Jinchuriki-Gundam
Chapter 1: Kitsune Flash vs. Sound Splicer
Oto outskirts
8:50pm
As Ranmaru glanced around his bar, he made careful note of one customer who had just been sitting there for an hour. It was getting close to closing and he still hadn't ordered anything.
"Are you here on vacation?" he asked the man as he poured him a talk glass of milk. "You'd better think about leaving soon, the Gundam Exams are coming up. When that starts, no one will be safe."
Ranmaru saw the customer cringe a bit.
"Sorry, mister. I didn't mean to scare you."
"No problem. Hey, listen…."The young man pulled out a wrinkled photo and shoved it into Ranmaru's face. "…you wouldn't by any chance happen to have seen this guy around here? About 6 months ago?"
Ranmaru took a good look at the picture. Inside was a young man with bright red hair covering his right eye. On his shoulders was a smiling little boy who bore a remarkable resemblance to the man holding the picture.
"Sorry, can't help you." Ranmaru answered truthfully.
"Thanks anyway." He then took his milk and began sipping.
"Excuse me?"
He turned to see a little boy holding the picture and what appeared to be a flower in a jewel.
"Y-you dropped this, mister." He stammered.
The young man smiled at the little boy and reached to take his picture. However, an elderly looking man grabbed the boy before he could.
"Nice jewel there, Yukimaru!" he shouted.
"Leave me alone, Kiho!" Yukimaru shouted. "I'll tell Guren on you!"
"She and Gozu are busy at the moment…right, Nurari?"
A figure in a slime suit appeared, holding a teenage girl. A large man was on the floor as a man in a gas-mask kicked him down.
"Yep." It then glanced at Naruto. "You want in?"
The newcomer growled and finished his milk before he punched Nurari square in the face and kicked Kiho to the floor. He snatched his photo and grabbed them both.
"Outside!"
The two men soon found themselves there and saw this kid cracking his knuckles at them. Their masked friend tried to sneak up on their attacker, only to be elbowed unconscious.
Everyone was awestruck at this young man's bravery.
But they kenw what was going to happen next.
The young man stepped outside, only to have kunai at his neck. The police had arrived.
An hour later….
"Hungry?" The red-headed interrogator asked him as she placed a piping hot pizza in front of him. "You can eat as much as you want when you admit you're a fighter, stinking rat!"
She then slammed his face into the pie.
"You fighters are scum! You think you can get away with anything, just because of the tournament. Well, not here, rat. Were you from anyway…?"
"Hey, Tayuya!" a six-armed boy shouted from the hall. "Sorry to interrupt, but someone just paid his bail."
"What?" Tayuya growled. The young man smirked into the pizza.
"His name is Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze." Kidomaru read. "Occuptaion; student of Konoha Academy, PhD in Government science. Reason for travel; tourist."
They threw Naruto's passport at the pink haired girl waiting, who caught readily. Tayuya then shoved Naruto down the stairs.
"Enjoy your stay in the area. Just be out of the city in an hour, got it?"
"Yeah, whatever." Naruto grumbled as he put his jacket on. "Let's go home, Sakura."
"What happened this time?" she asked on the way to their hotel.
Before he could answer, they were stopped by a familiar voice.
"Excuse me, mister!"
The two turned to see Yukimaru and his friends chasing after them, some food in their arms.
"We just wanted to say thank you." Gonzo. "Not many people would stand up to Zaku's gang."
"Who's Zaku?" Sakura asked.
"A mean, stinky doo-doo face!" Yukimaru answered. "He used to work for Lord Orochimaru and that's the only reason he's Sound's fighter! Why'd he get the job?"
"I guess because he's strong." Naruto said, smiling at Yukimaru. He reminded him of his little sister Naruko.
"This is all for you." Guren explained. "Just our way of saying thanks."
Naruto took all the food in his arms and bowed respectfully. The trio then turned to leave.
"Were are you staying?" Sakura asked.
"We took over an abandoned factory." Gozo answered. "We'll be fine. Have a pleasant night."
Later that night, Naruto stared at the picture for the millionth time.
When did his life become so much like a TV show? Travelling the world in search of one man to clear a loved one's name alongside his friends? Fighting in a tournament to decide the next super-nation?
And to think he used to dream of traveling and leaving his village behind.
"Big bro Nagato…." Naruto whispered longingly. A single tear hit the photo.
"You okay?"
Naruto looked up to see his pink-haired girlfriend watching him from the doorway, a look of worry on her face. He painfully smiled as he shoved the photo back into his pocket. She wasn't fooled.
The two had been dating for 3 years, but known each other from childhood. Ever since he had saved her from bullies and she had turned him from class dead-last to model average student, Sakura could read Naruto like a book. He always acted tough and was most of the time, but even he had a breaking point.
"Talk to me, baka." She smiled as she sat on the bed next to him, taking his head into her arms. "You being quiet…not right."
"I need to do something." He answered. "They need help."
"We're here for a reason."
The two saw their best friend Sasuke Uchiha leaning on the doorway.
Sasuke had been friends with Naruto since they where in diapers (their moms were best friends) and had known Sakura since the two lovebirds met. Despite being his polar opposite, he was without a doubt Naruto's best friend, seconded only by Kiba Inuzuka.
"Doesn't anyone knock anymore?" Naruto joked.
"You know our job."
Sasuke then grew a smile.
"But I don't see why we can't do some good while we're here."
"Everyone's behind me already, right?" Naruto asked.
"What do you think?" Kiba's unmistakable voice rang forward. "We're Team Konoha, you're our fighter."
"Not only that…." Choji smiled.
"You're our friend." Hinata finished.
Zaku was a hard-working fighter. Ever since Orochimaru had found him in the slums have starved and trained him, Zaku had devoted his life to getting stronger so that no one beat him up again. An admirable quality….
But that was the only good quality about him.
Guren and Gozu had been pains in his butt for long enough. So, Yukimaru would pay the price. That'd teach anyone to mess with him; the representative of Oto in the Gundam Exams.
"Just let Yukimaru go!" Guren begged. "I'll do whatever you want!"
"That's the guy who beat us up!" Kiho hollered.
Zaku looked forward and saw a lone teenage boy walked forward. A boy he didn't recognize.
"Let the boy go." Was all he said.
"And if I don't?" Zaku asked. "Get out of here, outsider! I own this town."
"Run mister!" Yukimaru screamed as the rope holding him strained against Kiho's missile launcher. "They'll hurt you!"
"I said, let the kid go."
"Heck no! Fire!"
"Not so fast!"
Naruto's friends bust from the shadows, quickly defeating most of Zaku's crew.
Kiho, desperate to kill somebody, fired his missiles at Yukimaru's rope, which snapped I half clean.
"Yukimaru!" Guren screamed as she ran in a vain attempt to catch her surrogate little brother, only for Naruto to beat her to it.
Everyone froze as they were engulfed in a hail of kunai and fire.
They froze again as the smoke cleared.
Naruto had stopped all the kunai and missiles, holding them in his hand. He then crunched them into mulch.
"M-m-Mr. Zaku! I've seen him before!" Nurari shook as the smoke cleared. "Spiky blonde hair, whisker birthmarks…it's got to be him! He's Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze!"
Zaku actually froze in shock.
"Wait a second…Namikaze?" Tayuya asked. "He's…."
"Yep." Shikamaru yawned. "Son of the Yellow Flash and Red hot Tomato, brother of the Rain of Pain. That's our buddy."
"Whatever!" Zaku roared. " I'll crush this shrimp! Wake up, Sound Splicer Gundam!"
A giant robot emerged from the building, two cannons in the palms of its hands and a musical note tattooed all over.
"Kid…" Naruto said. "Get to Guren."
Yukimaru obeyed.
"Holy…" Guren started as she picked up Yukimaru in her arms.
Zaku then looked towards Naruto and activated his Gundam.
"Crush him!"
"Any time, guys!" Naruto hollered as he tried to avoid Splicer's feet. "I like a good jog, but not when I'm running for my life!"
"Got you covered, sweetheart." Sakura smiled as she pressed a button on the device. Instantly, a small earthquake erupted before a fissure opened. Naruto glanced in and smiled.
"Perfect timing, Sakura!" Naruto complimented before shouting as loud as he could:
"Rise Kyuubi Gundam!"
Out of the earth emerged a gigantic orange robot with 9 wings sticking out of its back, two fox-like ears pearched on its head and sharp claws in place of fingers and feet. Naruto jumped into its open cockpit and readied for battle, warming up and testing the joints.
"So you're a fighter, huh?" Zaku smirked. "Nice Gundam. I'll enjoy breaking it!"
"Shut up and fight." Naruto growled.
"He's serious." Sasuke noted. "Normally he'd join the bragging."
"Can you blame him?" Hinata asked him. "Naruto can't stand seeing kids suffer."
In space, the satellites caught the two gundam signals and activated the announcer.
The face of a sickly looking man filled the skies.
"The Gundam fight…begins!" the announcer hollered.
"Splicing Sound Waves!" Zaku roared as his suit fired a blast of air. "You're done kid! Nothing can deflect my sound waves!"
Naruto didn't move. Instead, the 'wings' began to thrash wildly through the blast of air, until it dissipated.
"What the…?" Zaku swore.
The wings now floated behind Kyuubi, giving off the impression of….
"One thing…." Naruto smirked as he charged forward. "These aren't wings, they're tails!"
As if to prove their master's point, the tails began slicing and dicing anything in the way of their target. Zaku grunted as he started to get serious.
"Nice work, Shika!" Kiba hollered as he attempted to high five his teammate. "Looks like you and Tenten's work paid off. Nothing can beat Kyuubi's tails!"
Shikamaru was fast asleep.
"Already?" the group screamed in shock.
"This happen often?" Tayuya asked.
"You should've seen him in elementary." Ino answered. "Compared to that, he's energetic."
The two Gundam exchanged punches and kicks, Kyuubi moving much faster than Splicer. Splicer was a power type suit, Kyuubi took advantage of its user's near superhuman energy levels. In fact, it was Splicer was fighting a street dancer.
Fists, feet, head, elbow, and knee….Not a single body part was wasted on Kyuubi's assault on Splicer.
A sweeping kick sent Splicer to the ground, where it grunted back to its feet and charged. The two suits grappled before Kyuubi crushed one hand and jumped back.
"That all?" Naruto asked. "I was expecting more form a fighter…then again, you're just a weakling who picks on little kids."
The people of Oto gasped. Zaku's temper was near legendary, and he hated being called weak.
"Shove it, you little brat!" Zaku screamed in anger. "Supersonic Splicing Sound Waves!"
A blast far greater than the one before engulfed the area. The tails started attacking the blast, but Naruto's eyes wandered to his friends and civilians watching the fight. Although the blast was weakened, it could still kill them.
"Dammit!" Naruto swore. "Orange Flash Clones!"
"What?"
Kyuubi was appearing and disappearing, as if there were clones all over the place. Zaku noticed that Kyuubi's arms were full of innocent civilians. He tried to blow them up, but couldn't get a lock on. After setting them and his crew safely away from the fight, Naruto glared at Zaku.
"You're supposed to represent and protect your village!" Naruto roared. "What kind of fighter are you?"
"The winning kind!" Zaku answered. "The weak die, the strong survive! Basic fact of life, kid!"
"So…you're willing to use innocent people as shields, just to show how tough you are?" Naruto asked. "Unforgivable…."
Kyuubi's eyes glowed with red as a thin aura of red energy surrounded it.
"Oh crap…." Kiba swore.
"Relax, dog breath." Sasuke noted. "It's only level 1. Naruto loses control at 4. Besides, 1 is more than enough to end this fight."
"I think Kiba was referring to Zaku making Naruto mad." Shino noted.
Kyuubi disappeared behind Splicer and grabbed its arms, pulling as hard it could.
"Wait a minute! What're you doing?" Zaku asked.
"You see real attached to these arms of yours…." Naruto smiled. "Can you fight without them?"
Naruto smirked as Kyuubi tore off Splicer's arms clean off and kicked the suit skywards.
"My arms!" Zaku screamed.
"Thank you for sharing, captain obvious." Ino smiled.
"Indeed." Shino noted. "Must they always state the obvious in fights?"
"About time, dope." Sasuke smirked. How long was it going to take for Naruto to end his fights quickly?
Zaku started shaking. For the first time in years, he was afraid.
Naruto glared at this…thing in front of him. Zaku was everything a true fighter hated. Naruto clutched his fist in anger.
"Here comes that badass boast he's been working on…" Ino sighed in semi-boredom.
"What's going on?" Zaku swore as he felt power build up in Kyuubi.
"You may control sound…." Naruto smirked. "But I control chakra itself!"
The 9 tails then grabbed Sound Splicer like tentacles and started dragging it closer to Kyuubi. Zaku struggled in vain until he saw Splicer and Kyuubi were face to face.
Meanwhile, in his own cockpit, Naruto focused on his right hand. When the hand started glowing blue, he smirked.
"It works…." He smiled. "Thanks a lot, master."
Outside, Zaku stared in amazement as a sphere of energy appeared in Kyuubi's hand.
"Wait a minute…that's just like lord Orochimaru!"
"Always have an ace in the hole, as Shino would say!" Naruto roared as Kyuubi slammed the sphere into Sound Splicer's chest. "Here I go! Rasengan!"
Instantly, the Sound Gundam's head burst off like a rocket.
"Here comes our favorite part…." Ino said as everyone counted down with her. "3…2...1…"
"AAAAA!" Zaku screamed as his headpiece crashed to the floor. The police were waiting for him, as were the civilians he'd terrorized.
The announcer's face appeared in the skies once again. Glancing around, he then smirked.
"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki of Team Konoha!"
"Believe it!" Naruto proclaimed as Kyuubi flew upwards and fired a blast of energy that exploded firework style in the shape of a leaf.
The next day, the gang headed out. Now that the Exams had begun, they had to get back home to Konoha, where the tournament would be held.
"Well, this is it." Shikamaru yawned. "The Gundam exams have officially begun."
"Let's give our all…" Hinata whispered as she started to fall asleep in Kiba's arms. "the lot of us…."
"Oh, before I forget…." Ino said. "Tenten called, she and the others are ready to be picked up and waiting for us in Ame."
"Well then," Choji beamed. "Looks like I'm going to catch Ame grub on the way after all."
"Is food all you think about, Choji?" Sasuke asked.
"No." Choji stated. "I think about dessert too!"
"Oh brother…."
"Hold up."
Tayuya threw a package to Naruto. Upon glancing at it:
"I promised you a pizza, remember?" she smiled. "Share it."
The 9 then walked off into the sunset, ready for their next adventure in their search of their goal.
Unknown Location
1:00pm
"He's going to be good." A woman with blue hair smiled at her beloved as they finished watching the fight's end on a laptop.
"No. He's going to be the best." A young man with bright red hair covering his right eye smiled. "If we don't stop him first."
He then paused the video at the point when Naruto started celebrating his victory. He then smiled at the blonde boy sadly.
"Look out, little brother." He sadly said. "The world's about to get tougher, and I'm not there for you this time. You always wanted to fight me? Your wish will be granted soon."
Next time: The Gundam Exams kick off in Ame, where the Rookie 9 meets up with Team Gai. But before they can relax, the gang runs into problems with Obero, who is determined to kill Naruto to avenge the defeat of his mentor Hanzo. When Sakura is kidnapped, Naruto shows how he got the nickname Kistune Flash.
