Jinchuriki Unite Part 2

Ch. 48

Tsunade looked him dead in the eyes. "Jariya didn't want to attract attention. He thought it was better to do it alone."

"And how well did that work out?" Naruto growled, hands still on the desk.

When Tsunade didn't give an answer, Naruto growled, his fangs showing. He wiped around and stormed out of the room.

Everyone left in the room let out a breath they didn't know they were holding. Naruto's anger was far scarier than any of them realized.

Sasuke gulped. "Okay. Never again."

There were small noises of agreement.

Tsunade took a second deep breath. "We need to decipher the code Jariya gave us. Get Shikamaru."

The ninja bowed and rushed out of the room.

《•~~~•》

Naruto wondered around the village, not knowing what to do. Jariya had died. That sentence should have never happened.

Kid. Kurama tried gently. Don't blame yourself.

Naruto ignored him. He walked. And he walked. His was lost in grief.

By sunset, he sat on a park bench. He had bought a popsicle. It was orange.

After a long day of training, Jariya would give him a blue one, breaking it in two.

Jariya.

Tears fell down his face. It had been years since he cried. The popsicle started melting, mixing with his tears on the road.

Naruto heard footsteps, but he didn't look up.

The popsicle was gently taken from his hands. When he looked up, he saw it was Iruka.

His old teacher split the popsicle in two and handed one back to the Jinchuriki.

The teacher sat down next to Naruto and started gently talking to him. About his parents, about Naruto, and why he had to move on, and used Jariya death to fuel him, not to break him

They talked for a few hours. After that, Naruto went back to his apartment. He still felt awful but not as awful as before.

Something was still wrong. He didn't know what it was, but something was still wrong.

In the morning, there was a knock at his door.

Naruto struggled out of bed.

When he got to the door, he opened to find Shikamaru. "Hey."

His voice was so dull that it couldn't cut through water.

Shikamaru eyes looked only slightly less dull. "We need to talk."

《•~~~•》

Naruto entered the room with Shikamaru and a girl with blonde hair and glasses.

She gave him a quick bow. "Hello Naruto. My name is Shiho."

Naruto nodded. He turned to his friend.

Shikamaru pulled a sheet of paper out. "This series of numbers was burned into Lord Fukasaku's back by Master Jariya."

Naruto took the paper.

9,31,8
106,7
207,15

'106.' Naruto ran his finger over the number. 'I've heard him say that before.'

Didn't he say that about Tsunade's chest? Kurama snickered. Is this just a love message to Tsunade?

'Really Kurama.' He internally rolled his eyes. 'Wait a minute.'

"His books." Naruto muttered.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "The Icha Icha series? What does that have to do with anything."

Naruto set the piece of paper down. "Kurama told me about a trick my mom would use when she was young to play with my dad. You take a book and use the page numbers. The first number, 9, is for the katakana for ta, refering to make-out tactics. 31, 8 is page 31, and the 8th word."

"Small problem." Shikamaru rubbed his forehead. "Master Jariya never published make-out tactics, and we done know where his manuscript is."

Naruto smiled. "No. There is one copy. Jariya made a copy for me to give to Kakashi-sensei."

The white-haired ninja popped his head through the door. "Yes?"

Naruto grabbed him with a tail. He gave a short explanation of what the massage was and how to decode it.

A few books and a very embarrassed Kakashi later, they were able to get the message.

THE - REAL - ONE'S - NOT- AMONG - THEM.

"The real ones not among them?" Shikamaru scratched his neck. "What does that even mean?"

Naruto bit the inside of his lip. 'They were the paths of pain, so there is going to be another on. They have the rinnegan. Kurama, how many paths are there?'

There's Human, Asura, Animal, Preta, Naraka, Deva Path. So, six. Kurama flicked a few tails.

'Do you think that someone is controlling them? Like puppets.'

There's a good chance. Kurama agreed.

There was a knock at the door.

Tsunade opened it. "Naruto. Lord Fukasaku wants to speak with you."

(And.... done. That was a hard chapter to write. How was Naruto's outburst? How would you have done it? The next chapter should be interesting...)