Chapter 21: Round 2: Naruto Vs. the Reaper
With Naruto setting the pace, instead of their aging client, they made to last leg of their journey in four hours instead of the expected nine. The town was a small farming community; a tavern & inn, a general store, and a few houses. As the quartet raced passed the chicken pen the marked the edge of the village, more than a few heads turned to look at them, surprised and yet hopeful.
"Good, you guys made it," Shizune greeted them eagerly as she exited the inn, "And you're early. Sakura, I'll need you to help me with the treatments. Hinata, you can run crowd control. And Naruto…"
"Grab something to eat and take a nap," Sakura interrupted. The Jonin doctor turned her attention back to her junior, surprised. But the Chunin shot her look that said she would explain later, and Shizune let it pass.
"Ok, then Hinata, would you help unload the supplies?" Tsunade's first apprentice altered her plan slightly.
"Naruto, I have the room on the second floor. Feel free to use it," Shizune offered, as the healthy villagers started to swarm around the cart. The healer started to direct them, putting them to work so they wouldn't interfere.
A few hours later, Shizune slid silently into the room, to check on her self-appointed younger brother. But her stealth was unnecessary; Naruto was not sleeping. He was sitting in the room's only chair, staring out the window, pensive.
"You are supposed to be resting," she admonished gently.
"Oh, hi, Shizune-neesan," he said, turning to look at her. As he did, she noticed his staff-blade resting across his knees.
"I couldn't sleep," he added.
"You look worried, Naruto," she offered, "That isn't like you."
"Yeah, well," he broke off, thinking again, "That Reaper woman beat me pretty thoroughly last time. I'm not sure I can back my headband, even with Kitsune."
"Why go to the risk, then?" she asked, "Go back to the Konohagakure, and let the Hokage send a team of Jonin after this killer. You can get another headband."
"Not like that," he countered, "Maybe you already know this, but the Fourth Hokage used to retire his headbands after major turning points in his life. After each new ninja rank, and a couple after major battles. That one he gave to the old pervert after he made Jonin. When the headband Iruka-sensei gave me fell apart, Master Jiraiya entrusted this one to me. He said the Fourth would have wanted me to have it, both for mastering the Rasengan, and to make up for what he… did to me."
'That is not the only reason Minato Namikaze would want you to wear his Leaf,' Shizune thought, but did not say. Instead she suggested, "Then tell me about the fight. Maybe I can help you think of something."
Naruto nodded. He took a deep breath, and then relayed the details of the battle. Shizune listened carefully, her face slowly reflecting a growing concern.
"This is troubling," the experienced Kunoichi offered, "The fact that she was stronger and faster could be a matter of chakra expenditure. You know the technique, but do not use it very much, correct?"
He nodded, not sure what was 'troubling', other than how he was defeated.
"But you said she used eight jutsu without hand signs…"
"Wait, I thought it was nine," he interrupted.
"No, the Negative Chakra Jutsu is like your Rasengan, it doesn't use hand signs to begin with," she explained, "but I'll get into that later."
"OK, then seven. So what?"
"It is very difficult to use a jutsu without the proper seals," Shizune concealed her amusement. Naruto could master expert level jutsu faster than any shinobi she had even known, but could never seem to remember the basics of the ninja arts.
"A shinobi uses hand signs to craft chakra into the form needed for the jutsu. But a skilled ninja, who is familiar enough with a particular jutsu, can mold the chakra into the proper shape, even without the shaping gestures. It is the mark of a master."
"And?"
"And Master Jiraiya can only use five jutsu above D level without hand signs, and Lady Tsunade can only use four," she told him, "If this woman is stronger and faster than you, and correctly used eight high rank jutsu without hand signs, than she could be stronger than any of the Sannin."
"But?" Naruto detected something in her tone.
"As I said, using jutsu without seals is difficult, not impossible. Your description of her fighting style sounds haphazard, if effective. As if instead of formal Taijutsu training, she learned a civilian martial art, and added some ninja techniques here and there," she suggested, "So instead of being a master of jutsu, maybe she just doesn't know any better."
"And?" Naruto parroted himself.
"And using jutsu that way takes lots of extra chakra. So if she is expending chakra to enhance her physical abilities, and wasting it with her jutsu…"
"Maybe I can run her out of chakra," Naruto suddenly brightened, then he frowned, "So what about this Neglected Chakra thing?"
"The Negative Chakra Jutsu," she rolled her eyes, "is just that. It turns a user's regular chakra into an unnatural anti-chakra. It can counter almost any jutsu, and as you said, make you feel weak if it hits you. It used to be common in the Kirigakure and the Iwagakure, but fell into disuse because it takes a lot of chakra, and leaves the user weakened like their target."
"Also," she smiled slightly as if amused by what she was about to say, "it can be defeated by a D Rank jutsu."
"A D Rank jutsu?" he was surprised, "Which one?"
"It's another uncommon jutsu. It hasn't been part of the Leaf curriculum since before I started in the academy. I only know it because Lady Tsunade finds it occasionally useful during medical procedures. It is called 'Oshi'."
"Oshi? You mean it's the Push Jutsu?" his surprised had expanded into incredulity, "The jutsu that applies two pounds force at a speed of 1 foot per second?"
"That's close enough to correct. So you know it?' Tsunade's assistant asked.
"No, but the pervy sage told me about it."
"Well, it should only take a few minutes to teach it to you," she sat down on the bed across from him. He half-stood, and turned the chair to face her, before watching her intently.
"The seals are Ushi, Uma," she said, "And then you point your index and middle fingers at what you want to move. The only trick is to keep a steady, even flow of chakra. That's why it can counter the Negative Chakra Jutsu."
"Now watch," she said, "Ushi, Uma, Oshi Jutsu."
She pointed her fingers at the right side of his chest, and Naruto felt a slight pressure.
"Of course, you're too heavy for this to move you," she told him, not letting up the flow, "But if you need to shift a blood vessel, or push a metal fragment gently out of a wound, it works wonders."
"Now you try," she stopped her 'attack'.
"Ushi, Uma, Oshi Jutsu."
"Not bad," she told him, "But you need to keep the pressure more consistent. Again."
He kept trying, and by the fourth attempt, he had mastered the simple technique. She drilled him three more times; just to be sure it would stick. Then she stood up to leave.
"Now you really do need to get some rest," she told him, "And I want you to promise you won't leave. Otherwise, I'll send Hinata up here to keep an eye on you."
"Why would I…" but his protest faded under her knowing stare.
"Alright, I promise, big sis."
The next morning the four shinobi and the merchant gathered outside the inn. Naruto, finally rested, had wanted to leave the previous evening. But both Hinata and Sakura were too tired, and he had bowed to the pressure to stay behind.
"Are you going to come back with us, Shizune-neesan?" Naruto asked.
"No," she shook her head, "I'm staying here two more days, to make sure no-one relapses."
"And what about you, sir?" Hinata asked the merchant.
"No, I'm going to go back with Shizune," their client answered, "I am going to do some trading. Besides, if you're gonna take that detour, I don't want to be there."
He turned to Naruto, and said seriously, "Good luck, kid."
The blond teen nodded, and then the three youths left the town.
Naruto was encouraged when they easily found the Reaper's trail. It reinforced Shizune's theory that his opponent was not a master ninja. Not long after they entered the forest, the Reaper's tracks met up with those of the fleeing bandits. The woods grew thicker, but the Konoha warriors did not slow. The deepening shadows and thinning brush could not hide the path from Hinata's brilliant white eyes. In time they encountered a cliff, but did not pause, using their chakra to cling to the steep rock face. Finally they decelerated, when Hinata caught sight of a thin plume of smoke rising from the tree line in before them.
As the trio slowed, they switched naturally from speed to stealth. Soon, even without enhanced eyesight, they could see an artificially expanded clearing in the forest. The man-made break contained a handful of poor wooden huts, and many more tents. The teens saw a small number of rough looking men, milling around one of the campfires.
"One thing," Naruto suddenly whispered, "I need to do this myself."
Sakura looked dubious, but it was Hinata who rebelled.
"No," she said quietly, yet firmly, shaking her head 'no'.
"Hinata, I want you to promise you won't interfere."
"I won't," she refused, then offered, "I won't step unless it is necessary. But I will not let her kill you. That is what I promise."
Naruto tried to gain support from Sakura, but his teammate just smirked.
"Sorry, but this time I agree with Hinata," she shrugged. Naruto sighed, but inside he felt a warm glow. The Kyubi just groaned.
Before the bandits realized they were under attack, one had been killed and three more disabled. Sakura's powerful punch turned one of the thieves' ribs inwards, puncturing his heart and left lung. Naruto's Kitsune shattered two wrists, and then knocked the man out with a blow to the back of the head. Hinata had knocked out two of the rogues with the combination of the Gentle Fist and the Ranshinsho. But as the first raiders fell, the alarm spread through the camp, and more bandits emerged from the shelters.
"Mistress, ninja!" one of the thugs shouted, and the Reaper emerged from the nicest of the huts. She was partially unwrapped, showing her purple, left eye, and stringy, dirty blond hair. Though her hair was unkempt, her skin was smooth and bright, and she appeared to be in her late twenties or early thirties.
"You?" her visible eye widened when she saw Naruto. Her eye narrowed, and she brought her hands to her right breast. She untied one of the headbands covering it, and threw it to the ground.
"I have not earned this yet," she said coldly.
She laced her fingers, and pointed the hammer fist at Naruto.
"Burn." Her minions scrambled to get out of the way, as she sent three spears of fire towards the Genin. He avoided one, and destroyed the other two with his new weapon. The Reaper's gaze fell on the staff-blade, and her visible eye displayed curiosity. She quickly summoned her own weapon, charging toward the teen.
Hinata and Sakura herded the bandits, drawing them away, to give their friend room to fight. Naruto stopped her first overhead chop, catching the glaive's blade on Kitsune's pole. There was a dull scraping noise, but when they separated, neither weapon was damaged. This shocked and angered the Reaper, who launched a series of attacks directed against the staff-blade instead of its wielder. But Naruto's creation weathered the barrage without so much as a mark.
Now that he was fighting her on closer to equal terms, Naruto could see the flaws in her fighting style. He was able to boost his speed for a second; sliding past her defenses and scoring a solid hit on her left shoulder. Though most of the force of the blow was absorbed by the metal and cloth wrapping her, there was still enough impact to cause her to lose her grip on her pole-arm. She leapt back, gaining the chance to secure her weapon. Then she pointed the axe-like blade at him, and proclaimed, "Die."
Once again, a bolt of lightning shot at the boy. Again, he stopped the jutsu simply by intercepting it with his blade.
"Interesting toy," she offered. The teen darted forward, batting the point of her weapon wide, and then aiming her left fist at her uncovered eye. As she twisted out of the way, she transferred her momentum to her glaive, and the shinobi was barely able to avoid being disemboweled. He rolled back, sheathing Kitsune between his belt and his pants. The Genin thought, 'Ok, Shizune-neesan, lets give it a try.'
"Ushi, Uma, Oshi Jutsu," he said, and then pointed the fingers of his left hand at the ground. Her eye narrowed, unsure of what he was plotting. Naruto raised his right hand, and streams of chakra began to circle above it. As expected, she release her glaive, putting her hands together before her sternum, her fingers spread wide. As Naruto complete assembling the Fourth's jutsu, she started to move her hands forward.
'Now!' Naruto shouted to himself. He quickly brought his left hand up, focusing the flow of chakra at her palms. As predicted, the wave of negative energy broke on the simple, steady stream of force; and the Reaper's shoulders slumped while Naruto's strength and Rasengan remained intact. He continued his charge, thrusting the deadly sphere towards her midsection. The shinobi killer recovered her weapon in time to retain the advantage of reach, and she blocked the chakra orb with the tip of her spear.
"Die," she repeated, discharging the lightning directly into the Rasengan. His jutsu splintered hers; put enough of the power got through to numb his arm. With a low cracking sound, the combatants flew apart.
Naruto released the Rasengan and drew Kitsune again. He ran towards her again, but as he got close, she touched her glaive to the ground, and said, "Mire."
The dirt around him turned into a thin, grasping mud-pool. Before he became stuck, he leapt forward, expelling chakra from his feet to both break free and to clear the trap. He reached her, and his first swing found her reaction slightly slowed. Still, she blocked the attack, and countered by rotating the pole to sweep Naruto's knees with the back end. He leapt to avoid the strike, and launched a snap kick at her head. Her avoidance was awkward, and he clipped the Sand shield covering her right ear.
"Split," she announced. Naruto was swinging overhand at her head, but she divided, one of her going left, and the other going right. The split Reaper stabbed both high and low, but the ninja was already rolling out of her reach. He regained his feet with a smirk.
"You picked the wrong ninja to play that game with," he informed her, then put his hands together.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!'
Instantly, there were four of the blond youth, and they copied the Reaper. Two teens swung their Kitsune at one the duplicated killer's heads, while the others stabbed towards her stomachs. One of the women avoided both attacks, but the other took the attacks, in exchange for the chance to stab one of the copies in the chest. The shadow clone exploded, but the Reaper's version remained, though she was bleeding from the blow to her head, and gasping from having the wind knocked out of her.
The three remaining Narutos converged on the other Reaper, determined to eliminate the duplicate while the original was reeling. Two aimed for her head, while the third struck at her left thigh to make it harder for her to dodge the other attacks. But the Reaper dropped, allowing the attack on her leg to hit her belly to avoid the blows to the skull. This attack was not enough to destroy the clone, and she spun her glaive up, forcing all three of the blondes to step back.
"Tornado Lock," the ignored original Reaper cast. She nearly caught both Naruto and one of the clones, but the original squeaked out of the cyclone. The shadow was dispersed by the tornado, and the less injured Reaper used distraction to finally eliminate the last clone with another use of her lightning jutsu.
Staggering, the two Reapers reunited, and as Naruto watched, recombined, almost as if zipping herself back together. In the process all her injuries vanished, except the original hit to her left shoulder. As their shoulders met, the right copy lifted her arm, and threw her poleaxe at Naruto like a spear. Not expecting this move, the teen did not dodge completely, and took a deep cut to his left side. He was almost hit again when the glaive was pulled back to merge with its mate.
"I have been underestimating you," she said, shaking her head to clear out the cobwebs of the now healed wound to her uncovered temple, "You might be worth the third marker after all."
"As if!" Naruto shouted, "There's no way I'm losing this time!"
"I have taken your measure, boy."
Naruto didn't answer, he just channeled his chakra into Kitsune, creating the wind chakra blade. The Reaper frowned, not expecting that move.
"How do I measure up now?" the boy took a second to enjoy her reaction, before rushing forward. He was faster than before, channeling his chakra to increase his speed. She thought she had intercepted his attempt to impale her, but Naruto changed his strike at the last instant, cutting into her left forearm, sending a Rain headband and a splash of blood to the earth. The Reaper attempted a counter attack, but he relinquished his two-handed grip, and caught the center point of her glaive with his left hand. She struggled to break free, but thanks to the side effect of the Negative Chakra, she was no longer stronger than Naruto. However, she also refused to give up her weapon. Naruto aimed his now bladed weapon for her neck, but she was able to arc her body to the right, avoiding the attack, and almost twisting her glaive out of Naruto's grip. She stomped his foot, and he finally let go.
Naruto returned his left hand to Kitsune's grip, and swung the air sword diagonally. The Reaper stopped the attack, catching the sword with the staff where Naruto had just been holding. They strained, neither gaining ground. Naruto switched the direction of his force, and the wind charka blade began to scrape along the glaive, towards her right hand. She released, and spun away, turning the dodge into an attack at Naruto's back. He caught the attack, but not before the axe-head cut through the skin and muscle over his right shoulder blade. He pushed her away, and the pair ended up ten feet apart, their weapons pointed at one another.
"Time for level two," Naruto announced, attracting Hinata's attention, even as her kunai severed the tendons in the left elbow of the bandit she was battling. Naruto placed his left hand where Kitsune's blade met its hilt. He slid his hand towards the point, and as he did the extension changed. The solid green wind chakra began to twist and roil, becoming a mass of constantly moving threads.
"Rasenblade!" Naruto proclaimed.
'That was why he had me test it with my Rasengan,' the Hyuga shinobi realized, as she avoided a quarterstaff to the stomach.
Naruto took a step forward, and the Reaper quickly brought up her hands. Cradling her spear against her left arm and breast, she put her hands together to send out another stream of anti-chakra. The teen did not have time to react, but it did not matter. The form of the Rasenblade was permanently imprinted in the Kitsune, making the jutsu more resilient, and so long as he kept up the stream of chakra, the swirling sword remained. And even though the Rasenblade prevented the attack from hitting him, he got the impression it was weaker than her previous uses of the technique.
'Shizune was right,' his confidence grew at the realization.
He completed the gap, swinging Kitsune horizontally. She caught up her glaive, and spun it up, catching the enhanced staff-blade just under the polearm's blade. Her arms shuddered from the effort to keep him in place. Naruto let out a quick roar, and channeled more power into his arms. The blue metal groaned from Naruto's strength and the vibration of the Rasengan weapon. The Reaper brought up her right knee to apply more strength and leverage. Her eye betrayed confidence as she started to push him back.
With the sound of a clear ringing bell, the Rasenblade cleaved thought the glaive, sending the head of the axe-like pole flying. Her defense gone, the turbulent sword lightly bit into her, just below her collarbone, shoulder to shoulder. Bleeding profusely, she tumbled back. She extended her hands, and with a touch of desperation, intoned, "Die."
But the jutsu fizzled. She stumbled back, not understanding. Naruto walked over to her slowly. He stopped just before her, aiming death at the Reaper's heaving chest. But he paused, not able to kill an unarmed and helpless enemy.
"Do it," she ordered, loathing his pity, "Finish what your kind started."
Naruto's pity became tainted with confusion, and the Reaper snarled.
"You killed my fiancé, my family, my friends, and most of my village," she snapped, leaning closer to the glowing blade, "You beat me, raped me, and left me to die in that snow bank."
Naruto lowered his staff-blade, and looked away.
"NARUTO!" Hinata screamed, snapping him out of it. The Reaper had recovered the blade of her broken weapon, and was stabbing straight for his neck. Naruto batted her attack away, and easily slid Kitsune into the killer's chest.
The Reaper of Ninja exploded, and when the smoke cleared, it was one of her outlaws that had been run through. Naruto quickly spun to find her, but to his amazement, all of the eight other people in the camp were the Reaper. Two of them were locked in battle; one was starring at him, hatefully. The remaining five all turned and ran, each taking a different route into the forest.
"Naruto," the Reaper who was staring at him snarled his name, and stalked closer. Naruto raised Kitsune to intercept her; and she froze raising her hands in surrender.
"Naruto, it's me," her angry tone was at odds with the reassuring phase. Similarly, the look in her eye said she wished him death, while her posture said she was worried for him. Then she slowly raised her right hand, and traces of chakra began to circle her palm. Even before the Rasengan had finished forming, Naruto had finally started to understand.
"Hinata?" he asked, and she nodded. Full comprehension hit him like a fist to the gut, and he placed his hands together.
"Release," he said. When nothing happened, he pushed his hands together tighter, and shouted, "RELEASE!"
For an instant, the Reaper's form went hazy, but it quickly returned.
"I can help," the Hinata/Reaper offered, stretching out her now empty right hand. Naruto took it with his left hand, and Hinata laced her fingers with his. Of course, the technique did not require physical contact, but she saw no reason to mention that right now.
"Suigin Byakugan," she incanted, "Absorb."
The shadow left Naruto's eyes, and flew towards Hinata's. But when the Genjutsu struck her mirrored corneas, it shattered and faded away. Naruto could once again see Hinata, and that Sakura was battling the last of the bandits. Sakura finished her opponent with a blow that diverted his sternum into his spinal column. When she turned, and saw two more Reapers, she blinked. Without any difficulties, she released the Genjutsu.
"Where is she?" the lead Kunoichi demanded.
"I saw five of her leaving," Naruto answered.
"They got outside my range before I could activate my Suigin Byakugan," Hinata apologized, "I'm sorry, but I don't know which one was the real one…"
"We should split up and go after her!" Naruto insisted, "If we each take a different path, we have like a fifty-fifty chance of finding the real one."
"No way," Sakura shock her head, "We are not splitting up, period. Besides we have what we came for."
Hinata now extended her left hand, offering him the Leaf headband the Reaper had dropped.
"Thanks, Hinata," he took the artifact back reverently.
"What am I? Chopped liver?" his teammate complained.
"Of course not," he grinned at her, "Thank you both."
When he turned the headband over to tie it on, he saw that a large section of the cloth behind the metal plate had been cut away.
"Now I'll have to have this remounted," he noted, annoyed. When he looked closer, he realized his name had been carved into the back.
"So she wouldn't forget it," he whispered, then more loudly, "Hey, Hinata, how did you know she was going to attack me at the end?"
"During her sob story," Hinata recalled, "She didn't show any sizes of recalling tragic memories. Her breathing and heart rate didn't change. Her outrage was a contrivance. And she started to build up what was left of her chakra."
"I'm sure we'll have to go over this with Lady Tsunade," Sakura interrupted, "So can we just go home now?"
The training partners blanched at the reminder of what awaited them.
As expected, when the trio reached the wall surrounding the Konohagakure, there was someone waiting for them. Anko and Iruka quickly and wordlessly escorted them to the Hokage's office.
After they were seated, Tsunade began to pace angrily in front of them.
"I take it from your late return and that," she stopped, and none to gently flicked the shield on Naruto's forehead, "that you took a little detour on your way back."
They did not speak, but all nodded their heads to indicate she was correct.
"Tell me," she ordered. Naruto and Sakura both started to speak rapidly. As their words ran together, the female Sannin's anger grew, and they managed to take turns.
Tsunade listened as they relayed the events of the last three days. She had already learned the first part from Shizune's missive, but still wanted to hear their version. When they finished, she continued to glare at them.
"Alright," she finally sighed. Her pride had overcome her anger, but she kept her face and tone even, "I suppose you technically have not done anything wrong. And you have probably solved a number of mysterious deaths and failed missions over the last ten years. But you all took an incredible risk, and you should know better. Especially you two."
She pointed at the two Kunoichi, both of whom looked chastised.
"I have the perfect punishment for you two," she grinned, "I've been needing to free up some Jonin for missions. So for the next week or two, you two will be escorting Genin teams on D-Rank missions. Weeding, dog-walking, baby-sitting… I'm sure you both remember those sorts of jobs."
Sakura groaned, and Hinata nodded sadly.
"As for you," the Hokage returned her focus to Naruto, "I'm torn. This was your fault. I'm tempted to forbid you from taking the Chunin exam in September."
Naruto almost leapt from his chair. He had almost forgotten he only had less than two weeks to prepare, but now it might be taken away.
"But you actually listened to Shizune's advice, and were able to overcome an enemy who had previously defeated you."
Her smirk was particularly nasty, "I told Anko and Iruka about your new toy, and they seemed quite interested. So instead of keeping you out of the exam, I'm turning you over to Anko."
Naruto groaned at the thought. After they were dismissed, he found Iruka and Anko were waiting for him. The hard Kunoichi had a disturbingly happy look on her face.
As Naruto dragged himself away from the drubbing, Anko finally allowed herself to wince.
"The little punk is getting really good," she admitted to Iruka. He nodded, jumping down from the tree branch where he had been watching.
"And he's crafted quite the weapon," she recalled its heft and balance.
Mitarashi took a step, but paused with a pain from the shot she taken to the knee. Umino hurried over to her, putting his arm around her to support her. Her face hardened, but when she realized no one was watching, accepted his help.
"I think Hizashi-sensei would be happy with the one who has offered to inherit his weapon style," Iruka suggested.
"Yeah, he would at that," Anko agreed.