The Naginata of Torment

by IfOnlyTheyWereReal

A mission to transport the Naginata of Torment goes wrong with a dumb move by Naruto, but thanks to Hinata's quick thinking and courage things don't end too badly for either of them.

Title: The Naginata of Torment

SUMMARY

Lady Tsunade is commissioned by Lord Toshihiro of the Village of Clay of the Land of Earth to transport the fabled and cursed Naginata of Torment to the Mountains of Despair in order to have it destroyed. However the Naginata of Torment contains the sealed demon that will possess any who touch it. This A-ranked mission is of top priority but Lady Tsunade is unfortunate enough to have no more ANBU nor jonin level ninja left in the village and must call on Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga to take on the mission. The mission is dangerous and is threatened by the Natsuyo Nine, a group of siblings from a fallen Clan that want the Naginata to regain their family's power. After a stupid move on Naruto's part, Hinata must leave to get water and herbs but is attacked by the Natsuyo Nine. Meanwhile Naruto—being the number one knuckle head ninja—opens the chest and touches the Naginata and is possessed. After managing to defeat four of the nine Natsuyo siblings, Hinata is in a dire situation when Naruto comes back possessed and saves her. But now Hinata must find a way to get the Naginata away from Naruto before it completely corrupts him.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Lord Toshihiro entered the Shrine and seated himself at the base of the dais on a cushion. Burning some incense as an offering he looked up to where the evil weapon rested innocently in it's chest. It had caused such suffering and ill fortune on the people of the Land of Earth and especially the Village of Clay. He hadn't wanted the lordship because of the burden the evil weapon proved to be for his ancestors, but he had no choice. There was no one else that could be trusted in the Land of Earth to take on the curse of the Toshihiro family than him. To make matters worse the Earth ninja of the land were not particularly proficient and he knew that eventually the object would be stolen or he would be assassinated and thus the object taken for power. As thoughts swarmed through his head, Lord Toshihiro came to the final conclusion that he would have to have it destroyed for the good of the Land of Earth.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Lady Tsunade read through the paperwork in front of her and longed for even just a sip of sake. Listening for Shizune in case she was nearby, Lady Tsunade opened her drawer and lifted the panel at the bottom which revealed a bottle of sake and a single dish. Pouring a generous amount she lifted it to her lips with a sigh of relief.

"And what are you sighing about? I just caught you."

Shizune took the dish and the bottle from Lady Tsunade and poured the sake back into the bottle and corked it. Hands on hips Shizune scowled at an annoyed and very tired Lady Tsunade.

"Serves you right for being tired. You leave everything to the last minute."

"Did you come here for a reason Shizune?"

Shizune handed her a scroll encased in reinforced clay and she recognized it right away as from Lord Toshihiro and of the most importance. Breaking the seal she read the scroll thoroughly and could barely contain her surprise. Shizune took the scroll from her and read through it herself.

"This is a bad time since all of the jonin, chunin and even the ANBU are away on top priority missions. The soonest they'll return will be in three weeks time."

Lady Tsunade didn't like the sounds of things. The mission was too high of a priority to be delayed. She knew that Lord Toshihiro's position was growing ever more unstable and the Naginata of Torment had to be destroyed as soon as possible.

"Who do we have left?"

"Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga."

"They'll have to do, send Izumo and Kotetsu for them."

Lady Tsunade went over to her books and picked out a thick history textbook and flipped to the section completely dedicated to the Naginata of Torment. It was a weapon of supreme evil and she wondered why it had taken so long for it to be destroyed. Just then there was a knock at the door and Hinata Hyuga walked in and bowed courteously.

"Where is Naruto?"

"Umm…well Izumo and Kotetsu are trying to get him away from…the umm…the Ichiraku Ramen Bar, Lady Tsunade."

Lady Tsunade rolled her eyes and then Kotetsu and Izumo entered both carrying Naruto who was eating a bowl of ramen with a huge grin on his face.

"Just drop him on the floor. I expect you to show some more respect as a ninja of the Leaf Village Naruto."

Naruto finished his ramen and hung his head low in shame as Lady Tsunade continued to scold him. She didn't doubt that Naruto was a strong albeit unconventional ninja, but he still needed to learn the respect a ninja should have for their village leader.

"Now, I've called you both for an important reason. I have a mission for you two. However this mission is A-ranked and you are both only genin, but due to the present situation I have no other choice. The ANBU and jonin are both gone and the remaining must protect the village. What I am to tell you must not be repeated at all costs for the success and safety of the mission. Have either of you heard of the Naginata of Torment?"

Lady Tsunade waited for their answers and when they both shook their heads she continued.

"The Naginata of Torment is the container for an evil demon and has been sealed within it. This demon is very different from both demons sealed within you and Gaara, Naruto. This demon is nameless and wishes for chaos and destruction for the sake of it. Needless to say it caused many wars and the lives of millions of innocent people. The demon was eventually sealed away into the Naginata, however because the demon is so powerful should anyone even touch the weapon they will be possessed. That's the end of the story, now for the mission. Lord Toshihiro of the Land of Earth and the Lord of the Village of Clay has been charged with the guardianship of the Naginata since it was his family that sealed the demon away. But due to the constant attacks from those seeking the Naginata it has thrown the land into decline. He has therefore requested that the Naginata be destroyed. Your mission is to transport the Naginata of Torment to the Mountains of Despair where there is a spring of acid that flows in the interior and there you will destroy it. Further instruction will be given to you by Lord Toshihiro himself. I must emphasize the severity of this mission to you two. If this weapon falls into human hands or worse the wrong hands it could mean the start of more conflict and the cost of innocent lives."

Both Hinata and Naruto looked at each other and understood the seriousness of the situation and nodded to Lady Tsunade.

"We'll leave right away. Leave it to us Granny Tsunade, we wont fail you. Believe it!"

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Naruto saw the Village of Clay in the distance and he turned to look back at Hinata who had her Byakugan keeping a wary watch to make sure that there were no unwanted surprises in store for them before they got there.

"It's safe."

Naruto nodded and they increased their speed and within a half hour they were closing in on the Village. The Village of Clay was surrounded by a huge wall of the famed clay and as Naruto inspected it he saw that it was a sufficient barrier to protect the Village. The guards promenading above the wall and operating the gate looked down at them suspiciously but after seeing their forehead guards they immediately opened the gates just wide enough for them to enter.

"Let's see your documentation."

Hinata stepped forward and handed the guard the official request of Lord Toshihiro that was signed by Lady Tsunade. Once they had confirmed everything the guard directed them towards the Lord's manor and Naruto and Hinata made their way over.

The Toshihiro manor was large in relation to the rest of the Village but it wasn't overly opulent. In fact both Naruto and Hinata would agree that it was a decidedly humble manor for the leader of the Village. There were numerous guards stationed around the manor and even patrolling the streets and Naruto found it odd that none of them were ninja of the Land of Earth. The guards were just guards and didn't seem to have any specific ranking.

Hinata pointed over to the gate and handed the paperwork to the guard who summoned an escort for them to meet with the Lord. As they made their way into the manor they were led to the large meeting room where there was limited lighting but Naruto could see that the room was relatively isolated from the remainder of the manor and therefore allowed for more privacy.

"Good afternoon, I am Lord Toshihiro of the Village of Clay. You must be Naruto Uzumaki and Hinata Hyuga sent by Lady Tsunade. It is a pleasure to meet you and I am very grateful that you have arrived safely."

Naruto and Hinata both bowed respectfully and then knelt in front of Lord Toshihiro as he too sat in his respective place and continued to speak.

"I trust Lady Tsunade has detailed the mission and I would ask that you not refer to the object while transporting it. You do not want to bring trouble to yourself by letting those consumed with greed over hear you. I will give you maps to travel from the Naginata's Shrine to the Mountains of Despair. But tell me, is there anything you wish for me to answer? I am not so noble to remain ambiguous."

Lord Toshihiro chuckled to himself softly that it was barely over a whisper but Hinata and Naruto both felt relaxed in the presence of the Lord. It was true, he really was a kind hearted man and he meant well. At least there would be no plotting against them in this task. It was a straight forward transport mission where the goal was to transport it safely and fend off any bandits that wished to rob them.

"How come you asked Lady Tsunade and not your own ninjas?"

"Well you see the Village of Clay no longer has any ninjas. The Naginata has cursed us with its fabled Torment and those who wished to be ninjas moved to the capital or to other more prominent villages. Those who remain here do so because they have no other choice. Lady Tsunade is a good friend of my family and that is why I asked her. She is one of the Legendary Sannin and of the three is the easiest to contact. Any other questions?"

"Do you have any primary suspects who would want to steal the Naginata?"

Lord Toshihiro leaned back a bit in thought and scratched the graying beard on his chin and nodded slowly.

"There are many mind you, but the most prominent I would have to say would be the Natsuyo Nine. They are the nine children of the late Lord Natsuyo whose household fell many years before you were born due to villager uprising. The Natsuyo were a corrupt family you see, but I digress. The nine children became a group of bandits and wish to seize the Naginata of Torment because of the power they believe it has. In the end they really want to restore their family's authority, but the Naginata of Torment is not a tool to be used. As much as I trust Lady Tsunade, even the most powerful ninja can be overcome by the tainted power of the Naginata of Torment. Under no circumstances will you open the chest nor will you touch the weapon itself. Just a touch and it will be impossible for you to be saved. Do you understand?"

"We understand Lord Toshihiro."

Naruto thought it was all a bit over dramatic but he nodded to the Lord in any case and then Lord Toshihiro stood and motioned for them to follow him. In the far corner of the room there was a large tapestry with the Toshihiro crest painted onto it. Lord Toshihiro stepped behind it and motioned for them to follow.

A panel was pushed to the side that revealed a set of steps dug into the dirt that descended beneath the manor. Naruto and Hinata followed silently, intrigued by the ornate carvings made on the walls. There were a few other doors in the corridor but they went to the door at the end of the hall and Lord Toshihiro turned the handle and pushed the door open.

The air was heavy and the room was hazy from the incense burners around the room. In the middle of the room was the dais, which was made of the same dirt and there were tapestries surrounding the chest in the middle of the room. The chest itself was nothing special save for the seals covering it. Lord Toshihiro knelt at the foot of the dais on a cushion and lit a stick of incense as an offering.

"The Naginata of Torment is in there?"

Lord Toshihiro nodded and then stood and turned to them and bowed.

"I entrust you two with the transport of the Naginata of Torment."

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Hinata slowed her pace and then crouched in the shadow of a large rock formation and pressed herself against it to hide herself more. Naruto noticed her movement and immediately crouched beside her and he saw that her Byakugan was focused and she had a worried look on her face.

"What do you see Hinata?"

"We're being followed. They're too fast for me to focus on though."

"We'll have to move faster. I'll make some clones to divert them."

Hinata nodded in agreement while Naruto set up a few clones of them and sent them in different directions. They just needed the time to get to the Mountains of Despair without attack. The Mountains of Despair were only a two day's journey from the Village of Clay but it would take them a substantial amount of time to just get to the interior where the acid springs were.

There weren't as many places to stop and rest for the pair. Not only because they were being pursued and had the Naginata in their possession, but also because as they moved deeper into the Land of Earth there was a great deal less vegetation and natural resources. The Land of Earth was not necessarily a barren wasteland, however it was substantially less inhabited for great distances, semi-arid and it was mostly made up of expanses of plains. There was thankfully a lot of rock formations that provided enough shelter from the sun and wind and even occasionally rain.

"Ummm…Naruto…I think we should go this route."

Hinata pointed to a large canyon that was far more strenuous and Naruto couldn't help but look at her a bit incredulously. Hinata tapped her two forefingers together like she always did when she felt really shy.

"Ummm…well you see…the next village is beyond my sight and our water is running low and there should be some small streams down there."

"You're right Hinata. It's a good thing you're with me on this mission. Let's go!"

Hinata couldn't help but blush a hundred shades of red as Naruto grabbed her hand to hurry her towards their new route. The canyon would undoubtedly take them a bit longer but the main concern was to protect the Naginata and to evade whoever was following them. As they approached the edge of the canyon, both Hinata and Naruto looked down into it with awe.

The canyon stretched for miles and went down a few hundred feet into many levels of the ground. It was breathtaking to see each layer of earth in the walls of the canyon with different. Hinata used her Byakugan to scan the canyon to see if there were any paths they could take or if there was anyone even in there waiting for them.

"What do you see Hinata?"

"There are a few good paths we can take and they will lead us into the Mountains of Despair from the underground. There is a small river at the very bottom but not springs. Some of the levels look uneven so we should be careful."

Naruto nodded and then fastened the straps tighter so that the chest on his back that contained the Naginata was firmly secured onto him. Taking a deep breath both he and Hinata focused the chakra onto the soles of their feet and began to run their way down the wall of the canyon. It was the fastest way to get to the bottom of the canyon and the easiest.

Naruto was having so much fun zipping along the wall that it required next to little chakra control since gravity was pulling them down for the most part. Enjoying the feeling of flying more and more, Naruto began to leap from section to section with a huge grin on his face.

"Hey Hinata! Check this out!"

Hinata watched as Naruto proceeded to somersault in the air and then land right back on the canyon wall. Hinata smiled shyly in amazement and Naruto was so busy grinning from ear to ear that he failed to notice a fissure in the canyon wall and tripped. Hinata watched as Naruto began to freefall down as he lost contact with the canyon wall. Trying her best to keep up, Hinata tried throwing kunai with ropes attached to snag Naruto's clothes in order to slow him down.

Naruto was completely disoriented but he finally managed to pull himself together at the last moment.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

A small poof appeared and Naruto watched as Gamakichi appeared and realizing he was free falling attached himself to Naruto's head.

"WHY ARE YOU HERE?! I WANTED BOSS TOAD!"

"HE'S BUSY! WHY DID YOU EVEN SUMMON ME?! YOU'RE GONNA DIE! I'M OUTA HEAR!"

Naruto was about to protest when the summoned toad disappeared with another small poof. Yelling in annoyance, Naruto quickly took out a kunai and stabbed it into the wall. The kunai dragged a bit but finally managed to stop his freefall. Naruto looked down as there was still another hundred feet from the bottom of the canyon, then he looked to see that the chest was still secured onto his back, and then smiled up at Hinata who was still running towards him. Naruto just broke into a laugh when suddenly the canyon wall began to crack and soon large chunks were falling all over the place.

"Naruto! Hurry get to another section of wall!"

Naruto was too late though and the canyon wall was falling too quickly and he plummeted to the bottom of the canyon. Hinata watched as Naruto free fell and summoning up all the courage she had she released the hold of chakra connecting her to the wall and straightened herself out so that she nose dived towards the bottom of the canyon. She had to move faster than Naruto in order to save him and she angled herself better so that she began to fall faster and faster. Soon she was outpacing Naruto and when she was approaching the bottom of the canyon she focused her chakra and began to rotate creating a huge cyclone.

Hinata used her Byakugan to help her concentrate as she started the Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation so that her chakra became a charged wind cyclone slowing her down. Once she wasn't falling at breakneck speed she flipped and landed on her feet and looked up to see that Naruto was coming at her surrounded by rubble.

"Guardian of Eight Divinations Seals: Sixty Four Strikes!"

Hinata focused all of her chakra into her prized jutsu that she had created herself. All of her movements were precise and she created a barrier so that all of the rubble that fell from the canyon wall landed around her. Hinata hoped that the remnants of her cyclone would slow Naruto down enough so that he would be able to get back under control and stop stumbling.

Naruto still couldn't see what was happening but he saw the huge cyclone of chakra that had slowed down Hinata's fall and he hoped that the cyclone would be big enough to slow him down. The gusts hit him and he kept his body as rigid as possible and he felt his tumbles were less sporadic and smiled in relief as he slowed down enough to take control back.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

A clone of Naruto popped up beside him and began to spin and shape the chakra that Naruto was focusing into the palm of his hand. The Rasengan got larger and larger and Naruto hoped that the Rasengan would break his fall from the pile of rubble that was surrounding Hinata since she was using her Guardian of Eight Divinations Seals.

"RASENGAN!"

Hinata watched as Naruto fell Rasengan first into the pile of rocks around her and with the force of the spiralling chakra it blasted the rocks apart freeing her and slammed Naruto back into the canyon wall.

"Naruto!"

Hinata ran to Naruto who was semi-conscious and she began to check his arms and legs to see if he was injured and when she touched his shoulder she knew that he was in a lot of pain. Helping Naruto to sit up she got him to remove the chest that was strapped to his back and fastened it to her own and then got Naruto to lean on her for support. They walked slowly since Naruto was still a bit dazed from the fall and the impact with the canyon wall. Hinata made it to a large overhang in the rock and set Naruto down and then unfastened the chest from her back and put it to the side.

"Does it hurt a lot Naruto?"

Naruto unzipped his sweater and Hinata helped him carefully remove it and then pushed up his shirt on one side. Hinata touched his collar bone softly and when he winced she knew that it was badly bruised but it didn't feel broken.

"It's not broken, but we'll need some herbs to create a salve."

Hinata went through her own pack and found a bit of the salve she had given to Naruto before at the Chunin Exams and although it was for open wounds she knew it would help somewhat. Smearing it on gently she then grabbed some dressings and began to wrap Naruto's shoulder so that it would limit the movement just enough for the shoulder to heal normally.

"We're going to need some more water. You stay here and guard the chest and I'll get the water. I won't be long."

Hinata grabbed their water bottles and then went off to find a spring or a river of fresh water to refill their bottles. Using her Byakugan, Hinata could see that there was a small grove a few kilometres away and there was a spring and plenty of plants all around. Focusing her Byakugan a bit more she analyzed the plants more carefully and saw some herbs that she would be able to mix with Naruto's water that would give him more energy and heal the bruising on his arm faster.

"I could make it back within an hour if I keep this pace."

Hinata smiled to herself and knew that although things were looking rough for her and Naruto that they would be able to pull the mission off. The Naginata wasn't too much of a burden despite the size of the chest it was contained in. They had been careful to transport it with caution and making sure that it remained sealed and that they took the more deserted routes so that no one would be drawn to the large chest they were carrying. It was going to be difficult to navigate through the Mountains of Despair since it was a labyrinth of tunnels even with the Byakugan. It would be dark and damp and more than likely occupied by bats and rodents.

The grove came into view and Hinata breathed a sigh of relief and approaching the spring she began to fill the bottles with water. The grove was beautiful and calm and Hinata could hear the chirps of birds in the trees. Once the bottles were full, Hinata began to look through the different herbs she could see that were growing all over the place. There were a lot that would be useful for making medicines and she was glad that she had paid close attention to Kurenai-sensei and Shino when they were telling her about the different medicines she could make with various plants she found in the wild.

Suddenly the air grew very quiet and Hinata noticed it immediately. She finished folding the plants into an envelope and then tucked it into her sweater. Using her Byakugan, Hinata began to scan her surroundings when suddenly shuriken and kunai shot out at her from various directions. Without any hesitation, Hinata jumped back and began to scan her surroundings and she spotted her assailants. There was undoubtedly nine of them and she knew it was the Natsuyo Nine that Lord Toshihiro had told them about. She anticipated Earth Style techniques since they were from the Land of Earth.

"Look what I've found brother…a little bird all on it's own."

"I like birds sister…let's play with the little bird."

Hinata began to get a bit nervous as she heard the taunts surround her. Remembering that Naruto was wounded, Hinata drew on the courage and the strength she would need and got into her Gentle Fist Technique stance. She didn't know if she would have to fight the Natsuyo Nine at close combat but she knew that her Divination Seals technique had been perfected and her training with Neji had given her the self-confidence she needed to better her Gentle Fist Technique.

"I have come a long way and I will not back down. That is my ninja way."

Cackles and a few jeers emerged from the forest around her followed by some poorly thrown kunai and shuriken. Hinata didn't even bother to use her Divination Seals technique but instead just deflected them with her own kunai. Just then four of the Natsuyo jumped out into the open with their hands on their hips and each wearing a sneering grin.

Hinata could see the similarities between the Natsuyo since each had the same amber eyes and sharp features. Their hair, although the same colour, was styled in different ways and their outfits though different were all black with the Natsuyo insignia on the chest.

"We know you and your friend are going to destroy the Naginata of Torment. Unfortunately for you we can't allow that."

Hinata could barely react as the four Natsuyo siblings in front of her unleashed various Earth Style jutsus while the remaining five in the trees unleashed their weapons.

"Guardian of Eight Divinations Seals: Sixty Four Strikes!"

Hinata focused her chakra into the tips of her hands to create precise movements that created an impenetrable force field around her. The Earth Style Jutsus that struck the field around her encased her in rock as the weapons bounced off completely useless. It was going to be more difficult to fight the Natsuyo if she was constantly on the defensive but she knew that eventually they would come closer and then she would be able to use her Gentle Fist technique on them. Once their chakra flow was completely blocked she wouldn't have anything to fear from them.

"A Hyuga Clan member?! I wasn't expecting that brother!"

"Quiet sister! She will be easy enough to deal with."

The four Natsuyo siblings began to charge Hinata from all sides with their hand movements and she could see their jutsus beginning to take effect. A volley of spears made of steel-like rock were sent towards Hinata and she began her Guardian of Eight Divination Seals when suddenly a pool of mud appeared at her feet. Hinata remained calm and focused chakra into her feet.

"My chakra must be sharper, stronger, bigger and more flexible."

Hinata delved deep within her to harness all of the chakra she had and controlled it with precision. The chakra infused barrier glowed brilliant blue around her and the spears shattered instantly and the pool of mud beneath her hardened. The next two attacks were boulders followed by shockwaves from the ground. Hinata knew she could block the boulders but the earthquake would make her unbalanced.

Hinata jumped up in the air and dodged the boulders but at the same time the remaining five siblings in the trees unleashed more weapons that cut through her sweater wounding her shoulder. Bracing for the ground, Hinata clutched her shoulder but bit back the pain knowing that she would have to fight all nine of the Natsuyo by herself since Naruto was still too wounded.

"I will not back down."

Hinata leapt towards the Natsuyo that controlled the shockwaves and began to fight him with her Gentle Fist technique. She had to disable his chakra flow rendering his shockwaves useless. Her movements were faster now that she had mastered the Guardian of Eight Divination Seals and for what seemed like misses she was effectively disabling his flow of chakra with her Gentle First technique. Positioning her palms together she struck out and hit him square in the chest. The boy went rigid and then coughed up blood and fell over unconscious.

"What did you do to our brother?!"

"She is using the Gentle Fist Technique! Brothers and sisters! She will stop your chakra flow with a touch!"

Hinata' expression remained serious and focused and she took her fighting stance and breathed deeply. She would fight the Natsuyo Nine in her own way and she didn't care how long it took but she would defeat them. Taking their hesitation, Hinata leapt forward again and began to fight the next two siblings at the same time. Her Byakugan showed that their chakra levels were already starting to weaken after using their techniques and she knew that she just had to stop the flow in their arms and that would be sufficient. As long as they couldn't unleash their jutsu attacks on her again and force her to use her Guardian of Eight Divination Seals she would have enough chakra to fight them all.

"Take this! Earth Style Pillars of Earth Jutsu!"

Huge pillars burst from the ground and Hinata was trapped in a forest of stone. Reminding herself to focus and remain calm, Hinata used her Byakugan and confirmed that the pillars were infused with chakra and actually connected back to the wielder. Hinata followed the trail of chakra and saw that it was connected to two of the Natsuyo siblings. Hinata struck out at each pillar cutting off the chakra connection and they began to crumble immediately. Focusing on a final strike, Hinata struck the main pillar that linked both siblings causing them to double back in pain from the force.

Hinata had managed to take out three of the Natsuyo siblings but there was still the one in front of her and the five remaining hidden in the trees. The final Natsuyo in front of her seemed irrational and just charged towards her in anger. Hinata used this and focused on her Gentle Fist technique and began to strike out at him being sure to hit every critical chakra point. Once the flow of chakra had been completely stopped in his arms, Hinata knew that she wouldn't get an opening to strike his chest hard and instead just jabbed him lightly in the lower abdomen causing him to fall over in pain.

"You fight good Hyuga, but there's still five of us left and you're running out of chakra."

Hinata kept her expression serious and focused and she knew that she could only last for so long. She was tiring and the five that remained in the trees were fully rested. As weapons showered down on her Hinata used her Guardian of Eight Divination Seals while her mind called for Naruto hoping that he would come for her.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Naruto rolled his shoulder and found that the cream Hinata had put on him had worked perfectly. It had been more than an hour since Hinata had left and he was getting a bit curious as to why she was taking so long. Taking out his weapons, Naruto began to sharpen all of them to pass the time. He didn't know what else to do since there was no way that he could know where Hinata had gone. She had probably used her Byakugan to find a source of water and it was a bit further than anticipated.

Just then a bit of rubble tumbled down and Naruto dodged to take cover and collided with the chest sending it tumbling against the wall. Naruto dusted himself off and then hurried over to the chest to make sure that it as still intact. Pulling the chest up he nearly had a heart attack as he saw the protective seals had been ripped off from the collision with the wall and the lid had come open.

"Uh oh."

Naruto saw that the lid was completely off and that the Naginata had slightly come out of the box. Reminding himself not to make physical contact with the weapon, Naruto carefully righted the chest and then using the lid he carefully knocked the Naginata back into the chest and closed it.

"Oh man that was close."

Naruto looked around and he didn't see nor did he hear anyone and he looked down at the chest he was sitting on. Since the chest had already been opened there really was no harm at him looking at the Naginata. It's not like he was going to touch it. He was going to be Hokage one day and he didn't need the Naginata of Torment to do it. So he was ambitious but in his own way and therefore the Naginata wouldn't be a temptation for him.

"There's nothing wrong with looking."

Opening the chest, Naruto looked around again and then set the lid of the chest to the side and gazed down at the fabled Naginata of Torment. The Naginata itself when assembled would be at least ten feet long but in order for the practicality of transport it could be twisted apart and was therefore in three sections. The rod of the Naginata was made of lacquered bamboo with intricate gold and silver embellishments and encrusted with large jewels.

Naruto's hand reached out without thought towards the Naginata and realizing what was happening he hesitated. Looking around again, Naruto took a gulp and then reached out and touched the Naginata. Nothing happened and Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and then gripped the first segment of the Naginata firmly in his hand and then began to assemble the weapon. Once it was complete he did a few test slashes and was about to twist it apart when he felt a dark power seep in through his arms and into the core of his being.

"Uh oh."

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o.O

Hinata was thrown several feet back and her body tumbled and rolled until it finally came to a hard stop against a boulder. Doing her best to get up and keep fighting, Hinata crumpled against the ground again as the blood from her shoulder and the newer one from her side began to take their toll. The leader of the Natsuyo Nine kicked a spray of dirt at Hinata and spat at her in insult but Hinata didn't let her resolve go. She had to fight them no matter what, even if it killed her she had to fight.

"So this is the best that the Leaf Village had to offer. How pathetic."

Hinata focused the last bits of her chakra into a jab and struck out at the eldest Natsuyo and managed to strike him at a major chakra point in his chest. The eldest realized what she had done and kicked her hard resulting in Hinata coughing up more blood and falling down on the ground again.

"Filthy brat! You're a disgrace!"

"A disgrace eh?"

The Natsuyo siblings turned at the new voice they heard and they saw a dark shadow enter the grove. It was hard to distinguish the figure at first but they could see that it was a boy wielding a large weapon. When the boy entered the grove they recognized him as the companion of the girl and he was wielding the Naginata of Torment.

Naruto's eyes had gone completely pitch black so that there was no longer any pupil to be seen. His skin had taken on an ashen pallor with dark circles rimming his eyes. His body was like that of a puppet, the strings invisible and the puppeteer no where to be seen. The only thing that was sure about Naruto was his grip on the Naginata.

"You brat! You've taken hold of the Naginata. Well at least you brought it to us."

Hinata looked up at Naruto and at first was thankful for his arrival but the moment she saw the Naginata in his hand she knew otherwise. He was no longer Naruto; he was the demon. When he spoke his voice sounded hollow and not the same energized Naruto she knew. His appearance was like that of a corpse and his eyes made her afraid to even look at him. Hinata dragged herself as best she could behind the boulder and watched from behind as the Natsuyo siblings encircled Naruto who just stood in the middle with the Naginata firmly in his hand waiting to become active in combat.

The Natsuyo siblings unleashed their jutsus at Naruto all at once but combining their efforts so that it became one destructive and powerful attack. Hinata was tempted to look away in fear that Naruto would be injured but instead a dense aura of black and red chakra swirled around Naruto.

The Natsuyo's attacks were completely destroyed the moment they made contact and the Natsuyo moved back in fear until their eldest sibling barked orders for them to remain in formation. They began their hand movements again but Naruto didn't give them another chance but instead began to fight them with the Naginata moving at lightening speed. Hinata turned away from the gore and cowered behind the boulder in fear. She was a ninja but even she hesitated before taking the life of another. She would much rather subdue her opponent instead of taking their life. Killing was something that she would never be able to do, no matter the situation. Seeing the slaying of the Natsuyo further emphasized that it was no longer Naruto who was wielding the Naginata of Torment. The Naruto that she knew and cared about had compassion for everyone no matter how evil they were and would always be willing to give his opponent the chance to change rather than take their life. But this was merciless slaying and she knew that the only option was to save Naruto from the evil he had managed fall into.

"So I guess it's just you and me, eh?"

Hinata looked up to see Naruto standing atop the boulder looking down at her with the Naginata dripping in blood. Moving back slowly, Hinata gripped her side where her wound was still bleeding and she turned and fled. The only option she had was to lead Naruto towards the Mountains of Despair. She had to get him to the springs of acid and have the Naginata destroyed before innocent people were hurt.

Naruto watched Hinata run and chuckled to himself and gripping the Naginata firmly in his hand again he raced after her. He was in the mood for a good hunt and she was the perfect prey. Considering how badly she was already wounded and the lack of chakra she possessed he was impressed at how swiftly she was able to move and navigate through the canyon. He could tell that she was heading towards the Mountains of Despair and that she was probably going to try and lose him in the labyrinth of tunnels. But it didn't matter, he would be able to track her.

Hinata moved as fast as she could towards the Mountains of Despair and using her Byakugan she inspected the route to take and after searching for a while she finally managed to find a route that would take her directly to the acid springs and there was limited blockage so she would be led into a dead end. Checking behind and around her she saw that Naruto was still following close behind and she hoped that she didn't get lost.

Once she was inside the Mountains she found that she was still able to see with her Byakugan even though the tunnels were pitch black. It wouldn't be long until she was at the acid springs. Just then Naruto sped up and lunged towards her with the Naginata and she was forced into a tumble in order to dodge the attack. Naruto chuckled at her fleetness of foot and attacked again and again but still she managed to dodge.

Hinata could see the acid spring and knew that so long as she got the Naginata knocked into the acid spring that her and Naruto would make it out alive. But the trick was to knock it out of Naruto's vice-like grip. Despite the low level of chakra that Hinata had left she knew that the best way to get the Naginata away from Naruto was to use her Guardian of Eight Divination Seals since it would make contact with the Naginata but not her directly and therefore she wouldn't be possessed.

Hinata focused the chakra into her hands and readied herself as Naruto moved to take the final blow with the Naginata of Torment.

"Guardian of Eight Divination Seals: Sixty Four Strikes!"

As Naruto struck out at her with the Naginata it slid over her barrier and the force of the attack shook the grip Naruto had on it and Hinata took the moment and launched herself at Naruto tackling him to the ground. The impact of Hinata's tackle released Naruto's grip on the Naginata and it slide across the ground and teetered on the edge of the acid pool and Hinata kicked out her foot and the Naginata fell into the spring of acid.

"Hinata! I'm so sorry, please forgive me! Are you okay? Wow you totally saved the day!"

Hinata realized that she was still on top of Naruto from the tackle but his arms were around her and his face was so worried she couldn't help but smile softly and blush. Leaning forward Hinata kissed Naruto hesitantly but softly and Naruto was completely stunned but his arms never moved from around Hinata. Hinata pulled back and she was blushing furiously but she didn't take her eyes away from Naruto as she whispered softly to him.

"Believe it."

-End-