A whole of three years had passed in the land of the samurai. The blonde boy had learned much about the art of the sword and the way of the samurai. The pacifistic ways of the swordsmen of Tetsu had dulled his lust for vengeance, however whithin him still still burned the overwhelming desire to clear his name and hopefully return to his newfound home in Iron Country. His skills with a sword has advanced to where he could now effectively weild his brother's tempered soul.
Wth a sigh, he rushes towards the now worn beyond repair post. Blurring from sight, he appears to phase right through the training post. He turns and glares at his nemesis of three years, thrusting his wooden sword with a calculating glare, a satisfying crack is heard as it destroys the faithful post.
As the blonde laughs and runs a hand though his spiky locks, a call of; "Uzumaki-kun!" Alerts him to the door of the dojo where his practical skills where learned and practiced. The door slides open, and a young girl with long pink hair daintily steps out, a flowing white scarf sits wrapped around her neck. And in her hands she carries an oblong parcel, the white and red tsuba of a katana rests at her side.
Uzumaki-kun, as he's affectionately referred to, smiles brightly at the pinkette. Taking the parcel from her hands, he unwraps it to reveal a stunning sword that rested within a blue sheath. It's tsuba was styled in thd motif of a gale of wind, which he frowns at, "I thought I said I didn't want a guard on this sword."
To which the pink haired girl sighs at, "It isn't a tanto anymore, I had a hard enough time convincing you to go with a sheath. Any extra protection is a good thing Uzumaki-kun."
The samurai in training unsheaths the sword , and gently runs a finger against it's silvery blade. "Are-are you sure it's made from Shisui's broken sword?" He asks, as if daring to believe that this blade was anything but a part of his late brother.
"Of course, it's edge is completely made from Shisui-san's tanto. You should have seen the smith's face when we told him you wanted a katana made from a busted ninjato." She says, as she watches her freind marvel at his new sword.
Closing his eyes, the blonde unsheaths the blade and slashes at a nonexistent enemy. A whoosh is heard, and he near topples forward. Evidently a live steel blade was much different ftom a wooden training sword. "Thanks again...for everything Nanami-san."
With a huff over the honorific, the girl called Nanami motions for him to follow her inside. "I wouldn't thank me just yet, that wasn't the only present!" She smiles, as she hands him another more orthodox shaped package.
The blonde takes the present, and awkwardly stares down at it. "Nanami-san, I can't just-"
"Don't you Nanami me! It's your birthday Uzumaki-kun, so open your present." She say, urging him to open the gift he had received. Finally, he gingerly unwraps the present to reveal a dark blue kimono and hakama. Looking down at his worn and frayed gi, he blushes. Embarrassed at how he must look when convening with his one and only freind.
Smiling at his bashfullness, she laughs lightly. "Well try it on, you don't want to go to dinner looking ike a ronin do you?" As he starts to pull off his clothes, thr pinkette sputters and goes red faced.
"Oh yeah, men aren't supposed to change infront of women. He mumbles as she shoves him outside. A short time later he returns, patting at the well made material of his new clothes. He was surprised at how comfortable and yet somehow durable the kimono felt. By the way, what's with the katana?" He asks, pointing to the ornate sword at her waste.
Nanami fingers the handle of the ornate blade softly, "well I figured I'd wear it. It is my sword after all, even if I can't really use it." With that the two freinds head off to celebrate.
A while later finds the two walking in the evening twilight, they make their way towards Nanami's home making idle chatter the whole way. "Say...Uzumaki-kun? Do-do you really have to leave?" She asks, innocently lacing her hand with his.
Frowning, the young samurai looks to the faint rays of starlight. "I have to avenge my brother, I've gotta clear my tarnished honor." Don't worry! I'll comeback someday, this is my place of true peace yah know?" He grins at her.
"I just wish I could go with you, I want to see the world. I want to help you avenge Shisui-san."
Tapping her on the nose, as he's prone to doing, the blonde swordsman adjusts the sword he's still not accustomed to wearing. "Well there's no reason you could-"
He's cut off as a sword thrusts straight towards his head, ducking in a fraction of a second, he draws his sword and stands defensively infront of Nanami. A laugh unsettles him, as a familiar face walks towards them. "Quite the reaction time Uzumaki-kun!" A young man says.
Resheathing his sword, the blonde narrows his eyes but bows respectfully. "Good evening Makoto-dono," he says. His voice the monotone degree he uses when addressing his superiors.
The Second Lord Of Tetsu No Kuni, Makoto Shien, greets his bow with a wave of complacent acknowledgment. A young man of maybe sixteen, he certainly stood out feom his fellow much older lords. However his swordsmanship was said to rival even the legends of old, yet his position was inherited from his late father. "Why hello Nanami-chan, my isn't it late for you to be out, with or without an escort." He says, with his trademark grin reminiscent of a fox.
Stiffling a growl, the blonde instead stares at the ground. Makoto was implying he was her servant, but he could do or say nothing about it. A simple samurai such as himself had no right to demand anything of a warlord. With a forced smile, Nanami mumbles something about walking home. Respectfully excusing themselves the two continue walking.
"Take care, make sure nothing happens to her Uzumaki-kun. That's my fiance after all!" He laughs, at the retreating freinds. After some distance is achieved, the blonde balls his hand into a fist.
"I really don't like Makoto-san, Nanami murmers. He's really creepy, and he's always looking down on you." She says, once more taking hold of the blonde's now relaxed hand.
The blonde says nothing, content in glancing up towards the wide array of stars. As they reach the grand estate of the Third Lord, the two bid farewell under the watchful eye of a samurai. On the slow walk back to his much more humble abode, he stares once more at the star scattered sky. Wondering if it'd be the last he'd see of it for a while.
As Naruto dashes towards the smirking jounin, he can only hope Suigetsu would fare alright against Fu. The memory of her blade of demonic chakra makes it's way into his head, he'd just have to deal with Aoi quickly. As he draws nearer, the green haired man abruptly grabs the parasol that rests on his back.
The wanderer's eyes widen as he realizes the technique that he's about to take on at point blank, Aoi unfolds the parasol quickly, as dozens of senbon needles are sent flying towards the oncoming blonde.
Acting on impulse and habit, he unsheaths his chokuto and throws up a wind wall. But he can only curse as a thin line of wind forms where the air had met his blade, seems only a recurved blade could summon a proper wind wall. Naruto grunts as a few needles lodge themselves in his shoulders, with out any hesitation he rips them out. Glancing at the jagged momento on his chest, he'd received from Kisame. He shakes his head, he'd tanked much worse.
Aoi is visibly unphased, "right about now you're thinking that attack was nothing right? He asks, to which the swordsman gives no reply. Well the joke is on you, those senbon where coated with a paralysis balm! In just a few seconds you-"
He's cut off, as he jumps back to avoid being skewered by Naruto's chokuto. Not one for words, the blonde instead dashes straight into the missing nin. Unsheathing his bokuto as he does so, he's rewarded with a splash. As the Aoi he'd just bisected was revealed to be a clone. Another wave of senbon is sent his way, and Naruto brings his two swords up to buffer the tiny projectiles. The few that make their mark he rips out unceremoniously, pain tolerance had never been a thing to worry over for him.
"If you've fought one ninja you've fought them all, he mutters. All you cats ever do is bait and attack from a blind point, you rinse and repeat till a lucky kunai wins you the fight." He mocks, tapping his crossed blades together,
Emerging from the mist unscathed, the ex-Taki nin narrows his eyes. There was no way the rurouni could be this strong after somehow cheating death. Plus he was using chakra, that shouldn't be possible! "That idiot girl must have gone soft," he mutters under his breath.
Naruto glares at the green haired ninja with a calculating eye, this man waa supposedly a jounin, so why was he handling himself far easier than he should be?
"You're quite the swordsman, you know the both of us could benefit from working together. Plus you could be with Fu again, I'm sure you can find it in your vagrant heart to forgive her. After all she did it on my orders, so what do you say rurouni no kaze?" Aoi says, his face breaking out into a cold smile.
With no words, Naruto brings his chokuto up to kneck level. Glaring right into the ninja's eyes, he mock slits his throat. A universal gesture for; go fuck yourself.
Sighing, the green haired jounin unclips an odd cylinder from his pants. "You samurai and your pride, and here I am offering you a chance to live. Oh well, Fu-chan'll be sad at the very least. An odd hum is heard as a glowing yellow blade springs up from the cylinder. Ready to die rurouni?"
Naruto steels his nerves as he readies his two swords, looks like this fight wouldn't be as simple as he first thought...
From behind the wall of impermeable mist, a different fight was just beginning. Suigetsu growls as he shoulders his massive sword. He glares at the teal haired kunoichi that stood leaning against his late senior's sword.
"You'll pay for giving Zabuza a cowards death!" He growls towards the apathetic girl. Who fakes a yawn in mock response.
Somehow lifting the giant sword, she turns to face him. "Fine by me, I've been itching to get back at you for the crap you said back at that bunker."
The white haired boy laughs harshly, "can you blame a guy? You where the first broad I'd seen in a long while, even if you are short and flat."
Choosing not to comment on this, Fu instead glares at him. "Just how exactly did you end up working with Naruto? He wanted to murder you even more than I did." She asks, narrowing her eyes for good measure.
"Oh don't worry, we ain't friends or nothing. As soon as we're done here, the two of us are going to fight to the death. Maybe I'll let you live long enough to see me win, Suigetsu laughs. And another thing, you two break up or something? I couldn't help but notice the awkward vibe back there, course I could just be mistaking that for sexual tension."
With a roar Fu lunges at him, zanbato poised to slice him in half. The two trade blows with their respective oversized swords, the mint haired girl was far from proficient with a sword. However it was to the same degree as giving a child a kunai, the child couldn't possibly know how to effectively use it, but that did not mean somone could not be hurt.
As their blades stand locked defensively, Fu glares at the pointy toothed swordsman. "You don't know anything, she mutters. Just you wait, when I'm done with you you'll see. Naruto's different, he'll forgive me! Naruto's different..." She mutters once more.
From afar the conscious members of team seven and Tazuna watch the two teens attempt to kill each other. Sakura trades between watching the fight and rubbing at the cut on her cheek, her first real combat injury. For once she doesn't fuss over Sasuke, so engrossed in watching the fight. She can only think that maybe Mr. Wanderer wasn't as weak as she first thought.
Hatake Kakashi stares at the two teens with a calculating eye, he had no incentive to convene and he was merely observing for the sake of intelligence gathering. He had no doubt he could defeat whoever won, but it was Naruto that troubled him. Of all his mistakes, the blonde was by far one of his most regrettable. He had played no part in his sensei's son's childhood, and as a result he had gone rouge. Many times he had hoped to encounter Naruto, but their paths never crossed. His fellow jounin commented that he was a proficient and strong swordsman, who should be engaged with caution.
With a sigh, he pats Sakura's head. Hopefully he wouldn't be forced to kill the closest thing to a brother he had.
Back with Fu and Suigetsu, it was going rough for the teal girl. Suigetsu had abandoned his odachi in favor of a blade of water, which no gave him the advantage in speed and procession. "Sorry, but it looks like you'll be reconciling with blondie in the afterlife." Suigetsu mutters, as he scores a cut on her exposed stomach.
Slamming the zanbato down into the bridge, Fu begins to laugh almost hysterically. A green aura begins to surround her, unsettling Suigetsu. "Sorry, but it looks like you'll be apologizing to Zabuza in the afterlife..."
"Gah!" Naruto yells as electricity is run throughout his body. As he tries to stand up. he stumbles around, his nerves in shock mind the pun. Aoi laughs at the staggering blonde, who glares in response. Shaking off the lingering pain, Naruto dashes towards the surprised man, who quickly whips at him with his beam saber. Rolling under the tendril of lightning, Naruto slashes upwards with his bokuto. Clipping the jounin in the jaw, and subsequently sending him stumbling back.
"How the hell are you still standing, that was enough voltage to paralyze a bear" Aoi growls, as he rubs at his sore jaw.
"Flow," Naruto mutters as he rushes in once more. He was beginning to get a feel for Aoi's style, his skills as a jounin had stagnated. And he relied far too heavily on that lightning blade, his swordsmanship was nonexistent as well. If he could just neutralize that sword, he'd win no problem. However that was easier said than done.
Naruto grips his chokuto fiercely and slashes at the air, sending blades of wind chakra flying towards the green haired man. Who simply whips them out of the air, however one grazes his cheek. Leaving a nasty cut, which Aoi doesn't take too kindly to.
With a yell, the ex Taki nin goes on the offensive. Engaging Naruto in a kenjutsu battle, it was obvious who waa the superior swordsman. However it was also obvious who had the superior blade. As their swords stand locked, Aoi's lighting blade wraps around Naruto's arm like a snake. The shock, mind the pun, causes Naruto to drop his chokuto.
Aoi sends a chakra enhanced fist ramming into the blonde's stomach, which knocks the wind out of him. And subsequently knocks the blonde to the ground, a trickle of blood escapes Naruto's mouth. Not yet satisfied, the jounin stabs at the defenseless Naruto. Only his quick timing saves him from certain death. As he draws his bokuto, deflecting the blade which still manages to leave a gash on his left cheek.
Naruto thrusts his wooden sword into the older man's stomach, pushing him back. Whith not a second lost, he scoops up his chokuto and lunges at the dazed jounin. As he goes for the killing blow, Aoi wraps his malleable blade around the blonde's chokuto. Yanking it out of his grip, he draws a kunai and throws it at the now weaponless blonde.
Whishing he still had his gauntlets and shoulder guard, Naruto is forced to catch the knife with his bare hand. As he glances at his bleeding hand, Naruto knows he must end the fight soon. He dashes to retrieve his chokuto. Then stares at the now much less confident jounin.
"I think it's time we finished this, i've got some stern words to talk to with Fu." Aoi growls towards the aloof blonde.
Who laughs mockingly, "funny I was thinking the same thing." The two stare each othee down, then suddenly Naruto rolls to the side to avoid being stabbed by a water clone. Two more emerge from the mist. However Naruto makes quick work of the watery doppelgangers.
Aoi laughs, as he grips his sword with two hands. It's then that Naruto's eyes widen, as he realizes he stands in a puddle of water. Thinking quickly, he channels wind chakra to his feet, as Aoi thrusts his blade into the water.
Naruto can feel a slight tingle in his feet, but he'd saved himself from being electrocuted. The wanderer scowls, now was the time to end it. He dashes atop the water, as he nears the scowling jounin. He readies both swords in their respective sheaths. Phasing towards the now panicky man, Naruto rams the bokuto in his side. Then dashes to the side, where he slashes his leg with the chokuto. All the while Aoi slashes wildly, a few manage to clip Naruto. But he must work through the pain.
Blasting off of the water as he'd done against the poison. Naruto summons a blade of wind chakra, which he slashes right at the jounin's neck. Said jounin brings up his lighting blade to block, but not to be outdone, Naruto charges even more chakra into the blade. A cracking is heard as the wind blade begins to sink into Aoi's beam saber. Whith one final yell, Naruto's blade destroys the lightning sword. The resulting surge of chakra sends both combatants flying, Aoi receiving the worst of it as he skids through the electrified water.
Naruto grabs his twitching hand, as it spasms and jerks about. He can feel an odd resonance in his arm, as an unknown chakra enters his system. Naruto will worry about this later, for now he has to finish off Aoi. He leaps over the still dangerous puddle, and stands before the shocked jounin. Unsheathing his chokuto he advances on the cowering man, "that useless bitch! He yells unintelligibly, she couldn't even do this one thing."
The wanderer narrows his eyes, but nonetheless follows the slowly retreating man as he back peddles into the mist. "A useless good for nothing monster like her! She should be glad i dignified her with any civility whatsoever! Tiring of the man's rant, Naruto prepares to strike him down.
"She's lucky I only used her as a tool for fighting, cause that's all she's good for a monster-" A squelching sound his heard, and the man goes quiet. From within the mist Naruto makes out the figure of a person shouldering a zanbato
"That's messed up even for you Suigetsu, killing somone who's back is turned." Naruto says, as he flexes his still tingling arm.
From the mists emerges a teal haired kunoichi, Zabuza's sword rests against her shoulder. An empty look is on her face, and she says nothing. Finally she stops and stares at the shocked blonde.
"Fu..." Naruto mutters.
"I see you beat Suigetsu, Naruto says. Did you use your jinchuriki powers?" He asks, but the girl says nothing. Simply stares at him in the same lifeless manner.
Sighing Naruto sheaths his chokuto, he couldn't in good conscious fight her as she was now. It seemed Aoi's words had affected her deeply, "Fu...I might not like what you did. But I won't fight you now, return my sword and leave this place. time we meet...I'll kill you!" Naruto mutters, as he turns his back on her.
The sound of laughter unsettles him as he turns to face he again. "I hate bleeding hearts like you Naruto, it's funny really. I really liked you though... But now I see, all of you each and every last person in this bastard life of mine exist only to use me!" She yells, putting the blonde on edge.
"I can't pretend to understand the nature of your relationship with Aoi, but you're wrong. This world is a cruel one sure, but whithin it lye genuinely kind people. I don't pretend to call myself good, but never did I once think of using you to advance my own goals." Naruto says.
Fu laughs some more, then abruptly grabs a sealing scroll. From whithin she unseals a very familiar blade, which she tosses to the bewildered blonde. Not stopping there, she tosses him the scroll. Which contained his gauntlet and shoulder guard.
Narrowing his eyes, he quickly slips them on, his two now faithful blades he seals into the scroll. As he adjusts his tempered soul onto it's usual place. He felt...complete, like a part of himslef he had lost had returned. Facing Fu with more confidence in him. he fingers the sheath of his sword.
"Please Naruto...why can't we go back to how we where before wave? She pleads, as tears stream down her face. We're freinds right? Freinds forgive their freinds mistakes, right?"
Naruto shudders as memories he'd like to repress come rushing back, "you severed any friendship we might have had when you drove that dagger into my chest Fu." He mutters, o.e hand resting on his sword.
The teal haired kunoichi falls to her knees and sobs, causing a wench to form in Naruto's chest. Abruptly she wipes away her tears, and stands up. A blank emotionless face greets Naruto, much like those damnable blank nins. "I see, you might not realize it but I do. You used me...just like Aoi-nii, and just like Aoi...I'm gonna kill you!"
With a roar Naruto unsheaths his katana, and a huge surge of wind flies out. The gale blows away the mist, revealing Kakashi tending to his students and surprisingly Suigetsu as well. He holds his sword at the ready as Fu slowly walks towards him, "Everyone faces a reckoning Fu..."
The onlookers watch in shock, as a fourth battle is set to begin.
VIRGIL'S MUMBLINGS
Good day dear reader, been while neh? I'll spare you the excuses, now if you'd be so kind as to maybe review... Then I can roll out the next chapter with all the more furor! Anyways;
DanteNaru; The Senbonzakura (Lit. Thousand Cherry Blossoms) is a technique invented on the fly by a kyuubified Naruto. It's a blade of red chakra that scatters into hundreds of tiny blades upon contact with something. Unbeknownst to Naruto, he requires the red chakra to perform it.
Next Time; Memories Of Cherry Blossoms, Only Death And Nothing More.
Till Then!
-Publius Vergilius Maro II