310 - Naruto: The Tenseigan Ascendant (Patreon)

310 - At the Hospital

After admitting Itachi to the God Organization and warning him not to make any moves for the time being, Naoki parted ways with him.

On the walk home, he thought, 'Itachi really is much more guarded than Shisui.'

Itachi had told Naoki about awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan before anyone else. Clearly, he trusted him completely.

Even so, he had not volunteered the abilities unique to his Mangekyo at first.

Only when Naoki asked about his fight with Orochimaru had Itachi briefly mentioned Amaterasu. He still said nothing about the other ability.

Naoki understood perfectly.

He would never reveal every card he held to someone else either. Trust was precious, and easily broken.

Before long, he was home.

Taruho handed him back the enchanted gourd, then dropped to his knees with a thud. "Lord Naoki, thank you for everything you've done!"

As soon as Naoki took the gourd, he sensed that the priestess's soul was no longer inside. He helped Taruho up. "Lady Miroku..."

Taruho shook his head, his expression stricken.

Having fulfilled her final wish, the priestess's soul had quietly dispersed.

Naoki fastened the gourd at his waist. "Where's Shion?"

"She cried for a long time after seeing Lady Miroku. She only just fell asleep."

Naoki nodded and took a small enchanted bell from inside his robe. "The priestess must have told you about this. Give it to Shion and make sure she carries it. Shinno absorbed Moryo, but with this bell, he won't be able to sense where she is."

Taruho quickly accepted it. "Yes, my lord."

After a moment, Naoki asked, "What do you plan to do next?"

"Whatever you decide, my lord."

"Stay at my house for now." Naoki paused. "As for Shion, I'll speak to Lord Hokage. Next year, we can enroll her in the Ninja Academy."

Naoki had killed Yomi, but Shinno, who wanted Shion's priestess powers, was still alive. And Shinno had the entire Akatsuki behind him.

Sending Shion and Taruho back to the Land of Demons now would put them straight into danger. Naoki would keep them in Konoha, where he could protect them himself.

His decision to send Shion to the Academy was deliberate too.

For one thing, Konoha's Ninja Academy was nothing like the brutal training in Kirigakure. It taught academic subjects alongside ninjutsu. A shinobi who could not read, calculate, or understand a map would struggle to excel. Sending her there would spare Naoki from teaching her those subjects himself.

For another, Shion possessed considerable priestess power, but the danger she faced was considerable too. The Academy would strengthen both her resolve and her abilities, helping her grow.

And as the Land of Demons priestess's only legitimate heir, she would inevitably draw the Third Hokage's scrutiny. Enrolling her at the Academy might ease the village leadership's suspicions and avoid having watchers posted at Naoki's house.

With the gourd returned to him, Naoki went out again. He bought some fruit on the way to Konoha Hospital.

After finding Kakashi and Guy's room, he carried the fruit upstairs.

Inside the hospital room.

Guy had tucked his left arm, encased in plaster, behind his back. He was doing one-handed push-ups with his right, grunting through each repetition.

Kakashi lay on a bed, leafing through a small book with a pink cover.

Naoki entered with the fruit and smiled. "How are you two?"

"Fine! Just a few scratches!"

Guy sprang up, grabbed a piece of fruit, and took a huge bite.

Kakashi closed his book. "Naoki, I need to speak with you alone."

"Sure. Let's go up to the roof."

They soon reached the rooftop.

Whoosh...

A light breeze stirred the sheets hanging there to dry.

Kakashi fixed Naoki with an unusually serious look. "Where have you been these past few days?"

"The Land of Demons," Naoki answered without hesitation.

"The Land of Demons?" Kakashi paused. "Because of the priestess?"

Naoki nodded. "Team 11 shares some responsibility for this Yomi Cult uprising. If we'd wiped out its remaining members on our last mission, maybe none of this would have happened."

"Yes," Kakashi said. "We didn't kill the cult's leader last time. That's on us."

He still found that hard to understand. His Chidori had pierced the man's chest. By all rights, the cult leader should have died, yet somehow he had survived.

Of course, Kakashi might have felt less frustrated if he knew that even cutting off Yomi's head had failed to kill him.

"I wanted to look into it," Naoki said. "So I asked Shisui to cover for me."

Kakashi opened his mouth to respond, then let out a quiet sigh.

"Say whatever's on your mind. I won't take offense."

Kakashi hesitated. "Next time something like this happens, tell me directly. Team 11 is in this together."

'I wanted to tell you. I just didn't want to scare you all half to death.'

Naoki smiled ruefully at the thought.

Kakashi's normally languid gaze sharpened. "One more thing. The person who abducted Naruto used a bizarre technique. I still can't work out how he did it. If you run into him, be very careful."

Shisui had already told Naoki exactly how Naruto had been taken, so he knew it was Obito and was not surprised. "How is the village planning to protect Naruto from now on?"

Kakashi shook his head. "They haven't decided yet. This proves the Akatsuki have known who Naruto is for some time. One ANBU team clearly isn't enough."