For those of you who are confused about "Hinata's Torture", the scene is in Chapter 8 when Kaine was shoving Hinata's head underwater "torturing" her to get the whereabouts of Naruto.

Key

"words" characters talking

words characters thinking or simply italics

(words) author's notes/my thoughts

look at the bottom

January 2. Outskirts of Konoha. 6:47 A.M. Reign of the 3rd Hokage (2nd Term)

Naruto had never woken up so refreshed. The down feather pillow he rest his head on was the best he had ever felt. The satin sheets draped over his chest were of a pattern he had never seen. And the air… the air was the greatest part of the whole setting. It wasn't just the jasmine and mint he smelled, but the intangible feeling that he couldn't place to any one sense.

Almost romantically, he breathed in and out as if the air was sacred; which it was to him. He repeated it several more times until he felt like he had enough. He opened his eyes and immediately noticed that Hinata was nowhere to be seen. Concerned, he rose, slipped on his clothes and burst through the front flap into the chilly morning air.

Naruto easily saw his breath leaving a trail of short puffy clouds behind him as he dog-trotted about, looking for Hinata.

Miruden looked down the blade of his tanto, finally satisfied at its edge. With this, he sheathed it and stood to dress his armor on. It was nothing fancy. He donned a feather-light satin undershirt and placed black and red leather plates on top of this. It left him light and mobile. His battle tactics were based on speed.

Yinagi and Takarashi passed by to give their condolences for Kaine's loss. Miruden accepted and thanked them, knowing it was polite to do so. Then he added, "If you are to fight this red boy, would you please leave him to me? Even if he is far beyond my skill?"

Yinagi was about to tell him no and scold him for being arrogant when Takarashi bowed and said, "I would not have it any other way Miruden. You may have the honors…," He paused. "With one exception."

Miruden looked up at him like a son to a father. "What is it?"

Shintaro appeared from around a tent with an object in a black sash. It was wrapped and tied taut with a green and black piece of linen. From the way he carried it, Miruden thought it was sacred.

"The exception, my friend, is this gift I have here for you." Takarashi motioned to Shintaro who followed up by pulling the linen and unfolding the flaps of cloth one by one. After a good deal of unwrapping, and Miruden drumming his fingers impatiently, Shintaro lifted a sheathed Katana. The scabbard was like the cloth it was contained in. A black background was cut through with seemingly aimless ribbons of poison-green paint. The pattern, when mixed with the glossy finish, was enchanting.

Then Shintaro removed the sword from its housing. Miruden gasped when he was the blade's magnificent craftsmanship. The tsuba was an intricate carving of two battling serpents with their fangs bared. Their scales were ever-evident and almost made the snakes look real. The blade was curved slightly with writing at the base. Its sliver sheen mesmerized Miruden. However, the most impressive aspect of the weapon was narrated by Takarashi.

"Miruden, have you heard of the Ritoren Dragon?"

He nodded dumbly, but subconsciously knew very well of what he spoke. The Ritoren Dragon was an ancient, venom-dragon, the last of its kind before they seemingly disappeared. The myth was that a man named Kitome slew the dragon and used its poisonous venom for many different uses.

"This sword," Takarashi continued, as he pointed at the razor-sharp blade, "was crafted by Kitome himself. However, this is no ordinary sword. Do you see the edge?"

Miruden tore his eyes away from the writing and looked at the sword's edge. He just then noticed that it too was lined in that greenish-poison color.

"It has been laced with the poison from the Ritoren Dragon: the most powerful poison known to man." He looked at Miruden in the eyes. "Do you know what makes Ritoren poison so potent?"

"No, sir."

"You see," he stated, throwing an arm around the young man, "the poison doesn't attack the heart, or the brain." He pointed to both of them. "No, it attacks the spirit. The spirit of the victim is slaughtered and the body is left empty and uninhabited. It's not a pleasant experience for the victim while the venom is inflicting its symptoms."

The way the older warrior said it sent a shiver down Miruden's spine.

When Naruto finally found her, she was sharpening blades and practicing with a kodachi. Relieved that she was safe, Naruto remained hidden behind a banner until he felt the moment was right.

Hinata was in the middle of a spinning back slash when Naruto jumped in front of her sword's path. Her momentum kept the blade moving and she shrieked in terror. When the edge of the weapon was a fraction from his chest, Naruto grabbed the sword with his fingertips to ensure it didn't hit his palm.

He smiled devilishly. Hinata sighed heavily and almost fainted. "That was a very foolish stunt Naruto; I could've accidentally killed you!"

He shook his head, maintaining his smile. "Nope. I'm too good for that."

The girl cocked an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"Really."

"Well then," she gave him a smile that would melt butter. "I guess you're too good for this then."

Spinning swiftly, she wrenched the short sword free and attacked his middle. In response, Naruto only had to suck in his gut to avoid it. His body didn't move a fraction.

"Now, a counter-attack."

Naruto grabbed the kama he had tucked in his belt and slashed away. Hinata was also quick to the draw. She stepped back, putting her sword perpendicular to the ground, and successfully stopped the miniature scythe in its tracks. Hinata thought she had him right then and there, but then Naruto did something she didn't expect.

Taking his other hand, Naruto produced yet another kama, and with it, he quickly yet gently placed it behind the nape of Hinata's neck. Taking his time, he slowly lured her in until their faces were almost touching.

The young kunoichi put her head at an angle and said, "That's cheating."

He gave her his award-winning smile and replied very coolly. "You know I don't cheat. I'm just a ninja, and ninja always have a back-up plan."

Hinata looked surprised. "Really? Like this one?" She unsheathed her kunai and put its blade to Naruto's throat.

He sighed. "…Damn."

Miruden tightened the leather strips on his cloth foot coverings and slipped his overshoe on top of it. Donning his old master's war helmet, Miruden added the finishing touches by securing his tanto to his waist with a sash. Carrying the Ritoren sword in his hands reverently, Miruden pushed the tent flap aside and walked into the new day.

Fitting the scabbard into the slot located on his back, Naruto unsheathed the ninja-to to make sure the scabbard was far down enough for him to pull the sword out. Satisfied, he fastened a three-pronged claw to one side of his waist. The other side was occupied by his anti-infantry favorite, his nunchukah. The last assortment of weapons was stored in his once-kunai pouch. In it could be found a variation of shuriken, a rope dart, caltrops, and two soldier pills.

Silently, he strapped thin, but hard slabs of steel to his forearms, perfect for blocking sword attacks. The final, and possibly most important, weapon in Naruto's arsenal was the small ball bearings fitted into the knuckles of his gloves.

When he stepped outside, Sasuke was already waiting for him. Naruto silently cursed him for being so damn punctual, but smiled a toothy grin. Sasuke had no problem in returning it.

"I think we should talk to the girls before we go today." Sasuke said.

Naruto turned his head to look in their direction. To say the least, he was surprised… very surprised. They both looked as though they went through some sort of transformation. Hinata's normal apparel was gone. Instead, she wore a tunic of white and black. The kodachi she used early that morning, had been paired up with another, and belted to her lower back.

Sakura's dress had been cut short and her weapon of choice were two fans made out of paper, and two with metal barbs protruding from the iron fittings. If Naruto and Sasuke hadn't known them before, the two girls would have looked pretty dangerous.

Sasuke concealed his smile in fake coughs and both of them walked up to their female counter-parts.

"Nice dress." Sasuke whispered to Sakura. "Where'd you get it?"

She failed to see the sarcasm in his voice, and promptly answered. "I made it myself. These fans were my mother's."

Naruto wasn't anywhere near as joking. He looked at both of them sternly. "What do you two think you're doing?"

Hinata was unfazed by his sternness. "What does it look like? I'm not going to let you just run out there and get hurt. We're going with both of you, and don't try to change our minds."

Sasuke spoke up. "They have a point, Naruto. They're both part of our village and they both know how to fight in one way or another."

It took a few more statements back and forth for Naruto to concede. "Ok. You two can come with us, but don't you dare put your back to an enemy. This is no game. You can get killed out there." He pointed a finger at both of them. "Got it?"

They both nodded in response.

"Good." Sasuke stated with a smile. "Then let's get to the vanguard double-time. I'm not going to take and leftovers. I want first dibs."

Amid the laughter, all four of them sped as quickly as they could to the frontline.

They met Lee, Kiba and Akamaru, and Neji near the front of the pack. After a deal of bickering with a dozen larger ANBU who felt that the frontline was no place for a Genin, the eight comrades pushed their way to the front by the Hokage.

"It's a beautiful valley isn't it?" he asked them.

"It sure is," was Sakura's response.

"It's a pity that its soil will be soaked in blood today," said Sasuke.

They all agreed with him.

Then they saw the first wave. It was very similar to the day before.

The same standard bearers stood at the front of the ranks. Behind them were the upper-class Samurai. They were all on horseback, with weapons on their waists. Just like yesterday, they all were in black clothing.

Before the enemy could charge, Hokage himself held up two giant white flags and crossed them. It was the sign for a council of leaders. The opposing force complied with two crossed white flags.

Hokage nodded and grinned. "It looks like this might be over by the end of today, if we're lucky."

They met in the basin of the valley with the sun was staring down at them as if it was eagerly awaiting the fight. A light breeze was the only respite from its rays. The temperature was surprisingly high for January. It was at least in 50's (Fahrenheit), the perfect temperature for fighting.

The front ranks dismounted their horses and bowed to their opponents. This surprised the Konoha ninja at first, but a signal from their Hokage sent the front rows into a similar bow. The foreigners accepted the defenders' "agreement" and their Shogun strode to a point between the two armies. One used to such proceedings, the Hokage walked to meet him. It would be there that they would discuss battling terms.

When they met, they bowed again and started their discussion. The Hokage stared off.

"It does not make sense to have them die for the ideals of us," he said, speaking in reference to the armies.

"You are a wise leader," The Shogun said with admiration. "Of course I have seen to this too. The only problem between us is the terms of engagement. How many combatants? What form of battle will this be? Things like that are easily set between us two."

The Hokage nodded. "As for the combatants, I believe that an even number should suffice. Will there be an age limit to the battlers?"

He shook his head. "No, because I understand that some of your best fighters are the young ones." In his thoughts, however, the Shogun agreed to no age limit because he was counting on Miruden participating.

"This is fine. So, there will be twelve combatants from each side, twenty-four all together. The form of battle will be done in pairs; two of my warriors against two of your warriors. Cross-battling is forbidden and honorable combat is optional. I trust that your men are adaptable?"

The Shogun nodded, aware that the defender had the final decision. It was a simple unwritten rule of the battlefield. Bowing once more, they both backed away to their respectable sides.

Naruto was getting fidgety. When the Hokage finally came back, he immediately began questioning him. "Hokage, sir, what's happening? What sort of battle will it be? How many of us will be battling? Will I-"

"Will you be battling?" The Hokage smiled. "Of course you will be, as long as you agree."

The Shogun addressed the men he personally picked. "You twelve will be fighting twelve of their men. I have chosen you for your unique abilities to fight as pairs. After all, this war will be decided by pairs. I won't assign teams. Simply find someone you can battle with and stay by their side. It will be basically a paired battle royal. Attacking pairs not engaged with you is forbidden. Any weapon is permitted."

Miruden smiled at this announcement. Shintaro put his arm over Miruden's shoulder. "You're with me. Together, we will avenge Kaine's death."

After the Hokage was finished announcing the rules, he pulled a piece of paper from his shirt pocket. He read aloud from it. "The fighters I have selected will be read and must come forward."

He began. "Yugara Zanha" (Zanha the ANBU from chapter 8), "Hatake Kakashi, Maito Gai, Hyuga Neji, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Rock Lee, Inuzuka Kiba, Haruno Sakura, Isashi Kigatsu, Iichi Rashi, Tirashi Ryu"

The selected Konoha ninja stepped forward. Hinata looked crestfallen for not being picked. A relentless stare from Naruto discouraged her from speaking up.

After they met in the center, the Konoha ninja began choosing teammates. Zanha and Kigatsu paired up, their expertise similar. Rashi joined with Ryu and Kakashi joined Gai for old times' sake. That left the Genin to be paired up. The Hokage took care of this for them since his choice would have been best.

"Naruto, you focus on weaponry and physical attacks, this mean you need to pair with the opposite. You go with Neji. Sasuke, you are of a special bloodline. Your best partner would be a ninja with mostly or all Taijutsu experience: Lee. That leaves Sakura and Kiba to be put together." He smiled at both of them. "They actually fit one another, the smart-know-it-all girl and the brute-strength-and-tactics boy."

They all smiled at their village leader's rare occasions of comedy. Filled with humor, the twelve teammates turned to their enemies.

tsuba Japanese word for the sword hilt

kodachi The ninja counter-part for the samurai tanto (basically a very, very short ninja-to)

honorable combat An old, chivalrous form of combat when there is a team against a team and all but one of one team has been killed/eliminated. The remaining soldier may ask to engage the remaining enemies one at a time.

Isashi Kigatsu, Iichi Rashi, Tirashi Ryu These are three ANBU I made up. They don't exist in Naruto, so don't go looking them up. I personally think that Isashi Kigatsu sounds like he might be in it.