Now, in this story Naruto ventures off to train in varying arts of combat or martial arts. Not all martial arts are just karate and kong fu. Fencing, spear fighting and knife throwing are all forms of martial arts. Any fighting style is a type of art, but a martial type of art like photography or dancing. These are forms of art and to create a story where Naruto goes to various dojos or gyms to defeat the leader who teaches a special type of martial art is not unrealistic. Some of my friends have told me that the concept of traveling to gyms and challenging the leader sounds like Pokemon. Well, this is not pokemon it's Naruto with a twist. I mean where do the Great Lands get their warriors if they have a conflict? They're called the Ninja villages, I think there would be samurai or archers of various nations. Like the Fire Monk that was friends with Asuma, these lands depend on warriors too. Plus Ninja need to be paid to do a mission, they can't be paid to fight a war they're too expensive. Sure you can hire a few to fight for you and sure their loyalty can belong to the nation that provides them the land to live on. But, come on, there are other types of warriors so in this story Naruto will be going to these schools to take them on and turning heads.
Now as for the mechanics of this story please imagine this. Shortly after the first shinobi world war the Land of Wind was very badly damaged and left with the Sand Village struggling for power. The damiyo of Wind was sought out by five clans that did not qualify Sand Village standards to be ninjas. So, these five clans were told to more to the borders of the land and create military villages dedicated to protecting the borders. They would be paid handsomely to protect the land. These gyms were told to train other people from the nation and not just their own blood.
One day a young lad from Land of Water decided he desired to learn from them. They refused as he was an enemy of the land, but he did not come as an enemy. But, as a challenger, someone who thought that through honorable non death combat peace could be extended from land to another. One of the leaders of the dojos that served the land of wind took him up on his challenge. And thus the first dojo battles were conducted and many other lands in the mission of peace opened up dojos. Each of the dojos were issued 30 sashes, and were awarded another one for every year they remained undefeated. Once a dojo lost all of its sashes it was told to close up shop and serve the land they served as a military force. Only 14 of the dojos remain undefeated the rest of the hundreds of dojos have had a defeat or two. Now, as a prize from the dojo you can gain the sash of the master of course which in itself shows one is competent enough to defeat said dojo master. The second prize would be a choice between weapon/technique or cash.
This starts the morning upon Naruto's banishment after the third hokage was found dead after Naruto was tricked into stealing the forbidden scroll. He is banished and Iruka being the only one that really cared decides to get banished with him, going as far as to spit the new hokage Danzo in the face and hand in his head band.
Sunlight hit his eyes as Naruto snapped up groggily as he then looked around. He smelled his favorite meal as he then dashed through the room of the hotel. He opened the door to see Ayame there making his favorite food, ramen!
Ayame smiled as she then placed out the third bowl on the table watching her favorite blonde eat. Iruka walked out of the bathroom as he was getting the last of his chin hair with his kunia. He wore a blue t-shirt with black pants and a nice sash. It was light blue with silver dolphin shaped plates on it as the buckle was the kanji of Dolphin.
Naruto noticed this for the first time as he asks Iruka a question, "Iruka sensei where can I get one of those? How much is it?"
Looking down he then said to Naruto, "Oh, no Naruto you can't buy this. It has to be earned, like a headband back in the L-"
Naruto went to instant sad mode as Ayame glared at him and almost took his ramen portion to give to Naruto. Iruka then said to him, "You have to earn it, like you do pride and skill. Which you have in ample supply so earning a Martial Sash will be no problem for you."
Smiling he then said to him, "COOL SENSEI! SO, WHERE DO I GET ONE!"
Grinning Iruka then said to him, "Well, if you really want one we'll have to travel to the Tātorunekku River main trading port. They have a dojo there that has a easier sash, the sash I wear right now is still an undefeated even after I earned my sash as a youngling mainly from luck."
Naruto then said to him, "Na uh, you are powerful Iruka sensei. And since I beat Mizuki, I can get one too. I got the shadow clone jutsu down pat. Please!"
Iruka grinned as he then said to him, "Alright, if that's what you really want. First, we'll have to stop by the Land of Fire capital, Fenikkusu."
Ayame was riding a cart that was drawn by horses as she saw Naruto in the back sitting by their things. Iruka leaped from tree to tree as he leaped through the air. He landed on the ground as he pulled out a kunai and aimed it in front of him. Ayame pulled on the reins as two thieves came out from the bushes.
Naruto leaped down as he said moving to protect Ayame, "Don't worry, sis, me and Iruka sensei will flatten these punks."
The thieves were dressed in green cloths wearing blue vests. One was armed with a kunai and the other was armed with a jian sword. They looked like brothers bother having brown hair and eyes, the older of them being taller with a scar on his chin.
Iruka then said to them, "I'm going to give you one chance to turn back. You're dealing with a Fire Soldier. You sure you want on the same road as us?"
The older brother moved in with his kunai as he attacked Iruka. Jumping with a flip Iruka went into the air and landed as he kicked the head of his opponent with a back kick. The younger brother moved in with the jian as he swung it at Iruka. Making a single hand into a hand seal up three pointing up fingers a wall of mist came up.
Iruka then said as he dropped his kunai and joined his other hand in a tiger seal with dog following up, "Water Style: Dolphin Headbutt."
The mist solidfied as it became the shape of a dolphin that burst out from the mist blanket. The headbutt was a success as the brother hit a tree. Standing up was the older brother as he pulled his fist up to show he had slipped on a brass knuckle. Running in for a punch he fell as six Narutos rushed him after the said boy made a shadow clone jutsu.
The two brothers were tied up as Iruka then said with a grin, "Well, it seems like we took care of these guys. Now, to send note to my fellow soldiers so they know where to put these two."
Iruka then bit his thumb as he made several hand seals and slammed his hand on the ground. Seals appeared in a summoning seal with a kanji in the middle that stood for Dragon Fly. From the smoke came a Yellow Striped Hunter Dragon Fly, only he was about four times bigger than the normal dragon fly.
The dragon fly looked up as it stretched and said with a female voice, "Oh, Iruka-kun, it's been forever since you called on me."
Swatting his hand down in the air Iruka said to the dragon fly, "It is not, I called you two weeks ago Yuyami. Now, can you find a group of fire soldiers? I need their assistance, with these two thieves. They made an attempt on stealing from us."
Yuyami took flight as Naruto then asked Iruka, "Iruka sensei, what was that? And what are Fire Soldiers?"
Iruka reached into his pocket as he pulled a small scroll and card case. The scroll was thin and long with a blue band with top and bottom being old paper color. It was binded with a small gold tassel that had the kanji for dragon fly. The card case was light red with a flame in various colors of red and yellow. Under the flame was kanji of fire as Iruka opened it. Inside was an ID with his picture on it, the ID was portrait (Like up and down, inside of sideways.). With a picture in the top half of the ID and the information of register date, with birth date and blood type under it. The last thing on it was a long 11 digit number at the bottom that was in bold red.
Iruka then said to him, "This is the summoning scroll for lvl D rank summons that is issued by the Fire Army. This ID is my proof of being a fire soldier, while I am a former ninja like you."
Naruto became somewhat angered as Iruka quickly continued, "I am still a member of the Land of Fire. This means that I am given pay, instead of having to do missions for pay. And have sworn duty to the people, those that are precocious to me."
Iruka took a knee as he said to Naruto with a hand on his shoulder, "Naruto, you do know that the only person to banish you were the elders right?"
Naruto nodded as Iruka continued, "Then, understand this the Land of Fire and Konoha both have precocious people to us. Ayame is and has always been a precocious person, as well as a citizen of the Land of Fire. The old man that swept the floors of the building you lived in that helped as best he could with your leaks. There may have been only a few, so few that you yourself could count them on your hand alone. But, the Naruto I know may hate the new kage and elders, but he would never have that stand in his way. People outside the village do not know about you, please, give them a chance. Make their dreams possible, be their protector, that was the best dream ever. And those dreams are worth keeping alive."
Naruto looked up at him and nodded as he said to him, "Right, sensei."
Two bodies landed on their knees as they both stood up. One was a woman and the other was a boy. They both wore red hoods with tank top shirts. Their pants were blue with each wearing a sash. The sashes were the same, being a yellow with bronze lightning design rabbit shaped plates on it as the buckle was the kanji of Hare. The sashes had a small chain wrapped around the right part of the sash that clipped to a belt loop. The chain was metal, but white like ivory and had small bronze lightning bolt pieces hanging from each chain let. The girl was about Ayame's age with a more petite figure having blonde hair in a short left side tail and green eyes. The boy was short being possibly the height 9 or 10 years old, only he had a goatee with black hair with matching eyes, like those of coal. The boy was a dwarf, with age still young, but not too young.
Iruka then said to them as he presented his ID, "I am Capitan Iruka Umino, I have arrested and subdued these two thieves for you."
The boy reached behind his sash as he pulled out his ID case and opened it. He said to Iruka, "Thank you sir, for helping us find them, I am Hi Tokage. I am a corporal in the Fire Army. We have been searching for these two for three days. It is nice to meet an officer of your quality. But, last I heard of the Dolphin, you were a ninja. I do not believe it is time for capital check in. What are you doing here?"
Iruka then said to him, "Corporal, that is of private matters, but I am no longer affiliated with the Leaf Village. I now only serve my lord, the daimyo of fire. Might I help you escort this trash to a holding facility?"
The female pulled out her ID and said to him, "Yes sir, Captain, I am private Karasu Hosshin. Please, follow me sir."
The group followed the pair of soldiers that loaded the prisoners in the back of the cart. Ayame was walking now with Iruka as the two soldiers were borrowing the cart for transport of the prisoners. The group soon came to a village as they came to a halt and saw the buildings to the village.
The pair of soldiers leaped off the cart as they landed. Hi went and grabbed the prisoners as he took them to a small shed. Opening the door he tossed them inside as he said to Iruka, "This will be their holding until we can get a convoy down here from HQ."
Iruka nodded as he then asked them, "Thank you, by the way, I am running out of fire currency. All we have are a few Kawa no Azuma bronze ryo. Mind telling me where the nearest currency market would be?"
Hi then said to Iruka, "The pay summon has not come for a little while. Rumor has it that a new threat has come stealing the money from pay summons. Trying to usurp the daimyo, to become the new one. So, I can't give you capital currency, but I can give you Sunēkuhānesu silver ryo. The nearest currency market would be due east at Wakai Araiguma."
Iruka nodded as he said to him, "Thank you, have a good day."
Naruto, Iruka and Ayame were on the road again as Naruto thought about the sash. He then asked Iruka something, "Iruka sensei, how do I get one of the sashes?"
Iruka then said to him, "Well, each dojo is a bit different. First you must be a soldier of the Land of Fire. Preferably, a capital soldier. You see the Land of Fire is split into nine regions with nine regents to rule them. Each of these regents have sworn loyalty to the daimyo. But, sometimes, a regents gets too power hungry or just doubts the head of the country and tries to break away. Every soldier to the regents act as the swords and arrows of the regents. Ideally the soldiers also in turn serve the daimyo, but this isn't always the case. Like right now, one of the regents is suspected of trying to collapse the economy by stealing and melting down all capital currency. This would make capital soldiers walking around the country trying to keep it together become susceptible to manipulation. Now, the fact that warriors are needed everywhere is a good fact to know too. You see, soldiers that could not pass for Konoha as shinobi to the Leaf or just thought that they'd be loyal to the daimyo instead would train the villagers for cases of war. But, when a wind warrior decided to accept the challenge of a mist warrior it began the dojo tradition. 120 years ago, a young mist warrior sought competition in the idea that war could and would be avoidable through friendly competition. He went to the five border training forts of the Wind country. One after another they turned him down saying that he was a spy. Finally, the fifth and final master agreed to the terms of the challenge. The two had an epic battle that would forever change the world. When the smoke cleared from the glass techniques of the Wind master and the Swift release of the Water challenger, a victor was decided. While the warrior from the Water lost, the master of wind had such a good time that he awarded the warrior his sash. The sash was given back being told by the warrior that he'll get it when he defeats the master. Thus began the tradition of dojo challenges. It was later when the dojos were about to go to war when the samurai from the Village Protected by Katana held an event to see who was the best warrior of all the lands. This was 80 years ago, oddly enough the Water warrior's daughter won the championship. Who happened to be the granddaughter of the Wind country's grand master. The dojos would then have a 30 sash system, if ever they ran out of sashes then they were to do the honorable thing and close up. If a dojo still had 30 sashes even after a year has passed then it shall gain another sash. And until it is defeated it'll have that many sashes to award. But, once it's defeated, it can never go beyond it's new established number."
Naruto then asked Iruka, "What's happened to the first dojo?"
Iruka then said to him, "You mean the glass master's dojo?" Seeing a nod Iruka continued, "It joined the Forever 14."
Naruto raised an eye brow as he asked, "Forever 14? What's that?"
Iruka then replied to Naruto, "The 14 dojos that were either before the championship or after it, that have still remained undefeated. They have 110 sashes each and in counting, to even win one is a feat desired by the best. To gain a chain from them as a student is a feat as well, these warriors are often the most feared and respected among the nations. Why would you want to know this Naruto?"
Naruto looked determined as he then said to Iruka making Ayame smile, "Cause I'm going to be the first one to beat one."
Laughing with a genuine smile Iruka then said to him, "With a spirit like that, you'll flatten them."
Iruka then said to him, "Now, how the dojo works, is this. Every dojo is different, usually there is a challenge or riddle at the door. This is to challenge the intellect of the challenger. Then there is usually the two best students of the grand master. The two will take you on, when you defeat them, then you win the right to see that master. In some cases, like in the beginning or how I did it, impression is a win in itself. But, impression can be given in several ways, whether it's losing gracefully or taking their own technique and expanding on it. I've even heard that winning sorely will take away the chance of wearing the sash. You must impress the master, he wouldn't be in that position without reason. Of course, the reagent is privy to all challenge matches and he either sends a panel of judges or comes himself. At the end of the match if the panel agrees, then you win or lose the sash. This is to make sure that the challenger is equally provided the chance or winning in case of prejudice."