Loki scowls in anger. "What is wrong?" Odin stands in the middle of a field. It is nighttime making it hard for anyone to see in the darkness. In an instant, Odin thrusts his fist and leg in opposite direction to destroy a pair of skeet disks. The disks are shattered to pieces.
"Siegfried was defeated by Shirahama Kenichi."
Odin's eyes widen. 'Shirahama Kenichi?' Could it be? He hasn't heard that name in many years. The First Fist of Ragnarok reaches into his pocket pulling out a yin-yang badge. A smile appears on Odin's face. 'Good, I am glad that you are taking our promise seriously. Keep crawling your way up to my feet.'
Break
Naruto walks out from the Kendo Club intent on going home. "Naruto-kun!" Pausing, he turns around to find Matoko coming towards him. She gives him a warm smile. "Um, do you think you can walk me home?" A blush heats her cheeks.
"I don't mind."
The two begin to walk next to each other. Matoko cheers inside her head. "Hey, are you with that new gang?" He looks at her curiously. "The Shinpaku Alliance, I think that is what it is called."
"I am not…with the Shinpaku Alliance."
Matoko gains a relieved look. "Good, I didn't want you to get expelled from the Kendo Club for being part of that delinquent gang." She places her hands behind her back. "It is weird because I overheard several people saying you were part of the Shinpaku Alliance."
He finds that to be weird as well. The members of the Shinpaku Alliance all seem to regard him as a member. There is no basis for them to think such a thing. Multiple times he refused to join the group despite Nijiima pestering him constantly. He even refused to help rescue Nijiima after he was captured by Ragnarok. Still, they continue to look to him as a comrade. "Matoko-san…I have a question."
"Yes?" Matoko's heart starts to beat faster. Could he be about to ask her out? Her cheeks begin to burn red.
"Are we…friends?" asks Naruto.
She sweat drops. A gloomy aura surrounds the girl as her hopes and dreams are shattered. "Matoko?" Naruto stares at her expectantly.
"Of course we are," smiles Matoko.
Naruto smiles behind his mask. Now he has two friends. That explains why she is always hanging around him. School is starting to become fun. Maybe he can gain more friends if he keeps on going to it. "I am glad," he says. Matoko blushes. She can live with being his friend…for now.
Ragnarok
Kisara leans back in her seat with a bored expression. These meetings are extremely boring. It is a waste of her time. She could be using this time to train. A smile appears on her face as she thinks about her recent growth. Over the past few weeks, she has grown much stronger due to her constant spars with Naruto. Her speed, reflexes, and technique have all grown a great deal.
"Why are you smiling Valkyrie?" Loki stares at her suspiciously. "This is no laughing matter. Yomi is the group we are supposed to be preparing for, but now we have this Shinpaku Alliance getting in our way."
"Yomi, I heard that each member has the backing of a master. We don't have any teacher to back us," replies Kisara. Not that she needs a master to help her. She plans on growing strong even without a master.
Freya folds her arms under breasts making them bounce. "The main reason I joined Ragnarok is to learn under the Great Sage Fist."
A loud smashing sound makes Loki turn around in annoyance. "Thor, stop that nonsense!"
"Dosu! I joined Ragnarok to spread the word of Combat Sumo! I don't need a master when I have the Pit!" exclaims Thor.
Amusement dances in Freya's eyes. "The Pit?" Freya shakes her head. "Inflating your ego with that self-made underground fighting arena will only make you weak."
Thor's eyes narrow in anger. "Would you like to test me?"
Freya twirls around her weapon. "I will destroy you."
"Cut it out," Kisara kicks her leg between the two. "It is forbidden for the fists to fight each other, remember?"
Loki adjusts his goggles. "I hear that Odin is being trained personally by the Great Sage Fist." Freya, Kisara, and Thor's eyes narrow. Loki walks over to the member who has remained silent the entire time. "I think Berserker would be a better leader." Berserker chews on his gum not making a sound.
Ryozanpaku
Hayato walks over to where Miu is training on her own. He is not the only to notice that Miu has been on edge the past few days. There is something bothering his granddaughter and he plans to find out what it is. "Miu, would you care to talk?"
Miu pauses in her training. "Huh? I am not sure I understand." A chuckle comes from the Elder. He gives her a knowing look. She smiles sheepishly. Somehow her grandpa is always able to tell when something is wrong. It is like Akisame's scary ability to read a person's mind. "Well, there is this boy at school." Hayato becomes very curious. "It's not like that!" blushes Miu.
"I see, what is the problem then?"
"No matter how hard I try, he is somehow able to sneak up on me." Miu frowns. "There is something about him that puts me on edge. I feel like I am in the presence of someone very dangerous."
Hayato strokes his beard. A boy that is able to put Miu on edge. Miu, who traveled the world with him and been surrounded by some of the most dangerous people in the world, is on edge from a single boy. This is an interesting development. "What do you want to do?"
Nervously, she shifts uncomfortably. "Kenichi considers him to be a friend. But I think he might be part of Ragnarok." Miu gains a worried expression. "If he is from Ragnarok, Kenichi doesn't stand a chance. I don't want to see Kenichi get hurt."
A smile appears on Hayato's face. "Normally, I would recommend fighting this person." Miu sweat drops. "If he is a martial artist, you can learn a great deal by fighting with him." Hayato strokes his beard. "On the other hand, he is a friend to Kenichi. How about trying to follow him?"
Miu sighs. "Grandpa, he is able to sneak up on me. I highly doubt I will be able to follow someone who has such skill."
"She does have a point." She spins around to see Akisame sitting on the porch drinking tea. "Perhaps a more direct approach and befriend the boy as well," suggests Akisame. "As the old saying goes, keeps your friends close and your enemies closer."
"I like the fighting him approach," grunts Sakaki. Sakaki is leaning against the tree behind Miu drinking a bottle of beer.
"Stop listening in on a private conversation." Miu waves her arms angrily. It is times like these she dislikes living with a bunch of masters.
Hayato chuckles, "the decision is up to you Miu, but remember to keep an open mind. Until you know more, it is not good to jump to conclusions."
Miu bows, "I understand grandpa."
Break
"So what is with the ninja get-up?"
"…"
"Don't act like I am an idiot!"
Kisara gains a tick above her right eye. Naruto shrugs. "It is comfortable." She gives a doubtful look. He points at the vest. "My previous sensei…gave me this uniform." It isn't the truth, but it isn't a complete lie. This is merely the standard uniform worn by ninja in Konoha. Many chuunin and jounin wear this uniform. The old man gave him this uniform when he was twelve. "Here, this scroll contains a more casual set of clothes to wear when off duty." Though it may seem silly, he treasures these clothes given to him by the old man.
She notices a faraway look in his eyes. It seems like bringing up past memories is causing him some discomfort. Kisara gains a guilty expression. "Kisara-san…why did you leave your sensei?" Naruto looks at her curiously.
"I never got any respect at the dojo. The boys all went easy on me cause I am a girl," scowls Kisara.
Naruto shakes his head. "I wasn't referring to the dojo…I meant the one who taught you to fight against weapon users."
Kisara folds her arms across her chest. "Hey, we are supposed to be sparring partners. I shouldn't have to tell you my life story."
"I see." Naruto leaps down from the crate. "Our spar is over…I will leave."
Anger burns in her eyes. "Wait!" Naruto turns around as Kisara leaps down landing next to him. She stuffs her hands into her pants. He notices that she is a bit uncomfortable. "Freya-nee is the one who trained me. She is the Third Fist of Ragnarok and the best weapon user I know. I left her to follow my own path."
He notices it from the way she speaks. "You miss her."
"W-what?!" Kisara splutters with a red tint dusting her cheeks. "Shut up! I do not miss Freya-nee!"
"Maybe you can introduce me…I would like to fight another weapon user."
Naruto avoids a kick. Kisara smirks, "you wouldn't stand a chance."
"Well…we will never know our strength until we get into a real fight. You should go to the Underground Fight Arena…to test your skills," Naruto suggests.
"That sounds like the Pit."
"Pit?"
Kisara nods. "It is a fight club that Thor set up." He tilts his head. "Thor is the Seventh Fist of Ragnarok."
The former ninja gains a pensive expression. Thor is the Seventh Fist of Ragnarok. A fight club sounds like the perfect place to test out his skills. He doesn't want to participate in the Underground Fight Arena because that will draw way too much attention. Too many people know him there. Ragnarok is still after him so if he were to attack them first, it wouldn't be that suspicious. Kisara doesn't care what happens to the other members except for Freya so he doesn't have to worry about upsetting her. "I have to get going. Later…Kisara-san." Naruto gives a wave before walking away.
'He is so weird. Whatever,' thinks Kisara.
Fight Club
Thor watches the match with sparks of excitement in his eyes. The Pit is becoming more and more popular each night. Lately, stronger fighters have been coming to participate in matches. It really gets his blood boiling. There is nothing in the world that is more exciting than a good fight. With each fight he gets into and each victory he gains, the more popular his Combat Sumo becomes. He will keep fighting each night until Combat Sumo becomes the number one martial arts in the world.
"The next fight is between Shoot Boxing and Karate!"
Riku is writing the next pair of fighters on the board. "Excuse me, I would like to enter a match." The young man turns around to see a new kid. "Are there any opening spots?"
"Got a name and style?"
"Naruto…my style is Kendo."
"Kendo huh?" Riku smirks. "We don't get many weapon users, but anything is allowed in the Pit. Alright, listen for your name and don't try to back out."
Naruto gives a nod. He walks away and starts to blend in with the crowd. Instead of his usual ninja uniform, he wears a dark orange shirt with a red spiral on the back and navy blue pants that are wrapped up at the shins. On his side hangs a wooden bokken that has never been used in a battle. It is simple enough to blend into the crowd. None of them are paying any attention to him instead focusing all their attention on the fight. He didn't even have to try to sneak in. Ragnarok is so overconfident in its strength that it doesn't bother with proper security.
He watches the next couple of matches with a bored expression. The fighters in the Pit are not very strong. Regret is starting to fill the former ninja. The Underground Fight Arena contains much better fighters. Stupid old habits telling him not to draw attention made him go to a place with weaker fighters. Naruto shakes his head.
"Naruto, enter the arena!"
Walking over to the edge, he jumps down into the area. "A kid? This is going to be easy," smirks the Karate Fighter. Naruto grabs the bokken and places it in front of him. "I am taking you down in one hit!"
Like the Karate user claimed, the fight ended in one hit. The crowd watching is stunned. Naruto stands over his opponent. He lowers his sword with disappointed eyes. He kneels down picking up the downed fighter and tosses him out of the Pit.
Thor smirks, 'this fighter is skilled.' The Seventh Fist shouts out. "Next Fighter, enter!"
"I got this."
A young man jumps down into the arena. He gives a smile that is full of missing teeth. "I am taking you down." Naruto steps to the side avoiding a punch and delivers a thrust striking the thug in the stomach. The thug coughs up blood before flying backwards hitting the far wall.
Naruto lowers his weapon. "I…would like to challenge the Seventh Fist…Thor." The whole reason he came here is to face strong opponents. Thor is the Seventh Fist of Ragnarok, he hopes that he can fight a strong opponent in Thor.
"Challenging me huh?" Thor walks forward. The large young man leaps down into the arena. Naruto feels the ground tremble. Thor reaches up pulling his kimono down to reveal a large stomach. "I won't go easy on anyone that dares to challenge me!" Naruto responds by lifting up his weapon. "Be prepared to face my Combat Sumo. Dosu!" Thor charges forward showing surprising speed for a person of his size. A palm thrust comes at Naruto. He jumps over the palm thrust flipping over Thor's head. Thor turns around in time to be struck in the stomach by a horizontal slash. The sumo martial artist doesn't budge a single inch. "Underneath my fat is a thick layer of muscle that is as strong as steel. I have trained my body to be in perfect condition!"
"I see…I shall not hold back," says Naruto. A flick of the wrist sends the wooden sheath flying to reveal a hidden sword underneath.
Thor smirks, "I have fought against plenty of weapon users." Naruto tenses preparing to fight. "Demonic Open Fist Slap!" A powerful right arm thrust comes at Naruto who dodges it and thrusts his sword forward. Thor grits his teeth as the sword sinks into his skin. He ignores the pain and reaches out grabbing Naruto's wrist. "Sabaori!" Using his tremendous strength, he spins around tossing Naruto at the closest metal wall. The former ninja strikes the metal wall back first. Naruto dodges a palm thrust that dents the metal. Thor takes a step back wincing in pain. Blood pours from a small wound in his side.
Naruto gets back into his stance. 'Thor is a strong opponent, but he doesn't have the speed to go with that strength.' It is time to finish this match with a technique he has been working on. His eyes lock onto Thor.
'I just need to land one solid blow,' thinks Thor.
Thor gives a battle-cry. "My Combat Sumo will not be defeated!" Naruto takes a step forward and moves at high speeds. Thor's eyes widen as Naruto moves so fast that after images are being left. The speed is too much for Thor to handle. Into thin air, Naruto vanishes. "He…vanished?"
A soft voice comes from above Thor. "Dance of the Crescent Moon!" Thor looks up. Naruto comes down with a vertical slash. He lands on the ground in a crouch. A large cut opens up across Thor's chest and blood sprays from the wound. Thor falls backwards. Naruto sheaths his sword with a click.
"Thor was defeated!"
"No way!"
"I can't believe the Seventh Fist was defeated!"
Thor sits up and stares down at his chest. The cut across his chest is a shallow one that will leave a nice scar, but will not kill him. "Why?"
Naruto shrugs. "I didn't come here to kill. My goal…was to test my skills."
"My Combat Sumo was defeated so easily. My dream is gone."
"I don't know much…about dreams. I do know about wanting to be strong." Naruto looks Thor straight in the eyes. "If you really want to be strong…don't give up so easily."
A smile appears on Thor's face. Grunting, Thor stands up with a great deal of effort. "Don't give up huh?" Thor lifts up his leg and slams it down upon the ground. "Dosu! I will never give up on my Combat Sumo!" He points a finger at Naruto. "What is your name?"
The former ninja blinks. "Uzumaki Naruto."
"Uzumaki Naruto," smirks Thor. "I shall not forget that name. I will train harder and we will fight again!"
A shrug comes from the former ninja. "Sure." He can always use another sparring partner. The more styles he fights against the more experience he will get. Besides, the main reason he defeated Thor is due to his weapon able to piece the older boy's body. Who knows how the match would have turned out if he had resorted to using Strong Fist. "I got to go…later."
Thor feels a fire burning inside of him. He finally found a worthy opponent. No, he found a rival to compete against.
Break
Nijiima runs over to Naruto with an evil smile. "I knew you would join us! Great job!"
"I…don't know what you are talking about," says Naruto.
"No one ever does," sighs Kenichi. "Ignore the alien." Miu stares at Naruto with suspicious eyes.
Laughter erupts from the alien. Nijiima gains a sadistic gleam in his eyes. "I received reliable information that last night, Naruto defeated Ragnarok's Seventh Fist, Thor." Kenichi and Miu's eyes widen. "Isn't that right, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto stares blankly. "Yes."
Kenichi's jaw drops. "Really?" A nod comes from the former ninja. "Were you attacked by them?"
"No…I wanted to test my skills so I challenged Thor."
Miu frowns. 'Well, at least I know he is not part of Ragnarok.'
Nijiima continues to smirk. "Don't be so modest, I heard you managed to defeat Thor without taking any injury."
'I knew it. He might even be as strong as me,' thinks Miu. 'Grandpa may be right, I might have to fight him to learn the truth.'
Naruto begins to walk away. "I have to get to class."
"Yeah we better get going too," says Kenichi.
The alien watches Naruto's back. 'This is the second fist to be defeated by Uzumaki Naruto.' Nijiima begins to write furiously in his PDA. Uzumaki Naruto continues to impress him. How strong is Naruto?
Ragnarok
Odin stares down at Loki. A shiver of fear runs down the Fourth Fists spine. It is obvious to all that Odin is less than pleased. "Loki, I thought you told me that Shirahama Kenichi and the Shinpaku Alliance were the only ones we needed to worry about." Odin speaks with a cold edge that promises pain. "Who is this Uzumaki Naruto?"
'That idiot,' thinks Kisara. She never expected him to go to the Pit and challenge Thor. What got into him that he would attack Ragnarok so openly?
"We won't know our strength until we are in a real fight."
Kisara smirks inwardly. Guess he wasn't kidding about wanting to test his strength. He is the type of person that when he wants to do something, he goes out and does it. And he isn't some weakling that is scared to get into a fight with a strong opponent. Honestly, she shouldn't be so surprised that he took on Thor. "My information is never wrong. Uzumaki Naruto has no affiliation with the Shinpaku Alliance," panics Loki.
"He isn't wrong about that," states Kisara. All eyes turn to look at the Eighth Fist. "Naruto isn't with any group. Unless you count the Kendo Club."
Freya's eyes narrow. "Kendo?"
Loki gains a sudden idea. "That is right. He defeated Thor using a katana. It would seem that he is a weapon user like you." He turns to look at Odin. "Why not let Freya handle Uzumaki while I take care of Shirahama?"
"I am the one who will deal with Shirahama."
The fists turn to see one of their own enter into the warehouse. Hermit walks towards them. A smile appears on Odin's face. "Hermit, I see you decided to come back. How was your training?"
Hermit stares at Odin. "Shirahama Kenichi will die at my hands. No one else is allowed to touch him."
"You dare give us orders," glares Loki. "Know your…"
"Very well." Loki's eyes widen in surprise. Odin leans back in his chair. "I will allow Hermit to handle Shirahama. Freya, I will leave Uzumaki to you." His eyes glance over at Kisara. "Since you know his fighting style, Kisara you will assist Freya." Kisara's eyes narrow. Freya glances at Kisara.
Break
"Leaving so soon?"
Freya stands calmly. A scowl shows up on Kisara's face. She refuses to turn around and face her former mentor and role model. "I don't serve under you anymore Freya. I am a Fist too."
"True, but you were given a direct order," replies Freya.
Kisara spins around pointing a finger at the older girl. "I don't care! If you want to fight Naruto so badly, go find him on your own!" Turning around, she walks away angrily.
Loki steps out of the shadows. "It looks like Valkyrie might have some connection to Uzumaki." He walks up next to Freya. "Isn't it Freya's job to keep Valkyrie in check?"
"You don't need to tell me, I already planned on keeping an eye on her." Freya walks away from the manipulative Fourth Fist. Her expression is calm with a calculative look in her eyes. There is no doubt about it, Kisara shares a bond with Uzumaki Naruto. Kisara has always been terrible at hiding her emotions. 'Why are you protecting him Kisara?'
School
Naruto walks up towards the roof. He likes to eat his lunch on the roof where no one can bother him. Opening the door, he walks onto the roof. Instead of getting his lunch out, he turns around and waits patiently. He continues to wait even after a couple minutes pass. Finally, after ten minutes go by, a person comes walking out into the roof with a hint of annoyance. "You knew I was there the whole time," says a feminine voice.
"Yes." He stares at her curiously. "Hmm…you are that girl that hangs around Kenichi."
"My name is Furinji Miu." Miu is staring at him fiercely. "I have some questions for you." Naruto tilts his head to the side. "Well, it is really one question."
He blinks. "Ok…"
Miu takes a deep breath to calm down. "How are you able to sneak up on me!?" She waves her arms in a childish manner. "No matter how hard I try, I can't seem to sense you!" Crocodile tears begin to stream down her face.
"I see…" Naruto scratches the back of his head. "You were trained to sense people…right?" Miu nods. "I was trained to avoid senses."
She pouts. "Aren't going to tell me huh?" A shake of the head comes from the former ninja. Miu walks over to Naruto and takes a seat on the ground. He sits down next to her. "You aren't after Kenichi either are you?"
"No…should I be?"
"Of course not," laughs Miu. She bows her head in an apologetic manner. "Truth is, I didn't really trust you since you are able to sneak up on me. It put me on edge."
Naruto stares up at the clouds. "I am…sorry?" Miu sweat drops. "I am not that good with people…old habit to avoid detection."
A pretty smile lights up her face. "It must have been some intense training to get you to move around like that even when at school." That is an understatement. He nods. Miu stares up at the clouds. "To be honest, I am not that good with people either. Kenichi is my first friend."
"Mine too."
"Since we are both friends with Kenichi, that means we are friends too."
"Is that how it works?"
"Yep!"
He becomes thoughtful. "So…Kenichi is friends with Nijiima…that means I am too?"
"Right!"
"I am not sure…I like that."
Miu giggles, "it is not so bad. Nijiima is a bit weird, but he is a nice person." Naruto is doubtful. Still, if this is how the whole friend thing works, he can't argue with it. Wait…this means that he has gained two more friends. He now has four friends. In a single moment he doubled the amount of friends that he has.
'It is working. Akisame was right, I didn't have to try to spy on him or fight him. All I had to do was talk to him. Naruto is actually pretty nice,' smiles Miu. "You know, you remind me of Shigure."
"Shigure?"
"Mhm, she is a weapon's master that lives at Ryozanpaku with me and Kenichi. She loves to train with her sword and talks in the same manner as you too."
Naruto tilts his head. "What is wrong with the way I talk?"
Miu sweat drops. "N-nothing." She didn't mean to be rude. "I just meant that you two talk similar. Sorry, I didn't mean any offense." Naruto relaxes and gives a nod of acceptance. The girl sighs in relief. A bell ringing makes Miu gasp. "Oh! We better get going or we will be tardy."
"Alright."
