A/N: Almost TWO THOOOUSAND REVIEWS! This story has surpassed that mark! You guys are the best! When I first created this story I never once thought that it would graduate to become the massive and phenomenal hit that it is to day! And to top it all off, its a long one ! Reviews inspire me to write like this so I just want to say...
...THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!
Still I return again! Things have been absolutely crazy for me as of the last few months what with the surgeries and all, but now at long last, I feel I can devote my attentions to this fic anew as I've intended to do! Of course, now that they're not cutting me OPEN anymore to work on my heart I've also come up with a quite a few new ideas! I can promise ya'll that the next few chappys are going to be nothing short of absolutely brilliant! So sorry for the wait! Seriously tho, for those few who keep pestering me: CHILL. This story is not dead. I, like many of you, have a life outside of Fanfiction, and sometimes that life isn't the kindest when it comes free time.
Now that we've addressed all those issues, I just wanted to say: Thank you. To all of you who reviewed and have yet to review, and especially those who noticed my improved writing style. I look forward to hearing more from you as we continue down the strange, convulted path that is this story. I honestly cannot believe I've already gotten more than 100 reviews for the first chapter alone and now its so damn high I could cry with joy! Hopefully I won't dissapoint you guys! And with that...
...onto the next chapter! =D I'm also going to address a slight discrepancy here; the matter of a harem. Yes, it is going to be one. No, Naruto won't abandon his ladies for one girl. I don't know why some people seemed to think that? As another note, I'd like to address a bit of confusion on the matter of the harem itself. It won't be getting too much larger here, folks. We also address the bloody Minato issue...because that issue caused some changes in Naruto, folks.
Anywho, more epicness awaits us as we continue to address just how Naruto feels about changing the future...and at long last we get to see the beginnings of true romance! And as a warning, there is still M-Rated...so enjoy! Its a looooong one! And it is nearly one in the morning over here! So...enjoy!
"I will create peace...even if I have to toss my humanity aside to do it."
~?
This is Why We Can't Have Nice Things!
Naruto woke the next morning with a pounding headache and the taste of sake lingering in his mouth. Every fiber of his being ached, his muscles throbbing in places he didn't even know he'd had. It felt as though he'd been put through a meat grinder, carved up and put back together at some point since his sleep. Groaning, he opened his eyes...
...to every man's wet dream. He had to blink multiple times to clear his vision, almost unable to believe what he was looking at. The taste of sake still lingered on his tongue, suggesting he'd done a fair bit of drinking last night after he'd crushed Minato's spirit. Gah. There it was again. The reminder of what Kushina -and by default he himself- had done to that poor boy. The look in his eyes had been completely soul-shattering one moment, then full of venom the next.
He was almost certain he'd made an an enemy of his father last night. But try as he might, he couldn't think of a way to undo it. Not without giving Kushina to him and he wasn't willing to do that. Not now. Nor ever. It was so strange! The reborn Uchiha still wasn't all that certain when he'd gone from viewing her as his mother to a separate person but it was impossible to make a distinction between the two now. Kushina was Kushina and that was that. Not his mother. Just Kushina.
Ah, but he digressed. Back to the coffin of flesh in which he found himself.
In other words...
...he awoken to find himself surrounded by women.
Kushina.
Mikoto.
Karura.
Pakura.
Hoshi.
At some point he must've gone home; because, here he was in bed and so were they. That was the problem. He must've been exhausted, because he didn't recall anything other than turning the doorknob and walking in on Mikoto with a bottle of sake. Doubtlessly, there had been some drinking done to resolve his guilt. It really shouldn't have bothered him that much-this lapse in his memory-but somehow it did. The idea of missing even a few seconds was truly quite troublesome. Way back During the Fourth Shinobi War when he'd still been an Uzumaki something like this often meant someone was trying to put him under a genjutsu or worse, the Moon's Eye Plan was starting to affect him. He very much doubted that this was some trick of the mind, but just to be safe...
"Kai." he muttered, pulsing his chakra and trying to dispel the genjutsu. Just in case. Nothing happened. Kushina was still taking up firm residence on his right arm and Mikoto his left, whilst Karura and Pakura had nigh but taken up residence lower on his body, his legs to be precise. Coupled with a certain Hyuuga, the five of them barely fit on his bed! So much for trying to take things slow.
What baffled him was thus: why were they naked? More importantly why was he naked? Guh! And when the hell had Hoshi gotten here? He distinctly recalled parting with her back at Ichiraku! But here she was, draped across his chest like fine silk, her cheek nuzzled against. She was surprisingly light he realized. Soft, too. Gah! Stop that! Dooooown boy! Sity! Stay! The reborn Uchiha chastised himself for that mental slip, realizing he was actually relishing in the feel of her bare breasts against his own chest, the fact that he was still inside her-what? What?! WHAT?!
Oh dear sweet Kami, have mercy on my misbegotten soul and take me from this world!
Naruto tried to slam a lid on that train of thought before it could run off the tracks but it was too late; he realized exactly what had happened last night. What was still happening. He'd gotten drunk last night and tossed aside all inhibition. Fucked Hinata's mother. And probably everyone else in this room, if their naked bodies were to be believed. He could already feel a migraine coming on.
He tried to move and swap himself with a clone-
Mikoto stirred.
"Urk."
"One more move, and I'll genjutsu you into next week." she said sweetly, her words surprisingly coherent despite the fact that her eyes remained firmly closed. If she hadn't been speaking in her sleep, he was almost certain she would have done it, too. He'd been compartmentalizing her as of late, it was really only natural that she'd want some more time with him. Still, those words sent a quit tingle of dread shooting up his spine at the thought of what this woman would to him if he disobeyed. He was certain he could escape, but she'd probably tear strips out of his hide before he did. Not a risk he was willing to take under normal circumstance but given the severity of this one...he'd take his chances.
"Yes, dear."
Three seconds passed. Then:
Poof.
"NA-RU-TO!"
That was how the meet and greet started. Just like that.
Naruto's impromptu escape caused Mikoto to stir almost immediately; the moment she realized he wasn't in bed shit hit the fan. Needless to say, she decided to enact her promise to genjutsu him into next week. That woke Hoshi up; her cry of surprise in turn roused Kushina; the latter's shouting leaving Pakura and Karura wondering what on earth all the ruckus was about, and so, they rose as well. By the time Mikoto finally caught him Nagato and the others were awake as well, though thankfully everyone was wearing something by then.
In Naruto's case it was mostly bruises. A powerful shinobi he might be, but even the mightiest of men were powerless before the righteous fury of the female race. Mikoto had been unable to place him under an illusion thanks to his superior eyes, but she'd certainly carved her retribution out on his hide. It would've been funny if he could heal; as it were, he had to forcibly supress what little of Kurama's chakra remained. He didn't know
Thankfully they were all clothed before Nagato and the others woke. Naruto ushered them off to the kitchen with a clone and gathered everyone else in the bedroom. He'd been dreading this moment, trying to put it off for the longest time...but it seemed that fate had other plans. This even had been a long time in coming and now, it was finally here.
The talk.
"So...you're all alright with sharing him?" Hoshi asked, disbelieving despite her best efforts. She was a very forgiving and loving person by nature, but even this, stretched the limits of her credulity. He had three clan heirs in the room, including herself, and two delegates from Suna. Their situation shouldn't been volatile, tenuous at best. And yet it wasn't. The girls seemed to get along just fine with one another, readily welcoming Kushina as well as herself into the fold. There was no arguement or squabbling, they simple deffered to Naruto's judgement in this odd matter.
So very strange.
"Well I was his first." Mikoto proclaimed proudly, visibly preening under the stares that followed.
Naruto facepalmed. "Here it comes...
"First...what?" Poor Karura looked like she'd just been scalded. "W-What did we do last night?"
"Like I said, I was first-
"First to get a very nasty genjutsu if she keeps talking." All eyes shifted back to Naruto, the male Uchiha's eyes were flaring an eerie violet. "I've already had all I can stand of bickering from last time." Just the sight of those rimmed orbs was enough to stall the arguement that, only moments ago had threatened to billow out of control. Just like that. One wouldn't think it was possible but he'd done it again; Kushina quietly shook her head in amazement. There was just something about Naruto that drew you to him-made you want to fight for him, perhaps even die for him.
Face to face with his steely resolve for the first time she found she could understand just how easily he inspired people...
"So apparently some sake was involved last night. Lots of sake." he continued tersely, now black eyes passing over each of them. "I'm probably to blame for that. If you want me to apologize now's the time." Mikoto looked away guiltily, Kushina coloring, recalling his earlier words of wanting to take her out before anything truly intimate occurred between them. "Near as mine and Hoshi's eyes can tell we all got wasted last night, and she's the only one who lost her virginity because of it. I want you all to understand that I never planned this." He paused in silence, allowing those words to sink in. "However, it doesn't change the fact that, and I'll say this as many times as I need to, that I care for each of you in equal measure. There is no "favorite" here. There never will be. Understand?"
"Hey!"
"Um...excuse me? Are you fighting...?"
Everyone turned toward a very confused Konan, having wandered into the den. Her bright amber eyes regarded them with just a touch of confusion, bafflement prevalent in thos shining orbs. There was a long moment of silence. And then the inexplicable occurred:
"She's so cute!" Hoshi squealed!
Naruto facepalmed so hard he nearly broke his own wrist. Konan blinked, baffled to find herself in the Hyuuga's arms.
"H-Hai?"
"Alright, discussion over." he sighed with an air of finality. "Time for breakfast."
And to Hoshi's great delight, she learned that Naruto was an able cook! Him! An Uchiha! Cook!
His clan didn't know what they were missing!
(One hearty meal later...)
"Taijutsu?"
Naruto nodded, barely able to keep the solemn smile from his face as he finished stretching. Admittedly, been looking forward to this since the moment he'd woken up. Well, he hadn't known he'd be waking up to this situation, but nevertheless it was an opportunity he wasn't going to let slide. He'd become too reliant on the fancy tricks that so defined his new clan. If he were ever denied them, he'd be in a pinch. No-it was time to go back to basics-see just what his new skills were when they extended beyond mere ninjutsu and genjutsu.
Time to see what this body of his could really do.
He'd assembled them all in the backyard just outside his apartment-one of the few redeeming features about his new quarters. It was a bright, sunny afternoon Behind them, if one were inclined to listen, you could just barely hear the sounds of his clones setting to work on the apartment. Rennovations were long since overdue, if he was going to be raising three orphans and look after his girls he'd need to radically renovate his entire living arrangement if he hoped to accomodate them at all. Thankfully, he knew a thing or two when it came to building.
But none of that was on his mind now.
"My physical skills have been getting a bit rusty the past few days." he continued, rolling his shoulders, wincing in appreciation as he felt the joints pop into place. "Need to keep them sharp. Besides," his gaze turned to Konan and the rest, "This will be a good chance for the kiddies to see what a shinobi can do."
Kushina balked. He'd taken on an army almost singlehandeddly, and he called that rusty? She wasn't sure she wanted to see him in top form! It certainly didn't help that Naruto had donned his ancestor's old armour for this particular occasion; he wouldn't say where he had gotten the dull red plate armor but it contrasted sharply with the black garments he wore beneath. In that instant he looked almost exactly like his ancestor, minus the hair. But you didn't need long hair to strike fear into the heart of an enemy, Kushina knew that for a fact.
After all she'd only kept hers long because Naruto had mentioned admiring the crimson tresses, and she loved the way he ran his fingers through it and-BAD! Bad Kushina! Save those thoughts for later!
"I'll say it again," Naruto continued, shouldering his war fan. "I won't use ninjutsu or genjutsu. Only taijutsu. You're free to use whatever techniques you want." finally, a rare smile graced his lips. "Even then you won't be able to touch me." Impossibly, he smile grew, becoming almost childlike in its intensity. "Whoever does gets a priiiiiiize~!"
"A bold claim." Mikoto replied, Sharingan flaring at the challenge. "You're not even going to use your bloodline?"
"Nope."
Hoshi seemed to agree with that statement. "You won't last a second."
"We'll see," Naruto replied in a sing-song voice.
Karura gulped sightly. Of everyone present she was the only one who hadn't seen what Naruto could do in the realm of physical combat. Even Hoshi had gotten a glimpse of his skill; she felt like the odd duck out in this strange little flock he was forming. Naruto noticed this, biting back a rueful sigh as he watched her fidget. Time and time again he'd tried to help her work on her confidence, but it was terribly slow going. The Scorpions still refused to accept her because of it, and he daren't have her try to sign any of the other contracts. It would mean the world to her if she was accepted by her family's summons. If she wasn't, well...he'd have to do something about that now, wouldn't he?
"Alright...
"GO!"
As one, the kunoichi blurred forward. And as one, they were unable to harm him. For all their skill, they simply didn't know how to work as a team. It was a weakness. One Naruto instantly capitalized on.
Ebon hair danced wildly in the air as his body spun foward at them, issuing smooth kick and flowing swings with nothing more than practiced grace. Fighting enemies coming from every side, the reborn Uchiha shot his arms out, impeccable poise and precision behind every strike. For a seemingly simple kata, it was amazingly complex, flowing from punch to kick and vice-versa with maximum force and no energy wasted. It was, in a word, incredible.
It was also chillingly familiar.
Mikoto didn't know what to make of it. But her eyes did not lie. His fighting style wasn't purely Uchiha as it should be; yet she recognized it, somehow. She could see elements of the Hyuuga Jyuuken style as he warded off Hoshi, traces of Uzumaki as he bobbed and weaved amidst Kushina's chains and fists. Even a smattering of the Suna taijutsu, as he held back both Pakura and Karura. That wasn't the Uchiha style. What was it? This wasn't anything she'd seen before. She'd glimpsed it during their first spar, but now...
Whatever it was, it was unsettling.
Like a stone firm upon the shore, he took wave after wave of punishment, weathering their strikes where he could, deflecting when he could not. And then he stopped defending. Mikoto nearly cringed in disbelief as one of her hands did the unthinkable, striking him hard in the face. And passing right through the afterimage. Oh. That was her last thought before she saw stars.
Naruto was seemingly in three different places at once; blurring over Kushina's head to strike at her neck, driving an elbow into Hoshi's solar pexus, head-butting Mikoto when she tried to close the gap before sweeping her clear off her feet. He was a human whirlwind-moving like wind, never pausing once in his assault. Even as Pakura turned to face him the shinobi whispered away in a swirl of movement, flowing over and around her scorching jutsu. While not as lethal as it ought to be, it would still sting to be struck by one of the searing spheres.
But they never hit.
The reobrn Uchiha suddenly lashed out with an arm, the side of his hand knifing into the kunoichi's neck, right beneath her left ear. Pakura's eyes immediately rolled up into the back of her head as her knees gave out, her body crumpling limply to the ground. Naruto took a step towards her Karura who stood there, mouth agape-a small curve of bemusement leaping to his lips as he approached her. Kushina and the others were down and out. The poor girl was frozen with fear and goggle-eyed, unable to take so much as a single step forward in the face of what she'd just witnessed.
"I give up!" she squeaked!
"What?" he asked in disbelief. "Is that it?"
With a blink of surprise, Kushina forced herself to sit up and look around, her bright eyes searching for the unexpected victor. Her mouth curved down into a frown as she saw the dark-haired shinobi still standing off to the side, his pale face focused firmly on Karura. Then she smirked.
An opening!
Launching herself forward, she had the satisfaction of her fingers brushing his back. Of hearing him laugh. Then she only a blur. Suddenly she was facedown in the dirt, her stomach screaming from a seemingly unseen blow to the solar plexus. There had been no transition of motion; Naruto simply moved and she went down. Whatever he did, it was effective.
"And that," he said to Nagato and the orphans, "Is taijutsu. Any questions?"
If their awestruck faces were anything to go by, he'd succeeded in proving his point. "Now, why don't you go inside with Karura and get changed? I can't very well train you in your pajamas." Quietly they allowed the kunoichi to usher them back inside where fresh clothes awaited-having been washed only the night before. He'd leave a clone behind to train them and the rest of his students. For now his attention was fixated firmly on the four maidens laying prone at his feet. A gentle chakra-induced nudge to Pakura's neck helped the crippled kunoichi to stir, though not without a good deal of swearing on her part.
"Well now," try as he might, Naruto couldn't keep the smile from his face. "What have we learned today?"
"Wait, we were supposed to learn something?" Kushina winced.
"What, did you think I enjoyed beating the tar out of you?"
Mikoto groaned, struggling to stand on legs she still didn't quite feel and failing miserably. "Never underestimate your opponent."
"Close, but no cigar."
"Always watch your blind spots?" Hoshi was the next to take a stab at it, cradling her stomach tenderly.
"A valid point, but wrong." Naruto shook his head.
"An overeliance on bloodlines?"
"Also important, yet incorrect."
"Teamwork." Kushina realized it as soon as the words escaped her mouth.
"Teamwork." Naruto nodded, affirrming her point. "If you'd all worked together from the very start, the five of you would've stood a fair chance of overwhelming me. As it stands, you were sloppy." His eyes flashed in a rare emotion, dissapointment permeating thos charcoal orbs. "Only one of you touched me, and even then just barely. Which brings me to my next point:
"And the winner is Kushina." he sounded quite pleased with himself, she realized. "If you count poking me in the back as a hit."
Kushina groaned and flopped onto her back again, chest visibly heaving for air. "That was...how did you do that? You weren't this good last time!" She could already feel the bruises forming upon her body; by this time tomorrow she was going to be incredibly sore, if not sooner. When he offered her his hand she wearily accepted it, cringing as she was hoisted to her feet. On some level, she supposed she ought to be proud that she'd been able to hit him at all, but the level of speed with which he'd moved told her it had been luck, not skill, that allowed her to touch him at all.
That thought was wiped away when she found herself in his arms. God, why did he have to be so tall? She knew he'd been adamant about things such as public affection but in this moment she simply didn't care. There were only the strong joints of his limbs wrapped around her waist, cradling her. What the hell was going on here? Naruto usually wasn't so open with his feelings, not that she was complaining about this sudden lap. But for each instant that he held her, she could feel herself growing more and more agitated. She knew that the others were watching, knew she shouldn't be doing this in front of them...
"Of course I wasn't. he murmurred, lowering his face to hers in reply. "I wasn't holding back this time. You should count yourself lucky; you don't have any broken bones."
"Hmm," she flushed, well aware of her heart hammering in her ears, "You said there was a prize...?"
"I did." his lips quirked, ever so slightly.
"What is it?"
"This."
Fire filled her belly, spooling uncomfortably between her legs as his lips claimed hers. It was a surprisingly chaste kiss all things considered, but one that left Kushina's whole world wheeling nonetheless. When he began to pull away she grabbed him, roughly dragging his mouth back down to hers once more. He didn't resist.
...you're real jerk sometimes, 'ttebane." she murmurred, pulling away.
Naruto laughed.
"Love you, too."
"You're looking awfully chiper today." Tsunade's voice was suddenly there, piercing both his mind and the mid-morning haze she finally reached the training grounds. "Wake up on the right side of the bed?"
"Haha." Naruto was feeling chipper after remembering that morning. But her words also reminded him of the place and time. Of why he had left the girls behind with yet another of his clones and come here, to the grounds. He had a very important promise to keep; train a medical corps in three days as per his bold boast. It was no mean feat, but he remained confident in his ability to pull it off. After all, he had an ace up his sleeve, one even old man Sarutobi had failed to account for.
"Bullshit." Yami snorted. "You just thought it up this morning."
'Yeah, but they don't need to know that.'
"I think its quite inspired, given the circumstances. Using your eyes to imprint information...a lesser scale of what I once did."
"You again?!/You again?!"
Laughter, rich and amused, resounded in Naruto's mind. It sent a subtle shiver shooting down his spine. "Thought I went away, did you?" Not Madara! Definitely not Madara! Madara didn't sound like that! It felt like fingers of ice were digging into his brain, making it hard to think. What was this? He tried to pin it down but the prescence was wet, oily. It slipped through his grasp even as his fingers closed around it. Cold and clamy, it draped itself around him, threatening to stifle all thought. With all his might he resisted, pushing away to the deepest, darkest corner of his mind.
'Who in the hell are you?!'
"I suppose you could say I'm an unwanted guest." it purred softly, the words dripping into his mind like sweet, frozen honey. "Someone who was dragged back with you; a party who has a vested interest in your little scheme for peace. Whether it fails or not...is simply up to you."
And then it was gone. It. She. Whatever it was, it had sounded like a woman, but something in that voice made him quiver. Whatever this thing was, it was worse than Madara. Wiser. And infinitely more powerful.
"Earth to Naruto!"
The Uchiha started. Violently. Tsunade was peering at him, her face dimpled in a slight frown.
"Spacing out?" she asked.
"Something like that." Crap. It took every fiber of his being to school his face into an expressionless mask, and not flush in remembrance both of that kiss and of the future hokage had said to him the last time Tsunade had him alone. Then there was this strange voice in his head. Mocking him. This sinking feeling in his stomach was beginning to grow all over again, and he wasn't sure how to deal with it at all. "Alright, I'm sure you're wondering why I dragged you here."
"Precisely. How, exactly, do you plan to train a entire medical corps in three days?" when he'd told her of his proposal to the old man she'd nearly cracked him across the head without thinking. But he clearly had a plan of some sort, so she was refraining from fruther violence now.
Still, Tsunade remained doubtful. He'd assembled a small corps of shinobi before him as a demonstration, ten in total. A series of Jounin and Chunin who, according to him, weren't afraid of a little pain. All of them were Uchiha. But why did he have a row of clones facing them?
"Do remember what I showed you in Suna?" he asked, cocking his head. "With my eyes?"
Tsunade shuddered. "How could I forget? I was sick for nearly two whole days after you gave me that message."
"Well, I'm hoping that these will be more resilient. In essence, I'm going to mentally imprint all my knowledge and skills related to medical ninjutsu. With luck, they'll be able to mimic them." At her reluctant expression he quickly clarified. "Don't worry, Mikoto and I handpicked them yesterday right after I spoke to the old timer. Surprise surprise, some people in my clan aren't complete assholes. These ten are more than willing to try their hand a medical career...they simply lack the skills."
"So this'll work, then?" Tsunade reiterated, frowning. She had to admit, the prospect was intriguing. But the sheer incredulity of it boggled the mind, threatening to cull her enthusiasm before it could even take flight. If he could pull this off, if Naruto could do this, it would make him even more of legend than he already was. Not only would he be responsible for saving lives instead of taking them, but he would be effectively culling the constant casualties they suffered without a medical ninja in each squad.
"If it doesn't send them into a coma." Naruto shrugged. "But hey nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?"
"That's completely reckless-
Naruto's only response was to activate his Mangekyo Sharingan. As one, his clones mirrored the motion. Instinctively, Tsunade drew back, not wanting anything to do with those dreaded eyes.
"Tsukiyomi!"
Tsunade frowned, then cringed as every shinobi went ramrod straight, their eyes turned glazed, pupils dialating. She knew full well what it was like to have your mind violated, but, this was different. Naruto was cruelly carving information into their minds, no doubt years of experience, into the brains of his fellow clansmen. It seemed to last only a moment-the merest sliver in time. Then two. Then Four. Six. Eight. Ten. Twelve. By the time thirteen seconds had passed they were sweating.
She didn't like it.
"Naruto."
He didn't answer. When she turned to face him..., she saw why. His face was set in a rictus of concentration, eyes branching with strain. For each second that'd passed his expression became more and more intense, as though he were physically fighting to imprint the knowledge into their minds. By the time a full minute inched by, he was trembling. "Naruto." Tsunade nudged him. Once more he didn't respond. Another shake equated little more than a mumble.
"Not yet...
"Naruto!"
Still nothing. A snake of dread coiled in her gut.
"NARUTO!"
With an aggrieved gasp the powerful Uchiha jerked back to reality, crimson orbs fading back to black. As one his candidates also slumped with him. They were pale and haggard Tsunade noted idly but otherwise looking no worse for the wear. Naruto didn't give them time to recover. With a flick of the wrist, he indicated one of them and beckoned the youth forward. A chunin, if the vest was anything to go by. His thin, reedlike features were almost entirely eclipsed by his dark hair, a long curtain that looked as though it belonged more on a young woman than a man.
"Name?" Naruto asked.
"Shi, sir." Tsunade nearly choked at the soft, tenuous voice that emerged from the boy's mouth. Shi was a girl!
"Shi." A nod. "Do you remember what you just saw?"
There was a pause. "I believe so, Naruto-sama."
"Can you replicate it?"
"..."
"One way to find out." Naruto answered. In a flash, he summoned a kunai to his palm and bloodied it, the cold edge biting deep into his wrist. Tsunade gasped at the suddeness of the motion, aghast as blood welled up from the grievous slice in his limb. Naruto didn't so much as bat an eyelash. Instead, he looked at the Chunin expectantly. "Well?" he asked. "What are you waiting for?" he waved the bloodied hand in front of the lass's face, awaiting treatment. "I'm going to bleed to death if you don't do something."
Tsunade sqwuaked. "Are you insane?!"
"Not at all." Naruto replied at Tsunade. "Shi, if you will?"
Gulping, the lass laid her hands over his wrist. Her brow furrowed in concentration. Almost immediately green chakra stemmed from her fingertips, flowing up through her palm and over the wound. Within minutes, the gaping cut had been reduced to little more than a papercut. A second later and alll that remained was pink skin. Naruto laughed, crowing in triumph. Nine more attempts were met with equal results, with the weakest a mere second slower than the others in Shi's case. It was, Tsunade realized with bated breath, a unilateral success.
"Well," He grinned. "A couple more of those, and-
Without thinking, her body reacted. She grabbed him.
"You bastard...you actually did it!"
"Urgh!" Naruto grunted as her arms closed around him in a brutal bear hug, ribs threatening to crack under the pressure. "Tsunade! Arms! Can't! Breathe! Can't-mmph!" His words died off into a strangled gurgle as her lips claimed his. Tsunade was kissing him. Kissing! Him! His mind imploded. That chaste touching of the mouths wiped away all sentient thought. She'd kissed him without thinking. He realized it. Two beats later and so did she. With a strangled yelp the blonde jerked backwards as if she'd been burned.
"I...ah...damnit!" she sputtered, a hand flying to her lips. "That wasn't...I didn't mean to...!"
Whatever else she might've said died as a shadow detached from the nearby forest and forcibly made itself known. As they looked on it slowly assumed shape and form, the darkness inexorably dripping away to expose a trim figure clad in a dark cloak, their face hidden behind the ceramic mask of a rat.
"Uchiha Naruto?" the weasel-masked Anbu inquired.
"Yes?"
"Your request has been approved." came the muffled reply. "Danzo-sama will see you now."
Naruto risked a glance back at Tsunade.
"It can wait-
"Now." there was no questioning the tone. "Or not at all."
Naruto felt his mouth curve into a small smile. "Very well."
Finally.
Minato was grappling with himself.
Half of him was filled with hate, brimming with violent anger for the man who had wronged him. The other wallowed in self-loathing and piteous sighing, wondering where it had all gone so wrong. Ever since the Uchiha had arrived, nothing had been the same. It had all seemed so minor at first, but by the time he realized Kushina was drifting out of his grasp, it was already too late. Everything was going horribly wrong and he couldn't see a way to stop it.
Not without ending the one responsible for it all. But that would mean betraying the village. And no matter how much he might loathe the upstart Uchiha, he couldn't do the deed. The idea of betraying his village, trying to take a kunai to all that he'd known and loved, was as much foreign to him as the idea of not breathing. So he resolved to ignore him. He would not think of the man who had stolen Kushina from him-he would not try to kill him, would not turn a knife against him...
...yet.
So focused was he on ignoring said Uchiha that he wasn't watching where he was going. He rounded the corner, perfectly content to spend the rest of his day brooding. He'd train and perfect his new technique until the jutsu was without flaw. Nothing else would distract him. And when he had perfected it, he would prove once and for all, who was superior. Then Kushina would see! Then she would know! Unbiddens, he realized his jaw had clenched while he locked, muscles locking painfully. Yes, he would show him. He would show them all.
Fate had other plans.
Something-someone collided with him as he rounded the bend. He went down in a tangle of arms and legs.
"Eeep!" A very feminine squeal greeted his ears.
Shaking the stars from his eyes, he willed himself to look at the one who had felled him. It was...a girl?
"Who're...?"
"N-Nozomi." she stuttered out, her cheeks coloring prettily under his gaze. "My name's Nozomi."
Minato's jaw dropped.
Pale eyes stared back at him from a round, oval face, framed by dark brown tresses. A Hyuuga? Angry as he was, he almost dismissed her completely out of hand, but something made him pause. Something, he knew not what, caused him to take a closer look. She was a slim little thing in that lavender-colored kimono, filling it out rather well despite the fact. Right, he chided himself. Definitely a Hyuuga. He'd always known them to have long hair but hers was ludicrously so; trailing past a shapely waist. She was...wow. His brain took a moment to restart, rebooting itself as he looked on.
Kushina? Who was Kushina?
Maybe life didn't have to be so bad after all...
Naruto eyes slid lazily to the Anbu accompanying him in the room. Two for the door through which he'd already entered, three for the wall, and five more gathered around him in a loose semicircle, of which there were more than strictly neccessary. They smelled wrong. ROOT kind of wrong. These weren't the guards Hiruzen had assigned him for his personal guard; he knew each and every one of them by their scent and these were not them. That, and there were too many. He could see it in the way they held themselves, that and the fact that they were armed with more than just their standard katana and the odd shuriken.
Kurama might've left him for good, but the kitsune's latent ability to sense negative emotions still remained. And these Anbu stank of it. They weren't here to guard him until he met with Danzo. They were here to kill, end him before he ever met with the old warhawk. Of course. It all made sense now, albeit in a twisted sorta way. Danzo wanted him dead. Gone. And why wouldn't he after that business in Rain? He'd long since been affiliated with Hanzo, long enough to make a militant move like this once it became clear he was at risk of being exposed.
Naruto strongly suspected the man wasn't the one pulling the strings from the shadows, simply wanting to end him before his treachery against Sarutobi could be revealed. Naruto nearly facepalmed at the thought and he would've too had he not been in such rigid control of himself. 'I honestly did not see this coming...but, hey, at least it gives me a chance to test something out.' Slowly, he began to exude chakra, hardening muscles and tensing ligaments for the conquest that was to come. They thought they could kill him? In this body? They had a better chance of defeating the Shodaime Hokage in his prime.
Sighing, he rose from the couch.
"Before we get started," he began, the words low and deep in his throat, "I have just one question." Naruto allowed the smallest of smiles to grace his visage as he spoke the last words, a touch of killer intent suffusing his voice as though he were talking about something vaguely unpleasant, not contemplating the mass murderer of Konoha's most elite force. A terse silence accompanied those deceptively calme words, almost a dozen masked faces turning towards him in eerie unison.
...does anyone want to get out?"
"Its nothing personal." one of them murmured, drawing a katana.
Naruto laughed.
"Is that so? Feels kinda personal."
Scarce had he spoken than the world dissolved into a blur of motion. Then he gloried in the majestic art...
...that was his Taijutsu.
The first Anbu saw little more than an orange blur before the Uchiha's warfan smashed into his face, shattering his mask and the face beneath like so much glass. He swirled onto the second before being arrested from behind by a third; but scarce had he been restrained than he flowed forward, bodily tossing the hawk-masked Anbu over his shoulders and into another of his compatriots. Then there was no time left to discern any of their individual motions, his body a glorious streak of black and red as he effortlessly carved through the remaining ROOT standing between him and the door.
His hand slapped out and caught the flat of a blade, levering himself upward just as a katana whirled underneath, impossibly maneuvering up and over his attacker in a twirling roundhouse kick. The sweet sound of odd bones snapping was music to his ears as he riposted and danced amongst them, offering no sound save for the occasional grunt of exertion or scornful scoff when his opponents proved to slow to comprehend his moves at even the slowest of his speeds. He was destruction born anew, made death incarnate as he slipped between the elite soldiers sent to kill him.
Bones snapped like twigs. Muscles were torn in twine. Nothing and no one was spared.
And just like that, it was over.
The last of them a fox-masked man offered only a wet gurgle as he slid off his own blade and slumped to the floor. His last sight was that of those overwhelming onyx orbs. Then as he looked on they snapped into pure scarlet, a trio of tomoe swirling within them, then growing larger still as he activated the Mangekyo. No, that wasn't possible. The Uchiha had laid waste to them without using the infamous orbs of his bloodline. But that was...impossibe...
Wasn't...using...Sharingan...
"Danzo." He spoke, putting the man in his thrall with a blink of those hypnotic eyes. "Where is he?"
"I...
"WHERE! IS! HE!?"
"Why, I'm right here youngster."
Naruto was already turning, whirling even as his ears detected the sound of the trap door slidding open. It was nowhere near his feet but inall. The wall slid up to expose a slim, frail-looking man, his body leaning heavy on a cane for support. His lone, unbandaged eye squinted sourly at the Uchiha standing in the bloodied remains of his men. His lips turned down in a slight frown as he shuffled forward, limping with some effort. But his adversary wasn't fooled. This old veteran could give him one hell of a fight. If he was so inclined. The question was, would it come to that? He knew for a fact that Danzo didn't have the stolen Sharingan yet, nor did he have any counter in place that wouldn't involve some sort of handsign.
He would have to be quick.
"It seems we have much to discuss." he rumbled. Naruto knew there would be no talking. The old man wanted him dead. Had, since he'd set foot in the village. There was only one way this would end.
They circled one another for a terrifying moment, young and old. Inspired and corrupt. Abruptly, the former reacted, eyes widening harshly, tomoe widening. Before Danzo could raise so much as a finger, the Mangekyo Sharingan held him in his crushing grip. The cane clattered out of his grasp, rattling harshly to the floor in a cold clatter of sound. Naruto permitted himself a small smirk-his bloodline orbs still spinning slowly as he held the older man in his thrall. Checkmate, fucker. Satisfaction flooded him like a river, swamping his stress in a sea of relief. Oh yes, there was much to discuss.
"Indeed we do."
A/N: And there you have it! Naruto keeps changing things enmass! No one sees him for what he really is, and more and more he's losing pieces of himself. He remembers what he once was but more and more he's starting to see just how much a mess he's walked into. And now he has the Rinnegan. Ain't that lovely? I took a lot of liberties with this chapter, from Nawaki being able to use his bloodline, to the bell exercise, then Naruto's PASTING of Hanzo. Now he's a legend in his own right!
Granted it was a relatively fight until Naruto pulled out the Rinnegan; that is hard as HELL to fight against. But who is 'that man' to which Hanzo was referring? Any guesses? Hmm? And to answer another old question, YES, Fugaku was taken by something. I won't say what! I'll leave that for ya'll to guess! And Kyuubi's stirring up trouble for Naruto...
On the plus side our hero's attracted attention...and unknowingly started to ensnare hearts untold. Tsunade's basically admitted she finds Naruto to be a good person at heart, and he's completely flabbergasted over such an admission. Wonder what'll happen?
We've ENDED the Ame arc and jumped right into the Three Day Arc before we set out for Kiri, folks! Don't worry, the story's still far from over...after all, Naruto's gone and started a harem. Hope you enjoy it! As a note for the summoning dragons, I DID tell you they would be quite varied. But don't worry, the Dragon Boss will defy all expectation when he's eventually summoned I assure you. So you wanna guess who the Dragon Boss is? Hmm? Hmmmm?
We're off to Kiri soon! What fate awaits our heroes?! Find out next time on...Die Another Day!
On another note the pairing has officially been decided. Although I will gladly take any other recommendations that are offered. Kushina's officially fallen for him! So too have others. A harem was voted for overwhelmingly heres, so I'll try to keep it realistic here, folks. That's right, there will be multiple girls vying for Naruto's affection here! Whom will he meet next?!
So...in the immortal words of Atlas...
Review...would you kindly? And of course, enjoy the preview! There are two this time! Hope you brought your popcorn!
(Preview)
"Whoa there!" Naruto raised his hands in a placating effort. "We're not here to attack you! We come in peace!"
"Why would Konoha send the Black Death on a mission of peace?!" a young boy shouted. "You're here to wipe us out, aren't you?! The response was deafening.
A chorus of angry murmurs greeted those words.
"Geh." Mikoto muttered under her breath, Sharingan flicking from one end of the angry mob to the other. "I hope you've got a plan, dear, because this isn't looking good."
"Troubleome." Shikaku muttered, eyes narrow.
Naruto frowned, quietly steeling himself. Now was not the time for action. He needed words to placate these people, not fists. But first...
"I'm here of my own volition, actually." He supplied-quietly burning holes into the fisrt agitator with his eyes. "I know you. You're Utakata." When the youth bristled his own smile grew. "The container of the Rokubi. I'll wager you don't much care for your own life, being a loyal shinobi of Kirigakure and what not, so I'll say it again...I'm not here to cause trouble. But if you try and go biju on me...I'm going to stomp all six tails off you faster than you can say Saiken. Understand?"
Before the baffled boy could dare to speak out again, the Uchiha whirled away from him. "Now then," he clapped his hands together, producing a loud pop of sound. "Anyone who'd like to leave the mad Mizukage's rule is welcome to come and leave with us. Just raise your hand and I give you my solemn vow, no harm will come to you."
There was a silence.
Inoichi sighed, pushing a hand through his hair. "Look, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but these people aren't like those Kaguya we met earlier. You can't just promise them something like a good battle and then expect them to...
...listen?"
His words trailed off a lone hand stuck out of the back of the crowd.
"You there!" Vindicated, Naruto's gaze snapped to that hand. "Please, step forward."
"Yukina!" One of them protested. "You can't trust them!"
"Anything's better than living like this." A quiet voice supplied, almost reedlike in quality.
"Stand aside!"
Naruto nearly barked out a laugh as he watched a young Ao-minus the Byakugan eye-help the girl to the front of the crowd.
It was impossible to miss the difference. Those doe brown eyes, that heart-shaped face, raven black hair. He almost did a happy little jig right then and there-because he was looking at Haku's mother. The resemblance was too uncanny for it to be anything else but a direct blood relation.
"Yukina, was it?"
"I as well!"
He spotted a shock of auburn in his peripheals and his heart leapt.
Mei Terumi, the woman who would one day be Mizukage-though a great deal younger, stood across from him. Jaden eyes bored into his, hard, unflinching. She wasn't yet the calm woman he remembered from the war-this girl was all edge and anger. There was a gleam in those green orbs that he didn't remember, though her blooming figure still drew a light flush to his cheeks.
"And what might that be?"
"We need a new Mizukage."
"I fail to see how this involves me." Naruto replied, suddenly realizing what she wanted. Now that he remembered it,
"Please...lift the curse that is ailing our Mizukage."
Naruto stared at her for a moment, this girl who would one day blossom into the beautiful flower of the Hidden Mist. His eyes traced her outstretched hand, narrowed. His hand was suddenly in hers, shaking, reminding him just how much he had admired this woman in the future. Nothing more could've made Naruto's day.
"I will."
"Good." her tone left no admission that she might've ever thought otherwise. "Then I hope for your sake, Black Death, that you live up to your title as an army killer."
...what?"
And then something did.
A deafening crash shook the clearing to its very roots, subtle shivers of fear shooting through the earth. In the distance a roar reverberated, a terrible wail of undiluted fury that promised pain and suffering for whatever hapless soul found itself trapped in the creature's path. It sounded as though hell itself had been unleashed upon them; a deafening rumble that shook both heaven and earth.
Shikaku gulped.
"What was that?"
"That," Mei smiled, "Is the sound of the Sanbi."
"I'm pregnant."
Naruto's jaw dropped. His mind did the math. It made sense. He'd been with Mikoto first, and given all the time they'd spent apart, first in Suna then in Ame-weeks of traveling in either direction, it made perfect sense, even to him. That didn't make him any less uncomfortable about it, though!
"I..." he began slowly, "I think I'm going to faint."
And then he did just that.
Karura squeaked softly.
"Naruto-kun?!"
R&R! =D