Disclaimer: I don't Naruto, Full Metal Alchemist, if I did, I would be living on a nice beach.
Chapter 10
Eight Years Later
Sixteen year old Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze looked into the disaster that had once been an inn. The past eight years had changed him. He grew a bit taller and had to readjust his automail arm each time. He wore black pants and a shirt under a black trench coat. (Ed complained about him losing the red one on a mission, but Naruto said it drew attention.) "Yeah, coming from a guy who used to wear neon orange, that says a lot." Was Ed's reply.
His hair had grown longer and now was tied into a braid down his back his hitai-ate was loosely tied around his neck like a collar.
"Aren't you a bit young to be an investigator?" the innkeeper asked.
Naruto ignored him as he looked at the amount of damage. Behind him Anko was telling off the innkeeper.
"You say there were two of them?" Naruto asked.
"Yes sir. Big as you please. They weren't too bright, but they wiped out all my customers."
Naruto stopped seeing a foot indent in the wall.
"Its them." He said looking at Anko. "The Bash Brothers were here."
"Great. I left my howitzer back at Konoha." She muttered.
"The who?" The innkeeper inquired.
"Han and Cho Bash. Twins that are gifted with impervious skin and strength that is said close that of the legendary Sannin Tsunade."
"I thought they were in an Iwa prison?" Anko said as she saw Naruto looking at something. His gloved hand touched it and she saw him frown.
"What is it?" Anko asked.
"I'm not one hundred percent sure enough to say." Naruto said. "Where's Hana?"
"She's with the fur brigade sniffing the trail they left."
Naruto was on his feet and heading for the door.
"HEY! WHAT ABOUT MY INN?" the innkeeper yelled after them. Anko looked over her shoulder, "File your insurance claim like everyone else."
She followed the blond down the street.
XX
They caught up with Hana at the edge of town. The Haimaru Triplets were pacing back and forth, Ed was perched on Hana's shoulders.
"They aren't hard to track, they're leaving a trail a blind person could follow." She said as her teammates arrived. Her and Anko hadn't changed too much, filled out a bit, (became more beautiful in Naruto's opinion) and more deadly in their skills.
"That worries me." Naruto muttered as Ed leapt to his shoulder.
"Why?" the two tailed fox inquired.
"There was a powder back at the inn. If it is what I think it is, those two are more dangerous."
"What did you find?" Hana asked.
Naruto held up a vile that contained a sample he had collected and passed it to the Inuzuka tracker. She uncorked it and took a tentative sniff then jerked her head back.
"Sin!"
"If they're supped up on that, it's going to be a hundred times harder to stop them." Anko said. "This is bad. This stuff appeared two years back."
Naruto sighed. "Vote time. Do we chase the towers of power that are lit up on Sin and try and stop them from crossing back over the border, or we report back to the old man?"
Anko was bouncing on her heels and Naruto she wanted the go after the Bash Brothers. Hana looked up the trail. "I don't like letting a trail go cold."
Naruto sighed. "Alright, but if I wake up in the hospital again you both are wearing nurse outfits."
Hana laughed while Anko slapped him on the back. "There's the spirit runt."
The air went cold and Anko laughed as she avoided the kunai barrage.
Hana shook her head at that, they both knew Ed and Naruto were sensitive about their height, and Anko always went out of her way to tease them both and enjoy the chase after.
"He's getting really good at that shadow clone jutsu, he doesn't even need the seals any more." She muttered to her dogs. He could create a kage bunshin of himself or kunai without seals and it made him an army of one.
Not to mention his other skills. She thought as her and the Triplets followed the pair.
XX
They entered a rock valley and Naruto scowled. "This screams ambush." He muttered.
Hana an hour into the hunt had noticed that the trail seemed planned, as if it was deliberate.
Anko snorted. "The Bash Brothers aren't that bright."
"And they're hopped up on Sin, so that means there's someone else in charge."
"Hana stopped. "The trail vanishes here." She said. They were in dead end. Naruto shook his head. "Oh yeah, ambush." He muttered.
No sooner than he said that then boulders were tossed from above at them. The three Konoha investigators leapt out of the way. From above they heard an insane cackle.
"Mizuki." Naruto said seeing the white haired chunin.
"How'd he get out?" Anko asked.
Two years they had caught him trying to steal the Forbidden Scroll from the Hokage's Office. A short battle where Mizuki tried to tell Naruto about the Kyuubi got a good chuckle from all three. Naruto then beat him down with Taijutsu, and then used alchemy to create iron bands to bind him and they carried him back to Konoha and handed both to the Hokage.
"We meet again Kyuubi brat." Mizuki says from atop the surrounding cliffs. He was backed by the Bash Brothers on either side of him.
"How'd you get out of prison?" Naruto asked, he was curious, and Mizuki was slated for a twenty year term in prison for his actions.
"Killed the guard when he brought me dinner. Met up with these two at the border." He jerked a thumb at Han and Cho.
"So, why'd you come back to the land of fire? You could have been anywhere else."
"Bah. I'll rule this country from the shadows. There is a serious lack of criminal activity here." Mizuki said.
"Then I guess we'll have to take you down again."
Mizuki laughed. "You got lucky last time kid. Besides you can't take all three of us."
Cho and Han laughed and Naruto could see that their eyes were dilated. Great their stoned out of their minds on Sin.
"Anko, Hana…"
"Yeah, yeah. We got dumb and dumber. Don't mess around with teme there." Anko said cutting off Naruto.
"Yeah, we'll tango with them till you got him bagged and tagged." Hana said.
"Let's dance." Naruto said as Mizuki dove down sending a large windmill shuriken ahead of him. The Bash Brothers slid down the side, each sporting a huge grin, both were armed with spiked clubs. Be careful girls. They're both seven feet and hard as rock. Naruto thought before batting aside the shuriken with his right hand and using the kunai that dropped from his left sleeve to his empty hand to block Mizuki as they were locked in combat seconds later.
XX
Hana and Anko had learned to work together over the last eight years, the Haimaru Triplets went in first, Anko summoned several snakes the same size to support them.
Both women avoided the club swipes by leaping high into the air. Anko higher, grabbed Hana's wrists and spun using a slingshot maneuver to fire the Inuzuka at Cho Bash. Her foot connected with the giants chest and while it staggered him, it did nothing else. Hana landed and winced as her foot throbbed. "Agh."
Anko sent shuriken at Han Bash and landed next to Hana. "You okay?"
"My foot hurts."
"Look brother, pretty-pretties." Cho said.
"I like pretty-pretties." Han said.
The dogs and snakes were attacking, but it was like mosquitoes, no effect, the only thing saving them was that they were faster than the Bash Brothers.
"Yeah, well you're ugly-ugly." Anko said as she launched several more shuriken. She spoke low to Hana, "Can you walk?"
"I can fucking run. Its not broke, but I wouldn't recommend hitting them like that again."
They dove aside as an overhand club strike would have connected where they were.
Anko's tossed several kunai and then her hands sped thru a series of seals, she finished and took a deep breath. "Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!"
Fire runs down the wires that were attached to the kunai and raced towards the Bash Brothers. Anko smiled as they struck true.
"I hope you like your idiot, well done." She said to Hana as they watched the Bash Brothers engulfed in flames.
XX
The kunai fight was close. "I'm impressed brat, you know how to fight. Is it you or the Kyuubi?" Mizuki said as he shoved Naruto back.
"Me. The Kyuubi is gone, has been for over eight years." Naruto said as he went for a leg sweep. Mizuki leapt into the air and tried for a kick, but Naruto got his arm up and blocked it.
"I find it hard to believe that someone your age is this good." Mizukie said as he tried to stab at Naruto only to have it blocked by Naruto's kunai.
"I don't care what you believe. I brought you in once Mizuki, I'll do it again."
"No you won't. I'm not going back." He made a series of hand signs and leapt back. "Earth Style: Earth Spike!"
Naruto leapt away as the ground he had been standing on became filled with spikes of earth and rock.
"Not bad teme."
Naruto smirked as a dozen Kage Bunshin surrounded him.
"How'd you do that? You didn't even use signs!" Mizuki was shocked.
"GET HIM!" The original ordered.
One grabbed another clone and spun him about by his arm and leg before firing him at Mizuki.
The former Chunin saw the clone coming and ducked, only to be kicked in the air by another one that had slid across the ground and kicked Mizuki into the air.
Another clone used one as a springboard and leapt up and kicked Mizuki higher.
He spun around in the air and saw saw four clones above him. They kicked him back and forth between them like a bounce ball. Another clone leapt from the back of one and with a flipping axe kick drove Mizuki back towards the ground where the original Naruto was waiting. Mizuki saw him holding a metal bat and he took up a position.
"Batter Up." Naruto said and swung hard, connecting with the freefalling Mizuki and sending him flying into the Cliffside hard. The shadow clones all shared a grin before dispersing.
"Home run." Naruto said as Mizuki was unconscious. "And the crowd goes wild." He then looked at Ed and the fox held up a sign with a 5 on it.
"What? Why only a five?" the blond asked the fox.
"Wasted effort and you played too much with him." Ed said, his fox features sneered.
The loud explosion had them both turn to see the Bash Brothers, while smoking were advancing on Anko and Hana.
"Not good."
Naruto traced a seal onto the bat and leapt into the air, vanishing with a shushin.
XX
Anko was pissed. One of her better fire jutsu's didn't work. It only burned their clothes.
Hana and her dogs had tried for the fang over fist combo, but that had no effect.
The girls were getting frustrated and the Bash Brothers were once more in strike range when Naruto appeared on Cho's shoulder.
"Pardon me, playing thru." He said and swung the bat as hard as he could like a golf club and connected with the side of the giants head. Naruto vanished as the bat exploded.
He reappeared next to Anko. "Damn, they got rocks for brains."
The side of Cho's head was scorched and bleeding from the ear, but still didn't fall over.
"Where's Mizuki?" Hana asked.
"He's become one with the canyon wall." Naruto said and both girls saw the crater where they could see Mizuki's leg hanging out and twitching every so often.
"Any ideas how to stop the ugly twins?"
"No." Anko said. "Nothing we
have effects them.
They took our best attack and other than
scratching them up, nothing." Hana admitted.
"Your up gaki." Anko said giving him a nudge. "ANKO!" the blond yelled in protest. He stopped several feet in front of the Bash Brothers.
"Um, guys, can we talk about this?"
The mirror image sneers answered that. "Fine." Naruto said and clapped his hands together. "Don't say I didn't give you a chance." He slammed his palms to the ground as a hundred suits of armor appeared.
XX
The ANBU squad caught up hours later and found Naruto sitting atop the cage holding the Bash Brothers while Mizuki was in a similar one that gave him just enough room to sit down.
"Sir?" Gopher masked ANBU said saluting the blond.
"Hey I think you all lost something."
"Yeah, we picked their trail up…how…"
"Military secret Gopher."
The ANBU nodded and they saw Anko and Hana coming back from the village carrying several orders of food.
"Ah, dinner time. Come on Ed, the ANBU can deal with this." The blond said hopping off the cage. He stopped and looked at the Bash Brothers. "Now you both will behave for the ANBU and not cause them any trouble…right?"
"We be good." Han said.
"We go to prison and be good." Cho said nodding his head as well.
Naruto nodded. "Careful with Mizuki, I think I broke his hip."
Naruto joined Hana and Anko as they set up against a boulder. "That was fun." Hana said. Her ankle was wrapped and the dogs had been dismissed. Anko and Naruto were fine as was Ed.
"I brought you two bowls of ramen, but Eboshi said you need to eat fruit as well." Anko said.
Naruto groaned. "Eboshi-baa-chan is so mean." He muttered as he took his bowls. "Only allows me so much ramen a week."
Anko snorted. "That's cause you're so damn short. Hell the only one smaller than you is that chibi-plushy you call a companion."
Hana sighed as Ed launched himself across the way at her snarling and swearing. Hana grabbed a handful of Naruto's coat and held him back from joining in attacking Anko.
The ANBU watched the special unit, many of them sweat dropping under their masks.
Han and Cho looked on and shuddered. Mizuki still unconscious twitched as Anko's yell of "NOT THERE!" rang out across the valley.
Gopher shook his head wondering how these three caught the Bash Brothers and Mizuki when it looked like they were barely old enough to be out of the academy.
"CALL OFF THE DAMN FURBALL!" Anko yelled as Naruto was sitting with Hana eating, both seemed to smile at the free show.
XX
Konoha
"Well here's your pay. We never thought it would be the Bash Brothers involved." The Hokage said as Naruto stood before him. The last eight years had matured the boy in ways the Hokage would never think of.
"Well Ibiki can find out their routes for distributing Sin, we can close it down before it comes to Konoha in full force."
Sarutobi nodded as he lit his pipe.
"You coming for dinner tonight?" he asked.
"Can't. Hana says her mother wants me and Anko there tonight. Kiba's passed his Genin exam and you know how the Inuzuka's love to party."
Sarutobi smiled. He was happy that Naruto had found acceptance with some of the families and he had made friends with some of the kids his age. "And you thought the three of you teaching at the academy would never be recognized." The old man said and Naruto growled. "I still don't think the Uchiha brat should be allowed in the field. Did you read his psychology reports from Inoichi Yamanaka?"
Sarutobi sighed. Naruto and his team had been first on the scene to the Uchiha massacre and they nearly caught Itachi. Naruto had held back for fear of the Sharingan copying his abilities. They were still uncertain if it could, but the blond didn't want to take the chance after he'd seen Itachi on a mission copy a Kiri nin's fighting style down to the chakra enhancements.
"So you taking a pair on…" Sarutobi inquired.
"Aw, hell no old man. Besides, that would waste my teams skills." Naruto said.
"Explain your reasoning."
"We would be stuck training fresh genin, and we wouldn't be able to perform our investigations. Hell if a Genin was with us on this last one, they would have been dead. The Bash Brothers are solid as a mountain. If I didn't have my abilities you might very well be burying the three of us as is. You've got to admit Ojii-san, we don't do safe. Hell last month we had that mission to Iwa. Let me tell you, they feared my father, but I put a whole new fear into them."
Naruto's reputation as Konoha's Fullmetal Fox Alchemist had spread over the last eight years. His squads liberation of Snow last year was still the talk of the council meetings, and the representative from Snow was asking on the Princesses behalf for Naruto to return to Snow when he's able.
"And if we hadn't chased Orochimaru out of Rice, you can bet his scheme for that hidden village would have been troublesome."
Sarutobi had to agree with that, but winced as Naruto used the same phrase as the Nara.
Another of Naruto's accomplishments was a year after being teamed with Anko and Hana he'd removed the curse seal on Anko. Eboshi laughed when Anko kissed Naruto so hard the blond had passed out with a grin and nose bleed. The nose bleed had been from the fact that Anko had been topless and pressed against him, proving the fact the blond liked women and got endless teasing from the Hokage's doctor, as well as Asuma who had been there as well.
"Be that as it may, I have an odd number of students." The Hokage said. "And I think your squad would benefit from the skills of these two."
Naruto narrowed his eyes. "Who?"
The Hokage slid the files over the desk and Naruto read them. "You're shitting me."
XX
Hana and Anko met Naruto at the dango stand. He didn't smile as he slid the pay vouchers across the table to them.
"What's the matter Naruto?" Hana asked.
"Yeah, you should be happy. We have an Inuzuka party to go to tonight." Anko said savoring her dango and a small jug of sake.
"The old man has a new assignment for us." The blond said stealing Anko's sake and chugging it from the jug.
"What? Already?" Hana was surprised.
"Usually we get a week off." Anko agreed.
"Did Ibiki get something from Mizuki or the Bash Brothers?" Hana asked.
"No, not yet. And if he does it's going to ANBU to deal with." Naruto said. "Well, what the hell is the mission then?" Anko asked putting her skewer down.
"He wants us to take two Genin from the current graduates and add them to our team."
Hana and Anko shared a look. "Is that all?"
Naruto sighed and pulled out the files and slid them across the table. Anko grabbed them and flipped them open.
"You're shitting me." She said.
"No."
"What did you tell him?" Hana asked as she read over Anko's shoulder.
"I'd talk to you both first. We have until team placements at the end of the week to decide."
"What do you think, Hell no." Anko.
"Can we pick someone else?" Hana asked.
"Asuma wants the Ino-Shika-Cho team. Kurenai has demanded Hinata Hyuga." He sighed. "That leaves us Shino Amburame, your brother Kiba, Sakura Haruno and the Uchiha."
"Tell him no. besides, the council wants Kakashi Hatake to train the emo-bitch boy." Anko said.
"I agree." Naruto said. "But the old man feels we'd be better fit for him."
Hana and Anko shared a look. "We can't trust him. And once his eye activates, none of our personal skills would be safe."
Naruto nodded. There had been many times in the last couple years before his murdering of his family that Itachi had followed them around and watched them. "I know. The last thing we need is an Uchiha learning about Alchemy."
Hana nodded. "Its bad enough what we found in Rice. Orochimaru has a very basic concept, if he ever learned your secrets…" both shuddered as they'd watched Naruto study and train over the years.
"And the second one…" Anko said. "Well, Ojii-san hinted that Kurenai was eyeing Shino and Kiba for her team."
Anko snorted. "Too much specialization it sounds like. Asuma should break up the Ino-Shika-Cho idea as many people already know their patterns thanks to their fathers fame as a team."
Hana looked at the smaller file. "Hana-chan?" Naruto asked.
"We're going to get stuck with this aren't we?"
"No. If we tell Ojii-san no, and why he'll agree to it." Naruto said.
"And you can't think of a reason?" Anko said. "Then lie."
Naruto smiled. "We'll talk about this more during the week. We have until team assignments to make a decision. If we phrase it right we could get two Genin of our choice."
Hana sighed and Anko shook her head. "I don't want to be around the Uchiha brat, period and my mind isn't changing on that."
Naruto looked at the files. "Me either."
AN: Their time over the past eight years will be mentions or flashbacks just like in Fullmetal Alchemist. Will the Alchemist team take on a pair of Genin? Will they be hung over from the Inuzuka party? Will Ed ever stop attacking people for calling him short? Next time on Fullmetal Fox, Episode 11: Ed Spit that out, you don't know where he's been.
PS: Someone asked about who created cliffhangers. "That would be the French". Joking. Pirates of the Caribbean is a bad influence.
PSS: Laptop died, gonna be MIA for two weeks give or take. Sorry, make it up to you all as I am writing in a notebook and will type it up when I get a laptop that works.