Ok, so not quite the timeskip I had planned, but I decided this would leave confused questions aside, at least most of them. Hopefully though it will all make sense, I do put more time into explaining stuff than I used to. I also gave it a great deal of thought, there are elements in here I didn't originally intend to include, the end for example. Well, hopefully my email won't get screwed up today, I recieved all the messages of reviews and story alerts just this morning. For a moment, I had thought no one felt like responding to that chapter, it was kind of a letdown.
Disclaimer: I printed the first four chapters of this and gave it a front cover of the main characters faces. I take it with me to college and show it to anyone who asks about my story. You wouldn't believe the amount of bewildered looks i've seen when people look at Zetsu or Pein. And one guy thought Konan was a man. Fool.
An unusual partnership
"Have you ever heard of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist?" Kisame asked, as he and Naruto walked through a dark and wet cave. Water dripped from stalactites, landing in puddles on the ground. By expectation, the place ought to have been freezing. But in actual fact, it was pretty warm, and well lit also. That was due to the strange crystals which grew in mounds along the walls and across the ground, lighting up the cave with a pale blue light and exuding a gentle warmth. Naruto had almost reached out to touch one of them, but Kisame warned him against it. The place really should have been freezing cold, the temperature of the crystals was much greater up close. It was strange how something could look so pretty, yet be so dangerous. Naruto looked up at Kisame questioningly.
"Seven Ninja Swordsmen?" he repeated, "Nope, can't say I have."
Kisame smirked, as if he expected that answer. He and Naruto stepped through an opening that led to a descending passage. Everything around them suggested this place was natural, there were no signs that anyone had ever actually been here before. Although, the small amount of water running across the floor would probably have washed away any signs of life that had been here. Kisame had advised Naruto to watch his step, it was very slippery in here and one false move could result in death.
"I was once a member of that group." Kisame explained, a distant look in his eyes, "We were known as the strongest blade wielding Shinobi born of Kirigakure. However, that legend wasn't strictly true. You see, no one who joined the Seven Swordsmen originally wielded the blades that gave them their name. it was the duty of the most powerful member to decide who could become a part of the organisation, and to give anyone he selects their blade. That way, it was absolute that there would be only seven members."
They reached a fork in the tunnels, the left leading to a deeper and darker descent and the right leading to a lighter, more level path. Kisame tapped Naruto on the arm, gesturing to the right hand path. They made their way through to that direction, where there were a considerable amount of crystals growing, there was scarcely a shadow in the entire corridor.
"And so, it was I who was left to decide who was worthy of joining our organisation, and which blade they were worthy of." Kisame continued, "I took the greatest blade, Samehada, for myself. There were six others with which were to be given to the other members. That was the way things stayed, until I grew bored of the others and their timid ways. So I left, and they seemed to adopt the method of taking on apprentices. Heh heh, fools."
Naruto looked up at Kisame, wondering why he was telling him all this. What did it have to do with what they were doing now? And was that massive object on his back the Samehada he mentioned? How the hell was that a sword, its shape was nothing like a blade! Kisame suddenly grinned, with a nostalgic look on his face.
"There was one person, the last man to become a member before I left." he said, his eyes fixed on a point, yet at the same time distant, "His name was Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Hidden Mist. He broke into the final graduation exam and killed all one hundred of the graduates. He himself was still but an academy student!"
Naruto's eyes were wide with shock. A single academy student taking out a hundred would-be Genin? It didn't seem possible, surely only a Kage was that strong?! But he knew Kisame wasn't deceiving him, there was no reason for him to.
"Naturally, I kept an eye on him." Kisame continued, "And when he reached the rank of Jonin, which was quite a short time, I extended the invitation to him. He was interested in becoming stronger, and so accepted without complaint. However, he did have an issue with the blade I had decided to give him."
He seemed to leave his story hanging there as they progressed through the cave. It was a bit annoying, Naruto had been drawn in and wanted to know what had happened next. But Kisame seemed more interested in what lay ahead, than continuing his anecdote. Naruto turned his head back to looking where he was going, it looked like the rest was going to come later.
They left the passage and walked into a large cavern, where the crystals were now plentiful. They brew along the walls, floor and even the ceiling, offering their faint light from every angle. But the light they cast was dim, compared to what was before them.
A huge mass of crystals, literally filling the far side of the room. They started on the ground and steadily grew upward, each varying in size from very small to incredibly large, until the ended near the ceiling. The mass was shaped oddly, with large and small indents placed neatly amongst the glowing gems, as if they had been carved out long ago. They were positioned in a rising pattern, one in the centre and close to the top of the mass, with three on either side steadily descending. Also, as each indent grew nearer to the ground, they also became smaller. From what Naruto could see, they were all empty, their purpose wasn't clear. But one thing was certain. He was completely awestruck.
"What is this place?" he asked, as he surveyed the enthralling glow before him.
"It has no name." Kisame replied, looking at the crystals nostalgically, "I found this place completely by chance, when a heavy storm rolled in and I was separated from my team. I took a look around and found this place."
He reached behind him and gripped the handle of the object on his back, lifting it and holding to out before him as though it were weightless.
"You see how Samehada is acting?" he asked. Samehada, as it was now confirmed to be, was vibrating lightly in Kisame's grip, and there was a faint sound in the air, like an animalistic giggle.
"Gigigigigigigigi!"
"Do you see how it resonates with this place?" Kisame asked, surveying Samehada with an almost soft look in his eyes, "This is where it was born, a broadsword infused with its own chakra."
Samehada continued its high pitched chittering, as if excited to be in this place. Kisame returned it to his back, and took a few steps forward with Naruto beside him. They stood in front of the mass, and now Naruto understood what Kisame had meant by the heat. It was immense, just being there was making him sweat. But the light of the crystals was drawing him in, he could hardly tear himself away. Kisame looked at each indent nostalgically.
"As I was saying, Zabuza-san didn't agree with the blade I gave him." he said, "He took one look at it and actually said to me "A demon is more terrifying than a monster", and he sought out a blade of his preference. He was actually quite entertaining, which is why I allowed him to live. But, as a result…"
Kisame left his words trailing, and walked off to the left of the mass, heading for the last indent on that side. Naruto blinked, before following him. They both stopped in front of it, Kisame looking at the gap, while Naruto looked at Kisame.
"There can only be seven…" Kisame said, his eyes fixed on a point, "And here, lies the seventh."
Naruto slowly turned his head, his eyes widening at what he saw. Deep in the crystals, lay a katana like none he had ever seen before. It was encase in a crimson sheath, shining like it was brand new. The hilt was wrapped in a red cloth, a small line of which hung off the end loosely. Overall, it had no special traits about it in itself, other than the unreal quality it was kept in. But what made it so captivating was the strange red aura that surrounded it, like mist, or smoke. It lay among the blue crystals, which had begun growing around it, trying to draw it in for themselves. Naruto was hit with powerful urge to take it in his hand, but he resisted, for Kisame's eyes were still upon it.
"Ekokaeten." he said, in a low voice, "That is its name. It truly is a sight, isn't it?"
"Yeah." Naruto breathed, not even aware that he'd forgotten to blink. Kisame looked at him, a grin spreading across his face.
"Take it."
Naruto looked up at Kisame in surprise. Kisame looked back at him with his eyes wide, a slightly urging look on his face. Naruto turned back to the katana, uncertain if he had heard right.
"You want me to… take it?" he asked, as he was drawn in by the mesmerising power of the Ekokaeten.
"The Seven Swordsmen are no more, and no one else knows the location of this place." Kisame replied, his expression maintained, "If you do not then no one will."
Naruto blinked several times as his eyes suddenly felt dry. The blade lay before him, in an almost dormant state. The red mist from the hilt raised into the air, curling around an invisible hand. It was so enticing, Naruto anted nothing more than to hold it, to wield it. Slowly, feeling as though he was taking part in a ceremony, Naruto reached out for the sheath, moving his hands through the searing crystals. They burned, but not enough to make him pull back. He stretched his fingers out, and touched the sheath. It was surprisingly cool, considering the surrounding heat. The mist moved away from his hand, as if being repelled by it. He gripped the sheath with his fingers, doing his best to keep from touching the crystals, and slowly raised it. The moment it was removed from its bed, the red mist faded away, and all that there was was Naruto, and Ekokaeten.
"Are you freaking kidding me?!"
Naruto blinked, looking around rapidly for the person that had spoken. But there was no one there, no one who fitted that voice any way. It had sounded like a young mans, and had the smallest tone of an echo following it. Naruto slowly drew his eyes back to the katana in his hand, a stunned look on his face.
"I would have thought you would be glad for someone to wield you, Eko-kun." Kisame said, grinning broadly.
"Aw come on Kisame no Danna! Everyone else got a strong wielder, how come I get this pipsqueak?!"
Naruto was too dazed to even acknowledge the insult. The sword… was talking. Kisame let out a small laugh, shaking his head.
"Always impertinent." he grinned, "I think you two will get along fine."
"Come on Danna, I'm begging you here!"
"That's enough Eko-kun." Kisame replied, turning away, "I'm afraid it's Uzumaki Naruto, or no one."
Naruto couldn't be certain, but he was sure he felt the katana tense up. Or rather, it felt a little lighter in his hand, as if Kisame's words had caused it shock.
"Did you say… Uzumaki?"
Naruto blinked, his mind coming back to the real world. He suddenly felt like he was being surveyed, even though no eyes were upon him. It made him a little uneasy, but it soon faded away, as if the proverbial eyes looked away.
"Fine, let's go."
Naruto raised his brow. That was a surprisingly quick change of heart. But he was still too confused to say anything about it, he just followed Kisame dumbly. He didn't take his eyes off Ekokaeten, he couldn't. he kept watching it even as they left the cavern and ascended through the passage. He barely noticed as the light around him dimmed, due to the number of crystals reducing. But he did get a strange feeling, it was like a series of rapid pulses coming from the katana, almost like it was agitated.
"Would you quit staring at me?!"
"Oh, sorry." Naruto replied, looking up at Kisame's back. This was almost too unbelievable, could this actually be real? He had in his hands a living, talking sword. He had to wonder if this was another effect of the crystals, was he being intoxicated?
They reached level ground, and the last of the crystals were left behind. Now the only source of light was the opening, far ahead. Naruto hurried to catch up with Kisame, who was a few metres ahead. When he was walking next to him, he kept a steady pace, his eyes fixed on the exit. Kisame looked down at him bemusedly, looking between his student and the Ekokaeten. He then returned his gaze to the opening, with a settled look on his face.
They left the cave, walking out into green grass and grey skies. They stood on an outcrop of land, attached to the mainland by an extension of the mountain that stood behind them. A lake almost completely surrounded the area, leading out into forests in every direction. Kisame looked around, casting his eyes across the large mound of rocks behind them and then up at the sky. His brow furrowed slightly and he sighed, dropping his gaze.
"We lost a week just getting here." he said, as he began walking towards the water, "That means it will take a week to get back. That limits our training to just two weeks. We'll have to get to move fast, if you two are to work together."
"Kisame no Danna-"
"Naruto-kun is the one who released you, he is the one who wields you." Kisame interrupted, without looking back. Naruto stared at Kisame with a raised brow. When did it change to "Naruto-kun"?
"It's not that, I've been asleep for so long, I'm a little rusty."
Kisame looked back, a mad grin on his lips.
"Well then, perhaps Samehada can beat you back into shape?" he said, as he gripped his blade.
"Wha- Samehada?! Are you serious?!"
Naruto blinked in surprise as the Ekokaeten suddenly jolted in his hand.
"Come on Naruto, let's do this!"
"Uh… ok." Naruto replied, as he pushed the sheath through his belt strap. He then gripped the hilt in his right hand, and clumsily withdrew the blade. He held it in the air, surveying it in the light. The metal appeared untouched, it shone in the sunlight. Naruto found himself awestruck again.
"Yeah yeah, you're pretty too."
"I- wha?!" Naruto exclaimed, staring at the blade bewilderedly. Kisame chuckled as he brought Samehada out.
"Alright then, let's see what we have to work with." he said, as he took a stance with his feet spread apart. Naruto blinked, before doing the same, holding Ekokaeten in both hands. He wasn't really sure what he'd gotten himself into, but when he was against an opponent with a sword that big, his every instinct told him to run. Kisame didn't give him that chance however, as he leapt through the air and brought Samehada down on Naruto's head.
"HEY HOLD ON A-" Naruto cried, as he raised Ekokaeten to defend himself. His eyes widened in surprise as the two blades connected. Instead of resisting the attack, as he was trying to do, he felt his arms lower as the Samehada did. Then, with the momentum of the attack he spun around on the water at an incredible speed. In an instant, the Ekokaeten's edge was almost touching Kisame's neck.
"Rusty, did you say?" Kisame asked, grinning, "Sounds like you wanted this fight!"
"I'll be the greatest of the seven, I will defeat Samehada!"
Naruto had a stunned look on his face. He was a little dizzy from the move, he had done none of that! Did that mean Ekokaeten had control of his body?
Kisame chuckled again, shaking his head lightly. Naruto didn't know what was so funny, but he certainly felt nervous.
"As expected, you never pay full attention to your surroundings." Kisame said. There was silence for several seconds, before Ekokaeten grunted in annoyance. Naruto looked around, and saw the reason. Samehada was almost touching his right arm, the edge running from his shoulder to elbow. His eyes widened in shock, what sort of fight was this?!
"I can shred Naruto-kun's arm apart in an instant, but an attack like that won't kill me." Kisame said, in an almost taunting tone, "I doubt you could move so swiftly with a dying wielder, could you?"
"Tch."
Ekokaeten lowered itself, dropping to Naruto's side. Kisame's grin broadened, and he did the same, replacing Samehada on his back.
"It looks like you have no skill with wielding a sword." Kisame said, looking at Naruto. Then he turned his gaze to Ekokaeten, "And you seem almost incapable of cooperating with your wielder."
He turned away and walked to shore, his grin maintained. Naruto blinked, before trying to put the blade back in its sheath. It wasn't an easy task.
"Oh for crying out loud."
Naruto's wrist twitched slightly, as Ekokaeten sheathed itself. Naruto gave it an apologetic grin, before hurrying after Kisame.
* * * * *
That night, Naruto and Kisame sat around a campfire, eating some sort of meat skewered on a stick. The sky was clear, and every star could be seen, at least through the leaves. It was a quiet night, there weren't even the sounds of wildlife. Just the crackling of the fire and the sound of Kisame tearing chunks of meat in his teeth. Naruto took his time with his meal, he was too deep in thought. Ekokaeten was laid against the tree beside him, and was being strangely silent. Kisame glanced up at Naruto, smirking at his contemplative look.
"Deep thought doesn't really suit you." he said, as he ripped the last of his meat off the stick. Naruto blinked, looking up at his sensei.
"Oh, sorry." he replied, before looking back down to the fire. Kisame sighed, before sitting back against his tree.
"A word of warning, so you don't make a fool of yourself." he said, as he closed his eyes, "Only someone who wields one of the seven blades can hear them, no one else."
Naruto didn't react to this, it didn't really seem like that big a deal to him. He rested his head against the bark, looking up at the stars. It was strange but he could feel Ekokaeten's presence. It was like he knew it was there, without a doubt.
"Guess we're partners now."
Naruto raised his brow, looking down at the blade. It was strange, although it stayed inanimate, Naruto almost felt like it was another person, and could sort of see the stance, the mood, even tell what direction it was looking in. right now it seemed determined to keep its attention away from Naruto, fixing itself on something deep in the forest.
"Yeah, I guess." Naruto replied, "Is that ok?"
"Guess it's better than nothing. Everyone's gotta start from the bottom, right?"
Naruto grinned, and he was sure that if Ekokaeten had a mouth, he'd be smirking.
"Don't worry, I promise I'll do everything I can to get strong as fast as possible!" Naruto said, with an excited look, "I'm gonna be the greatest Hok-"
He suddenly fell silent, dropping his gaze. He was about to say that he wanted to become Hokage. Was that thought still in his mind? He was sure it was gone by now, but he'd just blurted it out like it was never gone. To be Hokage… was that still his dream? Even after all that had happened, was that still what he wanted?
Ekokaeten noticed Naruto's change in attitude, and was watching him curiously.
"Something wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing." Naruto muttered, "Just… thinking about stuff."
"Look, I'm not gonna be partnered with a guy that's melancholy all the time, so you might as well spit it out."
Naruto glanced at Ekokaeten from the corner of his eye. It felt like it was fixed on him, giving him a hard stare. He averted his gaze again, staring at his feet.
"I was born in Konohagakure." he said, in a quiet, but clear voice, "When I was born, the Yondaime Hokage sealed the Kyubi no Yoko inside of me. It had attacked the village, and killed a lot of people. Because of that, the villagers all hated me. At least, that's what Mizuki-san told me… but… I wanted to change their minds, to show them I wasn't a failure. I wanted to become Hokage, so everyone would respect me… but I guess that's not happening, is it?"
Ekokaeten was silent, listening intently to Naruto's words. When he finished speaking, the blade maintained a steady silence for several moments.
"So… the Hokage's like the strongest in your village?"
Naruto nodded slowly, glad that Kisame was asleep.
"So what you were saying was that you wanna be the greatest Hokage, that right?"
"Well, yeah." Naruto replied.
"That's lame."
Naruto blinked in surprise, looking at the blade once more. Lame? How was that lame?
"Why are you settling for just "Hokage"? The world's bigger than just one small village."
"What are you saying?" Naruto asked, leaning on his hand towards Ekokaeten. He heard the blade sigh irritably, which was strange considering it didn't breath.
"I'm gonna be known as the strongest blade in the world. For that to happen, I'll need the strongest wielder in the world, that simple enough for you?"
Naruto stared at Ekokaeten with a raised brow. For a sword, it was very ambitious.
"You want people to respect you right? Why not have the whole world respect you?"
"The whole… world?" Naruto repeated, in a hushed tone. That was certainly a step up from just one village, but did he really need that much recognition? He only wanted the people who had looked down upon him to see him differently, not have worldwide renown. But… it was tempting, "So… the strongest ninja, and the strongest sword. Is that what you mean?"
"Yeah, so what do you say?"
Naruto looked up at the sky, a dazed expression on his face. The world was a big place, could he really be known by everyone in it? To have everyone say his name, not in fear and hate, but awe and respect. Now that, was something. He looked back down at Ekokaeten, who waited in anticipation for his answer.
"All right then." Naruto replied, as a grin spread across his lips, "Let's do it!"
"Attaboy!"
Across the fire, Kisame watched them with a single open eye. As he watched the two of them grinning, he did so as well. He had a feeling those two would get along.
* * * * *
A tall figure, a man, descended the spiralling stairs of the tower, heading below ground level towards the subbasement. He bowed his head as he walked through the door and into a tunnel system beneath the building, which looked very much like it would in a hospital. Paved floors and tiled walls greeted him, the pale blue lights shining along the walls. Wires ran across the ceiling, pipes did as well. The corridor was cold, but the air was clear. Ventilation in this place was always decent, it had to be.
He walked through the corridor, his heavy footsteps echoing throughout. This man had a beyond peculiar appearance. His head was bald, and he had a neck that appeared to be thicker than his head. His jaw was of peculiar size and he was constantly smiling, with an unusually wide mouth. But those were the most normal things about his appearance. One either side of his face, he actually had in place of ears, two more faces. They were identical to the first, except that one was angry, and the other was expressionless.
He also had six spikes stocking out of his bald head, with a slashed Ame headband just below. On his face, he had two studs on either cheek, with a particularly large one on his chin. And through his nose, there was a vertical ring. All the piercings were made of black material, just like two others before him. And just like those others, his eyes were grey, with several black circles surrounding the pupil. With those eyes, he looked into a room to his left through the glass pane in the door. He stopped and walked in, smiling down at what he saw.
On a metal bed, with a pale cloth covering most of his body, lay the dead Uchiha Madara. The man walked over to him, looking down at the pale face before him. He reached out and pulled back the Uchiha's eyelid, surveying what lay underneath.
"Perhaps you can be of use after all." the man said, before reaching up to his right eye.
