XXX

"What?! Going back home again?" asks Inuyasha

"You don't have to yell." said Kagome

"Do you know how much trouble that is?" asks Inuyasha

"I know! I know, but I have an important exam!" said Kagome

"Exam? What's that?" asks Inuyasha

"An examination… another word for the test." said Kagome

"Sound very important. Okay then, let's go home." said Naruto

"Wh-What?!" asks Inuyasha as he's shocked.

"Really!? I just need three days to review it." asks Kagome

"Yeah, since you need to take an exam. I let you go." said Naruto

"Thank you, Naruto!" yells Kagome with smile.

"Sorry, but I'd like three days or so to go back to my village." said Sango

"Back to your village." said Inuyasha

"You mean to the Demon Slayer's village?" asks Kagome

"Yes, I want to repair my Hiraikotsu." said Sango as she flashback where she and Miroku fought the wolf demon. The wolf demon almost broke Sango's Hiraikotsu. "I used it an awful lot."

"Sure, do you need any help to get your village?" asks Naruto

"I'm fine, but thanks for asking. Kirara!" said Sango as Kirara transformed into the large cat then Sango gets on her back and fly up to her village.

"oh well, I guess we get to take it easy for a while." said Miroku

"Hey, Miroku… When Sango's here, you can't take it easy?" asks Shippo

"Yes… Err… I didn't mean it like that!" said Miroku

"Let's go." said Naruto

XXX

"Such a heavy fog." said Kagome

"What's that?" asks Shippo as he grabbing the pink fruit with the face from the river. "What a creepy-looking fruit!"

"That's a… Ninmenkat!" said Miroku

"Ninmenka?" asks Naruto

"What is that?" asks Kagome

"Using humans as nourishment, a demon tree bears Ninmenka, fruits with human faces." said Miroku

"Ninmenka?" asks Naruto

"Yes, but so many of them… must mean that the tree is extremely large." said Miroku

"Hah! This is the Warring Age! If there's a battle, there's no shortage of dead bodies fertilizer." said Inuyasha

"However, would there be battle so deep in the mountains?" asks said Miroku

"You're right. Okay then! Let's go investigate." said Kagome.

"I thought you're going back home?" asks Naruto

"I'd be too worried to study. And besides, the test is in three days." said Kagome

While Naruto and the others are searching the Ninmenka, they sees a fruit-human fell down on the valley.

"The demon tree is probably up there." said Miroku as he's looked up where the fruit-human dropping.

"I also sensed a human up there, too." said Naruto

"Huh? Is that it?" asks Kagome

"That's!" said Inuyasha

"I've never seen such a colossal human-faced fruit tree. And this demonic aura…" said Miroku as he sees Naruto is running on the wall. "Naruto, what are you doing?!"

"I'm going to chop down the tree." said Naruto

"We'll go, too!" said Miroku

"No! You have to stay with Inuyasha. The new moon is coming out very soon!" yells Naruto as he continue to walk up the top of the cliff. When he's at the top, he sees a tree and fat guy is walking away. He wears clothes vest and poor pants.

"Are you the one who planted this demon tree?" asks Naruto

"What do you want from me?" asks the fat guy.

"I'm here to chop off the tree, but I have to defeat you!" yells Naruto as he draws his Furyunoha and charged to him. He swings his katana to fat guy's stomach, but it bounce back. "How fat are you?!"

"I'm not fat. I am the Sage of Togenkyo-Tokajin!" said Tokajin as the cap of the gourd is out.

Naruto was shocked that the gourd is bigger than him.

"The gourd is getting bigger! No… I'm…" he said as he looked himself that he has been shrinking down and sees his Furyunoha is bigger than him.

"That's right, you're shrinking's all." said Tokajin as the gourd is sucking Naruto inside it.

XXX

Inuyasha is carrying Miroku and Kagome to jump up to the top of the valley.

"Damn, what's Naruto taking so long?" asks Inuyasha

"I don't know, but I worried about him." said Kagome

"Don't worry; he'll be fine. I believe him." said Miroku

When Inuyasha is stepping on the tree branch, he and the others fell down into it. They're in some kind of secret cave.

"Where are we?" asks Kagome

"Seems like someone lives here." said Miroku

"I sensed humans in the table." said Inuyasha as he sees some kind of table with houses. They went there and see a small village.

"What is this? A man!" said Kagome as she sees a small man came out of the house.

"There are others!" said Shippo

"W-what is this?!" asks Kagome

"Why everyone is so small?" asks Inuyasha

"I don't know." said Miroku

Kagome sees her Shikon jaws is getting bigger.

"The Shikon Jewel fragments are growing!" she said

"And my Tetsusaiga!" said Inuyasha

"The box garden is getting bigger, too!" said Shippo

"That's not it… We're shrinking!" said Miroku as they're all shrinking and fall down into the box.

"Where are we?" asks Kagome

"They are the tiny men who were walking around earlier." said Shippo

"I think we're in the box garden." Said Miroku

"Uhh… guys…" said Inuyasha

"Inuyasha, you're…" said Miroku

"Yeah, my power is gone!" said Inuyasha as he's in human form because the new moon.

"We must find a way out! I'm worried about Naruto. And Shikon fragment, too!"

"You're right." said Miroku

"I guess we just have to boring investigative." said Inuyasha

"Excuse me… What are you all doing here?" asks Kagome

"Hey! You guys don't hear us!" yells Inuyasha

"Don't interfere! We're in the midst of training." Man #1

"Training?" asks Inuyasha

"We are training in here to become sages." Said Man # 2

"Training to become sages?" asks Miroku as he's thinking about Naruto's Sennin mode. "You mean that Sennin mode that Naruto used?"

"Miroku, are you thinking about Sennin mode? Because that's not the right one." said Inuyasha

"When we become as strong as sages, we'll be released from here and Tokajin will give us the Ninmenka." said Man # 1

"Tokajin." said Miroku

"Is he the villain who put you in here?" asks Kagome

"Tokajin-sama rescued us from hunger and war! He is our savior! Don't speak of him!" said Man # 2

"Ignore them, Kagome. They're useless." said Inuyasha

"You there!" someone said

Inuyasha and the others see a samurai guy is sitting by the rock.

"Mr. Samurai?" asks Kagome

"You seem to be different from the others here." said Miroku

"No… I'm just like them. I was among the vanquished and escaped into the valley, and then was captured by Tokajin." said samurai.

"Aren't you going to train to become a sage?" asks Miroku

"No… Once you master even a tiny bit of Sagery, you become fodder for the Ninmenka." said samurai.

"Eh?" asks Kagome

"I saw him… Tokajin was talking to the tree! And the tree talked back to him. I saw Tokajin is taking out some kind of purple jewel." said samurai.

"That's probably a Shikon fragment." said Inuyasha

"It's slight, but I definitely sense the presence of the Shikon." said Kagome

"But what an awful sage!" said Shippo

"I have heard that useless a man renounces the world and becomes a hermit, one cannot become a sage." said Miroku

"That's why these men cannot become sages." said Samurai

"Poor men… They're training, only to end up as nourishment for the demon tree."

"Those men turn deaf ears to me!" said Samurai

"I know! Naruto can do it!" said Shippo

"Naruto?" asks Samurai

"It could be sound very different. He can do Sennin mode." said Kagome

"S-Sennin!" said Samurai

"No, that isn't your thinking. When he enter Sennin mode, his strength and speed increase. His eyes turn into the toad eyes." said Kagome.

"Is that even Sennin mode? I don't believe it. There's no way out." asks samurai.

"There must be a way! I know there has to be a way out!" said Kagome

"We can use that rock up the hill." said Inuyasha

XXX

Inside gourd

Naruto got lost unconscious during he got being suck in the gourd and bump his head on the rock, but he's awake.

"Gosh… Where am I?" asks Naruto as he got up and looked at the purple water. Look like he's inside the gourd. He checks his Furyunoha and it gone. It "That's right… I got shrunk and sucked in this gourd, but…" as he's making Rasengan on his hand and going to smash the gourd. "Rasengan!"

At that moment, Tokajin's gourd got blow up and set Naruto free. He landed on the ground and started to grow his normal size.

"What?!" asks Tokajin

"That was easy! Now then, I have to take you down first!" yells Naruto as he's kicked to Tokajin and crashed against the wall.

"Oww! That hurt!" said Tokajin

"A Shikon fragment!" said Naruto

"Why you…! You won't get away!" said Tokajin

"Hey Fatso! Where did you get that?!" asks Naruto

"Kid! You're the one who'd better be ready to die!" said Tokajin as his whole entire body turned into the rock and jump up to do body slam. Naruto dodged the body slam by side jumping then he sees him is charging to him. So, he jumped over Tokajin then he hit to his stomach with Rasengan and sent him to the wall. The collapse of cellars is all over Tokajin.

"That was easy." said Naruto as he hears someone is yelling at him. He looked around where the voice is. "It can't be!" as he looked down and sees shrink Inuyasha, Shippo, Miroku.

"OI, Naruto!" yells Inuyasha

"Inuyasha, everyone, what happen to Kagome?" asks Naruto

"I don't know! She was taken by fat guy!" yells Shippo

Naruto tries to find Kagome's chakra with his senses. He found her and she's alive.

"I found her! Hop on my head!" yells Naruto

XXX

"What's this nice smell?" asks Kagome as she opened her eyes and felt so warm. She was shocked that she's nude and in the some kind of hot spring. "Where am I?

"Kagome!" said Naruto as he kicked the door out.

"Naruto!" surprised Kagome as she stood up.

Naruto and Kagome are blushing that he saw Kagome is nude, so they turned away each other.

"Damn you, Ero-Sennin!" thought Naruto with blushes

"Naruto, you come to save me." said Kagome as she's got out of hot spring.

"Here!" said Naruto with blushes as he took out his jacket and offer her to wear it.

"Naruto." said Kagome

"Hurry up!" said Naruto with blushes.

Kagome grabbed his jacket and wear it. It's large for her, but it seems to be fit.

"Is it too large for you?" asks Naruto with blushes.

"It's fine. Thank you, Naruto." said Kagome with smile.

"You're welcome. I won't tell anyone…" said Naruto

"Err… we're here, too." said Miroku as he, Shippo and Inuyasha are on Naruto's head. Kagome's face becomes red and started scream.

XXX

Outside

"We can't jump… Can we?" asks Kagome as she's looking at the deep bottom. Naruto carried her bridal style. Her cheeks become blushing. "Wh-What are you doing?"

"We are going to jump off." said Naruto with serious face.

"Are you out of your mind?! We…" said Kagome

"Is someone there? Did you escape from the box garden?" someone asks

Naruto and Kagome see an old man stuck with the flower.

"Who are you?" asks Kagome.

"I'm ashamed to admit it… I was Tokajin's teacher." said Tokajin's teacher

"Then you're a sage, too?" asks Kagome

"Why did you make a fat guy like him a sage?" asks Naruto

"I didn't make him a sage. It was the Ninmenka." said Tokajin's teacher

"Ninmenka?" asks Kagome

"It was about a month ago. Ninmenka is talking to Tokajin and offered him to eat his fruit of the Ninmenka. However, when one eats the Human-faced Fruit, you become a slave to the Tree of the Human-face Fruit. Then Tokajin obeyed the order to turn me into fertilizer for the tree, so that it would bear the Fruit of Longevity" said Tokajin's teacher.

"But Master Sage, why are you in that condition?" asks Miroku

"Just the fruit isn't enough for longevity. The fruit must be soaked and made into a potion. And only I know the process." said Tokajin's teacher

"That's why I let him live like that! You guys… So this is where you escaped to." said Tokajin as he found Naruto and the others.

"The power of the shards is increasing!" said Kagome

"Tokajin is no longer human. Please slay him!" said Tokajin's teacher

"Yes, I'm not longer human! Humans are covered with mud and work, then grow old, then die! My ma and pa both lived and died like that! I refuse to live such a weak, senseless life!" said Tokajin

"You're not strong at all! You sacrifice others, just so you can have longevity! No way you're strong!" said Kagome

"Shut up! I'm strong! That's why I'll take advantage of the weak! Don't you even understand that?!" yells Tokajin as he moved his staff, to make the roof attack Naruto and Kagome. Naruto draws his Furyunoha and slices the roots. Then he rushed to him and slices the side of the Tokajin's stomach. It only cracks little bits. Tokajin did punch down to Naruto, but he dodges his punch.

"Naruto, hold on I'll help you!" yells Kagome as she's taking an aim at Tokajin, but her bow and arrow are broken. "Wh-What… happened?"

"As if the bow and arrow of the vanquished soldier would work on me!" said Tokajin.

"Please slay Tokajin… This my way of making amends." said Tokajin's teacher as he's transformed into bow and arrow.

"He turned into a bow and arrow!" said Shippo

"The Old Sage… He squeezed out his last ounce of power!" said Kagome as she grabbed the bow arrow.

"Kagomoe, watch out!" yells Inuyasha as Kagome move away from Naruto and Tokajin. They're crashed against the tree.

"Naruto, hold one!" yells Kagome as she is aiming at Tokajin's back

Naruto sees Kagome is aiming at Tokajin from behind, he lift up his Furyunoha up and stab to Tokajin's eye. He jumped over him.

"Kagome now!" he yells as Kagome shot the arrow at Tokajin's back then three fragments of Shikon flew out and hit the tree.

"Thank you… Old Sage." said Kagome as the bow is turning into the dust, but…

"Woman! Damn you!" yells Tokajin as he's charging to Kagome.

"Get down, Kagome!" yells Naruto as he tackles Tokajin off the valley together.

"Naruto!" yells Kagome.

"Serves you right! With a mortal's body, you'll die, too… What?!" said Tokajin as he shocked that Naruto is standing on the wall with his foot.

"I might be a mortal, but I'm a ninja!" yells Naruto as he sees the root is grabbing his leg and got pull up. And also Tokajin.

"Ohh! Ninmenka! You're rescuing me!" said Tokajin

"No! I just don't want to lose precious nourishment!" said Ninmenka

"What?!" asks Tokajin as the root is pulling and wrapping around his entire body. Ninmenka has taken over Tokajin's body.

"Now I've attained it! The freedom of movement! I have ample fragment of the Shikon Jewel now. And I am all-powerful! Now then, human… become one with me!" Ninmenka said as the roots are wrapping around Naruto's body.

"No, not gonna happen!" said Naruto as the roots start to get burned by the blue flame. Naruto's in Ao Katon chakra mode. He jumped off the Ninmenka and landed on of the cliff.

"Die!" said Ninmenka as he used roots attack Naruto.

Naruto dodges the roots by jumping and slice them with his Furyunoha. Then, he's creating Rasengan with Matatabi chakra. It was a blue flame Rasengan.

"Take this! Katon Odama Rasengan!" yells Naruto as he slammed into demon's face and made explosive. He caught the flying Shikon fragments and landed on the rock. "Now then, I should go up there." he said

XXX

After Naruto defeated Ninmenka, Inuyasha and the others grew back to their normal size.

"Alright, we're back to normal." said Miroku

"How did we get taller?" asks Inuyasha.

"Tokajin probably died, undoing his spells. Those men in the box garden have probably reverted back, too." said Miroku

"Tokajin is dead?" asks Inuyasha

"Then Naruto, too?!" asks Shippo

"No way!" yells Kagome as her eyes started to have tears.

"Naruto is dead!" said Shippo

"No! Naruto is alive!" cried Kagome.

"He was a good and nice guy!" cried Shippo

"Guys, you know he isn't…" said Inuyasha

"Don't cry, Shippo. Let us pray for his repose." said Miroku

"Miroku…" said Kagome.

"Naruto had no regrets. He wanted to save you, even if it cost him his life." said Miroku

"He saved my life… He's always doing that! Why?!" asks Kagome

"That's because he cares about you. He says he'll never let his comrades or friends die." said Miroku

"Idiot! Idiot! Idiot Naruto!" yells Kagome

"He was a brave ninja." said Miroku as he's doing buddha pray.

"I agree! Naruto was the great hero in the world!" cried Shippo.

"Why are you guys crying for? You know, I'm alive." asks Naruto as he's behind Inuyasha and the others. Everyone was shocked that he's alive except Inuyasha who knew that Naruto can walk on the valley with his chakra foot.

"You're alive, Naruto!" yells Shippo as he hugged him.

"Sorry, I making you cry." said Naruto with smile as he petting on Shippo's head.

"Naruto, how did you…?" asks Miroku.

"I used my chakra foot to walk the wall. Remember?" asks Naruto

"See that, guys! I was trying to tell you that he's alive and he can walk on the wall." Said Inuyasha

"Thank goodness!" whispered Kagome

"Oh yeah, Naruto! Kagome is crying for you" said Shippo

"I'm not crying!" said Kagome as she rushed to Naruto and hugged him.

"You're lying." said Naruto

"I'm not!" cried Kagome as she's crying on his chest.

"I'm sorry for making you worry." said Naruto with smile as he put his hand behind of Kagome's head and hugged her back.

XXX