Yo! Hey guys, back with another update! Thank you for all the WONDERFUL reviews. This story has now reached the 500 review mark (Almost 600)! This insane number of reviews inspired me to write! Also with Naruto Shippuden 167 coming out I just couldn't get enough of Naruto. I hope you all enjoy this chapter, I certainly enjoyed writing it. Some of you may be surprised at how powerful I am portraying Raiga as, but damn it he was one of the Seven Swordsmen! The anime made him seem like a total pushover, who couldn't fight four Genin, albeit four powerful Genin. I think if he properly used Ranmaru to predict his opponent's whereabouts—he could give Zabuza a run for his money!
Kiri Stadium…
"It's time I show you why they call me Kirigakure no Raijin," Raiga announced as he held his swords in an 'X' formation.
"Lightning release: Lightning ball!" Raiga shouted as a ball of cackling blue electricity formed in the center of the 'X'. As he finished calling out the name, the ball shot forward at breakneck speeds leaving a trail of light in its wake. Naruto's eyes widened as he witnessed the lightning attack collide with his body…or rather…where he used to be.
'He's fast!' the Lightning user noted as his eyes darted back and forth, looking for any signs of his blond haired opponent.
"Raiga…behind you!" Ranmaru shouted as Raiga's eyes widened. He threw himself to his left as he barely avoided a thrust of Naruto's Katana. The air around the blade seemed to shoot forward as the metallic weapon came to a halt. Raiga's eyebrow rose at this.
"A wind user? It would seem I'm at the disadvantage," the funeral-loving man chuckled as he pushed himself to his feet, dusting his legs off in the process. Before he could blink Naruto was upon him, flashing a downward strike. Raiga barely had time to form an X-formation with his swords as the two blades clashed in a deadlock of strength. Unfortunately for Naruto, his pubescent muscles were not strong enough to hold back Raiga. Raiga smirked as lightning sparked to life from his blades, electrocuting his blond haired opponent.
Naruto back flipped backwards as he landed in a crouch, 'Damn that hurt! I'll have to take this up a level.' With this thought, the Jinchuuriki's blade was covered in a cloak of bluish-white wind chakra. He reared his blade back and swung, sending a blast of screeching winds right at the green haired man. Raiga was able to jump over the attack, allowing it to fly past him harmlessly. The wind struck a deep gash in the sides of the stadium wall. Not one to let up, Naruto flashed through a set of seals.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" Naruto shouted as he held his hands out in front of him, parallel to the ground. A great torrent of wind exploded from his hands, speeding at the green haired man. Raiga was able to dodge at the last second, seemingly unharmed. Unfortunately the same could not be said for his hooded cloak, which was torn into pieces. The lightning user growled as he threw his cloak to the ground. He grinned as visible lightning surged through his blades. Raiga aimed his blades to the sky as he called out the technique.
"Ninja Art: Ikazuchi's fangs!" Raiga shouted as the lightning shot into the gray clouds above. Naruto's eyes widened at this. Before Naruto could react, the lightning shot downwards at speeds like none other. The lightning struck the ground as dust covered the area from view.
"How was that, Ranmaru?" Raiga asked gleefully.
"That was amazing,"Ranmaru answered softly. The dust cleared, revealing a crater where the lightning attack had hit. Raiga's eyes widened as Naruto was nowhere to be seen. "Raiga, below you!" Ranmaru shouted as warning bells went off in Raiga's head. He jumped backwards as Naruto erupted from the earth, fist cocked back. Raiga was able to catch the fist with his hand. Naruto growled and attempted a roundhouse kick, which was caught as well. Raiga smirked.
"Predictable!" he shouted as a grin appeared on his face. Soon his eyes widened as he began to feel a hot sensation flowing through his body. The swordsmen jumped away as he glanced at his burning hand. "You brat! You channeled fire chakra into my body?" Raiga shouted as he realized his opponent's motives. A smirk formed on Naruto's face as he settled into a kenjutsu stance. Raiga growled as he anger flared to life.
"I'll wipe that smirk off your face!" the green haired man shouted as he charged forward at impressive speeds. He attempted a diagonal slash with his right blade, but was parried by Kazeyaiba. Raiga smirked as he charged lightning through the blade. His smirk was wiped clean off as the lightning dissipated upon contact with Naruto's wind covered sword. "I see…wind is lightning's natural enemy after all…" Raiga scowled as he twisted around and attempted to thrust his left sword into Naruto's stomach. Naruto, expecting this, was able to catch the sword in his hand. Blood seeped down the Lightning Fang as Naruto's grip tightened. He held out his left palm as swirling chakra shimmered to life. The maelstrom of chakra started spinning at an incredible rate when Naruto thrust it forward.
"Rasengan!" the blond shouted as he plunged his father's technique into the wide eyed man's chest. Raiga's horrified face turned into a spiteful grin.
"Lightning Shadow Clone!" the clone shouted as it dissipated into lightning, which crawled onto Naruto's unprotected hand. The blonde's body spasms as volts upon volts of electricity traveled through his naturally conductive body. He fell to his knee and began breathing heavily.
"Heh…I didn't even see you substitute with your clone," Naruto panted as he pushed himself to his feet. He grinned as his fingers formed a single hand seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto stated as five clones shimmered to life. The five clones nodded at their master, before blurring into action. Raiga scowled as he sheathed his blades, positioning himself into a Taijutsu stance. The first blond appeared to his left, attempting a flying axe kick. Raiga lazily put his hand up and caught the kick. He smirked as he flung the clone into a second clone that appeared at his right. The two clones both poofed away from the impact. Raiga ducked low as a third Naruto's leg sailed over his head. The corners of his mouth tugged upwards as he slammed his elbow into the blond.
'Three down…two to go,' Raiga thought to himself. Two clones appeared simultaneously, one in front of Raiga, one behind him, and they both attempted to punch the Thunder of the Hidden Mist. Raiga twisted around both fists, causing the blondes to unintentionally disperse each other. In Raiga's moment of action, the real Naruto was able to appear to the left of him, just outside his peripheral vision's limit. He attempted a roundhouse kick, but came short as Raiga blocked it with his forearm. Naruto's eyes widened. The man wasn't even looking. Raiga began to chuckle as he jumped backwards.
"Is that all you've got?" Raiga taunted as he chuckled openly. Naruto growled.
'It's like he has 360 degree vision! There's no way someone—aside from a Hyuga—could be able to see everywhere like that!' Naruto screamed in his mind as he went through a set of hand signs. The blond took a deep breath as a white hot dragon of fire erupted from his mouth. The dragon's eyes lit up bright red before it shot at the lightning user.
"Water Release: Water Wall Jutsu!" Raiga shouted as the water from a nearby pond intercepted the scorching hot fire dragon. The jutsu collided in a show of evaporation and smoke.
'I've never seen such a powerful fire dragon before!' Raiga thought as the smoke cleared. It seemed the water wall was enough to counter the dragon. Raiga noted this as he glanced at the left over water on the ground. An insane grin sprouted on the man's face as he hoisted his fangs high in the air. Lightning crackled to life as Raiga slammed his blades on the ground.
"Lightning Strike!" the insane man shouted as lightning erupted from the ground. The leftover water increased the power of the attack as it speed towards Naruto. Naruto's eyes widened as he saw the attack.
'If I get hit by that, it definitely won't be good,'Naruto scrunched his eyebrows in thought as his mind worked overdrive, trying to come up with a plan. A devilish smirk formed on Naruto's face as the attack came crashing towards him. It was time to put his plan in action.
Crowd…
Yugito found herself amazed by the show of the two Elite Jounin of Kiri. On one hand, the older man's control of lightning put most Kumo-nin to shame, and on the other hand, the blonde's mastery over wind and fire seemed flawless. To be able to perform high powered wind jutsu without the use of a single hand seal – it was downright unheard of. Her mind thought back to her talk with the Raikage and she couldn't help but wonder why he was so attached to the idea of her falling in love with the boy. Sure he was strong, handsome, and reliable, but she couldn't help but think there was another reason. Her eyes widened as she faintly recalled their meeting at the treaty negotiation.
'He's the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki! Raikage-sama wants to make certain Kiri will not betray us, so what better way than to make sure one of their most important weapons is attached to someone of likewise status in Kumo; it is a brilliant way to make sure either country would not risk breaking the treaty,' Yugito put the pieces together. A part of her was peeved at the thought of being used, but another part of her was interested in the idea of spending more time with the younger Jinchuuriki. Yugito looked back towards the floor as lightning attack flew at Naruto at alarming speeds.
Fight…
Right as the attack was about to collide with the blond, he propelled himself high into the air, using his wind chakra as a medium. As he reached about 30 meters in the air, Naruto's eyes snapped open as he quickly unsheathed his blades, connecting them at the hilt. The wind itself surrounded Naruto as he made a slashing motion with his double edged sword. Fire flew out of the shorter end of the double edged sword. The hot flames were moving at a moderate pace towards Raiga. Naruto's eyes snapped open as he twisted around and made a second slashing motion with his blade. Wind chakra was sent colliding with the fire, making it explode in a ferocious light of burning hot chakra. The ball of explosive fire was sent plummeting towards the lightning user, who could only bring up his blades in an 'x' formation in defense.
"Explosive Release: Meteor Strike!" Naruto shouted as the attack collided with the earth, enveloping everything in a bright light. The ground shattered as it exploded in every direction. The audience had to shield their eyes from the brightness of the explosion. Naruto landed silently on the ground as he stood up, breathing heavily. When the dust cleared Raiga was lying on the ground, unmoving.
"Raiga!" a voice yelled as a small boy crawled his way over to the unmoving body of his master.
"Raiga!" the boy shouted again as he continued his long and painful trek. It appeared the boy was crippled, considering he was feebly crawling. "You threw me out of the way! You saved me Raiga." Tears rolled down the purple haired boys face as his eyes glowed an eerie red. His mouth widened at what he saw.
"Stay back Ranmaru!" Raiga gasped painfully as he pushed himself to one knee.
"I'll finish this now!" Raiga shouted as lightning began to appear on his body. Soon the dark clouds above produced a beam of lightning that crashed right into the reinstated-nin. Raiga cackled madly as he stood up on his two feet, seemingly forgetting his state of exhaustion.
Naruto's eyes widened. 'This is different than before…he is actually controlling the very nature of lightning. There could be no limit to his power now!' Naruto thought as he eyed his opponent. Raiga extended his arm as lightning shot out in a continuous current. Naruto blurred out of view as he appeared before Raiga. He landed a solid punch in the lightning user's gut, sending him skidding to a halt.
'Dammit! Without Ranmaru, I can't predict his movements! He's too fast!' Raiga thought as he shot out another current of pure lightning, blasting away the ground it hit. This pattern kept continuing. Raiga would shoot out an endless current of lightning, Naruto would evade, sometimes landing a blow on his opponent, and continue. With Raiga's limitless power it appeared as if he would win the duel. Naruto's eyes softened as he looked at the purple haired boy, lying hopelessly on the ground.
"This…Ranmaru, why do you use him?" Naruto questioned, trying to get a reaction from his opponent. Raiga merely chuckled.
"He and I are one and the same fighter; two in one. I found him years back, in a small town. There was a Kiri spy in the town, and my team was sent to eliminate him. I, however, couldn't seem to remember who I was supposed to kill. I stumbled upon Ranmaru and told him how I was going to kill him," Raiga glanced at his partner.
"…Instead of being upset…he seemed happy. He told me that we were the same; both searching for a purpose in life, so I decided to bring him with me. From that day forward he would be my eyes and ears, and I his arms and legs," Raiga explained as he closed his eyes in thought.
Crowd…
Haku's eyes widened in shock; the story of the two…it seemed like déjà vu. She recalled the time where she had first met Zabuza; how it felt to live a life without purpose. A small smile graced her lips as she looked down at Ranmaru.
Fight…
"I see," Naruto whispered softly as he jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding another streak of lightning. He dodged the continuous blasts as he formulated a plan. Naruto appeared a second later in front of Raiga. His fist was cocked back as he attempted to punch the man. Raiga was able to catch the fist. Naruto attempted to bring his knee into his opponent's gut, but Raiga was able to block the knee with his forearm. Raiga smirked as he sent his lightning coursing through the blonde. Instead of screams of agony the blond disappeared into a plumb of smoke.
'What?' Raiga couldn't even react as Naruto appeared in front of him, brandishing his prized jutsu.
"Rasengan!" Naruto shouted as he plunged the swirling ball of uncontrolled chakra into the lightning user. A small smile formed onto Raiga's features. Not one of his usual insane grin, or confident smirks, but a real, true smile. Raiga was sent spiraling back from the force of the jutsu, eventually colliding with the wall. A small shockwave exploded throughout the stadium wall from the impact. The last thing Raiga saw was Naruto's look of pity before he finally gave into the cold hands of unconsciousness.
Absolutely no sound was heard throughout the entire stadium. It had seemed the battle was truly one to be remembered. Mei's booming voice broke into the tranquility of the arena.
"I hereby announce Namikaze Naruto as the winner! He will be retaining his seat in the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist," Mei shouted with pride. Applause erupted from the stands as people cheered for one of the greatest fights they'd ever seen. Naruto stood tall, a goofy grin present on his face as he rubbed the back of his neck. The medics soon arrived to treat the unconscious man.
Konoha…
Tenshi slowly made her way down to the arena. She was nervous, and rightfully so. The red head was going up against the supposed prodigy of the Hyuuga clan. No matter how hard she tried, Tenshi couldn't help but feel that little bit of nervousness in the back of her head.
"(Cough) Begin!" Hayate shouted as he jumped to the side. White eyes stared into blue as the two prestigious clan members eyed each other. They were the Uzumaki Clan of Whirlpool and the Hyuuga clan of Leaf. A smirk formed on Neji's face.
"You might as well give up now. You're fated to lose," the boy stated calmly as he crossed his arms. Tenshi's eyes narrowed.
"You think I'd just give up? How stupid are you?" she shot back as she settled into a taijutsu stance.
Neji snorted, "You lack confidence in your words. Who are you really trying to convince…me, or yourself?" The boy spoke harshly as his white eyes took in every detail of the red head, "You see, your eyes drifted to the top-right. This means your remembering a painful memory. Now they drifted to the bottom-left. You are slowly losing your confidence."
Tenshi looked down in shame. It was true. She didn't know if she could win this fight. Her eyes widened in shock as she heard a voice.
"Tenshi! You can't give up now! Show that pretty boy the power of Whirlpool!" Hade shouted from the crowd, his eyes flashing purple for a mere second. Tenshi slowly lifted her head to reveal a completely confident face. Her eyes snapped open to reveal two icy blue orbs.
'How? One second ago she was on the verge of quitting…now she seems more confident than ever!'Neji thought angrily as his eyes narrowed.
"My name is Uzumaki Tenshi, I will not lose!" Tenshi shouted as her chakra flared. Dark blue chakra swirled around the form of the red headed girl. Neji took a step back from the sheer density of the chakra.
The Sandaime Hokage's eyes widened in shock, 'That chakra, that's the hidden chakra of the Uzumaki Clan! No one has had that chakra this strong since…him.'
Hayai's eyes widened as he heard her declaration. It sounded so familiar…
Flashback…
A seven year old Hayai pushed himself back to his feet as he wiped the blood from his lip. Five older boys stood around him, all sporting menacing grins.
"W-why? Why are you doing this?" Hayai asked meekly as he tightened his fists. The oldest boy, a boy of about 10, grinned. He had short gray hair and a wooden bat in his hand.
"My parents said your dad was a traitor—and that means you're a traitor too!" he shouted as he swung the bat at Hayai. The bat connected with the black haired boy's shoulder, sending him crashing towards the ground.
"I don't even k-know who my dad is…" Hayai muttered weakly as he grabbed his broken shoulder. The gray haired boy spat on him as he attempted to swing the bat again. His eyes widened as the bat was blocked by a young blonde haired boy. What was most surprising was the boy caught the bat with one hand.
"What do you think you're doing?" the blond shouted as his piercing blue eyes narrowed. The older boy tried to pry to bat free, which led to Naruto letting go, sending him flying into the dirt. The group of five surrounded the single blond.
"Who do you think you are?" one of them shouted as he balled his hand into a fist.
"Someone who doesn't sit by and let others be picked on," the blond stated simply as he got into a taijutsu stance.
"You don't understand! That kid's dad was really bad!" the same person shouted back. The blonde's eyes narrowed as he heard this.
"You bully! You mean you did all this because his dad is bad?" he shouted as he brought his fist to the older boy's face.
"Get him!" the leader shouted as the five ran towards their younger target. The blond ducked under a fist and countered by kneeing the boy in the gut, hard. The 10 year old doubled over in pain. He caught another fist and spun around it, landing a solid punch to the face of his opponent. The ten year old boy fell to his butt with a thud. The seven year old didn't have time to think about this as another boy punched him in the gut. He responded quickly by bringing his fist up in a nasty uppercut. Two kids remained standing across from him as the three other kids were sprawled on the ground, crying over their wounds.
"Get lost or I'll pound you too!" the blond fighter yelled as the two stumbled off, a bruised ego was the only injury they received. He turned his attention to the black haired boy.
"Are you okay?"
Hayai nodded, "Yeah…thanks." He mumbled as he wiped his tears away.
"No problem! What's your name?" The blonde flashed a large grin at Hayai.
"My names Hayai…I don't have a last name. Who are you?"
"My name is Terumi Uzumaki Naruto! I guess I'll be seeing you around." Naruto smiled as he flashed a large grin at the other boy. Hayai absentmindedly noted the distinct fox-like qualities the boy possessed as he retreated back into the forest.
Flashback end…
Hayai shook his head. As hard as he'd tried, he could never find the blond after that day. A scowl formed on the raven haired boy's face as his pointed, shark-like teeth glistened in the light.
"Byakugan!" Neji shouted as the veins around his eyes became more pronounced. His eyes widened as he looked at his opponents chakra. 'Her chakra…it's much denser than normal chakra. Just what is she?'Neji thought as he sprinted forward, faster than most Genin could see. He attempted to land a Jyuuken strike on Tenshi's stomach, but the girl was able to twist around the palm and land a jab on Neji's chest.
'I can feel power flowing through me! I feel so much stronger,'Tenshi blurred from view as she appeared before the Hyuuga genius. She attempted a roundhouse kick, which was met by a palm strike. Tenshi stumbled back as a sharp pain coursed through her leg.
"What did you do?" she demanded as she felt her leg weaken.
"I sealed the chakra point in your leg," Neji stated simply as he blurred into action. He withdrew two kunai, sending one sailing right towards the red head. Tenshi merely responded by sending a group of shuriken which clashed against the kunai. Not one to let up, Neji threw the kunai at the predicted spot Tenshi would land. The red head's eyes widened as she jumped out of the way, barely dodging to projectile. Her relief was short lived as Neji was upon her in an instant. His fingers moved in a blur as he sealed a chakra point on her shoulder. Seeing she was out matched, the Whirlpool-nin threw a horde of Kunai in the ground and jumped back.
'Close range is suicide! I'll have to take him on from a distance,'Tenshi thought as she dumped out a canteen of water and went through a set of seals. She inwardly thanked Hayai for the idea of the water canteen.
"Uzumaki Release: Water Dragon Jutsu!" Tenshi shouted as a spiraling water dragon erupted from the dumped water. The Dragon had piercing red eyes, differing from the original water dragon's yellow eyes. Tenshi pointed her finger at Neji as the dragon shot forward as amazing speeds.
'That jutsu! It's much more powerful than the Water Dragon!'Neji thought as he desperately started to spin. Chakra whipped around him as he formed a spinning shield of chakra.
"Eight Trigrams: Heavenly Spin!" Neji shouted as the water dragon was thrown apart at the hands of the Hyuuga clan's ultimate shield. The audience members' eyes widened at the clash of the two jutsu. Tenshi panted from the strain of using such a powerful attack.
Kushina smirked in the crowd. She was proud of her daughter. The Red Death knew that her daughter had the strongest Uzumaki Chakra in decades; far stronger than her own. She also knew that her daughter had the potential to surpass the original Uzumaki Clan leader, a distant relative of the Shodai Hokage.
"Your jutsu was impressive, but nothing get's past the ultimate shield of the Hyuuga. It's over." Neji stated as he settled into a low stance. His Byakugan flared to life as he called out a set of words.
"Eight Trigrams: Sixty Four Palms!" Neji shouted as his fingers disappeared from sight. His hands were a blur to even the most powerful ninja in the room. Neji continued his assault, tagging almost every position possible on his opponent's body.
"Sixty four palms!" Neji shouted as he landed a final palm strike on Tenshi. The girl shot back from the impact. She landed hard on the ground, unmoving.
"Proctor, call the match. She won't be getting up," Neji stated confidently as he deactivated his Byakugan. Just as Hayate was about to call the match in Neji's favor, the most surprising thing happened. Tenshi pushed herself to her feet. She stood with her hand over her stomach, panting like a dog.
"I won't…give up," the red head stated as she limped forward.
"You attempting to resist is futile. It's over," Neji mocked quietly as his opponent continued to limp forward.
"Why do you try so hard? You know you stand no chance." The brown haired boy questioned as he closed his eyes in thought.
Tenshi flashed a tired smile, "Because unlike you, I'm not too caught up in the past to live for the future. Fate doesn't control our actions, Hyuuga Neji. We control our actions. Only a coward would believe such things."
Neji's Byakugan flared to life as his anger ignited. In the blink of an eye he landed a powerful Jyuuken strike to the red headed girl's abdomen. Tenshi was sent flying back into the wall. Neji charged forward again. The chakra concentration in his hand was so dense it became visible…everyone could tell he was striking to kill. Tenshi's eyes widened as she vainly tried to get up. She couldn't move a muscle in her body. The red head's eyes snapped shut as she accepted her fate. She was going to die. Seconds ticked by as nothing happened. Tenshi's eyes fluttered open as she saw a sight that shocked her to the bone. Neji was standing stiff as a tree. His hand was mere inches away from her heart.
'What…what is this?'Neji shouted in his head as the truck of a tree wrapped itself around his body, a branch extending and grabbing his hand. 'Genjutsu? No, my Byakugan can see through genjutsu…but no one else is reacting. Is it possible there are genjutsu my eyes cannot penetrate?' Neji thought as he struggled to free himself. He flared his chakra, attempting to break the genjutsu. His efforts were in vain.
Hayate looked confused. One second the Hyuga was about to deliver a finishing blow…the next he seemed like he was restrained by an invisible force. His sickly looking eyes glanced at the nearly unconscious form of Tenshi.
"(Cough) Seeing as only one (Cough) fighter is able to move. I (Cough) hereby announce Hyuuga Neji as the winner," Hayate called out.
Neji stumbled to the ground as the tree disappeared into nothingness. He looked around everywhere, looking for any sign the tree was there. He couldn't find anything.
No one in the stands noticed Tada Hade's normally green eyes were a deep purple in color. As soon as the match ended his eyes returned to their normal green.
'You're welcome…Tenshi,'Hade whispered softly.
The last thing Tenshi saw was the smirking form of Hade before she gave into the dark void that was calling her.
Kiri…
Naruto stood in the Mizukage's office. He had been called to the office shortly after his battle with the famed Thunder of the mist.
"So what did you want Mizukage-sama?" Naruto yawned tiredly. His adrenaline had finally worn out, leaving his body in a sore mess.
"Naruto…There are a couple of things I feel you should know," Mei stated as she averted her gaze from her adopted son's.
"What are they?" Naruto asked, his interest level steadily rising.
"Do you want the bad…or the worse?" Mei mumbled darkly. Naruto's eyes widened.
"Bad first," he shot back immediately. Mei nodded as she took out a file.
"Recently our intelligence department discovered a group of missing-nin. They call themselves the Akatsuki," Mei explained.
"Red Dawn?" Naruto asked curiously. Mei nodded as she continued.
"They are a group of S-rank missing-nin. There are nine or ten of them in total…"
"What do they want?" Naruto interrupted his leader in mid sentence.
"I was getting to that, Baka!" Mei shouted as she rubbed her temples. "They are after the nine Bijuu, and more specifically, the Jinchuuriki of these Bijuu. We don't know what they want, or what they are going to do with them…but we know it can't be good."
"Do who know anyone who's in it?" Naruto asked after a long pause. Mei nodded her head slowly.
"Hoshigaki Kisame is the only member we were able to recognize," Mei stated glumly. Naruto's eyes widened. He knew the stories of the famed Kirigakure no Kaijin, the monster of the hidden mist. The man was a legend in Kiri; his power was second only to Yagura during his reign.
"I see…so I wouldn't be strong enough to take even one of them on my own…" Naruto acknowledged in a melancholy voice.
"That's why after today you will be starting the process of combining your elemental chakra with your Rasengan. The Hiraishin is a dead end. Without an extensive knowledge of seals, it's virtually out of your reach. Unfortunately Kiri isn't known for its seals masters…" Mei explained with a tired sigh. Naruto's eyes glowed happily at the thought of combining his elements with the Rasengan. He had wanted to for years, but Mei had forbidden him, explaining that he didn't have the control necessary.
"You said something about worse news? What could be worse than that?" Naruto joked, trying to lighten the mood. Mei's solemn expressive told him this wasn't a moment for joking. The blonde's face turned serious. "Really…what is it?"
"Naruto…Utakata has recently reported with some bad news. Apparently our sole team in the Chuunin Selection Exams had found a shocking discovery…" Mei trailed off, not able to look her son in the eyes.
"What is it?" Naruto asked in a worried voice.
Mei averted her gaze, "Naruto…your mother is alive."
A/N: Done! Well thanks for tuning into my weekly update! Don't forget to REVIEW! If I get enough reviews, I will write faster, meaning I may be able to update this by Friday. I would have had this out earlier, but the Fourth of July and all…you know. Happy Fourth to all of my American fans out there. Also, on a side note, did anyone else notice the quality, or lack thereof, of the new Naruto Shippuden? Frankly it was, for the lack of a better word, cartoony. Hopefully they make it better next chapter, because it's started to get real good! Thanks for reading….REVIEW! :). Ja Ne!