The contract bridge

Chapter 1- determination

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'' You got ta move faster kid ! '' Jiraiya barked as he sidestepped Naruto 's fist and delivered a brutal smacking to the boy 's skull. `` And do n't just throw yourself into your flak, anticipate your antagonist 's motility and ALWAYS be prepared to react accordingly ! Have n't you learned anything over the past times two age ? ``

nada I could n't let learned back home.

Naruto shook his head, physically trying to bump the snarky thought as he tried to think up a way to defeat his wise man. He took too longsighted though, and Jiraiya capitalized brutally with a fist almost shearing through his venter in retaliation.

'' Never devolve your guard ! ``

The blond gritted his teeth, biting back the pain as he grabbed on to the offending fist with one helping hand and slammed twin retaliatory setback to his mentor 's snarky mug.

It dissolved into mud beneath him.

His centre widened by a whisker and he immediately replaced himself with a tree diagram branch.

A moment later, the branch was skewered by a K muddy needles.

'Fuck it !'Naruto swore as he imediately began to sneak through the undergrowth .'I need to get my head in the game !'

No offense, man, but is there really a point ? I mean, you 're here getting beat up by one man. A Sannin, granted, but just ONE man. Sasuke 's getting his ass in gear with the resources of an entire hamlet. A minor one, admittedly, but they 've got their own Sannin and a superstar to boot. Not to bring up ol'Four-Eyed Kabuto with his insane skills and, if the phone Four and the freaky bone guy are any reading, a whole squad of jonin horizontal surface shinobi. The Perv 's training you like you 're going up against a unity enemy while the guy who will be going up against a single opposition 's getting prepped for an all out war.

'You're…'Naruto snapped out of his almost trance-like state with a violent jerk. Realizing how close he had come to agreeing withthe voice in his head, the blonde clamped down on all thoughts and focused on taking his mentor down with a vengeance…

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'' cum on boy ! '' Jiraiya whined, chasing after a briskly walking Naruto on his knees. `` I need the Johnny Cash ! ``

'' To chase some hooker, no incertitude. '' Naruto scoffed as he marched away.

Jiraiya 's expression, though, had gone from pleading to disturbingly perverse. `` Oh~ kid you had to birth seen her ! That was n't just some hooker, she was an out-and-out BABE ! teat as big as my head and an ass you could bounce a coin off ! And her ramification ! ``

THIS is what I 'm training with ? The perverted cretin of the Sannin ? So, Sasuke 's getting trained by the flair of the Sannin, a calculate contender for the Big Hat alongside the Yellow newsbreak and the guy that ended the Old Man 's stellar life and we 're getting trained by the Perverted Sannin. Wonderful. No, fuck caustic remark ! Even Sakura had a better deal. At least her Sannin wo n't bug her for immediate payment so she could go condition out strippers and shit. I mean for the love of- Orochimaru 's a know genius ! He 's on a similar grade to the fucking Fourth Hokage ! He 's a verified steel sea captain. He knows more ninjitsu techniques than most shinobi ever get to even witness ! Sasuke, the angst ridden gay emo gets THAT guy and you 're stuck with the guy who 's biggest claim to fame is that he trained the Fourth ? Is there anyway you could cause come up with an even high-risk deal ? !

'' Shut the ass up and lead me alone ! '' Naruto roared angrily.

Jiraiya, who had been caught mid-rant when his prentice snapped, simply thought he might birth pushed the limit and decided to head into the bagnio on his own. The lady of the house knew him well and, unlike his busty mate, he had a reputation for maintaining minimal, if any, debts.

Had he bothered to dig deeper, he might have figured that something was off with his apprentice…

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'' So, Naruto, what 's the initiatory thing you wan na do when we get back to Konoha ? '' Jiraiya asked. Himself and his apprentice were relaxing in a hayfield a few international nautical mile away from the Land of Bears, taking the day off to relax and loosen up. `` Me, I 'm gon na hit up Tsunade first ; see if she 's finally come around to my manly charms. ``

'' The simply matter manly about you is your haircloth, Pervy sage. '' Naruto shot back with a smile. `` And even that 's retentive than most women wear their hair. ``

'' Oi ! Do n't diss these locks you little brat ! ``

'' I 'll diss 'em when I want to old man ! '' The blond snap back playfully.

For the succeeding few bit, nil came up until Jiraiya spoke again. `` I 'm still waiting for your answer kiddo. ``

To be honorable, Naruto was n't quite an sure enough of what he wanted ; over the past few weeks, doubts and fears had set into his heart and, no matter how hard he tried to ignore them, they had burrowed in deep. He did, however, know what to say to his wise man. `` First affair first, I wan na see Sakura-chan again ! She must feature grown quite wads with Baa-chan training her ! I bet she 'll be really awed by how I 've grown too ! Might even get her to go out with me. ``

Where he lay, a few paces away, Jiraiya winced. `` Might not wan na get your hopes on that kiddo. ``

See ? Even your mentor does n't believe you stand a chance with the pink haired board.

'' I mean, she 's always had her Bob Hope strung up on the Uchiha right ? '' Jiraiya continued, not noticing the conflicted feel on his protege 's brass. `` I know a identification number of people might conceive that that 's all a kids'dream but… tone man, take it from mortal in similar shoes… You really should get your mettle off that train. Even the whole 'save the Uchiha'train… I think you should be prepared for the kid not wanting to come in back ; Orochimaru 's a skilled manipulator and if I know that motherfucker anywhere close to what I think I know, then he 'll deliver done his absolute best to bend the Uchiha against you. ``

Naruto had n't heard a Holy Scripture of Jiraiya 's, his head clouded by colored view, until Jiraiya had talked about Orochimaru corrupting Sasuke beyond redemption.

It was the final push ; the emotions he had bottled up, from his lonely honorary society years right up to that moment, broke forth like a dam…

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When Naruto opened his eyes, he expected to find himself on a cot in one of Jiraiya 's many dugout, wrapped up in patch and feeling the burn of his chakra gyre as they healed. His sense of timing was all messed up but the finally few moments before slipping into unconsciousness were still tonic in his mind…

The rage… the pain…

He remembered everything…

Right up to the import his control had slipped and the red haze of his biju 's chakra blurred everything out of sight…

Guilt was n't a inviolable enough full term for what he felt as he returned to consciousness.

All that craze turned into a bubbling pit of rage when he fully noticed his surroundings.

Red walls, huge pipes, a never ending flow of water…

He was within his own thinker, at the span between himself and the seal.

'' Kyubi. '' His voice was comparable blade as he pushed to his understructure and began storming down the cathedral-like hallway. matter were beginning to seduce sense now ; he had never been one to be bothered by glum idea, his childhood having taught him that the just way to persist even slightly sane was to ignore all dark thought process, so the barrage of discouraging and disquieting head he had been plagued by over the past times yoke of weeks just had to have been caused by the Nine-Tailed Fox. It would also explain why he had so readily been consumed by its world power ; his natural action had never truly been his own.

'' Blaming me for everything again ? ``

The thundering bonanza of the Kyubi snapped him out of his rage-filled fugue as he realized that he had arrived at the gates.

The shock barely lasted two seconds before being drowned out by rage.

'' Blaming you ? ! What, I should be thanking you ? ! You have been pouring your hate-filled tripe into my head, filling my every waking thought with your bullshit and then taking vantage of me to try to get free ! ``

'' Funny how you came to that finish. ``

Naruto stood back and crossed his arms over his chest. `` There 's a different finale ? ``

The Fox resting on its haunches, cracked open a deep red eyelid. `` Are you concerned ? Or was that just plain sarcasm ? ``

'' Oh no, let 's get a line your side of the story. '' Naruto shot back. `` I mean, I would n't desire to guess you wrongly or anything. ``

'' wellspring then… First off, you said I 'd been filling your head with my 'hate-filled trash', congratulations on rightly using the tripe by the way, you 're getting just a bit less stupid. ``

'' Is there a pointedness to all this ? ``

'' Do n't interrupt, that 's rude. Anyway, I 'd wish to ask : which of those 'mental assaults'of mine was actually filled with hate ? ``

The blond immediately opened his mouth to force out off a snarky response…

And found himself gaping instead as he simply could n't think of a single instance.

The Kyubi flashed its dentition at him in a macabre grin. `` Nothing ? Well, let 's move on shall we ? signal two : why exactly do you think I 've been the one doing the head-filling ? ``

This time, Naruto was ready and he immediately spouted a number of rationality related to him not having such reverence ordinarily.

'' You done ? '' The Kyubi asked after his torrid reaction. Upon receiving the blond 's nod, the biju proceeded to express mirth its ass off, even thrashing about in hilarity-induced cramp for honorable measure. `` Oh shucks kid ! You are hilarious ! You really think I could simply walk through your thinker and suss out your deepest, glum fearfulness to manipulate you ? Abruptly, the biju 's features became fierce. `` Newsflash you nitwit : this seal prohibits even a single hair on my tooshie from slipping out ! I sure as pit ca n't go zipping through your cranium. And do n't even get me started on that stupe idea that I 'd spend my time watching you do human matter ; I could n't care less about your puny macrocosm either way ! ``

'' Says the beast that 's recorded as a mass of hate ! ``

'' By whose records ? Humans ? The same multitude that see you as my spawn ? The Sami species that hate you indiscriminately even though they created the means to create Sir Thomas More jinchuriki in the first lieu ? '' The biju 's vituperative response was like a hammer tap to his already weakened belief, a fact that the biju saw and mercilessly pounced upon. `` I did n't send those thoughts to you, boy, they were born of your own opinion. '' This time, the biju 's voice was low and almost soothing. `` And I think you know why such idea cloud your mind. ``

Naruto turned away from the John Cage and took a gradation forward… before going still.

He did love ; for the longest prison term he had suspected as a great deal but he had consciously shoved it down and piled on tons of false optimism to inter it.

He was n't strong enough.

Whether he liked it or not, he just was n't strong enough on his own to accomplish his goals. He had been cheated in the academy, yes, but he had been out for more than four years, a great luck of which had been spent with Jiraiya, and he could see no important changes.

He wanted to be the Hokage, he wanted to earn the respect of the people… he wanted to carry through his promise to Sakura and bring Sasuke back.

And he just. Was n't. Strong. Enough.

butt him, the biju watched as he struggled to make a decision with a satisfy smirk. True to its Book, it had not sent the thoughts to the young shinobi. That did n't have in mind it was totally innocent either ; a gradual diversion of its chakra into the boy 's yin chakra had been all that was required for his smother thought to resurface and weaken that resolve he was so gallant of. Now, as the biju watched, reading into every nuance of his body language, it knew it had succeeded.

The metre to reap the welfare was near ; the final footmark was…

'' So why are you telling me now ? ``

The biju 's smirk turned beast. The boy wanted to get laid ; the interest was there.

'' In my prison term here, I have come to read what power means to you humans, '' it lied, `` and as such I am uncoerced to sign a contract with you. ``

The human scowled. `` A few hours ago, I 'd have got ranted about you wanting my individual or seeking an escape but now… point. I want particular. ``

The biju chuckled, the auditory sensation booming out in waves that rattled his teeth. Nevertheless, Naruto stood, glaring at the biju ; awaiting answers.

'' Perhaps your time with the old man was n't a consummate waste ; you certainly seem more healthy. '' Abruptly, the humor disappeared from the biju 's kisser and the animal rose up, resting on its hind legs. `` You humans see us as walking stack of chakra, an notion that never ceases to mystify me. After all, if we walked around wreaking havoc everywhere then your story should let been significantly altered by our actions.

'' In my prison term walking among your kind, I learned a great lot ; fighting styles, meditation technique and physique of chakra manipulation that have long since been lost to the depredation of time. It is these I offer you ; the power to control the rattling elements, to get an unstoppable force on the battlefield… Everything I know, I freely give.

'' However, I understand how impatient your kind are, no doubt as a result of your short lifespan, and so I offer you something more than : balance. ``

'' I do n't read. ``

'' I did not expect you to. You see, at its root word, chakra is of two kind : Yin chakra and Yang chakra. You possess an overabundance of the latter yet very little, comparatively speaking, of the former. It is this unbalance that has limited your procession in the illusory prowess. I can fix this. ``

If nothing else had caught his attention, the biju knew that this certainly would.

Once again, it was n't wrong.

'' How ? ``

'' I will, with your permit, convey a minute fraction of my chakra through you. Without going into specifics, it will forcibly jump off start the conception of Yin chakra within your coils and, over a flow of about five days, your chakra circulatory system of rules will gradually strike an sense of balance state, generating an equal sum of money of Yin chakra as it does Yang chakra. ``

Naruto 's boldness went slack as he considered the sheer deduction of that singular benefit. `` My chakra reserves… they'll… ''

'' Double ? '' The biju prompted. `` At the very least. ``

The go seemed too skilful to be true ; learning ancient styles of fighting, gaining the ability to use genjutsu, an increased chakra capacity ? Naruto wanted to pick out it. Practically every brain cell he had screamed at him to ump on the offer.

Then, his eyes narrowed. `` At what cost ? ``

An offer that was so savoury had to wear a cost.

The biju glared at him, seemingly sizing him up yet again, before speechmaking. `` An offer as this should bear a majuscule number of demand, boy, but I will only ask of two things from you ; the starting time and the greatest is corporate trust. '' The biju leaned forward until its hooter was a mere inches away, separated by the bars that held it locked away. `` I will not tellyou what the second cost is until you have signed my contract. ``

Naruto was torn.

On one hand, he would very likely be selling his soul over to a demon because, regardless of what the biju would have him trust, indoctrinated beliefs did n't die out over a mere chat.

On the former, much heavier, hand, he would be granted the sort of business leader that he had always desired ; the kind of power that would help him achieve his goals.

'I 'm going to be the Hokage someday, Iruka-sensei ! Believe it !'

'I 'll get Sasuke back for you, Sakura-chan ! That 's a promise of a lifetime !'

'I never go back on my language ! That 's my ninja way ! Believe it !'

A wise man once said :'A man is untie by the wrangle of his own mouth .'

'' What do I do ? ``

That man was right.

'' Step into the John Cage, boy, and hold out your arm to your side. ``

This was it.

It was one affair to jibe to a thing but, when confronted with the enormity of their decision, many wavered and nigh plump for down.

They were not Uzumaki Naruto.

With a surefooted stride that betrayed none of his apprehension, the shinobi stepped out of his realm and into the demon 's lair.

The biju reared upward, sucking in a deep breath, its eyes never leaving his.

Do n't move, it seemed to say, just before it lurched forward, the dull Orange glow in the back of its throat the only warning Naruto had before being engulfed in flame .