Summary: When faced with rejection, a man has only two choices: To wallow and despair or rise above and take that step toward the future… For Naruto, it is no different. But he makes the right choice. He chooses to become a true shinobi. Now, watch as he goes forth into the world and carve his name into history. All will know his name - Naruto the Angel of Death.


~ Naruto the Angel of Death ~

Revised Edition

Chapter Nine - Battle of the Crimson Waves

Today was the day.

The day in which Zabuza and his group would either back off or fight. Don't ask how the Konoha shinobi knew, for it was something that they could not truly explain. It was something they felt deep within their bones. But, they were ready. The reconnaissance done on Gatō had proven invaluable and they had prepared accordingly. Training, traps, seals… The six of them had done everything they possibly could in the week and a half leading up this final confrontation. This was especially true for the Genin of Team 7, who had undergone some of the most intense training they had ever experienced thanks to the three ANBU level shinobi leading them. In that short period of time, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura grew by leaps and bounds, soaking up everything taught to them at record speeds and reaching a level they had not previously thought possible at their age.

They were stronger… For Tenzō had drilled their bodies with ANBU-level strength and conditioning training. Squats, pull-ups, and push-ups with fifty pound boulders strapped to their backs. Hanging crunches over a burning fire. Daily spars against Tenzo's Moku Bunshin (Wood Clone) which improved their Taijutsu, but also left them battered and bruised every single night.

They were faster… For Yūgao had pushed their speed and reflexes beyond their limits. Twelve kilometer runs with hundred pound logs dragging behind them while they dodged kunai and shuriken being thrown at them. Blindfolded dodging exercises to hone their senses and instincts. And perhaps most cruelly, gravity seals, applied by Naruto, and set to three times normal, making even the simple task of eating an agonizing chore.

They were more powerful… For Kakashi had worked their chakra to the brink and back. Tree climbing, water walking, basic shape manipulation, they did it all to build their reserves and hone their control to as sharp a point as they possibly could. And as a Ninjutsu specialist, Kakashi refined every technique Naruto created for them to as close to mastery as possible in the limited time they had.

Throughout all this, the three Genin did not once complain.

Okay, maybe they complained a little. And sobbed. And whimpered for their mommies. But they persevered despite the ungodly pain their bodies went through. And because of that, they were ready.

And they also had a plan.

"Everyone remember the plan?" Kakashi checked. He got nods all around. "Good." He looked at Tazuna and his family. "You all know what to do should any of Gatō's thugs show up. My summons will be here to advise and protect you to the best of their abilities, but be careful and above all else, be smart."

"We will," Tazuna said before ushering his family back into the house. He stopped at the door and looked back at the six Konoha shinobi who could potentially lose their lives for the sake of his and his family. He bowed and whispered a heartfelt, "Thank you."

The Jōnin simply inclined his head and looked over at the two ANBU operatives. "Yūgao. Tenzō."

The two ANBU operatives nodded and vanished in a puff of smoke.

"Alright…" Kakashi looked back at his students. He couldn't help but feel proud of all they had accomplished in the past few days. "No matter what happens today, know that you've made both me and your village proud."

Naruto, Sakura, and even Sasuke smiled at that.

"Let's go."

~ Scene Break ~

The very moment the four Konoha shinobi stepped onto the incomplete bridge, a thick oppressive mist filled with murderous intent swept through the already hazy air, obscuring everything from view. The enemy… They were here. Silently, weapons were drawn as Team 7 positioned themselves in a diamond formation, keeping their backs to each other and their whole bodies tensed for battle.

"So you finally showed yourselves," a familiar gruff voice whispered through the thick mist. "I was beginning to think you and your little brats wouldn't show, Kakashi."

"And miss our reunion party? Not a chance," the Jōnin snarked back. "I take it you and your accomplices have no intention of backing off."

"Of course not."

"Why? Is it your pride? Surely you know that Gato is planning on betraying you."

"The little rat wouldn't dare. He knows I'd gut him like a pig if he even thinks about it!"

"Why didn't you just steal the money?"

"…"

"…"

"…"

"You didn't think of it, did you?"

"Seriously, Zabuza?!" an incredulous male voice demanded from their left. "Some shinobi you are!"

"Shut up, Ryōshi! You didn't think of it either!"

"Doesn't matter if I did or didn't! You're the leader, so that makes you the one at fault!"

"No, it doesn't!"

"Yes, it does!"

"No, it doesn't!"

"Yes, it does!"

"No, it doesn't!"

"Yes, it does!"

"No, it d-!"

"Will you both please shut the fuck up so that we can get on with this mission?!" an irate female voice snapped from somewhere in the mist. "As much as I hate to admit it, the Konoha shinobi are right. We can't trust Gatō won't try to betray us and call the hunters. So let's finish this up and demand our pay. By force if we have to!"

"Right. Sorry, Ami-chan."

"Whipped."

"At least I'm still getting laid, Zabuza. You, on the other hand…"

"Fuck you."

"Not interested, bastard."

"Ryōshi, as soon as we finish with them, I'm kicking your ass to the fucking moon."

"You can try."

Throughout all this, Kakashi and his three students just stood there, listening, with sweatdrops hanging off the side of their heads. Talk about a stupid argument. Shaking his head, the silver-haired Jōnin looked toward his only female student. "Sakura, how many are there?"

"Seven."

"Okay, that's all of them. Naruto, clear the mist."

"Hai!" A quick series of hand seals later. "Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)!"

A mighty whirlwind swept through the area, blowing the mist away to finally reveal the two opposing sides to each other. The team instantly recognized Zabuza with his massive sword and Naruto grimaced upon seeing his newest precious person, Haku, standing beside him with an equally uncomfortable expression on her face. But the others were unknowns. Oh sure, they could recognize them based off their clan traits, but that told the Konoha shinobi nothing about their individual abilities. And more importantly, they also outnumbered them. Something Zabuza was quick to comment on.

"Looks like you're still outnumbered, Kakashi," Zabuza laughed. "I was sure that you'd call for reinforcements, but I'm glad to see I was wrong."

"Oh, you're not!" Kakashi responded in a noticeably smug tone. "We did call in reinforcements. And right now, they're heading toward Gatō's headquarters to eliminate him."

"What?!" the ex-mist nin roared as his accomplices stiffened in shock. "You're lying!"

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. If you think I'm lying, stay and fight. By the time you've finished killing all of us, Gatō will be long dead and all his assets taken for Konoha's benefit! Or, you can try to save your employer, but even if you left now, there's no guarantee that you'd reach him in time!"

"Shit…" Ami cursed as her leader snarled. "He has us trapped."

"No, he doesn't!" Zabuza growled. "Ami, Kagome, Ryōshi! Go to Gatō's HQ. I don't care if the tree-fuckers slit the greedy pig's throat, just make sure you get our pay! The rest of us will stay here and deal with Kakashi and his brats. Even if they're bluffing and Gatō's alive, we still need to take out the bridge builder."

"You sure?"

"Yes! I have a score to settle with the blond one anyways. Now go!"

The three shinobi vanished, leaving the two opposing sides even in numbers. Now, the battle's outcome would come down to skill and luck. And it was clear that both sides knew who they were going to fight. Silence swept over the bridge as the shinobi glared at one another before suddenly, at some unseen signal, they charged and the battle was on.

~ Scene Break ~

As soon as the unofficial signal had sounded, Sasuke and Sakura had leapt forward to confront their intended opponents, Haku and Kira Mōjiyū, only to be forced aside when a large wave of water crashed in front of them, blocking their path to at least one of their targets. The attack was followed up with a brace of shuriken, forcing the two Genin back even further and separating them from the rest of their team. Exactly what their enemies wanted.

"We will be your opponents," Kira announced alongside Shuzuki who merely drew his sword. "Don't worry, we won't kill you. Haku-chan told us what happened the other week, so as thanks, we'll only kick your asses."

"You can try, you fucking bitch," Sakura snarled.

"Oh, this one has a mouth on her. And she looks weak," the Mōjiyū smiled. "Shuzuki, she's mine."

"Go for it," the Hōzuki drawled. "Just don't mess around. End it quick."

"Oh, that's rich coming from you."

"Just shut up and fight."

"Fine."

With no other warning, the girl charged, the tribal markings on her face suddenly expanding as she called out, "Tora (Tiger)!" A fearsome roar echoed in the wind as the kunoichi reared her fist back and let it fly with all the strength one would expect from the king of the jungle. And the fight should've ended right there for the pink haired kunoichi. After all, she looked weak. So you can imagine the surprise Kira felt when Sakura ducked under her attack and she suddenly found a foot trying to rearrange her face, courtesy of Sakura's teammate.

"Kira!"

The girl hit the ground hard, a bruise rapidly forming on her cheek as she tried to process what had happened. Unfortunately, her opponents had no intention of giving her even a moment's reprieve as suddenly, the girl she had been targeting suddenly appeared over her, her entire body glowing a dull green and her fist drawn back.

"Kyojin no Ōtsuchi (Titan's War Hammer)!"

BOOM!

It was like a bomb had went off! Kira was just barely able to dive out of the way as Sakura's fist completely and utterly shattered the stone floor, creating a crater the size of a small car and a shockwave that ruffled her hair. "What the fuck was that?!" the Mōjiyū demanded, landing lightly on her feet. "How the hell are you so strong?! There's no way those skinny ass arms could punch a crater into the ground!"

The pinkette smirked and gestured at the green glow covering her body. "Doton: Kyojin no Chikara (Earth Release: Titan's Might). It's a technique that uses earth chakra to change the atomic structure of my muscles, bones, and skin to mimic the earth around me, enhancing my strength and durability," Sakura explained. "Still think I'm weak, bitch?!"

"Guess this won't be as easy as I had originally thought." A feral grin spread across Kira's lips. "Good! It's been too long since I was in a proper fight. Shuzuki, you handle the Uchiha! This fucking bitch is mine!" she yelled upon seeing her teammate move to help her. The man grimaced, but nodded and leapt to engage his opponent. "Let's see how strong you really are!"

"Bring it on! Shannaro!"

In an instant, the two kunoichi collided! Punches and kicks and all sorts of combos were thrown at each other with neither making progress in their determination to beat the living shit out of each other. Every attack was dodged or blocked and for a moment, it seemed as if the fight would come down to who had the most stamina. But just then, after dodging one of Kira's roundhouse kicks, Sakura saw an opening. She immediately launched a series of powerful punches at her opponent, each with the strength to crumble boulders! Only… she missed. That opening had been a feint. And Sakura paid for it in blood. In that instant, Kira had rammed her knee into Sakura's stomach and headbutted her in the face, stunning the pinkette as she staggered back. And with her guard down, Kira unleashed one of her most powerful Taijutsu attacks.

"Tora Gari (Tiger Hunt)!"

Sakura suddenly felt all the air leave her lungs as Kira's attack slammed into her stomach with the force of a sledgehammer, sending her crashing into the ground in agonizing pain. 'I… I actually felt that!' the pink-haired kunoichi thought, her mind in shock. 'That means she can punch through solid rock! How is she so strong?!'

"Is that the best you can do?!" Kira taunted. "Where's that confidence you were showing earlier?"

Anger flared inside her, numbing the pain and giving Sakura the energy to push herself back onto her feet. She glared at the Mōjiyū and spat out a glob of blood. She got another feral grin in response.

"Now that's more like it!" the ex-Kiri-nin laughed. "C'mon!" Her fist met Sakura's hastily raised guard, but the pinkette wasn't fast enough to block the kick that crashed into her side. But this time, she didn't fall or stagger. Instead, Sakura struck back with a powerful uppercut into Kira's stomach! She then grabbed the gasping girl and threw her into the bridge's stone railing.

Unfortunately for Sakura, Kira proved to be surprisingly durable. Mid-flight, the Mōjiyū recovered and, instead of crashing, used the bridge's railing as a springboard to launch herself back at the pinkette and nail the girl in the face with a hard right. This was immediately followed up by a backhand, then a haymaker, and then finally a nose-crunching headbutt, all of which left Sakura seeing double. But Kira was hardly finished just yet. Strike after strike, blow after blow, the former kunoichi of Kiri beat the living shit out of her opponent! It was painful to watch and even more painful to experience.

But Sakura wasn't about to give in.

All of the sudden, the pinkette had one of Kira's arms in a vice-like grip. Caught and understandably surprised, the Mōjiyū was totally unprepared for the barrage of punches that buried itself in her stomach before she was literally swung overhead and then slammed, repeatedly, into the unforgiving stone floor.

WHAM!

WHAM!

WHAM!

Over and over, Sakura smashed her opponent into the floor, her anger at the earlier beating fueling the rather brutal attack. The pinkette then spun around, chucked the battered girl into the air, and then appeared above her with her leg in mid-swing.

And even in her dazed pained state, Kira immediately recognized the danger of that fast-approaching heel.

"Kyojin no Ono (Titan's Battle Axe)!"

"SHIT!" Kira crossed her arms as her tribal marks suddenly took a shell-like appearance. "Kame (Turtle)!"

WHAM!

Sakura's axe kick smashed right through Kira's defense and sent the girl falling toward the bridge below… only for a log to take its place. "Substitution!" the pinkette cursed, diving out of the way just in time to avoid a brace of shuriken. But that was exactly what Kira wanted. Seemingly out of nowhere, the Mōjiyū materialized on her left and rammed a kunai into the Konoha kunoichi's shoulder!

"AAAHHHH!"

Sakura staggered back, clutching the bloody wound as she pulled the knife out. She had been lucky. The blade hadn't gone too deep, thanks to the Doton: Kyojin no Chikara (Earth Release: Titan's Might) still being active, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt like hell. Unfortunately, Kira had no intentions of giving her any reprieve as dozens of blows were unleashed onto her body. A final and powerful sidekick finished up the barrage, sending Sakura flying back and into the unforgiving stone.

"C'mon, Omoto (Outer)! Pull it together!" Sakura's inner persona ordered as her outer self struggled to get back up. "Don't let that bitch win!"

'I'm trying, Ura (Inner), but she's just too strong! She's a former kunoichi of Kiri and has been training with people like Zabuza up until now. And I only graduated a few months ago! How are we supposed to beat that kind of experience?!'

"By fighting smart! Don't forget, we're smart and sexy. I know we haven't mastered the Doton: Kyojin no Chikara (Earth Release: Titan's Might) to the point where we can use any other jutsu while it's active, but that doesn't mean we should avoid using them entirely! Come on! Use that brain of yours and let's kick the fucking shit out of that bitch and her stupid big boobs."

Loathe as Sakura was to admit it, her inner self had a point. She'd been fighting poorly. Like a brawler almost… Time to change things up and fight like a true shinobi.

"Are you finished already?" Kira taunted, seeing that her opponent had yet to get back up. Seconds later, the green glow that had covered the Konoha kunoichi from the very start of the fight faded. "Looks like you really are finished. I'll admit though, you were pretty good. You might've even broken a rib or two in your last attack. I definitely underestimated you. But you're still far off from being in my league."

"… -e'll see… -bout 'at."

Kira mockingly leaned over and cupped a hand around her ear. "Sorry, what was that?"

"I said…"

Suddenly, the defeated Konoha kunoichi disappeared. 'An illusion!' Kira thought in astonishment. 'She must've created the clone and then used a Genjutsu to hide. But then, where's the real one? Where did she go?!

A voice directly behind her answered that question.

"I said we'll see about that! Now take this!"

What happened next would begin the legend of Sakura Haruno. Because even though there were no witnesses besides the two combatants, everyone on the bridge, in the town, and possibly the whole island heard and felt the result.

All Sakura did was cock her fist back… and punched.

"Raiken (Lightning Fist)!"

There was a flash of white light, a deafening roar of thunder, and then… silence.

One battle had ended.

~ Scene Break ~

~ A Few Minutes Earlier ~

On the other side of the bridge, another fight was underway. Sasuke and Shuzuki were locked in fierce combat. Sparks flew as they clashed, pitting kunai against sword with neither gaining ground against the other despite their best efforts. Occasionally, large fireballs would roar across the bridge, intent on incinerating their target to ash, only to meet crashing waves of water, snuffing them out.

They were evenly matched.

Even though Shuzuki has the advantage of superior strength and experience, Sasuke was considered a prodigy for a reason. His natural speed along with his recently awakened Sharingan allowed the Genin to fight evenly with his opponent. In the end, this battle would come down to one of skill and luck.

With a roar, the two clashed once more. In a dazzling display of sparks, their blades met in a heated deadlock and it quickly became apparent that Shuzuki would win this latest exchange. But his opponent was prepared for this. Suddenly, Sasuke's kunai lit up with lightning chakra. The electricity travelled across their crossed blades, down the Hōzuki's sword, and into the former mist-nin's body, shocking and instantly paralyzing him. He was defenseless, something the Uchiha immediately took advantage of as he leapt away, leaving a primed explosive tag behind.

Shuzuki's eyes widened. "SHIT!"

BOOM!

The tag burst, unleashing an explosion that sent Shuzuki rocketing across the bridge! He crashed into a nearby pile of lumber just as Sasuke finished his last hand seal and unleashed a blazing fireball straight toward his enemy. "Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!"

The broken pile of wood exploded into a mighty inferno! The flames were so hot that it only took seconds for the lumber to be reduced to ash. But throughout all this, Sasuke merely scowled. "Cut the dramatics, Hōzuki. I know those flames aren't hot enough to hurt you."

WHAM!

As if on cue, the ex mist-nin burst out of the flames, seemingly unharmed. Sasuke would've widened his eyes at the sudden attack had his face not currently been blocked by the Hōzuki's fist. The follow-up hook kick sent the Uchiha tumbling back, but he quickly got back up and glared at his opponent. A scowl appeared as he took in his enemy's condition, which only showed some slight damage from the earlier explosion but nothing else from his fireball.

"I have to admit, Uchiha, you're better than I expected," the former Kiri-nin said, rubbing his gut. "Elemental chakra flow… That's not something your typical Genin could do. And you were able to hurt me, despite all the advantages I have over you."

"I know that your clan's Suika no Jutsu (Hydrification Technique) makes you immune to physical damage and Doton, Suiton, and Katon techniques, unless they're hot enough," Sasuke said with a scowl. "But the Uchiha have records of dozens of encounters against your clan and we've made a few observations. Like how if you're hit with electricity, your technique can get negated, making attacks like explosives and even Katon techniques damaging."

"Very good!" Shuzuki clapped mockingly. "You're right on the money. But just knowing how to hurt me doesn't mean you'll actually be able to."

"I did it once, I can do it again."

"Psh, that was a fluke. I was careless, but it won't happen again."

"We'll see about that." Suddenly, a dozen shuriken were flying across the bridge, each crackling with electricity. But the distance between them was too great. Shuzuki easily avoided the projectiles and, with his hand in the shape of a gun, pointed his index finger back at the Uchiha.

Sasuke promptly paled.

"Mizudeppō no Jutsu (Water Gun Technique)!"

It was like a bullet… From the tip of his index finger, the Hōzuki fired a single drop of water with tremendous force and speed! It moved so fast that even with the Sharingan, Sasuke was only just barely able to dodge it and even then, it still pierced a hole in his shirt.

"Hoh, you're pretty fast, aren't ya? I was sure that would hit you." A predatory, shark-like smile spread across the former Kiri-nin's face as he locked eyes with the Uchiha. "Let's see if you can do it again! And don't worry, this won't kill you, but it sure as hell won't tickle. Mizudeppō no Jutsu: Jiyūrenshiya (Water Gun Technique: Rapid Fire)!"

"SHIT!"

In that instant, faced with a virtual hail of water bullets, time seemed to slow. Sasuke pushed his body as hard as he could, trying with all his might to avoid each flying droplet. Weave left, then right, duck head, move right, right again, then left, jump twist…

But it wasn't enough.

Slowly, the bullets got closer and closer. And despite his best efforts, Sasuke was taking hits. First, it was one to the shoulder. Then, he took one in the leg and one in the foot. He staggered and those hits cut his speed and maneuverability in half. And then finally, he could no longer dodge. Shot after shot after shot, his whole body was peppered with dozens of water bullets until one landed squarely between the Uchiha's eyes, knocking his head back and straight into unconsciousness. He crumbled.

"It's over," Shuzuki whispered, lowering his hands. "To be honest, I had expected more." He heaved a great sigh and looked to see how his teammate, Kira, was fairing just in time to witness the pink-haired kunoichi lift her up and slam her repeatedly into the ground. He winced. "Ouch, I'd better go help her-"

"Raiton: Shūrai (Lightning Release: Lightning Strike)!"

"-AARRGGHH!"

It came out of nowhere.

Electricity, hundreds upon hundreds of volts, suddenly hit him with all the force of a thunder bolt. Every nerve in his body lit up like a christmas tree and the pain… The pain was all-consuming. It felt white hot and Shuzuki knew he was screaming. He screamed and screamed and by the time the technique ended only a few seconds after it hit him, Shuzuki was on the ground, charred, blackened, and barely conscious.

"You should know better than to look an Uchiha in the eye," a voice said behind him.

In his semi-conscious state, Shuzuki looked up in astonishment to see a completely unharmed Uchiha walking up to his prone body. He turned his head to look at the body he had been attacking earlier only to see nothing there.

"Y-You… Genjutsu…"

"Correct," Sasuke said, pointing to his Sharingan. "You really should've known better."

"You're right…" Shuzuki suddenly melted into a puddle and Sasuke felt his eyes widened upon hearing a voice speak behind him. "Which is why I made a clone."

SHCK!

Sasuke could only stare in shock at the blade point protruding out from his chest. He knew it had missed every one of his vitals, but simply seeing and feeling the metal sticking out of his chest was enough for his mind to go blank… Up until he too disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Tch… Clone. He's good," Shuzuki admitted. But overall, he wasn't fazed. The moment his sword met its target, he knew he had stabbed a clone instead of the original simply because there had been no resistance. "You fight like a proper shinobi, using tricks, skill, and cunning to win your battles," the Hōzuki complemented, carefully scanning his surroundings for his opponent. The Uchiha was most likely using another illusion to hide his presence. And even though he may not be able to see his opponent right now, that would soon change. "But here's where we differ, Uchiha. I don't rely on my Kekkei Genkai to win my battles. We both know you're not as strong as me and it's only thanks to your Sharingan that you've been able to keep up. But if I take that away… If I block your Sharingan's ability to anticipate my moves and plant Genjutsu to fool me, what then will you do?" A vicious shark-like grin spread across his lips. "Let's find out! Kirigakure no Ju-"

"Raiton: Shūrai (Lightning Release: Lightning Strike)!"

The lightning bolt clipped Shuzuki's side, interrupting his technique and sending agonizing jolts of electricity coursing through his body. But this time, even though it wasn't a clone, the former Kiri-nin was able to tough it out and bring himself back to focus on his opponent, who had revealed himself. "There you are!" He raised his hand and pointed his finger at the Uchiha. "Now, how about we try again. Mizudeppō no Jutsu: Jiyūrenshiya (Water Gun Technique: Rapid Fire)!"

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique)!"

The hail of water bullets met a blazing inferno and this time, fire won. The droplets were instantly evaporated and did nothing to stop the fireball's charge toward it's target. But it was still just fire and far from hot enough to damage a Hōzuki. "You'll need to do better than that, Uchiha!" Shuzuki laughed, charging through the flames totally unharmed… Only to take another, much smaller and much, much hotter fireball to the chest.

And that one hurt.

"GYAHH!" Shuzuki stumbled back, clutching his burned chest. "What the fuck?!"

"Katon: Gariyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Dragon's Fang Technique)!"

It was like a gunshot. A small, highly compact and ridiculously hot white fireball flew from Sasuke's mouth and burst in a mighty explosion upon contact with Shuzuki's shoulder. And the flames… They were so intense that it was actually able to damage Shuzuki's unique body by bringing the water it hit to a boil.

"What kind of jutsu is this?!" the Hōzuki gasped, trying to wrap his head around that fire… fire!… was hurting him.

"Something new," Sasuke smirked. "Katon: Gariyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Dragon's Fang Technique)!"

"Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Bullet)!"

Fire met water and once again, against all logic, fire won. The fireball punched through the water bullet and continued its path toward its target, who was far too stunned to dodge and ended up taking it right in the face! "ARRGGHH!" The resulting explosion blasted him clean off the bridge and into the water below.

Sasuke ran to the side of the bridge and peered over the railing, but didn't see his opponent. That being said, he wasn't about to pursue a Hōzuki down into the river where he'd be borderline invincible. No, he'd be smart about this and wait for his enemy to come to him.

Suddenly, there was a bright flash, a mighty roar of thunder, and then an ear-piercing scream of pain. A scream that was heard even down at the river's surface.

"KIRA!"

Suddenly, the river exploded! A massive tower of water burst upwards with Shuzuki at it's helm. His eyes zoned in on his comrade's unconscious, blackened body lying on the floor with her opponent, Sakura, standing over her. "Kira! No!" He moved to surge forward, but a bolt of lightning slamming into his chest put a stop to his advance. "ARRGGGHHH!" He fell, crashing back onto the bridge and covering half the structure with water.

"Not so fast, Hōzuki!" Sasuke said, jumping in front of his opponent. "Our fight isn't over yet!"

"Get out of my way, Uchiha! Kira needs me!" Shuzuki shouted, pushing himself back onto his feet. The water began to flow toward him. It swelled and surrounded him, taking form. "Suiton: Tate Eboshi (Water Release: Shield Crow Hat Child)!"

Sasuke barely had but a moment to take in the massive, devilfish like form his opponent had taken before he was bombarded with high pressured jets of water. "GYAAHH!" Smashed hard into the stone bridge, the Uchiha was pummeled over and over with dozens of jets of water until finally, a full minute later, they relented. And Sasuke, battered and undeniably beaten, could only lay there. 'I lost…' the Uchiha thought, hazily noting that his opponent didn't even spare him a second glance as he ran by, knocked out Sakura with a hard punch to the back of the head, and then swept Kira into his arms. 'Why? …Why is it that everyone seems to be stronger than me?! Against Kakashi and Zabuza, Naruto fought better than I did. He didn't even freeze against Zabuza's killing intent! And Sakura… A fangirl was able to beat her opponent and I couldn't! Why?! WHY AM I SO WEAK?!'

"Do you know why you lost, Uchiha?"

It was Shuzuki. He had Kira in his arms and appeared to be heading back toward their hideout, but had paused upon walking up beside his beaten opponent. And he could see the question burning in the Uchiha's eyes. "The reason why you lost is because you fight only for yourself," he said.

"B-But how-?"

"How does that make a difference?" the Hōzuki said, easily predicting the Uchiha's question. "It makes all the difference. I know about your past. About how your brother killed your clan and left you the sole survivor save for himself. And for that, you have my sympathies."

Sasuke, despite his state, stiffened at this. He did not want or need an enemy's sympathy or pity.

"That being said, I'm sure your greatest desire is to get revenge, right? To get back for everything done to you." He didn't answer, but the Kiri-nin took that as an affirmative. "And there's your problem."

Sasuke snapped. "SO WHAT THE FUCK WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO?!" he roared. "JUST FORGET EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED?! WHAT HE DID TO ME AND MY FAMILY?!"

"Of course not! But you're letting your brother win by walking this avenger path."

That immediately took the wind out of Sasuke's sails. "Wh-What?"

"Tell me if you want, but what did your brother say to you when he left you alive?"

"H-He… He said if I wanted to kill him, to get revenge for the clan, I had to hate him… To channel my anger and hate and use it to kill him."

"So you're basically letting him dictate how you should live your life? How you should fight?"

Sasuke couldn't even reply to that.

Shuzuki sighed. He didn't know why he was going to such lengths to change the young Genin laying defeated before him, but he felt like he had to. That if he didn't, catastrophe would come in the future. "Listen, Uchiha… The reason why I'm strong… The reason why I beat you is because I fight for my comrades. Kira, Haku, Ryōshi, Ami, Kagome, and even Zabuza… When you fight for someone you truly care about, you will push yourself far beyond your limits. You will overcome even death itself if it means saving their lives… If you die, then that's it. There will be no remorse, no guilt, or anything simply because you're dead. But if you're alive and your friends are dead, then you will suffer. You will hurt. And you will curse yourself to hell for failing. It's a fate far worse than death, in my opinion."

Sasuke was silent throughout all of this. These words entered his mind and were burned into his brain. He was starting to see. Starting to understand. All this time, he had fought for himself. Prior to Team 7, Sasuke trained to the brink and back, and yet, these past couple months with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi had resulted in him growing to a level far beyond what he had thought possible. And the mere thought of any of them getting hurt, despite his best efforts to distance himself, stirred a fire within him that pushed him to stand and fight.

"If you choose to ignore my words, then that is your decision, Uchiha. But know this… There is nothing more terrible than being alone. Even if you achieved all your goals and ambitions, what peace would you find? You would still be alone, with no one to share it with."

And with that, Shuzuki left with his teammate, leaving an unconscious pinkette and her teammate pondering the words said.

~ Scene Break ~

Unlike the other heated battles, the one between Naruto and Haku was far more tame. In fact, while the others were just about finishing up, their fight hadn't even started yet. The two shinobi stood across from one another, gazing deep into each other's eyes. They saw pain, discomfort, and inevitability in what they knew would eventually happen.

Finally, Naruto sighed. "We knew this was going to happen, Haku-chan."

"I know," the ice maiden whispered, her head bowed. "But it doesn't mean I didn't wish it wouldn't."

"Me too. But we have to fight… and you know why."

The words hit Haku hard for she knew them to be the truth. They would fight for the sake of the mission, their pride as shinobi, and, most importantly, for their comrades. "You're right. We have to fight," the brunette said. A look of steely determination entered her eyes. "Are you ready?"

"Yes… Are you, Haku-chan?"

"I am. And don't hold back, Naruto-kun. Our precious people deserve to have all our power fighting for them!"

And that was all that needed to be said. With resolve now shining bright in their eyes, the two shinobi leapt at each other and slammed into each other with a resounding thud and a shockwave of power. In an instant, Haku and Naruto traded dozens of kicks and punches, but neither could land a blow against the other. Kicks were blocked, punches evaded, and every combination thrown met iron defenses. It was only after a full minute of Taijutsu did one of them finally make a mistake that the other could exploit. As Naruto ducked under a punch, the angel attempted to land a spinning side kick only to miss and inadvertently expose his side. And despite her personal feelings, Haku didn't hesitate to strike, just like how Zabuza trained her.

The kick the ice maiden delivered to his ribs sent Naruto flying across the bridge. And before his back could even touch the ground, Haku was above him, her fist in mid-swing.

WHAM!

"GYAAHH!" Naruto slammed into the ground, the sheer force actually cracking the hard stone. All the while, as his body reeled in pain, the blond couldn't help but think, 'So fast… How is she so fast?! I didn't even have time to make a clone or substitution!'

"C'mon, Naruto-kun, I know you can do better than that! Stop holding back! Our precious people deserve more from you!"

At those words, strength flooded through Naruto's body. Haku was right. He was holding back out of fear from hurting her, but no more. Not only did his team and Tazuna's family deserve better, so too did his opponent. "Sorry, Haku-chan," Naruto said, pushing himself back onto his feet. As he did so, visible holy chakra began to coalesce around his back before they burst into two angelic wings. "You're right. No more holding back."

With a single flap of his wings, Naruto shot across the bridge at twice the speed he had been moving at earlier. It was so sudden that Haku was only just barely able to put a guard at the brutal kick he threw against her. But she didn't fall. Even against all the raw power put behind the blond's kick, the ice maiden was able to hold her ground and retaliate with a left jab, followed by a series of knife thrusts. The jab missed, as she expected, but in doing so, her opponent left himself open for several of the knife strikes to land with bruising accuracy.

Naruto cursed as he stumbled back, rubbing his chest. He knew Haku was strong, but to this extent… 'She's so strong. Her Taijutsu seems to emphasis on creating openings for potential killing blows. If we were fighting for real, I'd be dead right now.' He needed to step his game up even more. Leaping forward, Naruto attacked with a low sweeping kick aimed for the legs. "Gigot (Legs)!" He missed, but the momentum he built was immediately put to use with both legs swinging out wide. "Côtelette (Ribs)! Selle (Lower Back)!" Those kicks broke open Haku's guard, just in time for Naruto to swing around and deliver several rapid fire snap kicks, "Attendrir (Tenderize)!" followed by a hard push kick to her chest, "Poitrine Shoot (Breast Shoot)!"

Pushed back, Haku quickly regained her footing, but not before the angel appeared over her with his leg raised high. And from the looks of it, this attack would hurt. "Troisième Hachis (Third Rate Mincemeat)!"

"Hyōton: Hyōgan Dōmu (Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness)!"

Over two dozen kicks, each packed with the power to crush boulders, slammed into a dome of ice. The shield shuttered, and for a moment, it even cracked… But in the end, it held firm.

Seeing this, Naruto ended his attack and leapt away. "So you're finally using your bloodline, huh?"

"Yes," Haku nodded, a look of profound pain and sadness in her eyes. "But I did not want to. My bloodline, the power of Hyōton (Ice Release), is cursed and can only be used to kill."

The teen shook his head. "That's where you're wrong, Haku-chan," Naruto said soothingly. "Let me show you that it can also be used to protect." He flipped through a series of hand seals before ending at and holding the dog seal. "Hyōton: Hokkyoku Ōkami (Ice Release: Arctic Wolf)!"

'Impossible…' Haku's eyes widened. 'C-Can he really…?'

A chilling cold swept across the battlefield as the mist hanging in the air began to rapidly coalesce around the angel. Within mere nanoseconds, ice had formed and it was growing… Faster and faster, the ice grew and took shape, its formation much swifter than when Naruto had first tested the Ninjutsu. Finally, a mere five seconds later, two massive wolves made of pure ice had formed, snarling protectively at their creator's side.

Haku's jaw hit the floor.

Impossible.

Ice… Her newest precious person could create ice, like her!

"Y-You… You can use Hyōton (Ice Release)…"

"It's not just a Kekkei Genkai thing, Haku-chan. Anyone with strong enough elemental affinities for water and wind can use Hyōton (Ice Release). You're not alone."

A single tear rolled down her cheek. It was incredible how Naruto could seemingly say exactly the right words to soothe her very soul. And even more so, he was also showing her how ice could be used to create something beautiful. How long had it been since she thought that? For years now, since the death of her family, Haku had believed that her bloodline, that ice, could only be used to cause death and destruction. But now, seeing it take the shape of majestic wolves, clearly intent on protecting their creator… It did more for the girl than she knew she needed. "Thank you, Naruto-kun," she whispered, wiping the tears away. "Thank you."

Naruto smiled. "Get ready, Haku-chan. The real battle starts now."

"Hai!"

The two wolves snarled and charged just as Haku, in a blur of speed, shot forward to meet them with spears of ice in her hands. Seemingly in an instant, one of Naruto's wolves suddenly found two icicles sticking out of its flank. It shattered a second later, just as the other wolf pounced. But the ice maiden was ready. She knew she would not have enough time to dodge, so instead, Haku created another spear and raised it up just in time to block the ice wolf's swinging claws.

CLANG!

Instantly, she was on her knees. Haku couldn't help but cry out as she struggled against the ice wolf's strength. It's claws bore down on her, pushing the spear closer and closer to her face… "Hissatsu Hyōsō (Certain Kill Ice Spears)!"

Spikes of ice burst out of Haku's spear, impaling the construct and shattering it into small pieces. 'That was too close,' she thought, breathing a sigh of relief… Up until a familiar voice spoke behind her.

"Don't forget that this is a battle, Haku-chan! You can't afford to relax! Épaule (Shoulder)!"

The roundhouse kick aimed at her shoulders slammed her face first into the ground. The stunned girl couldn't even cry out before another kick drove her further into the ground with near rib-cracking force. "Selle (Lower Back)!" Naruto said, a noticeable strain in his voice. It was clear that attacking the ice maiden while she was down was not something he wanted to do. But they were both shinobi, with their own missions. This had to be done. "Do you yield, Haku-chan?"

"Y-You should know better, Naruto-kun. This isn't enough to beat me," was the kunoichi's response. "Hissatsu Hyōsō (Certain Kill Ice Spears)!"

"Shit!"

Naruto flapped his wings hard and was only just barely able to avoid the large mass of ice spikes that suddenly erupted all around his opponent. 'That was close,' Naruto thought, hanging in the air. He returned his gaze back to the ground only to find that Haku was gone. 'Where did she go?'

The slight chill at his back was his answer and the only warning Naruto got before his opponent emerged from an ice mirror and delivered a blow that sent him plummeting back down to earth. Even as the angel fell, Haku did not relent and quickly made a hand seal. "Sensatsu Suishō (Thousand Flying Water Needles)!"

Hundreds of senbon were suddenly sent after the falling angel who, upon seeing the oncoming danger, cursed, flared out his wings to stop his descent, and made his own hand seals. And then Naruto roared. "Fūton: Shishi Otakebi (Wind Release: Lion's Roar)!"

A howling vortex of air and sound exploded out from the angel's mouth and utterly disintegrated every single senbon coming for him, before continuing upwards toward the ice mirror and shattering it. But despite being inside that mirror, Haku was unharmed. She emerged from the falling shards and landed silently back on the bridge. "That's quite a powerful technique you have there, Naruto-kun," she complimented. "There's not much that can damage my mirrors, let alone break them."

"It's one of the first Fūton techniques I ever created. I only just recently finished working out all the kinks."

The ice maiden's eyes widened. "Y-You created that?!"

"That and the Hyōton technique. My own original creations! Isn't it awesome?"

"D-Do you think you could make me some new Hyōton techniques?"

"Of course, Haku-chan!"

It was kind of hard to believe that just seconds ago, the two teenagers had been fighting and now, instead, they were talking about creating techniques for the future. A future that both unconsciously saw each other in.

All of the sudden, the cheer in Naruto's face disappeared as his head snapped toward the end of the bridge. His eyes were wide and his angelic wings disappeared as he focused all his senses away from the battle and into the island, searching. Though for what reason, his opponent did not know.

"Naruto-kun?"

"Shh!" he hushed, straining his senses. He needed to be sure he hadn't imagined what he had felt. They were supposed to repeat the signal two times-THERE!

This time, Haku felt it too, even though she didn't understand it. All the ice maiden knew was that there was a series of chakra pulses coming from deeper in the island… A code? It must be given how Naruto was reacting.

Suddenly, from out of the mist, Kakashi and Zabuza appeared. They were both heavily injured with a litany of cuts, burns, bruises, and even a number of bite marks in Zabuza's case. But perhaps what was most surprising was that neither were attacking the other. In fact, both had a look of alarm on their partially covered faces.

"Naruto, did you feel that?"

The boy nodded.

"Shit," Kakashi cursed uncharacteristically. "That means they didn't get there in time."

"Dammit, Kakashi, what the fuck is going on?!" Zabuza demanded. "What was that chakra pulse?"

"That was from our reinforcements. It means that weren't able to eliminate your employer and that he's on his way here with the army of mercenaries he hired." The Konoha shinobi looked the swordsman in the eye. "He was never planning on paying you. Our plan was to assassinate him, procure his assets, pay you to leave, and then complete our mission."

"Tch… Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Please, Zabuza-sama," Haku interrupted. "They are good people. I don't think they would lie about something of this magnitude."

"You've always been too kind… Too trusting. Don't you see, Haku? This could very easily be a trap. Why should we believe anything they say?"

"You don't have to believe me," Kakashi said. "Clear the mist. That signal means that Gatō and his army are almost here."

Zabuza scoffed, but he didn't make it this far by not being cautious. With a single hand seal, the mist began to clear. And then he saw it… His fat, greedy midget of an employer with a small army behind him. There had to be more than two hundred of them… Mercenaries, thugs, cutthroats; the men at Gatō's back were some of the worse kinds of people out there. And every single one of them were heading straight toward them. The Demon of the Bloody Mist snarled, "Gatō! What the fuck are you doing here?! And what's with all the men?!"

"Isn't it obvious, Zabuza?" the man laughed mockingly. "I'm going to have all of you killed! Just like I planned."

"What?!"

"Did you really think I would pay you any money? Hiring shinobi from a village has always been so expensive, especially when you don't know if they plan on betraying you. But missing-nins, like you and your little rag tag group… That's a different story," Gatō said with a sinister smile. "I don't have to worry about any consequences from your village if I decide to get rid of the lot of you. I just have to wait for you to either kill each other or tire yourselves out and then I can overwhelm you with numbers. This way, I save money and still get the job done. Speaking of which…" He looked at Naruto and Haku. "I must thank you for getting rid of Aoi Rokushō for me. It saved me quite a bit of time and money."

Zabuza snarled. "I hope you've made peace with Kami, you bastard, because I'm going to kill you right here."

"You think you can kill me?!" Gatō laughed. "Look at you, having trouble with a bunch of snot-nosed brats and their babysitter. You're no demon, you're a fucking disgrace! A weakling! And you still haven't killed the bridge builder, have you? Pathetic! Clearly, your vaulted reputation means nothing when push comes to shove."

Both Zabuza and Haku bristled at those words. "Looks like you really were telling the truth, Kakashi," the swordsman said gruffly. "And since this mission is now null, we no longer have any reason to fight you."

"Yeah."

"Once this is over, we'll take our leave."

"Fine by me. Do you think-?"

"Ah, Kakashi… It will be our pleasure to help you gut that fucking pig!"

Once again, Gatō laughed. "You still think you can kill me, huh?! You shinobi are already half dead! My men won't even break a sweat taking you down. But don't worry, Zabuza… I won't kill all of you." A lecherous smile spread across his face as he looked directly into a certain ice maiden's eyes. "All your pretty bitches will be coming with me. Once me and my boys here have had our fun, I'll sell them and make a nice little profit on the side."

That did it.

Whether it was his holy celestial chakra or his own nature, hearing those kinds of words always seemed to get a reaction out of a certain blond shinobi. White and black chakra swirled around him as Naruto roared in fury. His white angelic wings burst out of his back, revealing to all his divine heritage, as he drew both of his swords and charged before anyone could stop him.

"Naruto-kun!"

"Fucking brat! Get back here!"

"Naruto!" Kakashi yelled, but their calls fell on deaf ears. "Shit!" He looked at his former opponent. "Zabuza! I'll give you twice your promised pay if you help Naruto while I get my other students to safety!"

It was too good an offer, especially since his own apprentice had just leapt after the newly revealed angel. And besides, he still needed to slit his former employer's throat anyways. "You got yourself a deal." He spun around and charged after the two teenagers, just in time to see Naruto collide with the army.

"OORRAAHHH!" The angel smashed into the army with the force of a freight train and before anyone could so much as blink, four mercenaries had been viciously cut down. "Come get some, you sick bastards!" he shouted, flinging Ten'yuu at a nearby thug. The glowing blade impaled its target right through the man's heart and sent him flying back, before a wave of golden fire erupted from the holy weapon. "Seitōryū: Tenmō (Holy Sword Style: Heaven's Vengeance)!" In an instant, a half dozen enemies were dead from holy flames as Naruto spun around and decapitated another two with Mugetsu.

By this point, the army had regained their senses enough to try and attack the divine warrior. A small group of mercenaries charged him, with the closest one yelling inarticulately as he swung his naginata at Naruto's face. Unfortunately for him, the blade missed by miles as the blond dropped one hand onto the ground and swung both legs into the man's face, heels first. "Concassé (Crush)!" It killed him instantly. Now back on his feet, the Jinchūriki ducked under a volley of arrows and parried a sword thrust before retaliating with a series of rapid, high powered kicks. "Troisième Hachis (Third Rate Mincemeat)!"

Two more fell. And still, Naruto did not stop.

"What are you fools waiting for?! It's just one kid! Somebody, kill him already!" Gatō ordered as he retreated to the rear of his army.

"B-B-But, sir! He's an angel!"

"Not just an angel… Look at him! He's an Angel of Death! How are we supposed to fight that?!"

"Is this Kami-sama showing her anger?!"

"Don't be fools!" Gatō shouted. "That's probably just some stupid shinobi trick meant to scare us!"

"Gatō-sama is right!" a mercenary yelled, drawing his axe. "C'mon! Attac-HRK!"

A powerful roundhouse kick to the neck cut off anything else the man had been about to say before he hit the ground. "Collier (Neck)!" Naruto growled, before knocking another thug onto the ground with a low sweep. A hard stomp to the guy's face ensured he wouldn't get up any time soon. The angel then darted back over to his holy sword, deflecting every attack along the way with his other blade, before taking off into the sky to dodge a volley of arrows. Up there, out of reach, Naruto sheathed his weapons and sped through a series of seals for his one other original technique.

"Suiton: Akuhei Bakufu no Jutsu (Water Release: Hydra Blast Technique)!"

The sea around the bridge surged at Naruto's call. From one side, a towering pillar of water exploded upwards in the shape of a three-headed dragon! The beast roared and everyone, including Zabuza and Haku, could only stare in open-mouth shock at the display. They would soon pay for their inattentiveness. With a roar, the water dragon smashed into the bridge, instantly killing more than two dozen mercenaries from its sheer concussive force while another fifteen or so were swept off the bridge, taking them out of the fight for the time being.

By then, Zabuza and Haku had joined the fray.

The two assassins cut a swath through the army with cold efficiency. There were no wasted movements. Every enemy that stepped in their path found themselves either cut down or with a senbon in one of their vitals. Not one of them could stop their advance.

"Benikiri-Ryū: Chi no Uta (Crimson Mist Style: Song of Blood)!"

"Sensatsu Suishō (Thousand Flying Water Needles)!"

As a hail of ice needles and a crimson wave of death swept through the army, killing close to three dozen, fear began to take hold among the mercenaries. And who could blame them? Even though they still numbered over a hundred, they had yet to land a single blow against just three shinobi. Many began to back away, fear evident in their faces, but some took it as a challenge and pushed their way to the frontlines.

"Get outta my way, ya fucking pussies!" yelled a muscular, seven foot tall man. He swung his massive iron club at Haku, who dodged, but quickly found herself having some trouble with maneuverability with all the corpses and mercenaries around her. Fortunately, her guardian angel had no intentions of letting her fight alone.

Like an angel sent from the shining heavens above, Naruto dropped between his precious person and the giant in a deep crouch before shooting up with a powerful vertical kick into the mercenary's jaw. He then catapulted himself back into the sky and materialized over the stunned man in a front flip with his leg coming down in a crushing axe kick."Deux Plat (Two Course Meal)!"

The giant hit the ground head first and didn't get back up.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.

"Thanks, Naruto-kun," Haku smiled as she flash-freezed a nearby thug. Another hand seal ended with six more on the ground as pincushions.

Despite their situation, the boy couldn't help but smile in return. "Anytime." He looked around and noticed that they were now surrounded. That wouldn't do. "Haku-chan, put your hand on the sword," Naruto said, holding out Ten'yuu in a reverse grip. Confused, but knowing that she could trust her precious person, the ice maiden complied and placed her hand on the pommel as the angel lifted the weapon and stabbed it into the ground. "Seiton: Hōken (Holy Release: Consecration)!"

It was as if they had suddenly stepped onto the sun. As soon as Ten'yuu pierced the stone floor, the ground all around them burst in a pillar of dazzling golden light. Every single person within five meters screamed as they were engulfed in golden fire while Naruto and Haku remained unharmed at the light's center.

"Incredible," Haku whispered, her eyes closed. She could feel Naruto's holy power all around her, wrapping her in soothing warmth that made her soul sing. It was wonderful. Unfortunately, when the technique ended a few seconds later, so too did those feelings, but that didn't stop her from just trying to memorize the sensations for a few moments before leaping back into the battle alongside the angel.

Meanwhile, Zabuza felt like he was back in the good old bloody days of the Crimson Mist. His Kubikiribōchō (Decapitating Carving Knife) was drenched in blood as it sliced through dozens of enemies. Slowly, but surely, he was getting closer and closer to his goal, but there was still a number of enemies between them. 'Let's bring that number down some!' the swordsman thought viciously. "Benikiri-Ryū: Akashio (Crimson Mist Style: Red Tide)!"

With his sword behind him, Zabuza swung his blade down and upwards, slicing a deep crevice into the bridge and sending forth a spray of dust, pebbles, and chakra that pierced clean through anything and everything they touched.

Two dozen mercenaries fell, bloodied and dead.

This is why the Benikiri-Ryū (Crimson Mist Style) is considered one of the deadliest sword styles in shinobi history. 'Although,' Zabuza thought, turning his gaze toward the young angel fighting alongside his apprentice. He watched as the boy unleash a crescent wave of gold, resulting in the deaths of three more mercenaries. 'His sword style is strong, maybe even as strong as the Benikiri-Ryū (Crimson Mist Style).' He narrowed his eyes in thought as he absentmindedly bifurcated two more of Gatō's thugs. 'I wonder how far he'll go… Gah, why am I thinking about this in the middle of a battle?!' The swordsman shook his head in frustration and jumped back into the slaughter.

Throughout the fighting, there was one man who acted differently from the others. His eyes were glazed as he dispassionately watched his fellow mercenaries get taken down without a hint of emotion. In fact, if anything, he seemed to be counting. But the question, of course, was why? The shinobi were getting closer, which almost certainly meant his death. Did he not fear for his own life?

Apparently not. For the moment Naruto appeared before this mysterious man and swung his swords down, he was stopped cold by a dark, bubble-like shield. The angel's eyes widened. Here was the true threat… Celestial chakra flooded down both his blades.

"Seitōryū: Tengiri (Holy Sword Style: Celestial Slash)! Kūtōryū: Dankū (Void Sword Style: Spitting Void)!"

Two crescents, one of holy energy and one of the void, flew from celestial steel and slammed into the shield in a deafening explosion… And did nothing. In fact, this mystery man didn't even seem to notice that he had been attacked. Instead, he just nodded, having finally stopped counting, and was now going through a lengthy set of hand seals, despite not being a shinobi. And it was a sequence that Naruto's tenants quickly recognized.

"Oh shit… That's not good."

"NARUTO, STOP HIM!"

"IF YOU DON'T, EVERYONE IN THIS COUNTRY IS AS GOOD AS DEAD!"

With a curse, the angel immediately went into overdrive. Over and over, he slammed his divine swords against the man's shield, but with no effect. Even his strongest attacks did nothing. He needed more power. "Zabuza!" he shouted. The man looked up. "Help me break this shield! If we don't kill him before he finishes whatever it is he's doing, we're all fucked!"

Hearing the genuine fear and urgency in the angel's voice, Zabuza didn't hesitate to lend his aid. He cut a path to the Konoha Genin and joined in the assault while his apprentice watched their backs. "Benikiri-Ryū: Kyūji Kyōran (Crimson Mist Style: Feeding Frenzy)!"

Dozens, if not hundreds of sword thrusts and swings collided against the shield in mere seconds while Naruto tried his best to do the same at around the same spot. If they could just weaken one specific area on the shield, then maybe, just maybe, they could break through…

The shield cracked.

Yes! Just a little more…!

"Gisei no Jōshō (Ascension of Sacrifice)!"

Naruto's eyes widened. "No…"

They didn't make it.

Dark red lines of kanji spread from the mysterious man and proceeded to cover every single corpse that lay on the bridge floor. Within seconds, the bodies had withered away into dust as their very life essence seeped out and into this mysterious man, surrounding him in a swirling orb of chakra and hiding him from view.

A sense of dread and death suddenly washed over the battlefield. The shinobi instantly knew that this feeling was coming from the swirling cocoon of chakra and quickly put some distance between them.

That decision saved their lives.

For what emerged from that cocoon mere seconds later would haunt the shinobi for the rest of their lives. No longer was there a man, but a monstrous devil. Three times his original size, dark red skin, rippling with thick muscle, and jagged spikes protruding out of his shoulders, back, and forearms. It also had long, curved horns on it's forehead, burning green eyes, and shorter, but equally sharp spiked studs along it's jaw and chin… This being was terrifying in the most nightmarish of ways with a face not even the greatest of mothers could love. This was a monster. An embodiment of wrath and vengeance, eager to hunt and feast on souls.

Silence descended across the battlefield as everyone took in the monster standing in their midst.

Even Gatō was speechless.

And then… "GRROOAAAGGGHHH!"

The monster's roar sent a shockwave tearing across the bridge, knocking those closest onto the ground. Those who had fallen soon found themselves crushed as the devil suddenly attacked anything and everything around him. Screams ran through the air. Blood, guts, and body parts filled the bridge as the creature made short work of the remaining army. Very soon, it's gaze would be fixed upon Naruto, Zabuza, and Haku and that was not good.

"Great, a fucking devil. And a strong one too," Zabuza scowled. "He's at least low Jōnin level, if not higher."

Naruto blinked in surprise. "You know of devils?"

The swordsman sneered. "Kid, when you've been a shinobi for as long as I have, you see some pretty fucking twisted shit. This," he jerked his thumb at the monster. "Every other week for me."

"So you've fought them before?"

"Yeah, but none of them were this big," Zabuza grumbled. He looked appraisingly at the blond shinobi. "You're an Uzumaki. There's no other way you'd have those wings. That means you have celestial chakra and have the best chance of killing that thing."

"I don't think so. I only fully activated my bloodline a couple weeks ago, when I rescued Haku."

"Thanks for that, by the way… Look, I'm man enough to admit that I'm in no condition to take that thing down by myself. If I was fresh, sure, but not as I am now. Our best bet is for Haku and I to distract that thing, so that you can get in close and cut its fucking head off." He hefted up his sword. "It's our best chance, kid. So get ready and pray to Kami-sama that we survive."

"Zabuza-san is right, Naruto-kun," Reisei said. "Out of the three of you, you are the freshest with the most chakra still left. And you have celestial chakra. This is the best plan you've got."

'I know, Rei-chan, but I don't like it.'

"Just keep your eyes open and get ready. You'll need to use that technique if you want to kill that beast."

"Naruto-kun, I'll send some Yoki to boost your speed and strength. Hopefully, it'll be enough for you to kill the devil in one go."

'Hai.' he thought. He turned to his one-time enemy. "Fine. If you can immobilize him, I should be able to take him down with one move."

"We'll do our best, kid. Just make sure that move of yours gets the job done."

"Good luck, Naruto-kun."

With a nod, Naruto sheathed both swords and began channeling every iota of celestial chakra he had left into Ten'yuu while it was still in its scabbard. His hand rested on the weapon's handle, ready to pull out the blade in a moment's notice. They would only get one chance at this and the angel wasn't about to let it go to waste.

As for Zabuza and Haku, the two quickly found themselves in the hardest battle of their lives. Both were tired, but still they pushed themselves against this monster. Thankfully, they had the advantage in speed. It's swings and punches constantly missed, allowing the two assassins to dart in and out and strike wherever they could. If only that were enough. Despite their best efforts, their attacks did little to injure the creature. Its skin was simply too tough. 'Looks like we'll need to bring out the big guns,' Zabuza thought, raising his massive sword. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that his apprentice had had the same thought. Good. Two attacks were always better than one. "Benikiri-Ryū: Chi no Uta (Crimson Mist Style: Song of Blood)!" A red wave of chakra slammed into the devil and sliced a long, shallow gash across the beast's torso. It stumbled back, just as Haku appeared before the monstrosity with well over a thousand ice needles floating behind her. "Sensatsu Suishō (Thousand Flying Water Needles)!"

Had it been anybody else, Haku's technique would've killed them several times over. But not this time. Against such a powerful devil, the ice needles utterly failed to even pierce the beast's skin! They just bounced off! And even worse, what little damage they had been able to inflict on the creature had already healed.

"Now that's just not fair," Zabuza cursed. "Benikiri-Ryū: Chi no-!"

"Zabuza-sama, watch out!"

In a burst of speed the devil hadn't shown until now, the monster attacked Zabuza with a vicious haymaker. So sudden was the attack that the swordsman was only just barely able to raise his cleaver up in time as a pseudo shield before he was blown clear across the bridge by the beast's sheer power.

"Zabuza-sama!"

"I'm fine!" the man shouted, flipping over mid-flight and landing roughly on his feet. He glanced at his weapon only to see to his open-mouth shock that there was a large crack where the devil's claws had connected. "Fuck! That thing is strong!" That, and he was starting to run out of gas. A glance at his apprentice showed that she was also tiring. At this rate, Zabuza wasn't sure how much more they could take.

Fortunately, help had arrived.

Five kunai, alight with lightning chakra, suddenly struck the beast in the legs and chest. Mere seconds later, a massive bolt of lightning flashed across the bridge and hit every single one of the projectiles, lighting the beast up with tens of thousands of volts of electricity. And for the first time, the monstrosity roared in pain.

"Kakashi!" Zabuza roared, seeing the man almost casually walk up to them. "It's about time you got back! What the hell took you?!"

The Konoha Jōnin shrugged. "Ma, my cute little students woke up and wanted to come back to help. It took a bit of talking to convince them to stay put." He turned his attention to his remaining student and was mildly surprised to see the blond angel literally glowing with white celestial chakra and, by the looks of it, red Yoki. Clearly, whatever it was he was trying to do, it would soon reach its completion. "Naruto! Whatever it is you're planning on doing, get ready!"

"Hai!"

With a nod to each other, Kakashi, Zabuza, and Haku charged back into the fight. And this time, with electricity still running amok in the creature's body, the tables had turned. The monstrosity was utterly unable to protect itself as the three shinobi unleashed attack after attack.

"Benikiri-Ryū: Akashio (Crimson Mist Style: Red Tide)!"

"Hissatsu Hyōsō (Certain-Kill Ice Spears)!"

"Raiton: Kusari no Inazuma (Lightning Release: Chain of Lightning)!"

Waves of crimson chakra, giant spikes of ice, and bolts of lightning slammed into the defenseless monster in a deafening explosion! The beast once again roared in pain. Black blood ran from its many wounds as it fell to its knees. And in that moment, the three shinobi knew they wouldn't get a better chance than this.

"NOW, NARUTO!" Kakashi yelled. "DO IT NOW!"

"HAI!"

Naruto shot forward at speeds beyond anything he had reached before! He was moving so fast that even to the three other shinobi, he was nothing more than an indistinct blur as he closed in on his target. His body glowed with holy and demonic power and as he prepared to draw Ten'yuu for the strongest technique in his arsenal.

"Seitōryū Iai: Mikagura (Holy Sword Style Draw and Resheath Technique: Sacred Song)!"

In a flash, Naruto struck! The sound of singing angels could be heard faintly in the air as the shinobi emblazoned a golden white cross on the devil's chest before skidding to a stop behind his target. Slowly, the angel sheathed his holy blade… until finally…

CHINK!

"GRAAAHHH!" Black blood spilled into the air. The devil cried out in agony as the holy celestial chakra burned and devastated not only its body, but its very soul. It would not be able to heal from this… Not with the amount of holy power burning through its body. The devil knew its time was done… But it would not leave this world without saying some parting words.

With the last of its strength, the monster lifted its head and fixed its gaze upon Naruto who, with his wings out and his body still glowing with holy light, looked for all intents and purposes a divine angel from heaven. And for whatever reason, it smiled at the sight. "A Tentai (Heavenly Body) user." Everyone's eyes widened upon hearing the devil speak for the first time since its transformation. "To think that such an opportunity had laid before me. It's a shame I could not deliver your soul to the Dark One. My reward would have been great." The devil chuckled. "It does not matter. You may have defeated me, Uzumaki, but the war will be ours! The Dark One will claim dominion over the nine realms, and there's nothing you can do to stop us! Already, his greatest champion walks among your kind and soon, this realm and all others will be ours!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Not on my watch, devil! I'll make sure your champion and your master fail if its the last thing I do!"

"We will see about that… Finish it then."

The divine champion of the Gods raised his two swords. "Die…" And with a single swing, the devil's head rolled and silence fell.

The battle was over.

They had won.

"Oi! Where the fuck did Gatō go?"

… God dammit.


Omake

~ Yugao & Tenzo vs. Ami, Kagome, & Ryoshi ~

Both sides were battered and bruised. Kagome could no longer fight having taken a kunai to the knee, but the others were still going strong. The entire clearing had been devastated from various Ninjutsu and their sheer raw power. But now, it was time to bring out the big guns. Yūgao had already stepped back, giving her partner, Tenzō, the room he needed to summon a massive construct made of trees. It groaned and grumbled, but its strength and power were clear to all present. Now, it was the Ami and Ryōshi's turn.

"Stand back, Ami-chan!" Ryōshi warned, biting his thumb. He slapped his hand on the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!"

A giant, fat plume of smoke covered their battlefield for a brief moment. And when the smoke cleared… Well, it wasn't what anyone was expecting.

It was big.

It was furry.

It was black and white.

It was also fat… Like, really, really fat.

And… It was singing?

"OH-OH-OH-OHHHHH!"

"OH-OH-OH-OHHHHH!"

"OH-OH-OH-OHHHHH!"

"OH-OH-OH-OHHHHH!"

"EVERYBODY WAS KUNG FU FIGHTING! HO!"

"THOSE KICKS WERE FAST AS LIGHTNING! HAH!"

"IN FACT IT WAS A LITTLE BIT FRIGHTENING! HO!"

"BUT IT WAS DONE WITH EXPERT TIMING! HAH!"

"Ryōshi-kun, why did you summon him?!"

"I didn't mean to, Ami-chan! It was supposed to be Kurochiku, not his son!" The man looked back at the panda, who was throwing kung fu punches and making his own sound effects. "Po, why are you here?! And I thought we agreed you'd never sing that song again!"

"Yo, Ryōshi! How ya doin, man? It's been so long since you last summoned me. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me! And c'mon, that song is totally awesome! It's my walkout music! My jam!" Ryōshi facepalmed, not that Po noticed. "So, buddy, what do we got? Pirates? Bandits?! Ohh, is it shinobi?! Whatever it is, I will take them down!" the panda proclaimed, throwing both fist into the air. His massive belly jiggled as he did so. Clearly, the big, fat panda was having a moment and had no intentions of letting his summoner get a word in edgewise. "Cuz I am in a mood… A mood to get stuff done! To kick butt and take names! Hah hah!"

Ryōshi, Ami, and Kagome all just facepalmed.

At this point, Po actually stopped to take a look around and saw the Konoha shinobi across the clearing. And of course, his eyes lit up. "Ooo! You're fighting shinobi! That is so awesome, man!" The panda was practically quivering in excitement, especially when he laid eyes upon the giant walking tree. "Alright, guys, bring it on! Get ready to taste my Feet of Fury! HIYAH!"

Tenzō was dumbstruck. "T-That's a panda."

"Yeah…" Ryōshi sighed. "I know.

"You're going to beat me using a panda!" The Konoha ANBU operative chortled. "How the fuck is he going to do that? Sit on me?! Hah hah! He's just a big, fat panda!"

Po, mid-kick, suddenly stopped cold. He just froze. A flat expression fell across its face. And Ami, Kagome, and especially Ryōshi all paled. "Oh shit…" All of the sudden, the large panda had Tenzō's construct in it's grip with his pinky raised.

"Buddy, I'm not a big, fat panda…"

"Huh?"

"I'm THEE big, fat panda! SKADOOSH!"

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"


Author's Note: I'm honestly not sure if I love this chapter or hate it given the sheer amount of time it took to write. As you guys can see, I rewrote the whole thing. Not bits and pieces, but literally, the ENTIRE chapter. Even the Omake (which, BTW, is even better now). It fucking sucked. But, it's also way better!

Anyways, as I'm sure most of you will immediately noticed, I removed quite a few characters from the battleground and put them backstage. The fight with Yugao and Tenzo vs Ami, Ryoshi, and Kagome was removed entirely. Why? Well, they aren't the main characters here and it doesn't any purpose. So bye bye to them. Next, I also replaced Raiga with an actual devil. I felt that it fit better with the overall storyline as opposed to what it was before. For those of you trying to picture what that monster looks like, look up World of Warcraft's Demon Hunter Metamorphosis... It looks fucking badass.

I sincerely hope you all enjoy this revised edition of Chapter 9 of Naruto the Angel of Death. It took a lot of effort and I would love to hear your opinions, whether you love it or hate it. Ciao!


Old Chapter Techniques:

Tatsu Shindo (Dragon Tremor) – Original Technique
Shizen Gekido (Nature's Wrath) – Original Technique
Nensho Uyoku (Burning Wings) – Original Technique
Do Butsu-no Seishin Ryo Kin (Animal Spirit Charge) – Original Technique
Nijuu Do Butsu-no Seishin (Double Animal Spirit) – Original Technique
Tora Aki (Tiger Fall) – Original Technique
Kamakiri Suto (Mantis Strike) – Original Technique
Gekiretsu Go Renda (Furious Five Barrage) – Original Technique
Côtelette (Ribs)
Selle (Lower Back)
Brochette (Skewer)
Collier Shoot (Neck Shoot)
Gigot (Legs)
Diable Jambe (Devil's Leg)
Flambage Shot (Flaming Shot)
Tsumetai Bakuha (Icy Blast) – Original Technique
Hyo Ga Hakaisha (Glacier Destroyer) – Original Technique
Nenshoken (Burning Fist) – Original Technique
Awaikaneheki (Liquid Metal Shield) – Original Technique
Awaikane Kengiri (Liquid Metal Sword Slash) – Original Technique
So Dai Awaikaneheki (Grand Liquid Metal Shield) – Original Technique
Awaikanedan (Liquid Metal Bullet) – Original Technique
Tenshi Giri (Angel Slash) – Original Technique
Danku Giri (Splitting Void Slash) – Original Technique
Kokubyaku Giri (Black and White Slash) – Original Technique
Nitōryū: Nana-Juu-Ni Poundo Hou (Two Sword Style: Phoenix of the 72 Earthy Desires)
Benikiri Kirite (Crimson Mist Cutter) – Original Technique
Ryū Hakaisha (Dragon Destroyer) – Original Technique
Chakra Denchi Fūin (Chakra Battery Seal) – Original Technique
Kaimon: Kai (First Gate: Release)
Shōsenjutsu (Mystical Palm Technique)
Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)
Kage Shuriken no Jutsu (Shadow Shuriken Technique)
Ninpōu: Otofuru Chinkonkyoku (Ninja Art: Soundwave Requiem) – Original Technique
Raiton: Jiki: Gekitaisuru/Hikitsukeru (Lightning Release: Magnetism: Repel/Attract) – Original Technique
Raiton: Kusari no Inazuma (Lightning Release: Chain of Lightning) – Original Technique
Raikiri (Lightning Edge)
Raiton: Rairyū no Tatsumaki (Lightning Dragon Tornado)
Doton: Kyojin Chikara (Earth Release: Titan's Might) – Original Technique
Doton: Ishi Hogosha no Jutsu (Earth Release: Stone Guardian Technique) – Original Technique
Doton: Doryūsou (Earth Release: Rising Stone Spears)
Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall)
Doton: Ishi Mamori no Jutsu (Earth Release: Stone Defense Technique) – Original Technique
Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)
Fūton: Renkūdan (Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet)
Fūton: Shishi Otakebi (Wind Release: Lion's Roar) – Original Technique
Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique)
Katon: Karyuu Endan (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Missile)
Katon: Goukakyu no Jutsu (Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique)
Katon: Hiya Arashi no Jutsu (Fire Release: Fire Arrow Storm Technique) – Original Technique
Katon: Shinsei Bakufu no Jutsu (Fire Release: Nova Blast Technique) – Original Technique
Katon: Fenikkusu Kaen no Jutsu (Fire Release: Phoenix Blaze Technique) – Original Technique
Katon: So Dai Fenikkusu Kaen no Jutsu (Fire Release: Grand Phoenix Blaze Technique) – Original Technique
Katon: Hisaki no Ko Shin (Fire Release: Flames of Renewal) – Original Technique
Katon: Shuiro Kaibun no Jutsu (Fire Release: Scarlet Ash Technique) – Original Technique
Katon: Moeteiru Hane Arashi (Fire Release: Blazing Feather Storm) – Original Technique
Katon: Yaseihi Tsunami (Fire Release: Wildfire Tsunami) – Original Technique
Katon: Nensho Hogo (Fire Release: Burning Protection) – Original Technique
Katon: Hinurimono no Jutsu (Fire Release: Fire Coating Technique) – Original Technique
Katon: Karyūdan no Jutsu (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Projectile)
Katon: Shuiro Hairyūdan no Jutsu (Fire Release: Scarlet Ash Dragon Projectile) – Original Technique
Suiton: Namidagunda Ko Sei no Jutsu (Water Release: Tearful Resuscitation Technique) – Original Technique
Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Dragon Projectile)
Suiton: Suijinheki (Water Release: Water Encampment Wall)
Suiton: Teppōdama no Jutsu (Water Release: Liquid Bullet Technique)
Suiton: Bakusui Shōha (Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave)
Suiton: Gekiretsu Se no Jutsu (Water Release: Furious Torrent Technique) – Original Technique
Suiton: Gōsuiwan no Jutsu (Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique)
Suiton: Akuhei Bakufu no Jutsu (Water Release: Hydra Blast Technique) – Original Technique
Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hidden Mist Technique)
Mokuton Hijutsu: Jukai Kōtan (Wood Release Secret Technique: Birth of the Dense Woodland)
Mokuton: Mokujōheki (Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall)
Mokuton: Jubaku Eisō (Wood Release: Binding Nest)
Mokuton: Daijurin no Jutsu (Wood Release: Great Forest Technique)
Mokuton: Mokudan no Jutsu (Wood Release: Wood Projectile Technique)
Mokuton: Saigo no Jutsu: Kodai-no Hogosha (Wood Release: Ultimate Technique: Ancient Protector) – Original Technique
Hyōton: Tsubame Fubuki (Ice Release: Snow Storm Swallows)
Hyōton: Tsurara Danmaku no Jutsu (Ice Release: Icicle Barrage Technique) – Original Technique
Hyōton: Byakuryū Boufūsetsu (Ice Release: White Dragon Blizzard) – Original Technique
Hyōton: Hokkyoku-no Kaze (Ice Release: Arctic Winds) – Original Technique
Hyōton: Gyoketsu Sawari (Ice Release: Freezing Touch) – Original Technique
Hyōton: Shimo Ookami Nida (Ice Release: Frost Wolf Pack) – Original Technique
Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Ice Mirrors)
Sensatsu Suishō (Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death)
Seiton: Hitode no Unmei (Holy Release: Hand of Fate) – Original Technique
Seiton: Tenrai Arashi no Jutsu (Holy Release: Divine Storm Technique) – Original Technique
Seiton: Ho Ken no Jutsu (Holy Release: Consecration) – Original Technique
Seiton: Tenrai Kanbetsu (Holy Release: Divine Judgement) – Original Technique
Kyoton: Ketatamashii Kirime Yari (Void Release: Piercing Rift Spears) – Original Technique
Kyoton: Maboroshi Nakami (Void Release: Phantom Blades) – Original Technique

Revised Chapter Techniques:

Gigot (Legs)
Côtelette (Ribs)
Épaule (Shoulder)
Selle (Lower Back)
Poitrine Shoot (Breast Shoot)
Troisième Hachis (Third Rate Mincemeat)
Attendrir (Tenderize) – Original Technique
Concassé (Crush) – Original Technique
Deux Plat (Two Course Meal) – Original Technique
Kame (Turtle) – Original Technique
Tora (Tiger) – Original Technique
Tora Gari (Tiger Hunt) – Original Technique
Kyojin no Ōtsuchi (Titan's War Hammer) – Original Technique
Kyojin no Ono (Titan's Battle Axe) – Original Technique
Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)
Gisei no Jōshō (Ascension of Sacrifice) – Original Technique
Moku Bunshin (Wood Clone)
Katon: Gariyū no Jutsu (Fire Release: Dragon's Fang Technique) – Original Technique
Suika no Jutsu (Hydrification Technique)
Suiton: Tate Eboshi (Water Release: Shield Crow Hat Child)
Suiton: Suidan no Jutsu (Water Release: Water Bullet)
Suiton: Akuhei Bakufu no Jutsu (Water Release: Hydra Blast Technique) – Original Technique
Mizudeppō no Jutsu (Water Gun Technique)
Mizudeppō no Jutsu: Jiyūrenshiya (Water Gun Technique: Rapid Fire) – Original Technique
Doton: Kyojin no Chikara (Earth Release: Titan's Might) – Original Technique
Raiken (Lightning Fist) – Original Technique
Raiton: Shūrai (Lightning Release: Lightning Strike) – Original Technique
Raiton: Kusari no Inazuma (Lightning Release: Chain of Lightning) – Original Technique
Fūton: Daitoppa (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough)
Fūton: Shishi Otakebi (Wind Release: Lion's Roar) – Original Technique
Sensatsu Suishō (Thousand Flying Water Needles)
Hissatsu Hyōsō (Certain Kill Ice Spears)
Hyōton: Hyōgan Dōmu (Ice Release: Ice Rock Dome of Magnificent Nothingness)
Hyōton: Hokkyoku Ōkami (Ice Release: Arctic Wolf) – Original Technique
Seiton: Hōken (Holy Release: Consecration) – Original Technique
Benikiri-Ryū: Chi no Uta (Crimson Mist Style: Song of Blood) – Original Technique
Benikiri-Ryū: Akashio (Crimson Mist Style: Red Tide) – Original Technique
Benikiri-Ryū: Kyūji Kyōran (Crimson Mist Style: Feeding Frenzy) – Original Technique
Seitōryū: Tengiri (Holy Sword Style: Celestial Slash) – Original Technique
Seitōryū: Tenmō (Holy Sword Style: Heaven's Vengeance) – Original Technique
Seitōryū Iai: Mikagura (Holy Sword Style Draw and Resheath Technique: Sacred Song) – Original Technique
Kūtōryū: Dankū (Void Sword Style: Spitting Void) – Original Technique