Chapter 11: Tragedy and Training

Well here is the next one. Enjoy!

Naruto and his group were standing before Tsunade about to giver her the rundown of the mission.

"Before you start Kakashi," she interrupted, "Shikamaru you are to report to Kurenai immediately where she is waiting to give you further information."

Without questioning her, the young jounin exited without a word.

Kakashi noticed the look on Tsunade's face. "What has happened Hokage-sama?"

The tired looking woman leaned her head down. "While you were away on your mission, the two members of Akatsuki known as Hidan and Kakuzu attacked the village. While we were able to drive them off, we did suffer a casualty in the form of Asuma Sarutobi."

Everyone was stunned beyond belief at this. So much so, that not one of them dared speak. The bearer of bad news let the information sink in before continuing. "In the light of this devastating event, and the fact that you don't have Sasuke with you, I will not make you relive what I am sure is a saddening tale for now. I will debrief you all after the funeral ceremony, until then you are dismissed."

Before anyone could move Naruto, with his head hanging low and his fists clenched, spoke in the most serious of tones. "Hokage-sama I request that Kakashi-sensei, Sakura-chan, and I have an extended leave so that we may train not only to bring back Sasuke, but also to be strong enough to handle this threat of Akatsuki."

Tsunade was taken aback a bit at the respect and seriousness he was showing, but it quickly passed as she spoke. "I shall allow you and Kakashi to begin training as soon as the funeral is over and we have paid our respects. Sakura on the other hand will continue to train with me. I will give you one month." She gave a small smile at the last part and dismissed the group. The three remaining vanished from sight, one in a swirl of leaves, one through the door, and one in a swirl of blue and orange.

With Shikamaru…

Kurenai had told him what had taken place and she was allowing the news to sink in. Finally after being in his stupor just allowing silent tears stream forth, he spoke. "Asuma-sensei was a good man. He told me about your baby and said if anything were to happen to him, that I was to aid you in looking after and taking care of 'em."

Kurenai was not surprised to learn that Shikamaru was in the loop about the child, but was a bit at the fact that he was able to not breakdown at the news of his sensei's passing. 'Truly worthy of being a jounin, wouldn't you say...Asuma?' She thought to herself.

Shikamaru bade her farewell and went in search of his other team members.

With Naruto…

He didn't really know too much about the man, other than what he had been told by others. All in all though, from what little he did know, he knew that Konoha had lost a truly valuable asset.

A few days passed and it was time for the funeral…

Much of Konoha was gathered to pay respect to the elite jounin and former member of the guardian twelve. Konohamaru was standing beside Naruto balling his eyes out as his uncle was being laid to rest. "U-uncle A-a-suma," was all that the young leaf genin could manage to say.

After the service was over, Naruto was in an angry state and was ready to get to work with Kakashi.

A few hours after finding his teacher, the two were standing in a large clearing…

Kakashi and Naruto were standing in a large clearing on the outskirts of the village. "Alright Naruto, let's begin. First off do you remember how we sent our clones in front to spy for us and learn what they saw?" Naruto nodded yes. "Well we are going to be using that same idea again, except this time you are going to be using several clones at once."

Naruto looked slightly clueless, "I don't get it sensei, how is that supposed to help with training exactly."

Kakashi sweat dropped. 'How did he ever manage to get this far in life?' "Alright Naruto let me try to explain. Let's say that you are learning a certain jutsu that takes one hundred days to master. Now create a hundred clones and have all of them try and learn the technique. Once they are dispelled, then all of their experience training will come back to you and thus making something that would take ten years to learn only take about a week."

Naruto's eyes lit up. "O sensei are you serious? That is so awesome I can't wait to try it out."

Kakashi did another sweat drop and continued. "Alright first off I see that you have learned several wind and water jutsus per our fight when you first got back, and Jiraiya-sama said he taught you a strong defensive earth technique. Do you know any other elemental jutsus?"

Naruto thought for a moment. "Not that I can think of. I tried doing some small fire ones that pervy sage tried to teach me, but I just couldn't get them down. They used too much chakra for what little damage they did. I have never tried to do any lightning ones though."

Kakashi nodded, "Well we won't worry about that right now. We will just focus on perfecting your wind and water manipulation." He paused as the blonde looked happier than ever. "Alright Naruto if you would, please show me those beautiful swords of yours."

Naruto did the necessary steps and brought forth his twin blades. "What did you want me to do that for?"

Kakashi then motioned for his student to hand him a blade. "If I may."

Naruto shook his head. "No can do sensei." He then noted the look on the man's face. "It isn't that I don't want to, it is just that I can't. I don't know why but anyone who touches them suddenly shouts in pain and drops 'em. I asked pervy sage why, but all he said was that the blades were made souly for me and that they didn't like anyone else touching them."

'Interesting, it seems whoever made them was a true sword maker. They must have made them so that they only responded to his chakra signature and anyone else ends up getting a nasty effect.' The stunned Kakashi thought.

"Well Naruto, the reason that I had you bring forth your swords, is so that you can train to fuse your wind and water nature into each of your swords. This will allow you to use some wind and water jutsus without even having to use hand seals. I also plan to teach you a jutsu that will combine your wind and water chakra to make a truly incredible original jutsu that is all your own. Well we are wasting time, so lets get started shall we."

With that the master pupil combo started on the grueling month of training.

At a random Konoha field…

"Come on Sakura that can't be all you got? If it is, then you can kiss your chance of helping Naruto get Sasuke back goodbye." The blonde hokage knew she was being a bit harsh on her student, but the others were training and she knew that the girl needed to get a lot better in a short amount of time.

On the other side of the clearing, Sakura was angry at what her mater had just said. She threw several very sharp and very real kunai at the woman and began to fly through hand signs. "Earth Style: Crumbling Earth Jutsu," she stated as the ground beneath her foe broke apart and she lost her footing unable to dodge the oncoming kunai.

'Clever move,' the woman thought before surrounding her hands with chakra and using her chakra scalpel technique to knock away the weapons.

"Good move Sakura-" she began to say until she noticed her apprentice was no longer there.

She felt something in her click and she quickly jumped in the air to avoid a few more kunai from behind. Turning in mid air, she had just a few moments to block Sakura's chakra scalpel with her own. They then began a taijutsu battle with each of them using their own hands as the weapons.

After a while, Tsunade found an opening and sent a quick kick that forced Sakura to fly backwards landing on one knee.

"Alright Sakura good job, we will resume at the same time tomorrow." Tsunade said approvingly to her pupil with a smile.

Sakura however held a scowl. "Sensei I ask that we please continue. I need to get stronger and I can only do that by pushing myself past my limit."

Tsunade couldn't help but smile at her. "Well it is about damn time you decided to kick it up a notch. Better be ready to experience hell once I am done with you." With that she shot at Sakura with a speed she had yet to show.

The next day…

Three figures could be seen standing at the main gates of Konoha.

Shikamaru stood looking at his pleasantly plump teammate, was well as his female blonde one. "Alright we have the information of how the two fight, and we have our plan of attack. Their trail is small, but if we hurry we can catch them in about a day."

The two nodded and they all turned to head out to avenge their deceased sensei.

"Where the hell do you three think you are going?"

The group turned to see none other than the hokage herself.

"I asked you a question, and I expect an answer."

Choji and Ino looked anyway but at the voluptuous woman, while Shikamaru looked her dead in the eye. "I think you already know the answer to that question."

The older woman took a step closer to the three. "As your Godaime Hokage, I order you to return home."

Shikamaru took out a cancer stick and lit it, taking a large drag before exhaling. "With all do respect Hokage-sama we cannot do that, we have a mission to do."

Tsunade hit her forhead. "Seeking revenge, this is not like you three. I understand you lost someone dear, but that is the life of a ninja. You all need to grow up and accept that. Especially you Shikamaru, I have half a mind right now to strip you of your jounin rank and make you a chunnin."

This didn't faze the pineapple a bit. "Fine do what you want, it was troublesome anyway. Another thing, don't think that we are going out there blind and signing our death warrants we know what we are doing."

The young man was about to continue until movement in his peripheral caught his attention.

"Hokage-sama, what if I were to accompany them? This way, it would be a four man team and they would have a jounin with them."

Eveyone looked to the right to see who had just spoke, and standing there was none other than Kurenai.

Tsunade looked at the woman for a moment before speaking. "Kurenai, these are two extremely dangerous opponents. You I wouldn't be too worried about, but Shikamaru hasn't been a jounin for very long, and the other two are still chunnin. What makes you think they won't get themselves killed?"

Kurenai joined the three younger ninja and put her hand on Shikamaru's shoulder. "These three are more than they appear. I trust that they are fully aware of the danger they could be facing and are fully prepared to face it."

Tsunade let out a sigh. "You guys are really set on this aren't you?" The only answer she got was four nods in unison. The woman knew she was defeated. "Fine, I will right it up as an S-rank mission. I give you a week to track them down, after that you must return home." The group said yes and was gone.

A few days later…

Shizune was standing in front of a severally angry Tsunade. "The team led by Kurenai has encountered the enemy. Kurenai sent word that they were in need of back up and to please send it immediately."

Tsunade shook her head. "I knew something like this would happen. What is their location?"

Shizune looked down at a piece of a paper. "It seems that they are near the northern boarder of fire country and it should take about a day for the back up squad to find them."

Tsunade stood up. "Alright I know I gave them a month, but tell Kakashi, Yamato, and Naruto that they have 24 hours to finish his training and be ready to back them up. I will also be adding Sakura to this group so that she can be ready to perform medical jutsu if necessary."

Naruto had his two swords out and was barely standing. In front of him was the image of pure destruction.

Kakashi was amazed. "Wow Naruto you can do that jutsu twice for sure now and possibly even a third time."

Just then Shizune appeared via a shunshin. "Kakashi-san, you and Naruto are to finish your training in the next 24 hours. The reason being is that a team consiting of Ino-Shika-Cho along with Kurenai are battling the two Akatsuki members known as Hidan and Kakuzu that attacked us recently. You two along with Yamato and Sakura are to be their back up."

Kakashi and Naruto were surprised. Kakashi however spoke with a slight smile. "Well lucky for them, we can leave immediately because he just finished actually."

A few hours later the back up squad was standing at the gate ready to leave.

Kakashi looked very serious. "Alright everyone we will have to move at top speed to get there in a timely manner. It is supposed to take us about a day but I expect us to get there in less than half a day."

The group nodded and they headed out to help their comrades.

Done! Sorry it took a little longer to finish than usually but I started my summer job. I hope everyone likes it and remember to review, review, review.