Gaara's emergence made Naruto wonder how someone had changed so much in the span of just a few months! He had practically become a completely different person!
"Naruto?" Gaara asked, his nervous expression made Naruto cover his eyes with one hand as he took in a deep breath.
'He is just precious' He thought to himself
Kankuro had a rather pleased look when he saw Naruto's expression.
"Sup Gaara, how's the Ichibi?" Naruto smiled
Gaara's face lit up when Naruto mentioned the Ichibi
"He's doing very well, after the cage was removed, he's become very cheerful and helped me with my control over sand" He replied
Naruto nodded
"That's good to hear...say, can you access your beasts's chakra externally?" Naruto asked
"Externally?"
"Like this" Naruto said as an orange cloak of chakra covered his entire body
"If I remember correctly, the Ichibi's form is a bit different as it is more so a partial transformation" Naruto said
Gaara tilted his head to the side
"Shukaku hasn't taught me that yet" He replied
Naruto narrowed his gaze
"Oi, Kurama, talk to your lil bro, he's not teaching his jinchuriki well" Naruto said with a scowl
His eyes quickly became red as Kurama took over
[Indeed he has not, what jinchuriki can't even access their beast's chakra? Shukaku, have you been lazying around?] Kurama spoke
Gaara wanted to speak, but his eye became black while his pupil became yellow with a black diamond in the centre.
[F**k you Kurama! I'm teaching him how to properly control his abilities! And don't act as if you're above me, I am not your little brother!] Shukaku took over Gaara's body by force and yelled at Kurama.
Kurama chuckled
[Really now? But I heard that your jinchuriki was attacked recently, and was almost captured if not for reinforcements] Kurama crossed his arms and smirked
[Th-That was just bad luck! And I was about to teach him how to use the tail beast's chakra mode today!] Shukaku's expression twisted with anger at the thought of the attack as shame washed over him.
Kurama simply smiled as he walked over and patted Shukaku's head
[If you say so] He said with a loving grin
'This looks weird as f**k from an outside perspective' Meanwhile, Kankuro was watching these two talk through the bodies of Naruto and Gaara, so their argument and actions were rather odd to see from the side...
[Damn you Kurama! Acting as if you're our big brother, are you mocking me! Just because you have a tad more chakra than me, and stronger physicality, you think I'm a pushover?!] Shukaku was flying into rage, wanting to attack right this instant.
[Fufufufu, I'll stop calling you my little brother if you can beat me, or have your jinchuriki beat mine] Kurama responded smugly
[Grrr, I will dammit! Just you wait! Gaara, we're doubling the training tomorrow, I'll teach you how to use my chakra!] Shukaku yelled as he retrieved his consciousness, allowing Gaara to return.
[Glad to see you're doing great] Kurama smiled before returning control back to Naruto
After the two returned, Gaara became a little embarrassed
"Th-That, um...Shukaku meant well" He said with an awkward smile
'Yep, he's just too precious' Naruto and Kankuro both thought to themselves
Naruto patted Gaara's shoulders
"Don't worry, he's funny, so I like him" Naruto said with a smile
"That's good" Gaara heaved a sigh of relief
"But Naruto, why are you here?" He then asked
Naruto rubbed his chin
"Would you believe me if I said I came to visit your family, spend some time here as vacation, and enjoy some local delicacies?" Naruto asked
"No" Gaara responded with a serious expression
He may have become more cheerful, but that doesn't mean he isn't as sharp as before. In fact, now, he has become more clear-headed and sharp.
"Uh, any excuses that will sound believable?" Naruto asked
"Kankuro called you here with a kunai you gave him" He replied
"No more excuses I guess, yep, I came cause he called" Naruto nodded
"Is it related to the attack recently?" Gaara asked
"Wow, you are great at this, yep, I came cause of the attack" Naruto nodded again, somewhat surprised that Gaara was so accurate.
"If that is the case, then you should return, those people are after me, likely for Shukaku, and their strength is no joke, you being here will only endanger yourself" He said in a low tone.
Naruto shook his head
"No can do, those guys will come for my nine tails sooner or later, so I may as well see if I can throw a wrench in their plan" He said
"....alright" Gaara accepted that answer
"Then you have my thanks" He said as he gave Naruto a slight bow
Naruto waved his hand
"It's fine, I'm helping myself as well, oh right, go warn the elders later that I turned half the desert in the northern and eastern region into a minefield" Naruto added
"....right, you did say that, huh?" Kankuro coughed
"You what?!?" Gaara was in shock upon hearing that
"Don't worry, it's not too close to the village, so even if it is set off accidentally by someone, it will only kill that person" Naruto patted his chest and grinned
"...." That's not the problem, okay!?
Seeing that Gaara was left speechless, Naruto chuckled
"I gave Kankuro a map with all the locations marked, so just have the elders seal off the area, no big deal" Naruto waved his hand and said
"F-Fine..." Gaara was a little reluctant to accept this, as it could endanger the village, but if it can stop those two enemy Shinobi, then he may as well give it a go. After all, as long as no one steps in those areas, it should be fine, right? Right? RIGHT!?
Kankuro quickly interjected
"Wait, you know their objective?" Kankuro asked
"Sort of, I actually have met people from the same group as them, they're called the Akatsuki, and they are targeting tailed beasts, as for why, I'm still trying to figure it out" Naruto replied
"You've met them as well?" Realising that it is no longer just an issue that their village is facing, Kankuro's expression sank.
Their squad was practically wiped out just by a single member, and he is being told that there are more than just two of them. It was unsettling...
"Don't worry, if they do end up being impossible to deal with, I can always just grab Gaara and run, they are after him, so they won't waste time with the others" Naruto chuckled
"Right" Kankuro's eyes lit up upon hearing that
Gaara gave a faint nod
"I'll be in your care if that does happen" He said with a smile that warmed their hearts.
'F**k, he's so damn precious! I want to pat his head!'
[Creep]
Naruto rolled his eyes at Kurama's comment
"Until then, rest up, seeing that they didn't attack the village right away despite being strong enough means that they are setting something up, or planning something, so rest easy for tonight at least" Naruto said to Gaara
Gaara gave him a faint nod
"Um, I've never had a sleep-over with a friend before...c-can I stay in your room tonight?" He asked nervously
*Pfft*
Naruto nearly choked on all that sweetness, he just couldn't understand how Gaara became such a precious child! But upon contemplating it, it made sense.
Gaara is still just an innocent child who doesn't understand his own feelings prior to the chunin exam. He may be bloodthirsty, but as far as human relationship goes, he is as innocent and pure as they come.
So after Shukaku was released and stopped messing with his head, he gradually embraced his childish sides, and became how he is now.
"Is that a no?" Gaara asked
"Of course not, you're welcome to sleep here!" Naruto smiled
[Seems pretty ga-]
'Kurama, I think Shukaku would love to know the forbidden jutsu I used against you back then, he's an open-minded guy, I'm sure he'll put it to good use' Naruto smiled coldly in his heart
[...noted]
Naruto helped Gaara lay down a mattress in the room he was staying in, before bidding Kankuro goodnight.
"Don't teach my brother anything weird" He warned Naruto before leaving
"I won't, jeez, what do you take me for?" Naruto huffed
[A maniac probably]
'Probably' Naruto nodded in his heart, not denying what Kurama said
The candles were blown out, and darkness filled the room.
"Naruto..." Gaara spoke up
"Yeah?"
"How did you...decide to befriend the nine tails? How did you forgive him and become so close with him" He asked
He had become friends with Shukaku with the help of Naruto, but...did Naruto have such a person to rely on when he befriended Kurama?
Naruto smiled
"Well, we had a common enemy I guess, we both wanted someone dead, and came to an understanding" He replied
"Really? But is that all? Even if there is a common enemy, to forgive him for what he has done to your village..."
"I never forgave him" Naruto replied
"Huh?"
"Because I never hated him" Naruto added soon after
Gaara was taken aback, he never hated the nine tails? But why?
"Kurama never faulted me in any way, and the nine tails attack years ago was also planned by someone else, knowing these, can I truly say I hate him?" Naruto smiled
"Of course, he did kill my parents, but knowing that it happened because of someone else, I know where to direct my anger" Naruto clenched his fists as a crazed flame burned in his eyes.
Gaara listened in silence, gradually understanding what type of person Naruto is.
"Then, is that person dead?" Gaara asked
"No, and he never will, I'll be sure he stays alive, no matter how much he begs for death, he can only live in agony" Naruto's voice became chilling and cold, but Gaara never flinched at his words.
He found it to be very reasonable, as this is a hatred born from the death of his parents.
"Aside from that, Kurama and I hit it off quite well" Naruto said as he gradually returned to a face of smiles.
"It's a wonderful friendship you have" Gaara smiled
"Indeed, but I'll have to say that you and the Ichibi are quite close as well" Naruto chuckled
"Right....back then, I thought I was cursed, and Shukaku was simply a bad omen, but after meeting you, I realised who he really is" Gaara smiled gently
Naruto simply smiled as he closed his eyes
"Sleep well" He added before drifting into sleep
Seeing that Naruto was sleeping, Gaara also closed his eyes and tried to sleep. Knowing that he was sleeping in the same room as a friend left a smile on his face, it made him quite excited that this was happening.
It was odd, it wasn't anything special, nor was it extravagant, yet having a sleep-over with a friend left his heart thumping with excitement, which made it hard for him to even sleep.
-Next day-
"Are you sure you're not going to stay for a bit longer?" Gaara woke up to the sound of Naruto getting up, and asked him when Naruto was about to leave.
"The Akatsuki members are dangerous, at the very least, I need to find their lair so you won't get caught off guard by future attacks" Naruto replied
"Alright...thank you for helping me" Gaara smiled
"I'm just helping myself" Naruto replied with a chuckle
"Yeah..." Gaara said that, but he got the feeling that Naruto wasn't just helping himself, and didn't call him out on it.
Naruto walked out and headed to the room next door.
"Tayuya, wake the f**k up" He knocked on the door and shouted
"Urgh, what the actual f**k! Why are you only calling me, and not Kimimaro!" Tayuya slammed the door open and yelled at him.
"You want him to drag his sorry state of a body out when he's half crippled?" Naruto lifted a brow up and asked
"...." Tayuya scrambled with her hair and groaned
"Argh, I f**king hate you, you know that?" She growled
"I know" Naruto replied with a smirk
"Tsk..." Tayuya clicked her tongue out of spite
Naruto created another clone for Kimimaro to stay with before heading out once more with Tayuya.
'Kurama, do you feel any chakra signatures around here?' Naruto asked when they travelled into the desert once more
[None, I have a feeling that they are not even here anymore] Kurama responded
Naruto frowned, it wasn't impossible that they left Sunagakure completely, after all, Itachi and Kisame also retreated, having not returned after their failure.
He spent the day placing seals everywhere around the village. They were not explosive ones like before, rather, simple surveilance seals, so Kankuro can be prepared if they ever show up.
[Oh?]
'What is it?'
[I sense some familiar chakra, fufufu]
'Quit beating around the bush and tell me who it is'
[You'll be pleased to know] Kurama chuckled
-Outskirts of Sunagakure-
"Why do we need to retreat? You're so strong, why not just capture the one tail jinchuriki outright?" A boy with yellow hair and a bang covering his left eye asked.
Next to him was a short hunched man, who didn't even look in his direction when he responded.
"We are still setting things up, capturing the tailed beasts are not needed for now" He replied
"Heh...I see, I can't wait to fight him, I will show him the beauty of my art~" The blonde haired boy laughed.
The person next to him scoffed silently and brought him out of Sunagakure. When they reached the border, a patrol squad took notice of them, and immediately made their way to them.
"Identify yourselves!" The leading patrol unit yelled, with all of them drawing their weapons
The blonde boy smiled as a white cluster of clay was taken out from his pockets. He was about to strike when the patrol of five suddenly froze on the spot, and their gaze all became stiff as if something had drawn them in.
Their pupils quivered, and one by one, they began screaming as they clutched their own arms.
"Stop! Stop! ARGH!" Blood began seeping out of their eyes and nose
"What the?" The boy frowned upon seeing this happen, but the hunched man didn't seem fazed at all.
*Thud*
In mere moments, the patrols dropped to their knees, and the two of them heard footsteps behind them.
"Sasori, is this the new recruit?" If Naruto was here, he'd recognise the two who just appeared before them, it was none other than Itachi and Kisame.
Sasori, the hunched man, nodded
"This is Deidara" He responded
Deidara's eyes brightened
"Are these my seniors? Who was it that did that just now?" He asked eagerly with a rather excited look on his face.
"Then get a move on, a rather troublesome person arrived in Sunagakure" Itachi said in a low voice
"Troublesome? Even for you?" This time, Sasori revealed a rather surprised expression
Even Deidara was taken aback, whoever knocked out the patrols just now is definitely stronger than him, as he didn't even know how that person did it.
Itachi gave him a nod
"Who is it?" Sasori asked
When he asked this, Kisame's expressin soured immediately as he clicked his tongue. Sasori noticed the sour expression on Kisame's expression, and that something was off with Itachi's expression as well.
"The jinchuriki of the nine tails" Itachi replied, his hands clenched slightly at the mention of Naruto.
"The one you failed to capture?" Sasori frowned
Itachi nodded, and did his best to maintain a calm expression.
"Is he that strong? With us three, I doubt he will be our opponents" Sasori said, fully confident in their combined strength.
"He isn't strong" Itachi said
"Not strong? Then why do you call him troublesome"
"That brat's a damned eel! Slippery and f**king annoying!" Kisame couldn't hold it in anymore and let out a loud roar.
Kisame's sudden outburst caused Sasori and Deidara to step back in stupor. Why is he so angry?
Itachi already expected such a response from Kisame, and he knew all too well why he was acting this way...
"His attainments in seals gave us quite the headache, and he even mastered the sage mode of the Toads, seems to be from Jiraiya, which makes it hard to catch him" Itachi explained
"Bah, so he's just a weakling who is good at running, no?" Deidara stuck out his tongue and said disdainfully.
"Yep, but I don't think that is why they hate me though" A cheeky laughter came from behind Itachi, as a head popped out.
!!!!!!
Naruto appeared behind him, causing Itachi and Kisame to jump back to Sasori. His sudden appearance took them by surprise, and from what he said, they could tell, this is the jinchuriki of the nine tails...
"Sup~" Naruto gave them a wide smile
"You're the nine tails jinchuriki? Quite gutsy to appear here on your own like that" Sasori said in a low voice.
Naruto winked
"I'm only here to say hi, I'm not dumb enough to fight you all on my own" He shrugged
"Say, Itachi, did you like my parting gift that day?" Naruto's smile became mischievous as he pulled out a scroll.
Itachi's pupils shrunk
"We're retreating" Itachi said hastily
"He's on his own, we can capture him" Sasori responded, wanting to capture Naruto now since they have four members here already.
Naruto stuck out his tongue
"Mind style: Mind f**k no jutsu!" Naruto opened the scroll, and a massive projection appeared before them, causing their guards to get raised.
!!!!!!!!!
Before them, they witnessed the scene of Itachi and Kisame becoming a woman, with Kisame being tied up...
"Itachi, you have no idea how long I've been wanting to meet you again, just so I can show you this!" Naruto laughed, he could see the look in Itachi's eyes.
His expression remained stiff, but his eyes said it all. He was frustrated and embarrassed! Naruto actually recorded it somehow, and had it stored away!
"I-Itachi, Kisame, you-you both..." Sasori exclaimed
"DAMN YOU!" Kisame roared as he took out Samehada, and leapt towards Naruto
"Now now~, I know you're excited to see me Kisame...but why didn't you learn your lesson?" Naruto revealed a wicked smile and vanished from the spot.
Kisame on the other hand, when he landed, golden chains shot out from the ground and bound him tightly.
"GRAH! F**k you! You damned brat!" Kisame's body began shaking as the chains started to break one by one.
In just two seconds, Kisame tore through the chains, and looked around furiously.
"I'm not here to fight, and from what I've shown you, you should understand that you can't capture me" Naruto placed his hands behind his head as he walked over.
Sasori narrowed his gaze, from what he has seen, he concluded that unless they can knock Naruto out in a single blow, capturing him alive will be near impossible.
"I'm just here to see what you're up to, but from what I can see, you're just here to find a lil new recruit" He glanced at Deidara, who seems to only be a year or two older than himself.
Itachi stared at Naruto, in his mind, he was considering if he should use his Mangekyou Sharingan to capture Naruto. Last time, he felt it was a waste, but after he thought it through, he felt that Naruto was worth it if they could capture him.
He is simply too slippery
"We can chat, but if you really want to fight, I wouldn't mind messing around with you all" Naruto's eyes curved into a crescent shape as he smirked.
Kisame gnashed his teeth, he wanted to run at Naruto again, but he knew he would just get trapped like he did earlier. Even if he can beak out of it easily, it was humiliating to get played like that by someone who isn't even half his age.
"What's there to talk about? Why don't you try to mess with me?" Deidara walked up with a smirk as he opened up his two palms, revealing a mouth on each hand, both smirking at him.
Naruto stared back, and his gaze became serious...
"I know you didn't mean it....but that sounded zesty as f**k" Naruto said with a serious expression
"H-Huh?" Deidara was momentarily stunned, what did Naruto mean by that?
"Um...I-I have a girlfriend, sorry, I can't mess with you" Naruto bowed his head and gave him a genuine apology
"...."
Deidara's expression changed from confusion to pure embarrsment...
"I-I didn't mean it th-that way, y-you crazy brat!"
'Fufufufu, in the end, he is but a child' Naruto smirked, Deidara is only around fourteen after all...
[....says the actual child]
'I'm different, I'm a hypocrite~'
[....]
Naruto looked up
"I see, then I wish you the best of luck in your future strive for love" Naruto said, his expression seemed so genuine that Deidara couldn't help but rub the back of his neck.
"U-Uh, th-thanks" He said
"Wait, what am I thanking you for? I'll kill you!" Deidara snapped out of it quickly, and pulled out some white clay that was eaten by the mouths on his hand.
"Hey now, that's no way to respond to someone who was genuinely rooting for your future" Naruto said with a frown
Deidara's eyes turned red with anger as the clay was spat out from the two mouths, and became two white birds that flew towards Naruto at high speed.
"Oh? What a fun jutsu! Also...those mouths are dexterous..." Naruto muttered
"Shut up!" Deidara screamed as he released more clay birds that flew towards Naruto.
The initial two that headed for him reached Naruto, and Naruto realised the state of the chakra in the clay were extremely chaotic.
*Swoosh*
*Boom*
He quickly teleported away, as an explosion quickly followed. He looked back up from where he teleported from, and stared at the explosion in awe.
"Beautiful" He muttered
"Huh?" Deidara paused for a split second, but continued to attack. In that moment, he wondered if he had misheard.
Naruto continued to avoid the explosions, while the other three members of teh Akatsuki watched. The reason why they didn't interfere was to see the capability of Deidara...well, also because they knew that interfering will only lead to Naruto teleporting away...
His jutsu made it incredibly hard to catch him, so the best method was to thoroughly plan for his capture in the near future.
"Are you having a blast? Cause I am~" Naruto laughed
"Shut up! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" Deidara roared
Every time Naruto dodged an explosion, he would make a joke like that, angering him to the absolute limit!
Sasori also came to realisation...
'So that is why...Itachi said he's troublesome....' Naruto was just too frickin annoying!
This kid has both the skills and the wits. He knows how far he can push his limits, and sits on that line until his opponents can't take it anymore.
Deidara began panting, Naruto's provocations caused him to expend more chakra than he expected when he attacked, leading to hsi quick exhaustion.
"So only half an hour? Not bad, you were very fun to play with, as a gift for you~" Naruto snapped his fingers, and a seal formed below Deidara!
"Deidara, jump back!" Itachi shouted
!!!!!
But it was too late! A white ligh enveloped Deidara, and once it faded, a familiar scene began playing in front of Kisame and Itachi...
"AHHHH!" Deidara screamed when he looked down
Sasori's eyes widened, this is exactly how the recording Naruto showed earlier played out. Kisame and Itachi were both caught by this seal, resulting in them becoming a women, and now, even Deidara was caught in it...
"Quite a cute girl you make~"
Deidara shivered as his fists clenched tightly
"How dare you, how dare you!" Deidara roared as he summoned a large quantity of clay in an instant.
The clay began squirming, quickly forming the shape of a dragon that he jumped on, and soared into the sky.
"Ah, would you look at the time, I should really get going" Naruto saw the massive dragon formed by Deidara, and knew that the explosive radius is too big to avoid normally.
So, what is the best thing to do?
"Cya" Naruto stuck out his tongue and teleported away
!?!?!?!
He left just like that!?
"That b*stard!" Deidara roared in the air
"...." The other three members were left speechless, truly, Naruto is number one at being an absolute prick!
"I can see why you call him a troublesome opponent" Sasori muttered
During the fight, he had attempted to use hidden weapons against Naruto while he was distracted with Deidara. If he could have landed just one good strike with poison, it would be enough.
But he came to realise...Naruto's eyes never left them despite fighting Deidara, which made him give up the idea of sneak attack.
Soon after, Deidara landed with a sour expression on his face. He was ashamed that he talked big, but got played by Naruto so easily.
"I-I-"
"It's fine, that kid is a tricky opponent, even for me" Itachi spoke up for Deidara
"Agreed" Sasori nodded
Kisame was still mulling over the lost chance of attacking. He wanted to attack Naruto so badly, but Naruto was just too slippery, and with Deidara setting off explosives, he couldn't participate how he initially wanted to.
"Next time we meet...I swear, I will..." Deidara gnashed his teeth tightly
*Bang*
A small explosion suddenly set off right amidst them! Where? It was on Sasori!
"Sorry, I know I said I was going to leave, but I'm just too curious, y'know?" Naruto appeared amidst them with an apologetic expression.
"Just one sneak peek at what you really look like, one peek" Naruto said as he cleared the smoke around Sasori.
Where did he pop out from? They knew that he could teleport, but can he really just teleport wherever he wants to without restrictions?
The answer is no, it was simply because Naruto planted a flying raijin mark on Deidara amongst the chaos, so when the four of them gathered, he immediately teleported back.
*Whoosh*
The smoke cleared, and Naruto caught a glimpse. Where the hunched man stood, is now a red haired boy, who seems to be only a few years older than he is. He had expected the hunched man to be a puppet exterior, but...he didn't expect Sasori to be this young!
He thought Sasori was some old man from the voice, but it was actually a voice changer?
*Bang*
Naruto quickly jumped back when Kisame slammed Samehada down on him, and a needle shot towards him when he did so.
*Ding*
Naruto took out a kunai and slashed the needle from mid air.
"Hey now, it was just one look, okay? No need to be so hostile" Naruto shouted
[Kid, dodge!]
Naruto heard Kurama's warning, but his eyes locked with Itachi's, and he felt his world turn.
*Bang*
Kurama's chakra washed over him, and snapped him out of the gejutsu
[Get out of here already] Kurama snapped
Naruto smiled wryly
"Perhaps I was too overconfident" He muttered
Behind him, Kisame had already appeared and was about to strike him with Samehada.
*Whoosh*
Naruto gave them a final midle finger before he teleported away. Once he did so, Kisame's strike came down, creating a massive crater in the ground.
"...dammit!" Kisame roared
Itachi's expression was also incredibly dark. Had Kurama not forcibly broke the genjutsu, Naruto would have been caught by them.
Sasori was standing still, his expression was sombre.
"If what he did wasn't a small explosion to reveal my true self...would I have been seriously injured?" He muttered, when Naruto set off the explosion, he could tell it was only meant to destroy the puppet he hid in.
But what if it was something with high destructive capabilities? It made him shudder at the thought. But luckily for him, Naruto doesn't have such a powerful explosive unless he stacks up multiple in one place like he did during the bandit den mission.
Deidara's eyes widened upon seeing Sasori's true self, a red haired boy who seems to be no older than he is.
"S-Sasori?" He uttered
Sasori shifted his gaze over to Deidara, then turned away
"We will leave immediately" He said
"That was the plan" Itachi replied
None of them wanted to stay for a second longer, in case Naruto returned and made a mess of their plans again. He may not be able to harm them, but his methods are unpredictable and illogical.
Meanwhile, Deidara's eyes remained on Sasori, he knew of the strength difference between the two of them already, but he didn't expect that person to be so young, barely a year older than he is.
'When I challenged him, he was able to beat me so easily...' He was in awe
Everyone has been so caught up in Naruto's sudden appearance, and small explosion, that they forgot one final detail...
The flying raijin mark that was still on Deidara, hidden away...