Naruto : A Second Chance

"We decided that we couldn't just trust you," Mabui explained to Naruto, "so we want you to take a mission with Yugito here, if you complete it for us you can enter the village as guest whenever you want."

That was too easy. But… trust missions and reputation and all that were part of the game right?

'This is an event!' Naruto screamed in his head, Kurama snored. 'Hey you dumb fox, what are you doing?'

"I'm trying to sleep, wake me when something interesting happens."

"I accept, what are we supposed to do?"

"Due to Konoha's increased border patrols since… a certain situation, we had problems conducting diplomacy. Shimogakure and the former Yugakure are allies of ours," Mabui elaborated on the situation, the Raikage just sat signing some papers. It looked like without her the village would break apart, "We just barely got the official agreement from the Land of Ricefields to travel through it and reach Takigakure. We wish for you to join Yugito in protecting the appointed diplomat."

[QUEST: Takigakure's Trouble - Join Yugito on her way to Takigakure and help.]

"That sounds like something bad will happen… but sure."

Accepted quest: Takigakure's Trouble.

'Maybe I can meet Fuu then.' That would be 3 of the 8 Jinchuuriki he had to warn. Yugito probably heard already.

"Who are we protecting and when are we supposed to leave?" Naruto asked, his arms crossed. The Raikage pointed at a grinning blonde man who stood behind him.

"So you are Konoha's little pet, hm?" What's His Name asked, the smirk on his face already provoking.

"While that's my origin, I'm no more their pet than you are smart," Naruto felt a wave of Chakra wash over the room, slightly. "You are a sensor, tell me what you think."

"Stop this at once," Mabui sighed, "we don't have time for this."

"But¬" Both C and Naruto were shut up by a glare before looking at each other and turning their heads away from each other. "Hmph!"

"Isn't he supposed to be the m.a.t.u.r.e one?" Darui commented and sighed. Since that boy appeared everything around the village became strange. There were a lot of small problems, but instead of asking for D¬rank help they seemed to wait for someone. He didn't know it was Naruto they were waiting for, trying to surprise him with events.

—

The way out of the village was hell. A woman on the right asking him if could gather herbs for some soup, another woman needing help with her groceries, promising some rumours she heard. Naruto's life was hard. When he could just smash a Rasengan into someone's face and end the fight that was when life was easy. When he could just use a thousand clones to learn a technique in 5 hours THAT was when life was easy. Instead he trained his quick draw the whole way.

"Can you stop pulling out that sword every few seconds?" C growled. "It's annoying!"

"You don't really like Konoha, do you?" Naruto asked him, and with another silent "Iaido" pulled the sword, cut and replaced it in the scabbard.

[Iaido experience increased.]

'Finally. It seems it only increased when he made significant improvement.'

"Nine years ago, Konoha killed my older brother." C spat. "He was on a diplomatic mission for the Sandaime Raikage, and all they returned was his corpse."

That made Naruto stumble as he knew who that guy would have been. 'The Hyuga clan…'

"The Hyuga affair, wasn't it?" Naruto said. "From what I've heard, he tried to kidnap the heiress. And that too apparently by going rogue without orders from your Raikage."

"That's a lie!" C wasn't as playful as he was before. "The Third Raikage told me, he was assassinated by the Hyuga Clan, and as way to pay for their crime they were to send the corpse of the murderer!"

"Hiashi Hyuga, hm. And because they sent someone they declared themselves guilty, but if they didn't there would be war. Just because Konoha didn't want to aggravate things, the story was twisted in your convenience. You wanted Byakugan in one form or the other, going as far as to kidnap a three year old kid. Moreover claiming the high moral ground, pathetic!" Naruto commented.

"Don't twist the facts! The Hyuga clan is a clan of murderers, and Konoha protected them, sending the twin brother…" C growled, stopping. Yugito just watched from the side-lines. "And you, the Yondaime Hokage's son! If daddy hadn't died, maybe things would have been different, and prevented that old fool Sarutobi from failing, HAH?"

C was a Jonin. One who frequently trains with Darui and has the Raikage's utmost trust, or at least enough to be sent as diplomat. He was both a sensor and a medic¬-nin, and had exceptionally high ability in Genjutsu and Lightning Release. But when he felt the Kyuubi's Chakra, it was still too late and Naruto's fist impacted on his face. The glare he sent, the red eyes made him swallow slightly. C sweated bullets and his clothes soaked as he realized that Naruto was dangerous. Not that skilled, not enough to beat him, but with Kyuubi backing him up…

"That's enough, both of you." Yugito said, jumping between Naruto and the still downed C. She was more dangerous than Naruto. Full control of her Bijuu…

Naruto snarled again and released his grip from the hilt of his katana. C was healing his face already and Yugito nodded at both.

"I'm surprised you idiots managed to last until the Land of Ricefields." Yugito

"Don't test me right now Yugito. If you truly list faults of Konoha, I will be the first to support you and discuss with you to determine the truth. Insult my Jiji however, then you can only blame yourself for the consequence!" Naruto replied as he coated one leg in Kyuubi chakra and smashed it down, creating a five meter radius depression. Yugito and C got the message and they quietly rushed towards their destination.

The speed at which they were going was unreal, only C's constant training and Yugito's and Naruto's high stamina allowed them to hold it. The earlier they reached Takigakure the better.

There were rumours of war.

"Aye, you made one mistake, lady." Naruto's eyes widened at the forehead protector of the stranger that suddenly appeared. "This isn't the Land of Ricefields anymore…"

"It's the Land of Sound!" Ten other men appeared suddenly and threw kunai connected with exploding tags at them.

'Otogakure… how could I forget?'

QUEST: Otogakure ¬ Learn more about Otogakure.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" A shield of about twenty clones was enough for them to stop all kunai. C, who finally managed to think a bit more clearly after the hit, formed hand seals as fast as he could. "Lightning Release Genjutsu: Flash Pillar!"

Yugito closed her eyes, and Naruto imitated her. After hearing the enemy ninja cry out both opened their eyes again and saw them turning on each other. Only two of the eleven men could free themselves.

"Iaido!" Naruto's eyes were wide as he cut through one of the ninja under the Genjutsu. Yugito let her claws grow wide and ran at the one that appeared first while C took on the other one that wasn't under the illusion.

[Iaido experience gained.]

"Nothing beats real fights, heh?" Naruto laughed, dodging a stray kunai thrown by C's enemy. "Hey, take care with that!"

"Shut up!" C shouted, the distraction of actually fighting broke the Genjutsu on the four remaining men Naruto couldn't get rid of fast enough. Throwing himself to the floor, Naruto barely dodged a barrage of Shuriken. Luckily Yugito was just finished with her opponent and turned to the four Nin.

"Help C, Naruto¬-san." Yugito ordered, her eyes turning cat¬like. "I have to deal with this trash."

"Sure!" Naruto formed a clone and both split up to flank C's opponent. "Need help, wanna¬be?"

"Hah, as if I need it!" C shouted, blocking his enemy's kunai with his own. Otogakure ninja weren't that talented, but what they lacked in skill they had in numbers. Common Jonin could have problems, it would take someone on Asuma's or maybe Kakashi's level to get rid of all of them. Without too much damage that is, two Jinchuuriki were rare to leave their enemies alive for interrogation. Naruto and his clone appeared above and below the Oto Nin.

"Overhead Strike!" Naruto

"Zigzag Snipe!" Naruto's Clone

An arm and a leg were gone and before the ninja could even cry out in pain, C's hand hit his neck and knocked him out before he healed the wounds.

"We need to interrogate him, idiot, don't go for the kill!" C

"If I wanted to kill him I would have cut off his head, asshole!" Naruto

Yugito's sigh interrupted them.

"Still… thanks." C muttered.

"Ah, no problem. Sorry for before." Naruto apologized.

-------------------------------------------------------

[Quest completed: Otogakure.]

Apparently Orochimaru was in Kusagakure right now, taking care of some business that had to do with Takigakure.

The enemy couldn't mention Orochimaru's name, he only said "leader" but Naruto knew who it was…

"Maybe we should skip a night's sleep." Yugito said. "It seems the situation is direr, when they were supposed to stop us here. They knew we would have sneaked across the border if they didn't allow us to travel through."

"Yes." Naruto and C nodded.