Huh. Whaddya' know.

I got another free day, so here I am, updating something I published a little over a week ago.

I'm actually surprised at how well this fic was received. Forty-six alerts, twenty-seven faves, and seven reviews. Not bad if I do say so myself.

And considering this was originally something I did to distract me from my huge case of writer's block that I got from Hello Again, and Secrets of the Goddesses.

The latter's update is (still) in progress and Hello Again Chapter 12 isn't even past the drafting stage yet...urgh…

Anyway, here's the first chapter of The Promise of a Lifetime!


Japan

Beehive HQ

Gates

November 27, 2013

5:03 P.M.


(*SCROPP*)

My colossal, stuffed-to-the-fucking-brim duffel bag hit the ground with an unholy noise, as I stopped outside the recently moved-into, and the currently overpopulated, grounds of the "BeeHive" base.

"So this is it then?" I muttered.

With a chakra-enhanced leap, I was over the fence it no time flat.

I glanced over at the 3 different buildings. The place seemed to be bustling, complete with boisterous laughter, the occasional sound of members roughhousing, and the smell of cheap cigarettes in the air.

But it was certainly extravagant. There were stone angels at the gates, said gates being a brilliant gold, and connected to a wall of interlocking brick.

Even just looking down at my feet made me feel like I had entered a whole new world. The dull, standard gray of the sidewalk paled in comparison to the diamond-shaped, fuchsia tiles of the path I was on. And even the path was lined with flower-adorned bushes, each on the edge of a well kept lawn.

My eyes eventually made their way down to the bag at my feet. I sighed, unzipping and opening it.

The thing was packed with clothes, weapons, equipment, and some various, completely non-ninja related mementos from my friends.

A rather beaten-up lighter from Shikamaru, a jar of ointment from Hinata, a small war-fan from Temari, a small bottle of chakra-conducive Suna sand from Gaara, a bit of poison from Anko, Kankuro, and Ino, some universal antidote from Tsunade…

Okay, so maybe some of these things could be considered equipment too.

But my eyes settled on the small ring with a pinkish diamond.

Flashes of that night flew before my eyes, before I grit my teeth and threw it back in. The metal clinked against Hinata's jar, before it settled at the bottom of the bag.

Lost in my bitter thoughts, I zipped the thing shut. Grunting, I hoisted the bag over my shoulder once again.

It's not that it was heavy; that wasn't it at all. It was just unnecessary. It was just for keeping up appearances; everything else I owned (the other 99% of it) was sealed among the scroll in my back pocket, a small one on the back of my neck, and another on the back of my hitai-ate.

Said hitai-ate was falling down my forehead a bit, so I tightened it as I trudged along the path.

And as I did, a small piece of paper slipped out.

Glancing around me, and deciding that this probably wasn't the place to read it, I sealed it away. The bit of paper was now stored in a seal on my wrist, where I kept my kunai.

I stopped before the massive metal double-doors, before pushing them with a loud *CREEAAAK*.

'Gk! What the heck is with this thing? Even my normal strength should be enough to open a God damn door!'

"Hmph. Maybe it's because you've been slacking off with your training."

'Hey, I'd like to see you try doing a workout on a fucking boat!'

'Besides, it was only for three days. I couldn't have fallen out of practice that fast.'

Not awaiting his response, I channeled chakra to my arms.

And like the flick of a switch, the doors flew open, hitting the inside walls with a *BAAANG*!

Inside, the normally-intimidating members of the BeeHive looked bloody terrified.

I held up my hand in greeting, "'Sup Fellas?"

I had never before seen chaos erupt so sychronizedly.

"H-He broke through the door!"

"Holy Crap!"

"Someone get Claude-sama!"

"Actually!" I shouted over them, trying to calm them down, "That's who I'm here for! I need to talk to him!"

(*FWOOSH*)

Suddenly, the doors on the opposite side of the room opened.

The entire lobby quieted and parted at the middle to reveal the man I was looking for.

'White hair, pink suit, gold-framed glasses. That's him alright.'

"At ease, gentlemen," he said, "This one's mine."

The others were starting to get riled up now, as they began chanting "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!"

The man sweatdropped, "No, I meant this one's mine. He's the backup I requested for the bodyguard detail of the Young Mistress."

"Ah"s and "Oh"s of understanding were heard throughout the crowd as Claude pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

Finally, he sighed and straightened.

"Come with me."

He turned on his heel and walked back down the hall, myself following closely.


BeeHive HQ

Tsugumi's Quarters

November 27, 2013

5:47 P.M.

(Tsugumi)


"Seishirou-sama!"

I looked up from my desk to the open door, where one of the grunts had called me.

I sighed, closing the book, "What is it, Klein? I'm off-duty right now."

"Sorry, but I have some bad news! Almost the entire cooking staff was simultaneously hospitalized today after exposure to some kind of deadly disease native to Japan!"

"Sounds like something they'll get over in a couple days. But why are you telling me?"

"Well, it's almost dinner, and the guys don't really know how to cook, so…"

"And let me guess," I fully turned to him, "You want me to do it?"

"...Please?"

With a heavy sigh, I stood, rolling up the sleeves of my sweatshirt.

"Fine. But only 'till the chefs recover."

"Aw, thanks! You're the greatest, sir!"

"...Stop talking, Klein."


BeeHive HQ

Claude's Office

November 27, 2013

5:13 P.M.

(Naruto)


(*K-TNK*)

I watched as Claude shut the door behind him.

"My sincerest apologies for the actions of my men back there," he said, pushing up his glasses, "They tend to be… excitable."

"Not a prob," I said, rolling my shoulder, "But I still don't understand what they were flipping out about. All I did was break down a door."

The man visibly blanched, "You...broke through the entrance?"

I nodded, unsure what the big deal was.

The man gathered himself, before giving me a light smirk.

"Well, at least I know you're capable."

I paused.

"Huh?"

He elaborated, taking a seat, "Naruto-kun, that was a door made of incredibly strong alloy of titanium and steel, the lock reinforced with maraging steel, chromium, and graphene… And you say you broke through it?"

"Sounds fancy," I muttered, scratching the back of my head as I sat as well, "Yeah, I just channeled a bit of chakra and it came down like it was nothing. If you really wanted a sturdy door, you should've put some seals into it."

"Hmph. Duly noted."

The man leaned back in his chair, "So did Kakashi tell you anything? I know he tends to be a bit sparse on the information front…"

"You have no idea. I didn't even know he had a brother 'till a few days ago."

"As expected," he said, tidying up the desk a bit, "I left the Elemental Countries when Otou-sama died, and we haven't really conversed since."

"Really? What made you leave?"

"I was never cut out to be a ninja. My chakra levels were about as low as a civilian, though I can perform basic control exercises like Leaf Balancing. When Tou-sama died, I moved in with my only living relatives, aside from Kakashi of course."

He stood up, walking over to the cabinet and withdrawing a glass, "He didn't take it well. He thought I was abandoning him, and after that I heard he threw himself into his work. He became captain of the ANBU around 13, and renowned the world over for his use of the Sharingan as 'The Man of Over 1000 Jutsu'."

He chuckled a bit, pouring himself some scotch,"Or, rather, the 'Shinobi' world over."

He stopped for a second, "Ah! Where are my manners. Would you like a drink?"

"Hm? Oh, if it's not any trouble."

He grinned, grabbing me a glass as well, "So, if I may ask…"

He set the cup on the table, sliding it to me.

"You're name is Fishcake, right? What's the deal with that?"

Good thing I hadn't taken a sip yet. Otherwise, I would've done a spit take.

"It's maelstrom actually. Spiraling Maelstrom."

I took a swig, feeling the burning liquid go down my throat.

"Ah, that's good stuff."

Claude smirked, pouring himself another glass, "You know, when I offered you a drink, I was half-joking. Didn't expect you'd actually go for it."

He gulped a bit down, wiping his mouth on a kerchief, "You got some balls, brat."

"Old enough to kill, old enough to drink," I said simply, "'Sides, I can't get drunk anyway. Ol' fuzzbutt burns out the alcohol."

"Ah, I see," he said, a bit of pink tinting his cheeks, "Kakashi told me about your burden. You've earned my respect, kid."

"Gee thanks," I muttered, "Now who exactly is this girl I'm supposed to be protecting? Erm… 'Chidoke Kirizagi', was it?"

"Actually, it's 'Chitoge Kirisaki'. She's the boss' daughter, and our mistress. I've personally seen to her protection since she could barely walk and talk. But as of recent years, due to my ascension in the ranks, I've been swamped with work. So, I've assigned my apprentice as her escort."

"You left your apprentice in charge of the girl you've watched grow up?" I asked, polishing off the glass, "You must have a great deal of faith in him."

He nodded, finally removing his glasses, "Yes, I've come to see Tsugumi as my own son. I've pretty much raised him from the day I found him on the streets."

"Hm? How'd that happen?" I asked, reaching across the table and refilling my glass.

He smirked, "The little rascal was able to actually swipe not just my wallet, but my trusty Magnum. Takes some guts to do that, and even more skill to pull that off at seven years old."

"I saw potential in him," he continued, "So I took him back to base with me. He got along really well with the Mistress, and they've been close friends ever since. It's part of the reason I made him her personal bodyguard."

I nodded in understanding, motioning for him to continue.

"Since then, Seishirou's become one Hell of a hitman. He fought his way to the top, becoming BeeHive's top assassin, second only to me."

"Hm, that's quite impressive," I said, "You must be very proud."

"Indeed. He's grown into a fine young man."

"...Say, I noticed you have a ring on that glove of yours. You married?"

He regarded me with a sad smile, "No, not anymore. Being a gangster is a profession that almost always ends with a bullet. As a result…"

"...She left. Took everything she owned while I was out on a remote op, and was just...gone. Left me a note, telling me everything she wanted to say, but…"

"...In the note, it said she was pregnant. And that she couldn't stand the thought of her child growing up without a father…"

"And she left?" pointed out the Kitsune in my head, "What kind of ass-backwards logic is that?"

"...I'm sorry, man," I said, ignoring Kurama.

He ran a gloved hand through his hair, "...It's fine...That was almost 20 years ago; it's all behind me now."

"So…" I began, trying to change the subject, "You said Chitoge was like a daughter to you, right? Tell me about her."

His mood brightened a bit, "She's an adventurous one, alright. When she was in Japan ten years ago, every day she'd sneak out of the mansion and come back covered in dirt. She'd go off and play with her friends; she'd tell us all about her adventures at dinner. The time she got stuck in a crevice, or when one of her friends got hurt protecting her from a wolf…"

He sighed, "But in recent years, she's had a bit of trouble making friends… So a couple of us decided to try and help by running background checks on everyone in her class."

That time, I did do a spit take.

"But to no avail, as all it seemed to do was make it worse. Since then, all the other students would keep their distance, not wanting to get involved with the heiress to the most vicious criminal syndicate in the country."

"So that's why she was excited for the move. No one knows of her status here, so she thinks it'll be easier for her to make connections."

"I see," I said simply, extending my glass, "Well, I'm certainly rooting for her."

He smiled, doing the same, "As am I."

The glasses clinked, and we gulped down the smooth liquid.

(*KCH-TNK*)

A bearded man poked his head in.

"I thought I heard glasses. Claude, why didn't you tell me you were having a scotch party?"

The man's brow twitched, "Because I wasn't, Johnson. And for the record, if I did have one, you wouldn't be invited."

The man fake-winced, "Ah, how you wound me so."

He then proceeded to let himself in, grabbed a glass, and help himself to the scotch.

"How'd you even manage to hear us? These walls are rather thick, you know."

He shrugged, "When you keep your ear to the ground as often as I do, is it really so surprising?"

Claude sighed, "Naruto, this is Johnson. He's the head of the BeeHive's Spy Network."

The man extended his hand, "Kane Johnson. Nice to meet you."

I shook it, making sure to give it a firm grip, "Naruto Uzumaki. Hajimemashite."

"So what did you need?" asked the silver-haired man.

"Oh, right. I came to ask: Why has my network reported sightings of your apprentice working in the kitchen?"

"Hm? Seishirou has a day off today; I have no idea what he's doing."

Johnson shrugged, "Well he is for some reason. Don't shoot the messenger."

Claude looked to me, "I suppose if you'd like to meet him, now would be as good a time as any. The kitchen's down the hall to the left."

I nodded, placing my cup down.

"Alright. Thanks for the scotch!" I called as I walked out.


BeeHive HQ

Kitchen

November 27, 2013

6:03 P.M.

(Naruto)


I entered, unsure of what to expect. Was it just some guy makin' a snack? A super straitlaced teen stir-frying some vegetables? Or maybe a really buff dude in a "Kiss the Cook" apron?

Kurama snorted at that mental image, and even I had to stifle a laugh.

What I wasn't expecting was a blue-haired woman whipping up a complete dinner large enough to serve hundreds.

There was all kinds of foods, from American turkey and roast beef, to Japanese Yakisoba, Ramen (I drooled a bit), and a whole bunch of stuff I couldn't identify.

"Oi!"

I looked back to the woman behind the operation, to see her, back to me, arm extended.

"If you got time to stand around, you got time to help out. Now toss me the paprika."

I glanced at the assortment of spices on my right. Finding the right one, I tossed it to her, the shaker landing perfectly in her open palm.

"Nice throw," she said, "Now chop some onions."

After a bit of pondering, I shrugged, rolled up my sleeves, washed my hands, and got to work.

Over the past year, I had to learn to cook for an assassination mission, where I was impersonating some uber-famous chef, and had to poison the entire party. And trust me, while the food looked amazing, I certainly didn't hold back on that second front. Atroquinine did the trick, with it's lethal dosage of 0.002 milligrams.

Of course, the food itself tasted great. Minus the deadly toxin of course.

So, I cut the onion, making sure to do so under the running water of the sink to dilute the released gas.

"Hey, did you want these to be sliced or diced?" I called.

"Diced. Real small," she said promptly, sprinkling the paprika over what appeared to be an egg salad.

"Done," I said, finishing in a matter of seconds, "Now what?"

"Get those potatoes there and start mashing. There should be a bowl on your left," she said, still not looking.

I grabbed said potatoes, and sure enough, there was a bowl on my left.

"You certainly know your way around the kitchen," I said, going to town on the root vegetables.

"The first thing you should do when entering new territory is memorize your surroundings," she said.

I shook my head, 'Man, this girl is all business. She really needs to loosen up.'

"Hmph. Definitely."

I stopped mashing, setting down the spiked-mallet.

"There, done."

The teen stopped and made her way over. And as she did so, I finally got a good look at her.

Midnight blue hair framed a heart-shaped face, as piercing, crimson eyes stared back at me. A single beauty mark adorned her pale, flawless skin, just below her right eye.

She ran a dainty finger through the potatoes, before sticking it in past her pouting lips.

"Hm… the texture's near perfect. Not bad, blondie."

My eye twitched at that.

"Now," she handed me a ladle, "Stir the stew over there. Don't let it burn."

"Roger," I answered, making my way over.

And that's how it continued. I followed whatever the woman told me to do, with minimum conversation between us. Until finally…

"Hey! Dinner's ready you low-lifes!"

I sweatdropped at the teen's lackadaisical call through the intercom, as she undid the apron that she'd been wearing over her blazer.

"We make a pretty good team, ne?"

She sighed, "I must admit, you're not half bad... Whiskers."

My brow twitched at that.

She laughed a bit, drying her hands on a towel.

"But really, I don't think I've seen you around before," she said, "And you got a different aura from those other jerks."

"Yeah, I just got here today." I said, "I was supposed to come here and-"

"Wait…" I realized something, "Miss, would you happen to know where Seishirou-san went? Claude-san told me he was here."

The woman looked shocked for a second.

"Y-you can tell I'm a girl?"

I gave her an odd look, "Of course. Was that supposed to be a secret or something?"

"No, not really… It's just that…"

"You're one of the only people in the base to figure it out. Everyone else seems to think I'm a man."

I shrugged, "It's probably the way you speak. You use 'boku' and 'ore'; maybe try 'atashi' or 'watashi' once in a while."

It was her turn to twitch.

"Your clothes too," I continued, "Not many women go around in blazers and khakis."

She gave a light glare, "I wear this because it's functional. I wouldn't be able to do anything in frilly girl clothes."

I quirked an eyebrow, "What would a chef like you need to worry about 'functional'?"

This time, she laughed. It was light, and airy, like some kind of heavenly melody.

"Ah… Listen Orange," she said, causing me to twitch again, "Just because I'm a damn good cook…that doesn't mean it's all I do."

"Hm?"

She smiled, "I'm actually the girl you're looking for. Seishirou Tsugumi. The BeeHive's Top Assassin. You must be my backup"

"...HUH!?"

"B-but you…" I sputtered, "a-and he said… and ...b-but… WHAT!?"

She sighed this time, pinching the bridge of her cute nose.

"I see you've talked to Claude."

I nodded, "Y-yeah. He said you were like a son to him."

Seishirou sighed again, and sat on the counter opposite me.

"That's what he thinks. Ever since he found me, he's thought I was a boy for some reason. Picked a random boy's name from a book, and it all snowballed from there."

"The weird thing is, even over the past decade, he hasn't figured it out. We've bathed together, and he even does laundry for me sometimes."

I could almost feel the Kitsune's howls of laughter.

"So it's been a fucking decade, and he hasn't noticed?! No wonder he needs glasses; he must be going blind!"

She chuckled again, "But it really is something. Only you, Ojou-sama, Adelt-sama, Hana-sama, and Johnson-san know about me. Adding in you to that list, that's a grand total of...five."

"Wait, why don't you just tell him? Wouldn't it be easier to just clear everything up?"

She laughed a mirthless laugh, "And what exactly would I tell him? 'Hey, you know the person you've thought of as a son for over a decade? Yeah, she's a girl.'"

I shrugged, not really sure what to say.

"Wait, you gave all kinds of evidence as to why people might mistake me for a man. How'd you figure it out?"

I flushed a bit, "Um… Do you really want to know?"

She nodded, leaning closer.

I averted my gaze, "You...smelled nice. Like cinnamon... and vanilla."

A bit of pink tinged her cheeks at that, as she looked away as well.

"D-don't mention that to anybody... got it?"

I nodded wordlessly, before looking back to her.

"..So is that like, lavender shampoo, or..?"

(*K-CHK*)

An odd metal contraption shaped like a boomerang emerged from her sleeve, as she put one end to my chin, face matching the color of her eyes.

"..Not…a...word."

I frowned, before moving the metal bit away from my chin.

"What the heck is that thing?" I asked, pointing to the device, "Are you supposed to hit me with that or something?"

The girl almost blanched, before looking back to me.

"Y-you don't know what a gun is?"

I rose an eyebrow, "Is that what that is? Doesn't look like it'd hurt much."

"...Come with me."

And the girl took her hand in mine as she dragged me through the hall.


BeeHive HQ

Claude's Office

November 27, 2013

6:47 P.M.


"And I was all like… 'chicken nuggets'!"

...

"...Johnson, you make that joke every time I see you, and it's equally humorous each time. That is to say, not at all."

(*KTNK*)

"Claude-sama!"

The man turned to the now-open door, to face his pseudo-son.

"Seishirou-kun. What is it?"

"This guy," the teen dragged in her new partner, "doesn't know what a gun is!"

Johnson raised an eyebrow while Claude pushed up his glasses.

"Not surprising. Naruto-kun is from a land where several forms of technology do not exist. And even those that do are rarely used."

"Hey!" he cried, indignantly, "We had trains! And televisions! And refrigerators, microwaves, cameras-"

"But you didn't have guns," Tsugumi cut in.

He shrugged, "Well, no."

She turned back to Claude, "And you're making him a bodyguard!?"

Naruto twitched.

"Are you doubting my capability as a warrior?"

She turned back to him, "A little bit, yes."

"Seishirou," began Claude, "I understand your concern. But Naruto-san is anything but unqualified."

She crossed her arms over her chest, "Well, I'm not convinced."

He twitched again.

She grabbed his hand for the second time in mere moments.

"C'mon."

"Wha? Where're we going now?!"

"The Sparring Hall! I'm going to settle this!"

She pulled him out of the room, Claude setting down his glass and following.

Meanwhile, the only man in the room took a swig at his drink.

'So, Naruto's from a society where only certain bits of technology exist, but are rarely used… implying the reliance on something...different...'

'Claude also seemed rather confident about his skills… Not to mention he can't be more than 17, and he's drinking already...'

'So...' he concluded, 'This 'Naruto' must come from some out-of-date, militaristic society that relies on a different source of energy...'

'Interesting...'


BeeHive HQ

BeeHive Common

November 27, 2013

7:14 P.M.

(Chitoge)


"C'mon! If we don't get moving soon, we're gonna' miss it!"

I blinked, walking up to the nearest member, "What's going on? Why's everyone piling out?"

"Hm? Oh, Ojou-sama! Well, Seishirou-sama was draggin' one of the greens to the sparring hall, and a couple of the guys were heading over to watch!"

"Tsugumi's going to be fighting one of the greenhorns!? The poor guy's gonna' get creamed!"

The scar-faced man shook his head, "You don't understand miss; he busted down the door like it was nothing! You shoulda' seen it!"

"Wha? The new guy did that!?"

He nodded, taking the cigar out of his mouth, "We were gonna' place all our bets on the Black Tiger 'till we heard who she was up against. After that, some of us started rootin' for blondie."

"Hmph. So how strong is he then?"

He shrugged, "I dunno'. As soon as he walked in, Claude-sama whisked him away to his office; no one had time to question him."

I managed to squeeze through the door, following the crowd to the building, where the match was about to begin.


BeeHive HQ

Sparring Hall

November 27, 2013

7:14 P.M.

(Naruto)


I whistled, "Some crowd, huh?"

It was true. Piled behind the barrier were over 200 people, on each side of the arena-like dojo. There was plenty of chattering; the place was bustling.

"Not really," she muttered, "This isn't even half the gang."

I almost blanched at that, "You're kidding!"

She shook her head, "Some stayed behind in America to maintain our current standing there. We also have operatives based all over the globe."

"That's actually rather impressive," I said, scratching my neck and discreetly slipping the note in my wrist to the seal, "But I suppose that makes sense."

The stadium-like room was certainly big. There were the barriers meant to protect spectators, as well as numerous different objects strewn about the field. Trees, bars, walls; the place looked almost like an obstacle course.

"What's with all the stuff everywhere?"

She smirked, "Oh, that? That's where you take cover when I start shooting."

I sweatdropped, 'Well, she's certainly confident, I'll give her that.'

The place finally settled, a hush setting over the arena.

Seishirou turned back to me, "You know why we're here."

I nodded, "You mistake my innocence for ignorance."

She scowled, "It's no mistake. You wouldn't survive a day in this cruel world, much less against me."

I smirked, "Really...?"

She continued, "You're free to use whatever you like, as it won't be enough to beat me."

(*KCHINN*)

I drew my seal-reinforced ninjato from its sheath at my back.

"We'll just have to see about that."

She grimaced, before drawing her 'gun'.

And at some, unspoken signal, it began.

The 'L'-shaped piece of metal rose to shoulder-height, before the trigger was pulled, an the mechanism began to activate.

Subtly channeling chakra to my eyes, I watched in awe as several metal pellets flew from the thing's barrel, flying through the air at incredible speeds!

'So that's what they can do...'

"Stay on your toes, brat," muttered Kurama, "I won't have my container lose to some girl with a weak weapon like that!"

I swung my ninjato against each one, hearing the slight (*PING*) as they were all deflected.

In the tiny window of opening that I had, I rushed the girl, feinting a left slash, while I went for a upper-diagonal one.

Unfortunately, she'd caught on, sending her 'pistol' in the way of my blade to swat the attack away.

What she wasn't counting on was my blade going right through her gun.

Eyes widening in surprise, she was forced to jump away, lest she get her hand cut in two. As she leapt back, she drew another odd device, this one being bigger, with a longer barrel.

(*RATATATATATA*)

The 'bullet's were, once again, batted away by my blade.

'Looks like this one can fire multiple pellets a second. This could be trouble if it keeps up...'

I let a explosive-tag wrapped kunai out of my wrist, and flung it at the ground before her.

She laughed, "If your aim is that shoddy, you might want to consider a new career path."

I said nothing, merely pointing at the knife as the paper began to spark.

Crimson eyes widened, before she ran for cover behind a wall. I threw a tri-pronged kunai over the layer of brick, just in time for the first blade to-

(*KROOOOOM*)


BeeHive HQ

Adelt's Office

November 27, 2013

7:19 P.M.


(*FOOOOM*)

There was a loud sound off in the distance as the room shook a little. The liquid in the bottle on the table rocked back and forth, as if someone had shaken it.

The blond man managed to keep his footing, gripping the table as support.

(*DAAAN*)

The door swung open with a loud noise, Ackerman and Takahashi standing on the other side, weapons in hand.

"Sir! Are you alright?"

He nodded, "I'm fine. Was that an earthquake?"

Takahashi shook his head, "There have been confirmed reports of an explosion in the direction of the sparring hall. In situations like this, we're supposed to escort you to the bunker sir!"

"No need."

The three gentlemen looked down the hall to see Johnson approaching.

"What do you mean, Kane? Protocol says-"

"I know what protocol says. But it's nothing; Seishirou's in the sparring hall 'breaking in' her new partner."

Adelt's eyes narrowed slightly, "It's been established that the use of explosives on the premises are unallowed, ever since the incident last Independence Day!"

Ackerman stifled a laugh, as Johnson continued.

"She knows that, but her partner doesn't."


BeeHive HQ

Sparring Hall

November 27, 2013

7:19 P.M.

(Naruto)


I touched down silently, letting the Hiraishin kunai lodge itself in the roof, as I watched Tsugumi peer around the corner of the wall.

"Dammit," she muttered under her breath, staring into the smoke, "Wasn't expecting him to blow himself up…"

She blanched, "Shit, what am I supposed to tell Claude? Or his brother?"

She stopped upon feeling the cold metal of my kunai on her throat.

"I win," I said smugly.

"That's not fair," she grumbled, "Explosives were off-limits."

"Hey, you said, and I quote: 'You're free to use whatever you like, as it won't be enough to beat me.'."

"I guess I did say that…"

Without warning, she drew another pistol from her sleeve, and stabbed the barrel into my stomach.

"...But it looks like we're at a stalemate."

I tsked, dropping the knife and leaping back as she fired.

I was forced to backpedal as the bullet chased me, threatening to lodge itself in my abdomen. The thing was going to quickly for me to even think of drawing a weapon, not even one from my wrists.

Finally, my back was quite literally, to the wall, as the projectile was mere inches in front of me. With no time to move left, right, or even duck, I did the next best thing.

I reached forward, and slapped my hands together around it, halting its advance. My hands burned against the hot metal, the drilling motion digging into my hands.

I opened them to find a smoking round the size of my thumb. My hands were slightly red from the contact, but they were already starting to heal.

"Gah, shit..." I muttered, shaking my hurt palm, "That frickin' burns!"

Meanwhile, Seishirou and the majority of the gang were gawking.

"Di-Did you just catch a bullet?" she stammered, gun still up.

I quirked an eyebrow, "Looks like it."

I set the bit of metal between my folded index finger and thumb, like one would do to flip a coin.

I flashed a devious grin, "Catch."

And with a flick, the bullet streaked through the air, almost twice as fast as it was going before.

On instinct, the girl fired twice, two more shots flying to intercept.

The first one, my bullet pierced through with no problems. But then it ricocheted off the second, flying into the roof and lodging itself there.

'So ranged weapons appear to be her specialty… I wonder how she is at close range...'

In the brief opening I had, I shot forward, not bothering to draw my blade as I rushed her with my bare hands.

Not expecting this, she leapt up the wall, and backflipped off it onto the other side. I followed suit, sprinting up the thing with chakra and meeting her halfway.

We clashed in the air, my arm blocking a small knife from piercing my shoulder, and her leg stopping a kick that would've taken her out of commision. She quickly swung her blade into reverse grip, trying to slash me across the chest, as I changed tactics as well, moving to swing a wild haymaker that'd catch her in the jaw. Mine made it first, as she dropped the blade to the ground in pain and surprise, and I pursued, using chakra to cut my wind resistance as I dove after her.

I managed to make it to the ground first, and with a tremendous leap, I was back in the air again. The girl's crimson eyes widened as I zoomed by her, managing to slap a small seal formula to the back of her blazer.

Of course, she didn't know that.

Realizing her gun was pretty much useless at this point, she fell into a martial arts stance before leaping after me, leaving a trail of dust in her wake.

Pushing off the ceiling, I met her halfway again, as our bodies were once again locked in combat. This time, blade clanged against blade, as I had drawn my ninjato. I managed to get into the hilt of her weapon, and with a twist of my sword, forced her to drop it.

At this point, we were about ten feet from the ground, and our descent was doing nothing to slow itself. So we disengaged, leaping back to opposite ends of the field, each of us taking the moment to catch our breath.

"You're...not bad…" she managed, between pants, "You wanna'...keep going?"

I smirked, "I can do this all day."

She smirked back, as we dashed to the center of the field.


BeeHive HQ

Sparring Hall

November 27, 2013

7:23 P.M.

(Claude)


I watched in wonder as my brother's student and my apprentice traded blows yet again. Though we couldn't even hear their shouts of exertion through the barrier (it was designed to block out gunshots and even explosions), we could certainly tell they were putting their whole weight behind their moves.

It was astounding; every time Seishirou's blows connected, and I thought he had him beat, the blond would get back up like it was nothing!

I gave a small smile, as I pushed my glasses up.

'So this is what chakra can do.'

"Ah, there you are."

I turned to face my leader, bowing as I did so.

"Good Evening, Boss."

He smiled, "Good Evening, Claude. I heard we had a new arrival?"

I nodded, gesturing at the battle raging beyond the barrier, "Seishirou's sparring with him to make sure he's 'up to par' with his standards."

He rose a brow, taking a seat beside his daughter, "And is he?"

"He's amazing, Tou-san!" said Chitoge, "He broke through the common door earlier! And just a few minutes ago, he caught one of Tsugumi's bullets! And now they're fighting evenly; it's insane!"

I watched as the shinobi fought off a wire-fu kick, blocking with his arm. Seishirou used its momentum as a springboard to rocket off, landing in a deep stance.

It was the blond's turn to go on the offensive, as he went into a spinning tornado kick, with all the force of its namesake. But Seishirou ducked under it, albeit just barely; you could see the gust it caused flowing through his hair.

He doubled back, before resuming his assault on Naruto, leading off with a powerful Seiken Choku Zuki. The fist shot forward, twisting as it went, but the blur of orange spun out of the way, before turning his momentum into a whirling back kick. The blow caught him right in the chest, sending Seishirou back, rubbing the hit area in surprise.


BeeHive HQ

Sparring Hall

November 27, 2013

7:25 P.M.

(Naruto)


I looked on in surprise as I realized what I'd just hit.

"Oh, shit. Sorry!"

The girl wordlessly flushed, switching stances as her face turned downright murderous.

"HYAH!"

This time, it was a simple, yet powerful kick, aimed at my left side. But something was off…

'She's switched from attacking with her feet to attacking with her shins… Not to mention her stance is different too; the elbows are more pronounced.'

"So she knows multiple styles, hm?" muttered Kurama, "Watch out for those elbows kid. She hits you hard enough, you'll end up with a gash across your forehead."

'Duly noted.'

I decided to take the kick, reinforcing the area with chakra. The strike bounced right off, like she had tried kick over a steel pillar.

She briefly let up on her assault, before leaping back in with renewed ferocity. Just as my partner predicted, my new partner struck with an onslaught of slashes with her elbows. I couldn't allow any of them to connect, because just one would be enough to-

(*BAKRAAM*)

In the short lull, I'd left my torso open to attack. Wasting no time to exploit the momentary weakness, the woman struck both her fists against my lower jaw in a Hanuman, sending me sprawling back. Choosing to continue her offensive, she pursued, and with a flying knee, I was sent back even further.

But I flipped off my back as the girl finally let up, hanging back to catch her breath. I moved to wipe the blood off my face, and to reset my broken nose.

She smiled in satisfaction at the outcome of the brief skirmish, "Too much for you, Whiskers?"

I smirked, "Not at all. Care to take it up a notch?"

She clearly wasn't expecting a response like that, but she merely shrugged before settling into her first stance.

"Whatever. It's your funeral."

Once Kyuubi had taken care of the rest, I barreled forward, intent on ending things.


BeeHive HQ

Sparring Hall

November 27, 2013

7:28 P.M.

(Claude)


"Aw…" groaned the mistress, when the boy started bleeding, "And just when I thought he might win…"

I lightly shook my head, "Even handicapped, he can match blows with Seishirou… That's still rather impressive, wouldn't you say, Ojou?"

Her eyes widened, "Handicap? What are you talking about?"

"Ah, for the entirety of his stay here, Naruto-kun has been forbidden to use the majority of his arsenal; a large amount of which would've taken Tsugumi out of commision for a while," I said.

She frowned, "And why is that? Is he really that strong?"

I nodded, "His techniques can sometimes be as dangerous to him and his allies as they are to his enemies. And since he's going to be serving as a bodyguard…"

She raised an eyebrow, "A bodyguard? Whose?"

Adelt patted her on the shoulder, "Yours. Who else's?"

As the blonde gaped at her fellow blond, I watched as one of the grunts (Klein, I think his name was) whooped at the sight of the boy's blood.

"Haha! I knew it! No one's stronger than Tsugumi-sama!"

I chuckled, immediately gaining everyone's attention, seeing as I rarely did so.

"If there's one thing I learned from Uzushio…" I began.

"...It's that the whirling tides are always turning."


BeeHive HQ

Sparring Hall

November 27, 2013

7:29 P.M.

(Naruto)


I wasted no time, flying in with Gai and Lee's signature 'Dynamic Entry'. But the girl simply sidestepped, waiting for the opening that'd result from my landing.

When that opening came, I took an grueling hook right to the face. But, using a combination of my momentum and chakra to stick to the ground, I was able to turn on a dime, striking Seishirou with a powerful spinning, backhanded Lariat.

Not expecting the tactic, she took the blow head on, staggering back as she regained her bearings. I planted my feet firmly on the ground, contemplating my next move.

'Alright… that last one seemed to work, so let's try that agai-'

"Dammit kid, that's the problem here!" the Bijuu roared, "The whole reason you've had a disadvantage is because you're planning everything!"

'What the hell are you talking about?'

"This girl's clearly been trained to counter whatever attack you might have in mind, so listen up! Do what you do best! Be unpredictable; abandon all logic and reason and just do!"

I nodded slightly, 'Just like fighting an Uchiha then?'

"Yeah, but without the whole pink-eye thing. That shit was disgusting if you really think about it."

Ignoring that last part, I decided to take the Kitsune's advice as I rushed in for the final time.

Punch. Duck. Slash. Deflect. My mind was on autopilot, as I ran with whatever it told me to do. But now…

I noticed Seishirou starting to slip up. Sure, they were minor (a landed chop here, a successful jab there, nothing major), but they were certainly there.

'I'm moving too fast for her...' I realized.

I continued my assault, refusing to let up until I got an opening. But Seishirou was equally stubborn, doing her damnedest to stop me from getting it. And finally…

'Yes!'

I sent a jaw-shattering uppercut to the base of her skull. She was lifted off the ground slightly, and the brief period of pain and shock that I had was all I needed.

Blow after blow flew at my airborne opponent, who was too exhausted from our previous bouts to properly block anymore. The assault sent her higher and higher until-

(*BLAM*)

A chakra-enhanced foot to the chin sent her flying toward the ceiling. I flashed up there, using the Hiraishin kunai from earlier, still lodged in the roof.

"You know," I called, "I don't think I ever told you my name!"

I detached my feet, flipping off the ceiling and letting gravity take its hold.

"It's not 'Orange'..."

My momentum increased as I used chakra to cut through the air.

"It's not 'Blondie'..."

I extended a single leg, as I prepared for impact.

"And it's not 'Whiskers' either!"

I slammed my spinning heel into her stomach in a devastating axe kick, that left her gasping for air, and flying toward the ground.

"My Name...is…"

Just before she hit the ground, I flashed to her side using the Hiraishin seal on her back. My momentum was still present as my spinning continued.

"UZUMAKI NARUTO!"

The newly named 'Spiraling Maelstrom' attack slammed into her abdomen, creating a small crater in the ground at the impact.


BeeHive HQ

Sparring Hall

November 27, 2013

7:31 P.M.

(Claude)


"TSUGUMIII!"

I watched in awe as the blond delivered the finishing blow, the blonde at my side concerned over the health of her friend.

"It's fine, Ojou-sama," I assured her, "Seishirou's trained all his life to withstand impacts of far greater intensity. He'll be fine in a few days."

Adelt looked over at me, "Even so, that's really something that your new pupil can do. Teleportation, was it?"

I pushed up my glasses, "Among other things, yes. But those aren't my place to tell you."

He nodded, staring back to the arena, as the winner took a quick lap to celebrate his victory. A bunch of the men looked rather miffed at losing their bets, while others were quite ecstatic about their own victories.

"Well," I began, "Things are definitely going to be different around here from now on."

Adelt nodded, "Now that's for certain."


Ah. Now that was fun to write.

What happened with Naruto and Sakura? Does Sasuke have something to do with it? Will Tsugumi recover from her injuries? Will she finally call our blond protagonist by his actual name? All these answers and more, next time on Dragon Ball-

I mean, um, The Promise of a Lifetime!

But it all seriousness, there will be more backstory, and a pretty big timeskip next time around. The next chapter will take place from January of 2014 (When Chitoge and Raku reunite) to early March 2014 (When Tsugumi and Naruto transfer into their class).

'Til Then!

- Objection234 (Akane Sasu Sora on YouTube)