The Red Flash Chapter 20 (A Song for Tragedy) (Patreon)

Naruto - One Year Later

A Loud sound was heard throughout the forest, a crater big enough to fill three people was in the middle of the forest, and in the middle was the form of one Uzumaki Naruto. His red hair shining like red crystal from the light of the sun, his left hand still leaking a bit of chakra. His blue eyes looking around the crater, a small smile spread across his face, his fists were getting stronger.

Naruto was wearing his katana tightened to his belt, he stood 134 cm tall, wearing a blackened red jacket with thin red lines across. The lines gathered in his belly to form a red spiral. Bandages covering his legs, blue shinobi sandals. Beneath the jacket he wore a thin white shirt with Uzumaki symbol in the front. His hair reaching his shoulders. Toad-Jiji had cut his hair when it started growing to his hips.

A paper seal on his right shoulder to use, on his arms, weight seals were 150 pounds in both of his arms, and 170 pounds on his legs. His body had grown slightly muscular, his face looked sharper.

Jumping from the crater, he made his way back to his house, not much had changed for one year. He had completed the first and second training needed for chakra manipulation for all his affinities.

For the final training for Water Affinity, he needed to pull water from air around, so far only the Second Hokage and a few others were known to complete the last part. He had achieved to gather some water, but not as much as he wanted.

Naruto had asked toad-jiji what was his connection with the Senju Clan since he could use Wood Style like The First and Water like the Second Hokage. But toad-jiji had no answers how was that possible and Naruto couldn't detect lies so he had dropped the discussion.

To complete Fire affinity, he needed to create a fire on his hands and stand for 10 minutes. Naruto had reached 4 minutes but still not done yet. Kurama helped him with that particular part, using his chakra. He found it easier to use Fire Affinity.

For Earth he needed to made his skin hard as stone. To use in battles as a enhanced fist or to protect against different attacks. Naruto still hasn't started this one, he wanted to be done with Fire and Water first.

For wind he needed to separate the flow of waterfall with wind chakra only. Jiraiya-sensei told him he needed to find a natural waterfall somewhere, since the water in Mount Myoboku was slightly different.

When it came to Fuinjutsu, he has reached Level V, and to pass this one he needed to create a seal barrier to protect, a Void Seal Barrier, and Chakra Detection Seal. One that caught Naruto's eyes about Fuinjutsu was for Level X he needed to create an Empty Space Seal. For this one Toad-jiji told him he couldn't help him like with the others, this one was beyond his knowledge.

Naruto didn't know what the seal was supposed to do but he was sure it was something useful or extremely dangerous. But Level X raised a problem for Naruto, that was the last level in books written, if he wanted to reach EVEN FURTHER BEYOND.

He needed books and scrolls from Uzushiogakure, and all that was sealed away within the village, both Toad-Jiji and Fukasaka-sama told him that few people that had tried to enter the Sealed part of Uzushiogakure had never returned. For this reason Naruto had decided to first complete Level X and then go to Uzushiogakure, since he didn't knew what exactly he needed to do to open the Seal.

Naruto used his clones every day to learn Fuinjutsu and everything he needed, with the use of his clones he was able to complete Chakra Manipulation much faster. Toad-jiji had praised them and even had bought Ramen and a few other foods for him to celebrate.

As Naruto was walking through the forest, he couldn't help but smile as a bird landed on his shoulder and singing. He loved calm moments like this one, only him and the nature and of course. A giant furball on his seal.

Kurama growled at Naruto's thought but decided to ignore since it was indeed relaxing and went back to sleeping.

When it came to his Wood-Style, he had no scrolls to help but was able to advance on his own. Jiraiya-sensei told him that if he could, he would bring him scrolls from the Senju Compound, but Tsunade Senju hasn't been in the village for 7 seven years now.

Naruto now could use two new Mokuton Jutsus.

Wood Style: Deep Forest

The jutsu grew as many trees as the user could, by using huge amounts of Chakra. The trees could be used to change the landscape and used to attack the enemy, since the trees had sharp ends, and could be used to bind someone.

Wood Style: Wood Clone

Naruto was able to use this jutsu with how Shadow Clone worked, but wood clones were different from normal Shadow Clones. They were much more durable but needed much more chakra than Shadow clones but what they could do according to Kurama was that with enough training he could use his Chakra Cloak in a clone but only one.

Naruto had learned a few new jutsus in his other affinities.

Fire Style: Flaming Palm Technique

This jutsu allows the user to hold the make spark in their hand. They then amplify it with their chakra until it is a small flame. By mimicking the gentle fist style, the push the flame into their opponent, causing clothes to light, or minor burns on the body.

Water Release: Evil Windmill Water Shuriken

The user creates one or more large Fuuma Shurikens made of water and launches it towards the enemy. The shuriken causes massive damage when hitting an enemy. It is also much more solid than the normal water shurikens and can easily parry other kunais and shurikens that come in its path.

Wind Release: Pressure Damage

It crates a small tornade that sucks everything around. The enemy sucked can be caused serious cuts around the body and even death if is use with more chakra.

Naruto heard from Fukasaku that his godfather was looking for Tsunade. Naruto hoped to meet her soon, he knew she was his godmother and wondered how she was, but in same time wondered why would she leave him alone amongst the wolves. Alone in a village full of Hatred.

Naruto suddenly felt another bird landing on his head, Naruto slowly pulled a finger close to his head, the bird flew to his finger and looked at Naruto. He smiled brightly and decided to reach his house. While walking Naruto turned to his right to see Gamakichi looking at him.

"Gamakichi, how are you doing?" Naruto asked smiling looking down at the small toad. He kneeled.

"Good Naru-kun, hoping we could play again" Gamakichi suggested. Naruto nodded his head since he was sure he could spend some time with the little toad.

As he was following Gamakichi. Naruto thought about the Phoenix Contract, he wondered what would happen if he made a contract with both Toad and Phoenix. He knew there is a high chance that he would never find the contract but if he did he hoped to use it. Naruto sighed heavily and decided to put that thought at the back of his head.

Later

Naruto soon reached the house and to his surprise, Ma and Fukasaku were waiting in front of his door.

"Fukasaku-sama is everything alright?" Naruto asked worriedly.

"Everything is alright Naruto-kun, but Jiraiya-boy will soon arrive, he said he had something important" Fukasaku stated. Naruto raised an eyebrow but decided to just wait for him inside.

He opened a bowl with ramen from a store that toad-jiji had brought him. While eating he also eat a few fruits like carrots, tomato which Naruto didn't like much, and kale. Both Jiraiya and Fukasaku had told him to eat healthy foods.

After eating he suddenly felt toad-jiji just behind his door. He turned his head in time for the door to open, walking inside was toad-jiji smiling.

"Naruto is good to see you my boy" Jiraiya greeted him. Naruto hugged him and the old toad-jiji hugged him back.

Jiraiya looked at him with a proud smile, Naruto reminded him so much of both Minato and Kushina. "I'm fine Sensei" he replied.

"Very well, Naruto there has been a small change of plans" toad-jiji stated and Naruto frowned thinking it was the time for him to return to the village.

Jiraiya noticed Naruto's face and immediately raised his hands. "No is not what you think, the nine months we have, we will spend in roaming around the elemental nations" His toad-jiji stated smiling and Naruto jumped on his feet with his fists in the air. "Yaata" he shouted and looked back at him.

"Where are we going?" Naruto asked but then suddenly remembered that he would have to leave Mount Myoboku, he slightly lowered his gaze and head.

Jiraiya noticed it and put a hand on his shoulder for support. Naruto looked up at him. "Don't worry Naruto, you will meet them whenever you need their help" Jiraiya said reassuring him. After a few moments Naruto nodded his head.

"Now first we will go to Taki, there are many waterfalls there for you to complete your wind manipulation" Jiraiya stated but in same time he didn't tell him that the Nanabi Jinchuuriki was there and hoping that meeting someone like himself would lift his spirit even more. And possibly have a female friend.

"Alright" Naruto said agreeing with the plan and followed him outside.

Walking outside Naruto's eyes widened to see Fukasaku, Ma, Gamapunta (The Boss of the Toads) and Gamakichi. Walking outside he saw Fukasaku handing him a large scroll. Naruto grabbed it and opened it to see that it was the toad summoning contract. He looked at Jiraiya-sensei who nodded his head at him.

He smiled and Naruto bite softly his finger, enough to draw blood and slowly wrote his name in the contract.

"You are now officially a member of ours" Fukasaku-sama stated proudly. Even Kurama was fully awake and was listening with a grin on his face.

"Thank You, Fukasaku-sama" Naruto said smiling gratefully that he had their support and trust.

"I hope to see you again soon" Ma said and so did Gamabunta and Gamakichi.

Jiraiya waved at him and he stood close to him, toad-jiji made a few hand signs and slammed his wide open hand in the ground and everything went white.

Naruto suddenly was somewhere else, first thing he noticed was that he stood in a forest somewhere. Close to him was toad-jiji slowly standing on his feet. Naruto turned to him and waiting for him to say what they would do next.

"Now, you will follow me Naruto" The old sanin stated. Naruto just nodded his head and followed him wanting to see more of the world. He had enjoyed his time in Mount Myoboku, but he missed to talk to someone else except his sensei and toads.

"Ok Naruto while we are walking I have a new chakra control exercise for you" the white haired man spoke taking out a black metal ball the size of his fist and chucking it to Naruto who caught it

"Wow this thing is heavy toad-jiji, what am I supposed to do with it?" Naruto asked curious as to what his new exercise would be. He knew this wasn't needed for his elemental manipulation.

"I want you to explode this ballon filled with water using your chakra only" Jiraiya said and Naruto got to work but the task was proving difficult.

"So in how many places you have been Toad-jiji?" Naruto asked, detaching his canteen from his utility belt and taking a sip of refreshing water. They had been travelling for two days now, journeying from town to town, city to city.

"In many places Naruto, I have been in Kumogakure, the village is more like living in clouds, but still very beautiful. Have been in Kiri, not really my cup of tea. And have been in Suna a few times, even with your father" toad-jiji replied smiling remembering the old times of him with Minato.

Naruto was surprised to hear that. "Really? Why were you there?" Naruto asked since he knew that Suna was an ally of Konoha and they weren't probably there because of war.

"When Minato became hokage, he went to the village a few times. I tagged along" Jiraiya answered and Naruto felt and noticed the melancholy on his voice. Almost like opening a closed wound.

"What about Iwa?" Naruto asked since Iwa and Konoha were like oil and water, just can't combine them.

"No, the last time I was in Iwa territory was during the war not for Fun" The old sannin replied and kept walking towards Taki.

"What kind of chakra control exercise is this anyway? I've been trying for days but the damn thing won't pop. Can't I just use clones to do it for me? It'd sure as hell cut down the time process."

"No," Jiraiya replied sternly as he had done so many times before when posed with the question. "Now get cracking, we still got a long way ahead of us."

"You know, this isn't like anything I expected when you told me you were going to be teaching me a new jutsu," Naruto complained as he channelled his chakra into the water balloon, willing it to burst. It was much harder than it sound, popping a water balloon with chakra, and though Jiraiya had yet to tell him what this chakra exercise was for, Naruto persevered, intent on finding it out on his own. He had nothing but time to kill anyway, as they journeyed to their destinations on foot. But couldn't understand why his sensei wasn't letting him to use clones to speed up the process.

Jiraiya didn't respond and kept walking. Naruto would've liked nothing better than to pelt Jiraiya with the water balloon but he had been given the impression this exercise was too important for him to wasting the balloons on such childish escapades, and so the young jinchūriki continued to channel chakra through the balloon and tried to manipulate the water inside of the balloon to explode. But Naruto couldn't help but wonder where he had heard about this exercise.

"Try spinning," Jiraiya suggested after a while.

"Spinning?" Naruto repeated. "Alright..." Naruto conceded after another moment of silence. He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath as he fine exercised as much possible control over his chakra as he channelled it into the balloon. 'Spin... spin... SPIN, damn it!'

Naruto almost jumped as he felt the water spin in the water balloon rapidly. "I did it- I mean, I'm doing it!" Naruto hadn't expected to be this excited over achieving some progression but he was. "Now to up the chakra output..."

With a snapping sound the water balloon burst and Naruto's right hand felt wet. "Hell yeah, it worked!" He punched the air and Jiraiya shot him an approving smile over his shoulder. "So what now, Toad-jiji?"

"Just keep practicing," Jiraiya threw another water balloon over his shoulder.

Tomorrow

The midday sun shined down on the world from a clear, nearly cloudless sky. It was another one of the beautiful days the Land of Fire was known for. The songs of birds and the cries of cicadas could be heard flowing along with the slight breeze that flowed through the area as the critters of the forest went about facing another day of life.

As the sun rays bathed the land in its light and warmth and the sounds of nature echoed through the land, two figures walked down a dirt path between a deep forest and a gushing river.

The first was a fairly tall man, standing just over six feet tall. He had spiky white hair tied in a ponytail that trailed down to his waist and framed his face in a pair of bangs. He wore an unusual, horned forehead protector that bore the kanji for oil as opposed to the sign of his village. He wore a green kimono shirt with matching pants held by a black belt over mesh armor along with a red haori that had two yellow circles on its sides and wooden geta sandals. He had two red lines trailing down from his eyes and had the summon scroll of the toads strapped to his back. He was non other than Jiraiya of the Sannin, one of the most famous (and infamous with the ladies) shinobi in the world.

The other was a young boy, moving to the side of the road to get a better view of the walled town in the distance, close enough that it could be seen but too far to make out any of its features. He had spiky red hair and ocean blue eyes.

This was Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi (Kurama).

"How long before we reach Taki?" Naruto asked, looking up at his sensei. "What kind of place is Taki?"

Despite the fact that the whole purpose of this trip was his training, they'd done nothing for the past four days. They'd visited two villages and one city in the Land of Fire and so far, the Sannin had left him to practice his elemental manipulation while he went off doing god knows what. Sometimes, he said he'd needed to meet a contact, but other times the red head thought the Sannin was just doing nasty stuff.

"Actually, it's over here." Jiraiya said, pointing his thumb to the trees as the blond turned around to look at him. "If I remember right, there should be a lake just past here. Seems like as good a place as any to start."

With that, the Sannin turned away from the path, brushing aside some of the foliage in his way as he stepped beyond the tree line and said over his shoulder, "Come on, kid this way." But he needn't have bothered; the red head was already in pursuit of his sensei.

It wasn't long before the two found themselves in a large clearing surrounding a lake, just as the toad summoner predicted. The sun reflected off of the crystal clear waters as the large man took stock of the location and nodded to himself.

Naruto took off his backpack, laying it against the trunk of a nearby tree before joining his sensei. "So, what are we doing here?" He asked but thinking about the exercise that toad-jiji had given him. He found it strange to be a normal chakra control exercise and not mention that exercise wasn't in the book about chakra control and Naruto's chakra control was already good.

Jiraiya looked around and made sure that no one was around before turning to Naruto. He smirked and cracked his knuckles. "You ready?" Jiraiya suddenly asked, before Naruto could ask 'Ready about what?'. Jiraiya moved in front of him and slammed a seal on his forehead. Backing away immediately.

Naruto felt Kurama's chakra flewing through him but this time felt different, he felt more relaxed. His body didn't feel like something was tearing his way into him.

Naruto's whiskers grew, looking more intimidating, his nails grew as large as that of a fox. His teeth slowly grew and sharp enough to tear flesh. His eyes turned red. A red chakra cloak slowly covered Naruto around like a blanket. The part around his head grew two large ears. A tail slowly grew behind him. Naruto slowly stood on his four, the amount of chakra with one tail felt less overwhelming. Before it felt like trying to fill a vodka glass using a pool full of water.

"Naruto" Kurama suddenly said concerned that he might lose control again.

Naruto kept his gaze at Toad-jiji, Jiraiya kept vigilant in case Naruto suddenly attacked. But he wasn't moving, breathing heavily. He took a deep breath and felt relaxed again. A smile slowly spread on his face, and his red eyes turned to look at toad-jiji who smiled back.

"Well done kit" Kurama complimented him.

Naruto kept the chakra cloak around, he wanted to get used to it, Kurama warned him to not try to use more than one tail worth of chakra.

"Thanks Kurama" Naruto said on his head, and Kurama's chakra slowly vanished, turning Naruto to normal.

"Well done my boy, let's rest here for some time" Jiraiya suggested and Naruto nodded in agreement since he suddenly felt extremely tired and wanted to sleep.

Hidden Hideout

A man using a cane slowly walked through a long corridor, the silence was overwhelming around him but not his mind. He had many thoughts and questions that had no answers. Right now he was getting closer than ever to have Izanagi on his own hands. He had three now, but once the plan is done. He will have 10 Izanagi to secure his safety and immortality in a way.

Danzo wasn't a fool, he knew Izanagi wouldn't make him younger or anything like that's why he was after the daughter and the woman many years ago. Uzumaki clan was known for their lifespan. He needed them to experiment and perhaps find a way to use their cells to enhance his body. Live longer and make sure to lead Hidden Leaf to where it belongs, full power over the Elemental Nations.

His thoughts were on the Jinchuuriki of Kyuubi, he had left the village for three years now and Hiruzen wasn't talking. Just the thought of his old teammate telling him that he's the hokage and he can't demand things, made him clench his hand around the cane. But what surprised him even more was him being able to use Wood Style.

' "The Shinobi was about to use his kunai to slice the demon's throat, I was about to stop him when trees suddenly grew and killed the whole mob"

Danzo grunted that the shinobi had tried to ignore his orders to leave the weapon alive, but having Wood-Style.

With him in my hands, training him properly, he can easily take all the bijuu around the world and bring them back to Konoha as it should have been, if Hashirama-sama had kept the bijuu, the other four hidden villages would bend the knee to their betters, Danzo thought stopped when a big door opened in front of him.

Walking outside, in the grass stood Itachi Uchiha. The boy had done his job well, the Uchiha clan needs to go.

"Hokage might have told you to wait but we have no time, if the Uchiha clans starts their rebellion. Will leave us weak and vulnerable, what will stop the likes of Kumo or Iwa to conquer Konoha" Danzo stated with an emotionless tone.

The dark eyes of Itachi showed no emotions but inside he was questioning everything.

"Kill your clan and your brother gets to live, or you can join them" Danzo offered the choice to him. Itachi closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes to look at Danzo.

"I will do It" he stated with a fully matured sharingan.

Later

Itachi stood at the top of a pole looking down as his little brother ran towards the clan. With a Genjutsu he made him take the long way around before disappearing in the darkness.

Quickly moving through the shadows, Itachi walked inside the first house he came across, without thinking, swinged his swords and sliced them open, blood flew like waterfall. He didn't even see their faces. Not even their eyes, just the sound of blood.

Itachi closed his heart to their suffering, and swinged again and again and again. Kill after kill. Slice after Slice. House after house. Killing everyone, except the Police of Uchiha Clan. Someone else took care of that.

As he moved silently through the shadows, his eyes went to a certain girl. Izumi, her beautiful eyes looking directly at him. But there was no fear in her eyes, a small smile spread in her face despite seeing the blood all around his body. Itachi closed his eyes and made his decision. With a powerful Genjutsu, known as Tsukuyomi. He showed her how it could have been, together. How it should have been, if only if the world wasn't so unforgiving.

Itachi and Izumi stood together beneath a tree, Izumi resting her head on his chest, and his fingers caressing her hair.

One step

Itachi and Izumi stood together holding hands, they swear to love each other until death.

One more step

"Her name will be Akayuki" Izumi whispered in Itachi's ear as he kissed her belly growing.

One tear

Holding hands they stood together looking at their children playing, two daughters and one boy. Akayuki, Serina and Shisui.

One Swing of the Sword.