Heyyyy new chapter... yup

Standar disclaimer here

Naruto: Keeper of the Seal
Chapter 13
Suna

"Fuuin" Naruto spoke.

Instead of the violating pain that had accompanied the seal which now she bore, Anko felt a warmth settle over her. Naruto examined his handiwork. A series of reverse spirals extended out of the chain which wrapped itself around Anko's neck and plunged into her temples. These spirals then converged on a point just below her neck, where Naruto had placed a blocking seal.

"Feel any different?" Naruto asked?

Anko nodded, "Yeah, I think I have a cramp in my leg. Twit."

Naruto chuckled, but pulled out a Kunai and cut her bindings, "I don't have the skill to place a counterseal yet, but I've managed to connect the chain with blocking seal. When someone attempts to use the cage seal on you, simply channel chakra into the point just below your neck and it will essentially prevent chakra from entering your system. I've placed and filled four chakra seals around the block, so it should last for about ten minutes against all but the most powerful of chakra, which I doubt any of the council possesses. If you ever use the seal, you'll need to recharge it with your own, or someone else's chakra. I can't do much better than that. I've already shattered the internal workings of the seal with the Kaigan, so influence won't be a problem, but you'll only have ten minutes to kill someone before they can activate any of the other effects."

"Wow, What else can you do Gaki?" She asked, rubbing her sore arms, "You've certainly progressed in the few days that you've been gone."

Naruto shrugged, "Not much else, I don't want to try any more human sealings until I become better. If I screw up one of those... who knows what will happen."

"Hey... wait, did I just serve as your first guinea pig?" Anko asked, eyes narrowing.

"heh... erm, maybe?" Naruto asked, backing away from Anko's evil eyes.

"Die!" She yelled, leaping after him.

Naruto ran for cover. Neither of them noticed the pierced canteen which Naruto was sporting, nor the trail of liquid which followed in his wake.

XXXXXX

"Miaki-sama! We're under attack again, Please help us!" Shouted a villager.

A woman in a chinese shirt and short skirt looked up from her meal. The villager was obviously exhausted from his run. The village was over three miles away, She preferred solitude, and the villagers respected that. Some even brought her presents, payment for the protection that an ex-shinobi could offer.

"Of course Hiran, give me a moment."

Miaki stood from her table and took up her two steel fans from over the fireplace. She then turned to the villager and fixed himself with her gaze.

"Prepare yourself Hiran."

Hiran, who was well acquainted with her skills, nodded and closed his eyes. He waited for the appropriate amount of time, then felt the wind gust past him, then a gale gathered him up and he soared back to the village. In spite of the attack, Hiran couldn't help but feel elation as he flew through the air on Miaki's chakra. Miaki was eighteen. Too young to retire, but in her opinion, too old to have survived as a ninja. She now lived as a hermit on the outskirts of a nameless Suna village, offering her services as a protector to those who were weaker than she. There were not many around here who were stronger.

Hiran and Miaki settled to the ground and Hiran opened his eyes. Attacks in the land of Suna were unlike any in all of the other elemental countries. Instead of blazing houses, the streets were filled with shadows, giving an edge to the attackers as they ran amok through the village, hoping for a loose valuable, woman, or child even. Children seemed to be a favorite with some of the more twisted minds that could be found wandering the desert, and women... well, there was always a foreign market for women.

Miaki closed her eyes, they would do her no good. The shadows more often betrayed lies than the enemy's actual presence, and lashing out at imaginary horrors was a good way to let your guard down and get a knife in the back. She reached out, feeling the clusters of chakra moving through the village. The wonderful thing about chakra is that it not only gives off a signature, but it allows certain insight into the feelings of the subject. The mixing of body and spirit, or more correctly, body chemistry and emotions, creates a potent force which can be detected on a primal level. Of course, with training, one can be able to sense, or emit these consciously. Such is the nature of killing intent.

Miaki in particular was looking for the mixture that would produce killing intent. Rage, lust, anger, and of course, calculation. She felt the panic of the villagers as they tried to escape, ducking into homes and running for specified shelters. Miaki felt a sudden spike of killing intent directly ahead of her.

Miaki's hand came up, steel fan already whirling. A shower of sparks and the thump of a kunai being embedded in dirt sounded. A faint chuckle whispered across the wind.

"So, they have a shinobi protector... how, intriguing." a voice called out.

Miaki wasn't overly concerned with this opponent, his chakra was about genin level. Probably a missing-nin who thought he was hot stuff because he could kill a few villagers. Miaki didn't waste any time dashing forwards. She launched herself forward with a burst of chakra, steel fans trailing after her.

The enemy brought up two kunai, smirking. Miaki didn't know it, but he had been a close combat expert when he had been a ninja. He had deserted after his third chuunin exam, so his skills were closer to chuunin than genin. Miaki lashed her forward with her right hand, only to have her fan blocked by a kunai. She followed with a swift kick, catching him around the legs. He dropped to the floor, sweeping out with his own legs. Miaki jumped into the air, sweeping her left hand underneath her to block the incoming kunai. The clang of steel resounded through the streets once more. Miaki slammed her feet down into her steel fan, driving it into the bandit's stomach.

Miaki snapped her right fan shut and drove the spike into the the ninja's chest, piercing his right lung. She released it and drove another kunai into his right chest, ripping out her steel fan.

"You might survive if you don't move." She said, dashing off to take care of the next bandit.

There was something disturbing about this attack. It was widely known that this area was protected by an ex-jounin, yet people were still attacking, it was as if they wanted to die... or...

A kunai flew from the darkness, piercing Miaki's senses. She froze, allowing the projectile to land at her feet. She heard no hiss or release of chakra that would indicate an explosive note, no, instead she felt something far worse. She was surrounded. On every rooftop stood a man or woman, preparing to attack her. Their chakra signatures had been hidden until a moment ago, leading her to believe that this was more than just a simple raiding party. In fact, by the looks that she was getting from some of them, she was fairly sure that they had come for her, and the villagers were just a bonus which was needed to attract the attention of a far more valuable prize.

"Tsuri Miaki... Retired nin from Sunagakure, there's quite a price on your head. Very impressive for one your age."

Miaki snorted, "I don't think you would have come here with this many men for the bounty of a single kunoichi, even me."

"This is true, but it appears as if someone is very interested in taking you alive... So interested that it would be worth our while to capture you and split the reward ten ways."

Miaki shuddered, "Not him..."

The stranger laughed heartily, "Oh yes, it appears as if your past, and your 'abilities' are catching up with you, wind mistress."

Miaki's eyebrows creased. She opened her eyes, willing to risk a few hallucinations to be able to see in this fight. The stranger had not been lying, ten other shinobi surrounded her, blocking her into the square which she had landed in. And worse, she could feel that at least three of them were jounin level in chakra, if not skill.

Miaki's fans snapped open as a rain of kunai fell towards her from all directions. Miaki piroutted on one foot, channeling wind chakra into her fans and igniting the seals that dotted the steel. A small hurricane erupted around her, hurling the barrage of kunai back at her attackers, or into random buildings. The raiders jumped to avoid the attack and landed in the square, ready to face Miaki at close range. Miaki didn't give them the chance to close in.

TsuinKamaitachi no Jutsu

Miaki finished her spin, releasing a wave of cutting winds from each fan. lacerations opened on the arms, legs, and torso's of many of the approaching nin. A few managed to stick to the ground with chakra, but most were thrown back into the surrounding buildings. Miaki snapped her fans shut, shoving them into her belt, she threw herself at the first enemy, diving into a roll and coming up with a group of shuriken already flying at the attacker. This must have been one of the jounin, because he caught the missiles and hurled them back, only to have his eyes widen in surprise as Miaki slid under the attack, coming up in a hand press the bash his chin with the heel of her boot. The jounin went flying.

Miaki whipped open a fan and sent a Kmaitachi after him, then dove tot he left to avoid another attack. A pair of shuriken appeared in Miaki's left hand, then blazed after her attacker. The chuunin, clearly off balance, was caught in both kidneys by the attack and sent to the ground. Miaki would have congratulated herself had she not just then been hit by a flying senbon needle. The needle buried itself in her leg, instantly paralyzing the limb. Miaki grimaced at her leg, yanking the senbon out before hurling it back at the offending jounin.

Miaki's other fan swished open, sending a wave of cutting wind after the senbon. The jounin powered up his own justu and summoned a wall of earth to block her attack. Miaki cursed, earth was the worst sort of element for a wind user to face. Miaki flourished her fans behind her, deflecting a dozen incoming kunai. She whirled around, letting loose another wave of wind. The attackers fell back for a moment before realizing she was not following them, this realization was followed by another one, that she couldn't move her right leg. At least, not reliably anyway.

The raiders jeered and swooped in for the kill. Miaki focused her chakra, creating a simple hand seal which all academy students knew.

Bunshin no jutsu

A dozen Identical Miaki's appeared around her, all in a ready stance. The raiders laughed at her attempt to distract them and charged blindly through the illusions at the one they knew was real. Unfortunately for them, this was not any bunshin technique.

Kaze Bunshin no jutsu!

Miaki smirked.

The first four raiders who charged through the bunshins were immediately cut to pieces, their following comrades also sustained considerably damage, and halted the wave by collapsing over their dead allies. Miaki didn't waste the precious seconds she had collected on gloating. She focused a burst of chakra to her legs, then, favoring her right, launched herself into the air, propelled by a current of wind chakra. The uneven take off set her slightly parallel to the ground, just as she had anticipated. Another burst of wind chakra set her spinning, and the greater part of her remaining chakra was burnt firing off another jutsu.

TsuinKamaitachi no Jutsu!

The dual whirlwinds cut through the survivors, culling their numbers to three wounded, six incapacitated or dead, and one unwounded. Unfortunately for her, each of the jounin was still standing, and worst of all, the senbon throwing one was the uninjured one.

Miaki landed and immediately fell to the ground with little grace. With only a third of her chakra reserves remaining, she couldn't afford to waste chakra with small things like softening a landing. She was lucky to have her fans with her, without their ability to stir up wind, she would have already used her chakra up, and a little more. Of course, she wasn't in much of a better situation right now.

The four remaining nin were now taking her seriously, and they were all high enough level to beat her in a battle of attrition, which seemed like what they were willing to do. But wind users didn't gain the reputation for offensive tactics for no reason.

Miaki sent a pulse of her chakra into her limp leg, sending a jolt of pain through it, but restoring a little feeling. She rolled to the left as an ax kick slammed into the ground where she had laid a second ago. Performing another hand press, Miaki landed awkwardly on her feet, favoring her right leg, only to fall into a backwards roll and six senbon flew at her. She came up just as the missiles flew over her new position. Miaki snapped her fans shut, blocking a katana with a cross. She swayed left as a kicked lashed out, then launched herself forward, pushing her attacker's sword up and slamming her forehead into his face.

A sickening crunch followed the raider as he reeled back, blood pouring from his face. Miaki pressed her advantage, slamming her left fan home into his gut, then spun away an her left foot, barely avoiding another hail of senbon.

Three.

Miaki snapped her fans open and sent a gust of wind at the senbon thrower. The raider jumped away, only to realize a second later that she hadn't put any chakra into the attack, and now her was vulnerable in the air. Miaki snapped one of her fans shut and slammed it into her belt, then flew through a series of one handed seals. She ended her seals and swept her fan forward.

Ichiman Ken

The raider screamed as hundreds of perforations appeared along his skin, sending a spray of blood into the air. He fell to the ground, dead.

Miaki turned to the last two raiders, who were backing away slowly.

"Leave and I'll let you live." She said simply.

They looked as if they hadn't even noticed her. One fell on his knees and began praying, while the other turned tail and fled. Miaki stared at them confused, then she felt a presence behind her.

A pair of kunai whizzed past her ear and impaled the two shinobi, killing them instantly. Miaki heard a swoosh of a sword and dove forward. She came up in a spin and turned to face this new threat, then felt her arms go numb at the sight of her attacker. Hiran was smirking at her, a sword held in his hands.

"Hiran..." She whispered, then spotted the flash of yellow in the man's eyes, "No... Hiran is dead, isn't he?"

"Kukuku, clever girl. You always were quick." Orochimaru laughed.

Miaki felt the familiar pulse in her body. On her last mission as a kunoichi, Miaki had been captured by a group of Oto nin and brought to Orochimaru because of her abilities. Orochimaru had worked to unlock the secret of how she was able to manipulate wind so easily, but had only been able to create a type of organ from cell cultures that allowed the user to control wind pressure and sound waves via the use of tubes in their hands.

Of course, that was not to say that Orochimaru hadn't done a little messing around inside of her. When he couldn't figure out how to control her ability, he had simply locked it down, preventing even her from accessing it. Orochimaru had considered the power too deadly to leave alive, and since Miaki was the last heir to it, it's power would die with her. The block had stunted her chakra circulation and essentially killed her. Hours later she found herself in a mass grave, digging herself free and escaping back to Suna. Her chakra reserves were severely damaged, and even with significant physical/spiritual therapy, she had never been able to get one tenth of her original chakra capacity back.

Miaki had never understood how she had survived, but she was fairly sure it had something to do with that operation, and knew that Orochimaru would want to study her further if given the chance. It looked like he had finally caught up to her.

"I'm surprised you found me so quickly," Miaki said, pushing down her fear, "I would've expected at least another year, maybe more."

Orochimaru laughed, "I didn't expect to find you here Miaki-chan, I was merely passing through and thought I would see what these raiders were up to. I never would have expected they had somehow tracked you down, but I guess that good fortune is mine. Oh, and by the way, this Hiran fellow screamed your name all the way to his grave, quite pitiful really. 'Miaki-sama! Miaki-sama!' Tell me, did you care for him?"

Miaki growled and shoved her fan at Orochimaru, all fear gone, Orochimaru let loose a cackle and snapped her wrist in mid strike. Miaki cried out in pain, but shoved her other hand forward, determined to cause at least a little harm to the smug bastard. Orochimaru grabbed her incoming fist and threw her at a nearby building. Miaki channeled a little wind chakra around her and righted herself just in time to springboard off the wall back towards the snake Sannin.

A blade of wind formed around Miaki's remaining steel fan and she swiped at him, intent on causing pain. Orochimaru simply moved his head slightly to the side and allowed her to pass right by him, almost. Orochimaru grabbed Miaki's ankle as she flew past, arresting her momentum and causing a pop in her ankle, dislocating the joint. Miaki screamed as Orochimaru twisted her foot as he began to spin her. She flew through the air for about a split second, then smashed into something hard. A second later she felt her vision tunneling, then all faded to black.

XXXXXX

Naruto and Anko were in very bad shape. An hour of running had left both of them extremely thirsty, bordering on dehydration in the dry climate of the desert. To make matters worse, when Naruto had reached for his specially made canteen, he found that Asuma's kunai had pierced the bottle and now he was completely out of water. Anko did have a water bottle which would last them for a couple more hours of night travel, but if they didn't find some cover by day, they were cooked.

"What kind of baka doesn't notice a stream of water running down his leg?" Anko asked, trying to moisten her lips.

"The same kind who doesn't notice a trail of water following the genin she's trying to kill." Naruto replied wearily, slumping to the ground, "When's the next ration?"

Anko ground her teeth, this kid was annoying, "Another half hour, now get up and get moving."

Anko accented her words by grabbing his collar and hauling him up, "We only have a few more hours of night, we need to get to shelter before then, or we're done."

Naruto regained his composure and nodded, all indications of the whining child gone from his countenance. Anko would swear in court that the kid was bipolar... if they lived to see a court for that matter.

"Ne... Anko, I think I have an idea." Naruto said, catching her arm and hauling her back, "Have a seat."

Before Anko had time to protest, she was sprawled out on the ground, staring dumbly at Naruto as he formed a cross shaped seal.

Kage Bunshin Nojutsu

A hundred copies of Naruto appeared in the area, Anko stared in amazement at the kid. To summon a couple dozen kage bunshin was a feat for any jounin, but this kid had just summoned a hundred without blinking. Amazing.

Naruto ignored Anko's amazement and ordered his clones to fan out into the desert in search of shelter, then he settled down and waited, pulling out his scroll on sealing and reading through it. Anko laid back and covered herself with her trench coat to keep warm while Naruto's scouts searched the area for a place to hole up for the daytime.

About an hour later, Naruto had constructed an explosive note and was trying to find a way to seal fire chakra within it. He knew no fire techniques and his own chakra element was wind, not very helpful when it came to things involving explosions. Light and shadow were easy enough to make with chakra, light was made by expelling chakra out of the pores of the note on which the seal was placed, while shadow was enabled by designing the seal to absorb light within a certain radius. However, fire required the area to be saturated in chakra, then ignited with a burst of fire, which Naruto did not possess. He was fairly sure he could create an area saturated in chakra, but doing anything with that area was beyond anything he knew. None of his Kaigan's abilities would be able... to...

Naruto blinked for a second, then grinned in eagerness. Even if he did not have to element of fire in his body he did have it within his mind. His aspect of rage used fire with extreme prejudice when called upon, and Kyuubi had been able to control fire and earth with his body, hinting that his other aspects could lend him their elements for a short while

Before he had time to ponder further on these implications, he felt the telltale stream of knowledge from a Kage Bunshin flow into his mind. A cave about two miles away seemed to be in good condition, and to make it even better, it had a small rivulet of water running deep within it. If Naruto could pull off another sealing flask, he would be able to get enough water to make it to Suna and back without a problem.

"Got it, let's move." Naruto said, standing up.

They turned about 220 degrees from the direction they had been heading and traveled for a short distance before they encountered the cave. It was more like a narrow crack in the soil that widened out further on into a cavern. Naruto could hear a slight dripping and noticed a rivulet of water working it's way across the cavern floor.

"You know, now that I think about it, this is way too convenient to be safe." Naruto said, "Looks like this might be a hideout for some less savory characters."

Anko raised an eyebrow at him, "Why would you say that."

"I can smell snake." Naruto said.

Anko instantly fell into a guarded stance. There was only one person in all of the elemental countries who smelled of snake, and when any type of scent tracker told you they smelled it, you had best be wary. Her hand strayed to the sword which was strapped horizontally across her lower back.

"What is he doing here?" Anko asked, surveying the shadows.

Naruto shook his head, indicating he didn't know, but he also fell into a combat stance, drawing a kunai. Naruto held the kunai like a sword, a strangely awkward stance, considering that a kunai was far shorter than a sword.

They stood ready for several minutes, until the pumping of adrenaline faded from their bodies. Naruto looked around and lowered his guard slightly.

"Looks like he isn't here." Naruto said, still gripping his kunai.

Anko nodded and lowered her guard, letting go of the sword, still surveying the shadows.

"How long ago?" Anko asked.

Naruto sniffed, putting his newly acquired bijuu senses to the test, "It's faint... I'd say about two or three days since he's been here. There's also a reek of sake, sweating men... and blood."

Naruto and Anko noticed a refuse pile in the corner of the cavern. A large barrel of salt and sand stood next to it, used to prevent rot from occurring. They spotted broken weapons, old food, and a few bodies, mostly women and children. Naruto turned away, retching up what little he had in his stomach. Anko merely turned away and patted him on the back until he was done.

"Let's get what we need and get out of here, I don't feel like taking shelter here." Naruto said.

Anko was about to protest, then she felt Naruto's inhuman gaze settle on her. She quickly agreed.

Naruto moved to the opposite end of the cavern and took up a kunai and Anko's canteen. Within a half hour he had scribed the necessary seals upon the flask and began imbuing it while holding it under the trickle of water in the back of the cave. The filling took about an hour because of the lack of water volume from the trickle that traveled down from a crack in the wall, he didn't trust the barrels of water or the small pool that gathered in the middle of the floor, especially not with that snake around.

Naruto was capping the canteen and storing it in a safer place than the side of his leg when Anko tensed up slightly and snarled. Naruto glanced over at her, expected her to have stubbed her toe or something like that. Matters were slightly different. Anko had sensed an incoming group of chakra signatures, a few of them tainted by the seal which adorned her neck. There was only one person she knew who could bestow that seal, Orochimaru.

"Naruto, I think I need to kill something." She began.

Naruto blinked, then he smelled snake again, stronger this time. Naruto growled and nodded, "Me too."

Naruto reeled at his own bloodthirst, then did a double take. He had already killed a man with his newly created Rasengan release, why didn't he feel remorse? Before he could contemplate this further, he saw the first enemy enter the cavern. Naruto and Anko melted into the shadows, suppressing their chakra signatures, or in Naruto's case, ceased from giving off the excess chakra he usually did. Naruto felt his awareness fade as he drew his chakra sonar within himself. The darkness descended, and he was forced to rely on his enhanced eyesight to relay the surroundings to him.

The man was followed by a dozen others, each bearing a chakra signature of laughable strength, or laughable to Naruto anyway. However, two of them bore the curse seal, and Naruto knew that their miniscule chakra supplies would be exponentially increased when they activated their 'gifts.' Naruto watched as they carried in a few prisoners and some loot. One woman was giving off a faint chakra signature of one who had been in a fight recently. Naruto guessed she had taken down the strongest of the raiders, and was only taken down by the wielders of the cursed seal.

Naruto felt his own seal twinge slightly in the presence of the other two, and those two looked around and rubbed their necks, shrugged, then settled down. Naruto clamped a hand down on the Makai seal and strengthened the containment seal his body had placed around it.

"Chun, take the Kunoichi to the back, Orochimaru wants her undamaged, we can... take care of the others." said one, grinning.

One man laughed and grabbed the kunoichi by the hair, unceremoniously dragging her to the back of the cavern, dangerously close to Naruto. The man who approached Naruto was one of the sealed, and as he got closer, Naruto's seal began to tingle, then burn. The man also felt this discomfort, and tried to shrug his shoulders.

"Orochimaru-sama must be near." He told the others, "Do you think he's done finishing off the village?"

"Probably, but he told us he was going to search the girl's home before burning it to the ground." The leader said.

He nodded and rubbed his neck, muttering. He passed within an arm's reach of Naruto, then walked a bit further, depositing the woman next to the wall with a thump and headed back. Naruto made up his mind, he slipped on the trench knives and waited. As the man passed him, Naruto snarled and lashed out. An arc of blood erupted from the man's throat and he went down gurgling, grasping at his ruined neck. Naruto reached forward, snapped the man's neck, faded back into the shadows.

Anko, who had acted at the same time Naruto did, unleashed a storm of kunai at the men in the center of the room. Two went down under the barrage and the rest either jumped out of the way or deflected the strikes. Naruto felt the familiar chakra of the curse seal erupt from the middle of the cavern. Naruto watched as the man yanked a kunai out of his shoulder and hurled it back into the darkness.

"Niro, light!" He called out.

One of the ninja focused his chakra into a hand seal and unleased a burst of chakra. Lights all around the cavern burst to life, revealing Naruto and Anko's hiding spots. So much for stealth. Naruto flushed the area with his chakra, his sixth sense returning in a rush of stimuli.

Kaigan

Kenshou

Naruto's Kaigan burst to life, sending scintillating colors skittering across the cavern walls. The men caught within the radius of the Kenshou went slack jawed, amazed at the power of the universe flowing around them. Naruto charged at the first one, releasing Kenshou. The man shook his head and looked around, only to receive a slash to the neck and stomach. Naruto kicked him to the ground and rolled sideways to avoid another blow. Naruto came up with a Rasengan in his hand.

Rasengan, Bakuhatsu!

Dozens of tiny bolts of chakra erupted from his hand, driving back two of the raiders. Naruto whirled around and caught a sword of his crossed trench knives. His opponent lashed out with a kick and sent Naruto skidding back. Naruto formed his hands into a cross seal, leaping into the air.

Kage Bunshin

Dozens of Naruto's appeared beside him in the air, they each formed a Rasengan. Naruto continued upwards, latching onto the ceiling.

Rasengan Naruto!

The Naruto's dove to the ground, smashing craters in the earth and generally causing distress and chaos. Fragments of the stone floor fell as a hail of deadly shrapnel, causing most of the bunshins to burst into clouds of smoke.

Doton, Doryuheki

A wall of earth erupted in front of the cursed man, hiding him and three others from the deadly rain, the raiders caught on the outside were hurled to the floor and walls by the sheer ferocity of the assault. Naruto curled and brought his legs to the ceiling, then hurled himself downwards, straight at the wall.

Rasengan

The sphere of chakra, backed up by Naruto's impressive velocity, shattered the already buckling wall, allowing Naruto to assault the raiders behind it. He needn't have bothered.

Anko stood on the other side of the wall, licking her lips absently, the remaining raiders dead. At least, three of them. The cursed raider was nowhere to be seen.

"Anko, where's the-" Naruto began.

Naruto felt a surge of chakra and a trio of kunai erupted from his stomach. He fell to his knees, eyes widening as another kunai erupted from his chest. Naruto coughed up blood and vaguely heard a gathering of roaring flames.

Katon, Karyuu Endan!

Time slowed to a crawl and Naruto felt the blistering heat approaching him. He vaguely remembered that his body was between the deadly technique, Anko, and that other prisoner, not to mention the ones currently laying in a pile. Naruto raised his eyes from the cavern floor, imploring for forgiveness from those who were about to be roasted. Naruto hated himself at this time, for being too weak to protect these people from a mere thug.

Naruto noticed something strange. That girl was no longer laying against the wall. Instead, she was standing right by him, flowing through a set of hand seals. Naruto blinked, then felt time return to normal.

Futon, Daitoppa

Raging flames burned past either side of Naruto, Anko, and the prisoners. The girl fell to her knees.

"I was gonna save that for later, but now seemed like a good time as any." She said to Naruto, breathing heavily.

Naruto saw Anko brush past him, and heard her engage the raider in taijutsu. Naruto knew the dangers of fighting a cursed being in hand to hand combat, and struggled to rise with his jellied legs. He grabbed the kunai in the back of his chest and yanked it out, gasping in pain. Then relief flowed through him as the Kyuubi's chakra began to heal him. Naruto tore out the other three and staggered to his feet, he threw the kunai down and noticed some suppression seals placed on the handles. This was too advanced for a raider to be using.

Naruto spun and saw Anko deliver a savage blow to the ninja's chest, then drop back as a familiar looking sword pierced the air where she had been standing. The raider shifted his gaze slightly and grinned at Naruto, yellow eyes gleaming.

"Oh cr-" Naruto began, Kaigan flashing brightly.

Orochimaru appeared before Naruto, hitting him with a powerful backhand, then following up with a deadly thrust to Naruto's chest. Naruto let the backhand throw him into a roll to avoid the attack, then hurled a set of shuriken to buy himself enough time to perform another jutsu.

Tajuu Kage Bunshin

The clones of Naruto filled the cave, packed in together tightly, crushing almost everyone in the area against a howling mob of orange. Naruto grabbed the girl and made a beeline for the exit while his clones attempted to distract Orochimaru. Naruto and Anko reached the entrance at the same time, followed shortly by a group of bunshins carrying the prisoners.

"Let's move!" Naruto yelled, blasting out into the heat of the day.

They made it about five feet from the entrance before a blast of superheated air crashed into their backs, hurling them to the hot sand. Naruto glanced back and created another clone to carry the girl. Orochimaru stood at the entrance to the cave, grinning maniacally at them.

"Naruto-kuun" he purred, "I think you should give me back my prize."

Naruto snarled and took up the taijutsu stance that had been in the scroll Asuma had given him. He focused the wind affinity in his body around the blades, extending them about a foot longer.

"Get them out of here Anko, I'll take care of this bastard." Naruto said, tossing Anko the canteen he had made.

Anko looked pained for a moment, then nodded, knowing she was no match for Orochimaru, and that Naruto had the best chance of fighting and getting away from him. She set off with the small river of orange into the desert, heading for Suna, and relative safety.

Orochimaru chuckled, "Actually, she was only a consolation prize, what I really want is you Naruto-kun. That amazing bloodline... and that new seal. Oh, and I'm sure Sasuke will enjoy hearing you scream. After all, my newest vessel needs his entertainment."

Naruto growled.

Shinko Bunshin

Deru Ikari, Tanryoku, Iryoku

"Let's go."

Notes:

TsuinKamaitacha (Twin cutting winds): similar to Kamaitacha, instead, the user uses two fans and creates two less powerful gusts of razor wind. C rank

Kaze Bunshin (Wind clone): A variation of the standard Bunshin, the user creates an image of his or herself, then imbues the air inside the bunshins with the razor sharp chakra of a wind user, essentially creating a field of razor wire which most enemies just run through. Kaze bunshins are easily dispersed by application of any disruptive chakra, and cannot move very quickly and maintain the amount of wind chakra needed to deal significant damage to enemies. B rank

Ichiman Ken (One thousand blades): Like it says, the user creates one thousand blades of wind to attack one opponent. A very crippling technique, but very dependant on the amount of chakra used to create it. A Rank

Rasengan Naruto (Spiralling Sphere Maelstrom): The user creates a group of kage bunshins, then has each of them form a Rasengan. They dive at the ground, slamming into it and creating a humungous shrapnel bomb. Only really works on stony terrain, but other materials can be used to create dust/sand clouds for cover. A rank (Rasengan's rank.)