The Ninja Samurai

by Foxcomm

Akechi Mitsuhide was a samurai just passing through. When his life was saved because of his kindness to a small boy, Naruto. Now his son, Naruto seeks to show the world what it has forgotten. Honor, Justice, and Right. Picture by Asuka Kureru askerian dot deviantart dot com , with permission.

14. Chapter 14

"Now, for the tenth and final question, you have to decide if you want to take it. If you don't, you and your team fails," Ibiki told them.

"Then of course we'll take it," Temari told him.

"But there is a rule to this question. If you take it and get it wrong, then you can never take the chunin exam again." Ibiki grinned at them all. "So, which shall it be, quit now or take it and possibly be a genin for eternity." To add to the tenseness, Ibiki let some of his killing intent out, just enough to make people sweat, then he began to take in those there. Of all of them though, he was watching the Akechi the most. While two were samurai by adoption, one was by blood and raising. How would he handle this?

Naruto tried hard not to swallow, he could care less about being an eternal genin. Kotetsu and Izumo were eternal chunin and they didn't mind. No, his worry was not making it and not being able to marry Hinata-chan. 'No, I can't show fear now,' Naruto told himself. 'The dishonor of backing down from something not even life threatening...I would never be able to face Hinata-chan again.' He looked to her and saw she was just as nervous, but then she caught him looking to her and took strength from his gaze. I'll quit only if you will, Naruto signed to her. We go forward, she replied. Kiba, having seen them, nodded as well. "My course is set," Naruto stated. "Fail or not, I can only go forward."

"What about your honor, boy," Ibiki asked. "A samurai cannot bare the shame of defeat. You're very life might be on the line if you go through with this."

"A samurai cannot fail," Naruto told him. "Even to die, while doing his duty, is victory. You are right, I might die on this, I don't deny it, but I will rise to meet it."

Neji looked at Naruto and said, "I won't be outdone by a samurai, I go forward."

"Yosh, I too refuse to quit," Lee shouted.

"Ooh, look at Akechi-kun go," Okuni said. "How could I not?"

'Well, that backfired,' Ibiki thought. 'Still, I got rid of a good many before he spoke up.' "Are you sure? There is always later," he told them.

"I have a very important fate for when I become a chunin," Hinata told him. "I can't, I won't, be stopped now!"

Ibiki nodded, "I guess no one else is going to quit?" No one spoke up. "Alright then, for those that remain, the ten and final question is...to take the tenth and final question. With choosing to go forward as the correct answer."

"Wait a minute," Sasuke said. "You mean that the tenth question was just to decide stay or leave?"

"Yes," Ibiki replied. "To be a chunin means you will face vast dangers, far more than you do now. And there will be times when you won't know information other than its dangerous. Do you stay or go?"

"Obviously you go," Kiba replied. "We all knew signing up that being a ninja is dangerous."

"Right," Ibiki said, grinning. "Those that romanticize it are fools, we are in the business of killing and dying. Anything less, is an insult to those that take it serious. Those fools that just left, they will never make it and it is their own fault."

"What about the other nine questions," Temari asked.

"Two purposes, the first being to thin the crowd down, the second to test your information gathering skills," Ibiki told her. "You see, information is critical on a battlefield. This is the lengths people will go to get it." Ibiki took off his headband, revealing his scars to them, making many gasp. "I was captured once, and tortured for information on Konoha. I escaped, with these souvenirs. This same fate may well happen to any of you one day." That made them all pale save a few. "A word of advice, knowledge is power. If you have it, people will want to get it. If you don't, you will want to get it from those that do. And if they know that, they can manipulate you like puppets on strings like I just did each and everyone of you." Naruto thought about it and realized what he meant. All those there had to use their observations skills. A smart man would have seen it, a smart man would have learned, and a smart man would prepare himself from being watched in the next test. At the wall, one of the chunin opened a window. "Now, without further more..." He raised a hand and a back bundle burst through the window and explodes outward. It turned out to be a banner that got nailed to the ceiling by some kunai. The sexy and single proctor of the second exam, Mitarashi Anko!Naruto gaped at her, she could have passed as his aunt Shura.

"Listen up you bastards, this is no time for celebrating! Get to Training Grounds Forty Four in the next ten minutes or else you fail!" She jumped back out the window.

"Yeah, she's just like my aunt," Naruto muttered before he too jumped out the window.

—oo000oo—

Going behind a curtain, Hinata was given the scroll and she put it down her chest. This test was easier in theory, far more difficult in practice. Same principle, they were to get information, in this case, two scrolls, and return to the rendezvous point, the tower in the center. Rules of engagement, no rules. In fact, Anko had this to say. "There is no such thing as cheating, the only unfair fight is the one you die in." She really reminded Naruto of his aunt.

When the Bijuu Three got to their gate, Hinata took a deep breath and nodded to Kiba. They pulled off their coats and took out gear scrolls. While Naruto tightened his kabuto helmet down, Hinata unsealed what her scroll held. It was a set of custom made Akechi armor, though with the Hyuuga Flame instead of the Akechi Sakura, on the chest. It was lighter than Naruto's, offering more speed but less protection. Tightening the straps of the chest piece, she sighed. This would be the first time she wore it in combat, though she's worn it in training. She was ready for this. Lastly, she pulled her headband from her neck and sealed it with her coat inside the scroll. Then she picked up the kabuto helm similar to Naruto's, and placed it on her head. She slipped the scroll into the same place as before. Her armor was colored emerald green, with her ninja-to still across her back with a large shuriken. Red Crow and Rusty wing.

Kiba had opted for something that didn't interfere with movement. He unrolled a set of chakra conductive chainmail. He got in it and began stretching. Once again making sure it didn't restrain his movements, he pulled a cloak around his neck to make sure it didn't reflect light. He was an Inuzuka, they always moved fast. Move fast enough and the other guy doesn't get the chance to hit you. While this armor also afforded him protection from kunai stabs, as well as shurikens. Swords were more inclined to slide along it in a slash. Well, save for zanbatous, they cut anything in half. Only two weapons were truly effective to a good suit of chainmail. A bludgeon and a piercing weapon. A mace or hammer were meant to break bones, not tear flesh. While a piercing weapon, if the tip is small enough, could get between the links and break them apart or just slip between them. Shenbons would be one such weapon. Seeing Haku train with them once, he knew, even with just weapons, she would beat the snot out of him.

Naruto and Kitsu crouched down, ready to sprint off the moment the door was opened. A glance behind him said that Hinata and Bandit, curled up around her neck, had finished locking the last of the plates and were ready. Kiba and Akamaru were set as well. "...For those that will die this day," Naruto started.

"Fight well," Kiba and Hinata finished.

A horn blew and all the gates were thrown open, letting the six of them charge in.

—oo000oo—

Naruto stopped, sniffing the air, "Kitsu."

"I smell them. Whew, like they haven't bathed in a month."

"Hinata," Naruto whispered, "we have guest."

"On it, Byakugan." She closed her eyes and focused on the forest around them. She saw six of them, all grass ninja moving to surround them in a triangle pattern. "One, five, and nine o' clock, two each."

"An even fight then," Kiba said, nodding to Akamaru, before his hands began to flash along with the others. In that moment, the three humans vanished, leaving their animals. The two teams landed in the clearing after them.

"Where they go," one asked.

The leader of the first team glared at the animals, "These are partners, put them down and fan out. They haven't gone far." Shrugging, one pulled out his kunai and went for the drowsy Bandit. He reached for her when the ferret shot awake, stretched, and was on the move, all in a second. "AH! AH! GET IT OFF ME, GET IT OFF! AGH!" His team grabbed him while he was hopping around.

"Where is it," one asked, frantically trying to find out whats wrong with him.

"AGH, MY LEG, ITS GOT MY LEG!" Someone finally got tired of his screaming and knocked him unconscious. He laid there, on the ground, unmoving. Suddenly, they saw something on his chest move.

"Wha...?" Bandit burst threw his clothes over his chest and scurried up the leg of another one. "AAAAGH!" His face turned pale and he started to laugh. "Not the tongue, not the tongue!" He shoved an hand down his shirt and pulled the ferret out. "Stop that." Bandit squeaked at him.

They all made a very critical mistake, no matter the ninja, you never turn your back on them. Kitsu and Akamaru both changed into their humans form, popped their knuckles before each grabbed one and pulled them into the bushes. Of the other three, one of them felt a wire slip around his throat and get pulled up into the trees. Naruto came down, holding onto the other end of the wire, landed, looked at him up there choking, and let go. "AAGH!" There was a crack when he landed along with sudden silence. He was going to feel that in the morning.

The other one that had been standing was grabbed by his feet and pulled into the ground up to his chest. He screamed until Kiba's hand came up out of the earth, grabbed him by the collar, and pulled, slamming his head into a rock. The last one, the one holding Bandit, felt a foot pin his leg to the ground and the tip of a sword just enter his leg. "Let the ferret go," Hinata told him. When he didn't, she moved it up going right for his crotch.

"Guy, easy, easy!" He set Bandit on the ground, still not even trying to break the genjutsu hiding all three. Bandit looked at him a moment before changing into Hinata. She licked her lips while popping her knuckles, letting the ninja know just how bad a time he was in for.

—oo000oo—

Naruto pulled the last knot tight. "Really, we do thank you for your cooperation. Now, we not only have both scrolls, we have an extra earth as well."

"This isn't right," one shouted.

"At least leave us our dignity!"

"We are leaving you your dignity," Kiba told him, setting the last of the clothes against a tree. "And, think of it like this, if anyone finds you, you can honestly say that you don't have a scroll hidden anywhere on you." All six of the grass ninja were tied to a tree, upside down, naked, their clothes and equipment just ten feet away. Hinata was blushing up a storm over it so she didn't help strip them, Naruto and Kiba had no such problem. The whole time, the two along with Kitsu and Akamaru were laughing at them.

"At least none of you are girls, no worries about being raped," Naruto told them, walking in front of them again, a scroll spinning on one of his fingers before vanishing. "...Unless there is a really horny woman in these woods, like that proctor, then..." He lost expression when a few of them actually grinned at that thought. "Let's go."

"Come on, what about the animals here! What if they try to eat us!"

"You're ninja, use the escape jutsu," Kiba called over his shoulder. "Ja ne!" They took off running through the woods. "Yahoo! Not bad, if I do say so!"

"I'm actually impressed by them," Naruto said. "To have found each other in so short a time mustn't have been easy."

"They may have been fast, but they weren't very smart."

"True," Naruto replied. He glanced to Kiba when he started sniffing the air. "What is it?"

"...I don't know, smells like Shino a little."

"Must be one of the insects in to forest. We should keep moving. Hinata-chan, where is it?"

"Just a moment... Wow. The ground beneath us is covered in army ants tunnels. All of them are at least five inches long. They're waiting for something to walk on the dirt."

Kiba looked down and swallowed, "I heard the regular ones could strip elk of their flesh in minutes."

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "Let's stay off the menu and keep moving."

—oo000oo—

Gaara stood in a clearing going through Mizoguchi-ha Itto Ryu kata. Temari and Kankuro watched him move through it at a slow and steady pace, no where near as fast as she had seen Naruto move. It was obvious that he was still learning. "Gaara, why are you learning the sword," Kankuro asked him. "I mean, with your armor and all, why bother.

Gaara remained silent as he continued through the moves. When he finished, he crouched and made a flicking movement to the side, as if to rid the blade of blood, before moving the blade to the saya, and guiding it in with his fingers. Standing he pulled his kendo shirt to the side and moved his sand armor. There, over his right shoulder blade, was a single narrow scar from a katana slice. "Ina-hime and I sparred." That was all he said but they got the rest. What if someone else figures out how to defeat it? What if he runs out of chakra to support the defense? Then he had the katana to save him. Gaara then turned to the left. "It seems we're being watched."

From the bushes, a long pole extended and hit Gaara right in the chest. Though his sand blocked it, it was braced on the back end and kept growing, pushing him out of the clearing. The staffed retracted and a monkey like male genin ran forward after Gaara. A large genin that looked reminiscent of a pig wielding a tsukubō followed, grinning at Temari. Finally, an adult came out. He had a red beard and was partially bald, with a skull necklace around his neck, wielding a yuèyáchǎn, a monk's spade.

"Well, well," the adult said. "What have we here, the rodent team that prevented us from turning our forms in first."

The pig like man was still grinning at Temari. "Saw you in the class room, couldn't believe how pretty you are. How about you ditch these two losers and come away with me?"

"Get lost," Temari growled, "before my brother loses his temper."

"It wasn't really an offer," the pig said. From behind and between the sand siblings, the staff again extended, hitting the pig on the head before embedding in a tree. It shrunk, pulling the owner to his team.

"BAKA! We're here only for a scroll, not the woman! Stupid pig, have some honor!"

"Damn monkey," he grumbled. "Stop cock blocking!"

"Let's get on with this," the adult said. "Did you already defeat the boy?"

"No," the staff wielder said. "I did that for space."

Gaara walked back into the clearing, dusting off his hakama. "...I won't let you touch my sister," he growled at the pig.

"Do something about it."

"Oh boy," Kankuro said, "what were you thinking?" He stepped out of the way.

"You die," Gaara said before Temari stepped in his path.

"No, let me, brother. You two play with the others, I'll punish him." She grabbed her fan and flipped it open.

The pig grinned at her, "A tough cookie and a hot honey all in one."

The Monkey looked at the adult and said, "That's it, he's on his own."

"Agreed." The two jumped off to the side away from him. "Now, shall we begin?"

"Brother," Gaara said, "I will deal with the staff wielder."

Monkey smirked before pulling a few hairs from his head. Tossing them into the air, they changed into copies of him, staff and all. "Come then, little tanuki, let's go!" They all charged Gaara, only for all their attacks to be blocked by his sand yet again. Gaara stayed standing with his arms crossed for a moment longer before dropping his hands. Placing a hand on his katana, he raised the other and made a fist. A moment later, he spread his fingers and the rocks around them exploded in a shower of sand. "What the hell!"

Some of it came down around Gaara, hardening into armor plates around his body like the Akechi clan armor. The rest of it all flew up into the air and came down around him and spread outward like a wave, sweeping the Monkey and his clones away. Drawing his blade in case he tried to extend his staff again, Gaara sent wave after wave at the agile monkey, trying to catch him. "Stand still, little monkey."

"Power pole extend!" Monkey braced it against a tree and the end shot out at Gaara, blowing right through the attacking sand and the sand that came to his defense. When it was about to hit him, Gaara knocked it to the side and through a large rock. His sand holding it in place, he formed a giant claw on his arm and grabbed Monkey with it. Taking his staff in hand, it shrunk down to the size of a needle. "Hey, give that back!"

"..." Gaara tucked it behind his ear to keep it away from him and watched Monkey squirm.

The adult watched him and turned to Kankuro. "Let us begin." He charged forward and took a swipe with the glaive end of the yuèyáchǎn. Kankuro ducked it, dropping his bandaged package on the ground behind him. He then pulled several kunai out and started throwing them at him only for them to be blocked and one caught in the air. The man saw the liquid on it and tasted it. "...Sea urchin poison? Tell me you didn't pay for this."

"Ooh," Kankuro growled. Running forward, he twisted to the side of the stab with the crescent end. Grabbing the shaft, he dropped his knees and pulled, throwing him towards the bundle.

He landed on his feet over it and grinned at Kankuro, "You know, I saw you cheat. You used a puppet, meaning I've been fighting one the whole time. This must be you!" He stabbed down into the bundle and it jerked before going still with Kankuro behind him dropping his head. "Too easy," he said before turning to the others.

"Got ya," Kankuro shouted, before splaying his fingers and attaching them to the puppet inside the bandages. It tore through them, wrapping around the man, and began snapping his bones. "Too easy." As one, Gaara and Kankuro disabled their opponent and turned to watch Temari.

The pig had gotten close to Temari, being too heavy to be blown away by her winds, though he was bleeding from wounds. He held his tsukubō ready to strike her, not realizing his team had been defeated. He slammed it down, expecting Temari to be knocked out. "Che, like a pig like you could defeat me," Temari called from a branch above him. "Just like a boar, always just charging in."

"Get down here and fight like a man," he shouted at her.

Making her grin. "But I'm a woman." She jumped down in front of him, "You remind me of Cho Hakkai from the Journey to the West." She gripped her fan tightly, as if to strike him and he tensed. Before it looked like she blushed and pulled on her yukata under her neck. "Oh...this dress is so hot...can you help me out of it?"

"YEAH BABY!" Dropping his tsukubō, he rushed at her only to get kicked in the balls, dropping him to the ground.

"Filthy pig," she said, giving him another kick. Oddly enough, the monkey found it extremely hilarious as did the older ninja.

"Nice going oneesan," Kankuro said. "Not something I ever want to see you do again but nice going."

"Which of these three have the scroll," Gaara asked, shaking Monkey a little.

"Oh..." the pig groaned as he rolled over onto his back.

Temari stood over him and said, "Alright pig, where is it?"

He looked up, froze, and got this stupid grin on his face. "...Green."

"Green," Temari asked.

She looked first to Kankuro, who shrugged, then to Gaara. "He's looking up your dress, oneesan." She snapped her gaze back, closing her legs, rage covering her face.

"This is going to hurt just watching," the older one of the three said, making monkey agree.

"FILTHY PIG!" Temari grabbed his tsukubō and began to beat him with it until the shaft broke. When it was over, the whole of his face was swollen and he had more then a few cuts and bruises.

"Gomen," he groaned. Temari was holding the larger of the two pieces, glaring at him still. "Please...no more."

"Scroll, now."

"Yes ma'am." He pulled it out of a pouch and laid it on the ground. She picked it up, seeing it was the one they needed, and began to walk away. Gaara and Kankuro fell in beside her. "I have never been beaten by a woman that hot nor one with such a great ass." The head of his weapon flew through the air and hit him on the head, knocking him out.

"He never learns," Monkey muttered.

—oo000oo—

Ino looked at the team through the eyes of a squirrel before retreating. "They have the one we need." she said, having grabbed the rodent when she returned to her body.

"Surprise attack. Any ideas?"

Ino looked to Sakura who nodded. "I have one." She took a deep breath and pulled a kunai, followed by a needle and thread.

—oo000oo—

"Another five minutes," Dosu said, gathering the last of the water. "Then we move again."

They all jumped up when they heard a bush move but a squirrel came out. Zaku moved over to it, hands raised to kill who ever was there but there was no one. "Damn rabies infested varmint." He glared at it while he moved back. "I'm killing it for scaring us." He grabbed his kunai and moved closer to it.

"...Zaku, somethings not right with its head." Kin, the third member said. "It looks..." It got between the three of them before shaking in pain and rolling over. There, on its stomach, was a long incision that had been sew up, as well as its eyes and mouth. It was dead and brought back by a jutsu. It shook for just a moment before exploding, knocking all three of them as far as twenty feet for Kin. They never knew what hit them.

—oo000oo—

"Haruno clan jutsu." Sakura explained. "The taking of a once living body and reanimating it, turning it into a moving bomb." She sighed and swallowed the lump in her throat. "My grandfather used it to assassinate his targets by using their loved ones."

Ino put a hand on her shoulder a moment before they both finally smiled. "Let's go get that scroll!" the said together.

Sasuke watched them head over first, suddenly realizing he knew very, very little of the Haruno. It kind of scared him. He got to the blast crater and marveled at its size. If that was a little rat, what could a full grown human do? Find one of the three, he pressed two fingers to her neck, finding a pulse but could tell she wasn't going to be fighting anymore in this test. Searching her, he found several shenbons but no scroll. Picking her up, he carried her to his teammates. "Find it?"

"Here." they replied, holding it up between them. "What are you doing, Sasuke-kun?"

"She's injured and needs medical attention."

They blinked and looked to each other. "...Uh, so?"

Sasuke frowned but said, "You'd have to grow with samurai to understand. What about the other two?"

"They're done fighting, but they'll live." Sasuke nodded as he set her down and began to bind her wounds. Coming to a particularly nasty cut, he took out a medikit and began to sew it up. When he was satisfied, he stood back up and turned in the direction of the tower. "Ready?"

"Yeah." he replied before jumping into the trees and running . "...Sakura, that technique is scary. Cool, but scary. What else can the Haruno do?"

"...Though we're small, we're an old clan from back near the start of being a shinobi. We have a story among us of the Devils of Kimon. Their skills form the seven clan jutsu. Tessai could turn his bodies to stone. Zakuro could turn living or once living things into moving bombs. Yurimaru could generate electricity powerful enough to kill from his body, attaching wire to others undetected and use it to carry the attack. Benisato was a mistress of snakes. She had them tattooed to her body and they could turn into real snakes. She could also possess someone and have them burst into snakes. Shijima was the shadow walker, able to move through them and able to control bodies to his will, living and dead while making illusion copies of himself. Mushizo had the ability to control wasp and talk to them, he even kept a hive on his back. Finally was Utsutsu Mujuro, a blind swordsman with incredible speed, a master of silent killing."

Sasuke blinked at that list, recognizing some of the skills while others he never even heard of. "How many do you know?"

"I...am unable to do any but Zakuro's and possibly Benisato's." she revealed before hurrying forward.

—oo000oo—

Sasuke and Gaara weren't at all surprised to see Naruto practicing swordplay when they found him in the tower. He focused on battoijutsu as that was what he was most familiar and dangerous with. He had just made a slash to find it blocked by a staff that Gaara held. "...To the victor?"

"Goes the spoils." Gaara replied. "And sense Victor wasn't around, I helped myself."

Naruto looked over the staff before looking at Gaara's armor. "…Glad to see you finally embraced being a samurai."

"Life in every breath." Gaara told him.

Naruto glanced to his cousin. "And you, Sasuke, any treasure you claimed while in this match of life and death?"

Sasuke tapped his head. "Knowledge will be your shield."

"Ah, you learned something interesting. What is it?"

"The Haruno clan members were ancient ninja, from back when the samurai were more prevalent. I saw one of their skills while inside there."

Naruto blinked a few times. "That was unexpected. So they are an old clan as well."

They all nodded a moment in silence… Before Naruto leaned back, ducking a punch from Sasuke while Gaara swung his staff as Sasuke. He caught it against his chest just in time for Naruto right himself and to draw the Fox Fang in a horizontal slash, scarring his armor. Following through the slash, Naruto went to catch Sasuke only to have his arm grabbed by Gaara's sand and him then tossed aside. "Ryu Sou Sen!" Naruto shouted as he twisted in the air to land on his feet running. He rolled under Gaara and slashed upwards, again blocked by Gaara's sand, only to step off his head to distract him while Sasuke came in with his own weapons finally out. Sasuke was good with two hand styles but like Naruto himself, didn't have the skill to use two swords of long length. Sasuke instead had a short ninja-to and a long bladed, single edge dagger. Using a trick he learned from Kakashi, he flowed his chakra through them, making fire burst to life along the blades. The sword and dagger crossed over Gaara's breastplate, turning it to clouded glass which was followed up by Sasuke kicking him right in the weakened plate, breaking through. Gaara was pushed back to the ground and jumped up to his feet. Brushing that spot off, the glass broke apart and mixed in with the rest of the sand, repairing the hole. Grinning, he looked at the other two, all of them now with one to their left and right. Weapons at the ready, they all charged forward again.

—oo000oo—

Supporting each other with several cuts and bruises, they walked into the cafeteria with small grins on their faces. Sitting down with their teams, Ino and Sakura both sighed and said, "Boys."

—oo000oo—

At the end of the five days, Naruto stood with his team in an arena with Sasuke's team, Gaara's team, team Gai, Okuni's team and an elder team of Konoha genin. Naruto looked to the last and found the one with glasses and silver hair waving at him. The Hokage waited to the second before raising his hand, signaling the retrieval teams to go in search of survivors and remains. "As you all know, I am the Hokage of Konohagakure. I wish to congratulate you in getting this far. Before I continue, I feel I should tell you all what the meaning of the Chunin Exams. Naruto, would you be willing?"

"Me, lord?" Seeing him nod, Naruto walked to the front and bowed to them. "The Chunin Exams serves three purposes. The first being the promotion of good will between villages, the second during the final exam we shall fight in front of an audience to promote our villages over the other's. Finally, they are a replacement for war. As all the villages for the most part were enemies until this era of peace began, they were always fighting. But when it did, there were no more conflicts, something a ninja village thrives on. So, to ease the eagerness, they were made to create small, controlled skirmishes between villages. Ones that is unable to escalate into greater conflicts. Is that all, Lord Sarutobi?"

"Yes, Naruto, please step back into line." He continued once he did. "Naruto explained it exactly. These 'skirmishes' are to best effect to cool our warlike nature. Now, for the next step in the exam…"

"Ahem, Lord Hokage, perhaps I shook continue with this part?" a jonin named Genma said to him.

"Yes, of course."

The man stepped up to them, chewing on his shenbon. "Now listen up brats, I'm going to explain this once and once only. Too many survived. So, to thin the crowd out a bit more, we are going to have the Third Round preliminaries. From this point on it'll be one on one, so if you're hanging on for your team, I suggest you quit now." He looked around, looking for if someone did. No one raised their hand. "Alright, then the rules are simple, free for all. Killing and everything short of is allowed. While I would rather not have to clean up after someone's body and would try to stop that, don't count on it. Give up before you die, save me the trouble. But if I say stop, you better damn well stop. Now, look up on the wall." It opened and a screen came out. "This thing will randomly pick your names. Like so."

It started flipping through names nonstop until it slowed and revealed Naruto's name on the first half. "And the second...Rock Lee. If you aren't those two, I suggest you get up there and out of the kill zone."

Naruto turned to face the martial artist who did the same, fire in his eyes at being the first to fight. Naruto tightened his grip on his swords, Kitsu at his side yawning, both looking him in the eyes and bowing when everyone was gone. "It is an honor to fight you."

Lee smiled and bowed back. "The honor is mine, Akechi-san. Your reputation precedes you today." As he straightened, he was pulling new sleeves over his arm, these with wide stripes ringing his arm. "Shall we begin?"

"Hai." They waited for Genma to shout begin before Lee charged straight at him. Naruto had already grabbed the Fox Fang and had begun to swing, only for the punch to suddenly jump out and collide with his face. The attack sent Naruto flipping to the ground. He rolled out of the way to dodge Lee's heel drop and jumped back up, a bruise forming on his cheek. "...Nice punch." Lee got back in his stance, this time waiting for Naruto.

"What happened, you're faster than that!" Kitsu barked.

"He...I don't understand, his arm just jumped out faster than it should."

"Okay, I'm coming in!" Kitsu henged into his copy of Naruto and grabbed the Fox Claw. "Let's try that again."

"One or two, it won't matter, I shall win this day, especially with my magic." He came at them right in between. As the two of them began to swing, his arms again seemed to stretch out and grab the swords by their hilts. He pulled and threw them in opposite directions of the other.

Naruto shook his head as he got back up. "Come on, Akechi-kun!" Okuni shouted. "Beat him!"

"Okay, let's see here, we have a bowlcut melee fighter that stretches his arms out to catch us off guard again and again. Something is wrong here!"

"I know!" He looked to Lee and sighed. He would have to be faster than him. "...Give me the Fox Claw and stay back for a moment." Kitsu tilted his head but nodded. The two of them threw their swords to embed in the wall in between them, also opposite of the other and ran to switch blade. Lee moved to intercept Naruto but had to jump back as Kitsu tried to hit him with a Gatsuuga. Naruto pulled out the Fox Claw and returned it to his saya. Then his hands released the bindings of his armor, sliding it off. Looking back to Lee, he grabbed his blade and held it out in front of him. "Over here, Lee."

"...That is a defensive stance. Already the rookie of the year has been pushed this far?" Lee came at him, his arm going right for his face. Naruto didn't watch him or his hand though. He narrowed his eyes as he ducked to the side, slashing Lee along the cheek, ruining the stripe sleeve on his left arm. While he was stunned, Naruto followed up with a kick to the stomach, smashing the hilt to his temple, and tearing off the other sleeve. As he flipped the sword down for a stab, Lee finally jumped back, holding up his arms. "You caught me." he said with a smile.

"Wait, we don't get it." Ino and Sakura said.

"Wide ring stripes like those can cause the illusion that something is shorter than it is." Shino explained to them. "Akechi-san used his sword to measure how close his fist actually was."

"Which means I'm back in the game!" Kitsu grabbed the katana and grinned, his fangs extending and his hands turning to claws, a feature change Naruto also made, increasing their speed. They came at him from the side, swinging low and high. Rock Lee leaned back, flipping between their swings, landed on his hands, and jumped back forward, kicking Kitsu and pushing off to hit Naruto. Naruto was able to brace himself and catch the limb, already bringing the wakizashi down to lame his leg. It hit his leg warmers and skidded off, giving Lee time to reverse his leg and hit Naruto with the other leg. Naruto backed up, frowning. It would seem he needed to stop playing around. "...Naruto, how much weight do you think that is?" Kitsu asked, pointing to the now revealed weights on Lee's leg.

"...Probably a good amount. Don't give him a chance to remove them!" Kitsu and Naruto both ran through several handsigns before they just faded away. Lee looked around, trying to spot them for several moments before the air was torn apart around him, throwing him to the ground. Kitsu slid along the ground, the genjutsu hiding him released, readying another Gatsuuga. Naruto hit Lee before he got the chance to get back up.

"Lee, take them off!" Gai ordered, smiling that he was fighting an oponant of such strength. Kitsu was coming at him when Lee complied with the orders. To everyone there, it looked like Lee just vanished. Kitsu wasn't even allowed to come out of the Gatsuuga when Lee came down on him, slamming him into the ground.

"Kitsu!" Naruto ran to his friend, picking up the Fox Fang as he did. He was almost there when he suddenly crossed his swords, in a block. Lee had kicked him, his foot landing on the blades, throwing him into the wall. Naruto slammed into it, letting out a cry of pain. Though he stayed standing, his arms felt heavy with the blades. "He...hits like a...boulder."

"My friend, you have lost." Lee said to him. "Give up now."

Naruto glared at him before looking to his companion. Kitsu was laid out on the floor, having lost his human form from that hit. "...No." He sheathed his blades and held the Fox Claw out from his sash. "You maybe able to move faster than I can follow but you do stop to attack. And now, with the wall to my back, you have to come right at me." He crouched while closing his eyes.

Lee watched him a moment longer before vanishing. He ran forward only dodge to Naruto's sword side. He was about to attack when he felt like he just slammed into a tree. Naruto hadn't been following his with his eyes, rather his nose and ears. When Lee came at him where he couldn't get his sword out in time, he instead just used it while it was sheathed, hitting him on his right collar bone and neck. The suddenness of it prevented him from stopping, causing him to slam right into Naruto. Lee got back to his feet, touching the quickly bruising flesh tentatively, finding the bone broken and nearly unable to breath for a few moment. Wincing as he did, he began to unravel the wraps on his arms. Naruto had just gotten back to his feet when he attacked, knocking him back again. Naruto couldn't get a block up for any of them except when he saw Lee slide under him, kicking up to his chin. Naruto held the Fox Claw in a block, numbing his arms in that first instant. There was a crack before both saya and katana shattered, dropping Naruto to the floor. "Naruto-kun!" Hinata shouted, pressed up against the railing as she was right then.

Naruto hit the floor, already staring at his ruined sword in horror. He pulled off the saya and stared at the jagged edge of the blade, feeling as if his soul was ripped apart too. He actually began to cry that moment before he raised his eyes to Lee. Then, he began to growl dangerously. Holding both pieces of the ruined blade in hand, he kept growling. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..." Naruto threw himself at him, swinging both almost in rage. That was his soul and Lee shattered it! When Lee began to move, Naruto moved with him, tackling him and stabbing the blade tip through his shoulder into the ground. Sitting on his stomach, Naruto raised the hilt over head, both hands holding it ready to bring down. It stayed there because he couldn't do it. He gave a start when someone touched him.

"Didn't you hear me?" Genma said. "You won, you can get off."

"...Sorry." He got up and placed a hand to Lee's wounded shoulder. "I'm sorry, I just..."

"I understand." Lee said, smiling before pulling it out. "I swear I didn't mean to."

Naruto took it back and held it close, nodding. Picking up Kitsu, he moved up the stairs and leaned against the wall. Where he carefully set them all down. If Lee could do that to the Fang, what about the Claw? He pulled it from the saya and began inspecting it. Just as he feared, a crack ran from the edge almost touching the back. Checking the strength that remained in it, he pressed the upper half lightly. It broke off. "Naruto?" Hinata said to him, having moved to his side unnoticed. "Naruto-kun, please answer me."

"...I'm fine, Hinata-chan." He said, giving her the best fake smile he could make at the moment. It didn't convince her.

"Can they be repaired?" Naruto slowly shook his head no. "We'll think of something, Naruto." Again he nodded.

"Hey man," Kiba said, sitting next to him. "Don't worry, I'm sure something can be done."

"I know...Pardon me." He got up and moved over to Sarutobi, not even responding when his senseis tried to say something. "My Lord Sarutobi, I request that I be..."

"Go ahead Naruto, your teammates shall take care of the rest for you." Naruto nodded his appreciation and left. He wasn't so much as wounded but he might as well have been, Sarutobi knew.

—oo000oo—

Naruto set the pieces in a place of honor in his room and knelt before them. "...Naruto." his father said to him from the door to his room.

"Yes, lord father." Naruto said, rising before him.

Mitsuhide entered, closed the door behind him, and hugged his son, letting him know it would be okay. Naruto quickly began to cry. When he finished, Mitsuhide held him in front of him. "Your lord sent word that in a month's time, you shall be fighting in a tournament against a weapon's mistress, Tenten. So I believe we should get you some training as well as begin new swords for you."

"Yes, father." Naruto wiped away the last tear and followed him out. He led Naruto to a little used house that he had not yet been allowed to enter.

"Naruto, this house has been used by us to help samurai that have lost their path like you have. Enter and know when you come out, you will be different."

Naruto looked to him and nodded before stepping forward. He entered and found himself in complete darkness. When he turned back to the door, he had found it gone. "Hello?"

What do you fight for?

Naruto looked around and saw nothing. "Because I must."

Who do you fight?

"...Evil."

Who is evil? What is evil?

"I don't know. Demons, I guess."

Silence for a moment before it started again. A warrior, caught forever in the war of light and dark. Though many are on both sides, you know evil for they are demons. The path before is long but through it, you shall learn.

Naruto felt the ground drop out from under him and fell through the air. Around him changed from darkness to a snowy sky. He landed in snow, seeing himself on a mountain. Looking around, confused how he got there, he could only recall to find the path. "...Oh yeah, the war." Demons infested the land and his clan was one of many trying to fight them off. He had been lost so he had been searching for his way home. Picking up a bokudo, he got up and continued west.

—oo000oo—

Author's notes. Been a long time, I know, and I'm sorry. Got stuck when it was Sasuke's turn in the Forest and couldn't figure it out. Tried several ideas but didn't like any of them. Then a few days ago, I was watching Ninja Scroll and I thought how cool their abilities were. Then it just clicked. Why not give a back story to the Haruno clan. So I made their ancestors the Seven Devils of Kimon. Naruto's swords being broken was actually decided a while ago, in the chapter before this. The reason will become apparent in the next chapter.