Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Ruroni Kenshin, or Bleach.

Chapter 10: Cannon

The Konoha contingent was currently inside the conference room with a calm Mifune. They were worried that their 'leader' hasn't arrived yet despite the fact that they were supposed to rendezvous for a debriefing half-an-hour ago. Asuma was agitated and was puffing on his cigarette as if it was life-giving oxygen.

"Where in the world is he? He's 30 minutes late." grumbled Asuma after puffing out a rather thick smoke from his mouth which hit Kurenai in the face. Said woman was giving his partner an annoyed look.

"Would you mind breathing out that thing somewhere where no one would be worried about getting cancer from second-hand smoking? Besides, if he is really as good as you say he is then we shouldn't worry about him." she said before scooting away from Asuma since the man was taking another deep pull from his cigarette.

"What do you guys know about Oni? I mean, sure, I heard he is a powerful shinobi though this is the first time I ever heard of him outside the Bingo Book." said the Hyuuga Jounin who was sipping his tea. No matter how worried they were, he was still a Hyuuga and a Hyuuga is always calm…on the outside.

"If you really want to know about it then you might want to ask Akido and Yahiko. Clearly those two treat him like he was Kami given flesh." said Aburame who was checking on the bugs in his hands.

Kurenai turned to the Akido who was busy making imaginary doodles on the table.

"Can you tell us something about Oni, Akido?" she asked the bored shinobi.

Akido perked up at the sudden interest concerning his idol. He reached behind his back pouch and pulled out a notebook with the name Oni on the cover and a drawing of the famous demon mask. This caused some of the Jounins to sweatdrop. Sure, it was fine to idolize someone but to have a book about them? This takes the cake.

"Let me see, Oni-sama's real identity is unknown." Akido started reading his 'book' containing information he had concerning his idol though he knew exactly 'who' Oni was but it was a secret he would take to his grave. "He relatively appeared out of the blue half a year ago. He is currently an A-ranked shinobi due to his success in missions, as well as his skill in kenjutsu skills. He was dubbed as the Hitokiri Battousai because of two reasons: One, those who was able to see his 'dance of death' could only identity that his sword skills are legendary. Two, he is a bloodthirsty killer to targets that he considered as scum. This includes murderers, rapists, terrorists, and those who hurt the innocents. No known skill in Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or Taijutsu since he mostly relies on his sword according to eyewitness reports."

Yahiko pulled out a similar book and continued where Akido left off.

"Oni-sama is well-known for his godlike speed. He would appear and disappear like a ghost and can travel to any place in a blink of an eye. According to those who joined him on missions, he is a great strategist and very social with those he works with. So far, he demonstrates three unique jutsus that doesn't require handseals. One, is Sho that acts like a bullet that pushes a target away or knocks them out. Byakurai is like a powerful lightning jutsu that can pierce his target. And finally, Seki, a ball of energy, I'm not sure if it's chakra or not, that can repel any attack, whether physical or chakra based. According to the records of mission successes, he has done 4 C-Rank, 18-B Rank, 5 A-Rank, and 2 S-Rank missions and he get his orders directly from the Hokage. No one has seen a hide or hair from him in the Mission Hall. It was reported that he could finish a 5-day mission in one day without repercussions. Also, I think I'll add it here in my notes, that he is a Konoha shinobi though his exact rank is unknown. But considering how the Hokage trusts him, we can say that he is higher than a Jounin." finished Yahiko before closing his book. He looked around and saw that everyone, except for Akido and Mifune, was looking at him as if he was crazy. This made the man a bit defensive. "What?"

Asuma gave the man a grin before adding his two cents.

"You might add this to your notes boys. There is a rumor going around the shinobi world that he would be soon promoted to an S-rank shinobi if his mission success is to go by. If the current one we are on goes without a hitch then he would be having 3 S-Rank missions under his belt."

Akido and Yahiko's eyes grew wide at the revelation. They both whipped out their respective 'book' and starting writing the new information in. This caused Mifune to release a hearty chuckle.

"Oni-dono is definitely a powerful warrior if the information you have on him is anything to go by." Mifune said with a rare smile gracing his face though there was a slight hint in his features that he knew something they didn't.

"Which reminds me, Mifune-sama, why do you address Oni as Oni-dono?" asked Kurenai curiously. Everyone's interest was piqued by the question and was leaning forward to hear the answer.

"Despite what you may think, we samurais have our own extensive spy network across the Elemental Nation like you shinobis to keep abreast of things in the world. According to some experienced samurais who have seen him in action, they reported that his sword skill didn't reflect any style that exists and we know ALL sword styles that exist since most of them came from us or a variation of them from our collection. From what they could tell me, Oni-dono is a very skilled swordsman who utilizes godlike speed to bring down his opponents. His sword strikes are accurate and there was no wasted movement to his strokes. According to one of my spies who is second to me only in sword skills, he would be within my skill range or above if his speed is anything to go by. Thus, I refer to him with the respect his skill deserves." the old samurai leader explained with a smile.

This revelation made everyone to look at him in awe. They all knew how powerful and skilled Mifune was with the sword. If such a man acknowledged Oni as a powerful swordsman, who knows what the guy was really capable of. Akido and Yahiko were busy writing on their respective 'books', taking in all the information on their idol. They weren't prepared, however, when familiar voice echoed around the room and froze them in their seats.

"It is nice to know that my existence is getting acknowledged by the world." said Naruto before coming out of the shadow he was hiding in. In truth, Akira was hiding inside his kimono and disabled the invisibility technique. He arrived exactly on the agreed time but chose to pretend to be late to listen in on the conversation. He wasn't disappointed to what he heard from his subordinates. "Sorry for being late, Mifune-dono."

"Ho ho. I don't think you were ever late, Oni-dono. After all, you arrived here just in time. I just didn't know why you chose to hide your presence though I could see what you're aiming." Mifune said with a chuckle and giving the stunned occupants of the room a sly look. This revelation made everyone give Oni an accusing look. Said man merely chuckled before taking a seat beside the samurai leader.

"He's right. I arrived here at the same time you guys did but I decided to listen to the gossip mill if nothing else." said Naruto in an amused voice causing the Konoha contingent to grumble in embarrassment.

"So what have you found out, Oni-dono?" asked Mifune.

"You're information concerning the samurai rebellion is correct though I decided to get a more accurate count of their numbers, as well as their strength. In terms of the samurais, they have a total of 120 of them in their ranks. There are 45 shinobis present, all missing-nins from Iwa, Suna, and Kiri, with their chakra signatures ranging from high-Genin to low-Jounin levels. They are currently being supplied weapons by a man named Sakaki Kinto."

"Sakaki Kinto?" Mifune said immediately with a frown on his face. "Are you sure?"

Naruto pulled out a scroll from his kimono and handed it to the old samurai who took it. Mifune paled after reading the content of the scroll.

"I got this shipping manifest from one of their conference rooms while I was exploring their camp. Hope you didn't mind that I read it first. From what I can tell, Sakaki Kinto is a high-ranking member in your court, correct?" Naruto prodded to get some information out of the aged leader.

"You're correct, Oni-dono. Sakaki is one of the most successful merchants in Tetsu no Kuni and is part of the Samurai Council. He is not a warrior but a businessman. From what I gather from this document, Kinto has been supplying them with weapons since the start of the rebellion, as well as some monetary support to bring down the current regime. The question is why he would go to such lengths." Mifune revealed with an angry look on his face. "He is currently out of the village on a 'business meeting' but I think he made sure to stay away from the battle to save his own hide."

"Speaking of battles, the rebellion leaders decided that they would be attacking tomorrow at daybreak. We don't have enough time to come up with a solid strategy but considering how unprepared we are, it would be a good idea to be on the defensive. Are your samurais ready for combat?" Naruto asked the old warrior.

"Ready and waiting, Oni-dono. I agree with your assessment that we would be on the defensive, so to speak. However, from your tone of voice, I would say that you have a plan?"

"Indeed. From what I was able to discover while they were in a war meeting, they will attack with everything they have at daybreak tomorrow. All of their forces will be coming to bring down Tetsu no Kuni and take over the nation starting from this village. What I propose is a two-prong attack. My team will move out tomorrow early and station themselves a few miles away from the rebellion camp. Once they leave, my team will bring down the cave system using their explosive notes to make sure that they don't have a base to return to. Once they are done, they will come from behind the attacking force and hit them using a hit-and-run tactic. However, once they have removed a bit of the enemy's forces, they will work in teams to bring down the missing-nins in their ranks. I will be assisting you in the defense of Tetsu no Kuni while my team destroy their camp. Once my team finishes that mission, I will join them once they attack the rear. Does that meet your approval?"

"Yes, a sound strategy though I suggest that a team of my own samurais should go with them for this mission since I doubt that the missing nins would just ignore them. If they realize that your team is behind their army then it would be safe to say that they will try to bring them down. I don't think your team, no matter how skilled, would be able to handle 45 missing nins." Mifune suggested while playing with his beard.

"Thank you, Mifune-dono. You just saved me the trouble of asking you on such a measure." Naruto said with a thankful bow which the old samurai returned.

"However, do you know 'where' they will be attacking?" Mifune asked curiously, his mind already processing the information and doing a headcount of his current troops minus the ones he would be sending with the shinobi team.

Naruto nodded and stood up from his chair and walked towards the map. He pointed the enemy's camp and dragged his hand down where the ravine was located towards the western gate of Tetsu no Kuni.

"This will be their attack route considering that the western gate is the weakest out of all the other gates of the village since it only leads to the cave system you mentioned earlier. But with some tactics in deploying your troops, we could thin out their numbers for a more decisive counter. The question is – do you want to attack them outside where there is greater room or do you want to allow them to enter the village and attack them via ambush?"

Mifune thought about that question a bit before answering.

"I suggest that we attack them outside the village, Oni-dono. Since they have samurais with them, it is possible that they know of the underground bunker beneath the mountains where the civilians will be holed up during the battle. If he quarantine them outside the village then the civilians are secured. True, it would not limit their movements but it is a sacrifice we have to make to ensure that civilian's safety."

"I see. I understand where you're going. If that is the case then it is necessary to 'thin out the herd' so to speak before your troops engage them." Naruto said with an evil chuckle escaping his lips. He developed a spell that for mass targets but haven't had time to test it out as of yet. He developed this with Kurama a few months back to counter his lack of jutsus for area damage. He would have to talk to Kurama later to finalize the details.

"Thin out the herd?" asked Akido in confusion.

"Let's just say that the techniques that you mentioned earlier were just some of the weaker ones in my arsenal. I have been developing a jutsu for mass damage and this is the perfect opportunity to try it out." Naruto explained to the Jounin.

"And what would this technique entail, Oni-sama?" asked one of the medic-nins in the group.

"Let's just say that it's going to be a shocking experience." Oni said cryptically and topped it off with an evil laugh that made everyone shiver in fear.

Naruto was standing on top of the heavily-fortified wall on the western section of Tetsu no Kuni, looking at the battleground with his enhanced eyesight and mapping it out for the battle ahead. One of the things that Kurama modified in his physiology was his eyes. Unlike Doujutus, his eyes were given animal-like qualities, more so to that of a fox; he could see everything even under the cover of darkness as if it was daylight. Not only that, it was given an 'upgrade' to eliminate tunnel vision that usually happens when Shunpo or Shinsoku was used. This made him an even more effective master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Sure, it was cheating but the shinobi world was a merciless reality and only the strong survives.

Naruto was brought out of his thoughts when he sensed a presence behind him.

"Hello, Asuma-nii. What are you doing out at this time of the night? Aren't you supposed to be resting for your mission later?" said Naruto without bothering to turn around to greet his guest.

"Hello, Naruto." greeted Asuma before making his way beside the swordsman. "I should ask you the same question, otoutou."

"I can't sleep." answered Naruto before removing his mask since they were alone. "Besides, I have to stay up to talk to Kurama and finalize the spell I would be using against the samurai armies later."

Asuma wasn't surprised by the revelation. Considering who his father was; he was privy to Naruto's secret concerning his training and his tenant. In fact, he treated the boy like a younger brother and couldn't help but be proud of him.

"This spell you speak of, how much damage could it do?" Asuma asked curiously before lighting a cigarette and taking in a light pull.

"You already know that most of my spells are single target spells. I've been working on this for a while now with Kurama to hit multiple targets at the same time. I already experimented with this back in Training Ground 44 and the results are promising. However, this will be the first time I would be overpowering the spell to generate the damage I have in mind." Naruto explained as his mind worked around the schematics of the spell and what it would do when overpowered.

"Hmmm. So this spell would effectively kill multiple enemies at the same time. Are you okay in dealing that kind of damage?" Asuma asked his younger brother, intent to find out if he was turning into a mindless killing machine, a prospect that he and his father wanted to avoid.

Naruto sighed and closed his eyes.

"To be honest with you, Asuma-nii, I don't really like to kill despite what you may have heard from the other Jounins who worked with me on missions. I still suffer from nightmares sometimes because of it. However, I promised myself that I would do so to protect the innocent. These samurais are no better. They are trying to bring down the rightful government without worrying about casualties. There are innocent people in this village and I will do everything in my power to protect them." declared Naruto with determination in his voice.

"Well said." a voice behind the two responded. Naruto and Asuma turned to discover a relaxed Mifune smoking a pipe looking at them in amusement.

"Mifune-dono." Naruto said coldly as he made a move to put on his mask. However, he was stopped by the old samurai.

"You don't have to worry about your identity Uzumaki-dono. After all, I've known you since you were a baby." said Mifune with a chuckle before pushing himself off the wall and walked towards the two who were eyeing him in suspicion. In truth, he just overheard Naruto's answer before revealing himself. It was purely coincidence that he arrived to hear the conversation since this was his favorite place to hang out.

"How?" asked Asuma.

"Sarutobi and I go all the way back and have visited Konoha a few times to talk to him and to reminisce about the good old days. This is the main reason why I specifically asked for Konoha's help instead of the other shinobi villages my nation is allied with. Uzumaki-dono here have been the old monkey's charge since he was a baby and I have even change some of his diapers when the old coot was busy with his paperwork. You should know Uzumaki-dono, you were a very messy child." Mifune said with a chuckle before turning to the young swordsman and gave him a serious look. "Don't worry, child. You're secret is safe with me."

"How did you know how I was?" asked Naruto curiously after relaxing his stance. He didn't like it that someone knew of his really identity that he would give the samurai the benefit of a doubt.

"Simple, your hair and your voice." This caused Naruto to look at him in surprise. "Even when you were still a child, you're hair has always been that messy and not many in Konoha have that hairstyle. Even the Yamanaka clan has a lighter shade than yours so I immediately had a suspicion as to your identity. Your voice, however, took some time to deduce thanks to your mask." He then gave Naruto a look of pride. "You've grown well, Naruto-kun. Sarutobi-dono always spoke of you in pride even when you were still a baby and I couldn't help but agree. Ever since you were young, there was an aura about you that spoke of greatness. I just didn't expect you to wield a sword and become a master of it. I suggest that you do something about your hair though since it is a liability to your other persona in the battle field. After all, not many shinobis have blonde hair in Konoha."

Naruto chuckled and made a few modifications to his scarf. He loosened it a bit and covered his hair before putting the mask back on. This effectively hid his hair and only made his mask stand out from his head. It made for a very intimidating site.

"Perfect." Mifune said with a nod before joining the two. "I suggest you do that from now on to safeguard your identity. I know it is too late since your description have been spread throughout the Elemental Nations but it is better to do it now than never."

"Thank you for the advice, Mifune-dono." Naruto said with a bow. "What brings you out this late?"

"You might not know it, Oni-dono, but this spot has been my favorite hangout even before I ruled this village. The view of the vast expanse and the surrounding hills makes for a very comforting sight."

"I see. I am very sorry to intrude on your relaxing time then." Naruto apologized. Mifune simply waved his hand.

"No need to apologize. Besides, I understand that you are just using this place to memorize the area of the battle, correct?" asked Mifune with a sly smile on his face.

"Correct. It is not a good idea to go into a battle without knowing the terrain. It makes for a very troublesome execution of standard tactics."

"If I didn't know any better I would say that you're trained by a Nara. You sound just like one right now." Mifune said with a chuckle before his face turned serious. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Yes, I'm prepared for the battle and I will be briefing the team in three hours to make sure that their assignments are clear." replied Naruto before turning to his surrogate brother. "How about you Asuma-nii? Have you talked to Kurenai in regards to her part of the mission?"

Asuma nodded before taking another pull from his cigarette and blowing it out into the wind.

"Yes, she's already preparing herself for the mass illusion she would be using to hide the team and the samurais who would be coming with us. However, I want to modify the plan and bring one medic-nin with us to inject chakra to Kurenai in case if she needs it. I could do it but I don't have the necessary chakra control a medic-nin has for this procedure."

"Agreed." Naruto said with a nod before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a ring and gave it to Asuma who looked at it with a confused look on his face. "I want you to take that with you for the mission tomorrow."

"What's this?" said Asuma as he studied the ring in his hand.

"That is like a beacon that I can detect if you channel some chakra into it. It will release a wave of Reiryoku that I can easily detect. If you ever need help during your mission, just channel chakra into it and I will come and bail you out."

"I see. Thank you, otoutou." Asuma said with a smile before slipping the ring on his finger. "Despite your reputation, you're still a softy, you know."

Naruto growled and was thankful for his mask since it hid the blush on his face.

"Shut up, Asuma-nii. I just want to make sure that you're safe that's all. After all, you're one of my precious people. I just want to make sure that you're safe. Besides, oji-san would kill me if I let anything happen to you."

"Good point. Even if I'm strong enough to take care of myself, my dad is still a worry-wart." said Asuma while making a face.

"Sarutobi has always been a family man." Mifune added his two cents. "I bet that even if you're old and gray, well, he is already old and gray, but you know what I mean, he would still baby you as if you're still in diapers."

This comment made both Naruto and Asuma groan causing the old samurai to release a hearty laugh.

Naruto and Mifune were standing on top of giant wall on the western edge of Tetsu no Kuni as the sun rose from the horizon. Both wore grim expressions on their faces, though Naruto's was hidden behind their mask, when they caught sight of the rebellion army in front of them.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Oni-dono." said Mifune nervously. He wasn't nervous because of the battle; far from it, he was actually excited since it had been too long since he was in a battle this big. He was nervous, however, of what the young swordsman was planning. If what boy said was true then the destruction would be too much for his old heart to handle.

"Trust me, Mifune-dono." said Naruto with confidence making the old samurai relax. He looked at the army amassed below him and decided that it was time. "It's time."

Naruto raise both of his hands in front of him, palm forward pointing at his target, which was the center of the invading army. He started channeling Reiryoku and Ki into his hands and using every amount of control he had in his body to focus it into a ball. The more energy he pushed into it, the bigger it became. He kept channeling both energies into the ball in equal amounts until it was as large as his body. The energy it was emitting was making both his and the old samurai's hair stand on end. When the two energies became too much for him to handle, he decided to let go or else it would explode and taking him with it.

"Here we go! Onipo: Seishin Taihou (Demon Arts: Spirit Cannon)" yelled Naruto as he released his hold on his first demolition-type spell. He was unprepared, however, on what it was really capable of.

When Naruto created the spell with Kurama's help, Seishin Taihou was just an oversized version of Sho, an impact based technique that could easily target a large group of enemies and knock them unconscious with a stunning blast of Ki and Reiryoku.

However, because he overpowered the technique, Naruto was unprepared when a powerful explosion boomed across the countryside and the shockwave that followed almost knock them off their feet, which was a testament to its power since the blonde was relatively far from the impact point. Everyone, both the rebellion army and the samurai defenders, froze and both parties were shocked at the damage such a technique could cause. All it was all because of one man.

There, in the middle of the once large army was an oversized crater, easily 50 meters in diameters and 10 meter deep. Nothing was left of the samurais that were hit at as if the power of the spell turned them to dust, which they literally did.

Naruto stared at the damage in front of him and coughed a bit to get his shock under control.

"Um…I guess it worked after all." commented Naruto in an all-too-calm voice. This caused Mifune to look at him in shock.

"You mean to tell me that this was the first time you used it?" Mifune asked incredulously. Naruto scratched the back of his hooded headed in embarrassment.

"Well, I tried the spell before but this is the first time I…ummm…overpowered it, so to speak. I was expecting for it to blow up in my face but I guess I was worried over nothing. He he he." explained Naruto in a sheepish voice while observing the oversized crater in the middle of the rebellion army. "Um…I think you should signal your samurais to start the attack now, old man."

Mifune gave the masked boy a look that spoke volumes before retrieving a horn from his hip and gave it a long blow, shattering the silence with a haunting note that resulted in various shouts from the defenders as they poured out of the village gates to intercept the attacking army. Mifune dropped the horn on the floor and adjusted the sheathed katana on his hip before giving Naruto a look that spoke volumes.

"When all this is over and done with, you and I are going to have a long talk in experimenting young man." Was all he said before jumping down from his perch to join his soldiers below.

Naruto sighed. He knew that he was screwed.

"I think I deserved that, didn't I?" he asked to no one, not expecting an answer. Of course, his tenant was not one to pass it up.

"You do, and you and I are going to have a long talk after that old man gives you one in the potential accidents as a result of overpowering spells." Kurama growled in a voice that spoke volumes.

"Fine." Naruto huffed before disappearing from the wall to join the old samurai below.

End of Chapter 10

Date Uploaded: July 9, 2012

Author's Note:

I received a PM asking for explanation regarding some of Naruto's skills and techniques. So here's a little guide to give light to what Naruto's techniques could do:

Spells:

1. Sho - a Reiryoku-based spell that causes an impact-type damage. It's creation requires the condensation of Reiryoku on the tip of the index finger and firing it with the verbalization of the spell's name. The damage depends on the amount of Reiryoku channeled into the spell. Damage would range from blunt-force trauma to a powerful bludgeon that could cause a man's head to explode.

2. Byakurai - a Reiryoku-based spell that pierces an enemies defense. It's creation is similar to Sho though Naruto would release the compressed energy in small bursts that causes a beam of energy to fire from his index finger. This spell can be overpowered if necessary.

3. Seki - a Reiryoku/Ki-based defensive spell. Naruto channels Reiryoku into a ball of energy with Ki added into the mix to give it a more solidified state. Seki is a purely defensive spell that repels physical and chakra-based attack.

4. Sai - a Reiryoku-based spell that binds an opponents arms to their bodies. A ring of Reiryoku surrounds a target before contracting to bind an opponent's arm movement.

5. Hainawa - a Reiryoku-based spell that is similar to Sai. However, the difference is that Naruto maintain a thread of Reiryoku connecting him to an opponent. This would allow Naruto to use it like a lasso.

6. Shinsei Taihou - a Reiryoku/Ki-based spell to create a ball of pure energy to hit an area to damage multiple opponents. This spell requires massive amounts of compressed Ki and Reiryoku to be channeled by one on both hands. Regular powered Shinsei Taihou causing an impact based damage that causes stunning or blunt-force trauma. Overpowering this spell utilizes so much energy that it could cause a powerful explosion and reducing any target within the area of effect to disintegrate.

7. Shunpo - a Reiryoku-based technique that allows Naruto to travel in a straight line at extreme speeds. Drawback to this technique is the lack of maneuverability though this could be countered through multiple activation to give direction.

8. Shinsuko - is a necessary requirement to attain mastery in Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Shinsoku or Godspeed relies on pure physical speed. Naruto can achieve this technique through an application of Ki into his leg muscles, however, it still wouldn't protect him from muscle damage. In order to master this technique, Naruto needed to train himself physical so his leg muscles would adapt.

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