Team 7 and the Demon Swords
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Inuyasha.
"Hello" – Speaking
'Hello' – Thoughts
"Hello" – Demon/Boss Summon Speaking/Techniques
'Hello' – Demon/Boss Summon Thoughts
Author's Notes: In the majority of my stories I refer to Kyuubi as a kitsune, but in this one it will be referred to as a Yoko.
Chapter One: The Stars and Swords
Fires raged and trees burned. The mountains quaked and buildings crumbled. The winds howled and tore across the land.
This was a path of destruction wrought by the Kyuubi no Yoko, the last of an ancient breed that once battled with humans for supremacy over the world. It was considered hopeless suicide for any mortal that faced against this mighty demon in battle.
And suicide it was for the Yondaime Hokage. But it was far from hopeless.
Calling on the powers of the God of Death, the Shinigami, he was able to halt the fox's rampage by sealing its spirit and chakra into his new born son, Uzumaki Naruto, at the cost of his own life.
With the Kyuubi defeated the village of Konohagakure no Sato celebrated the averted disaster. It was a time of joy but also sorrow as the Hidden Leaf Village celebrated over their continued life and wept for their fallen comrades who gave their lives to stop the fox.
In this turmoil of drinking and partying, weeping and prayer not one individual noticed a new star in the night sky. A star that shined with yellow light amongst two other stars that shone blue and red.
These are the stars of the King, not seen in thousands of years. Their shining light foretells the coming of the future Lord of the West, who will forever change the world. But will the change be for the better or worse?
(Time skip – 13 years)
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, looked at the various papers on his desk. It was very early in the morning and he was currently trying to figure out which of his shinobi should be assigned to the each of the various missions requested of the village for the day.
The mission requests were mostly D and C-ranked with a few B-ranks thrown into the mix. Looking over the available ninja files Sarutobi saw that Kakashi had selected his usual allotment of D-ranked missions for his Genin team.
He paused before pulling out and looking over the specific files for each of the Genin in the Elite Jounin's team. Although the Sandaime made it a habit to be well informed about all the ninja under his command, Kakashi's team 7 was of particular interest to him.
The oldest of the three was Haruno Sakura, easily recognizable by the bright pink hair that is distinctive of the women in her family. The Haruno clan was small, whose members had always taken a civilian career, usually becoming merchants or teachers. Sakura however had chosen to become a ninja, something no one in her family had tried to be before, which is almost unheard of for any clan living in a hidden village. This left her at a disadvantage in the academy since she had absolutely no elder member of her family that could help train her like her classmates.
Then there was a small problem with said classmates. They were merely acquaintances to her. She did have a friend in Yamanaka Ino for a while but because of their mutual crush on their class's eventual Rookie of the Year they became rivals of love, which ended their friendship. Sure she was on friendly terms with most of the other children at the academy; but they couldn't be considered true friends.
Yet she never gave up and graduated from the academy with outstanding technical scores. Unfortunately her practical scores were only mediocre at best thus giving her a ranking in the middle of the class. But the old Hokage felt that the girl had potential, it just needed to be coaxed out.
Putting Sakura's file away Sarutobi pulled out the one concerning the second member of the team, Uchiha Sasuke. Top of his class, earning him the position of Rookie of the Year, Sasuke was considered a genius shinobi. Sarutobi considered it unfortunate that the reason why the young Uchiha strived so hard was to gain power for revenge. Sasuke was one of the last two surviving members of the famed Uchiha clan, the other being his elder brother Uchiha Itachi and slayer of the Uchiha clan. Since that night five years ago Sasuke pushed himself to be the best so that one day he could face his older brother and take revenge for what Itachi did. Many in the village considered Sasuke's story to be of unequaled woe, and to the Sandaime it was made worse by the secret truth he kept hidden from the world.
But there were nights where he lied awake in bed wondering if he truly knew what happened. Something about the entire affair had seemed off to the Hokage, no matter how much evidence there was to support it.
The old man stopped that line of thought before he went down a path of questions he had no answers for and picked up the next file of the youngest member of team 7. Sasuke's story was sad, but to the Sandaime the story of Uzumaki Naruto was far worse.
In the academy his scores were at the bottom of the class, listing him as the dead last. But despite the academic failures he has never given up on his dream to be Hokage. The boy had the potential to accomplish that dream if his being able to learn the B-class jutsu Kage Bunshin is any indication. Unfortunately the night Naruto learned that jutsu was also the night he learned of his greatest secret. A secret Sarutobi had hoped would be taken to the grave, but realistically knew Naruto would discover sooner or later.
On October 10th the night of Naruto's birth the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked Konoha. Sarutobi's successor, Namikaze Minato, had done the only thing he could think of to stop the fox demon. He used a sacrificial jutsu to seal the beast away in a new born child. That child was Naruto.
He became a savior that night, and at the same time lost everything. The fox's attack had left the baby orphaned, its actions taking the lives of both his mother and father. After that night there were few people in the village willing to interact with the boy for fear of the demon he contained, and in the worst case fear that he was the demon he contained. And even though a law had been passed so that no one of the younger generations would know of Naruto's connection to the Kyuubi that did not stop parents from preventing their children from interacting with the boy.
In a sense all three were alone. Sakura isolated from her family by her choice to be a kunoichi, and isolated from the only friend she had by her choice of a romantic crush. Sasuke by his choice to isolate himself from his peers by spending his time training. And Naruto, isolated by the demon he contains despite his efforts gain attention. Although pranking the village was probably getting him the wrong kind of attention.
Sighing he put down the individual files and looked at the mission reports in team 7's folder. They had recently returned from their first C-ranked mission to the Land of Waves. However due to lying on the part of the client and the appearance of an A-class missing-nin it had been revised to an A-ranked mission.
Everyone had come back alive and well but the Hokage could tell something was weighing on their minds. According to Kakashi they had each in their own way been affected by the death of Zabuza and his apprentice Haku, especially Naruto. And it was probably made worse by the knowledge that his Jinchuuriki heritage had awaked during the mission allowing Naruto to use his inner demon's power for the first time.
Sarutobi was a firm believer that hard work was the best way to get the mind off depressing matters so he ignored the pile of D-ranked mission requests and randomly pulled out one from the C-ranked pile. Seeing which specific file he grabbed the Sandaime smiled feeling that this was a sign of good fortune. This particular mission was one that was requested of Konohagakure every year and not once had their ever been any trouble. In fact it was generally considered more fun, educational, safer, and less annoying then the D-ranks (especially the ones involving Tora), and highly coveted because of it. He contacted his secretary to inform their client that he had selected the team that would be carrying out the mission.
As mid-morning rolled around it was time to assign the upcoming missions. The teams of shinobi, mostly Genin squads and a few independent Chuunin came in one by one and were given their assignments.
Eventually team 7 walked through his door, preceded by Naruto.
"Hey Hokage-jiji! We're here for our mission! Have you got something exciting for us to do besides those boring D-rank missions?" He excitedly asked the old man.
"Sorry Naruto," said Kakashi, walking behind his team, nose in his copy of Icha Icha Paradise, "but I already prearranged for us to only get D-rank missions for awhile." He said making the blonde visible wilt as his teacher burst his bubble.
"Actually Kakashi, I have decided to assign team 7 their second C-rank mission." Said the Hokage getting a visible positive from Naruto and Sasuke, and one that indicated indecisiveness from Sakura.
Kakashi's one visible eye widened in shock as the Elite Jounin questioned whether he heard correctly. "But Hokage-sama it's only been a week since we got back from our mission to Wave. Don't you think it is premature to be giving them another mission outside the village considering what happened on that one?" Asked the confused Jounin.
The Hokage smiled as he said, "No, I believe that this particular mission is just what your team needs at the moment." He then told his secretary over the intercom to send in the client.
Walking through a different door then what team seven used was an old man. This guy looked like he could be the Hokage's grandfather, and that's saying something since Sarutobi was a grandfather himself. But despite the bald head adorned with a few liver spots, despite that fact his pure white beard came down to his naval, despite the wrinkles and crow's feet, everything about the man screamed vitality and energy. He walked and held himself like someone in their thirties. He had a gnarled wooden cane, but it looked like it was used more for decoration then real need.
The old man wore monk robes that were primarily a deep red that was the shade of fresh blood, with a golden trim. The closest thing to jewelry the ancient monk wore was a string of prayer beads draped around his neck. The most intriguing piece of the ensemble was the white fur that was draped over his right shoulder.
"So this is the team selected for me Sarutobi-kun." Said the monk his tenor voice smooth and calming to any ears that heard it. "They are not Chuunin like you usually assign but they look like a good and lively bunch."
"Soooo, who's the hijiji?" Asked Naruto referring to the newcomer as a very old man, and got an elbow in his ribs thanks to Sakura.
"Naruto you shouldn't refer to strangers and clients that way." She admonished her blonde teammate.
"Ho ho, There is no need for that." Chuckled the monk as he watched the Gennin interact. "Many people have called me an old man and your friend there certainly won't be the last. After all it is the truth. But if you wish to have something else to call me, my name is Houshi. And while I now know the name of the blonde boy I don't know yours or your teammate's young lady."
Sakura using the manners instilled in her by her mother bowed deeply as she said. "I'm Haruno Sakura, pleased to meet you."
Sasuke used a little less tact as he just said, "Uchiha Sasuke," and did nothing else.
Houshi nodded his head in greeting to the three Gennin and then turned to the Jounin, who's book had mysteriously vanished. "And young Kakashi-kun is here too. It has been quite awhile since I last saw you hasn't it?"
"That it has Houshi-sama." Greeted Kakashi. "I take it that your being here means that it's that time of year again. It's odd though, I heard that you rarely left the temple these days."
"Yes well, this old bag of bones felt like it needed to be stretched a bit." Replied the monk. "And what better way to do that then to spend a few days in the Fire Daimyo's palace."
"Um, Excuse me," interrupted Naruto, "but who exactly is this guy what is our mission?"
"Dear me," said Houshi as he stroked is beard, "I was so caught up reminiscing about the old and new that I forgot that I'm here for business and not pleasure. Please forgive this old man for wasting time Sarutobi-kun."
The Hokage waved the apology off as nothing. "Nonsense Houshi-sama, time spent in your presence is hardly wasted. Besides Naruto needs to learn a bit of patience. But I guess we should get back to work." Clearing his throat the Hokage put on his business face. "Team 7 Houshi-sama is the head monk for the Temple of the Three Swords, one of the most important temples in the Land of Fire, if not the most important in all of the Elemental Countries. This makes Houshi-sama one of the most important and respected individuals in the Land of Fire"
"Now you're making me blush." Interjected Houshi.
"As I was saying, every year one of the senior monks travels to the palace of the Fire Daimyo to take part in various ceremonies. During their return to the temple they stop by Konoha and hire a team of ninja to escort them back, a practice that has gone on since our village's founding."
"Wait," interrupted Sakura, "if they need to hire shinobi on the trip home then why don't they hire us on the way to the capital?"
Kakashi took the opportunity to educate his students. "Actually Sakura, because of various superstitions and cultural customs holy men such as Houshi-sama are rarely accosted on the road. The number of times that a ninja has actually needed to defend the monk from danger can be counted one hand."
"Ah man, that sounds boring." Whined Naruto. "Can't we get a mission where we get to see some action?"
"Naruto," sighed Sarutobi, "being a shinobi isn't always about fighting. Receiving this mission is considered an honor because the ninja who are assigned to escort the monk receives permission to enter the temple grounds. A right not granted to everyone."
"Still sounds boring." Grumbled the blonde.
"Be that as it may Naruto it is still our mission." Said Kakashi. "Alright team 7 I want you to go home and pack for the mission. We'll be gone for several days so be sure to pack enough supplies to last you. Meet me and Houshi-sama at the main gate in three hours." Without another word Kakashi disappeared in a plume of smoke as he used Shunshin, the three Gennin heading out the door to follow their orders.
"Well this should be an interesting trip. It's been awhile since I have spent time with youths such as they." Commented Houshi. He turned to the Hokage and asked in a curious tone. "Tell me Sarutobi-kun, how old are these three?"
"Hmm? Oh, they are 13. And Sakura will turn 14 next month." Said Sarutobi in a dismissive tone as he turned back to his paper work for the next team.
"Really." Muttered the monk as he stroked his beard, a glint of interest in his eye. "I wonder how things will turn out." He said as he walked out the door.
Three hours later at the appointed time team 7 walked through Konoha's main gate with their client walking between them.
Compared to the trip to Wave this one was, in Naruto's words, Booooorrrrriiiinnnnnggg. Sakura bonked him on the head for complaining. She was perfectly happy with the lack of attacks from missing-nin.
Kakashi trying to get some peace since he couldn't read his Icha Icha (he dared not read it in front of Houshi-sama) suggested that Naruto practice the tree climbing exercise by using his chakra to climb up the trees, tree hop till he was several hundred feet a head of the group then continually walk up and down the tree he was on until the group caught up, then repeat. It would be a good test of his chakra reserves as well as to practice his chakra control.
Naruto took the bait and was soon running around the trees like a monkey. Sasuke followed suit not wanting miss out on practical practice time, not after he was defeated to easily during the last mission. Sakura participated as well seeing Sasuke doing it, but tired out after several hours of practice.
The boys lasted a considerable amount of time, going on until they stopped for the night. Both were breathing hard but Sasuke was gasping for breath while Naruto only lightly panted, proof that his chakra control had improved considerably since they were in Wave.
This was how they spent the following day and the day after that. During this whole time Houshi had watched the three, studying what kind of person they each were.
Sakura, when not doing a task, continually spent her time watching the Uchiha boy with eyes that clearly showed admiration and desire. However there were times when her attention was directed to the Uzumaki boy, but instead of admiration her eyes would show confusion, interest, and curiosity. Sakura also spent a considerable amount of time trying to strike up a conversation with Sasuke, but he would usually only answer her with a single word, effectively killing the conversation. Shortly afterward Naruto would try talking to her.
It was obvious the boy had a bit of a crush on her the same way the girl had a crush on Sasuke. The difference was Naruto had better luck getting Sakura to speak to him, but Houshi noticed a slight habit the boy had of directing any conversation away from his personal life unless it involved being a ninja or ramen. Houshi agreed that ramen was good and considered challenging him to an eating contest later.
But apart from that all Houshi managed to learn about Naruto was that he wanted to be Hokage, that he was very loud, and that he was hiding something. Houshi didn't know what it was but he could feel something beneath the blonde's surface, both mentally and physically. He would be keeping an eye on the boy, of that he was sure.
Sasuke was an open book before Houshi's eyes. The Uchiha pushed himself in his training trying to surpass the blonde in their daily contest of tree walking. He was silent and looked as if he was constantly brooding. Houshi was aware of the Uchiha massacre and sensed considerable anger boiling in the boy's mind. And that anger was all he focused on.
Houshi knew that this boy that would need watching. Of the three he was currently the most dangerous, especially if his hunch was right.
On the third day of the trip after Sakura had almost run out of chakra she found herself walking next to the monk they guarded. Houshi-sama had been a wonderful traveling companion, certainly better then that drunken old man Tazuna and generally better company than her teammates. Even Sasuke she admitted.
Houshi-sama was a better conversationalist then the others even if Naruto tried putting more energy into it. His manners were better than her teammates and had even cooked some wonderful meals for them. But he had yet to speak on a subject that she was growing more curious about lately.
As they caught up to Naruto and Sasuke she spoke up to the ancient monk. "Houshi-sama, I've been wondering, why is it that outsiders require special permission before they are allowed to enter your temple?" The boys paused their training, knowing they would be reaching their destination by the afternoon and were curious about the place.
"Well Sakura it's because of the temple's treasures." Answered Houshi.
"Treasure!" Exclaimed Naruto, dollar signs in his eyes. "You mean like gold, jewels, really cool weapons? Oh I know! You've got the recipe for the world's best tasting ramen!"
"Naruto that's only the kind of treasure you would want." Said an exasperated Sakura. "Since it's a temple it must be something like a priceless artifact. Right Houshi-sama?"
The monk stroked his beard as he thought. "Hmm…Personally I think you're both right. Not to brag but our temple is home to some of the best ramen around." Everyone but Naruto sweat dropped at seeing the old man start smacking his lips in anticipation, Naruto just licked his own lips at the thought of delicious ramen. "But most would say that our true treasures are the three swords we keep enshrined in the temple."
"Swords?" Asked Sasuke, wondering what kind of swords needed their own temple. Although it did make sense considering the temple's name
"These are no ordinary swords." Continued Houshi. "Legend says that anyone who can wield just one of them will have the power to stop an entire army with a single swing of the sword." The ninja's interest increased greatly for their own reasons.
Naruto was thinking of what kind of super awesome ninja he could be with those swords. Sasuke contemplated what kind of strength he would have with those swords. Sakura saw herself in similar shoes to Naruto, bringing honor and glory to the Haruno clan and catching Sasuke's eternal love for her incredible skill.
"Of course it's not as simple drawing the sword and swinging it." Said Houshi deflating the Genin's daydreams. "According to our legends each sword will only unleash its power when used by someone that possesses the proper traits. Even then each has a different set of powers that is not like the others."
"What do you mean by traits and powers?" Asked Naruto.
Houshi didn't speak for a moment as he considered what he should say. "It is not far to the temple so I think I will save the full story till we are there. Besides it can be more easily explained there. But I will tell you this much. They are called the Swords of Heaven, Earth, and Hell. The Sword of Heaven is said to have the power to save a hundred lives in a single swing. The sword of Earth is said to be able to slay a hundred foes in a single swing. And the Sword of Hell grants the power to raise a hundred souls from the land of the dead. But the swords are said to be sentient and choose their master, and in the hands of anyone else are nothing more than scrap metal. Still to cut down on the number of people tempted to steal them the monks rarely let in outsiders." Pausing again in his speech, stroking his beard Houshi decided that was enough stories until they reached the temple. Besides, it will be interesting to watch the Genin's reactions to the description of the weapons. And it wouldn't be long before they reached the temple.
And Houshi's estimation of their distance was accurate as only a half hour later they came to the stairs that led up and encircled the mountain that the Temple of Three Swords sat upon. It was a long and grueling climb that lasted another hour. Even Kakashi needed to catch his breath at the top. Houshi however looked like he merely went for a stroll in the park.
Turning their attention to the temple the Genin gasped. The temple ground was surrounded by a large wooden wall that was just as much decoration as functional. The grounds themselves covered several thousand square feet and looked very much like the surrounding forest with trees, bushes, and wild flowers growing at seemingly random places, but were actually grown and cultivated making the place one giant garden. Through the trees ran a winding stone path that twisted and curved, imitating a river, with several smaller paths branching off from the main one. The smaller paths would lead the travelers to various Shinto shrines erected for the various guardian deities of the land, others led to meditation gardens, some could be traced to the buildings the monks had erected, and a couple were just scenic paths that the monks liked to walk upon.
Within the grounds were five buildings. Four of them were simple single story wooden constructions that served the monks basic needs of sleeping quarters, kitchen, dining hall, and a hot springs for baths.
The fifth building sat in the center of the forest garden and was the temple itself. Standing three stories high and constructed of white marble it was breathtakingly beautiful with its gentle slopes and curves, the roof made of red sandstone tiles that imitated the setting sun.
"Wow!" Breathed Sakura as she looked at the beautiful place. She noticed in the corner of her eye two deer that were wandering around the inside of the wall without a care in the world.
"It is beautiful." Agreed Houshi. "But I believe you all want to hear the full story don't you?" He said as he walked the winding path that led to the temple.
As the five crossed the threshold of the temple the ninja immediately noticed a change. The air was calmer, more sedate. It was as if there was a blanket of serenity wrapped around the place. This serenity affected Naruto the most as he moved more slowly and was quieter then he had been during most of the mission. Heck then he had for most of his life.
Kakashi noted with his visible eye that from a distance the temple seemed to be made of smooth marble, but in fact had seals carved into every surface. Some of them he recognized, but the majority were a mystery.
Inside they saw that the walls and ceiling were covered in mosaics constructed from colored stone. The Genin saw no real connection the pictures had. One on the west wall showed a man with long silver hair done up in a samurai's top knot, wearing flowing white ropes with armor and possessed a fur similar to Houshi's. From the man's angle you couldn't see his face, but you could clearly make out the three swords he carried on his person. He stood atop a cliff overlooking the ocean.
Another mosaic depicted a giant white dog doing battle with a massive dragon. There was a similar one on the south wall of the same dog fighting against and equally giant sized cat that had horns growing from its neck and head.
Finally the mosaic on the east wall depicted two men with silver hair, one with a red robe, dog ears, and a prayer bead necklace, the other possessing a regal air, wearing white robes similar to the first man accompanied by the fur and armor on the other shoulder, he also only had one arm. Both men had drawn swords that were crossed in front of them as if they were doing battle despite their relaxed postures. The man in red possessed a sword easily as tall as he was and looked like a giant fang. The man in white's sword looked like a simple katana but possessed an other worldly beauty.
Even the floor had a mosaic of what the temple grounds would look like seen from above. And at the center where the temple should be stood a metal statue, with three swords in sheaths displayed upon it. Where the sword on the right stood, the statue appeared round and fluffy like clouds. On the left side of the statue it too was round, but more angular and hard giving the appearance of rocks and stones with the second sword standing there. Finally there was the center of the statue that imitated flames and human bones, where the third sword stood, with its long hilt that looked like aged bone ending in a massive purple gem.
"These Children," said Houshi quietly, almost as if he was afraid of waking someone up, "are the Three Swords. The Sword of Heaven, Tenseiga. The Sword of Earth, Tetsusaiga. And the Sword of Hell, Sounga."
"For treasured swords they don't look like much." Said Naruto as he reached out to touch Sounga only to have his hand smacked by the old man's cane.
"Careful boy." Warned Houshi. "It is impossible to touch these swords because they are protected by a barrier that will harm any that touch it. And they may not look impressive but that is because the barrier also locks away their power. Or to be more precise, locks away Sounga's power." He said darkly.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow in curiosity at this. "Wait. Just Sounga's power? Doesn't the barrier also seal Tenseiga's and Tetsusaiga's power?"
"It does," admitted Houshi. "But its true purpose is to seal Sounga's. The barrier is even helped by Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga in that regard."
"But why does it need to be sealed?" Asked Sakura. "And what do the mosaics mean."
"Well I suppose now is as good a time as any to tell the story behind the swords. That will explain everything." Houshi cleared his throat and opened his mouth and said. "Is that Icha Icha you've got there Kakashi-kun?" He asked as he turned to Kakashi with an evil glint in his eye.
The sweating Jounin, having gotten his book out hoping Houshi would be too distracted by storytelling to notice tried to hide the book in his vest as he denied it. Houshi wasn't fooled.
"It looks like you need another night of purification." He said as he pulled out a little bell and rang it, causing half a dozen monks dressed in dark blue to appear from nowhere who started carrying the crying form of Kakashi away as he protested at what they were doing.
Houshi chuckled evilly as he turned back to the wide eyed Genin, fearful of what was going to happen to their sensei. "No need to fear children. Kakashi-kun just needs some time to remind himself of the importance of keeping a pure mind and body. You'll see him again in the morning. Now on to the tale.
Thousands of years ago, long before humans discovered how to use chakra, the world ran rampant with demons." Houshi noted Naruto shifting uncomfortably as he continued. "The humans and demons clashed continually with one another, battling for supremacy. It is fortunate that the demons were fewer in number and fought amongst themselves more often then they fought with the humans or else we might not be alive today. The demons came in all shapes, sizes, and forms. All with various powers and strengths.
The Three Swords belonged to a mighty dog demon who was known as the Lord of the Western Lands. He is the one depicted in the mosaics on the north, south, and west walls, and it is said that his power rivaled that of the Kyuubi, strongest of the Bijuu. The last remaining demons." Again Naruto shifted ever so slightly. "But unlike the Bijuu, Inu no Taishou loved and protected humans. And to aid his endeavors had two swords forged from his fangs, Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga."
"Wait," interrupted Sakura. "If he had Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga forged then where did he get Sounga?"
"That is a mystery." Admitted Houshi. "Sounga is very different from the other two. It is vicious and blood-thirsty, possessing power that surpasses Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga individually. It does not seek a master but instead seeks to be the master. For sealed within Sounga is the spirit of a mighty and evil demon that corrupts any who hold the sword. Inu no Taishou was the only being known to possess the strength of body and mind to overcome the demonic spirit and force it to serve him.
After his death at the hands of the dragon demon you see on the northern wall, Inu no Taishou's sons inherited Tenseiga and Tetsusaiga. But Sounga's spirit was sealed away by the other swords' power. After the death of the sons the swords lost much of their power and this temple and that statue were created to make sure Sounga never awoke. If you notice the seals carved everywhere, those are wards and sutras designed to purify the air of negative and demonic energies. That is why this place is so calm and peaceful. Animals would freely roam inside if not for their natural fear of Sounga." He ended with a dark and foreboding air.
"But enough about that." Said Houshi more jovially then when he told the sword's tale. "By now you all must be hungry and dirty. Sakura if you go to the north western part of the grounds you will find the hot springs. Sasuke, if you are interested he have a rather nice meditation garden in the southern end that can be used for practicing. And Naruto," he said with a mad gleam in his eye, "I mentioned that we have some rather tasty ramen here. Would you like a taste…and a little eating contest?"
Gaining an equally mad gleam in his eyes accompanied by and evil grin Naruto accepted. "You're on hijiji. I'm going to show you why I am Ichiraku's best customer."
As the four departed no one noticed the pulse of energy given off by Sounga, as if a long dead heart had started beating again.
Naruto awoke in the middle of the night with an unsettling feeling. His bladder was full.
Grumbling, he got up and made the trek to the bathroom which, for some reason he could not fathom, was kept all the way on the opposite end of the temple grounds from the bedrooms.
It did not help matters that he had a bulging stomach from all the ramen he ate. He was convinced that Houshi was a ninja that knew a technique to empty his stomach. How else could he have beaten Naruto at a ramen eating contest? And still act as if he had eaten only one bowl.
Having relieved himself, Naruto made his way back to the sleeping quarters. As he passed by the temple, he noticed something in the corner of his eye. If he looked closely enough at the heavy doors he could make out a light underneath them, and shadows moving around. It was the middle of the night and he was sure the temple was dark and empty for the night when he walked by there earlier. So who was in there now?
Slipping over to the door, he gently nudged the metal construct open so that it would make a small crack through which he could see what was going on. Inside he could make out the form of at least five people. Two of them, a man and woman, stood by the statue while the other three, all of whom wore a uniform that hid their identities apart from the hitat-ates that had a musical note on it, looked like they were searching for something.
"So these are the famed treasure swords of the Land of Fire." Commented the woman, who was tall, pale, had long dark hair, an eye patch over her left eye, and wore a kimono that was cut down the sides of the leg and had the top opened revealing her bandaged chest. Tied to her right leg is an Iwa headband. "Not much to look at."
A grunt was the response from her companion, a tall muscular man of dark complexion and a bald head. His clothing was similar to that of an ANBU sans mask. In its place he wore dark sunglasses, and on his brow rested a Kumo headband. "It's a wonder you ever graduated the academy much less got promoted to Jounin Ko-chan. One of the most basic principles we ninja follow is that not everything is as it appears to be. Or maybe it's ignoring such fundamentals that led to Iwa's defeat against Konoha."
The woman stomped the overly muscled man's foot, causing the man to hop in pain as he stifled a scream. "Don't speak so familiarly with me you lug head. And last I checked Kumo was defeated by Konoha only a few years after the Third Great Shinobi War."
The cloud-nin growled at the woman. "Only because of that idiotic Sandaime who called for a truce as a ploy to get that damn Byakugan Doujutsu. After that failure he was replaced by that damn Yondaime Raikage."
"You mean that cousin of yours who almost had you executed if you hadn't escaped from prison?" Interjected the woman.
"Yeah Kokoa-san, the same way they wanted to execute you for your little illegal tests back in Iwa." Countered the man.
"At least what I did was for the good of my village, unlike you Iba." Spat Kokoa. "If only I had the time to perfect my formula then I could have brought Konoha to its knees restoring Iwa's strength and pride. But when it was discovered what I was doing our soft leader declared me a criminal who was to be executed." Her lovely face contorted in anger at the memory of all her grand work being destroyed all for the sake of what some called morality. "Now just the thought of my former village, or worse Konoha…" She shuddered, "But that is why we came here. To find weapons that will grant us the power we need to take revenge on the villages that cast us out. And while we're at it, to destroy that miserable Konohagakure no Sato."
"Easier said than done Ko-chan, or have you forgotten the shocking surprise I got when I tried to grab the swords." Said Iba as he held up his freshly burned hand, the skin a shiny red and already forming blisters.
"We'll find a way." Assured the Iwa kunoichi.
Naruto didn't know who these people were, but he heard enough to know that they wanted to destroy Konoha by using the Land of Fire's treasures, and he couldn't let that happen. But they said that the woman was a Jounin, and the guy looked like an ANBU, meaning he was also a Jounin. And even if Naruto wanted to be the super cool hero he would have to get Kakashi-sensei, Sakura, and Sasuke, because by now he knew from experience that he wasn't a match for a Jounin much less two, and that's not counting the other three who could be anything from Chuunin to Jounin.
He slowly backed away to get the others when he found his progress impeded by the form of a fourth masked shinobi. 'Oh Crap!' He thought as he realized his mistake. There were six ninja, five in the temple, and one out here to act as a sentry.
The sentry grabbed Naruto and threw him through the doors into the temple. "AUUUGGHH!" Screamed Naruto as he skidded across the floor towards the statue.
"What's all this now?" Called Iba as he and Kokoa looked to see what the disturbance was.
"I found this brat spying at the door." Responded the sentry.
"A brat ya say? And from the looks of his headband he's from Konoha."
"Yeah I'm from Konoha!" Retorted Naruto as he got to his feet. "So there's no way I'm letting you get those swords. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" 10 Narutos popped into existence, all of them charging the two leaders.
Kokoa sneered brought out her weapon of choice, a whip that contained hidden miniaturized kunai blades in it. The whip swung across the room tearing through 5 of the clones causing their destruction.
Iba took out his two hidden wakizashi and with speed that belied his mass disappeared in front of the other 5 clones only to reappear behind them. The clones erupted in blood, only to be dismissed in a puff of smoke, as if they never existed.
Before Naruto could make another move he found himself wrapped by the kunoichi's whip, the blades digging a little into his flesh.
"Shadow clones," muttered Iba as he put away the wakizashi. "Gotta admit, for a brat he's got spunk."
"I hate spunk." Spat Kokoa as she tugged her whip to bring Naruto closer. She grabbed his chin roughly and examined his face. She studied his sun-kissed yellow hair, his amazingly blue sapphire eyes, and his tanned complexion. Sure there were differences but the resemblance was undeniable. This brat looked too much like the Yellow Flash for her tastes. Then a devious smirk formed on her lips as she thought of something. "But spunk can be useful when properly directed." She said as she turned to the statue. "Let's see if that barrier works on scum from Konoha." Before her partner could say anything the Iwa kunoichi threw the boy at the statue, unraveling him from her whip.
Naruto crashed into the statue hard. And no sooner did he touch it did the barrier activate. The energy attacking Naruto looked like an electrical discharge, and felt exactly the same to the Genin.
The pain was intense and Naruto could feel his organs frying and his skin roasting. He had no control over his flailing arms, but he did have control over his fingers. And when they came into contact with a shaft that felt of bone he clenched them around it, hoping that the act would somehow stop the pain.
Naruto's hand closed upon Sounga's hilt, and the sword responded. From the gem came a pulse like a heartbeat and a dark flaming aura, full of malice and evil, surrounded the sword. Throughout the temple seals that had long held back the demonic power of the Sword of Hell glowed brightly as their power was strained before they failed and the light crystallized and shattered, sending a shockwave of energy outward from the statue at its epicenter knocking everyone off their feet. The shockwave caused the temple grounds to shake awakening and alerting those who slumbered of the trouble.
A dark voice emanated from the blade and filled the room. "Finally, after so many millennia I have awakened from that accursed slumber. Now I am free to slaughter and maim the pathetic worms of this world once again. But first I am in need of a host, and I have a perfect one right here." Thin fibrous tendrils sprouted from Sounga's hilt, wrapping around Naruto's arms before digging into his shoulder.
"AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!" Screamed Naruto as Sounga flooded his body with its infernal black demon chakra. Having no control of his actions he drew forth the demonic blade from its sheath, releasing an aura ten times that what Sounga was previously putting out.
"W-what's going on?" Stammered Kokoa as she witnessed what was happening. Every fiber in her being was screaming at her to run, but she was petrified by her fear.
As if he was responding to the sound of her voice the Konoha Genin turned, allowing those in the temple to see how he had changed. Rage and anger graced his features. His lips curled into a snarl. But it was his eyes that truly showed the demonic possession. The whites of his eyes had turned black, and his sapphire eyes raged with a storm of anger. Backed by the swirling demonic energies, Naruto was a truly terrifying sight.
It was too much for the Iwa-nin. "WHAT ARE YOU ALL WAITING FOR!?" She shouted to her underlings. "KILL HIM!"
The masked shinobi didn't hesitate for a second as two of them threw shuriken at Naruto followed closely by the other two. But they stood no chance against the demonized leaf Genin.
Naruto raised Sounga above his head and swung it in a circular motion, creating a ring of demonic aura. His voice spoke in sync with Sounga as he called his technique. "Goukuryuuha." Four serpentine dragons spiraled away from the demonic ring crafted by Sounga and encircled Naruto deflecting the shuriken.
The approaching ninja backed away not sure what to make of the jutsu. Their apprehension of getting closer was noted by the demon sword.
"Do you humans believe these dragons to be purely defensive in nature? Think again." Naruto lowered the sword and pointed it straight out. Heeding an unspoken command the black wind dragons flew from their originator and headed straight for the four who were wearing masks.
The sound-nin leaped, ducked, ran, dived, and anything else they could think of to dodge the dragons. But no matter what they did, and where they went the dragons followed. It almost looked like an Inuzuka dog playing with squirrels, and this would undoubtedly have a similar if messier outcome.
One of the anonymous shinobi tried to use a jutsu that flipped a section of the floor into a defensive wall. It stopped the dragon following him…for about half a second.
Each dragon's body was composed of a swirling vortex of wind spinning at incredible velocity and charged by Sounga's demonic chakra. The dragon tore through the wall and then through the unprepared shinobi, the slicing winds ripping through his torso reducing it to little more than a few pieces of flesh and bone as his head and limbs went flying in five different directions.
The sheer brutality of the attack was enough to make even the hardened Chuunin and Jounin pause, which proved to be a fatal mistake for the Chuunin. Unlike their compatriot they were more than aware enough to scream as they met their demise by the demonic winds.
Kokoa and Iba, whom had moved to the far end of the temple to avoid the dragons were in hot debate about what to do.
"You're the combat expert Lug-head. Go over there and get the sword." Whispered Kokoa.
"Listen miss medic-nin, I don't know what they taught ya about elemental chakra in Iwa, but ya don't fight wind with lighting. Ya need to use fire if ya want to win. And I don't have any fire jutsu. Ya'd have a better chance getting the sword with that whip of yours. Besides it was your idea to throw the brat into the statue!" Retorted Iba angrily.
As the two Jounin argued the Sounga possessed Naruto prepared for his next attack. Until…
"NARUTO!." Shouted a female voice.
Naruto and Sounga's attention was drawn to the open temple doors where Sakura, Sasuke, Houshi, a dripping wet Kakashi, and numerous temple monks stood.
Author's Notes: Had this on my computer for a while so I thought I would post it and see the response.
Read and Review.