The Eternal Lost Lurker wrote:
Chapter 9: Finding Your Way
Ah, so we can rest assured there's no Ranma crossover with Hibiki Ryouga in
this chapter, then.
Nope. Maybe next time... :)
I suppose that's one way around the "too many original characters"
problem I struggle with, but I generally find such things too
distracting beyond simple "plausibly deniable" cameos.
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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?
That's next chapter. Maybe.
[Day ?????]
If you don't know, how the HELL should I?
Yes, but now you _know_ you don't know! :)
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?"
Heh.
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?
Quite possibly!
Jiraiya grimaced. "I wish Orochimaru wasn't real," he said.
"It'd make my life a lot easier."
Ouch. Bitter!
He's got good reason, though.
"Jiraiya-sama," Rui said after a brief moment of silence. "What
precisely is Naruto-san?"
A dumbass!
Only sometimes... :)
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."
*whistles innocently*
Hmm. It looks like I forgot to stick an "Also, Akatsuki strikes!" into
the next chapter preview thing... :)
She nodded again. "I'll be fine."
"As soon as I stop throwing up."
Well, yes. She's going to at least try to do that in private though. :)
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."
Oh, worse. Definitely worse. Sakura would have far too many uses for
molding Sasuke, few of them pleasant for her. If Orochimaru found out
she was supposed to become Tsunade's apprentice... well, it would be
even less pleasant. Anko could at best look forward to being Kabuto's
test subject on the long-term effects of the cursed seal, and it all
goes downhill for her from there.
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. >.>
Unfortunately for Jiraiya, the only person who both saw and was able to
recognize Tsuneo's techniques last chapter is in a coma, so he had no
reason to be extra-suspicious of a "Nara by marriage" showing up.
"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.
Indeed. :)
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...
Then she realized that the same thing was happening every time he used
the Byakugan near her, and she got _really_ violent.
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?
Sakura is tired and not thinking clearly.
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
Truth. :)
2) As always, I welcome any and all comments on my story.
Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I have a comment!
*ahem*
NARF!!
And, as ever, thanks for the comments!