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The Red Flash Chapter 22 (A Dream of Home)
🕑 Added 2021-06-19 18:21:41 +0000 UTCAshara Uzumaki
Swing after swing, Fuu was blocking them with her short sword that Lord Shiboku had brought for her to train in Kenjutsu. Her sword had an orange pommel, and dark scabbard with green lines around. The number seven was carved in her scabbard. (In Japanese).
Ashara was wearing a tight red shirt, underneath a black shirt. Her kunai holster was tightened around her right leg. Her scabbard of the sword tightened behind her back. She wore bandages in her right forearm and left forearm. Her skin around her hand slightly irritated and bleeding slightly from small cuts around her knuckles and palm. She had bandages around her knee, wearing dark shinobi sandals.
Ashara dodged her attack and swinged at her her head but stopped before it hit her, her blade close to her neck. Fuu smiled warmly and put her small sword back it's scabbard which was tightened to her hips.
"You did good Fuu" Ashara complimented slightly sweating from her forehead, while Fuu didn't looked that tired. She looked normal like always, perhaps it was because of Chomei, Asha didn't really know but it didn't matter. It had been six hours since they started sparring. And eventually Asha had gotten tired, she liked the most to train in Fuinjutsu and Kenjutsu.
Ashara was about to go back to the treehouse and rest and then train in her Fuinjutsu when Fuu's orange eyes looked over her shoulder.
"Come out, I know you're there" Fuu shouted, but much to Ashara's surprise, her friend didn't looked tense, and her hands were resting on her hips and not going to her pommel.
Ashara turned around in time to see a boy around her age slowly walk out from behind the tree, but what immediately caught her attention was his long red hair, and the chakra he was leaking was way too similar to her's. It reminded her of her father's hair in a way.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spy. I just felt your chakra and wanted to check it out" the boy explained and pointed a finger at Fuu. Ashara was about to ask what was his name, and possibly last name but Fuu beat her to it.
"Is alright number nine, we're friends here" Fuu replied smiling with a cute smile and her hands resting behind her head. Asha's eyes widened at the name Fuu called her, she understood this one here was the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi but wondered why he was even here. Is not usually that Villages leave their Jinchuuriki to leave the village and this boy was far away from Konoha.
The boy smiled and walked closer, his hands looked relaxed almost like he was talking to a friend and didn't have to think anything bad would happen.
Asha noticed it and decided to relax herself. "So she told you, furball inside me wants to say Hi to you too Number Seven" the boy replied smiling and walking closer.
"Oh, That's good coming from him. But can I know your name friend?" Fuu asked walking beside Asha who still was quiet the whole time.
Fuu was very happy to see a former Jinchuuriki but what caught her attention is that Chomei had told her that from all nine Tailed Beasts, Kyuubi and Ichibi were the most cocky ones and the ones that hated humans the most. And the way her new friend was talking, as if he knew Kyuubi very well, almost like talking about a friend.
Naruto on the other hand was slightly more interested in the Uzumaki girl next to him. As far as he knew she was family to him.
"Oh right, my name is Naruto Uzumaki" he introduced himself with an open hand on his chest. Ashara's eyes widened at his last name. He's an Uzumaki!! I'm not alone! I knew I wasn't the only Uzumaki, Databane, Asha thought to herself, her smile spread on her face, even her eyes were smiling. Fuu was just as surprised and was about to introduce herself and Asha.
"My name is Ashara Uzumaki, and the loudmouth beside me is Fuu" Asha introduced herself and pointed a finger at Fuu who's eye twitched at being called that.
"So I was right, is good to meet Family" Naruto said smiling at Asha. He felt both good and relieved to meet an Uzumaki but to meet a Jinchuuriki as well.
Asha smiled at being called family, but in same time wondered where he come from, since she hadn't seen him before in Taki and she was sure she would have noticed another red head around.
"How about we go to my house and talk there?" Fuu suddenly suggested. Both Naruto and Asha nodded their heads.
They soon reached the treehouse, Naruto still looked impressed by the size of the tree and wondered if he could ever grow a tree as large as this one. "This house is beautiful Fuu" Naruto complimented and they walked up to the door.
"Naruto, as much as I enjoy to meet family but where did you come from, I don't remember seeing you before?" Asha asked and hoping that he was a ninja of Taki so he could stay here.
Naruto turned his head to her, his blue eyes looked amazing, almost like ocean itself, it reminded her of the sea close to her house when her parents were still with her.
"I'm here with my sensei, we will stay here for some time because of my training" Naruto replied, Asha frowned slightly since it meant that he would have to leave eventually. But she decided to ignore that thought for now and decided to talk with him.
"Oh that's amazing, but who's your sensei?" Asha asked and resting in the edge of the floor, her legs hanging underneath. Naruto sat close.
"He's Jiraiya, what about you two?" Naruto asked interested in them.
Asha turned to him surprised, "Wait? Jiraiya?! You mean Jiraiya of the Sannin?" She asked surprised and almost shouted and Fuu was just as surprised.
Naruto just nodded his head, Asha wondered how good at fighting Naruto must be and if he could train with him.
"Wow, you're lucky, me and Asha train too" Fuu replied sitting in a branch to Ashara's left side looking at Naruto. Her head resting on her hands, with the same cute smile on her face.
"That's amazing, if you want we can train, and with Jiraiya-sensei too, he wouldn't mind it" Naruto suggested and both Asha and Fuu nodded their heads in agreement.
Naruto then turned to Asha and he turned to serious. "Is good to meet you, do you know any other Uzumaki?" he asked hoping that there were of their people.
Asha lowered her head at the question, she thought about her parents. Naruto understood it and felt slightly ashamed of reminding her of something bad.
"I'm sorry, I shou" Naruto was interrupted by Ashara. "Is fine, I understand. Well me parents were both Uzumaki" she replied and turned to look at Naruto. "What about you?" she asked hopefully that Naruto had anyone in his life.
Naruto shooked his head, despite knowing for many years now, it still hurt him to talk about them. "My mother was an Uzumaki, her name was Kushina. My father on the other hand, I Don't really know who were his parents and my sensei doesn't know it either." Naruto replied, his hands on his knees looking down at the grass below.
Ashara raised an eyebrow at the name Naruto mention about his mother, she could have sworn that she had heard that name before.
Deciding that the atmosphere around had turned too much grey for her taste. "So friend Naruto, tell us something joyfull about your life" Fuu asked and hoping his life had been easier.
Naruto rubbed his red hair and turned to look at Fuu with a smile, he didn't want to complain and talk about the bad times of his life so he decided to talk about the good times.
Naruto then started talking about his life in Hidden Leaf Village but avoiding the part of getting beaten and didn't mention every single insult he got, Ashara could feel he wasn't telling the whole truth but decided to ignore since everyone had the right to have secrets and probably was too bad to talk about it. Naruto kept talking for like an hour. "This one time, me and Gamabunta made a prank, Fukasaku told Sensei that I was going to train in a very dangerous water in Mount Myoboku, when he got there, he saw Gamabunta washing and he immediatly yelled at Sensei for trying to spy on him" Naruto said and they all shared a laught.
Ashara could't help but feel the warm chakra of Naruto, she didn't know why it felt so good and relaxing. It felt warm, almost like looking at the sun.
Fuu wiped the tears with her hand from laughting and decided to ask a question. "So I Take it you and furball are good friends?" Fuu asked since from Chomei's words, Kyuubi was the last Bijuu to expect to be friendly towards a human, hell he wasn't even friendly with his brothers and sisters.
"Maybe he has changed, and did you really just call him furball??" Chomei asked Fuu, since calling him in a disrespectfull matter wasn't the smartest course of action.
Fuu just grinned at her response and looked at Naruto. He nodded his head. "Yes me and Kurama are very good friends, we have been for three years now" he replied.
"Wow, never expected Kurama of all bijuu to be friendly, and since he knows his name, means he trusts him" Chomei said impressed with Naruto.
Naruto then turned to Ashara. "What about you? How did you end up here?" He asked her.
Asha lowered her gaze slightly but decided to respond to her fellow Clan member.
Ashara then went and explained how it had happened, and how she had ended up in Taki, how she had become friends with Fuu, up to this point. Naruto listened without interrupting during the whole talk and wondered from which village, were the shinobi that attacked her family and had tried to kidnap her. He wondered if toad-jiji had any idea and decided to ask him about it later.
"I'm really sorry about your family Ashara" Naruto apologized with a sincere tone. Asha thanked him and told him that was nothing for him to apologize.
"So you will become a Konoha shinobi?" Fuu asked since from what she understood, Naruto would soon return in Konoha and start the academy and become a shinobi of Hidden Leaf Village. She hoped for him to stay here as long as possible, it wasn't everyday thar you meet a fellow Jinchuuriki. And a good as well.
"I don't think I will stay in the village for that long, I'm still not strong enough but once I'm, I will rebuild my homeland and bring back The Uzumaki Clan" Naruto stated with passion in every word that took by surprise both Asha and Fuu.
The red head girl smiled at him and she herself had the same idea, finding every Uzumaki and rebuild their home as strong as it was before. And make the ones that destroyed her family pay. She could tell Naruto meant every word he said. "Well, it seems we have the same objective Naruto" she said smiling.
"Tell me Naruto, are you good with Fuinjutsu?" She asked since to her Fuinjutsu was the most important art in the world and one of the strongest. Naruto grinned and nodded his head.
"I'm at level IV, what about you?" Ashara asked curiously, her fingers playing with her hair that rested on her shoulders.
"Level V, Jiraiya-sensei is a Fuinjutsu Master, He's a good help, if you want you can ask sensei to help. I'm sure he will be able to help you" Naruto replied then his eyes went to the red seal on her wrist.
Ashara felt honored to be trained by a Sannin and not to mention trained in Fuinjutsu. "What is this seal?" Naruto asked staring at the seal. From what he could see, the seal looked like a Storage seal but way too advanced, and second it had a few writing that made it look like something other than Storage Seal.
"I really don't know, when my . . . My mum passed away, this seal appeared in my wrist and is like advancing, in the beginning it had an empty circle in the center but now as you can see is different" Asha replied. The empty circle had started growing four, what looked like small branches from four different locations, and slowly growing to the center of the circle, right now they had grown only halfway through the circle.
Naruto softly touched her wrist and Asha couldn't help but blush at his touch, Fuu seemed to notice it and started grinning from ear to ear.
"Well maybe Jiraiya-sensei can take a look" Naruto suggested and turned to look at Fuu. "How's Chomei?" He asked the green hair girl.
"Well, she's good, she's good company to have around and is funny" Fuu replied kindly with a smile and closed eyes.
"Do you like Taki?" Naruto asked slightly more serious that was noticed by Asha and Fuu.
Fuu thought how to answer, but she knew he would understand if she told the truth of how things are around here.
"Not really the best place, the people here are just as stupid as the people in your village" Ashara replied since no one really liked Fuu, except Lord Shiboku, all the others treated her like an outcast, like a demon, and since Ashara spend time with her, people had started looking at her in the wrong way too, not that it bothered her that much.
Naruto understood what it meant, sometimes he dreamed of the night when they attacked him. The names the called him, he had tried to forget it but couldn't, no matter how hard he tried. His scars in his mind made sure of that.
"I understand Fuu, then I would like to be your friends" Naruto said smiling at both of them. Fuu smiled and so did Asha, her purple eyes shining from the light shining on her face.
"I want to be your friend too, Friend Naruto" she replied and pulled a fist close to Naruto. He smiled and bumped his fist with her's.
Suddenly he wasn't in the same place anymore, he saw himself standing at the top of . . . Kurama's head!!? Naruto looked around to see, empty places, shadows covering the corners, his eyes went to the center of the room. There were three circles, one smaller than the other. Torches around the wall. Naruto was about to ask where they we're, when he saw Fuu and who he assumed was Chomei slowly showing up from the corner.
Chomei had six big green wings with orange color at the edge. Dark veins spreading through the wings. And one big green tail at the bottom of Chomei. Her upper body looked blue color, her lower body was orange and orange eyes like Fuu. She had six limbs close to her head, and two what looked like small spikes coming out of her shoulders. Her eyes turned to look at Kurama at Naruto.
"Is been some time Kurama, I have to be honest I never expected you to ever have a good friendship with your Jinchuuriki" Chomei spoke, her voice sounded happily.
Kurama growled slightly. "He's a good brat, and not to mention he's an Uzumaki. I have seen for seven years now and I know the brat has a good head on his shoulders" Kurama replied.
Naruto's eyes twitched at being called a 'Brat' but decided to let it slide it for now.
Fuu eyed the big fox in front of her. "I have to be honest you're very impressive furball" Fuu suddenly said smiling at Kurama who growled loudly and released a bit of KI.
"Watch your mouth little brat, no one dares to call me that, and getting away without getting wet" Kurama threatened raising his voice and showing his teeth. Fuu just smiled with her cute smile and didn't looked bothered by the KI.
"I have trained Fuu to stand my KI, the amount you're leaking is small for her" Chomei informed him and turned to look at Naruto.
"You seemed to be a good boy young Uzumaki, I'm curious to see where your road will lead" Chomei said seriously and was very interested to know why Kurama has suddenly changed his attitude and decided to be friendly.
Suddenly they were back in the forest, Asha was looking at them strangely. Fuu moved away her fist.
"What happened?" Asha asked, she knew that sometimes Fuu would like Zoomed out when she talked with Chomei, but it had been almost thirty minutes since they bumped their fists.
"Chomei wanted to meet furball" Fuu replied. Naruto heard the growl of Kurama at being called like that from the little brat.
Asha nodded in understanding, and turned to look at Naruto. "Hey Naruto, I saw your sword, when you zoomed out and is very similar to mine" she said and pulled our her still sheathed sword and put in the floor close to Naruto.
He pulled out his own and put it close to hers and had to admit that they were similar, both had the Phoenix symbol at the top of the scabbard. "Yes you're right, mine belonged to my mother, she was known as The Red Death of Konoha" Naruto replied with pride on his voice. Asha was impressed to hear that.
"Wow, your mother must have been a very good Kunoichi" Asha said and putting her sword behind her back. Naruto gave her a sad smile and nodded his head and tightened his sword to his hip. He then jumped down at the ground. "How about a spar?" Naruto suggested.
Both Asha and Fuu nodded in agreement and followed him. They soon reached the lake close to Fuu's house. Naruto could see the waterfall a bit further away and thought that would be a good place to train his elemental manipulation of Wind Style.
"Who's first?" Ashara asked. Naruto turned to look at them. He shrugged his shoulders, since he had no problems with whoever is his first opponent.
Fuu told Asha to go first since she was better than her in Kenjutsu. Asha walked closer and her hand went to the pommel of her sword and so did Naruto's hand.
Suddenly was only silence, blue eyes looked at the purple eyes of Asha, who's gaze didn't moved away. The wind flew around them, their hair dancing with the wind. Naruto noticed the stand of Asha.
A leaf slowly started falling from a nearby tree, the leaf finally falled and they rushed towards each other.
Yagura
A group a six shinobi raced silently through the tree tops. The leader of this group appeared to be a male with a head of messy, light brown hair, pink eyes and a scar running from under his left eye down his cheek. Despite his young appearance he held a powerful air around him. He was none other than Yagura, the Yondaime Mizukage.
Yagura stopped as he and his squadron reached the Hi no kuni border. Raising his hand he signalled for his group to halt. His eyes quickly scanned the area and came to a decision that the area was safe.
He slowly turned to face the five shinobi that had accompanied him.
"Well, I guess this is where we part," he announced.
Observing their expressions, he noted that a few of them were showing reluctance at his words.
Sighing, he asked, "What is it?"
One shinobi, Haru was her name, glanced at her companions before nervously standing forward and bowing her head. She was the youngest from his guards, but the bravest. She was 17 years old, purple hair tightened to a ponytail.
"Um, with all due respect Mizukage-sama, we believe this is too dangerous for you to go into Konoha's territory without an escort," she breathed out, while still having her head down.
"Raise your head," she heard the Mizukage command.
Doing as he ordered she stepped back into line with the rest of her squadron.
Yagura narrowed his eyes and gave each of the shinobi in front of him a glance.
"Do you know what we are doing here?" he asked.
"To escort you to the fire country's border, sir!" they replied in unison.
"Yes, the border," he repeated, "So now," he continued, gesturing in the direction they came from, "you have to go back to Mizu no kuni."
Once again they began to look reluctant and Haru spoke up.
"But what if you run into enemy ninja, they might attack you and we are very far from Mizu no kuni. You could..."
Yagura interrupted, "I am here on the Hokage's wishes, so I should be fine and even if something does happen, do you truly believe that I cannot look after myself," he said, frowning. "I'm not a child,"
He gazed at the shinobi through blank eyes before nodding and speaking again.
"You will come to this spot in one week exactly, I will return then."
"Hai!"
"Alright, now you will go back to Mizu no kuni and tell Kuroya that the escort was a success."
"Hai!"
"Dismissed!"
Haru hesitated but soon left. The shinobi in front of him immediately disappeared on his word and he could feel their presences getting further away. Yagura turned back to face the border of Hi no kuni before he began running towards Konoha.
"Mizukage-sama, a letter has come for you from Konoha!"
Yagura glanced up from his paperwork and took in the man in front of him.
"Is that so?" Yagura asked, before taking the letter from the messenger's outstretched hand. "When did this arrive?" he asked, opening the letter.
"Just this morning," the man replied.
"I see," he replied as he began to read the letter. Suddenly, a wide grin split the Mizukage's face.
"Interesting," he whispered to himself. Looking up, he addressed the messenger. "You're dismissed, but before you go, tell Kuroya to come here,"
"Hai!" the man replied, before shunshining away.
A few minutes had passed when a new man appeared before the Mizukage. He had plain brown eyes and long black hair that covered most of his face, however, a long scar that ran down the entirety of the right side of his face was still visible. He looked straight at Yagura's eyes, something most people would not do when talking to the Yondaime Mizukage. His eyes were blank, showing no emotions.
"You summoned me, Mizukage-sama?" he asked unflinchingly.
"Kuroya, I told you to not call me that. Call me Yagura," Yagura said, crossing his arms in front of himself.
Kuroya gazed at Yagura before replying, "You summoned me, Yagura-sama,"
Yagura sighed before continuing, "Yes, I just wanted to tell you that, in two weeks, I will be leaving," he said, a small smirk playing on his lips.
Kuroya's eyes stayed blank but Yagura had known him for a long time that he could tell by the way his body stiffened that he was surprised by this news.
"Leaving to where exactly?"
"Why don't you see for yourself," Yagura said, extending the letter to him.
Kuroya stood, approached Yagura and took the letter from him. He read the letter in silence before looking up at Yagura.
"You're not going to agree to this, are you?" he asked in disbelief, shaking the letter slightly, "These terms are ridiculous, it's obviously a trap,"
"Or, maybe it's a genuine request," Yagura countered while standing and walking to Kuroya, taking the letter from him.
"Yondaime Mizukage," he read out loud, "I am writing to you to request a meeting. This meeting will be, of course, a peaceful one, as I wish to establish an alliance between both Mizu no kuni and Hi no kuni. To do this, however, we must meet in person, therefore, I have made the following arrangements: firstly, I have arranged for the meeting to take place in Konoha, two weeks from the time you receive this letter. This meeting, as I already stated will be a peaceful one and I am well aware of your country's reputation as the bloody mist village, so I request that you come alone as to not disturb the peace in Konoha." Yagura snorted at this but continued reading, "This means no escorts, however, rest assured, you will not be attacked by any Konoha shinobi while in our borders. Sincerely, the Sandaime Hokage."
Yagura finished reading the letter, before glancing back at Kuroya.
Kuroya shook his head before saying, "I know there's nothing I can say to stop you once you've made up your mind, so do whatever you want,"
Yagura kept running but could feel something wasn't right.
"I don't like this Yagura" Isobu suddenly said.
Yagura was about to reply that everything would be fine, when he stopped running and saw two figures walking towards him. Slowly dark cloaks with red clouds slowly revealed.
Yagura knew one of them. "I didn't expect to see you here Juzo" the Mizukage called his former shinobi. The said shinobi gritted his teeth and glanced at the man beside him. Yagura noticed the man was actually young, dark hair, and . . . Sharingan.
"Long way from Home . . . Itachi Uchiha" Yagura said gripping his staff, ready to attack.
Itachi didn't react being called by his name.
"I will need your help my friend" Yagura said mentally and his body started covering in red chakra, two tails slowly growing behind his back.
"Let's show them who's boss" Isobu said with Yagura's body before charging.
