(XXVIII) Be Careful on How You Fight

"They're all yours," Haru said as he came at Shuda.

"Come on!" Shuda said removed his jacket and reached for his sword.

The two clashed swords.

...

Elie couldn't help but watch Haru fight Shuda.

"Haru..." Elie said.

"Relax Elie. Haru can take care of that guy," Naruto responded, "He's stronger than he was the first time they battled. Plus he has the Rave of Knowledge."

"I guess you're right," Elie responded.

She turned to see the fat man-known as Poosya-looking at her real close.

"You're a real babe, you know that? Like Lady Reina, only cuter," Poosya said blushing and laughing pervertedly, "Hey, hey, whad'ya say we play doctor?"

"Get away from her, perverted-fatso!" Naruto kicked Poosya away.

"Nice one, Naruto?" Musica laughed, "How about I leave him to you?"

"Sure!" Naruto responded.

"No one gets in between me and my girl! We're menat for each other!" Poosya said.

"The only thing pervs like you are meant to be is beat up," Naruto responded.

"Glue tear!" Poosya yelled as a liquid like substance fired from the stone in his strange hair style.

Naruto dodge it.

"What the heck is this stuff?" Naruto asked.

"Yuck!" Elie yelled as she was covered in the stuff that was sticking her to the ground, "What is this stuff? It's all sticky and gross! And I can't move!"

"This is my Shadow Stone's power: Glue Tear. I can use it to make glue," Poosya explained, "Now what should we do first."

"I said get away from her!" Naruto yelled kicking him away.

...

"I think Naruto has that goon taken care of," Musica responded.

"Goon... searching... one who is foolish or inept..." the other goon name Rugar said.

3... 2... 1...

"Raaaagh! You're going to pay for calling us names!" Rugar yelled aiming his fist.

"Huh?" Musica responded.

Rugar's fist literally fired off his arm and punched Musica.

"Musica!" Elie responded.

Rugar's hand returned to his arm.

"He must be a cyborg or something!" Musica responded.

"Cool!" Naruto responded, "Too bad he's the enemy."

"You never saw a Cyborg before, have you?" Musica asked.

"Nope!" Naruto responded.

"Never call me a goon again. I'm really hurt," Rugar responded.

"You were fine when you didn't know what it was," Naruto responded, "Maybe you should skip on researching what certain nicknames mean."

"Don't give him advice!" Musica yelled, "If I didn't know better, you're just as bad as Haru!"

...

Meanwhile, Haru and Shuda have momentarily stopped.

"You've gotten better," Shuda commented, "This might even be fun..."

"Thanks," Haru responded.

"If not a true challegte of my skills," finished Shuda as he extended his hand, "Vanish field."

All of the sudden it seemed that Haru Plue and Shuda were lifted into mid air by some invisible floor.

"Time to die, boy," Shuda said.

...

Naruto Elie and Musica noticed what just happened.

"Haru's floating?" Elie responded.

"Odd," Naruto responded.

...

"What's going on?" Haru asked.

"A rather appropiate place for a battle, don't you think?" Shuda asked, "Relax, there's a floor. You just can't see it. Stay on the Platform and stay alive. But one false move and you fall to your death. I'll show you exactly why strength means tossing away weakness. I'll show you that you're just as weak as your father was. Then if that Uzumaki kid survive against my top men long enough, I'll show him as well."

"Why are you interested in Naruto?" Haru asked.

"Can't you sense it?" Shuda asked.

"Sense what?"

"That boy has more power than he seems," Shuda said.

"More power than it seems... could he be talking about the fox-demon sealed in Naruto?" Haru thought.

"You seem to have realized something. You see, the way I see it, if it's not as strong as the Etherion or the Rave Stones, then at least beating him will be a pleasure," Shuda said, "But if it is, I might train him to learn how to control that power. Make him my pupil."

"I won't let you touch Naruto! And I won't let you diss my dad when you don't know anything about him!" Haru responded.

"Gale Glory. I know everything about him. He was my friend," Shuda said.

Haru stood there in complete shock as thoughts ran through his head: Was his friend? What does that mean? Was dad… in the Shadow Guard?

Shuda used the moment to kick Haru in the gut.

"Haru, this is why weakness is wrong."

Haru pushed Shuda's foot away and swiped his sword at Shuda with his sword. But Shuda was able to block his attack and swipe back.

"Just one word can get you this shaken up," Shuda explained. "But where do you think that anxiety leads you?"

Shuda extended his arm which confused Haru.

"Death!" Shuda said as an explosion occur around Haru.

"Agh!"

"So how does it feel to be blown up? My Shadow Stone's more focused than the explosion from your sword." Shuda explained. "As long as I know the spatial coordinates, I can make a blast anywhere I like."

"Space?" Haru asked.

"Yes. My range of attacks reaches to any space I'm familiar with. I recognize these coordinates. In other words, I'm already familiar with this space," Shuda said keeping his hand extended. "Now for the really big explosion. Like this!"

Haru was caught in another explosion. Unfortunatey the explosion send Haru off the invisible edge. Haru manage to grab onto the ledge with one hand at the last second.

"Is that all you got?" Shuda asked. "Then watch your friends die. Accept how weak and helpless you really are." Shuda aimed at the aircraft bellow.

"N-no! Stop it!" Haru yelled.

Unaware their lives was endanger, Elie was trying to get out of her own sticky situation as Naruto and Musica dealt with their foes.

"Hey! I told you to get away from her!" Naruto said as he punched Poosya away as he tried to get close to Elie again.

Just then the area around Elie exploded. "Yaaaaaagh!" Elie screamed before collapsing

"Uh—what just happened?" Naruto asked.

Just then the area around Musica exploded.

"Hey! What's going on?" Naruto demanded before another explosion set off around him.

"What are you doing, Master Shuda?" Poosya yelled. "That was my girlfriend!"

"Would you shut up!" Naruto came down from above and punched Poosya.

Naruto was banged up but rather okay.

"No way! How are you still alive!" Poosya turned to where Naruto was at to see a piece of rubble that were still on the aircraft.

"You guys really shouldn't go attacking one at a time," Naruto said. "It gave me time to use the Substitution jutsu at the last moment."

"Interesting," Rugar said. "That boy was able to avoid Master Shuda's Ballettanzer Zeffrea Shadow Stone. Not many people could do that."

"Naruto, how's Elie?" Musica asked.

Naruto checked Elie. "She's unconscious but alive."

"That's good," Musica said.

Unaware, Musica's tattoo of the Musica family was visible through his tattered clothes. Unfortunately Rugar did noticed it.

"Check it out Poosya," Rugar said.

"Yeah. She's cuter than Lady Reina." Poosya said.

"Not her, him!"

"The blondie?"

"No the other guy!" Rugar responded. "Remember that gang that attacked our troops? He's their leader, Musica."

"Whoa! Imagine the promotion if we take him down."

"No more being bossed around by Shuda."

"Heh… heh… And I'll get one step closer to Lady Reina! All right. That kid's going down."

"I think I can take him by myself. But there's a chance that blonde kid would intervene. If we work together… we'll wipe the floor with both of them."

"Heh, heh, heh."

"Ah, Musica, I think they're teaming up on us," Naruto said.

"Man, this is getting old," Musica said. "Let's finish this, Naruto."


A/N: Well I was hoping for a miracle over night but no such luck. Last month's poll ended in a three way tie between 'The Legacy of Athena and Hermes: The Battle of the Labyrinth' 'The Son and Nephew of the Maurders: The Prisoner of Azkaban' and 'Rave Master Naruto'. Normally I act as a tie breaker in ties, but unfortunately I couldn't decide on which of the three to work on. So I decided to try my best to update all three this month.

Thanks for reading and PLEASE check out this month's new poll. The Theme is Heroes that are normally the criminals or bad guys. Every story on the poll has one or more main character that is a criminal or was a bad guy in the original or started off that way before turning good, or is seen as such by other characters (such as Pirates).