A strange new life. [Naruto]

[Petrox]

Because her path will lead to the lot of snakes on the menu. Hope they eat Manda alive.

 

[okashihime]

Tension thick enough to cut with a kunai pressed on me. Tsuchigaru's massive eyes bore down on us. Karin's grip on my arm reached the death-grip settings. I fought the urge to shrink back. That's not how I expected things to go after the somewhat peaceful start, but I noticed a few things. For one, that the big one hadn't killed us yet. For another, what was this about the snake's stench? The only thing I could think of regarding the snake was my eye and Orochimaru. Orochimaru also meant Ryuchi Cave and his summons.

That gave me an idea to try. I wasn't a friend of the snakes; I very much had a blood feud with Orochimaru. I could use that, but I wasn't willing to give that information for free. I remembered the murals, and the pictographs of badgers and humans trading. Maybe they liked to barter? Why else would they have a history lesson over that? I could do bartering. It was even in my favor since I had nothing else besides information to offer.

The best case scenario was to enlist their help with a contract, gather supplies, and have them send me back from wherever their lands were. In a worst-case scenario, I'd settle up to leaving here alive, with information on how to return to Konoha.

I puffed my non-existent chest, raised my head. Confidence, that was now my middle name.

"I am no snake friend. I fought and killed them before." I mean, not me, me. It was Naruto and Sasuke who killed those giant snakes in the Forest of Death, but I helped, right? I even had a hand in their training. I hope they didn't mind me taking credit. "I have a blood feud against their summoner; I orchestrated his fall." Even if I didn't believe that was the last I had seen of Orochimaru and that it wasn't me who killed him, but the Hokage and Shisui. I was the one that moved the pieces years before. That also counted as my kill, right? Right?

Alliances declared, boast stated, I started my sales pitch. "You'll sign a summoner contract with me," I rasped, held in the urge to cough. I wasn't good at negotiations, but I knew you should always shoot up for the biggest you can and negotiate to a more realistic outcome. "You'll send us back, give us supplies and equipment. In return, I'll provide you with news regarding the snake-clan."

A rumble from above followed my declaration. "You want to barter?" The voice asked, amused. Tsuchigaru's eyes glinted in the semi-darkness of the cave.

Kumoko's tiny chakra bundle moved. She dashed from the big paws side until she was at Tsuchigaru's face. "Pops! Lemme handle this!" Her small, fur-covered frame shook. She looked a bit silly, glaring up at her giant father.

"And why should I let you, cub? You've already meddled enough when I ordered our guests to be left alone."

"Cause I earned my name!" The answer came in a high-pitched, squeaky growl. "I can handle this stuff now!" Kumoko's puffed tail pointed straight up. She turned to me. "Let me barter with the snake girl. If she's lying, I can always eat her eye after."

Why was Kumoko so obsessed with my eye?

Another quake-chuckle rumbled through the room. "Have it your way then, Kumoko."

Kumoko preened, tail still straight up. "Snake girl," she squeaky-growled my way. Was she trying to be intimidating? "Here are my terms for you: The snake girl will surrender all her secrets, give me her eye, and the Iron Skin clan will let her leave this place alive!"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. I wanted to feel insulted that I was relegated to deal with his kid, but wasn't that to my advantage? Hoodwinking—I mean, convincing Kumoko might be much easier than her father.

---

"No!" Kumoko's tail lashed out.

The she-devil paced in front of me. I had, at some point, sat down. Karin had also sat by my side and now rested her head on my lap. Gentle breathing indicated she was fast asleep. I couldn't blame her, the negotiation had gone on for the better part of an hour, and Karin hadn't recovered from me sucking her dry of life force the previous day. I was worried. Karin displayed an uncomfortable level of trust and familiarity with me for someone she barely met a few hours ago. Was this one of those cases of abuse victims imprinting on their saviors or some bullshit like that?

I was holding a bloodied piece of Karin's shirt. The redhead was kind enough to offer me a scrap of fabric to clean the blood from my mouth before she fell asleep. My throat was a stinging mess, and I was ready to be done with this. Maybe this was Kumoko's strategy. Drag this out as much as possible until I give up and agree to her inane demands.

Kumoko looked at her giant dad again. She'd done that whenever declaring her terms. Was she looking for the approval of the patriarch? She looked back at me, eyes narrowing.

"The clan will give the snake-girl supplies, help her find her way back to human lands, sign a summoning contract with her." She said with another frustrated lash of her short tail. "She'll give us the information about the snake clan and their summoner, pay in high-quality honey for each summon, help us acquire supplies from human lands, and give me her eye."

We had come to somewhat agreeable terms.

A summoning contract with the Iron Hide badger clan, each summon paid in honey, the amount depending on the badger summoned and the task performed. Honey wasn't that cheap in Konoha, but I had contacts. If I didn't abuse the summons, I wouldn't have problems with the payment. I also didn't mind summoning them from time to time and providing them with storage seals so they could move stuff from Konoha back to their land.

Shinobi equipment for Karin and me. I was tired of walking around half-naked. It wasn't the worst here, because none of the badgers seemed to care about my state of undress, but I often caught Karin's averted gaze whenever I moved. Yeah, nope. I was too young to be flashing redheads.

A way back to Konoha. Unfortunately, the badger clan couldn't reverse-summon me back to the Land of Waves. About a decade ago, they had cut ties with most of the shinobis in the great countries. There was no agent in the human lands to perform the summons, so we settled up for the Iron Hide clan providing a guide to help us on the long trip back.

The problem was that Kumoko was obsessed with my eye, and I wasn't sure why. She never budged on that one demand. Trying to negotiate around it was a waste of time. Trying to learn why was also a waste of time. I wasn't keen on going blind because the cub wanted my eye. That left me trying to compromise.

"I agree with most of that," I started, and Kumoko's head perked up. "I even agree with your demand for my eye," the she-devil took a step toward me, and I rushed to add through the pain in my throat, "with conditions."

Kumoko stopped, tail puffed, and lashed out again. "What conditions?"

"I'll give you the eye if and when I recover my own to replace it." I rasped out.

I wasn't sure if I could ever recover my eye from the Hyuga or where the other eye was, but on the chance I did, I wasn't against letting Kumoko have the snake eye. I'd even cheer her on if she wanted to snack on the thing. I just wasn't about to set myself on fire to make her feel warm, so to speak.

Kumoko growled and clawed the ground. I saw the refusal coming, but a rumble from the silent patriarch ended her building comeback. Kumoko shook for a moment, pawed the ground again, and lashed her tail even more.

"What do you mean?" She finally asked.

I shrugged. "Someone stole my eyes; put this one in its place. I want to get my own back."

Kumoko stared for a long while, then she nodded. "Agreed."

I let out a sigh of relief. That had been way more difficult and tiring than I had anticipated.

"Good job, cub," Tsuchigaru praised and ignored the growly "not a cub" from Kumoko. He turned to me. "Thank you for letting my daughter have her first barter, the opportunities are rare these days."

I nodded at the patriarch. Mostly, I was glad this was over.

"Kumoko will take you to our storage to gather equipment and lead you to the hive; I'll have the contract ready once you return."

What was he talking about? Return from what hive? "Return?"

Tsuchigaru's eyes bore on me again. "Of course," the clan leader said, "no respectable badger clan will sign a contract without a gift of royal jelly. Kumoko will guide you to the Bee's hive."

My shoulder slumped. Of course, why had I thought it would be this easy? I could even hear the capitalization of the word bee from the patriarch. These were going to be some giant killer bees, weren't they?

---

Spoiler: AN

Thank you for reading. Next chapter Friday.

Proofreader: CakeEight.

I set up a patreon (mostly to help me commission images).
There's about 25 chapters ahead.

 

[Petrox]

Well, Mokuton could help making big flowers as a peace offering?

 

[jayofgrey]

Heh. Float like a badger, sting like a bee!
Shoulder loli badger acquired? Why do I have a feeling that Kumoko has a history with snakes like maybe her mom got ganked or something?

 

[FloVix]

 

[okashihime]

It was the day after the negotiations. Kumoko led the way through a series of tunnels, some big, others small, twists and turns and passages that sometimes looked all the same.

Even after another day of rest, Karin wasn't in better condition. The redhead lagged behind, and I often had to stop and wait until she caught up. At one point, I offered to carry her, but she just shook her head and pushed me to keep moving. Had I sucked out that much of her life force? I wasn't in the right frame of mind at the time — dying and all — and I don't really remember how much I took from her.

The path Kumoko led us through would take us near the so-called hive. We've been walking for the better part of the day in the twisting labyrinthine tunnels.

Karin and I visited the badger's "storage" to get the gear I bargained for. There wasn't much we could use there; most of the contents were designed for badgers. Even so, we managed to find things we could use. I found a green kimono that fit me more or less. The lack of underthings, I solved by cosplaying a mummy. Lack of shoes? Bandages. Lack of gloves? Bandages. Lack of a bra? Bandages. No belt? Well, you get it.

On the other hand, the redhead still had some of her gear from when she got captured. Her captors hadn't bothered to take all of her stuff, only weapons and tools. After raiding the storage, Karin now wore a dark brown kimono over a fishnet bodysuit. She still had the open-toed shinobi footwear. All in all, she looked good. At least, that is what I thought, anyway.

Kumoko stopped near a small tunnel leading upwards. "We're here, snake girl."

I looked at the mini-badger; the tunnel upward. Kumoko didn't seem keen on going up. I wrote words and Karin read them out loud for me. "Aren't you coming with us?"

"Nuh-uh, can't help ya." The she-devil said, entire body shaking in denial. She was already used to mine and Karin's antics. "You gotta get the royal jelly yourself; otherwise, what would be the point?"

"What's up there?" Karin read my next question.

"Forest," Kumoko's head looked back toward the tunnel we just came from. "Pops said there's a path nearby, find and follow it, shoulda take you to the hive."

That smelled fishy. I was pretty sure something was wrong with this whole situation, I just couldn't say what. I looked at Karin, who just shrugged. I started toward the tunnel.

"Don't take too long, snake girl," Kumoko called out after us, tail lashing. "I won't wait forever."

Delaying the royal jelly gathering mission for a whole day wasn't just to let Karin recover. I wanted to prepare. Both badgers — giant dad and mini she-devil— were mum about the bee's hive. Both ignored subtle questions and direct inquiries. That left me trying to prepare for things I wasn't aware of.

Fortunately, raiding the badger's storage didn't result only in new clothing fashion. We managed to find a few kunai and shuriken that were similar to what I was used to. But the jackpot was finding sealing paper. That gave me a good idea to try. Bee's were weak to smoke, right? I didn't need to fight any assumed giant killer bees to steal their jelly. I could, you know, just put the whole hive to sleep and sneak in to steal the jelly.

That was how the previous day ended. I returned to our designed alcove with a shambling Karin in tow. She slept, and I prepared seals.

Tight stone walls of the tunnel Kumoko led us to pressed closer around us. The tunnel was dark, and the passage grew steeper the more we climbed. I wasn't one to be claustrophobic, but it felt uncomfortable. Until now, I hadn't considered we were underground this whole while. The soft crystal lights managed to trick me somehow. This passage had no crystals to provide illumination, forcing Karin and me to navigate through the darkness. I used my threads to help me navigate, kept a bandaged hand on the rough wall to steady myself, and held one of Karin's.

Karin followed behind, breaths shallow. Even without being able to see her, I kept looking back. Karin was never a front-liner combatant in the show, more of a supporting cast. I was worried about her.

When we emerged from the tunnels, the sunlight blinded me. I stood still at the passage entrance, eyes closed, breathing the fresh scent of earth and greenery. Slowly, the spots in my vision disappeared, and a strange forest stretched out before us; a wild and untamed expanse of towering trees and thick undergrowth. The canopy above let in scattered rays of sunlight.

It was quiet—almost too quiet. There were no bird calls or sounds of other animals. Only the faint hum of insects broke the silence.

Karin walked from behind me soon after. She stopped by my side, also surveying the forest.

"Creepy,"she muttered.

I agreed with her. There was something really wrong here. This place was strange. At first, it looked like a typical forest, but the more I looked, the worse I felt. It was the bark's color, the leaves' shape, the scent in the air, the shrubs and vines. They were all so familiar yet different in a way that set my teeth on edge. What was this place? Where had my summoning gamble taken us? I knew there were many contracted ninja animals in Naruto's world; take Pink-chan, I mean, Tayuya, for example. She could summon some giant creatures, or Pain and the Animal path. But I had never heard of badgers.

More than that, I couldn't dismiss the feeling I was missing something important.

"What complicated thing are you thinking about?"

I turned, faced Karin. How did she know? My threads wrote my question. "Can you read my mind?"

Karin waved, rolled her eyes. "I wish." There was a bit more enthusiasm in her posture. "I can see your chakra. It got all swirly and spiky."

Was that supposed to mean anything? What was she going on about?

"Now it's all chaotic. That one is easy, confusion." Karin stopped, scratched her cheek. "You have no idea what I'm talking about."

I shook my head.

She sighed, trying to push the hair out of her face. Looked away. "I can somewhat tell how someone is feeling based on how their chakra moves. It's usually not that precise but," she looked at me. No, it was like she was looking inside me. "But yours is so clear and responsive and bubbly. It's really easy to tell what you're feeling."

I scowled. That was bullshit, and not fucking fair.

"Now it's alternating between spiky and shivering. That's usually frustration and insecurity."

I glared at her.

"It's all dense now. Resentment?"

I glared even harder.

Karin looked from my navel to my face. Blushed, looked away. "Err, anyway, where are we going?"

Before anything else, I wasn't about to make the same mistake. I held my hand out, a hardwood kunai formed on my palm, the beacon seal already inscribed. I ignored the spike of pain from bone seals. The pain hadn't faded away after getting it back in control, it was this constant buzz that most of the times I could put out of my mind.

By my side, Karin gasped, gripped my arm tightly. I ignored her. My chakra dipped lower, but that was fine. I held the kunai to Karin.

"Keep that, don't lose it. If things go bad, I'll try to lead the enemy away. As long as you have that, I can find you anywhere."

It felt strange misleading Karin like that. I was hoping she would take my words as the kunai being a tracking device, which wasn't wrong. The original function was that, but I could also spy on her, and teleport to her if needed. That way, if the worst happened, I'd be able to react in time, use her as bait, or even lead any enemy away then go back to Karin after she gave them the slip. Was I being this paranoid because of Sai?

Karin gave me a considering look. She was reading my chakra again, wasn't she? Damn it. She took the kunai, gave me a nod. She turned, looked in the distance, like she was looking through the trees.

"I can sense chakra, a lot of it, it feels different, somehow."

"Different how?" I wrote.

Karin looked back at me, shrugged. "Remind me of the badgers?"

"Are they close?"

Karin shook her head, looked in the distance again. "About half an hour out, if we walk slowly."

How… large was her sensing distance? I thought mine was good, about a hundred meters all around me. What did it mean for her range if this chakra presence was that far away? So fucking unfair. The more I learned about her chakra sense, the more mine looked like a discounted, cheap version no one else wanted. I shook those thoughts away. It wasn't time to be petty, or jelly. I could do that later, once we were safe back at Konoha.

I looked around. Trying to find said trail Kumoko told us about. After a moment, I summoned two clones to help me. While my clones got their bearings, I walked a bit further away from the entrance, then took my water-skin to take a sip. That much walking left me thirsty.

"Hello, Ojou-chan. You're so pretty!" One of my clones husked out.

I coughed, spat the water I had just drank.

"Eh?" Karin gasped.

I looked around. My clones were around Karin. One was slightly hunched over, one hand on her hips, another grabbing Karin's waist, with a lecherous grin on her face. The second clone had a hand on her chin, a calculating look on her face, like checking merchandise. Karin was trapped between the two, with the clones invading her personal space.

"How about ya come with us?" Clone two said, hand going to Karin's mane of red hair and gently tugging free a lock. Clone two looked at me, sent me a quick devilish grin before she turned to Karin. "We'll take good care of ya." She husked again.

"Eeh?" Karin looked spooked. She glanced from my clones at me and then back at the clones.

I face-palmed. Why were the clones behaving like that? I wasn't that bad, right? …Right?

…

That decided it; no more clones. I might as well take a page from Shikamaru's book and name them Troublesome-chan, The First and Second. Resigned to my fate, I crouched, kept looking, drank more water. I hoped that by the end of this, my clones didn't traumatize Karin…

…Too much.

---

Spoiler: AN

Thank you for reading. Next chapter Monday.
Proofreader: CakeEight

A few images.

https://i.ibb.co/1Yth7qs6/00008-3857590141.png

https://i.ibb.co/8DGvCznd/00015-1084565463.png

https://i.ibb.co/xqy6ZTXP/00026-1084565474.png

https://i.ibb.co/W4wKy3gq/00030-1084565478.png

https://i.ibb.co/bRX47x85/00056-1084565504.png

https://i.ibb.co/zVyh6R3D/00067-1084565515.png

 

[Lewascan2]

Hinata's clones do be wildin', as per what seems to be the usual nowadays. XD
I think that's growing to be one of my favorite long-running jokes in this story so far that Hinata's clones seem to be getting increasingly unhinged and simultaneously badass as time goes on. The rather hilarious and funny part honestly has to be that, intellectually, we know these clones will basically get one-tapped by any form of harm, and yet, Hinata is such a complete murder-blender now that her clones -unleashed with much less restraint and "liberated" from hesitation- end up even more ridiculous murder-blenders. The slaughter that singular clone went on against neo-ROOT's(?) forces pretty much puts it in perspective.

 

[okashihime]

The trail Kumoko mentioned wasn't obvious. A quick search gave me no clue about where it was. Not that it was a concern at this point, not with Karin's absurd sensing range. For some reason, Karin took refuge behind me from my clones. Trouble-chan, First and Second, tried to harass the redhead again, but my stern glare was enough to dissuade them.

Under Karin's scared eyes, I had a brief signal conversation with my clones. It went something like this:





Me: Kunai, seal, placement, around, smoke.

T1: Explosion?

Me: Negative, smoke, objective, explosion bad.

T2: Indignation, protest, revise plan, explosion good.

Me: Mission objective, critical, capture, asset acquisition, destruction bad.

T1: Foul play, unfair.

T2: Unhappy, protest.





Once prepared, we set off toward the chakra Karin could sense in the distance.

The forest floor was a carpet of moss and fallen leaves, broken by massive roots. Strange fungi growing in clusters, some glowing with soft phosphorescent light, others looking decidedly alien and potentially poisonous.

I found the trail a couple of minutes away from the tunnel entrance. It was tiny markers on tree bark. It was subtle enough that if I didn't know better, I'd have missed it. The trail led to a narrow, winding path cutting through the dense foliage.

The forest changed the closer we got to our destination. Trees grew sparser, and a low humming became audible. Not the tiny buzz of normal bees but a deeper sound that vibrated through the air.

We slowed our pace, made sure to walk in silence. I peeked from behind a huge tree, then I saw it.

The hive was enormous. Easily the size of a three-story building, it was a massive structure of waxy, honeycomb-like material clinging to the side of a massive tree. Giant bee sentinels, each the size of a large dog and bigger, crawled across its surface. Their bodies were jet black with sharp yellow markings, mandibles that looked like curved daggers.

That mural I saw back at the badger's lair came to mind. I remembered the dead badgers around the sole surviving one.

Karin sucked in a breath beside me.

"This is insane," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the bees. "We're not going in there, right?"

I didn't need to write anything for her to know what I thought. She probably could read it from my chakra. This was bad. Very bad. Sneaking past one giant bee might've been possible. Sneaking past dozens? And then stealing royal jelly from that hive? I swallowed, fingers tightening around the kunai. Exchanged another glance with my clones.

"We have a plan, right?" Karin whispered, her eyes flickering to me.

I didn't respond right away. My gaze locked on the hive and the countless bees crawling all over it. The buzzing was deafening at this distance, the sound filling the air like a living thing. I reached into my pouch and pulled out another one of the seals I'd prepared. I was hoping the smoke would work. I gestured to her to keep quiet, then took her hand and led her away from the hive.

Once we were a safe distance, I wrote what I mulled on the way over.

"Do you remember how to reach the tunnel's entrance?"

Karin looked at the words, then back at me. She nodded.

"Go back and wait for me there."

"No," she pulled her hand away from mine. "Don't be stupid, I can help."

Was I being patronizing by trying to send her away? It wasn't even that I thought she couldn't fight. I knew Karin was strong, even if she wasn't a combat specialist like other shinobi. No, I wanted her to return to the tunnel's entrance because if she went back, it would keep her safe, given she wasn't in the best condition, and that would also give me a last-resort escape route. But to explain that, I would have to come clean about the beacon.

At least about teleport function. I didn't need to tell her about the spying function. Well, I couldn't let one betrayal color all my future interactions.

"No, it's not that," I wrote with my threads. I gestured to one of my clones, signed a message when she looked my way. Trouble-chan the Second gave me a nod. I turned back to Karin, wrote more words.

"The wood kunai I gave you is my escape route if things go south."

Karin read the words, tilted her head. She opened her mouth, but Trouble-chan teleported before she could ask her question. I barely caught the movement from my clone, and I was waiting for it. Trouble-chan did a one-hand confrontation seal, probably to look cool since I knew we could teleport without making those, and arrived with arms already open and hugging the redhead.

"Eep." Karin squeaked, then pushed my clone away. Soon after, she hid behind me again, glaring at the clone.

Trouble-chan, the Second, pouted. Stuck her tongue at Karin. Then, she jogged back to where she was and picked up the seals and kunai that had fallen on the forest floor when she teleported. I rolled my eyes at her antics.

Why were my clones so insistent in teasing Karin like that? I mean, I knew why. They were teasing me, and Karin was just a bonus, but even so. That was a bit unfair.

I had my clone teleport because I didn't want another flashing incident. The clone's clothes were chakra constructs. She was in no danger of leaving her clothes behind. If I tried that, on the other hand… Well, let's just not.

"See?" I wrote when Karin looked back at me. "If you're somewhere safe, I can always use your position to escape if I need to run." I tilted my head, added more regarding my reason. "And I know you're not in top condition because I drained you from your life force."

Karin glanced at her bandaged arms, then looked away.

In all the confusion and events after our escape, I never took the chance to thank her for saving my life twice. I walked closer, and taking a page from my clone's books, I gave Karin a hug.

"Eeep!" She squeaked again.

Huh, yeah, that was pretty funny. I guess I know now why my clones do it. But I shook my head; not the time to get distracted.

"Thank you for saving my life twice," I croaked out. I didn't feel like writing a 'thank you' was the best option. "I owe you."

After a moment, her arms found their way around me, nestling her head around my neck. She mumbled something I couldn't understand, but I decided it meant "You're welcome" or something similar.

It didn't last. She pushed me away, looked back toward the trail that led to the tunnel. She looked back at me after a moment.

"Be careful, okay?" Karin said.

I nodded.

"I don't trust them." She added.

I nodded again.

"They said I would be food if you died."

I scowled, nodded a third time, wrote my answer. "I will be careful."

Karin turned and started her way back, away from the hive of giant killer bees. I turned to my clones. It was time to get the ball rolling. With luck, the smoke plan would work.

---

Spoiler: AN

Thank you for reading. Next chapter Wed.
Proofreader: CakeEight.

 

[Megatherium]

I just caught up after a weekend of binge reading and what a delight to wake up to an update.

 

[okashihime]

I just caught up after a weekend of binge reading and what a delight to wake up to an update.

Click to shrink...

Thank you for reading. <3
And glad you enjoyed it.

 

[Kraise]

I love it so far will be watching this closely

 

[okashihime]

Plant the smoke bombs, put the killer bees to sleep, sneak in, steal the jelly.

That was not how I imagined my shinobi companion contract would go. This plan was conditional on the smoking working on the killer bees as it did for normal-sized ones. I wasn't a bee expert. The most I knew was from idle chatter when buying honey for my pastries. And even so, I often didn't pay much attention to the beekeeper's chattering.

The knowledge amounted to vague recollections about pheromones and instinctive feeding responses.

I placed the last kunai, cast one more look at the hive in the distance. I wasn't sure how I would get to the jelly without causing too much damage. With the setup done, I sneaked away. Trouble-chan, First and Second, had already placed their kunais in the formation and unpopped themselves. That was easier than trying to move back and alerting the bees. I thought back on the plan one last time: Trigger the smoke, wait a few minutes until the bees are— hopefully— calm and pacified, sneak to the hive, cut a way in, steal the jelly.

Once I was far enough away, I activated the barrier, then the smoke bombs. The humming cut immediately when the barrier formed, and soon after, the area was covered in white smoke.

I took a prepared seal from my temporary gear. Out popped a large machete and a clay jar. I counted the minutes. Placed a piece of fabric around my mouth to help filter the smoke out. Once enough time had passed, I dispersed the barrier and sneaked inside again to steal from royalty.

The smoke-filled area created an eerie atmosphere. I approached the hive, paying close attention to any new buzzing. I walked to the base of the tree and looked up at the massive structure: complex hexagonal chambers and giant bees walking slowly over them. The movements were sluggish and unfocused.

So far, so good.

I coated my feet with chakra and climbed the tree until I reached the hive. Now I had to find the thing. I pressed my hand against the waxy surface, tested how strong it was. The material was warm, and yielded under my hand. That was good, the knife would work.

Finding the right spot took longer than expected. Again, I wasn't a bee expert, but this hive looked nothing like what I remembered: everything was scaled up and somewhat different. I moved with care, going past drunk guard bees the size of dogs. Their mandibles even now looked capable of cutting limbs off.

Finally, I found what I was looking for: this one section felt and looked different, warmer. I hoisted the clay jar to one hand, took the knife with another. With careful movements, I made an incision. I repeated the same movements until I had a square-ish opening. I pulled the wax open and peered through.

Light filtered in to reveal a large hexagonal tube like structure with a huge milky-white grub happily grubbing in a jelly like substance.

Past the grub, one large compound eye stared back at me. An eye filled with intelligence that should have been impossible for an insect. That was the Queen, wasn't it? I didn't see her move, but I heard her buzzing: the air vibrated with that bone-shaking frequency I'd heard before, only ten times worse.

Oh shit!

That's the only thing I had time to think about before the drunk bees started to buzz. Louder and angrier, somehow. The bees began to stir, movements becoming more and more coordinated.

I let go of the knife; I had no time to care for it. I plunged my now free hand into the opening, fingers scraping the waxy walls, scooped a handful of the thick, gelatinous substance. The grub, startled, wiggled at my intrusion. The Queen buzzed harder. The buzzing outside grew more frantic. I scooped two other handfuls when the first bee took to the air. Massive wings blew away what was left of the smoke.

The stopper went into the clay jar opening. With no time for finesse or to gather the knife I discarded earlier, I flickered from the hive to the forest floor, pushed my legs full of chakra, and legged away. A swarm of bees was now flying toward me, buzzing turned into a roar.

Into the fading smoke, two other clones materialized. I slapped my full jelly-coated hand on the jars each was carrying, and both clones ran in opposite directions. My jar was dropped into a paper seal and sealed in one fluid motion. My hands flashed with seals, my trusty Doton: Moguragakure no Jutsu came to the rescue, and the ground beneath my feet softened. I sank into it like it was water.

The ground closed above me just in time to stop a wicked sharp sting a few centimeters from my face.

Through my chakra perception, I could somewhat sense what was happening above. The guard bees split into groups, each pursuing what they thought was their target. Decoy-chan, the Twelfth and Thirtieth, leading the angry insects on a wild chase through the forest.

I moved through the earth, careful to maintain enough distance that the vibrations from my passage wouldn't be noticeable from above. The queen's buzzing was still audible even through several feet of soil. Were they some contract shinobi insects? It wouldn't be, would it? Imagine now if this created a blood feud with the Aburame clan. I would be pissed.

Soon after, one of my clones dispersed, sending me a rush of memories. Three guards had cornered her, tried to fight them, scare them off, but the damn insects were frenzied. They kept attacking. Not even our still unnamed mobile barrier was enough to stop their mandibles. It cut through the chakra construct like it was nothing. Twelfth wasn't willing to kill and got killed instead. Was their mandible able to bypass chakra? That was good to know, but it was not information I wanted to test personally.

The second clone was still going, long out of my perception range. Through the innate sense I shared with every clone, I knew she was getting further and further away, but not exactly where.

I kept moving through the earth, jar of stolen royal jelly now a damming weight. I was beginning to think these damn badgers hoodwinked me with this whole thing. The mission was accomplished, even if it hadn't gone according to plan.

After what felt like an eternity but was probably only about fifteen minutes, my second clone unpopped herself. Her memories showed she'd managed to lose her pursuers in a dense part of the forest; she created more clones and divided her pursuers. Clever girl. Was it hubris praising her?

I waited a bit longer, moving through the earth, before surfacing in a small clearing far from the hive. The first thing I noticed was the silence. There was no angry buzzing, no wing beats, just the normal sounds of the forest. Well, as normal as anything was in this strange place.

My chakra perception found nothing immediate. The queen's buzzing was a distant vibration now, more felt than heard. I took a moment to catch my breath, checking my reserves. The clones and earth technique had taken a chunk out of my chakra— clones creating clones somehow took even more chakra— but I still had enough to fight if needed.

I closed my eyes and peered into the spying beacon I left with Karin. She was pacing by the tunnel entrance. That was good. I was afraid the bees would find her even at that distance. Now, I just had to return to the Badger's tunnels without getting caught by angry giant bees or anything else here. Simple, right?

---

Spoiler: AN

Thank you for reading. Next chapter Friday.
Proofreader: CakeEight

 

[okashihime]

I love it so far will be watching this closely

Click to shrink...

Thank you for reading and I'm glad you enjoyed it. <3

 

[jayofgrey]

Sooo... this slice of summon realm is disputed territory between bees and badgers and Sakura got hoodwinked into provoking the bees or something?

 

[okashihime]

"Don't even think about it." That was how Karin greeted me when I got back to her.

I tilted my head, trying to play the innocent card. I'd made my way back, slow and steady, dipping inside the earth at any nearby buzz. I might have been planning to hug or tickle her, because, you know, my clones might have corrupted me and her reactions were funny.

Karin narrowed her eyes, gaze dipping toward my navel.

Yeah, bullshit chakra-mind-reading detector. So unfair. Time to change topics. I wrote words. "I got the jelly."

My proud announcement met me with a suspicious nod. Then her face softened, and she smiled. "That's good. We can finally leave this place, right? I don't like them."

I could understand her reluctance. We only interacted with two of the clan's badgers, the patriarch and the she-devil. One didn't seem to mind if we just bugged off and got offed somehow, while the other wanted to gouge my eye out. And the other clan members were often indifferent, if not hostile. I knew I was missing something here.

Was it the eye? That was supposed to be my only connection to Orochimaru and the snakes. But what had Tsuchigaru said? That I reeked like a snake. Was there more to that comment?

Had Orochimaru added his DNA as well when experimenting on me?

I shook my head at the idea. If I went down that path, I might as well imagine even more ridiculous scenarios. He might as well have used my body as a gene bowl, mixing Senju, his own, Uchiha, and Hyuga to create a super host.

"Hinata-chan?" Karin's voice sounded like she was far away.

No, this was ridiculous, even for him. I was letting my imagination and paranoia get the better of me.

…

He wouldn't have done it, would he?

I paced.

No, that was too much even for him. Was he trying to create a super body mixing the two strongest dojutsu bloodlines with mokuton's versatility? Then what? He added his DNA to prevent the body from rejecting his soul?

"Hinata-chan? Your chakra got all chaotic."

That… might explain the seals. I knew the bone's seal did more than control me. It reinforced my body and made it stronger and more resilient. There were many more effects I still didn't understand, but given the complexity, it did a lot more than just be a death trap and make me stronger. The seal in my heart, somehow I knew, was linked to my chakra.

When my mokuton abilities awakened for the first time in the Forest of Death, I controlled a vast swath of the forest. It responded to my subconscious mind and didn't leave me chakra drained like using mokuton now did. I still had no idea what the seal even looked like. I was afraid of poking my own heart. The only other heart seal I ever heard about in Naruto's story was that one Madara used to keep Obito and Rin from killing themselves. I was afraid the one in my heart was similar, but maybe I was looking at this all wrong.

"Hinata? You're scaring me."

What if the seals weren't a separate thing, but part of a set? Bones to make the vessel stronger, heart to control chakra flow. That would leave the eyes and another question I always ignored.

One of my eyes, I knew, came from the snake himself. Or that's what I assumed. But there was one big difference. The eye was slitted like a snake's, but black. Orochimaru's eyes were yellow. Why was my snake pupil-eye black? Where had my other eye come from?

My chakra surged. I directed it toward my eyes and heart. Maybe some light poking around would tell me something useful?

Fingers pinched my cheeks. Stinging pain made me focus on the world around me.

Karin was a few centimeters away, eyes wide, mouth slightly open. Hands on my face, fingers pinching my cheeks. "Stop." She managed after trying to speak a few times. "Whatever you're thinking and doing, stop."

I blinked, confused. What?

"Stop," Karin said again, still pinching my cheeks.

I nodded. Not sure what she wanted me to stop.

"Your chakra," she said, looking down toward my navel. "It was changing, getting all dark and angry."

"Changing how?" I asked, not bothering with threads this time.

Karin looked from my navel to my face, then down again. "It's usually clear and bubbly—"

"This is a mating ritual, innit?" Kumoko's voice cut Karin's explanation. "Pops said you humans have weird ways of showing you wanna mate. Is that it? You're scared of bees, so now you're mating?"

Karin squeaked, let go of my cheeks like it burned her, pushed me away. I noticed a bit of a blush and had to roll my eyes. How innocent was she? Nothing like I remembered from the original story.

Kumoko had the worst of timings. It felt like Karin was about to tell me something important, but there was no way I would bring the topic up again near the she-devil. As Karin said earlier, I didn't trust them either, at least not until both sides signed that contract, and maybe not even then.

I pushed my threads; no time to waste. I wanted to leave this place and return to Konoha, return home. "No mating here. Yet." I wrote. I will admit that the yet was just to tease Karin. "I got the jelly."

Karin looked at the words, then at me, then at the words again. She stuck her tongue at me, then read the second part of the message. "We got the jelly."

"Already?" Kumoko said, moving closer. "Where's it? Lemme see it." She demanded.

The glint in her eyes promised terrible things if I took the jelly out. I wasn't about to let this she-devil ruin things and mess up my contract offerings. I shook my head. Wrote words. Karin read them out loud.

"No," Karin said, also shaking her head. "It is stored and hidden. We'll take it out once we're back at the nest."

"Take it out, or I'm gonna show you why my name is Kumoko." The she-devil squeaky growled. It was adorable. But I didn't give in, wrote more words. Mouthpiece Karin read them for me.

Karin looked between me and Kumoko before reading my words. "The jelly is an offering for your clan. Are you willing to derail your first barter because you're greedy?"

"Fine," Kumoko said, tail lashing. "When pops tells you the jelly isn't good enough 'cause you didn't let me check, it's your loss."

"We'll risk it." Karin said, eyes narrowed. "Lead the way."

 

[okashihime]

As it turned out, the Jelly was good enough.

When we got back, the patriarch was ready for us. Kumoko led us toward a bigger cave than the one we arrived in. There, we were met by what looked like the whole Badger clan. Shapes in the dim light, big and small, cubs growling, playing, and chasing. Behind Tsuchigaru, lost in the darkness, an even bigger shape loomed.

Kumoko's tail waved in what I thought was excitement or maybe anticipation. I hadn't yet had that much contact with her to learn all her tail-tells. The only one I was confident about was the frustrated lashing. She did that a lot, by which I mean all the time. Such a young badger already behaving like a grumpy old grandma.

I imagined Kumoko and Chiyo-baa meeting. I had to hold in a giggle.

"You've returned," the giant said, rumbling voice ending my silly musings. "Unscathed."

An open scroll lay in front of him, splayed on the ground. Even from a distance, I could see names written on it. I knew what to do; a seed of bubbly happiness blossomed inside my gut. I had to hold in Fangirl-sama. My own summoning contract! Oh man, could it get even more ninja than that?

I walked closer, took out the seal, popped out the jelly jar. Presented my offering.

"I've returned with the jelly." I rasped out.

"So you have," Tsuchigaru said.

The cave descended into expectant silence.

"It's hereby declared a contract with Hebigan Kuchiyose-te." The patriarch said.

The cave exploded in growling and chattering and even roars.

"The summoner will provide the Iron Hide clan information about the snakes, pay in honey for our services, and facilitate acquiring products from the human lands, as well as any other prices negotiated between her and named members of the clan."

Tsuchigaru stopped, looked at the loud room, then at Kumoko.

"As negotiated by my youngest cub," — I heard an annoyed 'not a cub' — "Who earned the name Kumoko, the Iron Hide clan will provide our services for payment in honey, supply the summoner with equipment and provide a guide to lead her back to human lands."

There was a moment of pause. By my side, Kumoko was all but buzzing with anticipation, the annoyance at being called a cub all but forgotten. The room had become quiet again like every badger held its breath. The bubbly happiness in my stomach morphed into something different. I had a sinking feeling that something was very wrong here. I just wasn't sure what.

Tsuchigaru's face approached me until his giant beady eyes covered my field of vision. "Do you agree?" He asked.

I looked around at the now quiet spectators, a wide-eyed Karin gripping my wood kunai, and at Kumoko and her eager tail lashing. I couldn't find a reason why I was feeling apprehensive now. The moment stretched, and the silence got heavier.

"Yes." I said.

"So be it," the patriarch rumbled. "Sign the contract." He ordered.

I walked to the unfurled scroll, picked the dagger on top of it, pricked my finger, wrote my name in blood. Immediately, I felt something, like strands of webs shooting in all directions, connecting me to every badger in this chamber and beyond. It lasted for but a moment before it faded again.

"It's done." Said an even deeper voice from the darkness and the far corners of the room.

The cave erupted in noise once more. Kumoko started what I could only describe as a happy dance. Was this contract that important? Or was it that she had been the one that negotiated it?

The patriarch's rumble cut through the noise.

"Kumoko, you'll guide the summoner back to human lands."

The she-devil stopped, looked at her father. Her beady eyes were wide.

"And serve her for a year. Without payment." He said.

"What? No! Pops, why? I tricked her! Why are you punishing me?" Kumoko cried out, tail lashing out, frantic.

"Because you tricked her." Tsuchigaru's voice was calm but unrelenting.

Tricked? What? How? I thought back on the terms of the contract. I couldn't think how I had been tricked.

Kumoko cried out again. "But the stories! You said–"

"Those who wished us ill," Tsuchigaru said, voice still calm. "Did the summoner do anything to wish us ill?"

Kumoko glared at me, then at Karin. "But she brought an unworthy one!"

"Yes. She was not called, yet she came." Said the patriarch. His tone was final, and even though Kumoko kept grumbling, she didn't argue back.

Tsuchigaru's stare turned back to me. Bore down for a few moments before it shifted to Karin. "Take her away."

"No!" Karin shouted.

From the room's darkness, four badgers, big as horses, wearing armor, fishnet, weapons, ready to fight, stepped out. They moved toward us.

"Why?" Karin yelled, looking in every direction. "We got the jelly."

I stared at the big, then the tiny badger, still too stunned to react. I knew now what the trick Kumoko played on me was: the contract never included Karin.

My mind raced, analyzing this situation, trying to understand what I could do. There had to be a way.

Tsuchigaru had punished Kumoko for tricking me but hadn't overridden our negotiated terms. He had, in his way, repaid the trickery by forcing Kumoko to answer my summons for a whole year without pay. I was still dubious about the value of one year of servitude compared to whatever they planned to do to Karin. I was sure he wouldn't shy away from drastic measures, but I don't think we were there yet.

What had he said? "Wished us ill." I hadn't. I didn't even know about the clan before coming here. On the contrary, I was giddy and more than willing to help my fated ninja companions for explosion's sake!

Wasn't there a clue in the way they addressed Karin? Unworthy one. Why was she unworthy? Was this about not having any affinity with the Badgers as a summoner? I mean, summoning animals in Naruto's world was all but fate. Would she be unworthy because I dragged her here instead of her arriving guided by her own efforts or fate?

The warriors were closer, and I was running out of time. Karin was now by my side, still holding my hardwood kunai in white-gripped fingers. Her face was a determined scowl.

I wasn't about to let them take Karin. I owed her two lives, and I was the one who dragged her here. I would do my damnedest best to make sure she left here alive and kicking, even if fighting was out of the question. That left me with only one alternative I could think of.

"Name your terms." I said.

Tsuchigaru raised his massive paw. Wicked sharp claws in the air. The warriors stopped.

"You brought someone who shouldn't be here," Tsuchigaru rumbled, eyes flicking to Karin. "In times past, intruders paid for their release, fought, or died." The silence lingered. "Which one will it be?"

I looked at Karin, who now death-gripped my arm. Fighting and dying was out of the question.

"I'll pay."

 

[Megatherium]

Guess those badgers are gonna get the snake eye one way or another

 

[Petrox]

I don't see Hinata summoning them as often with how they deal with her

 

[jayofgrey]

Nicely done. Something tells me there're more traps inside traps here.
All this makes me wonder what brought badgers to obscurity and if they're not too dissimilar from their rivals.

 

[okashihime]

To my utter horror, part of the contract ceremony involved eating a dollop of jelly. I didn't mind bottled honey, which was already cleaned and ready to be savored, but eating from the grub's private tub was a tad too much. To make matters worse, it involved a procession of badgers taking small licks of the thing. My only consolation was that I was third in line.

The first was a small and old-looking one. They came out of the darkness, tasted the jelly, then left in silence again. Who was this one? The big one hidden in the darkness? The one that declared the contract sealed? But that one was even bigger than the patriarch. It wouldn't be, would it?

My answer came next when Tsuchigaru morphed from his giant size to a shape just a few centimeters larger than Kumoko. That was good enough for me. Old one equals ginormous one; do not mess with.

Tsuchigaru took a lick, retreated, then it was my turn.

By the convenience of having fingers, I didn't need to lick the jelly, just stick my finger in the milky white substance and bring it to my mouth. I approached the jar, looked at the contents. Milky white, with a consistency that made me think of less than appetizing stuff. I looked at the room. Badgers watched me with intense eyes. Karin still looked spooked. Kumoko glared at me like I stepped on her tail.

Yes, I was procrastinating. I didn't want to eat from the grub's butt water and third-hand licking. That was gross, okay?

The stares didn't let me delay for long. Kumoko was by my side, now growling at my delay.

I took the plunge. A finger went in, out, then in again.

It tasted… good. It was slightly sweet and tangy, with hints of bitterness. Mixing it with lemon and a bit of milk might make it a good snack.

"It's my turn!" Kumoko demanded I leave the jelly pot. I obliged.

She bounced up to the jar, took a lick, moaned in what could only be described as a food orgasm. Did it have a different taste for them? It was good, but nowhere was a flavor intense enough to cause a reaction like this.

"Please, forgive my youngest," Tsuchigaru said, even small, his voice rumbled. "It's her first time enjoying the jelly, and she hasn't yet learned to control her impulses."

I nodded; yeah, maybe it tasted different for them.

After Kumoko, there was a procession, with each badger taking a tiny lick and going back into the darkness. I noticed, however, that none of the other cubs partook in the ritual. Was this something for named badgers only?

And why didn't the badgers storm the hive and take the jelly if they liked it this much? Did it have another significance?

Another thing I also noticed was that once each badger took a lick, they left the room. It didn't take long until the only ones remaining were the patriarch, the four guards, Kumoko, Karin, and me.

He turned to Kumoko. "Leave, cub; I have matters to discuss with the summoner."

"Why, pops?"

"By asking that question, you prove me right," Tsuchigaru said in a tone that wasn't the first time he said those same words. He approached his youngest, bobbed her in the head. "If you want to be treated as an adult, you must behave like one."

"Am an adult," Kumoko grumbled. "Got my name."

For some reason, the she-devil glared at me again before she walked away, tail lashing. That was frustration, alright. If only she used other tail-tells so I could learn them too.

The patriarch turned to Karin next.

"Please return to your sleeping alcove."

Karin's face had hints of a denial. I gave her a nod. She left, escorted by the four horse-sized guards.

Was it now time when the big'un told me how screwed I was?

"To understand the price, you must know the reason." The patriarch said. His reduced frame didn't diminish the weight of his presence. "These are not our original lands. Before the cave of the White Snake came to be known as it is now, we badgers thrived near its lands. We had no true enemies. We were strong, respected, and feared, and because of that, we grew complacent."

Tsuchigaru walked deeper inside the cave, I followed. I had no idea where this was going.

"The snakes, they were patient. They crept into our lands, whispering promises to those who would listen, growing in numbers, in strength. Everything changed when the White Snake rose to power, that wretched thing."

The patriarch's eyes burned with old, seething rage.

"They invaded our burrows, ate our cubs, forced us out into the wilderness, into exile. We adapted, as we always do, but the scars remained."

Was this why they were so suspicious of me? He said I reeked of snakes.

"A few decades ago, a summoner called upon us. A man seeking power, a contract sealed in battle. He summoned my mate."

His voice sounded almost like a keening.

"She was powerful. She was wise. And she was taken from me. The summoner was reckless, sending her into a battle she could not win."

I felt the shift in his voice from sorrow to hatred.

"She fought the serpents and was betrayed by her summoner."

Oh fuck. I could even guess where this was going. Hadn't I declared myself an enemy of the snakes?

"It was a slow death. A cruel one. And we… we lost more than just a warrior that day."

After a moment, he composed himself. "That was when we distanced ourselves from the humans. Their ambition was a poison, one we could no longer afford to drink."

Silence settled between us. The air grew heavy.

"And yet, here you stand," he said, eyes locked onto mine. "You, who reek of snakes, but declare to be their enemy."

It was good the patriarch didn't expect me to say anything; I had no idea what to say.

"That is your price."

I scowled. That wasn't fair.

"You want me to kill the White Snake?" I didn't even try to hide the disbelief in my voice.

Tsuchigaru burst into laughter. "You couldn't, not even in a hundred years, cub."

He was still laughing when he said the next part. "No, you'll help me kill my mate's killer, the snake known as Manda."

I scowled even more. Manda, the murderous serpent, Orochimaru's pet, the leader of the snakes in Ryuchi cave. How was I supposed to kill that damn thing? I was no Deidara to detonate a nuke in the snake's face.

…

Could I detonate a nuke?

"You'll have five years." His eyes bore into me. "Five years to grow, to train, become strong enough to fight by my side to kill Manda."

"And if I fail?" I asked. My voice sounded weaker than I wanted.

The patriarch did not blink. "Then the contract is broken, and we will never answer your call again."

Oh, that was bad, but not too bad. I thought he would threaten to eat me or worse.

I exhaled, my mind racing. Five years was a fucking long time; I didn't even know what state the world would be in when the time ended. If I hadn't meddled with Fate-kun's design, the snake would be dead in less than that.

It was insane.

Could I do it? What choice did I have? Tsuchigaru didn't say anything regarding Karin, but I was sure there'd be consequences if I refused this deal.

"I accept," I said. My imagination ran rampant with ideas of even bigger explosions. A legendary explosion to kill a legendary monster?

The patriarch nodded. "Then it is done."

He took another step toward the darkness. Somehow, I don't think I was supposed to follow him.

---

Spoiler: AN

It's carnival! Have an extra release.

Thank you for reading.


Proofreader (who kinda hates the badgers): CakeEight.

 

[jayofgrey]

Aw. Not the eldritch bullshit I expected, but good old honest revenge plot instead.
Which aligns with Sakura's interests, since evil sneks slither together)

 

[okashihime]

Aw. Not the eldritch bullshit I expected, but good old honest revenge plot instead.
Which aligns with Sakura's interests, since evil sneks slither together)

Click to shrink...

While thinking about the badgers, I tried to imagine why they wouldn't be known in Naruto's world.

We can chalk some of that to Naruto story not really digging too deeply into any aspect, but I wanted a logical reason.

So I thought: Fearless and overconfident, they got done in by the snakes, had to leave. Then they got done it by the snakes again, and another summoner. < - Pushes them away from more human contact.
Tsuchigaru is planning his revenge, and preparing (and recovering from previous injuries) and plans to attack Manda once he's recovered. But since in the original story Manda died before Tsuchigaru recovered, they never had "motive" to show up again in human lands.

A bit of a a stretch, but it also explains why they don't know up in "five years" to kill the snakes, since well, the snake in question is already dead.

 

[Petrox]

Well, hope the badgers are worth it with the high price they are asking

 

[okashihime]

Kumoko led me and I led Karin through dark tunnels.

When the Iron Hide clan promised a guide to lead us back to human lands, I had expected overland forest travel, pretty sights, interesting vistas, and exotic places.

What I got was days of walking through dark tunnels.

This whole situation forced me to rely on my thread-sense (name still in progress) to navigate the twisting underground corridors – and after Karin's third fall – to make sure the redhead didn't kiss the ground anymore. Which was the reason why we walked hand-in-hand.

In the past days, I had more hand-holding than I ever thought I would get in my whole life. It was a shame it wasn't with Best Girl Ino. Karin was pretty and nice, but she wasn't Ino. I also don't think Karin played for my side of the team. It was fun to tease her, but it was just that, teasing. There was no chemistry there, no spark. Maybe I wasn't her type? What was even her type? Dark and brooding?

Navigating dark tunnels with my thread-sense was an unexpected boon, in a way. I could now 'see' more clearly than before. I had also become somewhat proficient in using my threads to puppeteer people. By that, I meant wrapping my threads around Karin's body to ensure she didn't lose her footing on the uneven, dark tunnel floor.

This had become a habit after the third day of travel. I suspected Karin sometimes fell asleep while I piloted her body around.

Huh, that was weird to think.

Most days, we walked in silence, ate rooty food prepared by the badgers, drank from underground lakes. Our guide, who had never been a badger in a good mood, was now worse. When she wasn't complaining, she just ignored whatever Karin said. She set up a pace that would have been grueling if I wasn't used to worse. Karin was the only one suffering, but she often just let me pilot her around. Not sure yet how that worked for her.

And talking about the redhead, she wasn't in the best of moods.

I had negotiated a new contract with the patriarch to ensure she could leave the nest. But by the terms of that same contract, I couldn't disclose information to anyone who wasn't a part of it. Karin and Kumoko weren't privy to what I agreed to pay, nor could I tell them. That made Karin more introspective and Kumoko angrier.

Kumoko was easy to figure out why. She wanted to be treated as an adult, not realizing her actions just pushed her into the silly cub category.

That raised another question. How old was Kumoko? The conversation with the patriarch left me feeling like he hadn't taken another mate after his died, betrayed by her summoner, and that was a few decades ago, and Kumoko is his youngest… doesn't that mean she's decades old?

Maybe there was something here I was missing.

As for Karin, I suspect that she was imagining worse and worse prices than I promised.

Sure, the price was heavy, but after some consideration, I don't think I minded it at all. I was even going out on a limb here and saying I would have done it for free. And even though I wasn't a betting ninja, I was willing to bet a few cupcakes that had been the big'un intentions.

That went a long way to somewhat un-souring my whole experience with that contract business. Even though it still left a bad taste in my mouth. I wasn't sure I wanted to rely on the badgers at all anymore, or even if I wanted a contract with them.

I was happy I'd managed to leave their nest mostly intact and trauma free, having only promised some menial chores in payment, my eye and to fight a killer legendary snake. No biggie. None at all.

The impression I got was that they – pardon the language – didn't give a shit if I decided to just do the bare minimum and drag my feet, as long as I left them alone as well.

That left me with much to ponder regarding this. Fangirl-sama wanted to build a relationship, build trust, and a connection with the badgers. She didn't mind that we'd have to work our asses off to pull it off. That side of me was thrilled at the prospect. Wasn't meeting grumpy and traumatized allies and then winning them over a recipe for super loyal allies?

Not that I didn't want them to insta like me and be my promised shinobi companion and best buddies! Was that asking for too much? Couldn't they, you know, just ignore that they'd been burned before by snakes and humans and ignore that I was a mix of both?

And if they'd really wanted to screw me over, why give me the chance to buy Karin's freedom and why would he demand I help him kill Manda?

Yes, that Manda. The big evil snake Orochimaru made use of. The big evil snake that demanded human sacrifice every time it was summoned. Like I said, I was more than willing to do it. It even had a reasonable time frame. Five whole years.

I was still mid-ruminations when our meandering path led us across a bend and then to light. It was blinding, warm, and the second most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

Sun! Oh, how have I missed thee!

With eyes closed and a hand in front of my face to help block the so missed light, we stepped out of the underground and into an open plain field for the first time in weeks. By my side, Karin whimpered. I guess didn't close her eyes in time.

"Send me back."

I hadn't even had the chance to gather my bearings when Kumoko's squeaky growly interrupted my eye-squinting attempt to see my surroundings.

I looked at the grumpy she-devil, her tail lashing in frustration. She still hadn't gotten over being punished, even if I don't think the punishment was bad. I wasn't going to abuse the clan's patriarch cub, and if she wasn't that bratty, I might even summon her to enjoy the sights in human land.

That was a nice thought. Maybe I could do it? Give it a few days, then summon her to 'taste-test' some of my oh-so-missed concoctions. I bet she'd like that. I mean, she was still a kid, right? I could make a honey-themed cupcake for her. Yes, I think that was a nice idea. I could make it my goal to un-sour the young'un.

"We're at human lands," Kumoko said, tail lashing again. "Send me back."

I looked around. I wasn't sure where we were, and I needed more information. I wrote words. Like a trained puppet, Karin read them for me.

"Which way to Konoha?"

"Follow the sunset," Kumoko said. "Send me back."

Right, better not antagonize the grumpy-devil anymore. I crouched, placed my hand on the ground, pushed my chakra until black lines drew the reverse summoning circle on the ground. Kumoko didn't wait for me. She stepped into the center and glared at me.

"And don't summon me." She said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Yes, that kid needed lots of honey. So grumpy.

I looked around, cast my eyes toward the sun, which was already dipping toward the horizon. I looked at the peaceful field, the clear blue sky. Sniffed the air, felt a pang of nostalgia when I smelled flowers. Karin was looking down, even more dejected than the last few days.

"Where will you go?" I wrote.

It took her a while to answer. She looked at my words, at me, the ground, back at the tunnel. She shrugged, bit her lip. "I don't know."

Well, that decided it, didn't it? I still had two lives to repay her.

"Come with me to Konoha."

"Would they even accept me?" Karin asked, not looking me in the eyes.

"Have you ever seen Konoha's shinobi uniform?" I asked.

Karin looked up, tilted her head. "Green flak jacket?"

I nodded. "The red spiral in the arm and back. Don't they remind you of anything?"

Karin scowled. Yeah, I could sympathize. Konoha might walk around with their allegiance branded on their uniform, but the village did nothing to prevent the Uzumaki from being wiped out. But I had a strong suspicion Karin would do fine in Konoha.

Even more if we managed to sell our sob story to Tsunade. It was just old story knowledge, but I had this feeling Tsunade was cool, and wouldn't leave a kunoichi in distress, a member of the Uzumaki clan, hanging.

"I'm probably declared a missing-nin. What if they imprison me?"

I considered that. I don't think it would get to that point. Worst it could happen was them exiling her, and if that happened, I think I could call in some favors. I mean, the Daimyo's wife was my cupcake customer, if worse came to happen, it wouldn't be hard to arrange somewhere for Karin to stay in the capital. She didn't need to live in Konoha.

"It won't." I wrote with all the confidence I could muster. I really hoped it wouldn't. "And if it does, I'll bail you out, I promise."

Karin bit her lip, nodded.

I turned around, walked toward the direction Kumoko pointed us to. There was so much I had to do back at Konoha.

---

Spoiler: AN

Thank you for reading. Next chapter Friday.

Proofreader: CakeEight.

 

[Petrox]

Hope this summon saga had a good payout later on. It felt longggggg and still not sure if they are worth it or have sage training

 

[okashihime]

Hope this summon saga had a good payout later on. It felt longggggg and still not sure if they are worth it or have sage training

Click to shrink...

Thank you for the feedback.
The original plan for this part was... longer, I'll admit. I cut a lot of things, and tried to streamline this part as much as possible without rushing things.

 

[Bastilosaur]

Thank you for the feedback.
The original plan for this part was... longer, I'll admit. I cut a lot of things, and tried to streamline this part as much as possible without rushing things.

Click to shrink...

Honestly, I'm glad you did and it did work out. You got what I assume are all the important parts, as far as story beats go, through without it feeling rushed, nor with it feeling too slow.

My unsolicited feedback though:

Main problem I see in the 9 chapters of Honey Badger saga is that there was very little that offered any sort of appeal.

She ported herself over, was harassed and threatened for a bit by her potential future partners who all exhibited exactly 0 positive/interesting traits aside from viciousness, skepticism and their grudge. The latter of which we don't really have a reason to care about, because they've not shown any character traits worth considering them as anything beyond 'new tools with an attitude' as opposed to the Frogs' extended family vibe.

Did a little side quest and, while the solution was great, it was also anticlimactic. Which isn't a problem in and of itself, but that the method, speed or skill of solving the side quest had no bearing on the badgers' response does feel like a bit of an issue.

Then got hoodwinked by the grouchy little kid of a Badger when it turns out that the little badger AND the leader of the badgers both apparently decided it was just fine tricking and screwing over their future potential contractor with little legalese technicalities, as though that wouldn't immediately sour any potential partnership not ordained by Plot and/or questionable sanity. Because object lessons or something.

That they were open to negotiations and that their conditions for not murdering the person MC'd been protecting all this time shouldn't, imo, take away from the fact that these creatures who now claim themselves, tentatively, to be her contracted allies, had no problems screwing her over. And only punished the one doing the screwing over with relatively minor penalties, without even bothering to drive home the point that the little badger is now essentially their Summoners' bitch for the next year.

Sure, the little badger got 'punished' but the kid still dares to tell the summoner she was to serve for a year without payment as punishment not to summon her? Clearly the punishment and rebuke didn't land, and the Patriarch made no apparent effort to make it land. No effort to make amends for an acknowledged wrong. Nothing.

In short: The badgers did very little to endear themselves to the reader - and even less to endear themselves to MC - as friendly allies. For her to respond with "Ooh, I'll summon her later so she can sightsee and taste-test food she'll like " immediately after that kid in particular tricked her into almost signing away the life of her friend, feels jarring as hell.

I feel like a more interesting partnership could have been by reversing the negotiations. As in: Initial contract is for information on the snakes and helping kill Manda, aid to leave and periodic tithes of honey. During the task, they could have then traded stories on how much the snakes suck and discuss potential plans about dealing with Orochimaru, bonding a little in the process. Maybe even making the kid feel bad for her treachery. Either way, it gives them a shared, concrete goal from the onset.

Following a succesful retrieval, a secondary contract is then negotiated for payment in honey and such, with both the Patriarch and the kid badger being a bit more openly regretful for allowing the trickery, but using it as an object lesson for both the kid Badger AND their new summoner.

I could be wrong ofc, and this was fine, there just wasn't a lot to appeal to the reader beyond our appreciation of your MC imo.

Feedback given: Looking forward to where things go from here.

 

[okashihime]

Wrote a lot of insightful stuff.

Click to shrink...

Thank you for the feedback.

 

[okashihime]

It was closer to nightfall when I saw Konoha's walls and gate. Our approach hadn't been unnoticed. Hidden chakra bundles following our passage for the past quarter hour. With her cheat-like sensing ability, Karin sensed them way before I ever did. That was fine. At least they weren't attacking. I had no markings identifying me as a Konoha shinobi, and Karin was unknown. We were two strangers approaching a place we shouldn't.

A group of shinobi waited for us at the gate. The pleasant feeling of returning home took a dunk when I saw them: ANBU. A whole squad. Then, I relaxed somewhat. I knew the squad leader. It was Yamato's chakra. That same woody texture, with hints of earth. The one with the mask, it was Tenzo, right? I should think of him like that, even in my mind. No need to risk slipping and letting people know who he was behind the ANBU disguise.

I walked until I was a few meters away from the squad. Stopped.

Tenzo walked away from the group, stopped a few paces from me. We looked at each other. For a moment, I thought he would — god forbid — hug me or do something even more embarrassing.

Regretfully, he didn't.

Tenzo gave me a curt nod. Spoke. The mask muffled his voice.

"Chunin 012612, Hinata." He said.

I reciprocated with a curt nod. We stared some more.

"Welcome back."

My posture softened, muscles relaxed. I smiled. Nodded again, a bit faster this time. Might have blinked away the sand grains that entered my eyes. Or maybe even cleared the rain from my face. I mean, it was raining, right? The sky was dark and cloudy and angry. Sunlight? What was that? No, it was rainy as shit here.

Tenzo gave me time to compose myself, but not that much time. His voice was gentle, but firm.

"The Hokage is waiting for you and your friend. We should go."

I cast a glance at Karin. Her face was a mix of embarrassed and expectant, maybe a bit afraid. I gave her a smile, offered my hand. I was home, and Tsunade wouldn't let me down. Redhead secured, I gave Tenzo a thumbs up, flicked my fingers with a message.

Understood.

Tenzo led and we followed.

We crossed the gates, took the shinobi highways. Escorted by an ANBU squad, I didn't have time, or opportunity, to check my usual haunts. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do first. Visit Ino? Maybe Naruto? Was he still here, or had he already left to train with Jiraiya?

Our path took us closer to the GGC's headquarters. Kiyo-Obaachan was at the window gathering information on the locals, as usual. I waved at her startled face. Look at that, I managed to surprise the spy network leader!

We dropped in front of the tower, and with a fast beating heart I walked inside.

My disappointment was immeasurable when, behind the desk, wasn't Secretary-chan, but a different shinobi. This one had the hallmark of an Uchiha. How did I know? Well, he wore the traditional Uchiha attire. I gave the boy a nod. He nodded back.

Where was Secretary-chan? Did something happen to her?

The sound of folders and papers falling broke my stare with the Uchiha guy sitting on Secretary-chan's seat. I looked at the source of the noise.

At the foot of the stairs, a hand on her mouth, eyes already full of tears, wearing a black kimono, was the prettiest secretary of them all.

"Hinata-chan." She whispered.

I don't know who moved first. I didn't even remember I was being escorted by a whole ANBU squad. Secretary-chan didn't seem to care either. We hugged. We cried. Babbling words might have been exchanged.

"How? Where were you? No one told me anything. That blond boy told me you were…"

With my head against her shoulder, I nodded, shook my head, nodded again. I might have no idea what I was doing. Maybe I just wanted physical contact.

One of the other ANBU, a woman by the sounds of it, cleared her throat.

I scowled. I got on the tip of my toes and kissed Secretary-chan's cheeks.

"We'll talk later, okay?" I husked out.

She gave me a startled look, her face still full of tears. Then she nodded. She kissed my forehead, let me go.

The only sour point was the new guy at the desk giving me a judgemental look. I think he was jelly. I flipped him the bird. There were gasps all around. I was past caring what people thought about me.

I returned to my escorts. Secretary-chan had released me from her hug but hadn't released my hand. The ANBU looked uncomfortable at the PDA, but no one objected. With one more in our entourage, we ascended the tower.

The intelligence department floor was like usual, frantic ninjas doing ninja things. I took a quick peek inside. It was like someone had turned the dial up to eleven. With a glance, I couldn't see Hayase anywhere. Was he okay? I wanted to break protocol here and ask Yamato — Tenzo about what happened after we got separated. We climbed to the Hokage's office floor.

Tenzo led us to the office's door, knocked.

An unseen signal passed, the door opened without any movement from the blaze of chakra on the other side.

I stepped inside, Karin followed behind. Tenzo and Secretary-chan didn't. He gave me a last nod; I waved one last goodbye at my favorite secretary before the door closed, leaving us alone with the new Hokage.

It was the same office I remember visiting when younger. The hardwood desk, the tall chair, the Hokage hat on the table. The shelves and many scrolls and books.

My early disappointment with not being able to enjoy my full reunion with Secretary-chan was forgotten. The chair wasn't turned toward us, but I knew Tsunade was on the other side. That blaze of chakra couldn't be anyone other than her. It was absurd with how much it was. Was I feeling her seal? It was supposed to have years of chakra stored, right?

Anticipation built until the Hokage's chair turned, and the person sitting there faced us.

Karin let out a strangled gasp.

I held on to a scowl.

Behind the table sat on the fancy chair, a dark-haired, red-eyed guy stared at us. No, I knew who it was. Red pupils like a four-pointed shuriken. Big, expressive eyes.

The new Hokage wasn't Tsunade, but fucking Shunshin no Shisui.

---

Spoiler: AN

Thank you for reading. Next chapter Monday.
Proofreader: CakeEight.


We have three chapters from other povs before we return to Hinata's on 7.1.

 

[theaceoffire]

Ha, that dude was a goofball!