Juugo Uzumaki - Chapter 31

Juugo offered his hand. "Here."

Hana reached for it.

"Thanks."

She felt light as he pulled her up, the action effortless as they settled on the fallen tree. "Juugo?" she said, peering down to the path they were following. "Where are we going?"

Hana wasn't worried about it, just curious as she looked around, enjoying the sounds of the forest.

"Juugo?"

He'd drifted off, looking afar with a soft frown. "Sorry," he said, turning back. "We'll keep going. The forest breaks up ahead."

Hana was fine with that, though. "How do we get down?"

It was very far, at least 10 feet as Juugo moved, walking along the tree. "There's a bit we can climb down," he said, pointing further down the enormous fallen tree. "Where the tree broke."

Hana glanced around his broad back, seeing it too.

Juugo came this way often, passing when he left from the Academy. Which today, as he felt Hana walking carefully behind him, included her.

Suzi wasn't teaching today, apparently. Nor had she the day before.

Juugo hadn't seen her, as he came to branch that blocked their path, which rose like a pole with spindly shoots.

He grabbed it, stopping with a push as the wood splintered at the base. It wasn't all that big, a few inches across as Juugo tore it away.

He tossed it over the edge, pleased as he stepped ahead.

…

Hana lingered, looking down at the broken branch. "Juugo," she called, curious as she followed. "Was that difficult?"

He glanced back, blinking as his hands snapped another. "No."

The trunk was littered with them, like shoots from a Willow tree as he turned back. More followed, being flung from the trunk as they clattered down.

Hana watched them go, one by one as Juugo called to her. "I'll clear the rest, don't worry."

Another snap, another toss as Hana nibbled her lip. "Thanks," she said, subdued as he cut a path down the trunk.

Juugo didn't tire. Not once as a length of 30 feet was cleared, cast away like dirty clothes.

Hana could see the break now, a great rupture in the trunk as Juugo arrived ahead, already searching for holds with his hand in the exposed wood.

It looked simple enough, she reasoned, arriving as she looked below.

Juugo was climbing down now, his hands sure and firm as fingers moved swiftly between holds.

Hana swallowed, stepping back as he reached the bottom.

"Coming?"

He looked up at her, smiling with a hand that beckoned her on.

"…umm."

She tittered on the edge, out of her depth as she slowly turned, lowering as she pictured a ladder in her mind.

One foot here, then here as she –

"Ah!"

She slipped, knocking her chest on the trunk as her feet scraped the wood.

"JUUGO!"

Hana couldn't find a hold, her body beginning to slide.

Juugo appeared beside her, grasping the wood with a hand while the other grabbed her shirt.

He tossed her up, sending her high enough to have her feet land beneath her.

Plop.

She still fell, slumping to the trunk as her legs turned to jelly.

"Hana?"

Juugo stepped around.

"Hana, are you alright?" he touched her shoulder, seeing the tears flow from her eyes.

She hugged him, grasping with her hands at his shirt as they tugged him near, then enveloped him in her arms. "J-juugo."

He sighed, hugging her back. "Sorry," he whispered, feeling her soft arms smooth his back.

It was his fault, not hers as he pulled away.

"I'll carry you."

She wiped her eyes, blinking as she peered up at him. "No way."

Juugo persevered. "It's fine," he assured. "Climb on my back."

He lowered, intending to give her a piggy back as Hana hesitated.

"Come on, we can't stay here forever."

…

"Okay," she shuffled, smiling at their silly situation as she clambered on. His hands were rougher than she'd thought, feeling coarse as they gripped the backs of her knees.

"Do you want to head back?" he asked, hoping she'd agree as he peered around at the forest.

She didn't want to go back. "I want to see your jutsu," she said, laughing as he turned away with a grumble.

His hair tickled her nose, so she blew it away.

"Stop that."

Hana didn't, giggling as Juugo jostled her.

She smiled, clinging to him. "Alright," he relented, walking back along the trunk to find another way down. "But you mustn't tell anyone."

Hana had already promised, making a noise as Juugo quickened. "We'll go this way."

He travelled quickly, avoiding the stumps as he went as Hana bobbed behind, seeming quite content as she hummed at things passing by.

"A butterfly!"

Juugo glanced, rolling his eyes. "That's a moth," he said, getting a pinch to his arm. "It was difficult to see."

"Yeah."

They kept on, seeing birds next, flying up and above as they tweeted softly.

Juugo followed his route through the trees.

"How do you know where to go?"

Hana was already lost when Juugo turned again. "I come here a lot," he said, saying she should duck as they dodged the low hanging branches. "The forest that is, not here."

Juugo kept clear of the lake, heading to the meadow he's passed as they appeared from the trees, slowing to a stop at the beautiful view.

"Wow," breathed Hana, reminded of the garden at the Orphanage. "Let me down."

Juugo did, setting her softly behind him.

She stepped beside him, her eyes glued to the meadow.

"It's a good spot," spoke Juugo, looking fondly upon it. The flowers were in bloom, full of purples and pinks as bees and the butterflies switched between them. "It's my first time seeing it like this."

Juugo had wanted to return, but couldn't with the guards nearby.

But now they were gone, as he walked ahead. "Come on. We'll find a spot further down."

The plants were thick here, coming to their waists as Hana picked her own route, walking with a smile at every flower they passed.

This was much better than the garden, idyllic in a way few could appreciate. There wasn't much here, not a fence in sight as they followed the meadow down the hill.

Trees ahead. Trees behind.

"Juugo," she said, looking to her side where he stayed. "It won't damage the meadow, will it?"

Water Jutsu were quite destructive, or so she'd been told as Juugo shrugged, indicating ahead where the meadow thinned. "There should be fine."

He jogged down, finding shallow grass at the end of the hill.

Hana walked, feeling her toes sting in her exposed sandals. Juugo noticed. "Your feet," he said, looking towards them. "Are they bleeding?"

He could see it.

"Just a little cut," she said, unbothered. "It doesn't matter – and stop delaying!"

He looked, then laughed at her accusing face. They were face to face, looking at each other as Juugo raised his hands.

"Watch."

His hands flicked through seals, his eyes on Hana the whole time.

…

She titled, expecting something more than his cupped hands. "Not all jutsu are flashy," he defended, taking a drink as Hana awed.

She stepped near, amazed. "How did you do it?" she hurried. "I didn't see anything. Did you summon the water?"

Hana had heard about that, remembering how the Fourth Hokage had summoned toads.

"Do it again!"

She grinned, eager to see as Juugo ran through the seals, doing them slower when she tried to see. "That's so many," she muttered, unable to count as the water formed again.

Juugo offered it to her, yet while he thought Hana would drink, quite the opposite happened.

Hana stuffed her hand in it, giggling as the water squirted into Juugo's face. "So it is real," she remarked, feeling it between her fingers as Juugo lowered his hands.

…

He grinned.

"Wait. Hang on Juugo."

His hands flashed, speeding through seals as Hana edged away.

"Juugo!"

Splash.

She was soaked, his pointed hand somehow sending a shower of water right to her. "There," he said, turning away. "You've seen them."

He headed up, wiping the water that clung to his face.

There was still much to do, the task weighing on him as he recalled his shortlist of bases to check, with the options having thinned these past few days.

Juugo was being cautious, and rightfully so as he rose through the grassy meadow, feeling Hana hurry to his side.

She remained quiet, feeling a change in him.

Juugo had pondered what he'd find in these bases, many times as he scowled at the grass.

Would there be death? Jutsu? Notes?

Or something else.

He couldn't know, nor would he until he actually entered one. But, there was just something about them, about the places he'd marked already.

One had been hidden by the Orphanage, a tunnel that was as wide as a drain, tucked in an alley filled with rubbish.

Its proximity was disturbing, keeping him away as he decided to make a list of the others, which he'd discovered in the hours spent searching after the Academy.

He turned to Hana, looking as she smoothed her hair. "Why is Suzi not teaching?" he asked, annoyed he didn't know.

Hana told him easily, saying she was sick and that was all she knew.

Juugo wondered, as he turned away, leading them back through the route they came. Suzi had been sick before, during his wait for the Academy. Everyone had known, been warned of the cold she'd potentially spread; she even wore a mask, so she could still teach his fledging class.

Yet now she couldn't?

It seemed off to him, a lie as the forest slipped by.

…

"Head back to the Orphanage," he said, seeing the Academy ahead through the trees as they arrived at the edge. "I'll be back later."

Hana wanted to argue, but couldn't as Juugo turned away, heading back through trees at a blinding pace.

He was gone in moment, leaving Hana with mixed feelings. On the one hand, it was great; amazing as she walked into the worn training ground.

Juugo was strong, far stronger than she ever thought possible for a 6-year-old. But then, as she recalled all the times he'd frowned, thinking with a purpose she couldn't understand.

It felt like she didn't know him, as if a part of him would always be kept from her.

Juugo had a history, one she'd begun to suspect was far different from her own, which was already bad enough.

She shook her head, not wanting to think of all the things it could be as she passed the Academy.

Juugo was her friend, even the bits of him she didn't know.

Break.

Juugo summersaulted, springing from the branch as his hands sent him up into the trees.

This was the one, the first of the bunch as he arrived at the top, landing with a step on perhaps the biggest tree in all of Konoha.

Even at this distance, nearly 100 feet up, it was still thick with wood.

He walked to the trunk, having kept his distance during his journey up. There was something there, a seal like before that tried, even now to direct him away.

It wasn't a base, or at least Juugo didn't think it was as he stopped before it, raising his hands with careful fingers.

They probed the seals.

Juugo smiled, beginning to unlock as the seals flicked away. He couldn't just open it, not having seen inside like the time before. It was too small for that, but it didn't matter as he flicked the last away.

Click.

A panel opened, like the locker doors at the Academy as he leaned away, letting it swing on its own.

He daren't touch it, waiting for something to spring from within as seconds passed… he relaxed, there was nothing alive inside, or any chakra as he shuffled in-front, spotting the box within.

It was old, fragile and alone.

There was nothing else inside, temping him on as Juugo checked again.

He picked it up, clutching it in a hand as he brought it out.

…

"Cool."

No traps, excellent as he stepped away with it, looking down at its carved exterior. There couldn't be much in here, testing its weight as well.

Paper, perhaps?

He threw caution to the wind, opening the lid with gentle ease.

A headband, as Juugo retrieved the rusted plate, holding it with his hand in shock.

…

Uzushio.

AN

Hehe. Did you like the scene with Hana? Poor Juugo.

Stick with me folks, it's gonna be great. Time skip begins at chapter 40, and I've just finished 41. I am going to have a few chapters intervening the time skip to canon too, just so we all know what's happening and where Juugo's at.

Thanks to those who'd stayed tuned as well, I've had some really great comments which keeps me going :)

Pa – treon dot com / bactum if you want to support me and read ahead too, feel free to send me a PM on there if you want to talk Naruto (or HP. Or any Anime really).

Till next time!