Naruto Karyuden

Chapter 3: Little Bird II

LITTLE BIRD II

Naruto and Hinata are running through the forest not long after their encounter, running at a faster than usual pace.

"Naruto, I have a bad feeling about this." Hinata expresses her fears.

"Damn it, if only we could get there faster!" Naruto is visibly and audibly frustrated, punching a tree as they pass. "If only I could also..." He stops. A lightbulb clicks.

Hinata looks back and notices her partner is no longer running with her so she goes back to him. "Naruto?"

The blonde smears his blood on his palm and weaves the hand signs, slamming his hand on the trunk. In a puff of smoke, the same toad from before appears. From the unstable surface, he almost slips and falls off but manages to hold on for dear life.

"Oi! What gives?"

"Gamashi! Do you have a pond near Kusatsu?"

Hinata adds some information for clarification. "It's on the border of the Land of Fire and Land of Steam. Mount Shirane and Lake Yumiike are nearby."

"Ah, ye, I know that! Ya wanna go there? I can take ya there with Reverse Summoning."

Naruto gives a look of triumph which quickly switches to a dejected look. "Wait... we could've done this all along? Then why did we run all the way 'til now..."

"Ya never asked." The toad shrugs.

Hinata gives a sympathetic smile and pats him on the shoulder.

Naruto looks at the frightened Kotori and then back at the other man. "Whatever you're thinking, forget it."

Visibly surprised and confused, the man tries to break free but Naruto has too tight a grip on him. Naruto tugs his arm to put him off balance and places a hand on his stomach. Chakra gathers around his arm and the man is blown back from the force. Not a Rasengan. An unfinished version of it, the kind he made during his first training with Jiraiya.

The man is blown back but Naruto holds on for a moment later before the man begins dissolving in front of everyone's eyes and turning into liquid. Water Clone.

"Uzumaki..." The man says through gritted teeth before evaporating.

"You! What in blazes do you think you're doing?!" The mayor is furious. Naruto just glares at him.

Hinata Flickers right next to the mayor, a scroll in her hand. "Mayor Tesaki of Kusatsu Town, correct? We're sent on an investigation from the Hidden Leaf. We'd like to ask you some questions."

"Wha-? Leaf? I was never informed of this!" He snatches the scroll and reads through it. His face turns pale.

"Mayor Tesaki, what's going on? Why are Hidden Leaf shinobi here, who was that man?" Shina demands answers, standing right next to the mayor.

Meanwhile, Kotori stares up at the blonde in awe. He squats down to be eye level with the girl and gives a big grin. "Hey there, my name's Naruto. What's yours?"

"Uhh..." She blinks. "Kotori."

"It's nice to meet you, Kotori. You don't have to worry about a thing that just happened, alright? It'll all be fine."

She simply nods. Takeo comes to her side immediately, confused as to what had just happened.

"Let's speak inside, Taseki." Shina addresses the scared man with a steeled expression. "This way." She turns to the Leaf ninja and leads them inside, along with Takeo and Kotori.