Roar of the Dragon: Well, here's chapter three of Trials of Kimiko. I don't seem to be getting many reviews for this story yet, hopefully that will change soon. Click the reviews for this story and find the one I submitted for chapter 2 of this fic to find the links I tried to post two times before. Just one typo, for the Tenchi and Ranma sites, instead of AnimeInto(dot)org it should be AnimeInfo(dot)org.
Review responses
Crazyhanyoued: The others will be found soon. As for the groups they are in, think of them as a hint towards future pairing either after the group returns to their world or during their stay in the Naruto world.
xAkix: Oops, don't want to kill off one of my favorite readers. Dragon Man casts True Resurrection on xAkix Now that you're revived, I'll answer your question. The little power hungry beep Sasuke is alive and working for Orochimaru.
Story Weaver1: I'm going for massive mother son scenes between Naruto and Kyuubi to make up for all the times Naruto needed a parent in the past and he didn't have one. I'm glad I got you hooked on Naruto, now if only it would be released here in the US I'd be happy.
AN: I apologize in advance for any mistakes I make regarding the Japanese language and culture.
"Oi, Teuchi-san, Ayame-chan! I'm back and ready to make up for the last three years of not being here!" exclaimed Naruto as he entered the ramen stand. The cook and his daughter looked up at the sound of a longed for voice and smiled. "Oi genki, what took you so long? We've been waiting ever since you yelled out that you were back!" said Teuchi as he grabbed the extra-extra large bowl he had bought just for this occasion. Naruto licked his lips as he sat down at the counter and said, "Sorry, had to take care of some family business first. I'm paying for my friends as well, Gama-chan needs to go on a diet!" Ayame ruffled Naruto's hair as she placed the gigantic bowl full of miso ramen in front of the blond shinobi and said, "Well, give me your orders and we'll fill 'em up as quick as we can!" Miyuki and Hinata ordered the shrimp ramen, Hiryuu had chicken, while Neji chose beef. Kimiko grinned at Teuchi and said, "One large bowl of each flavor please!" Teuchi glanced at his daughter and said, "Looks like you got competition as the champion ramen eater in this village Naruto!" Kimiko quickly devoured each bowl as it was placed in front of her and her friends and the two Hyuga watched in awe as the stack of bowls beside the hanyou girl grew steadily. Naruto in the meantime had eaten ten of his extra-extra large bowl and was still going strong.
"I thought that blond head looked familiar! What are you doing back here Naruto?" yelled a familiar voice. Naruto turned around and grinned at a Chunin with a large white dog by his side as Teuchi started refilling his bowl. "Hi Kiba, Akamaru, I just got back this afternoon and I've been busy. Sit down and when I'm done I'll tell everyone about my adventures over the past three years, as well as some important stuff." Kiba sat down in one of the booths and was quickly joined by the rest of the Rookie Nine and Neji's team. Everyone stared at the large stack of bowls beside Kimiko, who had finally stopped eating after trying every flavor the stand had three times. Naruto finished his twentieth bowl and let out a small burp. "Excuse me, well, looks like everyone is here, so I'll start my story." Naruto proceeded to tell them of the many sights he had seen throughout the Shinobi lands during his travels with Jiraiya. By the time he had finished, it was growing dark and Teuchi had to ask them to leave so he could close up the stand for the night. Naruto invited everyone to his house so they could get to know Kimiko, Hiryuu, and Miyuki better. A light drizzle caught the large group as they reached the Uzumaki mansion, revealing Miyuki's curse and causing Kiba to have to restrain Akamaru from lunging for the girl. Kimiko started explaining as they entered the house, only to be interrupted by Tsunade yelling "THAT'S IT!" A bright flash of light followed the exclamation and blinded everyone. Once they could see they ran upstairs to find Kyuubi nuzzling Akemi in their fox forms.
When Tsunade saw all of Naruto's friends gathered in the door way, she quickly shooed them into the large living room of the house where she explained the true events behind Kyuubi's attack fifth teen years ago, as well as the facts of Naruto's parents. As the Hokage finished speaking, Kyuubi slowly came downstairs in her human form with Akemi following her. Akemi had her mother's bright red hair, with sparkling blue eyes, orange ears and four tails, and was wearing a green Chinese shirt with grey mandarin pants. All the shinobi except Hinata, Neji, and Naruto were a little scared at first to be face to face with the Kyuubi that their parents told scary stories of to frighten them into staying in bed. However, the sight of Naruto running up to hug Kyuubi calmed them down slightly. Akemi nervously bowed at the bottom of the stairs. "Ohayou minna-san, I am Akemi no Kitsune," said the kitsune girl. Naruto shook his head and said, "Gomen, but I think you missed something Akemi-chan. I call your mother Oka-san because she has been watching over me my whole life and filled the void left when my own mother died shortly after my birth. Thus as the head of the Uzumaki clan, I officially declare that both of you are now part of the clan!" Kyuubi gasped, she had no idea Naruto would go to such lengths because of their bond. Tsunade on the other hand, started laughing so hard she had to lean against the wall to keep from falling over. "I hadn't thought about that, but Naruto is right, he is the current head of his clan since he is the only Uzumaki," said Jiraiya. Tsunade managed to stop her laughter and grinned at Naruto. "Good choice little brother, but I think the name Kyuubi Uzumaki would be a bad idea. Lets shorten it to Kyu Uzumaki. I'll send over the papers that will finalize everything for you to sign tomorrow. As the Hokage of Konoha I officially welcome the new Uzumaki members to their new home!" Everyone clapped, while Akemi hugged Naruto and her mother.
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Early the next morning, Tsunade called a meeting of the clan heads of Konoha and showed them the scrolls that Yondaime had left Naruto and explained the use of a secret technique to return Kyuubi to a physical body with only a portion of her former strength. Many of the clan heads expressed disbelief, but Hiashi Hyuga was vehemently opposed to the resurrection of the Uzumaki clan. "We can't allow that ignorant brat to be in such an important position of authority! By Konoha law, a clan head must be at least twenty years of age to vote on this council!" Tsunade smiled sweetly, she had been expecting Hiashi to complain about such a thing, and said, "I've already taken care of that. Jiraiya, would you show in the new clan head?" The toad senin walked out the door of the meeting hall and soon returned leading the newly appointed Kyu Uzumaki into the room. Kiba's mother took one sniff and started laughing merrily. "Hokage-sama, you have a sharp mind. She's perfect for the job!" said the only female clan head. "What is the meaning of this? Isn't the Kyuubi brat the supposed clan head?" demanded Hiashi. Kyuubi suddenly blurred and appeared next to Hiashi, her fox features clearly visible to all in the room as she held her claws in front of Hiashi's face. "You are lucky I have given my solemn oath to Tsunade-sama to never kill a resident of Konoha again. That brat, as you called him, happens to be my adopted kit and the unsung hero of this village," said the kitsune woman angrily. Tsunade scowled at Hiashi and rapped on the table for silence. "As some of you may have figured out, this is Kyuubi. However, because of the scrolls before you and the testimony of the kit mentioned in the second one, I have allowed Naruto's request to let her kit Akemi and her join the Uzumaki clan. Uzumaki Kyu, as she will henceforth be known, will act as the Uzumaki representative to this council until Naruto has developed the maturity and experience required to take the position." Hiashi's mouth was open like a fish's but no sound came out. The other clan heads seemed to be at least considering the idea, then turned their attention to Tsunade as she cleared her throat. "Hiashi, I learned yesterday that you plan to engage Hinata to a member of Hidden Stone." Hiashi's eyes narrowed, but he simply nodded. Tsunade's facial expression changed from pleasant to outrage in a second. "And just who gave you the authority to attempt to make an alliance without consulting me first? The Hyuga clan might be the mightiest in Konoha but you have gone to far!" exclaimed Tsunade. The other clan heads scowled as Tsunade finished speaking. They were used to Hiashi lording it over them that his clan was the strongest, but to have him challenge to Hokage's power so recklessly was disturbing. "Hiashi, wasn't there an agreement between Yondaime and you that your clans would be joined together at some point in the next generation?" asked Shino's father. Hiashi's face paled considerably as Tsunade's face assumed the look of a predator that knew its prey was helpless, defenseless, and cornered. "Since Naruto is the only son of Yondaime, I believe that leaves Hinata as the only possibility to uphold the agreement, since Hinabi is too young to marry. Since three years have passed since they last met, I'm going to ask Hinata to live in the Uzumaki estate so she can get to know her future family better. Uzumaki-san, will you inform your son and Hinata-chan of these developments?" asked Tsunade. Kyuubi smiled and nodded, noticing that most of the clan heads shared looks of approval. Their children had obviously mentioned Hinata's crush on Naruto in the past and they knew the boy needed someone besides a family member or surrogate parent to show him love. Kyuubi imagined Naruto and Hinata's reaction to this news and couldn't stop grinning.
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(At Team 7's old training field)"I have to admit that I'm impressed Hinata-chan," said Naruto as he whipped sweat off his forehead. Naruto had been sparing with Hinata and Akemi while Jiraiya was attending the clan head meeting and had just stopped for a break. "You've really improved in the last three years. Your speed is amazing and if I couldn't use Oka-san's chakra to reopen my Tsubos you would have had me defenseless. Akemi-ne-chan, you are also very skilled. Your fox fire is really tricky and your taijutsu is on par with Hinata's," Naruto continued. Akemi grinned and tightened her Konoha Hitai-ate around her forehead before using a tail to brush off her sweat. "Thanks, I'm glad that my fifth teen year nap didn't cause my skills to degrade. Hinata-chan, your Kaiten was a huge surprise, I had no idea you could emit chakra like that!" Hinata blushed and tapped her fingers together as she said, "Neji-ni-san trained me for a year after you left Naruto-kun. After that year of training I was able to defeat Hanabi-chan and reclaim the title of the Heiress of the Hyuga clan." Naruto smiled at Hinata, causing her blush to deepen, before saying, "Anything else interesting happen while I was gone?" "Umm, Gaara-san and his siblings made Chunin also, they come by to visit during each Chunin exam here and occasionally for different festivals. Hanabi enrolled in the Academy and became the number one rookie of her year and Konohamaru-kun's rival. The two of them are always trying to one-up each other in everything from basic jutsu to chakra control to pranks. They're really quite cute." "Does Konohamaru still suck at stealth?" asked Naruto. "Well, he stopped using his fake rock box, but now he uses Henge to disguise himself. He has gotten so good that he has actually gotten Hanabi-chan to walk right by him when he looks like a garbage can and allow him to scare her half to death. She then proceeds to beat him up and yell at him never to do that again," replied Hinata.
Akemi glanced up as she felt the breeze shift towards them from Konoha and grinned. "Oka-san and Jiraiya-sensei are coming, the meeting must be over!" she said. Hinata grinned at the fox girl, after only a short time of knowing each other they were already fast friends and Akemi was considering having the other kunoichi over for a sleepover. Miyuki and Kimiko were out looking for jobs and Akemi hopped they could find their friends soon. As Jiraiya and Kyuubi entered the training grounds Naruto sank down to the ground Indian style and asked, "How did the meeting go?" Jiraiya grinned and said, "A majority of the clan heads approved the revival of your clan and the adoption of your mother and sister!" Naruto started jumping up and down while hugging Akemi while Hinata watched them with a smile on her face. Kyuubi grinned and said, "That isn't all. Hinata, your engagement is now off. Amburne-san recalled an agreement between Yondaime and your father that stated that two of their children would get married to unite both your clans. Since Naruto is the only child of Yondaime and your sister is too young to be a good match, you and Naruto are officially engaged!" Naruto spun around to stare at his mother and sensei in shock, then promptly fainted while Hinata looked like her dreams had come true. "You're moving in with us this afternoon, Tsunade-sama decided you should get to know Naruto better by living with us," said Kyuubi. Akemi waved her hand in front of her brother's face and said, "He's out cold. Come on Hinata, there's only one thing that will wake him up now!" said the fox girl as she gestured for her future sister-in-law to take one side of Naruto.
(Ichiraku ramen stand)Miyuki placed a bowl of ramen on the counter with a smiled and said, "Enjoy your meal!" to the customer. Teuchi had hired the martial artist to help Ayame with serving dishes. The stand's popularity had increased over the last three years, leading to an almost constant stream of customers. Ayame smiled as she picked up empty bowls and collected pay, she had been asking Teuchi to hire another waitress for several months to help ease her load and Miyuki couldn't have arrived at a better time. Hiryuu had stopped by for lunch earlier, saying Tsunade had given him a job restoring and maintaining a small shrine in the village. Kimiko was the only one who didn't seem to have a job yet, since Miyuki had seen the hanyou girl pass by several times. Said hanyou suddenly slid on to an empty seat and grinned. "I got a job helping Iruka-sensei at the academy! I'm helping him by grading papers and running errands, leaving him free to teach the class!" Miyuki smiled and placed a bowl of beef ramen in front of her friend. "This bowl is on the house! Hiryuu got a job working at a shrine, so I think we won't have to worry about money while we're here," she said. Kimiko grinned before starting to gulp down her ramen. Her nose suddenly twitched as she smelled Naruto, Akemi, and Hinata approaching the stand. "Oi, incoming Naruto at six 'o clock!" exclaimed the hanyou girl.
Hinata and Akemi entered the stand supporting a passed out Naruto between them. "What happened to him?" asked Ayame. "He just found out that Hinata's father had an agreement with his father that their clans would be joined one day. Hinata is now engaged to marry Naruto in a year!" said Akemi, while Hinata blushed. The two girls sat Naruto down on one of the stools and Miyuki placed a bowl of miso ramen in front of the blond. Naruto's nose twitched and he promptly planted his face in the bowl and started inhaling the contents. All of the other occupants of the stand stared at Naruto as he emptied the bowl and raised his head. Naruto was now awake and coherent, so Hinata timidly decided to ask him a question. "Anou, Naruto-kun? I was wondering how you felt about this?" Naruto wiped his face off with a napkin before replying. "I really don't know. I never really thought about getting married after I realized I didn't have any chance at convincing a family to let their daughter marry the 'Kyuubi brat'. That's one reason I chased after Sakura-chan so much. I was hoping some of the other girls would realize I was a nice guy and maybe start to like me. But that didn't work." Hinata gulped, her heart was pounding so much she swore she could hear the blood rushing through her face. "Th…that's not t…true, N…na…ruto-kun! You always had o…one g…girl who ad…admired you!" said the kunoichi with a trace of her old stutter. Naruto's head snapped up to stare at Hinata in surprise. "Really?" Hinata trembled slightly but gathered her courage. ::If I don't tell him that I love him now he might feel unhappy that we were forced into this engagement:: she thought before swallowing the lump that threatened to choke her. "Actually, she loved you. She was always watching you and admired your strength, determination, and refusal to give up or take back your words. Your nindo so inspired her that in fact she made it her ninja way." Naruto started to think and slowly the words Hinata had said during her fight with Neji came back to him. "You mean it's…" he trailed off. Hinata nodded, her face once again as red as a tomato. "I've loved you since before our first Chunin exam and this agreement between our fathers is like a dream come true for me!" Naruto suddenly slammed his head onto the counter and exclaimed, "I am such an idiot! Here I was chasing after Sakura all those years when you were to shy to admit your feelings! I must have hurt you so much with my constant praise of Sakura, didn't I?" Hinata nodded slightly, being careful to focus on a small bit of spilled broth in front of her. Naruto suddenly leaned over and kissed Hinata on the cheek. Both genin had flaming red cheeks when Naruto leaned back. Hinata sat there for a second as her brain processed the moment and then she had jumped into Naruto's lap and locked her lips onto his. Akemi, Miyuki, and Kimiko all cheered as the two kissed, while Ayame was drying her eyes on a napkin. Teuchi whistled at the new couple's passionate kiss, deciding on the spot to give both of them free ramen on the anniversary of this day each year.
A sudden gust of wind seemed to enter the stand and a loud voice exclaimed, "Naruto-kun, I challenge you to a ……… OH NARUTO-KUN, THE FIREY PASSION OF YOUTH HAS FINALLY LED YOU TO THE ONE WOMAN MEANT FOR YOU!" Naruto and Hinata reluctantly stopped kissing and turned to see Lee standing in the entrance to the stand. After wrapping his arms around Hinata to hold her in his lap, Naruto grinned at the green clad Chunin and asked, "What were you saying Lee, something about a challenge?" Lee smiled and struck his signature thumbs up pose complete with sparkling teeth. "Naruto-kun, let us test the strength of our youthful manliness against each other!" Naruto blinked and stared at Lee until Kimiko said, "In other words, he wants to fight with you Naruto." Naruto grinned and said, "Sure Fuzzy-brows, but I should warn you that I feel like I could take on Gaara with my bare fists and win!" Naruto set Hinata on her feet and kissed her cheek before leading Lee to his team's training ground. Along the way their friends, who had heard Lee yelling something about Naruto and fiery passion and figured out the two were going to fight, showed up and joined them. Ino noticed Hinata's slightly flushed face and soon had the whole story of the engagement from the Hyuga heiress. The girls all started making suggestions to Hinata and only stopped when Akemi declared a sleepover was in order at the Uzumaki house during the first opportunity. By then they had reached the training ground and the spectators jumped to the trees to give the combatants more room. Tsunade, Jiraiya, Gai, and the other sensei had also shown up with Kyuubi.
"Oi Lee, lets keep this to pure Taijutsu! I don't want to show all my new jutsu that Ero-senin," here Naruto had to dodge a kunai thrown by Jiraiya, "has taught me yet!" Lee nodded and adopted his usual Iron Fist stance. Naruto also shifted into a stance, but not one any of the Konoha nins had seen before, even Gai. "What is that stance that Naruto is using?" asked the taijutsu master. Kyuubi and Jiraiya both grinned and the senin said, "That is the Kitsune Ken stance that Kyuubi-san taught Naruto two years ago." Kyuubi nodded and continued the explanation. "This stance is mostly used by kitsune like me in human form. As you might know, kitsune can use their tails to fight as well as their arms and legs. This stance allows a kitsune to use their tails, claws, and fangs to maximum effect." "But Naruto doesn't have tails, claws, or fangs," said a puzzled Gai. "Oh really? Take another look," said Jiraiya. Gai looked at Naruto and was surprised to see nine fox tails sprouting from a concealed hole in his shorts while his nails had become claws. Naruto's canines had also grown longer. The whole look reminded Sakura of when Naruto thought Sasuke had been killed by Haku. Neji on the other hand was remembering his fight with Naruto in the Chunin Exam.
"Umm, forgive my bluntness Naruto-kun but will you actually bite me?" asked Lee. Naruto grinned and shook his head. "Nah, I only use the fangs for the enemies I want to kill. Besides, Kiba has sharp canines and I never got bit by him in our fight. Don't worry, I've had all my shots," said Naruto, earning a chuckle from all the spectators. Both Lee and Naruto seemed to tense for a minute, then they both dashed forward and started exchanging kicks and punches. After a full minute of this, Lee and Naruto separated and grinned at each other. "Nice warm-up, now lets get down to business," said Naruto. Lee nodded and pulled off his Chunin vest to toss it aside. Smoke rose from the place the vest hit the ground, revealing a deep crater. Lee then undid his ankle weights with similar results. Naruto grinned and waited for Lee to make the first move. Lee seemed to disappear before appearing behind Naruto and delivering a roundhouse kick to his head, only to find one of Naruto's fox tails blocking the blow. Lee immediately aimed a punch at Naruto's back, only to get grabbed by all nine tails and lightly tossed over Naruto. The taijutsu expert landed on his feet facing Naruto and grinned. "Very nice Naruto-kun. Now I'll get serious!" said Lee before he started rapidly attacking Naruto from all sides with his incredible speed. Naruto countered each blow, then swept Lee's feet out from under him. Naruto's fist seemed to become covered in flame as he punched Lee, only to hit the ground as Lee rolled to the side of the blow. Lee attacked again, opting to use his standard move. "Konoha senpu!" yelled Lee as he kicked Naruto in the chin and up into the air. Naruto grinned as he shot up into the air and felt Lee appear behind him. "Good shot, but I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to let you use Lotus on me," said Naruto before he suddenly spun around in mid air with his feet surrounded by flames. "Okibi Senpuuken!" yelled Naruto as he kicked Lee in the chest. Lee hit the ground hard, while Naruto seemed to drift down and landed lightly on his feet. The smoke from Lee's landing blew away, revealing a smiling Lee as he lay on the ground. "That was an excellent fight, Naruto-kun, next time fight me without the weights on," said Lee before he slipped into the world of dreams with his smile still on his face after seeing Naruto nod.
Tsunade jumped from the trees and examined Lee. She was surprised to see that Lee would be fine after a few hours of rest. "I'm impressed Naruto, you barely seemed to have hurt him at all," she said. Naruto rubbed the back of his head as he regained his normal appearance. "Well, I didn't want to kill him, plus he seems to have the heal gate active full time now," Tsunade and Gai's eyes widened at this, while Neji examined Lee's chakra system and saw Naruto was correct. "But how?" exclaimed Gai. "Apparently the heal gate is the easiest to open and causes the least damage to Lee," said Neji. "I see what looks like an unusually large path around the gate. I can only assume Lee's body adapted to the Heal gate and he doesn't realize he is using it, since the gate hasn't closed even though he is unconscious." Gai was amazed and tears poured down his face as he wailed, "OH LEE, THE BRIGHT FIRE OF YOUR YOUTHFUL SPIRIT HAS ALLOWED YOU THE STRENGTH TO SURVIVE WHERE EVEN I WOULD FAIL AND SERVES AS A BEACON OF THE POWER OF YOUTH TO THE OTHERS!" Everyone avoided looking at Gai as he ranted and raved about youth power until Tsunade knocked him out to shut him up. All the other ninja were amazed at Naruto's new speed and power, while Jiraiya and Kyuubi shared looks of pride at their student's achievements. Hinata had joined Neji in examining Lee and now turned her gaze on Naruto.
"That was amazing Naruto-kun!" said Hinata with a smile. Naruto grinned and rubbed the back of his head as he said, "Yeah, I guess I am!" Hinata just shook her head at Naruto's remark. "Sorry to interrupt, but I have a mission for your team," said Tsunade. Naruto glanced at the Hokage and was rewarded with a small grin. "It is a C mission, travel to the Wave Country and escort two travelers back here." Naruto's grin widened as he thought of returning to the sight of his first real battle and seeing the bridge that bore his name. "You leave tomorrow at nine, so get a good night's rest!" said Tsunade. Naruto grinned and said, "Sugoi, it will be great to see everyone again!" No one noticed the looks exchanged by Jiraiya and Tsunade except Hinata. The Hyuga Heiress couldn't help but feel there was something more to this mission then they were being told. As the three genin walked towards the Uzumaki house to pack for the mission, Hinata voiced her concerns. "Naruto-kun, Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sensei seemed worried about something. Do you have any idea what it might be?" Naruto's happy grin faded and he sighed. "There is a criminal organization called Akatsuki whose goal is to obtain Oka-san's power. All their members are S-class missing nins. Orochimaru used to be one of them before he quit. The only other members I know about are Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke's older brother who slaughtered his whole clan, and Hoshigake Kisame, a shark man missing nin from hidden mist who uses a strange sword called SameHade to suck his opponent's chakra before he slices them to pieces. They attacked us on our return to Konoha but were driven off with Kimiko-chan, Miyuki-chan, and Hiryuu-san's help. There is a good chance they'll attack us either on the way to or from the Wave Country." Both girls cheerful moods were dampened by this, but they resolved to make the most of the evening by moving Hinata's things to the Uzumaki house and having a nice dinner that Hinata made with Kyuubi's help.
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(Konoha gates, next morning)"See you soon! I'll make sure to have a bowl of miso ramen waiting for you when you get back!" yelled Miyuki as the team set out. Everyone had shown up to see their friends off. Kyuubi was making sure Akemi, Naruto, and Hinata had all the gear and supplies they would need, causing Akemi to exclaim, "Oka-san, I'm not one hundred years old any more! I can pack for myself!" Everyone laughed as Kyuubi scowled and grabbed her kit's ear. "I've been worrying about where you were for the past fifth teen years! I think I have a right to be overprotective of you now that I finally have you back!" "Itai! Stop it Oka-san! I'll stop complaining!" yelped Akemi as she struggled to be released from Kyuubi's grip. Kyuubi finally let Akemi go, after which the terrified kitsune ran and hid behind Naruto. "Save me Naruto-ni-san!" she whined. Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed, resigning himself to playing the protective older brother. He had seen other older kids defend their siblings from bullies at the playground when he longingly watched the kids playing and wished to join them in their fun. Naruto would have given anything to have an older brother to protect him from the villagers, so how could he deny someone else that gift? "Oka-san, Akemi-chan is right, we really need to get going. Even at my best speed it would take me a day to get to the Wave Country and it will probably take us at least three days depending on how many times Ero-senin tries to slip away to do his 'research'. If we want to get there in time we need to leave now!" Kyuubi sighed and nodded. "Just remember to send up a flare if you're in sight of Konoha and need help," she said before kissing all three of the genin goodbye. "What, no kiss for me?" asked Jiraiya with a perverted grin. WHAM! POW! SMACK! Jiraiya was kicked in the shin by Naruto, punched in the gut by Akemi, and smacked by Kyuubi. The three genin set off with their sensei limping behind them. (AN: I'll just skip to where they have reached the Wave Country)
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(Wave Country, Great Naruto Bridge)Naruto grinned with understandable pride as he surveyed the bridge that bore his name and was the sight of his declaration to create and follow his own Nindo, or ninja way. "The Great Naruto Bridge… boy this place sure brings back memories," said Naruto with a smile as he led the group across the bridge. "What kind of memories Naruto-kun?" asked Hinata. "This is where I decided to make and follow my own Nindo. I came to that decision after facing off against Zabuza and Haku, two missing nin from Hidden Mist. Haku taught me that true strength comes from having some on precious to you to protect, while Zabuza showed me the kind of ninja I wouldn't want to become. I also learned to climb trees with out my hands here. I remember the first night Sasuke-teme and I both puked up everything we ate and Sakura-chan yelled at us and called us idiots. This was also the first place I tapped into Oka-san's chakra after I thought Sasuke-teme was dead. I also met people who respected me and acknowledged me. In fact, the mission scroll said the clients are waiting at their house. You guys will like Tazuna-san, Tsunami -san, and Inari. Before we leave I'll show you the trees we climbed and the graves of Zabuza and Haku," said Naruto. As the group reached the Wave Country side of the bridge, an old man sitting on a bench stood up and grinned widely at the Konoha nins. "Hey Naruto, you've grown since we last saw you!" yelled the man. Naruto grinned back and said, "And you're still the same old man who called me a midget and said he wouldn't acknowledge me even if I became Hokage Tazuna!" The bridge builder laughed and led the way to his home saying, "The clients are eager to go, they say they got separated from their friends and found the bridge. They crossed over and stayed here until now so they could have a guide through the forests to Konoha." Naruto blinked, something about the story seemed very familiar.
"Oi, Akira-san, Ryeka-chan! Your escort has arrived!" yelled Inari from the front yard as he saw his grandfather approaching with Naruto and his team. "Naruto-ni-san! I'm so happy to see you!" yelled the little boy as he ran and tackled Naruto, who grinned and slung the boy over his shoulder while ignoring the small fists pounding on his back. "It's good to see you to Inari, but I want to get back to Konoha so I don't have much time. I want to meet the clients and show my friends a few sights from my last visit here before we leave!" said Naruto. Inari pouted, but allowed Naruto to set him down outside before the blond ninja entered the house. He found a cyan haired girl with golden eyes helping Tsunami prepare some bento boxes while a black haired boy with a pigtail seemed to be practicing some form of Taijutsu. All three of them looked up as Naruto and the rest of the team entered. "So which of you are the clients?" asked Jiraiya with a perverted grin at the two females in the room. "Oh Kami-sama, not the pervert hermit! Why couldn't it have been Kakashi or one of the other Jounin?" groaned the girl. Naruto suddenly realized why the client's story seemed so familiar. "Excuse me, are you two by any chance friends of Kimiko Taisho?" he asked. Both teens stared at him with surprise before nodding. Hinata grinned and said, "Well you're in luck, Kimiko-chan, Hiryuu-san, and Miyuki-chan are all in Konoha and will be happy to see you!" Naruto noticed how both teens seemed to recognize him and Hinata, but not Akemi. "Allow me to introduce my adopted sister Akemi Uzumaki, and my fiancée Hinata Hyuga," said the boy as he gestured to each girl as he named him. "I'll explain everything in a more private place, could you please bring your things and we'll be on our way?" asked Naruto. Both Akira and Ryeka nodded and grabbed backpacks they had obtained by doing odd jobs around the town to earn money. Ren-oh-ki was sleeping inside Ryeka's backpack, while Akira had some supplies and a tent. Naruto led the way out of the house and to the graves of Zabuza and Haku.
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(The Graves)"And that is what has changed from the story line you know as far as Kimiko-chan can tell," said Hinata as she finished explaining about Akemi, Kyuubi, and the Uzumaki clan. Ryeka and Akira had listened wide eyed and had congratulated Hinata on finally landing her long time crush. The group of six sat near the graves, which Naruto had placed fresh flowers on. Ryeka walked over to look at Zabuza's sword, only to feel a chill go down her back. "Guys, something weird is going on," she said. Everyone looked up as a form rose out of the grave. The ghost of Zabuza stared at all of them before fixing his gaze on Naruto. "Kid, I see you've grown stronger since I left this world. Several of the arrivals in hell have been talking about your skills and strength." Naruto's face had paled as the ghost spoke, and he barely squeaked out, "How are you here?" Ryeka nervously raised her hand. "I think it is my fault. My mother has the ability to summon nature spirits to help her in battle, but I never knew I had this power or it could raise human spirits from the grave!" Zabuza nodded and said, "Indeed, your powers are untrained and I could have resisted if I didn't want to talk to Naruto. Naruto, I have seen much and your path holds many dangers to you and your friends. Take my sword and use it to make your dreams come true!" Zabuza started to fade away as he finished speaking, leaving a stunned group behind. Naruto cautiously approached the sword and grasped it by the hilt and tugged. The sword easily slid free of the earth and shone in the afternoon sun. "Not even a scratch or bit of rust after three years," whispered Naruto before pulling a hair from his head. The edge of the blade easily split the hair in half, some how retaining the sharpness of a well tended weapon. Naruto swung the sword up into the air and held it with just one hand. "I swear on this blade that I shall only use it to defend my precious people, family, and friends!" exclaimed Naruto.
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(Two days later in the Forest, in sight of Konoha)"Finally, we're almost back!" said Akemi as she gazed at the distant hidden village. Jiraiya nodded, absently doodling something in his note book. A beam of red light suddenly burned a hole through the book and in particular the picture Jiraiya was drawing. The pervert senin jumped up and glared at Ryeka, who was hovering in mid-air with one hand aimed at him. "I don't appreciate having my body be the object of a pervert's lust!" growled the girl. Jiraiya then received a hit on the head from Akemi and Naruto right then. "Baka Ero-senin, you're annoying the clients! If you do that they don't pay us as much and we need all the money we can get to maintain the house. I had a hard enough time paying the rent on my old apartment, now I have to make sure there is enough to pay for a huge mansion!" yelled the boy. Hinata blushed slightly and said, "Anou, even though fat… Hiashi-san doesn't approve, I am now living with you Naruto-kun. I still have access to my personal account, which should have more than enough to provide for us for a year." Naruto shook his head, "Gomen Hinata-chan, but until we get married I'm not letting you pay for the upkeep of the house except in an emergency. Groceries are okay, but not the utilities or rent." Akemi nodded her agreement, but grinned at the fact that Hinata had stopped calling Hiashi her father after Kyuubi told of his reaction to Tsunade's announcements at the clan head meeting. The whole group watched in amusement as Naruto started chasing Jiraiya with Zabuza's giant sword yelling about slicing off something and eliminating his perverted habits.
The whole group suddenly found themselves unable to move their feet as a seal appeared in the ground. "What the hell? Where did this come from?" yelled Akira as he struggled to lift his feet and found it impossible. Akemi started emitting a series of angry barks and growls that none of them but Naruto could understand. For all his strength, even Jiraiya couldn't cancel the seal. Hinata's eye veins bulged as she activated the Byakugan. "Four people approaching, one is carrying a giant sword. All of them have the same black cloak with red clouds on!" said the girl. Naruto scowled and said, "Akatsuki! Just great! If I can't move they know right where I am even if I use Kage Bushin no Jutsu. We're sitting ducks unless we can break the seal holding us here!" No one noticed Ryeka suddenly seem to double and one of the two sink into the ground. Naruto raised his hands and said, "Lets hope someone in Konoha is watching and sees this!" before shooting a gigantic burst of red flames up into the air. The flames formed the Uzumaki clan spiral. "Now we just have to hope help arrives soon," said the blond shinobi. The group suddenly became aware of four figures stepping out from the trees. Itachi, Kisame, and two new Akatsuki members approached the trapped group. One of the new comers had what looked like the leaves of a Venus Fly Trap sticking up from his coat and over his head. The other's hair looked showed he had been hit by many thunder jutsu. Jiraiya's eyes narrowed and he said,"Banrai formerly of Hidden Cloud and Ikushuka formerly of Hidden Grass. Looks like you had to bring in back up Itachi." The former Konoha nin smirked and said, "You should know that we will never give up on achieving our goal. The power of Kyuubi will be ours!"
I'm working on the next chapter already, so I'm stopping this chapter here. Expect a six page, when typed in word, battle in the next chapter plus some new techniques at the very least. I'm working on translating and making a list of my original jutsu that I'll post in a review soon. Read and Review, since this dragon hoards his reviews.