Konoha's Arena.
Though it was the first half of the January and usually during this time, Arena was pretty much empty and deserted, today was not the case. The news of Date Masamune's decision have spread like wildfire in a forest doused in gasoline, with the population of Konoha in its entirety soon learning about what had transpired in the Fujiwara Mansion, and what was going to happen. Naturally, such an event attracted a great number of interested people that wished to observe and see for themselves, who was going to become the next heir to Fujiwara Clan.
Not only Uzumaki Clans, but also near the entirety of the Clans of Konoha, including Uchiha, Hyuuga and others, have come to the arena, along with quite a number of the civilians and non-Clan Shinobi. Surprisingly, many children and students from the Academy have also arrived to witness what was going to happen here, though Masamune and some other Uzumaki questioned the need for Hokage and the Council declaring today as a holiday for students. It appeared as if the man wished for as many people to be here as possible, probably believing that his children would be victorious in this event and that it would restore his and Kushina's reputation. At least that was what Masamune and other Uzumaki had thought of it, and this line of thought wasn't something they concerned themselves with, for they had their own things to think about.
As for the Clans, most wished to see Naruto in real action and fight, to see if they were right in trying to get the boy into their Clan. If they were correct, then they wished that the boy would actually lose the fight in favor of one of the twins or the Oda Princess, since it would give them a chance of getting him in their own hands. Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shikaku Nara and quite a few others wished to get Naruto and were willing to even go as far stealthily help the twins, but Date Masamune, or rather, Katakura Kojuro, took every single precaution and made sure that there would be no interference from other Clans. The combatants were right now placed in three separate rooms, with only their closest people helping them to prepare for the fight, while others were filling in the seats.
The Uzumaki Clans, along with Uchihas, were here to actually see Naruto dominate the twins, as well as to see how Oda Nobuna would act in this accord. Date Masamune already had predicted the outcome and he knew how she would act, with many of the Uzumaki leaders guessing it as well, while Uchiha Clan was here to show support to Naruto. Mikoto saw the kid as nothing short of her own godson and loved him as such, and despite how her youngest son seemed to have grown to dislike him out of petty pride and envy, she was here with many of her fellow clansmen to see how he will make his siblings pay for being such horrid persons.
Many others, such as Civilians and even some nobles from the Capital that were here due to trade businesses, have come here to actually make some money and bet on who will take the win. For them, this was just like the Chuunin Exams and they were going to treat it as they usually did, as a way to relax, watch children fight for the crowd's entertainment and let them make the public their money. As for the general Shinobi populace, who weren't associated with any of the Clans, some were here to see how the kids would perform and to make sure they didn't get too hurt, while others were actually interested in seeing if the rumors about Naruto Minamoto being stronger than his twin Jinchuriki siblings are true or false.
Masamune and many of the other Uzumaki Clan Heads observed the arena starting to fill up. Just as he had anticipated, the population of Konoha wasn't going to let such a moment pass without witnessing it, and Minato has made good work on making sure that as many people as possible got to see it. It was clear to them that he wanted to make it look as good as possible for his family, to wash away the shame and disgrace it had previously received. Tamekage Nagao observed the arena and the populace filling it, before letting out a grunt and speaking out.
"These people call us barbarians and brutes, for following our traditions and remaining true to our ideals. They ridicule us for wearing armor and employing techniques and methods of work that they consider to be beneath them and dishonest, yet do not stop to consider how effective they are. And these are the same people that enjoy seeing children tearing each other apart for the crowd's amusement…" Tamekage said with disdain in his voice, before turning to Masamune. "Why have you decided to indulge them, Masamune? What's the point in all of this?"
"It isn't for the sake of the crowd, Tamekage. It's for the sake of Naruto, as well as for Kushina and her family." Masamune answered, with Tamekage not understanding what he means. "Konoha needs to see what Naruto truly is, to fully dispel any rumor or hearsay about him. It is time that the populace and the Clan Heads really saw what the boy is made out of, and for Naruto to let loose a little, to show his claws and teeth."
"Alright, but what about Kushina and her family?" Tamekage asked of Masamune.
"This is to show them that before the real Uzumaki, they are nothing more than arrogant dogs that bark against someone who is above them in power and status." Masamune stated to Tamekage, who was now understanding his friend. "This is going to be the humbling experience for them."
"You are quite confident that Natsu and Narumi will lose in this fight. You do realize that they will most likely team up against Naruto, and together, they might have a chance against him." Mogami Yoshiaki commented on Masamune's confidence. "And don't forget, there is Oda Nobuna as well, and I doubt that she will miss her chance to strike at Naruto. That is, if she wants to be the Fujiwara heiress."
"I believe it is pretty obvious already for all of us what choice she will make." Yoshihisa Shimazu, a middle-aged looking man with dark brown long hair made into a ponytail and grey eyes, spoke up. "The young Tigress of Oda has grown quite friendly with Naruto over the past months. Iehisa and Toshihisa even speculated that this was intentional on your part, Masamune."
"The only intention I have is for Fujiwara to have a strong and capable heir that can lead it after I am incapable of it." Masamune stated to Shimazu Clan Head, who nodded to him. "Their friendship is product of their own efforts. The only thing I can say I did was provide the interest for the two to meet that is all.
"Still, while I do not doubt Oda Nobuna's abilities, will Naruto be capable of fighting off both of his siblings at the same time, should the need arise? He was put out of action for a rather lengthy amount of time, and needed to recover after it." Tsunashige Hojo asked spoke out loud. "He might be getting in a little way over his head, so to speak."
"On that note, Tsunashige, I can personally say that Naruto will have little to no trouble fending off both of them, even if they get smart and decide to attack at the same time." Tamekage spoke up again, looking at the arena. "My daughter and I happened had happened to witness one of the training sessions Naruto had with Tomoe Minamoto. I will spare you the details and simply say that the woman is certainly worthy of being called a Minamoto, and that I nearly had stop Kagetora from joining. She was so inspired by their performance that she had spent the better part of next week pushing herself further than she did before."
"If your daughter was that impressed, than that means that we are in for a good show, for as long as it lasts." Tsunashige commented, before he and others have noticed how they were about to be joined by some unexpected guests. "Lord Masamune, it would seem your ward is returning, with some company."
"So it would seem, Tsunashige." Masamune agreed with him, before looking at the girl in question. "Karin, you seem to have picked up some company on your back here." Masamune spoke to the girl he had saved from Kusagakure all those months ago.
Since then, Karin had become a ward of Date Masamune, which made her an apprentice to Masamune, who was charged with training and teaching her about the Uzumaki culture, teachings and all that more. Back when the Uzumaki Nation still existed, the practice of sending wards from one clan to another was a common one, used to build up trust and friendly relations between the Clans, as well as ensure continued trust and good relations between them. Wards were always to be treated with respect and care by the Clan that receives them, and if they are seen as not having reached maturity, they are to be trained and prepared by those that received them. Date Masamune himself was a ward of Minamoto Clan, where he was cared and taught by Mito Minamoto, leading to him building such a strong bond with the woman.
In these times, Karin wasn't much of ward as she was an unofficially adopted daughter to Masamune, for it was clear that there weren't either Minamoto or Takeda Clans left since the sacking of Uzu and following years. Karin was currently the only known member of the two Clans and one that was of the main lines, making her a de-facto Head of both, though that wasn't going to be acknowledged until she was recognized as a mature enough to take charge of them. Until then, Karin was placed under the care of Fujiwara Clan, with Masamune and his clan caring for her as if she was one of their own.
With the help of Fujiwara, Karin was able to heal all of the damage that was done to her body by Kusagakure, with scars having already mostly faded away, while her weakened and thinned body was regaining mass and strength. Her psyche was also healing, though not as fast as her body, but she was no longer suffering from nightmares about the past tortures, and she was able to move past her previous shyness and show her Uzumaki temper, though that didn't make her into a bully. Overall, Karin Takeda, as she was now called, was far better off than if she were if she had remained in the Kusagakure, and she still thanked the gods for Masamune coming to save her. Now she had a good life, friends and a future, all things that she could only dream for in the past.
She looked up to Masamune, before speaking up.
"There is some Chuunin that wants to speak to you, Lord Masamune. He claims that unless you hear him out, he will storm here himself and make you listen to him, or something like that." Karin told Masamune, who let out an amused chuckle. "Personally, I think he is trying to make it look like he is a big shot or something, when in reality, he is just not all that impressive, really."
"I'll see for myself if he is serious business or not. Thanks for bringing him here, Karin. You can take your place with other kids." Masamune nodded to her and moved towards the scarred Chuunin, speaking up to him. "My ward told me that you wished to talk to me."
"Yes, I did, Lord Masamune." The man told to him, with his tone clearly indicating that he was mad at the man for something. "I am here to demand that you stop this entire nonsense at once!"
"Pardon? Could you elaborate on that?" Masamune was a little surprised by the tone of the man and also how he demanded something of him. "And who are you to make such a demand from me? I don't recall you being either one of the Elders on the Council, or even a Head of one of the Clans."
"I am Iruka Umino, and I am one of the instructors at the Shinobi Academy, and I am in charge of Taijutsu training of the children there." Iruka introduced himself to Masamune. "I have had months to see just how good Natsu and Narumi are, and all I have to say to you is that you are sending Naruto and that girl to be beaten to half death by them."
"And why are you telling me that? Is this some kind of attempt to make me choose one of them as my successor?" Masamune asked of him, with Iruka shaking his head.
"No, I am trying to save Naruto from once again ending up in a hospital, as well as to prevent that girl from being hurt by Narumi and Natsu." Iruka told Masamune. "Those two… Ever since Naruto had showed his skills and since their status as heroes had been revoked, they've become uncontrollable, almost dangerous for others. During the training spars, no one seems to last as long as minute against either of them, and they almost always fight as if trying to nearly kill their opponent. Lord Masamune, I saw what they can do, and that is why I demand that you stop this fight. Those two don't stand a chance."
"And on what do you base this statement? If this is solely based on the combat performance of the twins when compared to the other kids their age, then you've clearly not taken into an account what Naruto and Oda Nobuna can do." Masamune noted to him. "I believe it is widely known, by now, that Naruto was trained by Tomoe Uchiha for years now."
"Yet he does not attend the Academy, nor was he ever trained by his parents and at the Academy." Iruka told Masamune. "Tomoe Uchiha isn't Lord Hokage and your daughter, and since Naruto and that girl do not attend the Academy, then they clearly do not have any idea about even the basics about combat."
"Your perception is clearly flawed, Umino Iruka, if you think that Tomoe Uchiha and Oda Clan have insufficiently trained their charges." Masamune told him, before turning and preparing to head back. "It is clear to me that you won't listen to me, and I won't listen to you, so it is pointless to continue this conversation. If you wish, you can always just leave and not watch what is about to happen."
"I wasn't finished!" Iruka grabbed Masamune by his shoulder, but before he was able to do anything, Kojuro's blade was already at his throat, forcing him to release Masamune.
"You may not be finished, but I am. This fight will happen, and even if I were to stop this one, it would only delay the inevitable." Masamune told the man before leaving him with Kojuro.
"What is he even talking about?" Iruka asked out loud.
"He is talking about a fight between Naruto and his siblings." Kojuro simply told him. "And Umino Iruka? I've observed how you train your students and teach them in the Academy, and I must say that you are making them a massive disservice with your sugar coating. Your toning down of the reality of what is out there will only serve to have those children killed in the future."
"They are just children, innocent and not ready for the world outside. Do the Uzumaki turn their young into murderers and maniacs once they are capable of standing on their feet?" Iruka asked with anger of Kojuro.
"No, we simply explain to them the reality of the world, how the majority of the Shinobi and Daimyo wish to see the Uzumaki gone for good. And then we prepare them so that they can survive past their immaturity." Kojuro told Iruka. "I have a son, Shigenaga, he is a year older than Naruto, and already, he can wield a sword his size, hunt, make a camp and cook his meals, not to mention read, write and even make needed tools out of surrounding material. Do you know why I taught my son all of this, despite him being just 8 years old?"
"Because you want him to be as great a warrior as you are?" Iruka asked of him.
"I want him to live into his twilight years and have a family of his own, something that was denied of my older sons, Kagekatsu and Katsunaga." Kojuro revealed to Iruka, shocking him immensely at how calmly this man was talking about his dead sons. "They both died during the sacking of Uzu, along with most of their families, while my grandchildren died during the years after our escape, having been killed by Shinobi. I personally hunted down and killed those that took my family away from me, yet it didn't bring them back, and now all I have is Shigenaga, a boy who lives in the world where Uzumaki are not welcome anymore."
"I'm sorry, I didn't know…" Iruka told Kojuro.
"Your belief that the Uzumaki Clans and those that we produce are incapable of surviving in this world is wrong, Iruka Umino." Kojuro told him, before preparing to leave. "Those that made it here are those that have learned best how to survive in this hostile world, and who have no illusions about it. I suggest you teach your charges that in this world, there are no heroes, and that being a Shinobi isn't about playing one. It is about surviving and enduring, as is stated in the kanji used for that word." With that said Kojuro left Iruka alone, before making his way to Masamune.
"You sure had a lot of things to tell that poor fellow, Kojuro." Masamune noted.
"I have observed his training and teaching methods, and I found their ineffectiveness rather disturbing. I sought to help him improve his teaching methods, in order to increase the chances of those students surviving and succeeding in the future." Kojuro explained to Masamune why he did what he had done, with Date Lord nodding to him. "However, from what I had observed, the entire teaching staff can be charged with misconduct, for they act little better than Iruka."
"If we were to go by our own standards, then I would be all for having them court martialed, but this is Konoha, Kojuro. This place has always had its own ideals and illusions about its superiority." Masamune reminded to Kojuro. "Much like Uzu, before it was invaded. Remember how we used to believe in our own safety?"
"Our safety was assured by defenses, natural barriers and Onmyodo magic that was used to strengthen it. Had it not been for…" Kojuro saw that his Lord wished not to be reminded of what, or rather who, had caused the destruction of Uzu's defenses. "Our belief was founded on facts and actions, my lord, with solid foundation. Konoha's beliefs are founded on their luck of never being directly invaded, and not suffering the same losses as their enemies did, or rather covering up their flops whenever they appeared, or writing them off as accidents. That and many other things."
"True, but we don't have time for such a discussion, do we?" Masamune told him with a grin, with Kojuro nodding to him.
"No, we don't, my Lord. It is about time to start the event." Kojuro told him, with Masamune preparing to begin the fight.
Earlier. Naruto's preparation room.
Tomoe watched her adoptive son finish putting on the protective garbs she had gotten to him, having changed out of the warm clothes and into these. Though it was January and winter was in full swing, the Arena was heated enough so as to make it seem like was still summer, a courtesy of the heat system installed in it, as well as Uzumaki seals that made warmth remain for much longer periods of time. Thanks to that, the ring itself was clear of snow and dry, as well as warm enough to not warrant warm clothing, something that would make the children move too slowly and not well enough, although after countless hours of training snow, rain, heat and cold, Naruto could fight equally well in any condition he was put into.
Tomoe could personally attest to that, as she had put all she had into first training, then retraining him, and then again training Naruto in a more advance stuff. And just like she was used to, Naruto didn't stop surprising Tomoe with both how quickly he could learn things and how fast he could put what he learned into practical use. It took him only a month to regain forgotten skills and restore his physical prowess, a progress that surprised Tomoe to no end, along with the enthusiasm and passion at which he trained and learned. This was something new for Tomoe, to see her adoptive son so interested and immersed in training, for before he did train dedication and persistence, but never with enthusiasm and passion. She understood that this was influenced by the fact that now Naruto had a clear and obvious goal to achieve, something that he needed to work hard to get.
He had the stronger motivation than before, and Naruto didn't waste his time and efforts, putting his newfound energy into advancing his training with Tomoe. Tomoe saw clearly that now Naruto was practically on overdrive and decided to push him as hard as possible, to see the clear limit of his abilities and talent, and Naruto didn't disappoint her. After she retrained him to the point where they were before the incident, Tomoe moved directly towards training with weapons, but not before first trying to find out which weapon was best suited for Naruto, and there Naruto surprised her again, for they found out that Naruto had no favorite weapon, so to speak.
Turned out that Naruto was equally capable with any weapon he picked up and used for a fight, and he had a born talent in wielding them. Naruto seemed to be capable of mastering whatever weapon he trained with in record time, even by the standards of Tomoe. It took him weeks to learn and master what it took years for others, even prodigies, and Naruto was clearly a prodigy among those. It was as if he was born with an innate ability to use any weapon to its best capacity, something that confused both Tomoe and Naruto, at first at least. After a consultation with Amagi, it became clear that this was actually one of the gifts of Naruto's divine mother, Parvati, or rather, her Warrior Goddess aspect, Durga, known for her mastery of every known and unknown weapon in existence. She seemed to have gifted a similar ability to Naruto, which explained Naruto's ability to master weapons like that.
With Naruto's newly uncovered ability and his enthusiasm, Tomoe went on ahead to train Naruto in every type of weapons she herself had mastered and knew how to utilize, which were quite numerous for a Shinobi. Swords, spears, daggers, axes, maces, naginata, bow and arrows, kusarigama, scythes- all that and more was what Naruto was learning to master over the months leading to this fight, and thanks to his persistence, utilization of Shadow Clones and just sheer talent, Naruto advanced by leaps and bounds, and that's not to mention his training in other areas. Tomoe didn't forget to train Naruto in Taijutsu and Genjutsu, as well as Ninjutsu, which Naruto was mastering just as he did before and applied with excellent results. Overall, Tomoe could honestly say that Naruto had advanced to the point where she was certain that Natsu and Narumi were woefully outmatched against Naruto.
Still, that didn't mean Tomoe or Naruto would lower their guards when faced with the two, since it would be simply foolish, and both understood that the twins weren't sitting idly. It is only natural that they would advance their training and skills as well, and Tomoe knew for certain that Minato had increased the amount of training, having included in the training process Kakashi Hatake, after it was finally discovered that Toads were dead and Jiraiya was officially proclaimed dead as well. The news weren't anything new to Tomoe, since she had heard about it all months prior from Amagi, but the fact that Konoha learned about it only two months ago had sent shockwaves through the Council and the family of Minato.
He lost both his teacher and his summons, rendering Konoha more vulnerable than ever before, as with the death of Jiraiya, his entire spy network had disintegrated, given the fact that he left no definitive successor or instructions in case he ever got killed. In this situation, the spy networks of Uzumaki Clans became now even more vital than before, and it gradually became clearer than before that Konoha's Council needed to maintain good relations with them, and that Clans' earlier attitude towards them was not acceptable. Minato and Konoha needed a strong bond with the Clans, and if one of Minato's kids were to become the heir of Masamune, it would go a long way to improving relations between Konoha and Uzumaki Clans. Not to mention that this would mean that once Masamune had stepped down or had died, the Fujiwara Clan would fully fall under the control of Minato and Kushina, through their child. Everyone realized what was at stake today, and Konoha and Minato wanted and needed to see one of the twins succeed, and that meant that Naruto would have to lose at any cost.
Tomoe realized that and she warned Naruto that he would have to be ready for anything that the twins might bring against him, telling him that they would most likely unite against him and try to overwhelm him. They had a solid chance to succeed, if the Oda Princess were to lend them a helping hand…
"Do not assume that this will be an honorable fight, forget the very concept of it for today. The twins will focus their full attention on you, and while you may be able to repel them, it is Nobuna that you must be worried about." Tomoe was giving Naruto her instructions, as he was finishing up. "Unlike the twins and even you, she has seen real combat and knows how to fight. If she is smart, and she definitely, she will use the opportunity to strike at you while you are focused on Narumi and Natsu."
"Out of all my opponents today, Mom, Oda Nobuna is the least of my concerns." Naruto told her, with Tomoe giving him a disapproving look. "She won't attack me, I know that."
"Naruto, you two may be friends, but that means nothing out there on the arena. This is basics of combat, Naruto: strike at your opponent when he least expects it. Remind me, wasn't that one of the first things I taught you?" Tomoe reminded him. "If anything, she could use your friendship to make you lower your guard around her, and then strike at you when you've relaxed. This is what I would do if I were put in her shoes, and this is what her father would do."
"Oda Nobuhide, the Tiger of Owari?" Naruto asked, fixing up the belt on his attire, with Tomoe nodding to him. "I didn't know you've crossed paths with him in the past."
"I didn't, but the man made a name for himself during the sacking of Uzu and beyond. At Okehazama, in his home province of Owari, the man ambushed an army numbering 25 thousand while they were celebrating their first easy victories after the landfall, with just 3 thousand of his own. Only six thousand had managed to escape alive, and only because they were far enough from the main battle, while the rest were slaughtered or scattered throughout the province, only to later be put to the sword." Tomoe told Naruto. "The Oda Princess surely knows about it, and she will clearly try and attack you when you won't expect it. Maintain constant vigilance when you go out there."
"Mom, believe me, Nobuna will not attack me." Naruto told her, with Tomoe letting out a tired sigh.
"And how can you tell that she won't try and strike at you?" Tomoe asked of him.
"She's an Uzumaki, that's one. She called me Genji when we last spoke, that's two." Naruto counted to her. "And three- she knows military strategy and she knows what I can do. She'll count her odds and make the right decision, based on what she sees." Tomoe thought about what Naruto told her, and she managed to see sense in what he meant.
"Alright, but do stay on your toes when you go out there. I do not want you getting sloppy and full of yourself. And most importantly, Naruto: do not lose control of yourself." Tomoe told him with utter seriousness, with Naruto looking directly in her eyes. "I know that look, and I don't need to have your telepathy to know what you want to do. I am not telling you to forget about revenge, I don't. I am telling you to pull that anger from your brain and direct into your heart, better it pumps more of your blood into body than messes with your head. Let the twins lose their cool and start making mistakes, then you can take them down."
"That was actually the plan." Naruto told Tomoe, flexing a little and getting the feel of his suit. "Hm, I expected it to be heavier, given how you had me work with the weights this time. Pretty maneuverable, and doesn't constrict any movements or circulation of blood… But it doesn't look like Konoha's style. Where did you get it?"
"From my house, where else? This is one of Uzumaki Shinobi uniforms that they utilized when they needed to, as Mito said, make an impression. She said that this one was inspired by the apparels of Shinobi from Iga Province, masters of arsons and diversions. I've had the apparel stripped of the heavier parts of armor that it had, so as to not make it too heavy for you, and there you go." Tomoe told him. "It was originally my working garb, when I was out on the missions, but since I retired… I decided it would be a waste if it were to continue collecting dust. You can keep it, son."
"Thanks, Mom." Naruto smiled to her, before looking at the watch on the wall, and seeing the arrow in the clock reach the mark. "It's time. I better get go there." Naruto turned to walk towards the ring, until he was stopped by Tomoe, who hugged him from behind, slightly surprising Naruto.
"Whatever happens, you should know, that I am proud of you, Naruto, and that I know that you will win." Tomoe turned him to face her smiling face. "Now go out there and show the whole of Konoha how a real Uzumaki does battle."
"With pleasure." Naruto showed Tomoe his own grin, before moving out of the chambers and towards the ring, with Tomoe following behind and heading towards the seats.
It didn't take long for Naruto to reach entrance in to the rings itself, and as he saw the crowd gathering above on the stands, he steeled himself and walked out, shielding his eyes a little from the sun. Once he did step on the ground, he marched towards the center of the ring, noticing that Natsu and Narumi were already there and waiting for the match to begin. They were wearing their training apparels, Uzumaki inspired ones, with their colors matching the ones that their hair possessed, though lacking much in the practical usage. Why they did have wrist and leg protections, their torso and upper sections of legs and arms were exposed, while Naruto's black apparel with red lines did hide a chainmail underneath, with steel lamellar gauntlets and leg protection. Plus a head protector that covered all of his forehead and cheekbones, with a face protector that could be put above his lower half of the face, and Naruto had every bit of protection he could need.
While the chainmail and plated did weigh more than your normal clothing did, Naruto was comfortable with the weight and had no complaints about, since he did learn how to work with lots of weights. This served to strengthen his muscles and build up endurance and stamina, which would allow Naruto to fight harder and longer than before, plus it also served to prepare him for the time when he would start wearing armor. He was going to have his own armor and it would be prudent and good to learn how to wear and move in it, as well as fight in it. Tomoe was only happy to accommodate her adopted son and trainee, and unlike with Kushina, she never held back for his sake, showing him what real care and love looked in her eyes. She didn't cuddle him, she steeled him, nor did downplay anything, she revealed all as it were in reality, unlike with Kushina. It could be called cruel and traumatizing, but what Tomoe did was simply what was necessary and Naruto knew, that the harder she was on him, easier it would be in real life when he got to fighting. Tough love, as they say, but to Naruto, this was real love from one of his mothers.
As he was approaching the center of the arena, he saw Nobuna also making her way to them, wearing a black light lamellar suit of armor and a red cape behind her. She certainly knew how to make an impression, as Naruto had thought, and he noted that the armor wasn't hindering her movements in the slightest. Nobuna moved just as easily as she did in her normal clothes, and this meant that she was used to wearing it and was far more comfortable fighting in it than without it. Naruto would've been surprised if he had saw otherwise. Nobuna did give him a glance, with her eyes not saying a thing to him, but there really was no need for words or signs. All was decided before and they knew it.
Just as the two reached the center of the arena, Natsu arrogantly spoke up.
"What's with the outfits, are you afraid of getting bruised? Real Shinobi don't need some stupid armor, when they can use Jutsu and just evade attacks." Natsu told them in an arrogant fashion.
"Are those the same Shinobi that get killed by kunai and shuriken when they strike a little too deep?" Oda Nobuna asked of him, with Natsu glaring at her. "And are those same Shinobi a little too fragile to handle a couple of pounds of extra weight? Just because we wear this doesn't mean we are afraid of getting bruised and a little bloodied. If anything, we can take it."
"Yet you still choose to wear all this metal, giving us a clear advantage in maneuverability." Narumi noted with a cocky smile.
"Is that so?" Naruto asked of her in a sarcastic manner, before putting on his face protector, with a chuckle following after that. "Whatever makes you sleep better, Narumi." Naruto's reply was enough to earn her a scowl from him.
"Just you wait, Naruto. This time, you won't be getting out of this one unscathed. This time, we'll make you pay for turning your back on us and our mother." Narumi told him with menace in her voice. "This time, we've got a full permission from her to make you suffer. You will regret ever turning your back on us, and then we'll make Mito sorry for every speaking out against us." Naruto could sense that they were telling him the truth and that Kushina really did order them to make him suffer.
"We'll see who's going to suffer today. And this time, I've got no reason to hold back." Naruto told them.
"Oh, is that so? Good, because I am itching to actually see what pitiful moves you've got." Natsu revealed to him a predatory smile. "We've been training harder than ever before, and if you think we'll be as easy to deal as back in the summer, then you are in for a really nasty surprise, former brother. This time, whatever training, style or surprise you may have on your side, it won't do you any good. This time, we will break you for good."
"Are you three done talking?" Oda Nobuna asked out loud, as she pointed towards Masamune, preparing to announce the match, with all four of them turning face the man.
"Today is the day when the fate of Fujiwara Clan is decided, once and for all. Today, the next head of the Clan will be revealed in an honorable combat. There are four contenders, but only one will walk away as a victor, while the others will taste defeat." Masamune spoke, using chakra to amplify the sound of his voice. "Combatants, are you ready for the fight?"
"Yes!" All four answered.
"This fight is a battle royal, where one must fight and defeat others, and where there are no definitive allies. The last fighter standing will be the victor, but there will be no deaths." Masamune explained to them. "To defeat other combatants, you must force them to surrender, knock them out or deprive them of ability to fight. Minor injuries and traumas are acceptable, as are Jutsu and weapons, but if one kills another, then the killer is disqualified without a second thought. Is that clear?"
"Yes!"
"Good. Before the sight of men and Gods, this battle may begin!" Masamune announced and all four jumped away from each other and assumed stances for the fight.
Naruto observed as Natsu and Narumi were moving a little closer to each other, carefully making every step, yet showing that they weren't going to attack one another. This was clear for Naruto, as was clear that their intent was to strike together, unite and overwhelm Naruto from two sides and force him on the back foot. He could also sense that they believed that Nobuna was also going to jump at the opportunity to strike Naruto when he is focused on them. All of this was exactly what Naruto had anticipated from them, and he could tell that they had planned this out even before the fight, with Kushina most likely being the mastermind behind this strategy. Now it looked like she has had enough of Naruto's defiance and wished to see him punished for defying her in so many ways.
Just as Naruto was contemplating that, Natsu and Narumi had finally ended their movement towards one another, and then darted off their spots and moved right towards Naruto, coming at him from two sides. Kunai flashed in their right hands and as they've synchronized their approach so as to make it impossible for Naruto to strike both of them at the same time. Naruto readied himself, prepared to take on his siblings, showing to them both that he was observing and watching as they were coming towards him, alternating in watching either Natsu or Narumi, seemingly showing that he was getting nervous. In reality, Naruto was simply waiting for who would make the first move and strike at him, because then he would know whom he would have to fight against first, and his hunch was that Natsu would be the bolder and more impatient of the two and strike at him.
His hunch proved to be the right one as Natsu accelerated and with a roar he brought up his kunai to thrust right at Naruto. Naruto turned and faced his brother head on, as he thrusted his weapon directly at Naruto's stomach, only for the target to evade the strike, before catching the hand with the blade, blocking it from movement. Natsu saw it and immediately tried to punch Naruto in the face, but Naruto caught his hand as well and didn't allow Natsu to move them. It was then that Natsu showed Naruto his smirk and spoke up.
"Hah, fool. Did you really think we would play by the rule?" Natsu asked him in cocky manner, with Naruto not even showing surprise, because he already knew what was going to happen in the next second.
Natsu thought that he would be able to either get through Naruto's defense and strike him, or that he would prove to be a sufficient enough decoy to diver Naruto's attention away from Narumi. Naruto didn't even need his telepathy to know of it, and he allowed his brother and sister to claim that tactical victory, as he engaged Natsu and was now preoccupied with holding him in place. This allowed Narumi to close the distance and get behind Naruto, preparing to strike him either in his back or the back of his head with her kunai. She was now mere centimeters away from dealing a critical blow to Naruto and possibly even killing him, and while Naruto could maneuver and evade, he would be giving Natsu a chance to strike at him. No, Naruto was going to risk it, for he needed to show to Konoha something that they weren't going to forget…
…And that something came to the sights of all that watched with anticipation, when Narumi's face was punched with all the force that could be put by Nobuna in her right fist. The power of that attack and the fact that Narumi was in mid rush, unable to stop herself if she, meant that she was sent practically flying to Naruto's right. The blonde girl was thrown off her feet and rolled several times on the ground before stopping, while Nobuna simply looked at Narumi and smirked. The reaction of the majority of the audience was a complete shock and surprise at the fact that Oda Nobuna had decided to defend Naruto, and didn't seem even interested in strike him. Kushina and Minato looked in shock and disbelief at the Oda Princess, not being able to comprehend what had just happened. But the Uzumaki were able to see what this meant, for this was something that they actually approved of seeing. And as Nobuna took her position near Naruto, Kagetora Nagao, daughter to Tamekage, who share the same color of eyes and hair, with Kagetora having long ones, spoke up with pride.
"This is the way." The 9 year old girl said with a smile, with her father nodding.
"This is the way." He repeated, before he turned and faced smiling face of Date Masamune. "Was this your goal all along, Dragon of Fujiwara?"
"What do you think, Dragon of Echigo?" Masamune asked of him, what he thought of it.
"I think that you've succeeded in what you've planned. They are both now seen by us as Uzumaki, both Naruto and Nobuna." Tamekage stated to him, as he could see the looks on other Uzumaki, all of which had approval in their eyes. "This wasn't about the choosing a new Heir. This was about them being Uzumaki, and of Naruto being accepted as one, wasn't it?"
"It was." Masamune admitted to Tamekage, who smiled, just as they've watched things unfold on the grounds of arena.
Just Narumi had hit the ground and rolled, Natsu observed it happen and his face betrayed the shock and surprise, as well as showed that he forget just in what position he currently was. Naruto's eyes picked up on that and now he found his moment to act and strike. No more hesitation, no more excuses and no holding back, only attack and break his opponent. In a swift motion, Naruto sent his brother's arms in opposite directions, opening up his torso for attack, an opening that Naruto used to extreme effect.
Just Natsu realized that his arms were no long constricted from moving, Naruto's right fist landed on his ribs, forcing Natsu to exhale with pain. Next second, and now left fist found Natsu's chest and landed on them, making Natsu buckle and try to move away. Naruto didn't let him, though, as his foot stomped Natsu's foot and held him in place long enough to land another punch in the gut, making Natsu double over and try to clutch his stomach. Naruto wasn't going to allow him to do so, as he grabbed his former brother by his hair and then punched him in the face with his knee, forcing the boy to straighten up. And then, using the moment of confusion, Naruto delivered a spinning kick right to Natsu's jaw, sending him hurling to his right and landing in much the same position as Narumi.
The crowd was in shock, both at the brutality of Naruto, as well as his effortless execution of the combination, which was something that the Shinobi could clearly see. This wasn't a fluke of luck or an untrained move, but a calculated, near instinctual thing, something that only a trained fighter could execute with such precision. Naruto used the moment of confusion Natsu was having and then attacked, a text book moment that he executed, exploiting it the best. Now all of doubts were dashed away and it was clear: Naruto Minamoto was seriously trained in Taijutsu, trained by Tomoe Uchiha, for those that knew could recognize her signature style.
"He used the moment when Natsu would be distracted and struck him right in the ribs." Inoichi Yamanaka spoke out loud. "The way he moved and struck… It looked almost the same as Tomoe's style of Taijutsu."
"Yeah, but hers is faster, more nimble and less about brute force like this one." Choza Akimichi commented. "Naruto's version looked far more focused on strength and force behind his attack. It even reminded me of Kushina's style somewhat."
"Tomoe and Kushina use the same style, although different variations of it, allowing them to focus on what they excel at." Shikaku Nara told them both. "But what is more important is the fact that Naruto knew that Nobuna would cover his back. The kid's really troublesome, if he had managed to predict how they would act before the fight even began."
"You mean he and Nobuna had a prior agreement before a fight? But that doesn't make sense, because she too has something to gain if she wins, probably even more so than others." Inoichi told Shikaku. "Why would she not strike at Naruto when he is distracted? Why not attack him then and instead team up? Is she that afraid of the twins?"
"Pft, you three idiots will never really understand why she did it." Dosetsu Tachibana commented, as he sat the closest to the three, drawing their attention. "Nobuna did it because Naruto is an Uzumaki, and this what we do to our own."
"But this is a fight to determine who will be the next heir. Common sense dictates that she strike at Naruto when he was engaged with the twins." Choza told the Tachibana patriarch, who scoffed at him. "This isn't right, there must be something else in mind…"
"I named you the reason why she helped him. Believe it or not, but this is what it is." Dosetsu simply told them.
"They still will have to fight, even if they defeat the twins." Shikaku reminded Dosetsu.
"And? Your point, lazy ass?" Dosetsu asked of him in a rude manner.
"She made a mistake with that action." Inoichi commented.
"Let it go, you three. That girl is an Uzumaki, and we all know how tactically inept and senseless they are." Tsume stated with an arrogant smirk.
"Father, how can you allow that woman speak like that? Her words are enough cause for a feud…" Ginchiyo Tachibana, a 7 year old looking girl with long blonde hair made into a braid and blue eyes, commented with disdain.
"That dog can bark all she wants, but as far as her bite goes, she is a toothless bitch, so don't concern yourself with her. Better a wolf that shows his teeth, if he has any, than one that hides them and doesn't make a sound, Ginchiyo." Dosetsu shared his wisdom with his daughter, who nodded with respect to him. "Besides, that bitch is just angry because little Nobuna forced her to pay for all of the work on our houses. Ignore her, and focus on what's about to happen there."
And while the people were commenting on how Naruto and Nobuna should've acted, the two used the moment speak up to each other, with Nobuna initiating the talk.
"Admit it, for a moment there, you thought that I was gonna stab you in the back, didn't you?" Nobuna asked of Naruto with a grin, who chuckled.
"Not for a second, Nobunaga. Not for a second." Naruto told her, with Nobuna nodding to him, as she saw Natsu starting to come back to his senses.
"Well, they seem to be tougher than they look." Nobuna observed as Narumi too was getting back into her fighting shape. "Good, I was itching to lay a good beatdown on someone. And we've got volunteers." Narumi and Natsu seemed to have lost their cool from that one, as Narumi spit out a broken tooth, and with a roar she rushed towards Nobuna, with Natsu doing the same only towards Naruto.
"You ever were interested in a figure skating, Nobunaga?" Naruto suddenly asked, with the girl giving him a confused look, before he grabbed both of her hands, and giving her a wink.
"Nope, but I'm gonna love it, won't I?" Nobunaga already had a rough idea of what Naruto had in mind, and she gripped his hands tightly. "Just don't let go, okay?" Narumi and Natsu were closing in fast on the two.
"Never." One word was enough for an assurance to Nobuna, and Naruto decided to use the moment and began to spin Nobuna around with all the strength and force he could muster.
Nobunaga allowed him to take her off the ground and simply enjoyed herself as she was in a flight, letting out an excited cry, right before her legs connected with Natsu's feet, forcing him to fall on his face. And just as Narumi seemed to be getting close enough to strike, Naruto moved Nobuna right in the position where the redhead could double kick Narumi right in her torso and send her stumbling away. Naruto finished up the spin and had managed to land Nobuna on her feet without problem, who had a positively maniacal grin on her, indicating that she was enjoying herself.
"Wow… We are going to do it, because that was just awesome!" Nobuna screamed with excitement, before noting something. "By the way, you are actually really strong for a guy your size. I mean, way stronger than I would've imagined. I did have doubts that you would be able to spin me like that."
"Well, for the record, you are pretty light, even with the armor you have. I was honestly expecting you to be a bit heavier, given your appetite." Naruto commented, with Nobuna looking with a scandalized eye at him.
"Did you just accuse me of eating too much, and did you really think that I am fat?" Stated with a menacingly cold glare and a look that said that Naruto was in trouble.
"I never said that, and I have no problem with a girl who has a good appetite and… Hey, you are messing with me!" Naruto pointed at her lips, which were struggling to suppress a smile.
"You got me!" Nobunaga laughed out loud, with the crowd watching it all unfold.
"Are those two really exchanging jokes in the middle of a fight?" Mikoto asked out loud. "I know that it helps to lower the pressure, but not like this. They need to take this seriously."
"I think they do take this seriously. On the side note, that was a rather impressive maneuver they've just pulled off, and I'm actually impressed they've even decided to do it." Fugaku commented. "It takes lots of trust to do something as spontaneous and reckless even."
"Pft, I could pull this off with anyone without any trouble!" Sasuke commented with arrogance in his voice, earning him disdainful look from his parents.
"I do not doubt it, little brother. What I do doubt is your ability to someone and spin them like this." Itachi commented, as he observed the fight. "Naruto sure is very strong, far stronger than any kid his age, if he was able to do that without getting winded."
While her adopted family was all chatting about how strong Naruto was and how reckless the pair acted, Akeno was silently sulking in her seat, as she looked down on her hands. Yoruichi, who sat near Akeno in her Nekomata form, decided to speak up to her adopted kitten.
"Kitten, what are you sulking about? So what if Naruto held Nobuna's hands. I seem to recall you holding hands with him plenty of times already." Yoruichi reminded her. "As far as your competition is concerned, you are still ahead due to the fact that you've actually hugged and you showed him your wings."
"But we didn't dance…" Akeno said with a sad voice, with Yoruichi raising a brow at that. "That was from a figure skating we watched a couple weeks back. It was the winners' move and he just repeated it, with her… When I told him I wouldn't mind to do figure skating, if it were with him…" Akeno said with a sad tone, while Yoruichi let out a frustrated sigh.
"Kitten, you do realize that they are in a middle of a fight, and he was just improvising, right?" Yoruichi asked of Akeno, who didn't answer and continued to sulk. "I hate it when I'm the one being reasonable…"
"Those two have a natural chemistry together, if they are willing to pull off such stunts." Amagi commented, with Tomoe sitting near her.
"True, though I suspect Akeno will not be too happy about it. She and Naruto watched figure skating in my place, and Akeno was really taken by the way the finishers danced. I think she might've pictured herself and Naruto in their place." Tomoe told Amagi. "Wouldn't surprise me if the girl were to be sulking right about now. Still, pretty well done, but the fight is only just starting." Amagi nodded to her friend, agreeing with her.
Natsu and Narumi weren't knocked out for long and quickly recovered, though that time was enough for Naruto and Nobuna to catch a small breather. Once the twins were able to get their heads working again, they've decided to act with a bit more strategy than before, and as was indicated by the looks and nods, shared between the two, they've again decided to coordinate their attacks, as they moved in unison. Nobunaga and Naruto stood shoulder to shoulder, ready to fight and decided not to give ground to either of them, and dashed towards the two, moving in a near perfect lockstep. Before long, the two pairs crashed into one another, with Naruto going straight towards Natsu, while Narumi and Nobuna again began to exchange blows.
Natsu didn't relent and went on a high speed offence, trying not to give Naruto any room to strike back, using all of his speed to make it harder for his younger brother to counter his moves. For a few seconds, Naruto was forced to block kicks and punches from his brother, seemingly being forced onto the back foot, but in reality Naruto was simply observing how fast Natsu was. He was definitely significantly faster than before, a clear sign of improvements in his combat abilities, being perhaps on par with Naruto before his trauma, which Naruto had anticipated to happen. But this was nothing that he couldn't handle, for just as Natsu had improved by leaps and bounds, so did Naruto, as he was able to block, dodge and divert all of the incoming attacks with his hands and feet.
Deciding that now was the time to switch things about, Naruto waits for the moment Natsu decides to punch him again with his right hand, and then swiftly maneuvers back, making his brother overextend himself, before moving to the left. Once there, Naruto grabs onto Natsu's arm, and then delivers a powerful kick by his right knee, forcing the wrist to nearly break. Natsu suppresses a cry of pain, but loses concentration, which Naruto uses to deliver a powerful punch in the face that sends Natsu down onto the earth. This will buy Naruto enough time to focus his attention where it was needed at the moment.
While Naruto had his hands full with Natsu, Nobunaga was busy with Narumi and deflecting her attacks and trying to deliver her own at the girl, succeeding every so often. While Nobuna wouldn't admit out loud that Narumi was an Uzumaki in any right, the girl was definitely resilient and could take a hit or two, even a few kicks, as was evidenced by her tenacity, and she certainly knew how to throw her own punch, as Nobunaga was able to find out, after she let a few hits slip past her defenses. But Nobuna wasn't made out of glass, and she could take a beating and then some more and still give twice as much back, which she did right now, after Narumi had managed to land a clear hit on Nobuna's stomach, but before she retract it, Nobuna used the moment. One quick move and she grabbed Narumi and pulled her closer to herself, before head butting her and making her stumble back. Following that, Nobuna delivers a fast paced combo of two punches to her torso and then followed by the kick to the jaw.
Narumi stumbled back before spitting out blood, getting madder and madder at the girl, but still managing to maintain her composure and even seemed to heal some of the damage done to her. Nobuna and other Uzumaki were able to notice that Narumi wasn't just resilient, but more like she was able to recover from the punches and kicks that were dealt by Nobuna. Some of the Uzumaki were starting to get a little suspicious about it.
"That girl keeps on taking hit after hit, and still comes back for more. Nobuna should've been able to knock her out for good by now, and yet…" Masahide commented, before a thought came to his mind. "Could Narumi consciously be drawing the power of the Tailed Beast?"
"She and Natsu are both doing it, but without any control or conscious action. The flow of energy is steady, and it is rising." Motoharu Kikkawa stated, since his sensory abilities allowed him to see more. "The output of chakra is becoming stronger and stronger, but the Eight Trigram Seal, though flawed, should be able to stop the chakra output, especially this strong. Unless…"
"Unless the seal was purposefully weakened by someone who knows the configuration of it." Masamune commented, as his eyes looked directly towards Kushina, who had an anticipating expression, telling him enough. "Kushina, you greedy fool…"
"My Lord, if this keeps going on, we may need to step in and contain the beast." Kojuro told Masamune, who nodded to him. "Should we call the match off?"
"No, not yet." Masamune told him, just as Naruto punched Natsu into the ground. "The kids are doing well so far, but not good enough. Let's see if they can figure out a way to knock the two brats out on their own." Just as Masamune had said it, he saw how Naruto moved towards Nobunaga, with the one-eyed warrior letting out a smile.
"Looks like he already figured out the best way to win." Shigezane noted out loud. "Divide and conquer."
"Divide and destroy in his case." Masamune corrected him with grin on his face.
Nobunaga managed to maneuver away from the punch to her face and answered that with her own punch, which was able to connect with Narumi's jaw and sent her stumbling back, but not doing much of damage. Now Nobunaga was starting to get certain about the fact that the girl was using her tenant's chakra, and at much higher rate than she should've, which was indicated by the fact that Narumi's cognitive abilities were definitely lowered.
The proof of that came in loss of tactical ingenuity and lack of strategic thinking, as Narumi simply went on ahead and threw herself straight towards Nobuna. While Nobuna couldn't complain about her opponent getting dumber, but the fact that she was getting stronger and more resilient was certainly not what she wanted to deal with. She had to find a way to put the girl down for good and fast, and much to Nobuna's delight, Naruto seemed to have gotten the same idea, for he now took position near her, ready to fight.
"Did you knock out Natsu?" She asked of him.
"Temporarily, for a minute or two, but he will be up and about and stronger than before." Naruto told her, with Narumi already moving towards them at a high speed. "We'll work together on both of them, one idiot at the time. You take front, I'll take the rear."
"Got ya!" Nobuna told him and ran straight towards Narumi, already prepping her fists to give the girl the hardest beatdown in her life.
Narumi was the first one to throw the punches, with Nobuna dodging first two, waiting for an opening in her defense and when she overextended herself. When she did see that opening, she used it and struck with her left fist striking Narumi's abdomen and then she used her right fist to uppercut the girl. This sent her stumbling backwards, but before Narumi could regain her composure and ability to think straight again, Naruto finally made his move, appearing right behind and having grabbed her right arm, followed by a knee kick into the lower portion of Narumi's back.
The girl cried out of pain and tried to swing back her free hand to answer, but that option was no longer available for her, as Nobuna moved against Narumi and caught arm with her own hand, before delivering another powerful punch into the gut. Next came an elbow strike from Naruto straight into the face of his once older sister, followed by Nobuna punching Narumi in the wrist joint of the caught hand, straining it to the limit. Narumi had tried to stomp on Naruto's foot, but she missed and only positioned her own foot where it would be easily exploited by Naruto, as he kicked the girl's leg off the ground and sent her falling on her back. Nobuna exploited the moment and just as Narumi had hit the ground, Nobuna's armored boot had hit her gut with full power and caused the girl to spill out the contents of her stomach, nearly drowning in the vomit and liquid, before finally subsiding and seemingly passing out.
Konoha's population that observed the fight was divided in their opinion about what they had just seen, though all had to agree on the fact that Nobuna and Naruto had the upper hand in this fight and were currently winning, though not without trouble, as Natsu and Narumi just kept coming back for more. Those that had a good bit of knowledge and who did some thinking were able to realize that the kids were drawing upon Kyuubi's power, something that at this point all of Uzumaki, even some of their children, were able to realize. For the Shinobi Clans that were attending, this was not just a match that was going to decide the fate of Fujiwara Clan, but also an information trove, as it allowed them to more clearly see just what kind of a fighter Naruto was. And it was safe to say that they weren't disappointed in what they saw so far.
Naruto fought not like a student or a Genin, nor even like a Chuunin, but more akin to a Jonin, because his style was not a textbook taught style, nor did it seem like something that could be taught by someone else. Rather, he mixed and mashed together elements of different styles and used them in combination, making full use of what he had learned under Tomoe Uchiha. Her influence was clear to those that saw Uchiha, Senju and even Uzumaki Taijutsu styles, all of which Naruto displayed to the public. He clearly wasn't sitting idly and just playing his flute, and now the very last remnants of the foolish illusion that Naruto was weak were dashed away.
Aside from the way he strike and how hard, many couldn't deny the fact that Naruto also knew how he struck. He was using his own enemy's weaknesses and openings, striking hard and fast where he could, disabling and attacking. His coordinated work with Nobuna wasn't scripted or planned out, but spontaneous and instinctive, yet not mindless and without strategy. He and Nobuna worked together to take down Narumi and they did so without any clear plan, just going with the flow. Also the fact that Naruto was able to quickly assess and analyze that this situation required joint effort, also spoke volumes to the Shinobi.
The boy was a naturally born warrior, tactic and leader all the same time, and this only increased the desire of the Shinobi Clans to get their hands on him, though some weren't so eager to get him.
"Hm, Naruto's style looks like it's lacking some components…" Kakashi Hatake commented, as he observed with both his eyes open. "It's almost as if he is mixing incompatible styles. For someone who is one of Lord Fourth's children and of his wife, I expected him to employ something more consecutive, something like Humming bird style…"
"The style of Lord Fourth, developed and perfected by him personally? Perhaps he knows it, and simply doesn't use it because it would to his disadvantage in a fight like this." Might Guy commented, as he too observed the fight. "Even though you have your Sharingan, Kakashi, you seem to be missing a vital detail about Naruto, which I have already managed to pick upon."
"And what would that detail may be?" Kakashi asked of him.
"Naruto doesn't use one style to fight in this battle." Might Guy told him with his signature smile. "No, my eternal rival, he uses not one style, but every style he knows. That is why he has no consistency in the way he fights- he simply uses what works in the situation he is in. No Taijutsu style is perfect for every situation, and if you rely solely on one fighting style to carry you throughout all of your fights you will end up being defeated by someone who can observe and come up with counters for your moves. This is why Naruto is able to fight with an advantage, and why he is confusing your Sharingan." Guy said with the smirk as Kakashi simply rolled his eyes and cowered his Sharingan, since it was starting to hurt him.
"The boy's definitely not like Minato. Though he was trained by Jiraiya, ever since he developed his Hiraishin, he had predominantly used the Hummingbird style in conjunction with Hiraishin. Minato had definitely trained the twins in the same style." Hiruzen commented, as he and his son were sitting in the different section of the arena. "A mistake, since the Hiraishin makes the integral part of Minato's style, without it or without high speed to maneuver and move, the twins are virtually incapable of defending."
"Yeah, while Naruto's style is a lot more varied. I've seen a couple of times some of the moves he pulled off, a couple of those moves were sometimes even used by my comrades during my service to Daimyo." Asuma commented, as he blew the smock out. "And those weren't newbies either. They were the guys that trained me, and now that kid is using their techniques… Just what the hell did Tomoe Uchiha teach him?"
"Knowing her and how she herself was trained, I wouldn't be surprised to find out if Tomoe had put Naruto through the grinder, like Mito did with her." Hiruzen's face slightly contorted at the mention of the Minamoto Princess. "Mito believed not in simple care and nurture of talents, but in strong and even violent development of them. She made Tomoe fight her, trained her through increased difficulty and more challenges. Mito's methods were tough and brutal even, but their effectiveness… That is one thing I can't deny her. Before her retirement, Tomoe's power was unrivaled, even Minato and Kushina wouldn't be able to beat her."
"But Lord Hokage has his Hiraishin, Rasengan and all the knowledge of the Seals, and Kushina was also trained by Uzumaki and is an Uzumaki, despite what the Clan Heads may say. Surely, Dad, they would be able to beat her, even if she has her Sharingan." Asuma argued back.
"Asuma, I have seen how Mito Uzumaki sparred against Lord First, back when I was still his student, and I saw how Lord First not just struggled against her, but was losing ground to her. Many years later, I observed many times how Tomoe and Mito had sparred and trained, and in the last days of her trained, Tomoe came to the same level as Mito did when she sparred with Lord First." Hiruzen revealed to Asuma, who looked shocked. "Now remember the list of accomplishments of Tomoe and tell me, do you honestly think that she would lose to someone like Minato and Kushina, when she had defeated Third Raikage, the man who killed her father, and had killed the entire elite Kirigakure's Anbu unit, specializing on hunting down and killing Shinobi of high Jonin and Kage level?" Asuma had to relent and agree with his father on this one.
"Mixing up styles and using components that best suit the situation. Minamoto's way of combat, effectiveness over flashiness and coherence. Good against opponents that can read your styles and come up with effective counters." Ujiyasu Hojo commented, with other Uzumaki agreeing with him. "Tomoe Minamoto has trained the boy quite well, better than I had anticipated. He uses styles of Uzumaki, in particular those of Minamoto and Taira, but there are also Uchiha and Senju mixed in."
"The woman's birth parents were from Senju and Uchiha respectively, and she is the granddaughter of Madara Uchiha and Tobirama Senju. Seems only natural that she learns the styles of her ancestors." Tsunashige Hojo pointed out. "Though Naruto's application of Taira's Tiger style does have some room for improvement, and he could benefit from learning more of Viper style, for more precise attacks."
"The boy is still young and he will have more time to refine his style." Shimazu Yoshihiro commented. "I personally would like to see just what kinds of weapons he can use. I did hear he was trained with arms now. What would son of Durga be using in battle?"
"I have a feeling you are about to get your wish granted, Yoshihiro." Shimazu Iehisa, Yoshihisa and Yoshihiro's younger brother, told him, as he pointed at Natsu, who managed to get up on his feet and was about to perform the first actual Jutsu in this fight. "Now it's about to get really interesting."
"Ugh, who gives their children Ramen for their breakfast?" Nobuna commented, as she tried to wipe her boot. "Now I'll have to burn this boot, but at least this will keep her down for good."
"Let's you have didn't just jinx it." Naruto commented, with Nobuna nodding to him.
"Hey! You two idiots!" Natsu's voice rang loud, forcing both Nobuna and Naruto to turn and face him directly. "You two think that just because you can work together that you've already won?! Well, I've got some newsflash for you: Narumi and I have been learning some actual useful Jutsu! Like this one!" At this moment, he made a cross sign with his hands, with Naruto looking at him with mild surprise. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" And just as he said it, dozens of Shadow Clones were created in a blink of an eye, surrounding Naruto and Nobuna.
"Okay… I have to admit, this is a little worrying." Nobuna said to Naruto, as she looked at what seemed like a human wall of Natsu's Clones. "Not that I'm complaining, I'm always up for more dumbasses to beatdown. The more the merrier, as they say, but even this seems a little too much for me."
"Oh, so you weren't going to share the fun with me? Aren't we greedy and selfish? Shame on you, Nobunaga." Naruto joked with a teasing tone, with Nobuna giving him an awkward chuckle, as she rubbed the back of her head. "Still, you are correct. I wasn't anticipating him and Narumi to have learned this technique, and to also use Kyuubi's chakra to make all of them… Kushina must really hate my guts, or she just wants to win this much."
"Our course of action? Fighting with kid gloves on won't work anymore, so I guess it's time we've started fighting for real." Nobuna commented, with Naruto nodding to her. "Shame I didn't bring my sword with me. I feel kinda naked without it."
"Never thought you were an exhibitionist in a fight." Naruto chuckled, as Nobuna gotten her cheeks red from embarrassment, until she saw Naruto produce a katana seemingly out thin air. "Will this one suffice?" He handed the blade to the girl, as she unsheathed and checked it.
"It's sharpened… Yeah, it will do. I'll be careful with it." Nobuna told Naruto, who nodded to her and then produced his own weapon of choice. "A naginata? Not my first choice for these types of engagements."
"I'll switch to something else it'll not work, I've got plenty on me." Naruto told Nobuna, as their window of rest was dashed away when they saw Shadow Clones all starting to run towards them. "Here they come. The real one is out in the back ranks, staying away from the fight, hoping to overwhelm us. You can go at them to your heart's content."
"Thanks for the heads-up. Not like I was going to hesitate anyway, but still nice of you to point it out." Nobuna told him, as the clones were closing in. "Still, wouldn't hurt to have a few more numbers on our side. You know how to make Shadow Clones, by any chance, Genji?" Nobuna asked of Naruto, who simply put his naginata into the ground and then did the cross sign, with Nobuna also following his example.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Both announced their Jutsu and forty clones of Nobuna and Naruto appeared in the arena, surrounding the originals and forming a protective circle, all armed and ready, with the originals also ready.
Though they were still essentially outnumbered 2 to 1, Nobuna and Naruto were quite confidant in their abilities and in the abilities of their clones, as the two were quite confident in their skills. Natsu's clones smashed liked tidal wave into the formation of Nobuna and Naruto Clones, and the next following seconds proved to be a brutal uphill battle for Natsu's clones. Clones of Nobuna and Naruto formed up into a protective hollowed square, with Nobuna's clones forming the first ranks and using their katana to great effect in holding off Natsu's duplicates through slashing and piercing the incoming threat. Naruto's clones formed the second line behind Nobuna's clones and acted through using their naginata to stab and pierce the enemies when they were approaching, moving in between Nobuna's clones. Occasionally, some of the Clones did try and jump inside the square, yet they were not able to do any damage, as Naruto's clones easily dispelled them by their naginata.
The assault of Natsu's clones was relentless and constant, as he stayed in the back ranks and continued to field more and more of his duplicates into the fray, with his clones attacking without mind or thought, throwing themselves at the enemy. Nobuna and Naruto's force, though a smaller one, held out quite well and without any serious trouble. Their tactical decision to form up and stand shoulder to should in such a way was allowing them to hold off and repel the enemy, but it didn't offer any significant advantage when it came down to trying to break out of the deadlock and move towards the progenitor. And given the fact that Natsu had a near limitless source of chakra in form of his half of Kyuubi, in the long run, he held the advantage and could simply wait for his clones to overrun Naruto and Nobuna.
Still, the audience that was observing the fight found themselves again surprised by the ingenuity of Naruto and Nobuna, as well as the power they and also Natsu held. Being able to create Shadow Clones at such relatively young age was already a great accomplishment, enough to warrant making the kids into Genins already, at least Naruto and Nobuna, who were expertly putting up a fight. What did surprise the Shinobi forces was the fact that clones of the two were packed so tightly and didn't disperse. Shinobi preferred to have mobility and space for maneuver, as it was essential in most battles, but in this case, some had to admit to the fact that such a tightly packed form was giving certain advantages, though there were those that disagreed with it.
"Pft, what a stupid formation." Tsume stated with disdain. "All packed up like sardines in a can. They'll just get slaughtered if they keep standing there like that. They should've spread out and moved around."
"They would've been defeated in a matter of seconds through sheer numbers. Spreading out forces like Shinobi usually do would only serve to isolate and put them down one by one." Ginchiyo Tachibana stated with certainty, getting the woman to glare at her. "Even someone as tactically atrophied as Natsu would've figured it, and both Nobuna and Naruto are smarter than that. Forming up a square to hold off the attack like this was the best idea."
"Then what about that giant hole they made in the formation? Natsu can simply send in his Clones and overwhelm them from both sides." Shikaku Nara pointed out.
"A necessary feature, to ensure that Naruto's clones would be able to operate their polearm without hitting each other and not being crammed up." Tachibana heiress answered. "And they are clearly aware of the fact that it is an opening and that Clones can jump in and strike back. They've done it already, in case you haven't noticed."
"He can still use some Jutsu to destroy that huge target." Tsume pointed out with anger in her face, as she didn't like being told off by a girl. "A Fireball would do the trick, or my clan's Gatsuga would easily break the formation of theirs. Had it been one my own down there against those two, this fight wouldn't have lasted this long…"
"On that we both agree, for even with Ninkens, Naruto and Nobuna would win in a matter of minutes, if not seconds." Ginchiyo replied without missing a beat, with Tsume sending her a searing glare.
"Hm, but Natsu just keeps popping up more and more of his Clones. Eventually, Naruto and Nobuna's numbers will dwindle, unless they too make more Clones." Inoichi Yamanaka pointed out the situation of the pair. "In the long run, Natsu will simply win this fight. This square will simply be overwhelmed and destroyed."
"You make it sound like it would mean the defeat of Naruto and Nobuna." Ginchiyo said with the knowledge of the subject, drawing curious looks from Shika-Ino-Cho. "The square has already served its purpose. Now it is simply enduring, having completed its main goal."
"What is she even talking about?" Tsume couldn't understand what the girl meant.
"Aren't you supposed to be a Jonin Shinobi, someone who has, at least on paper, command and tactical skills? By Kartikeya, how did you imbecile survive through the war if you can't even figure out such an obvious thing is beyond me." Dosetsu stated with disdain at the apparent lack of knowledge from Tsume, who was prepared to sick her Ninken on Dosetsu, who then continued. "My daughter's already figured out what is on the minds of every other Uzumaki in here, the real ones, including those that are down there. The square isn't meant for Naruto and Nobuna to hold up as long as possible. It is just a big target for Natsu to attack, while he sends out all of those clones of his, he's not noticing what's going on all around him."
"All around him... Wait, you mean to tell us that Naruto and Nobuna…" Shikaku now was starting to realize what Dosetsu meant.
"If those two know Shadow Clone Jutsu, then why wouldn't they know other, more basic stuff that you use as tests?" Dosetsu asked of Shikaku in manner, that seemed to make the Nara Clan head look like an idiot.
As the fight continued to rage on in the arena and Clones of Natsu were being funneled into that meat grinder, none were able to notice two small mice, making their way out of the fray. They've miraculously managed to avoid being stomped by numerous Clones and slipped past them without a problem, before splitting up and making their way directly towards Natsu, who was still holding a cross sign and creating the Clones. Oblivious of the fact that there were some other living beings near him and solely focused on the fact that he needed to crash his enemies, Natsu simply continued to funnel more and more chakra into Clones, making more and more of them. He was fully set on the idea of overwhelming the two bastards through sheer numbers and force, and while it seemed like he wasn't able to make any significant progress, he wasn't losing hope and simply continued on.
Just as he had finished creating the last batch of Clones, one of the mice suddenly transformed into Naruto, armed with his naginata, right in front of Natsu, surprising and shocking him, along with his clones. Without wasting any time, Naruto went straight towards his former brother, swinging his weapon and striking three of Natsu's clones who tried to attack Naruto, only to end up being cut by Naruto instead. Additional six Clones that Natsu had created earlier were all coming towards Naruto, but it was then that Nobuna revealed herself, appearing right in front of the closest and swinging her blade upward and dispelling the Clone.
She didn't miss her beat and went on a hacking spree at the remaining five, her katana moving with swiftness and ease of a trained fighter. In less than a minute she had managed to hack them down and dispel them from existence, but just she had done so, Natsu's clones from the back ranks of his storming army noticed Nobuna and now went on ahead and rushed towards her. Nobuna knew that if she were to move against real Natsu now she would risk getting her and Naruto overwhelmed and beaten by the numbers, so instead, she decided to give her partner a chance and focused her attention on taking on the Clones, as she went straight at them, leaving Naruto and Natsu to fight against each other.
Naruto swung his weapon, moving it to the right side and walked towards Natsu, who too began to move as well, before he produced a katana of his own, clearly from the storage seal, just like with Naruto. Only difference being that Naruto's seal was his own, while Natsu's was made by Kushina, as he read in his mind, also sensing the exhilaration, mixed with rage and anger, amplified by what Kyuubi was feeling. Naruto's senses were telling him that his brother was drawing on more and more power of Kyuubi, far more than Narumi did and was already losing control. He could actually see the red aura around him to form up and made manifest, showing clear that Natsu was going into one of the Tailed Beast modes that Naruto had heard about. Now it was clear to Naruto that he really had serious fight on his hands, and he would have to show off a few skills that Konoha may not be expecting from him.
As the two of them were moving in a circular motion for a minute now, Natsu decided to finally break the silence between him and Naruto, speaking up.
"What's the matter, Naruto? No quips, nothing to say? Are you that afraid that you can't actually say a thing to me?" Natsu arrogantly asked of him. "Oh, I know. You must be in awe at the fact that I've just pulled out a sword from nowhere. Care to ask where I got it?"
"Kushina gave it to you, along with the storage seal and taught you how to use it, didn't she?" Naruto asked of Natsu, surprising him a little. "So, what else did she do to you and Narumi? Did she tell you to win by any means necessary?"
"Among other things." Natsu rushed at Naruto and brought his sword upward, hoping to strike Naruto from above.
Naruto moved naginata so as to have its blade face the enemy, with Natsu already going at him and bringing it down on him. Naruto moved away from the strike, with Natsu missing his chance to strike Naruto, but using the momentum, he sent the blade to strike at Naruto with an upward attack. Naruto parried the blade and moved it away, before moving to for the killing strike with his blade, but Natsu was able to jump away and recover. Naruto decided to switch from the previously used low stance to a middle stance, good for defense and attack at the same time, bring the polearm in front of himself. The two resumed their maneuvering for a little bit, as some Shinobi discussed between themselves what they saw.
"Naruto is clearly at a disadvantage here, what with him using the naginata of all things against a katana. What was Tomoe even thinking when she was training him in using it, instead of the sword?" Kurenai Yuhi asked out loud. "Not to mention that a boy using a girl's weapon is just ridiculous."
"Aren't Shinobi supposed to be capable of using every weapon at their disposal, regardless the gender association?" Kurenai turned her head and saw one of Uzumaki warrior sitting near her, who happened to be a beautiful looking woman with long black hair, dark brown eyes and a face and figure that made Kurenai feel envious. "And that statement of yours about naginata is just rubbish, utterly arrogant and ignorant. Naginata as a polearm has both cutting and thrusting capabilities, not to mention having reach and the ability to put a distance between yourself and the enemy. Then there's also the ring in the base of the blade, used for capturing the blade of your opponent and then disarming him. Honestly, Tomoe clearly did well teaching the boy how to wield it. The fact that he wields it so naturally speaks volumes about the skills and teaching methods of the woman."
"And who are you to judge how well that woman trained him?" Kurenai asked with a huff, with the Uzumaki woman looking at her and answering.
"Akai Teruko, a retainer of Fujiwara Clan and the chief instructor in Akai Dojo, recently opened up and training students and Shinobi in usage of naginata." Kurenai's eyes widened after she heard the name of the woman. "The look on your face tells me that you've heard of me."
"Y-yes…" Kurenai gulped, as she recalled what she had heard about this particular woman.
The Uzumaki are a religious people, as she had learned by now, and among them it is expected to worship, or at the very least respect, deities that make up the expansive pantheon of Uzumaki. One of the most worshipped and central deities of Uzumaki Nation is Parvati, Goddess of Love, Marriage, Family and more, who was also seen as a Goddess with three incarnations, one of which was Durga, a Warrior Goddess and a Protector. She is seen with at many arms, each holding a particular weapon, and since ancient times, Uzumaki have established a certain small group of their very specialized and elite warriors, known as Ten Arms of Durga. Best warriors who mastered the weapon they used, there could be no two arms using the same weapon, all of them had to use different one, and each of them had to be the undisputed master of it. Kurenai learned about that group from Tomoe, and as an example of the level of mastery and power that the members had to have, Tomoe used the legendary Akai Teruko.
An Uzumaki warrior woman, an onna-bugeisha, made famous by her incredible skill with naginata and the list of victories she had gained in over thirty years. Samurai and Shinobi alike weren't capable of holding their own against her on the battlefield, with even Hanzo of the Salamander fleeing the battlefield, rather than have to fight this one woman army. Even Senju Tsunade, who is widely considered to be the Strongest Kunoichi in all of Elemental Nations, wasn't even able to defeat her, and that was back when she was at the peak of her power.
The feat that solidified Akai Teruko as the Strongest Warrior Woman in the World was in her slaying the Third Mizukage, who was also a Jinchuriki of Three Tailed Beast. Not known for possessing Uzumaki chains or particular skill in utilization of seals, Akai Teruko immortalized the naginata as a deadly weapon that is used to best effect by women, and to hear that myth debunked by the very woman herself was quite something for Kurenai. That's not to mention the fact that she is actually in Konoha and is apparently simply working as an instructor.
"Forgive me, but why would someone with your skill and reputation be working as a simple instructor in a Dojo? If you were to enlist into the Konoha's Shinobi forces, you would be immediately made into a Jonin." Kurenai noted. "You are a living legend among Shinobi and Kunoichi, especially us women. You've been an inspiration for many of my friends and me in particular to become a Shinobi."
"Funny, because I never was a Shinobi, nor did want to inspire anyone into being a Shinobi." Teruko noted, as she saw Naruto move on to the offensive against Natsu, moving his blade against Natsu, with the latter deflecting it away every time Naruto tried to pierce him. "Prodding his defenses, analyzing the potential threat and level of strength. He's playing it safe, biding his time and trying to make Natsu make the first move."
"But will it happen…" Kurenai asked, just Natsu decided to respond and moved his blade to strike Naruto with a slashing attack, which was blocked by Naruto, before releasing the block and forcing Natsu stumble forward.
"Good move, forced him to overextend. He has a good teacher, and a good mother." Akai Teruko said with approval, with Kurenai looking with surprise at Teruko. "You were a fool to have abandoned training under Tomoe, Yuhi Kurenai. Tomoe said you had a talent, which you've squandered when you've left your teacher when she was at her lowest point in life, leaving her for her rival… A shameful move."
"You… You've spoken with Tomoe?" Kurenai asked of Teruko, who simply nodded.
"She asked me to give a couple of lessons to Naruto in utilizing naginata a couple of weeks ago. He soaked it all up like a sponge and applied to practice near instantly." Teruko told to the surprised Kurenai. "I offered him to become my apprentice and learn from me instead of Tomoe, an offer which he refused, stating that his loyalty as a student was only with his mother, until she deemed his training complete. A good answer, an answer worthy of Uzumaki and someone I would love to train myself." After hearing it, Kurenai couldn't help but feel ashamed of herself for the choices she made years ago.
Down on the ring, Naruto and Natsu were exchanging blows and maneuvering between each other, their blades delivering both powerful and precise strikes. The pacing of their duel had changed significantly from what it was before, for if before they were throwing punches like brawlers, then now they were careful and precise, at least to a certain degree, at least Naruto was. Natsu was more and more succumbing to his instincts and the instincts of the Beast inside of him, as was evidenced by the fact that he was starting to look more and more feral. Naruto and Natsu clashed one more time and now were in the contest of strength to see who was going to win, and for now it looked like they were even. Natsu decided to use this moment to taunt his brother.
"What's wrong Naruto? Can't muster up strength to repel me? I think you told me that you were going to give me a fight worthy of my attention, then where is it?!" Natsu called up upon as much power of Kyuubi as he could and pushed Naruto's blade away, before delivering a powerful strike right the jaw, knocking out Naruto's mask off and revealing his face. "Ha, you can't even take a solid punch! You are really weak!" Natsu was clearly getting drunk on his power, while Naruto simply spit out some blood from his mouth.
"Is that the best you can do?" Naruto simply asked of him, as he decided to move a little away, with Natsu looking at him with a scandalized look. "This is you first hit you've landed on me since the start of the fight, and all you've managed to do to me is break my skin in the mouth? You've got the strongest Tailed Beast inside of you, training of the two most prominent Shinobi of Konoha, and this is all you've managed to do to me? I've beaten you to the ground with my bare hands in front of everyone when I wasn't even being serious, while all you did is just this."
"Grr, shut up!" Natsu growled at Naruto and rushed towards him, abandoning reason and trying to kill Naruto, as their blades again clashed with each other again. "When I kill you, Mother will make sure that Fujiwara and all other Uzumaki know that she is their true ruler, and that none are stronger than us, with Mito and Tomoe serving as examples to those that defy us!" That seemed to have sparked something in Naruto's eyes.
"What did you say?" He asked of Natsu in an emotionless voice.
"Mom wants you dead! You and Mito betrayed us, betrayed our family for that woman! And once you are gone, they will follow you soon!" Natsu stated in a rabid fashion, with Naruto sensing that he was telling the truth. "I am the true Uzumaki! The only true Uzumaki here, and you are just a weakling who…" Naruto has had enough of his brother speaking hogwash at this point, and he decided to finally put an end to this.
With a quick and precise movement, Naruto moved his naginata a little away from the direct path and then expertly managed to hook Natsu's sword to the ring. With a swift and powerful motion, Naruto took the sword away from Natsu and disarmed him, before moving on to continue with the notion. In a single fast motion, Naruto swung his torso around and then slashed Natsu's right arm with an upward strike, before delivering a cut to Natsu's left arm, and then finishing the fast combo when he cut the legs below knees.
Natsu cried out of pain, before he was kicked down onto the earth, before Naruto moving on to him and stepping on Natsu, bringing his naginata for the strike, with Natsu's eyes clearing from all the rage and anger, with fear showing it clearly. The audience was at the edge of their seats, with Masamune and other all the other Uzumaki watching with clear interest and concern on their faces, waiting what was going to happen. For a whole minute Naruto held his posture, with Natsu pleading to him to not strike, reminding that they were brothers and all other stuff, but Naruto didn't care and simply ignored all that he had told him, until he finally struck…
… with Naruto's naginata delivering a shallow cut on Natsu's forehead, eerily similar to the one that Naruto had, until he struck the boy with the opposite end of his naginata, knocking him out and fully dispelling all of the clones of Natsu. Once it was done, Naruto stepped off of his brother and lowered his weapon, taking a breath in and gathering his thoughts for a second, until Nobuna came in and spoke to Naruto.
"Whatever he said, whether it was true or false, you did the right thing, Naruto." She said with fully seriousness, getting Naruto's attention.
"You don't know what he said to me." He stated to her.
"I don't need to. The look on your face says it all, and I saw the way you moved. You wanted him to suffer and feel helpless, you wanted to make him feel powerless, before you had gone for the kill." Nobuna told him, with Naruto not rebuffing him. "You did the right thing. I'm all for revenge and anger issues, but losing your ticket to life over it is not worth it."
"Yeah… You are right." Naruto finally calmed down and agreed with her, before recalling something. "Is Narumi still out?"
"Seems that way. Still out and inhaling contents of her stomach, yeah." Nobuna confirmed.
"Then, what's next?" Naruto asked of Nobuna, who looked with a question at him. "It's just the two of us now."
"Oh, you mean the competition. I kinda forgot about that detail…" Nobuna admitted to Naruto with a chuckle, before moving to him, without any hostile intent. "Masamune did offer me to become his heir and daughter, and I have to say that the offer is an appealing one."
"I'd imagine, but something tells me you aren't telling me about out of courtesy." Naruto told her.
"When I first heard of you and the competition, I didn't know what to think about it all… But, when I got to know you, who and what you are… I realized that that Masamune didn't exactly want us to clash with each other. I think he wanted to bring us together and see what might become of it." Nobuna told him, as she closed the distance between her and Naruto, standing at arm's length from him. "Your Grandfather is a pretty cunning man, manipulating us like that."
"I doubt he did all that much of manipulating. He simply made sure that we were piqued with interest towards each other." Naruto said to Nobuna his version of thinking. "And I will have to say thanks to him for doing it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have made such a great friend in you, Nobuna."
"Same here, Genji." And with this said, she grabbed Naruto's arm and raised up high, before shouting. "Here is your victor and heir of Fujiwara! Naruto Minamoto!" She announced to the entire arena, with Uzumaki rising up as one in applause as they sounded throughout the entire arena.
The challenge was complete and the victor was found at last, with Oda Princess herself announcing it personally, proclaiming out loud that she was withdrawing. Masamune smiled at the sight of the two victorious youths and clapped them enthusiastically, while the rest of Konoha's population was still debating what they should do and how to respond, though it was clear to someone that this was not how it should've ended.
For Kushina, this was the worst case scenario, one in which she had lost and was now incapable of ever obtaining power over Uzumaki Clans through conventional means. She had wanted for one of her children to actually succeed, to see herself becoming the real ruler of Fujiwara, even if it was to be from the shadows. Denied that right by her father Masamune, she still dreamt and wished for it, to be seen and recognized as Uzumaki, and ambitions of power never waned from her, especially since her mother had offered to give assistance to her in a form of weakening the seal on children without the risk of Kyuubi getting away. Yet it was still not enough and now that bastard Naruto had beaten Natsu and Narumi, showing to all that Tomoe Uchiha was superior to Kushina, as both teacher and a mother.
Kushina despised and hated Tomoe, the very fact of her existence being seen by her as an insult upon her, and the fact that she was seen by the Uzumaki and Mito as one of their own, despite having no blood relations with them infuriated Kushina. The woman was everything that Kushina wished and strived to be, yet never could quite become, and that left the redhead feeling inferior to Tomoe, something she could never abide by. And when Minato had actually gone and dared to cheat on her with Tomoe… That was it for Kushina, as she vowed to destroy Tomoe and her life, something in which she nearly succeeded with the help of Aiwa.
Yet now she was standing tall and strong, with Naruto as her son and Mito having all but denounced her and wishing to be with her renegade brother. Kushina tried her hardest to bring Naruto back, but after he denounced her and Minato, after he called Tomoe his mother… something had snapped in Kushina, and all the love she held for Naruto turned into hatred. She couldn't abide one of her own children abandoning her for that bitch, not Tomoe! Kushina would never stand for Naruto abandoning her and getting away with it, no. If he was so intent on calling Tomoe his mother, then he could go and die with her, as Kushina had planned to actually do so. She instructed her children not to hold back in the fight, to fight with the intention to kill both Naruto and Nobuna, and afterwards, with the lack of successors, Masamune would be forced to accept either one of them as his heir. And after that, Kushina and Aiwa would make Mito more obedient and loving towards her family, even if it meant she would have to be changed a significant bit.
Yet now all of this was dashed away with Naruto and Nobuna winning, and Kushina was left with ruins…
As the applause have filled the arena, a singular spectator that had remained in the shadows throughout the whole match has decided to step out of them and spoke up.
"Well, well… I did tell Kushina that this whole charade was going to backfire, and yet she still went on ahead with this idea. Such a headstrong girl, just like her mother." Aiwa Minamoto, healed and rejuvenated, chuckled, as she gripped her staff. "Now then, let's turn this little defeat into a great victory for her. It's time for Kushina and me to take rightful place in the world." And with this said, she tapped her staff on the floor and her eyes glowed with crimson, as Konoha's Arena was about to become a battleground…
This was actually supposed to be a much longer chapter, but this week had been a really packed for me, and since I had not as much time to write as I needed and wanted, I decided to split this chapter into two. Still it is 18k, so you should be able to enjoy it, despite the fact that this is just a prelude for a more engaging chapter which I will write up and post right before New Year, hopefully.
Now, I think I will keep it short, since I'm pretty tired and want to finish this chapter up. Ginchiyo Tachibana's looks are those of Alice Zuberg from SAO Alicization, while Kagetora Nagao looks exactly like she does in Fate/Grand Order.
As for Akai Teruko and who she is, she actually looks like her portrait in Nobunaga's Ambition Sphere of Influence Ascension, a Japanese Grand Strategy game which I have been playing EXTENSIVELY since October and have already clocked over 200 hours. Teruko is one of the unlockable characters, but she is a historical figure, who was an onna-bugeisha and was regarded as The Strongest Woman of Warring States era. In game, she is a really good commander with high defense and attack stat. I decided to include her due to the fact that in my Yukimura Sanada playthrough (absolute beast in battle, whose stats of attack and defense can go over a 100 REALLY quickly) she had helped win me over 10 battles with Hojo, after I've betrayed them and switched to serving to Tokugawa. Really love this game and recommend you play it if you are into Sengoku period of Japanese history.
But I digress. Anyway, if you have questions, review, suggestions and so on, feel free to post them in Reviews or PM them to me. I'll be glad to answer them all.
Next time: Fight to survival; Kushina vs. Tomoe; Aiwa's secret; Uzumaki vs. Demons.