Inspiration struck me and I ended up dishing this little beauty out in about 24 hours. Hope you all like it, many thanks to Kamen Rider Arashi yet again. Also, at the bottom is my newest update on the harem, many will be disappointed but politics played a lot into this so please understand. I have a better explanation down there so please read that.

On with the Chapter!

"Do you think it will work?" Naruto asked. He was staring at the object he had spent the last week trying to perfect. It had taken most of the first day to procure the necessary materials for the project and then it was several attempts of trial and error before he managed to find the right placement for his sealing formulae. All things considered, he thought it was good for a first attempt.

"I believe it will hold up to the initial trials," Mito Uzumaki commented from her place at her pupil's side. "I must say while I was interested by your notion I am now eager to see the results myself."

The two were standing in the kitchen of Naruto's apartment, looking at the subject of their scrutiny with great interest. On the table in front of them sat what would appear at first glance to be simple armor for the chest and both arms. However, the inside of the armor was engraved with a complex array of fuinjutsu that the former Uzumaki matriarch and the aspiring clan head had toiled over to ensure the accuracy of each line of writing.

The armor itself appeared to be metal chest piece with a hole located where the sternum would be. The arms consisted of light-weight pauldrons connected to an arm guards by thin sleeves of interlaced netting that glowed with the seals engraved onto them, and fingerless gauntlets similar to a samurai's. On the table next to the armor was an orb that glowed with a soft blue light.

The seals were a combination of what Mito described as chakra storage and absorption seals. The storage seals were located at each pectoral, the naval, shoulder, elbow and wrist. Connecting each seal was a string of kanji that were designed to absorb only the trace amounts of chakra a human body produces subconsciously and siphon them into the storage seals.

"Well," Naruto said, clapping his hands together in finality. "We'll find out soon enough just how well it works because I'm meeting my team in just an hour. I'll show Shino and see what he says."

"Then you best get ready," Mito said, eliciting a nod from the shaman as he stepped into his room to change into his daily attire. He returned shortly, sealing the armor into a scroll and slipping it into his pocket before taking draping his white poncho over himself and slipping on his straw sandals.

"I'll see you later Mito-sama," he said. The matriarch nodded with a small smile as she watched him slip through the door and out of sight.

"He's growing to be quite powerful isn't he?" She looked over her shoulder to see her husband and brother-in-law standing there. Matamune was also present, peering at the notes littering the counter.

"Powerful and intelligent," the nekomata mused. "He is only missing experience."

"We've trained him as best we can," Hashirama said, frowning in thought. "Regardless of the fact we could really only train his stealth and chakra control until he matures he has grown quite skilled with the abilities he has already obtained."

Tobirama nodded, his arms crossed as he pondered his comment before speaking. "He has learned to handle the sword techniques of the samurai and the spear techniques of the warrior to a degree that would make him mid to high chunin at worst and the taijutsu style of the fighter is most interesting and unpredictable. However, I fear the spirits themselves will not push him to the furthest extent possible."

"What do you mean brother?"

"I sense that he is not meant to fight with them," the Nidaime Hokage said. "Perhaps they are meant to serve others that will fight beside him in the future."

All eyes turned to Matamune as he silently continued to read the notes, seemingly unaware of them. So long was his pause that they considered asking him directly only for him to voice his answer at the last second.

"It is true," he said, turning to face them. "Not one of the three has been able to achieve a full unity with Naruto-dono. Fear not, I have already discussed this with them only a few days ago and a solution has been decided on."

"May we ask what the solution is Matamune-san," Mito asked, curious about the progress of her student.

The nekomata sighed, taking another pull on his pipe. "I think it would be best to wait before we are sure it will work before I inform you. So as not to get anyone's hopes up more than necessary."

The shinobi looked tempted to press the matter but nodded instead. They could understand his reasoning, they had all experimented with their techniques in order to better understand them, that was mainly how Hashirama had mastered his Mokuton, since it was unique only to him it had taken a great deal of trial and error to harness it to its fullest capacity.

"Very well," the Shodaime Hokage said. "We will trust in your judgment. You are the expert on the subject so for now I say we let things go their allotted course until such time is required that we step in."

The others agreed and then left to go about their business. Matamune watched them leave before setting out himself, he had a new student awaiting him. His thoughts turned to Kabuto and a new issue made itself known. Normally it was required that a ghost exist for quite some time to gain experience in knowledge of its spiritual power in order to form a proper oversoul. This means either he must summon Faust and his wife from the Great Spirit, or find an alternate spirit. His mother was an accomplished medic and would still wish to stay with the boy, but in order to fight effectively he would need more than just the unity skill.

'I must consult Hao's teachings,' he thought. 'There may be something written in the book that I might have missed.'

Training Ground 7:

When Naruto stepped out of the trees surrounding the training field he found an interesting sight. Shino was facing off against Asuma in a purely taijutsu spar while Ino had taken a seat at the base of a tree, a book in her hands and a small pile at her side.

Normally he'd begun to expect seeing her cheering on Shino as they fought but now he saw even when she wasn't training she was taking things seriously. Making sure to let his steps be loud enough she could tell he was nearby, the blond shaman approached his teammate and sat down next to her.

"What are you reading Ino?"

"A book on chakra control," she answered, turning the page as she answered. "I did some research and I found out that during the last war a suggestion was made to have at least one member of each team trained in medical ninjutsu. It was shot down even though being more likely to cut down on casualties due to how long it would take but since we're not at war I thought it'd be a good idea to learn a few just in case."

"That's a good idea," Naruto said, pleased with her initiative. "Shino and I aren't exactly the finesse types; well I'm more into destroying it all while Shino just tactfully wipes out the competition. We could use a medic and with your chakra control you'd be perfect for it."

The heir to the Yamanaka clan looked up long enough to offer him a smile of gratitude before returning to her studies. He looked up to see that the spar had ended and rose to his feet once more. "I'll leave you to it I guess, I have to discuss something with Shino real quick."

Ino nodded, almost completely absorbed in her reading and Naruto approached the last two members of the team.

"Naruto-san," the Aburame clan heir greeted the blond with a nod. "Are you ready to continue the experiment?"

Naruto grinned and shook his head. "Actually I have something else in mind," he said, pulling out the scroll and unsealing the armor. At his teammate's inquiring stare the blond elaborated. "I made this armor with a special seal formula. It absorbs and stores extra chakra you expel naturally, that way it isn't wasted and lets it out slowly. I've filled the seals with my chakra to give it a headstart that way when the insects start feeding from it your chakra will be serving to keep the tank full. Want to try it out?"

Intrigued the heir nodded, raising his hands to unzip his jacket. He let it fall to the ground behind him, revealing the short-sleeved mesh shirt he wore beneath the thick article of clothing. With a little help from the shaman and Asuma the armor was properly set in place.

"How does it fell?" Naruto asked, pulling out a small black notebook and a pen.

"It fits well," Shino answered. "I believe I now know why you requested my sizes. However, my insects cannot extract the chakra from the storage seals."

Naruto nodded and jotted down a few notes before pulling out the crystal orb. "That's because this is required to activate the armor," he said, stepping forward to place it into the cavity in the chest. The moment it was set in place the orb flashed a bright sapphire blue, slowly dimming down to its original pale blue. As it did so the insect user felt his insects moving to the top of his skin, attempting to reach the armor.

Once they managed to touch it he was sent back messages of them being successful in extracting the chakra. He silently requested knowledge on how much chakra was in the system and almost gasped in shock when they said there were more than Asuma's full reserves locked inside those seals, not even mentioning the crystal.

"This armor has three purposes Shino," Naruto said, gaining his team's attention. "The first is that of normal armor, to successfully guard your vital organs and has been reinforced with strengthening seals in order to do so. Next is the storage of your extra chakra your hive can feed on, allowing your own reserves freedom to grow. The third and final use is that of a recharger during battle. Should you find yourself drained simply press your palm against the focus crystal and twist it counterclockwise. This will put all the chakra stored inside the armor into your body, refilling your reserves and leaving you fresh and ready for round two."

Shino and Asuma stared at the boy, speechless at such a feat. He had practically eradicated the Aburame clan's greatest weakness, they're reduced chakra levels.

'Fuinjutsu,' the former Shinobi Guardian thought with a smirk. 'That skill plus this kid's imagination would make him a threat in the future. Add in his skills with a sword and spear, not to mention the shaman thing and this guy will be a legend on the levels of Itachi in a few short years. Heck, he'd probably give the Sannin trouble if he keeps this up.'

Oblivious to his sensei's thoughts, Naruto started examining how the armor fit on Shino, mumbling to himself as he stepped around the silent Aburame and writing notes in his little book. "Alright," he said. "This is a prototype. We'll see how things work with this and then I'll make some modifications where it's necessary."

Shino nodded and replaced his coat, adjusting it to fit the newest addition to his wardrobe. 'I might need a larger coat,' he mused before once again nodding in thanks to the shaman.

"Well team," Asuma called, making sure to be loud enough to pull Ino from her book. "Time to go to the Hokage, we've done enough D-ranked missions so how about we get ourselves a little time away from the village?"

He chuckled at the cheer from his two blond students while Shino nodded, stoic as ever. "Then let's get going." The trio fell in behind their sensei and as one Team Seven set off for the Hokage Mansion, taking to the rooftops as soon as they reached the main part of the village. They landed in the courtyard just outside of the tower and entered the main door, entering a room with a large table along the far wall where Hiruzen could be seen sitting, reading a scroll while Iruka two other chunin were sorting through some papers.

The group looked up at the sound of the door opening and the elder shinobi smiled warmly as he saw who had stepped in. "Ah, Asuma. How are you my boy?"

"I'm well father," he answered, taking the cigarette from his lips. "I'm here to get a C-rank mission for my team."

"Oh, finally ready to get them out into the real world?"

"That's right."

"Well then, I've got one that just came in," Hiruzen looked to one of the shinobi sitting to his left. "Bring in Tazuna," he instructed. The chunin nodded and left, returning shortly with a civilian behind him.

He was an older man, tanned, worn skin with a scruffy beard. He was dressed in work clothes with a straw hat hanging behind his head from the strap around his neck and a heavy pack on his back. In his left hand he carried a bottle of alcohol and even at that early in the morning looked well on his way to being wasted.

"So this is the best you'll give me," he grumbled. "Three brats that don't look anything like shinobi?"

Asuma chuckled when he saw his students tense at such an insult. "I'd be careful who you insult old man," he said. "These students of mine are more than they look and you would do better to remember shinobi are trained to kill at a young age. You shouldn't have anything to worry about that they can't handle. If by some chance you do then I'll be there to help them."

His smile turned into a frown and he crossed his arms. "You don't doubt the skills of a jonin do you?"

The old man grumbled and took a swig of his drink. "Alright then, my name is Tazuna. I'm the super bridge builder of Nami no Kuni and your job is to escort me back home and then guard me until my newest project is complete."

Asuma nodded and turned to his team. "Alright, you heard him. Pack for three weeks and meet at the gates tomorrow morning at 0730. Understood?"

"Yes sensei," the three genin responded.

"Dismissed."

The three nodded and departed, each to their respective destinations. Shino was off to the Aburame compound, Ino headed for the Yamanaka Flower shop and Naruto was heading for…the market district. He landed in front of the Shinobi Gear and Weapons store and slipped entered to find Tenten standing behind the counter once again.

"Naruto-kun," she called, coming around to catch the boy in a hug. Ever since they'd had the date a week before the two had officially decided to become a couple. They took it slow, no more than a couple of dates and holding hands really. Neither of them had much experience in interacting with the opposite sex in any matter not official business thus they kept the pace light and decided to see how things progressed. "You stop by to see me or are you shopping?"

"I'm here to see you actually," Naruto answered, happily returning the embrace. "Asuma-sensei got us a C-rank today. I'm leaving tomorrow morning."

The two separated, she returning to the counter while he stood across from her. "How long?"

"A couple of weeks. We're guarding a bridge builder while he's doing his newest project. I'm mostly ready to go so I thought you might want to go on one last date before I left."

Tenten shook her head sadly. "Sorry Naruto-kun, but I've got training with my team after my mom comes back from buying some food."

"It's fine," the blond reassured his girlfriend. "We're shinobi; things don't always go the way we want them to. I better get going then; I have some packing to do."

"I thought you said you were ready."

"Double checking and all, don't want to show up in Nami and not have something important after all." The two hugged one last time and then Naruto set off, eager to prepare for his mission. When he stepped into his apartment it was to find a sight he was definitely not expecting, Kabuto and his mother were both sitting on his couch while Matamune was seated on top of his coffee table in front of them.

"Ah, Naruto-san," the former spy for Orochimaru said, rising to his feet to greet the shaman. "I'm sorry to intrude but Matamune-san requested we speak with you."

"It's no trouble," Naruto assured him, quickly making two clones with instructions to prepare for the mission while he was busy. "Tell me, what is so important?"

"It is regarding Kabuto and his mother," the nekomata said. "We have an issue due to the fact Nono has not fully matured as a spirit to the point she is capable of being used as an Oversoul. While she may be allowed to be with her son, she will not be able to assist him in battle."

"Then what do we do?"

"…There are two I can think of that would be capable of bringing out his full potential, both as a shaman and as a medical practitioner," Matamune said, smoking his pipe as he carefully considered his next words. "The only problem is that they are both within the Great Spirit and will most likely not feel too pleased about being summoned back to the land of the living."

Naruto frowned. "Who are they?"

"I once mentioned a former teammate of my former master, Yoh Asakura. He was a brilliant physician who wielded his wife, Eliza in battle. While still a young spirit, Eliza's love for him was strong enough and his own power was potent enough that when combined they created a powerful pair. I do not doubt your love as mother and child Nono, but while powerful as a shinobi Kabuto has too much left to learn before he can team up with you."

The former spy nodded her expression one of regret and acceptance. Kabuto sighed, frustration evident in his posture but Naruto knew he was still happy she would be able to stay with him at least.

"See if you can summon one or both of them," he said. "Ask them if they will help him. If they agree then train him to at least reach full unity. I have a mission in Nami no Kuni so I'll be gone for a few weeks." He turned to address Kabuto. "I'll test you when I get back. We'll see where you stand then and then go from there."

"Am I to understand that you wish for me to remain in Konohagakure, Naruto-dono?" the neko asked, to which Naruto nodded in response. "Very well. Be sure not to slack off in your own training as well. You might find Kabuto being ahead of you in that area as well if you don't remain vigilant."

The red-streaked blond smirked as he turned to enter his room. "No need to worry about that," he called back. "I have no intention of letting the second student get ahead of me." His final words said, Naruto stepped into his room and dressed for bed. He lay down on the mattress, staring at the ceiling until he felt sleep drawing in. As he slipped into the land of dreams his final thoughts was a simple question. 'Kabuto, Tenten and I are the first three…I wonder who else will be joining this new clan.'

And Cut!

Alright, so here is the harem as it stands so far:

Tenten, Haku, Anko, Shizune and Samui

Now, many will probably wonder why not Ino, Hinata, Sakura or Jun along with a great multitude of others so I will explain why for each one and then why not for a few others.

Tenten: she is a lover of weapons and also does not come from a clan. The plan is to make each of his wives a shaman and she would work well with Bason. Plus she is a determined girl who isn't scared to whack him on the back of the head if he does something stupid. (Same goes for Anko)

Haku: simply put, I have a special plan for her I don't think anyone will guess. Try to think of something less obvious than what people have already asked me. Also, like Tenten she doesn't come from a clan in Konoha and is entrusted to Naruto by Zabuza himself

Anko: Pick one. Pariah, outcast, fellow in pain, rebel. Also, I plan to have her working with a very particular area of shaman techniques.

Shizune: She's smart and I want to pull out her inner sadist in regards to training. Also, imagine she's like the Captain of Squad 4 in Bleach, beautiful and kind but that smile of hers can also instill great fear in those who gain her ire.

Samui: Cool headed, disciplined and a talented kunoichi. She would do well with a disciplined samurai.

Now, as for Ino, Hinata and Sakura: For the first two, politics. Plain and simple. Neither of their clans want to give up there heir (Hinata will gain confidence and trump her sister, she just won't be with Naruto)

Sakura…I just don't like her. Not in the first half anyway, and unless I do something while they're on the same team then there isn't much I can do to pull her away from it either.

As for Jun, I can't see her with anyone but Lee, sorry.

Hope that answered enough questions. The harem has not been finalized, meaning I could add more later on, but these girls will be the leaders of their art. Each will later take students and their children will learn to use their art as well.

Also, care to try and guess what the solution is?

See y'all next time, yurei king signing out.