Ah...i do not own Naruto, but all original idea's are mine

Chapter 9

Landing softly on the roof of a building on the edge of the shopping district, a piercing shriek echoed into the sky quickly followed by an explosion. Eye's widening in surprise, he turned his head around to see a spiraling tornado of wind burrow into the forest. "Kushina," Turning around, he eyed as his wife landed right beside him for a moment and nodded.

Kushina had her hair pulled back into a ponytail with her bangs hanging freely by the sides of her cheeks. Her Konoha headband in place, she stood at a height of '5'04'' while wearing a green Jounin vest with a black high collared short sleeved shirt underneath and black shorts that stopped right below her knees with blue shinobi sandals. A blue bracelet wrapped around her left wrist.

Eyeing the destruction occurring far-off, her eyes twitched angrily as she saw sensed that battle occurring miles away. "Minato, after this is over, get you're Shinobi in line before I do it for you!" The fact that's she wasn't smiling proved how angry she was as a dark red aura began to seep from her skin. "But before that," Snapping her furious red eyes towards the Namikaze, she smiled a sickly sweet expression with her eyes glinting with death and pain. "Mind explaining why we're not searching for Sochi but for some irritatingly soon to be puddle?"

Chuckling softly, he nodded. "While I do want to go over there right now, I'm more worried about the person who divided these notes." He commented eyeing said note warily. Before his wife could comment on nothing being more important than their children's life-one of which they had never even been part of-he frowned. "If he was able to divide them throughout to the Shinobi of the entire village without anyone noticing…" Trailing off, he scowled.

"And you're thinking that this person might be the masked man who caused the Kyuubi Attack?" She asked skeptically.

Scowl dropping, he frowned in thought. "It's a possibility, but if not, then there's someone else just as dangerous," Eye's hardening, he turned towards the battle far away and stared. "And whoever or whatever they are, they're interested in our son for some reason. And it's not because of the Kyuubi either." He added shaking his head. Stopping for a moment, he turned and sighed before smiling softly.

"…Kushi-chan, why don't you go help out Naruto?" Seeing her smile, he grinned. "I'll come later to help after I deal with our mystery man." Feeling a pair of arms crushing his spine in a tight hug, he smiled dazedly as Kushina kissed him heavily on the lips before pulling back. A feral almost demonic glint in her eyes as she turned her attention to her son's direction.

"Thank you so much Mina-kun!" She said in sadistic glee. "I'll teach those pathetic excuses for Shinobi to harm my Sochi-ttebane!" And just as she was about to sprint in furious frenzy, an eerie laugh snapped her out of her temporary rage.

"Ara, are; aren't you just amusing little Uzumaki!" Snapping their heads towards the voice, they watched as a black cloaked figure appeared in a swirl of darkness. The voice no doubt being male and his eyes glints a mad crimson hue. He was about to speak, but he tilted his head to the side letting a three –pronged kunai pass through. The Namikaze from before all but gone, a flash of yellow appeared at the corner of his eyes and Minato slammed down a spiraling blue sphere of chakra down on him from above.

Instead of crashing the stranger into the roof, his Rasengan had simply sunk into his form. Eye's widening, the body below bulged immediately afterwards and Minato disappeared in a yellow flash. The stranger's body erupting in an explosion of blood that splattered across the roof. Frowning, he snapped his head around jabbing his Kunai at the stranger's temple only for that to disperse in blood as well.

"Ara, Ara; you're a bloodthirsty one!" His voice sang throughout the night. Reappearing at the edge of the roof, the cloaked man grinned in amusement. Before he could even say anything again though, golden chains spiraled out of the ground beneath him coiling tightly around his body. Eye's twitching, he simply chuckled. 'Stupid assassins,' He grumbled inwardly. 'Always kill first and talk later. Really, if I hadn't faced you countless times Fragment King then I would have just killed the entirety of this world for their cloak and dagger shit. And on another note, what kind of Shinobi rearranged the land while there at it!? Aren't they supposed to be—I'm ranting again aren't i?' He sighed inwardly. Curse you Fragment King…wait, curses don't work against the jackass.

Eyeing the golden chains that constricted his form tight, he turned towards the two high-level shinobi with a fanged grin. Hearing the roar of wind and chaos behind him, he grinned wider. "It's a pity that I can't really view the fight!" He commented idly.

"What do you want with my Sochi?" Kushina asked bluntly. "Talk now and I might let you choose your form of death. Suffocation bye having your balls shoved down your throat with a side course of poisonous acidic induced magma or being torn limb from limb while becoming a woman in the process." She chirped happily. "You don't…well all you really need to know is that I'll require a rusty spoon and a rubber duck…along with some kittens and chipmunks…preferably rabid." She commented slowly thinking about her tools of torture.

Staring at her blankly, he turned to the Namikaze and pointed. "And you married THAT!" He didn't respond, but the slight red dusting his cheeks for a brief moment told him all I need to know. "Really, are all men ruled by their wives when married?" He muttered rhetorically.

"Pretty much," Kushina chirped. "Now…speak and die, or how 'bout you just die!"

As for Minato, he couldn't help but shiver inwardly at the maniacal gleam in his wife's eyes as she calmly proposed her forms of death to the stranger. 'Guess I know where Naruto got his knack for threatening people from,' "Kushi-chan, I still need him alive," Seeing her pout childishly, he sighed and pointed to the sound of resulting debris flying into the air. "Weren't you going to help Naruto?" In less than a second, the chains erupted from the ground and repeatedly slammed the stranger on the ground indenting the roof in the process

"Thank you for reminding me Mina-kun!" Nodding, she was about to head off in a maelstrom of rage and motherly fury, the splattered blood that littered the roof bubbled and shot towards the edges of the roof. Chain's erupting from her back, Kushina snapped out of it and raced forward in a furious sprint. Leaping forward into the air, the blood spiked up into the air rising higher and higher into the air.

Chains stabbing into the spikes, the chain's length decreased snapping her towards the barrier of bloody thorns. Just as she neared it, the chains retracted from the spikes and spiraled around her body forming a protective barrier. Twisting her body in a spin, dagger tipped golden chakra chains erupted from the palms of her hands. Gripping tightly onto them, they whipped around her body destroying the surrounding tendrils of blood that trailed after her.

The thorns of blood that littered the edges of the roof already reached several yards into the sky on all sides. Being tightly packed, there was little to no room to squeeze through much less see. But then again...eye's flashing red, a burst of bubbly red chakra trailed along the chains sharpening their edge as she broke through them with ease. Stopping her rotation, she craned her neck around to see the thorns rise up once again. Flipping forward, red chakra receding, her eyes returned to their normal violet color as she landed softly on the nearest tree branch in a crouch. Speeding forward, she headed towards the one destination in mind.

(With Minato)

"…you let her leave." It wasn't a question as much as it was a statement. Staring at the man, Minato frowned as he chuckled.

"I would be lying if I said I did though." Flashing his canines, the man clicked his tongue. "But then again, she wouldn't be much help to the boy as he is now!" Chuckling darkly, he disappeared in a swirl of darkness reappearing on the opposite end of the roof.

"Who said she'll be alone." Minato said gripping his three-pronged kunai.

"Who said I forgot about them." He retorted calmly. "Face it, with the path Naruto-boya is following," Eye's glinting dangerously, wisps of darkness spiraled around his arms. "It'll be a matter of time before he falls into the darkness, and it'll be all because of you!"

Minato didn't respond other than with the sharpening with his glacial cerulean eyes. Biting the tip of his thumb, he pulled out a scroll and spread its pages wide. "Not as long as I have anything to say about it!" Swiping his blood on its pages, the roof was showered with a multitude of three-pronged kunai's.

"Oh don't worry…" Eye's flashing; the man-made battle ground erupted in a wave of blood. "You'll never get the chance." And with that, the area became a storm of red and yellow.

(Several Miles Away—Central Shopping District)

"…Ah…bad doggies," A voice drawled lazily. Dark eyes looking throughout the shopping district, he stared at the army of funny looking dogs in mild interest.

He was a man that stood at a height of '5'09'' sporting the usual green flak jacket and blue body suit. Red spirals located on both sleeves, he has spiky silver hair and a face mask that covered the lower-portion of his face. His headband tilted to the left covering his right eye completely showing only his left eye. He wore strapped up sandals and armor-plated gloves, a familiar orange book in hand.

Eye's drifting towards it, he giggled perversely muttering things like 'Oh, Narumi you naughty girl you' and 'Natsuto, what a dirty mind you have you red-headed deviant'. Needless to say, he loved Jiraiya's new work of Icha-Icha Paradise: Forbidden Temptations very much. Almost as good as the one involving dear Minanu and lucky Kushito…almost, but it was a close second in his opinion.

"Kakashi, how Unyouthful of you to read such a thing during our glorious contest," A booming voice exclaimed loudly.

Swerving to the side, he continued to dodge flaming chain after chain. "…Hm, you say something?" He asked turning to the man in the green jumpsuit. The man was called Maito Gai, a fellow Jounin of Konohagakure who proclaimed him as his 'eternal rival'. Needless to say, he wasn't paying attention at the time.

The man stood at an impressive height of '6'00'' with a black bowl cut hair style and bushy thick eyebrows. He had high cheek bones and was well-built. The man wore orange leg warmers and the standard green flak jacket unzipped with his headband hanging around his waist like a belt. Standing sideways with his right fist forward and his left fist behind his waist, he stared at the Hellhounds with fire in his eyes. "These adorable puppies are in their spring time of YOUTH Hatake Kakashi! It is only fair that we give them the same respect." Hearing nothing, he turned around to see several of the Hellhounds dead on the ground around his eternal rival. Staring with his dark almost pupiless black eyes, a waterfall of tears streamed down his eyes. "CURSE YOUR HIPNESS AND COOLNESS. IF I DO NOT DEFEAT TWENTY OF THESE I WILL CLIMB UP THE HOKAGE MONUMENT WITH ONLY MY TEETH THREE-HUNDRED TIMES. IF I CAN'T EVEN DO THA—"Jumping back from snarling teeth, Gai twisted his wait lashing out a snarling dog's side with a round house kick slamming it across the street with a relit fire in his eyes. "YOSH; PREPARE FOR THE SPRING TIME OF YOOOUUUUGGGTTTTHHHHHH!"

(With Naruto)

Leaning against a tree, he nearly collapsed as the sound of Shinobi littered the forest. Sweat pouring down his skin in spades, he panted in exhaustion as he felt fatigue overwhelm his limbs. Slowly closing his eyes, he hummed in silence as cold warmth spread throughout his being. Nipping the tip of his tongue, he let—"NARUTO," Ashe shouted within his mind making him flinch.

"Don't even try it!" She warned with a hiss. "You're still too inexperienced with that move, and you already know what happened to the boy in the book when he attempted it!"

'…he lived.' He attempted weakly.

"And almost destroyed his vocal cords in the process," She retorted. "If he was human, they wouldn't have healed at all!" Really, what the hell was her brother thinking letting beginners fight an Undead that strong to begin with?

Wincing at that, Naruto frowned but choked as a hand snapped at his neck from behind fingers coiling tightly around his neck. Eye's shifting behind, he glared at the Chameleon masked Anbu who faded into view before he felt his thumb jab at his jugular. Coughing out blood, Naruto stiffen for a moment before imploding in twister of slicing winds.

Reappearing several meters away on a random tree branch, he held his throat gently before shooting forward. Eyes darting around his surroundings, he dispersed in another blast of wind when a Jounin shot at him from above. The gust slamming him away while in mid-air before Naruto once again reappeared several meters away.

Eye's dimming from exhaustion, he shot forward once again. His form splitting into off into several directions as clones of himself ran off in random directions. Keeping on straight ahead, he sniffed the air a couple and frowned. Eye's narrowing, his form shot forward in a burst of speed leaping down straight towards the ground.

Flipping forward, he landed in a crouch and disappeared in another burst of speed. 'They're too many scents within the forest.' He muttered in annoyance. But-ear's twitching, the sound of exploding wind echoed into the forest. An explosion that was quickly followed by many others, his frown deepened into a scowl as flashes of their end appeared at the forefront of his mind.

"They're no longer planning on capturing you kit," The fox voiced out his thoughts. Eye's flinching, an inferno of flames erupted several yards away. "And I highly doubt that explosive note was thrown on accident." Deep crimson eyes darkening, he chuckled. "Face it and stop running; at the rate you're going, you'll never reach them if they keep on interfering!"

"As much as I loathe admitting it, my pet is right." Eye's flashing an icy blue, Ashe hummed in a whispery tune. "Some if not a good number of them are fanatics that loathe fur ball here, and by sealing, you as well."

Fingers cracking, she snorted. "Add to the fact that they think you took the scroll, they already view it as an excuse to get rid of you."

Keeping silent, Naruto simply increased his speed. His nose sniffing out the scent that was an odd mix of tiger and man, feeling the flash of another clones death, he silently hummed to himself in thought. "You've killed plenty of civilians just for attacking you, but you avoided the Shinobi as best as you can." Kurama noted with cold indifference. "…what are you afraid of? You were prepared to kill that silver haired parasite, so what changed?"

Muscles stiffening from exertion, he nearly slowed down at Kurama's question when the sound of sizzling caught his attention. Twisting his waist around, wind spiraled around his arm as he slashed at the kunai. The tag on it exploding on contact enveloping his world in an explosion of fiery orange flames, deep blue eyes flashed a demonic amethyst as a deafening roar making the forest tremble. The flames spiraling out of control as a vortex of wind forcefully fanned it into a raging inferno.

Deep amethyst eyes flashing angrily, the growing flames began to split off into several streams of burnt orange, traces of luminescent green protecting something within. As more Shinobi landed, their hands flickered through several hand signs shouting out "Suiton: Shujinheki!" A burst of water exploding from their lips rapidly formed a protective wall of water keeping the raging fire at bay.

In the midst of the spiraling flames, Naruto simply stared at the walls of water that surrounded him on all sides. The distance between them and him closes with every passing second. '…it's not that anything's changed.' Naruto thought wearily. 'It's just that…it's just that they never really bothered me before all this.' Though he already knew how they felt since none of them never helped him in the past.

"But you knew that they despised you all the same." Kurama grunted.

Glaring at the giant fox, she felt Naruto stiffen and smiled softly. "Not all of them hate you Fishcake," Ashe chirped. 'There's that old monkey, and while retired, he's still a Shinobi! And let's not forget Ero-Inu and Gejimayu." Counting the number of people with her fingers, she smiled. "There's also you're Ten-chan, and Gejimayu's little mini-me of his. You already know that the fate obsessed prick mealy thinks of you as a rival despite him not saying so. Why else would he continue to do his best in your spars with the boy?" Mind whirling, she was about to continue when realization slowly dawned upon her.

Keeping silent, Naruto simply watched the flickering flames ascend higher and higher into the sky. An unreadable expression clear in his eyes as Ashe spoke up with hesitation in her tone.

"…That's it, isn't it?" She asked carefully. "They're your friends…but you're scared what would become of that if you were to kill Konoha Shinobi…aren't you?" Hearing nothing in reply, she simply stared at the rising flames. The wind increasing its size as and ferocity as its range steadily decreased. But for just a moment, she thought she saw a flicker black instead of green.

"Oi gaki," Kurama grunted annoyance coming to its limit. "Just incinerate them and be done with it! With the time you're wasting, the parasite might as well have caught up to your mates already!" Eyes darkening, his lips thinned back into a snarl. "Whats more important; the lives of your precious people, or strangers that will attempt to kill you with prejudiced!?" Tails swishing in annoyance, Kurama laid his head on his shoulders and closed his eyes. "Choose."

Eyeing the fox disapprovingly, Ashe sighed in reluctant agreement. "Naruto…what I think that Kurama is trying to convey is that if Gejimayu and the others were truly your friends, then they'd understand the situation." Closing her eyes in thought, she continued. "Shinobi live alongside the line of death, so dying is something that they're prepared for. But here's something that someone once told me a while ago." Closing her eyes, she recalled the words in full, a deeper male voice escaping through her lips.

Eye's widening slightly, Naruto watched as the image of a cloaked man came into the forefront of his mind. He was standing over a tower overlooking a village, his face covered by a hood keeping his face hidden.

"Ashe…let me tell you something," He whispered softly. "Having friends on both sides of the spectrum have its consequences. When on one side, and your dealing with the enemy on the other, do not think about what your friends on that side think of you. Think of the safety of your loved ones who are currently in danger. If they turn their back on you because of their beliefs, then they were never prepared to be your friend." Waving his right arm over the village below, the man continued. "Never be indecisive in your decisions, for an event you regret might come to truth. They may hate you, or they may not, but the point is, protect what you love without hesitation. Everyone is unique, if your hesitation leads to a friend's death when you yourself could prevent it, then you will carry that burden no matter where you go. They are mortal, and thus have one life. And when the life comes to an end…that will be it," And with that, the image slowly began to fade away. The man's last words echoed in his mind as the scene of flames entered his sight. "Live your life without regrets, and though they may come to hate you, at least they are alive and well, and within that, might come another chance."The last thing he saw being the flicker of kind amethyst eyes.

Thinking on that, Naruto only had one thing to say. 'Your friend's a ranter isn't he?' Feeling slight embarrassment coming from her, he gave her a low chuckle. Snapping his eyes wide open, the wind erupted in an explosive vortex of power. The flames raging forward high into the air in a geyser of fire that reached several yards in the air. Naruto only said one word. "Burn,"

As if on command, the tip of the geyser exploded outwards in a wave of burnt orange flames that quickly overtook the Shujinheki and bathed the land in a sea of flames. At the center of the chaos, Naruto was nowhere to be seen as the Shinobi attempted to put the fire out. After a couple minutes, they nearly put out the fire, but a shiver of dread slamming down into their stomach's just told them that they had just unknowingly ran straight into the flames of hell.

"Hello boys!" A sickly sweet voice echoed throughout the air. "WHERE IS MY SON!?" Then again, hell might be nice this time of year.

(With Natsumi)

Staring at the spiraling vortex of wind with disbelief in her eyes, she simply shook her head in confusion. "Okay, I just know Naruto had something to do with that!" But that begs the question…who the hell was he fighting? There is no way Mizuki-teme's that strong.

Turning away from the sight, she shook her head and leaned against a nearby tree. Turning her head to her left, she watched as Kokoro sat against another tree sweat dripping heavily against her skin. Wincing at the sight, she frowned. Koko-chan always had a weakest physique in the Academy. While she had a lot of chakra, she was the complete opposite from the kid that graduated last year. No matter how many time's she exercised, she never got any better throughout their years at the Academy.

'I think his name was Rock Lee?' He had some sort of condition where he was unable to mold chakra, and was considered the dead last of the class. He barely managed to pass through Taijutsu alone through a recommendation from a Jounin. There was no such case this time.

Looking around, she stood back up and sighed. "Koko-chan; lets rest here a bit." Natsumi suggested. "There's no doubt that the stunt from before would catch everyone's attention, so it'll only be a matter of time till the other Shinobi come to help Naruto." Too bad she doesn't know that her brother's being attacked by said Shinobi.

Heart ramming against her chest, Kokoro slowly nodded. After a couple careful deep breaths of air, she pulled something out from her pocket. It was a small black cube similar to the others. After a couple seconds, she pressed the cube within both palms and her hands were covered in a light blue glow. Her chakra steadily seeping into the cube as it broke down and shifted into a small canteen rectangular canteen.

Twisting open the cap, she pressed it against her lips and chugged down icy cold water that stung the insides of her throat. Feeling familiar cold warmth spread through her form, she put down the canteen and swallowed. Her pale complexion gaining a bit of color back as her shaking stopped. Feeling someone's stare, she turned and tilted her head to the side in confusion resembling a small bunny. "…Yes Natsumi-san?"

Staring at her for a moment, she just waved it off. "Never mind," She muttered making the girl blink. "I think its best we rest for a bit before moving on." She repeated softly. "It's only a matter of time before the other Shinobi come and help Naruto and this entire fiasco will be done and over with." And after that, she can get some answers with a steaming hot bowl of ramen. The thought made her happy with relief.

"But…what if the…Shinobi decided…that Naruto…was the enemy?" Kokoro whispered slowly.

And her good mood was ruined. "Why would you think that?" Natsumi asked frowning. "They are under my Tou-san's command and they wouldn't harm his son and my brother!" She replied heatedly.

Wilting at that, Kokoro gave her a hesitant nod before taking another sip from her canteen. Feeling more of her strength come back, she frowned for a moment and pursed her lips. "Is it…true?" She asked after a moment.

Hearing another explosion, Natsumi looked over the tree's side to see another whirl of wind. "What is?"

"…What Mizuki-sensei…said?" Her silence was answer enough. Looking up, she frowned noting how stiff Natsumi was. "…Sorry," She whispered.

Listening to the sounds of the following explosions, she shook her head and gave her a sad laugh in response. "Don't know," She mumbled. "I hardly know anything about my brother to begin with, so who knows what might be true and what might be false." Heck, everything she's been told might have been a lie.

"Naruto…doesn't lie!" Kokoro said a bit strongly. Seeing Natsumi turn to her with a raised brow, Kokoro flushed at the attention she was getting. "…Naruto…never lies…" She repeated after a moment. "He hides things…within rhymes…but he never lies." Feeling her stare increase in tenacity, she blinked when Natsumi suddenly giggled.

"You might be right on that," Natsumi agreed with a smile. "My brother is just barely accepting me, so I guess I'll have to figure him out along the way!" Seeing her nod in agreement, Natsumi smiled in response. "Ah…by the way, you seem pretty bold by calling my brother by his first name." Grin turning mischievous, she took a step closer. "And without the san suffix as well…" Seeing her flush a bit, she nodded as if affirming something. "You're even following in rhymes as well!" Looks like someone's got an admirer!

Giggling, she got back to her feet and stretched her arms into the sky. And at that very moment, an explosion of raging flames erupted far away in the forest with a deafening roar. "Okay, now that is definitely Naruto's fault." She deadpanned bringing her arms down. "From what I've seen of the boy, he has too much of our Kaa-san's…unique humor. So it'd only be natural that he'd share her destructive tendencies." Let it be clear, that while she may look like her mother, she clearly act's like her father…with a bit of her mother's anger issues. But if asked, she will deny everything.

Hearing a soft giggle, she turned to see Koko-chan with some more color back to her skin. She no longer looked like a girl who was forced to run a ten mile marathon in under ten minutes. "That…contraption of yours is really useful." Natsumi commented with a bit of awe in her tone. Sniffing the air for a moment, she winkled her nose and smirked. "Though after this, we're both taking a bath…or more specifically you, to get rid of all this sweat." Seeing her blink in confusion before sniffing her sleeves, Natsumi nearly glomped her then and there if not for the sweat from how cute she looked. 'Naruto was right…she does look like a bunny.' Probably wouldn't be too hard for her to convince him to lend her a pair of rabbit ears and tail…though she would question on why he would have those if he did. A small giggle escaping her lips, she walked forward and helped Koko-chan to her feet.

Smiling softly, Kokoro took her hand and was gently pulled up. Patting herself down, her eyes flashed golden for but a moment as she took Natsumi by surprise by pulling her into a tight hug. A brief whistle escaping her lips as five black streaks shot down from the sky. The sound of "Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu!" And as if on cue, two hands burst out of the ground below coiling their fingers around Natsumi's and her ankle's. Before they were about to be dragged down though, the streaks slammed down in a spiraling motion around them causing a shock-wave of electricity to pass through the earth forcing the hands to let go.

Keeping a tight hold on Natsumi, Kokoro waited until the discharge of electricity dissipated before letting go. Turning away from Natsumi's stare, her cheeks it up a slight pink as she stared at the five black birds hopping on the ground. Dark blue lines trailing along their forms sparking yellow every now and then.

Staring at her, Natsumi simply shrugged. "Thanks Koko-chan!" She chirped not at all interested in what she did…just a little bit really. But a Shinobi has to have their secrets after all. Now then…eye's hardening, she sent a quick pulse of chakra into the air surrounding them. Turning around, she watched as the traitor walked out from behind a tree a couple meters away.

He was completely battered, but otherwise fine. And the second most important thing was that he was holding onto the Forbidden Scroll. "What did you do to Naruto?" She asked icily. The only way for Mizuki-teme to have gotten past him is by beating him, and from their earlier display that was not even possible. Though that begged to question on how strong her brother was to begin with.

As if on cue, giant waves of water rose up into the air smothering the smoldering flames on all sides. Watching as the flames were being pushed back, she turned back to Kokoro. A single thought playing through her head as she recalled what she said. "What did you do to Naruto Mizuki-teme!?" She erupted into a furious outburst. Her eye's flashing a furious crimson much to Mizuki's temporary shock.

Smirking, Mizuki pulled, he second Dai Shuriken from his back and laughed. "And to think that a child figured out something Konoha's famous ANBU couldn't!" Breaking out in another laugh, he grinned. "If you thought the Shinobi that heard the destruction would help the boy, then you're sorely mistaken. In fact, they're the ones out to kill the child viewing him as a traitor to their beloved village." He chuckled spitting the word village in disgust.

Tensing, Natsumi just stared in silence at the rising water far, far away. Koko-chan's question becoming all the more real the longer she thought about it. By her side, Kokoro could only watch and stare in worry. Naruto was strong, she knew that. So she can't count him out, but Natsumi seems to be acting strange when Mizuki-sensei confirmed what she asked not two minutes ago. Shaking her head, a thought came to mind and she acted.

Tugging at her sleeve, she frowned and pinched her, hard, to get her attention. Hearing her yelp, she frowned in disapprovement. "Naruto…promised that he would…wait in clearing…tomorrow." Seeing her look of confusion, Kokoro turned to the smoldering flames within the surrounding wall of water. "Naruto…does not lie…breaking promise mean's…he lie…" Turning back to Natsumi, she smiled softly. "Naruto…does not lie…"

Staring at her, she turned away and glared at Mizuki-teme. "How would you know that?" She asked bitterly. "You've only known him for a couple days." Wincing inwardly at her own words, she turned only to see Koko-chan nod in understanding.

Reaching into her pocket, Kokoro whistled a soft tune and the black birds acted. In a single moment, they shot off towards Mizuki shooting small blasts of electricity at him. "Naruto…reminds me of…someone." She admitted shyly gaining Natsumi's attention. "…He's not…exactly…the same…but if theirs…one thing they do…it's that…they never lie." Giving her one last look, Kokoro giggled. "And breaking promises…counts as a…lie,"

Staring at her, she smiled. "And Naruto can't lie…right!" She repeated with a soft grin mirrored by Koko-chan's own.

"But that doesn't mean you can't!" A dark voice roared. Before Kokoro could even react, Natsumi pushed her out of the way as the ground below her erupted in a flurry of chains. A Dai Shuriken tearing right through them before shattering, the force of the attack snapping Natsumi's body back into the air for a moment. Mizuki appeared out of nowhere slamming his fist right into her abdomen rocketing her to a tree back first splintering it.

Staring with shock filling her eyes, she eyed the strangely transformed Mizuki blankly. He was roughly a couple feet taller with his shoulders a bit broader and stronger. His body bulged with muscles matched by the arrogant smirk on his face.

Staring, her eyes flashed gold and five black streaks came back into view. Their bodies erupting into bursts of electricity, the first slammed right into Mizuki's side slamming him through a tree. Reaching into her pockets, she heard a groan and sighed in relief that Natsumi was okay before pulling out the canteen from before. Coating it with her chakra, she sprinted over towards Natsumi eyes periodically drifting towards the raging Mizuki. Her black crashing into his form from all sides as charges of electricity coursed through his veins.

Turning her attention back to Natsumi, she noted her slightly dazed state and frowned. 'Natsumi-san has no doubt taken harder hits…' Pressing the tip of the canteen against her lips, "Drink…" was all she said before her friend nodded. Did the suppression seal's on her do more damage that she thought?

Nodding after a couple moments, Natsumi gulped down cool stinging water and shook her head snapping out of her dazed state. She simply stared at Koko-chan before the bunny pointed to the busy Mizuki-teme. Nodding, her eyes unknowingly flashed towards Mizuki's direction as she recalled what he did. "Thanks." Seeing her sprint forward chains erupting form the palms of her hands, Kokoro started working piecing together the cubes in her hand. Her hands glowing with a layer of chakra that steadily began to spread towards the cubes.

Keeping her eye on Mizuki-sensei, she began to whistle. The black birds responding to her sound as they all erupted in bursts of crackling electricity. Her fingers twiddled around with the cubes as the birds became nothing more than a streak of yellow to her eyes. Eye's flashing golden, the tune of her whistling changed the moment Natsumi came into sight.

(With Natsumi)

Slowing down to a stop, Natsumi watched as Mizuki continued to dodge the attacking birds. Smiling, crossed her fingers eyes twitching, annoyed that the teme continued to ignore her in favor for some lightning spewing birds. "Kage bushin no Jutsu," She whispered finally catching the man's attention. Soon, the entire clearing had been covered in smoke with Mizuki at its center.

Eye's narrowing into thin slits; Mizuki removed his last Dai Shuriken on his back and scowled. Sending a careful amount of chakra to his ears, he gripped his weapon tighter as the sounds of electricity stopped. Does that mean the birds backed off? If so, what the hell were they and how did that failure get them? 'Hebi-sama would no doubt be interested in her.' He could always just sell the red one to Kumo…or Iwa. Whichever pay's better.

Shifting his feet, he tensed when he heard something piercing through the air. Spotting a streak of red, he lashed out with shuriken in hand to deflect a stab at his torso, slashing in front only to hit empty air. Sweat streaming down his cheek in concentration. He kept his eyes alert as he sprinted into the smoke. Ducking and dodging as red streaked in the air until he came into a small clearing devoid of smoke.

Turning around slashing in mid-air, he gazed into Natsumi's shocked cerulean blue eyes as the blade sliced along her torso. Blood spurting from the wound as her eyes glazed over, he grinned only to scowl when she disappeared in a cloud of smoke. 'Kage Bushin,' He grunted in annoyance. The same justu she used for the graduation exam.

Eyes sharpening, he watched as several more clones dropped down from the trees with calm calculating expressions. Their forms charging right at him with dagger tipped chakra chains, their hands gripping tightly onto the dagger part of it holding it like one would a kunai.

Eyes sharpening, he stayed in the clearing ducking, deflecting as well as attempting to return her strikes. Only to fail as Natsumi's only used that as a foot hold for her to attack with the other clones to escape being dispelled; jumping straight at him aiming from his blind spots and sometimes from right in front of him. Coming from the dark tree tops as well as in the midst of the trees, he simply watched in annoyance as Natsumi's strikes began to grow faster as well as unpredictable.

Frowning, he took a single step back as one of the clones charged forward. Just as she was about to stab his abdomen, he whispered "Doton: Moguregakure no Justu." And in a moment the ground underneath him turned to sand, and he disappeared straight below losing only a couple strands of hair. His form reappeared right behind the attacking clone stabbing it in the back with his shuriken dispelling it. He then vanished into the ground once more as several more clones dropped into the clearing.

Soon, the entire area was filled with smoke as Mizuki continued to pop clone after clone from behind. But after the seventh time, he reappeared behind his eighth one only to jump back in surprise when snapped its leg back slamming it into his abdomen pushing him back. The clone twisting its waist around before her wrist twitched throwing her weapon right at him.

Slashing at it with his shuriken, he shattered it only for a leg to slam against his side from behind. Growling in snapping irritation, he slashed at the clone dispersing it into smoke. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small vial in mid-turn throwing his Dai Shuriken right at the approaching clones forcing them to spread apart. Flicking off the cap, he drank the last of the red liquid within it and shattered the vial in his grip afterwards. His senses sharpening before he disappeared within the earth once more. His form appearing behind a clone that had dodged his shuriken, he snatched it in mid-air and tore right through it dispelling it.

Before any of the clones could react, Mizuki sprinted forward in a blur and started to wipe out the clones one after another without remorse and in the cruelest way possible. The entire clearing soon disappearing in a rising cloud of smoke as the traitor continued tearing down the Natsumi's faster than the clones could appear.

The permanent scowl on his face seemingly dissolving into a sadistic grin of glee, he continued to massacre the clones with apparent ease. Though as he destroyed the last clone, he couldn't help but feel dissatisfaction that he didn't make the real thing bleed. Hearing something stabbing in the air, he leaped to the side dodging an extending chakra chain that stabbed itself into the ground.

That was only the start as he soon found himself running away from a volley of chakra chains raining down around him. Swerving his body through the continuous fire of chakra constructs, he continued to slash at the closest ones only to watch as his Dai Shuriken rebound and crack against their surface. Confusion was clear in his eyes as he was able to break them easy enough before. Before he even had a chance to react, a shower of chains rained down from above stabbing into the ground. Each one missing him by inches but restricted his movements to small openings between the chains; all in all, he was within an interconnecting web of crimson.

Eye's sharpening, he growled as he weaved through the openings easily enough. Shinobi in general are able to move within tight spaces to surprise and assassinate their targets. Mizuki was no exception as he continued to dodge chain after chain that steadily trailed behind him. Twisting his waist, he flipped high into the air only to lurch forward, blood shooting from his lips as a streak of yellow and black crashed into his abdomen rebounding him back towards the ground. His form crashing roughly into several of the chains on his path to the dirt, he regained his senses and flipped in the air before landing softly in the air.

Hearing something click, he looked down to see small black cubes littering the ground underneath. His sandals accidently stepping on one causing it and the surrounding one's to spark yellow before detonating in an explosion of yellow electricity. His body flung back into the air from the force of the explosion only for it to jerk back as the same streak from before slammed into his side sending him spinning farther into the air.

The process repeating itself as several more streaks slammed into his sides continuously. The traitor's body lurching back and forth in the air while crashing into the chakra chains situated around the area. His senses numb, and his limbs stiff from the electrical blast from below. He never noticed the red streak that leaped along the chains through the smoke. Her cerulean blue eyes glinting icily as she joined in on the attack. A constant streak of black, yellow, and red rocketed into Mizuki from all sides throwing him about much faster in the air.

After a couple moments, Natsumi landed calmly on a chain link far below Mizuki-teme. The make-shift chakra daggers in her hand dripping with blood. She heard a faint whistle and smiled as the black birds swerved around in the sky before descending below Mizuki. Their forms sparking further in electricity as they shot straight above slamming right into Mizuki's body one after another forcing him higher and higher into the air. His body stopping just above the cloud of smoke in which Natsumi shot out of immediately afterwards before slamming her chakra filled knuckles right into Mizuki's abdomen shooting his straight down towards the ground. His body crashing through several of the chain links that suddenly snapped from their places whipping around the area in a wild frenzy. The black birds nearly ending their role as they shot down from above like lightning. Their forms then crashed into the traitors who continued to be tangled by the chakra chains slamming him into the ground.

A pillar of fire erupted far away at that exact moment blowing away the smoke with fever showing the ground below. The clearing below littered with dozens of black sparking cubes that were activated by the force of the Chunin and multitude of chains that crashed into the ground. Up above in the sky, she ignored the heat of the pillar of flames and squint her eyes watching the exploding maelstrom of electricity that screeched into the night below.

Electricity dying down moments later, she landed softly on the ground noting the streams and sparks of yellow that appeared occasionally on the earth. Turning her attention to the traitor, she found him charred, twitching, and unfortunately still alive. Scowling, she huffed and turned to look at the rising pillar of fire. "Naruto does realize we're in a forest…right?" She muttered irritably.

Hearing a small giggle, she grinned and turned around to meet a smiling Koko-chan. Natsumi seeing how peaceful she looked, how cute, how…normal and totally not filled with the current insanity that's been happening for the past dozen minutes. She did the one thing that had to be absolutely done. Disappearing in a blink, she pulled Koko-chan into a tight hug making her squeak in surprise. Letting go after a couple moments, she grinned before blinking.

"When did you get the Forbidden Scroll?" Really…how did she get the large scroll that was now conveniently not charred in her hands?

Shyly nodding, she let out a small whistle and the small black birds flew into sight. Staring, she nodded. Ah…well at least they won't get in trouble for destroying a scroll filled with extremely powerful and forbidden justu. She was not tempted what-so-ever to look inside and explore its contents. Not a bit. 'Koko-chan, why are you staring at me like that?' Feeling something in her hand, she giggled sheepishly and gave back the Forbidden Scroll making Kokoro shake her head in mild exasperation.

"Any-y…way…those birds of yours are really useful!" She commented not at all trying to change the subject…Koko-chan's stare is a bit unsettling now! "I didn't know you could make these things explode electricity either! How come you never used these in the Academy?" She asked in confusion. Even though she's physically weak, she could have passed with these things since they technically passed as Shinobi Tools.

Staring at her for a moment, Kokoro's smile dimmed a bit. "Shinobi…must have a…strong physique…to survive." She answered softly. "A tool…is a tool…and cannot always…be there…but the body…is something…that can and…will follow." Staring at the birds on the branches, she shook her head sadly. "…I failed because…I was weak…nothing can…change that…and I accept it."

Frowning softly, Natsumi shook her head. "Nope," She replied popping the 'p'. "From what I saw, you are not weak." Natsumi said in disagreement. "Even though you failed, you survived your first battle and acted calmly throughout the entire thing. Even when shocking truths had been revealed, you still kept your calm. That is not being weak, but what I call strong." She said placing her hands on her shoulders.

Staring at her calmly for a moment, her smile brightened just a bit. "Thank you…but…you faced Mizuki…and won while I…hid in the shadows."

Sighing in exasperation, Natsumi scowled. "Yeah…no," She shook her head in mild annoyance. "You're coming with me, and Naruto will tell you the exact same thing when we find him!" Motioning her forward, she frowned when she did not move.

"Naruto…does not lie…" Kokoro whispered. "But he…does not reveal…the whole truth…" Staring at her, she removed Natsumi's hands from her shoulders and shook her head.

Frowning, she took Koko-chan's hand and began to guide her forward. She couldn't help but wonder why she was downgrading herself like this.

Looking ahead, Kokoro's eyes flashed golden for but a moment and a sad smile appeared on her lips. "He does…not lie…he does not…break promises…" She whispered shyly. "…but…other's do."

Blinking, Natsumi turned to stare at Koko-chan only to freeze. Kokoro gliding right past her as the sound of shifting chains crackled throughout the clearing. Eye's widening, she turned around only to see Kokoro place her hands firmly on the center of her chest, a bright smile on her face as the black birds screeched a high shrill around them.

Just like that, an inhuman form shot up from the ground right behind Koko-chan with one arm raised. Before she could do anything to warn her, Kokoro immediately pushed her away. The arm ramming right into Koko-chan's side and nearly her own had she not been pushed away. She could only watch as her new friend flew through the air before tumbling across the ground several meters away before slamming into a tree.

"KOKORO"

Ah...I hope you liked the fight scene. It's been a while since the first one...so...yeah. Please review and tell me your opinions.