White Dragon Hidden in The Leaves

Jiraiya ignored my jab, gently setting the woman down behind him, his gaze now locked on Kisame and Itachi. Naruto hovered by my side, tension thrumming in the air. We'd barely managed to keep Kisame from carving us up, and Sasuke was still trying, with everything in him, to reach his brother.

Speaking of which—

"Sasuke!" I called, realizing he'd launched himself forward once more, Chidori flaring back to life. A fresh wave of lightning danced across the hallway, lighting up every corner in harsh, electric flashes. He tore away from my line of sight, fixated solely on Itachi.

 Sasuke thrust his crackling palm forward, only for Itachi to spin, capturing Sasuke's gaze with that swirling Sharingan. 

"Sasuke!" Naruto yelled, surging forward. I followed, but we were both half a step too late. Sasuke's expression collapsed into anguish as he dropped to his knees, hands flying to his temples. A broken scream ripped from his throat a sound I'd never heard from him, raw and tortured.

My heart hammered. Damn it. I tried to form seals, to fling another wind-style attack, but I heard Jiraiya's voice echo through the battered corridor:

"Ninja Art: Toad Mouth Trap!"

All at once, the floor, walls, and ceiling twisted into something wet and organic, like we'd been swallowed by a giant creature. The air grew thick and humid, pulsing with each beat of the summoned toad's heartbeat. Naruto shouted in alarm as fleshy tendrils slithered from the walls, carefully wrapping around Sasuke's trembling body and pulling him away from Itachi.

"Let him go!" I snarled. The hallway was becoming a living labyrinth of sinew and muscle, everything was shifting, narrowing, swallowing. I tried to follow where Sasuke was being dragged, but the hallway bent with a sickening lurch, forcing me to brace against the slick ground.

Itachi's gaze flickered toward me just once, unreadable as ever. Kisame growled, glaring at the walls like he was considering hacking his way out.

"You're still too weak... You don't have enough.... Hate.." Itachi spoke while looking at his brother. As Pervy sage began to explain like in the anime about all of us being inside a toad, both of the rogue Ninja began to run further down the hall and turned out of sight as Pervy sage went after them I followed behind him only to see a broken window with black flames.

'Hey they're gone!!" Naruto shouted behind me as we looked at the hole in the wall. Pervy sage seemed nervous as he pulled out a scroll from his bag. 

"Naruto, stay away from those frames," I said as Naruto was getting closer and stopped to look at me. Meanwhile, Pervy, the sage, began to make something on the scroll, which he opened and placed on the floor. 

"All right! sealing Jutsu! Fire Seal!!" The black flames were being pulled into the scroll that he closed as soon as it was finish.

I decided to let them finish as I moved back to check up on Sasuke. I exhaled shakily, my eyes sliding to Sasuke, who knelt on the floor, hunched over and shaking like a leaf in a storm. His pupils were dilated and sweat dripped from his temples. The Genjutsu was still in full force.

Footsteps thundered behind us. "Might Guy!" I shouted as I knew he was nearby. I stood just as he bounded into the corridor. Naruto and Pervy Sage swiveled in confusion, only to see the green-clad Jonin skidding to a halt.

Might Guy striked a pose, thumbs up, teeth sparkling. "Never fear, Might Guy is here!" he declared. 

Naruto frowned. "What the—Ayumi, how'd you know he was here?"

I shrugged, forcing my voice to stay even. "I can… sense people, sort of. Pick up on their chakra signatures." Only half the truth, but now wasn't the time for details.

Guy turned to Jiraiya. "Kakashi is in the same condition," he reported, voice dropping. "He's under a powerful Genjutsu that's affecting his mind."

Naruto's head whipped around. "Kakashi-sensei is…?" His anger flared, raw and immediate. I could see it in the set of his jaw, the tension in his shoulders.

"That means these guys, Itachi and Kisame, really are after me!" Naruto's fists balled at his sides, eyes blazing. "I'm not gonna let them get away with that! I'm gonna—"

"You're going to do nothing of the sort," Jiraiya interrupted firmly, tucking the sealing scroll back into his bag. "Yes, They want you, Naruto."

Naruto's scowl deepened. "Then I have to go after them! They hurt Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei—"

I stepped in front of him, clenching my shaking hands into fists to steady them. "No. Not yet." My voice came out softer than I intended, but I forced steel into my tone. "You're not strong enough, Naruto. Not even close. We both saw what they could do. Even if you and I teamed up, we'd just…" My throat tightened around the word 'die.' Memories of my own near-death in the Chuunin Exams flickered through my mind, reminding me how powerless I really was. "We'd lose," I finished, feeling a bitter taste flood my mouth.

He glared at me, pain and fury warring in his expression. "Ayumi—"

He didn't finish. His anger drained just enough for him to cast a worried glance back at Sasuke, who was barely conscious. Whatever energy he had left was burning itself out in a silent fight against Itachi's Genjutsu.

Might Guy, cleared his throat. "I'll take Sasuke back to the village."

sometime later....

"Lord Jiraiya... please do find and bring back Lady Tsunade," Guy said while carrying Sasuke on his back.

"Don't worry we will," Naruto said " so take care of Sasuke until then master Uber brows"

"I couldn't help but snort. While Guy handed Naruto a black body suit as he left.

"Don't tell me you're planning on wearing that thing?" Pervy Sage said while looking at Naruto.

Whaddya think...?" he replied.

"I'll take it" I said causing them to look at me as I extended my hand and took it. storing it into my pouch. 

Naruto grumbled the entire first hour after Might Guy left, his anger and frustration barely contained. The road ahead wound through rolling hills and sparse forests, the sky overhead a soft blue that seemed at odds with the heaviness in the air.

Jiraiya trudged ahead, hands folded into his sleeves, occasionally glancing back at us. Every so often, he'd mumble something about "research" and "beautiful women," but his face was unusually somber. After all, Itachi and Kisame had nearly succeeded in abducting Naruto.

I trailed beside Naruto, trying not to think about how easily Sasuke had collapsed under Itachi's Genjutsu, or how I'd barely managed to stand my ground when Kisame unleashed his sword if that even counted. My mind churned with the memory of Sasuke's scream and the expression of raw torment etched into his face.

 Naruto finally snapped, "Come on, Pervy Sage, just tell me. Why are those guys, Itachi, and Kisame were after me?" He kicked a stray pebble down the dirt path, shoulders tense.

Jiraiya sighed and scratched at his chin, gaze shifting from Naruto to me before he answered. "They want what's inside you, Naruto. Specifically, the Nine-Tails sealed in your stomach."

Naruto's eyes widened, but he nodded as though part of him had suspected all along. "The Nine-Tails," he repeated, frowning. "But how'd they even know…?"

"Because they're part of an organization called the Akatsuki," Jiraiya said gravely. Though I'm not sure why they would want a beast like that. I won't sugarcoat it: you're a prime target."

Naruto let out a frustrated grunt. "So they… they want the fox, huh?"

We kept moving, boots crunching against the gravel road, and the hush that fell felt suffocating. I could sense Naruto's mixture of fear and fierce determination—an emotion that clashed with my own growing dread.

Suddenly, I cleared my throat, the words tumbling out before I could talk myself out of it. "Naruto… you're not the only one."

He shot me a confused look. "Huh?"

Jiraiya glanced over his shoulder, brows furrowed. "Ayumi…?" His tone carried a note of confusion.

 "I… I have something sealed in me, too. A horned beast named Moonhydra."

Naruto almost tripped over his own feet. "Wait, what? I've never heard of any 'Moonhydra.' Are you serious?"

Jiraiya stopped walking, turning fully to face me. "So that's what it was," he murmured. "I sensed something… off about your chakra, but I didn't want to pry until you were ready."

 I lifted my shirt just enough to reveal my stomach, showing them the intricate seal swirling over a faint birthmark shaped like a crescent moon and a small star. The seal lines pulsed faintly with chakra.

Naruto stared, wide-eyed. "Holy—so you really do have something sealed in there. Why didn't you say anything before?"

 "Cause I didn't feel like sharing." I dropped the shirt, covering it again. "It's not exactly a tail beast like the Nine-Tails, but… give me some time and it will be just as strong."

Jiraiya's expression darkened as he folded his arms. "When you say 'Strong,' what are we talking about?"

I closed my eyes, memories threatening to overwhelm me: that battle against the Fourth Hokage during the invasion… the rooftop where everything fell apart… My throat tightened as I relived every blistering second.

My eyes snapped back into focus. Naruto and Jiraiya were both staring at me, concern etched on their faces. There was no use sugarcoating any of it.

Clenching my hands into fists. "Moonhydra can grow stronger with every person's chakra I drain."

Jiraiya exhaled slowly, a thoughtful glimmer in his eyes. "This 'Moonhydra'… so it's not one of the standard Nine-Tailed Beasts. You said it's horned?"

I nodded, hugging my arms around myself. "When it takes control, I get these horns, except… monstrous."

Naruto's eyes shone with sympathy. "So… is that why you were able to sense Might Guy earlier? You said you could pick up on his chakra signatures. That's from the beast?"

"Partly," I admitted. "The Kure clan had some natural sensory abilities, but Moonhydra amplifies it."

A heavy silence stretched between us. A gentle breeze picked up, ruffling our clothes and carrying the faint scent of pine needles. A couple of birds fluttered overhead, oblivious to the swirl of turmoil beneath them.

Finally, Jiraiya stepped forward, his expression solemn. "You said you want this seal undone. Are you sure? Removing or altering a seal of this magnitude could kill you. It's far more complex than the Eight Trigrams or even the Five-Element Seal."

I nodded. "If we find Tsunade, she's the best medical-nin in the world, right? Maybe she can help adjust the seal if you can't undo it. But I can't face the Akatsuki like this."

Naruto kicked at a rock on the path, jaw set. "Ayumi, I get it. But you heard what Pervy Sage said, right? This kind of sealing jutsu is dangerous."

I bowed my head. "It is. But I'd rather risk it than keep going like this."

Jiraiya pressed his lips into a thin line. "We'll talk to Tsunade once we find her. She might know a way. But Ayumi, listen carefully: messing with your seal won't necessarily make life easier. It could make the beast angry, or unstable. Be prepared for that."

 "I am."

Naruto looked between us, a mix of worry and admiration coloring his features. "So… you've basically got your own demon in you. That's kinda… whoa. I didn't know anyone else had that besides me and Gaura."

A hollow laugh escaped my lips. "Yeah, guess we're in the same boat. Lucky us."

He forced a grin, trying to lighten the mood. "You have talked to it right? maybe you can help me with mine too?"

I tried to match his smile, but inside, I felt the same gnawing depression I'd been wrestling with for weeks. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw my grandfather's final moments. "Right," I managed, voice wobbling. "Guess that's the plan."

Jiraiya cleared his throat, rolling his shoulders as though to shake off the heaviness. "In that case, we'd better keep moving. Tsunade's not going to find herself." He started down the road again, gesturing for us to follow.

Naruto fell into step beside me, stealing worried glances in my direction. Despite how brash and clueless he could be, his concern was genuine.

I offered him a tiny nod, turning my gaze to the horizon. The afternoon sun was sinking, painting the sky with streaks of orange and gold. I let the rhythmic crunch of gravel beneath our feet lull me into a distant calm. For now, at least, we had a plan: find Tsunade, bring her back as Hokage, and hopefully unlock a path for me to remove the seal on Moonhydra.

[How about we bring it up to 6 books instead??]