Chapter 18 - Time Passes

Gaara and Kankuro were discussing the recent invasion when Baki escorted Ekyt and Sakura to them in a Sunagakure conference room.
“Out of bed already?” Kankuro questioned. “Hmph, you must be tougher than I used to think.”
Gaara stood up. “It seems I…and Sunagakure…owe you a debt of gratitude. By putting yourself between Kisame and Sunagakure, you prevented hundreds of deaths. And you, Sakura, you saved those that were injured. We escaped with only twelve deaths.”
“That’s twelve too many, but we would have been out at least fifty more if it weren’t for you guys, and your team. Damn those Akatsuki…they’re tough,” Kankuro added, practically spitting out the last part..
“Thank you for your hospitality, Kazekage-sama. And yours, Kankuro-san. It’s time for me to return home. Should you ever need me, don’t hesitate to summon me,” Ekyt said politely. Gaara stood up and walked over. Ekyt was on his guard, but Gaara only offered his hand. Ekyt took it, finally shaking hands with the one who had nearly destroyed his eye almost four years ago. The hatchet had been buried.
“We will be calling on you again, rest assured. The Akatsuki isn’t done yet. We’ve already got plans in the wings, and your unique fighting style would be helpful.”



Kakashi had reported to Tsunade when he was joined by Sakura and Ekyt.
“Oh, you’re back already? You cooled off quickly, Sakura. Sai’s nose healed, in case you were wondering…”
“I don’t care if that asshole’s FACE heals!” Sakura snarled.
Tsunade shook her head. “I didn’t want him on your team, Kakashi. It was a mistake putting him there, but I have no choice.” Tsunade looked down at her desk regretfully. She pulled out a scroll from a pile, and read it’s contents.
“Ekyt, if you want this mission. I know, it’s D-ranked, but…” Tsunade held the scroll out to Ekyt. Ekyt looked at it, then at her.
“Hokage-sama…I’d like to be taken of the list for missions until further notice. For personal reasons, including medical reasons. I’ve got some nasty scars that haven’t healed yet, and I’m told they could be a problem in the future. I’d rather be in a condition to serve the village than to blow out my knees, or worse, now, than to be crippled in two years.”
In surprise, Tsunade withdrew the scroll. “Alright, I guess that’s fair, you’ve done more than your fair share of D-ranks.”I’m going to give him a break…his physical condition IS rapidly deteriorating, and he’s obviously got some plan…I’m going to trust him.
“Thanks. Sensei, Sakura, thanks for taking me along, I’ll see you both around.” Ekyt leapt on the window frame and prepared to jump, but he stopped himself.
“Oh, that’s right. Lady Tsunade, Those documents I requested…are they ready?”
Tsunade nodded after a moment’s hesitation. “I don’t know what you’re planning, Ekyt, but I’m glad you’re still helping the village out.”
“Believe me, this is the best way. Let me know if I get a team while I’m out.”
The last part was part joke, part sarcasm, and ALL wish. But Ekyt didn’t get his hopes up.



Six Monthes pass…




Sasuke, Chakaro, Kabuto, and Orochimaru met. Meetings like this were frequent. But of this nature…it was a strange conversation to be having. To put aside trickery and befriend the very enemies they had tried to destroy.
“An alliance with Konoha is in our best interest, if we’re to be rid of the Akatsuki. Konoha poses less of a threat, and this is a chance to work with them, learn their techniques, and even gain their trust,” Orochimaru told them all. He seemed amused, if a little angry, by the whole idea. It had been his idea, and it made sense.
“We have no way of knowing they’ll accept an alliance. We already know they don’t trust us, and we haven’t given them reason to. We’ve done nothing but double-cross them. We should earn their trust first, help them out, even defend them. They’ll be more accepting after that,” Kabuto said.
“An alliance with Konoha…I will never work for my former sensei!” Chakaro declared.
“And you won’t have to. Our treaty says that our two villages will engage the Akatsuki, with neither taking the lead in a cohesive plan. We each follow our own plans. Being attacked from two sides could ruin the Akatsuki. If Itachi Uchiha was able to throw of my…admittedly new technique, he himself poses a greater threat that anyone living, save for the other two sannin.” Orochimaru was more thinking out loud than speaking to the others, but his words had the same effect.
Sasuke was the only one who hadn’t spoken up. If an alliance with Konoha will bring me to my brother…I’ll do it. I’ll do whatever it takes. I wouldn’t be with Orochimaru if he couldn’t give me the power I needed. Brother…it won’t be long now…
Orochimaru wrote down his treaty on a blank scroll, then passed it off to a snake he had summoned.
“Give it directly to the Hokage!” Orochimaru watched the snake slither off. As it slithered past Sasuke, Orochimaru smiled, albeit very slightly. And you, Sasuke…it won’t be much longer now…only a year until I can make your body mine again…Your Sharingan is almost fully developed, and your skills are almost rival to your brother’s. It’s almost time…



Tsunade heard the slithering. Immediately, she grabbed a long fire poker and jabbed at the snake. It crawled up and around the poker and spat a scroll out onto her desk, before it disappeared. Tsunade’s eyes narrowed as she read the scroll. It was shocking to say the least, and it was time for a meeting.



“I DID IT! I DID IT! BELIEVE IT!” Naruto was leaping around, face flushing with pride.
“I’m a chunin!”
Iruka smiled tolerantly. Well, he’s always been different. An appointment to chunin. It’s not like he could take the exams again, without a team. But still…one of my students, much less THIS student, a chunin… Iruka’s smile widened.
“Well, come on then, Naruto, I promised you Ichiraku when you became a chunin. If you’re hungry, it’s on me,” Iruka said, patting Naruto on the head.
“You’d better believe I’m hungry! All that celebrating takes a lot out of a guy! Ichiraku, here we come! He he he, ramen tastes even better when it’s free!”
“It’s not free, you idiot! I’m paying, that’s all. And the next time you’ll get this out of me is when you get promoted to jonin!” Iruka kept a serious face, but was smiling inside. He’s one step closer to hokage…That light at the end of the tunnel gets bigger all the time. Keep working hard, Naruto. That’s the first and continuing steps to achieving your dream.
“Oh, hey, that’s right. Old Man, his meal is on me!” Naruto called to Teuchi.
“Uh? You, Naruto? Okay, but I’ve got to say I’m surprised.” Teuchi hand never seen Naruto pay for someone else’s ramen.
So was Iruka. “You’re buying for ME? That’s not like you, Naruto…what did you do?” Iruka accused, looking around for any traps, or signs of Naruto-ish destruction.
“Nothing, Iruka-sensei! Really! I just wanted to say ‘thanks’ and ‘congratulations’.”
“Why, because I’ve trained the next Hokage?” Iruka joked.
“No. Because you’re a Tokubetsu Jonin now. Right? Didn’t you get appointed by Granny Tsunade?”
In all the ruckus, Iruka had forgotten his own promotion. “I guess I did…wow, and you, of all people, remembered. Thanks, Naruto.”
The two, teacher and pupil, dug in happily.


Kiba and Shino were jonin now. It was amazing to see the ‘rookie nine’ progress so quickly and so well. Sakura was rapidly becoming an equal to Tsunade. Lee had become a Tokubetsu Jonin, skilled in taijutsu. His dream had almost come true.


“Sakura!” Tsunade barked out. Sakura, who was studying an old scroll, immediately got up and went to Tsunade.
“You’ve become so powerful, Sakura. It’s amazing how far you’ve come. From shy kunoichi…to powerful medic. That’s why I’m appointing you a Tokubetsu Jonin. All your hard work, you deserve the recognition. And, maybe I’m a little drunk here, to be fair, but you would make an excellent squad leader, and maybe even Hokage. Of course, I’ve got plenty of time left as Hokage, and I have my successor in mind anyway. But you’re far from the shy little girl I started training. It’s time to teach you more advanced jutsu. Starting with a Summoning. But that can wait. Why don’t you go celebrate, you’re not the only one promoted…Now, go and enjoy yourself.”
“Yes, okay!” Sakura was so surprised she could barely sputter out her response coherently.



There was one person who hadn’t been promoted. Of course, he wasn’t aware of it. After six monthes of begging off of missions, Ekyt Kaguya had trained alone, or with one of two partners. Either Master Sarutobi, for Ninjutsu, or Rock Lee, for Taijutsu. He had sharpened his Genjutsu so much that he was able to cast it without hand signs. And his sword work had become even greater. He had pored through every book and scroll he could get his hands on. His non-existent love life had driven him to the brink of reading Makeout Violence, but he held off on that. But he was still doubting himself. Six monthes after nearly dying at Kisame’s hands, Ekyt didn’t know if he was good enough. One day, he stumbled over a power of his by mistake. In frustration, Ekyt wasn’t fast enough with his hand signs. He felt a surge of anger run through him, and his Blue Flame Chakra leapt up into his hand. Curious, Ekyt found he could shape the chakra. He made a kunai, a shuriken, a sword, and then a version of the Rasengan. He had decided he needed to learn how to call on this power at a moment’s notice, rather than wait for emotions to happen. This progression happened at the six month mark since his self-imposed exile. Now, armed with this knowledge, Ekyt ended the exile. It was time to go back to missions. More importantly, it was time to find Kisame and get a rematch.
After six monthes, one thing was still noticeable. Ekyt couldn’t word to Sakura how he felt about her.



Sakura, however, had talked with Tenten.
“He seemed really down, Sakura. He’s alone, and that’s not good for him. He wants a kunoichi, but he doesn’t know who it’s ‘safe’ to ask out. Or even how. He’s like a lost puppy. Cute, but clueless- at least when it comes to kunoichi. By the way, have you seen him?” Tenten hadn’t seen the Kaguya boy around for some time.
“No, I haven’t…he asked to be taken off missions six monthes ago, and none of us have heard from him since.” Sakura’s mood had grown laden with worry.
“Lee is the only one. And he says that Ekyt-kun is…well, different. More like…like Kakashi-sensei. He wouldn’t say HOW he was more like Kakashi, just that he was…I think Ekyt swore him to secrecy.”



Ekyt vaguely noticing the celebrating as he walked through the Village. He recognized a new group of genin, all of them wearing bright smiles. Ekyt couldn’t help but smile, too. But his smile came with a poisonous thought:
They can’t understand…all the trouble that they don’t know of…I wish it was better they didn’t know, but they’re just as likely to be killed as me or anyone else. But why rain on their parade? No point in that, I’m not the one to deliver the news. I hardly know any news myself…
Ekyt’s boots clicked on the cobblestone street for the first time in six monthes. His face was pale from lack of sunlight. A straw hat he had died black adorned his head, giving him the look of an undertaker when accompanied with his trench coat and fingered gloves. The hat was pulled down over his face, so that only his eyes were visible. He walked slowly, but had a purpose, and he was going to reach the Hokage mansion. But there was no rush. He had been off the radar for six long monthes. But now, he decided, it was finally time to end his exile and speak with Tsunade. Before he could do that, he passed Ichiraku. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Naruto- with a chunin vest.
He’s been promoted? How is that possible? He doesn’t have a team to test with! That means that there’s a loophole, one I’ve missed…one that Tsunade can tell me about…
With that, Ekyt used the Body Flicker Jutsu to land on the rooftop behind her desk. Apparently, a meeting was going on. One person pointed to the newly arrived Ekyt, then threw a kunai. Ekyt dodged aside.
“Hold it!” he called out in a raspy tone. “Give me a second to…there.” He had pulled off his hat and showed his headband. In surprise, Tsunade got up and opened the window to let Ekyt in.
“Sorry about that. Ebisu, DO be more careful with who you throw those at. You shouldn’t pick a fight that you might not win,” Tsunade warned.
“I’d like to think that I am more than competent enough to handle a…(Ebisu smirked)…genin.”
“Stick it sideways, Ebisu. I don’t need to hesitate to rip you into little shreds of asshole. But there’s not much point, I’ve already bested you in combat. And I’m not here to talk with you, nor do I care to. As far as I’m concerned, you’re scum I’ve already wiped off my boots.” Ekyt finished berating Ebisu, then turned to Tsunade.
“I’d like to have a private appointment, Hokage-sama, but this would involve the council anyway, and, for once, I’d like to activate my right to be here while this is discussed. It’s about something that I’ve thought about for a full four years now…especially the last six monthes. I’ll be glad to detail what I’ve done in those six monthes for you, but first…”
Ekyt shrugged off his coat and laid in on the floor.
“I’m here about a promotion I’m long-overdue for…”


In the front, Master Sarutobi stood up, placed a weathered hand on Ekyt’s shoulder.
“For six monthes, I have worked with him. He has been in a self-imposed exile to better his skills. Having seen them, and having helped encourage their development, I need to voice my personal opinion before we begin officially. This genin has surpassed all who have come before him in this rank. He could gain no more from it. That is when it is time for a Shinobi to be promoted. And I will add, on the record, please, Shizune, that he is indeed long overdue for this promotion. Of course, I am no longer in position to set forth this motion, so I will step aside, and let Fifth Hokage speak.”


Tsunade stood up, eyes closed. When she opened them, she was staring at Ekyt. Most people flinched at her stare, but Ekyt only looked back, the same unreadable expression on his face.
“Motion is denied,” she said tersely. “Ekyt, I will speak with you later, right now the council needs my attention.”
Ekyt grabbed his hat and coat, dusting both off, slowly and deliberately, forming words in his head. When they came out, they came out strong, and angry.
“No. The time for talk has ended, Hokage-sama. If my actions and my loyalty haven’t spoken for themselves, we have nothing to discuss. In the meantime, I have my own personal healing to attend to…provided that, too, isn’t denied.”
Tsunade rubbed the bridge of her nose, keeping her temper in check. Shizune had her poison needles at the ready, if Ekyt attacked. She would regret it, but she would do it to him if she had to.
“Of course you can heal yourself. And I’m sorry, I can explain,”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve heard the same bullshoot for four years. If you think I can serve Konoha best as a genin, who am I to question you? If Master Sarutobi’s judgment means nothing, it’s not my place to voice my concern. But I had hope…” Ekyt smiled, and nodded toward Kakashi.
“If Naruto Uzumaki could be a chunin…I could, too. I will say this now, should I be forbidden an opportunity later: Naruto will be Hokage material someday. And I only pray that I can be there to support him, as he has me. I don’t know what you put in the water, Tsunade-sama, but no one wants to leave Konoha, it seems, no matter how angry, frustrated, and furious they get. I’ve pledged my life to Konoha, and even now I’m not questioning that decision. All I question is…why. But enough of a sob story, I’ve got a wrong to right. Au Revoir.” Ekyt leapt out the window with the speed of a jonin.
“What did he mean?” Tsunade demanded, from Kakashi and Sarutobi.
“If I had to guess…I would say he plans on fighting Kisame again. After training with me for six monthes, I have no doubt that the playing field is leveled…”
Tsunade didn’t wait for Master Sarutobi to finish.
“shoot! Yamato, Kakashi, Sai, Sakura- go, and bring Ekyt back here. This is a mission, and I’m considering him a criminal. Bring him back alive, kill him only as a last resort.”
Kakashi and Yamato nodded to each other.
“Sai, Sakura, get Naruto…we have our orders…”

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