikam had given the Iron for his entry. And while the man had turned out to be a degenerate, the blades he had given were of high quality. Each had been reinforced with Fuijutsu as promised. Each seeming to be unbreakable, they would indeed serve them well.
"See when you're deflecting a slash." Reizo lectured. "It's mostly in the wrist; redirect their blow and unleash your own." He then mimed deflecting a blow before slashing once. He held his blade as he watched his men reenact the move. Before, the group suddenly stopped, whispering to each other as they stared at Reizo, seemingly confused. "I did not tell you to stop."
"But sir," One of the braver ones chimed up. "Your weapon…"
Reizo looked down to see the blade of his new sword seemingly covered in a dark yet glowing substance. Reizo barely had time to ponder this before his men gasped again as their blades glowed. Reizo's thoughts swirled before his mind realized.
"Get rid of your weapons!" He bellowed as he tried to drop his sword. But the second the words left his mouth, the substance coated the entire blade. His hand was stuck to the substance as if it had always been a part of it. He looked up to see the men suffering the same fate. His mind spun as he tried to think of a solution. He desperately attempted to channel chakra to the substance. Perhaps it can combat the strange substance. But before he could muster much, his hand was on fire. The pain went from sharp to unbearable as a scream sounded out. He realized with panic it was his own. More followed as the energy continued to grow on Reizo and his men. Reizo stumbled over to the wall, the pain almost making his consciousness fade as he did. He managed to hit the panic button, sounding the base alarm. Perhaps help would come and save him. But Reizo felt he was offering a warning from doomed men. He collapsed to the floor as the substance coated half his body. As it grew, he felt less and less of the covered body. Incredible pain followed by numbness. Half of his face was covered, as well as his throat. He could no longer speak, merely watch as his officers suffered the same fate. Several of them were fully encompassed and no longer moving.
Before it covered his face entirely, Mifune flew into the room with several guards. They gasped as they witnessed the events in the room.
Reizo slowly used blood leaking from an unseen wound somewhere within the substance-covered part of his body. He cuffed his finger in blood and wrote a message on the wall as the men desperately tried to help him.
IT WAS IKAM
This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.
Mifune eyes narrowed in rage. But they could only watch as the men were fully enveloped before the substance shrank. The man-sized blobs became smaller and smaller before entirely dissipating. Where proud samurai stood, only swords remained. Several of his men cried out in despair. Ikam had taken the lives of samurai and even a high-ranking official. There would be hell to pay…
Before he could consider this much further, the blades suddenly were coated in Kanji before poofing away.
Mifune would have Ikam's head.
Ikam's POV
Ikam ripped the mask off his face and threw it across the room. Ashira caught it and immediately started to seal it back in its secure case. The mask had taken over him; it had done his will, but it was clear it would've taken over if it could. The mask had somehow stuck to his face at first. It felt like each fiber of it was suctioned to his face. He would need to be careful before attempting to use them again. He weaved through hand signs with a smile.
"Devil's Possession: Devil's Due!"
Soon, the room suddenly had several katanas appear in it. Ikam chuckled warmly as he marched through the room before landing on a particular blade. He picked it up. The blade, at one point, was a standard katana well built but nothing special. Now, the blade seemed slightly thicker and had become incredibly black. It drew light into it. The edge had become jagged, with glowing red lines that shimmered throughout. Mishio and Ashira walked forward and faced their master.
"Well, sir, does it seem to fit your fancy? Was it truly worth the sin committed?" Ashira commented, noticeably annoyed.
"Silence before I use it upon you." Ikam started with a smile.
"But will it work?" Mishiro asked with a smile.
"I can feel his power within it." Ikam replied happily. "Ashira, it's time for me to meet with the Okama clan."
"Not enough blood on your ha-" Mishiro suddenly appeared, wielding her blade at Ashira's throat. The man looked at her and sighed. "Very well."
Ikam relaxed his muscles as Ashira prepared his own teleportation technique.
"You marked it with the seal I told you?" Ashira asked as he worked.
"Yes, the critters did not even realize." Ikam chuckled.
"Then good luck." Ashira said darkly as he activated his seal. Ikam poofed away, and the two stood now alone. "You could not slay me." He reminded Mishiro.
"Don't need to," Mishiro said with a smirk. "Ikam will, if you ever forget who your master is."
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Ikam / Mirik's POV (Okama Domain - ???)
Ikam didn't often feel whimsy in his life. His past was a complicated thing, but regardless of the actual events of it, it was clear it had been marred by strife. Yet, as he gazed upon the land that the Okama inhabited, it returned to him slightly. The land was hilly and covered by an absurdly thick forest. Each tree was massive, some having been carved out into homes. Ikam would've loved to enjoy the ambiance, but he was a busy man. Besides, he may have to destroy this land soon.
Before he could enjoy the sights any longer, the scamper of feet and series of yips warned him of his host's arrival. Soon, the clearing he stood in was filled with raccoons of various shapes and sizes. Like his first visit, they bared their fangs and levied odd raccoon-adjusted weaponry. Ikam merely raised a brow at them. Before suddenly, the familiar form of the Elder appeared. Ikam simply smiled at this; it the creature was still resisting his seal somehow. How utterly fascinating.
"I see you have somehow returned. Are you prepared to return home yet again?" The Elder asked simply.
Ikam laughed earnestly at this. "You can do so; I have no method of stopping such. Though I must warn you, I cannot afford to not have you lot as anything other than my own allies. As such, please allow me to introduce myself."
"I have no interest in the two of you. However, as the Elder, I must act appropriately. My name is Mirik Okama. Now I leave me home." The Elder replied with ease.
Ikam felt his heart rate increase. It seemed the beast had powers he had yet to see. "You should accept my offer. You will not find a summoner on my level."
"We have already found our choice." The Elder replied, simply holding up a hand to activate jutsu. "Your threats matter little; we could not serve you even by choice."
"A true shame, but you understand I cannot allow you peace when you work with the Uzumaki," Ikam said, simply drawing his new blade. "So I shall destroy your home!" He yelled, his voice suddenly manic. The raccoon/tanuki flinched at the impressive killing intent he released. Before the Okama could honestly react, Ikam raced forward, attempting to bisect the raccoon on the left of Mirik, but missed narrowly. Mirik felt his heart drop when he witnessed Ikam smile at him cruelly. His target had never been one of them.
Ikam howled in joy as he unleashed a powerful blast of energy at the ground. The energy cut and burned through solid stone before continuing in a straight, destructive path. The gash looked like someone had cut the earth itself. It was deep and seemed to steam. Ikam snarled as he prepared to unleash another technique with his blade before the Elder sighed as he flared chakra.
"Summoning Jutsu: Banishment!"
Ikam coldly offered them a cruel smirk as he poofed away.
He appeared back in their workroom. Ashira was taking a nap, attempting to regain strength. Kushina had done quite the number on him and likely would've slain him if he had not saved him. The damage had not yet fully healed. So, allowing him to garner strength was a seemingly easy choice. Mishiro squealed upon seeing and did her best to suffocate him. But Ikam took it all in stride. He was too excited for what was going to happen next. He smiled cruelly as one hand formed a hand sign. His new katana now growing red and pulsating with power.
"Let the Okama's pay for refusing us loyal Uzumakis," Ikam said darkly as his chakra suddenly flared. He smirked cruelly as if knowing a great joke. Before he whispered to himself.
"Devil Possession: Breaking of the Bottle."
Mirik's POV (Okama Domain - ???)
The Okama clan valued their beautiful land. As such, several were checking out the new damage. Ikam smiled cruelly as the wound in the dirt suddenly glowed so bright it hurt one's eyes to look at it. It suddenly boomed off a massive explosion. It was a wave of acidic chakra which broke the ground underneath it, uprooted several homes, and scorched all before it to ash. Mirik crashed painfully into his own homebody, smashing through his own walls. He felt the painful throb of broken bones but forced himself forward regardless. As he left the wreckage of his own home, he saw he had been lucky. Mirik watched on as slain Tanuki's writhed their final painful moments away. Most of the surrounding area was smashed and scorched. It would take them years to repair their home. It takes even longer for the survivors to grieve over their fallen.
The final fatality count had been 11, most of which were the active summons available. Ikam had been cruelly intelligent. With Mirik's ability to remove him without a fight, he had little time to attempt to strike them down. He had predicted Mirik and their strongest fighters would appear to repel him. It's the perfect opportunity for a clever trap. Mirik had thought his slash as he was banished was a desperate attack. They had started fixing the gash when its true power had been unleashed. Ikam, indeed, was a fearsome threat. Mirik would have to sheer up their defenses. The seal he had been marked with still fought for control of him. The Okama clan was famed for their immunity to fuijutsu, yet Ikam nearly had sealed his will. Naruto Uzumaki would need to grow up quickly. They had to find a way to avoid Ikam.
Ikam's POV
Ikam cackled at his later move. He was no fool; the attack, while deadly, indeed had some survivors. Perhaps he could fix that. But it is difficult to set up currently, so he supposed such was unnecessary. For now, they were hurting, and even if they gained a summoner, their worth would be diminished. In time, his seal may work as well. Be that as it may, he should prepare. He had a feeling the Okama clan would not give in so easily.
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Neji's POV (Hokage Rock - Hidden Leaf Village)
Ino had recently informed him of Naruto's preferred alone place. For once, she hadn't done so to gossip but simply in case they ever needed to find the blonde.
Truthfully, Neji felt somewhat conflicted as he marched forth. Naruto Uzumaki had steadfastly become one of Neji's favorite people. As such, he felt obligated to offer the blonde consoling. The only problem was that Neji wasn't precisely a personable person. He would not say he was aloof; as a Hyuga, he had been trained to hold a certain charisma, but that did not offer him any wisdom of comforting someone.
Furthermore, Neji could relate to being deemed something lesser. Naruto's situation was different. Having a demon sealed inside of him made him… different. In truth, Neji did not let his status as a jinchuriki affect his vision of the blonde significantly. Honestly, the Hyuga had been somewhat impressed to see just how significant the burden was. He had finally discovered the source of pain in his eyes. Neji felt he could offer some level of insight into that. But the villager's hatred? How was he to comfort the blonde towards that? Their hatred seemed to outshine even his own of the Main House. Neji knew better than most just how much it took to shake such a thing. Neji had a feeling, though, that just being there for the blonde could help with that. But the final problem confounded him the most.
He simply couldn't quite wrap his head around it. Ino had been quite foolish to voice what she did. Indeed, she realized letting such an idea go would affect Naruto in unique ways that may not affect others. Worse yet, Naruto somehow didn't recognize this as the ramblings of a shaken woman. No, he saw them as a painful truth finally being unleashed. Hinata often told him he had a habit of looking at the word in an incredibly logical way. In such a way, he often missed the nuances of emotion. Neji had felt insulted by such and assured her he could understand. But his lack of understanding shines here.
Neji knew it was up to him to bring this to the forefront of the blonde. To reassure him as only a friend could. Despite his misgivings, he would attempt his best. Naruto deserved no less.
He found the blonde, as Ino had predicted, seated upon the fourth head. Sadly, he gazed at his home as if it had rejected him. Neji supposed it almost had…
"Naruto," Neji said, standing a short distance behind him.
Naruto gazed back at Neji, sighed, and offered a tired nod.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like shit. One of my best friends is being shamed for associating with me; she has realized it's my fault; my own people seem to hate my guts, I have a psycho to fight in the exams, my own dad sealed the Kyuubi into me, and my own mother, and to top it all off I have TWO separate groups hunting for me. Doing just great, ya know?" Naruto answered. This was an attempt to get Neji to leave. A bit of misdirected anger, Neji knew it better than most.
"That is quite the situation. Though surely you realize you're being pessimistic." Neji countered.
Naruto laughed emptily, his face smiling, but his eyes only shined with pain. "Hilarious coming from you."
Neji frowned at this but silently counted to five to stop his more antagonistic nature. "True, that is why our team has always worked well. You are our center."
"The hell does that-" Neji suddenly, body flickered before him. Dramatic but worked in silencing the blonde.
"You care more than anyone I've ever met before. You cared about us instantly just because we were on the same team. You cared about me and my broken ideology. That version of I stood directly opposed to your ideals. I was stronger than you; anyone else likely would've given in. But you, you trained and surpassed me, forced me to see the light, and then treated me as if I was never your enemy. Ino, when the team formed, had incredibly unsure of us. You broke through to her and quickly made her change as well. Before you, she had been a half-decent kunoichi. Your spirit made her wish to become more. I haven't known Naruto Uzumaki for long, but I am grateful to have done so. So why would I, or anyone who truly knows you, fret over you holding a beast? It is merely another obstacle you will overcome. One day, you will become Hokage. I promise that until that day, I will stand by your side as not an ally but a friend. You shall be the greatest one yet, and I trust you will keep the word you gave me." Neji said with a slight smirk and a raised brow. An expression Naruto had often given him.
Neji heard Naruto sniffle slightly. He paid no mind as Naruto seemed to release some of the tension he had been holding. Slowly, he crawled to his feet and stood to face Neji. Neji gazed back at him with a smile.
"Believe it." Naruto said with his own smile, almost with his usual warmth. "Though, what am I gonna do about Ino? You heard her; she knows that as long as she associates with me, she'll be an outcast."
Neji sighed a bit; as far as Naruto had come, he would always be a bit of a knucklehead. "She didn't mean that, or at the very least, it wasn't all she meant. She will think about things and come back around. You've been here for a while; perhaps now she's ready to speak."
Naruto considered this before nodding. "Are you coming too?"
"No, it is best for you two… to discuss things."
"What does that mean?" Naruto asked.
"Just a theory, Blondie." Neji answered casually; he ignored as Naruto roared in disapproval. "Best for you two to discuss things."
Naruto raised a brow but prepared to launch himself off. Before he could, suddenly, Jiraiya appeared on the roof after his usual brand of foolishness. He informed them of the crowd of rioters being finally suppressed by the Konoha Police and the Secret Anbu. Scores of those who could be proven to be involved in the violence had even been apprehended. He told them of the decisions of the council. How Naruto would be limited to the ground of the Forest of Death. How Jiraiya would go with him and take his training to the next level. Neji had expected Naruto to rebel against this, but he instead nodded his head gravely.
"Can I do one thing before we go?" Naruto asked.
"Sure thing, brat. I'll grab some supplies from Kushina and smooth things over. You have an hour." Jiraiya replied with ease.
Naruto thanked them both before he body flickered away.
Jiraiya nodded at Neji before his body flickered away.
Neji sighed before sitting on top of the Fourth's head himself. Being supportive was exhausting.
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Ino's POV (Roof of Academy - Hidden Leaf Village)
Ino would like to say she had sat introspectively in her hiding spot. That she patiently filtered through the whirlwind of thoughts that made her mind come to a logical conclusion. But truthfully, she had only cried for what felt like an hour or so. The hateful words sent her way, the reminder of her old self, the foolish words she had said, and the pained expression of Naruto. Each grim thought hit her like a sledgehammer, sending her into the next batch of tears.
Only once her eyes ached and her face felt ice cold from crying in the cold weather did she stop. Ino was sure most would've been too exhausted to dwell on things much further. But the only thing the exhaustion had achieved was making her mind partially more precise.
Ino had always been one to express herself openly. Such was necessary to become who she was now. Yet, it has always been a troublesome thing. She and Sakura had clashed over harsh words multiple times. She had even upset the aloof and collected Shikamaru once. It had become a double-edged sword of sorts. It helped her become liked, yet had made her a gossiper. And finally, her terrible habit of saying whatever came to mind had backfired. Objectively, she knew it to be true. Her friendship with one Naruto Uzumaki, in fact, had been the singular reason for her new fall from grace. It upset her, but she didn't hold it against the blonde. Naruto didn't choose it, nor was he deserving of their scorn.
It was an unfortunate situation, the stress of being publicly shamed, the humiliation of it happening in front of her team, and her annoyance with Naruto getting in her face. She had lashed out, a desperate attempt at exerting any form of control. Ino doubted she would ever forget the look on Naruto's face. His ordinarily warm and vibrant eyes had become expressionless even if for only a second. Wide open as if not completely understanding what was happening. His usual smile was nowhere to be seen, his lips thinned into a line as he contemplated her words. Betrayal slapped straight into his face, flashed briefly in his eyes, further expressed by the slight frown on his face. She had seen a sheen in his eyes, unshed tears, she was sure.
It had hit her hard. It's more complicated than it ever should have been. Ino may have craved social approval before, but she never let his (Naruto's) opinion affect her. Once she had first met Naruto, she hadn't been overly impressed. He was stronger than she had thought, but not monstrously so. He could be a bit of a joker, yet he took his job seriously and could be funny and witty at the same time. He was a nice guy before, but she now knew he was simply kind and naturally caring. Naruto had faced Neji down when he had dismissed them as worthy teammates. Neji was quick to make them realize the gap between them. Ino deemed it completely impossible to close the gap between them. Despite their complete inability to work together, he was the one who brought them all together. From standing up for her in front of him to fixing his pessimistic personality. It had given her the courage to do so as well. Even defending the blonde in time of his need. That had begun the start of their friendship.
Even worse, Naruto only seemed to get better and better. Ino had come to find his antics endearing. His rare, honest smile could send chills down her spine. His never-say-die demeanor was inspiring to her…
Dear merciless Kami, she was into Naruto Uzumaki…
The idea was alien to her. For years she had pined for one Sasuke Uchiha. A man that frankly seemed to be the opposite of Naruto Uzumaki in almost every way. Naruto was lighthearted and playful, he rarely was down or unfriendly, and took nearly anything in stride.. Sasuke was serious and mysterious. He was always focused and he was never one to be playing around. He also was known for his attitude. Before those differences were the reason she was interested in Sasuke. Now those differences seemed to be the reason she was interested in Naruto. Being around Sasuke was certainly thrilling, but he never cared for their presence. Ino always felt like she was fighting just for acknowledgement.
Naruto always responded, he always listened, he made her feel welcomed. While her pursuit of Sasuke had been a fun chase. But Naruto made her feel wanted, acknowledged, cared for. Maybe the bad boy thing in her magazines had been wrong?
Ino usually loved romance. She had played matchmaker for friends, gossiped about it, and happily gave advice for it as a veteran, even though she was just as ignorant. She had been sure when she finally found someone, she would be giddy and she would strode confidently as she slowly made him fall for him. Slowly stalking her prey and capturing it just as her mother said she had done to Inoichi.
Instead, she felt anxious and overwhelmed. Firstly, Naruto seemed to be relatively happy with their friendship. Hell, she had never heard the blonde even mention dating. Secondly, Naruto had more than enough on his shoulders. Ino couldn't even imagine how difficult it would be to navigate this with all that. It would be selfish of her to demand his attention during all this. Finally, Ino couldn't even imagine facing the blonde at the moment. She swallowed another sob as she made a grim conclusion.
She would hide for now. Avoid Naruto for now. How could she face him with her new discovery and her miserable existence with how she had acted. Instead, she would focus on training. She could make it up to Naruto and earn some reputation back during the exams. Oh yeah, she was a pariah herself... Ya best to avoid him for now… She had her own problems now.
Ino supposed…..
She was still a coward…
Still just a little girl…
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Naruto's POV (Ichiraku Ramen - Hidden Leaf Village)
Naruto had looked for Ino everywhere. As hurt as he was, he was determined to fix things between them. He knew Ino was in pain, a pain he knew better than anyone. If he could just talk to her, he was confident he could fix things. Ino must've been better at hiding than he thought, though, because he could not find her anywhere. He had checked the swing near the academy (hey, he had liked hanging out there when he had been young), their training ground, her house (her mother told him she would talk to her when she did get home and thanked him for worrying for her.), the shopping district, but she was nowhere.
Nearly his entire hour was up, and he had not found her. Naruto growled, frustrated. Soon he would be forced into the forest of death, not allowed to leave until the exams. They wouldn't have a chance to talk things over until the exams? His stomach growled, only adding to his misery. He was feeling dejected and decided to eat finally, wanting to enjoy some of his comfort food before roughing it.
"On the house son." Naruto looked up to see a familiar and friendly face. Teuchi was the owner of Naruto's favorite restaurant. Kushina struggled to find food Naruto would eat as a young child. His mother had never been one to sit idly; as such, she had taken her son out to eat at various places. Naruto had stubbornly turned down most food. Kushina, hungry herself at that point, had desperately brought him here. Naruto had been unsure, but it had been love at first bite. Even better, the father and daughter who worked here were kind. They loved how much Naruto loved his food and soon would chat with him whenever he came around. It was a small thing, but that had quickly made the two some of Naruto's favorite people.
"Are you sure, old man?" Naruto said sullenly. "I don't wanna-"
"Shut it, brat. I'm younger than ever." Teuchi replied with a frown. "Besides, you seem down. Can't have my number one getting depressed! Bad for business!"
"And we care about you dearly, Sweety," Ayame said, annoyed at her father's answer, as she exited from the back. She gave Naruto a sisterly kiss on his cheek before she went back to work. "We heard what happened… I'm so sorry."
Naruto swallowed heavily to avoid tearing up. "Thanks…" He said softly.
"Ya, my dear daughter is right. I'm sorry, kid; we know that you are not him. The other fools will come around eventually." Teuchi said with a simple nod as if deciding the matter then and there.
"Naruto." Jiraiya's voice rang out, cutting through the atmosphere. "Sorry, brat, it's time."
Naruto flinched before sullenly climbing to his feet and joining the sage.
"The rumor was true then?" Teuchi asked. "There was mutterings he was being imprisoned." He picked up a nearby label with a death grip. His eyes locked onto Jiraiya, there was fear in them. Clearly he knew who the man was. Yet with the subtle edging towards him it was clear he would attempt to defend the blonde if necessary.
"No, they're having him camp out in the Forest of Death."
"How the hell is that fair?!" Teuchi cried, outraged. His grip on the label caused the metal to groan as he slowly bent it.
"Naruto cannot be treated this way!" Ayame added. Now also wielding a label as her father was.
"Preaching to the choir," Jiraiya replied grimly. "Not even I can do anything about it. You have my word; no danger will come to the blonde. Well… mostly anyway."
"It'll be fine… thanks Teuchi-ji san… Ayame… you guys helped a lot." Naruto said as he marched towards the forest. Jiraiya caught up with ease.
"You okay?"
"Ya."
"You ready?"
Naruto sighed as he garnered his will. "Damn straight, let's get training. I got some people to prove wrong." His voice suddenly regained some of its luster. Though it lacked the normal jovial tone.
"Sounds good brat."