True Self, New Self

Review Answers!!!

feisu: Yup, that is your job!!!

HellzAngel: Yup! Yuki is just too cute! And I hate Orochimaru as well *nods*

Ladybug452000: Thanks! ^^

Izzy: But if you kill me I won't be able to update! *cries* But here is chapter 9. Forgive me?

Fourthiv: Sorry! You will have to wait for quite a while to know that! I plan to let Naruto reach Konoha and spend quite a long time there before the scene when the truth is revealed comes. It is way too soon for that!!

mike: You got it! But it might take me a while to write it, I have to think of a great semi-plot for the smutt special! But you will eventually have it, I promise!

Tara: You are back!! *glomps* I missed your reviews soo much!! Hehehe, the reason behind the Uchiha massacre won't come for a while sorry! It will be rushing the story too much, but it will come eventually, do not worry!

Hello: Well that's an original nick!! Thanks for your review!

passerby: Here is another chapter

trulywicked: Hehehehe *sweat drops* thanks!! Like I said before, you will know why Itachi killed his clan when the time for it to be revealed comes, so you will have to be patient with me!

Rho: Don't worry! Here is another chapter!

A/N: Wheee! I'm soo happy! Some of my missiong reviewers are back!! *glomps them* Anyway here is another chapter! I'm trying to write as fast as I can, but I have work, so I can't do it as fast as I will like to. Anyway here you go! Another chapter!

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True Self, New Self.

Chapter nine: Problems on the Road.


Jiraiya tried to question me several times after Itachi's unexpected appearance, but the old man should had know by now that there's no way I ever get information out of me if I don't want to say it. Kyuubi helped me train in that aspect a lot, a good ninja should be able to hold the information he posses under any circumstances. He eventually gave up, calling me a stubborn brat.

Yuki also questioned me, but it was for information of Itachi, like who he was and why he was after me. He also asked about Akatsuki. I answered him the best I could, but I never let out anything about what I saw inside Itachi's mind, that information is for Sasuke's ears only. Not even Tsunade will be able to squeeze a thing out of me. Hell, even that bastard Kabuto that is so proud of his information gathering will not know a thing before Sasuke does. I only hope that he hears it from his brother, because he won't believe me, that I know.

But for the meantime, I have another problem. Well, more like we have another problem, one that will occupy our minds for a while. A problem that the old man created, even if he says it was an accident, technically speaking it was his fault. This problem can be a great nuisance if we don't take care of it quick. Want to know what it is? Well I'll tell you.

The old man lost our money. And I mean ALL of our money.

You know, he always insist in carrying all of our money with him. Well technically speaking it is his money, because the one that I brought to our trip is long gone. The perverted man spent it in women and by the time one year passed there wasn't any left. He spent it all in what he said was the big no no's of a shinobi: Women, sake and gambling. And he calls himself a sensei, he doesn't even live according to his teachings. Oh well, I love the old man anyway, even if he's a pain in the ass sometimes.

You may be wondering how all our money is lost. Well I'll tell you that too. It was early in the morning and we had camp near a lake. Gamakichi, Yuki and I decided to go fish our breakfast, but since the fish wasn't anywhere near the shore, we dived in the lake hoping to find them in the deeper parts of the lake. Jiraiya said that he will get a bath while we were at it and took off to a more secluded area of the lake, taking the money with him.

When we came back, the old man wasn't there yet. We waited for him for a while, but when he didn't come, he decided to look for him. When we found him he only had his pants on and was looking around his other clothes and the surrounding area for something. Then was we found out what was missing. The money. He couldn't find it, and neither could we. So now we're in problems.

"How could you LOSE the money!" I yell at him, I usually keep calm, but my patience wore off after all his questioning about Itachi.

"I don't know gaki, one moment it was inside my shirt, and the next it wasn't!"

"Yuki, can you smell the money?" I ask him, I was unable to find it that way, but maybe Yuki could.

"No Naruto-niichan, I'm sorry!"

"And you Gamakichi?"

"No kid, not a trace."

"Mmmmm... gaki, now that I think about it, we should stop calling you Naruto, even when we think we are alone, you saw what happened with Itachi."

"Stop trying to change the subject old man," I say taking a deep breath. Ok, yelling will not lead to anything. Stop the childish behavior, I scold myself,"But you're right, you heard him, from now on call me Kaji at all times, got it?"

"Hai, Kaji-niichan!"

"You got it kid."

"Ok, now lets think. We need money in order to keep traveling. Even when we reach Suna, we should be able to buy our own food and pay for our own place to stay. I refuse to abuse of Gaara's hospitality. Now, how will we get that money?"

We all stopped to think. I look at Yuki, he's playing with his hair in his human form, his face showing that he's in deep thought. Gamakichi is sitting cross legged in the ground and Jiraiya is pacing around.

"Maybe we could work Kaji-niichan?"

"Now that I think about it, it is a good idea gaki. There's a village half and hour away from here, at the other side of the lake if I remember well."

"Ok then, we will all work, except for you Gamakichi, you're our guest after all."

"I wouldn't mind to work, but if you say so. Besides, I don't know if someone would hire a frog."

"Then what are we waiting for?"

We took off at full speed. This will slow us down, so after we finish gathering enough money, we will use our shinobi speed to reach Suna before this week ends. We must find very well paid jobs in order to do so. I just hope that they aren't bad...

By the time we arrive to the village, Yuki and I have our coats and hoods on. It is a very big village, and there's a Daimyo living in it. If we're lucky we can find jobs in his house. In our way there, Jiraiya leaves our side, he says that he found the perfect job already. And I really don't want to know what could it be, since he disappeared into the tea houses area, well at least I get to not be near him when he's at that places.

Soon we're standing in front of a the gates of the Daimyo's house. If the wall that surrounds it is any indication, the house behind them should be very big. I gathered some information on our way here. It seems that one of the Daimyo's body guards is sick, as well as one of the maids there. I just hope that we can fill those spots, because the rumor around the village said that the Feudal Lord pays very well. The guards have spotted us.

"Stop there. What is your purpose here?"

"We are here because we heard that the Daimyo is in need of someone to temporally fill some vacant spots in his house. I'm Fumetsu Kaji, and this is my younger brother, Fumetsu Yuki." I said with a smile, even if the guards can see it because my face is covered by the shadows of the hood, as well as Yuki's.

"Take off your hoods." One of the guards order us.

"I don't think that that is possible, no one will see our faces before our employer does."

They talk between them. It is their job to be suspicious, after all we could be assassins. After a while one of them runs inside the house and returns with a little army behind him. Fools, if we wanted to attack the Daimyo we won't come to his front door, besides, that bunch of soldiers wouldn't be able to stop us either if we wanted to kill the Feudal Lord.

"We will escort you with the Daimyo. He likes to interview his employees personally."

We follow the guard, completely surrounded by the soldiers. He guides us through many halls and corridors before we enter a large room. A hundred meters away from the door is the feudal lord, and at his sides, his wife and his son. This man is too naive, leaving himself so open to an attack, even if the room is filled with soldiers, and putting his family in danger too. We're strangers after all, and we could be dangerous.

"My guard informs me that you wish to take the positions that are currently available."

"That's right sir."

"Are you aware that it is only for a couple of days?"

"We are sir."

"Well then. I have a spot for a body guard, which of you will take it?"

"I will sir."

"Come closer," I do what I was told, and now I'm standing a couple of meters away from him, I think that he thinks that I'm a samurai, because of my sword that is currently hanging at my side. Samurais have a code of honor, therefore the Daimyo is completely safe with one, because a samurai will never use lies to approach his victim. No, they hire ninjas to do that dirty works, they'll never do the assassinations themselves. Oh well, I will let him think what he wants, "Remove your hood," I do as I was ordered. I can hear gasps all around me, by this time I'm used to them, even if it isn't that long since I took this appearance, and even if I'm not that pleased with all that attention, it might become handy sometimes, "You're a very handsome warrior boy. You can have the job, but remember, the head of my body guards will be keeping an eye on you. So don't think of betraying me."

"I'll never think of that my lord." I should receive a prize for my acting and deceiving abilities, but then again, this is something any good ninja should be able to do, when they have infiltration missions.

"What's your name?"

"I'm Fumetsu Kaji my lord."

"Well then Fumetsu, I will like to see your abilities after this, so be ready."

"Of course my lord."

"Who is the boy that is with you."

"He's my younger brother my lord."

"Is he able at fighting."

"Yes my lord, my father and I have been teaching him since he learned how to walk."

"Good, the other position that is left is as my son's companion. There aren't many children around in this house. Is your brother able to perform any tricks?"

I smirk at that, "Of course he does my lord."

"Good, come forward boy and remove your hood as well." Yuki does as the Daimyo said. There are a few women at the room, and I can here them squealing, well Yuki is cute, no one can say otherwise.

"Well it seems that the beauty comes with the blood." The Daimyo's wife comment, making Yuki blush.

"Now we will move to the training grounds, so Fumetsu can prove worthy of the position he has."

All the persons present in the room moves out, following the Daimyo and his family out to the training grounds.

"A good samurai should be able to use a bow with expertise, young Fumetsu, there is a bow and arrows at your side, show us what you can do with one."

I look closely around, there is a target some meters away, but it won't be a challenge to hit it. No, that is what they're expecting me to do. There's another target, at the completely opposite end of the spot I am, now that is a target that only a master of the bow should be able to hit, but I have another plans in mind. I prepare the shot and release the arrow, it flies across the yard.

[The Daimyo's POV]

The young samurai prepares the shot and release the arrow, but it looks like he missed.

"He missed my lord." My body guards head, my general, informs me. I look at the boy, he's smiling.

"Excuse me my lord, but I wasn't aiming to the target."

I send one of the soldiers to retrieve the arrow, with the piece of wood it's in. He returns quickly, with an incredulous look in his face. He hands me the piece of wood with the arrow in it. I examine it closely. There, pinned to the wood by the head of the arrow, was a beetle, his wings where pinned to the wood by the arrow, and he is still alive. I look at the boy, who is still smiling. He's an awesome samurai.

"You amaze me young warrior, your skills with the bow are the best I've seen in my entire live, now lets see if you're as good with the sword as you're with the bow. General."

Kanbei, my best body guard, steps forward and grabs a wooden sword. Fumetsu grabs one as well and stands in battle stance.

"Begin."

Kanbei launches the first attack, swinging his sword forward trying to hit him, but the boy blocks his attack with his sword. Kanbei continue attacking, he's graceful when he attacks, but he can't compare with the boy. No, he looks like he's gliding, his movements are as fluid as water, he's attacks look more like an elaborated dance than anything else. I have to have him, at all costs. I'll ask him to stay after this two days are over.

I can see that the boy is holding back, he isn't using all his strength, I wonder why. Maybe he doesn't want to draw to much attention to himself, but he failed to do so. All the eyes of the castle are on him now. If his brother is half as good, he will stay too. This are the times I wish I also had a daughter, so I could marry her to strong and powerful man, like the one that is fighting in front of my eyes. He is a handsome man, I can tell that even when the only thing I can see is his face and his hair. His coat, that floats around him with the some grace that the man that wears it has, covers the rest of his body.

My young son is captivated my the two brothers two. His attention pass from one to another, not deciding which of them is more captivating. The younger brother is doing some awesome tricks, and is also speaking about life to him with a wisdom that isn't found in someone his age, he speaks with a maturity of an adult, even if the way he acts tells otherwise. ((Well he's 95 years old after all, no one can live that long and not know a thing or two about life))

Fumetsu, I have never heard of that family before in my whole life. Which is an intriguing thing, if you think of how talented are this two boys. Maybe they're from another country? I'll have someone investigate that, for now I'll enjoy the fight. It is taking to the boy too long to finish the fight, he's trying to give some credit to my general. It seems that the young man is has also other virtues hiding in him.

With a fluid twist of his wrist, he had Kanbei's sword flying from his hand and his own sword pressed against his throat. If it had been a real fight I have been one general short by now. This boy must stay, and I'll do everything in my power to make him.

[End of the Daimyo's POV, back to Naruto's POV]

I end the battle with the General, I was done playing with him anyway. Samurais can have his Bushido Code and his pride, but when it comes to a battle they cannot surpass a ninja. They can't use chakra, and they aren't as strong and fast as we are. Even a genin can defeat a samurai. But the Feudal Lords prefer to have samurais as body guards, because they do not trust ninjas other than when they need them to do a mission for them. That's why I won't remove my coat, and neither will Yuki, because the outfits beneath them are clearly ninja and we don't have any others. We could use a henge to change them, but there's always the possibility that the Daimyo has someone that is able to feel chakra in his troops, so we decided against it.

But for now, the thing that matters the most is that this man will pay Yuki and I for hour of work, and by the time we leave this house each one of us will have the triple of the amount of money that was lost. Not bad at all huh?

The two days passed in the blink of an eye and soon Yuki an I are ready to leave with all the money we earned in this few days. The Feudal Lord almost begged us to stay, but we declined the offer, and at the end he let us go, but something tells me that this isn't the end of it.

We search for Jiraiya and we found him coming out of a book store, with a satisfied face.

"Well boys, I have regained all the money that was lost. How about you two? I bet that you didn't find a job at all."

"Actually old man, we did. Just take a look at our wallet." I say pointing at Yuki, who has Gamakichi perched over his head. I wonder when the frog got there. Yuki steps forward and open the bag that he was carrying.

"Wow brats! What did you do? Steal a bank?"

"Actually we worked as body guards for the Daimyo."

"Well kuso! If I had know that that kind of job was available I would had take it. Well it is a little too late for that right? So since we have money again, shall we leave? We are way behind schedule, so we will have to run the rest of the way to Suna."

"Lead the way old man!"

We are walking out of the village when we find the Feudal Lord private army blocking our way out.

"Stop there, our lord commands both of you to go back to his house. We have orders to take you there by force if you refuse."

"I'm sorry General, but we don't have time for this. We have somewhere to go."

And with that, we jump over the heads of the soldiers and land at the other side.

"You will never stop ninjas with that kind of strategy General, Ja ne!"

The three of us use chakra to bust our speed as we run away from the village. Next stop, Suna and Gaara!

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So here you go!! Finally they are arriving Suna in the next chapter, so look forward to some Gaara interaction!!

I just noticed something funny too, Yuki's and Naruto's names!
Fumetsu Kaji means Undying Fire, while Fumetsu Yuki is Undying Snow, I didn't noticed that his names where opposites until now.