AN:
crazy-antman and MysteryLady-Tx: Thanks for the support and I hope you enjoy the chapters to come.
Master Chaos: Good to see I still have old readers checking my new stuff. Welcome back.
Citan: No, I'm sorry. Within the two year (now 23 months) time period before Naruto returns to Konoha, there will be no romance for him. The biggest reason is he needs to mature first. And also, before he gets a family, he needs to deal with the Fourth being his father and develop a more familial relationship with Kumiko, John, and Miharu. And I will be changing John's name soon. Its only been a month of time since he left the compound. He still needs to finish learning to read and write too. As for the title…just wait. You might want to take a closer look at some of the previous chapters too (hint hint).
Jiraiya's POV
I look over at Kumiko. She was watching the children walk inside after whatever they did. She hasn't said a word to me about the situation in hours. But I didn't expect her to. It's not everyday you find out that the child you thought died years ago but is actually every much alive.
"Jiraiya, the Akatsuki are after Naruto and Miharu, correct?" I watch as she turns towards me. Her eyes were red and puffy. "Could someone use them as bartering tools to join the organization?"
"You're not…"
"No, you misunderstand. I'm just thinking that, because of how prestigious the Akatsuki are someone who wants in could try to kidnap one of them to barter their way inside."
"I suppose it's possible, why?"
"Well, Mizukage-sama had thought that Miharu's secret was safe. He was the only one in the village who knew she had the Five-Tails sealed inside her. However, I think someone found out. During her last mission with her team, they were attacked by a former member of the Seven Swordsmen. He killed her two team mates and was about to kill her jounin sensei when she flipped out and went…well, demon I guess you could call the transformation. The jounin couldn't identify their attacker save that he was from the Seven Swordsmen before he died. All we know is we didn't find his body."
"So you believe someone knows that Miharu is a vessel for the bijuu then. It is quite likely. And Shimizu obviously thinks so or else he wouldn't have sent her to me for training and protection."
"I've just…Miharu has been the closest thing to a daughter I've ever had. After Mizukage-sama sent Naruto to Arashi I had nothing. When I found out about her I wanted to take her under my wing to try to help me cope with the loss. But now…now Naruto is back in my life and I don't know what to do." Kumiko collapses onto the roof, tears flowing again. I squat down next to her.
"I feel the same way sometimes. I always felt that Arashi was the son I never had and Naruto is the grandson. Whenever I don't know what to do with him I say to myself: 'What would Arashi do?'" I stand up and jump off the roof. I can't help Kumiko anymore, she has to help herself. I check in on the children before going to bed myself. We move tomorrow.
Naruto's POV
"Good morning, Naruto-kun!" A female voice announces. My world of dreams is flooded with an intensely bright light. I groan and shield my closed eyes. Who made morning so bright?
"Go away, it's to early," I roll away from the light. Suddenly I'm drenched and sitting up strait. "What was that? It's cold!"
"Oh deal with it, Naruto-kun," I look over at Kumiko. "It was just a harmless jutsu. Waking up stubborn little ninjas is just a side benefit." She vanishes as I throw a kunai at her. I hear laughing from outside the door. I pull the soaked bedding off of me and stand up. I grab a towel, dry myself off and get dressed and packed. When I finish, I walk out to meet everyone else. Kumiko and Miharu are sitting at a table drinking tea and finishing breakfast.
"What? No ramen? I always need ramen after I deal with the kitsune. Now more than ever." I slump down in a chair and start to munch on a piece of toast. Miharu laughed.
"What's so funny?" Kumiko asked, looking at use as if we were crazy. "What actually happened during the two weeks you two were in comas?" I look up to start talking as Miharu throws another slice of toast at me.
"Eat, we need to leave. I'll tell the story," I start to eat the toast while listening in. "So, Naruto-kun's attempt to summon Kyuubi-sama's chakra took us to a place that had representations of huge gates with our sealed bijuu. I found out that I had Gobi-sama within me and Kyuubi-sama was within Naruto-kun. I wouldn't have had the courage to ask Gobi-sama to let me use her chakra myself, but Kyuubi-sama explained to her what he knew of the Akatsuki and she relented. Kyuubi-sama then showed Naruto a series of what he called was demon hand seals which he could use to use Kyuubi-sama's chakra to form fox armor or something around himself. You can ask Naruto more about it later. He said he used it during his fight with Sasuke. Anyways, after that Kyuubi-sama and Gobi-sama started to instruct us in taijutsu styles to best use their power. Naruto was able to learn the basics of the Flaming Fox style. There really isn't anything flaming about it, save for when he uses his Chakra Claws."
"Chakra Claws?" I looked up at Kumiko at her question. I lifted my right hand into the air. I focused my chakra around my hand and formed sharp claw points around my fingers. It started as just a reddish haze but it quickly solidified into points around my fingers. I poked my fifth piece of toast showing her that they were real, solid claws.
"Those basically. Anyways that's what he was taught. Gobi-sama taught me the Hidden Tiger style. As Naruto's Flaming Fox is based around his Chakra Claws, mine is based around after attacks."
"After attacks? I don't understand," Miharu grins at Kumiko's confusion.
"How it works is I make an attack. If it connects it connects but if they dodge and doesn't connect the image of the attack is there. I then use my next attack to make my opponent to dodge into my previous attack image. It's a little more of a chakra intensive style than Naruto's but…"
"Much more unexpected," Kumiko finished. "Wow that's just…unbelievable. You two are probably the only people on the planet who know those styles then."
"Yep and the only ones who can perform them properly too which is the best thing. Sasuke-dobe won't be able to copy this style like he did Lee's," I laugh. "Oh, which reminds me, we still need to do that other contract to hold up our end of the deal, Miharu." I drain my cup of tea and walk outside, Miharu following.
"Good job, John. That's a proper Henge. Congratulations." I look over at Jiraiya and what appeared to be me. The other me turned and waved excitedly.
"Naruto-nii-san! Look, look!" I laugh and wander over. "I did it! And Jiraiya-sensei promised me to teach me a fire-ninjutsu for accomplishing it!" I look over at Jiraiya.
"Really Ero-sennin? Well, hurry up and do that then, don't want to keep your rising pupil waiting." I chuckled and stood facing east. Miharu took a position a step north of me. Kumiko, Jiraiya, and John were all staring at us curiously. We lift up our shirts enough to reveal our currently active seals and tie them so they stay out of the way. Then I formed the Fox Demon Seal and Miharu formed the Tiger Demon Seal. We took a kunai and pierced the skin on our right thumbs and let a few drops fall to the ground. Placing my thumb at the center of the spiral I traced it out till the tip. Forming the Fox Demon Seal again I closed my eyes. I tapped my foot three times and synchronously with Miharu we both said.
"Demon Bloodline no Jutsu!" Our seals glowed. Mine red, Miharu's white. Slowly the fading stopped. We cleaned the dry blood from our faded seals and pulled our shirts down. We grabbed our packs and turned around ready to leave. Kumiko and Jiraiya were staring at use like we were insane. John was beating on Jiraiya trying to get his attention.
"We'll tell you what we just did in transit, alright? Now show John that jutsu so we can get going, alright?"
Jiraiya's POV
"Alright, alright. Keep your shirt on," Naruto's words shook me out of my stare. I turn to an eager John. "Ok kid; watch the seals I make while I'm doing them. I tell you how to focus your chakra when I'm done." I slowly form a few seals. John is watching me intently.
"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" I breathe out a large fireball about two meters in diameter onto the ground before me. I quickly end it and turn to see an amazed John looking at me. "Ok, now for the chakra focus. After you finish the last seal, you need to focus your chakra in the back of you throat. Once you feel there is enough or it starts to burn, just breath out. This is a Chuunin level jutsu so I don't expect you to get it off the bat. While we are traveling today I want you to practice the hand seals so you can perform them as faster than you have been. One seal a second is really slow." He quickly nodded and started practicing the seals. "Well, shall I summon the travel frog again?" I turn to see Naruto and Miharu grinning evilly.
"Actually, Jiraiya-sensei, Naruto-kun and I have something to show you." The both bit their thumbs and formed the summon seal sequence.
"Kyuchiyose: Kitsune no Jutsu!"
"Kyuchiyose: Tora no Jutso!" They each shouted, slamming their right palms onto the ground. Smoke billowed out but quickly dispersed revealing a red fox, three meters tall with three tails and a white tiger of the same height with two.
"Hehehe, check it out Ero-sennin. Much better than frogs." I looked at Naruto who was sitting on the fox's back. John quickly jumped up behind him excitedly. I laugh. It's good to see John happy again. When Naruto was unconscious he couldn't smile at all and now he almost can't stop. I need to find someone who can help him sort out the years of psychological abuse this kid has gone through.
"Kumiko-sensei, get up and ride with me. Jiraiya-sensei can ride with John and Naruto," Miharu reaches a hand down and pulls Kumiko up. I jump onto the back of the fox and take a seat behind John, making sure to hold him in place.
"John, you really need to learn how to cling to stuff with your chakra."
"Yeah, I know. So the seals went Serpent-Ram-Monkey-Boar-Horse-Tiger, right?"
"Yep. Naruto, head towards the north east. We're heading towards a coastal village in Stone Country. But go at a slow pace. We've been here too long so we might have been tracked down and have ambushes waiting for us."
"Understood, Ero-sennin." Naruto pats the fox and whispers something into its ear. It nods and takes off towards the northwest at a trot. Miharu's tiger follows.
Naruto's POV
I yell. This was so much better than riding a frog. Wind whipping past my face, the trees emerging from the gloom to be expertly dodged by my mount. I turn to look at John behind me. He has forgotten to practice and he is yelling with me. I ruffle his hair smiling.
"Eh hem," I look up at Jiraiya. "I thought you said you were going to look out for ambushes."
"Yeah, I told this guy to sniff out possible ambushes and avoid them if possible while heading in the northeasterly direction. He will only slow down if there is an ambush coming up that is unavoidable." The fox picked that moment to slow down. I quickly turn my face front. Miharu pulls her tiger up next to us.
"Why are we slowing down? That was fun!" My fox growls quietly.
"He says there is a large group of hostiles in front of us." I relay. "Don't ask me how I understood that though."
"Does he have a number?" Jiraiya asks, peering into the forest before us. The fox growls again.
"He says he can't tell. Their scents are all mixed up almost if…two or more people are producing the same one!" I watched as Jiraiya instantly placed a hand on John.
"Well, we can assume this isn't the Akatsuki then. I'm looking and I can kinda see a clearing bout fifty meters in front of us. It's filled with what I assume to be enemies. From this distance I can't tell anymore."
"Jiraiya, what should we do?" Kumiko asked, removing the safety ropes on her sword. The tiger let out a growl of its own.
"Oh… According to my lady here, it seems that they are blocking off a small path between two large rock outcroppings and are using a genjutsu to disguise the rocks." Miharu added, looking over at us.
"Ok, if the tiger is correct…this is the edge of Stone Country. These guys are fast I wasn't expecting to be here till nightfall. I guess the only way past them is through them."
"Jiraiya-sensei…you're hurting me." I look at John and see the grip Jiraiya has was quite tight. He immediately released his grip.
"Sorry," He looked over at Kumiko. I saw her scowl for the first time ever. Jiraiya nodded. "Well, the only way past them is through and I have a score to settle against these people."
"Why is that, Jiraiya-sensei?" John looked up at Jiraiya.
"If I'm correct, these are servants of the man who…" Jiraiya just stopped. Miharu gasped. Then I realized that these people were the ones who beat John.
"Ero-sennin. What's the battle plan?"
Jiraiya's POV
My frog landed in the clearing. Every face looked up from what they were doing at us. I put on an astonished look. I looked behind me and looked at the faces of the two Naruto-clones who were standing there, one who was henged to look like John. I turned back around to face my opponents. They were milling around, collecting their weapons. I guess they didn't expect us to get here this quickly either. I watched as one man shouted and walked forward. That's the leader.
Naruto's POV
I watch from behind a rock as the leader stepped forward towards Jiraiya. I had my clones act frightened. I look next to me to see Miharu. She was watching the other side of the encampment where Kumiko was hiding. I looked over at Jiraiya and wondered if the real John was alright. We had decided that the best place for him to hide before combat started was miraged directly behind Jiraiya with my henged clone less than a meter away. The plan was that, as soon as combat would start, my clones would leap off into the rocks running away as Jiraiya intercepted the leader. His frog would leap in a different direction and vanish as John would find a shady spot to hide. As soon as the frog vanished, Kumiko, Miharu and I would charge out and start taking out the army. We had inspected them closer and decided that they were just mercenaries who had had 'transplants' from some bloodline. How effective they could use it was unknown though. Jiraiya expected the leader would be most likely be a ninja so he would take him on as we took out his troops. Well, that was the plan.
Jiraiya's POV
"So you're the great Jiraiya. It's a pleasure to finally meet the Legendary Pervert." I watch as the robed figure walked towards me. The face…why do I recognize that face? "I see you have found some property belonging to my master. He told you last time that he wants his property back. If you peacefully hand him over we will let you and your apprentice through without interference."
"You won't touch John!" The Naruto clone shouted. The man looked over at him and scowled.
"And a genin is going to stop me? I'm an S-Ranked Criminal. You wouldn't even be able to touch me." Four sword points emerge from his cloak. "Now this is your last chance, Jiraiya-san. Give me my master's property or I will be forced to…" There was a light blue blur that suddenly appeared, forcing the leader back ten feet. Dust got spewed into the air. Slowly the dust settled revealing Kumiko parrying with a three meter ôdachi with the leader parrying back with four katanas of his own, one in each of his four arms.
Naruto's POV
"What's on down there? This wasn't the plan!" I looked at Kumiko attacking the leader furiously. He just chuckled and blocked with two of his own swords each time easily. Miharu gasped to my left.
"Those are the Kisetsufuu!" I looked over at her curiously. "He's…one of the Seven Swordsmen!" I turn back to look at the man now pushing Kumiko back.
"She needs help. The plan is already out the window and Kumiko-san needs help." I perform a quick Kage Bunshin filling the landscape behind me with clones. I turned around. "Alright guys, I don't want John's secret blown quite yet. Become some random mercenary, alright?" They nodded and preformed a Henge. I preformed one of my own and changed my outer appearance to look like Kiba. I look over at Miharu she nods at me. I stand up on the rock I was hiding behind.
"Troops, CHARGE!" My clones flood over the ridge and into the field below. Jiraiya, Kumiko and the leader all stare as my flood of clones' charges into the army being led by Miharu and me. I use my Chakra Claws and start to run along the ground on my four limbs.
Jiraiya's POV
I watch as Kiba leads an army of well trained bandits into the army. Then I realized that that wasn't Kiba but Naruto and the army was just his clones. Good job, Naruto. That's just the distraction I needed. I motioned to the clones behind me and they took off into the forest I jumped off my frog as it jumped away. I looked out of the corner of my eye and saw the distortion that was the real John sitting on top still. I turn back to the leader and watched him square off with Kumiko.
"So, Kumiko-chan, it's been a long time."
"Hoko, as a representative of Mufun and member of the Seven Swordsmen, I condemn you to death for your crimes against Mist. Surrender yourself to execution."
"Oh, Kumiko-chan, you should know me better than that. My master has given me arms to fully use the power of the Kisetsufuu. Nothing you or anyone else can do will stop me now." I walked up next to Kumiko.
"Actually, we will stop you. I will forgive no one who surrenders themselves to work for Namami."
AN2: Ok, just incase any of you were wondering, there have been four swordsmen mentioned so far. I also have names for their swords. As followed:
Kumiko: Joushou Mizu (Rising Water, next chapter)
Kisame: Samehada (Sharkskin, from manga)
Zabuza: Gengetsu (Crescent Moon, next chapter)
Hoko: Kisetsufuu (Seasonal Winds)
I'm just still itching to work on the other three swordsmen, hehehe. Also, Mirage no Jutsu isn't a bloodline specific skill. It's just far easier for John than Jiraiya. For John, it's pre-academy level. For Jiraiya, it's B-Ranked Chuunin. Still easy but Jiraiya has to do a few extra seals to create the heat then control it. John just has to control it.
