Chapter 3: Axes and Gūru
Author's Notes:
Phantom- Well, our planned out update schedule had to be revised, given that the two of us ended up deciding to work on this chapter instead of the next chapter for The Witch-King Cometh. Not to worry! We are still going to follow that general schedule, we're just posting this chapter first because it's still on our minds. So for those of you who favor this story, congratulations! You got another update pretty soon after the last! On a side note, updates are definitely going to be scattered once the next college semester starts for me. Reason? I need to focus more on my schoolwork this semester, so I will have very little time to work on new chapters. If we're lucky, we should have this chapter posted before we go back to school, which I will consider quite the achievement.
Morgoth- Bonjour readers, I'm quite excited to get this chapter done and posted with Phantom. I do suggest that you look up the term gūru for reference in your search drive in order to get a better idea of what this chapter will include. I'm sure some of you will be further interested by this. Also I feel that some people questioned why Naruto smiles the way he does, the answer is that he has involuntary muscle spasms that cause him to bare his gums when he smiles.
Phantom- With that said, let's get on with the chapter! Also, I feel we might need to put this in. You know, for legal reasons and all.
Disclaimer: Morgoth and I (Phantom) do not own Naruto, or any of the other anime/games/books/media we borrowed inspiration from for the creation of this fan-made piece of literature. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto, and the others belong to whoever owns them. Please support the official release.
"I'm listening."
The woman claiming to be Madoka Uchiha turned and sat down in Naruto's armchair, gesturing to the opposing chair. Naruto's frown deepened slightly before sitting down. Naruto glanced around the apartment, then gazed back at the masked Uchiha.
"You mentioned a proposition of sorts," he said. "What did you have in mind?"
"I represent a certain organization," Madoka replied. "You may have heard of us? We're called the Akatsuki."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow. He had heard of the Akatsuki, even if it was mostly by reputation and complaints from Brother Sum in their meetings. A mercenary group of missing-nin, all of at least S-rank, that simply took jobs for money. They didn't care what it was, be it assassinations or kidnapping. If money was provided, they would deliver to the best of their capable abilities. This often put them into conflict with some of the local crime groups of the Elemental Nations, such as Brother Sum's group, the Axe Gang and the Takarada Syndicate. After all, what use was a criminal underground if a group of less than a dozen S-rank shinobi could offer much better service for generally the same price?
Regardless, this raised the question as to why the Akatsuki were seeking out Naruto? He was only just made an official shinobi, and despite his capable skills he did not have any ranking in the Bingo Book. So why would they scout him out?
Was it his skill at trapping and killing that earned their interest? Or was it one of the entities within him, the fox or the Walrider?
"So why are you talking to me then?" Naruto drawled. "Regardless of my skill, I'm only a Genin. Surely it would look bad for a criminal organization to recruit someone of my ranking now wouldn't it?"
Madoka chuckled. "Ah, but we've been keeping an eye on you Uzumaki Naruto. The infamous serial killer of Konoha, the unknown cannibal. The one who hasn't been caught. And to be perfectly honest, since when has infamy been something that was part of the shinobi way?"
Naruto nodded in response, his wide gum-baring grin apparent on his face. He couldn't deny that making shinobi famous for their deeds or misdeeds made little sense. After all, they were the killers who should lurk in the shadows. Yet so many jutsu relied on being flashy and "in-you-face" that it negated the need for stealth.
Regardless, it was still nice to be recognized for your talents, especially by one as infamous as Madoka Uchiha herself.
"So is that the only reason you came after me? My status as a serial killer? Or was it something more?" he remarked.
Madoka tilted her masked head. Naruto got the feeling that she was smirking behind that mask.
"Well, originally we were keeping an eye on you due to your status as a jinchuriki," she replied. "But after seeing the aftermath of your little hunts, as well as the spirit within you, our interest was piqued even more."
"So you're here for the fox or the Walrider." Naruto narrowed his eyes, grin still on his face. "You can have the fox, but you're not taking the Walrider. He belongs with me."
"And what gives you the right to be his host, hmm?"
"He's mine that's why," Naruto hissed.
Madoka held up her hands in surrender.
"Calm down Naruto-san. I have no intention of taking the Walrider from you." She leaned forward, Sharingan eye blazing from the hole in her mask. "The Kyuubi on the other hand, we will need him at a later date."
"Explain. Is it just the fox? Or is it the other Tailed Beasts as well?" Naruto asked.
Madoka stood and walked over to the window. Gazing out over Konoha for several minutes (much to Naruto's growing annoyance. He had a body to chop up after all, and it needed to go into the fridge before it spoiled) before turning back to her somewhat unwilling host.
"I want to bring peace to this world Naruto-san. And you can help me bring it about."
Naruto froze in shock, shocked enough to make the grin drop from his face. Standing up abruptly, he stared at Madoka.
He began to giggle, then he chuckled. Then he burst into roaring maniacal laughter.
"Peace. Peace! PEACE!"
Naruto couldn't go further as he dissolved into cackling peals of uncontrollable laughter. Madoka simply stood there impassively, tapping her foot on the ground waiting patiently for him to stop laughing.
Eventually once he managed to regain control of himself, Naruto grinned widely with gums bared.
"Why would you want peace? And don't you realize that what might be peace for some won't be peace for others!"
Madoka raised an eyebrow behind her mask. "And what might be seen as peace for you Naruto-san?"
Naruto paused and pondered for a moment.
"What I consider peace?" Naruto's grin got wider, if at all possible. "My peace is an example of what I just said. Peace for me would be hell on earth for others. I get my peace from purging the heathens from this world, be it by my hand or the hand of others. And I get the satisfaction of knowing that after their worthless lives end, they still have a purpose as my meal. You see Madoka-san, the true tragedy is not to die, but to be wasted. And I rarely ever waste perfectly good food."
"I see," Madoka replied. "That explains why you're a cannibal then."
Naruto scoffed. "I'm no cannibal. I simply eat animals that call themselves humans. There's a difference."
"Some might not see it that way Naruto-san."
"But I see it that way, and that's what matters in the end to me."
Madoka shrugged nonchalantly. "Believe what you will. After Project Tsuki no Me is complete, everyone will have the peace they so desire."
One of Naruto's eyebrows quirked in confusion. Everyone will have their version of peace?
"Sounds like Genjutsu to me."
"Exactly."
Naruto was by now thoroughly confused, which was not a frequent occasion for him after meeting the Walrider.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to explain a little more to me about this 'Tsuki no Me' then Madoka-san."
"Ask and you shall receive Naruto-san," she replied. Turning to gaze out the window, looking up at the full moon above, she continued. "Have you ever heard of how the Rikudo Sennin came to be so renowned throughout the world?"
"He created the shinobi system, or at least the beginning of the system long ago. Why?"
Naruto received a chuckle in return. "Yes that is true, but one thing the world forgot is this simple fact. The Rikudo Sennin was a jinchuuriki, but not for just any Tailed Beast. He held the aggregate of all nine Tailed Beasts, the Juubi."
Naruto's eyes widened. The aggregate of all the Tailed Beasts? If all the Beasts were combined in one form…
"You intend to reform this Juubi, don't you?"
Madoka turned back from the window.
"Yes, and I intend to become its jinchuuriki. Once I have done so, I will cast a Genjutsu called Mugen Tsukuyomi (Infinite Moon Reader) using the moon as a medium to put the entire world under a Genjutsu where they will forever see their hearts greatest desire. By doing so, peace will be achieved for each and every person in the world. THAT is Project Tsuki no Me."
Naruto was a bit taken aback by this declaration. Peace through world-wide Genjutsu? Interesting concept, and perfectly achievable compared to other half-baked schemes of "world peace"
"A very intriguing plan," Naruto said, somewhat lost in thought. "And it does solve most of the problems of the world, free will being one of them. Granted, there's still the problem of supplying nourishment to the people locked inside the Genjutsu, but that could probably also be easily achieved by the power of all nine Tailed Beasts. Yes, yes. This could actually work."
Madoka stared at Naruto for a second, having been frozen in shock with his response. "You… y-you agree?"
Naruto grinned, gums exposed once more. "Are you kidding? I think this sounds like an amazing plan!"
Madoka smiled behind her mask. "Well then Naruto-san, can the Akatsuki count you as an ally then?"
After saying that, Madoka lifted her hand and held it out to Naruto. Naruto, grin still on his face, took the offered hand and shook it vigorously.
"I'm honored to have been asked to join Madoka-san."
The two let go of the other's hand, and Madoka walked over to the corner of the room. Turning back to glance at Naruto, she held up a handseal. Naruto only saw it for a second, but he saw a pinwheel-shaped Mangekyou Sharingan in the eyehole of the mask for the briefest of moments.
"We'll meet again soon, Naruto-san," she replied.
With that, she vanished in another spiral in midair originating from her mask's eyehole.
Naruto looked at the empty spot where Madoka Uchiha stood seconds earlier before turning on his heel and walking to the kitchen. Clearing off the table, he covered it in plastic and unrolled his storage scroll. Channelling some chakra, Mizuki's headless corpse appeared on the table with a small puff of smoke. After undressing and wiping down the body with a paper towel, Naruto turned and twisted the dial on his wireless before reaching for his knife rack.
No need to think on it any more. He had meat to carve. And security to update. Space-Time Ninjutsu needed to be factored into the defenses, and the sooner the better. Raising the kitchen utensil, he began to cut into the still warm flesh of the body before him. Blood spurted out of the new wound, right across Naruto's impassive face, his eyes almost seeming to match the drying blood's hue.
All the while, classic orchestral music flowed throughout the apartment as Naruto continued his work.
While Naruto was restocking his fridge, across the village the Sandaime Hokage was gazing out over Konoha from his office.
As he looked, Hiruzen Sarutobi's thoughts turned towards the boy he had once seen as a grandson in all but blood. Raising a hand to his pipe, he removed it from his mouth and exhaled a cloud of smoke. The old man sighed and replaced the pipe.
Naruto had changed over the years, of this there was no denying. Once upon a time when he was younger, Naruto looked up to him like a hero. He was Naruto's hero back then, and still thinking about Naruto's vow to become Hokage just like his "gramps" brought a smile to his face. The smile of course would in turn fade whenever he thought more on how Naruto had changed, what he had become.
The boy was unstable, this he could not deny. He had a notorious temper, and a strong sense of pride in himself that very rarely abated. Naruto had taken the hatred of the villagers and returned it back at them with full force. And to be honest, Hiruzen knew not what facilitated the change, but he always suspected it might have been that night years ago when Naruto was attacked in his apartment.
Upon hearing of Naruto's results during the Genin exams, Hiruzen couldn't help but feel shocked at the resigned apathy that welled up when he read the reports. Savagely beating Tenten, tormenting Hinata Hyuuga both physically and psychologically, and then there was Kiba Inuzuka's humiliation at Naruto's hands. Naruto's penchant for violence and sheer brutality was so commonplace, Hiruzen felt sick to his stomach that he was becoming resigned to the boy's methods.
Iruka Umino was almost adamant that Naruto be kept from becoming a Genin, simply for his attitude alone. With his temper and violent tendencies combined with it however, Iruka tried to petition the Sandaime to have Naruto dropped from the Shinobi program altogether.
Unfortunately for Iruka, that wasn't an option for Hiruzen. Naruto was the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, and thus was a powerful asset to the village. To not use the power of the fox in an emergency would be foolish. Not to mention that if Naruto was banned from becoming a shinobi, he might lash out even harsher at the members of the village, possibly even going so far as to actually beat someone to death.
Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. Then again, there was also the problem of Danzo and ROOT attempting to recruit him should he be out of Hiruzen's reach, or in the worst case scenario Naruto might leave the village to join up with another. And since he would be considered a civilian, it wouldn't be possible to mark him as a missing-nin and offer a reward for his capture.
No, Naruto would have to become a shinobi. Hiruzen just needed a way to keep Naruto's temper under control, as well as keep an eye on him. After all, it was no secret that the shinobi populace considered the jinchuuriki as a potential flight risk.
Hiruzen's train of thought was interrupted when he felt the presence of three people behind him, kneeling respectfully.
"You called for us Hokage-sama?"
Hiruzen turned to face the three ANBU agents kneeling on the ground. He waved a hand in their direction before sitting down at his desk. The three agents rose from the ground and stood at attention.
"Yes. Thank you for coming so quickly."
One of the ANBU, a woman with purple hair and customized "Oni" mask, stepped forward.
"We assume you have an assignment for us?"
"I do," Hiruzen replied, removing his pipe from his mouth and setting it on his desk. "I'm assigning you three to keep an eye on a potential flight risk."
The second ANBU, another woman except with green hair and an Owl mask, looked at the Hokage.
"Flight risk? We've haven't done many missions of that type before."
"That is true, but this one is a special case. I need the three of you to watch our resident jinchuuriki, Naruto Uzumaki."
The Oni-masked ANBU looked at the Hokage, somewhat stunned.
"How is he a flight risk sir? While aspects of his personality might leave much to be desired, when has he ever shown disloyalty to the village itself?" she asked.
"Hopefully this is nothing more than an old man's paranoia acting up again," Hiruzen replied. "But I want to be absolutely sure before I take necessary action."
The final member of the trio, a blue-haired male in a Wolverine mask, crossed his arms.
"So how exactly are we keeping an eye on him? He usually seems to sense nearby ANBU whenever they're tailing him."
"You won't be tailing him. You'll be posing as his Genin team. Given the odd number of graduating students this year, it would leave Naruto without a team. So the three of you will be posing as two fellow Genin and Jonin instructor."
Raising a finger, he pointed at the Oni-masked ANBU. "You'll be acting as the Jonin instructor for this one Oni." He then gestured to the other two agents. "You two will be acting as the Genin. I want regular reports, and above all else, do not let Naruto know that the three of you are ANBU. I don't want to foster any more distrust in him than what he already has. Understand?"
The trio nodded before vanishing in a Shunshin. Hiruzen sighed and stood up. Turning to gaze out the window once more, his thoughts turned to his deceased successor.
"Oh Minato," he mused. "Am I doing the right thing? Or am I making another huge mistake?"
He received no reply, save the howling of the wind outside his window.
Several buildings away, the trio of ANBU phased into existence on top of a rooftop. Oni glanced at the other two agents before gesturing to the window. Wordlessly, they slipped into the house. Oni pulled down the shades on the window and locked the door.
"Coast's clear for now."
With a nod, they all removed their ceramic masks. The blue-haired male turned to look at his companions before growling in annoyance.
"Well, what do we do now?"
"Perhaps we should warn Naruto," the purple-haired woman replied.
"How are we supposed to do that Rize? We were ordered to not reveal ourselves as ANBU to Naruto, so we can't tell him!"
The one called Rize sighed. "We'll just have to do the best we can then Ayato. After all, he already knows one of us maskless, right Eto?
"Well yeah, but he doesn't know me as Eto," Eto replied. "He only knows me as Sen Takatsuki."
"That's good enough for now. We'll have to work with what we have, and eventually once we've regained Naruto's trust as ourselves, we'll let him in on our ANBU identities."
Ayato scowled. "And what about the other thing you're forgetting?"
"That will come later. For now, just prepare yourself for acting like Genin for an unspecified amount of time."
Rize replaced her Oni mask and headed to the window.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some cleaning up to do in the forests," Rize remarked. Glancing at her comrades, she continued. "You two should probably feed. It's been a while after all."
With that, she leapt out the window and headed across the rooftops. Ayato glanced at Eto as a menacing smirk formed on his face.
"Well, she's right Eto. We haven't fed in a couple weeks, have we?"
Eto smirked in reply. "Do you even need to ask?"
The pair chuckled darkly as they too leapt out the window and into an alleyway. Once on the ground, they both covered their faces with a mask, though not the same masks they wore as ANBU. Ayato's was black and had a fanged grin upon it, while Eto's appeared to be similar to bandages wrapped around her face. If anyone had seen them at that moment they would have been very surprised to see their eyes. Ayato's eyes, as well as Eto's right eye, now sported a bright crimson iris with pitch black sclera.
After a rather productive night, in more ways than one, followed by a restful sleep, Naruto was up the next morning with a smile on his face.
Walking over to his kitchen, he had almost put his apron on when he remembered his prior plans for the day. Sighing softly, Naruto folded his apron back up and returned it to the drawer.
After getting dressed (and equipping his usual armaments) Naruto headed to the door and walked outside. Much to Naruto's surprise, there was actually someone standing in his doorway that wasn't an ANBU or member of the Police Force (back when the Uchiha weren't slaughtered and all) to talk to him about beating up one of the poor little lambs of the Leaf.
Standing in front of him was a young woman wearing what appeared to be the stereotypical maid attire, though not the kind used for strange forms of cosplay. This one was actually quite modest. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the woman.
"Can I help you?"
The woman nodded, reaching into one of her pockets and handing Naruto a letter. Eyeing the envelope warily, Naruto slit the top open with a kunai and removed the contents. Scanning the unfolded page, Naruto's eyebrow raised again before returning to its usual position. Folding the letter back up and replacing it in the envelope, Naruto slipped the envelope into one of his pockets and smiled at the woman.
"Tell Tsukiyama-san that I'll be there for lunch," he told her. As she turned to leave he stopped her. "And be sure to tell him I said 'thank you' for the invitation."
The woman smiled, bowed, and walked away. Naruto watched her leave with a bemused smile on his face. Chuckling to himself, he set off on his way to his meeting.
Thankfully for Naruto (or rather, thankfully for the villagers) no one in their right minds planned on attacking him today, be it physically or verbally. Upon hearing that Naruto had successfully become a full-fledged shinobi, most of the civilians were even more wary about pissing him off than they were before. If anything, they were more than happy to give the blond-haired teenager a wide berth when he came near, praying to Kami that nothing they did set him off.
Naruto paid them no mind as he walked, though he did get a small sense of satisfaction when he saw the barely hidden fear on the faces of many of the civilians. It was rather exhilarating to be honest.
Eventually though he slipped off of the main roads and into the alleyways. Not that he could sense any ANBU agents tailing him today, but it never hurt to be careful. Expertly navigating the maze of paths throughout the system of alleys in Konoha, he eventually found himself in the areas of the city where things weren't exactly as "nice and kind" as the main areas of the village.
A couple men in dirty clothes and torn jackets at one point thought the elegantly-dressed blond would be a nice target for a mugging. However after seeing Naruto's harsh blue eyes and gum-bearing grin, they quickly realized that perhaps it wasn't the best idea after all.
Glancing around the block, Naruto eventually found his destination. A small little restaurant sitting out of the way of the main street in this area. As Naruto approached the entrance, he noticed two men dressed in black suits, white dress shirts, and black ties and noticed they were armed with small hatchets. Recognizing the two as Brother Sum's members, he greeted the two men before entering the restaurant, and spotting a man walking toward him. The greeter attempted to set Naruto up with a seat, but Naruto had already spotted where he was going.
"I'm sorry my friend, but I'm with someone over there," Naruto told the man. "I'll find my way over, no need to go through any trouble for me."
The greeter nodded before going back to his station and waiting for the next patron to enter. Naruto on the other hand made his way over to the table and sat down.
"Brother Sum," he greeted.
Brother Sum, ever immaculate with his suit perfect, not a single hair out of place, and a neatly trimmed beard, smiled at the blond.
"Uzumaki Naruto," Brother Sum replied, extending a hand to Naruto. "It's been a while."
Naruto accepted the offered hand before glancing down at the menu.
"I hope I didn't keep you waiting very long my friend," Naruto said.
"No worries Uzumaki," Brother Sum said, nonchalantly waving his hand. "I only just got here myself."
Naruto nodded, still perusing the menu. Brother Sum mimicked the action before reaching a decision.
"Have you decided yet Uzumaki?"
"Not quite, but I do have a bit of a taste for Western cuisine, so I imagine I'll get something along those lines."
"Ever the adventurous one, eh Uzumaki?"
"You could say that, though I usually make everything homemade. I have no idea where this place gets their sausages for example."
Brother Sum chuckled heartily.
"You need not worry about the quality of their food," he remarked. "I've been here many times, and they've never disappointed yet. Don't let the outside appearance fool you in that regard."
Naruto chuckled darkly. "Always 'look beneath the underneath,' eh?"
Brother Sum laughed. "Indeed Uzumaki. Indeed."
Naruto glanced around the restaurant for a moment before focusing back on his companion.
"I don't see your 'advisors,'" Naruto remarked. "You lose them somewhere?"
"Not exactly. I simply didn't need them to come with me this time. After all, we're both friends here, ne?"
"Indeed."
At that point a waitress came over to take their orders. Naruto glanced at the menu before turning back to her.
"I'll take the standard Western breakfast. Full course."
After scrawling it down on her notepad, the waitress turned to Brother Sum.
"I'll have the natto and fried egg on rice, with a side of miso soup."
Scribbling on the notepad, the waitress thanked them and took up their menus before heading to the back kitchen. Naruto watched her leave before looking back at Brother Sum.
"I trust you brought me what I mentioned in my message?"
"Of course Uzumaki," Brother Sum replied. "Though next time, perhaps you shouldn't send that spirit. Trust me when I say this. I see that thing at night, I'm liable to shoot and run before figuring out you sent it."
"But then there's always a chance for interception if I chose a more standard method of communication," Naruto retorted. "My friend can't be sensed by normal means, only by doujutsu can he be seen unless he wants to be seen. Thus he avoids the clan homes with doujutsu like the Hyuuga, and the Uchiha are extinct except for Sasuke-san so that's not an issue."
Brother Sum nodded in agreement before reaching down and placing his briefcase on the table. As he input the combination, he glanced up for a moment.
"I will let you in on this my friend," Brother Sum remarked. "It was not easy to get my hands on this information."
Naruto smirked. "But luckily for you, you happen to have your subordinates in opportune places to get such information from time to time."
Brother Sum shrugged. "This is true," he admitted. "But while getting my men into other gangs is one thing, ANBU on the other hand is a completely different story. Especially when you keep in mind how few chakra-users I actually have in my employ, much less those who can actually qualify."
"We make due with what we have Brother Sum," Naruto remarked. "Sometimes we just have to use that which is available to get the job done."
Brother Sum nodded as he unlatched his briefcase and extracted a manila folder and handed it to Naruto. Naruto deftly took it in his hands and unfolded it, glancing at the files within.
"When did your employee acquire this information?"
"Not too long ago. I'd say about a week or so ago, so this is relatively up-to-date. If anything new comes through, I'll have him send it to me. It's not easy to communicate with someone in ANBU though."
Naruto nodded and set the folder down. Brother Sum then pulled out a second folder, one noticeably thicker than the last, and slid it over to Naruto. Naruto opened it and began perusing its contents.
"How recent is this information?"
"Very recent," Brother Sum replied. "My associate was able to relay some of the information in that folder just last night after your spirit friend showed up to give me your message."
Naruto glanced at one of the pages in the folder and raised an eyebrow. "So that's what Gato's been doing behind the scenes of his 'legitimate business,'" he remarked. "We may have to do something about him if his business becomes too much of a problem for us."
"Indeed my friend," Brother Sum agreed. "But enough talk of business for now. It seems our food has arrived, and I am rather famished myself."
Naruto smirked as he replaced the files in their folders and slipped them into his vest. "Indeed. I am also quite famished."
Two plates of food were set in front of them, prompting thanks from both gentlemen. The waitress smiled back at them, winking flirtatiously at Naruto before walking off to pick up another order. Naruto looked down at his plate, an appreciative smile on his face.
"Scrambled eggs with bacon and sausage, served with buttered biscuits and a small fruit salad on the side," he mused. "Standard Western breakfast with a few changes here and there, but all around it looks good."
"It smells appetizing," Brother Sum agreed. "I've never been one for Western food, but if that's just a single example then I might have to try that next time we're here, no?"
Naruto nodded and picked up his fork and knife. Cutting off part of the sausage, he placed it in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully before swallowing.
Exceptional, despite the type of meat used in its making.
Standing in front of the luxurious estate, Naruto couldn't help but grudgingly respect the Tsukiyama family for managing to acquire such wealth through seemingly legal means.
The estate had beauty, elegance, and absolutely reeked of expensive taste. Naruto approved, and bit back the small sliver of envy that tried to rise up.
Walking up to one of the guards standing at the gate, Naruto held up the invitation as he went, causing the guard to stand down. He nodded at Naruto before opening the gate for him.
Naruto inclined his head in return, never faltering in his stride. A maid came forward towards him, gesturing towards one of the paths leading to the back of the mansion. Naruto politely thanked her and continued on his way, gazing around the grounds and taking in the sights of the Tsukiyama family's exquisite landscaping.
Eventually the path came to an end, and Naruto found himself at a pavilion of sorts, with a table and two chairs set up upon it, with several maids stationed around the edge of the pavilion. And standing there was Shuu Tsukiyama, dressed in a purple suit that matched his bright blue hair perfectly.
Turning, Shuu noticed Naruto and smiled kindly.
"Bonjour Naruto, I'm glad to see you made it here."
Naruto nodded to his host. "Well you went through all the trouble of sending one of your maids to hand deliver that invitation, it would have been very inconsiderate of me to refuse. Besides, I'm not one to turn down a free meal of quality food."
Shuu chuckled. "Indeed. One should never refuse quality food. Please, sit."
Naruto obliged, taking the offered seat. Shuu inhaled deeply, smiling serenely before sitting down opposite the blond. Naruto raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as Shuu had done this many times before.
"So why exactly have you called me here?" Naruto asked. "Most people who want to have lunch with me have some ulterior motive at hand."
Shuu chuckled. "Non Naruto, why would I need a motive to have lunch with an old friend? After all, in all the times I've known you and you've come over, have I ever had some sort of motive behind it?"
Naruto couldn't fault Shuu for that. In all the time he had known the man, Shuu had never had a reason to do anything for him. Well, save one.
"And this has nothing to do with my deceased mother?"
Shuu sighed and gestured for a maid. The woman dutifully came forward and filled a glass with wine.
"I will not deny that Kushina may be a factor in this, but you are still part of my famiglia Naruto. You're a Tsukiyama in all but blood."
Shuu took a sip of his wine and set the glass back down. He nodded towards another maid, who bowed and headed off towards the house. Naruto watched the action and raised an eyebrow.
"Just checking to see when lunch will be ready," Shuu replied. "I can guarantee that this will be a most exquisite dish to taste."
Naruto nodded while Shuu took another sip of wine. After placing the glass back on the table, Shuu inhaled deeply with a smile on his face.
"So, word around the village is that a certain someone passed his Genin exams, non?" Shuu asked.
"Word would be correct then," Naruto replied. "The exams were almost pathetically easy, it's a wonder that anyone actually manages to fail."
"And to think that a good portion of Genin potentials would still fail back when the tests were much easier, before you practically took the evidence and waved it in front of the Sandaime's face."
"People still managed to fail? No wonder Konoha's shinobi forces are so pathetic these days. They just need to form an illusionary clone, successfully Kawamari and perform a decent Henge and all of a sudden we have a large group of sub-par shinobi expected to die for their village. Disgraceful."
Shuu nodded. "It's a wonder that we're still considered the strongest shinobi village anymore."
"Konoha is sub-par in training shinobi, sub-par in actually running the village at times, and especially sub-par in the case of jinchuuriki."
Shuu's eyebrow quirked. "Oh? Explain."
"Konoha seems happy to take the jinchuuriki, in this case me, and just forget I even exist in most circumstances. Other villages, like Kumo for example, not only respect their jinchuuriki, albeit because of fear at times, but actually train them to harness the powers of the beast sealed within them. It's odd that Konoha refuses to train me on how to use the fox. They got it stuck in me, why not show me how to use it?"
"You almost sound like you want to be trained in using its power."
Naruto laughed for a moment before continuing. "Of course not. Why would I want to resort to using that power and become little more than a slavering beast incapable of thought and reason? No, better to use my own skills in place of that power. Besides, if they wanted me to use it, they should have showed me how. Since they didn't I guess I'll never need to use it."
"Perhaps this is true," Shuu replied. "It's almost as if the Leaf doesn't want a jinchuuriki as a trump card."
"You may be right," Naruto said. "After all, why sully their image as a 'benevolent' shinobi village by using barbaric methods such as jinchuuriki to deter war?"
"The whole practice is rather barbaric, yes," Shuu agreed. "Forcing people to live with the burden of an entity composed entirely of malicious chakra is quite horrific. And no one seems to even care for your sake in Konoha besides me."
Naruto smirked. "Well there may be a couple others, but they are few and often far away." He glanced to the side and smiled. "And if I'm not mistaken, that appears to be our lunch arriving."
Sure enough, several maids had arrived with a few covered trays. They set them down on the table and uncovered them all at once. The aroma of the roasted meat filled the air, and Naruto inhaled with a sigh.
Though, he couldn't help but admit that it smelled familiar somehow. He wasn't sure how, and he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Shuu took up the knife and carved off portions of the roast, placing them on each plate. Sitting back down he smiled.
"Bon appétit," Shuu remarked.
Naruto nodded in thanks. Cutting a piece off of his portion, he lifted it to his mouth and chewed.
All of a sudden the flavor exploded in his mouth, and he suddenly realized why it smelled so familiar to him.
Swallowing, Naruto glanced at Shuu, who was also eating contently.
"Pardon my asking," Naruto said. "But what kind of meat is this?"
Shuu froze and looked up. A wide grin formed on his face, almost as wide as Naruto's, albeit he didn't bare his gums.
"The meat came from a family of deer," he explained. "A buck, a doe, and a fawn. A rather nice family of hunters went out into the woods one day and killed them, but they refused when I asked if I could have them, given they were killed on our grounds. It took quite a lot of time, and quite a bit of bargaining, but they eventually gave in. They were a beautiful family, a father and mother, and a little girl." Shuu tilted his head. "Why do you ask?
Naruto gazed at Shuu for a moment, then looked back at the meal. A gum-baring grin formed on his face.
"No reason. Absolutely no reason at all."
With that, Naruto raised his fork to his lips, and took another bite.
"Au revoir Naruto." Shuu said as he waved Naruto goodbye.
Shuu watched Naruto leave with the "supervision" of a few of his elite personal guard. Not that Naruto needed it, but why take the chance at all?
He turned back to look at the table behind him, the remains of their meal still sitting out. Smiling, Shuu walked over and sniffed the air. Covering the dish, he walked off the pavilion and onto the grounds. Inhaling deeply, taking in the mixed scent of freshly cut grass and the recently consumed meal, Shuu sighed contentedly.
It was good that Naruto enjoyed the meal. After all, Shuu only served the finest cuisine possible to his guests. The only downside was that none of it was vegetarian, for those few guests who happened to follow that lifestyle.
Shuu gazed around the gardens across the grounds, before noticing a rosebush. Eyeing the blood-red rose, his thoughts turned to another time, and to the woman whose hair the rose reminded him of.
He could see so much of Kushina in Naruto, and almost none of the man who provided the other half of the equation. Her confidence, her fiery temper, and skill with a blade. Thankfully all that Naruto had received from Namikaze however was the blond hair and blue eyes, and none of the man's weaknesses.
His compassion, lack of killer instinct, and a strange desire to put the village before his own flesh and blood. No, Shuu was glad that none of Minato Namikaze had manifested in Naruto's personality.
Shuu grit his teeth at the thought of Namikaze, fighting down the killer instinct that rose up within him. Fighting back that hunger that plagued him.
Composing himself, Shuu reached down and plucked a bloom from the bush, pricking his finger on the thorny stem. Ignoring the blood dripping from the digit, he gently held the flower in his hand. Turning and walking back to the table at the pavilion, he set the rose into the empty vase and poured some water into it.
Looking back to gaze at the sky, the sun already beginning its slow downward crawl, Shuu smiled.
Feeling the blood dripping from his finger, Shuu looked down, almost as if noticing it for the first time. Raising his bloodstained hand, he opened his mouth and licked his finger.
Irises burned red, while sclera burned black, as the taste of blood reawoke some of the ghoulish instincts within Shuu Tsukiyama.
Pulling on his shirt and the various weapons and equipment usually on his person, Naruto tied his hair back with its usual golden ornamentation.
It had been nice to see Shuu again after so long, and yesterday's meal was quite splendid indeed. Naruto smirked at the thought, holding back the urge to lick his lips. Shaking his head, Naruto headed for the door, Walrider merging with him as always. Just like the day before, Naruto strode through the streets with confidence while the common folk steered clear of his path. Though unlike yesterday, Naruto had a much different destination in mind.
Taking the path towards the clan homes, Naruto went straight for the emptiest of them all. The Uchiha clan home.
Casually walking into the compound, Naruto listened carefully as he walked. Eventually, he heard the sound of what appeared to be flesh striking a solid surface. Following the sound, he found himself standing in one of the Uchiha's private training grounds. And in that training ground was the person he was looking for.
Sasuke Uchiha stood in front of one of the wooden training posts, wailing away at it with various taijutsu katas from the Interceptor Style of his clan. Sweat dripped from the pores in his skin, and his eyes blazed with two tomoe in each red iris.
"Now Sasuke-san, what did that post ever do to you?" Naruto called. "I mean sure it's there to be hit and all, but you seem to just like beating it half to death, don't you?"
Sasuke froze in his stance and turned to face Naruto. A smirk formed on his face as he walked over, extending a hand.
"How else am I going to get stronger without training Uzumaki?" he remarked. "Unlike you who prefers more guerilla tactics than me, I can't just solve my problems with some insane poison. I have to train to get this kind of power."
"True, but they always say that 'the candle that burns twice as bright dies twice as quick,'"
Sasuke chuckled. "Never figured you for a philosopher Uzumaki." Grabbing a towel and a bottle of water, he turned back to the blond. "Why don't we sit over there, I'll catch my breath, and you can tell me why you're here."
"No need to sit for that then Sasuke-san," Naruto replied. "My reason is simple enough."
"And what might that reason be?"
Naruto smirked. "You yourself said last time we spoke at the exams that you would have rather fought me than that pathetic trash calling themselves a shinobi."
Sasuke stared at his "friend" of sorts. "You want to fight?"
"Not a fight per say, that just sounds barbaric," Naruto said. "No, I'm just proposing a friendly spar between fellow shinobi of the Leaf."
"Friendly, right," Sasuke replied. "Forgive me if I'm a little skeptical given your penchant for kicking the shit out of anyone who annoys you."
"Fine then, we'll set guidelines then. No mortal wounds or injuries that would interfere with our attendance for team assignments tomorrow. I won't use any poisons or concoctions, you limit your Katon techniques to low B-ranked at the highest. Deal?"
"And no hiding in the shadows," Sasuke added. "I'm not suicidal in that regard."
"Okay then, no hiding in the shadows," Naruto agreed. "Do we have a deal?"
With those words, Naruto extended his hand towards Sasuke. Sasuke eyed the hand before taking it and completing the handshake.
"Deal."
With that the two moved towards a circle of sand on the ground and stood opposite one another. Naruto pulled out a shuriken and held it up in front of him.
"When this falls, we begin."
Sasuke nodded as Naruto tossed the shuriken straight up in the air. The bladed star began to fall as the two stood at the ready.
The second it struck the ground, they had already moved.
Sasuke already had his fist outstretched, Naruto had his wrist blade unsheathed. Sasuke ducked under Naruto's slash and retaliated with a rising uppercut. The blond backpedalled and whipped out a trio of kunai before flinging them at the Uchiha heir. Sasuke ducked out of their flight path, snatching one out of the air as he did, before using the kunai to block a downward strike from Naruto's wrist blade.
"Using my own tools against me," Naruto remarked. "Clever."
The two broke apart from their clash. Naruto yanked up his sleeve to reveal his senbon launcher. Sasuke found himself rather shocked when instead of grabbing a cord and pulling back, Naruto simply thrust his arm forward and several senbon launched out at him. Spotting where they would hit using his Sharingan, Sasuke darted out of the way and shot forward, managing to land a solid right hook across Naruto's face.
Naruto skidded back a couple feet and stopped. Rubbing his cheek where the fist struck, Naruto's gum-baring grin appeared in full force. Much as he would deny it later, Sasuke couldn't help but twitch nervously. There was something just… wrong about that grin.
Removing a kunai, Naruto held it in a reverse grip as Sasuke charged forward again, kunai in one of his own hands as well. The two clashed, one stoic and emotionless, the other grinning madly.
Sasuke was so focused on Naruto's blades however, his Sharingan failed to register the incoming attack from below.
Naruto's knee lashed out and struck Sasuke in the gut, knocking the wind out of the Uchiha heir. Naruto then broke the clash and sheathed his wrist blade before backhanding Sasuke across the face. Sasuke stumbled back, wheezing for a moment before he caught his breath.
Looking over at Naruto, he sheathed his kunai and made eye contact. A smirk formed on his face.
"What's so interesting to you Sasuke-san?" Naruto asked.
"You may be clever Naruto," Sasuke replied. "But you should never look an Uchiha in the eyes."
Naruto froze in place, eyes wide and grin gone. Sasuke grinned and lunged forward, rather surprised that Naruto had actually fallen for the Genjutsu in the first place. Fist raised Sasuke was about to end the fight when Naruto's grin returned.
"Did you really think that would work?"
Naruto ducked under Sasuke's punch and reached out for the sand on the ground, before coming back up and flinging sand in the Uchiha's face. Sasuke bellowed in outrage, blinking furiously as his eyes darted around in an attempt to try and see.
Naruto at that point disappeared and reappeared behind Sasuke with a kunai to his neck.
"Yield?"
Sasuke glanced around before growling angrily.
"I yield."
Naruto removed the blade and handed Sasuke the towel from before. Sasuke grunted his thanks before wiping his face and blinking the remaining particles out of his vision.
"You'd think that for once you'd stop throwing sand in people's faces," Sasuke grumbled.
"Why not? It's a good distraction, usually gets them angry, and is perfect for use against doujutsu wielders," Naruto replied, arrogant smirk on his face.
Sasuke rolled his eyes, annoyed at the remark yet unable to deny the truth of it.
"So, anyone you hope isn't on your team?" Sasuke asked.
"Not really," Naruto replied. "Though I will admit that it would be slightly detrimental to Konoha's forces if I am placed on a team with Haruno and Yamanaka."
Sasuke chuckled. "Agreed. Though I'd take Yamanaka over Haruno. At least she knows what a shinobi lifestyle will entail. Plus she's almost as creative with poisons as you."
"Please, her creation didn't have half the amount of symptoms mine had," Naruto scoffed
"Whatever you say Uzumaki. Whatever you say."
Sasuke glanced over at a clock by one of the posts.
"Team assignments are in an hour," he remarked.
"Well then," Naruto said, turning to leave. "You had better take a shower then."
"Asshole," Sasuke called back.
Naruto only chuckled and waved nonchalantly as he went.
Sitting there in that same classroom, Naruto couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.
Despite the final exams now being more difficult and much more diverse, a large amount of people still managed to pass. It honestly baffled him how the number of those passed still greatly exceeded the number of those failed.
However, he had little reason to care about them. Those that had potential lay with those coming from the clans, despite their appearances denoting otherwise at the time.
Shikamaru appeared to be asleep as usual, Choji was eating snacks, Ino was fiddling with her hair. Kiba was scowling in Naruto's general direction, Hinata looked torn between glaring at him or flinching away in fear, whilst Shino simply sat there impassively. Sasuke was brooding, and Haruno was staring at Sasuke brooding.
But Naruto looked over each of them and he saw that at least one action of theirs was deliberate in some way.
Shikamaru appeared to be sleeping, but Naruto got the feeling that in his mind several possible scenarios were playing out, with Shikamaru coming up with a response for each one. Choji, while seemingly indulging himself, was in fact charging up calories for use later in his clan's techniques. Ino looked the most normal of the two, however Naruto did notice her eyes flicking from classmate to classmate, possibly profiling their personality in her head.
Mentally, Naruto smirked. Let her have her fun trying to profile him, it wouldn't tell her anything.
Kiba, while glaring at Naruto, still kept one hand on the head of his partner Akamaru, ready for anything (be it an enemy attacking or him snapping and lashing out at Naruto) Hinata looked nervous, but that could be a front of some sort to lure in her foes for her to strike. Shino, being an Aburame, could attack without even moving, all by giving a thought to his insects.
Sasuke sat in his "brooding stance" but his entire body language screamed "tense" to Naruto. Haruno's fawning over the Uchiha might also have been a front of some sorts, but whether that was true or not Naruto wasn't sure.
Eventually, Iruka came forward with a list of teams and names.
"Ladies and gentleman, it has been my pleasure to be your instructor in your time at the Academy. I wish you all good luck and a prosperous future in your career as shinobi of the Leaf. Now I will call out your names and who you will be on a team with. You'll have a couple hours to get to know your teammates before your Jonin instructors will come by to pick you up for further instruction."
Holding up the list, Iruka began to call out names. Sasuke was slightly annoyed to find out that not only did he have a nondescript civilian on his team, but also Sakura Haruno as well.
Eventually Iruka reached the end of the list, and much to everyone's surprise Naruto was the only student left.
"Sensei," Sasuke called. "What about Uzumaki? Who's on his team?"
"Well, Naruto's situation is unique. Given we had an odd number of graduates this year, we had one left out. So Naruto will be placed on a team that lost a member recently. Your teammates are Sen Takatsuki and Ayato Kirishima. Your Jonin instructor will be Rize Kamishiro."
Naruto nodded, filing away the two of the names for future reference. He hadn't known that Sen was a shinobi. Something felt off, but Naruto couldn't put his finger on what it was.
Iruka bowed to his former students and left the room. As the different Genin hopefuls walked over to their new teammates and began making small talk, Naruto stood and walked out.
Given he knew nothing about two of the three, it would be wise to learn who they are before meeting them in a couple hours.
But who to go to for information? Brother Sum might know, after all he is the head of a large underground organization. Surely he might have information on these three from someone on the streets in his employ.
Then again, he could also go to Shuu as well. The Tsukiyama family does have a large archive of information on anything that goes on in the village.
Mind made up, Naruto set off to the Tsukiyama estate. He had questions that needed asking, and Shuu was the one to answer.
"Rize Kamishiro?" Shuu replied. "Now that's a name I haven't heard in ages."
"But you do know her?"
"Yes, I know her. Or rather, I knew her at one point in time. She was an old friend of mine and your mother's."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow.
"Tell me about her then."
Shuu put a hand on his chin and thought for a moment before continuing.
"Rize is what you might call a free spirit of sorts, who knows that she has great beauty and uses it to her advantage whenever she can," he remarked. "She has few boundaries, has no ambitions, and is not afraid to do anything to appease her boredom. In some ways she almost reminds me of you Naruto."
"You said she isn't afraid to do anything to appease boredom. What do you mean by that?"
"Rize gets bored easily with the monotonous cycle of life, so she likes to spice it up a bit. When boredom is at hand for her, no act is off limits if it might ease said boredom."
Naruto quirked an eyebrow. No act was off limits?
"Define what would count as an 'act' for her."
Shuu chuckled. "Anything. Teasing, fighting, sex, it didn't matter if it would kill the time for her."
Naruto's mind raced with different possibilities. Could he use any of this against her somehow if necessary? And what might be enough to work in that regard?
"Did it matter what gender?"
"Not particularly, though she usually preferred only one woman in those kinds of situations."
"One woman? Who?" Naruto asked.
Shuu simply turned to face Naruto, a small smile on his face. Naruto stared at him for a moment before it hit him.
"She-"
"If you're thinking it, then yes. You're correct," Shuu replied.
Naruto stood there, eyes wide, before a gum-baring grin appeared on his face once more.
"Well that changes things then."
Shuu chuckled as Naruto turned to face him, a malicious gleam in his eyes.
"What about the others? Ayato Kirishima specifically, but extra info on Sen would also go a long way."
Confident with his new-found information, and with various plans and counterplans running through his own mind and that of the Walrider, Naruto returned to the Academy.
Walking into the classroom, Naruto immediately focused his attention on Iruka and strode over to him.
"When exactly will my team arrive?" Naruto asked.
"They aren't actually arriving Naruto," Iruka replied. "Your new sensei came by shortly after you left and told me to tell you to meet them at training ground 13 whenever you got back."
Naruto nodded and walked back out of the room before heading over to the training grounds. As he walked down the streets he glanced to his left and spotted Brother Sum for the briefest of moments. He was walking down the street in his suit as always, immaculate as ever. Brother Sum turned his head and nodded in Naruto's direction.
Naruto gave a small smile in return, as well as a nod of his own.
Eventually he arrived at the 13th training ground in the Leaf, and at the moment no one was there that he could see. Naruto sent a brief mental probe to the Walrider, rousing it from its artificial slumber within his body.
"You know what to do."
The Walrider phased out of his host, hissing in reply before darting off into the distance. Naruto cracked his neck and continued further into the field. It was then that he finally saw his teammates for the first time.
"You made it," the purple-haired woman (Rize from what Shuu told Naruto) noted.
"'Bout time he showed up," the single male (Ayato, most likely) said with a general tone of annoyance.
"Calm down Ayato," the girl with disheveled green hair (Sen Takatsuki, Naruto noted with a small smile) said with a frown. "He's here and that's all that matters."
"Enough. Both of you," Rize said sternly.
Glancing back at Naruto, she looked him up and down before settling back into her "teacher-mode" of sorts.
"Well, Uzumaki, you're the odd man out at the moment. Introduce yourself to us."
Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Odd, given usually this would go the other way around," he mused. "But I'll humor you for now. My name is Uzumaki Naruto, as I'm sure you already know. My likes would include fine dining and orchestral music. My dislikes would have to be the moronic sheep of the village, imbeciles who have no place in a shinobi lifestyle, rudeness, and weaklings."
This was not much of a surprise to the disguised ANBU. From what they knew, he held a rather prominent "survival-of-the-fittest" mentality.
"My hobbies include cooking and preparing my own food, reading, purging heretical pigs from this earth, and mixing poisons. My dreams for the future…" Naruto paused for a moment and put his hand on his chin thoughtfully. "I'm not sure exactly what my long-term goal would be, but purging the world of the brutes to leave only the survival of the intelligent would be a good start."
Naruto gave a polite smile. "Now I believe common courtesy requires that you all introduce yourselves as well."
Rize, Ayato, and Sen all glanced at one another, almost having a silent conversation of sorts, before Rize spoke.
"I guess I will go first. I am Rize Kamishiro, your new Jonin sensei. My likes are quick meals that don't take much time to prepare, settling differences with others, and enjoying those whom I consider close to me in many ways. My dislikes include people who refuse to give up despite the odds against them, people who also refuse to use the mind that was given to us when we were born, and boredom."
Naruto nodded in appreciation, mentally smirking as he put together what she really meant when she spoke.
"My hobbies include hunting, alleviating boredom, and spending time with those I am close to. As for dreams, I don't particularly have one." She turned to Ayato. "You're up Ayato."
Ayato scoffed but got off of the post he was sitting on and stood before Naruto.
"The name's Ayato Kirishima. I don't have any likes except for one person, and my dislikes are far too numerous to name. My hobbies include beating the shit out of anyone who looks down on me, and my dream is… private."
Naruto nodded at the blue-haired teen, still filing away information in his head. Sen at that moment decided it was her turn to speak.
"Well, my name is Sen Takatsuki. My likes are peace and quiet, and generally being around nature. My dislikes are, well people in general. My hobbies include taking walks through the forest, and writing. I've never really thought much about dreams really."
"Good to see you again Sen," Naruto remarked. "I believe I read the latest volume in your book series when it came out. It was an enjoyable read, if I do say so myself. Phenomenal work as always."
Sen smiled and bowed her head in thanks, Ayato giving a slight nod in Naruto's direction, and Rize looking carefully at the blond.
"Alright, now that we're all introduced, it's time for your Genin exam Naruto."
"This is basically the test to make sure I can actually be a successful Genin or if I need to go back to the academy I take it?" Naruto replied.
"You would be correct, though this test will include all of you." Rize reached into her kunai pouch and pulled out a blood red blade. "Your task is to get this blade from whoever has it at the time. Whoever has it at the end of the test, passes. Whoever doesn't, fails. Understood?"
Naruto said nothing. The only change on his face was that his grin stretched out to bare his gums for the world to see. Another almost imperceptible change that could be attributed to the angle of the light was noticed, and that was that his eyes appeared to be a shade of maroon similar to that of dried blood.
"When do we start?"
"Now."
The moment she finished speaking Naruto dropped several smoke bombs on the ground, setting them off. As smoke filled the area, all that could be heard was Naruto's laughter.
"Hopefully you all provide a bit of a challenge compared to the imbeciles that tried to pass themselves off as shinobi!" he bellowed with a wide grin.
Yanking out several ball-shaped objects, Naruto yanked the pins on the ends out with his teeth and threw them around him in the smoke cloud.
Multiple explosions rang out through the area, dispelling the remainder of the smoke. Noticing nothing around him save charred grass and the burnt remains of a log, Naruto chuckled.
"Guess they might be something after all then."
Sending out a small telepathic signal to his partner, Naruto closed his eyes and focused. Smirking he headed into the forest.
Ayato popped his neck and waited for anyone (preferably a certain blond however) to attack him. Pulling out the crimson kunai, he flipped it in his hand a couple times as he stood.
A couple leaves in one of the bushes rustled to his left. A pair of kunai later and a dead squirrel fell out of the branches.
"Stupid rodents," he growled. "Now I'm getting jumpy. Hopefully Uzumaki shows up soon, cause this is getting boring."
Immediately Naruto dropped from the canopy above him, grinning madly with wrist blade unsheathed.
Ayato backpedalled as quickly as possible before lunging with a strike at Naruto's exposed back. Needless to say it came to a great shock when Naruto reached back with his blade and blocked Ayato's fist along the flat without even turning his head to notice him.
"What the hell?"
"Close Ayato, but not close enough," Naruto replied.
Ayato backed away and stared at the blond as he turned around.
"How the hell did you block that without even looking at me when I struck?"
"Now that is a good question," Naruto mused. "Wanna go again and see if you get any different?
Now Ayato may be hot-tempered, but he wasn't ANBU for no reason. Something allowed Naruto to sense his attack but what? He wasn't a sensor as far as they knew, So how did he see it? A bloodline of some sort?
Keeping calm, Ayato placed his hands in the handseal for the Kage Bunshin only to create several normal Bunshin in place of the actual technique. Leaving another clone in his place he backed into the shadows to watch.
Naruto kept dodging perfectly, even attacks linked to various blind spots on his person. But how?
Eventually though the blond got sloppy and one of the kunai thrown by a Bunshin seemingly grazed him only for no blood to drip from his arm. Naruto eyed the would-be wound for a moment before laughing.
"Clever trick there Ayato," he remarked. "Feigning the Kage Bunshin but in reality using only conventional illusions. I'm impressed that you actually would use distractionary tactics, given your personality. So, did you figure out how I'm dodging your attacks?"
Much to Ayato's ire, he hadn't deciphered the technique yet. Abandoning stealth, he charged in with a kunai. Naruto unsheathed one of his own unique kunai and locked blades with Ayato. Grinning, Naruto hawked and spat right in Ayato's eye. Then he followed up with a knee to the stomach and a backhand across the face.
Staggering slightly and wiping saliva from his eye, Ayato decided to forgo holding back somewhat.
Pulling out a sealing scroll, he channeled chakra and unsealed a pair of maces with decadon-shaped heads.
"I'm gonna enjoy crushing you Uzumaki."
"We'll see."
Bellowing a war cry, Ayato charged Naruto with maces at the ready. Naruto held his kunai in one hand while unsheathing his wrist blade in the other. He locked his blade with one of the maces and grinned.
"You're interesting Ayato, using a weapon such as that in battle. Not bad," he remarked. "Still it's such a brutish weapon wouldn't you agree? And that unseemly attitude of yours. I mean really, even Touka could beat you when you use such brutish tactics."
Ayato's eyes widened in fury as he let out a scream of abject rage. Lashing out mercilessly, he swung the heavy weapons at his opponent again and again, all thought of even toying with Naruto using his special abilities forgotten. All that mattered was smashing that punk to pieces.
All the while, he never noticed Naruto palming the marked kunai from his belt and slipping it into his pocket.
His prize in hand, Naruto ducked under another barrage of mace swings and held a palm in front of Ayato's face. He clenched his fingers into a fist and a hidden tube under his senbon launcher sprayed gas in his face.
"Sleep Ayato," he commanded.
Sure enough Ayato passed out from the gas in his lungs. Smirking, Naruto eyed the device with pride before walking off, confident in his success now that he had the kunai.
He never spotted a faint disturbance in the air, almost shaped like a tendril, fishing the kunai out of his pocket and slithering back into the bushes.
Rize slipped the marked kunai into her belt with a sigh of relief. She hadn't actually expected Naruto to get the blade from Ayato, but he had managed to. This was what Ayato got for losing his composure and underestimating the blond.
Not to mention that he knew something that he shouldn't know despite evidence showing that he knew nothing about them or their kind. So how did he know about Touka?
Blue combed-over hair and a condescending smirk flashed through her mind. It was Tsukiyama no doubt. He always was closer to Kushina than even her at times. If she hadn't married Minato, Rize had little doubt that Kushina might have considered Shuu as a potential candidate despite not knowing of his particular diet.
Hell, there were times that Rize had wondered if Shuu and Kushina had slept together at some point and created Naruto. It wasn't entirely out of the question, and it might explain some of Shuu's current investment in the boy. But she had checked the blood tests herself and there was no denying that Naruto was Minato's son, despite how much he reminded her of Shuu at times.
At that point Sen returned from her sweep of the surrounding area.
"Did you find him?"
"No, I haven't seen him. Stealth is still one of his strongest tactics alongside psychological warfare and guerilla tactics."
"We need to keep an eye out for him, and if you happen to sense him, immediately we get back and attack him from both angles. You take the front, I'll take the back," Rize ordered.
Sen nodded before freezing in place.
"He's on the way."
"Good. Get into position. Now!"
The two women darted into the bushes and out of sight just as Naruto ran out of the woods, swearing under his breath and looking rather annoyed. Glancing around, he closed his eyes and began to focus.
Immediately Sen and Rize rushed out of their hiding places with weapons raised. Rize held a katana while Sen uncoiled spiked chains with hooks on the ends from her sleeves. Rize slashed down while Sen whipped at him with her chains.
With eyes still closed, Naruto caught the chain by the hook and stopped the blade of the sword with his bare hand. Rize was even more shocked to see that the sword hadn't broken the skin on his palm, just bruised it slightly where it made contact.
"Nice try, but with this technique I see all that lies around me," Naruto said with a smirk.
Rize's eyes widened. Glancing around, she suddenly got the feeling of something looking down at her with slight malicious intent. Focusing her gaze upward, she was a little stunned at what she saw.
Hovering above the trio was a faint human-shaped disturbance in the air, not unlike when she used Genjutsu to hide her unique ability. This thing was simply watching her and Sen's every move. Then it hit her.
Whatever that disturbance was, Naruto was somehow linked to it. Whatever it saw, he saw as if through his own eyes.
"Shocked that I managed to block your blade?" Naruto asked, drawing her attention back to him. "It's something I've been working on for a little while now, and while it's nowhere near complete, it can still block a sword while nullifying some of the cutting force behind it." He tilted his head to look at her, burgundy eyes peering into her very soul. "Though that stance is familiar. You learned it from my mother didn't you?"
Rize's eyes widened. "How could you possibly know that?"
"Well," Naruto began, dried blood irises still staring at her. "You and her were rather… close, now weren't you? Closer than most friends from what I've heard about you two. I take it this was before she began seeing the donor for my Y-chromosomes?"
Rize dropped her blade in shock, barely able to comprehend what was just said to her. How could he possibly know? Unless… Shuu Tsukiyama.
She was so out of it at that point that she barely reacted when Naruto lunged for the kunai. If not for the fact that he still held the hook of Sen's chain, he would have grabbed it, if Sen hadn't yanked him back.
"I don't think so!" she called out, lashing out with both chains.
Naruto ducked out of the way of the spiked lashes, especially wary of the hooks on the end. Sen pulled both chains back and lashed out at him from both sides, each lash tearing away at the dirt ground or bark of nearby trees. Leaping above the incoming chains, Naruto flung a kunai down at the metal links. The blade caught into a link on both chains, then stabbed into the ground with the chains still attached.
Sen pulled frantically as Naruto shot towards her, all thoughts of the marked kunai forgotten for now.
"Don't think I've forgotten about you Sen," he remarked as he got close, slashing down with his wrist blade, which she barely blocked with the taut chains. "I've got a little something to ask you about as well. How did you manage to move on?"
"Move on from what?"
"Why losing Kaneki of course," Naruto said with a gum-baring grin. "After all, he died of a method so brutal and painful, how did you ever manage to get over knowing that you failed the man you claimed to love?"
Sen grit her teeth as tears began to flow from her eyes as her right, unnoticed by Naruto, began to change.
Rize snapped out of her shock just in time to notice the sclera on Sen's right eye beginning to turn black. Just as she was about to react and subdue her before she could lose control, Naruto sheathed his wrist blade and chopped her in the throat with his hand.
The black faded from her eye as Sen began coughing roughly. She collapsed to her knees, hacking and wheezing. Naruto turned away from her and vanished. Rize's eyes darted from side to side frantically. Then she felt something cold and sharp against her throat. She froze in place and glanced down.
There at the base of her neck, clutched in Naruto's hand, was the crimson kunai. And at that moment, the clock she had set on a post rang.
"I believe I pass then, Rize-sensei," Naruto said calmly, removing the blade from her neck and handing it back to her.
Stunned, Rize took the kunai. Shaking her head, she walked over to help Sen up. Turning back to Naruto she nodded.
"Yes. You pass Naruto. You are now an official Genin of the Leaf," she remarked. "Welcome to Team 13."
End Chapter
Phantom: Well, I think that's done then! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, because unfortunately this will be the last chapter posted for some time. The spring semester at my college starts in a couple days, and most of my time from here on out will be focused on homework and studying. I'm sorry that it has to be this way, but hopefully I can return to writing once everything has calmed down and my grades are stable. On a side note, if any of you happen to be writers on this site (or prospective writers) and need a co-author to help out with ideas and proofreading, Morgoth might be willing to help you out if you send him a message via PM.
Morgoth: Adding to what Phantom said, I prefer to work with dark/evil/powerful Naruto stories as well as non-hinata/sakura pairings.
Phantom: But regardless, should you receive his help (and I believe you should) I recommend you consider whatever advice he has to offer. I will not lie, a good portion of my writing would not have been possible without his help (be it offering ideas or suggestions, or just telling me to get my ass in gear and finish the chapter) He knows what he's doing. Anyways, leave a like, follow, and/or a review if you liked the chapter. See ya on the flip side!
Morgoth: Thank you for reading. And remember, follow the sacred path, for the Great Journey lies ahead.