I woke up at night from aching soreness all over my body. Everything hurt. Down to the bones. Thank god, not too badly. My hand was bandaged, and that percentage of pain from the whole body felt less now. In three days it'd probably pass.
I felt I was lying clothed under the blanket, and not alone. Turning, I saw Sasuke sleeping, lightly nuzzling my left shoulder. Turning my head right, I barely made out the clock on the wall: about 2:30 a.m.
"How cute," flashed in my head, and I decided to slip out of Sasuke's embrace.
Barely without waking him, I got out of the Uchiha's arms and went looking for my things in the room. All I wanted now was to take a night walk and look at the stars that always drew me, which I hadn't seen in so long that the feeling filling me could safely be called longing.
Didn't take long to find my things: they were on the nightstand, and I put them on right away. Carefully grabbing my sword and silently putting on my pouch, I slipped out of the room.
Where the devil dragged me, I didn't even know myself, but of course I wasn't going to ask permission. Quietly opening the first window, I jumped onto the nearest building.
A gorgeous view of the lit city opened before me. The entire horizon was sprinkled with millions of colorful lanterns and lights; in some houses the lights were already off, in others they burned, clearly hinting the residents weren't asleep.
But despite that, everywhere was so dark and quiet that only crickets chirped.
Taking a deep breath of the cold night air, I decided to climb somewhere higher.
Looking around, I spotted the tallest building nearby and, grinning, headed there.
In a few minutes I climbed to the roof and immediately sat in lotus position. Right now I wanted to try gathering natural chakra.
"Hope it doesn't shake me up like yesterday."
Stopping hiding my chakra, I started gathering natural energy. I felt the wind, clouds, lone walking residents and dogs. I felt how the city slept, how in every house someone lay in bed with closed eyes.
As soon as the spiritual component reached balance, two familiar energy sources appeared on my internal radar.
"Orochimaru?!" creating three clones that stayed gathering chakra, I rushed to where I sensed the enemy. Closer, I hid my chakra and started sneaking. So they wouldn't notice me.
"Will they notice? Don't know. Dangerous? Definitely! Total stupidity? Oh yes!"
"She's somewhere in this village?" I heard Orochimaru's nasty voice, hiding behind a tree branch next to the building. I was barely breathing or moving so they wouldn't notice me.
"Yes," a familiar female voice replied. "I've observed her a bit, and she's clearly not ready for an attack."
"Don't underestimate her, Kaori. She's one of the Legendary Sannin," he drawled sweetly, and in response from his interlocutor, I heard a dismissive "pfft."
"What does this girl think she is?!" I thought angrily, recalling how she had thrust her katana into my heart. The realism of the memory made the scene from the past flash before my eyes for an instant, and I was almost back on the ground, beaten, with that girl sitting in front of me. I squeezed my eyes shut, remembering how she had slammed my head against the wall, clamping my mouth shut with force, and then plunged the sword into my chest with a swing.
Then it vanished just as abruptly, and I opened my eyes again.
"I know where she is. I can kill her tonight," she said confidently.
"No, wait for me. In the meantime, deal with that guest who's eavesdropping on us," he drawled with a hint of laughter, and then I felt his chakra disappear.
"It seems that was a clone," flashed through my mind.
"Come out already, Ariza Saito," she called me by name, and using shunshin, I landed on the roof opposite her. The first thing I saw was the three-tomoe Sharingan glowing in the darkness. And narrowed eyes. Her hand was on the hilt of her sword, but she wasn't in a hurry to draw it. She stood in a fairly relaxed pose. "Oh, so you know the art of the sage," she smirked.
"Who are you?" I asked sharply.
"My name is Kaori Uchiha. Nice to meet you," she smirked again. And her smirk was driving me crazy. "You can relax. I'm not planning to fight you."
"You're my enemy, so I won't relax," I drew my sword and assumed a stance, ready to block her strike at any second. But I didn't even notice how she ended up right next to me. Convincing myself it wasn't an illusion, I attacked first, striking her sword, knocking it out and sending both blades flying far from us. The swords fell and embedded into the roof. Grabbing her by the collar and lifting her into the air, I slammed her onto the roof with all my strength. Cement-tile dust and debris flew into my face, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut for a second. But that didn't stop me from mounting her and pressing a kunai to her throat.
"You want to kill me?" she asked calmly, without hesitation, as if it were a routine question like "how are you?" or "where are you going?" "I can see how angry you are at me. Well, kill me then," she said boldly, and I realized my hand holding the kunai was already trembling. It was at her carotid artery—one move, and warm blood would splash across my face. But I couldn't. I was breathing heavily, gripping her clothes tightly with my injured hand. I wanted revenge for that pain, that fear! But I couldn't do it! "And do you know why?" as if reading my thoughts. "Want to know why you can't kill me?" she grinned mockingly. Unable to take it, I punched her in the fist. In an instant, the mode vanished, and she was on top.
"Shut up!" I growled, not wanting to hear her.
"You're so amusing!" she laughed, taking the kunai from my hand and pinning my wrists. I hissed in pain—my right hand was burned. I looked into her eyes, somewhat stunned. And her next words made my jaw drop in surprise. "But I'm not your enemy. So listen carefully. Orochimaru wants to kill Tsunade so that Danzou takes her place..."
"They're in cahoots?!" I cried out, and she immediately covered my mouth. I looked up at her with shocked eyes and couldn't believe my ears. I was in a dangerous position right now, but I didn't move.
"Danzou helped Orochimaru attack the village," she continued, and unable to hold back, I freed my mouth.
"You're lying! Danzou has no reason to do that! He's for Konoha!" I blurted out hopefully. The girl immediately plunged me into a genjutsu, showing Danzou and Orochimaru talking in a room while she stood in the corner. The enemies discussed how they would attack and concluded they would strike from the catacombs in the heart of Konoha.
"I don't know why, but they need you. And they need you alive," she whispered.
"Why?!"
"I don't know, but I'm sure—it's for something very bad," she stood up from me and offered her hand. But ignoring her help, I got up myself. "They don't usually hunt anyone like this."
"Why should I trust you? Maybe you're lying on purpose," I voiced the first thoughts in my head.
"I grew up with Orochimaru, but I'm not his loyal servant. I can't prove to you whether I'm lying or not," she said, deactivating her Sharingan. "So it's up to you to believe me or not." With that, she headed toward our swords, and I followed, hand on the kunai in my pouch.
"Why are you betraying him?" I asked her.
"He raised me like a pig for slaughter. There were others with me. And he was choosing from us who would be his next body. I pretend it doesn't matter to me anymore, but I won't forgive him for that," she said quietly, half-turning, and I heard the pain in her voice.
"Does he have a Sharingan?" I asked in surprise.
"Yes, and he has many. But he still craves more power. And I think he's looking for you specifically for that."
"For what?" I didn't understand.
"He loves conducting inhumanly cruel experiments. I think you're some key to greater power for him. So don't let him catch you," she stopped and looked intently into my eyes. "Otherwise, you'll die before they even kill you."
"Why tell me this? Why help me?" I asked her directly. But without answering, she approached our swords.
"Here," she drew her sword and tossed it to me. "This is yours."
When the sword was in my hands, I realized it was my lost sword.
"Where did you get it?" I looked at her in surprise.
"Well, mine's still with you," she grinned slyly, and the word "bitch" slipped out as I remembered it wasn't with me—it was in me. She just smirked wider. "Who are you to talk," she quipped and picked up her sword. "Never thought someone would keep their enemy's sword, let alone sharpen it."
"Not your business."
"Hah, you're still interesting," she said, looking at the blade. "Here," she offered her sword to me, and for some reason, I took it without objection. "I'm giving it to you."
"What?" I asked in surprise.
"It's yours now," she chuckled cheerfully, waved, and stepped off the roof's edge. I rushed over but saw nothing below.
"She got away, you bitch," I smiled, and it was a happy smile. "And what am I supposed to do with you, buddy?" I asked into the void, looking at the sword she'd just given me.
"Good job, excellent!" Jiraiya said, watching as I easily entered Sage Mode and held it for a long time. "Oh, and by the way, you even have the cloak. Not everyone gets one."
"Really?" Opening my eyes, I jumped up and looked back. Unfortunately, I only glimpsed it—the mode faded. But it was enough to see it was almost black with specks of gold or white. I couldn't tell which.
"You can check the cloak later. For now, take this scroll," he handed it to me. "It has a technique for concealing chakra. Learn it in four days and show me on Thursday."
"Got it, Jiraiya-sensei!" I replied with a smile.
"Well then, get to it, and I'll get the materials!" he grinned lewdly, and I covered my eyes with my hands. "There's nothing wrong with that!" he crossed his arms indignantly. "You'll understand when you grow up."
"I'm thirty, and I'm a virgin, Jiraiya," I thought to him. "No, I definitely won't understand that!"
"Considering you and Sasuke sleep in the same room and same bed..." he drawled thoughtfully, stroking his chin with two fingers and looking up, and I felt the urge to smack him hard! "Just kidding, kidding, you're already blushing, hahaha," he burst out laughing.
"Jiraiya-sensei, either you leave now, or I'll help you out specifically!"
"I'm going, I'm going," he said goodbye and left.
"Damn pervert!" I muttered.
"What about?" came from behind, and I nearly jumped in fright.
"Naruto?!" I spun around and exclaimed.
"What?"
"Don't scare me like that, please," I asked.
"Ari-chan, I need your help," he lowered his head slightly.
"I can't do the first stage of rasengan," he showed a water balloon.
"Hm, show me how you do it."
"Okay," he furrowed his brows, stepped forward, extended the hand with the balloon, and started spinning the water in the balloon. The problem was he was spinning it all in one direction.
"You're doing it a bit wrong. Basically, the first stage is to spin different parts of the water in different directions."
"I'll show you with fire now, but watch closely," I extended my hand and began forming a simple fireball. I made it as basic and large as possible so each stream of fire chakra was far from the others, twisted in different directions.
"Cool..." he drawled, and I dispersed the technique. "How did you do that?"
"Naruto, I showed it maximally simple on purpose. For a stronger rasengan, you need to pack the chakra very close and spin it very fast. This technique requires the highest chakra control."
"I can do it," he nodded.
"I have no doubt. Try repeating it simply. Success is just the number of attempts, nothing more."
"Okay!" He took the same balloon in his right hand, placed his left on it, and tried spinning it with both hands. "Aaaa!" he flew back as the balloon exploded in his hand. I instantly appeared behind him and caught him. "Thanks, Ari-chan."
"Naruto, you're doing great, but now try without the second hand. And without help, lock in the correct result."
"I need to find the Pervert and move to the second stage!" Naruto shouted, ignoring my words, but not happily at all.
And for the first time in days, I realized that after his father's death, all his smiles, all his rare fleeting laughs—were insincere. He couldn't even be happy for himself now. Maybe because he's learning the technique his father invented? Damn... What to do? How to help a friend?
"Naruto," I called to get his attention. "Wait here," I asked and went to get the water balloons by the tree.
"What do I need those for?" he asked while I counted them in the bag.
"Make seventeen clones, Dobe," I told him, and he tensed but did it. "Remember I promised to show you a cool technique?"
"Yeah," he nodded, and I recalled that the Naruto before Minato's death would have been thrilled. This one just stood with an impassive face.
"Watch closely. I'm showing you a technique I've worked on for five years, since childhood," I extended my hand and created a fourth-stage fireball. I saw Naruto struggling with his emotions: trying to hide even a bit of joy. And honestly, it started pissing me off. Where's my Naruto? Where's my best friend? "To perfect this technique, I had to go back to previous stages many times and redo them. I don't want you doing that. So let each clone take these balloons—with clones, training will go faster. You don't need to know why, just do it. The task: explode the balloon without flying back, one-handed, no outside help. Got it?"
"Yes, Ari-chan," he said, and each clone took a balloon as I went to the tree to observe his training.
Sitting by the tree, I relaxed and wanted to read Jiraiya's book. He'd released a new one two days ago with something, he said, I'd really like. I'd just pulled it from my pouch when chakra suddenly appeared on the tree right above my head.
"Oh, you decided to read it after all," I heard the sage's pleasant surprise from the tree. "I tell you right away: what'll hook you is in chapter 5."
"Gathered your materials, Jiraiya-sannin?" I asked monotonously without turning or acknowledging his words.
"Yeah, the meeting with Tsunade is tentatively tonight. So come to the hotel around five."
"Got it."
"And I see you know how to teach pretty well."
"Well, maybe, I don't know. I never had students," I shrugged, watching Naruto's clones' balloons pop.
"Don't you want to learn it yourself?" he asked, unaware I already knew.
"It'll probably be Naruto's signature technique, and I don't steal others' signatures," I replied.
"Hm, quite right. So what's your signature technique?"
"Not important. Jiraiya-san, just a heads-up: there's a hunt on for Tsunade, and she could be attacked any day now. The 'Hunter' is Orochimaru."
"So that's how it is... Where'd you get that info?" he asked.
"My sources," I didn't elaborate, also hiding the Orochimaru-Danzou alliance. Until I can prove it, my words aren't worth a ryo.
"Hah, so that's it," he said thoughtfully. "When do you plan to show the technique?"
"In battle," I cut short. Jiraiya said nothing more and just left. "So tonight then," I murmured thoughtfully, looking at the sun. That means we need to master the second stage today too. Well, Jiraiya...
"I'm done!" Naruto shouted.
"You got strength left?" I stood from the ground.
"You bet!"
"Excellent."
"So she's in this place?" I asked rhetorically, and Jiraiya nodded. Naruto, the sannin, and I entered, and I immediately spotted the blonde with the purple diamond on her forehead in the far right corner.
"Where is she?" Naruto asked, and I subtly pointed to the two women who hadn't even noticed us.
"Right?" I asked the sannin, but he silently headed toward them. I sat by Tsunade, Naruto and Jiraiya by Shizune. Then it went almost canon. We ordered, and Jiraiya immediately said why we were there. Naruto nearly choked on his food—no one had told him who we were after. Shizune was surprised, Tsunade and I didn't bat an eye. The Queen of Slugs refused right away, and I instantly realized no one in this universe had offered to resurrect her loved ones. So she just didn't want to be Hokage now.
The dialogue after wasn't interesting, so quietly under the table, I pulled out Jiraiya's book and started reading. After three pages with nothing interesting, I decided one more and close it. But I didn't even manage that: someone slammed the table, and looking up, I saw Naruto who'd jumped onto it, animatedly arguing with Tsunade.
"I won't let you talk about Hokage like that! I don't care that you're a woman! It's time someone put you in your place!" He slammed his fist into his palm, basically challenging her to a duel, and I happily exhaled that it was going as needed.
"I see you're no coward. Well then, let's step outside," she stood from the table and looked down at Naruto haughtily.
They headed out together, and I stayed put.
"Why aren't you going?" Jiraiya asked, pausing.
"I'll finish eating and come. Not much left," I said, finishing my soup. "Or it'll get cold and tasteless." I ate quickly and left a clone gathering chakra just in case. Might need to stop Tsunade. And I'm not confident against a sannin yet.
I ran out just in time. Naruto tumbled past me. He rolled several meters and started getting up, holding his forehead— no headband. Moments later, his forehead protector flew to him.
"No problem! If this way doesn't work, I'll try another!" he shouted and, making five clones, charged the future Hokage.
"If she hits my favorite friend hard again, I don't know what I'll do to her!" flashed in my head, and the next second, Naruto took a hard hit to the face and flew back toward us.
"Naruto!" I ran to him and helped him up. "Can't you take care of yourself?" I asked him, then turned to Tsunade and begged her to stop.
"No!" he said, drawing a kunai and charging again. It went like before. He got thrown back to us.
"Tsunade, at least you stop!" I shouted, but she ignored me like I was nothing.
"Hey, kid, answer before you pass out. Why'd you challenge me?" she stood proudly, feeling superior. And honestly, it pissed me off. Yes, she's stronger—no arguing that—but Naruto's a kid, and she was tossing him like a rag doll with such pride in her eyes and voice.
"Unlike you, becoming Hokage is my dream! And I will become one!" Naruto stared seriously into her eyes, starting to form rasengan. But it was weak, unfinished, almost transparent. The next second, it was like slow motion. I felt Tsunade's fist tense and fill with chakra—the one that usually breaks walls—and she swung it right at Naruto charging her.
I realized it was time to really stop them. Dispersing my clone, using natural chakra, I instantly appeared by the Senju, grabbing her fist, and snatched Naruto by the scruff so he couldn't even reach.
"Enough playing," I said with my head down to hide the mode. I had no patience to watch Naruto get beaten and his dream mocked, but Naruto's recklessness pissed me off too. I was tired of watching.
Gently tossing Naruto a few meters back, I stood in front of him, eyes locked on Tsunade, who looked at me in surprise.
"Who are you?" she asked, mouth agape in astonishment.
"Not important," I replied, trying not to yell or show anger, and dispersed the mode to not reveal it early. "Don't humiliate Naruto and his dream! He will become Hokage, that's undeniable! I know it!"
"Why do you believe in him so much?" she asked, equally surprised, peering into my eyes.
"I just said! I don't blindly believe—I KNOW it for sure! Sooner or later, whether you want it or not, he'll achieve it!"
"Hey hey, Ariza, easy there. We were just a bit late, and you've already got this going," I turned and saw Kakashi walking with Sasuke, hands in pockets, smiling with one eye. "And put the sword away," he said, and I noticed I'd unconsciously drawn it.
"Sorry," I sheathed it and, avoiding eyes, went to Naruto. "You hurt?" I asked the stunned Uzumaki, who stared at me motionlessly in amazement.
"Ar-ri-chan?" he echoed, as if disbelieving it was me. Without an answer, I placed my hand on his chest to check. Nothing serious—just healed some scrapes and bruises.
"Is that really her?" I heard Tsunade behind me, and turning, saw her looking at Jiraiya, who nodded.
"What 'her'?" Standing and turning, I looked at her curiously.
"So that's how it is," she looked at me curiously too. "How unexpected. Tell me, what's your name anyway?"
"Hm," I drawled. They were talking about something with Jiraiya no one else knew. But I couldn't latch onto it. "Ariza Saito. Enough?" As I asked, Tsunade glanced at the sannin again, who shook his head sideways this time.
"She asked some question only he knew, and he said 'no.' But what question? Maybe if I'm his student? Damn... so annoying not knowing what's being discussed. Though at the same time—it's a sign of how well they work together," raced through my head.
"Anyway," Tsunade spoke again, arms crossed. "No matter how sure you are of Naruto, he still won't learn rasengan. It's impossible for him."
"Rasengan?" Naruto echoed.
"He'll need a week at most," I replied calmly.
"A week, you say?" she drawled thoughtfully. "Fine, then I'll give him a week to learn the technique."
"Three days is enough for me!" I heard behind.
"Naruto, hold your horses! Rasengan is one of the hardest techniques!" I said, glancing back.
"Anyway, my terms: if you learn the technique in a week, I'll acknowledge you and give you my pendant," she showed her neck, where hung one like mine, but green-yellow.
"I don't wear jewelry, so keep your trinket!"
"What an idiot you are, Naruto! That's the necklace of the First Hokage—only two in the world. Priceless," Jiraiya said, and I decided to clarify later.
"Fine! Deal!"
"And if you don't keep your promise, I won't go to Konoha with you, and this," she showed a frog-shaped wallet full of money, "I'll take."
"Hey!" Naruto shouted, patting his pockets for his wallet.
"Jiraiya-sensei," I addressed, "what does the second necklace look like?"
"I saw it once years ago. Like Tsunade's, but different color. Don't remember which," he replied, and I nodded. Okay, it exists or not. Maybe buried with its owner long ago.
"Naruto, get that necklace, and we'll be jewelry brothers," I smiled slightly and showed my parents' necklace. "Mine's not as cool as yours will be, but not bad."
"That's still up in the air," Tsunade approached, took the necklace. "It looks a lot like the First Hokage's second necklace. But how to check, I don't know."
"What did the second one do?"
"As I recall, it was famed for inhuman regeneration, boosting the wearer's ability dozens, even hundreds of times," she said, and pensively, I shook my head for show. I didn't know if this necklace gave me that regeneration or not, but they didn't need to know yet anyway.
"No, that's not it," I took it and put it back on.
"Judging unactivated is stupid. But how to activate it, I don't know," she shrugged. "Let's go," she said, and left with Shizune.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan