Naruto 1. Prologue

**Hey everyone, so this is my first story that I've written and publicly put out so expect errors, a lot of errors. Right now I'm just writing as the flow permits so updates will come and go as the inspiration and motivation comes. Though, if this story gets off on the right foot, and the creative juices start flowing more, I'll try and put out more consistent updates and such. Any critique would be awesome, but just tell me what'cha think alright?**

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A Son Forgotten

**Prologue:**

The night of October tenth, a disaster had befallen Konohagakure. Unaware and unprepared the village was attacked by the bijū known as the Kyūbi, known also as the Nine Tailed Fox. While many shinobi and kunoichi were putting their lives on the line to defend their home, panic was spreading throughout the ranks as the absence of their leader the, Yondaime Hokage. Meanwhile, in a chamber hidden away within the Hokage Monument; Minato Namikaze was in the process of helping his wife with her delivery of their children.

Minato was in a panic, hearing the sound of his village being destroyed and feeling the Kyūbi's violent attacks throughout the chamber was worrying the young Kage. Weeks ago, Minato had delved into figuring out a way to subdue or destroy the bijū without endangering his wife. From past reports that he had studied and reviewed, a jinchūriki was most vulnerable when giving birth. Though, in the end Minato wasn't successful in finding a solution that he liked. Sealing the beast was the only solution that he had been able to come up with, though the price of sealing the beast was condemning himself and the beast to the Shinigami and his children to carrying such a terrible burden. However, fate had decided otherwise.

"You are lucky mortal. Contracting me using the **Shiki Fūjin** requires that you forfeit your soul and by extension, your life once the sealing is completed. However, removing you from this plane when your family still requires you, you who gave life to the one chosen. For this, I will pardon the requirement of taking your soul, but I will take something dear to not only you but those who are precious to you as compensation. Do not forget this mortal," the Shinigami ominously said, sealing the soul, yin and yang chakra of the Kyūbi into three of his four children; Narumi, Mito, and Menma respectively.

After the sealing and confrontation with the Shinigami was over, the threat of the Kyūbi adverted, Konoha shifted its attention to treating those injured from the event and to rebuild what was lost.

(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital)

"Everyone had better not be slacking! If I even 'think' that you're not giving it your all, I'll drive you through the wall!" roared a beautiful blonde woman with her hair tied in two tails, that woman being one of the Densetsu no Sannin, Tsunade Senju, as she stormed into the hospital after checking on the Uzumaki-Namikaze family.

Glancing around and noticing the lack of attention directed at her due to the crazy atmosphere, Tsunade decided to ask her right hand woman, assistant, and disciple, "What's the situation looking like so far?! Shizune!?" roared Tsunade not seeing her anywhere.

"Tsunade-sama! The injured have been reduced by half thanks to the field staff dealing with situations outside of the hospital that weren't severe enough to warrant admission. From the number of patients and medics, I'd estimate that we're almost finished treating the ones who have been admitted, and I haven't seen more than seven patients be admitted in the past hour. I think that most of the shinobi and villagers who were injured have been taken care of!" replied a pretty yet exhausted woman with shoulder length raven hair, Shizune, Tsunade's assistant and disciple.

Releasing a relieved sigh, Tsunade voiced her relief with the now stable situation at hand. "Whew, that's good. I had imagined that there would've been many more injured than that, thank goodness. That means that all the injured are accounted for, meaning that the village got out in extremely good shape when you compare it to other villages who were attacked by bijū."

Also sharing a sigh of relief with her mentor, Shizune remembered the two who were in the middle of the attack. "Tsunade-sama! You said that all the injured were accounted for right?! What about Kushina-sama and Minato-sama?!" shouted a worried Shizune, having momentarily forgotten about her village's leader and his wife.

"Relax Shizune, they're safe! Minato had a rather severe case of chakra exhaustion but he'll be alright knowing him. Kushina, other than the typical signs of giving birth, is completely fine. Even after having the Kyūbi forced out of her, she's still alive and is going to be fine. She'll be up and about in no more than five hours tops, I'll even make a bet that she will!" Tsunade confidently replied, so confident that she offered to make a bet with Shizune on it, which given her alias as the "Legendary Sucker" was no small statement.

The two shared a relieved and happy laugh as the danger that, no more than 48 hours before, had passed. That is, until Tsunade had assumed that Shizune was also laughing at her extremely bad luck and chased her around the hospital wing, her fist waving threateningly in the air while the other occupants and staff of the hospital laughed in good humor at the antics of the duo.

(Scene Change - Uzumaki-Namikaze estate)

"Minato, are you sure that you're alright? You used the **Shiki Fūjin** but you didn't lose your soul like what was supposed to happen!" a tall man, with a spiky mane of white hair with red paint on his face worriedly asked his disciple, this man was Jiraiya, one of the Densetsu no Sannin and mentor to Minato.

"Sensei, I told you I'm fine! See, I can do everything without a problem! I need to go see Kushi-chan and my kids, so please stop worrying about me!" Minato replied, creating his fabled Rasengan to emphasize his point to his mentor.

With a sign, Jiraiya relented, patting his student on the shoulder he congratulated him on his defeat of the Kyūbi and of the beginning of his family."I'm proud of you Minato, you've come so far even without my help. I couldn't have asked for a better student." Jiraiya said, pride evident in his voice as he walked with Minato towards the room created specifically for his children.

Walking in quietly, the found what they were looking for. Kushina with her arms full with her, no their children. Wordlessly walking towards her and sitting down, he wrapped her and their children in a loving embrace. "They're beautiful Kushi-chan." Minato said, resting his head on his wife's.

Sinking into her husband's embrace, Kushina sniffled a bit before expressing her sincere thanks to whatever entity that allowed her family to stay together, though what seemed like impossible odds. "Mina-kun, we're together. We're all together. All of us. You didn't have your soul taken, and I survived having the Kyūbi force out. We're going to be able to watch our children grow up and they'll have a family to love and take care of them." Kushina whispered as she sobbed quietly while shaking a little, the all too real possibility that she could've lost her husband and her life, leaving her children alone in the world with no one to care for them taking its toll on her.

Nuzzling his wife and holding her closer, Minato reassured her that nothing would ever threaten to tear about their family again. All through the night, parents and children stayed together until sleep took them as the mental and emotional exhaustion that the two had accumulated had finally reached its peak. As the night continued on, the oldest born of the quadruplets woke, quietly observing his surroundings, finally focusing his attention towards the ceiling as a voice make its way to his ears.

"Child. Child you can hear me, can you not? I am the one who allowed your father to survive his contract with me, the price of his soul replaced with something that will greatly affect you. As the oldest of four, the child of prophecy, and the child who will change the world, you will be without the love of the one's who should hold you close. That is the exchange that I had made in place of your father's soul. You who will be without love, will be the one who will defy all obstacles which will stand before you. Do not fret child, as you will forge a path that will change the world, and remember this, do not give into the hate that will undoubtedly plague your heart in the future to come." A bone chilling voice echoed within his mind, completely unaware of his future, the child slowly looked around the room before returning to sleep, the echoes of that voice repeating quieter each time.

A Son Forgotten

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Jutsu List:

**Shiki Fūjin - Dead Demon Consuming Seal**: S-rank Fūinjutsu, Kinjutsu.


	2. Chapter 1

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey everyone! Thanks for the first 3 people who gave the time to review my first chapter! It's really awesome that you guy's, from the viewpoint of 3 people, are digging my story! It's really encouraging and I'm actually starting to get into this whole writing thing, which is something I didn't think I'd ever be saying! Well just a head's up, this chapter is kind of a info-dump because of the OC's and such. Don't be expecting many of these since I won't have to really change the background of many other characters in the Narutoverse, so yeah! Let's get it on with the reading and such!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 1

(Scene Change - Konohagakure: 7 Years after Kyūbi attack)

In the private training ground of the Uzumaki-Namikaze estate, five individuals were engaged with training. A boy with shaggy blonde hair with brilliant red tinted tips with deep cerulean blue eyes, standing at around 4ft high, this was Menma Uzumaki-Namikaze, third born of the Uzumaki-Namikaze family, who was chasing around his father Minato, as the two were laughing loudly.

The other two children consisted of two girls of the same height of 4ft, giggling and chatting happily with their mother Kushina, second born of the family was Mito Uzumaki-Namikaze, who had her mother's brilliant red hair that went to the mid of her back tied into a ponytail and her father's cerulean blue eyes. The other was the youngest of the Uzumaki-Namikaze family, Narumi Uzumaki-Namikaze, who had inherited her father's blonde hair that was tied in a twin tails fashion with bangs similar to her father framing her face and her mother's violet colored eyes.

The scene now was a picturesque moment of a happy family spending time together, which would have been true if not for the pair of navy blue eyes watching his family partake in another activity without him. He was the oldest of the Uzumaki-Namikaze children, he was Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, having a darker shade of blonde and darker colored eyes then his family. After heaving a sigh, he returned to his room to finish his book, momentarily forgotten for the slim chance that he would be invited to play with his family.

After reaching his room, he sat back down on the bed and continued where he left off, he drifted off to the world that the book offered for him as he contemplated his interactions with his family over the years. "_It's not going to change it is. It's been this way for as long as I can remember, and I still don't know why they always leave me out when we do things. Kaa-chan and Tou-san didn't use to be like this... they used to include me in things when I was younger I just know it..._" Unknown to Naruto, and his family was the contract that the Shinigami made all those years ago with Minato. Instead of his soul he took the away the feelings of love that Minato, Kushina, and those who were close to the Uzumaki- Namikaze had for Naruto, a twisted exchanged that severed the bonds that he had with his parents and siblings and by extension, those associated with them.

Though his parents did not neglect in terms of shelter, he had to learn to make his own meals and shop for clothes on his own. They did severely neglect him when it came to love. He was forgotten and rejected in favor of his more vocal siblings, Menma in particular ensured his parents pay no attention to himself by being more assertive and vocal with his demands like when it came to where the family was to go eat and the like. This divide was not limited to Menma, Narumi and Mito both stayed a distance away from their older brother like he was an outsider, even though in the past they used to play together like normal siblings, however that ceased happening years ago as Narumi began to act similar to Menma and Mito closed him off from any form of contact with her. From the situations that he's been in up to this point, he didn't think like it would be ending anytime soon.

Letting his head fall onto his pillow, Naruto could only think about what his future would hold. He would rather be hated then completely ignored, but it seemed to the young boy that that was an impossibility. However, he would be starting his ninja training at the academy in the fall, so for now the future seemed brighter than it did in the past year.

(Time skip - 3 years later)

"Kaa-chan! Tou-san! Can't we learn any cool jutsu yet?!" Menma complained as he was balancing a leaf on his forehead little success, his mind set on learning something cooler like his father's **Rasengan** then something as boring improving his chakra control.

"Memna-nii, you need to learn to focus more if you want to be a super cool ninja like Kaa-chan and Tou-san, right Tou-san!" Narumi half-lectured her brother and half-asked her father as she was participating in the same exercise that her brother and sister.

Sitting next to Narumi was Mito, trying to concentrate on her own leaf through the ruckus that her younger siblings were causing if the tick marks that were starting to become visible were any indicator. "Menma, Narumi, could you two please quiet down! I'm having trouble concentrating since you two are being so loud!" Mito finally said, releasing her "Nee-san aura" as Minato and Kushina called it. But undeterred by their sister's aura, the two started to argue as to who was better at balancing their leaf as her older sister sighed at the impatience of sibling.

Laughing with his wife, Minato reassured the three that they would be learning something new soon, as soon as they gain a better grip on their chakra control. While Kushina listed off the reasons as to why they needed to polish up their chakra control or else they'd be just like her when she was a genin, a chakra powerhouse without any efficient way to use any of it, which seemed to have worked as the Mito started to work harder as her younger siblings quieted down and started to concentrate seriously with nervous expressions on their faces.

As their children quieted down and started taking their training seriously, Minato and Kushina let their thoughts flow around the chaotic events that have occurred in the past couple of years. Kumo's failed kidnapping attempt on their family friend Hiashi Hyuga's daughter, Hinata. Luckily Minato was on his way to the Inuzuka compound that night to pick drop off Menma when he spotted the Kumo-nin carrying a sack and running. Naturally his response was to put Menma down and chase down the shinobi and apprehend him. Apparently he was a part of a splinter group made of Kumo-nin who were remnants of a radical group back in the time of the Third Shinobi World War, who desperately wanted the byakugan.

Then there was the failed coup d'état orchestrated by Uchiha under the same masked ninja behind the Kyubi's attack all those years ago. From the reports after the incident, those involved were under a particularly powerful genjutsu, warping their perceptions on the world and the things around them. Thanks to Kushina, Minato, Fugaku, Mikoto, and their oldest son Itachi, things were settled with a few injured being the only casualties of the incident due to Minato and Kushina sealing the movements of the involved and to Fugaku, Mikoto and Itachi using their sharingan to disrupt the genjutsu.

Finally their thoughts drifted back to their family, namely to their oldest, who wasn't taking part in training with his sibling. Mixed emotions were swirling within the two as they recounted their past interactions or lack of interaction with him. Confusion and despair began to fill their hearts as the reason as to why they were so distant to their oldest son eluded them, no matter how much they tried to remember. "_What happened? What!? Why can't I find a reason why I've been ignoring him and leaving him behind?!_" Agitated and confused, Minato mulled over the reason of his neglectful behavior towards his son. "_I... I want to be close to Naruto, but for some reason I can't open my heart to him and I can't help but feel as though that would put Mito, Menma, and Narumi in danger. Why?! Why is that!?_"

While her husband was beginning to question if he was being paranoid or not, Kushina began to think of her oldest as well. "_I've failed as a mother to Naru-Chan haven't I... I... I just can't open my heart to him for some reason. Whenever I try to get back into his life, it feels like something dark and cold enters my heart and I end up chickening out. What happened?_" Kushina began to feel as if a curse was placed on her to never love her oldest son, which was closer to the truth then she knew, though the truth wouldn't be known to her and her husband for a number of years.

However, their thoughts were broken by a rather upset looking Narumi. "Tou-san! Kaa-Chan! Menma-nii is being mean and cheating! He said that his leaf was balanced and when I looked he blew mine off my hand! Then he said that he won because of that!" Tearfully complained Narumi holding her leaf in one hand while flailing her other arm in a comical fashion as Menma quickly defended himself.

"I did not! Narumi is making things up again Tou-san! Kaa-chan! Ask Mito-nee! She'll tell you that I didn't do any of that! Right Mito-nee! I did balance my leaf and when I told Narumi the wind just happened to blow right at that moment and it was while I was telling her so it looked like I blew her leaf off her hand which I didn't do!" Menma said in his defense, looking tearfully at his older sister for her support in his claim. However, that was not to be this time around.

"Tou-san, Kaa-Chan. Menma did it. You know how he gets when there's he's in a contest, he'll do anything to win. Narumi was almost able to balance her leaf when Menma did that so he could win." Mito said, petting her sister on her head as Menma dropped his in defeat and embarrassment. Defeat because he knew he had lost the argument and embarrassment because he knew he would be getting a lecture from his father and mother.

Sighing to themselves, Kushina and Minato looked at each other before bursting out into laughter at the antics of their children. Seeing their parents laughing, Mito, Menma, and Narumi couldn't help but start laughing and giggling along with them. Though they were laughing together at the moment, Minato and Kushina couldn't help but feel guilty that there was a member of their family that had been forgotten and neglected.

(Scene change - Unknown forest, unknown location)

On the other side of the village, there was a boy no older than 10 years old working on his own exercises under the supervision of an individual who looked no older than 20 years old. "Haa... Haa... How was that sensei?" Asked the boy, wiping the sweat on his forehead off with a towel handed to him by his sensei. "Well what can I say... You're doing great Naruto! However, you're still stiff in some of your movements. You know that to use my style of taijutsu you need to have power, fluidity, and speed. But don't worry too much about it alright? You're only ten years old remember!" Naruto's sensei replied in a laid-back tone of voice. He stood at roughly 6ft tall, having a muscular yet lithe build with short raven colored hair spiked up slightly with a stray stand hanging off of on the side in and electric blue eyes that held a twinkle of mischief. Though, instead of round pupils his looked reptilian in nature.

This young man was a memory from the last shinobi world war, working as a shinobi for the Village Hidden under the Sun (Taiyōgakure) that wished to remain neutral from the chaos that consumed the land, having no real military force due to being a rich agricultural village. Known during the war as "Heaven's Catastrophe" due to his unnatural and terrifying mastery and control over wind, fire, and lightning. Ryuuhei Shirokin had succeeded in his mission to protect Taiyōgakure, inadvertently securing his title and page in the bingo books of various hidden village's due to decimating numerous parties that were attempting to take over Taiyōgakure. Though, only a few survivors were able to make it back to their respective main forces and recall what they had faced. From the reports, it appeared that they had faced a demon in a man's body. Though the correct way to say it would be a dragon in a man's body.

Born the only son of Tatsuya Shirokin and Ayane Hatenko, Ryuuhei was trained in taijutsu by his mother and kenjutsu by his father. Learning ninjutsu and genjutsu from both of his parents, and later signing his family's private summoning contract which required finding a partner that matched his own style and personality. Eventually, his parents passed away by a disease that, from what his mother had told him, plagued their family for generations as a side effect from training alongside their partners, Ryuuhei eventually contracting the same "dragon virus" that his parents had passed away from.

"Ne, sensei... Could I ask you something kind of personal? It's ok if you don't answer me though!" Naruto timidly asked, slowly turning towards Ryuuhei with a somewhat bashful expression on his face.

"Haha, no need to be shy Naruto! I'm your sensei, you can tell me and ask me anything! Unless it's about women. I have no idea what goes on inside of their heads, and from what I've seen and heard, it's really kind of scary." Ryuuhei happily replied, though towards the end of his statement he made a mortified face from admitting his lack of knowledge concerning women to his young student.

First making an embarrassed face, Naruto's face quickly turned a little serious with a hint of anger seeping in at his sensei's nonsensical reply concerning him asking about something personal. "Sensei! I don't want to know any of that! And I don't care about that! I want to know why you won't go see someone so they can help cure you!" Naruto barked out, finally having had enough of his sensei not taking his disease seriously after knowing about for so long.

Wiping the mortified look off his face, Ryuuhei's expression changed from suprised, to solemn. "Ahh, that's what you wanted to ask about eh? I remember telling you that I wouldn't be able to be your sensei for very long when I started training you three years ago, guess you would't have forgotten about that huh. Well Naruto, do you really want to know the reason why I don't take my disease seriously?" Looking at his student straight in the eyes and asking his question, he saw his student flinch before he nodded his head slowly.

Letting a smile come to his face, Ryuuhei walked up to his precious student, put his hand on his head, and ruffled his hair, Naruto bowing his head slightly while his cheeks flushed pink in embarassment and happiness. "Well Naruto, the reason is because I'm going to die no matter what happens so why bother you know?" After hearing his sensei's reply, Naruto's head snapped immediatey up, staring at his sensei with disbelief in his eyes.

From disbelief, Naruto's eyes quickly shifted to anger and confusion. After removing his sensei's hand by grabbing his wrist, Naruto glared at him before yelling at the his sensei. "What do you mean 'why bother'?! You're going to die Ryuu-sensei! Don't act like you can't do something to cure yourself! You need to find a cure sensei!" After venting his anger at his sensei's dismissal of his disease, Naruto began to tear up and started sniffling slightly, whispering something that spoke volumes about the feelings in his heart. "You can't die Ryuu-niichan. You can't leave me alone. I don't want to be along again. I hate being alone." After speaking from his heart, Naruto was crying and sniffling at the thought of being alone in the world again. Ryuuhei was the one who talked, played, praised, lectured, and trained him. He was the father figure that he had always wanted, and now Ryuuhei could be at the Shinigami's door at any moment. The very thought of losing him terrified Naruto to no end.

Smiling solemnly and once again putting his hand on his student's he ruffled his hair gently. "Naruto... You remember what I said all those years ago when I met you for the first time?"

(Flashback: Scene change - Unknown lake)

Sitting on the shoreline of a small lake, boy around 7 years old was skipping rocks alone. His dark blonde hair blowing gently by the breeze, his navy blue eyes filled with sadness and were red and puffy from crying , the tear streaks fresh on his face. His eyes were unfocused, indicating that his mind was somewhere else. Because of that, he didn't take notice of the person who had taken a seat right next to him until he saw another rock that didn't belong to him skip across the surface of the lake. Turning his head, he saw a large person wearing a tattered black cloak, though he was afraid at first he became terrified once the cloaked individual turned to face him and he saw their electric blue eyes staring into his navy blue ones. Though, that fear vanished once they turned away and skipped another rock. Confusion replaced fear, and timidly Naruto gathered the necessary courage to ask the stranger for an introduction. "U-umm... H-hello... W-Who are y-you?" Naruto managed to squeak out, stuttering a bit as the fear returned.

Turning back to face him, the stranger did something that Naruto did not expect. They, or rather he laughed judging from how deep the voice sounded. "Haha, I was wondering when you'd do something! Though I was expecting the old 'scream and run' routine that most kids do when facing a stranger, especially if that stranger is as scary as people say I am!" Laughing after his answer, he pulled back the hood of his cloak to reveal a youthful face and an energetic smile to the boy, who in response smiled back albeit shyly. "The name's Ryuuhei Shirokin, but just call me Ryuu! What's your name!" The energetic smile on Ryuuhei's face grew into a grin, and finally introducing himself he asked for Naruto's in return. Smiling back a little more, Naruto introduced himself and the two started talking and asking things about each other.

After hearing about Naruto's past and his relationship with his family, Ryuuhei's expression darkened as he told Naruto what was on his mind. "Ahh, I see. Your family isn't really treating you like family huh. Well, you know what I'd say to that Naruto?" I'd say that if they're not treating you like family, like they're supposed to, then forget about them!" Ryuuhei angrily said, rage burning in his eyes.

Naturally, Naruto was taken by and frightened by his expression. From a nice and fun person to a person with a scary look in his eyes, Ryuuhei's drastic one-eighty caused Naruto to flinch slightly, but he still managed to stutter out a reply. "B-But they're my f-family right? They're supposed to l-love me and c-care for me."

Ryuuhei quickly lost his angry look as he sighed, looking at Naruto again, his eyes were sober which again suprised Naruto. "If they were family Naruto, you wouldn't be asking me that question you know. Family is supposed to love you unconditionally, and care for you without having to be asked to. From what you've told me, they aren't your family. They're just people who share the same blood as you, that alone does not define family you know." Ryuuhei said, reaching out and ruffling Naruto's hair softly.

After Ryuuhei started ruffling his hair, Naruto, who has never experienced such a gesture could only lean his head on Ryuuhei's hand. Sniffling slightly, he timidly asked something that would change his life. "Then I'm alone. I've always been alone. So am I going to be alone forever then Ryuu?" Looking up with teary eyes, Naruto found Ryuuhei giving him a warm smile filled and eyes filled with what he saw in his parents whenever his siblings were with them, love and compassion.

"There's no way you're alone you know. I'm right here. I've never been able to have siblings or am I ever going to have children you know. If people found out about their connection to 'Heaven's Catastrophe' they'd be hunted down for the rest of their lives just for being related to me. But, I'll ask you Naruto and you don't have to agree or answer me, but how about becoming my little brother?" Asked Ryuuhei almost bashfully, if the light dusting of pink on his cheeks were any indication.

Snapping his head up, Naruto looked at Ryuuhei with almost comical disbelief in his eyes but more then that, they were also filled with hope. Hope that what Ryuuhei was saying wasn't a twisted lie but an actual offer of becoming a part of a family. Launching himself at the young man, Naruto wrapped his arms around Ryuuhei and buried his face in his chest. "Will really let me be your little brother? Are going to be my older brother but not care for me and leave me behind?" Naruto mumbled with doubt heavy in him trembling voice before asking something that made Ryuuhei flinch slightly but quickly recover. "Will you always be with me and look out for me? Ryuu-niichan?"

Slowly wrapping his arms around Naruto, Ryuuhei brought a hand up to ruffle Naruto's hair gently. "If you're going to ask me like that how can I say no?" Tightening his embrace on his new otouto (little brother) slightly, he replied in a gently voice that soothed all doubts that Naruto had about his new aniki. "No matter what, I'll always be here for you Naruto. Even if I'm not here physically, I'll _always_ be with you in your heart as long as you don't forget about me."

Sniffling a little bit before he raised his head, Naruto, for the first time in a number of years, finally revealed a heart melting smile. "Thank you Ryuu-niichan. Thank you for wanting someone like me." After seeing his otouto's smile, Ryuuhei could only smile back in return before hugging Naruto again.

"And thank you Naruto, for wanting to be a part of my family. I'll always be watching you and I'll do my best to make you happy and protect you. I promise." After which Naruto looked up and through teary yet happy eyes, he replied with a smile so bright the sun looked dull in comparison.

"You already have, Ryuu-niichan!"

(Flashback end)

Sniffling and nodding his head, Naruto looked up at Ryuuhei and repeated the words that he told him all those years ago after they made their bond as brothers. "You said that you'll always be watching over me and that you'll always try to protect and make me happy." After repeating his older brother's words, Naruto received another round of head ruffling from Ryuuhei.

"That's right, so don't be sad alright. I'll always be in your heart as long as you never forget about me and the times where we laughed, cried, and enjoyed with each other alright? And here, I have something for you. An anniversary present, it's been 3 years since we made that promise to each other remember?" Ryuuhei said in a happy tone, handing Naruto a simple black and white scroll.

Looking at his bother then reaching timidly for the scroll, Naruto looked at it before voicing his curiosity. "Ryuu-nii, what's in here? It looks like a normal scroll, is it another scroll for history or training exercises?"

"Yeah, that scroll contains everything that I've collected over the years including my family's scrolls, various weapons including my personal ones, and other things that you'll have to find out yourself." Before giving his brother a smile and patting him on the head. "But hey, we'll save that for next time alright? Get home and we'll pick it up next time alright!"

Wiping the rest of his tears away, Naruto returned his brother's smile before giving him a hug which was returned ten-fold. As he headed home for the night, Naruto felt something inside of his heart nagging at him to stay with his brother no matter what he said, but he figured it was because of the talk they had earlier. His brother would never leave him, especially after the talk of him possibly dying, right?

The next day, Ryuuhei never showed up.

A Son Forgotten

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Jutsu list:

**Rasengan** \- **Spiralling Sphere**: A-Rank Ninjutsu

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**Thanks for reading guys! Leave a review and tell me what you think of my writing and story so far alright!**

**As for how some characters look, I have a hard time picturing characters unless they've a solid description which is something I can't do at all, I'll give you all what I kind of imagined them to look like with the changes in the story. **

**Mito **will based on **Ayane from "Dragon's Rioting" **

**Menma **is based ****on ******Naruto from "Naruto" **

**Narumi **is based ****on ******Naruto's Sexy Jutsu form from "Naruto"**

**Naruto **is based ****on**** Cloud Strife from "Final Fantasy"****

****Ryuuhei **is based ****on ****Zack Fair from "Final Fantasy"******

******While most characters from the story will have their default appearance from the original story unless stated otherwise and if they are different they'll be listed at the end of the story like this.******


	3. Chapter 2

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Wow guys, thanks so much for all of your feedback! I got a couple complaints, but the praise definitely outnumbers and overpowers it! I really am thankful that all of you are supporting this story and that I can meet your expectations! Though, I don't think I'll be able to consistently pump out a chapter a day, that's just way too extreme for me, haha! Well hopefully you all enjoy this chapter! Lets get on with the readin' shall we!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 2

(Scene change - Spiritual plane)

Within the void of the spiritual plane, two beings of immeasurable power were discussing a topic brought up after 10 years of waiting. The first resembled a tall, fit, sickly looking yet handsome man with snow white hair. In contrast to his appearance from 10 years ago, he bore more resemblance to a human then the deity that most see him as. This being was known as Shinigami, the one who reigns over those who have died, leading them towards their respective paths in the afterlife. The second was a beautiful, curvaceous woman with long hair as black as the night sky. She was known as the goddess of creation and life, resembling what most would think the giver of life would look like.

In contrast to their status as deity's, they were acting rather human when comparing what they were doing now to what their godly duties were. Shinigami was prostrating in front of his younger sister (imouto) while crying comically as he begged for mercy. Standing tall in front of him with her foot tapping and eyebrow twitching in irritation was a very, very angry Kami. Shinigami swore he could see himself behind her with pitying eyes directed towards himself as he would definitely be going to the after she was done with him.

"Well...? What do you have to say for yourself _A-NI-KI_?" Kami spoke in a syrup sweet sing-song tone of voice, a demonic smile on her face with her eyes closed, her brows still twitching in irritation. After hearing about his "master plan" to remove the child of prophecy from earthly attachments in order to prevent one side from gaining the upper hand due to winning over his heart. However, he removed the attachments that were supposed to reside within _her_ jurisdiction, he dealt with those who were dead and needed to pass over to the after not those who were still living.

"I'm sorry Kami-chan! I was just trying to ensure that the state of the physical world stayed in balance! I wasn't thinking straight! Having to deal with souls and the birth of the child of prophecy was stressful and I didn't want to have to deal with more souls later on if one side gained the advantage! Forgive me! Please!" Begging his imouto for any mercy on his soul, Shinigami pleaded giving his reasons for usurping his control over an issue that belonged to his imouto's domain.

Sighing, Kami stopped her foot from tapping and her brow from twitching. Running her hands down her face, she could only groan at the complications that her idiotic aniki caused. Not only did he interfere with the living, he probably ruined a family because he wanted to skimp out on work in the future. Opening her eyes and revealing her striking emerald green eyes, she glared at her brother. "You idiot! Do you know how much you messed up!? You could have destroyed a family because of your laziness! Your such an idiot! Why do I have to deal with such a lazy, inconsiderate, sloppy, dumb brother like you!" Kami roared, grabbing Shinigami by the collar of his kimono and shaking him violently while angrily lecturing him about his use of "shortcuts" to cut his time dealing with work down. After she finished lecturing her brother, she dropped him, panting trying to catch her breath after her angry lecture.

Laying on the ground with his normally onyx eyes replaced with swirls, Shinigami could only thank whatever other god had saved him from his imouto's wrath. After regaining his conciseness and composure, he explained the situation with the child of prophecy to his sister along with what has happened in his life. Naturally, he was beaten badly, due to his regenerative abilities tied to his status as a god, his imouto doesn't hold back. After his beating his sister looked at him, her eyes still angry but now serious. Seeing the look in his sister's eyes, Shinigami quickly became serious as well.

"Aniki, how do you know that one side won't gain the advantage. From your reports, he doesn't care for his family anymore and by extension the village that they reside in due to their neglect and ignorance of his existence. What's to say that we won't turn on them if another village or power tempts him with the offer of 'power', 'wealth', or 'family'? A child isn't capable of thinking rationally with their mind as most of their logic and reason stems from their emotions. He could be unstable and that could cause an imbalance, you know that just because you can observe him doesn't mean you know the inner workings of his psyche." Kami stated, not trusting that her brother knew what he was doing or even what he was thinking. Removing the love of a family was a twisted act in of itself, but then removing the hope of ever feeling love from the place that was growing up in, that was the most twisted thing that her brother had ever done.

Looking his sister right in her eyes, Shinigami didn't flinch like he normally would from her glare. "Kami-chan. I know that I've made a lot of mistakes in the eternity that we've known each other and I do mean a lot of mistakes. But this isn't a mistake. I know that I removed the feelings of love from that child's family and village, and I know that what you're telling me is true. But what I haven't told you yet are the final pieces of information from my report regarding the one who has taken that child under his wing." At the end of that statement, Kami lost her glare as her eyes widened by minute amount.

"What? Don't tell me that a single person has secured the loyalty of the child of prophecy for themselves?!" Kami shouted, fearing for the state of the physical plane if a corrupted individual had managed to place the child of prophecy under their control. But her concerns were lost as her brother shook his head with a small smile gracing his features.

"No need to be concerned my dear imouto, the one who secured possibly the only position within that child's heart has passed on." At his statement, Kami's eyes widened considerably.

Concern and fear evident in her voice, Kami couldn't help but shout her question at her brother. "Don't tell me that he's unstable now...? There's no way that a child would remain sane having the only source of love ripped from them!" But again, she was met with the same smile as before.

"Like I was saying before you rudely interrupted me Kami-chan," Kami had the decency to blush at her actions. "The one who has shown that child love also made it known that he would be passing on into the after well before his time came. That act alone will most likely cement the fact that the child of prophecy will remain neutral in the physical plane. Though his heart will be frozen over he will not vent his anger and hate on the world, he was raised by one of the Shirokin after all and you know that they were one's who always managed to steel their hearts in times of great pain and hate. He will undoubtedly carry on that ideal, as from what I have seen, he cared a great deal about that person. Now, I will be slowly removing the curse, which in 3 years time will be completely lifted, at which the village's genin exam will commence. By doing that, it will ensure that he will form no permanent bonds with anyone within the village and that his bond to the one who showed him love cements itself within his heart, that'll secure his neutrality within the physical plane."

Looking slightly confused, Kami decided voice her confusion as she didn't understand why he would remain neutral after all that will possibly happen in the future. "Wait, aniki, why would he remain neutral? Won't people ignoring him after he's experienced love make him hate them more? Especially if his family continues to love each other and continues to leave him on the side, or if his siblings or others harass and antagonize him due to him being a social outcast of the village?" But once again, her brother reassured her with a smile.

"Don't worry Kami-chan. He won't give into that hate, he was raised by his 'brother' to be have a strong and sturdy heart that can endure then a weak one which would give into the hate. I assure you on my status as the one who reigns over death and as your older brother that he will not give into the hate that the physical plane has. Trust your aniki once in a while alright?" Shinigami confidently said, looking at his sister with confidence radiating in his eyes.

Her brother's confidence eventually won her over as she accepted his plan. "Alright aniki, I'll trust you. Just don't do this kind of thing ever again without consulting me first ok?" Kami bashfully told her brother.

Chuckling, he wrapped his arm around his sister's neck and pulled her in ruffling her hair as Kami turning bright red with the sudden show of affection. However her blissful moment of bonding with her brother was ruined. "Ne, Kami-chan. Why're you so red? Don't tell me that you're getting sick!? Gods can't get sick can we!?" Her eyebrow started to twitch as her brother immediately started freaking out about gods catching mortal illnesses, until she finally snapped.

Flushing red with anger, Kami kicked her brother where the "spiritual sun don't shine", then she huffed and walked away as her brother collapsed to the ground writhing in agony clutching his blessings. "Hmph, males are all stupid human or god... baka aniki..." Kami angrily said the first part but mumbled the last part, her face still slightly red with anger and embarassment.

(Time skip - 3 years later)

(Scene change - Konoha Academy)

Konoha's Academy, a place for children to prepare for a career of being a shinobi or kunoichi to protect and serve their village. In the classroom being headed by chūnin Iruka Umino and Mizuki were the next generation of potential ninja that would be united under the "Will of Fire", in this particular class held the most notable students in the Academy. Sitting in the front row was Menma Uzumaki-Namikaze with his best friend Kiba Inuzuka, son of the Inuzuka clan head. Beside them were Menma's sisters, Mito and Narumi Uzumaki-Namikaze with their best friends Yakumo Kurama and Hinata Hyuga. Next to them were the Uchiha twins Sasuke and Satsuki, their usual scowls present. Behind them in the second row, were best friends Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akimichi, sons of the Nara and Akimichi clan heads respectively. Next to them sat Ino Yamanaka, daughter of the Yamanaka clan and Sakura Haruno, the daughter of a renown civilian family; best friends and "rivals in love" for the affection of two most popular boys in the class. Finally in the last row of the room sat the quietest individuals of the class; Shino Aburame, son of the Aburame clan head. An isle next to Shino sat Sai, a quiet and artistic individual with no known family. Lastly, next to the window in the back sat Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, the oldest of the Uzumaki-Namikaze siblings and the most distant.

As Iruka and Mizuki called roll before getting ready for the genin exams, everyone quieted down, some nervous others excited for the exam to commence. The exam consisted of multiple parts; a written portion which covered basics in history and tactics. A physical portion which consisted of taijutsu sparring with an instructor and the use of kunai and shuriken. And lastly a ninjutsu portion which tested the proficiency of using the "Academy 3" the 3 being: **Henge no Jutsu****, ****Bunshin no Jutsu****, **and **Kawarimi no Jutsu**. All of which were needed to be used successfully in order for an academy student to pass. However there was an extra credit or replacement opportunity in which if the student performed a jutsu outside of those three, which would replace the one that they had failed to do or add extra points to their exam, which could be the difference between becoming the rookie of the year.

Seeing the looks of apprehension and excitement on his student's faces, Iruka couldn't help but smile and formally begin the exams. "Alright, well I know a lot of you are nervous and excited so let's begin!" After which, they started calling students to test. Overall, all of the students of this class had passed with many exceeding the needed benchmark, which made Iruka a proud teacher. However, when it came to the oldest of the Uzumaki-Namikaze, he couldn't help but feel a little guilty having seen how far behind he was compared to his other students.

He knew about the stigma that Naruto held, being the oldest child of the clan yet being the weakest. Iruka knew that he should've tried to help his student more but he couldn't for some reason, he blamed it on the fact that it would've probably be seen as favoritism and he didn't want that but looking back, it probably would've been the right thing to do, despite what people would have said. Naruto was probably tied for dead-last of the year, next to the children who weren't serious in becoming ninja. He managed to pass by the skin of his teeth on the written and physical exams, scoring usually 1 point over the failing threshold and landing his kunai and shuriken 1 over the needed amount to pass. Something about those results seemed strange to Iruka, but he brushed it off as mere coincidence.

Snapping back to the present, Iruka found himself staring into the navy blue eyes of the very student he was thinking about. No matter how many times he saw it, the lack of life that should be in a student's, no child's eyes, were nonexistent in his. Naruto's eyes were dull and didn't hold the twinkle or spark that other kids his age had, rather his eyes looked like they were neutral to the world. But he quickly regained his focus, and proceeded with the exam.

Smiling widely, Iruka handed Naruto his headband with a congratulation in hand. "Congratulations Naruto! I know that you'll succeed out in the field!" However, instead of a smile or hug, he got a blank stare, a small bow, and a quiet "thank you," before his student left the academy for home. "I feel like you're going to become a great shinobi Naruto. I'm sorry that I couldn't support you through your schooling here, but I'll definitely try and help you out there." Looking at the retreating form of his student, Iruka expressed his final thoughts, before calling the next person in line for the test.

(Scene change - Outside the Academy)

After receiving his headband, Naruto put it into his pocket before he started on his way home. The last few years since his aniki had passed were difficult, not from the treatment that he received from the people around his village, but from the scroll that he received from him. Looking back, when he was coping with Ryuuhei's death he was acting like a spoiled brat who had their favorite toy taken away, angrily lashing out at anyone and hating the world for taking away the one person who cared for him in the world. But that all changed once he actually looked inside of the scroll that his brother had left him.

(Flashback start - 2 and a half years ago)

Huddled on the same shoreline that him and his brother were on when they first met, Naruto still couldn't get over the fact that his brother was gone, even after half a year of grieving.

"Why, why do I always have to have something taken away from me. First it was my family's love and now Ryuu-niichan. Why? Why?! Why!?" Naruto was growing progressively more angry and hateful at this world who took away the only person who cared for him, and was about to do something regrettable that was until a scroll fell out of his backpack as he stood up. Looking down, he immediately recognized it as the last gift he had gotten from both his brother and anyone in the past few years. He had forgotten about it, having never opened it after figuring out that he'd never see his brother again. Holding the scroll carefully, it unraveled it and saw a seal. Recognizing it as a simple storage seal it released whatever was inside, which was a note. Reading it over, Naruto started to tear up, tightening his grip slightly and by extension crumpling the note a little.

_"Naruto, if you're reading this then you probably know that I'm not going to be with you any longer. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Naruto; I'm sorry that I won't get to see you graduate the Academy, I'm sorry I won't get to celebrate your birthdays anymore with you, I'm sorry that I won't be able to embarrass you on a date with your girlfriend, I'm sorry that I'm such a horrible brother. I know that you'll probably never forgive me for leaving you behind but know this, know that I'll always be looking out for you. Even now, I'm looking out for you. I know that your upset, hurt, angry, sad, and a hundred other things but never give into any of those negative emotions otouto; they only lead to pain and more hate. I know that you're stronger then that, I'm the one who did train you remember? _

_Naruto, inside this piece of paper is what I promised you on that day. It contains a large scroll which can only be opened by smearing you blood on it with a little bit of chakra and it contains everything that I said it would. It has my life savings, down to the last ryo sealed within. My family's techniques and secrets, my own techniques and secrets, the weapons that I've collected and my own swords. It also contains all of my research on information on various things in the world that I hope you never reveal to anyone else. In addition it also contains my family's summoning contract, once you're old enough sign it and you'll be reverse summoned to 'Thousand Blade Mountain' the home of the dragons. Yes Naruto, the same dragons that I told you stories about. Once there don't be afraid, they all act mean, big, and scary but once you break past their scales they're all very kind and loyal. Ask for my partner, Jho, and tell him that you're my little brother and he'll defend and vouch for you. After all that is settled find a partner who'll compliment you and that you can bond with. You'll know when you find them, trust me. _

_Naruto, remember that no matter what anyone says, you're the strongest, and kindest person that I've known and had the pleasure to call my otouto. Don't give into the hate that plagues this land, rise above it and prove that you have the blood of a dragon running through your veins. I've made a training schedule of tai, nin, gen, ken, kin, and a little bit of fuinjutsu for you for the next few years along with training from the elders, until you turn 18 and I know that you'll be able to follow it and benefit from it, after that I'm sure you'll have already mastered everything that I've to teach you. Lastly, find a someone who you can relate to and get to know them. Find someone who you can trust without reason and if possible, find happiness with someone Naruto. I know that you'll make me proud, and that you'll become a great shinobi. So until we meet again in the afterlife Naruto, remember that I love you and that I'm always watching over you."_

By the end of the letter, Naruto was sobbing loudly, wiping his tears away with the sleeve of his jacket. After sobbing for over half an hour, Naruto made a promise to himself that he would follow what his brother asked him to do, to train and to hopefully find happiness. But as far as Naruto was concerned, becoming strong was the top priority on his list. The first thing he did was nick his thumb, smear his blood over the seal and begin training. "Ryuu-niichan. I will become strong, so that once we meet again, I'll be able to stand next to you as your brother."

(Flashback end)

Sighing to himself, he could only be embarrassed that he acted like he did, his partner would be mortified if he ever found out. But once he got over Ryuuhei's death, he began to notice things that started to unnerve him greatly. Over the past 2 years, he started to notice that people were starting to pay more attention to him. It originally started out small with people actually looking at him, instead of through him. That would've been fine, as he didn't really want anything to do with people as his only objective was to follow his training schedule, however last year was when it got to the point where they started talking to him. Originally he wanted to ignore them like they had done to him, but he remember that his brother asked him to be above hate and doing that would undoubtedly cause people to hate him, so he settle for giving quick responses which worked for quite some time.

That is until his 'family' started to try to talk to him. Menma was the same arrogant and obnoxious person Naruto remembered him to be. Mito and Narumi acted like nothing had ever come between them, talking to him in a overly familiar way which irritated him to no end, and his parents were the worst. They tried to coddle him like some child, they were a few years late for that as he was already self-sufficient by the time Ryuuhei had "adopted" him as his younger brother. It got worse when they tried to include him into their training sessions, which he always skipped out of, their training years behind his in his opinion. Though he desperately wanted to snap at them and demand the reason as to why they were suddenly acting like he always existed, he knew it would be waste of time. In the end, he treated them the same way he treated everyone else, distant and without any form of attachment. But slowly, Ryuuhei's words of not giving into the hate and finding happiness in his life were starting to take effect on him. While knew he wouldn't love his family he wouldn't hate them either, at least not until they did something to garner one or the other.

His thoughts were broken when he spotted the same people he was just thinking about, his family happily chatting with other families about their kids. Closing his eyes and ignoring the happenings around him, he just carried on his way home, that is until someone put their hand on his shoulder. He didn't even need to open his eyes to know that it belonged to his father Minato. Cracking one eye open, he glanced at his father with the same dull look in his eye and questioned him as to why he was stopped.

"...Is there a reason why you're stopping me?" Naruto asked, his voice quiet without a hint of warmth or familiarity.

Minato had seen his oldest walking out of the classroom alone, without waiting for his siblings to finish. Deciding that it might help mend the relationship that they had, he stopped his son. However, while he expected the tone of voice and look that his son gave him, it still pained him greatly. Over the course of the past 2 years, Minato had begun to notice that he didn't feel the unease that he used to feel when he saw Naruto. Before, he felt the same way he did about a stranger interacting with his family, but that slowly started to change. At first he was suspicious but as time went on, the feeling of unease completely disappeared and it was replaced with a longing to reconnect with his son. However, his plan to reconnect Naruto with the family failed miserably. He avoided speaking to any of them for more than a sentence, two if they were lucky, and when he did speak he spoke with an overly formal manner his voice quiet and without a hint of warmth, not even calling him 'tou-san' and Kushina 'kaa-san' anymore. It was like speaking to a stranger one had just met. Though, Minato wasn't deterred, he was set on reconnecting the bond that they all once had.

"I wanted to ask why you're leaving already, aren't you going to wait for your siblings to finish Naruto?" asked Minato in a soft tone of voice, a voice Naruto had only recently been exposed to personally, and it unnerved him slightly to hear it from someone other then Ryuuhei.

However Naruto answered "I'm sorry Minato-san, but I would rather not wait for them. Please excuse me." Though as he turned to leave, he was met by a red headed missile, his mother Kushina. Kushina like Minato, lost the apprehension that she used to have when she saw and interacted with Naruto and was doing her absolute best to try and get her son back into the family. Though she was met with the same treatment as her husband and everyone else for that manner.

"Naru-chan! Congrats on passing your genin exams! Where were you going? You're going to wait for your siblings to finish right?" Kushina released Naruto from her hug and asked him in confused manner. She then looked at Minato and saw him shake his head which made her frown. "Naru-chan, you need to wait for you siblings you know. It's only polite since they're you family." Kushina scolded Naruto, however he just looked back at her with the same blank navy blue eyes before retorting.

"Kushina-san, you know that they've never been made to wait for me before. Why should I be expected to wait for them when they haven't shown the same courtesy to me?" Naruto questioned, and Kushina winced at this dismissal of calling her "Kaa-can" but brushed it off, though she found herself unable to answer his question. He was right in his statement, she never made any of her other children wait for their older brother, but this only serve to fuel her desire to unite her family once and for all. "Naru-chan, I know that we're not on the best terms as family. I know that for a long, long time we've been very bad parents and your siblings haven't been the best either. But we're still family you know, and family needs to care for each other and stick together." Kushina spoke in a soft tone, looking at her oldest in the eyes.

Once Kushina said those words, Naruto's mind flashed back to the memories that he shared with Ryuuhei, then to the words that he had told him about what a real family was. "_ Family is supposed to love you unconditionally, and care for you without having to be asked to. From what you've told me, they aren't your family. They're just people who share the same blood as you, that alone does not define family you know._" Snapping out of his short stroll through his memories, he figured it would be less of a hassle if he just entertained their request. Crossing his arms, Naruto turned towards the Academy waiting for his siblings to emerge.

Seeing their oldest listen to their request and accept it made Minato and Kushina happy beyond words if the matching smiles on their faces were any indication. They knew that they would have a long and difficult road towards rebuilding their relationship with their son, but they owed it to him. The guilt and shame that plagued their hearts were unfathomable seeing how their oldest was practically a stranger in his own family tore at their hearts, and they knew that it was their fault and theirs alone. Over the last 2 years, the feelings that they should've always had for him slowly started to surface for the first time in their lives, that alone confused and frightened them. From viewing their oldest son as a stranger and potential threat to the safety of their family to seeing him as what he really was, as their oldest son who they love and care for, it baffled them to no end. But after having a heart to heart with each other, Minato and Kushina had promised to reconnect their oldest and give him the love that he deserved and more. Soon, the two were broken out of their thoughts as they were the tell tale signs of their youngest daughter if her shouting of "Tou-san" and "Kaa-chan" were any indication.

Narumi's day couldn't have gotten better, she had just passed her genin exams and made it as one of the top contenders for "Kunoichi of the Year" and "Rookie of the Year" along with her brothers and sister. Though, there was one things that did make her sad and that her heart yearned for, that was the love and attention of her oldest brother, Naruto.

She knew that she was never the ideal little sister towards her brother. Ever since she could remember, she felt afraid of him. When they were growing up, she could remember that whenever she would try and ask him to play with her or talk to him, there would be a feeling of fear that would overtake her heart and cause her to stop. It only got worse as she grew up, as she got older whenever she would see her big brother, something inside of her as a human being screamed that he was dangerous and to stay away from him at all costs. Of course, she was a child then and followed her instincts, but looking back she regretted every moment of it. Though, the last two years were strange. The primal fear that she had for her brother slowly started to fade away, and in its place was replaced by adoration and desire for her brother to accept and forgive her for all she's done. Now the only thing that stood in her way of loving her brother was him, himself. But that wasn't going to stop her from getting what she wanted, everyone knew that an Uzumaki never gave up until they've got what they wanted.

After catching the sight of her mother's striking crimson hair and her father's brilliant blonde, Narumi cheerfully ran towards them. Happiness and excitement filling her heart, she was about to launch herself at them until she caught sight of a slightly darker shade of blonde next to them. It was her brother, Naruto. Her brother was... waiting for her? He was really waiting for her? Did he finally forgive her? A light dusting of pink colored her cheeks as she changed the trajectory of her hug and instead of her parents, launched herself at her brother.

"Naru-nii!" Narumi squealed happily and with affection, as she met her target, wrapping her brother in a hug. "Naru-nii, did you wait for me!? Did you really! I hope you didn't wait too long! I'm sorry if you did! I really am!" Narumi fired off questions as to how long her brother had waited and if he did it espeically for her.

To say Naruto was uncomfortable would be putting it lightly, while he did expect to be greeted by his exuberant younger sister, he wasn't prepared to be glomped by her. Unless it was contact from sparring, he didn't do well with physical contact with others, he wasn't quite used to it yet. Slowly, he managed to detach the blonde from himself and was met with a pout in return. "To answer your question Narumi, I am waiting for all of you to finish. And no, I didn't wait long." Naruto replied in his usual deadpanned voice. Though that didn't deter Narumi for long, after hugging and getting a congratulations from her parents she went right back to Naruto and hugged his arm to her chest with a cherry smile on her face.

"Ok Naru-nii! We'll for Mito-nee and Menma-nii together then!" Narumi chirped with a smile on her face, much to Naruto's chagrin. Naruto could only sigh as his sister giggled as she tightened her grip on him. Off on the side, Minato and Kushina could only smile at the scene, Narumi always managed to ignored the cold and distant aura that Naruto had and it always warmed their hearts to see their youngest able to breach the armor around their son's heart. Soon, they spotted the blonde and crimson hair of their remaining 2 children, both with smiles on their faces.

Menma was feeling like he was on top of the world, not only did he destroy the genin exam, he was sure that he'd be the one who'd become "Rookie of the Year". However, his mood quickly rose as he saw his family waiting for him with smiles on their faces. Quickening his pace, he ran towards them only for his mood to drop like a rock in lake. He saw his brother there as well. It was well known in the village that Menma didn't like his brother, the word most would use would be detested or disgusted, however that wasn't how Menma truly felt. Menma had admired his older brother when they were young, always imitating what he would do when they were children. But as he grew older, he began to feel inferior to his brother for some reason. It only grew as they did, Menma becoming more vocal and demanding when Naruto would speak his mind or give a suggestion, in order to overrule Naruto's suggestion with his own. Eventually, Menma's feeling of inferiority turned into dislike which eventually created a gap between the two.

During the past 2 years, Menma's feelings of inferiority and hate began to fade away, though he still did not view Naruto as his equal nor treat him any differently. Menma had seen his grades both written and physical, and he knew that he was definitely stronger and smarter then his brother. Menma wouldn't be apologizing to his older brother anytime soon, not until Naruto is able to stand as his equal. Though in a small part of Menma's heart, he honestly did want to become close to his brother again so that they would be able to do things that only brothers are be able to do like talk about which girl is the cutest, pulling pranks together, and especially train together. But being as prideful as he was, Menma wouldn't be admitting that anytime soon.

His face visibly souring, Menma sneered at his brother. "What the heck are you doing here loser? Shouldn't you still be begging sensei to let you pass?" Menma spat out, his eyes narrowed.

Minato and Kushina were well aware of their sons' volatile relationship but they didn't think that it was this bad. But before they could say anything, the final member of their family spoke out in her older brother's defense.

Mito was happy, rather she was ecstatic. She had seen her older brother pass his test and the possibility that they would be on the same team had increased. Like Narumi, when she was young, Mito had a primal fear of her older brother for some strange reason. But like everyone else, within the last 2 years her fear disappeared and was replaced with the same adoration and desire for her older brother's love and affection that Narumi had. Though unlike her sister, Mito didn't rush in like Narumi did, her philosophy was try and slowly work her way back into her older brother's heart. But there were times where she would break that, and this was one of those times.

"Menma, didn't you see that Naruto-nii was one of the first to earn his headband? You're always sitting in the front aren't you?" Mito said her eyes narrowed at Menma's insult towards her older brother. Though, when she saw her younger sister so closely attached to him, Mito's eye twitched in both irritation and jealousy. But before anything else happened, Naruto decided to finally speak up.

"Well, now that the exams are over I'll be seeing you all later." Managing to once again pull his arm free of his youngest sister's grasp Naruto started walking away, unconcerned with the slightly hurt look in his family's eyes and the angry look in Menma's.

"Guess making him wait for everyone to finish was asking for too much Mina-kun." Kushina said sadly looking at the retreating form of her son. Feeling an arm wrap around her waist, Minato pulled her in close and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be ok Kushi-chan." After comforting his wife, Minato turned towards his remaining children. "Alright kids, why don't we go get something special to eat in honor of all of you becoming genin!" Instantly he got eager nods from his kids, though one voiced her concerns.

"Ne, Tou-san. What about Naru-nii? Shouldn't we go get him?" Narumi asked the question on both her and Mito's mind, and even a tiny bit of Menma's. Smiling at her consideration of her older brother, Minato patted her head.

"You know how your brother likes his space Umi-chan, we'll all be able to have dinner together one day. I promise." Seeing his daughter sadly nod her head, he decided to take lead them into the village for a night of celebrations.

(Scene change - Unknown lake)

Arriving at his destination just as the sun was starting to set, Naruto once again found himself at the lake where he and Ryuuhei met, a gentle breeze blowing. Smiling slightly, he reminisced about the fond memories that he had with his older brother. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out a familiar scroll. Unsealing small, small bottle of sake and saucer from a seal that read "Graduation", Naruto filled up a saucer and smiling, he poured it carefully into the lake before filling it once again to down it himself. The bottle only held enough sake for two saucers and that was enough for Naruto. Laying down on his back his arms crossed behind his head, he let his mind flow back to the times he shared with his older brother as he closed his eyes.

As Naruto listened to the soft blow of the breeze, he didn't notice the silhouette of a person sit down next to him. As the wind blew his hair gently, the silhouette slowly reached over and ruffled his hair softly. As he felt a very warm and familiar sensation, Naruto slowly descended to the world of sleep, as his mind slowed the ambient noises of the wind quieted to nothingness, he caught a voice in the wind. Naruto fell asleep, never noticing the tears that were falling down his face and the small smile on his lips.

"_Congratulations otouto._"

A Son Forgotten

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**Thanks for reading guys! Leave a review and tell me what'cha think about the story and my writing so far!**

**As for the gods, well I kind of had a hard time imagining how they'd look. But this is what I thought mine would look.**

****Shinigami **is based ****on**** Sephiroth from "Final Fantasy" ******

******Kami is based on **Kyōka** ****from "Dragon's Rioting"**

**Satsuki is based on Kuroyukihime from "Accel World"  
**


	4. Chapter 3

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hiya guys! Back with another update, sweet right! Haha, well I really want to thank all of you for your taking the time to read my story! I got some reviews that hurt, you know like when you bang your elbow on something, that kinda hurt. Haha, but seriously to those people, thanks for taking the time to read this even if you didn't like it and I'm sorry that it wasn't your cup of tea. To everyone else, thank you for the kind words and I'll continue to write for you guys, yes you! Well I've been getting some questions on the incest topic, I wasn't really going to go for full on Bro-Sis loving, but more along the lines of stealing kisses and that kind of thing, I'm saving more of the romantic love for another story in the future. Naruto will be romantically paired with someone, but I don't know who yet. XD But anywho, let's get to this reading thing eh!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 3

(Scene change - Hokage's office)

Inside the office of the Hokage, two figures could be seen discussing a topic that was on the minds of everyone who were associated with the newly graduated genin, that topic being the teams that they would be placed on. Heading the meeting was of course, Minato, being the Hokage he had the final word as to who was on what team with which instructor. Given a record of each individual genin, listing their strengths, weaknesses, special attributes, and other notable traits.

The second was the final of the Densetsu no Sannin, Orochimaru. Orochimaru was once considered a traitor, having been arrested after suspicion about what went on in the lab that he operated. Having no doubts about his innocence, he willingly let the anbu squad led by Minato and Jiraiya search his lab. However, what he didn't expect was to be attacked by his best friend and Minato then have suppression seals put on him. At first he was outraged, demanding why he was being arrested, but soon that anger turned into shock as he was saw what was inside of his lab. His lab, normally spotless and sterile, was covered in blood and gore. At first, he thought it was a genjutsu that someone had placed on him but after futilely trying to release it, he knew that it wasn't an illusion. After he was taken to Ibiki Morino for interrogation. Though, after he asked that they have Inochi Yamanaka to prove his innocence by reviewing the past few hours of his life they apologized and released the seals on him. During the interrogation, they had found that it his second apprentice Kabuto who had framed him. Kabuto had been stealing information and resources from his lab for his ex-teammate Hiruko, who was banished after his experiments on human subjects were found by Orochimaru and Jiraiya. Though, they were unable to find Kabuto even with multiple squads of anbu dispatched throughout the village.

After the incident, Minato and Jiraiya apologized for their mistake, Jiraiya espeically. However, he brushed them off saying that they were only doing their duty and that he would have done the same. Originally he was bitter and angry that his sensei and the Sandaime Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had chosen Minato as the Yondaime. But after Hiruzen talked to him about his reason, he grudgingly accepted. But slowly, he grew to like the boy thanks in part to Jiraiya forcing him out of his lab to meet with him for a drink from time to time. Now, he was the head of the Torture and Interrogation Force and main consultant when it came to building teams as he oversaw all outgoing genin from the Academy and had some insight as to what went on inside of their minds due to his position.

"That being said Minato, what do you think of those for the potential team builds?" Orochimaru asked, showing Minato a diagram with multiple different team compositions, ranging from tracking, assault, and support. After pointing out the candidates that would only be able to fill one role due to their skill set, he brought out a chart showing the candidates that could fill multiple roles in a squad.

"So far the teams look great, thank you Orochimaru!" Minato expressed his sincere thanks, as squad building in the past was a difficult process of basically putting genin together and seeing if they would work or not. But with Orochimaru, squads that have been assembled with his insight have had a 94.7% rate of successful squad dynamics. "But I am concerned about one thing."

Orochimaru was a little suprised as usually Minato almost never any qualms over the suggestions that he made, though he had a sneaking suspicion as to what it was about. "What's your concern Minato? It's over your children isn't it?" His suspicions were validated when Minato rubbed the back of his head in embarassment.

Minato voiced his confusion as to why his oldest wasn't included on the possible squad list. "Yeah, you hit it right on the mark Orochimaru. I wanted to know I didn't see Naruto's name on any of the squad suggestions that you showed me." After hearing his question, Orochimaru sighed.

"Minato, you and I both know that your oldest son was treated like he never existed by both his family and the village, myself included. Though we both know that, because of that he doesn't trust anyone not even you." Orochimaru stated, seeing how Minato was about to retort. "Do you know how he performed in the Academy Minato?"

After hearing the question, Minato frowned and nodded his head. "I do Orochimaru, from what I hear from practically everyone, he's the dead last of the Academy. Even more so then the students who weren't serious on becoming ninja. His performance on the written and physical exams bring barely passable, it's actually a miracle that he passed." Minato said, his voice thick with guilt and shame.

"That being said, have you ever seen his actual scores and performance on the written and physical exams?" Seeing Minato shake his head in the negative, Orochimaru took out Naruto's file and handed it to Minato. After taking it and opening, he didn't see what Orochimaru was trying to hint at. Though he did wince when he saw how poorly his son did. Seeing that Minato didn't get it, Orochimaru could only sigh. "You don't see it do you Minato, isn't it suspicious that his grades are more varied? How on every single exam, physical and written, he has managed to score 1 point above the failing threshold. That alone warrants suspicion, it's as if he is deliberately placing himself low in order to conceal his strengths, now that I'm thinking about it more clearly, I'm sure that he's intentionally hiding his skills. Though for what reason, I'm not sure of." Orochimaru said, his brows furrowed in thought.

Minato just couldn't wrap his mind around why his oldest would intentionally hide his skill if he was as skilled as Orochimaru was making him out to be. "But why hide his skills? If he has the skill, why doesn't he show them to everyone? It sounds as if you're making him out to be a prodigy, if he was, he'd be the talk of the village!"

"That's why I didn't place him with any of squads that I made Minato. I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but my personal assessment of him is that he's a potential flight risk. He trusts no one in the village and because of that has no loyalty or love for it either." As soon as Orochimaru finished his assessment, he was met with an angry and accusatory glare from Minato.

"What are you implying Orochimaru? Are you saying that my son is a potential threat to his squad mates and sensei, and a threat to the village?" Minato wasn't happy that Orochimaru thought of his son as a threat to the safety of his ninja and village. He knew that his some wasn't treated the best, but he wouldn't turn on the village. Would he?

Seeing that Minato was feeling conflicted on this matter, Orochimaru relented. "Minato, I'll assign Naruto to a squad on the condition that my apprentice be his sensei. Not only because I trust her and you trust me, but she's one of the only people in the village that would be able to assess his mental state from observation alone. The only others being myself, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Ibiki, and Shizune. But I don't think that they should be removed from their posts for one genin, even if that genin is possibly unstable and your son."

Minato thought about the situation deeply, on one hand he wanted to trust his instincts that his son wasn't a threat but considering that Orochimaru said about him trusting no one was undoubtedly true, eventually, he had to place his village over his son as much as it pained him to do so. "Alright Orochimaru, let's go with your plan. I'll trust that Anko won't be too... Anko, right?" Seeing Orochimaru's wry smile in return, he could only hope that his son doesn't get pushed to the edge by his sensei.

"Well now that we have that settled, let's rebuild the squads then. Starting with the ones who have the most flexibility in regards to possible positions." As he brought out a rooster and proceeded to highlight and circle prime individuals.

(Scene change - Naruto's training ground)

Back in the area that he and Ryuuhei had first met, Naruto was going over his plan for the future. Having become a genin, he had also become an adult in the world. His first order of business was to move out of the compound that his family lived in, and find his own place to call home.

The second regarded a much more serious topic, the being the dead last facade that he had built up over the past 4 years. It had worked as he intended in getting people to underestimate him, even if he was the son of the Hokage. But the problem now lied in whether or not he actually started to act seriously. Making such a large jump in skill would definitely raise alarms with everyone that knew him, espeically his family, but considering no one ever paid attention to him, he could just write it off as him not trying because it wouldn't be worth the effort. That seemed like a plausible yet paper-thin excuse, but it'd do, he didn't need to explain his reasons to anyone.

The final topic was one that was a bit touchy, but he needed to get over it. Now that he would be moving out and he was an adult, he needed to get over the fact the village basically erased his existence from it. While he wasn't going to betray the village or curse it, he wouldn't love it. It'd be just a place where he ate, slept, and worked for; the same would be applied to the people of the village. He'd act professionally with his teammates, his sensei, the merchants, villagers, other ninja, and his family. He wasn't going to let anywhere near his heart ever again, he'd pardon their past transgressions but that'd be it. His plan set, he headed towards his soon to be ex-home.

(Time skip - One week later)

(Scene change - Konoha Academy: Iruka's classroom)

Seeing the uncontained energy and excitement of his students, Iruka could only smile at them. Until they were ignoring the fact that the bell had rung. "Alright everyone, SIT DOWN AND QUIET!" Implementing his village renown **Kyotou no Jutsu**, his students immediately quieted down and finally focused their attention to him. "Good, now that I have your attention I'll be naming the squads that the Hokage has assigned you to."

Starting with the students with limited skill sets, the squad list slowly approached the rounded genin. "Team 7 will consist of: Menma, Mito and Narumi Uzumaki-Namikaze. Your sensei Kakashi Hatake " At that moment, many groans and complaints rang out about the newly dubbed 'Strongest Team', 'Team Hokage's Kids'. Most were about the loss of their crush to be on their team. Though the genin involved only let their heads pound the desk the unfortunate luck of having to stick with and deal with their siblings even when out on missions, and of having to deal with their perverted and habitually late older brother figure.

After quieting down the class once more, Iruka continued. "Team 8 will consist of: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame. Your sensei, Kurenai Yūhi. Team 9 is still active. Team 10 will consist of: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi. Your sensei, Asuma Sarutobi." At that, Ino practically broke the desk she was at when her head slammed onto it. Crying about how she was put on the worst possible team, while behind her Shikamaru muttered a quiet "Mendōkusei".

His eye twitching slightly at the rude behavior of his student, Iruka could only sigh before continuing. "Team 11 will consist of: Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Sai. Your sensei, Genma Shiranui." Though, he was once again interrupted when Sakura rose out of her seat and flashed a victory sign at Ino claiming that the power of love prevails over all obstacles, as Sasuke let his head drop.

For the final time, Iruka could only drop his head at his student's behavior before calling out the final team. "The final team will be Team 12, which will consist of: Yakumo Kurama, Satsuki Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Your sensei, Anko Mitarashi." At that, the class went deathly quiet and some slowly turned their eyes towards the back where their most distant classmate sat. Of course, the lull was broken when Iruka announced that their sensei's would be coming to pick them up soon.

As soon as that statement left his mouth, Kurenai arrived to pick up her team. Following her were Asuma and Genma. Left in the room were Team 7 and 12, Team 7 already knowing that they had a long wait ahead of them. After half an hour, the window flew open, followed by a kunai attached to a banner that read "The great and sexy Anko Mitarashi has arrived", as a smoke bomb went off. Out of the smoke emerged Anko wearing her signature grin and glint in her eyes.

Seeing the disbelief in the eyes of the genin, she couldn't help but snicker at them. "Well, which of you brats belong to me! If you're a part of my team, then we're meeting at training ground 12 in 15 minutes! Don't be late or I'll hunt you down, on second thought please be late! It'll make thinks more fun for me! Ja ne!" After saying her part, she jumped out the window. After processing what just happened, Naruto let out a sigh as he stood up and walked out the door towards the training ground. Seeing their teammate leave, Satsuki and Yakumo followed him out the door leaving Team 7 behind.

(Scene change - Training ground 12)

Arriving with 3 minutes left to spare, Naruto, Satsuki, and Yakumo stood awkwardly as they waited for their sensei to arrive. But they didn't have to wait long, as a pouting Anko dropped from the tree that they were standing under.

"You brats are no fun at all, it would've been more interesting and fun if I had to find and drag you here. But oh well, why don't we get to know each other!" Anko happily said, but instead of a quick response she got blank stares. But that was quickly broken when Yakumo raised her hand to ask a question.

"Umm, Anko-sensei, could you begin? I don't think that we know the proper way to introduce ourselves." Yakumo asked, unsure on how to break the ice with her new team. But her concerns were eliminated as her sensei gave a grin and started things off.

"Well I'm Anko Mitarashi as you all know! My likes are snakes, Orochimaru-sensei, my best friend Kurenai, dango, poison, sharp things, and reading! My hate perverts, rapists, people who act like they're superior to others, bad dango, and a boring book. My hobbies are working at the T&amp;I Division and hanging out with my friends. And my goal is to one day surpass Orochimaru-sensei as his apprentice! Now that I'm done, why don't you go next since you asked!" After her introduction, Anko turned towards Yakumo and decided that she was the next one to introduce herself.

"I'm Yakumo Kurama, nice to meet all of you. My likes are reading, training with my tutor Kurenai-sensei, reading, mochi and being with my family. I also hate perverts, rapists, people who mock others for stupid reasons or reasons outside of their control, and people who look down on genjutsu users. My hobbies are cooking, gardening, flower arranging and training. My goal is to repay Minato and Kushina-sama for sealing off the Ido and giving me back my life, and to surpass Kurenai-sensei as a genjutsu master." Yakumo stated with a small fire burning in her eyes towards the end. After her introduction, Anko pointed towards the scowling Satsuki.

"Nice to meet you Yakumo-chan! So you're the one that Nai-chan always talks about huh! Why don't you go next Miss Sunshine!" As Yakumo blushed slightly, Satsuki growled at Anko and received a grin in return.

"I'm Satsuki Uchiha. My likes are training, reading, cooking and gardening. I hate are perverts, rapists, weaklings, useless people, and people who break their promises. My hobbies are pretty much the same as my likes. And my goal is to surpass my brother Itachi as a ninja and my mother as a woman." Satsuki said in her usual snarky tone though it turned surprisingly bashful when she mentioned surpassing her mother as a woman.

Smirking at the her, Anko finally pointed to the only male member of the squad and gestured him to begin. "Alright, well the ladies are done so why don't you introduce yourself Blondie!" Half expecting a twitching of the eyebrows or a glare, Anko was a little suprised when all she received was a blank stare from Naruto.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. I don't have many likes, though one is ramen. I don't have many dislikes either, though most of them are shared between us like perverts and rapist. My hobby is training. As for my goal... My goal is to make someone proud of me." Introducing himself in his usual deadpan, Naruto finished his introduction. Though, his goal caused quite a stir within his squad, all of them knew that he had no bonds to speak of so this person he wanted to make proud had to have been someone special.

"And who would that be Blondie?" Very curious, Anko asked the obvious question however she was met with his patented blank stare once more followed by "It doesn't concern you." Which irked her a lot, but instead of acting on it now she decided it was a good time to let her genin know about the test that they would be given.

"Well, now that most of us have introduced ourselves," she shot Naruto a look. "you're still not truly genin of the leaf yet. You all still have one more test that you need to get through before you're field ready! So, tomorrow! Meet back here at 10am sharp and don't eat any breakfast, I promise you that you'll just see it again within the hour!" With that, Anko disappeared in a swirl of leaves using the **Shunshin no Jutsu**.

After their sensei left, Satsuki and Yakumo gave each other a glance. They weren't on the best terms but weren't on the worst either. Most of this stemmed from Satsuki and Mito's rivalry, Yakumo somehow getting caught in the middle. However, they were on a team now so it was in their best interest to get along, at least that was Yakumo's train of thought.

"Satsuki, I know that we're not best friends or friends at all, so why don't we start now since we're on a team now?" Yakumo asked, hoping that she'd accept her offer of friendship.

Satsuki really wanted to just leave and go home to train or cook or do something other then get along with of Mito's friends, but she knew that she'd get an earful from her parents and older brother if she didn't at least try to get to know her, so she just sighed and accepted. "Sure, whatever. Just don't try and be all chummy with me, we're not friends just teammates. And don't tell Mito either, I'd rather not hear her complain about how I'm stealing her best friend."

Nodding to Satsuki, they two began to head towards the center of the village, but before they left the training ground, they froze. Remembering that they had one more teammate, they turned around to see that he was already walking away reading a scroll. Looking at each other, they didn't know what they should do, though they settled on trying to invite him, considering how that was the most that they've heard him talk so they assumed that it would be alright to ask.

"Naruto, do you want to come get dinner with us? We might as well considering we're all on a team now, so we should try to get along." Yakumo asked, as they managed to catch up to the blonde. However, she was met with silence as he was too engrossed in his scroll to notice her and Satsuki. While Yakumo was a little amused, having had moments where she also tuned out the world when reading, Satsuki didn't take being ignored too kindly. Growling while she stomped towards him, she grabbed his shoulder and forced him to stop.

Naruto was almost finished with the scroll that the elders had given him when he felt a hand on his shoulder and smelled sweat with the hint of "lily-of-the-valley", and upon turning around he was met with an angry Uchiha.

"...Is there something that I can help you with Satsuki-san?" Naruto asked, wondering why the usually brooding and scowling girl stopped him.

"Are you weak and deaf?! We've been trying to get your attention for the past minute! Kami, why did I have to be paired with you out of all of the other Uzumaki-Namikaze, Menma would've been better, I'd even settle for Mito." As Satsuki went on a tangent, Naruto could only stare at her blankly, as Yakumo sighed beside her. Having had enough of her rambling, Naruto poked her on the forehead similar to how he had seen her older brother do and the reaction was almost instantaneous as she snapped out of her rambling immediately.

"Wha-What are you doing you idiot! Just don't touch me whenever you feel like it you pervert!" Satsuki shouted, her cheeks tinged red with embarrassment and anger. It was then that Yakumo decided to step in before things got even more complicated then they already were.

"Naruto, Satsuki and I wanted to know if you wanted to get dinner together to celebrate our new status as a team and to get to know each other better. So will you come with us?" Yakumo asked politely, hoping that he'd accept their offer. They got their answer when the scroll he was reading disappeared in a puff of smoke and he stared at them with his ever blank eyes.

"You two have a point, we might as well get to know our strengths and weaknesses, Knowing how we can complement each other could greatly benefit us in the future, including on the test tomorrow." Naruto stated and from the stunned expressions on his teammate's faces, they weren't exactly thinking on the same terms.

After that a blank faced Naruto, a wryly laughing Yakumo, and a scowling pink faced Satsuki enter a popular barbeque restaurant to get to know each other better. For the better portion of the night, there were laughs heard from the booth as the three or rather Yakumo and Satsuki exchanged stories from their past while Naruto choose to remain silent as he didn't have many fond memories that he was willing to share, though he did share a story about an incident he was involved in that included a corrupt merchant, bees, honey, ants, paint, a bikini, and cameraman.

He didn't expect the normally brooding and scowling Satsuki to burst out laughing and snorting as tears began to fall from her eyes or the reserved and polite Yakumo to laugh so much that she started crying with her sides hurting. The night ended with the three parting ways, Yakumo and Satsuki in better moods and a small smile gracing their faces.

(Scene change - Uzumaki-Namikaze compound)

As he walked through the front door, he was greeted by the sight of his family chatting and eating dinner happily amongst each other. Though he was used to the sight, it still caused a dull ache in his heart. As he was quietly making his way upstairs towards his room, he was spotted by his more expressive sister before he could make it up the stairs.

As Narumi was happily chatting with her family about her new team, though her brother and sister lacked the same enthusiasm she had, she spotted a familiar mop of blonde hair and her night instantly brightened up even more. Standing up on her chair, which Kushina instantly started scolding her, she called out to him.

"Naru-nii! Where have you been! Why're you home so late? Come down here and have dinner with us!" As soon as those words left her mouth, the rest of her family's heads snapped to where she was looking. But she never got a response as they heard the door to his room being closed softly. Knowing that her brother wasn't going to be joining them, Narumi sank back into her chair and slowly continued to eat, sad and hurt by his indifference.

While Narumi quieted down, Mito continued looking where she had seen her brother with longing in her eyes before she went back to her meal quieter then before. Menma continued seemingly unaffected by his brother's indifference, though inside he was wondering what his weak older brother was doing out so late. Minato and Kushina were both hurt and upset by the attitude and behavior of their oldest. Hurt that he didn't greet them when he got home and upset that he made their youngest sad by his attitude. The two exchanged sad looks before they continued with dinner, knowing that the happy mood and light was spoiled.

(Scene change - Naruto's room)

As Naruto entered his room, he contemplated on what would be the test for tomorrow. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of his teammates, it would definitely make things go by much more smoothly then having to assume what they were in the heat of the moment. Most likely they would have to go on a mission as a show of proficiency and their ability to operate as a unit. Starting tomorrow, he would be able to drop his facade and actually experience the world as a capable shinobi. Laying down on his bed, Naruto slowly fell into a dreamless sleep.

(Scene change - Training ground 12)

As the morning sun laid lazily overhead; Naruto, Satsuki, and Yakumo were sitting under the large sakura tree that laid in the center of the training ground. Satsuki had her scowl on her face, though she was sneaking side glances at the only male member of their squad. Yakumo was reading a book, and like Satsuki, she was sneaking glances at Naruto before focusing back to her book and repeating the process. Naruto was immersed in a scroll that contained information about team dynamics and how to best operate as a unit; including tactics, positions, weakness, and mistakes. Eventually, the lull of the moment was broken as their sensei made her explosive entrance, literally, as a smoke bomb exploded with her jumping out of it, her signature grin on her face.

"Well looks like you're all ready for the test I assume!" seeing the scowl, small frown, and blank look; Anko couldn't help but sweat drop slightly at the less then expressive faces of her students. "Well then, why don't we begin! The test we'll be having is the good old fashion bell test! All you have to do is take a bell from me and you pass! Simple right!" Anko said happily, pulling out 2 silver bells out of her pocket. As soon as they saw the bells, Yakumo voiced the concern that all genin who received the test had.

"Anko-sensei, but they are three of us. Why are there only two bells?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Anko revealed a devious smirk before saying something that instantly set her genin off.

"Because, the one who doesn't manage to get a bell from me is going to go back to the Academy and repeat the whole thing over again!" Anko chirped happily, relishing in the tense and stressed expressions on her genin's faces. Though, she did notice that the only male of the squad had his blank stare still in place.

"Alright then! Let the test, BEGIN!" As soon as she said that, the two female members rushed into the woods leaving her and Naruto behind. Raising an eyebrow, she gave Naruto an confused look. "Umm... You know that you're supposed to hide and plan right?" However, instead of a reply, Naruto walked back to the sakura tree and sat down. Opting to finish reading the scroll in partake in the test at the moment.

Anko could only gawk at the audacity of the kid, not only did he not answer her, which alone would've involved her using sharp things to make him answer her, he ignored the fact that he had a test going on. But she was broken out of her thoughts as a volley of shuriken forced her to jump back to avoid being hit.

Satsuki was angry, she was angry and tense, most of which came from the stupid test that her sensei had given them. Not only would one of them fail, they'd have to go through the whole Academy again and that was something she wouldn't be taking a part of. After she had hidden herself in a few meters back, she saw her idiot of a teammate just give up, without lifting a finger. She knew that he was the dead last of the Academy, but that didn't mean that he should give in without a fight. Not that she cared if he passed anything like that, but then she noticed that when he was walking back to the tree her sensei let down her guard and she took advantage of it by throwing a handful of shuriken and charging in.

After closing in the distance between, she started the bout with her sensei off with taijutsu. Anko grinned, seeing that things were finally about to get interesting. Satsuki quickly fell into the rhythm of her clan's **Koenken**. The key component of the Uchiha clan's taijutsu relied heavily on using one's sharingan to predict the moves of the opponent and respond with quick yet powerful blows hence the name. However, Satsuki not having her sharingan yet, couldn't utilize it to its full extent.

Quickly throwing a flurry of jabs and kicks, Satsuki quickly grew frustrated as Anko avoided each of her attacks like they were nothing. Throwing another hook towards Anko's midsection, Satsuki had her wrist grabbed pulled, knocking her off balance. Responding by twisting her body, she tried to deliver an axe kick but hit air as Anko backed away.

"Well I'll admit gaki, you're not too shabby at your taijutsu, for a genin at least." Anko's taunt seemed to have the intended effect as she saw her student's face flush red.

Growling, Satsuki rushed in again and threw another punch that was deflected, quickly spinning around she a backhand at Anko that she avoided by crouching and sweeping Satsuki off her feet. Regaining her balance, Satsuki quickly went through a series of hand seals that made Anko's eyes go wide.

Finishing the last of the seals, Satsuki glared at Anko before taking in a deep breath. "**Suiton: Teppōdama**!" Firing off a quick basketball sized ball of water that hit Anko and sent her flying back before she was replaced with a gouged out log.

"Whoa, that's one dangerous jutsu gaki! I'd be torn up for sure if I got hit by that! You need to be more caref-" Dropping out of a tree, Anko praised and scolded Satsuki but before she finished a rain of kunai forced her to perform another **Kawarimi**.

Jumping out of the brush, Yakumo had a kunai in a reverse-grip as she headed towards Satsuki who wasn't happy to see her. "What are you doing here! I don't need your help to get a bell, you saw that I almost had her right there!" Satsuki was really frustrated, being toyed with by her playful sensei didn't sit well with her at all.

"Satsuki, I know that you're frustrated! But please listen to me!" Though her teammate was irritable, Yakumo knew she had to get her to calm down or else they'd all fail. Seeing the angry but now focused face of her teammate, Yakumo began her assessment of the current situation at hand.

"We know that we need to get those bells right? From what we talked about last night, we don't know any of Naruto's skills and going by his performance in the Academy they probably aren't the best. That being said, I think we'll be able to get those bells with just the two of us. I don't like leaving him behind, I really don't but we need to pass. I think will this will work, so here's the plan." Making a guilty face, Yakumo shot a glance towards their still reading teammate before relaying the plan she had devised to Satsuki.

To say that she was suprised was an understatement, Satsuki had always thought that Yakumo was someone who was all about being friends with everyone but seeing her leave Naruto out didn't sit well with Satsuki for some reason, but she needed to pass so she agreed to the plan that she created, which was crafty in her opinion.

Seeing that her two students were finished with their group huddle, Anko walked out of the brush with her grin still in place. "Are the two of you time with your little team meeting? Come'on, let's get things going again!"

Satsuki and Yakumo flashed through the hand seals for their respective jutsu, with Satsuki rushing in while Yakumo stayed back.

"_Interesting, Satsuki is coming in to apply pressure while Yakumo is most likely setting up a genjutsu to throw me off. Not shabby for a couple of rookies._" Thought Anko as she avoided another **Teppōdama** from Satsuki before she heard Yakumo.

"**Kanashibari no Jutsu**!" Yakumo called out, as Anko felt a slight stiffening in her body as the genjutsu took effect. As Satsuki closed the distance once again, diving low for the bells that were tied to her waist.

As she felt the cool touch of the metal, Satsuki couldn't help but smile as the plan that Yakumo made worked. But as quick as the feeling of success came, it left as Anko grabbed her wrist and locked it behind her back, making Satsuki yelp in pain as she was forced onto the ground.

Yakumo's reaction was the same as Satsuki's, elated that her plan had worked but her hopes were crushed as their sensei had broken out of her genjutsu and subdued Satsuki without any problems.

Grinning from ear to ear, Anko couldn't help but be impressed by the show of team work of the two girls. "That was some good team work girls! Having one of you keep the pressure on me while the other immobilizes me, that was some plan! But then again, it wasn't good enough." As she finished her statement, noticed that the last member of the squad had disappeared, she wasn't the only one as Yakumo and Satsuki had noticed as well.

"Huh, where did Blondie go? Did he go home or something?" Anko asked, seeing the confused expressions on her students, she figured that they had no idea either. But as she was about to get off Satsuki and go find him, she immediately jumped back to avoid a kick to the head that cut off a few hairs on her head.

Anko was shocked, her eyes wide, she didn't notice him until the last second. If she had been any slower there's no doubt that she'd be hurting or even unconscious.

After his kick missed, Naruto quickly grabbed Satsuki in a "princess carry", ignoring her shouts to let her go, and jumped back to where Yakumo was. Putting the now scarlet Satsuki, he turned back to Anko and rushed her.

"_Fast"_ was the unanimous thought of the group as Naruto stopped in front of Anko and proceeded to take her on in taijutsu.

_"Damn, he hits fucking hard. And on top of that he's fast, this is getting bad my arms are starting to go numb." _Anko grunted feeling the heavy blows of her student as she blocked and parried his attacks, though she was caught off guard as a kick broke through her guard and sent her stumbling back, spittle flying out of her mouth from the heavy blow. Though his assault didn't stop there, as he charged in and slipped in behind her.

Satsuki and Yakumo could only let their mouths hang open as they saw the scene unfolding in front of them. The dead last of their class was holding his own against a jōnin, and the apprentice of Orochimaru no less.

Anko was starting to get pissed, she had underestimated this brat and he was actually starting to push her back, her! The apprentice of one of the Sannin! Catching her balance, she turned around with an kick that was blocked by Naruto. Following up, she threw a heavy punch that send her student reeling back. Not letting him get his balance, she tackled him to the ground, straddling him and pinning his arms to the ground, a vicious smile on her face and a predatory glint in her eyes.

"That fucking hurt gaki, I thought you were the dead last? There's no way that you are with those skills, why hide it huh?" Anko questioned him, leering close to his face.

Behind the two, Satsuki's face was once again scarlet looking at the scene of her sensei straddling her teammate. Next to her Yakumo covered her eyes, her scarlet face matching Satsuki's. But they were broken out of their embarrassed states when Naruto shouted at then.

As Anko straddled him, Naruto reversed the grip she had on his wrists, and held onto them tightly. After doing this, he turned towards his teammates and shouted at them to grab the bells. "Satsuki! Yakumo! She's open, grab the bells NOW!"

Hearing their teammate actually shout at them, they two quickly rushed towards their now immobile sensei to grab the bells. After hearing this Anko tried to break free, but her student's grip on her wrists wouldn't budge. Knowing that it would be futile, Anko just sighed knowing that it was checkmate.

Minutes later a smiling Satsuki and Yakumo were standing next to a blank faced Naruto as Anko massaged her sore wrists, courtesy of the blonde in front of her. At first Anko sighed, but then she gave the three a grin as she knew that, unintentionally, they had managed to figure out the test.

"Congrats brats! You all pass!" As she congratulated them, she was asked the question at hand by Satsuki.

"But Anko-Sensei, we haven't decided on who would get the bells yet." Satsuki questioned, knowing that Naruto would probably get one since he did give them the chance to grab them. She would definitely fight for that second bell though. "_I need to have that second bell, Naruto is going to get one for sure. But it's not because I want to be on a team with him or anything, I just don't want to go through the Academy again. Yeah, that's right!_"

While Satsuki was having an internal debate as to the her intentions of wanting the bells, Yakumo was having a similar one. "_Naruto is most definitely getting a bell, I would really like the second one though. It would be nice being on a team with someone as reliable as him if he's as skilled as what I saw. But that's not saying Satsuki isn't reliable either!_"

However, their inner thoughts were broken by Anko who revealed the true reason behind the test. "That's true, but the real reason for this test was to test your ability to work as a team. At first, you all were going to fail. But with that little stunt at the end, I can see that you all have a future as a pretty powerful squad if we can work out the kinks! So yeah, Team 12 is official!"

As the words left her mouth, Satsuki and Yakumo revealed a dazzling smile while as Anko gave them all a grin. As they turned to the only male member of their team, to their complete shock and awe, he had a small smirk on his face though it vanished quickly. Satsuki and Yakumo quickly turned their heads away, cheeks flushed while Anko revealed a predatory grin.

"_Well, well, well. Looks like things are going to be interesting after all."_

A Son Forgotten

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**Thanks for reading guys! Leave a review and tell me what you think of my writing and story so far!**

**So yeah, I always liked Orochimaru and I always imagined what he'd be like if he was still loyal to the Leaf, which I always wished he was. I'm also really new to making fighting scenes as in I've never made one up until now. So yeah... Haha!**

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Jutsu List:

**Kyotou no Jutsu** \- **Big Head Technique**: B-Rank Ninjutsu

**Shunshin no Jutsu **\- **Body Flicker Technique**: D-Rank Ninjutsu

**Koenken ****\- Tiger Swallow Fist**

**Suiton: Teppōdama ****\- Water Release: Gunshot**: C-Rank Ninjutsu

**Kanashibari no Jutsu ****\- Temporary Paralysis Technique**: D-Rank Ninjutsu, Genjutsu


	5. Chapter 4

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys! I'm back again with another chapter! Again I know I say this all the time, but thank you all for reading my story and giving me feed back! Yes you, the reader! As for some of the questions that people have been asking me like about how strong he is, I don't know if telling you here will spoil it so I can't say, sorry! As for harem potential, I don't know honestly! If you guys have some girls who you'd like to see him with, they can be from other media but I'll need to figure out a way to incorporate them into the Narutoverse, leave it in a review and I'll take a look at them because I love interacting with you guys! Well, that's enough of me blabbering, let's get to this reading thing!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 4

(Scene change - Hokage's tower)

A few hours after the final genin exams were concluded, Minato as well as the jōnin who proctored the exams were discussing the results of the tests. "Well, how did the genin perform on their tests everyone?" Getting mixed responses from the jōnin, Minato decided to call them in order of team number to give their reports. Most of them were able to pass, but a few failed due to conflicts within the team, which caused them to fail in working as a team.

"Team 7 passes Minato-sensei, but that's to be expected as they're all siblings and know each other pretty well." Kakashi gave his report, happy that his team passed. Getting a smile and nod from Minato, he continued with the reports.

"Team 8 passes as well Minato-sama, though Kiba Inuzuka is trying to assert himself as the 'Alpha' of the team. I'll have to work on getting him out of a pack mindset." Kurenai reported, confident that her team will become a strong one in the future. Minato also was pleased, he knew how the Inuzuka clan operated on a similar level to how a pack of wolves operated, so Kiba was only doing what his clan did.

"Team 10 also passes Minato-Sama, though the new Ino-Shika-Cho seem out of balance. Shikamaru and Choji get along great, but Ino isn't trying at all to get to know them or work with them at all. Shikamaru needed to appeal to her pride in order to get her to work with them, hopefully she breaks out of it." Asuma reported, concerned about the future of his team due to the blonde. Minato could only laugh wryly, knowing how Inoichi's daughter was absolutely obsessed with his son Menma. Hopefully she'd get into the kunoichi mindset soon though.

"Team 11 has passed as well Minato-sama, however they are not exactly team material. Sasuke Uchiha shows no aptitude for teamwork, opting to work alone. Adding onto that, he doesn't try to associate with his teammates at all, even when they were struggling to pass my test. Sakura Haruno is the exact opposite to Sasuke, all she is trying to do it to get him to agree to go on a date with her. While this wouldn't be normally a problem, she seems obsessed with him, to the point where Sai badmouthed him, she slugged him across the face. That brings me to Sai, he's... different. I don't know but I get the feeling that he isn't a genin, he's far to perceptive to be. After about half an hour, he got his teammates together and immediately told them about how teamwork was the key to the test. I won't do anything now, but I'll keep you updated about him." Genma reported with a sigh, knowing that he'd have his work cut out for him in the future. Minato gave a sharp nod in response, Orochimaru also commented on this team saying that they would either sink or swim, the team dynamic being somewhat similar to his own. But he did warn Minato to pay attention to Sai, as he had his suspicions about him as well.

"Team 12 also passed Hokage-sama! They were pretty good for a couple of rookies! Satsuki and Yakumo managed to bind me for a few seconds with their teamwork! But most the most surprising thing was Naruto!" At that statement, everyone's attention was focused on Anko, Minato's eyes widened by her statement and asked if she could continue, which she did.

"While it was just taijutsu, that kid is fast. And I mean FAST! I'd estimate that in terms of pure speed, he's at least low-jōnin. But that's not all, he hits pretty flippin' hard too." Lifting the sleeves of her trench coat, Anko showed the light colored bruises that spotted her arm. "These were all from him, I'm not joking when I say he actually pushed me to start trying, the first move he made was a kick to the head and I'm sure if I didn't dodge it, I'd be in the hospital with a concussion."

At the end of her report, everyone in the room quieted. The supposed dead last of the Academy managed to actually make the normally playful Anko try, that sent a shock through their systems as well as curiosity as to what else he could have been hiding. Minato knew that he had to get to the bottom of that mystery when he got back home.

"Thank you everyone! For the genin who didn't pass, please notify them that they will be put on reserve until they are placed on a team that works for them alright? That's all I have, thank all of you for your reports and meet me tomorrow for your squad's first mission. Anko, could you stay behind please? I need to talk to you." With that he dismissed the jōnin, with the exception of Anko.

"What's up Hokage-sama?" Anko asked, though she knew what he was probably going to ask about. It's not every day the son you everyone called a failure managed to singlehandedly take on a jōnin, even if they weren't going at one hundred percent.

"I'm sure you already know, but it's about Naruto. I wanted to know, since I know that Orochimaru asked you to monitor him for me, what do you think his mental state is? Do you think he's a treat to the village? Please be honest with me." Minato asked in a slightly hesitant manner, before he believed that his son wasn't a threat to the village but after hearing how he managed to go toe to toe with one of the top ninja in his village, he needed to be sure. Not just as a father but as the Hokage.

"As of right now, I'm not sure Minato-sama. From what I've gathered, it doesn't seem like he hates the village but I know he doesn't have any love for it either. Judging from his body language when he interacts with other people, he doesn't really pay attention to them since he doesn't tense up or relax around any one person. I'll keep an eye out for him though." Anko reported, knowing that it meant a great deal to him. Receiving a smile and a "thank you" in return, she was dismissed.

Leaning back in his chair, Minato could only hope that his son would be willing to talk to him about his abilities. He wasn't too hopeful, but right now it was his only choice in order to unravel one of the mysteries that shrouded Naruto.

He was about to finish up the last stack of documents before he felt a pulse of Kushina's chakra from the seal in her wedding ring. Before the pen touched the desk, he was gone in the signature flash of yellow of his **Hiraishin no Jutsu**.

(Scene change - Uzumaki-Namikaze compound)

Chaos could be the only thing that described the Uzumaki-Namikaze compound if someone were to see it. Kushina had her back pressed firmly against the door, her threatening yet scared aura on full blast causing her children to cower in fear of their now angry mother, though her oldest stood firm, the same blank expression on his face. As things were about to heat up, a flash of yellow gained the attention of everyone present in the room, a clear sign that their savior had arrived.

When Minato arrived, he noticed two things. One, his wife had an aura he hadn't felt in ages, the last time he felt this aura was when a rouge ninja called her by her moniker of the "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero", things weren't pretty afterwards. The second thing that he noticed was that his son had a small backpack and suitcase in hand. His eyes widened as he immediately understood the severity of the situation, Naruto was moving out. Though he didn't remain shocked for long as he was snapped out of his stupor by his wife.

"Minato! Naruto's moving out! I need you to help me convince him to stay here!" Kushina said frantically, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes. Seeing his wife in such a state broke Minato's heart, steeling his resolve and facing his son Minato tried to persuade his son to stay at the compound.

"Naruto," Minato spoke softly, "Why are you moving out? Your home is here with us. If space is what you want we can arrange that, we can find somewhere on the compound for you to call your own place if you want. We still care about you regardless of what happened in the past, I don't know why we acted the way we did but we're going to make it up to you if you give us the chance Naruto. Just, please don't leave us. Don't leave your family. " Minato said with a sad tone, the tears in his eyes reflecting the sorrow in his heart.

Kushina picked up where Minato left off, taking a shaky step towards her oldest, tears freely flowing from her eyes now. "Naru-chan, you can't move out. You're only thirteen, where would you stay? How are you going to pay your rent with just a starting genin's earnings from missions? Who will make sure that you're eating right? Please Naru-chan, don't leave us, please don't." Kushina was openly weeping now, holding onto her husband for support as she continued to plead her oldest son to stay.

"I know that we've been terrible parents to you, and I know that I've been a horrible mother. We've never showed you the love that you deserved or needed but we're going to make it up to you! Just please give us another chance! Let us be your family again, please. Please let me be your Kaa-chan again."

Naruto's siblings stayed quiet throughout their parent's tearful pleas for their older brother to stay home with them. Narumi was opening crying like her mother, hiccupping a little as she cried. Mito was silently crying, furiously wiping away the tears in her eyes futilely as the more she wiped them away, the more would stream out. Menma was less expressive then his sisters, scoffing at his brother and turning his head to the side, but the slight quivering of his lips gave away the feeling deep in his heart.

As his family was crying around in front of him, Naruto continued to stay quiet. Looking at all of them with his face still blank.

The sorrowful atmosphere was amplified as the now sobbing Narumi clung onto her older brother and began pleading for him to stay as well. "Naru-nii! Please don't go! I'm sorry for being a horrible little sister and not playing with you when we were little! I'm sorry for always taking your ramen and not telling you! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! So please don't go, don't leave me behind. I want to be with you." Narumi cried into the chest of her brother as Mito also pleaded for him to stay.

"Naruto-nii, please don't go. I'm sorry for how I acted in the past, I'll do my best to be a better sister in the future, I promise! So please Niichan, please don't go. I don't want you to go." Mito begged, finally letting out a few hiccups of her own.

Menma just turned towards his older brother and locked stares with him, that blank look in his brother's eyes making him snap. "Just go you loser! Can't you see that you're nothing but a problem for us! If you were never here; Tou-san, Kaa-chan, Mito, and Narumi wouldn't be crying! So do us all a favor and just get out already! I don't need a useless brother like you or do I want one! You've never done anything that an older brother should do, so why bother wanting you to stay around! Just go! None of us need you!" After his small rant, Menma looked away, his lip quivering much more as a few tears leaked out of his eyes.

Finally, after hearing the members of his family speak from their hearts Naruto removed Narumi's arms from him and proceeded towards the door much to the horror and utter despair of his family. Near the entrance of the door, he proceeded to turn around and address his family as a whole.

"I've lived the majority of my life without any of you being a part of it, by now you all should know better then anyone else that I'm not a helpless child that needs to be coddled by his family. I learned to look out for myself by the time I turned 5 years old, that was 8 years ago. For 8 years I've lived without experiencing your love or attention, why would I need or even want it now? Whether you like it or not, I've already become my own person and I intend on living my own life outside of this house. You owe me that much at least." Naruto said, his eyes narrowing at the end into an ice cold glare that actually made his family flinch.

Finished with his statement, he turned around and began walking out the door, as his family started to break down behind him. Stopping as he opened it, he spoke one last time before he departed to his new apartment.

"A Family is supposed to love you unconditionally, and care for you without having to be asked to. From what I've experienced all these years, you shouldn't be considered my family. We should just be people who share the same blood, and that alone does not define a family. But... I can't cut my ties with you no matter how hard I try. Thank you for the things that you have done like providing me a bed to sleep on. I'll forgive you all for what you've done in the past because the past is the past and I live in the present, however don't expect a place in my heart. It'd be too painful for anyone to have place there anymore..."

Whispering the last part so only he heard it, Naruto turned around and gave them a small bow then walked out of the Uzumaki-Namikaze compound, towards the edge of the of the village where his new home laid.

As the door closed with a soft thud, Kushina immediately ran into her room and slammed the door, stifled sobbing could be heard through the door. Minato quickly chased after his wife, feeling the same emotions as she did flooding in his heart. Menma scoffed, and quickly went to his room, wiping the tears from his eyes as he muttered something about his brother under his breath. Mito and Narumi were hugging each other for physical and emotional support as they continued to cry and hiccup. The two eventually going to their rooms, as more stifled whimpers could be heard from the outside.

Reaching her room, Kushina slammed and locked it behind her. Throwing herself on the bed, she continued to sob uncontrollably, the cold eyes of her son and his words cutting deeply into her heart. She heard Minato knocking on the door, begging her to let in him, to let him comfort her, but she knew it wouldn't do a thing to ease her the pain in her heart at the moment. As the afternoon slowly turned into the evening, Minato had decided to give his wife her time to grieve as he returned to finish the small amount of paperwork he had left before returning.

Waking up from her tear induced nap, Kushina groggily looked around her room. Body felt numb for some reason, her heart feeling like a piece was missing from it. Tears threatening to spill from her eyes again, her gaze found its way towards the bookshelf. Slowly making her way over, she found what she was looking for her family's photo album. Shakily reaching for it, she took it off the shelf and opened it, tears flowing once more as the first picture in the album was of her whole family. Slowly tracing her fingers over Naruto's face, she turned continued through the book, stopping gazing at the photos of her oldest when he still had his smile, a smile that had been forgotten over the years.

Reaching the 5th birthday of her children she smiled once more as she gazed lovingly at the photo of her children all smiling and hugging each other. But soon her fond memories returned to their guilty and sad state. After that photo, there were almost no more photos of Naruto in the rest of the album.

Frantically flipping through the pages, she finally found one last photo of him, one that shattered what little hope she had in her son returning to her family. The final page of the album was another family photo of them in the living room without Naruto, but looking closer in the upper corner he was there, and he was casting them the same cold glare that he did earlier.

Clutching the album close to her chest, Kushina returned to her bed and cried softly as she let herself slip into the memories of the past. That's were Minato found his wife, appearing in a flash of yellow beside her. Sadness seeping into his eyes, he got changed and lied down beside her and wrapped her in a tight embrace, whispering that everything will be okay and that they'll do their best to bring their son home. Responding to Minato's comforting words, Kushina snuggled deeper into her husband's embrace, dreaming of a smiling Naruto running towards her before giving her a love filled hug.

"_I'm home Kaa-chan!"_

(Scene change - Naruto's apartment)

As the evening turned to night, Naruto had finished tidying up and furnishing his apartment. While it was rather far from the village's center, it was close to a normally unused training field, which would benefit him greatly in the future. After finishing with his apartment, Naruto took a much needed shower, washing away the fatigue of the day, both physical and emotional. Changing and then laying down on his bed, he thought about what had happened over the past few hours. He had finally moved out of that house, told his family about how he really felt about them, and was now an independent shinobi of Konoha. Looking out of his window towards the night sky where the stars laid, he didn't know what to make of the future, but for now both the stars and his future seemed a little brighter then before.

(Time skip - A few weeks later)

(Scene change - Hokage's tower)

The past few weeks have been interesting for Naruto to say the least. After moving out of his family's house, he had been seeing and feelings the disappointed glares of some of the villagers, most likely having heard that he had left his house and left his family in tears. But he never let the looks affect him, he'd been through worse then a few nasty looks.

He had bumped into his family over the past few weeks as well, Narumi latching onto him and begging him to come home every time she saw him. Mito tried to talk to him but always ended up starting a conversation that ended up with her awkwardly apologizing and leaving Menma just glared and scoffed at him then proceeded to berate him with his usual gang of friends about how weak and useless he was.

Kushina would see him shopping in the market district and barrage him with questions about how he was doing, if he was eating right, if he was staying out of trouble, and above all else, she asked if he wanted to come home, which he politely answered and declined each time. Though, he always saw Minato when he was getting a mission either with his team or individually and would be asked the exact same questions as he did from Kushina, which he politely answered and declined the offer of returning home.

Speaking of his team, things were proceeding how one would expect it to with Anko Mitarashi as a sensei. They were all being trained into the ground.

Yakumo due to her frail body, was having a hard time with the physical exercises. Anko made sure to check to see if she could was alright if she thought she was in danger, but she was beginning to get physically stronger to the joy of her parents and pride of Anko. Kurenai even said that she was beginning to lose her pale and weak complexion and gain a more lively and strong one which made her blush.

Satsuki fared much better, but she too was being trained into the ground by their overzealous sensei, but she could see that she was becoming stronger much to her enjoyment. Her parents even commented that she was much more skilled then she had ever been before, even her brothers noticed. Itachi smiled at her and told her that she was growing well. Sasuke however glared at her and she glared back, knowing that her brother was jealous of her growth.

Naruto didn't seem that tired when training sessions were over, on particularly hard days, the most they had seen him exhausted was a little winded breathing otherwise he was able to take on anything Anko threw at him.

As for what they were being trained on, at first it was mostly team exercises but due in part to the three actually working together cohesively they eventually were able to take on multiple types of training like tracking, scouting, support, investigation, espionage, and assault after a week of team building.

The past few weeks rotated between the six different topics which were beginning to make them a "Jack of all Trades" sort of team which Anko had been planning on making them, "Better to be safe then sorry" was her train of thought as she wanted her squad to be prepared for anything that could happen in the future.

Right now Team 12 was reporting on their 41st D-Ranked mission, which astounded every other jōnin sensei. Instead of the usual 2-5 missions a week, Anko made her team complete a minimum of at least 9 missions a week, her reason being "I don't want to be stuck doing D-Rank missions for more then a month." Which was now why she knew her genin were ready for their first C-Ranked mission.

"Congratulations for another mission well done Team 12! I assume that you want another mission correct?" Minato asked, handing the completed report to his assistant to be filed later. Satsuki's eye immediately started twitching as the thought of doing more chores made her lose her cool. Yakumo sighed, knowing that they'd be doing more manual labor in the coming hours. Naruto retained his blank look, but his eyes darkened a bit. Minato noticed the glint in Anko's eyes and immediately knew what kind of mission she was going to ask for.

"We sure are Hokage-sama! I think my cute little genin are ready for their first C-Rank mission! We've completed the minimum number of 30 D-Ranked missions, and I know that they'll be able to handle it!" As the words left Anko's mouth, Satsuki's eyes burned with the flames of determination within them. Yakumo's eyes widened in excitement as she straightened her back and put on a determined face. Naruto's face still remained blank, but there was a little excitement in his eyes. Seeing the look of determination and excitement on the faces of the genin, Minato could only sigh and relent, smiling he agreed.

"You're right Anko, your squad has gone above and beyond when completing your missions so I think you've earned this." Minato said with pride as he handed Anko a mission scroll. "It's a simple escort mission, but I think your team will be able to handle it. Alisa-san could you please let in Tazuna-san." Turning towards the door, Minato called out to the secretary to let in their client.

The door soon opened to reveal a grey-haired, bespectacled man. As soon as he reached them he turned and gave them his evaluation of them. "I thought I paid to hired a team to escort me; not two girls, a boy, and a scantily woman. I bet those three kids haven't even touched a weapon and that woman hasn't been in a real fight." Tazuna said as he took a gulp from a small bottle of sake.

Satsuki scowled as Anko and Yakumo frowned, definitely not liking how he was implying that women were weak. Naruto didn't react, but he did clench his hand slightly. But before things could escalate, Minato immediately narrowed his eyes and raised his voice at Tazuna.

"Tazuna-san, I would appreciate it if you don't insult the people that will be escorting you. The ninja before you are more then capable of protecting you, Anko is one of my top Kunoichi, being an ex-anbu captain.

At that information Tazuna, Satsuki, and Yakumo looked shocked. Tazuna because he had someone of such caliber protecting him and Yakumo and Satsuki because they didn't know that their sensei held such a prestigious position. Naruto's eyes widened slightly, but he knew she was much stronger then she was leading on.

At all the attention she was getting, Anko couldn't help but blush slightly. "Geez, if you keep staring at me like that I'm gonna blush." She said with a grin, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment. Eventually the tense atmosphere before returned to a tranquil one, Anko directing her genin.

"Alright my cute little genin, we're meeting tomorrow at the main gate and head towards Nami no Kuni (Land of Waves) then alright! From the mission details, we're going to be escorting and guarding Tazuna-san while the Wave complete a bridge. So pack enough supplies for at least a month to be safe alright?" After her instructions, her genin nodded and they were all dismissed.

As Naruto walked out of his office, Minato quickly called out to him. Stopping near the door, Naruto turned around slightly to face him. "Naruto, please be safe out there ok?" Expecting him to be ignored, Minato was surprised and overjoyed that his son actually responded to him. "I will be, thank you for your concern Minato-san." Naruto said before he bowed and exited the room, leaving Minato to smile slightly before he returned to his paperwork.

The next day, Team 12 had all assembled at the main gate. On gate duty that day, chūnin Izumo Kamizuki and Kotetsu Hagane couldn't help but smile and light lightly at the excited faces of the genin waiting at the gate. Yakumo had her eyes closed with a excited smile on her face as she hummed a little tune to herself. Satsuki was shaking a little in apprehension and excitement, her lips quivering from trying to stop herself from smiling too much. While Naruto looked at the forest through the gate with a blank expression, a tiny spark of excitement in his eyes. After a few minutes Tazuna arrived followed by Anko, who after seeing the looks of her genin, couldn't help but smile.

"Well looks like the three of you are excited to leave on this mission huh! Well let's get to it then!" As she gave her orders, she received a unanimous "Hai!" from her genin as they headed towards Nami no Kuni.

As Team 12 headed towards Nami no Kuni, Anko noticed that Tazuna looked more tense then an escort client should be, it was almost as if he was marked for death. Then she notice a large puddle ahead and narrowed her eyes.

"_A puddle that big, even if it rained recently it wouldn't be that big. Definitely has to be genjutsu. But maybe this'll be a good test to see how they handle a situation under pressure. If things start to turn, I'll step in._" After making the decision of letting her team handle things, Anko walked on the puddle as chains wrapped around her and ripped her to pieces, to the horror of her genin and Tazuna.

The chains retracted as two cloaked figures charged at the group, claw like gauntlets raised to strike. "One Down." One of the cloaked figures said as they approached the group.

Satsuki froze, she thought her sensei was one of the best in the village, if she got taken down what good would she be. Swallowing her fear, she dodged the cloaked figure with straight hair as they lunged at her with his gauntlet.

Yakumo seeing Satsuki in trouble immediately threw a volley of shuriken at the person attacking her, managing to get her attention long enough for Satsuki to kick them away, as she threw her own shuriken. While Satsuki and Yakumo were occupied with one of the cloaked figures, the other one with unruly hair charged him and Tazuna.

Tazuna was scared, he had seen an ex-anbu captain get ripped to pieces and now he was going to see a couple of kids get killed before he died. The girls were managing to hold off one of them but the blonde alone wasn't going to hold off the other one. As the other attack approached Tazuna couldn't only watch in shock and awe as the blonde headed kid actually stopped them.

Meizu couldn't believe was just happened, a kid stopped his attack with just a kunai. A kunai against his gauntlet. But he respond as a he felt pain erupt on the right side of his body.

As Meizu lunged at him, Naruto whipped out a kunai in a reverse grip, letting the gauntlet of his opponent glide across the blade of his kunai, Naruto deflecting the attack to the left side of his body, and judging from the shock of his opponent he didn't expect that to happen.

"Oh well," Naruto thought as he retaliated, spinning and connecting his elbow to the left side Meizu's body, a sickening snap echoing across the road as Meizu fell to the ground gasping for breath and clutching the side of his body. However, Naruto didn't his assault as he turned around and stuck the back of Meizu's head, his opponent's head impacting the ground with a dull thud as he remained motionless.

Gōzu couldn't believe his eyes when he saw his older brother hit the ground, holding his side. He didn't expect the kid to be skilled enough to handle his brother, let alone beat him. But his distraction cost him as a kick connected to his stomach, making him gasp for air. But he found himself unable to take a breath, as if there was no air for him to breathe, panicking and disoriented he slowly lost conciseness as his world turned black.

As Naruto finished dealing with his opponent, Yakumo had finished the signs to her jutsu as Satsuki managed to land a kick to Gōzu's midsection. Staring right at Gōzu, Yakumo whispered "**Botsuraku Gozō no Jutsu**". Seeing her opponent's look of shock as they tried to take a breath, Yakumo knew that it had worked. As Satsuki was about to strike again, she saw her opponent trying to take a breath and knew that it was Yakumo's jutsu at work. Sighing, the two were about to relax before the remembered the other one. Snapping their heads back towards their teammate, their jaws dropped as they saw him tying the other assailant up, the same blank expression on his face.

To say Anko was shocked would be an understatement, not only had her team manage to hold off enemy ninja, they managed to hold their own against 2 chūnin ranked opponents. While we was extremely impressed with Satsuki and Yakumo's incredible teamwork she was at a loss for words when she saw how efficiently and brutally Naruto took down his opponent.

"_That elbow had to have broken a rib or two and that blow to the back of the head alongside how hard the impact was, there's no doubt that he had some serious injuries.. While Satsuki and Yakumo had a little trouble dealing with Gozō that was expected, they're still genin. But Naruto dismantled Meizu like he was nothing. Just how strong is this kid?_" Breaking out of her thoughts, Anko dropped down to the shock of everyone but Naruto, which she took note of.

"That was amazing! Looks like my cute little genin really can handle themselves in the big, bad world!" Anko said grinning, explaining how she used **Kawarimi ** to substitute herself with a long in order to assess how they performed against live opponents, and that they exceed her expectations.

Hearing praises from their sensei, Yakumo and Satsuki revealed bashful faces and smiles, as they couldn't say anything in response to Anko's praises. Naruto's blank look remained, but a hint of happiness could be seen in his eyes. But the peaceful moment was broken when Anko turned to Tazuna, and addressed the situation.

"Look here Tazuna-san, I know that this has definitely escalated from a C-Rank escort mission. You mind telling me why we were attacked by the 'Demon Brothers' when we're just supposed to be escorting you." Anko said, a scary and angry glint in her eyes at the audacity of the man to put her genin in danger.

Tazuna almost immediately went down to his knees and begged them to help him. Telling them about the situation with Nami no Kuni about how a crime lord, Gato, has taken over and practically ruled the small village with an iron fist. That a C-Rank mission was the most that the could afford with the allotted funds from the few villagers who had extra to spare. As he finished he pleaded with them again to help him, that they would repay them in the future when the Wave was back on its feet.

Anko heard the sob story and couldn't help but feel pity towards the man and his village. According to code, she was to abandon the mission and report Tazuna to Minato and have his name blacklisted as requesting a false mission. Deciding that she couldn't make this decision alone, and that it was her genin's first time outside of the village she asked them.

"Well, you all heard his story. What do you think we should do? Remember, it's okay to not want to continue, it's a dangerous mission." Anko asked, her teasing voice unusually gentle. She didn't get a answer from Yakumo or Satsuki, the two girls looking at their feet. She didn't blame them, they had heard that Gato kidnapped women and girls and forced them into the "entertainment" business. But she received a response from the least vocal of the team, but the response wasn't one she or anyone else was expecting from him.

"Anko-sensei. We are going on this mission. We're going to escort Tazuna-san to Nami no Kuni and he's going to complete that bridge. Then, I'm going to find every one of Gato's thugs and tear their throats out. Finally, I'm going find Gato himself and rip his head off!" Naruto started out quietly but near the end he raised his voice as his eyes burned with so much fury that they were a little shaken by it. But as quickly as it came, it left, his blank face returning, though they could tell how he felt from the small scowl now on his face.

While she was shaken at him at first, Satsuki steadied her resolved and agreed with her teammate, though not about the killing part. Yakumo followed suit, knowing that it'll be dangerous and that she could become a liability given her condition, but steeled her resolve. Anko, seeing the now determined faces of her genin could only smile at them for wanting to help Tazuna, though she was a little scared of Naruto's proclamation, he wasn't actually going to kill anyone was he?

The team coming to an agreement before him to help him and his people, Tazuna could only bow his head lower and mutter "Thank you," over and over again, tears streaming down his face. After their vote, the group continued on their way towards Nami no Kuni; finally reaching a checkpoint at a friend of Tazuna who lent them a boat. After the boat ride, they proceeded on their way, only an about an hour and a half from Tazuna's homeland.

As they continued down the worn road, Anko began to feel as though someone was following them, but she couldn't point it out. On guard but figuring it was because she was in unknown territory, she ignored it. But soon the lull of the moment was broken when Naruto threw a kunai at a bush, a small white rabbit scurrying out of it.

"What are you doing you idiot? You almost gave me a heart attack!" Satsuki shouted at her teammate, patting herself over the chest. Her adrenaline returning for another encounter like earlier before.

"Naruto, please be more careful! You really scared me there, I thought it was another enemy!" Even the polite Yakumo scolded him, imitating the action of her female teammate by patting her chest in relief.

But the moment was immediately tense as Anko shout at them to get down. "GET DOWN!" Forcing Tazuna onto the ground as her genin quickly followed her order, a large blade soared overhead and embedded itself in the trunk of a tree behind them.

"Well, well, well. So you were able to dodge my Kubikiribōchō eh? Guess you aren't as bad as you look." A mocking voice said as they turned around to see a figure standing on the handle of the blade before jumping down and taking it out of its resting place and putting it on his shoulder.

Anko immediately narrowed her eyes, her body tense, ready to take action. "Zabuza Momochi, the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist'. What are you doing here?" Anko questioned, hoping that her wasn't here for Tazuna. But her fears were immediately answered as he let out a mocking laugh.

"Well, I didn't expect to find the 'Snake Mistress of Konoha' here. What do you think I'm here for? I'm here for the old man behind you, so why don't you do you and your little brats a favor and just hand him over. I won't kill you if you do." The man now known as Zabuza said.

"Sorry, but I can't do that. Mission is to protect him after all." Anko said, whipping out a kunai in preparation of the impending conflict. As Zabuza chuckled again.

"Mission? You expect me to believe a couple of brats like that are capable of taking on a mission like this already? I doubt they're even ready for D-Ranked mission let alone this!" He taunted, which worked as Satsuki growled, Yakumo glared, and Naruto actually narrowed his eyes at him. Anko didn't take too kindly to someone other then herself taunting her genin.

"But fine, we'll do this the hard and fun way." Zabuza said, raising his arms in seal before calling out a jutsu that made Anko drop a bead of sweat down the side of her face. "**Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu**," as a thick mist began to roll in to the shock of the genin. As the mist rolled in, the three began to feel a thickness in the air, as if it was getting much harder to breathe.

Satsuki was trembling, the kunai she had taken out was shaking in her hand. Her whole being screamed at her to run away, to get somewhere safe, but she couldn't move. All she could do was stand there shaking like a leaf in the wind. "_Wha-what is this? The air is so thick, I can't even breathe. It's like I'm in a pool of water right now. I'm scared. I'm really scared. Am I going to die?_" Satsuki thought as she frantically looked within her field of view, unable to even turn her head due to the overwhelming killing intent.

Yakumo was on her knees, her already frail body unable to take the killing intent directed at her. The kunai that she originally held in one hand was now held in both, shaking just like her body. She wasn't prepared for this, she expected another quick fight but not this. She didn't want to be here, she wanted to take everyone and run but she couldn't even move a finger in this situation. "_We need to get out of here! We're not going to make it if we fight this man, I don't even think Anko-sensei can beat him in this mist! I want to get everyone and run but I can't. I'm scared. I'm really scared. I'm going to die aren't I?_" Yakumo thought as she stared into the mist before her, unable to vocalize any of her thoughts or actions from the killing intent Zabuza was emitting.

While his two teammates were having a hard time due to the killing intent directed at them, Naruto was faring much better, having been exposed to far worse from Ryuuhei. Though that didn't shake all his apprehension off as the slight shaking of his hand was an indicator that he was nervous. "_So this is what Ryuu-niichan meant when he said that it was a technique used by practically every ninja out there. I need to be careful, one wrong move and I'm dead._" Naruto was broken out of his thoughts when Anko stood firm before them.

"Satsuki, Yakumo, Naruto! Don't panic, I don't let my comrades die, espeically when they're people I care about!" Anko shouted, trying to lift the effects of the killing intent from her genin, and it worked as they all visibly stopped shaking violently. Satsuki tightening her grip on her kunai. Yakumo shakily standing up before getting into a stance with her kunai. Naruto relaxed and slip into a stance, his eyes now hard and sharp. After her speech, Zabuza laughed again before appearing in the middle of Naruto, Satsuki, Yakumo, and Tazuna. To their shock and horror.

"Nice speech, too bad you're all dead." He said as he brought Kubikiribōchō around to slash through the four, but as he did Anko appeared next to him and stabbed him through in the midsection to his shock.

"Don't you EVER try to lay your dirty hands on my genin." Anko glared at him with unbridled fury in her eyes. But to their surprise, he turned into a puddle of water.

"ANKO-SENSEI! BEHIND YOU!" Yakumo screamed, seeing another Zabuza appear behind her. To their horror, Anko was cut down by Zabuza. But to his shock, the Anko he cut turned to mud as it hit the ground. As he felt cold steel against his neck.

"You're finished." Anko said in a cold voice, her eyes narrowed in anger. But to her surprise and the surprise of everyone else, she started to chuckle lightly.

"You prepared a **Doro Bunshin** when I made the mist didn't you? That's pretty clever I'll give you that. But I'm finished? You don't understand who you're facing do you?" After saying that, Zabuza dispersed into another puddle of water and reappeared behind her, Kubikiribōchō in swing to cleave her in half.

Ducking, Anko managed to evade being cut in half but using his momentum Zabuza spun around and kicked her in the side sending her to the large lake that laid next to them.

"You just sealed the death of you, the old man, and your little wannabe ninjas." Zabuza said, rushing to the area where Anko had landed .

"ANKO-SENSEI!" Satsuki shouted, her eyes wide in shock at what just happened. Her sensei had just been kicked into a lake, from what she had seen he used suiton which meant he had the advantage in the water.

"SENSEI!" Yakumo screamed, seeing her sensei get kicked into a lake. If she was in the lake then that meant that Zabuza had the advantage if he knew more suiton jutsu, which from her sensei's battle, he probably did.

Naruto's eyes widened before they narrowed again. "_This isn't good at all. Sensei has zero chance now that he's got her in that lake._" Expression similar thoughts as his teammates at the situation now at hand.

"Pwah, what hell? Why the fuck is this water so damn heavy?" Anko said, breaking the surface of the lake only to see Zabuza's shadow next to her, turning around her eyes widened as she saw him finish a series of hand seals.

"You were stupid to let me get you into the lake, but you made a dumber mistake by trying to get out of it. **Suiton:** **Suirō no Jutsu**!" Zabuza shouted as he encased Anko in a sphere of water. "Can't move can you? That waters denser due to my charka flowing through it, you're not getting out of there."

"_Shit! He's a lot stronger then I thought, I should've known better then to have fucking underestimated him!_" Anko angrily thought, her overconfidence was going to cost her own life, the life of Tazuna, but worst of all it was going to cost her the lives of her genin.

Turning towards stunned genin, Zabuza could only stare mockingly at them before he created another water clone using the **Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu** from earlier. "Look at you all shaking and scared now that you lost your sensei. Where's that bravado from earlier, especially you Blondie, I didn't notice you shaking before, absolutely pathetic. A real ninja is one who can survive even in the face of death, and let me tell you a little secret, I. Have." Putting emphasis on the last two words, Zabuza proceeded to tell him of his exam to become a shinobi.

"In the Bloody Mist, the genin selection exam involved you killing the classmates and friends that you grew up, ate, and played with. It was a test that truly showed who was the strongest. Now imagine a kid who wasn't even part of that exam showing up and killing over one hundred of those weaklings. Those were good times." At his story, Satsuki and Yakumo turned a sickly green at the thought of that massacre. As he finished, the clone he created vanished and reappeared in front of Naruto to everyone's shock and sent him flying with a kick to the head, knocking his headband off in the process.

"Kid like you are way in over your heads, you know what you are." His clone started as he walked towards the group. "Your just a bunch of immature, weak, scared, little brats."

"RUN! YOU GUYS CAN'T WIN, JUST TAKE TAZUNA-SAN RUN AND SAVE YOURSELVES! HE CAN'T MOVE WHILE HE'S HOLDING ME HERE AND HIS CLONES CAN'T MOVE TOO FAR FROM THE ORIGINAL!" Anko screamed hysterically as she was about to witness the deaths of her genin right before her eyes.

As the clone approached slowly, Satsuki, Yakumo, and Tazuna had their lives flash before their eyes as they closed them. Tazuna remembered his family and the wave, their smiles and hopes all placed on him to complete the bridge.

Satsuki remembered her family, her mother and father's smiles, her other brother's forehead pokes, and her twin's smirk. Then she saw all the times she had with her team, the missions, the training, but she also saw a head of blonde hair and a handsome smile directed towards her instead of his usual blank face.

Yakumo remembered her mother and father smiling at her, the sealing of the Ido by Kushina and Minato. The times she spent with Kurenai and training with her. Then she saw her team, with all the missions and training sessions that they had together, but then she saw a familiar head of blonde hair but instead of a blank face, this blonde gave her a charming smile.

As they began to accept the fact that they were going to die, a thud and splash could be heard which made them snap their eyes open. Standing in front of them wasn't a blank faced Naruto, but a Naruto with his eyes narrowed in anger with a scowl on his face.

"That hurt, but I guess I don't have to hold back huh?" He said as his scowl slowly turned into a smirk. Biting the thumb on his left hand and quickly swiping the blood into the palm of his hand, a cloud of smoke cover him from the views of everyone present. As it cleared everyone present had their jaws drop at what they saw. Naruto was standing in the same position with his eyes closed, but with a huge sword at least 6ft long and a 1ft wide, resting on his shoulder. Turning his head slightly so that he faced Zabuza, he slowly opened his eyes. His navy blue eyes were now electric blue, his round pupil was now reptilian in shape. His blank face slowly turned into a predatory smile as he uttered a few words that made Zabuza sweat slightly.

"I'm a little different from most immature brats."

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading guys, be sure to leave me a review about my story and writing so far! I always appreciate it! Could this be a sign of a future with our blonde hero for Satsuki and Yakumo? What does Naruto mean by that Statement? Find out next on "A Son Forgotten"! XD And Oh Yeah! That's right guys, it's that Buster Sword! So cliche and blah I know but I love it so much, it's so simple and cool! But Naruto'll have more weapons don't worry! So uh yeah, tell me how my fight scenes are sounding alright! Tell next time, stay awesome!**

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Jutsu list:

**Hiraishin no Jutsu - Flying Thunder God Technique**: S-Rank, Time-Space Ninjutsu, Ninjutsu

**Botsuraku Gozō no Jutsu - Diminishing Air Technique**: C-Rank, Genjutsu, Ninjutsu

**Kawarimi - Substitution**: E-Rank, Ninjutsu

**Doro Bunshin - Mud Clone**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu

**Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu - Water Release: Hidden Mist Technique**: D-Rank, Ninjutsu

**Suiton: Suirō no Jutsu - Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu

**Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu - Water Clone Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu


	6. Chapter 5

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, I'm back again with another chapter! This one is a little short, mostly because I've been busy with school work and such, engineering is a pain. But hey, better then nothing right! It's the next part of the wave arc and I really hope you guys enjoy it! The fighting scene isn't all that great though, I'm sorry but I'm still learning! And people have been pm'ing me this question a lot and I'm kinda tired of hearing it so I'll answer it here. The only thing that Naruto is missing is experience and a huge chakra pool like his siblings since he doesn't have a part of the Kyūbi sealed in him. Hopefully now people will stop pm'ing me that question, haha! As for pairing, still don't have one. Again, leave your suggestions in your review and I'll take a look at em! Well, let's get on with this reading thing eh!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 5

Silence dominated the battlefield as Naruto stood defiantly against a stunned Zabuza. Not only had he destroyed his **Mizu Bunshin **without trouble, but after that cloud of smoke dispersed, he was different then before. Before he was a blank faced, navy eyed brat. But now he had electric blue eyes, a giant sword that he swore he knew from somewhere, and a predatory smile on his face; though he was still a brat. Though, that wasn't what caused Zabuza to break a sweat, what did was the aura of sheer confidence and dominance that he now emitted.

Anko was in complete shock at the changes in her student, the blank faced boy she had gotten fond of had now a completely different personality. His presence reminded her of someone but she couldn't think of who it was, but she did know one thing. For some reason, she had strange feeling of confidence in him and knew that he'd be able to get them out of this mess. Though, it could be because he was holding a sword that was bigger then he was.

Tazuna was in awe of the boy that stood in front of him, from what he had seen before with the 'Demon Brothers' he was dependable, being able to deal with one of them easily. But now, he had the sneaking suspicion that he would even be able to take on Zabuza and actually win as crazy as it seemed. He could only hope that his suspicions were true as if they weren't, they'd be as good as dead.

Satsuki had her jaw gaping at the scene. The dead last of the Academy, her stupid teammate, and the same guy who she had been working with for the past month had completely changed the personality that she had grown used to seeing. Standing before her wasn't a blank faced blonde, but a blonde who gave off a powerful aura. She didn't know why, but she actually believed that he could beat Zabuza.

Yakumo couldn't believe her eyes, what had happened to her blonde teammate? He was always so calm and collected, but now it seemed like he was ready to run wild. She had never felt such confidence from anyone in her life, and that made her feel safe and secure. She knew that deep in her heart, Naruto would beat Zabuza and save them all from the situation that they found themselves in.

However, the standoff was broken when Zabuza knew that this was no time to be thinking about 'What if's' of the brat, quickly making more clones, he sent them to get rid of the him before he could do anything else.

Seeing Zabuza create more clones and send them to attack, Naruto quickly lost his smile and his eyes narrowed as he a rushed in to intercept them before they reached shore. To everyone's complete shock, he started running across the water similar to Zabuza's clones, reaching the first one before they reached land.

The clone responded with a downward slash, which Naruto avoided, taking a step to the right and spinning, using the momentum gained to slash through the cloned Kubikiribōchō and its wielder with ease. Not easing up, he rushed through the remaining clones, hacking and dodging his way through them before he finally finished dealing with them, turning his attention towards the original and Anko.

Zabuza wasn't just surprised, he was outright stunned. A boy at least half his age was using a sword that huge with such grace and skill, it just wasn't possible. But at the same time, a feeling that he thought had died long ago began to surface after almost a decade, for the first time in a number of years, Zabuza actually felt excited at the prospect of fighting another person. He was broken out of his thoughts when Naruto started to run towards him, his sword trailing behind in his right hand.

"Tsk, looks like I don't have a choice." Zabuza whispered, removing his hand from his **Suirō no Jutsu**, he grabbed Kubikiribōchō and charged Naruto. Leaving Anko, to drop back into the water and take large gulps of precious air.

Seeing Zabuza release his sensei, Naruto mentally breathed a sigh of relief, that was one problem dealt with and the other was headed right towards him. Tightening his grip on his Basutāsōdo, he swung and met Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō head on, a deafening clang and shower of sparks flying as the two blades met each other.

Grunting as he was being easily overpowered by the larger man, Naruto shifted his sword slightly and managed to throw Kubikiribōchō slightly off balance, side stepping Naruto spun around and slashed horizontally in an attempt to at least break Zabuza's guard a little bit.

Feeling his balance shift slightly due to the brat angling his sword slightly, saw him spin around like he did earlier probably trying to break through Kubikiribōchō like with the clone. Smirking under his bandages, he had to admit that if he was using a regular sword, that would've worked, but unfortunately for the brat, he had Kubikiribōchō. Tightening his grip on his sword and bracing himself for the attack, Zabuza took the full brunt of Naruto's swing, his arms buckled a little bit from the power of it, but it didn't even come close to the power of Kisame's monstrous swings.

Naruto's eyes went wide, he had at least expected Zabuza to take a step back or something, but he didn't expect him to shrug off his swing like it was nothing. His momentary distraction was exploited as Zabuza kicked him in the gut, making him stumble back a few feet before his rolled to the side to avoid the overhead swing from Zabuza.

Righting himself, Naruto was about to rush towards Zabuza again when he noticed his sensei running towards them, her hands a blur as she prepared a jutsu. Satsuki and Yakumo were also preparing their own jutsu as they ran towards the shoreline of the lake and took aim. Zabuza noticed as well, if the tensing of his body and darkening of his eyes were any indication.

"_Tsk. Figured he wouldn't be fighting fair. I almost forgot that we're not just swordsmen. We're also shinobi and we don't fight fair._" Just when he was starting to get into this duel, he remembered that they weren't just swordsmen but were ninja as well. One on one and honor didn't exist in this world, figured the brat was just stalling for time for his team to get the jump on him. But he didn't expect what happened next and neither did anyone else.

"Anko-sensei, Satsuki, Yakumo, STOP!" Naruto shouted at his team, making them flinch and stop in the midst of their seals.

"What do you mean stop!? You're seriously not expecting me to just wait and do nothing while he butchers you! We've got the advantage now, and I'm not going to let it go to waste!" Anko shouted back. The hell was he thinking, they had the advantage now that it was two on one, especially now that she wasn't going to underestimate him anymore.

"Yeah you idiot! You think you can take on someone like him on your own!? Are you insane!?" Satsuki screamed at him, her eyes burning in anger. "We're not going to let you get killed just because you think you're going to win!"

"Naruto, we're a team! We fight together, that why we're not going to just sit back and watch!" Yakumo yelled at him, her usually calm face now slightly angry and determined.

But the words from their teammate that followed made everyone present gawk.

"That's true and if we were fighting other ninja I'd agree with you. But that's not the situation anymore. This turned into a duel between swordsmen the moment his sword met mine. Have you guys noticed that he hasn't used a single **Mizu Bunshin** or suiton jutsu even though I'm on the water, his playing field? He could've crushed me if he decided to use a wide scale jutsu but he didn't. He probably did it unconsciously, but he has agreed this duel as well. Isn't that right Zabuza-san?" Naruto said, never taking his eyes of Zabuza as he tightened the grip on his sword.

Again, this brat had him stunned. Was he suicidal, or just plain insane? A duel with him? One of the 'Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist'? Though, he had to admit, he gained a very tiny grain of respect for the brat. Not many still upheld the honor that came with a duel anymore, himself included. But he had to admit, he actually kind of wanted to see what the brat was made of.

If he knew about the honor and code of a duel, what were his skills like? From what he's seen, he wasn't too green. Finally, he did something that unnerved everyone there, he laughed. It wasn't the condescending or dark laugh from earlier, but an actual humor filled one.

"Are you insane or just plain suicidal brat? You're openly challenging one of the strongest 'Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist'! Even with your sensei, you two wouldn't even land a scratch me!" Zabuza barked out, his eyes never leaving the blonde in front of him, as he also tightened his grip on Kubikiribōchō. What came next out of Naruto's mouth was something that he just couldn't forgive.

"Don't you mean _former_ 'Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist' _old man_? From what I've seen, you've lost your skill as a swordsman. Guess laying around doing nothing for a few years will do that to you." Naruto snidely said, sneering at Zabuza as tick marks began to pop up on his head.

"Oh, you're fucking dead brat... and for the record I'M NOT THAT OLD! I'M ONLY 26!" Zabuza yelled, rage boiling in his eyes as he charged at Naruto.

Naruto winced as his plan to anger Zabuza worked probably too well, bringing his Basutāsōdo up to block the blow from Zabuza as a shower of sparked rained down on him, his arms buckled under the sheer power of Zabuza's swing as he made a mental note to himself.

"_Note to self: Try not to anger a former master swordsman during a duel by commenting on their age._"

They continued clashing against each other, sparks flying each time their blades met. As he saw a diagonal slash from Zabuza, Naruto misjudged the timing of his dodge, Zabuza landing a clean cut on his shoulder. The favor was returned when they collided once more, Naruto angling and pushing his Basutāsōdo off against Kubikiribōchō, managing to land a cut on Zabuza's cheek.

Eventually, Naruto started to slow down, the heavy blows from Zabuza making his arms go more and more numb with each swing. Swinging his sword in overhead in a wide arc, Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō met Naruto's Basutāsōdo with a loud clang and explosion of sparks.

Angling his sword again then pushing against Kubikiribōchō once more, Naruto threw Zabuza off balance slightly as he swung towards him but met air as Zabuza ducked under his swing. Spinning around Zabuza swung horizontally to bisect Naruto, but hit his sword instead, sending the blonde flying a short distance from the power of his swing.

Smirking a bit, Zabuza changed his stance as Naruto staggered to his feet, setting up an unstable guard with his Basutāsōdo. Setting his feet diagonally shoulder length apart, his right foot outstretched and Kubikiribōchō held in a reverse grip perpendicular to his body behind him, Zabuza performed a move he hasn't used since his time as a part of Kiri's military force.

"**Kubikiribōchō: Reisuiwari!**"

Naruto barely saw him move as Zabuza appeared behind him, sending him flying from the monstrous power of his attack. Hitting the water and skipping a few feet, he managed to regain his balance and right himself in the air, his eyes widened as he saw the aftereffect of Zabuza's attack; a scar in the water ran from where Zabuza stood to where he was before his attack, at least 7-9ft long, a foot wide and 2ft deep.

"Not bad brat, you're actually still alive. I must be getting rusty if you lived through that, nobodies seen that and lived to admire it like you're doing right now." Zabuza praised slightly, though he was discontent with the lack of power in his attack, he was rusty and he didn't like that.

Naruto stood up shakily, his stamina beginning to run out. He was covered in cuts, the largest one on being on the back of his right shoulder from misreading the timing of one of his dodges. Compared to him, Zabuza had only superficial cuts, his most major one being on a small cut on his check from getting knocked off balance earlier.

Shooting a quick glance to the side, Naruto could tell his teammate's and sensei's self control were quickly slipping from the glares they were directing at Zabuza. He needed to finish this quickly before they interrupted them. Slipping into a stance similar to Zabuza's before. He got a raised eyebrow from the taller man.

"Looks like you're intending on finishing this huh? Fine brat, I'll humor you." He said, getting into the same stance as before.

"We end things in this final attack alright Zabuza-san? I win, you let us go. You win, you can kill me but let please let my team and Tazuna-san go." Naruto said, staring straight at Zabuza, his eyes hard and narrowed.

"You really think you should be bargaining in your position? I'll think about it, but you have zero chance of winning brat." Zabuza replied, tightening his grip on his sword as he narrowed and focused his eyes on Naruto.

Silence reigned over the lake, as no one dared to take a breath during the tense moment. Finally, as if they were waiting for it, a leaf dropped onto the lake, and the two charged each other.

"**Kubikiribōchō: Reisuiwari!**"

"**Basutāsōdo****: Jishin Giri!**"

Faster then their eyes could follow, excluding Anko, the final strikes of Naruto and Zabuza ended. The water between them ripped 3ft across, 5ft deep, and 12ft long; slowly began to fill back in, causing turbulent waves to form.

Naruto's eyes widened as he coughed up blood as a cut appeared from his left shoulder going diagonally downwards, ending near his hip. Dropping his Basutāsōdo, it disappeared in a large wisp of black smoke before hitting the water. His world started to go black as he saw Anko sprinting towards him, he managed to mutter one word before losing consciousness. "How...?"

Zabuza stood firm, before he coughed up some blood, staining the bandages over his mouth. If he turned around, they all would see that he had a horizontal gash across his body. The deepest cut was on his right bicep which was cut halfway to the bone, which ran across his chest to the other bicep. Smirking to himself, he heaved Kubikiribōchō onto his shoulder with his left hand before he started to sway. Though, before he could fall, a masked figure in a kimono appeared next to him and leaned him onto their shoulder. Without waiting for a response from any of them, he vanished in a swirl of mist.

After Anko brought Naruto back to the shore of the lake, she was met with a teary eyed Yakumo and Satsuki who asked if he was alright. To everyone's relief, the cut he received was wasn't life threatening, the deepest part being near his shoulder was halfway towards cutting the bone, which Anko took care of quickly.

(Scene change - Unknown place)

The masked figure that had Zabuza held close gently put him down as they started tending to his injuries. After a few seconds, Zabuza snapped his eyes open, locking his gaze on the person treating him.

"Ugh... Haku, that you?" He asked, slightly disorientated from the blood loss.

"Yes Zabuza-sama, it's me. I'm sorry that I let you get this injured. I should've stopped that shinobi when I had the chance." Haku solemnly said in a feminine tone, removing the mask on their face to reveal a beautiful yet sad face. She expected to get yelled at for failing to protect him, but she got yelled at for a completely different reason.

"Are you an idiot? That was a one on one duel between that brat and me. If you had interfered, I would've cut you down for tarnishing my name as a swordsman. I don't have much left, but that brat reminded me that I still do have my reputation as a swordsman." He said in a stern tone, as he started checking over his injuries, being actually surprised at the damage that he sustained.

"Damn, that brat wasn't half bad. If I had been a little slower I would've lost my arm. Guess he wasn't bluffing when he said he was different from the other brats." He was broken out of his assessment by Haku who reminded him to be careful.

"Zabuza-sama, please don't strain yourself. Next time, I'll take care of that boy. You focus on recovering your strength, Gato said that in the case that we failed to eliminate the target, we'll gather and eliminate them within the coming week or two." Haku said, but once again was surprised by her master's words.

"You don't get it do you Haku, that brat is mine and mine alone. You take care of his sensei and those other brats, but me and him have a duel to finish next time. We'll give them until the day that sleazeball decides to attack to recover." After hearing her master's orders, Haku nodded and returned to tending his wounds as Zabuza thought back to duel.

"_That kid... He's good, he's really good. The only reason it turned out like this was because he's inexperienced and I'm rusty. Heh, he's gonna be a monster in the future..._"

(Time skip - 2 hours later)

(Scene Change - Nami no Kuni)

After their brush with death, the group finally made it to Tazuna's house. As they approached the house, a relatively young woman with dark hair stepped out of the house and as soon as she turned her head and saw the group, namely Tazuna, she started to tear up before running and giving the man a hug.

"Father! You're alright! I was so worried, you said it would only take 2 days to come back! Why did it take you 3! Are you hurt anywhere?" The woman asked, frantically checking if Tazuna was injured anywhere. She received a chuckle in return as he hugged his daughter back.

"I'm fine, I'm fine Tsunami! I was attacked, but these brave ninja protected me." Tazuna reassured his daughter, as she turned and introduced herself and thanked them for protecting her father.

"I'm Tsunami, thank you so much for protecting my father. Without him, the last hope for the Wave would be lost." Tsunami said solemnly, knowing that his daughter would venture into more depressing memories, Tazuna opted to break the now saddened mood.

"Now Tsunami, just don't stand there! We have guests to our home, let's try and make them feel welcomed ok!" Tazuna said with a bright smile on his face that was returned by his daughter.

"You're right father, everyone please do come right in. It's small, but it is home. We should have enough room for all of you to stay, so please don't be shy." Tsunami said with a smile as she led the group into the house.

As they entered, they spotted a child with spiky black hair and eyes. Seeing them enter, the child gave them a slightly angry look before Tsunami called out to him.

_"_Inari, say hello to these people. They are ninja who protected Grandpa." Tsunami said with a gently and motherly tone, as she smiled at her son. Though Inari ignored them as he headed up to his room.

Seeing the reaction of the kid raised alarms in Anko's head, a kid his age shouldn't be looking like that, something big must've happened with him. Quickly glancing around, she also noted that there weren't many pictures of Tsunami with someone who looked like her husband. Mentally, she made a note to herself about that.

"_Well, looks like the situation is more drastic then we thought. Kid must've had his dad either leave them or got killed by Gato's men._" She assessed, as Tsunami apologized for her son's behavior, getting an understanding nod from the Konoha ninja, seeing as the situation in Nami no Kuni must've been harsh.

(Time skip - 1 hour later)

After they had all settled into Tsunami, Tazuna, and Inari's home; Team 12 had one thing on their minds, that being Naruto. After Anko had finished treating him and Tsunami directed her as to where he was going to be sleeping, she had called Yakumo and Satsuki together for a team meeting.

"Anko-sensei... Just, just what is Naruto?" Yakumo asked timidly, after being shouted at by her teammate to not interfere with the battle he had with Zabuza and seeing him somehow hold his own against him, hundreds of questions swam through her mind. Who really was their blonde teammate? The blank faced but funny person they always saw? The angry and scary person who promised to kill Gato? The strong and confident person who fought against Zabuza? Just who was Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze?

"Yeah sensei, how was he able to fight one on one with Zabuza? He's never shown that kind of power, not ever." Satsuki also questioned, part of her felt afraid that there was someone strong like him so close to her. Unlike Anko who Satsuki knew was loyal to and loved the village, she knew that Naruto didn't really have any friends at all in the entire village. He didn't have a reason to save or even care about her other then the obligation of being on the same team. But another part of her was relieved that her teammate was so strong, maybe he could help her become stronger too.

Seeing the looks on her genin's faces, Anko made a muddled face as she admitted that she didn't know much about the blonde either. "You guess is as good as mine you two. From what I've noticed in the past month, he doesn't really have any friends in the village. I guess we can count since we kind of hang out and stuff, but other then that, nada. He also doesn't seem to really try during training sessions, we've all seen that. But today, I don't know why, but he was really fired up to fight against Zabuza. It's even more surprising that he managed to actually fight him one on one for a little bit." Anko said, explaining what she's noticed so far. But she got confused looks from the students near the last part of her explanation.

"'For a little bit', Anko-sensei? But didn't it end in a draw?" Yakumo asked, confused as she saw both of them look like they were about to drop, Naruto actually doing that. Satsuki shared her teammate's inquiry, she thought it ended in a draw too.

"Trust me you two, if that battle had dragged on, Naruto would've lost. And I do mean he managed to match him for a little bit. At the start of the battle, he was being underestimated by Zabuza, which is understandable coming from his position. But as soon as they started clashing, Zabuza started to get sharper in his movements, completely different from how he fought against me or Naruto earlier. That means that during the fight, he was removing the rust that had probably built up over the past few years living as a nuke-nin. Naruto on the other hand started to react a little bit faster each time, but Zabuza was recovering more of his old skills as a swordsman much quicker then Naruto was polishing his. That's why I said he managed to match him for a little bit." Anko explained to her students, seeing the looks of fear on their faces she couldn't help but put her hands on the top of their heads and ruffle their hair.

"Don't worry you two, next time I'll take him on. I underestimated him like an rookie the first time because I thought his skills diminished over the years, which they didn't. Next time, I'll go all out." Anko reassured her students, which worked seeing the relieved looks and smiles on their faces.

"Now enough questions about him, he saved us didn't he! Why don't we go check on our favorite Blondie!" She said, standing up and heading to his room with Satsuki and Yakumo in tow. As they opened the door, they were met with a shirtless Naruto in the process of taking off his pants. They all froze, staring at each other.

Satsuki's mind overloaded at the scene, she started stuttering and pointed at him as her mind tried to process the situation at hand. Her eyes turned into swirls as her faced turned a vibrant red that put a tomato to shame. Her mind furiously imprinting the image of her teammate to her memory against her will.

Yakumo didn't fare any better, her eyes were as wide as saucers as she stared at the scene. She tried to speak, opening and closing her mouth in an attempt to say anything. Her face a similar vibrant red to Satsuki's. Her mind shut down at the image of her half naked teammate, which unknown to her, was being burned to her memory.

Anko just stared, being the oldest of the bunch and having seen the male anatomy she didn't really react at all, though there was a very slight tinge of pink on her cheeks.

The slightly erotic moment was immediately broken when Naruto removed his hands from his pants and walked to the door his face blank. As he reached it, his face was still blank but his cheeks gained a light dusting of pink as he said one word before slamming the door in their faces.

"Perverts."

Dinner that night was a silent and awkward affair.

A Son Forgotten

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**Ah, finally done reading? Why don't you leave me a review and tell me how you think of my story and writing so far! It's always appreciated and I love hearing from you guys! Haha, thanks for reading! **

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**Suirō no Jutsu - Water Prison Jutsu**

**Mizu Bunshin - Water Clone**

**Kubikiribōchō: Reisuiwari - Decapitating Carving Knife: Cold Water Splitting**: A-Rank, Kenjutsu; A once nameless kenjutsu technique that Zabuza created and uses. It is a powerful diagonal slash and that releases a subsequent shock wave that begins with the user holding their sword diagonally to their body, then swinging in a wide arc. It gained its name during a battle with where it was raining heavily, obscuring their enemies' movements. Zabuza was said to have cut right through the cold water of the rain splitting it from the ground to the sky, exposing and slashing many of the enemy ninja in two.

**Basutāsōdo****: Jishin Giri - Buster Sword: Earthquake Slash**: B-Rank, Kenjutsu; A kenjutsu technique passed down the Shirokin family and to Naruto from Ryuuhei. It is a wide, horizontal slash that releases a powerful shock wave from the force of the swing if powerful enough. It and the variations of it were said to have been able cut through mountains and cause earthquakes if used properly.


	7. Chapter 6

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Whoa. It's been quite some time huh everyone? Haha, sorry about the long wait. Been busy with exams and studying and all that horrible, horrible college stuff. Another big thing is that ORAS came out and I've kinda been blowing through that with all the soft resetting and breeding and stuff. Well, again I'm sorry for the long wait and I hope that you guys still dig my story, we're finishing up the Wave Arc this chapter finally, and first 10k words! Not amazing to some of you but I don't write. XD And **if you guys have any questions or just want to recommend me an idea or pairing or weapon or something, PM me alright, I don't really respond to the recommendations left in the reviews! XD **Well enough about me saying sorry and stuff, you just wanna read right! Well let's a go!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 6

(Time skip - 1 week later)

The days following Team 12 and Tazuna's return to his home were relatively tranquil minus the incident the first night back. During that period, Naruto managed to recover enough from his injury to do some very light training thanks to Anko's medical knowledge which him and his team found out about a few days ago when she was tending to him.

(Flashback 2 days ago - Start)

"There, that should take care of any of the lasting pain. Anything else ache or feel tight?" Anko asked, scanning Naruto with her **Shōsen Jutsu** to check for any injuries that she missed.

"Ah, no. I'm fine now, thank you Anko-sensei." Naruto replied, slowly rotating his shoulder to see if there was any pain in it.

Seeing her student start moving something she just finished healing, Anko's eyebrow twitched before she hit him on the head. "You idiot! Don't just start moving right away, let your injuries settle down for at least an hour!" Her fist and the bump on Naruto's head smoking while Yakumo and Satsuki laughed wryly.

After the whole ordeal, Yakumo turned to and asked her how she knew Iryō Ninjutsu. "Anko-sensei, how do you know iryō ninjutsu? I've never heard of anyone outside of the hospital and medical team that know it." As Satsuki and Naruto also looked at her with curious gazes.

Seeing the looks of her students, she gave them a small smile and told them the reason. "Well, Tsunade-sama has always pushed for a regime that made medical ninja a permanent addition to squads, to reduce the rate of casualties by having support in the event a member gets injured. Of course Minato-sama also agreed, but was overruled by the council, saying that they couldn't afford to risk medical ninja being casualties themselves since they're such a valuable resource to the village. But after that time, Tsunade-sama herself, offered to teach those who were willing to learn. At first, being an Anbu-captain at that time I wasn't interested at all, but then Orochimaru-sama told me that a captain wasn't just the strongest, fastest, or most knowledgeable; they were the ones who were responsible for making sure that their team made it out in one piece. At first I was skeptical, so I didn't take it completely to heart. The next mission after that, I lost my entire squad to a ambush set up by the same nuke-nin we were hunting down. If I had taken up Tsunade-sama's training, I would've been able to save at least one of them but in the end I failed them and they all died. After I retired from the Anbu and asked Tsunade-sama for her training which she said I mastered to the level of a head medic, which really surprised me and her since it only took a year. And well, that's where I am now! I learned it so that I don't lose anyone to my own powerlessness ever again, and I'm glad that I did." After finishing her story, she was met with the teary eyes of her genin, which unnerved her greatly as they threw praises at her the rest of the night, to her embarrassment.

(Flashback - End)

After that, Naruto was peppered with questions about the skills he showcased when he faced Zabuza a week ago. However they all got the same response when they asked him, including Anko.

"The situation was serious."

After a trying to get a different answer, they all eventually gave up. Naruto wasn't going to tell them and they didn't want to pry anymore then they already have. After things settled down, they learned of the situation of the Wave from Tazuna and Tsunami, that after Gato had taken control of it, its people had begun living in fear and poverty because of the tyrant. Things weren't that kind to the family either as they learned that Tsunami's husband, Kaiza, was tortured before they publicly executed him in the view of the entire village. That was what led to Inari's stark personality change from a optimistic and smiling boy to the pessimistic and perpetually frowning boy that they've seen.

Things seemed tense for a while when Inari snapped at the Konoha ninja and his family yesterday, saying that they had no chance against Gato. Naruto had scared the boy when he became angry before he left the house, returning in a slightly better mood the next day to the surprise of the group.

(Flashback - Yesterday)

"Why do you guys bother to try so hard?! No matter how hard you train, you're still no match for Gato's men! No matter what glorious claims you make or how hard you work, the weak will only end up getting killed!" Inari shouted at the group during dinner, his eyes burning with hatred looking at the Konoha ninja gathered around the dinner table.

Hearing Inari's words, Anko quickly lost the grin on her face, Satsuki stared intently at him, Yakumo's mouth thinned into a small line, but immediately the atmosphere turned tense when Naruto slowly stood up and looked at the boy, matching his glare with an icy gaze.

"Why do we bother trying so hard? No matter what we do, we're gonna get killed by Gato's men? Are you an idiot?" Naruto whispered in a cold tone, his icy gaze intensifying with every second passing.

Everyone was unable to speak, never had any of them seen the blonde act like this. Inari was able to find his voice to retort, though it was in a shaky tone.

"I-I told you that it's hopeless. K-Kaiza was my hero, h-he told me that heroes exist and that you would be able to follow your dreams if you worked hard enough. But he died, Gato killed him! He was the Hero of the Wave, the person I dreamed of being! If Gato killed him, you guys aren't going to be able to beat him..." Inari was sniffling now, rubbing his eyes as tears made their way down his cheeks.

The situation remained tense, and increased even more when Naruto pulled out his Basutāsōdo and held it next to him.

"You see this? This isn't just a sword; this is a symbol of my dreams and my honor, passed down to me from someone I held close to my heart. So what if it seems hopeless? No matter what happens, you should never give up. You say that dreams and heroes don't exist, then embrace your dreams and become one. If you want to be a hero, you _need_ to have dreams." Naruto said, his icy gaze warming up slightly as he finished his monologue.

Taking his sword, he made his way to the door, stopping before he addressed Inari once more before he left.

"I'm no hero nor will I ever be one, but I've embraced my dreams. If someone like me did it, then you can do it too."

As the door closed with a soft click, Inari looked down at his hands, mulling over the words that the blonde said to him.

"_Embrace your dreams. If you want to be a hero, you need to have dreams. Embrace my dreams...?_"

While Inari looked at his hands, the others, namely his team looked at the door where he left having the same thought running through their heads.

"_Naruto..."_

(Scene change - Unknown part of the forest)

After his little explosive monologue at the house, Naruto needed to get some fresh air, he still didn't know why he blew up and said such things. Seeing as he wouldn't be going back anytime soon, he decided to train through the night, honing his kenjutsu in preparation for his rematch with Zabuza. Eventually, after a few hours of training, his body still recovering, he leaned against a tree and let sleep take over.

Morning soon came, with it a beautiful raven haired girl in a pink kimono picking herbs. Haku was getting the remaining ingredients for a painkiller that she was making for Zabuza. Sighing at the attitude of her master, for the past few days he was complaining about blonde brats and weak-ass kenjutsu skills, she finally had decided to get some fresh air and leave their temporary hideout.

As she hummed a happy tune and foraged for what she was looking for, she froze when she saw him. The same blonde that had caused such damage to her master a few days earlier. She contemplated killing him here and now, from what she had seen he was much more of a threat if he was able to get Zabuza-sama this riled up. Slowly reaching out for his neck, she was surprised when she got her wrist grabbed by the still sleeping shinobi.

Panicking slightly, Haku was about to pry off his hand when she saw his eyes opened. Captivated by those dark navy blue eyes, Haku momentarily forgot about the situation that she was in until it was broken by the blonde.

"Mind telling me what you're trying to do?" He asked, his face blank though his eyes seemed to stare into her soul.

"It looked like you fell asleep there; it's very cold out here in the forest you know. I was going to wake you up but you grabbed me instead." She said in a gentle tone, a smile on her face. As she said that, she felt the grip he had on her wrist vanish.

"My apologies, I'm a little on edge right now. Forgive my rudeness." Naruto said, getting up and bowing slightly, much to Haku's embarrassment.

"I-It's no problem, please don't bow to me, I'm not someone who deserves to be bowed at!" she replied in a slightly panicky tone, obliviously not used to being apologized to.

After the two introduced themselves, Naruto had offered to help Haku find the herbs that she was looking for, much to her surprise though she accepted. As the two worked together, Haku couldn't help but feel the need to talk to the blonde though she knew it wasn't a smart move.

"Naruto-san, may I ask why you were training so hard?" She asked, curiosity clearly in her voice. Turning to her, Naruto answered her question to her surprise, not expecting him to answer a stranger's question.

"I have the dreams and the honor of someone close to me riding on my shoulders. I need to get stronger so that in the future, I'll be able to stand next to him as his equal." He said with such passion that Haku blushed slightly.

"They must be someone very precious to you." Haku said in a quiet tone of voice as she looked down, looking up she was met with a small smile that had her heart racing for a little bit, a blush on her face from seeing the handsome blonde.

"Yeah, they were very precious to me." Naruto said, with a faraway look in his eyes.

Finishing up, Naruto stood next to Haku as he handed her the rest of the herbs that she needed. As they were about to part ways, Naruto called out to her.

"Haku-san, send Zabuza-san my best regards. I'm expecting him to be ready for our rematch soon." As the words left his mouth, she nearly dropped her basket, pulling out a handful of senbon as she questioned him.

"You knew? If you knew then why did you help me?!" She shouted, in disbelief that he would actively and knowingly help his enemy. But the answer she got wasn't what she expected.

"Because I feel like you're similar to me. We both have someone who's precious to us, and we'll do anything to make sure that they're happy. And also, I don't want a handicapped duel because he's still injured." He said, walking away back to Tazuna's house, leaving a speechless Haku behind.

Staring at the back of the blonde, Haku couldn't remove the light fluttery feeling in her heart that she felt from the blonde's words. Giggling softly to herself, she didn't know it herself, but she headed back to the hideout in a happier mood then when she left.

When Naruto got back to the house, he was once again interrogated by Anko about his little outburst and where he went during the night, getting the same blank faced reply of "It was nothing important," before giving up and letting him off the hook.

(Flashback - End)

(Time skip - 5 days later)

As the days came and went, Team 12 beginning their training as Tazuna said the bridge would be complete by the end of next week, giving them one final week to prepare for Zabuza's inevitable return. During that time period, Anko had noticed that her genin had began to change slightly as they saw more and more of the situation of Nami no Kuni.

After he was evaluated to be fit for duty by Anko, Naruto now walked around with the same giant sword they had seen him use strapped to his back. He was also training much more seriously then they had seen, doing exercises that made Anko cringe like balancing on the tip of his sword using his fingertips. She had also noticed that he was beginning to open up very slightly when around them, seeing a very small smile appear and disappear on his face.

Satsuki was training like there was no tomorrow. She had asked Anko for instruction on iryō ninjutsu, chakra control exercises, and surprisingly Suiton jutsu, not the typical Katon jutsu that the Uchiha used. After prodding from both Anko and Yakumo, she eventually told them the reason why.

(Flashback - 2 days ago)

"So Satsuki, are you going to tell us why you're not asking for any Katon jutsu? I have a whole bunch that I can teach you, you know?" Anko said, her arms crossed over her chest as she smiled at Satsuki in a teasing manner.

"Yeah Satsuki, doesn't the Uchiha clan specialize in Katon jutsu? Suiton jutsu is the complete opposite, not that it's uncommon to use both." Yakumo asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Fine already! I have a natural disposition to Suiton jutsu and I can't really use Katon jutsu because of that! I got it from my mom!" Satsuki said, her face red with embarrassment. An Uchiha who couldn't use Katon jutsu wasn't an Uchiha at all. Unlike her other clan members, her mother and herself had a Suiton based chakra affinities which made it difficult for them to use Katon based jutsu because they were natural opposites.

"That's all? You know that's not something that you should really be feeling down about you know." Anko said in a gentle tone, as she ruffled the hair of her student, much to her embarrassment.

"I have the same problem as you Satsuki, my clan specialized in Katon jutsu but my father, mother, and I all have Suiton based chakra affinity. It really makes it hard to use Katon jutsu, I know." Yakumo told her friend, who looked surprised at her statement.

As Satsuki smiled slightly, knowing that they didn't think any less of her, they turned their attention to the last member of their team. Naruto feeling their stares looked up from sharpening his sword and stared right back at them.

"So what about you Naruto? Do you know your elemental affinity?" Anko asked the question on everyone's mind, but the answer that they got back shocked them all.

"I'm Futon, Raiton, and Katon based." He said, before turning back and sharpening his blade, ignoring the looks of shock on his team's faces.

(Flashback - End)

After the small moment of team bonding, Anko had given Satsuki a few scrolls on some Suiton and iryō ninjutsu.

Yakumo was similar to Satsuki, asking Anko for the same things, knowledge on Suiton and iryō ninjutsu. She also noticed that she would always accompany Tsunami when she would go shopping, and when she returned she had a very sullen look on her face, most likely from seeing the situation first hand.

As the end of the week neared, a very dire situation that involved Team 12 happened, one that caused them to see a much darker side of one of its members.

Yakumo, Satsuki, and Naruto were all walking through the worn down roads of Nami no Kuni, getting groceries for Tsunami to make dinner. They all offered when Tsunami had twisted her ankle earlier in the day after slipping in the kitchen. As they were about to head back, they heard the sound of muffled screaming and immediately went to investigate. What they found was a group of thuggish men taking a girl around their age into a worn down building.

Seeing that scene, rage burned in their eyes. Making their way stealthily inside, they overheard them speak. And the more they spoke, the more their rage built up.

"So you guys found a fresh one?" A tall and brutish looking man said, admiring the new piece of "merchandise" that was brought in.

"Hehe, sure did boss. Gato'll pay quite the price for this one I bet, probably been hiding all this time but we saw her walking alone a few minutes ago." A tall and skinny looking man sneered, his eyes trailing the body of their new catch.

"Hey boss, why don't we check if she's fresh? After all, don't want to give Gato something used right?" A short and fat man said, wiping the drool off his lips.

"Fine, but just don't break her." The brutish man said, walking into the back of the building, as the other men started to approach the bound girl.

Unable to hold herself back anymore, Satsuki was about to lunge at them, but was stopped by Naruto. She was about to punch him and then save that girl but as she cocked her fist back, she saw something that made her very soul shiver. His eyes were the same reptilian and electric blue that he had when he faced Zabuza.

Yakumo was about to drop down, and take care of those men until she felt a hand on her shoulder. She was about to slap it off and return to her plan until she turned slightly and saw the absolutely terrifying glow of her teammate's eyes. As she was about to speak, he spoke to both of them.

"Satsuki, Yakumo. Take them down." With that he dropped down, his eyes cold and unforgiving, as he landed smashing his fist into the ground causing a small tremor to resonate in the building. As Satsuki and Yakumo landed next to him, their eyes cold and unforgiving as well. Without a word, they charged the group of men as they were still in shock.

Satsuki lashed out with a vicious kick to the leg of the skinny man, getting a snap from the force of her body weight and the momentum she had built up. Without waiting, she swung her elbow and caught him on the side of the head, as he stumbled over. Spinning around once again, she hit him in the head, sending his head flying into the ground with an audible crack.

Yakumo's fist caught the portly man in the face, breaking his nose as he reeled back about to cry out in agony, without hesitation she spun on her foot and gave him a kick to temple as he started to drop to the ground unconscious. Quickly dropping her foot, her heel accelerated and smashed his face into the ground with a crack echoing.

As they finished up, Naruto had picked up the girl that they had kidnapped, the terror in her eyes ignited something inside of him. Silently he turned to face the remaining group of men, from 9 to 7, they stood with their backs to the wall weapons drawn. Before any of Team 12 could act, their leader ran out of the back room his eyes lit with fury.

"What the fuck!" He shouted, as his frantically scanned the room, his eyes settling on the group of kids holding onto _his_ property. Rage started to fill his veins as he immediately shouted at his men as he walked closer to them.

"The fuck're you waiting around for! They're just kids, kill them already!" But a thought rang in his mind as he saw Satsuki and Yakumo as a twisted smile came to his face. "Never mind that, kill the boy but don't be too rough on those girls. They'll definitely be worth a lot."

Hearing his words, Satsuki and Yakumo felt a shiver run up their spines from the lecherous look that they were getting from the man, making them feel sick to their stomach. Before they could retort, Naruto turned slightly to face them and stretched his arms with the girl out towards them.

"Take her and get out of here, I'll meet you two back at Tazuna-san's home." He said quietly. As they were about to retort, they saw his eyes and immediately all anger was replaced with fear. His eyes weren't the same electric blue but were now a dark crimson. Handing the girl to Satsuki broke the two out of their spell as he turned around and spoke to them once more, his voice carrying a much darker tone then before.

"Now."

With that they quickly exited the building, something inside of their hearts screamed at them that he was dangerous and to get as far away from him as possible.

With his teammates gone, Naruto stared at the group of men in front of him, some of them cowered slightly but for the most part all of them just gave him cocky smiles. One of the men, a tall fat one approached him with the same cocky grin on his face as he told Naruto of his situation.

"You just sealed your own death kid, after we're done with you those girls are next. But don't you worry, we'll take real good car-GWOOF!"

But before he could finish, Naruto had buried a fist into his stomach, making the man bend over clutching his gut. Removing his fist, he lashed out and rammed his left hand into his mouth his thumb hooked into his chin. Before the man could react, with a sickening crunch and squelch, Naruto ripped the man's bottom jaw off.

Unbridled horror was the only way to describe the scene that they had just witnessed, a few of them vomited at the scene. They had seen Jubo get his lower jaw ripped off by this kid, no this monster. As Jubo frantically grabbed at where his jaw had been, making horrifying unintelligible sounds of agony. Naruto dropped his jaw on the ground before lightning erupted from his right hand, as his hand shot towards and grabbed Jubo's head, Naruto whispered the name of his technique.

"**Raiton: Jinrai**"

As his hand connected, a flash of light blinded the group and roar of thunder caused them to lose their hearing and vision momentarily. What they saw next caused them to drop to the floor as fear filled their hearts. Naruto was holding the emaciated and smoking remains of Jubo, as he dropped the corpse, it disintegrated upon hitting the floor of the building into a pile of ash. Looking at them with the same crimson eyes, he said something that made their blood freeze as he started walking towards them.

"None of you are leaving here alive."

The screams that followed were quickly silenced, being replaced with the sounds of throats being crushed, bone snapping, muscle being shredded, and blood being spilled. The tall brutish man before was the only left of his group, backed into the corner of the building as he sobbed and shook uncontrollably, his eyes were wide and unfocused with unbridled terror as Naruto slowly made his way over to him, covered in the blood of his men. Seeing the blonde, he started pleading for his life.

"Please! Please don't kill me! I didn't want to be a part of any of this! Gato made me do this! I swear! I beg of you, please spare me! I'll tell you everything! I promise I'll change! Just let me go!" Sazu sobbed as he got on his knees to beg. His head was forced to look up by a hand and his terrified brown eyes met burning crimson as he paled from the words that left the blonde's mouth.

"You're going to tell me no matter what." Naruto replied his hand that was holding Sazu's head started to emit a blackish crimson smoke.

"**Meiryuuton: Zenrei Kuikorosu**" Naruto whispered as the smoke condensed into a blackish crimson aura as the Sazu started screaming, feeling like his very being was being ripped away from his body. Never before had he felt such excruciating pain, or rather he wished for the sweet feeling of pain then this 'Hell on Earth' he was being subjected to. Suddenly, Naruto yanked his hand back, ripping out Sazu's soul as his body crumpled to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

After ripping out Sazu's soul, Naruto closed his eyes as he started to integrate the knowledge that the soul held into his own. Finding out all of the future operations of Gato and the places where kidnapped victims were held, that Sazu had knowledge of. Opening them again, they had lost the burning crimson and were once again the same dull navy blue as before.

Burning the bodies of the thugs with a simple Katon jutsu, and washing most of the blood off him with the hose that was nearby, Naruto headed back to Tazuna's home to take a much needed shower.

As Satsuki and Yakumo fled the building with the girl, Ami, they found her mother looking around frantically for her. Reuniting the two, they returned to Tazuna's house to wait for their blonde teammate, hoping that he'd return in one piece.

Their hopes were answered when Naruto entered the house, covered in a little bit of blood. Instantly they were over him asking if he was alright, about what happened back there with his eyes, and about the thugs.

Telling the two that he took care of them and tied them up for whoever was in charge of security to take them in, relieved that their premonition that he killed them was wrong, the unease they felt left their hearts as they breathed a sigh of relief. After telling Anko of the situation, she was proud that her genin did what they did but not after she scolded and lectured them that what they did was reckless and stupid. After the interrogating that Anko put them through, Naruto specifically, she let them off the hook seeing as they had a rough day.

(Time skip - 3 days later)

After nearly 2 weeks of waiting and training, Team 12's mission was close to being drawn to a close. Tazuna had told them that the finishing touches to the bridge were being made, that they should be finished with it by the end of the day. Excited both about the bridge being finished and about going home, the group decided not to train for the day, opting to save their energy in case of an emergency. Anko assigning her genin times to guard Tazuna on the bridge and having them rotate every few hours.

As the day carried on, the sun beginning to descend below the horizon, Naruto and Yakumo were supposed to be rotated with Anko and Satsuki, but Yakumo insisted that she stayed, feeling like something was going to happen if both of them left Tazuna unguarded. Seeing as he wouldn't be able to change her mind and agreed with her, Naruto told her to tell Anko when she and Satsuki arrived. With that, Naruto headed back to Tazuna's house to check in on the family and rest.

(Scene change - Tazuna's home)

Tsunami was in the kitchen starting to wash the dishes from lunch, as Inari was in the bathroom washing up. Unknown to the two of them, two unknown people smirked as they drew closer to the house.

"Inari dear, could you hurry up and come help me with the dishes please?" Tsunami called out to her son, as she rinsed the leftovers off the plates and stacked them to the side.

"Coming mom, I'm almost done." Inari called back, as he was about to head out of the bathroom door, he heard his mom cry out and started to run to the kitchen.

"Kyah!" Tsunami cried out, her eyes widened as two men kicked the door to her house in.

"So you must be Tazuna's daughter Tsunami huh?" The taller of the two said as he and his partner started to approach her.

"Sorry, but you'll be coming with us." The shorter one said, as he reached out to grab her arm.

"Mom!" As he was about to grab her, Inari ran into the room, shouting for his mom and froze when he saw the men in his home.

"There's a kid here? Should we take him too?" The tall man asked, inclining his head slightly towards his partner.

"Nah, we don't need him, we only need her. Get rid of him." He sneered, as his partner pulled out his sword. But before any of them could do anything, Tsunami shouted at them.

"Don't you dare touch Inari! If you so much as touch a hair on his head, I'll bite my tongue off and drown myself!" She shouted, her eyes burning.

As his mom valiantly made a demand for his life, Inari could only fall onto his backside and start crying. Wishing that he could help his mom, that he could be a hero like Kaiza.

(Scene change - The Bridge)

Arriving at their destination, Anko and Satsuki were surprised when they saw Yakumo with a kunai in her hand glancing around intently. Approaching her, Anko demanded to know what she was still doing here, but was surprised when the normally quiet girl told her that she didn't feel right leaving Tazuna unguarded, even for a few minutes. About to praise her for her thoughtfulness, Anko stiffened and started glancing around when a mist started to appear.

"So, looks like he's finally here." Anko said, narrowing her eyes as she drew a kunai from her pouch. Satsuki following suit, as she quickly went to stand by Yakumo. The atmosphere was broken when a scream echoed out of the mist, causing the three to quickly rush to where it originated. And what they saw made them, especially Satsuki and Yakumo, freeze. Tazuna was kneeling down, holding one of the workers in his arms; the others were either unconscious or dead.

"What happened here!" He shouted, his eyes wide in disbelief. Noticing that Anko and her students had arrived.

"De-demon. Ca-came out of the mi-mist." Stuttered the man before he lost consciousness.

"Demon? Then… That means…" Yakumo began, pulling out a kunai as she steadied herself into a defensive stance as she scanned the area.

"…Zabuza is back." Satsuki finished, pulling out her own kunai as she took a defensive stance next to her teammate and Tazuna.

"Everyone be on guard, you've seen what he's capable of. But don't expect things to go any easier, expect them to be much harder." Anko said as she narrowed her eyes and tensed up, summoning her trusted tanto that she's had since her time as an Anbu operative.

As the group readied themselves, a thin mist started to roll in. Seeing the familiar mist, the group tensed a bead of sweat falling down Yakumo, Satsuki, and Tazuna's head while Anko tightened the grip on her tanto.

Soon, two silhouettes were visible as they approached the group. One was familiar while the other wasn't, as they were finally out of the mist they spoke.

"Hmm… Where's the blond brat? Me and him have unfinished business to attend to." Zabuza said, as he scanned the group for Naruto.

"Sorry, but he's not going to be joining us, you're just going to have to settle for little ol' me." Anko said in a cool tone as she took a step forward.

"I don't have time to waste dealing with you, I have a duel I need to finish." He said as he narrowed his eyes, tightening his grip on his Kubikiribōchō. But before he could do anything his companion stepped forward.

"Zabuza-sama, please allow me to deal with these kunoichi, save your strength for the boy. He is bound to return sooner or later." Haku said as she readied a handful of senbon.

Seeing Haku acting so willfully, Zabuza let a small smile work itself onto his face. Sighing at first, he went ahead and gave her the ok.

Before Haku could move though, Anko had closed the distance between herself and Zabuza, her tanto poised to pierce his heart as he swung his Kubikiribōchō to block the strike, resulting in a screech of metal and a shower of sparks.

"Change of plans Haku, take care of those brats, I'll take her on." Zabuza said as he narrowed his eyes, surprised by the speed and stealth of Anko.

Snapping out of her stupor, Haku nodded before she moved to engage Satsuki and Yakumo, the two narrowing their eyes as they readied themselves for their opponent.

"You know that your genin aren't a match for Haku. She's at least jōnin while those two are chūnin at best." Zabuza said in an attempt to throw off Anko, who gave a small smirk in return.

"You say that, but don't think that just because those two aren't as skilled as Naruto, that they can't hold their own." Retorted Anko, having seen the exceptional growth that her team had over the course of the past two weeks.

As they finished exchanging words, Zabuza and Anko returned to their battle, their blades colliding in a brilliant shower of sparks.

(Scene change - Yakumo and Satsuki vs. Haku)

While their leaders were fighting, the three girls across the bridge had finally made contact with each other. Yakumo and Satsuki going immediately on the offensive, throwing a volley of shuriken at Haku, who to their complete shock, dodged without trouble.

"I'm sorry, but I'm probably the worst opponent for the two of you to face off." Haku said in a slightly apologetic tone, as she drew a handful of senbon.

Narrowing her eyes, Satsuki didn't take kindly to the tone of voice that Haku was speaking in.

"Don't speak to us like you're better then us!" She shouted before locking eyes with Yakumo, who nodded her head before they re-engaged with their masked opponent.

Flashing throw a series of hand seals, Satsuki locked onto Haku before she said "**Suiton: Teppōdama!**" As she fired off a volley of basketball sized bullets of water at Haku as Yakumo readied her own set of seals.

Preoccupied with dodging the surprisingly fast bullets of water, Haku never noticed that Yakumo had finished her own set of seals until she heard her speak.

"I'm ready Satsuki!" Yakumo called out, before Satsuki ended her assault and jumped to the side, exposing Haku to her.

"**Suiton: Mizurappa**!" Yakumo said, as she put her hands in front of her mouth and fired a fast medium-sized jet of water that managed to connect with a stunned Haku, blasting her a few meters back.

(Scene change - Anko vs. Zabuza)

Seeing her genin handle the kunoichi that Zabuza said was jōnin level brought a smile to Anko's face, the teamwork that the two displayed was absolutely astounding. Her confidence now increased by ten-fold, she wasn't going to be shown up by her girls and applied more pressure to the stunned Zabuza. Slashing and stabbing with renewed vigor as he blocked and countered her strikes.

Zabuza was shocked, he didn't expect those two girls to take down Haku, but after the shock came confidence. Haku had probably forgotten that it wasn't one on one, but two on one, now that she actually got hit, she wouldn't make the same mistake twice. A smirk was hidden behind his bandages as he blocked a slash aimed at the back of his neck, and retaliated with a back fist that was avoided.

"Looks like your partner isn't as tough as you made her out to be." Anko jeered at Zabuza, however she didn't expect to get a dark chuckle in return.

"You keep talking all you want, Haku fell for a decent little plan, but now she won't fall for it again. Just hope that your genin won't be too torn up once she's done with them." Zabuza said as he charged Anko once again, noticing that she had stiffened up slightly at the foreboding words.

(Scene change - Yakumo and Satsuki vs. Haku)

Haku was angry at herself for forgetting that there were two opponents, not just one. While the black haired girl rained bullets of water at her, she momentarily forgot about the brown haired girl behind her until she was hit by a jet of water, which sent her flying back and knocked the air out of her lungs.

Having had enough, Haku decided to finish the battle before the tide shifted in their favor.

"I have to admit, your team work is extraordinary. But I have to end things here." Haku whispered, slipping into the mist as it started to become thicker then it was before.

After their plan worked, Satsuki and Yakumo were feeling unbeatable, that is, until they heard the voice of their opponent echo out of the mist, which seemed to have gotten thicker over the past few minutes, as they regrouped to continue their attack.

Standing back to back, they tensed as they lost sight of their opponent. Frantically scanning the area, they failed to find a trace of her as the mist devoured their field of view, limiting it to only a meter at best.

Finally, they heard or rather saw her, as their eyes widened in fear at what they had heard and saw.

"**Hyōton: Makyō Hyōshō**." Haku said, as a dome of mirrors made of ice surrounded the duo, an image of their opponent in each and every one.

"I'm sorry, but this will be the end for the two of you." Haku said ominously before steel rained down on the two.

(Scene change - Tazuna's house)

As tears started to fall from his eyes at the selflessness of his mother, Inari couldn't help but feel powerless as the two men shrugged and advanced on his mother.

Falling deeper into despair, Inari had flashbacks to his times spent with his mother, grandfather, and Kaiza. Then it flashed to the words that Naruto left him before he left the house that night.

Gritting his teeth and steeling his resolve, Inari stood up before he charged the two men that had his mother in their clutches, ignoring the taller of the two men unsheathing his sword.

"INARI!" Screamed Tsunami, seeing that her son was about to be cut down even after she bartered with her own life.

"Have fun in hell brat!" The man said as he swung at Inari, aiming to cleave him in two.

But the strike never came, the sound of flesh being cut didn't resound and instead the sound of metal against metal screeched violently throughout the house.

Everyone stopped, Tsunami and Inari tearing up at the sight of the newcomer while the men however, froze in fear. His Basutāsōdo blocking the strike intended for Inari, Naruto stood firm, his eyes freezing the very soul of the man in front of him.

Before anyone could say anything, Naruto swung and sent the sword in the man's hand flying before slamming the flat of his blade against the back of his head, a sickening crack resulting from the blow.

Seeing his partner get beaten down so easily, the shorter man quickly brought his sword up to Tsunami's neck in a desperate attempt to seize control of the situation.

"Don't you fucking move! If you do, her neck gets cut open!" He screamed, his eyes wide in fear and anger. Seeing that Naruto had stopped, he smirked before barking out his demands.

"Good, now drop your sword and put your arm out to the side. Do anything else and she gets it." He said, edging the blade closer to Tsunami's neck to prove his point.

Naruto did as he was instructed but he confused the man when a small smirk appeared on his face.

"The fuck are you smiling about! I said that you do anything else an-GWAAAH!" He didn't get to finish his statement as Inari smashed his groin with a brick. While his attention was focused solely on Naruto, he never noticed that Inari was slowly inching his way towards him and his mother.

Letting go of Tsunami and instinctively reaching down to cover his groin, he didn't notice that Naruto had reached his side until his world went black when Naruto's foot connected with the side of his head, sending him flying a few feet.

The thugs dispatched with, Inari and Tsunami embraced each other, tears streaming down their faces at the brush with death that both had experienced. Eventually, they stopped when Naruto approached the two, his face still blank.

But slowly, a small smile came to his face as he reached out and ruffled Inari's hair softly. "That was a very brave thing to do Inari. Ignoring your own safety to save your mother. That right there is something that a hero would do." Naruto said as Inari's eyes went wide as he looked at him.

"Re-Really...?" Inari timidly said, still in disbelief at what the teen had said.

With a smile filled with love and pride, Tsunami hugged Inari tighter. "He's right Inari, you did something that a hero would do."

Removing his hand from Inari's head, Naruto quickly told the two to find someplace safe to stay, telling them that a battle is definitely going to happen before he ran to the bridge.

Staring at the back of the teen, Inari gained a determined face before he nodded and ran towards the center of the village, his mother quickly chasing after him.

(Scene change - Yakumo and Satsuki vs. Haku)

Pain. Pain was all that she could feel at the moment. After Satsuki and herself were trapped in this dome of ice, their opponent had rained down steel on them. No matter how much they tried to dodge or counterattack, they weren't able to land a solid blow on her.

In contrast to their opponent who's only visible damage were the tears in the her kimono, Yakumo and Satsuki were covered in blood and senbon from Haku's relentless assault. She never let up her attacks and simply dodged mirror to mirror when they used their jutsu and weapons against her.

"Ha... Ha... Ya-Yakumo, what do w-we do now?" Satsuki asked, the pain she was feeling was like no other she had felt before. Her body was starting to go numb and she knew that Yakumo wasn't faring any better.

"I... I don't k-know Satsuki. She's too fast for us to hit, and we don't know which mirror she's hiding in. We-we're outclassed here." Yakumo said in a slightly defeated tone, the situation being extremely dire, the tide of battle in favor of their opponent.

Hearing her teammate's defeated tone, Satsuki could only grit her teeth and clench her fists, knowing that what Yakumo said was true.

"..." Observing the duo, Haku felt pity for them. Like the brown haired girl said, they were outmatched, especially since they were trapped in her jutsu. Deciding that it was time to end it, she drew another handful of senbon and took aim at the black haired girl.

Seeing their opponent draw another handful of senbon, Yakumo and Satsuki tensed up, fear and apprehension visible on their faces. However, Yakumo noticed amidst the mist and mirrors, their opponent's hand come flying out of the mirror to the upper-right of Satsuki, the flash of steel heading towards Satsuki overruling her sense of self-preservation,

Without thinking, Yakumo shoved Satsuki out of the way of the senbon.

Hitting the ground after being shoved by Yakumo, Satsuki turned to shout but the words died in her throat when she saw Yakumo's chest get pierced by a volley of senbon. The shout that died in her throat was revived as scream when Yakumo hit the ground and remain motionless.

"YAKUMO!"

Ignoring the searing pain that coursed through her body, Satsuki sprinted to her teammate and cradled her body in her arms.

"YAKUMO! YAKUMO WAKE UP!" She shouted, shaking her teammate, her eyes wide in disbelief and grief. Her shouts were answered when she got a soft groan in response.

"Sa-Satsuki..." Yakumo said weakly, her eyes glazed and unfocused as she weakly held the hand of her teammate.

"Idiot... You idiot... Why...? WHY DID YOU DO THAT!?" Satsuki demanded, tears flowing from her eyes as she questioned her teammate's decision to save her.

"Haha... Why...? We're teammates... Satsuki... and... we're friends... Right?" Yakumo weakly responded, her brown eyes staring into Satsuki's tear filled onyx colored ones.

Tears flowing freely from her eyes, Satsuki tightened her grip on Yakumo's hand before she lowered her head, her body shaking slightly at Yakumo's words.

"Sniff... Yeah... We're friends... You're my best friend... My first friend and my first best friend... So please... PLEASE DON'T DIE! Don't leave me Yakumo!" Satsuki swallowed her pride and voiced the thoughts that rang true in her heart.

Over the past few months of working, training, hanging out, and eating together. Yakumo had become the first person to melt the ice that encased her heart, The first person that Satsuki could honestly call a "friend", a word and notion that for thirteen years, eluded her.

Yakumo widened her eyes at Satsuki's tearful confession before they closed slightly, tears falling from her eyes as a smile appeared on her face as she squeezed Satsuki's hand back.

"I'm... I'm glad Satsuki... I really am... I'm glad that I got to know the real you... I'm glad that I got to see how sweet and strong you really are... And I'm glad that I'm your best friend because... You're my best friend too..." Closing her eyes, Yakumo gave Satsuki a brilliant smile that sapped the last of her strength.

Feeling the grip of her best friend loosen, Satsuki could only look on in disbelief as Yakumo's hand fell onto her stomach and remained there. She didn't move, she didn't breathe, she just stayed still.

"Ya-Yakumo...? Yakumo wake up, this isn't funny. We-We're supposed to get through this now and go back home to-together. Yakumo...? Ya-Yakumo...? " Softly shaking the now cold body of her best friend, Satsuki could only whimper and beg her to wake up. After a few minutes, Satsuki gently put her down and stood up, her bangs obscuring her eyes.

Throughout the whole exchange, Haku remained silent. Letting Satsuki grieve over her loss. She felt a pang shoot through her heart seeing the strong girl from before become a shell of her former self but that was the life of a ninja, the life that they lived. But what she wasn't prepared for was what happened next.

Standing in the middle of the dome, next to the corpse of her best friend, Satsuki couldn't feel anything. The pain from before was gone, in its place a strange numbness throbbed throughout her body. But soon, that too was replaced by a burning fury that coursed through her veins. Snapping her head up, she locked on with the mirror that contained her opponent to their shock, her onyx eyes were now crimson, her left eye having one tomoe and her right eye two. She sped through a series of hand seals at astonishing speed before she growled at Haku.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" She shouted before calling out a jutsu that shocked Haku, not expecting a girl like her to know such a powerful jutsu.

"**SUITON: SUIRYŪDAN NO JUTSU**!" Satsuki roared as dragon made of water formed behind her roaring before it charged towards a stunned Haku.

(Scene change - Anko vs. Zabuza)

Hearing Satsuki's grief-stricken scream of Yakumo's name, Anko froze, knowing that something horrible must have happened. Her suspicions were then answered when Satsuki used the jutsu that she had taught the two of them earlier in the week, one that she had deliberately told them to never use unless it was an emergency.

"Well looks like Haku took care of one of them. I'll admit, they sure did give her a hard time. That brat managed to use a **Suiryūdan** huh, pretty impressive." Zabuza commented, blocking a strike from an enraged Anko.

"I'm going to end the two of you in the most painful way possible." She whispered, her eyes cold and sharp, promising to act on her threat as she lunged forward with her tanto catching Zabuza on the arm.

"Scary eyes you got there, but that's all that scary." He responded, getting cut slightly by her tanto. Side stepping, he slipped by her guard before swinging Kubikiribōchō in a vertical slash to bisect her, which Anko dodged, retaliating with a side swipe which Zabuza blocked once again.

They had been fighting for almost an hour now, both were covered in cuts and scratches, but nothing debilitating enough to cause one to gain the upper hand. Having had enough of this battle, Anko flashed through a series of seals before glaring at Zabuza.

"**Sen'eijashu**!" Anko shouted before a series of snakes shot out of her sleeves towards Zabuza, who managed to evade all but one snake.

"GAH!" Zabuza shouted, having had one of the snakes land a bite on his forearm. Immediately after being bit, his arm went numb and slowly he lost the ability to use it, the feeling of numbness slowly creeping its way up his arm.

"Heh, looks like it's game over Zabuza. The snake that bit you didn't have any of the more deadly venom, it had a powerful paralytic neurotoxin. It won't kill you, but you're not going to be moving anytime soon.

Just as Zabuza was about to make a retort, a wave of water crashed nearby, Haku appearing next to him slightly out of breath with her leg slightly bent out of place.

"Ha... Ha,... My apologizes Zabuza-sama. But I wasn't able to finish off the other girl. She surprised me with her jutsu and managed to escape from my **Makyō Hyōshō**." Haku reported in a dejected tone, supporting her master as he lost the feeling from left side of his body.

Arriving to the scene next was Satsuki holding Yakumo bridal style, who quickly made her way to her sensei.

Seeing her genin in such a rough state, Anko couldn't even get angry. The anger she felt evaporated into concern, especially when she laid eyes on the pale Yakumo in Satsuki's arms. Looking at her, Satsuki looked down and shook her head, and Anko immediately knew as she felt her anger bubble back up.

But the tense situation was broken when they heard a cane tapping on the edge of the bridge.

"Well, well, well. Looks like the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist' turned out to be a failure." A voice sneered from the mist. Slowly, a small silhouette made its way to the group, and when he arrived, Zabuza let out a growl.

Gato had seen the last part of the battle and to say he was displeased would be an understatement. He had hired Zabuza because of his renown skill, but apparently a women and a couple of girls were enough to stop him.

"The fuck did you say you bastard!" Zabuza roared at him, having his pride stepped on by a scumbag like Gato didn't sit well with him at all.

"You had better apologize to Zabuza-sama or else." Hearing her master be insulted by this pitiful excuse for a human being infuriated Haku to no end, if not for the fact it would leave Zabuza defenseless, she would've lunged at him.

"Heh, big talk from a dead man. Why do you think I decided to come now of all times huh? The lot of you are worn down and injured from your little battle, so I figured it's time to clean up. Get the hell out here!" As he shouted, a large mob of hired mercenaries and thugs started making their way behind him.

Seeing the new threat in front of them, the group tensed up. All of them were injured and if they weren't they were exhausted from the past hour of fighting. The best option now would be to retreat, but they wouldn't get far seeing as there were some ninja mixed into the army that Gato had assembled. They tensed up even more when they heard what Gato said next.

"Alright, well times up. Kill them all! But if you bring me back any of those girls and that women, you'll get a bonus bigger then you can imagine." He said in a lecherous tone, making a shiver run up the spines of the females present.

Before any of them could no anything, Zabuza stood up on his own and took up a defensive stance in front of the small group, to the surprise of everyone.

"You fucking pig. You aren't touching a hair on any of them, espeically not Haku." Zabuza growled out. He may not have been the kindest or purest of people, he was far from it, but there were some things that even he thought was evil. What Gato was saying was one of those things.

"_Damn... My body is still numb from that snake. I can barely move, but I should be able to buy some time for Haku to get out of here._"

"Haku."

Hearing Zabuza speak to her in such a soft tone made her eyes widen, not liking the ominous undertone to his voice.

"Ye-Yes Zabuza-sama?" She timidly said.

"I want you to get out of here right now." Zabuza said in a tone of finality, however it was badly recieved by Haku.

"Wh-What are you saying Zabuza-sama! You want me to abandon you!?"She nearly screamed, her eyes wide at the obscene order from her master.

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying. I may not have been the best person and I don't have many things that I cherish anymore... But I'll let you know that I did cherish you, even if I didn't show it." With that, Zabuza staggered slightly before he rushed towards the army to the shock and horror of the group.

"ZABUZA-SAMA!" Haku screamed, not believing what she was seeing.

"_Heh, looks like this is how I go eh. Not too bad, the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist' protecting a group of girls from a scumbag who hired and then betrayed him. What a twist._"

But before the two opposing sides reached each other, a crescent shaped wave of chakra stuck Gato's army, shredding the men in the front.

"What!?" Was the collective thoughts of the people present, until they heard the footsteps echo out of the now clearing mist.

"Naruto!" Anko shouted, relieved that her student was safe and that he was here with them. Her sentiments were shared with the rest of the group, Satsuki releasing the breath that she held, Haku tensing before relaxing, and Zabuza cracking a small grin.

"Sorry I'm late Anko-sensei, there was another small militia group that tried to attack the town that I had to take care of." He replied, his eyes never leaving the army in front of them.

"Guh, you damned brat! They were supposed to take out the rest of the village!" Gato shouted, enraged that his backup plan was ruined by a child.

"Anko-sensei, could you get Zabuza-san some anti-venom and take a soldier pill. We'll be able to beat them if we join forces, I'm sure of it." Naruto suggested, taking up a protective stance, his Basutāsōdo held in front of him.

"We've got no choice huh, fine, let's do this." Anko said, pulling out a small syringe and tossing it to Zabuza, who injected it into himself while she popped a soldier pill.

"Let's do this thing!" Zabuza roared, being able to slowly feel his limbs again, though they weren't one hundred percent, they would be enough to deal with this filth.

"Ha! Don't get cocky Zabuza, you're probably as slow as a chūnin, take it easy!" Anko taunted Zabuza with a grin, who in turn grinned back.

"LET'S GO!" The three shouted, before they charged the army to the shock of the girls who couldn't help but gawk at the three.

Chaos was the only thing to describe what happened. Anko swiftly stabbed and slashed through the vitals of anyone who got in her way, quickly taking out her targets without them being able to mount a counterattack.

Zabuza hacked and cleaved his way through everyone that stood in front of him, cutting through the army like a hot knife through butter, each swing taking out two to three people unfortunate enough to be caught in his path of dismemberment.

Naruto was similar to Zabuza, cutting though his opponents, but not aiming to kill and instead opting to cut off limbs. Because they didn't die, his opponents were forced to lay in the gore of their allies before they were dealt with by a blow to their heads curiosity of Naruto's foot.

After only a few minutes, Gato's army had been reduced to half, to the horror of the remaining members. Gato in particular started shaking uncontrollably as he tried to run, only to lose his leg from another crescent shaped wave of chakra from Naruto.

"GAHHH!" He screamed, clutching onto the stump that used to be his right leg, the remaining men quickly being dispatched by the three who stood against them.

Now crying pitifully, Gato turned around only to face three demons. One had the aura of a demonic purple snake, the other the aura of a violet oni-like creature, and the final had the aura of a black and crimson reptile like monster.

"PLE-PLEASE DO-DON'T KILL M-ME!" He begged, tears streaming down his face, the terror that he felt unlike anything that he ever felt before.

Before Anko or Zabuza could act, Naruto suddenly made his way towards Gato before lashing out and grabbing the short man by the throat, crushing it slightly.

"GAWHH!" He wheezed out, unable to take much air into his lungs from the grip that this monster had on him.

"You don't know how much I want to kill you, even right now I'm doing everything in my power to stop myself from crushing your throat. But that luxury isn't for me." Naruto whispered, before throwing Gato to the ground, breaking his nose and knocking a few teeth out.

As she said that, a small army appeared at the opposite end of the bridge, lead by Inari who was holding a crossbow.

"Naruto-niichan! We're here to protect the Wave!" He shouted, as the villagers behind him shouted in agreement. But they were soon quieted when they saw the carnage that littered the bridge, some turning green and other losing their lunches at the scene.

Tazuna winced, but he knew it was needed in order to save the Wave, and he also didn't feel anything for the men who tried to take his home from him.

"You seen them Gato, they'll be your judges, jury, and of course executioners. Hope the pain doesn't end too soon." With that statement, Naruto grabbed Gato once more before hurling him to the opposite side of the bridge, breaking a few of his bones from the throw.

"There he is!"

"Kill him!"

"No, make him suffer first!"

The villagers immediately congregated on the man, his screams echoing across the village.

(Time skip - 2 hours later)

After the battle on the bridge and the torture and execution of Gato, Nami no Kuni had finally been freed. Using the information that he gained from Sazu, Naruto had told the villagers of the whereabouts of those who were kidnapped and of Gato's stronghold, to which the villagers promised they would go and take.

While tense at first, the two groups; Team 12 and Zabuza and Haku, made peace with each other. At first things there was no trust given the prior circumstances, but once Haku revealed that she had not killed Yakumo but put her in a suspended sleep, they lost all anger that they had towards her.

When Yakumo woke up, she was promptly glomped by Satsuki and Anko, who were worried sick about her, Satsuki bawling her eyes out telling her not to do something stupid like that again. Naruto also expressed his concern by asking if she needed anything to which she said no, Anko having healed all of them from most of their more debilitating injuries.

Eventually, the time came to leave Nami no Kuni, which was a tearful moment, the group having been hailed as heroes by the villagers for protecting their homeland.

"Well, looks like this is goodbye huh." Zabuza said, his voice strangely sad, the group having grown on him in the past few hours.

"It seems so, what are we going to do now Zabuza-sama?" Haku asked, in a sad tone, their main source of income now gone.

"Don't know Haku, guess we'll just wander the nations again." Zabuza replied, looking off into the distance.

Seeing the two like that caused Team 12 to look at them with pity, a life on the run was difficult. That is until Naruto suggested something outrageous.

"Zabuza-san, Haku-san why not come back with us to Konoha?" Naruto said, everyone freezing once they heard him.

"Wh-What? You're joking aren't you brat?" Zabuza said in a doubtful tone of voice, though there was a small hint of hope in his eyes.

"I'm not joking Zabuza-san, if you willingly come to Konoha with the intent to join, it can offer you amnesty from Kirigakure and a position as ninja. Though you'll probably be on suspension and under surveillance for a while, it's better then being on the run."

At his words, not just Zabuza and Haku were shocked, the rest of Team 12 was stunned as well. Even Anko thought that that plan was ingenious.

"You... You're not pulling my leg or anything right brat?" Zabuza asked in a surprisingly hopeful tone.

"I'm not Zabuza-san, I actually hope that you accept, we still haven't finished out duel you know." Naruto said, shaking his head and driving the final nail in the coffin with his last statement.

"I... I don't know what to say... What do you think Haku? Think it's fine if we join Konoha?" Zabuza turned and asked his younger companion.

"I-I would like to try Zabuza-sama, we've been running for a long time now. It would be nice to settle down somewhere safe." Haku timidly said, still not used to the newly discovered soft side of her master.

"Well if Haku says that she wants to try, I'm willing to try as well." Zabuza finally agreed, extending his hand towards Anko.

"Well now that everything is under the bridge, literally, it can't hurt to try right?" Anko said, meeting Zabuza's hand in a firm handshake.

"Then it's settled, lets head back home." Naruto said, as the group bid farewell to the villagers of the wave, to which they called back out to them.

"Everyone thank you! Thank you for giving us back our lives!" The villages shouted to the group.

"Naruto-niichan! I'll do it! I'll embrace my dreams and become a true hero like you!" Inari shouted at his new older brother figure.

"Well, now that everything is settled, why not give a name to the bridge huh? I think that 'The Great Tazuna Bridge" has a nice ring to it!" Tazuna suggested, which most the his fellow villagers boo'd at.

"Hmm... How about 'The Great Naruto Bridge'!" Inari suggested with a smile, the rest of the village cheering loudly at the fitting name, for the one who had most to do with saving their village.

"My name was better... Haha, 'The Great Naruto Bridge' huh? I think it sounds great!" Tazuna laughed, as Nami no Kuni celebrated the first festival that marked the day that it earned its freedom from a corrupt crime lord thanks to the combined efforts of four Konoha ninja and two missing nin.

A Son Forgotten

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**Well finally done with the Wave Arc! Haha, tell me what you think guys and gals! Leave me a review and tell me what you think about my story and writing style! Again, if you guys have any questions or want to recommend me an idea or pairing or weapon or something, PM me alright! Till next time, stay awesome! **

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**Shōsen Jutsu - Mystical Palm**** Technique**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; This medical ninjutsu allows the user to speed up the body's natural healing process by sending chakra from their hands into a wound or afflicted body part. This allows the user to heal a patient without the need for medical equipment or surgery, making it very useful on the battlefield. It can be used to treat both external and internal injuries. It requires extremely precise chakra control in order to use.

**Raiton: Jinrai - Lightning Release: Thunderclap**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Taught to Naruto by Ryuuhei. The user builds up a large amount of Raiton natured chakra in a part of their body, usually the hands or feet, then releases it all at once, resulting in an blinding and deafening flash of light. The effect of which varies depending on the amount of chakra and part of the body used.

**Meiryuuton: Zenrei Kuikorosu – Dark Dragon Release: Whole Soul Devouring**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique taught to Naruto by one of the Elder Dragons. The user builds up Meiton and Ryuuton natured charka into their hand then grabs onto the head their target. After making contact, the user rips out the soul of their target, severing its connection to its body. Used as an interrogation technique as the user is able to read through the memories of the soul as long as they hold onto it, releasing hold of the soul will cause it to be destroyed as it loses a tether to the mortal plane.

**Suiton: Teppōdama - Water Release: Gunshot**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user kneads and converts chakra in their mouth into to water and fires it. The size, number, power and speed of the water balls are based on how much chakra is used in the jutsu. It can be strengthened by various different means such as gravity and introducing another element.

**Suiton: Mizurappa - Water Release: Wild Water Wave**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user molds chakra in their mouths into water and fires a stream of condensed water at their target. The range, speed, and power is dependent on how much chakra is used. Can be strengthened by various different means such as introducing another element.

**Hyōton: Makyō Hyōshō - Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu of the Yuki clan, a deadly and powerful technique that traps their target in a dome made of ice mirrors that the user hides in, their image being reflected throughout the other mirrors, the user being able to freely move throughout the other mirrors in the dome. Once ensnared, the target is subjected to whatever means of damage the user inflicts on them be it weapons or jutsu. The mirrors can't be broken or melted without substantial force or heat.

**Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu - Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user focus and molds their chakra to create a dragon made of water using a body of water nearby. The size and power is dependent on how much chakra is used and also by how much water is nearby. Can be strengthened by various means, such as adding another element.

**Sen'eijashu - Hidden Shadow Snake Hands**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu used by Orochimaru and his apprentice Anko. Summon snakes out of their arms, they send them out to strike at their targets. The types of snakes summon depend on the user, but are generally extremely poisonous and deadly, ending the life of their target usually in a single bite.


	8. Chapter 7

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys! Just wanted to throw you guys a quick chapter as a little sorry you know for the real late last update. Not too much happening this chapter, so it's a nice little laid back one you know! **Haha, hope you guys don't mind reading something like this! **Again, any suggestions that you wanna throw at me, PM me! Really liking the suggestions that people have been saying! As for pairing, some are asking for harem others are asking for singles, tell me what you think would be more fitting eh! Let's get on with this story eh! Oh, and that review that I posted last chapter, my buddy posted that herself since I never logout of my account, she's still fangirling at the NaruHina ending and wanted it to continue, haha! Anywho, let's a go for real this time!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 7

(Time skip - The day after leaving Nami no Kuni)

After departing from Nami no Kuni, the group of Naruto, Anko, Yakumo, Satsuki, Zabuza, and Haku had a silent and slightly awkward trek back to Konoha. The main source of this stemmed from the events that happened over the past few hours, Team 12 still not trusting the two and vice versa. Soon, the lull of the moment was broken by Anko who decided to ask about the past few years of the new members of their group.

"So... Where have the two of you travelled over the past few years?" Anko asked, trying to dispel the awkward atmosphere.

"We've been here and there, we never really stayed in one place for too long. Didn't know if hunter-nin were snooping around, so we tried to make as little contact with people as possible, only stopping to trade with a few merchants before we left." Zabuza replied, releasing a relieved sigh that someone broke the ice.

"It's just as Zabuza-sama said, we didn't stay in one place for very long at all. In fact, our time in Nami no Kuni was probably the longest we've stayed in one place." Haku chipped in, also glad the Anko had broken the ice.

Soon the group fell into a comfortable conversation, the girls asking the two about their travels and adventures over the past few years. A big shocker for them was that Haku was only a year older then them, which was astonishing considering how strong she was.

(Time skip - A few hours later)

After Anko broke the ice and they finally became comfortable around each other, time flew by quicker then they thought, during their conversation night had fallen forcing them to set up camp for the night.

"Ahh, well that was a fun conversation huh!" Anko cheerfully said, having learned some interesting things about the pair, as she started to prepare the fire.

"Heh, I'll admit, it wasn't so bad. I half expected you brats to keep quiet like the adults talked." Zabuza said, laughing slightly as he proceeded to pitch the tent.

"It was fun, I'm glad that I got to know Anko-san, Yakumo-san, Satsuki-san, and Naruto-san a little more!" Haku happily said, helping her master with pitching the tents.

"Tch, whatever. It's not like your stories were interesting or anything, I was just trying to kill the time." Satsuki said, helping Yakumo with collecting firewood.

"I agree with Haku-san, it was very nice to get to know you and Zabuza-san more!" Yakumo also cheerfully said, piling on the firewood that Satsuki brought her.

While the others were happily chatting with each other, Naruto opted to remain silent as he did during the past few hours. It wasn't that he wasn't interested, but rather he was thinking about his plan when Zabuza and Haku entered the gates. No doubt having an A-class missing-nin from Kiri is going to warrant action, no matter how peaceful they appeared.

After they had finished setting up camp, Naruto had offered to keep watch, which the other accepted gratefully. However instead of waking one of them up to switch shifts with, he stayed up the whole night, letting the others get a full night of sleep.

When morning broke, everyone had realized that none of them remembered ever being woken up to switch shifts with their blonde companion. Rushing out of their tents, they were met with the delicious aroma of something cooking that tantalized their noses. Looking towards the direction of its source, they saw Naruto standing over the fire from last night a pot and pan cooking up breakfast.

Dumbfounded by the sight, they were broken out of their thoughts when their stomachs rumbled, catching the attention of the blonde.

"Oh, good morning everyone. Did you all sleep well? I hope so, breakfast will be ready in a few minutes so please go wash up before you come eat." Like a mother, Naruto ordered the remaining members of his group to get ready for the day before they ate.

Quickly washing up, Zabuza was the first to get done as he sat down on a log that rested near the fire. Figuring that since the rest of the group consisted of females, they'd have a little time to kill before they got back.

"Hey brat, so you alright? You stayed up the whole night without swapping out you know." Zabuza said, trying to start up a conversation with the blonde.

"I'm fine Zabuza-san, one member losing a night of sleep for five others to get fully rested is a fair trade in my opinion." Naruto replied, finishing with frying the strips of bacon and eggs while stirring the breakfast stew that consisted of potatoes, sausage and various other vegetables.

After hearing the blonde's reasoning, Zabuza could only laugh. Not that it was funny, but because it made so much sense.

"Haha, well if you put it that way it does make sense. So tell me, where'd you learn kenjutsu. The that style that you use and that sword... they look so familiar to me yet they don't. Who taught you?" He asked, the question that had been nagging at him since the moment they crossed swords weeks ago.

Turning slightly to face the older man, Naruto just gave him a blank stare before he shrugged, turning back to finish up cooking.

"Sorry Zabuza-san, but that I can't tell you... but the one who taught me was like an older brother to me." Naruto said, to which Zabuza nodded, understanding that he didn't want to be pressed to answer anything else.

"Well when you're ready brat, make sure I'm the first person that you tell alright!"

Moving past the slightly uncomfortable topic, the two moved onto swordsmanship, jutsu, and training. Soon Zabuza had a wide grin on his face and was laughing, patting Naruto on the back as Naruto had a small smile on his. If one were to look at the scene without any prior knowledge of the two, they would have suspected that they held a close bond with each other.

Four people did see the scene; two were bewildered at the odd display of closeness, one just smiled at the display, and the final pouted at the sight.

"Hey! How come you never act that way around me huh!" Anko complained, pouting at Naruto for never showing her the same smile that was on his face at the moment.

Hearing her voice, the two turned around and were greeted with the sight of the rest of their little group back from a lengthy half hour long session of washing up.

"That's because you aren't as great as I am!" Zabuza proudly said, puffing out his chest as he boasted to a now irate Anko.

The tension was broken by soft giggling from Haku as she approached the two, happy for her master.

"I'm very happy for you Zabuza-sama! You've found someone who you can truly connect with!" Haku said innocently not realizing the double entendre of her words.

"Uhh... The way you put it makes it sound really wrong Haku..." Zabuza muttered as Anko smirked while the rest of the group blushed slightly.

Though the atmosphere turned awkward for a brief moment, it was soon broken when everyone started laughing and gather around for a delicious breakfast courtesy of the blonde sitting with them.

Packing up quickly and removing any traces of their overnight stay from the clearing, the group continued on towards Konoha with the light of the rising sun.

(Time skip - 2 hours later)

Finally, with the sun overhead in the cloudless blue sky, the group had finally made it to Konoha. The immense gates a welcome sight after nearly a month of being away. While the Konoha ninja were looking on in fondness, besides a blank faced Naruto. Zabuza and Haku looked on in awe, the two never having truly seen the impressive gates in person.

"How amazing, they're enormous" Haku said, her eyes wide as she stared at the sight in front of her.

"All my life I've never seen them in person. Really dwarfs the stories that your hear from other people." Zabuza said, whistling in appreciation at the sight.

As they neared the gates, the familiar faces of Kotetsu and Izumo came into view.

"Hey, Izumo look!" Kotetsu nudged his partner awake, seeing faces he hadn't seen in nearly a month.

"Huh? Wha? What is it Kotetsu?" Izumo said groggily, his brain still in the process of booting up.

"Looks like Team 12 is back from their mission! Took them a lot longer then I expected though, thought it was just an escort mission."

"No you dolt, it was an escort and protection mission! Didn't you write down their mission details for leaving!?" Izumo snapped, knocking his partner on the head for his memory slip.

Once they got to the gates, the two greeted them but paused when they saw who they were with.

"I-Is that Za-Zabuza Mo-Momochi?!" Kotetsu stuttered out, clearly intimidated by the man in front of him. His partner was also shaken up, the clipboard in his hand shaking along with his body.

Seeing their scared states, Anko quickly defused the situation before things got out of hand.

"Hey, he's with us! We need to get to the Hokage's Tower immediately, so hurry up so we can get a move on!" She order, as the two instantly stiffened up and followed through. However, before they could process Zabuza and Haku, a squad of Anbu surrounded the two.

"Halt, the two of you are under arrest." A boar masked Anbu said, taking a step towards Zabuza and Haku.

But before either side could retaliate, Naruto stepped in between them.

"Anbu-san, I know that you're doing your duty to protect the village but these two are under the protection and are being escorted to the Hokage himself by Team 12. Due to circumstances of our mission, they have decided to join Konoha willingly as a way to gain amnesty from Kirigakure. So please allow us to proceed with our passage." Naruto said in a level tone, but during the exchange, his eyes started to spark an electric blue glow as opposed to his normal navy.

Stiffening slightly from the soul piercing gaze of the boy in front of him, the Anbu relented, signaling the rest of his squad to disperse.

"Whoa, that was impressive Naruto! Staring down an Anbu captain and actually talking back to him, you got some balls brat!" Anko said, whistling slightly in awe at the exchange.

"Hey, thanks for sticking up for us brat. I half expected a fight to break out." Zabuza admitted, patting Naruto on the shoulder as a sign of thanks.

"Umm, thank you for standing up for us Naruto-san. That was very brave of you to do so." Haku said in a bashful tone, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks as she smiled at him. She never noticed that behind her, Yakumo and Satsuki's eyes started twitching slightly.

After settling the tense moment from before, the group headed towards their original goal, ignoring the slightly tense atmosphere around them from the people who knew who they were, specifically Zabuza.

(Scene change - Hokage's Tower)

Eventually, they made it to the top of the tower, the secretary nervous knowing the face of the man in front of her but eventually allowed them inside. Team 12 went inside without problems, though they were on guard, strangely they acted somewhat protective of the two who followed behind them.

In contrast to the cool yet cautious entrance of the four in front of them, Zabuza and Haku were nervous and tense, Haku especially. But most of her anxiousness vanished when Zabuza put a comforting hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently, reassuring her that everything would be fine.

Finally, they stood in front of Minato who had a squad of Anbu stationed near the windows, earning a nervous glance from the two outsiders.

"Team 12, welcome back from your mission. That certainly took much longer then I anticipated. I imagine that some... complications came up correct?" Minato spoke calmly, though near the end he casted a glance to the two behind them.

"Hai Hokage-sama. The C-Rank mission that was assigned to us about a month ago quickly escalated into a A-Rank due to the influence of various missing-nin and mercenaries." Anko reported, her arms folded behind her back.

Behind her, Yakumo and Satsuki gulped when they saw Minato's eyes widen at the bit of information, obviously expecting the worse lecture of their lives.

"You mean to tell me that you broke common procedure and carried out the mission regardless of the danger that was present?" Minato said, his voice growing colder as he neared the end causing a bead of sweat to drop down the heads of everyone present.

"H-Hai Hokage-sama. But I assure you that it was-" She was cut off by Minato in the middle of explaining her reason for doing so.

"Anko. Mission protocol states that in the event that a mission isn't what was requested, the team or ninja is to immediately return back to the village and blacklist the individual that requested it. You brought 3 _genin_ who haven't had _any_ experience with missions outside of the village on an A-Rank mission that could've cost them their lives. Do you know how irresponsible that is!" Minato nearly shouted at the end, obviously displeased by her actions. Anko could only drop her head in shame, her genin looking on with wide eyes at the exchange.

"What you did endangered the lives of the ones who you're supposed to be helping nurture and grow! What if one or all of them died!? What would you have done?"

By this point Anko was shaking slightly, her hands clenched into fists as Minato's words started cutting her much more deeply then before, having flashbacks to her old Anbu squad that died because of her.

"Honestly, I expected better from you! You should what breaking protocol entails but you went ahead and did it anyway! Even for you tha-" Minato wasn't able to finish his lecture as Naruto stepped forward in front of his team, his usually blank navy eyes replaced with cold electric blue ones.

"That's enough Hokage-sama!"Naruto said, raising his voice at Minato, stunning the occupants in the room from the anger that was held in it.

"While most of what you have said is true, Anko-sensei didn't break protocol on her own. If you had listened to the rest of her report, you would have learned that it wasn't her who decided to do so. I was the one who insisted that we carry on and continue the mission." Naruto said, his eyes narrowed at Minato, angry at the fact that he started lecturing Anko before he knew all the facts about the mission.

"Naruto." Anko softly said, tears starting to lace the corners of her eyes from a combination of Minato's lecturing and Naruto's words in her defense.

"Hokage-sama, it wasn't just Naruto! We all agreed as a team to keep on going!" Satsuki said as she stepped forward next to Naruto, not letting her teammate take all the blame for what happened during the mission.

"Satsuki and Naruto are right Hokage-sama! Anko-sensei told us to turn back and follow protocol but we insisted that we continue with the mission regardless of what would happen!" Yakumo said as she also stood with her team, knowing that Anko wasn't the one to blame.

"You guys..." Seeing her genin standing up for her was the last straw as Anko let a few stray tears fall from her eyes.

"As you can see Hokage-sama, _we_ were the ones who broke protocol. Anko-sensei was simply doing her duties as a sensei and allowing us to carve our own path as ninja as she protects and guides us. If there is anyone who you wish to place blame on, then place it on me, but don't think about placing it on Anko-sensei or my teammates because they aren't the ones responsible for any of this." Naruto said his eyes never losing the fierceness that burned inside of them.

Everyone was stunned by Naruto's vocal defense of his teammates, especially Minato who had never heard his son's voice be more then a deadpan. Finally, after a few tense seconds, Minato sighed.

"Anko, I sincerely apologize for my actions. I should have let you finish your report before I said anything else." Minato said in a solemn tone, disappointed at himself for his actions.

"I-It's fine Hokage-sama, I understand that you were concerned about my genin and about mission protocol." Anko quickly replied, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes, a small smile back on her face.

The tense moment passing, Anko gave her report of what transpired over the course of the mission, from the demon brothers to Gato to the reason as to why Zabuza and Haku were here now; though she did leave out the battles that happened, knowing that Naruto wouldn't appreciate it.

"So Zabuza-san, Haku-san. You want to join Konoha? I'm sorry for being rude, but why?" Minato questioned the two, still skeptical that such a ninja would join out of the blue.

"Hokage-sama, I know that you don't trust me and will probably never fully be able to either. But I don't have any ulterior motives other then to be able to stop running. I've grown tired of running and I honestly just want a place that I can call home. And so I can spar with this blonde brat whenever I want." Zabuza said, telling Minato of his honest reasons for wanting to join, but the last part of his statement made Minato tilt his head in confusion.

"Huh? Do you mean spar with Naruto?" Minato asked, greatly confused at first, but then he became suspicious when Zabuza gained a confused look while Team 12 looked nervous.

"Is there something that you're not telling me?" He asked, or rather demanded, looking at his son.

Sighing, Anko gave her report once again, though this time she didn't leave out the parts about Naruto. To say Minato was shocked was an understatement, his eyes were wide and he wasn't able to believe any of the scenes that Anko described until Zabuza and the rest of the group vouched for him.

Regaining his composure and shelving the questions he had for his son for later, he questioned Zabuza and Haku once more about what they could offer the village. Of course Zabuza offered a wide repertoire of Suiton jutsu as well as his loyalty and services which Haku also offered. Haku also told Minato about her kekkei genkai, although reluctantly, which added to the pile of reasons that they should be allowed to join.

But Minato was shocked once again when Naruto also vouched for the two of them. Telling him that the two would be great assets a allies to have, saying that he would even take responsibility if anything were to happen that involved the two, going so far as to bow to him. Seeing his son risk his own reputation and pride, Minato couldn't disagree.

Finally, Minato agreed, seeing that the pros greatly outweighed the cons of letting the two join.

"Well now that that is all settled, I would like to personally welcome you to Konoha!" Minato said with a smile, as Zabuza grinned while Haku returned the smile.

"Why don't we get all the paperwork out of the way first though. Zabuza-san I assume that you will be using the same name right?" Minato asked, pulling out a series of forms as he questioned the younger man.'

"That's right Hokage-sama, I would like to keep my name if possible." Zabuza replied, as Minato smiled and jotted Zabuza's first and last name down.

"Now then, Haku-chan, what about your name?" He asked once more to a very quiet Haku, to the concern of the people present. As Minato was about to ask if she was alright, Zabuza stepped in.

"Hokage-sama, Haku will keep her first name but her last name will be Momochi." Zabuza said in a stern tone to the absolute shock of everyone present.

"Za-Zabuza-sama! Wha-What are you saying!" Haku frantically asked, though a part of her was hoping that he wasn't joking.

"You heard me Haku, your last name will be the same as mine." He said in a soft tone putting his hand on her head making her blush at the foreign show of affection.

"So I can assume that..." Minato started, a smile on his face knowing what Zabuza was implying.

"Yes you can Hokage-sama. I'll be adopting Haku as my daughter starting today!" He said in a proud tone as Haku's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"Za-Zabuza-sama..." She said, her eyes never leaving him as he gained an irritated twitch of his eyebrow before he knocked her on the head gently.

"You idiot, didn't you hear what I just said! Don't call me Zabuza-sama anymore, just call me... Just call me... Call me Tou-san or something. Just not Zabuza-sama!" Zabuza said, turning his head away crossing his arms as a light dusting of pink colored his cheeks , Anko snickering at him.

"Oh wow, looks like the big bad 'Demon of the Hidden Mist' is a tsundere!" She jeered, to which Satsuki and Yakumo turned their heads away to stop their impending laughter as Zabuza gained a bit more pink from embarrassment, growling a little.

Unable to hold it in any longer, Haku latched onto Zabuza as tears started to fall down her face as a beautiful smile appeared.

"O-Of course Zabu- I mean To-Tou-san!" Haku exclaimed, the happiness in her heart surpassing anything that she's ever felt.

After things settled down and all the paperwork had been filed away, Minato told the two that they were going to be under suspension and supervision from an Anbu squad for an unknown period of time to which they accepted knowing that it was justified given their backgrounds.

"Now that everything is settled, where will the two of you be staying?" Minato asked, and immediately they froze.

The reason they joined Gato was that they would have gotten paid a large sum on money, having exhausted the last of their funds prior to being hired. In other words, they didn't have the funds to rent out a place to stay.

But the two didn't have to fear as Naruto stepped in and offered them a place in his apartment, to the shock of everyone present.

"They can stay with me Hokage-sama, my apartment has plenty of room and I'm not only any of it." Naruto said, knowing that he did indeed have the space to spare.

"Ar-Are you sure brat? I don't want to intrude or want you to feel obligated to give us a place to stay just because you brought us here you know." Zabuza said, not wanting to be a bigger burden on the person who just gave him a new lease on life.

"Zabu- i mean Tou-san is right Naruto-kun, we don't want to intrude." Haku said blushing slightly, though part of her did want to stay with the blonde who did so much for her and her father. Unknown to her, the two other girls behind her twitched when they heard the -kun part and saw her blush.

"It's no trouble at all you two, my apartment is a decent size; having two bathrooms and three bedrooms. I've taken the smallest of the three and the other two are just collecting dust." Naruto replied, once again winning the two over with his argument.

Minato wanted to object but knowing the inevitable outcome, he opted to keep quiet and smile, though he felt slight envy for the two that would be living with his son just like he used to.

After about an hour, everything was settled and Minato dismissed everyone except his son. Seeing as he was probably going to be questioned he gave Zabuza and Haku a spare key and told them where his apartment was, saying that he would see them later. After bidding farewells with everyone, he faced his father who had a longing look on his face.

"..."

Naruto remained quiet, as the atmosphere started to turn awkward, at least for Minato. The lull of the moment was finally broken when Minato asked why Naruto was suspecting him of since he was asked to stay behind.

"Naruto... Is it true?" Minato asked in a soft tone of voice.

"Is what true Hokage-sama?" Naruto replied, his eyes and voice back to their original states of navy and deadpan.

"The strength that your team, Zabuza-san and Haku-chan witnessed. Are you really that strong?"

"...Why do you need to know Hokage-sama, besides that fact that it would shed some light about myself." Naruto replied, obviously not pleased with the question.

"I need to know Naruto. So please, just answer me yes or no." Minato asked, his eyes pleading Naruto to answer him.

Finally Naruto relented, heaving out an annoyed sigh, he shook his head in the positive, making Minato widen his eyes.

"Then why Naruto... Why hide your strength?" Minato asked, unable to comprehend the reasoning behind his son's decision to put on the facade of being the dead last.

"Because it's much easier that way Hokage-sama. I don't like being the center of attention and even more I have some reasons that I can't tell you." Naruto replied, Minato giving him a small smile.

"Are you going to drop your facade in the village now?" He asked, hoping that his son would, knowing that it would get him more contact with the other ninja and villagers.

"I don't know Hokage-sama, we'll see." With that, Minato nodded knowing that he was probably driving his son's patience with him. Before he left the office, Minato said one more thing.

"I'm glad that you're not hurt Naruto... And welcome home." He said in a soft tone.

Pausing slightly at the door, Naruto replied before he left.

"Thank you Hokage-sama." Naruto replied before he closed the door softly.

(Scene change - Naruto's Apartment)

Arriving at his apartment, Zabuza and Haku were a little puzzled why he would live so far from the village center, but then they noticed that there were no other houses or complexes within at least one hundred meters and there was a training ground directly across road.

From the front, it looked like a fairly well kept building, there was no real damage or decay viable to the eye. A plain gray, it wasn't the most eye catching but it did look nice. Making their way up to the second floor, they noticed that it seemed like there weren't any other occupants of the building besides Naruto, the dust that had covered the top and bottoms of the doors a clear indicator that they haven't been opened in quite some time.

As they made their way to the end of the floor, they saw small gardening and planters boxes hanging on the handrail in front of the door of the apartment that belonged to Naruto. The two were surprised to see that the blonde had a rather serene hobby, seeing that he seemed like the type to not have any interest in such mundane things.

Making their way to the door, they opened it up and the gray from the outside disappeared and was replaced with a clean and calming white. The apartment was like he said, being rather spacious for only one person. Quickly scanning around the room as they entered, they noticed that it was spotless, not seeing anything that was out of place or dirty.

Taking their sandals off and placing them in the shoe storage that rested near the front door, they continued to explore their new place of residence. The living room had a black couch with pillows and black armchair overlooking a television, a black coffee table resting in the center of the room with white coasters on it. In the corner sat a black and white bookshelf filled with various kinds of literature: books, scrolls and magazines. Spread through the room were lamps that matched the walls with white shades covering them, another lamp hanging overhead above the table.

Making their way into the kitchen they saw that it had a countertop that overlooked the living room, giving whoever was in the kitchen a clear view of what went on in the living room. Entering it, they saw that it was relatively simple. A black marble countertop, a sink and disposal unit, a stove and oven unit, a refrigerator, a microwave, a coffeemaker, a dish washer, a garbage can. The cabinet under the sink contained cleaning supplies such as extra dish soap and paper towels. The cabinets above the countertop contained various ingredients in one and snacks or instant meals like ramen in the other. It was pretty standard for what it contained, though it had a window in front of the sink that had a beautiful view of the village another gardening box hanging in front of it filled with various herbs for cooking such a thyme and rosemary.

Leaving the kitchen, they entered the hallway and saw that there were six rooms lining either side of it and one in the back, three on the left side and three on the right. Walking to the three on the right, they discovered that the first door was a storage closet containing extra shampoo, conditioner, detergent, and various other cleaning products. The two after were the bathrooms, which were again very standard; a sink, cabinet, towel rack, and shower being what stocked it though the bathroom of the far right had a tub as well as being slightly larger.

The rooms on the right were the bedrooms, The rooms furthest to the back of the hallway were empty, having a simple set up of a bed, closet, dresser and drawer. The first one closeted to the entrance of the hallway belonged to Naruto. They were nervous at first but then the opened the door to his room.

His room was very plain, the set up from the other rooms being present though they did see that it was smaller then the other two rooms. There were no posters on the wall, nothing that really differentiated it from the other rooms other then a small bookshelf and laundry hamper that sat near the closet.

Closing the door, they made their way to the final door at the end of the hallway and saw that it was a washer and dryer.

Whistling slightly, Zabuza couldn't help but admire his new place of residence, after deciding which room would be his, he eventually took the room furthest from the hallway after coaxing from Haku. Setting his Kubikiribōchō against the wall, he pulled out a storage scroll that contained his belonging and started sorting out and organizing his new room. After he finished sorting his belonging, he grabbed his worn clothes and took them to start washing them.

In contrast to her father, Haku plopped onto her bed and savored the soft feeling of the mattress, her smiling from having a home never leaving her face. Spending a few minutes like this, she eventually got up and began organizing her room as well, but hearing her father begin washing his clothes, she opted to take a shower first. Making her way to the bathroom, she greeted her father with a smile which he returned before going back to his laundry. Entering the bathroom, she opened up the cabinet and pulled out a towel before enjoying her first bath after a few months of having to bathe in rivers and lakes; practically melting when the warm embrace of the water took hold of her. After washing herself, Haku soaked in the tub for nearly half an hour before she got out.

(Time skip - 1 hour later)

After the two had finished what they were doing, Zabuza taking a shower and Haku doing her own laundry, they made their way to the living room to hear the door open and see a familiar head of blonde hair carrying a bag of groceries.

"Ah, Naruto-kun! Welcome home! Err, or excuse the intrusion!" Haku happily greeted but soon meekly apologized, rather ashamed and embarrassed that she acted like this was already her home while Zabuza laughed behind her.

"Hey there brat, that meeting took longer then I expected. Anything serious come up?" Zabuza asked, slightly concerned that the blonde got in trouble for sticking his neck out for them.

"Hello Zabuza-san, Haku-san. No, there was no trouble, Hokage-sama just wanted to discuss a few things with me there is nothing the two of you need to worry about." He replied, taking off his sandals and slipping them into the storage box next to Haku's.

"Well that's good. And again, I have to say thanks brat. You really stuck your neck out for us." Zabuza said, and he and Haku bowed slightly, though they were told to quickly stop bowing.

"You two don't need to bow to me, I only did what I thought was right." Naruto said, making his way towards the kitchen to start on dinner.

"Well now that we'll be living together, why don't we do our best to get along!" Haku chirped happily as Zabuza smiled, seeing his daughter radiate happiness that he's never seen since he picked her up all those years ago.

"I agree, but I'll tell you something right now Naruto." Zabuza said in a serious tone, earning the attention of both Naruto and Haku.

"What is it Zabuza-san?" Naruto said, nodding his head at the serious tone that the man had. As Haku grew nervous, not knowing what was going on.

"If you even think about peeping on Haku, I'll destroy you." He said, his face scary serious.

After saying that, an out of place wind blew, as the two other occupants of the room gained confused looks. That is until Haku turned bright red at what her father was saying.

"TO-TOU-SAN! WHAT ARE YOU SAYING!?" She shouted, not believing that he would say something like that so bluntly. But he wasn't paying attention to her as he folded his arms and stared directly into Naruto's eyes.

"We both know that my Haku is a very beautiful girl, probably the _most _beautiful girl. Don't think that just because you gave us a new life and a place to stay that you have free reign to make her yours, it'll be a cold day in hell before I give you permission to date my daughter brat!" Zabuza said with a fatherly fierceness that was like no other, causing Haku to blush even deeper from embarrassment.

"TOU-SAN!" She screamed, hitting him on the head as she flailed her arms, not believing that he could embarrass her like this in front of their new roommate while he continued saying that she was way too young to be thinking about dating and kissing, to which she screamed even more out of indignation before she covered her face and ran to her room, Zabuza panicking and confused, running behind her to figure out why she acted like she did.

Hearing Zabuza pound of the door, asking or rather begging Haku to let him in while told him to go away, Naruto simply turned to the countertop and started preparing dinner, a small smile appearing on his face from the antics of his new roommates.

"Looks like things are going to be a little more lively around here."

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's that! Just a quick little update, you know! Haha, well leave me a review about what you think of my story so far alright! Thanks for reading, til next time, stay awesome!**


	9. Chapter 8

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's me again bringing you a new chapter! Finally got over 50K views on my story, thank you all so much for taking the time to read it! But once again, not much action again this chapter, I wanted to start the exams in the next chapter you know! So hope you all enjoy this hopefully laid back, hopefully funny chapter that's kinda filler. XD Anyways, again! PM me with any suggestions that you guys have alright, I've gotten some really funny and awesome ones and I'd love to hear more! Anywho, let's a go huh!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 8

Night quickly fell after Team 12 with Zabuza and Haku returned to Konoha. After the incident earlier involving Zabuza and Haku, the two were sitting with Naruto in the living having dinner while they watched the news, discussing various things such as Naruto's connection to the Hokage.

After the two learned that Naruto was his son, they questioned him as to why he wasn't staying with family and instead living alone. They got their answer when Naruto told them that he didn't want much to do with that family anymore, saying that it was something personal. The two respecting his privacy, and turning the topic over to what was going to happen in the future.

(Scene change - Uzumaki-Namikaze estate)

After he finished the workload for the day, Minato returned home, strangely lethargic in contrast to his almost tireless normal self. When he returned, we was greeted by the smiling faces of his children and the trademark eye smile of his student, Kakashi.

Taking off his sandals, he was tackled by the red rocket that was his wife, who fussed over him and immediately questioned him as to why he seemed to much more tired then usual, getting curious looks from their children and a concerned one from Kakashi.

"Mina-kun, what's wrong? Did something happen today? Are you feeling alright?" Kushina asked her husband, checking him for any signs of damage or fatigue.

"Tou-san, here sit down. I'll go get you some tea." Mito said, taking her father's hand and leading him to the armchair nearby as she went to fetch a cup of tea.

"Minato-sensei, what's troubling you? I've never seen you like this before. Did something happen today during in the tower to cause you trouble? If so I can personally go and take care of it." Kakashi said, slightly angry that someone might have done something to cause his sensei trouble.

"Tou-san, you can tell us right?" Narumi asked, her eyes looking worriedly at her father.

"Yeah Tou-san, just tell me and I'll go take of them with Kakashi-nii!" Menma declared, getting a head nod from Kakashi.

Returning with a cup of tea, Mito handed it to her father as her family gathered around him to see what was the reason behind his odd behavior. Once they saw him drink his tea then release a sigh, they leaned in.

"Team 12 came back from their mission." Minato said, as looks of confusion quickly plastered the faces of his family and Kakashi. Seeing that they most likely forgotten, he rephrased his previous statement.

"Naruto's team came back from their mission." Once those words left his mouth, he was immediately pounced upon by Kushina, who demanded to know what happened.

"What!? He came back!? Just today!?" Kushina shouted, shaking her husband by the collar of his flak jacket. Eventually, she was pried off by her daughters who also looked like they were going to do the same thing to their father.

"Ye-Yes Kushina. I didn't think that it would take the long to finish a C-Rank mission either but..." Minato trailed off, getting nervous looks from Kushina and his daughters.

"But what tou-san?" Narumi asked, gravely worried that something might have happened to her beloved brother.

"That C-Rank mission turned into an A-Rank." That bombshell caused everyone in the room to freeze as their eyes widened.

"Wh-What did you say sensei...?" Kakashi asked, not believing what he heard was correct. He knew that Anko was gunning to get done with D-Rank missions so that her genin could get more experience, but this. He didn't believe it.

"I'm not joking. They encountered the 'Demon Brothers' as well as Zabuza Momochi, a former member of the 'Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist' within the first few hours of departing." At that Kushina couldn't hold herself back any longer, she demanded to know what happened during the mission, what Minato told them, they couldn't believe.

"H-He's li-living wi-with hi-him...?" Kushina managed to stutter out, her eyes wide with fear. Minato had told them that Naruto, her Naruto, fought Zabuza to a standstill and then took on an army of hired ninja and mercenaries and won. Then he told them about what happened earlier today, about Zabuza and Haku joining the village and staying with Naruto.

"Mi-Minato! Ho-How could you let something like that happen!? Yo-You let that monster stay with our baby, without anyone to protect him!" She nearly screamed, her eyes never losing the terrified look that were held in them.

Though Minato managed to calm her down by telling her about the way that Naruto had insisted that they stay with him, to her horror, and the closeness that they seemed to have. As he described the interactions between two, Kushina could see the envy clear on his face when he told her that they seemed like very close friends.

After he finished his tale, Kushina, Mina and Narumi felt envy flood their hearts when they heard that Naruto had practically a new family. However, Narumi and Mito's envy ran much deeper then what Kushina felt. While their mother felt envy that Naruto was living with other people, which they too felt envious about, more of their envy stemmed from the fact that there was a girl their age living with their beloved brother and that thought made a lump of cold ice form in the pits of their stomachs as the fear that she would snatch their older brother for her own made the two extremely nervous and worried.

While the his sisters felt envy, Menma was still in disbelief, unable to wrap his head around the fact that the weak older brother he had always known did something like that, surviving and completing an A-Rank mission not even two months into his career as a ninja. It should've been him who went on the mission, beat Zabuza, fought an army, and saved a nation not him. It infuriated him to no end, his hands clenched into tight fists. He was definitely a much more capable shinobi then him, and yet he was still stuck here doing chores.

Soon the night was filled with the clamoring of Kushina and her daughters as they planned to go and save their son and brother, but they were quickly told not to by Minato who said it wouldn't go well with Naruto. Though reluctant at first, they eventually gave in, not wanting their son and brother to hate them even more then he did now.

The house settled into an eerie calm as the members of the household went back to what they were doing, Kushina and Mito quietly making dinner, Narumi setting the table, Menma watching TV, Kakashi reading his book and Minato showering. Though the energy that they had from earlier had disappeared.

(Time skip - 1 week later)

A week had passed since Team 12 returned to Konoha and the reveal of Zabuza and Haku's new status as citizens of Konoha. At first, as was expected, a majority of the village avoided the two outsiders given the reputation that they had built up; but now they were beginning to be accepted in some parts of the village, namely the section of the village that catered to ninja.

After four days of observation by the Anbu, a mental and physical check-up Minato deemed that the two were fit to be ninja under the service of Konoha. They were surprised by the relatively quick decision, expecting to be under surveillance for at least two weeks and when they asked why he gave them the trust reserved only for trusted ninja Minato simply said that if his son trusted them then he would as well, which they happily accepted thanking Naruto once again.

Once they were given their headbands, Minato had them evaluated by his top jōnin to see where they stood as ninja; though it was mostly to gauge Haku as he knew that Zabuza was at least jōnin level if not Anbu. After they finished their evaluation, Minato happily gave Zabuza the rank of jōnin and Haku the rank of chūnin, the two grateful for their positions.

While they were happy that they gained the trust of their new Kage, they were more happy that they could actually help Naruto with paying rent and paying for supplies even if he insisted that they didn't have to, they wanted to which forced his hand as he relented after they told him of their new positions. Once that was settled, they began their lives as ninja of Konoha.

For Zabuza, he was pretty much avoided by nearly everyone the only ones he ever being seen with were Naruto and his daughter. But that changed one day when Anko invited him to meet with a few of her friends which he reluctantly agreed, after some pressuring from his daughter.

(Flashback - 2 days ago)

An hour before he was going to meet up with Anko and her friends, Zabuza was laying face down on the couch, not looking forward to spending the day with a bunch of chummy leaf ninja while he's the third wheel, just awkwardly being there.

He was dressed in a black sleeveless shirt and matching pants, black and white stripped arm-warmers that went to his elbows and leg-warmers that connected to his sandals that went to his knees, his regular pair of black sandals, his headband was made with a long black cloth and was tied sideways like his old one, the bandages normally worn around his mouth undone and just wrapped around his neck, he topped off his outfit off with the green flak jacket of a Konoha ninja.

As he was moping, he didn't notice Haku until he heard her clear her throat.

Lifting his head and looking at his daughter, Haku winced seeing the empty look in her father's normally cool and calm eyes. From his expression alone, she knew that he wasn't looking forward to what was going to happen in the next few hours. Kneeling down in front of him and the couch, Haku put her hands on his cheeks as she stared into his eyes, her own filled with sadness.

"Tou-san, please don't look like that. I don't like it when you're not the strong person that I know and love. I'll contact Anko-san and cancel the meeting so please don't be like that anymore okay?" Haku said, her sad eyes ever leaving her father's now bewildered ones.

Seeing and hearing the heart wrenching eyes and voice of his daughter, Zabuza immediately snapped himself out of his pitiful state. Putting his hand on top of her head, he gave her a small smile before he sat back up before speaking to her.

"Sorry about that Haku, I was being pathetic. You're old man isn't going to stand down that easily right!" Zabuza said, the empty look in his eyes replaced with the calm flames of determination.

Seeing her father snap out of his depressive state, Haku beamed him a happy smile as he returned it, ruffling her hair gently. Once the moment was over, and they were back to their normal selves, they went to sit at the kitchen countertop as they happily talked about what was happening with the other around the village, stopping once the deadline had appeared.

"Well... I'm off then Haku, wish me luck." Zabuza said after heaving out a sigh as his daughter cheered him on, her words of encouragement sparking the fatherly flame inside of him alive, making him stand up straighter and gain an unshakable aura of confidence; Haku's eyes sparkled at the sight of her father looking so cool and confident. After composing himself, Zabuza walked through the door his head held high.

"Go get them Tou-san!" Haku cheered pumping her fist in the air, as he turned around and gave her a smile before heading to the small teashop that was the meeting place.

(Scene change - Ensou Teahouse)

In the bustling yet calm shop, Anko sitting with her group of friends that she's had since her academy days. Sitting around a large table in a private room in a separate wing of the shop that they reserved she was seated with: Shizune, Kurenai, Yugao, Tsubaki, Kagura, Genma, Hayate, Asuma, Kotetsu, Izumo, and Aoba.

Joking loudly and laughing, the men were talking about things that were somewhat distasteful in the opinion of the ladies present; mostly about women and a certain orange colored book.

"Come'on Hayate! Don't be such a stiff! You gotta at least give it a read once!" Kotetsu said, patting the now pink cheeked man on the back.

"You know you want you, you're not the first 'Pure' that hasn't read Jiraiya-sama's book and you won't be the last. So take your first steps into manhood!" Izumo added, also patting his shoulder.

Watching the other men start to put pressure on _her _Hayate, Yugao decided to remind them about the only one was allowed to do that.

"Hayate-kun, you know what will happen if I find you reading that trash right?" She said in a syrupy sweet voice that send shivers down the spines of the men, the man in question especially.

"Yu-Yugao-chan! You know I don't have any interest in reading those books!" Hayate fiercely denied before he started coughing heavily, his lover and friends quickly checking to see if he was alright.

"I-I'm fine everyone, thank you for your concern. Tsunade-sama still hasn't found a cure but she has lessened the pain greatly." Hayate said with a smile, trying to reassure the group that his condition was better then it was in the past.

Soon, the group fell back into a happy atmosphere, the serious moment melted away as soon as Yugao started feeding Hayate, much to his embarrassment, prompting the women to coo at the two while the men looked away, tears falling from their eyes at their own hopelessness in the battle for love.

But the light and happy atmosphere ended when a staff member told them that there was a man in the front who said that he was to meet with them, turning their heads to Anko they saw that she had a sheepish grin on her face, telling them that she had invited Zabuza to meet and hang out with them. Ignoring the shocked looks on the faces of her friends, Anko told the staff member to let in him.

When he got to the teashop, he was surprised to say the least, it was busier then he expected and it even served sake judging from the smell of it that wafted around. Sighing to himself, he took a step inside and was immediately greeted with tense and nervous stares, which he notice but ignored not concerned with any of them.

Looking around he didn't see a sign of the purple haired woman that had invited him to come, so he figured that he was early much to his distain. Letting out another sigh, he made his way to the counter only to bump into someone, causing them to spill their tea on him.

Kaori Youjou wasn't having the greatest day, she had taken care of multiple genin who had the displeasure of catching Tora, the cat of the Fire Daimyō's wife, who turned them into scratching posts. But above that, she just turned 28 and still had nothing to really show for it. While all her friends had boyfriends and a few were even engaged, she was still living the single life.

She was so immersed in her own sulking that she never noticed the man in front of her until she bumped into him, spilling her tea on him.

"Guh!" Zabuza cried out, his forearm being scaled slightly from the hot tea that was spilt on him.

"Ahh! Oh my, I'm so sorry!" Kaori called out, quickly wiping the spilt tea off with a towel that a staff member handed to her.

After the whole incident was over, the staff bringing a first aid kit for the man, Kaori got a better look at him. Once she did, she froze. The man that she spilt tea on was Zabuza Momochi, 'The Demon of the Hidden Mist'. Unable to form a coherent sentence, she just stuttered when he locked gazes with her.

"Uhh... You alright?" Zabuza said, sweat dropping at the terrified woman in front of him. While she continued to stutter he noticed that she had scalded herself a little bit on her hand, reaching out he grabbed her wrist as she stopped stuttering and froze.

"_What do I do!? WHAT DO I DO!? HE'S GOING TO KILL ME!_" Kaori screamed in her head, she had just spilt hot tea on a person who was a master of 'Silent Killing'. She knew that she was dead, the other customers and staff members could only watch in silence, expecting the worst. However their imaginations of a bloody murder vanished when Zabuza turned her hand over and started applying some ointment to help with her burn.

"Wh-What?" Kaori could only ask, dumbfounded by what just happened. He didn't rip her hand off or threaten to kill her, he actually put burn ointment on her instead.

"There, that should do it. You should be alright now, I didn't notice any other places that got scalded." Zabuza said finishing tending to the woman.

Silence. The once bustling and lively shop immediately stopped, everyone trying to process what just happened. The former Kiri-nin and missing-nin, the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist' Zabuza Momochi, just tended to a beautiful lady that had just spilt tea hot tea on him like it was nothing.

Snapping out of her stupor, Kaori could only look at him, never noticing that there was a slight fluttery feeling in her chest when he looked at her with a little bit of concern in his eyes.

"Uhh, did I grab your wrist too hard? Sorry about that, I'm not really used to the whole taking care of people thing." He said, clearly embarrassed from the way everyone was gawking at him. Finally, Kaori managed to find her voice after a few seconds of awkwardness.

"U-Uh N-No, N-Not at all! I-I'm just a little surprised is all. Yo-You're a lot more different then what the rumors say you are." Kaori said, a little bit of pink invading her cheeks.

After hearing her say that, Zabuza could only laugh. The act causing some people to drop their tea. It wasn't a bloodthirsty laugh but a humorous one, that was also quite charming as some of the women were blushing slightly after hearing it.

"Don't worry about it, I get that a lot nowadays." Zabuza said, brushing off the comment. Offering her his hand, he helped her up then kneeled back down to pick up the broken pieces of the cup, putting them into the towel from earlier. Finishing cleaning up the small spill, he handed the towel and shards to a waitress who flushed a little when he gave her an easy-going smile before taking it into the kitchen.

Finished with the incident, Zabuza bid farewell to Kaori before making his way to the counter and ordering himself a cup of tea.

Kaori could only stare at his retreating back before she smiled and headed back to her shift at the hospital, the man known as Zabuza Momochi never leaving her mind for the rest of the day.

Getting his tea from the same waitress from earlier, he blew on it slightly before taking a sip and smiling slightly.

"It's good." Was all he said before indulging himself more with the tea that he ordered, the waitress blushing again before she quickly excused herself.

Finishing his tea, he put his cup down before asking the manager if Anko was present in the shop to which he said yes but questioned him as to what his business was with them. Once he told the man that she had invited him to tea he nodded before asking him to follow as he lead him to a separate wing of the shop.

Once they reached a door that that laughs could be heard behind, Zabuza winced knowing that once they saw him it'd instantly turn as quiet as a graveyard. His premonition was correct when it did instantly turn as quiet as a graveyard.

"Uhh... Yo?" Zabuza said lamely raising his hand up to greet the group in an attempt to break the ice and lighten the mood, which failed to do either as they didn't respond, that is until Anko did.

"Hey! About time you got here! I thought you chickened out!" Anko said, obviously trying to rile up Zabuza which worked.

"Oi! You calling me chicken!?" Zabuza retorted his brow twitching, but realizing what he did he quickly composed himself as Anko gestured him to sit beside her.

The light atmosphere from before didn't return as the other members of the group just stared at Zabuza for a few minutes before quietly conversing with each other, ignoring the fact that Zabuza had just joined them. He sighed as he knew this would happen. After 15 minutes of being ignored, he finally had enough of the situation as he stood up to excuse himself but was immediately stopped when Anko grabbed his wrist.

Anko couldn't believe what she was seeing, even after he got approval from the Hokage himself, they still didn't trust him. She knew that at first that would have been acceptable but it had been days since he was accepted into their ranks, they should trust a person that their Kage trusted.

"Are you guys idiots!" She suddenly shouted, stunning the other occupants of the room.

"I get that you guys don't trust him or like him but to just flat out ignore him? That's not something that I expected you guys to do, I expected a few minutes of awkward silence followed by someone offering him something to drink then starting a conversation! Not for you idiots to just pretend like he isn't here!" Anko said, making the eyes of her friends widen not believing that they were being lectured by her of all people. She was about to continue, but was stopped when Zabuza pulled his wrist free from her grip.

"Oi Mitarashi, don't make em' do something they don't want to do. They don't trust me, and I'm fine with that. I got other people who trust me including Hokage-sama, Haku, and Naruto; having other people not trust me isn't something I really care about." He said, making his way to the door as the others looked at him, their eyes wide. Stopping at the door he addressed them once more before leaving.

"Like I said, I'm fine with you not trusting me. My daughter told me that I should try and find people that I could trust with my back but figures that that ain't happening huh. Well whatever, but just to reassure you right now, if we work together I've got your back covered whether you want me to or not. I owe Naruto that much for sticking his neck out for me when Hokage-sama questioned my loyalty, I owe Haku that much for sticking with me for as long as she did and always worrying for my sake, and I owe Hokage-sama that much for accepting me and my daughter into this village and allowing us to become ninja. Thanks for the invite Mitarashi, I'll see you around." With that Zabuza left, closing the door softly behind him.

Once the door closed, silence prevailed over the room, everyone digesting the words that Zabuza had left them. After a few moments Anko stood up her eyes foreshadowed by her hair.

"You guys... I... I just can't believe you." Anko whispered, before she made her way to the door.

"A-Anko-chan where are you going?!" Kurenai asked, still not believing that her normally exuberant best friend was actually upset to this extent.

"I'm going to find Zabuza and apologize for what happened." She said as she exited the room, leaving everyone else who looked down at the table.

"...She's really upset... Anko's really upset..." Kurenai said, still in disbelief at the fact that her best friend got upset over what happened.

"We... Were we wrong...?" Tsubaki said, questioning if their choice of action was the right one.

"I don't know Tsubaki, I don't feel like I can trust him... You know that he killed all of the graduating of his academy without him even being a ninja in the first place. Do you think you can trust someone who did something like that?" Asuma said, taking a long gulp of sake.

The rest of the group remained quiet, not having any other words to say as the happy and light atmosphere from earlier destroyed, in its place a heavy and solemn one.

(Scene change - A few blocks from Ensou Teahouse)

After he left the room, he bid farewell to the manager and staff members of the teahouse, smiling at them which stunned them, but they quickly recovered and returned the gesture.

The waitress from before introduced herself as Okyō Kyoushou and asked if he was going to return, giving him a coupon for half-off tea and a meal which Zabuza gratefully accepted, telling her that he would return some other time.

As he rounded the corner, intent on grabbing something light to eat he was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. Making a fist, he was about to smash his elbow into the person when he stopped himself, knowing that he'd probably be the one to be arrested. Those thoughts left when he turned around and saw a familiar head of purple hair.

"What're you doing here Mitarashi? Shouldn't you still be with your friends?" He asked, confused as to why she left her friends to stop him but then a thought came to his head as he gave her a smirk.

"Don't tell me you were worried about me?" He said with an amused tone, his eyes also shining with an amused glint.

Hearing him say that, Anko immediately turned red, with both embarrassment and anger.

"Sh-Shut up you idiot! I-It's not like I was worried about you or anything moron! It's just that no one should have had what happened back there happen to them, even an idiot like you!" She said, the redness never leaving her face. The opposite happened when Zabuza started laughing hysterically, clutching at his sides in order to ease the pain that he felt.

"HAHA! O-OH KAMI THAT'S RICH! TH-THAT WAS SUCH A TSUNDERE LINE IT'S NOT EVEN FUNNY!" He laughed, tears began flowing from his eyes, not believing that the 'Snake Mistress of Konoha' was a tsundere.

"O-OH KAMI! MY SIDES! MY SIDES, THEY BURN!" He cried out, now on his knees one hand on the ground supporting him the other wrapped around his stomach trying to ease the pain, tears still falling as he continued to laugh.

"..." Anko's face was crimson now, her cheeks puffed into an angry pout. Finally having had enough of seeing Zabuza make fun of her she launched herself at him, getting him into a headlock.

"JUST DIE ALREADY!" She screamed, as he just started laughing harder at her futile attempt to make him submit.

The antics of the two eventually drew a large crowd, at first they were terrified at the scene but then they started smiling and laughing themselves. After some time even the group of Anbu who came to check out the disturbance couldn't help but smirk and contain the laughter the welled up inside of them, never seeing imagining seeing Anko and the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist' act like two lovers.

Eventually, the two calmed down Zabuza sitting with his legs outstretched wiping the remaining tears away while Anko still had him in a headlock. Finally collecting himself, he turned his head towards Anko, who still was red in the face, as she snarled at him. But she wasn't prepared when Zabuza closed his eyes and gave her a wide smile, making her eyes go wide and her heart flutter.

"Thanks Mitarashi, that really cheered me up!" He said as he pulled Anko's arms off his neck as he stood up, helping her up as well. Still slightly stunned, she was broken out of her state when she heard applause explode around her.

"You go girl! Great job cheering your boyfriend up!"

"Kyah! You two are so cute, it must be great to be young and in love!"

"She's a tsundere?! She's a keeper brother!"

"That line was perfect! She's the one! Don't ever let her go!"

Immediately the two froze when the crowd started cheering them on, shouting about how they were a couple and about how in love they were.

Hearing what they were saying about them, the two immediately turned crimson before they took off, leaving a cheering crowd and amused Anbu squad behind.

(Scene change - A few blocks from the 'Incident')

After their escape, Zabuza and Anko found themselves in the other food district, however both of them were still embarrassed from earlier. The awkward silence that prevailed was broken when both of their stomachs growled. They both looked at each other before they started laughing.

"Haha, want to grab something to eat Momochi?" Anko said, a smile appearing on her face.

"Sure why not Mi-TSUN-rashi!" Zabuza said in an amused tone, barely able to contain the laughter that returned as Anko turned red once more, her eye twitching.

But soon the two laughed once more and entered a small yakitori stand where they learned more about each other. Anko learning that Zabuza loved spicy food and fresh fish, disliked sweets and hated fresh vegetables. Zabuza learning that Anko loved sweet bean soup, dango and practically anything sweet, disliked fish, and hated spicy food.

As they happily chatted with one another, they never noticed the knowing looks that the other patrons and cook gave them. After a while they were soon joined by Ibiki who got instantly along great with Zabuza, forging a 'bond of manliness' as they called it, that made Anko laugh. The three enjoyed each other's company until the shop closed, agreeing with the others that it would be their new spot to hang out.

(Flash back - End)

After that, Zabuza became close friends with Anko and Ibiki who introduced him to Inoichi, Tonbo, Shimon, and the other members of the T&amp;I Division who at first were cautious of him but quickly turned around when Ibiki told them that he was a great guy.

Due to the events that happened that day, many mistook or rather assumed that Zabuza and Anko were a couple, which infuriated and embarrassed the two to no end. Haku especially was affected by the rumors.

Zabuza had seen the most terrifying expression he had ever witnessed when she told him that no woman was allowed to have her father unless she accepted them first, wearing a yandere-like smile as she unconsciously pulled out a handful of senbon making him shiver in fear.

As for Haku, at first she was also treated similar to how Zabuza was treated, but once she started to get to know the villagers who she bought groceries from, her reputation as a beautiful and kind girl quickly spread though the village, earning her a fan club much to her chagrin. Luckily for her, Zabuza scared off any boy who even stared in her direction, his oni-like aura springing out whenever he caught some boy staring at his daughter.

Zabuza returned to that teashop much to the joy of the staff there, having grown to like the intimidating yet deceptively kind man. Okyō even had asked him if he was single, which he told her yes, making her eyes sparkle before she skipped off in a happier mood then before much to his confusion. Eventually he started doing missions with various people as well as being solo, making him a happier man as he was allowed the freedom that he once had unlimited access to once more.

Haku eventually was accepted to the Medical Corps. and immediately became a vital member her knowledge of the human body and numerous herbs making her a valuable member. Adding to that was her kind nature, making all the patients that were admitted feel welcomed and safe. That is until a young man tried hitting on her resulting in him being temporarily paralyzed from the neck down while she wore her smile in an ominous way, that was where the unspoken rule of never hitting on her was created.

For the two, life definitely was much more enjoyable then it was in the past, the two smiling much more and laughing much more then they ever had before.

(Time skip - 2 weeks later)

As time flew by, things mostly remained the same. Zabuza was apologized to by the same group of people that Anko had tried to introduce to him, which he brushed off saying that they were only doing what ninja did. Haku's fan club grew in size, and in turn Zabuza's over protectiveness grew as well; though Zabuza's popularity with some of the female population also triggered Haku's over protectiveness as she would smile chillingly at any woman caught staring and blushing at her father.

For Team 12, not much had changed. Minato had ordered that they not be allowed to go on any missions for at least 2 weeks which they accepted opting to train more. Anko told them that there would be no team training but would be a meeting a week until the chūnin exams and to take it easy, telling them that she would help them train if they asked for it.

Yakumo trained with Anko and Kurenai on her taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu. Kurenai was shocked when Yakumo came back a much stronger girl then she was before, showing strength that she never had imagined would come from the once frail girl.

Pride swelled in the hearts of both women when they saw the growth that their student was showing, the frail girl of the past replaced with a strong young lady who strived to be stronger then the both of them.

Satsuki trained with her mother, father and older brother in controlling and using her sharingan, which once they found out about they promptly celebrated. At first she was confident that she was able to control it without trouble, but was proven wrong when she nearly fainted from draining so much charka.

While her parents and older brother were happy for her, her twin glared at her much more harshly then before obliviously jealous and angry that she had awakened her sharingan before he did.

As for Naruto, since he wasn't allowed on missions he never went into the village, as Haku offered to do the shopping, which helped him avoid all contact with his family. Instead he trained following Ryuuhei's instructions as well as sparring with Zabuza, much to the older man's pleasure.

Zabuza sparred with him once a week and every time they sparred, he was blow away by the growth that Naruto displayed not believing that anyone could grow so much in such little time. He also found out that using a great sword wasn't the only weapon that Naruto excelled at using, stunning him once he saw the extensive range of weaponry proficiency that he had.

However, they were blown away with what Anko had to tell them at the team meeting that was scheduled for today.

(Scene change - Team 12 Training ground)

"Hey there brats! How have you all been!" Anko cheerfully said, getting smiles in response from her genin, even Naruto had a small smile. Seeing the smiling faces of them, Anko gave a grin in response.

"Well, these past 3 weeks have been pretty boring huh? Just training without doing any missions, but hey! I've got something important to tell you all." Once Anko said that, she straightened her back and stared at them with serious eyes. In response, they became serious as well their smiles thinning into lines as they returned her serious gaze.

"After all I've seen you do, even though you haven't even been genin for half a year, I've decided to ask you all if you want to enter the chūnin exams this year." Anko said, her gaze never losing the serious look in them.

"Wh-What did you say Anko-sensei?" Yakumo said, her eyes wide. Usually genin were supposed to have at least a year of experience before they were eligible to enter the exams, but their sensei was telling them that they could enter if they wanted?

"I said if you guys think you're ready and you're prepared to give it your all, I'll allow you to enter this year's chūnin exams." Anko repeated once more.

"Se-Sensei, I... I want to enter!" Satsuki said, her eyes burning with determination.

"I agree Anko-sensei, I want to enter as well!" Yakumo agreed, her eyes burning with the same determination as her best friend.

The girls were rearing to go but the lone male of the group remained silent, prompting his teammates to look at him for his answer.

"...Let's enter..." Was his answer, his eyes gaining a determined look as well.

Expecting their sensei to give them a grin and celebrate, they were shocked when her serious look remained.

"You all know that the chūnin exams are dangerous right? You're allowed to kill, maim, do anything to your opponent in order to win. I don't want you all to charge head first without knowing that you have the potential to die and for it to be allowed. Knowing that do you still want to enter?" Anko replied, her eyes never once losing the serious look in them.

Yakumo and Satsuki looked at their feet, mulling over their hasty decision. Their flames were dampened a bit but they were revived when Naruto spoke out his thoughts.

"Don't worry Anko-sensei, if we enter, I'll do everything in my power to protect my teammates." He said, his eyes gaining an even more confident look in them making the others widen their eyes slightly.

"Even knowing that it's dangerous, as long as my team is there to back me up I know that we'll pass!" Satsuki said, standing up straight as she regained her determined look.

"With Satsuki and Naruto standing beside me, I know that we'll overcome anything that stands in our way!" Yakumo said with her eyes also gaining her determination back.

Seeing her genin have not just confidence in themselves but confidence in each other, Anko finally lost her serious look and in its place a proud smile shone brightly.

"That's the right answer you guys. Alone, I know that all of you could get far into the exams but together. Well, let's just say I feel sorry for the poor suckers that are going to cross paths with you." Anko said laughing lightly as her genin also laughed along.

After everything was settled, Anko handed her students the paperwork which they quickly filled out and returned to her. Bidding farewell to them, she quickly made her way to the Hokage's tower where Minato had called a meeting with all the sensei of the year's genin to see who was going to enter the exams this year.

(Scene change - Hokage's tower)

In the meeting room adjacent to his main office, Minato was seated in front of the jōnin in charge of this year's crop of genin. He knew that some of them who were going to enter their genin had the usual year amount of experience, but he also knew that some wanted to enter their genin and didn't have that usual requirement. For those teams, he wanted a very good explanation as to why they should be able to enter when they lacked the necessary experience.

As they were about to begin, the door opened up and Anko enter the room a little winded from her sprint to the tower. Sweat dropping at her tardiness, being even later then Kakashi much to his chagrin, she apologized before taking a place next to Kurenai.

"Now that everyone's here, let's begin shall we!" Minato said, not hiding his excitement at seeing who was going to enter and who was going to drop out.

After a few of the people he expected to enter, did, he nodded giving them his approval as they met the requirements. A few of the jōnin decided not to enter, feeling that their teams didn't meet the standards that the exam called for. But finally, he got to the jōnin of this year's group of genin.

"Minato-sensei, I want to enter Team 7 into this year's exams." Kakashi said, making Minato sigh as he knew that this would happen.

"I understand Kakashi, but could you give me a reasoning as to why I should enter them? Just because they're my children doesn't mean that they're ready you know." Said, knowing that his children probably pestered Kakashi endlessly for him to enter them.

"I understand Minato-sensei, but I honestly do believe that they are ready. All of them have Kage-level amounts of chakra, are already proficient in tai and ninjutsu, and have completed 31 D-Rank missions and 3 C-Rank missions. They're teamwork is rusty, but they have improved greatly. Not to mention that they're strong individually. Because of that they show the potential to become chūnin and pass the exam." Kakashi reported, a slightly condescending tone seeping into his voice as he eyed the other jōnin.

"Hmm... I'll trust your judgment on this Kakashi, I'll allow them to enter the exams but have you told them of the dangers of it yet?" At that question, Kakashi nervously shook his head in the negative making Minato sigh.

When he asked everyone else, they also repeated the act. But Minato and everyone else were surprised when Anko said that she told them and even knowing the dangers they agreed to enter. Snapping out of his stupor, Minato motioned the jōnin to continue their nominations.

"Hokage-sama, Team 8 is ready to enter. They specialize in hunting and tracking but even past that they show promise and potential to pass the exams. Shino and Kiba have some difficulties getting along and Hinata doesn't really talk to them, so their teamwork suffers as a result. But when pushed, they can become an efficient team and have shown that to me. They've completed 33 D-Rank missions and 2 C-Rank, while they lack experience they make up for it in determination." At her concise report Minato smiled and nodded, making Kurenai give Kakashi a smug smile making the latter's eye twitch.

"Alright, if you believe that they can come together then I'll allow them but do tell them about the dangers alright?" At that she nodded and Guy stepped forward.

"YOSH! Hokage-sama, my youthful genin are more then ready to let their youth shine this year in the exam!" Guy nearly shouted, making Minato laugh wryly.

"Yes, you're genin have been together for about a year and a half, so they do meet the requirements Guy. They're free to enter." Minato said getting a nice guy pose from Guy in response.

"Hokage-sama, Team 10 is ready. Though they really are slackers, they do have the potential as the next Ino-Shika-Cho, and I've seen it on a few occasions. They've still got a long way to go, I have to bride them in order for them to do anything really, but when push comes to shove, they do get things done. Shikamaru and Choji share a close bond though Ino hates working with them. But underneath all of that, they're more then capable of passing. They've finished 35 D-Rank missions and 2 C-Rank, so they've got some experience handling the harder stuff." Asuma reported, taking a breath after his report.

Minato nodded, but then agreed. He knew that they would have some trouble but from what he has seen in the reports, Shikamaru would be able to get them out of most situations given his intellect.

"Alright Asuma, I'll let them enter. Shikamaru-kun should be able to keep them safe given his intelligence and with them all working together they should be safe." Minato said smiling as Asuma gave him a grin in response.

"Alright Hokage-sama, I'm not going to lie here but I really don't think that Team 11 is ready for the exams, but I want them to enter to see how far behind they really are. They're the most unbalanced team that I've seen, it's almost unfathomable. Sasuke has, if it's even possible, gotten even worse when it comes to interacting with his teammates. After his sister unlocked her sharingan, he's been doing everything to try and force his awake. Sakura hasn't lost her fan girl attitude towards Sasuke and because of that she hasn't really become any stronger then before, if anything she's become a little but weaker not training in order to watch and cheer him on. Sai on the other hand still gives off the strange vibe from before, I don't know what's going on in his head and it's making me an Orochimaru-sama cautious. They've done 30 D-Rank missions and 1 C-Rank, but even after all of that, they've still not improved their teamwork." Genma reported, sighing heavily as some of the other jōnin gave him pitying looks.

"I understand Genma, while I would probably not allow them to enter they do need to know that working alone doesn't make you a powerful ninja. I'll allow them to enter on the condition that you tell them about the dangers about what happens. If even one of them backs out then they all aren't going to be able to enter." Minato said as Genma nodded in return.

Finally, everyone's attention was on Anko. After the incident that happened a few weeks ago, she had stopped treating them as loving and familiar as she used to. While she did smile and chat with them, it wasn't with the same amount of energy that she used to show them. Now they were curious about her response to the question at hand.

"Hokage-sama, I've told my team about the risks and dangers that the exams pose. Even after hearing them they still agreed as a team that they would enter. At first, Yakumo and Satsuki lost the determination that they had, but once Naruto said that he would protect them no matter what they regained it and it was much stronger then before as well. They've completed 41 D-Rank missions and 1 A-Rank mission, and even after all that they're still humble and not cocky at all. They're teamwork is out of this world and individually they're strong enough to take down chūnin level opponents. I know that they're ready for the exam, and that they'll pass it without any trouble at all." Anko reported, confidence and pride brimming from her person as everyone looked on in awe.

They have never seen Anko put such confidence in another person let alone three, the confidence and way that she spoke of her genin led no room for doubt. They would be entering and they would go far and Minato felt that as well.

"Alright Anko, I'll allow them to enter. If what you said is true, then I have no doubts that they will go far in this year's exam." Minato said, his voice held a little bit of pride after hearing what his son said to help is teammates regain their confidence.

After everything was settled and all the teams that were going to enter handed in their forms, Minato dismissed everyone.

As she was walking out, Anko was stopped by Kurenai who was with Asuma and Genma.

"Anko-chan, do you want to go grab a bite with us?" Kurenai asked, hopeful that she would agree to go with them. Behind, Genma and Asuma held the same hope that she did, but it was quickly gone once they heard her response.

"Nah, I'm fine thanks though Kurenai! I'm meeting Momochi and the guys, so I can't. Maybe next time though!" She said, as she made her way to her new usual meeting spot, as the three behind her looked on with sad eyes, Kurenai especially.

"Come'on, let's go Kurenai." Asuma said putting a hand on her shoulder as they left the tower.

(Time skip - A few days later)

The day had finally come, making his way to the building that the exams were held, Naruto heard the sounds of a dispute happening and quickly made his way over to investigate.

When he arrived, he saw a boy around his age dressing in a black bodysuit, wearing a black hood with pointed cat-ear like appendages that had a Suna headband attached to it, strange objected wrapped in bandages on his back, with purple paint on his face. He was holding a boy younger then the both of them by the scruff of his neck as two other kids watched on in horror and fear.

"Watch where you're going you little brat!" The teen shouted at the boy being held up started shaking.

"Oh, you gonna cry now? Tsk, who knew that there were such brats in this village. I'll really make you cry!" The teen said, cocking his fist back as the younger boy closed his eyes.

But before he could do anything, Naruto had appeared and gripped his wrist, hard.

"Guh! Wh-What the hell!?" The teen said, dropping the boy and focusing his attention on the blonde in front of him.

Before anyone could say anything, the young boy and the two other kids behind the older boys immediately brightened up.

"Menma-niichan!" They shouted, but it fell on deaf ears when the blonde that they thought was their honorary nii-chan ignored them.

"What's a Suna-nin doing picking on a little kid, if you want a fight pick on someone your own size you sorry waste of space." Naruto said in a chilling tone as he glared at the older boy, making the teen flinch before he glared back.

As things were about to heat up, a voice broke through the tense atmosphere that had been created.

"Konohamaru!" A series of voices called out, the group turning around and seeing Menma, Kiba and a few other boys running towards them, but next to them was a scowling Sasuke. After they had heard Konohamaru cry out, they immediately ran to the source, even Sasuke followed curious as to what was happening. But all three froze when they locked eyes with blank navy ones.

Silence, that was what prevailed over the area, it even affect the teen as a bead of sweat dropped down his head, the odds not in his favor. But that vanished once the blonde holding his wrist let go.

"I don't have time to waste with you. Get out of my sight." He said in the same tone as before. Before the teen could retort, the blonde cut him off.

"And you two, in the tree, I'm guessing that you're his teammates. You have better get out of my sight as well." At that the teen froze, his eyes widening as a teen with blonde hair tied into 4 pigtails holding a large metal fan came out and a boy with red hair and a gourd appeared in a swirl of sand.

"Ga-Gaara!" The teen stuttered out, making everyone focus attention on the red head, seemingly the cause of the teen's fear.

" Kankuro you're a disgrace to our village, if you do that again, I'll kill you." The red head said in a blood thirsty voice making everyone, minus Naruto, flinch. Turning to Naruto he addressed him.

"My apologies. I am Gaara of the Sand. What is your name?" He asked in a emotionless tone.

"Naruto." Was all that he got in response, making the red head crack a small maniacal smile.

"Naruto... Mother will enjoy it when I spill your blood." He said in a crazed tone before he started walking away with the two. But was stopped when Sasuke called out to him.

"Hey! I'm Sasuke Uchiha, of the Uchiha clan!" He shouted, smirking knowing that the group would be in awe of his status.

"I have no interest in any of you other then him." Gaara said, pointing at Naruto, anger seeping into the faces of the other boys. Soon they were out of sight leaving the Konoha ninja alone.

Before anyone could talk, Konohamaru instantly latched onto Menma crying about how scary the situation was as the older boy tried to calm him down. He was about to say something else but stopped when he saw his older brother start to leave.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going loser!" He shouted scaring the kids, know known as Konohamaru, Udon and Moegi.

However his anger only increased when his brother ignored him, prompting him to run up and grab his shoulder, forcibly turning him around.

"Don't think that you're some kind of hero just because you did something like that. People like you shouldn't get their hopes up." Menma growled out as he glared at his older brother, his group of friends soon joined him.

"Yeah dead last, don't get ahead of yourself. You're lucky that we got here or else you would've been put into the ground!" Kiba barked out, also glaring at the older blonde.

While things began to get tense, they got even more tense when Menma reached out to grab his older brother's collar but was stopped and later shocked at what happened next.

Naruto grabbed Menma's wrist and twisted it, making him wince in pain. But before he could do anything, he yanked his wrist to the side, making Menma lose his balance in turn Naruto forced him onto the ground his arm locked behind his back.

Shocked at what just happened, Kiba was about to engage the older blonde for attacking his best friend when a chilling voice made him freeze.

"If you don't want to lose conciseness then you'll stay there like a good dog." Naruto said, his voice sending shivers down the spines of everyone present. After, he applied more pressure onto Menma's arm making the younger blonde wince and grunt in pain.

"I've had just about enough of your attitude Menma. How long are you planning to keep this up? Until you're a chūnin? Jōnin? Anbu? Because if you keep acting like you're superior to everyone else, you're going to end up having your squad dead because of you." At that, Menma's eyes went wide.

"I know, you hate me, you detest me, _despise_ me. But let me tell you a little secret Menma, I. Don't. Care." At those words Menma and the rest of the people watching could only gape, their mouths trying to form words but none coming out.

"You can hate me all you want, but in the end it'll get you nowhere. And let me tell you something _otouto_, if I _ever_ catch wind that you caused trouble because of your attitude, I'll make sure that it never happens again. Do you understand?" When Menma didn't respond, Naruto tightened the lock on his arm making him cry out a little in pain.

"Do. You. Understand." Naruto said, his voice colder then ice. After that, Menma nodded his head submissively.

Letting of his arm, Naruto stood up and faced Kiba and the others who flinched and shrunk in fear when they saw his cold eyes.

"Let me tell you all something, especially you and your mutt Menma, the attitudes that you have now _will _get someone killed. I don't care how strong, smart, or brave you are; you will get someone killed if you keep acting that way. You had better fix that problem yourselves or I'll fix it for you." Finishing his lecture/threat, Naruto continued towards the exam center leaving behind a frightened group of shinobi.

(Scene change - Chūnin exam building)

Standing in front of the building that would become the place where their hopes for the promotion to chūnin were held, Team 12 stood together, their backs straight and their eyes filled with determination. Exchanging glances with each other, they nodded as they mentally agreed with each other, entering the building together with the same thought running though their minds.

"_LET'S DO THIS!"_

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's a wrap guys! Tell me what you think alright! Leave me a review and PM me if you have an idea alright! Thanks for reading and stay awesome alright guys!**


	10. Chapter 9

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**And boom! First part of the **Chūnin Exam Arc** is done! Haha, it's me again guys! Thanks for taking the time to read this chapter! Kinda wasn't feeling it when writing it so it might not be good. I'm sorry! But I do hope that you enjoy reading this chapter! PM me if you want to suggest something because you know I love hearing your suggestions! Now, let's a go read! XD**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 9

After they entered the building together, Team 12 immediately saw a blockade made up of other genin. Approaching the group, they saw two chūnin that were blocking a door, preventing anyone from getting in.

"Hey! What're you doing, please let us in!" Said a girl wearing a pink sleeveless qipao-style blouse and green pants, her hair done into two buns. But after she said that, one of the chūnin backhanded her lightly across the face.

"Tenten!" Said a boy with a bowl style hairstyle with bushy eyebrows wearing a green bodysuit with orange leg-warmers with bandages wrapped around his arm. As he helped his teammate up.

"Ha! Just look at how weak you are, if you can't take even that you have no chance in the exam!" One of the chūnin said as some of the genin around him looked nervous at the piece of information.

Looking at his teammates, Yakumo and Satsuki nodded, noticing that the door number was hidden under a genjutsu. The team made their way slowly around the group, now knowing that it was intentional to weed out those who were unable to detect a simple genjutsu, which made Yakumo sigh.

But as they were about to head up the stair, the saw a scuffle happen.

"Get out of the way!" Sasuke shouted at one of the chūnin.

After all the headache of having to work with his useless team to stop a kidnapper from taking Moegi, they were finally allowed to join the exams when the person they stopped was Iruka who was testing them to see if they were ready.

"Yeah! Get out of Sasuke-kun's way you loser!" Sakura shouted, backing up her crush, as some of the genin shot her a confused look.

"Hey Dickless, Ugly, why don't we just make them?" Sai said, getting hit on the head from Sakura from using his nickname for her.

"Hmph, actually not a bad idea." Sasuke said as he rushed towards the chūnin in an attempt to take him down. But as he neared them, the same boy from earlier with the green bodysuit stopped him, to his shock.

But as he did, the girl from before hit him on the head.

"You idiot! Wasn't it your idea that we act like we're weak in the exam!?" Tenten shouted, annoyed at the hypocritical actions of her teammate.

"Ahh, I'm sorry Tenten! But I just couldn't help myself!" Lee said, apologizing profusely.

"I agree, it was idiotic to ruin the plan like that Lee." A boy with pale, pupil-less eyes said. He had long black hair and wore a khaki shirt and dark brown shorts. His right arm was wrapped in bandages as well as his right leg.

"Again, I'm sorry Neji. I just got caught up in the heat of the moment." Lee apologized to the boy now known as Neji.

But after he did he turned to Sakura who instantly got creeped out.

"My name is Rock Lee, and you must be Sakura. Sakura, please go out with me! I'll protect you with my life!" Lee said, flashing a blinding smile at her.

"No way, you're lame." Sakura said in a flat tone, as Lee looked defeated.

Turning to Sasuke, Neji called out to him.

"Hey you, what's your name?" He said in a slightly smug tone, which the young Uchiha took notice of.

"Hmph, when you want to learn someone's name, you should tell them your own first." He replied, as he started walking away.

"You're a rookie aren't you, how long have you been a genin?" Neji asked once more, the smug look on his face grew small bit more.

"Tsk, I don't have to answer you." He replied, as he walked away Sai and Sakura following behind him.

"_Damn... He looks strong... Who knew there were such monsters here._" Sasuke though, cursing the fact that he still hasn't unlocked his sharingan.

"_Ufufu, he's kind of cute._" Tenten thought, giggling slightly while she looked at the retreating form of the Uchiha.

But as they were about to leave, Lee told them that there was something that he wanted to check out.

Once all the genin left the area, the two chūnin from before released their **Henge**, in their places were Kotetsu and Izumo.

"Well, well, well looks like they passed the first obstacle didn't they!" Kotetsu said in a jovial tone as Izumo nodded.

"Things sure are going to be interesting aren't they?" Izumo questioned, which his partner nodded as they went back to report their findings.

Watching the other genin leave, Team 12 hadn't made their way up the stairs, opting to watch the strange boy known as Rock Lee follow Team 11. Naruto and Yakumo looked at Satsuki, and she sighed knowing what was probably going to happen.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's make sure that my brother doesn't do something that he'll regret." She said as she led her team to where they had gone.

(Scene change - Chūnin exam center: Open room)

Team 11 found themselves in a spacious room as they headed towards the real examination hall. But as they were about to exit, they were stopped when a voice called out to them.

"Hey! You with the dark eyes!" Lee shouted, dropping down to their level surprising the group.

"...You talking about me?" Sasuke said, turning around and facing Lee.

"Yes, I want to fight you." Lee said, his eyes serious.

"My name is Rock Lee, it's commonplace to introduce yourself before someone tells you their name correct?" He said, as Sasuke smirked.

"So you know huh? My name is Sasuke Uchiha, of the Uchiha clan. A fight right now you said?" Sasuke said, then questioned Lee to which the other nodded.

"I want to test my skills and techniques against someone from one of the genius clans of Konoha. And also..." Lee trailed off as he once again stared at Sakura then winked at her, much to her disgust.

"EWW! Those eyebrows! And that haircut!" She screamed, and later became hysterical when Lee started blowing kisses at her which she dodged with surprising skill.

After the round of love comedy was over, Sasuke addressed Lee once more, his eyes darkening.

"You knew about my family and still want to fight me? You must be even dumber then you look. You're about to learn what this name is all about." Sasuke said, as he got into his Koenken stance. As Lee put one arm behind his back and the other faced forward.

Watching up in the balcony, Satsuki could only sigh at her brother's arrogance. She admitted that she used to have Sasuke's mindset about believing that her family was the strongest out there but that changed after she made actual friends and her family, namely her older brother and mother, broke her out of that mindset.

Yakumo patted her best friend on the shoulder as she knew what was probably going through her mind, but Naruto was watching and analyzing Lee's stance. He saw that it was most likely built on speed and power, though it didn't appear to lack the defense that would normally come with such a stance.

But before they were about to start, Sakura called out to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun! You can't we only have 30 minutes until the exam starts!"

As if on cue, Sasuke rushed forward.

"This will only take 5."

Once he said that, Lee acted meeting Sasuke on the way to his surprise. But he quickly snapped out of it, seeing Lee about to attack.

"**Konoha Senpū**!" He called out spinning his body as he delivered a high kick which Sasuke ducked to avoid, but was hit when Lee rotated once again delivering a low kick breaking Sasuke's guard sending him flying back.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out, not believing what she had just seen. Sai's eyes were also wide, not expecting such an attack from the strange boy.

With Team 12 Yakumo and Satsuki were astonished by the attack.

"What just happened?" Yakumo asked, trying to wrap her head around the attack as Satsuki, who had her Sharingan activated, copied the movements of the attack.

"That's fast, really fast. Even though I could see and copy him, I wouldn't be able to match up with his speed unless I went all out and even then it would be close. " She said as she narrowed her eyes, now not surprised why her brother got sent flying.

"That first kick... Once he throws that high kick, the evasion margin of his opponent is immediately restrained. Because of that, it augments the chances for that low kick to hit its mark. So that high kick is pretty much nothing more than a flashy feint." Naruto stated, stunning his teammates from how quickly he analyzed and broke down the attack.

Back on the ground floor Sasuke got back up, his eyes burning with fury. Once again, he rushed Lee, who this time launched him into the air with a quick upper kick to his chin. After doing so, he reappeared behind him using **Kage Buyō** as he loosened the bandages around his arms.

But before anything could happen, Team 12 acted.

Naruto dropped to the floor and exploded into a sprint before jumping at the two, to Lee and Sasuke's complete shock.

Once at their level, he grabbed Sasuke and threw him to his sister who caught him and set him down, Yakumo and herself checking him over with their **Shōsen Jutsu** as Naruto grabbed a stunned Lee before he dropped to the ground.

"You know if you followed through with that attack he could've died." Naruto said, tightening his grip on the older boy's arm causing him to wince a bit at the abnormal strength.

"How is he?" Naruto asked his team, turning to face them. Finishing up scanning Sasuke, they stood up and made their way to the two.

"He'll be fine. Nothing major, a little bit of bruising but it's nothing that needs immediate treatment." Yakumo reported, as she and Satsuki looked at Lee with cold gazes making him gulp.

"You're lucky Naruto intervened when he did, if Sasuke had been seriously injured you would've been in a hell of a lot of trouble." Satsuki said, her gaze growing even colder at the end of her sentence. Finally, Naruto let of his arm and started walking away with his team as the others looked on in awe.

"W-Wait! What is your name!" Lee called out, desperate to know the name of the one who managed to break off his **Kage Buyō**. Stopping, the blonde turned around slightly and he froze when he met cold electric blue eyes.

"Naruto." Was all he said before he left with his team.

(Scene change - Hallway outside meeting room)

After the incident involving Sasuke and Lee, Team 12 made their way to the meeting room where the other genin who made it past the genjutsu trap were expected to be. Nodding to each other, they opened the door and were immediately met with a flood of combined killing intent from the other examinees.

This was another tactic to weed out the weak, this allowed the competition to scope out and hunt down the weakest of the weak. But the team that was being subjected to the killing intent had experienced Zabuza's, who's killing intent was at least 30 times greater then this.

Shaking it off, they responded with their own killing intent, a distinct aura surrounding each member of the team. Satsuki had the aura of a blue hawk with crimson eyes. Yakumo had the aura that looked similar to the Ido that was sealed inside of her; being magenta with crimson eyes. Naruto's aura was the same black and crimson reptilian-like monster with burning crimson eyes from before.

Having the combined force of their killing intent brushed off and feeling something 2-3 times as strong, the other genin trembled slightly in the face of the newcomers, giving them a wide berth when they made their way inside eventually taking a spot in the corner of the room.

After a few minutes, they heard the boisterous voice of Sakura and Ino cut through the room, and glancing over they saw that they were bickering once more over the boys that they liked. But as they turned away, the rest of the rookies immediately saw them and made their way over, Narumi leading the charge.

"Naru-nii!" She shouted as she lunged and latched herself to her older brother, who she hasn't seen in nearly 2 months.

"Where have you been!? I haven't seen you around the village at all, it's been almost 2 months since I last saw you!" She questioned her brother, giving her best 'puppy dog eyes' that she could muster, making any lesser man give in, but Naruto was not such a man.

"I've been around Narumi-san." Was all he said as tried to pry her off only for her to tighten her grip. He sighed, knowing that she wouldn't be letting go anytime soon. Unbeknownst to him and his sister, Yakumo and Satsuki were giving her spicy stares which left as soon as the other rookies arrived.

"Narumi! Let go of Naruto-niichan! You know that he doesn't like you clinging to him like that!" Mito half scolded half demanded, once again Narumi had beaten her to the punch. She also desperately missed her brother after not seeing him for 2 months and seeing Narumi cling to him like that made her blood boil with jealously.

As they started to squabble, a boy around their age jumped out of the crowd and threw a volley of kunai at them, Naruto shoving his sisters out of the way as he dodged. After he did, a strange mummified boy appeared in front of him, his hand already in half a ram seal as he swiped at him with a strange perforated gauntlet.

Dodging, at first he didn't feel anything but soon he dropped to one of his knees as his eyes widened slightly, his vision and ears blurring and ringing. Instantly, his team and sisters were by his side, checking to see if he was alright. As they were doing that, Naruto glared at the two who attacked him with slightly unfocused eyes as they started to slowly turn electric blue.

But before anything else happened, a loud voice boomed throughout the room as the door slammed open. Ibiki and a group of chūnin proctors entering, dispersing around the room.

"Thanks for waiting... I'm Ibiki Morino, the exam proctor for the chūnin selection exam's first test. Oto-nin, stop doing what you want. Do you want to fail even before the exams begin?" At that, the mummified boy from earlier apologized for his team's actions.

"I'm sorry Mr. Proctor, this is our first exam so we're a little... jumpy you know." He boy said, as he and his team gave the downed blonde a smug smile before they turned around, never seeing Naruto narrow his eyes, his pupil go from round to draconian.

I'll say this now so you morons had better not forget, there will be no tolerance for unsanctioned conflict. And even if they're sanctioned, killing your opponent will not be tolerated. Any of you pigs that break those rules will be eliminated immediately." He said in a chilling tone, making most of the genin start to sweat.

"For this first exam, you will be seated randomly by drawing lots. Now, come up here an start drawing." Ibiki ordered, as the genin lined up and started pulling out their numbers.

After about 10 minutes, everyone was seated, Naruto seated next to the sound kunoichi that was a part of the team that attacked him earlier. Sitting down next to her, he gave her a soul chilling glare that made her widen her eyes and stop breathing, fear invading every cell in her body from the inhumane glare that she was subjected to, but as soon as it came it vanished when he faced the front. Shakily, she did the same, praying that Dosu and Zaku could handle the demon that they had angered sitting next to her.

Soon, the tests were handed out, and the room went silent as Ibiki addressed them once more.

"As you can see, this is the first portion of the exams and it's a written one. There will be no questions that will be answered during the course of the test. Furthermore, there will be a few rules that you will have to follow. Number 1, there will be a point based system. You start with ten, there are ten questions. You get a question wrong you lose a point, easy right? Number 2, this will be a team based test. You and your teammates will passed based on the total combined score of your team. You will compete to see which team can stay the closest to that total score of 30 points. Number 3, anyone caught doing anything that even resembles cheating will have 2 points taken off for every offence. Those who lose all 10 points will be forced to leave. The chūnin stationed around the room will be observing and watching for anyone who tries to cheat, so be proud ninja and do your own work. And the final rule is, in the situation that you lose all 10 points, you and your team will be eliminated from the exam." At that last rule, an uproar occurred which Ibiki quelled quickly.

Once everything was explained, Ibiki announced the beginning of the test.

"Now, the exam will last 1 hour. Now, you may begin!" With that, silence and pencils on paper filled the room.

As soon as the exam started, Naruto flipped over his exam and quickly scanned the test, his eyes stopping on the final question.

"'_Question 10: This question will be revealed 45 minutes after the test begins. Listen closely to the examiner before answering.' What...?_" Pushing his confusion to the back of his mind, he scanned the test once again and realized that most of these questions required a tremendous amount of theoretical and practical knowledge to answer.

Quickly throwing a glance around, he noticed that some were already cheating; the bun haired girl before attaching a mirror to one of the overhead lights with wires that were attached to her pencil. Shino was gathering information with his insects. Kiba was using Akamaru. The Hyuga were using their byakugan. Shikamaru and Sakura were using their knowledge. Ino exchanged bodies between Shikamaru, Choji and herself to copy his answers. Mito and Narumi were answering using their own knowledge while Menma looked a little panicky. Sasuke and Sai were copying Sakura. Finally, Satsuki, Yakumo and Naruto were able to answer a majority of the questions since Anko pounded theoretical and practical knowledge into their heads.

After half an hour, the 51 teams that came in was reduced to 39. Many were caught cheating and were eliminated, one team in particular was vocal about their elimination to which a chūnin proctor had to put them down. Then another 15 minutes had passed, and once it did, Ibiki announced the start of the 10th question.

"Alright, now we begin the 10th question. Before we start, I'm going to go over a few added rules for this question. These... Are the rules of desperation." Ibiki said in an ominous tone, causing the tense atmosphere to become even more tense.

(Scene change - Jōnin Standby Station)

Gathered in the standby station, the sensei of the squads entered in the exam chatted amongst each other as to what they thought was going to happen and was happening so far.

"I just hope that those kids didn't get themselves eliminated already." Genma sighed, knowing that his squad was probably the one most likely to fail due to their horrible teamwork.

"It'll be alright Genma, you gotta have a little confidence in them!" Asuma said, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"If anything, they should be able to make it past the first exam and at least to the second you know. They are part of the 'Rookie 15' you know." Asuma added in, trying to cheer his friend up.

"If the exams weren't hard enough, they have to deal with _him_ in the first one." Genma added, making the other jōnin look to him with curious gazes.

"Who're you talking about Genma?" Kurenai asked, voicing the question in everyone's mind.

"They got to deal with Ibiki Morino in the first exam." At his answer, everyone sighed and prayed for the success of their genin.

"They're in for a rough time then, I really hope they'll be alright after dealing with that sadist." Kakashi said, as the others nodded their heads at his statement. After they did, the noticed that the last member of the room remained quiet, reading a magazine.

"An-Anko-chan, are you worried about your genin?" Kurenai asked her friend, still not having been forgiven for what happened a few weeks back.

"...They'll pass." Was all she said, her gaze never leaving the magazine making the other occupants of the room a little sad from her indifference.

The atmosphere a little awkward, they returned to talking about who was most likely to pass and who was not. Anko never leaving her magazine.

(Scene change - First Exam testing room)

"Now, why don't we go over the rules concerning the 10th question. Number 1, you must choose whether or not you will answer it." At that the blonde Suna nin, Temari, stood up.

"Wait! What if we choose not to answer it!?" She shouted, making everyone in the room tense up.

"If you choose not to take it, then you automatically lose all your points, making you and your teammates fail the exam. Now for the other rule, if you choose to take it. The lowest scoring member of your squad will be forced to remain a genin forever while the other two who scored higher will advance to the next round." At that the room exploded into an uproar.

"What!? Then what's the point of a team exam!?"

"But what if we all have the same number of points?!"

"Can we decide with our teammates?!"

At the voices shouting about how outrageous the conditions started to rise, Ibiki immediately quieted them down.

"Now, raise your hand if you are going to quit. Once the number is confirmed, you will be escorted out."

Once those words left his mouth, the room became deathly quiet. The team members that had built up friendships with each other immediately narrowed their eyes at their teammates, self preservation over their own success making them turn on them. Friendships and trust built up over the course of their careers as genin were immediately broken, spite and tension in its place.

Seeing the reaction he wanted, Ibiki hid his smirk. After 3 minutes he was about to confirm that no one was going to give up the question, but slowly a hand rose to the complete shock of everyone present.

"Morino-san, I give up my right as well as my team's right to take the 10th question." At that, Yakumo and Satsuki could only stand up gape at their team leader's decision. They had this exam in the bag, they were able to answer pretty much all the questions without much difficulty, minus a few of the cryptograms.

"Na-Naruto, what the hell are you doing!?" Satsuki shouted, her eyes widening in disbelief, not believing that he would take them down with him like that.

"You can't be serious Naruto?!" Yakumo questioned him, her eyes wide, not thinking that the normally blank but confident blonde would do something like this to them.

But he ignored them, his eyes staring straight into Ibiki's and the man had to hide a smile at the brass that the kid had.

"_Most if not all of these kids gave into the fact that they will be leaving one team member behind. Because of that they broke a very important rule of a ninja. This kid though..._" His thoughts were broken when another person raised her hand.

"Mi-Mister proctor, I also would like to quit." Mito said, her voice shaking slightly when her sister and brother looked at her with wide eyes.

After Naruto's decision to not take the test was heard, some of the other teams who were built on friendship remembered that they were a team. Casting apologetic and forgiving looks at each other, more and more of the genin raised their hands to signal them abandoning the 10th question.

Out of the 39 teams that remained seated in the room, 26 had their hands raised. After 10 minutes, Ibiki finally nodded, and signaled the chūnin to split into two groups, one stayed in the room while the other followed Ibiki followed out as he led the 26 teams out.

Once out, he led them into a separate room before he made them line up with their teams. Once they did, he cracked a smile to their complete shock.

"Congratulations, you all pass the first exam." Once those words left his mouth, everyone dropped their jaws.

"I bet you're wondering why you passed when you forfeited the last question right? That question was a simulation of a scenario where you had to take a risk, that risk having two consequences. One, you sacrifice one of your teammates for your own personal gain or two, you give up and retreat with the lives of all everyone. Because in times, information is more important than life and on missions and on the battlefield, people risk their lives to get their hands on it. But even with that being said, you should never give up the life of any of your comrades in order to further your own gain. It seems like one of you noticed that rather quickly." Finishing his last sentence, he looked directly at Naruto and was met with the same blank look from before. The other genin looking in awe at him, Yakumo and Satsuki looking at him with apologetic eyes.

"The ability to be courageous and survive any hardship. These are the abilities needed to become a chūnin captain. Those who can't put their destinies on the line who cling to the notion of furthering their own gain while leaving their comrades to perish alone; those pieces of trash who can only make such cowardly choices do not deserve to become chūnin!" Finishing his speech, Ibiki gave them a larger smile, proud of their decision to not abandon their teammates.

"Now, the 78 of you. Once again, congratulations on passing the first exam." Once he finished, the window exploded as a giant sword embedded itself into the beam on the wall.

The hostile moment was broken when Ibiki sighed as Zabuza appeared in a swirl of mist, on the handle of his sword.

"Alright you brats, I'm Zabuza Momochi, the proctor for the second exam!" Zabuza barked out, seeing the looks of fear on their faces, they all knew that he was the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist'.

"Whoa, there's a bunch of them who passed Ibiki, you must be losing that skill you told me about. I expected you to only pass around 20." Zabuza commented, as Ibiki's eye twitched slightly. But before he could retort, Zabuza pulled out Kubikiribōchō and rested it on his shoulder.

"Well whatever, follow me! We're heading to Training Ground 44. Don't get left behind or else I'll fail you. I have no patience for brats who can't follow simple orders!" With that, Zabuza walked out the door leaving behind a stunned group of genin.

As the rest of them were stunned, Naruto walked forward while he patted Yakumo and Satsuki on the back snapping them out of their stupor as they followed him out the door. Soon, the rest of the genin followed suit.

(Scene change - Training Ground 44)

Arriving at the heavily fenced area, the genin stood in front of Zabuza and a group chūnin as they started to address them.

"Now, welcome to Training Ground 44, better known as the 'Forest of Death'. This is where the second part of the chūnin exams will take place. In this part, you will have to fight and survive for 5 days while trying to reach the tower in the center of the forest. But reaching the tower isn't all you have to do. You will each need to find and secure a pair of these scrolls." Zabuza started, as he pulled out two scrolls labeled with 'Heaven' and 'Earth' and showed them to the genin.

But before he could continue, some of the genin voiced their concerns.

"Wait! Five days!? What about a shower?!"

"What do we eat?!"

"What about a place to sleep!?"

Sighing at the idiotic questions that he was getting, Zabuza continued.

"Didn't you hear? You have to _survive_ in this forest. There's plenty of wild game and edible plants that you can eat. There are multiple rivers and streams that you can get water from and bathe in if you want. But adding to that, there's also some nasty predatory animals and poisonous flora in this forest, so try not to get eaten by a flower alright?" At that, they quieted down and he finished with his explanation.

"Each team will be given one scroll of these scrolls at random to start out with; 13 the 'Heaven' and 13 the 'Earth'. You will need to protect that scroll with your lives, and at the same time fight for the other. To pass, you need to get both to the tower with your entire team intact within the time limit. Now, let me explain what will constitute a failing. Failure to make it to the tower with your team and scroll will fail your team. Having a teammate die or get killed will also get you failed. And that's the other thing. You will be in this forest for five days, once inside you aren't leaving until the time limit runs out. And the final rule, opening the scroll will also cause you to automatically fail no matter what." At that, everyone froze. Seeing their expressions, Zabuza couldn't help but grin under his bandages.

"Now, fill out these forms. They're waivers and information concerning yourself. You need to hand in 3 to get a scroll, and be sure to hide it well. Don't know who might be watching you know. After that, head to a gate and wait until everything is set. And one last piece of advice, try not to die." Finished with his explanation, Zabuza signaled the chūnin to start distributing the forms around.

After getting their forms, Team 12 made their way over to a small rock formation and began filling out their forms. While quiet, their minds were racing. Finally, Yakumo and Satsuki spoke up.

"Hey, Naruto... I'm sorry about earlier, during the first exam. I should've known better then to question your judgment without hearing your reasoning. We're a team after all and we should always trust each other and stick together." Satsuki apologized, feeling guilty about calling out her teammate in front of the entire room.

"I'm also sorry Naruto. You're our team's leader, and we should always have faith in you. I was just scared and nervous, but that still doesn't make what I did any better." Yakumo also apologized, knowing what she did wasn't right.

"It's fine you two, you only did what you thought was right. I don't hold it against you." Naruto replied, making the hearts of his teammates feel lighter then before, their guilt melting away.

"Now, for this exam there will be killing allowed. I don't want the two of you doing anything risky understand?" Now serious, Naruto started to address his team, making them turn serious as well.

"We'll need to find a team to take down and take a scroll from, not only that but we need to protect our own as well, and adding onto that we need to avoid not only other teams but the animals and plants that are inside. The plan is to stay in 'Formation D'; you two will be in the rear this time so keep close and don't let each other out of your sight. I'll take point and keep a lookout for anything in front of us and in the event that we do engage a team, I'll make them break formation while you guys pick them off when they're separated. In the events that things go south, you two retreat and I'll take them off your trail, we'll meet up somewhere else." At his plan, Satsuki and Yakumo nodded, though they didn't like the last part they knew that he was probably strong enough to take on a team of genin alone.

Finishing up with signing their forms, they made their way to the tent where they would receive their scrolls. Along the way, they were stopped by Zabuza.

"Haha, well brats, trying to become chūnin huh!" Zabuza said in a jovial tone, as he greeted them. Giving him a smile, they had a quick conversation to the shock of everyone present.

"We are Zabuza-san, we'll pass this part without any trouble at all!" Yakumo said with determination in her eyes. Zabuza giving her a pat on the head for her determination, much to her embarrassment.

"After we pass, you had better stop treating us like kids!" Satsuki said a smirk on her face, but it quickly left when Zabuza also gave her a pat on the head, her face getting red with embarrassment and anger.

"..." Zabuza and Naruto stared at each other for a while before they smiled, Zabuza putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't you die in there brat, we still haven't decided on whose the better swordsman!" Zabuza proclaimed, making the other genin tense up. If Zabuza Momochi had acknowledged him as a swordsman, they were sure that he was powerful as well.

Bidding farewell to their superior and friend, they got their scroll and followed their assigned proctor to their gate.

Finally, a buzzer sounded out and they immediately rushed into the forest.

(Scene change - Forest of Death: Team 12's location)

Once they stepped into the forest, Team 12 sped through the foliage in formation, getting as far away from the gate as possible. Soon, they managed to find a small stream and decided to stop for the moment.

"Alright, status report." Naruto asked, as Yakumo started her assessment.

"So far, we're about 50 meters from out starting position. I didn't sense anything get caught in my **Kyuudou Kiboku** and I didn't sense any genjutsu cast on any of us. I'm sure that for right now, we're safe." Yakumo reported, panting a little from having to maintain her jutsu since the start of the exam.

"I've seen the same. My sharingan didn't pick up any movement in the area, and I didn't see any chakra in the surroundings either." Satsuki gave her assessment, her crimson eyes returning to onyx.

"Alright, thanks you two. We'll take a break for now and regain our energy. Yakumo, take it easy for right now, out of all of us you've used up the most chakra so far so try and recover as much as you can. Satsuki, you keep an eye on things while I go and find us something to eat. When I come back, remember what we talked about alright." Naruto ordered, getting affirmative nods from his teammates as he headed deeper into the forest.

Once Naruto left, Yakumo let out a sigh as she took a seat on a rock as Satsuki fetched some water and made a small fire, boiling it. A comfortable silence took over as they relaxed but kept their senses alert.

"Yakumo, what do you think of the exams so far?" Satsuki asked, putting more fuel into the small fire.

"So far? I think that we're doing great! We haven't run into any enemy ninja or animals, overall I feel pretty confident about our situation so far." Yakumo said with a smile on her face, her best friend returning one.

After 10 minutes, they heard rustling in the brush nearby. Quickly standing up, Yakumo and Satsuki pulled out a kunai while they took up defensive stances. But their tenseness left when they saw the familiar blank face of their teammate.

"Sorry, but I didn't find anything ladies." Naruto said, but was instantly sent flying by a punch from Satsuki.

"Wh-What the hell!" Naruto shouted, his eyes wide in disbelief. But they widened even more when Yakumo fired off a volley of shuriken and kunai at him, forcing him to dodge. Once he was a safe distance away, he was met with a glare from both of the girls in front of him.

"You must think we're morons or something huh." Satsuki said, pulling out another kunai as she activated her sharingan.

"Naruto doesn't call us 'ladies' and he wouldn't have shouted from a weak punch like that." Yakumo added, a handful of shuriken ready as she glared at the imposter.

"Tsk, looks like it failed huh. Well whatever! I'm taking that scroll!" The imposter said before a puff of smoke appeared, a boy wearing a white bodysuit, a respirator on his face sprinting out of it.

Quickly, Yakumo threw her shuriken while Satsuki sped through a series of seals. Seeing the danger in front on him, the boy dodged rolled to the side to evade the hail of shuriken but instantly widened his eyes when he heard Satsuki.

"**Suiton: Suishougeki**!" Satsuki shouted as she fired a large ball of water that crashed into him, sending him crashing to the trunk of the tree behind him. After a few seconds, she released the jutsu as the boy hit the ground unconscious.

After they dispatched their opponent, he disappeared in a puff of smoke a log in his place. As they started to calm down from the rush of adrenaline, it came back when the brush rustled once more; another Naruto stepping out covered in a little bit of blood, carrying a small boar over his shoulder.

Immediately seeing the tenseness of his team, he stopped walking towards him and scanned the area noticing the shuriken lodged in the tree to his right, a pool of water with a log laying in it.

"...So you were attacked." Naruto said, his eyes growing colder; making his teammate's shiver slightly but it also reassured them that it indeed was their teammate.

Getting debriefed about what happened while he was gone, Naruto nodded, cursing himself for letting his guard down. Even though Satsuki and Yakumo stated that it wasn't his fault, he couldn't help but feel like it was, being that he was the one who they all agreed was their squad's leader.

Finishing cooking the boar, he told them that he would keep watch for the night as they ate, still angry at his own incompetence for costing his teammate's valuable energy. At first they protested, but were immediately quieted when Naruto gave them a stern look. Quietly, the pulled out their sleeping bags and went to bed. Naruto pulling out a kunai and started spinning it as he closed his eyes, letting his other senses take over in the darkness that now consumed the forest.

(Time skip - The next morning)

Waking up, Yakumo and Satsuki immediately sat up and frantically looked for their blonde teammate. They found him shirtless, washing his upper body with a damp towel. Unable to break away from the tantalizing site, the two just stared as they wiped away the tiny bit of drool the dribbled down their lips from the stimulating scene. But they were broken out of their state when Naruto suddenly stood up, pulling out a kunai before he was blown away from his position by a sudden surge of wind making the two widen their eyes.

Quickly shedding their sleeping bags they were greeted with the sight of a tall, gaunt man with a single violet-colored rectangular mark on his forehead, his bangs on his left side. He wore a black body suit with various straps that covered it, a cloak hanging on his right shoulder.

"Well what do we have here hmm? Looks like that blonde brat wasn't strong at all, well what about the two of you hmm?" He asked in a condescending tone, making the two girls narrow their eyes at him.

"Oh, scary. It's like facing a pair of agitated kittens." He jeered, finally breaking the last of the girls' patience.

"You'll pay for what you did to Naruto!" Satsuki shouted angrily, her sharingan flaring to life as she pulled out a wakizashi with the Uchiha insignia as the tsuba, the handle wrapped in a cloth of red and white colors of her clan.

"You're going to regret attacking us." Yakumo said in a cold voice, pulling out tanto with her clan's symbol running along the length of the blade, it's handle wrapped in a pink and magenta cloth.

"Oh! Looks like these kittens have some claws huh? Well, let's see how sharp they are!" He said in an arrogant tone dropping down before he pulled out a kunai.

Silence covered the newly made battle zone before Yakumo and Satsuki charged forward their blades intent on running through the man before them. But they were shocked when he blocked both of their strikes with his kunai.

"How disappointing... they're duller then I expected." The man said in a mockingly disappointed tone.

Snapping out of their shock, the two continued their assault, attack in surprising sync with each other to his surprise.

Jumping back, he was met with Yakumo who lunged forward with a low stab intent to pierce his leg, which he pulled back behind himself in response. As he did, Satsuki appeared, her hand on Yakumo's back to support her as she swiped horizontally at his neck intent on beheading him.

His eyes widened when he found himself unable to take step back, quickly glancing down his legs were intertwined with each other. The leg he took a step back with from earlier blocked his dominant leg from taking a step back. Cursing at his error, he dropped to the ground and rolled backwards, Satsuki missing her attack as she hopped off of Yakumo's back.

Standing back up, he tried to take a step back but instead moved he tilted his head to the left to his surprise and horror. Wondering why he made such an erroneous mistake, he saw that Yakumo had one of her hands in a seal and his eyes immediately widened.

"So you saw huh. Looks like my **Heki Ranshinshō** worked then." Yakumo said with a cold smirk appearing on her face as Satsuki gained a similar look, her sharingan spinning ominously.

Seeing the now cold and confident looks on the two girls, Ichi started to sweat, not expecting the girls to be this strong. The information said that the boy was much stronger then they were, but if they were this strong he couldn't imagine how strong that boy was.

He was broken out of his thoughts when the two charged at him, their eyes cold and narrowed as he panicked.

"YOU'RE FINISHED!" They shouted in unison, stabbing him in the chest with their blades as he let out a silent scream.

(Scene change - Forest of Death: Naruto's location)

After he was blown away, Naruto lost consciousness for a few minutes before he came to and scanned his surroundings. Immediately he jumped back as a volley of kunai impaled the spot that he stood on. Looking at the source of the attack, he spotted a curvaceous woman with two purple rectangular markings on her left cheek, a red-violet bodysuit that revealed much of her chest and figure, and long brown hair curled into a spiral. Upon spotting her, she giggled at him before dropping down to meet him.

"Oh, well aren't you a cutie." She said in a seductive tone, matched with a small smile on her lips.

"Who are you. You definitely aren't a genin." Naruto asked in a chilling tone, his eyes becoming colder then ice.

"Oh scary, though you would be much more terrifying and less tempting if you had a shirt on boy." She replied, scanning his body with her eyes. Before she finished though, Naruto was in front of her, his fist cocked back. Her eyes widened in shock before she let out a soundless scream as he buried his fist into her abdomen, sending her crashing to the tree behind dust exploding from the impact.

"Tsk, weak." Naruto said, spitting out the word like it was poison. As the dust cleared, in her place was a shattered log.

"How very scary, what would you do if that had actually hit me?" She said in a hurt tone with a pout on her face before it turned into a scary sneer.

"I'll make you wish you were dead when I'm done with you boy!" She shouted as she charged at him with incredible speed, engaging him in a taijutsu battle.

Lashing out, her palm connected to his chest as he reeled back wincing in pain. Following up with a devastating elbow to his jaw, Naruto tried to take a step back but was met with a kick to his abdomen, sending him back a few feet.

"Looks like you aren't as strong as you think you were huh." She said in a sing-song tone as she made her way towards him. But as she was about to reach him, the ground underneath her exploded, Naruto landing a vicious uppercut on her chin, sending her up in the air before he spun around and kicked the side of her body sending her flying sideways, the Naruto on the ground replaced with a log.

Landing on his feet, he spat out a globule of blood before taking his stance again, his opponent was already walking towards him while dusting off her clothes, which were now ripped in a few places from hitting and skipping on the ground.

"Look what you did! You ruined my favorite outfit! Or maybe... Were you trying to rip it? Hehe, you're such a perverted boy, but I guess that does mean you're healthy." She said in a teasing tone before she vanished, making Naruto's eyes go wide before he was sent flying to through the forest from a kick to the chest.

Finally, he crashed into a river and surfaced, catching his breath from the brutal attack. Getting out of the water and kneeling on it, he tried to analyze his opponent's attacks. They were too strong to be just physical strength and her speed and durability, it wasn't human. Before he could continue along that train of thought, she appeared in a blur and taunted him.

"What's the matter cutie? Can't you keep up with little old me?" She said in a cutesy tone, making which was starting to infuriate Naruto. Seeing his rising agitation, she decided to rouse his anger even more.

"If you're having this much trouble with me, I can't only imagine how those two girls are holding out against Ichi." At that, Naruto's eyes widened, as she gained a cruel smile. But before she could continue, she avoided a slash that would've bisected her.

Jumping back her eyes widened when she saw what he was wielding. It wasn't the great sword that the reports said, it was a large, pitch black scythe. It had had a black blade and shaft with the joint connecting the two having the kanji for 'Void' inscribed in crimson onto it.

Spinning it around a few times, he held it in a reverse grip behind his body as Ni stared in awe, fear starting to seep into her heart from seeing such a weapon. But she had to move as he appeared right next to her already in mid swing. Rolling to the side, she suffered a cut on her side from the attack. Rolling back up, she jumped back to avoid another horizontal swipe and he carried out his assault.

After the short game of cat and mouse, Ni had suffered multiple cuts, the deepest being the diagonal slash on her chest, between her breasts. Naruto didn't look damaged, but he was suffering internally from her attacks from earlier. About to charge in for another flurry of slashes, Naruto stopped when he felt a large explosion nearby as Ni smirked.

"Looks like those girls are finished boy, too bad you weren't there to save them." She sneered, the last of her energy running out. But she quieted and felt fear take over her heart when he turned to face her.

After hearing her taunting, Naruto felt rage boil in his veins. Glaring at her, his navy blue eyes were replaced with burning crimson, his round pupil now reptilian. Getting into a stance with his scythe behind him, he called out the name of his technique.

"**Ekuripusu Saizu: Tsuki Ketatamashii**." Naruto whispered before he vanished and reappeared in front of Ni, as she could only watch on in horror and shock as he swung diagonally vertically and cut of her right arm, followed by spinning his scythe then removing her left leg, then he spun around and cut her in half at the waist, stopping and spinning his scythe once more he cut her head off.

As she died, Ni had one last through run through her head as a smile found it's way to her severed head.

"_Hiruko-sama... He is the one..._" She though before Naruto ended her.

Finishing his assault Naruto followed through with the last swing and slashed vertically once more, splitting her head and severed body in two as they fell to the ground.

Casting one last burning gaze at his dismembered opponent, Naruto's eyes returned to their normal navy before he sealed away his scythe and rushed to his teammate's aid, never seeing the remains of his opponent dissolve into a pool of strange black substance.

(Scene change - Forest of Death: Yakumo and Satsuki vs. Ichi)

Yakumo and Satsuki were confused and scared, after they stabbed the man in front of them he blew up and sent them flying. Once they recovered, they saw that he didn't even have a scratch on him.

Narrowing their eyes, they sped through a series of seals before calling out their jutsu.

"**Suiton: Teppōdama**!" Satsuki shouted, firing off a volley of high speed water bullets.

"**Suiton: Mizurappa**!" Yakumo called out, firing a fast jet of water.

Once their jutsu hit their mark, a large explosion of water and earth covered the area where their opponent once stood, smirking to themselves they quickly panicked and lost it when they saw that he wasn't harmed in the slightest.

"Whew, that was pretty scary you know! I could've actually died you know!" He said in a mocking tone, making the two girls in front of him lose the confidence that they had built up.

"Wh-What are you...?" Satsuki asked, not believing that anyone could take an attack like that and still be ok. But all she got was a scary smile as he vanished, appearing right next to them.

"Wha-" Was all Yakumo managed to say before she was sent flying by a kick, crashing into the river.

"YAKUMO!" Satsuki shouted, not believing what just happened. But she quickly was sent flying when he back handed her to the same area that he sent Yakumo.

After hitting the water, the two girls could only writhe in pain from the power the blows had, finally resurfacing after a minute of regaining their composure. Standing up on the water, they found their opponent was standing on the river with them, a sneer on his face.

"You two should give up, your blonde boyfriend is probably six feet under by now, especially since Ni is fighting him. I wouldn't be surprised if she kissed him before she killed him actually. Not a bad way to go wouldn't you s-" He never finished his sentence as Yakumo appeared in front of him and buried her fist into his abdomen, making his eyes widen as the air was forced out of his lungs.

He didn't have a chance to recover as Satsuki appeared behind Yakumo, the two exchanging places as Satsuki delivered a bone shattering upper kick sending him into the air. Jumping back the two blurred through a series of seal for their most powerful jutsu.

As he began to fall back down, they finished and ended the battle.

"**SUITON: DAIBAKUFU NO JUTSU**!" They shouted in unison, the water from the river forming a circle around the two as two spiraling waterfalls collided with the falling form of their opponent; shredding the ground, uprooting the trees, and battering his body against the ground, as he was subjected to an unrelenting assault of blunt force trauma.

Finally, the water receded, Satsuki and Yakumo dropping onto their knees panting, having used an extreme amount of chakra for their jutsu. Seeing the damage that their jutsu caused, there was no doubt that they finished off their opponent. As that thought rang though their minds, they felt sick to their stomachs, but it vanished when they saw a head of blonde hair emerge from the forest.

"Yakumo! Satsuki!" He shouted, as he sprinted towards them. They're hearts were immediately relieved when they saw that he was okay but then they noticed that there were dark blue, bordering black, bruises that covered his body indicating severe internal trauma. As he reached them, he bent down to help them up, offering the two of them his shoulders which they gratefully accepted.

Making it towards the shore, they finally sat down, the adrenaline from their battle finally fading from their bloodstream. But as they were relaxing after their grueling battle, they never noticed that their opponent didn't perish from the relentless assault.

Ichi, after seeing Satsuki's sharingan, knew that was the one his master wanted. After confirming it, he sent a snake-like creature from his arm towards the group, intent on fulfilling the mission he was given. Naruto, sensing something was wrong immediately shoved Satsuki aside, causing her and Yakumo to turn and begin to shout at him but their words died in their mouths when a snake-like creature bit him near his neck.

Pain. That was all that Naruto could feel the moment he was bitten by the snake. Gritting his teeth in a futile attempt to stifle his cry of pain, he grabbed at the area where he had been bit as he eventually gave in, letting out an agonizing scream of pain, the likes of which his teammates have never heard before.

Quickly ending the snake with a hail of shuriken and kunai, the two were at the side of their downed teammate. What they saw made their eyes widen, there was a strange mark on his shoulder that was in the shape of three tomoe. As tears started to form in their eyes, they heard maniacal laughing from the direction that their opponent had been sent and they saw him, his arms, legs, and neck bent in distorted directions. They finished him off, each with a kunai embedding itself in his head. As he died, a final through rang through his head.

"_Hiruko-sama... He, is the one you have been searching for..._" Ichi said in his mind, as he finally died.

After everything was settled, with a now unconscious Naruto in their arms, Yakumo and Satsuki could only shake at what just happened. Their leader was injured, unconscious and now had a strange looking mark on him because they let their guard down. Before they could fall further into depression, they heard a scream echo through the forest and instantly tensed up.

Locking gazes with each other the two nodded, wiping away the rest of their tears, they steeled their resolve putting Naruto on their shoulders and making their way to a safer place, never seeing that Ichi's body dissolved into another puddle of black substance.

(Scene change - Unknown location)

"Looks like duplicates failed I didn't get the sharingan, but... it appears that I gained something even more valuable..." A voice said calmly, before eerie laughter could be heard echoing in the blackness.

A Son Forgotten

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**Hope you guys liked it! And yeah, that's the Eclipse Scythe from Ninja Gaiden! It's so sweet! It pretty much looks the same minus the kanji for void on the circular part near it's neck like I described. And yeah, still really bad at writing fight scenes so please be gentle. XD But yeah, leave me a review and tell me how my story is! And PM me if you want to suggest me something alright! Till next time, stay awesome!**

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**Henge - Transformation**: This gives this technique has an abundance of uses. The transformation of a skilled shinobi will be exactly like the genuine article, so it will be impossible to tell the two apart. It is typically used to change into people other than oneself, but one also has the ability to change into animals, plants, and even inanimate objects like weapons.

**Konoha Senpū - Leaf Whirlwind**: A taijutsu where one launches a succession of high kicks and low kicks. The high kick augments the chance for the low kick to connect. A power and effective taijutsu technique.

**Kage Buyō - Shadow of the Dancing Leaf**: A technique where a shinobi follows the opponent, closely matching his or her body's movement, just like a leaf that dances in the air is followed by its shadow.

****Shōsen Jutsu - M**ystical Palm**** Technique******: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; This medical ninjutsu allows the user to speed up the body's natural healing process by sending chakra from their hands into a wound or afflicted body part. This allows the user to heal a patient without the need for medical equipment or surgery, making it very useful on the battlefield. It can be used to treat both external and internal injuries. It requires extremely precise chakra control in order to use.

**Ninpo: Kyuudou Kiboku - Ninja Art: Tortoise Shell Divination of Seeking Truth**: B-Rank Ninjutsu, Genjutsu; A jutsu that Yakumo created with the help of Anko, Kurenai, and Satsuki. She creates a dome using her in a similar shape as a tortoises shell that surrounds her and her teammates. The size of the dome created is dependent on the amount of chakra that she puts into it. Once casted, Yakumo hides the presence of anyone within the shell, effectively cutting them off from conventional means of being found be it sight, smell, and hearing. From the protrusions on the shell, lines of chakra are sent out around 25 meters, relaying any information back to Yakumo about anything that breaks the line, similar to a tripwire. It constantly drains chakra, so maintaining it for long periods of time is very exhausting.

**Suiton: Suishougeki - Water Release: Water Crash**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user fires a large ball of water with a jet propelling it towards the target. Once it impacts with the target, it continues to crash and grind the target as long as the user sustains the jet of water that it is attached to.

**Ninpo: Heki Ranshinshō - Ninja Art: False Body Pathway Derangement**: B-Rank Genjutsu; An genjutsu created by Yakumo after Anko told her about Tsunade's true **Ranshinshō**. While it doesn't physically disrupt the electrical senses that control the body of her target like Tsunade's does, it does have a similar effect. Deceiving her target's mind, Yakumo causes their body to respond much slower then they perceive it to, their intended actions losing sync with their actual actions and causes their body to misinterpret the information that is sent to each limb. This genjutsu can be countered once the target understands the mechanics behind it, and are able to dispel it once regaining control of their limbs and actions.

**Ekuripusu Saizu: Tsuki Ketatamashii - Eclipse Scythe: Piercing Moon**: B-Rank Saizujutsu; A technique that involves the use of a scythe. The user removes one of their target's arms, followed by their leg. After they bisect them at the waist before beheading them. The finish up the assault with splitting the now severed parts in half once more. A barbaric technique Naruto self-taught himself with the help of Ryuuhei's scroll.

**Suiton: Teppōdama - Water Release: Gunshot**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user kneads and converts chakra in their mouth into to water and fires it. The size, number, power and speed of the water balls are based on how much chakra is used in the jutsu. It can be strengthened by various different means such as gravity and introducing another element.

**Suiton: Mizurappa - Water Release: Wild Water Wave**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user molds chakra in their mouths into water and fires a stream of condensed water at their target. The range, speed, and power is dependent on how much chakra is used. Can be strengthened by various different means such as introducing another element.

**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu - Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique**: A-Rank Ninjutsu; This technique extends water over a large scale, surges and rises up to several dozens of meters high. Then it streams down to the ground in one big cascade, much like a gigantic waterfall. In doing so, it resembles a huge wave, with tremendous power that can hollow out the ground. What remains after that technique's utilization is reminiscent of no less than the aftermath of a natural disaster. Satsuki and Yakumo's version fires the water like a projectile rather then having it crash down on their target.


	11. Chapter 10

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey there guys! Back again with a beautiful, not really, new chapter! This is the conclusion of the exam in the Forest of Death, but it doesn't include the preliminaries! So don't get mad at me please! But yeah, like always if you guys want to suggest something to me, PM me! You know that I love hearing what you guys have to say, it's really awesome! Well, why don't we get to this reading thing! Let's a go!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 10

(Scene change - Forest of Death: Team 12's location)

After the grueling battle that took place a few hours earlier, Yakumo and Satsuki carried Naruto to a hollowed out tree which they turned into their temporary base. After checking over his vitals, they soon learned that his chakra was fluctuating wildly; not knowing what to do since they never experienced something like this, they could only make him comfortable and put a cool towel on his forehead to calm the fever that he started to develop.

Exhausted and still recovering from their battle, Yakumo and Satsuki took shifts between sleeping and watching over Naruto and the area for any enemies. Even between the shifts of watching and sleeping, both had dark bags under their eyes.

At the moment Satsuki was resting while Yakumo was on watch duty, her tanto held tightly in her hand; fatigue and hunger nipping at her senses. Shaking her head to remove the feelings that she felt, finishing do so she froze as she heard a slight rustling coming from the bush.

Narrowing her eyes, she threw a kunai at the source of the noise as a squirrel left the bush. Sighing at her jumpiness she was about to relax when she saw the squirrel blew up, an explosive tag attached to its back.

Widening her eyes, she quickly shook Satsuki awake, who grumpily demanded to know why she was woken up prematurely. But the look on her best friends face immediately made her snap awake.

"Satsuki... We're surrounded." Yakumo whispered, a bead of sweat dropping down her face as Satsuki widened her eyes.

"How many?" Satsuki asked, pulling out her wakizashi and activating her sharingan as she scanned the area, her own eyes widening seeing that there was minute movement without a breeze present.

"...9 people." Yakumo whispered as Satsuki tightened her grip on her wakizashi. The unnatural silence was broken when the 9 people that Yakumo sensed dropped into the clearing.

Three were the Oto-nin from earlier in the exam, two were with the Ama-nin from before, the final three were Kusa-nin they didn't recognize.

"Well, Well, Well... What do we have here? Two girls all by themselves?" One of the Kusa-nin sneered.

Narrowing their eyes, Yakumo and Satsuki stood up despite the aching in their bodies.

"Oh, looks like they're still able to fight. Well I'll pay you bitches back for earlier!" The Ame-nin said, pulling out a kunai.

Silence reigned over the clearing before both sides charged, the Oto-nin hanging back.

Yakumo took on the group of Ame-nin, dodging as best as her body could, getting cut up in the process. Dodging another slash from one of her opponents, she kicked him in the side, sending him flying off to the side as his teammates attacked with more ferocity, managing to stab her in the shoulder as she stifled a cry of pain.

Side stepping and blocking a slash from another one of the Ame-nin, she spun and smashed her elbow on the side of his head, sending him to the ground. The same Ame-nin from the beginning of the exam was the last one standing one of his teammates were unconscious while the other was struggling to stand up, clutching his side in agony.

Losing his focus from looking at his teammate, Yakumo lunged with her tanto stabbing him in the shoulder as he cried out in pain, but his cry was cut short when she ripped it out then spun it around, smashing the pommel against his temple sending him to the ground unconscious.

With Satsuki, the Kusa-nin landed some lucky blows against her, but she retaliated with twice the power. The taller of the ninja quickly fell when she smashed her elbow against his chest and grabbed him by the hair, spinning and making his teammate stab him in the side as she kicked him away to the same person who stabbed him.

She was met with the shortest of the three who engaged her in taijutsu, kicking her in the side as she punched him in the side of the head as he reeled back. Not letting up her assault, she took a quick step forward before jumping and smashing her knee into his face, sending him to the ground. She finished him off by stomping on the side of his head.

After dealing with the second of the group, she was stabbed in the side by the last of the three. Her eyes wide, she let out a roar before turning around and hitting him in the temple as he dropped to his knees. Not finished, she ripped out the dagger that he used to stab her and returned the favor by embedding it into his shoulder, making him cry out in pain, which was cut short when she smashed his temple once more with the pommel of her wakizashi.

The two girls were both wounded and exhausted now, panting they heard clapping and turned their attention to its source.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive! You each managed to defeat a whole team by yourselves!" A boy with spiky, dark hair and dark eyes mockingly praised them as he clapped.

Seeing that they still had opponents, the two looked at each other and saw that they were in pretty bad shape. Nodding their heads they took a breath before they calmed themselves, opening their eyes and locking gazes with the Oto-nin once again.

"Which one do you want Dosu?" Zaku said, wearing a nasty sneer on his face as he settled into a taijutsu stance.

"It doesn't matter, they'll both be dead either way." Dosu said, holding his 'Melody Arm' in front of him.

Behind them, their female teammate just grimaced hearing her teammates, she knew that the two other girls were in for a painful experience.

Dosu and Zaku went on the offensive, moving with speed that shocked Yakumo and Satsuki, when in reality they were too exhausted and injured to perceive the accurate speed that they were moving with.

Zaku met Yakumo first, making her cry in pain as he punched her in the cheek before moving closer and punching her in the side as she stumbled back. Regaining her footing, she lashed out with a quick punch that Zaku barely dodged, grazing his cheek, to his surprise. Taking advantage of his shock, she took a step forward spun around with her elbow that was blocked to her horror. Not letting up, he kicked her in the side sending her to the ground. He wasn't done as he kicked her in the side, making her cry out in more pain.

Nearby Dosu used his 'Melody Arm' to disorient Satsuki before he delivered a backhand that sent her to the ground. Rolling back to her feet, she spun around and managed to land a kick on Dosu, but he blocked it, making her eyes widen. Grabbing her leg, he kicked out the other one from underneath her. Once she hit the ground Dosu was on her, kicking her in the same place that she was stabbed before making her scream in pain.

Seeing the brutal way that her teammates were fighting, or rather torturing, the two girls, Kin could only ball her fists up and close her eyes, trying to drown out the pained screams that she heard.

After a few minutes, Dosu and Zaku were standing above a bloody Yakumo and Satsuki. The wounds that they had from earlier were opened and oozing fresh blood as they struggled to take in air, their ribs either fractured or broken by the beat down they received.

"Well, that takes care of that doesn't it Dosu!" Zaku said in a condescending tone, as Dosu laughed darkly.

"Well they're of no use. Get rid of them, start with the Uchiha." Dosu said pointing at Satsuki as Yakumo widened one of her swollen eyes.

"N-No. N-Not Sa-Satsuki." She whimpered pitifully, as she tried to move despite the agonizing pain that exploded throughout her body.

But it was useless as Zaku grabbed Satsuki by the hair and pulled out her own tanto, making Yakumo panic even more.

"Well, any last words before your friend goes?" Zaku sneered, as Yakumo struggled to get up.

"N-No. N-No! NO! SATSUKI!" Yakumo screamed as the blade of her tanto drew closer to her best friend's neck.

(Scene change - Inside Naruto's mind)

Since he was bitten, Naruto was just floating around his consciousness, feeling numb in mind and body. He didn't remember anything, he didn't know why he was here or what he was doing, he was just here. But after what felt like an eternity, he heard a voice in the blackness.

"Hehehe... Boy... Do you desire power?" The voice said in an eerie tone.

"Power... I need power..." Naruto blankly answered, never noticing that the moment his answered, the curse seal started to spread.

"That's it boy, accept the 'gift' that I bestowed upon you. Use that power all you like." The voice replied, as the curse seal nearly covered his entire body.

Just as Naruto was about to be devoured by the curse seal, it slowly making its way to finish covering his eye, a light shone in the blackness.

"Naruto, have you completely lost your mind?" A familiar voice called out, making Naruto's eyes widen. As he frantically searched for the source of the voice, desperately trying to remember why he was doing so. Soon, he saw a small ball of light start to grow in size.

Widening his eyes, he watched as the ball of light turned into a person who he felt that he knew, who he felt was someone important to him for some reason though he couldn't see his face.

"Looks like you don't remember me, huh Naruto?" He said in a slightly sad tone.

"_Naruto... Is that... Me?_" Naruto questioned, feeling something in his chest thump at the name.

After staring at him for a while, he saw the black haired man look around and whistle seeing where they were.

"Looks like you're in some trouble here huh? Being lost in all this darkness, being lost in your own heart, being lost in your own soul." He said, making Naruto's eyes widen.

"I-I'm... Lost?" He asked, to which the man smiled. He reached out and put his hand on top of Naruto's head.

"It's alright Naruto... Just try to remember slowly alright." He said as Naruto felt a pang shoot through his head.

"I... I don't remember you..." Naruto said in a sad tone, seeing a sad smile appear on the man's face.

"It's alright Naruto. No matter what, I'll always be here for you Naruto. Even if I'm not here physically, I'll _always_ be with you in your heart as long as you don't forget about me." He said.

At that sentence, Naruto froze, his mind started racing and he felt a fire ignite in his soul. Soon, memories of him and a black haired man started to flash through his mind. Soon, the blackness that invaded his mind vanished as an explosion of light blinded all.

Once the light subsided, the endless black was replaced with a clearing, a large pond in front of it. Opening his eyes, Naruto's blank navy were replaced with electric blue filled with determination.

The curse seal stopped spreading across his body as the man from before placed his hand on the place where he was bitten.

"I'll help you out this time Naruto!" He said in a happy tone, as light started to emit from his palm as the curse seal started to shift.

The three tomoe shaped marks got a gold ring circling it. After it was done, Naruto turned around and smiled at the man, before crashing into him with a hug.

"Ryuu-niichan..." He whimpered, tears slowly giving way as he felt his older brother ruffle his hair softly.

"You've grown up so much Naruto... I wish we could talk more but you need to help them out." He said, as Naruto's eyes widened before he slowly nodded.

Giving one last glance and smile to his older brother, Naruto vanished, leaving Ryuuhei alone in his mind.

The jovial and happy expression on his face vanished as soon as Naruto left, Ryuuhei turning to the corner of his mind and started walking there.

Reaching out, he grabbed a pale, bandaged child by the throat as they stared at him in terror and shock.

"I don't know who you are, but I'll let you know one thing." He said, tightening his grip on their throat, as they desperately grabbed at the hand that was crushing their throat.

"I will not stand by idly as some freak tries to take over my little brother's mind. I'll give you this one warning." Ryuuhei finished, snapping the child's neck as they hung limply in his grip. Soon, black and crimson flames erupted from his hands and consumed the body; Ryuuhei's electric blue eyes replaced with burning crimson.

(Scene change - Forest of Death: Naruto vs. Oto-nin)

Everyone in the vicinity froze when they felt a terrifying and bloodthirsty presence behind them. Craning their necks they froze at what they saw. Naruto was standing up hunched over, his head bowed with his bangs obscuring his eyes. But slowly he raised his head and what they saw would haunt their nightmares.

His eyes were burning crimson with a reptilian pupil, filled with such anger and bloodlust that Zaku dropped Yakumo's tanto and took a step back, Dosu doing the same when he saw those demonic eyes. But those weren't the only major changes about him, near the mark, a strange flame-like pattern had spread across his body, taking over half of his face. The aura that exploded and spiraled around him like a vortex of flames consisted of black, purple, crimson, and navy blue colored chakra.

Letting out a animalistic growl, he took a step forward as the Oto-nin backed up. Before anyone could do anything, before they could blink, he was standing next to Yakumo and Satsuki.

Yakumo was scared, no she was terrified. The few other times that she has seen her blonde teammate angry didn't even come close to this, there was no doubt that someone was going to die. But before she could think anymore about the subject, he spoke in a bone chilling tone.

"Yakumo. Did they do this?" He asked, his voice at the moment lower then a whisper but could be heard by everyone present.

"Na-Naruto..." Yakumo answered, fear gripping every cell in her body as her blonde teammate turned his head and stared at her with his terrifying eyes.

"Well?" He asked once more in a more demanding voice, to which Yakumo could only nod her head in the affirmative.

Getting his answer, Naruto let a chilling predatory smile form on his face as he stared at the other ninja, who were frozen in place.

"..." He said nothing, though his eyes were screaming for blood as he started walking towards the Oto-nin.

"Kuh, don't get cocky you fucker!" Zaku shouted, swallowing his fear as he held his arms out in front of him.

"**Zankūha**! He screamed as a supersonic blast of air at Naruto, who didn't make any move to dodge, letting the blast hit him as a violent explosion of ground and dust filled the air.

"Heh, you're not so tough you bastard! Zaku shouted, but the confidence that he gained was immediately shattered when Naruto stepped out of the dust cloud, no injuries on his person.

Narrowing his eyes at Zaku he disappeared and reappeared next to him, making all of the people present widen their eyes.

Delivering a brutal punch to Zaku's side, the sickening crack and crunch of his ribs being destroyed filled the air, as he screamed in unimaginable pain being lifted into the air from the force of the blow. Grabbing him by the ankle, Naruto turned around and slammed him into the ground, his head hitting the ground with another crunch echoing throughout the area.

Naruto repeated the process of picking up and slamming Zaku on the ground until he was nothing but a broken sack of flesh and bone, some of his bones jutting out of his body. After he finished, he threw him to the feet of Dosu and Kin, who screamed and fell on her rear; tears flowing from her eyes as she urinated herself. Dosu fell to his knees as Naruto made his way over to him, shaking uncontrollably with each step that he took.

Vanishing, Kin wasn't able to fully turn around as she felt an arm rip through her back and watched in horror as it exploded out of her chest, holding her heart in his hand. Right before everyone's eyes, he crushed her heart as she vomited a mouthful of blood, swaying before hitting the ground, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Having seen both of his teammates get murdered so brutally, Dosu couldn't do anything. He couldn't scream when Naruto broke his arm, or when he ripped his arm off. He could only watch in silence as he was dismembered inhumanely, before Naruto brought his foot up, intent on crushing his skull.

Suddenly, the world started to go black as he stood above him with his foot descending. But as the world was nearly covered in blackness, it shattered. They were in the same positions as before, but there were notable changes in all three of them.

Zaku was trembling with his hands covering his head as he stared at the blonde in front of him. Kin was sitting down, a stain covering the front of her pants as tears flowed out of her terrified eyes. Dosu was shaking as his unfocused eyes locked on with the blonde from before, who was just starting to walk out of the dust cloud.

"_Wh-Wh-What the h-hell?! D-Did I g-go back in ti-time?!_" Dosu screamed in his mind, he had seen Zaku and Kin get brutally murdered and he was just about to die. About to question what was reality and what wasn't the monster in front of them vanished once again.

But there was not sound of Zaku's ribs being shattered, instead there he was, standing behind Zaku.

"ZAKU BEHIND YOU!" He screamed, or he tried to scream, all that came out was a gurgled noise as he couldn't muster the words to scream.

Widening his eyes, Zaku turned around and terrified black met crazed crimson. Before anyone could do anything, Naruto buried his hand into Zaku's shoulder. He wasn't even able to scream in pain fast enough, as the sickening snap of bone alerted them that Naruto had destroyed his rotor cuff.

"GAHHH!" Zaku screamed in agony, the pain unlike anything that he ever felt in his life.

Ripping his hand out, he lashed out with his left foot, connecting and snapping Zaku's right knee joint as his leg was blown out underneath him, making him fall face first towards the ground. He was fell faster when Naruto struck the back of his head, making him hit the ground with a hollow crack echoing.

To everyone's horror, he stomped on Zaku's other rotor cuff, another crunch echoing out from it being crushed. Once he finished he turned his attention to his new prey, who were unable to do anything in the face of a monster beyond their comprehension.

Dosu wasn't able to do anything when he started walking towards Kin and himself. Locking eyes with him, he felt his very soul being devoured just by looking into those eyes.

But before could do anything, they heard a series of groan and moans, the Ame and Kusa-nin waking up from the battle from earlier. Naruto stared at them, he decided to deal with them first.

"Kuh, those bitches hit harder then I expected." One of the Ame-nin said.

"Yeah, once I get my hands on them they'll be begging for me to kill them." One of the Kusa-nin said.

As both groups agreed to get revenge on the girls that beat them, they froze when they felt killing intent like no other. Craning their necks, they saw the blonde for earlier. But this blonde wasn't like they remembered.

Before any of them could speak, he lashed out with his foot, connecting with the head of the Kusa-nin who finished speaking his head jolting at an unnatural angle as he fell to the ground motionless. Pulling out a kunai, he threw it with such force that it imbedded itself up to the ring into the skull of the Ame-nin who spoke earlier, as he fell to the ground also motionless.

He stared at the rest of them with burning crimson eyes as they started to panic.

"WA-WAIT! HERE! IT'S OUR SCROLL!" The Ame-nin scream, throwing the scroll at his feet, the Kusa-nin doing the same as they crawled away from the monster in front of them.

"W-WE, WE WEREN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING TO THEM! WE SWEAR!" They screamed, as he slowly went through a series of hand seals to their horror. They turned to run, and Naruto let them, seeing them soil themselves as the fear overrode all bodily senses.

Retracting his hands, Naruto returned his attention to the remaining Oto-nin. During the 'fight' Dosu had collected the broken body of his teammate and Kin, and was about to escape but we was met with the crimson eyed blonde.

"PL-PLEASE! JU-JUST LET US GO! WE'RE SORRY! BUT WE WERE UNDER ORDERS! I SWEAR!" Dosu begged, as he got on his knees and pleaded for his life, Kin doing the same when she saw those crimson eyes on her. They couldn't react when Naruto appeared next to Dosu, grabbing and breaking the 'Melody Arm' and the forearm that it was attached to, Dosu's radius jutting out sickeningly; as he grabbed his ruined arm, screaming in agony.

"... Leave your scroll and get out of my sight. If I see you again, I'll do far worse then what you just experienced." Naruto said in a chilling tone, as Dosu lowered his head whimpering, dropping the scroll on the ground as Kin nodded hers submissively.

Once they were gone, he collected the scrolls from the other groups before he made his way towards Yakumo and a now conscious Satsuki, as they gave him terrified looks which made him stop.

Seeing his teammates so terrified of him, Naruto could only close his eyes as the curse seal receded, the flame-like markings leaving his face. As it returned to the area on his shoulder, Naruto fell onto his knees as he started panting, feeling the drain of using his new seal for the first time.

Regaining his composure, he stood up, albeit shakily, once again and made his way to his teammates. His crimson eyes replaced with his navy ones. But once again, the two backed up when they saw him getting closer. Looking at them, their reactions of unbridled fear, he didn't know why but he felt a slight pang in his heart. Bowing his head, he nodded as he left the clearing, intent on finding something for them to eat.

Fear. That was the only thing that the two could feel at the moment. Their kind, but blank faced teammate turned into a monster right before their eyes. Yakumo and Satsuki have never felt such fear from one person in their lives, even their first encounter with Zabuza didn't place that much fear into their hearts. Seeing him approach them with those crimson eyes, they tried to run away from pure instinct, when they did, they saw him stop.

After that, they saw that his eyes had returned to their normal navy, but they still, they felt fear from seeing him brutally take down his opponents. But once they saw his eyes, felt their hearts break slightly. They were hurt, Naruto was actually hurt from them acting that way. Once he left, they were both silent, but they knew that they had hurt the person who protected them.

Soon, Naruto returned with another small boar. Wordlessly, he prepared the boar and tended to the camp. Ignoring the slightly fearful looks still on his teammate's faces, he also tended to them. Stripping them of their bloody shirts and pants, to their utter mortification, Naruto healed and closed the wounds that they had with the little medical jutsu knowledge that he had.

Once he was finished, he wiped down their bodies with a wet towel to clean off the dry blood and grim that had built up, adding even more to their embarrassment. Once he finished, he bandaged and clothed them, all the time, never looking into their eyes or speaking a single word.

As night fell, Naruto stayed by the fire as he carried and placed Yakumo and Satsuki into the spare sleeping bags that he had sealed away after he finished feeding them, opting to keep watch for the night. As the two watched the back of their teammate, they couldn't stop their eyes from watering as they reviewed what happened in the past few hours.

Even after seeing the fear that they felt towards him, the fear that they knew that he saw, he still cared for them like nothing happened. When they backed away, trying to run, they knew that at that moment they hurt him deeply, the pain that quickly flashed through his eyes wrenched their hearts. Slowly, they quietly cried themselves to sleep, never seeing that Naruto bowed his head slightly as he heard them.

Soon, morning came, the forest slowly coming alive with the sounds of the fauna waking up Yakumo and Satsuki. For the first time in nearly 3 days, they had a good night's sleep. But remembering where they were, they quickly tried to get up, but winced as pain shot through their body. Slowly, they managed to ease their way into a sitting position as they saw their blonde teammate still in the same position as he was yesterday, making breakfast.

Their eyes softening, the forced themselves to stand up, using the walls of the tree to help stabilize their balance they managed to stand up though their legs were a little shaky. Slowly, they made their way towards him, but stopped when he heard him speak.

"You two shouldn't be moving yet." He said in a quiet tone, never turning to face them.

Hearing his tone, they grew more determined as the finally made it to where he was sitting, their legs finally giving out underneath them. Silence prevailed over the campsite as none of them spoke another word, the quiet crackle of the fire and the ambient sounds of the forest echoing softly in the background. Finally, Yakumo broke the silence.

"Na-Naruto?" She called his name in a soft and unsure tone, hoping that he didn't close off his heart to them after their actions.

"...What is it?" He asked in an equally soft tone, turning over the fish, choosing not to face them.

"A-Are you alright?" Satsuki continued, reaching out and touching his arm, as Yakumo mirrored the action.

"I'm fine." He replied, taking off the fish from the fire and placing it near the two.

Seeing that they weren't going to get through to him, they nodded sadly, taking the fish that was obviously placed close for them to reach without straining themselves.

As the morning slowly turned into the afternoon, Yakumo and Satsuki were able to move without the sharp pain from earlier. They weren't able to move fast, but they could move. They had 2 days to get to the tower, and they intended to reach it with one day remaining.

When Yakumo and Satsuki told Naruto that they wanted to continue, he questioned them, telling them that they were unsuited for moving but they demanded that they keep moving, not wanting to risk the chance of failing.

Once he saw their determination return, he nodded, though they never saw the same determination reflect in his eyes as they remained as blank as they were the first day that they met all those months ago. On their way to the tower, Naruto took point, this time they could see that he was tenser then he was at the beginning of the exam.

The afternoon sun now clearly overhead, they could see the top of the tower to their joy. But as soon as that joy came, it left when another group of Ame-nin ambushed them.

"Well, looks like we got lucky boys! Looks like two are injured and the other is exhausted! Quick, take their scrolls!" One of the boys said, as his two teammates led the charge.

Yakumo and Satsuki were about to react, but then they froze when Naruto took a step forward.

Arriving at Naruto's position, one of the boys threw a straight punch towards him, which he crouched and dodged, sweeping his feet out from underneath him. As he fell, Naruto spun on his hands and smashed his heel into the side of the Ame-nin that he tripped; a cry of pain leaving his lips as he was sent flying.

Seeing his teammate get dispatched so quickly, the other boy lost his focus which Naruto exploited. Throwing a punch that broke the boy's nose, Naruto followed up and punched him in the ribs as he hunched over and grabbed them. He finished off his opponent when he punched him in the jaw, sending him to the ground out cold.

Lifting his head up, he started at the boy he assumed was the leader of the team as he shook in fear, not believing that one person could take out his team. He was broken out of his thoughts when Naruto was standing next to him, a cold sweat dropping down the side of his head.

His eyes widened and went blank when Naruto buried his fist in his stomach, as he dropped to his knees holding his stomach as he lost consciousness. After dealing with the ninja, he searched them and found another scroll. Having their original 'Heaven' scroll, they now had two complete sets of each with an extra 'Heaven' scroll.

Looking back at his team, he motioned for them to follow him as they nodded, moving as quickly as they could to reach the tower.

As they saw the entrance of the relief filled Yakumo and Satsuki, finally relaxing visibly as they quickened their pace. Entering, the door they found themselves in an open room with a broken message on the wall.

"Without... Heaven...?" Yakumo said, furrowing her brows as she tried to decipher the message.

"Wait, I think we have to open the scrolls you guys." Satsuki said after seeing the words for heaven and earth.

Looking at each other, the two girls nodded as they turned to their male teammate who handed them a pair of the scrolls. Opening them, the panicked when they started smoking, quickly, they threw the scrolls to the other side of the room, Naruto taking up a protective position in front of his injured teammates.

But as the smoke cleared, they were met with the smiling face of Iruka.

"I-Iruka-sensei?!" Satsuki and Yakumo shouted, relieved to see a familiar face.

"Whoa, looks like you guys had some trouble out there huh." He said in a worried voice, seeing the state that his previous students were in.

"Sensei, why are you here?" Yakumo asked, not expecting to see her old teacher in the exams.

"Ah, well at the end of the second exam, the chūnin meet with the examinees. And I just happened to be the one to greet you three!" He said, as they nodded at his explanation. Pulling out his watch, he smiled seeing his that his students made good time.

"The second exam... All three of you pass! Congratulations!" At that, Yakumo and Satsuki got teary eyed and furiously wiped away the tears that threatened to spill before they gave a brilliant smile. Naruto relaxed visibly, letting out an exhausted sigh as he dropped to one of his knees.

"Naruto!" They shouted, rushing over to check on him. As they got a good look at him, they noticed the dark bags under his eyes as he forced himself to stand up despite the protests of the three present.

"I'm fine. Iruka-sensei, could you take Yakumo and Satsuki to the infirmary, they need a better medical examination then what I provided." At that, Iruka was about to escort the girls but they quickly snapped at Naruto.

"You're coming with us you idiot!" Satsuki shouted as she grabbed his arm, not going to let him act like the cool guy he was trying to be.

"I agree, you're going to the infirmary with us Naruto. Out of all of us, you're the most injured!" Yakumo also said, holding onto his other arm.

Sighing, he nodded his head in defeat as Iruka laughed at the scene, Yakumo and Satsuki having victorious smiles on their faces as they followed Iruka to their destination.

(Time skip - 1 Day later)

After arriving at the tower a day early, Team 12 had the whole day to rest and recover their strength. Once they made it to the infirmary, they saw that Tsunade and Shizune were overseeing the treatment of the patients that came in. They were stunned to learn that they weren't the first ones who made it to the tower, learning that the Suna-nin made it within three days but what was more stunning was that they didn't have a scratch on them.

As for their injuries, Yakumo and Satsuki had a few minor fractures in their ribs, their stab wounds weren't infected due to Naruto disinfecting it after the battle. They had some minor bruising around their ribs from when Zaku and Dosu had kicked them but overall they were in great condition.

Naruto on the other hand, he had some internal bleeding from his battle with Ni, which when questioned by Tsunade and Shizune, who couldn't believe the extent of the damage, told them that it was just from a fight which they didn't believe at all. Aside from the internal bleeding, he had some fractures on his ribs and chest area but they were taken care of by the two medics.

Once they were finished with their checkups after their treatment, they were allowed to leave though Naruto fell asleep and quickly gained a severe fever, which made his team and the medics nervous, unable to find what was causing it.

At the moment, he was in the bed while his teammates tended to him, taking turns to wet the towel and fold it onto his head. The staff smiling knowingly at them and teasing them that they were taking care of their boyfriend, which they fervently denied.

After a while, they were asked to leave as Shizune and Tsunade were going to perform another scan on him, seeing that they weren't going to be allowed to stay, they took a stroll around the building, and they saw some familiar faces.

"Yakumo? Satsuki?" A voice called out. Turning around, they were met with a head of blonde hair that belonged to Narumi.

"Ah! It is you guys!" She shouted happily, relived to see that someone else had passed.

"Yeah, so you guys made it through the exams too?" Satsuki asked, which Narumi nodded, quickly calling over her siblings.

"Ah! Ya-Chan!" Mito shouted, hugging her friend who hugged her back.

"Are you guys ok?" Yakumo asked, getting a nod from Menma.

"Ha! What do you expect, we are the kids of the Hokage!" Menma said, as his the girls rolled their eyes at his statement.

After the introductions were done, they quickly chatted about what happened in the forest. Yakumo and Satsuki not telling them about Naruto, per his request, which they promised not to speak of again. But then Narumi noticed one important thing.

"Wait. Where's Naru-nii?" At that question, Yakumo and Satsuki's happy faces fell into a sad one, scaring the other two girls as Menma narrowed his eyes.

"He's got a really bad fever, even Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san aren't able to find out what's causing it." Satsuki said, balling her fists up at her own powerlessness.

Hearing that their beloved brother was in such a state made Mito and Narumi panic, as they turned and were about to go see him, but they were stopped by Yakumo and Satsuki.

"Let go!" Mito shouted, trying to pry her hand out of her best friend's grip.

"I have to go check on Naru-nii!" Narumi shouted, desperately trying to break Satsuki's grip.

They stopped when they felt the grip on their wrists tighten.

"Don't you two think that we want to check on him too?! He's our teammate, he's the one who saved us in that forest, and protected us when we were injured!" Yakumo shouted, startling the siblings, never hearing her shout in the time that they knew her.

"I know that you're worried about him, we all are but... there's nothing that we can do to help him." Satsuki said as he released her grip on Narumi, Yakumo following suit. Looking down, Mito and Narumi nodded their heads as Menma just scoffed and left to find Kiba.

(Scene change - Center Tower: Cafeteria)

After the incident from earlier, the girls made their way to the cafeteria in the tower, the tense and depressing atmosphere from earlier gone. Along the way they bumped into Hinata who Narumi instantly hugged and returned the hug, happy to see that their best friend made it through.

Securing a table, they discussed the exams so far and about the most recent happening.

"So, who else made it so far?" Satsuki asked, curious seeing as the entire 'Rookie 15' made it past Ibiki's test.

"Well, we know that 26 teams passed right? The Suna-nin, the Oto-nin, Team 7, Team 8, Team 10, Team 11, Team 12, and the team with that weird green spandex guy are the most notable." Narumi started, putting a piece of tempura in her mouth as her sister swallowed and carried on.

"From what I've seen so far; Team 12, Team 7, Team 8, and the Suna-nin have made it here. Meaning that out of the 13 possible teams to pass, there are still 9 more left." Mito said, popping a piece of chicken into her mouth as Satsuki decided to add more information.

"There's not going to be 9 who are going to make it you guys." Making the other girls, minus Yakumo, stare at her in confusion.

"What do you mean Satsuki-san? If 4 teams already made it, then there are still 9 that need to secure a scroll right?" Hinata questioned, as the other girls looked at the two.

"Satsuki's right, because we're the one's responsible for taking out 3 extra teams." Yakumo said, stunning the others.

"Wh-What do you mean?" Mito asked, still not understanding what her best friend was getting at.

"Well, there would have been 13 people who would've passed correct? Well, with us here, that means that that number dropped to 9. But, we also secured an extra set of scrolls, dropping the total number to 8." At that, the other girls gaped at them, not believing that they got an extra set of scrolls.

"You guys got an extra set?!" Narumi shouted, getting hit over the head by her sister for her behavior.

"That's not all, we also secured another 'Heaven' scroll remember Yakumo? That number effectively dropped down to 7." At the added information by Satsuki, their jaws dropped.

"Ho-How many people did you ha-have to fight?" Hinata asked, not believing that she heard them correctly.

At that question, they saw the two ball up their fists before they answered.

"We were ambushed by 3 teams." Satsuki said, still angry at the act as Yakumo reflected similar thoughts.

"Wh-Whoa... How did you guys managed to make it?" Narumi asked, her eyes wide at hearing about the ambush as Hinata and Mito matched her expression.

"We each managed to take down a team each, but then the Oto-nin took advantage of our exhaustion and pretty much beat us into the ground." Satsuki explained, as the other girls gained angry expressions.

"Just as they were... about to kill Satsuki." At that, Satsuki clenched her teeth as the others released a gasp. Not believing that one of their friends almost died.

"Naruto, who was unconscious, woke up and destroyed them." Satsuki finished, as the table grew quiet.

"Na-Naru-nii? What do you mean 'destroyed'?" Narumi asked almost fearfully, as Mito and Hinata gulped at the ominous way she said it.

"Le-Let's just say, it wasn't pretty." Yakumo quickly said, having a tone of finality as the other's catch on, dropping the subject.

There was an awkward silence that appeared, but it was quickly dispelled by Hinata.

"S-So who else do you think will pass?" At the new topic, they instantly moved past the previous mood and happily chatted amongst each other.

(Scene change - Inside Naruto's Mind)

Naruto once again found himself in the same area that he was last time, a place that greatly resembled the place where he met Ryuuhei all those years ago. Looking around he noticed that the lush green grass was withering away, the clean blue water had a tainted purple to it.

Soon, he heard a voice laugh through the area. Tensing, he narrowed his eyes and scanned the area. Unable to made heads or tails of its direction, Naruto tried molding chakra but found himself unable to. Suddenly, Naruto fell to his knees as he grabbed at the seal on his neck.

The gold ring that surrounded the seal was now black and cracked. Soon, it shattered as the seal started to spread over Naruto's body.

"Guh!" He grit his teeth as he tried to bear the pain that was coursing through his body. As he was trying to fight off the pain, a voice echoed through the clearing.

"_Why are you fighting? Don't you need power? I can give you all the power that you need if you just accept it._" The voice echoed, as Naruto put a hand on his head, feeling like it was splitting in half.

"Ge-Get out of my he-head." He weakly said, the curse seal nearly taking over his body once again.

"_Just accept the power that I gave you boy. I can give you more once you accept it._" The voice continued, as Naruto was at the end of his ropes.

Just as he was about to be corrupted by the seal, a comforting and familiar voice spoke.

"I thought I already warned you."

Weakly lifting his head, Naruto's eyes widened when he saw the figure of his older brother.

"Ry-Ryuu-niichan..." He managed to say, as Ryuuhei as at his side. Holding him, Ryuuhei placed his hand back on the seal and like last time a golden ring surrounded the seal.

The pain that was coursing through his body slowly started to leave as did the curse seal. Once both completely vanished, Ryuuhei helped his little brother up before he was hugged tightly.

"...How are you here? I thought..." Naruto asked, his voice trailing off at the end as Ryuuhei ruffled his hair.

"I am." He answered, as he felt Naruto tighten his grip on him.

After the two stayed in that position for what seemed like an eternity until Naruto let him go, the two sitting down at the bank of the lake. Silence dominated the two, which was broken by Ryuuhei.

"I bet you're wondering why I'm here, sitting with you like we did in the time huh?" Ryuuhei asked, which Naruto nodded in a bashful way. Seeing the reaction of his brother, he put his hand on his head and ruffled his hair.

"Well, I was going to tell you but I guess 'it' took me out before I could." Knowing what he was talking about, Naruto balled his hands into fists.

"When you opened that scroll for the first time, the moment you mixed your blood and chakra with the seal, it placed a seal that I created on you once you made contact with it. What that seal did is what you're seeing right now. I sealed a bit of my chakra and a piece of my soul in it." At his explanation, Naruto's eyes went wide.

"Do-Does that mean... You'll be with me like before?" Naruto asked in a desperate tone, making Ryuuhei give him a solemn smile in return.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but my time is going to be up faster then I expected." Hearing him say that, Naruto could only look down.

"What do you mean 'faster then you expected'?"

"What I mean is, I've got to take care of that damned seal on you." Ryuuhei said as Naruto snapped his head up to look at him. But before he could say anything, Ryuuhei quieted him with another ruffle of his hair.

Standing up, he placed his hand over the seal once more. Making an unknown seal, Ryuuhei closed his eyes as Naruto felt a tingling sensation that soon turned into a painful one. Snapping his eyes shut, he gritted his teeth as Ryuuhei continued to channel chakra into altering the seal.

"**Fuinryuu Ougi: Ryuujin Gekirin Tentoubatsu**!" Once he shouted the name of his jutsu, Naruto screamed, unbelievable pain coursing through his body. The pain of the curse seal from earlier would've felt infinitely more bearable then the torture the he was being subjected to now.

Snapping his hand to where Ryuuhei's hand was, Naruto's left hand started to gouge Ryuuhei's while his right was buried into the earth. After what felt like an eternity, Naruto fell face first into the grass, panting as pain spiked randomly though his body.

Sitting down next to him, Ryuuhei gently patted the area that the curse seal was located; the dead grass and tainted water being replaced with their natural look before they were tainted.

"You did great Naruto, that power... it belongs to you now." Ryuuhei said in a soft and proud voice, removing his hand from Naruto. The three tomoe shaped seal replaced with the head of the dragon.

As soon as his hand was removed, the seal started spreading once more. But instead of the black flame pattern from before, black jagged scales started to spread from the seal. Finally Naruto forced himself to sit up, as he did he widened his eyes as he saw that Ryuuhei had tears in his eyes.

"Ryuu-niichan! What's wrong!" He shouted, feeling much stronger and faster then before, but he ignored it and approached his older brother. But he was stopped when Ryuuhei pulled him into a hug.

"Naruto... I'm so proud of you. You've become so strong in such a short amount of time. I can see that you've already mastered many of the things that I left in that scroll." Ryuuhei said as Naruto lowered his head and returned the hug, knowing what was happening.

"I'm sad that I haven't been here to watch you grow and become the strong young man that you are now, but I'm glad that I could at least see now, even if it was short." Now tears were streaming down the faces of both as they tightened the hug they shared, both shaking as they tried to stop the sobbing that filled their hearts.

"Naruto... I'm proud that you found the strength to forgive those who abandoned you and that you've saved and gave strength to those who needed it. Just remember otouto, find those special people who you can give a place in your heart. I hope in the future that you find 'her'. And remember, above all else, no matter what, I'll always be here for you. Even if I'm not here physically, I'll _always_ be with you in your heart as long as you don't forget about me." With those words, Ryuuhei gave his brother one last brilliant smile that was returned, as a flash of light surrounded the two.

"_Goodbye... Otouto..._"

"_Goodbye... Ryuu-niichan..._"

(Scene change - Central Tower: Infirmary)

Tsunade and Shizune were confused, more confused then they have ever been in their careers as medics. One moment Naruto's pulse had been low so much that he was considered to be in the Shinigami's grip, his face cold and pale. But strangely, this pulse started to climb back into a stable state, his color returning to its normal natural glow. But what happened next, they never imagined they'd see in their entire lives. They saw Naruto release a stream of tears from his closed eyes, saying the name of someone they didn't have any knowledge of.

But before they could think about the situation anymore, Naruto slowly opened his eyes, his normally blank eyes filled with such love, longing, sadness and warmth that they choked on their own saliva, having never seen such beautiful eyes in their lives. But as soon, they returned to their normal blankness, much to their disappointment and confusion. They were broken from their stupor when he slowly sat up and started stretching before he turned to face them.

"...Tsunade-sama, Shizune-san." He greeted them, making them refocus their attention on him.

"O-Oh, how are you feeling Naruto?" Tsunade asked, though she really wanted to ask about the name of the person that he whispered.

"I'm feeling fine Tsunade-sama, how long was I out?" He asked, which she told him that it was the morning of the final day, saying that he was fine for time.

Nodding, he moved to get up but was stopped by Shizune who panicked seeing him move.

"A-Ah! Na-Naruto-kun! You shouldn't be getting up yet!" But Shizune's concerns fell on deaf ears as he stood up, making her immediately get a small blush while Tsunade sighed. He was just in his boxers, allowing the two older women a better view of his body without his life hanging in the balance.

Ignoring the two, he put two fingers on his wrist as a poof of smoke obscured his hand, set of clothes appearing; a high collar sleeveless black shirt, black combat pants and boots. After, he started to get dressed as he closed the curtains that surrounded his bed. Once inside, he unsealed a roll of black combat tape and proceeded to wrap both arms up to the his elbows. Finished, he pulled back the curtains and was met with a surprised Tsunade and a charmed Shizune, bowing and thanking the two once more, he excused himself and exited the infirmary.

Once he left, Tsunade turned to Shizune and addressed her.

"Shizune." Hearing her mentor speak in such a serious tone, she quickly lost the pink in her cheeks and stared directly into Tsunade's eyes, giving her full attention.

"Yes Tsunade-sama?" She answered, feeling slightly nervous, never having seen her mentor like this in quite some time.

"Do you have a crush on Naruto?" Tsunade said in a teasing tone as Shizune 's eyes went wide as she started stuttering with a blush on her cheeks.

"TSU-TSU-TSUNADE-SAMA! DON'T SAY SUCH THINGS!" She screamed making random motions with her hands at the question her mentor asked.

"OH! You do, don't you!" Tsunade squealed, as her student started screaming her hands covering her face.

"Come'on Shizune! You're only a few years older then him! Don't give up just like that, you've got quite the body you know!" Tsunade said, trying to cheer her student up only to have Shizune let out one last scream of indignation before she fell backwards onto the bed behind her, her hands still covering her face.

"Kill me." She begged, as her mentor just laughed loudly at her, continuing to tease her about her crush.

(Scene change - Central Tower: Cafeteria)

As he made his way towards the cafeteria, Naruto noticed that there was no one else around. When he made it to the cafeteria, he got a small bowl of ramen and sat alone on one of the benches in the area. As he was eating he heard someone and turned to look at them, raising a brow when he saw her.

Kin Tsuchi wasn't having a great day at all. Her team had barely survived their encounter with that blonde demon, and because of the brutal way he took care of Zaku and Dosu, they had a tough time getting into the next part of the exam. But once they were healed back up by the medics, they immediately started beating her again. Sure, she didn't have the 'Melody Arm' or the air tubes that Dosu and Zaku had, but that didn't mean she was worthless.

(Flashback - A few hours earlier)

"DAMN IT, THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT YOU USELESS BITCH!" Zaku shouted, as he backhanded Kin, sending her to the ground as he held her cheek.

"Guh! Fuck it still hurts!" He yelled, massaging his newly healed rotor cuffs, before he glared back at the downed girl.

"You're still a useless bitch, why didn't he kill you instead of breaking my arms!" He shouted as kicked her in the side, making her cry out in pain.

"Tsk, you had better keep your voice down!" Zaku snarled, as he stomped out of the room.

Pushing herself off the ground, she rubbed her sore side as she sighed. But before she could do anything, she was sent back to the floor by Dosu.

"Zaku's right you know. Why were we, the elites, subjected to that monster's wrath while you got away scot free? It infuriates me!" He shouted, also venting his anger by kicking her once again in the side, making her cry out louder in pain.

"You had better hope that the plan is a success, if it isn't you're going to wish you were dead once me and Zaku are done with you." He threatened her as she shivered, knowing what he was talking about. Finally, he turned his back and left, leaving her alone before a few tears laced her eyes.

"_Why... Why do I have to put up with this_" She screamed in her mind.

(Flashback -End)

After that, Kin tried to avoid their teammates at all costs, which she managed to do, to her surprise. As time passed, she got hungry and decided to visit the cafeteria, her sides and cheeks lightly bruised from the beating she got earlier. She would've gone to the infirmary, but she would've been questioned as to how she got her injuries while in the tower, which she knew she couldn't say in fear of her teammates.

Once she entered the cafeteria she saw that there was only one person sitting at a table. Exhausted and hungry, she picked up a lunch set and sat down next to them, not paying attention to who it was until it was too late. Quickly giving thanks for the meal, she opened her eyes and was about to dig in when she froze. Slowly craning her neck, her black eyes met navy colored ones.

Silence. Her hands started shaking slightly when she remembered what he did to her teammates. She wanted to run, to get as far away from this monster as she possibly could but she wasn't able to move a muscle, her fear froze her. She was broken out of her fear induced state when she heard him speak.

"...Where'd you get that bruise?" He asked, stunning her.

"_Wh-What...? H-He's asking me about my bruise?_" Dumbfounded by the question, she could only stare at him in a perplexed manner.

"...There's no way that you'd get a bruise like that in here unless someone else in here caused it." He said, making her freeze, his eyes narrowing slightly at her reaction.

"Wh-Why do you care? A-After what you did to my teammates, there's no way I'd tell someone like you!" She said, trying to look as indifferent as possible, though the tremble of her hand gave away her nervousness.

"...So your teammates did it huh?" At that, she widened her eyes and dropped her chopsticks.

"Wh-What? H-How?" She stuttered, now fear did root itself into her heart. Not from the blonde in front of her, but fear of teammates.

"You're too open. You're reactions to my questions told me pretty much everything." He said, slowly eating his ramen as she panicked.

"Please! Please don't tell them!" She begged, tears started to flow from her eyes as she pleaded with the blonde to not tell them. She knew that he didn't know what they'd do to her, he wouldn't care either.

She flinched however when he cupped her cheek, instantly making her quiet down. Feeling his hand on her cheek, Kin instantly turned pink, never having anyone do such a thing to her in her life. Never had she experienced someone place their hand on her cheek with such gentleness, usually they just backhanded or slapped her.

Before she could do anything, she felt the numb pain slowly fade, being replaced with a warm and comforting sensation that nearly made her moan in pleasure. After a few minutes of bliss, the feeling slowly faded, to her disappointment. But immediately after, she stared at the blonde in front of her in disbelief at what he just did. He not only cupped her cheek, he healed her.

"W-Why...?" She asked, genuinely curious about his actions.

"You're not like your teammates." Once those words left his mouth, her eyes widened. But before she could question him, he continued.

"When they were attacking Yakumo and Satsuki, you stayed behind. When they were being beaten into the ground, you didn't watch. They have disgusting and foul feeling chakra coursing through them while you... Your chakra feels conflicted and confused. You're lost aren't you?" Naruto said, turning slightly to face her.

Once she heard his words, without knowing herself, tears started to fall from her eyes.

"_How... How does he know...? I've never told anyone about how I feel, but how does he know what I really feel inside?_"

All her life, since she was picked up as an orphan by ninja under Hiruko's command, she never felt that she belonged. While others were killing and torturing others, she didn't. She never participated in any of the torture training that was mandated, opting to do something less disturbing like practice with her bells.

Never had she made a friend, a friend in Oto was simply someone who would work with you until you stopped being useful to them. She never had anyone to talk to, no one to confide to, and yet. How did this person, who shouldn't be treating her like this, know. She was broken out of her thoughts when she felt something brush against her face.

He was wiping away her tears.

"Why... Why are you acting like this to me?! Why are you treating me like this!? What do you want from me!?" She shouted as she stood up, her voice echoing in the empty dining room. Her eyes were snapped shut, trying to forget those beautiful blue eyes that looked at her with such concern in them.

Slowly she sat back down, tears still streaming down her face as her body shook slightly from crying. Soon, she felt a warm hand on the top of her head and looked up, sniffling as she wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes. Once again, she saw those blue eyes that captured her very soul looking at her.

"Someone important to me told me that when you see someone crying in front of you, even if you don't have the strength or any knowledge of their situation, to help them no matter what their circumstances are. I follow those words and keep them close to heart because... He did the same to me." Naruto said as she lowered her head, taking in the warm feeling of his hand.

After spending a few minutes in this position, Kin wiped away the last tears that she had in her eyes before she looked at him. Staring into his blue eyes, Kin couldn't help the blush that appeared on her face as she slowly leaned forward. As she neared his face, she closed her eyes, as she felt herself kissing something warm. Opening her eyes slightly, she snapped them wipe open when she saw that she had kissed his hand as he had a blank look on his face.

"What're you doing?" He asked in a flat tone, Kin turned and focused her attention to the floor, soon developing a burning blush on her cheeks from her unconscious action.

"Trying to kiss someone who's name you don't even know, it's a little odd." Naruto continued as she turned even more red, steam starting to come out of her ears. But before she could explode from the embarrassment, Naruto spoke once more.

"Well whatever, I'm Naruto." He said, introducing himself as she looked up, a bashful look on her face.

"K-Kin Tsuchi." She said in an embarrassed tone.

Finishing introductions, they started to talk about trivial things, Kin slowly losing the bashful expression she had as she started to smile and giggle more. Naruto had his same blank expression but there was a small smirk on his face when Kin told him about some of the embarrassing things that she witnessed in Oto.

As they talked, they never noticed that morning slowly turned into the afternoon. After spending a few hours talking with each other, Kin bid him a tearful farewell. Making him raise an eyebrow at her, she made it out like she was going to never see him again. But she gained a little more confidence when he reassured her that if she needs anything while still in Konoha, that he would try his best to help her. After he said that, she surprised him. Greatly.

Leaning in close and tiptoeing a little, Kin cupped his face and gave Naruto a long kiss on the cheek as he widened his eyes slightly as a bit of pink invaded his face. Slowly, she pulled away, a crimson blush and serene smile on her face.

"Wh-What? W-Why'd you do that?" He said stuttering slightly with his hand on the place where she kissed him, his usual cool and calm front cracked by her action.

"Because... I like you." She said with her eyes closed, a stunning smile on her now pink face.

Before Naruto could do anything, she quickly made her way out of the dining room, leaving a stunned Naruto behind, who futilely tried to analyze what just happened.

Unknown to them, there was someone who saw the whole exchange happen, an enraged look appearing on his face before he disappeared into the hallway.

A Son Forgotten

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**Oh SNAP! Who is the 'Her' that Ryuuhei is talking about? Kin drew first blood!? Is she be 'The One'?! Who could be that mysterious person?! Haha, well what do you guys think! Be sure to tell me by dropping a review alright! And again, PM me if you have a suggestion for me alright! And as always, thanks for taking the time to read my story! Till next time, stay awesome people!**

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**Zankūha - Decapitating Airwaves**: D-Rank, Ninjutsu; Using the air tubes implanted in his palms, Zaku can control the ratio of air pressure and sound via chakra. By propelling this combination, he can release supersonic blasts of air. These blasts are powerful enough to destroy stone, and can also be used to soften the ground.

**Fuinryuu Ougi: Ryuujin Gekirin Tentoubatsu - Dragon Sealing Secret Technique: Dragon God's Heavenly Subjection of Imperial Wrath**: S-Rank, Fuinjutsu; A forgotten technique taught to Ryuuhei by his parents with help from the elders. This sealing technique forcibly changes the construct of a seal no matter how powerful it is by using a piece of the caster's soul and life-force as a medium for entering the seal, allowing the user to physically reconstruct the seal. The drawback for this technique is that each time it is used, the caster loses a piece of their soul to the dragon that resides inside of them. If used enough the user will lose their soul entirely to the dragon, dying and allowing their inner dragon to take control. The other drawback is that it causes unbelievable pain to their target, enough that the shock of feeling such pain will have the possibility of killing the target. This is a powerful fuinjutsu that holds power over all other fuinjutsu, the last known user being Ryuuhei. It is unknown if he passed the secrets of this technique to Naruto.


	12. Chapter 11

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys it's me again! I really, really tried man. I did. But dang, I just wasn't feeling writing this chapter. I redid and rewrote it 3 times before just giving up. I hope you guys don't hate me for the lackluster quality that this chapter has. Once again, PM me if you have a suggestion or question alright? Let's a go... Please don't hate me.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 11

After seeing the scene of Kin kissing the blonde shinobi from Konoha, the jōnin sensei in charge of their team angrily left the scene. Had she forgotten what their mission was, they were supposed to infiltrate and weaken the defenses from the inside, but what did he find her doing instead? He found her locking lips with the enemy.

Cursing to himself, he knew that she was mostly likely going to be a liability now. Making a mental note to himself, he returned to his temporary quarters intent on relaying the piece of information to his lord.

Once he snapped out of the trance that Kin put him in with her kiss, he left the dining hall, his eyes still glazed over as the image of Kin's blushing face and smile remained on his mind before he shook his head to get rid of the memory.

Out of dining room, he made his way to the arena where they were going to meet in the morning; his mind going through the hundreds of scenarios that could possibly happen in the next few hours. However, he slowly found himself thinking about the incident that just happened once again. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the group of people who gawked and pouted at him, as he walked past without greeting any of them.

Before he reached the end of the hall, he was tackled from behind making him fall face first into the ground as a few shrill screams and shouts made it to his ears. Letting out a sigh, he immediately knew who tackled him from their smell and the few locks of blonde hair that were scattered around him. Pushing himself off the ground, he felt Narumi's arms wrapped tightly around his waist as her face was buried in his back.

"Narumi! You can't just tackle Naruto-niichan like that!" Mito shouted as her eye twitched, seeing her younger sister tackle her older brother for ignoring her.

"Hmph! This is what he gets for ignoring me!" She said in an angry tone, an angry pout matching her voice as she tightened her grip on her brother.

"Na-Narumi-chan, please let go of Naruto-kun! He can't get up if you keep clinging to him!" Hinata told her best friend, only for Narumi to stick her tongue out at her, not relinquishing her 'prize'.

Just as things were about to get more complicated, Naruto removed Narumi's hands from his waist, the way he did it stunning her. Usually, he would remove her hands in a slightly more forceful way, but this time she felt his hands wrap around hers as he gently opened her hands.

Feeling the warmth of his hands, she felt herself melt, immediately losing her ironclad grip. Once free, he didn't even turn around and scold her, he just continued walking with the same glazed look in his eyes.

But he was stopped once again, this time by Yakumo and Satsuki who grabbed each of his arms, having had enough of him ignoring all of them.

"Naruto! What are you doing! Are you just going to ignore us?!" Satsuki shouted, moving in front of him to face him, her hand wrapped around his wrist.

"Is there some reason why you're ignoring us Naruto?" Yakumo asked, though she mirrored Satsuki's actions, moving to stand in front of him.

Both had angry stares on her faces coupled with a small pout. But they quickly lost their anger when they saw that he was deep in thought. Tilting their heads, they let go of him and were about to question him when someone else did.

"What makes you think you can ignore us you loser!" Menma shouted, grabbing his older brother by the shoulder and forcibly turning him around as everyone tensed up, hoping that a fight didn't break out.

Though that thought dissolved when Naruto brushed off Menma's hand and turned around to headed back to his original destination. No one had believed what they just saw, Naruto would usually do the same thing but he always gave Menma a cold glare, this time he kept the dazed look from before.

Seeing as everyone froze, including his best friend, Kiba growled before he repeated the action, this time getting face to face with Naruto, as he was about to shout, he smelled something and immediately widened his eyes. Everyone looked on in curiosity when Kiba backed up and pointed an accusatory finger at Naruto while gawking.

"Y-Y-Y!" He stuttered, never being able to form a coherent word as everyone grew confused. Swallowing, he took a deep breath before he shouted at Naruto.

"WHY DO YOU HAVE THE SMELL OF A GIRL ON YOU!?" He shouted, not believing that he smelled the unfamiliar scent of a girl on the blonde.

At his statement the group grew quiet, so quiet a pin dropping could sound similar to an explosive tag going off. Slowly they craned their heads to stare at the blonde in front of him as he retained his dazed look and glazed over eyes.

Slowly, the group closed in on the older blonde, the guys with questioning and curious stares while the girls: Mito, Narumi, Satsuki, and Yakumo; had scary looks on their faces. Before he could do anything, they dog piled on the distracted blonde, the guys holding him down on the orders of the girls.

"So Kiba. Whose smell does it belong to?" Mito said in a scary sweet tone, a terrifying smile appearing on her face as the boys shivered in fear, Naruto excluded.

"I-I don't know! It's a foreign smell!" He said, as the others froze. A foreign smell? That could only mean a girl outside of Konoha.

"B-But that's not the only thing I smelled... I also smelled a lot of estrogen on him, which could only mean one thing..." He trailed off, jealously was burning in his eyes as they waited for him to finish.

"Just tell us dog breath!" Satsuki shouted, her sharingan blazing in anger and jealousy herself.

"It means that she marked him." He said as silence reigned over the group, everyone now being red in the face, be it jealousy, anger, or embarrassment.

Though, the anger and jealousy on the faces of four girls in particular could only be described as 'demonic' by the others. Slowly they reached out to grab Naruto by the collar but as they grabbed him by his shirt, he vanished, the discarded piece of clothing hanging limply in their now shaking hands.

Hearing footsteps, they snapped their heads around and saw him walking away, a black tank top on in place of his high collared sleeveless shirt. Without turning around, he left the now confused and fuming group behind.

(Time skip - The next day)

Avoiding all contact with the other ninja by sleeping outside and on the top of the tower, Naruto woke up in the same spot that he had slept, having lost the glazed look in his eyes from yesterday's event.

Knowing that he acted extremely different from his usual self, he sighed as he knew that the other's were most definitely still angry and suspicious of his behavior yesterday.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his head, he stared into the cloudless sky, seeing a number of birds fly here and there as he waited for the announcement of the meeting that was scheduled for the morning; apparently there was an unexpected number of genin who passed, so there was going to be a preliminary that as going to be held.

Closing his eyes once again, he slowly took in the feeling of the nature around him, never noticing the scale like pigmentation that slowly started to appear around his eyes.

As a peaceful smile came on his face from the serene feeling of the world around him, he left as he heard a buzzer come from the PA announce the start of the meeting. The peaceful expression leaving his face, it was replaced with his normal blank face as he made his way to the meeting hall.

(Scene change - Central Tower: Meeting hall)

Gathered in a large room, with raised platforms on both sides secured with railings, a large pair of arms with their hands in the shape of the Ram seal, the remaining examinees stood in front of the Hokage, their jōnin sensei, a few other jōnin and chūnin as they waited for him to speak.

As Minato was about to begin, they silence of the room was broken with the soft sound of footsteps approaching. Everyone turning their heads to the direction of the noise, varying expressions appeared on the faces of the people present.

Knowing that he was a little late, Naruto didn't pay attention to the stares and opted to move to the where his teammates were standing, ignoring the piercing and burning glares that were being cast at him. Glancing quickly to the side, he saw Kin with her cheeks pink wearing a small smile on her face as she stared longingly at him, almost causing him to falter. Once in position, he turned and faced Minato, who gave him a smile in return.

Seeing all the examinees finally gathered, Minato motioned for Zabuza to address them as he nodded his head.

"First of all, I want to congratulate all of you for passing the second exam! Though, I didn't expect so many of you brats to actually make it." Zabuza said, making some of the genin shiver at his insinuation of having thought that they'd die in the forest.

"It's because there are so many of you that Hokage-sama decided to change up the exams a little this year. With that I'll give him the floor to explain it so you had better listen up!" He barked, making some of the genin stiffen up at his tone as Minato laughed wryly.

"Before I start with the explain of the upcoming event, I want to tell you all the real reason behind these exams." After the words left his mouth, the genin gained confused and curious looks, making Minato smile.

"I want you to know, without any sugar coating or lies, that this exam is here to promote and show off the prestige and power of each of the allied villages that are attending." Minato said in a stern tone, his eyes losing all traces of the kindness from earlier.

"W-What?! What the heck do you mean?! Isn't this just to see who has what it takes to be a chūnin?!" Menma shouted at his father as Kiba backed him up, getting sharp looks from their sensei in return.

"Of course that is correct as well, this exam tests all of you to see if you have the merit to be chūnin but there is also the reason that I was trying to explain earlier. In this exam, there will be many influential and powerful individuals that will give their assessment on all of you, to see if you meet the criteria needed to be a chūnin. Because of that, whoever makes their village stand out and shine more, will in turn bring more clients and in turn, missions to their village the opposite being true for those who muddle their village's name. I want you all to show that you can shine, no matter how small the village you came from!" At that, the genin gained determined looks on their faces as the listened to Minato's rallying speech.

"I want you all to know that the strength of a country is the strength of its village. And the strength of the village is the strength of its ninja! We can only gain such strength in times where we risk our very lives, as a ninja's true strength and worth is determined through life risking battles! With that, I'll explain what will happen with this event. We will be having a preliminary battles to reduce number of eligible number of candidates. Each battle will consist of two ninja chosen at random, which holds the possibility of having to battle your teammates." At that, everyone tensed and eyed each other.

"So, before we start. I want to let all of you know that from this point on, your team members no longer need to all pass their respective battles in order for you to advance. So, those of you who wish to drop out, please raise your hands." Once he asked, slowly, 8 genin rose their hands, looks of defeat and exhaustion filling their eyes.

Nodding his head Minato glanced around and quickly counted out the number of remaining genin. From the 11 teams and 33 genin that passed, 8 left.

Having finished with his explanation, Minato turned and gave the genin a clear view of the randomization panel. Nodding his head, it started flashing through the names of the genin present. Tensing, everyone watched the screen intently, seeing their own names flash for an instant before changing. Finally, the first pair of names were drawn.

"Choji vs. Kiba"

After making every clear the area, Minato gestured to Hayate who was going to proctor the battles. Once everyone was on the upper level of the room, Choji and Kiba made their way down to the floor.

"This will be interesting." Asuma said as Kurenai nodded in agreement.

"I mean no offense Asuma, but Kiba has the match in his favor." Kurenai said, a small smile on her face. Hearing that Asuma frowned.

"Hey Choji! If you win this match I'll take you out for all you can eat!" He shouted, as everyone else sweat dropped at his declaration.

"Yosh! Sorry Kiba, but I gotta win this buddy!" Choji said, fires of determination burning in his eyes as Kiba laughed.

"Whoa, hold your horses Choji! I hate to break your bubble but I'll be taking this one!" Kiba said in an excited tone of voice as Akamaru barked in agreement.

"Alright then, let the first match, begin!" Hayate declared, jumping back as the two mimicked the action.

"Let's get wild Choji!" Kiba shouted, pulling out and throwing a hail of shuriken at the other boy, who countered with his own hail of steel.

"You can bet on it Kiba!" Choji shouted as he and Kiba ran towards each other, Akamaru jumping out of his partner's jacket.

Meeting in the center of the arena, the echo of metal sounded out as the shuriken met, the two who threw them engaged in a battle of Taijutsu.

Once they met in the center of the ring, both lashed out with their fists, a hollow echo from the impact of their fists against each other. Quickly drawing his fist back, Choji took a step forward and slammed his shoulder into Kiba, putting the weight of his body into his attack, he sent Kiba flying a few meet back from the power of his blow.

Rolling back to his feet, Kiba tensed up in his crouched position before he exploded forward in an impressive show of speed, much faster then Choji could react to.

"_Fast!_" The word flew through Choji's mind, knowing that in terms of speed, he was outmatched considerably by his friend.

Appearing to the side of Choji, Kiba spun and swept his feet from underneath him, before lashing out with his fist which impacted Choji's stomach.

"Guh!" Choji stifled the cry of pain that he had, placing his hand over his stomach as Kiba rubbed his shoulder from where Choji's shoulder had impacted from earlier.

"You've gotten a lot stronger Choji!" Kiba said, flashing a feral grin at the larger boy getting a smile in return.

"Yeah, you're a lot stronger then you were in the academy Kiba!" Choji replied before settling back into a stance, Kiba doing the same.

The collided once again, Choji landing a powerful palm strike on Kiba's chest, sending him back while forcing the air out of his lungs. Not easing on his assault, he continued, driving a powerful knee into his friends stomach. But he wasn't able to fully connect his attack as Kiba sidestepped at the last second, and returned Choji's attack with a straight that connected to his jaw, rattling his head slightly.

Backing away from each other, they winced as they felt their injuries. Still not funny recovered from the forest, they knew that they wouldn't last long if things continued.

"Because we're friends, I'm not going to hold back Kiba!" He yelled, before making a hand sign that was recognized by his peers.

"**Baika no Jutsu**!" He shouted, as he expanded his body into a larger, rounder shape resembling a large ball.

"Oh shit! Akamaru!" Kiba shouted. Knowing what his friend was going to do, he called Akamaru onto his back as he crouched down, called out a jutsu that was also known by his peers.

"**Shikyaku no Jutsu**! **Jūjin Bunshin**!" As a cloud of smoke covered Akamaru, in his place another Kiba stood crouched on top of the original.

Tensing, they gave each other a grin before they attacked.

"**Nikudan Sensha**!"

"**Gatsūga**!"

As Choji started tucked in his limbs and used his chakra to propel himself forward in a powerful roll. With Choji advancing, Kiba and Akamaru spun with such speed that they resembled a drill as they wrapped around each other before meeting Choji's attack head on. The result of the two attacks colliding being a small explosion of dust and rubble, as their sensei looked on with concern.

The smoke starting to clear, they saw that both Choji and Kiba were still standing, though Akamaru was laying limply at the side.

"Ha, ha... Looks like that's game huh Choji?" Kiba asked, panting as he gave his friend another smile.

"Ye-Yeah, looks that way Kiba." Choji said, returning the smile.

Soon, the two started to sway before they hit the ground, as Hayate signaled the medics.

"For the first match, it's a draw!" He said loudly, before coughing slightly as everyone looked on with stunned expressions from the result of the battle.

After the battle that Choji and Kiba had, Hayate turned and motioned for the next randomization to begin.

"Sakura vs. Ino"

At that, practically everyone sighed, somehow they weren't surprised at the matchup.

Making their way down to the floor, Sakura and Ino both had smug looks on their faces as they faced each other. Looking at both girls, Hayate nodded before he commenced the start of the second match.

"You're going down Forehead!"

"You're mincemeat Ino-Pig!"

They shouted as they rushed each other, making their sensei sigh at their recklessness.

Sticking to the basic academy taught taijutsu, the match wasn't very interesting as they were able to block and counter each other, being so familiar with the style and the habits of their opponent.

Seeing as the match was going nowhere, Ino broke off and threw a volley shuriken at Sakura, who responded by using a smoke bomb to conceal herself, the shuriken flying out of the cloud having missed their intended target. As the cloud started to disperse, three Sakura ran out of the cloud, to Ino's shock. Quickly snapping herself out of her stupor, she narrowed her eyes as she wasn't able to determine which were the clones and which was the original.

Cursing under her breath, she threw a volley of kunai that instantly was avoided by the Sakura on the right. Smirking, Ino rushed forward as Sakura righted herself and repeated the action. Engaging once again in a taijutsu bout. Slowly, they began to run out of energy, their movements becoming much more sluggish signaling that the end was approaching as they broke off from each other.

Taking in a deep breath, Ino held her hands out in front of her as Sakura gasped, knowing what she was going to do. But before she could dodge, Ino had already locked onto her.

"**Shintenshin no Jutsu**!" Ino shouted as Sakura and her body slumped to the ground, showing that her jutsu was indeed a success.

Slowly, Sakura stood up a smirk on her face. Turning to Hayate, she began to raise her hand to show that she was giving up, but halfway she froze and grabbed at her head.

"_W-What!? What's happening!?_" Ino shouted, looking around Sakura's mind, and froze when she saw a giant version of Sakura with burning eyes staring at her.

"_INO-PIG! YOU'RE NOT MAKING ME GIVE UP THAT EASILY!_" She shouted, her fist colliding with Ino, and in turn forcing her out of her mind.

"My head..." Ino moaned, massaging her temples from the rough ejection that she just had.

"Not so tough are you Ino-Pig!" Sakura sneered, as Ino gained a number of tick marks on her head.

Finally, they decided to end the duel, each rushing in with their fists cocked back. Slowly, they neared each other let their punches go, colliding with the cheek of the other. Once they connected, they were sent flying back from the momentum gained from the running start, where they laid motionless.

Looking at both of them, Hayate nodded before raising his hand.

"The second match, ends in a draw." He said, as Asuma and Genma picked up their genin, and brought them to the balcony. Where their peers peeked at them, wondering if they were alright.

"They'll be fine, they're probably just a little rattled right now." Asuma said as Genma nodded, extinguishing the worries that they held.

As the battle ended and they were picked up, the screen flashed once again, this time landing on two very different people.

"Shikamaru vs. Sai"

At that Shikamaru groaned while Sai looked like he was contemplating something, suddenly as they were about to walk towards the ground floor, Sai raised his hand.

"Proctor, I'd like to forfeit." Making everyone drop their jaws at the proclamation.

"Why're you dropping out Sai?" Genma said, an accusatory glint in his eyes that didn't seem to faze Sai as he gave the same fake smile as always.

"No reason in particular, I'm just not confident that I can take out Lazy." He answered, making Genma look at him for a while before nodding slowly.

Getting the confirmation from Genma, Hayate announced the winner.

"The third match, Winner by forfeit is Shikamaru." As everyone sweat dropped at the victory as Shikamaru just sighed.

After that was all settled, the screen flashed once again.

"Kankuro vs. Yasou"

At that, Kankuro and the last remaining Kusa-nin made their way down to the floor.

Seeing both were ready to start, Hayate signaled the start of the battle, Yasou going on the offensive with a hail of shuriken that Kankuro aptly dodged.

"You really should give up before I hurt you." Yasou said, pulling out a handful of senbon as Kankuro sneered at him.

"Like you're in a position to do that!" Yasou shouted seeing the overconfidence that seemed to ooze out of the other teen.

Throwing his senbon, he was stunned when Kankuro made no effort to dodge, opting to get hit by the attack. But after being stunned, he became fearful as Kankuro's face started to chip and flake off, revealing a frightening visage.

Jumping back, he was met with the now revealed puppet as it quickly appeared next to him.

"W-What!?" Yasou shouted, as the puppet grabbed him and proceeded to crush him slowly.

"You should give up now, if you do I won't crush you." A voice called out, soon to be revealed to be Kankuro who appeared out of the bandaged sack on the floor.

"Guh! G-Go to h-hell." Yasou wheezed out, glaring at the other teen.

Sighing, Kankuro tightened the grip that Crow had on him, knocking him out by cutting off his air. As Crow released the boy, letting him drop to the floor as it made its way back to Kankuro.

Quickly checking if he was alive, Hayate nodded as he motioned for the medics to tend to the boy.

"Winner of the match, Kankuro." Hayate said as he made his way back to the stands, getting nervous looks from the other genin at winning with a minimal show skill.

After the short battle, the battles continued on, while most were even there were a few that were notable.

The battle between Tenten and Temari was a one-sided bout, Tenten began the match by throwing a few of her weapons at Temari while keeping the best distance for offence and defense. Though Temari easily blew the weapons away with her fan. Everyone, especially her teammates, were surprised that not one weapon reached Temari. Since nothing had even come close to hitting Temari, Tenten used one final technique that she said she was saving for the finals.

Her **Sōshōryū **was powerful, but ultimately ineffective against Temari's fan. As Tenten ran out of weapons, she used strings to control the weapons and fling them once again back at Temari, in an attempt to surprise her. Temari however quickly used her fan to blast Tenten, along with her weapons and she hit the floor. Temari finally used her fan to trap Tenten in a cyclone and propel her into the air.

As the cyclone dispersed and Tenten fell to the ground, Temari had Tenten land on her closed fan, knocking her unconscious and calling the match she just had boring. Even after she was declared the winner of the match, she threw Tenten off of the fan in attempt to have her land on the many weapons on the ground to injure her more. However, Lee jumped in to save Tenten before she hit the ground.

After that, Lee attacked Temari after she told them about how weak she was and the latter responded by blocking and calling them weak. Just as he was about to attack once more, Gai stepped in and stopped Lee from doing so. After, he told the last remaining member of the Suna team, Gaara, that if he were to fight Lee he would be in for a tough time, stating that Lee was 'strong'.

Once they made their way back to the stands, Hinata and Neji were the next to battle. While both sides received words of encouragement, Neji told his cousin that it was a futile battle that she was about to have with him. Though he didn't resent her, he did resent the fact that his uncle was made the clan head while his father was pushed into the branch family.

Signaling the start of the battle, both rushed each other, and at first it seemed even. But eventually, Neji started to wear Hinata down, managing to strike her shoulder and leg, disabling them just long enough to land a damaging palm strike to her chest. Hinata however, even after receiving the damaging attack, stated that she could continue which Neji shook his head at, saying that it was fated that he would win this match and she would lose.

This was proven true when Neji managed to land another palm strike to the same area that he struck before, causing Hinata to spit out a mouthful of blood to the horror of everyone present. Catching his cousin, he laid her on the ground and gave her a look of pity, shaking his head while walking away as the medics tended to her. Angrily, Narumi demanded why he damaged her so much when he knew he was stronger then her. Without turning around, Neji told her that it was fated to happen, that her weakness isn't something that she could change no matter how much she trained, causing Narumi to lunge at him while Kakashi and Mito held her back.

After that, it matches turned up a notch when Lee and Gaara were selected to battle. At first Lee wasn't able to land a clean hit on Gaara, his sand acting as a shield that protected him for all of Lee's attacks no matter how fast or what angle that it came from.

When his standard attacks proved unable to bypass Gaara's defenses, with permission from Gai, he removed his ankle weights to increase his speed and managed to land a couple of hits on Gaara. Then, he attempted the **Omote Renge**, but Gaara was able to escape at the last minute revealing a sand clone instead.

Once he used his **Omote Renge**, Lee was able to use and open the first few gates of the **Hachimon**, allowing him to stage a comeback against Gaara whose sand wasn't able to keep up with his increased speed, actually managing to land a damaging punch which sent Gaara flying to the shock of everyone present. But soon, he started to slow down once the side effects of the opening the **Hachimon** started to affect his body.

His options running out if he was to win and prove himself, Gai allowed him to use the **Ura Renge**. Gaara barely survived by turning his gourd to sand to cushion him, and the techniques took a massive toll on Lee's body. Gaara added to Lee's injury by used his **Sabaku Kyū** to trap his arm and leg, then proceeded to crush his left arm and leg with his **Sabaku Sōsō**.

Though Gai intervened and stopped Gaara from killing him, though to the shock of everyone present, Lee got to his feet to continue the battle despite being completely unconscious. Seeing that Hayate called the match there, knowing that Lee was in no shape to continue no matter how much determination he displayed.

Once the two were off the arena, Minato motioned for a few of the jōnin to mend the ruined arena, using a collaboration **Heiban Tataki**, they quickly flattened and fixed the once ruined arena.

Seeing the power that he had, when he was only a year older then them, the other genin couldn't help but shiver slightly knowing that they would've been crushed had they fought Lee. But they also let out a few breaths of relief as the strongest were finished with their battles.

The screen flashed once again, displaying Kin and Narumi's names.

Making their way to the floor, Narumi narrowed her eyes at the Oto-nin, remembering what her team did to her older brother on the first day of the exam. Kin on the other hand knew that she had some relation to her Naruto, and wanted to prove herself to him.

Signaling the start of the match, Narumi intended to end this as soon as possible. Quickly making the signature cross shaped hand seal that her and her siblings had become affiliated with, she create a few **Kage Bunshin** that immediately rushed to take Kin down.

Stunned from seeing actual and physical clones, Kin panicked but steeled her resolve throwing a handful of senbon that hit the clones in their necks, causing them to dispel upon being hit. Not letting up after seeing her clones dispelled, Narumi quickly rushed towards Kin, dropping low and sweeping her feet from underneath her.

Quickly spinning, Kin managed to throw another handful of senbon at Narumi who sidestepped but widened her eyes when she felt the pain of being hit. Glancing down, she saw the senbon that she knew she dodged lodged in her side. Yanking it out, she stepped back when Kin threw another handful of senbon, a ringing echoing out when they hit the ground.

Hearing the noise, Narumi winced as she shook her head trying to get rid of the ringing that filled her ears. Seeing that her **Harikane Meimu **worked, Kin was about to advance but the Narumi in front of her dispersed in a cloud of smoke as the real Narumi gave Kin a devastating punch that sent her to the wall, her head impacting it with a hollow sound echoing out.

Hayate checking on the downed Kin signaled the medics to take care of her. Seeing that her opponent wasn't going to get up, Narumi flashed the victory sign at her father and sibling who laughed wryly.

After she made her way to the stands, she immediately clung to her older brother to the ire of some of the people there, namely the boy in question, as she badgered him about if he saw her or not. Sighing to himself, he didn't attempt to remove his sister, more preoccupied about the next contestants seeing as he was one of them. Watching the screen flash once more, the names of the next competitors came on.

But as Sasuke was about to head down, Shino raised his hand to signal that he was forfeiting to the shock of everyone present.

"Shino, why are you forfeiting?" Kurenai asked, really curious of the reason her normally stoic and logical student had.

"Sasuke-san specializes in Katon jutsu while I only have my kikaichū to rely on. Because of that alone, I am already at a disadvantage because he can burn away my kikaichū. Adding to that, he is much more skilled then I am at taijutsu. But above all else, I would like to avoid having my kikaichū perish unnecessarily." Shino said, making most of the people there nod their heads at the points he brought up.

Nodding to Hayate, Kurenai signaled that he was indeed forfeiting as Hayate declared Sasuke the winner, who had a large smirk on his face. Though it fell and became a frown when he noticed that a certain crimson haired girl wasn't paying any attention to him and instead directed all of her attention to her older brother.

Once the next pair of names came on, there were three people who darkened considerably, releasing a surprisingly potent amount of killing intent. These three were none other then the members of Team 12.

"Yakumo vs. Zaku"

Seeing the name of the Oto-nin who ambushed them, they were filled with rage and anger.

Zaku made his way down to the floor first, sneering at them as he waited for Yakumo.

"What? Don't tell me you're still scared of me?" He said in a condescending tone, making them burn even more with rage.

As Yakumo was about to head down, she was stopped by her teammates.

"Make him pay what he did Yakumo."

"End him."

A smirk appearing on her face from the words of 'encouragement' that she got from her teammates, she dropped down to face Zaku who flinched a little seeing her eyes sharpen.

Glancing at both of them, Hayate nodded before signaling the start of the next match.

Instantly, Zaku held out his arms as he shouted at her.

"Ha! You should've done more then what you did to my arms you bastards! **Zankūha**!" He shouted as he fired off another powerful blast of air at Yakumo that exploded the moment it hit the ground, dust and rubble flying from the attack.

Smirking, he brought his hands down as he knew he ended her. But then he noticed that she wasn't there, about to look around he wasn't able to as Yakumo buried her fist into his stomach, forcing the air out of his lungs.

Not letting him get any ground, Yakumo spun on her heel and smashed her other one into his face, breaking his nose and sending him stumbling backwards. Sprinting, she jumped and smashed her knee into his face, knocking a few of his front teeth out, sending him to the ground. As he hit the ground, she spun in the air and finished her assault by smashing her heel into his head, a hollow crack echoing from the attack. Standing up with a cold look on her face, she glared at him as he laid out cold from her ruthless assault.

Turning her head towards Hayate who was stunned at how quickly and brutally she disposed of him, he snapped out of his stupor and quickly called her the winner as she made her way back to her team.

"You should've picked him apart more Yakumo."

"Tsk, should've crippled him."

Satsuki and Naruto said as she returned, each having a small smirk on their faces from the efficient way she took him down.

Their actions caused the other genin to shiver a little, hearing that they wanted him to suffer more then he did, that alone changed the way that they viewed the team.

Once Zaku was carted off the arena, the screen flashed again, landing on two very volatile individuals.

"Satsuki vs. Menma"

The tension that filled the air after seeing those names was thick, Menma and Satsuki casting a glare at the other.

Quietly they made their way down to the arena floor as everyone looked on in apprehension, knowing that it would be an explosive fight.

Seeing that both were ready, Hayate signaled the start of the battle and instantly, they clashed together, kunai in hand.

"Tsk." Satsuki said as Menma slowly started to overpower her, shifting her body slightly, she threw Menma off as he stumbled forward from the sudden loss of opposing force keeping him steady.

"Damn!" He shouted, blocking a kick from Satsuki and responding with a spinning back fist which she ducked under. Crouching low, she spun and smashed her heel into his side as he took the brunt of the blow and grabbed her leg, making her eyes widen.

Kicking the other foot out from underneath her, he slammed her into the ground, Satsuki crying out in pain from the force that she hit the ground with. Her eyes widened when Menma buried his fist into her stomach, before she grit her teeth and struck him at his knee joint, her heel hooking around the bend of the joint and bringing him down.

Taking the opportunity, she rolled away as he regained his balance. Rubbing her stomach to ease the pain she winced when her back felt as stiff as a board. Menma on the other hand rubbed his knee, having hit the ground hard when Satsuki knocked his balance off.

Standing up, Satsuki got serious as she activated her sharingan, making everyone widen their eyes while Sasuke growled. Narrowing them at her opponent, she charged in once again and blocked Menma blow for blow, making his eyes widen in shock. Finally, she broke his guard and landed a clean blow on his cheek, sending him stumbling backwards. Not letting up, she charged at him and jumped, in an attempt to hit him with the same style high kick that Lee had used earlier.

She was stunned however when Menma once again took the blow, and grabbed her leg, this time turning and using the momentum behind the kick to slam her once again into the ground as Satsuki cried out in pain, feeling something snap on her arm. But Menma didn't let up his assault now that he had the advantage as he dropped his knee onto the same spot he had hit her earlier, making her cry out once again in pain. As he was about to punch her, she moved her head to the side as Menma cried out in pain, having hit the hard floor of the arena. Taking advantage of her situation, Satsuki lashed out and landed a palm strike to his chest, making him get off her.

Rolling backwards, Satsuki flashed through a series of seals before locking onto Menma.

"**Suiton: Teppōdama**!" She shouted, firing a volley of high speed water bullets at a stunned Menma.

He rolled to the side, but immediately cried out in pain as one of the bullets impacted against his thigh, as he tried to put the pressure off his now injured leg. Glaring at Satsuki, who now looked exhausted having kept her sharingan on for so long, Menma flashed through his own set of seal as Satsuki copied the sequence, much to his distain.

"**Futon: Daitoppa**!" He shouted, pouring an insane amount of chakra into his jutsu, the resulting wind sending Satsuki flying to the opposite side of the wall, as she cried out in pain from the impact. But Menma didn't end his assault there, making the signature seal of the **Kage Bunshin**, Menma made a clone who started flashing through a set of seals along with him as Satsuki weakly started to stand up, her sharingan replaced with her regular onyx eyes.

As she managed to find the strength to stand, both Menma and his clone had finished their seals.

"**Futon: Daitoppa**!"

"**Katon: Endan**!"

The adults widened their eyes at the potentially fatal combination that Menma had used and were about to intercept the jutsu but two people beat them to it.

"**Suiton: Mizurappa**!"

"**Futon: Senpūken**!"

The combined jutsu of Yakumo and Naruto instantly quelled the ranging inferno that was about to consume Satsuki, a large cloud of steam instantly covering the arena. Once it was cleared, everyone immediately felt an even more immense amount of killing intent from Yakumo and Naruto, their aura taking shape behind them, as Menma unconsciously took a step back from the two seeing the Ido and the dragon.

But they didn't act like they were expected to, opting to cast him one more glare before rushing to their downed teammate, supporting her gently as Yakumo immediately started healing her. Standing up, Naruto looked at Hayate and nodded. Knowing what he meant, Hayate signaled that Menma had won.

Once Satsuki was carted away by the medics, Yakumo and Naruto stared at the doors that she left through. Slowly they made their way back to the stands, as everyone gave them a wide berth, fear creeping into their hearts from the subtle yet frightening killing intent oozing off of them.

But it quickly ended when the screen showed the next combatants.

"Mito vs. Issui"

Issui, the only remaining ninja from Ame raised his hand as he forfeited, not wanting to face Mito after seeing what her family had done. Hayate nodded as he acknowledged Mito at the winner.

As they made it back the screen flashed and showcased the final combatants.

"Naruto vs. Dosu"

Looking at the screen, Naruto jumped down to the floor of the arena as Dosu slowly made his way down. On the floor, Naruto and Dosu stood, one blank faced but subtly angry the other visibly nervous.

Looking at the two, Hayate signaled for them to begin.

Dosu jumped back to get some distance from Naruto but he widened his eyes when he bumped into someone, without turning around he knew who it was. Before he could get away, pain exploded from his back, Naruto having buried his fist with tremendous power into it.

As he was lifted slightly into the air from the force of the blow, Naruto simply brought his foot up and slammed it into his head, sending him crashing into the ground. After removing his foot, a small amount of blood started to pool around Dosu's head as Hayate quickly called the end of the match signaling the medics to take care of the bleeding.

Slowly, Naruto made his way back to stands as everyone stared at him with a mix of shock and fear, it took him less then 30 seconds to crush the same person who brought him to his knees at the start of the exam.

Once everyone was taken care of, Minato called the end of the preliminaries, gathering all the genin who won their matches.

Standing in front of him was: Temari, Shikamaru, Sasuke, Gaara, Narumi, Mito, Menma, Neji, Kankuro, Yakumo, and Naruto.

"Congratulations for making it through the preliminaries you all! Now however, we will be drawing for who you will be battling in the finals which will take place 1 month from now. So please, come forward and draw." Minato said, as he gestured towards a box with the names of all those present in it.

One by one, they approached the box and drew, finally the pairing was complete. In order, it was as followed: Temari vs. Shikamaru, Narumi vs. Neji, Gaara vs. Kankuro, Mito vs. Yakumo, and the final match was Sasuke vs. Menma vs. Naruto. Everyone was stunned by the final match, Menma and Sasuke gulped slightly and widened their eyes when they saw Naruto's eyes flash electric blue for a second.

Finally, the preliminaries were finished as Minato dismissed them all, reminding them that in 1 month the finals would take place.

"Once again everyone, the finals will take place in 1 month's time so take the month to train and polish up your skills before you face your next opponent!" Minato said, finally dismissing the genin.

(Scene change - Infirmary)

After they were dismissed, Yakumo and Naruto immediately made their way to the infirmary with the rest of the genin minus the Suna-nin. Arriving they saw that everyone minus Zaku, Dosu and Yasou were wide awake and startled when they saw the large group.

"Satsuki!" Yakumo shouted, running to her best friend and fretted over her as everyone laughed at the scene.

"I'm fine Yakumo, just a little banged up." She said, wincing slightly from moving her arm which had a fracture in it.

As everyone was catching up with their teammates and friends, Naruto saw Kin sneaking glances at him. Once he locked eyes with her, she quickly adverted her gaze. Shaking his head slightly, Naruto made his way over to her as everyone quieted and looked at him. Assuming that he was going to hurt her, they were about to stop him but froze when he stopped by her bed and leaned a little closer before speaking.

"You alright Kin?" He asked, tilting his head slightly as she blushed and looked at her sheets.

"I-I'm fine Naruto-kun. Just a little sore is all." She said in a bashful tone as she timidly raised her head to stare at him with eye full of adoration.

Everyone dropped their jaws at the scene, as the Minato along with the jōnin sensei, Zabuza, Anko, Tsunade, Shizune and Haku, who was working as one of the medical staff, entered the room curious as to what was going on. But before they could ask, Kin slowly rose a little and kissed Naruto once again, planting a kiss on his other cheek as he froze, his eyes wide open.

Seeing what just happened they got their answer. Haku dropping her tray of medical equipment as her hands startled trembling, a devastated look on her now shocked and angry face. Yakumo, Mito, and Narumi felt their souls leave their bodies as they paled. Satsuki looked like she could pass out at any moment, horror etched onto her face. For the other genin, they resembled fishes with the way they opened and closed their mouths.

The adults looked confused and shocked as well. Minato couldn't believe what just happened, his son, the blank and cold Naruto, just got kissed and by a cute foreign girl no less. Tsunade gave a worried look at her now pale student. Anko a look of bewilderment on her face, trying to speak but unable to form words. Zabuza looked like he was going to kill, having seen the devastated look on his daughter's face.

And Shizune gained a blank look in her eyes as the world seemed to lose all traces of color and sound.

"W-What? Why'd you do that?" Naruto asked, standing straight again as he put a hand to his now pink cheek. Kin just smiled at the question, tilting her head in a cute way before answering.

"Don't you remember? Because I like you Naruto-kin." Kin said, a crimson blush and a serene smile on her face.

But before anyone else could speak or do anything Kiba shouted and pointed his finger at Kin.

"IT WAS YOU! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO MARKED HIM!" He screamed, jealousy burning in his eyes as everyone quieted at the new piece of information.

Looking at the now quiet group, Kin looked back at Naruto and tilted her head in a cute manner before speaking.

"Ara?"

A Son Forgotten

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**Yay, done. I'm so sorry guys! Please don't hate me! I did, I tried my best but writing these fight scenes were so brutal! So yeah, send me all your hate and stuff, I deserve me. TT-TT PM me maybe? Ok, it's fine if you don't want to.**

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**Baika no Jutsu - Multi-Size Technique**: D-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user can freely alter their size at will when using this technique, and can use it for an extensive period of time. A common application of the techniques gives the user a very round appearance by mostly increasing the size of the abdominal section, which is done in order to use the **Nikudan Sensha no Jutsu**. Other, more common applications increase the size of the entire body, turning the user into a giant.

**Shikyaku no Jutsu - Four Legs Technique**: D-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique grants animal-like accelerated fighting instinct and reflexes to the user. By enveloping their entire body in chakra and moving on all fours, they can obtain high speed movement and reflexes like that of a wild animal. Taught only to the members of the Inuzuka clan, this technique forms the basis of a Inuzuka clan member's taijutsu fighting style, and will add even more to their feral-like appearances; their canine teeth, their finger and toenails grow to claw-like length, their eyes also become more wild with their pupils becoming slits.

**Jūjin Bunshin - Beast Human Clone**: D-Rank, Ninjutsu; It allows a canine-user to transform their animal companion into a perfect copy of themselves. When combined with the** Shikyaku no Jutsu**, the user and the animal become virtually impossible to tell apart, since both act equally feral. Like any transformation, the technique can be broken by identifying and attacking the animal, thus dispelling the transformation.

**Nikudan Sensha - Human Bullet Tank**: C-Rank, Taijutsu; A threatening taijutsu trick that converts the users large frame into a destructive weapon. The user first uses the **Baika no Jutsu **to make themselves into a human-sized ball, then they tuck in their limbs and use chakra to propel themselves into a powerful roll. Its effective use of weight and the force of rotation make for an even greater lethality than appearances would let on, enough to pulverize someone's hand with but a mere touch.

**Gatsūga - Fang Passing Fang**: C-Rank, Taijutsu; The user and their ninken partner spin at a ferocious speed and deliver many powerful beast-like attacks when contact is made with the target. The force of this attack is strong enough to drill through stone.

**Shintenshin no Jutsu - Mind Body Switch Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The signature jutsu of the Yamanaka clan. Originally, this ninjutsu was suited for intelligence-gathering missions rather than battle. With it, a ninja sends his mind as spiritual energy into a target's body supplanting the target's mind with their own. The user transfers their consciousness to the target, giving them complete control of the body for a short period of time. While in control of the body, the user is able to communicate with the target. Since the user is in another body, they are also able to use that body's chakra. It is also possible for the user to switch bodies with the target. This has great strategic value when used on a team-mate as neither body is left incapacitated and they may also make use of the user's abilities as well as their own while doing this. To remain inconspicuous when spying, the user can perform this technique on an animal, such as a hawk, which they can use to do aerial reconnaissance. It is generally used on immobilized targets.

**Sōshōryū - Twin Rising Dragons**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique unique to Tenten that takes advantage of her superior skills with weapons. First, she places two small scrolls in an upright position on the floor. When activated, the two scrolls release smoke while also flying and spinning into the air in the shape of two dragons made of smoke. Tenten then jumps between the two scrolls, and starts to rapidly summon and throw all sorts of weaponry as a powerful projectile barrage. If the initial attack were to fail, she can control the discarded weapons with wires attached to her fingertips for a surprise attack. However, because the weapons are thrown, they are easily countered by Futon Jutsu.

**Hachimon - Eight Gates**: A-Rank, Kinjutsu; The Eight Gates are eight specific tenketsu on a person's Chakra Pathway System. They limit the overall flow of chakra within a person's body. The basis for the idea of the chakra gates comes from the body's limits on the functions within it. This makes the body much weaker, but it keeps the body from expiring too soon. By undergoing intense training, one can learn how to open these gates allowing the user to surpass their own physical limits at the cost of extreme damage to their own body.

**Omote Renge - Front Lotus**: B-Rank, Taijutsu; The Front Lotus requires the opening of the first of the **Hachimon**, giving the user five times their normal strength. The user kicks their opponent into the air and then uses **Kage Buyō**. Once behind their opponent, the user restrains them and pile-drives them into the ground head first while rotating at a ferocious speed. Due to the use of one of the **Hachimon**, the user is left extremely fatigued, making this technique a "double-edged sword". It may also be used on multiple people at once.

**Ura Renge - Reverse Lotus**: A-Rank, Taijutsu, Kinjutsu; This technique is an advanced and more destructive version of the **Omote Renge**, which requires that at least three of the **Hachimon** be opened. Once enough gates are opened, the user kicks the target into the air and continues to strike them at inhuman speeds before hitting them with a final, powerful open-handed strike and kick at the same time, sending the target crashing into the ground which is usually fatal due to the speed and power behind the attack. Because so many chakra gates are opened at once, this technique can only be used once, since the user will likely be unable to stand afterwards.

**Sabaku Kyū - Sand Binding Coffin**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; With his ability to control sand, Gaara encases his opponents in a large amount of the special chakra-infused sand kept inside his gourd, immobilizing them. It can be used to suffocate an opponent or in preparation for a deadlier technique, the **Sabaku Sōsō**. This appears to be Gaara's signature technique.

**Sabaku Sōsō - Sand Waterfall Funeral**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Once trapping his opponent in his sand, Gaara will cause the sand to implode and crush whatever is within it. According to Gaara, when used to kill a person, the death is so quick that there isn't even time for the victim to feel any pain. The pressure also produces a sizeable fountain of blood. Gaara can control the pressure used in the attack, which allows him to either break bones or completely liquefy an opponent.

**Doton: Heitan Tataki - Earth Release: Flat Concrete Floor**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; By molding chakra into their hands, the user slams their on the ground and sends a pulse of chakra out that flattens the area targeted by the user. The more chakra that is used causes the range and intensity of the jutsu to increase.

**Harikane Meimu - Needle Bell Illusion**: C-Rank Genjutsu, Ninjutsu; Kin uses this technique with the bells that she attaches to her senbon. The bells' ringing produces a particular sound wave, which travels from the inner ear directly to affect the brain. This causes her target to hallucinate, seeing multiple images of her, and making very hard to tell the real one from the illusions. Additionally, the target loses their motor skills with continued exposure to the ringing.

**Zankūha - Decapitating Airwaves**: D-Rank, Ninjutsu; Using the air tubes implanted in his palms, Zaku can control the ratio of air pressure and sound via chakra. By propelling this combination, he can release supersonic blasts of air. These blasts are powerful enough to destroy stone, and can also be used to soften the ground.

**Suiton: Teppōdama - Water Release: Gunshot**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user kneads and converts chakra in their mouth into to water and fires it. The size, number, power and speed of the water balls are based on how much chakra is used in the jutsu. It can be strengthened by various different means such as gravity and introducing another element.

**Futon: Daitoppa - Wind Release: Great Breakthrough**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; This is a relatively simple technique that creates a sudden gust of wind, but its scale varies greatly depending on the user. If used by a superior shinobi, it has enough destructive power to knock down a large tree. The wind from the squall can blow away all things in the user's line of sight. Adding it to katon jutsu can increase the power of said jutsu

**Katon: Endan - Fire Release: Flame Bullet**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user kneads chakra into their mouth then fires a simple flame bullet at their target. The size and range is dependent on the amount of chakra used. It can be combined with futon jutsu to increase it's power.

**Suiton: Mizurappa - Water Release: Wild Water Wave**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user molds chakra in their mouths into water and fires a stream of condensed water at their target. The range, speed, and power is dependent on how much chakra is used. Can be strengthened by various different means such as introducing another element.

**Futon: Senpūken - Wind Release: Whirlwind Fist**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user gathers chakra into their fist and fires out a whirlwind, which the size and scale of is dependent on the amount of chakra that is used. It can adapt to increase the size, range, and power of many different elements including katon and suiton jutsu.


	13. Chapter 12

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey there guys, it's me again. This chapter nothing much happening, a little bit of drama, comedy, and action but it's nothing major. Finals are coming up and I've accepted the fact that Calc and Chem are going to be failures. Haha, well anyway enough moping around. But yeah, 100K benchmark, pretty sweet right! Anyways, PM me if you have suggestions or questions alright? Let's get to reading, let's a go!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 12

(Scene change - Naruto's training ground)

His eyes closed, in a lotus position, Naruto was sitting on the surface of the lake of his special training ground. Right now, his mind was going through what happened in the past few hours, releasing a sigh as he remembered the rather frightening aftermath of Kin's second kiss.

(Flash back - A few hours earlier)

Silence. After Kin kissed Naruto for the second time and Kiba shouted that it was her that 'marked' him, there was complete utter silence. However it was soon broken when Narumi and Mito unleashed a surprising amount of killing intent, so much so that everyone flinched when they felt it. But as if it couldn't get any worse for Naruto, Kin, who had been the target for said killing intent, latched on to him and buried her face into his stomach as everyone let their jaws drop even more.

"L-Let go of him already!" Mito shouted, having had enough of the Oto-kunoichi hugging her brother.

Running over, she grabbed Naruto's arm and started to yank him away from Kin, who widened her eyes before she narrowed them, tightening her grip on the blonde. Feeling a little resistance, Mito slowly craned her neck around and locked gazes with Kin, her cerulean eyes glaring at Kin's black eyes who glared back. The situation instantly turned more tense when Narumi, who had an angry pout on her face, ran over and also latched onto his arm with Mito.

"Let go of Naru-nii already!" Narumi shouted, her blue eyes burning with anger and jealousy, as Mito nodded her head in agreement.

But Kin didn't even acknowledge them as she hugged Naruto's arm to her chest, instantly drawing first blood at the bold act. Looking on at the scene, Satsuki, Yakumo and Haku began shaking seeing the 'lovey-dovey' scene unfold before them. Slowly, Satsuki made her way out of her bed, her hands shaking a scary smile on her face as she slowly sauntered over to the group.

Following her actions, Haku and Yakumo also gained smiles that could make the Shinigami shiver in fear as they slowly made their way to game of tug-of-war. Seeing the actions of the young girls, everyone shivered, especially the males of the room.

As they reached neared the group, Naruto's instincts as a living being immediately warned him of an imminent danger. Stiffening, he quickly spotted the other group of girls slowly making their way towards him, like a small group of zombies intent on devouring him. Cursing under his breath for not noticing the danger that was right in front of him, he quickly made the decision to leave.

Reaching out, Haku grabbed his collar as he froze, feeling the chill of her Hyōton jutsu starting to fill the air. The other girls froze as well, waiting to see what Haku was going to do. Slowly, she lifted her head and Naruto felt a bead of sweat run down his face from the chilling smile on her face.

"Naruto-kun, if you don't mind telling me, who is this girl and what is she to you?" She said in a tone that could freeze fire. After hearing the question the others turned to face Naruto, also wanting to know what their connection was.

Looking around, Naruto sighed and closed his eye before he explained the situation.

"You all know already, but this is Kin Tsuchi. She's a friend of mine." He said in a deadpan. After saying that he opened them and took a step back, not only getting scary looks from Haku, Satsuki, Yakumo and his sisters, but Kin was giving him a pitiful and bashful look.

Naruto trained to be ready for anything, Ryuuhei and the Elders teaching him to be cautious and analyze the situation no matter how dire or overwhelming it may be. But no amount of training could possibly prepare him for the words that came out of Kin's mouth.

"N-Naruto-kun... You were my first though... You'll take responsibility right?" Kin said in an extremely bashful tone, her face flushed crimson. While she was talking about him being her first friend, everyone else looked like they had their minds blown.

The girls surround the two; Mito, Narumi, Yakumo, Satsuki, and Haku looked like they had their souls crushed, the words 'responsibility' and 'first' echoing through their heads as they started shaking uncontrollably. While the girls were having a spiritual breakdown, the others didn't fare much better.

The other genin where blushing like mad, even the stoic Shino and Sasuke had blushes on their faces as they let their imaginations run wild with the easily misunderstood words that Kin chose to use.

The adults also didn't act like adults either. Asuma, Kakashi, Genma, Gai and the other male jōnin had tears streaming from their eyes as the muttered the words "before us.." and "youth..." as they covered their eyes with their forearms in an attempt to stop their tears. The women present blushed as their eyes started twitching, starting to get the impression that Naruto was a 'womanizer' who wasn't going to take responsibility for his actions, though Shizune had a blush appear on her face when she imagined what happened.

Zabuza was holding onto the last strings of his self control, seeing his daughter in such a broken state, he was holding onto the handle of Kubikiribōchō as his hand was shaking with his eye twitching. Anko was just gawking, not believing what she had just heard from Kin's mouth. Minato seemed the most affected, he paled knowing what those ominous words meant. Right now, many thoughts ran through his head about how to handle the now international situation at hand, he couldn't keep them separated from each other now that they had 'sealed the deal' could he?

But before the situation could spiral out of control even more, Naruto started to get irritated from the idiotic actions of everyone in the room. Finally having had enough, he addressed all of them at once to clear up the misunderstanding.

"Enough, all of you!" He said, raising his voice as his eyes instantly went from blank to sharp and cold.

Seeing the drastic change in the blonde, everyone snapped out of their delusions and paid attention to him.

"I'll say this just once so you all had better pay attention. As I said before, Kin and I are just friends. We're nothing more and nothing less. What she meant by me being her 'first' is me being her first friend, not what you all are imagining." Naruto said, his eyes seemed to spark slightly making the others flinch slightly.

Having cleared up the misunderstanding, everyone had lost the large blush on their faces but there was still a little pink from the embarrassing situation. Seeing that everyone was finally done with their delusions Naruto sighed before he started walked out before anyone could question him.

After he left, the room gained an awkward atmosphere before it turned tense when Kin turned to them and spoke to the girls present with her eyes narrowed.

"What was that all about?" She asked in a slightly angry tone, as the other girls snapped out of their shock and returned the accusatory glare.

"What do _you _mean? We should be asking you that!" Narumi asked in the same angry tone that Kin was using.

"Hmph, that was just proof of how _close_ Naruto-kun and I are." Kin said in a slightly condescending tone as the other girls started to develop twitches with their eyes.

"You had better watch yourself, what makes you think that you're that close to him anyway!" Satsuki shouted, growing more angry when Kin gave her a smirk.

"I've already kissed him, from what I can tell none of you have done something even close to that yet." Kin said, dropping a bombshell on her rivals' pride, all of them turning red and stuttering.

But Haku quickly recovered and threw her own ammunition.

"W-Well Naruto-kun and I live together!" She said with a proud smile on her face, though all she got were blank looks seeing as she also had Zabuza living with her, and they knew he wouldn't approve of illicit activities while under his watch.

"T-That's not all though, h-he's already seen me n-naked!" That was a powerful blow, seeing as everyone had their eyes wide with their mouths gaping, that is until Zabuza blew up.

"W-WHAT THE HELL?! WHEN?! WHY!? I'LL KILL HIM!" He shouted, now murder was on his mind as Haku paled knowing she stepped on a landmine by blurting out the secret she had been hiding from her father.

"We-Well he personally changed our clothes and washed our bodies when we were in the Forest of Death!" Yakumo said, as she and Satsuki blushed remembering the embarrassing memory.

Hearing the many incidents that their brother had with these girls, Mito and Narumi began to get an ominous black aura around them as a bit of crimson flashed in their eyes, not believing that they were so far behind in terms of memories like those.

The once awkward atmosphere had now turned into a lively environment as the genin started gossiping, the girls pinning for Naruto throwing more angry glares and facts about the blonde to prove who knew him better as Haku tried to restrain her father from going and murdering Naruto for 'tainting his little snowflake'.

The adults sighed, though there were tracing of pink on their faces; the men had their arms over each other's shoulders as they wept, talking about a 'youthful blonde' and how he now had something that every man wishes they had but at the same time didn't want. The women sighed, knowing that they had another potential pervert in the village, silently making an agreement with each other to quell the blondes 'beastly' urges before they run rampant. Minato could only let his head drop, having missed out on having the father-son conversations that he was supposed to have with Naruto, especially those concerning girls, right now he could only hope that Kushina didn't kill him for his son's illicit actions.

After a while, Tsunade kicked them all out of the infirmary, everyone going their own separate ways. The men going to the closest bar to drink their sorrows away in the company of their brothers, the women heading to the nearest sweet and tea shop to discuss the plan for the future, while the genin headed home for a well deserved rest.

Though Yakumo, Satsuki, Mito, Narumi and Haku had one person in mind they were trying to find, hunt, to get answers from. Zabuza was also searching for the same person, his eyes burning with anger and his aura spilling out wildly. Minato headed home, intent on breaking the news of his son's steps into adulthood to his wife, silently praying that he wouldn't be killed when she blew up.

Many of the villagers later that day could have sworn that they heard the scream of an enraged crimson headed demon and the scream of a broken man, as an immense wave of chakra and killing intent pulsed through the village.

(Flashback - End)

After that, Naruto headed to his special training ground, knowing that at least a few people were out for his blood. Opening his eyes, he saw that the sun was about to set and was surprised at the amount of time he spent meditating, usually never having meditated for more then an hour at most. Getting up, was about to head home but froze, for two reason: reason one, Haku. Reason two, Zabuza.

Quickly running a multitude of scenarios in his head, he dropped his head and sighed, knowing that the outcome wouldn't be in his favor no matter the situation. Grabbing his bag, he slung it over his shoulder before making his way back to his apartment, hoping that his roommates had cooled down sufficiently enough by now.

(Scene change - Naruto's apartment)

Arriving at his front door, Naruto sighed as he felt an uneasy feeling sinking into the pit of his stomach. Reaching out, he lightly grabbed the doorknob only to feel the eerie feeling intensify. Sighing once more, he slowly opened the door and was immediately met with killing intent like no other. Wincing, he knew who it belonged to, the oni that was glowering at him being a dead giveaway.

Making his way inside, he was stopped when Zabuza stood in front of him with his arms crossed, his killing intent on full blast. Adding to that, he had an angry and terrifying look on his face, definitely not happy with what happened in the past few hours.

"Well, well, well... look who decided to come home, where were you Naruto? Busy with your _girlfriend_?" He asked, purposely emphasizing the word 'girlfriend' as Naruto sighed before answering.

"Yes I did Zabuza, and no. I don't have a girlfriend." Naruto replied, obviously exhausted with the line of questioning before it even got serious.

"Oh you don't? Well what about that Oto-kunoichi huh? I hear the two of you already kissed." Zabuza half asked, half stated, making Naruto's eye start to twitch from the man's accusatory tone.

"What are you getting at Zabuza?" Naruto nearly growled out, having his patience thinned by the attitude that Zabuza was giving him.

"Oh, getting angry brat? Well now you're feeling a little bit of what I'm feeling right now." Zabuza replied, narrowing his eyes as Naruto mimicked the action.

The tension and killing intent filling the apartment was getting to the point of being able to physically affect the surrounding area, some of the plants that were growing nearby were starting to wilt. But before things got out of hand, the two of them toned down their killing intent and sighed, moving to take a seat next to each other at the counter.

"I'm sorry for my outburst Zabuza, that was rude and uncalled for." Naruto said, apologizing to the older man.

"No, I'm sorry Naruto. You're the one who's been supporting my and Haku, it was rude and disrespectful, what I did." Zabuza also apologized.

Looking at each other, they each cracked a small smile before they talked about what happened, Zabuza explaining that he couldn't stand to see that heartbroken expression on Haku's face, while Naruto explained that he was caught up in a web of misunderstandings from Kin's actions and words.

"I just don't understand why she decided to kiss me in front of everyone." Naruto said, shaking his head at the brazen act. Zabuza gave him a pitying look as he patted him on the back.

"I feel you Naruto, I don't understand women either. Either they love you or they try to kill you." He said, remembering a beautiful lady with green eyes and ankle-length, auburn hair.

As the two fell silent, lost in their own thoughts, the froze when they heard the door open. They didn't need to turn their heads to know who it was, as they felt a chill start to form in the air.

"Ah, so you're finally home Naruto-kun." A sweet and chilling voice said, fear starting to appear on Zabuza's face as a bead of sweat dropped down Naruto's.

"Y-Yeah, I'm back Haku." Naruto answered, still not turning to face her.

Slowly, Haku moved towards the two, her footsteps echoing loudly in the silence of the apartment. Finally, she stopped when she stood behind them, the chill in the air much greater then before.

"Tou-san, would you please leave for a little bit. Naruto-kun and I have a lot to discuss." Haku said in the same sweet and chilling tone, Zabuza casting Naruto an apologetic look for abandoning him in his time of need to his daughter. Though Naruto gave him a small defeated smile in return for his concern.

Making his way out of the apartment, Zabuza turned around and gave a silent prayer for Naruto's safety before making his way to the yakitori stand to wait out Haku's wrath.

Back in the apartment, Haku had grabbed Naruto by the wrist and led him into the living room, making him sit on the couch with her. As they sat, no one said a word, Haku's chilling aura starting to tone down as they remained seating in silence for five minutes. Finally, Haku spoke, breaking the silence.

"Naruto-kun..." She said, her voice low and soft as she slowly reached out and held his hand as he stiffened slightly.

"What is it Haku...?" He asked, successfully hiding the slight waver in his voice. But he froze when Haku leaned forward and buried her face into his chest, nuzzling him softly.

"H-Haku!" He said in surprise, as Haku wrapped her arms around his waist, not intending on letting him go.

"Naruto-kun... Were you really telling the truth? Is that girl really nothing to you?" She asked, her voice muffled slightly from having her face still buried in his chest.

"I told all of you that we were just friends didn't I?" He said slightly agitated, sighing for the umpteenth time after repeating himself once again. But his agitation left and was replaced with a slight breathlessness when Haku raised her head, the her flushed cheeks being brought out by her flawless pale skin, her dark-brown eyes shining.

"Naruto-kun... You'll take responsibility for seeing me naked as well won't you?" She asked, leaning closer to Naruto, who now had a tinge of pink on his cheeks.

"W-What are you talking about Haku?!" Naruto said in a slightly panicked tone, not liking where things were headed.

"You'll take care of me won't you Naruto-kun?" Haku asked, changing her position, now sitting on Naruto's lap as she straddled him, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Leaning in close, she rested her forehead on his as she stared into those navy blue eyes that captivated and captured her heart. With each passing second, the pounding of her heart got louder as her blush increased. Her eyes slightly glazed over, she could feel Naruto's breath on her lips. With each breath that touched her lips, a shiver would run down her spine.

Naruto was in a dire situation at the moment, he knew, from what Ryuuhei and the Elders had told him, that a kiss on the cheek was drastically different from a kiss on the lips. One could be seen as affection and interest while the other meant lust or lust and was usually reserved for the one you truly loved or lusted; while a kiss on the cheek could be overlooked and explained as a rather bold display of attraction, a kiss on the lips couldn't be explained or overlooked and often ended in a grave misunderstanding.

Finally having had enough of Naruto 'teasing' her, Haku learned forward intent on capturing his lips with hers. Move, that was all that ran through Naruto's mind seeing Haku lean forward intent on kissing him. As she neared, he shifted his head and instead of his lips, she kissed his cheek. Though he gained a deeper blush, he sighed, knowing that he had adverted a disaster. But he wasn't prepared for what Haku did next.

Seeing that Naruto didn't want to kiss her, Haku started to tear up as Naruto widened his eyes hearing her sniffle. Tears that looked like translucent pearls dropped down from Haku's eyes that reminded Naruto of the sweetest chocolate, flowing down her flushed pale cheeks that seemed to glow with a heavenly light. Her kimono was undone a little, showing off her shoulders and a little bit of her chest, both pale and seeming to glow with the same heavenly light that her cheeks had. Seeing her in such a state seemed to entrance Naruto as he slowly brought up his hand to brush away the tears that were building up in her eyes.

"D-Do you not like me Naruto-kun? Am I not attractive enough for you to kiss me?" She asked, sniffling and hiccupping as more tears started to give way.

"Haku..." Naruto said in a soft and gentle tone, making Haku's heart and stomach flutter with the sincerity and gentleness that it contained.

"You know that I do like you, and I do think that you're very beautiful." He said, reassuring her of her worries as she gradually stopped hiccupping though she still sniffled slightly.

"Y-You're just saying that..." She said, sniffling once again as she lowered her eyes, trying to avoid his gaze. She was stunned when Naruto cupped her chin and gently forced her to stare once again into his navy blue eyes as her blush deepened.

"I'm not Haku. I don't know why, but whenever I see you I seem to forget that the moon exists at all." He told her with a small smile, making her eyes widen before they closed slightly. She placed her own hand on top of his, to feel his warmth even more as a smile that made the stars pale appeared on her face.

As they sat there, savoring the company of each other, someone entered the apartment and immediately broke the intimate scene when he dropped the takeout that he had brought back.

"H-H-Ha...K-Ku... N-N-Nar... T-To..." Zabuza softly stuttered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Zabuza had returned after 20 minutes, seeing how that must have been plenty of time for his daughter to unleash her fury on the poor blonde. Knowing that he abandoned his friend in his time of need, he brought back some spicy yakitori as a peace offering, who wouldn't want some spicy yakitori?

When he opened the door and walked in, he saw a scene that would scar him for life, scarring him even more then when a teenager walks in on their 'parents doing the deed'. He saw his daughter, his little snowflake, with her kimono undone showing her shoulders and part of her chest straddling Naruto, her hand on his. Naruto wasn't doing anything to indicate that he was trying to resist, in fact to Zabuza, it looked like he was enjoying having his daughter straddle him. Adding to the scene were the expressions that both had; Naruto having a bit of pink on his cheeks while Haku was scarlet. But the icing on the cake was the radiant happiness that Haku had on her face and the smile that graced Naruto's.

Seeing what was before him, he lost all ability to function, dropping the yakitori as the world seemed to turn grey and slow down. As the takeout box hit the floor, Zabuza's eyes rolled into the back of his head as he paled and fell backwards, unconscious.

Hearing the loud thump from the hallway, Haku and Naruto were broken out of their dazed state and turned to look at the disturbance and panicked, seeing Zabuza's feet peeking out from the corner. Quickly making their way towards the downed man, they saw the mess made by the broken takeout box and paleness of Zabuza. Naruto carrying the man to his room, Haku quickly cleaned the mess before rushing to her father's side, frantically checking to see if he was alright.

After a few minutes of panicking, they both let sighs of relief out when he was just unconscious and not injured. Making sure that he was fully covered, they exited the room never hearing him moan about troublesome black haired grandchildren with blue eyes.

Once outside, the two sat awkwardly on the couch together. Remembering the rather steamy moment that they shared earlier, they were of course embarrassed to say the least, but the silence was broken when their stomachs sounded out, making Haku blush as Naruto cracked a smirk. Seeing him smirk, Haku blushed even more before turning away from him as he just smiled.

"I'll make dinner tonight Haku." He said as he made his way to the kitchen, never seeing the serene smile and eyes full of longing that Haku directed towards him. After a few minutes, Zabuza came staggering out and frantically looked at the two, but sighed seeing that it had just been a bad dream that he had, never seeing the blush that adorned Haku's cheeks or Naruto flinching slightly when he asked if she was straddling Naruto.

Zabuza headed back to bed after eating dinner the 'dream' he had of Haku straddling Naruto having taken a toll on his psyche. After he left, Naruto cleaned up and finished the dishes for the night and headed to bed himself.

Finishing his shower, he was stunned when Haku entered the bath with a towel covering her body. Without saying a word, Naruto avoided contact with her eyes as he moved to get past her only for Haku to cup his cheek and give him a long kiss on the cheek, making his eyes widen from her action. Finally removing her lips, she gave him another stunning smile before she spoke.

"I won't lose to anyone Naruto-kun." She said as she blushed, gently pushing him out of the shower as she leaned against the door after closing it.

"_I won't lose you to anyone, not even that Oto-nin. You and me were meant for each other, I won't let anyone else have you._" Haku thought as a determined look came onto her face before entering the shower.

Naruto stood in the hallway with a bewildered expression on his face before he shook his head and sighed, making his way to his room to sleep off the stress the events of the day caused him.

(Time skip - The next morning)

Waking up once he heard the sound of the birds chirping, Naruto slowly got out of bed and turned to the clock, seeing that it was 5 in the morning. Grabbing a towel, he quickly took a shower to avoid meeting with Haku like he did last night. Once he finished washing up and got changed, Naruto left a note on the fridge for Zabuza and Haku before heading out.

Seeing that it was early, Naruto decided to do a light amount of jogging, making his way to the outer gates. As he approached the gates he saw Kotetsu and Izumo already sleeping on each other as he suppressed a smirk seeing the scene. Stretching for a few minutes, he started with his jogging, letting his mind wonder to his plan to leave the village for the month to train. Lost in the midst of his thoughts, he was abruptly broken out of them when he felt a hand on his shoulder, lashing out with a punch, he stopped when he felt that was blocked.

"Haha, yosh! It's great to see other youthful young people out early in the morning training!" Gai said, a bright smile on his face, even after Naruto lashed out at him.

"Oh, my apologies Gai-sensei. I didn't mean to attack you." Naruto apologized, bowing his head. He was brought back up when Gai placed his hands on his shoulder, before he ask a question.

"Naruto-kun, I apologize if I'm asking for too much, but would you mind having a spar with me?" Gai asked making Naruto a bit surprised, but he nodded, wanting to see where he stood against one of the pinnacle figures of taijutsu in the world.

(Scene change - Training ground Nine)

Arriving at his team's training ground, Gai would be lying if he said he wasn't excited. After seeing Naruto's skills, though brief, he knew that he was quite skilled in taijutsu as Lee also back up that statement. Standing a few feet apart, Naruto bowed to Gai as he did the same. Soon, Naruto took the initiative, blurring and lashing out with a straight.

Gai easily blocked the attack, and countered with his own punch that Naruto blocked as well. Quickly, Naruto reacted and spun on his foot, sending his heel flying towards Gai's side. Blocking the strike, Gai lashed out with a lightning fast punch that sent Naruto reeling back, before he flipped backwards before exploding forward in twice the speed.

Widening his eyes at the explosive rise in speed, Gai couldn't help the smile that came to his face from seeing such talent. Rushing in as well, he met Naruto in a furious clash of fists. Every time Naruto blocked, Gai struck twice and vice versa. As Naruto took a step back from a powerful jab from Gai, Gai followed up and smashed the back of his fist into Naruto sending him flying back.

"Oh no!" Gai cried, having put in way too much force in that last blow.

The more he fought Naruto the more he saw that Naruto started to react faster and grow stronger, it was like he was adapting to Gai's style and that in turn made Gai fight back harder. However, that last blow could cost Naruto his match in the finals. But his worries were for not as Naruto stood up, albeit shakily, and spat out a globule of blood.

"Ha... Ha... You're amazing Gai-sensei..." Naruto said, in awe at the speed and power that the man displayed. No matter how much he tried to raise his speed or power, he would be matched by Gai before being overtaken.

Seeing Naruto stand after taking an attack that would injury even Lee when he was using the first few gates, Gai couldn't help but gawk as Naruto took a deep breath before releasing it, his exhaustion seemingly vanishing. Another smile appearing on his face, he took the initiative this time, making Naruto widen his eyes before he blocked a bone shaking kick from Gai, grunting as his arm went slightly numb from the blow.

The two continued their spar for another few hours, before Naruto finally conceded, his body bruised and aching as Gai apologized profusely for his lack of concern. But Naruto waved him off, saying that it was an enjoyable time, giving Gai his rarely seen smile making the older man crush him in a hug as he shouted about 'youth'.

After the intense sparring session, Gai bid Naruto a tearful farewell before asking if he was willing to spar again, which Naruto happily accepted knowing that it would only help him if he fought stronger opponents. As Gai left, Naruto sighed as he rubbed his aching muscles still in awe at the power and skill of Gai's taijutsu prowess. Looking into the sky, he saw that it was probably near noon, meaning that he and Gai had spent nearly 5-6 hours sparring.

Stretching and cracking his body's aches, he made his way back to the village to prepare for his training trip.

(Scene change - Uzumaki-Namikaze Estate)

In the middle of the estate training grounds the Uzumaki-Namikaze family was gathered to discuss who was going to be training who. Gathered was Mito, Menma, Narumi, Minato, Kushina, Kakashi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Shizune.

"So kids, I want all of you to choose who you want to train with! But remember, there won't be any switching or complaining allowed when you choose you sensei for the week." Minato explained, getting excited reactions from his children.

"Kaa-chan! Please train with me for the month!" Mito said, taking first pick as her right as the oldest present.

"Sure thing Mito-chan! We'll train until you win the whole competition!" Kushina said, as Mito vigorously nodded her head in agreement.

"Tsunade-baachan! Could you please teach me this month?" Narumi asked, employing her 'puppy dog eyes'. Though she didn't need them as Tsunade smiled and hugged her goddaughter.

"Of course Umi-chan! Once I'm done with you, I'm going all in on you in the betting pool!" Tsunade said with her eyes burning in determination as Narumi just laughed at her godmother's actions as everyone else just laughed wryly knowing her luck.

"Hey! Jiraiya-jiji, you'll make me stronger then Tou-san right!" Menma asked his godfather.

"Heh! What do you take me for Menma!? I am Jiraiya the Gama Sennin! The sensei of the Yondaime Hokage!" Jiraiya proudly proclaimed as Menma looked on in awe, as Kushina, Shizune and Tsunade sighed at his boasting.

"Great! Now that everyone has a sensei for the month, you will all need to find somewhere to train. I don't want you to train close to each other because I want your individual training to be a mystery from each other." Minato said, getting nods from his children.

Smiling, he gave them all a hug before telling them that they'll go far if they stick to their training as the other adults agreed, making the children blush. But the light and happy atmosphere was broken when Narumi quickly noted something.

"Wait, what about Naruto-nii?" She asked, knowing that her brother didn't have someone to train him. Anko had been asked by Yakumo to train her and Satsuki had her family.

Everyone froze when they heard the question, who indeed was going to train Naruto. Their first thoughts went to Anko but that quickly left when Narumi told them that she was going to train Yakumo. Then it headed to Zabuza, and immediately Kushina got worried, still not keen on the former Kiri-nin training her oldest. But Minato's eyes seemed to light up, finding this to be a golden opportunity to get close to his son.

"Don't you all worry, I'll be the one training Naruto!" Minato said in a tone of finality, his eyes burning with determination. Seeing him so fired up, they could only nod and hope that Naruto accepted his training.

(Time skip - Later that day)

Night was soon coming, the sun beginning to set on Konoha. In his apartment Naruto was finishing up packing the rest of his equipment and supplies for his trip. Putting his heavy-duty backpack filled with his sealed supplies and equipment on, he headed out of room. Seeing Zabuza and Haku watching TV he let a small smile come onto his face as he looked at the scene, they really acted like father and daughter.

His attempt at stealthy making his way out was ruined when Zabuza asked what he was doing without even turning his head. Sighing, he told them that he was leaving. Before he could even explain, he was tackled and pinned to the ground by both Zabuza and Haku who looked at him with incredulous eyes. Quickly explaining that he wasn't moving out but just going on a training trip for the month, he placated the two before they each gave him a hug, even Zabuza much to the man's embarrassment.

After bidding farewell, Zabuza ruffled his hair and told him to be safe and come back stronger then before. Haku quickly gave him another kiss on the cheek before wishing him good luck and heading back inside with a blush on her cheeks. Shaking his head at their actions, he headed towards the Hokage's tower to get the approval of the Hokage to head out of the village, and he knew that it would be a rough time.

(Scene change - Hokage's Tower)

Minato was signing and stamping the unending pile of paperwork in his office, that had accumulated from him taking part of the day off to assign who would be teaching his children. He hope that he would finish in time to visit Naruto and give him his offer of training him. He was broken out of his pace when Alice, his secretary, told him that he had a visitor which surprised him seeing as it was rather late. Giving her the ok, he was more surprised when it was his son who walked in.

"_Naruto came to see me? Then... Does he want me to train him!?_" Minato thought, his heart nearly bursting in happiness at the possibility that his son wanted to be trained by him.

"Naruto, it's great to see you!" Minato greeted his son with a wide smile, though he was met with a blank face as usual.

"Hokage-sama, I have a request that I wish of you to approve." Naruto asked, as Minato tensed up, knowing what he was going to ask.

"Of course Naruto, please ask away." He said, getting more excited as the suspense started to kill him.

"Hokage-sama, I would like to ask permission to leave the village for the month for training." Minato visibly deflated when he heard those words, instead of being asked to train him.

"N-Naruto, I can train you if you'd like. Was actually going to offer to train you." Minato said, trying to get his son to consider his offer, but he was met with a soft shake of the head.

"Thank you for your kind offer Hokage-sama, but I don't want to distract you from your work and I don't want it to seem like favoritism if you were to train me. I would like it if you could approve my request however." Naruto said as Minato gave him a sad smile.

"Where will you be staying Naruto?" Minato asked, curious as to where Naruto will be training.

"I will be close to Konoha Hokage-sama, so don't worry about me not making it back or being too far away." Naruto replied.

Nodding as he quickly signed a scroll giving his son permission to leave the village thinking that he would be within reach. As he thanked him and turned to leave, Minato called out to him.

"Naruto! Be safe ok? Come back safe." Minato said, his voice warm and concerned.

"I will be Minato-san, I'll be back within the month don't worry about me." Naruto said, his voice usually flat having a hint of gratitude making Minato's eyes widen before a grin made its way to his face. In a flash, he wrapped his son in a hug much to his utter shock.

"I'm glad, don't forget to eat, sleep, shower and brush your teeth okay. If you get tired or hurt, just throw this and I'll be there." Minato fretted over his son before handing him his signature tri-prong kunai.

"I won't, so please let go of me Minato-san. You know I don't like physical contact." Naruto said, his voice a little bashful at being coddled by his father. The grin still on his face from the reactions of his son, Minato waved one last time to Naruto which was returned before he left. Turning back to his paperwork, Minato quickly blew through it with renewed vigor finishing within the hour.

(Scene change - Middle of Konoha)

After leaving the tower, Naruto pocketed the scroll his father had signed. Adjusting his backpack he was heading to the east gate when he froze, his eyes widening when he felt a vile and bloodthirsty chakra emanating from the direction of Kikyō Castle. Narrowing his eyes, he quickly made his way over, not liking the feeling of dread that he was getting.

(Scene change - Kikyō Castle)

Standing on top of Kikyō Castle was a mutilated Dosu and Gaara, his sand stained with Dosu's blood. Soon, Gaara disappeared in a swirl of sand, leaving behind the ruined tower and Dosu's body.

"So that's his true from huh?" A silver haired, glassing wearing young man said.

"You sure that was alright, he was an Oto-nin?" A Suna-nin said, turning to face the man.

"Of course, his use had already expired once the preliminaries were over. So far Lord Hiruko is pleased with the process the plan has been proceeding with so far. Everything has been going according to plan, minus a few slip ups." The silver haired man said.

"Hmm... I'm sure that we're finished once they discover the plan though Kabuto. How can you be so sure that the Leaf won't act?" The Suna-nin said, scanning the area.

"Haha, of course Baki-san. Minato Namikaze isn't one to act from just a threat. He'll strengthen the defenses and then the attack comes, they'll be prepared." Kabuto said, adjusting his glasses.

"Fine, I'll take your word for it. Now..." Baki trailed off.

"We need to get rid of the rats running about!" Kabuto finished as he and Baki vanished via **Shunshin**.

Hayate was in shock at what he had just overhead. Oto and Suna were planning a joint attack on the Leaf. He knew that Suna was still shaky from the war, but to attack them now of all times. But he broke out of his thoughts when Kabuto and Baki vanished, Hayate doing the same himself.

Appearing on the top of the nearby buildings, the three faced off as a bead of sweat dropped down Hayate's head.

"_Damn... It's two on one, this doesn't look good at all..._" Hayate cursed in his mind, as they were about to attack, an arc of chakra force Baki and Kabuto to move as it cleaved through part of the rooftop that they were standing on.

"Naruto?!" Hayate called out in disbelief seeing the blonde once again.

"Hayate-sensei? Are you alright?" Naruto said, jumping at the side of his superior, his Basutāsōdo resting on his shoulder.

In awe of the weapon, Hayate was snapped out of his stupor when Naruto called out to him once again.

"O-Oh, I'm fine Naruto. Thank you, if you didn't arrive I'm sure I wouldn't have survived that encounter." He said, scanning for the enemy only to see that they were gone.

"Looks like they're gone." Hayate said, his eyes narrowed.

"It seems like it." Naruto replied, unable to catch a trace of the unknown ninja.

After the encounter, Hayate returned with Naruto to the Hokage's tower to report what they experience. Minato's eyes grew cold when he heard the about the plan to attack the leaf, thanking the two, he quickly called Orochimaru and Jiraiya to plan and prepare for the attack, knowing that they would strike when they were most vulnerable which meant they would attack during the finals.

(Scene change - Center of Konoha)

After Minato had dismissed them, Hayate and Naruto made their way together to the center of Konoha were they were about to part ways. But before he left, Hayate thanked Naruto once again for his timely intervention which Naruto brushed off saying that he was only doing what a shinobi should do. Smiling at the young blonde, he had asked about the sword and if he knew how to use it which he got a smirk in return.

Once he asked that, Hayate asked if he would be willing to have a spar in the future which Naruto agreed to once he got back from his training trip. But he told Hayate to ask Zabuza for a spar, telling him that he was a lot softer then he looked, which Hayate laughed at before nodding. Patting the younger man on the shoulder, Hayate told him to train hard and come back stronger which Naruto nodded. Finally, they parted ways Naruto finally heading towards the East Gate.

Arriving at the gates, he was stopped by the chūnin on guard duty for the night. After showing them his scroll with the Hokage's seal of approval, they nodded before wishing him luck with his training which he thanked them for. Finally out of Konoha, Naruto made his way to his special training ground.

(Scene change - Naruto's training ground)

Finally making it, Naruto pulled out Ryuuhei's scroll and placed it on the ground. Quickly blurring through a set of seals, he stopped on the Dragon seal then slammed his palm on the scroll. Slowly the scroll began to glow and Naruto opened it, unrolling it on the ground as a thin black portal appeared . Rolling up his scroll, Naruto took a deep breath before he stepped into the portal as it soon closed after he entered it.

(Scene change - Unknown location)

Arriving to destination, Naruto opened his eyes and was immediately jumped back as the ground exploded. Dodging the seemingly endless amount of rubble, he stopped as he looked at what, or rather who, caused the explosion.

His uniform forest green coloration and muscular upper body. His thick hide that was littered with short, jagged spines that reached a maximum height along the back and tail. His narrow snout with a large lower jaw, covered in multiple rows of spines spreading outwards from the teeth. His massive, powerful hind legs, but tiny, poorly developed forelegs that he rarely utilized. His back and shoulder muscles were swelled considerably, parts of his skin having a rich red coloration. It was Jho, his older brother's partner.

"**NARUTO! WHERE ARE YOU!? I KNOW I SMELLED YOU!**" He roared, his voice alone leveling the area around him.

Cursing, Naruto dropped to the ground, instantly catching Jho's attention. Simply turning around, his tail caused a gale of wind that nearly sent Naruto flying.

"**THERE YOU ARE! HOW DARE YOU HIDE FROM ME BOY!**" He roared once more, his presence alone forcing Naruto to kneel in front of him.

"S-Sorry Jho. I was blown away when you dropped on top of me." Naruto replied, sweat dropping down his face.

"**HMM, HAHA! STILL THE JESTER I SEE! COME, STAND UP AND LET US BEGIN YOUR TRAINING!**" Jho said, his anger replaced with a jovial tone.

Sighing, Naruto nodded and jumped on top of Jho as they made their way towards the upper levels of 'Thousand Blade Mountain'.

"**So Naruto, how have you been? I smell the scent of a female on you. Have you been mating?**" Jho said in a casual tone as Naruto choked on his spit from the casual way Jho had said it.

"J-Jho! I'm far too young to be doing something like that!" Naruto said, a blush on his face from both anger and embarrassment. But all his anger got was a bellow of laughter from Jho.

"**Bwhaha! You humans are far too fickle! Mating early ensures that you are able to raise your young if even for a little while! I know that those females wish to mate with you!**" Jho said, as Naruto just muttered under his breath about perverted old dragons.

Finally, they made it to the second level of the mountain. Getting off Jho, Naruto stretched his muscles before making his way into the mountain next to Jho.

(Scene change - Thousand Blade Mountain: Level 1)

Inside Thousand Blade Mountain, the craggy and desolate land immediately changed into a beautiful land filled with green and blue. Quickly glancing around, Naruto turned to Jho.

"Ne, Jho. Who am I training with for the month?" Naruto asked, clearly confused not seeing anyone around.

"**Gwahaha! You're looking at him Naruto! You're going to be training with me for the month!**" Jho said as he laughed once again, making Naruto sigh, knowing that the next few weeks were going to be hell.

"I just had to get the all mighty 'World Eater' didn't I?" He asked no one in particular, though someone did answer him.

"**Ufufufu! Don't fret Naruto-kun, you are in capable hands. Deviljho's title as the 'Embodiment of Hungry' and as 'The Great Devourer' are merely nicknames. His true title is as you said, he is the World Eater. In terms of sheer power, none come close to him.**" A sultry voice said, though there was no visible entity in sight.

"**If you speak to my partner's brother you had better show yourself Chameleos.**" Jho growled out, black and crimson lightning started to spark from his head.

"**Be at ease Deviljho, I mean the boy no harm.**" Chameleos said, as she appeared.

Her body is covered by a purple and white hide. Her head was also large, flat, and has a spiked "crest" with a horn at the tip of her head. Her eyes were similar to that of a chameleon's; large and orb-like with the ability to freely move separate from each other. Her wings are purple color with a grayish white membrane. Her tail was large and shaped like a leaf, with a chameleon-like curled spiral at the end.

It was Chameleos, the 'Empress of Stealth' due to her unique ability to completely erase all traces of her presence making it impossible to track her. Playfully, she wrapped her tongue around Naruto and brought him closer to her as she nearly purred in delight at the heat he was radiating.

"Chamele, could you please let me go." Naruto asked, uncomfortable and embarrassed that he was being used as a living heating pack for the 'Empress of Stealth'.

"**Ufufufu, you are far too cute Naruto-kun. I wish I could keep you all for myself.**" She replied, letting him go seeing that Jho now had a black and crimson haze nearly covering his face.

"Chamele, you really need to tone down your teasing." Naruto said, seeing that Jho nearly lost control of himself.

After the incident was over, they made their way to the center forest as Naruto removed his backpack and placed it in a secure area before he made his way to the forest training ground as Jho and Chamele waited for him.

"**Hmph, took you long enough Naruto.**" Jho said, obviously irked that he took so long though it was only five minutes.

"Yeah, I'm ready for my training. But what will I be learning anyway Jho?" He asked as Jho cracked a savage smile.

"**You will be furthering your strength and taijutsu! Power is just that, power! All you need is the strength to DOMINATE AND DEVOUR YOUR ENEMIES!**" He said, roaring the last part, causing a shockwave to uproot and blow the nearby trees away.

Though he was broken out of his state by Chamele.

"**Deviljho, you know that the boy needs more then just brute strength. That may work for you but the enemies that he will face will not just compete in a contest of taijutsu , they will also use ninjutsu and genjutsu.**" Chamele said, as Jho just grunted as he admitted the truth of the statement.

"**Fine, we will also be training in Ryuuton as well. If you want, you can consult some of the other dragons for extra training.**" Jho said, as Naruto nodded, determination shining in his eyes as Jho gave him his signature savage grin as Chamele gave him her signature teasing smile.

"**Now! Enough talk! LET US BEGIN!**" Jho roared, spinning and slamming his tail into Naruto who barely had time to bring his arms up to defend himself.

Crying out in agony, Naruto was sent flying into the groove of trees as Jho and Chamele instantly went towards him and found him on laying on his back; his eyes wide and filled with pain as he coughed up blood with both of his arms having some of the bone jutting out from the brutal attack.

"**It looks like I got too into it.**" Jho said sheepishly as Chamele instantly tended to the broken form that was Naruto.

(Scene change - Thousand Blade Mountain: Chamber of the Elders)

Gathered in a seemingly endless cave, the Elder Dragons had their attention focused on a screen showing Naruto's image.

"**So he is the one?**" A deep voice bellowed, a steel-grey dragon being its owner.

"**Tsk, he doesn't seem like much. Are you sure that he is the child?**" A proud voice said, belonging to a dragon with orange fur and dark copper scales.

"**Do you not trust the Elder?**" A cold feminine voice said, originating from a beautiful golden clad dragon.

"**Tsk, should just end him. He's weaker then that other human.**" A arrogant voice said, belonging to a blood red hulking dragon.

"**Give him time to grow, that child shows potential to become very powerful.**" A regal feminine voice said, belonging to a brilliant white and blue dragon.

As they conversed and looked at the screen of Naruto being tended to by Chamele and Jho, it shifted to show a girl with sleepy looking face, her eyes closed and a smile on her face with mid length light blue hair. She was wearing a simple outfit that consisted of a white t-shirt, black pants, and black boots. Slowly, she turned to the dragon that she was training with and opened her eyes, revealing brilliant emerald green eyes that had a draconian pupil.

A Son Forgotten

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**Who could this mysterious girl be? Is she who Ryuuhei was talking about?! Find out next time on 'A Son Forgotten'! Well, that's really all there is for this chapter. And yup, they're MH Dragons/Wyverns, don't really care too much about the differences but I just really like em so they'll be here for now. As for summoning, Naruto isn't going to have just one I'll just say that right now but he will have a main partner like Jho. Again, PM me if you've got suggestions or questions alright? Cool, till next time say awesome. ;)**

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**Shunshin - Body Flicker**: D-Rank Ninjutsu; A high-speed movement technique, allowing a ninja to move short to long distances at an almost untraceable speed. To an observer, it appears as if the user has teleported. A puff of smoke is occasionally used to disguise the user's movements. It is accomplished by using chakra to temporarily vitalize the body and move at extreme speeds. The amount of chakra required depends on the overall distance and elevation between the user and the intended destination.


	14. Chapter 13

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's me again bringing you another chapter! Rad right! Well, it's finally time... Finals week... Ah, waking up at 7 in the morning for a Sunday final, the joy. Haha, well enough of me moping around, you just wanna read right! Well, it's been a little stressful since I've been studying and stuff but I really am trying to bring you guys regular updates since I know you all like them right! AND 100K Views! Pretty sweet! XD Well, anywho this chapter is pretty alright, it's not the best but I don't think it's bad either! I did a little something different with the jutsu since some people have been constantly PM'ing me about having English translation next to the Japanese name, so tell me how it looks, I think it's a little funky. XD **Once again, PM me if you have a suggestion or question alright! I don't really reply to reviews unless it's something dire! XD Well, anywho let's start reading! Let's a go!****

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 13

After having his shattered arms repaired by Chamele, Naruto was unable to train for the rest of the day his arms needing to finish healing. As he was sitting with an angry expression on his face, Jho had the decency to look sheepish, having known that he went overboard with the surprise attack.

"**Naruto... I've apologized many times in the past few hours, how much longer until you forgive me? I know that what I did was foolish.**" Jho asked, which Naruto only scoffed before turning away. Sighing, Jho just left, knowing that humans needed time to 'cool' as Ryuuhei put it, though he wondered why any creature actually wanted to be cold.

Seeing Jho leave, Naruto just growled as he narrowed his eyes, glaring in the direction that the dragon left. Slowly, his navy blue eyes started to have crimson bleed into them the more he thought about the surprise attack. But as the crimson started to undermine the blue, Naruto shook his head and they returned to their navy blue. Widening his eyes, he gripped his head as part of him mind demanded that he attack and end Jho, though he didn't know why.

"_Ugh... W-What's wrong with me?_" Naruto thought, his mind feeling like it was splitting apart.

"_**Why did you allow him to get away with that disgraceful attack? Why not return the favor and end him? Why not consume him and gain more power?**_" A voice that would have sounded exactly like his if not for the hungry and bloodthirsty tone.

"_W-Who are y-you?_" Naruto asked in his head, the pain starting to reach an unbearable level.

"_**I am you, and you are me. We are one, but also two.**_" The voice answered, as the pain intensified as it spoke.

"_E-Enough with the riddles! W-Who are you!_" Naruto demanded, never noticing that his left eye slowly becoming crimson with a draconian pupil or the draconian seal starting to spread.

"_**Hahaha! You dare demand something of me? How brave you are! It is still far too soon for you to know, but I will leave you this warning human. We will become whole once again, once we do there can only be one who will hold control over this. The moment you weaken, I will consume you.**_" The voice said, before chilling laughter sounded out as it slowly echoed into nothingness.

Once the voice left the seal and the crimson in his eyes faded away. Panting with his hands on his head, Naruto had his eyes wide open with a cold sweat breaking on his face. Fear, he felt fear from the warning that the voice had given him. Shaking his head to get rid of the words that continued to echo through his head, Naruto ever noticed that Jho and Chamele had arrived, worry etched onto their faces.

"H-Huh? Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just a major migraine is all." Naruto said, though they didn't look convinced, they accepted his answer seeing as he knew best as it was his body.

After a checking if he was fit for training, Naruto was able to start his training with Jho after a few hours after getting his arms shattered. At first, he was a little reluctant seeing as Jho had the tendency to get carried away, shown a few hours earlier, but after a little bit of coaxing Naruto agreed.

(Time skip - 3 hours later)

"**FASTER! YOU NEED TO BE MUCH FASTER THEN YOUR PREY IF YOU WISH TO HUNT THEM!**" Jho roared as Naruto did his best to evade the devastating attacks that were thrown at him. Dodging under a tail swipe that destroyed a few trees, Naruto quickly panicked when a black and crimson haze covered Jho's face.

"**POWER! YOU NEED MUCH MORE POWER IF YOU WISH TO DEVOUR EVERYTHING THAT OPPOSES YOU!**" Jho roared once more, leveling the surrounding area and destroying all of the flora that was nearby. After his roar, reared his head back before blowing out a cloud of Ryuuton natured chakra, a dragon's breath.

His eye widening at the fatal black and crimson cloud, Naruto could only watch as the cloud approached him, ending all life that came in contact with it. Before it reached him though, it dissipated as Naruto fell onto his rear, his eyes wide with fear.

"**That, Naruto. Is how you hunt.**" Jho said, the haze vanishing as he leaned forward to check if Naruto was alright.

"**Are you alright? Can you continue? If not you should rest, you are definitely not at the level I hoped you were at.**" Jho said as Naruto shakily got back onto his feet.

Taking a deep breath to calm his frazzled nerves, Naruto calmed himself before settling back into a stance.

"I'm fine Jho, please continue." Naruto said, though a bead of sweat made its way down his head.

Seeing the determination that he had, Jho could only crack a savage grin before nodding. While he couldn't train Naruto in the human arts of taijutsu, ninjutsu, or genjutsu; he could improve his speed, strength, reaction time, and other physical attributes. For learning Ryuuton jutsu, Jho had Naruto observe and feel how he shaped and molded the chakra in his body. Ryuuton jutsu was usually unique to the user, each user having a different way to mold and shape the chakra, and in turn the jutsu that resulted were varied in nature, use and power.

The training session continued for a few more hours, Naruto improving his speed and reaction time to Jho's joy. Soon, night fell as Jho decided that it was time for Naruto to rest seeing as the boy's body was bruised and on the verge of being corroded by the excessive use of Ryuuton natured chakra.

Leaning against Jho who was laying on the ground, Naruto absently poked at the fire. Throughout the day, he had noticed that he was weak, far too weak for his liking. Compared to the stories that Jho told him of his brother being able to fight each of the Elders to a standstill and even winning against some of the weaker ones, Naruto felt powerless, a rare occurrence for the blonde.

"Ne, Jho." Naruto whispered, staring into the flames of the fire pit as Jho shifted slightly to look at him.

"**Is something the matter Naruto? Can you not sleep?**" Jho asked, seeing as the boy has been acting strangely for quite a while now.

"Do... Do you think I'll be as strong as Ryuu-niichan? I... I'm so weak right now... I already know that the Elders mock me, that they doubt my ability to become stronger." Naruto asked, never taking his gaze off the fire.

"**Naruto, strength comes with time. Do you think that Ryuuhei or myself were born with this strength?**" Jho asked, not used to seeing the normally determined blonde so defeated.

"I know you both worked hard to get as strong as you are, but... I don't feel myself becoming strong fast enough." Naruto said, balling hands into tight fists.

"**Tell me Naruto, for what reason do you wish to become strong so quickly?**" Jho asked, genuinely concerned about the changes in the blonde.

"I... I don't know Jho. I just want to get stronger faster." Naruto admitted, dropping his head for his pathetic reason.

Seeing the blonde in such a state made Jho worry, never had he seen such confusion and conflict in a human. Ryuuhei broke down once, but it wasn't the same as what he was experiencing now.

"**Rest. You're answer will come. No matter how much you train, you will only grow as strong as time allows. If you train for a day, you will get stronger by a day. If you train for a week, you will get stronger by a week. But no matter how much you train, you will never get stronger then time allows.**" Jho said, as Naruto nodded his head as he leaned into the dragon and let sleep slowly take him.

(Time skip - 1 week later)

After a week of training that could only be described as 'hell', Naruto found that he had become much stronger then he once was. His strength, speed, reaction time, and intelligence had all skyrocketed after spending time training with not only Jho but also a few of the other dragons. At first, they were reluctant to train him, telling him that he didn't have the same potential that the 'other human' had. Thinking that they were speaking about Ryuuhei, Naruto challenged them for the right to train under them.

He was destroyed, repeatedly. Ending the 'duel' with a single swipe of their tails or arm, they decimated Naruto. But no matter how many times he fell, how many bones were shattered, how much blood was spilled; he didn't give up. Eventually, his perseverance earned him the right to train with them, the dragons seeing that after every beat down, he would come back faster and stronger then before, being able to anticipate their attacks before launching a counter-attack.

Right now though, he was confined to rest and recover, his last training session was with Tigrex who, to the surprise of everyone, agreed to train with him. Tigrex was a special case as he was very different from the others of his lineage. Instead of the yellow/blue striped coloration that his ancestors had, he had a striking blood-red coloration. But that wasn't the only difference, he was much larger, stronger, faster, and more intelligent and cunning then his predecessors. It was because of those enhanced and stark differences that he had built up a wall of arrogance and pride that none hoped to breach, but somehow Naruto managed to get through.

Though training wouldn't have been the words to describe the brutal beat down that Naruto was subjected to. The shattered bones and shredded muscle that Jho gave Naruto was much more preferable to the horrific and near fatal injuries that Tigrex gave Naruto. After the end of his first training session with Tigrex, Naruto's right arm and left leg were nearly severed, connected with a sliver of connective tissue. The session that Naruto had just been subjected to Tigrex had taken a bite out of him, removing a chunk of his right side, crushing his ribcage and collapsing his right lung while piercing his left lung. Through all of that, he dragon showed no hint of remorse, opting to berate Naruto on his weakness and frailty.

(Scene change - Thousand Blade Mountain: Level 1: Eternal Forest)

"Ngg..." Naruto groaned in pain, his eyes fluttering before slowly opening, the light that streamed through the canopy of the forest looking like the reflection of a blade.

"**Tsk. Don't move too much or else you'll just pass out again.**" A deep voice growled out in an annoyed tone.

Hearing the voice, Naruto almost instantly knew who it belonged to, after all he did just get finished being dismantled by him.

"H-Huh... T-Tigrex?" Naruto asked,turning to face the direction where the voice came from, only to feel an agonizing jolt of pain shoot through his side.

"**Didn't I just finish warning you!**" Tigrex said, though he didn't roar, the ground shook from the power of his voice.

"Guh!" Naruto cried out, wincing from the reverberations that resulting from Tigrex's voice.

Seeing the blonde in pain, Tigrex mellowed out slightly, though he had an annoyed and angry look on his face.

"Tigrex... Did you stay with me while I was out?" Naruto asked, curious as to why the cold and proud dragon was by his side rather then out somewhere else.

"**D-Don't be foolish! I have absolutely no idea what you are speaking about human! I did not wait for nearly 5 hours to hear you accuse me of such a humiliating action!**" Tigrex snarled, in what could only be described in an embarrassed tone as the air rippled slightly.

"O-Oh, r-right. I didn't mean to cause a misunderstanding Tigrex." Naruto apologized, not wanting to invoke the wrath of the dragon, knowing that the destruction he could cause almost rivaled that of the Elders.

"**...I apologize for my outburst. I was... uncomfortable with admitting that I had been by your side this whole time.**" Tigrex said, his normally boisterous and destructive voice now calm and soft.

After speaking the two feel into a comfortable silence, the sounds of the forest, rivers and lakes creating a peaceful atmosphere as they sat side by side.

"Hey Tigrex... After all the training that I've had... Do you think I'm strong?" Naruto asked after a few minutes, breaking the comfortable silence as a slightly heavier atmosphere started to form.

"**Strong huh... That is a question that only you can answer. In this world there are only two paths that are open. You can sit weak and stagnant until you hunted and devoured as prey, or you can adapt and change to become powerful as a predator. Strength isn't just about winning. True strength is finding the ways that you can adapt and change, to face those that hunt you and to overcome and consume them even when you are near death. This world will only throw hardship at you, and you should embrace it and face it without fear.**"

Finishing his monologue, Naruto could only look at Tigrex with an incredulous look on his face.

"Tigrex... You know I'm human right? We don't eat each other after we fight or die." Naruto deadpanned as Tigrex's eye started twitching.

"**Tsk. Such an ungrateful human, I share my knowledge with you and this is what I receive in return? Disrespectful.**" Tigrex said, though there was something akin to disappointment in his voice.

"No, I think it was great advice Tigrex." Naruto said as Tigrex scoffed before turning his head away to sleep.

Hearing the snoring of his crimson companion, Naruto turned his gaze to the stars above as they filled the night sky.

"_True strength is finding the ways that you can adapt and change... even when you are near death. To adapt and change huh..._" Naruto thought as he let his mind roam, sleep never taking hold of the blonde.

(Time skip - 1 week later)

(Scene change - Unknown forest near Konoha)

"Ha! Take this!" Menma shouted, lashing out with a quick jab intent on connecting with Jiraiya's jaw. But that quickly fell through when Jiraiya grabbed him by the wrist and slammed him into the ground.

"Ohhh..." Menma groaned, his head spinning as he saw his godfather smirk, clearly amused by his current position and action.

"Still too naive gaki! Do you really think something like that would work on me!" Jiraiya boasted, puffing his chest out and tilting his head while he turned away, putting his hand across his brow in a dramatic fashion as Menma's eye twitched at the scene.

Menma was sure that he could see sparkles emanating from his godfather as he held his pose, clearly not acknowledging that Menma had gotten back up. Narrowing his eyes, he quickly made a few clones before reengaging the older shinobi as Jiraiya cracked a grin at his godson's stubbornness as he moved to intercept the clones.

Bending slightly to the left, he avoided a kick from one of the clones before grabbing it and throwing it to the clone approaching from the right. Ducking, he launched an uppercut that caught another clone that tried to tackle him from behind.

"Grr! Why are you so good at this you pervert!" Menma shouted, his face red with anger and frustration.

"Ha! I told you gaki! I am the great Gama Sennin! A pervert like no other!" Jiraiya declared that only served to fuel Menma's anger even more.

Shouting, Menma quickly made a few dozen clones before he launched a desperate attack against his godfather, not noting that he was facing a clone as the original watched on from a tree nearby.

"_You're not winning this bet Tsunade! I will get my date with you, that I swear!_" Jiraiya shouted in his head, intent on making his godson strong enough to win the tournament in order to claim his prize, as Menma was thrown into the river nearby before he shouted in indignation.

(Flashback - Start)

(Scene change - Uzumaki-Namikaze Estate living room)

"What!?" Tsunade shouted, clearly not amused by what Jiraiya was proposing.

"That's right Tsunade! Menma vs. Narumi, winner take all! If Menma and I win the tournament, I get my long awaited date with you! If you and Narumi-chan win, I'll pay off all the debt that you owe and pay it all back to you!" Jiraiya said with a confident smirk on his face.

Tsunade was shaking, not in anger or fright, but excitement. Never before had such a golden opportunity made its way to her. If Narumi won this, then her life would be set. Her debt would be washed away and she'd get every single ryo back to boot. The only obstacle that stood in her way was her perverted teammate and her godson. Cracking a determined smile, Tsunade's eyes burned with determination as she held out her hand.

"HA! And people say I'm a sucker! You got a deal Jiraiya! You had better start emptying your savings because I'm definitely not losing this one!" Tsunade shouted, as Jiraiya cracked an equally determined smile, albeit a little perverted, as he reached to meet her hand with his.

But before they could connect the handshake the other people in the room cleared their throats.

"Aren't you two forgetting a few people?" Kushina said with a scary smile on her face, making Jiraiya shrink back slightly as Tsunade winced a bit, knowing firsthand what that smile meant.

"I agree, it wouldn't be fair for just the two of you to make such a high stakes wager." Orochimaru said, his eyes narrow at his teammates lack of inclusion on the event.

Though he didn't show it, Orochimaru did enjoy gambling though he'd never admit it openly. This one in particular really caught his attention seeing as it was on his honorary godchildren. He wasn't going to accept being left out on such an interesting and exciting bet.

"I have to agree Jiraiya-sensei, Tsunade, you need to have all of us be a part of it since it concerns all of us!" Minato said as his eyes burned with the same determination that they had.

Seeing the expecting looks, or murderous one in Kushina's case, the two sighed before they relented, knowing that they weren't getting out of this one.

Changing the stakes of the bet to suit each person was difficult though they managed to make do with everyone putting their bets on the person that they thought would win, the winner getting what he or she wanted from all of the losers.

"Alright, so now it's time to place your bets on who you think will win." Orochimaru said, as he readied a pen and notebook to record the bets.

"I'm sticking with Menma! By the time I'm done with him, he'll be unstoppable!" Jiraiya confidently said, his eyes burning with confidence.

"Hmph! I'm sticking with Umi-chan as well, I'll make her strong enough to smash through everyone!" Tsunade said, making everyone laugh wryly knowing that she was probably giving Narumi her knowledge of her strength.

"I'm going for Mito-chan! I'm in charge of her training so I'll make sure that she wins!" Kushina said as her eyes sparkled brightly.

"Hmm... I'm also going to have to agree with Kushina-chan and place my bet on Mito-chan. She's the oldest and will probably be the most balanced out of the three." Orochimaru said, his hand on his chin.

"... I'm going to place my bet on Naruto." Minato said with conviction as everyone widened their eyes as they turned to the blonde.

"W-What? Naru-chan?" Kushina said, clearly having had a momentary lapse in memory by forgetting her oldest, as she bit her bottom lip at her horrible mistake.

"That's... an interesting gamble Minato-chan." Orochimaru said, clearly in thought about the enigmatic blonde.

"But we don't really know where he stands in terms of skill Minato? Sure he was strong and fast, but what if it was a fluke? Are you still taking that risk?" Jiraiya asked in a worried tone.

Jiraiya knew that out of all of their godchildren, Naruto was the one who had almost zero interaction with either him, Tsunade or Orochimaru. Tsunade only saw him when he came in for his regular checkup or when he had a serious injury. Orochimaru and Jiraiya only saw him when he used to live with his family, and even then their interactions have always been cordial and formal.

"I... I know that Jiraiya-sensei, but it's not going to change my mind. I'm going to put my faith in him." Minato said, his confidence beaming much more then they have seen in the past.

"Hmph, we'll see how far your faith takes you then Minato." Tsunade said with a small smirk on her face, though she knew it was wrong of her to think, she knew that he was making a mistake by betting on the blonde.

Seeing that everyone had made their bets, though Kushina looked torn, Orochimaru quickly jotted down their names along with the ones that they believed would win. After making sure that everyone had their bets correctly recorded, everyone signed their names and applied a little bit of chakra to ensure that the document was now official.

"Alright, then it's finished." Orochimaru said, as everyone nodded.

Once they finished making their bets official, Kushina, Tsunade and Jiraiya quickly parted way to find their student and start training them leaving Minato and Orochimaru behind in the living room.

"You sure have a lot of faith in Naruto, Minato." Orochimaru said, as Minato showed him a smile.

"You're right, though we don't know how strong his is, I made the choice not because of the bet but because I'm his father and I believe in him." Minato proclaimed as Orochimaru smiled back at him.

"Haha, I suppose that constitutes as a reason to believe. Come, let's go see your children get run into the ground by them." Orochimaru said as Minato cracked a wry smile at the truth, laughing a little the two made their way to find the children and observe their training.

(Flashback - End)

"Faster Menma! Let your fists fly with the speed of your heart!" Jiraiya said as Menma just sweat dropped at his godfather's seemingly random rambling.

(Scene change - Unknown clearing near Konoha)

"Umi-chan! You're never going to get anywhere with those weak punches!" Tsunade roared as the fires of determination burned brightly in her eyes.

Rushing in, Narumi quickly delivered a volley of blows that Tsunade blocked with a single finger causing the young blonde to widen her eyes before she was sent flying by with a finger flick.

"Ita! That hurt Baachan!" Narumi cried out as she rubbed her now red forehead.

But she had to quickly roll out of the way as Tsunade rushed forward to engage her, her deadly flicks causing Narumi to pale before dodging out of their path.

"Quit dodging and fight like a man!" Tsunade shouted, she definitely didn't want to lose this bet, there was way too much at stake for her to lose.

"Baachan! I'm a girl remember!" Narumi shouted as sidestepped and launched a reverse roundhouse kick at her godmother only to have her kick stopped and be thrown into the freezing lake nearby.

"KYAA! IT'S SO COLD! BAACHAN YOU OLD HAG!" Narumi screamed as she frantically made her way to land as Tsunade's brow started twitching, tick marks beginning to dot her head.

"W-What did you just call me Umi-chan?" Tsunade whispered as Narumi began to sweat as she backed up.

"Uh-oh..." She whimpered as Tsunade grabbed her head in an ironclad grip as the poor girl started to shake in fear.

"I'M NOT OLD!" She roared before throwing Narumi back into the lake, the girl letting out another shriek as she hit the cold water.

(Scene change - Unknown field near Konoha)

"Haa!" Mito shouted, as she collided fists with her mother.

"Oh! Not too shabby Mito-chan! But don't forget the follow-up!" Kushina shouted as she grabbed her daughters wrist and threw her.

"Guh!" Mito cried out when she hit the ground, rolling in an attempt to spread the impact over a wider surface area.

As she got back to her feet, Kushina was already on top of her as she lashed out with a kick that sent her daughter flying a short distance. Not letting go of her momentum, Kushina was about to reengage Mito but stopped when the Mito that was flying dispersed into a plume of smoke. Jumping back, Mito erupted out of the ground in a failed attempt to catch her mother by surprise.

"You're getting better Mito-chan! Just you wait, by the time I'm done with you you'll win the finals without trouble at all!" Kushina cheerfully said as Mito let a smile appear on her face.

They resumed their training as Mito was once again sent flying by her mother's monstrous strength. Catching Mito while in mid-air, Kushina slammed her onto the ground as Mito let out a gasp of pain. Kicking up, she created some distance from her mother before quickly closing in and delivering a volley of punches that her mother causally brushed aside.

Catching one of her fists, Kushina lashed out with another kick that forced her daughter to her knees before Kushina helped her up and told her to take a little break. Sitting down side by side as they took a break, they chatted happily about things only mother and daughter could talk about, which remains a mystery to those who were in the dark.

(Scene change - Unknown location)

In a dimly lit room, a small pale child could be seen hunched over, mixing various vials and compounds before they angrily tossed them aside. Turning around, his white hair and his pink eyes now visible to the person who disturbed him.

"Do you know that you're interrupting me?" The child said as a visible chill ran down the spine of the people present.

"M-My apologize Lord Hiruko! B-But we wanted to know what the plans have become for the invasion." An Oto-nin said in a terrified voice, the others behind him following his example of quaking in fear.

"Hmm... I suppose that it is true that I haven't addressed anyone of my updated plan. Assemble everyone that you possibly can, those who fail to understand the plan once the invasion starts will be killed. Am I understood?" Hiruko said in a chilling tone as the Oto-nin in front of him stiffened before nodding and departing to inform the ranks of the order.

(Time skip - 1 hour later)

(Scene change - Unknown meeting room)

Gathered in a war room, Hiruko sat with the various high ranking Oto-nin that have cemented a place in this room. Glancing around, they all shivered when they made eye contact with him, causing a sadistic smile to appear on his face. Seeing that all of those who led a platoon and squad had assembled, he began.

"As all of you know, we, with the aid of Suna will be staging an inside invasion of Konoha. However, the original plan has been changed greatly. Instead of the sharingan, I've acquired something much more valuable." Hiruko said as confusion swept through the room.

"L-Lord Hiruko, I don't mean to question your decision or knowledge but what could possibly be more valuable then the sharingan?" An Oto-caption said, clearly not knowing anything more valuable or powerful then the infamous doujutsu of the Uchiha.

"Haha! I suppose that young ones like yourselves wouldn't know of what I acquired! They were thought to have been erased from history long ago! What I acquired wasn't a new kekkei genkai but a new vessel." Hiruko said, making the eyes of his subordinates widen.

"V-Vessel? A new body my Lord?" Another Oto-captain asked, never had he heard that his Lord could change bodies.

"Yes, the boy that I marked has something that I thought was lost many years ago during the last few Great Shinobi World Wars, and I simply can't let what I've been searching for go like that." He replied not answering the questions that his subordinates were asking.

Seeing the confusion that captured the room, Hiruko could only laugh chillingly as he told them of the reason of his choice.

"Let me ask you all, do you believe in dragons?" Hiruko asked, and as soon as he did there was instantly confusion and doubt in the eyes of everyone present.

"D-Dragons? Like the ones of legend my Lord? Aren't they just that? A legend and nothing more?"

"Y-Yes my Lord, my parents told me stories of them when I was a child. They are just legends and superstition are they not?"

Hearing the doubt in the voices of his subordinates, Hiruko could only throw his head backwards and laugh like a madman, causing everyone in the room to look fearfully at their leader.

"Haha! I once was like you all! I believed that they were just stories made up by some fool to scare their child to sleep! But I will tell you all this, they exist and they have immeasurable strength." Hiruko stated, as everyone widened their eyes at his tone. There was not ounce of doubt, only truth in his voice.

"That boy who has, or rather had, is definitely connected to those beasts. I only saw it for a brief second but I saw them when I entered his mind to plant my **Kugutsu no**** Noroi (**Puppet Curse)****. He is the vessel that will lead me to domination of this pathetic world. With all the kekkei genkai that I've assimilated and the body of one connected and most likely blessed by those divine beings, I will easily crush all that oppose me!" He declared, laughing madly at the end of his speech.

"That is why, we will wait and bide our time. Once the time is right we will signal the start of the invasion, I will engage the Hokage myself as I will easily stand up to him with my kekkei genkai. The rest of you and your platoons with Suna will cause attack the rest of the village. Ichi, Ni, and San will provide summons to deal large scale destruction and chaos. The problem lies in the other ninja present. The Sannin and the older ninja will undoubtedly pose a threat to this plan, that is why I will send the "Sound Four" and Kabuto to deal with them. With their level 2 curse seals, they should be able to at least hold them for a few minutes while Kabuto and aid them and engage Tsunade. After all this is done, and the morale and peace of the village is damaged, I'll drive the final nail in the coffin. I'll activate my **Kugutsu no Noroi** **(Puppet Curse)**once we retreat and have the boy try to assassinate the Hokage, that should get him either banished or marked for execution; if it's the former we'll just take him once he's been exiled. If it's the latter, we'll enter and take him from the facility that he'll be held in. After that, I'll take his body as a new vessel and we'll begin movement on my plan." Hiruko explained.

After hearing the explanation of the plan, the captains in the room could only gape at their leader. It was an ingenious plan, either way they would gain something no matter the outcome.

Seeing the looks of understanding and admiration among his subordinates, Hiruko could only smirk as they started cheering for him. This time, the Leaf will not get in his way, and what better way to destroy it then with one of its own shinobi.

(Time skip - 1 week later)

Another week had flown by rather quickly in Naruto's eyes. After the brutal training session with Tigrex a week ago, Naruto had starting training more with the dragon. At first, he was rejected, Tigrex stating that he wasn't worth his time to train. But after he accepted it and moved to ask Jho to resume their training he turned right around and said that he never stated that he wouldn't train him. After that they spent nearly every day together, that usually ended with Naruto having to get one of his limbs reattached by the medics.

(Scene change -

Right now, he was doing what he's been doing for the past 3 weeks, getting his body broken and bloodied in an effort to get stronger.

Dodging under a tail swipe that ripped through multiple trees like paper, Naruto delivered a bone-shattering punch against Tigrex. Though bone-shattering wouldn't have been what to call it as Tigrex barely registered the attack. Throwing his forelimbs back, he struck Naruto on the side and sent him flying into the foliage with a crack echoing out. Turning around, he brought his right forelimb back before plunging it into the earth and sending a giant boulder made of earth in the direction that Naruto was sent flying.

Recovering in mid-air, Naruto quickly dropped to his knees as he applied pressure to his, most likely, broken ribs. But before he could do anything to ease the pain, he saw that a boulder made of earth was rocketing towards him. His eyes widening, Naruto quickly drew his right hand back into a claw before it started to crackle with black and crimson chakra.

"**Ryuuton: Ryuuzankuu**! **(Dragon Release: Dragon Slashing Air)**" Naruto shouted as he swung his hand, arcs of black and crimson chakra immediately shredding the boulder as dust obscured his vision.

Before he could react though, Tigrex burst through the cloud and pinned him to the ground, a sickening crunch echoing out as Naruto felt his ribcage crack under his weight.

"**Pitiful. You're still not able to stop a simple boulder without resorting to using jutsu. What would you have done in the event that you were low on chakra or had it sealed away?**" Tigrex lectured Naruto as he grabbed him with his jaws, carefully picking up the nearly unconscious blonde before heading back to allow him to rest.

(Scene change - Thousand Blade Mountain: Level 1: Eternal Forest)

After bringing back Naruto for the umpteenth time, Tigrex settled down in his now usual area as he watched the medics tend to Naruto. The more he watched the more he saw that the medical dragons weren't just tending to him, they were subtly trying to mark him as theirs.

"_**Hn, how amusing. Deviljho did say that there were many human females that were drawn to you as a potential mate, it appears that didn't just apply to humans. Drawing even female dragons who view you as a potential mate, you certainly are interesting Naruto.**_" Tigrex smirked seeing the normally docile and kind medic dragons trying to assert dominance over the blonde.

After a few minutes, Naruto quickly gasped as he sat up, pain shooting through his body from the unconscious action. As he gripped his side, the medical dragons quickly fretted over him asking if he was okay or needed any relief from the pain. Politely telling them that he was fine, much to their disappointment and Tigrex's amusement, Naruto turned to the crimson dragon and gave him an irritated look.

"You know. This is about the 17th time you've done this Tigrex." Naruto said in an equally irritated tone, which only served to make Tigrex smirk slightly at him.

"**I suppose you are right. It must be that I can't control the limitless strength that I seem to possess. I apologize for my lack of control.**" He said with a wider smirk, Naruto getting an angry twitch to his eye.

Soon, both glared at each other much to the worry of the medics but they were for not as they showed a smile, a smirk in Tigrex's case, to the other.

"Thanks for not taking it easy on me Tigrex, I'm feeling a lot stronger then I was back then." Naruto admitted, his smile still on his face.

"**Of course, you do not grow stronger from others giving you ease, you will only grow when pushed to the limits of your ability.**" Tigrex said, getting looks of awe from the medics which only bolstered his pride as Naruto rolled his eyes at the display.

Soon the two fell into a peaceful conversation about their future training plans, Tigrex telling Naruto that for his last week on Thousand Blade Mountain he will not be seeing him as he will be applying for a proper title and a place alongside the elders. Nodding sadly, Tigrex gave Naruto a small smile as he gently nudged him to reassure him.

"**Do not be sad Naruto. While I have told you that you are weak, I was merely jesting. You are strong Naruto and you are someone that I can call a friend.**" Tigrex said, as Naruto widened his eyes before a smile made its way to his face.

"Thanks Tigrex. I'm glad that you're my friend as well. And I was wondering... Would you be willing to, you know..." Naruto trailed off, bright red flowing into his cheeks as he wasn't able to finish his sentence.

Seeing his normally calm and easily annoyed friend actually blushing so brightly while trying to speak formally caused Tigrex to start laughing as Naruto only blushed more in anger and embarrassment.

"**Bwhaha! How endearing, my normally calm friend is blushing up quite the storm! But I know what you are trying to say Naruto, I will honor you by accepting partnership with you.**" Tigrex said after getting his laugher under control, Naruto visibly shaking in anger and embarrassment.

It took a few minutes of calming themselves, but eventually they gave each other a smile or a smirk in Tigrex's case. Swearing to the other that they would properly seal the oath in the future, they parted ways as Tigrex made his way out of the forest leaving Naruto alone with the Medics.

(Time skip- 6 days later)

After parting ways with most of the dragons, even some of the Elders came to see him, which surprised him greatly seeing as they rarely even visited each other. But once they left, Naruto spent the last day training by himself, opting to practice utilizing his Ryuuton and honing the taijutsu skills that he had learned over the past month. As he was training he never noticed the figure nearby that stared at him with curious eyes.

"Ha!" Driving his fist into a tree, he watched with satisfaction as it depressed and cracked on impact before splintering and exploding from the force of his punch. Taking a step back while shaking his hand, he turned around to move to another tree before he froze, a mop of blue hair blocking most of his vision.

"_W-What? I didn't even sense them!_" Naruto shouted in his mind, now on guard as he tensed up.

"Hmm~" A sleepy sounding hmm'd as the mop of blue hair leaned in closer. After they did, Naruto heard sniffing and slowly reached back for a kunai.

"Haa~ You smell nice~!"The same sleepy sounding voice said, finally looking up as Naruto froze. A beautiful heart shaped face with a serene sleepy expression and smile greeted him.

"Hmm~ Is something wrong Blondie-kun?" She asked, tilting her head in a cute manner.

"W-Who are you?" Naruto asked, taking a step back from the unknown girl, something about her put him on edge though he didn't know why.

"Ah~! I forget to introduce myself! Sorry Blondie-kun~!" She said, rapping her hand on her head in a cute manner as she apologized.

"I'm Tatsuko~! Tat-Su-Ko! Now you say it too Blondie-kun!" The girl now known as Tatsuko said, leering closer to Naruto without any regard for his personal space.

"U-Uh, nice to meet you Tatsuko-san." Naruto replied, bowing slightly. But as he rose his head he was met with an angry pout from the girl.

"No adding the -san Blondie-kun! I don't like it!" Tatsuko demanded, her hands on her hips as she increased her angry pout.

"I don't think that'll work Tatsuko-san, it's only proper to address someone you've just met with resp-." Naruto explained only to have his lips pinched by the blue haired girl.

"Uuu~! Well I don't like it!" She said, increasing her pout while she kept her fingers on his lips.

Finally having enough of her closing his mouth, he removed her fingers from his lips as he glared at her with a slightly embarrassed and angry face.

"Well tough luck, I'm not changing it." Naruto said, his instincts were right, something about this girl really set him off.

"Hmm~ How about we decide through a fight then!" Tatsuko suggested as Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"A fight? What would be the stakes?" Naruto asked.

"If I win, you have to call me something other then -san! If you win... I'll do whatever you want!" Tatsuko said with enthusiasm making Naruto sweat drop.

"Sure, if you don't like -san that much I'll take you on." Naruto said, as Tatsuko smiled happily at him.

Taking position a few feet away from each other, they tensed before the rushed at each other, their fists meeting in an deafening roar as they fought for dominance.

"_Sh-She's strong..._" Naruto thought, clearly shocked by the power that Tatsuko had, as he pushed against her.

"_Ah~! Blondie-kun is strong too!_" She happily thought as she put more behind her attack.

Finally, they broke off jumped back, Naruto shaking his hand while Tatsuko rubbed hers.

"You're strong." Naruto said, a small smile making its way to his face.

"You too Blondie-kun~! You should smile more, you look a lot cuter when you do!" Tatsuko said, making Naruto's eye twitch as he schooled his expression as she pouted at his now blank face.

Without saying a word, they reengaged each other. Tatsuko threw a lightning fast left jab that Naruto caught with his right hand, pulling her off balance before slamming his elbow into her side. Before it connected, Tatsuko caught it with her own right hand as the two slowly exerted more pressure on the other as the ground started shaking from their power.

While they battled for dominance above, Tatsuko shifted her body slightly, causing Naruto to lose the opposing pressure against his elbow, causing him to stumble slightly. Taking advantage of his loss of balance, Tatsuko moved under his arm that still had a grip on her hand and grabbed it as she pulled him forward in an attempt to slam him. As soon as he was lifted into the air Naruto steadied himself as he landed on his feet, in a bridge position.

In the position that they were in now, Tatsuko could feel Naruto breathing on her stomach which caused butterflies to flutter inside of her, at the same time Naruto was at eye level with her groin, his eye twitching at the humiliating position he was now in. Kicking off the ground, Naruto spun backwards in an attempt to kick her as Tatsuko immediately let go and jumped back.

Once again, they were at a stalemate as they stared at each other panting slightly. Scanning her for any signs of weakness, Naruto narrowed his eyes when he saw that she wasn't even fazed in the slightest. Across the clearing Tatsuko was doing the same, reaching the same conclusion when she found no chinks in Naruto's defense.

Slowly, Naruto's eyes started to spark as they turned electric blue. Across from him, Tatsuko looked on in shock before she slowly opened her sleepy eyes. Slowly, emerald green eyes came into view as they stared at each other. Electric blue and emerald green eyes both bearing draconian pupils staring at and analyzing the other for any sign of weakness.

Then, they vanished as they collided fists once more, a tremor resulting from attack. Drawing their fists back, they unleashed a volley of brutal attacks, each collision causing a small quake to resound across the clearing. Spinning, their kicks connected, a sharp wind cutting them each on the cheeks, drawing a thin line of blonde.

Acting quickly, Tatsuko grabbed his leg and twisted, successfully slamming Naruto into the ground as he let a pained grunt escape his lips. Kicking his leg free from her grip, he spun on his hands as he swept her feet from underneath her before twisting his body and slamming his heel downwards though Tatsuko caught herself in mid-air and blocked Naruto's attack by lashing out with her fist. The result was sending them flying away from each other.

Standing up once more, they faced each other as their eyes started to spark. Slowly, chakra flowed into their right hands as black and crimson lightning enveloped Naruto's while black and blue shrouded Tatsuko's.

"**Ryuuton: ****Garyuusai**! **(****Dragon Release: Crouching Dragon Crush)**"

"**Ryuuton: Garyougeki**! **(****Dragon Release: Reclining Dragon Strike)**"

Naruto and Tatsuko shouted, both vanishing and appearing in front of each other and crouched their right hands cocked back. In a flash, they covered the distance between each other as they collided with each other, a terrifying shock wave resulting from their attacks. Their fists grinding against the other's jaw, they fought for dominance as their chakra flared once more. Finally, Naruto felt his head throb as he winced and in turn lost his concentration for a split second, allowing Tatsuko to gain the upper hand send him rocketing backwards.

Naruto stopped once he crashed into an outcrop of rocks, an explosion of rubble and dust obscuring the view. Slowly Tatsuko made her way to where Naruto crashed, as her eyes slowly lost their emerald green glow and her round pupils returned. As she neared the outcrop, Naruto fell out cropping onto his knees panting. Looking up, he spotted a smiling Tatsuko looking down at him with her hand extended. Sighing, he accepted her help as she lifted him onto his feet.

Finally finished with their duel, they observed the area that they were fighting as sweat dropped slightly as they saw the destruction that they caused. Looking back at each other Tatsuko gave Naruto a serene smile as he cracked a small smile in return. Walking towards each other, Naruto sighed before extending his hand out towards her as she tilted her head in confusion.

"It's my lost Tatsuko-san. From what I saw we were pretty much even, though that last attack showed that you were stronger." Naruto admitted as Tatsuko let a melting smile appear on her face.

"Yeah, so I'll stop calling you with the '-san' suffix." Naruto said, as Tatsuko nodded her head happily.

"Then you can call me Tatsuko-chan, Blondie-kun~!" Tatsuko said as Naruto's eye started twitching.

"Sure thing... Tatsuko-c-chan..." Naruto growled out, clearly not liking having to add the '-chan' suffix to the end of her name.

"Ne, Blondie-kun~ I forgot to ask, what's your name?" Tatsuko asked making Naruto freeze before he facepalmed, having forgotten to introduce himself.

"My name's Naruto, Tatsuko-san." Naruto replied before Tatsuko pouted at him before tackling him to the ground.

"Muu~ I told you that it's Tat-Su-Ko-chan Naruto-kun!" Tatsuko whined as she leered closer to him.

"Fine, fine! I'm sorry Tatsuko-chan! There, happy!" He replied, putting his hands in a placating manner which got a smile from the sleepy girl.

After the whole duel was over they made small chat with each other, telling each other where they were from and how they got access to the mountain. Naruto learned that Tatsuko was his age and used to be an orphan after her parents left her to raise her younger sister but was adopted by a similar person to Ryuuhei to his amazement.

(Flashback - A few years ago)

A young Tatsuko was sitting on the shore of a small lake with her feet kicking in the water, a content and still sleepy expression on her face. Next to her was a beautiful girl with raven black hair that fell to the back of her waist, her outfit consisted of a tattered black cloak, a simple black t-shirt, and shorts with a pair of boots to top it off. Her emerald green eyes shone with happiness and contentment. After a little while the two looked at each other and smiled.

"Ne, Kaida-neechan, what did you want to talk about?" Tatsuko asked in a sleepy tone, as she giggled when a small school of fish swam by her feet.

"Suko-chan... Do you remember what we talked about a long time ago?" Kaida asked as Tatsuko stopped giggling and looked into the lake.

"Mhmm..." Tatsuko replied in a soft tone.

Seeing her little sister in such a state broke Kaida's heart but she knew it was time, her time was running out after all. Pulling the younger girl into her chest, she hugged her tightly as she felt her hug be returned.

"It's time for me to go Suko-chan..." Kaida said as Tatsuko widened her eyes, filled with fear and disbelief and soon tears.

"Shh... It's alright, I'm here Suko-chan..." Kaida whispered as she felt Tatsuko's tears start to dampen her shirt, her small body starting to shake with each sob.

"Suko-chan... we've had a lot of fun together. I've cherished every single moment of it, and I wouldn't have changed it no matter what. But this is something that I can't avoid, none of the people in my clan have ever avoided it. Suko-chan... " Kaida said as she saw Tatsuko nod her head slowly, never removing her face from her chest.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Suko-chan; I'm sorry I won't get to celebrate your birthdays anymore with you, I'm sorry that I won't be able to embarrass you on your dates or threaten your boyfriend, I'm sorry that I'm such a horrible big sister. I know that you'll probably never forgive me for leaving you behind like this but remember that I'll always be looking out for you. Even when I'm gone, I'll be looking out for you. I know that you'll be upset, hurt, angry, sad, and a hundred other things but never give into any of those negative emotions imouto; they only lead to pain and hate. I know that you're so much stronger then that, I trained you to be." Kaida said as she felt her own tears falling from her eyes as Tatsuko's sobs and shaking increased.

Taking a deep breath and wiping away her tears, Kaida steeled herself as she continued.

"Suko-chan, I want you to remember that no matter what anyone says, you're the strongest, kindest, bravest, sweetest, cutest and most beautiful girl that I've known and had the pleasure to call my imouto. Don't give into the hate that plagues this land, rise above it and prove that you have the blood of a dragon running through your veins." Kaida said, tears flowing once more down her eyes as she tightened her grip on Tatsuko.

"Su-Suko-chan... Find a someone who you can relate to and get to know them. Find s-someone who you can trust without reason and if possible, f-find ha-happiness with. I know that you'll make me proud. So... u-until we meet again, re-remember that, that I love you and that I'm always watching over you."

By the end of her speech, Kaida was sobbing loudly as her body shook alongside Tatsuko's. Embracing each other, they poured out the feelings built up over years of living, eating, sleeping and being together in one go. Unable to take anymore, Tatsuko had cried herself to sleep as Kaida wiped away the last of her tears before a serene smile appeared on her face. Bringing Tatsuko back to their house, Kaida put her in her bed and tucked her in for the last time. Finally, she leaned forward and planted a kiss filled with all the love she had onto her forehead. Pulling back, Kaida brushed away the last of her stray tears before quietly leaving, never to be seen again.

(Flash back - End)

Afters he learned that she lived in a small but rich agricultural village that was close to Kumo. Once they broke the ice, they managed to talk with each other comfortably. But soon the time came for them to part ways, Tatsuko saying that it was close to her evening nap which made Naruto sweat drop, now knowing that the girl took naps very seriously.

About to head back to the forest for one more night of training before the last day, Naruto was stopped when Tatsuko wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her chest into his back, making Naruto freeze and stiffen up immediately.

"W-What are you doing Tatsuko-chan?!" Naruto asked, tensing even more when he felt Tatsuko bury her face into his back and nuzzle him.

"Mmm~! Naru-kun, you really do smell nice. And you're strong and cute~!" Tatsuko said, as she tightened the grip she had around him.

"You didn't answer my question!" Naruto said, his embarrassment replaced with irritation.

"Hmm~? Oh, Kaida-neechan told me that one day I'll find someone who makes my tummy feel funny. At first, I thought she was talking about making me hungry but I think I get what she means now Naru-kun~!" Tatsuko said, her voice slightly muffled.

"Huh?" Genuinely confused, Naruto tilted his head back and Tatsuko lifted hers as they locked eyes. However, Naruto, who was now used to girls advancing on him, wasn't prepared for what Tatsuko did.

Leaning forward, she quickly captured his lips with hers as he widened his eyes. It only last a few seconds, but to the both of them it felt like an eternity. Pulling away, Tatsuko had her eyes slightly open, her brilliant green eyes shining in the moonlight and her cheeks red. After the kiss they shared, Tatsuko tightened her arms around Naruto as she returned her face to his back.

"You're mine Naru-kun. This is what Kaida-neechan was talking about, I'm sure of it. Even though we've only known each other for a few hours, I feel like I've known you my entire life. When you smile or laugh, I get this funny and tingling feeling in my stomach and it doesn't feel bad. When I look in your eyes I seem to lose myself in them." Tatsuko said as she shifted her body, moving around so she now faced him, her head resting on his shoulder as he remained frozen.

"_She kissed me... She actually kissed me... But why... I feel like I've known her for much longer then in actuality. Is... Is this what Ryuu-niichan was talking about... About finding 'her'...?_" Naruto thought as he slowly wrapped his arms around Tatsuko's waist, as he felt her squeeze him tighter.

"Hmm~ Naru-kun~!" Tatsuko purred as she buried her face deeper into his shoulder as he just held her.

They remained like this for a few more minutes before Tatsuko broke the intimate embrace, a scarlet blush and dazzling smile on her face. Before they fully parted, she leaned in once more and kissed him once again on the lips before pulling away fully.

"Remember Naru-kun, you and I were fated to meet and be together. I'm sure our older siblings would have thought so too." Tatsuko said with a smile on her face before she skipped off, back to her home.

Naruto just stood there and watched her go, enchanted by her skipping like a fairy through the moonlit clearing. He couldn't help the smile that came to his face as he watched her leave as it remained even as he was turning around and heading back to his training area.

Once he got there, he let out a sigh as he touched his lips, still tingling from the kisses that Tatsuko gave him. But as he was about to replay the scene, his head started to throb again, this time it was much worse.

"_**Hahaha! What was that?! Falling for such a human gesture!? Are you sure that you're even a dragon!?**_" A condescending and taunting voice echoed through his head.

"_**You are pitiful! This only goes to show that you are not the person you used to be! To feel 'love' and 'forgiveness'?! Such humiliating human emotions! What happened to the blonde who swore never to let anyone near his heart again? Did you erase him from your heart? Your soul?**_" The voice continued as Naruto gripped his head, trying to ease the head splitting pain that tormented him, a purple haze surrounding him as the draconic seal started to flare to life.

"_**Of course he isn't gone... You can't erase something like that just by wallowing with the weak. I've already consumed him, do you know who I am now boy?**_" The voice asked as Naruto just dropped to his knees as he squeezed his eyes shut and grabbed his head the pain intensifying; black, crimson, and purple chakra spiraled wildly around him as the seal covered the left half of his face.

"_**I am you and you are me. We are one, but also two. You are what remains of your human heart, while I am the dragon the sleeps within it. You would be wise to close off your heart like you declared all those years ago, these emotions they will only weaken you in the end.**_" The voice said, as Naruto snapped his eye open, his left eye now glowing crimson in color as a purple haze and hue emanated from it.

"_**Remember boy... We will become whole once again, once we do there can only be one who will hold control over this. The moment you weaken, I will consume you...**_" The voice finished, softening at the end though it seemed to sound louder then thunder.

Still on his knees with his hands on his head and his eyes wide open, Naruto let out a roar that caused a small explosion where he was kneeling. Once the dust settled, he was in the same position as before as a number of dragons burst through the foliage to investigate the disturbance.

"**Naruto! Are you alright?**" Chamele asked, frantically fretting over the boy as Jho approached him.

"**Naruto, what happened? We felt an immense amount of killing intent and an incredible amount of Ryuuton natured chakra.**" Jho asked, quickly scanning the area for a potential threat.

"Chamele? Jho? I... I don't know..." Naruto answered before he fell face first into the ground, Chamele and the medics quickly rushing to check over him. After they scanned him and found nothing but exhaustion, they let out a sigh of relief as he carefully moved him to the resting area. As the rest of the dragons satisfied their curiosity and left, Jho and a few of the Elders turned to the area that Naruto had been sitting in, the land and life tainted with something they were very familiar with.

"_**Dragon Virus...**_"

A Son Forgotten

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**Who or what is that voice? Is it dangerous?! Hiruko's plan is to use Naruto as a puppet to kill his father?! And Gasp! Dragon Virus!? What could this mean for our blonde hero? What about Tatsuko?! She took his first actual kiss, she needs to take responsibility right? XD Well yeah, that's all for this chapter! Leave a review and tell me what you think of my story so far! Tell me what you think about the jutsu naming convention so I can decide to scrap to start using it alright? And **Once again, PM me if you have a suggestion or question alright!****

****Tatsuko is based on well Tatsuko Itagaki from Majikoi.****

****Kaida is based on Tifa Lockheart from Final Fantasy.****

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**Kugutsu no Noroi - Puppet Curse**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Juinjutsu; Hiruko uses this technique to take control of people. It can be activated long after the technique is first applied. The appearance is a red eye with another circle in it resembling the pupil, with four lines stemming from the upper line of the eye and two big thick lines stemming from the side of the eye. This power seems to control the minds of others as will take control over the target's body. The eyes of the person who get caught by this technique turn red while they are being controlled. The technique works in a manner similar to controlling a puppet; using hand motions to guide the target to its destination.

**Ryuuton: Ryuuzankuu - Dragon Release: Dragon Slashing Air**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Naruto gathers Ryuuton natured charka into his hand and fingers. After the right amount of chakra is added, he then swings his arm in an arc, sending blades of concentrated chakra that can shred and slice through almost anything. It can also be used defensively as a way to disrupt large scale attacks.

**Ryuuton: ****Garyuusai - Dragon Release: Crouching Dragon Crush**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; Naruto gathers Ryuuton natured charka into his hand and strikes his opponent with a charged uppercut that has the potential to behead them if given enough time to gather chakra into his hand. Upon impact, Naruto releases the chakra that he's gathered and causes a concussive blast capable of causing severe internal damage.

**Ryuuton: Garyougeki - Dragon Release: Reclining Dragon Strike**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; Tatsuko gathers Ryuuton natured charka into her hand and strikes her opponent with a charged uppercut surrounded by an upward surge of energy, lifting the target into the air. It can be varied as she can also performs a sweeping kick on the targeted enemy followed by a rising back flip that knocks the enemy into the air.


	15. Chapter 14

`"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey everyone, I'm back. I'm sorry for the two weeks I've been inactive, but somethings came up and well... I kinda lost my drive for writing for a bit. You all know that I love to hear from you, and love to know what you guys think. But man, since my last update I've just been flooded with flames and a lot of hate messages. I don't know what I did wrong but I have to remind you guys that this is my first story, I don't have much experience when it comes to writing unless it's a research paper or lab report. I'm sorry if I offended any of you, but please remember that. I write because I enjoy it and I love to hear the positive reactions and praise that you guys always offer me, but lately all I've been getting is overly critical and hateful reviews of my story. It's not the best in the world and it won't ever be. Those who gave me those critical reviews with good intentions, I thank you. You really are trying to help me and I really appreciate it. Well, that's more then enough complaining right? You guys need an update so here's a 20k for being such faithful readers, it really does make me happy. Remember, any questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions; PM me, it's the only way to get me to respond to you awesome people. Anywho, let's a go shall we?**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 14

Resting in the medical area, Naruto slowly opened his eyes as the first rays of light started to pierce through the canopy of the forest. Slowly, he shifted the position of his body, from laying down he moved to sit up when a jolt of pain shot through him. Grimacing slightly, he ignored the pain as the managed to shift his position.

"Damn... My head feels like Tigrex just roared right in my ear." Naruto whispered as he held his head, wincing as the pain seemed to intensify for a brief moment before slowly fading.

Letting out a sigh, he steeled himself before he pushed off the bed, biting back a cry as pain jolted through his legs. Managing to stand, Naruto slowly stretched as the knots and aches started to fade before they vanished completely. Sighing in relief at the loss of tension in his muscles, he moved to his temporary living area near the edge of the forest to wash up and start packing for the journey home. Closing his eyes, he let a small smile come to his face as the sounds of the forest started to come to life.

When he got to his temporary place of residence he grimaced slightly seeing that every piece of clothing that he brought was reduced to practically scraps. Sighing in defeat he grabbed a pair of what used to be combat jeans now reduced to shorts and decided to go without a shirt seeing as his upper body was practically covered in bandages. Quickly washing up, he tied his headband around his right bicep before changing and replacing the old bandages with new ones, then he wrapped his arms with combat tape and strapped on a pair of black shinobi sandals before he started packing.

Finishing sealing the last of his belongings in a storage scroll he grabbed his backpack and put it on as he made his way out of the forest towards the entrance of the forest. Along the way he saw that a few of the dragons came to bid him farewell, the medics in particular were very teary when they saw that he was leaving though they brightened up when he said that he would definitely return in the future.

After being reassured by him, the nuzzled him happily before giving a bag of curatives full of various powerful healing tonics that they used on him, he was hesitant at first to accept the generous gist because they were giving him such potent and rare medicine but eventually they reassured him that they were actually simple and quite common in Thousand Blade Mountain, the only reason they were thought to be rare was because of the lack of humans that were permitted to enter the mountain. Bidding farewell one more time to all of the dragons that came to see him off Naruto finally exited the Eternal Forest.

(Scene change - Thousand Blade Mountain: Chamber of the Elders)

"**Aren't you going to see him off Deviljho? He was under your care during the duration of his stay here; it is only polite for a host to see their guests off.**" A feminine asked belonging to a brilliant blue and white dragon, as she turned to face Jho.

"**There is no need; he is not a child that needs to be coddled. He proved so during his stay here, managing to break through that child Tigrex's pride and arrogance. That alone has proven that he has the heart and strength of a dragon, Zerureusu.**" Jho replied, causing Zerureusu to let out an elegant and beautiful laugh.

Zerureusu is a bipedal flying wyvern with mainly ash-white coloring and strange crystal/spikes formations that exhibits inner blue glow that are distributed evenly across the shelled surface of her body, with exception of her lower neck, underbelly and wing membranes. The tips of her phalanx are more developed and have been sharpened to have a cutting edge, similar to a moody pitch black wyvern.

"**Though I am surprised that you even mentioned Naruto. Have you actually taken interest in a human?**" Jho asked in a slightly teasing voice as Zerureusu just turned away, her wing covering part of her face.

"**I do not know what you are trying to insinuate Deviljho; I have absolutely zero interests in humans as I've said time and time again.**" Zerureusu replied, through a tinge of pink could be seen on her face as Jho just cracked a savage smile at the scene.

But before the two could talk anymore, the chambers quickly heated up as a literal sea of flames flooded the chamber. Zerureusu quickly took to the air as Jho merely grunted as the flames seared his hide, wincing as they started to crank up in intensity. But before they got to unbearable levels they were extinguished, a hulking crimson dragon chuckling as they vanished.

"**So it seems you can**_** '**_**take the heat**_**'**_** as humans say, Deviljho.**" The dragon as said as he took a place next to Jho as Zerureusu landed on the opposite side, both directing a glare at the newcomer.

Crimson Fatalis is a Fatalis whose shells and scales have become a reddish-crimson color after generations of exposure to the Volcano. One of his four horns is extremely overgrown in comparison to the rest. Extremely aggressive and violent, even by the standards of his younger and older brother. Crimson Fatalis' rage was nearly everlasting, finally fading away after someone managed to partner him many years ago and quelled the hatred and anger that burned through his veins. Though instead of angry and rage, it was replaced with pride and arrogance.

"**For what purpose did you attack us Crimson? You know it is forbidden to any of the Elders to engage each other without the permission and blessings of White.**" Zerureusu said, narrowing her eyes at the dragon beside her.

"**Do not be alarmed Zerureusu, neither of you are harmed correct? That was merely a greeting, if I truly wished to harm you, neither of you would still be standing.**" Crimson said flashing a savage smile back at her while Jho remained silent.

Before Zerureusu, Crimson, or Jho could retort they felt an immense pressure wash over them. Any other dragon would have immediately been forced onto their knees, anything other then a dragon would have been crushed or rendered unconscious from such pressure, but these weren't just regular dragons, they had carved out a position near the top of the hierarchy as an Elder.

Soon the chamber began to fill with the various other Elders all glancing at their fellow dragons be it intrigue or dismissal. As the chamber was finally filled and silence had taken over from the open ceiling a white figure could be seen drawing closer. Finally it landed in the center of the room on top of the raised piece of earth, the one every inhabitant of Thousand Blade Mountain considered the most powerful being in existence, White Fatalis, known to all of the other dragons simply as White.

Seeing the one they all respected, feared, and wished to surpassed had finally arrived, they all quieted down and waited for him to address them. Slowly scanning the room, White nodded seeing as everyone had arrived as he had asked. Relaxing his body which in turn caused the other dragons to relax, White started to speak, his voice alone causing the entire mountain to shake softly.

"**I wish to thank you all for attending this meeting on such short notice. I apologize for causing such an inconvenience but I sensed something that troubles me.**" White softly said, though behind his gentle voice there was a hint of worry.

Hearing White's voice laced with worry, the dragons in the room couldn't help but be a little apprehensive. If something worried their ruler, one who could erase a mountain with a single glance, then it must been something that warrants their attention.

"**As you all know, there was a human that has just recently departed back to their home. There is something different about that human then the ones of the past. I sensed traces of the dragon virus but something much darker lurking within him. I wished to advise caution when interacting with him. That is what I called together this meeting for; please spread this to the other dragons within your domain.**" White said, getting a nod of affirmation from the dragons, though Jho put on a troubled face.

Once White dismissed the meeting Jho made his way back to his own domain, his heart heavy from the news that something even darker and more twisted lurked within the second human that had shown him kindness and friendship. Reaching the center of his domain, he released a tired sigh before collapsing, sleep soon taking over as he reminisced through the fond memories of both Ryuuhei and Naruto.

(Scene change - Naruto's location)

Sneezing suddenly, Naruto wondered who was talking about him at such a time. Cursing under his breath he couldn't stop his eye from twitching as he constantly checked a small pocket watch while he sprinted to the place where his scroll was. Because of meeting with Tatsuko the day before, he had completely messed up and forgotten the time that the finals were supposed to start and now he was running late.

Releasing an irritated sigh, Naruto could only blame himself for forgetting such an important date. Knowing that he still had a long journey ahead of him, Naruto could only hope that his match was pushed back as he raced across the craggy landscape. As he checked the watch once more he narrowed his eyes as he would most likely be going into the competition in what he was currently wearing which could only mean embarrassment and questions. Sighing he slipped the watch back into his pocket as he jumped over a small trench.

(Scene change - Hiruko's temporary base of operations)

In a large open room, Hiruko stood in front of a vast number of Oto-nin as he prepared to give out his final orders for the invasion. Slowly scanning the assembled ninja, he could see them all minutely shift slightly as his gaze fell on them. Hiding a smirk behind his bandages, he finally closed his eyes as the small amount of noise vanished.

"The time is finally here. The finals of the chūnin exam are beginning today and that signals the start of my plan and our invasion. After the failed attempt at killing the Konoha shinobi what overheard our plan, my informants have told me that Konoha has increased the number of sentries and sensors within the village walls, actively searching for and detaining those they do not know who have above jōnin level reserves of chakra. This is going to be a thorn in the side, but that is why I have gathered all of you here to explain the change in my plans." Hiruko started.

As he finished, a small murmur going through the ninja present at their leader's rather late declaration of changing the attack plans that they have memorized over the course of the month.

"The increase in security is among the chief reasons that I've changed my plans. Suna has already proven to be unstable when the Yondaime Kazekage broke the terms of our agreement. That's why I removed him before he became a liability. But this turned out to be a blessing instead of a curse, with Rasa out of the way I'll be able to masquerade as the Kazekage and secure a dominant position near the Hokage with a few of my trusted and strongest ninja present as my guards. Once the final match is over or when Suna's jinchūriki loses control of himself, I'll attack the Hokage once his guard drops. Once I do, then the rest of the forces will attack like previously planned and like before, cause as much confusion and chaos as you can." Hiruko finished, getting nods of affirmation from his ninja.

Seeing that his troops were all in order, Hiruko quickly performed an advanced **Henge** to take on the appearance of the Kazekage and proceeded to the stadium as his ninja quickly organized themselves and prepared for the upcoming war.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium)

Nestled near the center of the village was the exam stadium used for all kinds of events, and this day in particular it was packed to the brim with civilians and ninja alike, it was the day for the finals of the chūnin exam. Many familiar faces dotted the arena; the genin who didn't pass sat together, the parents and relatives of those contending, above the arena sat the 'Kage's Box' where Minato and the Kazekage with their guards were seated. Below the box was the area where the daimyos and other upper class spectators and judges were seated.

Gathered below, Hayate and the genin who were about to partake in the tournament stood in the center of the arena, a few nervously glancing around and the others looking blankly in the direction of the 'Kage's Box'. Coughing slightly, Hayate noticed the nervous glances of a few of the genin present.

"_Where's Naru-nii? Oh no! Did he sleep in!? I knew I should've asked him to walk with me here!_" Narumi screamed in her head as she frantically scanned the area for any sign of her beloved brother.

"_Naruto-nii where are you?! It's not like you to be late like this! I knew I should've gone to get you when I left this morning!_" Mito anxiously thought, also scanning the area for her beloved brother.

"_Naruto where are you!? You've always been the first one to arrive whenever we have to meet as a team! You had better not miss this!_" Yakumo thought, scanning the stands before locking eyes with Satsuki who was thinking about the same thing.

"_Damn it! Where are you, you idiot!? You had better show up in the next few minutes or else!_" Satsuki angrily thought as she scanned the crowd around her in the stands for any sign of the blonde before shaking her head in the negative towards Yakumo.

"_Naruto-kun where are you? It's not like you to be late let alone this late! If you don't show up soon I'm sure Tou-san will go ballistic!_" Haku nervously thought, throwing worried glances at her father whose eye started twitching.

"_The hell are you brat!? I didn't wait for an hour in the morning to get these seats just to see you not show! I swear if you lose because you forgot that the finals were today I'll cut you down so hard my great grandchildren, I mean YOUR GRANDCHILDREN will have scars!_" Zabuza angrily ranted and threatened in his head, though for a brief second he pictured cute little babies with a mix of Haku and Naruto's features which he quickly got rid of, the thought of Naruto and Haku 'doing the deed' making his eye twitch.

"_Tsk. Figures the loser would get cold feet. But if he doesn't show it'll work out for me, I just need to show them all how superior I am to them._" Sasuke thought, sneaking glances at Mito and quickly grew angry seeing that she was most likely fretting over her late brother.

"_Of course he'd be late. The dead last can't even manage to make it to a preplanned event on time, how embarrassing. It does fit a loser like him though._" Menma thought with a smirk on his face seeing as he had less competition to sweep through.

"It's alright you guys. Ignore the people that are in the stands, they aren't the ones that you want to try and impress. Direct your attention towards the 'Kage's Box' and the try to impress the people there, they are the ones who will be judging and determining if you are worthy of being a chūnin." Hayate said, getting the genin to tense slightly and straighten out their backs, focusing on the direction Hayate gestured towards.

Looking down at the genin gathered below Minato couldn't help but worry, seeing that Naruto had yet to arrive. He knew from the reports that he got from Anko that he was rather prompt when it came to meetings so seeing that he was late made Minato worry about his son. As he released a sigh the Kazekage with his guards entered the 'Kage's Box', Minato quickly greeting them.

"Ah! Kazekage-dono, welcome!" Minato said with a large smile on his face.

Seeing such a reaction from a Kage, the Kazekage couldn't help but let a small smirk form on his face.

"Hokage-dono, it's a pleasure to be sitting in the same room with someone of your stature. You honor me just by allowing me to sit beside you." The Kazekage said humbly as Minato just rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Please, no need to be so formal, we're allies aren't we? Please, take a seat! The tournament is about to begin." Minato said, as the Kazekage nodded and took the seat next to his.

As he was about sit himself, Raido Namiashi appeared next to him, quickly informing him of the situation.

"Hokage-sama. We haven't been able to find a trace of Naruto anywhere in the village. It appears that he hasn't returned yet." Raido reported, getting a sad nod from Minato.

"Alright, it can't be helped. Tell Hayate that he's clear to begin the matches and to move Naruto's match with Menma and Sasuke to the end." Minato said, getting a nod from Raido as he disappeared and reappeared next to Hayate using **Shunshin**.

"Hayate, Hokage-sama said that we're clear. Just move Naruto's match to the end." Raido said getting a nod from Hayate.

Seeing that he couldn't stall for any more time, Minato took a deep breath before he addressed the entirety of the stadium.

"Thank you everyone for coming to Konoha's chūnin selection exam! I'm very sorry to have kept you all waiting, but we will not start the main tournament matches! Who will emerge victorious between the 11 genin who have made it through the preliminaries! Please! Stay and watch until the very end!" Minato said, his voice echoing through the stadium as applause and cheer exploded, making him smile at the amount of energy that the crowd had.

As he sat back down, the Kazekage gave him a curious glance before speaking.

"11 Hokage-dono? If that is the case, then there seems to be a competitor missing." He said, making Minato lose his smile and respond with a crucial stare, the Kazekage quieting down after seeing it.

As the crowd was going wild around them, Hayate turned to the genin gathered around him and showed them a bracket. At first they were a little confused seeing as they had already memorized it beforehand, but looking closely, the genin saw that the times of the matches have been swapped slightly.

"_Tsk. Of course he'd get special treatment._" Menma thought, giving the bracket that had him in it a glare.

Getting nods from the genin, Hayate put away the bracket and was about to start the matches but was interrupted by Narumi.

"Hayate-sensei! What about Naru-nii? He isn't here yet!" Narumi asked, getting the other genin to stiffen up seeing as she voiced the question that danced in their thoughts.

"Ah, if Naruto doesn't appear by the start of his match, he will lose by default." Hayate explained, getting a nervous nod from Narumi as Mito and Yakumo silently prayed that he'd show up soon.

Seeing as there were no more questioning expressions on the faces of the genin, Hayate coughed slightly before he addressed them.

"Alright you guys, this is the final stage of the exam. The area that you're going to be battling in is different but the same rules from the preliminaries still apply. You will all fight until one of you accepts defeat, is rendered unconscious, or killed. I will intervene if I deem that the fight is over, understand?" Hayate said, getting nods from the genin in return.

Quickly glancing at all of them, he nodded before he moved to the center of the arena, getting the audience to quiet as he began speaking once again.

"Alright then, the first match will be between Narumi Uzumaki-Namikaze and Neji Hyuga. The two of you please stay here while the others clear out and head to the waiting room." Hayate said as the genin followed the orders, Mito and Yakumo wishing Narumi luck while Menma gave her a challenging smirk.

Once the two of them remained, they turned to each other as Hayate looked between them before bringing his arm up.

"The first match of Narumi Uzumaki-Namikaze vs. Neji Hyuga, begin!" Hayate shouted, dropping his arm as the two immediately jumped back from the other.

As soon as her feet hit the ground, Narumi threw a volley of kunai and shuriken at Neji, who easily countered with a volley of his own, Tenten having thrown much worse during training. As the sound of metal echoed through the arena, Neji was about to rush in to get close when a distinct 'poof' made its way to his ears. His eyes widened when he turned around only to be sent flying by a punch.

"W-What?" That was the only word that managed to make it out of Neji's mouth, not knowing what had just happened.

Seeing his opponent smirking at him, he narrowed his eyes. What was happening? Wasn't he fated to win this match and this tournament? How could someone that associated with his weak cousin actually land a solid blow on him when others before couldn't? Gritting his teeth, he activated his Byakugan as he glared at Narumi who instantly lost her smirk and glared back.

"Don't get cocky just because you landed a blow against me. I'm fated to win this battle, just like I was fated to win against Hinata-sama in the preliminaries." Neji said as Narumi bristled in anger.

"Would you cut it out with all that fate crap! You're just using it as an excuse to run away from your own problems!" Narumi shouted angrily, as Neji's glare intensified.

"What would you of all people know?! People are judged by their true nature! It is the way of the world! That is why we have the elite, and that is why we have outcasts. We can change our physical appearance and improve our skills with training and studying, but ultimately, we are judged by what we cannot change. What can't be changed must be endured. We are who we are, and we must live with it!" Neji said as he rushed in to meet a stunned Narumi.

Snapping out of her stupor, Narumi caught one of Neji's hands as he lashed out with it. But as she was about to throw a punch of her own Neji, with a quick thrust of his fingers, landed a blow on. Striking once on her shoulder, making her eyes go wide when a strange numbness appeared, he ripped his hand free before landing another strike to her thigh, then to her abdomen before he quickened the pace of his strikes.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Stands)

"W-What? Tou-sama, that's…" A brown haired girl with the same pupil-less eyes around the age of 10 started before she trailed off, her eyes going wide at the sight of the technique before her.

"Yes Hanabi… there's no doubt he's using anything but that…" A man with the same eyes, Hiashi said, furrowing his brow as he looked at the boy land his strikes on Narumi.

"_Hizashi… There's no doubt about it, your son is a genius… I'm sorry my brother…_" The man thought, seeing the skilled display of **Juken** in front of him.

Seated next to Satsuki, Kiba, and a few other of their friends Hinata put on a worried face as she saw what Neji was doing.

"_Narumi-chan you can't let Neji-niisan finish that attack! Even you won't be able to continue if he's successful in executing it._" Hinata thought as worry seeped deeper into her face.

Seeing that Hinata grew more and more worried the more strikes Neji landed on Narumi, Satsuki put a hand on her shoulder to ease her worries.

"Hinata, it'll be alright. Narumi's always been a tough cookie, something like this won't take her down. Just believe in her and trust in her abilities." Satsuki said getting a wide eyed reaction in return for her comforting words.

Nodding slightly, she turned back to the battle as she closed her hands together in a prayer-like gesture.

"_Narumi-chan, you can do it! I know you can!_"

In another section of the arena, the jōnin sensei were discussing the hot topic at hand and who they believed would take home the win. Though, watching the match, they couldn't help but wince seeing as Narumi was going to be subjected to a brutal attack by Neji.

"Things don't look too good for Narumi." Asuma said as the others nodded their heads.

"I'm afraid Narumi-chan isn't going to be winning this match. Neji-kun is one of the most talented genin that I've had the pleasure to train." Gai said, a small smile on his face from seeing his student excel in front of his fellow jōnin.

While the other jōnin were chatting with each other, Kakashi remained silent, his eyes never leaving his little sister figure and her fight.

"_Narumi, I know you can do it. Prove to everyone that you are strong._"

Suddenly, a flash of crimson caught the eye of a few jōnin as they smiled knowing there was only one person who had such hair. Arriving in the 'Kage's Box' was none other then Kushina Uzumaki, who beamed a smile at the Kazekage and Minato before she skipped over and plopped onto the chair beside him.

"Things look a little tough for Umi-chan don't you think Mina-kun?" Kushina said, her eyes never leaving the sight of her daughter getting attacked.

"Yeah, but this is Narumi we're talking about. She'll pull through no matter what." Minato said with the upmost conviction in his voice as his wife gave him a wide smile.

"I certainly believe that your daughter has quite the skill set considering that she has just graduated from the academy a few months ago." The Kazekage said, getting a smile from the two.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Arena)

"Guh!" Narumi cried out, pain seeping into every part of her body from the strikes that Neji was connecting.

She knew how the **Juken** worked, Hinata always talked about it when they trained together but she never actually faced it like this. When Hinata landed her hits during training, she would just feel a little sting like from a wasp or bee, but every time Neji landed a hit, it felt like she was being stabbed with a burning needle or kunai. She was broken out of her thoughts as Neji abruptly stopped his assault around 32 hits and froze in his stance before her.

"**Hakke Rokujūyon Shō**!" He called out, before landing the remaining 32 strikes faster then Narumi could follow, pain exploding as he connected his strikes.

With the final strike, he sent Narumi flying across the arena where she laid panting and unmoving.

"Like I said before we improve our skills with training and studying, but ultimately, we are limited by what fate dictates." Neji said as he deactivated his Byakugan and leveled a glare at Narumi's attempt to stand.

Narumi had never experienced the pain she was feeling right now ever in her entire life, it was like trying to walk with red-hot needles embedded in her body. Gritting her teeth, she shakily managed to get to up, standing and panting as she directed an angry glare at a mildly surprised Neji.

"I've already told you! I've had enough about your stupid concept of fate! We are limited by what we can do and there are some who are more talented then others, but it isn't up to fate to decide whether or not they are weak or strong, that's something that we decide for ourselves!" Narumi shouted, her eyes glaring at Neji full of hate and anger.

"Don't you understand!? Take me instance; I'm a prodigy, a genius, even by the standards of Hyuga clan! But no matter how skilled I become, I will always be in service to the Main House as a member of the Branch House!" Neji shouted, his eyes burning in rage as he unconsciously activated his Byakugan.

"Then change that! You're the only one who has any power over yourself! You're just using fate as an excuse to run away from your problem rather then face them head on, just like a coward!" Narumi shouted back as Neji's eyes darkened.

Without a word, Neji rushed in to engage Narumi once again. Again, striking her tenketsu, he slammed his palm into her chest as her eyes widened and she spat out a mouthful of blood. Dropping to her knees, Narumi clutched her chest as Neji looked down at her, eyes full of contempt.

"Know your place. Fate has decided me as the winner and you as the loser." Neji said in a cold tone, as he glared down at Narumi.

But his glare vanished when Narumi lost the pained expression on her face as she smirked. Suddenly, she disappeared in a poof of smoke as Neji saw a few chakra signatures around him. Quickly scanning the area he cursed as he saw them, Narumi and her clones.

"Tch. **Kage Bunshin**." He said before he was on the defensive.

Two of the clones rushed towards Neji, one aiming high and the other low. Jumping and shifting his body, Neji was able to narrowly escape the attack but his eyes widened when he was kicked in the stomach and sent flying back. Managing to right himself he struck with lightning fast strikes and dispelled two of the clones before one grabbed his arm and locked it behind him.

Going with the momentum that the clone had, Neji kicked off the ground and spun, removing his arm and taking care of the clone that grabbed him. But as he reached the ground, a group of clones where already on him. Closing his eyes, he held his palms outward as he spun.

"_**Kaiten**_!" He thought as he spun, a dome of chakra repelling and blasting away the clones as Narumi widened her eyes at the jutsu.

"W-What is that?" Narumi asked, shock evident on her face from seeing such a jutsu. Gritting her teeth, she narrowed her eyes as she knew she wouldn't be able to hide her more powerful jutsu now that things have gotten rather intense.

"Hmph. Thought that you had won?" Neji said with a smirk on his face, sneering at Narumi.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Stands)

"_I-Impossible! Thats...!_" Hiashi thought, his eye widening at seeing Neji perform a jutsu reserved for the Main House.

"T-Tou-sama, that's...!" Hanabi started, unable to finish seeing as she had nothing that could vocalize her jumbled thoughts.

"Yes Hanabi... The **Kaiten** is a Main House technique, only passed through the heirs of the Hyuga clan." Hiashi said, as Hanabi numbly nodded her head.

"_Yet to think he could master it on his own... Truly he is a genius..._" Hiashi thought, as he tightened his hand into a small fist.

While Hiashi was in mild shock along with Hanabi, Tenten was smirking seeing her teammate put up his 'absolute defense'.

"_Haha, poor girl doesn't know what she's got herself into. With his Byakugan, Neji's field of view is nearly 360 degrees, being able to see virtually any perceivable angle of attack. With that, he's able to extend a large amount of chakra throughout his tenketsu while spinning basically stopping any attack from connecting. That paired with his mastery over __**Juken**__ using his __**Kaiten**__ surpasses even Gaara's defense as a real absolute defense._" Tenten thought, a larger smirk seeing as her teammate was going to win this tournament without much trouble.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Arena)

Down on the field, once she snapped out of her stupor, Narumi send another wave of clones to attack Neji trying to find some hole in his defensive, anything that could give her an edge to strike back. But like last time, every time a pair of clones got close they've be blown away by his **Kaiten**.

"Heh, painful isn't it? Being unable to get anywhere close to me, no matter what angle you try to attack from. You should just accept your worthlessness before someone you can't possibly beat. Beating and surpassing natural talent through hard work is just an illusion." Neji said, his smirk now a sneer as Narumi started to tremble in fury.

Before she could react, Neji once again rushed her down as he tried to jump back only to wince as pain shot through her leg. Landing a palm strike to her chest once again, Neji took up his stance and repeated the same series of strikes once more.

"**Hakke Rokujūyon Shō**!" He shouted, as he sent Narumi flying and slamming into the stadium walls.

Once she hit the ground, she remained motionless as a small pool of blood started to form near her mouth. The stadium quieted seeing the daughter of their Kage get beaten down in such a brutal and one-sided manner. Hayate was also shocked but broke out of his stupor as he started to raise his hand to signal Neji as the winner, he stopped however when he felt something he hadn't felt in nearly 13 years.

"...That's it..." Narumi whispered as she remained laying face down in the dirt, getting a shocked look from Neji and Hayate.

"T-That's impossible! You've been hit with 128 strikes, all of them connecting to your tenketsu! How can you still be conscious?!" Neji shouted, his eyes wide in disbelief.

Slowly, Narumi shakily stood up, her face overshadowed by her bangs.

"Oh? You're speaking as if you had some way to actually land a blow on me." Neji taunted, getting only silence in return.

Releasing a sigh, he was about to take up his stance once more but widened his eyes as he saw something that made him sweat.

Slowly, orange chakra started to spiral around her like a breeze before it became a twister which shredded the ground. But what really made Neji sweat wasn't the fact that she had access to her chakra, which she shouldn't have in the first place, it was when she lifted her head specifically her pupils which were now slitted like a foxes.

"I'm going to crush that concept you have of fate into dust, and you along with it." Narumi whispered as she drew her fist back, making Neji gulp as he saw the chakra that was built up in it.

Before he could react, she brought it down and the result made everyone tremble in their seats, literally.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

As the tremor reverberated through the stadium, the crowd immediately recognized what Narumi had done and connected her to the only other person who could do that.

"T-Thats...!"

"I-Impossible! She took on an apprentice?!"

"N-No way!?"

Out of all of them, one person in particular felt dread fill her stomach.

"S-She's... She's Tsunade-sama's apprentice..." Tenten whispered, her eyes wide in disbelief as she not only doubted but mocked her idol's student.

Back with the jōnin, their eyes went wide when they saw what had just happened. They knew who that technique belonged to and they couldn't believe that she had taught it to Narumi. While the others sat speechless and stunned, Kakashi cracked a smile behind his mask as he spoke.

"Well, looks like things are over now." He said with an eye smile as the other jōnin watched intently.

"Ah! Tsunade taught Umi-chan her secret!" Kushina said, her eyes wide in disbelief.

"Haha, well looks like things are over for Neji-kun. There's no way Umi-chan is going to let him off easy." Minato said, wincing a bit as a tinge of pity filled his heart.

"Hmm..." Was all the Kazekage sounded out, his eyes intently studying the blonde below.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

Once her fist hit the ground, it was like an earthquake was set of, the ground exploding in a violent shower of debris. Under the cover of the cloud, Narumi created five clones and immediately sent them to attack with her.

When the ground exploded, Neji had to close and shield his eyes from the insane amount of debris that was sent flying in his direction. He knew that it was a part of his opponent's plan, but he had to protect his eyes at all costs, they were his key to winning the tournament. But in that one moment, the few seconds that he closed his eyes, his chances at victory were shattered.

Opening his eyes, they immediately went wide when a group of Narumi surrounded him. Quickly, he unleashed his **Kaiten** once more to get some distance from the blonde. What happened next would never leave his memory or the memory of anyone watching the battle.

Tightening her stance, the group of Narumi simply drew their fists back and smashed it into the dome, making the jaws of everyone drop. Gritting her teeth as she felt the dome start to grind away her knuckles, she roared as her clones followed suit as they shattered the dome like glass, Neji's eyes widening at the feat.

Spinning on the ball of her foot, Narumi finished the match by delivering a series of bone shattering kicks. The first kick smashing into Neji's ribs and sending him into the air. Spinning once again, she jumped and lashed out with her other leg as her heel connected to his stomach as Neji was sent higher into the air. Finally, Narumi spun a final time as her foot connected to his jaw and sent him flying to the opposite end of the arena as the crowd went silent at the brutal attack.

"**Hienrenkyaku**." Narumi whispered as she dropped to the ground with the elegance only a kunoichi had.

As silence reigned over the stadium, Neji groaned a little as he managed to lift his head as his vision blurred and spun. Slowly, Narumi made her way towards him before stopping in the center of the arena before she spoke, directing her speech to him.

"Like I told you before, it isn't up to fate to decide whether or not they are weak or strong, it's something that we decide for ourselves. You said that you were fated to win this battle right? Well what happened? That's right, you lost. Don't you dare blame fate or destiny for your own problems. If you have the will and the drive, you can change fate yourself. You should be able to, after all, you are a genius aren't you?" Narumi said as Neji widened his eyes at the end of her speech.

Slowly a small smile came to his face as he rested his head on the ground. Once he did, Hayate announced Narumi as the winner of the match, as the crowd exploded in roaring applause and cheer. Flinching at the sudden increase in volume, Narumi could only bashfully scratch the back of her head as she waved to the crowd.

After a few minutes of basking in the limelight, Narumi skipped off the field as the medics tended to Neji. As she made it to the waiting room, she was glomped by her older sister who fretted over her injuries.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Judge's area)

"Oh! She certainly has talent doesn't she!"

"I agree! Not only is she a looker, she's also quite skilled. I give my recommendation for a promotion to her."

"I also believe she has what it takes to become a chūnin, her opponent however, I do not think he is mentally or emotionally ready."

"That's quite true, though he seems to have changed slightly from hearing her words. Maybe he will show the same and hopefully even greater promise next time."

After witnessing the match, the judges conversed among themselves about the potential of a promotion of the two. Most agreeing that Narumi had chūnin potential judging from her match.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

The jōnin in the stands couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. The 'Rookie of the Year' from the year prior had been beaten by a genin fresh from the academy.

"I-Impossible..." Was all that left Gai's mouth, not believing that the genius who was a part of his team was beaten.

"As expected Umi-chan." Kakashi said with an eye smile as the others just smiled wryly at him.

In the 'Kage's Box' Kushina was ecstatic that Narumi had won her match in such a splendid way, cheering even louder then the crowd was.

"Yeah! You did it Umi-chan!" She shouted, as Minato just sweat dropped at her behavior.

While the two were praising their daughter for her victory, the Kazekage just smirked under his veil.

"_Interesting... Tsunade passed on her knowledge of using chakra to enhance her strength to her huh..._"

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Infirmary)

"Umi-chan! Are you ok!? Come'on! We need to get you to the infirmary!" Mito said in a panicky tone as Narumi sweat dropped at her sister's, well big sister-ness.

"You sure you're alright?" Menma asked, walking up to the two, who got his answer by the grin on his little sister's face.

Once they all calmed down, they waited for the arena to get repaired before the next match could be started. As they waited they decided to ask about what happened down there during the match.

"So Tsunade-baachan taught you her super strength huh!" Mito said getting a wide grin from her little sister, a little jealous that she was the first one who got to know the secret behind their godmother's legendary strength.

"Don't worry Mito, we'll get to show off what we learned soon enough." Menma said with a smirk as Mito smiled back, Narumi also grinning excited to see what her siblings had learned.

"But if you learned it and had it all this time, why didn't you just end the match sooner?" Menma asked as Narumi sighed.

"I wanted to keep it a secret for as long as possible, but that guy really got on my nerves so I couldn't help but want to beat him down!" Narumi said, scowling slightly at the thought of Neji.

"That's for sure, if you had used Baachan's strength during that combo, he'd be nothing but a bag of broken bones!" Menma said while shivering as Narumi and Mito also shivered slightly.

"Yeah, that's exactly why I turned it off. I wanted to beat him not kill him." Narumi said, getting nods from her siblings.

As they finished their conversation, the next round of matches were called, making them leave the waiting room to the balcony that oversaw the arena.

"Alright. The next match will be between Kankuro and Gaara of the sand." Hayate said as Kankuro immediately raised his hand.

"Proctor! I withdraw!" He hastily said with a nervous expression on his face, not that Hayate could blame him, he had seen firsthand what Gaara could do. Nodding his head he raised his hand.

"Kankuro forfeits, therefore the winner by default is Gaara." Hayate said as everyone started booing at the cowardly act, only if they knew.

"Alright then, moving on. The next match will be between Shikamaru Nara and Temari of the sand." Hayate said, as Temari made her way down to the arena.

Sighing Shikamaru quickly went over various scenarios in his head, each one ending in him losing in the end. Closing his eyes, he raised his hand as everyone started to boo him as well.

But before he could call out to Hayate, Menma shoved him over the railing as he fell onto his back.

"Don't you think about forfeiting Shika! I gave you a helping hand and a push in the right direction!" Menma said with a grin on his face as Shikamaru's eye started twitching at the troublesome blonde.

Looking a little confused, Hayate just shrugged before he raised his hand.

"The next match between Shikamaru Nara and Temari of the sand. Begin!" With that Temari instantly rushed towards Shikamaru with her fan trailing behind her.

As soon as she reached him, she swung down, a cloud of dust covering the area where she hit. But as soon as it cleared, Shikamaru stood unharmed on top of two kunai that he embedded into the wall.

"Man, I really don't want to fight. I also don't really care about becoming a chūnin either, but I sure as heck won't lose to a girl." Shikamaru said as he lashed out with a kick which made Temari jump back.

"_Man... Why did I have to fight a girl of all people. If I win, then I beat up a girl. If I lose, I lost to a girl. Either way it's a lose-lose for me._" Shikamaru thought as he let his head drop.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

Up in the stands of the arena, Ino along with Sakura had been watching the matches without much interest, that is until, at least for Ino, Shikamaru was pushed into the ring. As she started to cheer him on, her other teammate appeared.

"Hey Ino, is this seat taken?" Choji asked, getting a head nod from Ino before he sat down.

"It's kind of funny isn't it? Shikamaru being in the finals, he really doesn't fit in there." Choji said as Ino giggled a little at the truth behind his words.

"Yeah, he's lucky that Menma-kun pushed him in or else he would have lost by forfeit. But still, the odds of him winning aren't very high especially since he's fighting her, but he can still pull through if he comes up with a killer strategy!" Ino said, getting a nod from Choji and a questioning look from Sakura.

"A killer strategy?" Sakura asked, getting a smirk from Ino and a smile from Choji.

"Just you wait Forehead, Shikamaru will blow you away with his brains! Go Shikamaru!" Ino said to Sakura before she turned and shouted at her teammate.

With the jōnin sensei, after seeing Narumi's amazing comeback, they were excited to see what Shikamaru had in store for them. They knew from Asuma as well as Shikaku that he was a slacker but maybe he'd surprise them.

"Don't you all worry, he may be unmotivated and lazy, but that guy is something else. Just watch and you'll be amazed, trust me." Asuma said as the others nodded their heads and focused on the match at hand.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

Hearing his teammate, Shikamaru couldn't stop his eye from twitching after hearing the rather loud and obnoxious cheers that she directed towards him.

Smirking a little seeing his inner conflict, Temari drew her fan once more and swung, a wave of wind crashing into the spot where Shikamaru stood. Though, she quickly lost her smirk and gained an irritated look seeing as he was gone once the dust settled.

"Tch. He's good at running, I'll give him that." She muttered under her breath.

While Temari was scanning the area for any sign of him, Shikamaru just sighed while he sat in one of the trees that dotted the arena. Looking into the sky, he just looked on with envy at the immense and unlimited freedom that the clouds seemed to possess. Just as he was about to get comfy, he had to change location once he heard her.

"**Ninpo: Kamaitachi no Jutsu**!" She shouted as she swung her fan, a wide blast of cutting wind racing to the tree line.

As it hit, it started shredding and uprooting the trees, another dust cloud resulting from the jutsu. But as she was about to relax a little, Temari saw something in the edge of her vision, a shadow sped out of the cloud and raced towards her, forcing her to jump back to get distance from the jutsu, knowing what would happen once it connected with her. Though, the further away she got the more Temari started to sweat, seeing as the shadow wasn't letting up in its pursuit of her.

But suddenly it stopped abruptly and started to shrink back to the cloud of dust that he came from, getting a sigh of relief from Temari as she drew a line in the ground to mark where it had reached.

"_Looks like this is the farthest that, that shadow will go. Interesting, it looks like his shadow seems to be able to shrink and stretch according to his will. When it was chasing me earlier, it was a lot thicker then it is now._" Temari thought as a smirk came to her face.

Looking at dust cloud that had now settled into nothingness, Temari shot Shikamaru a smirk as a bead of sweat dropped down his face.

"You're shadow. There's a limit to how much it can make it stretch and shrink, isn't there. I just noticed it now, but you can't make it stretch further then the normal surface area of your normal shadow." Temari said with a smirk on her face as Shikamaru gained a shocked expression before he smirked back.

"Heh, that's right. Though I'm kind of shocked that you managed to figure it out so fast." Shikamaru said as Temari remained silent, opting to calculate the total distance that his shadow could travel.

As she was in thought, he quickly threw a volley of kunai at her, which she blew away using her fan. Bracing himself, he used his arms to shield himself from the cutting wind as his eyes darted to the positions of his kunai. A small smirk forming on his face as the sun began to sink lower into the sky.

"_He's using the shadow of the stadium to augment the length of his shadow. But even with the added length... 15 meters and 32 centimeters..._" Temari calculated, getting a knowing look from her brother in the balcony.

"_Temari's already marked and calculated the distance of his shadow with her fan. Heh, this match has already been decided. She's a lot better at long range then she is at short range, no wonder everyone thinks she's genius tactician._" Kankuro thought as the Shikamaru repeated his earlier action of throwing a volley of kunai, which Temari blew away.

"You know fighting at long range is only going to end badly for you." Temari said with a smirk as Shikamaru sighed.

Temari's hand twitched for a second which Shikamaru noticed as he widened his eyes and dove for the cover of the trees as she fully opened her fan.

"Hiding isn't going to do you any good! **Kamaitachi no Jutsu**!" She shouted as another blast of cutting wind shredded the tree that Shikamaru was hiding behind.

Quickly shedding his outer jacket, he tied it to a kunai and waited out another assault of wind that battered the tree that he was taking cover behind. As it died and a dust cloud replaced it, he threw the kunai towards Temari which was deflected by her fan, as she jumped back, his shadow once again racing towards her. A smirk on her face, she was about to relax but panicked slightly once it crossed the line she had drawn.

"_W-What?! But that's impossible! His shadow shouldn't be able to stretch any further!_" But she was broken out of her musing when she noticed that the sun had set slightly, adding to his shadow's length.

"_So that was his plan. He was buying time for the sun to set, so it would add to his shadow's length. But still, even with the extra length it shouldn't be able to reach me at this distance._" Temari thought with a smirk on her face as the shadow indeed stopped in its tracks.

Gripping her fan once more, she was about to swing once more but someone's voice made its way to her.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

Kankuro let out a sigh of relief seeing that his sister managed to avoid getting snagged by the kid's shadow. But as he relaxed, he noticed something that made him nervous. The kunai from earlier was floating in the air! The kid had made a parachute using his shirt, and that added another shadow for him to use.

"Temari! Above you!" He shouted, panic evident in his voice as he saw Temari going for another attack.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

"Temari! Above you!"

Hearing the voice of her brother, Temari froze and her head snapped upwards as they widened once they locked on the makeshift parachute.

"Tch!" She quipped, quickly jumping back as Shikamaru's shadow suddenly latched onto the shadow of the parachute and rushed forward.

As she dodged the shadow, it made unusual and seemingly random turns that forced Temari to move at strange angles. But before she could figure out what he was doing, she froze and dropped her fan. Disbelief in her eyes, she slowly looked down and saw that she had indeed been captured by Shikamaru's shadow.

"Whew, finally.** Kagemane no Jutsu**, success." Shikamaru said with a smirk on his face as disbelief spread throughout the crowd.

"W-What? How?" Temari asked, unable to see the exact reason as to why she was caught in his jutsu.

"Heh, figures you wouldn't be able to see since you're caught in my **Kagemane no Jutsu**. I'll show you.**"** Shikamaru said as he turned his head around, making Temari mimic the action.

When she saw it, her eyes widened in shock. Littered about in a seemingly random way, were the kunai that he had thrown earlier, but they were all connected to the shadow that currently had her immobilized.

"W-What?" Was all that Temari could say, not believing what she had seen. Didn't she blow those kunai away in a random way? There couldn't have been any possible way that he had manipulated them to land as they were now. They were lined up, and curved slightly to form a snaking trail that encircled her.

"Hey, don't look at me. I'm just as surprised as you are, for them to have landed like this, it's all luck." Shikamaru said as he stood up and rolled his shoulders as Temari shot him a glare.

"Well, looks like it's time to finish this." He continued as Temari tensed, she was powerless in this position now. Slowly, Shikamaru raised his hand before he did something that made everyone drop their jaws.

"I give up." He deadpanned as an out of place wind blew, everyone dropping their jaws with their eyes turning white and blank.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

"What..."

"Just..."

"Happened?"

Mito started, Narumi continued, and Menma finished; unable to comprehend why Shikamaru would forfeit when he had such an advantage.

With Ino, Sakura and Choji; they had similar reactions as Ino started shouting at Shikamaru, demanding to know why he quit. Sakura just had a confused look on her face as she tried to grasp what was going on in his head. Choji on the other hand just laughed.

"I knew it, it wouldn't be Shikamaru if he didn't give up in a time like that." He said while laughing lightly.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

"Wh-What?" Temari asked, disbelief on her face after hearing her opponent give up.

"I give up. This has gone on way too long for my liking. I never even wanted to fight in the first place. I'm pretty much out of chakra from keeping my **Kagemane** up for so long. I even had about 100 more moves planned out but guess I ran out of time. But most of all, I'm just getting tired of this. One match is more then enough for me." Shikamaru said as Hayate smirked slightly.

"_He's definitely got chūnin potential._" Hayate thought as he brought his hand up.

"Winner of the match, Temari!" He called out as the crowd broke out of their stupor and cheered for the Suna kunoichi.

"Man, I need a nap." Shikamaru said as he left the field, Temari doing the same after a few seconds of staring at his back.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

"Th-That idiot! He just gave up his chance at becoming a chūnin!" Ino shouted, nearly pulling her hair out at the outrageous action of her teammate.

"Haha, Ino you know that's just how Shikamaru is." Choji told her, popping a few more chips into his mouth as he smiled.

With the jōnin, they were speechless. The forfeit by Shikamaru stunned them but it didn't compare to the amount of intellect that he had just showcased.

"Geez, he really isn't motivated is he?" Kurenai asked with a doubtful look on her face after seeing the display.

"Haha, I don't really know either..." Asuma admitted with a wry smile on his face.

While they were outwardly doubting his motivation, inwardly they were impressed by his strategy and planning, knowing that it was definitely above genin level.

With the judges, they shared similar thoughts as the jōnin, knowing that he had chūnin potential in him.

After the match, there was a quick recess held for the crowd to use the restrooms and stretch their legs. But it was also a time for the judges to confer with one another. As they were having a brief conference, in the 'Kage's Box' the Kazekage started a conversation with Minato.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Kage's Box)

"Hokage-dono, you sure have some promising genin." The Kazekage said as Minato gave him a wide grin.

"Thank you Kazekage-dono! You're genin are great as well, that kunoichi is definitely quite skilled!" Minato said as the Kazekage nodded his head.

As they conversed with one another, eventually the Kazekage asked Minato something that really shook him and Kushina.

"Hokage-dono, as you know my sons haven't had a match or rather Gaara didn't get a match. I see that we have a 1 vs. 1 vs. 1 as the finale, as such I was wondering if Gaara could instead fight one of them, specifically Naruto." He said as Minato and Kushina widened their eyes.

"But isn't that a bit unfair to the crowd and the genin? They were waiting for this fight weren't they?" Minato asked as the Kazekage nodded.

"And what about Naru-chan? He won't be informed about this change!" Kushina said, as the Kazekage nodded once more.

"That is true, but I would like to ask this favor from you, as your new ally. Will you allow Gaara to fight Naruto." He asked once more as Minato furrowed his brow, Kushina looking at him with worry.

"Will you allow me and my wife to think about it for a little bit?" Minato asked as the Kazekage gave him an eye smile.

"Of course Hokage-dono."

After a few minutes, the recess was about to end and Minato reached an answer.

"We... We will accept your request, we are allies so we should do favors like this from time to time." Minato said, though he was greatly worried for Naruto, having seen what Gaara could do. Alongside him, Kushina shared the same concerns, knowing that she sensed something foreign yet similar in Gaara.

"Thank you Hokage-dono! You do not know how much this means to me! Ah, you as well Kushina-dono!" The Kazekage said as he bowed slightly, making Minato and Kushina embarrassed.

Finalizing the rooster, he stood up as the crowd focused on him as he stepped towards them.

"Everyone! Please, I have an announcement to make!" He said as everyone quieted down and focused on him.

"I know that many of you were excited about the final match seeing as it was a 1 vs. 1 vs. 1. But I'm afraid that will not be happening." As he finished, there were disappointed murmurs through the crowd.

"I have decided, with the Kazekage, the judges and my wife that we will be splitting off one of the participants of that match and pairing them with the Kazekage's son, Gaara who had a match forfeited in his favor earlier." He said, as the crowd got excited seeing as one of the people they didn't get to see battle have another chance to show them what he could do.

Seeing the crowd get reenergized, Minato could help but smile at the scene.

"Therefore, we will have Gaara vs. my son Naruto as the final match!" He said, at that the crowd went silent.

The reason being that he said the name of someone who they didn't have much interaction, let alone knowledge of. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, the oldest of his sibling and the most enigmatic. Though silence was replaced with curiosity as they were excited over the prospect of seeing the elusive blonde battle.

Having settled the matter, Minato nodded to Hayate to start the next match.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Waiting Room)

Having heard the newest announcement from their father, the Uzumaki-Namikaze siblings couldn't believe what they had just heard. Their father had paired their older brother against that monster from the sand. Even Menma felt a little pity for his older brother.

"Tou-san... What will happen to Naru-nii...?" Narumi said with a terrified look in her eyes as she quickly looked at Gaara.

"Naruto-nii..." Mito said with a worried tone as she also snuck a glance at Gaara.

Their fears were realized when they saw a maniacal and bloodthirsty grin on his face as a small swirl of sand surrounded him.

"Tch... Hopefully that loser will at least wear him down for me later..." Menma said as he also looked at Gaara.

The other genin shared worried looks, seeing as Naruto was going to fight a literal monster soon.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

Hayate once again resumed his position in the center of the ring as he called out for the next participants.

"The next match: Yakumo Kurama vs. Mito Uzumaki-Namikaze." As the two made their way down to the arena.

Once settled in the center, facing each other they gave a smile and wished each other good luck before Hayate raised his arm. Glancing quickly at the two of them, he nodded.

"Alright, let the match begin!" He said as Yakumo instantly went on the offensive, shocking her best friend.

Stopping in front of Mito, Yakumo lashed out with a flurry of blows that Mito dodged without much trouble though a punch did graze her cheek. Narrowing her eyes, Mito caught one of Yakumo's fists as it made its way to her head and delivered a palm strike to her abdomen, Yakumo's eyes widening from the impact.

Staggering back a little, Yakumo quickly tilted to the side as Mito's fist flew past her head. But she had to duck as Mito spun in the air using the momentum of her punch to try and kick her head. But her assault didn't end there as Mito delivered another downward punch that Yakumo blocked, though her arms buckled from the force of the blow.

Shifting her body, Yakumo pushed off Mito's hand and slammed her shoulder into Mito's chest, but Yakumo widened her eyes when the redhead dispersed into a cloud of smoke.

"**Kage Bunshin**?! When?!" Yakumo said, her eyes widening as she lost sight of Mito.

Still shocked, Yakumo barely dodged out of the way as a pair of hands shot out of the ground in an attempt to grab her ankles. Still in the air Yakumo rushed through a series of seals before putting her hand to her mouth.

"**Suiton: Mizurappa**!" She shouted as a high pressure stream of water bore into the spot that the hands erupted from.

Landing, Yakumo cursed under her breath as another plume of smoke erupted out of the ground. Flashing through another set of seals, Yakumo was interrupted when Mito suddenly appeared behind her and grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her back. Wincing, Yakumo smirked as she brought her hand up in half a seal.

"**Meimu Jun**." She whispered as Mito winced, feeling the world start to revolve around her as she tightened her grip on Yakumo only to feel air, even though she was clearly holding onto her.

Widening her eyes, she quickly put her hands together and sent a pulse of chakra that disrupted the genjutsu. Her senses screaming at her to duck, she did as Yakumo appeared above her with a kick that was intended for her head. Quickly rolling onto her hands, Mito kicked upwards and caught Yakumo in the stomach as she winced, but slowly smirked as her hands were in a seal.

Widening her eyes Mito tried to get away, but Yakumo beat her as she flipped off her foot and dropped her knees onto her stomach.

"**Toko Sangeki**!" Yakumo shouted as Mito froze, her eyes widening as her world started to shift and eventually turned into an endless sea of black.

(Scene Change - Toko Sangeki: Mito's Illusion)

Darkness, that was all that Mito could see. Cursing under her breath, she knew that Yakumo was most dangerous when it came to genjutsu and now she was stuck in one of them. But before she could do anything, she heard a voice that made her freeze.

"Mito." It said as she slowly turned around, her cerulean eyes staring into the navy blue of her brother's.

"N-Naruto-nii?" She said, taking a step forward but she managed to stop herself. Knowing that it was an illusion.

"N-No! This isn't real! This is just one of Yakumo-chan's genjutsu!" She shouted, closing her eyes as she put her hands together to release a pulse of chakra. But before she could, she felt a warm pair of hands grab hers.

Snapping her eyes open, she once again gazed into her brother's. But she flinched and shivered in fear when they bore no warmth or recognition, only hate and resentment.

"What? Did you expect me to wrap you up in a warm hug and pretend the last few years of you ignoring and abandoning me didn't exist?" Naruto said in a bone chilling tone, making Mito's eyes widen.

"N-Naruto-nii! It's not like that! I-I didn't want to but, but... I don't know... I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, please forgive me Aniki!" She shouted, tears starting to fall from her eyes only to feeling a sting on her cheek as her head snapped to the side.

He slapped her, and it hurt more then anything that she had ever experienced in her life.

"Don't you dare call me that. I am NOT your brother and you are NOT my sister. I don't have someone as heartless and inhuman as you for a sister." He said as he stood up, his cold eyes glaring into her very soul.

Mito couldn't feel anything else but heartbreak and agony seeing the look in her brother's eyes. Soon, tears freely made their way down her face as she started sobbing covering her face with her hands as her body trembled with each sob that escaped her lips.

"Don't you ever think about calling yourself my sister. My sister, the sister I loved like no other, left me a long time ago." He said as Mito snapped her head up, her eyes wide and overflowing with tears.

Soon, he started walking away as Mito tried to stand up, only to feel like her legs were made of lead. Frantically, she tried to reach out to him screaming his name as he got further and further away.

"Aniki! Please don't leave me! Aniki! Aniki please! Don't leave me behind! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! Aniki! ANIKI!" Mito screamed hysterically, reaching and grabbing in the direction that he slowly faded away into as her tears fell like a floodgate being opened.

Soon, only darkness remained as Mito curled up into a tight ball as she whimpered her brother's name, her tears never stopping. She had forgotten that she was trapped in a genjutsu designed to bring about a tragedy that she feared the most, the tragedy of being abandoned by her brother just like she had abandoned him all those years ago.

"Aniki... Please don't leave me... Don't leave Mito behind... Aniki..." Mito whimpered softly, with each passing second her voice getting younger, higher, and more desperate.

Soon, Mito had been reduced from a strong and confident 13 year old girl to a broken and afraid 5 year old girl. Hugging her knees to her chest as a strange cold started to seep into her body, Mito continued to replay the scene of her brother's harsh words, before he slapped her and gave her that soul piercing glare before fading away.

The more that the scene replayed, the more the darkness seemed to consume the surrounding area. Soon, Mito started to be consumed by the darkness of the area, the cold from before seeping into her very soul as she closed her eyes, a final and lone tear escaping.

"Aniki..." She whimpered one final time, before the cold and darkness took over. But suddenly, a strange warmth radiated and banished the cold inside of her.

"Mito-chan, why are you crying?" A familiar voice said, full of concern and warmth.

Hearing that voice, Mito snapped her head up and stared into the same navy blue eyes form before. But in the place of the hate and resentment from earlier, there was only love and concern.

"A-Aniki...?" She whispered, tears starting to build up once again in her eyes. But before they fell, a warm and gentle hand brushed them out of her eyes.

"Mito-chan, you know I don't like it when you cry. What's wrong?" Naruto said, as Mito sniffled before hugging and burying her face into his chest. He was here, her beloved older brother.

"Aniki, please don't leave Mito behind... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She whimpered, as she felt his lips softly press themselves on her head.

"There's no need to be sorry Mito-chan. You did nothing wrong." He whispered as she sniffed, shaking her head in the negative.

"I am sorry Aniki... I did something bad..." She whispered, burying her face deeper into his chest.

"Mito-chan... Everyone does something bad in their life, no matter how good of a person they are. When you do something bad, all you can do is apologize and try and made it up to whoever was affected. Now, stop crying ok?" Naruto said, as Mito nodded her head softly.

"Good, now don't you have something to do Mito-chan?" Naruto asked, making Mito's eyes go wide before she nodded.

"Mhmm... Aniki... Thank you." Mito said as she smiled, getting a small smile from her older brother as well before he leaned down and kissed her forehead as her face exploded in crimson, her eyes wide.

Soon, the darkness that consumed the space that surrounded her started to shatter as rays of light made their way through the cracks. Finally, the darkness shattered completely as Mito closed her eyes, warmth filling her entire being.

As the world started to fade away, a pair of crimson slitted eyes faintly appeared as a feminine voice echoed softly.

"_Hmph, such a naive girl. If not for me you would have fallen into complete darkness._"

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

When Yakumo's genjutsu took effect, Mito's eyes widened and went blank. Slowly she sank to her knees as tears started to fall from her face, stunning the crowd as they never imagined seeing the oldest daughter of the Hokage be reduced to such a state. Even Yakumo gave her best friend a guilty look, knowing that her jutsu was a harsh one.

But as Yakumo was about to cancel her genjutsu and knock Mito out, she felt a similar pulse of chakra that Narumi had as an orange spiral of charka started to seep out of Mito. Widening her eyes, Yakumo was sent flying back went a huge pulse of chakra surged out of Mito.

Before she even reached the ground, Mito grabbed Yakumo by the throat and what she saw made her feel an unknown sense of dread that she never felt in her best friend before, instead of her normal cerulean blue eyes they were as crimson as her hair with a vulpine pupil in place of a normal round one.

"That was a horrible genjutsu Yakumo-chan." Mito whispered, making Yakumo shiver as her eyes widened when her best friend gave her a bone chilling glare.

She was broken out of her thoughts as Mito flung her to the opposite wall, her head impacting with a audible thud as Yakumo lost consciousness.

Silence reigned over the arena as Mito suddenly dropped to her knees, panting as her eyes returned to their normal state. Slowly, she rose up once again though shaky. As she did, the crowd exploded in cheer for the brilliant comeback as Hayate smirked, raising his hand.

"The winner of the match: Mito Uzumaki-Namikaze!" He said as the crowd cheered even louder then before as Mito shyly smiled and waved at them, no used to the cheers of so many people.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

"Well, looks like another of Kakashi's genin made it through" Aoba said, getting nods from the others.

"Tch, please don't tell me it'll be a team Kakashi sweep!" Asuma groaned, getting a laugh from the other jōnin.

"I just hope that their friendship is still intact, the genjutsu looked really nasty if it was able to make Mito cry." Kakashi said, worry evident in his voice as the others shared his look.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll understand that Yakumo-chan did what she had to do in order to try and win." Kurenai reassured him, getting him to give her an eye smile.

"Thanks Kurenai, I hope so too." He said as he returned his gaze to the arena.

Once again, in the 'Kage's Box' Kushina was cheering loudly over her daughters victory as Minato tried to calm her down, reminding her that the Kazekage was next to him. Though his concerns were for not as the Kazekage just chuckled and said it was refreshing to see such energy.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Judge's area)

With the judges they were more then surprised at the aptitude that the two girls presented.

"They certainly are both beautiful and skilled, definitely chūnin material!"

"Yes, definitely the daughters of Hokage-sama are chūnin material! I do hope his sons show such promise!"

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Infirmary)

As soon as Mito entered the infirmary, Narumi was on her, checking her for any injuries and nearly crying after seeing her cry.

"Mito-nee! Are you ok?! Why were you crying!? You looked so hurt! I was so worried!" Narumi cried, as Mito smiled at her little sister's concern.

"I'm fine Umi-chan, just tired. Yakumo-chan isn't the one to blame, we were having a match and she did what anyone else would have done, myself included." Mito said getting a nod from her sister.

"You alright?" Menma said, sneaking a glance at her as Mito smiled at her brother.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm going to check up on Yakumo-chan, so I'll catch you later. Good luck on your next match Menma!" She said as Menma nodded.

In the room next door, Mito reached Yakumo's bed and gently nudged her best friend who groaned before her eyes fluttered open.

"Hey Yakumo-chan." Mito said, her voice soft and a little hurt.

"...I'm sorry that I put you in that genjutsu Mito-chan. I know that it must have been something horrible you must have seen." She apologized, gently reaching out and holding Mito's hand.

"It's fine, it's just... What I saw... It'll probably never leave me." Mito said, clasping Yakumo's hand back.

"Hey, after this is all over, why don't we go shopping and hang out? We haven't been able to do that for quite some time." Yakumo said as Mito smiled, nodding her head.

"I'd like that Yakumo-chan!" Mito chirped happily as they smiled at each other.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

Down on the arena floor, Hayate stood with Menma and Sasuke, both casting a glare to the other. Sensing the tension, Hayate nodded as he raised his arm.

"The next match: Menma Uzumaki-Namikaze vs. Sasuke Uchiha." He announced, as the crowd cheered, the fangirls of both cheering and screaming loudly among them Ino and Sakura were head to head as they began to compete against each other as Choji started to sweat.

"Hope you're ready to lose Uchiha." Menma sneered as Sasuke just smirked.

"You'll be eating your words soon enough Namikaze." Sasuke sneered back, as the lightning started to spark between their eyes.

"It's too bad my older brother isn't here for me to beat down along with you. Oh well, you'll be enough I guess." Menma said as Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Aren't you a little too hard on your older brother, sure he may be weak but he's still your brother. Show him some respect." Sasuke said, his voice unusually somber.

"Tch, what the hell are you talking about Uchiha? You, of all people, are lecturing me about family? Don't you hate your siblings, you sure act like it especially when you got jealous of Satsuki for unlocking her Sharingan." Menma shot back, as Sasuke's eyes darkened.

"When have I ever said that I hate them? Sure I glare at them and get angry at them, but I love them with all my heart. And of course I get jealous of them, it's only natural for siblings to feel some kind of jealousy from each other, but that doesn't mean I hate them it only means that I need to work harder to surpass them." Sasuke nearly snarled, angry at the blonde for accusing him of hating his siblings; the same siblings who he grew up with, lived with, loved, and would give his life for.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

Up in the stands, hearing the two exchange heated words caused their respective fan clubs to do the same, along with throwing glares and insults at their rivals.

"Hey Forehead, sure Sasuke is going to beat Menma-kun? Ha! I doubt it!" Ino sneered as Sakura's eye twitched in anger.

"Don't get me started with you Pig! Sasuke-kun will crush Menma this time, it won't be like the academy where they always tied!" Sakura shouted as sparked flew between the two, causing Choji to shrink back in fear.

With the jonin, to say they were excited was an understatement. They were waiting for this match the most, even more then Mito and Narumi's matches. It wasn't that the matches before were any less exciting or important but this one had two rivals who were practically equal in terms of speed, strength, skill, and intelligence.

"Kakashi, the match hasn't even started and it's already intense!" Asuma said, his eyes twinkling in anticipation.

"I agree, those two certainly are at the top of their year." Kurenai said, her eyes never leaving the two.

"Yosh! Such youth! Their rivalry burns with the same intensity that ours has Kakashi!" Gai shouted, as everyone sweat dropped though they couldn't refute the claim, at least the part with Sasuke and Menma.

"I just hope things don't go too far." Was all Kakashi said, knowing that his honorary little brother could get too caught up in fighting.

With Kushina and Minato, they remained silent. They knew that Menma was a strong shinobi and that Sasuke was indeed his rival, ever since they could walk and talk. But they were also concerned as Menma always got too into the spars he had with his peers and sisters. They only hoped that he didn't do anything that could really hurt the son of their closest friends.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

Seeing that the tension was nearing a high, Hayate acted quickly.

"Alright, ready. Begin!" He said, bringing his hand down as the two immediately jumped back, flashing through a series of seals.

Finishing, Sasuke brought his hand to his mouth as Menma did the same.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu**!" Sasuke roared, as he fired a large fireball at Menma.

"**Katon: Endan**!" Menma shouted as he fired a medium sized bullet of fire at Sasuke.

As the two masses of fire collided, a brilliant explosion of flames danced around the field. As Menma and Sasuke raced towards each other.

Lashing out with his right, Menma aimed a punch towards Sasuke's face who tilted to avoid the attack. Grabbing his wrist, Sasuke spun and smashed his elbow into Menma's face. Though it didn't work as intended as Menma caught the blow, his arms buckling a little.

"T-That was a move Satsuki used!" Menma shouted, his eyes narrowed as Sasuke smirked.

"Who do you think helped me train over the past month." Sasuke said as his leg shot forward and caught Menma in the stomach as Menma grunted, staggering back a little.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

The family of the raven haired boy all smiled when they heard him say that. Over the course of the month, he had trained with all of them having asked them to help him grow stronger, though he never managed to unlock his Sharingan. Satsuki especially felt pride in her brother as she was the only who spent nearly 3 weeks helping him train and even taught him some of her own moves.

"_Sasuke-chan, you can do it!_" Mikoto said in her mind, her eyes sparkling and her hands clenched in anticipation.

"_I believe in you Sasuke, you can win this._" Itachi silently cheered in his mind, as a smile made its way to his face.

"_I know that as my son, you have the highest chance of beating Minato's son out of everyone in this tournament._" Fugaku said in his mind, a small smile appearing on his face.

"_Come'on Sasuke! Don't forget what I told you! Always try and think three steps ahead of your opponent! Menma shouldn't even be that hard to figure out!_" Satsuki mentally coached, hoping that their twin telepathy still worked.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

Quickly spinning on the ball of his foot, Sasuke jumped and aimed a kick at Menma's head, the blonde quickly bringing his arm up to block the blow, his body swaying from the force of the blow. His eyes narrowing even more, Menma took a step forward and slammed his shoulder into Sasuke, sending him flying a few feet back.

But Sasuke straightened himself out while in mid-air, landing on his feet as he flashing through a series of seals, Menma following suit.

"**Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu**!" He shouted as he fired off a volley of flames at Menma who responded with his own jutsu.

"**Futon: Daitoppa**!" Menma shouted, as a surge of wind raced towards the flames, extinguishing them but Menma widened his eyes as he saw what was inside of them.

Unable to act in time, a few shuriken hidden in the flame, slashed him as he winced. While none managed to embed themselves in him, they did cut him on the cheek, shoulder, and thigh. While he was distracted, Sasuke appeared before Menma as his eyes widened.

His leg shooting upwards, it connected with Menma's jaw reminiscent of what Lee did earlier in the exams to Sasuke himself. While in the air, Sasuke appeared behind Menma as he put his hand on the blonde's back and forced him to spin slightly, lashing out with his leg which connected to Menma's side.

Spinning around, Sasuke swung and smashed his forearm against Menma's neck causing the blonde to let out a strangled cry of pain. As the two fell towards the ground, Sasuke lashed out with a fist and struck Menma in the center of the chest as the air was forced out of his lungs. But Sasuke wasn't finished as he spun once more and slammed his heel into Menma's abdomen, the blonde's eyes going wide as spittle flew out of his mouth.

"**Shishi Rendan**!" Sasuke said, as he rolled away from Menma.

Sighing, Sasuke was about to relax but he felt a sudden surge of chakra emit from Menma, when he looked he widened his eyes, it was just like what happened with Narumi and Mito. An orange spiral of chakra surround Menma, as he a smirk came to his face when he saw the look of shock on Sasuke's face.

Bringing his hands into a familiar cross shaped seal, Menma created a number of clones and sent them to take out the raven haired boy.

Hitting the ground, Sasuke cursed as he rolled back into a stance and endured the onslaught of clones. Focusing on defense rather then offense, a concept that was still foreign to him.

Waiting until a clone threw a hit, Sasuke with counter with one of his own, though there were multiple times where the sheer number of clones overtook him, as Menma replaced each clone destroyed with 2 more.

Jumping, Sasuke twisted his body with his legs out as they caught the jaws of multiple clones, sending them staggering back before they were destroyed. But before he could land, Menma and his clones closed in on him.

The clone that reached him first buried its fist into Sasuke's stomach, his eyes widening as the air was forced out of his lungs. Before he could catch his breath, another clone planted its hand on the ground and connected its foot with his jaw, he felt the bones in his jaw creak from the blow as he was sent into the air. But Menma wasn't finished with his assault once Sasuke was off the ground.

Grabbing hold of one another, two clones hurled their partners into the air, after Sasuke as they landed two more brutal punches to his jaw, as he flew up even higher before he started to free fall. Once he was close to the level Menma's head sat, Two more clones rushed him, spinning before they connected their heels with his stomach before he was sent flying back. Though he didn't get far as the original Menma was waiting for him, a terrifying spiraling sphere in his hand and a smirk on his face, his cerulean eyes having a vulpine slitted pupil as opposed to the regular round one.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

Everyone widened their eyes when they witnessed the brutal attacks that Menma subjected Sasuke to, but they widened even more in fear once they saw what Menma had in his hand. There was no mistaking the jutsu that he held, and soon fear filled their hearts as the thought of him killing Sasuke turned all too real.

"T-Thats!" Aoba shouted as he stood up, a few of the other jonin mimicking his action.

"Kakashi! Please tell me you didn't teach him something that dangerous!" Asuma shouted, his eyes wide in fear and disbelief.

"No! After all he's been through, there's no telling if Sasuke will survive that!" Genma shouted, as he was about to jump down to the arena to save his student, only to be restrained by Kakashi.

"Don't interfere. If... If things go wrong, I'll take responsibility for his actions." Kakashi said, his head bowed as Genma could only gape at the man.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Judge's area)

With the judges, once they saw that technique there was no mistaking that they had to make Menma a chūnin. They would be insulting the boy if they didn't promote him, seeing as he had such talent.

"A boy his age using such a jutsu! We would be foolish not to promote him!"

"I agree! I vote to promote all three of Hokage-sama's children!"

In the 'Kage's Box' Minato had his eyes wide in disbelief.

"_He couldn't have, the only way was... Jiraiya-sensei..._" Minato thought bitterly with dread filling his heart, seeing as his son was going to potentially kill the son of a close friend.

"_No! Menma-chan, don't use that against Sasuke! You could kill him!_" Kushina screamed in her mind, unable to voice her thoughts as her throat tightened up seeing her son using such a dangerous jutsu.

While Minato and Kushina were worried, the Kazekage just smirked under his veil, seeing the son of the Hokage about to kill a comrade.

Minato wasn't the only father who was worried, Fugaku was outright terrified though the only inclination he was showing was in his eyes. Mikoto had tears falling from her eyes as she covered her mouth, not believing that she was about to see her son get shredded by the jutsu that their close friend had created. Itachi had his eyes filled with fear as he clenched his fists, gritting his teeth at his inability to help his younger brother.

But out of all of them, Satsuki felt the most dread. She was the one who had worked with Sasuke the most during the training month, it would be her fault that her brother got seriously injured or even died. Just the thought of that brought tears to her eyes as she watched her brother approach Menma in almost slow motion.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

"**RASENGAN**!" Menma shouted, slamming the glowing sphere into Sasuke 's back as a silent scream erupted out of Sasuke's throat, feeling pain unlike anything he had experienced before.

As the sphere grinded into Sasuke's back, Hayate quickly moved into to stop the attack. Grabbing Menma's wrist, he flicked his hand as Menma was sent flying to the opposite side of the arena as Hayate caught Sasuke, whose eyes were wide in pain, strangled noises escaping his mouth.

Quickly tapping a spot on Sasuke's neck, Hayate put him to sleep to ease the pain that he was feeling as concern was replaced with anger. He couldn't believe that Menma would use such a jutsu against a comrade, let alone on someone who he grew up with. Raising his hand up, he signaled for the medics as they immediately arrived and took Sasuke to the infirmary.

"Winner: Menma Uzumaki-Namikaze." Hayate said, as the crowd remained silent.

They were still in shock at seeing Menma use the **Rasengan** against someone who they thought was his comrade. Sure it was a tournament, but wasn't it a little extreme. Though the eerie silence soon dissolved into cheer as his fanclub started to scream and shout his name, the crowd following suit, though with less enthusiasm.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

With the jonin sensei, they were silent, still not believing that one, Menma could use the **Rasengan** and two, that he actually used it on Sasuke.

"Whoa. That was kind of brutal." Asuma said, getting a few others to nod along with him.

"Yeah, I didn't think he would actually follow through with it." Kurenai said, anger evident in her voice.

"Tch." Genma angrily said, ripping his arm free from Kakashi's grasp as he went to check on his student.

As he exited the building, Anko had arrived, curious as to why the mood was so heavy. But when they told her, she also gained a slightly angry look.

"...I'll talk with Menma." Kakashi said as he left the area.

In the 'Kage's Box' Minato and Kushina were in disbelief, unable to believe that their son had actually used the **Rasengan** on Sasuke. They were going to have a long talk with both Jiraiya and Menma after this was all over. With the Kazekage, he just smirked seeing the brutal attack.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Infirmary)

In the infirmary, the other genin gave Menma a mixed set of stares. Some blank, others angry, and a few scared. He noticed that his sisters were giving him angry looks, not that he cared. He won and that's all that mattered in his book.

"Menma, you went too far. You know that the **Rasengan** is a dangerous jutsu that could kill and yet you still used it." Mito lectured him, while he just rolled his eyes.

"Mito-nee is right Menma-nii, you didn't have to use it, you could have just as easily let Sasuke hit the wall." Narumi added, only making Menma sigh.

"Look, I won right? That's all that really matters and it's not like I killed him! Hayate-sensei stopped it before it got too far, so everything's fine!" He said, as he walked into a room, leaving a stunned set of genin behind.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

Finally, the last match of the first round was here. Excitement filled the stadium as everyone eagerly awaited the finale of the first round. But for a few people, the excitement they were supposed to feel was replaced with worry and anxiety.

"_Naruto, where the hell are you brat. Your match got pushed back to the end and you're still not here_." Zabuza angrily thought, though he was extremely worried for his favorite blonde.

"_Naruto-kun, where are you? Please, don't miss your match!_" Haku prayed as she clasped her hands together.

"_Where are you Naruto? You're really beginning to worry me._" Satsuki thought as a worried expression made its way onto her face, getting surprised, suspicious and knowing looks from her family. Surprise from Fugaku, suspicion from Itachi and knowing from Mikoto.

"_Where are you gaki? It's really not like you to be this late. If you don't show up and I lose my bet with the guys I'll make the next training session I have with you hell._" Anko thought as sweat started to drip down her head as she grinded her teeth together, the other jōnin giving her a wide berth.

"_Naruto-kun..._" Was all that Kin was thinking, she had managed to avoid her team and come to the stadium, she needed to warn him of the invasion plan before it was too late.

Up in the 'Kage's Box' Minato and Kushina were now extremely worried about their son. Minato had done his best to push his match to the end to buy some time but now time has run out.

"_Naruto, where are you? Please I hope you're alright, you have to be. I never felt the pull of the kunai I gave you._" Minato thought with worry, his hand clenched tightly into a fist, his knuckles white.

"_Naru-chan... Please, don't make me and your father wait any longer._" Kushina thought with worry, the endless scenarios concerning her son playing in her head only added to her worries.

"_Where are you Naruto-kun? I expect to see how far you've come._" The Kazekage thought, though he was also a little concerned about the whereabouts of his vessel.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Infirmary)

In the infirmary, the atmosphere was the same in the stands. Everyone was anxiously waiting for the blonde to show up for his match.

"_Naru-nii... Where are you...?_" Narumi thought with worry plaguing her heart, her eyes scanning the arena for any sign of her brother.

"_Naruto-nii, please be safe..._" Mito thought, her hands clasped together as worry filled her heart.

"_Tch. Where are you loser? Don't tell me you died while training? Though that wouldn't be much of a surprise._" Menma thought, his eyes narrowed at the thought.

"_Naruto..._" Yakumo worriedly thought, scanning the arena for her teammate.

While the Konoha ninja were worried, the Suna ninja were also worried but for a completely different reason.

"Temari... What if he doesn't show?" Kankuro whispered to his older sister, fear evident in his voice.

"He will Kankuro, he has to. If he doesn't..." She whispered before she trailed off, her fear filled eyes sneaking glances at her baby brother.

They froze when they heard their younger brother speak, his voice sounding oddly expectant and confident.

"He will show up." Was all Gaara said as his older sibling gulped, seeing him start to shake slightly.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

Glancing around, Hayate was worried as well. He wanted to see what Naruto had learned over the course of the month after he had saved him. But he knew that the rules needed to be adhered to, even if he, himself, wanted to ask for more time.

Sighing to himself, Hayate raised his hand as the entire audience of the stadium held their breaths. Taking one more glance around the stadium, Hayate gained a small frown on his face as he readied his hand to be brought down.

But before he could do it, a swirl of leaves made him and everyone else in the stadium freeze. Slowly, it dispersed to reveal a blonde a few were familiar with. From kneeling down, he slowly stood as a few people gasped at his appearance others blushing slightly.

Bandages covered nearly the entirety of his chest, a few being colored a light red as he was garbed in a pair of shorts that looked like they had been ripped up by some savage beast. He had bandages covering the length of his arms, ending at his elbows that were covered in blots of blood. On his feet were a standard pair of black shinobi sandals. His forehead protector attached firmly to his right bicep. But what struck everyone the most was the cut that he had on his cheek, still bleeding slightly.

But that didn't detract from his navy blue eyes, as they stared intently at Hayate who broke out of his stupor and flashed a grin to the blonde.

"I'm sorry I'm late Hayate-sensei, I tripped on the way here." Naruto said.

A Son Forgotten

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**And there's chapter 14. Still not too good with the fight scenes and they are rushed, please forgive me, I'm still trying to learn how to write them better. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it. Leave me a review or PM me with what you think alright? I always love to hear from you guys and PM'ing me is the best way for you to reach me with suggestions or questions. Again, till next time, stay awesome.**

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**Henge - Transformation**: E-rank, Ninjutsu; This gives this technique has an abundance of uses. The transformation of a skilled shinobi will be exactly like the genuine article, so it will be impossible to tell the two apart. It is typically used to change into people other than oneself, but one also has the ability to change into animals, plants, and even inanimate objects like weapons.

**Shunshin - Body Flicker**: D-Rank Ninjutsu; A high-speed movement technique, allowing a ninja to move short to long distances at an almost untraceable speed. To an observer, it appears as if the user has teleported. A puff of smoke is occasionally used to disguise the user's movements. It is accomplished by using chakra to temporarily vitalize the body and move at extreme speeds. The amount of chakra required depends on the overall distance and elevation between the user and the intended destination.

**Juken - Gentle Fist**: A form of hand-to-hand combat used by members of the Hyuga clan. It inflicts internal damage through attacking the body's Chakra Pathway System, subsequently injuring organs which are closely intertwined with the area of the network which has been struck. To do this, the user surgically injects a certain amount of their own chakra into the opponent's tenketsu, causing damage to surrounding organs due to their proximity to the chakra circulatory system. Even the slightest tap can cause severe internal damage, hence the name "gentle" fist.

**Hakke Rokujūyon Shō** \- **Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms**: B-Rank Taijutsu; With the Byakugan's near 360° field of vision, the user envisions an Eight Trigrams circle. Then the enemy within this circle is hit with a series of violent blows. By striking sixty-four of the tenketsu throughout the opponent's Chakra Pathway System, their chakra flow is stopped, making them unable to even stand.

**Kage Bunshin - Shadow Clone**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Similar to the basic **Bunshin**, this technique creates copies of the user. However, these clones are corporeal instead of illusions. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing techniques on their own and can even bleed, but will usually disperse after hit by a strong enough force. The clones can also disperse on their own or be dispelled by the user of the technique. **Kage Bunshin** can't be distinguished from the original with Sharingan, Byakugan or Rinnegan.

**Hakkeshō Kaiten - Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven**: B-Rank Ninjutsu; A secret taijutsu that is orally handed down only within the main house of the Hyuga, this technique utilizes the chakra control gained through Gentle Fist training to release a huge amount of chakra from all the chakra points on the user's body. It is also a defensive maneuver to compensate for the Byakugan's blind spot as the released chakra blocks any possible attack on the user. After releasing chakra from every tenketsu in their body, the user then spins rapidly to parry the attack, both creating a rotating shield of chakra around themselves and tossing away any nearby attackers. The user can also actively control the size and power of the sphere to suit the situation. This technique is only effective when rotating, since the chakra itself is not enough to stop a physical attack thus if they cannot spin, the user becomes vulnerable.

**Hienrenkyaku** \- **Flying Swallow Chain Kick**: C-Rank, Taijutsu; This jutsu is an anti-air taijutsu that can be used to hit airborne enemies or to push grounded enemies into the air. It is a rising triple-kick combo, in which Narumi jumps diagonally towards her target while spinning higher into the air with each kick. The initial combo can be followed up immediately with a variety of jutsu or attacks, due to the position that the target is in when the combo is finished. Narumi can also enhance the power of the kicks by applying Tsunade's chakra enhanced strength, which was taught to her, to completely destroy her target's bones and organs.

**Ninpo: Kamaitachi no Jutsu** \- **Ninja Art: Sickle Weasel Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; By manipulating the gale brought forth by her fan, the many air currents collide and create vacuum pockets. The person enveloped by this gale is assaulted by countless invisible blades, carving up their body. Also, the strong wind power will blow away all incoming projectile weapons and will even make the opponent unable to stay on their feet. Temari has also shown the ability to manipulate the form of the gale, creating a tornado to envelop and lift her opponent, while also cutting them several times.

**Kagemane no Jutsu - Shadow Imitation Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user extends their shadow on any surface (even water) and as far as they want as long as there is a sufficient area. Once it comes into contact with a target's shadow, the two merge and the target is forced to imitate the user's movements. Therefore, the two can throw shuriken at each other at the same time if the user desires that (of course, to prevent hurting themselves, the user just has to have the shuriken holster in a place where you don't normally have it, like the back, so that the opponent draws nothing when the user draws a shuriken). If the target is out of range, the user can produce a better light source to increase their shadow's size or rely on pre-existing shadows for their shadow to freely travel through. It's also possible to split one's shadow, either to trap more opponents at once, or to create a distraction.

**Suiton: Mizurappa - Water Release: Wild Water Wave**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user molds chakra in their mouths into water and fires a stream of condensed water at their target. The range, speed, and power is dependent on how much chakra is used. Can be strengthened by various different means such as introducing another element.

**Meimu Jun - Illusion Turn**: C-Rank, Genjutsu, Ninjutsu; A genjutsu that Yakumo created with the help of Satsuki. By utilizing the same principals as her other jutsu, **Kyuudou Kiboku**, Yakumo creates a dome of chakra that traps her opponent in a genjutsu that shifts the perception of her opponent. It is a minor illusion, but it is enough to allow Yakumo to take advantage of the situation and escape or launch another attack. It can be easily broken by conventional means but also by the target leaving the dome.

**Toko Sangeki - Endless Tragedy**: B-Rank, Genjutsu, Ninjutsu; A genjutsu that Yakumo created with the help of Anko and Kurenai. Yakumo is able to cast this genjutsu through sight or touch, when casted it taps into her targets psyche and physically brings about the most tragic event that the target has experienced, dreamt or imagined, repeating the moment endlessly until the jutsu is cancelled. It can be easily broken as it takes a lot of Yakumo's concentration to keep the jutsu in effect, just the slightest distraction will cause Yakumo to break her concentration and by extension, the illusion.

**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu - Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique where chakra kneaded inside the body is converted into fire and expelled from the mouth either as a massive orb of roaring flame or as a continuous flame-thrower. The scope of the attack is altered by controlling the volume of chakra that is mustered. The released flames will engulf their target, and leave a crater on the ground's surface. The Uchiha clan also uses this technique as a "coming of age" rite and is a common and one of the more favored techniques of the clan.

**Katon: Endan - Fire Release: Flame Bullet**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user kneads chakra into their mouth then fires a simple flame bullet at their target. The size and range is dependent on the amount of chakra used. It can be combined with futon jutsu to increase its power.

**Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu - Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique creates a volley of small fireballs, which are sent flying in an unpredictable manner assaulting the enemy. In addition, the flames are controlled one by one with chakra, so avoiding them all is extremely difficult. Shuriken can also be concealed within the flames, creating an unexpected secondary surprise attack. Like the flames, the shuriken can be controlled with chakra. For the most part, however, this technique is used as a distraction.

**Futon: Daitoppa - Wind Release: Great Breakthrough**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; This is a relatively simple technique that creates a sudden gust of wind, but its scale varies greatly depending on the user. If used by a superior shinobi, it has enough destructive power to knock down a large tree. The wind from the squall can blow away all things in the user's line of sight.

**Shishi Rendan - Lion's Barrage**: C-Rank, Taijutsu; A taijutsu unique to Sasuke and a variant of the **Omote Renge**. Sasuke developed it after asking Satsuki to help him, who had managed to copy the first part of the move. It is an ultra-fast combo attack that requires an advanced physical condition and a certain knack for it. The opponent is first kicked into the air and shadowed with the **Kage Buyō**. Upon inflicting a blow, one takes advantage of said opponent's counterattack to spin around and rise again for further assaults. Since the fall is increased in velocity with each blow, the damage when one is eventually struck to the ground is inconceivable. All variations end with the opponent being thrown to the ground and kicked in the stomach. However, like with the** Omote Renge**, there is a drawback in which the user gets fatigued right after the technique is performed, though this drawback isn't as severe.

**Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, by observing the Tailed Beast Ball. Minato spent three years developing the Rasengan; his intention was to take the shape transformation of one's chakra to the "highest possible point" and combine it with his chakra's nature affinity, creating a technique that did not need the aid of time-consuming hand seals to control. On shape transformation alone, the Rasengan is still a powerful, versatile, and difficult technique to learn and master.


	16. Chapter 15

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, I'm finally back. I'm sorry for the nearly month of doing nothing, including answering messages. I've been through a sort of rough time, if you've been to the reviews you can kind of get an idea of what people have sent me. I got about 13 messages just filled with hate and flames, and about 17 anonymous reviews doing the same. I know that this isn't the best story but I'm actually kind of proud of how it's turned out for my first story, as idiotic as it sounds. For you guys who've stuck by me and sent me such encouraging messages, I've really got to thank you. You always make me so happy that you enjoy my story and support my writing, no matter how bad it is. Well, that was half of the problem, the other half was getting back into the groove of college. Yeah, those of you who aren't in college yet, enjoy the freedom you have and if possible, stay away from Engineering. Calculus sucks. Haha, well yeah that's enough of me moping around right? It's only 10k but I hope you guys like it. Again, the fights aren't good; they're barely passable. Well, let's a go right?**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 15

"I'm sorry I'm late Hayate-sensei, I tripped on the way here."

Once those words left Naruto's mouth, the crowd when silent. Some had their jaws hanging wide open, others had their eyes twitching, and a few just sighed in relief. Hayate was the first to snap out of his stupor as he cleared his throat before speaking.

"You know you don't have to lie Naruto, I can see that you were most likely late from coming back from where every you were training at." Hayate said, getting a blank stare from Naruto.

"No, I really am late because I tripped Hayate-sensei." Naruto said once again.

(Flashback - A few minutes ago)

The sun beginning to arc towards the horizon, Naruto cursed under his breath at his luck. He knew he should've left earlier, but that battle with Tatsuko just took so much out of him. Sighing, he checked his pocket watch once more as his eye started twitching. He was going to miss the final part of the tournament at this rate. He could only pray that Minato had saved the 3-way match for the end.

Pocketing the watch once more, he turned his attention forward only to sigh as he still had quite the journey ahead of him. He was going to be late, there was no sugarcoating it, and he would probably be chewed out by his team for it, seeing as he was the 'Great Keeper of Time' when it came to being on time.

Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice that the path had been caved in slightly, a sizeable difference in height in the craggy path; most likely created when Jho had brought him to Thousand Blade mountain earlier in the month, which is why he didn't register it.

As he neared it, he, with the grace and poise of a someone befitting the title 'Shinobi', tripped and fell face first into the ground. Once his face kissed the ground with an audible 'thunk', he groaned. He laid there for a few minutes, basking in embarrassment and mortification before he slowly pushed himself back up and returned to running, cursing himself for such an embarrassing display.

All the while never noticing that he had damaged his body during the fall; slightly reopening a few wounds he had on his chest, cutting his cheek on a particularly jagged piece of rock along with his arms.

Putting the embarrassing event behind him, he sped up knowing he had really wasted a lot of time just laying in the dirt. Finally he managed to reach his scroll before he slammed his hand on it, reverse summoning him to the location of the other scroll which was located in his special training ground. Once he reached the other side, he quickly **Shunshin**'d to the Examination Stadium, ignoring the fact he was basically half-naked.

(Flashback - End)

Hayate still gave him an bewildered look, not believing that the blonde really was late all because he tripped. But after a few seconds, Hayate just laughed and gave Naruto a smile, happy that he didn't miss and forfeit his match.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

Like before, everyone was still in shock at Naruto sudden and flashy appearance and his lousy excuse.

"...I'm going to murder him." Zabuza said, his eye twitching at the blonde's idiotic entrance. Was he trying to show off? Zabuza had to admit, he looked pretty cool coming in like that, but wasn't he supposed to be a shinobi? Or was he really just not as coordinated and prompt as he remembered.

"Naruto-kun, I'm glad you're finally here." Haku whispered, releasing a sigh of relief. Though she was worried, very worried, when she saw the state that his body was in. Ignoring that he was blatantly displaying his body for all to see, which really irked her, he was still bleeding and his cuts could get infected.

As the father and daughter duo were both relieved and irked at the sight of the blonde, their thoughts were shared with a myriad of others; all with varying thoughts and questions.

"That moron! He nearly gave me a heart attack! Once this is all over, he's going to get it, seeing as he always tells us that ninja are always prompt! Don't worry me like that you idiot..." Satsuki said while whispering the last part just loud enough for her family to hear.

"_Hmm... Satsuki's actually worried? And about a boy? Since when did she start to take an interest in boys? _" Fugaku thought as he raised an eyebrow at his daughter's words, something primal and innate in every father starting to bubble up within him.

"_Ufufufu!_" Mikoto giggled, a bit of pink on her cheeks and a knowing look seeing her daughter so worried for her blonde teammate.

"_Must protect Satsuki. Protect Satsuki's purity._" Itachi repeated in his mind, unconsciously activating his Sharingan seeing his sister so worried for a boy.

Kiba, who had arrived right after Menma's match ended clicked his tongue as he missed his best friend's match. But when he saw the entrance of his older brother, he glared at the older blonde.

"Tch, showoff." Kiba muttered, taking an empty seat near the aisle.

"Oh, look forehead! It's Menma-kun's... brother..." Ino started before she froze, a bit of pink coloring her cheeks seeing the older blonde's appearance.

"Y-Yeah..." Sakura stuttered, pink also coloring her cheeks as she looked at the same blonde.

Both began to flush deeper the more they stared at Naruto, their inner selves having an internal battle seeing the body of the older blonde.

"_N-No! Menma-kun is the one for me! But... NO! Must stay strong!_" Ino thought as she tried to avert her eyes from the blonde by covering them with her eyes, only to peek through her fingers

"_S-Sasuke-kun is my one true love! I-I can't be swayed by some hunky blonde! Wait I mean a flunky blonde!_" Sakura said in her mind, snapping her eyes shut only to peek out of them a second later.

Nearby, a young pale-eyed girl stared at the blonde with a bashful expression, her cheeks tinged a rosy pink.

"_W-Wow. H-He's clearly different from Menma-san and the other boys._" Hanabi thought as she timidly stared at the blonde, her blush never fading as she stared at the older boy.

Beside her Hiashi showed an intrigued and slightly amused expression as he noticed his youngest daughter's actions.

"_Oh, it seems like Hanabi has been charmed by Minato's oldest. How amusing, though this may be another way to tie our clans together and strengthen our friendship._" Hiashi thought as a small smirk formed on his face.

With the jōnin, Anko breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her favorite blonde headed genin. Though she was a little worried and curious as to why he looked the way he did.

"_Geez, don't scare me like that Naruto! For a second there I really did think something bad happened to you._" Anko said in her mind, closing her eyes and smiling at her student.

"_So he did make it, interesting._" Kurenai said in her head, a small smirk on her face. She was curious as to how the enigmatic blonde would fare against Gaara.

"_Let's just hope that it isn't a repeat of what happened in the preliminaries._" Asuma thought, knowing what the redhead was capable of, though, like everyone else, he was still in the dark when it came to the skills of the blonde.

"_So the mysterious older brother finally appears. I'll give it to him though, that was something I would've done. Let's see if he really does have what it takes to be sensei's son and their real older brother._" Kakashi thought, an intrigued look in his eyes.

"_Show them what you showed me before Naruto-kun. I know you have what it takes to win._" Gai thought with a smile on his face, knowing that the blonde was indeed much stronger then he looked and acted.

In the 'Kage's Box' Minato and Kushina had their eyes wide when they saw their son's entrance. Not only was it grand and showy, something that they didn't think he was capable of; he was also covered in injuries that only looked that they had recently healed. Minato broke out of his stupor first and flashed his son a huge grin as he finally arrived for his match. Kushina reacted after, a worried look on her face as she desperately wanted to jump down and fret over his injuries.

"_You're here Naruto! You nearly gave me a heart attack! Show me and everyone what we've wanted to see! Show everyone that you aren't the dead last that they label you, show them that you truly are the oldest out of your siblings!_" Minato shouted in his mind, his body shaking with excitement as he was about to witness his son's strength firsthand and without distraction.

"_Naru-chan, why are you battling when you're hurt! You should have waited for your injuries to heal before battling!_" Kushina thought with worry, hoping that Hayate would call the match for him to get treated before they started.

Beside them, under his calm façade, the Kazekage nearly had his eyes wide open when he laid eyes on the blonde. It wasn't his appearance, though he would admit that it was rather daring for a public match, it was his seal. His seal didn't exist anymore or at least it was altered greatly, though he could still feel it. A smirk appearing under his veil, he looked forward to what his vessel was going to show him.

"_Haha! How interesting! Please show me what my future vessel is capable of!_" He thought, stifling the laughter that threatened to escape from his mouth.

As the three stared at him, three more joined them on different parts of the stadium rooftop. It was Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru; all who had finally arrived in time to catch the final match. When they were entering the stadium, they overhead the results of the earlier matches and they were pleased to hear that the one ones they placed their bets on had advanced.

What they weren't prepared for was Naruto's flashy entrance. When they laid eyes on him, they knew that he wasn't the same blonde that they had seen last month, there was something off about them that their senses were picking up, though they didn't know what. Pushing those thoughts to the back of their heads, they settled down after waving to Minato and Kushina, who waved back to, to enjoy the show.

"_We finally get to see what he's been working on for the past month, though I'm not expecting too much seeing as he turned down Minato's offer to train him._" Jiraiya thought, his eyes never leaving the oldest and most enigmatic of his godchildren.

"_So Naruto's match is the final one huh, while I didn't get to see Umi-chan's, this should still be interesting!_" Tsunade thought as she poured herself a saucer of sake before downing it and returning her attention to the field.

"_Well Naruto-kun, show us what you have been hiding. Show us the strength of the heir of the Uzumaki-Namikaze clan._" Orochimaru thought, his eyes locked onto the blonde as they shined in anticipation, a small smile appearing on his face.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Infirmary)

Seeing the blonde finally make his appearance, there were many mixed reactions. Naturally, there were a few who had rather strong reactions.

"NARU-NII! HE'S HERE! HE'S FINALLY HERE!" Narumi squealed happily, tears nearly falling from her eyes after seeing her brother after a month of knowing nothing about what happened to him. But soon, her excitement and happiness turned to worry when she caught sight of her older brother's appearance, frowning seeing him more bandaged up then she ever had.

"Naruto-nii… You're alright…" Mito whispered, brushing away a stray tear, happy and worried as she gazed lovingly at her older brother. After this match she was going to sit him down and demand to know where he's been for the past month.

"So he actually showed up." Menma said with a small frown, obviously not happy about seeing his brother. Though it turned to a smirk when he remembered who he was going to face.

"Naruto you idiot, you made Satsuki and I so worried…" Yakumo whispered, brushing away a few tears that made their way out of her eyes.

"Man, what a guy. Showing up late AND flashy? That's something I figure Menma would do but not him." Shikamaru said, a small smile on his face as he stared at the blonde.

"S-So the kid did show… That's good news for us…" Kankuro said, casting a glace to his younger brother.

"W-Whoa…" Temari said, a little bit of pink coloring her cheeks as she gazed at the blonde below her.

"He's finally arrived." Gaara said, a mad look in his eyes as an equally insane smile appeared on his face.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Arena)

Back on the arena, Hayate quickly asked Naruto if he was in fighting condition seeing as there was fresh blood on him, but Naruto reassured him that he was fine to fight which got Hayate to smile. Nodding at him, he straightened his posture as he made his way back to the center of the ring.

"Alright, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze has arrived and is in fighting condition. Will Gaara please make his way to the field." Hayate said as a swirl of sand appeared opposite of Naruto.

Soon, Gaara appeared, his insane smile never leaving his face as they made their way towards each other. Seeing as Gaara was practically shaking holding himself back, Hayate raised his hand and started the match.

"The final match of the first round: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze vs. Gaara of the Sand. Begin!"

"Finally! Show me what it truly means to be alive!" Gaara shouted as his sand shot out towards Naruto with surprising speed.

Seeing the sand approach, Naruto tilted his head slightly as he causally jumped back, his blank expression never changing. As he landed, the sand changed its course and chased after Naruto once more. This time, Naruto narrowed his eyes as the sand seemed to be actively chasing him like a predator chasing prey. Drawing his hand back, wind started to spin wildly around his fist as he put most of his weight on his back foot.

"**Futon: Senpūken**!" Naruto shouted, throwing his fist out as a whirlwind surged out of it, colliding and scattering the sand as he closed in on Gaara.

"Don't worry Mother. I've given you bad blood earlier, but this time it will make you happy." He said, as more sand rushed out of his gourd and moved to intercept Naruto.

Side stepping, Naruto had to roll further to the side as the sand started to pick up speed as Gaara raised his hands to control it. Getting back to his feet, he spun on the ball of his foot as he lashed out with the other, his heel scattering the sand. Jumping slightly, he lashed out with the other as he completely scattered the remaining tendril of sand. As he landed, he flipped back as another tendril of sand shot out towards him.

"_This is getting annoying. Unlike with Lee, he's really speeding up his sand from the beginning._" Naruto thought as he scattered the tendril with a quick punch while in the air.

Once his feet touched the ground, he vanished as the eyes of everyone watching widened. Before Gaara or his sand could react, he was sent barreling towards the wall as Naruto's fist connected with his jaw. Once he hit the wall, a minor explosion rang out, dust and debris clouding the area.

As the dust cleared and settled, Gaara stood tall as the insane look and smile on his face seemed to have increased in contrast to faltering in the face of being hit. The part of his jaw where Naruto's fist had connected to fell off, revealing that he was utilizing the sand armor that he had shown earlier in the preliminaries.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Stands)

"Alright! He sent that Suna kid flying!"

"As expected from the oldest son of our Hokage!"

"I didn't even see him move and bam! That sand guy was sent packing!"

While numerous cheers rang out around the stadium at the stunning display of the oldest child of the Hokage, others started to get nervous having seen what happens when someone landed a blow on the redhead.

"This is bad..." Asuma said, his eyes beginning to narrow seeing the redhead's sand armor start to chip and break off.

"I just hope it's not a repeat of what happened in the preliminaries. Especially if it's one of Hokage-sama's children." Kurenai said, biting her bottom lip slightly in apprehension.

"Yeah..." Was all Gai said, though he seemed rather calm and collected, he clenched his hands into tight fists from the memory of his most prized student almost becoming a cripple.

"..." Kakashi didn't say anything, opting to watch the match with seemingly detached interest, though there was a slight steel to his eyes that conveyed his true feelings.

"Don't do anything reckless Naruto." Anko whispered, fear and concern filling her heart as she watched Gaara start to lose more of his sanity.

With the genin, they were all worried for what was about to happen. They had see the damage that Lee had caused and Gaara brushed all of it off and still managed to nearly cripple him.

"I-It won't be like the preliminaries right Sakura...?" Ino asked, her voice shaky and barely a whisper.

"I-I hope not Ino..." Sakura replied, her eyes wide and full of fear as Gaara started to breathe heavily as he stared at Naruto.

"Tch. Don't give him any openings Naruto, you're better then that. I know, I taught you better." Zabuza said, gritting his teeth and clenching his fist.

"Naruto-kun, please be safe." Haku whispered, holding her hands together in a prayer-like gesture.

"Naruto-kun, please be careful." Kin whispered, tears nearly stating to form as she watched Gaara start to take a step forward towards the blonde, laughing silently to himself.

Up in the 'Kage's Booth' Minato had extreme worry etched onto his face. Like the others, he had seen Gaara nearly cripple Lee for life and he did it without a care in the world, feeling no remorse for his actions.

He knew, from the look Kushina had given the redhead and the details that the Kazekage had given him, that Gaara was a jinchūriki. That alone made him worry and now, Gaara was starting to let the bijū inside of him start to take over judging from the vile chakra that slowly started to seep out of him.

Narrowing his eyes slightly, he closed his right hand into a tight fist as he watched the redhead approach his son with his head hanging down. He would stop this match before his son faced the same situation that Lee faced earlier in the exams. He could only hope that Gaara had some semblance of control over his bijū; because if he didn't, the crowd could also be in danger of being dragged into the match.

Next to him, Kushina was terrified. She knew, from experience, what a jinchūriki could do. Now her oldest was facing one and an unstable one at that. Biting her bottom lip, she clenched her hands tightly as she stared at the scene of Gaara slowly lumbering towards Naruto, his laughter starting to pick up as he neared the blonde. She could only hope that Minato or the other jōnin were ready to step in and stop the match before she loses her son.

Beside both of them, the Kazekage was grinning widely beneath his veil. Now he would truly see how powerful his future vessel was, if he managed to stand toe to toe with a jinchūriki, then he would definitely be the perfect body to assimilate. Quickly schooling his facial features, he refocused his attention to the battle as Gaara's head snapped up.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Arena)

"Hahaha...HAHAHA!" Gaara laughed, getting louder and louder as sand started to cover his face one again before moving onto the rest of his body, covering him fully and visibly in his sand armor. As soon as his laughter stopped, Naruto moved.

Lowering his body slightly, Naruto sped forward as he buried his fist into Gaara's stomach. As the blow connected and sunk into the redhead's body, all pressure against Naruto's fist vanished as the Gaara that he had just attacked started to breakdown into sand. As soon as the first grain started to fall, the sand clone in front of him exploded as a curtain of sand tried to envelop Naruto.

Quickly backpedaling, Naruto managed to escape the sand as it crashed into the ground, Gaara standing behind it with the same expression still on his face as he raised his hand towards Naruto. As he did, another tendril of sand lunged at the blonde who evaded its attempts to grab him.

Dodging to the left, Naruto swung the back of his right hand as the tendril neared him, sending sand scattering once more. Following up his back fist, Naruto surged forward as he slammed his foot into Gaara's abdomen sending him flying back. Not letting up, Naruto rushed him down as he smashed his fist into the redhead's abdomen sending him flying faster then before.

But before Naruto could continue his assault, he crouched as a wide tendril of sand swatted the air where his head was just a second ago. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto growled as he began to notice that he wasn't moving as fast as he should have been or hitting as hard. Considering that he's been working on physical conditioning with beings that were practically deities made flesh, it wasn't making sense why the match wasn't over already.

"_**Hahaha... How interesting. How long has it been since I've witnessed a host of mine fight one of the nine**__._" An all too familiar voice in Naruto's head spoke, making Naruto furrow his brow slightly as his head throbbed slightly.

Naruto was broken out of his stupor when Gaara narrowed his eyes and spread his arms out wide as two pillars of sand formed behind him. Quickly, Gaara closed his arms as the sand pillars began to shift before firing a volley of shuriken shaped sand.

"**Suna Shuriken**!" Gaara shouted, as the shuriken ripped into the area, creating a large explosion of debris as a cloud obstructed all vision of the target zone.

As the dust cloud started to expand, it was blown away as something shot out of it, heading towards Gaara. Within the next second, Naruto had slammed his fist into the redhead's jaw, sending him flying back. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto chased down the younger boy before grabbing him by the leg, turning and slamming him into the ground.

Hitting the ground, Gaara let out a soundless scream as the air was forced out of his lungs from the impact. The force of the blow caused the redhead to bounce up as Naruto finished up his assault.

Narrowing his eyes, he buried his fist into jinchūriki's side. However, sand exploded as soon as the fist connected, Naruto's eyes widening as his arm buried itself up to the elbow into the other boy's body. Quickly, Naruto tried to rip his arm out of the sand only for his head to start to throb as he grimaced in pain.

"_**How pitiful. You will never defeat an abomination like him with those self-imposed limitations you've placed on yourself.**_" The voice from earlier returning, the momentary lapse in concentration costing him.

The gourd on Gaara's back shattered as another Gaara appeared to the shock of everyone present. As soon as his feet touched the ground, he moved, jumping away from the blonde as he raised his right arm and his head.

"AHAHAHA! **SABAKU SŌSŌ**!" Gaara roared, as he closed his open hand. As he roared, everyone froze as his pale blue-green eyes were now different. The sclera of his eyes now black, with yellow irises and pupils that each takes the shape of a black four-pointed star with four black dots around it.

"GUH!" As those words left Gaara's mouth, pain exploded in Naruto's left arm as he cried out in pain, his eyes snapping shut as his left arm was crushed by the sand. Blood slowly started to saturate the sand before finally seeping out onto the floor of the arena as the spectators looked on in mix of horror and shock.

Gritting his teeth, Naruto forced his eyes open as he made a claw with his right hand. Gathering futon natured chakra, he quickly freed himself from the sand that was now trying to cover the entirety of his left side.

"**Futon: Shinkuuhasou**!" Naruto quickly shouted, slicing through the chakra thick sand with a claw made of futon natured chakra.

Managing to tear his mangled arm out of the now loose sand, Naruto made as much distance between him and Gaara, the two now facing each other from the opposite ends of the arena.

Clutching his left arm, Naruto winced in pain as he saw the extent of the damage done by Gaara's jutsu. His left arm, from the elbow down, was now covered in sand and blood with small bits of bone protruding in a few places. Heaving a pained sigh, he refocused on the redhead in front of him as he ignored the searing pain in his left arm for now, slowly settling into a loose stance as Gaara started chuckling darkly.

"Mother... His blood... His blood is tasty isn't it... Don't you worry, I'll get you more soon..." He muttered just loud enough for Naruto to hear, the blonde narrowing his eyes upon hearing his words.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Stands)

In the 'Kage's Box' silence reigned supreme, the group of people inside looking at the scene of Naruto clutching the mangled remains of his left arm couldn't voice their thoughts. The silence was immediately broken as Kushina stood up, her eyes wide in fear.

"Naru-chan! Minato, stop the match this instant! Naru-chan can't continue with his arm like that! Call the match and get him to the infirmary!" Kushina shouted at her husband in a hysterical tone, her eyes filled with a seemingly endless sea of fear.

Hearing the words of his wife, Minato snapped out of his stupor as he nodded. As he was about to stand up, the Kazekage quickly broke out of his trance and spoke up.

"Wait! Hokage-dono, don't stop the match!" He said, getting looks of utter confusion and anger, from Kushina, as they faced him.

"What do you mean 'don't stop the match'?! My son isn't in any condition to continue! You're going to get him killed if you're thinking of letting him keep fighting!" Kushina nearly roared, causing the Kazekage to shrink slightly before he regained his composure.

"Please hear me out Kushina-dono, I believe that Naruto-dono is quite the skilled shinobi. An injury like that will most likely occur in the field sooner or later in his career as a ninja, this battle with simulate such an event. Calling the match now would only show that you are still treating him as a child rather then a shinobi. All participants signed a waiver that stated that death was a possible outcome of the exams, so he knew that he could have died any moment during the exams. Stopping the match now would only serve to revoke that waiver." The Kazekage stated, making Kushina and Minato widen their eyes slightly before Kushina narrowed hers.

But before she could do anything, Minato stopped her by speaking up.

"Kushina, I'm sorry but I have to agree with Kazekage-dono on this matter. Naruto knew that death was a part of the exams, stopping him now would only make him more irritated with us. Hayate is down there as the proctor, not only that but the other jōnin are close by. Should anything happen, they would jump in and make sure that Naruto isn't killed. Not only them but Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru are right here; they would be more then fast and strong enough to stop Naruto from being killed. And if worst comes to worst, I'm not known as the fastest shinobi alive for nothing." Minato reasoned as Kushina just scoffed and faced the arena one again, her anger replaced with fear once more as she laid her eyes on her son's horrendous injury.

"_Naru-chan, please forfeit! Don't risk getting more hurt then you already are!"_ Kushina thought as she balled her hands into fists.

"_Naruto, don't do anything reckless. Know your limits and don't be afraid to call the match if things get too dangerous._" Minato thought, his eyes never leaving his son's injury as he fretted over it in his mind.

"_Now things get interesting. Haha!_" The Kazekage thought, his eyes shining as he looked with profound interest at the two.

Over on the rooftops of the stadium, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru stared at Gaara with steely eyes. They knew what he contained and that alone worried them, especially since his seal wasn't as stable as the seals of other jinchūriki. Quickly glancing at each other, they nodded as they reached a silent agreement to step in should anything more dangerous happen to their enigmatic godson.

In the stands, silence reigned as the spectators saw Naruto's arm. Some turned green as they've never seen such an injury in their lives as others winced and clutched their own arms as a chill ran down their spines. With a certain father-daughter pair, their thoughts were a little more varied.

"_That damn redheaded brat. If you do permanent damage to Naruto I'll make you regret it. No one messes with my family and gets away with it._" Zabuza angrily thought, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists as he glared at Gaara, releasing a large amount of killing intent.

"_Naruto-kun, please don't do anything rash. Sometimes surrender is the best choice of action, it's not a weakness to know when to give up._" Haku thought with eyes wide in fear, seeing the boy she adored reduced to such a damaged state.

Haku knew from her experience as a medic that the injury that he had now would not only hinder him in battle but could also cost him his arm if he didn't get it treated. That fact and the fact that he was losing a lot of blood really made Haku want to jump down there and stop the match herself, the only thing restraining her from doing so was the fact that the Hokage hasn't stopped the match himself. Biting her bottom lip slightly, she could only pray that the match didn't drag on for much longer.

In another section of the stands Ino, Sakura and Choji looked on with mouths agape as they saw what had just happened. Ino and Sakura were green as they had their eyes snapped shut and their hands over their mouths, never having seen an injury that bad since the battle Gaara had with Lee. Next to them Choji was the same, putting the chip he was about to eat back into the bag where it came from.

With Hiashi and Hanabi, they were wide eyed at the scene; Hanabi more so then Hiashi. Hanabi quickly adverted her eyes when she laid them on Naruto's bloody arm while Hiashi grimaced slightly.

With the Uchiha family, they were wide eyed in shock. Only Satsuki knew how brutal Gaara was and she was still shocked. Itachi had his eyes narrowed at the redhead, seeing vile chakra emitting from the boy with his Sharingan.

"_This chakra, why does it feel so evil and bloodthirsty? It has a similar feeling to the Kyūbi._" He thought, never breaking his gaze from the redhead.

"_That boy... So he's also a jinchūriki. It would be wise to call the match Hayate, Minato's oldest can't hope to beat someone like that._" Fugaku thought, shifting his focus between the two boys below.

"_Minato, you need to stop this match before your son gets permanently injured for life._" Mikoto thought, giving a worried glance at the boy her daughter fancied.

"_No... Naruto, not you too..._" Satsuki thought, fear and worry filling her eyes. She could only stare wide eyed at her blonde teammate as she clenched her fists tightly.

On the opposite side of the stadium, the jōnin were looking on with varying expressions. Gai grimaced, knowing the damage that Gaara had caused to his prized pupil. He could only hope that Naruto escaped with lighter injuries then Lee.

"_Naruto-kun, please do not be reckless and foolish. You're in no condition to continue with this battle, doing so would only harm you much more in the future._ Gai thought, silently praying that Naruto would somehow hear his thoughts.

Asuma and Kurenai were looking on with their eyes wide, not believing that there was going to be a repeat of what happened during the preliminaries. Only this time it was going to be the oldest son of the Hokage who was going to be crushed by Gaara's sand.

"_Damn! Not again! Hopefully Hayate will stop it before it gets as bad as it did in the prelims._" Asuma thought, furrowing his brow slightly at the scene. Next to him, a raven haired beauty wasn't as subtle at showing her displeasure.

"_Hayate, don't be a fool! Stop the match! Naruto is clearly in no shape to continue!_" Kurenai angrily thought, furious that her comrade hasn't stopped the match after seeing what had just happened. Glaring daggers at the sickly proctor, she started to grind her teeth as her irritation and worry only grew.

Anko was staring at the scene with her eyes wide open, shaking slightly as she stared at the bloody and mangled arm of her student. The longer she stared at it, more and more fear started to seep into her heart. She knew that Naruto was powerful, skilled and above all else tough, but he couldn't handle someone like Gaara.

"_Naruto! Stop! Just give up! You can't keep going, you're only going to cripple yourself if you keep fighting!_" She wanted to scream at her student but her words were caught in her throat.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Infirmary)

Within the infirmary it was also as silent as a graveyard as everyone watched what had happened just a few moments ago. But that silence was broken when a dull thud was heard, making everyone quickly shift their attention to the source of the noise.

Having just seen her older brother get his arm crushed to a bloody pulp Mito lost all feelings in her legs as she dropped to her knees. Her eyes wide, she just stared at the scene of her brother clutching his arm unmoving.

"Naruto-nii..." She whispered, never moving from her position even as the nurses tried to speak to her.

Next to her Narumi stood frozen in place as she stared at her older brother, her eyes also wide and shaking in fear. But no matter how much she tried to speak, no words managed to make their way out of her mouth, only light gasping.

"_Naru-nii, no. No, no no!_" She shouted in her mind, her mouth refusing to follow her mind's order to voice her thoughts.

On her bed Yakumo just stared at the scene with wide eyes. Never before, even on their mission to the wave and his battle with Zabuza, she had never seen her blonde teammate injured to such an extent. No words made their way out of her mouth, opting to stay in her mind.

"_Hayate-sensei! Stop the match! Please, before Naruto gets more hurt!_" She thought, praying that Hayate heard her thoughts.

"Looks like we're getting a repeat of what happened with Lee in the prelims huh." Menma muttered under his breath, quiet enough so only he heard.

"Damn, not again..." Shikamaru muttered, his eyes narrowed at the sight before him. From his knowledge of the blonde and the redhead, he already predicted the outcome of the battle and it wasn't pretty.

With Temari and Kankuro, they opted to remain silent, knowing that Gaara was starting to lose control. They could only hope that he didn't fully give into the demon that resided within him.

(Scene change – Examination Stadium: Arena)

Seeing the damage Gaara had inflicted to Naruto, Hayate quickly moved to stop the match only for Naruto to shoot him a dark look, making him pause. After a few seconds of eye contact, he slowly but hesitantly nodded. He could only hope the blonde knew what he was getting himself into.

Naruto could feel the varying degrees of stares that were directed at him, mentally shaking his head at the shock and concern that was emanating from the stands. His injury wasn't light but it wasn't anything that he hasn't experienced before, training with dragons had that kind of effect, including having limbs mutilated and mangled.

"_I don't know what they're so worried about, it's not like I'm dying. If things get bad Hayate sensei will step in to stop either of us from dying._" Naruto thought as he quickly scanned the stands, noticing the looks of concern on certain people.

Letting go of his left arm, Naruto sighed as he closed his eyes before he opened them once more. His normal navy blue eyes were now electric blue but lacked the draconian pupil that normally accompanied it. Locking eyes with Gaara, he narrowed them as he saw that they were extremely different from before, still filled with insanity and bloodlust only much greater.

As the two stared each other down, sand slowly started to collect around Gaara's left side. Slowly, the seemingly random pile of sand started to take the shape of a strange claw-like appendage. His eye widening, Naruto quickly dove to the right as the newly formed sand claw shot towards him with speed he didn't expect the redheaded boy to have.

Hitting the ground, Naruto rolled into a crouched position as Gaara's sand claw retracted back to his body. Noticing that there was a slight delay between Gaara moving his real arm and the sand arm, Naruto evaded another thrust from before he sped forward. Vanishing and appearing once again crouched next to Gaara, Naruto drove his fist into Gaara's right side, which was still free from the sand that covered his left side.

Naruto's fist connecting, Gaara was sent flying as his sand armor was blown off. Growling, he righted himself while in the air before driving his sand claw into the ground to stop his acceleration. In a surprising display of skill, Gaara let his body fly a little more before he tensed the sand arm.

Like a rubber band, Gaara slowed before he starting moving in the opposite direction, quickly gaining speed before he ripped his arm out of the ground, flying towards Naruto. Slightly shocked at the adaptability that Gaara had just shown him, Naruto ducked as he soared overhead, his sand claw intent on ripping him in half. Spinning on his heel, Naruto lashed out and slammed his foot into the younger boy's abdomen, sending him straight up into the air.

Immediately standing, Naruto was about to follow up his attack but stopped as his head started throbbing once more, much more intensely then before. Above him, Gaara was experiencing a similar sensation as he righted himself and created some distance from the blonde and himself as he grabbed the side of his head, like Naruto was doing.

"Ngh... Mother, what's wrong?" Gaara mumbled, as sand slowly spiraled around him in a protective manner, ready to intercept any attack that was sent his way.

"_**Be careful, there is something very dangerous about that boy. Kill him before whatever is inside of him get's out. Kill him! Kill him! Kill! Quickly!**_" The voice inside Gaara's head screamed and roared, causing a pained scream to leave his throat as he clutched his head before the pain quickly left.

Raising his head, his eyes locked onto Naruto before he inhaled and roared, a blast of wind rocketing towards the blonde.

"**Futon: Daitoppa**!" Gaara roared, making close closest to the arena cover their eyes and brace themselves as the wind also reached them as well.

However, Naruto didn't even react to Gaara roaring at him or the surge of wind that sent him colliding with the wall behind him. As he impacted with a audible thud and slumped down, he felt no pain. The only thing that was on going through his head was the voice that continually taunted him as he sat there, motionless.

"_**Hahaha! Is that it?! How disgraceful... Someone who was trained by the strongest beings in existence being beaten by an abomination of his caliber. What would those who invested their precious time in helping you advance and grow, who nurtured and strengthened you, who they took in as the last human who they will ever let into their hearts? They would be affronted to no end, having raised such a deplorable and weak child.**_" The voice said, getting Naruto to clutch his head in agony.

"_S-Shut up! W-Who are you?! Wh-Why are you saying this!? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!_" Naruto scream in his mind, gritting his teeth as the pain intensified as dark laughter echoed as a mocking reply to his questions. Across from him, Gaara's eyes also widened as his own inner demon screamed at him.

"_**NO! NO, NO, NO! DO NOT LET HIM COME NEAR YOU! DON'T LET HIM OUT! KILL HIM! KILL HIM! HE'S DANGEROUS! KILL HIM NOW!**_" The demon inside of Gaara roared, getting Gaara to scream even louder as sand started to cover him.

The cork on his gourd popped off as sand erupted from it, mixing with the sand that already covered Gaara. As the seconds ticked by, more and more sand started to collect, pile and fuse to the strange sand body that encased Gaara. Soon though, it stopped as Gaara had physically changed.

Where Gaara once stood, a bestial demon stood as drool seeped from its maw. A bulky, tan colored body with arms that ended with no distinct fingers but asymmetric claws. Its tail was thick and had protrusions running along the width of it. Its head wide and broad, two ears resting on top with a thick snout in the front. The beast was finished off with strange blue markings that ran along its entire body. Finally, it raised its head and locked onto Naruto's form before it bellowed.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

In the stands, fear and confusion reigned as the dominant emotions that were being felt by the audience. They had just witnessed something that most people, even ninja, wouldn't have experienced. They had just watched the transformation of a jinchūriki.

"W-What is he?" A terrified Ino and Sakura said in unison, holding each other as they stared at Gaara with eyes wide in fear. Shaking in their seats, they tightened the hold they had on each other when Gaara roughly exhaled.

"I-I don't know." Choji choked out, his bag of chips rattling in his hand as he stared at Gaara's new form.

"S-Sucks t-to b-be him right n-now..." Kiba said, stuttering as his instincts screamed at him to run away from the area at the sight of Gaara's new form.

"B-But he's not supposed to transform...Not against Naruto-kun..." Kin whispered, tears in her eyes as Gaara acted outside of what she was told by Hiruko.

"T-Tou-sama... What is Naruto-kun fighting against...? Is he really fighting another human?" Haku shakily asked, her eyes wide as she looked at Gaara.

"...No he's not Haku... He's fighting something completely out of his league..." Zabuza whispered in a low tone, his eyes sharper then his Kubikiribōchō.

"_That does it. If that monster takes a step towards Naruto I'm stepping in. If his own father won't stop the match, then I will._" Zabuza promised in his mind, his hand slowly moving towards the holster that contained his kunai.

With the jōnin, they were all looking on with wide eyes. They had known that Gaara was a jinchūriki, but they didn't expect him to transform to this extent.

"This is seriously bad! We need to stop the match!" Asuma shouted, standing up as the others followed suit.

"Anko-chan!? Why aren't you standing up and getting ready?!" Kurenai shouted at her best friend, though she didn't even seem hear her words as Anko's attention was focused on someone else.

"_Momochi, you seriously plan on killing the redhead if he takes a step towards Naruto aren't you... Well you're not the only one..._" She said in her head, her eyes locked onto the man in question as he moved his hand towards his holster, before she locked onto the partially transformed jinchūriki with her hand mimicking his actions.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Infirmary)

"Oh no..." Was all that let the mouths of the two Suna ninja that were present in the infirmary. They knew that Gaara was going to transform but they didn't expect him to go this far. They could only hope that their father knew what to do in case he really did lose control of the Shukaku.

"W-What the heck? I-Is he really a monster?" Shikamaru asked, his eyes wide with fear at the sight of Gaara's new form.

"I-Is he even human? Wh-What are you fighting Naruto-kun?" Yakumo whispered, her eyes never leaving the sight of Gaara and Naruto. Biting her bottom lip, she tightened the grip she had on her sheets as she prayed for the safety of her teammate.

"W-What is he?!" Menma said as his eyes were wide with fear and disbelief. Menma started to feel fear seep into his heart but quickly quelled it with a shake of the head, knowing that his parents and godparents would stop the monster in the arena should anything happen.

Beside him, his sisters were silent as they held each other in a tight embrace, their eyes wide with fear. Unlike Menma though, they were wide with both the fear of the monster in front of them and the fear of losing their brother. Never before had they felt such bloodthirsty and evil chakra, and all of it was directed at the one they loved.

"Please Tou-san, Kaa-san, protect him... Protect Naru-nii..." Narumi trailed off, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Tou-san, Kaa-san... Please save Naruto-nii..." Mito whispered, holding her younger sister closer as she began to shake as Gaara's bloodlust suddenly intensified.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

"H-He's a monster... Naruto-kun is fighting a monster..." Satsuki whispered, her eyes wide as she stared at Gaara. Beside her, her family's thoughts were along the same lines.

"_Minato you need to stop the match! This could get out of hand at any moment!_" Fugaku thought, directing a look towards the 'Kage's Box'.

"_If that monster gets out of control everyone here will be in trouble. Minato-sama, please stop this match before that happens._" Itachi said in his head, also casting a look towards the 'Kage's Box'.

"_Minato, Kushina. You two need to stop this and save your son and my future son-in-law. Please stop it now!_" Mikoto shouted in her mind, casting a worried glance at Naruto before turning to face the 'Kage's Box'.

"T-Tou-sama, w-what is h-he?" Hanabi whispered to her father, almost unheard as she feared that somehow the monster in front of her might hear her. Sensing his daughter's fear and unease, Hiashi held her hand and squeezed it gently.

"Do not worry Hanabi. Should anything happen, Minato is here as well as Kushina and the Sannin. They will protect us." He said, though deep inside he was also feeling slight unease as he stared at the transformed boy in front of him.

"_Do not be foolish Minato. Do not let that monster kill your son, stop this match this instant._" Hiashi thought, looking at the 'Kage's Box' with a stern expression on his face.

"Now this is getting interesting." Jiraiya said, his eyes shifting between the downed form of his godson and Gaara. He would step in when things go south but no such event has happened yet.

"So that's the jinchūriki of the Shukaku huh. Pretty interesting, hope it doesn't hurt Naruto too bad." Tsunade said, taking another gulp of sake from her saucer. Like Jiraiya, she would step in before things got out of hand.

"..." Orochimaru was silent as he scrutinized Gaara's new form, looking for any weak spots when he jumped in to save his godson.

While the three didn't know their oldest and most enigmatic godson, they would still protect him like they would his siblings.

In the 'Kage's Box' Minato and Kushina were standing up from their seats as they stared with eyes wide with fear at the sight of the partially transformed Gaara. Reason left their minds as their bodies began to move without being told to do so, their instincts as parents making them spring into action. But before they were able to move, someone stopped them.

"Wait! Hokage-dono! Kushina-dono!" The Kazekage shouted, standing up as well.

His voice managed to catch the attention of the two, but when they turned to face him all that was in their eyes was unbridled fury.

"What are you talking about?! This match has gone long enough, I should have stopped it when your son had partially transformed!" Minato growled out, as he narrowed his eyes at the other Kage.

"Forget about him Minato! We need to save Naru-chan!" Kushina shouted, as she took a step forward.

But before they could move, Gaara did.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

This was the final straw, Hayate knew that he should have stopped the match when Naruto got his arm mangled but he trusted that Naruto had an ace up his sleeve, which he apparently didn't. But before he could move, Gaara did in a surprising show of speed.

"**NARUTO UZUMAKI-NAMIKAZE**! **DIE AND GIVE MOTHER YOUR BLOOD**!" He roared, as his right arm and hand condensed into a claw-like spear.

"**KICHIGAI ****SHUKAKU NO HOKO**!" He roared, stopping before the downed blonde with his arm poised to strike.

Everyone in attendance watched on in horror as speared the older boy as an explosion rang out, dust obscuring them from view. Once the dust settled, the stadium turned as silent as a grave as people grew green at the sight before them.

Against the wall of the arena, there stood Gaara as he had his hand speared buried into Naruto's chest, blood splattered across the ground where they stood. The silence that embraced the stadium was shattered as Gaara started laughing before he stared cackling madly. With a sickening squelch and crunch, he ripped his spear-like hand out of Naruto before laughing even more.

Taking a step back and seemingly admiring his work, Gaara started chuckling darkly as Naruto seemed to have stopped breathing and moving as blood pooled below him, staining his clothes and the ground a rich crimson. He did pierce his chest and in turn his lungs if not his heart.

"**I've done it Mother! I've killed him! His blood tastes good doesn't it! AHAHAHA!**" Gaara shouted into the air, madness and bloodlust still filling his eyes.

"_**Pitiful. A minor wound like having your heart and lungs pierced and you die. Such a fragile creature, you truly aren't fit to wield the power of a dragon. However, it isn't time for you to meet your end. Hahaha, you are quite lucky I am such a generous being boy. I'll aid you this once and release a drop of the power that White has tried so desperately to seal.**_" A voice within Naruto's fading mind said, echoing softly.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

"NARUTO!" Satsuki screamed, standing up in her seat as she startled the people around her. But she didn't care, she had just seen the boy that she liked speared like a fish as the person who did it just laughed about it madly and she couldn't do a thing about it. Lowering her head, she threw away all her pride in front of her family as she started crying.

Seeing her in such a state broke the hearts of her family, Mikoto embracing her to her chest as she poured her heart out. Fugaku and Itachi gave Satsuki a sad gaze before locking their eyes on the jinchūriki in front of them, both having their Sharingan spinning as they readied themselves in case Gaara decided to attack the audience next.

"Na-Naruto-kun..." Haku whispered, her eyes wide as she stared at the bloody hole that covered nearly half his chest. Soon tears gave way as she noticed his chest wasn't moving, as she buried her face into her hands and started sobbing quietly.

"Damn it..." Zabuza muttered, tightening the grip he hand on his kunai so much that his knuckles turned white. He snapped his eyes shut and grit his teeth as a few stray tears fell from his eyes, he wasn't going to accept this. Not even if the Hokage, Kazekage, Konoha or Suna came after him.

"N-No... Naruto-kun, you can't be... This wasn't supposed to happen..." Kin said, her eyes wide as tears fell freely from them.

With the jonin they were silent as shock filled their faces, but amongst them sat someone who had pure murder in her tear filled eyes.

"I'm going to kill him. No matter what, I swear I'll kill him." Anko whispered, tightening her grip on her kunai as a tears fell from her eyes.

"N-No way..." Sakura said, her eyes wide as she looked at the bloody form of Naruto.

"H-He's n-not... He can't be r-right?" Ino asked, her eyes filled with disbelief at seeing one of her comrades and former classmate seemingly dead.

"N-Naruto..." Choji said, his eyes wide as he dropped his bag of chips. He turned green as he stared at the hole in the blondes chest as bile started to rise up in his throat, never having seen such a horrifying injury in his life.

"D-Damn... E-Even he d-didn't deserve that..." Kiba said, turning green at the sight of the hole in Naruto's chest.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Infirmary)

"N-Naruto-kun..." Yakumo said, tears falling from her eyes as she saw the state of her teammate.

"Damn... Poor kid..." Kankuro muttered under his breath, casting a pitying look towards the blonde and redheaded girls across the room.

"...Hopefully that'll satisfy him for the rest of the tournament..." Temari said, casting the same look towards the same people her younger brother was.

"N-Na-Naru-nii..." Narumi said, her eyes wide as tears streamed down her face. She held her older sister closer before she buried her face on her should and started sobbing.

"I-It can't be...Na-Naruto-nii..." Mito said, trembling as she held Narumi tightly as tears also made their way down her face.

"..." Menma remained silent, though there was a light sheen to his eyes that slowly turned into tears against his will.

"N-No way... Damn it..." Shikamaru said, snapping his eyes shut as he let his head drop down.

The entirety of the infirmary was silent except for the light sobbing of three girls.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

It was dead silent in the 'Kage's Box' as Minato and Kushina looked at the bloody form of their son with tears falling from their eyes. Almost mechanically, they fell to their knees as their eyes remained locked onto Naruto. But soon sadness and sorrow were replaced with a burning fury as they clenched their fists and gritted their teeth. Someone was going to pay, be it the Kazekage or his son, but there would be blood to be paid.

The Kazekage stood with his eyes wide, not believing that Gaara had actually taken down his vessel. It was all out of his calculations, his data showed that Naruto had more then sufficient strength to defeat someone of Gaara's caliber. Gritting his teeth, he cursed his miscalculation as it had cost him possibly the most powerful vessel he had gotten a hold of.

With the three Sannin, they were speechless at what had just happened. This wasn't supposed to happen, they were supposed to step in before things turned out this way, yet their godson was dead because of their lack of dedication. Even if they had indeed bet on who they favored to win, they didn't want to win at the cost of their family, even if that family member was an enigma to them.

As the stands slowly came out of their shock and horror filled state, it was replaced with sorrow at the loss that had just occur. Someone in the earliest years of their life meeting a tragic end because of a monster. But that also quickly vanished as something no one had anticipated happened.

(Scene change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

"**Don't worry Mother... I'll get you more blood soon.**" Gaara said, as he lost interest in Naruto, having taken blood that pooled under the blonde into his sand. But now, under the influence of the Shukaku, he directed his attention to the person closest to him, Hayate.

Hayate was in shock and despair, what he had been assigned to do was prevent all deaths if possible and now, because of his lack of action, someone who he respected had just been brutally killed. He was broken out of his thoughts though as he felt an immense amount of killing intent. His eyes widening, he found himself being stared down by Gaara like a predator staring down its prey.

"**Your blood, Mother is asking for your blood.**" Gaara said as he started lumbering towards him.

However, Gaara didn't have time to react as he was sent barreling towards the wall of the arena, screaming in pain as he felt his very soul was injured by the attack, the Shukaku screaming in pain as the attack pierced it through the seal. Colliding into the wall, Gaara managed to free himself but froze as he felt killing intent like no other.

He wasn't the only one as Hayate and the rest of the stadium was subjected to what could only be described as being held by the throat by the Shinigami itself. Even the Shukaku inside of Gaara stopped its mad ramblings as fear invaded its soul, having not felt the killing intent present since the time of the Rikudō Sennin when it and the others were merely children.

Naruto stood before him, his head held down as his hair overshadowed his eyes. His face was blank, his mouth a thin line on his face. The injuries from earlier were still present, his left arm had just started bleeding once again while the wound on his chest was still oozing blood at a steady rate. But all of that changed when a black jagged scale-like pattern started to spread across the blonde's body, starting from his shoulder it started to cover his left side. As it spread, it completely covered his arm, the side of his leg and part of his face, ending at his jaw line as he remained facing the ground.

(Flashback - Sometime during the month of training)

In the midst of training, Naruto heaved out an exhausted sigh as he dropped to a knee as raised his head to face Jho. Unlike the other sessions before, Jho was pushing Naruto much harder then he had been doing. As he was kneeling down, he grimaced and dropped his head as his it started to throb, getting a knowing look from Jho though he didn't see it as he closed his eyes.

"_**Naruto... You have the potential to surpass even Ryuuhei in terms of power. But in the same sense, using that power will cost you much more then it did Ryuuhei.**_ _**Drop blood on the finest snow and it will inevitably absorb it and turn crimson, tainted power has such a nature.**_" Jho said, getting a shocked look from Naruto as he raised his head once more looking into Jho's eyes.

"W-What are you talking about Jho? Tainted power? Like I'd ever accept something like that, Ryuuhei told me to never accept power like that, no matter how much stronger it would make me." Naruto said confidently. He expected Jho to just laugh like he always did, but when he looked as the dragon once more he was shocked to see him so serious.

"_**Naruto, I pray that you never tap into the dormant power that sleeps within you however, there may come a time where you have to cross that line. Just remember, when you use that power. You may...**_"

(Flashback - End)

"_**Forfeit your humanity.**_" The voice in Naruto's head said, as Naruto raised his head as a black and crimson spiral of chakra exploded around him, creating a small crater under the blonde. In place of his electric blue or normal navy blue eyes, there was only a bloody crimson that held a draconian pupil.

"**RRRRAAAAHHHHH!**"

A Son Forgotten

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**Well, there it is. Hope you guys still enjoy my story. I'll try to pump out chapters as consistently as possible, as long as the inspiration keeps flowing. Again, leave me a review and tell me what you guys think. And PM me, I promise to answer you guys now that I'm over my funk. Thanks for putting up with me guys, and as always. Stay awesome.**

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**Shunshin - Body Flicker**: D-Rank Ninjutsu; A high-speed movement technique, allowing a ninja to move short to long distances at an almost untraceable speed. To an observer, it appears as if the user has teleported. A puff of smoke is occasionally used to disguise the user's movements. It is accomplished by using chakra to temporarily vitalize the body and move at extreme speeds. The amount of chakra required depends on the overall distance and elevation between the user and the intended destination.

**Futon: Senpūken - Wind Release: Whirlwind Fist**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user gathers chakra into their fist and fires out a whirlwind, which the size and scale of is dependent on the amount of chakra that is used. It can adapt to increase the size, range, and power of many different elements including katon and suiton jutsu.

**Suna Shuriken - Sand Shuriken**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique used by Gaara. He shapes the sand around him into countless shuriken. Taking advantage of that formidable centrifugal force, the fired blades of sand change into dangerous weapons. Gaara creates and fires an uninterrupted succession of sand rounds, tearing everything in sight to pieces.

**Sabaku Sōsō - Sand Waterfall Funeral**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Once trapping his opponent in his sand, Gaara will cause the sand to implode and crush whatever is within it. According to Gaara, when used to kill a person, the death is so quick that there isn't even time for the victim to feel any pain. The pressure also produces a sizeable fountain of blood. Gaara can control the pressure used in the attack, which allows him to either break bones or completely liquefy an opponent.

**Futon: Shinkuuhasou - Wind Release: Vacuum Destruction Claw**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A relatively basic jutsu that incorporates futon natured chakra into an attack that replicates the slashing motion of a dragon. The basic principal of the jutsu is to create five sharp bladed claws of chakra that allow the user to enhance and augment their effective range and damage. With enough control, the user can also slash and fire the claws at their target, which allows for surprise ranged attacks. The defining characteristic of this jutsu is the amount of shape and nature manipulation to keep the five claws razor sharp at all times and still be able to extend and contract them at will, making it a difficult jutsu to learn and master.

**Futon: Daitoppa - Wind Release: Great Breakthrough**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; This is a relatively simple technique that creates a sudden gust of wind, but its scale varies greatly depending on the user. If used by a superior shinobi, it has enough destructive power to knock down a large tree. The wind from the squall can blow away all things in the user's line of sight. Adding it to katon jutsu can increase the power of said jutsu

**Saikō Zettai Kōgeki: Kichigai Shukaku no Hoko - Ultimately Hard Absolute Attack: Mad Spear of Shukaku**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; In his partially transformed state, Gaara fueled by the desire to eliminate and give the Shukaku the blood of his target, shapes his hand and arm in the form of a halberd, in a shape reminiscent of the Shukaku's hand. There is no defense that this halberd can break through.


	17. Chapter 16

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Here's another chapter guys. Just to warn you, it doesn't really have much action. I haven't been feeling in an action-y mood, I've been mostly doing schoolwork and watching romantic and comedic anime and manga so it's not really flowing all that great up here. But I hope you still enjoy it anyway. Like I've said before, PM if you've got something to say or ask and I'll try to get back to you, school has been eating up my time so if I don't reply right away like I used to, it's because Calc and computing suck more then you can imagine. And a head's up, I might be working on another story or two beside this one so if I'm late that's why. Well, that's enough. Let's a go shall we? **

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 16

"**RRRRAAAAHHHHH!**" Naruto roared, the force of his roar collapsing the ground beneath him, forming a crater.

Then, all was quiet as the entirety of the stadium stared in shock and awe at what was in front of him. The blonde from before, who had just been impaled and seemingly killed by Gaara, was standing hunched over as a spiral of black and crimson chakra laced with lightning colored the same crackled and danced around him.

Soon, all the chakra that danced around slowly settled as it seeped back into Naruto's body as his hunched figure relaxed slightly. But as the last of the chakra returned to him, Gaara was sent colliding with the wall of the arena as the image of Naruto slowly faded away.

"**GAHHH**!" Gaara screamed, once again feeling like his very soul was damaged from the blow.

Though he wasn't able to recover as he felt an overwhelming presence bear down on him. Trembling, Gaara slowly raised his head and locked eyes with the burning crimson of Naruto's. He wasn't able to do a thing as Naruto raised his arm, his hand in the shape of a claw as black and crimson chakra shrouded it.

"**Kekkai Ryuu Ougi: Jikūkan Kekkai: Rei Senjou**." Naruto growled out as he drove his hand into the ground, as the same black and crimson charka started to crackle and arc across the area.

Soon, to the shock of everyone, a cylindrical pillar of chakra shot into the air as Gaara and Naruto's forms were engulfed by it. As it did, time froze outside the barrier.

(Scene Change - Inside the barrier)

Pain coursed through Gaara's very soul as he screamed at the top of his lungs. Ever since the blonde's chakra changed, all of his attacks seemed to inflict pain to his very soul and not just his but his mother's as well. Soon the pain left, in its place a numb, throbbing pulsed through Gaara.

Opening his eyes, they widened as they took in the area that he was in. It wasn't the arena from before, instead it was a barren wasteland. Craggy mountains, canyons and outcroppings could be seen in the distance and around him. Sand covered the majority of the area, a few places having cracked patches of dry earth.

As he tried to get up, he froze as an overwhelming amount of bloodlust fell on him. His eyes widening, he slowly looked up and froze as what in front of him wasn't the blonde form before, but his mother. Outside of its cage.

"W-What...? M-Mother...?" Gaara shakily said, starting to tremble under it bloodlust.

"**Haha...HAHAHA! I'm free! I'm finally free! I can kill you and finally take control! I'll have to thank that blonde boy, I'll be sure to kill him right after I kill you!**" The Shukaku, raising its arm as a literal sea of sand started to rise underneath its hand.

"**NOW DIE!**" It roared, swiping its hand towards the redhead as Gaara just stared at the wave of sand, his eyes wide with fear as he futilely tried to stop the attack from getting any closer.

But before it made it half way towards him, it was erased as series of crescent shaped arcs of black and crimson chakra ripped through the sand, sending it scattering. Both widened their eyes as they slowly turned towards the origin of the attack, and froze when they saw who it was.

Standing on an outcrop of rock, stood the blonde from earlier the black scales still covering his body, though there was a savage smile on his face as his crimson eyes seemed to stare into their souls.

"**It seems like you've finally met, hahaha... As you've noticed, this isn't the physical world anymore. This is the manifestation of your inner world, both the demon and yours boy.**" Naruto said, chuckling darkly at the end of his sentence as the Shukaku and Gaara widened their eyes even more.

"**Ah, do not worry about the battle that we were having before. This place is exists between reality, matter, and mind. Time does not flow here, as it does outside. Here, we can battle to our hearts content. Hahaha, though... As you've both experienced, our physical bodies and minds aren't what is damaged here. It's our very souls that are damaged. Now, LET US BEGIN!**" Naruto roared, as chakra exploded around him, violently rending the ground around him.

Gaara wasn't able to move as he was sent careening into an outcrop of rock, screaming in agony as his body forcibly buried itself into the stone. But the pain never left as Naruto appeared in front of Gaara and grabbed him by the leg, turning and repeatedly slamming him into the ground. With each impact he had with the ground, more and more pain shot through Gaara's body, it was like every single nerve was being electrocuted, burned and frozen repeatedly.

By some miracle, Gaara was able to bring his arm up to direct a wave of sand to throw the blonde off balance. But to his horror, the blonde just tightened the grip he had on his leg and swung him towards the sand wave. Crying out in pain, Gaara's body forcibly dispersed the sand as the wave exploded when his body was swung through it.

Managing to retain his focus, Gaara willed the sand to collect and wrap around the arm that was holding him. With a flick of his wrist, the sand compressed and exploded, hopefully having shattered the blonde's arm like he did before. But his hopes were shot down when all he saw after the sand fell was an annoyed expression on the blonde's face.

"**Tch. You're really starting to irritate me.**" Naruto growled out, turning and slamming Gaara into the ground once more.

Tightening his grip on the redhead's leg, Naruto ripped him out of the ground and into the air. Pulling back his left arm, Naruto took a step forward and buried his fist into Gaara's abdomen as the redhead's eyes bugged out of their sockets from the force of the blow. Following up the initial strike, Naruto turned and smashed his elbow against the younger boy's sternum, a hollow crack echoing from the blow.

Pain ripped through Gaara's body as Gaara was sent flying backwards. After a short time in the air, he collided with another outcrop of rock, sending debris and dust covering the area. A pained groan escaping his mouth, Gaara weakly opened his eyes and proceeded to widen them when Naruto was in front of him once more. But he wasn't able to do a thing as Naruto's hand shot out and latched onto his face, covering his mouth.

But instead of pain, he was given a brief moment of respite as Naruto turned his attention to the Shukaku who made a noise of surprise and visibly shrunk under the blondes gaze. Seeing such a reaction from the demon, Naruto's savage grin only grew as he threw Gaara away. Hunching over slightly, he held out his right arm, holding his wrist as chakra started to collect in his palm.

Finally, when a visible orb of black and crimson formed above his palm he snapped his hand shut, crushing the orb as the volatile chakra coated his hand. Taking a step forward, he made a claw with his right hand and dragged it along the ground, ripping it as he swiped his hand towards the Shukaku.

"**RYUUTON: KOURYUUREPPA**!" Naruto roared, swiping and ripping his hand out of the ground as a wave of black and crimson chakra surged towards the Shukaku, before it collided with it.

"**RAHHHH!**" The Shukaku roared in pain, the attack blowing away a chunk of its torso as it fell to the clutching its chest, writhing in agony.

The Shukaku didn't have time to recover as Naruto appeared in front of its face, crouched down with his left arm drawn back, black and crimson chakra surging wildly around his hand. His eyes locking with the Shukaku's, Naruto flashed a savage grin.

"**Ryuuton: Garyuusai**! Naruto said before he slugged the Shukaku's snout, as it roared in pain, its head snapping backwards as it slid backwards slightly from the force of the blow.

Grinning as the sand demon moaned in agony, probably never having had its very soul damaged, Naruto was about to press on his attack but stopped when he heard the shifting of rocks. Turning his head, he saw that Gaara was struggling to sand as pain and agony filled his face.

"**Hahaha! You're still alive?! How interesting! It seems that your soul is rather tough for a human, now let's destroy it!**" Naruto said, taking a step before the ground under his foot exploded from the force exerted.

Stopping before Gaara, the redhead's eyes widened with fear as Naruto just grinned at him. Turning his body, Naruto buried his right hand into the younger boy's abdomen, forcing the air out of his lungs as he was driven into the air. Turning, Naruto shifted and grabbed his face with his left hand before he proceeded to slam his head into the ground; an agonizing scream leaving his mouth as Naruto just started laughing.

But his laugher was abruptly cut off when a wave of sand appeared to the side of him, rushing towards him. A predatory smile appearing on his face, Naruto tightened his grip on Gaara's face causing the boy to scream once more before he stood up and threw him into the oncoming wave of sand. As Gaara hit the wave of sand, Naruto was already in front of him with his right hand drawn back, the same predatory smile on his face.

"**Ryuuton: Bakuryuuken**!" Naruto shouted, driving his fist into Gaara's chest as the redhead's eyes widened in pain.

But that wasn't the end of Naruto's attack as the chakra that was stored in Naruto's fist exploded, rippling outwards, ripping through Gaara's chest as the wave of sand behind him exploded, a silent scream leaving Gaara's throat. As the sand behind him showered the area, Gaara fell to his knees before dropping onto his face.

Cracking a grin at the down redhead, it only grew when the world started to become unstable, the mountain in the distance beginning to crumble along with the canyons and outcrops of rock, a sign that his soul was starting to break down. Taking a step towards the downed boy, Naruto stopped before him and raised his foot as chakra started to shroud it.

As he was about to bring it down and crush the downed boy's head, a tendril of sand forced him to bring his arm to block it as an annoyed look made its way to his face. Turning, Naruto swung his right leg as he destroyed the tendril of sand before he locked onto the terrified form of the sand demon.

"**So, you want to die first huh? Hahaha, the soul of one of the Nine. I wonder how long it would take to destroy it. Though... There's only one real way to find out...**" Naruto trailed off, a savage grin appearing on his face.

As he vanished from its line of sight, the Shukaku's eyes widened as it felt an overwhelming presence behind it. But this time, the fear it felt was unlike anything from before. The blonde was the same as before, but it was what was behind him that caused the sheer amount of primal fear in the Shukaku's heart.

Behind him was the outline of something that Shukaku and the rest of the Nine had not seen since their time under the Rikudō Sennin. Behind him was the being that was said to have been on par with the original body that they had come from, behind him was a black and crimson dragon.

Its wings wrapped around it like a cocoon, it slowly opened as six wings, blacker then the night spread behind it. Running on the edge of those wings, on its shoulders, and the tip of its tail were crimson crystal-like structures that pulsed with a terrifying amount of power. Standing upright, it towered over the Shukaku, the Shukaku shrinking in fear as it's burning crimson eyes locked onto itself.

"**I-Impossible... Y-You were supposed to have been sealed away... W-Why are you here...?**" The Shukaku asked, its voice trembling with each word that left its mouth.

Upon hearing the sand demon's question, both Naruto and the dragon behind him flashed a savage grin, causing the sand demon to take a step back as the dragon seemed to grow even more.

"**Hahaha! Do you really believe that you can seal an absolute power?! Such insolence!**" Naruto and the dragon behind him roared, a crater forming under the blonde as a shockwave rippled outwards, sending the demon flying backwards from the power of the dragon's voice alone.

"**The Jūbi? Kaguya? Hagoromo? Hamura? The Nine? Nothing stands even close to the level of power that I possess! I could have erased the entirety of the world if I wished to do so! The sole reason I chose not to was to observe and amuse myself by seeing you whelps squirm about, trying to survive in this world.**" The dragon bellowed, making the sand demon tremble in fear at the amused tone that the it was using.

"**I limited my host's combat prowess by nearly 80% during the battle he had with your host to see where a host of one of the Nine stood and yet he was still able to hold himself on near even ground with yours, with you providing your host power. Hahaha, how pitiful. To take advantage of the loneliness in your host's heart and push your own influence and power onto him; to turn him into an instrument of your own creation to use. To do something like that to make up for your own lack of power, have you no honor?**" The dragon said, getting the Shukaku to snarl slightly before it shrunk when the dragon glared at it.

"**A-Are you not doing the same thing to your host?!**" The Shukaku countered, getting a raging laugh from the dragon.

"**HAHAHA! Do not place me on the same level as you, demon. I do not tempt my host with promises of power or take advantage of the wounds that cover his heart, I can guarantee him power should he desire it and I do not reopen the wounds that plague his heart. My host is unlike any other I've had, he truly has the heart and soul of a dragon; though a great evil slumbers deep within his soul both it and his heart remain unwavering, unyielding and incorrigible. He does not let his past affect his future, rather he uses it to ensure that his future remains his, and his alone.**" The dragon said, letting a savage grin spread across its face as the Shukaku took another step back.

"**This boy has garnered my interest and respect, so I intend on making him the ultimate host. One that will stand above even myself, White and the ones who have earned the title of Elder. For that, I need to erase all that stands in his way.**" The dragon said as it brought its arm back in a lazy manner as the Shukaku immediately created a multi-layered stronghold of sand to protect itself.

"**Saikō Zettai Bōgyo: Shukaku no Oukyuu**!" The Shukaku roared, though there was an undeniable terror in its voice.

"**How futile. ****Kouryuureppa****.**" The dragon said in a lazy tone, swinging its arm in an equally lazy manner towards the Shukaku similar to how Naruto did earlier.

There was a flash of endless black and bloody crimson as the sound of heaven and earth being rended echoed harshly through the air. Soon, the black and crimson faded and what could only be described as 'Armageddon' could be seen.

Unlike Naruto's, the **Kouryuureppa** from the dragon destroyed everything in its path, absolutely everything. There was a scar the extended from the earth to the heavens, leaving nothing but an void of nothingness, black and crimson lightning arcing sporadically in the areas that could be seen.

The void was as wide and endless as the eyes could see; the earth having a clear scar where the attack had passed though while the sky mirrored the earth creating an eerie scar of nothingness in the blue sky.

There stood the Shukaku, three kilometers away from the initial point of impact of the attack, eyes wide with unbridled fear at the show of absolute power. However, more then half of the demon's body was missing from being in the vicinity of the attack alone, its absolute defense obliterated and rendered useless.

Slowly, it collapsed from the lack of support, a small tremor reverberating from the impact it had with the ground. Weakly, it raised its head to meet the mirth filled crimson eyes of the dragon.

"**Ah, it appears that I missed. Though, that is an amusing sight to behold. The one whose motto is 'Absolute Defense' falling from being within the vicinity of my attack; ah but do not worry for your host, I took great care to limit my power as much as I could.**" The dragon said, flashing a savage smile that caused the Shukaku to tremble in fear, pain and anger.

"**Such a pitiful demon. A creature like you should know that there is not absolute defense that I won't be able to pierce, like there is no absolute offense that can pierce me. I am a being above life and death itself.**" The dragon continued, chuckling darkly at the state the Shukaku was in as the demon lowered its head.

Agony and shame was all that the Shukaku could feel after the dragon had finished speaking, as it lowered its head to onto the ground in submission to the being no, deity, before it. Never before had the sand demon been so overwhelmingly outclassed, even if it had all the sand in the world it wouldn't matter in the face of the dragon before it. As its forehead touched the ground, a bloodcurdling scream ripped through the area, forcing the Shukaku to turn to face the source of the noise.

"AHHHHH!" Gaara screamed, his eyes wide as he clutched it head, his body lifted off the ground slightly by the arcing of his back.

Never before in Gaara life had he felt such excruciating pain and agony, even the attacks before which damaged his very soul were much more pleasant then what he was feeling right now. It felt like a part of him had just been destroyed, forever ripped away from his very being.

"**Ah, now it appears that the affects of having a part of his soul destroyed is taking place. How amusing. It shouldn't be long now...**" The dragon trailed off, the Shukaku giving it a confused glance before pure agony ripped through its very being.

"**RRAAHHHH!**" The Shukaku roared, flailing about madly as it felt its very being had a piece ripped away from it, leaving nothing but a void of unending pain in its place.

"**HAHAHA! There it is! Have you forgotten sand demon? This place is the manifestation of your soul along with your host's. Anything that affects it will in turn affect the two of you as well.**" The dragon said, throwing its head back as it roared in laugher.

Finally, the dragon had calmed down from its laughing fit as it stared at the writhing figures of Gaara and the Shukaku as they tried to ease the pain of having a piece of their soul destroyed, to no avail. Shaking its head, it pointed a claw towards the void it had created as a tiny sphere of bright blue and green chakra formed at the tip of it.

"**Myouryuu Ougi: ****Hakki Chiyukou**." The dragon said, before the tiny orb of chakra flew into the void before it expanded and finally exploded, sending a pulse of similarly colored chakra through the area.

Slowly, the void started to close up before fully ceasing to exist at all. As it did, the agony that tormented Gaara and the Shukaku faded into nothingness as well as they just stared with eyes wide at the dragon who had just healed them.

"**W-Why did you heal our wounds?**" The Shukaku said, voicing the question that danced in Gaara's mind, though he was unable to speak in the presence of such a monster.

"**Why indeed? It is because my host wishes it; he is not one to kill on whim alone, though it would have been amusing to see your souls break down into nothingness.**" The dragon said as the Shukaku and Gaara's eyes widened.

"**Ah, it appears that my time has come to an end, my host is finally waking up from his slumber.**" The dragon said as it slowly started to lose its form, starting to glow a bloody crimson as the black scales that covered Naruto started to recede back to the seal.

"**I will warn you and your host now sand demon. I will release the limitations that I've placed on my host to limit half of his true potential, so it will no longer be in your favor to stand against him. Though, it would be most interesting to see my host rip yours limb from limb. And another warning demon; allow your host to rest. The way you use him as a dispensable tool for quenching your bloodlust is revolting. If you do not heed my warning, I'll rip your soul from your host and devour it, but not before I allow you to experience true agony.**" The dragon said, as Gaara shivered, hugging himself as he stared into the crimson eyes of the blonde while the Shukaku trembled as well.

Finally, the dragon vanished in a spark of crimson as the world around them started to glow. Then, a flash of black and crimson blinded everyone as the world shifted around them. All that remained was darkness and silence, until a dark chuckle shattered it.

"**Hahaha... Do you really believe that the boy's will and the seal will hold me back? You've seen the power I hold, just giving the boy a drop of my power made him give in to his instincts. You must be as foolish as those insects if you truly believe that, after all we came from the same body**_**.**_" A voice filled with mirth and malice suddenly spoke, though there was no response or reply.

"**No answer? Hahaha, of course. You could never dream to match me in terms of power. You may be considered a god; but you know that I'm considered a devil, and one that makes your power look like a hatchling's. Don't worry though. After I consume the boy, I'll consume you as well, then we'll be whole once more.**" The voice finished, chuckling darkly as it faded away.

"**...Tch. Even with Ryuuhei's seal and my power he's still able to leak his power and influence. Sealing and limiting Naruto's power does nothing to stop or halt his from leaking and tainting Naruto's no matter how much I try to suppress it. How infuriating, suppressing his power forcibly suppresses Naruto's... It appears that he's finally started to bond their souls together... How truly infuriating...**"

(Scene Change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

As soon as the pillar of black chakra appeared, it vanished, leaving a bewildered stadium wondering what it was; having appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye. Standing in the center of the arena was blank faced Naruto, his torso covered in blood though the gaping hole from before seemed to be nonexistent, save for a large scar that replaced the wound. Below him was a trembling Gaara, his eyes wide as they were locked with the cold navy of Naruto's.

Without saying a word, Naruto reached out and grabbed Gaara by the collar of his shirt, the redhead starting to shake even more uncontrollably then before. Yanking the scared boy closer to him, Naruto's cold gaze warmed slightly as he took notice of Gaara's state.

"Give up. I don't know what happened after you speared me, but I know that you're in no condition to continue fighting. Why don't we finish this battle some other time, when both of us are at our best." Naruto said in a softer tone, surprising Gaara as he stopped shaking, though there was still a slight shiver whenever Naruto shifted slightly.

"Y-You want to fight me again?" Gaara asked, his eyes wide with shock, not expecting the terrifying blonde from before to speak with such a kind and understanding tone.

"Yeah, I do. Next time though, let's not make it a death match." Naruto replied, letting go of Gaara's collar as the redhead lowered his head nodding softly.

"Proctor... I... I su-surrender." Gaara whispered just loud enough for Hayate to hear, making the sickly jōnin widen his eyes.

"A-Ah. Well then, the winner of the final match of the first round: Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze." Hayate said, snapping out of his stupor.

As he announced the winner of the match, the crowd remained stunned but very quickly applause exploded as the audience roared with cheer over the dramatic match. While the crowd cheered around them, Gaara took a step only to end up stumbling forward. But he never hit the ground as Naruto caught him, wrapping the younger boy's arm around his shoulder while Gaara looked with wide eyes. Not saying a word, they made their way to the infirmary.

(Scene Change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

Amongst the loud cheers of the crowd, light sobbing and laughing could be heard in some parts of the stands. With Zabuza and Haku, the pair were shedding tears seeing that the blonde they adored wasn't fatally wounded like they had imagined him to be.

"Haha! That idiot! I'm going to kill him when this is all over, making Haku worry like that!" Zabuza said, wiping away the stray tears in his eyes as he chuckled jovially.

"N-Naruto-kun, don't do that again!" Haku shouted, wiping their teary eyes on the sleeve of her kimono.

Though they were happy, they were going to give the blonde the biggest lecture, beating in Zabuza's case, of his life but for right now they were more focused on the fact that he was alive after being speared in the chest.

"You idiot! When this tournament is over I'm going to kill you!" Satsuki shouted, anger and relief evident in her voice as she tried futilely to hold back the tears that fell from her eyes.

Beside her, the rest of the Uchiha family just laughed at Satsuki's blatant show of affection towards the blonde. Though Itachi's brow was twitching as he heard his little sister show classic Uchiha affection towards a boy.

"W-Whoa, he beat him. That was pretty cool." Ino said with a light dusting of pink on her cheeks, stunned that the supposed dead last of their class had just beat and forced Gaara to forfeit.

"I know, t-that was pretty cool." Sakura admitted, a matching dust of pink on her cheeks as well, also stunned that Gaara lost after what he did to Lee.

"D-Damn..." Kiba said, shock evident in his voice, not believing that the dead last had just beat someone their senior couldn't and made him forfeit as well.

"W-Wow! Tou-sama, h-he won! Even after that wound, he won!" Hanabi cheered, her eyes wide with admiration as a blush colored her cheeks.

"Indeed he did, that was a very surprising turn of events." Hiashi said, chuckling lightly at his daughters praise for the blonde.

With the jōnin, they were stunned speechless; they didn't what they had just seen. The moment Gaara had speared Naruto in the chest they knew the match was over, but Naruto proved them wrong. Though, they were stunned that Naruto had managed to come back from death, it was the strange chakra that surrounded him that both intrigued and scared them.

It was came and vanished in the blink of an eye but they had never felt such bloodlust and killing intent in the entirety of their careers as ninja. The chakra of the Kyūbi didn't come close to what they felt when that chakra appeared, though it worried them they assumed that it was just a trick of the eyes, believing that it was just Naruto's killing intent as they have never actually seen the blonde angry.

"That kid... He's something else I tell you." Asuma said, a smile on his seeing that the blonde's comeback.

"I agree, he is definitely hiding his abilities, seeing as he came back from being speared in the chest." Kurenai agreed, though she was relieved that he was alright.

"He really is sensei's son." Kakashi said, his eye wide at the sudden display of skill, never before having seen the blonde actually perform in combat. Clenching his hand into a tight fist, he mentally berated himself for not treating the oldest of his honorary siblings the same as he did the others.

"Haha! Great job Naruto! Now go for the gold! I'll take care of your punishment after all this is over!" Anko shouted and cheered, all her fears replaced with pride and happiness, though there was still worry in her heart. She would visit her student in the infirmary once he gets there.

"Haha, well it appears that Lee will have a wonderful rival in the future." Gai said, a smile on his face seeing as he knew that Lee would welcome Naruto as a rival who could push him.

In the 'Kage's Box' Kushina and Minato were still standing though shock was evident on their faces. Naruto had just managed to come back from being fatally wounded and decimated Gaara. But what concerned them most was that flash of black and the strange chakra that he used. All they felt was bloodlust, anger, and the desire to kill from him when he used it, though it vanished as soon as it appeared.

Sharing a look between each other, they nodded as Minato made his way towards the front of the booth, gaining the attention of every person in the stadium as the cheers quieted down, the attention of the masses focused on him.

"With this, the last match of the first round is over. Seeing as it is becoming late, we will resume the tournament tomorrow. I know this is unexpected, but I believe that our finalists have earned a night of rest. I thank all of you for taking the time to attend, and I hope that I will see all of you tomorrow. Have a great evening." Minato announced, getting surprised reactions from the audience before they started cheering loudly.

With those words, the crowd began to part and leave the stands. Seeing that there were no objections to his decision, Minato smile before he and Kushina excused themselves from the 'Kage's Box', leaving the Kazekage alone.

"_How marvelous! He truly does exceed my expectations! Though unexpected, this is a fortunate turn of events. With the tournament extended, celebration afterwards will provide a truly perfect opportunity._" The Kazekage thought, a smirk hidden by the veil that covered his face, as he and his guards left the stadium.

(Scene Change - Examination Stadium: Infirmary)

Letting a sigh escape from his lips, Naruto closed his eyes as he pondered why his body felt lighter then it did before. During his fight with Gaara he was definitely moving much slower then he should have been, adding to that was that he didn't hit as hard as he should have either. Shaking his head slightly, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind, more focused on getting himself and the redhead to get checked out.

"...Why are you helping me?" Gaara finally asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"Huh? Why? The match is over isn't it? The medics would've probably arrived two minutes after I left, I figured why not just go together. They're hands are probably full taking care of the other contestants, so why not make their workload a little easier by going ourselves. And it's not like we're that injured we can't go on our own." Naruto said, getting a soft nod from Gaara.

"And it's the least I can do, you gave me a nice battle out there." Naruto finished before silence took over once again.

They continued in amiable silence in contrast to the awkward silence from before, Gaara's nervous face now sporting a small smile.

Once they entered the infirmary though, chaos broke out. The two were surrounded by Narumi, Mito, Yakumo and the various nurses that were tending to the other patients. Ignoring them, Naruto helped Gaara to a bed before sitting on one himself. When he did, he was assaulted by questions from his sisters and teammate.

"NARU-NII!" Narumi cried and shouted, latching onto her older brother as she buried her face into his chest to the ire of Mito and Yakumo.

"I thought you died when you got hit in the chest! Don't scare me like that you dummy! Stupid! Stupid dummy!" Narumi continued, tightening her ironclad grip as Naruto just released an exhausted sigh at her actions.

"Ahem. Umi-chan, can you let go of Naruto-nii!" Mito shouted, latching onto her younger sister's shoulder with her brow twitching in irritation.

"Nu-huh! I'm not letting go of Naru-nii until he apologizes and promises to never do something like that again!" Narumi countered, sticking her tongue out at Mito, who's brow started to twitch more as a tick mark appeared on her forehead.

"Narumi-chan, Mito-chan! Naruto-kun needs to rest! He just got finished with his match remember!" Yakumo half said, half scolded the two as they froze before nodding and moving away from their older brother.

As the group had their little round of comedy, Gaara was sitting on his bed with eyes filled with slight envy at the scene of Naruto being asked if he was alright. But to his shock, his own sibling slowly and tentatively made their way towards him.

"Umm... Are you ok Gaara?" Kankuro asked, trying his hardest not to sound nervous or afraid.

"I... I'm fine... Thank you... For worrying about me Kankuro..." Gaara replied in an uncharacteristically soft tone, shocking his siblings.

"Here, l-let me check." Temari said, moving a nervous hand towards the face of her younger brother before she cupped his chin and gently checked his features for any lingering injuries.

While she was doing this both Gaara and Kankuro's eyes went, but slowly Gaara closed his eyes as a soft smile appeared on his lips, taking in the warmth that radiated from his older sister's hands, a warmth that he had forgotten as a child. As Temari gently shifted and tilted his head, Gaara willed himself to hold back the tears that started to form in his eyes.

Seeing Gaara smile was something that blew the minds of Temari and Kankuro, but it was only for a brief moment before they smiled themselves, Kankuro even began to have tears form in the corners of his eyes, having forgotten the smile of his younger brother. Not wanting to let Temari get one up on him, Kankuro went to fetch a washcloth before he wiped away the dried blood that covered him.

When the warmth of the washcloth touched Gaara he flinched slightly before relaxing in the care of his siblings. As they continued to care for and check him for injuries, Gaara finally let the tears flow as he sniffled softly shocking Temari and Kankuro once again. But soon, shock was replaced with warm eyes as the two gently embraced their younger brother. The younger brother who they had always loved, the brother who was taken from them by their father's twisted and horrible ideals, the brother who they had finally gotten back.

Seeing the Suna siblings having a family moment, the nurses had a smile as they let Temari and Kankuro tend to their younger brother, they would let them know if anything that needed treatment came up. Meanwhile, Naruto stared at them with a blank expression before closing his eyes and getting out of his bed. His sudden action startled Narumi, Mito and Yakumo as they demanded that he remain in bed until they deemed him healthy enough to move.

Brushing off their concerns, Naruto was about to make his way out of the infirmary before a purple missile collided with him, almost making him hit the ground.

"NARUTO!" Anko cried, smothering Naruto with her bountiful chest as everyone looked on in embarrassment.

Seeing as he wasn't going to be getting out of the infirmary soon Naruto just sighed and resigned himself to his fate. As he did, another person appeared and latched an ironclad grip on his head. Not even bothering to turn around, Naruto knew who it was from the killing intent alone.

"Hey brat. How nice of you to almost die out there." Zabuza growled at him, a cold glare and wicked grin on his face.

"Knock it off Momochi! Can't you see I'm tending to him!" Anko said, glaring at Zabuza who returned it with the same intensity.

"Hey, can the two of you please not make a scene. We're in a place of healing, it's not someplace you should start a fight." Naruto said, heaving another exasperated sigh.

Flinching at his words, they both started laughing nervously as they noticed their inappropriate behavior. After getting their composure together, they refocused their attention to the blonde between them. Once again, Anko gave him a motherly hug that made his eyes widen, a warm fluttery feeling stirring in his stomach. It was different from the crushing hugs that Kushina gave him that nearly broke him in half.

Satisfied, Anko broke off the hug as Zabuza put a comforting hand on his head and ruffled his hair. Again, it felt different then Ryuuhei's; it was still warm and comforting but there was that strange feeling again that swelled inside of him when Zabuza ruffled his hair. Mentally shaking his head, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his head as he greeted them both.

As they were finishing up their greetings and congratulations, Minato and Kushina had finally arrived to the infirmary, Kushina instantly latching onto Naruto like her life depended on it. As his wife cuddled Naruto, Minato just chuckled before approaching the two.

"Naru-chan! Are you hurt?! Where have you been?! You never contacted me before you left!" Kushina said, firing off question after question related to her son's well being though the blonde in question once again, just released an exhausted sigh.

"Kushi-chan, let Naruto breathe. He's not going to be able to answer you if you keep smothering him." Minato said, taking in Naruto's slightly pale face as he was subjected to Kushina's hug.

"He's fine, I've seen him in worse shape before. Isn't that right brat!" Zabuza said with pride, knowing that most of the trips to the hospital that Naruto made were because of him.

"Momochi's right Kushina, Naruto's been through worse. The nurses, Momochi and myself all believe that he's fine." Anko added, getting a nod from Zabuza.

Flashing a grin at each other, Anko and Zabuza both patted the now free Naruto on the back as they started laughing at him as he took large gulps of air. Though it seemed innocent, Minato and Kushina felt a pang in their hearts seeing Naruto interact with Zabuza and Anko so intimately. Shaking those thoughts from their heads, they went to greet and congratulate their other children.

"Hey Naruto, why don't we go grab some yakitori before we call it a day! Kinda like a pre-celebration you know!" Zabuza said, getting Anko's attention as she flashed a grin.

"I'm all for that idea! It'll be a nice way for us to catch up too! We've got a load of things to tell you, believe it or not a ton of things have happened since you left!" Anko added, getting Naruto to shake his head with a small smile on his face.

"That sounds good to me, I assume we'll be meeting up at the same yakitori stand that you've talked about before I left correct?" Naruto asked, getting an affirmative nod from the pair.

"Then we'll meet there, for right now I need to get back to shower and change." Naruto said as the smiled and gave him one more ruffle of the hair before leaving the infirmary, happily chatting with each other.

Seeing that Zabuza and Anko had finally detached themselves from Naruto, Minato and Kushina made their way towards him with the rest of their family. As soon as they were in range, Narumi latched onto his right arm with a cheery smile on her face as Mito's eye began to twitch once again while Menma just scoffed.

"Naru-nii! We're going to Ichiraku's for dinner! You're coming too right?" Narumi asked, putting the max amount of power in her puppy dog eyes.

If Naruto was a normal man, he would've immediately given in and accepted the offer, but unfortunately for Narumi Naruto wasn't such a man. Before Naruto could answer, Mito tentatively grabbed his free hand and employed her version of the puppy dog eyes. Soon, Naruto's brow started to twitch with irritation at his sisters attempts to get him to join them, but before he could say anything Minato spoke up.

"Naruto, you should join us. It would be a great chance for us to catch up and talk about what happened over the course of the month. It'll also be a great chance for us to catch up as a family." Minato said with a smile on his face, Kushina and the girls grinning as well. Menma was the only one who wasn't as enthusiastic about him joining them.

"If he doesn't want to come then don't force him to, we don't want him spoiling the mood at dinner with his attitude." Menma said, shaking his head as the rest of his family frowned at his words.

"Menma, Naruto is your older brother and you should show him the respect that he deserves. You might not like him but he's your family, our family." Minato reprimanded Menma, getting a grunt from the other blonde.

"Your father's right Menma, you used to get along so well when you were little." Kushina added, getting Menma to bristle slightly but he held his tongue, knowing better then to argue against his mother as it would end with him losing no matter what he said.

"I'm sorry, but I've already made plans for dinner. I thank you for your offer but I'll have to decline." Naruto said, getting curious and sad looks from his family.

"If you need to know, I'm having dinner with Anko and Zabuza; they were the ones who invited me first and it would be rude to decline as I've already accepted their offer." Naruto said seeing the curious looks that were sent his way.

"Ah... I see... Well, maybe some other time then?" Minato asked, his voice filled with slight disappointment.

Naruto just nodded slightly at his question before checking that he had everything before walking out the door, greeting Tsunade, Jiraiya and Orochimaru who were just entering.

"Hmm? Where's Naruto going? I thought you were going to invite him to have dinner with us?" Tsunade asked, though the sad faces that followed the blonde were enough to answer her question.

"...Well there's no use fretting over it, come'on let's go before it gets late." Jiraiya said, taking a quick glance at his oldest godson before shaking his head.

"I'm sure that he'll come around eventually." Orochimaru said, getting a weak nod from Kushina and Minato.

Seeing that their oldest wasn't going to dine with them but with two other people who acted so intimately with him crushed their hearts. Seeing him actually show a small smile when Zabuza and Anko fretted over him cut Minato and Kushina's hearts deeply, feeling like their position as his parents were being usurped by the two. Pushing those negative thoughts to the back of their minds, they quickly dispelled the gloomy atmosphere by flashing a smile and moving towards their favorite place to dine.

As soon as he left the infirmary, Naruto immediately sensed the presence of two very angry girls. He knew that it was Haku and Satsuki and he wasn't in the mood to entertain their questions or anger. With newfound strength, Naruto quickly left the stadium and the two fuming girls behind.

(Scene Change - Examination Stadium: Naruto's apartment)

When he got to his apartment, Naruto let a small smile come to his face as he saw that his plants were alive and healthy. Stopping by his calamondin and flowering maple, Naruto picked up the watering can that laid on the railing shelf and watered them, before picking a ripe orange from his calamondin.

When he opened his door, he was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't as messy as he expected it to be. Taking off his shoes, he went to check on his plants and was relieved that only a few had wilted, with none having died. Quickly watering them, he smiled before he decided to take a nap seeing as he still had time before he needed to shower and change for dinner.

(Time skip - A few hours later)

As Naruto finished getting ready, he noticed that neither Zabuza or Haku had entered. Furrowing his brow, he figured that had probably moved out of his apartment. Checking their rooms only confirmed his suspicions. As he took a seat at the countertop, he felt that the house seemed empty somehow, the sounds of Haku and Zabuza laughing and talking had become something that he actually looked forward to hearing when he returned from training. Now that they were gone, it just seemed too quiet.

Sighing, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind. He was used to being alone so this shouldn't affect him as much as it did. Getting up, he stretched before he headed out the door and towards the yakitori stand that they agreed to meet at.

(Scene Change - Yassan Yakitori)

When Naruto arrived, it was just as Zabuza described it; small, quaint, with a charming and inviting atmosphere. As he entered, he froze as his eyes went blanker then usual when they locked onto a scene that he never hoped he had to see. It was Anko and Zabuza. Sitting beside each other. With Zabuza's left arm wrapped around her waist. With both of Anko's wrapped around his. With Zabuza feeding her with a grin on his and Anko happily eating with a blush and blissful look on hers.

At that moment, Naruto knew he had one of two options and neither were very appealing. One, pretend that he saw nothing and approach the two with the upmost professionalism to congratulate and wish the two undying and eternal love for as long as they live. Or two, leave and never look back.

When Anko leaned in and started to nibble on Zabuza's neck, causing the man to choke on his drink, Naruto's mind shut down. Straightening up, he decided that the best course of action was definitely option two as he didn't want to interrupt their dinner. But as he was about to turn around someone grabbed him by the wrist and from the icy feeling creeping up his arm, he knew exactly who it was.

"My, Naruto-kun. How nice to see you after all this time." Haku said in a syrupy sweet voice, causing Naruto to sigh upon hearing it.

"Hey Haku, would you mind letting go of arm." Naruto said, only for Haku's grip to tighten in response.

"Why in heavens name should I do that? I believe that you owe me an explanation for not seeing me after your match was over." Haku said, her tone slowly becoming more icy.

"Because I'm not too comfortable being in the presence of them..." Naruto said, gesturing with his head towards Anko and Zabuza, who was nuzzling his forehead against Anko's.

"Oh..." Haku said, her voice becoming strangely depressed when she saw her father and Anko.

"Hey, why don't we sit down." Naruto suggested, taking in the sight of an unusually depressed Haku.

Once they found a seat a ways away from the two, Naruto ordered pork belly, chicken wings and skin. Haku repeated the order of pork belly and skin but ordered chicken thighs instead of wings. As they waited for their order, they sat in an uncomfortable silence until Naruto broke it.

"So, is something the matter Haku? You seemed depressed when you saw Zabuza and Anko together." Naruto said, getting Haku to flinch before she looked down.

"I-It's nothing Naruto-kun, please don't concern yourself with me. I'm fine." Haku said, raising her head and giving Naruto a smile.

"You know, we've been together for quite some time. I know when you're troubled, even if you don't show it. And you know it's always better to talk about your problems with someone." Naruto said, getting Haku to lower her gaze once again before it drifted to the counter where Zabuza and Anko were.

"After you left for your training, Tou-sama and Anko-san started to spend more time together and eventually I heard that they started dating. At first I was hurt that I heard the news from a friend at the hospital but eventually Tou-sama told me himself and I was happy that he had finally found someone who loved him for who he was. But slowly... I... I felt that we were beginning to drift apart." Haku started, tears starting to form at the corner of her eyes.

"Eventually, Tou-sama spent a night at Anko-san's and when he came back he seemed happier then he had ever been with me. After that they became nearly inseparable, always spending at least an hour a day together be it shopping, training, talking or eating, he always made time for Anko-san in his day. Then, one day I asked Tou-sama if we could spend the day together, just the two of us to have some fun together. But... he declined, saying that he already made plans for the day with Anko-san." Haku continued, tears now flowing from her eyes.

"I... I don't know what to do Naruto-kun... I'm happy that Tou-sama and Anko-san are together and I don't hate Anko-san but I can't help but feel jealous of her. She took my tou-sama away from me, the person who took care of me for all those years. I know... I know I can't hold onto him forever, but... I don't want to lose him... I just don't know what to do Naruto-kun. I don't want to come off as selfish or clingy but I don't want my tou-sama to leave me." Haku finished, sobbing softly into her hands as Naruto's gaze softened.

Leaning over, he held her close as Haku buried her face into his shoulder. After a few minutes, Haku composed herself as their orders arrived. Still sniffling slightly, she was about to wipe away her tears but Naruto beat her to it, wiping the rest of her tears away.

"You feel better now Haku?" Asked Naruto in a worried tone, his gaze making her blush and look away.

"Yes Naruto-kun... Thank you..." Haku said, leaning into his shoulder as she savored his warmth.

With the atmosphere now amiable instead of heavy, they started on their dinner, occasionally sneaking glances at Anko and Zabuza who were now beginning to kiss each other to their complete embarrassment.

"...You know Zabuza isn't going to leave you Haku. You mean everything to him, you know." Naruto said after they finished their first order, getting Haku to look at him curiously.

"The reason he always works and trains so hard is to ensure that you're always safe and in good health. He made me swear to never tell this to anyone but if it wasn't for you, he would have committed suicide a long time ago." Naruto said getting Haku to nearly stand up in her chair if not for Naruto holding onto her wrist.

"W-What?! T-Tou-sama said that!?" Haku said , her eyes wide with confusion and disbelief.

"I know it's hard to accept given Zabuza's behavior and nature, but it's true. He told me that in confidence when we were training a while ago." Naruto said.

(Flashback - A few months ago)

"Too slow brat! You need to be faster then that if you want to surpass me!" Zabuza shouted, ducking under a horizontal slash from Naruto.

Quickly rising, Zabuza slammed his palm into Naruto's chest as the blonde's eyes widened in pain. Not relenting, Zabuza followed up by slamming the flat of his blade against Naruto's side, sending the blonde to the ground. Before he could get up, Naruto found his neck in the notch of Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō. Sighing, Naruto raised his hand in a sigh of defeat before Zabuza chuckled and helped him to his feet.

"You're improving at a great pace Naruto, no need to be so down alright." Zabuza said, getting a grunt from the blonde which only caused him to chuckle some more.

"You know, being here training with you, it reminds me of the days after I took Haku under my wing. Training together without a care in the world, just living our lives to the fullest. Well, as full as a missing-nin could." Zabuza said as he laughed, but soon his laughter turned solemn in tone getting Naruto to look at him curiously.

"The day that I found Haku, was the day I betrayed my village. While I was leaving on a mission, I noticed that an army of ninja had assembled to invade the village but instead of helping like I should have, I chose to let them try to attack, knowing that they had a snowball's chance in hell of doing any major damage. While I didn't care too much about the village, there were a few people who I held dear. In that attack, I lost most of them." Zabuza started, getting Naruto grow quiet at the story.

"I figured that it was divine retribution or karma for not aiding my village. I thought that Kiko, Usumi, Moki and the others were safe in the orphanage; I told and showed them a hiding place in the basement in case something like this happened and they had the protection of the village to boot. Well, you can imagine what happened... and it was all that bastard Yagura's fault..." Zabuza continued, his eyes showing the most hatred that Naruto had seen in the man since meeting him.

"That bastard used the orphanage as a means to slow down the army, he... He leveled then flooded the orphanage after that army took it as a base... That bastard buried and drowned the kids who I swore I would protect and watch over. The same kids who said that they wanted to stay with me even when they knew that I was someone who could kill them at a moment's notice, the same kids who saved me from being the monster that I should have been." Zabuza continued, hiding his eyes with his forearm as tears made their way down his face.

"When I returned, I heard what had happened and I ran as fast as I could to see if anyone was still alive, I didn't care that it was during once of the worst storms I've seen. There wasn't. Those bastards didn't spare anyone, not even children who were no older then 3 years old. If... If I had just been a few hours earlier, I could've saved them. " Zabuza continued, furiously wiping away the tears from his eyes.

"As I was about to leave, I heard a whimper and faster then I've ever moved, I started throwing away and digging through the rubble until I found the source of that whimper. It was Kiko, and I've never felt so powerless in my life when she looked at me with her eyes. They were full of so much pain, so much hurt that I started crying when I saw them. But instead of doing what anyone would have done, she gave me the best smile that she could and wiped away my tears. Heh... I'll still never forget what she said to me..."

(Flashback - 8 years ago)

(Scene change - Kirigakure Orphanage)

"Kiko! Kiko hang on! It'll be ok! I'm here! The doctors will be here soon, and you'll be ok! So don't go to sleep just yet!" Zabuza sternly told the 7 year old, orange haired girl who was held in his arms, her green eyes drifting in and out of focus.

"Za-Zabu-nii...?" Kiko asked, her voice raspy and pained, just barely above a whisper, nearly drowned out by the rain.

"Yes! I'm here Kiko, Zabu-nii is here! So please, don't go to sleep ok? Help is almost here, I can hear them! Can't you hear them?!" Zabuza said, desperately trying to keep the girls attention focused on him.

The sounds of the thunder and the rain were drowning everything else, but off in the distance there was the sound of footsteps and shouting that could be heard.

"Mhmm... I hear them Zabu-nii... I can hear my Kaa-chan and my Nee-chan..." Kiko said, as Zabuza widened his eyes with tears beginning to fall from them.

"Zabu-nii... I'm cold..." Kiko said, shivering as Zabuza held her closer to him, getting a smile to form on her face.

"Hehe... You're always so warm Zabu-nii..." Kiko said, as Zabuza grit his teeth, his tears began race down his face in an even greater amount.

"Zabu-nii... I'm getting sleepy..." Kiko said as Zabuza's head snapped up, his terrified brown meeting her sleepy green.

"No! No, no, no! You can't go to sleep Kiko! You need to stay awake! Please!" Zabuza nearly shouted, resting his forehead against hers.

"Ne, Zabu-nii... I have something for you..." Kiko said, reaching into her torn kimono and pulling out a piece of paper.

"Kiko, please. Stop talking, save your strength. If you do, we'll play all day together, I promise." Zabuza said in a pleading tone, desperately begging the girl in his arms to stop her rambling.

"Zabu-nii... Please take it... I made it for you..." Kiko said, as Zabuza just nodded, taking the soaked piece of paper as if it were made of glass.

"Ne, Zabu-nii... Can I go to sleep now...? I'm really tired..." Kiko asked, as Zabuza just trembled with her in his arms.

"Zabu-nii, don't cry... Please don't cry... Everyone knows that Zabu-nii did his best..." Kiko said, giving Zabuza a gentle smile as his head snapped up.

With a shaky hand, Kiko brushed away the tears that were falling down his face, making him only sob harder. Pulling her hand back, Kiko weakly adjusted herself so that her head was resting comfortably on Zabuza's shoulder.

"Zabu-nii... I think it's time for me to go... My Kaa-chan and Nee-chan are smiling at me..." Kiko said, as Zabuza just lowered his head as he ran his hand through her hair, getting her to make a noise of content.

"Heh... They're here to pick you up huh?" He said, trying to keep his voice joking though it came out shaky and pained. His heart nearly stopped when she took a sharp intake of air before coughing.

"Mhmm... They're here to take me home Zabu-nii..." She said with a small smile on her face as Zabuza tried his best to smile back at her.

"Zabu-nii... I wanted to always tell you something... Can I tell you now...?" Kiko asked, getting Zabuza to nod gently at her request.

"I wanted to thank you Zabu-nii... For bringing me here... For giving me another family with Usumi-chan, Moki-kun and everyone else... Including you Zabu-nii." Kiko said, getting Zabuza to choke back a sob after hearing her words.

"Please... Stop saying this crap Kiko. I don't want to hear it." Zabuza said, though his tone betrayed his words.

"I used to be so sad... After Tou-san left me, Kaa-chan and Nee-chan; people would hurt Kaa-chan and Nee-chan and me. Then Kaa-chan and Nee-chan died and I was all alone... But then Zabu-nii found me and rescued me... You saved me Zabu-nii and I'll never forget that..." Kiko said, tears finally falling from her own eyes as she thanked her big brother.

"That's enough Kiko. Just... Just stop, please." Zabuza begged, holding the crying girl close to his chest.

"Just... Just one more thing Zabu-nii... No matter what anyone says... Zabu-nii is the kindest and strongest person I know. And I... I love you... And I always will. " Kiko said, flashing Zabuza the brightest smile he had ever seen from her before it slowly thinned to a small upturn of her lips.

With those parting words, Zabuza finally broke down. With his free hand he opened up the piece of paper that Kiko had given him, tears falling even more when he laid eyes what was on it.

"_My dream for the future is to grow up into a fine woman like Zabu-nii said and marry him! Then we'll have boy and girl and be a happy family all together! So Zabu-nii, when I get older and become a fine woman, please marry me!"_

Finally, Zabuza threw his head back and screamed at towards the heavens as thunder roared above. As the rain started to come down harder, the piece of paper with Kiko's dream for the future started to break down until there was nothing left but a small piece that held her name.

Soon, the back-up team finally arrived and were greeted with the sight of the 'Demon of the Hidden Mist' crying. After a few moments of silence to allow him to grieve, they approached him.

"Momochi, let's go. We've already spent too much time here." A Kiri jōnin said, shaking the young man.

"This isn't fair...They didn't do anything wrong..." Zabuza muttered, still holding onto Kiko's now cold body.

"Did you hear me? It's time to go! They were just orphans, they were expendable!" The jōnin said, before a sickening crack echoed out followed by a scream of pain.

There stood Zabuza, holding the broken arm of the jōnin with eyes that screamed for murder. Tears streaming down his face contrasting against the demon like look on his face.

"Say that again." Zabuza said, his voice colder then steel as the rest of the team tensed.

"Zabuza! Stand down, that's an order! They didn't die in vain, they helped stall the enemy long enough for us to take out the rest of them." An auburn haired women shouted, though she was also tense.

"Don't you dare say that Terumi. They should have never died in the first place. That bastard Yagura is going to pay." Zabuza said, snapping the rest of the jōnin's arm causing him to scream in greater agony.

"Shit. Stop him at all costs! Try to avoid killing him!" Mei shouted as the other ninja sprung into action.

Dodging a slash from a pair of masked kunoichi, Zabuza sidestepped before grabbing her by the wrist and breaking it, causing her to cry out in pain. But soon her cries were silenced when Zabuza swiped her kunai then drove it through her throat, a gurgling noise replacing her scream. Kicking her away, he stopped the other from driving her own kunai into him by catching it in his hand. Stunned by his reckless action, Zabuza capitalized on, driving his hand into her throat. Ripping the kunai of her grasp, Zabuza drove it into her neck.

Grabbing the body of the dying kunoichi, Zabuza threw it towards the shinobi that tried to take his back. Unable to stop in time due to the momentum he had with the slickness of the rain covered ground, he crashed into body. Sprinting to him, Zabuza avoided the hail of shuriken and kunai of the other members of the team. Stopping before the shinobi, Zabuza ripped the kunai out of the corpse before driving it into the temple of the man before ripping it out.

Ducking, he avoided being beheaded by an enraged Mei. Spinning in the air, Mei dropped her leg in an attempt to force Zabuza to dodge. But to her surprise, he caught her leg and spun before slamming her into the ground. Not wasting any time, Zabuza backpedaled as a volley of water bullets ripped through the spot he was just at. To the horror of everyone, he began flashing through a set of seals faster then they had seen him do before.

"**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu**!" He roared as a spiraling vortex of water formed behind him before ripping towards the stunned group of ninja.

Some were able to dodge, but more then half of the ninja were dragged into the vortex and thrown about in the surge of water. Seeing as he had taken care of a majority of his former team, Zabuza turned to leave but was stopped when Mei grabbed him by the ankle.

"Zabuza! What the hell are you doing?! You're going to be executed for this!" Mei shouted, pain evident in her voice.

"What am I doing? I'm going to kill that bastard Yagura." Zabuza said, his voice sharper and colder then steel.

"K-Kill Yagura? W-Why!? For the lives of a few kids?" Mei shouted, not believing that he would actually take revenge for such a petty reason. But she soon cried out in pain when he stepped on her hand.

"Tch. I thought you'd understand me, but I guess I was wrong." Zabuza said before he sprinted towards the Mizukage's office.

(Flashback - End)

"After that, well I failed and fled Kiri. Then, I met Haku and well... She saved me from doing the dumbest thing I've ever thought of doing. I was about to rush back to Kiri and kill Yagura, knowing that I wouldn't make it back out. But she saved me... She gave me a purpose to live, to protect her like I should've protected those kids. It was then that I swore that I wouldn't let Haku ever cry, no matter how painful it was." Zabuza said, ending his tale as Naruto looked away wiping the tears that were in his own eyes.

"Heh, why don't we call it a day Naruto. Thanks for listening to me ramble." Zabuza said, ruffling Naruto's hair before they left.

(Flashback - End)

"You gave him a reason to live Haku. You're the reason why he's still here, never forget that." Naruto said, rubbing Haku's back as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Y-You're right Naruto-kun... Come, let's go greet them." Haku finally said after a few minutes of crying, before the pair made their way over to Zabuza and Anko.

When they arrived, they told the older pair about what they had talked about including the story, Zabuza and Anko apologizing for their actions. Zabuza for not paying attention to Haku and Anko for making her feel like she was driving a wedge between their relationship.

Though Zabuza was angry and betrayed that Naruto had broken their agreement, he brushed it off as he should have told Haku sooner. After that, they enjoyed a night filled with laughs. Soon, they departed from the establishment; Anko heading towards her apartment, leaving Naruto to carry a drunk Zabuza home with Haku. The sun was just beginning to set, the children still running around to make the best of the hour of light they had left for the day.

"Huh...? W-Wazzat? Wh-Where you take'in me? I, I didn't do nothing wrong. It was all this guys idea." Zabuza slurred out as he pointed to Naruto, getting Haku to blush with embarrassment as Naruto just laughed.

As he continued his drunken rambles, he suddenly stopped as his eyes went wide, a sound he hadn't heard in years making its way to his ears. Slowly, almost afraid, he turned towards the source of the noise and they widened even more as tears started to form in his eyes.

Running and laughing was an girl with her hair flowing freely, her green eyes and orange hair shining brightly in the light of the setting sun. Soon, an older girl with the same colored hair and eyes came running after her laughing before she caught her and hugged her, both never losing the smiles they had on their faces. Then a woman with her hair tied in a ponytail giggled as the two quickly moved to embrace her, before she led them to the market district, hand in hand.

A bittersweet smile appearing on his face, Zabuza just shook his head as Naruto and Haku gave him a concerned look, taking note of the tears falling from his eyes.

"Tou-sama, is something wrong?" Haku asked, moving to hold her father's hand.

"No. Nothing's wrong Haku, in fact... Everything is just right." He said as he smiled at the setting sun, getting a confused look from both of them before they smiled as well.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's another chapter done. Hope you guys enjoyed that little bit about Zabuza's past. I always liked to think that he was a big softie for children being the cold and indifferent big brother figure who really does love his younger siblings. Again, not much action because I haven't really been in an action-y mood; I've kinda been busy with school to watch or read anything that really has action in it, I've been sticking with romance and comedies really. Again, let me know what you think and I'll try to get back to you. And as always, stay awesome. **

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**Kekkai Ryuu Ougi: Jikūkan Kekkai: Rei Senjou - Barrier Dragon Secret Technique: Space-Time Barrier: Departed Soul Battleground**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Jikūkan, Kekkai; A technique seemingly known only to the dragon that resides in Naruto. The details of it are mostly unknown, but it is known that it creates a dimension that allows Naruto and the dragon to battle to their heart's content. As it is separated from the main dimension, time doesn't flow there, which allows the inhabitants to spend as much time in there as long as it remains active.

**Ryuuton: Kouryuureppa - Dragon Release: Rising Dragon Gravel Destruction**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique that Naruto created. Gather Ryuuton natured chakra into his fist, Naruto swings in an arc perpendicular to the ground. As he does, he releases the built up chakra, sending a devastating wave of destruction that corrodes everything in its path.

**Ryuuton: ****Garyuusai - Dragon Release: Crouching Dragon Crush**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; Naruto gathers Ryuuton natured charka into his hand and strikes his opponent with a charged uppercut that has the potential to behead them if given enough time to gather chakra into his hand. Upon impact, Naruto releases the chakra that he's gathered and causes a concussive blast capable of causing severe internal damage.

**Ryuuton: Bakuryuuken - Dragon Release: Burst Dragon Fist**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A technique similar to one that Ryuuhei was famous for, which Naruto modeled it after. Charging Ryuuton natured chakra into his fist, Naruto strikes his target and releases it as a destructive burst, liquefying and destroying his target internally.

**Saikō Zettai Bōgyo: Shukaku no Oukyuu - Ultimately Hard Absolute Defense: Royal Palace of Shukaku**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; A multilayered defensive technique used by the Shukaku. It takes on the shape of the Shukaku's head, the user residing in the mouth of the replica. It is said that it is strong enough to take the blast of multiple Bijūdama and still remain unscathed, making it the ultimate of all defensive techniques.

**Myouryuu Ougi: Hakki Chiyukou - Life Dragon Secret Technique: Departure Mind Healing Achievement**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique used the by dragon that resides within Naruto. It is an unusual jutsu as it doesn't heal wounds of the body but wounds of the soul, making it a specialize technique that has only a few uses.

**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu - Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique**: A-Rank Ninjutsu; This technique extends water over a large scale, surges and rises up to several dozens of meters high. Then it streams down to the ground in one big cascade, much like a gigantic waterfall. In doing so, it resembles a huge wave, with tremendous power that can hollow out the ground. What remains after that technique's utilization is reminiscent of no less than the aftermath of a natural disaster.


	18. Chapter 17

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's up everyone! I'm back! Ah, sorry about that long break, I had midterms and needed to study... And let's just say goodbye GPA. TT^TT But anywho, this is kind of a short chapter, I wrote it inbetween studying so it might not be the best, not that any of my chapters are really any good. XD But yeah, I'm kind of out of practice when it comes to writing, so don't be too hard on me alright? Well, that doesn't really stop some of you folks. XD Again, PM me if you've got a question or suggestion and I'll try to get back to you! Leave a review and tell me what you all think! And all that jazz! Well, you came here to read right! Let's a go!**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 17

"Good morning and welcome once again!" Minato shouted in a cheery tone, causing a roar of excitement to course through the stadium as people excitedly made their way to their seats.

Because the finals had been pushed back a day to allow Menma, Mito, Narumi and Naruto to rest, the crowd was understandably excited. They had the whole day to watch the matches of their Kage's children, the heirs to the Uzumaki-Namikaze and among the top genin of their generation. Nothing would have stopped them from attending, especially after seeing the dark horse that was Naruto. When they saw how different his style was compared to his siblings, who they knew had famous and powerful ninja training them, they could only imagine who he had trained under.

Temari had informed Minato the day before that she would be dropping out of the competition, saying that she wanted to make sure Gaara didn't lose control which Minato agreed to. When he was about to announce that Temari had dropped out of the competition, the Kazekage had stopped him, stating that he didn't want to embarrass his daughter and spoil the excited mood.

But that excitement towards seeing what else Naruto had under his sleeve wasn't just limited to the general populace, the other ninja were also very interested in knowing what he was capable of, especially those who have known him for quite some time. Even his team, who have seen him stand toe to toe with Zabuza, have never seen him battle like he had against Gaara, especially near the end. The most excited people however were his family, including his godparents.

The Naruto they knew and had seen was the dead last of his class, and possibly even his generation. But that image was shattered after they saw his match with Gaara. Seeing him move with speed comparable to that of a jōnin and beat the son of a Kage without having received any training other then what he did himself, it only served to deepen the mystery that was his life. After the exams were over they would have a proper conversation with him, and they wouldn't be taking "no" for an answer.

Soon the cheers of the crowd intensified as the four finalist made their way towards the center of the arena. Standing shoulder to shoulder, Mito, Narumi, Menma and Naruto basked in the cheers and shouts that were directed to them. Smiling brightly, the three younger Uzumaki-Namikaze children waved back to their supporters, making the crowd roar with cheer at their friendliness. Though his siblings were engaging with the crowd, Naruto opted to ignore them, getting a few looks ranging from curiosity to disgust to awe.

The cheers soon quieted down when Minato himself made his way down to the arena, his children shifting their attention from the crowd to him as they tensed.

(Scene Change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

Finally standing before his children, Minato couldn't help but let a grin make its way to his face. Words couldn't describe how proud he was that all of his children made it to the finals, no matter the outcome, he would be proud of them nonetheless.

"All of you. I can't even begin to say how proud I am that all of you have made it this far. But as you know, this is a competition in a way so there can only be one winner. But no matter who wins, I'm very proud of you all." Minato said, getting his children to lose their tenseness and smile at him, except Naruto who remained impassive.

"For the finals, you'll be paired up randomly by drawing lots. So, go ahead and draw. The person who has the matching color of your stick is your opponent." Minato said as he reached into his pocket and drew a set of sticks, holding them out for his children.

After what seemed like an eternity, they reached out to draw as the crowd seemed to learn forward. Grasping a stick, they pulled and their eyes widened when they saw that they were all the same color. Snapping their eyes from the sticks to their father, they saw that he had a mischievous grin replacing his proud smile.

"W-What's the meaning of this Tou-san!? They're all the same color!" Narumi complained, puffing out her cheeks slightly at her father's "joke".

"Does this mean... We're all going to be fighting at once?" Mito asked in a hesitant tone, her father's smile growing larger being the indication that she was right in her assumption.

"What?! Tou-san that's a stupid idea! We won't have enough space for all of us to go all out, and even then, what if one of us gets teamed up on!" Narumi shouted with an angry pout on her face.

"Now, now, calm down. I know it's rather sudden, but your mother and I along with your godparents wanted to see where each of you stand! And don't worry about the size of the arena, I have a solution for that already!" Minato said, getting a myriad of emotions from his children, confusion, irritation, resignation and impassiveness.

"Come'on, don't be so down! This will be a great chance to see which one of you have grown the most over the course of the month!" Minato said, hiding a smirk as the eyes of his children sparked with a familiar competiveness expect for Naruto who remained impassive.

"Alright, then could all of you stand opposite corners of the arena? I'm going to need a few extra hands for this jutsu." Minato said as Mito, Narumi and Menma enthusiastically moved towards the East, North and West respectively while Naruto moved to the South.

When they were all in position, Minato smiled at all of them while the crowd looked on in awe, they would see their Kage perform a jutsu right in front of them that wasn't the **Hiraishin**. Gesturing at his children, he had each one of them mimic and perform a unique seal, though he had to look at Naruto with pleading eyes in order for him to agree. Once they were all in position, Minato quickly drew and threw one of his specialize kunai as he closed his eyes and made a seal of his own.

"**Hiraishin: Dōrai**!" Minato shouted as a sealing array appeared, stretching from each of the four Uzumaki-Namikaze children. Soon, the sealing array glowed a light blue before all five of them vanished, leaving a stunned stadium behind.

(Scene Change - Unknown Plains)

In an unknown location the five reappeared, everyone but Minato nauseous from the abrupt teleportation. Once they settled, they glanced around and saw that in place of the large but enclosed stadium, they were now in a wide expanse of land that seemed to go on forever, a few trees sparsely dotting the landscape. A little in awe of their surroundings, they were broken out of their stupor when Minato spoke.

"Haha, sorry about that everyone! But hey, it'll be a good experience for when I teach you my **Hiraishin** in the future!" Minato said, getting his children to snap their heads to face him.

"W-Where are we Tou-san?!" Narumi shouted in an excited tone, taking in the beautiful view as Minato chuckled.

"This is where you're match with each other will take place!" He said as they widened their eyes.

"B-But what about the audience? Won't they be pissed that they can't see our match?" Menma asked, getting another chuckled out of Minato.

"Don't worry about that, I have it all figured out!" He replied in a confident tone, though he got looks of doubt in return.

"Well what about a proctor Tou-san? I mean, we won't fight to kill but still, you never know what might happen." Mito said, giving a slightly worried glance at Menma and Naruto though neither seemed to notice.

"Don't worry about that Mito-chan, that's why I'm here." A calm voice said, causing the children to turn to face it.

"Ah! Kakashi-nii!" Menma shouted in a happy tone as Kakashi eye smiled in return.

"Now, let's get down to business." Minato started, his tone now stern and professional, getting his children to tense up.

"This is the final match of the exams, and the most important in your cases. Either way, I don't want any of you doing anything that can cause permanent damage to each other. No matter how much you want to win, you're still fighting your family. Do I make myself clear?" Minato said, his tone serious as he focused his gaze on each of them, causing them to straighten and nod their heads stiffly.

"Good. Now the rules are the exact same as they were before, Kakashi will enforce them and will step in if he deems the situation to be dangerous. If you lose consciousness or Kakashi stops you, you're finished." Minato explained as Kakashi created a number of clones and had them fan out and cover the area.

"With that, good luck to each and every one of you. No matter who wins and losses, I'm very proud of you all." Minato ended with a smile before he vanished in a flash of yellow.

"Well, why don't we get started ne?" Kakashi said in a slightly excited tone, getting his honorary younger siblings to smile and smirk, sans Naruto.

(Scene Change - Examination Stadium: Arena)

Throughout the whole exchange in the plains the audience had been watching it as well, Zabuza using a large scale **Suirō no Jutsu** and Minato having casted the **Tōmegane no Jutsu** on the sphere. As the crowd watched, they couldn't contain their excitement. While they wouldn't be able to see the match first hand, this allowed the four to go all out without having to worry about their safety, a tradeoff that they were more then willing to accept.

Their attention was momentarily diverted when a flash of yellow appeared beside Zabuza, Minato giving the bandaged man a smile which he returned as best as he could. Turning towards the audience, he smiled at them which they roared in return. Disappearing and reappearing in another flash of yellow, he took his seat once again in the 'Kage's Box', taking note that Kushina, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru were missing.

"_Now, show me what you all are truly capable of!_" Minato thought with a smile on his face.

(Scene Change - Unknown Plains)

Standing on opposite ends of the plains, Mito, Narumi, Menma and Naruto stared each other down, all of them tense.

"Now, are you all ready?" Kakashi asked as he turned to face each of them, taking note that all of them seemed to tense even more.

"Alright, then. Begin!" He shouted as they sprung, Mito, Menma, and Narumi creating as much distance as they could from each other.

As his siblings dashed backwards, Naruto opted to glance at each one of them before closing his eyes and releasing a sigh, his body visibly relaxing as Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him.

While he did this, Mito couldn't help but feel a little miffed at her older brother's casual dismissal of them. Didn't he know that they all trained with the very best while he declined even their father's offer to train him? The very thought made her a little angry at him, but also curious, wanting to see what he could really do. A small smile making its way to her face, she locked onto him as her target as she exploded forward with speed much greater then what she showed before.

With Narumi, she had an angry pout on her face as she glared at her older brother. Why wasn't he taking this seriously? Did he want to lose? Didn't he know that she was trained by Tsunade-baachan? A peeved grumble escaping her mouth, she was going to knock him upside the head for ignoring her. Like Mito, she channeled her strength into her legs and sprinted, the ground exploding behind her as she bolted towards Naruto.

Menma had nothing but rage on his face as he saw that all that Naruto did was take a deep breath and relax, like they weren't even worth his time. The fact that he was acting like he was above them infuriated him to no end. Gritting his teeth together, he made Naruto his primary target as he sprinted towards him, the ground under him caving in from the force exerted on it.

With all three of them barreling towards Naruto, Kakashi was about to intercept, seeing as they all had him as their target. But he stopped, knowing that it wasn't against the rules to gang up on one person, in fact it was a tactical choice of action, expending the least amount of energy and removing a threat in the process. But what happened next left him gawking.

"Naruto-nii!" Mito started, cocking her fist back.

"Don't you look!" Narumi continued, drawing her fist back as well.

"Down on us!" Menma finished, crouching low with his hand drawn back.

With speed akin to that of a jōnin, they lashed out a concussive sound echoing from the impact of their fists meeting Naruto. But soon that sound turned into an eerie silence as they stood, wide eyed and stunned. Standing in the same position as before with his eyes still closed, Naruto had Narumi's fist caught in his left hand, Mito's wrist caught in his right while guarding Menma's with shoulder. The only indication that he was even attacked in the first place being the skid marks in the ground, their combined efforts only serving to push him back a few feet.

But they weren't the only ones who were stunned, Kakashi and his clones stood with their eyes wide and mouths agape as well. They never expected this, not after having seen their growth firsthand. It wasn't possible or rather it shouldn't be possible, he could understand Naruto maybe blocking Menma or Mito but blocking and catching Narumi's punch was an impossibility, especially not after seeing what she did in her match earlier.

However the ones who were the most shocked were the ones who trained the three the month prior. Watching from afar Kushina, Jiraiya, Tsunade and Orochimaru could only gawk at Naruto's casual dismissal of their attacks. It was like he wasn't even fazed by them, while they could understand him taking an attack from Mito and Menma, like Kakashi, they couldn't believe that he blocked one from Narumi, even if she wasn't using her full strength.

"I-Impossible! There's no way that he should have been able to do that!? I made sure that Umi-chan's punches were unblockable!" Tsunade shouted, standing up as she dropped her saucer of sake.

"So he was hiding his strengths from us. How interesting, perhaps Minato made the right choice in putting his faith in Naruto-kun." Orochimaru said with a small smirk on his face.

"How...? He trained by himself while we trained those three? I can't understand it, was he always this strong? It has to be pure luck, there's just no other way!" Jiraiya said, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Naru-chan... Just... Just what are you hiding from us? Why won't you tell us? Tell me?" Kushina asked, her voice little more then a whisper.

For Naruto though, he didn't feel anything from their attacks. After his match with Gaara, he felt that he was faster and stronger then before and after dealing with the collective attack of his siblings, it only reinforced that idea. He barely felt anything from Menma and Mito's attacks while Narumi's just felt like he was being poked by one of the medic dragons. There was no doubt in his mind, while he wasn't at one hundred percent, he was more then strong enough to take whatever they had.

Quickly composing themselves, the three snapped out of their stupor and jumped backwards. Seeing their older brother brush off their attacks unnerved them greatly and they couldn't explain it but they felt something different about him from before, something inside of them seemed... Afraid.

"W-What's going on...?" Mito asked, a hint of fear in her cerulean eyes.

"I-I don't know Mito-nee... I accidentally used about half of my total strength but it didn't even seem to affect Naru-nii." Narumi replied in a shaky tone, a little relieved that she didn't seriously hurt her older brother but also fearful at his dismissal of her strength.

"Damn... Something's definitely not right... He shouldn't be that strong..." Menma said as a bead of sweat ran down the side of his head.

Tensing, they exchanged glances with each other, though Mito and Narumi had guilt present in their eyes. Returning their gaze to their older brother, they moved to reengage him, moving faster then before.

Reaching him first, Mito lashed out with a flurry of blows; Naruto countering each one either blocking or parrying it. Seeing that he still had his eyes closed, Mito unconsciously let out a growl of frustration. Throwing a lightning fast right, her punch was once again blocked by Naruto. Stepping in, she drew her arm back before crouching and lashing out with her left. Feeling it connect, she was about to smile but froze when she saw that he had caught it with his left hand. Wrapping his hand around her fist, Naruto pulled her in and was about to slam his shoulder into her but Narumi jumped into the fray.

Throwing her right arm forward, she slugged Naruto with all the strength that she could muster as she let a roar escape her mouth. Feeling it connect, she followed through and felt him move. Not letting up the pressure, Narumi widened her eyes when she felt herself falling forward. Turning her head, she couldn't believe that Naruto merely turned to the side once her fist connected. She was broken out of her stupor when Naruto swung his arm and threw Mito at her, sending the two girls flying.

As they flew by, Menma had finished his set of seals, bringing his hands behind him.

"**Futon: Reppūshō**!" He shouted as he clapped his hands, a powerful gale surging towards Naruto.

Turning his head towards the impending gale, Naruto braced himself as he endured the brunt of the attack, sustaining a few cuts from the rocks that were swept up in the gale. As he was about the bring his arms down, Narumi reappeared behind him in a crouched position. Letting out a yell, she spun and swept his legs out from underneath him, the force of her attack rending the earth. As he fell, Mito and Menma were beside him with their arms drawn back.

"**Futon: Senpūken**!" They shouted, throwing their fists forward as an even stronger surge of sent Naruto flying as he ricocheted off the ground before laying still, to the horror of Mito and Narumi.

As they were about to rush to his aid they froze when he pushed himself off the ground before standing, placing a hand on his neck and rotating it slowly. After a few seconds, he stopped and turned to face them before opening his eyes. His usually blank navy blue eyes were now calculating, sending shivers down the spines of his siblings.

Seeing such a change in their big brother, they gulped nervously before turning to face each other. Nodding, they faced him once more before changing their tactics. Rushing in alone, Narumi engaged Naruto while Mito and Menma sped through a set of seals.

Having learned from the previous scuffle, Narumi changed her tactics from direct engagement to a hit and run style of combat. Appearing next to him, she lashed out with a quick right to his side which he blocked to her shock. Gritting her teeth, she spun and attempted to slam her heel into him only to feel him catch it. Tightening his grip on her ankle, Naruto turned and threw her towards Mito and Menma.

Stopping in the midst of their seals, the two were about to act and catch Narumi but continued when she righted herself in the air before landing on her feet. Turning to give them a reassuring smile, she was about to rush down Naruto once again but when she turned around all she saw was a hand as it gripped her face. Securing his grip on her, Naruto took a step forwards before slamming her into the ground, Narumi letting out a pain cry upon impact. Not wasting time, Naruto went on the offensive as he rushed down a stunned Menma and Mito.

Stopping in front of Mito, Naruto slammed his palm into her abdomen, causing her eyes to bulge as spittle flew from her mouth. Spinning, he slammed his elbow into Menma's jaw as the younger boy was sent reeling from the blow. Turning, he was about to follow through with another strike but found that his arm stopped halfway in its swing. Securing her grip on his arm, Narumi let out a yell as she pulled him forward and over her hip, slamming Naruto into the ground as a grunt escaped his lips.

Capitalizing on her success Narumi spun and dropped her elbow, a small smile on her face as she felt it connect with Naruto as the ground caved under the force of her blow. Rolling backwards, she avoided a an arm swinging down where she laid as he caved the ground. Kicking back onto her feet, Narumi shifted her head to avoid a lightning fast strike from Naruto, retaliating with a spinning backhand which Naruto blocked with little difficulty.

Stepping in, Naruto kicked Narumi's legs out from underneath her and was about to drive her headfirst into the ground with a follow up strike but was forced jump back as a flame bullet grazed the area that his head sat a second before.

"Tch. It's like he's not even trying! What the hell!" Menma shouted as he brought his hands down from his mouth.

"Don't get frustrated Menma, it'll only cause you to mess up even more." Mito said as stared down her older brother, tightening her fists.

They were soon joined by a panting Narumi who wobbled slightly on her legs, her gaze never leaving their opponent.

"Naru-nii is strong. It's almost like I'm sparring Baachan when we were training, only he doesn't hit as hard." Narumi reported as Mito and Menma widened their eyes.

"You're saying that he's as strong as Tsunade-baachan?" Menma asked in an questioning tone mirroring the disbelief in his eyes.

"Kind of Menma-nii, he's almost as strong as she was when I trained with her last month. But he's definitely not hitting as hard as she was, maybe three-quarters as hard?" Narumi replied though it didn't ease Menma's concerns.

"Well I guess now would be the best time for my trump card." Menma said as a smirk made its way to his face.

"Hmph, you're not the only one who has one Menma-nii." Narumi said as she took a step forward, getting a raised eyebrow from Menma while Mito smiled.

"So you guys learned how to use it too huh?" She asked as Narumi and Menma snapped their heads to face her, their eyes wide.

"I guess it only makes sense seeing as we all have a piece of the Kyūbi sealed in us. I'm a little scared to use it, but seeing what Naruto-nii is capable of... I think it'll be ok." Mito said as her eyes gained a steely resolve that her younger siblings soon adapted.

Across from them, Naruto watched with the same calculating eyes from before though now they held a little bit of interest. He had contemplated attacking them while they were having their little team meeting but he figured things would be more interesting if he gave them a little bit of time to prepare. Seeing that he have about half of his full power back, he wanted to see if he could gain anymore back and what better way then to be pushed to his limits. But soon, he narrowed his eyes when he saw orange colored chakra start to leak out and spiral around his younger siblings.

Their eyes closed, Mito, Menma and Narumi started to draw on the chakra of the Kyūbi. Having learned how to call on and use its chakra, thanks to Minato and Kushina having knowledge on the matter, they were able to use a small fraction of the beast's power. Soon, like their matches from yesterday, orange chakra exploded and spiraled around them in a wild manner. When they opened their eyes Naruto saw that they now had vulpine pupils in place of their normal round ones.

Taking a deep breath, the flailing tails of chakra around them soon quelled and seeped back into their bodies as a light orange aura shrouded them. Glancing at each other, they nodded before they vanished as Naruto tensed. Ducking, he avoided a head kick from Mito before bringing his arms up to block an enhanced blow from Narumi which sent him reeling back from the force of it. Stabilizing himself, he quickly dropped to the ground to avoid a spinning back kick from Menma before he catching himself on his palms and spinning, catching Menma and sending him flying.

A second after his attack, Menma dispersed into a cloud of smoke, Naruto narrowing his eyes at spot the clone once stood. Spinning on his hands once more, he swung his legs around and caught another Menma and Narumi in their faces as they dispersed into clouds of smoke as well. Righting himself, Naruto brought his right arm up to block a kick from Mito that forced him to lean slightly from the force of it, just enough that it opened him up for Narumi to slug him in to abdomen.

Stepping in to increase the power of her punch, Narumi roared as she sent Naruto flying backwards with a pained grunt escaping his lips as she rushed him down, the ground exploding behind her. Spinning his body, Naruto managed to right himself in the air as Narumi unleashed a flurry of blows, parrying and guarding before catching her fists and stopping her assault. Tightening his grip on her hands, he twisted them upwards and locked them as she yelped in pain. But soon a grin appeared on her face.

"NOW!" Narumi shouted as a Mito and Menma jumped overhead, their hands finishing the last of their seals.

"**Futon: O****u**fuudan!"

"**Katon: Endan**!"

The two shouted, bringing their hands to their mouths as they fired off their jutsu. As the bullets raced towards Narumi and Naruto, Mito's wind bullet started to spin before merging with Menma's flame bullet, creating a superheated white flame bullet that slowly grew in size.

"**Katon: Daishiroendan**!" They shouted as the white sphere neared the two below them, the air shimmering slightly from the intensity of the heat.

A smirk on her face, Narumi secured her grip on Naruto as the bullet impacted, a shockwave emanating upon impact as a white dome of flames sprang up. As the white inferno died down a molten crater was left in its wake, all traces of Narumi and Naruto incinerated.

Landing a few meters away from the crater, Mito and Menma were soon greeted by Narumi when she popped up from the ground using the **Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu** that Kakashi had taught them. Exchanging confused glances, they tensed when a hand erupted from the center of the crater followed by a singed and slightly smoking Naruto.

"Good, we got em." Menma said as he reached for his kunai pouch, shifting his body weight in the event that he needed to dodge.

"Yeah, but I'm also glad that Naruto-nii didn't get hurt that badly. We could've really hurt him if I put any more power behind that jutsu." Mito said as she breathed out a sigh of relief, having not injured her older brother as much as she imagined.

"But still, he only got a few superficial burns. Something like that probably won't work again." Narumi said as she watched Naruto pat down the smoking parts of his clothes before tensing as he turned to face them once more.

"...That was good." Naruto said in a whisper just loud enough for his siblings to hear as they widened their eyes.

"D-Did... Did Naru-nii just compliment us...?" Narumi asked in a stunned tone though her heart swelled from the thought alone.

"I-I think so..." Mito answered, sharing Narumi's feelings of elation as she felt renewed energy fill her body.

"Tch, if you think that was good I'll show you something even better!" Menma shouted as he rushed forward, never seeing the small smirk that Naruto had on his face.

As Menma reached the halfway point between the two points that they were at, Naruto met him as his eyes widened. His arm drawn back, Naruto buried his fist into Menma's abdomen as spittle flew from the younger blonde's mouth, his eyes wide and bulging. Following through with his blow, Naruto took a step forward and lifted his fist, and in turn Menma, before slamming him into the ground as a shout of pain left Menma's mouth.

Snapping out of their stupor the moment Menma rushed ahead, Mito and Narumi flinched a little in fear when they saw how easily Naruto took care Menma. Swallowing their fear, they exploded forward with renewed vigor before stopping before Naruto, their fists cocked back. Calculating navy meeting with determined cerulean and violet, Mito and Narumi let out a yell as they drove their fists into Naruto's chest, shuddering slightly as they felt something crack. But their concerns vanished and were replaced with panic when they saw that flying backwards in place of their older brother was a splintering log.

Feeling something behind them, they quickly turned only to see a hand encompass their faces before they were driven into the ground, letting out a cry of pain upon impact. Before Naruto could capitalize on his attack Menma appeared beside him, his eyes burning with fury as they shifted from cerulean to violet, making Naruto narrow his eyes slightly. Letting out a yell, Menma lashed out with a quick right which Naruto evaded. Using the momentum that he had built up, Menma rolled in the air and tried to drive his heel into Naruto, the older blonde blocking his attack.

Latching onto Menma's ankle, Naruto turned and was about to slam him into the ground before a sudden surge of wind sent him flying a few meters away. Turning to face its source, he saw that Mito and Narumi had their fist held out towards him before Mito surged forward, Narumi taking up the rear. Jumping towards him, Mito lashed out with a vicious right that Naruto parried before having to bring his leg up to guard against a devastating kick from Narumi, one that made him lose balance slightly, which they took advantage of.

Landing in a crouched position, Mito spun and swept Naruto's legs out from under him. As the older blonde fell Menma rushed to meet him, creating a number of clones as he closed in. Sliding towards him, a pair of the clones lashed out with kick, sending Naruto into the air as another pair jumped to meet him before sending him back to the ground with a drop of their heels. As he approached the ground, a final pair of clones sent him flying away with a synchronized kick.

As he neared them Mito and Narumi were about to finish off their assault but widened their eyes when the Naruto that was flying towards them was suddenly shrouded by a thick plume of smoke before a log dropped and rolled to their feet. Whipping their heads around the three saw their older brother leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, his calculating eyes from before now staring at them with boredom present in them. Seeing him uninjured, the only signs he had been affected being the few scuff marks on his clothes.

"You've got to be kidding me... It's like he's not even trying at all! What the hell!" Menma panted out as anger boiled in his veins.

"Calm down Menma! He isn't unbeatable, those marks on his clothes are a clear sign of that." Mito said in a calm tone, though there was exhaustion and irritation present in her voice.

"Mito-nee is right Menma-nii, I've already hit him a couple of times and I know that all of those have affected him. If you look at Naru-nii, you can see that he's putting a lot more of his body weight on his right leg, meaning that his left side is injured." Narumi reported before taking a few deep breaths as her siblings widened their eyes at her insight.

"Well, we can't keep this up much longer. I'm already feeling the effects of the Kyubi's chakra, my body's starting to ache like hell." Menma said as his sisters nodded their heads in agreement, their exhaustion reflected in their eyes.

"Then I guess I shouldn't hold back anymore. Menma, Narumi. Follow my lead and don't get in my way alright." Mito said as she took a step forward.

Before her siblings could speak their protests died in their throats as their eyes widened, even Naruto raised an eyebrow as he settled into a loose stance. Standing between the two parties was Mito but it was what was attached to her that caused their reactions. Stemming from her back was the legendary sealing chains of their mother's clan.

"**Kongō Fūsa**." Mito said as she failed to hide the smirk that made its way to her face, a little proud that she was able to show off to her siblings, especially her older brother.

"Whoa! Awesome Mito-nee! I can't believe that Kaa-chan taught you how to use them!" Narumi shouted with stars in her eyes, shaking in anticipation at what was to come.

"Awesome... I need to ask Kaa-chan to teach me how to use them now." Menma said in awe of the chains, having only seen them once when they were younger.

"Alright you two we need to go now. I can only hold them for a few minutes before they get unstable, so follow my lead!" Mito shouted as she raised her hand towards Naruto, her chains shooting towards him as Narumi and Menma trailed behind them.

Tensing as the chains approached, Naruto parried the first set of chains that made it to him, redirecting it into the tree behind him. Crouching down quickly, he avoided another set of chains that swiped the area that his neck used to be at. But as he was rising to intercept Menma and Narumi, he felt something wrapping around his leg. Glancing down, let a small frown mar his face as the chain from before had made its way through the tree and around his leg.

A confident smirk on her face, Mito yanked her hand back as the chain quickly retracted, yanking Naruto off his feet as Menma and Narumi shared a smirk on their faces. Letting out a yell, they channeled the last of the Kyubi's chakra into their limbs as they drove Naruto into the ground, a subsequent explosion of dust and debris obscuring the view of those spectating. Soon, Menma and Narumi jumped out of the dust cloud as they made their way back to Mito, their older sister retracting her chains as they waited for the cloud to disperse. The vulpine pupils from earlier now replaced with their regular round ones, showing that the Kyubi's chakra had indeed worn off.

As it did they saw that Naruto was laying in the middle of another small crater, Mito and Narumi wincing while Menma let a small smirk form. Seeing that it was most certainly over, a clone of Kakashi made its way over before it stopped at the edge of the crater, its visible eye widening. Slowly, Naruto sat back up as he massaged his chest, wincing as he finally stood up. Shaking his head, wobbled a bit before dropping to a knee, turning and spitting out a globule of blood before wiping the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand.

"The hell...? We hit him with everything that we had..." Menma said, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"All that and he just spits out a little bit of blood?" Narumi whispered, clenching her hands into tight fists.

"There's just no way. That was all of the Kyubi's that we had left, even if it was only a little it should have been more then enough to knock him out cold." Mito said as Naruto placed a hand to his head before he winced.

With Naruto he really should have fought them with the intent to kill, instead he opted to treat the match as a training session with Yakumo and Satsuki. But after seeing how strong they were, especially Narumi's physical strength that matched a few of the weaker bird wyverns, he was regretting looking down on him. Shaking his head as he closed his eyes, he could already hear Jho and Tigrex berating him about pride, arrogance and overestimating himself and underestimating his opponents.

"_Tch. I acted like one of the Elders there, believing that they were so far below me that I didn't even need to acknowledge them as threat._" Naruto thought, mentally berating himself for his actions as he shook his head.

Slowly, he stood up as his younger siblings tensed. Compared to how it was earlier, Naruto's presence had changed considerably. From the aloof and almost mockingly uninterested vibe that he had just a few minutes ago, it had changed to what could only be described as tyrannical and oppressive. When he raised his head to face them, their very souls freeze. In place of his blank and calculating eyes from before, they were now frigid, sharp and oppressive. But it was his pupils that made them truly feel mortality. Instead of round pupils, his were now draconian in shape and they held none of the aloofness from before.

"I'm sorry for not taking this seriously." He whispered loud enough for his siblings to hear, the hairs on their bodies standing straight up as they stiffened up at his tone. It was cold and empty.

"W-What...?" Narumi managed to squeak out, her eyes wide as she trembled, her siblings mirroring her actions.

Relaxing, Naruto settled into a loose stance as he clenched his right hand into a tight fist. Slowly, black and crimson chakra started to emanate from it before it completely shrouded it, matching colored lightning arcing up and down his arm. Those watching could only gape at the dangerous looking chakra that Naruto was building up. Close by, the real Kakashi had his Sharingan revealed as he attempted to analyze the technique only to shut it when he felt his eye sear in pain. Tensing, he readied himself to stop Naruto's jutsu, not knowing what it could do.

"**Garyoukuuha**." Naruto said as he struck the air, a black and crimson shockwave surging towards his younger siblings.

Shock. That was all that those watching could feel, most never having seen such a technique and especially not from the enigmatic eldest of the Uzumaki-Namikaze. Kakashi couldn't move, he couldn't if he wanted to. There was a primal fear that etched itself into his heart when he saw the jutsu, something inside of him screamed at him not to touch that strange colored chakra. The same was true for Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru and Kushina, their very beings not wanting to get near the ghastly shockwave.

As the shockwave neared the trio, they could only watch as it eroded and decayed everything that it came in contact with, seeming to end all life that was touched by it. But before it reached them, it pulsed before another shockwave passed through them, making their bodies shudder from the force of it. As it passed, they fell to their knees and slowly craned their heads around, their eyes widening when they saw a large cloud of dust behind them. As it dispersed, their fears only grew when they saw the size of the crater that was hidden by it, almost three times larger then the crater that Mito and Menma's collaboration jutsu had created. They were broken out of their stupor when they heard a voice speak up.

"Give up. From here on out, I'm not going to hold back." Naruto said in a cold tone, making them flinch and shiver from how frigid it was.

Looking down, they grit their teeth as they contemplated their choices. After seeing what their older brother could do, that terrifying chakra and jutsu, and knowing that he wasn't going to treat them like they were beneath them any longer, it was practically suicide to continue to engage him. Lowering their heads, Mito and Narumi slowly nodded. They were beaten. Out of chakra, stamina, strength, tactics and the will to continue they accepted their defeat.

Menma however clenched his hands so tightly that he nearly drew blood. Shakily, he stood up and glared defiantly at his older before Naruto slowly started to make his way over to them. Steeling his resolve, Menma continued to watch as Naruto stopped a foot away from them, Mito and Narumi staring with wide eyes at the scene, clearly expecting the worst. Gritting his teeth, Menma let out a yell as he formed an incomplete **Rasengan** in his right hand as he started to charge down Naruto.

"DAMN YOU!" Menma shouted as he took a step towards Naruto, his eyes filled with rage and determination.

Almost instantly the pressure that Naruto was emitting skyrocketed as his killing intent leaked out, taking a visible form behind him as a black and crimson dragon leered down at the trio, its burning crimson eyes searing their very souls.

His eyes snapping wide open, Menma froze in the middle of his charge, his eyes and body trembling with fear. Slowly, the **Rasengan** in his hand lost its shape as it dispersed, Menma falling to his knees as he stared with fear filled eyes into his older brother's frigid ones. Lowering his head, tears started to fall from Menma's eyes as he bit back a sob, nodding his head submissively as Mito and Narumi stared at him with pitying eyes, the pressure and killing intent vanishing as he did.

Silence reigned in the entirety of the plains, the five spectators speechless at what had just happened. Slowly, they snapped out of their stupor as Kakashi slowly made his way over, making it clear that he was wary of Naruto. Checking over his honorary younger siblings, with the exception of Naruto, he paused momentarily before he slowly raised his hand.

"Winner. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze." He said in a slightly resentful tone, his back facing blonde.

(Scene Change - Examination Stadium: Stands)

"Winner. Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze."

Like the plains, silence reigned over the stadium. But soon, clapping could be heard before cheer and applause burst from the stadium, those in attendance expressing their gratitude for the match that they had just witnessed.

"That was truly amazing match!"

"He truly is the oldest son of Minato-sama!"

"Did you see that jutsu Mito-sama and Menma-sama used! Amazing!"

"Kyah! Naruto-sama you're so cool! I've always known you were the one for me!"

"Menma-sama you did your best! I'll comfort you!"

"Mito-chan if you need a shoulder to cry on mine is free!"

"Narumi-chan! Please let me heal and take care of you!"

A myriad of cheers and praises could be heard from the stands, the final match of the exams did not disappoint them and it was only made more spectacular from the single night they had to wait. With a few though, there was a very different reaction to what they had just seen.

"W-What the hell? I've never seen him do anything like that." Zabuza said, still in shock at seeing the power that Naruto had displayed.

"Me neither. He's never shown anything even close to that level of power during our training sessions." Anko replied as she squeezed Zabuza's hand, also in awe at the abilities of her student.

"Naruto-kun... You're amazing..." Haku whispered as she stared with eyes full of adoration at her crush.

With the other jōnin they were also in shock, knowing absolutely nothing about the eldest son of their Kage. They knew that Mito, Menma and Narumi were among the top of their generation and he singlehandedly defeated them without taking much damage.

"What was that...? I've never seen anything like it..." Asuma said, his cigarette having long fallen from his mouth from watching the match.

"What a terrifying technique..." Kurenai said with her eyes a little wide with slight fear from seeing Naruto's jutsu erase the life of everything that it came in contact with.

"Whoa... I guess he really is Minato-sama's son." Genma stated, his senbon resting on the floor like Asuma's cigarette.

"Naruto-kun, just what are you hiding from us...?" Gai whispered, his brows furrowed as he tried to find a motive for hiding his strength.

With the Uchiha family they were stunned at seeing the abilities of Naruto, Satsuki in particular was stunned and hurt as well.

"W-Well... It appears that Minato's isn't as he was made out to be." Fugaku said as Mikoto nodded her head in agreement.

"To think he was strong enough to take on students of some of our village's strongest, and singlehandedly no less." Itachi said as he felt a small smirk appear on his lips at the prospect of a potential rival.

"He really is strong... Why did he hide it if he was this strong all along?" Sasuke wondered, his eyes wide as he stared at the blonde.

"Naruto... Are Yakumo and I too weak for you to take us seriously? Am I too weak to stand next to you...?" Satsuki whispered in a hurt tone, her eyes reflecting the tone of her voice.

Close by the other members of their class were wide eyed and slack jawed at what had just happened.

"No way..." Was all that left Kiba's mouth as Akamaru whimpered in fear.

"Tch, that guy really does know how to surprise people." Shikamaru muttered though he did have a bead of sweat rolling down the side of his head from seeing Naruto's jutsu.

"Naruto-kun... Why haven't you shown that strength to us when we trained? Am Satsuki and I too far behind you for you to take us seriously?" Yakumo whispered in a hurt tone as she started at the blonde.

Choji, Ino and Sakura were all silent, still stunned at what they had just seen. Not believing that Naruto was capable of beating the top three of their generation.

With the Hyuga family they were staring with a mix of awe and fear, awe for Naruto's victory and fear from the chakra.

"Tou-sama! He won! Naruto-dono won!" Hanabi cheered with admiration in her eyes, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks.

"Amazing, Naruto-kun really is Narumi-chan's older brother." Hinata said with admiration evident in her voice.

"He overcame the odds and won... Against someone who bested me and her older siblings, he won..." Neji said with disbelief clear in his voice, his eyes wide.

"Interesting... Naruto-san, you truly are an enigma." Hiashi said as he stared at the blonde in question.

In the 'Kage's Box' Minato and the Kazekage were stunned silent. Neither could believe what they had seen, Minato more so then the Kazekage.

"Amazing. You're boy truly is deserving of the title of chūnin after that display Hokage-sama." The Kazekage said as he stared at Naruto, though inside he was ecstatic at seeing his new vessel perform.

"Naruto... You did it..." Minato whispered as tears started to form in his eyes, a bright smile on his face.

Moving to address the crowd, he smiled brightly at all of them before he dismissed them, telling them that the after exams celebrations will be held later that night which caused them to erupt with more cheers and applause. As they started to disperse he turned and bid farewell to the Kazekage, stating that he would see him later tonight for the celebrations which he responded with a nod. As he left, Minato vanished in a flash of yellow.

(Scene Change - Unknown Plains)

After the match was called Kakashi immediately tended to the three that were on the ground, the trio still in shock at what had occurred no less then a few minutes ago. He was soon joined by Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru and Kushina, the three fretting over Mito, Menma and Narumi. Sitting on a downed tree on the opposite side of the clearing, Naruto was quietly sipping some water from a water bottle that he unsealed, ignoring the commotion on that happening on their side.

Soon though, Kushina turned and saw her eldest sitting by himself as he checked himself over for any lingering injuries. Casting a quick glance at her other children, she saw that they were nearly smothered by the combined forces of the others. Seeing that they were in good care, she made her way over to Naruto before stopping a few feet from where he was sitting. A little nervous, she steeled herself as she made her way towards him.

"Naru-chan?" She called out, getting Naruto divert his attention from his checking the leg that Mito ripped out from under him and focus on her.

"...Is there something you need Kushina-san?" He asked in his usual monotone, getting her to mentally wince.

"There is something I need Naru-chan, I need to make sure that you're still not hurt." She said as she approached him and crouched down, cupping his face as he visibly flinched.

Ignoring his reaction, though it pierced her heart to see him react in such a way to her caring action, she gently tilted his head and checked him for any lingering injuries, taking note that he let her do it though he was tense. Seeing that he didn't have many injuries on his face, the largest being a bruise on his cheek, she did something neither of them remember her doing. Leaning in close, Kushina planted a motherly kiss on the bruise, causing Naruto to freeze up as his eyes widened at her action.

"Pain, pain go away." Kushina whispered as she pulled back from her kiss, her eyes brimming with so much motherly warmth and affection that Naruto flinched when he met her eyes.

"Does it hurt anymore Naru-chan?" Kushina asked, smiling when Naruto stiffly shook his head in the negative.

Before Kushina could continue fretting over Naruto, a flash of yellow caught the attention of everyone present. A grin on his face, he flashed over to Mito, Narumi and Menma before enveloping them in a hug, the three blushing from the embarrassing actions of their father. Checking them over, they told him that they were fine, Minato taking note that they glanced at Naruto after speaking. Turning, his grin thinned to a warm smile as he made his way to his oldest.

"Looks like you won Naruto. Congratulations." Minato said in warm tone as Naruto nodded awkwardly, not looking to meet Minato's eyes causing him to chuckle as Kushina giggled.

Soon, they all met back up as a group though Naruto tried to create as much distance as he possibly could, though Kushina didn't have any of it, making him stand beside her. When they finally got together, Minato and Kushina noticed that Naruto's siblings seemed to be afraid of him, Narumi not clinging to him like she always did. Also noticing that his godparents and older brother figure seemed to be wary of him, making him grit his teeth internally.

"First of all, I want to congratulate all of you once again. You don't know how proud I am to see that all of you made it to the finals and fought with all you had." Minato said, getting smiles from his children besides his oldest. But soon those smiles thinned as they stared at their older brother.

"I know that you three are disappointed and upset that you weren't the one who won, but remember. You all did your best and you should be proud of that. I have no doubt that you all will make the promotion to chūnin." He continued, smiling as it seemed to raise their spirits.

"Now! Why don't we go out to celebrate! All of us!" Kushina chirped happily as Minato agreed.

They were stunned then a little upset when they saw the looks on their children's faces, they had slightly spiteful and resentful looks, all directed towards Naruto.

"I'm not really hungry Kaa-chan, Tou-chan. I kind of want to go home and shower." Narumi said in a soft tone, a large contrast to her usual exuberant tone as she tried to avoid their stares.

"Me too, I could use a hot shower." Mito whispered, avoiding the gaze of her older brother completely.

"I'm fine Kaa-chan, Tou-san. I just want to go home and sleep." Menma said, completely avoided the gazes of everyone.

Kushina and Minato were stunned, they had never seen their children so... defeated in all of their years. Exchanging looks, they nodded sadly as they turned to face them once more.

"Alright, we'll find some other time." Minato said in a sad tone, his children flinching upon hearing it.

Pulling out a kunai, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru and Kakashi performed the same seals from earlier before they all vanished in a flash, appearing once again in the center of the stadium. Before Kushina or Minato could speak Mito, Menma and Narumi left with Orochimaru, Jiraiya , Kakashi and Tsunade respectively, all of them never turning or bidding them farewell.

Their eyes widening, they quickly turned and faced Naruto, their hearts breaking when they caught sight of something that they never thought they'd see. In the split second that they turned to face him, the two caught the brief flash of pain in Naruto's eyes before they returned to being blank.

"N-Naru-chan, please don't hold it against your siblings, they're just upset that they didn't win, they'll be back to normal by tomorrow!" Kushina quickly said, her own heart aching having seen his eyes.

"Your mother is right Naruto, they're just a little upset! It happens to everyone!" Minato added, his heart also twisting slightly from seeing the flash of pain.

"I'm fine Minato-san, Kushina-san. I know that they don't see me as their family." Naruto replied in a soft tone, wrenching their hearts.

"Please excuse me, I'd like to get back home and get some rest." He said as Kushina and Minato nodded softly, tears beginning to form in the corners of their eyes. As he turned around, they did something that stunned him.

Wrapping him up in a warm and loving embrace, Minato and Kushina squeezed him gently, Kushina trembling slightly.

"Naru-chan... You know that we love you. Even if we were horrible parents, even if you hate and resent us, we do love you. Never forget that, no matter what." Kushina whispered as she kissed his head softly.

"You'll always be our oldest and our first. And you'll always be the one who we loved first." Minato said as he squeezed Naruto softly.

Releasing their embrace, they let a bittersweet smile come to their faces as the stepped back. They were prepared for Naruto to tell them off, saying that they weren't his family and that he wasn't their son. But they weren't prepared for what happened next. Turning to face them slightly, his eyes overshadowed by his hair, a small ghost of a smile made its way to his face as they stood stunned.

"Thanks." He whispered before he headed out of the stadium, leaving a stunned Minato and Kushina behind before a melting smile appeared on their faces.

Turning around, they nodded to each other as their eyes lost their warmth, a sharpness in its place. Heading out of the stadium, they left the questions that they had for Naruto in favor of finding answers to the behavior of their family.

(Scene Change - Konoha Shopping District)

Making his way through the shopping district, Naruto was greeted by more people then he had in the past. Though he returned their greetings, he knew that it was only because they had seen him during the exams. As he neared the restaurants a pair of arms wrapped around him before he felt a pair of soft pillows on the back of his head. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was as only one person smelled of snakes, poison, steel and lilacs.

"Naruto! I'm so proud of you!" Anko squealed as she hugged him tighter as he shook his head slightly.

"It's because I was trained by the best Anko-sensei." He said as Anko laughed, changing her hug from a crushing one to a motherly one.

"I'm very proud of you Gaki. You don't know how proud I was to see you show everyone that you aren't the dead last that they make you out to be. I'm proud of you Naruto." Anko said as Naruto faintly smiled, feeling the same warmth that Kushina's hug had.

"She's not the only one Brat!" A boisterous voice said as a hand found itself on top of Naruto's head, ruffling his hair with a fatherly affection.

"I'm proud of you too Naruto. Hearing all that crap about you being the dead last of your generation made me want to butcher the bastards that said it but you've already slammed their traps shut." Zabuza said as Anko giggled, Naruto shaking his head at his words.

"Come'on, let's go have dinner! Just the three of us! Don't worry about Haku, she has hospital duty so your girlfriend isn't going to be jealous! Well probably." Anko said in a jovial tone, getting Zabuza to snap slightly.

"No way in hell! My little Haku is way too young to be dating! Even if you're the only one who I approve of, I still don't approve!" Zabuza shouted as Anko and Naruto shared looks before laughing.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"Lord Hiruko!"

"I know. Get the forces ready, it's nearly time for me to assimilate the perfect body. As soon as the first firework explodes, we strike."

A Son Forgotten

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**Well that's that! Tell me what you think alright! And I know that I got the idea for that moment between Naruto and Menma from somewhere but I don't remember where! If anyone knows could you let me know? I saw it in One-Punch man and The Breaker but I know it's from somewhere else! Again, PM me for questions and leave a review to tell me what you think!**

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**Hiraishin - Flying Thunder God**: S-Rank, Supplementary; To activate this technique, the user places a special seal or "technique formula" to mark an intended destination. After this is done, they can at will enter a dimensional void that instantaneously transports them to the location of the seal. The mark can be applied to almost any area through brief physical contact, including an opponent or other surrounding feature. Because this technique is able to affect anything that is in contact with the user or somehow connected to their chakra, they can also use this technique to teleport other objects or people, though the size of the object dictates the amount of chakra required. As Minato also noted, the marking formula never disappears from a marked target.

**Hiraishin: Dōrai - Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder**: S-Rank, Supplementary; This barrier technique incorporates the use of the Flying Thunder God formula to erect a barrier space capable of warping away anything which comes in contact with it. Once erected, the barrier has proven powerful enough to warp away techniques as destructive as a Tailed Beast Ball. Once warped, the subject of the technique can be directed to another location marked by the formula.

**Suirō no Jutsu - Water Prison Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique is used to trap a victim inside a virtually inescapable sphere of water. The only downside to this technique is that the user must keep at least one arm inside the sphere at all times in order for the victim to remain imprisoned. This technique requires a sufficient amount of water, which can be provided by expelling it from one's mouth. Once trapped the target is unable to move or breathe while within it due to the heaviness of the water. Because of the density of the water it can be used, to a limited extent, for defensive purposes if performed on oneself. It can also be stored in scrolls as traps.

**Tōmegane no Jutsu - Telescope Technique**: A-Rank, Supplementary; A technique that uses a spherical object to track a particular individual anywhere they are. There are a few restrictions about the person that is subjected to pursuit. The user must know that person's chakra pattern. If someone can be targeted for pursuit, they may be very far away, the crystal ball will be able to confirm their position. As this technique is infallible for intelligence purposes, the Third Hokage used it to maintain public order in the village.

**Futon: Reppūshō - Wind Release: Gale Palm**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; A simple technique that when the users hands are clapped together, wind is compressed and transformed into a powerful gale. This technique, when used as an isolated attack has the power to easily knock over a human or send them flying, depending on how much chakra is used. Though the true value comes from using it together with projectile weapons like shuriken or kunai. Their speed, power, and ability to wound or even kill are all increased several times.

**Futon: Senpūken - Wind Release: Whirlwind Fist**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user gathers chakra into their fist and fires out a whirlwind, which the size and scale of is dependent on the amount of chakra that is used. It can adapt to increase the size, range, and power of many different elements including katon and suiton jutsu.

**Futon: O****ufuudan - Wind Release: Cross Wind Bullet**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; the user kneads chakra into their mouth and fires it as a cross-shaped bullet of wind. The bullet has conflicting paths due to the way the chakra was kneaded, making it harder to dispel using a similar technique due to its makeup. The size and range is dependent on the amount of chakra used. It can be combined with katon jutsu to increase its power.

**Katon: Endan - Fire Release: Flame Bullet**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user kneads chakra into their mouth then fires a simple flame bullet at their target. The size and range is dependent on the amount of chakra used. It can be combined with futon jutsu to increase it's power.

**Katon: Daishiroendan - Fire Release: Great White Flame Sphere**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; A collaboration ninjutsu that merges the bullets created by the **Oufuudan** and **Endan**, the spiraling nature of the **Oufuudan** serving to fuel and enlarge the **Endan** to created a superheated white flame bullet. The size and power of this technique is dependent on the amount of chakra that was used for the **Oufuudan** as it serves as the fuel for the **Endan** to grow.

**Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu - Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique**: D-Rank, Supplementary; This technique conceals the user underground and drags the object of their attack down into the earth, robbing them of their freedom. Leaving them completely unable to move after they're underground. In addition, they can start another attack.

**Kongō Fūsa - Adamantine Sealing Chains**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Kekkai Ninjutsu; The **Kongō Fūsa **is a Fūinjutsu used by members of the Uzumaki clan. This technique moulds the user's chakra into extremely durable chains which can be used for various purposes, such as directly combating or physically restraining their targets — foes even as powerful as a tailed beast. Using her chains, Kushina could also erect a barrier strong enough to prevent anyone or anything from entering or leaving the perimeter defined by the chains. The barrier was very durable, as Hiruzen Sarutobi stated that there was nothing anyone could do to interfere with what Minato and Kushina were doing once it had been erected.

**Garyoukuuha - Reclining Dragon Sky Destruction**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A technique that Naruto created after getting to know Tatsuko. Unlike Naruto's rigid style of Ryuuton jutsu, Tatsuko's style involves being as relaxed as possible to use the least amount of energy for the greatest amount of payout. A combination of their two styles, the **Garyoukuuha** is a charged punch that starts with Naruto relaxing his body, letting his Ryuuton flow freely and maximize the energy in the hand that he chooses to use. He then strikes that air with the charged fist, stopping it halfway and striking mid-air. From a charged piercing straight impact it changes into a radial shockwave, destroying everything in its way based on how much chakra is used.

**Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, by observing the Tailed Beast Ball. Minato spent three years developing the Rasengan; his intention was to take the shape transformation of one's chakra to the "highest possible point" and combine it with his chakra's nature affinity, creating a technique that did not need the aid of time-consuming hand seals to control. On shape transformation alone, the Rasengan is still a powerful, versatile, and difficult technique to learn and master.


	19. Chapter 18

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**What's up guys, Dom here! Yawn, I'm exhausted everyone. I think I'm done with life for about... A thousand years! Haha, but yeah. I kinda didn't know how to write this chapter, I was all over the place. College, lack of sleep, thoughts of spring break and all that jazz kinda caused it I guess. But I wanted to get you guys something you know, I hope you enjoy it even if it is really badly written, the fight scenes are absolutely horrendous. I'm just way too behind on sleep to keep a consistent flow right now. So please forgive me. Again, PM me for questions and suggestions and challenges I guess since I got quite a few of them and leave a review okies? Well, you came to read right? Well, let's a go! **

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 18

Sitting in silence, the members of the Uzumaki-Namikaze household lounged around; Menma sitting at the dinner table while he poked at his ramen as Jiraiya and Kakashi looked at him with concern evident in his eyes, Mito and Orochimaru sitting beside each other on the couch with a book clutched tightly in Mito's hands while Orochimaru gave her a concerned glance every few seconds between pages, Tsunade was rubbing Narumi's back softly as she leaned into her obviously holding back from crying.

Seeing their children so upset hurt Minato and Kushina but they steeled themselves, they were here for a different reason after all. After their rude act of leaving their older brother alone after their match, without even giving him a congratulations or goodbye, it made them angry and disappointed. Making their way into the living room, they gained everyone's attention as they were met with a myriad of expressions ranging from defeated to upset to shame. A small frown making its way to his face, Minato gestured for his family to meet with them, together.

Once everyone was gathered the atmosphere was rather depressing and awkward, Minato and Kushina standing in front of their family members while their kids were sitting beside each other, the rest of the adults standing behind them. Wincing a little bit internally, Minato couldn't believe that one loss would cause his children to fall into such a slump. They've fought against each other in the past and no matter the outcome it was never like this, it only extended to a light pout or declaration of getting stronger but never losing their will or drive.

"Everyone, do you know why your mother and I are talking to you like this?" Minato started off, speaking in a soft tone as his children slowly nodded their heads, avoiding his gaze as they stared down at their feet.

"Kids, please tell us. Why are you acting like this? It's so unlike you all to be so defeated after losing one match. I understand that it was the final match of the exams but still." Kushina continued, seeing Mito and Menma clutch the fabric of their clothes tightly while Narumi's head lowered even more.

After asking her question, Kushina and Minato stood in silence as no one moved to answer. Seeing that they were conflicted on how to answer the two exchanged glances while their other family members placed their hands on the shoulders of their godchildren and younger siblings. Slowly, Mito raised her head and spoke, her normally calm, collected and confident voice reduced to a shadow of itself.

"We... I... Don't know to answer you Kaa-chan, Tou-san..." Mito said as she released her hold on her clothes, letting a sigh escape her lips.

"I'm just angry that I lost against _him_ of all people..." Menma said shortly after as he tightened his grip on his clothes, Jiraiya and Kakashi squeezing his shoulders softly.

"But you've all fought each other before, what made losing against Naruto anything different?" Minato asked getting the same reaction from before, making Kushina and himself exchange worried glances.

"That's part of the reason Tou-san... We were all trained by the best in the village while he trained alone. Even after a month of blood, sweat and tears we lost. What's worse is that he wasn't even trying until the very end, and then... That jutsu that Naruto-nii used... I-I've never been so scared in my life until I saw it heading towards us..." Mito said as she shivered slightly, the memory of that jutsu ending all life that came in contact with it still fresh in her mind.

"We were even using the Kyubi's chakra and he brushed it off like it was nothing..." Menma added on as he snapped his eyes shut, the pent up anger and frustration starting to take its toll on him.

Minato and Kushina nodded at their answers because it would have affected anyone in their position. They had been trained by their village's greatest ninja and they were defeated easily, like they were nothing but annoyances or minor inconveniences. Mito also had a point when she mention that jutsu that he had used. While Minato didn't directly feel it, Kushina had described it as feral in nature, like the jutsu itself was ravenous and uncontrollable. Fearing it would only be natural as they had seen the aftermath of it, the desecration of life that it caused was unnerving and frankly terrifying.

"I thought that we had it in the bag when I brought out my trump card but that still wasn't enough. He wasn't even fazed by it and it's my fault for being overconfident." Mito said as she trembled slightly, Narumi hugging her close as she buried her face into Mito's shoulder.

"I-If I had been stronger, then maybe we would have been able to win! You and Menma-nii have always been so strong and I trained as hard as I could to catch up to you but it still wasn't enough, it was my fault that we lost!" Narumi said before she felt her older sister shift and embrace her as well, her sobs getting louder as she felt her warmth.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... I've always been weaker then you two and I've always slowed you down... Just like today..." She continued as she felt Menma's hand on top of her head as he ruffled her hair softly.

"It's not either of your faults, it's mine... I got cocky and hotheaded... I rushed in blindly without a plan and that caused a chink to form in our teamwork, and he took advantage of it." Menma said as the rest of his family stared up at him, seeing that it was uncommon for him to admit his faults.

"There's no one that is to blame for your loss kids. You were simply outmatched, you'll just have to train harder right?" Minato said as his kids nodded slowly, tears still falling from their faces.

They knew that they had to ask a tough question next but seeing their children so defeated almost made them reconsider asking it but they needed to know why they left their older brother behind without looking back. Letting them vent a little of their frustrations they got their attention once more before Kushina hesitantly asked them the question that plagued her and her husband.

"Kids... Can you tell your father and I why you left Naru-chan alone after your match? Why you all walked away without congratulating him or saying goodbye to him? He... He was actually hurt when he saw you all leave after declining going out together for dinner." Kushina asked as the eyes of all her children widened, Mito and Narumi's eyes beginning to leak tears at the shocking bit of information.

"I... I thought that I was finally able to show Naruto-nii that I wasn't some damsel in distress that he had to worry about all the time like he did when we were little. Back then he would fret and worry about every little thing that happened to me. I just wanted to show him that I didn't need to be protected, that I could protect him instead." Mito said as tears raced down her face, making no attempt to wipe them away as she sobbed softly, Orochimaru wiping them away with a tissue.

"I just wanted to show him that I got stronger! I didn't mean to hurt him, I was just ashamed that I still haven't changed at all, that I'm still weak! I'm sorry Naruto-nii! I'm so sorry! I'm a horrible little sister!" Mito sobbed into her arms, Kushina moving in to wrap her in a hug as Tsunade mimicked her action while Jiraiya, Kakashi and Orochimaru patted her on the back.

Seeing their normally strong and confident daughter, goddaughter and sister break down in front of them caused the rest of the family to nearly break out in tears as well. Menma was wiping away the tears in his eyes with his arm, trying not to vocally cry. Tsunade and Kushina were crying as they whispered soothing words to her. Kakashi, Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Minato were teary eyed as they tried to comfort her.

"I-I h-hurt Naru-nii...?" Narumi whispered with a devastated look in her eyes, the life and exuberance that shone like the stars replaced with an abyss of self loathing and despair.

"N-No. No. No! I-I didn't hurt him! I didn't hurt Naru-nii! I-I... I d-didn't mean to! I-I... I just wanted to show Naru-nii that I wasn't a baby anymore! I was ashamed and embarrassed that he didn't take me seriously even after training with Tsunade-baachan! I... I didn't know that I hurt him, I... I just wanted to be alone and I didn't want him to see me after I lost so badly. I didn't mean to hurt him!" Narumi shouted as tears streamed down her cheeks, her eyes snapped shut as she sobbed loudly making Mito, Kushina and Tsunade hug her tightly.

"I-I never wanted to hate him, I never did but I couldn't take it anymore! It was always "Naruto this" or "Naruto that", it was always about him and I hated it! I was just so... Angry that he was still so far ahead of me, he's always been so far ahead of me and I hated it... I was always "Naru-chan's little brother" or "Naru-chan 2.0", always living in his shadow even when we were kids." Menma admitted as tears made their way down his face as he moved his free arm to cover up his eyes as he started to sob slightly.

"I thought that the finals would be my chance to show that I wasn't living in his shadow anymore and to prove that I was better then him. But he crushed us, completely! Seeing him act like he was my older brother again, even after all these years of treating him like he was trash, and hearing him compliment us I-I... I don't know okay! I just didn't want to see his face, I don't know what I would've done if we went out together! What if I asked him to train with me or hang out!? Or if I started to idolize him again?!What if I acted like the past few years never happened!? What would he do!?" Menma shouted as he sobbed quietly, trembling as Jiraiya and Kakashi placed their hands on his shoulders to steady him.

"I never wanted to hate Naruto-niisan but I did... I would go back and change everything but I can't... I can't change the fact that I've been nothing but a worthless, weak and horrible brother to him... No matter what I do I'll never earn back his forgiveness for everything I've done to him..." Menma sobbed out as he sank to his knees, slamming his fist on the ground as Kakashi stopped him from hurting himself any further.

After a few minutes of pouring their hearts out the Uzumaki-Namikaze children eventually cried themselves to sleep, the adults taking them to their rooms before making their way back to the living to discuss the other topic at hand. The way that they treated Naruto, leaving him the same way that their children did. There was a tenseness in the air as Minato and Kushina stared them down, Kakashi visibly sweating under the gaze of his Minato and Kushina.

"So tell us, why did you all treat Naruto the way you did?" Minato said in a slightly icy tone, causing Kakashi to wince slightly.

"What's there to say Minato? We were concerned about our students, we saw that you two were taking care of Naruto. You can't believe that we were intentionally trying to hurt him." Jiraiya said getting a nod of agreement from Tsunade and Orochimaru.

"I apologize if we seemed cold Minato-kun but you must understand where we were coming from. We saw Naruto singlehandedly defeat his siblings who Jiraiya, Tsunade and Kushina-chan trained. After all the years I've known him, us favoring his siblings have never hurt him, not once. It was because we've grown so accustomed to acting that way that we disregarded his feelings and left him." Orochimaru added on, stating facts that the two couldn't deny.

"While that may be true was it too much trouble to tell him a simple "congratulations" instead of giving him the cold shoulder?" Minato asked, directing the last part to Kakashi who openly showed his displeasure when Naruto won.

"When you put it that way Minato I can see where we went wrong. I just didn't think that he would actually be hurt by something like that. He's always been thick skinned for as long as I've known him, both literally and figuratively. We were wrong to ignore him but seeing Umi-chan, Menma-chan and Mito-chan get beat so easily, adding in the fact that we lost our bet, it just happened." Tsunade said in an honest tone getting a nod of agreement from her two teammates.

"Sensei I... I honestly don't know what to say..." Kakashi whispered out, hanging his head as he truly didn't have any words to describe his actions towards Naruto.

"Well there's nothing we wanted to talk about. I have to lecture Menma again about using the **Rasengan**, I thought that I had thoroughly pounded it into his head to never use it against a fellow Konoha ninja but I guess I was wrong." Kushina said in an angry tone, cracking her knuckles as Jiraiya shrank after she gave him a glare.

"After I expect you to talk to him about it, if this happens again the beating that I gave you will seem like a reward. And don't the two of you dare forget about apologizing to Sasuke-kun, understand?" Kushina asked in a sweet tone, Jiraiya sweating profusely as he nodded his head with extra vigor.

"We should check up on the kids, after that I need to find Naruto and apologize again." Minato said as Kushina agreed, the two heading upstairs as they left the others in the living room.

"...It still unbelievable isn't it. Naruto was actually hurt that we turned down Minato and Kushina's offer to head to dinner all together. To think it was actually warming up to the family." Tsunade said in a guilty tone, the others nodding their heads in agreement.

"We need to apologize as well. It was wrong of us to act like we did, we acted like children who lost a bet. I'm ashamed of how I acted. I've tried for years to get close to Naruto-kun but when the opportunity arose I threw it away." Orochimaru said in a self loathing tone.

"Yeah, but I need to talk with Menma first. That lecture that Kushina gave us still has me scarred and I'm pretty sure him as well." Jiraiya said as he shuddered, Kushina having done things that even Tsunade wouldn't have done, mostly.

"..." Kakashi remained silent, staring down at his clenched fists. Despite Minato's warnings, he was always prone to favoritism and it was towards his younger siblings who he was close to, Menma in particular.

They would try and make amends to Naruto, they could only hope that this didn't completely shatter the little faith he had in his family. If it did, they could only pray that Minato and Kushina were forgiving and after the last war it didn't seem likely.

(Scene Change - Naruto's Apartment)

Arriving in his apartment, Naruto collapsed into his armchair as he thought back to the events that took place no less then an hour ago. He had been the winner of the chūnin exams, defeated all three of his younger siblings, was excluded from a family outing, met up with Anko and Zabuza before parting ways stating that he wasn't hungry and now he was moping about in his apartment.

Releasing a sigh, he slapped his cheeks to snap him out of his slump. Opening his eyes, he made his way to the bathroom to wash his face. Feeling the cold water hit his face, Naruto let a sigh escape before he looked at his reflection. Staring at him was a blonde faced stranger, someone who was actually feeling hurt that his family left him out again. Where had he come from? Hasn't this happened countless times in the past? Why did he decide to show up now of all times? To show such a weak side to his parents and to Zabuza and Anko, enough that they actually hugged him close and told him that it would be alright.

Frustration and confusion welling up inside him, Naruto saw his eyes flashing between self pity filled navy and cold electric blue. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the sides of his sink, the vitreous china cracking, as he shook his head to rid him of the feelings that were plaguing him. Tigrex and Jho had said it themselves, that depending and counting on others to hold you up will only cause you to fall once they leave you. He had been depending on and counting on his parents to help him back into the family, even if it was an unconscious action and decision, his desire to be accepted and wanted by them overruling his sense of judgment.

"Tch. They stopped caring about me a long time ago, only To-Minato-san has tried to look out for me and lately Ka-Kushina-san has been doing the same. I-I don't need to look after me, I'm not a child anymore."Naruto said to his reflection, glaring at it as it just stared back at him with eyes filled with empathy.

"_You keep telling yourself that but is that how you really feel? You just want to be accepted and loved again, like with Ryuu-niichan. They were starting to love you again, they've always loved you but just couldn't get through due to some unknown reason. Why push them away over a simple mistake like this? They have been trying their hardest get to know you once more, Mito-chan, Umi-chan, Menma-kun, Tou-san, Kaa-san, Raiya-jiji, Orchi-jiji, Tsunade-baachan. They've been trying to reach out to you, to us, even if it's in their own small way. Why do you keep pushing them away? Don't you want to be accepted by them?_" His reflection said in a tone of understanding, making Naruto's eyes spark slightly.

"What do you know! They've always been like this! The years before I turned 5 they treated me like family, after that they acted like I didn't exist! And now, they're trying get back into my heart? Well guess what, I don't have a place for them anymore! Ryuu-niichan closed that gap and I'll never let it open again!" Naruto shouted as he crushed the sides of the sink, ignoring the shards of china that were embedded in his hands.

"_You act just like a child who didn't get what he wanted for his birthday. It's so sad, it's pathetic. I hate everyone because they ignored me. I'll never let anyone else into my heart after Ryuu-niichan even though I let a myriad of people inside. My family ignored me instead of praising me after I beat them so I'll give up on trying to get to reconnect with them. My siblings and godparents turned their backs on me even after trying to get to know me better because I crushed them so I'll just bitch and moan about how they will never love me again and I'll never love them. Oh boo hoo, I'm nothing but a hypocritical child who hasn't grown up at all after all these years. I'm nothing but a sad, scared, lonely, bitchy little brat that can't make up his mind! Grow the fuck up!_" His reflection shouted, the empathetic navy eyes now a sparking electric blue.

"What do you know about me! You're just a hallucination!" Naruto shouted back as tightened his fists, drawing more blood from his wounded hands.

"_What do I know about you? I know everything about you, you sack of shit! You act indifferent and uncaring but you're terrified of being alone! You hate being isolated from those who are close to your heart, you want to be a part of your family once more but you can't bear the thought of them rejecting you again so you push them away! You push everyone away unless they prove that they won't leave you because you hate being abandoned! When will you truly open your heart to others? What will it take? Satsuki? Yakumo? Anko? Zabuza? Haku? Kin? Tatsuko-chan? Aren't they precious to you? Will you continue to hold them at an arm's length for the rest of your life?_" The reflection continued on, Naruto lowering his head as he grit his teeth tighter.

"I-I don't know ok! I just don't want to get hurt alright!" Naruto admitted lowering his head as his reflection started laughing.

"_Isn't that the point of forming bonds? To trust in those who you let into your heart to not hurt or betray you? You can't decide who will hurt you and when or if it will happen. Being hurt is a part of being a human being and having a heart. No one will ever have a life without heartache or pain, everyone will experience it at least once in their life if not more. Accept that truth and move forward, the chains of the past have been binding you for long enough. Cast them off already and move towards the future. Grasp that future with your own hands, no matter what may come you will always have the memories that the past has brought you. This world will only throw hardship at you, and you should embrace it and face it without fear. So, what will you do Naruto Shirokin Uzumaki-Namikaze? Will you stay weak and stagnant or will you adapt and change to become stronger? _" The reflection spoke as its eyes shifted once more, its round pupils replaced with draconian ones.

"...You already know the answer to that." Naruto said as he raised his head, his eyes matching his reflections as it frowned slightly at him before nodding and fading, leaving Naruto staring at his normal blank faced reflection.

Releasing a sigh, Naruto cleaned and dressed his wounds before he moved to his room. Stripping himself down to his pants, he collapsed on his bed, the mental and emotional exhaustion unlike anything he had ever dealt with. The words of his reflection were still echoing in his mind as he moved his arm to cover his eyes in an attempt to sleep, while in truth he was still conflicted over his feelings. The hallucination that he had was eye opening and it spoke volumes about himself but he still couldn't accept that that was him speaking.

While that illusion did speak about some truths that he knew to be true about himself, could he really just let people in like that? Letting a sigh escape his lips, he already knew the answer to that question. Ryuuhei told him to and he had already let some people inside like his reflection had stated. His eyes closing as the sounds of the festival and exam celebrations being set up making it to his ears. He really didn't want to deal with people after what had just happened, no doubt that he would be in a foul mood for the rest of the night.

"Tch. Could this day get any worse..." Naruto sighed as he let himself drift to sleep as the afternoon slowly turned to the evening,

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"Lord Hiroko, all preparations have been made. All units are awaiting your orders. The Sound Four have been notified of their targets and are in position. The fireworks have an ETA of 5-6 hours, what're are your orders?" An Oto-nin reported as Hiroko hummed in thought.

"Good, then all that's left is to get the summons ready. Notify the clones to summon the chimera after the first explosion, have the original Ichi, Ni and San at the North Gate to cut off all escapes. Tell them to create as much chaos and panic as possible, that will allow us the opportunity to strike." Hiroko said the shinobi nodded before heading back to relay the orders.

"Even if this invasion doesn't succeed at least it will cripple Konoha and I will gain a powerful asset in the exchange." Hiruko whispered to himself before cackling softly.

(Time skip - 5 hours later)

(Scene Change - Konoha Village Center)

"Welcome everyone! I'm very glad to see all of you so energetic and excited for tonight's festivities! As usual, before we begin our festival to celebrate those who put their lives on the line for the sake of their villages, let us honor those who lost their lives with a moment of silence as I light the beacon that will guide them towards the afterlife." Minato said as the crowd quieted down, a peaceful silence settling in as Minato lit a small monument with a dazzling flame.

After a minute of sending their prayers the crowd slowly regained their energy as Minato turned to address them once more.

"Now, let us begin our celebrations! Please, have a grand time! The fireworks will start within the hour so until then have a great time!" Minato shouted as the crowd returned it tenfold as the celebrations officially began.

Laughing and shouting could be heard from every corner of the village as it was filled with more life then usual, children laughing as they tried to scoop goldfish and try their luck at throwing wooden kunai and shuriken to knock over and win a prize. Couples were laughing as they shared various treats with each other and tried their luck at drawing fortunes and lotteries. With one particular couple things began to get hectic in the comedic sense.

"Say, you're Zabuza Momochi ain't ya?" The man running the fortune drawing shouted as Zabuza and Anko turned around. Zabuza was dressed in a gray jinbei with a blue shark running along the back of it while Anko was dressed in a purple yukata with a white obi and snake running around its back.

"Huh? Yeah that's me, need something?" Zabuza asked in a gruff tone, getting Anko to glower at him for his tone.

"Zabuza, you promised me that you would try to be nicer to people remember?" Anko said in a sweet tone getting him to sweat slightly and nod.

"Haha! Don't sweat it, I know how some people still treat you like you ain't a part of our village, but know that I trust and know that you're a reliable and trustworthy shinobi! You have to be if Minato-sama trusted you enough to do what you did during that last match of the exams!" He said as Zabuza blushed slightly, still not used to being praised as Anko giggled at his reaction.

"Come'on, why don't you two try drawing your fortunes!" He said as Anko eagerly dragged Zabuza over as he groaned, he hated festival games, he never won.

"Oh stop being a wimp Zabuza, it's not like we're fighting against an army of enemy ninja or anything! We're just drawing our fortunes!" Anko said as Zabuza sighed in return, reaching out with his girlfriend as they each took a fortune.

Opening them Anko promptly turned red as she read her fortune, nearly dropping it in the process as Zabuza cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What's wrong? Not what you expected huh?" Zabuza said with a smirk on his face, snatching her fortune as she failed to stop him.

"S-Stop! D-Don't you dare read it! If you do I'll b-break up with you!" She shouted her face becoming more and more red.

"Oh come'on Anko, it can't be that bad can... it..." Zabuza trailed off as he read the fortune, his cheeks getting a tint of pink.

"_Great Luck; You and your lover will have the best odds of conceiving a child within the next few days. During this period, your love will grow stronger if the you engage in more physical and emotional actions; do not hesitate to take the initiative when the time comes._"

"C-C-Conceive!? A child?! Oomph!" Zabuza shouted before Anko decked him in the stomach, her face a burning crimson.

"Y-You idiot! I told you not to read it!" She shouted before turning and bolting away, tears lacing her eyes from the embarrassment that she felt.

"A-Anko, wait! I'm sorry!" Zabuza shouted before he ran after her, leaving his fortune on the table as the older man reached for it.

"Hahaha! "_Small Curse; You and your lover will have a fight that will decide your future together. Hold your tongue and let them speak before you do, avoid physical contact when they are angered as it will only bring about misfortune._" Boy, Zabuza-san sure has it rough with Anko-san, but boy do they made an interesting couple." He said chuckling as he stared at the two, Zabuza embracing Anko who was crimson faced as onlookers giggled and cheered them on.

In another area of the festival Haku, Satsuki and Yakumo were giggling as they walked around the various stalls that lined the sides of the street. They were all dressed in yukata that matched their personalities; Haku's being a light blue with a white obi and snowflakes, Satsuki's being a royal blue with a black obi and birds with the Uchiha insignia on the back of it, and Yakumo's was a magenta with a cherry colored obi and flowers painting it. They caught the eyes of many people as they walked about, seemingly unaware of the others around. They were stopped however when a trio of foreign teens stopped in front of them.

"Well, hello there! Isn't it kind of bad that three beautiful girls like you are all alone during the festival?" The brown haired one of the trio asked in smooth tone, getting the three girls to sigh at his action.

"It's quite alright, we don't need nor want to be escorted like we're royalty." Yakumo said, turning to look at Satsuki as she turned a little pink, knowing that she did consider herself royalty when they were younger.

"A-Ah, that's not what we were trying to say! I mean, wouldn't you all feel safer being with someone who could protect you?" The blonde haired one said as he flashed a lady killer smile, making their eyes twitch slightly.

"Are you saying that we, as girls, can't protect ourselves? That we need to rely on a man to protect?" Satsuki asked in an icy tone, her eyes sharpening slightly as the females around them stopped when they overheard the conversation.

"W-Well, I mean, I don't mean to sound rude but aren't all of you a little weak looking?" The black haired one said, making the girls and the ladies around them narrowed their eyes dangerously.

"Yeah, please don't take offense but isn't a woman's true place in the home and not the battlefield? You aren't supposed to get your beautiful hands dirty doing things like fighting, they could be doing other useful things you know." The brown haired one said, sealing his fate as the ladies gathered around the trio.

"Oh, and just what are you getting at pretty boy? That women can't be ninja or fight? Well guess what you little shits, I'm an Anbu captain and have been one for over 5 years!" An older woman shouted at the trio shrunk together, hugging each other as they shook.

Soon the terrified shrieks of a trio of young men could be heard as the roar of an irate group of kunoichi taught them a very valuable lesson, a lesson that even the groups of Anbu on guard and standby didn't want to get involved with, praying that their fellow men learned from their mistake. To never question a woman and her choice of work.

Walking away with irritated expressions of their faces, the group of kunoichi quickly moved towards a bar while Satsuki, Haku and Yakumo carried on with their night, ignoring the frightful stares that a few of the men gave them. Finding a stand selling dango their moods quickly rose as they indulged themselves on the sweet treats, happily chatting about the future and what was to come. But the happy and light atmosphere took a turn for the worst when Haku moved onto a sensitive topic.

"Ha, if only Naruto-kun was here. I could be feeding him dango and we could spend the night together." She said in a dreamy tone as she rested her cheek in the palm of her hand, a light dusting of pink on her cheeks.

"Like he would want to spend the night with you Haku-san, I'm his teammates would be first on the list. After all, he still owes me for the time he g-groped me by accident." Satsuki said in an embarrassed tone, Haku and Yakumo narrowing their eyes at her tone.

"Oh? Is that so? Need I remind you that Naruto-kun and I have a physical relationship? We've already kissed three times after all." Haku said in a condescending tone as Satsuki's brow twitched, Yakumo stiffening up a little.

"Well Haku-chan, Satsuki-chan we'll just have to find out who he favors the most, no doubt it will be someone whose spent quite a long time with him. Perhaps they were classmates for a number of years and he shared his bento with her once when they were younger?" Yakumo said in a calm tone though it was sharper then any kunai, her eyes reflecting her tone, Satsuki and Haku stiffening up at her revelation.

Lightning could be seen sparking between the trio as the owner of the dango stall panicked, offering the trio a free serving of dango that managed to dispel the tense atmosphere. Happily munching on their free plates of dango, they all exchanged a sharp glance with each other. The men near the stall paling while the women smirked, having some knowledge of what was running through the heads of the younger ladies.

With the Uzumaki-Namikaze family, they were all happier and much more lively then they were a few hours ago. While their smiles did quite reach their eyes Mito, Menma and Narumi were laughing and enjoying the festival together. Mito and Narumi wearing a matching set of yukata, Narumi's being yellow with a orange obi and flowers while Mito's was red with a white obi and flowers. Kushina's was a crimson that matched with her hair, her obi being yellow with white flowers dotting it. Menma was dressed in a orange jinbei with yellow stripes running vertically down it. On the back of all of their outfits was the symbol of their clan. Minato, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Kakashi and Tsunade weren't dressed for the festivities, opting to wear their regular outfits.

"Ah, look guys! Takoyaki Finally, I've been waiting for this!" Menma shouted as he made his way over, his family sighing and laughing at his action.

"Menma, could you not act like such a kid? There's plenty of time to eat and play games." Mito said as she sighed at her younger brother's antics, seriously why did he act so immature.

"Oh stop being such a stick in the mud Mito-nee, it's a festival! We're allowed to cut loose!" He rebutted, returning with a large serving of takoyaki that was promptly devoured by him and Jiraiya.

"Menma-nii is right Mito-nee and we're still kids you know! We're still allowed to have fun!" Narumi said as she grabbed Mito's hand before dragging her off to the game stalls, Menma quickly following behind as the adults laughed at the sight.

"It's good to see that they're smiling again." Tsunade said as the others agreed, smiles on their faces.

"Now, we just need to find Naru-chan and everything will be right again!" Kushina said as she pumped her fist, getting a wry laugh from the group.

"Come'on, we can't let those three get in trouble now can we?" Kakashi said as he moved to shadow them, the others sighing at his action.

"Someone's a little overprotective." Orochimaru sighed before getting dry looks from everyone else.

"Says the guy who sends his summons out to tail them when they head outside of the village." Tsunade snickered before bursting out laughing when Orochimaru turned away with a little bit of pink on his cheeks, the rest following suit to his utter mortification.

As they quickly moved to follow the three, Minato was hiding his tenseness extremely well. He already knew about the attack the was no doubt going to happen within the hour. After the incident involving Hayate and Naruto he concluded that someone outside of the village had been entering and exiting the **Kanchi Kekkai**, the barrier team confirming his suspicions when they recalled all ninja outside of the village, seeing someone exit the barrier in the dead of night under the temporary lockdown. He had told Orochimaru, Tsunade and Jiraiya about it and they told him to act like nothing happened. When he was approached by the Suna Siblings, who told him about the plan to attack he could only shake his head when he remembered that moment.

(Flashback - A Day Ago)

Hearing a knock on his door, Minato was surprised when Alice stepped into the office and told him that he had some visitors who said that it was urgent business. He was about to ask her to tell them to return after the festival but seeing the tenseness in her eyes, he nodded and was shocked to see the Suna Siblings enter his office. His first thought was to snap at Gaara for what he had done to Naruto but after seeing what happened after the match he knew it would only make Naruto look horrible in front of the boy. Gesturing them to sit, he tensed when they asked if they could trust him.

"Trust me? What do you mean?" Minato asked in a sharp tone, secreting a little bit of killing intent to drive his point.

"W-We mean, umm... Suna and Oto are planning to attack Konoha Hokage-sama!" Temari shouted before covering her mouth.

The three knew what they were getting into when they had agreed to do this, they expected the Anbu to kill or detain them but they were shocked when Minato remained calm, his eyes checking them for any traces of malice. When he saw none, he asked them to relax as Gaara slowly put his hands down.

"H-Hokage-sama, a-aren't you s-shocked?" Kankuro asked in a shaky tone, taking note that Gaara had his sand wrapped protectively around the feet of Temari and himself.

"I'm not shocked because I already know. I've known for about a month now." He said, getting a shocked reaction from the Kankuro and Temari.

"S-So are you g-going to detain us?" Temari asked in a shaky tone, Minato giving her an unreadable look.

"That depends, why did you decide to tell me about the attack?" He asked, getting Kankuro and Temari to freeze, their words caught in their throats.

"It's because the Kazekage who has been in charge isn't our father Hokage-sama." Gaara suddenly spoke, getting a look of shock from Minato.

"Not your father? What are you talking about Gaara-kun?" Minato asked in a questioning tone, he knew about the bad blood between Gaara and his father, the man refusing to allow Minato to fix the seal.

"The current Kazekage has been an imposter for nearly a month, slowly turning Suna to agree with Oto to attack Konoha. My father would never have agreed to such a measure." Gaara continued as Minato nodded.

After half an hour of talking, Minato was shocked to say the least. The man posing as the Kazekage had managed to deceive an entire country into starting a war with Konoha. He knew that Konoha and Suna were on bad terms and the treaty was supposed to cement the friendship of the two nations, but this would cause a larger rift between the two. Furrowing his brow, he debating the plan that he had made with his advisors. Suna was innocent for all cases, they had been deceived and whether they liked it or not, ninja had to follow the word of their Kage.

"Thank you three for telling me this. You might have saved the lives of many of your ninja. I'll run this to those I trust and we'll try to change our plan for the invasion. In the mean time, stay in the tower during the invasion and you'll be safe. I'll have a squad of my most trusted Anbu here to protect you three." Minato said as the Suna Siblings gave him a shocked look before they bowed deeply to him, thanking him for what he was doing.

(Flashback - End)

Dealing with the situation of Suna and Oto-nin would be tricky as both sides were going to be considered hostile. But after a few rounds of discussion, they had agreed that he would announce that their Kage had been murdered before asking all Suna-nin to surrender. But they would only do that when the secured the safety of the villagers first, they were their top priority after all.

Letting their enemy fall into a false sense of security would no doubt allow them the upper hand when they see through the inevitable surprise attack. Minato had ordered all ninja who specialized in and had defensive techniques to run the stalls for this year's festival, they were strictly in charge of protecting the villagers when the enemy attacked. The increased number of Anbu were dotted around key points of interest that were bound to be attacked, the center of the village, the important and busiest districts, and the living areas.

Each squad of Anbu had been reworked to sport two defensive specialist, tasked with minimizing all collateral damage and villager lives, while the other two were tasked to eliminate any ninja using AOE jutsu. The captain was tasked with getting as many people to safety as possible. All squads, those working in the festival and stationed around the village's key points were equipped with a special barrier seal that Minato, Jiraiya and Hiruzen had been developing during the last month.

The seal would create a large dome capable of withstanding a number of powerful jutsu including a **Rasengan** assault from opposite sides from Jiraiya, Kakashi and himself. The captain would reside inside of it, their primary object being the eliminating any hostile inside while making sure that no more entered. The only drawback was that it only repelled attacks that were imbued with chakra, meaning projectiles thrown would be able to pass the barrier. While it was a glaring fault, it was better then losing a large number of lives from a large scale jutsu.

Exchanging glances with Jiraiya, Kakashi, Tsunade, Orochimaru and Kushina, they nodded as Minato moved away from the group, having been told that the fireworks were about to start. Putting his hand into his pocket he sent a pulse of chakra into a seal that he had, the seal glowing as the ninja that also had a copy of the seal tensed. It was a simple seal that glowed when chakra was applied to it, making the others that it was connected to glow as well. Its purpose was simple, it was a seal to signal the start of battle.

While the ninja who had came to Konoha to compete in the exams were now enjoying the festival that was going on, there was one kunoichi who was frantically looking for the blonde haired boy who captured her heart. Kin was panting as she asked everyone who she bumped into if they knew where Naruto lived. There wasn't much time left until the invasion started and she needed to tell him, he wouldn't immediately detain her and send her to T&amp;I for questioning, he would believe her, he had to.

"Naruto-kun! Naruto-kun where are you!" She shouted, ignoring the knowing looks that a few of the older ladies gave her as she continued to search for him.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Village Outskirts)

"Lord Hiruko, we have confirmed that the fireworks will be starting soon! All units are on standby!" An Oto-nin reported as Hiruko nodded.

"You all know the plan. Once the first explosion happens terminate with extreme prejudice. Leave no man, woman or child and cause as much bloodshed and destruction as possible." Hiruko said as the Oto-nin nodded before relaying the orders.

Tensing, Hiruko undid his bandages as he took a small black pill from the pocket of his coat before consuming it. A surge of energy welling up within him, he glared at the brightly lit village center as he began running through a series of seals.

(Scene Change - Konoha Village Center)

Getting up onto the center of the stage, Minato couldn't hide his tenseness as the ninja who he had stationed shared his feelings, finishing the last of their seals and waiting for the enemy. Glancing around, he made sure to make eye contact with the Anbu captains and the ninja who were tasked with protection, seeing them nod to confirm that they were ready. A bit of tenseness leaving his body, Minato flashed a smile as he addressed the crowd, hearing them cheer in response.

"Hello once again everyone! I hope that you all are enjoying the festival so far!" Minato said, getting a loud cheer in response.

"That's great to hear! Now, the moment a lot of you have been waiting for has finally arrived! The fireworks show will begin in! 3!" Minato started, getting the crowd to count down with him.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Village Outskirts)

"2!" A voice came from the radio that was placed beside Hiruko, finishing the last of his seals as a bead of sweat ran down the side of his face.

(Scene Change - Konoha Village Center)

"1!" The crowd continued, Minato and the ninja on standby tensing as they readied themselves.

"O!" They cheered as the flash and explosion of the first firework made their eyes light up, that joy and radiance that they had quickly turned to confusion and panic when they felt a very small tremor.

"No..." Kin whispered, her eyes wide as she saw the large thunderclouds tower above the village.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Village Outskirts)

"CHARGE!" An Suna-nin shouted as they quickly moved to invade.

"**Ranton Ōgi: Rankiryū**!" Hiruko shouted as a large black thundercloud started to form, slowly turning the clear sky black.

"It's time Konoha. I'll take the Sharingan, Byakugan, and everything of value. And above all else, I'll be taking that body." Hiruko whispered as he sped towards the village center, intent on ending things as soon as possible.

(Scene Change - Konoha Village Center)

As soon as they saw the towering thunderclouds, the shinobi who had the barrier seals quickly placed them on the ground, yelling at the villagers to get inside of them as the tremor grew stronger inside of the village. Quickly discarding their work attire, the ninja quickly moved outside of the barrier as they heard the sound of large number footsteps. Tensing themselves, they quickly put themselves in front of the sealing zones as the enemy troops arrived.

"Everyone, the safety of the villagers is our main priority! Do not let them into the safe zone even if it costs you your life!" An Anbu commander shouted as he made his way inside of the closest barrier, telling those inside of it that he would protect them with his life.

When Hiruko arrived on the scene he couldn't believe what he was seeing. They had prepared for and successfully prevented the slaughter that he had planned, they had the villagers in a safe zone that was made impenetrable by the numerous earth barriers that separated them from the battle zone. There were multiple squads of Anbu lining the rooftops ending those who tried to take to the rooftops, making it impossible to strike from above. Everything was falling to pieces before his eyes, they had played him like a fool.

Ducking under an overhead slash, Zabuza slammed his fist into the abdomen of the Oto-nin that tried to blindside him while he was escorting a group of villagers to safety. Following up, he turned and buried his knuckles into the shinobi's side, a cracking sound echoing before he grabbed the man's head and slammed it into the ground. Turning around, he quickly moved to intercept a group of Oto-nin as they began to overwhelm the ninja stationed in front of a barrier.

Pulling out a kunai, he quickly disposed of the closet ninja by hurling the kunai towards them, embedding it in the side of their head. When he reached the group, the Konoha nin were relieved to see a friendly face as they regained their morale. Pulling out a scroll, Zabuza quickly summoned his Kubikiribōchō as the enemy ninja took a step back after seeing the famous blade.

"Come'on, let's show these Suna and Oto shit stains what happens when you miss with Konoha!" Zabuza shouted as the ninja behind him roared.

Rushing in, he quickly cut down the Suna kunoichi that was closest to him, a bloodcurdling scream leaving her throat when he bisected her. Seeing him slice through an ally with such ease caused an immense wave of panic to spread through those who saw the gruesome act. Enjoying their shocked and horrified looks, Zabuza proceeded to run through the enemy ranks, cutting down those bearing the symbols of Oto or Suna.

Leaving such a large gap between him and the others, the Suna and Oto-nin quickly broke out of their stupor before turning and trying to try to kill the man that was cutting down their ranks. But as they did, many of them dropped dead with slash and stab wounds to their vital areas. Panic once again spreading through the ranks, a caption of the Suna-Oto army quickly turned to his forces.

"Switch to a defensive position, they can't cut us down if the ca-" He never finished relaying his orders as a blade pierced through his throat midsentence before being ripped out the side of it, Anko casting a icy glare at the stunned forces as she raised her tanto once more.

"None of you are going to leave here alive." She said before shooting forward, eliminating those caught in her path of carnage.

As the remaining forces struggled to move back to create some distance between them and the two demons that were in front of them, a soul chilling cold made it to them. Turning they paled when they saw a large mirror of ice blocking their batch of escape. As they were about to try and break through it, someone stepped out of it and gave them all a glare so cold it could freeze fire.

"**Ryōjin Hyōheki**." Haku said as she stepped out of the barrier, pulling out a handful of senbon before lodging them into the kill zones of the ninja before her.

With the combined forces of Haku, Anko and Zabuza, the morale of the barrier teams that they were assigned to protect rose immensely. Steeling their resolve, they glared at the opposing force as they held ground, many ignoring the pain that their wounds were causing them. In another section of the safe zone Kurenai, Asuma and Genma were taking down the enemy forces with ease. The barrier teams that they were assigned to protect picking off any stragglers that managed to escape the trio.

Side stepping to avoid a slash, Asuma retaliated with a brutal slash of his trench knife, cutting deeply into the face of the Suna-nin that had attacked him. Following up with his other trench knife, he sliced the ninja's throat open before kicking them away. With Genma, he was dispatching the ninja that Kurenai had under her genjutsu. Two duo working in sync as more and more ninja tried to separate the two. Jumping back to avoid an explosive note, Asuma rushed forward as he quickly ran through a set of seals before taking a deep breath.

"**Katon: Haisekishō**!" He shouted before blowing out a cloud made of gun power at the enemy ranks, causing a majority of them to cough and sneeze as they breathed in the gun powder.

Quickly glancing around, he saw Kurenai and Genma nod before he clicked his teeth, a small spark igniting the cloud as a violent explosion consumed the enemy forces. Taking another deep breathe, he quickly rolled to the side as volley of shuriken and kunai headed towards him. Quickly putting himself between the volley of weaponry and the barrier team, Genma flashed through a quick set of seals before putting his hand to his mouth.

"**Futon: Daitoppa**!" Genma shouted as surge of wind managed to either slow the weapons enough to become harmless or knocked them off course.

Moving in Kurenai placed her hands in a seal as she gathered her chakra, Genma and Asuma moving to cover her as a number of Suna and Oto-nin tried to rush her down.

"**Magen: Hanagasumi**!" Kurenai shouted as a large number of the enemy forces froze mid-charge as a few of them lost consciousness.

Rushing in, Asuma and Genma with a few Anbu quickly picked off those who were standing as they cleared the area of most of the hostiles, the rest of them falling back to regroup. The same was true for the area that Gai and Kakashi were in charge of, they quickly dispatched all opposing forces that laid in the vicinity of the area, the enemy units quickly falling back when the duo made it a competition to see who could take out the most enemies in a given amount of time.

Quickly moving in Gai struck and sent a number of enemy ninja crashing the abandoned stalls and nearby walls of the buildings close by. Lashing out with a devastating right, he struck the head of a nearby Oto-nin as a crack echoed, sending them crashing into a few of the other forces. Moving in, he quickly cut through the ranks with Kakashi taking up the rear, dispatching any and all stragglers as he glared at them with his Sharingan. Flashing through a set of seals, he created a clone before they held their hands out towards each other.

"**Raiden**!" The two shouted as lightning exploded from their hands before it connected to the other, forming a chain of lightning between the two.

Seeing him using such a jutsu, the enemy forces quickly tried to escape only to have their paths blocked by a wall made of earth. Glancing up they widened their eyes when they saw another Kakashi glaring down at them, his Sharingan glinting dangerously in the moonlight.

"**Doton: Doryūheki**." The clone said before dispersing, leaving the enemies to the mercy of the pair charging towards them.

Most unable to let out a scream as their bodies locked when the electric current surged through them, they remaining members of the enemy ninja were quickly bisected when Kakashi and his clone passed through them. Ignoring the earth wall in front of them, him and his clone sliced through it and watched as it started to slide before falling onto the corpses of the ninja he had just cut down. His clone dispersing, he regarded the small massacre with a cold eye before he turned and moved back to the barrier squad he was in charge of protecting.

However the greatest scenes of carnage were the areas that were void of villagers. Because they didn't have to worry about the safety of those who they had to protect, the ninja who were stationed in those areas were able to fight to their fullest capabilities, and did so without a hint of remorse for those who invaded their village. While the enemy forces were being decimated, there were no casualties on Konoha's side, Tsunade and Shizune demanding that anyone who got injured report to them to be healed before they got back into the battle.

But there was one person who was ending every enemy ninja in his path, vanishing in and around the battlefield was Minato. Flashing between the enemy ranks, he was just cementing the fact that he was one of the fastest shinobi alive. Instead of his normally bright and happy eyes were cold and calculating, showing no hint of the warmth that normally resided inside of them when he slashed down the ones who had the gall to raise a hand to the ones that he swore to protect.

Throwing one of his specialize **Hiraishin** kunai into the throat of an Oto-nin, he quickly vanished in a yellow flash before reappearing beside the ninja he had just killed. Ripping out his kunai, he quickly repeated this action using more and more kunai before all that could be seen on the battlefield was an almost visible yellow line dancing through the ranks of the enemies. But he wasn't the only one who was wreaking havoc on the ninja who invaded them.

In another part of the village Kushina was demonstrating why she was also called by a lesser known title then the "Akai Chishio no Habanero", "Red Hot-Blooded Habanero", that many knew her as in Konoha. As she pierced and cut down the ninja who tried to get close to her children with her **Kongō Fūsa** she was demonstrating why she was called "Benikouhi", "Crimson Queen". Using her chains to skewer, slash and crush the ninja who had invaded Konoha; Kushina demonstrated a very different side to her children who she had ordered to stay inside of the barrier seal.

In front of them wasn't the kind, warm loving and gentle albeit harsh mother that they loved with all their heart. The woman in front of them shared the same face and body as their mother but she was entirely different, the opposite of the woman that they knew. The women in front of them was ruthlessly ending the lives of numerous ninja right before their eyes. The protests that had built up in their throats to go against her orders and join in on the battle were immediately silenced when she gave them a sharp glare, sending shivers up their spines.

"K-Kaa-chan is s-scary... E-Even scarier then u-usual..." Narumi whimpered as she clung to Mito and Menma, the two shaking in fear as well.

"N-No wonder K-Kaa-chan is one of Konoha's strongest ninja." Mito squeaked out, a little green at the way her mother was using the skewered body of a Suna-nin on the end of one of her chains as a blunt instrument, using it to collide with a multitude of other ninja.

"R-Remind me to never make K-Kaa-chan mad again..." Menma whimpered as his sisters nodded in agreement.

The three weren't the only ones who were forced into the barriers even though they were ninja themselves. Kushina had ordered them and those who were genin and below to get inside of the barriers, her glare and tone immediately shutting up any and all voices of protest that made it to her ears. Before she could reprimand those who choose to speak up against her, the Anbu captain quickly moved in to escort the more vocal ones inside of the barrier before she could react.

Narrowing her eyes, Kushina growled as she willed her chains to shoot towards a group of Suna-nin who were preparing seals for a jutsu, piercing them through their chests before using their bodies as a bludgeon to force another tightly knit group of ninja apart, the Anbu assigned to her area quickly picking off the isolated ninja. After what had happened today, Kushina was in an extremely foul mood and the invasion had caused the pot to boil over. This ninja would pay for ruining the night for her family and the other families in Konoha, even more unforgivable was the fact that a few of them had looked at Mito and Narumi with such disgusting eyes. She had saved them for last, deliberately forcing them to move away from the main body of their troops.

"You're going to regret looking at my girls like that you scum." Kushina whispered under her breath in a tone colder then ice as she weaved through a large number of seals before raising her hand towards the decimated group of ninja.

"**Kongō Fūsa: ****Sajō Sabaku**." She whispered as her chains started to glow a whitish blue as opposed to their usual yellow.

Closing her fist, a section of the chain shattered as it surrounded the group of ninja that she had separated, wrapping tightly around their chests as they struggled to move. The chains seemed to be heavier then the earth itself as they immediately fell to the ground, unable to move even with the combined efforts of all of those who were chained. They looked up to see their allies panic before they ran, leaving them alone to hear a lone pair of footsteps growing louder.

Raising their heads, they paled as they saw what could only be described as the face of a demon enraged. Their struggling getting more and more violent as Kushina neared, they froze when she stopped in front of them, her eyes glaring down coldly at them. Before they could speak they were quickly set ablaze, the chains glowing white before igniting. Their agonized screams piercing the air, Kushina watched with an impassive face as they were reduced to ashes before her chains fell to the ground harmlessly.

"**Kongō Fūsa: Shinku ****Kasō**." Kushina said in a cold tone as turned to move back to the barrier squad she was protecting, Anbu and villager alike giving her scared looks before she took up a protective position in front of her children who flinched a little when she arrived.

"I'm sorry you all had to see that but those pieces of scum did something truly unforgivable." Kushina said in a softer tone then before as she turned to face her kids and those behind her, her eyes softer and warmer like they usually were.

Seeing that Kushina had returned to bit to her usual self, they all relaxed, her children's expressions changing from looks of fear to understanding. After all they had seen the way that those men had looked at them, Menma almost rushing out to drive a **Rasengan** if Kushina hadn't stopped him. Knowing that she had done what she did for them, Mito and Narumi moved to give her a quick hug before moving back to the barrier before Kushina could yell at them. Her back turned to them, they couldn't see the smile on her face as she moved her hand up to wipe a few stray tears away.

"_I will protect everyone with my life, so please be safe Naru-chan. Your Kaa-chan will be there soon, so please be okay._" She worriedly thought as another group of ninja arrived only to retreat at the sight of Kushina's smoldering chains.

Once they combined forces of the Oto and Suna-nin had been driven away from the villagers. A majority of the Konoha force regrouped to the village center, the fastest were assigned to scout the perimeter of the village's center to look for anyone who needed to get to the center. Arriving in a flash of yellow, Minato made his way to the stage as he grabbed the microphone and moved to address the Suna-nin.

"Attention! All Suna-nin! You have all been deceived, the man who you thought was the Kazekage was in fact an imposter! I have confirmed it with the Kazekage's children and they have confirmed that he is indeed a fraud. They are safe and I ask that you all surrender and leave Konoha's walls and await the return of the Kazekage's children. You will be given three minutes to leave Konoha, after that we will not hold back!" Minato spoke into the microphone.

For a few seconds, it seemed that no one was going to heed his warning but soon a large amount of ninja could be seen moving over Konoha's gates as they fled the village. Seeing that brought a small smile to his face, though it turned slightly bitter when he knew that they had killed ninja who were just following orders. After three minutes, they were about to move but stopped when a number of strong tremors shook the village as a number of large, white clouds of smoke appeared around the village.

(Scene Change - Naruto's Apartment)

His eyes snapping open, Naruto quickly got up as his instincts were screaming at him to move and quickly. Getting out of bed Naruto turned to the window and proceeded to widen his eyes as he saw multiple large clouds of smoke rise encompass parts of the village. But before he could move a tremor rocked his apartment as a tail came crashing into it, completely leveling part of the building.

That tail belonged to a large white, skeletal looking beast. The head being that of a dog-like beast while having the wings of a bird, its tails being composed of two snake-like creatures. Letting out a loud roar, it began to destroy the buildings around it, seemingly unaware that there were no inhabitants in any of the other buildings.

As it raised its paw to level the rest of Naruto's apartment it froze when a haze of black and crimson chakra appeared in the rubble of the building that it was about to destroy. Tilting its head curiously, the ones who summoned it appeared on the top of its head as they stared down at the phenomenon happening before them.

"Oh, what do we have here?" Ni said as she licked her lips, a little excited about what was happening.

"Something that shouldn't still be alive." San said as he narrowed his eyes, Ichi following suit.

"What the fuck? How the fuck is that shithead still alive after the fuckton of rubble that fell on him?!" A redhead shouted as she stared on in disbelief at what she was seeing.

They soon widened their eyes when minor explosion blew the rubble away, revealing a shirtless and bloody Naruto. His pants were shredded as wounds littered his body from the rubble that fell on him. Heaving out an exhausted sigh, his normally blank face soon shifted as he raised his head to meet with the trio on top of the chimera.

"You just had to make my day worse..." Naruto said in an irritated tone, his eyes sparking an electric blue as a small scowl made its way to his face, the trio on top of the chimera flinching as they felt a sense of true mortality.

(Scene Change - Konoha Village Center)

"So they had summons huh." Jiraiya said in a nonchalant tone, Tsunade and Orochimaru standing up to meet with him as they moved towards the barrier, the eyes of the villagers and ninja widening when they caught sight of them.

"Look! It's Jiraiya-sama, Orochimaru-sama and Tsunade-sama! We'll be able to protect Konoha easily now!"

"We're not going to lose now! Come'on let's go!"

"Am I glad to see all of you here, with you here there's no way that the enemy will win."

A myriad of cheers made it to the ears of the three as Tsunade and Orochimaru looked a little bashful at all the praise that they were receiving while Jiraiya basked in it. But after a few seconds, they move to get the their godchildren as a smirk appeared on their faces, Kushina and Minato moving to meet them.

"Where do you think you're taking my kids?" Kushina said in an icy tone, causing even Orochimaru to shiver slightly.

"They've got something they want to show you and everyone Kushina. Isn't that right?" Jiraiya said as the three looked confused before their eyes widened, a determined look in place of their confusion.

"Yeah, we need to show you that we're strong enough to stand on our own Kaa-chan!" Narumi shouted, Mito and Menma following in her example.

Before Kushina could reprimand them, Minato moved forward and looked at them with eyes filled with pride mixed with concern. Glancing up at the Sannin before him, they nodded as they knew what he was asking of them. Even if he didn't ask them, they would protect these three with their lives. Quickly placing a hand on the shoulders of each of them, they quickly **Shunshin**'d to the rooftop of the nearby buildings, each of them facing one of the four summon chimera.

Biting their thumbs, they went through the seals in the order of I, Inu, Tori, Saru, Hitsuji before jumping off the building and slamming their palms onto the air.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu**!" The three shouted as a large array of seals formed in the air as three more large clouds of smoke blanketed the village.

When the clouds cleared those below looked on with wide eyes as before them were the boss summons of the slugs, snakes and toads; Katsuyu, Manda and Gamabunta. Glancing around, they were a little confused as to why they were summoned in Konoha but soon when their eyes met with the chimera staring them down they knew why they were summoned, the question that danced on their minds was just who summoned them.

"**Jiraiya! Where are you, you fool?!**" Gamabunta shouted before taking a drag of his pipe, but as he inhaled he saw that he was with his two old time friends.

"**Ah, well if it isn't Katsuyu and Manda. It's been awhile hasn't it.**" Gamabunta said as Katsuyu nodded while Manda smirked.

"**Still a classless fool as ever Bunta. When will you learn that smoking that pipe will only send you to the grave faster.**" Manda said in a condescending tone, looking for Orochimaru.

"**Gamabunta, Manda, we shouldn't fight! We've been reunited after all these years. Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama, Orochimaru-sama, where are you?**" Katsuyu asked in a gentle tone.

Soon all of them felt something land on the top of their heads before it made its way town to their noses, the three looking on in surprise as they saw their old summoners along with the children who signed a contract with them nearly a month ago.

"**Do not tell me... Orochimaru did Mito-chan...?**" Manda said in a tone of disbelief, getting Orochimaru to smirk while Mito blushed in embarrassment.

"**You've got to be kidding me Jiraiya, he may be Minato's son but he is way too young to be able to summon me.**" Gamabunta bellowed as Menma's eye twitched at the insult while Jiraiya snickered.

"**Narumi-chan was it? So it was you who summoned me? You're just as talented as Tsunade-sama said you were!**" Katsuyu said in a praising tone, Narumi blushing deeply as Tsunade patted her on the head.

"Manda-sama, would you please lend me your power? I want to protect my home and everyone who lives here, and I can't do it alone! Please!" Mito asked in a pleading tone as Manda leveled his gaze on her, staring into her soul.

"**Very well Mito-chan, I shall grant you this one favor. But do know that I expect ample compensation in the future should you summon me again.**" Manda said in regal tone as Mito's eyes lit up as she hugged Manda's snout, the scales on the cheek of the boss summon turning a little pink at the contact.

"Thank you so much Manda-sama! I promise I will make it up to you!" Mito said in a determined tone as Manda nodded, instructing the pair to move to the top of his head.

"**Hmph. I guess I'll make you my henchman for now boy, I can't have Manda upstaging me. Get on top of my head and hold on, if you fall off you're not worthy of summoning me whether your Minato's son or not!**" Gamabunta said as Jiraiya grabbed Menma and moved before the boy could say anything in return.

"**Well, shall we be off Tsunade-sama? Narumi-sama?**" Katsuyu asked in a polite tone, Tsunade nodded as she picked up Narumi and moved to the top of her head.

With the three summons finally ready to battle, they all shared looked, or rather Manda and Gamabunta shared looks, before turning and rushing towards the chimera in their direction. As they did so, Minato looked on with a proud smile before he was turned around and slapped by an irate Kushina. Pulling him in close, she leaned to his ear before whispering words that he dreaded to hear.

"**We'll talk about this later Mina-kun.**" She said in a demonic tone before rushing towards the North, where Naruto's apartment and the remaining chimera was.

Sighing as he calmed his heart, Minato immediately tensed up as he narrowed his eyes, turning to face a short, pale, bandaged child. Their eyes meeting Minato settled into a combat stance as the child in front of him glared at him with a seemingly endless amount of hate in his eyes. Quickly throwing a volley of kunai, Minato turned to the ninja behind him as he quickly addressed them.

"The battle is not yet over! Protect the villagers with your lives!" He shouted before vanishing in a flash of yellow, reappearing next to the child as he drove a **Rasengan** into his chest as he looked on with wide eyes before he was sent barreling back.

"So you're the one behind this... Hiruko..." Minato said as the bandaged child gave him a chilling laugh before removing the bandages around his mouth, showing off his grotesque and chilling visage.

"I will have what is mine Minato Namikaze!" Hiruko shouted as he vanished, making Minato's eyes widen before he too vanished, blurs of silver and gold being the only way to tell where they were.

(Scene Change - Naruto's Apartment)

After his rude awaking, Naruto was glaring at the four that stood onto of the creature that had just destroyed his apartment building. Normally he wouldn't be as upset as he was now but after the day that he had, dealing with his family and the hallucination he had, he was in a terrible mood. Black and crimson lightning sparking up and down his arm, he narrowed his eyes on the four that were on top of the beast. He had seen one of them before, during the second trial of the exams and back then he had butchered her.

"Oh~! So you remember me cutie? My, my, don't tell me you're lusting after my body after having not seen it for so long! You're such a naughty boy!" Ni said in a teasing tone, getting Naruto to suppress a growl after hearing it.

"Cut that shit out you whore, we're here to kill them not fuck them!" Tayuya as Ichi and San sighed at her excessive use of language.

"Oh, this coming from the bitch who no one would want to touch with a ten foot pole? Is that jealousy I hear?" Ni said in a condescending tone as Tayuya growled.

Before either of them could do anything, Naruto had enough of them wasting his time. Rushing in, he cocked his fist back as he gathered Ryuuton chakra into it. But when he neared the chimera Ichi and San had moved to intercept him, swiping at him with a synchronized set of kunai. Jumping and spinning in the air, he managed to get away with two minor slashed on his chest and back. Landing on his feet, he turned and stuck San with his fist, the man's eyes widening as pain like no other ripped through his body.

"**Ryuuton: Bakuryuuken**!" Naruto shouted as his fist connected with San's chest, a violent pulse of black and crimson lighting exploding out his back, shredding his clothes in a circular pattern as he dropped to ground.

When he hit the ground, blood started oozing out of his orifices as the rest of his team looked on in a mix confusion and horror. That jutsu was unlike any they had seen before, especially Ni who had faced him earlier. Quickly moving back onto the chimera, Ichi ordered the backup units that were with them to engage Naruto. The chimera they were on jumping back to avoid friendly fire, they watched with morbid fascination was Naruto fought against their backup unlike any genin they had seen.

Anger, irritation, fatigue, and above all else hate coursed through Naruto. At first he was just confused as to what was happening while he was sleeping but after the violent awaking that he had, he saw that it was an invasion by an enemy nation. They had the gall to invade and destroy the place that he had called home? The place where the few people who were close to him lived? They would regret it and Naruto would make sure that none of them survived, especially the chimera that had destroyed his home. Gritting his teeth as he endured the rain of kunai and shuriken that were sent towards him, Naruto didn't notice the black scale-like pattern that was slowly moving to cover the left side of his body as his pupils shifted from being round to being draconian in shape.

Letting out a roar that shook the ground, causing a few of the Oto-nin to pause in their assault, Naruto rushed in and started decimating their forces. Reaching the first Oto-nin, he slammed his fist into their chest, a sickening crunch sounding as the ninja's head snapped forward, Naruto kicking the body to the side as it crashed into the rubble that used to be his home. Bringing up his arm, he didn't even flinch as a kunoichi drove her kunai into his forearm. Cocking his free arm back, he lashed out and caught her jaw, a crunching sound echoing as he completely shattered her lower jaw and teeth, sending her into the air.

Grabbing her by the ankle, he turned and swung her into another shinobi who had tried to take his back, their heads connecting in a hollow crunch as they were sent tumbling along the ground. Sidestepping, Naruto winced as a katana barely missed slicing through his kidney, retaliating but slamming his knuckles into the temple of the shinobi who had cut him, sending him crashing into the ground with his neck bent at an impossible angle. Clutching his side, Naruto growled in pain as he seared it shut with a simple katon jutsu.

After the deed was done he rushed back in to meet with the remaining Oto-nin, ignoring the kunai and shuriken that were embedded in his body; the effects of the seal, adrenaline, and his draconian instincts mitigating all the pain that he would have been feeling. Stopping before another stunned kunoichi, he cocked his fist back before it surged with more Ryuuton chakra.

"**Ryuuton: ****Garyuusai**!" He roared before his fist connected with her jaw, ripping her head off as her body moved to grab at her nonexistent head before collapsing and convulsing slightly, her teammates looking on in absolute horror at what had just occurred.

Panting, Naruto ignored the feelings of pain that were starting to return, he was still outnumbered and he had to crush the summon in front of him. Pulling his right fist back, he starting charging Ryuuton chakra into it as a few of the Oto-nin moved to interrupt him before he could close in on them.

"**Ryuuton: Kouryuureppa**!" Naruto shouted ignoring the blood that erupted from his fist as he ran his fist along the ground, sending a black and crimson wave at the horrified Oto-nin that were now in front of him.

Screaming as the wave engulfed them, they quickly fell to the ground at started grabbing their bodies, trying to rid themselves of the black and crimson splotches of corruption that was slowly spreading across their body. Their screams becoming more agonized and hoarse, they soon stopped moving as their hands fell to the ground, their eyes wide with blood flowing from them with their faces frozen in an agonized expression. The remaining Oto-nin looked on with terrified expressions at the inhumane deaths of their comrades before glancing at the blonde haired boy who caused it.

Clutching his bleeding and slightly corrupted right hand, Naruto futilely tried to recover from using as much Ryuuton chakra as he did. His body still not used to using more then three jutsu using a large amount of the volatile chakra, he had already crossed that threshold by using four. Gritting his teeth he fell to a knee as the black scales that covered his left side started to advance, his sense of pain returning as agony surged through his body. Seeing him in such a vulnerable state the remaining Oto-nin quickly moved to take care of him, flashing through a long set of seals as Naruto charged more Ryuuton chakra to his left hand.

"Come'on, don't give out on me yet body!**Ryuuton: Ryuuzankuu**!" He shouted as he swung his left hand, biting back a shout of pain as his left hand was shredded by the very chakra he was using.

Razor sharp blades of Ryuuton natured chakra racing through the air, the remaining Oto-nin weren't able to evade in time as they were instantly put our of commission, either being killed outright or losing a limb from the black and crimson blades of chakra. Bringing his left hand up, he couldn't help but wince when he saw how badly damaged it was. His palm looked like someone had ground it down nearly to the bone while the bone of his knuckles were exposed. Glancing at his right hand, he saw that it was nearly in the same shape, though it was a little better as it was merely littered in cuts and a little bit of corruption.

On the chimera Ichi, Ni and Tayuya could only gape at what they had just seen. Not only did a genin take care of a group of chūnin and jōnin level ninja, he was still standing after it, though it looked like he would collapse at any time. Quickly dropping down, Ichi rushed to end Naruto as soon as possible, having seen that he was far too much of a threat to allow to live.

"**Dakōmō**!"Drawing his hand back he threw it out once more, as two snakes-like creatures shot from his hands before their mouths opened, more of the same creatures emerging as they moved to strike Naruto.

"Guh!" Naruto shouted, wincing as a searing pain flared throughout his body. Managing to tilt his head down, he saw that the creatures were injecting something inside of him which he could only assume was venom.

"_I-I have to t-thank Gigginox when I get back for subjecting me to p-poison endurance._" Naruto thought as the poison probably wasn't as severe as it should have been due to the number of antibodies that he had acclimated from having trained with the "Creeping Venom".

But as he slowly gained back the strength that he had lost, managing to stand back up, he fell back down as his eyes grew heavy. Glancing down, his eyes widened when he saw that the snakes were growing in size. As he reached a conclusion, Ichi's laughter made its way to his ears, causing Naruto to turn his attention to the man.

"Hahaha! So you figured it out huh? I guess you have more chakra then I thought. Yes, those aren't ordinary snakes, they can inject you with venom or drain you of your chakra. As you can see, they grow in accordance to the amount of chakra that they drain and it seems that you're a charka buffet." Ichi said in a condescending tone as Naruto narrowed his eyes, his vision started to fade in and out of focus.

As his vision started to turn dark, he was about to reach for the snakes that were latched onto him but a sudden rain of shuriken forced them to detach as the sound of footsteps made it to his ears. Narrowing his eyes in an attempt to focus on the person who made saved him, they widened when he finally managed to focus on them. But it wasn't him who was the most surprised as Tayuya's eyes widened as she gaped at the newcomer.

"K-Kin!? What are you doing!?" She shouted as she stared at the scene of Kin standing protectively in front of Naruto.

"I... I-I'm protecting my boyfriend!" She shouted as she tightened her grip on her kunai, the jaw's of Ichi, Ni and Tayuya dropping as Naruto's eyes widened at her statement.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?"

(Scene Change - Konoha Village Center)

In a battle of speed, Minato and Hiruko seemed to be evenly matched as Minato quickly flashed around the battlefield with the use of his **Hiraishin** while Hiroko relied on his **Jinton: Mueishō**. But if one were to look closely, they would see that Hiruko was beginning to slow down, his movements becoming slightly sluggish in comparison to how they were at the beginning of their battle. Quickly flashing away to avoid a rain of slashes from Hiruko's **Houtai Kiritateru**, Minato retaliated with a quick sequence of rapid slashes that Hiruko failed to avoid completely.

As the two raced around the battlefield they exchanged another rain of slashes before they reappeared on opposite sides of the battlefield, glaring daggers at each other. While Minato only had mostly superficial cuts, the largest wound being a cut on his cheek, Hiruko was in much better shape. He had sustained practically zero damage, shown by the lack of cuts that should have littered his body or the damage that should have been present from the **Rasengan** that he took earlier, his eyes burning with such calm hatred that even Minato couldn't help but tense at how calm the mummified man was.

Taking the initiative, Minato quickly flashed to Hiruko's side with a another **Rasengan** formed in his hand, Hiroko unable to react in time as Minato drove it into his side, sending him careening into a nearby building. As a small cloud of dust obscured his vision, Minato tensed when Hiruko's walked out of the rubble without a scratch on him, the only indication of even being damaged being the scuff marks on his bandages. Narrowing his eyes, Minato couldn't believe that even after taking two **Rasengan** Hiruko was still able to move. Something didn't add up and it had to do with his invulnerability, no one was immortal and Hiruko was no exception, even with the number of Kekkei Genkai that he had assimilated.

"Something wrong Minato? Frustrated that you're unable to inflict any form of damage on me? I would be as well if I were facing myself." Hiruko said with a nasty sneer on his face, Minato glaring at the man.

Forming another **Rasengan** in his hands Minato flashed once again to his side but was stopped when Hiruko held out his hand towards his **Rasengan**, revealing a strangely shaped tattoo on his palm. Right before his eyes, Minato's Rasengan began to lose its shape as the diamond shaped mark glowed red, absorbing the sphere until nothing remains. Quickly flashing away, Minato quickly assessed the situation that had just occurred.

"_What was that? He absorbed my __**Rasengan**__... Which Kekkei Genkai was that?_" Minato thought as Hiruko started cackling.

"Surprised Minato? That was a favorite jutsu of mine. **Meiton: Kyūketsukō**." Hiruko said as Minato narrowed his eyes before they widened when he saw Hiruko form a **Rasengan** of his own before he vanished.

When he appeared above him, Minato quickly flashed away as Hiruko slammed the sphere into the ground that Minato was standing once a second ago. As it grinded away the ground, Minato appeared beside him and slammed another **Rasengan **into the bandaged man's side as he was sent flying away once again. And when he was flying that's when he saw it, on the left side of his chest was a scar. While that wouldn't have drawn the attention of most, it was a clear sign to Minato that Hiruko could be injured.

A smirk making its way to his face, Minato held out his hand as he formed another Rasengan, however this time he used his other hand to cup the sphere, instead of the bright blue glow it was instead glowing a whitish blue, small protrusions jutting out the sides of it was he started to sweat, the concentration starting to strain him. When Hiruko vanished and reappeared beside him, his eyes widened when he saw what Minato was doing. Their eyes meeting, Minato flashing him a small smirk.

"**Futon: Rasengan**!" Minato shouted before pulling his arm back and slamming the sphere into the scar of the bandaged man, Hiruko's eyes going wide as a silent scream escaped his lips.

(Scene Change - Konoha West Gate)

Gamabunta engaging the chimera immediately by drawing his blade and inflicting a deep wound to its shoulder, Menma nearly fell off had he not been forced to walked on various surfaces by Jiraiya. Holding on using chakra, he watched in awe as the two titans battled it out, the chimera failing to land a serious blow on the toad boss. While he was distracted with the battle, he never noticed that Jiraiya had moved to engage the Sound Four member that was assigned to the area.

Landing on the rooftop of a nearby building, Jiraiya stared down the tense forms of both Sakon and Ukon. His eyes narrowing as the two started to be covered in a strange black pattern before they completely shifted into demonic looking humans. Turning to quickly nod at each other, they rushed to meet with Jiraiya in an attempt to buy as much time as possible. Their efforts were in vain as when they struck Jiraiya, he dispersed into a plume of smoke, the eyes of the two widening as they heard the sound behind them.

"**Katon: Rasengan**." He said in a cold tone as he slammed the two spheres into the backs of the two shinobi as they were blasted back, their screams of pain soon being devoured by the spiral of flames that reduced them to ashes.

"You're lucky my godson was here, or else I would've done much more horrible things to you." Jiraiya whispered before he turned to watch Gamabunta and Menma's battle.

"**To think you summoned me for such a weakling! Tch, I had better finish this quick before Ma gets mad at me. Gaki, do you know any katon jutsu?**" Gamabunta asked, Menma responding in the positive.

"**Good. When I hit them with my oil, light it up alright.**" Gamabunta said as his cheeks swelled up before he fired a stream of oil at the chimera, the beast's attempt to fly being shot down by the oil that coated and weighed it down.

"**Gamayudan**!" Gamabunta shouted as he continued to fire out the oil.

"**Katon: Endan**!" Menma shouted, firing a stream of fire at the oil.

"**Katon: Gamayu Endan**!" Gamabunta shouted as the stream of fire devoured the chimera, the beast roaring and rolling to rid itself of the blaze.

Soon the beast's struggling died down as all that remained of it was a charred corpse before it was enveloped in a thick plume of smoke, leaving nothing behind as Menma cheered at his victory. Jiraiya smiling as Gamabunta scoffed.

"We did it Gamabunta!" Menma cheered as Gamabunta smirked a little, unable to mask his amusement at the blonde's actions.

"**Of course Gaki, who do you think I am?**" Gamabunta asked as Menma praised him, Jiraiya shaking his head at the blonde stroking the toad's ego.

Turning they watched the battles of the summons, excited to see what was to come.

(Scene Change - Konoha South Gate)

Arriving at the south gate Katsuyu, Narumi and Tsunade stared down the chimera and the orange haired large man that stood on top of it. A little nervous, Narumi was given a little more courage as Tsunade squeezed her shoulder gently, Katsuyu also offering her words of encouragement. The chimera charging them as Katsuyu held her ground, sending the beast flying back by redirecting the flow of kinetic energy back to it.

Jumping off, Tsunade and Jirobo faced off as the man scoffed at her, getting a raised eyebrow from the blonde.

"You're the old hag that Lord Hiruko was talking about?" Jirobo sneered at Tsunade, the woman's eyes darkening as he continued to jeer at her.

"You have got to be joking. I expected someone with more tact, not some shameless woman like yo-." He was cut off when he was sent careening into a building, Tsunade cracking her knuckles before wiping off the blood that covered it.

"Watch your match." She said in a chilling tone, Jirobo pulling himself out of the building as he revealed another set of black markings covering his body before it slowly changed the color of his skin, his hair growing out.

"That hurt you bitch! You'll pay for that you fossil!" Jirobo roared as he charged Tsunade, slamming her full force with a palm strike to the middle of her chest.

A smirk on his face, Jirobo glanced up before he paled, the smirk leaving his face as Tsunade was staring down at him with a soul chilling glare.

"That's is? You talk like you're powerful but that? I didn't feel a thing." Tsunade said before cocking her fist back and slugging him full force on the temple.

When she pulled her fist back, it came back without a splotch of blood as Jirobo's body fell to the ground with its head missing, the remains of it smeared across the rooftop as Tsunade regarded it with a cold glare before turning and watching Narumi and Katsuyu deal with the chimera.

"Katsuyu-sama! Get me in close and I'll hit that thing with everything I've got!" Narumi shouted as Katsuyu nodded, moving in and slamming into the chimera as Narumi jumped off.

"HAA! **RINMEI**!" She roared as she slammed her fist in the dead center of the chimera's skull, a loud cracking sound echoing as it's face splintered and cracked slightly, the beast reeling back as Katsuyu caught Narumi.

"**Excellent work Narumi-sama! Please, allow me to finish it off.**" Katsuyu said as she took a large inhale of air.

"**Zesshi Nensan**!" Katsuyu shouted as she fired a yellow colored acid at the chimera, the beast roaring and thrashing about as it was dissolved right before their eyes before being engulfed in a cloud of smoke, leaving nothing behind.

"W-WE DID IT! You were awesome Katsuyu-sama!" Narumi shouted as Katsuyu blushed at the praise that she was receiving.

"**P-Please Narumi-sama, it was because of your attack that we won.**" Katsuyu said in an attempt to get out of the spotlight, Tsunade smiling at their antics.

After the battle was over, they looked towards the others to see how they were faring in their battles.

(Scene Change - Konoha East Gate)

On top of Manda, the trio were staring down the chimera and Kidomaru who stood atop it, the multi-armed man sweating as he felt the cold gazes of Orochimaru and Manda. Turning towards Mito, Orochimaru gave her a faint smile as she returned it many times over. Jumping off, he intercepted Kidomaru who jumped off the chimera in an attempt to gain distance between the two powerhouses, only to be thrown to a rooftop.

After pulling himself out of the small crater that he created upon impact, he had forced himself into his level two state, his third eye widening as he saw Orochimaru already standing before him. Quickly drawing his bow, he jumped backwards only to see that his world started to shift. When he started falling back, his eyes widened when he saw his lower half in the process of jumping back as he realized that his upper body was falling to the ground, the two separated before he even registered the pain of being bisected.

When his torso hit the ground and the feeling of being bisected finally registered, he looked at Orochimaru sheathing his Kusanagi no Tsurugi while looking at him with an interested and almost annoyed gaze. He wasn't even a threat in the eyes of the man before him, he was nothing more then an annoying insect that was buzzing around him. His head hitting the ground, Kidomaru had never felt such worthlessness in the entirety of his life until this moment and it had happened in less then a second.

"Such a waste of time." Orochimaru sighed in an irritated tone, returning his attention to Manda and his goddaughter a smile on his face as he stared with curiosity in his eyes.

"Manda-sama, I'm not very strong so I'm sorry if I can't support you very much. But I'll do my best!" Mito said as Manda smirked, glad that the girl knew that she wasn't omnipotent.

"**That is quite alright Mito-chan. We are not capable of doing everything. I will lend you as much power as you need.**" Manda said as Mito beamed a smile at him, Manda's smirk growing.

Rushing in, the snake boss summon slammed into the chimera before curling and whipping it with his tail, sending it slightly into the air. A plume of smoke appearing, a giant curved blade appeared in Manda's mouth as he moved to execute a devastating array of slashes against the beast before wrapping around and driving the blade into the neck of the chimera.

"**Jakougatotsu**." Manda said as he released the blade from his mouth, Mito flashing through a number of seals.

"**Raiton: Denpō Sekka**!" Mito shouted as she placed her hand on the blade, sending a supercharged current of lighting into the chimera as it started thrashing and convulsing as Manda tightened his hold on the beast.

Finally when it stopped moving, the beast disappeared in a cloud of smoke as did Manda's blade. When it did Mito cheered as Manda just shook his head at her celebration.

"W-We did it Manda-sama! You were amazing!" Mito said as she praised the snake boss, Manda chuckling in return.

"**I believe we did it Mito-chan, had you not shocked that beast from the inside, I would have been unable to finish it off within a respectable amount of time.**" Manda said as Mito flushed slightly, smiling at the boss summon.

Their battle over, the trio turned to look at the other battles, interested to see how they were faring against the enemy.

(Scene Change - Konoha North Gate)

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Tayuya's scream pieced through the area, her eyes wide as a light dusting of pink colored her cheeks.

"You have to be joking me." Ni said as she facepalmed, shaking her head at Kin's statement.

"You do know that this is treason." Ichi however broke out of his stupor rather quickly, leveling a glare at the black haired girl.

"I-I know, but I will p-protect Naruto-kun." Kin said with determination in her eyes.

But before she could move, a hand found its way to her shoulder, Kin tensing before she panicked when she saw who it belonged to. Seeing the boy she loved in such a horrible state nearly drove Kin to tears, the only reason she didn't was because of the situation that they were in. Releasing his hold on her, Naruto winced as he moved beside her, taking a stance the put his weight off his left side, the side that he cauterized.

"N-Naruto-kun!" She shouted, moving to support him as the other Oto-nin frowned at the sight.

"I'm fine. Just need to catch my breath real quick. Do you have a soldier and plasma pill on you?" He asked, Kin fishing through her pouch before pulling out the items that he requested.

Taking them, Naruto felt a surge of energy before it faded away making him sigh as he knew that would happen. But the pain the racked his body subsided enough for him to continue battling, though he would have to rely on his legs rather then his hands. Asking for a kunai, Kin couldn't help but blush a little when he asked her to put it in his mouth. After she did, he took a step forward as Ichi tensed. Then without warning, Naruto exploded forwards as Kin called out to him to stop.

Lashing out with a vicious kick that Ichi blocked, a quick crack echoing softly, as the man winced. Avoiding a slash to the throat, Ichi tried to get some distance between him and Naruto only to fail as Naruto stuck close to him, making sure that the man didn't get time to use his jutsu. Spinning on his foot, he slammed his heel into Ichi's side as the man hunched over slightly before his head snapped up when Naruto quickly spun and smashed his chin with the tip of his foot. Sending him into the air slightly before he was kicked away with a another spinning back kick.

As they engaged in a battle, Ni frowned as she looked at a stunned Tayuya before jumping down to take on Kin. Bringing up her kunai to block a downward slash from Ni, Kin winced as the older women started to overpower her before she brought her knee up and slammed it into Kin's abdomen. The air leaving her lungs, Kin managed to twist her body as Ni buried her kunai into her shoulder, a cry of pain leaving her throat as Tayuya snapped out of her stupor, her eyes widening when she saw what was happening to Kin.

"What the fuck are you doing you whore!" She shouted as she threw a volley of kunai at Ni, the older woman jumping away as Tayuya sprinted towards Kin.

"You're betraying us as well Tayuya?" Ni said in an irritated tone as Tayuya turned to glare at her.

"What the fuck do you think you slut! You just stabbed my best friend you bitch!" Tayuya shouted as Kin widened her eyes.

"T-Tayuya..." Kin said in a soft tone as Tayuya immediately turned to her.

"Don't you fucking die on me, got it?" She said in a harsh tone as Kin giggled despite the situation.

Standing up she felt her curse mark flare to life before she went into her level two state, bringing her flute to her lips as Ni tensed up. Playing an eerie melody as she summoned three grotesque looking giants. Continuing her melody, the Doki moved to attack Ni as the older woman danced around the giants with relative ease. Her frustration showing in her playing, Tayuya was about to snap when she heard a voice.

"Don't let your anger cloud your judgment. You'll only give her what she wants." Naruto called out as he dodged the bites of a multitude of snakes, having lost his kunai as Tayuya taking her eyes off Ni and giving him an irritated look.

"Mind your own fucking business you cocksucker! What the fuck would you know!" She shouted, taking her mouth off her flute for a split second before having to pick up her playing.

"Your song sounded very beautiful at the start and now it sounds horrible, it's reflecting your inner feelings." He replied as he smashed the head of one of the snakes that tried to bite his legs.

"B-Beautiful?! W-What fuck are you saying you shithead!" Tayuya stuttered out with pink coloring her cheeks, cursing as she picked up Kin and moved to avoid a hail of shuriken and kunai.

"It's just what I said. Your melody matched with you at the beginning, both were beautiful until you began to get angry." Naruto answered as he slammed his shoulder into Ichi's chest, the man stumbling back as Naruto smashed his heel to the side of his head, sending him to the ground.

"W-Well who the fuck asked you?" She shouted as she clashed against Ni, their kunai sparking against each other.

"You did. A little while earlier." Naruto replied as he stomped on and shattered Ichi's humerus, a scream leaving his throat.

"S-Shut the fuck up shithead!" Tayuya shouted back as she kicked Ni away, bring her flute back up to her lips as her Doki reappeared before engaging with Ni once more.

Not replying, Naruto brought his foot up and stomped onto Ichi's throat, a soft crunch sounding as he crushed the man's throat. Twisting his foot as a gurgle left the man's through, his body flailing about underneath him, his movements slowly stilled before his eyes rolled into the back of his head. As Naruto finished, Tayuya had finished as well, her Doki crushing Ni as she screamed in agony. With the two final members in charge of the chimera down, the beast started rampaging as Tayuya grabbed Kin and moved, Naruto releasing an exhausted sigh as he stared at the beast above him.

"Guess it's time... I hope I don't regret this..." Naruto sighed out as he gathered chakra into his right arm, wincing as pain exploded through it.

Painfully going through a string of seals, Naruto held out his arm as a tattoo in the symbol of a dragon appeared on his forearm. Smearing blood along it, he brought his hand out before slamming it on the ground, biting back the cry of pain that almost left his throat.

"**Kuchiyose no Jutsu**." He whispered, as another large cloud of smoke blanketed the area, causing everyone to pause in the middle of their actions and look up.

A hulking crimson body slowly appearing, many froze as the summon seemed to radiate killing intent, malice and hunger. As the cloud finally cleared, many dropped what they were holding as a beast unlike any other towered above them. Standing above them, staring down the chimera was Tigrex.

"**So, you've finally decided to summon me Naruto.**" He said in an irritated tone, though it quickly changed when he saw the state of his partner, heavily injured and bloody.

Rage filling his entire being, burning crimson veins appeared over his face and wings as he radiated even more killing intent and malice then before, causing those who weren't used to it to fall unconscious from the sheer amount that he was radiating.

(Scene Change - Konoha West Gate)

"W-What i-is th-that? Menma stuttered, as he looked with fear filled eyes at the monster across from him.

"I-I don't know Menma... I hope it's on our side..." Jiraiya said as he stood frozen in front of the beast.

"**I-Impossible...**" Gamabunta whispered, dropping his pipe as fear invaded his heart.

(Scene Change - Konoha South Gate)

"T-Tsunade-B-Baachan... I'm s-scared..." Narumi whimpered as she stared with wide eyes at the monster staring down the final chimera.

"I-I'll be fine Umi-chan..." Tsunade said as she tried to reassure the girl in her arms, not so sure herself.

"**T-That's impossible...**" Katsuyu whispered, shrinking in fear as she felt the malice that the beast was giving off.

(Scene Change - Konoha East Gate)

"O-Orochimaru-jiji... W-What is that thing?" Mito asked in a terrified tone, Orochimaru holding her close as she shook.

"T-That my dear Mito-chan... Even I have no idea what it is..." Orochimaru answered as a bead of sweat ran down the side of his head.

"**B-But they were all eliminated...**" Manda whispered in a frightful tone, opposite of his proud and confident one from before.

(Scene Change - Konoha Village Center)

Everyone stood frozen in place as they looked at the beast towering above them. Something innate and primal inside of them were screaming at them to get as far away from it as humanly and inhumanly possible. Many of those with weaker wills were knocked unconscious right away while the others stood frozen with fear.

"W-What the hell is that thing...?" Zabuza said in a shaky tone, the hand holding his blade shaking.

"I-I don't know Zabuza..." Anko said as she tightened her grip on her tanto, her eyes wide with fear.

"W-What is that..." Haku asked as she shivered in fear.

"I-It's a monster..." Asuma said as Kurenai nodded in agreement, both tightening their hold on their weapons.

"N-No way... I-Is it friendly?" Genma asked no one in particular.

"Another monster..." Was all that left Kakashi's mouth as stared at it.

"E-Even the Gates don't seem to be enough..." Gai said in a defeated tone.

With Minato and Hiruko, Minato was about to finish off Hiruko but froze when he caught sight of the beast in front of them.

"W-What in Kami's name is that..." He said, feeling much more hate and killing intent then the Kyūbi had.

"S-Such a beast existed..." Hiruko wheezed out as he fluttered in and out of consciousness.

(Scene Change - Konoha North Gate)

With Kushina, she was just a few meters away from reaching Naruto's apartment when she saw it. She couldn't believe that something held even greater malice and killing intent then the Kyūbi. Managing to glance up, her eyes widened when she saw her boy sitting on the snout of the beast. She wanted to run up there and save him, but she couldn't. She was paralyzed with fear.

"N-No... Naru-chan!" She managed to scream, hoping that he would hear her.

"**Just what... Did you insects... DO TO MY PARTNER!**" Tigrex roared, leveling the area around him as rubble that was at his feet was blow away while the thundercloud covered sky was instantly cleared as the chimera was send flying backwards before Tigrex drove his claws into its body like a heated blade through butter.

Opening his maw, he snapped his jaws shut as what could only be described as the sound of the heavens falling sounded, the entirety of the village having to cover their ears as pain exploded in them, making them ring as their vision went blurry. When they refocused on the beast they could only look on in horrid fascination as the chimera was missing half on its upper body, blood running down the sides of the monster's mouth as it threw the remains of the chimera over the walls of Konoha before taking a deep breath roaring once more. Slowly, Tigrex turned slightly and faced the three remaining summons as they shrunk back in fear.

"**YOU WILL ALL KNOW TRUE FEAR! I WILL DESTORY ALL OF YOU FOR LAYING A HAND ON HIM!**" He bellowed once again as the heavens and earth seemed to tremble themselves.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's a wrap guys. Wow, Fanfic made me go back and underall all the jutsu. -.- But eh, how was it? Eh, huh? I knows. But hey, thanks for sticking with it and reading it until the very end! Ah, yeah. Action scenes... Anywho, leave me a review guys. And you know all that jazz already, haha! Anywho, til next time, stay awesome!**

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**Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, by observing the Tailed Beast Ball. Minato spent three years developing the Rasengan; his intention was to take the shape transformation of one's chakra to the "highest possible point" and combine it with his chakra's nature affinity, creating a technique that did not need the aid of time-consuming hand seals to control. On shape transformation alone, the Rasengan is still a powerful, versatile, and difficult technique to learn and master.

**Kanchi Kekkai - Sensing Barrier**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkai Ninjutsu, Supplementary; The Sensing Barrier is a giant, dome-shaped barrier placed over a designated area. The barrier is not visible to the standard eye; when viewed with certain doujutsu, it can be seen that there is a design of several circles which have the kanji for boundary (界), and barrier (結界, kekkai) inscribed in them. When linked with a **Kanchi Suikyū**, all unauthorized passage in and out of the barrier can be detected and pinpointed. This barrier surrounds Konohagakure and is maintained by the village's barrier team.

**Kanchi Suikyū - Sensing Water Sphere**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Supplementary; This sphere, made of water, can be used to monitor chakra signatures in a given area. Individuals or groups are represented as varying-sized bubbles within the sphere, with larger chakra signatures having larger bubbles. The sphere itself is not a great form of detection and needs on-the-field reports to locate targets that should be kept track of. When linked with a Sensing Barrier, this imprecision is mitigated somewhat.

**Ranton Ōgi: Rankiryū - Storm Release Secret Technique: Demon Dragon Storm**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Hiruko uses the Ranton kekkei genkai he acquired through his **Kimera no Jutsu** to produce a massive thunder cloud capable of infinitely absorbing chakra to grow in size, strength and ferocity. The amount of chakra it receives will also increase. He can apparently channel this absorbed energy into himself, amplifying the technique to its highest limit. By using different seals while active, Hiruko can summon multiple red pillars of chakra in the area and/or mass-absorb multiple techniques through a suction into his mouth.

**Kimera no Jutsu - Chimera Technique**: S-Rank, Kinjutsu, Ninjutsu; It was originally meant to combine separate living bodies of organisms into one combined organism bearing the original characteristics of the organisms, and therefore create a synthetic body. Hiruko uses the technique to integrate the bodies of others with his own, allowing him to obtain any kekkei genkai they possess, as well as other special physical traits and absorb their chakra. The technique is also used by Hiruko and his followers to create formidable creatures which bear the traits of multiple animals. Hiruko has used this technique to steal four kekkei genkai: Ranton, Meiton, Kōton, and Jinton.

**Ryōjin Hyōheki - Woven-Ice Wall**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; A defensive wall that Haku creates by weaving threads of ice together, forming a wall that is much more resilient then any other barrier made of ice. Because the threads of ice are woven so tightly together, they are not only stronger but more flexible, allowing the barrier to bend but not break. It can't be melted or broken by ordinary means, requiring a great amount of heat or power.

**Katon: Haisekishō - Fire Release: Ash Pile Burning**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user spews a stream of chakra infused gun-powder from their mouth, which surrounds the region. As the gunpowder is composed entirely of ash, it stays in the air around the victim like a cloud, which can be used like a smokescreen. After surrounding the enemy with the ash, the user can ignite it with a flint placed on their teeth beforehand to create a spark, resulting in a violent explosion, burning the enemy. However, this technique requires keen senses to read the air currents, the insight to read the movements of the enemy, the tactical experience to not also enfold one's allies in the flames, and careful attention for the timing of the ignition.

**Futon: Daitoppa - Wind Release: Great Breakthrough**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; This is a relatively simple technique that creates a sudden gust of wind, but its scale varies greatly depending on the user. If used by a superior shinobi, it has enough destructive power to knock down a large tree. The wind from the squall can blow away all things in the user's line of sight. Adding it to katon jutsu can increase the power of said jutsu

**Magen: Hanagasumi - Demonic Illusion: Flower Mist**: B-Rank, Genjutsu; An widespread illusion that Kurenai utilizes that traps and prevents those inside of it from moving. Those caught in the illusion envision themselves being trapped on a large flower as it completely envelops them before exploding. While in reality they are either knocked unconscious or killed. However it is taxing on Kurenai when used on a large number of targets as each target is different when it comes to the amount of charka required to bind them.

**Raiden -Lightning Transmission**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; Using the aid of a clone, the two Kakashi each perform the **Raikiri** on opposite hands. Connecting their techniques together, they form a chain of lightning between themselves that is able to slice through objects with great ease. Kakashi is also able to wrap the lightning around a target, effectively restraining its movements.

**Raikiri - Lightning Cutter**: S-Rank; According to Gai, it gained its name after Kakashi split a bolt of lightning with it. Because the **Chidori** is already powerful on its own, the **Raikiri** requires better chakra control, which is exemplified in its appearance. The **Chidori** appears as simply a mass of white electrical chakra in the user's hand, while the **Raikiri **is more focused Kakashi is limited to using it four times in one day.

**Chidori - One Thousand Birds**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique channels a large amount of lightning chakra to the user's hand. The amount of chakra is so great that it becomes visible. The high concentration of electricity produces a sound reminiscent of many birds chirping, hence the name. Once the technique is completed, the user charges forward and thrusts the Chidori into the target. This produces heavy amounts of damage that is usually fatal. This technique is classified as an assassination technique because of the speed at which it is performed, despite the loud noise it produces. The **Chidori** can also be used to simply electrocute the opponent without impaling them. Kakashi noted that he created this technique as the result of his failed attempt to apply his Raiton nature transformation to **Rasengan**, which embodies the highest level of shape transformation.

**Doton: Doryūheki - Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user creates a solid wall of earth as a form of defense. Chakra is either converted to earth within the body and then spat out to form the wall or the user can manipulate pre-existing earth to form the wall. The earth then instantly rises up and takes form. The barrier itself is also coated with chakra, making its strength incomparable to that of a normal mud wall. Because of the earth's special characteristics, the wall is highly resistant against, for instance, fire and water. Also, for a Kage-class shinobi it is possible to create a vast volume of earth. When used by Kakashi, he creates a brick-structured wall composed of bulldog sculptures.

**Kongō Fūsa - Adamantine Sealing Chains**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Kekkai Ninjutsu; The **Kongō Fūsa **is a Fūinjutsu used by members of the Uzumaki clan. This technique moulds the user's chakra into extremely durable chains which can be used for various purposes, such as directly combating or physically restraining their targets — foes even as powerful as a tailed beast. Using her chains, Kushina could also erect a barrier strong enough to prevent anyone or anything from entering or leaving the perimeter defined by the chains. The barrier was very durable, as Hiruzen Sarutobi stated that there was nothing anyone could do to interfere with what Minato and Kushina were doing once it had been erected.

**Kongō Fūsa: ****Sajō Sabaku - ****Adamantine Sealing Chains: Locking Bondage Stripes**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; Fuinjutsu; Kekkai Ninjutsu; Raising her palm up to the target, Kushina closes her hand into a fist andsummons an enhanced version of her **Kongō Fūsa **before breaking off a section of the chains, which binds the upper body of the target. According to rumors even Tsunade using her full strength only managed to break a few links, never managing to completely shatter them.

**Kongō Fūsa: Shinku ****Kasō - ****Adamantine Sealing Chains: Crimson Cremation**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; A rather gruesome jutsu that Kushina developed in a fit of rage when she learned that a team of her close friends were captured and tortured by a group of bandits on a simple escort mission. After a failing to save them, she learned that the one who they were supposed to escort had planned the entire act out in order to get revenge on one of her friends for refusing to marry him. Consumed with anger and blinded by rage, Kushina ignored Minato and those present as she channeled Katon natured chakra into her **Kongō Fūsa** along with trace amounts of the Kyubi's chakra, before she captured the man. Setting the chain ablaze with a simple thought, Kushina slowly incinerates those caught in her chains, burning them from the inside out in a cruel and vile manner. Kushina has only used this jutsu a few times since that day, those who see her using it knowing when she is truly angered.

**Shunshin - Body Flicker**: D-Rank Ninjutsu; A high-speed movement technique, allowing a ninja to move short to long distances at an almost untraceable speed. To an observer, it appears as if the user has teleported. A puff of smoke is occasionally used to disguise the user's movements. It is accomplished by using chakra to temporarily vitalize the body and move at extreme speeds. The amount of chakra required depends on the overall distance and elevation between the user and the intended destination.

**Kuchiyose no Jutsu - Summoning Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; Jikūkan Ninjutsu; The **Kuchiyose no Jutsu **is a jikūkan ninjutsu that allows the summoner to transport animals or people across long distances instantly via blood. Before an animal summoning can be performed, a prospective summoner must first sign a contract with a given species. The contract comes in the form of a scroll, on which the contractor uses their own blood to sign their name and place their fingerprints and once signed it is valid even after the contractors death as long as the contract itself remains intact. After this they need only offer an additional donation of blood on the hand they signed the contract with, mould their chakra with hand seals and then plant the hand they signed the contract with at the location they wish to summon the creature. The amount of chakra used during the summoning determines how powerful the summoned creature can be. It should be noted that anyone can summon a contracted animal as long as they have the blood of someone who has made a contract, the seal of the summoned creature and a source of sufficient chakra that the summon will accept. A creature is capable of determining who is attempting to summon it from the chakra used. While most summoners have only been shown capable of summoning one type of creature, there are some who are able to summon multiple as long as the summons have agreed to allow the summoner to do so.

**Ryuuton: Bakuryuuken - Dragon Release: Burst Dragon Fist**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A technique similar to one that Ryuuhei was famous for, which Naruto modeled it after. Charging Ryuuton natured chakra into his fist, Naruto strikes his target and releases it as a destructive burst, liquefying and destroying his target internally.

**Ryuuton: ****Garyuusai - Dragon Release: Crouching Dragon Crush**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; Naruto gathers Ryuuton natured charka into his hand and strikes his opponent with a charged uppercut that has the potential to behead them if given enough time to gather chakra into his hand. Upon impact, Naruto releases the chakra that he's gathered and causes a concussive blast capable of causing severe internal damage.

**Ryuuton: Kouryuureppa - Dragon Release: Rising Dragon Gravel Destruction**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique that Naruto created. Gather Ryuuton natured chakra into his fist, Naruto swings in an arc perpendicular to the ground. As he does, he releases the built up chakra, sending a devastating wave of destruction that corrodes everything in its path.

**Ryuuton: Ryuuzankuu - Dragon Release: Dragon Slashing Air**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Naruto gathers Ryuuton natured charka into his hand and fingers. After the right amount of chakra is added, he then swings his arm in an arc, sending blades of concentrated chakra that can shred and slice through almost anything. It can also be used defensively as a way to disrupt large scale attacks.

**Dakōmō - Snake Steel Net**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; After using the **Kuchiyose: Sōtōja**, snakes emerge from the summoned snakes mouths in order of two's and from those ones others are summoned through the mouths in a continuous order in an attempt to capture their target. As the snakes continue to multiply, they become smaller and smaller the farther they are from the epicenter of this technique. The snakes can also be used to inject a powerful toxin into the user's target but they can also be used to train the target of their chakra, causing the snakes to grow in size.

**Kuchiyose: Sōtōja** **\- Summoning: Dual-Headed Snakes**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu, Jikūkan Ninjutsu; The user summons a double-headed, snake-like creature to attack their enemies.

**Jinton: Mueishō** **\- Swift Release: Shadowless Flight**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkei Genkai; Hiruko uses this technique to move at instantaneous speeds, rapidly striking his opponents at various angles while avoiding any opposition regardless of the opponent's speed or strength. This technique is very effective against strength-based close-combat taijutsu users.

**Hiraishin - Flying Thunder God**: S-Rank, Supplementary; To activate this technique, the user places a special seal or "technique formula" to mark an intended destination. After this is done, they can at will enter a dimensional void that instantaneously transports them to the location of the seal. The mark can be applied to almost any area through brief physical contact, including an opponent or other surrounding feature. Because this technique is able to affect anything that is in contact with the user or somehow connected to their chakra, they can also use this technique to teleport other objects or people, though the size of the object dictates the amount of chakra required. As Minato also noted, the marking formula never disappears from a marked target.

**Houtai Kiritateru** **\- Bandage Slashing**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; Hiruko can unwrap the bandages of his arms and use them as tendrils for long range attacks. The bandages are infused with his chakra, making strong enough that they can slice through rock with ease.

**Meiton: Kyūketsukō - Dark Release: Inhaling Maw**: S-Rank; Hiruko uses this technique through his **Kimera no Jutsu **in order to forcibly extract the physical and spiritual energy of another ninja, even from a considerable distance. He can absorb the chakra into either the upper square of the mark on his left hand or his mouth. He is able to completely remove the victim's chakra, potentially causing death. After using this ability, Hiruko is able to detect their natural elemental affinity, and then freely manipulate the victim's chakra element and perform ninjutsu of that element. This allows him to deconstruct and learn the abilities of his opponents, and he can presumably utilize all forms of nature transformation as a result.

**Futon: Rasengan - Wind Release: Spiraling Sphere**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; To create it, Minato starts the process of forming a regular **Rasengan**, his main hand is used to release and spin the chakra and form the shell to maintain the sphere shape. While the hand that is cupping the other is used to mix the futon-natured chakra into it. This technique looks fairly similar to an ordinary Rasengan, except it has four small white blade like protrusions surrounding it, making it look like a miniature fūma shuriken. The completed **Wind Release: Rasengan** would be the rotation and power of the Rasengan, and Minato's wind-natured chakra condensed into a stable sphere.

**Katon: Rasengan- Fire Release: Spiraling Sphere**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; Jiraiya starts the process of creating this jutsu by beginning the first steps of creating the **Rasengan**. By spewing a simple katon jutsu during the process of forming the shell and spinning the charka, the natural rotation of the **Rasengan** serves to fuel the flames and ignite the sphere. This jutsu can be furthered by applying a stronger katon jutsu to serve as the catalyst for starting the flames.

**Gamayudan - Toad Oil Bullet**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user converts their chakra into an extremely sticky oil and spits this out as a huge mass. When this oil touches the target, their entire body is covered, and it prevents them from moving. Simply washing the oil away with regular water wouldn't be easy. Furthermore, if a katon jutsu is thrown at the target after this technique is used, they will be enveloped in flames in an instant.

**Katon: Endan - Fire Release: Flame Bullet**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user kneads chakra into their mouth then fires a simple flame bullet at their target. The size and range is dependent on the amount of chakra used. It can be combined with futon jutsu to increase its power.

**Katon: Gamayu Endan - Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; This is a two-way cooperation ninjutsu. Gamabunta uses the **Gamayudan **to shoot a jet of oil from his mouth. His summoner then ignites the oil. Jiraiya and Menma use the **Katon: Endan **for this purpose. The oil, acting as an accelerant, provides more fuel for the fire in an effect like a flame-thrower, and creating an conflagration of far greater power and magnitude than the original fire ninjutsu used on its own could have.

**Rinmei - Bell Chirp**: B-Rank, Taijutsu; A jutsu that Narumi created using the basic principles of Tsunade's strength. Storing chakra into her fist, Naruto descends down towards her enemy and slams her fist against them using the momentum she gained along with the force of gravity to magnify the power of her attack. A very powerful technique of the right conditions are met.

**Jakougatotsu - Snake Bite Sudden Fang**: B-Rank, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu; A simple combination of slashes that Manda performs after knocking his target into the air. The types of attacks may vary but they all end with Manda warping around his target, crushing when while he embeds his blade into their throat.

**Raiton: Denpō Sekka - Lightning Release: Telegram Flash**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; A simple technique that allows the user to channel lightning through an object be it the ground or a weapon. The strength and potency of the lightning is dependent on the amount of chakra that is used to form and channel the current.


	20. Chapter 18-5

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, just a quick update and a short chapter before I start on my midterms. So yeah, it's not a Naruto-centric chapter but it's on Tatsuko since a lot of you wanted to see one. Uhh, yeah not too serious about this one since it was made with scraps of text that I just expanded upon. So I hope you enjoy it and don't hate me too much for it but these will kind of be side stories focusing on a random character(s). Yeah, again I got midterms in about 2 hours, have a great read alright? Let's a go!**

* * *

A Son Forgotten - Chapter 18.5: A Daughter Lost

(Scene Change - Shoshun no Sato)

Shoshun no Sato, Early Spring Village, a non-militaristic village that excelled in agriculture and tourism due to the immensely fertile land and extraordinary hot springs that it called its own. Sitting on the borders of Hi no Kuni and Kawa no Kuni, Shoshun no Sato was placed in a very blessed location, being close to two lands that imported many of the fruits and vegetables that its people grew and frequently visited as tourists. Because it is a non-militaristic village, it relies on protection of the Daimyōs and the villages that import from it for protection, though there was one individual who would provide protection for it when it was necessary.

"Hmm, hmm hmm~!" A blue haired girl hummed as she swung her legs in a carefree manner in the water below, bobbing her head along as she continued humming on a log overseeing a crystal clear lake.

Tatsuko was enjoying basking in the warm rays of the sun as she contently munched on a few of the berries that she picked along the way to her favorite thinking spot. It had been a few days since her encounter with the blonde that she felt a soulful connection with. A light dusting of pink coating her cheeks, she giggled as she remembered their encounter, the look on his face when she won their tiny duel and forced him to call her with the -chan suffix. But what made her heart flutter more was the smile that finally appeared after cracking open his shell, a smile so radiant that the sun itself paled in comparison

"Hmm... I wonder what Naru-kun is doing right now." Tatsuko pondered as she laid down on her back, staring at the clouds, letting a giggle out whenever she saw a cute shape.

After a few minutes of cloud watching, Tatsuko eventually drifted asleep as her light snores attracted the attention of a myriad of animals; rabbits, birds, deer and even wolves coming to investigate the peaceful sound. Soon, a pack of wolves had gathered near her, regarding her with wary gazes as they slowly stalked over. It wasn't that they were hungry, it was more curiosity then anything else, never having seen such a creature radiating pure contentment.

When the female alpha approached, she immediately tensed when Tatsuko let out a yawn as she stretched. Rubbing her eyes, she turned and gazed at the wolf with her sleepy, closed eyes before a smile made its way to her face. Getting up, Tatsuko made her way over to the wolf as it started growling at her, the rest of the pack surrounding Tatsuko as she ignored them. When she was a foot away from the alpha, Tatsuko reached into her bag and pulled out a strip of beef jerky.

"Here you go! I just finished making these so they should be extra yummy~!" Tatsuko chirped as the wolf gave her a confused and wary look.

Slowly, she made her way over to the bluenette and gingerly took the piece of jerky into her mouth. Chewing it thoroughly, the alpha began wagging her tail as the jerky was indeed "yummy" as Tatsuko had described it. Seeing such a reaction from her, Tatsuko only smiled more before she pulled out another piece of jerky and handed it to the alpha who took it gratefully before she passed out a piece to the rest of the pack, the wolves happily chewing on the pieces of dried meat.

"I'm glad you like them! I'll bring you all some more next time! Bye bye~!" Tatsuko said as she waved at the wolves, the pack returning her goodbye with excited barks.

Making her way back to the village, Tatsuko let a sigh leave her mouth as she smelled the various scents of metal, smoke, and fire. It always made her nose hurt itch when she came out of the forest, which had air cleaner then anything else, into the village she had come to call home, which was slowly industrializing. As she passed the various stores, she was happily greeted by the owners as she waved at them, her usual sleepy and content smile and closed eyes serving brighten their day.

"Tatsuko-chan! I just received some fresh fish, I'll give some to you half off!" An elderly fishmonger shouted as Tatsuko giggled, nodding her head as she hopped over.

"Hmm~ I'll take a half a pound of trout please!" Tatsuko chirped as the fishmonger chuckled heartily, weighing her order as she fished out the ryo for her fish.

"Here you go! It's some great looking fish, I can't wait for the others to come check them out!" He said as Tatsuko agreed, seeing how glossy and pristine they were.

"Mhmm! They look really yummy~! Thank you Hachi-san!" Tatsuko replied as she gave him a small bow, making him chuckle once more before he bid her farewell.

Glancing around, Tatsuko found that the village was almost finished with the preparations for their yearly tourist festival, a time that she always hated. It wasn't that it was a festival, she loved festivals and all the food that came with it, it was the people that it attracted. In addition to those who genuinely wanted to come and enjoy what her village had to offer, there were those who came to exploit others in the confusion of it all. Those people were the reason why she hated and dreaded the Spring Harvest Festival.

"Ah, Tatsuko-chan! Wait up!" A cheery voice called out, snapping her out of her stupor. Turning around Tatsuko saw that it was Sae, the daughter of the one of the bakers in the village.

"Hi hi Sae-san!" Tatsuko said as she gave the other girl a lazy wave, getting Sae to roll her eyes at the action.

Sae could be described as a cute girl; being around 5 and a half feet tall with modest yet charming figure. She had a head of curly brown hair that ended near her shoulder blades with bright brown eyes and sakura colored lips. She was one of the local beauties in her village, as rated by the local boys, though her father didn't approve of her dating any of them. Sae was wearing a flour covered red apron over a pink blouse and light blue pants, a bakers cap on her head with smidges of dough on her cheek.

"Are you always sleepy Tatsuko-chan? You need to be more excited! It's the Harvest Festival again!" Sae shouted, pumping her fist in the air.

"Mou, I'm not always sleepy Sae-san!" Tatsuko pouted as Sae giggled, soon the two girls were joined by the another girl their age as they gossiped about the upcoming festival.

"I can't wait! I get to show all of the vegetables that I've year!" An excited voice called out.

"Airi, is the only thing you think about showing off?" Sae sighed, bopping Airi playfully on the head.

Airi was a petite girl an inch shorter then Sae, her body still in "development" according to her. She had a head of short, spiky black hair that ended at her jaw line. Dressed in dirt covered overalls with the straps undone, a dirtied white shirt underneath it. A heart shaped face with cheery colored lips, her cheeks smudged with dirt from working in the fields, she was another girl voted among the cutest by the boys, though her tomboyish attitude and short temper was something that scared them.

"Ehehe, come'on Sae-chan! I know you want to show off your baking skills too!" Airi shouted, getting Sae to give her a pointed look before she started giggling, admitting that she also wanted to show off how great of a baker she was.

"Mhmm! Airi-san's vegetables are super tasty and Sae-san's cookies are the best~!" Tatsuko said as she a tiny trail of drool escaped her lips, making Sae and Airi giggle.

"Get out of our way you hicks!" A snide voice suddenly shouted, making the trio of girls cease their laughing, turning to face a group of high class looking older girls.

The one who spoke was a taller girl that could be considered beautiful if not for the nasty sneer on her face. She had golden blonde hair styled in a high ponytail, her delicate features a stark contrast to the demonic look on her face.

"What? Didn't you hear us? Get. Out. Of. Our. Way. Or are you all as really dumb as you look?" The same voice from before said in an irritated tone, the group giving them all dirty glares.

Seeing such a hostile group of teens, Sae shrunk as Airi growled, Tatsuko tilting her head in a confused manner as the group of teenage girls soon turned red with anger.

"Get out of our way! Didn't you hear me the first time! WE are here for the festival, shouldn't you three be waiting on hand and foot for us?!" Another of the girls shouted as Airi snapped, taking a step forward and growling at the older girls.

"Listen here you stuck up princesses, you don't have the right to order us around like we're servants! Why don't you all, oh I don't know, GO AROUND!" Airi shouted as the group grew even redder with anger.

Before Airi could say another word, a group of large men made their way over, standing protectively in front of the high class girls as Airi's eyes widened, shrinking back with Sae as Tatsuko remained the same with her head tilted. With smug looks on their faces, the teenage girls put on their best puppy dog eyes as they stared at the group of men, the leader of them turning to address the girls.

"Is there a problem Reina Ojou-sama?" The leader asked in a calm tone, never taking his eyes off of the trio in front of them.

"T-These girls got v-violent with us after w-we simply asked for directions Kaido-san!" Reina replied in a hurt tone, sniffling as her friends mirrored her actions.

"W-What!? T-That's a lie! They're lying!" Airi shouted as tears started to form in her eyes along with Sae's.

"I see." Kaido said, turning to face the trio directly.

"It would be wise to apologize to Reina Ojou-sama and her friends young ladies. If you don't there will be consequences." Kaido said as he moved his hand to a katana he had on his side.

"B-But we didn't do anything!" Sae shouted as a small crowd gathered around to watch the entire exchange.

"S-Sae!" A pair of voices cried out, belonging to Sae's parents, the two paling when they saw the situation that their daughter was in.

"Airi!" Another pair of voices shouted, belonging to Airi's parents who were nearly in tears.

"I find that hard to believe. Reina Ojou-sama would never be so disrespectful to anyone." Kaido said in a cold tone, Reina and her friends smirking behind him as Airi and Sae grit their teeth and moved to bow to them, but a voice stopped them in the middle of their action.

"You must be an absolute group of morons to believe that demon faced witch~!" Tatsuko chirped, getting not only Airi and Sae but the entirety of those watching and listening to widen their eyes.

"W-What?! T-Tatsuko-chan! T-Take that back!" Airi shouted, her eyes wide with fear as the man known as Kaido drew his katana and rested it beside Tatsuko's head.

"Take back those words if you value your life." Kaido ordered in a cold tone, everyone watching with eyes wide with fear at the exchange.

"Hmm... Nope~! Cause that would mean that I'm lying and Kaida-neechan taught me to never lie!" Tatsuko said in a happy tone, everyone paling at her choice of words.

"Then repent for your actions in the afterlife!" Kaido shouted as he pulled his arm back in preparation to take Tatsuko's head.

But faster then anyone could follow, Tatsuko moved. Appearing before Kaido, everyone looking on in complete shock, Tatsuko slammed her fist into his abdomen with brutal force. As spittle flew out of his mouth and his glasses started to slip off his face, Tatsuko spun on her heel and smashed her elbow into his face, his nose breaking with a wet crack. Using the rest of her momentum Tatsuko faced him once again and grabbed his face and pulled back slightly before driving it into the ground with a hollow crack echoing. Gabbing the katana that had fallen from his grip, Tatsuko drove it beside his neck as a small trail of blood leaked out.

"Mou, I thought you would be stronger. It's really boring beating up weakling." Tatsuko pouted as she got up, dismissing the absolutely stunned looks that she was receiving.

"Hmm? Oh, do you want to fight to~!" Tatsuko asked the rest of the men as they tensed up immediately, sweat running down the sides of their heads as they started to tremble, after all Kaido was the strongest of them all.

"If you don't you should apologize to Sae-san and Airi-san, or else you'll end up like him." Tatsuko said in a chipper tone, never having changed her expression of her sleepy eyes and content smile.

Making her way to the group, the men trembling even more, she passed them and stood in front of the shaking group of teenage girls. Reaching over, she grabbed the collar of the girl who had lied about the entire encounter and pulled her close to her so they were nose to nose. As she did she lost her smile and opened her sleepy eyes, revealing brilliant emerald green eyes that held a draconian pupil, the teen she was holding nearing wetting herself when she met those unforgiving, cold, ruthless and sharp eyes.

"You and the rest of your group better apologize as well. If you don't you'll regret it. I'll make what happened to your lackey look like a reward after I'm done with you, understand." Tatsuko said in a tone colder then the scales of a certain "Tyrant of Ice", her eyes gleaming with a dangerous glint.

Releasing the older girl, Tatsuko closed her eyes once more and regained her smile as she made her way back to her friends. Turning to face the group of older girls once again, they quickly moved to apologize as they continued to quake with fear. Collecting the comatose body of their head bodyguard, they were about to leave but a voice made them freeze in place.

"Oh~! And this never happened ok~!" Tatsuko chirped as the group quickly shook their heads and sped to their place of residence.

Turning back around to face her friends, Tatsuko tilted her head in a confused manner as Sae and Airi gaped at her along with the rest of those who had just witnessed the unbelievable exchange. Seeing them all so stunned confused Tatsuko to a whole new level, never having seen them like that.

"Is there something on my face?" She asked getting everyone to face fault before they sprung back up and yelled at her.

"W-What are you talking about!? Y-You just creamed a man twice your size without breaking a sweat!" Airi shouted as Tatsuko remained looking confused.

"Eh~? But he was really weak Airi-san~!" Tatsuko moaned as she pouted, obviously not following their train of thought.

"T-Tatsuko-chan! Y-You don't get it?! You did something other then sleeping or coking! You were amazing!" Sae shouted with stars filled with disbelief in her eyes.

"T-Tatsuko-chan, you were so cool! T-Teach me how you did that!" Airi quickly lost her anger and confusion and soon followed Sae in praising the sleepy girl.

"M-Me too!"

"Teach me too!"

"Tatsuko-chan that was incredible! How come you've never told us that you could fight!"

"You know taijutsu Tatsuko-chan! Amazing, please teach me too!"

A myriad of shouts about her abilities and if she could teach them made it to Tatsuko's ears as she just laughed and rubbed the back of her head. She had just broken a rule that Kaida had told her to try not to break, the rule being to avoid using as much of her strength as possible to lay low and live out a normal life.

"Ehehe, I guess I forgot to tell everyone that I know a little bit of self defense because of Kaida-neechan." Tatsuko replied while sticking her tongue out a little and bopping herself on the head, a few of those who saw it getting nose bleeds due to the obscene amounts of "moe" that they had just witnessed.

After the whole debacle was over, and they finished their quick interrogation of Tatsuko and her abilities, they returned to their duties though they were still stunned that the normally peaceful and laidback girl had a violent and protective side. A few of those who were interested in her shivered when they imaged her angry at them for some unknown reason.

(Scene Change - Shoshun no Sato: Makibatori Hotel)

Gathered together in the penthouse of the exclusive Makibatori Hotel was the group that Tatsuko had just scared and threatened. Still shaking from the inhuman look in her eyes, the group of girls angrily and bitterly plotted their revenge against the girl that had just humiliated them.

"That bitch... How... How dare she make us ask for forgiveness when we were not in the wrong." Reina snarled as her friends agreed, the bodyguards who were assigned to them waiting outside of their room.

"I say we just forget about her, we won't ever see her again after all of this." A blonde haired girl said, getting glares from the rest.

"And forget the humiliation that she brought upon us Saki? You must be insane if you think we'll just allow them to walk away without proper punishment." Reina snarled, Saki flinching as she was subjected to the hostile stares of the others.

Saki was another regal beauty, having long black hair that ended near her waist. Her heart shaped face enhanced her pink lips and coal colored eyes. She was the most timid of the group, being the most rational one at the moment after their public humiliation.

"Tch. I think I know how we can get back at that bitch." Reina said with a vindictive smirk on her face, her friends following suit with the exception of Saki.

As Reina explained her plan, the faces of her friends turned green and slightly fearful, but after reassuring them that no one would actually get hurt and that it would just be a way to scare them to establish that they were superior, they hesitantly agreed. Finalizing their plan, they called their body guards in and informed them of their plan, the men shaking slightly but slowly becoming more brazen as they heard what they were allowed and not allowed to do.

"We understand Ojou-sama." They replied as Reina smirked at them.

"Good. Remember, you can touch them all you want but nothing more then that." She repeated as they all shared smirks, though Saki suddenly gained an immense sense of foreboding in the pit of her stomach.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

Fireworks lighting up the sky, the sounds of children and adults alike laughing loudly as they explored the various stalls that lined that area, the sounds and smells of things being cooked filling the air, the classical sounds of a festival filled Shoshun no Sato. In their combined stall, Airi and Sae were animatedly chatting and laughing with their coworkers and customers alike.

"Half a pound of plums coming right up! I'll be right back Miss!" Airi happy chirped as the woman who had just ordered giggled at her enthusiasm.

"Here's your melonpan Miss!" Sae chirped as she handed the baked treat to a shiny eyed little girl who happily thanked her and her mom as Airi returned with her plums.

"Whew! This year sure is busier then the last one huh Sae-chan!" Airi said before talking a large gulp of water.

"Mhmm, but it's always worth it to see people appreciate all the hard work that you put in!" Sae said as Airi smiled before they returned to their positions.

As they continued serving and chatting with the various people that visited their stalls, they noticed the lack of a certain sleepy faced bluenette. After what had happened earlier, they were extremely worried that those older girls had plotted their revenge against her. But their concerns left when they caught sight of her and promptly sighed and laughed, Airi and Sae respectively.

Walking towards them was Tatsuko carrying bags of food ranging from cotton candy to takoyaki to yakisoba, with a stick of grilled squid in the process of being eaten hanging from her mouth. In an astonishing show of skill, Tatsuko waved at them in her usual lazy manner without dropping so much as a crumb of her snacks.

"Tatsuko-chan, really? Is food all you can think about?" Airi sighed as she bopped her blue haired girl playfully on the head.

"Airi-chan is right Tatsuko-chan, you might gain a little weight if you eat too much." Sae said in a lightly chiding tone, Tatsuko pouting at the two.

"Mou, I know Airi-san, Sae-san! I'm going to burn off all the extra calories when I go out anyways!" Tatsuko said as she puffed her cheeks out lightly, making the two girls giggle at her expression made only more ridiculous with the squid hanging from her mouth.

After their playful lecture they all giggled as they chatted about the festival so far, Airi and Sae getting permission from their parents to take a half hour break. Walking around the festival in their work clothes, Airi and Sae felt a little out of place but didn't pay any mind to the condescending stares of some of the other girls who were dressed in their yukata. Their attention was more focused on Tatsuko who had finished nearly all of the food that she had bought, a melonpan being the only thing that she had left, which he was happily munching on.

"So then this guys walks in while Sae-chan was using the bathroom and asks if she was single! He was like, 30! Man was he creepy!" Airi said as Sae shuddered, Tatsuko nodding her head as she continued to snack.

"Mmm! Mphmm Mphmn Mhmm!" Tatsuko replied, getting blank stares from Airi and Sae.

"Tatsuko-chan. You're talking with your mouth full again." Sae said as Tatsuko quickly swallowed her food before letting out a content sigh.

"Ehehe, sorry Airi-san, Sae-san~" Tatsuko said as she rubbed the back of her head, Airi and Sae sighing at her cluelessness.

"I swear Tatsuko-chan, you're such an airhead sometimes it's not even funny!" Airi said as she rubbed Tatsuko's head, getting a purr of content from the girl.

"Haha, well that's just how Tatsuko-chan is Airi-chan." Sae said as she joined in on rubbing Tatsuko's head.

Soon the trio explored the rest of the stalls, playing the various games and losing sadly, Airi and Sae swearing upon their honor as a farmer and baker that they would win the grand prize at the kunai and shuriken throwing game. Tatsuko opted not to play any of the games, saying that she was too clumsy to play them, which Sae and Airi playfully agreed with making her pout at them. and accuse them of being mean.

Soon, the night slowly turned darker as the festival really began to pick up, the fireworks exploding with more frequency and fervor then a few minutes prior. As they finished making it around to all of the stalls at least once, Airi and Sae saw that they were past their break time by a few minutes. Quickly bidding farewells with Tatsuko they sprinted back to their stalls only to be grabbed and pulled into an alley.

As they opened their mouths to scream, they were quickly silenced with a rag being shoved into their mouths before they were bound. Panic and fear like no other filling their bodies, they were blindfolded before being carried out of the festival grounds and to an abandoned building that was marked for demolition. Kicking and struggling to break free from their bindings, they froze when they heard the familiar voices of the girls from earlier.

"Now you see what happens when you cross us you filthy bitches!" Reina snarled at them, though they couldn't see her face they could picture an ugly sneer on it.

As Reina said that, they were roughly pulled up before they felt hands on their legs and arms slowly start to move about, making them scream and struggle to break free from their grasp.

"R-Reina, I think they've learned their lesson! C-Come'on, this is taking it too far." A different voice called out before a slap could be heard.

"Shut up! Did you all agree to this! If you turn on me now, you're next!" Reina snarled as the others whimpered, their eyes wide at her behavior.

Walking over, Reina smirk as she saw their tears staining the blindfolds. Stopping in front of them, she raised her hand and ripped over their blouses causing them to scream and thrash about wildly. Reaching over, she drew circles on their chests with her finger, making their thrashes more wild then before.

"Filth like you should know your place. If only that blue haired bitch was here to see you now, actually if she were here I would let them do whatever they wanted to her. She's the worst of you lot after all." Reina sneered at them before bring her hand up to slap both Airi and Sae, a muffled cry of pain escaping their lips.

The rest of the group looked away from her actions, opting to stare at the ceiling or their feet as Airi and Sae's cries echoed about the building. They didn't think that Reina would go this far, they only thought that she would scare them. Biting their lips, they were thinking about going against her but with the support of her bodyguards that was just an insane idea.

"You two don't even know who am I do you? I'm the precious niece of the Fire Daimyō, I can do whatever I want, get whatever I want and that includes getting rid of bitches like you who don't know your place." Reina shouted as she slapped the two once more, her friends wincing as the sound echoed.

"You three had your chance to let me step over you like you were born to do but no, you had to defy me and step outside of your place. Filth like you should know that your only purpose in life is to serve those who are superior then you! I am the niece of the Fire Daimyō, the person who gives your pathetic village the money it needs to survive, you should be licking me feet like the dogs you are!" Reina shouted as she brought her hand back up to slap them once again, their muffled cries and tears making the group behind Reina start to rethink their decision to stand idle.

"Hmph, I'm done with these bitches. Do whatever you want with them, I'll just inform their families that they were kidnapped and we're searching for them." Reina huffed as they started groping the girls, their screams and tears making the group reconsider their actions, they weren't supposed to do that.

But before they could decide what to do and before Reina could slap Airi and Sae once more, a pair of footsteps could be heard, making everyone pause in their actions and turn to face its source. What they saw made them freeze. Standing before them, munching on a stick of grilled squid was Tatsuko. As she drew closer, she discarded the item before stopping before them, her sleepy smile thinned to a small line.

"Why is it, I wonder..." Tatsuko said in an eerily calm tone, making everyone look at her with a questioning stare.

"Why is it, that people can do such horrible things to one another so easily?" Tatsuko continued, focusing her gaze on Reina and Kaido.

"The same goes for the rest of you... How can you watch something like this though it were nothing? People are hurt and crying... How can you watch that with a straight face and do nothing?" Tatsuko said as she turned to face the group beside her as Reina exploded on her.

"Shut the fuck up you little bitch and know your place! Society is built upon those who are lower then you serving you! If those who are supposed to serve you get out of line, it's our job and duty as your superiors to make you obey us! You bitches were disrupting the social order! We need to make an example out of you so that no one steps outside of their place ever again!" Reina screamed at Tatsuko, the blue haired girl never shying away from her.

"So... Does that mean everyone else here agrees with that?" Tatsuko asked, hearing nothing in response.

"Do you all believe that you can trample on and do such horrible things to others for simply speaking out against you and your actions when they were wrong?" Tatsuko said as Reina screamed at her once more.

"Let me make something clear you blue haired bitch. I am the niece of the Fire Daimyō, no one can touch me even if they have the evidence to do so. I'm above all of you and will always be. You three are at fault for even thinking for a second that you were my equal. No matter what you do, you'll end up either dead or in jail if you try to lay a hand on me." Reina sneered as Tatsuko remained silent for a few seconds.

"Kaida-neechan taught me that people's feelings are an important thing. She told me that I should always smile and show others my smile, because if I smile then everyone will be happy. She taught me that's why human beings were born with feelings. But... If that wasn't the case...? What if human emotions were so we could watch as others were hurt, without flinching, only thinking about ourselves? You know... I've wondered about this myself actually... Is there really a need... To keep up this act?" Tatsuko ended as she fully opened her eyes, her emerald green eyes making everyone in the vicinity freeze.

"S-Stop her! Kill her! I'll pay whoever does a fortune!" Reina screamed as a group of hidden shinobi sprang from the shadows, they were her exclusive guard in case an enemy ninja attacked her.

Slowly scanning the area, taking note of the five shinobi still hiding in the shadows, Tatsuko's facial expression never changing. Before anyone could move, she flashed through an long series of seals before stopping and slamming her palm on the ground as a bright blue aura encased the building they were in.

"**Kekkai Genryuu: Suiryuu Kekkai Kiri**." Tatsuko said as the building was slowly engulfed in mist.

From the outside nothing had changed, but inside of the mist, the space seemed infinite. Rising, everyone tensed before they felt unbridled fear fill their hearts. In front of them, Tatsuko's arms were now clad in demonic looking gauntlets. Covering her arms from the shoulder down were heavy combat gauntlets made from the scales of her partner. Blacker then the night sky, they were covered spikes of gold. The armor covering her fingers resembling claws.

Then the silence was broken when Tatsuko moved, appearing before the group of men holding Airi and Sae. Grabbing the arms of the men holding their legs, she squeezed as their arms snapped like twigs. But before they could scream, Tatsuko crossed her arms and drove her armored hands into their throats before clawing and ripping out their throats. As she drew her hands back, she smashed the back of her knuckles into their faces as a sickening crunch echoed as they were sent colliding with the walls of the building.

The other men quickly losing their grips, Tatsuko caught Airi and Sae before tapping a spot on the back of their necks as they passed out. Setting them both down gently, she rose once again t face the terrified and horrified faces of the ones who had hurt them. Then, like a scene in a horror movie, Tatsuko slowly regained her sleepy smile as she moved to end the lives of the rest of them.

"_Suko-chan, remember to always smile alright. You'll find true happiness if you never let your smile fade._" Kaida's voice echoed in Tatsuko's mind, her sleepy smile becoming more pronounced.

Grabbing the head of one of the bodyguards, she crushed it like it was a grape as a few vomited at the sight. Turning around, she backhanded another in the side as he ribs were shattered. Grabbing his arm, she turned and slammed him into the ground before crushing his neck with her foot. Seeing a few of them trying to run, Tatsuko vanished before appearing in front of them, making them freeze. But she vanished once more and appeared behind them as she drove her hands through their backs, her claws ripping out through the front.

"_Ehehe, Kaida-neechan was right! Even after killing all of these weakling... I've still got my smile on my face! Everything feels just fine!_" Tatsuko though as she ripped the arm off of one of the shinobi before breaking his neck.

The group of shinobi and body guards had been reduced from nearly 20 to a meager 9, the rest cowering in fear of the monster in front of them. Covered head to toe in blood and gore, Tatsuko's visage was made the more horrifying with her smile, never having left her face. Advancing on them, she lashed out and caved in the face of the closest one before grabbing and using him as a weapons. Swinging him by the leg, Tatsuko giggled when she heard the signature crack of skulls being shattered.

Finally, the only one who remained was Kaido as he was sitting in a pool of his own urine. Frantically, he got on his knees and begged for his life, stating that h wasn't going to hurt either Airi or Sae and was instead about to go against Reina for her orders.

"PLEASE SPARE ME! I-I DIDN'T WANT TO DO ANY OF THIS! I-I WAS ORDERED TO! I SWEAR!" Kaido screamed as he pleaded for his life, but his screams only grew when he was incased in a bubble of water.

"**Suiryuuton: Fuchitoukai**~" Tatsuko chirped as she closed her open hand, the bubble immediately condensing to the size of a marble, Kaido crushed instantly.

Opening her hand, his liquefied body fell to the floor before slowly spreading across it. Finally, she turned her attention to the group of teenage girls who were backed into a corner, the smell of urine and feces present from them. Turning her nose away from them, she held her hand out to them as a bubble appeared once more. Their screams and pleads for her to spare them were ignored as Tatsuko gave them one more sleepy smile and a tilt of her head as she closed her hand, pain unlike any other ripping through their bodies before nothingness.

Snapping her eyes open, Reina screamed as she sat up, panting and wide eyed as she scanned the room for any sign of the blue haired demon that had just killed her. Seeing nothing, she curled into a ball and silently cried at her salvation. It wasn't only Reina but Kaido, Saki and the others were also weeping as they found that they weren't killed in the brutal and barbaric manner that they had envisioned.

Outside, Airi and Sae were happily giggling as they quickly ran orders in and around the stall that they had returned to, still a little confused as to why Tatsuko had decided to leave them after they had all made it back to their stall. But they were quickly broken out of their stupor when their parents shouted at them to get back to work, the two quickly moving about once more.

(Scene Change - Forest Outside of Shoshun no Sato)

"Hmm~ That was fun wasn't it Mera!" Tatsuko chirped as a deep bellow sounded out below her.

As another shower of fireworks went off in the sky, a black and gold dragon was revealed to be the source of the bellow. A large drill-like nose, large ears tipped in golden spikes, with the same spikes running down its back ending in thick, club-like tail. It was Meraginasu, the "Black Drill Wyvern" and Tatsuko's partner.

"**That was quite the illusion Tatsuko. You have been practicing it seems.**" Meraginasu chuckled once more, the ground shaking from the noise alone.

"Mhmm~! That was my **Genryuu: Shiin**!" Tatsuko replied as Meraginasu shook his head, glancing up, he couldn't help but sigh.

"**If only our vision were as good as our ability to fight. We could actually enjoy seeing the fireworks.**" Meraginasu said in a somber tone as Tatsuko rubbed his head gently.

"We may not be able to see very well Mera but we can imagine what they look like right?" Tatsuko said in a slightly solemn tone, getting Meraginasu to chuckle in response.

"**Always looking on the bright side of things Tatsuko, thank you.**" Meraginasu said as Tatsuko smiled at him.

Meraginasu being nearly blind, relying on his extraordinary hearing to battle, had bonded to Tatsuko who had an extreme case of Myopia. The two were nearly blind but they never let that stop them from growing stronger, even if it would take some time for them to truly reach their own plateau.

They were broken out of their somber mood when Meraginasu winced slightly, turning his head to face the direction that Konoha was in. His ears twitching, he let a small smirk appear on his face as Tatsuko looked at him in a confused manner as he chuckled.

"Mou~! What's so funny Mera?" She pouted at Meraginasu shook his head in response.

"**It appears that Tigrex is angered. That can only mean that his partner summoned him at an inopportune time.**" Meraginasu said as Tatsuko tilted her head in confusion before she snapped it back towards Konoha.

"Naru-kun..." Tatsuko whispered as she focused her chakra to her ears, trying to hear what was happening, when she did her eyes widened.

"W-Was that Tigrex? He sounds really angry." Tatsuko said in a worried tone, Meraginasu nodding his head.

"**It appears that your mate was gravely injured, he only gets angry when Naruto is near death. And no Tatsuko, we will not be going to assist him.**" Meraginasu said as Tatsuko tensed up before letting worry leak onto her face.

"Naru-kun, please be safe..." She whispered as she tightened her fists, black and blue colored chakra and lighting arcing up and down her arms, the words that she had heard still echoing in her mind.

"**YOU WILL KNOW TRUE FEAR! I WILL DESTORY ALL OF YOU FOR LAYING A HAND ON HIM!**"

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**And that's that! Again, this was just a quick chapter to kind of give a little bit of another prospective for Tatsuko. Nothing really important, I'm going to be doing this for a lot of other people so don't worry about me favoring one person over another. Gah, midterms!? DX READ AND REVIEW OR I WILL DIE!? Haha, I kid guys! Have a great one and stay awesome!**

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**Kekkai Genryuu: Suiryuu Kekkai Kiri - Barrier Illusion Dragon: Water Dragon Barrier Mist**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkai; A barrier of mist that uses Ryuuton natured chakra to create a mist that blankets a given area. From the outside, there appears to be no mist and therefore no change but inside it is a endless space that the user controls at will. Once inside, there is no escape unless the user drops the jutsu.

**Suiryuuton: Fuchitoukai - Water Dragon Release: Abyss Collapse**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A gruesome jutsu that Tatsuko created after learning about water pressure. Creating a bubble around her target, Tatsuko emulates the pressure at extreme depths by charging the bubble with Ryuuton natured chakra. Once the ideal amount of chakra is gathered, Tatsuko closes her hand and crushes her opponents with the sphere. The damage can range from simple disorientation to complete liquefaction.

**Genryuu: Shiin - Illusion Dragon: Cause of Death**: B-Rank, Genjutsu; A genjutsu cast through contact, be it physical or the eyes. Tatsuko can set a delayed reaction for the jutsu, or set it off right away. Upon activation, the target falls asleep and has a nightmare about their murder should they follow through with an action. It isn't a guess as to what will happen, it is a guarantee that it will happen.


	21. Chapter 19

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Well guys, here's the next chapter. Man, I didn't think you all would hate that filler chapter so much. I'll avoid them in the future but man... Guess the dating chapter I have isn't going to get published since its filler too. Just a heads up guys, I was really kinda bummed writing this chapter so it might not be as exciting or amazing as you all expected, sorry about that. Well, you know the usual. Let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 19

Fear transcending their very beings flowing through them, the entirety of the village could only watch in complete and utter hopelessness as a monster unlike anything they've ever seen tore the heavens asunder with its voice alone, erasing the heavy storm clouds that eclipsed the sky. Feeling malice, rage and killing intent that transcended even the Kyūbi many years ago, they felt the frigid touch of the Shinigami around their necks as the monster lowered its head and faced the boss summons of the slugs, snakes and toads. It's crimson hide made more terrifying by the bright red veins running along the entirety of it, seemingly pumping pure and undiluted rage and malice through its body, its burning crimson eyes screaming for blood.

"**I will not repeat myself again, tell me who did this to my partner.**" Tigrex growled out in a low tone, Konoha shaking as if an earthquake was set off in the center of the village for his voice alone.

When he was met with immediate silence, Tigrex's claws started to gouge the earth as black and crimson chakra started to leak off of his body like steam. Quickly glancing to the semi-conscious Naruto, he made sure that he didn't move his head as much as he would have, the thought of his partner dying by his own carelessness the only thing preventing him from leveling the entirety of the village with his roar.

"**ANSWER ME YOU INSECTS!**" He shouted as the ground caved below him as the buildings around him were blown away in a circular pattern, leaving a large scar of barren earth behind.

(Scene Change - Konoha West Gate)

"W-What d-do w-we d-do J-Jiraiya-jiji?" Menma stuttered, holding tightly onto Jiraiya for support as his legs gave out from underneath him.

Never before in Menma's life had he been so absolutely sure that his life was truly hanging in the balance. Even compared to his tenant's wrath the first time he visited it, the death rolling off of the monster before him was a testament that human mortality was indeed a truth in the world no matter how powerful you were, his godfather's trembling being a sign that it was a universal truth.

"I-I don't k-know Menma... W-We can't beat that... That thing..." Jiraiya said in a terrified tone, his eyes wide with fear as his entire body was tense with adrenaline.

In all of his years as a shinobi, all of the horrors that he's seen in the many wars that he's been a part of, he has never experienced the fear that he felt when the monster before him stared at him. The fear that Tsunade instilled in him when he was caught peeping on her, the fear of losing his student when he had resolved himself to seal the Kyūbi using his soul as an offering to the Shinigami, the fear he might've lost his godson in the invasion. All of those fears were nothing to the fear that he was experiencing at the moment. Nothing in his life has ever brought him such feelings of mortality, and he knew that after this experience should he survive, nothing ever will bring him such a feeling.

"**T-That's impossible... They were wiped out centuries ago...**" Gamabunta whispered, hoping that the monster in front of him didn't catch wind of it.

Standing before him, something that should have been erased off the face of the world for being a treat to it, something that most would consider a myth or legend, was a dragon. A beast that the entirety of the boss summons from the time of the Rikudō Sennin along with the legendary sage himself just barely managed to defeat and kill. A beast that had the potential and the power necessary to erase the world of all of live on it on a whim should it desire to do so. A beast that brought fear unlike anything else to the boss summon of the toads.

(Scene Change - Konoha South Gate)

"B-Baa-chan... I-I'm s-scared..." Narumi whimpered as she buried her face into Tsunade's chest, her godmother holding her tightly as she trembled in her arms.

Not even in her darkest, most horrific nightmares did Narumi experience such feelings of finality and death. Even when confronting the Kyūbi inside of her for power during the month of training only had a sliver of the feelings of immense hate and dread that the monster before her emanated. There was no going around it, Narumi was going to die and there was nothing that could be said or done to prevent it.

"Shh... I-It'll be fine Umi-chan... I'll protect you..." Tsunade reassured her goddaughter, though her voice trembling slightly was a giveaway that it was only the reassurance of a lie.

Even in her position as a medic, seeing the corpses of the dead and dying, Tsunade had never felt such death from one being. The scent and feeling of death of the last war seemed like the scent of embrace of a spring meadow in comparison to what the monster before her was radiating. As she tried to reassure her goddaughter that things would be alright, she knew that she was only lying to her, and that was what caused the tears to roll down her face.

"**No, no, no... This is just a dream right...?**" Katsuyu whispered to herself over and over again, refusing to believe that they were back.

When she was nothing more then a newborn, she had heard stories of monsters that even the previous boss summons feared even more then the bijū. These monsters, dragons, were said to have been able to erase an entire country with a simple roar, and seeing the monster before her nearly trigger an earthquake with its roar alone only proved that they had the power to do so. They couldn't exist because they were erased, sealed, destroyed with the combined might of the world. So how, how was this monster standing before her and her summoners? What could she do? What could anyone do to stop it?

(Scene Change - Konoha East Gate)

"O-Orochi-jiji... W-What d-do we d-do?" Mito whimpered as she held her godfather tightly around his waist, his arm wrapped protectively around her as she shook.

"I-I don't know Mito-chan... Never in my life have I seen such a monster..." Orochimaru admitted as sweat fell down his face, his eyes wide as he stared at the monster before him.

"**T-There is no way... There is just no way...**" Manda repeated like a mantra as he stared wide eyed at the monster before him.

When he was a hatchling, he would hear stories of a "Serpent King Dragon" that was once revered as a god to snakes; one that was said to have been able to wrap around the world seven times and should it desire, crush it like an egg. Manda had been intrigued by the legend and when he asked about it, he was immediately told that it wasn't a god but a devil in disguise. It wasn't a snake but a dragon, a monster that was above them on the evolutionary totem pole and one that had the attitude and temperament to back up the claim. Manda learned and soon feared the monsters, glad that they were wiped off the face of the world. But now that one was before him, Manda could only hope for a painless death.

(Scene Change - Konoha North Gate)

"**You have the audacity to refuse me my answer?**" Tigrex said in an irritated tone, the black and crimson chakra leaking off of him starting to solidify into a haze around his face.

Having had enough of being ignored and stared at with such pitiful expressions, he inhaled as the space around him became a small airless vacuum. Rage bubbling like molten magma in his veins, he was about to reduce the entirety of the village to rubble but stopped when he heard an irritated and pained voice cut through the vacuum that he had created.

"T-Tigrex, they're not the enemy. No need to cause more senseless violence, now could you give me back some air." Naruto said in a pained tone, his teeth grit together as fresh blood flowed out of his mouth and right eye from the sudden lack of oxygen.

His eyes widening at his carelessness, Tigrex drew his head back and raised up upwards before letting loose a roar that ripped through the heavens, a conical beam of black and crimson energy and sound sending shockwaves across the village as it shook as though an earthquake truly was set off in the center of it. The sound unlike anything they've ever heard or wished to hear, Tigrex's roar could be seen from the other villages as fear swept through them at the strange and terrifying sight of the heavens being engulfed in what could be described as pure rage and hatred.

"**I apologize Naruto, my carelessness may have caused you your life should you have truly fallen unconscious.**" Tigrex replied as he lowered his head, the magma-like rage flowing through his veins cooling as the crimson veins covering his hide faded away.

"It's fine, I look like a mess right now so it's only natural you'd get angry." Naruto replied as he took large gulps of precious air, wiping away the blood from the corner of his mouth.

After witnessing power unlike anything they've seen before, those were still standing fell to their knees as the bloodlust and malice that filled the air was replaced with pure tension as Tigrex scanned through the village, his eyes now containing a controlled rage. His eyes falling upon the three summons before him, he could only snort as he saw their terrified visages in his calm state.

"**This certainly brings back memories. Slime, filth and lower reptiles banding together in a futile attempt to survive. How amusing.**" Tigrex said as he chuckled darkly, the three tensing as he scanned them more thoroughly.

"**And it appears that they're even weaker then their ancestors were when they tried to eliminate us. Losing the pinnacle of evolution caused those lower being to become this weak? How pitiful.**" Tigrex said as he shook his head in disbelief, the three boss summons looking on in disbelief at his words.

"Could you not start a fight Tigrex? We're still in the middle of a war you know." Naruto asked in an irritated tone, Tigrex chuckling in response.

All those watching could only gape at what was going on. Now that they're minds were mostly free from the fear that pervaded it, they soon turned wide eyed when they saw that Naruto was standing on and talking to the monster that had just forced them all into submission like it was his friend. There was no one who wasn't shocked at what they were seeing, the eldest son of the Hokage being thought to have been left without a summoning contract but instead was able to summon this monster of a summon.

"I-Is that Naruto?" Zabuza asked with a tone of disbelief, not wanting to believe that the same blonde that he saw as his son was actually talking to the monster before them.

"T-There's no way right? H-He never said anything about a s-summon." Anko added on, tightening her grip on her Tanto, rage slowly seething into her blood as she took in his bloodied and battered body.

"**Hmph, war? This is not a war Naruto, true war is erasing your opposition completely from the face of the planet so that even their ashes do not remain. This is merely a small dispute over territory.**" Tigrex said as Naruto shook his head at the answer, knowing that it was a dragon he was talking to.

"**Allow me to show you what true annihilation is. Please, if you would be so kind as to direct me to your enemy my friend.**" Tigrex asked as Naruto gulped slightly, knowing that what was to come wasn't going to be pretty.

"It's pretty much everyone outside of that barrier in the center and around our area. Avoid those areas and a few meters around them to avoid killing any other Konoha ninja who were fighting outside of the barrier." Naruto replied as Tigrex scoffed at his tone.

"**Do you take me for a hatchling who cannot control his power Naruto? A hunter is not just brute strength, though Deviljho would disagree, they must also have finesse, to be precise in killing their prey.**" Tigrex said as he took another deep breath, his chest and throat shining a dangerous black and crimson color as a slight tremor emanated from him.

"**Issei Ryūseiheki!**" Tigrex shouted as a burst of black and crimson chakra left his mouth, taking the form of baseball sized orbs of volatile chakra.

As soon as the orbs took shape, they immediately rained down on the terrified and stunned Oto-nin. Once they made contact with the enemy ninja what could only be described as horror could be seen. Upon contact, the orbs immediately exploded in a small condensed sphere of Ryuuton chakra, the limbs caught inside rotting away leaving behind an emaciated and grotesque body part behind. But they weren't able to fret over the ruined limb as the corruption of the chakra quickly spread through their body, causing an unearthly pain to rip through their bodies.

Falling to the ground, the entirety of the Oto forces were quickly reduced to nothing as their withered and wasted remains littered the streets like a scene from a horror movie. A few seconds after being exterminated, the corpses of the ninja cracked before they were reduced to ash as their remains were blown away by the wind. Watching with eyes wide with fear and horror, were the Konoha-nin who were standing no more then inches away from their vaporized enemies. Sweat running down the sides of their faces, they could only pray to Kami that they were spared from such a gruesome death. Turning their heads mechanically, they locked onto the savage smirking monster that towered above them.

"**That, my friend, is how you hunt with finesse. A hatchling wouldn't have been able to discern your allies from your enemies. I, on the other hand, am capable of such feats as you've seen.**" Tigrex said in a prideful tone as Naruto nodded, not believing what he had just seen.

"H-How Tigrex...? You avoided killing any Konoha ninja." Naruto asked in a tone of disbelief, his respect and awe rising for his partner.

"**Their smell of course. Try as they may, those who I erased all had the scent of bloodlust and malice on them. Even some of your allies had bloodlust on them but there was no malice, only the desire to protect their territory. Though, I did spare a few who I presume to be important due to the nature of their scents.**" Tigrex answered as Naruto nodded his head stiffly before wincing, his wounds acting up once again.

Seeing that his partner was no longer in fighting condition and that he had eliminated all but one of those who had invaded his territory, Tigrex saw fit to take his leave. Lowering his head, he gently nudged his head as Naruto fell off of his snout, landing onto a nearby rooftop with an audible groan. Cracking a smirk at his reaction, Tigrex turned to the three boss summons as he sneered at them before vanishing in a plume of smoke.

Once he left silence reigned across the village as everyone took a few seconds to register what had just happened but the lull was broken when Hiruko grunted and kicked Minato off, the blonde's eyes widening at his lapse in concentration. Before he could move finish off Hiruko, the silver haired man vanished in a flash of silver before reappearing beside a slowly rising Naruto.

"You are far too interesting to lose." Hiruko said as he grabbed Naruto by the throat, causing more blood to flow from his mouth.

"NARU-CHAN!" Kushina screamed as she rushed towards the pair, Minato throwing his kunai and flashing as quickly as he could between them, cursing the fact that Hiruko shed the bandages that he marked.

"Tsk, such pests." Hiruko scoffed as he shifted his body around, locking Naruto's arm behind his back as he brought his bandages up to the younger blonde's throat, drawing a thin line of blood.

Their eyes widening, Minato and Kushina froze in place as they stared at the scene before them. Seeing their terrified and stressed faces, Hiruko couldn't help but let a chilling smile creep across his face at the position that the two were in. To have such strong attachments that it was a hindrance, family is truly a strange thing.

"Hmph, to simply forfeit your advantage simply for the life of a child. You have three more don't you? Why give up the chance to end it all for one?" Hiruko asked as he tightened his lock on Naruto's arm, the younger blonde grunting in pain as his joint creaked.

"S-Stop! You're hurting him!" Kushina screamed hysterically, her eyes burning with rage and swimming in fear.

"Hiruko. Let go of my son now and I'll kill you as quickly and painlessly as possible." Minato said in a frigid tone, his eyes a burning with controlled fury like no other.

The standoff only turned more tense when Minato and Kushina were reunited with the rest of their family as Mito, Menma and Narumi looked on with fear filled eyes at the position their older brother was in. Soon Kakashi, Genma, Kurenai, Gai, Asuma, Anko, Zabuza and Haku also arrived and immediately widened their eyes at the scene. The powerful young man from before being reduced to a mere hostage making them seethe with rage like no other, especially Anko and Zabuza.

"You little bastard. If you know what's good for you, you'll get your hands off him." Zabuza snarled as he tightened his grip on his Kubikiribōchō, his eyes burning with anger.

"Oh? And what, pray tell, is good for me?" Hiruko said in a mocking tone, tightening his lock even more as an audible pop left Naruto's shoulder, his eyes widening as he bit by a cry of pain.

"You fucking bastard... You're going to regret this once I get my hands on you..." Anko growled out as she tightened her grip on her tanto, her knuckles turning white from the pressure she was putting on them.

Neither side giving an inch to the other, Hiruko soon saw moment in the peripheral of his vision, spotting a bleeding Tayuya holding an injured Kin. A smirk taking its place on his face, he turned to address the two, seeing them flinch when they heard his voice. Slowly and fearfully, they turned to meet his gaze as Kin's eyes promptly widened upon seeing her crush in his grasp.

"Ah, Kin, Tayuya. How good of you two to join me. Though, it makes me wonder... Why were the two of you spared when the others weren't?" Hiruko asked as their eyes widened, the Konoha ninja throwing them a quick glance before focusing back on Naruto.

"N-Naruto-kun! H-Hiruko-sama, you said you wouldn't hurt him!" Kin shouted as Hiruko threw his head back in laughter, making some of the ninja wince at how chilling it was.

"Are you that idiotic that you actually believed me? I knew of your interactions with this boy, and the feelings you have for him Kin. And to think that you Tayuya would betray me and choose a single person over the rest of us. To think you two would betray the one who allowed you to live. Such a disappointment." Hiruko said as he shook his head, the two tensing as he leveled a glare at them.

"I have no use for defective tools." Hiruko said as he made a seal with his hands, a red mark appearing on the foreheads of Tayuya and Kin as pain like no other ripped through their minds.

"AHHH!" The two screamed as they clutched their heads, their eyes wide and filled with unimaginable pain as their minds were in the process of being destroyed.

His eyes widening when he saw Hiruko discard Kin and Tayuya, Naruto's eyes once again sparked an electric blue as he narrowed them. Gritting his teeth, he tried to wretch his arm free from Hiruko's lock only to gasp in pain as two of the silver haired man's bandages pierced through his thighs, bringing him to his knees as he bit back the urge to cry out in pain when Hiruko shoved him face first into the ground.

"NARU-CHAN!"

"NARUTO!"

"NARUTO-KUN!"

"NARU-NII!"

Seeing such brutal treatment of the blonde caused rage and fear to surge through those watching. They didn't think that Hiruko would actually harm Naruto more then he had already, it would only defeat the purpose of having a hostage. Sweat now dripping freely from their brows, they quickly tried to think of a way to get him out of the situation that he was in.

"You're such a foolish boy. Why would you risk your own life to save the lives of those two? Aren't they a part of my village, the same one that attacked yours? Or have you truly fallen for that girl boy?" Hiruko asked as Naruto simply glared up at him from his position, his electric blue eyes filled with hate and anger.

"You're going to regret this." Naruto growled out in a low tone, his eyes shining with dangerous glint.

"Oh? Such scary eyes, how about I remove them for you!" Hiruko shouted as he drove his fingers into Naruto's left eye socket as Naruto's right eye widened at the action. Then, without hesitation, Hiruko ripped his arm back as a scream left Naruto's throat.

"GYAAAH!" Naruto screamed as he snapped his remaining eye shut, pain ripping through the left side of his head as a myriad of screams echoed numbly through his mind as a wet "squilching" sound resounded.

"Ah, it appears that I've crushed your eye. I'm so sorry boy." Hiruko sneered as he dropped the remains of the organ beside Naruto's head.

"YOU BASTARD! I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!" Kushina, Zabuza, Anko and Minato roared as they raced towards him, their eyes screaming for his blood.

"Tch." Hiruko scoffed under his breath.

He had done more then he was supposed to do, impaling Naruto's legs being the furthest he was going to do to injure the boy. But seeing those eyes, the same pupil that the monster he had summoned had, he threw reason out the window and did what he could to crush the sight of those wretched eyes. He knew that he had lost his advantage with Naruto the moment he let his emotions overthrow his reasoning.

Grabbing Naruto by the neck once again, Hiruko brought him up before driving his fist into the blonde's stomach. His eye widening, his head lurched forward as blood and spittle flew from his mouth. The sight made the four ninja approaching fumble slightly in their advancement, just enough for Hiruko to kick Naruto to the side before he vanished in a flash of silver.

"GUAH!" Naruto gasped as he collided with a nearby wall, getting partially buried by the rubble resulting from his impact.

"NARU-CHAN!"

"NARUTO!"

The four shouted as the raced over to his downed form. While they were digging through the rubble, tears fell freely from their eyes as they increased the speed of their digging. Finally, they managed to pull Naruto out of the rubble as Kushina and Anko broke down when they saw the state that he was in. His eye was half-lidded, the chilling emptiness that used to be his left eye making them snap their own eyes shut to rip themselves of the horrific sight. Blood was flowing from his eye socket along with the side of his mouth, shards of stone embedded in various parts of his body.

When he started coughing violently, hacking up blood when they tried to ease the pressure off of his chest, did they see the true extent of the damage he suffered. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru and his siblings rushing over, they could only stare in shock at the state he was in, never imagining that he could look so close to death. Moving the crying bodies of Anko and Kushina, Tsunade immediately went to work on healing him as much as possible as Jiraiya and Orochimaru moved to examine the now unconscious forms of Tayuya and Kin.

Watching the exchange happen in the shadows of a nearby building, Hiruko could only grit his teeth at his foolishness. But soon, a chilling smile made it to his face as he remembered the trump card that he had implanted on the boy. Vanishing in another flash of silver, all he had to do was wait for the right time. Konoha may have won the battle but the war was not yet over.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

After the surprise attack by Oto and Suna, Konoha was in relatively decent condition. There were a number of collapsed buildings in the semi-abandoned districts but the only major source of collateral damage was the area that Tigrex had presided in, the ground deformed and the buildings completely ruined. In terms of deaths, there were no deaths due to the Medical Corps. under the command of Shizune and Tsunade, who refused to allow anyone to die on them.

The Suna Siblings were reunited with their ninja who were stunned to hear the truth from their mouths, apologizing to Minato for their part in the attack. Minato accepted the apology on the terms that their treaty remain, though Suna would have to pay for the repairs that were needed to be made. They agreed, saying that their next Kazekage would have to be someone who agreed to those terms. After the signed agreement, using Baki and Temari as the ones in charge due to their positions, they parted ways.

Now in the process of rebuilding, Minato had those who knew Doton jutsu to fill the holes left behind from the clashes, especially the one left behind from Tigrex's roar. Following that, he had those who knew the **Kage Bunshin** to help with the reconstruction of the destroyed buildings, the process of rebuilding going smoothly and a little faster then before with the extra hands helping. If one were to look at Konoha after the attack, it would seem like nothing major had happened other then a few scars in the earth and a couple of collapsed buildings. However, those inside knew that something major had indeed happened, and that person was lying unconscious in the hospital.

(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: Intensive Care Ward)

Laying in a sterile white room was Naruto covered head to toe in bandages, his right arm and leg fit in a cast while his left arm was held up in a sling. His face was also not without bandages, the left side of his face where Hiruko had taken his eye covered thickly in now pale pink colored bandages. His injuries were rather horrific in comparison to the other near death injuries that included slashed throats, punctured organs and near fatal bleeding out. His external injuries hid the damage that he had internally sustained, shattered bone, shredded muscle and tendon, internal bleeding and light hemorrhaging. Tsunade and Shizune paled when they ran their initial scan of his body, stunned about the extent of his injuries. But, after working for hours on end, they finally had him in a stable and non-threatening condition.

Walking in, Shizune quickened her strides when she caught sight of his tinted bandages. Calling for another set of supplies, the nurse who had brought them helped remove and apply the new set of bandages once more. Letting a sigh of relief escape her lips, Shizune thanked the nurse before returning her attention to the blonde below her. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess of questions that couldn't be answered by anyone other then him after all. What was the unknown black and crimson colored virus that covered Naruto's hands? Why was his body covered in an absurd number of horrific looking scars? They ranged from old puncture wounds healing to an enormous bite-like scar covering the entire side of his body, like something had literally taken a chunk out of him.

"How's he doing Shizune?" The voice of her mentor called out softly, breaking her out of her stupor.

"H-Huh? O-Oh, Tsunade-sama! I'm sorry, I was a little lost in my thoughts. Naruto-kun seems to be doing fine, though he's healing a lot slower then an Uzumaki should." Shizune reported, getting a nod from the blonde.

Making her way over, Tsunade stared at the bandaged face of her godson as grief, guilt and regret filled her heart. She may have not had the best relationship with him but she should've done something other then sit on the sidelines like a helpless child. It wasn't only her but Orochimaru and Jiraiya as well. They were Sannin for Kami's sake, and they were dealing with their old teammate. Balling her hands into a fist, Tsunade let out a haggard sigh as Shizune moved to comfort her mentor, getting a thankful smile in return. But they soon snapped their heads to Naruto when a low groan was heard.

"Ngh..." Naruto groaned in a pained tone, his eye fluttering open before narrowing to avoid the direct light that was shining in his face.

"N-Naruto-kun!" Shizune yelped, her eyes wide as tears formed in the corners of them.

"S-Shizune...San...?" Naruto asked, his voice lower then a whisper as Shizune quickly moved towards him and cupped his face gently before resting her forehead against his.

"Yes! I mean, yes. I'm here Naruto-kun." Shizune said in a soothing tone as a few tears fell from her eyes, happiness radiating off of her like the sun.

"W-Where am I...?" He asked as his lone eye scanned the room, drifting in and out of focus as Tsunade made her way over.

"Shizune, I know how you feel about him but remember that he's injured." Tsunade said in a lightly scolding tone, but her relief over his awaking trumped her usual strictness when it came to medical courtesy.

"A-Ah! R-Right!" Shizune yelped, hopping away from Naruto with her cheeks flushed red.

"How are you feeling Naruto? Do you feel pain anywhere?" Tsunade asked as she ran another scan over him, getting a weak shake of his head.

"N-No... I'm fine..." Naruto said as his eyes slowly drifted shut, having used up the small amount of energy that he had built up during his rest.

"There's nothing wrong with him other then the strange looking virus covering his hands. So far, it doesn't look like it's harmful but we need to be mindful of it." Tsunade reported as she finished her scan, Shizune jotting down her analysis.

"Well, we had better go and tell them that he woke up even if it was just for a few seconds." Tsunade said in a slightly exhausted tone, knowing that a few people were nearly about to break the doors to the ICU down.

Making their way out of the ward and into the waiting room, they were greeted with the sight of a traumatized number of people. Mito and Narumi had their faces buried into each other's shoulders, Menma was staring at the ground with wide eyes, Haku had her face buried in her hands, Minato and Zabuza were comforting a weeping Kushina and Anko respectively, Orochimaru and Jiraiya were leaning against the walls with their faces filled with worry. Overall, it was a rather tense and depressing atmosphere and it only grew when they heard her footsteps.

"Baa-chan!" Narumi screamed as she launched herself at Tsunade, the older blonde wrapping her tightly in a hug.

"Tsunade-sama, how is he!" Zabuza asked in a tone desperate for answers, his normally calm and collected demeanor now stressed and panicked.

"Please Tsunade, tell me! How is Naruto!" Kushina pleaded, her eyes red and puffy from the amount of crying she had done.

"Easy everyone, he's stable. He woke up for a few seconds before he fell back asleep. It's a miracle he did even that given the amount of damage he had." Tsunade reported as the atmosphere lightened up considerably.

"C-Can we see him?" Mito asked in a pleading tone, her eyes also red and puffy from the amount of crying she had done.

"No. He needs rest and a lot of it. You can all visit him tomorrow once we've made sure nothing is wrong with him." Tsunade said in an ironclad tone, leaving no room for arguments.

Nodding solemnly Anko, Zabuza and Haku looked longingly at the ward doors before turning and heading of out of the hospital in a slightly better mood then before. Minato let a sigh escape his lips before he had to make his was back to the tower to sort out the paperwork he had built up. Orochimaru and Jiraiya moved to checkup on Kin and Tayuya. That left Kushina, Mito, Menma and Narumi alone in the hospital, Shizune and Tsunade giving them understanding gazes before heading back to check on the blonde.

"N-Naru-nii's safe now... I'm so glad..." Narumi whimpered, furiously scrubbing away the tears in her eyes.

"Y-Yeah... Me too..." Menma admitted, sniffling as he brushed away the stray tears from his eyes.

"H-He'll be fine, he's our big brother after all..." Mito said in a shaky voice, trying to stay collected though the few tears that fell from her eyes gave away her true feelings.

Seeing her children all worried about their older brother made Kushina's heart swell with love and pride, moving to embrace them all as they melted into her embrace.

"Once your older brother gets out we'll have a celebration, all of us." Kushina said as Mito and Narumi nodded their heads, Menma following suit though it was hesitant.

"Don't worry Menma-chan, your brother will understand if you talk to him. He's forgiven your father and I, he'll do the same for you." Kushina coo'ed making Menma nod his head at her answer.

Now that they were all much calmer then before, the four opted to give the doorway to the ICU one last glance before they headed out of the building and back to their home.

After a surprise attack from the combined forces of Oto and Suna, Konoha had managed to sustain minimal damage. The rebuilding effort carrying along smoothly and quicker then anticipated, the Leaf counted its blessings as the attack did not do more damage then most surprise attacks would. They thanked the Suna Siblings for their information, their Kage for his planning and actions, the Sannin and their godchildren for their summons, the boss summons, and though it was not a shared thought, the monster that erased the Oto-nin inside the village in a single attack.

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

(Scene Change - Hokage's Tower)

"-That's the last of our report Minato-sama! The construction of the most important destroyed buildings are nearing completion, they should be complete by the end of the week. As for the debris and rubble, we removed and recovered all the items and have returned most of them to their rightful owners however..." Raido trailed off as Genma reached into the chest of lost belongings they recovered and pulled out a black scroll with crimson markings.

"We found this near the collapsed apartment buildings near the North Gate. We've tried to open it but everything we've done doesn't seem to work." Genma continued before handing the scroll to Minato.

"Hmm... This is an interesting scroll. It's a combination of a blood and chakra seal but there's something very different about it. Do we know who it belongs to?" He asked, getting a shake of the head in the negative from the team.

"I don't want to intrude on anyone's privacy, could you get me Tsume and Kuromaru? They should be able to locate who this belongs to." Minato asked, getting a nod of the head from the group.

As they left, Minato looked through the windows and couldn't help but let a small smile make its way to his face. They managed to elude what could have possibly been a disastrous attack with extremely minimal damage. He had to thank Kami for the fact that no one was lost in the attack, something even he couldn't believe happened. While he was happy that no one had lost their lives, it soon turned to self-loathing when he remembered what had happened to his son.

Gritting his teeth, Minato felt his anger start to bubble through his blood as he remembered the brutal way Hiruko had beat down Naruto. His pen snapping in two when he heard from Tsunade that they weren't able to successfully transplant him with a new eye despite trying for hours. He could understand if there was a problem with the organ, but Tsunade had told him that Naruto's body was actively fighting and rejecting all of the transplants that were tried. But he soon quelled his anger when he remembered that his son was safe, though he was crippled for the rest of his life.

"Minato, you alright?" A voiced asked, snapping him out of his stupor.

"H-Huh? Oh, Jiraiya-sensei. Anything to report?" Minato asked, the underlying question of Hiruko's location not being lost on the older shinobi.

"Nothing. I don't know how he did it, but it seems as though he completely erased his presence and all traces of his person in and around Konoha. I've got my network working on it, but nothings come up." Jiraiya reported, Minato nodding his head stiffly, Jiraiya able to see the subtle anger radiating off of him.

"Don't worry Minato-kun, we'll find him and have him pay for his crimes." Another voice said, getting the two to turn to its source.

"Thanks Orochimaru, but I just wished I could've stopped him." Minato said, his eyes now filled with guilt and self-hatred.

"You're not the only one Minato, we're all feeling the same. If we were faster, we could've stopped him from crippling Naruto." Jiraiya said, his face twisted was guilt.

"As for those two Oto-kunoichi, it appears that they've had their memories completely erased save for their names. Ibiki, Inoichi and myself weren't able to find any traces of them actively lying or trying to hide any pieces of information. It appears that Hiruko was smart enough to have such a failsafe in the event his ninja were captured." Orochimaru explained, getting a look of surprise from the two.

"Is that even possible? I've never heard of such a jutsu or of a seal capable of that." Minato asked, Orochimaru and Jiraiya nodding at him.

"With what he's been doing, there's no telling what kind of jutsu or seals he's created." Jiraiya said as Orochimaru nodded in agreement.

"As those two are right now, they're completely ineffective for combat. They've not only had their memories erased but they've had their chakra drained to civilian levels. They're no longer a threat to us even if they did have their memories." Orochimaru explained, Minato nodding at his statement.

"Keep them detained until the end of the week and keep up with regular checkups on them, if by the end of the week you don't find anything of value, release them and send them to me." Minato asked, getting a nod from the older man.

"Now that business is settled, why don't we get to the hospital and check up on Naruto." Jiraiya said, Minato and Orochimaru nodded as they left the office.

(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: Intensive Care Ward)

Laying with his eye trained on the ceiling, Naruto had his left arm free from the sling that was used to support it when he was unconscious. Naruto radiated an aura of sheer bloodlust and hatred unlike anything the likes of the hospital staff had felt. His normally blank navy eye were now a piercing electric blue as it seemed to spark with anger. His anger wasn't aimed at anyone other them himself and the man who he had become a hostage to. Naruto was appalled at the helpless situation that he was put in, even more so that he was left crippled by the same man who held him hostage.

"I'll kill him... I swear on my life that I'll kill him..." Naruto whispered under his breath, clenching his fists tightly as he grit his teeth.

The simple fact was that he had lost. He had lost horribly. Not only did Hiruko take him hostage, he took his left eye as well. Chamele, Jho, Tatsuko; the entirety of Thousand Blade Mountain would ridicule and mock him for his weakness and his defeat. Even worse was the fact that he was Tigrex's partner, Tigrex would also be the subject of ridicule and mockery for having such a weak partner. He was weak. He was prey. He wasn't a predator, let alone a dragon. A dragon doesn't lose to anything except another dragon. He was a failure. A failure and a fraud.

Soon the door opened and Naruto craned his oppressive gaze to his visitors, the men flinching upon seeing his angry gaze. They expected him to be his usual blank self or even happy perhaps that they were all safe and he was alive even after facing off against a freak of nature. But here he was, giving them an angry gaze that was aimed at himself.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked in a subtly irritated tone, the men frowning slightly upon catching it.

"That's what we should be asking you Naruto. Is something the matter?" Minato asked as he moved beside his son, Naruto shifting his gaze to the window overlooking the village.

"There's nothing wrong." Naruto replied curtly, Minato's frown growing as Orochimaru and Jiraiya spoke up.

"If something's troubling you it's better to talk about it rather then keeping it bottled up." Orochimaru said, Minato and Jiraiya agreeing with him as Naruto nodded in response.

"Naruto. If your angry about being a hostage, you shouldn't be. Hiruko is a shinobi of Sannin level, there was no possible way you would have been able to match him." Jiraiya said, Naruto gritting his teeth as he tightened his fists.

Seeing such a reaction from him caused the three to stare at him with worrying eyes, did he really think he could stand up against someone who went toe to toe against Minato? Even if he was indeed strong for a genin, he was nowhere near the level of power that Hiruko had, that wasn't even counting the kekkei genkai that he had stolen and integrated into his body.

"Naruto, you're strong. You're very strong, but even if you were going all out you wouldn't last more then a few seconds against Hiruko. He managed to match your father in terms of speed and even managed copied his **Rasengan**. As you are now, you're far too inexperienced and unpowered to even think about fighting him." Jiraiya explained, Naruto's fists tightening with every word that left his mouth.

"Tch." Naruto scoffed, signaling that he had enough about hearing how weak he is and strong Hiruko was.

Seeing that he was now in an even worse mood then he was before Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Minato decided to leave him alone to his thoughts as they made their way out of the room. Once they left, Naruto let a growl escape his throat as he tightened his fist to the point he drew blood from his palm. They had all just cemented the fact that he was weak, and that angered him to the near breaking point. Shifting his body, so his good leg hung off the side of the bed, Naruto grunted as he forced himself up using the wall for support. Reaching over, he pulled the IV's and other medical apparatuses attached to him off.

Hobbling towards the window, Naruto opened it with a little bit of difficulty using his good arm. Taking a deep breath to ease his anger, Naruto focused his chakra to his palm and hung off the side of the building before dropping floor by floor, hoping that he didn't attract any attention, though he doubted it. Once he was on the ground, he steadied himself once more before using a plank nearby as a makeshift crutch. Then, Naruto hobbled his way out towards the area his apartment once stood. People giving him a wide berth from the subtle anger and hate that he was radiating.

(Time Skip - Half An Hour Later)

"TSUANDE-SAMA! TSUNADE-SAMA!" A nurse frantically shouted though the hallways of the hospital before the woman in question appeared before her.

"What have I told you about shouting in the hospital!" Tsunade roared, but the nurse didn't cower like she usually did, making Tsunade cock an eyebrow.

"NARUTO'S GONE!" She shouted, making Tsunade's eyes widen before she sped to his room, hoping that it wasn't true.

Slamming open the door, she paled when she saw that he was in fact missing from his bed, the window fully opened. Running to the window, she looked through it and scanned the area for any sign of the blonde. When she didn't find a trace of him, she immediately rushed to the Hokage's Tower, hoping that that her family weren't visiting Minato when she arrived. Though fate is a cruel mistress.

(Scene Change - Hokage's Tower)

Chatting with his family, Minato couldn't help but smile after hearing about their plan to celebrate Naruto's recovery with a small party. While they were busy discussing their ideas for the plan, they were soon accompanied by Kakashi, Orochimaru and Jiraiya. The laughter that could be heard from outside of the making her freeze, Tsunade steeled herself as she slammed open the door, catching the attention of everyone inside.

"Baa-chan! Did you hear about our party for Naru-nii yet!" Narumi chirped, making Tsunade inwardly groan at the bombshell she was about to drop.

"Everyone, I need you all to remain calm do you understand?" Tsunade asked, everyone tensing at her tone.

"Naruto's missing from his room." Tsunade said, the silence so overwhelming that a pin dropping could be louder then an explosive tag.

"What?!" Kushina screamed, her eyes wide with fear as he did the complete opposite of what Tsunade had asked of them.

"Anbu!" Minato shouted, a squad of his most trusted Anbu appearing in the room.

"Naruto's gone missing. Fan out and search for him! Contact me if you find him!" Minato ordered, the Anbu nodding before moving to carry out their orders.

"Come'on, we're moving out as well!" Jiraiya said as the others nodded, breaking into groups to fan out through the village in search of the blonde.

(Scene Change - Naruto's Apartment: Ruins)

Arriving at the ruins of his apartment, Naruto couldn't help but let out an angry sigh at the ruins that used to be his home. When he got closer, his anger soon turned to sadness when he caught sight of his belongings. Making his way over, he reached down and picked up the remains of one of his plants. Its withered leaves falling off, Naruto let his eye close as he gently placed the remains of his maple back to the ground. Hobbling closer, he rummaged through the rubble trying to find the scroll that contained his most important items. Ignoring the fresh scrapes and cuts that his hand sustained, Naruto ever noticed the group that was running towards him.

"Naruto!" Minato shouted, catching the attention of the blonde.

Shifting half his body, they slowed to a stop when they saw the mixed sadness and anger swirling through his eyes. Closing his eye and letting his head drop, he released a sigh before returning to dig through the remains of his apartment. Seeing him ignore them hurt them slightly, but the group saw that he was actively searching for something and moved to help him find it. Tsunade and Shizune moving to heal his hands and check him over for any fresh injuries.

"That was a completely idiotic and careless action you know." Tsunade scolded him, finishing up on healing his hands.

When he didn't reply, she started to get a little frustrated by his attitude, Shizune starting to panic slightly knowing how her mentor got when she was angry. Quickly moving to placate Tsunade's anger, Shizune relaxed when she saw the rest of their family moving towards them.

"Naruto, what were you searching for?" Minato asked, the group also growing curious as to what was valuable or important enough to make him do something this reckless.

"My scroll." Naruto relied, his eye never leaving the rubble that was his apartment.

"A scroll? That's what made you escape the hospital?" Tsunade asked in an incredulous tone, her anger bubbling to the surface.

"What does it look like Naruto-nii?" Mito asked, determined to help him find what it was that he was searching for.

"Wait. It wouldn't be a black scroll would it? With crimson markings?" Minato said, Naruto immediately snapping his head towards him once the words left his mouth.

"Y-You have it?" He asked in a tone those present have never heard or thought they'd ever hear, he sounded desperate, as if his life depended on it.

"Yes I do, come'on. Let's head to my office and get it for you." Minato said with a smile on his face, Naruto nodding his head slightly before getting up.

Seeing him using a makeshift crutch, everyone winced when they saw how desperate he really was to find his scroll. Quickly moving over, Shizune helped steady him before wrapping her arm around his shoulder as she leaned him against her, fighting the pink that dusted her cheeks. As she did so, Tsunade smirked while Mito and Narumi frowned slightly at the sight.

"Thanks." He said, his voice lower then a whisper, Shizune blushing a little more deeply before stating that it wasn't a problem.

Making their way towards the tower, Kushina turned and saw the devious smirk on Tsunade's face and her face quickly lit up in realization. Moving towards the older blonde to confirm her suspicions, she quickly widened her eyes before narrowing them on the raven haired woman supporting her oldest son. Kushina liked Shizune, enough that she could almost be considered her little sister of sorts. But there was no way that she would accept her dating her oldest. no matter how much she liked her. Her sentiments were shared by the remaining girls, Mito and Narumi seeing the expression on Shizune's face. They would protect their older brother from other women even if it killed them.

(Scene Change - Hokage's Tower)

Arriving in Minato's office, the group quickly became curious when Minato moved to his desk and pulled out the same scroll that he had described. They grew even more curious when they saw Naruto's eye light up and shine with relief and gratitude. Meekly reaching over and taking the scroll, Naruto thanked Minato in a slightly bashful tone as the others gawked at the exchange. The women squealing slightly at the cuteness that they had just witnessed from Naruto while the men could only gawk at his reaction. Once he took the scroll, Naruto moved to leave the tower only to be stopped by an irate Tsunade.

"Oh no you're not, you're heading right back to your room. This time, a more secure one at that." Tsunade said in a threatening tone, Naruto releasing a sigh before nodding his head in acceptance.

Heading back with Kushina, Mito and Narumi, the trip was relatively amiable. Mito and Narumi were trying to hold a conversation with Naruto, the older blonde replying with short sentences and answers. As they did, Kushina and Tsunade were chatting with Shizune, who was the subject of discussion to her utter mortification.

(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: Intensive Care Ward)

Back in his room, now with a securely locked window, Naruto laid with his eye trained once again on the ceiling. Closing it, he focused chakra to his ears and heard no one outside of his room or within four feet of the door. Opening it once again, he pulled out his scroll before biting his thumb and wiping it against the blood seal. The seal glowing a crimson color, Naruto held his thumb against the scroll and drew a tiny amount of Ryuuton chakra and pushed it into the seal, which now glowed black and crimson. The seal turning, it clicked before opening its contents.

Opening it up, he quickly moved to the section that held his medical supplies, swiping the seal once again with his blood before it glowed with a calm green glow. Then, in a small plume of smoke appeared a clear flash with a strange aquamarine colored liquid inside. Taking a deep breath, Naruto brought the flask to his mouth before downing the contents, resisting the urge to vomit once the acrid taste overwhelmed his taste buds. Soon after downing the contents of the flask, his body started to glow a light green as he released a content sigh once the feelings of his limbs came rushing back to him. Turning to face the window once again, he could only wait until Tsunade or Shizune came and discharged him from the hospital.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's that. Not too action packed or interesting but I was kinda bummed writing this chapter. Sorry about that filler once again guys, I'll avoid using em in the future. Well, you know the routine by now if you're still reading this. Till next time, take it easy.**

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**Issei Ryūseiheki - Voice Meteor Burst**: No Human Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu that Tigrex created that utilizes the immeasurable power of his voice. Tigrex begins by building up the required amount of Ryuuton natured chakra inside his vocal cords as he lets loose a quiet roar. The sound echoes and condenses inside of his chest, becoming louder and more intense as the color of his chest and throat changes to match the amount of power built up, before he turns his head up and shouts upward into the air. Like a shower of shooting stars or rather the fallout of lava from an erupting volcano, the condensed sound and chakra rains down on those who he has marked as his targets, the orbs seemingly controlled by his will. There is no known record of the aftermath its full power, but it has been said that it is powerful enough to erase half of the world.

**Kage Bunshin - Shadow Clone**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Similar to the basic **Bunshin**, this technique creates copies of the user. However, these clones are corporeal instead of illusions. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing techniques on their own and can even bleed, but will usually disperse after hit by a strong enough force. The clones can also disperse on their own or be dispelled by the user of the technique. **Kage Bunshin** can't be distinguished from the original with Sharingan, Byakugan or Rinnegan.

**Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, by observing the Tailed Beast Ball. Minato spent three years developing the Rasengan; his intention was to take the shape transformation of one's chakra to the "highest possible point" and combine it with his chakra's nature affinity, creating a technique that did not need the aid of time-consuming hand seals to control. On shape transformation alone, the Rasengan is still a powerful, versatile, and difficult technique to learn and master.


	22. Chapter 20

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys it's Dom here. A quick update because I'm finished with midterms and am now officially on spring break. Nothing really exciting happening this chapter, Naruto interacts with a few of his family members and they talk and hang out. Nothing too exciting or overly cool but it'll be like that for another chapter or two, just a cool down from writing the last few chapters. You all know the drill, I've gotta go back and answer all the PM's I've gotten from you cool guys, sorry about not responding, been studying and writing. But that's enough about me, you came to read right? Let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 20

(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: Intensive Care Ward - Naruto's room)

"Amazing... How in the world is this even possible?" Tsunade said in an astonished tone, not believing what her scans were reading.

A day before, Naruto had taken a vial containing a powerful elixir called "Dust of Life", named so for its godly regenerative capabilities. It was an elixir that was nonexistent in the human plane, the legends of its otherworldly properties lost to the throes of time. In Thousand Blade Mountain, it was an uncommon but widely used curative for the dragons that inhabited it. Created from a combination of gloamgrass root, cathangea and dragonfell berry; it was curative that only the Elders Yamatsukami and White knew how to create with one hundred percent success.

Yamatsukami had grown fond of the blonde and gave him a flask of the legendary curative, stating that he was the only one that he would receive unless he gave him the needed materials for another. Initially, Naruto didn't want to ever have to use the potion, knowing that it could easily bring those who were walking through the Shinigami's door back to fighting condition. When he decided to use it, he knew that it was a complete waste of such a powerful item but he needed to see how crippled he truly was.

"T-Tsunade-sama, it's impossible... Naruto-kun should still be in recovery for at least two more weeks at the least, not to mention at least a month of physical therapy." Shizune reported, flipping back and forth between his medical report and himself.

By some impossible or otherworldly force, Naruto was back to peak condition, he was even healthier then he was before. In all their years and experience as medics, creating and analyzing potions and poisons, have they ever seen such an unbelievable recovery. The only person who even stood close to this was Tsunade's grandfather, Hashirama, whose healing power was legendary. Giving his report one last look over, Tsunade simply shook her head before filling out the paperwork for his discharge.

Once she was finished, Shizune and herself opened up his casts only to flinch at what they saw. In place of the unmarred flesh that denotes a successful recovery, his arms were littered in fresh scars. Unconsciously, they traced the large scar running down his right arm, shocked that someone so young already had such horrific scarring. But once they realized what they were doing, the quickly pulled their hands back as if they had just scalded themselves, a light dusting of pink on their cheeks for their embarrassing action.

Giving him a trial of physical tests, they still found it unbelievable that he showed no signs of the injuries that he had just the day before, save the scars that covered his body. Once the tests were over, they were about to ask him what he was going to wear but found that their questions and concerns weren't needed as he pulled the curtain closed.

The sound of something being summoned, zippers being opened and closed, they waited for a few minutes before they opened once again. Now dressed in his a different outfit consisting of a black sleeveless turtleneck muscle shirt, matching combat fatigues, steel toe boots and bandages covering his scarred arms up to the elbows, his hitai-ate wrapped around his left bicep. He covered his left eye socket with a simple black eyepatch. Shizune flushed slightly upon seeing him dressed in a cool and handsome manner, Tsunade whistling that he looked good.

"I'll be off then, I'm sorry for troubling you two." Naruto said, bowing to them as they brushed off his apology, stating that it was what they lived to do.

"Please, take it easy ok Naruto-kun? Even if you're healed we don't know how it happened, so if anything comes up please come find me ok?" Shizune asked, Naruto nodding response to her concerns.

When he walked through the door Shizune let a slightly sad sigh leave her mouth, Tsunade turning to her with a devious smirk on her face. Seeing it Shizune immediately paled and moved to cover her mentor's mouth only to be held like a child in her arms.

"Come find me? Oh, you're getting bold aren't you Shizune! It's just too cute!" Tsunade teased, Shizune flailing about to futilely try and stop her teasing only to resort to crying when Tsunade mentioned giving him a bath.

When he exited the doors of the ward he was tackled by two missiles of brown and raven color. Staggering back from the force of the impact, Naruto steadied himself before seeing that it was his teammates who had tears lacing their eyes. Releasing a sigh, he patted and rubbed their backs gently as they refused to meet his gaze.

"You jerk, do you even know how worried we were about you..." Satsuki muttered as he buried her face back into his chest, refusing to make eye contact with him.

"Did you know how worried we were about you Naruto-kun? We were forced to stay inside that barrier while you were being held hostage..." Yakumo replied in the same muffled voice, tightening her grip on him.

(Flashback - The Day Before)

"What do you mean!? I have to help him! He's my teammate!" Satsuki shouted as she glared her older brother as her family, the exceptions being Itachi and Mikoto, flinched slightly at her angry glare.

"I'm sorry Satsuki but Kushina-sama has asked that everyone the rank of genin and below be put inside of the barrier." Itachi responded in a calm tone, unaffected by her burning gaze.

"Shut up! I'm more then capable of helping Naruto out!" Satsuki shouted once more before she tried to move past her older brother, Itachi simply restraining her as she thrashed about to break his grip on her wrist.

"Let me go! I have to help him! I need to!" She shouted as she tried to pry his hand off her wrist, her attempts slowly becoming more and more desperate.

"Please Nii-san! I need to help him! Please!" Satsuki cried out, tears starting to fall from her eyes as Itachi's heart broke at the sight, his heart wavering when he saw how desperate she was.

"I'm sorry Satsuki but I have to follow orders. Keeping my family safe is my number one priority." Itachi replied as Satsuki choked back a sob as she dropped to her knees.

"Satsuki..." Itachi whispered, moving his other hand to comfort her only for it to be swatted away.

"Don't touch me... Just leave me alone..." She said, yanking her hand free from his grasp before turning to face the downed Naruto.

Watching with devastated eyes, Itachi lowered the hand he had partially outstretched to her to his side as he obliged with her request. He was soon joined by his mother who squeezed his hand gently, reassuring him that she didn't hate him for doing what he did. In another dome the same was happening for Yakumo who was being confined by her parents.

"No! Tou-san, Kaa-san please! I need to help him!" Yakumo shouted as she struggled to break the hold they had on her.

"I'm sorry Yakumo but we have to follow Kushina's orders! They're outside helping him, there's no need to worry!" Her father told her in an attempt to placate her desire.

"Your father is right, Naruto-san has his parents there to save him! He will be fine!" Her mother said in an attempt to calm her down.

As her struggles became weaker and weaker, the two immediately became worried. When Yakumo's knees hit the ground the panic only grew as they moved to check on her, their hearts breaking when they saw the bitter tears falling from her eyes. Soon, Yakumo began to sniffle as she held back the sobs that threatened to escape her lips.

But the fears of the two girls were ultimately realized when they saw the treatment that Hiruko was subjecting Naruto to. Then, their hearts dropped when he impaled his thighs, the two having to bite back the scream that tried to escape their throats. But when they saw Hiruko bury his fingers in Naruto's eye socket and watched in horror as he extracted his eye before crushing it, they lost consciousness.

(Flashback - End)

"After that we tried to visit you but when we saw your family leave the hospital with sad faces we knew that we weren't able to visit you. When we tried, Tsunade-sama just kicked us out." Yakumo continued in her muffled tone.

"I'm sorry, I really am. I didn't mean to worry you two like that." Naruto whispered, the two squeezing him tighter upon hearing his apology.

Slowly, they rose to meet his gaze and promptly widened their eyes, not wanting to believe what they were seeing. It had to be a joke that he cruelly thought up to make them worry about him more, to make them feel even worse then they already did. In place of one of his charming navy blue eyes was an eyepatch that covered one of them. Their eyes wide and shaking, they looked to him for any hint of a lie and when they saw none their tears fell even more.

"It's fine. I'm not going to stop being a shinobi, even if it's a slightly crippling disadvantage." Naruto said, trying to reassure the two girls only for them to bury their faces back into his chest, sniffling and shaking slightly.

Letting a another sigh escape his lips, he felt an ever larger headache appear when he caught sight of the group of people approaching him and his team. When he saw the wide eyed looks on their faces, he knew that it was going to be long day of explanations and exposition. Gesturing to them to follow him, he led them to the cafeteria where they quickly gathered around him to barrage him with a myriad of questions.

(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: Cafeteria)

"Your eye! What happened to your eye Naruto!? Didn't Tsunade-sama transplant you a new one?!" Anko shouted, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"Don't tell me there wasn't one available! I'll give you mine if that's the case!" Zabuza shouted, the others giving wry smiles at his outburst.

"Tou-sama, please calm down!" Haku said, embarrassed by his outburst. But she quickly turned her attention back to Naruto and fretted over him, the four other girls glowering at her.

"So it was true then Naruto-kun..." Haku whispered, tracing the outline his eyepatch causing the four to choke on their drinks at the bold action.

"Yeah, for some reason my body rejected all the transplants that Tsunade-san and the others tried to transplant. So, for now I'll just have to learn to deal with it." Naruto replied, gently moving Haku's hand from his eyepatch, feeling a little strange at her actions.

"That's horrible Naru-nii! What are you going to do now!?" Narumi asked, staring tearfully at her older brother.

"Narumi is right Naruto-nii, it's extremely difficult to battle without the depth perception that comes from having a pair of eyes!" Mito said, also gazing tearfully at her older brother.

"I'll be fine. I just have to learn to rely on my other senses besides sight." Naruto answered, getting a smile from Zabuza and Minato at his determined words.

They soon chatted with each other about the aftermath of the surprise attack, Naruto letting a sigh of relief escape his lips once he heard that there were no casualties of the attack. As the time passed, Naruto excused himself as he needed to find a new place of residence until his apartment complex was rebuilt. Once those words left his mouth another heated debate to start.

"You're going to be staying with us of course Naru-chan!" Kushina stated as if it was a fact, Narumi and Mito agreeing wholeheartedly with her.

"Why don't you come and stay with us Naruto? You let us stay with you so let us return the favor, we've got plenty of room!" Zabuza said as Haku eagerly nodded her head in agreement, Anko laughing at their giddiness.

"W-Why don't you come and stay with me and my family Naruto-kun? We've got plenty of room and my parents have been wanting to meet you!" Yakumo said in a bashful tone, the girls giving her looks of disbelief for her boldness.

"If that's the case, you should come and stay over at my place Naruto-kun! S-Sasuke's been wanted to talk to you about training, and you know, we haven't hung out as much as we used to..." Satsuki said in a sure tone, though her voice turned bashful near the end.

"What do you all mean? Naruto-nii should be staying at our house, he's our family after all!" Mito said in a sure tone, Kushina and Narumi nodding their heads in agreement.

"He's practically family to us though Kushina-sama! We've lived, trained, eaten, bathed and bonded together like father and son!" Zabuza countered, Minato's brow twitching in response to his rebuttal.

"Like... Father and son...?" He whispered under his breath as a dark aura slowly appeared behind him.

"B-But I'm his real father Zabuza! Y-You can't take him away from me!" Minato suddenly shouted, wrapping his arm around Naruto and bringing him closer to himself.

"B-But M-Minato-sama! We've done all of the things that fathers do with their sons! W-We've even had "The Talk", washed each other's backs, talked about the best looking women and all of that!" Zabuza shouted, Minato turning pale as the sound of something shattering sounded about.

"N-Naruto... T-Tell me it isn't so..." Minato asked as he met his son's slightly disturbed gaze with his own devastated one.

"Well... Zabuza and I have done a few of those things..." Naruto answered in a slightly awkward tone, backing up when Minato's head dropped and an aura of sadness took over.

"Zabuza! I challenge you to a Father Face-Off!" Minato shouted, his eyes burning with determination.

"Y-You're on! Whoever wins is officially Naruto's father!" Zabuza shouted back, his eyes also burning with determination.

But before they could even begin and state the terms of their competition their eyes were promptly grabbed by the women in their lives. A chill running down their spines, they were greeted with the eerily smiling faces of Kushina and Anko as a dark aura covered them.

"Oh? And just what was that about beautiful women Zabuza?" Anko asked in a syrupy sweet voice.

"You weren't going to be teaching our son things when he's underage were you Minato?" Kushina asked in a tone sweeter then honey.

While the two men were being scolded by the respective woman in their lives, the girls were having a heated argument of their own. Lightning sparking between their eyes, they were questioning the motives the others had for asking Naruto to stay with them.

"Don't you two use the "Little Sister" card so freely! You can't keep him forever you know!" Satsuki shouted as fire in her eyes.

"What makes you say that! We'll always be his little sisters no matter what!" Narumi shouted back, her eyes burning with determination.

"Isn't it weird for sisters to be so clingy to their brother, don't tell me you two are bro-cons!" Haku said, the faces of Mito and Narumi lighting up.

"W-What are you talking about!" Mito shouted, her cheeks flushed a deep pink.

"N-No way, even Mito-chan and Narumi-chan..." Yakumo whispered in disbelief, knowing that there were now two more rivals in the battle for Naruto's heart.

While the others were squabbling over their respective topics, Naruto and Menma remained silent as they sat next to each other. Menma was extremely uncomfortable as he wanted to talk with his older but feared what might happen if he did. But he didn't have to make the first move as Naruto did.

"You want to grab something to eat someplace else?" He asked, Menma's eyes widening before he turned away and nodded slightly.

"Y-Yeah, that sound good." Menma answered standing up and following Naruto when the older blonde made his way out of the hospital, leaving the group to their squabble.

(Scene Change - Ichiraku Ramen)

"Well isn't this a surprise! Welcome Menma-kun! Naruto-san!" Ayame chirped in a happy tone as she flashed them a bright smile, Menma flushing slightly as he and Naruto returned the action.

"Hey Ayame-chan! I'll have the regular please!" Menma said in an excited tone as Ayame giggled and nodding her head before turning to Naruto for his.

"I'll have a bowl of tonkotsu with extra chashu and kakuni Ayame-san." Naruto said in a calm tone as Ayame nodded and jotted down his order.

"Alright! They'll be out in a few minutes you two!" Ayame chirped before making her way to the back to prepare their order.

Once she left the atmosphere turned tense, in Menma's opinion, as they sat in silence. Fiddling with his chopsticks Menma snuck glances at his older brother who was quietly reading the menu. Seeing that he wasn't going to be talking anytime soon, Menma's spirits dropped slightly at his older brother's casual dismissal of his presence.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" Naruto asked, breaking Menma out of his stupor as he stared at him with wide eyes.

"W-What?" Menma stuttered in response, slightly shocked that his older brother had just read his mind.

"You wanted to talk to me didn't you? That's why you keep sneaking looks at me. Either that or you want to kill me." Naruto said in a teasing tone, in Menma's opinion, who turned pink at the tone.

"Y-You're wrong! I-I didn't want to talk to you or anything!" Menma shouted, turning away from Naruto as they returned to the silence from before.

"...Sorry about that." Menma finally said, breaking the silence they had created.

"Don't worry about it. So, what did you want to talk about?" Naruto asked, glancing at Menma through the corner of his eye.

"W-Well... You know, about us." Menma said, his voice becoming slightly dejected at the end of his sentence.

"...I've been a real ass to you over the past few years you know..." Menma started, Naruto opting to remain silent as he continued.

"I know that I can't make those years up to you, none of us can no matter how much we want to. But... I just wanted to apologize for what I've done... I know that it's nothing more then a bunch of words, but well... I don't know..." Menma said, his voice trailing off at the end.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry Nii-san... I've never really hated you, I was just jealous that you were better then me at everything. Even now, you completely creamed me, Mito and Narumi like we were nothing. Again, it's probably nothing but empty words to you but I needed to tell you that I really do regret what I did... And that I understand if you still hate me..." Menma finished as he avoided his older brother's gaze completely.

When he finished his apology Ayame brought out their bowls with a cheery smile on her face, Menma quickly masking his depressed face with a chipper smile of his own. Placing the bowls in front of them, she gave them one last smile before moving to take the orders of the other customers. Uttering a quiet " Itadakimasu" Menma was about to dig into his bowl when Naruto placed a piece of chashu into his bowl, Menma snapping his head to his older brother.

"Don't worry about it. You're right that you can't do anything to change the past, but does that mean you can't change the future?" Naruto asked, Menma's eyes widening after hearing his statement.

"It doesn't does it? You've apologized and acknowledged what you did, so don't worry about it." Naruto said as he began to dig into his own bowl, Menma's eyes lighting up as a smile brighter then the sun made its way to his face.

With more vigor then before he quickly dug into his own bowl, saving the piece of chashu that Naruto had given him for the end. While they were eating they talked with each other about minor things, Menma asking if he was really alright, Naruto reassuring him that he was fine, the sort of light conversation that melted the ice that had formed in Menma's stomach. Soon, Menma even found himself laughing when they started talking about experiences they had on missions; Naruto retelling the story of Satsuki accidentally setting Tora on fire.

"No way Nii-san! That didn't really happen did it!?" Menma asked, trying to control the laughter that started to hurt his sides.

"Sure did. If you don't believe me go ask Satsuki, Yakumo or Anko-sensei." He replied, Menma snorting once he got his fit of laughter under control.

"Nii-san... Have you really forgiven me?" Menma asked focusing on his now empty bowl, Naruto finishing off the contents of his before addressing the younger blonde.

"Still worried about that? What happened to the punk that said he was going to surpass me? When did he turn into a punk that worried about something someone had already said." Naruto asked as Menma turned a little red with anger.

"I-I'm still here! I mean, I'm not a punk! I mean, w-whatever! You're going to be eating my dust once I finish my training with Jiraiya-jiji!" Menma shouted as his eyes burned with determination.

"Is that so?" Naruto replied as he glanced at Menma through the corner of his eye, Menma turning even more red in the face at the teasing glint he was sure was in his eye.

"It is so! I'll cream you the next time we fight!" Menma declared as he raised a fist towards his older brother.

Seeing Menma declare such a thing made Naruto shake his head in return. Placing his chopsticks down and uttering a quiet "Gochisousama" he paid for their meal as Menma looked on in confusion. Getting off his chair, Naruto passed Menma but not before uttering a few words that made his younger brother turn crimson and stutter, his eyes turning into swirls.

"_Tell me that after you ask her out._"

Turning around, he saw that his brother was gone from the area to his confusion and anger. But that anger soon turned to panic when a cheery voice made it to his ears. Turning around stiffly he saw the smile on Ayame's face as his heart began to beat faster when she tilted her head in confusion at his expression.

"Menma-kun? Is something the matter?" She asked, a little worried about her favorite customer.

"N-NO! I'M FINE! THANKSIGOTTAGOBYE!" Menma shouted as he bolted out of the stall, leaving behind a trail of smoke as Ayame tilted her head in confusion.

"Haha! Didn't I tell you Ayame? Ramen is the key to bonding the souls of men! Menma-kun and Naruto-san are no exceptions to that truth! Even with their troubled past and history with each other they overcame it over a hot bowl of ramen! Such is the truth of ramen!" Teuchi called out as he chuckled heartedly, Ayame giving him a dry look.

"Really Tou-san? Please tell me you don't actually believe that." Ayame said as Teuchi nodded his head, making her sigh in return.

"But, I am glad that Menma-kun made up with Naruto-san. He seemed a lot happier then he ever did." Ayame said with a smile on her face, Teuchi agreeing with her before they moved back to filling the orders of the remaining customers.

(Scene Change - A Few Blocks From Ichiraku Ramen)

Leaning against the wall of a nearby building, Menma took deep breaths to calm the blush he had on his face. The combination of his brother's words and Ayame's cuteness proved to overload his circuits. Once his blush began to die down and the rhythm of his heartbeat slowed, he heard a myriad of footsteps, causing him to turn his head and promptly paled when he was met with the angry faces of those they had abandoned in the hospital.

"So this is where you were Menma-nii!" Narumi said in a sweet tone, Menma sweating slightly upon hearing it.

"Hmm... But, there's something missing... Oh! Where's Naruto-nii Menma?" Mito asked in the same sweet tone, Menma now beginning to sweat harder then before.

"Uhh... Well... Ayame-chan... Ramen... Left... Douche..." Menma stuttered incoherently as he made strange gestures with his hands, trying to appease the monsters before him.

"Oh, so you don't know huh? Why don't we see about that." Satsuki said as she cracked her knuckles, Mito and Narumi following her lead.

But before they could do any damage a cold hand latched onto his shoulder as a chill ran up his spine. Stiffly turning his head, he saw a smiling Haku and Yakumo.

"Menma-san, if you would be so kind as to tell us where Naruto-kun is hiding." Haku said or rather demanded in a sweet tone.

"You wouldn't lie to us would you Menma-kun?" Yakumo asked as she shared Haku's chilling smile.

As they closed in on the blonde a head of long white hair swooped down and saved him. Grabbing him and tossing him over his shoulder, Jiraiya quickly bolted from the scene as the others were left wide eyed and stuttering, Tsunade, Kushina and Anko gaining dark auras around them as Jiraiya turned to shout at them.

"I'm sorry but I can't have my godson dying before he becomes a legend!" Jiraiya shouted as he headed towards the one place Menma dreaded, the hot springs.

Once they lost sight of his person, the group proceeded to sigh as they tried to come up with places that the person they were looking for, hunting, could be. Splitting into factions, they broke up and started their search across the village, asking everyone if they had seen the enigmatic blonde.

They never did manage to find Naruto, having given up after a few hours of searching.

(Time Skip - The Next Day)

(Scene Change - Naruto's Training Ground)

"Tch." Naruto scoffed as he moved to examine the kunai he had tossed, frustrated that he had indeed been crippled, his ability to accurately hit ranged targets completely impaired.

After leaving Menma at Ichiraku the day before he had returned to his favorite location outside of the village to train and meditate. As he tested his new abilities he found that his accuracy and precision had been impaired to an extent he didn't expect. He was able to hit targets with relative accuracy within a ten foot radius, but if the target was outside of that range his ability to hit them dropped dramatically. Tightening his grip on his kunai, he buried it into the trunk of a nearby tree to vent the frustration that he began to feel.

He really had been crippled by Hiruko, he had been irreversibly weakened by a human. Him, the partner of a dragon and the brother of one of the strongest shinobi that lived. As his frustrations and anger started to rise the seal began to spread, the trademark scale-like pattern covering the left side of his body as his eye was snapped shut. Slowly, he started to leak Ryuuton chakra into the kunai he was holding, the metal corroding when the volatile chakra ran through it.

But before things went from bad to worse he calmed down, releasing his grip on the kunai as it disintegrated from prolonged exposure to the corrosive chakra. Letting a sigh escape his lips Naruto took a deep breath as the seal receded, turning his gaze to the sky before letting his eye close. Staying like that for a moment, Naruto took in the feelings of the nature around him, his anger and frustrations vanishing with the gentle breeze that blew across the clearing.

"Staying like this isn't going to make me stronger..." Naruto whispered as he opened his eye, calm navy once in place once again instead of dangerous electric blue.

(Time Skip - 3 Days Later)

The rest of the week had come by rather quickly, Minato postponing most missions in favor of reconstruction to speed up the rate at which Konoha was being rebuilt. The plan had worked as most if not all of the major structures in Konoha had been rebuilt and improved during the process. For those three days no one had heard a sound of peep of Naruto, the blonde opting to camp out in his training area to cool off and get adjusted to having monocular vision.

During those three days of getting used to having a single eye, Naruto had found that most of his daily activities hadn't changed with the loss of his left eye. Having tested his new found vision, he listed them out and compared it to how it was before. His visual acuity and field were slightly impaired. His perception of the location and distance of ranged objects was now mildly impaired. Tasks involving or needing stereopsis was where he had a significant disadvantage, having lost the ability to perceive things with the aid of two eyes. Things involving non-variable distance and position were slightly more difficult. Overall, aside from those impairments he was rather fine, managing to his extend his range of accuracy from ten to twelve feet.

"That should be enough." Naruto sighed as he dropped to the ground after finishing his set of handstand pushups, an exercise he had learned from Gai.

Wiping the sweat from his brow he moved to the lake before letting his feet sink into the cool water, a content sigh leaving his mouth as he took a long gulp from his water bottle. Another sigh of content leaving when his mouth parted with the bottle, Naruto decided that he had spent enough time getting adjusted to his new vision as he took a quick soak before changing and heading back into Konoha. Kotetsu and Izumo's eyes widening upon spotting him, they quickly moved to greet him before questioning him about his whereabouts.

(Scene Change - Konoha East Gate)

"Naruto! Where have you been?! You've been missing for three days now!" Kotetsu shouted quickly calling for a squad of Anbu to their location.

"You're in some serious trouble you know, leaving without checking in with whoever is in charge of the gates is enough to warrant you becoming a missing-nin!" Izumo said in a panicked tone as the Anbu arrived.

"What are you two talking about? I told you two that I would be right outside the village three days ago." Naruto said as the Anbu turned to look at the flabbergasted chūnin.

"Huh?" Izumo said, tilting his head to the left.

"What?" Kotetsu said, tilting his head to the right.

(Flashback - 3 Days Ago)

Sitting back to back, Kotetsu and Izumo were quietly taking a quick power nap after helping out the construction of the nearby buildings. They were assigned to gate duty once again and took the first few minutes to catch up on a few minutes of much needed sleep. As they were starting to slip into the beginnings of a deep sleep Naruto was quietly making his way towards them, raising an eyebrow when he saw their drowsy states.

"Kotetsu-san? Izumo-san?" Naruto said in a slightly wry tone, not believing what he was seeing.

"H-Huh? Wha? Wha's wrong?" Kotetsu said as he snapped his head up, colliding heads with Izumo.

"I'll be leaving Konoha for a few days, I'll be right outside of the village gates. If you need me I'll be approximately 100 meters from the northeast wall." Naruto said, the freshly awoken chūnin nodding before handing him the paperwork to fill out.

Once he was finished he handed it back to them before bidding them a farewell, the two returning it before they fell asleep once again. But they were woken up once more when they heard screaming, turning to see Jiraiya and Menma being chased by a group of towel clad kunoichi brandishing their weapons. Staring blank faced at them, they assumed that what had just occurred was a dream they were having.

(Flashback - End)

"I-Is that right...?" Kotetsu said in a nervous tone, sweating profusely as Naruto gave them a blank stare.

"W-We thought it was a dream... You had an eyepatch and Menma and Jiraiya-sama were being chased by a bunch of beautiful women..." Izumo added as the Anbu gave the two a shake of the head, sighing at their answer.

"That aside, Naruto-san the Hokage has an urgent matter to discuss with you." The hawk mask wearing Anbu said, Naruto nodding before they headed towards the tower.

"...We're screwed aren't we..." Kotetsu said after a few seconds of silence, Izumo nodding his head stiffly.

"Yeah... Yeah, we're screwed..." Izumo replied, the two having waterfall style tears falling from their eyes with defeated smiles on their faces.

(Scene Change - Hokage's Tower)

"Where have you been!?" Minato shouted, his eyes wide with relief as Naruto released a sigh.

"I was about a hundred meters from the northeast wall. I noted that I would be leaving for no more then a week in the gate passing paperwork. As long as I stated where, when and why I was leaving it's fine for me to leave as long as I return by the dates I stated." Naruto replied as Minato nodded his head, a little surprised that his son knew so much about the passing procedure.

"Do you know why I called you in here Naruto?" Minato asked in a slightly hesitant tone, Naruto raising an eyebrow at his tone.

"No I don't, I just arrived remember." Naruto relied, Minato nodding his head at his answer.

"Naruto... You know that you performed excellently at the chūnin exams right?" Minato asked, Naruto simply nodding his head in response.

"Naruto... I hate to tell you this but... You weren't selected to become a chūnin." Minato announced as Naruto's eye widened a little in surprise.

"...Can I ask why?" Naruto asked after a few seconds of agonizing silence, Minato nodding his head stiffly.

"The judges who decided after a conferencing with each other that you were a... liability of sorts..." Minato said, his heart aching as his son's eye visibly darkened.

"A liability...?" Naruto asked in a questioning tone, a tone that Minato slowly grew fearful of.

"Naruto, you know I trust you. Your team trusts you. Zabuza and Haku trust you. Your family trusts you. But that wasn't enough to sway their votes. During your battle with Gaara, with your siblings, they felt that they couldn't trust you in a position of power with the background that you had. I know it sounds utterly idiotic and completely baseless but their words are the law, even I as the Hokage, can't overrule their decision without appealing to the Daimyo." Minato explained, Naruto slowly nodding his head at the information.

"I vouched for you as did your mother but in the end they didn't feel that you were a trustworthy enough individual to lead a squad. They ran a background check on you, having Orochimaru give his analysis on you, and decided that you just weren't social enough or open enough to successfully lead a team. As you know, a chūnin is a genin that has reached a level of maturity and ability that primarily consists of leadership skills and tactical prowess. While you are by far the strongest one in your age group they decided that you just didn't have to capability to lead others given your history of ignoring and brushing off others." Minato continued as Naruto's head dropped slightly, his eyes overshadowed.

"What about Menma? Didn't he do something much worse when he landed that **Rasengan** on Sasuke?" Naruto asked in a low tone, Minato wincing upon hearing it.

"That was taken into consideration and brought up during the conference. They said he had perfect control over the situation and would not have actually followed through with it to the end. They based it solely on speculation and a what-if. I argued that he still wasn't chūnin material but they outvoted me. It only improved his case when they brought up the teamwork he showed with your sisters, the judges saying that he showed a tremendous amount of leadership and the ability to follow orders." Minato answered as Naruto's head remained motionless.

"I'm sorry Naruto, I would promote you if I had the power but if I do it without the knowledge of the Daimyo Konoha would lose its image." Naruto nodding his head at the fact.

"But... I know that you're more then suited to be a chūnin. That's why I'm choosing to ignore what they said about you and promote you myself." Minato said with a smile, Naruto shifting his head up to meet his fathers.

But instead of the smile or stunned expression he expected Naruto to have, he saw a much more mature expression. One that he knew all too well seeing as he had the same one many years ago.

"Thanks but no thanks... If you did something like that, it'd be seen as blatant favoritism for your family. I'll make chūnin next time." Naruto said with a collected tone, the slight disappointment and sadness gone and replaced with a collected determination.

His eyes widening upon hearing his words, Minato slowly lost his stunned expression and let a smile grace his face. They were all fools to not have promoted someone with such maturity and talent, he would no doubt be holding that council later in the month to fight for his son's promotion. Standing up, Minato made his way over to Naruto before placing his hand on his head and ruffling his hair, surprising Naruto a little with the unexpected action.

"They're complete and utter idiots to not promote you Naruto. Anyone would have jumped at the offer I gave you but you turned it down. I'm proud of you and I know you'll make chūnin." Minato said in a proud tone, Naruto turning a little pink at the unexpected praise.

"Why don't we go get something to eat? Just the two of us!" Minato suggested as looked at him curiously before shrugging his shoulders in agreement.

(Scene Change - Ichiraku Ramen)

Arriving at Ichiraku's Minato and Naruto took their seats near the end of the stall where they could talk in privacy. When they walked in Ayame showed a surprised expression before she beamed a bright smile at the two, happily moving to take greet them and take their orders. In the back Teuchi peeked out of the kitchen and smiled when he saw the two together before turning his attention back to his ramen, intent on making the best batch possible.

"Hi Minato-sama! Naruto-san! What can I get the two of you today!" Ayame chirped as Minato gave her a wide smile, Naruto politely greeting her.

"Hello Ayame-chan, I'll have the usual!" Minato said in a cheery tone, Ayame smiling as she turned to face Naruto.

"And for you Naruto-san!" She chirped as Naruto turned to face her.

"I'll have a bowl of tonkotsu with extra chashu and kakuni Ayame-san." Naruto said as Ayame nodded, jotting down his order before a look of realization appeared on her face.

"Oh! Why not make this your usual Naruto-san? You've ordered it at least a half a dozen times!" Ayame chirped as Naruto tilted his head a little in confusion before shrugging and nodding.

"Great! They'll be right out!" She announced before relaying the orders to her father, the two sharing bright smiles seeing the father-son duo starting to reconnect.

"Naruto, can I ask you something rather personal?" Minato started off, Naruto glancing at him through the corner of his eye.

"Go ahead. I'll answer it if it's not too personal." Naruto replied, getting a thankful smile from his father.

"That... Thing... What was it?" Minato asked as Naruto tensed slightly, his grip on his cup of water tightening.

Seeing him react in such a way, Minato was about to tell Naruto that it was fine to not answer but when his grip and person visibly relaxed he waited for his answer.

"That was Tigrex. My partner." Naruto said as he turned to face Minato, his face showing no signs of a lie.

"P-Partner? That monster?" Minato asked in a worried tone, the thought of his son being contracted to that beast already setting off alarms.

"He's not a monster!" Naruto angrily said as he raised his voice, his eye widening when he realized what he had just done.

"I'm sorry for that, but he's not a monster. He's my partner and the best one I could ask for. He got angry after seeing me so injured, why he unleashed that anger out on everyone." Naruto replied as he turned his attention to his cup of water, embarrassed about his outburst.

"No, I'm sorry for saying something like that Naruto. I'd feel the same way if someone called Gamabunta a monster." Minato replied as Naruto nodded his head.

"So Tigrex was it? What exactly is he?" Minato asked as Naruto continued to stare at his water.

"Tigrex is Tigrex. He's my partner and a close friend." Naruto replied without diverting his attention from his glass of water, Minato deciding to drop the subject.

"Here you two go!" Ayame said as she arrived with their orders, Minato gratefully accepting the bowl with a hearty thank you while Naruto opted to thank her in a quieter tone.

"So, is there anything you want to ask me Naruto?" Minato asked after swallowing a mouthful of noodles, Naruto doing the same before answering.

"Who made chūnin?" He asked, Minato nodding as he knew this question would come up.

"Shikamaru and your siblings were promoted." Minato tentatively said, waiting to see Naruto's reaction expecting it to be negative.

"That so? Figures." Naruto said before returning to his ramen, Minato letting out a sigh of relief at his dismissal of the fact.

Casting a side glance at his son Minato saw that he was eating with slightly less vigor then he was just a few seconds ago, clearly upset over the information presented to him. Seeing his normally impassive son saddened caused his heart to ache slightly but soon an idea came to him that caused a bright smile to appear on his face. Quickly downing the rest of his broth, Minato caught Naruto's attention as he raised a brow.

"Naruto! Why don't we spend some more time together? I have a clone working on finishing the rest of my paperwork so my day is free!" Minato asked, his heart thumping in his chest as he awaited his son's answer.

"Why now? It sounds interesting." Naruto said as Minato beamed him a bright smile, Naruto finishing the contents of his bowl before they paid and parted ways with Ayame and Teuchi.

"Haha, now what did I tell you Ayame? Ramen is the key to bonding the souls of men!" Teuchi proudly said, Ayame sighing at her father's belief.

"You've just gotten two very good examples of men bonding over a bowl of ramen Tou-san!" Ayame said as Teuchi just chuckled in response, his daughter pouting slightly at him.

(Scene Change - Unknown Training Ground)

Once they left Ichiraku's the father-son pair made their way past the Hokage's Monument and found themselves in a secluded and seemingly abandoned training ground, the plant life having taken over the ground and training posts. Naruto was surprised that such a training ground existed, having thought that they were all located inside of the village walls.

"We're here! No one should be able to disturb us if we train here." Minato said, turning to face Naruto with a smile on his face.

"Why're we here?" Naruto asked the obvious question, Minato smiling at the question.

"I thought that we could have a little spar Naruto. I haven't actually had a sparring match with you ever since you entered the Academy." Minato said, his voice becoming guilty and pained near the end of his request.

"I don't see why now, but can I ask why?" Naruto asked, Minato smiling at him as he made his way across the training ground.

"I just wanted to see where my oldest son stood, I was wondering if you wanted to train with me. You're under no obligation to do so but I thought this could help us get closer as father and son, I could also help you with overcoming your new condition." Minato said as Naruto nodded at his answer.

Once they were on opposite ends of the training grounds they tensed, Naruto's eye becoming sharper and more focused as he concentrated charka to it to improve his vision and perception. Minato couldn't help but feel excited, a smile on his face as he futilely tried to reign it in. Then, as if on queue, a leaf started to descend from a nearby tree. Slowly it fluttered to the ground before it finally landed, Naruto vanishing as a cloud of debris was kicked up where he once stood.

Bringing his arm up, Minato blocked a kick from Naruto, wincing a little at the force behind it. Quickly kicking off, Naruto flipped back into a crouching position before disappearing once more. The smile leaving his face, Minato turned and swung his leg as he spun on his foot. In an instant Naruto's eye widened as he was forced to lean back to avoid a heel to the face, Minato locking eyes with him. Kicking off the ground, he spun in an attempt to catch Minato only to hit air as he backpedaled. Standing up once more, Naruto tensed as his father locked gazes once again with him.

"You really are skilled Naruto. Not only are your attacks powerful and fast, they're precise. There's no wasted movements, no extra steps. That certainly isn't Anko's style of taijutsu, so who-?" Minato asked only to be cut off when Naruto appeared before him in an attempt to connect his foot with his temple.

Bringing his hand up he caught Naruto's foot, the younger blonde's eyes widening at the action. Stepping in, Minato slammed his palm into his son's stomach as Naruto was sent flying back from the attack. Hitting the ground, Naruto managed to roll back into a standing position as he held his stomach, wincing at the force of the blow.

"That was too slow Naruto, you need to be faster if you want that to work on me." Minato said with a small smirk on his face, Naruto's eye narrowing at him.

Drawing more chakra he channeled and focused it into his legs as he nearly doubled his speed with the extra energy. The ground caving as he pushed off it, Minato brought his hands up to block a powered punch from Naruto, wincing as his arms buckled under the force of the blow. After his attack was blocked Naruto quickly spun and tried to drop his heel onto his father's shoulder, Minato bringing his arm up to block the attack.

Twisting his body, Naruto spun and positioned his body under his father's, Minato raising an eyebrow at the move. Bring his fist up, he tried to catch Minato's jaw only for pain to explode in his abdomen as Minato kicked him away. Hitting the ground and rebounding, he vanished as they soon engaged in furious clash of taijutsu, Minato becoming more and more amazed by his son's performance.

"_Incredible! The longer Naruto fights the faster and stronger his attacks become. Compared to how he was earlier he's improved dramatically!_" Minato thought as he caught a vicious left jab from Naruto, knocking him out of his thoughts.

Going with the direction of the punch, Minato stopped and turned back before burying his fist into Naruto's side, the younger blonde's eye widening as a strangled gasp left his mouth. Stumbling to the side, Naruto managed to bring and arm up to blocked a kick to the abdomen from Minato, wincing as he felt the limb tremble from the force of the blow. Withdrawing his leg, Minato spun and swept Naruto's legs out from under him before placing a kunai at his throat.

"I'd say that's enough taijutsu for now!" Minato said with a smile though his face had a number of bruises.

Kneeling down, he helped Naruto up as the younger blonde stifled a cry of pain when he felt the side of his body creak, releasing a sigh once he was sitting upright. Taking out a storage scroll, Minato unsealed two bottles of water before handing one to Naruto who gratefully took it.

"You're better then I expected Naruto! You're even better then Rock Lee, Gai's prized student!" Minato praised as Naruto released a content sigh after taking a large gulp of water.

"Not even close. In terms of raw taijutsu potential, he's leagues ahead of me. The only reason why I'm comparable to him is because I'm better at auditory and visual learning and slightly better at kinesthetic learning then he is. He works a lot harder then I do and he'll definitely be someone to look out for in the future." Naruto admitted as Minato smiled at him, moving to ruffle his hair.

"It takes a lot to admit that someone is better then you are." Minato said in a proud tone as Naruto shook his head in response.

"I'm just stating the facts, he's got me beat in raw ability when it comes to taijutsu. That's not including the gates." Naruto said as Minato nodded in understanding.

"Well, why don't we move away from taijutsu Naruto? I've got something I want to teach you." Minato said as Naruto gave him a curious gaze before standing up.

"You've already seen it a few times but I want to teach you one of my most prized jutsu. My **Rasengan**." Minato said as Naruto raised his eyebrow.

"Why are you teaching it to me? From what I understand Menma is practically forbidden to use it after what happened in the exams." Naruto said as Minato winced, knowing what he was talking about.

After the exams and the war was over, Menma had gone to the Uchiha manor to apologize for his use of the jutsu on Sasuke. To say he was scared was an understatement as Itachi had his Sharingan pinned on him the entire time he was at their home. However Sasuke and his parents did forgive him for using the **Rasengan**, though Satsuki and Itachi weren't as easily convinced. After that the two even began training together to the shock of the village, knowing that those two were rivals to the end.

"Menma resolved that incident with Sasuke, the two are even training together now. Jiraiya didn't enforce my ideal to never use it on a comrade. I trust Menma but I know that his emotions can get the better of him. That's why I'm teaching you personally Naruto, I know that you have excellent over your emotions." Minato said as Naruto nodded his head slowly, still unsure about the whole situation.

After that Minato explained the basic principles of the **Rasengan**, going into deeper detail about how he created it when Naruto asked him to, which only made him prouder seeing that his oldest was interested in more then just learning how to use it, wanting to learn about how it worked.

"As you most likely know, the **Rasengan** doesn't require any seals to use, relying only on your chakra control. Once it's complete, it becomes completely self-sustaining, which doesn't give it a definite limit like Kakashi's **Chidori** or **Raikiri**. The compacted nature and moving speed of the chakra allows it to grind into whatever it comes in contact with to cause damage, depending on how long and hard the contact with it is it can range from mild to fatal. This tends to launch the target spiraling backward after being hit or, if the target is lying down or being launched, to the ground or air. And because the it requires a high level of shape transformation, mastering it will grant you mastery of shape transformation." Minato stared as Naruto listened with rapt attention.

"I created it with the intent to be combined with the user's elemental affinity. Kakashi tried to add Raiton chakra to his **Rasengan**, but was unable to, using the basic idea to create the **Chidori** and its more advanced counterpart, the **Raikiri**, which require a certain point of shape and nature manipulation itself. It won't be a while until you can do it but I hope you'll be successful in integrating your affinity into your **Rasengan** Naruto." Minato continued as Naruto nodded his head, already contemplating his strategy for doing so.

"Now, I'll explain what this training will consist of. The first step is learning how to burst a water balloon by spinning the water inside in multiple directions at once using only your chakra, which emphasizes rotation. The second step is for you to burst a rubber ball, and since rubber is thicker, and air is completely different from water, it forces you to use denser chakra to break it. This step emphasizes power. The third and final step is to combine the processes from before by spinning chakra inside a balloon without moving the balloon itself, emphasizing stability of the sphere shape. Once you master doing all of those steps you'll be able to create and use the **Rasengan** Naruto." Minato finished as Naruto nodded his head in confirmation of the information that was passed to him.

Once the explanations were finally over Minato made his way over to Naruto as he brought out a summoning scroll and released two water balloons from it. Handing one to Naruto he showed him the first step needed to create the **Rasengan**, rupturing the balloon with ease before addressing his son.

"We'll start off with this for now, once you can pop water balloons like nothing we'll move o-" Minato was interrupted by the popping of the balloon in Naruto's hand the water spraying out in a more explosive manner then Minato's.

"Next." Naruto said as Minato stared at him slightly slack jawed at what had just happened.

"W-What?! It took me nearly 3 months to do just that! It took Jiraiya-sensei and Menma a week to learn how to do that!" Minato shouted as Naruto cocked his brow at him.

"D-Do it again, I need to make sure it wasn't a fluke!" Minato said as he summoned another balloon for Naruto only for it to pop once more.

"A-Amazing Naruto, you're control must be near perfect if you're able to do that with such ease already!" Minato said in a shocked tone before it turned proud.

Summoning a rubber ball he handed it to Naruto to see if his skill wasn't just limited to the water balloons. Watching in fascination as the ball almost immediately started to distort it only took a few more seconds before it violently popped, Minato's eyes widening as it did.

"How long did it take Menma to learn it?" Naruto asked, snapping Minato out of his stupor.

"Jiraiya told me that it took him the entire month to learn it, even now his isn't perfect as it isn't as compact as it could be." Minato said as Naruto nodded his head before saying something that made Minato flinch.

"I'll learn it in three days." Naruto declared as Minato raised an eyebrow in interest at the declaration.

"Naruto, no matter how talented you are there's just no way that's possible!" Minato said as Naruto turned to face him.

"Are you willing to bet on my failure?" Naruto said with a challenging gaze in his eye, Minato immediately getting interested seeing such an expression from his son.

"I am. What are the stakes?" He said as Naruto locked gazes with him before saying something that made his jaw nearly drop.

"If I win teach me the **Hiraishin**." Naruto said, Minato's eyes widening upon hearing the outrageous request.

"Naruto! Even more so then learning the **Rasengan** in three days that's impossible! It took me years to be able to even create a concept of the **Hiraishin**, let alone master it!" Minato said in an attempt to dissuade his son.

"Then you've got nothing to fear if it's impossible right?" Naruto countered as Minato relented, knowing what he said was true.

"Alright. But if I win, you have to come back and live with us. Deal?" Minato said as Naruto's eye widened slightly before narrowing against his fathers.

"Deal." He said as he reached out to shake his father's hand, the two securing a bet that would end in either crushing defeat or an impossible victory.

"You have three days to master the **Rasengan**. And since this is now a bet, I won't be helping you with the final two steps." Minato said as Naruto nodded in understanding, knowing that the stakes were set extremely high.

"You had better get started Naruto. Oh, and don't tell your mother about this. No doubt your sisters or her do something to upset the balance of our bet. We made this bet as men and we'll see it through to the end as men." Minato said with a smirk as Naruto nodded back a faint smirk also on his face.

Once everything was settled Minato ruffled Naruto's hair once more before he vanished in a flash of yellow as Naruto continued to learn the second famous jutsu of his father. Bringing his hand up a small blue sphere slowly began to form in the center of his palm. A smirk making its way to his face he turned and drove the sphere into a nearby tree as it quickly dissipated after a few seconds of contact, creating a tiny hole.

"I just have to make it more powerful." Naruto said as he repeated the process of creating and testing the sphere that he created, trying to find a balance between the rotation and power.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

Standing in the center of a crater covered training ground, Naruto was panting as sweat dripped off his brow lost in the midst of the downpour of the thunderstorm overhead. He had been creating and testing a limitless number **Rasengan** ever since making the bet with his father. The training ground once overgrown but pristine was now a crater covered wasteland, subject to the countless barrage of concentrated spheres that were used on it. The ground wasn't the only casualty of Naruto's training. The trees that once surrounded the training ground were now either fallen or on the verge of being felled, being littered with craters.

The rain beginning to fall harder, Naruto decided that this would be his final trial of the night and decided to go all out. As lightning flashed overhead, the brief light that followed revealed that half of his body was covered by the black scale-like pattern of his seal. Holding his hand out once more, a pitch black sphere with a burning crimson center formed before crimson and black lighting arced around it. Gritting his teeth, Naruto stared at the large stone in front of him before rushing it down.

"**Ryuuton: Rasengan**!" Naruto roared as he slammed the sphere of volatile chakra into the boulder, gritting his teeth as the sphere slowly began to glow before an explosion occurred, a dome of black and crimson chakra with matching lightning consuming Naruto and the area of impact.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's Ch. 20. Again, nothing really exciting happened; Naruto talked with Menma and Minato, got over the past and is now looking towards the future. I'll be back next chapter, so until then. Stay cool.**

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**Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, by observing the Tailed Beast Ball. Minato spent three years developing the Rasengan; his intention was to take the shape transformation of one's chakra to the "highest possible point" and combine it with his chakra's nature affinity, creating a technique that did not need the aid of time-consuming hand seals to control. On shape transformation alone, the Rasengan is still a powerful, versatile, and difficult technique to learn and master.

**Chidori - One Thousand Birds**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique channels a large amount of lightning chakra to the user's hand. The amount of chakra is so great that it becomes visible. The high concentration of electricity produces a sound reminiscent of many birds chirping, hence the name. Once the technique is completed, the user charges forward and thrusts the Chidori into the target. This produces heavy amounts of damage that is usually fatal. This technique is classified as an assassination technique because of the speed at which it is performed, despite the loud noise it produces. The **Chidori** can also be used to simply electrocute the opponent without impaling them. Kakashi noted that he created this technique as the result of his failed attempt to apply his Raiton nature transformation to **Rasengan**, which embodies the highest level of shape transformation.

**Raikiri - Lightning Cutter**: S-Rank; According to Gai, it gained its name after Kakashi split a bolt of lightning with it. Because the **Chidori** is already powerful on its own, the **Raikiri** requires better chakra control, which is exemplified in its appearance. The **Chidori** appears as simply a mass of white electrical chakra in the user's hand, while the **Raikiri **is more focused Kakashi is limited to using it four times in one day.

**Hiraishin - Flying Thunder God**: S-Rank, Supplementary; To activate this technique, the user places a special seal or "technique formula" to mark an intended destination. After this is done, they can at will enter a dimensional void that instantaneously transports them to the location of the seal. The mark can be applied to almost any area through brief physical contact, including an opponent or other surrounding feature. Because this technique is able to affect anything that is in contact with the user or somehow connected to their chakra, they can also use this technique to teleport other objects or people, though the size of the object dictates the amount of chakra required. As Minato also noted, the marking formula never disappears from a marked target.

**Ryuuton: Rasengan - Dragon Release: Spiraling Sphere**: No rank yet, Ninjutsu; Details limited, a Ryuuton infused **Rasengan**.


	23. Chapter 21

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, I'm back. Sorry about the long time between this and the last update, I was on spring break and my laptop charger died so I wasn't able to write or access my documents. Well, this chapter is kinda heavy, if you don't want to read anything involving implied rape, gore, that kinda stuff I suggest that you avoid this chapter, PM me and I can summarize it for you or if you guys want I can post a "cleaner?" chapter? Just a heads up so you guys don't go all ape on me you know. As for everything else, it's kinda meh. I wanted to get it out before the school week started so here it is. Again, PM me if you wanna know something or have something to tell or talk to me about. Well, that's enough outta me, you came to read right? Well let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 21

(Scene Change - Spiritual Plane)

"Aniki!" Kami shouted as she scanned the vast expanse of nothingness for any signs of her older brother, clearly upset by something given the angry expression on her face.

Her molten anger soon died down when she saw her older brother sitting in a lotus position with his back turned to her, his head bowed slightly. Curious and a little worried, Kami made her way tentatively over to him, being sure to avoid making any form of noise. As she neared, she flinched when she felt his presence, resisting the urge to gag when the nearly infinite feeling of death and decay swept over her. Feeling nauseous, Kami placed her hand to her head and tried to relieve herself of the feeling of death as her brother slowly stood up.

"A-Aniki...?" Kami timidly said, afraid that her usually bubbly and happy brother was the exact opposite, having taken on the presence and feeling befitting his title.

"Hmm? What is it Kami-chan?" Shinigami said, turning slightly to face her, Kami flinching when she saw how serious his eyes were.

"U-Umm... I-I wanted to tell you that the child of prophecy has started to f-form bonds within his home village. I-It would appear that y-your plan to avoid him forming bonds and remaining neutral is f-failing." Kami stuttered, shrinking when her brothers gaze remained the same, glowing with the promise of death.

After hearing what she had to say, he simply nodded in response before turning around and returning to his own thoughts. Seeing such a calm reaction from her brother made Kami's fears increase ten-fold, shaking slightly when his presence and pressure nearly tripled. Taking a deep breath, she shakily made her way towards him before hesitantly reaching out for his shoulder. Half expecting him to rip himself free from her grip or brush her hand off, she was a little surprised and soon embarrassed when she felt his hand cover her own.

"Something else you want to ask me?" He asked, his voice still calm and collected, making her flinch from his question.

"A-Aniki... Is something the matter? Usually you w-would be panicking after hearing something like that..." Kami asked, holding back the purr that threatened to escape her lips when she felt his hand squeeze hers gently.

"You are correct, but something else has come up. It appears that we don't need to worry about his attachments to his home, for they will be severed soon enough." Shinigami said, making Kami's eyes widen from the ominous tone in his voice.

"W-What do you mean? You didn't manipulate the hearts of people again did you?" Kami asked, her own voice taking on an ominous tone.

"There would be no need. It appears that the wheels of fate have begun to turn. A great number of tragedies will befall that child." Shinigami said, Kami flinching from how solemn her brother sounded.

"What do you mean Aniki? A great number of tragedies? I know that he's lost an eye, and by extension part of his strength." Kami asked as Shinigami nodded his head softly, releasing a sigh as he gazed at the vast plain of nothingness that laid before him.

"That child... Losing an eye will be the least painful and crippling loss that he will experience. I can only hope that he will have the heart to move past them and toward the future." Shinigami said, the last part coming out in a slightly hushed tone as Kami squeezed his shoulder gently.

"He is the child of prophecy Aniki, he was blessed by both you and I. He will be able to pull through this won't he?" Kami said in a reassuring voice, trying to lift her brother's solemn mood.

"I'm not so sure about that Kami-chan. There slumbers a number of powers that make the strongest appear powerless inside of him. One that has corrupted and caused the extinction of a clan that could have ruled over all. Another that took the combined efforts of near godly beings to seal away. Then... The final that transcends the others in terms of power and corruption..." Shinigami said, Kami's eyes widening at the piece of information.

"Aniki... You don't mean..." Kami started, her hand shaking slightly as her brother nodded.

"Yeah... The Virus, Ryūō and Ryūjin were passed on and resealed into him by the one he called his older brother." Shinigami said as Kami paled upon hearing the horrifying piece of information.

Her legs giving out from under her, Kami fell to her knees before she placed her head on her brother's shoulder, shaking slightly from the revelation she had just experienced. Shinigami turning his body, he embraced her as she latched her arms around him. He sighed, knowing that Kami feared the destruction of the world she loved and cared for, knowing that the combination of volatile powers was nothing but an omen of the end.

"Don't worry Kami-chan... Those powers, he won't fall to their corruption... We have to believe that he won't..." Shinigami said in an attempt to reassure her, knowing that what he said was nothing but empty words.

(Scene Change - Hi no Kuni Capital: Daimyō's Office)

"Thank you, that will be all." The Fire Daimyō said, thanking his advisors for their input on the topic of the recent attack on Konoha.

Releasing a sigh, he leaned back and stared at the ceiling before stiffening, a sense of foreboding entering his body. Turning around, he had to stifle a scream of horror when a pale, bandaged person suddenly appeared before him. Sweat quickly running down the sides of his head, he gulped as the unknown person approached him, the Daimyō quickly moving to kneel before him.

"H-Hiruko-sama! I-I apologize, I-I s-should have p-prepared tea for your a-arrival!" The Fire Daimyō stuttered out, trembling slightly when he felt Hiruko's oppressive gaze fall upon him.

"No need Hikyou, I came to verify that you completed the mission that I assigned you." Hiruko said, Hikyou losing his trembling outward appearance and straightening up.

Soon, a red cloud of smoke covered the elderly man before it started to dissipate, in his place a younger man stood in the same kneeling position.

"Of course Hiruko-sama. I managed to bribe the other Daimyō into voting against the promotion of the Hokage's eldest son. If I may my lord, may I ask why you ordered such a thing? Surely allowing him to advance through the ranks quickly would allow more opportune moments to capture him, seeing as the chances of him leaving on solo missions would also increase." Hikyou said, Hiruko's face gaining a terrifying smile at the question.

"How astute of your Hikyou." Hiruko started, Hikyou bowing his head in acceptance of his praise.

"That would be the optimal solution wouldn't it? But... I've formulated a better idea for capturing him. One that will sever all his ties to Konoha." Hiruko said with a smile on his face, Hikyou shuddering slightly under that smile.

"Thank you Hiruko-sama, for answering my question." Hikyou said as he bowed his head lower.

"Hmph, of course. Now, remember your objective. Do not deviate from the Fire Daimyō's personality and planning process. The longer you keep up the facade of being him, the longer we will be able to fund our own operations. I assume that no one knows who you are or that the original is missing correct." Hiruko asked, though it was more of a threat as Hikyou started to sweat slightly.

"N-No, I believe that no one knows my true identity aside from you my lord. Even the Fire Daimyō's wife and children seems to be unable to notice that I am not their husband or father." Hikyou reported, Hiruko studying him for any traces of doubt.

"...Good, it had better stay that way." Hiruko said as he made his way towards the window, vanishing in a blur of silver.

Releasing a sigh, Hikyou released a vial of blood from a seal on his wrist and dropped a small bead of blood onto his thumb. Putting his hands together into the Hitsuji seal, he quickly moved to slide the dollop of blood down his tongue as he performed the **Ketsueki Henge** Hiruko had recruited him for, a cloud of red smoke covering him as he took on the appearance of the Fire Daimyō once again. As the cloud dispersed, he let out an exhausted sigh as he moved to sit in a nearby chair, bracing himself against it as he wiped the small trail of blood that leaked from the corners of his mouth.

"Dear? Is everything alright?" A voice asked from the opposite side of the door, Hikyou panicking as he hurriedly cleaned the blood on his face and hand.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine. I'm just exhausted is all. The meetings today have been rather taxing." Hikyou said, the door opening to reveal Madam Shijimi, the Fire Daimyō's wife, who wore a concerned expression on her face.

"Dear, are you sure everything is fine? You look pale." Shijimi asked, moving to hold Hikyou's arm as he relaxed in her embrace.

"I'm fine, I just need a quick break." Hikyou said, pulling her close to kiss her temple as she blushed a little, snuggling deeper into his embrace.

"Well, why don't you take a break and have lunch with me Dear?" Shijimi asked while batting her eyes with needy expression on her face, Hikyou chuckling as he moved to kiss her softly, causing her to giggle in return.

"I'd love that. Why don't we ask if the kids would like to join us?" Hikyou suggested, Shijimi smiling in response as she nodded, taking his arm in hers as they exited his office.

"_Hiruko-sama... Please, do not take my new family away from me..._" Hikyou prayed in his mind, hoping that his lord wouldn't force him or another to take the lives of the people he had come to love.

(Time Skip - 3 Days After The Bet)

(Scene Change - Unknown Training Ground)

The scattered rays of light shining down on his face through the leaves of the tree he laid under, Naruto's eye slowly fluttered open as he sat up. Stretching, he sighed in content as he felt the kinks and knots in his body pop and fade. Glancing around he saw the desolate land that laid around him, a result of his training, which was successful based on the extent of the damage that surrounded him. It had been three days since Naruto had made the bet of learning the **Rasengan** by today, having successfully managed to accomplish the task and then some.

Standing up, he relieved his body of the rest of its kinks before letting a content sigh escape his lips. Heading to the river that laid close by, he stopped and washed the dirt and grime that accumulated overnight before heading back to the training ground. When he arrived, he stared blankly at the gawking face of his father, obviously having noticed that once pristine now decimated training ground that he had shown Naruto. Stiffly turning his head, Minato made eye contact with Naruto who merely shrugged at the underlying question, hidden beneath his gaze.

"_Did you do this...?_"

After getting over the initial shock of seeing the ruined training ground, Minato and Naruto sat beside each other under the same tree Naruto had slept under for the past few days. Discussing the events of the past three days, Minato's jaw dropped when he saw the perfectly formed **Rasengan** that Naruto held in his hand, which was formed using a single hand unlike Menma who needed the assistance of a clone.

"Unbelievable... You actually did it Naruto..."Minato said in a hushed tone of disbelief, his eyes wide as he examined the sphere resting above Naruto's palm.

"It took a while but once I got the proper amounts of power and rotation needed to keep it moving while retaining the needed power, it just took fine tuning to complete it." Naruto said as Minato nodded, still a little dazed at the developments that had just occurred.

"Well, a bet's a bet Naruto. I won't be teaching you personally until you become a little older, but I'll start you off with the complete inner workings, mechanics, theories and information that I've compiled about the **Hiraishin**." Minato said, summoning a golden scroll and handing it to Naruto, the younger blonde delicately taking it.

"Are you sure you should be trusting something this valuable to me?" Naruto asked in an unsure tone, knowing that if this scroll fell into the wrong hands it would only spell disaster.

"I'm sure. I trust that you'll keep it safe and that you'll master it." Minato said with a smile before reaching over and ruffling Naruto's hair, to his irritation.

After the exchange was finished Minato told Naruto that he was to report to the Hokage's Tower in a few hours, stating that he had a mission for the younger blonde. Parting ways, Minato heading back to the Tower to finish his paperwork while Naruto headed towards the North Gate to see if his apartment complex was complete, it was a little stunned to see that it had been completed. Heading towards the location of his old apartment, he was a little surprised to see that his key still worked.

(Scene Change - Naruto's Apartment)

Opening the door, he found that it was completely bare, as expected as almost nothing was able to be salvaged from the ruins of the old building. Examining his new place of residence, he saw a note on the countertop from his landlord. Quickly scanning it, he saw that it stated that he didn't have to worry about creating a new contract and that his old one was fine, saying that he knew that Naruto was a mature and responsible enough person to trust with not creating a new one.

"I'm home." Naruto whispered as he took his scroll out of his pocket, unsealing and arranging the clothes and other various items that he had sealed inside.

Once everything was in place, as much as it could be without the proper furniture, Naruto released a sleeping bag and pillow before deciding to take a nap. Stripping down to his pants, he laid down onto his makeshift bed, he slowly traced the now empty socket that once held his left eye, his remaining eye becoming somber as he thought about the consequences of his weakness. The Elders would no doubt berate him for his lack of strength, after all it was only the strongest of the strong that become an Elder.

"_**Do not be concerned with the opinions of the Elders... Soon, they will be nothing but corpses waiting to be consumed and added to my own power... Remember what I've told you...**_" An all too familiar voice echoed in Naruto's mind, though it was unheard by the boy it was trying to reach, Naruto wincing slightly as a sudden headache caused him to clutch his head.

Releasing a sigh as the pain passed, he let his hand drop to his abdomen before he drifted to sleep, never waking as the dark bellowing chuckles of the voice sounded about as the seal started to spread across his body.

"_**It's quite a shame... For you are now unable to hear my voice boy...**_"

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

Hearing knocking on the door of his apartment, Naruto groggily woke up, still mentally and physically exhausted from the amount of training that he had been doing for the past few days. Sitting up, he rubbed the sleep out of his eye before standing up with some effort. Once he was on his feet, he moved towards the door before opening it, knowing that it was probably the Anbu, who came to remind him about his meeting with Minato.

"Yes?" Naruto said, wincing as the rays of the blinded his vision temporarily.

"Naruto-san, are you ready for your meeting with Minato-sama?" A calm voice asked, Naruto releasing a sigh as he nodded.

"Yeah, let me grab a change of clothes first." Naruto said, the Anbu in front of him nodding as he closed the door to change.

Opening the door once again, he nodded to the Abu before they made their way to the Tower. Traveling in complete silence, they arrived quickly as the Anbu led Naruto to Minato's office. When they finally arrived, he nodded to Naruto before vanishing, Naruto releasing a sigh as he turned and entered.

(Scene Change - Hokage's Tower: Minato's Office)

Arriving inside of the office, he was a little surprised to see that he wasn't the only one who was called. Standing before him was Team 7 minus Menma, who were also surprised and excited to see him. Minato beaming a smile at him, he gestured for Naruto to enter join them. Approaching them, he stood to the side of his siblings as they controlled themselves, Narumi in particular. Seeing his family gathered together, Minato couldn't help the grin that appeared on his face.

"Naruto, I'm glad that you made it!" Minato said in a chipper tone as Naruto nodded, though he was supposed to be here no matter what.

"Sorry that I'm late, I overslept slightly." Naruto said as he bowed slightly, Minato laughing slightly.

"It's fine. I called you here because Menma is unavailable for this mission, he left with Team 8 on another. This is a simple C-Rank mission, Kakashi will fill you in on the details if you're willing to join Team 7 on it." Minato said, Naruto nodding as he accepted the mission, Narumi and Mito inwardly cheering at his answer.

"Good! Good luck all of you and be careful out there. You all... Might have to kill on this one." Minato warned, Mito and Narumi's eyes widening slightly as they subtly shook.

"I'll try and avoid having it come to that so Sensei." Kakashi said, placing his hands on the shoulders of the two girls before giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"Thanks Kakashi. Mito, Narumi, Naruto. Just remember that death is a part of being a ninja, there will come a time where you have to kill, just don't lose yourself when you do." Minato said, his daughters nodding stiffly while Naruto inclined his head in response.

After reassuring the two girls, the group left the Tower and made their way towards the restaurant district for a bite to eat before they left on their mission. The two girls picking out a dango stall, they left Kakashi and Naruto alone while they went to make their orders, the amiable light chatter between Mito, Narumi and himself was now a tense silence between Naruto and himself. Kakashi nervously glancing at Naruto, he was about to speak but held his tongue when Naruto left to a nearby stall to grab a bite to eat, Kakashi sighing in relief before he did the same.

Sitting together with their meals, the Uzumaki-Namikaze children fixed their gazes on Kakashi as he quickly ate without removing his mask, Mito and Narumi's eyes twitching in response while Naruto raised an eyebrow. Taking a deep breath, Kakashi turned his attention to them as they tensed, seeing his visible eye become serious.

"Alright. As you three know, this is an elimination mission. A group of bandits have taken over a small village a few miles away and we've been assigned to either eliminate or capture them. As Sensei said, the risk of you killing and being killed is fairly high. If you're not feeling up to it tell me now." Kakashi said, scanning the faces of his siblings, seeing the nervous and tense expression on Mito and Narumi's faces while Naruto remained blank.

"Alright, since none of you are answering I'll take it that you know the risks and are still willing to take the mission." Kakashi said, obviously irritated at the lack of responses.

"We'll be leaving an hour from now. Head back and pack for at least three weeks to be safe, we don't know how long we will be out there but I do know that it will take at least two to three days to arrive at the village. Once you're done, we'll meet up at the East Gate." Kakashi ordered, Mito and Narumi nodding in response as they left to pack, leaving Naruto and Kakashi alone.

"Well Naruto, are you up for this?" Kakashi said after a few seconds of glaring silence, Naruto turning to face him slightly.

"Yeah." Naruto replied before he turned and made his way toward the gate, Kakashi soon following suit.

(Time Skip - 1 Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Konoha: East Gate)

"We're here! Sorry for keeping you two waiting!" Narumi shouted, catching her breath as Mito followed suit.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Being late after becoming chūnin, what kind of example are you setting for the genin under you?" Kakashi teased, Mito and Narumi glaring at him at his statement.

"You're one to talk Kakashi-niisan." Mito said, Narumi agreeing as Kakashi winced at their truthful accusation.

"Well, enough about that. Let's get going. The faster we can get there, the better chance that we can save the villagers who've been taken as captives." Kakashi said, his tone becoming serious as Mito and Narumi followed suit, Naruto rolling his shoulders to rid them of the slight knots that laced them. With that they quickly took off, their next destination Rindou no Sato, Bellflower Village.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Open Clearing)

"Alright, let's set up camp here. Mito, Narumi can you two split up gathering firewood and starting a fire. Naruto, you help me pitch the tents." Kakashi ordered, the younger ninja moving to fulfill their orders.

The journey so far had been less then eventful, the past few hours filled with nothing but silence as the group moved. That silence was only broken when one of them had to use the restroom, the others standing guard in the event something happened. But luckily for the group nothing did happen, the only encounters that they had was with occasional wild animal that happened to cross their path.

For Mito and Narumi, it was a godsend as they were still anxious about the thought of ending the life of another person, even if that person was scum. For Kakashi, he was worried about his younger sisters, seeing that they were nothing but a bundle of tense nerves ever since they left the village. For Naruto, he just wanted to get the mission done and return back home to start renovating it.

Moving about their camp, the group quickly finished up with their assigned tasks, Mito and Narumi having collected a sizeable amount of firewood and built the fire pit that housed a small roaring fire. Kakashi and Naruto had finished pitching the two tents that would house them, the pairs already having been made. Gathering around the fire, Kakashi was about to ask if anyone was up to cook but Naruto beat him to it by starting on their dinner.

"Naru-nii you know how to cook?" Narumi timidly asked after a few moments of tense silence, still having not apologized for what she had done after their match.

"I do." Naruto replied, never taking his eye off of the fish that he was scaling, Narumi's spirits dropping slightly at his quick answer.

"D-Do you need help Naruto-nii?" Mito nervously asked, hoping that he would say yes as it would give her a chance to apologize for the same reason.

"I'm fine, all of you just rest. It'll be ready in a few minutes." Naruto answered, dousing Mito's hopes as she nodded sadly.

With that Naruto focused on preparing their dinner as the remaining members of the team opted to remain silent, stealing glances at the enigmatic blonde. Soon, the silence was broken when the stomachs of Mito, Narumi and Kakashi rumbled after the tantalizing scent of Naruto's cooking made it to their noses. Blushing in pure embarrassment, Mito and Narumi quickly beat down a snickering Kakashi as he teased them about their appetites.

"It's ready." Naruto announced, the three quickly making their way over and drooled slightly at the sight.

It wasn't an extravagant meal by any means, simply consisting of steamed fish garnished with peppers and greens, sitting on a pile of steamed rice. Dividing the portions evenly among his team, Naruto joined them after soaking the dishes to be washed, a slightly disturbed look crossing his face at the euphoric expressions on the faces of his sisters and Kakashi.

"Is everything alright?" He asked, his expression getting slightly more disturbed as they robotically turned to face him.

"Is everything alright?! This tastes amazing Naru-nii!" Narumi shouted before digging in with extra gusto, pausing to let an extremely content sigh escape her lips before returning to her meal.

"I've never had anything that taste so delicious Naruto-nii!" Mito said as she took another spoonful of her meal into her mouth, putting her hand against her cheek as she shivered in pleasure as her taste buds danced in her mouth.

"Naruto, you could quit being a shinobi and open up your own restaurant! You're talents are being wasted!" Kakashi shouted as he had his face lowered to his plate, refusing to look up from his meal as he devoured it like a starved beast.

"Alright then..." Naruto said, sighing as he started on his meal, wincing as it had gone from piping hot to lukewarm bordering cool.

During their dinner, the tense atmosphere around the group slowly melted away into a amiable one as the three were able to openly talk with Naruto, Mito and Narumi asking for his forgiveness, Naruto stating that he didn't really care all that much about what had happened.

"Are you sure Naru-nii?" Narumi asked, putting on her best cute expression in hopes of getting her older brother to tell the truth.

"I'm sure." Naruto replied as he polished off the remains of his plate, Mito and Narumi exchanging worried looks.

"Naruto-nii, are you? I don't mean to be rude, but aren't you forgiving us a little too easily?" Mito asked, Narumi tensing before shooting her a panicked look.

"Should I not forgive you?" Naruto asked, looking up from his plate as the two froze, fear invading their hearts as Kakashi watched with a mix of tenseness and worry.

"N-No! I mean, I just want to know why you're forgiving us so easily is all..." Mito said, her voice a little hushed as she fidgeted under his gaze.

"There's no need to hold a grudge over something like that." Naruto said, shift his gaze back to his plate as his eye narrowed, burning with a calm anger as the others flinched upon seeing such an expression in his eye.

"... I understand." Kakashi said, idly tracing the eye under his hitai-ate, Mito and Narumi tilting their heads in a curious manner before their own eyes widened as they turned to face their older brother.

"S-Sorry about bringing that up Naru-nii..." Narumi said, willing herself not to hug him like her body willed her to do.

"I'm sorry for b-bringing up such an awful memory Naruto-nii..." Mito said, hesitantly reaching out before placing her hand on his, Narumi nearly shouting in defiance.

"It's fine. I'll take first watch, you all get some rest." Naruto said as he gently pulled his hand out of Mito's grasp, the redhead blushing slightly at his gentle action while Narumi puffed her cheeks out in a powerful pout.

Collecting the rest of the dishes, Naruto went to wash them as the others settled into their own tents, Narumi glowering at Mito the entire time as her older sister had a radiant expression on her face accompanied with a rosy shade of pink on her cheeks.

Inside of Mito and Narumi's tent, the two settled into their sleeping bags as Mito let a content sigh escape her lips. Hearing her, Narumi turned to her and stared at her with lifeless eyes, a pout on her face as Mito nestled deeper into her sleeping bag as another sigh escaped her lips.

"Jiiii~"

"Hmm!? What's wrong Narumi-chan?" Mito asked, turning to face her pouting sister.

"Hmph. Nothing's wrong." Narumi said, turning away from Mito as she continued to sulk and pout.

"Narumi-chan... Come'on, tell me!" Mito said, rolling over to her sister as Narumi continued to ignore her.

Seeing that she wasn't going to get a proper response from her little sister, Mito continued with her roll and eventually plopped half of her body on top of Narumi, causing the blonde to yelp in surprise at the sudden weight on top of her. Glancing up, she was met with Mito's own stare as she wiped off her surprised look and replaced it with her pout from before. Soon, a staring contest broke out between the two as they locked eyes with each other, refusing to turn away.

"Tell me!" Mito demanded, her eyes boring straight into Narumi's the blonde unyielding to her request.

"No! I don't have to!" Narumi retorted like an angry child, her cheeks puffing out as her pout increased.

As they raged on in their battle of attrition in the tent beside his, Kakashi let out a sigh as he continued reading his book, shaking his head as the sounds of their argument began to crank up in volume and intensity.

"Kids." Kakashi sighed out, closing his book and pulling his covers over as a squeal sounded out from the girl's tent.

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

(Scene Change - Outskirts of Rindou no Sato)

After more uneventful traveling, the team consisting of Kakashi, Mito, Narumi and Naruto had finally arrived at their destination. Hidden in the thick line of trees that surrounded the village, they were taking their time in observing the village, taking note that there was absolutely no signs of activity near the village borders.

"Anything to report?" Kakashi asked through the headset attached to his wireless radio.

"Nothing here Kakashi-nii, the eastern part of the village is empty." Narumi reported, Kakashi's doubts growing.

"The south is empty as well Kakashi-niisan, there's nothing here." Mito reported as Kakashi narrowed his brows in concentration.

"No activity in the north." Naruto reported as Kakashi felt a small bit of ice form in the pit of his stomach.

Quickly moving to remove the hitai-ate that covered his Sharingan, Kakashi scanned the area and found that there were in fact traces of a barrier style genjutsu covering the village. Narrowing his eye, he knew that the presences of enemy ninja already upped the rank of the mission from C to B, possibly A.

"Everyone, we need to regroup. Now." Kakashi ordered, moving towards the area they designated as a place to regroup and plan in the event something happened.

"What's the situation?" Naruto asked, glancing at Kakashi through the corner of his eye, Mito and Narumi focusing on Kakashi as well.

"We've run into a snag. It's not just ordinary bandits who've taken over this village, looks like we've got ninja on our hands here." Kakashi reported, Mito and Narumi tensing as Naruto's eye narrowed.

"W-What are we going to do now Kakashi-nii?" Narumi asked, a little nervous about the new development.

"We have three options. Option one, we proceed but with much more care and caution. Option two, we call in for backup and wait for them to get to us. And option three, we head back and report to Minato-sensei. Normally, we have to head back since this has clearly changed ranks but the situation is dire." Kakashi explained, the girls gaining troubled expressions on their faces while Naruto's eye sharpened.

"We need to rescue those villagers. We don't know what could be going on as we speak, but the longer we wait the more those involved will suffer." Naruto said, Kakashi gaining a look of understanding while Mito and Narumi gained conflicted expressions.

"Naruto, I understand your feelings but we need to go about this carefully. We don't know how strong they are but from the illusion barrier that they have up shows that they have some skilled ninja on their side." Kakashi retorted, lightly chiding Naruto as the blonde scoffed slightly in response, Kakashi frowning in return.

"What are we going to do?" Mito asked, trying to alleviate the tension that started to form between Kakashi and Naruto.

"I'll leave it up to you. However, you all need to reach a collective consensus." Kakashi said, staring directly at Naruto as the blonde shot him a frigid glare.

"U-Umm... W-What do you think Mito-nee?" Narumi asked, desperate to break the tension in the air.

"I-I don't know... I want to help but w-what if something goes wrong..." Mito said, clenching her fists tightly.

"A-And you Naru-nii?" Narumi asked, turning to face her brother who had his eye shut in irritation.

"You know my answer already." Naruto replied gruffly, trying to quell the strange spur of anger that began to surge through his blood.

As they fell into a tense silence, a scream snapped them out of their stupor. Moving quickly to the edge of the tree line, their eyes widened when they saw a girl in her young teens running as fast as her legs could carry her, her clothes ripped and bloodied as her fear filled face frantically shifted between looking forward and behind her. As she neared the halfway point between the village and the tree line, a figure quickly approached from behind her before grabbing and slamming her into the ground, the girl crying out in pain as they twisted her arm near the breaking point.

Tensing, Naruto was about to intercept the two but was stopped when an ironclad grip found itself onto his shoulder. Biting back a growl, he shifted his body and glared at Kakashi from the corner of his eye, Kakashi staring back unflinchingly as Mito and Narumi looked on in mild fear. Tightening his grip, Kakashi silently relayed his message to Naruto as the blonde tightened his fists and fixed his attention back to the struggling girl as she was taken back into the village, crying and screaming hysterically.

"Calm down Naruto. I understand how you feel bu-" Kakashi started, loosening his grip on the blonde as he stared at him with sympathy, only to be interrupted when Naruto swatted his hand away.

Standing up, Naruto wordlessly left the group behind as he headed back deeper into the forest where they had set up a temporary base of operations. Watching him go, Mito and Narumi were stopped when Kakashi put a hand onto their shoulders, stopping them from pursuing their older brother. When they turned around, Kakashi flinched when he saw that they had tear filled eyes, filled with a mix of emotions.

Leaving him behind, they rushed to catch up with their older brother as Kakashi released an exhausted sigh. Leaning back, he let his head rest against the trunk of the tree behind him as he contemplated their next move. Obviously Naruto wanted to continue and charge straight in and clear the mission, given how strong he was it was possible they could accomplish the mission without much trouble if the numbers of the bandits and ninja are low.

With the girls, they were reluctant, most likely due to the knowledge of what happens to captured ninja; torture, rape, death, the list went on and on. He didn't want to even get them close to a situation like that. After seeing that girl, screaming for help only to be captured and possibly punished, they weren't in a stable state to carry on the mission at the moment.

"What's the right answer..." Kakashi whispered, staring into the cloudless sky before shifting his head towards the direction his siblings ran off in.

(Scene Change - Outskirts of Rindou no Sato: Team's Temporary Camp)

Sitting beside the dead campfire, Naruto glared with an arctic and angry aura shrouding him. Kakashi stopped him from saving someone who needed to be saved. Looking back, that was probably the correct thing to do, saving her while the person send out for her mysteriously disappearing would no doubt draw a large amount of suspicion from the ones holding the village hostage. Narrowing his eye, he could only hope that they acted soon, knowing that the more time spend divided only meant suffering for those held captive.

"_**Why follow what that human says? You have power. You have skill. You have resolve. And above all else, you have me. Do not allow that human to hold you back.**_" An all too familiar voce suddenly said, Naruto wincing in pain as he held his head.

Soon, his thoughts turned back to the fear that was covering her face, the unbridled terror that filled her eyes. Snapping his eye shut, Naruto failed to rid himself of the sight as his breathing started to get ragged, the seal acting up as it started to spread across his body. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists tightly before he started drawing a small amount of blood from the pressure his nails were exerting on his palms. But he was broken out of his angry stupor when the voices of his sisters called out to him.

"N-Naru-nii?" Narumi asked in a scared tone, her eyes wide at his erratic behavior, only getting more fearful at the black markings that once again appeared on him.

"A-Are you ok Naruto-nii?" Mito asked in similarly scared tone, taking note of his ragged breathing and the seal as he turned to face them.

"I'm fine."Naruto said, calming down his breathing as the seal retracted, Mito and Narumi calming down slightly at the sight.

Taking a seat across from him, they sat in an awkward silence as they awaited Kakashi's return. Glancing between their older brother and the area Kakashi remained at, the two soon let out a sigh of relief as they saw his head of silver hair. When he approached, Kakashi tensed slightly when he felt the subtle amount of killing intent rolling off of Naruto, the blonde's frigid gaze fixed on the remains of the campfire. Wincing, he made his way over and sat between the three as he explain their next move.

"Everyone. We've got backup on the way, the ninken I sent reported that they should be here within the next two hours seeing as they had a mission nearby. As soon as they get here we'll explain the situation to them and move out. Understood." Kakashi reported, Mito and Narumi nodding with a little more confidence as Naruto simply ignored him, the tightening of his jawline being the only indication that he had heard him.

"For now, rest and get ready. No doubt this will be a tough mission." Kakashi ordered, Mito and Narumi heading to take a power nap and clear their minds as Naruto remained motionless.

Seeing as he wasn't going to get through to the blonde, Kakashi released an exhausted sigh as he headed to his tent for a nap of his own. Seeing that he was alone, Naruto began to leak his killing intent a little more as the intensity of his gaze cranked up.

(Time Skip - 2 Hours Later)

The sun that was once shining overhead now beginning to be engulfed by the storm clouds that began to roll in, the ones who were originally taking a powernap quickly woke up realizing that they overslept due to the stress of the mission. Frantically moving about in their tents, they let a sigh of relief escape their lips when they saw the still motionless figure of the eldest blonde near the campfire.

Getting out of their tents, they froze when they heard the sounds of a quickly approaching group of people. Tensing, they relaxed when the spotted the familiar faces of Asuma and Genma. Making their way over, they were greeted by the group, minus Naruto who opted to remain looking at the fire, while Kakashi filled them in on the situation.

"-And that's the situation so far. We were waiting for you to get here before we struck." Kakashi reported, Asuma and Genma's eyes darkening as they digested the information given to them.

Glancing at Naruto, they were about to ask about him but a shake of the head from Kakashi stopped them from doing so. Gathering up their supplies, the three adults reassured the younger ninja that everything would be alright, though Naruto was eerily silent throughout the whole exchange, getting worried glances from everyone as he silently strode beside them.

"Everyone ready?" Kakashi asked, Mito and Narumi gulping before nodding their heads, Asuma and Genma steeling their nerves as Naruto remained impassive.

"We'll strike in groups of three. Mito, Narumi, you're with me on the west. Asuma, Genma, Naruto, you're on the east. On the count of three we strike." Kakashi ordered as they nodded, moving to position as they adjusted their headsets.

"Alright. Three... Two... One... Go!" Kakashi called out as they quickly moved to rush down the village gates.

(Scene Change - Rindou no Sato: Village Outer Area)

Entering the east gates, the group of Kakashi, Mito and Narumi flinched when they felt themselves pass through the wall of the barrier, their eyes widening when they saw the ruinous state of the village. Their adrenaline pumping, they quickly moved towards the center of the village, seeing the others across from them on the empty streets. Meeting up with the other group, they turned as saw the street heading up to the heart of the village covered in blood.

Paling, the increased their pace as the smell of blood filled their noses, Mito and Narumi turning green at the iron-like smell as the jōnin stared worriedly at them. When they rounded a corner, they quickly moved to the shadows as the sounds of footsteps made it to their ears. Peeking out, they saw a group of grinning and bloody men and women walking out of a ruined building, speaking out of their range of hearing.

Exchanging glances, the jōnin ushered the younger ninja into the building they exited as they assumed it was their base of operations. When they entered however, the stench of death and lust filled their noses. What they saw immediately caused Mito and Narumi to scream, only the quick actions of Asuma and Kakashi preventing them from vocalizing it.

The inside of the house had been turned into a makeshift prison cell, the bare bodies of various young men and women hanging lifelessly, shackled against the walls. One corpse in particular made the eyes of the four original members of the team widen as it was the body of the young teen who had tried to escape. Bruises, stab, bite and slash wounds littered her body along with various bodily fluids, her throat slashed as her eyes hung open with dead orbs resting inside of them, it was a scene of absolute horror.

"**How pitiful... If only you had followed your instincts and engaged when your first arrived. Perhaps you may have been able to prevent such a tragedy.**" The voice said, before a dark chuckle could be heard.

Mito and Narumi beginning to retch at the scene of brutality, Asuma and Kakashi moved to place their thumbs on the underside of their sternum, resting it against their diaphragm to slow the sharp intakes of air that they were beginning to take in. Quickly moving out of the building, they were about to leave through the window when the sound of the door opening made them freeze.

"Man, they had all the fun. Leaving me with cleaning up. Heh, least I got a few of them before they croaked." An exhausted and lecherous voice suddenly spoke as the door opened up.

As a heavyset man entered the building, his eyes widened at the sight of the group. Quickly taking a deep intake of breath, the shout that was about to escape his throat turned into nothing but a garbled grunt of pain as Naruto buried his fist into his abdomen. Ripping his arm back, he swung the other and smashed his left fist into the temple of the man as he lurched over, sending him stumbling to the ground as he leaned against the wall for support.

"**But instead, you followed the orders of a human who you knew had the power to aid you.**" The voice said as its dark chuckles grew louder inside of Naruto's mind, his only objective being the death of those who took over the village.

Ignoring the people behind him, Naruto grabbed the head of the portly man and, in an act of sheer brutality, began smashing it against the wall with the ferociousness of an enraged beast. Soon the sickening sound of bone snapping and being crushed filled the air as blood and chunks of flesh and bits of bone splattered onto Naruto, which didn't seem to impede the execution of the man in his hand.

"**The deaths of these humans are no doubt on your hands. The same hands that supposedly hold the power of a dragon.**" The voice continued, the seal acting up as it began to spread across Naruto's body.

It wasn't until Genma took hold of his shoulders did he stop, but not before reaching back and slamming the head of the now deceased man into the wall once more, a louder and much more sickening crunch echoing as he man's skull collapsed on itself, the corpse sliding down the wall with a wet noise resounding before crumpling onto the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.

Turning around, the group flinched in fright when they saw his bloody visage, his eye terrifyingly calm. Mito and Narumi having never seen such a brutal act of murder, had snapped their eyes shut after the first few seconds while the jōnin stood frozen. Ignoring them and the fact he was painted crimson, Naruto ripped himself free from Genma's hold and moved towards the door.

Hearing footsteps on the opposite side of it, he narrowed his eye and bid his time. As the sound of people approaching grew louder, he tensed as he gathered chakra to his leg before lashing out and sending the door careening into the same group from before, knocking those in the ground unconscious from the force of the flying door. They didn't stay unconscious for long as Naruto slammed his fists into the frontal bone of their skulls, a sickening crunch echoing about.

"_**Haha! Yes! Show no mercy! Let no one live!**_" The voice inside of Naruto's mind chuckled darkly, amusement clearly evident in its voice.

Taking advantage of the stunned states of the group, he moved towards the lady that was closest to him before spinning on his foot and shattering her jaw with the heel of his left foot. The sudden eruption of pain making her eyes snap wide open, she turned around to clutch the shattered mass of bone only to lose all feeling in her lower body as Naruto buried his fist into her lumbar vertebrae, sending her crumpling to the ground in a paralyzed heap.

The rest of the group finally snapping out of their stupor, they moved to engage Naruto only to be intercepted by Genma. Lashing out with his right arm, he caught the jaw of one of the men who tried to take Naruto's back, sending him stumbling back before a kunai embedded itself in his throat. Rushing forward, he ripped it out before slashing the throats of those who were closest to him, the bodies of four men and women crumpling to the ground. The remaining man instantly fell onto his rear as Naruto and Genma turned to face him, getting onto his knees and begging for his life.

"Please! Please don't kill me! I never wanted to be a part of all of this! I swear! I have a family! A wife and three kids! I didn't want to do anything to those girls but if I didn't, my family would have had the same done to them!" The man sobbed out, pleading for his life as Naruto approached him.

"_**Such a pathetic creature. When one kills, they should always be expecting to be killed in the process. Humans truly are pitiful creatures.**_" The voice said, a strange irritation and amusement present in it.

Seeing Naruto move towards him, Genma quickly moved to intercept him, but stopped when Naruto put a hand on the man's shoulder, seemingly believing his story. Feeling the gentle touch, the man quickly raised his head to thank whoever it was but his words of thanks quickly died when a hellish crimson pupil was staring into his terrified brown ones. Before he could scream Naruto smashed his knee into his face, crushing the fragile cartilage of his nose. As his head snapped back Naruto reeled his leg back before connecting a brutal kick to his exposed neckline, the resounding snap making Genma wince once again.

As he dropped to the ground, Naruto turned to the quivering women who he paralyzed. Moving towards her, he was about to bring his foot up to end her life when Genma roughly grabbed him by shoulders, stopping him from ending the life of the now defenseless woman. Turning around, Genma froze in fear at the sight of his hellish eye, a sense of mortality filling him as Naruto's gaze lingered on him. Summoning his courage, he banished the fear from his heart and proceeded to interrogate Naruto about what had just happened.

"What the hell was that! You could have jeopardized the mission Naruto! Acting rashly like that will only get you and your squad killed!" Genma hissed at Naruto, his eyes burning with anger that seemed to contrast his normally laidback personality.

"I understand that you're angry and disgusted about what you saw but don't use that as an excuse to act on your own. I get that, I wanted to do the same but we needed to take care of your sisters first, they were beginning to hyperventilate." Genma said in an angry tone, Naruto clearly uninterested in what he had to say.

"Naruto, are you even listening to me?" Genma said in a barely controlled tone, the rest of the team moving to them as the situation began to crank up in intensity.

"Damn it, what did I say about acting rationally Naruto!" Kakashi shouted in an angry tone, clearly panicking at what had just happened.

"This isn't the time guys, we need to move before they get suspicious." Asuma quickly said, taking Mito by the shoulders to steady her.

"We'll finish this later." Kakashi said as he stared sternly at Naruto, clearly conveying his dismay at his actions as he led the way to a seemingly abandoned building.

"Tsk, this is getting bad." Genma said as he followed Kakashi and Asuma, leaving Naruto behind.

"_**Such insolence...**_" The voice in Naruto's head said, Naruto lifting his leg before dropping his heel onto the neck of the woman writhing below him, the sound of her cervical vertebrae snapping echoing.

After the deed was done, he created a number of shadow clones and quickly moved the bodies into the building that housed the other corpses. Once he was finished, he moved to the building that the others had entered, clearly not looking forward to what nonsense they had to say about his actions. As expected, he was met with disappointed and terrified stares when he walked through the window. Leaning against the wall, he kept his eye trained on the entrance of the house, the missing door no doubt an indicator to whomever found it that something was going on.

"Naruto, mind tell us what that was all about." Kakashi asked, though it was voiced as more of an order then anything else.

"Our mission is to eliminate them. I did just that." Naruto said, turning to face them, his crimson eye replaced with cool navy once more though it was colder then ice.

"That doesn't mean leaping into a dangerous situation like that. We could've had a problem should they have called for backup. You need to remember that we're here as a team." Asuma said, chiding Naruto as the blonde returned his attention to the building below.

"Mito, Narumi. As of right now, you two are a liability to the mission. I know what you saw was horrible but you need to get yourselves together, if you don't you'll just be a burden to us." Kakashi said, trying to snap his younger sisters out of their terrified states.

Though his words were gentle yet stern, they did nothing to stop the shaking of their bodies. They never imagined that they would see such a horrible scene in the entirety of their lives, at least not until they were much more experienced. It was made even worse when they saw the body of the girl that their older brother had tried to save, that alone made them feel guilt heavier then Gai's weights. Then they saw how brutal their older brother was in his murders of the people who committed the heinous crimes inside of that house, never have they seen such a wicked way to kill someone, and it only got progressively worse as the number of his kills racked up.

"Mito! Narumi!" Kakashi's stern voice called out, snapping them out of their stupor as they shakily turned to face him.

"It's no good Kakashi. Don't force them now, after seeing that no one their age should be able to operate. Well... mostly..." Genma said, shooting a side glance to the blonde near the window.

"Genma's right. Take them somewhere safe, we'll handle it from here." Asuma added on, pulling out his trench knives as he readied them.

Seeing that he wasn't going to get a different reaction from the two, he nodded softly as he squeezed their shoulders softly, reassuring them that everything would be fine. But a shake of their heads made him and the others glance at them curiously. Taking a number of deep breaths, they managed to mitigate their shaking to small tremors.

"W-We c-can still go on Kakashi-nii..." Narumi said, trying to steel herself as her shaking stopped.

"Y-Yeah. We can keep going." Mito chimed in, taking a final deep breath to steady herself.

Seeing them swallow the fear and guilt that filled their hearts, Kakashi couldn't help but feel proud of them. But before he could praise them for their resolve, Naruto jumped out the window and engaged the lone man heading towards the building that held the corpses of the villagers and his companions. The others rushing to the window to see Naruto smashing the face of the man repeatedly into the edge of the doorway before throwing him in the building.

"Damn it. He's really starting to act rashly now." Genma said under his breath, worried about the blonde below them.

Hoping down, they met up with Naruto as he fixed his gaze toward the heart of the village. Following his gaze, their eyes widened when they saw a pillow of smoke starting to rise from it. Narrowing their eyes, they all sped towards it as the hopes of saving the village began to sink, all the while they never noticed the dark aura that shrouded Naruto from before come back tenfold.

(Scene Change - Rindou no Sato: Village Center)

When they arrived in the village center, the group immediately froze at the sight of a large group of bandits and ninja gathered around large platform as they were bidding on the captured villagers. Sticking to the shadows that the storm clouds overhead provided, they quickly grew disgusted and angered at the words that were leaving the mouth of the auctioneer.

"Now settle down you scum! Haha, well what do we have next up for bid. Ah yes, we found this one trying to hide away under his mommy and daddy's bed. How sad." The auctioneer sneered, roughly pulling a crying boy by the nape of his shirt onto the auction floor.

"Now, we don't have much time left for all of this fun before the hidden villages get on our case. So, I'm going to spice things up a little. Bring the next three up!" She ordered, a duo of crying children and a young teen being forced onto the stage.

"I'm having a three for one offer for you disgusting piles of filth. Now, who's willing to start us off with 3000 ryo?" She sneered, the crowd immediately going wild as hands shot into the air to place their bids.

"Absolutely disgusting..." Kakashi growled as his Sharingan spun wildly in his eye, his glare heated enough to melt metal.

"They're going to pay for all of this... There's no way we're just capturing them..." Asuma said in a cold tone, his trench knives gaining a coating of potent futon natured chakra.

"Let's get started then." Genma said in a frigid tone, his eyes reflecting his tone as he readied a kunai in his hands.

"L-Let's go." Narumi said in a slightly shaky tone before she steeled herself, fixing her gloves.

"N-No turning back now." Mito said as she mimicked her younger sister's actions, pulling out a kunai of her own.

Naruto remained silent as he clenched his fists, his knuckles popping and cracking in the process. Seeing that everyone was ready, Kakashi turned towards them and gave them the signal to move, and move they did. As the moved towards the ones who were closest to them, the group caught them by surprise as chaos erupted throughout the village center.

Diving into the center of the mass of bandits and ninja, Asuma, Kakashi and Genma quickly hacked and slashed their way through the stunned and surprised forces with extreme ease. Kakashi and Genma were using calculated slashes and stabs to quickly end the lives of the scum around them. With Asuma, by imbuing his trench knives with his futon natured chakra, he was using **Hien** to slice through the enemy ranks like a hot knife through butter. Their enemies finally snapping out of their stupor, they fumbled to launch a counter attack to the surprise attack that befell them as they failed miserably.

With Mito and Narumi, their shaky nerves immediately left when the surge of adrenaline rushed through their veins. Mito was making quick work of the enemies that tried to overpower her, Orochimaru having taught her the most vulnerable spots of the human body, allowing her to target and disable those who tried to attack her. Side stepping to avoid a downward slash to her chest, she retaliated by driving her kunai into the side of the man, impaling his left kidney as he screamed in pain, quickly being silenced when Narumi appeared and slugged him into a building, reducing it to rubble in the process.

Unlike Mito who was striking with clear and precise strikes, Narumi was slugging her opponents as soon as they got within range of her strikes. Ducking to avoid a blade that would've opened her throat, Narumi stepped in and slammed her fist into her opponent's side, the sound of bone creaking before shattering echoing as she was sent into the others behind her. Quickly backing away as a fireball seared the ground she stood a few seconds ago, Narumi flashed through a set of seals as another fireball raced towards her, Mito moving in to intercept it.

"**Suiton: Mizurappa**!" Mito shouted before bringing her hands to her lips and firing a high powered stream of water, quelling the incoming orb of flames that targeted her younger sister.

"**Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu**!" Narumi shouted, supercharging the jutsu as she fired out a large number of medium sized flame bullets at the large group of ninja and bandits before her and her sister, narrowing her eyes when she failed to cause major damage to any of them.

Tensing, Narumi spun on her heel and caught another woman who tried to take her back with a thunderous backhand, the woman staggering back before Mito rushed in and kicked her away. Turning, they acted on instinct as Mito drove her kunai into the throat of the man that tried to grab her as Narumi slugged him with all her might on the temple. The resulting mix of having his neck muscles sliced apart and the force of Narumi's brutal blow caused his head to be ripped off as Mito and Narumi stood frozen in horror at what they had just done, the resulting geyser painting their faces red with his blood.

Standing frozen, they were immediately rushed by a group who saw their frozen expressions. Kakashi and Genma cursing, they were about to move then a head of blond hair sped towards the incoming group. Appearing in front of his sisters, the black aura that shrouded him slowly increased in intensity as the seal now covered the left part of his body, his navy eye once again a hellish crimson. Moving to intercept the man who was closest to him, he swung his leg as a bone shattering kick connected to the man's jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground.

"_**Hahaha! Yes! This is what I wish to see! Do not be afraid! They are weak, you are strong! Kill them! Kill them all!**_" The voice roared in Naruto's mind, the seal beginning to spread from his left side onto his right side as bloodlust and anger started to completely devour Naruto's psyche.

Not wasting time, Naruto drew his leg back and lashed out once again, caving in the side of the man's skull as he was sent skidding backwards. Flicking his leg up, his heel connected with the side of the woman who tried to stab him with her katana. The pain forcing her to let go of her weapon, Naruto grabbed it before splitting her head in two, ignoring the shower of crimson gore that covered him. Tightening his grip on the katana, he pumped his chakra into it as a spider web-like crack started to appear on the blade, not forged to take the direct flow of chakra.

"_**Did they not try to take the lives of your kin? Though they do not deserve your protection, they do not deserve to die by the hands of such vermin!**_" The voice continued, chuckling darkly with amusement as Naruto let a primal growl escape his throat.

In a flurry of precise and swift swings, Naruto had dismembered the majority of the group who tried to rush down his sisters. His eye burning with even more hatred , he continued his assault by ending the lives of those he dismembered, splitting their heads and rending their bodies into heaps of bone and flesh. Seeing the horrified looks on the faces of those who stood before him, Naruto pulled the katana in his hands back as it surged with more chakra, bits of steel breaking off from the amount of chakra being forced into it.

"**Souhajin**." Naruto growled out as he swung the katana, the blade shattering as it finished the arc of its swing, a large blue blade of chakra racing towards the terrified group of bandits and ninja.

"_**How beautiful... Like a field of crimson and white flowers...**_" The voice chuckled with dark amusement at the scene of carnage laid out before it.

Like a scene in a horror movie, those in front of him were bisected with extreme ease, geysers of blood erupting from their twitching halves as garbled screams of agony left their throats. Ignoring the horrific scene in front of him, Naruto spun the remains of the katana in his hands and threw it towards a man trying to escape, the remains of the blade burying itself into his cervical vertebrae. As he crumpled into a heap Naruto turned and stared his attention to the remaining group of bandits and ninja. Kakashi, Asuma and Genma doing the same after getting over their shock and disgust at Naruto's miniature massacre.

"There's only a few left. Should we save one for interrogation?" Genma suggested, a dark smirk on his face as the remains of the enemy ranks backed away in fear.

"We'll figure it out faster if we do so." Asuma said, cracking his knuckles as they advanced onto the remaining group of ninja and bandits, forcing their backs against the auction platform.

"...Leave the auctioneer for me." Naruto said, speaking for the first time for quite some time, the others blinking in surprise at his request but his tone told them that he wouldn't take "no" for an answer.

Advancing upon them, the group quickly made their way onto the stage and took hostages of the ones who were chained on stage, many screaming and crying for help as the Konoha ninja froze in their tracks. Seeing them ease off the pressure they had earlier, the remains of the enemy ranks smirked at them before drawing their weapons closer to the throats of their hostages.

"Good. If you know what's good for these sacks of shit you'll stay perfectly still while we get out of here. If I see so much as a twitch, they die." The auctioneer sneered at the team, their eyes narrowing at her snide tone.

"Damn it... What's the plan now Kakashi..." Genma growled out, tightening his grip on his kunai.

"We have to wait for now... There's nothing we can do unless we want to jeopardize the lives of the innocent." Kakashi said, narrowing his eye as he searched for any slips in the enemy ranks.

"W-We can't just let them get away!" Mito said, still a little from her first kill a few moments before.

"B-But what can we do? If we try anything they kill the hostages." Narumi lamented, gripping her hands tightly at her powerlessness.

"We stay calm for now. That's all we can do." Asuma said, gritting his teeth at the cowardly act of scum before him.

While the others were beginning to stress out at the situation before him, Naruto released a sigh as he closed his eye. Forcibly calming himself down, the seal slowly retracted as the others looked on in surprise at the control he had over it, still not quite sure what it was, even after his explanation that it was an indicator of his anger. Opening his eye once again, it changed from the hellish crimson from before to his cool navy, as he trained his eye on the auctioneer as she sneered at his gaze.

(Scene Change - Rindou no Sato: One Hundred Meters from Village Center)

Resting on the rooftop of one of the unoccupied buildings was another Naruto, his eye not navy but an electric blue. His attention focused on the scene unfolding below him, he reached over and picked up the silver and black bow that was resting beside him.

It was a unique folding bow, having three opposing, jagged spike jutting out in opposite directions. The arrow column made up of sharpened blade-like scales. Another outcrop of bladed scales protected the left arm from possible damage while the string of the bow itself seemed sharper then any blade that existed in the world. Shunbin Heihou, Keen Stratagem, created after many years of trial and error by Ryuuhei after studying the aerial prowess of the dragons that he trained with, basing the design after the Serpent King Dragon himself, Dalamadur.

According to the notes left behind by Ryuuhei, its accuracy rivals that of the keenest eyed dragon. Made primarily from parts donated by Dalamadur himself it's strength, durability, accuracy, range and velocity are unequaled despite its light weight. Against a target, it is easily accurate to 700 meters, and its arrows are capable of penetrating 60-millimeter thick armor plating. It uses a unique type of style of arrow, the most prominent characteristic of the arrow is its two-pronged head, which tears through the flesh of its target instead of simply piercing it.

After picking it up, he unfolded it as the bladed protrusion on it jutted out even more mincingly. Notching an arrow, he took aim at the auctioneer as he drew the arrow back, grunting as it started to strain his muscles. Taking a deep breath, he started to channel his chakra into it before letting the arrow loose, watching as it closed the distance between him and the platform in a manner of seconds. Quickly bringing his hand into a seal, the narrowed his eye as the arrow started to glow.

"**Messatsukyuu**." Naruto said as the arrow split into seven, racing towards the heads of the bandits and ninja, Naruto and his bow erupting into a cloud of smoke.

(Scene Change - Rindou no Sato: Village Center)

Seeing as they truly weren't going to move with the lives of the villagers they held in their arms, the group of slavers took a step back, putting a small but sizable gap between them and their hostages. The jōnin saw it and took note of it, waiting for the right moment to strike. But soon, the eyes of everyone present widened when the head of seven of the slavers suddenly snapped back before the crumpled to the ground, the auctioneer's eyes widening as she tried to discern what had just happened.

Taking advantage of her confusion, the jōnin surged forward, Kakashi slamming his palm into her jaw as she reeled back, Genma taking a hold of the hostage that she once had. As she fell to the ground holding her jaw, she turned to them and started to beg for her life, the eyes of everyone present filled with utter disgust and distain.

"W-Wait! Please! I-I never meant for any of this to happen! I-I, W-We, I-I mean they made me do it! I-I'm just a slave too, they used me to get into this village to capture everyone here! I swear!" She sobbed out, begging for her life on her hands and knees as the rest of the Konoha ninja gathered around her.

"Don't think so. After what you've done, there's no way in hell you're getting out of this." Genma said, his voice holding a tone of barely controlled anger.

"She can wait, we need to hurry up and untie these people." Kakashi said as he tended to the crying children and young teens that had just been through a hellish ordeal.

Moving about, they tied up the auctioneer as they tended to the villagers, Narumi mending the more serious wounds while the rest of them applied first aid to those with less severe wounds. After half an hour of treating them, they managed to patch up a majority of the villagers, though two of the most elderly of the villagers succumbed to their injuries. Moving about, they helped bury the bodies of those who were killed by the slavers while they burned the bodies of said slavers. All the while Narumi and Mito were avoiding looking at their hands, which seemed stained with blood. Once they were finished, they moved onto the most important topic, the auctioneer who was still pleading for her life.

"Who wants to take care of her. We need to get as much out of her as we possibly can." Genma said, Mito and Narumi turning slightly green at what he was implying.

"I'm not too good at it, never could make them last long enough to get them to talk." Asuma admitted, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

"I can try. I haven't had to do it in a while so I may be a little rusty, but maybe that'll help speed things up." Kakashi said in a cold tone, eyeing the woman as she whimpered in fear.

As they group fell into a quiet discussion as to who was to interrogate the auctioneer, the jonin having decided that they should leave Mito, Narumi and Naruto out of the question as they were just kids. But soon, a voice decided to make itself known as they looked on in a mix of disbelief and concern.

"I'll do it." Naruto said, his voice impassive thought there was a steely edge to it as he trained his frigid eye on the woman groveling below them.

"Naruto... You know what you're asking for right...? Are you sure you're alright, you've been extremely violent lately, that battle, you practically massacred an entire group by yourself and you're not even feeling the repercussions of your first kill like your sisters are." Kakashi asked, his voice laced with concern as Naruto shook his head.

"I'm perfectly fine. Will you allow me to do this or not?" Naruto asked, his voice retaining its steely edge as the jōnin hesitantly exchanged glances.

"I'm going to ask you one more time Naruto, can you really live with yourself after you torture this woman?" Kakashi asked, Naruto simply shaking his head in the positive a the rest of the group looked in a with a concern expression on their faces.

"...Alright... I'm trusting that you know what you're going to be doing and what we need out of her correct?" Kakashi asked, Naruto once again nodding before he moved towards the woman, who proceeded to scream for help and beg for her life with renewed vigor.

"N-Naruto-nii... H-He's terrifying..." Mito said, her eyes wide with fear at the drastic change in her older brother, shaking as he calmly led someone way to torture them himself.

"W-What's wrong with N-Naru-nii?" Narumi asked in an equally terrified tone, obviously scared of her older brother.

They weren't the only ones as the jōnin and a few of the villagers who overheard the exchange could only hope that he wasn't going to become someone dangerous. After witnessing what he had done today, Kakashi, Asuma and Genma were going to request a psychoanalysis and mental examination of the blonde, he wasn't the same blank but kind kid they knew, not after what they had seen today.

(Scene Change - Rindou no Sato: Empty Ruined House)

After dragging the kicking and screaming woman to an abandoned house, he threw her onto the ground as she hurriedly moved to face him. Frantically scanning the area, her gaze locked onto Naruto as he stared her down, his eye cold and unforgiving as she shivered at the sight of it. But soon, she realized what was going to happen and smirked, knowing what to do in a situation like this.

"I see now big boy, how devious of you. Volunteer to "torture" me so you can have your way with me without raising signals with your group. I'll admit, that's pretty smart of you." She said, shifting her body to a more defenseless position as she puckered her lips a bit wile looking up at him.

"You wouldn't hurt a woman would you handsome? I know what you're really after and I don't mind doing it with someone as sexy as you." She said, purring slightly as she slowly and sensually started to spread her legs.

"Come now, don't leave a lady waiting, you'll never find a girl if you keep giving her the cold shoulder." She purred, puffing her chest out to emphasis her breasts as she swayed them slightly, continuing to look up at Naruto as she batted her eyelashes.

"S_**uch a simple tactic... Only a complete and utter imbecile would fall for such a simple minded rouse. Take what belongs to you from her and end her miserable existence.**_" The voice said, clearly having had enough of the woman.

Still blank faced, Naruto slowly strode towards her as she did her best to hide the smirk that threatened to spread across her face. Hook, line and sinker, was all that was going through her mind. A hormonally active young teen like him with a helpless and sexy woman like herself, there was no doubt in her mind that he would be ravaging her soon enough. Of course, once he finished, she'd have stolen a kunai or shuriken from him and the rest would be history.

"_Keep coming pretty boy... Pretty soon that pretty face of yours is going to look real ugly... Though, I might as well give you a little present before I kill you... Ufufufu_." She thought as she licked her lips, continuing her act of acting defenseless and vulnerable in front of him.

"That's right handsome, take me! Take me now!" She purred, yelping slightly when she felt his hand on her head.

"Oh, you want a kiss? Well I've give you a nice and juicy one big boy." She said as she puckered her lips, expecting to feel a pair on her own.

But soon, all her excitement, lust and confidence evaporated when she felt an overwhelming amount of killing intent nearly suffocate her. Her eyes widening, she glanced up and could only tremble in fear as his navy eye was now the same hellish crimson from before. Filled with hate and anger unlike anything she's ever seen in the entirety of her life, she seen felt the weight of his oppressive gaze as he started to build up black and crimson smoke on the hand that was holding her head.

"P-Please! Please don't kill me! I'm begging you! I-I'll become your slave! Your dog! Your bitch! I'll do anything! I'll tell you everything I know! I'll tell you where the others are and where our base is! I'll have sex you! I'll marry you! I'll even have you kids! Just don't kill me! I'm begging you!" She screamed, begging for her life as she felt her very soul start to tremble in fear of what was to come.

"_**A slave to bear children, not unheard of but such a weak mother would only bear the weakest of the weak. Such a foolish creature.**_" The voice out once more, voicing its disapproval as the seal started to spread across Naruto's face once more.

"You're going to tell me no matter what." Naruto replied his hand that was holding her head started to emit a blackish crimson smoke.

"**Meiryuuton: Zenrei Kuikorosu**" Naruto whispered as the smoke condensed into a blackish crimson aura as she started screaming, feeling like her very being was being ripped away from her body.

"**Meiryuuton: Zenrei** **Tatsu**." Naruto whispered, ripping his hand away as he screams abruptly stopped, her body falling to the ground as he integrated the knowledge he ripped from her soul into his mind.

As he finished, the seal retracted as he burned the body with a simple katon jutsu before reuniting with the rest of the team, all of them looking rather fearful and concerned when he arrived. After a brief interrogation, he reported his findings to the stunned jonin before they nodded. Releasing a sigh, he placed his hand on the seal after having been under its influence for the majority of the mission, wincing as he felt a surge of pain rush through his body.

Once they had gathered off of their supplies, they told the villagers that they would send back some aid after relaying what had happened with the Hokage, the villagers thanking them profusely as they left. As they traveled, they all remained relatively silent, Mito and Narumi making to attempt to talk with their brother as they shot in a mix of concerned and scared stares, the jonin doing the same though it was a mix of concerned and apprehension. For Naruto, he winced once again as he held his head, a little concerned why his headaches were beginning to get progressively worse.

"_**How foolish... You still cannot even hear my voice anymore can you human? A pity, you would have benefited from the wisdom I bestowed upon you. Do not worry though boy, we will soon become one.**_" The voice said as it chuckled darkly, Naruto pausing slightly to grab his head as he winced, the rest of the group moving to see if something was the matter with him.

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**And that's a that. Again, leave me a review eh? Tell me what you guys think. Well, I'm real sleepy guys so I'll catch you all on the next update or a PM. Till next time, stay awesome.**

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**Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, by observing the Tailed Beast Ball. Minato spent three years developing the Rasengan; his intention was to take the shape transformation of one's chakra to the "highest possible point" and combine it with his chakra's nature affinity, creating a technique that did not need the aid of time-consuming hand seals to control. On shape transformation alone, the Rasengan is still a powerful, versatile, and difficult technique to learn and master.

**Hiraishin - Flying Thunder God**: S-Rank, Supplementary; To activate this technique, the user places a special seal or "technique formula" to mark an intended destination. After this is done, they can at will enter a dimensional void that instantaneously transports them to the location of the seal. The mark can be applied to almost any area through brief physical contact, including an opponent or other surrounding feature. Because this technique is able to affect anything that is in contact with the user or somehow connected to their chakra, they can also use this technique to teleport other objects or people, though the size of the object dictates the amount of chakra required. As Minato also noted, the marking formula never disappears from a marked target.

**Ketsueki Henge - Blood Transformation**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kinjutsu, Kekkai Genkai; A jutsu that Hikyou's clan specialized in. It is a much more potent, nearly perfect transformation of the user into whatever person or animal that they managed to obtain the blood of. Unlike a regular **Henge** that requires a constant emission of chakra to maintain it, or the concentration to maintain the transformation, the **Ketsueki Henge** requires practically no chakra to maintain it or the user constantly keeping the transformation in check. This technique copies the genetic code of the blood sample that was used, allowing virtually zero differences between the user and the original's blood samples. The weakness of this jutsu however is the cost of using it. The more potent or power the source of the blood sample, for example a ninja with chakra levels equal to or greater then an Anbu Captain or possessing a kekkei genkai of their own, will kill the user regardless of how short the transformation is. Civilian level chakra samples will cause the user's own life to shorten while ninja level chakra samples will drastically cause the user's life to shorten. More so, the user is unable to use chakra while the transformation is in place, making them vulnerable unless they are able to perform taijutsu, which is limited to the physical capabilities of the body that they have transformed into. This jutsu was created to be used for espionage, not for combat as the user's abilities are severely crippled, being reduced to practically zero.

**Hien - Flying Swallow**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Bukijutsu, Taijutsu; An addition-line ninjutsu that augments the killing power of a blade — like a kunai or sword — by flowing chakra into it. The materialized chakra is shaped like a blade, cutting up everything it touches. It is also possible to alter the attack range of the weapon by adjusting the amount of chakra put into the blade. Seeing through the movements is said to be very difficult. The density of the chakra is so high it becomes visible. It not only raises the power of the weapon, but simultaneously turns oneself into a blade as well. The chakra-enhanced blades are strong and sharp enough to cut through solid rock and iron. The technique works best with elemental chakra, especially with futon natured chakra which greatly increases the offensive cutting power.

**Souhajin - Blue Destruction Blade**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kenjutsu; A concentrated blade of chakra sent using a bladed object as a medium, creating a highly destructive explosion and subsequent shockwave upon impact. The speed and cutting power of the chakra blade is amplified by the amount of chakra that is used to create it, the force behind the swing and the object that is used as the medium amplifying the explosion and shockwave. A relatively simple technique but it's destructive power is highly dependent on the ability and skills of the user, the more skilled the user the more powerful the resulting technique is.

**Suiton: Mizurappa - Water Release: Wild Water Wave**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user molds chakra in their mouths into water and fires a stream of condensed water at their target. The range, speed, and power is dependent on how much chakra is used. Can be strengthened by various different means such as introducing another element.

**Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu - Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique creates a volley of small fireballs, which are sent flying in an unpredictable manner assaulting the enemy. In addition, the flames are controlled one by one with chakra, so avoiding them all is extremely difficult. Shuriken can also be concealed within the flames, creating an unexpected secondary surprise attack. Like the flames, the shuriken can be controlled with chakra. For the most part, however, this technique is used as a distraction.

**Messatsukyuu - Destruction Shooting Arrow**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Senshujutsu; The user charges an arrow with chakra and then fires it. While flying through the air, the user and make a seal and cause the arrow to shatter into a group of smaller arrows, which then spread across the target area. The user is able to control these arrows to a degree, the more arrows that are created, the harder it is to control them and vice versa.

**Meiryuuton: Zenrei Kuikorosu – Dark Dragon Release: Whole Soul Devouring**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique taught to Naruto by one of the Elder Dragons. The user builds up Meiton and Ryuuton natured charka into their hand then grabs onto the head their target. After making contact, the user rips out the soul of their target, severing its connection to its body. Used as an interrogation technique as the user is able to read through the memories of the soul as long as they hold onto it, releasing hold of the soul will cause it to be destroyed as it loses a tether to the mortal plane.

**Meiryuuton: Zenrei Tatsu – Dark Dragon Release: Whole Soul Sever**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique taught to Naruto by one of the Elder Dragons. The user builds up Meiton and Ryuuton natured charka into their hand then grabs onto the head their target. After making contact, the user rips out the soul of their target, severing its connection to its body. Used as an interrogation technique as the user is able to read through the memories of the soul as long as they hold onto it, releasing hold of the soul will cause it to be destroyed as it loses a tether to the mortal plane. It is an advancement on the **Zenrei Kuikorosu**, allowing the user to quickly execute their target while before the integrate their knowledge with their own.


	24. Chapter 22

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, here's the next chapter. Again, nothing to really talk about; I got a few negative reviews telling me that my story is trash, that it isn't what they expected, that they went from loving it to hating it, that I should just delete it and well I'll be honest, It's kinda been getting to me. I know I'm supposed to take em with a grain of salt but with so many of em, it kinda builds up you know? For you guys who've enjoyed my story I have to thank you, you're positive reviews and PM's have been really the only thing that keeps me writing. Without them I probably would have given up on writing anymore of this story in all honesty. Well, that's enough about me complaining eh, you came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 22

(Scene Change - Konoha Maximum Security Prison: Naruto's Cell)

Sitting on the rickety bed that doubled as a bench, Naruto was leaning with his back against the wall as he stared off into space. Soon, his gaze traveled downwards, resting on the seals on his wrists that served to completely strip him of all access to his chakra. Closing his eye, he let out a sigh at the situation that he found himself in at the moment.

(Flashback - A Few Days Before)

Once they finished their mission of securing the villagers who were held hostage, the team of Naruto, Mito, Narumi, Kakashi, Asuma and Genma started their journey back to Konoha. The journey was back was much more tense then it was before, Naruto being isolated by the rest of the team after displaying an unnatural and almost bestial amount of brutality and violence. Mito and Narumi were positioned close to Kakashi, shooting him scared glances every time he made a sudden move.

Flanking him on either side, a foot of space separating them in the event something happened, was Asuma and Genma who were also throwing him glances ever once in a while to monitor his body language. Throughout the entirety of the trip, they saw no changes in his outward appearance, the lack of tension indicating that he wasn't at all bothered by the attention that he was receiving.

(Scene Change - Konoha: East Gate)

Arriving at the village gates, Kotetsu and Izumo were there to greet them with smiles, but they quickly vanished when they saw the wary and tense looks that the team was shooting at Naruto. Exchanging glances with the jonin, they nodded before clearing them to the Hokage's Tower. Walking in silence once more, the group was given a wide berth from the villagers due to the atmosphere that they held. Even the villagers who were beginning to get used to seeing the enigmatic eldest child of the Hokage couldn't help but shiver when they felt the atmosphere around them.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Hokage's Tower)

Once they made it to the tower, the group immediately made their way to the top of the tower, As they proceeded to the top, the atmosphere got more and more tense as the pressure and tension that the group felt increased. When they finally stopped in front of the doors leading to Minato's office, the jonin took a deep breath before opening the doors, surprising Minato, who was hidden behind a pile of paperwork.

"Ah! You're back already everyone! That was much shorter then I imagined!" Minato said in a chipper tone, a bright smile on his face seeing that everyone was unharmed.

But soon that smile faded away to a concerned one when he took notice of the heavy atmosphere that surrounded the group, especially the way that Naruto was isolated from them, standing a few feet away from them. Gesturing to them, he ushered them into his office before they closed the door, Minato moving his paperwork to the side to meet the faces of those in front of him. Scanning the faces of everyone present, he rested his eyes on Naruto for a few seconds longer before turning to Kakashi to hear his mission report.

"Minato-sensei, the C-Rank mission that you assigned to us had quickly escalated to a B-Rank with the inclusion of chūnin level ninja. We decided as a unit to proceed with the mission seeing as we were two days away from Konoha and the situation appeared dire. Calling in Asuma and Genma, who were two hours away from our positions originally, we proceeded to engage the enemy. Upon contact, it was clear that they had little experience operating in a group, seeing as they were completely disjointed when we moved to engage them. Once we finished with the group, we captured their leader and carried out an interrogation, learning a few key pieces of information. For now, that's all I can say without submitting a proper report." Kakashi said, Minato nodding at his concise report.

"Now... Mito, Narumi... Could you two leave us?" Kakashi asked, startling the two girls as they flinched in response to his question.

"K-Kakashi-nii... W-We want to stay." Narumi said in a shaky tone, though she steeled her voice near the end of her request.

"I-I agree Kakashi-niisan, please let us stay." Mito requested, doing her best to keep her calm facade though her eyes betrayed her unease.

"It's fine Kakashi, they're chūnin, they can stay." Minato said, Kakashi nodding in response.

"So, from the beginning please." Minato asked, the jonin steeling themselves before they began their tale.

(Time Skip - Thirty Minutes Later)

To say Minato was shocked would be an understatement. Once Kakashi, Asuma and Genma finished their report, Minato was staring wide eyed at his son, not wanting to believe what he had heard. From the tension and subtle anger that he exhibited towards Kakashi for not allowing him to interfere with the abduction of the girl, to the lack of response to seeing the corpses in the house, to the single-handed massacre he carried out, and finally the willingness to carry out the torture of the leader of the bandits and ninja who invaded the village. It painted his son in a different light, and going from the terrified eyes of his daughters, it would appear that their opinion of him has changed as well.

"N-Naruto... I-Is all of that true?" Minato asked in a stunned tone, already knowing the answer to his question.

"Yes, it's all true." He replied in the same calm tone as before, Minato internally wincing at his lack of emotion in his reply.

"Minato-sama, I think we need to have Naruto undergo a mental evaluation." Genma said, voicing his opinion of the blonde as Minato sighed.

"Naruto... I'm sorry but I have to agree with Genma on this. From your responses and lack of emotion, I'm worried about your health." Minato said as Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"Is there something wrong about completing the mission as specified? I carried out my orders to the letter and though I did question Kakashi's decisions, I followed them anyway. For me to be subjected to an evaluation because I didn't have any pity for the scum of invaded the village, I find that outright laughable." Naruto said in a low tone, his eye darkening as everyone tensed.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but after that I need you to have one." Minato said, returning his son's glare with a steely gaze of his own.

"Anbu, escort my son to Inoichi and Ibiki." Minato ordered as Narumi and Mito's eyes widened, gasping when they heard just who it was he was going to see.

Arriving, the Anbu flanked Naruto on both sides as they led him out of the room, the temperature dropping considerably when the door closed. Turning to face their father, Mito and Narumi looked at him with eyes full of disbelief as he winced at their gazes. The jonin moving to comfort them as they started to panic slightly, their breathing becoming a little ragged, they managed to calm themselves before speaking.

"T-Tou-san, w-why is Naruto-nii going to see the heads of the T&amp;I division!? H-He didn't do anything wrong!" Mito asked, her voice trembling as she stared at him.

"Mito-chan... From what I've heard, there's something wrong with him. Being as clear minded and calm as he is after killing such a large number of people is completely unnatural. You all witnessed it yourselves, how brutal and unforgiving he was in his executions of those people. The two of you are also going to be given a mental evaluation, but I trust Orochimaru and Tsunade to carry out yours as they are your godparents and you trust them. Naruto however is a special case and I don't want to cause anymore added stress by having your godparents give him his." Minato explained, Mito nodding her head slowly in understanding as Narumi simply choose to remain silent.

"Narumi-chan? Are you alright?" Minato asked, Narumi shaking her head in the negative as the others looked on in concern.

Once the mission debriefing was finished, everyone parted ways as Minato ordered Kakashi to take his daughters to Orochimaru and Tsunade for their mental evaluation. Genma and Asuma headed toward the jonin headquarters to relax after witnessing what they had seen. As for Minato, he headed towards the T&amp;I Division, intent on finding out if his son was alright.

(Scene Change - Konohagakure Intelligence Division: T&amp;I Division Interrogation Cells)

Seated in a bare, gray room, Naruto silently stared at the wall as Ibiki and Inoichi stared at him through the one way glass pane. Exchanging glances at each other, they grimaced slightly when the environment of the room failed to faze the blonde. The isolation of the room, the lack of windows preventing all light except for the single lamp overhead, the temperature being set to above the pleasant threshold, and the amount of time he spent alone in the room failed to do anything to affect him, outwardly at least.

Seeing the lack of tension or any hints of nervousness on his body immediately caused a few alarms to raise in the heads of the two men. After about ten minutes of having him sit alone without any results, the two finally moved to the door leading to the room and proceeded inside. When they entered, they saw Naruto shoot them a quick glance before refocusing his attention to the wall once more. Frowning slightly at his passive reaction, they moved to sit stand before him.

"Naruto, do you know why you're here?" Inoichi asked, Naruto turning his attention from the wall to him.

"Because my father feels that I'm an unstable and possibly psychopathic individual who might endanger the lives of his teammates." Naruto said, Ibiki and Inoichi wincing at how harshly he thought of his situation.

"Well, I guess you're partially true in your assessment." Ibiki admitted, a little troubled that he said it so easily and with a straight face.

"Naruto, I'll be probing your mind to evaluate how mentally stable you are. Don't worry, it'll be over quickly." Inoichi reassured the younger blonde, again not getting a reaction from him.

"Ibiki, I'll be going inside. If anything happens, you know what to do." Inoichi said as he placed his hand on top of Naruto's head, Ibiki nodding as he moved aside the older blonde.

"**Saiko Denshin**." Inoichi said as a light blue enveloped Naruto for a brief second, the younger blonde's eyes drifting shut as did Inoichi's.

(Scene Change - Naruto's Mind)

As Inoichi performed his jutsu, the blackness that his eyes saw began to swirl and blend as a myriad of colors began to spiral in his mind's eye. Soon they began to merge into a coherent portrayal of a scene of a lake. Glancing around, Inoichi was a little taken away by how beautiful the scenery was, the bright and lively lakeside area a contrast to the impassive blonde who it belonged to. Moving around the lakeshore, he found that there was no visible signs of damage, no areas that were shattered or chipped, which would indicate mental strain or damage depending on how badly it was tarnished.

As he looked around, he frowned slightly when he was unable to access many of Naruto's memories. The memories that he had from a few years back were heavily guarded, much more so then he had ever seen. Inoichi doubting that even with a team of his most elite Mindcrackers, could they break through even a tiny amount. Deciding to give it a test, he approached a tree and touched it, a sharp pain filling his mind as he jerked his hand back, clearly unable to even breach the first layer to the complex mental barrier.

As he tried the trees that were closer to the lake, he saw that they weren't guarded at all, being memories of the past year. As he skimmed through them, he found that there was no damage to them whatsoever. While skimming through the memories of the past year, he found the memories of the mission that he had just returned from and seeing it was vastly different then just being briefed about it. Even Inoichi, a seasoned shinobi and one trained in torture though mostly mental, was stunned by how brutally Naruto killed a few of the enemies he engaged.

Continuing onwards, he found that the closer he got to the lake, the more eerie his surroundings began to feel. As opposed to when he was standing a few meters from the lake, which felt lively and peaceful, as he neared the water he began to feel a great sense of dread build up in his heart. When he finally reached the waterline, his heart stopped when killing intent unlike anything that belonged in the mortal plane devoured him, Inoichi's very psyche being undermined by its influence.

"Gahhh!" He screamed, clutching his head as his eyes were opened wide, filled with agony beyond imagine.

As more and more of his mind began to break down from the obscene amount of killing intent, the pain became increasingly agonizing. Soon, blood began to drip from his nose and leak from the corners of his lips as he neared the limits of his sanity, his mind on the verge of begin destroyed; but before he passed the point of no return, it all vanished as Inoichi violently exhaled, gasping for breath as he crawled away from the lake, which had went form a vibrant and clear blue to a horrid pool of crimson.

"**Hahaha! How amusing!**" A soul chilling voice suddenly said, Inoichi's eyes widening as he scanned the area for any sign of its source.

"**Do not waste what little strength you have left human. You should be honored that I chose to spare your insignificant life you insect.**" The voice said, agitation evident in its voice as Inoichi froze.

The reason for his reaction was from the violent whirlpool that began to form in the crimson lake, the man taking a sharp intake of breath when a smoky arm made of darkness suddenly shot up from its depths before crushing the line of trees that flanked the side of the lake. Then, pulling whatever it belonged to up, he could only feel the mortality of his life when the head of the monster rose out of the depths of the lake next, its shadowy form only highlighting its hellish crimson eyes.

"**You have overstayed your welcome human. Be thankful that I did not break your mind like the fragile thing that it is.**" The monster spoke before Inoichi felt himself being forced out of Naruto's mind, pain surging through his body before everything went black.

(Scene Change - Konohagakure Intelligence Division: T&amp;I Division Interrogation Cells)

"Inoichi! Inoichi!" Ibiki shouted, shaking the seemingly comatose man gently by shoulders as his eyes lost the light that signified that he was alive.

A few minutes after he entered Naruto's mind, Inoichi started convulsing as blood started to leak from his nose and the corner of his lips. Seeing that, Ibiki rushed to his side and held him close as he sent a pulse of chakra to cut off the connection, but panicked when he found that he was unable to. As a few more seconds passed, he suddenly stopped convulsing and went limp in Ibiki's arms, his hand finally leaving Naruto's head as Ibiki tried to find a pulse, his panicked state only increasing when he found none.

But soon, a strangled couch and gasping brought Ibiki's attention to the blonde in his arms, Inoichi taking heavy gulps of air as he tried to calm his erratic heartbeat. Glancing around, his unfocused eyes finally began to realign and focus on the blonde sitting in the chair before taking another deep breath and shakily standing up. Ibiki helping him, Inoichi managed to make it back to his feet as Naruto opened his eye and trained it on Inoichi, the older blonde flinching when his gaze fell upon him.

"Are you ok Inoichi?" Ibiki asked, casting a wary gaze at Naruto as Inoichi nodded his head, though there was clearly doubt present.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." He said as he met Naruto's gaze, the younger blonde unflinchingly staring back.

"Naruto, w-what was that?" Inoichi asked, clearly disturbed by the monster residing in his mind.

"What's what?" He asked, clearly confused about the question as Inoichi furrowed his brows in slight frustration.

"Are you telling me you don't know what that... That thing is?" He asked once more, Naruto shaking his head in the negative.

As Ibiki was about to cut in, the door opened and revealed Minato who wore a concerned expression on his face. Seeing him arrive at such an unfortunate time made the two interrogators wince as they knew it would be a difficult task to explain that Inoichi almost died because of Naruto. Turning once more to Naruto, they told him that they would be discussing his results, telling him in the meanwhile to remain in the room for further evaluation if needed.

"What happened in there Inoichi?" Ibiki asked once they were outside of the room, Minato growing more concerned when he saw Inoichi tense slightly.

"There... There was something inside of Naruto's psyche that definitely didn't belong there. When I encountered it... I can't even explain the feeling that I got when I met it. Do you two remember the killing intent that thing that Naruto summoned a while back?" Inoichi asked, Ibiki and Minato nodding, they doubted that anyone could have forgotten the immense amount of killing intent that Tigrex released.

"It was many times worse then that. My mind nearly shattered when it I met it." He said, the eyes of Ibiki and Minato widening at his description.

"That thing doesn't belong there and I think it might be the cause of his violence and brutality. He showed no signs of knowing that it existed, meaning that it is subconsciously affecting him. I didn't find any signs of damage in his mind, it was similar to Yakumo's mind and the Ido a few years ago. But there isn't a sign of a suppressed personality, that thing is clearly conscious and intelligent." Inoichi explained as Minato and Ibiki felt a sense of dread wash over them.

"Tell me Inoichi, do you think I can seal it like I did the Ido?" Minato asked, Inoichi furrowing his brow as he closed his eyes.

"I... I don't think so Minato... Whatever that thing is, it's much more dangerous then the Ido could have ever hoped to be." Inoichi stated, Minato grimacing as he stared through the glass pane at his son.

"I'll talk with Jiraiya and Kushina before I decide on what to do. In the meantime, make sure he's comfortable. " Minato said as the two nodded, heading back inside to collect the younger blonde as Minato left the building.

"Naruto, I'm afraid until we find out what that presence in your mind is, you'll be staying here." Inoichi said, Naruto simply nodding in response as the led him out of the interrogation room and to one of the accommodating cells that were intended for such situations.

(Scene Change - Jōnin Standby Station)

Arriving at the station, Asuma and Genma headed towards the lounge to cool off and come down from the tension that they had built up during the mission. Letting out a sigh, they crashed into the couch and leaned back, basking in the softness of the cushions as they tried to get their minds off of the drastic changes in the blonde. But their thoughts quickly turned back to the mission as they both winced, still not believing that he had actually murdered a man by smashing his head against a wall.

As they idly chatted with the other, they were soon joined by the rest of their friends, who were a little surprised to see them so lethargic. Making their way over, Kurenai, Gai, Aoba, Zabuza, Anko and a few other of the jonin went to investigate the cause of their behavior.

"Yo, you two seem out of it." Aoba said, breaking the ice as Genma and Asuma visibly winced at his observation.

"That bad huh?" Asuma said as the others nodded to confirm his question.

"What's killing you guys? Looks like you two just saw someone get murdered." Zabuza chuckled as Asuma and Genma visibly darkened slightly, their eyes hardening as Zabuza's chuckles died immediately.

"Yeah... We did see someone die, but that's not what's getting at us. It's who killed them and how they did it that's the problem." Genma said as the atmosphere turned serious and slightly heavy.

"Are you two going to tell us?" Kurenai asked, a little more then curious as to what could cause two of her more seasoned friends to be this affected.

"It was Naruto." Asuma said as the eyebrows of everyone raised, though Zabuza and Anko were much more affected by that piece of information.

"What?! He did?! Don't tell me he's struggling with the fact he took someone's life! Where is he?! I need to go check on him!" Anko shouted as she fired off a volley of questions, everyone shrinking back when her elusive motherly side came out.

"E-Easy Anko, that's the exact problem! He's not affected at all!" Asuma said as Anko stopped in the midst of her ramblings and turned to him shocked.

"He's not affected? That can't be, even I was after I made my first kill." Zabuza admitted, everyone a little surprised to learn that from the man.

"That's not all... That guy, Naruto killed him by smashing his head against the wall until he died, and even then he made sure to ensure he died by caving his skull in." Genma said wincing as the eyes of the other's widened at the stunning piece of information.

"W-What? That doesn't sound like Naruto-kun at all!" Gai shouted, aghast that the impassive yet kind young man he sparred with was capable of doing something like that.

"I know, but you had to be there to see it. And he did it twice, not just once. But that's not the worst of it. He even voluntarily choose to torture the leader of the thugs that took over the village, and from the information we got he was very efficient." Asuma added as the other blanched at the shocking piece of information.

"You've got to be kidding. There's no way that's true, he may be a little cold but he's not someone would do that." Zabuza said, his tone slightly icy as he stared at the two, scanning them for any signs of a lie.

"Zabuza... Even his sisters are afraid of him now." Genma said as Zabuza's eyes widened before the closed slightly.

"What made him do it?" Anko asked, still in disbelief about what she had heard.

"Apparently he was unable to save a girl on Kakashi's orders, and we found her dead in one of the buildings in the village. It... Was a pretty bad sight." Asuma said as they got the meaning behind his words, Kurenai and Anko shivering slightly, Zabuza wrapping his arm protectively around her waist.

"Where is he now?" Zabuza asked clearly worried about the blonde.

"He's at the T&amp;I building now for a mental evaluation." Genma said as they nodded, though Anko and Zabuza were extremely worried for the safety and health of the blonde.

"He'll be fine you two, don't worry." Kurenai said as she tried to placate the worries in the hearts of the two.

"It is Naruto-kun, he will no doubt be in perfect health." Gai added on to reassure the two.

"I hope you're right..." Anko whispered, squeezing Zabuza's hand gently as he squeezed her back.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Uzumaki-Namikaze Household)

Stepping through the doors to his home, Minato was promptly tackled by an irate Kushina as she began shaking him, making him see stars by the time she stopped. Shaking his head, he nervously looked up and flinched when he saw that Kushina's expression was a mix of concern, worry, confusion and anger. Looking past her, he saw his children and their godparents standing in the background staring at him with looks of pity.

"Mina-kun. Care to explain to me why my Naru-chan is currently being interrogated by Konoha's best." She asked in a syrupy sweet tone, making him cringe knowing what it usually entailed.

"Kushina... We need to talk, you too Jiraiya-sensei." Minato said as he lost the fear that he had, replacing it with an expression of urgency.

Gesturing to the two of them, he asked them to come to his study to discuss the concerns he had for Naruto. When they left, Mito and Narumi sat in silence on the couch as Menma and their godparents made their way over. After the two had told them what happened on their mission, their concerns for not only the two of them but Naruto as well, increased. They knew that Naruto was a strong and level headed individual but after hearing what he had done, they began to feel slightly fearful at the violence and brutality that they said he displayed.

"Mito-chan, Narumi-chan... Are you two alright?" Orochimaru asked, concern evident in his voice as he tried once more to get them to speak their minds.

"...We're find Orochi-jiji..." Narumi answered in a low tone, her hands shaking slightly as she remembered the look in Naruto's eye once more.

"Hey... Niisan isn't like that right? He wouldn't kill anyone if he could avoid it." Menma said in an attempt to reassure his sisters that their older brother wasn't the monster they had seen.

Again, the two girls remained silent as they held their hand together, their minds elsewhere as the rest of those in the room left them alone to their thoughts. Once they were alone, Narumi's bottom lip trembled slightly while Mito's body began to shake slightly. Soon, tears made their way down their faces as they desperately tried to erase the image of their older brother dripping crimson with blood and gore out of their minds, failing to do so as he slowly began to walk away from them.

Meanwhile, inside of Minato's study Kushina was doing her best to remain calm after Minato explained what was inside of Naruto's mind. While she was taking deep breaths to calm herself, Jiraiya had his brows furrowed in thought as he digested what Minato had told. Something that powerful was inside of Naruto and it supposedly was already sentient, the sealing of such a thing would be not only difficult but dangerous as well. One mistake would mean the death for Naruto.

"So... What do you two think we should do? We can't leave that thing there can we?" Minato asked, Kushina snapping her head to face him with a determined look on her face.

"What do we do? We seal whatever that thing is away and make sure Naru-chan is safe!" Kushina said as Minato nodded, Jiraiya sighing in return.

"Something like that won't be as easy to seal as the Ido was, and if Inoichi's near death experience is anything to go on, it won't be going down without a fight either." He said, Minato and Kushina visibly deflating upon hearing his assessment.

"But... We won't know unless we try right?" He added on as the expressions on both of their faces brightened up considerably.

"Well, let's start with the basics first. From there we'll move on to the more complex seals." Jiraiya said as the two nodded, putting on determined expressions as they began the process of creating a new seal for the entity inside of Naruto's mind.

(Scene Change - Konohagakure Intelligence Division: T&amp;I Division Interrogation Cells - Naruto's Cell)

Laying on his bed, Naruto was processing what had transpired in the past few hours. From the end of the mission to where he is now, he knew that he had been labeled as someone with a problem. A freak, an outcast, a liability. Sighing, he moved his forearm up and draped it over his eye as he closed it, attempting to get some rest after what had happened. As his mind began to drift, he winced and moved his hand to clutch his head as another intense wave of pain swept through him mind.

"_**It appears that things we become much more interesting in the near future my host. These humans believe that they will be able to seal me away? The only reason I am here is because of that wretched White and my other half.**_" An angered voice growled as Naruto's headache intensified for a few more moments before dying down.

Panting, he grit his teeth as he tried to ease the pain that was coursing through his mind. The magma that burned through it slowly cooling before vanishing completely as he released a sigh of relief. Closing his eye once more, he slowly drifted to sleep as the light of the evening sun began to fade into the embrace of the dark.

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

(Scene Change - Konohagakure Intelligence Division: T&amp;I Division Interrogation Holding Room)

Standing before Naruto in the confines of a tightly guarded room was Minato, Kushina and Jiraiya, all with stunned looks on their faces as they observed the numerous scars that littered his body. Kushina had to steel herself not to sob or embrace him when she saw how horrific they were, particularly the scar that covered the side of his abdomen, looking like something had literally bitten a chunk out of him. Shaking their heads mentally, they snapped out of their stunned states and focused on the task at hand.

"Naruto, we're going to seal whatever that thing is in your mind away. Trust us alright, though it might be painful, excruciatingly so, we're doing this with your best intentions in mind." Jiraiya explained as Naruto narrowed his eye in return.

"Care to explain to me why I have these seals on my wrists?" He asked, getting them to tense before Minato relented.

"They're there for your safety and ours. We know how powerful you are so this is a precaution in the event something goes awry." He explained as Naruto shook his head slightly in disbelief.

"Is something the matter?" Jiraiya asked in a slightly upset tone, clearly displeased with his lack of faith in them.

"If you think I'm dangerous then just say it." He said, startling them with his bluntness.

"Naru-chan, it's not that! We just don't want anything to happen to you if that thing manages to avoid being sealed!" Kushina said in an attempt to reassure her son, getting another soft shake of the head in return.

Seeing that they weren't going to get anything else out of him, they steeled themselves and began the process similarly to how they did it when they sealed the Ido away. Moving Naruto to the center of the sealing array Jiraiya quickly and precisely drew around him, they began filling in the large empty spaces corresponding to the four directions. Darkness in the north, bloodlust in the east, corruption in the south and negative in the west, they moved their brushes as quickly as they could without messing up the characters. When they finished, they moved to the outside of the sealing array and nodded to each other before placing their hand on the ground.

"**Fuinjutsu: Uraawase**!" They shouted as a bright green glow started to shroud them and Naruto, the younger blonde snapping his eye shut as pain ripped through his mind like a jagged blade.

As the pain intensified Naruto quickly fell to his knees as he clutched his head, refusing to let out the scream of pain that desperately wanted to escape his throat. Gritting his teeth, he tried to ride out the waves of pain that seemed to intensify with every passing second. On the outside, Kushina, Minato and Jiraiya were beginning to sweat slightly as the jutsu began to drain them of their chakra at an unexpected rate. Looking on in concern, they steadied their breathing as they saw a mass of black start to form around Naruto, the beginnings of separating part of his psyche.

But something that would haunt them in their dreams happened as the shadowy mass of black suddenly took form into a shape resembling a reptilian creature behind Naruto. Soon hellish crimson eyes came into view as what could be considered its teeth formed, grinning at them with malicious intent as their concentration slipped from the show of sentience. As soon as their concentration had slipped a little more, the figure started chuckle, sending chills down the spines of the three as they felt killing intent many times greater then what Tigrex exhibited when he was summoned.

"**Hahaha... You humans never fail to amuse me... Do you really think beings of your power have the raw strength to actually seal me away?**" The being said, chuckling darkly as their very souls shivered upon hearing such an evil sound.

As quickly as it appeared it vanished as it returned to Naruto's mind, the young blonde's dropping as his arms fell to his side. As his head dropped, the sealing array shattered as a large pulse of chakra was released, sending the three adults in the room stumbling back from the sudden surge. When they regained their footing, they stared with wide eyes at Naruto's slumped over form. Tensing as he slowly rose, standing tall with his head still down. Then, without warning, he shot forward and attempted wrapped his hand around Minato's neck.

His eyes widening even more, Minato easily caught his son's outstretched hand, flicking his wrist and sending Naruto stumbling to the side. As he was stumbling forward, he quickly caught himself and spun, lashing out with his foot as Minato blocked it. Pushing off his other leg, Naruto spun into the air an delivered a kick aimed at Minato's head only to be send crashing into the ground by Jiraiya, who held him there as he struggled to break free from his grip.

"Naruto! What are you doing!" Kushina screamed, horrified at what had just transpired in the past few seconds.

"Kushina don't! He's not himself right now, that things probably influencing him!" Minato shouted as he moved to suppress his son who managed to break free from Jiraiya's hold.

Hearing commotion in the room, the Anbu stationed outside burst through the doors and stood stunned seeing their Minato and Jiraiya trying to suppress Naruto. Acting quickly, the moved to help them as Kushina moved to stop them from seriously hurting her son.

"Naru-chan! Snap out of it! Fight it!" She screamed, desperate to stop her son before anyone got seriously hurt.

But it would seem that fate favored the darkness inside of Naruto's mind as he disabled an incoming Anbu operative, catching the arm that tried to wrap around his neck and snapping it. The resounding snap making everyone freeze, Naruto took the chance to try and end the life of the Anbu who he had in his grip. Moving quickly, he seized the tanto holstered behind the waist of the Anbu and spun it, the steel of the blade reflecting ominously as everyone moved to stop him for what he was about to do.

Holding the tanto in a reverse grip, Naruto jerked his arm, forcing the Anbu to bend backwards as they tried to break the ironclad grip he had on their arm. Driving the blade downwards with an unusual amount of force, Naruto soon regained control of himself as his eye widened at what he was doing. The blade already inches near the throat of the Anbu he diverted it outwards, into his own arm as he bit back the cry of pain as the steel ripped through his flesh, blood splattering as Kushina screamed at the sight.

Letting go of the Anbu, who promptly left his area of reach, Naruto fell to his knees and did his best to resist ripping the blade out of its new holster, trying to hold back the cry of pain as he felt it dig into his humerus. Everyone watching with wide eyes, the Anbu Captain was the first to speak up as they ordered their squad to form a perimeter around the downed blonde. Weakly raising his head, he saw the tenseness in the body language of the Anbu and could only close his eye and let his head drop as he knew that he was now seen as a genuine threat to the safety of the village.

"Everyone, remain on the defensive until ordered otherwise." The Anbu Captain ordered as they silently nodded, their hands on their tanto and katana as they readied themselves.

"W-What are you doing! H-He's hurt!" Kushina shouted as she moved past the Anbu only to be held back by someone.

Making a fist, she cocked it back and turned around to slug whoever stopped her only to stare at Jiraiya with wide eyes as he gave her the most serious look she's ever seen on his face. Turning back to face her son, she couldn't stop the tears that began to well up in her eyes as she saw how defenseless and vulnerable he was, blood running down his arm like rivers of crimson. Soon, Minato stood up and make his way over to Naruto, guilt and sorrow was all that could be seen in his eyes as he tapped a spot on his neck and caught him as he lost consciousness.

"Get me Tsunade please and have a cell ready for Naruto." He ordered as the Anbu nodded, Kushina's eyes widening as she knew what was happening.

"M-Minato... Y-You're not actually..." She trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence as Minato lowered his head, nodding softly.

"I'm sorry Boar..." Minato said to the Anbu who was nearly killed by Naruto, the Anbu merely shaking his head in return.

"Your son's mind wasn't his Hokage-sama, that thing inside of his mind is to blame not him." Boar said as Minato nodded appreciatively at his understanding.

Tsunade soon arrived with Shizune in tow before they were told of the situation. To say they were shocked was an understatement, Shizune nearly breaking down into tears as she learned about what had happened. Tsunade was silent as she digested the information presented to her, her eyes closing as her lip quivered slightly, knowing that even though it wasn't his fault her godson would be the one paying the consequences. After they had healed him, Minato had the Anbu take him to the maximum security section of the T&amp;I Division. The ones escorting him did so with a heavy heart, their sluggish and somber movements showing that they were reluctant to do so, knowing that what had happened wasn't in his control.

Watching with a breaking heart, the tears that had built up in the eyes of his family had finally decided to fall as Kushina dropped to her knees and sobbed. Shizune had her face in her hands as she tried to reign in her tears and compile her composure, failing to do so. Minato let his tears fall silently as he shook, not caring that he appeared weak in front of the people he was supposed to lead. Jiraiya and Tsunade were more composed by the tears brimming in their eyes spoke volumes about how they felt. And finally, behind her cat mask, Yugao's lips were quivering as she desperately held her tears back, not wanting to believe the kind and talented young man who saved her Hayate had attempted to kill one of her comrades.

(Scene Change - Konohagakure: Konoha Strict Correctional Facility - Naruto's Cell)

Gently placing their charge on his bed, the Anbu headed back out of the cell, turning once more to bow their heads in regret for their failure before heading out and locking the door behind them. After a few minutes Naruto began to stir, his eye fluttering open as he stared blankly at the ceiling. At first nothing happened, Naruto seemingly unaffected by what he had done but soon, tears began to build up in his eye. Moving his forearm over his eye and his over hand to cover his mouth, he stifled all sounds of his anguish as he finally released the pent up sorrow that he had built up over the past few days.

"_**Do not worry my host... Soon, you will be free from the shackles that bind you...**_" The voice said in chilling tone, much more serious then it had ever been before.

"_**I apologize child... For even I was not able to stop him from doing what he did...**_" A much gentler and somber voice said, guilt clearly evident in its voice.

Ignorant of the conflicting voices in his mind, Naruto's cries became less and less as he slowly drifted to sleep, wiping away the remainder of his tears as he put on a blank mask. When he finally fell asleep the seal activated, rapidly spreading across his left side before moving onto the right side. Stopping just short of completely devouring him, he receded as a jailer came to check on him.

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

(Scene Change - Konoha: Council Room)

Inside of the council room, the atmosphere was anything but light. It was heavy and depressing as they were discussing the situation involving Naruto. At first Minato was adamant to keep the situation silent as it only involved Naruto's well being, the intent of the sealing was to ensure that something like the incident yesterday didn't happen. But once Naruto attacked someone in the village the situation had escalated from being family problem involving his son to a possible danger to the village and its people.

Sighing, Minato did nothing to hide his sorrow as his friends all looked at him with sympathy, knowing that he was going through something no parent, ninja or not, should be going though. Deciding the sentence of your own child, whether they should be imprisoned forever, executed or constantly observed for the rest of their life, there was no solution that could make the situation any better. Having discussed the topic for nearly three hours, there was still not a consensus between the council members.

"I stand firm on my decision Hokage-sama, if even you are unable to seal away whatever it is that is influencing him, I must push that we either execute him or imprison him for the rest of his life." Danzo said, his eye closed as he ignored the looks and glares sent his way.

"What are you saying? He's a shinobi of our village and one of the most promising no less. Even if he wasn't, he's Minato's son, and my daughter's best friend!" Fugaku said as he raised his voice, glaring at bandaged man.

"I agree with Fugaku, what you're suggesting is nothing short of barbaric. We aren't in a time of war anymore." Hiashi said as he shared Fugaku's look, glaring at the warhawk.

"I can't believe you would even suggest that, put yourself in Minato's shoes for crying out loud." Tsume said as she narrowed her eyes at him, once again being ignored.

"Tell me this then, what if we fail to do anything and an occurrence like this happens once more? Only this time he isn't able to stop himself and kills someone innocent? Knowing that you allowed him freedom, could you live with yourself?" Danzo said, his eye opening and showing his steely gaze.

"That's enough everyone, why don't we take a quick recess. Stretch your legs and get something to drink, we'll continue this in fifteen minutes." Minato said as Danzo rose and left the room, ignoring the looks sent his way.

"Damn him, can't he understand that we can't just kill off our kids. I don't know what I'd do if I had to do that to Hana or Kiba." Tsume said as her temper dropped, gazing sympathetically at Minato.

"You alright Minato?" Shikaku asked, though he knew it was a dumb question after everything that had happened.

"I don't know what to do Shikaku... Could you just sentence your child to death or life imprisonment?" Minato asked, Shikaku shaking his head in the negative.

"No matter how logical or sensible it is, no parent can ever do that on whim. We're their parents for a reason, to care and look out for them and to make sure that they're protected. What we're discussing is the exact opposite of what parents should be doing." Shikaku said as the mood of the room sobered considerably, many of the heads there imaging their own children in Naruto's place.

"If Naruto were here he would probably just say to do what the Hokage is supposed to do, even if that meant executing him." Minato said with a dry laugh, though limitless sorrow could be hear underneath it.

"Sounds like him from the stories that Satsuki tells us." Fugaku said with a small smile on his face.

"It just goes to show how much of a loyal ninja he is if he's willing to have his own life taken to keep Konoha safe." Choza said as the others nodded at his statement.

"His memories are the same, always thinking about others before himself. A truly selfless individual." Inoichi added on, the mood slightly turning a little brighter before dropping once more when Danzo walked back in.

"Shall we continue this council? Or shall we push it toward tomorrow?" He said, the others contemplating it for a few minutes before agreeing to end the discussion for the day.

"Then we'll carry out the rest of this meeting tomorrow." Minato said as they nodded and dispersed, intent on making sure their own children were safe.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Uchiha Manor)

Arriving at his home, Fugaku was immediately met with a wide eyed Satsuki. Grimacing he knew what it was that she was going to ask, gesturing her to walk with him as she moved to step beside him. Walking around the garden in silence, it was broken when Satsuki finally decided to speak.

"Tou-san... I-Is it true? About Naruto-kun?" She asked, turning to face him with tears lacing the corners of her eyes.

Seeing such an expression on his daughter, one who used to take after him being stoic and completely ignorant to love, caused his heart to ache as he moved to brush away the beginnings of her tears. Once he was done, he moved to brush her hair gently as he moved the both of them to a nearby bench to sit down. Moving his hand away from her hair and gently holding her hand, he squeezed it softly as he felt her shake slightly, no doubt knowing what it was that he was going to say.

"Yes Satsuki, Naruto did attack and attempt to kill an Anbu." He said as gently as possible, Satsuki shaking a little more after her fears were confirmed.

Soon, her tears began to fall freely as she moved to bury her face into her father's chest, sobbing quietly as she tried to control herself. Wrapping her gently in a hug, Fugaku could only look up and hold back his own tears at seeing his strong daughter in such a vulnerable state. Rubbing her back gently, he did his best to ease the pain in her heart, knowing that there would only be one of two outcomes for this situation, none of which he wanted for his daughter.

Watching from afar, Itachi and Mikoto were teary eyed upon seeing her sobbing. Mikoto brushed away her tears while Itachi tried to reign in his sobs, hating himself for getting so emotional over seeing his beloved little sister crying. Wrapping her arm around him, Mikoto pulled him into a gentle embrace as he stiffened before giving in, taking comfort in her arms as they watched Satsuki eventually cry herself to sleep.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Uzumaki-Namikaze Household)

The situation inside of the Uzumaki-Namikaze household was even more depressive then it was before. After hearing what had happened with Naruto, the rest of their children had promptly locked themselves away. Narumi and Mito could be heard crying and whimpering softly in their room while Menma was staring with a blank expression at the wall. Jiraiya, Orochimaru and Tsunade were gathered around the living room, sitting in silence as they contemplated what they could do to remedy the situation, finding nothing was plausible given the limits of their abilities. Kushina had locked herself in her room, her sobbing muffled by the pillow she was crying into.

When Minato arrived home, he found that nothing had changed from before. Sighing, he moved to kitchen to prepare himself something to eat while he tried to think of a solution that didn't mean destroying the life of his son, finding that there was nothing short of having someone supervise him for the rest of his life. Adding hot water to his cup of ramen, the three minutes quickly passed, Minato grimacing when he took a mouthful of the now soggy noodles.

"Is there really nothing I can do..." He whispered, his head dropping as he silently and sadly ate his ramen.

(Scene Change - Konohagakure: Konoha Strict Correctional Facility Maximum Security Cellblock)

"Do you need something?" The jailor patrolling the cellblock asked a guard who came down from the upper levels, raising and eyebrow and tensing when he saw him glance around.

"…They are the leaves bathing in the sun." He guard said, the jailor tensing and nodding when he heard the phrase.

"We are the roots that grow in the dark..." He finished as the nodded to each other, seeing that they were in the presence of a fellow operative.

"Danzo-sama has ordered a breach in security. Ensure that Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze is killed in the confusion." The guard reported, the jailor nodding in confirmation as they moved towards the center of the cellblock, the jailor carrying a tray of food.

"Release the genjutsu on Subject No. 38." The jailer said as the guard nodded, putting his hands together as they stopped in front of a cell.

"Kai." He said, releasing a pulse of chakra as the person inside of the cell grunted before a pained cry escaped their throat.

Opening the cell door, the guard tensed as the jailor entered the cell with the tray of food. Soon, the jailor walked out of the cell, his nose bleeding as a large man stepped out of the cell. Towering above the guard below him, he had a head of shaggy brown hair, brown eyes and a pale complexion. He was a man who attempted to murder his entire squad during a mission, Iijou Ikido, serving life imprisonment.

"Danzo-sama has a mission for you, take the keys and start a riot. Raise as much chaos as possible before heading to cell 107 and kill Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze; age 13, blonde, blue eyes. Do you understand?" The guard said, Iijou nodding as he took the keys the jailor handed to him before the Iijou knocked him and the guard out and placed them inside of the cell to simulate a sneak attack.

Then he carried out his mission, opening as many of the cells as possible, shouting for them to start as much chaos as possible as he moved towards Naruto's cellblock. Pulling out a kunai he was slipped from the guard, he placed it inside of his sleeve as he moved in front of Naruto's cell. Opening the door, he saw Naruto turn to him and raise an eyebrow upon spotting the man.

"Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, Danzo-sama has deemed you a threat to Konoha and must be eliminated." Iijou said as he lunged at Naruto with kunai, Naruto's eye widening as he shifted his body, wincing as the blade slashed through his shoulder.

Grabbing Naruto by the scruff of his uniform, Iijou slammed him against the wall and buried the kunai into his side, Naruto's eye widening in pain as he bit back a cry of pain. Gritting his teeth, he reeled his head back and delivered a brutal headbutt, Iijou nose breaking as he stumbled back. Clutching his wound, Naruto rushed forward jumped, slamming his knee into Iijou's face once more as he hit the ground and stayed down. Reaching for the kunai he was tackled from the side as the prisoners saw what he did to their savior.

"Guh... K-Kill him! He's a rat, he'll ring the guards!" He shouted as the other inmates charged Naruto.

Narrowing his eye, he crouched and slammed his shoulder into the abdomen of the closest inmate who was rushing him down. Spinning, he slammed his elbow into the jaw of the man, sending him to the ground as another took his place, lashing out at Naruto with precise blows befitting a shinobi. Bringing his arm up to block a kick, Naruto grabbed the man by the leg and swept the other out from under him before connecting a brutal backhand to his sternum with the hand holding his leg. Impacting the ground with a loud thud, Naruto dropped to his knee as his wound opened up a little more, bleeding out more with the excessive movement.

His vision beginning to spin from the amount of blood he's lost, Naruto shakily made his way back up to his feet as the inmates surrounded him, cracking their knuckles and smirking at his weakened form. Taking a deep breath, Naruto tried to calm his nerves as he assessed his situation, wincing as his odds of winning dropped with the loss of his chakra. But soon, a sudden surge of pain in his mind caused him to grimace and clutch his head, the inmates tensing at his strange action. Taking a step back, they readied themselves in the event of a surprise attack only to drop their stances when they saw the image of a demonic looking beast behind Naruto, the blonde removing his hand to reveal a hellish crimson eye, the seal spreading across his face.

"**You are some unlucky humans... Don't worry though, you'll all die nice and painlessly...**" "Naruto" said with a sadistic smile on his face, vanishing and appearing behind the group of inmates as they turned to face him their bodies turning while before their heads violently snapping as they fell to the ground.

In all his years Iijou had never felt such fear from anything. Even after all the torture and reprogramming that Danzo performed, which was enough to break even the most willful and strong minded individuals, wouldn't have prepared him for the devil standing before him. Flexing his hand, Naruto revealed a demonic and predatory smile as Iijou tried to crawl away only to feel a hand lock around his ankle.

"N-NO! WAI-" He shouted, never finishing as Naruto turned and slammed him into the wall, the crunch of his bones being shattered echoing harshly throughout the prison as "Naruto" repeated the action multiple times, ensuring that the man was nothing more then a broken sack of flesh and bone.

Dropping the corpse of the man, "Naruto" smirked before placing his fingertips on his wound, closing his eye as he forced Ryuuton chakra through his pathways, grunting as the pathways around his wrists nearly exploded. Soon, the seals holding back his chakra shattered as he reveled in feeling the surge of energy rush through him. Gathering his chakra to his hand, he pulled his hands away from his wound placed them together in a cross shaped seal.

"**Shin Kage Bunshin**." "Naruto" said as a black and crimson cloud appeared, another Naruto standing beside him.

"**You know what to do.**" "Naruto" said as the clone nodded before moving to carry out its duties.

Moving a few of the bodies around, he arranged them in front of his cell, before proceeding to lay against the wall in the corner of his cell, bleeding out before it assumed a dead state, sitting in a pool of its blood.

Grabbing the kunai with a bloody piece of clothing, "Naruto" moved the body and the kunai, placing it in the hand of the corpse to simulate him stabbing his clone. Once he was done he quickly seared his wound shut, Naruto's eye widened in pain as he regained consciousness, the seal receding as he glanced around the area, narrowing his eye as he saw his own body leaning against the wall.

Walking over, he checked it for a pulse and frowned when he didn't find one. Sighing, he quelled the panic that built up in his body as he bolted for the exit as the alarm finally rang as some of the inmate finally made it to the upper levels of the facility. Seeing an opening, Naruto managed to slip past the doors and out of a destroyed all, running towards the village as a flood of ninja were no doubt on the way to contain the situation.

(Scene Change - Konoha: North Gate)

When he got to the North Gate Naruto panicked when he saw that Kotetsu and Izumo were actually on guard rather then sleeping. As he contemplated knocking them out or not a group of escaped prisoners caught their attention and the attention of the ninja who were guarding the gate, allowing Naruto to sleep through the gate unnoticed. Thanking the heavens for his luck, he continued in the shadows of the buildings as he moved as quickly as he could to his apartment.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Naruto's Apartment)

Arriving at his apartment he quickly took a shower to rid himself of the blood and smell of death that lingered on him. Heading to his room, he gathered his scrolls before sealing them into the seals on his body, donning a cloak and heading out of the door. Turning once more and glancing sadly at he place he called home before heading to the North Gate once more.

(Scene Change - Konoha: North Gath Pathway)

Along the way there he heard the sound of two girls, making him panic as he drew closer to the source of the voices. When he saw who the voices belonged to, he had a momentary lapse in concentration when he saw the radiant smiles on their faces. Both of them wearing an apron covered in flour and batter, Tayuya and Kin were giggling as they headed towards the baker they worked at to close up shop for the night.

They didn't remember why or how they wound up in Konoha but they were never happier in their lives, as far as they could remember at least. All they remembered in their lives were their names, the name of the person closest to them and that they were weren't happy at all before coming here. Smiling at the other, they happily chatted with the other before they stopped, seeing a cloaked figure staring them down as a sense of fear built up in their stomachs.

"U-Umm... C-Can w-we help y-you?" Kin asked in a scared tone, backing up slightly as she held onto Tayuya's arm, the redhead trying her best to look intimidating.

Remaining silent, Naruto was relieved to see that Kin was unharmed and safe. Slowly moving closer to them, he brought his hands up in a placating manner to quell their fears, succeeding slightly as they relaxed slightly, though they were still extremely wary. Once he was within arm's reach of them, he moved one hand into his cloak while keeping the other up. Slowly, he brought out two items that made the two girls look at him with confusion before a look of realization slowly made it to their faces.

"That flute..." Tayuya whispered, a little confused why she felt such a connection to it as she timidly reached out for it before taking it and holding it like it was the most precious item in the world.

"Those bells..." Kin whispered as well, reaching for them and gently taking them from Naruto as they chimed with a beautiful sound.

Slowly, the two girls examined the items before they closed their eyes, lost in thought as a hazy memory made it to each of the girls.

(Flashback - Many Years Ago)

(Unknown Location - Unknown House)

"Kaa-chan! Tou-san! Look! Baa-chan taught me how to play her old flute" A young redhead announced as she beamed her parents a bright smile, the two returning it with equal warmth.

"That's great honey, why don't you show us? We could use a little music right dear?" Her mother said, her brown hair waving as her daughter brushed up against it as she settled in her lap.

"That sounds like a great idea. Show us what Baa-chan taught you Tayu-chan." Her father said with a chuckle, his red hair shifting with each laugh that escaped his mouth.

"Ok! Here goes, this one is called "Sakura Sakura"!" Tayuya chirped as she brought the flute to her lips and played a rusty yet nice sounding melody as her parents smiled at her.

"That was lovely Tayu-chan, take care of that flute alright? It's a special keepsake of your Baa-chan." Her father said as she beamed him a smile in return.

"Mhmm! I'll take really good care of it forever! I promise!" She said as she held out her pinkie to her parents, the two laughing before returning the gesture, sealing their promise.

(Flashback - End)

(Scene Change - Konoha: North Gath Pathway)

"Kaa-chan... Tou-san... Baa-chan... Welcome home..." Tayuya whispered as tears fell freely from her eyes as she held the flute close to her chest, sniffling and doing her best not to sob in front of the strange man who brought her back the last thing she had left of her family.

(Flashback - A Month Ago)

(Scene Change - Konoha: Konoha Hospital - Kin's Room)

Sitting alone in her room, Kin was staring out the window with a bored expression on her face. After the preliminaries were over she was moved to the main hospital to stay and recover. Sighing, she let her head plop onto her pillow as she suppressed the groan of boredom that wanted to escape their lips. Her attention was diverted when she turned to glance at the door when it open. Expecting another nurse she was surprised and soon flustered when she saw those beautiful navy blue eyes and golden locks.

"N-Naruto-kun!" She squeaked, jumping slightly as she tried to fix her appearance ,only adding to her flustered state when she saw the slight mirth in his eyes.

"How are you Kin? Doing better I hope." Naruto said in his usual deadpan, Kin blushing when he took a seat beside her, drinking in his handsome features only to stop when he raised a brow.

"I-I'm doing a lot better, thanks for asking." She shyly replied, beaming a smile at him as he returned it with a smile upturn of his lips.

"That's good to hear. I brought you something to eat, seeing as the food at the hospital is designed for optimal nutritional intake and not flavor." Naruto said as he brought out a two bento, one for himself and one for her.

"F-For me?" She asked in a slightly stunned tone, never having had anyone do anything like this for her before.

"Yeah, for you. Unless you don't want it of course." Naruto answered, Kin quickly shaking her head and bashfully taking the bento and uttering a quiet "thank you" in return.

Soon the sounds of the two enjoying their lunch filled the room, joined by the sound of their voices as they happily chatted with the other. When Naruto told her that he would be leaving the village for the month to train she was noticeably sad, having hoped to spend some time over the month to get to know him better and get closer to him. Catching her sad expression, he tried to placate her worries, telling her that they could meet up once the exams were over, which Kin visibly cringed at,

"I... I don't think we'll be able to Naruto-kun..."Kin said in a sad tone, her voice pained as Naruto raised an eyebrow at her sudden turn.

"And why's that?" He asked, Kin doing her best to avoid his gaze as she fidgeted under it.

"It's just that... We're from different villages and all. I'll be gone and you'll be here once they're done."She replied, Naruto nodding in understanding though he suspected something else was the problem.

"Could I see your bells?" He asked, Kin giving him a confused look before nodding and giving hesitantly him her prized possessions.

"Good, now you have to see me if you want these back." Naruto said as Kin's eyes widened at his statement.

"W-What! N-Naruto-kun, give them back to me!" She demanded, Naruto shaking his head in the negative as he rolled the bells in his hand, enjoying their chimes.

"I told you, you'll get these back once you come find me after the exams are over." He said with a hint of mirth in his voice, Kin blushing when she realized that he was probably unintentionally flirting with her.

"F-Fine... B-But when I do, you have to promise to take me out on a d-date ok?" Kin said in a timid tone, looking up at him with a bashful expression that made Naruto's heart skip a beat.

"Y-Yeah, consider it done." He replied, internally cursing as he tried to cover his slip in control.

"A-Are you blushing Naruto-kun?" Kin said in a devious tone, Naruto simply turning his face away as he resumed eating, Kin giggling at his actions.

"Naruto-kun..." She said in a slightly pleading tone, Naruto turning to face her upon hearing it only for her to Kin in and peck him on the cheek as pink invaded his cheeks.

"W-What? Again Kin?" He said in a incredulous tone, Kin simply beaming a beautiful smile at him.

"Did you forget already Naruto-kun? I like you." She said, leaning in and kissing him once more on the cheek before he sighed and shook his head, a smile on his face as he opted to let her enjoy their time spent together.

(Flashback - End)

(Scene Change - Konoha: North Gath Pathway)

"...I'm sorry I couldn't keep that promise." Naruto said as he turned to walk away, Kin and Tayuya looking at him in a slightly dazed state before they moved to embrace him.

"Thank you... Thank you so much..." Tayuya said as she thanked him for bringing her family to her.

"I don't know who you are but these bells are very special to me. Thank you for bringing them to me." Kin said as she squeezed him softly.

Soon, they released him from their hug as he turned to face them once more a small smile on his face as Kin's heart suddenly skipped a beat. Moving close, Kin leaned in a planted a soft kiss on Naruto's cheek as his eye widened in return. Seeing her do that, Tayuya smiled as she did the same, kissing Naruto on his other cheek as a sign of thanks for doing what he did.

"Again, thank you." The two of them said as Naruto nodded, thankful that they didn't notice who he was.

When he turned around, Kin's heart once again skipped when a light breezed ruffled his hood just enough to reveal his navy eye and blonde locks as he turned around and sprinted towards the gate, her eyes widening as a feeling trumping every other emotion she had ever felt since waking up filled her body. Pink invading her cheeks, her heart hammering in her chest and her eyes watering as the boy from her memory and the boy who had just left them overlapped each other.

"Naruto-kun..." She whispered, tears falling freely from her eyes as she covered her mouth with her hand to stifle the sobs that were escaping from her throat, Tayuya moving to comfort her friend as concern filled her eyes.

"Kin-chan, what's wrong? Did he hurt you?" Tayuya asked with worry evident in her voice, a little confused when Kin shook her head in the negative.

"Then what's wrong? Why are you crying?" She asked as Kin managed to reign in her sobs long enough to answer.

"Because Tayu-chan... I remembered, I remembered that I love him." Kin said as she stared off in the direction that the love of her life ran off in, breaking down into more sobs as remembered what had happened nearly two months ago.

"_You liar... You promised to take me on a date when you gave these back to me..._"

(Scene Change - Naruto's Secret Training Ground)

Having evaded the patrols scanning the forests, Naruto finally arrived at his favorite training ground as he scanned the area for any signs of life. Nodding to himself seeing at there wasn't any sign of life within at least thirty meters, he pulled out his scroll and summoned the portal to Thousand Blade Mountain.

"Here goes nothing." He muttered under his breath as he dove into the portal, vanishing from the Konoha.

(Scene Change - Thousand Blade Mountain)

Landing with a grunt, Naruto shook his head as he gazed around taking in the sights of the area before a tremor snapped him out of his thoughts. Turning he saw Jho and Tigrex, the two happy to see him. But that happiness left when they saw his appearance, ragged and eyeless. Frowning, they turned to the other and nodded before turning their attention to Naruto once again.

"**Naruto... Please do not tell me that a human did that to you...**" Jho said, Naruto freezing before he lowered his head, nodding as the two dragons in front of him frowned.

"**Come. White must know that you've been crippled by a human. He will decide your fate.**" Naruto nodding in return as he as walked alongside the two, a solemn silence taking over as Naruto let his eye drift shut, knowing that there would only be more pain in the future for him.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's a wrap. And yeah, for now I think that's the end of the Kin Route. I'm really sorry for everyone who was shipping her with Naruto, I really am. Maybe I'll write a "What If" Fic with all the future ships that sink, who knows. Well you know the usual if you've been awesome and have been reading it this far. Read, Review and PM me alright? Well, till next time, stay awesome.**

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**Saiko Denshin - Holding Door Mind Transmission**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Hiden, Supplementary; The user enters the target's subconscious by placing a hand on the target's head and extracts any information needed, even if the target has forgotten it or has had it blocked. The "Mind Reading Amplification Machine" can be used to decrease the time it takes to read the target's mind and allows other ninja to assist. Memories that have mental blocks on them will require longer periods of time to probe through and obtain however. Depending on the skill of the user and their level of experience, they will be able to go through days worth of the target's memories in a matter of moments and sift through until they find what they want while others may have to go through each memory in its entirety.

**Fuinjutsu: Uraawase - Sealing Technique: Agreement of Minds**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu; A complex jutsu that involves sealing away part of the target's psyche into a vessel, be it animate or inanimate. The process involves placing the target within the sealing array and actively sealing away the undesired part of their psyche. The more users that cast this jutsu the easier it is to distribute the mental and spiritual load that is exerted on by the strength of the target's psyche.

**Shin Kage Bunshin - True Shadow Clone**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; Similar to the basic **Bunshin **and **Kage Bunshin**, this technique creates a copy of the user. However, the clones are corporeal instead of illusions. The user distributes a certain amount of chakra to the clone, the amount given determining the strength and durability of the clone. The clone is capable of performing techniques on their own and can even bleed. The main advantage of the **Shin Kage Bunshin **is the fact that the clone can be killed and remain "dead" and can be dissected and examined until the chakra running through them runs dry. Like the original **Kage Bunshin **it can't be distinguished from the original with Sharingan, Byakugan or Rinnegan.

**Kage Bunshin - Shadow Clone**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Similar to the basic **Bunshin**, this technique creates copies of the user. However, these clones are corporeal instead of illusions. The user's chakra is evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing techniques on their own and can even bleed, but will usually disperse after hit by a strong enough force. The clones can also disperse on their own or be dispelled by the user of the technique. **Kage Bunshin** can't be distinguished from the original with Sharingan, Byakugan or Rinnegan.


	25. Chapter 23

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, I got a short chapter here for all of you cool people. I've got the last of my midterms this week so I wanted to get something out for you all to read after that cliffhanger? so you wouldn't be bored while I'm crying over my tests. Nothing really happening this chapter, most of you will probably hate it and that's fine, I've kinda resigned myself to the hate. But there are a select few who will enjoy this and that's why I've worked extra hard to put out an extra chapter this week. I've got a ton of really sweet messages from you awesome people that I need to reply to. Again, this is really kinda a chapter that will change the genre of the story as I know it's been really kinda angsty and dark, so you'll either hate or love the genre shift; a little hint I've been reading a lot of comedy and I mean a lot. Again, love it or hate it, I kinda stopped caring. Well, that's enough outta me, you came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 23

Never before did Naruto feel such awe and fear for a being then he did as he stood in front of White in the Chamber of the Elders, surrounded by the cold glares of the other Elders. Gulping he did his best to avoid looking _nervous_ in front of the god-like being staring down at him, feeling like his very soul was being scrutinized. After a few agonizing minutes, White let out a breath that nearly sent Naruto flying if he didn't apply chakra to stick to the ground.

"**Child... That injury, a human caused it correct?**" White asked, Naruto stiffening up immediately at the sound of his voice.

"Y-Yes White-sama, I... I was overpowered and he took my eye." Naruto said, his tone becoming bitter and self loathing as he lowered his head to hide his features.

As he answered there was a murmur that went through the Elders, some sneering him for his weakness, other sighing as they knew he wasn't as strong as the other, and a few simply shaking their heads in shame. Jho and Tigrex were stone faced as they were also subjected to the jeers and snide comments of the other Elders, Naruto tightening his fists in frustration as he heard their comments.

"**Silence.**" White said, the mountain shaking from his voice alone as the murmurs died immediately.

"**Raise your head child, no one should bow their head in submission to the other without a proper battle.**" White said as Naruto nodded his head, hesitantly looking up to lock eyes with White, shivering as he felt his soul being prodded by his gaze alone.

"**Child. For one to have been defeated in battle and crippled by a human after partnering with one of the Elders, it is a shameful and disgraceful display. The one you partnered, Tigrex, did you not think of the consequences your loss would have for him?**" White asked, Naruto flinching before he slowly nodded his head.

"Yeah... I... I wasn't strong enough to beat that guy even after Tigrex's help,,." Naruto trailed off, unable to come up with anything else to add on as White frowned slightly.

"**What of Tigrex's honor and pride as an Elder? Have you not tarnished it by losing to a human after he aided you in combat?**" White asked, Naruto cringing at the question as he racked his brain for an answer.

"I don't know what I can do to remedy it White-sama... I'm weak, I've been "killed" and can't return to my home, and I've lost. I've lost absolutely everything..." Naruto said, unable to take the stress of being questioned by White as he started to break down, murmurs once again starting up in the crowd.

"**There is one thing you can do child. In exchange for your life, Tigrex's honor and pride will be restored. Having a partner who is willing to give up their life for their partner is no doubt a dragon at heart.**" White said as Naruto's eye widened in surprise,

"I-Is that true?" He asked, White merely nodding in confirmation as Naruto turned to face Tigrex who had his eyes closed.

"...I'll accept White-sama, it's the least I can do. At least then I'll affect someone's life in a positive way." Naruto said as he steeled his resolve, White nodding his head as he turned to face the sky.

Taking a deep breath, he let out a concentrated beam of chakra that cut through sky in a beautiful display of white and crimson. As it reached the pinnacle of the heavens the tip of it expanded before exploding in a beautiful and terrifying shower of white and crimson particles. The sound of it exploding echoed across the land, making the heads of every inhabitant of Thousand Blade Mountain turn and proceed towards Absolute Island.

"**Come. Let us go child.**" White said as he gestured to Naruto to get on his back, the blonde in a little bit of awe at being allowed such a privilege.

Then, with a small flap of his wings the two were sent up and out of the chamber as the rest of the Elders moved out of the room, Absolute Island their destination as well, Jho and Tigrex lingering behind a bit to stare at the spot that Naruto and White had stood, shaking their heads before heading out themselves. Up with Naruto and White they travelled in silence before White spoke.

"**Child, have you enjoyed the life you've lived?**" White asked, snapping Naruto out of his stupor as he lowered his head slightly.

"Honestly White-sama, I haven't all that much. Ryuu-niichan, Zabuza, Anko, Haku, Satsuki, Yakumo, Kin, and a few others were really the only people that I had any bonds with. And even them... They'll be a lot happier in the end without me." Naruto said, his voice trailing off in the end as White nodded his head.

"**...You have suffered for long enough Child. I am not an omnipotent being nor I am a god, but I do have the power necessary to try and attempt to change fate as little as that might be.**" White finally said after a few moments of silence as Naruto tilted his head a little in confusion.

But before he could speak up, White suddenly shifted his body and before Naruto's eye another copy of himself and White split off from their bodies. Heading in the direction of Absolute Island they continued on their own way while White and Naruto headed towards World's End. Before Naruto could question White he sped up, Naruto nearly flying off as he felt his skin nearly remove itself from his body.

(Scene Change - Absolute Island: Outer Crater)

Gathered on the outer areas of Absolute Island were the inhabitants of Thousand Blade Island, dragons of all shapes and sizes lined the outer walls as they watched White descend from the heavens like a god. Landing gracefully, he scanned the area and nodded, Naruto hopping off his back as he moved to the center of the island. From above the eyes of a blue haired girl widened when she managed to make out his image, enhancing her vision with chakra.

"N-Naru-kun..." Tatsuko whispered, her eyes filled with fear and confusion upon seeing him in the execution ground.

"Mera, what is Naru-kun doing there? What's going on?" Tatsuko asked in a state of panic, Mera releasing a heavy sigh at her question.

"**He's going to be executed Tatsuko, though it would be more appropriate to say he is trading his life.**" Meraginasu said as her eyes widened even more in confusion.

"W-What? Why? What did he do?" Tatsuko asked, firing off a volley of questions as Meraginasu had predicted.

"**This is something he chose out of his own free will Tatsuko. He lost to a human, one that wasn't trained like you two were. You know that that is a taboo, shaming not only yourself but your partner as well. He's doing this to redeem himself and restore Tigrex's pride. A noble thing to do.**" Meraginasu said as Tatsuko's heart sunk to the lowest depths.

"Is... Is there anything that I can do?" She asked, already knowing the answer as Meraginasu shook his head in the negative.

"**Allow him to do this Tatsuko. This isn't just for Tigrex but for himself, allow him to redeem himself. I know that you've picked him as your mate but he's also doing this for you. If you were his mate and he didn't choose to do this no doubt you would be treated lower then filth.**" Meraginasu added on as she simply nodded her head, a few tears falling from her eyes as Meraginasu tried his best to comfort her.

(Scene Change - Absolute Island: Inner Crater)

"**Are you ready Child?**" White asked as Naruto nodded his head with a confidence unlike anything he had portrayed before, White smirking slightly.

"_**Even though this is merely the physical manifestation of his spirit, for it to be this unyielding even in the face of mine... He is truly something else.**_" White thought as he nodded, moving to address the dragons gathered around the crater.

"**I thank you all for coming. We are here to see off this Child who wishes to redeem himself and his partner, Tigrex. Many of you may not know who this child is, though many of you do know who he is. This child, the younger brother of Ryuuhei Shirokin, is here to exchange his life in return for Tigrex's honor and pride. I see no reason to not accept such a selfless sacrifice, I assume you all agree as well?**" White asked, the dragons around the outskirts of the crater nodding their heads as the bowed their heads once to Naruto, a show of respect for his action.

"**Then. Let us begin.**" White said as he moved away from Naruto, staring at him as white and crimson electricity began arcing across his body.

"**Honojiroi**." White said as he tapped the ground with a claw charged with his Ryuuton chakra.

As soon as his claw pierced the ground, he sent his chakra through it as what could only be described as a pillar of raw energy erupted out from under Naruto. The pillar was a beautiful mix of white and crimson, tearing the heavens asunder as it shot upwards and continued for a few moments before fading away. As it vanished, there was nothing left of Naruto but a smoldering crater. Bowing his head, he honored his death as the rest of the dragons followed suit.

"**May we meet again in the next world.**" White whispered before turning to address the audience gathered.

"**For the exchange of his life, let it be known that Tigrex's partner was a selfless individual who no doubt had the soul and heart of a dragon. Let it also be known that his mate, the partner of** **Meraginasu and sister of Kaida Iwatodai, had a mate that transcended all others. May his soul travel safely to the other side.**" White announced, the dragons gathered bowing their heads once more in honor of the human before they were dismissed.

(Scene Change - Absolute Island: Outer Crater)

"**Come Tatsuko. The best way for us honor your mate is to live our lives without regrets and strife.**" Meraginasu said, Tatsuko merely nodding her head as her bangs remained overshadowing her eyes.

As they left, only Jho and Tigrex were still standing by the crater. Turning to face the younger Elder, Jho let out a small chuckle upon seeing the normally arrogant and temperamental dragon so emotionally vulnerable. Tigrex was doing his best to not to shed tears, having had enough of the emotional baggage that came with having a partner.

"**It is alright to shed tears Tigrex, even I shed a few tears.**" Jho said, trying to reassure the crimson dragon that it was fine to show a lapse in concentration.

"**No, I will not. My partner faced White without so much as flinching as he died, I refuse to do anything other then just that.**" Tigrex snarled, though it was more of a pained grunt.

"**Why did you not attempt to persuade Naruto to reconsider his decision? Surely you've grown out of your prideful phase.**" Jho asked Tigrex releasing a sigh as he looked at the smoldering crater.

"**I will not go against the wishes of my partner. He was the one who helped me get past my idiotic shell of arrogance and pride. If this was his wish, I dare not go against it.**" Tigrex explained, Jho nodding in understanding.

"**Come, let us return home. I'm sure we both could use some rest.**" Jho suggested, Tigrex merely nodding as they started the trek home.

(Scene Change - World's End)

Arrive at World's End, Naruto nearly lost consciousness from the sheer amount of energy radiating off of the desolate earth. Landing, even White was affected as he scanned the grounds with a saddened look in his eyes. Releasing a tired sigh, he moved towards the center of the ground as Naruto did his best not to succumb to the effects of the area as he emitted a layer of charka to shield himself from the aura of the oppressive area.

"**Come Child. I will tell you the reason behind my actions.**" White said, Naruto nodded as he shakily made his way towards white.

When he finally reached the area White stood at his eye widened when he saw the skeletal remains of a dragon. Unable to believe such a thing actually existed, he turned to White was about to speak but held his tongue when he saw the look in his eyes. The self loathing, self hate and guilt that swirled in them nearly caused Naruto to break down in tears.

"**...Those are the remains of my brother.**" White suddenly said, Naruto flinching upon hearing that the remains laying beneath him belonged to one of the "Three Gods".

"W-What happened to him?" Naruto asked though he kicked himself when he saw something flash in White's eyes, cursing himself for his idiocy.

"**Do not worry Child, I am not angry... I am merely reminiscing. To answer your question, I killed him though it would be more accurate to say that I delivered a mercy upon him.**" White said as Naruto nodded his head slightly in understanding.

"**The Virus, the same the affected Ryuuhei, his clan and now you caused him to lose all sense of who he was. We battled for a countless amount of time, even I just barely defeated him. In the end, he managed to regain enough of his sanity to avoid delivering a fatal blow against me, allowing me to end his life and free him of his suffering. I will never forget the words that he said as he laid dying at my feet.**" White said as he trailed off, lost in the memories of that battle.

(Flashback - Many Centuries Ago)

Standing in the center of World's End, A black dragon was standing above a white dragon, both covered in horrific wounds ranging from slash marks to gouges in their bodies. But even with all of the injuries that sustained, they still found the strength to converse with each other. Using their last few moments to reconcile their differences, and end their time together not as rivals but as brothers.

"**Ha... Ha ha... Thank... You Brother... For the first time... In many years, my mind is free of the Virus' influence...**" The white dragon said as the black dragon remained silent, internally grieving as he flashed him a bloody grin.

"**Do not feel saddened... My Brother, you have saved me... You have saved this land... You have truly... Grown strong... I am proud of you my little brother...**" The white dragon continued, the black dragon lowering his head as he willed himself not to shed tears.

"**My brother... Now is the time. They have never needed your power more...**" The white dragon said as he slowly raised his arm before gently placing the tip of his claw against the chest of the black dragon.

"**Shine your divine light upon this broken and corrupted world. Let your heavenly rays become the hope as you guide them all.**" The white dragon said as a heavenly glow of white and crimson left its body and moved towards the black dragon before it was shrouded in a dense sphere of white and crimson chakra.

Soon the sphere began to contract before it condensed into a tiny sphere in front of a now white dragon, the dragon reaching out and gently taking the small sphere as the now gray dying dragon beneath him chuckled in a jovial tone.

"**The ritual is now complete... My brother, you are now White and not simply Fatalis any longer... That gem which you hold is a zenith gem... Use it and perform a miracle worthy of its power... It appears that my time is up, remember White... May the blessings of the Gods protect you...**" White's brother said before his flesh and blood turned to ash, scattering across the wind as White lowered his head.

"**My brother... I thank you...**" White said before he collapsed next to the skeletal remains of his brother, a single tear falling onto the zenith gem as it glowed with a warmth unlike anything in the world.

(Flashback - End)

"**And I believe I have found the purpose of the gem.**" White said as he gently moved the skull of his older revealing a brilliant purple gem, glinting with an otherworldly glow in the light.

"**Child... The hardships that you have had to endure, the strength and resolve you had to overcome them and the will and spirit you had to accept your own death for the sake of another. You truly have the heart and soul of a dragon, and for that I wish to bestow upon you a gift.**" White said as he held out the gem to the remains of his brother.

Gather his Ryuuton chakra, he feed it into the gem as it greedily drank up the godlike power flowing through it. Soon, it had changed from a bewitching purple to a brilliant crimson, shining like a small flame in White's claws. Then, White placed it onto the skull of his older brother before the gem began absorbing its remains, Naruto's eye widening upon seeing it do so. Finally, after a few of devouring bone and chakra, White held out a beautiful crimson gem.

"It... It looks like an eye..." Naruto said in awe, White simply smiling at him as Naruto blushed from seeing the mirth dancing in his eyes.

"**My gift to you Child. Though, I will warn you. Should you accept this gift, you will lose everything that you hold dear. Your memories of those you created bonds with; those you loved, those who loved you. All of it will be a long forgotten memory once you take this eye into yourself. But, I wish that you do so. This will allow you a new life, a new beginning to start once more, without the hardships of your current life. In addition, accepting this eye will seal away a darker part of your mind, reducing you to a mere human once more. But... I believe that is for the better Child.**" White explained as Naruto's eye widened at the revelation.

"I can start over...? But... What if I need to protect someone or something? If I lose my power, it'll just be a repeat of what happened in that village." Naruto whispered as White simply chuckled in return.

"**I said you would simply become human once more Child. I said nothing about losing your power, it is quite the opposite as you will gain the power and protection of my older brother and mine. I trust you with this gift because I believe in your strength of will and heart. You, Child, are not just any ordinary human. So I will ask once more, will you give up who you are now to begin anew?**" White asked, Naruto stiffening for a few moments before raising his head to meet White's gaze.

"Will I still be able to protect those I cherish White-sama? Will I have to power necessary to protect the innocent?" Naruto asked, White smiling down at him and nodding his head.

"**There will be a condition, but I feel that you will be able to overcome it.**" White said as Naruto straightened his back.

"Then, if I may, I accept your gracious gift White-sama." Naruto said, bowing deeply as White chuckled.

"**Then so be it.**" White said, gently raising Naruto's head and removing the eyepatch with a surprising amount of gentleness and dexterity for a being so large.

Taking the newly created eye, he placed it into the empty socket as a sudden surge of pain ripped through Naruto, making him scream in agony as he clutched his head, his eyes wide open. The transplanted eye quickly began to merge with his optical nerves, creating and securing a solid pathway for transmission as Naruto regained the sight of his left eye. But soon, the seal acted up began to rapidly spread to the eye, the crimson and yellow eye becoming crimson and purple as White frowned.

"_**YOU WILL NOT PREVENT ME FROM CLAIMING THIS BODY YOU HATCHLING! DO NOT TEST ME!**_" A demonic voice roared through Naruto and White's mind, the dragon frowning as he recognized it.

"**Even after being sealed away, he still has that much power not to mention the Virus is growing stronger.**" White said as he reached over and placed the tip of his claw on Naruto's forehead.

"_**Impossible! Your brother's soul should have been erased once the gem was formed! How is it possible for it to be here!**_" The voice roared once again, clearly irritated with the integration of another soul.

Applying a bit of his chakra, White immediately quelled the spread of the seal as it quickly returned back to its source, Naruto going limp in return. Nodding, White took the eyepatch from before and drew a seal on the inside of it for oppression and supremacy using his blood and chakra. Once he was finished he placed it back on Naruto, covering his new eye as he smiled a bit at the sleeping blonde.

"_**You damn hatchling... This will not save the child from my corruption... It is only a matter of time before I consume his soul and gain a vessel worthy of my inhabitation. HAHAHA! When the time comes, I will be free, no matter if it takes decade, a century or a millennia!**_" The voice cackled before being abruptly cut off when the eyepatch began to glow a stunning crimson and white.

"**There, it is done. He will not be able to affect you so long as that remains on you and it will impede the spread of the Virus. Until your body gets used to your new eye and completely integrates it, my brother's will cannot aid in suppressing him, please do not remove it until then Child.**" White said as he gently took Naruto and took off.

Landing near an old portal, White took one last look at Naruto before a sad smile made it to his face. Tapping his forehead once more, he imbued him with more of his charka before he placed him on the portal. Activating it, he gave Naruto one lat gaze before closing his eyes, a smile on his face as he returned to his domain.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Riverside)

"Pwah!" Naruto suddenly gasped, scanning the area around him as he took in his surroundings.

"Huh? Where... Am I? Why am I in a river?" Naruto asked himself as he pulled himself out of the river, only to freeze when he felt something behind him.

Turning around, his eye widened when he saw a large bear staring down at him, obviously hungry from the way it was drooling. Taking a step back, he panicked when the bear took a step forward before another and another. Then it charged, letting out a hungry roar as rushed him down.

"D-Damn." Naruto cursed as bear began to charge him from up the river.

As it neared, instead of panicking even more his mind became strangely clear, as if it erased all unnecessary thoughts. And his confusion only grew when he saw the bear start to move in slow motion. As it lunged forward with its paw, intent on ripping his throat open, Naruto turned and watched as the paw soared harmlessly past him. Cocking his arm back, he lashed out and connected a brutal blow with the bear's ribcage, a snap echoing as it roared in pain. Pulling his arm back, he used the momentum built up to slam his shin into the abdomen of the bear, the beast reeling backwards. Falling to the ground, it turned and looked at him with fear filled eyes before turning and fleeing back into the forest.

"How... Did I do that...?" He asked himself as he watched the retreating form of the bear.

Staring with his eye wide open, Naruto looked at his hands before turning to look at his reflection, a little blown away with how he looked. Golden locks, a navy blue eye the other obscured with an eye patch. He looked pretty intimidating to say the least. But the thing that affected him the most was the fact he didn't recognize his face, nothing but a sea of blank pages as he tried to search his memories for any clue as to who he was.

"Who... Am I?" He asked himself, tilting his head as he reached for his eyepatch, a little nervous to see if he really was missing an eye.

"_**Do not remove that Child...**_" A deep voice bellowed in his mind, making him jump and look around the area for its source.

"H-Huh? I-I guess I shouldn't mess with it..." Naruto said as he moved to get out of the river.

When he got on shore, he got out of his wet clothes and hung them on a nearby branch to dry. Sitting on the riverside, he let his feet drop into the cool water as he let a sigh of content escape his lips, soon he found himself humming a strange tune that popped into his head. Looking over his body, he couldn't help but wince when he saw how scarred his body was, the only thing that he found on his person showing any signs of an identity being a book about cooking that had the name "Naruto" written inside of it.

"So... My name is Naruto, and I don't have a last name or a family as far as I can tell. Seeing as my body is this scarred and I know how to fight, I guess I used to be a fighter or something. And judging from the book, I like to cook. Huh, weird..." Naruto said as he turned over the book in his hands a few times before shrugging and opening it.

(Scene Change - Konohagakure: Konoha Strict Correctional Facility Maximum Security Cellblock)

Chaos. That was what the facility could only be described as while its inmates were running rampant in an attempt to escape. While a few of them did manage to leave the confines of the facility grounds, they were eventually apprehended by the Anbu who were dispatched to contain them. Soon, the situation outside of the facility was under control, leaving the inside the main point of interest as numerous squads had it surrounded. His eyes narrowed in anger, Minato was trying to calm himself from the growing fear of his son being in danger.

"Damn it. I knew I should've had him moved to the detention ward in the T&amp;I Division." He cursed under his breath, kicking himself mentally for his decision.

"Minato-sama! We've breached the perimeter! Should we press on with the assault?" A voice spoke out though his headset, Minato wiping off the worried on his face for a more confident one.

"Yes, all units! We're taking this facility back!" He ordered, a unanimous roar of courage resounding as they moved to engage the inmates.

Charging in, they combined strength of the troops were more then enough to overpower the inmates who lacked the ability to use chakra. Slamming his fist into the side of an inmate who tried to tackle him from the side, Minato spun on the ball of his foot and connect his heel with the head of the inmate, sending him tumbling to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Soon, the chaotic situation was quelled after merely ten minutes, the tactical advantage and strength having been much more then the sealed inmates could handle. Rounding up the inmates, Minato was relieved to hear that only a few were injured and even less of his ninja were injured. But soon, Minato's heart shattered when he stumbled upon the cell belonging to his son.

Stopping in front of cell 107, Minato didn't do anything to stop the torrent of tears that fell down his face as he stared at the bloody and slashed form of his son, sitting against the wall of his cell lifelessly. His eyes wide, he slowly moved into the cell, the stench of death and blood doing nothing to impede his movement. Once he reached his son, he dropped to his knees and shakily reached out to check Naruto for a pulse.

"N-Naruto... Naruto wake up... It's ok, I'm here now. Your father's here." He said in a quiet tone, a broken smile on his face as the tears began to fall even harder then before.

"Guh!" He choked out a sob, pulling the corpse of his son into his chest and he let his sorrow out in full, the sound of his sobbing making a stampede of ninja rush to his location.

"Minato-sama! What's wro-" Zabuza shouted, but it was abruptly cut of when he caught sight of the lifeless blonde in his leader's arms.

"N-No... T-That can't be..." Zabuza whispered, tears welling up in his eyes as well, the bandaged man's arms dropping to his side.

"W-What's wrong Zabuza?" Anko asked in a scared tone, never having seen her lover in such a state.

Turning and following his gaze she felt her heart shatter into a million pieces when she caught sight of her student. His eye closed and his face peaceful, it looked like he was just deep in sleep, but the blood splattered on him and the way Zabuza and Minato were breaking down indicated otherwise.

"N-Naruto..." Anko whispered her own tears making their way down her face as she dropped to her knees, proceeding to bury her face in her hands as she started sobbing.

They were soon joined by the rest of the squads that were scouting the rest of facility for any stragglers, only to have their hearts drop and break when they caught sight of the tragic scene in front of them. It appeared that there was a casualty, and one who had a greater impact on them then any other inmate in the facility.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Konoha: Village Center)

Heartbreak, confusion, anger and above all else sorrow was almost palpable it was so great. Standing before the entirety of the village, Minato had announced the death of his eldest son. At first, there was an uproar of confusion, many claiming it was a hoax to divert their attention away from the fact he was imprisoned for an unjust cause that wasn't his own. But after hearing that he died during an attempted prison riot, their doubts quickly fell.

After hearing about his wounds, the way he was found dead in his cell and in front of a large amount of inmates, their respect for him rose as he died fighting. Lowering their heads, the village offered a moment of silence for the fallen blonde, a prodigy who departed far too early from the world. For a select few though, their sobs could be heard echoing across the village as they tried to cope with the loss of their beloved.

"Within the week... We'll be holding his funereal service..." Minato bitterly choked out before moving off the stage, not that anyone could blame him.

"I'm sorry Minato, but this was for the best of Konoha..." Danzo whispered as he offered his respects for the young blonde, a little sympathetic that someone so talented and young was a danger to his village.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Uzumaki-Namikaze Household)

Inside of the Uzumaki-Namikaze household the sounds of numerous people sobbing echoed loudly through the house. Mito, Narumi and Kushina were huddled together as they let their sorrows out, unable to believe that fate was so cruel as to rip away someone they loved. Menma was quietly sobbing into his arms as he laid face first on top of the counter. Their godparents were sorrowful, having shed a few tears for their godson.

"I-I never even got to explain why I was scared of him..." Mito sobbed out, Narumi squeezing her tighter as she heard her comment.

"N-Neither did I Mito-nee..." Narumi sobbed as well, Kushina squeezing her daughters tightly as Minato entered the household.

After having had to steel himself for the past few hours, he finally broke down as his family moved to embrace him. Sharing the sorrow that he felt as they mourned over the loss of their brother, son and godson. No matter how distance, cold and unfeeling he acted, he was their family.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Momochi Household)

With the Momochi household Haku had sobbed herself to sleep, Zabuza drinking heavily as Anko tried to stop him from destroying his liver. Having had enough, she grabbed the bottle and shattered it, Zabuza getting agitated before roughly grabbing her by the shoulder. Glaring into her eyes as she glared back. But soon both his glare and hold softened considerably before he rested his head into the crook of her neck, doing everything in his power to prevent his sobs from breaking out.

"That damn brat..." Zabuza choked out, Anko's own tears falling as she pressed her lips on top of her beloved's head.

"I miss him too Zabuza..." Anko whispered as they savored the warmth the other provided.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Uchiha Estate)

In the Uchiha estate, Satsuki was sobbing into her pillow as she did everything in her power to stop her family from hearing her in her moment of weakness. It failed though when her mother entered her room and sat on the edge of her bed. Mikoto's heart breaking seeing her strong daughter in such a devastated state, she reached out tenderly and touched her daughter's shoulder as Satsuki moved and latched onto her mother's waist, sobbing loudly as Mikoto simply held her as she cried her heart out, Mikoto's own tears slipping down her face.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Kurama Household)

With Yakumo she was crying into her hands as her mother and father tried to comfort her. She may not have been as bold as the others for his affections but she loved them just as much if not more then they did. Her parents frowning, they held her closer as her cries increased to sobbing as she surrendered to their embrace, unable to believe that something like this had happened to someone she felt so strongly about.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Kin and Tayuya's Apartment)

"Why..." Kin whimpered as she did her best to keep her sobs from breaking out, hiccupping as Tayuya held her close to her chest.

"I'm so sorry Kin..." Tayuya whispered to her, holding her close as her friend buried her face deeper into her chest.

After regaining some fragments of her memory back, most of which involved the golden haired, navy eyed boy who died, Kin felt nothing but an emptiness as all hope for recovering her memories were shattered before they really began. Tayuya kissing her head, Kin looked up with teary eyes before Tayuya gave her a reassuring and sad smile, Kin simply burying her face deeper into her friend's chest as they remained in an intimate embrace for the night.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"Maybe I've been given a chance to start over..." Naruto whispered as he finished reading the cookbook for the sixth time.

"I used to be a fighter and I've probably done some horrible things, so this might be a chance to let go of my past and become the chef I've always wanted to be..." Naruto said in a more confident tone as he stood up.

"Yeah, goodbye Naruto the Fighter and hello Naruto the Chef." He said in a determined tone as he stood up and dressed himself, though for some reason he noticed that his facial expressions never really did match up with his inner thoughts, always set in a blank or deadpan expression.

"Must be second nature I guess, you have to keep a poker face when you're in a fight." Naruto said to himself as he put on the clothes he appeared in, taking note that he really did look like a fighter of some kind.

Stretching, he massaged the knots and kinks that set into his body after having been sitting for a few hours. turning his gaze towards the horizon and the setting sun, he started on his new journey, a world of culinary wonders awaiting him as a small smile appeared on his face at the prospect of a new life without conflict.

"Yeah... This feels like it's going to be a much better life then whatever I did in the past." He whispered in a fond tone as he slung his bag over his shoulder, heading east.

(Time Skip - A Week Later)

(Scene Change - Konoha: Cemetery)

Gathered in black in Konoha's Cemetery, a large number of people had arrived for the burial of the eldest son of their Kage. Many were silently crying as they watched their broken hearted Kage say his final farewells to his son, the rest of his family and friends doing the same as well. One by one, they moved to the young man in the casket and offered a few words before placing a flower and departing.

"_Brat... I swear if I see you again I'm going to kill you... After all we've been through you die at the hands of a bunch of scumbags? It's laughable really. Naruto... I never got to tell you this but... I did think of you as my son. I would have loved for you and Haku to have gotten together, to have gotten married and for you two to have given me a few grandchildren. But I guess that's all a pipe dream now huh? I hope you're happy where you are now Naruto, and I hope that I'll have washed away enough of my sins to join you there._" Zabuza prayed as he placed down a red camellia.

"_I can't believe you died before me Gaki... What am I supposed to do with Satsuki and Yakumo now? Without you, our whole team falls apart... Why? Why did you have to die? Zabuza and I had plans to get you and Haku together so you could have your own kids so I could spoil them rotten. You left a lot of people hurting Naruto, myself included. I know you may not have thought this way, but I felt like I was your second mom in a way and you were a son to me. I never thought I'd get so attached to you, or that you would bring me and the most wonderful guy together simply by being a part of the squad I was assigned. Naruto, where ever you are I hope you're happy and smiling. Until then, wait for us ok?_" Anko prayed as she set down a purple cactus flower.

"_... I was going to ask if you wanted to go out on a date with me once you got back from your mission Naruto-kun. It hurts so much, knowing that I could have had a chance at a happy life with you together with Tou-san and Anko-san. Those two were even talking about grandchildren, can you believe them? But who am I to talk Naruto-kun, I would have loved to raise a son and daughter with tou, but now I'll never have that chance huh? Naruto-kun, I love you. Should we meet again in the next life, perhaps we can have our own happily ever after._" Haku prayed as she kissed the snow colored primrose before setting it down gently.

"_You idiot! How dare you just go off and die like that! Do you know how much of a moron you are! How much of a complete and utter idiot you are! How much I loved you! Do you know how much my hearts right now you stupid blonde! Why, why did you of all people have to be there when that riot broke out? Why did they have to kill you Naruto-kun? Why did you leave me? My mom teased me about having blonde haired, Sharingan eyed grandchildren a few days ago you know. At first I hated the idea of that, but soon... I wonder, would I have been a good wife to you? I wonder, would you have been happy to have me by your side? Who would our kids take after? But, those are just what if's now... Naruto-kun, where ever you are, could you do me a favor and look after me? I know it's selfish but, could you please? And before I go, I wanted to tell you that I love you. And I wish I was brave enough to have told you before you left me._" Satsuki prayed before setting down a yellow tulip.

"_Naruto-kun... Why was it you? What about our team? How are we supposed to be the best and all make chūnin together now that you're gone? Even more so, how do I show you that love you now that you're gone? I'm sorry that I was a coward Naruto-kun, that I didn't at least tell you how I felt before you left us. I wonder though, would you have given me, given us a chance? I'm not the most beautiful, the smartest, the most talented or the most ideal girl for someone. Would you have cared? Would you have let me hold your hand or kiss you? Though, I can only wonder now. Looking back, I was usually the one to stay in the background, opting to allow you or Satsuki to take the lead while I provided support for the two of you. If I could, I wish I was able to go back and change that. If I did, maybe I would have been able to express my feelings to you. Naruto-kun, I love you. I love you so much. I hope you're smiling and happy where you are now. Please, wait for me?_" Yakumo prayed before she set down yellow camellia.

"_I'm sorry Naruto-kun... I'm sorry that I forgot who you were and my feelings that I had for you. I can't believe it... I just can't believe it... As soon as I remember who the person what that I loved, fate decides to take you away from me. I don't know what to do Naruto-kun... My memories are nothing but a bunch of blank pages, and the only memories that I have are of you. I... I wish that we were able to make new memories together, but that's just a dream now isn't it. Naruto-kun, thank you for finding me before you left that night. I love you, and I hope to see you again in the next life. Until then, wait for me ok?_" Kin prayed before setting down white camellia.

"_Niisan... why? We made up and we were supposed to be the strongest duo in the history of shinobi. I still can't believe that you died. I swear Niisan, I'll become the strongest shinobi alive and the next time we meet you'll be looking at me with pride. I only wished that you would there to watch me grow and become stronger, but I guess that's just a pipe dream now huh? I know that you'll be looking out for me and for our family from where ever you are. For now, rest ok? You deserve all the sleep in the world._" Menma prayed before placing down an orange daffodil.

"_Naruto-nii I just wanted to say that I'm sorry... I'm sorry for how I acted after that mission ended. Instead of being glad that it was over and that you protected Narumi and I, I acted like you were a monster. I was scared, I was scared that you would stop being the Naruto-nii that I loved and would become a monster. In the end you left me and probably thought that I thought you were a monster. But that's not true, not at all. I love you Naruto-nii and I miss you so, so much. I know it's wrong but I loved you a little more then a little sister should have. Naruto-nii, maybe in the next life we won't be brother and sister? Maybe then we can be something a little more. I hope that you're happy where you are Naruto-nii, and that you'll forgive me._" Mito prayed before placing a yellow tulip down.

"_Naru-nii, h-how are you? I'm doing fine... I'm sorry Naru-nii. I'm sorry that I've been nothing but a good-for-nothing little sister. I treated you like you were a monster after you saved me and Mito-nee. I've done nothing but wrong you but you've always found it somewhere in your heart to forgive me, even when you didn't show it. Naru-nii, I'm going to do it... I'm not going to be scared and hide who I am, even if people don't approve all that matters is that I'm happy right? Naruto-nii, if we weren't brother and sister I think I would have honestly and truly fallen in love with you. But that's not to say that I don't love you, because I love you the most out of everyone you know. So Naru-nii, can you give me a little bit of your courage and continue to watch over me?_" Narumi prayed before playing down a pink rose.

"_This can't be happening... I can't be doing this Naru-chan, please just open your eyes and show me that your just sleeping... I can hope can't I? Naru-chan, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I've completely failed you as a mother and as a protector. I should've be doing this, I shouldn't be burying you while you're so young, I shouldn't be burying you at all. Why? Why wasn't I able to do anything that could be remotely considered motherly? I know that all I'm saying are empty words to you Naru-chan, they've always been haven't they? I've always talked about how I was going to be the greatest mother that ever lived and how I was going to make up all those years of neglect and isolation that you lived through, but what happened in the end? I failed to do anything of the sort, I've failed to show you that I really did love you. I'm sorry Naru-chan, I know I don't deserve your forgiveness. Just rest ok? I hope you'll let me be your mother in the next life, I know it's a horrible thing for me to ask for after this one but I promise I won't make the same mistake twice. So, for right now sleep and rest. You deserve it Naruto._" Kushina prayed before placing a crimson colored cactus flower on the casket.

"_I've failed... I've completely and utterly failed you Naruto... I can't even begin to list off my failures, there's just too many to name. Why? Why didn't I simply move you to the detention ward instead of a facility housing some of Konoha's most dangerous criminals who were also ninja? What happened that day wasn't your fault, it was the thing inside of you and I should have treated it as such. But instead I imprisoned you, my own son, like you were at fault. Naruto, I can't even think of any words to properly say how sorry I am to have caused you such sorrow and agony. How much suffering did you have to live through? How much pain did my mistakes cost you? I'm so sorry Naruto, I really have no right to call you my son do I? Every time I took a step forward, I wound up taking three back. All I can say is that I hope you get some much deserved rest Naruto. I hope that in the next life, you will still let me call you my son. Thank you for everything you've done Naruto, just rest now._" Minato said as he placed a white chrysanthemum down.

With all the words and prayers finally finished, the casket was lowered into the ground as the sight gave way to a new wave of fresh tears and sobs. Wrapping an arm around his wife, Minato brought her in close as Kushina did her best not to let the sobs that desperately wanted to escape out of her throat. Zabuza doing the same for Anko, the two opted to let a small ghost of a smile grace their features, knowing that now he could get the rest he deserved. Mito, Menma and Narumi steeled themselves as their tears fell silently, stifling the sobs that wanted to leave them. Satsuki and Yakumo were holding the other's hand, squeezing softly to reassure the other as they sniffled. Kin was being embraced by Tayuya as she let her tears fall freely.

With that, the life of Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze came to an end. A hero, a savior, a brother, a friend, a loved one and above all else, a shinobi of Konoha.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"This sucks..." Naruto muttered under his breath as he hung upside down from a rope trap attached to a tree.

"Well, least it can't get any worse." Naruto sighed out as he moved to try and dislodge himself from the trap only to freeze when the sound of footsteps and something dropping made it to his ears.

"Should've knocked on wood..." Naruto muttered once more as he turned to face the source of the noises, a girl his age looking at him in shock while an older stoic looking man simply stared at him with a steely gaze.

"WE CAUGHT A HUNK JIJI!" She suddenly squealed with hearts in her eyes as her grandfather's mouth twitched for a second.

"BWHAHAHA! T-That's hilarious! How many years has it been since someone actually got trapped like that!" He said as he wiped the tears away from the corners of his eyes, holding his aching sides as Naruto's eye twitched before he shut it.

"I really need to keep my mouth shut..." He sighed as they continued laughing and ogling him.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's that. A little heads up, Naruto can still use jutsu and chakra and the like, he's just a lot more carefree and expressive now and of course a chef. That's not to say he's weak, he's even more broken then he was now that he's got the power of two god-like dragons flowing through him, including a "soul eye". From this point until a certain moment it'll probably be an adventure/comedy following the journey of not Naruto the Shinobi but Naruto the Chef, filled with action, adventure, romance and comedy. Again, love it or hate it I kinda stopped caring. Well, you awesome people know what to do. Till next time, stay awesome. **

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**Honojiroi - Dimly White**: No Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu used by White. An absolute kill jutsu on anything below his level of power, which is nearly everything in existence. By channeling Ryuuton chakra to his claw he digs it into the ground before discharging the chakra built up. Instead of an explosion, the resulting discharge of volatile is force upwards, piecing the heavens and all that stands in its path of absolute annihilation. A relatively simple technique that is said to be the weakest of his jutsu.


	26. Chapter 24

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, Dom here bringing you another chapter. Again, this is the beginning of the genre shift so it's a little rough add in the fact I just had my Calc midterm it was a pretty horrible time. Well, it's a weird chapter, I'm still learning how to write good comedy but I fell into my angsty/dark style again because I rewatched/read a certain anime/manga. So again, bear with me because it's not a great chapter in my opinion and probably a lot of yours as well, haha. Eh, enough about me yappin eh? You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 24

Sitting in the middle of a cabin, surrounded by the two people who "trapped" him, Naruto was doing his best to ignore the stares that were either stripping him of his clothes or trying to find a hint of a lie on his person. Releasing a sigh, he let his thoughts drift back to the moment he was found an hour ago and his subsequent capture afterwards.

"Why'd it have to be me." Naruto muttered under his breath, his head dropping in self sympathy.

"He's a complete 10 Jiji!" The girl should as she circled him, Naruto and her grandfather's brows both twitched.

"Uhh, this is wrong on so many levels you know." Naruto said, doing his best to ignore her as she started to feel up his body.

"Stop that you dimwit!" Her grandfather shouted as he bopped her hard on the head, the girl yelping before glaring at him.

"What was that for!" She shouted, her grandfather and Naruto's eyes twitching at her statement.

"Do you even have to ask." He deadpanned as she simply looked away and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.

Soon, they released him and help him to the ground before trying to start up some small talk with him. Of course Naruto simply stared at them before sighing and returning their attempts at talking.

"Eheheh... Sorry about that, I lost myself a bit there. I'm Asako by the way! Asako Kogai!" The girl now known as Asako chirped as Naruto nodded at her.

Asako had a head of straight black hair that ended near her shoulders. Her fair skin was free of any blemishes and had a healthy glow that showed that she was in good health. Her black eyes shone with a mischief and life that matched her tomboyish personality, she seemed to be a little flirtatious and playful from what Naruto could tell. Dressed in a pair of overalls that had the straps undone, showing the dirty white shirt under it only served to enhance her tomboyish appearance.

"I apologize for my granddaughter's horrible behavior, names Naoko, a pleasure youngin!" The elderly yet muscular man now known as Naoko said as he held out his hand, Naruto raising an eyebrow before taking it and giving him a firm shake.

Naoko was a very tall and large man with a fair complexion, a few small and worn scars showing that he was clearly over the age of at least sixty. But the thing that caught Naruto's eye was the fact that though he was bald and had impressive facial hair, he was anything by frail. He was even more muscular then some of the bears he assumed. Behind that stern facade seemed to be a very kind and jolly man who clearly loved his granddaughter and life. Dressed in a gray tank top and like his granddaughter, overalls with the straps undone, he was dressed for the outdoors.

"I'm Naruto, nice to meet you two." Naruto said as the two smiled, happy that he wasn't angry at them.

"So tell me Naruto, what were you doing out here this deep in the forest?" Naoko asked as Naruto sighed, catching their attention.

"I... I got lost." He answered as he dropped his head, Naoko and Asako staring at him blankly before Naoko started laughing loudly.

"Haha! Well, that's nothing to be ashamed about my boy! Takes a man to admit something like that!" Naoko said as Asako giggled, Naruto simply closing his eye as a bit of pink dusted his cheeks.

After telling the two the reason why he was out in the forest, namely the most dangerous part of the forest because of the bears that stalked about.

"So you were trying to get to village huh? Were you going to restock on supplies or something? You don't look like the average traveler with that eyepatch and all, were you pretending to be a hero or something?" Asako asked as Naoko chuckled, Naruto furrowed his brow slightly, causing the two lose their laughter and look at him in a mix of concern and slight fear.

"I... I don't remember anything from my past. I just learned my name a few hours ago and that this eyepatch isn't just for show." Naruto said as they gave him a sad and pitying frown, clearly guilty that they joked about something so serious.

"I-I'm sorry Naruto, we didn't mean to joke about that." Naoko apologized as Asako did as well, Naruto simply brushing them off.

"It's fine, I don't want anything to do with my past life." He said as they looked at him in a bit of confusion.

That confusion soon left when he lifted his shirt. At first Asako squealed and covered her eyes, leaving a gap open for her to peek though while Naoko choked on his saliva. But soon, their eyes widened when they saw a horrific number of scars littering his body, growing pale at the largest one on the side of his body that looked like something had taken a chunk out of his side. After a few seconds, he pulled down his shirt as they remained silent, stunned by memories of what could only be either torture or battle that remained on the young man in front of them.

"Sorry about that, but I figured it's be faster to show you rather then try to explain. It was pretty disgusting huh." Naruto said, a bit guilty that he showed them such an unpleasant sight.

But to his confusion, Naoko put a rough hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently as Asako took his hand. For Naoko, he was a man who experienced war and bloodshed though it was minor. He had seen children captured by slavers and forced to do things that should only happen in nightmares. Seeing someone so young already bearing scars showing years of suffering only served to make him feel for the young man. For Asako, not even in her nightmares would she have imagined someone her age could be so scarred and have such a tragic past. The knowledge that she was trying to hit on him only serving to make her feel worse.

"Ah, it's fine. Thank you for getting me down and everything else, I should be heading out now." Naruto said as he gently removed himself from their grasp as they flinched slightly.

"_At least you aren't like that thing..._" Asako thought as Naruto turned to face her slightly as he didn't quite understand why she was looking so disgusted.

"So, umm, how about we show you the way to village Naruto? We've collected all of our traps and were going to head back anyway." Asako said in an attempt to dispel the awkward and slightly depressing atmosphere.

"I agree, you were fixin' on heading there anyway right?" Naoko said as Asako beamed a smile at him, the elderly man returning the smile.

"If you both are heading there and wouldn't mind me tagging along, I'd be grateful." Naruto said as he bowed to them, the two quickly blushing at his action and wildly waved their hands to stop him.

"H-Hey no need to bow Naruto! We just wanna help you out!" Naoko said as Naruto rose, his granddaughter and himself releasing a sigh of relief once he stopped.

"If you say so. When are we leaving?" Naruto asked as they both smiled at him as they moved to gather their things.

"Right now! If it's not too much trouble, could you help us carry back some of the game we caught Naruto?" Asako asked as Naruto nodded, moving to care a few of the animals that were trapped.

With that they set off on an hour long trip through the forest, idly chatting with one another about off topic things before Naruto started asking about the village they lived in. Ichiba no Sato, Market Village, was a very popular and economically rich village. Since it was located between Kumo, Konoha and being very close to Kiri, a point at the center of many villages, it had a large amount of traffic subsequently tourism and trade.

"So do you two live in the village or in the cabin back in the forest?" Naruto asked as Naoko chuckled light heartedly.

"We live in the village my boy, but that cabin is our home away from home when we need to do some huntin' for the restaurant!" He replied as Naruto nodded, Asako doing her best not to stare at him.

"I see, so what do you do for a living beside hunting Naoko-san?" Naruto asked as Naoko smiled at him, Asako also smiling as she moved beside him.

"Our family owns the best restaurant in the entire village Naruto! You've got to come to Umaretsuki and try out our dishes!" Asako said in an excited tone as Naruto's eye widened, getting curious stares from the two.

"I hate to ask this from the two of you but that's why I was looking for a village. I want to become a chef, the greatest chef around." Naruto said as the two looked at him with surprise in their eyes before they beamed a bright smile at him.

"A chef eh? Think you got what it takes Naruto?" Naoko asked in a challenging tone, Naruto's eye narrowing as a small smirk made it to his face.

"I think I do Naoko-san." Naruto replied in a confident tone, Asako swooning slightly upon hearing it while Naoko chuckled.

"Then let's pick up the pace, the faster we arrive the faster we can put ya through the wringer!" Naoko said with a glint in his eye, Asako shivering slightly while Naruto raised an eyebrow.

(Time Skip - One Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Ichiba no Sato: Outside Umaretsuki)

Arriving in Ichiba, Naruto was stunned to see the sheer number of people chatting, laughing, walking, eating and playing in its streets. Naoko and Asako laughing a bit as his surprised look as he took in the sights like it was the first large city he's ever been to. But their laughs dropped a little when they remembered his amnesia and the scars that littered his body, knowing that, that could have actually been the case. Patting him on the shoulder, Naoko regained his attention and gestured for him to follow as they navigated the crowd covered streets to a fairy large and cozy looking building. Turning to face the two, he saw them smile and nod as Asako moved in front of him while Naoko headed inside.

"Naruto! Welcome to Umaretsuki! The best restaurant around!" Asako announced as a few of the passerby's turned and looked at the building before shrugging and heading inside much to their delight.

"I see that you're still trying to promote your tiny little shack as a high class eatery aren't you Asako? A shame that it doesn't even come close to my family's extravagant bistro." A haughty and feminine voice said as Asako tensed, growling as she turned stiffly and glared at another girl around their age.

She had blonde hair that ended near his mid-back, a silky sheen that shone brightly in the light of the sun. Her pale but glowing complexion showing that she was in the prime of her health, she stood a few inches shorter then Asako but held herself in a much more regal way. Dressed in an expensive looking white sundress with blue ribbons adorning it, she was the picture of an "Ojou".

"Grr! You wanna go Konoe!? Just because you're family's restaurant is slightly more popular then mine doesn't mean you're better then me you shrimp!" Asako shouted as the girl now known as Konoe developed a tick mark on her head.

"Who're you callin' a shrimp ya gorilla! Yer just jealous that the all the guys think I'm prettier then ya!" Konoe shouted as her prim and proper image shattered right before Naruto, the taller blonde simply staring at the two now steaming girls as they grinded foreheads against each other.

"Oh, what happened to little miss perfect huh shrimpy?" Asako sneered as Konoe started shaking in anger, eye face turning red with anger and embarrassment.

"S-Shut yer mouth ya pig! Least I don' go playin' in the dirt like you do!" Konoe shouted as Asako turned red at the accusation.

"I-I don't play in the dirt! I go collect the fresh ingredients that I set out traps for you midget!" Asako shouted back as Konoe simply smirked at her, her poise returned as she straightened out her back.

"Sure you do, and I'm sure that you have a boyfriend as well." Konoe sneered as Asako began to tear up as her angry face began to turn into a snarl.

The two of them starting to draw a crowd because of their petty argument, Naruto sighed as he heard someone talking about making bets, something about the "Country Princess" and the "Tomboy Baker". But he also caught a monster or freak that he couldn't quite make out. Shaking his head as he was unable to catch anything else, he finally made his presence known to Konoe when he stepped forward and moved beside Asako, Konoe's eyes widening when she caught sight of him.

Her face growing a bit red when she took in his features, a mix of a boyish cuteness and a teenage handsomeness, Konoe couldn't help but admire how Naruto looked. Finally, she felt something pierce her heart as everything but Naruto suddenly blacked out, while the taller blonde began to be surrounded by sparkles and hearts. But before her delusions could get any worse, Naruto wrapped an arm around Asako as her blush vanished and moved to Asako.

"Kyan!" Asako squeaked as she felt Naruto wrap his arm around her, blushing deeper as she felt the musculature of his arm so clearly.

"Hwah! Konoe sounded out as she felt her dreams die when her newly found prince charming made such a casual move on her eternal rival.

"Could you stop picking on my girlfriend, she's a little hot headed you know." Naruto said in a deadpan, the noise that surrounded the area dying as an out of place wind blew.

"W-What are you doing you idiot!" Asako shouted as she hit Naruto on the head, blushing furiously as she, reluctantly, freed herself from Naruto's arm.

"I thought it would be funny." Naruto said as Asako lowered her head, raising her fist as she trembled.

"You... You inconsiderate jerk!" She shouted as she swung her fist at him, the bystanders wincing, though a few of the women nodded their heads in understanding.

"What's going on out her- Oh! Asako, there you are! What're you still doing out here? The shop needs you t-" An woman said as she talked out of the shop, going from scolding to surprised when she saw Asako holding a boy she'd never seen in a headlock.

"Oh my! Is that your boyfriend dear?" She teased as Asako froze, stiffly turning her head and promptly paling when she saw her mother's teasing smile.

"W-W-Wha! N-No! He's not! H-He's just a jerk I met today! Ask Jiji!" She shouted as her mother just giggled, covering her mouth with her hand as her daughter flailed her arms around.

"Ah. It's an honor to meet my future mother-in-law. I may be inexperienced, but I will do my best to make her happy." Naruto said, bowing to her as her giggles only increased as Asako froze, paler then the moon as another person walked out of the shop.

"Ayase, is something the matter?" A tall man bearing a similar build to Naoko asked as he peeked out of the shop.

"Oh, it's nothing dear. Asako was just introducing her boyfriend to me." The woman known as Ayase said as her husband turned blank.

Slowly, he withdrew his head back into the shop before bursting through the front door with a cleaver and sharpening stone in hand. An ominous smile on his face, he glanced around while sharpening his cleaver before his eyes landed and locked onto Naruto. Making his way over, he simply stared at the young man before he raised his head to meet him, the older man gawking as he dropped his tools when he caught sight of Naruto's appearance.

"W-What?! I-I'll never hand my daughter to a man like you! You look like nothing but trouble!" He shouted as he grabbed and held Asako to his chest to her utter mortification.

"D-Daddy! Let go!" Asako shouted as she tried to detach herself from her father, the man refusing to let go as her mother continued to giggle while Naruto stood staring blankly at them.

Before anything else could happen, loud chuckling could be heard coming from inside of the shop before Naoko walked out, being the source of it. When he caught sight of what was happening outside, he clutched his stomach with one hand and slapped his knee with the other. Walking over to Naruto, he patted him on the back as he wiped away a tear.

"Oh, that was worth it! Thanks Naruto, that has to have been the most flustered my granddaughter's been for a while!" Naoko said as Naruto nodded his head, a small smirk on his face as the other simply stared at them.

"Huh." Was the collective thoughts of everyone present as Naoko futilely tried to hold in his laughter before cracking up again.

"Haha! I asked Naruto here to act like your boyfriend Asako, you've always been spouting about how you'll have your prince charming one day so I figured I'd speed it up for you!" Naoko said as Asako lowered her head before raising it again, her face crimson with anger and embarrassment before she cocked her fist back and slugged Naruto.

"DIE!" She shouted as a painful sound echoed around the village.

Nearby, the outline of a small person could be seen watching the exchange as a small smile graced their features before it vanished into an alleyway.

(Scene Change - Ichiba no Sato: Umaretsuki)

Gathered inside of Umaretsuki was a still fuming and red faced Asako, her giggling mother, her relieved father, a chuckling Naoko, a relieved Konoe and Naruto who was idly rubbing his jaw. After the whole fiasco, Naoko explained to them once more that it was his idea and not Naruto's. Once he managed to clear it up, getting a smack from Asako and her father, Ayase invited them all inside as they closed the shop for prepping.

"You're the absolute worst Jiji..." Asako muttered under her breath as she stared with pink dusted cheeks at Naruto who had stopped rubbing the spot she slugged him.

"And umm... Sorry about you know, decking you Naruto but you deserved it for playing along you jerk." She said as Naruto shrugged.

"I didn't really feel it to be honest, I've probably gotten used to getting hit." He said as she quickly lost her angry mood, the mood becoming a little awkward.

"So Naruto, what are you doing in Ichiba?" Ayase said in an attempt to dispel the awkward atmosphere and succeeding.

"Ah, I was looking for a village to start a career as a chef." He said as everyone minus Asako and Naoko looked at him in shock.

"A chef...?" Asako's father, Naoya, repeated as Naruto nodded his head in confirmation.

"That's right, a chef." He said in confidence as they gave him a set of confused looks, obviously not expecting that for an answer.

"If I may, why a chef? Obviously you seem like someone who has experience in fighting." Konoe asked as Asako elbowed her in the side, getting an angry glare in return.

"To tell you the truth, I don't remember anything about my past. When I woke up, I was inside of a river somewhere out in the forest and at that time I didn't even know my own name. I've probably done a lot of horrible things in the past, that's why I want to start fresh and do something I've always wanted to do, which is cooking. I think..." Naruto explained as they gave him a pitying look upon hearing his story.

"Wait, what do you mean you think?" Asako asked as Naruto pulled out his cookbook and showed it to them.

"I found this on me when I woke up, I figured I must love to cook since I had something like that on me." He said as they nodded, Naoya smiling at him as he stood up.

"Well, I can't guarantee you a place here Naruto but I can at least see if you have what it take to cook." Naoya said as Naruto's eye widened in response before he bowed to the older man.

"_At least he won't be anything like that thing was, next time I see it..._" Naoya angrily thought before he saw Naruto bowing deeply at him, causing him to panic slightly.

"Thank you Naoya-san." He said as Naoya blushed a bit at the display, looking towards his family for help only to see them look away and snicker.

"W-Wait! I-If you want a place to study surely you'd be able to learn more at my family's restaurant!" Konoe suggested as Naruto mulled it over, but before he could answer Asako interjected.

"H-Hold it! He came here first Konoe, and my dad already approved of him staying here to learn so don't go trying to take him away!" Asako said as Konoe leveled a glare at her as she glared back.

"Oh my, it appears that someone if popular! Who knows, you might even snag me Naruto-kun!" Ayase said as Naoya choked on his drink before rushing over to his wife.

"A-Ayase y-you don't mean that do you! I-I'm still young and passionate you know!" Naoya shouted as Ayase simply looked away.

"Oh, is that true dear? I don't remember the last time you took me out though." She pouted as Naoya paled, Naoko chuckling as he led Naruto into the back to help with prepping as the four remained in the front of the restaurant and continued bickering with each other.

Arriving in the kitchen, Naruto took in the sights of the various pots, pans, plates and instruments used to create the dishes that tantalized the taste buds of those who walked in. After getting a good look at what was inside, Naoko patted him on the back and directed him towards the prep room, a room on the side of the kitchen used to butcher and prep the game that was trapped earlier.

"Alright my boy, let's see what you've got. We've got a lot of meat here so don't worry about messing up alright? Just show me what you got!" Naoko said as Naruto nodded, moving towards the sink to wash his hands.

"_A chef is only as good as the tools he uses Naruto, if you fail this test there's no hope for you in the culinary world._" Naoko thought as he laid out somewhere between three to four dozen knives on the table resting beside the boar.

"Pick your weapon Naruto, a chef is only as good as their tools." He said as Naruto nodded, moving to the table and examining every knife laying down.

Picking up the knives one by one, Naruto tested their weight and feel once before narrowing down his choices. From the nearly four dozen knives that were laid out, Naruto had reduced the number to a meager seven. Beside him, Naoko who was keenly observing him muttered to himself as he saw the knives that Naruto had selected. Taking a quick glance to the pile of rejected knives, he was a little shocked that he managed to discern the top quality knives from the lower quality ones; having a group of low quality knives in front of in and a pile of the best off to the side.

"_He doesn't have an eye for knives I'll give him that. He removed all of the Yusuru brand knives known for their incredible durability, the Madai brand knives known for their peerless steel, the Sagan brand knives known for their outstanding flexibility, the Sekiun brand knives known for their perfect weight and the Kinome brand knives which are the most balanced of them all. Absolutely incredible._" Naoko thought as he sweat dropped at Naruto's awful selection.

Seeing Naruto utterly failing at the first test he was given, Naoko was a little guilty that he had given him such a wide selection of knives. When Asako had asked to learn how to cook, he had only given her a choice of a dozen knives to choose from. Shaking his head, he debated stopping the test and cutting down the number of knives to give Naruto an easier time, but before he could he saw Naruto reach out and pick up probably the worst knife in the pile.

It was an extremely old, rusted and worn blade which didn't even have a hilt to grasp simply being the tang made of antique metal. Scratching his head upon seeing Naruto handle it with such care and intrigue, Naoko was about to interject when Naruto turned to face him, holding the blade with the upmost care.

"Naoko-san. If I may, could I borrow a whetstone, some abrasive and some time?" Naruto asked, obviously intent on restoring the knife he held in his hands.

"I don't know what you see in that blade Naruto, but knock yourself out. In the back there is an area where we polish up the more worn down and rusted knives, there should be some whetstones and abrasive there." Naoko said as Naruto thanked him, moving carefully to avoid breaking the blade.

Following him, Naoko was about to ask if he knew how to properly sharpen a blade but stood slack jawed when Naruto started aggressively polishing the blade. Moving quickly to stop him from breaking it and hurting himself he stopped and widened his eyes when, in a series of quick and precise movements, the beautiful sound of a blade being sharpened to perfection hit his ears.

"Amazing..." Naoko said as he admired the way Naruto sharpened the blade, his movements being harsh yet effective, like watching a duel between samurai.

Tightening his grip on the tang of the knife, he tilted it slightly and slit its length across the whetstone as the sound of a light chime made it to his ear. A small smile appearing on his face, he repeated the process until the chime became a clear sound. Reversing his grip on the tang, he shifted his body and began repeating the process with the abrasive stone, wearing away the rust that coated the knife's blade. Soon, instead of rusty brown it started to chip away to reveal a moonlight white that seemed to make all light shone upon it pale in comparison.

Finally, after nearly half an hour of sharpening and abrasion, Naruto stood and wiped the sweat off his face and stared in awe at the knife in front of him. A peerless white colored blade with a silver trim that shone brighter then the stars, it was the epitome of a perfect blade. While it was missing a proper hilt, it didn't deter from the fact that the blade itself looked flawless. In appearance, with the decades perhaps even centuries of rust that had accumulated on it gone, it was revealed to be a knife styled as a kiritsuke. Turning the knife over in his hands, Naruto let a smile drift across his face as he held it by the tang, the knife feeling perfect even without a hilt in his hands.

"W-What!?" He heard Naoko shout behind him, turning and flinching a bit in surprise when he saw the Kogai family standing and looking at him with wide eyes.

"T-That knife, i-it's beautiful!" Ayase commented as she marveled at the knife, taking in its glow.

"Naruto... I've never even seen a brand of knife that even comes close to looking that beautiful." Naoko admitted as he examined the knife in Naruto's hand, stunned that such a beautiful knife existed in their restaurant.

"Ah, I'm not finished yet." He admitted as they looked at him in confusion, but then realized that indeed the knife was incomplete still missing the hilt.

"Wait, you're not finished? Are you a freaking blacksmith or something!?" Asako shouted, voicing the question that danced in her family's mind.

Shrugging his shoulders, he moved the bin of ruined and unusable knives before picking out a simple maple handle and prying the remains of the blade out. Gently inserting the tang into the groove, Naruto began to hammer and bond the two together before finally finishing. Holding up the knife, he let out a content sigh and gave the newly forged knife a few swing before nodding in contentment as he turned and smiled at the Kogai family, Asako blushing while her parents and grandfather smiled.

"So, do I pass the first test Naoko-san?" He said as Naoko chuckled loudly, moving to pat him on the shoulder.

"Pass? You completely destroyed it! I've never seen anyone actually _make_ a knife let alone a beginner! Let's get you started on the next test, we've got half an hour until we've gotta open the shop again!" Naoko said as he led Naruto back to the prep room while Asako and her parents remained outside.

"You like Naruto-kun don't you Asako?" Ayase said in a teasing tone as Asako turned red at her mother's statement.

"N-No! I don't! I-I was just a little impressed that he did that! That's all! I'm still mad at the dumb prank him and Jiji did!" She shouted as her mother giggled, Naoya going in as he chuckled at his daughter's excuse.

"Hey, so far I approve of him Asako." Naoya said as Asako froze, her eyes widening as Ayase covered her mouth to stifle the giggles that wanted to escape.

"D-Daddy!" She whined as her parents moved back inside laughing at her expense, Asako grumbling under her breath as he also went back inside.

Back inside the prep room, Naruto and Naoko were getting started on butchering the boar that was trapped earlier in the day. Laying it down on its side, Naoko explained the various types of cuts and their purposes to Naruto as Naoya entered and began to butcher the other animals that were brought in. With Asako and Ayase they were in the section of the kitchen reserved for baking as they started on prepping the ingredients for the desert courses.

"And that's the gist of it Naruto, think you can take care of this guy here?" Naoko asked as Naruto nodded, picking up his knife and going to work.

In a quick and fluid movement, Naruto made a small incision on the stomach of the boar before following through with each stroke before he carefully removed the skin of the boar as Naoko stood a little stunned at how quick and precise he was, after all it had taken him the better part of a decade to learn how to do the same. Then, he started cutting through the boar like it was made of butter, his knife easily slicing through the meat without any resistance.

After ten minutes he had successfully finished butchering the boar as Naoko smiled at him before patting him on the back as Naoya grinned at him. Quickly gathering the freshly butchered portions, Naoko gestured for Naruto to follow him into the kitchen as Naoya also made his way in with them. Glancing at the clock, the two older men grimaced as they saw that there was less then twenty minutes left until the start of their dinner service. Exchanging looks, they nodded to each other as they moved to the stove.

"Naruto, come'ere. I want you to try and make this dish here. If you're able to make it and have it taste good, I want you to help us with tonight's shift." Naoko said as Naoya nodded, Naruto straightening up his back as he nodded.

"Here you go Naruto, the dish is '"Wild Boar Shogayaki" with the boar cooked extra tender." Naoya said as he handed Naruto a recipe.

"Understood." Naruto said as his tone shifted, Naoya and Naoko flinching when he went from kind and amiable to cold and sharp like a switch.

After receiving his task Naruto set out to the nearest unoccupied station and began reading over the recipe. Quickly memorizing it as it was a relatively simple recipe, Naruto moved to fetch the needed ingredients as he took an apron off the rack and pulled it over himself. Taking out his knife he went to work on the boar loins, slicing them into quarter inch slices before lightly pounding them with the flat of his knife, placing them off to the side once he was finished. Grabbing another bowl he started work on the marinade for the pork, putting together sake, miso and sugar before finely slicing up about a tablespoon of ginger into a bowl before whisking them all together.

Getting a tasting spoon, he tested the marinade and nodded before setting the spoon into the sink and moving the sliced boar loins into the marinade, allowing it to sit for a few minutes as he washed the used and now unneeded instruments, clearing up precious space. Grabbing a pan, he cranked up the heat on the stove and put in some oil as he smashed a piece of garlic before finely dicing it. Seeing the oil in the pan began to dance, Naruto grabbed the bowl with the marinated boar loins and placed them in the pan.

Moving quickly as a straw droplet of burning oil grazed his cheek, sending a wave of heat and pain through his body, Naruto grabbed an oxheart cabbage and began to julienne it as he grabbed a plate off of the stack nearby. Shifting his body to turn the slices of boar, Naruto grabbed the cutting board and placed it into the sink while using the flipping the pan, a brilliant flash of oil, meat and steam filling the air as Naoko and Naoya looked on in awe. After five minutes of cooking, he took the pan of the heat and arranged the plate as it looked in the menu; a piece of the boar shogayaki on top of a bed of the julienned oxheart cabbage and rice.

"Order complete." Naruto said as he wiped off the sweat of his head with a towel, moving the dishes to the sink as he started washing them while Naoya and Naoko tasted his dish.

"Hmm!" Both of the sounded out as they took a bite of his shogayaki, a mouthful of flavor filling their mouths as they slowly chewed.

Savory, aromatic and not too overbearingly sweet, the marinade caramelized around the outside of the meat, giving it a heavenly mahogany glaze that was redolent of ginger and earthy miso. Like they had requested, the boar was much more tender then it usually would be, the two linking it to the light pounding that Naruto gave it earlier. Wiping the smudges of sauce away with a napkin, they beamed a bright smile at Naruto who had finished with the dishes and looked towards them for confirmation.

"Naruto. Please marry my daughter!" Naoya shouted in a happy tone as he placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders, the blonde flinching at his action.

"My boy, I leave my granddaughter in your capable hands!" Naoko said as he patted Naruto on the back, the blonde now sweat dropping at the antics of the older men.

"...I'm going to kill them..." Asako muttered under her breath with a bright red blush on her face as she did her best to shape the namagashi in her hands.

"Ufufu, well you didn't say "no" Asako." Ayase teased as the namagashi in Asako's hand immediately got crushed.

"_Speaking of killing, that pest still needs to die. Maybe if I mix in a less noticeable poison it'll actually eat it this time._" Ayase thought as she returned to prepping the last of the sweets.

Finally, the time had come for Naruto to take his first step into the culinary world. Donning the apron from earlier along with his knife, he was patted on the back by Naoko and Naoya as they smiled at him, the blonde returning it as Ayase headed towards the front of the restaurant to open up shop. Once the sign was switched from closed to open and the doors were unlocked, controlled chaos could only be described as customers flooded in and filled out their respective places at the tables. Then the orders starting coming in, at that moment the real battle began.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

"One order of shogayaki and nikujaga! Extra rice!" Naoko shouted as Naoya and Naruto moved about the kitchen, never losing pace with the seemingly endless stream of orders that came in.

"Saba shioyaki and miso soup finished." Naruto said as he placed the order on the tray as Asako took it out the door.

"Naoya! Where's the tonkatsu and tempura!" Naoko yelled as Naoya placed the dishes on the tray, Naoko nodding his head as he returned to cooking.

"Asako, tonkatsu and tempura ready to head out!" He shouted as Ayase glanced from over the counter to see Asako struggling with the finished dishes.

"She's getting swamped dear!" Ayase said as Naoya and Naoko grunted in a bit of frustration and concern.

"Shogayaki and nikujaga, extra rice." Naruto said as he placed the order on the tray as they grimaced slightly, hoping that it wouldn't go cold.

Seeing that they were beginning to get backlogged on their orders, Ayase was about to shift positions and head out to start serving and waiting on the tables but blink in surprise when Naruto adjusted his apron and wiped the sweat off his forehead with a towel before he picked up the tray of the tonkatsu and tempura along with the order he had just completed. With the grace normally gained only through many years of service, he moved towards the doors and out of to the dining room.

"Heh, that kid is something else." Naoko said as he returned to cooking, Naoya and Ayase smiling before returning as well.

Inside of the dining room, the situation hadn't changed over the course of the past few hours. Still a controlled chaos, Naruto got a stunned and quickly grateful look from Asako when she saw him walk out with the dishes but promptly stumbled when she saw that he wasn't using a cart but balancing the trays on top of one another. But her shock quickly left when he moved about in a quick and fluid manner, delivering the meals and collecting the dishes and trays that were finished and unused by their customers. Moving back to the kitchen to drop of the used dishes in the sink, he grabbed a water pitcher and moved back out to refill water.

"W-Wow... He's good..." Asako thought with a light blush on her cheeks before quickly snapping out of her funk, then she returned to relay orders to her parents but not before sneaking one more glance at Naruto conversing and catering to the customers.

Moving from table to table, Naruto made a few seconds of small talk before taking the orders of the people seated. Nearing another table, Naruto narrowed his eye when he saw someone stick their foot out in an attempt to trip him. Sidestepping with an unusual show of grace and skill, he avoided the foot and heard its owner make a noise of surprise. Ignoring them, he quickly jotted down the orders of those seated at his current table before turning only to jump slightly when he felt someone pinch his rear.

"Oh, aren't you just the cutest thing!" A feminine voice said while giggling, Naruto turning briefly to see an older woman in her mid-twenties giving him a predatory look.

Doing his best to ignore her, Naruto was soon the subject to teasing by the female population in the restaurant. From inside the kitchen, the three inside could only smile wryly at the various attempts of the single and even married women and girls inside to cop a feel of his rear. From her position refilling the water pitchers, Asako resisted the urge to voice her anger at the " floozys" harassing her Naruto.

"Do you see him? Isn't he dreamy!"

"I know, that eyepatch gives him that bad boy look and it fits him perfectly!"

"I wonder if he's single, he has to be if he's that young right!"

"Oh hush you, you're way too old for him!"

"Ufufufu, I wonder if he's on the menu!"

"I'm gonna die out here." Naruto sighed as he stepped back into the kitchen, Ayase giving him a sympathetic pat on the head before taking his notepad as Naruto gave her a grateful smile.

"Thank you Ayase-san, I'm afraid I'll be eaten alive if I stay out there any longer." Naruto said as he fixed his apron once more and took up his original place by his station.

With the reversal of roles, the rest of the service time went by relatively quickly. Though there were a few complaints from a few of the women about getting water spilled on them, the dinner service went without any other problems. Now gathered inside of the now empty dining room, they all celebrated another day well done. As the wound down from the slightly stressful service, they all turned to Naruto who was blankly nibbling on a cookie and sweat dropped seeing him so nonchalant.

"I must say Naruto-kun, you seemed like a natural in the kitchen cooking and out there serving." Ayase said as her family agreed, Naoko grinning brightly at him as he patted him on the back.

"My boy, I want you to keep that knife! It'll be a memento of your time here, and maybe you can pass it on to my great grandchildren!" Naoko as they all agreed, but Asako froze in the middle of shaking her head before burning up.

"J-Jiji! What the heck are you saying!" She shouted as Naoko chuckled, wiping away a tear from his eye.

"In all seriousness though Naruto, what do you say about settling down here for your career as a chef?" Naoya asked, getting the others to focus their attention onto him.

"Thank you for the kind and generous offer Naoya-san, but I can't. I want to see the rest of the world and what it has to offer before I settle down and open shop." Naruto said as Naoya gave him a smile in return, Ayase and Naoko also smiling though Asako looked upset.

"B-But you can learn about a ton of different foods here! A lot of people from all over come here you know!" She said in an attempt to persuade him to stay, her parent's smiling a bit sadly at her attempt.

"I know Asako, but it's not the same as experiencing food in its natural environment." He said as she nodded sadly, her flames obviously dampened.

"So... What are you going to do now?" She asked, Naruto glancing up at the ceiling before answering.

"I think I'll ask Konoe-san if I can cook during a diner or lunch service, to get a little more experience before I head out." He replied as Asako paled, her face frozen in mild horror.

"W-What?! Why would you want to go over to that shrimp's place!" She shouted as her parents and grandfather snuck out, leaving them to talk alone.

"Because I want to experience the world of food Asako-san. Learning in one place will no doubt give me a vast array of knowledge about that one place but it'll stagnate me in the end." He said as she nodded sadly, Naruto giving her a reassuring smile.

"Hey. I'll be back some day ok? I promise to visit in the future." He said as Asako's eyes brightened up a bit.

"R-Really?" She asked, Naruto simply nodding in response.

"Yeah. Now, I should get going. I need to find a place to stay for the night." He said as Asako straightened up, quickly checking for any signs of her family.

"W-Well, i-it's already pretty l-late and all you k-know! W-Why don't you just stay h-here!" She suggested as Naruto shook his head in the negative as she deflated a bit.

"Thanks for the generous offer Asako-san but I can't accept any more of your kindness, you've already done so much for me. Have a good night." Naruto said as he exited the building leaving Asako to sulk slightly.

"That jerk..." She muttered before freezing, feeling stares on her back before slowly turning around and growing red.

"How bold of you Asako." Her mother said as she covered her mouth with her hand as a bit of pink dusted her cheeks.

"That's my girl!" Naoko said as he chuckled softly, giving her a grin.

"My little Asako is growing up too fast!" Naoya said while crying tears, covering his eyes with his arm.

"Y-YOU DUMMIES!" She shouted as she charged them, the three laughing while heading upstairs.

(Scene Change - Ichiba no Sato: Outside Umaretsuki)

Releasing a sigh, Naruto took a look at the knife in his hands with a small smile gracing his face. Placing it back into the case Naoko gave him, he placed it in his backpack before setting out for an inn. Walking through the village, he was a little surprised by the night life, the village changing from a grand shopping area to a village of bright lights and drunks. Shaking his head when he saw a group of men approaching a group of women who were obviously there for paid comfort, he was about to pass an alleyway when he heard someone coughing as the sound of flesh hitting flesh met his ears.

"The fuck are you smiling about you creepy little bitch?" An angry voice said, Naruto narrowing his eye as he moved closer.

His eye narrowing even more upon hearing the pained sound, Naruto headed into the alleyway and felt his blood boil when he saw a group of young adults gathered around something. Moving closer, he tightened his fist when he saw then kicking, spitting and insulting a young girl with bandages wrapped around her eyes. Without thinking, he moved into and grabbed the shoulder of the young man who had his leg wound up to kick her, making him stop and turn to face him.

"Eh? What do you want punk? Can't you see we're busy here." He sneered at Naruto before ripping free from his grip.

As he was about to bring his leg forward Naruto acted. Slugging the man in the side as the sound of something cracking echoed loudly in the alleyway, he cried out in pain only to be cut off abruptly when Naruto connected a brutal straight against his temple, sending him crashing into the young lady who was standing beside him. As soon as the man started falling, his companions moved to attack Naruto only to meet the same fate. Ducking under a wide and sloppy swing, Naruto grabbed the man by the wrist and rose, driving his fist into his elbow, the weak snapping as he cried out in pain.

"W-Who the fuck are you!" The thug shouted only to lose the breath in his lungs as Naruto drove his fist into his abdomen before shoving him to the ground.

"I'm a chef." Naruto replied as he felt someone approaching from behind him, turning to see a woman swinging something at him.

Bringing his arms up, Naruto grunted in pain when he felt the piece of wood one of the women used as a makeshift weapon connect with him. Grabbing it, he ripped it from her grasp before pulling back and slamming the tip of it into her face, the sound of her nose breaking and her scream alerting a few of those who were close to the alleyway. Turning, he slammed the piece of wood against the head of another man who tried to take his back. Finally, seeing that they were clearly outmatched, the remaining three people picked up their fallen companions and left.

Tightening his grip on the piece of wood, he snapped it in two before dropping it. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he turned and moved to tend to the girl who was getting beaten when he arrived. When he saw her visibly flinch and brace herself for another beating but when he saw the sad and resigned smile on her face he couldn't stop the growl that escaped his throat. But when he saw her tense more, he forcibly calmed himself and crouched down near her.

"Hey... I'm not going to hurt you." Naruto said as in as gentle of a tone as he could muster, the girl tensing slightly before turning to face him.

"That's... What they said too..." She said in a whisper so quiet Naruto had to strain his ears to hear.

"Those people were nothing but scum. I promise I won't hurt you, I swear on my honor as a chef." Naruto said in a gentle as he held out his hand, mentally cursing when he remembered the fact she had bandages wrapped around her eyes.

Moving closer, he gently and slowly reached out and touched her hands. Seeing her flinch and recoil slightly but still keep her smile at his touch broke his heart to pieces as she braced herself for the feeling of pain. Trying once more, he was met with a less extreme reaction as he saw that she didn't recoil from him touching her hand but still remained tense.

"See, I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to help you." He said in a soft tone as she stiffly raised her head slightly, Naruto biting back another growl when he saw the bruises that marred her face.

"Y-You promise?" She asked in a slightly louder whisper, Naruto gently squeezing her hand as a sign of reassurance.

"I promise." Naruto said in a soft and gentle tone, the rage felt simmering down as he felt her tighten her grip on his hand a bit more.

After fifteen minutes of trying to earn her trust, he had finally succeeded and was sitting beside her, tending to the cuts and bruises that covered her body. Tending to her in such an awkward silence unnerved even Naruto, but it was broken when she decided to speak up.

"Thank you for helping me." She said in a polite and sincere manner with a smile on her face, Naruto gritting his teeth when he saw it.

"Any human being would have done the same." Naruto replied after calming himself, trying to keep the disgust out of his voice.

"Why were they beating you?" He asked after a few moments of silence, the girl flinching upon hearing his question as her smile changed from a happy one to a sad one.

"Because I'm cursed..." She said in a sad tone, her smile reflecting it as Naruto widened his eye.

"Cursed? What do you mean?" Naruto asked as he gently applied another dollop of healing ointment onto a nasty bruise on her cheek, rubbing it in softly.

"It's because my eyes were different. When I was born, my father left my mother and I, and soon after my mother abandoned me." She said as Naruto simply stared at her in a mix of horror and shock, unable to believe that a parent could actually do that to their child.

Then, she started to slowly unwrap the bandages covering her eyes as Naruto felt a few tears escape his eye. In place of her eyes were destroyed and disfigured orbs with bits of gray mixed in with them. After a few seconds, she rewrapped the bandages and looked away from Naruto with a sadder smile on her face.

"Ah, I'm sorry. That was probably disgusting huh. When I heard that my mother hated me because of my eyes, I... I poured lead into them to get rid of them. But... She never came back. And soon, everyone else started to hurt me so I left too." She said as Naruto furiously wiped away the tears from his eye before continuing to treat her.

"Why... Why the hell did they do this to you? You can't be more then ten years old." Naruto said through clenched teeth, batting away the tears that laced his eyes.

"It's because I'm cursed, no one wants a child who's cursed." She said in the same sad tone, Naruto simply unable to comprehend the stupidity and idiocy of the people who forced her to do this.

"But I'm not sad!" She said in a happier tone, Naruto snapping his head up in shock at hearing her actually say that.

"W-What? How can you say that? After all you've been through..." Naruto asked as she gave him a happier smile then before, his eye widening upon seeing it.

"Because I had a little sister. When she was born, she wasn't cursed like I was. When my mother left, she took her with her. My sister didn't have to go through what I did, so I'm grateful for that!" She said with a bright smile on her face, Naruto just staring at her in shock before a somber smile made it to his face.

"You're pretty amazing you know that. I know for a fact I wouldn't be able to smile after going through what you did." He admitted as she made a little noise of surprise before giving him a shyer smile.

"N-No one's ever said that to me... Thank you." She said in a bit of a bashful tone, her smile reflecting it as Naruto smiled back.

As they continued to talk, Naruto continued to apply the healing ointment to her as she started to open up to him more. As the clouds parted overhead and the full moon revealed itself, coupled with the lights of the night life he got a better view of her. She wore a dirty and tattered pink colored cape which has two brown buttons that allowed it to fully close around her. Underneath, she had on a tarnished purple dress that reached just below her knees, torn and ripped at the ends. She had long, silver hair that extended below her waist and reaches nearly reached the bottom of her legs. Her forehead was covered by her uneven bangs and she had a small nose and mouth. Then the most distinguishing feature about her was the fact she wore a whitish, gray blindfold that covered her eyes. Overall, has a light skin tone but like her clothes was covered in patches of dirt due to her living in poverty.

"Umm... If I could, could I feel your face?" She asked, Naruto blinking in surprise but giving her the ok.

Gently reaching over, she softly felt and traced his features as a smile lit up her face causing Naruto to smile in return. When she felt his eyepatch, she flinched a bit as before gently tracing the outline of his eye. After about a minute she removed her hands folded it in her lap as her cheery smile never left her face, Naruto's also never leaving as well.

"I'm sorry that I made your face sad, but I didn't mean to." She said in a slightly regretful tone as Naruto shook his head softly.

"Hey, it's nothing to worry about." He said in a reassuring manner, causing her to brighten up a bit.

"But now I know both your voice and your face, and I have to say that you're very much my type." She said in a bashful tone as Naruto laughed softly, a bit of pink dusting her cheeks as she giggled as well.

"I almost forgot, I'm Naruto." Naruto said, a little embarrassed by his late introduction as she smiled at him.

"Hello Naruto-san, I'm Hisako! I choose my name myself!" Hisako said in a happy tone, Naruto biting back the growl in his throat at the knowledge that her parents refused to even name her.

"Say Hisako, it's getting late. Where do you live?" Naruto asked as her smile faltered a bit making him frown.

"Anywhere really, as long as I can find somewhere warm it's fine." She said with a smaller smile, Naruto tightening his fists before taking a calming breath.

"Hey Hisako, I now it's really sudden and kind of creepy but why don't you come with me?" Naruto asked as she flinched a bit in surprise, clearly not expecting him to ask that of her.

"W-What? I-I couldn't Naruto-san, I-I would just be an inconvenience to you! And, you don't want to be with someone who's cursed like I am." She said in a sad tone, putting up a faltering smile.

"Is that what you really want though? To remain here and continue to have people hurt you? I know I just met you but... I just can't let that happen. And hey, I'm cursed too remember." Naruto said tapping his eyepatch loud enough for her to hear as she gasped slightly, bringing her hands up to her mouth.

"N-Naruto-san..." She whispered as Naruto turned to look at her, his eye widening when he saw small dark marks start to appear on the bandages near the corners of her eyes.

"H-Hisako, did I say something wrong? P-Please don't cry, I didn't mean to make you cry!" He said in an attempt to apologize, Hisako wiping a few of the tears that managed to escape being absorbed into the bandages before giving Naruto a smile that made the stars seem pale in comparison.

"I-I'm sorry, but I-I'm just so happy. I-I'm happy that someone actually w-wants me." She said in a broken way, hiccupping as Naruto felt his heart ache.

Seeing her start to break down in front of her, the smile that she held up for so many years finally fading away into what she truly felt, Naruto acted on instinct and moved to embrace her. Tensing when she felt his arms wrap around her she slowly relaxed and started to cry, her lips trembling as she did her best to hold her sobs in. But eventually, the castle around her heart that she had built up and fortified over the many years of trying to survive finally came crashing down as a golden headed battering ram broke down its walls.

Grabbing his shirt, she pressed her face into his chest and let all the years of suffering, pain, misfortune, misery and solitude she had accumulated out as Naruto simply held her close. Rubbing her back softly and gently, he stood tall and unmoving even though he was crying himself. After the seconds ticked to minutes, Hisako had finally calmed down and had fallen asleep in Naruto's arms. Picking her up bridal style, he couldn't help but smile at how at peace she appeared. Making sure that he had all of his belongings, he headed towards the nearest in with Hisako in his arms intent on a good night's rest.

"Get that thing out of my inn right now!" An angry innkeeper shouted at Naruto, the blonde resisting shattering his jaw with every ounce of willpower he had.

It had been like this for the past hour, the two or rather Hisako, getting rejected access to stay at the inn. When he questioned or rather demanded to know the reason, they all simply stated that they didn't want to drive away their other customers by having a cursed child on the premise. Growling, Naruto resorted to returning to the spot he found Hisako and huddling against the wall with her, wrapping her up and ensuring that she was warm with a thick blanket from his backpack. Soon, his raging anger died and turned to a low simmer when he took in her peaceful expression.

"This is one fucked up town..." Naruto muttered under his breath as Hisako snuggled deeper into his chest, the blonde simply smiling before keeping watch for the night in case something like before happened.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

When the sunlight broke through, Hisako felt a lot warmer and safer then she had in the entirety of her life. Feeling the sun's rays on her face, she let out a content yawn before feeling herself leaning on someone. Then the memories of what happened last night came back to her; the usual begging and subsequent beating and insults but that all changed when her knight arrived and saved her. Naruto, a kind hearted person who was three years older then her had saved her and even offered her a place by his side.

"Mornin' sleepyhead." Naruto said in an amused tone as she turned a bit pink before she smiled brightly at him.

"Good morning Naruto-san!" Hisako replied in a happy tone and smile, Naruto smiling back at her.

"Come'on, we need to get some supplies before we head out on the road." Naruto said as she nodded, standing a little bit awkwardly while Naruto rolled up the blanket and fastened it back onto his backpack.

"Alright." Hisako said in a slightly hesitant tone, Naruto taking notice of it but choosing not to ask her about it.

Offering her his arm, she smiled as she took it and held onto it as if it were a lifeline. Walking through the bustling streets Naruto narrowed his eye when he felt Hisako tighten her grip on his arm, taking note that a few of the villagers who were smiling at him yesterday were now looking at him with distain and disgust. When he was about to enter a shop, Hisako was "accidentally" shoved and fell onto her knees. Growling slightly, the young woman who pushed the blind girl down instantly scampering away when he turned to glare at her.

Helping her up, she offered him a small smile before reassuring him that she was fine. Taking her word for it, he was once again about to enter the shop when the shopkeeper stopped him, glaring hard at Hisako who had a smile on her face as Naruto simply glared at her. Soon a crowd appeared, a lot of them jeering and making snide remarks about Hisako as Naruto started to shake in anger the only thing keeping him from lashing out being the fact that it would leave Hisako alone. But then he saw one sight that made his heart sink.

Standing near the front of the crowd as Konoe and Asako as they glared at Hisako, throwing insults at her as they didn't notice Naruto. But when he turned around to face them, their eyes widened before Asako took a hesitant step forward after a few seconds of gawking at him.

"N-Naruto...? W-What are you doing with that thing?" Asako asked as Hisako held onto him tighter, Naruto simply gritting his teeth as he leveled a hard gaze at her.

"She's a person, not a thing Asako-san." Naruto said in a stern tone as Asako flinched, clearly not expecting him to speak to her in such a way.

"She's dangerous Naruto! She hurt some of the villagers a few years back! It's those eyes she has, they're freaking cursed!" She shouted as more of the villagers shouted to back her up, Hisako's smile faltering by a great amount as a frown marred Naruto's face.

"Is that what you honestly think? Is that what you all think?" Naruto asked in a low tone, getting various shouts in response.

"What do you think kid!"

"She's always driving away my business when she standing outside my shop, I'm sick of it!"

"The only homeless person here and she's a freak!"

"She's a monster! She's the one that hurt my loving husband!"

"She's better off dead!"

"She's a monster! The fact she hides those cursed eyes of hers is proof enough!"

The more shouts and jeers that Hisako received the more her smile faltered before it became a thin line. Seeing that Naruto's rage started to bubble to the surface as chakra started to surge through his body, heightening his senses to an inhuman level. When he caught sight of Naoko, Naoya and Ayase in the crowd he knew that he had to leave.

"...You think she's a monster too don't you?" He asked in a level tone, directing the gaze towards Naoya, Naoko and Ayase, the three flinching but steeling themselves and nodding their heads.

"She's nothing but trouble Naruto. When I offered her some bread she took it before spitting it out and throwing it back in my face." Ayase said in a level tone, her eyes glaring at Hisako.

"But... It was poisoned..." Hisako said in a whisper, Naruto being the only one to hear it with his enhanced hearing.

"When I offered her a place to stay at the restaurant she gave me a deep cut and running off after ruining a lot of our equipment." Naoya said in an angry tone as Hisako shrunk more.

"You tried to hurt me..." Hisako whimpered, tightening her grip on Naruto as he grit his teeth.

"Naruto my boy. Listen to us. We may all sound like we're heartless but it's not without cause. Ever since she arrived, Kiri has been breathing down our neck about purging all Kekkai Genkai. Someone told them that we were harboring someone with one and it's her. She's causing our village to lose revenue, tourist and our safety. If she was gone we wouldn't have to worry about any of this." Naoko said as Naruto finally snapped.

Snapping his head up, everyone instantly felt an oppressive weight fall upon their shoulders as their eyes widened upon seeing his eye. Instead of the mirthful and charming navy it had been, it was now a disgusted and hateful dark violet. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out the knife he made before throwing it at Asako's feet to the Kogai family's shock and horror. Tightening his grip on Hisako, he gently led her out of the crowd before turning to face them once more.

"I'm honestly disgusted that I even thought about settling down here. You're nothing but a bunch of heartless monsters you know that? And for the record, I'm cursed as well." Naruto said as a gasp when through the villagers.

Picking Hisako up bridal style, the younger girl squeaking at the sudden action, Naruto sprinted out of the village with speed only seen in ninja. As he left, a few of the villagers muttered something along the lines of "good riddance" though the Kogai family stared with wide eyes in the direction that Naruto left, Asako and Ayase having tears run down their faces. Making his way over, Naoko picked up the case that held Naruto knife before opening it. As he looked at it, it had seemed to have lost the glow it had the day before and when he picked it up it shattered. Lowering his head, let his eyes drift closed as Asako wept behind him as Naoya and Ayase tried to comfort her.

(Scene Change - Outskirts of Ichiba no Sato)

After having nearly ran three kilometers straight, Naruto slowed as he caught his breath. Seeing that Hisako was nearly pale with fright, he eased her down to a standing position as she held onto him for dear life. As he helped steady her, they remained in an awkward and uncomfortable silence before she broke it once again.

"Naruto-san... Why did you do that for someone like me? You... You could have had a lot of friends in the village if you just left me." Hisako said in a quiet tone, a sad smile on her face as Naruto frowned.

"I don't abandon people for idiotic reasons like that Hisako-san. If protecting you meant I lost my chance at being a chef in Ichiba then so be it." Naruto said as he squeezed her hand gently, her lip quivering a bit at his statement.

The awkward atmosphere from before disappearing, they continued on the road before Naruto looked over and stifled a laugh as Hisako's hair was strewn about in a wild way. Hearing him snicker, she tilted her head and reached up only to blush when she felt the source of his snickers. Turning away she tried to fix her hair only serving to make it a bit more messy. After a few seconds, Naruto moved them to a shady spot under a large tree to help her as she blushed when she felt his fingers run through her hair.

"Umm Naruto-san, can I ask you a personal question?" Hisako said, breaking the amiable silence that they were sitting in.

"Hmm? Shoot Hisako-san." Naruto said as she smiled, Naruto returning it as she looked down.

"Not to be rude but... W-What exactly are you? Are you a hero of justice or a knight who rescues princesses?" Hisako asked as Naruto paused in the middle of fixing her hair, Hisako immediately about to apologize when she heard him start to laugh softly.

"A hero of justice? A knight? No way Hisako, I'm pretty far from those things, I just did what I thought was right." Naruto answered as Hisako nodded, fidgeting a bit before turning once more.

"Umm, so what are you then Naruto-san?" Hisako asked as Naruto smiled a bit, though it didn't completely reach his eyes like before.

"Me? I'm just your ordinary everyday chef!" He answered as Hisako made a noise of surprise before giggling, Naruto raising an eyebrow in return.

"What? Don't think I'm chef material?" He asked as she just giggled harder, Naruto eventually laughing as well.

"No, I just didn't think that a normal chef is able to do the things that you did Naruto-san." Hisako said as she continued to giggle, Naruto rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Well, I guess I'm a little different from the ordinary chef then." Naruto answered as Hisako nodded in agreement.

"I think so too..." Hisako whispered as she leaned into him, savoring his warmth as he continued to comb her hair.

A Son Forgotten

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**And there you guys go. Another chapter bites the dust, and hopefully you enjoyed as much as hoped you did. Again, it was a mess right? A mix of things that kind don't go that good together. And if you guessed that the anime/manga was Black Bullet, you get to be an OC. Yay... Nah, I'm kidding but maybe in the future. But eh, tell me what you all think alright? Till next time, stay awesome.**

**For the OC's, I had a bit of trouble with em.**

**Naoko is based off of ****Tomio Ookawa from Shiki but a lot more buff and jollier, well until you know.**

**Asako is based off of a generic black haired tomboyish anime character, couldn't really find anythin that fit her**

**Naoya is based off of the generic black haired anime dad**

**Ayase is based off of the generic black haired anime mom**

**Konoe is based off of the generic anime Ojou**

**Hisako is based off of the Blind Girl from Black Bullet, that's right, I love her so dang much man...**


	27. Chapter 25

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, Dom here bringing you another chapter. So yeah, still working on writing and it's going eh. I don't think I'm suited for comedy, like straight comedy you know. But eh, we'll see how long this'll last before it becomes a little better. This chapter, I kinda got a little excited writing and before I knew it, I wrote something overly brutal for the arc so I had to revise it. You get to see a bit more interactions between Naruto and Hisako, I throw in some filler people because they fit the bill and above all else, someone starts to remember a few things. So yeah, you all know the process by now right? PM for questions, Review for coolness, and Enjoy for sweetness. Anyway, you all came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 25

Over the course of the year, rumors began to emerge about a cart and chef that traveled across the land, creating and serving dishes that those of the most elite of chef's look amateur in comparison. At first it was thought to be a rumor created to attract attention to the country that spread it, many thinking of it as a means to garner more tourists, eager to tantalize their palates. But soon, those rumors died and new ones emerged, causing the idea of a traveling mystery chef to seem true. As the weeks turned to months, many flocked to the mystery chef's trail, hoping to meet and try one of their dishes but all attempts so far have all ended in a dead lead. Though the trails are dead and cold, the rumors never fail to end.

(Scene Change - Udon no Kuni: Minor Roadside)

"Tou-san! Kaa-chan! I smell something yummy!" A childish and eager voice called out as her parent's laughed lightly at her enthusiasm.

"It does smell very good doesn't it honey!" The woman said in an equally eager tone as her husband grinned at them.

"It's been a while since we had breakfast right? Let's grab a bite." He said as they made their way to the roadside, their daughter leading the way.

When they arrived, they blinked in surprise when they saw a young man around the age of fourteen wheeling a large cart, a girl around the age of eleven sat behind him humming in between the handles on a specially created seat. The young man had on a simple uniform consisting of a long white cloth wrapped around his forehead, covering his hair like a bandanna, though locks of golden blonde could be seen. Wearing a sleeveless black tank top revealing his surprisingly muscular and scarred arms, he matched it with a pair of black pants and sandals. Topping off his outfit was a simple white apron tied around his waist.

The girl humming behind him on the seat was wearing a simple but cute pale pink dress that ended near thighs. She had on a large white sunhat that matched her silver locks that ended near her knees, her white sandals matching them as both brought out the red scarf wrapped securely around her neck.

Their daughter sniffing the air once more, she grinned before running towards the cart, surprising the young man as they came running after her, scolding her for surprising the two.

"I'm so sorry, our daughter gets a little too excited for her own good." He said as he bopped her lightly on the head.

"Umm, we were wondering if you were open. We were going to get something to eat and smelled something delicious, which led us here." His wife said as the young man smiled at them, the three blinking in surprise when they saw that he had an eyepatch.

"We're always open for anyone who's hungry, right Hisako?" The blonde asked as the girl smiled at them, surprising them once again when they saw that her eyes were bandaged.

"Mhmm, that's our motto Naruto." Hisako said as Naruto helped her down, the girl blushing a bit as she wrapped her arms around his.

"The name's Naruto and this is Hisako. Could I know the names of the people I'm serving?" Naruto asked as he opened up the cart, unfolding a built in table and putting out a few chairs as they smiled and took a seat.

The design of the cart was that of a very customized one. Being very large and bulky in appearance, it unfolded to a sleek and charming open air kitchen and bar, allowing those sitting at the bar to see the inside of the cart which held various pots, pans, cabinets and an icebox that held the perishable food items. Having two wheels that locked in place when not on the move, it was a very different cart that allowed the pair to actually move and cook when and where they wanted.

"I'm Isshou, Naruto-san! This is my loving wife Kyou and our daughter-" Isshou started, only to be interrupted when the girl pouted at him.

"Emi can introduce herself Tou-san! I'm Emi!" Emi said in a chipper tone after scolding her father, the two laughing at her as Naruto and Hisako smiled at the family.

"Nice to meet you three. Now, why don't you all look over today's menu while I grab you some water." Naruto said, grabbing three glasses and pouring them full of water as they looked at the dishes on the blackboard.

"Hmm... It all looks good doesn't it honey?" Isshou asked as Kyou smiled, nodding in agreement as Emi placed her hand under her chin, her face in a contemplative expression.

"Emi wants the gyoza!" Emi said in an excited tone as she put on a look of confidence, her parent laughing wryly while Naruto and Hisako laughed at her attempt to be an adult.

"One order of gyoza for the little lady then." Naruto said with a smile as Emi returned it, pink lighting her cheeks at the compliment.

"Could I get an order of shumai?" Kyou asked as Naruto smiled and nodded, jotting it down as Isshou nodded his head.

"Then I'll have teba shio Naruto-san, and a large side of rice please!" Isshou said heartily as the younger man laughed at his enthusiasm.

"Coming right up you three, it should take about ten to fifteen minutes, just relax until then alright?" Naruto said as they smiled, taking in the atmosphere as the blonde moved towards the back and opened the small door, stepping into the kitchen to begin cooking.

As he began taking out the ingredients from the fridge, they scanned the face of the other occupant when she entered the kitchen and removed her hat and scarf. They were a little perplexed and nervous when they saw that they had two handicapped people making their lunch but when the smell of something heavenly hit their noses, they threw all concerns out the window. Moving with the grace and fluidity only gained from many years in the kitchen, they were awestruck when the duo moved in complete sync with each other.

"Hisako, could you hand me the sake and shichimi?" Naruto asked as he began chopping the ginger, onion, and mushrooms for the shumai.

"Here you go Naruto!" Hisako chirped as Naruto took the items, thanking her as she went back to humming and prepping the wrappers for the shumai and gyoza.

Igniting the small stove with a match, Naruto began heating up oil and water for the dishes. Quickly finely dicing the pork with the skill of a seasoned chef, Naruto mixed the minced pork with the chopped vegetables, adding in sake, sesame oil, soy sauce and salt and pepper. Once the mixture was finished, he handed the bowl to Hisako who smiled at him and began filling the wrappers with the mixture, pinching them closed before placing them into a bamboo steamer.

While she was doing that, Naruto repeated the process of dicing up pork, cabbage, onion, mushroom, garlic and ginger for the gyoza. Mixing the diced ingredients together, he added in the same seasonings from before, thoroughly mixing them before once again handing the bowl to Hisako who began filling the wrappers, folding and pinching them closed before placing them onto a plate and handing it back to Naruto who finished soaking the chicken wings in a bowl of sake.

"Alright, why don't you start steaming the shumai Hisako, I'll take care of the rest." Naruto said as she nodded her head, placing the bamboo steamer on top of the pan of boiling water as Naruto placed the gyoza in the pan.

As the smell began to fill the air, the family's stomachs rumbled as Naruto and Hisako laughed, the two adults blushing in embarrassment while Emi drooled in anticipation. After three minutes Naruto added a quarter of a cup of water to the pan, covering it as he left it to steam. As the gyoza cooked, he removed the wings from the sake, drying them before generously seasoning them with salt and pepper. Placing them into the pan of heated oil, they immediately sizzled and popped as they started cooking.

Finally, after fifteen minutes of cooking, the two started plating the dishes. Naruto opened a basket full of freshly cook rice and placed it into a large bowl as they set the dishes in front of the slightly drooling family. Grabbing a few shallow side bowls, Naruto placed the shichimi and a lemon wedge in one of them and placed it near Isshou while mixing together a quick mixture of rice vinegar and soy sauce for the shumai and gyoza.

"Order complete." The two said as the family applauded them, Naruto simply smiling as Hisako blushed at the praise.

Uttering a quick "Itadakimasu," they all picked up a piece of their respective dishes and took a bite, their eyes widening when an explosion of flavor filled their mouth. Their palate dancing in tandem with the flavors that attacked their taste buds, they all released a content sigh as they finished their first bites.

"This is amazing! How did you two make something this good in so little time!" Kyou asked, obviously amazing that children younger then her actually out cooked her.

"It tastes like magic! Are you two magic!" Emi shouted as she took another bite of her gyoza, shivering with pleasure as the pair smiled at them.

"Haha, that's a secret." Naruto said in a cheerful tone as he washed the instruments that were just used to make their meal, Kyou and Emi pouting slightly while Isshou simply chuckled.

"Can't get a man to divulge his secrets honey, trust me on this one!" Isshou said as he grinned at Naruto, the younger man smiling back at him while Kyou sighed.

"So, what are you kids doing out here by yourselves? Don't your parents worry about you?" Kyou asked after a few moments of chewing, the smiles on their faces faltering a bit as the three looked on in curiosity.

"We actually don't have parents Kyou-san. At least not anymore. I was abandoned by mine and Naruto doesn't have any memories of his past but it seems like it was the same for him." Hisako said in a slightly somber tone, the eyes of the two widening while Emi looked on in curiosity.

"Ne, Tou-san, Kaa-chan. What does "abandoned" mean?" Emi asked, her parents wincing as they looked towards the two, Hisako merely smiling while Naruto gave them a small half smile.

"It means they didn't want us anymore Emi-chan." Naruto said is a soft tone, Emi's eyes widening as she glanced between the two.

"Why did their Tou-san and Kaa-cha leave them? Nii-chan and Nee-chan are nice and they made yummy food! Did they do something naughty?" Emi asked in a confused tone, her parents immediately quieting her tapping her on the head.

"W-We're sorry for bringing up such painful memories." Isshou said in a guilty tone, bowing his head as Kyou did as well, the two gently forcing Emi to do the same.

"I-It's quite alright! We've been on our own for a long time so we're used to it!" Hisako said quickly in an attempt to lift the guilt they were feeling, only serving to make their shoulders slump.

"And we don't need our families. We've got each other and that's more then enough." Naruto said as he placed his hand on top of her head and ruffled her hair, getting a squeak from her at the sudden action.

"Heh, you two sure are close aren't you?" Isshou asked as Naruto smiled brightly, the family returning it.

Collecting their dishes, they paid and parted ways with the family heading back to the village while Naruto and Hisako continued on their way around the Elemental Nations. As Naruto wheeled the cart, Hisako was humming a happy tune with a smile on her face, Naruto's face having a small smile at the joy she was radiating. Soon, they arrived at one of the largest villages in Udon no Kuni, Inaniwa no Sato.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene change - Udon no Kuni: Inaniwa no Sato)

"Ah, there's a lot of people here aren't there Naruto!" Hisako said in an excited tone as she turned her head and listened to the sounds of the bustling village, Naruto smiling in response to her giddiness.

"Yeah, there's a lot of people here Hisako. But we won't be staying for long, we just gotta grab some supplies and maybe take a day off to relax before we're back on the road." Naruto said as she beamed a smile at him at the thought of spending a day in another large village.

"U-Umm... C-Could I do the shopping with you this time?" She asked in a shy and quiet tone, Naruto raising an eyebrow in response.

"You want to go shopping? But there's so many people Hisako, I don't think it's a good idea for you to go." Naruto said in a concerned tone, Hisako smiling when she heard it.

"You're always taking care of me Naruto and doing everything like pulling the cart, I-I just want to help out a little more." She said as Naruto stopped off to the side of the street, setting their cart down and locking it in place.

Unlike before when they were on a slightly uneven road, Naruto gently took her hand and helped her down. Once they were both grounded, Naruto gave the cart one last check to ensure that everything was locked down before taking his backpack and placing sachet with their funds securely inside. Next to him, Hisako grabbed her bag and placed her purse inside, before checking that it was all secure. The two finally set they turned and smiled at each other as Hisako wrapped her arms around Naruto's and headed into the shopping district.

Walking into the shopping district, they were overcome by a myriad of delicious smells as the various merchants shouted to attract attention and name specials and sales. Gently tightening his grip on Hisako's hands when a large group of people approached them, he reassured that she was her as she gave him a thankful smile when they passed. Moving forward, they stopped at the various stalls selling produce as Naruto scanned the bountiful and ripe vegetables in front of him. But before he could start choosing, Hisako reached out and picked out a head of cabbage that was hidden under a few of its larger cousins.

"This one is perfect Naruto!" Hisako chirped as Naruto smiled, placing it in their basket as they moved over towards the tomatoes and onion.

Hisako picking out another seemingly perfectly sized and ripe group of vegetables, Naruto smiled as he let her pick their ingredients for the road. Smiling brightly when she was given the ok, Hisako doubled her efforts to Naruto's amusement. Soon, they had a basket full of produce and headed towards the produce vendor who smiled at them, ringing them up as they paid for their ingredients and departed for the butcher shop.

"We got all of this for so cheap Naruto! We should come here to restock more often!" Hisako said as she was still in slight shock at how low priced the high grade ingredients were.

"Haha, well that's because the ones you chose were high quality Hisako. There were a few over and under ripe pieces there but you managed to find the ones that'll last us a few weeks." Naruto said in a thankful tone, his praise causing her to flush in embarrassment and happiness.

"Ehehe!" She giggled, nuzzling her cheek against his arm a bit more as a radiant smile appeared on her face, matched by the one on Naruto's.

With their supplies secured, they returned to their cart and saw that a group of men were trying to remove the locks on the wheel. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto headed towards them as Hisako shrunk slightly, the blonde giving her a reassuring squeeze as they neared them. When they arrived, they stopped what they were doing and gave the two a questioning look, before the tallest of them stepped forward.

"What can I do for you kids?" He asked in a jovial tone, Naruto's brow twitching at easy going response.

"I wanted to know what you're doing to our cart." Naruto said as the men tensed a bit before relaxing, a crowd beginning to gather around them.

"Your cart? This is our cart, kiddo. We dropped the keys to the lock so we're trying to pry it off." The man said as the two behind him nodded in agreement, Naruto sighing in irritation as Hisako raised her head.

"Y-You're lying, that cart is mine and Naruto's." Hisako said in a slightly raised tone, the blonde beside her giving her the strength and confidence to speak up.

Shortly after a small dispute broke out, the men leaving the cart and crowding around the younger pair as the crowd increased. Soon, the law enforcement of the town arrived and stood a little puzzled when they saw the altercation between the men and the two young people in front of the cart. Sighing, one of the officers made his way through the crowd and stopped in front of the five, who stopped their argument to glance at him. However, the situation turned to favor the men when one of them smiled and waved at the officer, who returned the wave.

"Yo Tekiya, what's hanging man!" The tallest of the men said cheerfully, greeting the officer who smiled back.

"Hey Gouzu, what seems to be the problem here?" He asked as they turned to the young pair in front of them, Hisako shrinking slightly while Naruto narrowed his eyes.

"We were trying to unlock our cart when these two kids came up and told us that it's their cart, weird huh? They're way too young to be operating a cart." Gouzu said as the crowd had a murmur pass through it, seemingly agreeing with his statement.

"I agree completely with you. Kids, saying you own something that isn't yours isn't good." Tekiya said as he lectured the two, the crowd giggling and laughing at the two.

"Cut the crap and get away from our cart." Naruto said in a cold tone, as everyone in the vicinity shivered once they heard it.

"W-What did you say? Do you know who you're talking to kid?" Tekiya said in an indignant tone as Naruto simply scoffed in his direction.

"Yeah I do, I'm talking to a corrupt sack of filth. You really in it with these morons?" Naruto said in a mirthful and condescending tone, the eyes of everyone widening when they heard his language.

"I've had enough of your attitude you little punk!" Tekiya shouted as he moved to grab Naruto, the blonde simply batting his outstretched hand away.

"Don't touch me, I'd prefer to keep my uniform free from the touch of a filthy sack of waste." Naruto sneered, Tekiya's face growing red with anger as more and more people arrived to see the altercation.

"I've had it up to here with your attitude you little shit! Gouzu, help me out here!" Tekiya shouted as the other men nodded, moving to circle the pair.

Narrowing his eye when he felt Hisako tighten her grip in fear at what was going to happen, Naruto gave her a squeeze of the hand and gently removed himself from her. As he did, one of Gouzu's men bum rushed them as Hisako squeaked, hearing him shout. His mirthful and calm eye now sharpened and cold like a blade, he intercepted the man and drove him headfirst into the ground, a loud thud echoing as the bystanders winced. Seeing a fight break out, the other officers tried to move but were stopped by the chaotic crowd, energized from seeing a fight erupt.

"You'll pay for that!" The other man shouted as he swung on Naruto's blind side, a smirk on his face.

But that smirk left when Naruto brought his arm up to block the punch, a terrified look replacing it as Naruto knocked his hand away. Stepping in, he cocked his arm back and slammed his elbow into the jaw of the man as a loud popping and cracking sound sounded about, a larger cringe going through the crowd as the man dropped like a sack of potatoes. Moving to face Gouzu and Tekiya once more, he froze as a terrified scream met his ears. His eye widening when he saw Gouzu placing a knife against Hisako's throat.

"O-Oi, Gouzu calm down! Y-You guys are safe, this kids the ones who's to blame!" Tekiya said as he tried to calm the frazzled man down.

"D-Don't come any closer! One more step and the little bitch gets it you hear! Tekiya, tell the little bastard to hand me my key!" He roared as the crowd panicked and backed up from the crazed and frazzled man, the other officers finally making it to the center.

"Y-You heard him kid, j-just give him the key and she'll be ok!" Tekiya said in an attempt to persuade the blonde, Naruto's visible eye wide with fear as he reached into his pocket and took out the key as Gouzu smirked.

"Good, now hand it over you little shit! Nice and slow or else the blind bitch gets it!" He ordered as Naruto approached the man with his hands raised, the man yelling at him to stop when he made it half way.

"Stop right there you bastard! Toss it over, you miss and your little friend here gets a nice facial remodeling!" He threatened at Naruto obliged, tossing the key at Gouzu's feet as he shoved Hisako roughly towards the panicked blonde.

"Haha! You still lose you little shit! Arrest him now Tekiya, and the bitch too!" He shouted as Tekiya tensed, moving towards the two only to suddenly snap forward as Naruto buried his fist into his abdomen.

After giving Hisako a few comforting words, he pulled his fist out of the man's abdomen and followed up with a vicious spinning heel kick, the sound of Tekiya's jaw shattering causing everyone to scream and gasp in horror. As the man's body was forcibly turned by the blow, Naruto shoved him roughly as he hit the ground with a loud thud. Turning his attention to Gouzu, he stalked his way over as the man pressed himself against the cart in terror.

"W-Wait! S-Stop! Y-You'll be arrested if you hurt me!" He shouted in an attempt to throw off the blonde only to be silence when Naruto broke his jaw with a brutal straight.

Pulling back, he delivered a heavy blow to Gouzu's temple, sending him to the ground in a confused and nearly unconscious heap. But, he horrified everyone when he stomped on the man's shoulder, the sound of it creaking filling the area before Naruto forcibly broke the joint, proceeding to break both his wrist and elbow joint, the man screaming in complete and utter agony as pain ripped through his body. Finally done, Naruto grabbed him by the leg and threw him away from Hisako and their cart.

"Anyone else want to try and take our cart from us?" He growled in an enraged tone, his navy eye now a ruthless violet as the crowd quickly departed from the scene.

Before he could threaten anyone else, Hisako collided with his front, securely wrapping her arms around him as she quietly cried into his chest. Sighing to calm his angered nerves, he wrapped her up in a comforting hug and spoke soothing words to ease the flow of her tears. As they were calming the other, the other officers hesitantly approached them, tensing when he lifted his head to meet them with a cold glare. But before the situation could get any more tense, a loud and boisterous voice called out to them.

"Hold it! Don't you take a step closer to those two!" The people in the vicinity turning and promptly blinking in surprise seeing the Daimyo of their country standing before them.

"C-Chikara-sama! W-What are you doing here!" One of the officers shouted in disbelief, the angered face of his Daimyo causing him to shrink.

"Those two are not to be touched, you hear me? They are important and close friends of mine, and I know for a fact that that's their cart! Those thugs and the corrupt officer are to be arrested and thrown in prison, am I clear?" He said in a stern and angry tone, completely opposite of his amiable and romantic one.

Quickly moving to follow his order, Chikara moved in front of the two and offered an apologetic smile to Naruto, who smiled back though it was smaller. Placing the now sleeping Hisako in her seat, which was expanded to be a small but cozy bed, he covered her up before turning and bowing deeply to Chikara who returned the gesture in full.

"I'm deeply sorry for my atrocious actions Chikara-sama. But... I..." Naruto apologized, trying to find an excuse for his actions only to be halted by Chikara speaking up.

"Don't apologize Naruto-kun, you did absolutely nothing wrong. They attacked you, held someone important to you hostage and that damn officer was in league with them. If anything I should be thanking and apologizing to you." Chikara said as Naruto smiled at the large man, who returned the gesture.

"Why don't I take you to a favorite place of mine to eat, my treat. Of course Fuku is going to be there so I hope you don't mind." He offered as Naruto smiled at his offer, nodding as he moved to unlock and pick the cart up before double checking that Hisako was safe and secure.

As they walked along the road, the crowd giving them a wide berth after witnessing the violent exchange from before, they talked in a peaceful and amiable atmosphere. The three had quite the history with each other, Chikara having stumbled upon their stand by accident and immediately falling in love with their cuisine. Despite multiple offers to become his personal chefs, they declined stating that they wanted to travel and experience the world.

(Flashback - A Few Months Ago)

"I'll up my previous offer you two, how about triple the pay and all you can eat access to all the shops in Udon no Kuni!" Chikara offered as Naruto laughed softly, Hisako holding onto him tightly with her face holding a small smile.

"Thanks for the kind and generous offer Chikara-sama but we'll still have to decline. There's just so much we want to do before we find a place to call home." Naruto said as Chikara deflated a bit before brightening up, grinning at them.

"Ahaha, I guess you can't come between a man and his dreams huh?" He said as he patted Naruto on the shoulder, the blonde's body shaking each time his hand met him.

"Ah, well I suppose I can't sway you two now huh? Well, I wish you two the absolute best on your journey, and I hope our paths cross once again in the future!" He said as Naruto and Hisako smiled at him.

As he left back to his home, Hisako and Naruto were about to leave when Hisako heard someone trying to get their attention. A little startled, she started searching for the source of the sound as Naruto gave her a concerned look. But before he could ask what was wrong, she took a few tentative steps closer to the voices source as Naruto moved beside her in a defensive position, his eye narrow and sharp. But when a large woman peeked her head out and gestured for them to follow, they glanced at each other as Naruto took a step forward.

"Who are you?" He asked in a calm but sharp tone, the woman flinching before sighing and stepping out to greet them.

"I'm Fuku, and I'm the daughter of the Daimyo of a neighboring country." As the two flinched, Naruto quickly bowing his head deeply as Fuku turned a bit pink at the action.

"Please forgive my impudent and unacceptable behavior Fuku-sama, I didn't know who I was talking to." Naruto apologized as Hisako moved to mimic him, Fuku becoming more pink as they remained bowing,

"H-Hey, stop that right now! I know I'm like a princess and everything but I need your help!" Fuku said as the two looked up in confusion, Fuku sighing in relief when they stopped bowing.

"Why don't I take you two to my favorite sweets shop so we can talk about what I need help with?" She suggested as Hisako stiffened a bit, a miniscule trail of drool escaping her lips as Naruto laughed softly, the silverette blushing as Fuku soon joined in on the laugh.

Arriving at the sweets shop Hisako was ordered by Fuku to help herself, stating that girls need to be there for each other. Getting a large plate of sweets, the two sighed in content when they took their first bites before eating with added gusto. Looking on in a mix amazement and slight bewilderment when he saw them make short work of the sweets. Wiping their mouths with the elegance befitting a pair of princesses, they ignored the fact that they wiped nearly ten thousand ryo worth of sweets down by themselves alone.

"W-Wow." Naruto said in an amazed and stunned tone, Hisako blushing deeply while Fuku just laughed.

"Don't you know Naruto-kun? Women everywhere had a separate space in their stomachs for sweets alone! Isn't that right Hisako-chan?" Fuku said as Hisako's blushed deepened, though she let a small smile grace her features as she nodded.

"Now that we've broken the ice, I was wondering if I could ask the two of you for some help concerning Chikara." Fuku said in a serious tone, Hisako and Naruto flinching upon hearing her change in tone.

"I want you two to help me win over Chikara's heart." She said, the tense atmosphere dissolving as they took in her information.

"Huh?" Naruto said as Hisako giggled at his answer before Fuku joined in as well.

After that they had a briefing about what the situation was, Fuku having been arranged to marry Chikara who still hasn't met her over the course of the month of their engagement. Showing them a picture of them when she was slimmer, she stated that she began eating out of stress and that she was afraid of Chikara rejecting her because of all the weight she had gained. Hisako frowning when she saw Fuku starting to tear up, lamenting the fact that no man wanted to date someone as large and unattractive as herself, she reached out and held her hand in a gentle manner, surprising the older woman.

"T-That's not true Fuku-sama! B-Being in love with someone doesn't have to d-do with how you look, how wealthy you are or problem that you h-have. Being in love has to do with how much you care f-for that person and how much they care for y-you. Y-You shouldn't worry about how you look Fuku-sama, because I think you look beautiful." Hisako said in a quiet yet confident tone, Fuku's eyes widening before tears began to stream from them.

A beautiful smile gracing her features, she leaned in and gently wrapped the younger girl before her in a warm and thankful hug, Hisako squeaking a bit at the sudden action but returning it in full when she felt the tears streaming down Fuku's face. Watching the scene with a smile on his face, he was glad to see that Hisako had found someone else that she trusted enough to actually touch.

"I don't think you have to worry about how you look with Chikara-sama, Fuku-sama." Naruto said as the two glanced in his direction, a bit of confusion on their features.

"What do you mean Naruto-san?" Hisako asked in a quiet tone, voicing the question in both of their minds.

"Well... Let's just say I think Chikara-sama has a penchant for more wholesome women." He said as the two looked at him for a few seconds before Fuku's face lit up hearing the detail.

"H-He what? R-Really?! Y-You're not lying are you? How do you know!" Fuku asked as she fired off a volley of questions, Naruto sighing in return.

"L-Let's just say Chikara-sama and I had... A man to man talk and leave it at that..." Naruto said as he turned away from the two, pink tingeing his cheek as Fuku started laughing which only added to the color.

"Oh my, then I really don't have to worry do I?" Fuku said in happy and grateful tone, Naruto simply nodding in confirmation as his cheeks returned to their normal hues.

"I know it may be rather sudden, but let's go meet Chikara-sama now, Fuku-sama?" Naruto asked as Fuku flinched, the older woman hesitating before steeling her nerves as she nodded.

"I agree! Let's go you two!" Fuku said as she stood tall and firm, Hisako smiling a little more brightly then usual at her as Naruto smiled at Hisako.

Paying for the sweets, they headed out of the building as Naruto and Hisako led her, Fuku walking towards Chikara's home with her head held high as many marveled both at her appearance and her poise, in awe at how she carried herself with such confidence. When they arrived, Naruto went Hisako grip him a little tighter before he patted her head in a reassuring manner before he knocked on the door. When Chikara opened it, he was a little surprised to see Naruto and Hisako and thought that they came to take him up on his offer but froze when he spotted the blonde beauty standing behind them.

"Chikara-sama, I'd like to introduce you to your fiancée, Fuku-sama." Naruto said in a cordial and professional tone, surprising the three with how different he looked with a different tone.

"W-Wow... Y-You're beautiful Fuku-chan... Even more so then the photo you sent me..." Chikara said as Fuku flushed, embarrassed that he thought she was beautiful even with her added weight.

"T-Thank you Chikara-kun, you're also much more handsome then in the photo you delivered to me." She said in a bashful tone before smiling brightly at him, which he returned.

Inviting them into his home, they all got to know each other much better; Fuku and Chikara becoming enraged when they learned of their pasts and the encounters they had while on the road. Then they became a saddened and understanding when they learned that Hisako was very anthrophobic due to her experiences with people in her past. Smiling at the girl, Fuku and Chikara promised to never betray or turn on her, for she was now someone important to them, the same with Naruto.

Finally, after a few hours spent laughing and enjoying the company of each other, they parted ways. Chikara bidding the two farewell, patting Naruto on the back for being a great friend while shaking Hisako's hand gently. When Fuku bid them farewell, she gave Naruto a kiss on the cheek for what he had done as he blinked in surprise as Hisako squeaked a bit when she heard it. But her sadness was removed when Fuku wrapped her up in a warm hug, the young girl flushing deeply.

"And thank you Hisako-chan, for everything. No matter what anyone says, I think you look absolutely beautiful." Fuku said as Hisako gasped a little in shock as Chikara and Naruto laughed and agreed with her, to Hisako's embarrassment and joy.

"Fuku-sama is right Hisako-san, you are very beautiful." Naruto said with an easy going smile as he headed outside to ready the cart as steam left the poor girl's crimson face.

"And you're also very lucky to have someone like Naruto-kun who cares and loves you, just be sure to tell him how you feel before someone else snatches him up ok?" Fuku said as Hisako squeaked in response, her face turning even more crimson at her accusation.

"I-I don't l-like N-Naruto-san l-like that!" She denied at the two adults laughed at her denial, knowing full well how she felt about the blonde.

"You be careful out there ok? Don't hesitate to come back here if you two need anything ok?" Chikara said as Hisako gave them a small but brilliant smile, the two returning it in full.

Finally they parted ways as the couple saw the pair off, wishing for their good health and fortune.

(Flashback - End)

"How are you two Naruto? Doing well I hope!" Chikara said with a grin on his face, Naruto smiling as he nodded to the man.

"We're doing very well Chikara-sama, we've met a lot of people on our travels and have been to many different places. How are you and Fuku-sama doing?" He asked as Chikara grinned at him.

"Thanks to you two we're happier then any couple could be!" He answered as Naruto smiled at him, the two continuing to make light talk until they stopped in front of a very familiar sweets shop.

"Fuku, I'm here! Sorry about the wait honey!" Chikara called out as the sound of the door being slammed open caused the two males to wince, knowing that nothing was more dangerous then an angered woman.

"There you are! Do you know how long I was waiting for you! Why, I should-" She shouted, stopping in the middle of her rambling when she caught sight of a familiar cart and blonde.

"Naruto-kun! Oh my, is that really you?! You've gotten so big!" Fuku exclaimed as she wrapped the blonde in hug as Chikara chuckled, their commotion causing a low groan to sound from the cart.

"Naruto, where are you?" Hisako called out in a sleepy tone as Fuku froze, her eyes widening before a brilliant smile appeared when the sleepy face of Hisako was visible.

"Hisako-chan!" Fuku called out in a happy tone, startling the sleepy girl awake as she looked around.

"F-Fuku-sama? Is that you?" She asked as Fuku grinned, the young girl slowly getting out of the cart.

Once again, they were all reunited as they exchanged stories about their travels, Fuku and Hisako happy to be able to catch up. While they were happily exchanging stories, Chikara managed to drag Naruto into a "man's" conversation about his conquests on their journey, prompting Fuku to smack him on the back of the head while Hisako turned and scanned Naruto for any hint of a lie as he denied doing anything to the women and other girls they met. As the evening started to arrive, they decided that it was time to part, Fuku bidding Hisako a tearful farewell as Chikara asked them where they were heading next.

"We were thinking of heading to Oni no Kuni next, I've been hearing that there are some exotic ingredients that can only be found there." Naruto said as Fuku and Chikara blanched at his answer.

"N-Naruto, you can't possibly go there! It's extremely dangerous!" Chikara said as the younger pair flinched at his outburst.

"I agree, you two can't go there! Haven't you heard the rumors about that place?" Fuku asked as they both shook their heads in the negative.

"Then you haven't heard that there's a certain place in Oni no Kuni that supposedly holds a sealed demon. A demon that is said to have the power to engulf the world in darkness it's so powerful!" Chikara said as Hisako shrunk slightly, Naruto holding her gently.

"It's not only that, the locals call that demon a relic of the past. A monster that's supposed to be extinct from the world, they say it's a dragon or something!" Fuku said as Naruto flinched, his head throbbing as he winced, clutching it as they looked at him in confusion and concern.

"Naruto, are you ok?" Chikara asked as he aided Hisako in helping the boy to a table before giving him a glass of water.

"I-I'm fine, just felt a headache come on all of a sudden." Naruto answered as he held his head, Fuku asking the shopkeeper for some headache relief medicine.

"_Dragon? Those are just fairy tales people tell their kids to put them to sleep, there's no way they're real._" Naruto thought as he gratefully took the medicine from Fuku, downing it with a large gulp of water.

"Thanks, but I'm alright now you guys." Naruto said, running his hands through Hisako's hair as she continued to hold onto him tightly.

"Well, I think we should get going. Oni no Kuni is known for its irregular weather pattern so the sooner we're able to find a town there, the better." Naruto said as the two adult before him sigh in defeat.

Leaving the shop, they all exchanged goodbyes as Fuku and Chikara demanded that they be safe on their journey. Fuku giving them an envelope of money and Chikara doing the same, they were about to refuse it but when they said it was for their birthdays, they eventually relented and accepted the gifts. Turning once more to wave at them, they all smiled at each other before Naruto and Hisako finally left town.

"Naruto, are you sure you're ok? I don't want you pulling the cart if you're not feeling well." Hisako said from her spot, Naruto simply turning and smiling at her concerns.

"Don't worry about me Hisako, I'm a chef remember?" Naruto said in a mirthful tone, Hisako frowning slightly at his answer.

"I'm being serious Naruto, I do worry about you. You're always doing things for me and I... I can't do anything for you..." Hisako said in a self loathing tone, Naruto frowning as he stopped wheeling the cart and moved to meet her.

"Hey. What did I say about talking about yourself that way?" He asked in a gentle yet stern tone, Hisako looking down as she began to fidget.

"...To not talk about myself like I'm a burden..." She answered as Naruto nodded, taking her hands in his as she flushed at the action.

"You're not and never will be a burden Hisako. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, you know?" Naruto said as she nodded softly, squeezing his hands softly.

"I just feel like I'm slowing you down sometimes..." She said as Naruto shook his head in the negative, squeezing her hands back.

"No matter what anyone says, you're not slowing me down and you never will. Now come'on, where's that smile?" He asked as she flushed once more, lifting her head slightly as a small and shy smile graced her features, Naruto smiling broadly in return.

"There it is!" He said as he laughed, Hisako pouting a bit before laughing softly herself.

"Thank you Naruto... For everything." She said in a tone of genuine thanks as Naruto smiled at her, leaning forward and his forehead on hers.

"Hey, we've only got each other remember. No matter what, I'll never abandon you." Naruto said as Hisako flinched before smiling back, flushing a bit when she felt how close their faces were.

"I'll never abandon you either Naruto." Hisako said with a smile on her face as Naruto returned it.

Once Hisako was smiling again, Naruto picked the cart back up and proceeded on their way to Oni no Kuni.

(Time Skip - A Week Later)

(Scene Change - Oni no Kuni: Unknown Road)

During the course of their journey into and through Oni no Kuni, Hisako and Naruto began to see that, despite ominous its name, it had a beautiful landscape. While there was a large range of mountains far before them, everything from their position to the mountain range was lush pastures of green and lakes of crystal blue. Smiling as he took in the scenery, he turned and saw that Hisako had a smile on her face as she enjoyed the wind caressing her face. Turning his attention back forward, he saw the path diverge into two trails, one heading deeper into the forests their right while the other connected to the mountains on their left.

"Hmm... Hisako, where do you want to go? The forests or the mountains?" Naruto asked as Hisako tilted her head a little in thought.

"How about the mountains? It would be a change of scenery right?" She suggested as Naruto nodded, pulling the cart to the right.

"So what do you think of Oni no Kuni so far Hisako?" Naruto asked as she smiled at the question.

"I think it's wonderful! The air is so clean and I bet the sights are amazing!" She said as Naruto laughed, nodding his head in agreement.

"Me too, it's really nice here. I'm surprised we've only run into two villages since we entered." He said Hisako agreed, finding it a little odd that people wouldn't want to live in such a beautiful country.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

As they neared the mountain range, the pastures of green started to fade into a mixture of gray and green as they ascended up the mountain. A little perturbed at first, their fears left when they saw that the path upward wasn't as eroded and dangerous as they thought, but well maintained and safe. Sighing in relief, Naruto readjusted his grip and headed up the mountain in confidence as Hisako let the wind blow through her hair.

When they reached a wide open area overlooking the forest, Naruto stopped the cart and helped Hisako down as she started humming a happy tone, Naruto smiling as she explored the area around the cart. Opening up the cart, Naruto started on their lunch as Hisako's stomach grumbled, causing the poor girl to flush deeply as Naruto started laughing.

"Don't worry Hisako, I think it's cute." Naruto said in an attempt to reassure her, only serving to make it worse as she hid her face in her hands.

"Uuu..." She whined in embarrassment, her stomach grumbling once again as she flushed deeper when she heard Naruto snicker from inside the kitchen.

Apologizing for teasing her, Naruto quickly wiped up a simple dish consisting of the fish they caught below the mountain, steaming it and placing it on a bed of rice with a side of gyoza. Placing a bit of their usual soy and rice vinegar dipping sauce between them, they both uttered a quick "Itadakimasu" before digging in, both of them sighing in content as the food touched their palate.

"It's delicious as usual Naruto!" Hisako chirped as he smiled at her, swallowing the mouthful of food before speaking.

"My gyoza still isn't as good as yours is Hisako, you still won't tell me the recipe for the wrapper flour after all." Naruto said as she beamed him a smile, Naruto laughing in return as they enjoyed the company of the other.

As Hisako offered to wash the dishes, Naruto thanking her for her help, he observed the beautiful and wide expanse of forest before shifting his gaze towards the mountain range, before his eye widened. Rubbing his eye to rid it of any possible irritant, he could only look on in a mix of curiosity and fear when he saw strange wisps of black and purple rolling down parts of the mountain, a few places having small clouds of the strange looking substance. A little worried, he glanced at the map in his hands and sighed in relief when he saw that there was a bridge separating each mountain from the others.

"Naruto, I'm finished. Are we going to stay here for a little bit longer?" Hisako asked as she dried off her hands, Naruto shaking his head to rid himself of the fear that was in his heart.

"I think we should get a move on Hisako, the faster we find another village, the faster we can restock right?" He asked as she smiled and nodded in agreement.

Breaking down the open cart, he closed it back up before making sure that every lock was secure and sturdy. Helping Hisako back onto her seat, he picked it back up before continuing on their way up the mountain. Hearing Hisako humming a cheerful tone took his worried mind off the strange substance covering parts of the nearby mountains. As they rounded a corner, Hisako let a small shout escape her lips when a snarling mountain lion dropped in front of them.

"W-What the hell?" Naruto shouted as he observed the mountain lion before him, shrouded by a similarly colored aura that covered the other mountains.

Roaring as it lunged at him, Naruto cried out in pain as it sunk it's fangs into his shoulder. Hisako screaming in terror, Naruto narrowed his eye and cocked his arm back. As the big cat loosened its hold slightly, he lashed out and connected a brutal punch with its side, the sound of something snapping echoing as it roared in pain. Releasing Naruto from its jaws, it sprang away and snarled at him, its eyes a corrupt looking red with a purple hue. Grunting as he took a protective stance in front of the terrified Hisako, Naruto glared at the big cat before it lunged once more, this time Naruto intercepting it.

Avoiding the jaws that were aimed for his neck, Naruto pulled his head to the side and slammed a knife shaped hand into the big bat's throat with brutal force. The strangled sound of its throat being partially crushed alerting him, Naruto grabbed it by the scruff of the neck and threw it off the side of the path, the sound its strangled snarling fading before a low thud sounded about. Sighing as the ordeal was over, he sat down as a crying and concerned Hisako latched onto him.

"I'm fine Hisako, it's just a little bite. I'll be back to normal once I apply some salve to it." He said as she continued to cry into his back, refusing to let him go as he moved to hold her hands with his.

"I'm not gonna die Hisako, I'm not leaving you alone." He reassured her, eventually managing to calm her down enough to the point she detached herself from him.

"P-Promise?" She asked in a tearful tone, his heart aching when he heard how desperate and worried she was.

"I promise." He said as he embraced her with his good arm, Hisako melting into his embrace as they stayed that way for a few seconds.

"Could you help apply the salve Hisako? I don't think I can reach a part of the bite wound." Naruto asked as she nodded, moving to the cart to fetch the salve as she hummed a sad and slightly panicked tone.

After his wound was disinfected and had the healing salve applied to it, Hisako helped bandage it before he was back up and running. Despite her protests, he picked her up and placed her back in her seat before continuing on wheeling the cart. As they continued on, Hisako having fallen asleep from the traumatic ordeal, Naruto glanced over by chance and saw that the bandages had the same strange looking black and purple aura that the mountain lion and the other mountains had.

"W-What...?" He whispered in a low tone, disbelief in his eye as he observed the aura linger for a while longer before it faded away, causing him to grow a little concerned about the wound.

"...We need to find a village soon..." He whispered, as he glanced at the evening sun.

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Tengai no Sato: Village Entrance)

Finally arriving near the peak of the mountain, Naruto stared in awe at the village that was before him. Like something out of a dream, the village was connected by a well maintained but old rock bridge, linking Naruto's position to the village. Clouds obscured the area below, rolling across the village like a visible wind. From his position, he could see large spires of rock jutting out from behind the village, a windmill turning slowly in tandem with the wind. Taking a deep breath, he began wheeling the cart to the village, a noise of surprise leaving him when he spotted a few people giving him curious looks before they waved happily at him, causing him to smile and wave back.

When he reached the village steps, he stopped the cart and entered, a little surprised by how friendly the people were as they greeted him like an old friend. Stopping in the village center, he was approached by an elderly looking man as a few of the girls around the village giggled and blushed as they took in his features, his blonde hair and navy eyes being a stark difference from their own black locks and dark eyes. When the elder was in front of him, Naruto bowed before him only to hear a laugh as the elder stopped him from continuing.

"Haha, easy there child. There is no need to show such respect for someone as ancient as myself." He said in a jovial tone, Naruto smiling as he rose to meet the elder.

"I apologize for the sudden intrusion into your village Jouchou-sama, but my companion and myself heard that there was a village in the heavens and got excited." Naruto said as the elder smiled at him.

"Well, I guess you're in the correct place child. And please, call me Nenchou, calling me Jouchou-sama make me feel more ancient then I already am." Nenchou said as Naruto laughed, the elderly man grinning and chuckling along with him.

Hisako soon awoke shortly after, Naruto helping her introduce herself to the village before she started to talk with the others her age. Smiling when he saw her interacting with the other boys and girls with much more ease then before, he turned to Nenchou when he heard the elderly man call for him. Making his way over, Naruto flinched a little when he saw the look in his eyes, a look that pierced through all possible lies, revealing only the truth.

"Naruto-chan, if I may, could I ask about that wound on your shoulder?" Nenchou asked as Naruto flinched, reaching for it as a small frown came on his face.

"When we were ascending the mountain, we were attacked by a mountain lion. But there was something... wrong, about this one. We've never been attacked by a mountain lion before, even the ones at the base of the mountain were friendly and docile but this one was vicious and a lot stronger then the ones I've seen." Naruto explained as Nenchou let a sigh escape his lips, looking at Naruto with a guilty and saddened expression.

"Naruto-chan, please. Come with me." Nenchou asked as the blonde nodded, finding no ill intent from the elderly man.

(Scene Change - Tengai no Sato: Village Outskirts)

"Naruto-chan, have you ever heard of the Virus?" Nenchou asked as Naruto gave him a puzzled look.

"The "Virus"? Like a cold or infection?" Naruto asked, Nenchou shaking his head in the negative.

"No Naruto-chan, it has no name. It has been called the "Virus" for as long as the heavens resided above the earth." Nenchou started as Naruto listened on intently, greatly interested by what the elder had to say.

"From the time of our ancestors, even before then when the heavens were still young, the "Virus" has plagued these mountains. It is not something that is simply a disease that can be cured, it is something much more corrupt and evil. The "Virus" is what caused that beast to attack you, it was difference in appearance no?" Nenchou explained as Naruto nodded, the blonde remembering the look of the big cat.

"Yeah, it was covered in a blackish purple aura and its eyes had a red glow to them." Naruto answered as Nenchou nodded his head.

"That, Naruto-chan, was the work of the "Virus". It corrupts everything that it touches." Nenchou said as Naruto slowly digested the information before his eye widened.

"W-Wait, does that mean that I..." He trailed off, Nenchou nodding his head sadly.

"You have noticed it as well haven't you Naruto-chan? The "Virus" is already incubating inside of you." He said as Naruto's eye widened, the blonde ripping away the bandages only to gasp.

In place of unmarred and healed flesh was a flesh that had a blackish purple tint to it, like a nasty bruise left to fester. Shakily raising his hand, he touched it and dropped to his knees when pain like no other exploded from the area, Naruto gritting his teeth to prevent himself from shouting in pain. As it began to spread, it suddenly dulled before fading away. Cracking his eye open, he saw that Nenchou had his hands covered in a green glow, placing them over his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Naruto-chan, I should have warned you not to irritate the infected area." Nenchou said in a guilty tone as Naruto shook his head.

"N-No, it's my fault Nenchou-sama. I should've known better then to touch it." Naruto said as he winced when he moved his shoulder.

"Is... Is there anything I can do to get rid of it Nenchou-sama? I... I don't want to leave Hisako alone." Naruto asked the elder, the man looking at him with pity and sympathy.

"I do not know Naruto-chan. For generations, our village has been free from the grip of the "Virus."" He said as Naruto's head dropped, the blonde clenching his fists tightly in frustration.

"Damn it... If only I dodged that cat." He growled out in anger, pounding the ground before Nenchou stopped him.

"Naruto-chan, please calm down! Negative emotions like anger and rage only serve to fuel the spread of the "Virus."" Nenchou explained as the blonde's eye widened.

Taking a deep breath, he forcibly calmed himself down as Nenchou led them to a pristine and crystal clear lake teeming with life. Sitting by the water's edge, Naruto and Nenchou remained silent as the elderly man gave him a concerned look, Naruto staring blankly off into space. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he released a sigh.

"So... There's no cure huh, Nenchou-sama?" Naruto asked in an empty tone, the elderly man patting him on the back.

"I'm sorry Naruto-chan, there is not one that I have heard of." He answered as Naruto nodded his head sadly, a few tears falling down his face as Nenchou's eyes widened at the scene.

"Naruto-chan, why are you crying? It will be many years until the "Virus" finishes incubating, at least twenty years!" He said in an attempt to halt his tears.

"I couldn't care less about myself Nenchou-sama... I just don't know what to tell Hisako..." He said in low tone, Nenchou's blinking in surprise before a sad smile came to his face.

"You really care for her don't you Naruto-chan?" He asked as Naruto looked at him with a happy smile despite the tears.

"I love her more then life itself Nenchou-sama. If she's not around, life isn't worth living." He said as Nenchou smiled softly, knowing what he meant.

"Naruto-chan, while there is no cure, perhaps a certain place will have some knowledge about delaying the spread of the "Virus."" Nenchou said as Naruto looked at him in hope.

"It is forbidden for anyone, insider or outsider, to venture to but beyond this mountain is a certain area. It is not forbidden because of something valuable but because of what was said to have been sealed there." Nenchou explained as Naruto listened intently.

"What is sealed inside was said to have been a bringer of death and destruction. It is the origin of the "Virus" and perhaps the key to understanding and finding a way to delay its spread." He continued as Naruto froze, the words of Chikara and Fuku echoing in his mind.

"N-Nenchou-sama... T-That thing sealed away, i-it couldn't be, could it?" He asked in a terrified and shaky tone, Nenchou seeming to understand his words as he nodded.

"That's correct Naruto-chan. What is sealed inside isn't something that belongs in this world. What's sealed inside, is a dragon." He said as Naruto's eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

"S-So they are real?" He asked as Nenchou nodded in confirmation to his question.

"Our village was said to have been the home to a very select few who had formed contracts with them. Unbelievable as it may sound, according to the legends it is as true as the heaven and earth themselves." Nenchou explained as Naruto nodded his head shakily.

"So Naruto-chan, what is your answer? Knowing that an evil greater then anything in this world is sealed away there, will you go in search of an answer?" Nenchou asked as Naruto stared at him, unease swimming in his eyes.

"I..." He began, fear coursing through his veins as he took in the information that it was able to erase all life that came in contact with it.

"I..." He repeated, snapping his eye shut as he struggled for an answer to Nenchou's question.

"_**It is only natural to feel fear, Naruto.**_" A voice echoed in the recesses of Naruto's mind, his eye widening when he heard it.

"_**To feel fear, it only means that you are alive and aware of your own power.**_" It continued as Naruto strained to remember who it belonged to.

"_**Do I feel fear? Of course I feel fear, those who do not feel fear are only denying themselves of their most basic instinct. To know fear, is to know why you are weak. And to know why you are weak is to know how to become stronger. So, embrace your fears and become a predator unlike any other**_." The voice finished as Naruto grimaced, the hazy image of something coming and fading before he felt Nenchou shaking his shoulder gently.

"Naruto-chan! Naruto-chan, are you ok?" He asked in a worried tone, Naruto taking a deep breath before nodding.

"Nenchou-sama, I want to go there. Even if I don't find an answer there, I will have at least tried." He said in a confident tone, Nenchou blinking in surprise before smiling and nodding.

"Is that so? Then, let us prepare for your journey." Nenchou said as he led him back to the village.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"**ROOOARRR!**" A demonic sounding roar echoed from the depths of a pitch black chamber, the contaminated air a hazy black and purple as the glint of black, purple and a brilliant gold flashed before being consumed by the darkness once more.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's a wrap. In case you didn't know, Chikara and Fuku are from a filler episode and they're here cause they fit the bill. Other then that, looks like Naruto's beginning to get a bit of his memories back eh? Who knows how much longer it'll take before he remembers the big stuff. The village is based off of Cathar with a lot more people and houses and shops, so I can assume you all know who the dragon is, or do you hmm? So yeah, that's about it, been thinking of another OC so it'll be interesting with them, Tatsuko, and Naruto when they inevitably meet up. **


	28. Chapter 26

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you a new chapter. This time, we're reaching a pretty important plot point I believe. Nothing too exciting happening, bringing in a new girl that'll play a pretty important role later. Other then that, got my finals coming up so that kinda affected this chapter cause I'm freaking out man. You other brave guys and gals who are in the same boat as me, I hope we all survive and do well enough on our finals to enjoy our beautiful summer. Well, you know the drill right? Read, Enjoy/Hate, Review, PM for Q's and repeat. Well then, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 26

Arriving back to Tengai no Sato, Nenchou instructed Naruto to say his goodbyes to Hisako, stating that she couldn't journey together with him. About to protest, they died in his throat when Nenchou asked if he wanted her to be susceptible to the Virus. That alone halted all of the protests that were in the midst of being released, Naruto nodding his head softly as Nenchou patted him on the shoulder in a knowing manner. Watching Nenchou head into the building that held the council, Naruto took a deep breath before making his way over to Hisako, the children who were playing with her pausing for a few seconds before smiling at him as the blonde smiled back.

"Hisako-neechan, your boyfriend is here!" A younger girl called out, Hisako flinching and flushing at the statement.

"N-Naruto isn't my b-boyfriend!" Hisako said in an embarrassed tone, the other children laughing at her expression.

"Hey, Hisako. Could I talk to you? It's about something important." Naruto said in an unusually serious tone, getting the attention of her and the children gathered around.

"U-Umm, sure..." Hisako said in a worried tone as the children, sensing that it wasn't their place to be, left them alone.

Taking her gently by the hand, he led her back to their cart. Taking a deep and slightly shaky breath, causing the silverette's own breath to hitch when she sensed how nervous and stressed he was, she reached out and took his hand. Blinking a little in surprise, Naruto let a small appear on his face as he squeezed her hand gently. Feeling the tension leave his body, Hisako lifted her head and faced him as Naruto took one last breath to prepare himself.

"Hisako. Do you remember that mountain lion that attacked us? The one that bit me?" He asked as he felt her squeeze his hands tighter, a silent confirmation that she did.

Calming her down, he told her what Nenchou had told him. Going over what was different and wrong with the mountain lion, why it was so aggressive and why it attacked them, he had to steel himself when he saw her lower her head. When he got to the fact that he wouldn't live past his prime, that's when she choked out a sob, her bandages becoming stained with tears as Naruto held her. Giving her a few moments to cry into his chest, he continued with his story, stating that Nenchou had told him of a possible way to rid himself of the Virus or at least delay it until his death.

When started to explain that he wouldn't be part of this world for long, Hisako stopped him dead in the middle of his explanation. Sighing softly, he knew why she stopped him when her sobs started to increase a bit in volume. Wrapping her tightly in a hug, he held her close and opted to just tell her that he would be leaving for a few days. When she heard him, she looked up at him in a mix of fear, concern and disbelief. But before she could voice her concerns, he leaned down and connected his forehead with hers. Staying in that position for a few seconds, Hisako eventually surrendered to his will, choosing to trust him and his judgment.

"P-Please, Naruto... P-Promise me that you'll come back. That you won't l-leave me behind, that I won't be a-alone again..." Hisako whimpered, Naruto feeling his heard bleed at the desperation and sorrow that her voice was thick with.

"I promise Hisako. You know that I can't let you be alone." He said in a calm and soothing tone, Hisako nodding softly as she squeezed him tighter.

Spending a few more minutes in the comforting embrace of the other, Naruto and Hisako eventually parted. Leading her arm in arm, they made their way to the center of the village where the villagers were waiting for them. Nenchou having explained the situation and what was going on with the blonde. Many giving him slightly tense looks, they softened considerably when Nenchou explained to them what he wanted to search for and hopefully find, a way to delay the Virus in order to spend more time with Hisako. Once the situation was fully explained, a family of one of the girls who Hisako had bonded with. Finally, after saying that he'd be gone for no more then a few days, a week at most, Naruto packed a backpack full of supplies before he was ready to leave the village.

"Naruto-chan, be safe you hear? If things get dangerous, just come right back." Nenchou said as he gave the young man a stern look, the blonde nodding in return.

Getting more words of safe return and supplies from the other villagers, he thanked them one by one for their kindness and generosity. Giving a few of the children who had declared him as a older brother figure a brief by warm hug, he finally turned to face the last person to bid his farewells to. Standing there, trembling heavily, was Hisako who was doing everything in her power to avoid sobbing in front of him. His eyes softening greatly, he moved slowly towards her before she collided her body with his. A bit surprised by her sudden and forceful action, he quickly wrapped her up in a warm and comforting embrace as she finally began to sob in his chest.

"It's ok Hisako. I'll be back in a week, and I will come back safe and sound. So don't make that face ok?" Naruto whispered to her, rubbing her back gently as her sobs took a quick increase in volume before she reigned them back to an inaudible level.

"D-Don't forget about our p-promise, Naruto..." She sobbed, the blonde nodded as he gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"I won't Hisako. You stay safe and listen to what Aragi-san says alright?" He asked as she nodded, a small smile appearing on his face as he gave her one last squeeze.

Pulling away, he stopped when he saw Hisako unwind and pull off her scarf. With curiosity, he was stunned when she wrapped it around his neck. Before he could ask, she gave him a quick peck on the cheek, her own face crimson by the time she pulled back. Stunned, he smiled softly before returning the gesture. With that, Naruto set off for the furthest mountain in the range. A determined look on his face, he tightened his hands into fists as he made his way towards the seal and hopefully, to a cure for the Virus.

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

(Scene Change - Tenmon Mountain Range)

Nearly after a day of nonstop hiking, Naruto finally decided to take a break on a nearby outcropping of rock. Sitting down, he pulled out a water bottle and took a long gulp before checking the map that Nenchou had given him. According to the elders, the closer that one got to the seal the more the corruption and the Virus seemed to run rampant. Wincing as he felt the cold spread of the Virus through his own body, unconsciously holding his tainted shoulder, he could only hope that what he found at the end of his journey would be worth the effort of not only himself but everyone who supported and helped him.

"Somehow, I get the feeling something big is going to happen..." He whispered as he moved to stand up, the wind blowing his golden locks and caressing his face.

Pushing forward, Naruto felt a chill run down his spine when he passed another pool of black and purple, the corpses of many animals lingering in and out of the liquid. Shaking his head to rid himself of the horrible sight, he stopped and began to sweat slightly when he saw a large ram looking down at him. Normally, he wouldn't have been so affected by such a beast, as even the alphas of their herds will normally leave humans alone unless provoked.

However, the notable discoloration of its hide and fur, a dark purple hue all over the body was a big sign of danger to the blonde. In addition, the ram's eyes being a bright red and the a dark purple smoke it huffed from its mouth pointed to the obvious signs of being infected with the Virus. Letting out a shrill and distorted bleat, it charged down the mountain and straight at Naruto.

"Damn!" He cursed under his breath, having hoped to avoid any more contact with infected animals in order to stop his own infection from spreading.

Sidestepping, the ram ran past him and collided with the side of the mountain. Expecting it to have been knocked unconscious or at least stunned, Naruto's eye widened when he saw the ram shake off the blow and turn to face him once more. Lowering its head, it charged with twice the speed it had before as Naruto took the brunt of the blow, a shout of pain leaving his throat.

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the ram by its horns before roughly jerking its head to the side, forcing it to collided with the mountain once more. Panting as he placed his hands over his bruised and possibly fractured ribs, Naruto tensed as the ram let out another crazed bleat as it charged him again. This time, Naruto narrowed his eye as he took a deep breath, his body relaxing as the frenzied ram collided with him once more.

Wrapping his arms around the neck of the animal, Naruto shifted his body and in turn the ram as well. Forcibly craning the beast's neck, he jerked his arms and the neck of the animal with an heavy deal of force, the result being a loud and sharp snap of the ram's neck. The beast dropping instantly, its body twitched and spasmed as the neural signals from his brain to its muscles sparked sporadically. Seeing as it was no doubt dead, Naruto released an exhausted sigh before apologizing for killing something that he wasn't going to eat. Hoping that the beast's carcass wouldn't go to waste, Naruto continued on with his journey, only two days from his destination.

(Scene Change - Konoha)

The year following the death of Naruto, Konoha didn't appear to have changed much except the increase in security. Those who were close to the blonde took his death rather harshly, particularly those who were extremely close with him. Many of those who changed were, of course, his family members. Minato and Kushina having thrown themselves into their training even more harshly then they have in the past, vowing to never have an incident even have the possibility of occurring again. The death of their firstborn created a rift between the two that threatened to rip the them and their family apart had something strange not have occurred that fateful night.

(Flashback - Nine Months Ago)

(Scene Change - Konoha: Uzumaki-Namikaze Estate)

Sniffling with her eyes still red and puffy from the seemingly endless stream of tears that fell from her eyes, Kushina was going through Naruto's photo album for the umpteenth time. Even after nearly three months of grieving, the redhead had still not gotten over the fact that her oldest son had actually left her. Kushina had been the only one in the village who had not managed to come to terms with his death, Minato having urged her that he wouldn't have wanted her to have continued to grieve for him like she was doing.

It was because of those words that the two of them began to drift apart, Kushina believing that Minato had forgotten about him and wanted her to forget about him as well. Of course, his intention wasn't anything like that, wanting Kushina to overcome her grieve and move on with everyone one else. Though all of that went over the head of the redhead, her grief having clouded her judgment and her emotions dictating her actions.

"Kushina... Are you ok?" Minato called out, knocking on the door softly as she sniffled once more.

After their initial fight, Kushina had moved out of their room, the redhead having taken refuge in what used to be Naruto's room. Though it was bare, Kushina took comfort in the fact that the room still held her son's warmth, no matter how little. Pinning the few photos that had Naruto smiling in them on the wall to remind herself that her son did, in fact smile, she remodeled the room into a haven of sorts to preserve his memory. However, that haven was being threatened once again by her husband.

"What do you need Minato?" She asked in a quiet but hardy tone, Minato's eyes softening as he took a step into the room.

Seeing him once again so concerned for her, her resolve withered but came back a bit when she remembered why he was here. Taking a shaky breath, she turned away from him, wanting to avoid looking to his concerned cerulean pools. Hearing him approach her, she tensed when she felt him wrap his arms around her and pull her into a warm embrace. Feeling his warmth and concern radiate off of him like a miniature sun, her bottom lip quivered as she snapped her eyes shut to stop the impeding flow of tears.

"Kushi-chan... It's been exactly three months today you know... He wouldn't want you to be grieving for this long you know..." He whispered into her ear before giving her another squeeze and a kiss on the cheek.

"I... I can't Mina-kun... I'm afraid... I'm afraid that if I stop, I'll forget about him and my Naru-chan will leave me forever..." She whimpered, tears streaming down her face as Minato's own began to fall as well.

"Naruto will never leave any of us Kushina, he'll always be with us inside of our hearts. I'm sorry... I'm sorry for making you think that I was pushing for you to forget about him." He whispered to her, Kushina turning to bury her face into his chest as he accepted her fully.

Sitting together like that, their hearts open and free from any lingering lies, they basked in the comfort and warmth of the other. The past three months were full of nothing but senseless violence and arguments, nearly tearing their already fragile family apart. Leaning deeper into him, Minato obligated her wordless request for more warmth by holding her tighter.

While they were making up for lost time spent arguing, outside of the door Mito, Narumi and Menma were doing their best to not tear up at the sight. Narumi and Menma had failed, both having tears falling from their eyes while Mito quickly wiped hers away before they could fall. They weren't the only trio peeping as Tsunade, Orochimaru and Jiraiya were also watching the tender scene from outside with tears in their eyes. Tsunade and Jiraiya were openly crying, the two blowing their noses with the tissues sitting beside them. Orochimaru wasn't as vocal watching the bittersweet scene, opting to remain silent as the tears fell from his eyes with a straight face.

Later that night, for the first time in three months, the entire family had a dinner all together. Smiles and laughs filling their home, the enjoyed a night filled with the love and company of each other.

(Flashback - End)

Their family since then has been much stronger then they were in the past, Mito, Menma and Narumi having all honed their skills to a much sharper degree and had all officially become appetencies of Orochimaru, Jiraiya and Tsunade, respectively. However, it wasn't just them and their family that had changed. Narumi had also made a shocking revelation to the entirety of the village when she announced that she had no interest in men, crushing the hearts of many of her admirers when Hinata and herself became a public item.

At first, it sparked an outrage and outcry against the two, many demanding that it was a ploy created to draw attention to their clans and stop all possible suitors from attempting to marry into the family. But those negative thoughts were shot down and burned when an enraged Kushina, Minato, Hiashi and Haruka defended their daughter's decision. After that, though there were many negative opinions of the two, they ignored all of those who opposed their choice and opted to look on the positive side of things. They had family members who they trusted and loved, support them and that was all that they needed, along with each other of course.

With Menma, he had finally gained enough courage to ask Ayame out on a date only to find that she wasn't interested in the young man, having a slight preference to older men. After that and a week of intensive training by both Jiraiya and his father, he was up and out of his depressive slump. It was during that time that Menma ran into Haku, and began to fall of the raven haired girl. At first, it was a simple attraction due to her beauty but when Menma wound up in the hospital due to an accident with Mito and Narumi, he began to fall for her kindness and attentiveness to her patients. However, like many others before him, Menma soon learned why she was garnered with the title of "Ice Princess" and it wasn't just due to her Kekkei Genkai.

Shooting him down a few seconds after opening his mouth, Menma learned that she wasn't looking for a relationship anytime soon. However, the blonde didn't let it affect him as he told her that he would be the one to melt the ice around her heart. But what he didn't expect was the sad smile that appeared.

(Flashback - A Five Months Ago)

(Scene Change - Konoha: Konoha Hospital - Waiting Room)

"Haku-chan, are you sure you don't want to go out? I know I'm being annoying but I just want to get to know you better is all!" Menma asked, the raven haired beauty before him giving him an annoyed sigh while the other employees gave the blonde knowing looks.

"I've told you this before Menma-san, but I simply don't have any interest in being in a relationship." Haku said as Menma visibly deflated at her answer.

"Haku-chan, if you'd let me! I want to be the one to thaw the ice around your heart, to show you what love is! And I'm not talking about the kind of love between family members or friends!" Menma announced, a few of the girls in the waiting room blushing and giggling at his declaration.

"I'm sorry Menma-san, but someone has already done that for me." Haku said with a sad smile on her face, Menma instantly freezing when he saw it, along with everyone else in the vicinity.

"I-I'm sorry Haku-chan... I didn't know... C-Could I ask w-who it was?" He asked, the others in the room also very interested in what her answer was.

A fond smile appearing on her face, the raven haired beauty let her mind wander to the happier times that she shared with the man of her dreams. Golden blonde locks blowing in the wind, a gentle and handsome smile on his face, navy blue eyes filled with mirth and warmth. A fell from her eye, stunning everyone, she moved to wipe it away before taking a breath to ease her aching heart. Looking back at the blonde before her, she saw that he didn't have the same warmth that blonde that she loved had. To be honest, no one she had met since his passing had even a fraction of the warmth he had.

"I'm sorry Menma-san, but I would prefer not to talk about him... My heart still aches when I do." Haku said in a soft tone before bowing and excusing herself, moving back into the wing where her patients laid.

(Flashback - End)

After that encounter, Menma had toned down his attempts at flirting considerably. Though, that's not to say he had given up on her. Like many others, he hoped that one day she would accept one of his invitations to have lunch or dinner with him.

With the final member of the Uzumaki-Namikaze children, Mito had shown no interest in romance or love much like her mentor. Opting to convert all of her time and energy into her training, she spent most of her days training or cooking, something she had picked up from her older brother. When she wasn't doing either, she was often found spending time with Satsuki, Yakumo and Haku, the four having bonded rather closely after the death of their beloved blonde. Be it shopping, having lunch or simply catching up, the four were part of an exclusive and elusive set of young girls who were dubbed "untouchable" based on their number of rejections to those who crushed on them.

Though, Mito always found time to spend with her family members. With her increased skill in the culinary arts, she was often the one to cook at their home, Kushina impressed and thankful for her help. She would often join her other godparents in training, her father in learning about politics, and her siblings with training and simply talking. She made it her mission to ensure that nothing as tragic as losing her older brother ever happened again, and it was reflected in the dedication that she had for learning how to protect them and the rest of her family.

With most of the other ninja who they graduated with, they weren't too affected with the passing of the blonde as most had little to no interactions with him. The most affected was Sasuke as the raven haired youth had considered the blonde as a rival and an obstacle to surpass and hopefully even fight. Though, after his passing Sasuke and Menma had become closer friends.

Yakumo and Satsuki had become much closer since the death of their teammate. The two were now among the top of their generation not only for kunoichi but ninja in general. Anko had made sure that they were prepared for anything, and everything. That was shown during a mission gone wrong, a team they were with being separated and ambushed during another escort mission. At first panic set in but they quickly recovered and cleared the mission without any major injuries or incidents occurring. Individually, the two both made chūnin at the last chūnin exams which were held in Suna.

The two meeting each other at the finals, they fought to a draw before the referee stopped them from harming themselves and each other anymore then they already had. Once they were promoted, they were paired up with Haku, Anko remaining as their leader. The newly formed Team 12 was always efficient with their time and training, having become one of Konoha's top, all for the one they loved.

Haku had asked to become Tsunade's apprentice as well but was rejected due to Narumi already being hers. However, when Haku stated that she just wanted to better her knowledge of iryō ninjutsu, she was placed under Shizune as an apprentice. At first things were a bit tense, due to their lack of knowledge and understanding of the other. But soon, they became close friends and even closer when they shared stories about the blonde that they loved. The two of them having came to terms with his death, they found comfort in the fact that they found someone else who still didn't feel like involving themselves with romance.

As for Zabuza and Anko, they had gotten married a few months ago, stunning a few but it was mostly unsurprising for the general public who knew how close the two of them were. When they first announced it, Haku had fainted as did Kurenai, the two unable to take the fact that the person closest to them had taken such a huge step forward. The wedding itself was very simple, the couple having invited a few of their closest friends to attend. Afterwards, the two moved in together while Haku had moved out to live with Satsuki and Yakumo, much to Zabuza's horror.

It wasn't after a few days of persuasion from the two people he loved that he reluctantly let her go, though he checked up on her twice a week, where he became good friends with Fugaku and Murakumo as they were all overprotective and overbearing fathers. It was two months ago, however, that they broke the news that Anko was pregnant that really threw their friends for a loop.

(Flashback - A Two Months Ago)

(Scene Change - Konoha: Shopping District)

"So, how're things going you two?" Kurenai asked as she held the hand of her own man before moving it up to flick the cancerous stick out of his mouth.

"Things have been going great Nai-chan, Zabuza has been nothing but good to me." She said in a loving tone as she snuggled up against her husband, to his embarrassment.

"Anko, didn't we talk about doing this in public?" He asked in a flustered tone, Anko and Kurenai simply giggling at his embarrassed state as Asuma patted him on the back.

"Hey, consider yourself lucky Zabuza. Kurenai hates when I do stuff like that." Asuma said before yelping a bit as the woman in question jabbed in lightly in the ribs.

Talking happily and laughing before they split up, Kurenai and Asuma were a little bit perplexed when they lost sight of their best friends. However, they became stunned and shocked when they found the other couple shopping in a store dedicated to babies. Turning a bit pale, they stiffly made their way over and froze when they saw the two laughing while picking out a crib and stroller. When they finally got themselves together, they had attracted the attention of a few of their other friends as Anko and Zabuza walked out with their purchases.

"You're pregnant?!" Kurenai, Shizune, Yugao and Kagura shouted with wide eyes as they stared at the blushing Anko before them.

"Yeah, I am."She said in an embarrassed tone, Zabuza laughing wryly beside him as the women subjected him to an intense glare.

"H-How far along are you Anko-chan?" Shizune asked as Anko smiled at her, holding Zabuza's hand as he smiled back at her.

"From what Tsunade-sama told us at her last check-up, Anko is two months pregnant." Zabuza said in a happy tone, the women quickly losing their glares when they saw how happy the two of them were.

"Congrats you two, I was wondering when you'd seal the deal." Genma said with a smirk on his face as the two flushed, getting a laugh from everyone else.

"Well I say we celebrate! There's no shame in creating life!" Ibiki shouted as the others quickly agreed, the group heading towards their favorite yakitori stand as the owner gave the soon to be parents their first plates on the house.

(Flashback - End)

(Scene Change - Konoha: Momochi Residence)

With the Momochi family now, Anko was nestled in Zabuza's arms as they watched TV. Reaching over and taking a few pieces of caramel popcorn from the bowl next to them, Zabuza popped one into his mouth and one into the waiting mouth of his wife. Laughing a bit as he took in her euphoric and radiant expression, he was subjected to a slightly angry pout before Anko smiled brightly and kissed him. Releasing a sigh, they snuggled a bit deeper into the other before Anko spoke.

"It still feels like a dream Zabuza... And if it is one, I don't wanna wake up..." Anko said in a happy tone, Zabuza hugging her in return.

"I know what you mean Anko, I can't believe I'm married to such a wonderful woman. Me, Zabuza Momochi, the Demon of the Hidden Mist, is now a married man." He chuckled as Anko grinned up at him before capturing his lips in another quick kiss.

"Well now you're all mine and I don't plan on sharing!" She quipped as he grinned down at her, kissing her in agreement.

"I wonder if he'd be happy for us..." Anko said in a somber tone, the mood becoming a bit heavier until Zabuza nuzzled his forehead against hers.

"You know he'd be happy for the both of us, at least after being pissed at me for getting you pregnant like Satsuki, Yakumo and Haku were." He said in a joking knowing tone, Anko giggling as she remembered the chaos of her husband being hunted down by her students.

"You're right, what am I saying. He'd be our little guy's godfather no doubt if he were still here." Anko said as Zabuza nodded in agreement shifting his arms to wrap around her slightly distended stomach.

"You know, I've been thinking about a name for our little guys." Anko said as Zabuza gave her a surprised look at her statement.

"I've been wondering, how do you know it's going to be a boy?" Zabuza asked as Anko stared at him like he was crazy before giggling.

"Oh, that's right you wouldn't know Zabuza. I never understood when I heard other mothers say it, but I just know that it'll be a boy." She said as Zabuza blinked in surprise before he started laughing at her statement.

"I believe you Anko, you've been right about a lot of things." He said as she smiled at him before leaning into him a bit more.

"Naruto... Naruto Momochi..." She whispered in a soft and loving tone, Zabuza's eyes widening a bit before they softened and closed slightly.

"Naruto huh? I think Naruto is a great name..." He whispered back as he rested his head on hers, Anko nuzzling the crook of his neck as they slowly drifted to sleep.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Uzumaki-Namikaze Estate)

In their room, Minato and Kushina were snuggling with each other as they talked about their family vacation that they hoped to leave on in the future. After a few months of stressful situations, they found that they had a few weeks to relax and bond provided they pan out what they wanted to do. Now, they were looking through a catalogue filled with various travel destinations which included popular tourist spots, the best restaurants and the finest beaches. A bit excited, the two laughed when they imaged what would happen if they brought their family to the beach, the chaos that would ensue due to Jiraiya would no doubt cause Orochimaru and Tsunade to brain him for his misdeeds.

"Well, these countries are either neutral or on good terms with Konoha so these are the preferred destinations Kushi-chan." Minato said as he circled the least hostile areas, Kushina's eyes shining as she scanned the page.

"Oh, Ichiba no Sato! I heard that it's well known for its restaurants and shopping centers! I hear that the Umaretsuki restaurant is a must if we go there!" Kushina said in an excited tone as Minato chuckled.

"Well that's not the only place we can head to Kushi-chan, we can also head to Kumo for the cuisine there as well as visit A-san! My only regret is that we are unable to visit Iwa, the hot springs there are some of the finest around." Minato said as Kushina beamed at him, the two laughing as they scanned and circled their top choices.

As the day slowly turned to night, Konoha settled into another peaceful and amiable night.

(Time Skip - Two Days Later)

(Scene Change - Tenmon Mountain Range)

Releasing an exhausted sigh, Naruto winced as he gently gripped his bandaged forearm, a result of another attack by another infected mountain lion. Over the course of the past few days, he was attack by many more animals then he expected. It wasn't until he arrived at the base of the final mountain that he saw the reason for the attacks. The patches and pools of the Virus now filled the air, a visible hazy cloud of contamination. The entire mountain was coated in a thick cloud of the Virus, a stark contrast to the relatively clean and clear mountains that he scaled on the way here.

"It's so cold..." Naruto whispered as he tightened the red scarf that Hisako had given him, the piece of fabric doing little to stave off the chill that seemed to invade his very soul.

Moving around the mountain, Naruto blinked in surprise when he saw an overgrown and worn down looking stairway ascending up the mountain. Moving towards it, he flinched when he saw the corpses of many more animals and paled a bit when he saw the skeletal remains of a few humans. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he braved the stairway, noting that the higher he went the colder it seemed to get inside of him.

Stopping about midway up the stairway, Naruto felt a wave of pain surge through him as he started to cough violently. Covering his mouth with his hand in an attempt to drown out the sound to avoid attracting attention. Pulling his hand away, his eye widened in fear and horror when he saw that splotches of blood and black liquid covered his hand. His breath becoming ragged and his eye dilating, he had to forcibly calm himself as Nenchou's words about negative emotions spreading the Virus came to mind. Taking a deep and shaky breath, he managed to calm his ragged breathing though his heart was pounding in fear.

"I-I need to get up there fast." Naruto said in a shaky tone, moving faster then before to ascend the stairway as the fear of death lingered in his heart.

(Scene Change - Tenmon Mountain Range: Mount Seidou)

Arriving at the summit of Mount Seidou, Naruto's eye widened when he saw what was before him. Everything was covered in a thick cloud of the Virus, the corpses and remains of various animals and humans scattered across the grounds. Again, a surge of pain ripped through him, bringing him to his knees as he vomited a mix of blood and the black liquid that covered the grounds around him. Panic and fear now filling his being, he shakily stood up and sprinted towards the large temple that was before him.

Reaching it, he entered and saw that its interior was even more contaminated then the exterior, the remains of once living beings littered across the rotting floorboards. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he carefully made his way inside the temple, avoid the various holes that dotted the floor. When he reached the far end of the room, he saw a large scroll encased in glass, the skeletal hand of a less fortunate human resting upon it. Carefully moving the hand away, he lifted the glass case and picked the scroll up.

"T-This must be it... The cure for the Virus, or at least a recipe to create something to slow it down." Naruto whispered as he opened the scroll, quickly scanning it before he slowed.

It was completely blank. It was a clean and unmarred scroll. Rescanning it in disbelief, he dropped it as it slowly began to turn black from the pool of black that it had fallen in, Naruto falling to his knees with his eyes widened in incredulity. Lurching forward, he vomited once more, this time a much larger amount as pain continued to rack his body. Falling onto his side, he clutched his chest as it felt as though something was tearing him from the inside out. His eye snapping open, he used his forearm to brace him up as he turned and vomited once more.

"Guh, i-it hurts. I-It hurts so much... And it's so c-cold..." Naruto whimpered as he grit his teeth, wiping away the trail of black that left the corner of his mouth.

Staggering as he forced himself up, he used the stand that held the stroll as a crutch as he steadied himself. His breath becoming ragged, he forcibly pushed his body as he stood up. Glancing around, he spotted the gleam of something and looked at it before freezing on the spot, his eye wide open. It was a mirror, an untarnished and clean mirror that reflected his own horrific reflection.

"N-No..." His whispered as he glanced at his reflection, the fear and horror in his eyes barely detectable through the red of his normally navy blue.

The discoloration of his tan skin and golden locks, a dark purple hue all over his body. His eyes being a bright red in contrast to their usual navy. The a dark purple smoke he started to huff as his breathing started to get ragged once again. He wasn't just infected anymore, he had progressed far past that. As he looked at the horrible visage of himself, he saw the stray tear that fell from his eye, instead of being a pure as a pearl it had a tainted purple and black color as it fell.

"I'm too late..." He whispered as more tears began to fall, his arms falling limply to his side.

As he began to fall into his own sorrow and despair, a strange and seemingly primal anger started to bubble up from inside of him. His shaky body steeling itself as a strange surge of adrenaline and energy raced through it, he let out an angry yell before picking up the stand he was leaning on and throwing it at his reflection, the sharp sound of glass shattering echoing loudly as Naruto raged about, destroying everything that was near him.

"Why! Why was it me! Why didn't I just kill that cat when I saw it!" He roared as black and crimson charka started to dance madly around him, blowing everything around him away.

Punching the flooring of the temple, it trembled as the force of the blow sent a shockwave through its foundations. Pulling his arm back, he let out another cry of anger before punching the floor once more. Repeating the process over and over again, the old temple began to shake until Naruto reigned in enough of his sanity to leave before he caused any more damage to the historical building.

"W-What's happening to me..." He said in a pained tone as he clutched his head, rage beginning to fill his being as he staggered around the area.

Weakly lifting his head, his eye widened when he saw that the temple was resting in front of a large boulder. Making his way towards it, he saw that it had the kanji for "imprison", "rage", "death", "eternal", "endless" and "dragon" on it. When he spotted the last kanji, something inside of him resonated with the stone, causing him to reach out towards it. Upon contact, the black and crimson chakra that danced madly around him flowed into the seal as it began to glow with a matching color.

Then, the sound of something cracking echoed before the seals on the stone shattered. As the seals crumbled, the boulder began to crack as well before it was reduced into a fine powder. As soon as the remains of the boulder were blown away by the wind, a torrent of unending darkness flowed out of the tunnel, consuming the area and soon the heavens as well as everything turned as black as night. Standing completely frozen, Naruto could only stiffly crane his neck upwards and watch in fear as the once bright and blue skies were painted a tainted black and purple.

(Scene Change - Tengai no Sato)

"I-Impossible... T-There must be a mistake..." Nenchou said in a horrified and fearful tone as he took notice of the flow of darkness into the heavens above Mount Seidou.

The rest of the villagers watching on with fear filled eyes, they could only hope for a quick demise as a large cloud of corruption started to form from the endless stream of darkness flowing into it. Standing with her hands wrapped around a pendant that contained a picture of herself and the person she loved, Hisako had her head down as she hummed a somber and hopeful tone, sending her prayers to the one person who she knew needed it.

"Naruto... Please, come back to me..." She whispered as the cloud continued to grow in size.

(Scene Change - Tenmon Mountain Range: Mount Seidou Summit)

Terror. Despair. Agony. Rage. Betrayal. A myriad of emotions ripped through Naruto's psyche as he was caught inside of the unending torrent of black. Gritting his teeth, he managed to steel enough of his resolve and sanity to enter the cave, knowing that what was would either save or end him.

(Scene Change - Tenmon Mountain Range: Mount Seidou Summit - Sanctuary)

Darkness. That was all that Naruto was able to see as he traversed the interior of the cave. Using the wall of the cave as a means to navigate it, Naruto eventually found himself in a large open area. A series of rocky outcroppings, fractured ground, long, dry grass and the air heavy and thick with black and purple particles flashing with the small column of light shining from the tiny hole above, Naruto found himself feeling like he was being watched. No, being watched would imply that someone or thing was looking at or observing attentively, typically over a period of time. Naruto wasn't being watched, he was being hunted. Every move he made, every breath he drew, every twitch of his muscles, it was all being recorded and stored away by whatever it was that was hunting him. Then, he saw it.

A brief flash of black, purple and gold caught his eye, the blonde snapping his head to face the direction it had flickered from. A bead of sweat running down the side of his head, he heard something scratch the ground as he snapped his head around to face its source. Seeing nothing once more, he began to breath harder, sweat falling freely as he backed himself into the single column of light shining in the center of the cave. When he arrived at the beacon, he was once again met with the sound of something brushing past the long grass that was scattered across the cave floor. Then he froze, his spine stiffening up as he felt and heard the breathing of something behind him. Slowly turning around, Naruto's heart stopped beating when he saw what it was that was hunting him.

Its body was covered in dark exoskeleton plates, its fanged jaws that were actually parts of its external armor plates. Possessing six limbs, including the clawed wings on its back. The unique feature of its wings, were that they were covered in jet-black fur that resemble a tattered and ragged cape. The claws on its wings, seeming to be extremely prehensile and even seemed to possess opposable thumbs, were spread out in front of and to the side of Naruto. However, the most striking thing about the monster before him was that one "arm" of its wings were partially covered in golden scales, a stark contrast to the black and purple that covered a majority of its body, along with a partially golden "feeler" while the other was purple.

"W-What are you..." Naruto whispered as the monster before him took a deep intake of air before letting out a devastating roar that nearly permanently stopped the blonde's heart.

The force of the roar causing the entire mountain to shake, it sent Naruto flying as the monster charged at him in an almost mad state. Hitting the ground, Naruto felt his entire body ache and throb from the force of the monster's roar, managing to get to his feet in time to avoid being in line with its charge. Getting to his feet, his eye went wide when he saw the large scar in the cave floor from the monster's charge, having gouged out an enormous chunk o earth during its attack.

Turning towards him, he could only stare as he locked gazes with the monster. Like himself, the monster before him had a glowing red eye, filled with nothing but bloodlust and madness as it roared and charged him again. This time however, Naruto felt something inside of his mind shatter, like the mirror he destroyed earlier. His eye, previously filled with fear and despair now shifted as they became enraged and sharp. Growling as black and crimson chakra arced around him, the monster before looked at him in a confused manner before roaring in return, black, purple and glints of gold chakra sparking around it.

Letting out a roar in response, Naruto charged towards the monster as he cocked his arm back, his chakra arcing up the limb before surging back down into his fist as he collided it with the monster's jaw, a thunderous explosion resounding as the monster was sent flying. As it flew, Naruto snarled as more chakra shrouded him as the Virus began to spread faster through his body. His eyes locking onto the monster as it landed on its feet, it took a deep intake of air before scattering a large number of its scales in front of it. Roaring as it sent the scales flying towards him, it bit down and created a spark which ignited the cloud of scales as it turned into a purple and white explosion of viral scales.

The explosive, corrosive and viral cloud consuming the blonde, he was sent flying out of it as he hit, skid and skipped across the ground before coming to a halt. Coughing up mix of blood and black liquid, he lifted his head and glared at the monster as it began to circle him before pouncing on him. Rolling backwards, he avoided being crushed by the its arm-like wings as it the force of the blow caused the cave to rumble. Once he reached rolled onto his feet, Naruto grimaced as he clutched his head, a broken voice echoing as his the monster removed its wing.

"_**Power... Basic... **_**Garyuusai**_**...**_" A voice echoed as Ryuuton natured chakra arced up and down his arm before concentrating into his fist.

"**G-****Garyuusai**!" Naruto roared as he slugged the monster in the same area as before, this time breaking the plating covering its jaws, revealing a brilliant gold beneath it.

The charged uppercut causing the monster snap its head up, Naruto followed up with another **Garyuusai**to its chest, as a spray of black liquid left its mouth while it was sent skidding back. Shaking off the blow, it roared once more before firing another explosive cloud at Naruto, the blonde taking the full brunt of the attack as he roared in pain, the monster's wings lunging forward and pinning him to the ground. As he was pinned down, he started struggling wildly as the monster applied more pressure, the creaking and cracking of his bones forcing more blood and black liquid out of his mouth.

Growling, the purple and black aura that shrouded him increased dramatically as the monster applied more pressure as a result. Gritting his teeth, Naruto snarled as he managed to force the winged limp off of him and roll to the side as it came crashing back down. Cocking his arm back, he charged it with Ryuuton chakra before slugging the limb, the sound of something cracking echoing as the monster roared in pain, more gold showing as the monster froze for a few seconds.

Not relenting, Naruto charged both of his fists with Ryuuton chakra before unleashing a hellish assault against the frozen monster, chunks of black and purple being broken and shattered as more and more gold started to shine through. As he pulled his arm back for one more blow, Naruto slugged the monster on the side of its head as another shower of black and purple clouded his view. But before he could pull his arm back for another attack, he was blown away when the monster was shrouded in a thick layer of black, purple and cold colored chakra and lightning.

Then, a brilliant flash of light consumed Naruto as he lost the ability to see. As his vision returned his angered and frenzied mind calmed as awe and wonder took over when he locked onto what was in front of him. Instead of the black and purple monster with bits of gold, standing before him was a monster of pure brilliant gold. Overall, its body structure is similar to its previous form. However, following the transformation, its body is now covered in glittering golden scales, as well as its horns, claws and other spiky protrusions, which changed colors from crimson red / purple to dark brown. The once hidden eyes underneath the horns are also now fully opened. Its ragged-tattered wings also became golden scaly sheets that when fully expanded, resembles a star.

"**Hmm... It appears that I am free from that horrid state... Was it your doing human?**" It asked in a deep tone, its voice alone shaking the cave as Naruto stood frozen in a mix of fear, awe and confusion.

"**What is it human? Did you not free me from that state?**" The monster asked once again, Naruto finally snapping out of his stupor to stare into its eyes.

"U-Uh, I think so... Y-You attacked me and I fought back. After a while you stopped moving and kind of blew up." Naruto explained in a shaky tone, the monster raising a brow in response to his choice of words.

"**I see... It has been quite some time since I've spoken with a human, let alone one who seems to have the same qualities as my brethren. Your name human?**" It asked as Naruto tensed, contemplating on lying to it before shelving the dangerous thought.

"N-Naruto... My name is Naruto." He said as it nodded, locking eyes with him as it peered into the depths of his soul.

"**I was once called Gore Magala however I am now Shagaru Magala. Tell me this human, what is your connection to us Dragons?**" Shagaru asked as Naruto felt a surge of pain, clutching his head as Shagaru looked on in curiosity.

"_Dragons... Deviljho... Tigrex... Chameleos... White... Thousand Blade Mountain... Ryuuhei..._" Naruto thought as the names of things he had no knowledge of flashed through his mind along with hazy images of what they represented.

"I... I don't know... I don't remember anything of about my past..." Naruto muttered before falling to his knees and coughing up more blood and black liquid as Shagaru watched.

"**Hmm... A case of amnesia. You are infected with my Virus aren't you human? How are you still sane? Let alone alive?**" Shagaru asked as Naruto's head snapped up, locking eyes with Shagaru.

"Y-Your Virus? P-Please, is there a cure for it?" Naruto asked in a desperate tone, Shagaru looking down at him with sharp eyes.

"**What is your reason for a cure? To survive for a meager few more years?**" The dragon asked in a slightly irritated tone, obviously having heard the same question many times before.

"I couldn't care less about my own life, I just want to live my life with Hisako. She... She doesn't have anyone beside me and I don't have anyone except for her." Naruto said in a low tone as Shagaru had a look of surprise cross its face before a small smirk appeared.

"**Hmm... Wanting to live not for yourself but for the sake of someone else, that is an answer I have not heard before.**" Shagaru said as Naruto had another violent coughing fit.

"P-Please, if there's any way for me to be cured I'll do it!" He shouted before shrinking back when he remember what exactly it was that he was talking to.

"**Perhaps there is a way for you to be cured human, though it all depends on you.**" Shagaru said as Naruto listened intently, doing his best to rid his mind of the thoughts of bloodlust.

"**You simply have to overcome my Virus, subjugate it. Though, I have never seen it done as the last one to attempt such a thing became more frenzied then before.**" Shagaru said as Naruto had another memory flash though his mind, wincing as his left eye throbbed underneath his eyepatch.

"...White..." Naruto whispered as Shagaru's eyes widened upon hearing the name of the very being he was referring to.

"**So, you do have a connection to my brethren and myself.**" Shagaru whispered as Naruto clutched his chest in agony while he fell over, Shagaru watching with an calculating gaze.

"GYAAA!" Naruto screamed in agony as he felt his body being ripped apart starting from his very core.

(Scene Change - Naruto's Mind)

In the recesses of his mind, Naruto found himself floating in an endless sea of darkness. Feeling lighter then air, he drifted through the darkness before a surge of pain ripped through him, causing him to clutch his sides as an arctic chill entered his body. As he felt himself losing the battle against the Virus, the frigid pain that ebbed and flowed through his body starting to intensify. But before he could succumb to its icy grip a flash of warmth filled his being as he heard a memory of his past.

"_Naru-chan! Naru-chan where are you! Oh, how about here!_" A cheery and motherly voice called out as its holder giggled while another voice giggled in turn.

"_Kaa-chan, you found me! Let's go find Tou-san and everyone else!_" The child said in an excited tone as their mother giggled in response.

"_Sure thing Naru-chan! We'll find Menma-chan, Mito-chan and Umi-chan! Then we'll find your Tou-san or my name isn't Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze!_" The woman now known as Kushina announced before the sounds of their footsteps and laughter faded away.

After the voices of the memory left, more and more voices began to fill the darkness of his mind, shedding light and revealing the faces that those voices belonged to. Kushina, a beautiful woman with striking crimson hair. Minato, a handsome blonde man with comforting cerulean pools of blue. Mito, a cute redheaded girl who followed him around with a blush and smile. Menma, a spunky and happy young boy who never left him alone. Narumi, an adorable girl who refused to let go of his hand. Orochimaru, a pale and kind man who smiled at him with pride. Jiraiya, a white haired man who's smile was like the sun. Tsunade, who held and hugged him like he was the most precious thing in the world. Their warmth and smiles caused a smile of his own to appear as the light nearly eradicated the darkness of his mind.

But soon, those smiles and laughs faded away, replaced with frightened and indifferent looks. The light that shone and staved off the darkness began to be consumed by it once more. The warmth that he was taking comfort in leaving and being replaced once more with the chill of the darkness forcing Naruto to curl into a ball in a vain attempt to stave it off, his eyes started to flutter closed as the last remnants of the light were finally consumed.

"_Naruto... Naruto, what're you doing? Are you giving up?_" A warm and teasing voice suddenly said, the blonde's eye snapping wide open as the darkness around him was instantly eradicated.

"_You know, it's not like you to just give up like that you know. My little brother doesn't give up until he's finally done what he put his mind on doing._" The voice said once again, Naruto feeling a warmth unlike any other filling him as he sat on his knees.

"_Haha, what's wrong? Is something on my face? Hey, I can't stay for much longer so I've gotta tell you something really important so listen up alright? You've made me proud Naruto, there's no need to hold onto memories like me anymore... She's waiting for you, you know._" The voice trailed off as Naruto saw the most important person in his life standing before him, a smile that made the stars look pale in comparison on her face.

"_Naruto! Naruto hurry up, we're going to be late if you keep sleeping! You... You're not going to leave me alone are you?_" She said, her cheerful voice and brilliant smile toning down into a resigned one and a somber tone as his eye widened.

"_I-It's fine Naruto... I-I'll just do what I used to do. I... I never wanted to hold you back, but being by your side... Being by your side is what I want most out of everything in the entire world._" She said in a sad tone, before giving him a broken smile while tears streaked down her face.

"Hisako! Hisako. wait! HISAKO!" He shouted as he reached out for her, tendrils of darkness appearing as they wrapped around his outstretched limbs, preventing him from chasing after Hisako's crying form.

"Let me go! Hisako needs me! I promised her I would come back! I still have her scarf!" He shouted as he fought against his bindings, the tendrils tightening their grip as the all too familiar chill of the Virus started to sink into him.

"No! No, I won't lose to some shitty virus! I'm not weak! I'm not prey! I'm a predator! I'm a dragon!" He roared as an explosion of light eliminated all traces of darkness left in his mind, the blonde glowing with a heavenly aura before he reached over and grabbed his eyepatch.

"I'm Naruto... Ryuuhei Shirokin's adopted brother, Tatsuko Iwatodai's self appointed mate, honorary partner to Deviljho and unofficial partner to Tigrex and Hisako's protector. I have no bonds in Konoha any longer nor with Thousand Blade Mountain. I am Naruto the chef." He said before he pulled off his eyepatch, revealing the glowing crimson eye underneath.

As he did, a large orb of light formed in front of him while three shadows pulled away from his form as they rose up behind him, one smirking at him, the other smiling fondly while the last had a frown marring it. Then, it consumed him and the shadows before he finally left his mind.

(Scene Change - Tenmon Mountain Range: Mount Seidou Summit - Sanctuary)

"**How unexpected... A human did what White could not...**" Shagaru said in an impressed tone, looking at the blonde's new form in slight respect.

Similarly to how he looked before while he was under the influence of the Virus, he now had a dark purple hue over body with the addition of some reddish shades. His eye was still red, and he stilled exhaled a dark mist from his mouth. But the main difference from how he was before was that he was surrounded by a dark smoke-like aura. Lifting his head, Naruto let out a calming breath as he felt energy surge through his body. Unlike before, he didn't feel a frigid chill or the agony that accompanied the Virus coursing through him. Instead, he felt a strange warmth radiating from his center as it flowed through his body.

"Amazing... I feel incredible..." He whispered as he flexed and tested out his muscles, feeling none of the pain he felt before.

"**It appears that you have done what even the most powerful of my race couldn't Human, you've overcome the Virus.**" Shagaru said, knocking Naruto out of his empowered state as the blonde took notice of the golden dragon.

"S-Shagaru, what was that? I felt invincible." He asked as Shagaru flashed him a savage grin at the question.

"**That Naruto is the state that shows you have subjugated the Virus. Instead of your will being undermined and your body corroded by its corruption, you are in full control of the Virus with no ill effect. While in that state, you will be far more powerful then you were while under the Virus' influence. Along with the obvious changes in appearance, your abilities, both physical and mental, will be strengthened to extremes you have never dreamed off. However, that is all an inference from what I have observed.**" Shagaru explained as Naruto nodded, his eyes wide as he glanced at his hand.

Wanting to feel that power once more, he tried to will it to the surface without success. Narrowing his eye, he focused his Ryuuton chakra and brought it to the surface in the hopes it would trigger a reaction with the now subjugated virus inside of him. But once again, he didn't feel the surge of power he had before. Frowning, he was about to give up when Shagaru spoke.

"**It does not appear that forcing that power to the surface is in your ability range as of now. Perhaps if you were to imitate your train of thought while you were in it before, it might work.**" Shagaru suggested as Naruto nodded, closing his eye as he focused his mind.

As he let his mind calm and flow, he felt it. A trickle at first, he focused on the stream of power that slowly began to build up until it felt like a solid river of energy. Taking it one step further, he remember why he wanted that power, for whom and what purpose would it serve him? As his thoughts drifted to the beautiful girl he had sworn on his life to protect, he felt something inside of him pulse. It was then, that he was enveloped in the dark purple hue with black smoke from before.

"So that's what I need to feel, what I need to think. This power isn't for destroying, its meant to protect the ones I love." Naruto whispered as Shagaru simply shook his head with a smirk on his face.

"**Apex.**" He said as Naruto turned to face him with a questioning look, the power leaving him after a few seconds.

"What was that Shagaru?" He asked, the dragon locking gazes with him as a wider smirk appeared on his face.

"**That form, I have named it the Apex state. From what I can sense, being in that form, you will have nothing that can stand before you on equal ground. The Apex state or Apex for short.**" Shagaru said a Naruto blinked in surprise before smiling at the dragon.

"Apex huh? I like it." He whispered as Shagaru smirked at him.

The two beginning to feel comfortable with each other, Naruto suddenly remember what was happening on the surface above. Turning to Shagaru, he explained the situation to the dragon, the lingering pools and clouds of the Virus and what it has done to the lands surrounding his cave. Shagaru accepting Naruto's request to cleanse the land of the corruption that managed to escape in return for freeing him from his mad state. The golden dragon requesting that the blonde hop onto his back, they took off into the sky as Shagaru spread his wings to their full length, resembling a brilliant gold star in the center of the mass of darkness.

"**My friend, this is my gift to you, for freeing me from that wretched state. Let the darkness that plagues the heavens and earth be cleansed by the holy rays that I command.**" Shagaru said before releasing a golden pulse of Ryuuton natured chakra, cleansing the tainted skies and cursed earth.

With that, Shagaru landed and let Naruto down, the blonde thanking him before starting the ritual to send him back to Thousand Blade Mountain.

"Shagaru." Naruto said as he finished writing the seals for the portal, the golden dragon turning to face him.

"**What is it my friend?**" He asked as Naruto placed his hand into the center of the furthest seal.

"When you get back, could you not tell anyone that I'm alive. I... I can't face any of them after what I did." Naruto requested as the golden dragon nodded his head in confirmation.

"**You have my word.**" Shagaru said as Naruto flashed him a smile, the dragon returning it before he was engulfed in a column of white.

The light fading, Naruto erased all traces of the seal before heading into the now cleansed temple from before. Glancing around, he saw the same scroll from before and picked it up once more. When he turned it around, his eye widened when it was now filled with various diagrams, kanji, and words that it lacked before. A smile gracing his features when he saw a depiction of Deviljho and Tigrex, he rolled it back up and slung it over his back for safekeeping. Finding nothing else in the temple, Naruto headed back to Tengai no Sato.

(Scene Change - Tengai no Sato)

Arriving at the village gates, he was surprised to see a large celebration going on. Men and women dancing happily together, boys and girls laughing and playing at the various stalls, it was a wonderful sight to behold. A smile on his face, he entered the village and caught the attention of a few villagers, the sight of the blonde causing not only them but everyone else to freeze in the middle of their celebrations. Feeling a bit out of place with all the attention he was given, Naruto was about to leave when they started cheering his name.

Stunned, he wasn't able to do a thing as a group of men charged towards him and picked him up, tossing him into the air as he began to panic. After a few tosses, they brought him to the center of the village where Nenchou was drinking with a large grin on his face, telling the young people gathered around him of the legendary hero who cleansed their land. When the elder caught sight of him, he grinned before moving over to give the blonde a warm hug, thanking him profusely for doing what many before could not. As he started to laugh wryly at the attention he was being given, the pats on the head and back, the many kisses on the cheeks, neck and lips, he paused when he caught sight of a lock of silver hair.

A warm smile appearing on his face, he slowly made his way over as the crowd parted to give the young man room, many flashing him a knowing smile while a few were pouting in a mix of envy and jealousy. When he reached the cart, which was moved to the center of the village, he moved around it and saw that Hisako was running her fingers against the Braille pages of the book in her hands. Sneaking in closely with his newly reacquired skills, he removed the scarf around his neck and wrapped it securely around hers, causing her to freeze and snap her head up in fright. But the fear on her face slowly turned to confusion before it turned to a mix happiness and sadness, the silverette burying her face into Naruto's chest as he held her close.

"Y-You're back... You kept your promise..." She sobbed, tightening her grip on him as though he might disappear at a moments notice.

"I'm back Hisako, you know I don't break my promises unless I have to." He whispered as he ran his hand though her silver locks, the girl nuzzling his chest lovingly as the villagers looked at the scene with warm eyes.

With that, the factitive continued as they did before, this time, Naruto and Hisako moved through the village hand in hand as they surveyed the food and games that were being offered. Laughing and smiling happily together, Naruto felt Hisako tug on his arm in a needy manner and turned his head. When he did, his eye widened when he felt her lips softly place themselves on his for a brief moment before parting. The blonde stuttering for a response to her actions, Hisako simply smiled with a crimson face as she pulled him towards another stall, a radiant smile on her face that might have even made the scales of Shagaru look dull in comparison.

(Scene Change - Thousand Blade Mountain: Chamber of the Elders)

With his sudden return, Shagaru was subjected to extensive questioning as to what had happened to have caused him to disappear. With the promise he had made to his friend engraved to his heart, he endured the questions and answered with a carefully knit mix of truths and partial lies. Though many were skeptical, they chose not to question the returned dragon as White had asked them not to cause him any trouble as he settled back into his home.

"**I must thank you White, had it not been for your interference I may have been answering their questions for another few days.**" Shagaru said in a thankful tone as White nodded in response.

"**And I must apologize... It was my doing that caused your elder brother to lose his mind to the Virus. Had it not been for him, I would have been destroyed by the very power that I govern. For that doing what you did and easing his journey to the next life, you have my eternal gratitude.**" Shagaru said as he lowered his head, White offering a small smile to the bowing dragon as he accepted the gratitude.

"**Do no bow your head Shagaru. My brother did what he thought was the correct choice, a choice that I would have done myself.**" White said as Shagaru nodded in understanding, moving to exit the chamber.

"**And I must thank you as well Shagaru. Had it not been for your interference, Naruto may have succumbed to the Virus as well.**" White said with a smirk as Shagaru seemed to pale and stiffen slightly before relaxing, a smirk on his face as well.

"**That child will no doubt be the pinnacle of power in the human world if he is not already. With the gifts that we have bestowed upon him, he may come to have the power to one day rival that of even a god.**" Shagaru said with a smirk, White returning it as they exited the chamber to catch up with the other.

(Scene Change - Great Forest Peak)

On the summit of one of the most dangerous forests stood two figures, both covered in various wounds and blood as they faced off against each other. The rain beginning to pick up, they tensed before charging towards each other once more. The flash of steel and glint of metal being lit up by the cracks of lightning, it did little to impede the battle that was waging between the two combatants. One equipped with dangerous looking spiked gauntlets, they had both of their arms brought up in a defensive manner against the other who had six swords equipped, three in each hand.

Pushing their sword wielding opponent off of them, the armored combatant unleashed a volley of terrifyingly powerful blows that blew apart rock and rubble upon impact. Turning on the ball of their feet to bring their arms up to block a lightning fast slash, they grabbed the swords before lashing out with a brutal kick, sending their bladed opponent flying with blood and spittle leaving their mouth. As they flew, they hit the ground and skipped a bit before righting themselves and standing once more.

Tightening their grip on their swords, the other responded by adjusting their gauntlets before the two of them relaxed and lowered their weapons. The gauntlet clad warrior removing them while the sword wielding warrior sheathed their blades, they moved toward each other hand extended their hands before shaking them in a good natured way. From afar, two large beings could be seen watching the exchange with smiles on their faces. Seeing that the battle was over, the stood up and moved towards them, the sleeker of the two taking to the skies while the bulkier one lumbered forward. When they arrived, they were greeted by the two warriors as they stopped in front of them.

"**That was a wonderful display Tatsuko, though I wasn't able to see much of it, I could tell from the sounds alone that it was a close match.**" Meraginasu said as Tatsuko smiled in her usual sleepy manner at the black dragon.

"It was really fun~" Tatsuko replied in a sleepy manner, the other pair laughing at her answer as they approached.

"That was a great match Suko-chan, but you're still not going all out against me are you?" A black haired girl Tatsuko's age asked, the bluenette giving her a sleepy smile in return.

"**Meraginasu, it still baffles me that your partner is both powerful and lazy, clearly she is the perfect match for you my friend. You agree as well do you not Homura?**" The other dragon said in a slightly stunned and awed manner, Meraginasu chuckling in turn.

"Yeah, but that's what makes Suko-chan, Suko-chan, Doragyurosu. If she weren't sleepy all the time, I'd be pretty much a bloody stain on the ground." Homura said as the other chuckled at her statement.

"**Well, there was one who could pull Tatsuko out of her sleepy state, at least those were the tales that she told me.**" Meraginasu said in a somber tone, Tatsuko smiling wistfully as a boy with blonde hair popped up in her mind.

"Mhmm... If Naru-kun were here, I'd be snuggling with him all day..." Tatsuko said in a fond and longing tone, Homura and Doragyurosu feeling a bit out of place.

"Ne, Suko-chan, if he were around, I wonder which one of us he'd have picked. It would probably be me huh Doragyurosu?" Homura asked as the temperature dropped, Doragyurosu and Meraginasu paling as Tatsuko opened up her sleepy eyes to reveal the piercing emerald normally hidden beneath.

"Hmm~ I dunno Mura-chan, I did kiss Naru-kun though so I think I would be the one he'd pick! I don't think he'd want to be with a girl who hasn't even had her first kiss yet~" Tatsuko said in a sleepy sing-a-long tone, Homura's eyes sharpening as she drew her swords again.

"Oh? That true? Well, why don't we decide who the better mate would be right now!" Homura shouted as she lunged forward with her swords drawn, Tatsuko bringing her gauntlet clad arms up to block the sudden attack as sparks flew.

"**It appears that Homura still has quite the provocative nature** **Doragyurosu.**" Meraginasu said in an exhausted tone as Doragyurosu nodded his head.

"**Unfortunately she does, and it appears that Tatsuko still has quite the sharp tongue Meraginasu.**" Doragyurosu said as Meraginasu nodded his head in agreement.

While the two girls resumed their battle, this time with much more effort from before, their partners opted to stay out of their way as they knew better then most that nothing was more dangerous then an enraged female. When they saw Tatsuko punch a large chunk out of the mountain side and Homura slice part of the mountain off, they could only hope that they didn't grow to become enemies in the future or else the landscape would be in danger of being forever altered.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's the end of Chapter 26. If you still don't know, that dragon was Gore Magala, Chaotic Gore Magala and Shagaru Magala. And yeah, Naruto's got most of his memories back expect for the unimportant stuff. What else was I gonna say... Dang, umm... Well whatever, I'll probably remember in a bit. From this point on, it's probably gonna be a time skip to a number of years later, probably 3-4 since Naruto will be 17-18, and finally the movement of the A****katsuki will begin I imagine. Other then that, if I remember anything I'll change this part. PM me if you've got a question, I know I haven't answered one in a while but I've been studying like mad and now I've stopped. Well, I guess that's all. I'll catch ya'll next time, stay awesome. **

**Homura is based off of Homura from Senran Kagura (Pretty eh anime/game series but she's sweet)**

**For "sup" - Mito: Futon, Doton, Katon; Menma: Katon, Futon; Narumi: Suiton, Futon, Katon**

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**Ryuuton: ****Garyuusai - Dragon Release: Crouching Dragon Crush**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; Naruto gathers Ryuuton natured charka into his hand and strikes his opponent with a charged uppercut that has the potential to behead them if given enough time to gather chakra into his hand. Upon impact, Naruto releases the chakra that he's gathered and causes a concussive blast capable of causing severe internal damage.


	29. Chapter 27

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you a new chapter. Whoa, it's been quite some time huh? Sorry about the long wait, but man. You guys act like I died or something, haha. I was kinda forced away from the electronic world by my family for a bit, heading to the mountains for some campin' and fishin'. But yeah, I'm real sorry for you cool people who actually wait for this story. This chapter, it's kinda meh in all honesty. I really don't know the beginning of Sh****ippuden all that well truthfully. This is where I kind of dropped off from watching and reading it, so for many of you it'll be a recap of what happened. It's all pretty canon. ****I've been in a pretty bad writing slump, which is kinda killing me since I've got two other fics I need to write, one I _really_ need to write. But yeah, I'm back so hopefully I'll get over my writing slump soon. Anywho, you all know the deal right? Hopefully you haven't forgotten but if you have; read, enjoy, review and PM me if you wish. You came to read right? I won't keep you waiting, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 27

Four long years had passed through the Elemental Nations, little having changed over the course of the years. The nations had all remained neutral, peace seemingly prevailing over the many years as the times of war had seemed to have come to an end. Though, to say that things had not changed would be a false truth. The rumors of the traveling chef had faded and were eventually lost to the throes of time. Though, as that legend died another had sprung up in its place, this time, about an inn that also served as a restaurant for its guests.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel)

Nestled in the beautiful and peaceful agricultural land of Taiyō no Kuni, the Kyuukai Hostel had opened up nearly three years ago out of the blue. Being in such a well known and beloved village, it was often overlooked by many travelers who were intent on visiting the other much more well known and famous inns. However, many famous guests have visited and stayed at Kyuukai such as the Raikage and his ninja, the Tsuchikage and his ninja, the Mizukage and her ninja, and even the General of Tetsu no Kuni, Mifune, and his samurai. Within Kyuukai now, a pair was managing the customers that were inside of it.

"Yes, I think we're ready to order. We'll take two orders of the Chef's Special!" A young man said as his date nodded eagerly, the two sharing a smile as the waitress smiled softly.

"They'll be right out." She said in a soft tone, heading towards the open counter to set the ticket onto the line.

"Naruto, two specials please!" Hisako said in a much happier and livelier tone, the eighteen year old blonde behind the counter flashing her a smile as he set down a tray.

"On it Hisako, here're the order of seafood for table ten and the chicken for table seven." He said as Hisako smiled back, taking the trays carefully as she balanced them before heading towards the tables.

After a year on the road, having traveled to nearly every land and village, Naruto and Hisako had finally settled down and opened up shop together in Taiyō no Kuni and thus the Kyuukai Hostel was born. Being in the intersection of Kaminari no Kuni, Hi no Kuni and Mizu no Kuni; Taiyō no Kuni was a very popular and beautiful land that often attracted many tourists from all over. Though, the tourism hadn't caused much destruction to the nearby land like it had with Ichiba no Sato. Finding that they could meet many new people and have a successful business, they settled on the small plot of land that they were purchased.

Over the past four years, Naruto and Hisako themselves had changed both physically and mentally. Naruto, who now had recovered his memories, had changed very little in terms of mentality. He still held Hisako as his world and made sure that she was happy, healthy and safe no matter the cost. When it came to strangers, he was amiable and cordial until they proved to try and take advantage of himself or Hisako, which would cause him to lash out and cause either physical or psychological harm.

In terms of appearance, he was much taller then before as he stood at a height of six foot four. His hair had remained the same shade of platinum blonde and was as spiky as ever. His clothing hadn't changed either, the young man had on a simple uniform consisting of a long white cloth wrapped around his forehead, covering his hair like a bandana, though locks of golden blonde could be seen. Wearing a sleeveless black tank top revealing his muscular and scarred arms, he matched it with a part of black pants and sandals. Topping off his outfit was a simple white apron tied around his waist.

With Hisako, in terms of personality, she still had a mild case of anthrophobia though she did greet everyone who walked into their doors with a friendly smile. But with Naruto and those that she trusted, she had become a much more open and happy young lady. Physically, she had gotten a bit taller and was now standing at a petite height of five foot four. Though her hair and complexion had remained the same, they had a much healthier glow to them.

Her figure had started to become much more womanly, her breasts having filled out to a B, borderline C cup with her curves filling out to make a figure that even a few of the most beautiful would be envious of. Her outfit had changed a bit more then it had with Naruto, as she now wore a pink blouse and white skirt that went a little past her knees. Over that, she wore a beige apron that held her pen and order notepad. Wearing comfortable and slick-free white slippers, she topped off her look with her bandages that covered her eyes and her crimson scarf wrapped securely around her neck.

Overall, the two were regularly accosted for dates and proposals by those who entered their doors. Though, many were met with a swift and merciless rejection courtesy of an irate Naruto. For those who paid attention to them, it was obvious that Hisako only had eyes for one person and said person was preoccupied with keeping her and their little shop and home safe and healthy, though her chances at snatching him up for herself was much greater then anyone else's in the world.

"Oh, so this is the place eh?" A cheerful and mischievous voice said as the doors opened, a handsome young man along with a group of young ladies walking into Kyuukai.

"O-Oh, hello! Welcome to the Kyuukai Hostel, are you here for a meal or are you looking to stay?" Hisako asked as she bowed before the group, a few of the ladies shooting her a dirty look while the young man smiled handsomely at her.

The young man was about six feet tall, having blonde hair tied into a ponytail with a face that was a mix of boyish cuteness and handsomeness. Dressed in expensive and stylish clothes, he had an air of nobility with a mix of mischief and pride. The young ladies with him were all equally beautiful in their own right, also dressed in stylish and expensive looking clothes. However, the most interesting thing about them were the headbands they had tied around their biceps, having the symbol of Yugakure on them.

"I didn't know they had someone like this working here! We're just here for lunch beautiful, though depending on how it goes I might just stay the night!" He said in a suave tone, the ladies with him swooning as Hisako resisted the urge to cringe at his obvious attempt at flirting.

"O-Ok, right this way please." She said as she took a few menus and showed them to their table, humming a happy tone as the man behind her began to devour her with his eyes.

"_Not bad, not bad at all. She's definitely a nine, would be a ten if not for those bandages._" He thought while smirking slightly, taking in and ignoring the jealous looks his entourage were shooting Hisako.

Setting them down at a large table that accommodated the group of six, Hisako left to fetch them some water while tending to a few of her regular customers as the group continued to stare at her. The smirk never leaving his face, he was broken out of his stupor by a gentle nudge from one of the ladies, the young lady who nudged him giving him a jealous pout as he laughed.

"Mou, why are you paying attention to that girl Aiyo-sama?" She complained as the other ladies agreed hastily, shooting him pouts as he smiled at them.

"Come'on, you all think she's a perfect nine don't you? Get rid of those creepy bandages and she'd be a complete ten!" Aiyo declared as a few of the other customers shot him a glare at his outburst, getting angry and dangerous glares back from his girls.

"Ladies, calm down. No one here has the balls to do anything, especially since I'm a jonin of Yugakure." He said loudly with pride and mischief present in his tone, many who glared at him turning away at the piece of information.

"Thought so." He sneered as the ladies laughed loudly around him, though they quieted when Hisako returned with their water.

"Here you go. Are you all ready to order? Or would you like a few more minutes?" She asked as Aiyo smiled at her.

"I think we're ready beautiful. Tell me, are you on the menu by any chance?" Aiyo asked in the smoothest tone he could muster as he reached for her hand, Hisako becoming uncomfortable at his flirting.

"Umm, I'm not on the menu sir." She answered in an uncomfortable tone shifting a bit over so she was out of his reach, Aiyo smiling deviously at her as he moved in a bit closer.

"Aww, that's a shame. Someone as beautiful as you should be on it. Oh well, we'll all just take the Chef's Special then!" Aiyo said as Hisako nodded slightly, jotting down their orders before quickly heading into the kitchen.

Watching her leave, Aiyo reached out and tried to grab her rear only for Hisako to stiffen and move to the side to evade his hand. Blinking at his failed attempt to cop a feel, he started laughing loudly while getting glares from every other patron in Kyuukai. Ignoring them, he began to scheme and devise a way to get into the cute waitress' heart.

All the while, Hisako moved quickly into the kitchen while holding in her shaking. Once she was inside she headed directly to Naruto, who was adding the finishing touches a few dishes, before wrapping her arms tightly around him. Surprised at her sudden action, he was about to ask her what was wrong when he felt her shake slightly. His eye narrowing dangerously, he grit his teeth and clenched his fists tightly, obviously enraged that she was upset.

"Hisako, what happened? What's wrong?" He asked in a soft and gentle tone, returning her embrace as he squeezed her softly.

"T-There's a customer out there t-that's being extremely rude to the other p-patrons a-and he t-tried to t-touch me." She said in a shaky tone, relaxing considerably when she felt the warm and protective arms of the young man she loved.

"That so." He said in a low tone, Hisako tensing a bit when she heard it as it was a tone that promised painful things to the party concerned.

"N-Naruto, y-you're not going to hurt them are you?" She asked in a quiet tone, the blonde giving her a squeeze before asking her to take over the kitchen for a bit to ease her mind.

A bit reluctant at first, Naruto eased all of her protests when he gave her a quick peck on the forehead, giving her a full body blush as she smiled in a shy and embarrassed manner at him. After telling her where the orders where in their stage of cooking, he wiped the sweat off his brow and made sure he had his pen and notepad before heading out, Hisako giving him a quick peck on the cheek before she skipped back to the dishes.

Smiling a bit when he saw that she wasn't as shaken from before, he quickly lost it when he left the kitchen, the warm and amiable atmosphere freezing over as he scanned the vicinity of the dining room. Many who knew what he could and would do adverted their gazes save for a select few who were regulars at their little shop.

Locking onto the rowdy and irritating sound of loud laughter and chattering, he made his way over to Aiyo's as he caught the attention of a few of the girls there. The ones who saw him immediately blushed upon seeing his handsome features, fixing their appearances as Aiyo turned to glare at whoever it was that stone the attention of his girls. When he saw Naruto, he blinked in surprise before flashing him an easy going grin, waving at him while Naruto cocked an eyebrow.

"Oh, so the chef decided to check out who it was that was making this place a little more lively eh? Don't worry Chefy, we won't be here long. Just gotta grab that cute waitress of yours before I jet! Say! Can I take her to go?" Aiyo rambled happily as Naruto suppressed the rage that started to boil over in his veins.

"Leave." Naruto said in a cold tone, making a few of the younger ladies shiver at his tone while Aiyo raised an eyebrow at him.

"What did you say?" He said in an equally cold tone, standing up to glare at Naruto as everyone else watched with nervous stares.

"You deaf? Get out." Naruto repeated as Aiyo started laughing, holding his sides as he wiped away a tear.

"Oh, and what if I don't? Is the big, bad chef gonna do something?" Aiyo sneered, Naruto simply shaking his head at the obvious goad.

"To think that you're a shinobi. The standards much be lower then dirt if they let someone as disgusting as you in." Naruto said in an exasperated tone, Aiyo's brow twitching in anger as he grit his teeth.

The jab at his pride sending him over the edge, he lashed out and connected a blow against Naruto's cheek as many cried out in fright at the action, Hisako rushing out of the kitchen when she heard the commotion. Moving quickly, she stopped by Naruto's side and tended to his cheek when Aiyo grabbed her by the wrist. Tugging her roughly, he pulled her off balance as the ladies that surrounded him started laughing at her. Ignoring them, she pulled herself from his grip and continued to dab the small bruise on Naruto's cheek with a wet cloth.

"Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like that? Do you even know who the fuck I am? I'm Aiyo Aizawa, an elite jonin from Yugakure! If you know what's good for you, you'll get on your knees and beg for forgiveness. As for you, you belong with me and not some piece of shit chef who can't even take a punch." Aiyo shouted as he glared at Naruto, the blonde never raising his head to meet his gaze.

Growing red with anger at the lack of respect, Aiyo was about to go off on another tirade when a brutal punch connected with his face, breaking his nose, busting his lip and knocking a few teeth out of his mouth. A cry of pain leaving his throat, he grabbed at the broken piece of cartilage as he stared with tear filled eyes at a rising Naruto.

"Hisako, please head back into the kitchen. You really don't want to hear what I'm about to do to this piece trash." Naruto said in a gentle but firm tone, Hisako nodding as she quickly moved back into the kitchen.

"Y-You bastard! D-Do you know w-who am I! I-" Aiyo was cut off when Naruto grabbed him roughly by the throat, leveling a frigid glare at him before dragging him out of the hostel.

Once they were outside, Naruto roughly threw him across the road and stood there as Aiyo got up. As soon as he was standing, Naruto moved in close before slamming a vicious palm strike to his abdomen, blood and spittle flying from Aiyo's mouth as he lurched forward. Spinning, Naruto smashed his elbow without mercy into his already broken nose, the wet crunch accompanying it being an unpleasant sound to anyone who heard it. Finally, Naruto tightened his free hand into a fist and delivered a brutal backhand to side of the near unconscious man's head, sending him crashing into the ground. Wiping the blood off his face and hands with the towel on his waist, he walked back into his shop before glaring at the group of ladies that Aiyo had come with.

"Get the hell out and take your trash with you. If I even smell you, I'll make sure you'll want to give up living by the time I'm done with you." Naruto growled as they quickly left the shop in tears, carrying away the broken and unconscious form of Aiyo.

Releasing an angry sigh, Naruto calmed down when he felt Hisako wrap her arms around him. Taking a few more breaths to calm himself, Naruto thanked her before apologizing to their customers, all of them waving him off and thanking him for taking care of the group that was causing them problems during their meals. Bowing to them in gratitude, he swapped with Hisako once more as he returned to cooking, Hisako tending to the tables with more of a natural smile on her face as peace returned to their little shop once more.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

Gathered around a dark chamber, figures in black cloaks donned with red clouds were in the middle of a meeting on top of a strange statue. As the hours passed, a pair eventually left while the rest remained, a sense of evil rolling off of all of them. Soon they started to depart one at a time, though a single pair remained in the chamber. Turning around, they revealed a pair of light purple eyes with a ripple-like pattern.

"Is something wrong?" A feminine voice asked with a bit of concern in her voice as the figure shook his head.

"Perhaps. I am getting a premonition that I may be overlooking something that might cause problems for us in the future." He replied before turning around once more, his eyes having a strange glint to them.

(Time Skip - A Week Later)

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel)

"Thank you once again for coming Yore-san!" Hisako said as she bowed to the elderly woman, who laughed good naturedly at her politeness before bidding the two owners farewell.

Smiling at the elderly woman's departure, Hisako began wiping down and clearing off the last of the tables in the dining room. They didn't have any guests staying the night so she was humming a little louder then usual, blushing when she realized that for the first time in a while they were alone together. A sweeter smile appearing on her face, she failed to notice the blonde in front of her until she bumped into him. Crying out a bit in surprise, she squeaked when she felt him wrap her up in a hug, breaking her fall and pulling her in close.

"S-Sorry Naruto, I wasn't p-paying attention!" Hisako said quickly as she flushed pink, Naruto laughing softly as he put her back onto her feet.

"It's fine, it's been a while since we didn't have to worry about waking guests." He said as she smiled sweetly and nodded in agreement.

The two falling into a comfortable and happy atmosphere, they talked about the happenings in and around their home. Hisako stating that a few of the housewives told her that there was a sale going on in a nearby village that she hoped to go to. Smiling, Naruto told her that he'd accompany her after watering and weeding the garden, bringing a warm smile to her face. Quickly cleaning the rest of the tables and sweeping the dining room, the two retired for the night, Naruto slipping into their small hot spring while Hisako contemplated joining him only to faint in her bed with a with a bright blush on her face. As Hisako dreamt of a happy future together with Naruto, said blonde was feeling something in the pit of his stomach that started to fill him with a bit of dread.

"Something dangerous is going to happen, and soon." He said to himself as he let out a sigh, his eye sharpening while black and crimson lightning danced around him.

(Time Skip - A Week Later)

(Scene Change - Sunagakure)

Deidara, with Sasori, travelled to Sunagakure to capture Gaara so the Akatsuki can extract the Shukaku from him. As they arrive, Deidara notes that the one who was in place there would be the first, while the one they sent under Orochimaru will have to wait. Getting passed gate security with the help of Sasori's sleeper agent Yūra, taking out any guards watching the sky, Deidara found that the village was artistically worthy of being blown up. Despite the stealthy infiltration, Deidara was quickly confronted by Gaara, who knew he was in the village due to the clay bird he was flying on not matching any species native in the Kaze no Kuni. Deidara was then forced into taking up the defensive, seeing Gaara's abilities to make his opponent worthy of him using his artistic ninjutsu on. Nearly being trapped in a prison of sand pulled from the surrounding desert, Deidara ended up losing his left arm trapped in some of the sand from Gaara's gourd, forcing Deidara to pull what remained of it off to prevent the sand from crushing the rest of him.

Seeing that he was nearly out of clay, Deidara hatched a plan that would end the fight: Using a **C3** bomb on the village as a decoy with Gaara left defenseless in his act to protect Sunagakure for Deidara to use a clay bird. Though Gaara's sand stops the scheme, Deidara reveals that some of the clay in the arm Gaara took had mixed with his sand. Detonating the clay as Gaara uses his **Suna no Tate**, Deidara abducts his unconscious opponent with Kankuro in pursuit before Sasori gives Deidara time to escape. After waiting for Sasori, Deidara headed out with him to one of their hideouts in Kawa no Kuni to extract the Shukaku with the rest of the Akatsuki.

(Scene Change - Konoha)

"Thank you all for coming, we've received an urgent from Suna. The Kazekage has been kidnapped." Minato said, dropping a bombshell on the group inside of his office.

Gathered inside of Minato's office was Zabuza and Kakashi with their respective teams. Kakashi's team was the same, consisting of the three remaining Uzumaki-Namikaze children. Zabuza however, had insisted that he take on Anko's team in place of her while she raised their little Naruto. It took a lot of arguing and convincing, but eventually with the help of Kurenai and their friends, they managed to convince her to take a term of leave in order to raise Naruto.

The young ladies of Team 12 having filled out into their more womanly figures, Satsuki having become a near identical twin of Mikoto, down to the same hair style though hers was longer, as Haku and Yakumo resembled their mothers more then ever. All of them becoming rather bewitching to those who held affections for them.

Satsuki had changed her outfit to a sleeveless black blouse that hung tightly to her body, the Uchiha emblem etched onto the back of it boldly. She also had on the standard firm blue pants that most of her comrades had, bandaging it the same and equipping kunai holster in the same manner, though her pants were a bit flared out at the bottom. She had her wakizashi secured firmly above her equipment pouch. She topped off her outfit with her hitai-ate wrapped firmly around her forehead, wearing her flak jacket open.

Yakumo had styled her hair in a similar manner to her mother, cutting it short a little past her shoulders in a stylized bob cut. She wore a red qipao-style blouse that covered half of her biceps and her chest, wearing a pink body suit underneath that went to her thighs. She wore mesh legging underneath and boots that stopped short of her knees. She had bandaged her left thigh and secured her kunai holster there. She topped off her outfit with her tanto that was hanging on her right thigh.

Haku hadn't changed much in terms of appearance, her hair remaining the same. She wore a sleeveless dark blue kimono that went to her knees, matching detached sleeves that extended a bit past her hands to conceal them from view. Holding her kimono in place was a light blue obi with a snowflake pattern, with matching blue colored sandals. She had her hitai-ate hanging loosely by her side, bandaging her legs from her ankles up to her knees. She topped off her outfit with a pair of dark gray shin guards.

In terms of appearance, the young Uzumaki-Namikaze had remained relatively the same throughout the four years. Mito had become nearly an exact replica of Kushina and like Narumi, the bodies two had filled out to become more womanly. Their hair being a bit different then it was when they were younger, Mito's hair being long, ending a bit past her waist when let down, flowing and a bit wavy with an elegant, loosely tied knot at the back. Narumi's hair had become a bit spiky, getting the same bangs as her father, the blonde opting to style it into a long, spiky ponytail that ended mid-back.

Mito's outfit had changed a bit, now donning the traditional attire of a ninja from Konoha. Wearing a firm fitting blue shirt and pair of sandals and pants that ended mid shin, she topped off her outfit with her green flak jacket. Her kunai holster resting on her right thigh, it was bandaged in a similar fashion to how her mother's own outfit. Her hitai-ate resting on a black cloth that was tied firmly around her forehead. Covering her shins up to her knees were a pair of steel shin guards. But the thing that stood out the most on her person was the chokuto that was hanging behind her waist, a present from her godfather, that hung beside her equipment pouch.

Narumi had changed her outfit on the request of her godmother, now sporting a similar look to her sister. Wearing the same firm fitting pants and sandals but a loose fitting blue v-necked shirt. She had the same holder and the same bandages that covered her right thigh, but bandaged both ankles up to her mid shin. Underneath the loose blue shirt was a mesh one, ending a little past her elbows. Wearing her hitai-ate on her forehead, she topped off her outfit with a pair of combat gloves, and her flack jacket which was open opposed to being closed like Mito had it. Behind her waist was a medical bag, resting below her equipment bag. The most striking thing about her outfit being a small blue-green crystal necklace hanging around her neck that used to belong to her godmother.

Menma was a carbon copy of his father would it not for the crimson that tipped his hair. He wore a tracksuit with three stripes on the sleeves, mesh under-armor, a pair of black pants, and sandals, akin to how his father dressed when he was younger. However, he also wore the arm guards that his godfather had, styling his hair in a similar manner to the same man, in a spiky ponytail that ended near his shoulders. The most eye catching thing about his attire being a large scroll that he had strapped behind his waist.

"N-No way! W-Who did it and how?!" Menma shouted in confusion, his eyes wide at the fact someone had successfully abducted a Kage.

"The Akatsuki." Minato said in a low tone, his children freezing with eyes full of fear at the mention of the group their godfather had warned them about.

"Y-You don't mean..." Mito trailed off, Minato grimacing before nodding his head as the others in the room looked on confusion.

"What's going on? Are they really that dangerous?" Satsuki asked, voicing the concerns of the other occupants of the room.

"They're a group that Jiraiya and Orochimaru found out about many years ago. We don't know what their goal is, all we know is that they're attempting to capture every Jinchūriki and extract the Bijū that they hold." He explained as the eyes of everyone widened.

"I-If that's true, why are you sending Mito, Narumi and Menma out Minato-sensei?! It's like giving a steak to a hungry wolf!" Kakashi countered with worry evident in his tone.

"Don't you think I know that Kakashi! I don't like it either, but the other teams are out on their own missions. I know my children well enough to know that they can handle any situation they're thrust into, that's why I'm sending them out with another team for back up." Minato explained as Kakashi nodded his head slowly, Zabuza and Team 12 feeling a bit out of place.

After a few more minutes of explaining the situation, the group was finally caught up on the details concerning the kidnapping. The teams agreeing to a plan, they headed off in order to prepare for the journey ahead of them. An hour later, the group was on their way to Suna, worry for not only the leader of their ally but for the three who they swore to protect.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel)

"Naruto, where are you going?" A curious Hisako asked as the blonde next to her finished packing the last of his equipment.

"I'm headed to Yugakure, I got a letter from someone that said they're expecting me there." Naruto said in a slightly apprehensive tone, mostly at the fact he would be leaving behind Hisako.

"Don't worry about me Naruto, I know what to do in case anything happens." She said in a sweet tone, a smile on her face as the blonde smiled back at her.

"Yeah, but I can't help it can I? It's the same when I tell you not to worry about me." He said in a teasing tone as she stiffened, a small frown marring her face as she hugged his arm.

"That's different. You always come back hurt when you say that." She said in a quiet and sad tone, the blonde's eye softening considerably as he moved to embrace her.

"I know, and I'm sorry about that. I promise to avoid being injured at all costs ok?" He said as Hisako nodded her head softly, nuzzling affectionately against his chest.

Breaking off from him reluctantly, Hisako quickly moved back inside as Naruto put on the small backpack, pocketing a scroll before checking himself once over to ensure that he had everything he needed or would need. Nodding, he brought his hands together in a cross shaped seal, gathering Ryuuton chakra, he created a multitude of **Shin Kage Bunshin** and had them transform into the small pebbles that laid in and around their little shop.

Gathering the transformed clones, he placed them in strategic places around their shop in the event something unpleasant happened. Double checking that the two dozen clones were placed in the best possible places outside, he gather the next dozen and placed them in with the pebbles that were in the vases that decorated various spots inside of Kyuukai. Finally, he went towards a number of seals hidden behind the counter of the reception desk, inside of the kitchen and both of their bedrooms, making sure that they were still working.

"There, shouldn't be a blind spot anywhere inside or out." Naruto whispered as Hisako returned, holding a bento in her hands.

"Here you go Naruto, I don't know how long you'll be gone so I made it for you. Just in case." Hisako said with a smile and a dusting of pink on her cheeks, the blonde blinking in surprise before taking the bento with a smile on his face.

"Thanks Hisako, you know I love your lunches." He said in a happy tone as he leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead.

Blushing furiously when she felt his lips on her forehead, she felt him remove them before she gently wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down a bit. Tiptoeing, she leaned up and captured his lips with her as his eyes widened a bit in surprise. After a few seconds, Hisako reluctantly separated from him but not without giving him one more quick peck on the lips.

"Remember that you promised me that you'll come back safe Naruto." Hisako reiterated once more as the blonde gave her a reassuring hug, squeezing her for added effect before they separated.

"You know I don't break my promises unless I have to Hisako." The blonde said as she nodded her head, his ironclad words always a reassuring thing for her.

"And remember, if anything happens you know how to contact me. I don't care if it's something as petty as a drunk getting a little too rowdy, you contact me immediately." He said in a stern but soft tone, Hisako nodding her head as he returned the gesture.

Giving each other one last hug, they parted as Naruto exited their building. Turning back, he waved a farewell to a worried Hisako who returned it with less fervor then she usually did when he went out to hunt or fish. Biting back the urge to bring her along, he turned and headed towards the north, where a very important friend of his had asked him to check out. Pulling out the scroll, Naruto opened it once more and scanned its contents, narrowing his eyes when he got to a specific line.

"_Naruto, I'm sorry to have disturbed you once again but this time it is urgent. One of my most trusted ninja, Yugito Nii, was assigned a mission to the south of Kumo, near the border of Yu no Kuni and Shimo no Kuni nearly a week ago and hasn't returned or responded since. I have attached a photograph of her to this letter for reference and verification. I know that you are not a ninja, but I am asking you as a friend and not as the Raikage, to head towards the border and see if she is ok. The mission she was sent on was a simple escort mission, something that doesn't have to be kept confidential as it was for a merchant who was afraid of bandits. All the carrier hawks that we have sent have never returned and I can't afford to send any of the few ninja we have out without knowing the situation. I know that this is a dangerous, even suicidal mission but I am asking you as a friend to simply see if anyone knows anything about her. If you are able to find any information, I will be eternally grateful for your help. Once again, I know it is foolish, selfish and irresponsible what I am asking but I can't risk anything happening should something serious come up. My friend, I know that what I am asking of you is dangerous but I hope that you will be able to help Kumo and myself by doing this. - A_"

"Damn it A, if you didn't help out Hisako that day I wouldn't be doing this." Naruto muttered under his breath before rolling the scroll back up and pocketing it once again.

(Scene Change - Border of Yu no Kuni and Shimo no Kuni)

A lone figure could be seen running through the woods as a pair raced behind to catch up to them. As they exited the thicket of trees, the one being pursued was a young woman who had long, straight, blonde, hair bound with taut bandages and dark eyes. She wore a short-sleeved black and purple blouse and black pants, both of which had a design similar to clouds on them, purple fingerless gloves and a chain of blue beads wound around her left hand. She also wore the standard Kumo forehead protector, sandals and kunai holster which was strapped to her right thigh. She also wore bandages around her arms and legs as well as a red belt around her waist.

"Damn, they don't give up do they!" Yugito cursed under her breath as she avoided another flash of lightning that ripped past the side of her head.

Her pursuers were a pair of men garbed in black cloaks with red clouds on them. One was a tan-skinned and tall man, appearing as a man well within his prime, retaining a very muscular build. He wore a white hood and a black mask, with his eyes being the only visible part of his face. The forehead protector of his home village with a scratch in the middle which symbolized that he was no longer loyal to it. He also wore brown nail polish and a dark green ring with the kanji for "north" was placed on his left middle finger. His entire body was covered with various stitches and predominantly appeared to be sewn together.

The other had medium-length silver hair that was slicked back and distinctive purple eyes. He wore his cloak open with no shirt, only pants under it revealing his Yugakure forehead protector around his neck and Jashin amulet. He also wore dark green nail polish and an orange ring on his left index finger, which bears the kanji for "three".

"This is getting tiresome." The larger man said as he released an exhausted and irritated sigh, shaking his head as his partner shouted at him.

"Then stay the fuck back Kakuzu! I can handle this bitch myself!" The silver haired man shouted as Kakuzu turned him out.

"If left to you, Hidan, you would no doubt kill her and ruin the entire plan." Kakuzu said in a calm tone as Hidan gained a few tick marks on his head.

"The fuck you say you bastard! Come here and say it to my face!" Hidan shouted in anger, his brow twitching in rage as the older man ignored him.

Passing the border and entering Yu no Kuni, Hidan glanced around before a wicked smile appeared on his face. Seeing his partner with an expression that usually was a forewarning of a massacre, he simply shook his head and returned his attention to the trail of their prey. Doing his best to ignore Hidan's rambling, Kakuzu felt his temper begin to boil over when the silver haired man began a long winded speech about sacrificing as many people as he found to Jashin.

"-nd then, Lord Jashin will no doubt see that I am a true believer of his faith and will!" Hidan said as his smile became a bit wider with bloodlust.

"Let's just get this over with, chasing her like this is beginning to waste our time. And you know that time is money." Kakuzu said as he sped up, Hidan blanching before growling and catching up to his partner.

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Yu no Kuni: Forest Clearing)

Arriving in the middle of a clearing, Yugito leaned against a tree as she did her best to silently catch her breath. Grimacing, she clutched the wound on her side as she scanned the area for any signs of the two who were following her. Taking a shaky breath, she was about to continue when her instincts screamed at her to dive, following them as a three bladed scythe embedded itself where her legs were. Rolling back to a standing position, she glared at the two as they entered the clearing.

"Are you trying to kill her? If that hit you would've severed her femoral artery." Kakuzu said in an irritated tone as Hidan scoffed at him.

"Don't you think I know that? What am I, an idiot?" Hidan shot back as Kakuzu shook his head in the positive, another tick mark appearing on the silver haired man's head.

As they started to bicker, Yugito found an opening and took it. Channeling a bit of her Bijū's chakra to her mouth, Yugito took a deep breath that gained the attention of the two in front of her as she spat out a series of flaming mice at them.

"**Nezumi Kedama**!" She shouted as the mice chased after the two, forcing Kakuzu to split and move to evade the flaming projectiles while Hidan just stood still.

"Gah, that's hot you bitch!" He shouted as he patted out the flames at that burned his body, shooting her an angry glare before he charged at her with his scythe raised to strike.

Cursing again, Yugito ducked under a wide swing before finding that something had grabbed her leg. Looking down, her eyes widened a bit when she saw that it was Kakuzu's arm, detached from his body yet seemingly still working in tandem with Hidan. Panicking a bit, she tried to free herself from the grip of the arm only to find that it had an ironclad hold on her leg. Hearing something whirling towards her, Yugito turned her head to for it to snap to the side when Hidan's scythe cut her cheek.

"It's all set!" The silver haired man said in an excited tone, his eyes shining in a mix of excitement and joy.

"Remember Hidan, we're to capture her not kill her." Kakuzu warned in a stern tone as Hidan simply smiled at him, too happy to care about the underlying threat.

"Sure thing Kakuzu, just make sure she doesn't disrupt my ritual and we won't have a problem." Hidan said as he began drawing the symbol of Jashin on the ground using his own blood, Kakuzu sighing before locking onto the stunned figure of Yugito.

"**Raiton: Raigen Raikōchū**!" Yugito shouted as her body started sparking before she generated an electric light that blinded the two in front of her.

Managing to buy herself a few precious seconds, she turned and sprinted deeper into the forest as the light died down. Seeing her run off, Kakuzu released an exasperated sigh as he would have to be the one to drag her back once Hidan was done with his ritual. Turning, he saw the silver haired man lick up Yugito's blood from his scythe as his body turned black with white markings appearing over his body, his appearance akin to a skeleton.

"Hahaha! Now, let us begin!" Hidan shouted as he pulled out a retractable spear and impaled himself in the leg, crying out in a mix of pain and pleasure as he felt the link between him and Yugito.

(Scene Change - A Few Meters From The Clearing)

"Gah!" Yugito cried out as she felt a searing pain rip through her thigh, clutching it as she fell to the ground.

"W-What the hell?" She said in a pained tone, gritting her teeth as she furiously batted away the tears that stung her eyes.

Soon more pain exploded throughout various parts of her body as she cried out in agony, feeling something pierce her lower leg, shoulder, forearm and abdomen. Panting, she curled up in a ball in a futile attempt to stave off the pain that racked her body, her eyes half lidded as she struggled to remain conscious. Hearing footsteps, she weakly turned her head and saw Kakuzu walking towards her with a slightly irritated expression in his eyes. Glancing at her downed form, he shook his head as he continued towards her.

"You had better not die on us, we've wasted enough time chasing you." He said in an irritated tone, grabbing her roughly by the collar of her shirt and lifting her.

"W-Who are you." She demanded in a weak tone, Kakuzu merely raising a brow at her demand.

"Are you really in a position to be demanding anything from us?" He said in an incredulous tone, Yugito simply glaring at him in response.

"It won't matter if I tell you, you're not in the condition to attempt an escape nor are any of your comrades coming." Kakuzu said as he bound her arms and legs, gagging her with a piece of cloth as he slung her over his shoulder like baggage.

Despite her struggling, he returned to Hidan who was glaring at Kakuzu with unbridled anger in his eyes. Ignoring his glowering partner, Kakuzu walked past him and back to the west as Hidan huffed at him. Muttering something about greedy mummies under his breath, he reluctantly followed behind him as Yugito's struggling became more and more erratic and desperate. Feeling her strength start to fade, her eyes began to water a bit as she found herself in a situation where she couldn't find a way out.

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Yugakure: Village Center)

The pair arriving in the heart of Yugakure with their cargo, Hidan let a wistful smile appear on his face as he glanced around the familiar surroundings that he grew up in. But as soon as his smile appeared it vanished, replaced with a disgusted frown when he saw the various signs that were put up to attract tourists. Scoffing, he turned back to face forward as a few people gave the pair a wide berth, obviously afraid when they saw the woman slung over Kakuzu's shoulder. Turning when the sound of a group of approaching ninja caught their attention, Hidan gained a broad smile when he felt the killing intent rolling off of him.

"If it isn't the most notorious missing-nin in all of Yugakure history." One of them said as they glared at the silver haired man.

"Not only that, but looks like he's fallen to petty kidnapping. Pretty pathetic if you ask me." another quipped as Hidan's smile fell, his mouth moving to a frown.

"Oi, you had better watch your fucking mouths." He said in a dangerously low tone, his eyes shining with malice.

"Oh yeah? Or what? You'll kidnap us like that woman? Please, if you ask me the only reason you're an S-Rank is because all ninja from Yugakure were just weak." A third added as Hidan began to tighten his hands into fists, glaring hotly at them.

"Kakuzu, do you mind if we make a quick pit stop. I think Jashin-sama wants an offering, a big one." He said in a barely controlled tone as Kakuzu sighed once again.

"Make it quick, we're already two days behind as it is." He said as he moved on ahead, leaving Hidan alone with the group of ninja.

"Hey, shouldn't we stop the masked freak too?" A ninja asked as they all nodded their heads in agreement, before one of them dropped dead.

"W-What!" They screamed and shouted when they saw the slashed throat of one of their comrades.

"You bastards are gonna pay for insulting me, none of you are gonna be leaving here alive!" He roared as he charged them, the group tensing before charging to meet him as well.

In the midst of the blood and gore that littered the ground, a blonde observing the scene turned his attention to the woman that was slung over Kakuzu's shoulder. Just by the clothing that she wore and the way her hair was styled, he knew that this was the woman that A was concerned about. Cursing under his breath, he debated on what his options were. On one hand, A had just asked that he find her and report back using a messenger hawk. On the other, he could try to save her and start a battle with two clearly powerful people. Grimacing, he released a sigh as he summoned a scroll from a seal on his wrist. Summoning a cloak and mask, he put them on before sealing away his backpack.

"**Kekkai** **Genryuu: Giryuu Hourui**." Naruto said as he placed his hand on the ground, a slight shimmer of the air all that signified that anything had happened.

"Let's hope I don't regret this." He muttered under his breath as he moved to engage Kakuzu, the man never sensing Naruto until he was sent flying off the side of the area by a brutal punch from the blonde.

Catching Yugito, he swiftly created two clones and swap places with them, one of the clones transforming into the image of a man Naruto had killed many years ago while bearing the headband of the ninja who were fighting Hidan, the other turned into Yugito. The transformed clones taking their places, Naruto quickly moved away from the location with Yugito wrap tightly around his arms. Back with the clones, the one who had transformed into Yugito laid motionless on the ground with its eyes closed. The other moving to pick it up, it was stopped and later impaled in the chest by an irate Kakuzu. Its eyes widening, it fell forward and dropped the transformed clone as Hidan finished up with the group of ninja.

"Tch, so they were smart enough to have someone sneak up on you. Surprised you were able to get jumped though Kakuzu." Hidan said with mirth and condescendence in his tone, Kakuzu glaring at the younger man before kicking the body of the clone away and picking up the other.

"While it is rather strange that they managed to get the drop on me, it wasn't anything I couldn't handle. Let's get going, no doubt your little spat will draw more unwanted attention." Kakuzu said as he slung the transformed clone over his shoulder, Hidan sneering at him while they left the massacre behind them.

(Scene Change - A Few Miles Away From Yugakure)

Releasing a sigh when he felt that there wasn't a change in the two men that were inside of his barrier, Naruto turned and let it drop, seeing a slight shimmer of the air in the distance. As the tension in his body fell, he glanced at the woman who was securely held in his arms. A bit taken back by how pale she was, he picked up his speed as he headed back to Kyuukai. As the minutes passed, he felt something was amiss and looked down, blinking in surprise when he saw her nuzzling against his chest like a cat would.

"A sure has a lot of strange ninja working with him." Naruto muttered as he ignored the sensation of her face against his chest.

(Scene Change - Hidan and Kakuzu's Location)

With Hidan and Kakuzu they were already past the border of Yugakure and entering Ta no Kuni, intent on returning as soon as they could. Seeing that they were nearing being three days over their intended capture date, they were being a bit careless in their journey. Trading insults back and forth, they were only dragging out their journey as Kakuzu had to remind Hidan that they were only wasting time bickering only to shoot an insult once he was finished.

"If you continue to complain we'll surely be three days overdue. Shut your trap and hurry it up." Kakuzu said in an irritated tone as Hidan's face reddened even more with anger.

"I swear to Jashin I'll kill you Kakuzu! You hear me!" He shouted at his partner, getting nothing but a scoff in return for his threat.

The two continuing to bicker back and forth, they failed to check up on their cargo, the clone silently storing everything of importance until the time came for it to be dispelled.

(Scene Change - Sunagakure)

After arriving at Suna, Teams 7 and 12 learned of the attack on Kankuro. Despite the failed attempt by the medics on-hand, Narumi easily cured Kankuro, thus demonstrating her vastly improved skill with iryō ninjutsu. Seeing that they were dealing with an unknown poison, Haku and herself developed several portable antidotes rather quickly. Using a piece of Sasori's clothing found on one of Kankuro's destroyed puppets, Kakashi was able to track him, thus leading them to Gaara. When Temari offered to assist them, Chiyo, another puppeteer and Sasori's grandmother, offered though it was more of a demand to go in her place.

"So that's the plan huh? I'm not too sure I like the idea of splitting up but I've got nothing else to go on." Zabuza said as Kakashi nodded at him, the two shaking the others hand as they split up to broaden the scope of their search.

While Team 7 tracked Sasori through the piece of clothing, the Akatsuki had sent out Kisame Hoshigaki to deal with Team 12. The two teams diverging when the Sasori's scent split into two trails, Kakashi summoned another of his hounds to lend to Team 12, the two heading off in opposite directions. Team 7 heading towards the forest while Team 12 headed towards the sea.

(Scene Change - Hanguri Gulf)

With Team 12, they were near the small gulf that made up the coast east of Suna. Scanning the area, they found no traces of the man Kankuro had described, finding it a bit unsettling that the trail ended in the middle of nowhere. But suddenly Zabuza found himself in the midst of an all too familiar bloodlust. Turning and drawing Kubikiribōchō, he blocked a brutal side slash from a tall, blue skinned man who resembled a shark. Narrowing his eyes, he saw the other man flash him a toothy and challenging grin.

"So you haven't died after all Kisame." Zabuza said in a low tone, his team tensing when they saw how rigid their normally calm and laidback leader was.

"You hurt my feelings Zabuza, you really think I'd kick the bucket that easily?" Kisame asked as he pushed Samehada against Kubikiribōchō, sparks beginning to dance as the blades grinded against each other.

Grunting, the two swordsmen pushed off each other and landed a fair distance away, both tense as they stared down the other. Tightening his grip on his sword, Zabuza shot a few concerned glances at his team as Kisame noticed them, grinning with a mix of mirth and amusement when he saw how concerned the bandaged man was about the young ladies who were with him.

"Who would've thought that you of all people would be concerned about others. You've really come a long way Zabuza, hahaha!" Kisame chuckled as Zabuza grit his teeth, his knuckles turning white with how tightly he was gripping Kubikiribōchō.

"Oh, I strike a nerve? Still feeling what happened to those orphans all those years ago huh?" Kisame continued as Zabuza froze, a cold sweat breaking out over his skin as Yakumo and Satsuki looked at Kisame in confusion.

"Quiet you!" Haku shouted as she threw a volley of senbon at Kisame, the man simply deflecting the needles with ease.

As he drew Samehada back, he raised a brow when he saw Satsuki glaring at him with her Sharingan in full effect. A broad smile breaking out on his face at the prospect of fighting against someone with a doujutsu, he rushed to engage her, knocking Haku aside as Satsuki quickly raised her wakizashi to defend against him. Gasping a bit when she felt the power of his blow, her arms buckled under the force as she felt her arm going numb. But before Kisame could do any serious damage, he was forced to back step when Yakumo appeared beside him, intent on taking his arm.

As he created a bit of distance between them, he smirked when he saw the three of them standing before a still stunned Zabuza. Shaking his head at the condition of the man he used to view as a rival, he slung Samehada over his shoulder and beckoned them to come. Though when none of them took him up on his offer, he simply shrugged his shoulders and flashed through a series of seals as Satsuki copied them, mimicking them as Kisame's smirk turned into a grin.

"**Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu**!" The two shouted while thrusting their hands forward, the water near their feet forming into two sharks as they raced towards each other.

The difference in power could be seen as Satsuki's shark was noticeably more unstable and smaller then Kisame's, being easily overpowered and destroyed by the larger shark. As it neared them, it opened its jaws to bite down on Satsuki only to be frozen solid by an irate Haku. Blinking in surprise when the shark froze over and shattered, he saw that Haku had her hands held out towards it as she whispered out the name of her technique loud enough for him to hear.

"**Hyōton: Jisarenhyō**." Haku said as she brought her hand down, her eyes gaining a sharp edge to them as Kisame simply grinned at her.

Drawing Samehada once more, he found that he was moving much more sluggishly then he should have been. Blinking a bit in confusion, he grit his teeth and forced his body to abide by his mind's minimum demand of it. As pain ripped though his body, he found himself moving his arm when he wanted to blink. His eyes widening, when he tried to take a step forward with his right leg, his left eye would twitch. Confusion and a bit of intrigue filling him, he managed to turn and saw Yakumo with a small smirk on her face. Her hands in a seal, he finally found that he was trapped in a genjutsu.

"**Ninpo: Heki Ranshinshō**." She said as Satsuki and Haku drew their blades and rushed him down, intent on ending the fight as soon as they could.

Letting out a shout, they both slashed through the man, Satsuki slashing his throat while Haku split his stomach open. But instead of blood, water spewed from the wounds they inflicted before they were both trapped in spheres of dense water. Their eyes widening in panic and fear, Yakumo dropped her hands and moved to help them. When she neared them, the leftover pool of water from the sharks sprang up and trapped her in another sphere of water.

"Nice try girlies, but not good enough. Now, if I were a tenth of the shinobi I was that would've worked but I'm not." Kisame said as he moved to cut through the three, all of them snapping their eyes shut in a futile attempt to try and ease the oncoming pain.

But when a metallic clang rang out, their eyes flew open and widened when they saw that Zabuza was glaring at Kisame with nothing but hatred in his eyes. Growling, he pushed Kubikiribōchō against Samehada before he shoved Kisame back. Landing a fair distance away from the bandaged man, Kisame saw Zabuza raise his hands towards the three floating spheres of water before he closed his hand.

"**Suiton: Suikaku**." Zabuza said as the spheres rippled a bit before rupturing, the three ladies who were trapped falling and coughing as they caught their breaths.

Seeing that they weren't harmed, he turned his attention to the man in front of him. When he saw the look in Zabuza's eyes, Kisame quickly lost his grin as his mouth thinned to a small line. Their eyes as sharp as their blades, they approached each other at a steady pace while Yakumo, Satsuki and Haku watched with trepidation and confusion. When they were less then two meters away from each other, they drew and held out their swords towards each other.

"You know the stakes of this duel right?" Zabuza asked in a cold tone, his eyes sharpening when Kisame nodded his head stiffly.

"Yeah, loser not only loses their life but their sword and their pride and honor as a swordsman." He said as he tightened his grip on Samehada.

After their quick talk, they began circling around each other, taking precise and controlled steps as sweat fell from their heads. Then, as if on cue, a gust of wind carried small droplet of water as it fell between the two men. When it hit the ground, the two exploded with speed unlike anything the three kunoichi beside them had seen. Sharp clangs of steel meeting steel echoing loudly throughout the clearing, Zabuza and Kisame spun connected blades once more, both grunting as they tried to overpower the other.

Reversing his grip on his sword, Zabuza tilted it and slid Samehada off the flat of his blade. Stepping in, he slammed the pommel of Kubikiribōchō into Kisame's abdomen as Kisame raked Samehada across Zabuza's shoulder. His eyes widened when pain ripped through his shoulder, he rolled along with the spines of Samehada as he avoided the serrated blade tearing into him more then it had already. As he was rolling forward, he brought his heel up and slammed it on top of Kisame's head, stunning him enough to allow Zabuza to roll a distance away.

"Heh. Looks like you aren't as rusty as I thought you were." Kisame said in a tone filled with slight respect.

"Same to you." Zabuza quipped, tightening his grip on Kubikiribōchō as Kisame tightened his on Samehada.

"Then let's end this farce, whoever stands is clearly the better swordsman." Kisame said as his chakra surged to an immense level, Zabuza's eyes widening before he grit his teeth and let his chakra flow.

"**Kubikiribōchō: Reigou Reisuiwari**!"

"**Samehada: Suikōjin**!"

The two roared as they charged towards each other, Kubikiribōchō trailing behind Zabuza while Samehada was held in beside Kisame. With a cry the two met as their blades collided, a rending explosion of water, mist and sparks. Shielding their bodies with their arms to protect themselves from the sharp blades of chakra infused water, the trio looked up after a few seconds and saw a sight that would never leave their memories.

Standing back to back, were the two swordsmen, their swords drawn in front of them. Then, Kisame's mouth went form a thin line to a small smile as he hacked up blood. His upper body sliding off, it hit the wet ground with a wet thud. A solemn look in Zabuza's eyes, his bandages were soon tinted with a red hue as he fell to his knees. Turning, his team gasped in horror and shock when they saw that he was missing a large part of his shoulder. Releasing a sigh, he let a grunt out as he moved to sit on his rear, taking off his flak jacket and shirt as he used the ripped garment to stanch the blood that was flowing from his wounded shoulder.

"Tou-sama!" Haku screamed as she sprinted to heal him, tears welling up in her eyes as her teammates moved to aide her.

"I'm fine, it's nothing big Haku." He said in a joking tone, trying to ease the tension that was still lingering in the air.

"Be quiet! You always do this! You always say it's nothing big but it's always serious! Just please be quiet so I can work!" She shouted before chewing on her bottom lip in a bit of guilt, using her forearm to wipe away the tears in her eyes before she started to heal him.

"H-Hey, easy Haku! I'm injured remember!" Zabuza said in a panicked tone when Haku was tending to him a bit more roughly then she usually would.

"Satsuki, Yakumo, could you two check up on Kisame? I know I got him but I felt that something was off when I crossed blades with him." Zabuza said in a serious tone, getting the attention of the three as the duo nodded and went to see the other man.

"Z-Zabuza-sensei! C-Come quick!" Satsuki shouted in a mix of shock and confusion, Zabuza quickly rising despite his daughter's protests.

Making his way over to the two, Zabuza was about to ask what the problem was but found that no words left his mouth when he saw that the person he had bisected wasn't Kisame but someone else. The shaggy brown hair being a dead giveaway, Zabuza turned the body over and saw that it was in fact someone else. His eyes narrowing, he grit his teeth and clenched his fists tightly, rage boiling through his veins as his team gulped when they saw the anger surfacing on his face.

"I swear I'll kill you for this Kisame..." He said in a dangerously low tone, his voice sharper then his blade.

Haku steadying her father, she helped him to a sitting position while Yakumo and Satsuki checked the deceased man's body for anything of value, finding that there wasn't anything of importance on him. After a few more minutes, the group left the area behind, quiet when they were subjected to Zabuza's quiet fury.

(Scene Change - Unknown Forest)

"Seems like that one's finished." Kisame said as he brought his hands down from the seal that they were in.

"Heh, I can only imagine the look on your face right now Zabuza. You're probably pissed to hell right now." Kisame said with a grin on his face, heaving Samehada over his shoulder as he moved to return back to base.

(Scene Change - Kawa no Kuni: Akatsuki Hideout Entrance)

Reaching a dead end, Team 7 along with Chiyo were a bit apprehensive when they were standing in front of a cave opening, a strange chakra rolling out of it. Steeling themselves, they exchanged glances with each other and nodded, heading into the cave. After a few minutes, they entered a large chamber and stood in shock at what they were witnessing. Gaara was suspended in the air with the Shukaku's chakra being siphoned out of him, being drained into the large statue that stood behind him. But soon the process ended as Gaara's body hit the ground and remained motionless.

"W-We're too late..." Menma said in a soft tone as he gazed at the prone form of the Kazekage, a bit of anger and fear invading his heart.

"So our esteemed guests have finally decided to grace us with their presence, Deidara." Sasori said, his partner turning and giving them all a small smirk.

"Looks like it Sasori, hm." Deidara said in a mirthful tone, his eyes shining when he saw that all three of their next targets were right in front of them.

"You bastards! What the hell did you do to him!" Menma shouted in anger, his eyes narrowed as his siblings tensed.

"What do you think we did? We ripped out the Shukaku from him, exactly what we're gonna do to you three and the Kyuubi next." Deidara said as a cold sweat broke out on the three, all of them swallowing a lump in their throats.

As the tension escalated, the duo immediately split up. Grabbing Gaara's corpse with a bird made of clay, Deidara sped out of the chamber, leaving behind a stunned group of ninja and an impassive Sasori. Turning towards each other, they nodded as Menma and Kakashi split from the group and chased after Deidara. Mito, Narumi and Chiyo staying behind, they faced Sasori as the bulky looking man merely stared at them.

"So, you three are going to fight me?" He asked, his answer being Mito drawing her chokuto, Narumi adjusting the gloves on her hands and Chiyo holding her hands out to her side.

"Very well then, I will show you true art." He said as he held out his left arm and fired a barrage of senbon at the trio.

(Scene Change - Kawa no Kuni: In Pursuit Of Deidara)

"Get down here you bastard!" Menma shouted as Deidara flew above Kakashi and himself, his eyes burning with hate and anger as Kakashi had his hands held together.

"Calm yourself Menma, getting angry is just what he wants you to do." Kakashi said, having revealed his Sharingan before closing it and making a seal.

"Tch. What are you doing Kakashi-nii?" Menma asked as Kakashi continued to keep his seal, Menma raising a brow.

"Don't worry about it, I've got something up my sleeve. For now, don't lose sight of him." He said as Menma nodded, refocusing his attention to the man flying above them.

"Got it."Menma said as he began to string together a set of seals, Deidara glancing down with a wary expression when he felt the buildup of chakra from the two.

(Scene Change - Kawa no Kuni: Akatsuki Hideout Entrance)

Quickly summoning a set of kunai, Chiyo attached a thread of chakra through them as they began to float in the air. As everyone watched on, she let them loose on Sasori who rasied his tail to defend against the sudden attack a bit surprised by her sudden move. But he opted to remain silent and observe the trio, who began to ready their next move.

"Narumi! Mito! Please lend me your power! We've got to get Sasori out of Hiruko!" Chiyo asked as the sisters nodded their heads, a bit of confusion on their faces as they turned to face the large man in front of them.

"Hiruko?" Narumi asked as she Mito kept watch on the man in front of them.

"Yes, to defeat Sasori, we need to take out the puppet that he's hiding in. You two are the only ones who are able to do it. Narumi you've inherited Tsunade's superhuman strength and Mito you've gained Orochimaru's all cutting blade, you've both got what it takes to destroy it." Chiyo said in a comforting and encouraging tone, the eyes of the two lighting up when they heard her praise.

"Got it Chiyo-baachan, we'll smash that thing to pieces no problem." Narumi said as she adjusted her gloves once more, confidence brimming in her eyes.

"We just have to watch out for the traps that are hidden inside of it right? They're coated with the same poison that got Kankuro correct?" Mito asked, Chiyo and Narumi looking at her in surprise and awe respectively.

"That's correct, even the smallest nick will be fatal. To avoid them you need to know the ins and outs of the traps that he's set, to be able to react in time and still be able to launch a counter attack." She explained as the two began to sweat slightly, a bead of sweat falling down their faces.

"Well we're both lacking in both departments Chiyo-baachan." Narumi quipped as Mito nodded, Chiyo smiling at the two.

"Hmph. what do you think I'm here for? Do you think I'm some helpless old hag?" Chiyo said in a mirthful tone as she undid her bun, her hair falling freely.

"Compared to me, Sasori's experience is but a drop in a pond. And, the first move has already been made." Chiyo said as Mito and Narumi turned to face her, confusion evident on their faces once again.

"Here goes girls, it might tingle a bit! **Sōen: Hitomi Gokū**!" Chiyo said, whispering her jutsu as she held her hands out to the two young ladies, the two stiffening a bit before relaxing as Chiyo attached her chakra threads to them.

"We'll defeat him together girls! I've got the reaction time and the knowledge, you two have the skills and strength!" Chiyo shouted as Mito and Narumi smirked, returning their attention to the puppet in front of them.

"Let's go Mito-nee!" Narumi shouted as she cracked her knuckles, the sound echoing loudly in the cavern as her hands began to glow with a bright blow aura.

"I've got your back Umi-chan!" Mito said as she drew her chokuto, the edge glowing a with a pale white before shaping into a solid white aura.

"So you're all finally ready? You of all people should know... I don't like to be kept waiting." Sasori said as Hiruko began pulled its facemask down.

"Relax, we'll kill you soon enough." Chiyo said in a stern tone, leveling a glare at the puppet.

Soon the battle began, the two surging towards Sasori with enhanced speed due to Chiyo's jutsu. As Hiruko's facemask was ripped off, it's mouth opened up as the three avoided a hail of senbon that were fired out of its mouth. Kicking onto her hands, Narumi spun on her palms as she evaded through the rain of poisoned steel. Mito sidestepped and danced through the volley while Chiyo was able to easily move out of the way. But their attention was grabbed when a torpedo shaped arm was shot at them. The arm rotating at high speed, it began launching the wooden cylinders attached to it. The cylinders opening, each one released a large amount of senbon, creating a quick rain of poisoned needles in all directions.

"Die." Sasori said in a low tone, the eyes of the trio widening when they saw the sudden surge of steel.

But the sudden rain of senbon proved to be ineffective as the trio managed to evade them all, irritating Sasori a bit because even Narumi and Mito were able to dodge the sudden attack. Writing it off as luck or chance, he saw that the two were flanking him on both sides. The rest of his cloak ripping as Hiruko's tail shot out of it only to be locked into place, a brief surge of panic and anger filled Sasori when he finally caught onto what was happening.

"_You damned old hag!_" The puppeteer thought as Mito and Narumi closed in on him, their eyes burning as they readied themselves.

"Now you two, let him have it!" Chiyo shouted as she moved her hands, accelerating them a little more then they were moving before.

"Eat this!" The two shouted, Narumi slamming down on the back of the puppet with all of her might while Mito sliced up the larger parts.

"Of course... That's my grandmother for you... No wonder those two were able to evade all the traps that Hiruko had." Sasori spoke as he removed the cloak that covered him.

"You saw all of my attacks and used those chakra threads to control those two. Furthermore, you even managed to attach threads to Hiruko's tail from those kunai earlier, though I didn't catch on until its tail froze." Sasori continued, grabbing the head of the cloak that covered him.

"Indeed, though I was doing the best I could to suppress the chakra as much as possible to that it was invisible, you worked it out so well." Chiyo quipped as a noise of amusement left the cloak.

"Well, of course. Who was it who taught me to play with puppets? It was you." He added, pulling the rest of the cloak off.

Reeling the two back, they watched with stunned expressions when Sasori emerged from Hiruko's remains and revealed his true self. The trio were shocked to see his youthful face, considering that he had left Sunagakure over twenty years ago, yet looked so young.

"S-Sasori... Y-You haven't aged a single day..." Chiyo said in a stunned tone, Sasori merely tilting his head at with the same aloof expression on his face.

"I can't say the same for you, grandmother." Sasori said as he brought out a scroll.

"Well, I think we've chatted for long enough. I'll show you what I brought along. Killing him for my collection gave me a hard time, but I think it was worth it." He continued, opening the scroll as the kanji for "three" was written on it.

As the scroll released what was contained inside of it, the eyes of the three narrowed in preparation for what was to come. As the smoke cleared, their eyes widened for a myriad of different reasons.

"T-That couldn't be..." Chiyo said in a stunned tone, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"How is that possible?" Mito whispered as she stared at what was in front of her.

"What is that?" Narumi asked in a quiet tone, feeling a strange source of chakra from it.

"That is..." Chiyo trailed off, her voice barely a whisper as the smoke finally cleared.

"The Sandaime Kazekage." Mito said in a quiet tone, her eyes a bit perturbed by what she was seeing.

"Well then, let's begin." Sasori said as he attached his threads to the puppet, settling into a stance as the trio tensed.

(Scene Change - Kawa no Kuni: In Pursuit Of Deidara)

"Are you ready yet Kakashi-nii?" Menma asked as Kakashi nodded his head, opening his eye as Menma looked on in fascination.

"Geez, I don't have as much chakra as you and your sisters have you know. But yeah, it's ready. Let's go Menma." Kakashi said as his newly shaped Sharingan was present.

"Whoa, it's a new Sharingan." Menma quipped as he gazed at the eye, Kakashi grabbing his attention after a bit of time.

"Heh, don't worry about screwing up Kakashi-nii. Even if you miss, I won't!" Menma said confidently as Kakashi smirked under his mask.

"Hmph, that's if you get the chance Menma." Kakashi said in a confident tone as well, facing forward as they sped up.

Focusing his eye on Deidara above, Kakashi began to channel more chakra into it as something strange began to occur. The clay bird that Deidara was riding began to shimmer and lose its form as did Deidara. Soon, there could be seen a small black point where the spatial disturbance was originating from, located on the blonde man's chest. As they began to catch up to him, Deidara noticed that the point of space that was being manipulated began to shift towards his arm. Finally, the space collapsed on itself, taking Deidara's arm with it.

"Gyahhh!" Deidara shouted in pain, watching in morbid fascination as his arm and the blood that was with it seemingly disappeared.

"Guh! Shit!" Kakashi cried out as he held his eye shut with his hand, grimacing as exhaustion and pain surged through him.

"Ughhh..." Deidara muttered as he fell to his knees, feeling pain like no other course through his missing limb.

"_I missed. I still can't properly control the location and size of the barrier limiting the area._" Kakashi thought, removing his hand to try once more.

Feeling the same disturbance from before, Deidara quickly looked down and saw that Kakashi was indeed using the same jutsu with his Sharingan. Waiting for the same thing to occur, Deidara widened his eyes and quickly shifted his head over and the clay bird he was flying on down as the space his head had been at quickly collapsed in itself. Sweating as he marginally missed being decapitated, he turned and widened his eyes in surprise when Menma was beside him.

"**Odama Rasengan**!" Menma shouted as he drove the giant sphere towards Deidara, the man gritting his teeth.

As Menma neared him, Deidara jumped back off the clay bird, Menma's jutsu colliding and exploding when it connected with the construct of clay. The smoke clearing, Menma quickly created a number of clones as they grabbed the head of the bird, that contained Gaara, before landing on one of the many large branches that littered the ravine. Taking a moment to rest, Menma turned and saw that Kakashi's Sharingan had returned to its original state.

"Are you alright Kakashi-nii?" He asked, Kakashi nodding his head as he continued to pant in exhaustion.

"I'm fine, one way or another." The silver haired man answered, glancing forward as he tried to find a trace of Deidara.

Resting behind a large tree trunk, Deidara caught his breath as he peeked over the trunk. Seeing that the main threat was as exhausted as he was, he let a quiet sigh of relief escape his throat. Turning back, he began to devise a counterattack for the next engagement. While he was doing so, both Menma and Kakashi turned to face the direction that he was in.

"We'll get you." Menma said in a dangerously low tone, narrowing his eyes as Deidara let a small smirk grace his features.

"Gotcha, gotcha. I'll fight you again soon. Hm." Deidara said as he threw his voice, a trick he bitterly asked to learn from Sasori.

"You've let your guard down..." Kakashi said in a mocking tone, Deidara raising a brow as he turned to face the masked man.

When he did, Menma appeared once again beside him and delivered a brutal blow to the older man's face. Quickly creating a multitude of clones, he quickly formed a **Rasengan** in his hand as his clones grabbed and slammed Deidara into the ground. Letting a cry of triumph leave his mouth, Menma buried the deadly sphere of chakra into Deidara's abdomen, a silent scream of pain leaving his throat. Then, a subsequent explosion occurred as a large plume of dust and debris obscured the bodies of the two shinobi.

But as soon as the man began to slacken with the embrace of death, he turned into a misshapen pile of clay.

(Scene Change - Kawa no Kuni: Akatsuki Hideout Entrance)

"That's the Sandaime Kazekage?" Narumi asked in a confused tone, Chiyo and Mito grimacing when they heard her statement.

"Apparently he disappeared suddenly from Suna over ten years ago. From the reports that I've read, they never found his body either." Mito reported as Narumi's eyes widened with the information presented to her.

"It's no rumor Narumi, Mito. It's been over ten years since the Sandaime Kazekage vanished from my village. Sasori... You..." Chiyo trailed off as she leveled a hard glare at him, his face never changing.

"Hmph, for your age Grandmother you're still quite sharp. But I think we've had enough idle chatter." Sasori said as he directed his puppet forward, Chiyo quickly pulling in Mito and Narumi back.

But as soon as they were pulled, the puppet sped up as it held out its right arm. Suddenly, a multitude of blades in the shape of a claw opened up from its arm. Narumi panicking a bit, she grit her teeth and brought her arms up in a defensive position while channeling more chakra to them in preparation for the blades. Her concerns were for naught as Mito narrowed her eyes at the oncoming bladed claw, tightening her grip on her chokuto while channeling more futon chakra into it.

"You're not touching my sister!" She shouted as she defended Narumi and herself by blocking the blades, sparks flying as her chokuto began to slice through the puppet's blades.

"Hmph. Let's go girls." Sasori said in an amused tone, the siblings narrowing their eyes in anger at him.

"Nice work Mito!" Chiyo shouted as Narumi narrowed her eyes upon seeing a twitch of Sasori's fingers.

Flashing through a set of seals, she finished as Sasori pulled a finger back. The motion causing a compartment on the puppet's left arm to open, a large number of arms shot out of the opened compartment. Taking a deep breath, Narumi let her chakra surge as she let loose an all consuming blaze of fire. Seeing her sister using a katon jutsu, Mito quickly channeled more chakra into her chokuto before firing off waves of sharp, futon infused chakra blades.

"**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu**!"

"**Futon: Fuchikaze**!"

As Mito's chakra blades passed through Narumi's fireball, they ignited and increased in size as they sliced and set ablaze the tendrils of arms that were racing towards them. It wasn't just Mito's jutsu that was enhanced by the others, Narumi's fireball devoured a few of the wind blades and the chakra that was used to construct them, enriching the amount of oxygen that was inside of the orange sphere. The resulting mix caused the fireball to superheat into a lighter colored, borderline white sphere that incinerated the arms that it passed through.

"It's too late." Sasori said as the puppet's arms opened up at the elbow joints, firing tied kunai that ensnared the two kunoichi.

"Mito! Narumi!" Chiyo shouted, trying to pull them back to no avail as Sasori's fingers twitched once more.

From the same openings, a pipe was extended as it fired a dark purple cloud of gas that consumed the two. Her eyes widening Chiyo shouted at them not to take a breath while Sasori kept her from reeling them back. Wincing as her lungs were still a bit winded from her jutsu earlier, Narumi was about to give in when Mito narrowed her eyes once more. Gritting her teeth, she began to rapidly spin her chokuto while building up chakra inside of it. As it began to glow white once more, she released the chakra as a concussive blast of wind that severed their bonds, blew away the poisonous gas but also send them flying back with cuts littering their bodies.

"S-Sorry about that Umi-chan, I couldn't think of another way to get us out of there." Mito said with guilt in her voice, Narumi flashing her sister a thankful smile.

"A few cuts over a slow and painful death, I'll take the former Mito-nee." Narumi said in a grateful tone, taking large gulps of precious air.

"_These girls... Doing such a reckless and dangerous thing to escape the poison fumes. They really are Kushina-chan and Minato-chan's children._" Chiyo thought as Sasori's puppet sent another volley of kunai at them.

When the rain of poisoned steel neared them, they were knocked from the air before they could reach the trio. A bit stunned, Mito and Narumi glanced up and saw that two more puppets had joined the fray. Holding out two smoking scrolls, Chiyo leveled a hard stare at Sasori who's expression hadn't changed from the beginning of the battle.

"Oh, it's them." He said in a monotone, Chiyo sealing the scrolls up once more as she attached her threads to the released puppets.

"The first ones you created. Your Mother and Father." Chiyo said as the puppets surged forward to meet the rival puppeteer.

Placing their hands together, they quickly attached wires together before flying ahead. Dancing around in the air, they quickly sliced through the remains of the arms that Sasori's puppet had. Detaching the remains of the arms, it was pulled back before reengaging the two puppets. Pulling out their respective weapons, they collided in a flurry of lightning fast blows. After a quick clash, they pulled their puppets backs as they stared down at each other.

"Amazing..." Mito said with awe, her eyes wide as she admired the quick clash of steel and skill that happened before her.

"W-Wow... Chiyo-baachan is amazing..." Narumi said with reverence as she complimented the elderly woman's skill despite her appearance.

"Hmm, seems like it's about time I got serious." Sasori said as the puppet of the Sandaime Kazekage opened up, black sand flowing out of its mouth.

"So, that puppet uses the Sandaime's jutsu..." Chiyo said as he looked at the spectacle happening in front of her.

"It's been a while, eh? This is the jutsu that caused the people to see the Sandaime as the strongest after all." Sasori quipped as Chiyo glared at him, Mito and Narumi looking on in nervousness.

"What is that?" Narumi asked as she started to channel chakra into her lungs, preparing for unleashing another jutsu.

"The most feared weapon in the sand, the Iron Sand." Chiyo said in a serious tone, explaining the mechanics behind its uses.

"It was based on a previous host of the Shukaku, that the Sandaime created it after. It can be changed into any form and the weapons to suit the situation can be created. Due to his unique ability to convert his chakra into a magnetic force, it's been something that hasn't yet been replicated." Chiyo explained as Mito and Narumi's eyes widened, though a flash of confusion passed through their faces.

"But if that's true, then how does a puppet have the same exact ability as the Sandaime?" Mito asked, Chiyo leveling a hard glare at Sasori as the red headed man merely smiled and inclined his head slightly.

"That's because it's a human puppet, a puppet that was created from an originally living being. Because of that, it retains its chakra, including any unique abilities." Chiyo said as Mito and Narumi felt a chill run down their spines.

"Girls, you must leave now!" I will handle it alone from here." Chiyo ordered as she readied herself, Mito and Narumi shooting her incredulous looks.

"No way Chiyo-baachan! We're in this together!" Narumi shouted as she turned to face Sasori and his puppet, fixing her gloves as she glared them down.

"Umi-chan is right. We're not leaving you behind all by yourself." Mito said as she tightened her grip on her chokuto, letting more futon chakra flow into it.

At their declaration, Sasori moved his fingers as his puppet held out its hands and fired the Iron Sand in a bullet-like manner. Her eyes widening, Chiyo was about to drag the two girls out of the way but stood a bit stunned when Narumi quickly buried her fist into the ground and ripped up a large piece of earth to act as a shield. As her sister pulled up an earthen shield for them, Mito weaved a barrier made of wind. The combined defenses proved to be strong enough to withstand the rain of Iron Sand.

"Interesting, you two aren't as weak as you appear." Sasori quipped as Mito and Narumi ground their teeth, forcibly calming themselves at his jibe.

"Come'on Mito-nee, let's end this clown." Narumi said in a cold tone, her chakra surging as she rushed forward.

"I've got your back Umi-chan." Mito said as she moved to cover her sister's blind spot, watching with wide eyes was Chiyo.

Sasori manipulating the sand, it recompiled into long spears that shot towards the two charging girls. Dodging and weaving their way between them, they avoided getting hit as Sasori and Chiyo looked on in a bit of shock at the fluidity and grace their movements carried. But then, the puppet of the Sandaime Kazekage quickly opened its mouth once more as its chest compartment began to glow. Suddenly, all of the Iron Sand that was scattered over the battleground began to collect and form into a two shapes, one being rectangular while the other was triangular.

"Girls! You two must get away!" Chiyo shouted as she moved her puppets forwards to intercept and collect the girls.

But her puppets were rendered useless when the block of Iron Sand collapsed on them before scattering and recompiling. The sand lodged in their joints rendering them immobile as Chiyo grimaced. At the same time, the other block of Iron Sand had spears shot out towards Mito and Narumi. Narrowing her eyes, Narumi rushed forward and slugged the block in front of her, sending it flying back towards Sasori. Moving to the side, he watched as it lodged itself in the wall behind him. Turning back to face the two, he saw Mito slice the other block in half before reducing it into tiny cubes.

"_Amazing... They've already begun to see the pattern of Sasori's attacks. Even without my assistance, they're holding equal ground with him. Truly, they are the children and apprentices of Konoha's finest._" Chiyo thought as she watched the two evade through the rain of spears and sand with much more ease then before.

"Remember Mito-nee. Before he attacks, he always moves his fingers no matter what. That's the weakness of puppeteers. Keep your eyes on the movements of his fingers, hands and arms." Narumi said in a calm and calculating tone, her eyes constantly shifting between the three parts she listed.

"Got it, depending on the angle, motion, speed and direction he moves them, the puppet responds accordingly. Just a bit more and we'll know exactly what he's trying to do." Mito added as her sister nodded in agreement, tightening her fists while she did the same to her chokuto.

"_So they're starting to catch on. At this rate, it'll take more time to finish this. It'll take a bit of chakra, but I'll finish this now._" Sasori thought as he moved his hands in a different manner from before, the blocks colliding together as Mito and Narumi watched with trepidation.

"**Satetsu Kaihō**." Sasori said as the chest compartment on his puppet began to glow with a brighter light, the combined blocks sending an endless branch of Iron Sand down on the duo.

Their eyes widening, Mito began to fired more blades of wind to stanch the incoming branches of Iron Sand to find that the more she cut down the more they were replaced. Then, the branches of Iron Sand finally descended on the two as a violent explosion of dust and debris blanketed the area, the cave collapsing. The aftermath of the jutsu was Mito and Narumi covered with wounds ranging from superficial to mild. Gritting her teeth, Mito placed her hand over a deep wound on her abdomen while Narumi clutched her shredded arm. Couching, she felt their strength quickly leaving them as Chiyo looked on in horror.

"Sasori, don't tell me...!" Chiyo trailed off as Sasori merely tilted his head in confirmation at her unaired question.

The two about to trade words once more, Chiyo stopped when she saw the sisters beginning to sway on their legs. Her eyes widened when she saw the fall to their knees before falling face first into the ground.

"The poison is very effective. The body instantly become numb and immobile. If left alone, they would have three days, but...I don't plan on giving them that time." Sasori said as he moved his puppet forward, a pair of blades leaving its arms as he descended down on the two.

When it neared them, Chiyo looking on in horror, the puppet was suddenly slashed apart and shattered when Mito and Narumi suddenly rose and attacked it. Their eyes narrowed in anger and focus, Mito spun and reduced the airborne remains to firewood while Narumi turned whatever she could touch to splinters. As the remains of the puppet fell, the two quickly moved back to Chiyo's side as the structures made of Iron Sand began to collapse with the lack of control.

"Narumi, Mito... You two..." She trailed off, Mito focusing her attention forward while Narumi turned to address the elderly woman.

"An antidote. I was able to make five with the time I had. After all that though, we've got two left." Narumi reported as she returned her attention to Sasori, clenching her fists as Sasori gave them a curious look.

"We've got three minutes of immunity to his poison, let's not waste them." Narumi reported as Mito nodded her head, Chiyo stunned by the prowess of the two before her.

"_How can they still move. They should have been affected by my poison. Unless... Impossible! Did they have an antidote? But how? Creating an antidote capable of countering my poison would require that they don't make a single mistake, no matter how small._" Sasori contemplated as he watched Narumi heal herself, Mito and Chiyo of their wounds.

"_So... She's a medical ninja..._" He thought as he looked at the slightly winded form of Narumi, who was taking deep breaths at the amount of chakra that she used.

"Hmph. Using another human puppet would be a waste not to mention useless. Ha, I wonder... It's been quite some time since I used myself." Sasori said as he removed his robe, the eyes of Mito and Narumi widening while Chiyo simply stared at him.

"So that's why he appears to not have aged a day." Chiyo said as they took in his form.

"He made himself into a human puppet." Narumi said as she stared at his body, taking in every detail as her sister did the same.

Holding his arms out, Sasori let out a large, twin stream of fire from the nozzles implanted into his palms. Ducking behind the large rubble that littered the battlefield, the trio bit their time as Mito rushed through a set of seals. Glancing at her sister, Narumi saw her shooting her a look and she nodded. Weaving a set of seals as well, they sprinted out of their cover before taking a deep breath and letting their jutsu loose.

"**Suiton: Ja no Kuchi**!"

"**Futon: Shinkūha**!"

The two shouted as they let their own jutsu fly wild, Mito summing a snake-like wave of water that was enhanced into a violent torrent of water by Narumi's jutsu. The wave of reinforced water quenching the inferno that Sasori was firing, his eyes widened when he saw the wave approaching him. Quickly jumping back, he avoided being swept up in the torrent as he continued to unleash his flames as he spun his hands, tightening the stream of fire as a large cloud of steam consumed the area.

Suddenly, the stream of fire ended as one of the scrolls that were on his back vanished. Backing out of the steam cloud, Narumi's eyes widened when the spiked cable wound around his waist shot out and slashed into her side. Wincing, she was about to grab it when it was severed by her older sister. Moving protectively in front of Narumi, Mito send a flurry of wind blades at Sasori who dodged out of the way. Glancing back, she saw her sister already mending the wound before letting a pained sigh escape her mouth.

"Die." Sasori said as he rushed towards Chiyo, ignoring the two as Mito and Narumi ground their teeth.

Grabbing the cable, Narumi halted his advance as he forced him out of cable. Stopping just a few feet away from Chiyo, he glanced back and looked in shock at the tenacity of the two kunoichi behind him. Tightening her grip on the cable, Narumi let a roar leave her throat as she yanked him back as Mito readied her chokuto.

"Get over here!" Narumi roared as she cocked her arm back before slugging him square in the chest as his puppet body shattered into many pieces.

"Take this!" Mito shouted as she let a large amount of futon chakra into her blade, elongating it as she danced around, reducing every airborne piece into scrap wood.

Panting, the two glanced around and let a relieved sigh escape their mouths when they saw that nothing was moving once again. Turning to go back to Chiyo, they were about to move but froze when they heard the sounds of clattering limbs. Turning again, they saw that the remains of the destroyed puppet were reassembling. Their eyes wide, they jumped a safe distance away as his head finally attached itself. Chiyo then brought out her **Shirohigi: Jikki Chikamatsu no Shū** in an attempt to level the playing field.

"You two, you've done more then enough. The antidotes worn of has it not?" Chiyo said as the younger kunoichi stiffened before relaxing, turning to give her a smile.

"Come'on Chiyo-baachan, you should know how we are by now." Narumi said in a chipper tone, a smile on her face as Mito shook her head.

"We've come this far, it's only natural that we see it to the end." Mito said with a smile marring her face, Chiyo shaking her head at the two.

Seeing that he was outnumbered, Sasori then used his **Akahigi: Hyakki no Sōen**, allowing him to control ten times as many puppets as Chiyo. Since Chiyo's puppets were designed to work together, a trait lacking with all of Sasori's puppets, her puppets fared far better than his, although they were eventually overwhelmed by Sasori's sheer numbers.

"I've got his puppets under control, focus on Sasori!" Chiyo ordered as Mito and Narumi closed in on the puppeteer.

Slashing through any puppet that got within her range, Mito kept her sister out of harms ways as Narumi clutched something tightly in her hand. Spinning on her heel, Mito sliced through three more puppets that tried to flank Narumi, while Narumi delivered a brutal backhand and kick that shattered a pair of puppets that tried to take Mito's back. When they were finally within range, Narumi pulled her arm back and threw the Shishikubi Kannon that was given to her by Chiyo.

When the small ball was thrown, it quickly grew to a man-sized lion's head with thirty-two large fangs pointed at Sasori. The puppeteer seemingly stunned at the object flying towards him, he was unable to react when it collided and pinned him to the wall behind him. As it did, a large sealing array was inscribed on the wall, Sasori's eyes closing as he was seemingly sealed away by the **Fūinjutsu: Shishi Heikō**.

"Ha... It's over..." Narumi panted as she held her side, glancing around and seeing that nothing was moving or twitching in the slightest.

"Yeah... Chiyo-sama, please take the antidote." Mito said as she handed Chiyo the vial, the elderly woman nodded as she reached out for it.

But before she could grab it, the eyes of the two younger kunoichi widened when they saw that Sasori wasn't in fact dead. Throwing reason away, they quickly rushed forward as Sasori moved to stab Chiyo in the back with a katana. Chiyo turning when she heard the sound, her eyes widened when she saw that Mito and Narumi were the ones who were stabbed. Mito's and Narumi's abdomen being the targets.

"Mito-nee... Chiyo-baachan, take the antidote." Narumi said as she held her abdomen, gritting her teeth as Mito and Chiyo looked at her with wide eyes.

"_She... While the swords still in her, she's stopping the bleeding and healing herself. What skill in the medical arts._" Sasori silently praised in his mind, sliding the blade out as Mito and Narumi let out painful cries.

"That's right, this sword is poisoned as well." He said as the two on the end of the blade started to sway once more.

But in soon, Mito injected her sister with her antidote while Chiyo injected Mito with hers. The eyes of Sasori, Mito and Narumi widening with the act, Narumi clutched the sword in an attempt to stop him from leaving. Seeing that, Sasori detached his arm and moved back only to widened his eyes slightly when he felt something pierce his chest. Glancing down, he saw that it was the puppets of his parents, both having blades in their hands that were connected to his core.

"In the end, you were careless Sasori... Even with a puppet's body, you would still need something real that controls chakra." Chiyo said as Sasori just stared in shock at his grandmother.

Moving towards the two downed girls, she started healing them only for Sasori to comment that they would die even without the poison, the amount of blood that they've lost being far greater then what they could regenerate even if they were jinchūriki. She cut him off however when she told him that it wasn't just any jutsu as the eyes of the two opened slightly, Sasori looking on in silence. As he stood there dying, he informed the two about something that he felt they would like to know.

"I have heard that the two of you have a brother..." Sasori said as Mito and Narumi looked up at him with tired eyes.

"Of course we do... Menma-nii is safe with Kakashi-nii..." Narumi said in an equally tired tone, Sasori's mouth moving into a mocking smile.

"That's not what I meant. I was talking about the brother who isn't a jinchūriki." Sasori said as Mito and Narumi's heads snapped up to look at him with rage filled eyes.

"Shut your mouth you bastard. Don't you dare say his name in front of us." Mito growled out as Narumi glared hard enough to bore through his skull if possible.

"Hmph, I thought it would be amusing to tell the two of you... That your dearest brother might not be as far as you all believe." Sasori said before laughing darkly, his laughter eventually fading away as his life force left him.

"Come now, let's go." Chiyo finally said after a few moments of silence, Mito and Narumi mulling over the words in his head.

(Scene Change - Kawa no Kuni: Menma and Kakashi's Location)

When Chiyo, Mito and Narumi arrived, Deidara knew that Sasori must have been dead. Knowing that, he could only get in the last laugh about his partner as he prepared to leave. He was caught by Team 12 and forced to flee as he was now heavily outnumbered. Upon remembering his clay bird was still around, Deidara bit off some of it and used another substitution, allowing a **Jibaku Bunshin** to take his place in an attempt to both kill his enemies and flee. Satsuki saw this and tells everyone to get away. Deidara then swelled up and detonated. As the dust settled, Kakashi collapsed from exhaustion, explaining that he used his Mangekyō Sharingan to send the explosion to another dimension. With Menma carrying Gaara's body, the two teams headed back to Sunagakure.

(Scene Change - Sunagakure: Meadow)

Stopping in a grassy field near the village, Narumi checked on Gaara and pronounced him dead, making the other jinchūriki and villagers upset with the revelation. Chiyo moved towards Gaara and tried to use her **Kishō Tensei** as she did earlier with Mito and Narumi, but didn't have enough life force left to bring Gaara back to life. The three sibling gladly lent her their own chakra, and Chiyo began the jutsu once more.

"Hmph. The future starting now, will surely be different from the time I lived in. Menma, Mito, Narumi, the gift that the three of you share will no doubt change the future. Should any of you wish to become the next Hokage, you will no doubt be greater then those of the past." Chiyo began as her hands began to glow with a brighter blue then before.

"Mito, Narumi. Next time, instead of risking your lives for an old woman like me, I want you two to protect those who are important to you. A woman with the spirit to match any man's is indeed a true rarity in this world. The two of you will surely become kunoichi that will surpass those before you, myself included." Chiyo continued as her breathing began to slow, tears flowing from the two young ladies she addressed.

"You three, I know that it is asking a lot but you are the ones who are able to even imagine what it is that Gaara has gone through. Please, help Gaara for me." Chiyo said as her voice trailed off into a whisper.

Soon, the eyes of the Kazekage began to flutter open before he slowly stood up and looked around. Seeing that he was in the middle of a meadow, he was about to question what it was he was doing there but he was quickly embraced by his sister and brother, the two having tears lacing their eyes as they squeezed them tightly. At the scene, the floodgates of the other ninja gathered finally broke down as a few of them let their tears flow at the sight of their Kazekage, alive and well. As they stormed to check on their Kazekage, Mito, Menma and Narumi watched with fond eyes before they turned somber, glancing down at the still form of Chiyo.

"Chiyo-sama..." Mito whispered with tears streaming from her eyes, moving a hand up to brush them away.

"Chiyo-baachan..." Narumi said in a soft tone, holding the elderly woman's hand as she sniffled and batted the tears away from her eyes.

Letting a grunt escape his throat, Gaara stood up with a little difficulty, everyone watching as he made his way over to the group. Standing before them, he let a solemn and thankful look fill his eyes as he closed them softly.

"Everyone, say a prayer for Chiyo." He said in a soft tone, everyone closing their eyes as they thanked her for what she had done.

(Scene Change - Kawa no Kuni: Deidara's Location)

A battered Deidara emerged from the ground, lamenting of his clone explosive failing before deciding to find his severed arm as it would soon begin to rot. A bit later, Deidara met Tobi and Zetsu after they found his severed appendage, stating he fulfilled his position in capturing Gaara when Zetsu wondered why he did not capture any of the Kyuubi jinchūriki as well. He then comically tried to choke Tobi to death after being accidentally insulted three times by him when the masked ninja refused to give Deidara back his arm. Sighing, Deidara had what was left of his right arm as he set off to have it sewn back on by Kakuzu along with a new left arm to replace the one Gaara had crushed.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel)

Humming a happy tune, Hisako was closing down shop for the rest of the day. A bit relieved that no one had requested to stay the night, she let a small smile grace her face when she imaged Naruto walking through the front door before whisking her off her feet and holding her lovingly. Giggling softly at the thought, she wrung the towel in her hand before going back to cleaning. When she heard the front door chime, she went out to greet the person when she froze. Standing in front of her with hostile auras were the same girls who Naruto drove off earlier, though this time they were larger in numbers. Gulping a bit, she kept her smile and moved to greet them.

"H-Hello, welcome to the Kyuukai Hostel. C-Can I help you?" She asked in a polite tone, the women scowling angrily at her before moving towards her as a strange breeze blew when they neared.

Seeing them close in on her, Hisako took a step back in fright as they smirked at her reaction. Turning to her companions, the apparent leader of the group motioned for them to go around the shop, many smiling darkly when they started wrecking the shop. Panic, fear and confusion filling her being, Hisako was about to tell them to stop but was stopped when the leader of the girls grabbed a fistful of hair and yanked Hisako towards her, a cry of pain leaving her throat.

"Shut the fuck up you little bitch. Do you know what happened to us when we got back to our village? We got chewed out by Aiyo-sama! All because of that blonde fucking bastard that works here!" She growled out as Hisako grabbed her wrist, making her blink in confusion.

"D-Don't call Naruto that!" Hisako said in a stern and angry tone, the woman holding her hair blinking before smirking.

"Fuck you. Girls, show her what happens when you mess with us." She ordered as the sound of their shop being destroyed caused Hisako to start to tear up and grit her teeth in anger and sadness.

"S-Stop! Why are you doing this!" She demanded, getting a slap in return for raising her voice by the woman holding her.

"Watch your mouth you little bitch! Don't you dare raise your fucking voice at me!" She snarled, Hisako stiffening before letting a little giggle escape her mouth.

"Oh, and just what's so funny!" She demanded, slapping Hisako once more as the younger girls head snapped to the side.

"I-It's just so funny... None of you would have done this if Naruto was here. T-That just proves how w-weak and s-scared you are of him." She said with a smile on her face, ignorant of the ugly bruise that was starting to form on her cheek.

"You little! Fuck this!" She shouted as she grabbed Hisako by the throat, pulling her out of the shop as her comrades followed behind.

"You've just signed your death wish you little bitch. Once we're done with you, Aiyo-sama will decide just what to do with you.

As they bound and gagged the silver haired girl, they quickly left the shop intent on heading back towards Yugakure. But when they stepped out of the shop, they dropped to their knees when they were face to face with an all too familiar blonde. Before the woman who was holding Hisako could say anything, she had Hisako removed from her arms before they were shattered from the shoulders down. Her eyes widening, she was about to scream only for her lower jaw to be grabbed and ripped out. Gurgling as blood began to pool around her feet, all she saw was a glint of steel before everything went black.

For the other girls inside of the shop, they experienced the same pain as they were broken in horrific and gruesome ways. Even the girls who were around the age of thirteen weren't spared as they had their arms and legs shattered before they had a blade driven into their throats and ripped out the side. Each and every single member of the group that came inside with the intent on destroying the their shop found themselves murdered in the most painful imaginable. Then, it all shattered and they found themselves standing outside of Kyuukai with Hisako standing in front of them.

"Excuse me? Is everything alright?" Hisako asked in a concerned manner, the group panicking as they quickly left the establishment.

Blinking in confusion, Hisako tilted her head in confusion before turning to head back inside. But she froze when a warm and familiar presence made itself known to her. Turning quickly around with a bright smile on her face, Hisako froze when she saw the man she loved holding another woman in his arms, the face of the woman nuzzling against his chest. Unable to form a coherent sentence because of what was before her, she remained quiet as she heard him approach.

"_W-Why is Naruto with a w-woman!_" Hisako thought as a myriad of different scenarios played out in her mind as to what could have happened.

"Hey Hisako, I'm back." Naruto said with a smile on his face, Hisako stiffly smiling back at him as he tilted his head in confusion.

"H-Hello N-Naruto. W-What are you d-doing with that w-woman in your a-arms?" Hisako asked as Naruto blinked in confusion before replying.

"_Uuu... T-That's my spot!_" Hisako thought tearfully as she watched Yugito continued to take in Naruto's scent.

"She's someone who is related to that letter I was talking about earlier." Naruto replied, a bit more panic running through Hisako as her delusions became a bit more wild.

When she was about to reply back to him, she gasped when the woman in his arms moaned softly and started nibbling on the collar of his shirt. Her face exploding in a brilliant crimson hue, she could only watch as Naruto seemed to ignore what was happening to him, opting to give his undivided attention to her. Taking a shaky breath, Hisako was about to speak when the woman moved once more, this time her mouth missing Naruto collar and landing on his neck.

"Mmm... Tasty..." Yugito mumbled as a radiant and content smile formed on her face, Naruto turning a bit pink at the action only served to cause maximum damage to Hisako.

"Hey, stop that." Naruto said in a tired tone, shaking his head as he tried to remove Yugito's lips from his neck.

"W-What! Y-You're supposed to b-be w-with m-me but y-you're flirting with a-another w-woman!" Hisako said in a panicked voice, her tone filled with hurt and sadness.

"H-Huh!? Flirting? I'm not flirting with anyone!" Naruto said in a reassuring tone, only for it to fade when Yugito shifted around once more.

"Oh~, that's the spot..." Yugito moaned as her body shivered in a mix of anticipation and pleasure, Naruto and Hisako freezing at her words.

"Y-You should just explode!" Hisako cried as she ran back inside, tears falling from her eyes as Naruto panicked and ran after her.

As he tried to calm the crying Hisako down, the clones that he placed outside returned to their original forms as they tried to find a plausible excuse for why Yugito was clinging onto him and nibbling on him. When they found an excuse that would have worked, one that didn't involve telling her about what actually happened, they dispelled themselves. Integrating the memories of the that his clones had, he had to suppress a smirk when he found that his clones had a rather nice genjutsu casted on the girls who were going to wreck their shop.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"What's the status on the subject?" Hiruko asked, the personnel working around the large light green liquid filled cylinder that had a body floating inside of fit.

"The clone appears stable Lord Hiruko. There have been no disturbances with the brainwaves or physical composition with it." One of the scientist reported as Hiruko nodded, walking towards the tube as he smirked under his mask.

Floating inside of the tube was a female version of Naruto, her blonde hair reaching her rear. She stood around five foot seven, having a rather perfect complexion and figure, it was a seemingly perfect clone of the blonde that Hiruko was trying to emulate. Satisfied that the project was going as planned, Hiruko left that section of the lab and entered a separate section. As he entered, he put on a protective mask as he glanced at the various cages that lined the interior of the lab.

"What's the status of the experiment?" He asked as one of the scientist turned and bowed to him, directing him towards the main monitor in the center of the room.

"It's been rather unfruitful Hiruko-sama. We've failed to find any compound or substance that matches the samples that we received. All efforts to handle it in an attempt to analyze it results in contamination and death." They reported as Hiruko nodded, glancing at the black substance that resided inside a small test tube in a multilayered containment seal.

"Is there anything of value that you can tell me?" Hiruko asked in an impatient tone, the man nodding his head.

"The only thing I can tell you is that it causes whatever is infected or contaminated to be forced into an uncontrollable frenzy." He reported as Hiruko nodded while turning to face the container once more, watching as the liquid released a purple and black haze.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

Back in the lab, in the silence of the night the soft beeps and hmm's of the machines was all that could be heard. In the section of the lab that contained the female clone of Naruto, it could be seen floating softly in the light green liquid of the test tube. On the side, the graph that monitored her brainwaves started to beep as more activity was being registered on it. Slowly, the clone's eyes fluttered open softly as she gazed ahead with blank eyes.

"_Onii... Chan..._" She thought softly as her mind had the image of a familiar spiky haired blonde, his smile brighter then the sun as he held his hand out to her.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's a wrap. It's been five years since Naruto's "death" so the ages of everyone are around eighteen. And yeah, a certain mummy got himself a vial of the Virus, we'll see what happens right? And the clone? Oh snap, what's gonna happen? Would it be considered twincest, incest or selfcest if Naruto and his clone hooked up? Meh, I might know what's gonna happen but even so, shoot me what you cool people thing. If you've got questions, shoot me a PM and I'll try to get back to you cool people. Welp, till next time people. You all stay awesome. **

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**C3 - C3**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkai Genkai, Hiden; Deidara's most powerful large scale bomb, that once activated becomes an enormous statue that Deidara drops on his target from above. Its explosive power was great enough to potentially destroy a large portion of Sunagakure. In its first known demonstration, Deidara had already prepared the explosive clay for this attack. Once activated, the bomb instantaneously increases its proportions before being subsequently dropped, where it extends both its "arms" outwards until they are completely horizontal.

**Suna no Tate - Shield of Sand**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique that is unique to Gaara. Whenever Gaara is about to be harmed, a shield of sand will automatically surround and protect him. The sand will react regardless of Gaara's will, even protecting him from self-inflicted injuries. The defensive power and versatility of the sand is where this ability truly shines. Before, the shield was formidable in both speed and strength — capable of withstanding considerably strong attacks and blocking fast projectiles. However, it could be defeated with extreme speeds and a great amount of brute force, as was the case with Rock Lee's **Ura Renge**. Gaara can also change the shape of the shield and its density, to increase both speed and defense. Whenever one form of this defense is breached, Gaara has been shown to improve and create other more powerful defenses. Gaara can also completely surround himself in the shield to further increase his defensive capabilities. He then uses the **Daisan no Me** to watch his opponents' movements and control sand as necessary to battle them. In addition to being extremely dense, this sand-sphere can form spikes from its surface to spear any would-be attacker. This formation can be used in mid-air. Before, Gaara can use this technique to shield himself from his opponent long enough to perform his transformation into Shukaku, though with sufficient force, this defiance can be breached.

**Shin Kage Bunshin - True Shadow Clone**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; Similar to the basic **Bunshin **and **Kage Bunshin**, this technique creates a copy of the user. However, the clones are corporeal instead of illusions. The user distributes a certain amount of chakra to the clone, the amount given determining the strength and durability of the clone. The clone is capable of performing techniques on their own and can even bleed. By using Ryuuton chakra to create the clone, the user creates a clone capable of many feats. The main advantage of the **Shin Kage Bunshin **is the fact that the clone can be killed and remain "dead" and can be dissected and examined until the chakra running through them runs dry. Like the original **Kage Bunshin **it can't be distinguished from the original with the Sharingan, Byakugan or Rinnegan.

**Nezumi Kedama - Mouse Hairball**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user transforms their spit into a flaming ball of hair that assumes the shape of a mouse engulfed in flames, which then continually splits into individual and similarly ablaze hairs. These flaming projectiles pursue the intended targets before exploding, once they come into contact with an object.

**Raiton: Raigen Raikōchū - Lightning Release: Lightning Illusion Flash of Lightning Pillar**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Genjutsu; This technique blinds the target with an extremely bright light that appears to emanate from the user's body. Those caught in the light are then caught within a genjutsu, allowing the user to either escape or counterattack.

**Kekkai Genryuu:** **Giryuu Hourui - Barrier Illusion Dragon: Stronghold of the False Dragon**: S-Rank, Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, Kekkai;

**Suiton: Suikōdan no Jutsu - Water Release: Water Shark Bullet Technique**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user shapes water into the form of a large shark and thrusting their hand forward, sends it hurtling towards the opponent at high-speeds, resulting in a powerful impact. The user can also ride inside the water shark to dramatically increase their swimming speed.

**Hyōton: Jisarenhyō - Ice Release: Earthen Consecutive Chains of Ice**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user, either through physical contact or remotely, causes ice particles to form on a target. If used on a living creature, the target will freeze to death unless they are able to mould chakra. By coating themselves with chakra and dedicating all their energy to keeping themselves warm, they can avoid death; if they use their chakra to perform a technique, they will start to rapidly freeze again.

**Ninpo: Heki Ranshinshō - Ninja Art: False Body Pathway Derangement**: B-Rank Genjutsu; An genjutsu created by Yakumo after Anko told her about Tsunade's true **Ranshinshō**. While it doesn't physically disrupt the electrical senses that control the body of her target like Tsunade's does, it does have a similar effect. Deceiving her target's mind, Yakumo causes their body to respond much slower then they perceive it to, their intended actions losing sync with their actual actions and causes their body to misinterpret the information that is sent to each limb. This genjutsu can be countered once the target understands the mechanics behind it, and are able to dispel it once regaining control of their limbs and actions.

**Suiton: Suikaku - Water Release: Water Break**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu;

**Kubikiribōchō: Reigou Reisuiwari - Decapitating Carving Knife: Chilling Steel Cold Water Splitting**: A-Rank, Kenjutsu; After many years, Zabuza has improved upon his original **Reisuiwari**, adding constantly moving water on the edge of his Kubikiribōchō to greatly enhance its cutting power. This fast moving edge of water can also be released and fired, cutting through most things with ease.

**Samehada: Suikōjin - Shark Skin: Water Shark Blade**: A-Rank, Kenjutsu, Ninjutsu; Kisame points Samehada towards his opponent and then envelops it with water, which is then manipulated into the form of a shark. Kisame then thrusts Samehada forward, either releasing the shark as a projectile that flies towards the opponent and explodes into a burst of water on contact or using the newly formed shark blade to greatly augment the power of his thrust.

**Sōen: Hitomi Gokū -** **Puppet Performance: Skilful Achievement with a Human Body**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A puppet performance technique where chakra threads are attached to various spots on a person's body; the head, torso, both arms, and both legs. The person being manipulated gains the ability to not only use their own techniques, but the skills of the puppeteer as well. The origins of this technique lie on the battlefield. When a puppeteer's puppets were all destroyed, they would begin using corpses. To perform this technique with a living person would normally require both parties to cooperate with each other. However, a highly skilled user can control the target by force if the person is severely weakened or damaged rendering them unable to resist.

**Odama Rasengan - Big Ball Spiraling Sphere**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; Menma created the **Odama Rasengan** during his years of training with Jiraiya; while training to break out of genjutsu, he accidentally released his chakra and created a huge **Rasengan** by accident. It uses the same concept of compressing spinning chakra in one's palm as in the original **Rasengan**, only increasing the amount of chakra involved. Because there is even more chakra being compressed to a higher density, the ball releases its energy immediately on contact, thus increasing its destructive power beyond that of the **Rasengan**. When using it Menma needs the assistance of a clone to form it, though he is able to wield it with a single hand.

**Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, by observing the Tailed Beast Ball. Minato spent three years developing the Rasengan; his intention was to take the shape transformation of one's chakra to the "highest possible point" and combine it with his chakra's nature affinity, creating a technique that did not need the aid of time-consuming hand seals to control. On shape transformation alone, the Rasengan is still a powerful, versatile, and difficult technique to learn and master.

**Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu - Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; A technique where chakra kneaded inside the body is converted into fire and expelled from the mouth either as a massive orb of roaring flame or as a continuous flame-thrower. The scope of the attack is altered by controlling the volume of chakra that is mustered. The released flames will engulf their target, and leave a crater on the ground's surface. This technique apparently requires more than average chakra reserves and most genin should not be able to do this technique.

**Futon: Fuchikaze - Wind Release: Wind Edge**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kenjutsu; A relatively simple jutsu that involves the use of a blade as a medium to channel and fire ones chakra as a concentrated blade of wind. The cutting power of the chakra blade is dependent on the amount of chakra and how skilled the user is in manipulating and creating their futon natured chakra. The greater the skill and precision the chakra gathered on the instrument is, the greater the cutting power. Using this jutsu while in the presence of fire will cause the blades to catch fire, causing much greater damage to whatever they connect with.

**Satetsu Kaihō - Sand Iron World Method**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkei Genkai; This technique uses Iron Sand to create a gigantic sphere of branching spikes. The user first creates two masses of Iron Sand of opposing magnetic fields and then merges them together. This causes the magnetic forces to instantly increase and the repellent force created by the two opposing magnetic fields scatters the Iron Sand across a vast area. The Iron Sand spreads in spikes that branch off irregularly, making it almost impossible to get a clear overview of what is happening. This also makes evading the spikes nearly impossible. Even if the opponent has managed to evade getting hit, the Iron Sand spikes will have filled the entire surroundings, cutting off any escape routes. With the opponent trapped, the user is free to attack in person. With Sasori soaking the Iron Sand in his lethal poison, the technique is even deadlier, as one nick will bring fatal repercussions.

**Suiton: Ja no Kuchi - Water Release: Snake's Mouth**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user generates a spinning column of water which takes the form of a snake with a gaping jaw. This snake can twist and follow its targets and swallow them. After it has swallowed them, it turns into a river that carries the targets away.

**Futon: Shinkūha - Wind Release: Vacuum Wave**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user takes a deep breath and spins while exhaling, compressing the released air into a solitary blade of wind that covers a substantial area around the user, due to their circular motion. The resulting sharpened blast is large enough to slice through multiple targets located a significant distance from the user, causing grievous injuries to those hit.

**Shirohigi: Jikki Chikamatsu no Shū - White Secret Technique: The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; After unraveling the carrying scroll, the **Chikamatsu no Shū** appears from the gate crest. Using the **Kugutsu no Jutsu** to manipulate them at will in what is known as the "an amount matching ones fingers" method. With this puppet collection it is literally possible to use one puppet with each finger — each boasting a power matching a thousand puppets put together. However, to use all of these secret mechanisms demands extremely high class expertise and skill. These ten puppets were created by the first puppeteer Monzaemon Chikamatsu and later came into Chiyo's possession, the use of which earned her great fame. These puppets are very powerful, as Sasori claimed that there were rumors that they had been used to take down an entire castle at one point in time. The **Chikamatsu no Shū** has terrifying prowess in taijutsu, ninjutsu, Bukijutsu, and so on. Furthermore, as they can change their numbers by combining, the number of abilities they can show becomes even greater. The puppets were constructed in such a way that they all can work in tandem with each other both offensively and defensively.

**Akahigi: Hyakki no Sōen - Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; To begin this technique, Sasori removes one summoning scroll from his back. He then opens his right chest compartment to emit more than a hundred chakra strings, which reach into the scroll. From the scroll, more than a hundred puppets wearing red cloaks emerge. As even the most elite of puppeteers cannot control more than ten puppets a time (one per finger), this technique is proof of Sasori's superiority with regard to the **Kugutsu no Jutsu**. Also, normally a puppet's movement is dependent on the will of the user, and as such there will be a time lag between the user's commands and the puppet's response. However, since these hundred puppets are directly connected to Sasori's core, there is no time lag between Sasori's will and the puppets' movements. Sasori claimed that he had brought down an entire country with this technique. Many of the puppets however, were destroyed during Sasori's battle with Chiyo and the Uzumaki-Namikaze sisters, although they did manage to destroy some of Chiyo's **Shirohigi: Jikki Chikamatsu no Shū**. While these one hundred puppets lacked teamwork, they apparently used sheer attrition and numbers to overwhelm their opponents. Even when they decrease in numbers they do not become less dangerous as it merely allows Sasori to focus more on the remaining puppets. As with all of Sasori's puppets, all the weapons wielded are coated in his special poison, which would kill the victims after three days of painful paralysis.

**Fuinjutsu: Shishi Heikō - Sealing Technique: Lion Closing Roar**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu; This sealing technique completely blocks the target's chakra with a sealing formula drawn on the ground or a wall. This is done by closing all the tenketsu of the person caught in the middle. When the target is sealed, a stylized kanji for "close" or "shut" appears in the middle of the sealing formula. To successfully seal the target, one has to get them exactly inside the sealing formula. This requires great accuracy and is very difficult. Various methods can be used to make this easier. For instance, one can prepare a puppet or a ninja tool like the Shishikubi Kannon with this sealing formula.

**Jibaku Bunshin - Suicide Bombing Clone**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkei Genkai; After creating a **Kage Bunshin**, it will then ingest some explosive clay and explode, creating a diversion that can be used to escape. With a "suicide bombing announcement" the enemy's wariness is heightened and this opportunity is used to switch places with a shadow clone. The explosion is said to be strong enough to destroy an entire forest. This technique requires an adept usage of verbal tricks; with this foundation of using many "arts" to trifle with the enemy, it certainly fulfils its purpose.

**Kishō Tensei** \- **One's Own Life Reincarnation**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kinjutsu; The user, giving their life force to the target, uses all their chakra as an intermediary. This technique can be used on both the living and dead. Using it on the living can save and restore the target from an otherwise fatal condition but will leave the user greatly exhausted. When used on the dead, the user will find certain death in exchange for the soul of the deceased. While in use, the released chakra shines a pale-blue color, and if the user's own chakra is insufficient, a third party can assist.


	30. Chapter 28

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. Kinda a mellow chapter, not much action going on and a few explanations to a few of the questions that I've been getting. Just a heads, Yugito is probably OOC and Killer B appears and doesn't really rap. I can't write rap and I won't pretend to so sorry about that. So, read through and tell me what you think alright? It's not too actiony and to be honest, I've been kinda falling into a less motivated mood to write. Like I said, I'm not gonna give up but I just need to find more inspiration to write ya know? You know the deal, right? Read, Review and PM me if you want. Well, that's enough of me babbling right? You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 28

Once he placed Yugito down on a guest bed, Naruto spent the next few minutes trying to calm down and reassure a sobbing Hisako that nothing was going on between him and the other blonde that was resting in one of their spare rooms. It took nearly ten minutes, but once Naruto got Hisako to peek out the door to her room, he quickly opened it up and embraced her in a loving manner. As she struggled against him, saying that he was only saying what he was to ease the pain in her heart, she quieted when he held her firmly by the shoulders and looked sternly at her.

"Hisako. Do you honestly believe that I would leave you just to see another woman? Do you honestly think that?" Naruto asked as he got a slow shake of the head from the young lady he held.

"You know that the only reason I keep on going is because of you." He continued as he leaned down and kissed her softly on the nose, her face lighting up before she buried her face into his chest.

"I'm sorry... I was scared someone took you away from me..." She whispered with a tone laced with guilt and shame, the blonde simply holding her closely as he whispered soothing words to her.

Spending a few minutes simply holding each other, they eventually parted as Naruto brushed away a lingering tear from her face. Feeling his finger brush gently across her face, Hisako flushed a bit before gently taking a hold of his hand and leaning her cheek into it. The two lost in a little world of their own, they never saw the now awake blonde who was watching the scene with shining eyes, at least until she accidentally caused the door to squeak open. Hearing the noise, they turned to face a red faced Yugito as she awkwardly waved at them.

"U-Umm... H-Hello, sorry for interrupting." Yugito said in an awkward and embarrassed tone, Hisako blushing a bit while Naruto merely nodded his head in greeting.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel - Private Living Room)

After the awkward atmosphere that persisted at Yugito's peeping, the trio had gathered together in the private living room that connected Hisako and Naruto's rooms. Naruto returning with their tea and a tray of snacks, much to Hisako's chagrin, handed to two their cups while taking his own and his seat. As soon as Naruto sat down, the atmosphere turned a bit tense when he gazed at the fidgeting blonde before him.

"U-Umm, it's nice to m-meet you Yugito-san." Hisako said in a polite but shy tone, Yugito thankful that the younger woman broke the foot thick ice.

"O-Oh, it's nice to meet you too... Umm..." Yugito trailed off, pink on her cheeks from the lack of knowledge of the young lady in front of her.

"H-Hisako, my name is Hisako, Yugito-san." Hisako said as Yugito smiled at her kind and understanding answer.

"It's nice to meet you Hisako-san. And it's nice to meet you as well..." Yugito trailed off once more, glancing at the other blonde in the room with a bit of pink on her cheeks.

"Naruto." The blonde said in a polite tone, his eye closed as he savored the taste of his tea.

"I-I see, thanks. The both of you for all that you've done for me." Yugito said as she bowed her head slightly, Hisako waving her hands in front of her as she tried to brush off Yugito's thanks.

"I-It's alright! Naruto b-brought you back, so it's only natural that we help you." Hisako said in a sweet tone, though there was an underlying hint of something that unnerved the two ninja.

"That's right. One moment I'm being chased by these two creeps then I get away only to feel like someone was ripping my guts out. After that I passed out and woke up here. What happened? You must be one hell of a ninja to take on those two and to have won." Yugito said in a tone of respect and awe, Hisako stiffening and turning to face Naruto with a frown on her face.

"I didn't do anything, I got lucky and caught one of them off guard when they were in the middle of a brawl and saved you. That's all." Naruto said in a calm tone, though he had set down his cup to hold and rub Hisako's hand in an effort to wash away her frown.

"I-I see, still. Thanks for saving me." Yugito said with a smile on her face, a bit more pink tinting her cheeks as Hisako's frown deepened a bit.

"I'll take care of the dishes Hisako, why don't you show Yugito to the baths so the two of you can relax for a bit?" Naruto suggested as Hisako nodded slowly, Yugito glancing between them.

Picking up the tray, he collected the cups and leftover snacks before heading to the kitchen. Watching leave Yugito felt her gaze was a little more then appreciative as she admired his well toned arms and back. But before her gaze fell any lower, she was broken out of her thoughts by Hisako coughing cutely.

"E-Excuse me Yugito-san, but a-are you ready to go?" Hisako asked in a polite tone as Yugito jumped slightly at her voice, turning to face the younger lady while blushing in embarrassment.

"Y-Yeah, I am. Sorry about that, let's go." Yugito said in an embarrassed tone, following behind the younger woman as she took in the warm decor of the hostel.

Rounding a corner, they headed downstairs and through a hallway. Passing through the main lounge and dining room, they saw Naruto behind the counter washing the dishes that he brought down earlier with a small smile on his face. Seeing him in his natural, Yugito was a bit stunned as she took in his features at a distance. In front of her, Hisako tried to ignore the fact that Yugito was eating in Naruto's form though her frustration came out with her tightening her grip on her apron. But as they passed by the main part of the dining room, Yugito nearly stumbled when she saw a photo of Naruto and Hisako in an intimate and loving embrace, smiles brightly shining on their faces.

"So... Are you two, you know... Married?" Yugito asked in an effort to break the ice once more between then as Hisako stiffened up a bit.

"N-No! I mean, w-we're not married! Not yet! I mean, I would love to marry Naruto! W-Wait, t-that's not what I meant either!" Hisako stammered as Yugito had a cat-like smile on her face, calming the embarrassed younger lady in front of her.

"Easy there Hisako-san, I was just asking! Haha, well I guess I asked because you two seemed super close is all." Yugito said as Hisako managed to reign in her embarrassment enough to talk to the blonde.

"Yeah... Naruto and I are as close as friends could be, but... I only wish that we were much more then that." She said in a soft tone, Yugito's eyes softening as she moved to give Hisako a soft hug.

"It'll work out in the end, the two of you will have a happy future I'm sure of it." Yugito said in a soft and reassuring tone, Hisako stiffening a bit before she hugged the blonde back.

Arriving at the bathhouse, they entered as Hisako showed Yugito around. Directing her to the area where the towels resided, Yugito thanked her with a smile before grabbing one for herself. A bit hesitant at first, Hisako herself got into the bath after a bit of encouragement from Yugito. Slipping out of her clothes, she grabbed a towel for herself and made her way out to the bathhouse. Seeing Yugito already enjoying the water, purring in content from its warm embrace, Hisako stifled a giggle that was about to escape with her free hand. Carefully wading through the light steam that blanketed the room, she let out a sigh of content herself when she entered the water.

"This is so nice... I'm so jealous that you two get to enjoy this every day." Yugito moaned as she let herself sink further into the water, Hisako unable to contain her giggle when she saw that Yugito had been reduced to a pile of mush by their bath.

"It's very nice isn't it! Naruto built it himself!" Hisako said in a dreamy and proud voice, Yugito smiling when she saw the radiant smile on her face.

"Guess he's a lot more then he lets on huh!" Yugito chirped as Hisako nodded in agreement, the two slipping into a comfortable atmosphere as they talked about everyday things.

"S-So, do you have anyone who y-you're fond of Yugito-san?" Hisako asked the blonde, Yugito choking on air as she was blindsided by the question.

"W-W-Who me?! N-No! No way!" She shouted in defiance, Hisako simply tilting her head a bit before giggling softly.

The letting the relaxing and amiable atmosphere take them, they stayed in the bath for an hour or so before they reluctantly exited the spring. As Hisako began drying herself off, she never noticed that Yugito was examining her body, a small scowl of jealousy over her rather perfect proportions. Looking down, she held the two healthy fruits that hung from her chest before giving them a slight squeeze. Frowning a bit more, she gained another cat-like smile as she talked over to Hisako. Her hands held out to the side, she pounced on the younger girl and felt her chest to make a comparison.

"Y-Yugito-san!" Hisako squeaked in a mix of surprise and panic, her face flushing enough to make a tomato jealous.

"It's not fair Hisako-chan! You're body is perfect!" Yugito groaned in defeat, feeling the elasticity and firmness of Hisako's chest.

"P-Please let go!" Hisako squeaked as she tried to remove Yugito's hands, the effort succeeding as both of their towels fell.

About to comment on the best of her body, Yugito froze when she felt killing intent directed at her from outside of the room. Sweat beginning to run down her face from the potent amount that was slowly starting to make her squirm, she quickly created some distance between the silverette and herself and sighed when she felt it lift a bit. Gulping, she could hazard a guess as to who it belonged to as there was only one other person who knew that they were in the bath. Dressing quickly, she was a bit surprised to see that Hisako had beaten her in getting ready, already waiting with a slightly apprehensive smile as Yugito sweat dropped slightly.

"Sorry about that Hisako-chan! I really am!" Yugito apologized as she bowed her head deeply, Hisako flushing at the fresh memory of being groped.

"I-It's alright Yugito-san! B-But please don't do it again!" Hisako said quickly in an effort to ease the older woman's worries, though it was mostly because she was embarrassed.

"Still, it was wrong and completely inappropriate what I did. Please forgive me." Yugito said in a much more calm tone, Hisako relaxing a bit at the honesty in her voice.

"Like I said before Yugito-san, it's alright! J-Just, please don't mention this to Naruto! I'd die of embarrassment!" Hisako asked as Yugito did her best to not cringe, knowing that it was already too late for it.

"D-Don't worry Hisako-chan, it's a secret between us girls alright!" Yugito chirped as the younger girl smiled brightly at her, causing her to sweat more at what she had just done.

The awkward moment behind them, they walked together towards the dining room with giggles and smiles. When they left the bathing area, a heavenly aroma assaulted their noses. Yugito swallowing the drool that escaped her mouth, Hisako was a bit better as she simply smiled at the familiar scent of her beloved's signature dish. With more of a skip to her step, Hisako took Yugito by the hand and led her into the kitchen with more fervor then she had shown during the short time they had known each other.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel - Kitchen)

His eye trained on the pot that laid in front of him, Naruto tended to it with rapt attention akin to the way samurai tended to their swords. Reaching over, he took it off the heat and began pouring it into the two waiting bowls that laid beside the stove top. Carefully making sure that he didn't spill a drop, he reached into the pouch in his apron and pulled out a small canister. Opening it, he took a pinch of the spice that rested inside and sprinkled it delicately on top of the bowls of soup. Then, like a scene straight from a dream, the bowls of soup released a heavenly glow as a small spark erupted from its core.

"There, it's finished." Naruto said in a satisfied tone, a small smile on his face as he placed the spice canister away.

Placing the two bowls onto a tray, Naruto picked it up and was about to set out for the dining room when the kitchen doors swung open. His eye widening, he shifted the tray to the other arm while spinning, avoiding the arc of the door as a surprised Yugito and Hisako entered the room. Panicking when they caught sight of the blonde's attempt to save the soup, they let the unknown breath that they were holding in out. As Naruto rounded to face them again he gave them a small smile and raised the tray to show that it was safe, the two giving him apologetic looks for the near catastrophe that they almost caused.

"N-Naruto! I-I'm sorry! I didn't see you there!" Hisako tearfully said as she bowed her head, her form shaking at what she almost did.

"M-Me too! I'm sorry Naruto-san! If I had been more careful, you wouldn't have to have worried about spilling your food!" Yugito apologized as well, bowing her head lower then she had ever remembered doing.

"Haha, don't worry about it you two. No harm no foul, right? Come'on, it's best when it's fresh." Naruto said in a gentle tone, a smile on his face as he led the two to a private table in the kitchen near a window with a rather beautiful view.

Placing the tray down he pulled the chairs out for the two, to their embarrassment, before they took a seat. Picking up the bowls, he placed it in front of their respective receivers before taking a pair of napkins and soup spoons out from his apron and handing it to the two girls, both blushing when their hands brushed with his. Finally, he got each a cup of tea made with his special blend of tea leaves.

"There you two go, careful, it's still hot." Naruto said as he gave them one last smile before moving to finish the rest of the dishes that lingered in the sink.

A bit excited, Yugito was a bit surprised to see the timid young lady from before happily taking large spoonfuls of the soup into her mouth before shivering in a mix of pleasure and happiness. Her excitement rising, Yugito couldn't help but drool at the mix of heavenly scents that captivated her sense of smell. Taking a spoonful of the soup she stared in slight awe at its rich color, a bit stunned that something could look so beautiful at the same time be so simple in appearance.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she closed her eyes and moved the spoon into her mouth. Her tongue brushing up against the underside of the utensil, her eyes snapped open when an overpowering burst of flavor nearly made her jump in shock. But quickly after came a soothing and light ripple that echoed softly through her taste buds. Her eyes closing once again, she let the liquid fall onto her tongue as she let her tongue explore the rest of the spoon, lapping up any remains of the broth that might have been hiding on it. Once she was sure that there wasn't a drop let on it, she swirled and lightly chewed on the soup that was in her mouth, shivering in a mist pleasure as she slowly let it run down her throat.

The spoon leaving her mouth with a small trail of saliva, it was quickly broken when it was rushed back into the bowl of soup for another spoonful. The blonde found herself lost in a haze of pleasure as her hands moved on their own, each trip rewarding her tastebuds and stomach with more of the heavenly liquid that was given to her. Finally, after a few minutes of absolute pleasure, the sound of her spoon hitting nothing alerted her as she snapped out of her stupor and looked in horror at her now empty bowl. Fighting back the tears that desperately wanted to escape at the loss of such paradise, Yugito swallowed hard and willed them away.

Sniffling, she picked up the unassuming cup of tea and looked at it in bitter disappointment. Closing her eyes, she let her tears fall as she could only hope that the tea was at least flavorful enough to help ease her tastebuds back to their normal state. Taking a sip, her eyes snapped open when a world of flavors completely foreign to her exploded in her mouth. Her eyes spinning at the complexity and strength of the tea, they slowly returned to normal when the tea took a sharp turn and mellowed out into a comforting and gentle flavor, her abused tastebuds returning to their normal state as the tea seemed to erase all lingering traces of the soup that she had. Finishing off the contents of the cup with speed that would have made A jealous, she let out a content sigh as she felt oddly completely and utterly satisfied with the rather light meal that she had.

"Wow... That... That was amazing..." She whispered as she stared off into space, the world seeming brighter and much more colorful then it had before.

"It was delicious wasn't it?" Hisako asked, snapping Yugito out of the stunned state that she was in.

"H-Huh? Oh! Delicious? It... It... It was incredible! I've never tasted anything like that soup or the tea! For some reason, everything seems brighter and more colorful then it did before! Not only that, but I feel a lot lighter and more energetic then ever!" Yugito shouted as Hisako giggled, the blonde realizing what she had done as a bit of pink dusted her cheeks.

"It's normal Yugito-san! Naruto's cooking seems to be magical in that sense, it always makes people full, healthier and above all else happier!" Hisako said in a proud tone, her cheeks coloring as she praised the man she loved.

"You're telling me!" Yugito quipped in a happy tone, the two giggling as they continued to talk about the dish that they had.

"Glad they liked it." Naruto said under his breath with a smile on his face, rinsing the remainder of the soap off of the very pan the soup came from.

Finishing up the rest of the dishes that were in the sink, Naruto hummed a soft tune as Hisako and Yugito giggled and chatted animatedly in the back. The awkward meeting that they all shared behind them, the two young ladies enjoyed the company of the other as they ventured into more feminine topics of discussion. Once they realized that they haven't yet given the blonde rinsing the last of the dishes their own dishes, they embarrassedly did so, Naruto simply smiling at them as he took them without complaint. As he finished up, Hisako showed Yugito to her room while taking her dirtied clothes to be washed, the blonde once again thanking her and Naruto for their kindness.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel - Hisako's Private Room)

"It's not much Yugito-san, but they're the largest set of clothes that I have. I-If you want I c-could ask Naruto if he could l-lend you some clothes." Hisako said in an embarrassed tone as Yugito flushed a bit, shaking her head in the negative at the thought.

"N-No! It's fine, thanks Hisako-chan!" Yugito said in a thankful tone, the younger lady smiling at her.

Settling into a comfortable silence, Yugito felt that she had gotten close enough to the silverette enough to venture a question that has been nipping at the forefront of her mind.

"Umm, Hisako-chan? Could I ask something kind of personal?" Yugito asked in a quiet tone, Hisako turning to face her in curiosity.

"As long as it's not too personal, I can do my best to answer it." Hisako said with a smile on her face, Yugito relaxing a bit at her winning smile.

"I'm really sorry if this sounds insensitive, but it's been nipping at the front of my mind. How... How are you able to do everything that you can do? Aren't you... Aren't you blind?" She asked in a tentative tone, Hisako looking like she was blinking in surprise before she started giggling.

"That's all Yugito-san?" Hisako asked back in a smiling tone, giggling a bit as Yugito looked on dumbfounded.

"I am blind Yugito-san, and I have been since I was seven years old. Please don't worry about hurting my feelings by commenting on my blindness, I've gotten over it!" Hisako said in a chipper tone, Yugito feeling her respect and admiration for the silverette rising even more then it had in the beginning.

"At first, I did what all blind people did, I used a stick to feel my way around the towns that I travelled and begged at." Hisako started in a somber tone, Yugito feeling her eyes already beginning to water at her tone.

"For the towns that I stayed, the ones that I spent more time in I began to get a mental layout of where things were. But it wasn't until I was in Ichiba no Sato that I was able to easily move around without needing to use a stick to see since I had been living there for a few months." She continued as Yugito nodded her head in understanding, wiping away the stray tears that managed to escape.

"It wasn't until I met Naruto that he taught me how to "see", and since then I haven't had the need to anything to help me see other then my own voice!" Hisako chirped as Yugito blinked in surprise, not knowing what she was talking about.

"What do you mean Hisako-chan?" She asked as Hisako simply smiled at her, clearing her throat as Yugito watched with rapt attention.

Then, Yugito heard Hisako humming a lovely tune that seemed to be just that, humming. But sure enough, her eyes widened when she focused and felt that there was actually tiny traces of charka emanating and traveling from her. Her eyes wide, she listened until Hisako stopped her humming, giving the blonde a smile.

"I see... You add in charka to the sound waves you emit when you hum! But, that still doesn't explain how you can do everything that you do." Yugito said with a bit of confusion, Hisako smiling at her as she move to explain it in a bit more detail.

"How Naruto explained it to me is that "you continuously release sound waves that travel through the air and ground. The resulting mix of sound and chakra bounce back since the amount that you use is so miniscule that it doesn't have enough power to completely enter a physical object. The result is that the sound waves and chakra bounce back to you, giving you a clear picture of what's surrounding you. At first, it'll only be a few feet but in time that range will extend to a few meters and eventually, with enough practice, even a few kilometers."" Hisako reiterated as Yugito looked on with wide eyes, stunned that something so simple could prove to be so useful.

"Amazing, and Naruto taught you how to do it? What's your range so far Hisako-chan?" Yugito asked with curiosity filling her voice, Hisako tilting her head a bit.

"Mhmm, he did! And If I completely focus on it, I think it's around twenty meters is the limit of my sound." Hisako said as Yugito looked at her with wide eyes, her jaw dropping at the absurd radius of "sight".

"That's incredible Hisako-chan! So that's how you can see, and that's why you're always humming, huh!" Yugito commented as Hisako nodded her head in confirmation, the two falling into a comfortable atmosphere once more.

(Scene Change - Hidan and Kakuzu's Location)

"Stop Hidan, we're almost back at the check point. Make sure that she's blindfolded and restrained, we don't want any chance of her having some way to contact her comrades about our location." Kakuzu ordered as Hidan merely grunted in agreement, muttering something unintelligible under his breath.

After ensuring that "Yugito" was secured, the two resumed their journey. Picking the body back up, Kakuzu slung it over his shoulder as they moved to the side of a mountain. Being another temporary base, the two laid the body down as they contacted the other members of the their organization. After a few seconds, the hologram-like projections of their persons appeared on the fingers of the statue that was summoned in center of the room.

"Though you are three days late, it is fortunate to see that you have captured the two tails." Pain said in his usual monotone, preparing the sealing jutsu that was used earlier with Gaara.

As the dragon-like tendrils started left the mouth of the statue, they traveled to and enveloped the clone. A few seconds after it started to extract its chakra, the clone finally dispersed in a cloud of smoke. With the loss of a sealing target, the tendrils retreated back into the mouth of the statue as the members of the Akatsuki looked on in stunned silence.

"What the fuck just happened?!" Hidan shouted as he stared at the now empty area that the cloud of smoke had just been.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel - Naruto's Private Room)

"_Hidan and Kakuzu, both S-Rank missing-nin from Yugakure and Takigakure respectively. Hidan slaughtered his neighbors before leaving Yugakure when Yugakure went from being a military village to a tourist one. After that, he joined the cult-like faith known as Jashin, who worship a deity of the same name. Kakuzu, holds immense hatred for his village due to his punishment over failing to assassinate Hashirama Senju, the Shodai Hokage. When he escaped his imprisonment, he stole a Takigakure's most prized Kinjutsu before leaving. Both now part of the organization, Akatsuki, that targets jinchūriki for an unknown cause._" Naruto reiterated in his mind, the memories of the clone that he had transformed into Yugito returning to him.

"_It appears that they have no more then ten members judging that each of the statue's fingers except for one was occupied by someone. But given the fact that they are most likely composed of S-Rank missing nin, they don't need an overwhelming amount of members to pose as a significant threat to any given village. And based on what I observed, it appears that they have a spy network or some form of information gathering given that they were able to track down and capture a jinchūriki without alerting the village of their actions._" He continued as he wrote down his thoughts, careful to ensure that he didn't miss a single detail.

"The Akatsuki, huh? Jinchūriki are symbols of power in villages, but there must be something more to it then just power." He said under his breath, low enough so that only he would hear.

Releasing a sigh, he finished jotting down the last of the clone's memories and knowledge into the small notebook that he had been writing in. Underlining and highlighting key details, he gave everything one last check to ensure that he had written down everything of value. Closing it, he sealed it away into the seal hidden on his wrist before leaning back and releasing a sigh. His eye opening, it sparked before shifting from navy to electric blue.

"Whatever happens, as long as Hisako isn't involved I don't need to do anything." He said in a resolved tone, letting his eye close as he contemplated the possible scenarios that could potentially play out in the future.

"A should be here in the morning, after he leaves with Yugito-san everything should go back to normal." He said in an expectant tone, releasing one more sigh before heading to bed.

(Scene Change - Border of Yu no Kuni and Shimo no Kuni)

"We're almost there everyone. Remember! We get in, get Yugito, thank Naruto and Hisako-san, have lunch then leave!" A ordered as the ninja with him all gave him an affirmative shout.

"Don't worry about me Bro! I got my rhymes locked down tight!" Killer B said in his usual upbeat style, many sweat dropping at him.

"Kami-sama, please don't let B piss Naruto off." A said under his breath, silently praying that his brother wouldn't do something to upset the terrifying blonde.

(Time Skip - The Next Day)

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Outside Kyuukai Hostel)

Standing in front of the unassuming but charming hostel in front of them, A's ninja were a bit curious as to why their normally bullish but polite Kage was seemingly nervous about entering the quaint building in front of them. Turning, they grew even more confused when they saw that it wasn't just A but Darui and C as well. About to ask them what the problem was, they heard the sound of the door being opened as a handsome blonde stepped out of the building, drying his hands with a towel.

"So you're finally here." He said in a slightly irritated tone, giving A an equally irritated look through his eye.

"I apologize Naruto, I know what I asked of you was a bit much for a civilian." A said as he lowered his head a bit, Naruto simply sighing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Too late to change anything now, so it's fine. Just be glad that Hisako didn't find out. Come'on, Yugito-san is having breakfast right now with some of the other customers." Naruto said as he held the door open for them, greeting the group of Kumo ninja as they passed by him.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel - Dining Room)

"This is delicious Hisako-chan! What is it!" Yugito said with shining eyes as she stared at the extra sweet confection in front of her.

"Glad that you like it Yugito-san! It's just a cinnamon roll that Naruto helped me make! The thing that makes it special is a very secret ingredient!" Hisako chirped as Yugito looked at her in awe, a few of the nearby customers laughing softly and good naturedly at the pair.

As Hisako left her table to tend to the kitchen, she was about to take another large bite out of the roll, Yugito was about to devour the delectable treat only to pause mid-bite as she saw the confused and mirthful faces of her friends and comrades. Her face flushing deeply at her rather disheveled appearance, she quickly tidied up her appearance as much as possible before facing her comrades.

"Everyone, I'm sorry to have caused you all so much trouble." She said in a solemn tone while bowing her head, the Kumo ninja brushing off her apologies as they were more then glad that she was safe.

"I'm thankful that you're safe Yugito, Kami knows what would have happened if we lost you." A said in a relieved tone, Yugito smiling at her Kage's concern for her.

"What exactly happened Yugito? You were expected to finish the mission no more then three days after setting out?" C said in a inquisitive tone, the blonde grimacing as she remembered the ambush that was set for her.

When she saw that Naruto had headed into the kitchen, she retold the story of how the client was in fact the one who set her up to be ambushed, her comrades were stunned to hear that it wasn't for any petty reason. Hearing that two S-Rank missing nin were the ones who chased after her for the Nibi that was sealed inside of her put the Kumo-nin on edge, especially A who was concerned for both her safety and the safety of his brother. Finishing her tale with what happened after she was kidnapped, finding herself in the very building that they were staying at thanks to the blonde helping Hisako in the kitchen.

"So Naruto has once again done Kumo an immense kindness."A said in a mirthful tone, though traces of shame and guilt could be found underneath it all.

"Umm, A-sama, how exactly do you know Naruto?" Yugito said in a curious tone, the colors of A, C and Darui's faces paling a bit.

"It's a long story Yugito, let's just say that if you were there you'd be afraid of that guy too." Darui quickly said as C and A nodded their heads, shivering a bit from the traumatizing memory.

Taking a seat themselves, the group looked over the menu and were a bit surprised to see some of their countries own delicacies on the menu. Curious, they were about to call for someone to take their order when Hisako made her way towards the table. Humming a happy tune, she stopped as she saw the familiar outlines of three men who visited their hostel a few years ago. Smiling, she went up to their table and gave them a polite and respectful bow .

"Hello A-sama, Darui-san, C-san! It's quite a surprise to see the three of you again!" Hisako said in a friendly tone, the three men smiling brightly at her in turn.

"Hisako-chan! It's been nearly two years since I've seen you! I see you've become quite a fine young lady!" A said in a cheerful tone, Hisako flushing as she accepted his compliment.

"How have you been Hisako-san? I hope you have forgiven us for our misconduct the last time we were here." C said in a shameful and guilty tone, the faces of A and Darui falling as a grimace passed through their faces.

"Yeah, I hope you found it in your heart to forgive us Hisako-san." Darui added on as he bowed his head, Hisako frantically waving her hands in front of her.

"N-No! It's fine, honestly! None of you are at fault, i-it was that other person!" Hisako said in an attempt to placate the guilt ridden men before her.

After a few minutes of explaining what had happened, the three having arrived at Kyuukai before deciding to stay overnight. It was during dinner that fateful night that the three of them had ordered some rather potent alcohol that they started a bit of trouble who commented on their status as Kumo ninja. It was then when the instigator and his group of allies charged the three men. After that, a large scale brawl broke out in the dining room.

(Flashback - Two Years ago)

"P-Please stop!" Hisako shouted in an attempt to quell the violence that was besieging her beloved shop and home.

"Come'on you bastards! Can't win without using your fancy jutsu?!" A man shouted as he slugged Darui, the white haired man narrowing his eye as he slugged him back.

"We don't need jutsu to take care of a couple of punks like you!" Darui shouted as he grabbed the man in a headlock, only to be lifted and slammed onto the ground.

"Darui, C! Don't wreck too much of the restaurant! Keep things level!" A ordered as he clotheslined two of the men charging at him.

"They're just a bunch of pansy who rely on jutsu and chakra to win, we can take em boys!" The leader shouted as a resounding roar of courage passed through the gang, the Kumo-nin retaliating with even more vigor.

"**Aian Kurō**!" A roared as he gripped the heads of two men before slamming them into the ground, only to be tackled by two more men as they rained down a flurry of blows on him.

They were winding up for another assault only to be sent to the ground by an irate C and Darui. As the brawl continued, tables were overturned, chairs were broken, glassware was shattered and tablecloth was ripped. In the midst of it all, Hisako was still panicking as Naruto had yet to return from escorting a mother and her daughter home. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Hisako stepped into the room of violence as she took a deep breath.

"Please stop this!" She shouted at the top of her lungs, wincing a bit at the volume of her own voice.

It wasn't until she began softly humming once again that she found that her plea had indeed stopped the chaos, until she was sent tumbling to the ground by a rough shove from one of the drunken men. At that, the chaos resumed once more only this time Hisako was caught in the middle of it.

"Don't get the girl involved you bastards!" A roared as he tried to save Hisako from the chaos that she was dragged into, only to be sent back by a punch to the jaw.

In their drunken haze, the Kumo-nin weren't conscious of the fact that they were harming the young girl, intent on beating down the men who taunted them. However, it wasn't until a hellish and inhuman amount of killing intent erased the drunk haze from their minds. Stiffly craning their heads, they caught the form of what could only be described as a blonde demon, his electric blue eyes piercing through their very souls.

When he arrived home and saw the chaos that had taken over, pure and undiluted rage surged through his veins. But when he saw the diminutive form of Hisako, rage and anger was but an understatement as to what he was feeling. Stalking up to the group of stunned individuals, he grabbed the closest man before slamming him in a ruthless fashion into the ground, the sound of cartilage and bone being shattered echoing chillingly. Lifting the head of the man, he repeated the action once more before lashing out and catching the jaw of another man with a bone shattering backhand.

Making his way towards Hisako, he shattered and brutalized the bodies of every person that he passed through. Shattering bone, breaking joints and sending many to a place filled with stars and darkness, he carried on until he reached the four remaining men that were closest to Hisako's shaking form. Finally, he turned to face A who had regained a bit of his wits as he stare down the blonde. C and Darui shaking a bit from the otherworldly amount of killing intent, A was doing a bit better but the small shakes of his body spoke volumes about his mental state.

"W-Wait, N-Naruto don't hurt them! T-They tried to h-help me!" Hisako said in a pained tone, the Kumo-nin flinching in fear when the temperature dropped at the sound of her voice.

Silently, he walked past the four frozen men and gently picked Hisako up as she squeaked in surprise. Carrying her to a booth, he set her down with the upmost care before he stalked back to the four men that still stood frozen. When he got to them, he lashed out and grabbed the leader of the instigators by the throat before jamming two fingers into his larynx before squeezing down on his vocal cords, an agonizingly silent scream leaving his throat as he struggled to free himself from the blonde's ironclad grip. It wasn't only released when Naruto slammed his forehead into the frontal bone of his skull, a dull crack echoing as he went limp.

Dropping the unconscious man, he scanned the three remaining men before scoffing and moving back to tend to Hisako. Once their shock and fear had worn off, they exhaled the hidden breath that they failed to notice they had held in. Once Naruto had given Hisako an icepack for her bruised cheek, he threw the bodies of the unconscious men out before working on repairing and tidying up the ruined shop as humanly possible.

It wasn't until Naruto was finished that the three Kumo-nin moved from their spots, apologizing deeply and sincerely for their atrocious actions. While Naruto didn't forgive them, Hisako did and even thanked them for trying to help her when no one else did. It wasn't until Hisako asked him to that Naruto forgave the three Kumo-nin, begrudgingly thanking them for their attempt to assist Hisako, as miserably pathetic as it was. A paying the necessary expenses to compensate the two owners for the damages that they had a hand in, they eventually got along with each other, Hisako being drawn in by the tales the shinobi shared with her. Eventually, the time came for the three to part and it was a slightly sad affair.

"Will we meet again A-sama, C-San, Darui-san?" Hisako asked, the three men blinking in surprise before smiling at her question.

"No doubt, we'll come visit for sure!" Darui said in a sure tone, Hisako smiling at him as he smiled back.

"Don't worry Hisako-san, we will meet again no doubt." C said in a reassuring tone as he smiled at her, Hisako returning it in full.

"It may be a number of years, but we will be back here once everything is calm in Kumo, I promise." A said with a grin on his face as Hisako brightened up at the promise.

With that, they exchanged a few words of goodbye with Naruto, the blonde keeping his goodbye rather terse. Shaking the hands of the three men, they once again bowed their heads in repentance of their actions before they did the same to Hisako. Finally, they bid their farewells and left for Kumo.

(Flashback - End)

"Wow, didn't think you three would get that hammered! Especially you Bro!" Killer B commented as A's brow twitched, resisting the urge to **Aian Kurō** his brother for his comment.

"Anyway, I'm glad that you two forgave us for what happened. And going off of that, could my ninja and I spend the night?" A asked as Hisako beamed a smile at him and nodded her head eagerly, Naruto simply tilting his head in agreement as he moved to fetch the paperwork.

With that the group of Kumo ninja went through the enemy of all Kage known as paperwork. Quickly filling out and filing away the needed paperwork, Hisako led the group to a larger table and relayed their orders to a waiting Naruto, the blonde quickly taking care of the food that they ordered. Soon, the morning turned to the afternoon then to the evening as Hisako and Naruto began to close down shop a little earlier then usual due to the guests that were staying the night. With Hisako, she was wiping down the last of the tables while Naruto was busy cleaning the springs for later use.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Hiruko's Lab - Research Wing)

"So, what exactly is this stuff anyway?" A scientist asked, glancing at the purplish black substance resting inside of the clear container.

"No one knows, not even Lord Hiruko. Whatever it is though, it's some nasty stuff." The other said as he gestured to the cages where the unfortunate dead and dying test subjects were resting.

"Yesh, so what're we even doing here then?" The first asked, a bit nervous now that he knew what it was he was in the presence of.

"Transport. We just grab the container, carefully move it to a different wing and we're clear." His partner replied, easing his worries a bit as they moved to carry the container.

Securing their grip on the container, they exchanged looks and nodded before lifting it in sync. Once they were assured that it was secured and immobile, they started towards the door. Their steps in sync, they were so engrossed in the act of transporting the container that they failed to notice one of the dying test subjects beginning to move. As it grabbed the bars of its cage, it began exerting an immense amount of force on them before a creak could be heard. Finally, they gave way as it roared and charged the two scientist.

"GyAAAH!" The man closest to the creature screamed as it sank its fangs into his shoulder, forcing him to drop the container as the liquid inside of it splashed wildly inside.

"Damn it!" His partner shouted as he moved to pry the creature off his struggling partner, stabbing the creature repeatedly with the tanto he had strapped to his waist.

However, all it did was fuel the ire and rage that filled the creature as it turned on him. Grabbing him by the face, it slammed him into the ground multiple times before hurling him across the room as he impacted against the wall with a sickening thud. Reeling its head back it let loose a distorted roar as it returned its attention to the feeble and writhing man below it. Grabbing the container with the spilled substance, it began beating the man in the head with it. The sickening sounds of bone being crushed and gore being splattered filling the room, it wasn't until the beast slammed the container on the ground with brutal force that it finally cracked before a bit of the liquid oozed out.

It was then that the beast swung the container into the air, a bit of the substance landing in its mouth as it was instantly overtaken and killed by the Virus. Frothing and foaming at the mouth, it began rampaging with renewed and excessive vigor, destroying everything that was in its path. The door opening, the group of scientist and ninja were stunned silent by the ruined and gore covered room. They shock only lasted until one of them was killed by a sharp piece of broken steel that ripped through their skull. Many cursing under their breath, they moved to subdue the creature before it breached the other rooms.

"Together now!" The leader of the group shouted as he surged forward, blade drawn as he targeted the beast's tendons.

Ducking under a frenzied swing of its arm, he slashed at its Achilles and hamstring tendon as its leg buckled before it collapsed to a knee. But before he could deliver another blow, it sank its fangs into his arm as he cried out in pain. Opening its jaws a bit, it was about to clamp down once more only to lose all vision in its left eye as a kunai found itself holstered in the eye socket. The leader jumping back, he was replaced with two others as they delivered a flurry of slashes to the creature, the beast howling in pain before it swung its right arm and shattered the ribcage of one of the ninja.

As the battle to suppress the beast continued, it wasn't until it had its head removed that it finally stopped fighting back, but even then its body continued to writhe and twitch at the slightest stimuli. Releasing an exhausted sigh, those who could stand alerted the medics that there were definite casualties and many more injured. When the medics entered, they never saw a few of the ninja who had injuries skulk off into the various wings that made up the base.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

The Kumo-nin were in their respective rooms in a blissful state after the extravagant meal that Naruto and Hisako had prepared for them. With the return of Yugito and the knowledge that she had managed to take back about the two who kidnapped her, they were in a bit of a tense state but found enough peace of mind to relax in Kyuukai. It wasn't long until the ninja headed towards the hot springs and found Naruto finishing up cleaning the last bits of it, a few of the kunoichi blushing when they took in his shirtless top.

"There, the springs should be all set for you all to use. I imagine I don't need to lecture you all on proper etiquette when using them?" Naruto asked, getting negative shakes of the heads from the ninja.

"Good, please keep the noise down to a minimum. If you need drinks or snacks, just ring the bells that are located near the edge of the springs. And bit of a warning, if I find crumbs or leftover food in the water, you'll all be banned from using them." Naruto said as they gulped a bit before nodding in understanding.

With that, the ninja entered the springs on their respective sides and felt the tension, exhaustion and negative flow of thoughts leave their bodies as the water washed over them. The purity of the water washing away all tainted feelings and thoughts, they felt themselves feeling more energetic then they had all day. Ringing the bells like Naruto had instructed, the men saw Naruto return to take their orders while the women had Hisako tend to theirs. The women ordering sweet sake and a platter of equally sweet fruit, the men ordered some fresh and light sake and a side of sashimi.

"Ahh~ This is heaven right?" Samui said in a content tone, her friends nodding their heads in agreement at her statement.

"Yugito, you sure picked a hell of a place to end up at." Karui said in a happy tone, the blonde in question bristling a bit in anger before the water soothed her.

"Yeah, yeah. I just hope we'll be able to come here more often. It isn't fair that only C, Darui and A-sama are allowed to come back." She said as her friends nodded their heads in agreement, finding Kyuukai as a new vacation spot.

"Yo Bro, tell me straight! What's the deal with the one-eyed blonde? Never seen you act so respectful to anyone before!" Killer B said out of the blue, getting the attention of not only the men but the women who were across the bamboo fence.

"It's... It's hard to described B-sama." C said in a troubled tone, racking his mind to find the correct term to describe the meeting with the blonde.

"All I can say is, that night we almost stepped on the tiger's tail no doubt." Darui said in a shaky tone, remember the insane amount of killing intent that strangled him that night.

"No, you're wrong Darui." A said as he idly sipped on his sake, getting the attention of his ninja.

Refilling his saucer with more sake, he took another sip as he looked up, glancing at the clear night sky as the moon shone in full. Releasing another sigh, he downed his sake before glancing at his ninja with a serious expression on his face.

"It wasn't a tiger's tail we nearly stepped on, it was the untouchable scales of a dragon we nearly brushed against that night." A said in an equally serious tone, his ninja shivering at the way he described it.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Hiruko's Lab - Cloning Wing)

Inside of the wing where the experimental clones were being held, a kunoichi who was bitten by the beast stumbled into the wing as the scientist who were inside looked at her in surprise. When they took notice of her wounded state, they quickly moved to help her only for the one who made it first to her getting stabbed in the side with a kunai. As she screamed in pain, the kunoichi locked her hands around her neck, her struggling becoming more frantic as the others moved to remove her. Like the others who were now causing chaos in the other wings of the base, she had succumb to the Virus that had infected her body, having had enough time to incubate to take hold of its host.

It was only after receiving a blow to the head that she released her grip, the victim of her attempted strangulation crawling away while clutching her bleeding side. Screaming with a distorted voice, she started slashing and stabbing at everyone and everything that was near her, stabbing three more scientist while severely slashing two others. But, it wasn't until she started wildly swinging her arms around that she began to damage the machinery and cloning tanks that laid about in the room. She was finally subdued when another kunoichi found her in the room, moved to behead her with a quick and precise swing of her katana.

With the threat gone, they were about to relax when a blaring red siren alerted the entirety of the base that something was completely and extremely wrong. Panicking, they grabbed whatever could fit in their hands and moved to escape the building, leaving behind all the years of precious data and research that they spent days cultivating and rearing. In the midst of the chaos they failed to take notice of the female clone who softly opened her eyes.

"_Onii... Chan..._" She thought as she watched the chaos ensuing around her container with blank and uninterested eyes, though they gained a bit of curiosity when they caught sight of the open doorway.

Placing her hands on the clear shell of her container, she exerted a bit of pressure and found that it was indeed immobile. Continuing, she found that everything she did failed to cause any changes to her prison. It wasn't until she felt a surge of, something, that she felt renewed energy flow through her body. Acting on it, she struck the glass of her container once more as a spider web crack formed. Blinking in surprise, she repeated the action over and over until the glass finally gave in, shattering as she and the liquid inside was spilled into the room.

Shakily, she found it was rather difficult to stand, her legs feeling like they were made of a gelatinous substance. After a few minutes of getting her muscles used to the weight of her body without it being suspended in liquid, she was able to walk with a bit of shakiness. With her newly acquired ability to walk under her belt, she was about to head to the door by stopped when she found her eyes resting on a photo of her and of a very familiar blonde. Walking over, she grabbed the file that the pictures were attached to and read them over, tracing her fingers over the other blonde's face.

"Naru... To... Naruto... Naruto-oniichan..." She whispered in a longing and loving tone, clutching the picture to her chest as she tried to recall any memory of him.

A small downturn of her lips forming at the lack of memories, she discarded the thought as she read over the contents of the file. Scanning it with blank and uninterested eyes, she found herself growing more and more anxious to meet with her brother as she burned all of the data about him the file had into her mind.

"Subject #001, dubbed "Naru", sister of Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Status: Stable, 98% complete. Brain Activity: Normal. Physical Makeup: Stable. No significant changes in mental or physical activities. Genetic match with Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze: 99%. Ability to Reproduce: Positive, extremely fertile. Notable Details: Immense reserves of chakra, engineered to be immune to toxins and drugs, suitable for breeding stock, possible host candidate, awaiting transplant of memories..." The clone trailed off, scanning the rest of the lab report that documented her growth and information.

"Naru... I'm Naru... I'm Naruto-oniichan's imouto..." Naru whispered in an impassive tone, though there was a hint of longing and pride near the end of her statement.

With a name under her belt, Naru ventured off into the other wings of the lab to salvage what she could from the ruins and debris that littered it. It wasn't until she stumbled into the Research Wing did she feel something other then love and longing for her brother, she felt undiluted fear.

Freezing, her body refused to acknowledge her mind's demand to flee from whatever it was that was causing her to feel such fear. Mechanically shifting her head, she found exactly what it was that was causing her instincts to scream at her. Near the edge of the room sat a broken container, and it was the purplish black substance inside that was causing her to feel that fear.

About to turn and run, she was roughly grabbed by the neck and slammed into the ground by a lone scientist who was clearly out of his mind. Her eyes widening a bit, she took in his features and noted that he was clearly different from the rest. He had glowing red eyes, his skin was discolored with a purple hue to it and he was huffing out a haze of purplish black smoke.

Crying out a bit, she wrapped her hands around his wrists as he tightened his hold on her throat, intent on ending her life in the next few moments. It was in that instant that she felt the same thing she had inside of her container, a rush of energy that filled her entire being. Gritting her teeth, she managed to remove his hands from her throat as she took in large gulps of precious air.

Seeing her breathing normally again, the frenzied scientist snarled as he tried to force his hands around her throat once more, intent on finishing what he had started. But Naru forced him to change that idea when she snapped his wrists, sending him careening back when she shoved him away. Standing up, she stared him down as he howled in agony and tried to stand back up without the use of his hands. Falling down once more, he never stood back up as Naru broke his neck by stomping on the base of his skull, the crunch of bone and tissue echoing out chillingly in the empty room.

But, as she began to catch her breath, she froze as pain surged through her body. Clutching her chest, she screamed in raw agony as she felt her very person being undermined by something primal and vile. Her screams and cries becoming more agonized, she failed to notice the discoloration of her skin nor the purple hue or haze that she was expelling. All that was on her mind was getting to her brother.

"Naruto-oniichan..." She whimpered as she curled into a ball, clutching her chest as she futilely tried to mitigate the pain that racked her body.

As her thoughts began to slow, her mind and body beginning to shut down, all that she could think about was meeting with and reuniting with her brother. Soon, more and more memories began to form and emerge as she clutched the picture of her brother tighter in her hands.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel - Naruto's Private Bedroom)

Sitting at his desk, Naruto had various books, newspapers and articles open as he highlighted, circled and underlined everything that was of any value to him. Scanning though the collection of literature, he moved to circle someone else when he froze mid-stroke. Feeling something extremely familiar, frighteningly so, he snapped his head to the window as the sensation quickly vanished. Blinking a bit in confusion, he shook his head only to freeze once more as he felt moisture running down the side of his face. Slowly bringing his hands up, he stared in stunned silence at the collection of sweat at the end of his fingertips.

"W-What...?" He whispered to himself, unsure what to think of that eerily familiar yet terrifying sensation.

(Scene Change - Naru's Mind: Hazy Meadow Hill)

"O_niichan, promise me that you'll marry me when we grow up!_"

"_I promise Naru-chan, when we're all grown up we'll be husband and wife!_"

"_Really! Ehehe, I love you Oniichan! I love you more then anyone in the entire world!_"

"_Haha, I love you too Naru-chan!_"

"_Umm, Oniichan? P-Promise me that we'll always be together, no matter what._"

"_I promise Naru-chan, we'll always be together no matter what._"

The hazy images of two blonde children sitting at the top of a grassy green hill soon became clearer and clearer as their images became sharper. A young Naruto and Naru were seen sitting beneath a large oak tree as they laughed and talked with each other, the two gently locking pinkies as they swore a promise to the other.

"Oniichan, I love you."

"I love you too Naru-chan."

The older blonde leaning towards Naru before planting a soft kiss on her lips, surprising the little girl before she closed her eyes and returned it as softly as he did.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Hiruko's Lab - Research Wing)

The memories of the promise that her beloved brother and herself made all those years ago rushing back to her, Naru found hope and soon strength as she recalled all of the times she had spent with Naruto. The laughs, tears and intimate moments that forged a bond stronger then the scales of a dragon between the two. Fighting to open her eyes, they gained a calm determination that would have made even the most unresolved feel empowered. Pushing herself to her knees, she took a deep breath before forcing herself to stand, biting back the cry of pain that desperately wanted to escape. Then, she felt a warmth emanate from the center of her chest, folding her hands over it as she closed her eyes once more.

"Oniichan." She whispered as a twisted explosion of purple, black and white chakra and lightning danced around her while an all too familiar change was also present on her person.

(Scene Change - Heaven's Mount: Inner Sanctuary)

"**Another Apex.**" Shagaru whispered as he cracked an eye open, gazing outside of his domain as his corruption danced eerily around him.

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**And there's another chapter done. If you didn't catch it or need clarification, Hisako can "see" using a form of enhanced echolocation. Go back to the earlier chapters, I hinted at it with having her hum when something happened that she needed to see. So, I'll be using sight based words with her now, just a little heads. As for the clone, well who would've guessed? Well, some of you probably did. Bonus points if you guess what element she is. And again, I don't write rap so Killer B won't be rapping like in other stories who's authors can actually write rap. And yeah, hopefully I'll be able to write something more exciting in the future, anyway I think that's enough of me chatting. You all take it easy alright? And don't forget, stay awesome. **

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**Aian Kurō - Iron Claw**: A-Rank, Taijutsu; This move simply entails A squeezing the target's face with his hand. He frequently uses this technique when punishing Killer B.


	31. Chapter 29

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. Sorry about the late updates, I'm really been running into a lot of writers block for all of my stories. So, this chapter is a bit funky, so don't hate on me too much alright? It's not too good in my opinion and I haven't written a fight scene in quite some time so I'm really rusty. So yeah, sorry bout the late updates and such but they'll be kinda frequent until I find some real inspiration. But on an unrelated note, the summer season of anime is coming and there are some shows that I am hyped to see. You all know the routine right? Read, Review and PM me if you want to. Well, that's enough of me yapping right? You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 29

After gaining her status as an Apex, Naru scrounged around the ruins of the abandoned base for anything of use to her. After about an hour of searching, she had gathered a sufficient amount of supplies for her journey in search of her beloved brother. Garbed in a long, staunch white lab coat, a loose fitting white button up shirt and comfortable baggy black slacks, she had on a pair of black shoes and socks that finished off her look; looking like the scientist that she had recovered the outfit from. Having managed to salvage a large duffel bag that was filled with abandoned research notes, she had read through them and kept any that were of value before packing it with some of the rations she had found in the infirmaries, canteens and personal living areas inside of the base.

"That should be everything." She said in her usual deadpan as she slung the bulky bag over her shoulder, looking a bit comical given her rather petite stature.

Giving the ruined base one last glance, she turned and headed out of the nearest exit, intent on finding who it was that she was looking for.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Outside of Hiruko's Abandoned Base)

Finally making it to the surface, Naru winced as the sunlight stung her eyes as she moved to shade them with her hand. Once she got adjusted to the sunlight, she scanned the area and found that it was in a rather ugly looking swampy area. Turning side to side, she started her trek out of the swamp as she observed all of the things that were new and foreign to her. When she finally made it to the edge of the swamp, finally seeing the lush greenery of the forest before her, she let herself relax as the comforting sounds and smell of the forest wrapped around her.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Unknown Forest)

Venturing into the forest, she paused as she heard the sounds of someone else walking. Turning her head, she saw that it was a strange looking man. He was tall, taller then most of the people that Hiruko had under his command but the most distinct thing about him was the fact that he had bluish gray skin and what appeared to be gill-slits beneath his eyes. Wearing a headband with a slash through it, he was dressed in a black coat with red clouds and was carrying what appeared to be a bandaged sword on his back. Blinking a bit to make sure that she wasn't hallucinating, Naru tilted her head before shrugging and making her way towards him.

With Kisame, he was on his way to regroup with the other members of the Akatsuki as a breach in security occurred during the extraction of the Nibi. Shaking his head, he could only account it to Hidan's recklessness once more and hoped that it wasn't anything too serious. As he was a bit lost in his thoughts, he tensed when he felt the presence of someone closing in on him. Moving his hand to the handle of Samehada, he saw the rustling of the bushes nearby and moved to strike. Speeding to the bushes, he drew as was in the midst of a swing when he saw that it was a blank faced young woman that he was about to strike down.

Cursing under his breath, he changed the trajectory of his swing as he watched with surprise as she did nothing to avoid the swing nor did she seem even fazed that she was just about to be cut down. Samehada hitting the ground beside her, kicking up a bit of dust, she continued to stare up at him with a blank expression on her face as Kisame felt his brow twitch a bit in irritation and awkwardness. He wasn't a stranger to receiving frightened and disgusted looks after all, though something about this girl rubbed him the wrong way. About to speak, she beat him to it as she slowly raised a finger and pointed at him.

"A fish man." Naru said in a deadpan as a tick mark appeared on Kisame's head, an angry grin on his face as he stared down at her.

"What did you say?" He asked in a barely controlled tone, Naru blinking at the question before repeating herself once more.

"You're a fish man." She said as Kisame's normally controlled temper blew its lid, the man grabbing onto her head with an iron grip.

"You got some guts you brat." He growled out with a look of mixed anger and amusement on his face, Naru continuing to infuriate the man by the unchanging look on her face.

Getting ready to go off on a tirade, Kisame was stopped by the sound of his stomach growling. His brow twitching in anger, he was about to explode before he released an irritated and exhausted sigh. Letting go of her head, he slung Samehada over his shoulder once more before giving her an irritated glare. His glare only intensified as his brow twitched when she continued to look at him with the same impassive face. About to yell at her, he stopped when he saw her turn and open her duffel bag before pulling out a bag of chips.

"Here, fish man." Naru said as she held out the bags to Kisame, the man's brow twitching in utter embarrassment and anger at the way she was both referring to him and treating him.

"Do... Do you even know who I am you brat...?" He asked in a barely controlled tone of anger, his head held down as his body shook with restricted rage.

"A fish man?" Naru asked as she tilted her head, Kisame's patience having reached its limit at her nonchalant tone.

Quickly lashing out to grab her by the collar, he was stunned when she immediately dropped the offending bag of chips to grab his wrist in an ironclad grip. Blinking in surprise, he was about to speak when she snapped his wrist, Kisame's eyes widening in a mix of surprise and pain as he was sent careening to the side from a brutal kick to his ribcage. The force of the kick sending him through a tree, he continued until he struck another as a brief shout of pain escaped his lips. Grunting as he picked himself up, he looked back to Naru's position and widened his eyes when he saw that she was shrouded with wisps of black smoke, with a purple hue to her body and red eyes.

"So, you aren't all that you look like are you brat." Kisame said in a cool tone as he stood once more, wincing as he put pressure off his left side.

Still blank faced, Naru glanced at the damaged man in front of her before kneeling down and picking up the fallen bag of chips. Brushing the dust and grime from its surface, she looked back to Kisame before heading towards him. Seeing her approaching, the swordsman tensed immediately, not wanting to be on the receiving end of another brutal assault. As she neared, he was about to swing Samehada towards her but stopped when he saw her looking at him with a look that could only be described as curiosity.

"Why did you do that fish man?" She asked in the same impassive tone, Kisame grunting in reply at the humiliation that he was being subjected to as he took note that there were no traces of the strange appearance she had earlier.

Continuing to stare at him, she blinked as a spark of realization passed through her eyes. Turning once more to her duffel bag, she placed the previously offered bag of chips away and pulled out something at made Kisame's brow twitch in more anger and humiliation, his present predicament momentarily forgotten. Double checking to make sure that it was the correct item, Naru returned her attention to Kisame and held out the offending snack out to him.

"Here you go, fish man." She said while she held out the bag of dried fish strips as Kisame did his best to avoid face palming with his broken wrist.

"Are you trying to screw with me?!" He shouted in utter anger and embarrassment, Naru blinking as she looked between him and the snack held in her hand.

"Don't like fish?" She asked Kisame, the large man simply dropping his head in defeat as Naru looked on in slight confusion.

Seeing him rather downtrodden, Naru placed the bag of dried fish back into her duffel bag and pulled out one of the first aid kits that she had recovered. Moving towards Kisame, he watched in confusion and surprise as she set his wrist back into place before splinting it. Once she was sure that it was a solid job, she held out a bottle of pain killers for his aching side. Blinking a bit, he hesitantly reached for the bottle before taking it and downing a few of the pills inside. Grunting in gratitude for the painkillers, he handed the bottle back to her as she placed it back into the kit.

"Are you feeling better now fish man?" Naru asked while replacing the kit with the bag of dried fish as Kisame sighed, having given up on trying to correct her.

"Yeah, yeah. Thanks, brat." He muttered as he reluctantly accepted his favorite snack from the strange girl, doing his best not to enjoy the tantalizing taste that the dried fish had.

Settling into a one sided truce, Kisame watched as Naru nibbled on an apple that she had picked prior to meeting him. Her eyes closed, he was a bit perplexed to see that she was completely off guard like earlier, no traces of aggression, fear or anxiety on her person. Finishing off the bag, he let out a content sigh as he glanced back to Naru, seeing her finishing off her apple as well. Deciding to bite the bullet, he broke the silence that was between them first, seeing as she wasn't the type to talk much.

"So, who exactly are you brat?" He asked as Naru discarded the core of the apple, turning to face him as she wiped its remains from the side of her mouth.

"I'm Naru, Naruto's imouto. Who are you, fish man?" She said before asking for Kisame's name, the man's brow twitching once more as he crumpled the empty bag in his hand.

"Name's Kisame Hoshigaki. Former member of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist and S-Rank missing-nin." Kisame said with a savage smile on his face, though it dropped when he saw absolutely no changes in Naru.

"You're not scared of me, brat?" He asked as Naru gave him a blank stare, Kisame doing his best to resist the twitching his brow.

"You're weaker then me fish man, why would I be scared of you?" She asked in a curious tone, Kisame's entire body tensing at her words.

"What do you mean I'm weaker then you? The only reason you took me down is because you got lucky and caught me off guard." He said in a rather terse tone, his eyes narrowing a bit at her statement.

"No, you're just weaker then me fish man. I can feel it." She said in a nonchalant tone, catching Kisame's interest as he moved to challenge her claim.

Without warning, he lashed out with a lightning fast jab with his good hand. Moving with more speed and striking with more power due to the rush of adrenaline and anger, he was intent on putting the arrogant albeit unintentionally so girl in front of him in her place. But what happened next, he'd never forget for the rest of his life. Right before his eyes, her entire appearance changed drastically. Like before, wisps of smoke emanated from her body while it glowed with a purple hue, her eyes taking on a red coloration. When his punch connected, it felt as though he had just struck solid and chakra enhanced steel.

"Guh!" Grunting when he felt the bones of his knuckle crack and break from the heavy impact, he stared with widening eyes at Naru's unchanging and impassive face as she stared at him.

"You're weaker then me, fish man." She said in a tone of absolute conviction, Kisame unable to comprehend what had just taken place.

"W-What? But that punch would have broken the jaw of anyone it connected with, and even if it didn't it would have at least left a mark." He said in a stunned tone, removing his damaged hand from the face of the young lady while wincing when he felt the damaged bone.

"The only person stronger then me, is my Onii-chan." She said as Kisame looked dumbfounded by her answer not wanting to believe that there was someone, if she was telling the truth, even stronger then her.

"Heh, sounds like this Onii-chan of yours is quite the guy." He said in a mirthful tone as he shook his head, pausing when he saw Naru take a hold of his hand and start to treat it.

Silence taking over, Kisame watched as she set the bones and wrapped his cracked knuckles before she handed him the same bottles of painkillers from before. Taking them with a quiet "thank you", he downed a few more pills before handing the bottle back. But he was surprised when she pushed them back towards his person. About to question her, he was a bit speechless when he saw her hand him the first aid kit that she had been using to treat him.

"You need this more then I do fish man." She said as Kisame was struck speechless by the generosity of the young lady before him.

"You... Why are you being so kind to me? You know that I've killed hundreds, most in cold blood. I've done things that would make most people sick and above all else, I've even attacked you." He asked as Naru looked at him with her usual blank expression before continuing to hand him the first aid kit.

"My Onii-chan always told me to help out others if they need it, even if I don't know what their circumstances are. While some people are born inherently evil and I will never help those people, I know that you're not evil yourself fish man." Naru said Kisame looked at her as though she had sprouted another head, Naru finishing packing the first aid kit and another bag of dried fish for the missing-nin.

"...Even after hearing about what I've done, how can you say I'm not an evil person brad?" Kisame asked in genuine curiosity, the blonde looking up at him once she was finished packing.

"You've done everything you have because you were ordered to. Those murders, those killings, you were ordered to do them. When you moved your sword to avoid hitting me, that was because you don't kill the innocent unless you've been ordered to or have no other choice to, right?" Naru asked as Kisame stiffly nodded his head, Naru continuing as she saw his response.

"You're also very appreciative, even if you don't show it. When I shared my snacks with you and when I was patching you up, you never took what I did for granted. You sincerely thanked me for what I did, and your body language reflected that, being relaxed and free from any tenseness. But, even more so then all of that. You have a deep sorrow inside of you for something you did, don't you?" She asked as Kisame's eyes widened to extreme proportions, not believing at she actually picked up on something he was sure he had locked away.

"It's because you feel sorrow, that you feel regret and self-loathing that I know you're not an evil person. An evil person doesn't feel any of those things, I would know because I've been in the presence of many evil people. None of them had the hidden warmth beneath the rigid cold like you do." She continued as Kisame let his head drop a bit, glancing down at his hands, the same hands that have been stained a bloody crimson from all the innocents lives he was ordered to take while in service to Kiri.

"But above all else..." Naru trailed off as she rose, securing her duffle bag as Kisame listened in intently with his head still lowered.

"Your sword told me what kind of person you are and a sword doesn't lie." Naru said as his eyes widened, glancing to the side to see that Samehada had crawled over to him.

Raising his head, he was about to speak but saw that Naru had already left. Blinking, he let a solemn and somber smile make its way to his face as he held onto Samehada. Releasing a sigh, he looked towards the neatly packed first aid kit and bag of dried fish and cracked a small smile. Carefully taking the package with his left hand, he slung Samehada over his shoulder with his right. Scanning the area once more for any traces of the blonde, he shook his head when he was unable to find a trace of her.

"Thanks... For everything, Naru-san." Kisame said in a genuinely grateful tone, heading back to the Akatsuki headquarters with a bit less slack to his shoulders.

"You're welcome, fish man-san." Naru said in her usual impassive tone as she continued on the road laid out before her, sensing a familiar feeling presence in the far off distance.

"Onii-chan, I'm coming..." She whispered with adoration and longing, tightening her grip on her duffel bag as she strode towards the rising sun.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel - Naruto's Private Bedroom)

As the sunlight filtered through his curtains, Naruto's eyes fluttered open as he suppressed the yawn that fought to leave his mouth. About to stretch, he stopped when he felt something on his chest and saw that it was a still sleeping Hisako who was idly snuggling deeper into him. A small smile making it to his face, he brought his hand over and brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, holding back a soft laugh when she wrinkled a nose as a stray strand tickled it. When he saw her let out a content and secure sigh, he threw waking her up out of the window.

Quickly substituting himself with a pillow, he saw that she snuggled against it with a bit of confusion for a bit before returning to a comfortable position with a demure and lovely smile on her face. Smiling, he bent down and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead before moving to take a shower. When he exited the room, Hisako snuggled deeper into the pillow she was hugging before nibbling on it softly.

"Mmmm~ Naruto..." She whispered as she continued to nibble on the pillow, a euphoric and peaceful expression on her face.

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

"And that should be the last of them." Naruto said in a quiet tone, having finished setting and cleaning the tables for the inevitable influx of customers in the next few minutes.

Wringing the towel, he placed it with the rest of the used towels before slipping it into the chute for the laundry room. Slipping on his apron, he flipped on the kitchen lights as the door to the restaurant opened with a gentle chime. Turning to the door, he walked out and saw the familiar faces of Yore and her husband as they gave him a smile, the blonde returning it softly.

"Welcome Yore-san, Toru-san." Naruto said in a polite tone as he bowed to them, the elderly couple laughing as they waved at him.

"How many times do I have to tell you Naruto-chan, you don't need to bow for a couple of geezers like us!" Toru said in a jovial tone, Naruto giving them another smile as he rose.

"The same table and item I presume?" He asked as they smiled and nodded, thankful for the blonde's ironclad memory.

Guiding them to their table, he started them off with a set of Naruto's personal blend of matcha tea and mini dorayaki on the side. Getting a grateful thanks in gratitude, he was about to move to the kitchen when he heard a myriad of voices coming from the stairwell. Turning, he let an irritated sigh out as he heard the boisterous and jovial laughter of A and his ninja. When they finally made it down the stairs, they quieted when they saw an irritated looking Naruto giving them a pointed stare.

"A-Ahem, sorry about that Naruto. I've forgotten that you open up earlier then most other shops." A said as he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, silently praying that his brother wouldn't much up the already tense situation.

"Yo! How's it going Blondie, real kind of you to open up early for all the early birds out there, me included!" Killer B said in his usual tone, louder then anyone appreciated though as Naruto shot him a glare.

"Could you all please keep the noise down to a minimum, you're disturbing the other guests." Naruto said as he tilted his head towards Yore and Toru's table, the elderly couple laughing softly as they talked about their youth.

"But above all else, Hisako is still asleep. Wake her up and I'll make sure you never do." Naruto uttered in a frigid tone, the Kumo ninja shivering at the steel and promise in his eye.

"R-Right, don't worry about us Blondie! W-We got the message!" Killer B said as he gave Naruto a stiff wave, the blonde nodding as he handed the group a set of menus before heading into the kitchen.

Watching him for a few seconds, they let out a breath that they didn't even know they were holding in as he disappeared into the kitchen. Making their way to a table large enough to accommodate all of them, they browsed through the menu as Yugito quickly started suggesting her favorites to the other females gathered around. On the other side, Killer B had his attention focused on the doors to the kitchen, having a conversation with the bijū inside of him as something about the blonde put him on edge.

"_**B. That man, he's dangerous. You're brother is correct in his assumption.**_" Gyuki said as B inclined his head slightly, mulling over the thought.

"_He does give off that vibe too. There's something that just screams "danger" and puts you on guard, even if he's just in the same place as you._" B responded as he suppressed the shiver that wanted to dance down his spine when he remembered the blonde's glare.

"_**Just be sure not to incur his wrath B. Your brother was correct in his assessment of the blonde, something about him reminds me of something that shouldn't exist ever again.**_" Gyuki said as B nodded his head, getting a knowing glance from A.

As everyone got settled in, Naruto started them off with a set of his unique blend of genmaicha tea and a tray of mini dorayaki. Moving back to the kitchen to start on Yore and Toru's order, he left the patrons in the restaurant to their own devices as more and more people began to trickle in. The Kumo ninja watching with slight awe at the blonde's proficiency at taking, handling, making and delivering the orders that flooded him, they felt that there was more to him then he let on. Soon, the early rush of customers settled down as many opted to stay for the tea and the atmosphere as friends and neighbors alike moved to tables to catch up and talk about the latest happenings.

"This place sure is popular, huh?" Karui asked as her friends nodded their heads in agreement, feeling a bit jealous that they didn't have such a warm and inviting shop in their own country.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

The warm and amiable atmosphere was present up until lunchtime when the sounds of someone descending down the stairs caught the attention of nearly everyone in the shop. Turning their heads, the men blushed while the women cooed as Hisako made her way to the shop floor. A smile on her face, she greeted the customers that waved at her before bowing politely to the elderly patrons that greeted her. Making her way to the kitchen, she stopped by A's table and offered the ninja a polite bow and graced them with a radiant but demure smile.

"Good morning A-sama, I hope everything was to your liking." Hisako said in a polite tone as A offered her a bright smile.

"And a good morning to you as well Hisako-chan! Everything was great, thank you for asking!" A said in his usual boisterous tone, Hisako smiling brighter at his satisfaction.

"Good morning Hisako-chan! Did you sleep well?" Yugito asked in a happy tone, Hisako flushing at the question as she was rather embarrassed about sneaking into Naruto's bed once again.

"Y-Yes I did Yugito-san, thank you for asking. Did you all sleep well?" She asked as Yugito, Karui and Samui returned her question with a smile and a nod.

Bowing once more and thanking them for their patronage, she headed to the kitchen with an undeniable amount of excitement as many watched with happiness, jealousy and smiles. When she entered the kitchen, a smile brighter then the sun lit up her face as she did her best to sneak up to the close eyed blonde tending to a number of pots and pans. A shy smile appearing on her face, Hisako tiptoed up to Naruto before wrapping her arms around his waist. Nuzzling against his back, she let out a content sigh as Naruto laughed softly before he turned around to embrace her back.

"Sleep well Hisako?" He asked as she smiled at him, nodding her head as she leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Mhmm, I did Naruto. You could have woken me up earlier, you don't always have to open and start the day by yourself." She said in a slightly self depreciating tone, Naruto frowning a bit before leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"You know I hate having to wake up you, you always look so peaceful when you're sleeping." He said as she flushed a bit, opting to snuggle deeper into his chest as he laughed softly.

Receiving one more kiss on the head, Hisako broke off from Naruto with a great deal of reluctance. Watching Naruto return to the stove, Hisako let a loving smile appear on her face as she grabbed her apron and fixed her clothes. Taking her order pad and pen, she made sure that she had everything before she headed out of the kitchen but not before giving her Naruto one more kiss on the cheek.

Exiting the kitchen, she quickly moved to greet the family entering as she gave them a menu and showed them to their seats. Once again, order and calm returned to the Kyuukai Hostel as the Kumo ninja watched with smiles on their faces at the beautiful young lady smiling and talking with themselves and the others in the restaurant.

(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: General Treatment Ward - Checkup Room)

"There you Zabuza-san, you should be ready for duty in the field in a few days, a week at the most! In the mean time, do take it easy and rest as much as possible." Doctor Rishi said as he smiled at the bandaged man, Zabuza giving him a smile in return for the bill of good health.

"Thanks Rishi-san, sorry about always having to patch me up." Zabuza said in an embarrassed tone, the two men laughing as they exchanged goodbyes with each other.

Heading of the checkup room, Zabuza froze and paled when he spotted a familiar head of purple hair. Said purple haired person was tapping their foot in an impatient manner while a scowl marred their face. They would have been terrifying but Zabuza knew that they weren't near their peak of scariness due to the grinning child that was holding onto her hand.

Over the past few years, Anko had changed very little in terms of appearance. She still had a curvaceous and well proportioned body that drew the attention of many and the rage of Zabuza. She had grown her hair out, which was well past her shoulders though it was still slightly wild as ever. Having been placed off duty until Naruto was old enough to attend the academy, she had changed her outfit from what it was previously to a simple attire composed of a simple purple blouse and dark pants that ended a bit past her knees. She topped off her outfit with a simple pair of sandals and of course her wedding ring. Overall, she hated her "domesticated" look as she coined it.

As for their child, Naruto, he had an uncanny resemblance to his father. Having a head of dark purple hair, the three year old was a lively ball of energy much like his mother. Dressed in a simple outfit of a dark blue shirt and white shorts, he was the cutest thing that Zabuza and Anko would admit to loving. But as many would have expected, Naruto was no doubt the most precious thing in Zabuza, Anko and Haku's lives. The three making sure that he was never sad or upset, and regaled him with tales of his godfather and would-be uncle of the same namesake.

Letting a sigh of relief out, Zabuza thanked both Kami and his son for his fortunate situation. Breathing out a calming breath, he smiled and waved awkwardly at his wife before addressing her.

"H-Hey Anko, I was just about to come get you and Naruto! Doc says I'm the textbook example of good health!" He said in an attempt to placate the irate woman, only serving to make her brow twitch in irritation.

Marching up to him with Naruto glancing at his mother and father curiously, he giggled when Anko grabbed Zabuza by the ear and gave him a painful tweak. As the man yelped in pain, he was about to pacify Anko when the words died in his throat. Seeing her with a thin lining of tears coating her eyes erased everything that wanted to escape his mouth, Zabuza just watching as she moved to hug him. Sniffling slightly, she just held onto him as his eyes softened considerably, pulling her and Naruto into a warm embrace as he uttered apology after apology to his wife. After a few minutes she pulled away from him and gave him a small smile, Zabuza returning it a hundred fold as he picked up Naruto who giggled in delight.

"Hey, why don't we go out to dinner tonight?" Zabuza asked as Anko smiled at him, nodding as Naruto demanded that they go get yakitori.

"Yakitori! Yakitori! Papa! Mama! Let's get yakitori!" He chirped as Zabuza and Anko laughed softly before they nodded and kissed him on the head.

"That sounds nice, let's go tell Haku and see if she and the others want to come too." Anko said as Zabuza smiled, glad that he was surrounded by the family he cherished and would put his life down for.

"Ahem! While that was very sweet and sappy, could you all do it outside of my hospital?" An irate Tsunade asked as a tick mark appeared on her head, the Momochi family tensing as they uttered an apology to the older woman.

"Do families and couples always have to be so sappy when they come visit, it's a hospital not a theatre for Kami's sake." She muttered under her breath as she heard snickering to the side, glaring at the white haired man which prompted him to stop.

"Easy Tsunade, but you can't blame me, can you?" Jiraiya asked as she simply scoffed at him, his head lowering as Tsunade strode out of the room.

(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: General Treatment Ward - Uzumaki-Namikaze Sibling's Room)

Once she entered the wing once again, her expression turned rather frightening as she stormed towards the room her godchildren were resting inside. Many trembling and cowering in fear of her, they gave her a wide berth as she made it to the door. Grabbing the handle to the room, she gained a devious smile as she felt the fear radiating from inside. Then, like a scene in a horror movie, the door was ripped from its hinges as a trio of screams emanated from within.

"Quiet! How many times do I have to tell you that this is a hospital!" She roared, instantly quieting the trembling trio in front of her.

Cowering together in a tightly knit group was Narumi, Mito and Menma, the three huddled together in the corner of the room as Tsunade gave a rather evil smile before stalking towards them. As she neared, her patience ran its length as she lashed out and grabbed Mito and Narumi by the ears before giving the two a painful tweak.

"Just what do you idiots think you were doing!?" She roared as Mito and Narumi instantly started yelping and pleading with their godmother to release them from her death grip.

"Do you know how close you two cut it? Had it not been for those antidotes and the Kyuubi, the two of you would have followed Chiyo to the grave!" She shouted as the two girls locked in her grip shrunk beneath her.

Continuing her rant, she then turned to a somewhat relieved Menma and knocked him over the head for recklessly engaging the enemy like he did. Stating that it was something Jiraiya would do but she would be damned that he follow in his footsteps. After what seemed like a year of being lectured at, she wrapped the three in a warm hug before telling them how relieved she was that they were all safe and sound.

"Just promise me that you won't go off doing something reckless like that again, alright?" She asked as they all nodded before returning her hug, the group joined by the rest of their family.

As the sun began to descend over the horizon, peace seemed to presume over the nations as many settled into the somber pace of life. With the Momochi family, they were joined with the members of Team 12 as they visited their favorite yakitori stand. The Uzumaki-Namikaze family were all heading towards their favorite ramen stand, all laughing as they recalled happier times.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel)

Many miles away, a certain blonde and silverette were finishing with cleaning their restaurant as the Kumo ninja and other customers thanked them before retiring for the night themselves. A and the rest of his ninja returning to their rooms for the night, Naruto and Hisako found themselves alone for the night as the sounds of their drunken and peacefully snoozing guests filled their shop. Once she was sure that they were alone and without disturbances, Hisako flushed five different shades of red before asking Naruto if he wanted to take a bath with her. Naturally, the blonde agreed as they headed towards their own private hot spring.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel - Private Hot Spring)

"Haa~" Hisako sighed as she relaxed in the heated water, snuggling deeper into the broad chest of the blonde she was seated in front of.

"Feeling relaxed Hisako?" He asked as she nodded, nuzzling him softly as she ran his hands through her silver locks eliciting a quiet mewl of pleasure from her.

"Mhmm, I hope things stay like this forever Naruto." She said in a happy and content tone, shivering slightly in pleasure as his hands brushed against the nape of her neck.

"They will, if they don't then I'll just have to make sure that they do." He said in a confident but gentle tone, a smile marring her face as she leaned into him.

"Just promise me that you won't do anything dangerous." She asked before receiving a kiss on the head, squeaking a bit as he pulled her closer to him.

"I know, I promise." He said as she nodded softly, turning slightly to kiss him gently on the lips before snuggling into his shoulder.

With that, they remained together in the springs for a few more moments before Naruto picked up the snoozing silverette and carrying her off to bed. Drying, changing and setting her in bed, he gave her once last kiss on the forehead as a radiant smile appeared on her face. Snuggling deeper into her covers, he let a smile appear on his face as he left her room. Heading back to his private room, he sat down on his desk as he began analyzing and reviewing his notes once more. A small frown marring his face, his eye sparked with azure lightning as he reread through the information he had collected.

"Whatever happens doesn't concern me. As long as Hisako is safe, it's none of my concern." He whispered as he filed away the information, his eye taking a sharp edge to it as he headed to bed.

(Time Skip - Two Weeks Later)

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"Ne, Deidara-senpai are we there yet?" An orange masked individual asked Deidara once again, a tick mark appearing on the blonde's head.

"No, we're not! Now stop asking me! We'll get there when we get there Tobi!" He shouted at Tobi, the masked man sheepishly rubbing the back of his head at his senpai's shouting.

The two Akatsuki members were on their way to Kiri in pursuit of the Sanbi, Deidara and Tobi having become partners after Sasori's termination. With the failure of Kakuzu and Hidan, many of the Akatsuki members were on standby in order to draw heat away from their main body of operation. With many of its members on standby, a maximum of six members were permitted to continue on as normal; four with capturing the bijū while the remaining two acquired more funds to fuel the operation.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel)

As usual, the early morning rush of customers once again marked the start of the day as Naruto catered to the rush of orders that made it to him. Idly delivering a tray of various breakfast items to a table of giggling and blushing young ladies, he was greeted by a still drowsy A as he entered the restaurant.

"Good morning Naruto." A said as he stifled a yawn, Naruto returning his greeting with a tilt of the head as he offered A his usual cup of coffee with a cube of sugar and a tablespoon of cream.

"Thanks Naruto, sorry for the inconvenience." A said in a slightly sheepish tone, Naruto merely shaking his head as he moved to tend to the other dishes in the back.

Taking a sip of his coffee, A released a content sigh as he found it still had the same rich and filling flavor from all those years ago. Enjoying his cup of coffee and a small danish, he was rather content with life as it was though it did make him a bit sad that he had to leave for Kumo today. His head dropping a bit at the thought of all of the paperwork piled on his desk, he failed to notice that B had snatched his danish and was happily munching on it while he lamented the mountain of paper awaiting his return.

But once A took notice of his brother munching on his danish, the very same danish that changed his outlook on pastries all those years ago, the mountain of paperwork burned in a rage induced fire. Lashing out, he grabbed B with his patented iron claw as the younger man cried out in agony. The minor dispute attracting the attention of the other patrons, they watched with a mix of wary, mirthful, confused and slightly scared expressions. Though, they didn't take notice until they attracted the attention of a certain blonde.

"If you're going to behave like children, I'll start treating you like children." A frigid voice said behind them, causing the two to freeze mid-scuffle as they stiffly craned their necks to see a clearly irritated Naruto standing behind him.

"N-Naruto, t-this isn't what it looks like!" A said in an attempt to placate the blonde, only serving to fuel his ire as Naruto shook his head in irritation.

"Just keep it down, this is a place to eat and relax not to argue and fight like animals." He said irritably as he placed down a plate with a few pastries on it, catching the attention of the two men before he left.

As time passed and the crowd from breakfast disappeared, they were replaced by others who were coming in for lunch. It was at that time that the Kumo ninja decided to head out once they got word of some rather disturbing pieces of information. While his ninja were prepping for their departure, A asked Naruto if the blonde could spare him a few minutes of his time. Naturally, the blonde agreed seeing as A was the most serious during his entire stay. Once the number of customers simmered down to a handful, he made sure that Hisako had everything that she needed before he sat down with A in one of the private booths, a tray of tea between the two.

"Naruto, once again I can't thank you enough for what you've done for Kumo. We're once again in your debt my friend." A said as he bowed his head, Naruto gesturing for him to stop as he rose and smiled at the blonde.

"It's what friends to for each other A, I know you would've done the same for Hisako and myself." Naruto said as A nodded in agreement, the two falling into a comfortable and amiable atmosphere as they caught up with each other.

"Naruto, be careful. I've just received word that the Fire Temple in Hi no Kuni has just been attacked." A relayed as Naruto nodded, a small frown marring his face as he contemplated what was going on in the world.

"A, do you know who or what the Akatsuki are?" Naruto asked, getting a negative shake of the head from the larger man.

"I think you should be careful too, all of you. Here, this is something I picked up when I rescued Yugito." Naruto said as he pulled out a small scroll containing a few of the less sensitive pieces of information about the group.

"Thanks Naruto, I hope I'll live to see the debt we owe repaid to you." A said with a small smile on his face, Naruto mirroring it as they settled into a less tense atmosphere.

Soon, it was time for the Kumo ninja to leave as Yugito and Samui bid a tearful farewell to an equally tearful Hisako. The three young ladies having gotten rather close during their short stay in Kyuukai. As for the others, they bid an awkward farewell to Naruto as he remained rather impassive throughout the goodbyes. It wasn't until Hisako nudged him gently that he said something more then goodbye.

Finally, a rather tense standoff between Naruto and A was broken when a smirk appeared on Naruto's face while a smile appeared on A's. The two shaking hands, A promised that they'd be back while Naruto promised that they'd always have room for them. As the sun was nearing its highest point, the Kumo ninja left Kyuukai as Naruto watched and Hisako waved, normalcy returning to Kyuukai once more.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Hokage's Tower - Hokage's Room)

"And that's the overview of the situation at hand. We're spread out thinner then I'd like with the teams reordered to combat against the current Akatsuki members that we know about." Minato reported to the group gathered before him, Asuma, Shikamaru, Zabuza and Haku.

"We'll head out to the Fire Temple Minato, I need to see it for myself." Asuma said in an unusually serious and slightly heated tone, his mouth free of the cancer stick that usually preoccupied it.

"Then you and Zabuza will be leading this mission. Confirm the status of the Fire Temple and report back." Minato said as they all nodded, heading out of his office to pack before and attending the meeting spot at the east gate.

(Scene Change - Konoha: With Zabuza and Haku)

"Tou-san, do you think we'll be alright?" Haku asked in an uneasy tone, Zabuza turning to face his daughter with a bit of confusion on his face.

"What do you mean Haku? We'll be fine. We've got Asuma and his team covering our backs, but above all else I've got my daughter to watch over mine." He said as he pulled her in for a hug, the young lady blushing deeply at the display.

"Tou-san! I'm serious! I... I have this uneasy feeling that something will go wrong." She whispered in a slightly scared tone, Zabuza narrowing his eyes as he squeezed her gently.

"No matter what happens, I'll protect you Haku. You, Anko and Naruto are what I cherish most in life." He said as she nodded her head, hugging him back briefly as they neared the gate.

Once everyone was assembled, they headed out towards the east where the temple was located. While they travelled, they killed the time with idle chatter, most of the younger ninja contemplating why a temple would be a target for such an organization while the older shinobi had a few possible scenarios dancing in their heads.

(Scene Change - Taiyō no Kuni: Kyuukai Hostel - Naruto's Private Room)

In Naruto's room, he was contemplating his next action. A frown marring his face, he had a dilemma on his hands as he weighed the options presented to him. With the newfound knowledge that such a well protected and powerful establishment was attacked in such close proximity to his home, Naruto was debating on whether or not to take action and eliminate the threat of possible future attacks or to let it slide and handle it if and when it happened.

The first option had the immediate problem of being away from Hisako and leaving her alone once again. The fact that A and his ninja recently departed didn't help ease his conscience of the fact she'd be alone for at least a week before he could get back. While it would prove the most effective by ending the root of the problem, he wouldn't be able to explain exactly why he would be leaving to Hisako and lying was something he never wanted to do.

The second option seemed like a gamble, on one hand they could get lucky and never come in contact with the Akatsuki. But on the other, it would no doubt place Hisako and their home in danger should they truly appear. While he didn't doubt his ability to destroy them once they entered his territory, he was more concerned about what Hisako would think once the truth about what he's been hiding from her came to light.

"Every option has a negative impact when it comes to Hisako." He muttered under his breath as he tightened his grip on the pen in his hand, the metal casing creaking slightly under the pressure the blonde was exerting on it.

As he was about to write down more plausible ideas, he paused as a very quiet creak sounded from behind his door. A small frown marring his face, he opened it up to reveal a startled Hisako. The silverette panicking at being discovered, she was about to apologize when Naruto stopped her with a soft kiss to the head. Flushing a bit, she looked up at him with a small frown marring her face.

"I-I'm sorry for eavesdropping b-but I heard you say my name, and before I knew it I was listening in on you." She said in a guilty and ashamed tone, the blonde merely pulling her into a warm hug.

"It's fine Hisako, I'm just at fault for talking about things that concern you without your input." He said as she shook her head in the negative, Naruto moving her into his room he prepared some tea and snacks for the two of them.

"Hisako, I need to tell you something important." Naruto said as he broke the ice, Hisako tensing but nodding her head as he let out an exhausted sigh.

"Hisako, A told me that there was an attack on ninja monastery not too far from here." He said as she gasped, covering her mouth with her hands at the startling piece of information.

"A-Are they ok?" She asked, the blonde's heart warming at the concern she held for others despite not knowing them.

"I'm not sure Hisako, the report A gave me was based on a combination of speculation and eye witness testimonies." He reported as she nodded her head softly, a small frown marring her face as a larger one made its way onto Naruto's.

"I hope no one was hurt..." She whispered in a soft tone, Naruto wincing as he moved to take her hands in his.

"I don't think that's the case Hisako. The people who attacked it weren't just evil, they were powerful as well. That's why I'm worried about them coming here." He said as she nodded her head, squeezing Naruto's hand tighter as a bit of fear crept into her heart.

Seeing her in such a state immediately set a torrent of magma-like rage boiling through his veins. Taking a few calming breaths, his anger simmered down as he reassured her that everything would be fine. Normally, his word alone would have been enough to reassure and ease her but when she gave him a rather hesitant but happy smile, all thoughts flew out the window as he made his decision. Spending the next few minutes together, Hisako let a cute yawn leave her mouth as she decided that a nap would help ease her frazzled nerves. Naruto tucking her in and giving her a kiss on the nose, she fell asleep with a serene smile on her face as he smiled.

Exiting her room, his smile dropped immediately as his eye sharpened and froze over from a cool navy to an arctic azure. Creating a dozen **Shin Dai Kage Bunshin**, pumped with nearly quintuple the amount of Ryuuton chakra, he made sure that they was durable enough to take the most punishing of attacks in order to keep Hisako and their home safe while he was gone. Making his way to his room, he opened up a panel that revealed a wall full of various scrolls all marked with various descriptions ranging from combat, to medical, to intelligence.

But it was the black and crimson scroll in the center, protected by a specially crafted and reinforced seal, that he picked and sealed away. Quickly shedding his civilian clothes, he donned an outfit reminiscent of his youth as a shinobi. Firm fitting sleeveless body armor protecting his torso, it matched with the black combat pants and boots that made up the base of his outfit. Winding white bandages from his fingers to his elbow on his left arm, he matched it with a black armguard on his right. Topping off his outfit was a midnight black scarf that seemed to be tattered near the ends that covered his mouth and a cowl with a silver dragon-like decoration which covered his blonde locks.

"You all know what to do." He ordered in a frigid tone, his clones nodding as eleven of the dozen transformed into various items which the remaining untransformed clone placed around the shop.

"Keep her safe at all costs." He said in a softer but sterner tone, his clone nodding as it moved to the kitchen to resume Naruto's regular duties.

"Let's make this quick." He muttered in a frigid tone, adjusting his scarf as he bolted from his position.

(Scene Change - Hi no Kuni: Fire Temple)

"W-What..." Asuma said in a stunned tone, his eyes wide as he stared at the ruins of his old home.

"H-How horrible!" Haku said in a shocked tone at the destruction of the once beautiful temple before her.

"Damn, come'on! We need to see if anyone's still alive!" Zabuza ordered as he snapped Asuma out of his stupor, the two leading the way for the others.

Once inside, they noticed that there weren't many bodies laying around as they thought given the destroyed **Fūin Teppeki**. But soon they found the reason as there were many tombs erected for the departed. As they began to scan the area, they were greeted with two survivors of the attack as Asuma moved to question them. Supplying what they knew, who it was that attacked, and why Asuma ventured a question that he hoped he didn't have to ask.

"Where's Chiriku's body?"He asked as Bansai and Zenza grimaced, the younger man moving to address Asuma's question.

"Unfortunately, his body is the only one we've yet to have recovered." Zenza said as Zabuza narrowed his eyes slightly, double checking his information on the monks stationed at the temple.

"Hey Asuma, we might not be able to find his body if what's on here is true." The bandaged man said as Asuma turned towards him.

"What'd you find Zabuza?" He asked as Zabuza flipped the notebook he had over, showing a picture of Chiriku with a bounty listed beneath him.

"He's got a bounty for thirty million, looks like the Akatsuki's collecting on it." He said as Asuma grimaced, Shikamaru furrowing his brow as a thought came to him.

"...An exchange point. They've got to be taking his body with them." Shikamaru said as Asuma and Zabuza nodded, the bandaged man flipping through his notebook before Haku spoke up to get their attention.

"There are five in total, including the one closest to us." Haku reported as Asuma nodded, going through a set of seals before summoning a group of messenger hawks.

Attaching a note explaining the situation, they set the hawks off to the four other locations before deciding to tend to the closest exchange point to them. About to leave, they were stopped by Bansai, the monk offering to give the group a prayer for their safety. Zabuza and Asuma smiling, they agreed and let the monk begin his prayer.

(Scene Change - Naruto's Location)

The branches that were unfortunate enough to be his landing spot being blown away by the force of his jump, Naruto remained undeterred as he accelerated his pace. The amount of time needed to travel from Kyuukai to the Fire Temple was usually about a week's time, luckily for the blonde travelling; he was using a jutsu well known by many ninja, specifically those in Kumo. Black and crimson lightning arcing up and down his body, he was shrouded by a thick layer of Ryuuton chakra in a similar manner to A's **Raiton Chakura Mōdo**. However, unlike A's jutsu, Naruto's was much more volatile; the potent yet corrosive nature of his chakra allowing him to gain speed that would have made A and his father look on with absolute shock.

"Almost there." He said in a cool tone, narrowing an eye when he caught sight of a messenger hawk normally used by Konoha.

Returning his attention forward, he pumped more chakra into his legs as the branch he was on exploded upon the blonde jumping off it. As he was about to continue straight towards the Fire Temple, a pair of dark chakra signatures caught his attention. Turning his head, he let a frown show up underneath his scarf. Cutting off his Ryuuton chakra, he let his chakra signature drop below that of a civilian's. Once he was sure that he wouldn't be detected by a sensor type ninja, he continued at a much more sedate pace, intent on ending the confrontation before they caught on.

"Best to take it slow for now." He whispered as he traversed the trees, the trees showing no signs of being destroyed like those before them.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location)

"Hmm?" Naru sounded out as she stared in the direction of a pair of dark feeling chakra signatures, though they were still many, many miles away.

"There are some evil people over there." She said in the same deadpan as she was about to turn away, freezing when she felt the pull of something as she turned to face the direction once more.

"Onii-chan..." She whispered in a longing tone as her eyes sparkled, increasing her pace as she moved with more vigor then she had before.

(Scene Change - Hi no Kuni Bounty Station: Hidden Room)

From the outside, the bounty station that resided inside of Hi no Kuni seemed like any ordinary bounty station; taking into custody criminals that have evaded capture from their respective homes and in turn pays their captors for their capture. But, hidden inside the restroom was a much different operation that was being handled. The black market trade was carried out in a hidden room behind the urinals, where criminals could turn in other criminals without risk of prosecution. Currently gathered inside of that hidden room was Kakuzu and Hidan, currently exchanging Chiriku's body for the thirty million ryo bounty on his head.

"That's Chiriku all right, you've caught a big one this time Kakuzu-san." Zangei said as he checked the legitimately of the sash that was around the monk's waist, finding that it was in fact the real item.

"Yeah." Kakuzu said tersely, taking the briefcase of ryo before starting to count the bills to ensure it was in fact the correct amount.

"Hurry the hell up Kakuzu, it reeks in here!" Hidan said in a mix of anger and disgust, already tired of waiting for the man to go through the money.

"Quiet down, I need to count the money first." He said in an equally irritated tone, greedily making sure every bill was neat and genuine.

"I can't tell if what I'm smelling is piss or that body, but it's seriously fuckin' gross. I'll be outside." Hidan said after a few more seconds of idle silence, fed up with waiting for his partner to finish.

"Looks like it's all here. I'm leaving then." Kakuzu said as he collected the briefcase and began to head out, Zangei nodding as he offered a brief wave.

"Hope to see you with another corpse soon, Kakuzu-san." He said as Kakuzu turned to face him a bit.

"Sorry to say, but we're in a bit of a bind. We're heading to Konoha now to look for jinchūriki." Kakuzu replied as Zangei gave him a curious look, nodding before he spoke again.

"I'll give you a bit of advice, Kakuzu-san. You should probably ditch that partner of yours, can't say he looks all the interested in money." He said as Kakuzu merely scoffed, telling the man that he was well aware of that fact.

(Scene Change - Asuma and Zabuza's Team location)

Dashing through the thicket of trees, Team 10 was a bit surprised to see that their mentor was lacking the usual cigarette that would occupy his mouth. Even in most times of crisis, he usually had it at least resting unlit in his mouth but to see him without it at all surprised them.

"Asuma-sensei, what kind of relationship did you have with that Chiriku guy anyway?" Shikamaru asked, getting a few curious looks from the others at the question.

"What's with this all of a sudden?" He asked in a slightly mirthful tone, trying to ease the tension he felt.

"You're not one to stop smoking for many reason's Asuma-san, even while on a date Kurenai-san." Haku added in as Asuma felt an unintentional jab to his pride, Zabuza smirking a bit before becoming serious.

"You're one hell of a heavy smoker Asuma. The fact you haven't lit up a single cigarette in two days is a miracle in of itself, the only times you do that is if something big's happened." Zabuza added on as Asuma smirked at his friend, knowing what he said was true.

"Quite observant, aren't you guys." He said in a easy going tone, though Shikamaru and Zabuza saw through it.

"The last time you quit smoking for more then a day was when Naruto died." Shikamaru said as not only Asuma but Zabuza and Haku stiffened up considerably at the mention of the blonde.

"Chiriku and I both served as members of the Twelve Shinobi Guardsmen. To put it in simpler terms, we were like you and Choji." He said as Shikamaru became a bit somber, imagining what he would be feeling had Choji been in Chiriku's place.

"Thanks for all of the concern you guys, but I didn't stop smoking because I'm upset. It's because these guys managed to take down Chiriku that I can't afford any distractions, and neither should any of you." Asuma said in an unusually serious tone, Zabuza immediately sharpening his mind as did Haku while Shikamaru had a small bead of sweat roll down the side of his face.

(Scene Change - Hi no Kuni Bounty Station: Hidden Room)

"He may have no interest in money, but there is one reason why he's the only person I can partner with." Kakuzu said as Zangei listened in intently, interested to know how someone could actually be worth more then money in the masked man's eyes.

"Every one of my previous partners are dead. The second I have a problem with someone, I get furious and kill them out of it. But him, I can't manage to kill him no matter how hard I try." Kakuzu replied as he exited the hidden room, Zangei's eyes wide at the rather startling piece of information.

(Scene Change - Hi no Kuni Bounty Station)

Outside, Hidan was seen sitting on the steps of the bounty station as he lamented the fact he had spent time inside of the unsightly place. Sniffing his clothes, he retched a bit as it still reeked of rather unpleasant things.

"Urrgh! I spend five fucking minutes in that shithole and my clothes still reek." Hidan said in a irritated and angry tone, grumbling loudly as he failed to notice the slight haze that began to roll in.

"Huh? The fuck?" Hidan quipped as he looked around, a bit confused at the sudden appearance of mist and frost during a rather sunny day.

As he moved to stand up, his eyes widened as he felt something restraining him as steel slashed through the side of his neck and entered his chest. As soon as the heavy haze of mist and frost appeared, it disappeared as Zabuza and Haku stood beside him; Zabuza's kunai being in line with his neck while Haku's was buried to the ring in his chest.

"One down." Zabuza said as Shikamaru and Asuma appeared out of the mist, Shikamaru's shadow connected with Hidan's.

"That hurt, damnit! What the hell's your problem!?" Hidan shouted, startling the four as he glared at them with irritated and angry eyes.

"Impossible! Tou-san and I got his jugular and his heart!" Haku shouted as she began to twist the kunai, Hidan immediately cursing at her.

"Stop moving that thing around you bitch! It fucking hurts!" He shouted as Haku grit her teeth, Zabuza responding with a brutal slash that sliced through his side where his liver laid.

"Don't you fuckers get it, you can't kill me!" He shouted as Zabuza grit his teeth, driving his kunai up and through Hidan's clavicle before severing his subclavian artery.

Stunned that he was still speaking, Haku and Zabuza put some distance between them and Hidan as the man smirked at them. About to go in for another attack, this time with his Kubikiribōchō, Zabuza swung down in a heavy overhead swing as Hidan broke free from Shikamaru's **Kagemane** with what seemed like extreme ease. Bring his scythe up, it collided with Zabuza's blade in a brilliant shower of sparks they ground against each other.

"Damn it! Haku! Get away from here!" Zabuza ordered as his daughter looked a bit stunned at Zabuza's order, having never remembered hearing him sound so urgent.

"Haa, really now... This means I need to go back into that shithole of a bounty station." Hidan said as pushed off Zabuza's blade and landed a fair distance away.

"We're ninja from Konoha, we came to take out you Akatsuki bastards." Shikamaru said as Hidan glanced up at him, smirking a bit as he saw Shikamaru try and reconnect his shadow with him once again.

"Haku, cover me! Asuma, keep a look out for the other one!" Zabuza shouted as he rushed down Hidan, the silver haired man grinning with bloodlust as he moved to engage the swordsman.

About to move, a cloud of dust obscured the area Shikamaru was crouched at as Asuma cursed. Turning, he quickly sprinted towards the younger shinobi while Haku moved to assist her father. Enhancing his trench knives with his chakra, he sharpened them to an heightened level as he moved to slash at Kakuzu. But to his shock, he saw his knives grinding against the masked man as Kakuzu merely grunted in acknowledgement to the damage he received.

Seeing his attack shrugged off so easily, he quickly moved to stand by Shikamaru who was preparing to ensnare the man. Noticing that they were in the midst of regrouping, Zabuza blocked Hidan's scythe from landing on Haku as he kicked it away. As Hidan pulled it back, Haku and Zabuza regrouped with Shikamaru and Asuma as did Hidan and Kakuzu.

"Hmph. Right in the middle of things, the money comes running, looking for you, Hidan." Kakuzu said as Hidan merely smirked, spinning his scythe around while Kakuzu stitched him up.

"Damn it, just shut up and patch me up, Kakuzu!" He shouted back as the black tendrils that emerged from the masked man's hand stitched the flesh that was severed back into place while the Konoha ninja watched with disgust and shock.

"Ah, that's better! Now don't you come interfering Kakuzu, these guys will be my offerings to Jashin-sama. You just handle the money." Hidan said as Kakuzu merely tilted his head in agreement.

"In that case, it's fine. Just don't let your guard down or you'll die." Kakuzu said in a rather callous manner as Hidan smirked at the group, beginning to draw the symbol of Jashin using his blood.

"Why're you telling me that shit? If they can kill me, then I want them to kill me. Hmm, impossible, isn't it!?" He shouted in a mirthful and mocking tone, finishing drawing the symbol of his lord on the ground.

With the Konoha ninja, they spent the past few moments analyzing and trying to find some weakness between the two. Unfortunately, they were unable to find a single opening that they were able to exploit. Asuma and Zabuza saw that immediately, the most dangerous of the duo was Kakuzu based on his aloof and disinterest with the four of them except for the bounties on the heads of the two of them.

Meeting gazes, the two older shinobi nodded as they moved in front of Haku and Shikamaru. About to speak, their words were a bit strained when the two saw how tense their mentors were, never having seen them in such a state. As Hidan turned to face them, Asuma and Zabuza prepared themselves as they barked orders to the younger ninja behind them.

"Asuma will charge the guy in the circle, that's the chance for the both of you to catch him with your jutsu. When you see an opening, take it and make sure he doesn't move. I'll take the guy in the mask and buy you all some time" Zabuza said as Haku nodded, though she was confident in her father's orders she didn't want to risk leaving him alone with Kakuzu.

"That's too risky, it's not like the two of you to be so reckless." Shikamaru said as Asuma and Zabuza tensed, Asuma turning around to reprimand the young Nara.

"Don't you get it! This is the best move we can do right now! These guys are leagues ahead of both Zabuza and myself. Alone, we may have had a chance but together, we've got to take whatever we can get!" Asuma retorted as Shikamaru flinched, never having seen his mentor make such a distraught face in all the years they were together.

"Normally, we would proceed with caution and draw out the fight to learn everything we could about the enemy. But in this situation, we'll have to risk everything in order to survive. It's called breaking the enemy's defense, sometimes we've got to play this move." Asuma said as Zabuza smirked under his bandages, the two men preparing as Kakuzu raised an eyebrow at their reckless decision.

Exploding forward, Asuma and Zabuza drew their weapons and channeled them with their chakra as their blades began to glow with enhanced cutting prowess. Asuma taking on Hidan, the two clashing in an explosion of sparks. With Zabuza, he was beginning to sweat a bit as Kakuzu blocked the swings of his blade using just his arms, sparks flying whenever he connected with a solid strike.

"You're years too early to be fighting me, brat." Kakuzu said as he diverted Zabuza's blade using his right hand, snuffing the blade into the ground he cocked his hand into a fist and slammed it in a brutal backhand to Zabuza's chest.

"Gahhh!" Zabuza shouted in agony, feeling his chest decompress slightly at the force of the blow.

Gritting his teeth, he refused to let go of Kubikiribōchō and opted to tighten his grip on its handle. Flowing with the momentum of his body, he swung around using his blade as an anchor and drove a heavy kick to Kakuzu's body only to wince as he felt himself kicking solid stone. Kakuzu not relenting, he grabbed Zabuza by the leg and was about to slam him into the ground but felt a rapid chill invading his body. Raising an eyebrow in confusion, he was forced to let go of Zabuza and focus his mind on pumping his body with chakra to avoid being frozen from the inside out. Turning, he saw Haku with an absolutely enraged expression on her face as she had her hand held out towards him.

"I'll kill you." She said in a tone colder then ice, her eyes sharper then even Kubikiribōchō as she pumped more chakra into her **Jisarenhyō** forcing Kakuzu to expend more charka to stay warm.

His eyes narrowing dangerously at her, he was about to forgo the need to keep warm in an attempt to end her life when he grimaced in pain. Turning, he saw that Zabuza had scored a clean cut on his back with his attention focused on Haku. About to move, he was sent careening back when swung his blade back around and slammed the flat of it against his abdomen. As Kakuzu was sent reeling back, Zabuza removed the bandages that covered his mouth to spit out a globule of blood while Haku moved to his side.

With Asuma and Shikamaru, the young shinobi had his eyes darting across the battlefield in an effort to keep up with Asuma and Hidan. Ducking under a swing of Hidan's scythe, Asuma brought his arms in close to his chest before rushing in to deliver a volley of swift jabs and crosses at the silver haired man. Hidan merely shrugging off every blow, he was sent stumbling back when a heavy kick connected with his side. Grunting in pain, he saw Zabuza and Haku were sprinting towards his position as he questioned why Kakuzu was toying around with them instead of trying to kill them. Though Hidan was broken out of his thoughts by a brutal blow to the temple courtesy of Asuma's foot.

"Damn it, Kakuzu! Why the fuck haven't you killed them yet! Stop playing with them and hurry it up!" Hidan shouted as an explosion of dust behind Shikamaru caught the attention of the Konoha ninja.

"Shit!" Asuma shouted as he moved to engage the unearthed Kakuzu, leaving Hidan to Zabuza and Haku.

With the exchange of opponents, the tide of battle shifted in favor of the Akatsuki members. Asuma was unable to pierce through Kakuzu's **Doton: Domu** as was Shikamaru with his **Kage Nui**; the masked man brushing off the both of their attacks with little difficulty. Bringing his arm up to block against another strike from Asuma, the masked man slammed his palm into Asuma's chest as the hollow sound of his chest decompressing filled the area. A silent shout of pain leaving his mouth along with the air in his chest, Asuma was saved by Shikamaru taking control of Asuma's body and rolling to the side as Kakuzu destroyed the earth he once stood on.

"This is getting annoying." Kakuzu said as he removed his fist from the small crater he created, glaring at the panting forms of Asuma and Shikamaru.

"That's fucking cold you bitch!" Hidan shouted at Haku as she stood wide eyed at his casual dismissal of her **Jisarenhyō**, the man never showing signs of slowing down like Kakuzu did.

"What part of "can't kill me" don't you fuckers get!" He shouted only to be interrupted with a bone shattering elbow from Zabuza, sending him reeling back from the blow.

"Would you just shut the fuck up!" Zabuza shouted back as he swung down Kubikiribōchō in an attempt to behead the mouthy shinobi beneath him, Hidan managing to stop the swing using the retractable spear hidden in his sleeve.

Jumping back as Hidan swung at him with the spear he had unveiled, Zabuza cursed as he glared hard at the silver haired man rising in front of him. Wincing as he clutched his chest, he turned his body as Hidan lunged at him with his spear. But his eyes widened when he saw that it was a feint in order to rush down Haku. Panic setting in his mind, he chased after Hidan as Haku quickly brought her hands up in a seal. Just as he was pulling his arm back to stab her, she stepped backwards into a very familiar mirror of ice.

"The fuck!?" Hidan shouted as he pierced the mirror Haku had stepped into, his spear bouncing off of it as he stared in confusion.

"This will be your grave!" She shouted, her voice echoing throughout the dome of ice that she had created.

Trapped within the dome of Haku's **Makyō Hyōshō**, Hidan was pierced by a nearly limitless number of senbon formed from ice. After what seemed like an eternity, he fell to his knees before falling face first into the ground. As Haku watched, she released her jutsu as the mirrors of ice evaporated back into vapor. Walking up to him, she was sure that he had died as no one could withstand the amount of damage he just took. But to her shock, she was shoved out of the way as Hidan snapped his head up with a savage grin on his face. Right before her eyes, she saw Zabuza get the right side of his face slashed by the spear as he wrapped an arm around Haku and jumped from their position to Asuma and Shikamaru's.

"Damn, these guys just won't die." Zabuza said as he caught his breath, Haku standing adamantly in front of him as she bit back the tears that wanted to spill at her carelessness.

"Yeah, no matter how many times Shikamaru and I try to cut and stab the masked one, he just brushes it off like it's nothing." Asuma reported as he caught his breath as well, Shikamaru doing the same as he never used as much chakra as he did in the past few minutes.

"Find anything that can be considered a weakness on them?"Zabuza asked as the rest of his team shook their heads in the negative, the swordsman wiping away the blood from his cheek.

"If pinpoint attacking won't work, let's try this then!" Asuma said as he shed his trench knives and made a number of seals, Hidan quickly rising before jumping back to his circle.

"Katon: Haisekishō!" Asuma shouted as he blew out a large cloud of gunpowder that blanketed the area in front of him, Hidan having made it back to his circle.

Taking the spear that wounded Zabuza, he lapped the blood from its tip as he began to change in appearance. Taking on a skeletal-like appearance, he stunned the Konoha ninja as they took in his new look. But they shook off their surprise when they moved behind Asuma as the cloud of dust overtook Hidan. Biting down, Asuma ignited the cloud of ash as a large scale explosion consumed the area that both Kakuzu and Hidan were standing in. AS the cloud began to disperse, they were a bit stunned to see that both Hidan and Kakuzu were still standing.

"It hurts, eh? Doesn't it?" Hidan asked as the Konoha ninja looked at him in confusion, but a grunt of pain made them snap their heads behind them as they stared with wide eyes at a burned Zabuza.

"You've been judged, eh?" He continued as Zabuza dropped Kubikiribōchō, clutching his smoking right arm as he grimaced in pain.

"W-What?" Shikamaru said as he tried to find a connection between the strange occurrence that just took place before him.

"_Zabuza's arm got burnt too. Something to do with his jutsu? No, that can't be..._" Asuma thought as panic and confusion ran through his system, unable to believe that he had harmed one of his best friends.

"Tou-san!" Haku shouted as she began healing him, Zabuza shooting his daughter a thankful smile as she lessened the pain coursing through his arm.

"You're cursed now. But more importantly, I'm able to start my ritual now. Now! Let's savor the upmost of pain together!" Hidan shouted as the Konoha ninja looked on in tenseness as he pulled out another retractable spear.

"Don't tell me this is because of his jutsu..." Shikamaru said as sweat was clearly evident on his face, unable to think clearly given the current situation.

"Gehahaha! The preparations are now set! Be ready, because you'll be in so much pain!" He continued as he drew his scythe back to him using the wire attached to it, Zabuza narrowing his eyes as he sprinted towards with Kubikiribōchō in hand.

Intent on ending the life of the man before he did anything else crazy, Zabuza was channeled more chakra into his blade as a deep blue glow coated the edge of Kubikiribōchō. Ignoring the shouts of Haku to stop, he was nearly within striking distance of his blade when Hidan extended the spear in his hand and impaled himself in the leg. The Konoha ninja looking on in confusion and shock at the action, it quickly turned to panic when Zabuza clutched his thigh and fell to the ground, dropping Kubikiribōchō in the process.

"Ughhh!" Zabuza bit out through clenched teeth, feeling something pierce clean through his femur.

"Gehahaha! Hurts, don't it! Not as much as your vitals, I bet! That's where you'll find the upmost of pain! The pain present when someone dies permeates through my body! It goes beyond pain and turns to decadence!" Hidan shouted in a ecstasy laden tone, Zabuza gritting his teeth as he applied more pressure to his leg.

"Tou-san!" Haku shouted as she sprinted forward, doing her best to keep a level head as she fought back the urge to outright charge the skeletal looking man.

"Damn it! That jutsu of his! It linked Zabuza's body and his together!" Asuma shouted in anger, mostly due to the fact if he engaged Hidan it would only serve to injure his best friend.

"Shit, then we can't inflict any physical damage to him!" Shikamaru said in frustration, quickly shifting his jutsu from his Kage Nui to his Kagemane in an effort to restrain the man.

"Hahaha! What other pain do you wish to savor? Hmm?! Or, do you want me to end it now?!" Hidan asked the downed form of Zabuza, the swordsman opting to meet Hidan's ecstatic expression with a frigid glare as the silver haired man moved to impale himself in the chest.

The tip of the spear piercing through his chest, he was about to cry out in euphoria but stopped halfway when he felt his body lock up. Looking up, he scoffed as he saw Haku holding her arm out towards him while Shikamaru's shadow had finally connected with his. The momentary frigid cold that invaded his body from Haku's **Jisarenhyō** locked him up just long enough for Shikamaru to successfully connect his Kagemane. Once he was captured in the Nara's jutsu, Haku immediately ceased the flow of her chakra.

"Asuma-san! How long until the reinforcements arrive?!" Haku shouted in a panicked and frightened tone, Asuma grimacing as he estimated the time remaining.

"We've got about twenty more minutes until backup arrives Haku, just be ready to freeze him once he breaks from Shikamaru's jutsu! I'll move in to stop him from moving!" Asuma shouted as he sprinted forward, praying that they could hold out long enough for help to arrive.

Asuma racing towards Hidan, he was about to be intercepted by Kakuzu but was stopped by Hidan shouting at him. Distracted by the shouting of his partner, the two shinobi jumped back from the other as they returned to a tense stalemate. Zabuza, who was still applying pressure to his leg, tried to shift to a more favorable position but gasped in pain as the spear entered a bit deeper into Hidan's chest. But slowly, Kakuzu and Hidan looked on in surprise when Shikamaru started to slowly side step, forcing Hidan to do the same due to his **Kagemane**.

"I see, that jutsu of his is connected to that symbol he drew earlier. Please, Shikamaru-san! Don't give up!" Haku realized as she calmed down a bit seeing her comrade figure out a plan of action that seemed to be able to work.

"Yeah... I'm gonna drag him outta that weird drawing of his, that curse of his will wear off once he's out of it." Shikamaru began as Haku's eyes widened in realization of what he was talking about.

"That's right... That scythe of his isn't meant for the outright murder of his opponent, it's far too unwieldy and ill-proportioned for that. It's meant to inflict wounds, minor or major to his opponent." Haku said as the other ninja in the area widened their eyes in surprise at her revelation.

"Exactly. If he can get just one wound, just one cut on his opponent, then he has a way to kill them guaranteed." Shikamaru continued as Haku nodded, narrowing her eyes as she remembered a crucial component in Hidan's jutsu.

"It's blood. As soon as he gets the blood of his opponent, he can lick it and start a link between them and himself once he gets inside of that circle. After he cut Tou-san, that's why he ignored Asuma-san's jutsu and headed straight towards the center of the circle." Haku carried on as Shikamaru smirked, nodding his head in agreement to her hypothesis as she filled him in on a key detail he was missing.

"Once he gets inside that circle, he completes that curse jutsu of his." He finished as Hidan and Kakuzu looked on in shock at the deductive prowess of the two young ninja before them.

"You damn brats! After this I'm gonna kill the two of you and splatter your insides all over the place, you hear me!" Hidan shouted as Haku ignored him, opting to encase her arm in a thick shroud of frost.

"Time to make sure it's worn off, sorry about this Zabuza!" Asuma shouted as he threw a volley of shuriken at Hidan, slicing the man up as the cuts failed to appear on Zabuza.

"There won't be an after." Shikamaru said as he swapped his Kagemane to a Kage Nui, impaling Hidan in his joints as he completely felt frozen from the inside out from Haku's **Jisarenhyō**.

"This is my limit, I can't hold him anymore..." Shikamaru said in an exhausted tone as his shadow wavered a bit.

"Same here, this is the last time I'll be able to freeze him..." Haku panted out as she kept the fire in her eyes, gritting her teeth as the frost dancing around her arm started to evaporate.

"You two did great." Zabuza said as he appeared behind Hidan with his Kubikiribōchō drawn back, a deep blue glow coating the edge of the blade.

"Kakuzu! Gimme a hand here! And move fast damnit!" Hidan shouted as Kakuzu scoffed, walking towards the man as Zabuza decapitated him with extreme ease.

"Didn't I tell you not to let your guard down..." Kakuzu said in a disgusted tone, Hidan's reply being the sound of his head hitting the ground.

As soon as his head hit the ground, Shikamaru let his arms drop as he started taking deep gulps of air as did Haku. The two panting as they tried to recover their energy, Asuma moved to cover them as Zabuza and himself flanked Kakuzu from both sides. Hidan's body collapsing to the ground, Kakuzu looked between the three parties before shaking his head in dismay. Finally, he turned to Hidan's corpse before speaking to it, confusing the Konoha ninja.

"If you wanted me to help, you should have asked earlier." He said in an unapologetic tone, no evidence of being helpful found in his tone.

"You were late you bastard! You did it on purpose didn't you, you fucker!" Hidan shouted as every looked on in absolute shock at seeing his head talk.

"You were the one who told me not to interfere from the start. Besides, do you think this is the right time to be yelling like that?" He asked as Hidan merely scoffed in return, glaring at the masked man.

"Whatever! Just, bring me my body Kakuzu!" Hidan shouted only to be picked up by the hair by Kakuzu.

"Damnit Kakuzu! My body! I said my body!" He shouted in anger as Kakuzu gave him a deadpan stare in return.

"Your head's lighter." Was the reply he got as Kakuzu slung the briefcase over his right shoulder, swinging Hidan's head like a grocery bag.

"H-He's still alive...?" Haku said in absolute shock, both stunned and disturbed at what she was witnessing.

"N-No way... No one should be able to survive having their head removed..." Shikamaru said in a shaky tone, his mind unable to comprehend the reality that he was seeing.

"You bastard! Do you know how much fucking pain is in my neck right now!? Look at it! This isn't just a regular cut you asshole! It fucking hurts dude! Cutting off my fucking head like that! Do you have any idea how much it fucking stings right now!?" Hidan shouted at Zabuza, the man unable to utter a comeback to the head shouting at him.

"_Damn it, both Haku and Shikamaru are at their limits. Zabuza's wounded but the fact he's made one of the immobile is at our advantage. Now's out chance to retreat._" Asuma thought as he looked at Haku and Shikamaru's shaky forms, the two clearly unable to continue at the pace they were going.

"You wish." Kakuzu said as he slammed his fist into Asuma's stomach, sending the man hurling back before vanishing and appearing to kick Zabuza on the side of the head.

"Ugh!" The two men sounded out as they impacted, Zabuza hitting the ground while Asuma was sent through the bounty station.

"Tou-san!"

"Asuma-sensei!"

The panicked cried of the younger ninja sounded out as they watched their mentors get dispatched once again. Then, to the shock of everyone present Kakuzu placed Hidan's head on his body and began stitching it back on like he did earlier to his wounds. After a few seconds, Hidan's body tensed before relaxing as he moved to rotate his head a bit, Kakuzu lecturing him for moving it too much and messing up the stitches. As they were about to return to combat, Asuma exploded out of the rubble and engaged the two in an attempt to save Zabuza, only for Kakuzu to stop him using his **Doton: Domu** once more.

Narrowing his eyes and gritting his teeth, he let more chakra surge into his trench knives as the ground them against Kakuzu's arms. The masked man narrowing his eyes as well, his forwards showed as one of his hands lashed out and grabbed Asuma's throat with tendrils attached to it. Grunting, Asuma slashed at the tendril and severed them with relative ease and moved to help Zabuza only to see that Kakuzu's other arm had traveled through the ground and had him by the foot. The arm then coiled upwards before latching onto his throat with an ironclad grip.

Taking advantage of the battle unfolding in front of him, Zabuza tightened his grip on his Kubikiribōchō and swung at Hidan, who jumped back to avoid being bisected. Seeing the smirk on Hidan's face, Zabuza immediately leaned forward as Hidan's scythe sailed harmlessly overhead and embedded itself in the silver haired man's abdomen. Once he caught the look of surprise on Hidan's face, he smirked at the man before rising slightly.

"I won't fall for the same trick twice." He said in a pained tone, though he widened his eyes as Hidan started laughing madly.

"Guhah!"Zabuza cried out as he clutched his abdomen, Hidan having managed to make it back into his circle in the chaos of the past few seconds.

"Damn..." Asuma cursed as he tried to free himself from the tendrils that bound him, Shikamaru rising to help only for Kakuzu's formally attached arm to latch onto his throat as well being reconnected to his body.

"Ugh..." Shikamaru grunted as he grabbed at the limp, trying to pry it off only for it to squeeze down harder on his throat.

Her eyes wide with unparallel amounts of fear and despair, Haku forced herself to stand as she started to sprint towards Zabuza in an attempt to save from the imminent death that was hanging over him. Zabuza coughing up blood, he looked up and glared at Hidan's ecstatic expression as he brought the spear up once more.

"Finally, I get to taste the pain... The pain that will kill you...!" Hidan said in a joyous tone, a large grin on his face as the others looked on.

"_...Zabuza!_"

"_Zabuza-sensei!_"

"STOP! PLEASE!" Haku screamed with everything in her soul, tears flowing like a broken dam as she pleaded with the silver haired man to spare her father.

"He's finished." Kakuzu said in a tone of finality, turning his attention to the execution of his soon to be paycheck.

Brining his arm up, Hidan let a brilliant grin appear on his face as the spear seemed to glint in the light of the sun. Everyone watched with eyes wide filled with despair as the spear descended in a towards arc towards his chest. As for Zabuza, he watched with resigned eyes as he loosened this clenched fist. Then, the spear entered Hidan's chest with a shower of crimson spraying from his chest. Then, stillness as Zabuza sat on his knees looking blanking off into space before blood began to seep from beneath his flak jacket, leaking from his mouth soon after.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Momochi Household - Living Room)

"Hmmm, I wonder what I should make for Zabuza when he gets back... Maybe some yakitori just for a good day's work!" Anko said in a cheerful tone as she was about to start prepping for her husband's return, only to freeze when her son started crying out.

Panic and fear filling her entire being, she sprinted towards her son's room with speed that would have made Minato and A jealous. Opening the door, she saw Naruto crying loudly as she moved to embrace him in a warm and comforting embrace. For a few more seconds, he continued to cry and speak in an unintelligible way until Anko managed to calm him down. Once she did, her heart broke when she saw how much despair and sadness was present in his eyes.

"Ruto-chan, it's okay! Mama's here, shh... Mama's here..." She whispered as she ran her fingers through his hear, Naruto sniffling as he started to cry once again.

"P-P-Papa! Papa!" He wailed as Anko felt something cold settle in her heart at her son's words, holding him closer as she tried to stave off the feeling she had.

"Shh... Papa is safe, Ruto-chan. Remember, Papa said that he's invincible remember?" She asked, only making Naruto wailed harder as he buried his face deeper into Anko's chest.

"B-B-But t-the s-s-scary man! T-The s-scary m-man h-hurt Papa! P-Papa's hurt!" He wailed as Anko felt her own tears beginning to form, shushing her son as she kissed him on top of his head.

"_Zabuza, please be safe... Please...!_" She pleaded to her husband, ignorant of the tears that were streaming down her face.

(Scene Change - Hi no Kuni Bounty Station)

Silence dominated the area as Hidan stood in front of a frozen Zabuza, the downed man unmoving as Hidan started shaking. Then, Hidan let out a euphoric moan of pleasure as he relished the feeling that was coursing through his body at the moment.

"Oh, yeah... That hit the spot..." He said in a exhilarated tone, his body shaking with untold pleasure.

Slowly, Zabuza let a small and somber smile appear on his face as everyone watched. Stiffly, he turned towards Haku, the young lady tripping on the crater Kakuzu had created earlier as she stared with tear filled and wide eye at his calm and peaceful face. Rivers of tears falling from her face, she watched as he gave her one final smile. A smile filled with such love that it shattered her heart into a million pieces. As his world began to turn black, he saw a warm and comforting light and a very familiar shade of blonde hair as his somber smile thinned to a small upturn of the lips. Then, his eyes slowly drifted closed as was allowed one last thought.

"_Haku, Anko, Naruto... I'm... Sorry..._" He thought as he fell forward almost in slow motion as Haku's eyes widened before closing as her face scrunched up in a sob.

"TOU-SAN!"

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**And that's that. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it, well most of it anyway. Just a quick little bit of info, Naruto's outfit is based off of Ryu Hayabusa's Black Falcon Suit from Ninja Gaiden 3. The parts about Naru may seem outta place but I'm pretty sure they aren't. And for those of you saying "What? Where's Naruto swooping in to save the day and mess up Hidan and Kakuzu?" Well, in all honesty, I'm saving that for the next chapter. You all know I like cliffhangers. Speaking of cliffhangers, is this the end of Zabuza? What will happen to the others? Where's Naruto? Naru? What? Well, just a head's up guys, from this point onwards, Naruto will be broken beyond repair. If that upsets you, I'm real sorry but I do dig OP MC's. Well, like always. Hope you enjoyed it; leave me a review and tell me what you think and PM if you've got a question or comment and all that jazz. And like always, stay awesome guys.**

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**Shin Dai Kage Bunshin - True Great Shadow Clone**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kinjutsu; Similar to the basic **Bunshin **and **Kage Bunshin**, this technique creates a copy of the user. However, the clones are corporeal instead of illusions. The user distributes a certain amount of chakra to the clone, the amount given determining the strength and durability of the clone. The clone is capable of performing techniques on their own and can even bleed. By using Ryuuton chakra to create the clone, the user creates a clone capable of many feats. The main advantage of the **Shin Kage Bunshin **is the fact that the clone can be killed and remain "dead" and can be dissected and examined until the chakra running through them runs dry. Like the original **Kage Bunshin **it can't be distinguished from the original with the Sharingan, Byakugan or Rinnegan. The main difference between this jutsu and its parent jutsu is that the clones created by this jutsu are extremely durable, able to take punishment and damage many times more then what even the user is able to take.

**Fūin Teppeki - Sealed Iron Wall**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Kekkai; A seal placed on the Fire Temple's gate, in order to defend against intruders from the outside world. The two statues placed on either side of the gate form a barrier. The seal can only be cancelled by pouring in the Senzoku no Sai, special chakra peculiar to the Ninso of the Fire Temple. However, as shown when Kakuzu used his **Doton: Domu** to strike the gate, a powerful enough physical attack can destroy the seal.

**Raiton Chakura Mōdo - Lightning Release Chakra Mode**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Nagashi; The user wraps their body in a layer of Raiton chakra which, instead of being used offensively, is used to electrically stimulate the user's nervous system. The technique speeds up neural synapses to react faster, and to push physical prowess to the absolute limit, allowing for tremendous raw speed. The technique has different levels of activation. The level's activation is depicted by the users hair which stands up when the technique is activated to the fullest. The higher the level, the higher the speed the user can achieve.

**Kagemane no Jutsu - Shadow Imitation Technique**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu, Hiden; The user extends their shadow on any surface (even water) and as far as they want as long as there is a sufficient area. Once it comes into contact with a target's shadow, the two merge and the target is forced to imitate the user's movements. Therefore, the two can throw shuriken at each other at the same time if the user desires that (of course, to prevent hurting themselves, the user just has to have the shuriken holster in a place where you don't normally have it, like the back, so that the opponent draws nothing when the user draws a shuriken). If the target is out of range, the user can produce a better light source to increase their shadow's size or rely on pre-existing shadows for their shadow to freely travel through. It's also possible to split one's shadow, either to trap more opponents at once, or to create a distraction.

**Hyōton: Jisarenhyō - Ice Release: Earthen Consecutive Chains of Ice**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user, either through physical contact or remotely, causes ice particles to form on a target. If used on a living creature, the target will freeze to death unless they are able to mould chakra. By coating themselves with chakra and dedicating all their energy to keeping themselves warm, they can avoid death; if they use their chakra to perform a technique, they will start to rapidly freeze again.

**Doton: Domu - Earth Release: Earth Spear**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Nagashi; The user flows chakra through all parts of their body causing it to become noticeably darker, which increases their defensive power to its utmost limits by making the skin as hard as diamond, easily capable of withstanding most attacks with little to no damage. As a result the amount of techniques that can break through the areas hardened by the **Doton: Domu** are close to zero, excluding its undeniable weak point: Raiton ninjutsu. Furthermore, the destructive power of physical attacks is increased, making this a great all-purpose technique. Kakuzu used this technique through the use of his earth-element mask. Kakuzu demonstrated the ability to use this to cover himself partially (i.e. his hand and lower arm, and the side of his head) without using hand seals, which gave him a significant tactical advantage against ambushes.

**Kage Nui no jutsu - Shadow Sewing Technique**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Hiden; This is a ninjutsu from among the Nara clan's secret techniques that uses materialized shadows to attack and bind, instead of merely immobilizing and controlling like the Shadow Imitation Technique. The user changes the shape of their shadow into several sharp needles and controls each separately. They can then attack several targets simultaneously and at the same time snatch away their ability to move by sewing them stuck with the shadow threads. Because it is a physical attack, it is impossible to capture someone without harming them, but on the other hand, since the speed of invocation and the time of duration are excellent, it can be used when urgent restraint is required. This technique is usually used to go through the target and capture them, but depending on the opponent, it can also be used as an attack to bring them down. This special characteristic finds its greatest effect when used as logistical support. After this technique hits someone, it can then be directly transformed back into the **Kagemane no Jutsu**.

**Makyō Hyōshō - Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu of the Yuki clan, a deadly and powerful technique that traps their target in a dome made of ice mirrors that the user hides in, their image being reflected throughout the other mirrors, the user being able to freely move throughout the other mirrors in the dome. Once ensnared, the target is subjected to whatever means of damage the user inflicts on them be it weapons or jutsu. The mirrors can't be broken or melted without substantial force or heat.


	32. Chapter 30

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. It's been quite some time, eh? Sorry bout that, but some personal problems came up and well, they had priority in contrast to writing. Throw in some writers block and you've got a pretty bad combo. So don't worry, I ain't dead well, lease not yet, haha. Well, it's not much but it's better then nothing right? Not too long but I didn't want to keep you all waiting for any longer then you've already had to wait. If you're still sticking around and enjoying my story, I've gotta say thanks, truly. This chapter is a bit melodramatic but eh, I needed some filler and wanted to build a bit of the other characters. Hopefully, y****ou all remember the routine right? Read, Review and PM me if you want to. Well, that's enough of me yapping right? You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 30

"Ugh... Where... Where am I...?" Zabuza asked himself as he glanced around, taking note of a seemingly empty field except for a small campfire.

Blinking a bit in confusion, he began to make his way over as a solemn smile appeared on his face when he remembered what had happened just moments earlier. As he made it to the small campfire, he saw that there was in fact someone else sitting on a log that laid beside the fire. A bit confused that someone else was there with him in, what he presumed to be, Naraka; he approached them only to freeze when he saw an extremely familiar face he had not seen in years.

Wearing a simple outfit composed of a simple gray haori with her right arm free from it, matching it with a gray colored hakama, she seemed like an ordinary woman from a distance. Her dark brown hair resting near her lower back, the color of her eyes were obstructed from view by her bangs; as her ordinary look from afar was quickly shattered when one viewed her from close up. A cross shaped scar marring her right cheek, she had an eyepatch covering her eye on the left side, with another vertical scar running from her temple, past her covered eye, to her jaw line. Letting out a lungful of smoke from the pipe that was held with her right hand, her mouth changed from a neutral line to a small gape of surprise before settling into an amused smile.

"I-I-It c-can't b-be..." Zabuza stammered as sweat began to race down the sides of his head, desperately hoping that the woman in sitting down and smoking in front of him wasn't the person he thought she was.

"Oh? That any way to greet me after all this time, Za-chan?" She asked in an equally amused tone as Zabuza stiffened and tensed up considerably, his fears confirmed as a her amused smile slowly shifted to a small frown.

"K-K-Kizuguchi-sensei!" He shouted as he stood quaking in fear at the woman sitting before him, the woman taking another drag of her pipe before blowing it to the side.

"That's Kaa-sama to you, you brat!" Kizuguchi roared before hurling her pipe at the larger man with impossible speed and precision, striking Zabuza square in the middle of his forehead as he squawked in a mix of surprise and pain.

After a few seconds of recovering from the rather powerful flying pipe, he took a seat in front of his mother as an awkward silence took hold over the area. Unable to start a conversation with the single person he feared more than anyone else in the world, and in the afterlife, he began to sweat and fidget as he felt that her pressure hadn't lightened up in the slightest since her death. Finally, after a few more minutes of silence passed, Kizuguchi released another lungful of smoke before staring down at Zabuza.

"You died pretty young Za-chan, I was expecting to see you again when you were a bit older." She said as Zabuza flinched a bit, his fearful expression melting away into a somber one as Kizuguchi raised an eyebrow at his shift.

"I... I shouldn't have, but I did..." He said in a quiet tone, Kizuguchi studying his body language and finding that he was completely wallowing in self-loathing and guilt.

"Ha... You always were a sensitive brat." She said as Zabuza looked up at her with a mix of embarrassment and indignation before getting a fist to the head.

"Don't you look at me like that you brat!" She roared as Zabuza immediately apologized, bowing his head as Kizuguchi sighed once more.

"It's been quite some time since I've seen that look on your face Za-chan, the last time was during Kiri's graduation examination all those years ago." Kizuguchi said as Zabuza tightened his hands into fists, his head lowering as a small and amused smile made it to her face.

(Flashback - Many Years Ago)

(Scene Change - Kirigakure: Examination Grounds)

"Did you hear? Momochi-sama died saving that kid of hers!"

"Really? I heard she died because of a disease she got from sleeping around!"

"Pssh, it was probably because of that kid that she died! How could someone so powerful have such a weak kid!?"

As the gathered group of genin chatted idly with each other, still unaware of the imminent and bloody activity that they would soon be a part of, they stopped when they noticed a diminutive figure slowly encroaching in on them. A few tilting their heads in curiosity, they were soon stunned which quickly turned to a mix of amusement and resentment. Approaching them was the shameful son of one of their village's strongest, Zabuza Momochi.

"Well if it isn't the little brat we were just talking about."

"Aww, is someone lost?"

"Are we making you sad?"

As the number of genin who were ridiculing him began to rise, they failed to take notice of the fact he had a tanto clenched tightly in his hand. Soon, nearly the entirety of the ninja prospects were surrounding Zabuza, shooting insults to both him and his mother. As the insults grew progressively worse, so did Zabuza's temper as he lowered his head to the amusement and satisfaction of the gathered prospects. Then, in a manner that his mother had pounded and ironed into him, he lashed out and slashed open the throat of one of the older children.

"Die." He whispered in a dead tone, his eyes sharper and colder then any blade they'd ever seen.

It was on that day that the practice of eliminating the weak from the strong ceased in Kiri, all because of a child who's respect and loyalty to his mother's name made it so. It was on that day that everyone who questioned the only child of Kizuguchi Momochi learned that he was not only a much more efficient killer but a much more ruthless one. On that day, all doubts about the Momochi bloodline died, replaced once again with respect and fear.

(Flashback - End)

(Scene Change - Nakara: Campsite)

"To think the big, bad "Demon of the Hidden Mist" went on a murderous rampage and slaughtered that graduating class all because those brats were badmouthing me." She said as she moved to ruffle Zabuza's hair in a soft and gentle manner, just like she had all those years ago.

"They deserved it... You died protecting us and they had the balls to talk about you like that." He said in a soft but sharp tone, Kizuguchi's smile growing a bit softer as she stifled the laugh that wanted to escape her mouth.

"I didn't die to protect them you idiot, I died to protect you." She said in a soft tone, Zabuza's head snapping up as he stared at her with wide eyes.

"W-What...? B-But you said that you didn't care what happened to me, that the only reason you saved me was because I happened to be in the same place as those other ninja!" He said as she finally did laugh, a beautiful sounding soft chuckle escaping as Kizuguchi moved to wipe a tear away from her eyes.

"You really are a stupid brat, you know that? There's no mother that wouldn't die for her child Za-chan, the same applies to me you know." She said as she gave him a motherly smile unlike the ones he'd seen before, Zabuza lowering his head as a small smile made it to his face.

"So, tell me all about it!"She said in a chipper tone, Zabuza tilting his head in confusion as her smile grew in size at his expression.

"Tell me about your family you idiot! I wanna hear all about my grandson and daughter-in-law!" She said in a giddy tone, Zabuza choking on his spit when he saw the look in his mother's eyes.

"W-Well, w-what do you want know?" He said in an embarrassed and nervous tone, Kizuguchi laughing softly at her son's flustered state.

"Everything, we've got plenty of time after all." Kizuguchi said in a soft tone, Zabuza's flustered expression softening considerably as he relaxed.

"Yeah, guess we do." He chuckled softly, letting a soft sigh escape his mouth as he began retelling his life story.

Beginning from the start, the day after the bloodiest genin exam in Kiri history, he retold the tale of his upbringing. Soon, laughter and the sound of soft tears began to fill the area as he entered both the sad and the happy moments that he lived. As the tension and awkwardness that persisted from earlier began to melt away, it was replaced with a cozy and comforting warmth that the two had nearly forgotten.

"And finally, we had our little bundle of joy, our little Ruto." He said in a soft and proud tone, though there was an underlying sadness to it.

"Ruto, huh? I bet he's the most adorable thing in the world, just like his grandmother." Kizuguchi said in a longing and soft tone, Zabuza confirming her statement with a smile and nod of the head.

"Yeah, I'm sure that Haku, Anko and Ruto would be ecstatic to know what kind of person their mother and grandmother is." He said with a chuckle, Kizuguchi laughing along with him as they continued to relive his life.

Finally, they reached the final chapter of Zabuza's life, the recent battle that he had with Hidan and Kakuzu and his subsequent death. As he spun his tale, his sadness and regret began to shine through as he balled his hands into tight fists from the memory of his crying daughter. Lowering his head, he began to curse and lament the fact that he left both Haku and his friends and students behind with a pair of seemingly invincible foes. But before he could delve into more regret and anguish, he felt a comforting and warm hand place itself on top of his head before his hair was ruffled softly. Looking up, he saw his mother giving him a proud and somber smile unlike anything he'd seen in his life.

"Za-chan, it's fine. You did your best and that's all that anyone could've asked for. You're not invincible, no one is. What matters is that you died protecting the people who you cherished." She said in a soft tone, Zabuza balling his hands tighter upon hearing her response.

"But I... But I left them... I left them alone to take on those monsters, I left them! I left my team behind and above all else, I left Haku, Anko and Ruto alone in the world!" He shouted at himself, ignorant of the tears streaming down his face.

Looking on in a mix of pity and sadness, Kizuguchi said nothing as she did her best to ease the sorrow that filler her son. A sorrow that she, herself, knew all too well; after all, she was once in his position all those years ago. Releasing the sorrow that filled his heart, both Kizuguchi and himself were ignorant of the small light that was dancing above them.

(Scene Change - Hi no Kuni Bounty Station)

"TOU-SAN! TOU-SAN, WAKE UP! PLEASE WAKE UP!" Haku screamed hysterically from her fallen position, tears streaming down her face like a flooded river.

"Oh yeah... Now that hit the spot..." Hidan moaned in complete and utter ecstasy, reveling in the euphoric feeling that filled his very being.

In front of the ruined Bounty Station, the opposing teams of ninja were finally at a stalemate. On one side, the Konoha ninja were in shock and disbelief at what had just occurred, Asuma and Haku starting in complete disbelief at the fallen corpse of their best friend and father. Shikamaru on the other hand could only stare in a mix of horror, shock and guilt as he began to blame himself for failing to come up with a strategy that could have saved his mentor.

"Hmph, we'll get a nice amount from his bounty." Kakuzu said in a crass tone, tightening his grip on the two shinobi in his grasp.

"Guh!"

"Gah!"

The pained sounds of Asuma and Shikamaru echoed chillingly in the hushed battlefield, the two continuing to struggle to free themselves from the man's seemingly ironclad grip. As their odds of surviving the encounter began to drop faster then a stone thrown into a lake, they failed to notice the subtle change in the symbol of Jashin that Hidan was standing on. In place of the perfect and unmarred symbol, there was a nearly imperceivable scar in the earth that disturbed the symbol. A scar that went unnoticed by the ninja present.

"Now, let's finish things up." Kakuzu said as he was about to crush the throats of the two shinobi in his grasp, only to be sent barreling backwards from a vicious blow to the jaw.

Looking on in stunned silence, they watched as Kakuzu released his grip on the Shikamaru and Asuma as he collided with Hidan. The two sailing a few distance away, they hit the ground before rebounding into shaky stance. As they all regained their wits, they turned to the source of the blow and promptly widened their eyes when they saw the cloaked figure standing in front of Shikamaru and Asuma.

"W-What...?" Asuma panted as he stared up at his savior, unsettled by the lack of chakra that he should have been emitting.

The same could be said for Shikamaru, Haku, Hidan and Kakuzu as they stared at his form. Clad completely in black, they had an ominous air about them as they stood impassively in front of the group of ninja. Then, they faded away and reappeared beside fallen form of Zabuza. Crouching down, they reached for his neck as Haku shouted obscenities at them in fear of what was to come; though, none of her words seemed to reach the cloaked man.

"_Good..._ _Looks like it made it in time,_ _he's still hanging on..._" Naruto thought in a relieved manner, his panic and anger fading after feeling a faint but reassuring pulse from his old friend.

Reaching for his wrist, he channeled a bit of chakra to the seal that was etched into it as a small plume of smoke enveloped it. Quickly clearing, it revealed a small flask containing a snow colored liquid. Gently flipping Zabuza over, he lifted his head before placing the flask to his lips. Then, he tilted the flask as it flowed down Zabuza's throat; a strange white glow emitting from the man as his body and soul slowly returned from the Shinigami's doorway.

"W-What?" Haku whispered in a mix of disbelief and hope, seeing the chest of her father slowly began to rise and fall in a soft but regular and reassuring manner.

"That should take you out of the danger zone, Zabuza." Naruto whispered soft enough for only himself and Zabuza to catch, laying the man back onto the ground before rising to face the stunned Akatsuki members in front of him.

Readying himself into a loose combat stance, Naruto suddenly blurred and reappeared beside Hidan with his leg cocked back. Spinning with a colossal amount of momentum, when his heel connected with Hidan's temple, the recently stitched limb was torn off with extreme ease. Following through with the excess force that he had built up, he slammed his fist into Kakuzu's jaw, sending the man barreling away from his decapitated partner.

"W-What the fuck!? Who the hell are you!?" Hidan shouted a few meters away from his crumpling body, fixating his eyes on the cloaked figure who just attacked Kakuzu and himself.

"Hidan, don't do anything foolish!" Kakuzu shouted as he emerged from the ground beside the headless body of his partner, quickly taking it and dashing backwards to where his head laid.

"The hell's the matter with you Kakuzu? Sounds like you're actually afraid of that fucker over there." Hidan said in an attempt to rile up his partner, freezing when he caught the tension and sweat Kakuzu's body displayed.

"Holy shit, you're fucking with me right? There's no way a chakra-less bastard like him is any danger to us!" Hidan shouted in indignation, switching to shouting in pain when his head was quickly and forcibly stitched back on.

"Quiet! It's in our best interest to retreat for now, we're at a disadvantage against him." Kakuzu said in a terse tone, unconsciously clenching and unclenching his hand as he mulled over the best route of escape.

Finding no other alternative, Kakuzu resorted to sacrificing one of his hearts in order to buy enough time to escape. Shedding his cloak, he grunted as the stitches on his back opened up; a masked black mass of tendrils in the shape of a misshapen beaked bipedal creature. As soon as it was finished taking form, it let out a shrill cry before rushing down Naruto, allowing Kakuzu to grab Hidan and surge towards the cover of forest.

Clicking his teeth in irritation, Naruto refined his stance as the masked beast neared him. Charging a bit of Ryuuton chakra to his fist, a mixture of black and crimson lightning danced around his hand as he lashed out and connected his fist with the mask of the beast. The sound of the mask shattering immediately filled the area upon impact, the beast going limp as Naruto let the minor amount of built up chakra loose.

"**Ryuuton: Hazeru**." Naruto whispered as he mask of the beast shattered into powder, the head of the beast collapsing into its chest cavity before it rippled and ruptured in a violent explosion of black gore.

As the quick and violent explosion of the masked beast subsided, Naruto stood impassive as he considered his options on pursuing the two Akatsuki members. In the midst of his thoughts however, he was broken from them when Haku let out a sudden cry when she made it to her father's fallen form. Turning, he saw her with her hands clasped tightly around her mouth to stifle the sobs that desperately wanted to escape, tears flowing freely as she watched his chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm.

"Tou-san... Thank Kami-sama..." She whispered in a pained but overjoyed manner, snapping her eyes shut to ease the flow of tears as she rested her head on his chest to hear the sound of his stable heartbeat.

"W-Whoa... How...?" Shikamaru thought out loud as he stared with wide eyes at the man he thought was murdered just a few moments ago, his eyes wide with a mix of confusion and relief.

"Haku, how is he?!" Asuma shouted suddenly, breaking the strangely amiable and quiet atmosphere as Haku and Shikamaru jumped.

"H-He's fine Asuma-san! He's alive, he's alive...!" Haku joyously exclaimed, a brilliant smile on her face as she triple checked that her father was truly out of the Shinigami's doorway.

As the Konoha ninja fretted and celebrated the miraculous revival of their comrade, they suddenly remembered the very man who both saved Zabuza and scared off the two Akatsuki members was still standing before them. Stiffly craning their heads to face him, they were instantly put on edge when they felt emptiness in place of the chakra that he should have been emitting. When he shifted his head to face them, they were a bit shaken when they saw how cold and empty his eyes were, a frigid navy seemingly staring through their very souls.

"T-Thank... You..." Haku timidly said in a mix of fear and gratefulness, breaking the tense silence that permeated the atmosphere between the two groups.

Registering her words, Naruto inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement before turning to face the direction the two Akatsuki members fled towards. Releasing a sigh, he considered the thought of pursuing them but opted against it seeing as hunting them down would only leave Hisako alone longer then he had promised. His body losing its tension, he turned to leave only to be stopped when Haku stepped out in front of him with her hands held to her chest. Raising an eyebrow, he stood silent as he waited for her to tell him what she had to say.

"Umm... T-Thank you... Thank you for saving my father..." Haku said in a much more audible tone, the same gratitude and timidity present in her voice as she bowed as deeply as she could.

"Yeah, whatever it was that you did, thanks. I mean it." Asuma said in a relieved manner, a tired but grateful smile on his face as he directed it towards Naruto.

"So, who exactly are you? I know for a fact you're not one of our ninja." Shikamaru said in a suspicious tone, his eyes narrowed at the man before him in a mix of wariness and apprehension.

Receiving silence in response to his question, Shikamaru was about to repeat the question once more but stopped when he heard the voices of their reinforcements. The attention of the Konoha ninja gathered before him diverted, Naruto took the opportunity to sneak away from their sight and any further questions that would inevitably be asked. With the Konoha ninja, they were relieved when they caught sight of Aoba, Izumo and Kotetsu heading towards them. Letting a sigh of relief escape their lips, they turned back to face the cloaked figure from before only to see that they took their momentary lapse in attention to escape.

"Damn, he got away..." Shikamaru muttered under his breath just loud enough for the gathered ninja to catch, the others turning their attention towards him.

"Hey, he can't be all that bad if he's taking out the Akatsuki too." Asuma said as the other squad of shinobi arrived, taking immediate action to tend to the downed form of Zabuza.

Once they had Zabuza stabilized, Asuma quickly gave a report of what had occurred before Aoba's squad had arrived. A bit stunned that there was someone that even the Akatsuki were afraid of, they started discussing the terrifying yet eerily familiar feeling that they emanated. In the midst of their conversation, they all froze before snapping their heads towards the unconscious form of Zabuza when a low groan escaped his lips.

(Scene Change - Nakara: Campsite)

Spending what felt like years together, Zabuza and Kizuguchi finally caught up with the laughter, tears and anger that they both failed to show the other during their time in the physical plane. As Zabuza was finishing telling the story of Ruto's rampage when he was denied his favorite snack, he felt a strange sensation pulling at his core but ignored it in favor of talking with his mother.

"Ahh... Kaa-sama, you know it's really nice to get to talk with you again like this." Zabuza said out of the blue, a warm and soft smile on his face that was reflected on Kizuguchi's.

"I'm proud to say that I'm your son, Kaa-sama. The son of Kiri's Shinkou Satsu, the woman who was said to have slain so many, so quickly, that the very battlefield was covered in a thick crimson mist was the very same woman who gave her life to save me. I couldn't be more thankful for having such an amazing and strong woman as a mother." Zabuza continued as Kizuguchi flushed a bit before laughing softly at the gratuitous praise her son had for her.

"Slow down there Za-chan, no need to embarrass me like that!" She laughed heartily, getting Zabuza to join in with her as they enjoyed the company of the other.

"The reason I did all of that was because I knew that one day, my idiotic brat of a son would no doubt surpass me and carry on that title. And looking at you now, I'm sure that you'll become even stronger then me as much as I hate to admit it." She admitted while adding a tiny barb at her son, Zabuza chuckling in a mix of pride and embarrassment at her statement.

As their laughter slowly began to die down, Zabuza noticed that he had gained a white aura to the surprise of both himself and Kizuguchi. Quickly getting over her surprise, Kizuguchi let a somber but happy smile appear as Zabuza looked at her in confusion. About to speak, he jumped when the aura shrouding him shot upwards while a warm pillar of light began to emanate from his core.

"Guess it's still too soon for you to join me here, Za-chan." She said in a somber but relieved tone, laughing softly as she watched her son began to panic at the strange changes on his person.

"W-What's going on!? A-Am I passing onto the next life?!" He shouted in a mix of panic and confusion.

"No you idiot, you're not passing on!" She shouted before clocking him on the head, effectively snapping him out of his panicked state.

"Damn it, that hurts woman!" He shouted back in anger, though it quickly faded away when he saw Kizuguchi raise an eyebrow in a challenging and threatening manner.

"Looks like it's just not your time yet Za-chan, you've still got a few things left to do before you'll be joining me it seems." Kizuguchi quipped as she shot her son a smile, reaching over to ruffle his head in the same manner from before.

"Kaa-sama..." He whispered in a mix of shame, guilt, pride, anguish, relief and somberness, battling the emotions that began stirring inside of him at having to leave his mother alone in the area once again.

"Hey, don't worry about me Za-chan. Your Kaa-sama wasn't known as Kiri's Shinkou Satsu for being weak. I'll be fine, so go on. Your family's waiting for you, know you." She said in proud tone, though it turned soft and gentle towards the end.

"I'm glad I was able to talk and catch up with you, Za-chan. And thank you, for both forgiving me and still thinking of me as your mother. I guess now, I'll be able to move on too." She whispered in a happy but somber tone, flashing Zabuza a small yet brilliant smile that almost brought him to tears.

Soon, Zabuza was nearly fully consumed by the light that was shining down on him. Looking with teary and somber eyes at his mother, he willed himself not to cry when he saw her wave goodbye at him. Closing his eyes, he let his head fall slightly as he utter the sincerest of gratitude towards his mother. But feeling a warm, nostalgic and comforting sensation on his forehead, his eyes snapped open and finally let the tears fall freely when he saw Kizuguchi giving him a soft kiss on the forehead like she had all those years ago. Before he could utter a word however, he was blinded by the pillar of light as it finally reconnected his body with his soul. As his soul was returning to his body, his eyes widened before closing softly as he caught the last few words that his mother ushered.

"_Take care Za-chan... Be sure to eat, sleep, shower, brush your teeth and change your clothes... And promise me that you'll take care of your family... Ahh... Maybe now... I can finally see your father again..."_

(Scene Change - Hi no Kuni Bounty Station)

"Ugh..." Zabuza muttered as his eyes fluttered open, wincing when the sun's direct rays assaulted his sight.

His entire being aching, he grunted as he braced himself using an arm to lift himself off the ground. But before he could even get to a sitting position, he was tackled by a relieved and sobbing Haku as she buried her face into his face. A bit perplexed as to why she was crying, her father instincts were about to kick in but ceased when he remembered what had just occurred. His eyes softening, he wrapped her up in a comforting one armed embrace before ushering a set of comforting words to her.

"Tou-san... I'm so glad..." She murmured with a small but serene smile on her face, doing her best not to aggravate his wounds with her embrace.

"You shouldn't even be waking up for at least a week, Zabuza." Asuma said as he crouched to ensure that his friend was alright.

About to speak, he stopped midsentence when he remembered what happened and who he met while he had died. A somber smile coming to his face, he let his eyes close and focused on the embrace of his daughter. After a few seconds, Haku let go of him in favor of scanning him once more. While she was doing so, Asuma gave him the breakdown as to what had happened while he was gone. A bit unnerved that there was indeed someone who even the Akatsuki feared, he was grateful that they both saved his life and protected his daughter and friends.

"Your wounds are all healed Tou-san, they'll still susceptible to opening if you move too much but as long as we take a few breaks you'll be fine. Shikamaru-san and Asuma-san, the two of you aren't too terribly injured either but like I said, we should take a break every now and then." Haku reported after she finished patching up the shinobi in her squad, getting thankful nods and smiles from them.

"Well then, let's back and report to Minato-sama; after what we've seen and heard, no doubt he'll want to know about someone who even the Akatsuki are afraid of." Aoba suggested to the others, getting a positive and serious nod of the head in agreement to his statement.

With that, the Konoha ninja collected what they could from the ruins of the bounty station; Kotetsu and Izumo taking Zangei into custody. With their link to the Akatsuki detained, they started the trek back to Konoha.

(Scene Change - Hidan and Kakuzu's Location)

After what felt like an eternity of running, Kakuzu finally stopped running when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck become a bit less rigid. Though he was inertly tense, he calmed his nerves once he was sure that they weren't being pursued. Turning, he watched as Hidan cursed up another storm while doing his best to not tear the stitches connecting his head to his body. Catching his gaze, Hidan shot a string of curses at his partner, Kakuzu doing opting to ignore him in favor of the man that they had been ambushed by.

Freezing, Kakuzu turned only to see the see the very man from before glowering before him. About to jump back, his eyes widened when he felt nothing happening to his body. Looking down, he could only stare in morbid shock as his legs were in the process of jumping back while his torso was falling. About to shout in shock, he found his words were frozen in his throat when a large amount of black and crimson lightning started dancing around the man before him. Then, nothing as a large discharge of that horrid looking lightning surged towards him, consuming him in as an infinite darkness took hold.

"Zu... Oi, Kakuzu!?" Hidan all but roared directly into his ear, Kakuzu flinching when he finally registered what was going on.

"Oi!? You deaf now too, Kakuzu?!" Hidan shouted at the contemplative man, his brow beginning to twitch with more irritability from being ignored.

Taking another deep breath in preparation for letting loose another string of curses at his partner, Hidan felt his entire being freeze from fright. His eyes going wide, he managed to stiffly crane his head just enough to catch sight of a head of light platinum colored hair. A bit confused at first, that confusion eroded away to raw and undiluted fear when he saw her physical appearance change drastically.

Like a scene from a nightmare, the once beautiful young lady before him was consumed in a brief but thick shroud of a black smoke-like aura. Once it faded away, it showed that her physical form, skin and hair, had become a bit paler and sicklier in contrast to how it was before; her blank crystalline blue eyes now a piercing and merciless crimson, her form shrouded by the same black aura and she was lightly breathing out small wisps of black smoke. To put it simply, she had the appearance of a demon in human flesh.

But before he could make her presence known to Kakuzu he erupted in a messy shower of blood and gore. His eyes going wide as pain like no other ripped through his body, he could only stare on in stunned silence as he saw what it was that caused his seemingly random detonation. It was the young lady that was staring straight at him, standing with her arm outstretched where he once was. Soon revelation passed through his eyes as he pieced together what had just happened to him. It was a punch, her punch, that connected with his chest and caused the subsequent explosion of gore.

"-dan... HIDAN!" Kakuzu shouted in irritation, snapping Hidan out of his stupor.

"W-What? What the fuck do you want now Kakuzu!?" He shouted back in equal irritation, his partner quieting as his body tensed greatly.

Opening his mouth to speak, he was silenced immediately when he was sent reeling back by a brutal blow to the jaw. Quickly managing to catch his footing, he snapped his eyes open and promptly widened them when he saw Kakuzu sailing by past him. Turning his head to the direction he was sent flying from, he saw that it was the same cloaked man from before.

Cursing, he moved to grab his scythe only to have his arm shattered from the elbow down. Panicking, he lashed out with his good arm, using it to extend the retractable spear hidden in his sleeve. Beginning to get frustrated with his lack of connective hits, Hidan's attacks began to degrade in their quality and increase in their quantity. Feeling his spear connect with something, Hidan's frustration frown shifted to a mad grin as the pace of his attacks began to raise in intensity.

"Just one drop! One drop is all I need you bastard!" Hidan shouted in a mad manner, cackling loudly as he felt more and more of his attacks land against the cloaked man.

However, his tirade was cut short when a brutal knifehand from the cloaked figure slammed into his throat, crushing his larynx and trachea. Spittle and blood spewing from his mouth, even more was forced out when a knee crashed into his abdomen. Though he was used to pain, the force of the blows were unlike anything that he'd ever felt in his entire life. Gritting his teeth, he felt bone get shattered and splintered like it was made of the most fragile porcelain in existence.

"Gahhh!" He managed to sound out, his throat unable to properly articulate the pain that was coursing through his body.

"**Katon: Zukokku**!" Kakuzu sounded out as one of his masks opened its maw, a large torrent of flames escaping and surging towards the pair.

Having utilized a similar combination with Hidan before, Kakuzu wasn't concerned with his partner's wellbeing as he opted to attack using a wide-range jutsu. Watching as the flames consumed and burned everything that it passed through, he was floored when a large explosion of black and crimson lightning blew them away. Panic setting in, he jumped backwards as he released two more of his masks from his body, his Katon and Futon natured masks.

"Damn it!" Kakuzu cursed out loud in frustration, the thought of having to sacrifice two more of his hearts to escape causing the normally calm and collected shinobi to start to lose his composure.

The masks moving to engage his enemy as soon as they were released, Kakuzu quickly weighed the pros and cons of saving Hidan before deciding to abandon the silver haired man; the cons greatly outweighing the pros in his mind. Having decided to abandon Hidan, Kakuzu's masks performed their usual and deadly collaboration ninjutsu of **Katon: Zukokku **and **Futon: Atsugai**; a hellish maelstrom of intense fire consuming the area that both Hidan and the cloaked figure were battling in.

"That should buy me a few seconds." Kakuzu muttered under his breath, quickly vacating the scene as the greenery around him crackled and burned.

Back in the burning landscape of fire, Hidan could only stare in morbid shock as the figure before him stood impassively as the very fire his partner had honed to an unavoidable killing inferno danced and licked at himself. That same fire was avoiding the man before him like he was something that would snuff the very life out of it, like a plague to be avoided at all costs. In that moment, standing while being burned alive as the other man watched both unimpeded and unimpressed, Hidan felt true fear build up in his chest for the first time in a number of years.

Unaffected by the flames devouring everything around him, Naruto looked between the two masked creatures that attacked him before moving to end them. Vanishing and appearing in front of the mask with the beak, he has his arm cocked back before he connected a heavy straight to the mask, shattering it like glass before releasing a burst of chakra causing its head to explode . As the remains of the beast twitched and spasmed , he turned and lashed out with an electrified hand before he drove it into the mask of the other beast. Piercing the mask with extreme ease, he discharged the lightning built up in it in a concussive explosion, causing the beast to rupture in a messy manner. Finished dealing with the masked creatures, he turned his attention to Hidan as he began making his way over.

"W-What... Are... You..." He managed to wheeze out through his crushed, burned and utterly devastated throat, trying to get some semblance of normalcy despite the utterly unexplainable situation.

His answer, however, was nothing but a sudden and vicious blow to the chest; obliterating the bone, muscle and organs in a monstrous and violent manner. The resulting force of the blow caused his body to liquefy and splatter over the burning landscape in a horrid fashion. His head safe from the devastating blow, he watched in morbid fascination as his entrails were strewn about before hitting the blazing ground. Wincing from the fall, he could only stare in fear as the cloaked figure began stalking his way over towards him.

"G-Get away! D-Demon! Monster!" Hidan shouted at him, ignorant of the irony that he, himself, had been called the very same names throughout his life.

Seeing as his words weren't of any use, Hidan closed his eyes as he decided to resort to the most taboo of jutsu in Jashinism. Biting clean through his tongue, he let it fill his mouth as he closed his eyes in preparation for his final and most gruesome ritual. Soon, the sounds of the man before him began to get louder as the distance between them became shorter and shorter. Finally, as his mouth was filled to the brim with his own blood, Hidan channeled the remainder of his chakra to his mouth as his head started to glow with a sickly red light.

Then, his mouth opened wider then humanly possible as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. The strewn about parts of his body, both solid and liquid, also began to glow with the same sickly red color as his head as they started to recompile into a grotesque pile of flesh, blood and bone. The mass of blood and gore moving on its own, it reached Hidan's head as Naruto stopped in his advance, both disgusted and intrigued by the events playing out before him.

As it reached his head, the mass attached itself to it with a sickening sound. Once the connection was met, Hidan's mouth opened up as his blood spilled out and pooled around him and the remains of his body. Once the blood touched the ground, as if by some unknown force, it quickly spread around him in the symbol of Jashin; the color of the mass of gore and Hidan's head changed to the same skeletal coloration he had during his ritual with Zabuza.

"**Kinjujutsu: Jashin ****S****eishi**." Hidan said with an otherworldly tone, Naruto becoming a bit tense when he felt an extremely ominous and vile presence emanate from the grotesque amalgamation of flesh in front of him.

"Ha... Haha... **HAHAHA!**" Hidan suddenly started cackling, the remnants of his body reforming into gruesome and twisted looking form as he reattached his head in a sickening manner.

"**NOW! LET THE FUN START ONCE AGAIN!**" Hidan shouted in a crazed mix of euphoria and bloodlust, charging towards Naruto without his spear or scythe.

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto saw that Hidan was definitely moving with much more speed, precision and fluidity then he was before; a byproduct of the strange and horrific ritual. Weaving to the side to avoid a hand thrust from the enhanced man, Naruto was a bit surprised to see that his fingernails had grown in length, now resembling claws more then anything. Ducking under another swipe aimed at his head, Naruto grabbed the offending limb by the wrist before snapping it and the elbow joint that belonged to it.

Wrenching the arm, Naruto turned and slammed Hidan into the ground in a brutal manner before stomping on and shattering the shoulder joint of the arm he was holding. About to crush his skull, Naruto was forced to let go and jump back to avoid a swipe from Hidan's other arm; a bit disgusted that Hidan was seemingly able to rotate his arm a full three hundred and sixty degrees without trouble.

"**AHAHAHA! COME'ON! LET LORD JASHIN SAVOR YOUR BLOOD! YOUR'S WILL NO DOUBT BE THE BEST TASTING BLOOD HE'LL EVER TASTE!**" Hidan shouted in madness, increasing the speed of the flurry of blows he was unleashing on Naruto, his frustrations from before about not being able to land a hit seemingly not present any longer.

"**Ryuuton: Garyuusai**." Naruto whispered as he rose from his crouched position with arm cocked back, the charged uppercut connecting cleanly with the silver haired man's jaw.

But to Naruto's shock, instead of tearing Hidan's head off like his jutsu had in the past, Hidan's head snapped back like it was made of elastic. His neck bending nearly all the way around, it quickly snapped forward in a vicious headbutt that Naruto challenged. The skulls of the two men connecting, a hollow crunch rang out as Hidan was sent stumbling back by the brutal blow. Now relenting, Naruto narrowed his eyes as he let his chakra flow through his right arm once more, encasing it in a layer of black and crimson lightning.

"**Raiton: Raiken**." Naruto whispered before vanishing from Hidan's line of sight, appearing behind him with his arm cocked back to impale him.

Driving his arm towards the man's chest, Naruto was intent on ending the rather grueling battle the instant his jutsu connected; however, those thoughts flew out the window when an arm made of congealed blood suddenly erupted from Hidan's back before latching around his wrist. Surprised, Naruto gritted his teeth before discharging the lightning dancing around his arm in a concussive and electrified shockwave; sending the two of them a fair distance away from the other. Righting himself in the air, Naruto landed on his feet and watched as Hidan did nothing to save or right himself from the rather crippling blast his body was subjected to, opting to crash through tree and shrubbery alike.

"Tch." Naruto scoffed softly in a mix of irritation and agitation, having had enough of dealing with the immortal and annoying man.

"**Gahhh... J-Jashin-sama... P-Please, just a bit more time; I promise I'll g-get you your sacrifice.**" Hidan pleaded with his head turned up towards the sky, Naruto raising an eyebrow when his body began to glow a sickly red once more.

"**YOU! YOU'VE EMBARRASSED ME FOR THE LAST TIME! I SWEAR TO JASHIN-SAMA I WILL KILL YOU!**" Hidan roared with renewed vigor and fury, charging unimpeded towards Naruto as the blonde let an irritated sigh escape his mouth.

"**Ryuuton: Garyoukuuha**."Naruto said as he struck the air with more Ryuuton chakra then he used with any other jutsu, the result being a large shockwave of black and crimson lightning surging towards the crazed man before him.

Undeterred by the jutsu, Hidan rushed straight into it before freezing in his tracks. Then, agony like no other ripped through his entire being as he clutched his head like it was about to rupture. Screaming at the top of his lungs, his voice began to distort and gurgle as blood began to flow out of his mouth, ears, nose and eyes.

Then, like a scene from a nightmare, his body began to violently shake before it ruptured in a violent explosion of blood and gore. Naruto watching impassively as the remains of the man were strewn about the burning battleground around him. Once Hidan's remains were being consumed by the flames surrounding them, the still advancing shockwave ripped a bit before exploding in a violent and thunderous manner; blowing away the flames that were dancing around the area.

"Finally..." Naruto whispered softly to himself, shaking his head at the rather long and irritating battle he had partaken in.

Turning, he began walking away from the scarred and charred battleground, ignorant of the burnt and horrifically scarred face of the man staring at his back. From his place on the ground, Hidan watched with eyes filled with absolute hatred and madness as Naruto left him like trash that was recently thrown out. Unable to voice his hatred due to his missing bottom jaw, he could only curse the blonde in his mind; praying to his god for another chance at redemption.

"_Jashin-sama, please forgive me. I've failed, even with your blessing, I've failed.. Please, give me... Another... Chance... I was so close... So close to bringing him back..._" He thought and prayed, his eyes looking the life in them before they rolled into the back of his head.

Reaching its absolute limit, Hidan's soul finally gave out as the ritual concluded; his soul being the payment for the strength that he was granted. His head glowing a sickly red for a final time, the remains of Hidan's lips turned up a bit as he welcomed the embrace of death; even more so that it was his god that was going to be taking his soul. His eyes closing for the final time, he saw a light and the outline of a large man standing before him with his arm outstretched.

"_Pops..._" Hidan thought with a tear rolling out of his good eye, his eyes finally closing for the last time as he saw the man before him give him a small smile in response.

"_Sorry Pops...I couldn't bring... You back..._" Hidan lamented for the first and final time, a few more tears beginning to leak from his eye as they closed.

"_S'alright Hidan... S'alright... Come'on it's time for you to sleep now..._" A deep voice sounded out from the man, death finally taking Hidan as his skin paled and his breathing stopped.

On that day, both of the "Immortals" of the Akatsuki finally passed on in the embrace of death. Hidan's remains being found by a confused and slightly apprehensive Zetsu, Hidan would offer no information or clues as to what exactly it was that killed him or his partner Kakuzu. Quite the distance away, Kakuzu's obliterated and nearly undisguisable remains were found strewn about for nearly a mile.

When Zetsu reported his findings back at the Akatsuki headquarters, to say the other members were surprised was an understatement. It was because of the deaths of their most resilient members that they began to up their caution and strength, opting to find members who were not only strong but resilient as well.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Naruto's Location)

Releasing a sigh, Naruto mulled over what had just happened earlier in the day. While he was expecting and actively hunting the two Akatsuki members, he wasn't expecting to run into his old friends from Konoha. As he processed the information, he cursed himself slightly as the attack did take place at the Fire Temple and the chances of Konoha retaliating was rather high in hindsight. Shaking his head, his refocused his attention to the task at hand; whether or not engaging Hidan and pursuing Kakuzu was the correct move to make.

"While taking all of them out now would no doubt be the best choice, I need to get back to Hisako." He ushered quietly to himself, the thought of her worrying already beginning to nip away at his heart.

Turning, he was about to move but froze when he felt an eerily familiar feeling. His entire body tensing, he was instantly on edge when that very presence began to hone in on his position. Clenching his right hand, black and crimson lightning began to dance up and down the limb as the presence was nearly upon him. Then, nothing as it vanished entirely, as if it was nothing but a passing wind.

Though it had vanished, Naruto's caution and guard did not. Scanning the immediate area with a sharp and critical eye, he failed to find anything out of place in the vicinity. Shaking his head, he found that the presence was indeed gone. Letting a sigh escape, he turned and began making his way back home in a much more guarded manner then before. When he was a good distance away from the clearing, he barely missed the lock of light platinum hair that danced through the wind.

(Scene Change - Naru's Location)

"Guhhh..." Kakuzu managed to sound out through his crushed throat, his vision having black and white spots dancing in it from the numerous blows to the head that he received.

Laying with his back on the ground, Kakuzu weakly turned his head to the side to see the very person who reduced him to such a pitiful and vulnerable state. Her body was covered in a purplish-black haze, her eyes a haunting red and she was softly breathing out wisps of black smoke. Never in his entire life had he faced anything even close to her level of power, ruthlessness or eeriness. Something about the young lady approaching him reeked of emptiness and danger, and that's what was off-putting about her.

"W-What... Are you...?" Kakuzu wheezed out as Naru stopped beside him, the blonde tilting her head to the side at the question.

"I'm Naru, Mummy Man." She said in an impassive tone, lifting her foot before bringing it down on his head.

The resulting stomp was a minor tremor that rocked the battleground, the remains of Kakuzu's head splattering over the area. Lifting her foot, Naru observed her handiwork for a moment before turning and failing to locate the direction that her beloved brother was in. A small downturn of her lips signaling her displeasure, she turned back to look at Kakuzu's body before holding her hand out.

"It's your fault." She whispered in tone with unperceivable anger, white and black wind dancing madly around the extended limb.

As the mass of volatile lightning reached its maximum output, Naru discharged the collected chakra in a destructive burst of razor sharp wind; shredding Kakuzu's remains beyond recognition. The torrent of wind ripping through everything in its path, Naru watched with an impassive expression as it easily tore through the forest that was in front of her. After a few seconds, she turned and tried to find an inkling as to where her brother was; either oblivious or uncaring about the large scale destruction she had just caused.

"Onii-chan, where are you?" She whispered in a longing tone, her eyes shining with hope and longing as she headed towards the east.

(Time Skip - A Few Days Later)

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Entrance)

Throughout the week, Hisako and Naruto's clone weren't breaking from their everyday routines while the original was gone. Hisako still smiled and welcomed customers and friends alike, Naruto's clone continued the his duties with the same efficiency he had. It was the same today as it was for the past few days, with Hisako taking a bath while Naruto's clone was getting ready to set up shop. In the midst of its duties, it tensed when it felt a nearly invisible presence make itself know to it. Charging Ryuuton chakra to its hand, he was about to lash out with the limb but stopped and was later dispelled when the original Naruto appeared in its place.

"Finally home." He whispered in a relieved tone, quickly heading upstairs to change before going about doing his daily routine.

After a few minutes of washing up, he returned downstairs dressed in his usual attire just as Hisako was finishing up with her bath. Hearing her humming a happy albeit slightly sleeping tune, Naruto let a smile spread across his face as he did his best to keep out of her way. Turning back to the pots and pans before him, he began to hum a tune of his own as peace and contentment filled him. Across from him, Hisako stiffened up a bit when she heard him humming.

Turning towards him, she tilted her head a bit in confusion before a brilliant smile lit up her face. Discarding her towel, she quickly sped towards Naruto before colliding against his side in a tight and loving hug. A bit stunned, Naruto turned towards her before a larger smile made it across his face. Leaning down, he planted a warm and loving kiss on her forehead as she beamed and glowed with a mix of happiness and embarrassment.

"A bit early for a hug like that don't you think, Hisako?" He asked in a joking manner, Hisako flushing a bit before nuzzling affectionately against him.

"But you're back." She said in a happy tone, though it was laced with a bit of anxiety and fear that caused the blonde she was embracing to frown slightly.

"What do you mean Hisako? I've been here the whole time, haven't I?" Naruto asked in a sure tone, though he had a feeling in the pit of the stomach about the nature of her answer.

"You were here Naruto, but... You just weren't as warm as you are now." She said in a quiet tone as she squeezed him a bit tighter, Naruto flinching internally as she managed to deduce that it was his clones and not actually himself.

"Sorry about that Hisako, my mind's been somewhere else. I heard that one of the two people who attacked the Fire Temple was arrested while I was in town and that just got me a bit worried about the other one." He said in a peculiar tone, weaving together a mix of lies and truths based on the memories of his clones.

"That's good to know! And well, I'm just glad that my Naruto is back." She said in a happy and loving tone, tiptoeing to kiss Naruto softly on the lips before pulling back with a serene smile on her face.

A bit stunned, he merely decided to shake his head and smile before ushering her to get ready for the day. As she let out a cute squeak at her lack of dress, she sped up the stairs in embarrassment as Naruto chuckled softly. Turning back to the items cooking, he let a small smile mar his face at Hisako's thoughtfulness and could only curse himself for keeping her in the dark.

Upstairs, Hisako was getting ready as quickly as she could, intent on spending as much time as possible with her Naruto. While the Naruto earlier in the week was just as caring and concerned with her well being, it lacked the same warmth that her Naruto had. A small smile appearing on her face as she remembered the feeling of his warmth, she let out a content sigh before standing and slipping on her scarf.

"When Naruto's ready to tell me, he'll tell me." She whispered to herself, knowing that her beloved was only keeping her in the dark for her own safety.

(Scene Change - Konoha Hospital: General Treatment Ward - Checkup Room)

"Amazing... If what was on the report was anything to go on, you shouldn't even be alive let alone able to check out Zabuza-san!" Rishi exclaimed in a mix of disbelief and awe, reviewing the man's medical report for the fourth time.

"Same here Rishi-san, but I'm alive and kicking aren't I!" Zabuza said with a chuckle, still finding the doctor's reaction amusing despite having seen it three times.

After they returned from the bounty station to Konoha, Haku had all but dragged her father to the hospital while ordering the others to report to the Hokage. At first they moved to protest her decision, seeing as they were all in relatively decent condition but immediately halted those statements when they their early frozen graves reflected in her eyes. After that they sped towards the tower while Haku dragged Zabuza to the hospital. Giving Rishi and the other staff members their her initial analysis, to saw they were stunned was an understatement.

Once they read through that report, Zabuza was rushed to the ICU and given a thorough physical evaluation. When they found nothing wrong with him, save for a few minor tears in the muscles the previously affected areas. After those were treated and healed, he was given a clean bill of health and was ready to be checked out, despite the horrendous injuries that he sustained just a few days prior.

"Well, there's absolutely nothing wrong with you Zabuza-san. The most significant injury that I found was the stab wound in your chest and even then, it was rather insignificant in comparison to what you've sustained before. Whoever that man was, that potion that he used isn't something that me or any of the other doctors here have seen in our time. A sample of that could revolutionize medicine for everyone!" Rishi commented as Zabuza nodded his head in agreement, knowing that it was that man that saved him.

"Thanks again Rishi, I'll try and stay outta here for a bit. You're probably sick of seeing my mug, hahaha!" Zabuza chuckled as Rishi joined in, the two heading out of the room.

"Nonsense Zabuza-san! For someone as elderly as I am, I welcome the company!" Rishi chuckled as he bid Zabuza farewell, feeling a bit of pity for the unsuspecting man when he saw a rather irate Anko tapping her foot in the waiting room.

Once again, Zabuza was met with both the anger and concern of his beloved wife as she tore into him about Ruto waking crying about him dying, seeing a black angel save him and above all else, another lady who was laughing and smiling with Zabuza. When those words left Anko's mouth, Zabuza paled considerably before bursting out in a laughing fit. A bit perplexed, Anko was about to clock him but was stopped when Zabuza pressed his lips against hers in a soft but passionate kiss; the purple haired beauty relenting quickly when she felt him wrap his arms around her frame.

"Sorry about that Anko, but I think I know who Ruto is talking about. About me dying, the black angel and of course the woman he saw." He said in a somber but happy tone, Anko's eyes gaining a curious and worried tint to them when she heard his tone.

"Sure thing Zabuza. We should get going, Ruto is probably driving Nai-chan crazy right now." Anko said with a soft laugh, Zabuza sharing it as he knew Asuma would be the subject Kurenai would be taking her frustrations out on later that night.

(Scene Change - Unknown Akatsuki Base Location: Meeting Chamber)

"So, both Kakuzu and Hidan croaked huh?" Kisame quipped in a callous tone, obviously indifferent to his fellow members' demises.

"It appears so. From what Zetsu found, it was practically a one sided battle in the favor of those attacking them." Pain explained to the remaining members, their numbers reduced by a considerable amount.

If one were to glance around the room, they would see that there were only a handful of Akatsuki members remaining: Pain, Konan, Kisame, Deidara, Zetsu and an orange masked man being the final members. Though they were only six in total, they seemed rather impassive in response to the information that Zetsu presented to them. Though, Konan had an impassive face it hid the panic and fear that was beginning to creep into her heart. To have an S-Rank ninja dispatched by an entire team was one thing but to have them fall to an opponent that even they failed to damage, that was another thing. In the midst of her thoughts, she was broken from them when Pain ceased the meeting, ordering the remaining members to stay in the shadows for the time being.

"Konan, we need to recruit more members." He said in an impassive tone, but Konan knew that he was also panicking as much as she was.

"Nagato... Is this what that feeling was trying to tell you?" She asked him using his real name, the face of his Deva Path wincing slightly at the thought.

"Perhaps, Konan. Perhaps it was." He replied as they made their way to the back, intent on finding new members who were able to stand against the unknown threat to their plan.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Battleground)

"Eat this!" Homura roared as she charged Tatsuko with her swords fully drawn, swinging in a downward arc at the sleepy faced bluenette.

"Not good enough Mura-chan~!" Tatsuko chirped as she blocked the blades using her armor clad arms, a metallic screech and subsequent explosion of sparks lighting up the evening sky.

Facing each other in a barren wasteland was Homura Teisen and Tatsuko Iwatodai, sparring for the umpteenth time in the week in preparation for the events that were going to take place in the coming days.

Continuing to grind her katana into Tatsuko's gauntlets, Homura narrowed her eyes when she saw a tiny piece of her blade get chipped off from the relentless assault on her best friend. Jumping back, she sheathed her swords before orange and black fire began to dance around her. Taking a deep breath, she channeled her Ryuuton chakra to her arms and legs before focusing on the still sleepy form of Tatsuko.

"**Karyuuton: Karyuuenbu**!" Homura roared as she surged towards Tatsuko, the ground behind her getting blown back and set ablaze by her flame coated limbs.

Lashing out with devastating straight, she smirked when she saw Tatsuko's sleepy face gain a nearly imperceivable twitch. Pulling her outstretched arm back, she tightened her form and slammed a flaming elbow towards the bluenette's armor clad arm once more, a satisfying sound of metal creaking making it to her ear. Smiling, Homura unleashed a hellish rain of flaming kicks, punches, knees and elbows against her training partner; oblivious of the bluenette's own blue and black water. Spinning on the ball of her left foot, Homura was about to send a brutal flaming backhand to Tatsuko's head only to widen her eyes when she saw the amount of Ryuuton chakra collecting in her arm.

"**Suiryuuton: ****Kairyuuken**!" Tatsuko roared as she slugged Homura's side with her fist, the raven haired young lady's eyes widening to extreme proportions as she was launched a considerable distance away.

The force of the blow sending Homura flying, she was about to impact the side of a rocky outcrop but was saved when she managed to right herself in midair and cushion the force of her impact with a quick plume of fire. When she finally hit the outcrop of rock, there was a heavy tremor and subsequent cloud of dust and debris as Tatsuko quickly made her way over. When the bluenette arrived, she smiled in a relived manner when she saw that her best friend was indeed unharmed save for a nasty looking bruise when she was struck.

"You okay Mura-chan?" Tatsuko asked in a concerned manner, Homura wincing as she touched the bruise only to smile brightly at Tatsuko.

"You know me Suko-chan, we've been hit by harder stuff anyway! A bottle of Life Power and I should be fine!" Homura reported as she took the hand Tatsuko was offering to her, the two smiling at each other before they headed back to their respective partners and teachers.

From afar however, there was another who was watching the entire exchange with a nasty scowl on his face. Grinding his teeth hard enough to bite through the senbon he had in his mouth, he scoffed before spitting it out and heading away from the scene of carnage from earlier. After a few minutes, he arrived at another barren looking wasteland as black and brown earth danced around his legs. His anger reaching its peak, he lifted the charged up legs before stomping on the ground with thunderous force.

"**Doryuuton: ****Ryuuresshin**!" He roared as the ground around him collapsed and crumpled in a wild manner, the force of the stomp being felt across the landscape by those inhabiting it.

"Tch. They're acting like children getting ready for a contest when we should be getting ready to take control of the Elemental Nations. If that other guy were still around, he'd be a better partner then the damn lizards here." Daihei Koudo muttered under his breath, ignorant of the now awoken dragon laying beneath him.

"_**It appears that you will no longer need to wait human... Naruto-dono will no doubt encounter you in due time...**_" They thought before sleep took them once more, Daihei's jutsu being nothing more then a gentle shaking of their body.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's a wrap guys, tell me that you think alright? So, Zabuza went on that rampage all those years ago cause some people were insulting his mom's legacy and all that? Pretty cool if you ask me. And Hidan? Who's his dad and what's the deal with that conversation? And Naru? Man, that was cool-blooded Naru. And what's the deal with that Daihei guy? He seems like a huge jerkwad. But eh, maybe you know? Maybe I know? All I know is that this was a fun chapter to write and I hope it was enjoyable for you all to read as well. And you know the drill, right? Till next time, you all stay awesome.**

**Kizuguchi is based loosely off of ****Kūkaku Shiba from Bleach (She's kinda really pretty)**

**Daihei is based loosely off of... I'm not sure yet, gimme a bit to find a character that fits em. (Or suggest one if you think they'd be cool)**

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**Ryuuton: Hazeru - Dragon Release: Burst Open**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A rudimentary technique that involves releasing the excess chakra built up by the user in a violent burst. Very similar in principal to Naruto's other jutsu involving his Ryuuton chakra, it isn't fixated in causing internal damage, but rather to cause horrendous external damage. The resulting impact causes the struck area to compress rapidly, the surface area collapsing in on itself in a gruesome and horrific manner. This jutsu easily crushes and collapses anything that it impacts, expect for the upmost invulnerable defenses.

**Katon: Zukokku - Fire Release: Intelligent Hard Work**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Kakuzu's Katon natured mask fires a small fireball that erupts into a giant fire-storm after making contact with a surface, causing widespread destruction to the area. Since the flames travel along the ground, and cover such a wide area this is a difficult technique to evade. When combined with **Futon: Atsugai**, this technique is amplified to the point of being able to evaporate a large amount of water in an instant.

**Futon: Atsugai - Wind Release: Pressure Damage**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; A powerful wind technique which is released by Kakuzu's Futon natured mask. This tornado-like mass is compressed until it has a very high density and is then released. The wind pressure is raised to its highest limit, and once the technique hits the target, the resulting blast sweeps everyone off their feet. If the technique is used by someone who has mastered wind nature transformation, the blast can hit a vast range, inflicting massive damage on both the target and their close surroundings. This technique can be combined with the **Katon: Zukokku**, to increase the flame's potency in a great scale, causing a massive fire-storm.

**Kinjujutsu: Jashin Seishi - Forbidden Curse Technique:** **Inhabitance of the Evil God**: S-Rank, Kinjutsu, Jujutsu, Ninjutsu, Tensei Ninjutsu; A jutsu forbidden by even the very Jashinists that were said to have derived it from the god they worship. This jutsu is a complex and suicidal ritual that a Jashinist should never perform, not even as a last resort. The ritual has the user offer their own blood as the medium of conducting the curse, the resulting ingestion creating a link between the user and the very god that they worship. Since the blood consumed is the user's, the user 's body is able to become a vessel for Jashin's very will to reside in. The user of this jutsu offers both their body and soul to Jashin in exchange for his inhabitance in their body. The result being the temporary powers of Jashin for the user to use as they wish, though it is truly Jashin's will and desires that they carry out to the upmost extremes. The power gained by this curse is immense and nearly limitless, however, the curse only lasts for as long as the user's body and soul can hold out. Should either fail, the user will perish and soul will be consumed and added to Jashin's collection.

**Ryuuton: ****Garyuusai - Dragon Release: Crouching Dragon Crush**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; Naruto gathers Ryuuton natured charka into his hand and strikes his opponent with a charged uppercut that has the potential to behead them if given enough time to gather chakra into his hand. Upon impact, Naruto releases the chakra that he's gathered and causes a concussive blast capable of causing severe internal damage.

**Raiton: Raiken - Lightning Release: Lightning Sword**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; This jutsu channels an immense amount of Raiton chakra to the user's arm, such that it becomes a visible shroud of lightning. It is a jutsu that was created based on similar principals of the **Chidori** and **Raikiri**. Unlike the two, there is minimal to zero noise created by the seemingly erratic shroud of lightning that coats the user's arm. An additional difference between this jutsu and the two mentioned before it is that it is the user's entire arm and not just the hand that is used in the initial thrust. The application of this jutsu is not entirely known, but it can be classified as an assassination ninjutsu based on the lack of sound produced by it and the immense speed required to utilize it.

**Chidori - One Thousand Birds**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique channels a large amount of lightning chakra to the user's hand. The amount of chakra is so great that it becomes visible. The high concentration of electricity produces a sound reminiscent of many birds chirping, hence the name. Once the technique is completed, the user charges forward and thrusts the Chidori into the target. This produces heavy amounts of damage that is usually fatal. This technique is classified as an assassination technique because of the speed at which it is performed, despite the loud noise it produces. The **Chidori** can also be used to simply electrocute the opponent without impaling them. Kakashi noted that he created this technique as the result of his failed attempt to apply his Raiton nature transformation to **Rasengan**, which embodies the highest level of shape transformation.

**Raikiri - Lightning Cutter**: S-Rank; According to Gai, it gained its name after Kakashi split a bolt of lightning with it. Because the **Chidori** is already powerful on its own, the **Raikiri** requires better chakra control, which is exemplified in its appearance. The **Chidori** appears as simply a mass of white electrical chakra in the user's hand, while the **Raikiri **is more focused Kakashi is limited to using it four times in one day.

**Ryuuton: Garyoukuuha - Dragon Release: Reclining Dragon Sky Destruction**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A technique that Naruto created after getting to know Tatsuko. Unlike Naruto's rigid style of Ryuuton jutsu, Tatsuko's style involves being as relaxed as possible to use the least amount of energy for the greatest amount of payout. A combination of their two styles, the **Garyoukuuha** is a charged punch that starts with Naruto relaxing his body, letting his Ryuuton flow freely and maximize the energy in the hand that he chooses to use. He then strikes that air with the charged fist, stopping it halfway and striking mid-air. From a charged piercing straight impact it changes into a radial shockwave, destroying everything in its way based on how much chakra is used. After a few years, Naruto has perfected this attack to a near sure-kill jutsu; obliterating nearly anything that the corrosive shockwave passes through.

**Karyuuton: Karyuuenbu - Fire Dragon Release: Fire Dragon Flame Dance**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A relatively simple jutsu that Homura had created after watching how the dragons used their fire in a number of different ways. Using this jutsu, Homura cloaks her arms and legs up to their respective elbow and knee joints to increase their attack power while giving her the ability to burn her opponents. While simple in principal, it requires a great deal of control and calm to maintain the flames and prevent them from consuming the very limbs that they are attached to. If needed, Homura can release and fire the flames as a projectile.

**Suiryuuton: ****Kairyuuken - Water Dragon Release: Sea Dragon Fist**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A relatively simple jutsu modeled after a few of the attacks Tatsuko had seen the dragons use. This jutsu coats her arm from the shoulder down in Ryuuton imbued water. The damage of the limb coated in the enhanced water is augmented and strengthened by an inhuman amount, both crushing and piercing. Upon impact, Tatsuko can do two things, either follow through with the blow and send her opponent flying or release the built up water in a high velocity projectile of water. Both are dangerous in their own right, and can be executed at an instant.

**Doryuuton:****Ryuuresshin - Earth Dragon Release: Violent Dragon Quake**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A simple technique that Daihei modeled after the movement of some of the bulkier dragons. By channeling Ryuuton chakra to his leg, he can augment and strengthen the limp before stomping on the ground to cause a violent and concussive shockwave similar in strength to a large scale earthquake. There is no drawback to this jutsu other then the amount of time needed to build up chakra for it and the damage to the terrain.


	33. Chapter 31

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. It's been a bit hasn't it? Sorry bout that, but still dealing with some personal problems and they still have the higher priority in contrast to writing. Throw in some more writers block and you've got a combo that's still pretty bad. But don't worry, I ain't dead yet, haha. Well, it's not much but it's better then nothing right? Not too long but I've gotta finish my other stories, think those guys who enjoy them are gonna burn me at the stake soon if I don't give em' something to read; so if you're still sticking around and enjoying my other stories, I've gotta say thanks, truly, the next chapters will be out soon I promise. For this story, this chapter is a bit eh, I needed some filler and wanted to build a bit of the other characters. Lots of people going on a trip, so just a heads up if you're thinking that it's kinda dumb for a huge group to go like that but I've seen it happen and it's pretty fun actually. So hopefully, y****ou all remember the routine right? Read, Review and PM me if you want to. Well, that's enough of me yapping right? You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 31

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Naruto's Private Room)

As the sun's rays softly filtered into his room through the thin curtains covering the window, Naruto let his eye flutter open as he stifled the yawn that wanted to escape his mouth. Shifting his body a bit, he let a small smile appear on his face as he felt a small weight on his chest. Looking down, he took in the sight of a peacefully sleeping Hisako as she idly snuggled into his chest. Laughing softly, he resisted the urge to let a much more vocal laugh out when he saw Hisako shift and pout cutely at his chest reverberating. Calming down, he wrapped an arm around her and brought her in closer as a demure but radiant smile slowly appeared on her face at the safe and comforting feeling she was experiencing.

Letting his eye close once more, he let a content sigh escape his mouth as he felt himself falling asleep once more. But before he was fully lulled to sleep, he reluctantly forced himself to get up from his comfortable position and get ready for the day. Substituting himself with a pillow like usual, he stretched his slightly taut muscles as he headed towards the bathroom to get ready for the day ahead. As he finished up, he checked on Hisako once more as he smiled and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead before heading down to set the shop up for the day.

"Let's hope today's just a normal day." Naruto whispered to himself as he began prep work for the inevitable breakfast rush that was soon to come.

After those words left his mouth the doors to his shop gently opened as the familiar faces of a few of his regular customers arrived. Peering out from the kitchen, he began greeting them with his usual small smile before they took to their usual seats as well. Soon, the formally quiet shop was soon filled with chatter and laughter as the day ushered on, the blonde working alone in it fulfilling the orders of the patrons inside.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Uzumaki-Namikaze Residence)

On the grounds of the Namikaze-Uzumaki estate, the sounds of sleepy chatter and laughter could be heard from within its walls. Gathered inside of the dining room, the smells of various dishes wafted around the house as the people happily eating discussed the events that had just transpired yesterday.

"It sounds unbelievable when you put it like that, Minato." Jiraiya quipped after swallowing a mouthful of food, getting a series of nods from around the table.

"I know Jiraiya-jiji, if Haku-chan didn't tell me I still wouldn't believe it!" Mito added as she recalled the memory that her housemate had shared with her and their other housemates.

"But still, someone that even the Akatsuki is fearful of... I can't even imagine what kind of person they are." Orochimaru said with an inquisitive face, a bit troubled about the rather unsettling piece of information.

"I agree with Orochimaru here. Anyone who even the Akatsuki finds as a threat is not doubt bad news, we need to stay even more vigilant from now on." Tsunade said as she voiced her opinion about the startling piece of information, even more concerned for the wellbeing of her godchildren.

"You three need to be even more careful from now on, if they were able to make the Akatsuki flee on sight who knows what they're capable of!" Kushina warned her children, her underlying message being clearly driven into the hearts of the three.

"Your mother is right about that. The fact that they were covered with a cloak only adds to their unknown factor since there were nearly zero defining features about them." Minato explained to his children, though Narumi grew a bit inquisitive at the last piece of information he had.

"What do you mean by "nearly zero," Tou-san?" She asked, getting the attention of everyone else as well.

Mentally face palming himself at his minor slipup, Minato was about to brush off her question but stopped when he caught sight of the slight pout of her lips. Sweat beginning to drop down the side of his head, he adverted his gaze only to catch sight of Mito's own pout. Snapping his head forward, he nearly cackled in laughter when he caught sight of Menma's pout as well. Exchanging glances with everyone at the table, he relented as a sigh escaped his mouth.

"The only thing that Zabuza and Asuma's team were able to make out about them was the color of their eyes and the nature of his chakra." He finally said as his family members leaned closer to catch more of what he was going to say, Minato's brow twitching a bit at the collective act.

"Haku-chan described their eyes as a frigid and empty navy blue, like he was seeing straight through her soul and more. As to the nature of his chakra, Asuma and Shikamaru described it as a vast sea of nothingness. Whoever it was, I doubt that they're human given the description that those three gave us." Minato reported as he took in the wide and slightly unsettled eyes of his family members, all of them slowly falling back into their seats as they digested the information given to them.

"W-Whoa... Just what kinda monster are they?" Menma asked to no one in particular, his family just lowering their heads to run through their memories about anyone matching the description given to them.

"I don't know Menma, but what I do know is this; whoever it was, they're a cold and ruthless ninja." Minato answered with his eyes narrowed, already on guard by the way his family was on edge.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Dining Room)

"Naruto-chan, thank you so much for breakfast! It was delicious as usual!" Toru said in a jovial tone as he praised the slightly smiling blonde before him.

"It's no trouble at all. Toru-san, Yore-san, thank you two for coming once again." Naruto said in a grateful tone as he bowed his head, the elderly couple laughing as they bid him farewell.

"Naruto-kun, we're ready to order!" A youthful and energetic voice all but shouted at him, the blonde stifling the sigh that wanted to escape as he made his way over to the owner of the voice.

"What will you be having today, ladies?" He asked the group of youthful teenage girls, the group giggling with pink tinted faces as they exchanged glances with each other.

"Well, are you on the menu today, Naruto-kun~?" One of the more brazen girls asked, eliciting a round of giggles from her companions as they awaited his answer.

"No, now could you all order something that's on the tangible menu?" He retorted curtly after repressing the sigh that desperately wished to escape, the girls swooning at his attempt at playing "hard to get."

Just as his patience was wearing thin at their relentless attempts at flirting, they finally relented and ordered a sweets sampler that was incredibly popular among the patrons of the shop. Jotting down their order, he excused himself before returning to the kitchen to prepare the current orders that were placed. Once in the security of his kitchen, he let that sigh escape his mouth as he shook his head at the antics of the girls before while he began prepping the ingredients for the orders. As the day carried onward, the shop began to be filled with even more life then it had before with the influx of more customers.

After a few minutes, the sound of delicate footsteps making it to his ear, Naruto let a small smile cross his face as he visibly relaxed as the sound got closer and louder. Soon enough, the door of the kitchen squeaked open as a demurely smiling Hisako tiptoed her way towards the cooking blonde. When she reached him, she quickly wrapped her arms around his waist in a loving hug as she nuzzled against his back; flushing a bit when she felt his chest shake softly when a gentle laugh escaped his mouth. Quickly putting the finishing touches on the dish that he was working on, Naruto turned to return the content silverette's hug as a surprised squeak left her mouth.

"How did you sleep Hisako?" Naruto asked in a gentle tone, the heart of the silverette melting when she heard his tone.

"I slept great Naruto! But you're still waking up without me." She chirped though her last statement was said with a small pout, Naruto smiling softly as he moved to kiss her gently on the forehead.

"You just look so content and peaceful when you're sleeping, there's no one in the world who'd wake someone like that just for work." Naruto relied as she flushed a deeper shade of red, hiding her face from view by burying it into the chest of the blonde.

"You're never fair." She muttered into his chest, blushing even deeper when she was subjected to his soft laughter once more.

Breaking away from each other, reluctantly in Hisako's case, Naruto returned to tending to the dishes while Hisako pit on her apron and secured her order pad. Skipping over to Naruto when he was finished plating the items, she gave him a quick kiss before taking the tray and heading out to the dining room. Shaking his head with a smile on his face, Naruto watched with a smile as Hisako caused the atmosphere of their shop to brighten up a hundred fold.

Returning to the stove, he froze when that same sense of familiarity struck him once again. Stiffly craning his neck, he narrowed his eye as he stared in the direction it came from. Before he couldn't tell what exactly it was that caused that sense of familiarity, but now that he was experiencing it for the second time he could hazard a guess as to what it was that he was feeling. Tightening his grip, he ignored the creak of the pan's handle as he contemplated what his next choice of action was.

"Ryuuton..." He muttered with a conflicted tone, knowing that the only other person besides him, that he knew of, that was able to harness it was Tatsuko.

Tatsuko, the sudden memory of the bluenette causing a dull ache in the chest of the blonde remembering her, he let a sigh escape his mouth as the memories of the time they spent together slowly came rushing back to him. A solemn smile appearing on his face, his thoughts of the bluenette began to drift from her to the others who had a place in his heart; his old friends and family. Family, the word was still a vague mystery to the blonde even after all the years he had spent with Hisako. While he knew that Hisako thought of him as family, even her husband perhaps, he didn't know if he could say the same about her.

"A human shouldn't love a monster, after all." He whispered under his breath in a solemn tone, his eye closing softly in remembrance of all the atrocities he committed to protect the silverette and their home.

Letting another sigh escape his mouth, he shook his head to rid himself of those negative thoughts before refocusing on the tasks at hand. As he was idly sautéing the vegetables in the pan he was currently tending to, he turned back towards the window and furrowed his brow once more in concern at the Ryuuton chakra that he felt emanate from the direction. Closing his eye, he decided to let sleeping dogs lie or in this case, sleeping dragons; memories of sparring with a user of similar power in the past reminding him how powerful and brutal they were, a small grimace marring his face when he imagined them enraged.

"Let's just hope Tatsuko or whoever that Ryuuton chakra belongs to doesn't find their way here." He muttered under his breath, swapping pans once the vegetables were finished cooking.

(Scene Change - Mizu no Kuni: Masu no Sato)

"W-What is she!" A terrified man all but screamed before his head was knocked off his body, the headless corpse absently grabbing at the space it once resided before collapsing.

"M-Monster!" Another screamed before his throat was seized and crushed, blooding gurgling and oozing out of his mouth as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

In the partially ransacked remains of Masu no Sato, Naru stood with an impassive expression on her face as she stared down the group of bandits that she caught in the midst of their escapade. Passing through the normally quaint but lively port village, she stopped when she heard the various screams that echoed from within. The sounds piquing her curiosity, she entered and found that the village and its villagers were in the process of being looted by a ragtag group of missing-nin and thugs. The scene before her quickly boring her, she turned to leave when a nearby bandit took notice of her and quickly moved to capture her.

Thinking she was another easy and rather bewitching young lady to abduct, his lecherous and vile thoughts were quickly devoured by the terror that consumed his psyche when Naru turned to face him. Her bewitching and beautiful visage becoming corrupted by the black smoke that emanated from her person and her soulless crimson eyes, he was unable to utter a word as she stalked up to him. Once he was within arm's reach, Naru reached over and slowly wrapped her fingers around his throat as he silently begged her to spare him. His prayers were ignored when she began to crush his throat, the man's eyes beginning to bug from their sockets before Naru tore his head off; the crushed and broken remains of his vertebrae still attached to the still bleeding and spasming extremity.

Giving the severed head a glance, Naru dismissively tossed it to the side before kicking its corpse into the center of the village; eliciting a terrified and confused reaction from the gathered group of bandits and villagers. Turning to face her, they all froze when they caught sight of her appearance, unable to utter a word as she began to make her way towards them. As Naru entered the village's center, she spotted a pair of men holding down a girl who was even younger then herself; the blank faced blonde taking note of the shredded clothing that laid around the crying and terrified girl.

Tilting her head a bit, she made her way over to them before lashing out and forcibly removing the head of the nearest man with a brutal backhand; her knuckles shattering and caving in the man's face the instant it connected. The atrocious and terrifying display of power and brutality effectively scaring everyone in the village's center; Naru finished off the other man by tearing his head off like she did with her first victim. The body of the men beginning to sway, Naru grabbed them and hurled them with monstrous force into the main body of the group of bandits reckless abandon.

The result was a violent impact, ending the lives of a few of the bandits unlucky enough to hit by the corpses. The action done, Naru looked around her and saw that, while terrified and confused, a few of the villagers around her had relaxed a tiny amount. Blinking a bit, Naru decided in that second that her current objective was to eliminate the remaining bandits; the mental image of her brother petting her head for doing such a good deed driving her person. Turning to face them, Naru's legs were soon shrouded with black and white chakra before she took a step forward, blurring and rushing towards the group as they saw the silhouette of a horrifying black and white draconian beast behind her.

"**Sendo Sangatsu**." Naru whispered in a blank tone after taking the first step, the ground behind her foot caving and collapsing as she barreled into the group of bandits.

True to the name of her jutsu, those who were caught in her charge were crushed, trampled and broken with an disturbing amount of ease. Reaching the center of the group, Naru lashed out and grabbed those closest to her before proceeding to shatter and brutalize their bodies. Connecting a devastating palm strike to the face of a nearby kunoichi, the chilling crunch of her face being caved in echoing about, Naru turned and shattered the skull of another with another vicious backhand.

Crouching low, she snapped and kicked out the legs of a nearby bandit before latching onto the broken limb with an ironclad grip. Securing her hold on it, she spun and used the pleading man as a disposable weapon to bludgeon those around him; reducing their numbers to single digits once she dropped the remains of the man, now a deformed and horrific sack of rended flesh and shattered bone. Turning to the last of the bandits, ignoring their tears and pleas for mercy, Naru sauntered up to them at a sedate pace as their pleas increased in desperation and volume.

"I'm bored now." She droned as she raised her hand towards them, black and white wind dancing around the extended limb.

Soon the space around the cowering and begging remnants of the bandits began to shimmer as similar colored wind started to encircle them. Panic and despair filling their hearts, they started screaming at her to show them the mercy they denied the same villagers they attacked. A slightly irritated huff leaving her mouth the only indication of her immense annoyance with their screams and shouts for mercy, Naru closed her hand slightly as the sphere of wind began to solidify around the group, drowning out their screams.

"**Atsutoukai**." Naru whispered as she closed her hand, the sphere of wind instantly solidifying into a dense sphere of black and white.

Then, the sphere quickly imploded before condensing into the size of a soccer ball. Channeling more Ryuuton chakra to the sphere, it began to compress into an even tighter sphere the size of a baseball. Once she was sure that there was absolutely no way that anyone would be able to differentiate who it was that was that was trapped in her jutsu, Naru opened her hand as the sphere rippled a bit before exploding outwards in a violent explosion of liquid gore and wind. The remains painting the adjacent area a dark crimson, Naru observed the aftermath of her jutsu for a second before turning and heading towards the direction she last felt her brother's presence from.

Watching with wide eyes filled with terror at the horrific and traumatizing scene displayed before them, the villages huddled together in a vain effort to stave off the feeling of death that was settled over them. Only as the distance between Naru and themselves increased did they start to feel any semblance of life return to them, feeling free from the grasp of death once she was out of eyesight. Letting a shaky breath escape their mouths, the villagers didn't know whether to celebrate the terrifying blonde for saving them or hope that she never returned from what they witnessed. There was one thing that they did know however, anything that stood between her and her objective would be subjected to a grim and horrific demise.

"Onii-chan, where are you...?" Naru whispered to herself in a longing tone, her eyes glinting with loneliness and yearning.

(Time Skip - A Few Days Later)

(Scene Change - Konoha: Hokage's Office)

"So, that's our proposal! What do you all think!" Narumi chirped as she held her hands behind her, a bright smile on her face as her family members gave both her and her older sister a series of surprised looks.

"Well, it seems like a good idea; I mean, we haven't had a vacation in a few years." Kushina quipped as she took in her daughter's proposal for a family vacation.

"I think it's a great idea! I'll need to report my time of leave and of arrival to the council we go, but I don't think they'll be a problem with me taking a few days off!" Minato added in with a smile on his face, the prospect of spending some quality time with his family making him excited.

Reaching a nearly unanimous agreement, Menma being the only one who opposed strictly because it would be distracting from his "mission" to win over the heart of Konoha's resident ice princess. It took some coaxing on Jiraiya and Minato's part, but eventually they managed to convince him to join the rest of them when they promised him a bit of personal training on their free time. With the decision of taking a vacation settled, all that was left to decide on was where they would be spending their vacation.

"I say we head over to Kumo! We'll be able to visit the gardens, sea and scenic landmarks not to mention we'll be able to see A and his ninja as well!" Minato suggested as he pointed out the most ideal destinations that they would need to visit once in Kumo, the others mulling over his idea before shaking their heads.

"I say we visit Yugakure, the hot springs there are legendary! Not only when it comes to the beauty of the women who visit them but also because of the quality of the water that fills the springs!" Jiraiya nearly shouted with excitement, though his excitement quickly calmed when Tsunade drove her fist to the back of his head.

"Quiet you pervert! There's no way I'm gonna just let you walk into a village filled with hot springs and expect you to not peep." She growled out in a low and dangerous tone, the others present laughing nervously at the duo.

"That being said... We should head to Tanzaku-Gai!" Tsunade quickly threw in with ryo signs spinning in her eyes, the others in the room giving her another round of dry laughter at her poorly hidden intentions.

"I, for one, will be content with anyplace as long as it's not too rowdy." Orochimaru quipped as he took a sip from the cup of tea resting in his hand, drawing blank looks from the others.

"I think I know just the place you guys!" Narumi suddenly exclaimed while jumping in the air, startling the others as they turned to see her holding a tourist's guide in her hands.

"The Kyuukai Hostel!" She added with shining eyes, getting curious looks from the others as they settled themselves in to listen.

"The Kyuukai Hostel?" Menma asked with a figurative question mark floating above his head, having never heard of the place before.

"It's got amazing reviews from all over! It's drawn people from all over the Elemental Nations and not just civilians either! Apparently, every single Kage has stayed there at least a night; well, beside you Tou-san." Narumi explained, though her tone went mildly flat at the mention of her father being the only Kage to have not stayed there.

""The Kyuukai Hostel is a wonderful place! The atmosphere itself makes you feel at home while the care of the owners only adds to it!" "If you haven't heard of the Kyuukai Hostel, where have you been living? Under a rock? The atmosphere is comforting, the food is extraordinary and the owners are just wonderful!" "Not only is it a place that makes you feel at home, it's also a place that feels kinda magical. If you're in the area, stay there. If you're not, go there now!"" Mito recited the reviews from the back page of the brochure, growing more and more interested in not only the hostel but the owners themselves.

"Wow, there are pretty much no negative reviews from the brochures. All of them only have positive things to say about it; how the food is so delicious it's like magic, the place makes you feel like you're right at home, and..." Mito started listing and paraphrasing the pros of the hostel, trailing off when she read one particular review about the hostel.

"Mito-chan, what's wrong?" Kushina asked in a concerned manner, a bit worried at her daughter's sudden emotional state of change.

"...I-It... I-It says..." She trailed off, her eyes beginning to swirl as a thin line of drool began to seep from the corners of her mouth.

"M-Mito-nee...?" Narumi and Menma hesitantly asked in a frightened tone, having seen that exact same look only one other time in their time together.

"They... They have ramen that's supposedly "out of this world"..." Mito whispered in a hushed tone, her bangs overshadowing her eyes as a slightly terrifying grin made it across her face.

"We're going to the Kyuukai Hostel." She all but ordered as she rose to face her family, her eyes challenging anyone to overrule her decision.

"Mito-chan, we haven't even decided as a family yet." Orochimaru quipped as he moved to rap his goddaughter gently on the head, freezing when he felt a sudden chill run up his spine.

"Orochi-jiji, didn't you say you didn't care as long as long as it's not too loud? At the Kyuukai Hostel, one of the owners makes it a point to not cause a disturbance for the other guests!" Mito said passionately as she stared down her godfather, Orochimaru sweat dropping at her expression.

"W-Well, we shouldn't dismiss the idea of going to such a nice sounding place now should we?" Minato asked while wiping away a tiny droplet of drool from his mouth, getting dry stares from his wife and mentors at the act.

"Well, I'm fine with going there; it does sound like a nice place not to mention Taiyo no Kuni is extremely beautiful and relaxing!" Kushina chirped with a bright smile on her face, turning to face the others in anticipation for their answers.

"Alright then, we'll be heading to the Kyuukai Hostel in Taiyo no Kuni in a week! So, begin packing and don't forget anything important!" Minato said after exchanging glances with everyone, giving the smiling redheads with smiles of their own.

Nodding their heads in agreement, the final decision of where their vacation would be held secured; they all moved to head out of Minato's office as he began the paperwork for his time of leave. With the others, they moved out of the tower and headed towards their own destination, intent on getting ready for their upcoming vacation.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Narumi and Hinata's Apartment)

"Ha, I'm home Hina-chan!" Narumi chirped as she took her sandals off, hearing the sound of her roommate moving to check on her.

"Ah, Umi-chan! How are you? Did your meeting go as planned?" Hinata asked as she gave her best friend a smile, Narumi returning it a hundred fold.

"Yup! My family is heading to the Kyuukai Hostel next week!" Narumi said in a barely controlled tone of excitement, Hinata giggling at her best friend's tone.

Quickly heading to her room to take grab a spare change of clothes before showing, Narumi soon joined Hinata in the living room as they caught up with the happenings of the day. As usual, Narumi sighed at Kiba's less then subtle attempts at getting information about Hinata and her relationship. Shaking her head, Narumi started off on a tangent about dogs in heat while Hinata laughed wryly at her comparison. The day that the two announced that they were dating all those years ago was still causing commotion whenever people saw the two together. If they knew the truth behind the statement, what happened years ago would no doubt happen once again.

"I dunno Hina-chan, I'm not too confident about keeping this facade up for much longer. I'm pretty sure that everyone in my family already knows, well besides Menma-nii for obvious reasons." Narumi lamented as a sigh escaped her mouth, Hinata following suit with a sigh of her own.

"I agree Umi-chan. My family has also figured out our ruse, as embarrassing as it is I think even Hanabi knows." Hinata quipped with flushed cheeks, the two young ladies sharing their mutual exasperation.

"If, no when, we come clean. There's gonna be a lot of headaches, won't there?" Narumi asked her best friend, Hinata giving her a wry smile as her head dropped.

"It couldn't last forever Umi-chan, people were bound to figure out we said that to avoid the inevitable influx of suitors." Hinata said in a tired tone, Narumi shaking her head as a sigh escaped her mouth.

Soon, the two false lovers proceeded to laze about their apartment for another day, awaiting the inevitable day that their secret would be revealed.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Mito's Apartment)

Inside of Mito's apartment, she caught the smell of something delicious as a grin broke out on her face. Quickly slipping out of her sandals, she headed towards the kitchen where Satsuki, Yakumo and Haku were chatting while they prepared lunch. Hearing the redhead enter the kitchen, they all turned to face her before a sigh escaped their mouths at the thin line of drool at the corner of hers. But soon, soft laughs escaped from the mouths of the youthful ladies at the expense of the now red faced redhead. Getting herself a plate, Mito plopped down beside Yakumo as they began talking and gossiping about their day.

"Yeah, shot down another group today too." Satsuki quipped after swallowing her mouthful of food, idly waving her chopsticks in the air to express her irritation.

"Same here, Satsuki-chan. I wonder if they'll grow tired of asking us for dates, it's only getting worst as time goes on." Haku sighed out, the soft thunk of her head hitting the countertop making her housemates laugh wryly.

"Well they'll be waiting a long time cause I'm not marrying anyone anytime soon!" Mito suddenly said with determined tone, getting a round of laughter from the others as they imagined her in Tsunade's place.

In the midst of their laughter, Yakumo's died quicker then the others' drawing their attention to her as they took in her rather somber visage. Curious and worried, they quickly tried to make her spill what was causing her inner turmoil; the brunette eventually giving in as an equally somber sigh escaped her mouth.

"I've been scheduled to a number of marriage interviews by my parents." She said in a solemn tone, the eyes of the others widening when they heard her statement.

"You what?! Why? I thought you weren't concerned with marriage, Yakumo!" Satsuki all but shouted at her best friend, Yakumo wincing at the betrayal and hurt in her best friend's tone.

"It wasn't my idea, it was my parents. They... They think it's time for me to move on..." She whispered as an unsettling silence took over the room, the eyes of the others gaining a solemn and somber glint themselves.

"Yours too, huh?" Satsuki said with a bitter laugh, contrasting against the set of tears falling from her eyes.

"I'm the heiress of my clan, Satsuki. There's only three of us and that's why my parents want me to get married as soon as possible. To ensure that my clan doesn't die out." Yakumo explained as she got understanding yet torn looks from her friends, the brunette simply smiling as she leaned in towards them.

"It's fine everyone, it really is. Maybe... Maybe it is time to move on..." She whispered in a tone that was almost about to break from the sorrow and pain it held, her friends moving to comfort her as she let a few stray tears fall from her eyes.

"Hey, why don't you all come with me to the Kyuukai Hostel? It can be a final vacation, where we can... Finally let go of my Onii-chan..." Mito said in a somber tone, getting a few wide eyes from the others before they closed them softly as they nodded their heads.

Seeing that her friends were in agreement, they all steeled themselves as they decided on what it was that they were going to do. Heading to their rooms once they finished cleaning the house, they fell onto their beds and poured their hearts out at what was going to happen. The day that they thought would never come, was going to come and soon. But, while their hearts were aching and torn; they knew that the blonde they loved would have wanted them to move on. With their friends by their sides, maybe they would be able to move on; as painful and agonizing as it sounded and would be.

(Scene Change - Konoha: Menma's Apartment)

"So, what happened?" Sasuke asked Menma as the blonde entered the living room, getting the attention of Kiba and Shino as they turned to face him as well.

"Yo Menma! So, what's the word on your vacation?" Kiba asked in his usual boisterous tone, Menma shooting the three a grin as they instantly knew what the answer was.

"So you're going on a vacation. After all that has happened, it seems like a good time to take some time off." Shino added in as Menma smiled at him, the shaded teen nodding his head in appreciation.

"Yeah! I've gotta start packing, we're leaving in a week but can't be too ready ya know!" He said in a barely controlled tone of excitement, rushing into his room as the others simply sighed and shook their heads at his childishness.

"He's still the same, even after all these years." Sasuke muttered under his breath as he took a sip of the cup of tea in his hand, Kiba and Shino nodding their heads in agreement.

"But hey, he's still our childish idiot of a blonde." Kiba quipped as they started laughing good naturedly at their housemate's nature, moving to assist him when they heard him suddenly cry out with a crash resounding from inside his room.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Main Dining Room)

"Thanks once again for coming." Naruto replied in a polite tone, bowing to the group of blushing young ladies as they tried to squeeze in a few last requests for dates from the blonde.

Watching them leave, Naruto let a soft sigh escape his mouth before moving away to clean another table. While he didn't find the people who tried to make passes at him annoying, he didn't appreciate the repeat offenders who thought he was just playing hard to get. Shaking the thought of having to deal with another out of his head, he figured the odds were in his favor seeing as there was only an hour left before it was time to close shop. Moving to clean the top of a table of a recent customer, he froze in the midst of wiping it down when he felt a nearly imperceivable jolt of fear run through the person he cared for the most along with the clatter of dishes falling to the ground. Grinding his teeth and clenching his fists in a nearly futile effort to calm himself, Naruto turned and stared down the source of Hisako's distress.

"Damn it! Are you deaf too?! I ordered this rare! Rare, not medium rare you blind bitch!" A clearly drunken man managed to slur out, Hisako flinching as she clenched her serving tray close to her chest.

"Well?! Are you gonna do something or just stand there like an idiot?!" He shouted in drunken anger, Hisako's form beginning to tremble slightly at the verbal assault she was being subjected to.

Watching with wide eyes were the other patrons in the dining hall, many of them quickly narrowing their eyes in anger and hate as they began to move to assist their favorite server. But before one of them could vocalize their disgust with the treatment he was subjecting Hisako to, their words froze in their throats when they felt a terrifying presence fill the room. Stiffly turning their heads, they could only watch in fear as Naruto began making his way over to the unsuspecting man.

"I spend my hard earned money here expecting a correct order and this happens? I heard that this place is supposed to be the best, but I guess not huh? You and that blonde bastard you work with, if you two can't even get food right; how the hell are you even still in business?!" He continued in his ranting, taking in another inhale of air only for it to freeze in his lungs when he felt death standing behind him.

Mechanically turning his head to face whatever it was that was behind him, he found a hand suddenly grip his face in a nearly crushing grip. About to bring his hands up to grab at the hand, he froze when he felt the presence of death intensify; his eyes widening in complete and utter fear when he locked eyes with Naruto's frightening navy. The fear he was feeling devouring all traces of the drunkenness he had, he was about to speak only to find the words frozen in his throat when Naruto's chilling tone rang out.

"You are no longer welcomed here." He nearly snarled, his hand shaking slightly with the desire to crush the skull of the man he was holding.

Tightening his grip on the man, a stifled cry of pain sounding escaping his throat, Naruto proceeded to drag him by the face out of the dining hall. Despite the thrashing that the man was doing, Naruto's grip only tightened in accordance to how hard the man was struggling. Once they were out of eyesight from the other guests, Naruto brought the man outside only to turn and slam him roughly into the wall of his shop. A pained groan leaving his throat, Naruto pulled back his arm before driving a fist into the man's abdomen, his eyes bugging out along with the air in his lungs from the force of the blow.

"If I _ever_ see you again, I'll kill you in the most painful way possible. Then I'll bring you back to life and do it all over again and again and again. Now get out of my sight." Naruto snarled as he slammed the man's head into the wall once more before he turned to throw him across the road.

Not satisfied with just beating and terrifying the man, Naruto forced himself to calm down before heading back inside. Once he was inside, he glanced around and saw the terrified visages of everyone who witnessed what had just happened. Grunting, he moved towards Hisako before picking her up and heading into the kitchen. Setting her down, he gave her a soft kiss on the head after a reassuring hug. Heading back out, he cleaned up the mess left behind before apologizing to the remaining patrons; though his apologies were waved off, the patrons saying they would have done the same.

Asking them to leave for the night, they all nodded their heads in an understanding manner as they left the dining room; Naruto having waved their dinner fees for the night because he caused such a scene. Quickly closing down shop, he headed towards the kitchen only to see the doors open as a silver bullet tackled him. A bit stunned, he was about to ask Hisako if she was alright but stopped when he heard her sniffling softly with small shakes of her body. His eye softening considerably, he closed it as he moved to embrace the shaken silverette. Pressing his lips against her head, he gave her a gentle kiss on the head before whispering a string of soothing words into her ear.

After a few minutes of comforting her, Hisako eventually fell asleep in his arms. Gently shifting his body, he picked her up and headed upstairs to put her to sleep. Placing her in her bed, he tucked her in before giving her a goodnight kiss. Pulling away, he felt a bit relieved when he saw that she wasn't as tense or as stressed as she was before. Giving her one more kiss to ensure her a night of sweet dreams, infused with a bit of comforting chakra, he closed the door to her room before he headed to his to retire for the night. After an hour, Hisako quietly slipped out of her own room and into Naruto; snuggling up against him in his bed as a much more relaxed and happy smile graced her face.

(Time Skip - A Week Later)

(Scene Change - Konoha: Eastern Gate)

"Is everyone ready?" Minato asked the gathered group of vacationing ninja, a wide grin on his face at the prospect of vacationing with his family.

Gathered in front of him was not only his family but a few others as well; the Momochi family, the Kurama family, the Hyuga family and the Uchiha family all wearing smiles on their faces. After the Uzumaki-Namikaze children announced their plans to their housemates, they immediately asked shared their plans with their families who in turn asked for a week of leave alongside the Uzumaki-Namikaze family.

Of course, with such a large group of the most prominent figureheads of Konoha heading out of its walls an outcry of concern was voiced by the council. After a few hours of negotiating, Minato managed to convince them that nothing would befall both their group or Konoha while they were absent. Leaving his most trusted friends behind as the temporary leaders of Konoha, he managed to placate the concern that the council felt at having such a large group of their most powerful ninja leave.

"Alright then, let's get going! I managed to get us all two weeks of leave, it'll take around two days to reach Taiyo no Kuni and another two to get us back; so we'll be enjoying around ten days of relaxation and fun! So let's all get going!" Minato said as they all gave him a round of cheer, quickly heading out of the village gates as a wryly laughing Kotetsu and Izumo watched them go.

"They're all lucky to be getting two weeks off. What I'd do for that..." Kotetsu lamented in a defeated tone, Izumo giving him a bland look before knocking his head.

"With how much you sleep while on duty, I'm surprised that Minato-sama hasn't made you work extra to cover the time you've been sleeping!" Izumo shouted at his partner, Kotetsu having the decency to laugh wryly at the truthful accusation.

(Time Skip - A Day Later)

(Scene Change - Yu no Kuni: Western Border - Naru's Location)

"Hmm... I was this way, wasn't it?" Naru asked herself in a quiet tone, glancing around towards the north when she felt a sudden pulse of her beloved brother's chakra.

Trusting her instincts, she started heading towards the last known location of his presence. Humming a reoccurring tune from her "memories," Naru started singing in a soft voice; attracting a multitude of wildlife like a scene from a young maiden's dream. Closing her eyes as she felt the sun's rays on her person, a thin upturn of her lips indicated her content mood as she continued on her way. As she grew closer and closer to where her older brother laid, she paused when she heard amiable commotion from ahead of her. Blinking her eyes, she was about to ignore it when she felt something vaguely similar to what she felt from her older brother. As she neared them, the mangled voices soon became more audible and distinctive; Naru getting a bit more curious when she saw a large group of people happily chatting and traveling together.

"You still need to give me that recipe, Hikari!" The older redheaded woman asked the older dark blue haired woman, Naru getting even more curious when she saw her pale, pupil-less eyes.

"Ah, I always forget Kushina; I'll be sure to give it to you when we return back home." The woman now known to Naru as Hikari said, the two giggling softly as they continued to make light talk.

"Giving it to just Kushina wouldn't be fair, Hikari. The other moms, including myself, are dying to know what you put in it!" The oldest raven hair woman quipped, Hikari and Kushina giggling even louder when they turned to talk to her.

"You're definitely right about that, Mikoto! No one beats Hikari when it comes to sweets, no one!" Kushina said as she praised the Hyuga, Hikari blushing a bit at the praise.

Continuing behind them at a sedate pace, Naru quickly picked up the names of the group in front of her; a few names in particular catching her attention. Mulling over the strange feeling of dull rivalry and vague familiarity, she didn't notice that the group stopped to rest but not before sparing her a glance.

After they stopped to take a break, having been walking nonstop for a few hours, the Konoha group were settling down for a midday picnic when they heard walking behind them. A bit surprised that they were unable to detect the person, they were immediately set on edge when the thought ran through their minds once more. Tensing in preparation for a fight, they spun around only to freeze solid when they caught sight of who it was that was trailing behind them. She was a perfect female version of the blonde that had passed five years ago, her exact physical properties and features a near complete match with Naruto.

"Is something on my face?" Naru asked in a blank tone, tilting her head in a curious manner at what it was that they were gawking at.

"O-Oh! S-Sorry for staring young lady, it's just that, you remind us of someone very important to us." Minato said as he bowed his head, a bit embarrassed that he stared so intently at her.

"Oh. Ok, bye then." Naru said in the same monotone as before, eliciting a surge of nostalgia from the Konoha ninja as it resembled Naruto's own tone all those years ago.

Bowing her head slightly as she excused herself, Naru continued on her way, singing the same song from before as the Konoha ninja continued to stare at her back. Many feeling a bit downtrodden from the eerily uncanny resemblance, they shook their heads as the possibility of the blonde being related to Naruto. Spending a few minutes in silence, more so for those who were close to the blonde, they eventually started on their lunch. Though, the heads of those who were curious turned back to face the direction that Naru had headed off in, having an inkling that she was heading in their direction as well.

With Naru, she erased the feelings that she had for the group from her heart; knowing that they weren't going to help her find her brother at all. Turning to look behind her, Naru decided to increase her pace as the group behind were no doubt wary of her for reasons unknown to her. Channeling chakra to her legs, she blurred slightly, leaving behind an afterimage that faded a few seconds later. Leaving nothing behind but a minor disturbance of sand on the road, Naru sped towards the east with speed unseen by most.

(Scene Change - Yu no Kuni: Western Border - Konoha Group's Location)

Finishing with their meal, the group decided that a few extra minutes of rest would be best for everyone. Watching with concerned eyes, those who weren't as close to the blonde as the ones sitting beside them watched a myriad of emotions pass on the faces of those individuals. For those individuals, the chance meeting with the enigmatic blonde only served to dampen their excited mood as she brought up unwanted memories.

"Who was she? Why did she remind me so much of Naruto?" Minato asked himself out loud, Kushina reaching over to hold his hand softly.

"It's not just you Minato, I think that feelings the same for all of us." She told him while giving his hand a loving squeeze, the heads of the others nodding softly at her statement.

"Well, whoever she was, she gives me the creeps." Sasuke said as he shivered slightly, unsettled by the fresh memory of her tone and actions.

"Yeah, I second that. She was rather unsettling to say the least." Itachi added in as he furrowed his brow, mostly due to the fact that he was unable to detect her presence until she was right behind them.

"Something about her feels familiar though... It... It felt like I was with Naru-nii..." Narumi whispered with a longing tone, her eyes reflecting her tone as she tried to find some way that they were connected.

"I feel the same Umi-chan, something about her felt really familiar. Scarily so." Tsunade added as she mulled over the idea of a clone, immediately tossing the crazed idea out as no one but Hiruko had the means to create one.

"Hmm... A clone would be the most plausible idea but only Hiruko has the technology and drive to research something like that. However, there is no way that he would allow an experiment to wander freely like she was." Orochimaru theorized as he confirmed and destroyed Tsunade's own theory, the others nodding at his train of thought.

"Well, whoever she is there's one thing that grabbed my attention." Jiraiya said in an unusually serious tone, getting the attention of the others in the group.

"And what's that Jiraiya-jiji?" Menma asked his godfather, swallowing the lump in his throat when Jiraiya turned his serious gaze on him.

"She... Was a complete 10! Did you see those proportions!? I need to find her again and figure out her BWH, there's no way I'll find someone with those measurements ever again!" He shouted in a panicked and slightly lecherous tone, getting dry stares from everyone present.

"Mama, what's BWH mean?" Ruto asked Anko, everyone freezing at the question before the mothers present turned to the white haired man.

Soon, the sounds of Jiraiya being punished for tainting the language of Anko and Zabuza's child filled the surrounding area. After a few minutes, and reluctant healing via Tsunade, they began the trek to the Kyuukai Hostel once more; feeling much better then they did earlier after their encounter with Naru. As the sun began to set over the horizon, they all had bright smiles light up their faces when they caught sight of the beautiful setting sun shining over Taiyo no Kuni. A bit in awe over the colors that were dancing across the sky, they quickened their pace as they still had a few hours until they reached their destination.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Dining Room)

"Thank you for coming once again, Airi-san!" Hisako said in a polite tone with a bow, the older woman laughing softly as she moved to bow herself.

"It's always a treat to be able to enjoy not only Naruto-kun's cooking but your company as well Hisako-chan." Airi said in a regal manner, Hisako's cheeks flushing at the compliment as Airi simply laughed softly before bidding the silverette farewell.

"Ah, before I forget! Hisako-chan, you and Naruto-kun are heading to Irihi no Sato for the Summer Festival aren't you?" She asked in a curious manner, Hisako rising and giving her a smile and nod in response to her question.

"Yes we are Airi-san, Hisako has been marking the days down on her calendar for the past few weeks." Naruto suddenly said with a mirthful tone, Hisako blushing a bit but smiling demurely and happily.

"Ah, well it's a shame that the shop will be closed for a bit but be sure to visit my family's stall! I'll be sure to give you two a discount for all you've done for me and my family!" Airi said in a happy tone, Naruto and Hisako smiling and thanking her for her generosity.

Parting ways, Naruto and Hisako gave her one more bow in gratitude before they began closing down their shop. Watching Hisako skip and dance about in barely contained excitement and bliss, Naruto had a larger smile make it to his face as she hummed a joyful tune while she cleaned. Shaking his head in a happy manner at her eagerness to finish and get ready, Naruto sped up his cleaning in order to get to the festival before it got too crowded. Finishing with plenty of time to spare, Hisako sped to the baths to get ready while Naruto did the same at a more sedate pace with a small smile still on his face.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Unknown Camp)

"Aniki, if we're gonna take over now's the best chance for us to hit it; they're in the middle of a festival right now." A scarred man said to a much larger man, the man contemplating a bit before nodding.

"If we manage to secure a solid foothold in Taiyo no Kuni, we'll be able to take control of the eastern coast. With the number of products being exported beginning to rise, we'll be able to limit the amount of imported goods that can reach Shimo no Kuni and in turn put pressure on Kanki. Once we whittle down their supplies, we'll be able to strike and take back our country. Irihi no Sato sits right on the coast, taking that will accelerate our plan no doubt." The man said in a low tone, the others nodding their heads in acknowledgement before one spoke up.

"Not to mention all the women we'll be able to collect! Just thinking about them makes me wanna head right into there!" A man shouted with a lecherous tone, immediately ending all conversations in the camp.

A bit perplexed, he was about to question why the commotion died down only to choke on a kunai embedded into his throat. His eyes wide, he stared in shock at the perpetrator, seeing that it was the man he thought as his boss. Struggling to speak, he was silenced when someone stuck him on the back of the head, sending him hurling into the ground. Managing to look up with betrayed eyes, he saw the cold glares of the others in the camp.

"I should've known better then to recruit those who were questionable in their motives. Get this filth out of my camp." The man ordered in a frigid tone, a pair of disgusted kunoichi moving to drag his corpse out of the area.

"Anyone else caught attacking the innocent; man, woman or child will be killed immediately. We are not nor will we be another group of bandits that pillage, rape and kill as we please. We are here for a cause, that cause being the liberation of Shimo no Kuni from the man who calls himself the Daimyo. Kanki has grown greedy during this time of peace, and it's us who will be liberating and restoring our land to its former glory." He started to monologue as he rose, those who were thinking of doing exactly that shivering as his icy gaze locked onto him.

"You are not to kill anyone, am I clear? You are to scare them into surrendering or fleeing and, in only the event that someone tries to kill you, disable them by breaking a joint. I will NOT tolerate killing or molestation. If I even catch WIND of you performing either act, I will personally kill you myself. We are not animals or barbarians who harm those who are not involved with our campaign. Am I understood?" He demanded in a commanding tone, the ninja gathered before him straightening their backs as a resounding yell of confirmation left their mouths.

"Good. Now, let our quest for Shimo no Kuni's rebirth begin. There will not be blood to be shed until we return home, and the blood that will flow will only be Kanki's, remember that. Now go, you've an hour to prepare." He ordered once more, getting another round of confirmation from his troops before they headed to prepare for the invasion.

"Aniki, do you think we'll avoid any bloodshed?" The shorter man asked, the larger man releasing a sigh as he shook his head.

"Of course not Tonari, some of those fools will wish to show off the power they have to those who lack it. No doubt this will be a bloody crusade. I pray that Kami-sama forgive me for being a part of the loss of those who are innocent." The man said in a solemn tone, Tonari grimacing as he patted the man on the back.

"You've done the best you can Aniki, once we reclaim Shimo no Kuni it'll all be worth it." Tonari said as the man nodded his head stiffly, releasing a sigh before he rose to his full height once more.

"Toushou-sama, Squads 1-4 are ready for departure! The remaining squads are on standby like you've ordered!" A commanding shinobi reported, Toushou nodding his head as he calculated the amount of manpower needed to subjugate a small village without causing major damage.

"Squads 1 and 2 are to come with me, the rest of you stay and regain your strength. No doubt you all need it after the encounter with that swordsman." Toushou ordered in a softer tone, the shinobi nodding his head as he moved to relay his orders.

"_Forgive me people of Irihi no Sato, but I need your village in order to advance my ambition. You're village will be in capable hands. Once we've liberated Shimo no Kuni, your village will be returned to you, I swear on my name."_ Toushou thought to himself as he uttered a prayer to the villagers who he would no doubt be harming, offering his condolences before they struck.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Lobby)

Standing in the lobby, Naruto had his eye closed as he awaited his date for the night. Dressed in a simple black yukata, Naruto was dressed for both comfort and action; his instincts warning him of something ominous lurking over the horizon. Hearing a sound, he turned and glanced up the stairway and had a small smile grace his face as he saw Hisako dressed in a snow white yukata with a gold dragon etched protectively onto it. A bright smile on her face, Hisako skipped over to Naruto as the blonde leaned down to give her a soft kiss on the forehead.

"You look excited, Hisako." Naruto said in a mirthful tone, Hisako flushing a bit as it exemplified the demure but radiant smile on her face.

"I am Naruto! We should hurry, before it gets too crowded!" She chirped in an eager tone, Naruto laughing softly as she linked her arms with his.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Outskirts of Irihi no Sato)

"Ah! Look, a festival is going on!" Narumi called out as they saw the lights shining from above the village.

"Why not make a stop there, seems like it'll be a great time!" Jiraiya said with a grin on his face, getting dry looks from those present.

"Well the Kyuukai Hostel is right by, so it'll be a good place to let our fun out before he head there to rest." Minato said with a smile on his face, the others quickly moving to follow when they started towards the village.

Though, as they were approaching, their eyes went wide when they saw a large number of shadows headed towards the village from the outskirts. Exchanging glances, they nodded their heads as they kicked up their speed, sprinting towards the village as they hoped and prayed that no one would be hurt while the festivities were going on.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Irihi no Sato)

A few minutes away from their destination, they were soon greeted with their neighbors as they happily chatted with each other. The sun just about to kiss the horizon, they quickened their pace as the excitement in their bodies began to reach its peak. Reaching the gate of Irihi no Sato, they were once again in awe as the sights, sounds and smells of the festival enticed their senses. Grinning, the men quickly rushed to compete against each other and show off to their loved ones while the women squealed as were chased by their lovers.

"Ah, Naruto, I can hear the Yo-yo Tsuri stand!" Hisako said in a barely controlled tone of excitement, Naruto laughing softly as she led him towards the stall.

Arriving, Hisako was about to pay the man operating the stall only to be politely declined as they had offered him a free meal at their hostel on one of his tougher days. Smiling and bowing her head in gratitude, Hisako focused her chakra as she began humming a determined tune. Then, she quickly honed in on a vulnerable target before snagging her prize. Watching with awe were a few children who immediately sought to win a yo-yo of their own; Hisako smiling brightly when she showed Naruto her prize.

"Look Naruto, I won! I did it!" She said in a proud but demure tone, Naruto smiling as he ruffled her hair in a loving and gentle manner to avoid messing it up.

"That was amazing Hisako, you didn't even seem to be trying." The blonde responded as she flushed further, fidgeting shyly under his praise as the children playing beside her grumbled at their bad fortune.

Smiling at each other, Hisako moved beside the children before helping them with the game; eventually her coaching succeeded as they all managed to win a yo-yo of their own. Laughing softly when she was hugged by the children, Hisako linked her arms together with Naruto's once more before they were off to enjoy the other stalls after bidding farewell to the stall owner. Though, Naruto's happy facade hid the tenseness that he was feeling as the sky seemed to lose a bit of the brightness that it had before. It was then that everything turned dark, a large number of smoke bombs confusing and causing panic within the village walls.

Cursing under his breath as the crowd began to rush about as panic and confusion spread, he was about to wrap up Hisako in a secure embrace only to panic himself when she was swept up in the crowd of rushing people. Gritting his teeth, he started after her in the direction that she was washed away in; growing more and more agitated when he was unable to pass through the crowd. Disregarding his self imposed rule, Naruto let his old skills surface as he escaped the crowd and headed to the rooftops. Easily making his way to the top of the roofs, he quickly scanned the area and widened his eyes when he saw that a large group of ninja had also taken the roofs.

"Damn them." Naruto muttered under his breath, his agitation growing to dangerous levels as the knowledge that these ninja ruined Hisako's fun was made known to him.

Clenching his fists, he began channeling chakra to them only to slow when he saw that they weren't moving. Narrowing his eyes, he quickly glanced down and saw that they weren't attacking the civilians like most invasion parties would. Ignoring them, when he felt terror and despair fill Hisako as his rage bubbled over. A plume of smoke covering him, his yukata was replaced with his combat gear and scarf. Securing them, he made sure that his face was completely covered before he vanished in a flash of black and crimson.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Irihi no Sato - Hisako's Location)

"Damn, we got quite the beauties huh?"

"Heh, what the boss doesn't know won't hurt em right?"

"We gotta hurry up, the sooner we get rid of them the less chance we'll be found out."

As the group of men and women were deciding on who belonged to who, they grabbed their captives before relocating from their position. En route to a newly abandoned building, they were stopped when a large group of ninja; both friendly and foreign surrounded them. Panic filling their bodies, they brought their captives up as they held a kunai to their throats. Their eyes widening in panic and fear, they cried out for anyone to help as the ninja present tensed at the action. Managing to free herself from the grip of her captor, Hisako cried out for the one person who she knew would save her no matter the circumstance.

"Naruto!" She cried out with tears falling from her eyes, hoping and praying that her beloved would appear and save her as farfetched as it appeared.

A bit stunned by her action, the captors were about to silence her when an devastating amount of killing intent forced their bodies and minds to stall. The same was true for the ninja surrounding the group, the ex-comrades of the ninja feeling utter fear fill their hearts while the Konoha ninja stiffened at the name the silverette had cried out. Then, like a scene from a dream or nightmare, a cloaked man appeared in a flash of black and crimson. The eyes of those who knew exactly what that jutsu resembled widening with fear and confusion.

Appearing in front of Hisako with his fist drawn back, Naruto lashed out and connected his fist with the head of the woman holding her. Upon impact, her face caved in before being splattered across the wall she was standing in front of. Her body moving to grab at the nonexistent extremity, Naruto grabbed Hisako in a secure and comforting embrace. Spinning on the ball of his foot, he shattered the spine and vertebrae of the remaining two captors as they released their hostages. Once they were down, he checked on the silverette in his arms as she rose to meet his gaze with tears running down his face.

"You came for me..." She choked out as a whisper, a bright smile on her face as she buried her face into his chest.

"You called, right?" He answered in a soft tone, holding her close as he rose to meet the ninja around him with an even more disturbing amount of killing intent.

While Naruto was focused on making sure none of the ninja here left alive, he failed to notice the petite figure staring down at him with wide eyes. While she was foraging for her dinner, Naru heard the sounds of screaming as her curiosity took over. Heading into the village, was about to repeat what she had done before but froze when she felt him. Her heart racing faster, her cheeks gaining more color and her eyes lightening up; she sped towards the source of the presence and stopped when she caught sight of him. Even though he was garbed head to toe in black, a cloak obstructing any and all physical features of his person, she knew that it was him.

"Onii-chan... I found you..."

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's a wrap guys, tell me that you think alright? Oh snap, is it the meeting that's been bound to happen all this time? And Naru? Man, that was cool-blooded Naru and now you've got your Onii-chan within arm's reach. And Naruto? My man, you are killing it with Hisako-chan; don't let the other bro's snatch her up alright man? But eh, maybe you know? Maybe I know? All I know is that this was a fun chapter to write, especially the beat down scenes, and I hope it was enjoyable for you all to read as well. And you know the drill, right? Till next time, you all stay awesome.**

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**Sendo Sangatsu - Death March**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A relatively simple jutsu that Naru created. It is a charged, rush down attack that involves Naru charging herself with enough Ryuuton chakra to create a "shell" of sorts that augments the strength and fatality of her charge. She then charges towards her target, running then down and crushing their bodies with the charge. The "shell" acts as a barrier of sorts, being able to repel and stave off weaker attacks which keeps Naru safe from harm.

**Atsutoukai - Pressure Collapse**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A gruesome jutsu that Naru devised, similar in principal to Tatsuko's **Suiryuuton: Fuchitoukai**. Naru creates a "shell" around her intended target using Ryuuton chakra, the shell of wind muffling all sound going in and out. By closing her hand, Naru increases the density of the sphere and the pressure that it exerts on those trapped inside of it. By closing her hand completely, Naru causes the sphere to implode on itself, crushing and killing whatever it is that's trapped inside. By focusing more chakra, Naru can remotely increase the pressure exerted and in turn liquefy those trapped in the sphere. By opening her hand, Naru can cause the sphere to rupture, creating a shockwave. The power of the shockwave is dependent on how much pressure was built up before the detonation; the resulting explosion being able to serve as either a simple distraction or another attack altogether.

**Suiryuuton: Fuchitoukai - Water Dragon Release: Abyss Collapse**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A gruesome jutsu that Tatsuko created after learning about water pressure. Creating a bubble around her target, Tatsuko emulates the pressure at extreme depths by charging the bubble with Ryuuton natured chakra. Once the ideal amount of chakra is gathered, Tatsuko closes her hand and crushes her opponents with the sphere. The damage can range from simple disorientation to complete liquefaction.


	34. Chapter 32

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. It's been a bit hasn't it? Been caught up with work, having a pretty wild set of hours doesn't help all that much. So what've you kids been up to? Studying, reading and all that good stuff I hope. This chapter, this chapter is a bit funky. I'm not too sure, but I had a fun time writing it; especially the comedy filled bits, they're always a blast to write since I'm kinda really bad at writing anything other then serious stuff. So yeah, I gotta thank all you cool cats and dogs who actually wait for this story to update and enjoy reading it. And just a heads up guys, I've got a poll on my profile; it's nothing serious and it won't affect the story in anyway whatsoever I just wanna see who you guys like the most outta the girls so far. One more thing, I'm working on a "Character Profile" series, which is basically information about a specific character with a brief paragraph or two and miscellaneous information about the characters in the story, tell me if your actually interested in it so I know I ain't wastin' my time, please. ****So hopefully, y****ou all remember the routine right? Read, Review and PM me if you want to; I really do enjoy reading your PM's and Reviews cause a lot of the time they're just awesome. Well, that's enough of me yapping right? You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 32

Silence, that's what permeated the area that the gathered group of ninja openly gawked at the mysterious and terrifying newcomer before them. What stunned a majority of them was the silverette who had her face buried into his chest in a relieved and safe manner, seemingly ignorant of the fact that he had killed the kunoichi holding her with a single blow. But for a few of those present, namely those from Konoha with strong attachments to the name "Naruto," they felt a much different emotion stir within them. For them, many thoughts ran through their minds; most of them revolving around the seemingly impossible idea that they were looking at and were in the presence of the very same Naruto who had left them five years ago.

"Hisako, keep your eyes closed and cover your ears alright? I promise that everything will be fine." He whispered to the softly nodding silverette in his arms, smiling softly as she immediately followed his orders as she placed her hands over her ears.

Once she did just that, Naruto's smile immediately died as he turned his arctic gaze over the ninja gathered in the immediate area. But when he laid eyes on the disbelieving faces of his old friends from Konoha, he stifled the curse that wanted to escape his lips. Having a rather good idea as to what they were doing in Taiyo no Kuni, he pushed the thought to the back of his mind as his primary objective at the moment was the complete and utter annihilation of the ninja who ruined everyone's, namely Hisako's, night. Summoning a customized smoke pellet from the seal on his wrist, he let it drop as a chakra infused smoke blanketed the area.

The smoke pellet that Naruto had just dropped was of a custom make, being made of materials only found on Thousand Blade Mountain. The "Empress of Stealth" herself, Chameleos, taught the blonde everything he knew about avoiding detection and of how to blend the chakra rich plants found on the mountain into extremely potent and effective forms of concealment. The resulting smoke being able to trick and blind the sight of even the most visually powerful dragons, as he found out with his experimentation. The smoke that was contained inside of that pellet was particularly thick, those caught inside of it being barely able to see their own hands.

Securing his grip on Hisako, he created a clone for the imminent massacre as he sped away with Hisako back to the outskirts of the village. Once he was out of sight, he quickly changed his clothes back to what they were prior to engaging and saving the silverette. Glancing back, he had to suppress the small frown that made it to his face as he ran through a series of possible scenarios that would no doubt play out in the coming hours. Letting a quiet sigh escape his mouth, he gently cupped Hisako's hands with his as he began to explain the situation to her; seeing her give him a slightly surprised look before it was replaced with an understanding smile. Smiling at her, he gave her a soft kiss on the forehead as he thanked her; the silverette flushing a bit before reassuring him that she would always be there for him.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Irihi no Sato - Village Center)

With the clone, it quickly transformed itself so that both eyes were in view instead of the eyepatch that would no doubt give the original away. Then, it vanished as the senses of the ninja present sprang to life; though they did nothing to save their respective owners as they were killed. Appearing behind the closest ninja to it, the clone lashed out and shattered their spine; the garbled scream of pain alerting those nearby of their comrade's demise. As their fear increased, so was the panic that was setting in; many preparing a jutsu despite the orders they were given just moments ago. Taking a deep breath, they channeled chakra to their lungs as they frantically searched the area for any signs of the concealed assassin.

"**Futon: Daitoppa**!" They screamed as they let loose a powerful gust of wind, though their hopes fell when the smokescreen showed no signs of dissipating.

When their most logical solution to ridding the area of the smokescreen failed, they finally cracked as the distant sounds of their comrades screaming in agony before silence echoed though the empty village. Staring with wide eyes and trembling bodies, the invading ninja could do nothing but await the Shinigami lurking in the fog as they fell to darkness one by one. As the last of the ninja stood frozen with terror overriding their minds, they could only watch as he stepped towards themselves before a brief flash of agony and finally darkness took over.

For the Konoha ninja, they were huddled together with the men of the family protectively encircling their loved ones and friends. Glaring into the smokescreen with a furrowed brow was a distraught and unsettled Hiashi; being utterly baffled as to why he was unable to peer through the smoke with his Byakugan. The same was true for his brother and their family members, the Hyuga family being rather terrified at the situation at hand. They were completely and utterly blind, a thought and possibility that's never crossed their minds.

"Hizashi, you're not able to see are you?" Hiashi asked his brother, the other Hyuga shaking his head in the negative as a grimace marred his face.

"No, it's like trying to look through a solid wall of chakra. This smoke far too condensed and dense with chakra to be regular smoke."

The same was true for the Uchiha family; Fugaku, Itachi, Mikoto, Satsuki and Sasuke being unable to pierce through or follow any movement or chakra in the smoke with their Sharingan. While they didn't have the piercing prowess that their fellow clan had, they were proud of their eyes and the abilities that they bestowed upon them. What made them feel vulnerable wasn't the fact that they couldn't see their opponent but rather the thought that there was an opponent who effectively tricked their eyes with such a simple tactic.

"Damn it, Niisan, Satsuki; are you two able to see anything?" Sasuke asked his older siblings, the small frown marring the elder Uchiha's faces being all that he needed to know for an answer.

"Nothing here, it's way too dense for me to catch sight of anything..." Satsuki quipped as she tightened her grip on her wakizashi, her eyes constantly darting around the smoky area.

"No, I'm not catching anything. Tou-san, Kaa-san; are you two seeing anything?" Itachi asked his parents, the eyes of the two darting back and forth as a bead of sweat fell down the side of their faces.

"I'm not seeing anything, this isn't a regular smokescreen." Fugaku replied as he tightened his grip on the kunai in his hand, his family doing the same as they felt isolated and cut off from the rest of the group.

"Tou-san, Kaa-chan; please stay behind me!" Yakumo all but ordered her parents, her tanto clutched tightly in her right hand as she held the other in a half seal.

"Don't worry about us, Yakumo. We're retired, but we were capable ninja back in our time." Murakumo replied as he readied a set of seals for anything that was to come at his family, his wife mirroring the action with a set of her own seals.

"Your father is right, Yakumo. We're not as helpless as you believe." Uroko added as she scanned the area around her family, grimacing slightly at her lack of success at sensing any bodies out in the smoke.

Standing protectively around the shaking form of their child and baby brother, the Momochi family were ready to kill on sight as they scanned the area for any signs of a threat to their vulnerable family member. For them, lacking the visual powers of their companions, they were reasonably tense though that was saying something. For Zabuza and Haku in particular, two individuals skilled and trained to kill in the concealment of the mist, they were even more tense then the others as they watched the areas that they were all too familiar with striking from.

"Anko, make sure you don't let go of Ruto! I was trained to kill in the mist and I taught that to Haku, we've got a damn good idea where they'll strike." Zabuza told his wife, the purple haired woman nodding her head as she secure her hold on their son.

"Tou-san, I can't get a feeling as to where they'll attack from. It feels like they're going to strike from every possible angle." Haku said in a slightly frightened tone, Zabuza wincing as he knew what she was feeling as he was feeling it as well.

"Mama, Papa, Nee-chan! That's the Black Angel that saved Papa!" Ruto exclaimed with shining eyes at his family, the eyes of the Momochi parents widening at the given piece of information.

With the Uzumaki-Namikaze family, they had much greater form of defense and a more threatening response due to the **Kongō Fūsa **protruding from Mito, Narumi and Kushina's backs; their eyes narrowed to dangerous slits as they felt the ambient area around them using their chains. For the rest of their family; Kakashi had his Sharingan trained on the smokescreen. Minato had his **Hiraishin** kunai at the ready, Menma having created a clone, Shizune creating a chakra scalpel, and the Sannin with them all in the ready.

"Mito-nee, Kaa-chan; can you two feel anything?" Narumi asked in a nervous tone, getting a negative shake of the head from the two.

"Nothing but buildings and stalls... And a few corpses." Mito replied with a grimace, terrified with the horrific amount of damage done to the bodies.

"Keep a level head girls, who knows when they'll try and flank us." Kushina replied with a cool tone, her daughters quickly following her example as they felt out more of their environment.

"Sensei, what should we do?" Kakashi asked his mentor, Minato furrowing his brow slightly as he ran through a series of possible scenarios, finding that each was lacking a reliable response due to the lack of information at hand.

"Nothing, we stay together and minimize the possibility of any of us being picked off. We don't know what they're capable of and to be frank, that's the advantage that they have over us." The blonde replied as he got an affirmative nod of the head from the silver haired man, the group huddling closer together as the area gained an eerie quietness to it.

"Minato-sama, Hiashi-san, Hizashi-san, Fugaku! Do you see any signs of them?" Zabuza called out from his family's position, getting a negative reply from the other families.

"No, and the smoke doesn't seem to be getting any thinner; in fact, I think it's actually getting thicker!" Hiashi replied as the eyes of the Konoha ninja widened, the statement being the exact opposite of what they had thought it to be.

As the knowledge that the smoke was getting thicker echoed through their minds, they began regrouping as they continued to remain vigilant of the black cloaked person hunting them in the smoke. Stumbling over the corpses of the ninja who invaded, they were a bit disgusted with the amount of damage that was evident on their bodies and the area around them; Tsunade, Shizune, Haku and Narumi in particular as they knew precisely the amount of force and precision needed to cause such horrific damage. After a few minutes of guarded moving, they were finally within arm's reach of each other, awaiting the attack of their cloaked enemy.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Naruto and Hisako's Location)

After a bit of high speed running, Naruto finally stopped a discrete distance away from the group of concerned and recently evacuated villagers. Putting the silverette back on her feet, with a bit of noticeable reluctance from her, he offered her his arm as a small smile made it to her face. Taking his arm with hers, they made their way over to the gathered group as the eyes of many widened with relief as they stopped the pair. Many of the villagers who were customers and regulars of their hostel quickly moving to check on the two for any injuries, they were politely told that they were in fact fine.

"Naruto-kun, Hisako-chan! Are you two alright?!"

"I'm so glad to see that you're both safe!"

"You two had us so worried! We didn't know if you were safe or not!"

As many expressed their relief and thanks that the pair were safe, they were met with smiles as the two thanked them for their concerns. Regrouping, some of the villagers could only watch as their home slowly became shrouded by a thick smoke. Their hearts dropping at the sight, they turned and took comfort that their families were safe and sound. The fact that none of their family or friends being injured or missing greatly covering the cost of their homes and belongings.

"Naruto, please protect everyone." Hisako whispered to the man she loved, giving his hand a squeeze as he returned it softly.

"Don't worry Hisako, everything will be fine. I promise." He whispered back to her in a soothing tone, Hisako smiling a bit as she nodded her head softly.

"Everyone, we need to get away from here; we don't know if they'll be pursuing us and we've got injured people. The closet place to take shelter is our hostel, let's get going." Naruto all but ordered in a calm yet commanding tone, the heads of many nodding as they began helping their injured friends and neighbors to the waiting hostel.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Irihi no Sato - Village Rooftop)

"Onii-chan, you're so cool...!" Naru whispered in a bashful and awed tone, her face lighting up with more emotion and life then it had the entire time she was awake.

Watching the smoke cover the area, she had a small downturn of the lips grace her face; but when she heard the screams of the ninja who attacked the village echo about, that downturn turned upwards. Content with just watching and listening to her beloved brother show off his skill and dominance, she hummed a happy tune as she took a seat on the rooftop she was standing on. Kicking her feet in a happy and cheerful manner, she opted to wait out until the screams died down before she would greet her brother; seeing as all the distractions would be out of the way.

After a few minutes of listening to the screams of those being hunted by her older brother, they quieted to nothing as Naru had a marginally larger upturn of her lips at the lack of sound. Leaning over, she dropped down to the area below seemingly undeterred by the heavy and thick smokescreen that smothered the area. As she landed, Naru stood up and glanced around; a bit surprised that she wasn't able to get a feel of her brother from within the smoke; having been able to feel him from inside smokescreens before. A small pout appearing on her face at the knowledge, she entered her Apex state as her chakra skyrocketed.

"**Jinrai**." She whispered as she channeled chakra to her hands, bringing them together as a sound akin to the same of her jutsu ripped through the area.

It wasn't only the sound of a clap of thunder that ripped through the area, the smokescreen itself was blown away as a tremendously powerful gale of wind tore through it like wet tissue paper. Watching with wide eyes were both the ninja from Konoha and Naruto's clone; both parties unable to believe what they had just witnessed, the clone more so then the Konoha ninja. But once it got over its initial shock at having the smokescreen dispelled, it found itself stunned when he locked onto Naru's form. The opposing blonde having the exact signs of being an Apex not to mention an eerie and uncanny resemblance to himself.

"Onii-chan...!" Naru said in a barely audible tone filled with delight and happiness, quickly closing the distance between herself and the blonde before her.

Before anyone was able to blink, she was already happily embracing the older blonde before her. A content sigh escaping her mouth, she snuggled into his chest as the clone stood frozen; feeling an astonishing amount of both nostalgia and eeriness sinking into itself. Part of it felt that the blonde embracing it was a long time and very fond friend or family member who he was forced apart from while another part felt a strange sense of self with the blonde; like she was a part of him. But before it got content with the situation at hand, the realization that she had all the signs of being an Apex snapped the clone out of its stupor.

Quickly substituting itself with a piece of broken lumber nearby, the clone narrowed its eyes on the confused and now pouting face of the blonde before it. Naru turning to face the clone, she gave him a pout that had the power to shatter the wills of mortal men; the clone wincing at the sad and disappointed look on her face as she tilted her head in a cute manner.

"Onii-chan, why did you do that? Do you not like me anymore?" Naru asked in a cute and tearful tone, the clone grimacing as a dull yet sharp ache suddenly echoed through his heart.

"_I've got a sister...?_" Was the thought that ran through the clone's mind, having a very vague memory of a blonde haired girl who called him her brother.

Memories, the lack of his family in there was rather unsettling for the blonde. The only memories of his old home of Konoha were of a select few people; Ryuuhei, Zabuza, Anko, Haku, Satsuki and Yakumo being really the only ones that he had any lingering memories of. Though he knew his repressed memories were a product of White's influence, there was something more if he wasn't able to recall the ones he once called family. Shaking its head, the clone shifted its head towards the faces of the other ninja who were present in the attack.

He saw the faces of his old friends, the ones who still caused a dull ache to echo through his heart at the knowledge that they truly didn't know that he was still among the living. Zabuza, the man who he saved not too long was a father figure to him. Anko, the woman who doted on him like a mother would her own child. Haku, Satsuki and Yakumo, the memories that he shared with the three now beautiful young women were all bittersweet and caused him a bit of pain when he recalled their feelings for him. But everyone else, they gave him to stimuli, well most of them anyway.

The family huddled together in the center, they were the ones who caused a bit of "something" to stir from within the blonde's heart. A myriad of mixed ranging from sorrow, to bitterness, to envy, to longing; their faces and appearances caused an echo of nostalgia to emanate from his heart, his eyes growing a bit soft and guilty at their fearful and tense expressions. Scanning the area quickly once more, he found no traces of malicious intent that lingered heavily on the bodies of those he hunted down; the blonde growing a tiny bit self-conscious at the attention he was receiving from those gathered around.

Seeing no alternative, the tearful pout of the blonde girl and the incredulous stares of the Konoha ninja being a bit overbearing, the clone dispelled itself as a plume of smoke was all that was left behind of the clocked blonde. Staring blankly at the space the older blonde resided, Naru let her pout fall to a small downturn of the lips. Her eyes losing the glow that they held when she was embracing her brother, she clenched her fists tightly as she gazed around the area only to find no lingering traces of her brother's whereabouts. Her unhappiness starting to boil over, she was about to let her displeasure out only to pause when she heard someone speak up.

"I-It's you...!" Narumi called out to the older looking blonde, Naru turning her head slightly being the only form of acknowledgement that the younger blonde received.

"What do you want?" Naru asked in a terse and slightly threatening tone, the group flinching upon hearing such a dangerous sounding voice.

"Who are you and what do you know about that man?" Mito all but demanded from the blonde, her eyes narrowing with suspicion as Naru mimicked the action on a much lesser scale.

"That's none of your business." Naru replied in a cold and dangerous tone, turning around before she entered her Apex state once more.

Her senses heightened beyond the extreme, she closed her eyes as she tried to catch the scent of her brother; maximizing the efficiency of her sense of smell by focusing her chakra to her nose. Taking quick whiffs of the air, she started sifting through the various smells that passed through her nose only to freeze when one smell in particular caught her attention. It was a smell that was present on a few different people, but the smell had one thing that caused a quiet but violent fire to burn in Naru's heart. That smell was heavily, almost intertwined, with her brother's smell.

"Another woman... Onii-chan has the smell of another woman on him..." She whispered in a quiet and unsettling tone, her eyes darkening while her pupils dilated as she turned and sped out of the village walls.

Watching with varying expressions, the Konoha were just staring blankly at the space that the strange blonde was previously standing. Having moved with speed that would have made Gai with his weights removed proud, she jumped up on their radar for suspicious people. After a few seconds of silent gawking, the group finally snapped from their stupor as they tried to piece together what had just happened; starting with the terrifying black cloaked man from moments earlier. Everything about him screamed death, there was no danger about him as the feeling of imminent death overrode everything their instincts were screaming at them. A bit too into their thoughts, they didn't take notice of the villagers who returned to the ruined festival grounds, their eyes wide as they glanced around.

But, instead of sadness they had tears of joy fall as they thanked the group of stunned and surprised ninja. The cheers and shouts of gratitude causing them to jump with a start, they panicked a bit at the attention that was wrongfully given to them. But before they could even explain themselves to the joyful villagers, they were whisked away to the center of the village as the stall owners salvaged what they could from their ruined stalls; though a few were gratefully and thanking Kami for having their goods untouched.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel)

Within the Kyuukai Hostel, Naruto and Hisako were busily tending to the people who needed medical attention and a place to call home for the night. After they had exited Irihi no Sato, Naruto and Hisako directed those who needed medical attention and a place to stay to head back with them to their own home. Seeing as there were around a hundred and a half people that were just run out of their own village, the two couldn't stand by and do nothing when they had the space and equipment to help their friends and neighbors. Though, not everyone left with the pair, opting to wait out and see the fate of their home. In the end, eighty people left with the duo, Naruto and Hisako taking the children who were separated from their parents with them while telling their friends and neighbors the location of said children for their parents.

While there weren't any casualties from the abrupt invasion attempt, there were a few injuries from the chaos that ensued. Ranging from sprains, to cuts, to stab wounds, to concussions; the two hostel owners were tending to the people in their hostel in contrasting ways; Hisako delicately tending to those who were in need of a affable and calming friend to patch them up while Naruto was forcibly treating those who just wanted to be doted on by the silverette. Cycling between treating, cooking, cleaning and ensuring that their guests turned patients were doing well; the two moved with the efficiency and precision that would have made even the most experienced hospital staff gawk at their efficiency.

"Naruto, I need more bandages and antiseptic please!" Hisako called out to her beloved blonde, the young man quickly fetching her the needed supplies before returning to console the crying children latched onto him.

"It'll be fine, I promise. Your parents are all safe and sound, they'll be here in no time to pick you all up. If not, I'll take you to them myself when everyone is all taken care of ok? Come'on, why don't I make you all something for dinner." Naruto told the tearful and sniffing children clutching onto him, getting a series of blushes and nods of the head as he took them to a booth large enough to accommodate them.

"Hisako, I'm going to open up the wings; once I'm done could you start relocating everyone so they've got some space to themselves?" He asked the silverette, Hisako nodding her head as she paused to give the blonde a smile.

"I will Naruto, please be careful!" She called out to him, getting a small smile in return as he moved to create more space in their humble little shop.

From the outside, the Kyuukai Hostel was a much smaller establishment then it truly was in the inside. Each of the wings, though already roomy and comfortable for those who wanted to lounge about, were modified by Naruto to open up and create more space for large parties should they need it. Being a hidden extension that was locked away when not in use, they added a generous few more square meters to the wings. The only downside being that they were both complex and intricate to set up and break down, though the extra space was more then worth it.

Setting up the extra space wasn't just for accommodating his guests, though it was part of the reason. After the memories of the clone came rushing back to him, he was more then stunned, he was dumbfounded as to why he felt the younger blonde that embraced his clone felt as though she belonged there.

Those clones had his personality and instincts, though they are watered down in favor of focusing on combat and surveillance. Seeing as it was affected he would be more affected when he met the blonde in person. Letting a sigh escape his mouth, he unlocked and started opening up the west wing; grimacing when he felt the presence of the blonde approaching. After finishing opening up the other wings, he sighed as he felt her standing just outside of his home. But before he answered, Hisako did.

"Hello, I'm sorry but we're not open right now. Irihi no Sato was attacked and we're taking care of those who were injured." Hisako apologized to the blank faced blonde before her, Naru raising an eyebrow as she observed the interior of the hostel.

Scanning everything with a critical eye, they darkened even more when they locked onto the picture of a smiling Hisako and Naruto; the blood of the blonde boiling like magma when she saw how happy her brother was to be holding the silverette. Shifting her eyes onto the younger girl now staring with a slightly scared look on her face, Naru felt her ire rise as she moved her hand towards Hisako's throat. But before she was even able to raise her arm, her wrist was immediately secured in an ironclad grip by an all too familiar blonde. Her eyes widening, Naru's face lit up with a cheery red as she felt her older brother's hand around her wrist.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked in an arctic tone, Naru's blank face and blush fading into a slightly panicked expression when she registered his tone.

"O-Onii-chan... W-Who is this g-girl and w-why are you together with h-her...?" She asked in a completely submissive and timid tone, a startling and stark contract to her terse and dangerous tone from before.

"Her name's Hisako and she's a very important person to me. Now apologize." He said in a stern tone, Naru shrinking before the older blonde as she bowed her head to the now blushing Hisako.

"I-I'm s-sorry Hisako-san..." Naru stammered out in a quiet tone, Hisako tilting her head a bit at the sudden change in character that the young lady before her had just gone through.

"I-It's fine! Umm... W-What's your name?" She asked the blonde, Naru nodding her head as Naruto released her from his grip.

"I-I'm Naru, Onii-chan's imouto... N-Nice to meet you Hisako-san..." Naru said in a shaky tone, still feeling the lingering effects of Naruto's tone as Hisako gave her a rather awkward smile.

"Y-You have a s-sister, Naruto?" Hisako asked her beloved in a hurt and shocked tone, Naruto sighing as he shook his head at the situation that fell into his hands.

"I just remembered right now as well, Hisako." He replied in an exhausted tone, Hisako and Naru both blinking in confusion at his statement.

"Remember that I had amnesia when we first met?" He asked the silverette as her mouth turned into a small "o" of realization, Naru's eyes widening at the piece of information as everything began to make sense to her.

"I see! So she's your imouto! It's a pleasure to meet you Naru-san, your brother is a g-great man!" Hisako said in a delighted tone as she bowed her head at the older girl, opting to omit the "my man" that swirled in the tiny recesses of her heart.

"Thank you for taking care of my Onii-chan, Hisako-san." Naru said in a grateful tone, bowing her head with a slight upturn of her lips.

The two beautiful young ladies rising, they met each other with small but brilliant smiles that made the sun seem dull in comparison; though, underneath those smiles hid an emotion that very few men dared to challenge. Underneath those smiles held jealousy and challenge from Naru and Hisako, respectively. But before the man that they both loved, they shelved those feelings for the moment as he turned to address them.

"Onii-chan... I missed you...!" Naru whimpered as she took a shaky step forward, the blonde's heart aching at her teary but relieved expression as he gave her a tiny smile.

"It's alright, I... I missed you too..." He said in a soft tone as Naru's restraint finally broke, the blonde slamming into her older brother's chest before snuggling deeply into it.

Inhaling his scent, a very faint but extremely nostalgic smell, she had a beautiful and radiant smile light up her face as she reveled in the feeling of his arms around her. A feeling of complete and utter security and warmth, a feeling that had eluded her for who knows how long. A content sigh escaping her mouth, when Naru looked up from her favorite place in the entire world and saw her beloved brother's tiny but sincere smile, everything blanked from her mind as she tiptoed to kiss him squarely and softly on the lips; the eyes and jaws of everyone widening and dropping as they watched the scene with complete and utter shock.

"What are you doing?!" Naruto said in a stern tone after breaking from the younger blonde's kiss, Naru pouting a bit at the act only to narrow her eyes when Hisako collided with his chest.

"N-Naruto! W-What are you d-doing!?" She cried out as she frantically as she kept Naru from tainting her Naruto's lips, using her body as a wall to separate the two.

"Y-You two can be d-doing this! Y-Your siblings! T-That's just not right!" She continued to lecture at the two, though it was mostly directed at Naruto as she continued to look up at him with a heart breaking teary expression.

"But Onii-chan and I used to kiss like that all the time when we were little." Naru said with a confused tilt of her head, the looks of shock on everyone's faces increasing at the astounding piece of information.

"We have not! I have absolutely no memories of anything like that ever happening between us!" Naruto replied with a bit of pink on his cheeks, his usual cool facade burned through by the crazy situation he found himself in.

"But you said you had amnesia Onii-chan. Or, are you saying that Naru's a liar?" Naru asked in a dreadfully tearful tone, Naruto wincing at her tone as a tiny frown marred Hisako's face.

"Can we deal with this another time? We've got more pressing matters to attend to. Hisako, could you please check to see if anyone needs anything? If they do, please come tell me so I can help out. Naru, come with me. You need a shower and a change of clothes." Naruto told the two young ladies, both nodding though Hisako was a bit reluctant to part with the blonde.

"U-Umm, Naruto; why don't I show your sister where the bath is?" Hisako suggested to the blonde, Naruto blinking a bit before giving her a small smile and nod at the suggestion.

"Alright, but make sure to give her a set of my own clothes. I need to go shopping with her later for her own." He told the silverette as her smile fell a bit, the thought of Naru rolling around while sniffing Naruto's clothes being a bit to vivid and possible in her mind.

Nodding her head with visible amount of hesitation and trepidation, Hisako lead Naru upstairs but not before giving Naruto a kiss of her own. The eyes of everyone, including Naru, widening again at the scene; Hisako had to hide her embarrassed smirk by looking down but the feeling of triumph over the beautiful blonde trumped all else. Naru's eyes narrowing dangerously, she had to suppress the growl that desperately wanted to escape when she saw her rival assert her claim over her brother. Though the fastest and most efficient way to get back to her original position in her brother's heart was to eliminate the silverette, her brother would no doubt resent and despise her for even thinking about such thoughts.

"_Onii-chan is mine, I won't let you have him.. Just because you two were together for a little bit, it doesn't matter because Onii-chan and I have been together for an even longer time. Onii-chan and I will be together in the end, so enjoy what little time you two have left Hisako-san._" She thought to herself as she shot a challenging look at Hisako, the silverette seemingly unaware of the stare though it was quite the opposite.

"_Just because Naru-san is Naruto's sister, she can't just come and take him away from me. We've been through so much together and I want to go through so much more with him. I'm sorry Naru-san, but Naruto is mine... And I'm his. That's how it's going to be until the end of time._" Hisako thought with a determined expression on her face, the auras of the two surging with the energy and emotions of a pair of maidens in love.

"Things aren't going to be easy, are they..." The blonde muttered to himself as he saw the two head upstairs together, seeing a bit of lightning arcing between their eyes as they pouted at each other.

(Time Skip - A Few Minutes Later)

After a relaxing soak in Naruto and Hisako's private hot spring, Naru let out a content sigh as she snuggled into the shirt her brother had given her to wear. The past few minutes were like something out of a dream, it had everything including her past few days; escaping her prison, her journey to find her brother, meeting a magical creature in the form of the Fish Man from a few days ago, saving a village of people from disaster and finally reuniting with her beloved brother. She even had an evil rival who was trying to steal her brother away, though no doubt she would save her brother from her vile clutches in due time.

"Just you wait Onii-chan, Naru is here to save you...!" She said in a determined though deadpan tone, her face also blank as a board though a multitude of emotions danced in her eyes.

"I'll protect you Naruto, I-I'm sorry but y-your sister's love isn't as strong as mine!" Hisako whispered to herself in a determined tone, curling her fists in a similar manner as she headed downstairs to help her beloved with those who still needed medical assistance.

With Naruto, he had finished clearing up all misconceptions and assumptions as to what his relationship with his sister was. After a lot of careful wordplay, and underlying threats to those who he knew had loose lips, the event had been smoothed over though there was still a reasonable amount of skepticism about the true nature of the relationship between the two blondes. But their thoughts were dismissed quickly when Naruto raised an eye in a challenging manner at those who were still giving him curious looks. Once peace settled inside of his hostel once more, Naruto let a content sigh escape his mouth as he focused on a more pressing issue; the appearance of his old friends from Konoha.

"No doubt they're in Taiyo no Kuni to stay here." He muttered in a exasperated tone, unaware of the concerned stares that the two young ladies behind him were sending his way.

"Onii-chan, is everything alright? I didn't upset you did I?" Naru asked her brother, fidgeting a bit and rubbing her toes into the ground like a child who was about to be scolded.

"Is everything alright Naruto? Naru-san and myself are getting along just fine it that's what's making you worried." Hisako reported to her beloved, Naru giving Hisako a slight smile at her attempt to salvage the situation.

"Hmm? Oh, no. Don't worry you two, how could two of the most important people to me do anything to upset me?" He reassured them with a smile on his face, the faces and spirits of the two brightening up considerably at both his tone and smile.

The worries of the two placated, he ushered them to an empty booth to relax as he finished checking on those inside of their home. A bit reluctant at first, they were eventually swayed when he promised to spend time together with the both of them. Even brighter smiles on their faces, they happily took a seat in a private booth, the topic of their discussion the man that both of them loved the most in their lives. As they slowly but surely started to bond with each other, giggling as they shared stories of their most intimate and private moments with Naruto; they missed to slight twitches of said blonde's eyebrow when they ventured into more sensitive memories involving him.

"-nd what made it so funny was that Naruto was humming a song the entire time! They were screaming so loud that I thought there was a festival going on!" Hisako giggled as Naru mimicked the act, Naruto's brow twitching once more when Hisako recalled the time where a group of women watched him working the garden from afar.

"Those two will be the death of me..." He muttered as he shook his head, though he couldn't find it in himself to stop them as the two were smiling much more brightly at each other as they found solace in having another person they could truly trust.

A much happier and lighter atmosphere filling the Kyuukai Hostel, Naruto turned and looked out the window as he contemplated his next move. There were still people that were unaccounted for, having decided to stay behind or weren't part of either group. The thing that gripped him the most were the softly smiling children who were chatting amongst each other, the blonde having promised to bring them to their parents safe and sound. But seeing as his old friends from Konoha were no doubt suspicious about his cloaked clone and were in the country to visit his hostel, there was no real way avoid meeting with them other then erasing their memories or scaring them away; neither of which seemed like a very tasteful choice seeing as they were on a vacation of their own.

"When we hit that bridge it'll either burn down or be crossed." He said to himself in a soft tone, making one more round before helping his guests settle in for the night.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Irihi no Sato - Village Center)

"Yahoo!" Menma shouted as he showed off his skills as a ninja to a group of swooning girls, flexing his muscles as he got a myriad of looks from his group of friends and family.

"What an idiot..." Tsunade muttered as she willed herself not to send the man responsible to Kumo for corrupting her godson.

"That's the way Menma! Don't be afraid to let loose! Who knows what might happen, you might just get lucky!" He shouted only to be quieted by both Tsunade and Kushina as they shouted a multitude of insults at him and his pride, the damage dealt causing the poor man to faint.

"Hahaha... Well it seems that Jiraiya-sama is as lively as ever." Hizashi said with a wry laugh, the rest of his family following his example as the Uzumaki-Namikaze family flushed in embarrassment.

"I-It's not like that! Jiraiya-jiji is just a perverted old idiot!" Narumi shouted at them with a crimson face, the white haired man coughing up blood at the way his goddaughter described him.

"Exactly! If Jiraiya-jiji was as cool as Orochi-jiji then it wouldn't be fun! Being a perverted old man is just how he is!" Mito chimed in as Jiraiya felt a part of his soul chip away from the damage of his goddaughters' words.

"I-Is that how you all see me? Do my beautiful, precious, kind goddaughters think that I'm just a perverted old man?!" He shouted at them, only to receives dry looks from the both of them as well as the other females of his family.

"An imbecile will always be an imbecile." Orochimaru said with a shake of his head, Jiraiya's brow twitching with renewed vigor and anger as his old rival opened up an old wound.

"Fine then you pale bastard, you're one! One on one, mano a mano, Jiraiya the Gallant vs. Orochimaru the Crass!" Jiraiya challenged his old rival, Orochimaru's brow twitching at the nickname he was slapped with.

"Oh? And what're the stakes of this one-sided wager?" Orochimaru challenged his long time rival, Jiraiya opting to ignore the jab as he smirked at the pale man.

"Loser has to entertain one of the winner's wishes. In short, you do whatever the winner wants." He said as Orochimaru smirked at the white haired man, the two securing their wager with a shake of the hands.

"Oh, when I win; you're going to come help me with my "research"." Jiraiya said with a mixed grin of perverseness and smugness, the pale visage of Orochimaru paling even more as he heard the penalty should he fail.

"Oh, I need in on this! I got ten thousand Ryo on Orochimaru!" Tsunade shouted as the others gained a bit of interest in the wager at hand, many of them adding to the pool of Ryo that was steadily growing.

"I've got a thousand on Orochi-jiji!" Mito shouted with as she gave her favorite godparent a brilliant smile, the man's confidence growing expediently as Jiraiya's fell.

Soon, the group fell into the festive mood as they visited the various stalls and attractions that were salvaged from the recently invaded village; many of them still in operation due to the ninja who quickly and efficiently disposed of the invading ninja. Though they were recently involved in a rather traumatic experience, they recovered quite quickly and their resolve and happiness were a bit inspiring to the Konoha natives. While they thought of themselves as positive, they had nothing on the spirit that the villagers of this country had; that being said, their stay in Irihi no Sato was cut a bit short when they remembered their number one destination in the country.

"Honey, we've got to find them! They aren't at home, where could they be!?" A woman asked her husband, both distraught as they searched fruitlessly for their children.

"Don't worry Hun, I'm sure they're safe. I know one person who wouldn't let anything happen to them, I think our best bet is to check with Naruto." He replied to his wife, the eyes of the woman widening before closing a bit in relief.

The two quickly heading out of the village with another group of now calm parents, they caught the eye of the Konoha ninja not currently partaking in the festive activities. The name Naruto, came up once again and with it the dull ache that resonated from within their hearts. The man they were referring to seemed like he would be a perfect match to their own, though they knew that it was an impossibility given the evidence of his death. A somber sigh escaping their lips, they tried to ease the recently reawakened pain by diving into the festivities present; though there were two people who couldn't just leave the strange occurrence alone, Mito and Narumi sneaking away with the group of parents to see if their "little sister" instincts were truly telling them the truth.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Irihi no Sato - Village Outskirts)

"Mito-nee, what if... What if we're wrong? He could just have the same name as Naru-nii..." Narumi whispered in a quiet tone, her heart aching at the name of her beloved brother as Mito mirrored the feeling in her own heart.

"We have to see for ourselves Umi-chan, it... It just can't be a coincidence that he acts like our Nii-chan, can it?" Mito responded as Narumi remained silent, though there was an inkling of hope dancing in her heart at such a possibility being reality.

Falling into an awkward silence, they could only wait until they arrived at the home of the "Naruto" who the villagers had their hopes placed in. As they created more distance between themselves and Irihi no Sato, they hoped that their friends and family wouldn't notice that they were missing for a bit longer; though the possibility was a very, very slim one given the abilities of the people they called their family. A sigh escaping their lips, they also knew that their father had marked their necklaces with the seal formula for his **Hiraishin**, a precaution in the event something happened to them or if he needed to get to their position quickly.

"I really, really hope Tou-san doesn't appear out of nowhere like last time." Narumi muttered under her breath, Mito turning a bit red with embarrassment and anger at the memory.

"He's such a dummy! We were in the bathhouse with the other girls, it was our girls' night out for Kami's sake!" Mito replied hotly, Narumi nodding her head in agreement at the utter mortification and embarrassment that their father caused for them when he thought they were missing from the village.

A bit lost in their ramblings, they were surprised when they saw a quaint looking building along the side of the road. From afar, it looked rather unassuming but as the distance between them and the building closed, their eyes sparkled when they saw just how cute and beautiful it was up close. Engrossed with the exterior of the building, they were left behind as the villagers hurried inside for any sign of their children. Luckily for them, they were all safe and sound; happily munching on a few light sweets prepared by the owners of the building. After a few seconds of admiring the building, they exchanged glances with each other before swallowing the lump in their throats and taking a brave set of steps towards the building.

From within the Kyuukai Hostel, both Naruto and Naru stopped what they were doing when they felt the all too familiar presence of Mito and Narumi; having memorized the rather strange mix of warm and vile chakra that made up their persons. Naruto narrowing his eyes, he readied himself for an attack while Naru felt sheer irritation bubble up when she remembered the chakra of the girl who questioned her about her beloved brother. Taking a hold of her new best friend's hand, Naru told Hisako that there were a pair of bad people outside as the silverette's face had a brief flash of panic and fear flash across it; Naru's visage darkening considerably when she saw the state of the younger girl.

"It's alright Hisako-san, I'll protect you. But we don't even need to worry because Onii-chan is here, and he's unbeatable." Naru reassured the silverette, Hisako's worries shifting from being about herself to the wellbeing of her beloved.

"B-But what if they hurt Naruto?" She asked her newfound best friend, Naru's expression darkening even more as she suppressed rage and urge to kill at such a ludicrous thought.

"There's no one in the entire world that can hurt Onii-chan, so don't worry ok?" Naru replied as Hisako calmed down a tiny bit, though she was still apprehensive about letting the man she loved deal with everything that threatened the stability of their happiness and life.

With Naruto, he was a bit intrigued by the mix of warm and vile charka dancing within the bodies of the two who were approaching his hostel. Picking up a broom and sweeping the entranceway, his memories fell back to the feel of the chakra the pair had. It reminded him of a certain mint haired kunoichi that he had saved a few years ago. Back then, she was a bit reluctant to tell him what she held inside of her but after a few days of bonding; and a newfound crush the mint haired young lady gained for the blonde, she finally told him what it was that she held inside of her.

(Flashback - A Few Years Ago)

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Forest Grove)

"U-Umm... Y-You promise that you'll still be my friend even after I tell you what that chakra belongs to right?" Fuu asked the blonde offering her a cup of tea, hesitantly taking the cup once he nodded his head slightly.

"Just because you contain something evil doesn't make you evil. It's what you choose to do with your life that dictates who and what you are. From what I can tell, you're a lonely girl who just wants to make a few friends that she can trust." Naruto replied as Fuu's eyes widened a bit, an equal amount of moisture beginning to form in the corners of her eyes as she gave him a demure but bright smile.

"Thank you, Naruto-san... I've never had someone try to understand me before, they all think I'm the being that I have sealed inside of me." Fuu replied in a soft tone, taking a sip of the tea and smiling a bit more when she felt it warm her entire body.

"That charka... I-It belongs to Chōmei." She told the blonde, Naruto raising a brow when he heard the strange name.

"Chōmei?" Naruto asked her, Fuu flushing a bit at forgetting to give the blonde insight as to who it was she was talking about.

"Chōmei is... She's the Nanabi..." She said in all but a whisper, snapping her eyes shut as she awaited the inevitable sound of disgust from the blonde.

Keeping her eyes shut, she waited and waited and waited; but when no gasp or shout of hate or disgust left her blonde companion's mouth, she peeked out from an eye and saw him giving her a puzzled look. Flushing when she saw his expression, Fuu quickly waved her hands out in front of her in an effort to clear up any misunderstandings that the blonde thought she had conceived. But when he told her that he could care less about a demon being sealed inside of her, her ramblings stopped as she looked at him with her eyes full of disbelief and hope. Seeing her expression, Naruto couldn't help the tiny smirk that appeared on his face; the face of Fuu flushing a bit deeper when she saw it.

"Like I said, it doesn't matter what you've got inside of you. What does matter is what you decided to do with your life. You can choose to resent humanity and hope for everyone who hates you to die a horrible death, but you'd be exactly what they think of you. Being able to push past that hatred and break that preconceived notion of what people think of you is what separates you from being human and being the thing they think you are. You're a strong girl Fuu, don't forget that. You're you, and no one should change that no matter what." Naruto told the mint haired girl, her eyes watering as her face began to scrunch up into a sob.

Burying her face into his chest, Naruto could only repress the sigh that wanted to escape his mouth before he gently rubbed her back in an effort to calm her. Staying like that for a few seconds, he was about to check to see if she had awoke only for her to raise her head. The resulting mix of his head leaning down and hers rising was a quick kiss between the two. The blonde blinking a bit in surprise, he brushed it off as an accident while Fuu made a much larger deal of it.

"W-W-What! T-That was my f-f-first kiss! You s-stole it!" She shouted at him while jumping away from him, her face a brilliant crimson as Chōmei laughed wildly from within.

"_**Ahahaha! Atta' girl Fuu-chan! You netted yourself a strong, strong, STRONG mate! Now show him why we're a pair of Lucky Sevens!**_" Chōmei cheered from within Fuu's mind, the poor girl's face releasing an amazing amount of steam at the mental suggestions and images her friend was sending her.

"You alright?" Naruto asked in a concerned manner, Fuu quickly panicking as she scrambled backwards.

"I-I-I'm fine! P-Please! Just don't c-come any c-closer!" She shouted from her newfound position behind a tree, Naruto giving her another puzzled look before he started laughing softly.

"W-Why are you laughing! You b-big meanie!" Fuu shouted from her hidden position, opting to hide her face from view as she did her best to try and cool down the scarlet of her cheeks.

"I'm sorry Fuu-san, but I've got to say. You're a really interesting person, I'm glad that you're my friend." Naruto said as a larger smile made it to his face, Fuu's eyes widening as she felt something warm and fuzzy pierce her heart.

"T-Thank you, N-Naruto-kun... For being my friend... And my... F-First love..." She said in a tone shaky from the amount of happiness that she felt, though she whispered the last part just loud enough for herself to hear.

"Hmm? What was that last part? I didn't quite catch it." He asked her, Fuu quickly panicking as she waved her hands out from behind the tree.

"I-It was nothing! Nothing at all! Aha, ahahaha!" She said quickly to avoid answering the blonde's question, Naruto blinking a bit before laughing as well.

Soon, with a bit of coaxing from both Naruto and Chōmei, she left the sanctuary of her tree and joined the blonde beside the small campfire of their makeshift camp. A bit awkward at first, it turned even more so when the stomach of the mint haired girl growled loud enough to resemble the growl of a wolf. Her face lighting up once more, she was let a string of excuses fly as Naruto chuckled softly. Brushing her excuses off, he told her that a hungry girl was an attractive girl; causing her to snap her mouth shut as more red invaded her cheeks. Silent, she watched the blonde quickly prepare a simple dish for their dinner before they settled in a comfortable atmosphere. Though, like most stories, it had to come to an end as Naruto had fulfilled the request of a certain white haired Kage.

"So... You're leaving...?" Fuu asked in a saddened tone, idly kicking a rock on the ground as Naruto nodded his head.

"Yeah, I've finished what I came here for. But I'm sure that we'll meet again, I can promise you that Fuu." Naruto said with a tiny smile on his face, Fuu choosing not to acknowledge it as she remained focused on the ground.

"...But I'll be all alone again..." She said in a quiet tone, Naruto's eye softening a bit before he reached into his pouch and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Here. It's where I live. Don't be afraid to write, I'll be sure to write back. And don't be scared to come visit me, you'll always be welcomed." He said with a smile, Fuu's cheeks coloring as she timidly and gratefully accepted the piece of paper like it was a treasure that would disappear.

"You promise that we'll always be friends?" She asked once more, Naruto giving her a nod of his head as he moved to ruffle her head.

"Yeah, I promise. And you promise me that you'll stay outta trouble, I've heard about a few of the things you've done." He said in a lightly scolding manner, Fuu flushing a bit in embarrassment at his scolding.

"I will, I will! Just, please don't forget about me ok? You're my most important friend."She asked again, Naruto chuckling softly as he nodded his head.

A smile finally on her face, Fuu tiptoed and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before materializing Chōmei's wings and taking off at breakneck speed. Naruto standing with a bit of confusion, at both the kiss and appearance of her insect-like wings, he simply shook his head as a small smile made it to his face. Waving goodbye one more time, he began his trek back home.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun... For being everything I wanted in a friend..." Fuu said to herself as she held her right hand over her heart, a few tears leaking down her face as a blush colored her cheeks.

"_**Don't forget he's everything you want in a mate! Oh-ho! What if he's "Lucky" down there too! No wait! He's probably "Extra Lucky," Fuu-chan! You lucky, lucky girl!**_" Chōmei said from within her mind, Fuu's face exploding in crimson as she fainted with swirls in her eyes as she imagined exactly what Chōmei was referring to.

(Flashback - End)

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Main Entrance)

"Now or never Umi-chan!" Mito said as Narumi and herself steeled themselves before opening the doors to the hostel, their eyes widening when they caught sight of the blonde sweeping the entranceway.

"Can I help you...?" He asked in a calm and cordial tone, though his eye quickly analyzed the two for any and all signs of hostility.

"Ni-Ni-Ni-Ni..." Mito and Narumi repeated to themselves like a mantra, the eyes of the two quickly overflowing with tears as they took in the all too familiar features of his face.

"...Come again?" He asked the two of them, watching in confusion as their faces began to scrunch up into a sob while they clung to the other.

But before he could utter another word to them, or them to him, a flash of yellow caught the attention of the blonde. Narumi and Mito's vision obstructed by their tears and from their eyes being snapped shut, they failed to noticed the concerned and angered expression that their father bore as he assumed the worst. Quickly scanning the area, he locked onto the only other person in the room as rage clouded his vision.

"Just what did you do to my daughters! I'll... I'll... I..." He started with a fierce tone with matching eyes, but soon enough Minato's eyes soon began moist as he took in the handsome features of the blonde before him.

Everything. Everything about the boy, no, about the young man in front of him reminded him about his first born child. His original platinum blonde hair now a darker shade due to age, his lightly tanned skin now a bit richer due to working out in the garden, his navy blue eye which were once arctic and distrusting was still sharp but also curious. This was him, there was no doubt in Minato's mind. This young man, was the very same person who his family and himself thought was dead and buried back home in Konoha.

"Naruto..." Minato whispered in a tone of disbelief and uncertainty but above all else, hope.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's a wrap guys, tell me that you think alright? Oh snap, what the heck is gonna happen now?! Narumi, Mito, Minato and Naruto all under the same roof! Is blood gonna spill? Are tears going to be wept? Are kisses going to be stolen? What's gonna happen between the original siblings and the clone? What's the deal with Fuu? Hisako? Oh my goodness, there's way too much going on! Haha, well you kinda get the point right? Stuff is gonna hit the fan, and I hope it isn't too messy. And again, check out the poll on my profile. Again, it's mainly for fun and all that cool jazz; if you don't wanna do it, don't worry about it. But hey, who knows? Maybe it'll affect who get's a One-Shot written about em. Haha, I kidd, I kidd. Again, ****I really do enjoy reading your PM's and Reviews, so leave a few for me, eh? So yeah, ****I hope it was enjoyable for you all to read. And you know the drill, right? Till next time, you all stay awesome.**

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**Futon: Daitoppa - Wind Release: Great Breakthrough**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; This is a relatively simple technique that creates a sudden gust of wind, but its scale varies greatly depending on the user. If used by a superior shinobi, it has enough destructive power to knock down a large tree. The wind from the squall can blow away all things in the user's line of sight. Adding it to Katon jutsu can increase the power of said jutsu

**Kongō Fūsa - Adamantine Sealing Chains**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Kekkai Ninjutsu; The **Kongō Fūsa **is a Fūinjutsu used by members of the Uzumaki clan. This technique moulds the user's chakra into extremely durable chains which can be used for various purposes, such as directly combating or physically restraining their targets — foes even as powerful as a tailed beast. Using her chains, Kushina could also erect a barrier strong enough to prevent anyone or anything from entering or leaving the perimeter defined by the chains. The barrier was very durable, as Hiruzen Sarutobi stated that there was nothing anyone could do to interfere with what Minato and Kushina were doing once it had been erected.

**Hiraishin - Flying Thunder God**: S-Rank, Supplementary; To activate this technique, the user places a special seal or "technique formula" to mark an intended destination. After this is done, they can at will enter a dimensional void that instantaneously transports them to the location of the seal. The mark can be applied to almost any area through brief physical contact, including an opponent or other surrounding feature. Because this technique is able to affect anything that is in contact with the user or somehow connected to their chakra, they can also use this technique to teleport other objects or people, though the size of the object dictates the amount of chakra required. As Minato also noted, the marking formula never disappears from a marked target.

**Jinrai - Thunderclap**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A simple technique that bears little similarities to the jutsu of the same name. **Jinrai** is, to put it simply, a supercharged clap. The user builds up chakra to their palms and brings them together as one would when they are clapping. The resulting collision of chakra causes a sound similar to that of thunder cracking, but the effect of bringing together the hands is what this jutsu is used for. When the hands meet, the result is a heavy and dense surge of pressurized air that has the capability to blow away obstructing cover such as smoke or fog.


	35. Chapter 33

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. It's been a while hasn't it? Sorry bout that, been caught up with work, being new on the job and having to do a bunch of important stuff first thing in the morning is kinda a pain. So what've you kids been up to? Homework, tests, studying, reading and all that good stuff I hope. This chapter, this chapter is a bit weird; I've kinda been hitting a wall with what I wanna do next and it's kinda killing me. This Chapter didn't turn out like I wanted it to, but eh, I had a fun time writing it; especially the comedy filled bits, they're always a blast to write since I'm kinda really bad at writing anything other then the lame broody, serious junk. So yeah, I gotta thank all you cool cats and dogs who actually wait for this story to update and enjoy reading it. And just a heads up guys, that poll on my profile; it's closed so go take a look cause I'm gonna be putting a new one up in a few days, like three or four. The results were pretty interesting, haha. So lots of you cats and dogs really like Hisako, Naru, Mito, Narumi, Haku and Satsuki the most huh? Poor Yakumo, left behind by her teammates and best friends... And again, I'm working on a "Character Profile" series, which is basically information about a specific character with a brief paragraph or two and miscellaneous information about the characters in the story, so tell me if your actually interested in it so I know I ain't wastin' my time writin' it. ****So yeah, hopefully, y****ou all remember the routine right? Read, Review and PM me if you want to; I really do enjoy reading your PM's and Reviews cause a lot of the time they're just awesome. Well, that's enough of me yapping right? You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 33

Right before his eyes, right before the eyes of his daughters, was a young man who was the splitting image of what he'd dreamt his son would have looked like. His once pale platinum hair now a deeper, sun kissed blonde that was a hair lighter then this own golden locks. His once lightly tanned complexion now a bit richer from working in the garden that resided beside the hostel. And his stature, a once slightly above average tall boy was now a very tall young man with a heavily athletic yet lithe build. But the most telling feature that told him that this was his son was the eyepatch that covered his left eye, a permanent reminder of one of his greatest failures. There wasn't a hint of doubt in Minato's heart or mind, everything within him told him that the young man staring at him was his son, his child, the child that he had betrayed and failed all those years ago. Standing in before him and his daughters was his eldest child, standing before him was...

"Naruto...?" Minato repeated once more, the hope and disbelief in his voice thick enough to draw even the most cold-hearted individual to tears.

"Yes, can I help you with something...?" Naruto asked the strangely familiar man before him, taking note that he brought his hand up to stifle a sob that he choked out.

"It's... It's really you..." Minato said with a sob, tears now freely falling from his eyes as he took in everything new about his son.

It wasn't just Minato, Mito and Narumi had managed to reign in their wildly dancing emotions enough to take in everything about their beloved older brother as well. Their faces becoming a fuller shade of red when they saw just how much more handsome he had become over the years. His once boyish and cute features had developed into a handsome and mature visage while retaining a few of his younger traits.

As the trio continued to stare at him, their bodies were already moving before they registered it. The result was a collision of bodies with Naruto caught up in the center of it, the group tumbling to the group as Naru and Hisako quickly rushed to the source of the noise. When they arrived, they both froze when they saw what was the cause of such a loud disturbance in the normally quiet hostel. Laying on the ground was their beloved blonde with three others latched tightly onto him, tears of happiness and whimpers of relief leaving them.

"Naruto, it's you! It's really you!" Minato shouted in joy as he happily embraced his eldest child, the amount of happiness flowing through him trumping everything he's felt after his apparent death.

"Naru-nii, it's a m-miracle! It has to be a miracle!" Narumi cried into his back as she tightened her grip on him, ignorant of the fact that she was exerting her strength in her hug.

"A-A-Aniki! I-I-I'm s-so h-h-happy! U-Uwaaahh!" Unlike her normally cool and collected self, Mito was openly sobbing like a child who had just seen her brother for the first time in a number of years.

While the trio unloaded their pent up and recently unearthed emotions, they failed to notice that Naruto was blinking in confusion at their actions. Not only that, Naru and Hisako were both staring at the group with varying expressions and degrees of shock. Not only was Naruto being smothered by two attractive women but, in Naru's case in particular, they were also addressing him with such intimacy that only family used. After a few more seconds had passed, their patience worn its welcome as they marched up to the blonde and, in Naru's case forcibly, removed him from the bawling group.

"W-What do you two think you're doing!?" Mito shouted at the pair, her eyes burning with unrestrained anger as she secured Naruto's arm in an ironclad grip.

"P-Please let go of Naruto!" Hisako asked the trio in a polite yet firm tone, hugging his arm to her chest as the brows of Mito and Narumi twitched at the sight.

"How about you two let go! He's our Nii-san!" Narumi snarled at the duo, Naru's eyes narrowing immediately as she wrapped her arms around Naruto's bicep.

"What do you mean _your_ Nii-san? He's my Onii-chan." Naru stated in a frigid tone, the eyes of the Uzumaki-Namikaze family members widening at the shocking piece of information.

"W-What?! W-We don't have another sister!" Mito and Narumi shouted in unison, Minato paling as a number of terrifying and unwanted theories flashed through his mind about Naru's possible origin.

"T-That can't be possible! Kushina and I have been faithful to each other since we were children!" Minato shouted more towards himself to reconfirm her and his feelings for the other more then anything else, the blank stares of his daughters wounding him more then he had anticipated.

As the group fighting over the young man between them started to escalate, Naruto released an exhausted sigh before carefully freeing himself from the holds the two groups had on him. Wincing a bit at the hurt looks that both groups gave him, he settled for ruffling Naru and Hisako's heads gently while a reassuring smile marred his face. The gestures of love and affection lighting up their hearts, they settled down immediately as she both took a place beside him; resisting the urge to snuggle into him despite the burning desire to that filled their hearts.

Turning to the Uzumaki-Namikaze family, he took in their devastated and heartbroken faces and had to suppress a wince as well. Sighing, turned to Hisako and Naru and asked the two of them to prepare a tray of tea and snacks for the trio before them. Getting a gentle nod of the head from the two, Hisako and Naru both gave him a peck on opposite cheeks before turning and heading to the kitchen with more of a delighted and energized aura to them; the blonde simply shaking his head with a tiny smile on his face while the trio before him just gawked at the scene.

"Come'on, let's talk somewhere private." Naruto said in a calm tone while motioning for the still stunned trio to follow him, the three finally snapping out of their stupor when they saw the blonde heading down a corridor.

Arriving in a closed off room, they saw Naruto unlock it before gesturing for them to enter. Still a bit out of their wits, they entered the room in a trace-like manner, their minds still on what had just transpired in the past few minutes. While they were still dazed, Naruto created an undetectable soundproof barrier to keep unwanted information and outbursts from leaving the room. Entering the room, they were broken out of their stupor when they saw just how beautiful the interior design was and how calming the atmosphere felt. Taking a seat on the cushions that laid beside the center table, they nervously and impatiently awaited the company of the blonde who was helping Naru and Hisako with bringing in their tea and snacks. When they finally arrived Naruto thanked them before asking for them to leave the room, the four sitting in a tense silence for a few seconds before Naruto broke it.

"So, what's your connection with me?" He asked the trio sitting across from him in a curious tone, the eyes of the three widening with confusion and heartbreak.

"W-What? Naru-nii, it's us! It's your family! It's Tou-san, Mito-nee and me!" Narumi told him in a sure but shaky tone, the quiver of her voice causing Naruto to grimace a bit as a dull ache echoed through his heart.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met before. I'd certainly recall meeting with the Yondaime Hokage and his children." Naruto told the three in a sure manner, their eyes still not gaining any hint of backing down from his claim.

"A-Aniki, what are you talking about? W-We're your family, it's me! It's Mito! Don't you remember me?" Mito asked in a frantic tone, Naruto wincing at the amount of desperation her tone held as tears fell freely from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I truly am, but I think you've got me mistaken for someone else." Naruto said in an apologetic tone, the hearts of Narumi and Mito breaking at the firmness that his tone held while Minato could only remain looking at the floor.

A solemn and stressed silence taking hold once more, Naruto idly drank his tea as he awaited the other male in the room to voice his claim. Minato taking a deep breath, he was about to speak when an enormous amount of noise sounded from outside the room. The three watching Naruto's eye narrow to a dangerous level, they felt the cold hand of death brush past their necks as he rose to confront the source of the noise. But before he was able to take a step towards the door, it flew open as an angered Kushina stormed in with rage clouding her vision.

A few minutes before, Kushina having taken notice that her husband and daughters had disappeared from the festival grounds. Her first instinct was that they were safe but when she noticed that Minato was also gone, her instincts flared to life. Grabbing the rest of her family, telling her fellow vacationing family friends that they were going to look for their lost family members, she stormed towards the place where a smaller group of people were heading. The direction containing the chakra signatures of her missing family members, she wasted no time in dragging the rest of her family to them with a lecture pre-prepared for them about leaving without alerting anyone.

But when she stormed into the Kyuukai Hostel, ignoring the panicking silverette and blank faced blonde, she marched up to the room that her daughters and husband were holed up in before roughly slamming the doors open. What she saw, or more specifically who she saw, immediately blew away and calmed the haze of rage that clouded her vision. At first, she felt confusion which melted away into disbelief. Her eyes watering almost immediately when she took in his features; his sun-kissed blonde hair, his lightly tanned complexion, his single navy blue eye. She knew as soon as she saw his face, that this young man was her baby boy she had buried all those years ago.

"Naruto..." She choked out in sob full of relief and disbelief, immediately moving to embrace the blonde in a bone crushing hug as she sobbed into his chest.

As Kushina sobbed into the chest of the confused and slightly unnerved blonde she was embracing, she failed to notice that the family members she had dragged along had finally entered the room with her. The eyes of Kakashi, Orochimaru, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune and Menma widening at the sight; the eyes of Shizune, Kakashi and Menma started watering at the sight of the older blonde.

"N-Naruto-kun...?" Shizune asked in a hopeful tone, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she did her best not to voice out the hope that the blonde before them was really the same blonde she loved.

"Naruto...?" Kakashi whispered in a quiet tone, his lone eye staring straight into the lone eye of the blonde.

"Nii-san!" Menma shouted with unrestrained joy and disbelief, a smile brighter then the sun on his face as he did his best not to shed tears at the sight of his older brother.

"Get back!" Was all that left the mouths of the three Sannin as they forcibly and roughly separated Kushina and Naruto, shoving the blonde back as they shielded the bodies of their family behind them.

Impossible. It was impossible what they were seeing with their own eyes. There was no way, no chance, that the young man they were seeing was the same boy that they had failed and buried all those years ago. Tsunade and done the autopsy and confirmed without a shadow of a doubt that the body she had forced herself to examine was the body of her oldest godchild. Orochimaru had run numerous tests and scenarios in the event something even remotely similar happened, and found that there was no possible chance of such an event like this happening. The prisoners who he had "talked" to being able to confirm that they did indeed kill his eldest godson. Jiraiya had combed through his spy network countless times for any information about a person matching his godson's description and came up empty. The same though ran through the minds of the three as they narrowed their eyes on the confused man before them.

"There's no way in hell that that's Naruto! I... I had my network search every nook and cranny for anyone who looked even close to Naruto, there's no way that he's my godson!" Jiraiya shouted at his family in a slightly hysteric, ignoring the flash of confusion and anger that passed through their faces.

"Jiraiya's right, there's no possible way that's Naruto. I saw him, I performed the autopsy, I... I was the one who prepared him for his funeral." Tsunade said in a quiet tone, the slow burning anger inside her heart being swallowed by the sorrow also filling it.

"They're right. There is no possible way that man is our Naruto. The possible odds of meeting someone who looks like him are astronomical, nearly impossible, but not unheard of." Orochimaru said as he took a defensive position before the others, wincing a bit as he himself saw his godson's face overlaid on the young man before him.

Stunned from the aggressive way the three were denying their claim that the blonde before them was their Naruto, anger flooded the system of the group the Sannin were shielding. Gritting her teeth, Kushina marched up to the three before shoving her way past them. The sudden forceful shove knocking them slightly off balance, they watched as Kushina stood protectively in front of the confused blonde as she glared at them with such intensity it would be able to melt steel. A bit taken back by her glare, the three found themselves a bit speechless before regaining their wits.

"Kushina, are you going to defend some stranger just because he looks like Naruto!?" Jiraiya shouted at his honorary daughter, Kushina's solid stance quivering a bit before steeling once more.

"You don't get it, you all don't understand! It's not logic or anything that can be explained by words! I... I know that he's my baby boy! My instincts as a mother are screaming at me that he is, how do you explain that!?" Kushina shouted at the three, everyone in the vicinity flinching at the desperation and hope that her tone held.

_"...Kushina...?_" The name jolted through Naruto's mind as he winced, a very faint memory of crimson and the smell of cherries echoing through his mind.

Grimacing, he gripped his head as another faint memory emerged from the seemingly infinite darkness that gripped his past. His form hunching over a bit, he missed the horrified look that appeared on Kushina's face as she immediately sprinted to his side. Ignoring the shouts that her older family members were directing towards her, she focused her heart and soul on tending to her oldest son and the pain he was experiencing.

(Flashback - Many Years Ago)

(Scene Change - Namikaze-Uzumaki Household: Kitchen)

"Kaa-chan! Kaa-chan, come in the kitchen quick!" A young blonde enthusiastically called out from within the confines of the very room her was calling his mother to, Kushina giggling a bit as she headed towards her eldest's location.

"I'm coming Naru-chan!" Kushina said with a giggle as she placed down the load of laundry that she was carrying, a bit curious as to what her oldest was up to when the two of them were the only ones in the house at the moment.

Entering the kitchen, Kushina's eyes widened before they started watering as she took in the irregular but endearing decorations that lined the walls of the kitchen. From drawings of a certain blonde and herself, to pictures that he had taken of the two of them, the room was lined with varying kinds of mementos and memories of some of the happiest moments that she had spent with her oldest.

A bit confused but no less touched, Kushina was about to smother Naruto in her patented bear hug but stopped when she smelled the faint aroma of something sweet, wax and a flame. Her mind snapping from its momentary trip from memory lane, she focused on her oldest once more as her eyes widened before closing softly when she spotted the small cake with a single candle resting in it.

"Happy birthday Kaa-chan!" Naruto chirped with a small blush lighting up his face along with a radiant smile, Kushina doing her best to not cry as she returned his smile before moving to embrace him in a bone crushing hug.

"Oh you! Is this why you pretended to be sick? So you could surprise me all by yourself?" She asked Naruto, the blonde blushing a bit as an embarrassed smile lit up his face.

Getting her answer, Kushina simply giggled before gently blowing out the dancing flame that laid on the wick of the candle. Both of them smiling at the other, Kushina took a bite of the cake that Naruto had made and almost fell back when the taste hit her tastebuds. A perfect mixture of sweetness and savoriness that put her own sweets to shame, Kushina couldn't help but feel a mix of pride and damage to her own pride when she savored the taste of the cake. Pushing those thoughts to the back of her mind, she simply smiled before leaning down and planting a loving kiss on the forehead of her oldest, Naruto giggling happily as he embraced his mother.

"Again, happy birthday Kaa-chan! I love you!" He quipped in with a brilliant smile on his face, Kushina mirroring it as she giggled happily.

"I love you too, Naru-chan!" She whispered as she smothered her son's face with a relentless assault of kisses, the laughter and giggles of the two echoing happily around their home.

Though, those happy moments and memories would soon fade as time passed.

(Time Skip - A Year Later)

"Kaa-chan? Kaa-chan, where are you?" Naruto called out as he searched around the house for his mother, growing a bit apprehensive as he was unable to find a trace of her.

Over the course of the past year, Naruto had noticed a strange trend with his family members and those who he considered friends. A few weeks after his mother's birthday party, he began to notice that his family was beginning to avoid him like he had done something wrong. At first he thought they were mad at him for not including them in his surprise party, but that was knocked out of the window when he received a rather terse response from his younger siblings.

Entering the kitchen, he felt his heart shatter into a million pieces when he saw the state of the mementoes and memories that were scattered around the room. The pieces of memory with his image in them were crossed out with red marker, some more blatant then others. His eyes widening with tears filling them, he could only choke out a sob as he clutched a ruined memory of his most important memory. It was a simple photograph of himself and Kushina, a photo of the very same day last year. The ruined image burning itself into his young heart, Naruto could only silently let his tears escape as he tried to rationalize it as best as a child could.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." He whimpered to himself as he forced himself to stand and head to his room, his heart breaking with each and every step he took away from the ruined scene.

On that fateful day, the debt that the Shinigami had forced upon the young blonde had been collected by the same deity. The sealing of a beast so powerful even a god of death was unable to fully seal in exchange for the love of those he held dearest. A truly appalling debt that the child held accountable for was ignorant of. On that fateful day, a young Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze felt worthless and unloved for the first time of his young life. Of course, that hardship and bitterness would only grow as did he.

(Flashback - End)

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Eastern Wing - Soundproofed Private Room)

"_Kushina...?_" Naruto thought once more as a mix of nostalgia, heartache, bitterness and faint warmth echoed from the recesses of his heart.

Leaning against the wall for support in his pained state, Naruto failed to notice that Kushina had moved over to him and was tentatively checking him for any injuries. As his pain started to fade, he noticed her fear stricken and panicked expression and finally uttered what was on his mind since the wave of nostalgia washed over him.

"Who... Are you...?" He asked in a confused and longing tone, the fear and panic on Kushina's face instantly shifting to confusion before it turned to a mix of concern horror.

"W-What...? Naru-chan, i-it's me! It's your Kaa-chan! Y-You... You haven't f-forgotten about m-me have you...?" She told him in a shaky tone, her eyes reflecting her tone as she did her best to reign in her rampant emotions.

The panic in her tone and the desperation on her face being more then anything that he had seen, Naruto winced when he saw just how stricken she was at his answer. But, something about her did set off a sense of familiarity inside of him. Something about her, her crimson locks, her violet eyes, her tone; something about her made him feel a sense of both comfort and sadness in his heart. Shaking his head to clear it of the unneeded and unwarranted emotions clouding it, he finally managed to stand while using the wall for support. Taking a calming breath, he pushed off the wall and stood tall in front of the gather group; the three shielding the others tensing immensely at the action.

"I'll ask again, just who are all of you and what's your connection to me?" He asked the Konoha ninja with slight longing in his tone, their eyes widening as he acknowledged that he had some connection with them.

"Naruto, it's us! It's your family, don't you remember us?" Kakashi called out to him, Naruto giving him an eerily familiar blank look before shaking his head in the negative.

"I... I don't have any memories of my past... I woke up a few years ago in a river, and that's as far back as my memories go." He told the group using a mixture of lies and truths, the eyes of the Konoha ninja widening at the piece of information.

"Amnesia...? You've got amnesia Naru-nii?" Narumi asked in a hopeful manner, praying that what he said was true as it would mean that his memories weren't lost.

"Enough!" Orochimaru shouted in a mixture of irritation and anger, the heads of everyone snapping to him as he glared in a harsh manner at Naruto.

"It's impossible that our Naruto is alive. You've all heard it from Tsunade, she was the one who performed his autopsy and confirmed that it truly was Naruto that we buried that day. I'm sorry everyone, but that man over there isn't our Naruto. He was buried in Konoha years ago because of our mistakes." Orochimaru said in a heated tone, though it gradually turned somber and self loathing near the end.

"Orochimaru is right everyone. As hard as it is to accept it, our Naruto is gone. While that man over there looks like him, eerily so, he's not him." Jiraiya added as the tension in his body left, his form slacking as he seemed to age a few years right before their eyes.

"I'm sorry, but I can't accept that." Minato whispered as he disappeared and reappeared in a flash of yellow beside Kushina and Naruto, his eyes shining with a determination and hope they had not seen in years.

"Kushina was right when she said it. There's no words to describe the feeling that we're experiencing right now, but I can assure you all of this; this is our Naruto. This young man is my son, I'm willing to bet my life on it." Minato said in an equally determined tone, Naruto wincing once more as another wave of pain rattled his mind at the tone of the man before him.

The tension in the room reaching its peak, Naruto finally had enough of the faint traces and hints of familiarity and nostalgia as he let out an irritated sigh. The action catching the attention of everyone in the room, he glanced around and resisted the urge to remark on what exactly it was about each of them that caused the sensations of nostalgia and opted to reconsider the situation. No doubt the others of their group would be on their way to the hostel, not to mention the amount of guests still residing there from the abrupt invasion attempt.

"Could you all please keep it quiet? I'm not exactly in the best of moods right now and we're with a lot of injured people who need rest." Naruto told them with an exhausted tone, the group blinking in surprise when he addressed them before nodding their heads slowly in understanding.

"If you don't mind, could you all contact your friends and get them to come here? Filling out all the paperwork at once would be a lot easier then doing it in a fractured manner." He asked of them, the group blinking once more before slowly nodding and doing what they were asked as Minato vanished in another flash of yellow.

With that done, Naruto gave them one more glance before giving them a tiny smile while moving out of the room to the kitchen. Taking note of their euphoric and shining expressions at the tiny but reassuring gesture, he took a few calming breaths to steady his heart and mind as he ran through another set of possible scenarios that could play out in the coming moments. But before he was finished, two missiles collided with him, Naru and Hisako snuggling into him as he felt his tension and fatigue leave. Smiling softly, he gently embraced them as they snuggled deeper into his chest.

"It's fine you two, everything's alright." He reported as he gave them a reassuring squeeze to ease their rattled hearts, the two nodding their heads in acknowledgement.

"Come'on why don't the two of you get some sleep? I can take care of things from here on out, so you don't need to worry." He asked as they predictably shook their heads in the negative, Naruto sighing a bit but with a gentle smile as he shook his head at their actions.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Minato's Position)

"I-It can't be possible... Can it? No! I... I need to make sure..." Minato whispered to himself as he mentally prepped himself for what he was about to do.

Creating a few clones, he had them flash back home to Konoha in order to carry out a rather disturbing mission. Seeing as the young man he had just met was his son with an aged appearance, he had to be one hundred percent certain that the man he was assuming and hoping to be his son really was who he thought he was. In order to confirm that, Minato had steeled himself for opening up the grave of his son. If his body wasn't there, then there was a chance, a possibility for what he was hoping and praying to be true would be in fact, reality.

"Kami-sama, please let this be true..." He prayed as he flashed to the location of his family, his resolving both steeling and wavering as he ran a number of possible scenarios in his head.

(Time Skip - A Few Minutes Later)

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Eastern Wing - Soundproofed Private Room)

Arriving with the rest of the Konoha group in front of the Kyuukai Hostel, Minato ignored the awed and astounded looks that his friends and their families were giving the building in favor of who it was that was still inside. Quickly ushering them inside, he was getting strange looks from the others as they found his behavior rather hurried and happier in contrast to his normal self. About to ask, they were a bit surprised when they saw that it wasn't just him but the rest of his family as they were sitting around a beautiful room without even admiring the ornate and impressive decor. Instead, they were fractured into two different groups; one with euphoric and shining expressions on their faces while the three Sannin were warily glancing around the room. About to ask, their mouths were slammed shut as their eyes widened to comical proportions when an extremely familiar blonde entered from the same doorway they did.

"N-N-Naruto...?!" Zabuza shouted in complete shock, his eyes wide with disbelief as he took in the aged appearance of the boy turned young man he thought of as a son.

"N-No way, h-how is that possible?" Anko asked to no one in particular, the shock of seeing someone they had all seen buried affecting them all in a myriad of ways.

"Is this your entire group? I'm guessing you'll all want to stay the night, right?" Naruto asked Minato, the older blonde flinching before inclining his head softly.

"We're a bit packed because of what happened with the village nearby, I hope this room is comfortable enough for you all." Naruto told them in an apologetic tone, causing the Uzumaki-Namikaze family to flinch a bit with how heartfelt his tone was.

"Y-Yeah, this is fine." He replied in a shaky tone, a bit stunned by how hospitable the blonde was when dealing with them as guests.

"Alright then, I'll get some bedding for all of you. Dinner is already over, but I can prepare you all something if you're feeling hungry." Naruto offered in a polite manner, getting minor negative shakes of the head in return for his offer.

Seeing their bewildered expressions, he couldn't blame them for their lack of enthusiasm; after all for many of them they were looking at what was essentially the walking and talking dead. Looking at the faces of his old friends up close, he felt his gaze soften and his heart ache as their stricken and disbelieving expressions. His gaze meeting with Haku's, he was a bit taken back by how beautiful she had become over the course of the past few years. While he had seen her a while back, he was more focused on dealing with Kakuzu and Hidan to observe her for more then a second. Now that he was observing her from close-up, he was a bit taken back by the sheer beauty that she held.

Quickly shifting his gaze before herself or Zabuza caught him staring, he scanned the faces of his old friends and found that it wasn't only Haku but Satsuki and Yakumo who's beauty grew as they did. When he glanced at Zabuza and Anko, he surprised when he saw the matching rings on their hands and the curious eyed child nestled in Anko's arms. Though, that surprise melted into happiness and blessings for the two; the two of them being a rather fitting and cute couple.

"Then I'll leave you be for now. If you require anything else, please don't be shy." He said as he bowed his head in a cordial manner, the restraint on a few of those in the room finally shattering as they all but attacked him.

In a rapid surge of movement, Satsuki, Haku and Yakumo had practically tackled the blonde once he turned his back on them. A noise of surprise leaving his mouth at the sudden impact, the blonde and the three young ladies clinging onto his back fell to the ground in a rather ungraceful manner. A bit irked by the sudden tackle, he turned and was about to reprimand the ones responsible only for the words to die in his throat. The three young ladies clinging to him had pearl-like tears falling from their eyes as they did their best to avoid appearing weak in front of the blonde, though the small and sporadic shakes of their bodies spoke volumes about what they were truly feeling.

"Hey...? Are you alright?" He asked in a soft and gentle tone, wincing a bit at how weak he sounded though he felt that the feelings of the three latched onto him were much more important then his petty pride.

"A-Are we a-alright? Are we alright?! You idiot!" Satsuki shouted as she moved to slug the blonde on the jaw, though it ended up as a rather impactful slap more then anything else.

"A-All this time, all this time we thought you had died! Y-You're the absolute worst!" Yakumo shouted at him as she slapped him as well, both of his cheeks now sporting matching red slap marks as the other men in the room winced at the scene.

"You're not getting out of this without feeling the pain we all felt from the past five years, Naruto-kun." Haku told him in a frigid tone, her eyes as sharp and cold as the ice that she used.

But that facade was shattered like the finest pane of glass when Haku leaned forward and claimed the lips of the man she loved. While the jaws and eyes of everyone else in the room dropped and widened, Haku ignored them in favor of savoring the feeling of the very same lips that took her first kiss. The impossibility of seeing one who was considered dead was thrown out of Haku's mind as soon as she locked eyes with the blonde she was kissing. While he was able to fool everyone else, even herself to a minor degree, there were some things that a man just couldn't hide from a woman. The softness and nostalgia lurking in his gaze was one of those tiny things that he wasn't able to hide from Haku's eyes.

"I'm never letting go of you ever again, Baka." She whispered after parting from their brief kiss, the strangled sounds escaping from the mouths of the others in the room being all that was able to be heard.

"W-What...? What? WHAT?! Y-You! You! You tramp!" Satsuki screamed as she forcibly pried Naruto away from Haku's "thieving" arms and into her own, instantly crimson with both rage and jealousy as she stammered a reply to the bold act committed by her friend.

"Y-You can't just kiss someone outta nowhere! Y-You were supposed to slap him like Yakumo and I did! T-That's just cheating! You just made Yakumo and I look like we hate him or something!" She continued with a deepening blush on her face, Haku blinking a bit before a rather haughty smirk slowly spread across her face.

"Oh? I didn't tell you two to slap my Naruto-kun now did I Satsuki? That was all on your ends, I for one just wanted to let him know that he still held my heart." Haku said in an innocent tone, though the smugness underneath could be heard in spades.

"Y-Y-You...!?" Yakumo stammered out with a crimson face, unable to properly articulate the words that raged around in her mind at her friend's "betrayal".

But Yakumo's thoughts about Haku being a thieving cat were trounced by the same thoughts of her best friend when Satsuki gave Naruto a demure but no less loving kiss of her own, the Uchiha moaning softly as she felt warmth and security unlike anything she had experienced in the past. If the jaws of the others present were on the ground, they were now falling into the earth as they witnessed not one but two of Konoha's "Ice Princesses" in a row. That notion was once again shattered when Yakumo forcibly pried Satsuki away and gently planted her lips on the blonde, a shiver running down her spine from the jolt of pleasure that resulted from the contact.

As Yakumo was about to make the kiss she was sharing with Naruto a bit deeper, she was pried off by her embarrassed and angry faced best friends. The three of them quickly falling into a nostalgic scene of three maidens in love fighting for the man they love, they were ignorant of the incredulous stares of their family. Yakumo's parents having large smiles on their faces as they chuckled about their daughter's love. Zabuza and Anko having knowing and happy smiles on their faces as they watched Haku glow with happiness and radiance that she had lost years ago. The Uchiha family just staring in complete and utter shock at their daughter's rather bold and out of character action; Itachi, Fugaku and Sasuke's brows twitching with barely controlled restraint as they watched her shower Naruto with love and affection.

However, the familiar scene of romantic comedy came to an end when Naruto finally snapped out of his stupor and shook his head in a mix of embarrassment and irritation. When he was a bit happy that they still felt so strongly about him, he forcibly crushed that feeling when he remembered what he had done, or not done rather. Seeing as he made zero effort to contact them or ease their guilt and worries about his apparent death, he had no right to be loved by them as much as he was. Taking advantage of their bickering, he slipped out from under them before standing a safe distance away. The action catching the attention of the three and their families, they narrowed their eyes at him as he winced a bit at the danger and challenge that was present in them.

"Oh~? And where do you think you're going, Na~Ru~To-kun?" Haku asked in a syrupy sweet sing-song tone, many of the men in the room cringing at the danger her tone presented for the blonde.

"I've got to ask the three of you something." The blonde said in a serious tone, the mood of the room dropping as the three young ladies stiffened immensely before nodding slowly.

"Do you three kiss anyone named Naruto? Or am I just an exception?" He asked the three, the young ladies quickly flinching like he imagined that they would.

"What are you talking about you idiot! Do you really think I wouldn't recognize the person I lov- I-I mean, the p-person I've spent a lot of time with?!" Satsuki told the blonde, many either smiling knowingly or frowning at the slip of her tongue.

"She's right, Naruto-kun. Do you think we're the kind of ladies who would happily kiss anyone with your name?" Yakumo asked in a slightly offended tone, though there was a hint of something that Naruto picked up on but was unable to identify.

Internally grimacing a bit from the ironclad looks of certainty that they were giving him, Naruto was a bit hesitant about his next move; his old friends certainly not giving him any leeway though they weren't even sure that he was the person that they buried all those years ago. About to speak, he paused when the three Sannin stepped between himself and the group. Narrowing his eye at them when he saw their own narrowed expressions, he readied himself for anything that they might try to throw at them.

"No matter that anyone else says, there's just no way you're Naruto." Jiraiya stated in a stern tone, his eyes reflecting it though there was a hint of hope hidden underneath it.

"There only possible explanations I have for this is one of two things: one involves Hiruko and the possibility of cloning. The other... I'd rather not think about it happening to someone I should have been watching over." Orochimaru said in a solemn tone, grimacing a bit when he thought about the Kinjutsu involving his godson.

"Even if by some miracle or calamity you happen to have the same physical makeup and DNA that our Naruto had, you wouldn't be him. Can you really be someone we knew when you have none of the memories they did?" Tsunade said in a terse tone, the others perking at her statement as they mulled over the question.

But their thoughts were broken when the door to the room opened up, Hisako and Naru heading inside with a small tray of snacks. A bit surprised at the tense atmosphere, Hisako and Naru quickly brushed it aside when they felt something nip at their instincts as women. Narrowing their eyes, they made their way towards Naruto before snuggling up tightly against him. Their action causing the eyes of the young ladies who also held affections for him to narrow dangerously, they were about to speak out only to stop when Naruto did.

"Well, I'll tell you that I'm not the same Naruto that you are all talking about. Who I am and who I used to be, they're two completely different people. I'm sorry, but I can hardly remember any of you." He said in an exhausted tone, though he immediately cursed himself to high hell when he realized his complete and utter idiotic slip of his tongue.

Panic setting in, he was about to speak out only to freeze when he saw the disbelieving and reassured looks from his old friends from Konoha. Tears now welling up in the eyes of the ones who were skeptical about his person, he released an exhausted sigh as shook his head bitterly at the major mistake on his part. The action causing his two new family members to look at him with concern in their eyes, they turned towards the Konoha ninja before giving them all a glare; even the soft spoken and well mannered Hisako gave the group a rather unsettling glare, many of them feeling "something" emanate from her person.

"L-Let's go Naruto. I can set up their sleeping arrangements, you go get some sleep." Hisako said in a soft and loving tone while leaning her head against his chest, many of the girls flinching with wide eyes at the way she was so intimately interacting with the blonde.

"Hisako-san is right Onii-chan... We can finish things up, then we'll come to bed." Naru said in a comforting tone, squeezing his arm reassuringly as she nuzzled against his arm as the distress on the faces of the others increased.

The situation taking a steep turn for the worst, Naruto could only curse himself to oblivion for possibly the largest mistake he's made in his life. The mixture of exhaustion, stress and panic having caused the slip up, Naruto could only accept the fact that he wasn't going to break out of the situation as it stood. Releasing another sigh, he steeled himself for the oncoming storm of questioning, tackles, hugs, kisses, attacks and whatever else they had in store for him. His thoughts and posture being read by the young ladies closest to him, both Naru and Hisako adopted protective and rather threatening positions while still embracing the blonde. For the Konoha ninja, they all felt the pressure emanating from the two; the hazy manifestations of two disturbing creatures appearing behind the two deterring all attempts at apprehending the blonde.

"_This is Naruto, Naru and my home, this is our home and we're a family. I won't let anyone take my Naruto away from me and Naru, even if they really are his old friends._" Hisako thought with a determined mindset, a faint glow of silver hidden behind her bandaged eyes.

"_This is my new home, Hisako and Onii-chan are my new family. I won't let these people break my family apart._" Naru thought with vicious intent, her pupils dilating as she slowly began to exude killing intent at the group.

"What gives you two the right to stop us from being with our son!?" Kushina shouted at them in anger, her eyes now glowing a similar color as her own locks.

"O-Onii-chan?! Naruto-nii is MY nii-chan! Not yours, you imitation imouto knockoff!" Mito shouted at Naru in blind rage, Naru's eyes darkening even more as her killing intent doubled the instant those words left the redhead's mouth.

"She's right! He's OUR brother, not yours you fake!" Narumi added on in anger, snarling at Naru along with her elder sister as Naru's mouth twitched a bit before turning down slightly.

"Let go of him you floozies! He's not yours!" Haku shouted at them in a mix of anger and jealousy, the rage in her voice reflected in her eyes.

"Oh? And you think he's yours?! He's not yours either, Haku!" Satsuki shouted at her best friend, Haku turning her burning glare into an icy one when it locked onto the Uchiha.

"Fighting like two girls over a stuffed toy, no wonder Naruto-kun would never see either of you as someone to take care of." Yakumo quipped as an offhand insult to the two, both of them turning to snarl at her as she looked away.

"You two brats! Let go of my future son-in-law!" Anko and Zabuza shouted in tandem, Ruto laughing loudly at the energy that was filling the room.

"S-S-Son-in-Law!? You've never brought that up with us Zabuza!" Minato told the man, Zabuza wincing as he felt Fugaku and Murakumo's gazes fall onto him.

"Your son-in-law? Surely Naruto-kun would be more fit as a son to my family, Zabuza." Fugaku said in a knowing tone, the eyes of nearly everyone widening as they heard him actually approve of someone to marry his beloved daughter.

"I disagree, Naruto-kun and my daughter would make a far more attractive couple." Murakumo quipped as he nodded his head in agreement, the stares of everyone intensifying as the stakes rose.

"W-What?! Why is Nii-san so popular with all the ladies?!" Menma asked loudly to no one in particular, in complete disbelief that his older brother was such a ladies' man despite his behavior.

"This... I'm not sure I can find the correct words to use..." Hiashi said in a confused manner, his family mirroring his state of mind given that they weren't particularly close with the blonde even before his death.

"Naruto-san is alive...!" Hanabi whispered in a soft tone, her cheeks coloring a bit as she admitted to herself that he looked a bit different then what she imagined he look like in her dreams.

"I-It's a miracle! I-I'm not dreaming or anything, right?" Kakashi asked himself as he unveiled his Sharingan to ensure that it wasn't a genjutsu or some form of trickery that he was seeing.

"Naruto-kun... I'm so glad..." Shizune whispered to herself in a relieved manner, wiping away a few tears as she giggled happily at the scene playing out before her.

Soon, more and more squabbles between the people gathered in the room rose as they slowly became comfortable and accepted the idea that it was indeed their Naruto that was standing before them. Though, the Sannin were still skeptical about the entire situation if their wary gazes were anything to go off on. For Naruto, the blonde in question was doing all he could to restrain the irritation that was slowly bubbling to the surface, the only thing really helping to restrain it being the silverette clinging onto him. Taking another deep breath, he released it before finally deciding to speak his mind.

"Enough!" Naruto said in an extremely irritated tone, catching the attention of everyone present as they stiffened before snapping to face him.

"That's quite enough bickering and slander. You can continue this tomorrow, but for now, get ready for bed." Naruto all but ordered, everyone quickly stiffening up before nodding to him in confirmation of his orders.

Shaking his head, Naruto moved to the side of the room where the closet laid before opening it up. Once open, it was revealed to contain a large number of rolls, blankets, pillows and futons for the guests situated in the room. Quickly setting up the room with the help of a smiling Hisako and Naru, the three had the room set up for the Konoha ninja in three minutes.

Giving his helpers a small smile of gratitude, Naruto gave the ninja one last warning look before heading out of the room. As he left, Hisako followed quickly behind but not before giving her guests a bit of a tense bow and smile, Naru following suit but only with a small bow. As the trio left them alone, the Konoha ninja finally broke from their stupor before the realization of what had just happened hit them.

"...I still don't think that man is our Naruto..." Jiraiya said in a quiet tone, the others turning to face him with varying expressions on their faces.

"This... This is rather peculiar... Being able to fake one's death is one thing, but faking one's own death and fooling the likes of Tsunade? It's just surreal, I'm not sure what to believe." Orochimaru said under his breath, trying to find a logical and reasonable answer as to how his godson was able to stage his own death.

"I need sake... None of this is making any sense to me..." Tsunade muttered in a drained manner, still trying to wrap her mind around what had just been revealed to her and the others.

"Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Tsunade... I know that it seems impossible, but I know for a fact that that young man is my Naruto, my son." Minato said in a confident but solemn tone, the others turning to face him at his declaration.

"How are you so sure Minato-kun?" Orochimaru asked in an inquisitive tone, everyone quickly growing both curious and tense when they saw him grimace.

"I... I checked Naruto's grave on our property..." He started before trailing off, many eyes widening at the horrible and rather rushed reasoning for desecrating the grave of someone so close to them.

"You did what...?" Kushina asked in a quiet tone, her body trembling and feeling numb from the words that just left her husband's mouth.

"What did you find? If it was in vain..." Tsunade trailed off in a stern tone, Minato's expression quickly shifting from solemn to serious as he heard her question.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. No smell, no remains, nothing." He reported as their eyes widened even more, the medical ninja in particular as they knew that even after years of decomposition there had to be some residue remaining.

"Impossible... Then that's really...?" The three Sannin trailed off, their eyes widening as they turned to face the direction that the blonde had left with the two young ladies.

"Yes, now I'm one hundred percent certain. That's our Naruto." Minato said in a joyous tone as he flashed them all a brilliant smile unlike anything they had seen in the past few years.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Research Command Center)

"H-Hiruko-sama! W-We've done it! A subject has managed to remain sane after being exposed to that liquid!" An eager scientist reported to the silver haired man situated before a large monitor, a sinister smile creeping over his face as he stared at the statistics and reading laying about the screen.

"Ho? Is that so? What are the results of the subject's physical and mental evaluations?" Hiruko asked the scientist, the man quickly pulling up a number of charts and graphs on the monitor before the bandaged man.

"From previous experiments and situations, being under the influence of that liquid increases the infected subject's physical attributes to the heights we've only dreamed of. The mental states of the subjects however... They are at best, suffering in the most horrific manner imaginable." They reported in a professional tone, though a bit of guilt and pity could be heard underneath.

"Interesting... Pull of the live feed, I want to see the condition of the subject." Hiruko ordered as the younger man nodded, quickly hitting a button as a video of a purple shrouded man appeared.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Experimentation Area)

"**Guhhhh... M-Make it stop... T-The pain... M-Make it STOP!**" The man roared as a number of discolored bones suddenly protruded from his body, the man covered in a familiar looking black marking as he held his head in agony.

Still clutching his head as he felt like it was going to split at a moment's notice, the pale man stumbled about the testing chamber as he tried to ease the agony that was coursing through his body. Banging his head against the wall in a futile attempt to divert the pain he was feeling internally, externally, the man only caused his pain to multiply as the bones protruding from his body started to corrode and change. Moaning and groaning in agony, he fell against the wall before sinking down it; being unable to stand the agony coursing through his body any longer.

"**P-Please... H-Hiruko-sama... Make the pain stop...**" He pleaded in an agonized and desperate tone, moving his hands from clutching his head to holding his chest as the pain started to echo from his core.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Research Command Center)

"It appears that Kimimaro-kun is the only subject that survived being exposed and infected. The others, myself included, believe that it has something to do with either having a Kekkei Genkai or being mark with your seal Hiruko-sama." The man reported as Hiruko nodded his head, a rather sinister smile sprawling across his face as he contemplated the possible uses for this new discovery.

"I want you all to confirm this. If you can prove to me, without fail, that those with my seal or with a Kekkei Genkai are able to resist being destroyed by that Virus, I want to harness that power for myself." Hiruko stated as the scientist's eyes widened at the statement.

"M-My lord! T-That's far too dangerous!" He said as Hiruko simply shook his head in amusement, clearly underestimating what he was dealing with.

"Do not worry. I will not succumb to some infection." Hiruko stated with absolute conviction, a power-hungry grin on his face as he contemplated the uses for his eventual new power.

"R-Right, I'm sorry for his my disrespect!" The man apologized while bowing deeply, Hiruko shaking his head as he moved out of the room.

"In the meantime, set Kimimaro out to hunt for the Akatsuki. They've become far too powerful to ignore now." Hiruko ordered as the man nodded his head, moving to relay the orders to the guards beside Kimimaro's testing chamber.

"Once I have this Virus under my command, nothing will stand in my way..." Hiruko muttered in a sinister tone as he headed into his private chamber, already planning for the oncoming future.

(Scene Change - Tower of God: Peak)

"**It appears that the time for action has come... What will you do Naruto-kun? Who's side will you fight for and what is it that you will fight for? Even I cannot see that in the future...**" White asked himself as he gazed off into the distance, a bit interested in what the blonde he had met a short while ago was going to be involved in.

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**And that's a wrap guys, tell me that you think alright? Again, kinda a weird chapter and all that jazz. Didn't really dig how it came out all that much but eh, what're you gonna do. So what the heck is gonna happen now?! The gang is together all under the same roof! Is blood gonna finally spill? Are tears going to be wept like a waterfall? Are even more kisses going to be stolen? What's gonna happen between the original siblings and the Naru? Will Hisako assert her dominance even more? Is Kimimaro truly in control of the Virus? What the heck is Hiruko planning on doin' with the Virus? Can White see the future? Or is he merely predicting what will happen? Oh my goodness, there's way too much going on. Haha, well you kinda get the point right? Stuff is gonna hit the fan even more, and I hope it isn't too messy. And again, check out the poll on my profile. Guess who's getting a One-Shot! Haha, I kidd, I kidd. That's for another time. Again, ****I really do enjoy reading your PM's and Reviews, so leave a few for me, eh? So yeah, ****I hope it was enjoyable for you all to read. And you know the drill, right? Till next time, you all stay awesome.**


	36. Chapter 34

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. It's been a quite some time hasn't it? Sorry bout that, been caught up with work and and new hours. But even more so, charger to the laptop broke so had to take it apart and solder it together, or that was the hope. So that kinda kept me busy, being unable to write or respond to you cool people. So what've you kids been up to? Homework, tests, studying, reading and all that good stuff I hope. Well, hopefully a bit of an extra long chapter will be enough of an apology for you cool cats and dogs. This chapter was a bit hard for me to write, the last chapter having almost zero action and this one having a bunch, it was a bit hard for me to get back into the groove of things again. And a bit more then that, I've kinda been hitting a wall with finding the drive to write. Though, I do want to cause of you awesome people who actually like this wonky story, haha. ****This Chapter didn't turn out 100% like I wanted it to, but I had a blast writing it; especially the end. Though, I'm still kinda really bad at writing anything other then the lame broody, serious junk. So yeah, I gotta thank all you cool cats and dogs who actually wait for this story to update and enjoy reading it. And just a heads up guys, that poll on my profile; it's closed so go take a look cause I'm gonna be putting a new one up in a few days, like three or four. The results were pretty interesting, haha. So lots of you cats and dogs really dig Gaara huh? Though, not many voted for the bros so eh. And a heads up, I'm doing an anniversary Omake chapter for the One Year Anni., and I'll be answer questions with the cast of this story comedy style, so PM or leave questions in your REVIEWS and I'll pick some out to answer with the Naruto crew (It won't be a serious or long chapter by any means, just something to do to celebrate.) ****So yeah, hopefully, y****ou all remember the routine right? Read, Review and PM me if you want to; I really do enjoy reading your PM's and Reviews cause a lot of the time they're just awesome. Well, that's enough of me yapping right? You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 34

(Scene Change - Grand Desert: Mirage Oasis)

"Tch. I'm bored." Daihei muttered in a tone of disgust as he observed the barren area around him, his mood worsening as he found nothing of interest other then the occasional Delex, Cephalos and Cephadrome swimming about.

"**If you are so uninterested, why not do something about it rather then complain.**" A deep voice sounded out from below the dark haired teen, Daihei nearly snarling as he took in the irritated tone of his "partner".

Being the seat of the dark haired teen, the hulking dragon that was below him simply shook his head at the teen's tone. Covered in an extremely dense, stone-like armored shell which shielded his body from any and all forms of physical damage; he matched it with his large size, towering over the smaller piscine wyvern swimming about. Its body is mainly blood red with cream-colored tips upon all of its spines. It has a flat face with broad teeth, despite a carnivorous diet. Upon its back is a large, cannon-like structure from which large quantities of sand can be expelled. Its overall body structure is highly reminiscent of that of other flightless Wyverns such as Akantor and Ukanlos; he was a cousin of the two, being the Cannon Rock Wyvern or less commonly known Sand God, Odibatorasu.

So why was such a peace loving and indolent dragon paired with such a partner? The reason for his pairing with the hotheaded and rather arrogant brunette was a decision that his guardian had asked of the Elders. His request being that Daihei be partnered with a dragon that would help in mellowing out his bullheaded and conceited younger sibling. Though, it seemed that it was for not as the young man was still rather prideful and haughty, especially when it came to conversing with the beings that he was training with.

"Quiet you oversized lizard!" Daihei growled out in an irritated tone as well, Gravios simply sighing at the teen's heated response.

"**Such arrogance. When you are actually able to cause me to feel something more then an itch, I advise that you watch your tongue, Human.**" Odibatorasu sighed in a tired tone, a yawn escaping his mouth as the ground shook lightly.

"Tch, I'll show you... I'll show all of you..." Daihei muttered in a dark tone Odibatorasu raising a brow at his change though he instinctively knew that the teen on top of him would be a danger in the future.

"_**White, Gendo... I don't know what the two of you see in this impudent child, all I can sense from his person is hate and anger. Should he stray from the path that you two have laid out for him, I will crush him immediately.**_" Odibatorasu thought as he let his eyes close, another sigh escaping his mouth as Daihei continued to brood on top of him.

"_Where is that blonde bastard?! He'd be a better challenge then these lizards!_" Daihei thought bitterly as his scowl deepened, his eyes following suit as he tried to find something to pass the time until the meeting that himself and the other humans were called to.

(Scene Change - Volcanic Wasteland: Magma End)

"Hiiya!" Homura shouted as she slashed the air with the swords held in her hand, the air shimmering a bit before being split in three along with the magma, rock and lava in the path.

"**Hmm... Quite nice but I highly doubt that you will be able to accomplish White's will before that other human female, child.**" A regal and feminine voice said in a scrutinizing tone, Homura clicking her tongue in minor irritation at the appraisal of her skills.

"You think so Lunastra? I thought I'd be a bit ahead of Suko-chan by now, guess not." She sighed out as she took a seat on a small outcrop of solidified magma, propping her arms up for the words that were going to leave the mouth of her partner.

Lunastra, known as the Empress of Flame and Overseer of the Ancients, was a regal and elegant looking dragon, clad in deep blue scales that shielded her body from nearly all forms of damage. Almost mammalian in appearance, she was regarded as one of the most volatile and short tempered of the elders, many likening it to her appearance as a feline. Though, the most distinguishing trait about her body was also the most enigmatic; that being the "crown" that laid atop her head. A mystery to many, it seemed to serve some unknown purpose, many thinking that it was the source of her flames and power.

"**That blue haired human does have the edge against you if the two of you were to engage head to head, however she does lack the grace that you have been naturally gifted. While she is no doubt graceful herself, you are much more fluid in your movements; an ironic notion considering her natural element is water.**" Lunastra said with a minor chuckle, the magma around the area bubbling violently as the ground shook from her laughter.

"I know, it's really ironic! But I'm kinda nervous Lunastra, I love Suko-chan like a sister but I can't help but feel like she's hiding something from me." Homura said in a quiet and slightly conflicted tone, Lunastra sighing softly at the statement.

"**I assure you that it is nothing that is worth wasting your time mulling over. If it was truly something important, she would have no doubt shared it with you by now.**" Lunastra said in a confident tone, Homura's face lighting up at her words as she stood up.

"Yeah, you're right Lunastra! I'm just being paranoid, haha! Come'on, let's go a few rounds!" Homura said as her blades were set ablaze with flames that seemed to melt the very air around it.

"**Oh? Now you are in the mood for sparring? Well now, do not disappoint me!**" Lunastra roared as the entire area shook violently, the magma pools bubbling over as lava erupted from the ground beneath them.

(Scene Change - Eternal Ocean: Mirage Island)

"Hiya~!" Tatsuko chirped as she lashed out with her fist, smiling in contentment when she saw a clean scar cut through the endless sea before her.

"**Oh? It appears that you've improved child, quite a feat considering your rather slothful nature.**" A regal, deep and feminine voice said in a mildly amused tone, a pout appearing on the face of the bluenette when she heard the words the dragon spoke to her.

"Mou~ You're so mean Ceadeus! I've been training hard to keep my spot as number one!" Tatsuko said in a hurt tone as Ceadeus simply chuckled in response, the golden dragon's laughter shaking the entire ocean as rough waves and water started to overtake the area.

The dragon that had taken Tatsuko in under her wing to further her training in her natural and strongest element, water, was none other then the Empress Ocean Dragon herself, Ceadeus. Sporting a lustrous golden body and brown underbelly, her most defining feature was also her most hated; that being the pronounced mane that covered her throat and chest. With luminous organs dotting the underside of her body, she was both beautiful as she was disastrous; the two golden horns adorning her head being said to have the power to cleave the ocean, heaven and earth in two so should she desire.

At first, she was a bit surprised that the bluenette had wanted to partner up and train under her; the tales of what she and her predecessors were said to have done being closer to reality then meager tales. That surprise was quickly replaced with annoyance however, when she realized that she would have to put in actual effort in working with the human; knowing that they were nothing more then fragile creatures even weaker then the lowest bird wyvern. Still, after a few months of coaxing and closing the distance, they had finally partnered up and were getting along much better then they had in the past; the two of them bonding like Tatsuko had with Meraginasu, the two of them finding common ground with their weakened visual prowess.

"**Hahaha, of course Tatsuko-chan; if my partner wasn't at the pinnacle of power, what would that say about myself?**" The golden dragon asked as Tatsuko simply giggled, knowing that while it was rather close between her and her best friend she was miles ahead of the other human.

"Homura and I are tied for the top so it'll be a tough battle, but I'm not worried about the weakling that Odibatorasu-san was forced to partner with!" Tatsuko chirped as Ceadeus nodded her head, knowing that the others felt pity for the slothful dragon as he was partnered with a rather irritating creature, even by human standards.

"**What if your mate was still amongst us? How do you think you would fare against him?**" The golden dragon asked, Tatsuko's happy mood dropping faster then the waves crashing against the sea as a rather solemn smile spread across her face.

"I know for a fact that if Naruto were still around... No one would even be close to how strong he would be. He'd be at the pinnacle of speed, power and intellect; not to mention cuteness and handsomeness." Tatsuko admitted with a small wistful smile on her face, her partner shaking her head good-naturedly at her pensive demeanor.

"**I, too, would like to see where your mate would've stood if he were still here. A human that has captured the interest of White? That is a notion that none would have even imagined.**" Ceadeus said in an interested tone, Tatsuko nodding her head in agreement as she let out a soft sigh.

"Well that's enough being sad, Ceadeus! Let's get back to becoming the strongest!" Tatsuko cheered in a much more motivated and energized tone, Ceadeus smirking at her partner's change in mood.

"**Well, let's not keep you waiting my partner!**" She said in a dangerous tone, the waters around the island instantly overrun with an obscene number of tsunami and whirlpools.

(Scene Change - Tower of God: Peak)

"**Things will certainly be interesting when their trial comes, I do hope that young Naruto is prepared for the arrival of three dragons; one that will no doubt be wrathful concerning his alleged "death". I pray for your good health, young Naruto.**" White said in a mirthful tone, the heavens and earth shaking immensely with each reverberation of his chest.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Eastern Wing - Private Dining Room)

Gathered together in a side room to their already large room were the Konoha ninja, all of them sitting in an awkward silence as they awaited the arrival of the blonde from before. After being forcibly put to sleep by him the night before, they all had a sleepless night filled with anxiety and restlessness as they awaited morning and another chance to speak with the blonde. The idea of sneaking out was at first appealing to them, but when the first few people were about to exit the room, they froze before quickly returning to their beds when an inhuman amount of killing intent and pressure washed over them.

Now, they were anxiously awaiting the breakfast that the silver haired girl from before had informed them of. The thought of quickly apprehending and interrogating the silverette swimming through their mind when she first entered the room, it quickly fled when they remembered what Naruto had done to the person who had taken her hostage a day before and what he had done to the others who were a part of said person's group. The chilling sensation of the Shinigami's fingertips brushing against the back of their necks at the thought shredding the idea, they were brought back to the present when the silverette and blonde from last night entered the dining room.

"I'm sorry for the wait, I hope that everything is to your liking. If there's anything else that you need, please don't be afraid to ring this bell." Hisako told them in a polite tone as she gestured to the bell located on the center of the table.

"Come'on Hisako-san, Onii-chan is waiting for us back in the kitchen." Naru said in an impatient tone, Hisako stiffening up a bit before a small downturn of her lips appeared.

"Naru-san, while I understand that you dislike them; Naruto would tell you to still treat them with the respect that you should be showing all of our guests." Hisako told the blonde beside her in a slightly disapproving tone, Naru's eyes widening a bit as her words struck her directly in the heart.

"I-I'm s-sorry..." Naru whispered as she bowed her head towards the Konoha ninja, all of them stiffly nodding their heads in return as the pair exited the room.

"So, what do we do now?" Menma asked when the pair left the room, the faces of everyone flashing with a myriad of emotions as they contemplated what the next choice of action was.

"What do we do? We go and take back Naruto-nii from those two seductresses!" Mito said in a heated tone, her eyes burning with both envy and determination as she fought back the urge to rush out on her own.

"I agree with Mito-nee! There's no telling what those two have done to Naru-nii!" Narumi said in a panicked tone, her face burning with both jealousy and anger as she beat down the rather vivid images that quickly flashed through her mind.

"Girls, calm down. I... I'm not sure what to do, I'm still not one hundred percent convinced that he's our Naruto." Tsunade admitted in a slightly conflicted tone, the others nodding slightly at her well deserved reservations.

"Well I know it's him, Baa-chan! My little sister instincts have never been wrong before, why would they now!" Narumi told the elder blonde, the others in the group sans Mito laughing wryly at her rather odd statement.

"I know for a fact it's my Naruto-kun, a maiden's heart is never wrong." Haku said in a confident but also slightly haughty tone, a matching smirk on her face as she happily sipped the tea they were given.

"Wait a damn second, _your_ Naruto-kun? Who died and made you queen?!" Satsuki asked the Hyōton user in a heated tone, her eyes along with Yakumo's, Narumi and Mito's narrowing at the rather bold statement.

"Hmm? Nothing that isn't true, so no need to get all worked up Satsuki." Haku replied in an equally haughty tone, many shivering a bit when they saw a subtle frosty haze start to dance around her.

"Don't let her get to you Satsuki, only a lady with little to no confidence would stoop so low to ensure that she feels better about herself." Yakumo quipped in a snide tone, Haku's brow twitching with anger and irritation at the jab.

In the midst of their squabbling, they soon became overtaken with the inclusion of their families; the laughter and energy that slowly began to fill the room making everyone much more comfortable and lively. Soon, the insults and snide remarks being shot between the Satsuki, Haku and Yakumo became less and less sharp and more playful as they began laughing with each other.

"So, your son is alive Minato. It's still quite shocking after everything that's happened." Fugaku said in an interested tone, the other fathers nodding as they settled amongst each other for a few early morning drinks.

"I for one don't care how or why, I'm just glad that the brat is alive and kickin'! I'm gonna give him hell the next time I see his face, being alive all that time but never once sending a sign of it." Zabuza declared in a heated tone, the other fathers laughing heartily at his statement as he downed the rest of his light sake.

"I feel the same way Zabuza, I'm just glad that my son is back. Maybe this time, I'll be able to act like more of a father." Minato said in a quiet tone, the other men patting him on the back in reassurance.

"Don't fret Minato, you've done the best that you could considering the circumstances. This is a blessing no doubt." Hizashi said in a reassuring tone, the blonde giving the man a smile at the comment.

"I agree, this is no doubt a blessing from Kami-sama herself." Hiashi quipped in a knowing tone, the others chuckling at the sureness that was evident in his voice.

"Well, let's cross that bridge when it rises once more. If my Yakumo is confident that he is her man, then that's quite good enough for me." Murakumo said in a confident and easy going tone, the others smiling at his relaxed outlook as they settled into it as well.

With the mothers, they were all animatedly chatting as they tried to discern what was the next step with the happenings of their group. Haruka and Hikari, the wives of Hizashi and Hiashi respectively, were laughing softly at Hanabi's pink face as they teased her about her crush on the blonde; her crush having been reignited by his presence once again. Anko, Mikoto and Uroko were laughing as they watched their daughters playfully tease each other, Anko occasionally cooing at her son as Ruto giggled happily at the attention he received. With Kushina, she was quietly scheming a way to snatch her son away from the two young ladies who acted like he belonged to them. With Sasuke and Itachi, they were plotting ways to "test" their sister's crush to ensure that he was indeed the one for her.

With the others, Hinata and Hanabi were trying to calm down Narumi and Mito as the two were doing all they could to restrain the desire to burst from the room and rescue their older brother. Menma was busy trying to figure out how or why his brother was so popular with women, Kakashi and his godfather doing his best to explain that some people were born luckier then others when it came to the ladies. Tsunade was finally beginning to settle into the idea that it was indeed her godson, teasing a blushing and mortified Shizune that he was finally of legal age for the two of them to "enjoy" some time together. Orochimaru was idly sipping on his tea as he ran another set of scenarios that could've played out once more in his mind, still finding no possible way that his godson faked his own death.

Overall, the feeling of the room improved greatly then how it felt from that morning and the night before. The liveliness and atmosphere being much lighter then it was before, the Konoha ninja were ignorant of the impending danger that was fast approaching.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Kitchen)

"I'm gonna head over and see if there's any lasting damage from the attack, they're probably be needing some help with reconstruction and a few other things. I want the two of you to stay here and ensure that everyone's taken care of, alright?" Naruto told the two young ladies before him, Naru and Hisako nodding in a sad but understanding manner.

"Don't worry, I'll be back by nighttime at the latest alright? And remember, if you need me just call and I'll be there." He reassured the two girls, giving them a soft kiss on the foreheads as their faces lit up brightly.

"Be safe Naruto, please don't do anything dangerous." Hisako murmured after burying her face into his chest, snuggling against him lovingly as she gave him a loving squeeze.

"I know you won't be in danger Onii-chan, but still be careful ok?" Naru whispered in a soft tone as she hugged him in a loving manner, nuzzling against his back as she did her best to ignore the silverette also embracing him.

Reassuring them once more, he gave the two of them one more kiss on the forehead before heading out of the kitchen to prepare for the upcoming trip.

(Scene Change - Thousand Blade Mountain: Chamber of the Elders)

Gathered before the being who reigned supreme over heaven and earth; Tatsuko, Homura and Daihei were doing everything in their power to appear strong in front of him, though the subtle shakes of their body spoke volumes of their inner feelings. Settling down before them, White let a soft breath out as the entirety of the mountain shook from the action; the three humans standing before him shaking under the pressure and power the act exerted.

"**I thank you three for coming on time. You do know why you are gathered here, correct?**" White asked the three, their heads nodding stiffly as they found their voices were failing to create any coherent words.

"**It is time for your examination. Strength, speed, intellect, instinct; those traits and many more are what separate an Elder from the rest, and in turn their partners. As their partners, you all will be tested to see if you are equal to them. Though I know that it is impossible to stand as their equal as you are all merely human, so you will be tested on human terms.**" White started as they nodded their heads slowly in understanding, knowing that one on one they would be utterly destroyed by their partners.

"**Your tests will take place in the Elemental Nations. Your first will involve a peculiar event taking place in the next few hours; a human will attempt and succeed in reviving a demon from its seal. This event will no doubt disrupt the balance of power, and while I find dealing with most humans rather troublesome that demon was once one of our brethren. Moryo was once one of us though he was much more arrogant and power hungry then even the most prideful Elder though he was amongst the weakest of our kind. Eventually, his lust and greed for power exceeded reason and he invaded the Elemental Nations as a show of his power. Thought of as a demon of sorts, his power seemingly born from the hearts of those who envied and lusted for power, wealth and fame; he took sides with those who desired it at a price of their life once they acquired what it was that they desired. Of course, seeing as he was one of the weakest dragons to have survived to maturity, a human managed to defeat and seal his soul and body away. While simple in nature, your task is to eliminate both Moryo and those who are acting for his benefit; and a warning, his army of stone does have the capability to harm you should you release them from their shells; their bodies hidden beneath strengthened by his chakra.**" White explained as the three stood up and bowed deeply to him, thanking him for the warning as they set off to prepare for the upcoming task.

"**Now that all the pieces are aligning, what will you do when you meet your mate once again young Naruto?**" White asked to himself as he chuckled softly, the mountain once again shaking deeply as he awaited the inevitable confrontation.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Moryo's Spirit Seal)

Standing before a large stone door with a multitude of seals covering its surface was a fair skinned man with long black hair, light tan eyes with black pupils, and a facial goatee. Wearing a grey attire, a black trench coat, and sleek combat shoes; he had an aura of darkness shrouding him as he examined the door before him.

"Moryo!" The man called out as he performed an odd looking gesture with his arm, twisting the appendage before holding it out towards the door.

"**Yashiro no Fūin: Kai**. Min, Shin, Gan, Reppyo, Shōzen, Mika, Dan, Raku, Shō." He said as a stream of dark colored chakra surged from his hand towards the door, the sealing tags burning away before cracks started spreading over it.

After a few more seconds, the stone shattered as a surge of dark energy escaped from the exposed doorway, a purplish black otherworldly looking plane of existence now open to the man. Standing his ground, the man waited until the volatile waves of energy slowly to minor ebbs and flows of its former self. When the pulses of energy slowed, the man straightened his back and waited for whatever was to happen next.

"**It's been a while... Have I returned to this world?**" An otherworldly voice asked from within the dark plane, the man quickly moving to kneel in front of the door as the voice spoke.

"Moryo-sama, it's been quite some time." The man said in a respectful tone as he bowed his head in an equally respectful manner.

"**Hmm... And you are...?**" Moryo asked in a curious tone, the man raising his head as he addressed Moryo.

"Have you forgotten Moryo-sama? It is I, Yomi. My clan of ninja once used your power to create the Ghost Army." Yomi replied in a curt and respectful tone, moving to bow his head once he was done speaking.

"**Why have you summoned me?**" Moryo asked the man, Yomi nodding his head as he raised his head once more.

"The stars have aligned once again. Now is the time for us to join hands once more to create a Thousand-Year Kingdom.

"**Where is my physical self? With only my soul, the wind will scatter me like falling leaves.**" Moryo questioned Yomi, the man quickly relaying what had happened to him in the past.

"With that Moryo-sama, please use my body as a vessel." Yomi said as he opened his coat, quickly making an incision on his abdomen as Moryo quickly shot from the seal to his body.

The force of the demon entering his body carrying him into the air and a few meters away, Yomi quickly stitched the opening of his abdomen up before chuckling darkly. The area rumbling, the cocoons of stone scattered around the seal began shaking as the aged stone started breaking from their bodies revealing the stone warriors beneath. Their eyes glowing with renewed life, they started to slowly advance out of the cave; Yomi exiting from where he entered as he addressed the group of four waiting for him.

"_**We must head to the shine in Oni no Kuni where not only my body is sealed but also the priestess of Oni no Kuni, as only she has the power to free me.**_" Moryo told Yomi though their newly formed link, the man nodding as he saw his ninja awaiting him.

"The rite has been completed. " Yomi explained to the ninja present, getting nods of the head as they began to leave the blazing and ruined temple ground behind.

As they left, one of the dying temple guards managed to wake just long enough to summon a messenger hawk and attach a message to it. Quickly instructing the bird of its orders, he shakily placed a bloody scrawling into the holster on its leg before it took off. Watching with hopeful but despairing eyes, he let out a quiet prayer as his eyes grew heavier and heavier. Then, he slumped back to the ground as the embrace of the Shinigami finally grasped him.

With Yomi and the ninja who were accompanying him, they were met with the stone warriors of the Ghost Army; Yomi setting up a temporary base camp as he turned to address the ninja before him.

"Head immediately to Oni no Kuni. There, kill the priestess who passes on the **Yashiro no Fūin**." Yomi explained to the four ninja before him, the pink haired man answering him as he raised his head.

"Take this with you. You are the only one who can manipulate them." Yomi said as he held out his arm, strange purplish snake-like creatures slithering out from his sleeves and into the body of the pink haired man before him.

"Go." Yomi ordered as they quickly vanished, leaving him behind as he clutched his twitching hand.

"And hurry..." Yomi muttered as a light purple haze started to shroud his hand, the man grimacing as he saw a scale-like patter starting to form.

(Scene Change - Oni no Kuni: Priestess' Compound Outer Area)

"Nii-san, hurry it up!" The masked shinobi demanded as he impatiently tapped his foot on the ground, glancing between the compound and his brother.

"No need to feel rushed, we've got time." The pink haired man said as the same snake-like creatures from before protruded from his body.

Three of the creatures leaving his body quickly moved to the three before burrowing themselves into the back of the gathered ninja's necks. The three stiffening up as a jolt of pain and energy quickly surged through them, they twitched a bit as their pupils dilated a number of times as the color of their iris changed. Then, their eyes blacked out as their appearance changed considerably; their skin darkening as differing markings appeared on the faces and bodies of the three, their teeth also sharpening as another stark change took place. A heavy, light colored purple shroud of vile chakra covering them, they all enjoyed the thick surge of power the coursed through their bodies as the pink haired man approached them.

"Our chakra natures are as discussed. Now let's go and do it." He said as they quickly moved towards the compound, their smiles both chilling and excited.

(Scene Change - Oni no Kuni: Priestess' Compound - Shion's Sleeping Quarters)

"Um!" Shion gasped as she heard her bell chime, her eyes opening they dilated a bit before drastically changing their shape as a purple pattern took it over.

Flashes of images flooding before her eyes and mind, she saw a multitude of rather disturbing scenes quickly appear and fade before they focused on a few key characters. Seeing a horrid, black and purpled colored mass with dragon-headed tendrils; Shion felt her breath hitch when she saw someone she had not seen in a number of years. Her surprise quickly took a turn for the worst when she saw what happened to him next, her eyes widening and watering when she saw the vision in its full.

(Flashforward - A Few Hours in the Future)

(Scene Change - Moryo's Seal: Inner Sealing Chamber)

"Damn it." Naruto cursed under his breath as he took a calming breath to ease his frazzled nerves, putting weight off his right side as he glared at the monstrosity standing before him.

"**Did you really think you had the power to defeat me, Human? I may have been amongst the weakest of my kind, by I was still a dragon!**" Moryo roared as his he moved his tendrils to attack the blonde, Naruto narrowing his eye as he evaded and crushed the heads that targeted him.

"Tch, you're getting annoying." Naruto said in an irritated tone as Moryo's ire skyrocketed, his form pulsing a bit before a bright purple glow began to emanate from his center.

Slowly, the light overtook the room as Naruto was forced to close his eye or risk being blinded. When the light faded and he opened his eye once more, he saw that the mass of obscene tendrils was replaced with a reptilian creature that reminded him of the appearance of a Flying Wyvern, though it looked emaciated in contrast. Quickly falling into a guarded stance, Naruto's eye widened when the creature appeared beside him, the blonde moving to bring his arm up for a guard only to get his chest pierced by a purple shrouded claw.

"**Foolish Human, didn't training with those muscle-bound fools teach you anything about hunting? Speed and power, precision and accuracy, small and large; didn't it occur to you that shrinking my size will increase my speed while maintaining a high amount of power?**" Moryo lectured the blonde as Naruto continued to glare at him, his eye sparking an electric blue as Moryo glared back at him.

"**Hmph. Die!**" Moryo roared in an angered tone as a purple burst of chakra pulsed from the blonde, Naruto's eye widening as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Shion... G-Get away..." He wheezed out as he turned to face her, his once powerful, commanding yet kind gaze now fading as Shion's eyes began watering at his visage.

"NARUTO!" She screamed as her tears began flowing like a dam broken, unable to do anything but sit and watch the man she cherished die before her.

(Flashforward - End)

(Scene Change - Oni no Kuni: Priestess' Compound - Shion's Sleeping Quarters)

"Naruto..." She whimpered in a devastated tone, her tears falling as she realized the severity of what she had just foreseen.

"Shion-sama, we've got to evacuate! Intruders have attacked the compound!" A soldier reported to the blonde as she quickly rose from her head, her heart hammering in her chest as she heard the screams of her guardsmen from outside.

(Scene Change - Oni no Kuni: Priestess' Compound - Inner Area)

"Quickly! Tighten the guard around Shion-sama's sleeping quarters!" A soldier called out as he moved to provide any help he could offer to fending off the group of ninja, many of his comrades moving behind him to follow his orders as the screams of their comrades echoed from around them.

But as Shion rose from her position laying down on the bed, the doors to her chambers opened inwards as her guardsmen rushed inside to evacuate her. As they entered, they were ambushed by the ninja who were invading as they busted through the ceiling, many of the guardsmen falling victim to the rain of kunai and shuriken that rained down on them. Quickly locking onto Shion's startled form, they proceeded to send a hail of kunai her way. Their attempt at murdering her was thwarted however when Susuki rushed to shield her body with his, the guardsman wincing as he began to crumple.

"Taruho... Please, protect Shion-sama..." He managed to sound out before hitting the floor, Taruho's eyes widening as he tightened his grip on his sword while moving before Shion.

"The life of that priestess is ours." The pink haired man said in a laughing tone, Taruho tensing as Shion's eyes widened when she remembered a gift she was given a long time ago.

Reaching into her kimono, Shion pulled out a small trinket that she was given years ago. A seemingly commonplace charm, it was simple in appearance; a small, black painted wooden coin with a crimson painted engraving of a dragon. Holding onto it like a lifeline, Shion closed her eyes as she prayed for the words of the one who had given it to her to come true. The group of ninja seeing her close her eyes, in acceptance in their minds, they grinned in a sinister manner before rushing forward; though they were ignorant of the tiny sparks of black and crimson lightning that began arcing off of the coin.

"_Naruto... Please save me...!_" Shion prayed as she tightened her hold on the coin, pinning all of her hopes on the promise that he had made to her.

"Time to die!" The pink haired man shouted as he finished off Taruho, the guardsman's eyes widening before closing in shame at his failure to save the one his clan owed their debt to.

"S-Shon-sama... R-Run..." He wheezed as before he was roughly shoved to the side, the man slowly advancing upon the blonde priestess as she began shaking slightly.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Irihi no Sato - Damaged Square)

"Whew... Looks like that's the last of the rubble." Naruto sighed as he wiped his brow, the girls and women alike blushing openly as they admired his physique.

Having been helping with clearing the rubble and repairing the damage done to Irihi no Sato, Naruto's help was being greatly appreciated by the older men who were a bit pressed to be lifting and carrying the heavier objects. Stopping by the lumber pile and dropping off the splintered and broken remains of a crushed stall, Naruto gave a small smile to the men and boys who were organizing the usable pieces of wood from the pieces of scrap. Taking a look around, he let a slightly larger smile grace his face when he saw that reconstruction and the relief effort was proceeding much more smoothly then he had predicted, thankful for the luck that the villagers and himself were graced with.

Turning, he returned to checking up on the areas that were more damaged and was pleased to see that they were nearly finished being rebuilt; the combined efforts of everyone in the village making the reconstruction effort move along at an accelerated rate. But it wasn't just the fact that everyone was chipping in, though it did contribute a great deal, it was also because of the persistence and drive that the villagers had to restore their home to its former self. Seeing that passion and effort, Naruto couldn't help but smile at the efforts of his neighbors and friends.

Letting a content sigh leave his mouth, he was about to head back home but froze when he felt a presence that he hadn't felt in a number of years. A bit conflicted, he was weighing the options of what to do when he felt another presence extremely similar yet completely vile. Quickly heading out of the village, Naruto created a clone and had it head back home while he decided to confront the sources of chakra. His body sparking a bit with black and crimson lightning, he vanished in a flash of black and crimson.

(Scene Change - Oni no Kuni: Priestess' Compound - Shion's Sleeping Quarters)

As the pink haired man was within inches of grabbing Shion, his partners and himself froze when they felt another presence make itself known in the room. But before he could create some distance or scan the room for any sign of the intruder, he was send careening back when a fist connected with his face in a brutal fashion. While not strong enough to kill the man, the blow was enough to render him unconscious and incapacitated while his comrades looked on in utter confusion and shock. The blonde haired man who delivered the blow casting them all a frigid and sharp look, they felt something equally frigid brush against the nape of their necks as they felt something emanate from his person.

"Shion, are you alright?" Naruto asked the still shaking priestess, her eyes snapping wide open as she stiffly turned to face him.

"N-Naruto...?" She asked as if he was an illusion, the gentle smile gracing his face all that she needed to see to reassure her that it was indeed the very same blonde from all those years ago.

"W-What!? Who the hell is this guy!?" The masked man shouted in confusion as he cradled the limp and unconscious form of his older brother.

"We need to get out of here, there's something not right about this guy!" The blue haired man ordered as they sprung from their positions, fear invading their hearts when Naruto fixed a predatory gaze on them.

As they exited the building, Naruto watched them for a few seconds before returning his attention to the carnage that laid around him. His eye softening a bit when he saw the bodies of the men who tried so desperately to protect Shion, he closed it as he silently offered a prayer for their heroic actions. Finished with his prayer and gracing the deceased, he turned and was prompted tackled by a tearful Shion. A bit taken back, he was about to ask about the situation but opted to remain silent when her soft and broken sobs reached his ears. A solemn look filling his eyes, he simply held her a little closer as she buried her face into his chest and poured her sorrows and guilt out.

(Time Skip - A Few Minutes Later)

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Main Lobby)

Within the main lobby of the Kyuukai Hostel, the Konoha ninja were starting to relax a bit more openly as they settled into their temporary place of residence. Admiring the comfortable and warm atmosphere, they were a bit stunned when they saw Naruto enter the establishment with a rather serious expression on his face. Seeing that it was rather late, they figured that it must've been about something concerning the village and the restoration effort he was partaking in, having overheard his reason for being out so late from a few of the other patrons.

Deciding on whether or not talking to him was a good idea given his current mood, he didn't give them the chance to finalize a decision as he entered the kitchen where Hisako and Naru currently resided. Growing more and more curious given his rather secretive behavior, they exchanged glances with each other before Jiraiya and Orochimaru summoned a toad and snake, both being amongst the best at surveillance. The two animals nodding towards each other, the snake headed towards the door before setting a vocal link via chakra with the toad that was acting as a receiver.

"_Hisako, Naru; something urgent has come up and I need to check it out. I know it's a bit sudden, but I'll only be gone a few days at the most and it's important that I go see what's happening over there. Will the two of you be alright?_"

"_R-Really? A-Alright... But please be careful Naruto, I know you can handle anything but still... I worry about you..._"

"_Ok Onii-chan, we'll take care of the house while you go. I know you're unbeatable but like Hisako said, please be careful._"

Listening in on the conversation, the group grew even more interested when they heard the blonde say that it was an urgent matter. Though, for a few of those listening the sound of lips meeting skin made their blood boil in anger and jealousy. The sound of Naruto exiting the room meeting them, the summons quickly returned back home while the Konoha ninja resumed to their mundane activities to avoid drawing attention to themselves. When he left the hostel, their curiosity finally boiled over as they exchanged looks with each other.

"I've marked him with my seal. We'll teleport to his location in a few hours." Minato stated as they all nodded their heads, all of them a bit nervous as to what the blonde was involved in.

(Scene Change - Thousand Blade Mountain: Eternal Forest Clearing)

"You ready Suko-chan?" Homura asked the sleepy bluenette while checking that her blades were secured on her person, Tatsuko letting an equally sleepy yawn out as a response.

"Mou~ I'm still sleepy Mura-chan and that demon will be weak, why do all of us have to go?" Tatsuko asked with a sleepy pout on her face, Homura's brow twitching at her best friend's causal dismissal of the task at hand.

"Remember what White told us after that meeting, that demon has two possible forms to it. The first is that weak, spiritual form that we'll crush in a few seconds while the second is if it manages to have its body released, that's when we'll have to get a bit serious." Homura repeated as Tatsuko sighed in defeat, nodding her head sadly while Homura did her best to resist bopping her on the head.

"Tsk... Such a waste of time..." Daihei muttered in a disgusted manner while he checked his bow over, frowning a bit when he thought more about the rather mundane task he was given.

"Well, let's get this over with. You all ready?" Homura asked as she assumed the role as leader, Daihei's brow twitching at the act but he was told to hold his tongue by his "partner" else something would happen.

"Yeah, whatever." Daihei muttered as he folded his bow before placing it on his back, checking his quiver and coatings before nodding in acceptance.

"Mhmm~! Let's get this done and go back to bed!" Tatsuko cheered as she pounded her gauntlets lightly together, a resounding shockwave radiating from her person as Homura and Daihei's eyes widened at the power she unintentionally demonstrated.

With their equipment and items all prepped, they exchanged glances before nodding and heading towards the portal before them. As they were leaving, they were overseen by White as the dragon watched with mirth dancing in his eyes. A small and wistful smile gracing his maw, he turned and headed back to his domain as the stunned looks on the faces of the three would no doubt be a sight to see.

"**It is all up to you now, young Naruto.**" White said as he took off with the grace and gentleness befitting a god, the earth and heaven quivering as he cut through the skies.

(Scene Change - Oni no Kuni: Priestess' Compound - Shion's Sleeping Quarters)

"I see, so that group is trying to revive and release this Moryo from its seal. Seeing as you're the only one who has the power to seal his spirit away, they tried to kill you to stop any and all chances of that happening. Is that right so far?" Naruto asked the blonde who was currently resting her head against his chest, a small and soft inclination of her head answering his question.

"Yes, Naruto. My mother, Miroku, and Moryo came into conflict, and when it tried to absorb me in place of her, she sacrificed her own life to save mine and seal away Moryo. I... I know this is a selfish thing to ask Naruto, especially after all that you've done for me but may I request something of you?" Shion explained to the blonde, Naruto digesting in the information given to him before nodding his head.

"Would you be willing to escort me to the shrine where my Moryo's body rests? It's the closer of the two being in Numa no Kuni, and if I can stop them from reaching and unsealing it they will be unable to successfully revive Moryo." Shion told the blonde, Naruto's gaze sharpening as he nodded his head in agreement.

"Leave it to me. We'll stop this thing from reviving." He told her, Shion's eyes widening a bit before closing in gratitude.

(Scene Change - Oni no Kuni: Gang of Four's Campsite)

"Damn, we were careless." The pink haired man muttered in a strained manner, the pain of his jaw being shattered and recently healed causing him to wince continuously.

"Gitai, Setsuna, Shizuku; that guy, he's completely out of our league. Our main focus is to separate the two. That guy will no doubt kill any of us with as much trouble as it takes to crush an ant. Hit them both with as many combination ninjutsu as possible, overwhelming them seems like the only way to take out the priestess." He explained as the others gulped a bit, the tension in their bodies rising as they processed what he said.

"So what's the plan now, Kusuna?" Setsuna asked in a tense tone, the pink haired man frowning before stifling a wince when his jaw creaked.

"They'll no doubt be heading towards the shine where Moryo's body is sealed in an attempt to stop us from releasing it. We'll cut them off on their way there, in the mean time I'll double the dosage of chakra we'll be taking." Kusuna replied as they nodded their heads in confirmation, though the cold sweat dripping down their faces spoke volumes about how they felt at the moment.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Numa no Kuni: Outer Forest Cliff Face)

After a few hours of traveling, made much quicker by Naruto carrying Shion on his back, to her pleasure and embarrassment, they had gained considerable distance between themselves and the shrine that held the body of Moryo. Walking along the cliff side of a river, Naruto was catching up with the blonde priestess he had saved, the two of them falling into a comfortable and nostalgic scene as they reminisced about the past. They were broken from their trip down memory lane however when Naruto stopped and glanced around, feeling something eerily familiar in the distance.

"Naruto, is something the matter?" Shion asked from her position on his back, a bit nervous for the reason he stopped.

"...No, it's nothing. I'm sorry about that, Shion." Naruto apologized as he shook his head to rid it of the feeling, though internally he was still running through the possible sources of its origin.

Taking another step forward, Naruto immediately frightened the priestess he was carrying when he jumped back from their position. About to ask the blonde about his action, she quickly saw her answer when a geyser of water erupted from their previous position. As the spout of water calmed it revealed the forms of Gitai, Setsuna and Shizuku standing behind it. Upon sight, they charged forward in an attempt to rush down the two; Naruto simply narrowing his eyes as he readied himself for the charge.

"Hang on tight and close your eyes Shion." Naruto said in a calm tone, Shion nodding her head as she tightened her hold on the blonde while closing her eyes.

Securing his arms under her legs, Naruto made sure that Shion was secure before he met with the advancing ninja. Gitai being the most straightforward, he was the first to meet with Naruto as he rushed in with his arm drawn back. Rock and stone collecting around the pulled back limb, Gitai had his body enhanced and augmented with his **Doton: Kōka**.

"Not yet! **Doton: Tsuchi Kairō**!" Gitai shouted as he slammed the rock encased limb into the ground, a deep rumble taking the area as a large upheaval of stone encased Naruto and Shion.

"**Katon: Hibashiri**!"

"**Futon: Kami Oroshi**!"

As the names of the jutsu that left the mouths of Shizuku and Setsuna, the ring of fire created by Shizuku sailed into the opening of the earth corridor as the stream of wind created by Setsuna passed through it, igniting and strengthening the flames into a raging inferno that scorched the inside of the earthen prison. As the corridor of earth began smoldering and smoking from the intense heat that invaded it, the group of three relaxed a bit when they saw no signs of the blonde or priestess emerging from the trap.

Though, that thought died immediately when a column of lightning tore through the outcropping of earth like a heated blade through butter. From the newly formed opening, Naruto escaped from the corridor with Shion still on his back. The two landing on the ground, Naruto quickly created a clone which rushed down the stunned trio. The clone arriving before Gitai, the man's eyes widened when similar electricity arced up and down the clone's arm.

"**Raisenken**." The clone uttered in a frigid tone before striking Gitai in the chest with a blow faster and more powerful then a bolt of lightning, the man's eyes widening before rolling into the back of his head as an explosive discharge of electricity overtook the two.

When the dome of lightning finally died down, a smoldering and sporadically sparking crater being left in its wake, the smoldering and charred remains of Gitai's clothing and a few bits of bone was all that was left of the man. Setsuna and Shizuku looking on in horrid shock, they weren't able to react when the clone targeted them next. Setsuna being the next to perish as the blonde struck him with an electrified fist, discharging the stored lightning inside of the man's chest in a gruesome manner. Watching boiling and burning blood spew from the mouth of her comrade, Shizuku could only stand still as the clone turned its attention to her.

Blurring from her sight, she stood frozen as she felt the very presence of death appear before her; a frigid, chilling, emptiness that seemed to suck all feelings of life surrounding her person. Resigning herself to her felt, Shizuku felt an explosion of pain as something ripped into her back. But that brief moment of agony was quickly consumed by darkness as the clone wretched its arm free from her body, a wet squelching noise echoing in a chilling manner as her body dropped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. With the task done, the clone dispelled itself as Naruto asked Shion to keep her eyes closed while he moved past the corpses of the three.

Having dealt with the three, Naruto let his senses sharpen with a bit of chakra as he tried to find any trace of Kusuna as he was the only one of the four that he hadn't killed. When he found no traces of him within a few hundred meters, Naruto narrowed his eyes as he assumed that the man was waiting for them at the shrine as a last ditch defense against sealing the demon away. Seeing that there wasn't much point in worrying, Naruto reassured Shion of her safety before they made their way back towards the shrine. Unbeknownst to them, they were being trailed from afar by a very, very curious group.

(Scene Change - Numa no Kuni: Miles from Naruto and Shion's Location)

"Hey guys... You smell that?" Homura asked Tatsuko and Daihei, the two stopping and taking a good whiff of the air to see what it was that Homura was talking about.

"What is that? It smells like the lizards but it kinda has a nicer smell to it, smells kinda like us." Daihei replied as he tried to decipher what the source of the smell was, furrowing his brow when he found nothing in his memory that it belonged to.

"Hmm... What about you, Suko-chan? What do you th-" Homura began to ask, though her question died in her throat when she saw her best friend's face.

Tatsuko's usual peaceful and sleepy expression was replaced with an expression that was very much a stark contrast. Her normally closed eyes were opened in a narrow fashion, her emerald green eyes glinting with such rage and confusion that it would frighten even the most hardened of dragons. Her usual aloof smile was now a dangerous, thin line which soon became a small downturn of her lips as she processed more and more of the scent she was smelling. Finally, her body language screamed of complete and utter anger and agitation; her hands clenched into tight fists, her body tense and ready to move, her hair standing on end, she had all the trademark tells of something ready to hunt.

"..." Remaining silent, Tatsuko's chakra flared as the ground cratered beneath her as Homura and Daihei shook with a bit of fear while backing away as they had never actually seen the peace loving bluenette angry.

Ignoring her partners, Tatsuko turned towards the direction the scent was still trailing from. Her mind violently ripping and tearing apart any and all possible ideas of what made that scent, it singled out a memory of a certain blonde's smell. Her pupils dilating and shifting from their usual round shape to a primal draconian slit. Her slightly downturned lips now changing to a small frown, Tatsuko's hair overshadowed her eyes in a terrifying and predatory manner as she turned and stormed towards the north, leaving behind a shaking Daihei and Homura as they watched her cause the ground to quake with each step she took.

"W-Whoa... T-The hell is up with her...?" Daihei asked in a shaky manner, a bit stunned that the girl he had thought of as weak was able to cause him to felt a bit threatened.

"I-I'm not sure... But whatever it is, there's no way that it'll survive..." Homura replied in an equally shaky tone, slapping her cheeks a bit to focus herself.

"Come'on, if Suko-chan is worked up, we've got to be worried too." Homura said as she quickly moved after the bluenette, Daihei following shortly after.

(Scene Change - Numa no Kuni: Shrine of Moryo's Physical Body)

"We're here, Shion." Naruto said in a soft tone as he gentle shook the blonde on his back awake, Shion stirring a bit before a soft yawn left her mouth.

But as was waking up, the ground started rumbling a bit as the multiple lumps of misshapen stone started shaking and crumbling. Rising from the piles of rock were the terracotta soldiers of Moryo's ghost army, Naruto blinking a bit in confusion he shook his head when he saw just how sluggish they moved and how stiffly they acted. Giving the area a quick scan, he saw that there was about a hundred of the soldiers that had been unearthed while many more remained buried.

"We're almost there Shion. As soon as I get you the door, head inside and seal his body away." Naruto told the priestess, Shion wanting to protest against him holding off the soldiers but backed down when Naruto gave her a stern look.

"Just... Just be careful..." She whispered in a solemn tone, Naruto giving her a small smile as she did her best to smile back.

Turning to face the advancing soldiers once more, Naruto had to suppress a sigh when he saw just how clumsy and clunky they were. Stepping towards one of the soldiers, Naruto lashed out and sent it careening backwards with a kick, the statue colliding with and shattering amongst its brethren. Repeating the action with those that got too close to him, Naruto spun and slammed his heel into the head of another soldier, the extremity breaking off and shattering the chest of another.

After a few seconds and weaving through and breaking soldiers, Naruto had successfully got Shion safely to the shine entrance. The priestess a bit hesitant to release the blonde, he reassured her that he would be fine before turning and shattering another soldier with a brutal backhand. Seeing that he was barely breaking a sweat, she reluctantly turned and headed into the shrine; Naruto giving her a second glance before focusing his attention back to the advancing soldiers, he settled into a stance reminiscent of the Hyuga clan's Juken.

"**Raisen Tenga**." Naruto said as he spun in a circular manner, a dense blue dome of chakra forming as the soldiers caught in its path were pushed back.

As the dome started expanding, the terracotta soldiers started pushing against it only for their bodies to start getting chipped away by the rotation of the dome. But soon, the dome started changing shape as the smooth exterior started getting jagged and sparking as lightning replaced pure chakra. Finally, blades of condensed lightning soon formed as the soldier that were pressed against the dome were cut down with extreme ease. After a few seconds, Naruto stopped rotating as he observed the aftermath of his jutsu, the sparking and shredded remains of the soldiers being all that remained of their bodies.

"That's a good number of them, hopefully Shion's safe." He whispered as he gave a second glance at the remains of Kusuna, the man having been caught by his jutsu while trying to escape only to be executed in a rather gruesome manner.

(Scene Change - Numa no Kuni: Shrine of Moryo's Physical Body - Interior)

"Huh!?" Shion gasped in a startled tone when she saw Yomi sitting before the seal that housed Moryo, the man suddenly speaking being the cause of her fright.

"How you've grown... You look just like your mother." Yomi spoke without opening his eyes, Shion stiffening up a bit when she heard his tone.

"Who are you?" Shion asked in an apprehensive tone, Yomi raising his head to look directly at her.

"My name is Yomi." He replied as Shion steeled her resolve, taking a step forward towards the man.

"Long ago, your mother foiled my plans; something that you are doing as well." He said as Shion stiffened up once more, the man's eyes changing before returning to normal.

"Before you do anything, you should know; I cannot kill you, as you cannot kill me. We are two of the same entity, after all." Yomi continued as Shion chose to ignore him, moving towards the center of the seal as the man chuckled.

"That seal... Its true purpose it to join the two of us. Your mother, the priestess preceding you, they are all a part of me. Of course, that was only because of the intervention of a fool; a being that you, humans, would refer to as a god. He split us apart, tearing what remained of my "sympathy" for your kind that became your ancestors. But that is enough banter, I have all that I need before me." Yomi carried on as Shion did her best to drown out his ramblings, focusing on the task at hand.

"Hatsu! Jin! Kai!" Shion called out before the seal below her began to glow, Yomi's smirk hidden by the tilt of his head.

"Min, Shin, Gan, Reppyo, Shōzen, Mika, Dan, Raku, Shō." She continued as pressed a closed fist into her palm, a series of stone tablets rising before her as a barrier formed between her and Yomi.

"Fuu, Sai, Dan, Gika, Ragu, Bagi." She carried on only for Yomi to charge into the barrier, the man quickly falling to the ground in a deceased heap as Shion looked on in confusion and fear.

"**Hahaha! You were far too hasty, human. Placing a barrier before your enemy perished? Foolish, you allowed me access to my body!**" Moryo cackled as the seal holding his body cracked, the demon tearing out of Yomi's corpse as a sudden gale of dark energy sent the body and Shion towards the barrier.

Yomi's corpse passing through without trouble, Shion hit the barrier before letting out a pained cry as she was unable to pass through. Falling to the ground, she grit her teeth as pain throbbed through her body, the mass of Moryo's spirit collecting above the seal of his body.

"**Once this barrier is erected, we cannot leave until one has consumed the other. Judging from your current state, it won't be you, human. But do not be saddened, you have given me my flesh and soul, you have my eternal gratitude.**" Moryo taunted as Shion snapped her head up, her eyes wide as the seal to his body finally shattered.

"Shion!" Naruto called out as he entered the sealing chamber, the ground collapsing as a multitude of dragon-headed tendrils erupted from the ground with Shion falling into a newly formed hole beneath her.

(Scene Change - Moryo's Conscious)

Drifting inside a seemingly never ending abyss of darkness, Shion wrapped her arms around her legs the knowledge that she had set him loose eating away at her conscious. Letting her eyes close, she saw the flashbacks of what happened between the previous priestesses and Moryo, even seeing her mother and how she protected her. But soon, she also saw the memories that she shared with Naruto all those years ago. The laughter, the smiles, the tears; they all rushed back to her as she tightened her grip on herself.

"Naruto..." She whispered as her bell began to glow a bit, the charm he had given her sparking alive as well.

(Scene Change - Numa no Kuni: Shrine of Moryo's Physical Body)

"Get out of my way!" Naruto snarled in an enraged manner, grabbed the head of a tendril that tried to crush him only to crush it.

Turning, he slugged the head of another tendril as it was send crashing through a pillar of rock a few meters away. More and more tendrils forming, they all focused their attention on him before rushing him down. Seeing them approaching, he narrowed his eyes before charging up a large amount of Ryuuton charka to his fist; the mass of tendrils opening their maws as they neared him. Taking a step forward, he pulled the charged arm back before striking the air before him.

"**Ryuuton: Garyoukuuha**!" He roared as a concussive shockwave of Ryuuton natured chakra surged towards the tendrils, the mass corroding and withering away when the volatile wave passed through them.

"Shion, hang on!" Naruto called out to the priestess in the hope that she heard him, the hope he was clinging to starting to fade as his eyes began to spark with an azure glow.

Rushing towards the barrier, Naruto drew his arm back as a thick shroud of lightning encased it. Stopping just short of the barrier, he slammed the electrified limb into it as the screech of the two opposing jutsu resounded throughout the chamber. Gritting his teeth as he felt a bit of resistance, Naruto continued to grind into the barrier with his **Raiken** as a spider web-like crack started to appear. Seeing that he was making process, he let his chakra flare as an even more explosive surge of lightning danced around his arm. His pupils dilating, they shifted from being round to being draconian in appearance when he felt Ryuuton natured chakra emanating from inside the barrier.

After a few perilous seconds of grinding against the barrier, it finally shattered as the blonde immediately moved inside of it. Stepping inside, he saw Shion huddled with her knees hugged to her chest while her face was buried in her arms. Moving closer to her, he stopped when he saw the light began to emanate from her person. Though he was curious, getting her out of the place that they were in was his priority at the moment. Closing the distance between them, he wrapped her up in a princess carry as she suddenly snapped her head up at contact.

"Naruto, you came..." Shion whispered as moisture began to build at the corners of her eyes, the blonde giving her a reassuring smile as he quickly bolted to the recently formed entrance.

As the two escaped the barrier and inner world that Moryo had created, they frozen when an enormous amount of chakra rushed out of the barrier before it detonated; a blinding flash of purple obstructing everything in sight. When Shion and Naruto regained their vision, their eyes widened when they saw Moryo's newest form; a growth of purple dragon-headed tendrils attached to a floating, purplish black mass. But what struck Naruto the most, causing him to be a bit uneasy was the undisputable shroud of purple Ryuuton chakra that it was emanating.

"Damn it." Naruto cursed under his breath as he took a calming breath to ease his frazzled nerves, putting weight off his right side as he glared at the monstrosity standing before him.

"**Did you really think you had the power to defeat me, Human? I may have been amongst the weakest of my kind, by I was still a dragon!**" Moryo roared as his he moved his tendrils to attack the blonde, Naruto narrowing his eye as he evaded and crushed the heads that targeted him.

Quickly placing Shion and before turning and backhanding the head of a tendril off, Naruto turned and defended the tiny area as Moryo's onslaught only increased in both frequency and ferocity. Grabbing the snout of a tendril, Naruto slammed it into the ground before tearing the head of it off; forcibly shoving the severed extremity into the waiting maw of another. Seeing a few weaving behind him in an attempt to kill the priestess behind him, Naruto stepped backwards before encasing his leg up to the knee with electricity.

"Tch, you're getting annoying. **Raiton: Raijin Senpuusou**." Naruto said in an irritated tone as he swung his leg in an arc, a lengthy blade of lightning forming as he severed the heads of the advancing tendrils.

The act finally forced the demon's hand as Moryo's ire skyrocketed, his form pulsing a bit before a bright purple glow began to emanate from his center. Slowly, the light overtook the room as Naruto was forced to close his eye or risk being blinded. When the light faded and he opened his eye once more, he saw that the mass of obscene tendrils was replaced with a reptilian creature that reminded him of the appearance of a Flying Wyvern, though it looked emaciated in contrast.

A thin, sickly, gray body that both revealed the bone beneath while still having scales present; the straight, human-like teeth only added to its horrific appearance. The sunken in eyes with purple colored hair running along its body, beneath its jaw, gave it an elderly appearance that only added to its sickly visage. Quickly falling into a guarded stance, Naruto's eye widened when the creature appeared beside him, the blonde moving to bring his arm up for a guard only to get his chest pierced by a purple shrouded claw.

"No..." Shion whispered in complete and utter dread as she saw her vision playing out right before her, the fear and terror in her heart only growing when she knew that she was never wrong in the past.

"**Foolish Human, didn't training with those muscle-bound fools teach you anything about hunting? Speed and power, precision and accuracy, small and large; didn't it occur to you that shrinking my size will increase my speed while maintaining a high amount of power?**" Moryo lectured the blonde as Naruto continued to glare at him, his eye sparking an electric blue as Moryo glared back at him.

"Naruto, no!" Shion shouted in a hysteric manner, tears flowing freely as she watched the claw start to pulse and glow in a sickly manner.

"**Hmph. Die!**" Moryo roared in an angered tone as a purple burst of chakra pulsed from the blonde, Naruto's eye widening as he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Shion... G-Get away..." He wheezed out as he turned to face her, his once powerful, commanding yet kind gaze now fading as Shion's eyes began watering at his visage.

"NARUTO!" She screamed as her tears falling in an uncontrollable manner, her face scrunched into a sob as she snapped her eyes shut.

But her scream was for nothing when the blonde suddenly cocked his left arm back, the limb surging with black and crimson lightning. Gritting his teeth, Naruto slugged Moryo square in the jaw before a concussive shockwave of the volatile chakra send the beast staggering backwards, it's eyes widening with untold confusion. Though, it quickly regained its focus as it straightened its body out, Naruto spitting out a globule of blood before doing the same; the wound on his chest already beginning to heal when he downed a familiar flask of snow white liquid. Creating a clone, he had it secure Shion with a barrier ninjutsu as insurance; Shion huddling behind the clone with no small amount of trepidation.

"**Hmph, how interesting. How many years has it been since I've battled with a human who has partnered with one of my kind. Well human, I will give you the honor of knowing my true name; Gilkuza.**" Moryo now known as Gilkuza told the blonde, Naruto's eyes narrowing as he took in the name.

"I'm Naruto." Naruto replied as Gilkuza merely smirked at the jab to his pride, a human telling him its name when he didn't ask for it.

"**Such arrogance. Well, enough boasting human. LET THE HUNT BEGIN!**" Gilkuza roared as the mountain shook with the power of his voice, Naruto feeling an all too familiar surge of adrenaline and excitement run through his veins as his normally blank face was soon overtaken by a savage smile.

The blonde momentarily forgetting about Shion, he rushed down the smirking dragon before slugging it full force with a Ryuuton charged fist, Gilkuza quickly losing his smirk as pain shot through his jaw. Snarling in return, he quickly spun around before slamming Naruto with his tail; the blonde coughing up a bit of blonde before it was sent careening into the wall. But before the debris settled, the blonde bolted from the dust with a Ryuuton infused fist.

"**Raiton: Raisenken**!" He roared before slugging Gilkuza once more, this time the dragon roared in complete and utter agony as he felt his jaw shatter from the force of the blow while an explosion of black and crimson lightning consumed the beast.

Growling in retaliation, charged his claws with his own Ryuuton chakra as he unleashed a volley of high velocity blades of chakra; completely and utterly shredding his sealing chamber in an attempt to erase the blonde. While seemingly random in nature, the attack pattern of his charka blades were all precise and fired with intent as they forced the blonde to dodge and weave before trapping him between a pair approaching from opposing directions.

"**HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE HUNTED HUMAN?! SURELY MY KIND HAVEN'T DEGENERATED LIKE THOSE DIGUSTING LOWER REPTILES!**" Gilkuza roared with laughter as he watched the blonde get severed by the blades, though that laughter quickly faded as he saw one of his pawns in the blonde's place.

Tensing when he felt something beside him, he brought his arm up to block a brutal blow; the dragon grimacing when he felt his scales and bone creak and crack from the force of the blow. A bit puzzled, he brushed it off as he took a lungful of air, his chest glowing with a sickly purple hue before he turned towards the blonde glaring at him.

"**Soeki Hougeki**!" The dragon roared while repeatedly firing a volley of large, caustic spheres of tainted Ryuuton natured chakra.

Quickly dodging the spheres, the blonde was forced to make quick and sharp turns as the spheres seemed to impact directly in his path; the blonde narrowing his eye when he saw the rather gruesome effects that the tainted chakra had on what it touched. Corroding, melting and decaying all that it touched, it was a highly amplified and greatly augment effect of regular Ryuuton chakra; whereas regular Ryuuton chakra took a few seconds to infect, corrode and destroy, there was seemingly no lag between the effects with Gilkuza's chakra. The other difference were the pools of tainted chakra and slag that remained from the sphere, bubbling and continuing to devour the earth that it was pooling inside of.

"Tch. This is getting annoying." Naruto muttered in an irritated tone while evading a passing sphere, tensing a bit when he felt his shoulder burn from his shirt being grazed by the projectile.

"**Just one touch is all I need human, one lingering second or lapse in your concentration.**" Gilkuza goaded as Naruto clicked this tongue in agitation, though he soon paused when he saw what was happening to the dragon before him.

As Gilkuza was about move he froze when he felt his body creaking and searing with agony. His eyes growing wide, he soon came to the realization of what was happening to him when he saw bits of flesh begin to fall from his face. Glancing down, he saw that his body was decaying at a much greater rate then he had anticipated, having not successfully absorbed the blonde priestess watching the battle with wide eyes. Panic setting in, he was about to charge her down but was sent careening to the opposite direction when Naruto smashed a Ryuuton charged heel to his chest.

"**Grawh!**" Gilkuza couched out as putrefying blood seeped out of his maw, Naruto not relenting as he unleashed a flurry of blows to the dying dragon.

But before he could finish Gilkuza off, a heavy rumbling echoed from outside of chamber. Naruto stopping his assault, Gilkuza wheezing as he tried to recover any of his fading, they turned towards the direction the rumbling was emanating from when they felt Ryuuton natured chakra exude from it. About to ignore it in favor of finishing off the dying dragon before him, Naruto immediately froze stiff when he smelled an extremely nostalgic scent; the smell of a clean river with a hint of fresh fruit, an underlying smell of nature and the forest hiding beneath it all.

Soon, a wall to the chamber caved inwards as a large cloud of dirt and dust obstructed what it was that caused it; the scent only growing much clearer and stronger as a bead of sweat fell from Naruto's head. Stiffly craning his head, his eye could only widen when he spotted a very, very familiar head of blue hair. But that wasn't what made him freeze, it was the expression on her face that made his self preservation instincts trigger; the memory of her sleepy, adorable and happy expression replaced with an expression that promised only agony.

Turning towards the rotting dragon across from the blonde, she held out her hands as an enormous sphere of water trapped the beast. Panic setting in, he was about to break from his prison only for it to condense rapidly before he was beginning to be crushed by the pressure it was exerting on his failing body. Naruto watching with tension filling his person, he could only stare at her as she slowly turned her attention from Gilkuza to himself; her brilliant emerald green eyes as frigid as the waters that her partner ruled over.

"Tatsuko..." He whispered in a tone of confusion and nostalgia, the small frown on the bluenette's face growing a bit deeper as another bead of sweat ran down Naruto's face.

"Naruto..." Tatsuko whispered in a soft but unsettling tone as she slowly began to close her hand, a growl of challenge leaving the mouth of Gilkuza as he fought even harder to keep himself from being crushed.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Konoha Ninja's Private Room)

"We've gotta go now everyone! Who or whatever that chakra belongs to can't be any good, and I've got a pretty good feeling that Naruto is involved!" Minato announced as he pulled out his kunai, his friends and family gathering around him as he and his clones prepped his jutsu.

"**Hiraishin: Dōrai**!" They called out as a sealing pattern appeared below them, the group soon warping to the area that the blonde was present at.

(Scene Change - Numa no Kuni: Shrine of Moryo's Physical Body)

Arriving in a dimly lit cavern, the Konoha ninja were about to move but froze when an enormous amount of pressure fell upon them. Their eyes widening when they felt the oppressive weight on their shoulders, they were barely able to turn their heads towards its source only to widen their eyes when they saw who and what it was that was exerting it. Right before their eyes was the blonde they were trying to find, a young lady so impossibly beautiful yet frightening it was surreal and a decaying monster trapped in a large sphere of water. But what happened next caused them to completely drop their jaws in both shock, awe and horror.

"...We'll talk about this later, Naruto." Tatsuko whispered in a eerily calm tone while holding out her hand, the blonde sighing as he moved beside her before placing his own hand above the offered appendage.

"I'm expecting that you remember what to do, right?" She asked in an equally scary calm tone, the blonde sighing once more as he began to gather his own Ryuuton natured chakra and mix it with the bluenette's.

"**Ranryuuton: Ranryuu Jinransen**." The two said as they drew the sphere of violently sparking and bubbling chakra behind themselves before bringing it forward towards the freshly releasing and panting Gilkuza.

The resulting jutsu could only be described as destruction incarnate, an enormous beam of blue charka sparking with crimson and navy sparks, the stunned form of Gilkuza unable to do anything but watch as the beam encroached upon before consuming him; a blinding light forcing everyone to snap their eyes closed as the sound of what could only be described as the heaven and earth shattering echoed madly in their ears. It wasn't only the sound but the feeling of the mountain crumbling around their feet that caused them to assume that the world was coming to an end. The same was true for Daihei and Homura as the two arrived at the foot of the mountain, their eyes widening while their jaws dropped when they saw a huge beam of concentrated chakra rip clean through the side of the mountain and continue off into the heavens above.

Then the light inside of the chamber finally died down, the sound calming to the clatter of rubble collapsing around them, the group could only gawk and gape at the devastation and destruction before them. The monster from before was missing everything from its belly up before it collapsed into a decomposing heap. Returning their attention to the pair that caused the damage, they continued to gawk when they saw them staring at each other with such intimacy that it would have sparked love between even those who had lost it.

"Tatsuko... I..." Naruto started in a soft tone, though he found no words being able to escape his mouth when he saw that the expression on her face remained the same.

"Baka." Was all she whispered before she forcibly but also gently kissed him, a surge of electricity ripping through their bodies as Tatsuko's expression quickly softened considerably.

"You're in big~ BIG~ trouble Naruto~." Tatsuko said in a sleepy but also sing song-y tone that many would have cringed at, though the blonde in question could only blink before he started laughing softly as it became a bit more vocal as Tatsuko nuzzled him.

"Hahaha!" The blonde laughed heartily while pulling Tatsuko in as she embraced him in a fond, loving and slightly scared manner, her peaceful expression slowly returning to her as she squeezed the blonde softly and lovingly.

"Ufufufu ~!" Tatsuko giggled as a few tears of complete and utter joy fell from her eyes, the bluenette snuggling as deeply as she could into the chest of her mate while breathing in his scent.

"What." Was all that left the mouths of the others as they watched the scene with a myriad of expressions, many of them blank faced or stricken with the scene playing out before them.

* * *

**And that's a wrap guys, tell me that you think alright? Again, kinda a weird chapter and all that jazz. Didn't really dig how it came out all that much but eh, what're you gonna do? It was dope and fun to write, and that's what I dig. So what the actual heck is gonna happen now?! Bet you didn't expect Naruto and Shion to have already met, did ya? And oh yeah, Tatsuko is back and she's not gonna be as nice or as forgiving as the others for her Naruto. Moryo AKA Gilkuza? Well that was a lame fight, but eh; still a bit bad with fight scenes. So yeah, what's gonna happen now? Will war break out? Who's gonna survive and who's gonna crash? So what're your predictions for what's gonna happen? ****Oh goodness, there's way too much going on. Haha, well you kinda get the point right? Stuff is gonna hit the fan even more, and I hope it isn't too messy. And again, we've got that anniversary chapter in a few weeks so gimme your questions so I can put them all together in a cool, little writing thing in PM's or your REVIEWS. Again, ****I really do enjoy reading your PM's and Reviews, so leave a few for me, eh? So yeah, ****I hope it was enjoyable for you all to read. And you know the drill, right? Till next time, you all stay awesome.**

**Gilkuza AKA Moryo is based off of Gilkuza from the Monster Hunter Orage manga.**

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**Yashiro no Fūin: Kai - Shrine Seal: Release**: Supplementary, Fuinjutsu; After performing the hand seals (or rather, chant them out loud like an incantation), the user releases a dark shock wave that destroys the talismans on the **Yashiro no Fūin**, and shatters the stone door, releasing Moryo's entrapped soul. This may be a variation of the **Yashiro no Fūin**, or even the counterpart, as it contains a portion of the hand seals that the sealing technique does.

**Yashiro no Fūin - Shrine Seal**: Hidan, Fuinjutsu; The technique is composed of several stages. The first three seals will light the seal up, allow the user to levitate, and create a barrier. The barrier will repel things from the outside, although Moryo managed to enter at the cost of the life of his host, Yomi. Also, the spheres inside the circle will begin to revolve around the circle. The next nine seals will cause the gate-like seal leading to Moryo's body to rise above the ground. This gate seems to be laid on its back. The final six seals will release the seal on Moryo's body, and it becomes accessible (to Moryo). After reclaiming his body, Moryo managed to break the barrier around the seal, as he mentions Yomi did not have the ability to do so. The true effect of the sealing is that the user and the target being sealed will merge into one being. So that neither parties can utilize their chakra, the two minds are combined into one. Then one must absorb the other (which is decided by their chakra), as Moryo did with Miroku (this gave to the rise of Moryo in the first place, who was born from the darkness inside the hearts of people), and neither the user nor target can leave the shrine until this happens. Moryo could not do the same with Shion due to the bell which contained the stone where Miroku sealed all of her powers into. Sacrifice is not really necessary, as the movie suggests that Miroku used this technique twice to seal Moryo's body on opposite regions. Once completed, the tomb will store the victim for eternity. Shion, however, knew nothing about this, instead believing the sealing technique will simply seal the demon away.

**Doton: Kōka - Earth Release: Hardening Technique**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Supplementary; By utilizing earth-based chakra, the user creates an armor of rock that encases their body. The armor can also be used to create extendible weapons to strike a target with.

**Doton: Tsuchi Kairō - Earth Release: Earth Corridor**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, This technique causes the earth in the surrounding area to rise up and over a target and create a cavern, imprisoning the target. The user can leave an opening to allow attacks to go in to strike down the trapped adversaries, or close it up completely to prevent escape.

**Katon: Hibashiri - Fire Release: Running Fire**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique creates a stream of fire that can be manipulated into several forms (for example, rings of fire that runs on the ground or a circle of fire flying through the air) before striking the target. It can also be used in combination with **Futon: Kamikaze **to create a tornado of flames, or with **Futon: Kami Oroshi** to release a massive inferno.

**Futon: Kami Oroshi - Wind Release: Godly Wind from the Mountain**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique creates a vortex of wind to blast at a target. It can be used in a combo with **Katon: Hibashiri **and **Doton: Tsuchi Kairō** to release a massive inferno at the opponents while they are trapped within the confined space of the earth.

**Futon: Kamikaze - Wind Release: Divine Wind**: C-Rank, Ninjutsu; The user releases a gust of wind that forms several small tornadoes. Combined with **Katon: Hibashiri** that forms a circle on ground level, this creates a massive flaming hurricane.

**Raiton: Raisenken - Lightning Release: Thunder Flash Fist**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A simple jutsu in concept but extremely difficult to pull off in reality. The basis of this jutsu stemming from A's **Raitoningu Sutorēto**, Naruto minimized the amount of chakra and energy required to pull off the technique but also maximized the speed and power of it. By focusing chakra strictly to the limb that is used to strike, Naruto augments and enhances the strength and speed of his punch much like A does without the need of a fully functioning **Raiton Chakura Mōdo**. The result is a punch that even puts the speed of a crack of lightning to shame, the resulting blow destroying whatever it connects with, with relative ease. The sound and appearance of the blow is reminiscent of a bolt of lightning, a bright blue trail following the fist of the user along with an heavy storm of charged up lightning consuming the target upon contact.

**Raitoningu Sutorēto - Lightning Fight Endure Encounter**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; While in **Raiton Chakura Mōdo**, the user runs towards the opponent and punches them at maximum speed. A refers to this jutsu as his "fastest punch," the only two who have successfully dodged it being Minato with his **Hiraishin** and Naruto by unknown means.

**Raiton Chakura Mōdo - Lightning Release Chakra Mode**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Nagashi; The user wraps their body in a layer of Raiton chakra which, instead of being used offensively, is used to electrically stimulate the user's nervous system. The technique speeds up neural synapses to react faster, and to push physical prowess to the absolute limit, allowing for tremendous raw speed. The technique has different levels of activation. The level's activation is depicted by the users hair which stands up when the technique is activated to the fullest. The higher the level, the higher the speed the user can achieve.

**Hiraishin - Flying Thunder God**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Supplementary; To activate this technique, the user places a special seal or "technique formula" to mark an intended destination. After this is done, they can at will enter a dimensional void that instantaneously transports them to the location of the seal. The mark can be applied to almost any area through brief physical contact, including an opponent or other surrounding feature. Because this technique is able to affect anything that is in contact with the user or somehow connected to their chakra, they can also use this technique to teleport other objects or people, though the size of the object dictates the amount of chakra required. As Minato also noted, the marking formula never disappears from a marked target.

**Raisen Tenga - Thunder Rotating Heaven's Fang**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu based off of the Hyuga clan's **Hakkeshō Kaiten**. Emanating the process of releasing a large amount of chakra from all the chakra points on the user's body, Naruto releases an even greater amount of Raiton natured chakra. After releasing chakra from every tenketsu in his body, Naruto spins rapidly to parry the attack, both creating a rotating shield of chakra around himself and tossing away any nearby attackers. Naruto can actively control the size and power of the sphere to suit the situation. The defining characteristic about this jutsu that separates it from the jutsu that it's based off of are the blades of lightning that are formed from the rotation. These blades are sharp enough to cut through most materials with unsettling ease, the lightning's piercing power amplified by the rotation of the sphere. With the addition of these blades, the defensive and offensive range of this jutsu is augmented greatly; this jutsu being able to cause massive damage over a wide range, shredding and electrocuting those caught within its range.

**Hakkeshō Kaiten - Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven**: B-Rank Ninjutsu; A secret taijutsu that is orally handed down only within the main house of the Hyuga, this technique utilizes the chakra control gained through Gentle Fist training to release a huge amount of chakra from all the chakra points on the user's body. It is also a defensive maneuver to compensate for the Byakugan's blind spot as the released chakra blocks any possible attack on the user. After releasing chakra from every tenketsu in their body, the user then spins rapidly to parry the attack, both creating a rotating shield of chakra around themselves and tossing away any nearby attackers. The user can also actively control the size and power of the sphere to suit the situation. This technique is only effective when rotating, since the chakra itself is not enough to stop a physical attack thus if they cannot spin, the user becomes vulnerable.

**Ryuuton: Garyoukuuha - Dragon Release: Reclining Dragon Sky Destruction**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A technique that Naruto created after getting to know Tatsuko. Unlike Naruto's rigid style of Ryuuton jutsu, Tatsuko's style involves being as relaxed as possible to use the least amount of energy for the greatest amount of payout. A combination of their two styles, the **Garyoukuuha** is a charged punch that starts with Naruto relaxing his body, letting his Ryuuton flow freely and maximize the energy in the hand that he chooses to use. He then strikes that air with the charged fist, stopping it halfway and striking mid-air. From a charged piercing straight impact it changes into a radial shockwave, destroying everything in its way based on how much chakra is used. After a few years, Naruto has perfected this attack to a near sure-kill jutsu; obliterating nearly anything that the corrosive shockwave passes through.

**Raiton: Raiken - Lightning Release: Lightning Sword**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; This jutsu channels an immense amount of Raiton chakra to the user's arm, such that it becomes a visible shroud of lightning. It is a jutsu that was created based on similar principals of the **Chidori** and **Raikiri**. Unlike the two, there is minimal to zero noise created by the seemingly erratic shroud of lightning that coats the user's arm. An additional difference between this jutsu and the two mentioned before it is that it is the user's entire arm and not just the hand that is used in the initial thrust. The application of this jutsu is not entirely known, but it can be classified as an assassination ninjutsu based on the lack of sound produced by it and the immense speed required to utilize it.

**Chidori - One Thousand Birds**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique channels a large amount of lightning chakra to the user's hand. The amount of chakra is so great that it becomes visible. The high concentration of electricity produces a sound reminiscent of many birds chirping, hence the name. Once the technique is completed, the user charges forward and thrusts the Chidori into the target. This produces heavy amounts of damage that is usually fatal. This technique is classified as an assassination technique because of the speed at which it is performed, despite the loud noise it produces. The **Chidori** can also be used to simply electrocute the opponent without impaling them. Kakashi noted that he created this technique as the result of his failed attempt to apply his Raiton nature transformation to **Rasengan**, which embodies the highest level of shape transformation.

**Raikiri - Lightning Cutter**: S-Rank; According to Gai, it gained its name after Kakashi split a bolt of lightning with it. Because the **Chidori** is already powerful on its own, the **Raikiri** requires better chakra control, which is exemplified in its appearance. The **Chidori** appears as simply a mass of white electrical chakra in the user's hand, while the **Raikiri **is more focused Kakashi is limited to using it four times in one day.

**Raiton: Raijin Senpuusou - Lightning Release: Lightning God Whirlwind Spear**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; This jutsu channels an immense amount of Raiton chakra to the user's arm, such that it becomes a visible shroud of lightning. It is a jutsu that was created based on similar principals of the **Raiken**. Like the **Raiken**, there is minimal to zero noise created by the seemingly erratic shroud of lightning that coats the user's desired limb. A difference between this jutsu and the original mentioned before it is that it is the user's ability to choose which limb will be used, not just the arm that is used in the initial thrust. The application of this jutsu is for use as an elongated blade or spear, the limb being swung in a wide, circular arc to attack or defend. The range and power of this jutsu is dependent on both the limb used and the amount of chakra applied, both affecting the two attributes.

**Soeki Hougeki - Plague Bombardment**: No Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu used by Gilkuza. A simple jutsu in nature that involves gathering chakra to the chest, condensing it and firing it as a volley towards whatever it is Gilkuza is targeting. The resulting spheres are extremely caustic as they immediately corrode and decay any and all material that touches that resulting liquid charka that is expelled from the spheres.

**Hiraishin: Dōrai - Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder**: S-Rank, Supplementary; This barrier technique incorporates the use of the Flying Thunder God formula to erect a barrier space capable of warping away anything which comes in contact with it. Once erected, the barrier has proven powerful enough to warp away techniques as destructive as a Tailed Beast Ball. Once warped, the subject of the technique can be directed to another location marked by the formula.

**Hiraishin - Flying Thunder God**: S-Rank, Supplementary; To activate this technique, the user places a special seal or "technique formula" to mark an intended destination. After this is done, they can at will enter a dimensional void that instantaneously transports them to the location of the seal. The mark can be applied to almost any area through brief physical contact, including an opponent or other surrounding feature. Because this technique is able to affect anything that is in contact with the user or somehow connected to their chakra, they can also use this technique to teleport other objects or people, though the size of the object dictates the amount of chakra required. As Minato also noted, the marking formula never disappears from a marked target.

**Ranryuuton: Ranryuu Jinransen - Storm Dragon Release: Storm Dragon's Divine Storm Flash**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Renkei Ninjutsu; A collaboration jutsu that is shared between Tatsuko and Naruto. The jutsu involves joining hands behind the two, a set distance apart from their partner's, gathering chakra to the palms before merging and mixing the two pools of chakra. The result in a miniature maelstrom of chakra that is then condensed, the two repeating the process repeatedly until the optimum amount of chakra and subsequent power is reached. When that threshold is crossed, they bring their arms forward and released the charged up chakra, a beam of chakra being the result. The size and power of the beam is completely dependent of the amount of chakra gathered and condensed by the two, being a simple pulse that stuns or an enormous beam that obliterates.


	37. Chapter 35

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. And wow, two months huh? You all really think I was gonna abandon a story without giving you a heads up and a valid reason as to why I'm done with it? Man, kinda hurts that some of ya' have that little trust in me. But eh, what'cha gonna do right? Well, some personal things came up; laptop finally died, college and a full time job, and a bunch of other stuff kinda eats away at time you know? And to be honest, I've kinda gotten a bit bored with writing but that's not to say I'm giving up. I'm kinda looking for something fresh and new to help jumpstart the ol' brain ya' know? So lemme ask you something, though it's not a one hundred percent guarantee, gimme a story idea or request or something like that. I'll probably not get around to PM you back since I'm barely able to write but I'd love to see what you guys have for story ideas. It doesn't have to be Naruto specific since I was kinda getting burned out writing just this chapter alone. I wanna see what kinda interesting stories you guys have and who knows, maybe I'll take a few of them and make a One-Shot collection or something with a preview chapter dedicated to you. But yeah, I'm getting burned just writing this A/N so let's get a move on shall we? Not too much happening in this chapter, not much development with the Konoha ninja and Naruto so don't be too expectant about that. Eh, I'm sleepy now. ****You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

* * *

A Son Forgotten - Chapter 35

(Scene Change - Numa no Kuni: Shrine of Moryo's Physical Body)

"Ufufufu ~!" Tatsuko giggled as she nuzzled deeply into the chest of the blonde she was embracing, sighing contently as she inhaled his nostalgic and comforting scent.

"I missed you Naruto... I knew you couldn't have died, I just knew it..." She mumbled softly as she squeezed him a bit tighter, the blonde saying nothing as he choose to hold her closer.

"I'm sorry Tatsuko... I don't know what to say..." Naruto replied in an equally soft tone as he gave her a reassuring squeeze, the bluenette shivering a bit as his breath tickled her ear.

Lost in their own little world, the two were oblivious to the incredulous stares that they were receiving from the others gathered inside of the chamber. The eyes and mouths of everyone present were both wide and open in shock, having never seen the blonde act so carefree and open with anyone in their lives. But for the others, it was more of a matter of the fact that the blonde that they held affections for was acting in such love before; the scene playing out before them was like a kunai piercing their hearts.

"But now I have you back! My Naruto is back!" Tatsuko exclaimed in a tone that held nothing but the upmost joy and relief, being nothing like the chilling tone from before that promised only agony.

"Easy there Tatsuko, I'm real. There's no need to hug me so tight." Naruto laughed softly as he was swept up in the bluenette's energy and emotion, a bit surprised by how much stronger she had gotten in the past few years.

"What's going on here?" Homura asked Daihei and herself entered the chamber from the recently formed hole in the side of the mountain, their eyes widening a bit at the euphoric expression on Tatsuko's face and the fact she was snuggling with an unknown blonde.

"Hmm~? Ah, Mura-chan!" Tatsuko exclaimed as she momentarily peered from the chest of the blonde she was holding, a brilliantly sleepy smile on her face as she saw the arrival of her two companions.

"Who's that, Suko-chan?" Homura asked in a curious tone, a bit taken back by how handsome the blonde her best friend was embracing was.

"Ehehe! This is my Naruto!" Tatsuko chirped in a loving tone as she nuzzled deeper into the chest of the blonde, a dreamy and radiant smile on her face while Homura gained a look of realization.

"No way... But didn't White completely obliterate him?" Daihei asked though it came out as more of a shout, his form trembling a bit at the rather obscene display of power he had witnessed from outside of the mountain.

"Guess you'll want to know why, huh?" Naruto asked in a quiet and soft tone when he realization that the two newcomers knew about his disappearance, guilt and regret present in his tone.

"I'll tell you all back at my home, but first I need to get Shion back home safely" He said in an equally soft tone, directing the statement not only towards the three dragons before him but also the group of ninja gawking at him.

"S-Sure..." Minato answered as he nodded his head softly in response, a growing feeling of "something" settling into his stomach as he began setting up his **Hiraishin: Dōrai** once more.

Soon, the group of Konoha ninja were shrouded in a thick current of lightning before they teleported back to the Kyuukai Hostel. For the four people remaining in the ruins of Gilkuza's chamber, Naruto gave the three the location of his home though Tatsuko was adamant about sticking with him until he finished his business in Oni no Kuni. Getting the okay from her companions, the trio of Tatsuko, Naruto and Shion returned her to the safety and care of another select group of men and women indebted to her family.

(Scene Change - Oni no Kuni: Nisou no Sato)

"So... This is goodbye again, huh?" Shion asked in a saddened tone, fidgeting a bit when she noticed the guarded look that sat on the face of the terrifying bluenette beside him.

"Seems like it for now Shion, but if you ever need something from me you know how to reach me." Naruto told the platinum haired priestess, a small smile and accompanying blush marring her face when she remembered that she indeed had something to ask of the blonde.

"Ok Naruto, I will. And thank you, for everything." Shion said in a soft and grateful tone, tiptoeing a bit to give him a soft and quick kiss on the lips before she sped into the safety of her new home.

Watching the exchange with sharp and narrow eyes, Tatsuko did everything in her power to appear unaffected by the rather bold action. Though, the soft pops of her knuckles being clenched gave away her true inner feelings on the matter. A soft huff leaving her mouth when she saw the priestess retreat into the safety of the temple, Tatsuko reasserted her claim on the blonde standing beside her by linking arms with him before snuggling deeply into his person. Naruto flinching a bit at the sudden action, he quickly moved to provide a more comfortable position for the bluenette by shifting and drawing her closer. A giggle escaping her mouth at her beloved's action, Tatsuko let a content sigh escape as she nuzzled deeper into his shoulder.

"Alright, well let's get going Tatsuko. The faster we can get back to my home, the faster I can clear everything up." Naruto explained to the bluenette, a small pout appearing on her face when she heard how much he emphasized getting back.

"Mou~ Naruto, do you really want to go home that badly? Do you not want to take some time to catch up?" Tatsuko asked in a needy tone, an equally needy look on her face as she gave him the best looking pout she could muster.

"Yes we do, Tatsuko. The faster I can explain what happened to me, the less any more misunderstandings will occur." Naruto explained to the bluenette, Tatsuko pouting a bit more as she opted to snuggle into the blonde's shoulder.

Seeing as he wasn't going to be detaching the bluenette anytime soon, Naruto sighed with a soft smile on his face. Wrapping his right arm around the waist of the bluenette, getting her to shiver in delight, Naruto focused on the seal placed outside of his home. Black and crimson lightning sparking around his form, which soon included Tatsuko's, they vanished in a flash of black and crimson.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Outside Entrance)

Arriving in another flash of black and crimson, Naruto gently held a very nauseous and disorientated Tatsuko as she tried to steady herself after her first experience of instantaneous teleportation. After a few seconds, she regained her bearings and blinked a bit before her eyes sparkled when she took in the beautiful and quaint looking building she was standing before.

"This is where you live, Naruto? It's so cute~!" Tatsuko chirped in an awed tone, shaking excitably as a child while admiring the minute but detailed architecture in front of her.

"Come'on Tatsuko, let's get this over with." Naruto said as he nudged her slightly, the bluenette heading along with him as she linked her arms with his.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Main Entranceway)

Arriving inside of the hostel, the pair were met with a mix of stares from the people gathered inside. Meeting each of their stares, his eyes softened unlike the likes the Konoha ninja or even Tatsuko had seen when he locked onto the slightly trembling form of Hisako. Gently releasing himself from Tatsuko's embrace, causing the bluenette's smile to flatten into a thin line, he moved towards Hisako only for the silverette intercept and embrace him.

"Hey, I'm alright Hisako. Didn't I tell you I would be?" He reassured the slightly shaking silverette holding onto him, panicking a bit when he felt the tiny shakes of her body.

"Hisako, what's wrong? Did something happen?" Naruto asked in a much more concerned and urgent tone, the others in the room stiffening when they felt something inhumanly frigid brush against the nape of their necks.

"No, I was just worried. But I'm glad that you're back and not hurt Naruto." Hisako replied as she lifted her face to smile at the blonde she loved, feeling her heart and soul warm when a smile marred his face from her words.

Seeing that it wasn't something or someone that caused her anxiety, Naruto gestured for everyone who was in the room to follow him towards a much more secure and private one. With no small amount of trepidation, mostly due to the fact that Naru and Hisako were securely latched onto his arms, they followed the blonde towards the back part of the hostel once he finished closing down the shop.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Private Conference Room)

Gathered inside of the largest conference room, usually used for storage of larger utilities and furniture, Naruto was seated between Hisako and Naru; the cloned blonde's cerulean eyes never breaking from the draconian emerald of Tatsuko's. While not outwardly visible most likely due to the fact that the person they both adored was seated close by them, the telltale signs of agitation and aggression marred their persons.

Their hairs standing on end, both were closing and opening their hands as they scanned the other for any signs of weakness or faults. When they found nothing to exploit, they opted to shelve their ire and listen to what Naruto had to say.

"Alright, let's get this over with." He sighed out in a tired and slightly irritated tone, many leaning forward as they waited for what kind of tale he was about to spin.

"Looking back, the first memory I have after my amnesia is about waking up in a river..." Naruto began as he retold the story of his life after having been implanted with the Soul Eye entrusted to him by White.

(Scene Change - Kirigakure: Unknown Lakeside)

"Ne, are we there yet Deidara-senpai?" Tobi asked his blonde companion, the brow of the man in question throbbing with irritation for the umpteenth time.

"We'll get there when we get there! How many times have you asked me that!?" Deidara shouted at the orange masked man, Tobi having the decency to rub the back of his head in a sheepish and apologetic manner at the truthful statement.

"Sorry, sorry! But I was just wondering when we'd find the Sanbi; it's been a long, long time since we left the base!" Tobi complained to the artist, Deidara resisting the urge to detonate him as he himself reminded of his current task at hand.

"_Tsk, just keep calm Deidara. Don't let this guy mess up your cool, just keep it cool._" He thought to himself like a mantra, taking a few calming breaths to ease his nerves.

"Ne, Deidara-senpai! Senpai!" Tobi called out in a panicked and flustered tone, Deidara's patience finally breaking as he turned to shout at the younger man.

"What!? If you even think about asking me if we're there yet or not, I'll blow you and your lame orange mask back to the hideout before finding your smoldering and smoking corpse and using it to bait the waters of whatever Kami forsaken lake this Bijū is hiding in!" Deidara ranted at the orange masked man, Tobi shrinking back greatly as he started shaking with a finger pointed at Deidara.

"What?! Don't tell me I hurt your feelings, by Kami!" Deidara shouted to the heavens, ignorant of the fact that it was raining without a single cloud overhead.

"S-Senpai... B-Behind you..." Tobi stammered out in a terrified tone, Deidara sighing exasperatedly as he turned to entertain whatever it was that the younger man was trying to show him.

"Fine, fine. Just what is i-" Deidara started only to stop mid-word as he started at the maw of the very beast they were searching for, the Sanbi exhaling as they were both slathered with a mix of mucus and water.

"...Of course..." Deidara muttered as he let his head drop, the Sanbi roaring as Tobi and himself quickly moved backwards to avoid the foot of the beast flattening them like it did the ground they once stood on.

"Let's go Tobi, try not to die!" Deidara shouted towards him as he created a clay bird before mounting and charging the Sanbi, Tobi remaining panicked right until Deidara was a fair distance away from him.

"Hmm..." Tobi sounded as his person visibly calmed, the opening of his mask's eye socket shining with three tomoe dancing within a crimson eye.

Seeing as Deidara was well out of a clean line of sight with his person, Tobi scanned the immediate area for any other individuals. Finding that there were none, he kept his Sharingan activated as he moved to engage the Sanbi, intent on capturing it as quickly as possible to avoid having his eye discovered.

(Scene Change - Unknown Forest: Open Clearing)

"Damn, who would've thought that, that bandaged brat would have something like him in his control." Kisame thought with a bit of tension as he stared at the agonized and groaning form of Kimimaro.

On his way to find any signs of the Nibi, seeing as Kisame would have the greatest advantage due to his natural affinity towards Suiton jutsu, he was intercepted by Kimimaro. The pale skinned man having been released with the mission of eliminating the remaining members of the Akatsuki, he was offered a "cure" for the agonizing virus that he was infected with by Hiruko should he successfully complete his mission. As things stood, his once pale though healthy complexion was now a sickening gray with splotches of black and purple patches spotting his body. His eyes were pink colored and bloodshot, while he was shrouded with a sickly purple aura.

"**G-Guh... P-Please forgive me, but I must eliminate you.**" Kimimaro uttered in a soft tone as he sped towards Kisame with speed that made the swordsman's eyes narrow with caution.

Quickly bringing Samehada up, Kisame grunted when he felt the weight and power of Kimimaro's blow. Shifting his blade, he raised a brow when he saw that Kimimaro had bones protruding from his forearm. Though, the bones that were being used to attack weren't as white as they should've been; being as discolored as Kimimaro's skin was. That wasn't the only change however, as they were also dripping with a strange blackish colored viscous liquid. Though, from the way it was causing the flora it was dripping onto to corrode, wither and die, that he didn't want any of it on or in his person.

"A Kaguya huh? Like you've got any chance of that, even with your Kekkei Genkai you've got a long way to go to kill me!" Kisame shouted with an intrigued tone, pushing the man back before delivering a brutal kick to his abdomen.

The force of the kick sending him a fair distance back, Kimimaro barely registered it as the pain coursing through his body from the virus was much more agonizing. Clutching his head, he started groaning even louder as Kisame remained guarded a fair distance back; a bit perturbed as to what was going on with the man he was facing. Pushing those thoughts of curiosity to the back of his mind, he surged forward with Samehada trailing dangerously behind him.

Stopping just short of the agonized man, Kisame transferred the momentum that he had built into the swing of his blade, Samehada slicing through the air before connecting with Kimimaro in a horrifically brutal manner, shredding and rending the flesh of the infected before Kisame followed through and finished his swing with a rotation of his person; letting loose a shout as he sent the man flying with a spray of flesh and blood splattering through the air. Watching Kimimaro sail though the air before landing in a bleeding and frayed heap, he trusted his instincts as they screamed at him to remain on guard; proving to be true when an eruption of bone protruded from beneath him.

Acting quickly, he managed to escape being impaled though his brow twitched slightly when he felt a shard graze his leg. But quickly, that twitch turned into a grimace as agony like no other ripped though the limb. Feeling pain like nothing he had ever experienced in his entire career as a shinobi, he grabbed at the limb in an attempt to ease the pain that was racing through it. Distracted by the pain he was experiencing, Kisame barely managed to shift his head and subsequently avoided having it skewered by the bone clad arm of Kimimaro.

"Guh, that stuff has to be the nastiest poison I've dealt with." Kisame muttered to himself as he readied Samehada once more, slamming its pommel into the chest of the man as Kimimaro coughed out a bit of blackened blood.

"**G-Guh...**" Kimimaro groaned as he unsheathed a number of bone from his abdomen, Kisame bringing Samehada up quickly enough to shield his arm from the volley of tainted bone.

Though, he was knocked off balance when a powerful kick from Kimimaro connected with his blade; Kimimaro seemingly unaffected when the soles of both his sandals and foot were shredded upon leaving Samehada's edge. Regaining his balance, Kisame's eyes widened when he saw Kimimaro descend upon him with two swords of bone in tow. Quickly raising Samehada, he blocked the first two initial slashes that connected with him. Grunting at the power that they held, Kisame was forced onto the defensive as Kimimaro continued with a volley of stabs, managing to graze and stab the swordsman a few times in the process.

"**Yaemugura no Mai**." Kimimaro whispered as he impaled the larger man's shoulder, ripping his bone sword out the side before striking him once more in the thigh.

Capitalizing on the swordsman's lack of concentration when a flash of pain crossed his face, Kimimaro quickly dashed behind him before concentrating a great deal of chakra to the front of his body. Crossing his arms, he quickly uncrossed them as he shifted his body forward before expelling a large amount of bone from his person; impaling Kisame from behind. The swordsman's face twisted in an agonized fashion, a silent scream etched onto it, it quickly faltered when the impaled man erupted in a splash of water; Kimimaro looking on with agonized irritation.

"That was a nice combo there, too bad all of your moves are as easy to read as an academy student's textbook!" Kisame called out as he appeared behind Kimimaro, the man unable to turn as another wave of agony rippled through his body.

"**Samehada Shōbaku**!" Kisame roared as he slashed and subsequently shredded the man's back, sending Kimimaro staggering forward as Kisame followed quickly behind.

Delivering a number of increasingly horrific slashes, each one unleashing a sharpened torrent of water which added to the damage being focused on Kimimaro, Kisame finished his assault with a heavy downwards slam of his blade that caused a pillar of water to erupt from the ground. The pillar sending Kimimaro skywards, Kisame followed behind him as he quickly molded, wrapped and spiraled Suiton chakra around his blade. The two of them a fair distance above the around, Kisame held his arm and Samehada back as a narrow drill of water formed using the blade as a medium.

"**Suiton: Suisen**!" Kisame shouted as he drove the water drill into the back of the other airborne man, the screech of Kimimaro's back being shredded resounding in the clearing.

After a few seconds of drilling into the man's back, gravity took hold as the two fell before they collided with the ground. Upon impact, the water that made up the drill dispersed, sending another heavy shock of water that sent Kimimaro deeper into the ground. Creating some distance between the motionless man and himself, Kisame never felt the tension that filled his body leave, his caution proving true when another outcrop of bone erupted from beneath him.

"**G-Guhhh... I'm sorry, but I need you to die...!**" Kimimaro snarled as he pulled himself out of the crater that he was nestled in, Kisame's caution skyrocketing when he saw that the man he was facing before had drastically changed in appearance.

Kimimaro's appearance was very similar to that of a dinosaur or another reptilian creature, with dark grey skin, dark black eye sclera, yellow eye irises, six large bone spines protruding out of his back, a long bone-spiked tail and two dark black curved like markings under his eyes - one under each eye and two as elongated eyebrows - one above each eye. Though, he still retained his sickly and corrupted looking appearance from the virus' influence.

"So you've still got a trick up your sleeve huh?" Kisame said in a cool tone, easing the tension that he was feeling as he mitigated the pain that was still slowly coursing through his body from the poisoned blows he received earlier.

Crouching low, Kimimaro formed a large lance made of bone before charging towards a surprised Kisame. For the swordsman, Kimimaro was moving much slower then he was before. But knowing from firsthand experience, the slower someone or something was moving, the more it hurt if they managed to catch you. Readying himself, he quickly brought up Samehada as Kimimaro's lance collided with him; Kisame's eyes widening at the amount of force that was behind the man's charge. Gritting his teeth, Kisame did his best to keep his ground as Kimimaro continued to push against him.

The resulting collision and subsequent struggle for dominance between the two slowly started to shift in Kimimaro's favor as Kisame felt himself begin to slide backwards from the continuous pushing force he was experiencing, Kimimaro gaining more confidence as he let loose a distorted roar while applying more force to his charge. Feeling his footing start to give, Kisame was a bit confused as to why Samehada wasn't absorbing as much chakra as it should have been; but when he looked at his blade he saw his answer.

In place of its normal healthy blue scales, Samehada's scales were discolored and chipped. Bits of its scales were missing while many more of them were more brittle then a pane of glass. His eyes widening when he saw the condition of his blade, Kisame's lapse in concentration opened a window of opportunity that Kimimaro took full advantage of. Applying a bit more force at an angle, Kimimaro managed to throw Kisame off balance just enough to get another step closer to the swordsman.

"**This ends now! ****Nejirihana****!**" Kimimaro shouted as he drove his bone lance into the abdomen of the man, the bone that made it up beginning to spin as it shifted into a drill.

The bone drill grinding into his stomach, Kisame's eyes widened even more as Kimimaro unloaded a heavy burst of bone that sent him flying backwards. As he watched Kisame sail back before landing and staying still, Kimimaro slowly let his guard drop when a pool of crimson started to amass around the swordsman. Releasing a sigh, Kimimaro's bone lance crumbled as his body slackened. Though, he quickly fell into a harsh coughing fit as the agony of the virus surged through him once more. In the midst of his coughing fit, he froze when he felt the presence of death intensify behind him. His body snapping around, he wasn't able to react when a heavy blade of water tore into his body as he was sent recoiling back with blackened blood spraying through the air.

"**Suiton: Mizukire**." Kisame grunted in a pained manner, clutching his abdomen as he spun Samehada before impaling it in the ground as a crutch to support himself.

'**H-How...?**" Kimimaro uttered in a soft tone, feeling the sting of the air on his exposed lungs as he stifled crying out in agony.

"Heh... They don't call me the "Tailless Bijū" for nothing." Kisame replied as he spat out a globule of blood, taking a deep breath as he stood to his full height once more.

"That was a good fight. It's a shame that I gotta cut you down though, would love to have another in the future." Kisame lamented as he sighed, heaving Samehada over his shoulder as he stalked towards Kimimaro.

The head of the downed man softly resting on the ground, he let his eyes drift close as he welcomed the embrace of death. His previous loyalty to Hiruko shattered when he was subjected to an experiment that even the bandaged man described as inhumane, he let a small smile cross his face as Kisame stopped before him. Raising Samehada, Kisame took in Kimimaro's peaceful and eased expression before a somber smile crossed his face as well. As he had Samehada at its peak, he brought it down in a swift manner, enhancing its cutting edge with added Suiton chakra. As it fell, the sounds in the area stilled as nothing but a soft and quick squelch echoed in a mournful manner throughout the clearing. Finished with the brief but tough battle, Kisame let a sigh out as he moved to bury the body of the man; offering his respects for a battle well fought.

"Well, let's get going." Kisame sighed out as he slung Samehada over his shoulder once more, stretching his stiff muscles as he headed back towards his objective.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Private Conference Room)

"And that's where we're at right now. I've still got a number of holes in my memories, holes that I just can't seem to fill. So while, biologically, I'm the same Naruto that you all know, I'm not him in a mental sense." Naruto explained to the group gathered around him, their eyes wide and filled with moisture at what he had told them.

Retelling his story of losing his memories, opting to omit what had happened with White and the other dragons, he both cemented and at the same time destroyed what they had thought about him. It was him, it was the very same young man that they had lost all those years ago but at the same time it wasn't him as he said. Could he still be their Naruto if he had no memory of them? While some felt utterly defeated from the fact, a select few merely saw it as another obstacle to overcome to cement a place in his heart and by his side.

"Even if you say that, you're still Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, my eldest son." Minato said in a soft and understanding tone, looking at Naruto with his own cerulean pools filled with warmth and love.

"Your father is right Naru-chan. Even if you don't have those memories, we still have them. We can make new memories and hopefully, you'll get your old memories back." Kushina added as she moved to hold Minato's hand with her own, feeling her husband endow her with extra strength as he squeezed hers softly.

"Naru-nii, we're still your family. No matter what happens, we'll always be family." Narumi quipped as she moved to hold his hand, the action causing a nearly imperceivable twitch from Naru as she did her best to restrain her desire to shatter the offending appendage.

"Narumi is right, Aniki... We'll always love you. This is just another thing we've got to overcome as a family." Mito chimed in as she moved to take a hold of his other hand, though it was stopped short by an utterly irate Naru.

"Let. Go. Of. My. Onii-chan." She whispered in a tone that promised death, a sickly black aura of negative chakra starting to leak from her person.

The eyes of everyone widening at seeing such dark and negative chakra, they were more stunned when she roughly removed the offending appendages from Naruto's person. Once she finished, she secured a place directly on his lap; causing an uproar from within the room. Ignoring those present, though Naru felt extremely guilty when she saw the saddened look on Hisako's face, she secured her claim on Naruto by leaning into his shoulder.

"G-Get off of him!" Haku, Satsuki, Yakumo, Mito and Narumi all shouted in unison, their eyes and tone filled with utter hatred and jealousy all directed at the blonde on the lap of their object of affection.

"No." Was all Naru replied in a crass tone as she did something that finally caused the scales of the dragon sitting beside her to rustle.

Leaning up slightly, Naru pecked her older brother softly on the lips as a collective gasp and shout of utter indignation resounded from within the room. Naru shivering in pleasure as Naruto reeled his head back from the sudden contact, he was about to reprimand the younger blonde only for the bluenette sitting beside them to do it for him.

With Tatsuko, she just barely tolerated watching the young blonde interact with her mate; after all, they were just siblings in the end. Even when Naru asserted her claim of her mate, Tatsuko didn't mind it as she related it to a younger sister not wanting another woman to have her older brother. But, when she saw Naru lean upwards before stealing the lips of her mate, lips that belonged to her and her alone, Tatsuko's patience snapped like the bones of those who stood in her way.

Lashing out, Tatsuko grabbed the front of Naru's shirt before yanking her until they were face to face. Naru's blank face staring directly into Tatsuko's own disapproving one, they stared each other down as a strange air began to overpower and suffocate the room. Seeing the all too familiar signs of a pair of dragons getting to ready, Homura and Daihei quickly readied themselves to evacuate from the room as Naruto quickly ordered everyone else out of the room, creating a clone to escort out and protect Hisako. Turing back to face the two, he saw that they had already shown the telltale signs of starting an "Arena".

An "Arena" is an extremely rare and natural phenomenon that consists of an untouchable vortex that gets formed in the general area of battle when two prominent predators, namely Elders, meet and battle each other; such as the historic and terrifying battle between White, formally Fatalis, and his older brother the original White. It gets formed in the heavens before spreading to the earth and is caused by an anomaly, which shakes the very space where these predators stand and battle. Even other Elders will not get near it. the danger of being caught up within the "Arena" being far too risky for those uninvolved.

The formation of an "Arena" is not limited to just dragons as humans of immense power, such as those who have been recognized as Elders themselves, are capable of forming an "Arena". Another element that makes an "Arena" so dangerous is the nature of the phenomenon to take on attributes of those who have created it; an example being the catastrophic maelstrom of electricity and flame that formed between the cataclysmic clash between White and his older brother all those years ago.

With the five gathered inside of the room at the moment, there were sharp blades of wind and droplets of water starting to form and dance around the room in an eerie manner. Tatsuko and Naru's facial expressions now matching those of a pair of dragons sizing up and challenging each other, their bangs began to overshadow their eyes as the two slowly rose; the shorter blonde staring up at the taller bluenette with no less challenge then what she was receiving. Then, as if decided upon by a silent agreement between the two, they charged each other; Tatsuko's eyes sparking with an emerald glow while Naru was quickly shrouded with the signs of entering her Apex state.

"Damn! **Kekkai Ryuu:**** H****aikiryou Gekai**!"Naruto shouted as he slammed his palm on the floor, the entire room shimmering and shining before a bright glow enveloped the quintet inside of it.

(Scene Change - Fields of Natural Calamity: Flatlands)

Appearing in an area that was very much what it was named for, the Fields of Natural Calamity known simply as the "Highland", The mountains and towering cliffs were largely unexplored by the four who have visited the area. At the summit, there is a deteriorating forest with weathered rocks - below s an endless sea of clouds. Waterfalls are plentiful in the area. The deepest part of the Highland, is a cave characterized by huge stone pillars. The Elders simply refer to this area as the "high ground" although it is still shrouded in mystery to the four who knew about the terrain.

The area that Naruto had teleported the five of them was referred to as the "Flatlands" for the relatively flat ground that expanded for quite a distance, a number of thick trees dotting the landscape. A few hundred meters away laid a large crevice in the earth, connecting the Flatlands with the rest of the field. With the five dragons gathered on said grounds, four of them were a bit shaky when they arrived; having never been experienced with instant teleportation like what they had just had happened with them. After a few seconds, they quickly regained their bearings as Naru and Tatsuko immediately moved to clash with each other, both of them intent on making the other submit and admit that they were the one who was truly suited as the mate of the one they both held affections for. Stopping in the center of the field, they collided fists as they fought for dominance.

"Oh? You're a lot stronger then you look, whelp." Tatsuko taunted in a haughty tone, Naru's eyes darkening a bit when she caught the tone of the bluenette.

"Big talk for someone who Onii-chan forgot about." Naru bit out in a frigid tone, the jeer seeming to affect Tatsuko greatly as all traces of surprise on her face vanished while utter contempt replace it.

"**Suiryuuton: Kairyuuken**." Tatsuko said with a tone promising only agony and death, her free hand quickly being shrouded in dense water before she slugged the opposing blonde square in the abdomen.

Naru's eyes widening at the force of the augmented punch, she grit her teeth as she took the full brunt of the attack; Tatsuko's already narrow eyes becoming narrower at the sight. As the excess momentum and force of the blow began to dissipate, Naru charged her hand with an enormous amount Ryuuton chakra as a visible shroud of white and black wind began to dance erratically around the limb. As a high pitch keening ripped through the area, Tatsuko wincing as her heightened sense of hearing causing an immense amount of discomfort and pain, Naru took full liberty of her miniscule slip in concentration. Forming a claw with the charged limb, Naru brought it back before taking a heavy swipe at the bluenette.

"**Ryuusou Senkuuha**." She said in a tone as cold and empty as a vacuum, swiping across Tatsuko's abdomen as the bluenette's eyes gained a look of confusion before widening in realization.

About to create as much distance between herself and the blonde before her, Tatsuko was far slower then the invisible blades of wind as they connected with and shredded her abdomen; the bluenette's eyes opening a bit wider as a silent cry of pain left her mouth at the immense amount of agony that she was feeling. The resulting action of Tatsuko jumping back coupled with the momentum that Naru's jutsu carried caused the bluenette to be sent careening backwards until she collided with a tree. As a confused and stunned Daihei and Homura looked on, Naruto had his eye narrowed in anger as he unconsciously opened and closed his hand.

"Damn it! I need to stop her!" Homura shouted as she moved to stop the rather fierce battle raging before her, though her attempt was stopped by the brunette standing beside her.

"Are you crazy? We'll get ripped apart by those two!" Daihei told the raven haired beauty in a tone filled with anxiety and dread, Homura grimacing a bit seeing it would be a daunting task to reign in two warring dragons let alone two females fighting for a mate.

"Then what should we do? If we let those two fight who knows what'll happen!" Homura countered as Daihei winced at the thought, no doubt the Elders would hold them responsible for any lingering damage to such a material rich area.

While Homura and Daihei were contemplating an excuse for the destruction of the Highland, Naruto was watching the battle with a critical eye; making sure to memorize the nature of the attacks that were being exchanged between the two warring young ladies.

"Tsk, you're better then I thought." Tatsuko muttered begrudgingly as she held her bleeding abdomen, grimacing a bit when she felt the five thin but deep lacerations.

"**Suiryuuton: Chiyuenmu Niou**." Tatsuko breathed out as a light blue mist emanated from her palm, the grimace of pain on her face being replaced with a much more eased expression as she finished healing herself.

Once she finished, her head snapped up before she vanished and reappeared before a surprised Naru. Cocking her hand back, she let an enormous amount of Ryuuton chakra flow into it before she slugged the blonde square in the face, sending her careening a fair distance in the opposite direction. Not relenting, Tatsuko took a deep inhale of air as she channeled more chakra into her chest. Once the amount of chakra gathered into her chest reached its peak, she released it.

"**Kairyuukou**!" Tatsuko roared as she unleashed a hellish beam of concentrated Ryuuton chakra, the beam vaporizing everything in its path as it raced toward a stunned Naru.

"W-What...?" Was all that left Homura and Daihei's mouths, the two having never seen Tatsuko utilize such a dangerous and devastating jutsu during their time training together.

As Naru stood still, seemingly paralyzed by the encroaching beam of destroying, she let more of her Ryuuton chakra surge as she grit her teeth in anger and frustration; she was being shown up by her newest love rival in front of her beloved older brother after all. As her anger began to peak, more and more dangerous looking wind began to arc and dance around her. Finally, it plateaued as she drew her arm back and settled into a stance with her hand in a claw.

"**Goubaku Senpuuga**!" Naru finally roared with hate and anger, throwing her arm forward before a destructive "fang" of condensed Ryuuton chakra surged towards the oncoming beam of destruction.

"**Kekkai Ryuu:** **Kyoumeidan**!" Naruto called out as he flung one of his most treasured items to use as a medium for setting up his jutsu, his Basutāsōdo landing between the two oncoming jutsu before a large, pale barrier resembling a mirror formed along the width of the blade.

As soon as the two jutsu touched the mirror, a keening screech echoing shrilly throughout the area as they were displaced and redirected. But, it wasn't the two being displaced that caused that sound as it came from the strain that Naruto's blade was being subjected to. Then, a brief flash as the two jutsu were finally absorbed and redirected, being fired towards the distance. What happened next caused the quintet to widen their eyes at what they saw. Tatsuko's jutsu impacted with a mountain before expanding and consuming it in a brilliant sphere of chakra; leaving nothing but a circular scar as if someone had cut it with a cookie cutter. As for Naru's jutsu, it ripped straight through a towering cliff face like a giant drill had been used to bore into it.

As the two were about to press their attacks once more, they immediately froze when an overwhelming amount of killing intent forced them to stiffen and mechanically turn to face its source. What they say immediately caused their clashing maiden circuits to stall when they were facing a completely seething Naruto. Unable and unwilling to ask what it was that was causing his foul mood, they quickly learned what it was when a metallic chink echoed eerily through the clearing. Stiffly turning to see what it was, they promptly paled when they saw that the sword he used to redirect their jutsu was completely and utterly ruined.

"My Basutāsōdo... Ryuuhei's sword..." He whispered as he mechanically made his way over and picked up the ruined blade, the temperature of the area plummeting when they saw bits of his blade chip off before it shattered completely.

"..." Naruto remained quiet as he stared at the remains of his blade, being nothing more then the hilt, the pommel and a tiny shard of the blade.

The two quickly beginning to panic at his lack of response, they were quickly joined by Homura and Daihei as they slowly made their way towards each other until they were huddled together in a small group. But before they could respond, they were greeted with a number of rumbling calls; a number of Great Jaggi rushing onto their location when they heard the commotion.

The Great Jaggi's distinctive feature is its frill and the lavender scales with the crimson and tangerine overrides on the frills and the abdomen part, but also the fur that grow on its neck and along the back down to the middle tip of the tail. Their muzzles are particularly thinner and much more wrinkly than the other Bird Wyverns. While the tail has some barbs on each sides, they are notably blunt and definable, even used for its tail whip attacks.

Great Jaggi are in the middle of the food chain. They hunt many animals, some larger than itself. Their prey include but aren't limited to Aptonoth, Kelbi, Rhenoplos, Delex, Fish, Giggi, Slagtoth, Mufa and occasionally young flying and bird wyverns that stray too far away from their nest. They also may prey on eggs of other animals, along with those of larger predators. Great Jaggi meat has a high nutritional value to larger predators, so they tend to stay away from them as these predators are able to easily kill them.

"**Hmm, well what do we have here? Humans?**" The largest and most scarred of the Great Jaggi sneered, obviously thinking that they were like the majority of the humans his ancestors spoke of.

"**They certainly look as tasty as the texts say they were.**" The second largest quipped with a bit of drool dropping from its mouth, already fantasizing about what the treats before him would taste like.

"**The first one to hunt them down is the strongest!**" The smallest called out as they immediately charged towards the quintet, never hearing the screams of their instincts to escape as fast as possible as their hunger and excitement overrode their most basic and primal instincts of survival.

As the oldest and strongest, the first Great Jaggi reached Naruto first as he was the closest to the trio. But when he got within biting range, lunging forward to get a bite of the blonde, he was stopped when his head was slammed into the ground with brutal force. The sound of his muzzle being crushed echoing chillingly in the area, Naruto pulled his arm back before slugging the head of the Bird Wyvern dead center as a crunch sounded out, the Great Jaggi twitching and spasming sporadically.

The brutal and unexpected act causing the two other advancing Bird Wyvern to freeze in their tracks, they could only stare before taking a terrified step back when Naruto turned to face them. Before them the physical manifestation of his killing intent, a monstrous black and crimson reptilian being that overshadowed the heavens, sneered at them before opening its maw to consume them. Watching as it approached them, their high cognitive functions ceased to function as a wave of corrosive Ryuuton chakra passed through them as the beast devoured them.

After killing the first Great Jaggi, Naruto turned his attention towards the other two as they stopped in their advance. After having such a treasure ruined, though he could only blame himself for using it as the medium for his jutsu, he needed an outlet for releasing a bit of his rage and the Great Jaggi were just perfect for such an occasion. While he dispatched the first Great Jaggi with his bare hands, he didn't want to go through the trouble of dealing with them at close range and opted to send a **Garyoukuuha** their way, feeling a bit better when he saw them corrode and waste away after trying to hunt him.

Sighing, he turned to scold the two young ladies who were partly responsible for his foul mood. Turning to face them, he was a bit perplexed about their terrified expressions, namely Naru's as she was usually blank faced. Curious, he was about to turn when he felt a horrendous amount of killing intent directed solely at himself. His eye wide, he turned and promptly turned pale when he saw three very, very, very enraged Elders. Because standing before him was Meraginasu, Doragyurosu. Chameleos, Tigrex, Deviljho, Shagaru and White. His form trembling under their gazes, he swallowed then lump in his throat when he prepared himself to evade whatever it was that was going to be thrown at him. Unfortunately for the blonde, the three enraged dragons were far more prepared.

"**YOU IMBICILE!**" They roared as the area around them was blown away, sending Naruto and the other humans gathered flying as well.

Before he was able to right himself in the air, he was sent careening into the ground by Chamele's tongue. Gritting his teeth as an immense amount of pain ripped through his body, he softened his landing as he rolled along the ground, As he rose, he stopped and remained in a kneeling position as he was met with the enraged glares of the three; Tigrex and Deviljho's faces shrouded with black and crimson haze while Chamele's body had a thick mist of toxic air shrouding it.

"**You will answer to this travesty, Naruto.**" Chamele hissed in a tone the opposite of her normal sultriness, her purple hue changing to a dark crimson in accordance to her rage.

"**If I find your answer unsatisfactory, you will remember the agony of our first meeting.**" Tigrex snarled as more and more burning crimson veins appeared over his body, his claws gouging the earth as more and more time passed.

"**Do tell us Naruto, how are you still alive?**" Jho asked in the most calm tone, a stark and unsettling contrast to his normal boastful and jovial tone.

"..." Remaining silent, Naruto raced through the possible answers that he could give the three; though each caused at least one of the Elders present to gain rage unlike anything he had experienced before.

"**Allow me to explain.**" White said in a tone commanding respect, the three enraged dragons begrudgingly settling down as they remained focused on the blonde before them.

"**This will be quite a tale, so please, let us change to a much more comfortable location.**" Shagaru added as he spread his wings, taking notice of Naru's shining eyes as she gazed at his form.

With that, the group moved towards the direction that Eternal Forest laid, intent on arriving as soon as possible as the blonde with them had years of explaining to get through.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Main Entranceway - Private Room)

"Naruto..." Hisako whispered as she held onto the red scarf secured around her neck, the clone with her having a internal battle about catering to the whim of the silverette as she had requested to take her to the original blonde.

"...Let's go then, Hisako." The clone said in a sure tone, Hisako's concerned expression softening a bit as the clone held her gently before a sealing array formed beneath them.

"**Kekkai Ryuu:**** H****aikiryou Gekai**." The clone called out as they were bound with a light glow, the pair disappearing when it faded.

(Scene Change - Eternal Forest: Large Clearing)

Arriving rather quickly in the largest clearing in Eternal Forest, the group settled down as White gazed and scanned the faces of those present. The Elders who knew Naruto were still snarling at him, said blonde was being held by a terrified Naru and unsettled Tatsuko, Homura and Daihei were shaking while staying as far away from the blonde as possible while the other dragons present were watching the scene with interest. But before he could begin, a tiny glow caught the attention of everyone present, the group getting more surprised when Hisako appeared on Naruto's lap with a squeak leaving her mouth.

"Huh?" She asked to no one in particular, drawing the attention of the dragons present as she jumped in surprise before burying her face into the chest of her beloved when she saw their gazes.

"**Well, well, well... Now this is interesting...**" White chuckled as he felt an all too familiar feeling emanate from the terrified silverette clutching onto the blonde who was trying to comfort her to the ire of Naru and Tatsuko.

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**And that's a wrap guys, tell me that you think alright? Again, kinda a stale chapter but I've been kinda busy and uninterested in a lot of stuff lately. I did enjoy writing that battle between Kisame and Kimimaro though. So yeah, like I said before and in the future; leave a review and tell me what you all think alright? PM me, Review, all that good stuff. And again, send me some cool and interesting story ideas, maybe I'll make em into a One-Shot or something; I kinda wanna see something that makes me wanna jump back into writing. Ah, well that's enough of that. You cool people, thanks again for sticking by this kinda lame-o story and pestering me for a new chapter; made me write it despite not having the motivation to. S****o yeah gimme your story ideas or thoughts in PM's or your Reviews. Again, ****I really do enjoy reading your PM's and Reviews, so leave a few for me, eh? And remember, I ain't abandoning any stories unless I explicitly say so, so don't fret fans of "Smoldering Ember" and "Blank Card", I'm working on em. So ****you know the drill, right? Till next time, you all stay awesome.**

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**Yaemugura no Mai -** **Dance of the False Cleavers**: C-Rank, Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, Kekkei Genkai; Using his Kekkei Genkai, **Shikotsumyaku**, Kimimaro pulls out two bone swords, and then dives onto the opponent, slashing twice. He then unleashes a flurry of stabs, knocking the opponent back. He then dashes behind the opponent, unleashing bone spikes all over his body and impaling the opponent.

**Shikotsumyaku - Dead Bone Pulse**: No Rank, Kekkei Genkai; Shikotsumyaku is a kekkei genkai which gives its wielder the ability to manipulate their own skeletal structure (their osteoblasts and osteoclasts). By infusing their calcium with chakra, they could manipulate the growth and properties of their bones to their liking. This kekkei genkai is inherited into a rare few amongst those in the Kaguya clan, Kimimaro being the only known inheritor of this power. Apparently, this ability gives the user a unique skeletal structure, as Hiruko's experimentation and research has proven to be true; bring unable to successfully cure the man's illness due to lack of knowledge about his biology, namely his skeletal structure. The main capabilities of Shikotsumyaku is allowing the user to manipulate the speed of their bones' growth as well as the location of calcium deposits allowing for great versatility. This allows them to create weapons of bones that can either protrude from any part of the body, or pulled out and used like handheld weapons. The user was also able to create armor of dense bone underneath their skin. They can even fire pieces of their bones as long-ranged projectiles. Any bone that they remove from the body immediately regenerates, as does the skin that is damaged when the bones are removed. Although it seems it takes a bit longer for the limb to become usable again, unless the user regrows the bones consciously. Users can increase the density of the created bones, making them stronger than steel. This not only makes the created weapons very powerful, but also makes their bodies virtually indestructible; the bones can withstand even a chakra-infused blade, which is usually enough to cut through anything. From the only known user of this ability, Kimimaro, has shown, most of the techniques are named after flowers. Most of them are also taijutsu-based sword dances, which are used for close combat and defense. However, as Kimimaro demonstrated, the bones can also grow quite a large volume, and likely grow from each other, as a form of a ninjutsu, and that he can emerge from any of these bones. In addition, should a Shikotsumyaku user ever go on the offensive, they could instantly turn their bones into the sharpest spear. Because of this, the Shikotsumyaku is held in high regard as an ultimate taijutsu ability.

**Samehada Shōbaku - Shark Skin Colliding Explosion**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kenjutsu; Kisame delivers several slashes to his opponent with Samehada whilst releasing water blasting his opponent and finishing with a downward slash that results in a pillar of water rising up.

**Suiton: Suisen -** **Water Release: Water Drill - **: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kenjutsu; Kisame coats Samehada in water, and forms it into the shape of a drill. After drilling the opponent into the ground the water spreads out into a tsunami that drenches the battlefield.

**Nejirihana - Torsion Flower**: B-Rank, Taijutsu, Kekkei Genkai; Kimimaro (in his cursed seal level two form) attacks the enemy repeatedly with alternate strikes from his hands and tail and then finishes off with a powerful strike from his bone drill, knocking the enemy backwards. In his corrupted state, Kimimaro has displayed the ability to unleash an added burst of bone that impales and adds to the resulting knockback.

**Suiton: Mizukire - Water Release: Water Slice**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kenjutsu; A simple technique known to most members of Kiri's top ninja. This jutsu involves channeling Suiton natured chakra to the edge of a blade before letting it loose as a sharpened blade of compressed water and chakra. The power and potency of this blade is highly dependent on the amount of power, control, compression and initial strength of the slash from the user; ranging from superficial wounds from the inexperienced to complete bisection from the experienced.

**Kekkai Ryuu:**** H****aikiryou Gekai - Barrier Dragon: Displacement of the Physical World**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkai, Jikūkan Ninjutsu; A barrier and time-space ninjutsu that has little known information about it. From what has been shown, Naruto creates a barrier that has the ability to teleport those that are inside of it at the moment it is created. The mechanics behind this jutsu are still mostly unknown, though it is known that Naruto must set up a number of seals in order to use this jutsu; either directly on a surface which is used for the barrier or on a number of objects similar to what Minato does with his kunai, allowing him to carry around a way to create and set up a barrier needed for teleportation.

**Suiryuuton: ****Kairyuuken - Water Dragon Release: Sea Dragon Fist**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A relatively simple jutsu modeled after a few of the attacks Tatsuko had seen the dragons use. This jutsu coats her arm from the shoulder down in Ryuuton imbued water. The damage of the limb coated in the enhanced water is augmented and strengthened by an inhuman amount, both crushing and piercing. Upon impact, Tatsuko can do two things, either follow through with the blow and send her opponent flying or release the built up water in a high velocity projectile of water. Both are dangerous in their own right, and can be executed at an instant.

**Ryuusou Senkuuha - Dragon Claw Rotating Sky Rend**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A rather interesting technique of Naru's. Simple in appearance, it is a charged swipe of the user's hand in a manner reminiscent of that of a dragon. The mechanics behind this jutsu is quite complex, however. By charging her hand with Ryuuton chakra, Naru creates a vacuum in the area around the charged hand. Once the optimal amount of chakra and the size of the vacuum is reached, Naru swipes out in front of her, dragging both the chakra and vacuum along with her hand. The resulting swipe releasing the built up Ryuuton chakra, it shreds the vacuum that followed it creating a number of invisible, ultra sharp blades of wind that have the sharpness to slice through most matter with an unsettling amount of ease.

**Suiryuuton: Chiyuenmu** **Niou - Water Dragon Release: Healing Mist Glow**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Iryō Ninjutsu; Tatsuko creates a mist using her chakra as a medium as a means to heal herself. By evaporating the water inside of the blood that is spilled, Tatsuko essentially clots the bleeding while at the same time accelerating the rate at which her cells regenerate by stimulating them with her chakra. This results in a rapid amount of regeneration that both eases pain and returns the target back to fighting condition. The only downside is that the target of this healing becomes exceedingly hungry or exhausted as their body consumes enormous amounts of energy to speed up the healing process.

**Kairyuukou - Sea Dragon's Roar**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu based off of the classic and iconic "Roar" that most dragons are known for. It is a concentration of chakra that is built up, compressed then released in a condensed beam or burst capable of complete and utter annihilation. This jutsu can differ between uses, Tatsuko being able to change both the power and spread of this jutsu based on the situation at hand. As its name suggests, it takes on the attributes of her natural element, Water.

**Goubaku Senpuuga - Boom Burst Whirlwind Fang**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu based on a simple but devastating principal that Naru devised. Drawing her arm back, Naru gathered an obscene amount of Ryuuton chakra to the arm that is used as the medium for this jutsu. By gathering, concentrating, rapidly compressing, and repeating the process; Naru has the possibility to build up an odious amount of condensed chakra which is directly proportional to the strength of her jutsu. Once Naru has charged up the necessary amount of charka, she brings her arm forward in a circular motion and releases the stored up chakra; the resulting being a conical "fang" of chakra that has the prowess to pierce through nearly anything that opposes it. The act of rotating her arm adds to the momentum and revolution of the "fang", giving it unneeded power and piercing potential as it is boosted by Naru's wind; giving it a radius of destruction not limited to just the "fang" as the wind driving it shreds everything that comes in contact with it.

**Kekkai Ryuu:****Kyoumeidan Barrier Dragon - Mirror Inscription Shell**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkai, Jikūkan Ninjutsu; A Jikūkan Ninjutsu that Naruto uses which displaces whatever two opposing objects, material or matter that comes in contact with the "mirror" that is formed by the medium for which he uses to set it up. The two clashing forces are displaced, being redirected on a predetermined path, if Naruto has had ample time to dictate and set up, or on a random and more erratic path should he set up the "mirror" in a hurry. The only drawback for this jutsu is that capacity of what the "mirror" can displace is directly proportional to what is used as the medium, the most durable the medium the more powerful . the medium that is used to create the mirror is struck with the combined force of what is being displaced; possibly resulting in heinous injury if a living being is used or destruction if an object is used.

**Ryuuton: Garyoukuuha - Dragon Release: Reclining Dragon Sky Destruction**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A technique that Naruto created after getting to know Tatsuko. Unlike Naruto's rigid style of Ryuuton jutsu, Tatsuko's style involves being as relaxed as possible to use the least amount of energy for the greatest amount of payout. A combination of their two styles, the **Garyoukuuha** is a charged punch that starts with Naruto relaxing his body, letting his Ryuuton flow freely and maximize the energy in the hand that he chooses to use. He then strikes that air with the charged fist, stopping it halfway and striking mid-air. From a charged piercing straight impact it changes into a radial shockwave, destroying everything in its way based on how much chakra is used. After a few years, Naruto has perfected this attack to a near sure-kill jutsu; obliterating nearly anything that the corrosive shockwave passes through.


	38. Chapter 36

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. And wow, almost a whole month huh? Hopefully ya'll get what's going on with all this stuff ya know. But eh, what'cha gonna do right? Bunch of stuff kinda eats away at time you know? Time that could be spent on writing is spent on mostly work and sleeping, and still need more sleep. Super tired. Eh. **** I'm getting sleepy just writing this A/N so let's get a move on shall we? Not too much happening in this chapter, not much development with the Naruto and those who are closest to him so don't be too expectant about that. Eh, I'm real sleepy now. ****You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**

* * *

A Son Forgotten - Chapter 36

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Main Entranceway)

"Damn it, we lost him again!" Zabuza cursed out loud as he did everything in his power to resist turning something over, no doubt ensuring the wrath of the rather frightening blonde who he was complaining about.

"Wait, Minato-sama! Didn't you have him marked?" He suddenly called out to the panicking Uzumaki-Namikaze family, getting them have a look of realization flash through their faces.

"Ah! He's right Tou-san! Quick! We need to save Naru-nii from those seductresses!" Narumi cried out in a tone relaying urgency and panic, Mito instantly springing when a rather terrifying thought flashed through her mind.

"Umi-chan is right! What if they're doing horrible or impure things to Aniki right now!?" Mito cried out in a nearly hysteric tone, many laughing wryly at her rather over imaginative demeanor.

"They're right Minato, quickly!" Kushina uttered as she restrained herself from wrangling her husband, Minato quickly creating a number of clones as he had them arrange themselves back into the same formation from before.

"Minato, I've got a horrible feeling about this." Fugaku and Hiashi quipped at the same time, many turning to see what it was that was causing their concern.

"What makes you say that?" Zabuza asked in a curious tone, the two wincing as they exchanged glances.

"Our instincts were screaming at us that Naruto is dangerous. I don't think you felt it because you're so close to him, but for us, something about him is almost feral feeling." They said in a conflicted tone, the eyes of everyone present widening at the fact that he caused two seasoned shinobi to feel something akin to fear.

"Well, we'll have to find out exactly what that is then. Let's go!" Minato announced as another sealing formation appeared beneath them, the room glowing before they vanished.

(Scene Change - Eternal Forest: Large Clearing)

"It's alright, Hisako. I'm right here."Naruto reassured the horribly shaking silverette held in his arms, Hisako saying nothing as she opted to remain pressed as tightly as she could to Naruto's chest.

"**Are you quite finished with comforting that human.**" Chamele hissed in an agitated tone, Hisako shaking a bit more as Naruto did his best to comfort her.

"**Tch! Enough of this! Speak, Naruto!**" Tigrex snarled in an enraged tone, his voice causing the poor silverette in the blonde's arm to trembling in an even more terrified manner.

"**I agree. I had assumed that you had chosen Tatsuko as your mate, not a weak, fragile and handicapped human like her.**" Jho added as Tatsuko beamed at the dragon's words, Hisako's clutching onto Naruto tighter as a bit of moisture started to seep into his shirt

"If you don't fix your tone, I'll show you all how I felt during our time training together all those years ago." Naruto threatened in a cold but savage tone, his eye burning with a calm but erratic rage that was reflected by the three gathered before him.

"**Is that a threat, Naruto?**" Tigrex growled at him in an equally savage tone, Naruto locking eyes with him as a spark of black and crimson danced around his person.

"No, it would be a threat if I was anything like I was years ago. With how I am now, it's a promise." He bit back in retaliation, his eye flashing with a dangerous azure glow the three dragon's couldn't help but smirk at.

"**Hnn. So you still live. I don't know how to feel about this.**" Tigrex quipped as he shook his head, a part of his heart aching but feeling much lighter then it did before.

"**All these years and not once did you attempt to contact us.**" Chamele added in a slightly hurt tone, huffing a bit of toxic gas that corroded the earth and flora that it came in contact with.

"**I still am curious as to how you survived White's execution. No being, dragon or otherwise, should have been able to survive such an attack.**" Jho asked in a contemplative tone, White glancing at the three relieved but confused Elders gathered with them.

"**Allow me to explain how young Naruto is still among us, for it was my doing.**" White announced as he turned to the space behind Naruto and the other humans, seeing another group appear in a flash of yellow.

"Huh? Where are w-" Menma asked only to freeze along with the rest of the gathered party when an oppressive amount of pressure forced them on their knees before it forced them flat against the ground.

"**Who are they...?**" Jho asked in a barely controlled tone of rage, bits of black and crimson haze beginning to cloud his face as it did with Tigrex's.

"W-W-W-" The group stammered as their minds and wills stalled, the only thing screaming from them being their most primal instincts to run as far away as fast as their legs could carry them.

For the Konoha ninja, they were in a place that only promised death. The way their instincts were screaming, demanding, pleading with them to escape by any means possible, they knew that it wouldn't be a pretty ending for their lives. To make matters worse, it was just from the disgusted gazes that caused their instincts to blare such panicked and intense signals. They couldn't even begin to fathom what a direct assault, or predatory intent for that matter, from the monsters gathered around them could even do.

"**Hmm... It appears that we've uninvited guests.**" White said in a calm tone, though it caused a few of the humans to fall unconscious with the power that it alone held.

Lifting a finger, White brought it down gently as a pillar of white consumed the gathered ninja. Their eyes widening in a mix of fear, confusion and panic; they could do nothing as they fell into a sea of endless white. Soon, that was replaced with darkness as they fell unconscious. As they settled into a unconscious heap on the ground, White reassured the blonde and silverette that they were in fact merely asleep. With the attention of the dragons and the humans that they accepted, Hisako being an exception, returned to White, he began to spin the tale of what occurred on that fateful day all those years ago.

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

"**That is young Naruto's tale. As for the reasoning behind giving him a second chance at a new life, that is something that I can tell no one. I do hope that you all understand now.**" White finished as he glanced around, a bit of mirth dancing in his ancient eyes at the sight of Naruto being smothered by the teary eyed group of human dragons.

"Damn bro, you had it rough." Daihei quipped in a teary tone as he wiped a stray tear away, feeling a lot more respect for the blonde as he patted him on the shoulder.

"O-Onii-chan..." Naru whimpered as she snuggled deeply into his shoulder, trying to be as civil as possible given that two other rival females were doing the same thing.

"Naruto... I wish I could've been there for you." Tatsuko whispered as she hugged her mate tighter, doing her best to ignore the others attached to him.

"I'm sorry that you had such a hard life, none of us here had it as bad as that." Homura added as she embraced him in a friendly manner, though she felt the beginnings of her more primal instincts of creating new life beginning to arise from feeling his body.

"..." Hisako opted to remain silent as she snuggled deeper into his chest, doing her best to hold back her tears as she squeezed him tighter.

"Hey, it's alright. That was in the past, this is the present." He explained to the group as they slowly separated from him as he stood to face the dragons before him, Hisako remaining latched onto him to the ire of Tatsuko.

"I'm sorry for deceiving you all, for all these years. I know that this isn't any way to ask for your forgiveness but this is all I can do." Naruto said in a completely apologetic and sincere tone while bowing his head, the dragons that he had angered staring at him for any signs of further deception before sighing.

"**I'm far too glad that my favorite human is alive to be angry with him.**" Chamele quipped as she stared at the blonde with renewed affection and relief, Naruto raising his head and staring back with a familiar warmth lighting up his eyes as she huffed and turned away in a teasingly pouting manner.

"**...I apologize for my rash assumption, Naruto. Please forgive me as well.**" Jho said after sighing in an exhausted but relieved tone, bowing his in sincerity as Naruto quickly motioned for him to stop.

"**Tsk. Whatever, I could care less that you're alive.**" Tigrex bit out in a callous tone, though the badly hidden smirk on his face and twitches of his tail spoke volumes about how he truly felt.

"**Well, now that things are settled; why not celebrate the return of young Naruto. I'm sure that there are quite a number of you who wish to reconnect and meet this child.**" White asked in a knowing tone, many agreeing as they wished to know more about a human that White had blessed himself.

Falling into a festive mood, the smaller dragons callously moved the unconscious bodies of the Konoha ninja into a rather disheveled heap off to the side of the clearing. Once they were finished, the clearing quickly became a grounds for socialization; Naruto doing his best to shield an unusually quiet Hisako from the snouts and muzzles that tried to sniff the blonde. Growing more and more concerned when he saw how despondent Hisako was, Naruto was about to take her away from all the commotion when an unsettling amount of pressure washed over the entirety of the clearing. The heads of every being present snapping, or calmly panning in the case of the White, to the direction that the source of the pressure emanated from; their bodies were instantly filled with tension as they saw five very distinct figures began to appear.

The five dragons that were soon seen were Crimson, Myo Galuna, Disufiroa, Alatreon and Garuba Daora; known as the "Guardians" due to the immense and obscene amount of power that they each held. They were looking at the tense blonde with a myriad of emotions present in their eyes, though the most prevalent was a mix of confusion and curiosity, or pure antipathy in the case of Crimson. Approaching the blonde, he quickly gained a guess as to what it was that caused them to stare at him in that way; after all, he did deceive a number of their brethren for a number of years before spontaneously showing up out of the blue. Stopping before him, Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat as their combined presence nearly matched that of White; the fact that they were staring down at him and him alone only amplified that feeling. Though, he focused his entire being on remaining strong as he squeezed a horribly trembling Hisako.

"**Hmph... So, you are Naruto... I am Crimson, the Emblem of Calamity...**" Crimson quipped in a mirthful tone, his eyes clearly not matching his tone as they shone with disgust and hatred.

Crimson appeared the same as he did when Naruto met him all those years ago, a hulking monstrosity of a dragon that seemed to hold such hatred and darkness that, should he ever wish, he could use to consume heaven and earth.

"**Pleased to meet your acquaintance, young Naruto. I am Myo Galuna, The Forbidden Dragon of Light and Overseer of the Stars.**" Myo said in a regal tone as he introduced himself, Naruto inclining his head a bit as Myo looked down at him in a cordial manner.

Myo Galuna was a dragon that could only be described as beautiful as he was powerful; a silver-gray body that contrasted brilliantly with the many outcroppings of crystalline, diamond-like scales that covered his hide. The same outcropping of diamond-like scales covered his elbows, knees, shoulder and the edges of his wings; adding to his powerful and beautiful appearance. It is said that each of those scales hold the power of a star, and should he desire, Myo Galuna holds the power to cast that power and drown the world in eternal light.

"**Greetings young one, I am Disufiroa. My title, Frozen Seraphim. A pleasure.**" Disufiroa greeted in a royal but courteous tone, bowing his head in greetings to the blonde before him.

Disufiroa was a very distinct looking dragon, having scales of brilliant crimson and glistening silver; covering his lower and upper body respectively. With spikes covering his hide and wing edges, his intimidating appearance was enhanced with the silver horn that protruded from his snout.

Disufiroa is capable of controlling both fire and ice at the same time. The combination of these two elements creates the powerful element known to the dragons as Frozen Seraphim, from which he also garnered his title. The dragon is able to use ice by utilizing his horn to control cold air and fire produced by his body; as a result the ice and fire elements are constantly conflicting with each other. Disufiroa's scales are unique due to the fact that the red scales are scorching hot, while the white scales are frigid to the touch. Disufiroa must maintain a constant balance of Ice and Fire or, like his ancestors, will fall victim to the volatile and naturally opposing elements that he wields; the most prevalent cause of death of those before him being loss of their control over ice.

"**...Alatreon...**" The Glittering Black Dragon said in a quiet but respectful tone, a small incline of his head being all that he did to show his greeting.

Known as the "Glittering Black Dragon" due to the primary color of his hide, Alatreon possesses control over Dragon, Fire, Thunder, and Ice elements, and is said to be elementally unstable. The large horns atop of his head are the reason why Alatreon is feared by many, aside from being mere physical weapons, these horns somehow play an important role in Alatreon's multi-elemental power (every time he changes from Fire-Dragon to Ice-Thunder mode or uses some of its attacks, his horns glitter brightly). Alatreon's sheer wing size and natural agility make him an adept flier, it can attack prey from the air with incredible speed. The adaptation of having multiple elements caused the humans of old believed the Alatreon possessed god-like powers to overpower those stronger then him, some even believed that Alatreon was a god or demon which transformed into an Elder Dragon.

"**Garuba Daora, the Gold Dust Dragon. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance child.**" Garuba said in a respectful as he gave an equally respectful bow, rising as Naruto stiffened as the attention off everyone was now on his person.

Garuba Daora's body is a dazzling gold and is covered in crystals. Originally the dragon and his ancestors were silver but gradually changed over time. The cause of this change was their continuous feeding on special ores, river stones and by drinking the golden dust found in the waters of their domain. The golden color helps Garuba adapt to his environment. Interestingly, Garuba don't possess the ability to create storms like his cousin, Kushala Daora and can be seen flying in the skies without a cloud in sight.

While unable to create storms, Garuba does have seemingly omnipotent control over the Wind element. When flying or in battle a golden dust surrounds the dragon, which makes it quite difficult for observers or attackers to see the dragons clearly. The quartz crystals on the heads, claws, wings and tails of Garuba are very transparent and are able to release a large amount of light. This light is capable of destroying and severely burning the area around Garuba. The tail of a Garuba is shaped like a rudder and helps support the dragon in his domain.

"S-So... W-What's with t-the "Guardians" appearing outta nowhere...?" Daihei said in a terrified tone, voicing the thoughts that everyone else had as they turned their heads to glance at the dragons.

"**We were simply curious about the human that White had aided, it's been quite some time since a human has garnered his attention.**" Garuba said as the heads of the other "Guardians" nodded in agreement, though Crimson didn't seem as sincere.

"**Come now, this is not the time nor the place to be questioning our guest. Please, enjoy the festivities; we can converse with young Naruto once we've our fill of entertainment and enjoyment.**" White said in a polite and calm tone, though every being in the vicinity found it to be more of a command due to his omnipotent presence.

With that, a unanimous roar of agreement shook the very earth as the festivities picked up. Naruto being smothered once more by those who were curious as to who he was, they were quickly displaced when those who did know him stepped to reunite with him. A bit tense and awkward at first, the ice was quickly and gracelessly broken when Jho asked Naruto if he was indeed mating with Hisako; the question causing an immense wave of panic and hysteria to sweep through the three young ladies who held deep affection for the blonde. Hisako turning even redder then a tomato, almost resembling the crimson scales of Disufiroa she hid her face in Naruto's chest as steam began blowing out of her ears.

With Tatsuko and Naru, they were indignantly denying all claims of the question being truthful. Tatsuko stating that Naruto belonged to her and her alone, while Naru stated that her Onii-chan had promised to marry her when they were little. The two stopping mid-rant, they turned to glare at each other once more as their chakra started to spike and dance around them. But before they could get into another spat, they were broken apart by said blonde. Naruto stating, with a rather embarrassed and irritated expression, that Hisako and himself didn't have such a physical relationship at the moment. Though it had the opposite effect as Tatsuko and Naru took it the wrong way; Hisako also taking it to heart as the poor maiden's mind was filled with rather vivid images of what he was implying. The group falling into a rather humorous scene at such a simple misunderstanding, the dragons watched with mirth dancing in their eyes; though, there was one dragon who didn't have such an emotion in his eyes.

"Onii-chan isn't your mate. Onii-chan is going to be Naru's." Naru stated in a sure tone, latching onto Naruto's right arm as she brought it close to her chest.

"Hmm~? I don't think so, whelp~! Naruto and I were destined to be together, I'm sure even White would agree~!" Tatsuko chirped as she snuggled against the left arm of the blonde, Naru's eyes sparking a dangerous crimson as she partially entered her Apex state.

"...!" Panicking a bit, Hisako opted to remain silent between the two titans among women that stood close her while burying her face into the back of her beloved blonde.

With Crimson, he was watching the scene playing out before him with sheer and utter disgust. Seeing such petty displays coming from a human who was blessed by his older brother, it was absolutely disgraceful. His gaze catching the eye of the blonde in question, Naruto and Crimson locked gazes as an eerie and ominous feeling began to overtake the area. Many picking up on the sensation, they moved to the outskirts of the clearing as the hulking crimson dragon started to approach the blonde. Seeing Crimson nearing their position, the group of humans were understandably terrified, especially Hisako as the silverette had never experienced such an ominous and overwhelming sensation before in her life.

"**You are absolutely appalling, human. And you three, you all just accept his return like he was simply hibernating.**" Crimson said in a callous and crass tone, scoffing a bit as a number of the trees in the direction of his tone were incinerated.

"..." Naruto and the others opted to remain silent at the rather abrupt insult, though the minute tightening of the their jaws spoke volumes of how they truly felt on the inside.

"**To think that you are the one who my elder brother blessed, wasting away your life with trivial activities when you should be focusing on repaying the debt that you owe my brother. It's utterly inexcusable.**" Crimson bit out in a literal heated tone, the air beginning to shimmer as the ambient temperature started to rise.

"**Have you no honor? No shame? To have first been crippled and bested by a human, to then have my elder brother grant you a second chance at another pathetic life and to finally show your shameful existence once more, it's just sickening.**" Crimson continued as Naruto's own anger and shame started to rise, the tightening of his hold on Hisako causing the silverette in his arm to slowly start to feel something she had never felt before.

"**Do all of us a favor, human. Never show your pitiful and pathetic excuse of an existence here again. I do not care that you have supporters who welcome your return nor do I care that I will be opposing the will of my elder brother, I will uphold the legacy of our partners. Not once, not ONCE, has a partner of my brethren ever been bested by a lowly human. You are a disgrace to not only your partner and those who have wasted their breaths nurturing you, but all of those who came before you. I truly do pity Ryuuhei, to have taken such a disgustingly weak and reprehensible excuse of a creature under his wing.**" Crimson sneered in an exceptionally cruel manner, Naruto's anger being completely devoured by shame and guilt when the name of the person who practically raised him was mentioned.

As his tirade ended, Crimson offered a rather pitiless smirk to further spite the shaken blonde beneath him. Soon, that smirk grew into a nasty sneer before blossoming into a full blown savage grin at the look Naruto was sporting. Then, a spiteful and humorless laugh escaped the maw of the dragon as he continued to ridicule the young man; many looking on with varying expressions, though pity was the most prevalent. With White and the other Elders, the opted to remain silent as it was not an honorable act to aid the blonde in such a situation; not only would it wound the pride of the blonde, it would only confirm Crimson's words of the blonde.

"**You, human, are disgusting. Weak, pathetic, cruel and a fraud. Have you told that human who is clutching onto you any of this? Of your past? Of course not, what advantage would that gain you? You, who takes but does not give back. You, who have shamed your predecessors and my kind. You, who should not even be breathing before me...**" Crimson finished in a darker tone then before, many flinching at the underlying restraint that held back his true intent of striking down the blonde.

"...T-Take that b-back..." A soft voice spoke from the below the crimson dragon, many instantly freezing and sweating when the ambient temperature skyrocketed in an instant.

"**...Did I hear you correctly, human? You have the audacity to issue me an order?**" Crimson said in a low and dangerous tone, the ground beneath him already a smoldering patch of ash.

"T-Take it b-back, what you s-said about Naruto..." Hisako demanded in a firm yet polite manner, turning to look up at the dragon leering down at them.

"Hisako!" Naruto reprimanded her in a gentle but firm manner, not wanting the silverette to do anything to further anger the volatile dragon standing before them.

"N-No! What r-right does he have to s-say those things about y-you?" She turned asked the blonde she loved, Naruto grimacing as he contemplated an answer to her question.

"He doesn't h-have a right to say those things!" Hisako told Naruto in a shaky but resolute manner, returning her gaze to the now smoking dragon glaring harshly at her.

"Y-You had better take those things about Naruto back! He's nothing like the way you described him! My Naruto is sweet, kind, caring, loving and he is the strongest person I know! He... I know he has his secrets, but those are his and no one has to make him tell anyone else what they are! So take the things you said about him back, y-you... You... You big bully!" Hisako shouted at the dragon in an emotion that Naruto had never heard from her before, complete and utter anger.

The jaws of everyone, absolutely everyone, dropping at the insult fired at Crimson; they quickly cleared the general vicinity as the temperature reached unbearable levels, the unconscious bodies of the Konoha ninja being carried off by the medic dragons. Tatsuko, Daihei and Homura being snatched up by their partners before they could protest, they were carried off at breakneck speed while Naru quickly hid behind Naruto as fear unlike anything she had felt entered her heart. For Naruto, the blonde's eye and jaw were opened wide with shock and awe; his kind, caring and loving Hisako had just insulted someone for the first time, adding to that fact that it was a being that had the power to incinerate the entirety of the world only caused them to open wider. For Hisako, the silverette was staring defiantly at the enraged dragon snarling at her; her own burst of anger and adrenaline overriding the terror that everyone else was feeling.

Off in the skies above, the other "Guardians" were watching with curious expressions on their faces as they await the outcome of the unexpected turn of events. Though, amongst them, Alatreon was watching the scene playing out before him with a small smirk of amusement on his visage. Below, still in the same place he stood when the whole debacle started, White was watching the scene before him with a bit of mirth and interest dancing in his ancient eyes; seeing and sensing something forgotten in the throes of time. In his omnipotent vision, he saw a very faint but very real hazy aura of silver shakily dancing around the silverette. But, that mirth left his eyes when he saw his brother take a sharp inhale of air.

"**Insolent creature!**" Crimson snarled as he let loose a hellish torrent of flames towards the trio of stunned humans, though as he did he failed to notice the flash of interest and surprise that crossed his elder brother's eyes.

As the literal sea of flames neared them, Hisako snapped out of her angered state as she could only whimper and hide her face by burying it into Naruto's chest. The same was true for Naru, the younger blonde burying her face into the back of her older brother as she awaited the inferno surging towards them. For Naruto, time seemed to slow before stalling completely. His survival instincts screaming at him to abandon the two young ladies clutching onto him as their lifeline, it was brutally murdered by his stronger instincts of protecting those that he cherished. Then, a pulse of primal origin echoed from beneath the eyepatch that covered his left eye. His exposed eye widening, he slowly glanced to the left side of his face as an unsettling but equally comforting glow emanated from the covered organ.

"_**Awaken young one... The time has come for you to return and become whole once more... Do not fear, we will protect you from the darkness that dwells within... Now go...**_" A pair of omnipotent yet kind voices echoed through the mind of the blonde, Naruto slowly reaching over to grasp at the piece of fabric.

Grasping the edge of his eyepatch, Naruto ripped it off as something pulsed from the closed eye before he opened it. When he did, what could only be described as the wrath of an enraged god of thunder blossomed. The sea of flames that were within an arm's length of consuming the three humans were instantly split apart by a column of black and crimson lightning that caused even the mighty Crimson to flinch slightly upon seeing and feeling it. Soon, as the inferno dissipated along with the pillar of lightning, Crimson felt his eyes widen when he laid them once again upon the blonde.

Staring into his own crimson orbs was a crimson orb that bore an eerie and unsettling resemblance to his elder brother's. Staring at him, was a Naruto who had finally regained what he had lost all those years ago. Standing beneath Crimson, was a dragon who had finally awoken from a deep slumber.

"...I remember..." He whispered as an even more intense amount of lightning surged through the area, Crimson becoming a bit intrigued by the level output of power that the blonde was releasing, being comparable to that of a young Elder.

"**That eye... How did you come to possess such an eye?**" Crimson asked in a genuinely curious tone, Naruto's crimson eye narrowing in a dangerous manner at the question.

"White gifted it to me, right before I had my memories sealed." Naruto responded in a cool and collected tone, his chakra and presence still rising as Crimson couldn't help but crack a savage smile.

"**Interesting... It appears that all traces of hesitation have faded from your body, human.**" Crimson quipped in an interested tone, his rage simmering down as he lowered himself down to lock eyes with the blonde.

"So what now? You've already humiliated and insulted me in front of those that I cherish, are you going to take my life as well?" Naruto asked the crimson dragon, Crimson blinking a bit before a wider smirk appeared across his face.

"**You've gained quite a bit of bravado after unsheathing that eye, haven't you.**" Crimson stated in an amused tone, Naruto's brow twitching a bit at the blatant amusement that danced in the dragon's tone.

"**For now, no. I will not take your life. And furthermore...**" Crimson stated as he moved to be face to snout with the blonde before him, Naru and Hisako trembling at his rather bemused expression.

"**I apologize for my words. Seeing the being that caused a number of my brethren to feel such sorrow overrode my sense of honor. I ask for your forgiveness, young Naruto, my words were empty and untrue.**" Crimson apologized in a sincere manner, bowing his head as the blonde in question blinked a bit before waving off the dragon's apology.

"I-It's fine, really. I understand completely Crimson, I would've felt the same had a similar scenario happened to me." Naruto quickly said as Crimson rose, the dragon and blonde sharing a small smile as White watched the scene with relieved eyes from across the field.

"**I was rash in my choice of words, young Naruto. From what my elder brother has retold, you were not only injured physically but emotionally and mentally. Adding to that the fatigue of battle, it us understandable that you were bested by a... Human, considering the sizable gap in the strength and experience between the two of you. As the head of the "Guardians" and younger brother to White, I bestow upon you the title of "Dragon" once more.**" Crimson told the blonde as his eyes widened, his expression and tension lightening as he was given penance from his fate all those years ago while a cheer resounded through the clearing.

"**And again... I ask for your forgiveness, young dragon.**" Crimson asked once more, bowing his head once again in sincerity.

"I-It's fine Crimson, really it is. Like I said, I understand where your anger came from. As long as you are willing to forgive me as well." Naruto told the crimson dragon, Crimson raising his head and smirking good-naturedly at the blonde before nodding his head in acceptance.

"U-Umm... E-Excuse me..." Hisako called out from the safe haven that was Naruto's chest, catching Crimson's attention as he moved to glace at her as she trembled.

"**What is it, human?**" Crimson asked in a stoic tone, a contrast to the polite and sincere tone that he recently used with Naruto.

"I-I... I'm s-sorry for c-calling you a b-bully..." Hisako whispered in a guilt ridden and apologetic tone, Crimson recoiling a bit from how sincere and guilty the silverette was.

"**Hahaha! To apologize when I insinuated the affair, you truly do have a kind and gentle heart human. Do not worry, as long as you are also willing to accept my apology, I accept yours.**" Crimson said in a mirthful tone after a light chuckle, Hisako's face brightening up considerably as she snuggled back into Naruto's chest as the blonde laughed softly.

Once the minor dispute was settled, the dragons who fled the area returned as Crimson and Naruto settled into an amiable conversation; Naru finally finding her voice as she chatted quietly with Hisako about what had just happened. Seeing that the dispute was settled in a relatively and surprising civil manner, the festive mood returned though it was still not quite as energetic as it was before. Soon enough, the hours passed as Naruto, Hisako, Naru and the unconscious Konoha ninja were setting out to return back home. But, just as they were about to leave, Naruto was promptly pinned down by a rather irritated Tatsuko.

"Where do you think you're going, Naruto?" The bluenette asked in a dangerously calm tone, the blonde in question blinking a bit before sighing.

"I've gotta head back home, Tatsuko. My... Family needs to know about what happened to me. I promise that I'll be back, I've got a lot of catching up to do if I want to compete with the three of you after all." Naruto replied in a sure tone, Tatsuko pouting a bit before leaning up to lock lips with him.

At the action, Naru and Hisako both responded differently; Naru bristling in a mix of fury and jealousy while Hisako felt her heart break at the scene. The blonde quickly rising to forcibly pry the thieving bluenette off her beloved older brother, she was stopped when Naruto gently separated himself from the bluenette. Tatsuko pouting a bit more at the loss of warmth and electricity that she was feeling, she was put at ease when Naruto gave her a quick peck on the nose; the act all but shattering Hisako's heart as she was the only one who he had done that to before.

"I promise, alright? You remember how I am with promises, right?" He asked in a mirthful but kind manner, the bluenette's heart swelling at the smile that he reserved for her and her alone.

"Mou~ Fine... But I'm going to come visit you, ok?" Tatsuko pouted in a cute but teasing manner, Naruto simply smiling in a much softer manner as she slowly returned it a hundred fold.

Taking the unconscious bodies of the Konoha ninja, making sure that they were laying in a comfortable position, he began setting up the sealing array for the trip back home. Though, the blonde was curious and slightly hurt when he saw that Hisako had detached herself from his person, opting to stand silently beside Naru as he worked. Usually, this wouldn't have bothered the blonde to such an extent but seeing his normally serene and smiling silverette acting so distant caused a shard of pain to spike through his heart. Keeping the fretful sigh that wished to escape locked within, he quietly returned his attention to finishing the sealing array as Naru looked at him with a betrayed and hurt glint in her eyes.

Seeing the two obvious rivals for her mate's affection already starting to both doubt and push him away, Tatsuko hid the rather cruel and victorious smirk that wished to show on her face. Skipping happily over to Naruto, she wrapped her arms around his as she snuggled into him; the stiffening of the two behind them all that was needed to show that they were shaken even more by the action. From afar, the various dragons watching the scenes had a myriad of expressions that crossed their eyes.

For some, they found it rather amusing that Tatsuko was so easily breaking down the will and resolve of the two who also held affections for Naruto. Others found the act to be a bit callous albeit effective, seeing that Hisako was openly distressed by what was happening to the one they perceived as her mate. A few saw the act as a rather vindictive and superfluous show of dominance, especially for someone like Tatsuko who they assumed Naruto still held as his world given his previous interactions with the bluenette. Though, they could all agree that Tatsuko was the dominant figure in the blonde's heart, at least from what they were witnessing.

Finally finished with the sealing array, Naruto motioned for the silent pair of Naru and Hisako to join him with a smile, though the blonde's small smile faltered before fading at the silence that he received. Wordlessly, he waved goodbye to those gathered within the clearing as they returned the gesture tenfold. Glancing behind him to check that everyone was accounted for, he restrained the wince wanted to appear when he saw Naru and Hisako with their backs turned on him. Turning back forward, his sorrow was easily seen by the more keen dragons; many of them narrowing their eyes dangerously upon the two who caused their friend to show such an expression.

"**Kekkai Ryuu: Haikiryou Gekai**." The blonde whispered in a soft tone, the area beneath those gathered within the sealing array glowing before they were vanished in a flash of black and crimson.

"**...That was quite unlike you, Crimson. Leaving such a matter lie with such little punishment.**" White quipped as he glanced at his younger brother, Crimson flashing him a savage grin as he turned his gaze back to the portal.

"**That child has been blessed, not only by you but our eldest brother as well. Fate has never shown such favor to a single being before, so why should I challenge it. I let my anger and rage cloud my judgment once again when I berated that human, something that is still quite a curse it appears. The path that fate has placed that human on, he will always have our backing. And as much as I detest the thought that he was bested by a lowly human, if what you have told me about what resided in his mind at that time is true, then it was not his own weakness that caused his defeat but "**_**his"**_**. Though, he will still need to answer for causing a few of our brethren to feel such sorrow.**" Crimson explained though his tone turned a bit humorous near the end, his explanation bringing a small smirk to White's maw.

"**And to you three, I ask for your forgiveness as well. My mind was clouded with rage.**" Crimson told the three other Elders, the three merely waving off his apologies as they were rather used to his outbursts of anger.

"**It's quite alright, Crimson. We've all grown accustomed to your bouts of rage, with how frequent they arise.**" Chamele quipped in a teasing tone, the smirks that appeared on the faces of the other Elders growing as did the crimson on Crimson's maw.

"_**Farewell young Naruto. I can only hope that you will master that eye, you may need it if the future is what I have foreseen.**_" White thought to himself as he remained fixed on the space the blonde had stood, a small smile crossing his maw as he thanked and dismissed the dragons who attended the affair.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Main Entrance)

Arriving inside the main entrance of his home, Naruto released a content sigh as he was greeted with the comforting and familiar scent of his restaurant. Turning, he was about to ask the two young ladies to help set the room for the ninja back up but stood silent when he saw them already heading up the stairs. Closing his partially opened mouth, it thinned to a small and self-loathing thin line as he heard the soft sound of the doors to their rooms closing. Closing his eyes for a few seconds to calm his wounded heart, he returned his attention to the unconscious forms of the ninja laying before him. Bringing his hands up, he created a few clones to carry them off to their room, making sure that they were all comfortable before he headed off to his private place of self-reflection.

"_A human shouldn't fall in love with a monster, after all._" Was the thought that chimed solemnly through the blonde's mind as he exited his home.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Hisako's Private Room)

"..." Hisako didn't make a sound as she moved about her room, the only noise being the soft sound of her footsteps resounding from the floor.

For the silverette, the past few hours have been nothing but strikes to her heart. Seeing her beloved blonde being smothered with affection from Tatsuko that overshadowed what she had shown him in the past, it was one of the most painful and agonizing things that she had the misfortune to experience.

Making it to her bed, she fell face first into a pillow as she moved to hold it tighter. Never before had Hisako felt such anguish, never in her darkest nightmares had she imagined that someone would hold an even higher and much more sacred place in Naruto's heart then herself. The floodgates of her heart finally breaking, Hisako began to softly sob into the pillow that she had her face buried into. Nothing was as painful or as heartrending to Hisako as the smile that Naruto shared with Tatsuko, the happiness and joy that radiated off his and her person being a dagger to the silverette's heart. She wanted to doubt it, to imagine that it was just old friends seeing each other; but the way Tatsuko so openly flaunted their closeness only served to sever the thought.

Soon enough, Hisako had cried herself to sleep; the last lingering thoughts drifting through the mind of the silverette being about an old memory that etched itself into her heart and soul, a memory of a much happier and brighter time with Naruto.

"Naruto..." She whimpered in an inaudible tone as she buried her face deeper into her pillow, the small shakes of her body being not a product of the cold but of her heart's turmoil.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Naru's Private Room)

"..." Naru was silent as she slowly strode to her bed, freshly made just a few hours prior by the very person she was thinking about.

Heartbreak and betrayal was all that was swimming in Naru's heart at the moment, a product of what she had witnessed between her older brother and the conniving witch that was Tatsuko. Just thinking about the bluenette caused the blonde's blood to boil as if it was lava, her anger and disgust of the bluenette manifesting as the black wisps of wind that eerily danced around her. But, slowly the wind that showed her anger faded to nothing as a desolate feeling of heartache filled her being.

Her head lowering, her form slacked as she started shaking softly. Her lips quivering gently, Naru closed her eyes as a few forlorn tears managed to escape. Slowly, her silent grieving became a bit more audible as soft sniffles and hiccups started to leave her; the blonde finally letting the blank facade that decorated her face fall as the full impact of what she witnessed at Thousand Blade Mountain hit her. Her brother loved Tatsuko far more then he loved Hisako or herself.

Having done everything in her power to find if the feelings that Tatsuko held for her older brother were true, her heart shattered when he saw just how happy her older brother was when he interacted with Tatsuko. The kisses that they shared, the loving gazes that they exchanged, the way that they just, clicked, all of these were daggers to her heart. Slowly laying down, Naru hugged a pillow to her chest before softly burying her face into it. Soon enough, the sorrows of her heart finally exceeded the capacity of what her heart could contain; the result being a steady flow of tears that were quickly erased by the soft cushion her face was buried in.

"Onii-chan..." Naru whimpered as her body shuddered slightly, the sadness that filled her person slowly causing the blonde to drift into a mournful slumber.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Konoha Ninja's Private Room)

"Umh!" Was the collective sound that left the mouths of the ninja that suddenly awoken from the forced slumber that they had undergone.

Quickly remembering what had happened to them, they jumped up and looked for any signs of the monsters that surrounded them just moments before. Though, when they saw that they were all garbed in their sleepwear, that they were laying in the comfortable bedding that Naruto had set up for them and were feeling more refreshed then they had felt since the beginning of their vacation, they had started to believe that the meeting with the monsters that knocked them unconscious was just a dream. A very, very real and horrific dream.

Relaxing a bit, they were about to agree on that sentiment when the door to their room slid open. Turning, they promptly threw that idea out of the window when they saw Naruto staring at them with no small amount of trepidation in his eyes, both of them. At that moment, many things flashed through their minds as they slowly began to process what they were witnessing before them.

"N-N-Naru-chan…?" Kushina stammered as she stood gawking at the two opposing colored eyes of her eldest son, the otherworldly crimson complimenting the somber navy.

"…I'm sorry, for everything." The blonde in question uttered in a soft and apologetic tone, bowing as deeply as possible as the others in the room looked in a mix of confusion and surprise.

"W-What? What're you sorry for, Naru-nii?" Narumi asked in an equally confused tone, voicing the question that danced on the tongues of everyone else in the room.

"I remember… I remember everything. Who I am, who you are, what happened over the past few years. I remember all of it." Naruto replied as he kept his pose, still bowing at the waist as the eyes of everyone lit up at the startling revelation.

"W-What?!" Was the unanimous shout that left the mouths of the Konoha ninja, their eyes nearly bugging out when they finally processed what had left the man's mouth.

"Y-You remember?!" Zabuza shouted as he restrained the urge to rush up and shake the blonde in an effort to see if he really was telling the truth.

"R-Really!" Haku all but squealed as she moved to skip over towards her beloved blonde, only for her wrists to be restrained by Yakumo and Satsuki.

"Where do you think you're going, huh?" Satsuki asked in a cool tone, her eyes narrowed in a challenging manner as Haku returned it.

"Do you think you're the only one who's happy, Haku?" Yakumo asked in an equally cool tone, the trio's eyes all sparking as lightning danced between their gazes.

"Wait, so we're just supposed to believe that you magically regained your memories?" Jiraiya asked in a rather callous tone, drawing the attention of everyone as Naruto rose to meet his gaze.

When the young blonde's eyes locked with his, Jiraiya stifled the shudder of primal fear that suddenly entered his heart when he saw an ethereal glow emanate from Naruto's crimson eye. But when he regained his focus, he saw it. Within the deep pools of his navy blue were the faint inklings of familiarity. A choked sound escaping his mouth, it was mirrored by Tsunade when she moved to discern whether or not he was telling the truth or not. When the medic saw the faint shine recognition shine in the navy pool of her godson, she threw all doubt out the window as she did something no one had expected her to do. Tsunade ran up and all but suffocated Naruto in the confines of her chest with a backbreaking hug.

"What." Was all that escaped the mouths of those who were looking at the scene with blank eyes, though Jiraiya was nearly green with envy at what he was witnessing.

"I'm sorry, Naruto…" Tsunade whispered in a soft and guilty tone, the blonde blinking his eyes in confusion at what was happening within the confines of his pillowy prison.

"For what, Tsunade?" Naruto asked his godmother, the older blonde wincing at the lack of warmth that his voice held.

"For not believing you earlier. I… I should have trusted my heart instead of relying on instincts as a kunoichi. After all, it is something that can't be explained by logic." Tsunade explained to the blonde as she gave him a tighter squeeze, the action causing a few of those who were envious of the blondes' situation to twitch with jealousy.

After a few more seconds of embracing, Tsunade parted with Naruto as the others finally moved to confront the blonde to cement the notion that he truly had regained his memories. Beginning with relatively simple and easily known facts, they moved to more personal topics as they tried to find any flaw with Naruto's memory. Of course, for a few it became a rather competitive scenario to see if the blonde knew more about them then he did about the others. As the competitive atmosphere started to grow in nature, so did the lightheartedness of the room; the doubt and hesitation that plagued their hearts fading as they found comfort and contentment with the knowledge that their Naruto had indeed returned.

"_Things are gonna get troublesome..._" The blonde thought or rather lamented in his mind as his body became another medium for a game of tug-of-war between his sisters and the young ladies who held affections for him.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Kitchen)

Once the rambunctious activities that overtook the Konoha ninja's room finally petered out with the lull of sleep, Naruto had the duty of making sure that his guests were comfortable before he headed out to tend to his other duties; having been neglected with his time being eaten up the Konoha ninja. Quickly finishing all the remaining tasks, namely cleaning and making sure that his home and store looked presentable for the day ahead, Naruto moved to the kitchen to prepare something for the two disquieted young ladies upstairs.

"That was exhausting..." Naruto muttered in a telling tone as he idly worked on the small snack tray on the counter, intent on spending some time with the silverette and younger blonde who seemed to avoid him once they returned back home.

That notion, the notion that both Naru and Hisako were avoiding him, caused a twinge of sorrow to cross both the blonde's heart and face. His eyes glinting with a bit of solemness and self-loathing mirth, he merely closed them before quietly continuing with his preparation. After a few more minutes of cutting, placing and arranging, he removed the excess ingredients from the dish before observing it.

An arrangement of small, cutely shaped temari-zushi, resembling bunnies and kittens with the way Naruto arranged and decorated them, it was accompanied with a number of small onigiri shaped like penguins. Smiling a bit at how artistic and adorable the dish appeared, Naruto gently set the two sets of dishes on a waiting tray before pouring three cups of kukicha tea and setting them on the same tray. Satisfied that he had everything that he thought that they would like, he picked the tray up before heading upstairs to, hopefully, spend some time with the two.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Private Upstairs Living Area)

Arriving in the private area of the upper level of his home, Naruto saw that doors to Naru and Hisako's rooms were closed shut as opposed to being open like they usually were. A bit of sadness glinting in his eyes, he quickly covered it with his usual light and happiness that they had grown accustomed to seeing before gently moving to knock on their doors.

"Hisako, Naru. I've got some snacks and tea, if you'd like to have some with me." He offered and asked in an equally gentle tone, awaiting some form of answer from either of the two.

Though, he was met with a rather saddening and solemn silence as he stood there. As the seconds turned to minutes, Naruto let a rather sad but understanding smile cross his face as he softly took a step back from their doors. Stifling the sad sigh that wanted to express itself, he gently placed tray on the small table that rested between the doors to their rooms as he took his cup of tea.

"I see, I'm sorry for disturbing the two of you. The snacks and tea are on the table if happen to change your minds, I'll clean it up later." Naruto told the two in a soft tone, the same sad smile on his face as he turned and headed downstairs softly humming a rather somber tune.

As his footsteps and humming faded to silence, the doors to the two rooms softly opened up as the teary eyed pair of young ladies emerged from within, doing everything in their power not to break down and start sobbing. Their hearts that were broken earlier all but shattered when they heard how solemn and self-loathing the man that they adored sounded when he spoke to them. Naru lowering her head as her body shook softly with tiny trembles, she shakily took her cup of tea before taking a small sip. Hisako following suit with equally shaky hands, she also took a sip of the soft, sweet smelling tea that Naruto had made for them. Though, when the sweet smelling tea touched their tongues, they only felt their sadness and guilt intensify.

"It's salty..." They whimpered softly as a few more tears managed to trail down their faces, their heads dropping in equal sadness as they tried to reign in their emotions.

"A walk sounds nice right now..." Naruto whispered as he finished writing a note addressed to the two young ladies above, placing it on one of the kitchen tables before heading out of his home and into the night.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Inner Chamber)

"As things stand, we are far behind. Due to extenuating circumstances, we will begin moving at a much more accelerated pace. The Nibi, Nanabi, Hachibi and Kyuubi; we will be actively on the move for them as of this moment as a collective unit. Prepare to head out, we will need to capture them by the end of this month or else things will fall further behind." Pain explained to the remaining members of the Akatsuki, their heads nodding in understanding as they began to fan out.

"Nagato... Do you think we'll be able to capture them with the members that we have left?" Konan asked the orange haired man, getting a small thinning of his mouth as a result.

"I'm not sure Konan. Five weeks is a very minimal amount of time, but this will be our greatest opportunity due to the annual Kage's Summit. During that time, the jinchūriki will no doubt be accompanying their respective Kage. During that time, we will strike them while they are on the move. While dealing with a Kage is a rather disheartening sentiment, it will be our greatest opportunity for capture." Pain explained to Konan, getting the blue haired beauty to nod her head softly in acceptance.

With that, the two remaining members of the Akatsuki moved out of the room and headed towards the direction their associates did. At that moment, the hunt for the remaining jinchūriki had escalated, a move that would shake the foundations of the Elemental Nations as both civilian and ninja knew it.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Naruto's Location)

"Hmm...?" Naruto sounded out as he took a long glance towards the south, feeling a bit of uncertainty nipping away at his mind.

"...Something's coming..." Naruto quipped in a soft but sharp tone, his eyes narrowing slightly at the sensation.

"_**...Hahaha...**_" A voice not heard in a number of years chuckled darkly within the confines of Naruto's mind, the blonde being ignorant of it due to its abrupt and soft awakening.

"_**The time is near...**_" It thought in an equally dark manner, its dark laughter softly fading into silence as Naruto continued on his walk a bit more alert then before.

A Son Forgotten

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**And that's a wrap guys, tell me that you think alright? Again, kinda another stale chapter but I've been kinda busy and uninterested in a lot of stuff. Was a bit hard to continue with what I'm going for, but I think it was alright. New dragons, new threats and a very old one. What's gonna happen, eh? And a new eye? Cool. Well, I'm real tired like I said so I think you all have heard enough of me yapping. ****Again, ****I really do enjoy reading your PM's and Reviews, so leave a few for me, eh? And remember, I ain't abandoning any stories unless I explicitly say so, so don't fret fans of "Smoldering Ember" and "Blank Card", I'm working on em. So ****you know the drill, right? Till next time, you all stay awesome.**

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**Kekkai Ryuu:**** H****aikiryou Gekai - Barrier Dragon: Displacement of the Physical World**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkai, Jikūkan Ninjutsu; A barrier and time-space ninjutsu that has little known information about it. From what has been shown, Naruto creates a barrier that has the ability to teleport those that are inside of it at the moment it is created. The mechanics behind this jutsu are still mostly unknown, though it is known that Naruto must set up a number of seals in order to use this jutsu; either directly on a surface which is used for the barrier or on a number of objects similar to what Minato does with his kunai, allowing him to carry around a way to create and set up a barrier needed for teleportation.


	39. Chapter 37

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. Been a while, huh? Well, two months is quite some time but I ain't giving up on any of my stories unless I give solid reason for it. Not too much of an action-like chapter, just a lot of making up and all that jazz; so if you're looking for action, it ain't in this chapter. Finally getting past the slice of life chapters and are moving to the meat of the conflict, so more action and stuff to come. Again, I'm finishing writing this chapter as I'm getting ready for work and school so forgive my short explanation for being inactive and the quality of the chapter. Again, this is NOT an action filled chapter so don't be expecting any action; just a bunch of lame and cringe angst and romance? Aiya, well you came to read right? Let's a go. **

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 37

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Unknown Location)

"Better get back, it's time to clear things up with everyone." Naruto whispered in a soft but strangely acquiescent tone, standing from the log that overlooked a small lake.

The area was a small but quaint clearing that had become his habitual spot to visit when he needed to think. Stifling a sigh, the blonde looked upwards towards the waxing moon and couldn't help but feel a bit of sorrow for what was to come. During his time alone, Naruto had traveled through his newly required memories and couldn't help but smile in a self-deprecating manner. The bonds that he had nurtured, that had reaffirmed themselves, that he was so protective of; they were the ones that he was going to sever when he returned home.

"Alright, it's time." He said in a soft tone, turning and heading back home where there would be both tears and heartbreak.

(Time Skip - Ten Minutes Later)

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Main Entranceway)

"Where have you been?!" Kushina shouted in worry as she sped to embrace Naruto when he entered through the front door, the blonde sighing a bit at the over-reactive action.

"Please let me go, Kushina. I've got something very important to talk with all of you about." He said in a serious tone as the faces of the others gained a bit of fear and anxiety, a rather strong stirring of apprehension beginning to fill their hearts.

"Come, we'll talk over some tea." Naruto added as he moved to prepare some tea and snacks for the impending discussion, the others slowly shuffling back into their room as they mulled over what it was that they were going to talk about.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Private Room)

After a few minutes, the Konoha ninja were greeted with the sight of Naruto entering the room with a tray of tea and an assortment of snacks to go along with it. Gently setting down the tray, he served the tea to everyone in the room before taking a seat at the end of the large table in the middle of the room. Glancing around, he could feel the apprehension in the air it was that palpable. Releasing a soft sigh, causing a stiffening in the ninja present, he raised his head and stared directly at them before speaking.

"What I wanted to talk to you about, is about my relationship with you all." Naruto started as they felt the ice inside of their stomachs increase in mass, swallowing the lumps in their throats as they awaited what he was going to say.

"I wanted to tell all of you at once, so that there won't be any more misunderstandings between all of us. The Naruto that you all knew, who I was five years ago, that Naruto is long gone." The blonde said in a tone of utter finality, his eyes sharper and sterner then the most well crafted blade in existence.

Once those words left his mouth, there was nothing but unending silence in the room. The eyes of everyone in the room wide with both shock and horror, they weren't able to properly articulate the whirlpool of emotions that were boiling inside of them. The knowledge that their blonde was still alive had elevated their spirits to levels unheard of, but when he said that he didn't hold the same feelings for them as they did for him, it just shattered their hearts and spirits.

"B-But... W-What about us?" Haku asked in a hushed tone, the sound of her heart shattering nearly causing Zabuza to decapitate the blonde who caused it.

"T-The time we spent together, it doesn't mean anything...?" Satsuki asked in more of a whisper then anything, her brothers' and father's Sharingan flaring to life when they saw her defeated visage.

"I... I should've known..." Yakumo whispered in a shattered tone, her eyes brimming with unshed tears as her father's gaze sharpened to a dangerous level.

"However... That's not to say that the new me can't get along with and reconnect with all of you. I'm Naruto, it's a pleasure to meet with all of you once again." Naruto said after his heart rending statement, a small but genuine smile on his face as the eyes of the Konoha ninja shined with renewed hope.

"Y-You mean that, Naruto-kun...?" Haku whispered as she stared at him with misty eyes filled with hope and affection, the look in her eyes reflected in the eyes of everyone else who held some form of affection for the blonde.

"I do. I'm sincerely sorry that I lied and deceived you all for these past five years." Naruto said in a solemn tone as he bowed his head in penance, the Konoha ninja quickly moving to wave him off as they felt a bit awkward and embarrassed at the out of character action from the stoic blonde.

"Well, it's getting late. I'll leave you all for the night, if you need anything don't hesitate to let me know, alright?" Naruto said as he gave them another small reassuring smile, the faces of a few of the maidens in the room flushing at his handsome expression.

"W-Wait! Naruto-nii, c-can't you sleep with us tonight?" Mito asked in a hopeful tone, Narumi instantly standing at attention as she agreed with the statement.

"Mito-nee is right! Y-You should sleep with us tonight, Naru-nii!" She added with a demanding pout on her face, Naruto simply shaking his head with a tiny smile.

"Sorry, but I don't think it's appropriate for the ladies in the room to be sharing it with a stranger." Naruto said in a slightly mirthful tone, causing a wave of protest and pouts to emerge through the room.

"Good night." He finally said in a light hearted manner as he exited the room, heading towards the kitchen as he contemplated what was the next move on his agenda.

Watching him leave their room caused a bit of sadness to enter the hearts of the Konoha ninja, but for a few of those, namely those who were his family, they felt the weight of their failures of the past lift slightly from their shoulders. A bit reluctant, they eventually headed to bed as they contemplated a plan to fill in the gap that the blonde had opened back up for them. Though, they were unaware of the next set of events that were about to take place in the next coming hours, the entirety of the ninja world being unprepared for what was to happen.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Kitchen)

Sitting in silence at the private table reserved for Hisako, himself and recently Naru, Naruto let a soft sigh escape his mouth as he glanced out the window as he idly sipped on a cup of tea he had prepared. The past few hours have been nothing but a whirlpool of emotion and confusion, for the blonde more then anyone if he could be so bold to say so. While he knew of what had happened with his family and friends when he was younger, the neglect and indifference that they treated him to for the better part of five years being a rather painful memory, he forced himself to look past that due to the words of the silverette sleeping overhead. Hisako had always told him to see the good and the best in people, to not let their pasts determine their future if possible.

While she, herself, knew that some people were inherently evil and twisted, she knew that others weren't innately that dark. While he didn't agree with her to the optimistic ideal that she held, he did agree with second chances. White had given someone like him a second chance, why wouldn't he give another the same chance. For his friends and family that he left behind in Konoha, seeing them once again was a chance to mend things and perhaps allow them to move on with their lives.

"Guh..." He suddenly grimaced as he as he clutched the left side of his chest, an all too familiar pain echoing through it as a bit of sweat began to form on his face.

"It's getting worse..." Naruto muttered as he released a few multicolored pills from a seal on his wrist, downing them before following with a gulp of the tea he brewed.

Grimacing as another wave of pain echoed through his body, Naruto steadied himself as the world began to fade in and out of black. Gritting his teeth as it began to shift and tilt a bit, he moved the hand clutching his chest to clutch his head. Letting out a shaky sigh as the pain started to lessen and fade, he took a deep breath as it finally ended; wiping away the remnants of the beads of sweat that marred his person. Letting his eyes close, Naruto rested his head against his arms laying on the table as he once again tried to find any signs of why he was experiencing such debilitating waves of pain.

"It's gotta be the Dragon Virus..." He whispered in a soft but slightly pained tone, a very faint throbbing of agony resurfacing as his breathing softened.

The Dragon Virus is the active result of the use of Ryuuton chakra, a curse that befalls those who have access to the volatile chakra. It is less of a virus and more of a controlled poisoning or curse of those who were afflicted by it, the partners of the very creatures that it was named after being eventual victims of its grip. Unlike Shagaru's virus, the Dragon Virus didn't corrupt or overtake those that it incubates inside of; instead, it debilitates and weakens those who are afflicted, a rather ironic situation given that those who are afflicted are amongst the most powerful of their kind.

Another defining trait of the Dragon Virus is the loss of the motor skills of those who are infected, the finer physical control of those who are afflicted deteriorating until they eventually degrade completely. The most startling contrast between the two viruses however, is that those who are infected with Shagaru's virus are not bound to death, though a life of eternal agony may be in fact a much more torturous sentence. Being afflicted with the Dragon Virus is a death sentence once infected, the host's lifespan being unpredictable due to the way the virus incubates, growing with extended use of Ryuuton chakra. And unlike Shagaru's virus, there is no cure or overcoming the Dragon Virus, death being the only release its host awaits for.

As he slowly drifted to sleep, his mind and body focused on mitigating the pain that was started to rise through his body once more along with the effects of the dragonfell and nulberry pills that he took, Naruto was entirely ignorant of the stricken and horrified young ladies standing in the doorway of the kitchen. Their hands clasped to their mouths to stifle the cries of horror and worry that they desperately wanted to voice out, they opted to stop them as the one that the loved more then life itself was resting and recovering from a wave of torment and agony.

Tears beginning to line Naru's eyes while they were freely falling from Hisako's, they shakily made their way over to the sleeping blonde while doing their best not to wake him. As Naruto was sitting at the center of the three chairs that surrounded the table, Naru and Hisako flanked him on both sides before they wrapped their arms around his and snuggled into him to stave off the pain that still showed on his face despite his best efforts. A bit distressed that they weren't doing much to help him, Hisako and Naru froze a bit before a teary smile made it to their faces when they caught sight of a small but content smile appearing on his face in place of the anguished line from earlier.

"Naruto..." Hisako whispered in a frightened tone, her bottom lip trembling as she held him a bit tighter as a very real fear of losing the one she cherished crept into her heart.

"Onii-chan..." Naru whispered in an equally scared tone, nuzzling affectionately against his arm as she tried to stave off the foreign feeling known as fear that began to enter her heart.

After a few minutes, the two young ladies who were attached to the blonde fell asleep as well. For Naruto, he had woken up a few minutes after and couldn't help but smile when he saw that they were sleeping while snuggling into him. Gently shifting them, he picked them both up before heading to their rooms. Placing them in their respective beds and tucking them in, he gave the two of them a kiss on the forehead infused with a bit of comforting chakra as a larger smile spread across their faces. Seeing that they were content at the moment, Naruto headed to his room before getting ready for bed himself.

(Time Skip - A Few Hours Later)

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Hisako's Private Room)

After he had woken up, Naruto was beginning the day by cleaning the sheets in the private rooms of his home and hostel. Starting with his own room, he drifted from room to room collecting the sheets and linens before tossing them down the laundry chute. A bit hesitant to enter Hisako's room, Naruto mustered the courage when he remembered that the silverette and Naru had snuggled with him the night before. Though, to his surprise, when he entered he saw her sitting up with a sad expression on her face before she turned towards him. Pulling the chair that sat at her desk to her bedside, Naruto took a seat as he awaited the silverette to say what it was that was on her mind.

"Naruto..." Hisako said in a self-loathing tone as she kept her head bowed, fidgeting as she felt the stare of the blonde on her person.

"Yes, Hisako?" He answered in a soft tone, the silverette doing her best not to grimace as she remembered how she treated him the day before.

"I-I'm... I-I'm sorry... For yesterday..." She whispered as she began to fidget a bit more, shaking a bit in fear when she saw Naruto move towards her.

"I didn't mean to i-ignore you and t-treat you like that, but... I... I was jealous and angry that, that girl was so close to you and you were so close to her... I... I love you, I love you so, so much..." She whispered in a loving but solemn tone as a bit of wetness started to seep into the bandages covering her eyes.

Flinching a bit when she felt him cup her chin, Hisako braced herself for a flick or some form of impact. Though, when she felt him lift her chin, Hisako's "eyes" widened a bit before nearly bugging out from their sockets when he planted a soft but loving kiss on her own lips. Turning more crimson then the scales of the Elder of the same name, and steaming more then the vegetables that they served, Hisako felt as though her entire being was beginning float away to heaven. Unable to utter a word, a few strangled gasps and sounds leaving her mouth all that she could articulate; Hisako had her breath stolen away even more when Naruto leaned in for a much longer and much fuller kiss, the silverette's toes curling a bit as she reflexively wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss herself.

"W-Wow..." Hisako whispered in a breathless manner as she finally pulled away to break for air after what seemed like a lifetime, panting a bit with a crimson lit face that would have made Crimson's scales look pale in comparison.

"Ngh..." Naruto sounded with a tinge of red on his cheeks, turning away as he cursed himself for getting too caught up in the moment with the silverette.

Seeing her beloved blonde act so uncharacteristically bashful and affectionate, Hisako couldn't hold back anymore as she started to openly giggle at his behavior. Her giggling causing him to flush a bit deeper, Naruto was beginning to think that regaining the use of his left eye also opened up more of his heart to those around him. But he was broken from that thought when Hisako wrapped her arms around his neck once more before pulling him in for another loving kiss.

A bit stunned at her bold action, Naruto was about to break the kiss before it got any more intense but was beaten by Hisako climbing into his lap from her bed as she broke away. Panicking a bit when his normally affectionate but reserved silverette started to act like a predator stalking her prey, the prey in this situation being himself. Stiffening when Hisako moved her arms from their position around his neck, he began to panic even more when he felt her sliding them down his chest until she wrapped them around the small of his back. It wasn't until she started nibbling on his neck that Naruto gently but forcibly removed her from his person, holding her by the shoulders while he stared at her with wide eyes and a crimson face.

"H-Hisako!" Naruto cried out in a horribly embarrassed tone, his face reddening as Hisako stopped in her nibbling.

"...I don't want to lose you, Naruto..." Hisako whispered in a shaky and frightened tone, squeezing the blonde tighter as her bandages began to dampen with the tears she was beginning to shed.

His embarrassment evaporating at her tone and the way she was shaking slightly, Naruto returned the embrace she was giving him as he pulled her closer. Her arms moving back up to wrap around his upper back, Hisako sniffled as she buried her face deeper into the crook of his neck; the two sitting in an amiable but somber embrace, they slowly parted as Naruto smiled down at the shy faced silverette. Leaning down, Naruto captured her lips once more in a quick but filling kiss as Hisako flinched a bit before returning it ten-fold.

"You know that you're the most important person to me, there's no one that will ever take your place in my heart nor am I going to go anywhere anytime soon." Naruto whispered to her in a loving tone once he parted from her, Hisako returning his smile with a loving one of her own as she rested against his shoulder once more.

After a few seconds, Naruto lifted the silverette from her rather comfortable position before placing back on her bed. Pouting a bit at the loss of her newfound favorite place to sit, Naruto's lap, Hisako received a kiss on the nose to erase and replace her pout with a demure but radiant smile. Seeing her smiling once more eased and healed Naruto's heart, the blonde giving her one last smile before heading over to the other blonde who entered his heart just a few days earlier.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Naru's Private Room)

Knocking once on the younger blonde's door, Naruto waited a few seconds more entering. Opening the door slightly, he saw the blonde he was looking for sitting on her bed with a blank but disheartened aura shrouding her. His eyes softening at the sight, Naruto entered the room before closing the door behind him. Seeing that Naru was giving him the cold shoulder, at least that's what he assumed she was doing, he made his way over while pulling along the chair that sat at her desk. Setting the chair down in front of her, Naruto took a seat as he stared at her with a mix of concern and guilt.

"Naru... Would it be alright for us to talk for a bit?" Naruto asked in a soft and gentle tone, the other blonde on the bed slackening a bit at the question before shaking her head in the negative.

"...What do you want to talk about, Onii-chan... You have that blue hair..." Naru whispered in an equally soft tone, though the mention of Tatsuko was spat out in a loathsome tone.

"Naru, Tatsuko is... She's a very important person to me, just like Hisako and yourself. It's hard to explain, but trust me when I say that we aren't together like that. As much as she acts like we are, and as much as I didn't do anything to deny that sentiment, we aren't together I promise you that." Naruto told the sulking blonde in a firm tone, Naru clenching her hands tighter as the seed of doubt planted in her heart began to sprout into something larger.

But that sapling was cut down before it could grow any larger when Naruto wrapped her hands with his, the younger blonde flinching as her eyes widened at the act. Looking up, Naru quickly felt her pulse quicken along with her heart as she made eye contact with her brother. Smiling at her, Naruto squeezed her hands in an equally soft manner as Naru's face began to steam a bit in a mix of embarrassment and happiness. Spending a few seconds with their hands intertwined, Naruto eventually coaxed Naru out of her shell as a smile finally graced her face.

"Naru, can I be honest with you. Can you promise me that you won't be upset at what I'm going to tell you?" Naruto asked the younger blonde, Naru flinching a bit in fear and apprehension before nodding in an anxious manner.

"Naru... You're not really my younger sister, you know that don't you?" He asked as her eyes widened in response, the hands holding his tightening to a near painful level as terror and disbelief invaded every fiber of her being.

"W-What...? B-But, don't you remember the p-promises that we made together? T-That we were going to get married when we grew up?" Naru asked in a desperate and heartrending tone, Naruto's eyes softening as he moved to embrace her fully.

Stiffening , Naru tried to break away from the blonde as Naruto simply tightened the hold he had on her. Feeling him hold her a bit tighter, Naru started struggling a bit harder before she finally lowered her face into Naruto's shoulder as the sorrow that filled her heart finally broke free from her heart. Returning his embrace, Naru poured out the sadness as she cried into his shoulder; the older blonde's eyes softening at the scene, he leaned down as he pressed he lips against her head as a way to ease the suffering her heart was experiencing. After a few minutes of letting Naru cry, she had finally released the pent up sorrow that filled her heart; sniffling as she raised her head to return the gaze that Naruto was giving her.

"T-Thank you, Oni-..." She whispered as she cut herself off at the mention of him as her brother, her sadness returning as Naruto gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"It's fine, Naru, just call me by my name alright?" Naruto told her in a reassuring tone, Naru nodding her head a bit at his request.

"So Naru, I have a few questions for you. Can you answer them for me?" He asked in a soft but serious tone, the younger blonde shaking a bit at the way he sounded but nodding nonetheless.

"B-But... C-Can I have a reward after we finish?" She asked the older blonde, Naruto blinking a bit in surprise before nodding at the request.

"What I want to know is this, where did you come from? I should've cleared this up when we first met, but things were complicated if you remember." Naruto asked her in a curious tone, Naru blinking at the question before mulling over it for a bit.

"I don't remember a lot, but it was a cold, dark place. When I woke up, I was inside of a building that was underground, but when the monsters escaped the people inside abandoned everything inside. I broke out of the glass tube that I was inside before I left to find you." Naru explained in a simplified manner, Naruto's curiosity turning into a burning desire to know who it was that created the younger blonde sitting across from him.

"I-I have some papers from that place, if you w-want them..." Naru offered in a slightly timid manner, a bit terrified of the dark glint in his eyes.

"That would be great, thanks Naru." Naruto responded in a much gentler tone, a small smile on his face as Naru's fears vanished as quickly as they came.

Getting up, Naru made her way to the large bag that she had brought in with her when she had first arrived. Opening it, she went through its contents before pulling out a few manila folders and bound documents, double checking that she had secured everything that she had managed to recover from the lab. Heading back to Naruto, she handed them to him in a timid manner, the older blonde smiling in gratitude for the documents.

"Thanks Naru, let me take these to my room. When I come back, let's go make you that reward." Naruto told the younger blonde as he moved to stand, freezing instantly when she claimed his lap as a seat.

"It's ok, my reward is right here." Naru said in a bland but strangely seductive tone, wrapping her arms around Naruto's neck as sweat began to build on the older blonde's face.

"N-Naru, remember what we just talked about?" Naruto tried to say in a stern tone, his words coming out much more bashful due to the situation he found himself in.

"Mhmm, that you're not my Onii-chan..." She said in a depressed tone, her grip loosening around his neck as Naruto relaxed at the action.

"But that means that we can get married and have babies without caring about what anyone else says now." Naru quipped as she reestablished her ironclad hold around his neck, her eyes glinting dangerously with a predatory shine that Naruto didn't find too comforting.

Then, like a snake striking at a mouse, Naru closed the distance between herself and Naruto before entering her Apex state. Once he saw the tell tale signs of her in her augmented state, Naruto immediately moved to escape only for Naru to lock lips with him. His eyes widening, he was about to pry her off only for Naru to pull back with a small frown on her face. Her eyes downcast, she slowly lost her grip around his neck as she exited her Apex state, Naruto quickly losing his stunned expression as a worried one replaced it.

"...Where do I belong...?" She asked in a soft and shaky tone, her eyes gaining a solemn and heartrending gleam to them as she began to contemplate what exactly she was.

"I'm not your little sister, I don't have a family and I... I have no memories that are real... What am I...?" She continued as she rose to face him directly, Naruto's eyes widening when he saw tears falling freely from her eyes.

"I'm a nobody... A shadow... I... Should I even be alive if I have nothing that's mine?" She finished with a tone of finality, Naruto's eyes narrowing as he held her by the shoulders.

"Don't. You. Ever. Say. That. Again. Understand?" He said in a rather serious and stern tone, Naru flinching a bit in a mix of surprise and fear as she took in the rather terrifying glint in his eyes.

"You said that you don't have anything, that you don't belong anywhere. Well you're wrong, dead wrong." He said in an equally serious tone, Naru's eyes widening as she listened in on what he was telling her.

"You may not be my little sister, you may not have any true memories to call your own, but you don't need any of those things to have a reason to live." He added as he pulled her towards him before embracing her, Naru's eyes widening even more when she felt his warmth envelop her.

"Don't you go on saying such horrible things, Naru. You say that you don't have a family, but what about Hisako and myself? Even though we met three days ago, don't you agree that it feels like we've known each other for a lifetime?" He asked her in a much softer tone then before, the blonde he was embracing beginning to shake a bit in response.

"Someone saved me from the loneliness that bound me when I was a kid, I promised myself that I would do the same for anyone who's also in that position. That's how Hisako and myself wound up together, what's to say it won't be the same for you and I?" He asked her as Naru shook slightly at the question, eventually returning the embrace she was given as she buried her face into his shoulder.

"We're a family now, Naru. Hisako, yourself and I." He said with a tone of soft finality, Naru shakily nodding her head as the wetness of her tears began to sink into his shirt.

"But... W-What if you go away...?" She asked in a frightened and shaky tone, clutching onto him a bit tighter as he returned it.

"Like I told Hisako, I'm not going anywhere anytime soon. So don't worry, alright?" He reassured her in a gentle manner, Naru softly nodding her head as she squeezed him in return.

Spending a few minutes locked in a rather intimate embrace, Naru pulled away from the blonde holding her with a small but serene smile on her face. Brushing away the last of her tears, Naruto set her back on her bed as he stood up. Smiling down on her, he leaned down before giving her a soft kiss on the head. Smiling as a maelstrom of warmth and security flooded her body, Naru fidgeted slightly as she did her best not to appear silly with such a slovenly smile on her face. Seeing her in such brighter spirits brought a smile to Naruto's face, the blonde giving her a gentle pat on the head as he moved out of her room.

"Hopefully, that'll clear some things up." He whispered to himself as he headed towards the foyer of his home, his face gaining a bit of a pink tint as he remembered how strangely seductive Naru and Hisako were earlier.

Shaking his head to clear it of the impure thoughts that danced through it concerning the two young ladies that were in his care, Naruto sighed as he bit back the urge to grimace as he began to notice his baser instincts beginning to emerge; instincts that he truly didn't wish to see surface, especially if Naru and Hisako were the subject of his attention. A bit lost in thought, Naruto paused when he felt a bit of apprehension nip at his instincts. Turning to face the direction that laid Tetsu no Kuni, he narrowed his eyes as he felt a premonition of danger emanate from the land. Shaking his head, he headed back to finish up the chores that were left unattended due to his bonding with Naru and Hisako.

(Scene Change - Tetsu no Kuni: Main Council Room)

"Hmm... A threat that will involve all five of the Elemental countries? Am I reading this correctly, A-dono?" Mifune asked the bulky Kage from across the communication line, A confirming his question as the General furrowed his brow.

"I know it sounds farfetched, but I got this from a reputable and trustworthy person; someone who just saved one of my most trusted ninja from the very people we're talking about." A replied as he explained Yugito's abduction to the General, Mifune's expression darkening as he digested the information presented to him.

"...I'll send a message out to the other Kage informing them of the Summit's new date, while I don't particularly like meddling in affairs of the Elemental countries, this seems rather dire." Mifune said as he agreed to A's request to expedite the yearly meeting between the villages, the Raikage letting a relieved and thankful sigh escape.

"Thanks again, Mifune-dono." A expressed in a thankful manner, Mifune cracking a small smirk despite the dire situation.

"The thanks falls to you and your informant, A-dono. I will be seeing you in a few days, until then I wish you a safe travel." Mifune said as A returned the sentiment, the General cutting the communication as he turned to address his samurai.

"Please get the preparations ready for the Summit, we've got an urgent situation that must be addressed before it can begin to start growing." He ordered as his samurai bowed before heading to fulfill their orders, Mifune turning to get his own preparations ready.

With that, Mifune prepared his summons for quickly delivering the messages to the Kage of the remaining four villages. As he summoned his swiftest summons, he failed to notice that a part of the ceiling had rippled a bit before stilling. The General's thoughts preoccupied with wording A's information in a concise manner, the conversation and bits of his message were picked up by Zetsu, the plant-like man smiling before he faded to relay what he had learned to the rest of his group.

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Iwagakure no Sato: Tsuchikage's Tower - Main Office)

"Ne, Jii-san, you're not sleeping again are you?" An irate sounding young woman asked as she knocked on the door to her grandfather's office, her patience proving to be thinner then a strand of silk as she moved to open it.

"Oi, Jii-san?!" She shouted at her happily and contently napping grandfather, her brow twitching a bit with even more irritation as she saw him in such a state.

"Hmm? Oh, Kurotsuchi? Is there something that you needed?" Onoki asked his granddaughter in a rather terse tone, Kurotsuchi brow twitching even more when she took notice of his tone.

"Oh, you know. Just finishing the reports that you asked me to compile an hour ago!" She shouted at him as he simply shook his head at her, prompting her to tighten her hold on the documents she was holding.

"Such disrespect. I don't remember training such a hard headed and foul mouthed kunoichi." Onoki sighed as he floated towards his granddaughter, taking the folder from her as he moved to return to his seat.

Though, in the midst of this, the instincts of the two quickly told them that something was coming. Turning to the center of the room, they readied themselves for what was to come only for their guarded stances to slacken when they caught sight of a familiar, armor clad rabbit. The rabbit being equipped in lightweight armor reminiscent to that of a samurai, they knew exactly who it was a summon for.

"Greetings, Onoki-dono, Kurotsuchi-dono. I've a message from Mifune-sama for you." The rabbit summon said with his head bowed, holding out a scroll for the elderly Kage.

"...No doubt it's got to do with the Summit." Onoki muttered as he took the scroll, quickly scanning through it as his brow furrowed further to the interest of his granddaughter.

"...Hmph... As much as I despise working with those young fools, this is certainly troublesome. Tell Mifune that Iwa will be there." Onoki told the rabbit summon, the small mammal nodding his head before returning to relay the information.

"Jii-san? What're we doing?" Kurotsuchi asked her grandfather in a curious tone, a bit interested why he was acting more irate then usual.

"We've got a large problem at hand, not only us but the other four countries as well. Head home, prepare enough supplies for two weeks worth of traveling." He ordered as she let out an irritated but interested confirmation, heading back to her apartment to prepare for the imminent trip.

(Scene Change - Sunagakure: Kazekage's Building - Main Office)

"So, they're after the other jinchūriki as well." Gaara said in a soft tone, rereading the scroll he was handed by the rabbit messenger, his siblings grimacing as they remembered just how close they were to losing him to the Akatsuki.

"Tell Mifune-san that Suna will be there. I can only hope that we can stop them before any others fall victim." Gaara said as he handed the messenger a small carrot from the serving dish sitting on his desk, getting a thankful smile before the rabbit returned to relay his reply.

"Gaara, you sure that it's a good idea? What if something happens?" Kankuro asked his younger brother, Gaara shaking his head in the positive as he moved behind his desk.

"This isn't just about Suna, it's about the other countries as well. Please, prepare for a two week long journey." He told his siblings, Temari and Kankuro nodding as they headed out of his office.

(Scene Change - Kirigakure: Mizukage's Tower - Main Office)

"Hmm... So we're advancing the schedule of the annual Summit, are we?" A kind and gentle voiced, auburn haired young woman asked as she read over the scroll presented to her by the rabbit summon before her.

"Correct, Mei-dono. Mifune-sama was urgent in his request for an accelerated audience with the five Kage." The summon reported to her, Mei furrowing her brow slightly as she contemplated what her smartest choice of action was.

"Well, Mifune-sama doesn't have to worry. Kiri will be more then glad to attend, after all, this concerns all of us rather greatly." Mei replied as she smiled at the summon, the rabbit's cheeks tinting a bit at her beauty before it dismissed itself to return with her confirmation.

"Mei-sama, do you think it's wise to attend such an event? After all, Yagura-sama has just recently passed." Ao asked in a slightly worried tone, Mei smiling slightly as she shook her head in the positive.

"It isn't just about Kiri at this point, the entirety of the Elemental Countries is at stake should the Akatsuki rise to an even greater amount of power." She said as Ao nodded in response, heading out to prepare for the journey to Tetsu no Kuni.

(Scene Change - Kumogakure: Raikage's Tower - A's Office)

"Alright, let's get ready to head out. The faster we can convince the other Kage that we're facing a very real threat, the faster we can plan a counterattack." A said as he started arranging the documents that Naruto had prepared for him, his closest ninja moving to help him prepare for the journey ahead.

"Wait a minute bro, why don't we ask that one eyed blonde for help? No doubt he'd be a real help in taking these guys out!" Killer B asked as the others in the room turned a bit curious as well, the blonde having already helped Kumo out in the past.

"It's... It's not that simple, B-sama." C said in a rather anxious tone as he pulled together a few of the notes that they collected from Yugito, his comrades growing more curious at his tone.

"C is right. Naruto... He's not the kind of guy you want to ask for something as dangerous as this." Darui added as he resisted the urge to shiver at the memory the blonde's killing intent imprinted onto his psyche, A heaving a sigh as he finished with gathering his documents.

"There's only one person who can make Naruto do anything, should they ask. That person is Hisako-chan, and Hisako-chan alone. No one else on this earth has that much power over that man, and that's exactly the reason he won't be willing to help. There are only two reasons that Naruto will get involved in this. One, either Hisako-chan asks him to or if it endangers her. And two, Hisako-chan gets harmed because of the Akatsuki. From what I've seen of him, if option two should happen... Kami help us all..." A explained in a grave and slightly shaky tone, the others shivering a bit when they heard how he explained the blonde.

"Y-You can't be serious, right? He's just an overprotective guy for his girl is all, right?" Karui asked her comrades in an effort to dispel the atmosphere that shrouded the blonde, though all she got was a grimace from those who had spent some time with him.

"I have the feeling that, should Hisako-san actually be harmed by someone intent on hurting her, whomever they are, everything that they hold dear and anything that is even remotely connected to them will suffer a fate worse then death." C explained in a frightened tone, a deep chill settling into the bodies of the others in the office at his words.

"A-Anyway, l-let's just finish getting ready for the road." Yugito said in an attempt to rid the room of the feeling of death that lingered inside of it, seemingly working as they slowly but surely moved to gather their supplies.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Dining Room)

Gathered within the main dining room of the Kyuukai Hostel, the Konoha ninja were all enjoying a lunch prepared by the blonde that they had recently reconnected with earlier. All of the families eating with each other at a large, sectioned table close enough for them to exchange conversation and dishes as they savored the company of their friends and family members.

"Say "Ah!" Kushina!" Minato said as he held out a piece of tuna from his plate of tataki, his wife flushing a bit before demurely taking the piece in her mouth.

"Mmm! It's amazing, Minato! Here, say "Ah!"" She exclaimed before offering a piece of her prized fried prawn to her husband, Minato happily taking it as they exchanged loving smiles.

"Mmm~!" Mito sounded out in a content and blissful manner as she happily slurped up the sio-ramen that was laid before her, shivering in pleasure as the holy taste of the noodles, broth and toppings danced on her palate.

"W-Wow, this really is good!" Narumi quipped as she ate her kaisen-don with speed that made few of her family and friends a bit green, though the radiant and euphoric expression on her face more then made up for it.

"Oh man, this is the best kushiage that I've ever had!" Menma all bout shouted as he happily munched on the fried treats that were laid out before him, nearly eating the skewer itself at the speed at which he was eating.

"I need to be careful..." Kakashi muttered under his breath as he tried to eat as discretely as possible, the tasty array of food before him causing him to lose a bit of focus on keeping his mask on.

"This is so delicious! Why can't I cook like this?!" Shizune muttered in a slightly defeated tone as she happily devoured the unaginokabayaki that the blonde had prepared for her, though her thoughts quickly drifted back to the eel that was captivating her tastebuds before they fell into deeper defeat.

"I wouldn't mind having this everyday for the rest of my life." Jiraiya said in a content tone as he enjoyed his ikura-don, drawing a few intrigued looks from those around him who have never seen such a content expression on his face.

"Ah! This is the greatest nizakana I've ever had! The mirin adds just the right amount of sweetness and doesn't overpower the sake! The sake is what makes it so perfect however, a mild and perfect hint of acidity and sweetness, the junmai-shu is definitely the star of this dish!" Orochimaru expressed in a heavenly and content manner, drawing a few unnerved looks at his out of character behavior.

"Calm down, Orochimaru. Sure, the nizakana is great and the junmai-shu is amazing and, and... This kasu-jiru is just the greatest, I could eat this forever!" Tsunade exclaimed as she quickly downed the soup that laid before her, sharing in her teammates' radiant expressions as she savored the taste dancing on her tongue.

Having ordered two separate dishes they were enjoying with each other, they adults of the Hyuga family were happily chatting as they discussed the taste of the hotpot that they had ordered. With their children, they were astonished that the same blonde who they thought was just a shinobi could cook with such proficiency.

"Oh my! Isn't this just delectable, Hiashi?" Hikari asked her husband, Hiashi giving her a small smile as he agreed with her sentiment.

"It is, though it still pales in comparison to sukiyaki that you prepare." He said while adding a compliment to his wife, her pale cheeks flushing a bit as she beamed a radiant smile at him.

"While I admit that this is very tasty, it does taste a bit lacking in something, Haruka's love." Hizashi added as the cheeks of his wife darkened with both embarrassment and affection, playfully tapping her husband on the arm at his comment.

"P-Please, Hizashi! You're embarrassing me!" She said in an embarrassed but happy tone, getting a smile from her beloved as they shared the hotpot that the adults of the Hyuga family ordered.

"Onee-san, Neji-niisan; it's quite good, isn't it!" Hanabi chirped as they shared the smaller but no less delicious plate of otsukuri, the various types of fish that they were enjoying each providing a new splash of flavor on their palates.

"I agree, Hanabi-sama. These are among the finest pieces of sashimi that I've had, I'm quite honored actually to be able to savor them." Neji said as he let a smile that was slowly becoming much more common grace his features, enjoying a piece of freshly sliced amberjack.

"This tastes even better then the sashimi that Hachi-san prepared for us when we were in Kiri a year ago." Hinata said in a quiet but surprised tone as she finished a slice of yellowtail, a bit astounded that the enigmatic blonde could prepare fish even better then a seasoned fisherman and chef.

Enjoying a large pot of oden, the Kurama family were sighing in content as the flavorful and savory taste of the oden sang in their mouths. With Murakumo and Uroko, they were exchanging bites with each other while Yakumo was doing her best not to look embarrassed by their rather intimate actions.

"My, this may very well be the finest pot of oden that I've ever had! Don't you agree, Murakumo?" Uroko asked her husband in a delighted tone as she happily finished another piece of konyaku, her husband shaking his head as he moved to wipe a bit of broth off her cheek.

"It is very delicious, but it still lacks that love that you use to flavor your cooking." He told her in a loving tone, the woman flushing deeply as she moved to give him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Why..." Yakumo muttered in a mortified tone as she did her best to not watch her parents enjoying such a romantic moment, choosing to instead focus on the boiled eggs that had stolen her tastebuds.

With the Uchiha family, they were happily sharing an order of yakiniku at a specialized table the blonde owner had prepared for them. Seated around a table with two thin but sturdy metal grills at its center, they were taking turns cooking and enjoying the thin slices of vegetables, beef and pork that were plated between them. Mikoto and Fugaku were sharing loving smiles as they were feeding each other in a rather uncharacteristic manner, mostly on Fugaku's end however. Though, the Uchiha children's innate competitive nature soon surfaced as they raced to both out cook and out eat their siblings.

"Ufufufu! Now why can't you pamper me more like this at home, Fugaku?" Mikoto half teased and half asked her husband, blushing a bit before taking the piece of beef he had finished cooking for her into her mouth,

"Hmph, that would only serve to dampen my standing among our comrades back home... Though, my standing may not be so important if I can continue to see such a radiant expression on your face should I do so." Fugaku said in a rather terse tone, though it softened considerably as he gave his wife a gentle and loving smile causing Mikoto to flush even deeper.

"Tch! Get your own damn meat to cook!" Sasuke shouted at his older siblings while he had his Sharingan on full display, desperately fighting to gain control of the grill as he fought for the precious pieces of beef and pork he was trying to crispin.

"And let you burn everything that we're sharing to a freakin' crisp? Yeah right!" Satsuki barked back as she took another piece of slowly burning pork from her twin's side of the grill, her own Sharingan shining with both joy and challenge as Sasuke leveled a heated glare at her.

"Hmph. Foolish little siblings, you're not even worth out eating." Itachi said in a cool and slightly condescending tone as he closed his eyes, drawing glares from both of his younger siblings only for their eyes to widen in horror when they saw that he had already taken the remaining pieces of meat that were on the grill.

Finally, with the Momochi family, they had ordered their family favorite of yakitori and kushiyaki. A happily munching Ruto was being fed by a widely grinning Zabuza while Anko was giving advice to a blushing Haku about winning back the favor of the blonde who had prepared their dishes for them.

"It's pretty good, huh Ruto!" Zabuza asked his son as the purple headed three year old nodded his head in agreement, enjoying the moment he had with his father feeding him.

"Mhmm! It's super yummy!" The three year old chirped as he finished another stick of kushiyaki, his father laughing heartily as he moved to compete against him.

"-nd when you're sure that he's out, just sneak into his bed and ensure that he takes responsibility and marries into our family!" Anko suggested to her daughter in a rather serious manner, Haku blushing horribly at the extreme method of capturing her beloved's heart suggested by her mother.

"K-Kaa-san! T-That's far too vulgar and direct! W-What would Naruto-kun think of me if I did that!?" Haku all but shouted at her mother as she dropped the stick of yakitori that she was holding, burning a deer crimson as Anko started laughing good naturedly at her.

As they were all enjoying the comfortable and amiable atmosphere, they were broken from their peaceful lunch when a plume of smoke appeared near the Uzumaki-Namikaze family's table. Curious, they were awaiting the summon from the smoke only to blink in surprise when they saw that it was an armor-clad rabbit; though, Minato knew who exactly the rabbit belonged to. The rabbit glancing around, it was a bit overwhelmed when the delicious aroma of the various vegetables assaulted its nose. But, it was broken from its stupor when Minato approached it.

"Ah. greetings Minato-dono. Mifune-sama as requested that we move that the Summit will take place to the next coming days." The summon reported as Minato was visibly startled by the request, only growing more angered when he read the reports that the rabbit gave him.

"They're beginning to get more aggressive, are they... Tell Mifune-san that I'll be there, this is no time to be enjoying such pleasantries." Minato told the rabbit as it nodded before returning to relay the information to his summoner, Minato releasing a sigh as he moved to address his family and friends.

"Everyone, it appears that something urgent has come up. I'm afraid that I'll be leaving our little vacation a bit earlier then anticipated." He said as he handed the scroll to the others, their eyes widening before narrowing as they read the information.

"Well, you're not going alone, Minato. I'll be attending with you." Orochimaru said as he quickly tidied up his plate and utensils, though he was a bit sad that he would be leaving such an amazing place of cuisine.

"Don't count me out, either. We'll be heading there as well." Jiraiya, Menma and Kakashi said in an adamant tone, their eyes shining with determination as they stood up to get ready.

"I wouldn't be a part of you elite guard if I didn't go as well, Minato-sama." Zabuza said as he finished his plate, placing down his silverware as he moved to stand beside his leader.

Soon enough, the Konoha ninja were ready to embark though they were a bit saddened to do so. Though, before they forgot, they turned to the kitchen where the blonde they had just recently reconnected with was cooking and cleaning. A bit torn, they contemplated their options on how to handle the situation. On one hand, they could always return though the next time they had a vacation was a shot in the dark at the moment. On the other, they could just take him by force, though the memory of what he could and would do caused them to immediately shelve that thought.

"What're we going to do about Naruto-nii?" Mito asked her family in a strained tone, the others wincing at how desperate she sounded.

"I'm not sure Mito, I know for a fact that he won't leave this place." Minato said as he grimaced, a bit saddened and frustrated that he didn't have a solution for the situation at hand.

"...We'll be back, so we should just let him stay." Kushina said in a low tone, stunning everyone in the room as they snapped towards her.

"K-Kushina-san, w-what are you saying?!" Haku asked her in a stunned and horrified tone, relaying the thoughts of her family.

"H-He's... He's happy here... Why right do we, do I, have to take him away from here?" She asked them in a broken tone, tears beginning to form as she did her best not to break down.

"Y-You can't be serious, can you?" Narumi asked her mother in a devastated manner, her own tears falling as she tried to find some way to counter her mother.

"No, I-I'm very serious. We... We've wronged him for far too long, caused him such pain so early in his life. This, this is what I want for my Naru-chan. I... I just want him to be happy, don't you?" She asked those present who had some connection to him, causing them to grimace as they tried to deny what it was that was lurking in the depths of their hearts.

"Don't worry, we'll be back. I promise you all that." Minato finally said as he agreed with his wife, moving to take her hand as she squeezed his in response.

With a great deal of silence, the Konoha ninja slowly moved to gather their belongings. Passing by the kitchen, they turned and saw Naruto glance at them from the corner of his eyes. A few of them wanting to call out to him, they were stunned a bit when he turned to offer then a small smile. The smile being just enough to ease their conflicted hearts, they returned that smile before they steeled themselves for the oncoming mission.

As they entered their room, they quickly gathered their supplies as Minato started the seal for his **Hiraishin: Dōrai**. They would be returning back to Konoha before resupplying and reequipping for the journey ahead, though it would only take a few days due to Minato's jutsu. Taking one last glance around, they let a sad sigh escape their mouths as they finally headed home to prepare for the day of the Summit.

With Naruto, he knew exactly what it was that they were concerned about; knowing the details that the rabbit summon was trying to communicate to them. As for himself and what he was going to do, he was content with just waiting for what was to come. Though, deep inside he knew that something was going to happen. Something much more threatening then the Akatsuki could ever hope to be.

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**And that's that. Well tell me what you think, I've gotta go, so thanks for reading and thanks for waiting. Hopefully it'll be a faster update next time but until then, you all stay awesome.**

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**Hiraishin: Dōrai - Flying Thunder God: Guiding Thunder**: S-Rank, Supplementary; This barrier technique incorporates the use of the Flying Thunder God formula to erect a barrier space capable of warping away anything which comes in contact with it. Once erected, the barrier has proven powerful enough to warp away techniques as destructive as a Tailed Beast Ball. Once warped, the subject of the technique can be directed to another location marked by the formula.

**Hiraishin - Flying Thunder God**: S-Rank, Supplementary; To activate this technique, the user places a special seal or "technique formula" to mark an intended destination. After this is done, they can at will enter a dimensional void that instantaneously transports them to the location of the seal. The mark can be applied to almost any area through brief physical contact, including an opponent or other surrounding feature. Because this technique is able to affect anything that is in contact with the user or somehow connected to their chakra, they can also use this technique to teleport other objects or people, though the size of the object dictates the amount of chakra required. As Minato also noted, the marking formula never disappears from a marked target.


	40. Chapter 38

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Hey guys, it's Dom here bringing you another chapter. Been a while, huh? Well, it has been quite some time but I ain't giving up on any of my stories unless I give solid reason for it. Lots of stuff happening this chapter, so bear with me until I can clear it up later on as the story goes on. ****Finally past the slice of life chapters and are moving to the meat of the conflict, so more action and stuff to come. And sorry about the short A/N, writing this as I head to bed, but for the fans of my other stories, I'm working on em so don't worry alright? **So yeah, hopefully y****ou all remember the routine right? Read, Review and PM me if you want to; I really do enjoy reading your PM's and Reviews cause a lot of the time they're just awesome. Sorry bout not responding to em, been busy but I'll try and get to them this time around so resend your PM's so I can answer em. Well, that's enough of me yapping right? You came to read right? Well, let's a go.**  
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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 38

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Akatsuki Main Base)

"That's what's about to happen in two weeks' time." Zetsu reported to the others of his group, Pain inclining his head as he mulled over the possible scenarios playing out.

"We are only missing the Nibi, Hachibi and Kyuubi. All three of them will be present during the summit and given the tense situation between the villages, the meeting will be our most opportune time to strike." He announced as he got a few mixed reactions from the others in the room, a sensible reaction given the risk of their new objective.

"With our numbers, we'll get cut down faster then we can cut them down. Sure six of us against five Kage sounds like a good matchup, but we'll be dealing with their ninja too." Kisame quipped as he wore a rather serious expression, garnering nods from those who were in agreement with him.

"Of course that is true. It appears that we'll have to proceed with both caution and urgency, let's begin moving out." Pain ordered as six other similar bodies to his own appeared beside him, the other members of the Akatsuki blinking in surprise before smirking at their renewed numbers.

"Nagato... Even with your extra bodies, this will be a hard fought affair. There's a high guarantee that we'll make it out suffering greatly, if we manage to make it out at all." Konan said as Pain nodded his head softly, turning to head out as Konan watched him leave.

"That is a risk I am willing to make, Konan." He replied as he exited the chamber, the bluenette following shortly after.

"Hmm... Looks like Project Tsuki no Me will need to proceed sooner than expected." Tobi whispered from the shadows, the red gleam of his Sharingan cutting through the darkness before he warped from the area.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Open Chamber)

From the large and empty chamber that he was previously standing in, Tobi was now standing in a smaller chamber. Staring at a part of the chamber that resembled a seat of some sort, he nodded his head towards it as he began reporting what he had learned from his previous meeting.

"The plan is proceeding a bit slower than expected, the Kage with the remaining jinchūriki have them under strict watch due to a leak in our movements." Tobi explained to a shadowed individual, a soft sound escaping their mouth as they turned to face him.

"It appears that we will have to use our trump card. I was expecting this, so I prepared a suitable vessel for such an occurrence." The shadowed man said as he gestured for another younger man to step forward, their eyes blank and empty as Tobi raised an eyebrow at the pale man.

"Is that...?" Tobi trailed off in an unsure tone, the shadowed man nodding his head as a small smirk made it to his face.

"The young man that Hiruko was experimenting with. He called him, Kabuto. An orphan that displayed extraordinary recovery speed even before he was "tampered" with." The man said as Tobi nodded, seeing where the conversation was heading.

"You're going to use him as a vessel, I presume?" He asked in a curious tone, growing even more so when he saw the shadowed man shake his head.

"I have no need to. With the enhanced recovery prowess that this one has been granted by that man, I believe he will make a fine pawn for further bolstering our forces in the coming war." The man explained as Tobi's eye widened with understanding, knowing exactly what he was talking about.

"**Edo Tensei**." Tobi said in a low tone as a small smirk graced the shadowed man's face, growing more so as Tobi gained a similar smirk under his mask.

"That does beg the question, it's a flawed jutsu. The Nidaime never lived to perfect it, or rather, he refused to. Its two flaws are still great: the reincarnated souls are nowhere near as powerful as they were while alive and he could only control so many at a time. Have you found a way to counter those effects?" Tobi asked the elder Uchiha, Madara simply smirking in a knowing manner as the masked man nodded.

"Then, having Nagato revive you with his Outer Path is still a part of the plan, Madara." Tobi asked as Madara smirked, his aged visage freeing itself from the shadows as he glanced towards the land where Tetsu no Kuni laid.

"In due time, Obito. In due time." Madara quipped as he motioned for Kabuto to start performing the needed seals for the **Edo Tensei**, his Rinnegan glinting with an ominous light.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Hiruko's Main Base)

"Lord Hiruko! We've received reports of the Kage's converging in Tetsu no Kuni from our scouts stationed near the border." A masked ninja reported to the bandaged man standing before him, Hiruko turning to face him with a bit of intrigue on his visage.

"Tetsu no Kuni... They must be gathering for the summit no doubt." Hiruko whispered in a tone that was deeper then it had been days prior, the man turning to face the ninja with a hand rapping his chin.

"Though I could care less about what it is exactly that they're discussing, I am rather curious as to what could cause them to expedite the annual meeting that was scheduled for the next year." Hiruko quipped in a curious tone as he gazed towards the direction that Tetsu no Kuni laid, a rather chilling smirk crossing his face as he turned to face his ninja.

"Hmm, perhaps I'll pay them all a little visit." He said in a disturbingly playful tone, making the man kneeling before him shiver as he responded.

"B-But Lord Hiruko, they'll no doubt attack you on sight! It wasn't just the Kage, but two to three of their most elite guards that were accompanying them!" He told the bandaged man only to stiffen when Hiruko's gaze fell upon him.

"Such things are of no concern to me, I'm merely interested in testing this new body. Seeing as it's rather new, this will make a most opportune moment to see the full extent of my full power. Hmm... Perhaps this will also make a perfect testing ground for "them"." Hiruko told the man as laughter left his mouth, the man paling as he mechanically turned to face the direction of the wing where "they" were being held.

(Scene Change - Kyuukai Hostel: Kitchen)

"Something's coming..." Naruto whispered in a serious tone as he felt the chakra signatures of his friends and family fade from his sensing range, a bit of eeriness seeping into his being as his instincts began to flare to life.

"_The Kage's Summit. With what's been happening, it's no doubt about the Akatsuki. The question is, why am I feeling like something even more disastrous is about to happen_" The blonde though with a furrowed brow, an overwhelming sense of dread devouring the faint eeriness that filled his person.

"_**Because my host, I've finally awaked.**_" A horrific and dark voice whispered through his mind as Naruto snapped his head up, his eyes widening with a mix of terror and panic as a pain he had not felt in years resurfaced.

Though, unlike the searing pain that he remembered, it felt as though an entire part of his being was being ripped away from his person. Falling onto his knees, he clutched the part of his shoulder where the seal that he erased once laid. Then, like a scene from a nightmare, a black tar-like substance started ripping free from the area as Naruto finally vocalized the agony that was tearing through both his mind, body and his psyche. But that pain only intensified as the substance made physical contact with the hand that was beside it, the substance seemingly made of a liquid, solidified Ryuuton chakra.

"Guaaah!"Naruto sounded out as he yanked his hand away before clenching it slightly, his cry alerting the two young ladies upstairs as a hurried set of footsteps echoed through the hostel.

"Naruto?!" Hisako cried out in a frightened tone as she neared the kitchen, though something innately primal began to well up in her as she got to the doors.

"Onii-chan!" Naru called out as she disregarded their conversation just hours earlier, something deep inside of her warning her of whatever it was that was inside of the kitchen.

"G-Ge**t away! L-Leave now!**" Naruto shouted from inside of the kitchen, his voice becoming a nightmarish mesh of his own and that of the darker personality escaping.

Hearing such a terrifying tone from the one that they loved, Hisako and Naru stood frozen before they began trembling in fear. But they swallowed that fear and stormed into the kitchen when Naruto let out another cry of pain, freezing instantly when they caught sight of something that would forever haunt their nightmares. Standing beside the crouched form of their beloved was something that could only be described as a monstrosity. Standing a good ten feet taller, causing the floor and ceiling to creak with the strain it was placing on it, it appeared to be made of a black tar-like substance. But it was its shape that caused fear to seep into their hearts, taking the form of a slime-like creature that slowly settled into the shape of a miniature dragon.

Having a strikingly, practically heretical, resemblance to White; the black substance began to shape and mold itself into a being that even White's might could not fall with one hundred percent certainty. A long, slender neck that anchored a beak-like snouted head to a body with the sleek yet powerful build of White; it slowly deviated from the might Elder's form when two, skeletal-like wings sprouted from its back, having four spike-like protrusions bearing no connective membrane that gave sense of flight. Finally, jagged spikes began to jut from the edges and spines of the dragon; finally consolidating to its chest, which remained open, like a ravine in the pure white of its scales. As its transformation finally settled, the substance hardened into scales that not even the sharpest fang or claw could hope to pierce, a deep amethyst core forming and resting in the center of its chest.

"**Hmm... It appears that I was a bit premature in my awakening.**" The dragon quipped in a slightly sleepy tone, destroying the entirety of the kitchen and exposing it to the light of the afternoon with a simple spreading of its wings.

"**My thanks my host, you've proven to be quite useful. I apologize for the disorder I've caused you, I tend to become quite the unpleasant and horrid being when I'm feeble and famished.**" It quipped to the near comatose form of the blonde laying at its feet in a strangely remorseful manner, Naruto weakly craning his head to glare at the dragon.

"W-What... Are you...?" He asked in frail and waning tone, the dragon's eyes glinting with a disconcerting light as it gazed at him.

"**To give my name to a mere human? You truly are an eccentric one. But as thanks for the chakra and life you've given me, I suppose it will be ample compensation for one such as you to know. You may call me, Black.**" Black said in a lazy and sleepy manner, Naruto narrowing his eyes at the contradicting name that the dragon bore.

"**I believe I've entertained your questions for long enough, if I may be so bold to say. Farewell human and do not worry, allow me to end the life of suffering that I've caused for you.**" Black said in the same slightly remorseful tone from earlier as he brought his claw up, glinting with an otherworldly amount of sharpness before letting it descend.

"Onii-chan!" Naru shouted as she entered her Apex state, appearing below the lazily falling claw as she charged her right leg with an immense amount of Ryuuton chakra.

Spinning on the ball of her foot, Naru slammed the shin of her right leg against the edge of the claw as a gasp of pain escaped her throat. Even though her leg was clad in a thick shroud of Ryuuton chakra, Black's claw sliced through it as through it was made of the thinnest silk in existence. Despite the pain tearing through her, the blonde gritted her teeth as she let more chakra surge through her leg while she pushed against the claw, biting back tears as it sliced deeper into her tibia despite her best efforts to shield and augment the limb.

Snapping her eyes shut, Naru focused on both mitigating the pain arcing through her leg and protecting the weakly struggling blonde below her. As the claw forced itself through the halfway point of her tibia, she snapped her eyes back open before she let loose a roar of both anger and agony as she sent the claw reeling back, immediately screaming in utter anguish as Black's claw split the bone clean down the middle. Fresh blood, marrow, bone and gore spraying across the remnants of the room, Naru clutched the ruined limb as she sobbed and whimpered while doing her best to avoid agitating the gruesome wound.

"**How interesting... It appears that I've not had enough nourishment.**" Black said with a slightly disappointed tone as he withdrew his claw, studying it before glancing at the two downed blondes that were writhing beneath him.

Seeing that there wasn't much left for him to do, the revelation that he was not at his peak and having already soiling his being with the blood of such a creature. Letting a sleepy sigh escape, Black glanced at the trembling and horrified form of Hisako before focusing his attention on her in an intrigued manner. Spreading his seemingly vestigial wing bones when he finished, Hisako and Naruto watched with morbid fascination as he seemed to be confident in his ability to fly. Black shooting the trio of humans before him one last lethargic gaze, he studied them all once more before taking off to the heavens, the force of his takeoff scattering them and the remainder of their home across the area.

Hisako having remained relatively unharmed due to some seemingly divine intervention, the same wasn't as true for Naru and especially not for Naruto; the two blondes having taken the brunt of the pressure and force due to being in such close proximity to the dragon. Naru's impact was softened by the blonde laying motionless on top of her, Naruto having used the remnants of the energy that Black didn't siphon to shield her from his takeoff.

"Naruto... Naru..." Hisako whispered as she shakily made her way towards the motionless blondes, each step causing her legs to buckle much harder than the step before.

When she made it to then, the silverette dropped to her knees as tears freely made it down her face; her face scrunching up as she began to sob at the tragedy that befell her family. Naru's already horrific wound was made even more so now that the bone was completely split in two, connected with just the flesh and skin of her leg. Naruto had shards of wood and metal embedded in his back from using it to shield the younger blonde from the debris that had surged towards them, his skin dangerously pale and his body being much colder than usual.

The commotion of their home and shop being destroyed along with the her cries attracting the attention of their friends and neighbors, the other residents of their community couldn't believe their eyes when they saw what laid before them; the broken and bleeding forms of Naruto and Naru along with a sobbing Hisako. Quickly moving to save the same neighbors who had helped them countless times, they rushed the trio to the nearest clinic that belonged to another of their neighbors. On that day, the Kyuukai Hostel closed its doors for the final time.

As the owners of the Kyuukai were rushed to the clinic of their neighbors, the Kage of the Elemental Countries began to move as well. All of them gathering their finest ninja, they prepped for the two week trek that would lead them to the same destination. Unbeknownst to them, the same was true for the surviving members of the Akatsuki, the nuke-nin congregating as they bolstered their ranks with a few of the candidates that were on their list of recruitment, incentivizing them with guarantees of fulfilling their requests upon a successful raid. Though, for one member of the Akatsuki, they were meeting with someone who had intimate knowledge of what was to come.

(Scene Change - Tower of God: Peak)

"**It appears that he's free...**" White said in a calm tone as he straightened his form, the apocalyptic storm of lightning that razed his domain speaking volumes of his inner thoughts.

"**No doubt young Naruto has suffered dearly due to Black's folly.**" White whispered in a guilt ridden tone as he rose and spread his wings, erasing the castle that he had called his home along with the landscape that surrounded it.

Taking flight, White altered the remainder of the landscape that he called his domain; reducing it to a barren wasteland with sporadic arcs of his signature white and crimson colored lightning dancing about. While in the air, White began to let more of his inner turmoil show as a literal storm of lightning began to form around him, the other creatures in the area steering clear of his flight path. His destination was obvious, being to convene another meeting of the Elders to discuss Black's re-emergence.

(Time Skip - A Four Days Later)

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Fushimi Family Clinic - Recovery Room)

"Umphh..." Naru sounded as she awoke from her four day long coma, wincing when the rays of the midmorning sun assaulted her eyes due to the thin curtains of the room.

Blinking in a groggy manner, her mental functions began rebooting before snapping into action when she remembered the tragedy that befell her and her new family just days prior. Quickly scanning the room, she felt her heart sink to depths even lower then Yomi as she took in the heartrending scene before her. Laying nearly motionless, his chest barely rising with each breath he took, her beloved older brother looked like he was about to pass through the Shinigami's doorway within the next few seconds. The medical ventilator attached to him to supplement his shallow breathing only served to strengthen the image of how fragile his current state was.

Panic setting in, Naru stumbled to get out of bed only to have her own eyes widen when she felt a rather large amount of discomfort on her right leg. Pulling her sheets back, she could only stare at the bulky cast that covered her leg. Growing quiet and settling down, Naru clutched the sheets of her bed tightly as she bit back the urge to cry, remembering the failure that was her attempt to protect her older brother. While some may have said that she was successful in her objective, she thought otherwise.

If she had been successful, she wouldn't have been in such a crippled state and her brother surely wouldn't be laying at the Shinigami's door like he was at the moment. Though, her small bout of self-loathing was broken when the door to the room opened, Hisako walking in before freezing at the sight of Naru sitting upright.

Faster then she could perceive, Naru was blinking in surprise as Hisako hugged her as if her life depended on it. A bit taken back by the normally timid silverette's action, she stopped in her questioning thoughts when she felt Hisako shake slightly. Naru's eyes softening as a warmth very similar but also very different from the warmth that Naruto gave her when they touched filled her, Naru returned the embrace that the silverette had on her as they stayed together for a few minutes.

"I... I was so scared, Naru..." Hisako whimpered as she squeezed the blonde a bit tighter, Naru returning it though it came out a bit awkward with the way she was sitting down.

"What... What happened to us?" The blonde asked the silverette in a confused and frightened manner, Hisako shivering a bit as she recalled what had happened to them after Black spared them.

"I-I'm just glad that the two of you are safe..." Hisako whispered as she squeezed Naru a bit tighter, the blonde's eyes softening once again as she returned the hug.

"Is... Is Onii-chan, ok?" Naru asked as she addressed the elephant in the room, Hisako's embrace tightening as a tremble Naru felt to her core passed through her.

"...Iiyo-san and Eijo-san said that they did all they could for him... That the rest is up to him..." She whimpered as a fresh set of tears made it down her face, Naru's eyes widening as she stiffly turned to face the bed he was resting in.

"O-Onii-chan is... Still in danger...?" Naru whispered in a grave tone, her eyes wide and filled with fright at the seemingly incredulous thought.

Though, that train of thought along with the fear and dread that filled the hearts of the two young ladies were vanquished when a soft sound escaped the mouth of the unconscious blonde. Quickly rushing over, hobbling in Naru's case, the two of them flanked the blonde as they waited with baited breath to see if he was going to wake. Their hopes were dashed however, when he slipped back to sleep; though, they were glad to see that he was still fighting to stay with them.

"Naru...?" Hisako called out to the blonde who was seated in silence beside her, turning to face the silverette with a still sullen expression on her face.

"Hmm?" The blonde answered in a slightly despondent tone, Hisako gently taking a hold of her hand as the blonde savored the warmth emanating from the silverette.

"Do you want to help Naruto?" She asked as Naru's sullen expression vanished in an instant, replaced with wide eyes and a tightening of her hold on Hisako's hand.

"T-Those people that were here earlier, the ones who said that Naruto was their family, I heard them call another by the name of Tsunade." Hisako explained as Naru tilted her head in a slightly confused manner, not understanding what the silverette was talking about.

"Tsunade? What's important about that person?" Naru asked in an inquisitive tone, though the thought of asking a member of the group that called her Onii-chan family for help caused a bit of a disgust to fill her.

"From what I hear about her from the people who've been here, she's a legendary healer." The silverette said as Naru's eyes gained a bit of a shine to them, snapping her head to look at the resting blonde beside them.

"T-Then... S-She can help Onii-chan?" Naru asked in a soft and hopeful tone, the hand holding hers squeezing gently in response to her question.

"I hope so, Naru. So, do you want to help me find her?" Hisako asked as Naru's eyes gained a determined and focused glint to them, the blonde nodding her head as Hisako smiled softly at her.

"Then let's get going. If I heard them correctly, then they were going to Tetsu no Kuni for something urgent. Hopefully they will be willing to help us once we tell them about Naruto." Hisako said in a hopeful as a small wince passed through Naru's face, the silverette understanding what was probably going through the blonde's mind.

"Don't worry, Naru. I won't let them take Naruto away from us, no matter what." She whispered in a tone of utter certainty as she pulled the blonde in for a gentle embrace, Naru's eyes widening before closing softly as she savored the warmth filling her person.

"Mhmm... I won't let anyone do that either, Hisako. I promise." Naru promised in a warm and soft tone as she returned Hisako's embrace, the silverette having a small but radiant smile grace her face at the promise.

Staying that way for a few more precious seconds, Naru and Hisako parted with small smiles on both of their faces. A bit hesitant at first when she remembered that Naru's leg was nearly severed by Black, she was reassured by the blonde that she wouldn't overexert himself during the journey. As they were about to leave, Hisako having asked for a wheelchair for Naru, they paused before glancing back to Naruto. A pair of frowns crossing their faces, Naru and Hisako made their way over before each giving the blonde a gentle and hopeful kiss; making sure to fill it with as much love and hope that they possibly could.

"We'll be back, Naruto. Please be safe." Hisako whispered in a loving tone as she pulled away from him, resisting the urge to cry when he remained silent throughout the exchange.

"I'll keep Hisako and myself safe Onii-chan, I promise. You promise to be safe too, ok?" Naru added in a soft tone as she squeezed his hand in an equally soft manner, trembling a bit when he remained still.

Seeing that he wasn't waking anytime soon, the two young ladies bid him a tearful but hopeful goodbye as they set out towards Tetsu no Kuni in search of the woman who might be able to wake him from his slumber. Bidding farewell and thanking the Fushimi family for all that they had done for their family, Despite the combined efforts of their neighbors, they were unable to persuade the two young ladies from setting out on such a potentially dangerous journey.

Though they did waver slightly when the possible scenario of Naruto awaking while they were gone came up, Hisako and Naru steeled themselves and resolved to take any punishment that the blonde had in store for them in such a situation. Once they gathered their supplies, courtesy of a few of their neighbors that owned stores, they began their trek towards the west, unaware that they would be caught up in a situation that would show a much darker and crueler side of the one they loved.

"_**The extent of Black's damage is horrendous. To believe that such a gluttonous brute used to be a part of myself.**_" A nostalgic voice sounded from the core of Naruto's mind in an aggravated manner, a grunt of agreement resounding from another entity within the blonde.

"_**You need not tell me. The extent of damage, corruption and decay that he caused within this child... Reconstructing what Black has destroyed and taken will take time. Let's ensure that when he does awaken, he has a much larger portion of our power at his disposal, he will no doubt need it in the coming future.**_" Another voice grunted in an equally irritated tone, the two entities combining their efforts to repair what was damaged by the Elder that was once residing with them while strengthening the blonde.

(Time Skip - A Week Later)

(Scene Change - Tetsu no Kuni: Kage's Summit Main Meeting Chamber)

Entering the large interior chamber that served as a meeting ground for the various assemblies that had concluded in its doors, the five Kage of each country entered it once more for another meeting. The last meeting of the five Kage had been four years ago, having needed to discuss the exact same topic that was to be discussed in the coming hours. Of course, tensions between the villages were still present, though they weren't as present as they once more. That tension only increased when they met each other for the first time in three years.

For a certain auburn haired Kage, her eyes widened to extreme proportions when she caught sight of someone who he had thought died when the rumors about him faded away. His features were exactly as they were from all those years ago, a few more scars and the chiseled features of his face showing that he had indeed aged from the last she had seen of him. A bit of pink colored her cheeks when she found herself staring at him, seeing that he had become much more handsome and mature then the short fused young man from all those years ago. It was her old teammate and friend, Zabuza Momochi.

"M-Momochi...?" Mei asked in a hushed and nostalgic tone as she stared at the man before her, her guards gawking when they realized that it was indeed the legendary Demon of the Hidden Mist himself.

"T-Terumi? The hell are you doing here?" Zabuza asked in a surprised tone at the sight of the auburn haired woman, Mei blinking before narrowing her eyes when her caught sight of a glint of gold around his ring finger.

"What...?" She muttered in a frigid and terrifying tone, the tension in the room immediately rising as Zabuza blinked in confusion at the way she was glaring at him and his wedding ring.

"W-What? Is there something the matter?" He asked her in a slightly nervous tone, growing more anxious when she huffed in anger and headed towards her seat.

"Tch, haven't even started yet and Konoha is already mucking things up." Onoki spat in an irritated tone, drawing the ire of not only Konoha but Suna and Kumo as well.

"Enough!" Mifune shouted as the tension began to peak, quelling the volatile situation as he called for everyone to take their seats.

"Now, you all know why we've gathered here. Once again, the threat of the Akatsuki has surfaced once more. A-dono has called this conference, so I will give the floor to him." Mifune started as he gestured towards the bulky man, A nodding in an appreciative manner as he arranged the documents that he received from Naruto.

"Thank you, Mifune-dono. Now, I know that we've covered the threat of the Akatsuki many times in the past but I can assure you that this time is different. Let me start with a few pieces of key information." A began as he handed out the copies of the notes that Naruto arranged for him, beginning the discussion with the disappearances of the other Jinchūriki.

(Scene Change – Border of Tetsu no Kuni and Ta no Kuni)

"We're here, Naru." Hisako said in a slightly winded manner as she stared at the familiar outline of the Sanrō mountain formation, Naru looking at her in a worried manner as she moved to fish out a bottle of water for the silverette.

"Hisako, please don't push yourself. Onii-chan wouldn't be happy if he saw you like this." Naru said in a soft tone as she handed the water bottle to Hisako, the silverette stiffening a bit before gently taking the bottle of water with a soft "thank you".

"I know… But I just want to get help for Naruto and you as quickly as possible." She said in a soft manner, Naru looking at her with a gentle and understanding expression on her face as she moved to hold her hand.

"We're almost there, right?" The blonde asked the silverette in a comforting manner, Hisako smiling at her as she nodded.

"Half an hour more and we'll be within Tetsu no Kuni's capital. Hopefully Mifune-dono will know if that Tsunade person is staying there." Hisako explained as she wheeled Naru towards the border, squeaking in surprise when a group of samurai appeared before the duo.

"Halt. What business do you have in Tetsu no Kuni?" One of the samurai asked as they rested their hand above the hilt of their sword, Naru's eyes narrowing while Hisako trembled a bit.

"W-We're l-looking for someone who m-might be in Tetsu no Kuni, a woman named T-Tsunade." Hisako told the man before her in a shaky tone, her tone and tension causing Naru to grow more and more agitated in her seat.

"Hmm… I'm sorry young ladies, but I have to ask the two of you to turn around. There is an important event going on and I can't have any suspicious individuals entering." He said in a stern tone as the others behind him moved to stand beside their leader, Hisako shrinking back from them while Naru openly growled at them.

"Let us through. We're not evil people; we just want to find this person so she can heal my Onii-chan." Naru all but snarled at the group of samurai, causing them to draw their swords as Hisako trembled at the action.

"If you keep scaring Hisako, I'll make you regret it." The blonde said in a frigid tone, causing a few of the samurai before Hisako and herself to shiver a bit.

"Leave now. If you don't, we won't hesitate to cut you down." The leader of the samurai ordered in an equally frigid tone, his tone and his action of drawing his sword breaking the last strand of Naru's patience.

"**Senkuuha**!" Naru roared as she drew her right hand back before swiping it towards the group of samurai, dull blades of wind sending them rocketing to the side in an unconscious heap as Naru huffed at them.

"Luckily for you, Oni-chan told me not to seriously hurt people who don't attack us first." She huffed once more before she quickly told Hisako to wheel them towards the Sanrō mountain formation, the silverette acting quickly though she was trembling a bit from what had just occurred.

"H-Hopefully they'll understand once we explain the situation to Mifune-dono." Hisako said in a shaky tone as Naru winced a bit, feeling guilty she had caused Hisako to worry even more then she was before.

(Scene Change - Taiyo no Kuni: Fushimi Family Clinic - Recovery Room)

"_**It's time for you to awaken, child. We've done everything in our power to return what Black had taken from you.**_" A calm voice echoed from the confines of Naruto's mind, the blonde in question having a brief grimace grace his face from its words.

"_**That it is. Now it not the time for rest, a series of events are about to take place in the coming hours.**_" A sterner but equally calm voice added as Naruto's grimace grew, the blonde beginning to toss in his bed at their warning.

"_**Come young Naruto, awaken. The two young humans under your care will be in harm's way should you choose to continue slumbering. Rise, young Elder, and return order to a world that will soon fall into disarray.**_" Their combined voices echoed in a much louder and powerful manner, Naruto finally snapping his eyes open as his pupils quickly dilated and shifted to their draconian appearance.

"Hisako... Naru... Don't tell me..." Naruto whispered as he shot straight up, ignoring the pain that surged through his body at the sudden movement.

While the two dragons slumbering within Naruto were able to repair the damage that Black had caused to his spiritual self, they were forced to neglect the damage he had done to his physical self. Though he was healed mentally and spiritually, he wasn't fully recovered in a physical sense; the pain coursing through him when he moved a telltale sign of his physical condition. Ignoring that same pain, he snapped his eyes shut in order to trace the chakra signature of the two people nearest and dearest to himself. Rage, concern, irritation and fear gripping his heart when he felt a large number of foul chakra signatures closing onto their location. Panicking, he tried to jump to their location but had his heart sink when he sensed none of the seals he had placed on the two.

"That thing... Black, damaged the seals I placed on them..." He whispered as he quickly tore off the IV's that were attached to his arm, making sure that he was at least wearing something before turning towards the door.

"I swear to White if anything happens to those two!" He shouted as he ran out of the room, startling Iiyo and Eijo as they were about to check on the supposedly slumbering blonde.

"You idiots..." He muttered in a tone of mixed emotions: irritation, anger, disappointment, concern and above all else, love, being present in it.

Wiping the tears that suddenly found themselves escaping from his eyes away with a rough brush of the back of his hand, Naruto quickly made it to the ruins of his home. His eyes widening at what he saw, he quickly shook his head to clear it of any un-need and unwanted though, opting to focus on finding his belongings. Finally finding the closest that held his scrolls, he shattered it before taking the scrolls that were hidden inside. Opening his scroll of medical supplies, he released a vial of Life Powder before downing it swiftly.

Feeling the aches and pains of his body vanish, he quickly donned his combat gear before sending a burning gaze in the direction that Tetsu no Kuni laid. Renewed energy filling his person, he grit his teeth and focused his chakra to his legs before bolting towards the west. Once he was out of range of his friends and neighbors, he started channeling Ryuuton chakra to his legs as his speed nearly quintupled. A sonic boom resulting from the speed at which he was moving, reducing everything that the shockwave touched to splinters and rubble, Naruto was entirely ignorant and apathetic of the damage he had caused to his new home country.

(Time Skip - An Hour Later)

(Scene Change - Tetsu no Kuni: Kage's Summit Main Meeting Chamber)

"-nd that's the jist of what I've obtained from my informant."A explained in a serious tone as he finished presenting the information he handed out, a myriad of expressions on the faces of the others present.

"This is all great Raikage-dono, but where did you get this information? Not once have I seen such a thorough breakdown of their movements and activities." Mifune asked in an inquisitive tone as A drew the attention of everyone present, sweating a bit as he knew the consequences of incurring Naruto's wrath.

"E-Erm, my informant is a rather... tentative person, disclosing who they are wouldn't cause trouble for them but also myself." A said in a slightly anxious manner as he drew the curious gazes of the other Kage, especially when they saw his guards breathe a sigh of relief at his words.

"And we're just supposed to trust that this information is correct?" Onoki asked in a rather irritated manner, drawing a few nods from the more cautious of those present.

"I know that this is a rather starling piece of information to believe right out of the gate, but let me ask you all this: have you noticed that the remaining jinchūriki number to five?" A asked the others in the room, their eyes narrowing when they indeed noticed what he was asking them.

"The Akatsuki have nearly successfully abducted all of the jinchūriki, those remaining being situation within Kumo and Konoha. I'm not sure how many of the Bijū it'll take for them to succeed in what they're doing, but if the information that I've received is correct, they just need a minor piece of all of them to accomplish their goal. What that goal is, not even my informant knows. That's why I'm proposing to end the problem at its source, stopping them before their plan comes to fruition." A explained as the heads of the others glanced down to mull over what they had just heard, the seconds ticking to minutes as grimaces marred their faces.

"If what A is saying is true, then we've no other option but to engage the Akatsuki head on before they can do anymore damage. We've seen the extent that they're willing to go through to complete their objectives." Minato said as steeled his resolve, laying out his opinion as the other Kage mulled over it themselves.

"I agree with Minato-san and A-san on this matter. Because of them, Suna sustained massive damage not to mention the loss of the lives of a number of my ninja. I know firsthand that they are ruthless when in pursuit of a jinchūriki. I had requested the aid from the other Kage a number of times but was met with apathy from all besides the A-san and Minato-san." Gaara started as the other Kage nodded their heads, the knowledge that he had the Shukaku ripped from him aiding his statement.

"But seeing as the Akatsuki have captured six of the nine jinchūriki, I believe that it's far too late for aid. Action will be our only chance at ensuring that they don't succeed in what it is that they are planning to do." Gaara continued as the others contemplated the words of the young Kage, though Onoki merely scoffed at the redhead's words.

"Hmph. If a country had its jinchūriki captured, it has no business giving other countries orders. It's a complete embarrassment. You should have tried to recover it yourselves. Once stolen, you expect help from another country? It's utterly pathetic." Onoki spat as he drew the icy stares of the other Kage in the room, his guard tensing when they felt the tension increase.

"Appearance, honor? We don't have time in this age for such outdated ideals." Gaara quipped as Onoki leveled a pointed stare at him, a small frown marring his face as he straightened his appearance.

"Just because the Bijū have been stolen, is there a reason to be afraid? No matter how powerful the members of the Akatsuki are, it takes time, knowledge and skill to even attempt to control the power that they hold." Mei said in a curious tone as she brought up a valid point that was yet to be addressed, the others in the room playing with the thought in their minds.

"Those who are hosts of the Bijū need time to grow together with the beasts, and even then, control is difficult. It isn't a concept that they will achieve in even years. Isn't that right, Kazekage?" Onoki added he returned his gaze to Gaara, the redhead knowing the nature of the elderly Kage's stare.

"Continuing onto the topic of the Akatsuki, it's no secret that they have been hired previously by the Kage present and from the past." A said in a terse tone with sharp eyes, Onoki simply scoffing at the truthful accusation while Gaara grew a bit curious.

"Hired? What do you mean by that?" The redhead asked as he garnered the attention of the others, Onoki looking at him with a sharp gaze while A simply stared.

"It's no secret that the previous Kazekage used the Akatsuki for their own wars, no doubt the Elders of your village would know." A said in a calm manner as he took a sip of the tea he had been given, Gaara's eyes widening a bit at the startling information.

"Military villages are a drain on a country's resources. What if war were to break out during this time of relative peace? Most would lose the war due to the lack of military power as the great countries are moving from military expansion to disarmament. One such way of dealing with that was to use a mercenary force." Onoki explained to the young Kage as Gaara's brow furrowed.

"It takes time and resources for a village to build an adequate military force themselves, but the Akatsuki were professionals. They always had good results and could be hired for relatively little compared to others of the same vain." Onoki continued as the others in the room narrowed their eyes on him, opting to ignore them as he finished his explanation.

"Though, amongst us all, Kirigakure is the most secretive. Your diplomatic relations with the other countries is nearly nonexistent not to mention the rumors that the Akatsuki were formed within its borders." A said in a calm tone as he addressed Mei, the auburn haired woman's expression falling a bit at the claim.

"To tell you the truth, there were some suspicions that my predecessor, the fourth Mizukage Yagura, was being manipulated by someone. I didn't want to believe in such speculations so I opted to push it to the side, not admitting to myself that it could have been the Akatsuki." Mei admitted as a few of those in the room had their eyes widen with the startling piece of information.

"Everyone, while I know that this isn't a place where speculations should be offered, I have a piece of information that might be true." Minato said in a grave tone as he drew the attention of those present in the room, a bit apprehensive to see the normally amiable Kage so grim.

"According to a number of sources that I have access to, it appears that the leader of the Akatsuki is Uchiha Madara." He said with a grimace passing his face, the tension in the room being replaced with shock at what he had said.

"What? I thought it was years since he had died. I knew that he was strong, almost beyond comprehension, but to think he was an actual monster." Onoki said in a quiet and slightly nervous tone at the thought of the man being alive, knowing firsthand what he was capable of.

"As a neutral country, I have to say, the leader of the Akatsuki read the signs of the time like the words on a scroll. They used the stability, the suspicions and the tensions of the other countries to increase the power that they govern. At this rate, even Tetsu no Kuni will be swallowed by their hold. But, there's always a silver lining, even in a situation such as this. Even now, during times of peace, it is an uncommon sight to see the five Kage together like this. As A-dono has suggested to me when he contacted me two weeks ago, until the threat of the Akatsuki has been dealt with, what do you all think of forming a five-village alliance?" Mifune asked in a calm tone as the eyes of the Kage who were out of the loop widened, turning to face the Raikage himself as he idly sipped on the tea in his hands.

"Well... I don't believe that it will be such a terrible idea."Mei said in a calm tone as she placed her cup of tea down, leveling a slight glare at the curtain that concealed her old teammate.

"I think it's a good idea. We're in a state of emergency, banding together will not only ensure that we push through it but perhaps it'll strengthen the relationship between our villages and countries." Minato said in a hopeful tone, drawing slight smiles from A, Mifune and Gaara.

"You already know my answer; I was the one who proposed this after all." A said as he finished his tea, resolving shining in his eyes as Onoki mulled over the idea.

"The question has still not been addressed. Who will be in charge of the army of this alliance?" Onoki asked in a terse tone as the other Kage stiffened a bit, still having not thought that far ahead.

"If I may, I believe that either Minato-dono or A-dono will be the most suited to leading this army. It's true that emotion and power is needed to lead others successfully, having someone who embodies both of those qualities will no doubt lead this army effectively." Mifune suggested as he gained the attention of the Kage present, scanning their facial features for any signs of hostility.

"I mean no offense by what I am about to say, these being my honest thoughts as a party outside of the five countries. Gaara-dono, you are still young. While you no doubt have the emotion and possibly the power to lead, you still lack the experience that leadership instills. If what I have seen between yourself and Onoki-dono carries over to the other countries, they will refuse to follow you if their leaders refuse to acknowledge you as their equal. For some, I know they will find even calling you Kazekage difficult." Mifune said as he faced the redhead, Gaara nodding his head in an understanding manner as he found the samurai's words to be truthful.

"On those same lines, Onoki-dono, many will see and look down on your advanced age and views on war. As you have heard from Gaara-dono, you are far too staunch in the way that war was fought in your time. I've also heard tell of your back and the problems that you've been experiencing with it. However, it is the history that you have with the Akatsuki that ultimately causes me to find you as the least trustworthy of us all." Mifune said as Onoki merely grunted in acknowledgement of the truthful set of statements that samurai directed towards him.

"Mei-dono, many believe that Kirigakure is the seat of the Akatsuki. If the Mizukage were in charge, the possibility of information leaks and spies would no doubt increase. While I have no reason to distrust you, I also lack the proper reasons to trust you." He said as he turned to stare at the auburn haired woman, Mei nodding her head at the logic behind his words.

"That brings me to why I am proposing A-dono or Minato-dono for the position of heading this alliance's army. As we are still in the dark about the Akatsuki's plans, we can't allow them to capture the remaining Bijū. The Hachibi and Nibi are in Kumo's care while the Kyuubi is in Konoha's, they have the responsibility of ensuring that they are not captured and seeing as they have been successful thus far, they have earned my confidence in their ability to lead. However, both A-dono and Minato-dono are prone to bursts of emotion when it comes to the jinchūriki; that does detract from what I would look for in a leader." Mifune explained as the finally addressed the two remaining Kage, A and Minato nodding as they were a bit emotional when it came to their ninja.

"Now, are there any objections concerning the appointment of Minato-dono or A-dono? If there isn't I would like the rest of you and your companions to discuss it amongst yourselves, it would be best if we reached a consensus on this issue." Mifune asked as he gave the floor to the Kage before them, the village heads turning to discuss with their ninja what the best course of action was.

(Time Skip - Twenty Minutes Later)

"Now, have we all reached a consensus?" Mifune asked as he received a round of nods from the Kage present, passing the floor to them as Minato rose to speak.

"Yes, Mifune-san. Konoha votes in favor o-" Minato started only for the entirety of those in the room to immediately fall into a guarded state when a column of white spikes erupted from the ground, White Zetsu appearing before the group of stunned ninja and samurai.

"Hellooo!" White Zetsu chimed in a sing-song tone despite the situation he found himself in, the Kage's respective guards taking a guarded position before them.

"Akatsuki?!" Minato shouted in a confused manner, tightening his grip on his signature kunai as he narrowed his eyes on the man.

"So it would appear." Onoki muttered as he tightened his gaze on the plant-like man, seemingly unaffected by his entrance.

"There are a lot of party crashers, the question is, how many and where?" White Zetsu said in confusing manner, the ninja and samurai in the room only growing more tense as they felt what the plant-like man was talking about.

"Come now! Let's find out who's also crashing this party!" He continued in a baffling manner, finally breaking the last of A's patience as he seemingly had the man's neck in an instant.

"What?! Who, and why are you here!" A shouted down at the man, White Zetsu sweating a bit with the immense amount of speed that he had just witnessed.

"Tch! Quickly, fall into a guarded manner! Who knows who or what's coming!" A called out to the other Kage as he snapped the neck of the plant-like man, dropping him before heading out of the room with C and Darui.

"Good grief, he's still the unruly child I remember him to be." Onoki sneered as he shook his head, drawing the ire of the others in the room with how nonchalant he was with the situation.

"Kakashi, Zabuza! Follow A and his ninja, we'll all need to be ready if it's as dire as it seems!" Minato ordered as the two nodded with steely expressions, drawing their weapons as the ninja of Kiri narrowed their eyes on their former swordsman.

"Ao, Chojuro. Let's head out as well, be sure to keep an eye on Momochi." Mei ordered in a frigid tone as the two men shivered slightly, not liking the glint that was shining in her eyes.

"Okisuke, Urakaku, give the order for everyone to keep a vigilant eye for any and all suspicious individuals. And for them to prepare for battle." Mifune said as he addressed his guards, the two confirming his orders as they moved to relay them to their comrades.

(Scene Change - Tetsu no Kuni: Kage's Summit Main Meeting Chamber - Entrance)

"Gah!"

"Guh!"

"Geh!"

The sounds of metal clashing against metal rang from both the entrance of the meeting chamber and from the outside of it. As A and Minato entered the combat zone, their eyes widened when they saw a tall bandaged man cutting down the ranks of their samurai allies. Breaking out of his stupor, Minato felt rage like no other bubble from within him at the sight of Hiruko. A memory, a bitter reminder of one of his greatest failures standing before him spurring the anger within him to the surface, he moved to attack the man as A stood a bit stunned at his rather out of character action.

"Hiruko!" Minato roared as he threw a number of his kunai at the man, Hiruko stiffening before turning with a chilling smile gracing his face.

"Well, if it isn't Minato Namikaze." He sneered as he vanished in a flash of silver with his **Jinton: Mueishō**, Minato narrowing his eyes as he followed suit in a flash of gold with his **Hiraishin**.

"Kakashi, Zabuza! Tend to the injured, take them away from here!" Minato ordered as he dodged under a horizontal swipe of Hiruko's bandages, narrowing his eyes when he saw how much sharper Hiruko was in his actions from the last time they fought.

"C, Darui! Stay behind and help those who are injured!" A called out to his men as he activated his **Raiton Chakura Mōdo**, following Minato as he joined the assault against Hiruko.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Now, this isn't exactly the fair fight." Hiruko jeered as he shot the two a haughty sneer, A and Minato narrowing their eyes as they broke off from the man and created some distance.

"Now... Why don't we make this truly interesting!" He shouted in a chilling manner as he brought his hand up in a half Hitsuji seal, a sudden pulse of chakra causing a sense of dread to fill the area.

Already on guard, Minato and A along with the others fighting against Hiruko had their eyes widen in horror at what slowly began to lumber into the area. Numbering around thirty, they were human in appearance though they couldn't be described as such. Moaning in agony with distorted voices, their skin a discolored and nauseating purple, they could only be called monsters with the way they looked, sounded and acted. Then, nothing as they stopped a good few meters away from the closest of the allied forces; groaning in agony as they clutched their heads.

"Go." Hiruko ordered as he released another pulse of chakra, the Virus infected humans roaring as they faced the allied forces of ninja and samurai.

Charging towards the allied force, the infected humans closed the distance in a terrifyingly short amount of time; their speed even causing Minato and A to flinch in shock. Quickly regaining their composure, the two Kage moved to attack them only for their instincts as living beings to scream at them to avoid direct contact with the people in front of them. Clicking their teeth in a bit of irritation, they bolted to the side before they watched in horror at the damage that Hiruko's experiments did to their allies.

"Gahhh!" A samurai cried out in pain as he had his arm ripped from its socket, quickly being silenced when his attack's hand buried itself in his chest.

"Do they not feel pain?!" Another samurai shouted as he hacked the arms off his attacker, stunned that they continued to try and tear his throat out using their mouth with the loss of their limbs.

"Just what are we up against!?" Shouted another samurai as he sliced open his opponent, sweating when he saw them charge at him with their organs spilling from their now open abdomen.

Seeing the damage that Hiruko's experiments could both deal and receive, Minato and A quickly moved to draw the attention of them; their allies taking notice as they moved to recover their injured while they had the chance. Narrowing their eyes, Minato threw another volley of kunai before following with a tactic of hitting and running, proving to be effective as he focused on targeting their ligaments and tendons. With A, he increased the power of his **Raiton Chakura Mōdo**; moving onto the second level as his hair became spikier then before along with his aura of lightning becoming denser, he unleashed a series of single, debilitating strikes to those who Minato crippled.

With their guards, Kakashi and Zabuza were taking turns cutting down those who tried to pick off the injured and helping get the injured to the medical teams on the right. Darui and C were also following suit with their comrades from Konoha, tending to the injured and those who tried to get close on the left.

"Tch, these guys definitely aren't human anymore." Zabuza and Darui quipped at the same time, both turning to bisect a pair of experiments that tried to flank them.

"That's an understatement." Kakashi and C added in unison as they successfully retrieved another pair of wounded samurai for medical attention, Kakashi turning to drive his **Raikiri** into the chest of an experiment while C beheaded another.

Preoccupied with the experiments that were in front of them, Zabuza and Darui cursed when they were flanked by the pair that they had just cut down. Though, they were reduced to organic slag when a corrosive mud-like substance was spat on them. Breathing a sigh of relief, Zabuza's died in his throat when he saw a rather angry Mei glaring at him. Turning between himself, Darui and the experiment that was pinned to the ground with the notch of his Kubikiribōchō, he turned back to Mei only to see that her expression darken when he pointed to himself.

Huffing, she turned and fired a high pressure jet of water that bifurcated an experiment that was approaching Ao and Chojuro as they aided C and Kakashi in securing the wounded. Turning a bit pale when he saw how much stronger she had become over the past few years, Zabuza returned his attention to the flailing experiment he had pinned as Darui split its head in two. Returning the favor, he bisected another that tried to take Darui's back as the man in question spun and removed its head to prevent another sneak attack

Together, the three parties had reduced the number of Hiruko's experiments from thirty to twelve. While the Konoha and Kumo ninja regrouped with their samurai allies, Hiruko recalled his experiments as a small frown marred his face. Clicking his teeth, he was about to send another pulse of chakra but a series of footsteps and the sound of squeaking wheels caught the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

"H-Huh?" Hisako sounded out in a confused and scared tone as she saw and smelt what was before her, shaking horribly as the realization of what was going on struck her.

"Hisako. Stay behind me." Naru said in a calm but slightly anxious tone, clenching her fists as she saw the face of the one who left her in the lab.

"Oh... Why, isn't this a surprise. To think you actually survived." Hiruko said in a surprised tone, looking with curious eyes at the sight of the clone he had though perished with the detonation of his main research lab.

"Y-You!" Minato, Kakashi and Zabuza shouted as the stared with wide eyes at the sight of the two young ladies, their eyes widening when they heard that they had some connection with Hiruko.

"Hisako-chan! Get out of here, now!" A, C and Darui shouted with nothing but unbridled fear and concern for the silverette and her blonde companion, they fears only growing when they saw a frightening smirk cross Hiruko's face.

Seeing such an evil and chilling aura from Hiruko, Hisako quickly turned Naru and herself around before sprinting out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her. A and his ninja widening their eyes at their movement, they bolted to protect the two as Hiruko waved his hands, a segment of his bandages shooting towards the two as the Kumo ninja and those in the room watched. Gritting his teeth, A forced himself past his fastest as he intercepted the sharpened strand of cloth, grunting as he caught it with his hand. But, his eyes widened when he saw another strand of sharpened cloth sail past him, having been hidden in the shadow of the original.

"Hisako-chan, to your right!" A shouted with desperation as the silverette turned with a start at his voice, the eyes of everyone widening as she faced the bulky Kage with utter fear etched onto her face.

"Kyaa!" Hisako cried out in pain as the sharpened piece of cloth slashed her cheek, crimson spilling into the air and onto Naru and the floor as Hisako instinctively moved to cover the cut.

Silence. The silence that permeated the room was nearly palpable until Hiruko's laughter shattered it, the bandaged man cackling like no other as he sneered at the whimpering silverette as she clutched the stinging wound. Though, it wasn't until he noticed a lack of retaliation that he stopped, a frown marring his face at the lack of response to what he had just accomplished.

From what he could tell, the civilian who entered the room seemed to have a close place in the heart of the Raikage. Seeing him stand frozen caused a bit of confusion to enter the white haired man, his satisfaction soiled with the lack of emotion that he was hoping to see from the bulky Kage. Though, that feeling of disappointment was replaced with contempt before turning to glee as he was readying to draw a much more serious reaction from the larger man.

"Kami-sama help us all..." A whispered as his hands fell to his side, his eyes wide as a sense of complete and utter resignation entered his heart at what was to come.

The same was true for C and Darui, the two having long turned pale when they saw the second piece of cloth near the silverette. Like A, they had prayed to Kami for their own safety for what was to come. The reaction of the Kumo ninja drew the intrigue of not only Hiruko but the others in the room, a bit unnerved that the normally calm and laidback ninja were acting like they had seen the reaping list of the Shinigami.

"The girls." Hiruko ordered as he sent another pulse of chakra, his experiments roaring as they charged the two without noticing the signals their instincts were screaming at them to stop.

At the same time, the samurai who had been knocked unconscious by Naru earlier had entered the room, intent on ending the blonde for attacking them so suddenly. By the time they set foot in the room, their katana halfway drawn and intent on striking down the wide eyed blonde sitting before them, they froze when they caught sight of the charging monstrosities before them. As the closest of the experiments neared Hisako, its hand extended to grab her, a blur intercepted it as a hand found itself on the corrupted woman's face. Before anyone could say anything, the head of the woman was reduced to blood and gore as Naruto crushed it with impunity.

Never before had Naruto felt such anger fill his person. Never before had he imagined that someone, that someone would be imprudent enough, asinine enough, audacious enough, to wound Hisako. But right before his eyes, right in front of him, he had seen someone actually draw the blood of his Hisako. Someone caused her to bleed, and the worst part of it all, he allowed it to happen.

Throughout his life, his list of failures had grown at an astounding rate. But this, seeing the one who depended on him, smiled for him, loved him, placed him on a pedestal that he had no right standing on, get injured while being within arm's reach. That had finally topped the defeat and humiliation that he suffered at the hands of the same man who drew the blood of the silverette he had promised to protect from any and all harm. The decree that he made all those years ago, the same decree that he abandoned when he found solace and light when Hisako entered his life, came crashing to the front of his mind: Naruto was going to kill Hiruko.

He was going to erase the miserable excuse of an existence that the man called his life from the world. He was going to ensure that everything related to the man fell into oblivion, wiped from the face of the earth. He was going to kill him and his followers in the most inhumane, abhorrent and atrocious way possible. And he was going to enjoy every single moment of it.

"**Honnou: Kiga**."

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**And that's a wrap. Again, gonna keep this short cause I gotta get up in a few hours for work. So yeah, Black is finally here and he's SUPER lazy. Don't worry, you'll see him when he's in one of his nastier moods later on. And dang son, Mei gotta be heartbroken, RIP Zabuza X Mei ship... Or is it? Haha, well I dunno, do you? And Naruto gonna go ape on Hiruko, what is this "Honnou" or "Instinct" that he's using? Haha, it's gonna be pretty good if I can write it like I'm imagining it. And as always, tell me what you think in your PM's and Reviews, I like reading them. ****And well, that's that. Tell me what you think, I've gotta go, so thanks for reading and thanks for waiting. Hopefully it'll be a faster update next time but until then, you all stay awesome.**

**Black is based off of ****Merphistophelin from Monster Hunter Online.**

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**Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei - Summoning: Impure World Reincarnation**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kinjutsu, Tensei, Jikūkan; Before this technique can be performed, the user must first acquire some of the DNA of the person they intend to reincarnate, blood stains or organs salvaged after the target's death also work. The soul of the intended reincarnated must also reside in Naraka; souls trapped in the stomach of the Shinigami, for example, cannot be reincarnated so long as they reside there. A living sacrifice is also required for the reincarnated soul to use as a vessel. To actually perform the **Edo Tensei **the DNA of the person to be reincarnated is smeared on a special scroll. Once the scroll is activated, the remains spread out in the form of a special seal with the living sacrifice in the center. Then dust and ash encase the sacrifice's body, giving them the same appearance that the reincarnated had at the time of their death; the process being agonizing for the sacrifice. The sacrifice's chakra signature is completely overridden with the chakra of the one being reincarnated. Although the sacrifice is still technically alive so long as the technique is active, their body will never again be theirs and the body will die when the reincarnated soul is released. Although Tobirama was the technique's creator, his usage had two flaws: the reincarnated souls were nowhere near as powerful as they were while alive and he could only control so many at a time. The only discretion a user needs to exercise for the **Edo Tensei** is how much control to exert over the reincarnated soul. After first performing it the user is only able to restrict their movements. In general, this limited control is not an issue for the summoner, and they will typically "deactivate" the reincarnation, placing them in a coffin for storage and transportation until they're needed. However, when the perfected **Edo Tensei **is used to revive somebody, there comes a possibility that they will be strong enough to resist this control. In order to actually be able to control their actions, the user must implant a special talisman - generally attached to the end of a kunai - within the reincarnation's brain. The talisman's design determines how strong the control is:

**Senkuuha - Rotating Sky Rend**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A watered down version of Naru's **Ryuusou Senkuuha**. Using the same principals of the original jutsu, Naru draws her hand back before shrouding it in a dense layer of wind. The difference between this version and the original being that it isn't made to kill, the blades made by the vacuum being dull when they impact; pushing her target rather then cutting them.

**Ryuusou Senkuuha - Dragon Claw Rotating Sky Rend**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Taijutsu; A rather interesting technique of Naru's. Simple in appearance, it is a charged swipe of the user's hand in a manner reminiscent of that of a dragon. The mechanics behind this jutsu is quite complex, however. By charging her hand with Ryuuton chakra, Naru creates a vacuum in the area around the charged hand. Once the optimal amount of chakra and the size of the vacuum is reached, Naru swipes out in front of her, dragging both the chakra and vacuum along with her hand. The resulting swipe releasing the built up Ryuuton chakra, it shreds the vacuum that followed it creating a number of invisible, ultra sharp blades of wind that have the sharpness to slice through most matter with an unsettling amount of ease.

**Jinton: Mueishō - ****Swift Release: Shadowless Flight**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkei Genkai; Hiruko uses this technique to move at instantaneous speeds, rapidly striking his opponents at various angles while avoiding any opposition regardless of the opponent's speed or strength. This technique is very effective against strength-based close-combat taijutsu users.

**Hiraishin - Flying Thunder God**: S-Rank, Supplementary; To activate this technique, the user places a special seal or "technique formula" to mark an intended destination. After this is done, they can at will enter a dimensional void that instantaneously transports them to the location of the seal. The mark can be applied to almost any area through brief physical contact, including an opponent or other surrounding feature. Because this technique is able to affect anything that is in contact with the user or somehow connected to their chakra, they can also use this technique to teleport other objects or people, though the size of the object dictates the amount of chakra required. As Minato also noted, the marking formula never disappears from a marked target.

**Raiton Chakura Mōdo - Lightning Release Chakra Mode**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Nagashi; The user wraps their body in a layer of Raiton chakra which, instead of being used offensively, is used to electrically stimulate the user's nervous system. The technique speeds up neural synapses to react faster, and to push physical prowess to the absolute limit, allowing for tremendous raw speed. The technique has different levels of activation. The level's activation is depicted by the users hair which stands up when the technique is activated to the fullest. The higher the level, the higher the speed the user can achieve.

**Raikiri - Lightning Cutter**: S-Rank; According to Gai, it gained its name after Kakashi split a bolt of lightning with it. Because the **Chidori** is already powerful on its own, the **Raikiri** requires better chakra control, which is exemplified in its appearance. The **Chidori** appears as simply a mass of white electrical chakra in the user's hand, while the **Raikiri **is more focused Kakashi is limited to using it four times in one day.

**Chidori - One Thousand Birds**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; This technique channels a large amount of lightning chakra to the user's hand. The amount of chakra is so great that it becomes visible. The high concentration of electricity produces a sound reminiscent of many birds chirping, hence the name. Once the technique is completed, the user charges forward and thrusts the Chidori into the target. This produces heavy amounts of damage that is usually fatal. This technique is classified as an assassination technique because of the speed at which it is performed, despite the loud noise it produces. The **Chidori** can also be used to simply electrocute the opponent without impaling them. Kakashi noted that he created this technique as the result of his failed attempt to apply his Raiton nature transformation to **Rasengan**, which embodies the highest level of shape transformation.

**Rasengan - Spiraling Sphere**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; The Rasengan is an A-rank jutsu created by the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, by observing the Tailed Beast Ball. Minato spent three years developing the Rasengan; his intention was to take the shape transformation of one's chakra to the "highest possible point" and combine it with his chakra's nature affinity, creating a technique that did not need the aid of time-consuming hand seals to control. On shape transformation alone, the Rasengan is still a powerful, versatile, and difficult technique to learn and master.

**Honnou: Kiga - Instinct: Hunger**: No Human Rank, Honnou; Details limited, draws forth the base instinct of hunger.


	41. Chapter 39

"Naruto" - Person Talking

_'Naruto'_ \- Person Thinking

**"Naruto"** \- Summons/Bijū talking

_**"Naruto"**_ \- Summons/Bijū thinking

**"****Kage Bunshin no Jutsu****"** \- Jutsu

**Yo, Dom back guys and I've got a new chapter for all you kids. Think of it as a late Christmas present or something, alright? Eh, been busy with all the garbage that comes with being a broke college kid, work, school, etc. etc. Well, how've you kids been? Good? Well hope you all are still enjoying this story, I had a blast writing it, so much that it only took about three days to make a new chapter, haha. Don't be expecting anything like that to happen any time soon, though, got more garbage to deal with. Anywho, yeah, this chapter is a doozy, real, REAL brutal in the first half. Be warned, it's real brutal. If you don't like the idea of someone eating someone or just a plain brutal beatdown probably don't wanna read it, it's mostly just that for about 5K words give or take. Other then that, it's kinda a meh chapter, didn't really feel very good with everything else but eh. Well, that's enough yapping. You came to read, right? Well, let's a go.**

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A Son Forgotten - Chapter 39

(Flashback - Five Years Ago)

(Scene Change - Thousand Blade Mountain: Ancestral Tomb)

"Naruto, what do you know of instinct?" Deviljho asked the young blonde laying in a bloody and bruised heap at his feet, the blonde in questing coughing up a bit of blood before weakly gazing up towards the dragon towering above him.

"I-Instinct...? I-Isn't it what drives everything, on a base level? It's an innate, usually fixed pattern of behavior in things in response to certain stimuli, like fear or hunger." Naruto answered in a textbook manner, instantly regretting his answer when Jho gazed down upon him in a slightly irritated manner.

"Such a human and shameful answer to something which separates those who are Elders and those who aren't." Jho muttered in an irked manner, his behavior causing a cold sweat to break on the face of the blonde quivering beneath him.

"Instinct, Naruto, is much more then what you humans assume it to be. Tell me, what separates those who become Elders and those who do not?" Jho asked the blonde as he leered down at him, Naruto gulping as he found himself unable to answer the seemingly simple question.

"The answer is the difference in their instincts. To be precise, how much they have honed their instincts. For most, form and ability are nearly identical save for a few physiological differences in the structure of their bodies. But why is it that so few have risen above others to become an Elder? It is because of their instincts." Jho continued as Naruto managed to right himself into a sitting position, grimacing as pain echoed through his broken body.

"In order for identical beings to get stronger and hone the instincts that they need to become an Elder, they must search not only within themselves, but also out in the wild. To hunt, to be hunted and face the embrace of death without regret or fear of becoming prey themselves. They have the thirst for the hunt, and live to tear, shred, and rend their prey. Within all of our bodies lie the instinct to kill and hunt. But for most, they do not bother to hone it to an edge that will allow them to face any situation without the need to focus or think of their prey or rivals, to allow them to act without the need to think. Naruto, you lack the pure, base instincts of hunting and being hunted. You fight like a human, using your mind to strategize and find a means to defeat your enemies in a step-by-step manner. You try to defeat your enemies with logic befitting a human, a creature that has long lost the base instincts to hunt effectively using just its senses. A human hunts using tools, while a dragon hunts using just its claws. An Elder has no need to use its claws, an Elder can simply 'will' its 'instincts' to hunt for it." Jho exemplified as Naruto furrowed his brow in order to grasp the concept of instinct that Jho was explaining to him, the dragon heaving a tired sigh as Naruto stiffened at the way his body language changed.

"I feel it will be much easier if I show you, rather then explain it. Though, I will warn you, Naruto. Hunting with purely 'instinct' has a heavy toll, for humans much more so then for dragons." Jho warned the blonde with the most serious gaze he had seen from the Brute Wyvern, Naruto gulping as he nodded his head in a hesitant but sure manner.

"I-I won't be able to get stronger if I don't try, Jho." He said in a shaky but determined manner, Jho's gaze never wavering as he nodded his head in response to the blonde's wish.

"Very well, then allow me to show you how an Elder hunts." Jho said in a foreboding manner, an eerie and terrifying pressure overtaking Naruto as he immediately wanted to run as far as he could from Jho.

"This is what earned me the title of Elder, my instinct being the most commanding in regards to what you will encounter. Please be prepared, Naruto, for this may be the most heinous experience of your life. **Honnou: ****Kiga**." Jho said in a dangerous tone as Naruto stiffened completely, the blonde's senses fading as he slowly turned to look at his good arm.

(Flashback - End)

(Scene Change - Tetsu no Kuni: Kage's Summit Main Meeting Chamber - Entrance)

"**Honnou: Kiga**."

As those words left Naruto's mouth, the area that surrounded the blonde slowly started to shift. Tossing aside the gore that used to be the head of the corrupted woman who tried to grab Hisako, Naruto slowly stalked towards the man responsible for harming his treasure, the creatures he had created instinctively taking a step back when he neared them. But, as they were halfway towards stepping backwards, they froze. The pain, agony and anger that they felt, the hatred for the man who turned them into the beings that they currently were, forgotten, they felt a much more severe need. Those who were within Naruto's range felt an immense hunger invade their mind and body, a need that consumed any other thought and notion that floated within their damaged minds.

Then, in a ghastly manner, they began tearing into their own bodies in an effort to sate the hunger that suddenly consumed their psyche. Biting, tearing and swallowing mouthfuls of the flesh of their arms, hands and fingers, they greedily gorged themselves on their own flesh as those who were unaffected watched on in morbid fascination. Though, that fascination soon turned to terror when they felt their own hunger beginning to rise, a chilling emptiness beginning to envelop their bodies as it slowly began to grow the closer the blonde got to them.

"Gah!" A man shouted from the back as his comrade suddenly bit into his arm, the perpetrator's eyes wide with horror and confusion before he forced his body to release the man.

"W-What's happening?!" A woman shouted in panic as she held her head in a terrified manner, drool and saliva dribbling from her mouth as she desperately tried to reign in the feeling of starvation mounting within her.

In a panic, the ninja and samurai who were battling the corrupted humans quickly tried to gain some distance in order to avoid succumbing to the horrifying state that their allies and enemies had fallen into. Though, even as they created some distance, the hunger that was beginning to build within them didn't cease; instead, it slowly began to increase as Naruto's 'instinct' began to expand its area of influence. Many beginning to bite their arms, hands or fingers, they had enough distance to prevent themselves from sufficiently applying enough pressure to tear the flesh that they had in their mouths.

"Get out of my way." Naruto spat out in an insufferable manner towards the gathered ninja and samurai who were beginning to panic, his sights set only on the bandaged man watching the events before him in fascination.

Startled at the way he addressed them, the Kage and their guards were a bit bristled by how callous his tone was, having not been affected by anything other then the chilling sensation of death on the back of their necks. That notion faded away when they saw A and his ninja leave the premise as though the Shinigami was on their tails, they followed suit albeit a bit reluctantly.

"If you want to live, get as far away from that man as possible!" A shouted as he turned tail and ran towards the exit, C and Darui following his example as the other Kage watched on in confusion.

"Kami-sama, please let Hisako-chan be alright." A said in a concerned manner as he turned to stare at the two girls behind Naruto, wincing as he knew whatever was going happen to Hiruko would be a fate worse then death.

"Don't do anything rash, Naruto-kun." Mei said in a worried tone as she watched the man steadily make his way towards Hiruko, the pain of his words still aching in her heart from their encounter years ago.

"Tch. Cowards." Onoki muttered under his breath as he calmly made his way out of the room, though he turned to gaze at the same man who had prepared him the most delicious and warm meal of his long life.

"Naruto-kun..." Kurotsuchi whispered in a heavily worried manner, the young woman having become enamored by the man's hospitality and enchanting smile when she had visited his hostel with her grandfather years ago.

Only Minato, Zabuza and Kakashi were a bit hesitant given that they weren't completely aware of the blonde's ability. That notion was erased, however, when they saw Naruto tear apart the nearest corrupted human in a manner befitting a beast or a demon; quite literally ripping the man in two without batting an eye. Confused and horrified to see him do something like that without a shred or hint of remorse, they soon lost it when Minato suddenly bit into his arm. His eyes wide and full of hunger, panic and confusion, he reigned in enough self control to avoid biting a chunk out of the limb.

"M-Minato-sama!" Zabuza shouted in a panicked tone after witnessing the gruesome scene, quickly moving to secure Minato in a headlock to prevent him from continuing the act.

"Guh! T-Thanks, Zabuza." Minato said in a grateful but also fearful tone as he tried to suppress the hunger growing in his body, Zabuza releasing the man as he turned to look at his son with worry filling his eyes.

Minato wasn't the only affected member as Kakashi forcibly held his mask to his face, his exposed eye bloodshot and beginning to fill with hunger. Gritting his teeth, the man pulled out a kunai before driving it into his hand, the sudden burst of pain enough to break him out of the hungered state that was slowly beginning to creep back into his being. Twisting the kunai, he managed to drive it back once more before turning to Zabuza, the man staring with similar looking bloodshot eyes at Minato's exposed neck.

"Zabuza! Quickly, release Minato-sensei and inflict some kind of shock to yourself!" Kakashi shouted at the man as he followed suit, mirroring Kakashi's earlier action as he stabbed himself in the palm to stave away immense feeling of hunger that was starting to cloud his mind.

"We need to move, Kakashi, Minato-sama!" He called out to the two other men with a pained tone, Kakashi nodding as they vacated the area with no small amount of trepidation in their hearts.

"Damn it... We can't do a single thing..." Kakashi cursed as he grit his teeth, turning to face the young man who had had abandoned time and time again with self-loathing etched onto his face.

"Naruto... Is this the true extent of your power?" Minato asked himself in a slightly frightened tone, unwilling and unable to grasp that his eldest had such a horrific and morbid power at his disposal.

"So... What is this, instinct, you are rambling on about?" Hiruko asked the blonde in a crass tone, clearly not having been affected by what he had witnessed happen to Minato and his ninja.

"An insect should know its place." Naruto told the man in a tone that made him shiver slightly, Hiruko's lax posture instantly becoming rigid as he began to feel something he had thought he ridded himself of years ago.

"Insect you say? Kehehehe! That is quite the bravado you have! Do you think you can defeat me? If I recall, this happened in the pas-" Hiruko sneered at the blonde before he was silenced by a feeling that caused him to freeze, the bandaged man taking a hesitant step back when he saw a horrific being appear behind the blonde.

A mix of confusion and anxiety filling his eyes, he cursed under his breath as he vanished with his **Jinton: Mueishō**. Appearing beside the blonde, he hardened his body with his **Kōton: Mukankaku** before striking Naruto with brutal force on the back of the head. But to the horror of the bandaged man, he visibly grimaced when he felt the bones of his hand creak and crack from the force of the blow. The notion that the blonde's body was harder then steel nearly causing him to drop his guard, he cursed before repeating the process of fleeing before striking. The tactic proved useless as Hiruko was unable to penetrate Naruto's defenses, the blood flowing from his hands and feet proving that it was a futile effort.

When Naruto took notice off the fact that Hiruko had stopped attacking him, he turned to face him as the man quickly vanished once more. A bit glad that Naruto wasn't able to perceive his speed, he was about to keep on the defense until he felt the presence of death behind him. Promptly vanishing once more, Hiruko became a bit more frantic when he felt the death behind him increase with each step he took. Finally, it vanished altogether as he paused momentarily, the second his lapse in concentration fell along with his guard, he felt as though an entire building was slammed into his back.

"Grauh!" He shouted as blood spewed from his mouth, coloring and staining the bandages covering his mouth a deep crimson as he rolled along the floor of the room.

Weakly propping himself up with his forearm, he tried to move but froze when he noticed that he couldn't feel anything beneath his upper body. Shakily glancing back, he stared wide eyed when he saw a pool of deep crimson beginning to pool around his lower body. Freezing, he instantly knew what had happened to him. The instant that blow connected, he had lost the lower part of his spine, the gaping hole that was now part of his body proof that such an event had taken place.

As he processed what had happened in his mind, next came the pain of what had happened, the man banging his head against the ground as he grit his teeth, clenching his fists tight enough to draw blood as he tried to numb the pain of his lower back. In the midst of his suffering, he heard the sound of footsteps approaching him as he weakly and fearfully craned his head to face the blonde towering above him. Before he could speak, Naruto kicked him in the face, the sound of bone and cartilage breaking filling the room as he was sent skidding across the ground before crashing into the wall.

"Ughhh..." Hiruko groaned in agony, blood freely flowing from his shattered nose and damaged mouth as his eyes faded in and out of focus.

"I would've let you live, if had just kept that pathetic face hidden away in the hole that you call a home." Naruto said in a frigid tone as he grabbed the man by the head, raising his head until he was eye level to himself.

"But you had to step outside of your territory and damage the person who saved me from the darkness that I was living in!.Someone that no creature should ever harm, especially not an insect like you!" He snarled before tightening his grip on the man's head, savagely yanking it upwards before slamming it into the wall in an exceedingly brutal fashion.

Releasing his grip, Naruto watched the man's head hit the ground before he laid motionless in a pool of his own blood. Naruto was about to allow the man to end his own life but stopped, the blonde pausing halfway from intensifying his 'instinct' when he remembered what had caused his rage. Creating a clone to escort the treasure the worm beneath him had damaged, Naruto glaring hatefully at him before standing.

"Take them out of here. Kill anyone who even speaks to you." Naruto ordered the blonde as it moved to carry out the task it was give, gently picking up the pair of quiet and terrified girls before heading out of the room.

With the safety of Hisako and Naru secured, Naruto moved to exterminate the remains of the corrupted humans infesting the area as the man laying motionless beneath him was of no danger. Heading towards a trio that were finally nothing but hunger incarnate, desperately trying to devour the other, Naruto grabbed the head of the woman who was greedily feasting upon the innards of a dying man before raising and driving it into the head of the man eating beside her. The result was a messy eruption of blood and gore, coating the blonde and the adjacent area, reminiscent of slamming two eggs together. The act done, he turned his attention to the last of the trio who was busily consuming the brain matter and eyes of the recently deceased pair of humans, ignorant of the monster beside her.

Slovenly and nosily chewing on the fresh pairs of eyes that rolled to her feet, she soon joined the two who gave her the eyes when Naruto splattered her head across the grounds with a swipe of his hands, his fist coming back without a speck of blood as he continued to head towards the rest of the corrupted humans. The outcome of the remaining encounters with the final experiments ended in the exact same manner, Naruto picking them off as they continued to feast upon and consume the splattered remains of their fellow experiments. Naruto finished the last experiment just as they had finished biting off and swallowing what remained of their hands. Grabbing the woman by the head, he crushed it like the first of the experiments he had exterminated, impassive by the blood and gore that painted his visage.

With Hiruko, the man was broken from the darkness that he was within when saliva began to dribble from his mouth alongside the blood that was oozing from it, the hunger that ripped through his body causing him to wake in a chaotic fashion. Pain ripping through his body as he shot up into a semi-crawling position, the hunger he was drowning in began to overpower his sense of pain, allowing him to push his body into a misshapen sitting position.

Desperately he fought to control the desire beginning to rip through his psyche, though, Hiruko lost the battle against his instincts to feed. Using his good arm, he ripped the bandages that covered his bloody mouth before he tore into the arm with reckless abandon, ripping the bandages that covered the limb with what remained of his teeth before gorging himself on his flesh. His eyes wide with horror, agony, confusion, disgust and a complex mix of many other emotions, he fell victim to his hunger as Naruto turned to face him.

Finished with taking care of the maggots that infested the area, Naruto fixed his gaze on the worm that was vomiting what he had just greedily consumed. Having regained enough sanity to do so, Hiruko's face was covered in a mix of blood, gore and bile as he muttered unintelligibly before continuing to feast on the remains of his arm and experiments as his hunger finally devoured all traces of sanity that remained in the man.

Grabbing a handful of brain matter and bile covered flesh with a hand that was lacking half of its middle finger and all of its ring finger, he bit into it before nosily chewing on it with a mouth of missing and broken teeth; swallowing the mouthful of gore before continuing to gorge himself on what remained of his arm, biting into and tearing off a mouthful of his bicep. When he took notice of the blonde, the hunger that was present in his eyes from just a moment ago momentarily faded to terror and panic when he caught sight of the blood and gore stained man. However, it was only for a moment before he returned to his arm, breaking his ulna before messily sucking up the freshly exposed bone marrow.

"Such a revolting creature." Naruto muttered in a detestable manner, shifting his body before he lashed out and grabbed the man by the face.

"You don't know the half of what I'm going to do to you, you insect. The way you're gorging yourself on your own flesh and the flesh of those maggots you created, that's only the beginning." Naruto snarled at him before driving his head into the ground, a crater forming from the impact as Hiruko was unable to make a sound other then the noise of choking on the marrow and bone in his throat.

Bringing his head back up, Naruto repeated the process of slamming Hiruko's head into the ground, each time with much more force then before. As bits of flesh, blood and bone began to splatter onto him from the repeated action, Naruto's anger only intensified the more his continued to slam Hiruko's face into the ground. His rage finally bubbling over, lightning began to arc up and down his arm before Naruto finally discharged it upon slamming Hiruko's face into the ground once more.

"**Raiton: Jinrai!**" He growled as Hiruko's head impacted the ground, the roar and flash of thunder and lightning consuming the area as he pulled up the charred man by the head once again.

"**Raiton: Dai Jinrai!**" He snarled before driving Hiruko into the ground once more, a much more heavy and dense explosion of lightning surging through the area as Hiruko's body twitched sporadically within the crater that resulted from the jutsu the blonde had just subjected him to.

"**Raiton: Shin Jinrai!**" Naruto finally roared as he drew the man's head much further back, lightning encompassing the entirety of his arm and dancing around the adjacent area of the blonde as the crackle and roar of it pierced through the silence.

Slamming Hiruko's head back into the ground with enough force to crush a mountain, the building began rocking from the impact of Naruto's action of driving the head of the man into the ground along with the quake of his jutsu, the entirety of the meeting chamber ruined as the lightning devoured everything. When the white that enveloped the room began to fade, arcs of electricity could be seen dancing along the floor, walls and ceiling. The effect of Naruto's jutsu extended far past the current room, the entire building having been supercharged with lightning; dangerous arcs dancing ominously on its form from the outside and from within.

Though, for the blonde who caused this, his entire focus was on the barely breathing man that was smoldering beneath him. The only reason that Hiruko had survived such a inhuman and merciless assault was due to the combined efforts of his **Kōton: Mukankaku** and Naruto regulating his strength to prolong the torture of the man. Unable to utter anything but a pained wheeze or pitiful wail, Hiruko made a number of pathetic sounds as Naruto glared scornfully at him at his attempt to speak.

"Still don't know your place, do you!" He snarled at him in a rage filled tone, clenching his fist before driving it into the chest of the man with enough force to shatter the carapace of a Gravios.

Blood instantly spewing from the charred man's mouth, Naruto was unrelenting in his assault as he repeatedly struck Hiruko's chest, the blonde entirely apathetic when he saw the light of a conscious being leave Hiruko's eyes. Pausing in his assault, he placed his hand to his wrist before summoning a vial of snow white liquid, forcing the tonic down Hiruko's throat. Waiting a few seconds, Hiruko's blank eyes snapped back to life as he flailed and thrashed about, horrific gurgling sounds emanating from the man as agony like no other tore through his person.

The vial of liquid that Naruto had forcibly given him was a failed vial of Life Powder. Being a failed sample, the Life Powder that Hiruko had ingested healed internal and external wounds, though it healed them in an incomplete and random manner, each wound being over-healed or under-healed. This resulted in deformations of the tissue that was healed, warping the internal and external structure of the being unfortunate enough to consume the liquid, bone being bonded directly to muscle, bone to skin, even bone to internal organs.

The irregular and terrible manner of healing ultimately crippled whatever creature that would be unintelligent or unfortunate enough to take the liquid; their internal organs, limbs, tissue and all becoming warped and functioning at a heavily crippled or hypersensitive state, barely functioning as their bodies intended. In some cases of ingestion, their organs will being functioning in the opposite of what they were intended to do, their liver and kidneys releasing the toxins that they have filtered back into the bloodstream, their gallbladder releasing bile to break down the fat and muscle of the body, or their nerves becoming horrifically hypersensitive. Ultimately, the fate of whatever creature that consumes a failed vial of Life Powder is a life of warped disability, a crippled and agony laden existence.

"Tch! Stop your struggling you worm!" Naruto snarled as he slugged Hiruko square in the face, the sound of bone creaking and cartilage breaking once more filled the still sparking area as the man's movements became more erratic due to the hypersensitive nerves he now had.

Pulling his arm back, Naruto repeatedly struck Hiruko in the face before his movements began to become sedated, blonde finishing with a much more heavy blow as the sound of his skull cracking filled the hall. Growling under his breath for not regulating his strength enough, Naruto summoned another vial of botched Life Powder before forcing it once more down the man's throat. The result being the same as before, Hiruko's ruined visage healed somewhat; though the facial bones of his person healed in a warped fashion, fusing together in an irregular manner resulting in his appearance being akin to that of a gravely deformed noh mask.

"Hyoei... Fiyohyouii..." Hiruko garbled in a broken manner, the gibberish that he was speaking irritating Naruto to no end as he slugged the man in the mouth.

The crunch of his teeth being shattered and broken sounding along with his lower jaw, Naruto pulled back before shattering his sternum with equal brutality, blood and broken teeth spewing from Hiruko's mouth once again from the force of the blow. Though, even with the torture that he was subjecting the man writhing pathetically beneath to, Naruto didn't feel an ounce of satisfaction. Growling at the lack of success in successfully venting his anger, black and crimson chakra began to arc off his body, a few sparks dancing onto Hiruko's person as the man instantly started flailing with renewed vigor as the charka's corruption began to spread over his body.

"Worms like you have only one use." Naruto growled out as he grabbed Hiruko by the face before they vanished in a flash of black and crimson, a smoldering and charred crater being left behind by the hateful teleportation.

(Scene Change - Clamorous Ridge: Nest Hole)

Appearing in a sudden flash of black and crimson, Naruto and the broken form of Hiruko were instantly beset upon by a duo of large, black shadows. In the darkness of the cave they were inside of, nothing could be see by Hiruko's crippled eyes. Eternal darkness being all there was for the man, Naruto applied a small amount of Ryuuton chakra to his eyes in order to catch the shadows dancing above them. The sound of two heavy objects landing alerting Hiruko, he finally saw what exactly it was that landed beside him. A glowing purple pattern being a beacon in the darkness of the cave. While Naruto was entirely indifferent to the presence of the two, Hiruko's damaged eyes widened when he finally managed to make out what they were.

A large, red Wyvern with a flabby, rubbery hide, many of its blood vessels and veins could be seen through its pale skin. Its tail featured a specialized orifice which allowed it to bond to the ground during its electrical attacks and aided it in clinging onto the cave ceiling. Its mouth featured rows upon rows of sharp teeth, its head being nothing more then its mouth. This Flying Wyvern was known as Red Khezu, or simply Khezu, the Charging Wyvern.

The other, was wide and flat, unlike Khezu, which is much more bulky and has large fat reserves, and unlike Khezu it does not have visible veins on its body. Their top skin grey-white, and their under-skin is dark red, the most distinguishing feature of this Wyvern was the glowing purple heat receptor that tipped its head and rear, being the organs it used to seek out prey in the darkness that was its domain. This Flying Wyvern was known as Gigginox, the Creeping Venom, that Naruto had trained with many years ago.

"**Oh~? What do we have here~? Naru-chan~?**" Gigginox cooed in a strange amalgamation of a charming feminine and heavily masculine tone, dropping from the ceiling beside the blonde before extending its neck to nuzzle the man.

"**Quite the surprise to see my most beloved human, no~!**" Gigginox told the blonde in an affection tone, happily rubbing its face against Naruto's despite the flailing Hiruko beneath them.

"**This is indeed quite the sight, to think you were just a hatchling a few years ago.**" Khezu added in the same strangely masculine and feminine tone as it landed beside them, also extending its neck to nuzzle against the blonde.

"I'm afraid we'll have to catch up later, Gigginox, Khezu. I want the two of you to make this worm experience what it means to anger a dragon." Naruto asked the two of them in a barely controlled tone of anger, the two instantly growing curious as they had remembered never seeing the blonde so angered.

"**If it is for my most beloved Naru-chan, I will do anything~!"** Gigginox cooed as it slammed its foreleg onto Hiruko, more blood spewing from the man's mouth as the ground caved beneath him.

"**I agree, if it is for you then I will also give it my all.**" Khezu added as it raised a leg before dropping it onto Hiruko's lower body, the man's eyes bulging from their sockets as his legs were shattered like glass.

"Thank you, the both of you. And don't kill him, make him suffer for as long as possible if you could." Naruto asked them once more, getting a nuzzle in return as acknowledgment of his before he vanished in a flash of black and crimson once more.

"**A new host, is it not?**" Khezu asked in a dangerous tone as Gigginox applied more pressure to the downed man's chest, Hiruko's struggles growing more spastic as he tried to draw upon his chakra once more.

"**It appears Naru-chan gave this insect a vial of tainted Life Powder, ufufufu~!**" Gigginox quipped in an excited tone as it moved off of him, instantly moving its head above Hiruko's before drenching in him a seemingly endless amount of poison that drained from its mouth.

The moment the poison touched his skin, Hiruko's body was instantly beset by agony, feeling like his skin was being ripped away layer by layer. But that was only the beginning as it began to seep into his body, the pain he'd experienced earlier from Naruto being much more preferred as he started bleeding from every pore before the blood would clot those pores until they burst, the process repeating itself time and time again. The likelihood of the man bleeding out becoming a real possibility, Gigginox placed its tail on the ground before laying an egg sack. As soon as the sack was laid, a spine chilling sound emanated from within its core.

"**Gi... Gigi...**" A newborn Giggi sounded as it emerged from the egg sack, blindly waving its head in the air before locking onto Hiruko's spasming form.

Slowly crawling over, it quickly leaped and latched onto the man, greedily gorging itself on his blood as it slowly began to grow in size. Though, it was growing much more rapidly then a normal Giggi would, quickly becoming the size of a small Jaggi in a matter of minutes. The purpose of the Giggi was not as a creature to torment Hiruko, though the way it was draining him of his blood was indeed excruciating. It was born as a natural blood bank, taking the sample of the man's blood before rapidly multiplying the blood cells to match up to his. Then it would pump the freshly made blood back into the man, erasing the possibility of his death by blood loss, though the created blood was laced with toxins that caused the man to feel as though fire was flowing through him instead of blood.

"**Ufufufu~! Well I believe that Naru-chan will enjoy my treatment of this insect, an eternity of hosting my offspring is no doubt an honor for such a lowly creature~!**" Gigginox quipped in a happy tone, spewing another horrific mix of toxins onto the man before taking to the ceiling and heading out to hunt in a giddy manner.

"**I cannot allow myself to be outshone.**" Khezu muttered in a slightly peeved tone, no doubt a bit troubled over what it was going to do.

"**I assume having you host my offspring would be a fitting fate for angering that child.**" Khezu said in a frigid tone as it turned it back to Hiruko, its tail ripping into the man's abdomen as a single egg was inserted into the cavity.

"**Hmph, agony will be a fleeting dream for a creature such as yourself. Enjoy an eternity of suffering, I will be visiting to ensure that you remain in such a pitiful state.**" Khezu said in a calm tone as it headed back towards its nest, Hiruko's struggles becoming frantic once again as the danger of the two dragons had passed.

Though frantic would only be a state of mind for the man, his damaged psyche being heavily affected by the neurotoxins drenched onto him earlier. His mind perceiving his actions as frantic, they were in reality barely able to be called movements. Slight twitches of his extremities and limbs being all that he could muster, the pain that he was experiencing was quickly amplified as he tried to "struggle," the torment he was being subjected far outweighing everything that he had ever placed anyone else in before. But his mind wouldn't break or fail from shock, the promise that Gigginox and Khezu being the cause, the toxins investing his body preventing it from dying or breaking from stress or shock.

In the darkness that was called the domain of Khezu and Gigginox, Hiruko would forever be nothing more then a source of nourishment for their offspring, cattle that would never die. The most horrific aspect of such a fate being the unending agony that he would be living in, the ability to produce anti-bodies to combat the toxins flowing through him robbed by the ever-mutating mix of chemicals Gigginox drench him in. The ability to move seized by those very same toxins, forever robbing him of the gift of motion. The ability to scream or cry stolen by the whelp that would be feasting on his entrails in due time, applying horrendous pressure to his lungs and diaphragm . Even the ability to die by that same whelp stolen by the twisted effects of the tainted Life Powder that would become his only source of nourishment, forever healing whatever was devoured by the whelp in an increasingly agonizing fashion. In that pitch black labyrinth, Hiruko would finally what had eluded him decades prior. Hiruko had truly found hell.

(Scene Change - Tetsu no Kuni: Kage's Summit Main Meeting Chamber - Entrance)

Arriving back in the same place he had left moments before, Naruto gazed around the room he was, entirely apathetic of the smoldering and charred flesh and blood that littered the area. Narrowing his eyes, he felt a number of chakra signatures that towered above that of regular ninja and samurai, the natures of those chakra signatures being far more hostile then that of those who were defending their home. Heading out of the room, Naruto tore a hole in the wall of the room in the direction his clone had taken Hisako and Naru, the blonde intent on ending this skirmish as quickly and painfully as possible.

"Tch! I'm really getting pissed..." He snarled in an aggravated and hateful manner, black and crimson lightning ripping across his body as he headed towards the east.

(Scene Change - Tetsu no Kuni: Tekkou no Sato - Merchant District)

"Quickly! Repel the Akatsuki! Focus on protecting those who cannot protect themselves!" A captain of a squad of samurai called out to his fellow warriors, getting a shout of confirmation as they turned to escort the injured and defenseless away from the battleground.

"Come'on! Don't tell me that this is all I've got to work with! I thought you lot were supposed to be samurai!" Kisame shouted in an attempt to rile the men and women around him, his plan succeeding as a few rushed towards him in an attempt to end his life.

Pulling Samehada across his body, he defended himself from the chakra enhanced blades that were grinding against his own, his sword quickly consuming the chakra that coated the blades to the shock of the samurai. Grinning in response, he pushed the five of them back with unsettling ease, their lapse in concentration being taken advantage of by Kisame as he hacked them across their bodies. Blood spraying from the savage slash, the samurai were sent tumbling across the ground as their comrades moved to cover them with no small amount of trepidation.

"Haa? So this is all that you lot have, huh? Come'on, I was one of Kiri's best! Show me a real challenge!" He shouted at them in a slightly irked manner, the disappointment in his tone causing the group of samurai to lose their morale in response to the dismissal of their skill.

"Eat this, bastard!" Zabuza roared as he descended upon the blue skinned man, Kisame's eyes widening a bit before a savage grin spread across his face at the voice.

Bringing Samehada up, it clashed against Zabuza's Kubikiribōchō in a brilliant shower of sparks. Grinning widely, Kisame was a bit surprised to see how much stronger Zabuza had gotten from the last encounter they had, the incident with the clone a few weeks back. Pushing off of each other, their raised their blades in a cautious manner as they stared each other down, Zabuza having hate evident in his eyes while Kisame's merely had amusement in them.

"Got some nerve showing your damn face around, Kisame. A coward like you doesn't have the right to use your previous title of a swordsman." Zabuza spat out in a disgusted tone towards the man, the other man's grin faltering a bit at the jab to his pride as a swordsman.

"You still pissed about the clone incident, ain't ya Zabuza? No need to attack my pride as a swordsman, I'm a ninja too you know." Kisame said in a serious manner as he sharpened his eyes, his normally cheery albeit savage mood subdued due to the incident that wounded his pride as a swordsman.

"Tch, sure. Whatever you say." Zabuza scoffed as he rushed forwards, Kubikiribōchō leaving a silver streak behind him as he readied himself for the battle ahead.

Narrowing his eyes at the merciless barb, Kisame also headed forwards to challenge Zabuza in a real head to head battle, his anger and pride demanding repercussions for the insults addressed to him earlier. Stopping just before each other, they each had their blades drawn back before bringing them forward, a heavy screech and shower of sparks erupting from the brutal collision. The two stayed in that deadlocked state, grinding their blades against each other in an attempt to see who was indeed more powerful. Their deadlock was broken however, when a hammer made of chakra descended down upon them, belonging to Chojuro and his Hiramekarei.

"The hell're you doing?" Zabuza and Kisame asked at the same time, casually moving to look at the young man as he began sweating a bit from the attention of the two swordsman.

"G-Guh... K-Kisame Hoshigaki and Zabuza M-Momochi! I'm here to take back the swords that you two have, as one of the Ninja Swordsman of the Hidden Mist! They're property of Kirigakure, after all!" Chojuro said in a shaky manner as he steeled himself before the two titans before him, gulping when they turned to face him fully.

"Huh? You? One of the new Seven?" Kisame asked in a incredulous tone, heaving Samehada over his shoulder as he stared at the young man.

"Looks like the bar is falling lower and lower every year." Zabuza muttered in a disillusioned tone, shaking his head as he rested Kubikiribōchō on his shoulder.

"What do you think, Zabuza? Got time to put aside this little squabble to take care of a brat who doesn't know his place?" Kisame asked his former acquaintance, Zabuza turning to look at him from the corner of his eye.

"Eh, why not. It'll be a good lesson to show him what _real_ swordsmen are capable of." Zabuza quipped as Kisame flashed as savage and happy grin, laughing a bit as he turned to face the younger man along with Zabuza.

"Heh, this takes me back. Gotta admit, I'm feeling a bit excited." He chimed in as Zabuza smirked slightly under his bandages, rolling his neck as he readied himself to face the young man.

"Shut up, after this I'm cleaving you in two." Zabuza shot back as Kisame laughed a bit harder, the aura of the two overshadowing Chojuro as he openly began sweating while taking a step back.

"Stop it, both of you!" A voice suddenly shouted at them, drawing the attention of the three as they turned to face the woman who called out to them.

"Tch, look what the cat dragged in." Kisame muttered in an irritated tone, Mei paying him no attention as she opted to look between Zabuza and Chojuro.

"Chojuro, while it is true that Momochi was once a Swordsman of the Mist, it's no use trying to stand up against him as you are now. And Momochi, are you trying to break this alliance before its even begun?" She asked the two of them in a frigid tone, openly glaring at the with her exposed eye with disappointment evident in it.

"Teach your mutts to mind their manners then, Terumi." Zabuza told her in an annoyed tone, Mei's brow twitching at the jab while Chojuro's shoulders slumped slightly.

"This coming from someone who failed in becoming a member of the Seven? I gotta admit, it's pretty damn laughable." Kisame sneered at the auburn haired woman, Mei's ire peaking as she fire a caustic globule at the man.

Zabuza and Kisame creating some distance from each other, they watched the acid eat away the ground that they were standing on. The two turning to glare at the smiling woman, they tightened their grips on their blades as they readied themselves to rush her down. Though, to their surprise and irritation, Chojuro had swallowed his fear before moving to guard his Kage. Raising his blade, he met their gazes with a shaky glare of his own, though the way his hands were subtly shaking spoke volumes of how he truly felt.

"I'll protect you, Mei-sama!" He declared in a resolved manner, steeling himself as his shaking momentarily stopped.

"Heh, looks like you got yourself a loyal mutt, Terumi." Kisame said in an amused tone, his jab causing Chojuro to tense at the way he was addressed.

"Stand down, Chojuro. I'll take care of him." Mei told him in a frigid tone, moving in front of him as her eyes burned with an intense hatred.

"**Suiton: Tenrouha**!"Mei called out after taking a lungful of air, the auburn haired woman firing a heavily pressurized stream of water that sliced through the ground and towards the blue skinned man.

Seeing the signature jutsu that earned her the title of " Bifurcator " due to how easily it sliced people in two, Kisame dodged to the left before rushing her down. Mei's eyes narrowing at how much faster the man had gotten, she cut off the stream of water before spewing a cloud of heavily acidic mist at him. Steeling himself, Kisame stopped just short of it before countering with a wide and heavy swing, easily shaving away the chakra that made up the mist and splitting it in two. The eyes of the Kage widening slightly, Mei having forgotten about Samehada's ability in the midst of her anger, she jumped backwards as Samehada shaved off a few locks of her hair. About to continue his assault, Kisame was forced to retreat slightly when Kubikiribōchō cut the air in front of him.

"Terumi is off limits as of now, Kisame. Got this who alliance going on to take you and your buddies out." Zabuza told the man in a slightly irked manner, Kisame simply grinning in response to the man as he rested Samehada over his shoulder.

"Must be tough being you, Zabuza. Having to deal with little kids who don't know their place." Kisame laughed as he turned to face Mei and Chojuro, the two being joined by more of their ninja as they faced the man.

"Well, as much as I want to cross blades with you, I gotta get going. Our plan is looking like a bust anyway." He quipped in a carefree manner as he turned to leave, Mei's eyes narrowing before she fired another high pressure stream of water at him.

This time, she hit her mark as Kisame was split in two, his upper body hitting the ground with a dull thud. A bit surprised at first, Zabuza immediately smirked as he relaxed his guard, knowing what had happened with the man. For Mei and her ninja, they were all relieved to have ended the confrontation with such ease. Though, as soon as that through crossed her mind, she froze, knowing that what had just happened couldn't have possibly gone as smoothly as it did. That assumption was proven true when the bifurcated man dissolved into a pool of water, Mei's eye gazing scornfully at the puddle. That scorn was latter addressed to a bored looking Zabuza, the man sighing as he turned to leave.

"Momochi!" She shouted at him with a hate filled tone, stomping up to him as he turned to face him with a bit of confusion and slight awkwardness on his face.

"What do you want now, Terumi? Action is over in this area, get moving to another." He told her as she bristled at his nonchalant tone, immediately regretting it as he felt her killing intent intensify.

"Do you know what you almost did? You almost joined Kisame Hoshigaki, an S-Rank Missing Nin from Kiri, to cut down Chojuro. Do you know what would've happened if that had happened?" She asked him in an irritated and angered fashion, Zabuza grunting in acknowledgement as he looked away.

"You've managed to survive all these years but you still act like an immature brat, do you know that?" She continued as she poked him in the chest, a very nostalgic scene playing out for those who knew the two from their time together in Kiri.

"Would you get off my back, woman! The one at fault is that brat over there holding that sword like it's a stick! I don't know who picks the Seven anymore, but I think they need to rethink their criteria for who gets in!" He bit back at her, Mei's face reddening with a mix of anger and embarrassment as it was her that decided on the newest members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

"Oh?! Well I think that Fukishima-sama was indeed senile when he decided that you would be the one to hold Kubikiribōchō! For a muscle brained idiot like you to get accept while I didn't, it makes no sense at all! Especially when said muscle brained idiot slept through the inauguration ceremony and drooled over his sword!" She shouted as she brought up an extremely embarrassing memory for Zabuza's past, the man's face reddening immediately at the horrible memory.

"T-That! What the hell does that have to do with anything that I just said!? And Fukishima-sama wasn't senile at all, you vindictive woman! He didn't want to give such a position to someone who peed and cried herself after taking the full brunt of his killing intent!" He shouted back as Mei's already red face began burning up horribly, the eyes of many who didn't know of such a tale widening to comical proportions.

"Y-You! YOU! YOU IDIOT!" She screamed as she lunged at him, bringing her hands around his throat as she started strangling and shaking the man while screaming in a mix of utter mortification and anger.

The scene playing out before them being nothing that they could have ever imagined seeing in their lives, the Kiri ninja who had accompanied Mei for extra protection could only watch their normally calm and affable leader strangle one of their former ninja with a burning expression while screaming insults at him. While some wanted to separate the two, they felt that it would be for their own safety if they remained on the sidelines, the knowledge of what the two were capable of preventing them from helping.

"WELL WHAT ABOUT THE TIME YOU THREW A TANTRUM LIKE A SPOILED CHILD IN THAT RESTAURANT BECAUSE THEY GAVE YOU A SALAD INSTEAD OF THE SPICY YAKITORI YOU ORDERED, HUH?!" Mei screamed at the man she was strangling, Zabuza's brow twitching with untold amounts of embarrassment and anger as he held her by the wrists.

"THIS COMING FROM THE WOMAN WHO COULD NEVER AND STILL CAN'T GET A BOYFRIEND!? NO WAIT! THIS COMING FROM THE WOMAN WHO WILL NEVER GET A MAN, WHO'LL GROW OLD AND WRINKLED ALL ALONE!?" Zabuza shouted back as he struck Mei's most vulnerable point, the poor woman screaming bloody murder as she repeatedly tried to silence the man hitting her where it most hurt.

While the two were having an intimate bonding moment, Kisame smirked from the shadows of a nearby building before heading towards the outskirts of the village. In his haste, he suddenly slowed himself, sensing a very familiar chakra signature from a few meters away. Gritting his teeth, he turned and headed towards that chakra signature as it was clearly in a distressed state, needing and wanted to return the favor that he owed her.

(Scene Change - Tetsu no Kuni: Tekkou no Sato - Blacksmithing District)

Rounding the corner of a building and entering the blacksmithing district of Tekkou no Sato, Kisame's eyes widened when he saw Hisako tending to Naru, who was sitting in a wheelchair, clearly not believing that the girl could be injured to such an extent. Increasing his pace, he was a few meters away from her when he froze, the man feeling death like no other devour his person. His eyes widening, he stiffly craned his head to look at what was causing such a horrific sensation, the man not believing that it was coming from the man beside the blonde and silverette.

"W-What the hell...?" He said in a dry tone, his throat robbed of its moisture by the monster staring him down.

"O-Onii-chan, d-don't! H-He's my f-friend!" Naru told the blonde in a frightened tone, shakily tugging on his sleeve as Naruto's clone remained unchanging in its presence.

"O-Onii-chan?" Kisame asked himself in a tense and confused state, though that was shattered when he remembered what the chair bound blonde had told him earlier.

(Flashback - A Few Weeks Earlier)

"You're weaker then me, fish man." She said in a tone of absolute conviction, Kisame unable to comprehend what had just taken place.

"W-What? But that punch would have broken the jaw of anyone it connected with, and even if it didn't it would have at least left a mark." He said in a stunned tone, removing his damaged hand from the face of the young lady while wincing when he felt the damaged bone.

"The only person stronger then me, is my Onii-chan." She said as Kisame looked dumbfounded by her answer not wanting to believe that there was someone, if she was telling the truth, even stronger then her.

"Heh, sounds like this Onii-chan of yours is quite the guy." He said in a mirthful tone as he shook his head, pausing when he saw Naru take a hold of his hand and start to treat it.

(Flashback - End)

"T-That's her brother...?!" He asked himself in an incredulous tone, not wanting to believe that such a monster actually existed in the world.

But before he could speak another word, the blonde standing beside Naru and Hisako disappeared in a plume of smoke, the eyes of the three widening at the sight. Though, that turned to tension when they heard footsteps approaching from the side, the two turning to see the same blonde walk from an alleyway. Hisako and Naru's eyes widening in a mix of horror and confusion when they saw the blood and gore covered form. Meanwhile Kisame instinctively took a step back due to the primal fear screaming inside of him, everything about the man screaming death. When he reached them, he turned his gaze towards Kisame as the man gulped, sweat pouring down his face from the inhuman amount of pressure rolling off the man.

"O-Onii-chan...?" Naru called out to him in a frightened and meek tone, gazing up at him with terrified and tear-filled eyes.

"N-Naruto, p-please d-don't hurt h-him..." Hisako asked the blonde in an equally frightened manner, not wanting him to harm someone who Naru called a friend.

"Run." Was all that left Naruto's mouth, Kisame taking the hint as he immediately turned and sprinted towards the town's gate.

"We'll talk later." He told the two in a curt and stern manner, the girls lowering their heads before nodding softly as he began wheeling away Naru while Hisako was sitting on her lap.

The two remained silent as he traveled through the district, the main reason being the lack of a smile on the face of the blonde pushing them. Never before had they seen him this angered, the rage and hatred flowing off his person being more then enough to quell their questions. They knew that they were in more trouble then they had ever been in, the two shaking and quivering as they futilely tried to steel themselves for the punishment that they would no doubt be receiving when they returned home. But more then anything, they were worried about the blonde they loved, the blood and gore that stained his person causing them to fret whether or not he had been injured during the battle.

"N-Naruto... A-Are you h-hurt anywhere...?" Hisako asked him in a worried and hesitant tone, flinching when she saw him turn to look down at her.

"I'm fine..." He told her in a soft and gentle manner, nearly causing the silverette to break down in tears from how he sounded.

She finally did let those tears fall when she felt him gently caress the wound that Hiruko had given her, leaning into his touch as she sniffled at the terrifying memory. Her sniffles along with her tears soothing the magma-like rage that was flowing through his veins, his hands began to glow with a soft green light as he healed the cut. The sensation being a bit foreign to Hisako, she flinched at first before settling back into his embrace when she felt the warmth of his chakra. Finished with treating her wound, Naruto separated his hand from the slightly disappointed silverette to a slightly pouting Naru. That pout was erased when Naruto gently caressed her head, running his hand through her hair as she was eased of the fear that filled her heart.

"Thank White the two of you are alright..." He told them in a tone that wavered slightly, the eyes of the two widening as they had never heard him use such a worried tone.

W-We're sorry, Naruto..." Hisako whispered as she sniffled, the action repeated by Naru as she followed suit.

"W-We just w-wanted to help you g-get better..." Naru added in a guilty manner as she sniffled a bit harder, her worries eased by the hand running through her hair.

"Let's just get home..." He told them in a soft tone, the two nodding though Hisako paused a bit before gently taking his free hand.

"N-Naruto, p-please help these people. W-We'll be fine, b-but please help them." Hisako asked the blonde in a pleading tone, Naruto pausing in his action of pushing them as he sighed.

"I'll be right back, alright. Don't you two do anything dangerous." He told them in a stern tone, the two nodding though Hisako had a much more eased and happy expression on her face.

Seeing that smile erased all of the anger that stilled swam in Naruto's heart, the blonde offering the two a smile of his own before he leaned down to kiss the two of them on their foreheads. Turning, he lost the smile on his face as he tracked down the most hostile chakra signatures, narrowing his eyes as he created a clone to guard the two before he vanished in a flash of black and crimson.

(Scene Change - Tetsu no Kuni: Tekkou no Sato - Textile District)

"Tch, this guy is no joke." B muttered as he faced off against Pain with Yugito covering him, the two sweating a bit due to the ineffectiveness of their attacks.

"It would be wise for the two of you to simply give up. Your sacrifice will not be in vein, for it will bring about a world of true peace." Pain told them as they tensed, the ground beneath them erupting as a giant crab tried to grab them.

"Take this, yo!" B shouted as he partially cloaked himself in Gyuki's chakra, driving his fist into the carapace of the crab as it buckled under the strength of the blow.

However, B's blow wasn't enough to completely stun the beast, the crab slamming its claw into his side as he was sent into the side of a building. He was pulled out of it by C and Darui, the two slinging his arms over their shoulders. While it wasn't enough to seriously damage the man, B had his chakra siphoned by Pain during the majority of the engagement, his lack of breath evident of that fact.

"We gotta move." Darui muttered as they attempted to relocate, though the crab fired a stream of bubbles at them that seemed to act as a form of adhesive.

"W-What is this!?" C bit out as he tried to free himself of the foam, finding that the more he struggled the more the solution would foam up.

"Like I said, it's futile to resist." Pain told them in an indifferent tone, momentarily glancing away to see A being handled by three of his other bodies while Konan was battling against Yugito.

The plan to capture the remainder of the jinchuuriki had fallen through when Zetsu had reported that the Kyuubi wasn't with the Konoha group. Though the original plan had fallen through, the Nibi and Hachibi were still within their grasp, and they intended to make the most out of it. Seeing that A was desperately trying to get to Yugito and B, Pain sent the majority of his bodies to stall him, seeing that he lacked many of the long range jutsu that the other Kage had. That one flaw would prove to be a boon to the man and a bane to the Kage.

"You can't escape." Konan said as she ensnared Yugito once more in a sphere of paper, the woman quickly burning her way out though with much more trouble then before.

"Ha... You guys are relentless..." Yugito muttered in an exhausted manner, the woman wincing when she had noticed that she had run into Konan's trap.

By constantly forcing Yugito to expend her chakra by burning away the paper that trapped her, Konan was whittling away the charka that the woman had. Though, it was proving a bit longer then she had anticipated, not expecting Yugito to have such a connection to the bijū within her. Konan's expression turned to surprise when she saw Yugito cloak herself in Matatabi's chakra, flying away from the volley of mice shaped fireballs sent her way. The sight surprising her, Konan knew that it was a taxing process to utilize the chakra of a bijū based on the encounters that she's had in the past.

About to strike down the woman beneath her, Konan froze. It wasn't just Konan but also everyone in the adjacent area, the sounds of footsteps breaking the silence like a hammer would a pane of glass. Stiffly, everyone turned to look at its source as the Kumo ninja had their fears seized once more. Pain and Konan stared with tension becoming much more prevalent on their bodies, sweat beginning to run down their faces from the pressure the man walking towards them was emanating.

"Let's get this over with, I've got a lot to do." Naruto told them in an irritated tone, an explosion of black and crimson lightning caving the ground beneath him as he settled into a loose stance.

Blinking, Pain's eyes widened when he saw the paths that were fighting A get crushed. Limbs flying from the blows that Naruto gave them, he turned to gaze at Pain and Konan as they stared wide eyed at what had just happened. A bit panicked, they immediately moved to retreat, Naruto simply watching them leave as they had witnessed something akin to a monster appear. Though, before they left, Konan had one last failsafe in the event they failed to successful capture any of the jinchuuriki. Sending out two pieces of paper, they attached themselves to Yugito and B as the two of them froze. Instantly, they fell from the conscious realm as their bodies hit the ground.

"**Fūinjutsu: Shoukyuufu!**" Konan whispered as the pieces of paper returned with deep crimson markings on them, the woman instantly gritting her teeth when she had them merge with her person.

Panting, Konan managed to remain conscious enough to fly with Pain in tow, the two retreating as A and his ninja moved to check on the two unconscious jinchuuriki, finding that they were just unconscious and running low on chakra. Sighing, they were relieved to see that they weren't killed, though there was something ghastly about what Konan had done to them, A sensing that something was amiss. Those thoughts were stolen, however, when they remembered the person responsible for causing the two of them to retreat. Stiffly, they turned to face Naruto and promptly paled when they saw his visage, the dried blood and gore that covered his person being a reasonable deterrent to anyone who would want to speak to him.

Though, before they could utter a word, Naruto turned and headed back to Hisako and Naru. The sight of him growing smaller causing a breath of relief to leave their mouths, they moved to regroup with the other ninja who had attended the summit. With Minato and company, they had finished a very brief encounter with Zetsu, the man being quickly cut down by Minato before being absorbed into the ground. With Onoki and Kurotsuchi, they met with no enemies, opting to escort the injured away from the battles happening around the village. Mei's group was found in a comical fashion with Zabuza and herself still continuing to argue with each other, the two having to be broken up by A and Minato after they couldn't stand watching the scene any longer. Once things were settled, Mifune had immediately declared that they start the campaign against the Akatsuki, the damage that was brought to his village being the catalyst for such a thought. Though, it was all agreed that the time had finally come, the next Great Ninja War was about to commence.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Open Chamber)

"The preparations are set. Now, let us begin." Tobi said as he glanced at Kabuto's nearly withered form, the man having used nearly everything that was within him for furthering the plan that was hatched by the man inside the closest casket.

"Shall we begin, Madara?" Tobi asked the casket that was closest to him, the door to it splintering before breaking completely.

"We still need a single piece of the Kyuubi, though I believe that we will gain that piece once this war begins." Madara said with a small smirk on his face, turning to the side as he felt a very specific chakra signature.

"And... It appears that I will be able to fight with a fabled member of the clan that was said to have partnered with dragons. This will truly be an interesting war." Madara said as a grin crossed his face, the prospect of battling against someone who could stand toe to toe with a legendary creature sparking his excitement.

With those words, the seemingly endless amount of caskets that were behind Madara began to open, the fallen ninja of the past emerging as they readied themselves for the war that was to come.

(Scene Change - Unknown Location: Mountain Peak)

"**That was quite the wonderful display of instinct... Human, I hope to see you again once you master that stunning instinct.**" Black said in a sleepy manner as he swallowed another large ram he saw, yawning a bit before he returned to his slumber.

* * *

**And that's a wrap guys. Well, how'd you like it? I heard a lot of theories about what that instinct would do, and well hope it was what you did or didn't expect. Hiruko is toast, nothing else can really be said except don't hurt Hisako, unless you wanna become a place for creepy crawlies to spawn from. And yeah, nothing else too much happened this chapter, just a beatdown and very minor invasion. Not too much else to say, guys so yeah. You know the drill, PM, Review and all that jazz. And until next time, you all stay awesome.**

* * *

**Honnou: Kiga** \- **Instinct: Hunger**: No Human Rank, Honnou; Instinct utilizing Hunger as its base. The user exerts their instinct, causing the instinctive hunger that dwells within those that are caught in the range of the users instinct to fall into a hungered frenzy. The longer and closer those who are affected by the users instinct, the more insatiable and savage the target will become. The target will devour anything that is within its reach, starting with itself, having its sense of pain and self preservation overridden by the instinctive hunger that will continuously grow as time goes on. The stronger one's will is, the longer they will be able to resist the urge to feed, though causing shock to oneself before succumbing to the desire to feed will momentarily allow them to regain control over their hunger.

**Jinton: Mueishō** **\- Swift Release: Shadowless Flight**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkei Genkai; Hiruko uses this technique to move at instantaneous speeds, rapidly striking his opponents at various angles while avoiding any opposition regardless of the opponent's speed or strength. This technique is very effective against strength-based close-combat taijutsu users.

**Kōton: Mukankaku - Steel Release: I****mpervious Armor**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Kekkei Genkai; This technique allows the user to turn their body into black steel, making that part invulnerable. Hiruko states that blades do not affect him at all due to this ability. The portion converted into black steel is similar in appearance and functionality to **Doton: Domu**.

**Doton: Domu - Earth Release: Earth Spear**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu, Nagashi; The user flows chakra through all parts of their body causing it to become noticeably darker, which increases their defensive power to its utmost limits by making the skin as hard as diamond, easily capable of withstanding most attacks with little to no damage. As a result the amount of techniques that can break through the areas hardened by the **Doton: Domu** are close to zero, excluding its undeniable weak point: Raiton ninjutsu. Furthermore, the destructive power of physical attacks is increased, making this a great all-purpose technique. Kakuzu used this technique through the use of his earth-element mask. Kakuzu demonstrated the ability to use this to cover himself partially (i.e. his hand and lower arm, and the side of his head) without using hand seals, which gave him a significant tactical advantage against ambushes.

**Raiton: Jinrai - Lightning Release: Thunderclap**: B-Rank, Ninjutsu; Taught to Naruto by Ryuuhei. The user builds up a large amount of Raiton natured chakra in a part of their body, usually the hands or feet, then releases it all at once, resulting in an blinding and deafening flash of light. The effect of which varies depending on the amount of chakra and part of the body used.

**Raiton: Dai Jinrai - Lightning Release: Great Thunderclap**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu that builds upon the basic principals of the **Raiton: Jinrai**. The user builds up a large amount of Raiton natured chakra in a part of their body, usually the hands or feet, then releases it all at once, resulting in an blinding and deafening flash of light. The effect is much greater then that of the basic **Raiton: Jinrai**, the effect usually far outpacing the former in terms of power and damage.

**Raiton: Shin Jinrai - Lightning Release: True Thunderclap**: S-Rank, Ninjutsu; The final form of the **Raiton: Jinrai**, having the capability of large scale damage due to the massive amount of Raiton chakra used to create the shroud of lightning used to coat the arm. Like the basic **Raiton: Jinrai** the user builds up a large amount of Raiton natured chakra in a part of their body, in this case the arm is the only usuble limb as control is the most important aspect of this jutsu, then releases it all at once, resulting in a monstrous explosion of lightning that drowns everything in a sea of white. The effect of this jutsu is far from just electrocuting the target, as it doesn't focus of damage to flesh and tissue but rather the nerves of the target. The damage caused by this jutsu amplifies the nerve endings of the target, causing their bodies to become extremely hypersensitive, resulting in agony that is multiplied many times over due to the supercharged nerve endings. The range of this jutsu also extends past the basic versions of it, capable of creating lingering 'pools' of lightning that will cause paralysis and nerve damage should one come in direct contact with them.

**Suiton: Tenrouha - Heaven Waterfall Cut**: A-Rank, Ninjutsu; A jutsu in which the user molds the chakra in their chest into a highly pressurized stream of water. The high pressure of the water what makes this jutsu as dangerous as it is, allowing it to cut objects and people with as much ease as a chakra enhanced blade. The greater the control the user has on the stream of water, the greater the cutting power that it has, skilled users able to slice through the ground as easily as a heated blade slices through butter.

**Fuinjutsu: Shoukyuufu - Sealing Technique: Spirit Absorption Seal:** S-Rank, Kinjutsu, Ninjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Hidan; A jutsu utilized by Konan as a last resort of sorts. Sending out pieces of paper with a certain seal on them, created by the woman after studying under her old mentor Jiraiya, Konan has the ability absorb a single tail's worth of chakra of a jinchuuriki and their biju. The pieces of paper will then merge with Konan, the woman becoming a pseudo-jinchuuriki of sorts. The reason behind this jutsu being a last resort of Konan's is the danger of having foreign chakra, especially the chakra of a biju, forcibly placed into her body, Konan suffering from the same poisoning that a jinchuuriki faces when overusing its tenants chakra before dying, though she has the ability to have another become the next vessel for such chakra, the time limit for transferring the chakra she's absorbed being thirty-five minutes.


End file.
