Chapter 7: Off To Wave!

"He's fast," admitted Naruto in wonderment. Lee had shrugged off one of Shen's punches quickly and was raining blows upon blows on his black clad opponent. Unless one had their eyes trained for it, all they would really be seeing would be blurs of black and green…with the green blur moving somewhat faster than the black one. It certainly impressed Naruto, for he knew that Shen was the fastest out of their team and seeing the green-clad boy moving even faster was a surprise. "Really fast."

"Yes, and that speed didn't come naturally to him," said Gai. "While there are geniuses with natural talent, Lee is a genius of hard work."

Naruto nodded. Hard work was the only way a person could excel. Having raw talent was not enough. It required both skill and hard work to become a master. His old teachers were certainly proof of that. Two of his teachers, Ran and Retsu were certainly filled with natural talent, but master Sha-Fu worked them to the bone to make sure they mastered their techniques. On the other hand, Jan worked hard and always did his best and even though it took considerable teaching time and long hours of practice, he managed to catch up to his teammates despite having started learning GekiJyuKen much later. It was one of the flaws that modern teachers tended to forget sometimes according to Sha-Fu and the other Kensei. When they see a student who can perform the technique flawlessly thanks to their natural talent, they assume the student has mastered it and doesn't need any more training in it. In truth, the student has only proved capable of using the technique in controlled conditions. In real-life situations that may not be true and thus needs enough training so they can perform the technique at any time and recognize when the technique should be used. That was true mastery.

Naruto heard an imaginary triangle chiming when he thought that.

Shen wasn't using any of his Gekiwaza, as tempted as he was. However, Lee was not an enemy. He was a fellow Konoha-nin. Gekiwaza was only meant for enemies, although Naruto had once goaded him into launching a Shishi Dan. He wasn't proud of himself for doing that and neither were any of his teachers. Jan-sensei was especially disappointed since he above the others promoted harmony and good feelings between teammates.

Naruto watched Lee's movements. The moves looked like a mix of several martial arts forms, but at the same time they were all used in a style on their own. Naruto faintly recognized it as a style used by a guy academy students called hot-blooded when he was little. It was definitely something academy students didn't learn. Deciding that he had seen enough of Lee excelling, Naruto lent a hand in his own way, "Shen, dance!"

"Dance?" Gai cocked an eyebrow.

"Dance?" Shen wondered, ducking under a kick. "Dance!" he realized

In SCRTC there was a dance class taught by Miki Misaki's daughter, Natsume. It was how his teacher Retsu was able to defeat that Gecko-ken user, Moriya, while they were fighting on the side of the building with gravity being his enemy. At first Naruto had dismissed it as he was still young at the time, but after Retsu managed to defeat him using nothing but dance moves modified for fighting, he became much more serious. It certainly helped when he began his training under Bat Li.

Shen then began to move like he was dancing and indeed he was. He imagined the music and let the rhythm flow through his body.


"Yo, Green Girl!" Anko yelled as she saw Mimi and Hinata at her favorite dango shop. With Anko was Kurenai. After receiving notice from the Hokage concerning her new mission, Anko went straight to find her best friend. Kurenai had already gotten the notice and was heading to get her pack ready before she told her team so she could prepare the necessary documentation while her team prepared. The Genjutsu specialist was not pleased by the mission and did not believe her team was completely ready, but it was the Hokage's orders and no doubt many of the council were pushing for it, no doubt for political or personal reasons.

"Oh, Anko-sensei!" Mimi greeted back. "Take a seat and have some dango!"

"Sure, kid," said Anko. She was surprised to see that Mimi was friends with Hinata. In her opinion the Hyuuga girl needed a lot of female friends and friends aside her teammates. Hiashi Hyuga's status be damned, the man was a king prick who treated his daughter like crap. How Hinata's little sister flourished under such treatment not even Anko could tell…and she had suffered under Orochimaru himself! Of course, it was funny to see such a timid girl being friends with an outgoing girl like Mimi.

Bae was on Mimi's shoulder, having some dango as well. The man who ran the stand was certainly surprised to find was real and not some kind of odd toy, and even more shocked when he asked for some dango of his own, but money was money, especially since ninjas had the money to pay for it. So, the owner made the smallest batch of dango ever and gave a full set to the fly-man.

Kurenai and Anko sat with their female students and Hinata asked, "I-Is there something you wished to speak to us about?"

"Actually, there is," nodded Anko slumping into one of the available seats, "You see, Team 7 is in need of backup and we're going to go to Wave to provide that backup!"

"Really?" Mimi's eyes widened. Another mission and so soon? Well, knowing Naruto, the blond would be ready for another mission in an instant. Still, she was hoping to get at least a little bit of personal time with Shen before the next one. A girl needed her romantic time with her man after all! "What rank?"

"A-rank," answered Anko.

"Anko, I don't know about this," said Kurenai uncertainly. While she was impressed by Anko's story of how her team managed to beat that MechKung Fu user, she still had doubts that they could handle another A-rank mission, especially one where Zabuza was involved.

"Hey, the kids need experience and so do yours. A little danger will be good for them," said Anko grinning. Anko then asked, "Say, where's emo-boy and blondie?"


Shen panted and lay on the ground with Lee opposite him. The fight had been long and hard with neither of the Genin remembering when they had been so pushed before outside of sparring with their teachers. Despite how battered and bruised they both were, both were feeling quite invigorated and both were managing to grin despite how much pain they were in. "You have…an amazing…flame of…youth…Shen-san," said Lee.

"You're…not…so bad…yourself," said Shen as he struggled to breathe.

Off on the sidelines, Naruto and Gai were watching with vested interest, for obvious reasons. The Taijutsu specialist was grinning broadly, absolutely delighted with the sight of two such youthful specimens of the new generation proving their worth on the field of battle. It was enough to make him cry manly tears of joy as he applauded the two martial artists for their spectacular performance, "Amazing! Not many can last long against Lee like that."

"Hey, when Shen gets going, not much can stop him I can tell you that much," said Naruto, speaking from experience. He had to fight Shen several times since meeting the Lion-ken user and every time was difficult and taxed even his own considerable stamina. Shen knew how to draw out a fight, that much was for sure.

As Naruto and Gai watched Lee and Shen recover slowly from the spar, a small group approached them from the path which would lead to the training field. They were none other than Anko and Kurenai along with Mimi and Hinata. All of them were quick to notice Lee and Shen on the ground, completely wiped from their spar. It of course caused Kurenai's eyebrow to rise in curiosity. Gai was of course extraordinarily proud of how his team was progressing in their fields of training and made sure to mention it at least once when the Jounin would get together at one of the local watering holes. Lee of course was his greatest pride in that the young man took so much after him. Seeing how tuckered out the boy was against Anko's student was certainly a surprise. Anko of course just began grinning smugly with pride.

"Shen-sama! Naru-chan!" Mimi shouted as he ran towards them.

"Hey, Mimi-chan!" Naruto waved. Mimi ran past him and knelt down next to Shen. "Huh?"

"Shen-san, are you okay?" Mimi asked, looking extremely worried about her one true love. She had never seen him this tired outside a spar with one of their teachers before!

"Just tired…" said Shen. Mimi looked to the boy in green spandex. She raised an eyebrow at his odd choice of clothing before she glanced back to see Gai and Naruto. Seeing both the man behind her and the boy in front of her, she had to wonder if the two weren't related in some way.

"Oh, Anko-san and Kurenai-san!" Gai said, noting the presence of the kunoichi, still beaming with his sparkling teeth.

"Hey, Gai," Anko winked. "So, your student was playing with one of my students, huh?"

"Yes, and I must say I am impressed," said Gai, his voice booming as usual. "Seeing such an explosive example of youth set my spirit ablaze with pride for my adorable student Lee! Why, were I not needing to take Lee home, I would go run around Konoha on my hands just to try and match it!"

"Hey, I can't take the credit," Anko shrugged. "Those kids came here with those skills."

"Anko-sensei, what's up?" asked Naruto.

"Oh, we have another mission and we're going with Team 8," said Anko.

"Really? Sweet!" Naruto grinned.

Hinata couldn't help but smile as she saw Naruto's face brighten into his sunny smile, 'Naruto-kun,' Mimi was working with her as much as she could to ensure Hinata got the man of her dreams by telling tales about Naruto's training with them and all sorts of little details about him that Hinata could use as ways to achieving his heart. As red as it turned her for even thinking about being that close to him, Hinata was determined to at least try.

"So, where are we headed?" asked Naruto.

"When emo-boy is rested we're headed to Wave," said Anko.


After Shen managed to get his act together and Gai had taken Lee to drop him off at home, Anko and Kurenai sat their teams down to get them up to speed on the situation at hand. They were all near the Inuzuka kennels since that was where they found Kiba and Shino since they had to complete their mission without Hinata. Hearing they suddenly got to go on an A-rank mission certainly made Kiba's day if his cheering over it was anything to go by.

"A few days ago, Team 7 was dispatched to guide a bridge builder back to Wave Country," Kurenai began. "Supposedly, it was a regular C-rank mission with little risk involved. At most, they would have run into bandits or something and Genin can usually take care of them."

"I assume something went wrong or else we would not be having this conversation," Shino spoke up.

"Damn right," Anko nodded. "Turns out that idiot of a builder lied about the mission since he didn't have enough money to pay for the right mission. He's got missing-nins after his head. Even worse, one of them Momochi Zabuza."

"One of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?" Shen blinked. "They're some of the most skilled swordsmen in all of the elemental countries!" He'd done his homework, it seemed.

"Yes," Kurenai nodded. "The situation is not well since Kakashi is reported to be down for a few more days and at least one of his students was injured badly in their first scuffle against Zabuza. He has requested backup immediately and we're going to give it to him."

"But why us?" asked Mimi. "I mean, we're just Genin and Zabuza's a Jounin level ninja."

"You three took down that machine man didn't you?" asked Anko with a grin. "A guy like that would have dropped Zabuza like nothing."

"She's right, guys!" smiled Naruto. "All it takes is teamwork, just like that time in the hole!"


Naruto, Shen and Mimi were ten years old and were just starting to work together as a team. Today was training like any other day. Jan had taken them out on a camping trip and after they set up camp and had dinner, they went to sleep. The next morning the GekiJyuKen trainees were in for a rude awakening.

The three GekiJyuKen trainees were tied up together, sitting back to back, with a very strong length of rope wrapped tightly around them, pinning their arms to their sides. Struggling only increased the pain. While they had been sleeping comfortably, one of their instructors had thrown them into a deep hole after tying them up. Bae had told them that the instructors

"OK, so how are we supposed to get out of this?" asked Naruto. "Shen, any ideas?"

"I'm thinking," the black-clad Lion-ken user answered. "Mimi, what about you?"

"We could try jumping," she suggested. "But our combined weight would definitely drag us back down because of gravity." She frowned sadly.

"Don't worry, Mimi-chan," said Naruto encouragingly. He looked around for anything that could help them get help. Straightening his legs to stretch, the soles of his feet touched the wall of the hole. "Hey, guys. I got an idea."

"Really?" Mimi asked hopefully.

"Don't leave us hanging, Uzumaki," Shen spoke.

"OK, stand up together," Naruto instructed. They did as told and were standing back to back. Now, put one leg out and press your foot against the wall in front of you. Without question, Mimi and Shen did as told as well. "Alright, now lift the other leg and do the same thing."

They were now suspended off the floor of the hole, their feet pressed against the wall of the hole. Their backs were also being pressed together so they were a bit uncomfortable.

"Now what?" Mimi asked.

"I think I got it," Shen spoke up. "We're going to climb up using our feet, together."

"Teamwork," Naruto grinned. "OK, on my count. 1 and 2, 1 and 2."

The trio began to ascend up the hole, one foot at a time, climbing with only their feet. They did slip back down a few times, but never hit the bottom. They continued on and it didn't take long before they were at the entrance of the hole.

"OK, we're here!" cheered Naruto.

"Yay! Naru-chan!" beamed Mimi.

"So, how are we supposed to get out of this?" Shen asked. They were at the top of the hole but couldn't move from their position without falling back in.

"Um…" Naruto hadn't really thought things through.

"Great, we're stuck," sighed Shen. "Now what do we do?"

"Now, you ask for help," said Jan as he smiled at the trio, grabbing the rope and pulling them out.


"Jan-sensei had pretty unorthodox training methods," admitted Shen, "But they worked in the end."

"Just like Neko-sensei!" added Naruto.

"Like a triangle, if all parts aren't equal is just becomes a weird shape!" said Mimi, making a triangle shape with her hands.

"An interesting metaphor," said Kurenai. "Still, Anko and I will deal with Zabuza ourselves."

"That sounds reasonable enough," agreed Shino.

"Can I commentate on the fight?" Bae asked.

"Sure you can, Bae-chan," said Mimi, "Just stay out of harm's way, OK?"

Kiba looked at the three GekiJyuKen artists. They were something else. His family did practice a beast-based taijutsu but mostly revolving around canines. However, these GekiJyuKen artists possessed styles of other animals. He was impressed when they defeated Sasuke. The arrogant jackass deserved the humiliating humbling.

"Alright!" Naruto pumped his fists. "Let's go!"


After clearing it with the guards in front of the gate, Team 8 and Team 9 set off for Wave. If they travelled by foot, they should reach by nightfall. As usual, they were prepared. Naruto had his pack filled with instant ramen. Mimi was walking close to Shen and making conversation with him and while his responses were brief, they were polite. Unlike Sasuke, he didn't brush anyone off. While it appeared that Shen and Sasuke shared similar attitudes at first glance, among other things, their attitudes were like night and day. Sasuke brushed everyone off, seeing them as below him and terribly weak. Why so many girls found it attractive not even Iruka-sensei would have been able to answer. Shen on the other hand was at least polite and listened if you had something to say to him, even if he didn't like it. He treated everyone fairly and if he did treat someone like they were weaker than him, it was usually because they were.

Hinata looked at Naruto from behind. The blonde GekiJyuKen artist was somebody that she couldn't help but admire. Mimi had told her stories about Naruto's determination.

Shino, of course, was conversing with Bae. It was the most animated he had been in any conversation that the group had heard around him.

After several hours, and breaks along the way, the group reached Wave as the sun was beginning to sink towards the horizon. After a discrete ride with a nervous boatman, the ninjas officially entered the country. Unfortunately, they were also witness to the poverty which everyone was forced into. People sat along the streets with signs begging for alms or work. What few shops were open could only boast the worst they had in stock, tiniest vegetables, and the oldest wares. Everyone was depressed and silent with the odd outcry of halting a thief, usually a small child, making off with a piece of food or some spare change.

Mimi looked about in sympathy. The place almost looked like a ghost town. "These poor people," she murmured.

"This is what happens when someone like Gato takes over," said Anko. "Everyone suffers to fill his pockets."

"Just who does this guy think he is?" demanded Naruto.

"Gato is the founder and owner of Gato Shipping Inc." Kurenai explained, sparing the people a very sad glance as they walked through the town. "The man's made a fortune through his shipping routes and very few can compete against him. Unfortunately, it's not because he's a shrewd businessman."

"W-what do you m-mean Kurenai-sensei?" asked Hinata with a tremble.

"Gato is involved with smuggling be it stolen goods, narcotics, or contraband not allowed in different countries," Kurenai answered. "Generally if you want something illegally, he's the one to go to if you want to get it and have it delivered. It's given him deep ties with organized crime and helped amass a fortune of illegal income. This in turn allows him to pull off all sorts of crimes against any and all competition he may have, making him the sole shipping conglomerate which is available."

"Why hasn't anyone arrested the jerk then?" demanded Kiba.

"Because the slimeball covers his tracks too damn well," Anko growled, chewing on her dango stick. "When he moves into a small place like Wave, he effectively crushes all resistance and makes sure no one can stand up against him and everyone loses hope. The stuffed pig just has way too much influence and is able to effectively render himself untouchable by the people he's subjugating."

"And he's effectively broken their spirits," said Shen.

"How horrible!" Bae stated.

"But why do this to Wave then?" asked Naruto. "I don't mean to be rude, but Wave doesn't seem like it's so different from just about any other country. Why does Gato want it bad enough to pull something like this?"

"Strategically speaking, Wave is a good checkpoint for his shipping trade," Shino spoke up. "It is far enough away from major routes such as through Water Country which is the nearest major power but it's also close enough to yield potential profits because it is capable of shaving off time in terms of delivery. Gato stands to make much profit from both legal and illegal ventures if he manages to acquire Wave as part of his empire."

"Exactly Shino," Kurenai nodded. "Because Wave is an island nation, it makes most of its income off of shipping. I would suspect that was how Gato managed to try and acquire Wave for himself, by taking over all of the shipping routes Wave uses. He would effectively cut Wave off from the world, causing this depression."

"Hmm," Shen frowned. "Didn't you say the client for Team 7 was a bridge builder?" receiving nods, he continued. "Then I assume that the bridge we saw upon entering Wave is his work. If the bridge is completed, then Wave will have a source of income which Gato cannot buy because the bridge is property of Wave Country itself. All of the inland trade it will not doubt bring in will also ensure that the Wave Damiyo will not sell it and Gato's hold on the country will crumble."

"Sheesh, no wonder the guy hired Missing-nins," Kiba grimaced. "They guy's freaking desperate."

"And desperate men do desperate things," Anko warned. "So don't do anything stupid."

"We'd better get going then!" Mimi said. "Anko-sensei, where is Team 7 staying at?"


The two teams stood in front of Tazuna's house. "OK, this is the place," said Anko. It was a small house that looked like it'd seen better days. Then again, considering the condition of the place it was no surprise. At the very least it was still standing. Sadly, it was still the nicest building they had seen thus far. It was clean and looked cared for with lots of natural scenery around it at the very least. Walking up to the door, Kurenai softly knocked on it and waited for a reply.

"Hello?" a female voice answered. Opening the door slightly was a woman with a pink shirt with a red collar and sleeves with a skirt. She had long black hair and despite being somewhat older, she was still very attractive. She eyed the small group warily until she spotted their Konoha symbols. "Oh, are you the backup Kakashi-san said would be expecting?"

"Yes," Kurenai nodded. "My name is Kurenai Yuhi and this is Anko Mitarashi and our teams. I assume you're a relative of Tazuna-san at the very least."

"Yes. His daughter," the woman nodded, opening the door and gesturing them inside. "My name is Tsunami. Father is out working on the bridge again and Sakura-san is currently guarding him. Kakashi-san is currently training Sasuke-san and Jin-san is in bed, resting."

"One of the Genin got hurt?" asked Anko, chewing on yet another dango stick.

"Unfortunately," Tsunami sighed, obviously depressed in a motherly sense at seeing a twelve-year old being wounded on the field of battle. "From what I was told, father and Kakashi-san's team were attacked by Zabuza on their way here. Kakashi-san had drained himself of his…chakra, you call it, right? He ended up needing to be carried here. The Genin had to fight a water clone that Zabuza made to kill my father and it cut Jin-san across the chest before they managed to dispel it. The wound wasn't incredibly serious, but I forbid him from training until it heals, a notion Kakashi-san agreed with."

"I see," Kurenai nodded. She and Anko had both gotten that much from Kakashi's report, although it didn't say that any of the Genin had been bedridden.

"Why don't you all rest?" Tsunami suggested. "You must be tired from your journey."

"That sounds like a good idea," Shen agreed. "Naruto, Mimi, what about you?"

"I just wanna rest my feet," said Naruto. "I feel like I got blisters."

"Do they hurt?" Hinata asked Naruto.

"He's had worse," said Mimi. "Trust me on this."

"Then it's settled then," concluded Anko.


After a moment to rest their feet and have a small snack from their packs, Anko and Kurenai began to assign duties to their teams. Kurenai volunteered her team to go and relieve Sakura from guard duty while Anko had her team to guard the homestead with Tsunami who apparently had a son they hadn't met yet. As Naruto and Mimi made themselves comfortable, Shen went to find Kakashi and Sasuke, so to bring the one-eyed Jounin up to date on the situation and alert him that his reinforcements had arrived. He found them in the forest near the house. Kakashi had his arm in a sling and Sasuke was trying to climb a tree with only his feet, using chakra to stick to the surface. "So, this is your training?" the Lion-ken artist asked.

"Hm?" Kakashi blinked, turning to see Shen. "Oh, you're Shen, right? Part of Anko's team."

Sasuke, who slid down the trunk of the tree after making a gash mark in it to show how high he had gotten, frowned slightly at the sight of the Lion-ken user. He had not forgotten both defeats he had been handed by the GekiJyuKen fighter. The first was humiliating enough since he managed to dispel a jutsu that the Uchiha prided themselves in and then managed to come out a superior in the taijutsu portion of the Genin test. Sasuke was raised to believe the Uchiha were the best and still believed it long after the massacre. He didn't like the thought of anyone being better than him, especially someone from his own age group.

"That's right," Shen nodded. "Anko-sensei sent me to let you know we had all arrived. My team is currently guarding Tsunami-san's home while Kurenai-san and her team are relieving Sakura of protecting Tazuna at the bridge. From what we've been able to tell, you've all been stretched thin, especially with one of you own bedridden and you yourself incapacitated for the time being."

"True," Kakashi nodded.

Shen glanced at the tree Sasuke had been climbing and noticed the slash marks on its surface telling of the Uchiha's progress. Each mark was significantly higher than the one before it, indicating that Sasuke had been progressing quickly. Considering how it had only been a few days since Team 7 had left for Wave, it showed just how fast the Uchiha was progressing through the exercise. It spoke well for the young man's ability as a ninja, although his social skills certainly still sucked.

"Chakra control training, right?" Shen asked, regarding what Kakashi was doing with Sasuke. "Is that all? I expected something a bit more advanced considering what you'll be facing."

"It's a basic exercise but a ninja needs a good foundation and grasp on the basics," said Kakashi. Most Jounin would have taught their students something like the tree-climbing exorcise right away, but Kakashi had wanted to blend his team into a single unit first through D-rank missions and ensure they had their teamwork down before going for advanced ninja teachings. In truth, he was going to use the C-rank mission as a test to see if they were ready yet but instead it turned A-rank and bit him in the ass. With Jin wounded and bedridden and both Sakura and Sasuke cycling protection detail on Tazuna, Kakashi was struggling to ensure that his students' chances of surviving went from none, to slim at the very least. The backup Anko and Kurenai brought would be incredibly welcome.

Shen nodded at Kakashi's words. Even GekiJyuKen enforced the idea of mastering the basics before anything else. Flashy techniques were fine and dandy, but unless you knew the basics, you would never be able to master the advanced stages or worse, hurt yourself trying to do such. Naruto learned that lesson when he tried to use something similar to their teachers' techniques with the floundering chakra he had and ended up burning his hands for it.

Ending his reminiscing, Shen noticed that Sasuke had started staring at him in his usual brooding glare instead of going for the chakra control exorcise again. Shen resisted the urge to sigh and roll his eyes, half-expecting the reaction, "What is it Uchiha?"

"I want you to fight me," challenged Sasuke.

Shen rolled his eyes. This was another unhealthy habit that Sasuke had. He seemed to be obsessed with proving his strength. Shen and Naruto had both beaten him in combat and yet it still wasn't enough. Sasuke seemed determined to go up against them again to prove his strength no matter how many times he was beaten. Still, Shen had to at least admire Sasuke's determination, but he didn't like the look the Uchiha was giving him. Crossing his arms, Shen replied, "I don't I have time to waste to brawl with you, Uchiha."

Sasuke was about to retort when Kakashi interrupted, "Actually, maybe a spar would be helpful."

Shen cocked an eyebrow. It seemed that Kakashi was plotting something. Still, Kakashi was the superior Shinobi as he was Jonin ranked. "Fine, a spar then. Hatake-san, do you mind being the referee?"

"Well I-"

"Oooh! I sensed an incoming fight!" the voice of Bae announced before the GekiJyu Fly-ken user suddenly buzzed onto the scene. "And I see I was right! I can feel the fire brewing from here!"

"It's amazing how you can do that," Shen muttered. Although he knew that GekiJyu Fly-ken allowed its users to have greater senses, much like how a fly was able to fly away before someone could even attempt to swat them, but with the way Bae was able to sense when a GekiJyuKen fighter was about to do battle, it was almost supernatural.

"I suppose we have an announcer then," Kakashi chuckled. Although he thought Bae was strange-looking, he had heard all about the fly-man from Anko's tales (bragging) about her team and thus was a little more prepared to see him.

"Well, looks like this is Sasuke Uchiha VS Shen Long, round two! Sasuke Uchiha is the survivor of the Uchiha Clan who possess the legendary Sharingan Kekkei Genkai. He has challenged Shen Long of the GekiJyuKen Beast Arts School! Shen is a practitioner of the Lion-ken which gives him the strength to face any challenge! With me is Kakashi Hatake, the Jonin Sensei of Team 7, and the referee of this match!"

"Hajime!" Kakashi declared.

Sasuke instantly shot towards Shen and threw a fist at him but Shen managed to sidestep the attack and spun on his legs so he could hit Sasuke in the back with a palm. Sasuke stumbled and angrily turned around and began to kick at Shen, forcing him on the defensive. Shen stepped back with each blow, blocking with his forearms. It seemed that Sasuke had improved since the last time they'd fought. He needed to find an opening and soon. He ducked under a kick aimed for his head and got his chance to land a powerful uppercut into Sasuke's chin, knocking him down to the ground. Shen then got into a stance, preparing for Sasuke's next attack.

"Sasuke starts off the fight with a punch to Shen but our Lion-ken user was able to dodge and counter with a palm strike. However, the Uchiha was able to force Shen on the defensive. However, Sasuke's kick missed and Shen capitalized on this with an uppercut!" Bae reported the play-by-play.

Lions were natural predators but they also had the ability to lie and wait. They would watch their prey, waiting for the opportune moment before pouncing. Lion-ken fit Shen like a glove. He was like a lion, waiting to pounce.

It wasn't a virtue that Sasuke possessed. Gritting his teeth, he was on his feet in a flash and charging at Shen once again, unleashing combos of punches and kicks. Once more Shen started blocking and dodging the blows, being on the defensive once again. Still, as much as Sasuke improved, his impatience and temper was once again working against him as Shen kept his cool and kept his eyes open for any and all advantages which he could use.

"Sasuke's on the offensive again and forcing Shen on the defensive yet again! Can Shen get out of this one?" Bae reported.

Kakashi could likewise see where his student was beginning to flounder. Sasuke had skill, no doubt about that. However, he was beginning to get sloppy and leaving himself open in favor of using more powerful blows or trying to strike what he saw as openings in Shen's defense. Once again Kakashi was reminded of how he used to be, impatient, seeing his goals as the only ones that mattered, and a desire for strength that was all-encompassing. Kakashi had Rin, Obito, and Minato to help bring him out of the funk he had pushed himself into and he just hoped that Sasuke would be able to learn the lesson as well before he ended up having to pay the tragic price that the gray-haired Jounin had to pay in order to learn that lesson.

A punch to the face sent Shen skidding backwards on his feet. His lip was bleeding but he wiped it off with his sleeve. Sasuke wore a smug look on his face.

"And Shen takes a major hit to the face!" Bae gasped.

Shen's eyes narrowed as he got into a Lion-ken stance. Now it was his turn to go on the offensive. He bounced on his feet and then pounced straight for Sasuke. Sasuke dodged to the side but Shen expected that as he got down low and used a sweep kick on Sasuke to knock him off his feet. Sasuke flipped back to his feet and used a roundhouse which Shen blocked with his forearm.

"Amazing! Both fighters appear to be evenly matches!" Bae cried out.

"Uchiha, you've improved," admitted Shen.

"Hn," Sasuke merely grunted before he broke away to try a different attack.

'What do those fangirls see in this guy?' Shen asked himself as he charged after the last Uchiha.

The battle continued as the two fighters collided with each other again and again. Strikes were unleashed upon one another with tenacity and emotion, indicating just how badly both of them had wanted to win the fight. However, Shen was keeping control of himself, keeping his emotions in check so they wouldn't cloud his judgment while Sasuke was having his pride as an Uchiha and his anger from previous defeats push him just as much as his determination was. Certainly the skill being revealed was good for both the boys' ages, but Sasuke was getting cocky and it seemed that Shen wasn't taking the fight as seriously as he could be. He obviously didn't like Sasuke very much and wasn't very enthusiastic about having to fight him for a third time.

"Shen-sama!"

Both fighters' concentration broke a bit when they spotted Mimi and Naruto approaching from the direction of Tazuna's house. No doubt Mimi had followed Bae since the Fly-ken user sensed the impending fight and wanted to commentate.

"Mimi-chan!" Bae buzzed over to Mimi. The Chameleon-ken user quickly nabbed him out of the air and captured him in her arms, holding him like the constant companion or stuffed toy that some people liked to have on hand at all times. Bae really didn't mind since Mimi was very nice and didn't smack him around like Mele did when they were together.

"So, what's up?" Naruto asked.

"Well, as of now, both are evenly matched," said Bae.

"Shen-sama hasn't gone all out yet," said Mimi.

"It's just a spar," said Kakashi.

Naruto snorted, "More like a grudge match."

Kakashi eyed Naruto and let out a sigh. He knew Naruto wasn't the Kyuubi no Youko. The boy was too nice to be a demon. Too bad not many shared that feeling. He really hated how ignorant people could be sometimes. Still, he was glad that Naruto found some friends and people who did care about him.

"And why hasn't he used any of his Gekiwaza?" asked Naruto.

"I think Shen-sama wants to enjoy this," said Mimi. "Kinda like you."

"Like me?"

"Well, at least he's not an adrenaline junkie," Mimi joked.

The two combatants got some distance between them. Shen's chest and shoulders rose and fell. Sasuke Uchiha may be a jerk but he had some skill. It seemed he'd learnt quite a bit following his loss to him and Naruto. Still, the Uchiha's emotions were erratic and not focused. Shen could see the twitch in Sasuke's eyes. He was angry that he had not yet taken Shen down.

"Hey, Uchiha, how about we end this with just one attack? You can use whatever Jutsu you have and I can use whatever Gekiwaza I have." Shen suggested.

Sasuke didn't verbally answer, but instead leaped back and began flipping through hand seals for one of his favorite Jutsus. Shen became engulfed in a golden aura he as too prepared one of his own techniques. Both fighters charged their chakra and Geki before releasing it at the same time in the form of their attacks.

"Katon: Goukaku no Jutsu!"

"Gekiwaza: Shi Shi Dan!"

Sasuke unleashed a powerful fireball which was noticeably bigger than the one he had unleashed on Shen back in the academy. No doubt the chakra exorcise was part of the reason why. Higher control meant he could control more chakra at once and the exercise of climbing trees meant his stores were likely bigger than before. Shen on the other hand unleashed his familiar black and gold lion which roared and charged towards Sasuke at top speed. Lion and fireball collided with one another, pushing against one another. Sasuke kept breathing out, ensuring more fire was fueled into the attack while Shen pressed more Geki into his attack so to keep the lion going.

'I can't lose! I WON'T LOSE!' Sasuke shouted in his mind as he put more power into the fireball. 'More! MORE!'

Shen closed his eyes, concentrating, and then he snapped his eyes open before he unleashed a lion-like roar. The size of his Shi Shi Dan increased and the lion actually swallowed up the fireball before surging straight for Sasuke. Sasuke's eyes widened as he realized he was about to be hit but then the Shi Shi Dan simply evaporated in the air.

Shen had cancelled it out himself.

"Why?" Sasuke asked, bewildered.

"We don't need anyone else bedridden on this mission," said Shen. "Considering we were sent to back you up, I feel it'd be counterproductive if I hurt you too badly. I'll be honest, Uchiha. I don't like you. However, you and I are comrades whether we like it or not so I'll simply put up with you. However, as much as I don't like you I can at least respect your determination. You've got power. Unfortunately, that power is unstable."

Sasuke gritted his teeth in anger.

"So…who won?" Naruto asked.

"Nobody," said Shen. "It was just a spar, right Hatake-san?"

"Yes," Kakashi nodded. "I think that will be enough for now. I'd like to head back to the house so to touch base with Anko and then Kurenai when she gets back. No doubt all of you would like at least a little rest after travelling so long to get here."

Gesturing, Kakashi began walking towards the house, the genin in tow. Of course, Sasuke went into his usual brooding stance, throwing dark glares at Shen for daring to insult his strength. Unstable? He'd show him unstable!


The day wore on and Tazuna eventually returned. He was a man in his fifties to sixties with gray hair and a beard, needing glasses to keep his vision sharp. However, his body still had plenty of muscle in it and seemed to still be very strong despite his age. He looked very different from the drunken man that Sakura had described as stumbling into the mission office. Instead, he looked like a man who was reaching his limit.

He had been of mixed emotions about more Konoha ninjas coming. On one hand, it meant that the workers and his family would have more protection in case Gato's thugs tried to pull anything. However, he was afraid that it would end up costing him more money. Kurenai had assured him that the pay would be the same since it was at the discretion of the Hokage to assign as many ninjas as he felt needed for a mission. Of course, words might be exchanged over how he lied about the mission details.

Tsunami offered to cook for everyone, but most of the ninjas denied her generous offer. No doubt their food stores were being stretched thin just to feed Kakashi and his team. Anko and Kurenai had both brought food of their own along with their teams. All they would need would be water for something to drink, or in Naruto's case use to help make his instant ramen. Tsunami felt a little like an impolite host, but accepted the ninjas' wishes.

That was when Tsunami's son, a young boy named Inari, came to see the ninjas. He didn't look all that happy but considering the poor state of the village that was understandable. It would put anyone in a bad mood. The boy had come inside after a day outdoors, no school being done since the depression had forced the school to be closed down according to Tsunami. As dinner rolled around, the group dined in the living room so everyone would have a place to sit and everyone would be able to talk to one another. Of course, the little boy in overalls and bucket hat didn't seem too pleased with how the ninjas were talking about what they were going to do when they faced Zabuza and how they were going to train. As the dinner hour wore one, the boy just got more and more irritated until he finally snapped at the group of Genin.

"Why do you even bother? You know Gato will kill you, right? It doesn't matter how strong you try to be! He'll just wipe you out!" he shouted. He was standing up and his fists were clenched and trembling with how upset he was, but for either rage or grief it was hard to say.

"Oh, he can try," Mimi responded.

"You just don't get it, do you? You're all so happy but do you know what it's like for people to suffer?"

Shen scowled and Naruto gritted his teeth. Everyone in the room could immediately tell that Inari had just crossed the line. For those who knew Naruto, they all knew he was an orphan and for some reason the adults were mean to him a lot before the travelling martial arts master found him and took him in for training. Obviously to them Shen had a similar background or else he wouldn't be getting angry either. The blonde was about to retort angrily when Mimi spoke up.

"Shen-sama and Naru-chan do," said Mimi, looking Inari in the eye. "Shen-sama and Naru-chan are both orphans. They've lost both their parents. I don't know what happened to you, but at least you have a mother and grandfather." She added, "And if we die, it's better to die fighting rather than act like a whining crybaby. You're not so special. If you think you had it bad, others have got it way worse."

Inari reared back like he was slapped before he ran up the stairs. Mimi sighed in frustration both at what had just occurred and at herself for snapping like she did. She didn't like talking to others like that, especially others like Inari who were no doubt suffering. However, she just couldn't stand by and let the boy wallow in his misery and badmouth others like he was the only person in the world who knew hardship. At least it was from someone like her rather than someone else who were more likely to pound Inari for his words rather than snap at him.

"Weren't you being a little harsh, Mimi-chan?" Naruto asked, though he'd wanted to say something too. Well, he probably would have said something similar, but hearing it being actually said made it sound pretty darn harsh.

"I said what I felt was right to say," said Mimi. She looked to Shen. "Sorry, Shen-sama." She knew Shen didn't like talking about his status as an orphan or how it happened, but he at least knew it had to be said in certain situations.

"It's fine," he told her. He had come to terms with his loss some time ago but it wasn't the kind of subject that was talked about like gossip between housewives at the supermarket. However sometimes it just had to be said and it certainly helped Mimi make her point.

Nodding, Mimi then turned to Tsunami and bowed her head respectfully, "I apologize, Tsunami-san."

"No, it's alright. Inari's just been so depressed ever since his stepfather died," said Tsunami.

"How did he die?" Hinata asked.

"He died opposing Gato. We were all forced to watch as Gato executed him. It broke everyone's spirits. He was a great man, you see, and Inari looked up to him." Tsunami sighed. "A lot of people looked up to him. He opposed Gato and after he was executed for it, but Inari seems to believe that heroes don't exist anymore. It seems he's lost all hope now."

"Guess seeing his hero die broke him," concluded Shen. Glancing, he noticed that Naruto was up and heading for the door. "Naruto, where are you going?"

"I'm heading out for some air, and too stretch my legs."

"Be careful, Naruto-san," said Hinata. He flashed her a smile which made her flush.

Sasuke looked at Shen. So, he knew the same pain. However, he didn't understand why Shen could be so strong while he was so much weaker. They knew the same pain and both struggled to grow stronger and were even the same age. So just why was it that Shen had become so powerful while Sasuke, while powerful in his own rights as a ninja, seemed to pale in comparison?


Naruto went out to get some fresh air so he decided to take a walk in the nearby woods. As a Beast Fist artist, he felt one with nature. His teachers all said it had something to do with their connection to their inner beast spirits. Naruto had the Kyuubi within him but his Fox-ken Geki was from his own soul and had little to do with the nine-tailed Bijuu. Of course, he doubted anyone who knew about the fox in Konoha would believe that. At best, they'd think he was drawing power from it or something.

Naruto stretched, taking in a deep breath of fresh air. While the GekiJyuKen Beast Arts had a training facility in SCRTC with top of the line equipment, the founder of the original Beast Fist School had trained within nature itself. That was why Naruto spent most of his life on training camps in the woods. Sitting down, he stretched again and lay down on his back. He was feeling too stressed and needed some time alone to vent it out with a good nap. Closing his eyes and enjoying the soothing presence of nature, he did just that.


Back at Tazuna's place, dinner had ended on somewhat of a sour note after Inari's explosion and Mimi's retort. So to try and forget the dim mood, the ninjas began going off to do their own things. Anko, Kurenai, and Kakashi were discussing plans and details concerning how to protect Tazuna and how to fight Zabuza should the time come. Shino politely went to assist Tsunami with the dishes with Kiba grumbling next to him. Sakura was off giving Jin his meal while he recovered while Sasuke had gone off to train by himself again. Lastly, Shen and Mimi were doing some training outside so to keep an eye on things. Mimi was warming up by standing on one hand and doing splits, getting her flexibility ready for some of the katas she had planned. Shen was already doing some shadow boxing to help get himself hyped up.

"Mimi, can we talk?" Mimi blinked at the voice and looked up from the ground to make herself see Sakura's sandals in front of her.

"OK," answered Mimi as she righted herself on her feet. Bae buzzed over and dropped a towel in her hand. Wiping her brow, she glanced at the pinkette. "What's up?"

"What you said about Shen, was it true?" asked Sakura.

"He doesn't like to talk about it, but a few years back he lost his parents," said Mimi, recalling the stories she'd heard from the elder GekiRangers. "They were sick but one night some kind of energy sucking demon appeared and drained everyone in the city they lived in. His parents didn't survive."

"Just like Sasuke…" Sakura compared.

"Yeah, they're similar in that way, but Shen-sama's different. He's not afraid to get close to people."

Sakura quickly took offense to Mimi's comments and her fangirl side quickly rose to the challenge, "Sasuke isn't afraid of anything!"

"Anything, but forging new bonds," Mimi corrected. Since meeting Sasuke at the academy, she had seen him shrug off everyone's attempts to try and get closer to him. The fangirls would try and try but never succeed, not that it stopped them. Far from being shy or too busy like the fangirls convinced themselves, Sasuke just didn't seem to want to connect to anybody. "I doubt he's had anything nice to say about anyone since that night. I know Shen-sama can seem a bit cold but he's at least friendly."

"So is Sasuke!" Sakura insisted.

"Name one time he's ever been genuinely friendly," Mimi replied. "Just one genuine moment where he acted as a friend, not just for the sake of a mission or anything, but actually spent his free time with you." Sakura didn't answer. "That's what I thought."

"Well, he's always busy training!" Sakura persisted.

"Shen-sama's busy training too, but he at least has his schedule open to hang out with me and Naru-chan." Mimi added, "Word of advice, open your eyes before you go blind. I'm not snipping at you because you like a boy. That would make me a hypocrite. What I'm snipping at you about is how you seem to rationalize everything Sasuke does into something that makes him into the tragic little bishonen you seem so infatuated with. This isn't the schoolyard anymore, this is the real world and we can't keep having you drooling over Sasuke with your little fantasies while he couldn't give less of a damn and we're all busy trying to do our jobs."

"Ha! You're one to talk!" Sakura snapped bitterly. "Shen barely seems to talk to you at all! Maybe you should snap out of your fantasies!"

"Bite your tongue!"

Sakura and Mimi turned to see Shen approaching, apparently feeling the need to get involved in the conversation since he was quickly becoming a subject in it, "I may not be prone to fits of affection or expression like you seem to think your perfect man should be, but I do show I care about Mimi in other ways. I trust her, I lower my guard around her, I train with her, I help her grow stronger like she helps me, and I can just simply sit around and do nothing with her. Aside from Naruto, I can proudly say there's no one else I'd trust my back, and my life to."

"Shen-sama…" Mimi murmured happily, her cheeks rosy.

"I'm sure Sasuke-kun would do those things to once I get closer to him," Sakura huffed.

"Provided he does at all, which I very much doubt," Shen snorted. "Despite what you and the other fangirls may think, he is not some kind of tragic little hero who simply needs the power of love to turn him into the romantic man you so desire. He doesn't respect anyone except for powerful ninjas and from what I can tell, that seems to only extend as far as what they can teach him. He never says two words to Kakashi-san about anything beyond training and from what Ino-san was crowing that one time in we saw her after our return to Konoha, all he seems to speak to you about is denying dates."

"Ino-pig…:" Sakura growled, just knowing her rival was going to grind that tidbit in her face soon enough.

"Uchiha isn't someone willing to open his heart to anybody, not since he lost his family. That much can be said. He cares about nothing but avenging and reviving his clan. Everything else is insignificant. He's not some brooding hero with a good heart. He's someone who has closed off his heart to others so he doesn't have to feel that kind of pain again," Shen added.

"What do you know!" demanded Sakura.

"Because a long time ago, I wasn't so different. I've also learnt that a strong lion still needs his pride." He looked to Mimi and gave her a small, yet warm, smile. Shen considered Mimi and Naruto as part of his pride and as such would never, ever, consider them anything less than what they were. They were his friends, his teammates, and his family most of all. Mimi could get overly obsessive and Naruto could be annoying, but he didn't consider those faults as important. They were his important people. "If you're really serious about being a Kunoichi, then train hard. You're the only person here who doesn't have any techniques beyond what the academy has taught. Mimi, Naruto and I have all developed our own personal techniques to compliment the techniques we've been taught. As you are now, you're simply deadweight and average."

Sakura frowned. That much was true. She hated to admit it, but these kids who learnt the art of GekiJyuKen were just beyond her. They could execute techniques without the need of hand seals. While she still insisted Sasuke's losses to Shen and Naruto were just flukes, she had to admit that compared to them she wasn't at all amazing.


Naruto mumbled as he lived his dream of becoming a king of a land made of ramen ruled with a queen who he hadn't seen the face of before he awoke. Rubbing his eyes as he sat up, he sensed movement and realized a girl was staring at him, a girl in a sleeveless pink yukata.

"I'm sorry I woke you," the girl apologized. She had long black hair. He blushed. She was pretty, very pretty!

"Ah…" Naruto blushed. "It's…okay…" he answered awkwardly. He sat up and saw that she had a basket. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm collecting medicinal herbs," she told him. "I'm Haku, by the way."

"Uzumaki. Naruto Uzumaki."

"Nice to meet you, Uzumaki-san," Haku smiled.

Hinata had followed Naruto and hid behind a tree as she watched him from afar. When she saw this other girl just come along talking to her crush, she quickly feared that Naruto might start crushing on her. She was just so pretty and Hinata always felt herself to be rather plain. This new girl was so elegant and graceful. If Naruto decided to try and pursue her in a romantic sense, did Hinata really stand a chance?

Her heart clenched at the thought of Naruto falling for someone else besides her.

As she shifted so to try and hide herself from view, Naruto's ears perked, hearing the movement. Turning, he spied the shy heiress hiding behind a tree, watching himself and the new girl with a slight flush on her face. Smiling, he waved at her, "Hey Hinata!"

"Eep!" the heiress squeaked, hiding behind the tree completely.

"Come on, Hinata! Don't be shy! Come on over!" he called. Shyly, the Hyuuga heiress got out from her hiding place. Haku seemed amuse as the girl carefully walked over. Naruto patted the spot next to him and she sat down. "Haku-san, this is one of my friends from Konoha, Hinata Hyuuga."

"Pleased to meet you, Hyuuga-san," said Haku. "Konoha? You're both are a very long way from home, aren't you? What brings you to Wave?"

"A super top-secret ninja mission!" Naruto declared. Haku giggled.

"Alright then, but as ninja do you know what you're fighting for?" asked Haku.

"Well, I don't know about what ninjas should be fighting for, but I know what I am fighting for!" said Naruto. He followed the ideals of the GekiJyuKen and one word came to mind, "Justice."

"Justice…" Haku murmured. "What about someone precious?"

"What do you mean, Haku-san?" asked Hinata.

"I believe that fighting for someone precious to you is the greatest thing of all. It fills you with purpose and the desire to better yourself for that person, to pay them back for all they've done for you," Haku answered, a hand on her heart. The girl made such a sudden serene picture, even Hinata felt herself getting flustered by the girl's beauty rather than out of her regular shyness.

"I've got precious people too!" answered Naruto. "My friends, my senseis, my senpais, and my comrades."

"I'm glad you have people you want to fight for," Haku smiled, seemingly almost envious of the blonde boy having so many precious people.

"Ano…do you mind if we borrowed some of your herbs?" asked Hinata. "One of our comrades is hurt."

"I think I have plenty to share," said Haku, raising the basket she held. "Besides, this place is ripe with them so if you need more you know where to go."

"Arigatou," Hinata smiled, bowing respectfully.


As the sun sank over the horizon, the ninjas all returned to the house for the night. There was only one guest room to go around and Jin was already in it healing his wounds. He claimed that he was fine, but Tsunami wouldn't hear of it. Still, there wasn't enough room for everyone so the kunoichi all took the room while the other men were forced to sleep downstairs. Naruto grumbled about girls getting preferential treatment because they were so pretty, but everyone ignored him save for Kiba who teased him about mooning over their senseis. Naruto would have punched him for it, but he was too tired to argue.

They needed to rest up because tomorrow they would need all their energy to fight.


KAMEN RIDER CHROME: Sorry this took so long but we've all been busy, plus writer's block sucks. Anyway, Paladin and I now present the latest chap of Geki Naruto to you.