A Different Path

Street Brawl

Naruto's POV

"Stay low and try not to look suspicious. Don't do anything which might suggest that we're actually shinobi." Naruto ordered his team as they nodded their heads. They started walking, slow pace. They needed to act like some forsaken farmers, after all.
They walked in silence until they found themselves in front of the Gates.

Hmm.. Strange. I expected there'd be more guards at the entrance to the village, given the Oharo Clan's recent activity. Naruto's sharp eyes moved discreetly from one side to the other, taking in the whole view.
He tilted his head slightly to throw a look at the others with the corner of his eye. Kakashi and Nawaki nodded towards him while Sasuke and Sakura scanned the peculiar surroundings. They knew none of them was safe there.

As they trotted further, Naruto noticed that there weren't any people around, even though he could sense some spikey chakra signatures a few yards away, from where a small ruckus was coming. He raised his left hand and entwined two fingers, signaling Nawaki to keep an eye out. The spy hummed in response.
A few minutes later, they could barely see the thin outlines of some villagers. The blond narrowed his eyes as he clenched his fists.

Unbeknownst to them, they were about to walk into the middle of a fight. Naruto spread his arm to stop the others from taking one more step.
"Street brawls have become something casual in the Hidden Snow due to all of the.. Different opinions people have about the Oharo Clan." Nawaki clicked his tongue disapprovingly while he shook his head. The Jinchuriki ignored the cheering crowd and focused on the two men throwing their fists at each other, right in front of a closed bar. How convenient could that be.
During that very moment, Naruto's eyes widened slightly as he contained himself from slapping his forehead with annoyance.
That idiot.. Why do I even try? He rolled his eyes, sighing.

"You know, you used to do things like this as well so you shouldn't look down on him for it." Kurama snickered, showing his white fangs in Naruto's mindscape.
"At least I would knock out my opponent in less than a minute. He can't." The blond stared at the man with a bruised face, being tackled to the ground. As soon as he realized who they were facing, Nawaki jolted upwards, ready to drag the guy out of it by his collar.

But being faster than him, Naruto grabbed the spy's arm and steadied him. His gaze jumped onto the teen, filled with surprise.
Sasuke could only furrow his eyebrows, wondering what was going on with the two.
"We don't want to stand out. Kou knows his limit and when it's time to back down. Besides, he deserves a good punch in the face." Naruto whispered lowly into Nawaki's sensitive ear, sending a shudder down his spine as his shoulders slumped in defeat.

Just as the seemingly innocuous man rose up to his feet, ready to land another kick into the other's stomach, Naruto focused on letting out a little bit of his chakra and formed an almost completely invisible tail which creeped underground and spurted out on the other side, wrapping around the attacker's ankle. With a strong pull, he fell down, his face slamming into the harsh soil beneath people's feet.

Shocked gasps were heard and yet, no one seemed to have noticed the actual reason of the man's pathetic fall. Some were laughing mockingly while others simply didn't care as if they were only there to watch someone get their ass kicked, no matter the person. The man groaned in pain, fingering his bloody nose. A group of villagers hurried to help him up and eventually dragged him away while the rest scattered and went back to whatever they had to do.
Naruto and Nawaki walked over to the unconscious Kou that was still laying on the ground before they pulled him up and carried him over to the back of the bar where they were safe from anyone's prying eyes.

While he was being not-so-gently laid down against the wall, the guy woke up with a desperate and somewhat scared look on his face. His eyes narrowed on the Jinchuriki's annoyed face as if he could see through his Henge. And actually, he did, hence he smirked afterwards, running his tongue over his bottom lip that was covered in a thick layer of blood.

"Heh, I didn't expect to see you here so soon, out of all people, blondie." As soon as his mouth let out the word 'blondie', the Leaf shinobi realized that the man before them knew who Naruto was. The thing was, should they be shocked or not?

"Or maybe you're just passing by to see for yourself what you've missed out on?-!" He yelped as Naruto's elbow slammed forcefully onto his head, but not forcefully enough to knock him out once again. Nawaki grunted, crossing his arms on his chest while Sasuke and Sakura flinched slightly at their companion's unexpected action.
"Don't play all high and mighty with me, smartass." The blond growled through gritted teeth.

"Huh, says the one who was once part of the Oharo Clan." Kou choked out smugly, his lips forming a sly smirk.

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Hey! A new arc's in development! I hope you're enjoying it so far. I have a lot more tricks up my sleeve, though. So be on your guard as well! Next time, on Naruto Shippuden: 'Playing With Fire'
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~See ya!~
~Bella~
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