Chapter 7

It has been 5 days since Team 7 had arrived in Wave Country. Ino had remastered the Tree Walking exercise.

On the fourth day, Naruto told Tazuna to make sure the workers don't come in the next. They'll be safer that way. Tazuna agreed and let the workers know at the end of that day.

The bridge would be finished in two days at the rate they were moving.

And so, our story continues.

Team 7, Asuma, and Tazuna went to the bridge, and saw a light fog. Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Chakra based mist... here they come." Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi nodded.

"Heh, looks like you got some friends this time." A gruff voice stated.

They all looked at the source of the voice. The "Voice from Everywhere" trick didn't work on him. They were suddenly surrounded by Water clones of the same person. All Genin and Kakashi knew that they were just clones.

The Flow was more useful with clones, apparently. "Sasuke?"

"Gladly." He vanished, and then reappeared with Devil's Horn in his right hand. All 7 Water Clones fell.

"Well, it looks like you've got a rival in speed, Haku." The gruff voice stated.

"It appears so." A smaller person, Naruto and Sasuke knew it to be a male. Sometimes the flow showed too much.

"Sasuke you want him?"

"Heh, why not?"

Kakashi looked at Naruto. "What do you say you try your hand at an actual Swordsman, Naruto?"

Naruto had to grin at that, and pulled out his broadsword. Angel halo was currently sealed away. "So, Zabuza. You fancy yourself a Swordsman, eh? How about a test of skill?" Naruto a stance, his broadsword in his right hand. 'Undine, I'm gonna need your help with this one. I won't have the Chakra to fight him and last.'

"You only use my power for serious fights. This is definitely a Serious fight." Undine then channeled her power through him.

"So, you got a young Kenjutsu wielder... Let's see how he does!" Zabuza charged, swinging his sword at Naruto, who jumped back to avoid it. 'Sylph?'

"Wind Storm active!" Sylph cheered.

Naruto then vanished, before clashing blades with Zabuza, who blocked the frontal assault, surprised at the speed. "You're fast." Zabuza commented, before trying to bisect him. Naruto just vanished, the blade passing through the afterimage, while Naruto managed to land a cut on Zabuza's left arm.

Zabuza was unable to land a hit on Naruto, which infuriated him. 'He's no Genin, that's for sure.'

"What are you?"

"Genin."

"No way are you a Genin!" Zabuza retorted.

"Sorry, but that's my rank. It has nothing on actual skill, as you can see." Naruto replied. "Had to hold back until recently for personal reasons. Allow me to show you some Kenjutsu skills that you probably haven't heard of."

Zabuza readied his sword, while Naruto put his at his side, pointing at Zabuza's right shoulder. He stepped forward and vanished from even Zabuza's sight, before his right arm was cut off at the shoulder.

Blood gushed out, and he turned in surprise, as his sword dropped to the ground, and Naruto turned around before finding someone else in the way of his sword. Apparently, the Hunter Nin took the blow. "Zabu...za..." The life faded from his eyes.

Naruto pulled the sword out, and glared at him.

"Didn't ask for that. Besides, he's kind of like my son." He said, solemnly.

"His own volition?"

"Unfortunately." Naruto detected the hidden sadness and rage from the action.

Naruto stared at Zabuza, until he felt more people coming. And a lot of them. "Looks like our fight's over."

"I still ain't done yet!" Zabuza roared. Naruto simply grabbed his still intact arm, and blew the mist away, revealing a bunch of Thugs coming onto the bridge, but then something else came up as well. Naruto turned to Sakura. "Sakura, put Zabuza's severed arm as a stump, then head full here. 200 Thugs? Easy pickings. Sensei, Asuma?"

They both took a stance.

"What's this?" A short man said. "A kid thinks he can stand up to an army?"

"I've faced worse than your entire army combined." Naruto replied, releasing his wings and fox features in an instant. "You're facing a Fox-Angel-Human Hybrid."

"Along with a Wolf-Angel-Human Hybrid." Sasuke said, walking up with Devil's Horn in hand.

Once Sakura got the arm to a stump, she turned to Gato. "Then you've got a Sphinx-Dragon-Human Hybrid." She released her true form, as well.

Kakashi put his arm in front of Asuma. "Don't. They'll be fine."

Naruto put his hands in front of Sasuke and Sakura, before holding up his sword. "I want to try something new. Something I know none of you have seen."

"What are you talking about?"

Naruto held the sword in front of him. "This move will likely drain a good portion of my Chakra. If any are left, have fun." He charged Wind Chakra, Earth Chakra, Water Chakra and Fire Chakra into his sword. Undine, Sylph, Gnome, Salamander and Luka were surprised at the energy manipulation.

"What are you doing?!" Undine shouted.

'Hoping it will work.' Naruto replied.

He held the sword up, where the glow increased.

"Is that... the Holy power of the Angels?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "No. it's not. That's Four elements in one strike..."

Kakashi looked at Sasuke. "You're right. But, that can't be. There's no Jutsu that uses four Separate elements."

Zabuza's eyes widened. "Wind, Water, Earth and Fire in a sword..."

This earned a look from all that could hear him. "You know what it is?"

Zabuza's eyes narrowed and hardened. "If that kid can do that..."

Kakashi glared at him. "What is it called?"

"Even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist have only seen it as Rumor. It's power is unrivaled. It's usage, near impossible. The last time it was ever seen was supposedly before the Shinobi Era began, which should be impossible." Zabuza explained. "Hell, I heard stories about it, but I thought it was just a story. It's name..."

Naruto brought the glowing sword down. "QUADRUPLE GIGA!" As soon as the sword hit the bridge, a powerful blast of wind, a highly pressurized blast of Water, a raging torrent of Fire and several chunks of the bridge went out from Naruto's position, seemingly in a beam that obliterated 90% of the thugs on the bridge, along with Gato. The Shinobi had to use Chakra to stick to the bridge, while Asuma also held Tazuna on it due to the backdraft of the wind. When it finally died down, Naruto was panting, and there was maybe 15 thugs left.

Naruto simply chuckled. "It worked..." He fell forward, unconscious.

"Naruto!" Sasuke checked him out, and found it was only Chakra Exhaustion. "You idiot!"

"Beat him up later. Let's kill the rest." Sakura told him.

Sasuke turned a Sharingan enhanced glare at the thugs. "With pleasure." They both charged, with their wings, and cut through the rest of them in 42 seconds flat.

They looked at each other, and then the Jounin, before going back to Naruto. "I'll carry him back to the house. Gato's dead. Sasuke, get his sword." Sakura said, reverting back to Human form.

Sasuke didn't bother, and grabbed the broadsword with his tail. "We'll head back. I'm sure that Naruto will apologize for the damage to the bridge."

Zabuza stopped in front of Sakura, who growled. "Tell the kid I want him to use my sword. That tiny thing won't do him much good with an attack like that. If it's not repaired, Chakra Steel or not, it won't work. It would take a sentient blade to handle multiple uses of that move."

"He won't use your sword. He's got another."

This took Zabuza back. "Another one?"

"The other sword is called Angel Halo. He keeps it sealed in his hand." Sasuke told him. "It's been proven to be able to hold that move, and he did tell me the name of that move, just not what it did or how it's done. He knew of it, and Angel Halo can handle it. We'll let him know. I think Sakura should take up your sword, after Naruto adds a few materials to it to fall under our purposes. If you wish to give up your sword, then Sakura gets it, and Naruto modifies it."

"What could this Angel Halo be made out of, that makes it able to handle that?" Zabuza questioned.

"Angel Blood and Monster Scales. Same with Devil's Horn, here." He gestured to his own sword. "The Broadsword is made of Chakra steel, yes. But Angel Halo and Devil's Horn aren't made out of your run of the mill materials and methods. Naruto is the only one that can forge them for a reason. Your blood can't be entirely human to wield them. Naruto, Sakura and I are alike in that regard. Naruto knows how to give a sword the properties of what we need, and then give it to her, if you wish."

Zabuza thought for a moment and nodded. "I'll give the Red head details of every Water Jutsu I know, secret or not, and write out the full set of Katas for Pinky. I just ask that he keeps the shape intact. Kubikiri Bocho is a Sentient Sword. She has to remember that."

Sasuke smirked, and nodded. "Will do."

Naruto was unconscious for a good 28 hours. Zabuza had everything written down, and given them to the respective people, and handed them his headband. "Here on out, my name is Zazu. Zabuza Momochi is dead. The headband is his kill." He pointed to Naruto. "He effectively has the ability. He could stand to get some experience, but I'll stick around as Zazu."

"Why does he get the kill? It's obvious Sa..." Ino was, once again, cut off by a punch to the face.

This time, however, it was only a solidified Gnome. "Fucking Banshee... She's more annoying than Sylph."

Sasuke looked at Gnome and shook his head. "She's also much more stubborn. At least Sylph has some common sense."

Gnome looked at Sasuke and nodded his assent. "Very true."

"What the hell are you?" Ino questioned.

Sylph materialized over Naruto's body. "Gnomey, did you have to hit her?"

"You want me to hit you now?" Gnome asked.

"Nope! I was just about to say you could've waited. Sal wanted a hit too." She went over to Naruto's head and sat down on the pillow his prone form was near. "If anything, Sal wants to kill her. Undy is constantly trying to douse her rage, though."

Gnome blinked at the Fairy. "You know, if there's ever one thing we can all agree on, it's that the Blonde is a fucking Banshee and worse than anything Promestein can conjure up."

Sylph hummed for a moment. "I can think of a few things she can conjure up worse than her, but not many. You Remember those Chimera Crackettes?"

Gnome nearly paled at that. "I take it back. There IS something worse than her. Those DEFINITELY fit the bill."

"What's a Chimera Crackette?" Sasuke questioned.

"Trust me on this one, you don't want to know." Gnome stated.

"Again, something we agree on." Sylph added.

Sasuke snapped his fingers. "Tch. Figures."

Ino groaned. "What happened?"

"You were being annoying, so I hit you. Next stupid question?" Gnome told her.

Ino didn't hear a thing. "What the hell are you staring at for?"

Sasuke sighed, and repeated Gnome's words. Ino glared at the Earth Spirit, and sent a punch at her, which didn't even make her budge. "Was that supposed to hurt?" Sasuke hid his chuckle.

"Gnome, you don't have to insult her. She does that enough on her own." He told her. "I know that hit wasn't enough to faze you. Hell, Tora does more damage with one claw than she does with her hits."

Sakura then walked up to Ino. "Hit me."

Ino stared blankly. "What?"

"Hit me." She turned her head a bit, and pointed at her cheek. "Right here. If you can't mar my face with a single punch, then you can't do anything to Gnome, which you just tried to do."

Ino growled and actually channeled Chakra into her punch, and landed it. "Is that all you got?" Sakura asked, unfazed by the punch, which surprised the Genin of Team 10. She then moved to open the window in the window. "That's no punch." When Sakura moved back to the opposite of Ino, she cocked her fist back, and threw a single punch, hitting Ino in the face, sending her flying out the now open window and deep into the forests. "Now THAT, is a punch." She said, blowing on her knuckles.

Asuma, Shikamaru and Chouji just stared. Asuma then looked at Kakashi. "What the hell did you teach her?"

"Nothing much. Just Chakra and Elemental Control. Can't do much else for her chosen line of work." Kakashi shrugged.

Zabuza, who was still there, whistled. "Now THAT is good Kunoichi."

"Thank you. And by the way, no marks." She showed off the bare knuckles, and, true to her word, there wasn't a single bruise.

"How do you manage that?" Shikamaru questioned.

"Simple. It's the result of a jutsu that went out of control at first." Sakura stated. "After that happened, though, it was marked as Kinjutsu due to possible side effects. One we didn't see with Naruto or Sasuke. You need the Hokage's Permission along with our approval to even use it. Once used, there's no going back." She ended up warning them.

"What kind of Side Effects were found?" Zabuza questioned.

"Not my position to say." Sakura looked at Gnome. "It was actually thought of by Gnome, Salamander and Sylph. Not sure if Undine had any part in it, though. Naruto learned it from them, and taught it to us."

Gnome and Sylph nodded. "She's right. We have the almost full credit for the Jutsu from Naruto. Officially, though, Naruto created it, because he's the first to use them. Zabuza saw the forms on the bridge."

"The Angel Fox, the Angel Wolf, and the Cherry Dragon... I'd be able to spread the word." Zazu stated. "Say that you three took out the Crime Lord Gato." Naruto groaned at this point, and sat up slowly. "Looks like the Gaki's up."

Naruto looked at Zabuza. "So, what's up?" He asked.

"'What's up?' You're out of it for over a day, and all you say is "What's up?"? How long until your mind wakes up?" Sakura questioned.

"Give me a few hours. I passed out due to Chakra Overburn combined with Chakra Exhaustion. So, how's the lack of an arm for you, man?" Naruto asked Zazu.

"It's Zazu now." He told the red head. "I was thinking of telling some local bounty hunters about you guys after you leave. The Heroes of Wave: Angel Fox, Copy Wolf, and Cherry Dragon."

"Angel Fox, Angel Wolf, and Desert Dragon." Naruto told him. "Leave the Quadruple Giga out of it, though."

"Desert Dragon will be getting Kubikiri Bocho, while Angel Fox would modify it to work like Angel Halo, and Devil's Horn." Zazu stated. "Think you can do that without changing the shape?"

Naruto nodded. "It'll take a while, but I can do it. Let me guess, the reason for not changing the shape is because your sword is sentient, isn't it?"

Kakashi looked at Asuma. "Told you."

"Shut it." was the reply.

Zazu chuckled at that. "Hell yeah. Can't use her anymore, and she already has some of the Katas down. That scroll is for you. Every Jutsu I knew, down to Battoujutsu. Kinjutsu or not, it's there. Words my from son, too. He went out following his beliefs."

Naruto nodded, understanding the concept. "Yeah, I see. I'll look over it tomorrow. For now... hey, where's my Ocarina?"

Sakura handed it to him. "Had to keep it from the Blonde Banshee. She's been trying to grab it thinking she can impress Sasuke with music."

"Won't work." Naruto chuckled, before putting it to his lips, and starting the Song of the Heart. Sasuke had long since figured out which notes meant what, and the overall feelings throughout the song. He sighed at the description. "Pain, sadness, renewed hope... freedom?" Sasuke blinked at the last one.

Everyone looked at Sasuke, who spoke the translation aloud. "What could that be for?" Shikamaru question. "Obviously you know, if you pointed it out."

Naruto took the ocarina from his mouth. "It was a result of me putting this Country's situation in my heart and playing. What I knew of it, at least. Sasuke has been able to tell what that Song is saying, each time. It's because he knows what my heart puts into the song. It's called 'Song of the Heart' for a reason."

Sasuke nodded. "Knowing how his heart acts is how you can interpret the song. It's how I know what he feels when he plays it. I know his heart, and the notes bring it to light. It's the reason he's so calm, most of the time. It's either training, his girlfriend, or the Ocarina."

"Don't forget us!" Sylph continued. "We've been there for him ever since he was 5!"

Asuma looked at Sylph. "I may not be able to hear the shorter one, but you I can hear. Why?"

"You're a Wind element, aren't you?" Asuma nodded. "That's why. I'm the Spirit of Wind. Gnomey there is the Spirit of Earth. You can only hear her if you have a connection to Earth, or she grants you her power. It's either that, or you have Angel or Monster Blood, but those have Diluted after so long."

"So, Naruto has your control over Wind, her control over Earth, and Water and Fire too, because of you four... Is that Right?"

"Yup!"

"So, where's his control over Earth compared to the other 3, Gnome? Never talked to you before, so I couldn't ask."

"Same as Fire, actually." Gnome answered.

"Water is his worst Element. Which is weird, considering that Water and Wind go together highly often." Sylph stated.

Kakashi nodded. "I still plan to test him with Earth and give him the necessary Jutsu. Quick question: How does he gain Mastery of the Shinobi Version of elemental Manipulation so easily?"

"It's simple, really." Gnome looked at Kakashi. "He understands all four of our elements. He can use them to the utmost, because of this understanding. He knows how the Element behaves, how it works, what it does naturally, and has put himself in each element separately, and together."

"Gnome's right, Sensei. It's the Understanding of the Element that lets me master it so easily in Shinobi terms." Naruto commented. "The only one I don't have any training with, I don't know much about, and that's what I asked you for: Lightning."

Kakashi shrugged. "I might as well tell you now, though you probably already knew. I was only planning to teach you Lightning when you proved your claims in Shinobi terms. Earth is the only one I haven't tested yet."

Naruto nodded. "I just told you how good he is with my element." Gnome spoke.

"True as that is, and this is only professionalism that's saying this, I still have to see where it would cut off, and give him the Jutsu for him to master before starting it. One element at a time, and he should breeze through it easily, if it's as good as you say." Kakashi told her. "He's a Natural Wind, isn't he?"

"Yup Yup Yup!" Sylph chirped. "Ow!" Gnome had thrown a rock at Sylph.

"Don't start."

Naruto shook his head. "They do this all the time in my head, though mainly it's with a fist. You get used to it after a while."

"So, do they give any bonuses to Jutsu?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, I'll only tell you what Sylph and Undine do, being as those are the only two I used to take out Zabuza's arm." This had his eyes widen.

"What the..."

Naruto looked at Sylph. "Sylph is a Spirit of Wind. She's annoying, I'll admit, but I like her more than the others. I have a much deeper connection with her than the others. Undine, as the Spirit of Water, helps me see something known as "The Flow" through a state known as Serene Mind. Using Serene Mind on my own actually cost me a bit of Chakra because I'm not a Natural Water. If not for Undine, I wouldn't have Water as an Element. When Undine channels her power through me, I instantly have access to Full Serene Mind, which would cost me Chakra to keep up on my own, and I don't use any Chakra since Undine is maintaining it. There is a slight drawback that I found, though."

"A drawback?" Kakashi was surprised.

"Yeah, when I use Full Serene Mind without Undine's help, I can't use any Ninjutsu, aside from what Sylph taught me of her Wind Guard, Wind Dance, Wind Body, along with anything regarding my sword. So basically, in that state on my own, I'm limited to Kenjutsu and Taijutsu. On the plus side I am effectively Immune to Genjutsu that affect my senses, because I'm not looking at whatever is there. The Flow tells me what's real, what's not, who is who, where they are, everything. It is with Full Serene Mind that I can match Kakashi-sensei in an all out spar, while he uses his Sharingan. A fight like that would make that fight one of Stamina, not skill."

"And Sylph?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto looked at Sylph. "I don't really use her power much. Unless I really want to go fast, or need to do something that gets past the Flow. I only have one move that can escape the flow's notice: Lightning Sword Flash. When using it on my own, I reach the limits of the Flow's Notice. With Sylph: The Flow can't keep up. I'm moving too fast, and the Flow gets confused."

"So, what's it feel like to take on a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and win?" Kakashi asked.

"Tiring as hell." was Naruto's blunt response.

"Yeah, that's Naruto." Sasuke said, as Ino finally came back into the room, her clothing disheveled, and hair in tatters with bark and grass in it. She was glaring at Sakura. "Forehead..."

"Drop it Ino." Naruto said, surprising her.

"You're awake?"

"Being as I'm talking to you, I'd say that was obvious." Ino turned red because she walked right into that one. "Uh... What are those things?"

"Hey!"

She didn't hear Gnome or Sylph. "Oh, look at that. A woman that doesn't know any better."

"WHAT?!" Ino had completely ignored the fact that Sasuke was the one that spoke.

"For the record, I didn't know anything about them until today." Asuma commented.

"Oh, look at that. A Woman that doesn't know any better." Sasuke hid his smirk as he repeated the line.

"Ah-but-you-Damn, walked right into that one." Asuma sighed. (A/N: Props to Team Four Star for coming up with this!)

"That you did." Sakura commented. "On another note, Naruto, you feeling better?"

"With Kurama, Deeny and Sal working on me, I'm better than I should be."

"I know Sal, but Deeny?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"You took my old nickname for her..." Sylph pouted.

"Couldn't help it. At least it's not Undie."

Gnome looked at Naruto and nodded. "She hates Undie more than Deeny."

"Yeah. Don't want to anger her, but Undine is too long." Naruto admitted.

Tsunami came in with a bowl of Chicken Ramen, which caught Naruto's nose the moment the door open. "Heard you woke up. It's Chic...ken... soup?" She blinked as the bowl was out of her hands, and Naruto was not in the bed.

They turned to a corner and saw Naruto eating the soup like it was Ramen. In his mind, it probably was. "Hunting for his own food or not, Ramen still gets to him." Sakura shook her head.

"Question." Tsunami started.

"If it's about Naruto, I'm the one that would have the most answers, aside from Sylph." Sasuke answered.

"His life doesn't seem all that good from what I've seen. How bad did he have it?"

Ino scoffed. "He had it easy."

Sasuke glared at her. "Ignore her, as she knows nothing." He then turned to Sylph. "Sylph, and the Spirits stay in his mind when not out in the real world, but other than that there are few he trusts implicitly. Kakashi isn't even on that list, yet." This surprised everyone. "In fact, aside from the spirits, I can count them on both hands."

'Hokage, The two at the Ramen Stand, that Anko lady he mentioned, Sakura, Hinata, and myself. Basically, only five of them only have human blood. The rest are Monsters, or the Spirits.' Sasuke mentally nodded. "In addition, going over the list he gave me, the amount that only have Human blood in them can be counted on one hand. After a Jutsu we used, Sakura no longer has just human blood, and I didn't from birth, and no it's not because of the Sharingan. Besides, Naruto and I are distantly related."

This shocked Ino. "But... if he is then..."

"He's not an Uchiha, because our relation goes even further back before the Age of Shinobi. He already told me of this, and the Spirits, along with TWO Heavenly Knights, one of which considers Naruto a son, that it's true. The Uchiha Clan should have been wiped out long ago for disgracing our ancestors. That is what I believe after learning the truth of our non-human blood." He looked at Naruto, who gulped the last of the soup.

"He's right. The Uzumaki Clan, Uchiha Clan, and Senju clan were born from the children of the Rokudo Sennin, who was borne of a line from a Half-Angel, half human. The Namikaze Clan, while small and unknown, was borne from the same Half-Angel. Shikamaru, how many people had Namikaze in their name in Konohagakure?"

"Only one that I know of."

"And why?"

"No one knows. He was considered an Orphan. He ended up being the Yondaime Hokage." The lazy Genin replied. "Why bring this up?"

"Because, Shika, the Namikaze Clan had the majority of the Angel part of the bloodline. And for some reason, I had it years ago. Sasuke has it as well. Picture my hair and face back in the Academy. Compare it to the Only Namikaze known in Konoha." He walked to his bag and pulled out a picture of a red head, and tossed it to him. "That's my mother. Do the math. Her name is Kushina Uzumaki."

Everyone present saw the gears in Shikamaru's mind working overtime, before looking at Naruto, back at the picture, eyes unfocusing, until finally, his eyes widened in realization, looking at Naruto. "And this wasn't mentioned to anyone why?!"

"Think about my father, which I know you already figured out who it is, and how many enemies he made. The Sandaime sought to protect me by keeping the knowledge secret from the public, even the council didn't know."

Shikamaru just tossed the picture back, and shook his head. "The civilians in our village are fucked in the head." This statement caused everyone native to Konoha to look at Shikamaru in shock. "Some shinobi, too, at that."

"Shikamaru, what are..." Chouji didn't finish.

He looked at Naruto, as if asking permission to tell him. "The only one I would not trust with that information in this room is Ino, the Banshee Loose Lips."

Shikamaru nodded, and whispered into Chouji's ear. His eyes widened in surprise before settling in anger. "Those bastards..." Now, hearing Chouji swear like that on top of Shikamaru, Ino knew it was juicy gossip, but given the situation, she decided not to ask.

"I'm not gonna like the information, am I?" She asked.

Chouji stared at her, as did Shikamaru. "In a nutshell, if you were told, you'd go on a rampage, or pity Naruto. I may not know him personally, but I DO know one thing: The top five of his hatred list. Rapist is at the top, followed by harming those close to his heart. Third is the one that applies: Pitying him is a way to get him angry, real quick."

"Actually, that's fourth on the list, Shika. People harming my Ocarina is third. Fifth is those that harm innocent people."

He blinked, but nodded.

"And that's why I'm not saying anything. By the way, I figured out more than just what you were planning on."

"You mean my father and my gift? Spirits not included." Naruto retorted with a smirk.

"Troublesome... You knew I'd figure it out with it all, didn't you?"

"Of course."

"So troublesome..."

Naruto looked at Kakashi. "So, we leave when the bridge is finished right?"

"Pretty much." Kakashi shrugged.

"Alright then. How long until it's finished?"

"Give or take a week." Tazuna answered. "Would've taken 3 weeks if not for you guys helping in the construction."

Naruto nodded. "Then I'll rest for today. Tomorrow, I'll be right as rain. Ever since the Body-Soul Charge Incident, my healing factor multiplied by 5 for physical wounds. For reserves, it's only a 50% increase."

"Alright then. You gonna hit that shrine tomorrow?" Kakashi asked.

"Of course."

"I'm coming with." Sasuke added. "If it's what I think you're thinking, then I have just as much a right to head there as you do."

Naruto looked at him and nodded. "That's my plan. I have to see it for myself. See if I'm right." Sasuke nodded.

-the next afternoon-

Sasuke and Naruto left Tazuna's place, right after lunch, and decided to head to the Shrine that was mentioned about a week beforehand. They found it somewhat easily, but they also saw a monster there. Naruto Immediately knew it was the same one that Luka told him about. "I take it you're the Kraken of the South Sea?" He sad, earning the Kraken's attention.

"No one has mentioned the South Sea in a long time." She then looked at the two, and her eyes narrowed. "What are you males doing here? Speak now, before I kill you."

Naruto held up his hands in a "No fighting" pose. "We didn't come here to fight. In fact, I actually came to ask a question." He started.

This made the Kraken pause and blink. "A Question? That's new."

Naruto sighed in relief. "Well, I wanted to know if you knew our ancestor. His name was Luka, and I was told by a friend of his named Sylph that he had been to both Temples in the sea. When I heard about this shrine from a local, and the fact that there was a monster that killed any male that came close, I recognized the description and hoped that you could answer the question I had."

At the mention of Luka, her eyes widened, and a smile graced her face. "Ah, yes. Luka was a fine boy. Even better as a man, or so I'm told. Yes, I knew him. Not well, mind you, but I had met with him twice."

Naruto smiled, found a rock and sat on it. "Well, maybe you can answer this one, since I was right." Sasuke sat down on a rock near him. "How the hell did an Underwater Temple rise to a Shrine above ground? This has me baffled, as there are no volcanoes, or anything else that can make land rise, and the water level hasn't receded enough to bring it this far above land, according to Undine."

"Well, it wasn't exactly a fun thought, I'll admit. You see, after the Juubi was released the first time, the landscape changed much. The damage was far more noticeable in the south and west quarters of the known world at the time. Luka would have his roots in what is now known as Water Country. A few years after the Juubi was sealed, Hellgondo simply vanished. No one knows where it went, so I can't tell you much about that, but something about its disappearance has both me and Poseidoness of the North Sea in a ditz, I guess is the word. Monsters have all but disappeared, most in hiding, where I do not know, but you rarely see them these days. And it's worrying me that the swimmers are gone. I mean, some of the craziest things I've ever seen are coming out, while everything familiar is gone."

"Didn't think the world changed much, though I noticed that Hellgondo isn't on the Atlas these days. Any idea on what happened to it?"

"None. We would have known if it had sunk to the Ocean Floor, and it hasn't. It just... disappeared. Vanished into thin air. Poseidoness said something was wrong at one point, and when she went to check it out, Hellgondo was gone. She couldn't find it. I checked my seas, and it wasn't there, so it didn't drift off. There was no indication of fighting, and nothing else of the like. No struggle, nothing. Surprisingly, there was nothing that could be found that would help us find it."

"You think it could've gone into the air?" Sasuke asked.

"Our thoughts at the time were: How would anyone get a continent to fly?" She retorted. "Found out a few centuries later that someone had. They created the Village Hidden in the Skies. It was surprising, but it brought up what happened to Hellgondo. We had a theory that the Hidden Sky Village was really Hellgondo, but we couldn't prove it. Only Alma Could, but she didn't care about it... much."

Naruto and Sasuke sweatdropped. "Yes, we had the same reaction. Supposedly, the Sky Village crashed some time ago. I think it was 60 years ago, I don't know. I haven't been able to check it out, but maybe you can."

"It's because we're Luka's descendants, isn't it?" Naruto questioned.

"Yes, if you are his descendants, I should trust you with this. You might find something his Mate left behind. Alipheese XVI was a Hoarder, I swear, she found interesting, she kept it. Not to mention she tended to travel as a Traveling Gourmet. Seriously, she loved food way too much."

"She's right. Alice did love food too much. Luka found that out before he met Undy." Sylph stated.

Naruto sweatdropped. "Sylph... Erubetie told me that part already."

"I know, but..."

"Everyone present knows." Sasuke stated. "So, you want us to check to see if the Village Hidden in the Sky is really Hellgondo?"

"I do."

"If anything comes up and we end up heading that way, then we'll do just that. Sadly, we're Shinobi, so we have to follow orders." Naruto sighed. "I really just wish I could say to hell with it, and go there, but if it's somewhere Konoha Shinobi aren't supposed to go, then we can't go there without a mission. If you could show us their symbol, then we can have a mission that involves it put on hold until we can take it."

The Kraken thought for a moment, and nodded, before using one of her tentacles to draw the symbol in the sand. "This is the symbol they used back then. Any ruins of the village would likely have this somewhere there. If you see anyone using it, then they are probably from there, too."

Sasuke memorized it with his Sharingan. Better safe than sorry. Naruto, instead, drew it in a Black Book with no title. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "What? It's an objective book. When I'm told about something that I would want to handle, or am given a request that I can't follow up on immediately, I write it in here, the details as well, and cross them off when I'm done. Meeting Granberia is on the list too. She's the only Heavenly Knight I haven't met in person."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, but nodded all the same. "So, you'll keep it in the book, I memorized the symbol with Sharingan. I'll know it when I see it."

"Good." Naruto looked at the Kraken. "Thank you for your help, and we'll be sure to get back to you on what you asked about as soon as we are able. Until I can find out where it crashed I cannot be sure if I need a mission to go there, or I can go there on a break. Same with Sasuke."

"I understand the duty of a Shinobi." Kraken of the South replied. "If you ever find out the truth, please, let me know." Naruto and Sasuke nodded. "If you don't mind my asking, I sense 3 bloodlines in each of you."

"Sharingan, Angel, and Monster."

"It's an Elemental One, Angel and Monster."

"Really? Then perhaps you could show me your Monster Forms. I am curious, since Luka's Children didn't have one that I knew of." She admitted.

They looked at each other, shrugged, and reverted to their True Forms. "We can use our true forms, which combine all 3 bloodlines, Angel, Monster, or flat out Human. We have another teammate that has Sphinx and Dragon Blood in her, and was awakened."

"How does that work out?"

"Really well, actually. Her skin is a lot harder than most Dragons, according to Gnome, her Fire Affinity is extremely high now, too. Earth was pretty high beforehand. Me? Once I prove mastery over Earth in Shinobi terms, thanks to Gnome I pretty much have that Mastery, I'll be learning the Lightning Element, which should be a lot harder, because I don't have anyone to explain it to me, or tell me how it acts. I mean, I got a few ideas, but that's all I got. It's the only element that would prove to be a challenge."

"I see. Well, good luck, you two. You'll probably need it."

They both nodded, and started to leave the Clearing. "And if you see Poseidoness of the North Sea, tell her I said hi!"

"Will do!" Naruto waved at her, as they continued to walk off.

The bridge, took a week longer to finish, surprisingly. Kakashi repeatedly stated that they would go back to Konohagakure before he tested Naruto's mastery over Earth.

When the bridge was finished, Teams 7 and 10 were standing on the bridge's end. "Thank you for all your help. We couldn't have gotten it this fast without you guys!" Tazuna shouted.

"Naruto, you'll come back right?" Inari, Tazuna's grandson, asked.

Naruto took a thoughtful pose. "When I have time off, maybe. That is, if I'm not on a date or just flying around, sure, I'll come." He smiled. "Besides, when we find something out, we've got to come back anyway. We'd visit you while we're at it."

Inari nodded. Tsunami just looked at Naruto. "Thank you for helping Inari. He really needed it."

"Trust me, it could've been a LOT worse if I actually showed him what could've been his life. He'd be having nightmares for months if I showed him my life before I turned five."

"I'll take your word for it." Tsunami replied.

Both teams said their goodbyes, as did Zazu, who had already spread the word through a couple of fishermen. He was going to tell travelers of the three heroes.

"Say Tazuna? What are we gonna name the Bridge?"

"Already got a name for it, Giichi." Tazuna replied. "The Heroes Bridge. Though, I think we should put Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura names underneath the name so people know just who saved our land. Naruto, the Fox. Sasuke, the Wolf. Sakura, the Dragon. Those three brought this place back to the way it should be."

"Hmm... You've got a point. Plus, I heard that Naruto had become popular with the orphans." Giichi admitted. "They always say it's like he knows what they're feeling, and tells them things in a way they understood. I heard him once, and it was like he was talking about his own experiences."

"Well, considering he's an Orphan himself, I'm not surprised." Tsunami stated. "Clan or not, he's got no family left aside from Sasuke and that blood is thin."

"He's got a family in Wave." Tazuna said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "You know that as well as I do!" He let out a large laugh.

-a day later-

Team 10 and Team 7 entered the Village, and Hinata was sitting on a nearby bench. She looked at Naruto, and smiled. "Glad you're back, Naruto-kun."

"Same here, Hinata-chan." He replied with a smile, causing a light blush on her face.

"Asuma and I will report to the Hokage. The three of you have today and tomorrow off." Kakashi stated, before he Shunshin'ed off. Asuma quickly followed his lead. Naruto grabbed Hinata around the waist, and they both vanished.

-after the report is given-

Sarutobi sighed as he heard the report. "That figures. So, how long until you think Sakura can handle her new sword?"

"With Naruto and Sasuke, I'd say she gets to Chuunin level by the time the Chuunin Exams roll around." Kakashi replied. "I'd probably get Naruto finished on Lightning Element by then, too."

"He should have Four Elements Mastered. Why do you think he needs the Fifth?"

"Don't think he needs it, but he asked for it on the first week. He's proven his Mastery over Wind, Water, and Fire, and learned Jutsu from each, and I plan to test his Control over Earth and give him a certain amount of Jutsu after we're done with the cooldown period. I gave them tomorrow off."

"Good call. I won't call them in unless something comes in that needs their presence. As of right now, there's nothing. They have 3 days off from missions. This is their Second A-Rank this month, as you know. I don't know how they managed to pull this one off without much injury, but I guess it's in their blood."

"That's what I would guess." Kakashi replied. "I'll let them know tomorrow that they have 3 days off and then have to do another 10 D-ranks before the next supposed C-Rank."

"Make it 20, unless something comes up." Sarutobi stated, earning a nod.

Kakashi then walked out. Asuma just looked at him, before following suit.

-elsewhere-

Naruto and Hinata were walking towards the Hyuuga Compound. Apparently, Hinata said her father wanted to see him, though he wasn't sure it was a good idea, he agreed.

"Naruto-kun, why are you nervous?"

"Hinata... I may not have gone through this before, neither has Luka or the Spirits, but I know one thing that they all have seen firsthand: Fathers don't like the boys their daughters like. Luka didn't experience it because Alice's father wasn't even alive. He still knew, and being a father himself, he knew."

"I guess..." Hinata didn't know how to respond to that, but they had reached the Hyuuga Compound, and walked in.

Naruto didn't outwardly show his nervousness, and walked with a regal posture that befitted a warrior, and a noble. He really hated those nobility lessons Undine gave him, but he is mentally thanking her right now because of them.

Formality was not his strong suit.

As they walked through the Maze-like halls, Naruto just looked ahead, keeping his senses trained on Hinata, so he didn't lose her. It wasn't long until they had reached the indoor Dojo, which Naruto had to raise an eyebrow at. It looked like a large wasteland, for some reason. There were bleachers on one side, but nowhere else.

They saw several men, one of which identified as Hiashi Hyuuga. Hinata's Father. Naruto could see the hidden smirk emanating from him, and massive dislike for both of them from the others. Then he spotted a small girl, that looked like a cross between Hinata and Hiashi.

"Father, I brought him as you asked." Hinata bowed her head slightly.

"About time." One of the elders scoffed. "It's been 3 days since we told you to bring that teacher of yours."

"All I see is a Demon that couldn't fight his way out of a paper bag." Another Elder snorted.

Hiashi held up a hand to silence. "Hinata, this boy... he taught you, did he not?" Hinata nodded.

Hiashi then looked at him. 'Naruto... You have no idea what's going on do you?'

Naruto looked at them, and saw that Hiashi was hiding something. "If I may ask, why did you ask me here? I just got back from an A-Rank with my Squad not 2 hours ago, and I am slightly tired."

"Show some respect!" One Elder shouted. "We are..."

He was cut off by Naruto. "I show respect to those who have earned it. You have not." Naruto was calm in his voice. "And even then, my respect is not seen as actual respect to those that do not know me personally. I may not think myself superior, but that does not mean I will simply bow down."

Hiashi nodded, after silencing the Elders. "I have heard that you have been teaching my Daughter a Jutsu."

"I have only taught her one, and it does not even classify as Ninjutsu." Naruto replied. "Nor does it classify as Genjutsu, as I have none in my Jutsu Roster."

"Explain."

"It is really something that has come long before the Shinobi Age had begun. I have learned about it from a friend of mine, and have been practicing its use since I was 5 years old. All shinobi achieve a watered down version of it through years of experience, but it is possible to learn its usage if you know what you're doing. I do, and I have been teaching her."

"What is it called?"

"It's called the Serene Mind. It is actually easiest for a Water Element to master, and Hinata is a Water element. I'm a Wind, and it took me nearly a year to get it down completely, and another 6 months to master it."

"And her Taijutsu?"

"It's from Sparring while she has Serene Mind active." Naruto replied. "Her style changed from a Rough and Edgy form to a smooth and flexible form. In order words, whoever was teaching her Taijutsu, was making her suffer, because the Taijutsu is meant for Earth Elements, not Water. During our spars her Taijutsu, while the same in prospect, it changed from Earth to Water."

"She does not use the Jyuuken." An Elder pointed out.

"The Jyuuken, as you call it, uses Chakra. As you all probably know, Chakra is separated into 5 Primary Elements, and an unknown amount of Secondary Elements. Those Five Elements each have their own properties. Again, this is old news for you, so I'll cut down to the reason I'm bringing it up." Hiashi nodded. "Every Taijutsu style draws from one or two of those Five elements. Goken, for Example, is a Mix of Fire and Lightning, for it's speed and power. Jyuuken, however, seems to follow the Element of Earth, not Water. My style is a combination of Four Styles, based solely on the Elements themselves. There is one for Wind, Water, Earth, and Fire, and I combine all four for my Taijutsu. The Tsuchiken, or Earth Fist, is not a light hitting style, like the Jyuuken. Tsuchiken takes the Power and Nature of Earth into the style. You could liken it to Tsunade's Strength for an Offensive Earth type. Hiken, or Fire Fist, Takes the Power and Nature of Fire. This style is built for Raw, unrefined Power. Mizuken does the same for Water, and Kazeken for Wind. Mizuken is more for Defense and countering. Kazeken is speed, and unpredictability. Out of all of them, I prefer Kazeken, but I can use all four Interchangeably, Creating the Elemental Strike Fist."

"How does this tie into it?" An elder questioned, not seeing how it deals with her training.

"Even with your eyes, you do not see what I see... Pity." Naruto shook his head, at the look of rage on the Elder's face. "The Reason I brought it up is the fact that Earth and Water don't mix. If there was a style of Jyuuken that flows more like Water, instead of Earth, then she'd pass through them with such ease, it would make any prodigies you have at the moment look like a Joke compared to her progress. Having her learn an Earth Based Taijutsu would only make her skills suffer. A Water Based Taijutsu would make her skills shine brighter than any star. While Flowing along with the Serene Mind active, she follows what the flow tells her to do. The form is not compliant with the original Taijutsu, so it shifted as she got used to the alterations. When she did, and sparred without Serene Mind, she fought the same way she did with it active, and was dong a lot better than before."

"And you know this, how?" Hiashi questioned, while the others had found it best to listen, whether they liked it or not.

"Because I saw that before it, she was forcing her body to move a certain way. During the Training, the Flow of Serene Mind tells you how to best avoid an attack. You do what the Flow tells you to, you'll dodge it perfectly, maybe even counter, if you can. I've countered a Suiryuudan with a Sword by listening to the flow. I've cut Fire, Water and Earth Jutsu with a sword by listening to the flow. By mastering it, she'll know where everything is, without use of the Byakugan."

"You believe it to be better than the Byakugan?" Hiashi raised an eyebrow, stopping any protests from the others.

The girl, who was largely unnoticed, just watched in interest. Naruto continued. "Honestly? I think Serene Mind, when mastered, is better, but then again, I don't have the Byakugan, so I can't make an Accurate comparison. Hinata is the only one that can make that call, as she's the one that has both. When I left the village, she had not mastered it yet, so I don't know, to be honest."

Hinata looked at her father. "Father, I had felt Naruto through use of Serene Mind 5 hours before he arrived at the South Gate, while I was at Training Ground 8 in the Northwest."

Naruto looked at her. "I can't even see that far with Serene Mind." Obviously, he was surprised.

She looked at him in surprise. "You can't?"

"No, I can't. I thought you could take it farther than I could, and it looks like I was right." Naruto smiled at her slightly. He soon lost it though, remembering who was there. "I am also impressed that you seem to have a ways to go to master it."

"I have been using it to spar with my teammates, and they can never really hit me. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and even when Kurenai-sensei tries to use Genjutsu, I am not affected, even though it's active, since the Flow tells me the truth. Sight, Smell, Touch, and Hearing are not needed when I have Serene Mind active."

Naruto whistled. "And to think you haven't mastered it yet... That's not bad. Took me 8 months to get that far with it."

She nodded at the praise. "Father..."

"I would like to see a Master use the Serene Mind in a spar. With all these benefits, I believe there is a drawback that you haven't mentioned."

Naruto nodded. "I take it you wish to see me Spar with Serene Mind active?"

Hiashi nodded. "Then, if I may, am I allowed to choose my opponent?"

"I had thought about testing it myself." Hiashi replied.

"Oh. Well, I was planning on choosing you, anyway, so... works for me." Naruto shrugged. "Shall we start now?"

They both walked down, and Hinata sat on the bleachers. 'Naruto-kun... be careful.' She mentally called out.

He looked over her shoulder, and the message was clear. 'Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.'

Not surprised in the slightest at his response to her, she smiled.

Hiashi and Naruto stood 15 feet apart. "I must warn you Hiashi, with Serene Mind Mastered, I have matched Kakashi Hatake with his Sharingan revealed using Taijutsu and Kenjutsu only."

"This spar is to all out on both ends. I only ask that you show what you can do with Serene Mind." Hiashi stated.

Naruto nodded, and got into the started stance, before activating the Serene Mind. "Begin!" One of the elders called out. Hiashi went to strike first with a palm thrust, which Naruto easily sidestepped as if he saw it. Hiashi realized that Naruto's eyes were closed as he did. "You do not look?"

"Makes it easier to handle." Naruto replied, before his eyes opened. Hiashi noticed that Naruto's eyes showed that he didn't seem to be using them. He saw the detached look, and mentally snorted. He wrote it off as Naruto not paying attention. He went up and tried to strike one of his Chakra Points. Naruto, not moving to intercept at first, went into the Mizuken (Water portion), and pushed the hand to the side, before elbowing his stomach in Hiken (Fire Portion).

Hiashi was only slightly surprised at the deflection, but it didn't show. Naruto backed up a bit, and his stance was still loosely formed, his eyes still detached. "I have heard that you know several Ninjutsu. Why have you not used them? This is an all out spar."

"I can't." was Naruto's calm reply, surprising all, since they heard him.

Hiashi ended the spar right there. "We are done then. Though, I do have a question." Naruto's detached look left his face.

"If it is about why I didn't use Ninjutsu, it's actually highly simple." Naruto said. "Serene Mind, as you thought, does have a drawback. You cannot perform any Ninjutsu over E-rank. The only E-Rank Ninjutsu I can perform is the Kawarimi and Henge, and the Kawarimi is pointless in that state. Genjutsu is the same way, I'd presume, but I wouldn't know for sure. I have no aptitude for Genjutsu, having as much Chakra as I do."

"Considering the fact that the Hyuuga Clan does not use Ninjutsu outside of our Clan, it is a perfect addition. However, it may clash with some of the more advanced Jyuuken techniques."

Naruto shakes his head. "Hinata has managed to use the Eight Trigrams: 32 palms in that state." He rubbed his side. "Some of them hit, as I didn't have Serene Mind active myself at the time. The moment I did, however, I dodged them with increasing ease."

Hiashi raised an eyebrow. "And how come it does not stop her from using it?"

"Probably the same reason I can still using the Earth Rumbling Decapitation using that state. While the technique is an Earth element Jutsu, it falls under Kenjutsu, not Ninjutsu. My chakra control is increased 30 fold when in that state, at the cost of using Ninjutsu and presumably Genjutsu. If the technique falls under Taijutsu, such as the Eight Trigrams: 32 palms, then it won't be blocked out. I don't know what you use exactly, but if it would use direct contact, then I know you can use it. I doubt the Kaiten, which I do know of, would be blocked out, though it probably would not be needed. There is something I found in Single Combat, though."

This raised an eyebrow. "Know that I only found this out recently, but Serene Mind, if you know what to look for, can help you follow the Chakra inside the opponent's body. I found a few points on you that stick out more, probably due to them being much more condensed than the rest of the paths. I also felt you try to strike one of those particular spots on me."

This had Hiashi's eyes widen. The Elders heard this, and their eyes widened. Hinata had already realized it, but couldn't see them with her Byakugan. Hiashi looked at Hinata for confirmation. She simply nodded, realizing what he was asking. He looked at Naruto in surprise. "Do you know what you were seeing in those condensed portions?"

"I don't know for sure, but if I had to make a guess, it would be the Tenketsu."

Hiashi nodded in agreement. "You are correct, if what you said is any indication. Your Taijutsu is effective, as is the Serene Mind. I approve."

The girl spoke for the first time. "I don't get it. What happened?"

Hinata looked at her. "Hanabi, the Serene Mind is complicated without understanding the Elements themselves. To understand the Elements, you need to know how the elements flow individually. Only four are needed, though, as it was first figured out before the Shinobi Age. Before the Shinobi Age, before Chakra was discovered, Serene Mind was hard to achieve. Very few could get it at a young age, and as such, a Watered Down Version is gained with Experience. I wouldn't be surprised if the War Veterans would have it down for the most part. They feel a disturbance, they strike. The Flow isn't telling them it's coming, it's an ingrained instinct. That's why it's only a Watered Down Version. It's all pure instinct, while with Serene Mind, it's all conscious effort. Not just reacting, but seeing all, even if they have nothing to do with you. The Natural Instinct isn't like that." The Elders were surprised, as that was the longest Hinata had spoken without a stutter to their knowledge.

Naruto looked at her. "Good. You recognize the difference between the two."

Hinata nodded at that. Hiashi then realized something. "Hinata, Hanabi, get down here. Uzumaki-san?"

Naruto looked at him. "You wish to see her spar as well?" Hiashi nodded. "I see." He looked at Hinata. "If you go that route, be careful."

Hinata nodded. As they passed each other, Naruto whispered in her ear. "Don't hesitate because she's family. Treat her as an actual opponent." At that, he continued, and sat next to Hiashi.

The two girls faced each other at 10 feet. "You will lose."

Hinata just stared back, and didn't respond. They both took a stance, though Hinata's varied slightly. Not only were her arms slightly higher, but her legs were closer together than they should be for Jyuuken. The Elders noted this stance, and were inwardly seething at the variation.

Naruto smirked, and let it show. Then, with an unheard signal, they both started. As they fought, the Elders were watching in shock and a bit of anger, though none of them showed it.

Hiashi, however, was actually impressed. 'She really has improved.'

Naruto, on the other hand, frowned. "She's not taking this seriously." That got everyone's attention. Hiashi looked at him, confusion clearly written on his face. Naruto answered. "She's not using the Serene Mind nor is she going for the more complicated maneuvers that I know she can do." He then realized it. "It's not because of who she's fighting anymore." His frown turned into a small smirk. "She's putting herself on her opponent's level. Equaling her opponent, she can outlast her... She's gotten smarter."

Hinata wasn't using the Byakugan, either. "Hanabi... I see you haven't gotten that much better." Her voice was calm. "To think that I lowered myself to what seems to be your level is actually surprising. With how much I'm holding back to keep it at your level, I'm actually more surprised than I am shocked."

Naruto nodded, as the Elders looked at him, and his smirk. "It just goes to show: Teach them wrong, their skill dulls. Teach them right, they will Shine. With what little I taught her, she's already glowing compared to the dull rust that she was before." He looked at Hiashi. "Compare her skills now to what they were during the Academy. What do you think is the difference that I've made in a few weeks compared to the years you tried teaching her?"

"I... I am actually surprised." His tone was flat, but Naruto could hear the shock in his voice.

Naruto turned his head to the spar. "Hanabi is good, barely Genin level. But from what I can see, Hinata hasn't gotten to 30% of the skill she constantly shows me. I already know why, but she continually wants to impress me."

"And what is that reason?" One of the Elders questioned, holding back his glare.

"From what I can tell, she's fallen for me. Hard." Naruto admitted. "Even though, as it stands, we can't be together, and I know this, she still ignores that."

Hiashi nodded, knowing how she felt about him. "Do you return her feelings?"

"Hiashi, that is..."

"My decision." Hiashi cut him off. "Please answer the question."

Naruto glanced at Hiashi, before sighing. "Yes, I do. Regardless of what everyone else thinks they know about me, I have known from the start about her feelings for me. I may know who my parents are, but unless they go public, Hinata and I cannot be together in the way we both want. I know it. She knows it. She doesn't care, but I don't want her to give up everything for me. It's just not right. What makes it worse is, I know she would if she had to."

Hiashi looked at Naruto with a small smirk. "After this spar, I would like to speak with you without the Elders or Hinata present." Looking back at the Spar, Hinata seemed bored.

Naruto noticed this. And spoke out. "Hinata, just finish it!"

This caused her to falter slightly, which Hanabi capitalized on. Hinata, realizing this, deflected her strike, before hitting her in 7 spots on her body. She then walked up to Hanabi's body, before lightly pushing her forehead. Hanabi fell backwards and landed on her back. "Eight Trigrams: 5 Point Blocker is a success." She looked at Naruto, who raised an eyebrow. "Came up while you were gone. Tested it on Kiba."

Naruto had to chuckle at that. "That's one of her originals. She hasn't used it on me, though." He walked down to Hanabi, and noticed what Hinata did. "Ouch."

Hiashi was about to check her out himself, when Naruto poked Hanabi in 5 places: The right Temple, the center of the collar bone, Left Temple, Navel, and the heart in that order. Hanabi then shot up.

"How did you do that?" Hiashi questioned.

"I've seen these effects before, though only once. Whats more is, my Teammate Sakura uses something similar in effect, though highly different in application. She uses her eyes, and no, she doesn't have a Doujutsu." Naruto looked at Hinata. "Do you know what that move did?"

"It shut down her five senses, that much I know."

"Hinata... What you did was Force Open Five of the Eight Celestial Gates." This caused a large amount of surprise from the Elders. "The Genin in my team can handle the Influx of power, due to dealing with something much more unstable, but if you're not careful, you could effectively kill someone like that depending on which gates you open. The Imbalance of Chakra could effectively cause the target to implode. Highly effective on Bandits, though. Doing so will not only scramble their Chakra Systems, but completely decimate their Chakra Control. That is a very dangerous move."

Hinata's eyes widened. "Then how did Kiba survive it?"

"Because he's been using somewhat Chaotic Chakra already. It's common in the Inuzuka Clan, surprisingly, so it would only really dull their senses, and effectively paralyze them." Naruto pointed out. "His control would be shot, but not as much as it would be otherwise. People with multiple Chakra sources in them, like an Aburame or a Jinchuuriki, could get past that somehow. For a Jinchuuriki, simply drawing on the Second Chakra would get rid of the effect immediately. A simple chakra pulse won't get rid of the effects, either. It's a powerful Taijutsu move, which I don't know how it came into existence. It was before Luka's Time."

Hinata sighed in relief. "Good to know."

"Remember what I always tell you: Nothing is unbeatable. Even a Goddess is not unkillable. There is a way around each block. A way to stop every move. A way to kill everything. That is something that Luka proved, time and again." Naruto told her. "Find the weakness in your own moves, and learn how to counter the counters. It's why I spar with a Dark Side Clone every now and then. They know how to counter every weak spot of every technique I know as of it's creation. It's why it's so useful in Taijutsu and Kenjutsu training."

"You never taught me how to use it, though."

"That's because it belonged to my mother." Naruto said, earning a nod from Hiashi.

"Uzumaki-san, a word?"

Naruto looked at him, and nodded. Hinata looked at Naruto. "Same spot and time?"

Naruto shook his head. "I plan to hit a few places tomorrow. Two days from now." Hinata nodded at that.

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Chapter complete.