Hi everyone! I didn't get too many reviews for that last chapter, so I'm a little worried it bored people or something. Lot's of readers but very little feedback so far. So I hurried and wrote this hoping to pick things up for you. I know this is light on romance at this stage but it really does change later. There is a method to my madness. Thank you very much for those (3) of you who did write in! You're awesome! =)

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Chapter 4: 3 Fists Collide

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Naruto waged war. His world was a vortex of slamming elbows, torn clothes, bloody knuckles, cries of rage, grunts of pain and even biting.

If he'd had more time to consider things, he might have been grateful that one or the other of his enemies hadn't decided to pick up one of the knives they'd dropped at the beginning of the fight.

Yet.

As it was, everyone was far too pissed off to think quite so rationally.

Hidan grabbed Naruto from behind, dragging him off of Kakuzu who was gasping from Naruto dropping his knee into his solar plexus.

Snarling, Naruto quickly hooked his chin to his chest to keep himself from being strangled and reverse elbow jabbed Hidan in his kidney's as hard as he could while flinging himself backward, throwing them both off their feet.

Surprised, Hidan loosened his hold as they landed, freeing Naruto enough to twist, hooking around and forcing one of Hidan's arms into an arm bar. Keeping up his momentum Naruto heaved, hearing a satisfying crunch as Hidan cried out in pain.

Naruto started to smile, until his vision blackened the second his head snapped to the side from the force of Kakuzu's kick. Seeing stars, Naruto toppled, stunned for the few seconds it took Hidan to roll out of the way and for Kakuzu to kick Naruto in his side with all his strength.

Naruto felt more than heard a very unsatisfying crack and a searing pain in his side as his ribs broke. Move! Move! His instincts screamed, so without thinking or plan he rolled away, fetching up against a tree trunk, narrowly avoiding Kakuzu's follow up foot stomp.

As Kakuzu charged in for another round of kicks Naruto lashed out with one of his own, bracing his back against the tree, landing a clean hit at an angle onto Kakuzu's knee.

Forced the wrong way, the knee collapsed under Kakuzu's weight. Screaming in agony, he fell on it, tearing it further.

"You son-of-a-bitch!" Kakuzu cried, writhing on the ground. Kakuzu nonetheless managed to scoot away from out of Naruto's kicking range, granting Naruto a little breathing room.

Panting, clutching his ribs with one hand, Naruto used the tree as a crutch to slowly climb to his feet, placing his forehead against it for a precious moment of peace. His breath fogged in the air as he turned, looking for the next attack. Kakuzu out of the fight, but Hidan wasn't out of it yet. Unfortunately, Hidan was nowhere to be seen as he turned around.

Oh shit! Frantic, he looked further over to his right just in time to see a fist crash into his face from the side. Naruto reeled, stumbling back into the tree. Seeing double, Naruto turned to see Hidan's twin faces grinning as he stooped to pick up one of the knives in one hand, his other arm dangling uselessly at his side.

"Squeal little piggy," he rasped as, without pausing, he slammed the blade towards Naruto's stomach.

Twisting at the last moment, Naruto managed to avoid getting his stomach gutted on the spot, instead only getting impaled in his side. Acting fast, Naruto pinned Hidan's knife arm against him, trapping the knife in his side.

With a roar of effort Naruto slammed his free elbow into Hidan's scowling face with all his might, feeling the white hot line of pain in his side as the blade tore deeper from the movement.

Leaving the knife buried in Naruto, Hidan flew backward, landing in a pile on his back near Kakuzu, dazed and bloody from a cut on his eyebrow.

With a cry Naruto pulled the knife out, holding it in front of him in a blood soaked hand. Kakuzu looked at Hidan's form in disbelief before looking at Naruto's scowling face, paling.

"Wait! You win! You win!" Kakuzu cried in panic as Naruto advanced on them, planting his feet wide apart to keep from falling over.

Naruto wavered, dizzy and tired as he watched Hidan recover enough to see Naruto standing over them.

"Leave," Naruto huffed, "now."

Hidan silently picked himself up then helped Kakuzu to his good foot, the two using each other as support just to stand. Hidan's jaw didn't look right and Naruto realized he might have cracked it. The teens regarded each other a moment.

"This isn't over mother fucker," Kakuzu promised darkly. Hidan grunted beside him, probably agreeing.

Scowling at them, Naruto took his knife and turned, hurling it as hard as he could into the woods behind him. The three could hear it whistling through the air before crashing into some thicket in the dark.

Facing them, his face thunderous, Naruto gestured them forward. "Bring it." He smiled for effect, showing teeth.

The two teens supporting each other paled a little, glancing at each other. Hidan tilted his head away a few times, opting for retreat. Kakuzu nodded.

"We're leaving," he said, and together they left Naruto alone, hobbling as best they could through the dark away from him.

Naruto panted, clutching his side as his heart hammered in his chest, listening to their stumbling progress through the forest until finally, all sound died away. With the danger gone Naruto took stock and realized he was in big trouble.

Gasping for air, he found it harder to breath as all his many injuries came back to him in a rush.

I have to do something about the bleeding. He had nothing to staunch the flow of blood, except… he looked down at his shirt, torn and bloody for all the fighting he'd done that day. He loved the shirt. It was a link to a parent he would never know.

Gritting his teeth he tore the shirt off and twisted it into a rope. Placing the thickest part of it against his wound, he tied it around his torso as hard as he could, feeling a tear form at the corner of his eye as he did. Grow up Naruto. It's only a shirt. He knew that. Only, it felt like a part of him falling away, something irreplaceable.

Finished, he staggered backward, once again leaning on the tree, sliding down until he sat in a nook. He started shaking as he realized he really could die out here. He knew the general direction Sakura and the two punks had gone, but he wasn't strong enough to walk.

Sorry, Sakura. You don't know this about me, but I always try to keep my promises. I might not get to keep this one. Naruto smiled at his own sarcasm. Fuck though. I was awesome. I saved a damsel in distress! I saved Sakura! What a way to go.

He felt drowsy, all his many aches and pains seeming to combine into a giant weight that dragged his whole body down.

I'll b-bet she'll want to marry me now. H-have little heroic Naruto babies. He huffed a laugh. He was finding it harder to form a thought as the edges of his vision started to fuzz. Th-they'll have… p-pink eyes and… blue h-hair. An'… e-every body'll… love 'em.

His eyes grew heavy, feeling like they weighed one ton each. He tried to rally but was losing the battle fast. B-but… I'd… love… 'em… the… most. Heh.

His last conscious thought gave him comfort.

Mom.

It was cold outside, but he swore he could smell spring flowers.

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To Be Continued…

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And there is chapter 4! To Mysteryinitself: yep, you'll absolutely find out who Naruto's foster mother was and how she influenced Naruto. Thanks for reading ladies and gentlemen, I hope you liked it and I'll see you next time!