Mar's Maelstrom

By The Obsidian Blade

Chapter nine-the pulverizing the stone tablet

Naruto smirked as thought of what Babbo could be crossed his mind. With a flash of brilliant light Babbo changed. Both Snow and Naruto had to shield their eyes from the light. When it finally died down they looked at Naruto's left arm. On it was a gauntlet. The thing was mostly made of black leather with a metal top. The metal was several pieces of metal that overlapped each other so it didn't hinder movement. The fingers were like talons. The top slab of metal had Babbo's cross and holes filled with the three stones. On the back of the hand there were several spikes on it. The thing reached to about a few centimeters away form the blonde's elbow. (Than you Fallen-Ryuu)

"Well what do you know, it worked," Naruto commented, breaking the silence.

"Eh what's this?!" Babbo yelled in shock. "Why in the world have I become Naruto's left arm.?!"

"Well silence can only last so long." Babbo started to yell in anger in an instant but Naruto drowned the Arm out.

"Naruto…what's…that?" the poor girl stuttered in shock.

"Hmm this?" Naruto said raising his arm. "This is a gauntlet. The thing has a special trick though." Snow looked at him with a quizzical eye, trying to find out what he meant by that. "You'll see." Naruto's ears started tot twitch. He turned around and looked at the ground, trying to find out what was making that noise. Then it happened. Several stone giants crawled out of the floor. The blonde could tell that these things weren't as powerful as the stone robot that he had to face the first day he got here but the large number made up for that. There was about twenty of the golems. Each had a different design, ranging form smooth to rigid.

The blonde's eyes narrowed. "A combat challenge. Our first in this dimension. Also the time flow here is slower here 1/60th of the outside world." Naruto's eyes grew wide. Dimension Arms could do that to the world. What would happen if he came up with a power that could distort time for quicker movement? That could be really useful. The girl ran forward. "Me first!" Naruto looked shocked. The girl was going against them with snowmen?! This he had top see. "Yuki-chan, multiply!" large snowmen appeared above the golems before the laws of gravity pulled them down to earth, crushing the stone golems. Naruto looked dumb struck. Those things were dangerous! He was silently hoping that he never pissed her of f enough to have her use the m against him. The blonde smirked as he unlatched Kubukiri and went in for battle.

It didn't take long for the two to wipe out the golems. It seemed that Babbo had a few draw back in this form. Chakra could not escape the covered flesh. Not at all. The Arm seemed to block off the tenketsu points that it covered. He had to force chakra from the points above his hand to cover the Arm. Hew was going to have to figure away around that as soon as possible. That was a handicap that was not acceptable.

Snow was looking at Naruto was looking at Naruto with amazement. When she first met him he had to magic power at all. Now it skyrocketed. It was much stronger that someone his age. And it kept getting stronger! That wasn't supposed to b possible. It was supposed to be gradual gain. His was erratically gaining. She was beginning to wonder was it the blonde or Babbo. She knew he had another power that he could use and she saw what he could do. By the looks of things it seemed the blonde was into water and ice. She knew she could help him there with ease. The blonde called out to the girl making her squeak in surprise. "What? Oh yes?"

Naruto pointed at the chain with a cat like head biting onto a loop and a bell dangling from it that was floating in the air. "What's that?"

Snow smiled slightly. "A guardian Arm." Naruto opened his mouth in a 'o' like shape signifying he understood. The Arm flashed out of existence leaving a woman around twenty or so. She was a few inches taller than Naruto. She had long black hair tat flowed down to the middle of her back. She wore a black dress with a white chest. Her hands were covered by gloves that went up about mid bicep. She had a cat tail and ears. Around her neck was a large bell. Naruto raised a questioning eyebrow. "The Guardian Arm Merilo!"

"Hello Snow! Oh? Someone I don't know." Naruto chuckled at Merilo.

"Don't worry about it," the blonde kitsune said with a hand raised. "The name's Naruto by the way." The woman smiled at the blonde before doing a curtsy.

"It's been six years since I met someone other tan Snow." Merilo's tail swished before she ran off towards the top of the pyramid.

"I'm guessing that we're supposed to follow her?" Naruto questioned while pointing at the girl. Snow smiled and nodded. Naruto sighed before picking up snow bridal style and blurring out of sight. Snow was surprise by the sudden action of the blonde. She was not expecting him to pick her up at all. At first she was going to reprimand the blonde but then she figured it out. Merilo was a good distance away and it would be faster if he ran there. She was definitely not as fast as the blonde.

The group made it to the top. In front of them was a large slap of stone. The thin was fucking huge? On it was many symbols that the blonde gave up trying to understand. On the top right corner of the slab was some kind of face of a man. On the left side was a halved figure that looked like a female. On top of it was an egg like shape with a Celtic design on it.

Naruto gripped his head in pain was the female figure became more skeleton like. Images of the last dream came into view. The door was replaced by the evil door. The blonde fell to the floor cringing in pain. His eyes were opened wide in a mix of shock and pain. Snow looked at him worriedly. What was going on with the blonde? "Naruto! What's happening?!"

The pain subsided to a dull throb. The images finally left this mind. He staggered slowly to his feet and then gave a fake smile to the girl. "I'm fine."

Snow didn't buy it at all. She could tell that he was putting up an act so she wouldn't worry about him. Sure it worked at first but the smile seemed too forced. For now she was going to let him go but later she would figure out what was getting to him. Naruto looked at the giant stone slab for a little bit. "So what's with the giant stone slab? I have a feeling that it's not for reading the runes on it."

The cat woman smiled "This is the Unbreakable Gate. Form what I have seen your prowess as an Arm wielder is passable. But now you must achieve a deeper union with your Arm." Naruto looked at the woman funny. What was she talking about? "Don't break the gate. Pulverize it."

Naruto was at a loss. Don't break the gate but pulverize it? That made no sense! The gate didn't seem like it would break easy. Sure it looked like it was about to crumble but it didn't put off that feeling. Naruto looked at Babbo. It clicked in his mind. He had to do something similar with Kubukiri before. Naruto kept his gaze on the slab. "So you want me to find the weakest point on the door right?" The two females in question nodded at that statement. "I'm not allowed to use anything else but the Ten Dagger Bracelet and Babbo am?" the girls shook their heads. Naruto sighed at this. This was going to be hell.

Naruto raised is right hand and focused. "Weapon Arm Ten Dagger Bracelet. Five Dagger Mode." Five daggers connected to strings of chakra started to hover in the air. Naruto twitched his fingers slightly and had them making a bee line towards the slab of metal. After they impacted the stone Naruto ran forward and slammed Babbo into the stone slab. Naruto jumped back and eyed the gate carefully. It was cracked big time. the cracks ran deep. He was sure another assault would bring it down. Then his eyes widened as the cracks began to heal themselves. His mind began to run blanks. Wasn't this supposed to be impossible? Was the giant stone door alive?!" So combinations aren't going to have an effect on this thing."

For the next few hours Naruto just kept his gaze on the slab while occasionally hitting it with different combinations. Some of them were better than the other. It was almost the end of the day. And Naruto made a vow to break it today so he could find his 'troops'. Naruto took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Snow and Merilo are having a conversation of their own. "So what do you think Merilo? About Naruto's abilities?" Merilo ,looked at snow then at the blonde and Snow again.

"He's bright. His imagination is great and he knows several differences between mastering and using a weapon. I think if he were to use that large sword strapped to his back he would have pulverized it already. His connection with it is great. I think if he challenges the gate a few more time he will be able to pulverize the gate." Her smile was plastered to her face as she looked at eh blonde. "I also think you two will make a cute couple." Snow had a significant blush on her face. sure she found him highly attractive but she surely couldn't like him that much yet, could she?

She shook of the blush and the thought. That would be for later\. Snow kept her gaze at the door. "No. he will be able to pulverize it in the next strike."

Merilo looked at Snow for a second before smiling. "You think highly of him Snow. Or is this your Six-sense?" Snow just smiled and put her hands behind her back while bending over slightly.

Naruto kept his eyes closed while slowly breathing. An image of the gate made its appearance in his mind. It was only a black and white outline but it was still there. Six impact points in various parts appeared on the stone slab. In an instant his yes snapped open. His five daggers were kept out with the chakra strings attached. The daggers levitated and made several beelines to the impact points, hitting five of them dead on. Naruto quickly jumped to the door and slamming Babbo in the finally weak point. The door crumbled under the force of Babbo. Merilo looked dumb struck. She was expecting for Snow to be wrong and it to take the blonde at least a few more strikes. Never was she expecting this to happen. "See? I told you I had a feeling,:" Snow's voice rang through her head.

Naruto looked eyes scanned the room. There was nothing really of interest so he walked out of the room and looked at Merilo. "Something tells me that you know what's going on here so spill."

Merilo nodded her head. "Your training period will be one hundred eighty days. Don't let them out any sooner. That is the command of Alan-sama!"

Naruto sighed before looking at the two. "We should set up camp. We'll search for Jack and Dorothy-chan first thing in the morning. If I am right, Jack's probably leaping for joy that he gets a day off." Snow and Merilo looked at him and cocked their heads to the side.

"Alan-sama thought you might say that so he told me where the other three are." Naruto looked at the cat woman for a second before sighing.

"We'll get to them in the morning." Naruto pointed into the sunset. "Right now we need to set up camp." Naruto turned to the forest and started to walk away. "What kind of fruits are there?"

Merilo looked at the blonde. "There are some fruit trees down a ways to the right. There is some wild life here for meat as well. They usually hang out by a watering hole that is right behind the back." Naruto nodded and walked off. The blonde left Babbo as he would make too much noise and Kubukiri as the thing was too noticeable. His hand was near his kunai holster. He sniffed the air for any trace of animals. Barely any were in range. His keen eyes came across some prints. He knelt beside them and took in account everything. It was a four legged animal. Its weight was probably around two hundred fifty pounds to three hundred. It had hooves that closely resembled a dear. The tracks were still fresh and the smell was still huge. It couldn't be that far away.

Naruto blurred out of sight into the direction of the scent. When he running he was at a watering hole, the one that Merilo mentioned. Drinking from it was a male animal. Its horns were large. Its tail was long. Its fur was yellow with black spots. Its eyes were a gleaming hazel. The blonde readied a kunai. He considered using his daggers but it made to much noise when it was called pout. He would have to get rid of that. His eyes narrowed for a better shot. A clean throw to the head should do it.

Naruto threw the kunai, impaling the deer like creature in the head. The deer like creature fell dead. The blonde sighed as he summoned three clones. He pointed to two of them. "You two are to take the food to the camp. You are to go fruit hunting. I will stay here and collect some water." The three nodded before doing what they were told to do. The original reached into one of the scroll slots and pulled out a small scroll. He unfurled it and un-sealed four large empty jugs. He managed to get some empty plastic jugs from Jacks kaa-san so he could use them for water. The blonde grabbed the jugs and filled them with water. He admired the way the water could adapt to the shape of the jug. It was amazing. They always took the shape of the container. It made him wonder was that the reason why bijuu containers became weapons of mass destruction.

He shook the thought away when the jugs filled. He resealed two of the jugs and put the scroll in an empty slot he had on his back hip. He tied one of the jugs to his left hip and lifted the other and walked back to the camp. When he arrived back it was almost night and the meat was almost cooked. After eating with some small talk the trio went to sleep for the night.

A/N And I am going to cut it there. Now you guy's see what the first of Babbo's transformations are. And this one has a little trick. I will give you a hint. It deals with electricity. And before I leave, there are two things I want to mention. One is that you guy's vote on who you want the fourth character in Naru's harem is because I am at total loss on that. The only rule is that it has to be form Mar and it can't be Snow or Dorothy as they are already in it. the next thing is that my spelling and grammar sucks. I need a Beta. So any one interested? If so please PM me.