Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
"Naruto"-Normal speaking
'Naruto'-Normal thought
"Naruto"-Naruto/clones communicating telepathically/radio chat
'Naruto'-Kyuubi/greater being thinking/speaking from mindscape
"Naruto"-Antharos thinking/speaking from mindscape
'naruto'-Varsee thinking/speaking from mindscape
"Naruto"-Zechs thinking/speaking from mindscape
"NARUTO"-Xenos thinking/speaking from mindscape
'nARUTO'- Drak thinking/speaking from mindscape
Chapter X
Screw The Fists!
I have Mone-er… Swords.
Dozen's of rocket's shot into the air, screaming upwards, only to explode in a dazzeling display of light and sound.
April 21st. Also known as Armistice Day. The 15th anniversary of the signing of the Ame-Kusa Treaty, which had ended the Third Great Shinobi War.
And one of the most celebrated of Konoha's holidays.
It was certainly a holiday that Naruto could get into. He wasn't much the type for such things, but he could certainly participate in the festival. Unlike the anniversary of the Kyuubi attack, most people left him alone. He hadn't really paid much attention to holidays like these in the past aside from the fact that he had gotten out of school. History had board him back then. Now he knew how foolish that was.
The last few three weeks had gone, if anything, quite well.
They hadn't needed to bother capturing the cat again, thanks to the henge'd kage bunshin Naruto had delivered in its place. The clone had been highly reinforced so nothing short of a lethal blow to a normal cat would dispell it. And just because he was extra paranoid, Naruto had given the order for the stand-in to run off a few more times, only to be captured by teams other then his. That way, if the cat was dispelled somehow, some other team would get the blame.
Sasuke and Sakura still seemed to hate him with a passion, but he could easily scar them for life to keep them off of him, or just have a clone take his place and have Kyuubi filter out the memories of their annoying presence.
He had too admit, the training potential of Kage Bunshin was nigh-infinite. And it wasn't just limited to shinobi training either, something that in of itself had been quite helpful. His chakra control was already through the roof. Naruto had had dozens of clones (under henge of course) pouring over books in the libraries of Konoha going into everything from world history to engineering. After all, knowledge was power in the world. And with Kage Bunshin, Naruto could accumulate all he needed. Of course, there was the issue of the fact that dispelling them and accumulating that knowledge all at once tended to give him a monster head-ache, and that was only when he had tried it after a day of training. He didn't even want to know what would happen if he tried it with purely mental information. Thankfully, he had come up with a rather simple solution. He would have his teams of training clones go through a day of learning whatever information on whatever topic he was interested, and then, when the day was up and he was asleep, the clones would dispell themselves. Since Naruto would be asleep at the time, the information would be filed away in his head with no pain or trouble whatsoever. And even if there was some kind of catastrophic mass-dispelling of some kind, Kyuubi would always be on hand to act as a failsafe, blocking the information out until Naruto could safely absorb it, or letting it in gradually.
The fox had been a tremendous help to Naruto over the past few weeks. Not only was the Bijuu helpful in his youki training, but he could also offer good advice from time to time.
So now, he was absently wandering around the market district, which had been converted into a sort of fare-grounds for all sorts of stands and games.
He was alone. Last he heard, Kakashi had left there team meeting after giving them the day off to go look at anything that might appeal to his perverted mindset. Sasuke was probably at home, considering how he seemed to have scoffed at the idea of going to the fare. And Sakura of course, was stalking him like a 50-year old pedophile.
(somewhere in Otogakure, a certain sanin sneezed)
But at the same time, she was probably trying to get him to go to the festival, with her on a date of course.
'Yeah… Good luck with that. You're going to need it. A lot of it'
But Hinata had promised to meet him around here somewhere. And Shikamaru had mentioned that Chouji was going to try an eating challenge posted by a one of the merchants who made some kind of foreign barbecue. That he had to see.
However, all that could wait for now. At the moment, he was looking for something. Naruto had wandered into the area where all the traveling merchants set up their stands and tents, you could probably find just about anything around here. But there was one kind of tent or stand in particular that Naruto was looking for.
One that sold weapons. Specifically, bladed weapons.
Over the past few weeks of team training and sparring, Naruto had come to a very quick realization. And one he was not too surprised at.
His taijutsu sucked.
He could not, in any way, shape, or form, do taijutsu. It was true that maybe his 'Counter Strike' style could give him an edge, but that only worked against people slower then him. As Kakashi proved in a sparring match, it was useless against opponents who were faster or just plain better at taijutsu. So, since he simply could not use taijutsu at all, he had decided on the only naturally response.
Try kenjutsu.
And at the same time, Naruto could admit that using a sword had far more appeal to him then simple hand-to-hand combat, and not just because he thought it was a whole lot cooler. Kenjutsu was not used much in the shinobi world, as many considered mastering it to be far more difficult then taijutsu. But Naruto could easily see how effective it could be. A bladed weapon is far more lethal then a punch or kick, thus increasing his effectiveness at killing his opponents. Hell, he had proven that quite well against Mizuki. Also, a sword would have great potential against opponents who used taijutsu. I mean come on, can you block a sword with a punch or arm block? I think not. And if he got good at it, only the fastest and most skilled taijutsu users could best him in C.Q.C. And finally, should he ever encounter the rare shinobi who did use kenjutsu, he'd be ready.
At first, Naruto had considered just using clones to henge into swords for him to use. But that idea was quickly squashed. I mean, why waste clones on making swords when you can have real swords and use those clones for other purposes? That, and there wouldn't be the danger of the swords randomly 'poofing' away in the middle of a battle.
And so, now the blonde shinobi was casually wandering down the row of tents, glancing left and right looking for what he wanted.
He'd certainly get a more varied selection here with all the merchants from around the elemental countries, and since no one knew him, there was no chance of any 'anti-demon brat' animosity like he had found at so many other shops in Konoha.
Finally, after about thirty minutes of searching, he found what he was looking for. The tent was non-descript and not very flashy. But it was rather large, and had a sign reading 'Shinobi and Samurai Weapons' above the entrance. All in all, it was certainly worth checking out.
And so, Naruto walked over, casually moving the flap aside and stepping inside.
Within the tent, was a sight that made Naruto let out a low whistle as his eyes widened in amazement. There were probably enough weapons in here to outfit a small army. Dozens of racks lined the edges of the tent filled with all kinds of weapons ranging from shurikens and kunai to nodachis and zanbatous.
Wondering briefly where all this stuff came from, Naruto glanced around looking for the owner. He caught what looked like someone moving around behind one of the shelves.
"Excuse me? Anyone here?"
"Ah! A customer! Wait just a second, I'll be right with you" came what sounded like an old, but still energetic voice from behind the shelves.
After a few seconds, an elderly man emerged. He seemed to be very old, maybe even older then Sarutobi, most of his hair was gone, and what was left was a pale gray. He walked up to Naruto, bereft of any kind of cane or aid. It seemed like even in old age, he had kept his physique, lending Naruto the theory that this guy was probably an ex-shinobi or samurai, which would explain where he got all this stuff.
"So, shinobi-san" he began as he noticed Naruto's headband, "What can I help you with?"
"I'm looking for a sword" Naruto replied, not one for small talk with total strangers.
"Ah, looking to try your hand at kenjutsu eh? Why? Most of you shinobi have all your taijutsu. Most of the shinobi that come in here are just looking for some kunai or shuriken. What makes you so different?" the man asked, clearly a little surprised, but more curious.
"Well, my taijutsu sucks for one thing, and I thought, 'Which is easier to kill with? Your fists or a really sharp object?'" Naruto replied with a small grin.
The old man reaction was a hearty laugh. "Good answer kid. So, what are you looking for exactly? There are many kind of swords to use, and not all are suitable to one person"
Naruto glanced upwards as he adopted a thoughtful pose. He hadn't thought about that. So, he just decided to take the easier road.
"Well, what do you suggest? You obviously seem to know your stuff, Mr…?"
"Muramasa. And that makes you about the smartest customer I've had in a while who was looking for swords. Most time they're just some hot shot kid looking for a 'cool-looking' sword that doesn't even suit them. My bet is most of them either abandoned them, or dead. So, rather smart move Shinobi-san"
"Naruto, please. I never liked honorifics"
"Alright then, Naruto. Well, let me take a look at you" Muramasa replied as he walked around the boy who was just as tall as he was, trying to gauge his physique.
"Hm… Well then, you're not very bulky so something big like a zanbatou is out of the question, and you're too big for something like a wakizashi. Were you thinking of any kind of qualities for your weapon by any chance?"
"Actually yes" Naruto replied, "I was looking for something with a good reach, but at the same time something that I can defend with as well. And I'd prefer a pair of swords too" he'd been practicing with his clones for the past few days, experimenting with different sword sizes, but oddly enough, none of the different swords he had his bunshin henge into felt quite right. "And something that looks cool too if it isn't to much trouble"
Muramasa chuckled lightly. This kid was pretty interesting. On one hand, he sounded like most of the samurai wannabes and other hot shots that didn't have half a clue what they were doing, but at the same time, the way he listed the qualities of the swords he wanted said that he had done some thinking and probably some practicing on this as well.
"Well… I think I have something that might interest you then. Follow me" he said as he started walking to the back of the tent. Curious, Naruto followed, unsure of what to expect.
The old man looked along the stands and plaques that were set up to display some of the more exotic weapons in his inventory, until finally coming to a stop.
"Ah, there it is" he said, gesturing to one plaque. Naruto followed his gaze, then raised an eyebrow in further curiosity. They were certainly interesting.
On the round wooden plaque hung a pair of swords the likes of which Naruto had never seen. The hilt was nothing unusual, though it was slightly shorter then that of a katana, but at the top was a wide hand guard, far wider then that of any sword he'd seen before. Also, instead of forming a complete circle around the hilt, it merely had two 'arms' that went out on each side of the blade. The guards curved in towards the blade itself and seemed to be about two to three inches long. The blades themselves were what interested Naruto the most. They were about as long as a katana, and retained a shallow curve, but that was where the similarities ended. Instead of the long, narrow blade of a katana, these blades widened as the blade got longer, until they were about six to eight inches wide. Also, near the end, the back of the blade curved inward at a sharp angle, doubling back slightly until moving back up to meet the front to form a small, pointed tip. Finally, Naruto could tell that unlike a normal katana, these blades had an edge on both sides. All in all, they were quite interesting, and pretty cool looking too.
"Interesting eh?" Muramasa spoke up, "swords like these haven't been used much in probably a hundred years, maybe more. They were used by desert nomads in what we call Wind Country now. I made these as bet really. I saw the drawings of them at an archeological dig, and one of the diggers bet me I couldn't remake a pair. I proved him wrong. They're called 'Scimitars'"
"Scimitars huh?" Naruto said slowly. It certainly had a nice ring to it.
"Yeah. I actually haven't been able to sell these yet. They're not as sharp as a normal katana, and most swordsman don't like the double-edge feature"
"True… But wouldn't the wider blade make it stronger? And the oversized hand guard seems like it would come in handy against another swordsman"
"You've got a good eye kid" Muramasa replied, clearly impressed. "And that's not all, the pointed tip is actually just as sharp as the blade of a katana as well"
"So in other words, it can withstand more damage then a katana, and has the same lethality potential?"
"Yep"
"How much?"
The old man could only smile as he chuckled.
A few minutes later, Naruto walked out of the tent, a few hundred ryo shorter then he was when he went in, but ryo well spent. He had also bought a harness that the sword's scabbards would hang from. The harness consisted of two straps that wrapped diagonally across his torso, over the shoulders and around the hips. The harness could be adjusted easily, and it fit nicely under his coat, along with the scabbards themselves, allowing the swords to rest underneath his coat, only the hilts pointing out from behind his shoulders.
Yep. Things were definitely looking up.
"Naruto-kun!"
The smile on Naruto's face widened as he turned to see Hinata running up to him.
"Hey Hinata. Have they started already?"
"Hai. I think so" Hinata said as she reached him, panting slightly. She had run close to clear across the market district looking for him.
"Okay. The tent's on the east side near Ichiraku's, right?"
"Yeah" Hinata answered, already realizing what Naruto was about to do.
"Right then" the blonde replied as he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Hang on" he warned as he held his other hand in a seal.
Hinata smiled at his joking as she felt a rush of air and a popping sound as the two genin disappeared in a poof of smoke.
That had been a fun night, Naruto mused as he walked towards training field seven. It was Monday, and since the festival had taken place on a Saturday this year, and Kakashi gave them the day off on Sunday's, he had gotten a whole day to train with his new swords, which with Kage Bunshin equaled something more like three years.
'Huh, I wonder how the emo and the banshee will react. Probably something entertaining'
The scene he found at Training ground Seven was nothing new to the blonde.
Sasuke was busy kicking at a training post while Sakura was staring at him dreamily. Business as usual it seemed. Checking his watch, Naruto noticed that they still had about fifteen minutes before Kakashi got there, just enough time for a little training.
"Hey guys. What's up?" he said as he walked towards them, giving a half-wave as they noticed him. Sakura seemed to bristle slightly at being referred to as a 'guy' though.
"Hey! I'm not a 'guy'! That's sexist!"
Naruto gave her his normal curious tone as he replied. "Hey, that's insulting. I never discriminate, I hate you both equally"
Sakura's mouth hung open slightly after that, obviously weirded out while Sasuke just rolled his eyes in exasperation as he stopped practicing some kicks to the post. He wasn't sure either of them could ever get used to Naruto's sense of humor. It was an odd amalgam of feigned arrogance, exasperation, and pure insanity, and it was only funny if it wasn't directed at you.
But as Naruto walked past them, ignoring Sakura's sad attempt at a death glare, Sasuke noticed something different about the blonde. To be more precise, the two hilts emerging from under his jacket.
"Hey dobe, what's with the swords?" he spoke up.
"Oh, these? They're to cut things. Preferably people I don't like" Naruto answered with an innocent yet strange tone that both genin had come to associate the blonde with. His tone then turned from innocent-strange, to innocent-creepy, "Have you ever seen blood first hand? It is oh so beautiful…" he spoke in that extremely creepy voice that made him sound like a crazed psychopath.
"Uh… no" Sakura said tentatively, very weirded out now.
"Oh it is quite pretty… yes it is. Spraying everywhere in the moonlight… It's like a nice little sprinkler of death…"
"Okay Naruto… you can shut up now" Sakura said again, trying to block out the mental images before you became ill.
"…And it also has a wondrous taste to it"
"EWW!!" Sakura screamed as her face began turning green, "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" she continued as she held her hands over her ears as she ran around in crazy circles.
"Oh but that's nothing compared to the heart. Mmmm… tasty"
With that Sakura turned completely green as she began emptying the contents of her stomach on the ground next to her.
Seemingly unaware of his teammate's condition, Naruto turned back to Sasuke, who was now gaping in disgust and the usual 'WTF?' expression that came from hanging around Naruto too much.
"So to answer your question, that's why I have these swords" he finished with one of those creepy grins of his as he walked off to the center of the training field.
Sasuke for his part, was at least acclimated to the sight of blood that the mental image didn't make him throw up. He shook his head in exasperation once again at the blonde's antics. He had long ago stopped trying to 'surpass' the blonde, mainly because he wasn't even sure what that could even mean. From what he could tell, using what ever method the blonde had for getting stronger would probably make him just as crazy as Naruto himself, and he'd much rather obtain the power needed to beat Itachi with his sanity intact thank you very much.
(Let us observe a moment of silence for the irony of that statement)
The sound of several poofs of smoke sounding near him drew Sasuke out of his thoughts as he saw Naruto creating several dozen Kage Bunshin. Sasuke's eyes narrowed as they had done many time before when he saw the blonde use that technique, though not as much in envy as when he had in the past. In the time after their genin exam, and his discovery that the blonde knew this technique, Sasuke had researched it himself. Partially in hopes of gaining another strong technique, but also merely because he wanted to show the blonde up so badly for making him look like a fool. But what he had discovered had only disappointed him and now, it almost disturbed him.
According to the information he had gathered, there was a very good reason why the Kage Bunshin technique was classified as an A-class kinjutsu. Using it required more chakra then most people even had. The sheer amount of chakra required for the technique was phenomenal. The reason being of course that one was literally creating identical clones out of pure chakra. Most people didn't even have enough for one. Sasuke knew that even he would only have enough chakra for barely two, and even then, the technique would leave him completely drained. There was absolutely no way that a genin would have enough chakra to use the jutsu to any great extent. So how could Naruto, someone who should be no better physically then him, create so many. And there was something else, something that disturbed him even more. From reading up on the jutsu's history, Sasuke knew that even Jounin were hard pressed to create more then fifty at a time. But he had seen Naruto, a mere genin, create hundreds at a time, something that even an ANBU shouldn't have been able to manage. This meant that Naruto had the raw chakra capacity on par with that of a Kage.
Needless to say, Sasuke had been far more wary of the blonde from then on.
At the very least, he finally knew how the blonde was learning things so fast. With the kage bunshin's ability to relay the clone's memories back to the original upon destruction, Naruto could accumulate literally months or even years of experience in a single day of training. According to his math, with 500 clones training at the same time, Naruto would be accumulating the equivalent of almost eight months of training in only twelve hours. Certainly a scary thought.
But that still left a very important question. Where was the dobe getting all of this chakra? Sasuke could understand the maybe he had unnaturally large chakra coils (which would explain his horrid control during the academy years), but this was just plain ridiculous. Even if he was creating them over long periods of time, waiting for his chakra to replenish before making more, he still wouldn't have been able to make the hundreds they had seen at Kakashi's exam. So where was he getting it? Was it some kind of bloodline? After thinking this over, Sasuke had finally confronted the blonde about it last week, hoping that maybe if he could find the blonde's method, maybe he could replicate it for his own use. But, as part of him had expected, Naruto was less then helpful. Sasuke remembered the encounter well…
"Hey dobe"
"Hm?"
"I need to know something. Tell me, how the hell do you have so much chakra? How are you able to make so many Bunshin at once?"
"Hm… tell me Sasuke, do I like you?"
"Uh… no"
"Then there's your answer"
In retrospect, he guessed he should have expected the blonde to be tight-lipped about his secret. Whatever it was, it gave him an incredible trump card. Both in that he could accumulate skill and techniques like lightning, and that he could basically create his own private army with a single hand-sign. Not to mention the fact that if he could use such a charka-heavy jutsu to such an incredible extent, the what other high-powered jutsu's could he have up his sleeve? He already knew that Naruto could use Bunshin Daibakuha, and he also had an inkling that he could use the Shuriken Kage Bunshin, both of which are very handy. So to sum things up, Naruto was growing at a rate that Sasuke just couldn't match right now. If he was ever going to surpass the blonde, then he either needed to find out a way to get that kind of massive chakra capacity for himself, or find someway to out-think the dobe. But Sasuke also knew that they second plan would never work either. Though he would never he admit it out loud, he knew that Naruto was a lot smarter then he was. Maybe it came from being such a nut? Despite his track record at the academy, he had flawlessly seen through Kakashi's plan while Sasuke had fallen for it completely.
So in the end, Sasuke had resigned himself to admitting that the blonde was a better shinobi then him. At least until he activated his Sharingan. No matter how strong the blonde became, he would never be able to compete with the crimson eyes of the Uchiha linage. Then they would see who was the weak one.
Sakura on the other hand, continued throwing up.
Hinata panted slightly as she as she dodged a strike from a clawed hand.
Like other genin teams, Team 8 practiced with daily training sessions lasting at least three hours, often times more. Kurenai-sensei had been very diligent in their training, often having them spar to keep their taijutsu skills up. Right now, Hinata was sparring with Kiba while her sensei was testing Shino and genjutsu detection and dispelling. At first, she never had Hinata practice with that portion of their training, as her Byakugan would allow her to instantly detect the chakra used for it, and see through it with no trouble. But a few weeks ago, Hinata, at Naruto's suggestion, had asked for tutoring herself, to Kurenai's surprise. When asked why, she simply repeated what Naruto-kun had told her.
"And what happens when you can't use Byakugan? What if an enemy jutsu keeps you from using it? Or you don't have the chakra necessary to keep it active? Then what? You're screwed basically. Knowing how to do that without Byakugan won't hinder your skills, and you'll be prepared for the unknown"
Though Hinata also had an inkling that Naruto was also having her get training on countering genjutsus so she could help him perfect his own anti-genjutsu techniques that she knew he was working on. Not that she minded any.
Naruto had already been an enormous help with her training. He had been right that while Kurenai-sensei was an excellent shinobi and sensei, there were some things that she just couldn't help her with. That was where Naruto came in. Though he hadn't told her outright, Hinata knew that the blonde would prefer it if she kept their training sessions secret, just as he would. She could understand it too. Kurenai-sensei might think she was undermining her position as a sensei, not to mention that it might make things a bit too troublesome as Shikamaru would say. Hinata knew that in both their cases, discretion was usually a better course of action. It just made things easier.
However, I digress.
Right now, Hinata sparing with Kiba, and she had to admit, the pointers and advice Naruto-kun had given her were working wonders on the Inuzuka.
As she continued to duck and weave around the boy's punches, Naruto's words sounded in her head.
"Always try to read your opponent. What kind of style do they use? What's their personality like? How do they fight? What strengths or weaknesses do they have?"
Hinata deflected a punch, jumping back at the same time. Kiba seemed to be losing his cool.
"Match a counter to what they use. If they concentrate on attacking, concentrate on defending. If they are hot-headed or rush in, draw out the fight. Conserve as much energy as possible. Make them waste their strength"
Hinata smirked slightly. Kiba was far more winded then she was.
"When people waste their strength, they get tired. When people get tired, they get sloppy. When people get sloppy, they start making mistakes"
As Kiba came at her again, Hinata could see that his strikes were off. They were less coordinated. Sloppy.
"Your agility and litheness are an advantage. Use them. Time is your ally. The longer you can drag a fight out, the more you can learn about your opponent. Your opponent will wear themselves out. If you can conserve your strength, you'll have the advantage"
Hinata effortlessly dodged Kiba's strikes, much to his chagrin. He was slowing down. She could predict his movement's better. He was wearing himself out.
"When you have worn them down, that is when you strike. You now know how they operate, their strengths, their weaknesses. They on the other hand, have only seen you defend. They are weakened, and so their defense will be weak too"
The Hyuuga heiress knocked away a final punch before moving in close. Kiba was completely unprepared.
"When you strike, you must be quick, precise, and most of all, efficient. We are ninja, not samurai. A strike must be directed to deal maximum damage with the least amount of effort. The faster, more precisely, and more efficiently you take down an enemy, the less energy you expend. Speed, precision, and efficiency. All of these make you expend less energy, giving you more for unforeseen complications. Never hesitate. Hesitation means death, not only for you, but for your teammates as well. That is what makes a skilled shinobi"
Kiba's eyes widened as Hinata ducked under his right arm which she had just knocked away, planting her fist into his gut. But she didn't stop there. With a quick movement, Hinata moved her left hip pressing directly against Kiba's right, while she moved her free hand onto his back while grabbing a fistful of his shirt with her other hand. And with a quick tug and push, Kiba was flying head over heels before landing flat on his back, staring up wide-eyed at Hinata.
So caught up in the euphoria of victory, Hinata couldn't resist a smirk forming on her face as she spoke.
"You loose"
"Wha… What… How…" Kiba stuttered as he tried to find his voice. He had never been beaten this badly before. He hadn't even gotten a single good hit in! And it was Hinata no less! The girl that hadn't even been able to talk straight in the academy had just kicked his ass!
"Nice" was all Shino said from next to Kurenai.
The jounin herself could only smile with pride at her student. Hinata had progressed with incredible speed ever since they became a team. Not only in her skill, but also in her confidence. When she had first met the girl, she was a quivering mess of indecisiveness and self-degradation, things that she knew were no doubt the fault of her bastard father. But now, in only a few weeks after graduation, Hinata had undergone a transformation. She had gained the confidence she needed. She was still hesitant in some areas, and her social skills were rather dim, but in the area of combat and shinobi skill, she was almost an entirely different person. A true kunoichi. Kurenai was not so conceited that she thought that she herself was the one most responsible for this though. In all truth, she wasn't sure what exactly had given her the confidence she needed, but she had a feeling that Kakashi's blonde student, who she knew Hinata was infatuated with, had something to do with it.
But even then, the shy girl had a long way to go. As a person, she was still shy, often stuttering and keeping quiet in their team meetings. That in of itself puzzled Kurenai, if only slightly. It was almost like Hinata wasn't trying to prove herself to them. Instead, it seemed like she was trying to prove something to herself, or someone else. And Kurenai had an inkling as to who that someone could be. The outburst from her was also odd, but something that Kurenai had found happening more and more often with the girl. It was almost like when she was fighting, she entered a new personality. A new mindset. One that was confident, decisive and strong. It was completely unlike the old Hinata. Though one thing she had found was that this 'new' Hinata seemed to find Kiba annoying, so that might explain a few things. Oh well. It hadn't interfered with their teamwork, and it wasn't like she was alienating Kiba or Shino.
Kurenai smiled slightly again as she noticed Kiba complaining to Shino about how he 'got his ass kicked by a girl', while Shino gave a response she had come to associate with the odd bug-boy.
"Kiba"
"Yeah?" the dog boy stopped mid-rant.
"Back up, you're jamming my frequency"
"Wha… What's that supposed to mean? Can you believe what just happened?"
"It shouldn't be a surprise. You fail at life. Stuff like this is supposed to happen"
Kiba now gave Shino an annoyed look. Responses like this were becoming all the more common around the Aburame. It made him wonder if he had caught whatever mental illness Naruto and Shikamaru seemed to have.
Up in the trees around the training field, unseen and unnoticed by all, a hidden figure watched. He was their age, about twelve or thirteen. If seen, they might say he looked similar to Naruto Uzumaki, he was certainly wearing a similar attire. Except that his hear was a dark brown and laid down over his head in a messy manner.
The clone smiled as he witnessed the sight below him. The chief would certainly enjoy this.
Unknown to either of his teammates, a small smile spread across Naruto's face as he got the mental image from the Recon Private. Hinata was progressing at a rate far faster then he had first expected, especially in her skill level. It only reinforced his belief that she had far more potential then anyone first expected. The smile on his face widened as he recalled the first training session they had together. It was a day he would not soon forget that was sure.
Flashback
"You're early" Naruto said as he saw Hinata walking into the clearing behind the Yondaime's head. And she was, if only by a few minutes.
"Oh, sorry… we finished our mission kind of early and…"
Naruto stopped her by holding up a placating hand as he spoke, "Hey hey, I didn't say that was a bad thing. If anything, it's good. Now we have more time for working on stuff"
"Oh. Alright" Hinata replied. The night before had been a long one, though not from anxiety like sleepless nights she had had in the past. Instead of anxiety or worried, Hinata had been deep in thought. Musing over what Naruto had said to her over and over again. Half of her was willing to just accept what he told her at face value, and revel in the joy that she would be spending time with the boy she so adored, how he was noticing her, and how he was willing to be her friend. But the other half of her was thinking over what he had told her, and didn't want to do something like that. Remembering what he had said, she began to realize that just taking things at face value… that would be an insult to him.
She was thinking about this from her own thoughts of Naruto, and not what he had told her. About facing her fears, and becoming something new. The way that the other half of her, the one that simply wanted to revel in the joy of being close to Naruto… that was exactly what she didn't want to do. Naruto-kun wouldn't want that. She could just imagine him comparing her to Sakura and Ino if he knew about that. Hinata had almost gagged at that thought. Classmate or not, she had always held an animosity for Sakura. Partially out of jealousy for how Naruto had pursued her, but now that Naruto was no longer interested in her, she realized that it stemmed more from how she insulted and hurt the boy she loved. The point being that to Hinata, being likened to Sakura was like Naruto being likened to Sasuke. Both would find it very insulting.
So she found that she should be heading Naruto's advice, and thinking over what she wanted to become. The inner fire she had felt in herself back in the clearing with Naruto had come back in full force right then, and she realized just how right he was. He had opened a door for her. He had made her see past her own self-degradation. Now, she wanted to prove herself. To prove to him that he was right about her, and prove to herself that she was worthy of his praise, and prove to her clan just how wrong they were. It was only then that Hinata saw that she loved the new Naruto even more then the old one. The old Naruto may have been kind and innocent, but the new one was different. His kindness was not innocent and naive, but caring and understanding.
It was the kindness that came from a friend, a true friend. And that was what she saw in this new Naruto; a friend, just as he saw the same in her. The love for him was still there, but it was no longer love rooted in admiration and sympathy, but in understanding and caring. She still loved him, but if she could have him just as a friend, then that was good enough for her. His caring for her was not even rooted in self-interest. He was only interested in her own happiness. She supposed that it was because of the kindness she showed towards him in the academy. That because she had showed him kindness, he would reciprocate it back to her. It was a thought that warmed her heart so much. That realization of how this new Naruto worked. He was everything to so many people. To people like Sasuke and Sakura, he showed only his darkness, Antharos and Zechs. But to her, he had shown her his light, Xenos and Varsee. If you showed him animosity then you would get only animosity from him. But if you showed him kindness, then it was kindness you would receive in return.
It amazed her that for all his complexities, she had just read Naruto like an open book. Perhaps that said something of herself as well? Naruto-kun might say that. Now that she had thought it over, she had found that they were remarkably similar people underneath it all. Both were anti-social, most comfortable with those few that they knew. They valued general discretion with their actions, shying away from attention from those they did not know. And Hinata had now realized that she might even have multiple sides to herself as well, just like Naruto. Around Naruto she felt… stronger, more confident, and just plain better. She felt like she could tell him anything, and he would listen, no matter what it was. Conversely, she felt like she could listen to anything he decided to tell her, no matter what it was. Perhaps that was the underlying reason for her love for him? That they were such similar people? And if that were the case… would that mean that he could feel the same for her? Maybe, she had thought. But she had also decided that she would wait, bide her time. Become his friend before his lover.
"So anyway," Naruto spoke, breaking Hinata from her reverie, "You ready to get started?"
"Uh, yeah sure" Hinata replied. Despite her 'revelation', she still found that her shyness remained, even around Naruto, though it was noticeably lessened in his presence.
"Right. Well, for starters, how about a spar?"
"What?" Hinata spoke up, a little apprehensive at the thought.
"Hey, I need to see what you can do. And what better way then a mock battle" Naruto said like it was obvious.
"Yeah but… you could get hurt" Hinata replied, feeling more apprehensive at the thought of accidentally hurting her new friend.
"Whoa, I never said we'd be going all out on each other. Your Juuyken works by pushing chakra through your hands right?"
"Yeah"
"Then just don't use chakra. I'll be pulling punches too you know. Did you really think I'd want us fighting where we could get each other hurt?"
"Oh, yeah I guess you're right" the girl replied, feeling a little ashamed for thinking Naruto would do something as stupid as that. As Kurenai-sensei would say, 'think things out. Don't make blind assumptions'.
"Okay then," Naruto said as he took up an odd stance from Hinata's point of view. His left hand was coiled into a fist, but he brought his arm around behind him so it was on his lower back. His right hand was open with his arm extended out. The upper arm was held at his side with the forearm extended forward at an upward angle. Finally, his palm was open and facing upwards.
Hinata raised an eyebrow at the stance as she assumed her own Juuyken stance. But as she examined him, she found that something was… off. Was it just her, or did Naruto grow a little since yesterday? And… did his pupils just turn to slits?
"What are you waiting for?" Naruto said, adopting a confident smirk, "You want to prove yourself don't you?"
Hinata's eyes widened slightly for a second, before settling back as her new self began to emerge. Not entirely, but enough for it to show.
"Right" she affirmed as she suddenly shot forward with surprising speed, thrusting her right palm at Naruto, though careful to not focus any chakra into her strike.
Naruto's eyes widened imperceptibly as Hinata came at him. She was faster then Sasuke was. Both in her speed and the speed of her strike. Though not fast enough.
Bringing his outward hand to the side, he knocked Hinata's strike away, though he was careful not to touch her palm. Even though he knew there wasn't any danger, he'd like to imagine that this was the real deal.
Hinata reacted quickly, bringing her other hand forward in a follow-up strike. Only for it to be caught on the wrist by Naruto's other hand. Hinata looked up in surprise at Naruto's face, the latter's in a confident and tempting smirk.
"Come on," he said "You won't prove yourself like that"
And it was with those words, that Hinata suddenly underwent a transformation.
Her lips suddenly curled upwards in a smirk eerily similar to Naruto's own, and spoke in an eerily familiar tone as well. "Alright. Let's dance then"
With that, as Naruto's eyes widened at her change, she struck.
Sweeping her foot around with surprising strength, she kicked Naruto's legs out from under him. But even as he realized what was happening, she was already following through. As she did, her free hand came up and grabbed his hand that was holding his own. Using the fact that he was off the ground, she quickly spun around, pulling him up and over her with more surprising strength. Finally, with a quick motion, she sent him flying with a mighty throw. A normal person might have been too shocked to do anything and have hit the ground in a shapeless heap.
But Naruto was anything but normal.
His shock dissolving almost instantly, the blonde turned his body as he reached the ground, landing right on his feet in a crouch. As he quickly glanced up, he saw Hinata coming at him again. But even as she did, a confident and almost predatory smirk spread across his face.
'Oh yeah. Now we're talking'
He hadn't expected her to be able to boost her strength with chakra. She was a lot more advanced then he thought.
As the Hyuuga girl reached him, he was already back up to his full height. As Hinata sent a flurry of palm strikes at him, he concentrated chakra to his feet as he made several small jumps backwards to keep his distance, all the while ducking and weaving around her attacks.
'Okay princess, let's see ya squirm'
With that thought, he let one of her strikes get in close, only to grab her wrist like he did before. As she made a move to counter it, he planted his free hand on her stomach, grapping a fistful of her shirt. And, in a complete reversal of before, he lifted her off the ground, and threw her over his shoulder in a manner much like she had thrown him, though he didn't need to use chakra to increase his own strength. And, just like before, she twisted her own body in mid-air so she landed right on her feet.
"Had enough?" Naruto taunted, that smirk still on his face. He had to admit, he liked this new Hinata a lot more then her normal self. He wondered absentmindedly, if maybe she was developing detached persona's just as he had. It was certainly a possibility. He could tell that they were both similar people, and had been in similar situations for the past years. He supposed that it wasn't out of the question that he was seeing Hinata's own version of his Antharos, which would explain why the pyro was practically drooling over her inside his head.
"Damn! She is HOT when she's like that!"
WACK
"OW! What the hell was that for?!"
"Would you stop that. It's creepy seeing you drool like a crazed perv watching yuri"
"Oh yeah, sure. Just wait until she starts pondering the mysteries of the universe out loud, then you'll be all over her"
"…"
"You know it's true"
"You know what? Yes. Yes I would"
'hEY, WHEN DO YOU THINK SHE'LL START ACTING LIKE ME?'
"…"
"…"
"…"
'…'
"Let's not think about that, shall we?"
"YEP"
'uh-huh'
"Definitely"
'mELON cURRY?'
"Seriously, what is that guy smoking?"
'hey, I think she's coming again'
"Really? SWEET! Move over water boy!"
'ow! that hurt you know'
"If he so much as thinks about masturbating, he's getting the chainsaw buster-sword to the groin"
"DEFINITELY"
Meanwhile, in the world of the (slightly more) sane:
Naruto's smirk only widened as he parried Hinata's strikes. He supposed that this was exactly what he'd been hoping for with this spar. To draw out Hinata's fiery side, her fighting spirit. The longer he could keep it out, the more the shell she'd erected around herself would be broken away, hence why he was taking such a taunting attitude towards her. If she had brought out her fiery side, it was only appropriate that he bare his as well.
Though he did role his eyes briefly at the sound of a chainsaw from inside his head, quickly followed by Antharos's screams of pain.
Hinata seemed to sense his musing, and apparently took offense to being ignored as she sent a spinning kick at his head.
But Naruto rarely let himself completely block out the world around him. With lightning reflexes, he caught her foot just like he had caught Sasuke's in their spar. And just like before, he twisted her foot, sending Hinata spinning. But that was where the similarities ended. Whereas Sasuke had been left sprawled helplessly on the ground, Hinata seemed to have almost been expecting him to do that. As her other foot left the ground, she quickly landed on her hands, before sending her other foot straight at Naruto's head. However, Naruto had seen that coming as well, and ducked right under the kick. But that was all the distraction Hinata needed. With a quick motion, she wrested her other foot from Naruto's grasp, flipping over to land on her feet in front of him with her back facing him.
'Yeah, I think its time to end this' Naruto thought as he made his move.
As Hinata tried to spin around, she was caught completely off guard as Naruto came at her, grabbing both her arms and knocking her to the ground. Pinning her arms and legs, Naruto effectively trapped her using his greater weight and mass, though both were panting at this point, Hinata noticeably more then Naruto.
Despite her evident exhaustion, Hinata still squirmed defiantly under his grasp, both seemingly unaware or uncaring of the compromising position they were in.
'Geez, it's like she's a completely different person. Wonder how long she's been holding that in?' Naruto thought to himself as he suddenly found his eyes unconsciously examining her body, and appreciating what they saw.
The way her lithe and slender form curled and twisted beneath him, along with the way her breasts (which he just now noticed was a lot bigger then Sakura's or Ino's) was rising and falling with her panting (somehow her jacket had gotten unzipped during the fight), and the faint redness combined with the defiant and cocky look on her face… That would explain why he had the sudden urge to make out with her.
'Damn, never noticed how hot she was. Just want to… OKAY, enough of those thoughts'
"Oh man, I think I'm in love…"
"Put your hands anywhere near there again and you'll loose more then your balls this time"
"…I'll be good"
"Man, I take back what I said yesterday" Naruto said, causing Hinata to pause as she gave him a confused look.
"You could definitely kick Sasuke's ass" he finished with a wide grin.
The praise of her abilities seemed to knock her out of the state she was in, as the defiant look disappeared and she suddenly became very conscious of their position. The way her face turned a bright red almost instantly was proof of that.
'Well, guess it couldn't last forever. Though that was one hell of a fight'
"Damn it. I liked her like that"
"Uh… Naruto" Hinata spoke shyly, though without the stutter, "Could you get off me now?"
"Huh?" the blonde replied, only to finally realize just how… awkward… their position was. His left hand was pinning both her hands at the wrist above her head while his right was making a semi-successful effort of propping his body up, meaning that bodies were pressed together in several places. Added to the fact that due to her struggling just a few seconds before, their legs had become a bit entangled, and then there was the fact that their faces had somehow gotten to only a few inches apart.
"Ohhh… Sorry" Naruto quickly apologized as he rolled off of her, a slight twinge of red on his face despite his control. 'Okay, note to self: CONTROL MY DAMN HORMONES!'
'Oh yeah I forgot to mention. The upgrades also accelerated your hormonal growth as well, sex-drive and all'
'Great. Next time Kyuubi, tell me that up front instead of putting it in a memo okay?'
'Heh heh heh. Alright'
"Um… sorry for uh… going nuts back there" Hinata spoke up, breaking Naruto's talk with his inner demon.
"Huh? What are talking about?" Naruto replied as he got to his feet, extending his hand to help her up as well, "That was great! I mean, you pretty much turned into a completely different person. In fact, I think you almost had me a few times. That's nothing to be ashamed of"
"Um… Okay" Hinata replied a bit weakly. She was still a bit unused to having her efforts praised like this. "Um… What happened to me back there?" she didn't quite know what had caused her to do those things, to act like she did, to think like she did. The thoughts that had been going through her head were completely alien to her. At first she had wanted to prove herself to Naruto, then she had just wanted to wipe the smug grin off his face. Whereas at first she had shied away from the spar, she had enjoyed it. The quick movements, the challenge of fighting someone like Naruto, and her own feelings of love towards him only increased it. It was as if she thought that the sparring between them was some how an act of love. And at the end, when she had been pinned under him… her new self almost seemed to have been in some strange amalgamation of frustration and… arousal? She quickly tried to forget that last on.
"Am… Am I going crazy Naruto-kun?"
To this, the blonde only laughed, "No more then me Hinata"
His laugh stopped as he noticed Hinata's expression didn't change, and then realized that saying she was no crazier then him was not the best course of reassurance.
"So… by that I mean, yes. But in a good way!"
"Um… what do you mean by that?" Hinata asked, unsure of what he could mean. But she supposed that his crazy was what someone might call 'good' crazy. After all, he wasn't running around like a crazed maniac. Or at least, she hoped not.
"Well, I mean that you're probably developing detached alternate personas like me"
"Like Antharos, Zechs, Xenos and the others?" Hinata replied, not sure what to think about this new possibility. Would she become as… odd… as Naruto was sometimes?
"Sort of" Naruto answered, "But I think it might be more accurate to call them your own. I doubt that yours would be much like mine. It's true that they would probably embody your base emotions, but they'll still be different. You and I may be similar, but we're not identical. We have different thoughts, different emotional levels, and different personalities, and as such, any alternate personalities would reflect that"
"Oh… So then what just came out was…?"
"Probably your equivalent of Antharos. I'd say that she is a lot of things you aren't, and might embody all of your repressed feelings of anger, rage, frustration and whatnot" Naruto replied.
"So then, I should try to keep her out then?" Hinata asked. If this… other side of her was like that, then shouldn't she try to keep it out?
Naruto's expression turned from joking to serious in an instant.
"No. Hinata whatever you do, don't try to block out your other selves completely. It'll just lead to problems. They are all facets of who you are, and blocking them out is simply refusing to accept the person that you truly are"
"Are you saying I should let them control me?"
"Not at all. If anything, you should control them. They are different sides of you, but you are the real you. You should accept them for who they are, who you are, but you shouldn't let them control you. That's like being controlled by impulses and emotions. It won't get you anywhere. Besides, controlling your emotions can become a powerful weapon, if you know how to use it. Oh, and I think Antharos would be very appreciative if you let out that side of you more often"
"Really?"
"Yeah. I think she turns him on actually" Naruto replied in a joking tone, to which Hinata just turned beat red, to which in turn, Naruto laughed at her predicament.
"Sorry, couldn't resist"
His apology allowed Hinata to regain a bit of her composure as the redness left her face. The thought of her 'dark side' turning on Naruto's 'dark side' was both unsettling and… interesting.
'He sure turned me on' 'AHHH Bad Hinata! Bad Hinata! Bad thoughts, Bad thoughts!'
"Well anyway" Naruto said, breaking Hinata from her inner turmoil/argument with the voices in her head, "You want to work on something else now that I know what you can do?"
It took a second for Hinata to register this, but when she did, she only smiled, much like she had done the day before.
"Sure"
"Great! I was think that we could start on…"
End Flashback
Naruto's smile widened slightly as the memory passed. If anything, he had underestimated Hinata's skill, and how similar she was to him. She almost seemed well on her way to becoming a capable and cunning kunoichi worthy of the history books. In the past few weeks, they had worked on drawing out Hinata's inner self (or selves) as it seemed that her emotions had been greatly suppressed in the past few years, likely due to her treatment at the hands of her father. Naruto grimaced at the thought of that. At some point, he supposed that the two of them would have to have a talk with Hiashi.
But in the meantime, he would be there for her. She had been there for him for five long years, even if he hadn't realized it, and he intended to repay that kindness. In fact, it was almost because he hadn't realized it that he was adamant on repaying her. She had shown him that kindness for five years, and he was only just now repaying it. He supposed it was his way of apologizing for ignoring her for all those years, despite his past mindset. Though he supposed that the reason he had had the mindset was no fault of his own.
The grimace on his face intensified as another memory surfaced. A memory of fire… and pain. Dozens of monsters in human skin, with the gall to call him a demon, even as they committed atrocities as terrible as any monster of myth or nightmare.
He supposed he'd also like to have a talk with the citizen's of Konoha at some point.
Naruto was broken from his musings as he heard the characteristic 'poof' of a shunshin, heralding the arrival of their sensei. Unlike Sasuke and Sakura, Naruto had never minded Kakashi's chronic tardiness. Heck, he could get an extra hour of sleep for crying out loud!
"Yo" Kakashi said in his usual cheerful tone. Just noticing Sakura trying to pick herself off the ground next to a puddle of what looked (and smelled) like vomit.
"Uh… Is that…?"
"Yes" Sasuke spoke up, finishing his sentence.
"Naruto?"
"Yep"
"Did someone call?" said blonde said as he dispelled his clones, walking over to his teammates and sensei.
Noticing the exasperated looks Sasuke and Kakashi were giving him as well as the annoyed but defeated look Sakura was giving him, he spoke in a faux-innocent tone.
"What?"
"-sigh- Never mind" Kakashi drawled, not really caring at this point. "Anyway, I think I have news all of you will be happy to hear"
"What?"
"Hm?"
"Melon?" (you can guess who said what)
"I've just cleared us for our first C-rank mission"
AN: and that's a wrap, for now.
Well, quite a few things have happened. Is Hinata going nuts too? Not as much as Naruto, but yes. As they said, they are similar people.
And the sword thing? Well I figured that swords suited the new Naruto more then taijutsu, plus, everyone gives him katanas, so I thought I'd try something new and give him Scimitar's, and they'll come in handy against Zabuza.
Speaking of which, next chapter kicks of the Wave arc. I've put a whole lot of thought into this one, so I can safely say it's going to be pretty cool, and some kick-ass battles too.
Oh, and on a final note, here's a preview of my Eternities End fic. Just a little teaser as to what to expect.
Pain
Fire
Death
That was what he felt at first.
"Power is as Power wills. As it shall Giveth, It shall also Taketh"
"For every Blessing, there is a Curse. For every Curse, there is a Blessing"
"Nothing is True. Everything is Permitted"
He was falling. Falling.
Falling from the sky. The Bastards were coming. Even as He fell, their rage would not be quelled…
Let them come
His Blade wasn't bloody enough yet…
No… Master had given himself for them. He had to live. For HIM. For everything they had worked for…
The Wave may have been stopped, but it must not be extinguished…
They were here…
The pretty-boy was out in front… Heh… He should've known
They were closing fast… but they weren't on guard. Hm… they must have thought He was dead, or out cold.
How wrong they were.
The rest held back… he was coming for him… alone.
What a dumbass
Closer… Closer… Closer…
Gotcha
His massive blade sprung to life again, swinging it with all the might He dared use.
Damn. Too soon, by a hair.
At least He had taken two of the blonde prick's wings. The bastard was screaming now. Good. Now for his friends.
His hand reached out… Power coursing through it… The light formed around his arm… the ones before him yelled in terror, and tried to flee…
Too late
"Say cheese"
The light lanced forth… The dark light could not be stopped… the pursuer's were no more… His power may have been expended… but He was safe… He was the last… but with Him alive… the rest could return… They WOULD return…
As the ground rushed up to meet him… the mantra repeated in his head…
"For Zarathustra…"
"Naruto. It is time to wake"
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