Kushina's POV (Uzumaki Residence - Hidden Leaf Village)
Kushina had never been patient. She was temperamental and unafraid to tell others what she thought. She preferred to act as if something was bothering her. Minato had always been the more considerate one, reining her in whenever she went off. It took a lot of mental discipline to be a single mother.
Yet this was the first time she encountered a problem like this. Her own status as a jinchuriki had never been revealed. Most people in the village were unaware that there was even one. Now, her son had been exposed as one. Kushina knew this may be a problem but had yet to learn how much it would be. Naruto had been shunned and attacked; even his friends had been targeted. It took more discipline than Kushina knew she had to not smash the hateful villagers. Even more to not show the council the wrath of a mother for banishing her baby to the Forest of Death.
Kushina watched her pot of stew bubble. Naruto and Jiraiya had nixed her idea of her camping with them. Jiraiya insisted Naruto needed to be able to focus on training and didn't need her babying him. Naruto claimed it would be embarrassing. As such, she had brought them meals to eat and whatever supplies they requested. It allowed her some access to her son. But the blonde seemed to be laser-focused on his training lately. Silently, her son worked, often until he could not even stand. It worried her, but Jiraiya would rebuff her each time she sought to console the blonde. Telling her simply to let the blonde figure it out. It hurt her to not aid him, but it did seem like the blonde preferred to mull on it himself.
Kushina gasped as the stew bubbled over, hissing as it touched the rack of the stovetop. She quickly lowered the flame and stirred. She sighed and relaxed once it was clear she hadn't ruined the stew. It was times like this when she wished Minato was still around. His calm and logical personality had always centered her in situations like this. Worse yet, the village scorn was not her biggest concern. Ikam, apparently a relative of theirs who seemed hellbent on tormenting the remaining Uzumaki, lurked in the background. Kushina had only fought with him momentarily, but he had easily countered one of her most substantial moves. Orochimaru supposedly worked with the man and seemed to want the Leaf to pay. If those two weren't enough of a threat to her baby, a whole group of S-rank missing shinobi also pursued him.
Kushina had to support and protect her child, but she wasn't wise or strong enough. But she had to be; she had to become better. Kushina was confident that with the aid of Naruto's friends and his natural strength, he could get through this latest problem. But it would be a moot point if he was killed by some criminal scum.
But even more than that, she was afraid of change, the simple fact that those villagers would change her son and rid him of all his innocence and hopes towards this village. The childlike need to just need her mom or see her at times. It was not as simple as if you had friends and then you would be okay. This whole ordeal….. was changing how he viewed the world. He only desired to live an average life, yet all of them just mindlessly tortured him day by day in every way possible within the rules of the village.
As much as she hated to admit it, she did not face those stares and whispers thrown at her baby. Minato made sure that it remained that way. It was taking a toll on Kakashi and herself; she could not know what was going on behind those reflectionary faces of his friends. His friend, Neji, was hard to read behind his stoic face. She could subtly interrogate Ino, but she was nowhere to be seen these days.
Kushina needed strength, and she needed it quickly. She glanced at the clock and her stew. Seeing she had hours before she was due to bring the food and the stew was practically done, just needing to be kept warm, she decided upon her next move. There was only one way to garner the strength necessary to keep her son safe…
Kushina sat on the floor in a meditative pose. Little did Naruto know she had struggled to meditate, but just like him, she had found it to be something she did often. She relaxed her muscles and slowed her breathing. Her mind cleared with practiced ease. Right as she fully relaxed, she whispered out loud. Preparing herself to face an old foe of hers.
"Kyuubi."
As soon as the word left her mouth, she felt her consciousness be pulled somewhere deep in her mind. She appeared standing on a large cloud. Somehow, the condensed water form held her weight. Her surroundings were a vast open sky full of clouds and a dark reddish sky. Kushina ignored this, instead gazing upon the being she came to visit.
"This One's eyes must deceive him." The Kyuubi stated amusedly. It contrasted his position, which was wrapped in a complex web of scarlet chains carved with inscriptions of Fuinjutsu. Each limb of the beast was extended and bound. Further chains wrapped its tails in a bundle, and even the mouth of the beast was muzzled with chains. "Last time This One saw of you, I was a decree from you, what were your words…"
"Kyuubi," Kushina stated firmly, glaring at the beast with contempt. "We need to talk."
"Ah, This One does remember. You said you would never work with a beast like me. This One was nothing more than a battery for you to drain. You would ensure this one stays contained. You were a much smaller child then. Why is This One cursed to suffer in your presence once again?" The Kyuubi seemed to ignore the words and offered the best glare it could from its position.
"I need to access more of your power." Kushina said defiantly, "I am here to take it."
The Kyuubi laughed cruelly. "All these years, you can barely manage to wield even a fraction of my power. How do you intend to use more?"
"The same way I did before. By force!" Kushina said, roaring as she formed hand signs. The Kyuubi merely laughed, recognizing her intent while being unfazed. Kushina did not let this stop her, though. She needed this!
"Admentite Chains: Draining Bind!" The chains glowed brightly and seemed to tighten slightly. The Kyuubi continued laughing, though the pain could be heard in its voice. Kushina continued flowing chakra into the technique, determined to increase the limit of chakra she could take. She had done this before for her Jounin Exam, just barely managing to take the three tails worth she could currently wield. Her chains acted as a natural boost to her seal and allowed her to maintain complete control of the chakra taken. But even as she felt her impressive reserves dip towards the bottom. No chakra from the beast flowed into her besides the amount she could hold. Kushina growled as she released the technique. Her rage only grew at the continued laughter from the Kyuubi.
"Your sealing chains are impressive, human, but they cannot truly hold one of This One's stature. Without the seal binding me here, they would never hold me long. Do you think you can force control of my full power?! To wield the full power of one of my kind, you must have the consent of us! With my utter hatred of you and the darkness all humans hold, you will never achieve this. You will fail your child just as you've done before." The Kyuubi taunted.
Kushina growled as she willed herself to leave.
"You will never wield my strength while you live with darkness." The Kyuubi said one last time as Kushina faded out.
Kushina opened her eyes and threw the wooden spoon in her hand so hard it shattered against the wall. She rose to her feet and growled again before she sighed. She silently put the pot of stew in a container for travel, along with some dishes and water for the boys. Quickly, she left her home and rushed to her son's side.
But Kushina could hear Kyuubi's last words ringing throughout her mind.
Neji's POV (Leaf Training Ground - Hidden Leaf Village)
Eagle continued to be quite the teacher. Exposing his past ties to the Hyuga had somewhat made Neji respect the man. As someone who also had suffered from the Hyuga's constricting and ruthless laws, he could sympathize with wanting to leave. He found it incredible to have been banished from the Hyuga and still had reached as far as he did. Neji could see why Kakashi had set him up with him.
In truth, Neji appreciated a new teacher who knew his style so well. He wanted to win the exams. Neji knew better than to envy Naruto, especially with his hard work. But he felt left behind.
Naruto had defeated him fairly and convincingly. Taking his best attacks and smashing through his defense. When an S-rank criminal came, Naruto had fought him head-on while he had been quickly taken out. Gaara had focused on Naruto with an unnerving aim. Neji had moved to aid him, but it had been straightforward to Neji in the brief exchange. Gaara was on another level than them all and fully intended to kill or take Naruto. Neji would not allow him to do so, but he doubted he could stop him.
But Neji had never been one to give up. Even in his Fate Stage (what Naruto and Ino had annoyingly dubbed it), he had trained hard and defied the laws placed on him. Mastering main house techniques and eclipsing even the heiresses in terms of skill. So he did what he often did when worried. Train himself into the ground.
Neji had never had a choice on how to fight. It had been drilled into him even as a child. Strict forms, precise strikes, and grace were his fighting style. Mastered over the generations by the Hyuga. Neji had taken to it well, but Eagle seemed to think something else would be needed.
"The Gentle Fist is certainly one of the best fighting styles in the world. But it does not cover the full capacity of combat."
Such simple words not only annoy but free the genius.
Eagle first taught him ninjutsu in depth. Eagle merely stared when Neji questioned this because the Hyuga clan shamed those who used non-Hyuga ninjutsu. Neji had attempted to stare back, activating his Byakugan once staring at the mask became too much. Though he had simply met the Byakugan of Eagle in turn. For the first time in Neji's life, he had been out-stared. Neji dutifully listened from there on. Eagle was not someone who repeated himself.
Next, he altered his forms and strikes. The changes were untraditional and felt odd initially, but Eagle had insisted such minor changes would have a noticeable effect in combat. And much to Neji's chagrin, he found Eagle was right when he did better in their spars upon enacting such tweaks.
Finally, he taught him some variations of the Hyuga techniques he used. By the time three weeks were up, Neji felt his old confidence return. He felt powerful and now knew he could stand as he always had.
It was soon time to show them just what a genius could do.