The solitary guard was sitting as still as death when Naruto saw them.
After a day of traversing flat Iron Country ground his group had crossed another border, entering the Land of Waterfalls. Here the terrain took on a grade again, though it was gentler than the Land of Clouds had been, and the trees grew thick around the path. When they camped, they did so under a canopy. It took them one night and the better part of the day that followed to arrive at Takigakure.
Or at least, the entrance available to the public.
"We come from Kumo!" Darui shouted when the group got close.
Like a statue coming to life, the one awaiting them sat up smoothly, leaving a chair that had been carved from the stone of a low cliff. The rock was dark and gray, unlike the reddish clay of Lightning Country. The figure themself was dressed oddly— flowing robes, like a monk, with long black hair, pale skin, and a reddish blindfold that covered both eyes. They smiled at the approaching guests.
"I was told to expect three," they said. From their face, Naruto hadn't been able to tell if they were a man or a woman, and their voice didn't help him make up his mind.
"Three of us are from our village. Two are rogues, making the same trip. Will you permit them entry?"
"Missing-nin? Takigakure does not turn up its nose at those lacking a home. Enter, but be warned that any trouble caused will not be met with leniency," said the guide. "I am called Nao. I will be your guide. Follow me to our paradise."
Nao swept around and guided them further down the road they had been following, where it was swallowed whole by the cliff, turning into a tunnel. Naruto and Hinata ended up standing at the front, walking with Darui beside them, while Omoi and Yugito lingered behind. All of them were looking around as the light of day faded at their backs, replaced by a luminescent mist that rose up to their ankles. Somewhere far off, rushing water could be heard.
"Hey, can you see out of that thing?" Naruto asked.
"Not a speck," Nao said, still smiling behind the blindfold.
"Then how'd you know there were five of us? And won't you trip?" The cave wasn't completely flat, with small rocks jutting up and puddles that threatened to catch unsuspecting feet.
"I am a guide," Nao said. "All visitors to Taki must pass through these caves. They are our defenses, and the cradle that has let us grow strong. From a young age, I have been trained to perform my duty. Does that answer your question?"
"Kinda," Naruto said. "I still wanna know how you counted us."
"Many feet," Nao said.
They smiled.
At one point, Naruto was convinced the cave was going down. Then he thought the cave had been bending left. Twenty steps later, he was sure they'd actually been curving right, and finally he was sure they were traveling up, at which point he had to acknowledge that he was totally lost. Once, Hinata activated her Byakugan in an attempt to get her bearings.
She almost fell forward, had Naruto not grabbed her arm and helped steady her. She deactivated her Dojutsu quickly, looking dizzy.
"A Genjutsu," Kyu said. "It is powerful, and old. The mist applies it… And that distant clink of water droplets against rocks… And that bell, too."
Once Kyu pointed it out, Naruto noticed a small bell hanging from a chord around Nao's neck, ringing softly.
"The technique is designed to fool mortal senses. Eyes in particular," Kyu said.
Naruto didn't feel dizzy anymore after pulsing a sliver of his partner's chakra, snapping any Genjutsu that had set in, but he'd be lying if he pretended he wasn't still lost. Nao's chin tilted toward him slightly when his chakra flared, but nothing was said. Soon after, Yugito did something similar at the back of the group.
By then, they had almost reached their destination. There was no mistaking the sharp uphill grade for the final stretch. Like curtains had been ripped back, they exited the tunnel, blinking as sunlight struck their eyes.
"We have arrived." Nao gave a brief bow, before turning around and leaving the same way they had arrived. An identically-dressed guide with blond hair instead of black hair was waiting next to this entrance, and they gave the group a similar bow.
"Greetings. I am Ao," they said. "This way, please. The village awaits."
The new guide took them down an idyllic path along the shore of a tremendous lake. Takigakure was an island, dominated by the tree in its center, far bigger than any plant Naruto had seen before.
He found himself staring at its branches high overhead, each so big you could've built a village on top of one.
Omoi was looking up with a similar sense of wonder, but Darui and Yugito only looked forward, toward the lights of a human settlement. Maybe they'd been here before. Or they just weren't the kind to gawk.
When they reached Taki itself, they got a better look at the surroundings. The village was on an island, in the shade of the titanic tree. The lake was fed by a tremendous roaring cascade that tumbled off a tall rocky cliff. Although it was hundreds of meters away, the boom of its impact against the lake was still audible.
Ringing the lake on the other three sides was dense, uninhabited forest. Naruto had heard tell from other travelers that it extended all the way to the border of the Land of Waterfalls. The hidden village was the country's only human settlement, hidden like a needle in a haystack. There was a reason it had never been invaded in times of war.
"Hoh, travelers!" someone shouted from ahead.
A man with a black beard was standing at the entrance to a row of stalls. The village lay behind him, businesses and shops on the ground while the houses were built higher up, situated on roots of the huge tree. Around the man was a team of fifteen, who came forward quickly.
"Merchants?" the man asked.
"Envoys!" Darui answered. He gestured at Naruto and Hinata a second later. "And visitors."
The man's spirit wasn't dimmed. "Customers, then!"
He turned his neck to look over his shoulder. "Get those stalls open!"
The people around him rushed away. Wooden counters were folded out, stalls were manned, and goods were stacked up. Ao bowed and turned around, tracing their steps back to the post they had left. As Taki prepared to welcome guests (and lure them into spending their money) Naruto noticed one worker going above and beyond. With a cloak pulled up, they shot around from stall to stall transferring boxes, stacking goods, or lifting things that had fallen. It almost looked like their feet weren't touching the ground.
The impromptu travel group split up. The Kumo shinobi left quickly to attend to whatever they'd been sent for. Meanwhile, Hinata and Naruto were sacrificed to the welcoming committee.
"Perfumes! Perfumes! For the pretty lady—"
"I promise, you've never tasted a jam this sweet—"
"Over here! Our silks are the finest you can find—"
A market formed around them. The man who first called out to them watched with a smile, his arms crossed. Naruto and Hinata separated, silently agreeing that it would be best to buy something if they were going to be staying here, allowing themselves to be pulled to different stalls.
Naruto turned a wood carving over in his hands, studying its narrow tail and pointed ears. The wooden cat stared back at him in almost unnatural detail.
"Do you like cats?" someone asked.
They were whispering, for some reason. Naruto found himself facing the cloaked figure he'd seen running before. She — because it was a girl with mellow olive skin — had finished her work and felt social. She leaned in next to Naruto's side, bumping shoulders with him.
"I know someone who does… I think?" Naruto said.
Did Yugito like cats, or did she hate them? That would require further research.
"She's a friend of yours?" the girl sounded enthused by this.
"I think she's a friend," Naruto said. "She'd probably say we weren't if you asked her, though."
The girl made a face. "That's complicated."
"Kinda," Naruto agreed.
She looked serious, but only for a few seconds, then she was grinning.
"Hey, they say you betrayed your village and ran off. That's pretty naughty!"
The last time Naruto heard someone use the word 'naughty' was in a very different context. Past a certain age, people usually didn't call you naughty when you misbehaved.
"I don't think I betrayed them," Naruto said. "They treated me badly, so I left. Some of the people celebrated when I was gone. It's not naughty then."
"It's definitely naughty," the girl said. "But I can imagine people being like that." Again, her serious demeanor only lasted a few seconds, this time dissolving into a dreamy sigh. "I wish I could travel. I've heard that Water Country has the best beaches, even better than the ones here, and Wind Country is supposed to be soooo hot, wouldn't that be weird to feel? Wait, you've probably been there. But I haven't. I'd love to see it. I'm—"
Naruto's eyes flickered to the side as she talked. A second later, a man appeared there from the crowd, his arrival too silent and far too quick to be a civilian.
"Fū," he said.
He had curly brown hair, narrow eyes, and thin lips. There was a distinct lack of expression on his face. The girl, Fū, chuckled. "Hey, Kegon. Fancy running into you here?"
"We're leaving," Kegon said.
He pulled her away, something between guiding her and dragging her. As they went, her hood slid back, revealing her face. Fū had mint hair and orange eyes.
"Bye! It was nice meeting you!" Fū shouted.
"You too!" Naruto called back.
It seemed like a little thing, but Fū immediately beamed.
"Hey, can we be—" she said.
Kegon disappeared in a Sunshin technique, carrying Fū with him. Naruto lowered the hand he had been waving with. His smile faded, his eyes darting over the crowd.
Of the merchants that had been smiling at him hawking their wares to the rare guest that their village received, most wore sour looks. They had briefly forgotten about him, staring at the place where Fū had been dragged away. He heard them whispering to each other.
Hinata arrived beside Naruto, her arms laden with local soaps and a small bottle of sap-based syrup. "Who was that?"
"A friend… maybe," he said.
Hinata looked at him, somewhat curious but certain that if he wanted to explain, he would.
She started to show what she had bought, Naruto showed her the cat carving, and before too long they left the market behind, traveling deeper into the village in search of lodgings.
O-O-O
Takigakure had a unique design.
Roughly one-third of the village was level with the surface of the lake. This area included a single large inn for visitors and many market stalls serving food and selling examples of all of Taki's experts— exotic fruits, minerals, and crafts and foods harvested from the tree that towered overhead.
The tree was called Fallen Leaf Tree, and it was on those towering roots that the rest of the village lay. Visitors weren't allowed to ascend the carved wooden staircases that led to these areas. Each was guarded by three Takigakure shinobi, including a Jounin. Based on the noise of voices and the flickering lights that came to life overnight, it wasn't just houses that lay beyond the stairs but an entire second village, only available to those who called Taki their permanent home.
Further up was a single prominent building. It looked a little like a country estate, but was emblazoned with the symbol of Taki (two downward lines in the shape of a waterfall) marking it as the home of their kage.
Naruto leaned against the wall of the room he and Hinata had purchased for their stay. It was their first morning in Takigakure, the night having passed peacefully. Hinata was downstairs having a bath, leaving the room entirely to him.
His eyes drifted from the tree's gargantuan branches down to the windowsill, where the cat carving was sitting.
He spun around, scrawling a note for Hinata and leaving it on the bed. Be back later. Going to visit Yugito. Then he left the room behind, running along the rooftops.
Naruto traveled quickly, circling outside of the village before he started climbing the roots. He moved fast to avoid discovery. He'd rather not flee from Taki in a hurry. That didn't sound fun.
There were shinobi patrolling, but they were easy enough to spot and avoid. Taki's first line of defense was getting into the village. In times of peace, when they allowed wandering shinobi in, it wasn't too difficult to sneak in deeper. At least not for Naruto. That was handy if he wanted to visit Yugito, because the Kumo delegation had been given rooms in the kage residence, much deeper in the village than rank-and-file outsiders were supposed to reach.
He found her conveniently quickly. She was sitting alone on a root looking out over Fallen Leaf Lake, her knees drawn up to her chest.
"Nice view," Naruto said, hopping up beside her.
Yugito was neither surprised nor angry to see him pop up. "What do you want?" Her voice hovered between bored and curious.
"I got you a present." Naruto tossed the cat sculpture to Yugito, who caught it. She stared at the expertly carved wood.
"Why?" Yugito asked.
"I thought you might like it." Naruto shrugged. "Plus… I kind of messed up."
Briefly, a wry smile crossed Yugito's face. "That's one way of putting it."
"What'd he do?"
Yugito flinched and flung herself up, a curse tearing from her lips. A girl had dropped in on them, literally. Fū fell seemingly out of the sky, landing adroitly on the branch. She looked curiously at Yugito.
"Why'd you jump?" Fū asked.
"Where in Kami's name did you come from?" Yugito asked in return.
"Up." Fū pointed straight above them, toward the canopy far above. "Hey, Naruto, is this your friend-who-isn't-a-friend?"
"The same one I was talking about," Naruto confirmed.
"Neat!"
Fū seemed to think that about a lot of things from what Naruto could see.
She popped up, shooting in front of Yugito and holding her hand out, asking to shake. "I'm Fū!" said Fū. "Who're you?"
"...Yugito."
Kumo's Jinchuriki introduced herself, but didn't grasp the hand being offered. She was distracted by Fū's back, where two orange-and-green wings were protruding. Fū remained frozen, smiling and waiting, until Yugito finally shook her hand, mostly doing it to get the shorter girl to back off.
"Eeeeh!" Fū squealed, so overjoyed by having her hand shaken that she floated up in the air, spinning through a brief backflip. "This is great! Most people won't touch me, but you two do it without thinking twice!"
Yugito frowned. Her eyes were still flickering to the wings extending out of Fū's back, which seemed like a part of her body. "Are you—?"
"She's a Jinchuriki," Naruto said.
Fū's smile temporarily fled. She stared at him. "How'd you know that? Was it my wings? That's just a bloodline of mine!"
The lie flowed naturally, sounding like something that had been drilled into her, but Naruto replied by lifting his shirt.
With his abs uncovered, he channeled enough chakra for his seal to flare to life. Fū gasped, and Yugito frowned. She surprised Naruto slightly by doing the same thing he had, revealing the seal on her equally chiseled stomach.
"You guys are like me…" Fū said.
"Naruto carries the nine-tails," Yugito admitted. "And I am the two-tails Jinchuriki."
Fū looked between them, moving her head faster and faster until it turned into a blur.
"Group hug!" Fū shouted.
She dove down, trying to wrap her arms around both of them, but Yugito skipped backwards, landing on all fours as putrid chakra threatened to spill out of her seal.
"No touching!" Yugito hissed, looking at where Fū had wrapped Naruto alone into a full-body embrace.
"Aww…" Fū whined, pouting.
She didn't stay upset for long. In minutes, all three Jinchuriki were lined up on a tree branch, looking at the early afternoon sun glinting off Fallen Leaf Lake.
"You live with another Jinchuriki? That's so cool!" Fū said.
"If you had to deal with B, you wouldn't be so excited about it," Yugito said. "His insistence on rapping… And his utter lack of skill at it… He's a moron, in short."
Or so she said. Naruto could see a glimmer of a smile on her lips.
"He raps?" Whatever impression Yugito meant to give, she failed. Fū's eyes were shining like stars. "That's amazing!"
"I'd like to see it," Naruto added, smirking. "A Jinchuriki rapping before he transforms? You've gotta admit, that's pretty cool."
"I'll admit no such thing," Yugito said.
Fū sighed dreamily.
"I've never met another Jinchuriki," Fū said. "Not until today. Or yesterday, I guess," she added, glancing at Naruto. "None of them ever come to visit!"
"Most Jinchuriki are each other's enemies," Yugito said. "Even ignoring the ones who are outright insane. Which accounts for at least a third."
"You're exaggerating," Fū said. "Why would so many of us be crazy?"
Yugito gave her a look that said, are you dim?
"Overexposure to caustic chakra," she said bluntly. "It eats away at you with every use. Over time, all of us are driven insane."
Fū shook her head, crossing her arms. "Chōmei wouldn't do that to me!"
"Who the fuck is that?" Yugito asked.
"My friend!" Fū said, patting her exposed midriff.
"You… You gave it a name?" Yugito asked.
"Of course not. Chōmei came with it. Duh," said Fū . "Hasn't the two-tails told you her name?"
"It doesn't have one," Yugito said.
Naruto cleared his throat.
"Matabi," he said. "That's her name. Kyu told me."
Fū squealed. "What a pretty name!"
Yugito looked like a nasty headache was making its home in her skull.
"All crazy. All crazy," she mumbled.
"Hey, hey." Fū leaned over Naruto's lap to poke Yugito in the thigh.
Yugito slapped the finger away before it could divet her thigh. "What?"
"Why'd you come out here?" Fū asked. "I pay attention in history classes, no matter what Shibuki says, and he told me Jinchuriki don't go out. He says that's why I've always got to stay home. You—" she pointed at Naruto "—were naughty, so you get to go wherever you want."
Fū sighed wistfully, the idea of that eliciting a certain amount of longing, before she refocused on Yugito.
"But Kumo sent you. That's kinda weird, isn't it?"
Naruto looked over from the corner of his eye, curious about the same thing. Sending Yugito on missions within Lightning Country was one thing, but shipping her all the way to Taki? They'd need a good reason to do that.
"It's secret," Yugito said.
Fū hung her head at the rejection. She kicked her legs off the branch, looking down mopily. Yugito watched her for a few seconds.
"You're just a kid," Yugito mumbled.
"Hey, I'll have you know I'm eighteen! I'm a sexy young woman!" Fū declared. Naruto coughed, not having expected that description, while Fū raised her nose proudly, her hands on her hips. She sure changed emotions quickly.
Yugito watched her in silence, a complicated look crossing her face. She jerked her head away, gazing at the bark between her legs.
"Kakuzu," Yugito said, speaking softly. "Do you know the name?"
"Uh-uh." Fū shook her head. "Never heard of 'im."
Naruto had gone still.
"He was a Takigakure shinobi," Naruto said. "He went rogue decades ago."
"Wouldn't that make him an old man now?" Fū asked.
"You'd think so," Naruto said.
"He's a bounty hunter. It's been decades since he started, but he's never stopped. His appearance never changes. Wrapped in a mask and hood, he's amassed a fortune one head at a time. If you see him, try to get away." Yugito glanced at Fū one more time, then looked away. "You're fast," she said, carefully looking at the water. "I'm sure you could do it."
"You mean leave Taki? I'm not supposed to do that…"
"If Kakuzu appears here the village is a lost cause," Yugito said. "Beware the red clouds."
"Red clouds?"
"Akatsuki," Naruto said.
Yugito looked sharply at him, but averted her eyes seconds later, nodding.
Suddenly, Naruto understood why Darui had been eager to bring him all the way to Taki. Everything about escorting them out of Lightning Country was likely true. But it was more than that. They wanted his power on hand in case Yugito was targeted. Naruto had never been able to tell how much the major villages knew about the rising threat toward the Jinchuriki. Apparently, Kumo at least wasn't clueless.
Yugito was starting to look uncomfortable. She mumbled something to herself that sounded like, "Village secrets…" Glancing nervously at Naruto, she addressed Fū one more time.
"If anyone asks if you're a Jinchuriki, especially if they're in black cloaks, they don't want to be your friend," Yugito said. "Keep that in mind."
She swung off the branch and dropped out of sight. A few seconds later, she could be heard running along the roots, speeding back to the kage residence.
"That was a fun chat," Fū said. Her smile was undampened.
"...Really?" Naruto asked. It seemed kind of heavy to him.
"Yeah!" Fū 's wings buzzed behind her back, lifting her a few inches so that she was hovering, still in a seated stance. "Most people don't talk to me," she confessed. "Just Shibuki really. He's the Takikage. Some of the Jounin will talk to me too, like Kegon, but they aren't as fun as you and Yugito. You guys are like me!" Fū buzzed higher into the air. "Hey, wanna play a game? I'm a whiz at hide-and-seek. I mean, no one's ever played it with me, but I'm so sure I'd be good! Wanna see?"
Before Naruto could answer, he spotted a group of Takigakure shinobi coming toward them. There were eight total, spread out like they were searching for something. Considering he was currently somewhere he shouldn't be, he'd rather not get caught by them. Especially if they were looking for intruders like he suspected.
"Sorry Fū. Next time?" he asked, standing up.
Fū pouted.
"That's a promise!" she said.
"Next time," Naruto said, with more confidence. He even gave her a grin, which Fū returned.
"Bye-bye! You're gonna lose!" Fū shouted, waving, as Naruto hurled himself off the branch.
"I've been avoiding Konoha for years! I can hide from one measly Jinchuriki!" he called, falling with his back toward the roots below.
His last sight of Fū was the girl smiling and waving, floating in the air, euphoric over making two new friends.
He turned his body midair, spinning to land on his toes, and sprung away, traversing the roots down to the village itself. By the time he got to the room, Hinata was back and waiting.
They bought food from a stall, bringing two bowls of a vegetarian green curry down to the beach, where they ate with their toes dipped in the refreshing water. Naruto and Hinata walked the circumference of the island, marveling at the views offered of the waterfall. For dinner, they enjoyed a cheesy and doughy dish in downtown Taki, watching the lanterns of the upper half of town come on over their heads. After that, they retired to their room, sharing a bed. Hinata went to sleep with her head on Naruto's chest. The sun had just set, taking its blood-red light with it, blunging the idyllic lake scene into darkness.
Only an hour later, Takigakure was on fire.