Master of All Beasts

Chapter 36 : Onwards to Kumogakure!

"Alright, Aniki! Enough of the hugs!" Ara exclaimed, pushing herself away from her brother's tight hug.

"Right, right..." Kakashi replied, laughing slightly, "Be careful, okay?" he asked, ruffling her hair.

She gave him her cheeky grin. "Don't worry! I almost beat you in a duel!"

He chuckled. "Well, off you go!"

Ara smiled, as she waved, turning around and exited the village.

It has been a few months since she met Sekki. And now, Minato's plan was brought to action.

She would met Jiraiya at Yugakure, before they both will head to Kumo.

She was excited, to say at least. The few last days are great for her. Last week Itachi had just graduated from the Academy. And yesterday was her birthday.

She occasionally jump and spun around, obviously in a good mood.

So innocent.

*/*\*/*\*

"And welcome to Yugakure!" She finally yelled, after weeks of walking, talking to herself, and amuse herself by watching Yūsha arguing with Kurama. A large white tiger arguing with a slightly smaller orange fox plushie.

Yeah, the wooden fox puppet was taken away by Sasori at the time she finished her training. The Akasuna said, and she quote, "Well, I never said I'll teach you for free. This puppet is well-made and would be useful, so I'll take it. Or maybe you have something else?"

As an alternative, she bought a large fox plushie. An orange fluffy stuffed fox with blue eyes and smiling face.

Mad or pissed is an understatement for Kurama's reaction. Yūsha is more than happy. He felt like it was a heavenly gift.

Oh, and Ara herself is proud of her work. Not many people can force a demon to posses an orange stuffed fox.

"Woah, sure this place has gotten bigger..." She muttered, amazed by the size of the village. She looked around, and her eyes lit up in excitement when she caught a certain white-haired boy among the crowd.

"Hidan-kun!" She called as loud as she could, running towards him.

"... Eh ... You are ..." Hidan mumbled, unsure about what had just happened, ".... ARA-CHAN?!"

"The one and the only!" She cheered, pulling him into a tight hug.

Hidan pushed her away, letting out a sigh. "Are you trying to kill me with that hug?"

Ara shrugged. "Maybe." She replied, and a grin spread across her face when she saw the headband in his hand.

Hidan seemed to notice this, and he smiled smugly. "See? I had just graduated. I'm a Genin now! What about you?"

Ara smiled, pulling out her own headband. "I became a Tokubetsu Jōnin a few months ago."

His mood dropped instantly.

"And here I am, with my rank lower than an 8-years-old girl." He muttered, letting out a long depressed sigh.

Ara gave him a pat on his back. "Aww... Don't be sad! You're just 10 years old, you still have long way to go~" she sang the last part.

"... That's exactly my point ..."

*/*\*/*\*

"There. That's the only one in this village." Hidan said, pointing at a hot spring as an answer to Ara's question, "Why do you need a hot spring, anyways?"

"Well, I need to find Ero-Rōō. He's staying in this village..."

"... Ero-Rōō? Pervert-old-man? Funny." He commented, "Well, I have to go now. You know my house, right? Come over tonight, okay? I'm making dangos."

Ara frowned, once again hugging the boy.

"... Again, I'm not staying, Hidan-kun." She said, before she pushed him away, and gave him a tap on his nose.

"You're a ninja now, so don't worry over me! See you in another several years, Hidan-kun!"

And, as before, she disappeared.

Ara re-appeared inside the hot spring. After walking through many halls and corriders, she finally spotted the familiar old man.

"ERO-RŌŌ!!!" She called, her voice loud and clear.

Screams, shouts, yells, and shrieks were heard from the rooms around. A few seconds after, some kunoichi stomped out angrily.

You can guess what happened next.

*/*\*/*\*

"I officially hate you, gaki." Jiraiya muttered out, glaring at the girl in front of him. She didn't lose her grin even a bit.

"Well, I can't say the feeling's mutual." She replied, as she put the last bandage on his arm.

He chuckled, and ruffled her hair.

"You sure know how to pick your words. Now, what is it that you need?"

"You have to escort me to Kumo." She answered, handing him a scroll from Yondaime.

"I'm a Tokubetsu Jōnin now. Fight against Aniki at the end of the Exam. Kaa-san kept a recording of it."

Jiraiya nodded, as a smile spread across his face.

"Care to tell me the story of your clan?"

Ara groaned, slamming her palm on her forehead. "Oh, come on! I already retell that tale twice! Yūsha hated it!"

"Don't blame me. All I know is that the villages created a 'united force' to kill them."

Ara sighed heavily.

"Say, gaki. If you tell me, I'll buy you a bottle of sake."

The Hatake raised an eyebrow.

"... Fine. But you must sign this, too." She finally said, pulling out the book she read at the Jōnin Exam.

"Gladly!"

*/*\*/*\*

Ara smiled at the stars above her. She was laying on the ground, her head leaning on Yūsha's body.

I miss this... How I used to sleep like this when I was travelling...

Or camping with Kisa-kun. Maybe I should visit them?

"Oi, gaki." Jiraiya called, as he entered the clearing, dropping the dried branches he collected. He sat down, and starts making a bonfire. "You're still awake?"

"Mhm." She hummed in reply, as her hands moved, now under her head.

"You seemed so deep in thought. What's in your mind?"

Ara raised an eyebrow, turning at the Sannin. "You really want to know?"

He gave her a nod.

She grinned. "I was just wondering..."

"How come you're still single even at this age?"

*/*\*/*\*

Jiraiya pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out his tenth sigh in the last two minutes. He was far beyond frustrated.

He knew Ara is talkative, but he didn't know Ara was this noisy.

They were currently waiting in front of the Raikage Office. They already arrived at Kumo. Ara already gave the scroll from the Yondaime Hokage, and the Raikage was currently reading it. The girl didn't even care about it anymore. Instead, she kept rambling nonsense.

"...-but I don't think eating candies are dangerous. Sugar aren't that bad. It could-..."

"Oi, gaki."

"...-and again, toothpaste doesn't really affect anything. As long as you-..."

"Ara." The Sannin once again called.

"...-as I had said before, I prefer cotton candy. But chocolate is good, too. It has-..."

"Karasu Hatake."

"Yes?" She asked back, turning at him, tilting her head.

"They told us to get in." He replied flatly, already annoyed with the girl's behavior.

Ara pushed the door open, and entered the room. As soon as she walked in, a katana was lunged at her.

As the blade touched her skin, she dispersed as shurikens, flying around the room, some pinning the katana's owner into the wall, the others were pierced onto the Raikage's desk.

"What the hell was that for?!" Jiraiya exclaimed out of shock.

The Raikage smirked. "Well, from what the Hokage said, this girl has extraordinary talent. Now I believe he's right. Little girl, I wanna talk to you."

The shurikens disappeared. A few seconds later, Ara re-appeared, sitting on the Raikage's desk, twirling a lollipop around her fingers.

"I'm not little. You're just giant." She calmly replied, as she unwrapped the candy, and put it in her mouth.

"Now, what do you want to discuss?"

The Raikage chuckled. "The Yondaime told me that he wants an alliance with Kumo. And he said that he offered you to be a Kumo shinobi for at least a year, as the compensation."

Ara's eyes twitched. "...Damn that Namikaze..."

The Raikage ignored her comment. "Call me A. The Raikage of Kumogakure. Your name?"

"I was born by the name Karasu Kigaeru, but now I prefer Ara Hatake."

"I see. Ara, is it true that you are a jinchūriki?"

Ara sighed, as she pushed some silver strands away from her neck, revealing the black dragon symbol.

"Yes. Jinchūriki of Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox."

A nodded. "I see. My brother is the jinchūriki of Hachibi." He told her, before her turned at one of the Kumo shinobi. "Call Bee here."

Jiraiya tapped Ara's shoulder. "Well, if this is the case, I'll be going, then. I have to continue my research."

Ara raised an eyebrow, before she laughed. "Research~ Lie, lie, lie. Well, I think it's fine. When you're done with Icha Icha Violence, send me a signed copy of it."

"You're still underage to read it, gaki."

"... It's for Aniki, Ero-Rōō."

"Hai, hai." The Sannin agreed with a sigh, "I'll be going now. Goodbye."

And he disappeared.

Not long after, the office door was slammed open, and a man of his early twenties entered the room.

"Yo, brother! What is-..." He stopped in his midsentence when he saw Ara.

Much to Ara's shock, he suddenly rapped,

"Hello, my name is Killer Bee,
Jinchūriki of Hachibi!
And who are you, oh little Miss?
Having you here is such a bliss!"

Ara raised an eyebrow, and she giggled, ignoring Yūsha's incontrollable laugh, and Kyūbi's rants in her head about 'How come there's a worse jinchūriki than mine?! It's Hachibi's too?!'

She smiled, before saying,

"My name is Karasu,
Jinchūriki just like you!
I'm here for alliance,
Staying with you in advance!"

Bee grinned, while everyone's jaws dropped. Having one rapper is horrible, now there's two? And she rapped better than him! Sure she didn't plan on that rhyme, unlike Bee! That must have been a spontaneous action!

"You are so cool conoyaro! We should be friends bakayaro!" Bee exclaimed, offering his fist.

Ara's grin grew wider.

"Glad you understand me, Bee! We'll be besties, you'll see!" She cheered, and completed the fistbump.

*/*\*/*\*

It is rather hard to write the rap!

I'm not going to write about Ara's training... it would be boring...
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