Chapter 9: Finding Your Way

Ah, so we can rest assured there's no Ranma crossover with Hibiki Ryouga in
this chapter, then.

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Disclaimer:  Naruto does not belong to me, strange though that may seem.
Instead it is Kishimoto Masashi's creation.  However, the text of this
fanfic is mine, and may not be used without permission.  Also, snakes.
Snakes... on a plane.

Gasp! Not snakes on a plane! Whatever shall we do with the badger, the
badger, the badger, the badger, the badger, the badger, the badger, the
badger, the badger, the badger, the badger, the badger, the mushroom, and
the mushroom?

[Day ?????]

If you don't know, how the HELL should I?

        Naruto awoke.  For long moment, he didn't open his eyes, simply
lying in the warm water he found himself floating in, waiting for the
pounding in his head to subside.  He might have luxuriated in the
warmth, welcome after so many days in the chill of the quickly
descending northern winter, but the water was a touch too warm for
comfort and stank of some unnatural foulness.  Groaning and channeling
chakra reflexively to keep himself from sinking, Naruto opened his eyes
and sat up.

"Why is this water...yellow?"

        Anko pouted.  "You don't trust me?"
        "Does anyone?" Sakura replied dryly.

Ouch! XD

        Anko grinned.  "Maybe he still remembers what I did to him when
he tried to make me wear it."

I'm guessing it involved Anko somehow using the jumpsuit as a rectal probe,
and Gai being the probee?

        Sakura nodded after a moment, forcing herself not inquire after
Anko's odd hesitation.  The matter of Anko's teacher still wasn't any of
her business.

Oh, I think she would be VERY interested to know just who trained Anko...
X_X

        "You have a contract with the entire snake spirit court?" Sakura
asked, aghast.  "But that type of contract is only held by legendary
ninja like Hokage-sama!"
        "Hey," Anko protested.  "I'm sort of legendary!  A whole
generation of Leaf ninja is growing up scared of me!"

*SNRK*

        Jiraiya grimaced.  "I wish Orochimaru wasn't real," he said.
"It'd make my life a lot easier."

Ouch. Bitter!

        "Jiraiya-sama," Rui said after a brief moment of silence.  "What
precisely is Naruto-san?"

A dumbass!

        Jiraiya laughed slightly.  "Well, a little challenge helps make
my old age exciting," he commented, but then his face and voice turned
serious.  "Don't worry about them, Rui-san.  They aren't your problem,
and you don't owe Naruto or me that sort of debt.  We'll part ways in
the Hail Country, and you can go home and enjoy the peace you've
earned."

"Until you die a week later."

        The Swamp Country, these past few weeks, had been engulfed in
political turmoil.  While not hated, Daimyo Chichiatsu - the highest
noble in the small country, though in a great power like the Fire
Country he would have been only a minor vassal

And in the Fire Swamp Country, he wouldn't even be deemed worthy to lick the
toilets in the palace.

        Though that visit was some days past, that order had not yet
been rescinded, and there were therefore plenty of guards able to hear
when the princess suddenly screamed in the middle of the night.  In a
matter of mere seconds, her bed chambers were flooded with armed men,
searching diligently for any threat.  This only caused the girl to
scream again, shrinking back in fear from her own guards.

"I'm NAKED, YOU PERVERTS!!"

        The young woman sniffled.  "I had a nightmare," she said
tearfully.  "I want to see daddy."

Awwwwww.

        The squad leader turned away from the bed.  "The Princess has
had a bad dream and would like to see her honored father," he replied,
rolling his eyes since the girl couldn't see them.
        "I want my daddy!" the princess shouted.

Yeah. Because she's an assassin who's replaced the princess, who's already
dead.

        He didn't even have a chance to scream.  In one smooth motion,
his daughter pulled a kunai out from underneath her pillow and attacked,
killing her father with one perfect strike.

What'd I say.

 The daimyo's startled
corpse fell across the princess, who sat still for several long moments
before pushing the body aside with shaking hands.  She stared down at
the blood that covered her and the bed and let out a quiet, nervous
laugh.  "I'm glad I don't have to clean this up," she said in a tone
completely unlike herself, bringing her hands together into a single
seal.  "Release!"  Then she collapsed, unconscious.

Okay, so I missed ONE detail.

        Asuma nodded, standing.  "You three stay here," he said darkly.
"If that's the case, I should pay this Daimyo Chichiatsu a little visit
tonight.

Bit late for that!

 Did you dispose of the kunai we left you properly?"

Well, she definitely found a new holster for it.

        Shikamaru's eyes widened.  "Ino!" he gasped.
        Asuma glanced at the chuunin, then back at Ino.  The kunoichi
nodded stiffly.  "Your visit won't be necessary.  I heard Hokage-sama's
orders.  I saw the opportunity; I took it."

How very ninja of her!

        She nodded again.  "I'll be fine."

"As soon as I stop throwing up."

        That had been preferable to the previous night alone with Anko,
though.  Sakura remembered well their previous journey together and the
insane pleasure Anko had taken in depositing snakes of various kinds on
Sakura's body, both to wake her and just to pass the time.  Yet the
special jounin had not tried any such thing yet, and Sakura had been
certain that she was being lulled into a false sense of security.
However, against all expectations, Anko still did nothing.

Of course not. She doesn't need to. Sakura's doing it all on her own.

        "Not long," Anko answered.  "We should reach the shrine this
afternoon if we're fast."  She took a step forward, then froze.  She
trembled, one hand clutching at her shoulder.  "Oh, fuck!" she
exclaimed, real fear in her voice.

Oh fuck INDEED. X|

        Anko let out another breath, finally releasing her shoulder.
"Sorry about that, Sakura-chan," was all she said.  Then she turned
around, smiling cheerfully.  "I've had a great new idea," she said.
"We're going to turn around, head back the way we came, and then I'll
see just how good you are at that Strong Fist junk Maito's been teaching
you."

"That way, we don't end up being killed or worse by Orochimaru."

        Sakura had never been a stupid girl, and she decided that
questioning the seemingly bizarre decision would be both futile and ill-
advised.  "All right," she said carefully, glancing around for any sign
that they were being watched.  Something was clearly very, very wrong.
Were there Sound ninja about?

You could say that.

        Jiraiya idly wondered whether the young kunoichi had a crush on
his unconscious student.  They were of like age, after all, and had
spent a lot of time alone together.  Jiraiya studied Rui for a moment.
Probably not, he decided, but he also determined that the character
inspired by her in his next book would develop an infatuation with the
handsome young ninja who helped her avenge her village.

*snrk*

        Jiraiya took a step forward, then froze as he felt the wards
he'd just created activate.  "He's behind us!" he shouted, dropping his
transformation and turning around rapidly.  Then he froze again, and he
eyes dropped to his feet, seeing the thick shadow that bound him.  He
managed to look back at his companion.  "You," he growled.
        The woman only smiled, hands flicking through seals.  "Shadow
Neck Bind Technique," she hissed, and her shadow began to creep up
Jiraiya's body, reaching hungrily for his neck.

Argh. Definitely saw that coming. >.>

        "It's not your fault," Jiraiya said as he rose.  "I'm going to
deal with the innkeeper, who no doubt wants words with me.  Then we'll
find your brother."
        "And then?" Rui asked.
        "And then," Jiraiya said grimly, "This Nara Saeko and this Kinji
are going to learn just why two-bit thugs like them shouldn't mess with
one of the legendary Sannin."

Oh hell. XD

        The main problem was going to be applying the seal.  While with
time he thought he might be able to develop a seal that would work
simply by touching it to the chakra shroud - still by no means an easy
task - right now the the scroll itself was only the centerpiece of the
seal.  He would have to bind Naruto somehow while he completed the seal
around him.  That was going to be... tricky.

No, y'think?

        "Uchiha Sasuke," Sakura read hesitatingly.  He had been here.

Ayup.

        "I would hope not," Shizune muttered.  "Even without going that
far, though, Anko-chan's taste in techniques leaves something to be
desired."
        "Anko-chan's not stupid," Tsunade said.  "She ought to know
what's appropriate to teach Sakura-chan."  She paused.  "I hope."

Muahahaha.

        Rock Lee was confused.

What else is new?

  The seemingly simple situation in the

Bird Country when they arrived, an over-ambitious strategist attempting
to depose the previous daimyo's weak heir and opposed by the daimyo's
trusted adviser, he had understood.  A simple glance with the Byakugan,
however, had quickly revealed that the daimyo was apparently actually a
girl,

An observation which had earned Neji a hearty smack upside the head from
Tenten after the notion of how he determined this set in...

        Lee breathed a sigh of relief, relaxing slightly and allowing
his over-stretched body to shake.  Even now, this technique pushed his
body to its limits, particularly when he left his weights on.  At least
it had had worked.  He wasn't certain he could have continued to fight
after that.  Slowly, he turned around.  He needed to catch up with his
team.

Yeah, he pretty much fails at spotting a kawarimi/bunshin.

        "Gai-sensei!" Lee breathed.
        "Just rest, Lee," Gai responded, his eyes never leaving his foe.
"I'll take care of this trash."

Hee!

        As they made their way through the streets, Naruto whispered to
Jiraiya, "Can we really trust these guys?"
        "Not even as far as we can throw them,"

Heh. It's true, though...never trust a ninja.

        Smoke poured out from under her own, and soon she felt the now-
familiar texture of snake scales underneath her palm.  Taking a deep
breath, she looked down at the creature she had summoned.  This one was
bright red, she noticed.  Did snakes come in bright red?

Of course they do. Where else did you think bright red snakeskin belts came
from?

        Anko frowned.  "You never call me mistress, Seseki," she said.
        "Yeah, well it took you half a month to get to where you could
summon me," Seseki replied.  "Took her... what, two days?"
        "Well, yeah," Anko agreed grudgingly, "but I was wasting all
that time on stupid, pointless things like food and sleep.  Plus,
Sakura-chan was using a soldier pill."

Looks like Anko-chan is a sore loser. Even though SHE made her student cheat
in the first place XD

2) As always, I welcome any and all comments on my story.

Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I have a comment!

*ahem*

NARF!!

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