Here we are at Chapter 3, and it seems like the story is still going strong!

So, first off... I'd like to give a huge thank you to Gazz Uzumaki and Jack Firerage for helping me figure out a lot of stuff for the story, you guys are awesome!

This chapter might be a little rough, but I'd been blocked for a while and had a burst of inspiration so I wanted to get the chapter written before it all went away.

Also, something I wanted to mention in the last chapter but just forgot... Naruto's name changing from Namikaze to Uzumaki was honestly just because 'Naruto Namikaze' sounds weird whenever I say or type it... I'm just so used to him being an Uzumaki, so I made it so he is.

Chapter 3 - On My Own

A blinding white light was the first thing that Naruto became aware of as he regained consciousness. He hissed in discomfort and squeezed his eyes shut, tiredly shifting his head around and lifting an arm to cover his eyes. Naruto slowly moved the arm and cracked his eyes open, blearily looking around as the light seemed to dim. It was then that Naruto became aware of the pounding in his head. It felt like someone was hitting him in the forehead with a hammer over and over again. His body ached too, but not the ache he'd gotten used to feeling after training, it was a deeper, sharper pain...

As the light finally started to subside, Naruto opened his eyes and looked around. Everything in the room was blurry and dizzying, but that too started to subside soon enough. After what felt like an hour, Naruto was finally able to take a good look at the room around him. He was in a hospital room, that much was clear. But this room looked completely different from the rooms he was familiar with. The walls were an eggshell white just like the regular hospital, but there were no windows. As a matter of fact, the room looked entirely spartan in appearance. Only the bare essentials needed to observe and heal a patient. Even the door was different, it looked like it was thicker and more secure than a normal one. Where the hell was he? Naruto slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, groaning as his body protested.

Naruto sat there, before his arm brushed against something. He turned, and saw that the bed came equipped with restraints... Thick metal restraints that, thankfully, he wasn't locked up in. Naruto looked up as the door opened, in walked the familiar visage of Tsunade Senju, the Slug Sanin and his Godmother. She was holding a clipboard and looked like she hadn't slept in a while, "Um... Baa-chan? Where am I?" He asked, voice crackling a bit.

Tsunade jumped at hearing his voice, too absorbed in whatever was on the board, and stared at him. Once she realized that he was awake, she threw the clipboard to the side and sped to his bedside, "You're awake, thank Kami! How do you feel?" She asked, putting a hand on his shoulder and looking him over.

"Not great... But I think I'm okay for the most part." He said, allowing her to poke at him for a bit, running a diagnostic jutsu over him, "What happened after I passed out, and how long has it been?"

She sighed, pulling up a chair beside his bed and sitting down, "You were rushed here, to Konoha's VIP Medical Ward, which is about three stories underneath ANBU HQ. As to how long, you've been asleep for almost 36 hours."

"Ah..." Naruto said. The two were quiet for a bit, before Naruto looked back up at her, "So, what happens now, and have you been up this entire time?"

Tsunade gave him a reassuring smile, "Don't worry, Naruto. You're not in trouble, though your Tou-san wanted to talk to you alone as soon as you were able." She said, before shaking her head, "And don't worry about me, I've been through worse than a couple days without sleep."

Naruto gave a slight chuckle, "I bet..." With her drinking, he almost forgot how strong she was sometimes, "Well, if Tou-san wants to talk then we'd better not keep him waiting."

Tsunade nodded and walked over to the door. Before she left, she turned and gave him another smile. Naruto returned it and watched as she headed out. He had a feeling she was going off to find somewhere to crash... It wasn't very long before the door opened again, with his father entering this time. Minato stood in the doorway and the two stared at each other for a minute before Minato offered a small smile and stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

Minato walked over and sat down, seemingly thinking about something. The two sat in silence, neither quite knowing what to say, before Minato spoke, "Your Kaa-san already told me all the details..." At Naruto's confused look, Minato continued, "About this power you have, that you were trying to use it. I'll admit, I was a little miffed at being the parent out of the loop..."

Naruto looked down at his kunai, running his fingers over the smooth metal, "Sorry... I tried to keep it a secret from Kaa-san, but she sensed it. We talked and she made me swear to stop trying to use it. After that, I guess we just decided to keep it between us."

"It's alright, I'm not angry at either of you, I just would've like to know about it before all this happened." Minato took a breath and ran a hand through his hair, "Can you tell me what happened? I already herd from Yui, but-"

Naruto's head snapped up, "Yui, is she alright!? I swear I didn't want to hurt her, I didn't mean to-"

Minato placed his hands on Naruto's shoulders, "Naruto, calm down... Yui's perfectly fine, and she doesn't blame you for what happened. After we finish up here, I was going to bring her and your Kaa-san in, okay?" Naruto calmed down a bit after this, taking deep breaths, "Now, I want you to tell me everything that happened."

The younger blonde nodded, launching into his own story of what had occurred that night. How he'd ran out of the compound and chased after Yui, eventually finding her downed by Mizuki and jumping in to defend her. He talked about what had happened with his kunai before finally coming to the part that they were both waiting for, "I was lying there, and I couldn't move, but I kept trying to force myself to do something. I kept telling myself that I had to get up, and that I had to help Yui..." Naruto took a shaky breath, "Then something inside of me felt like it broke, and something freezing rushed through my body... I could see myself moving, but I wasn't doing it. I mean... I was, but I couldn't control myself. It felt like I was in a haze, I knew I had to stop but I just couldn't..." Naruto's grip on his kunai tightened, "When Mizuki came at me, I just acted. Before I knew what was happening, my arm was going through him. I saw the fear in his eyes as I charged that blast... " He stopped, hesitant to continue.

Minato leaned forward, "Naruto, what is it?"

"I should've felt horrified, right? I killed someone..." He said, his mouth going dry, "All I felt was... nothing. I didn't feel anything as I killed him, no remorse, no shock, nothing. Then when I turned to Yui and grabbed her, it all went away and I was screaming at myself to stop! It was like I was thrashing around in my own skin, desperate to do something... Somehow I managed to get back enough control to move my arm. It felt like I was peeling my own face off, but I pulled the mask off... After that, I passed out and woke up here." Minato sat there, absorbing what Naruto said, before his son's voice interrupted him, "I felt everything... Mizuki's blood on my arm, Yui's throat in my hand, Kaa-san's chains digging into me, even the ANBU's Katon jutsu..." He said, starting to shake.

Minato wrapped Naruto in a hug, "It's alright, Naruto. It's over now, just breath, just breath..."

Naruto nodded, following his Father's guidance and taking a few deep breaths, managing to calm himself down as Minato pulled away, "Tou-san... What's going to happen to me?"

Minato heaved a sigh, "Nothing, Naruto... The official story is that Mizuki attempted to use a jutsu from the scroll which caused the blasts, but ended up getting himself killed. Everyone who was there is sworn to secrecy."

"But... What if it happens again? I almost killed Yui... If Kaa-san hadn't gotten there when she did-"

"Don't think about that, Naruto. Don't torture yourself by thinking about what could've happened and focus on what did happen. Your Kaa-san got to you in time and stopped you, now everything's fine."

"Dammit it's not fine, I killed someone and didn't feel a thing, and I almost vaporized Yui! What if it happens again and nobody can stop me!?" Naruto asked, his voice rising, "I'm not normal, I could put people in danger, we can't just say it's fine and move on!"

"Naruto!" Minato yelled, stopping his son's rant, "I understand that you're scared, but worrying like that won't help anyone... Right now, all we can do is be careful." He held up his hand when it looked like Naruto was going to respond, "We're not just going to sweep it under the rug, but we don't know what else to do. If you feel anything... waking up, then find your Kaa-san, me, Jiraiya, or Tsunade and let them know, we'll figure something out."

Naruto nodded, looking like he wanted to say more. The two sat there in silence for a bit before another thought entered his head, "What about my kunai? Does anyone know what happened to it?"

Minato reached into his pocket, grateful for the change in subject, "Yeah, Yui grabbed it after you were taken here." he said, bringing out the knife and handing it to Naruto, with the both of them staring down at it with a puzzled expression, "I hope you don't mind, but I had it taken down to R&D to see if they could figure anything out. But they came up with nothing, it's just a normal kunai." That it was, just one out of a standard set, Minato was sure of it. He'd bought the set and grabbed a random one to give to Naruto himself.

Naruto held up the knife, staring at it with a puzzled expression, "Hm..."

"I know that look..." Minato said with an amused smile, "You're still recovering, you can hold off on experimenting until after you're better." He couldn't help but let out a little chuckle as Naruto deflated, "Well, I'd better go get your mother and sister, they've been worried about you too. Just try to rest until we get back, okay?"

Naruto nodded, then watched as Minato got up and headed for the door. His father turned back to give another reassuring smile as he reached for the knob, and was promptly knocked to the floor as the door slammed open. Naruto barely registered a flash of red before something slammed into his midsection, clamping on to him. After a few seconds of confusion, he recognized the person clinging to him and let out a fond smile, "Hey, Yui." He said simply, before turning to look at his mother entering the room, "Hey, Kaa-san."

Kushina gave him a warm smile, before turning and looking at Minato, who was holding his nose on the floor, "What happened to you?"

"Well, recently I was hit by a door..." He said, getting back to his feet.

His wife simply shrugged with a mischievous smile, "Well, think of it as karma for not telling us the second Naruto woke up, we had to ambush Tsunade in the lobby."

While the two of them were having their moment, Naruto was trying to soothe his sister. It was plain to see that his being out of it had her worried. Truth be told, Naruto was grateful for the clinginess, just this once. He'd hoped Yui wouldn't be terrified of him now, and it didn't look like she was, so that was a good sign, "Come on, Raspberry, I'm fine..."

Yui finally let go and pulled back, showing her reddened eyes, "Sorry... After you passed out, I thought you were... I-I didn't know if you'd be okay."

Naruto gave a slight smirk, "Come on, I might not have chakra, but I'm not frail." A sudden thought his him, and his expression turned somber, "Listen Yui, I'm sorry..." She raised an eyebrow in confusion, "I-I almost... If Kaa-san hadn't gotten there when she did..."

Yui shook her head with a little smile, "It's okay, Nii-san." She said, patting her stomach, "I know what it's like to lose control, remember? You don't have to apologize, I know that wasn't you."

"Yeah..." Naruto said, mostly to himself, "Wasn't me..."

By now, Kushina and Minato had joined them, with Kushina leaning in to give Naruto a hug of her own, "I'm so happy you're alright! You have no idea how scared I was..."

Naruto returned the embrace, and once it was done, he looked around, "So... How much longer do I have to stay here?"

Minato sighed and rubbed the back of his head in thought, "Well, other than being exhausted, they couldn't find anything wrong with you... Tsunade wanted to keep you for longer, but it became pretty obvious that they couldn't monitor your energy, so you're cleared to go home whenever you feel up to it. They figured that if there was nothing they could do, then you'd probably be better off in a comfortable environment. Though we will have to make daily trips to the hospital so Tsunade can check up on you."

Naruto looked down at himself, "Ah... Well I've barely spent any time in this room and I already hate it, so help me up, Yui." Despite his parent's insistence on taking it slow, he and Yui worked to get him on his feet. Thankfully, all he had was a slight dizzy spell on the way up. Once he was on his feet, though he still felt tired and weak, it seemed like everything settled and he was able to move around easily. After everyone was convinced he could stand and walk on his own, they left him to get dressed, and before Naruto knew it, he was at the Namikaze family home and in his room. Much to his dismay, his mother had ordered him to bed the second they walked in the door...

- Three Days later, Namikaze Estate -

Naruto was sitting against a tree in the Namikaze estate courtyard, looking up as the sky. The last couple days had been... boring, incredibly so, in fact. Between not being able to leave and Yui or his mother watch him like a hawk at all hours of the day, he felt like he was in some kind of prison... But at least it wasn't all bad, he didn't have to go to school, so there's that. However, even the euphoria of being able to stay home from school couldn't distract him from his real problem. His power.

At first, it'd felt far away, just like it'd always been. But as he recovered, it started to feel... different. Things had changed since the incident, and he didn't know wat to do about it. He didn't quite know how to describe it, but it felt... awake. It felt like it was permeating every inch of his body, almost like what people said their chakra felt like when they first started molding it. All in all it felt... alive, and that freaked Naruto out.

He didn't know how he'd managed to hide it from his mother, because if he hadn't he'd be at the hospital again, but his power was much more volatile now. Instead of only intense anger bringing it to the surface, it seemed like just the thought of it brought it out. He'd had to force it down a few times already today, and the one time he'd decided to allow it to rise, he'd nearly blacked out. He'd tried to bring up the subject with his parents at dinner the previous night, but they'd both made it clear that they wanted to pretend like the incident never happened. His father had also assured him that nothing was going to happen to him, and that he should just try to live a normal life and forget about it. Easier said than done...

Naruto knew that his parents meant well, they didn't want anything to happen to him. If people found out what he could do and what he did, then who knows how they would react? Best case scenario, he had to go through life with everyone around him thinking that he might turn into a rampaging monster at any moment and kill them. Worst case, they think he's a threat and either want him dead or locked up for the rest of his life. Plus, there was also the possibility that people would want him used as a weapon... Naruto wasn't stupid, he knew from his father's grumblings that there was an advisor who was adamant that Yui be treated like a weapon, even if he didn't outright say it. If he found out that Naruto could become a rampaging beast that you'd just need to point at an enemy and leave alone, then he'd be a potential target as well...

Despite wanting nothing more than to listen to his parents and pretend his power didn't exist, he just couldn't... It was almost a constant struggle to keep it down, and he couldn't help but wonder when the time would come where he couldn't hold it any more. The way Naruto saw it, this could go one of three ways... One, he manages to hold it in and it never becomes a problem. Two, he learns how to control it and uses it for good. Three, he can't control it and eventually goes berserk again, and either this situation repeats or he's killed/imprisoned. Option one was clearly the least likely, option two was good, but how could he control it if he didn't even know what it was or where it came from? The last option... well he'd rather not think about how likely it was.

So, his plan? Shoot for the second option, learn to control it and use it for good, then he'll never have to worry about it. It would require a lot of experimentation and more than a few close calls with going berserk. Actually, that was too optimistic, he'd definitely go berserk trying to control it. So, how would he go about it? He needed to find somewhere isolated where he could go berserk and not worry about hurting anyone while he regained control of himself, something he couldn't do in the village. The solution was immediately obvious to him.

Leave the village.

While he'd much rather take any other available option, he simply didn't have a choice. He couldn't do anything in the village, it was just too risky. It would require a lot of preparation, he couldn't exactly just stroll out and say he'd be back. Even if he managed to make it out of the village, he'd have to deal with being hunted and brought back, since his parents definitely wouldn't just let him go... Naruto stood up and walked back to his room, taking a seat at his Fuinjutsu desk, "What to do?" He muttered to himself, resting his chin on his arm and taking his kunai out. As he idly spun the blade around his finger by the ring, he stared at the wood of his desk, plans running through his head.

First off, he'd need to get out of the village without anyone knowing, and he'd need to get as far away from the village as he could before anyone knew he was gone. As he stared down at his desk, something caught his attention, the school permission slip for their camping trip. He picked up the slip and read it over, four days and three nights out in the wilderness of the village, for character building and life skills... Today was Wednesday, and they left Monday morning at 7:00. If he recalled correctly, Monday morning was also when a caravan of merchants left the village. Slowly, a plan started to form in Naruto's head... If he could convince his parents to let him go on the trip, while convincing his Sensei that he wasn't going, then he could hitch a ride with the caravan and use it to get out of the village! Nobody would even realize he was gone until his class got back. Though he'd probably have to dye his hair... His shade of blonde was rare, and the guards would spot it among the others in the caravan easily. He could wear a cloak, but having the hood up would cause suspicion.

Okay, so he had a way out of the village and a few days clear of being tracked, he was in the clear! ...Or not, he'd almost forgotten about the biggest obstacle to his plan, the Inuzuka and Aburame. While he didn't have to worry about the Aburame tracking his chakra, they did have insects that could track scent, and the Inuzuka's tracking skills were second to none. Since they made up the bulk of Konoha's best trackers, it was almost assured that one or more members of their clan would be sent out after him. He'd heard rumors that the Inuzuka in particular could track scents up to a week old. Even if that was an exaggeration, he didn't want to test it, so he had to find a way to erase his scent.

"Scent..." He said to himself, reaching for his Fuinjutsu notebook, "I knew I kept these for a reason!" He said to himself as he flipped through the pages, eventually stopping on a particular page. His notebook was full of seal ideas that he'd toyed with over the years, and there was one that could definitely help him here. Scent was one of the few things that most shinobi couldn't erase. Of course there were ways to mask it and disguise it, but they couldn't completely erase it, but what if they could? Such was Naruto's thought process a few years ago when he'd started on this, the Kieru Kaori no Fuin, a seal tag specifically designed to diffuse and nullify the scent of anything it was placed on, including people. Naruto had been close to finishing it when he'd brought it to his mother to look over. She'd been thoroughly impressed by his ingenuity, but had advised him to be careful with it. If an enemy got their hands on it and learned how it worked, then the consequences would be disastrous for the Inuzuka. With that knowledge, Naruto had stopped working on it all together, not wanting to risk it.

Now, however... it just might be time to finish it.

- The Next Day -

"A camping trip?" Kushina asked as she looked over the permission slip, it was just after they finished dinner and Naruto had handed her the slip, asking both herself and Minato for permission to go.

Naruto nodded with a grin, "Yeah! I think it'd be fun, a few days out in nature, activities, all kinds of stuff." He said.

Kushina read over the paper for a bit before looking up at Naruto, raising an eyebrow, "Okay... Now why do you really want to go?" A small flinch from Naruto was all she needed, "Aha! Okay, spill it mister."

Naruto swallowed nervously, "What? I don't know what you're- Alright, you got me!" He started, before noticing his mother's patented glare, "I just want to get outta this damn house! I've been trapped in here for three damn days, I'm going stir crazy!"

A sudden bonk sounded through the house as Kushina's ever-ready boken hit his head, "Language!" She said, before sighing, "Naruto, I don't think it's the right time... You've only had a few days to recover, maybe we should wait a little longer."

"Come on, Kaa-san! I feel fine!" Naruto begged.

Kushina was about to refuse again, before Minato spoke up, putting a hand on her arm, "Naruto, are you sure you're alright?"

Naruto looked to his father with a desperate look and nodded. Minato seemed to search his face for a minute before turning to Kushina, "We have to let him go sometime, we can't keep him locked up at home forever."

Kushina opened her mouth to say more, looking back and forth between the two of them. However, once she saw Naruto's desperate face, she sighed, "...Alright." Naruto gave a fist pump, "But... If anything goes wrong, you come home immediately, okay?"

"You got it! I'll take the slip to Shizuka-sensei tomorrow!" Naruto said with a grin.

A smile appeared on Minato's face, giving Naruto an amused look, "Oh, so you're good enough to go back to school, then?"

Naruto stiffened, before his shoulders drooped and he groaned, "Oh, jeez... Right as you said that my stomach started acting up... I'd better go to bed, I'll head over after school is over and drop it off..." He said, turning and heading back to his room. Alright, step one was complete, now all he had to do was... everything else. As he walked by the dojo, he heard the telltale signs of his sister training. A sudden thought came to his head, he needed to charge the seals with chakra. He didn't have any himself, so he obviously needed someone to do it. The problem was that they needed to be charged with a ton of chakra to work for as long as he needed them to, and who did he know that had a ton of chakra to spare and also didn't know enough about Fuinjutsu to know what the seal did?

Naruto backed up a few steps before turning and heading in, seeing his sister practicing her Taijutsu katas, "Hey, Raspberry! Think you can help me with something?" Naruto called out to his sister.

Yui turned with an annoyed look, "Stop calling me that!" She yelled, before dropping her stance and heading over, "What is it Lemonhead?"

"I need you to charge these for me." He said, taking out the five tags he had prepared with the finished seal, "I've been working on some of my older designs while I've been home, and I need you to charge these to see if they work. Just as much as it takes to make a Kage Bunshin should be enough." He sat down and lay the tags on the floor.

Yui raised an eyebrow at the seal and sat in front of them, putting a hand on one and pumping chakra into it, "Okay, what do they do?"

"Disperses chakra signatures. You won't be able to use chakra without ruining it, but as long as it's on, sensors can't find you." Naruto lied.

"Cool! Can I keep one?" Yui asked, though she had a feeling she knew the answer already.

Naruto shook his head, "Sorry, gotta test them to see if they work first, you know the rules." After Yui had finished pumping the seals with chakra, Naruto picked them up and gave Yui a head pat, "Thanks short stuff!"

Yui pushed his hand off and was about to go back to training before stopping, turning around to Naruto before he left, "Hey, Nii-san?" Naruto turned back with a raised eyebrow, "Are you okay?"

Naruto was surprised at the question, "Uh, yeah... Why?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, you just seem... different."

"I don't know why. I've been doing pretty well since... you know." Naruto said, a bit uncomfortable now.

Yui nodded, "Yeah, never mind them. I guess it was just my imagination."

-Namikaze Household, Monday Morning - 5:00 a.m. -

Naruto stared at his ceiling. It had come faster than he'd thought, but today was the day. Everything was set up and ready to go, he'd gone to school after it had let out on Friday and 'regretfully' informed Shizuka-sensei that he wouldn't be able to attend the camping trip. She was a bit disappointed, but didn't press the issue. Being out for a week due to 'family issues' made it pretty easy. On the way home he'd stopped by a store and picked up a bottle of temporary hair dye, and a small bit of makeup as an after thought.

Naruto got up and got dressed in some new clothes, a pair of charcoal gray shinobi pants with black sandals, a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, and a dull green traveling cloak with attached hood. He patted his pockets, feeling the dye, tags, and comforting shape and weight of his kunai. Naruto picked up his traveling bag, containing a week's worth of provisions and some camping equipment. He left his room quietly, only to jump at seeing Yui right outside his door.

Yui gave him a bright smile, "About time! I was just about to barge in and pull you out of bed myself!" She said happily, grabbing his hand and dragging him to the kitchen, where he saw his parents and a table full of food.

Naruto's confusion must've shown on his face, because Minato have a little laugh, "Your mother and I figured that since you were leaving today and Yui's going to team assignments, we should see you both off with a big family breakfast!"

Kushina nodded with a smile, "Yup! Now come on and dig in!" She said as Naruto took a seat at the table.

In that moment, they looked like the picture-perfect family. The mother and father eating breakfast with their two happy children. It was a sight that would warm anyone's heart. But all Naruto could feel was the raging storm of emotions inside of him. He questioned his plan, whether it was the right thing to do. Should he stay and tell his parents about his troubles, should he continue with his plan? As he looked at each member of his family, he started to believe that he was making a mistake, that he shouldn't go through with this. That his family could help him through anything, then his eyes landed on Yui, and all he could see was her terrified face as he held her by the throat that night.

'Right... I almost forgot.' Naruto thought to himself, 'I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing it for them, so I don't hurt any of them. If I stay, then it's only a matter of time before it happens again, I can't back out now. I'll see this through, and I'll come back when I have control... I promise.' With renewed conviction, Naruto looked up at his family, laughing at something he missed, "I love you all." They all stopped, surprised by his sudden words, "I know I don't say it often, but I really do." He said, reaching up to rub his eye.

They all looked a bit concerned, before Kushina gave a soft smile and walked over to him, giving him a hug, "We love you too, Naruto. No matter what happens, we always will..." She said, and before Naruto knew it, it had turned into a family hug. None of them knew the true reason that Naruto hose to tell them that, and they wouldn't for a while.

After they'd finished breakfast, Naruto had gathered his things and headed to the door, with his family there to see him off. He made sure to commit the scene to memory, and wondered how they'd react if they knew where he was really going. He shook his head, he shouldn't be wasting time, "I'll see you all when I come home." He said as he headed out the door.

His face hardened as he walked down the street, a hand reaching into his pocket to bring out one of his Kieru Kaori no Fuin tags ad slipping it onto his chest under his shirt, feeling it's chakra wash over him. With all the chakra Yui pumped into them, each should last a full 24 hours before running out, but he'd still need to hurry. As long as he didn't run into anyone else, then he should be able to get out without much trouble...

"Naruto?" A familiar soft voice asked, and Naruto turned to see Hinata coming down the street toward him.

Naruto stopped and gave a grin, "Oh, hey Hinata! What's up?"

"I was just heading to the training field to do some exercise before team assignments. What are you doing up so early?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Oh, my class is headed on a camping trip and I'm off to meet them." Naruto said, shifting around and trying to look like he was in a hurry.

Hinata nodded, and looked like she was about to say goodbye. Then, something changed... Whether it was a shift in his body language, a twitch, or some intuition that the girl had. She stared into his eyes, an unreadable emotion present behind her lavender orbs. All of a sudden, Naruto felt very... strange. Hinata wasn't using her Byakugan, but Naruto still felt like she was searching him, trying to find something. His grin slowly fell away from his face, shuffling under her intense gaze. Finally, she spoke, "Naruto, I care about you. You know that, right?" Naruto was a bit stunned by the emotion in her voice. He'd never heard her speak like that, but he shook it off and nodded. Hinata then gave a small smile, "I can tell you're hiding something, but I won't push. Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

Naruto's face softened, and he gave Hinata a small, sincere smile, "I promise, as long as you promise me something back." Seeing her curious look, he continued, "Look after Yui for me, please." She nodded and the two stared at each other for a minute, before Naruto turned and kept heading toward the gate, throwing a hand up in a wave.

As Naruto passed by a park, he looked around to make sure nobody was around and that he was out of Hinata's sight before slipping into the bathroom. He would've done this at home, but he couldn't risk his family walking in and asking questions, especially not after they'd all been waiting for him. Naruto stopped in front of a mirror, took his cloak off, and rolled up his sleeves, pulling out the bottle of dye.

About 45 minutes later, Naruto left the bathroom, now sporting a head of brown hair and lacking his whisker marks. He slipped the makeup back into his pocket and tossed the bottle of dye in a trash can, starting on his way to the village gates. Once he arrived, he saw the caravan getting ready to leave, and quickly walked up to someone who looked like he ran things, putting on a fake limp as he did, "Excuse me, sir! I'm sorry, but I was wondering if I could ride on one of your wagons for a bit? I need to be on my way to Otafuku Gai and rolled my ankle. I'm willing to pay for the trouble!" The rather rotund man wore a simple yellow Yukata and sandals, and was bald except for a large mustache adorning his face.

The merchant looked him over for a minute, an unreadable expression on his face, before a jovial smile appeared, "It's no trouble at all, my young friend! Climb aboard, we're just about to start on out way, and no need to pay anything." He said. Naruto nodded with a grateful smile, making a bit of a show of getting into the wagon seat with his 'rolled ankle'. Within a few minutes, the merchant had climbed into the driver's seat and urged the horses on. Soon it was their wagon's turn to be checked, "Just myself, my young friend here, and my wagon!"

The Chunin guard nodded with a friendly smile before checking everything over. It was a bit of a close call when he gave Naruto a closer look, but a very un-Naruto-like shy smile assuaged him of any suspicion. After a few more wagon checks, the convoy was on the move. Naruto kept making subtle looks over his shoulder at the gates, watching them get farther and farther away. As they went, it truly hit Naruto. He'd just ran away from home, and was on his own from now on. He waited for a good while after the village gates were out of sight, before stomping his foot on the bench a few times, "Well, I think my ankle's all good now... Thank you again for this!" He said with a grin.

The merchant gave a friendly wave, "You're very welcome!" Then, just as Naruto was about to hop off, the merchant spoke again, his voice much more serious, "I don't know what you're running from my young friend, but good luck."

Naruto froze, before giving a simple nod and hopping off the wagon, then turned to watch the caravan continue on. Once it was out of sight, Naruto pulled his cloak around himself, and started walking. As he walked, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his kunai, staring down at the blade. He hadn't played around with it since the incident, but he'd better learn how to use it if he was going to be out here on his own...

Not really knowing what else to do, Naruto felt for his power, and promptly saw spots. He pushed it back down when he realized that his kunai wasn't doing anything, and let out a sigh. Figures it wouldn't be that easy... Let's see, what was he feeling the night he used it? Naruto held his kunai out in front of him, thinking back on that night. He wanted to beat Mizuki and protect Yui. So, Naruto tried to bring those desires back to the forefront of his mind, only for nothing to happen again...

"Dammit, work!" He yelled out, and his eyes widened as a lick of green flame sprouted from the blade. A grin stretched across his face, willpower, so that was it. Well, if there was one thing he liked to think he had plenty of, it was willpower! Naruto concentrated on his kunai, willing that energy to come back, willing his power to work. His grin widened when the energy returned, this time consuming his kunai and springing forward in a flash of light. Once the light died down, Naruto beheld his kunai's new look. Well, maybe that wasn't true... His kunai looked the same, but it was shrouded by a light green energy, with bits of blue flowing through. The energy extended from the kunai's tip, making a blade f it's own the length of a sword.

Naruto swung it around a few times, it was practically weightless. He pointed the blade to the side at a tree, "Hm... I wonder if I can make it-" the blade shot out, piercing into the tree and slicing through, "Longer..." He wiled it to go back to normal and watched as the extra length dissipated, returning the energy blade to it's normal length. With a single swing, Naruto dispelled the blade and returned his kunai to normal, his grin turning into a satisfied smile as he slipped it back into his pocket.

He'd play with it more later.

- That Night -

Naruto bit into a piece of dried meat, poking at his small campfire with a stick. He felt like he'd gotten a fair amount of distance from the village by the time night fell, and decided to set up camp a short distance from the road. He'd also washed the makeup off his whiskers and had the urge to do a little experimenting, the kind he couldn't do while walking. Throughout the day he'd been trying to bring his power to the surface without losing control, and he was proud to say that he was getting results. Nothing too big, but he was at least able to bring it out without losing control. There was really only one thing that he wanted to try, but if he could get it to work then his arsenal would be significantly expanded.

Naruto got into his bag and pulled out a small scroll, and his Fuinjutsu supplies. While he couldn't actually use them, he still felt like bringing them with him would be a good idea. Naruto quickly drew a standard storage seal on the scroll, then hefted a good sized rock and placed it in the center of the seal. He took a second to close his eyes and focus, carefully directing a bit of his power into his hand, and then pushing it into the seal. At first, nothing happened, then the seal seemed to glow. Naruto watched with excitement, before a loud crack echoed through the area. Naruto jumped back, startled at the sudden noise, before looking at the seal.

The rock had shattered, broken and reduced to a pile of pebbles. Naruto let out a disappointed sigh, "Dammit... Here I thought I was on to something..." He'd hoped that his energy could be used to power Fuinjutsu, but apparently not. He should've figured as much, the ink used in Fuinjutsu was specially created to be infused with and react to chakra, and his energy was definitely not chakra. Though, it wasn't a complete failure... While the seal may not have worked, it did react to his energy, meaning that it was at least similar to chakra.

Deciding not to mess with it any more that night, Naruto put out his fire and retired to his tent for the night.

- Three Days later -

Naruto walked down the road with his kunai, once again practicing with it while he walked. The noontime sun beating down on him as he went. He still had no real idea where he was going, but it didn't matter much to him, as long as he could find somewhere to train then it didn't really matter where it was. Of course, it was kind of hard to pay attention to those things anyway, since most of his attention was focused on his kunai. In addition to lengthening the blade, he could also increase it's width and thickness, all without any additional weight! He had also discovered a few additional ways to use it, he could change the shape of the blade, and even launch projectiles and energy waves. Though those abilities took up a lot of energy...

Speaking of, he'd discovered something interesting. He'd originally thought that his own powers and his kunai's had been separate, but after using it more, he'd realized that this wasn't the case. His power that had caused him to go berserk was definitely what was fueling his kunai, of that he was sure. Though for some reason, using his kunai presented no problems for him. He never felt like he was going out of control or that he couldn't control it. While he was interested to know that his kunai's power came from him, it left him with more questions than answers... Why was it that channeling his power through his body turned him into a monster, but channeling it through his kunai was so easy? He'd wracked his brain for answers before deciding that it wasn't worth thinking about. At least not yet, he just didn't know enough about his powers to come up with anything.

Naruto put his kunai away and looked up to the sky, a sudden thought hitting him. His family would be realizing he was gone by now. He could only hope that they took it well... that wasn't going to happen, was it?

Kushina hummed a little song to herself as he walked toward the school. Naruto's class was due back now, and she intended to meet him at the school and take him out for ramen. Apparently they had a speech they liked to give all the students after the trip every year, so they took all the classes back to the school for a bit before releasing them. She got to the school to see that the students were just being let out, so she stood by the gate with some other parents and waited for Naruto. However, she never saw him leave... Wondering if he stayed behind or was being given another talking-to from his teacher, Kushina headed in and looked around until she found his teacher's office. After knocking and being called in, Kushina gave a smile, "Hello Takahashi-san! I was just looking for Naruto, I hope he didn't cause any trouble on the trip!"

Shizuka looked up from her papers and blinked in confusion, "W-What? I thought Naruto-san was staying home due to family business..."

The two women stared at each other in confusion, before Kushina's mind started running a mile a minute. Naruto didn't go on the trip!? Then where was he? He certainly wasn't at home! Where could he have gone? Why would be lie to his teacher and his family? She tried thinking about any warning signs that she may have overlooked, anything that might tip her off about Naruto's whereabouts. Then, something he said right before he left came to the forefront of her mind, "I'll see you all when I come home." Why had he said it like that? Why would he use those words? That didn't sound like someone going on a trip for a few days... That sounded like someone who was-

Suddenly, a puzzle she didn't even know she was looking at started to fit together. Naruto's sudden willingness to drop the incident after it had bothered him so much, his unusual attitude the few days before the trip, and how emotional he was the morning he left.

The morning... HE LEFT!

Minato stretched in his chair, after all the craziness the past week, he was almost grateful to return to the office. Though he definitely didn't miss the paperwork... There were a few extra forms to fill out dealing with the theft of the Forbidden Scroll, but thankfully none of them dealt with Mizuki's death in great detail. He hated having to lie to the Clan Heads, since most of them were his friends, but he had to protect his son... Well, at least things seemed to be going back to normal now.

That train of thought was brutally derailed as Kushina slammed open the window, "Naruto left the village!" She quickly grabbed Minato and dragged him toward the window, "We have to go now! He's got a four day head start on us, the real me is already back home getting ready!"

Minato's eyes widened, "ANBU!" His personal guard appeared, "Get me Kakashi, then go to the Inuzuka compound! If Tsume is available for a mission then bring her to the Namikaze compound! If not her then the next best tracker they have, go!" As they all nodded and disappeared, Minato followed Kushina's clone, "What happened?" He asked as they made their way to the house.

"I went to the school to pick Naruto up, but his teacher said that he never went with them. I know I might be jumping to conclusions, but the way he acted that morning didn't feel like someone just going on a trip for a few days." Kushina's clone said.

"...Dammit, how did we not notice!?" Minato asked rhetorically, "But why would he leave?"

Kushina was silent for a minute before answering, "He must've been afraid. He hid it well, but I could see that the incident still bothered him. He tried to talk to us about it, but we just tried to sweep it under the rug... I think he was so afraid of it happening again that he decided to leave, so he wouldn't hurt anyone. At least, that's what I think."

The two traveled in silence before arriving at the compound, with Kushina's clone dispelling as the real one came out of the house wearing her Jonin uniform. Minato looked like he was about to speak, but the arrival of Tsume and Kuromaru along with Kakashi stopped him.

Kakashi looked serious, "Sensei, what's going on?" It must be serious if he was pulled away from his Genin right in the middle of training.

Minato looked between him and Tsume, "Naruto left the village, and I need you two to go track him down. I know this is sudden, but-"

Tsume stopped him with a wave, "I wondered what got you so serious. Well don't worry about it Minato, if one of your pups is gone then I'll help you find him." She meant it too. The Inuzuka were very pack oriented, Minato was a friend of hers and his kid was missing. That was all she needed to know.

Kakashi nodded, "Of course I'll go, but why would Naruto leave?"

Kushina shared a look with Minato, before making sure that nobody was within earshot. She then explained the truth about what happened the night the scroll was stolen, Naruto's state and all, "...We believe he left because he was afraid of what would happen if it happened again, or to protect us from it."

Both Tsume and Kakashi looked stunned at the news, and she couldn't blame them. They were about to get started before a sudden voice interrupted them, "Nii-san is gone?" They all looked to the side to see Yui standing there, tears building in her wide, scared eyes, "W-What do you mean he's gone!?"

Kushina quickly went over to her and hugged her, "It's okay, Yui... We'll bring him back, I promise." Yui nodded, before she returned the hug, trying valiantly to keep from crying.

Minato looked to Tsume and Kakashi, giving them a signal to get started on getting Naruto's scent, and went over to Kushina, putting a hand on her shoulder, "Kushina, I think you should stay." Seeing her about to argue, he held up his hand, "We can trust Tsume and Kakashi with this, you know they're some of the best. Plus, Kakashi needs someone to look after his team while he's gone." Minato leaned in, "But most importantly, Yui needs us right now..."

Kushina was conflicted for a bit, before nodding with a sigh. Not long after, Kakashi and Tsume came out of the house, Pakkun sitting on Kakashi's head. The small group of two humans and two dogs quickly set out, before stopping a short ways away from the house. Pakkun sniffing the air before turning to Kuromaru, "Please tell me that's not just me..." The pug said with confusion.

Kuromaru gave a few sniffs himself, "No... It's not just you." The larger dog said before turning to Tsume, "We've got a problem."

"I noticed." Tsume said, her eyes narrowing. She turned to look back at everyone else, "His scent ends here. It's like he just disappeared into thin air."

Minato and Kushina's blood ran cold, Naruto must've planned this. But how could he have erased his scent like that? Then a thought came to Yui and she removed herself from Kushina's arms, "Wait! Nii-san asked me to put some chakra into some Fuinjutsu tags he had. I don't know what they did, but I remember that the kanji for scent was in the middle!"

Kushina's eyes narrowed in though, before she groaned, "Kieru Kaori..." Seeing everyone else's confused look, she elaborated, "It's a seal Naruto created, it can diffuse and erase the scent of anything it's attached to. Naruto stopped working on it after I pointed out how it would affect our own trackers if enemies got a hold of it. He must've finished it!"

Kuromaru blinked his one good eye, "Well, shit..." He said before sighing, "Looks like we're doing this the old-fashioned way."

Pakkun nodded, "I guess so. Hey Kakashi, you might wanna summon the others, we need all the help we can get now."

Kakashi nodded and summoned the rest of his dogs before the group headed toward the main gate. They highly doubted Naruto used any of the others, they were rarely used by anyone other that Shinobi, so the guards would be much more aware of anyone using them. Kakashi was sure Naruto was smart enough to avoid drawing attention, so pretending to be just another traveler using the main gate was the only option. Once they arrived, they all went straight to the gate guards, who were understandably nervous at the two serious Shinobi and the pack of dogs, "Let me see the entrance and exit records for Monday." The guard nodded and went through the daily records, handing them the correct sheet.

Tsume grabbed them and looked through, not even bothering to ask if he'd seen Naruto. If he had then they wouldn't even be here and Naruto would be at home locked in his room... Tsume growled as she looked through, no individuals, just a few wagons and... A caravan, "Was there anyone suspicious on this merchant caravan?"

The guard thought for a second, "I don't know about suspicious, but there was this kid who I thought looked really familiar. He was a guest I think, brown spiky hair, blue eyes. I don't know what made it stick with me, but I could've sworn something about him was off."

Kakashi nodded, looking down at the road. The caravan's tracks were still there, but he doubted they'd still be clear the whole way, "Where were they headed?"

"The Fire Capital, Keishi."

Tsume handed back the file and turned to Kakashi, "Let's get to work."

- A Few Days Later -

Naruto scratched the top of his head in thought. He was currently standing on a small misty dock that jutted out from the road, with his map in his hands. Apparently Nami no Kuni was straight ahead, and since the road stopped here, there should be a ferry or something to take him across, right? Then where the hell was it!? He put his map away and looked around, it didn't look like anyone had been here for a while... Well maybe he could find a boat or something...

Naruto headed toward the building back near the beginning of the dock, it looked like it was sitting on the water, and there was a large side door that opened up on the water's surface, so there should be a boat inside. The door was locked, and it didn't sound like anyone was inside, so Naruto pulled out his kunai and gave a few swings. With a few cuts with his energy blade the door was off it's hinges and no longer a issue. Naruto stepped into the building, looking around for a light switch. Unfortunately for him, it didn't look like they were working... Thankfully the roof was so full of holes that he had decent enough light to look around, and sure enough, there was a rowboat bobbing along in the water.

He spent a few minutes looking around for a way to open the side door, before he decided to just say fuck it, hopping into the boat and extending his kunai's blade to cut that door off too. Within a few minutes he was rowing across the water, and while the boat had clearly seen better days, it did it's job well. Naruto rowed in silence for a while, trying in vain to spot anything that could guide him in the soupy fog that surrounded him. Just when he was about to give up, a large shadow loomed over him, and he looked up to see a gigantic bridge, "Oh... Well that's convenient." At least now he had some idea where he was going. As Naruto rowed, he couldn't help but notice the lack of work sounds coming from the bridge, were they on a day off?

A sudden creaking and snapping sound interrupted Naruto's thoughts, and he turned to look at the boat with a deadpan stare. It sprung a leak, of course it did. Naruto gave a dramatic sigh and grabbed his bag, stuffing his cloak inside before holding it over his head as the boat slowly sank into the water. Well, at least this would wash the last of the dye out... Once the boat was completely gone, Naruto looked to the bridge for a reference and started swimming. It was a bit hard to do with one hand, but he'd rather not test just how waterproof his bag was. Pretty soon he finally saw Nami's shore, tossing his bad onto dry land and hauling himself in.

Naruto lie on the ground for a bit before pushing himself onto his hands and knees, only then becoming aware of the person staring at him. It was an old man, with a small pair of glasses, a large backpack, a bottle of sake, and a straw hat, "Hey, how ya doin'?"

He blinked a bit, "Fine... Did you swim the whole way here?"

Naruto grabbed a bit of his hair, pleasantly noting that the dye had indeed finally washed out, "Nah, found a boat on the dock across the water. Took it most of the way here before it sprung a leak, this is Nami no Kuni, right?"

The old man nodded, "Yeah, that it is. You also picked a hell of a time to visit... Name's Tazuna, I'm a bridge builder."

"Naruto Uzumaki, traveler I guess..." He walked up and sat next to Tazuna, "So, what's going on around here that's so bad?"

Tazuna sighed and took a swig of his sake, "You know Gato?" At Naruto's blank look, he elaborated, "He's a shipping tycoon. Came to Nami and started bleeding us dry, controlling all the ports and strangling trade. He and his goons run things now, and the rest of the country is so poor we're barely surviving." He rubbed his forehead in frustration, "People homeless, nowhere near enough food for everyone, kids out on the street in rags..."

Naruto flinched, "Damn... There's nothing you guys can do?"

"Well, there's my bridge. If I can finish it then Gato's stranglehold on the nation is broken, only problem is that he knows it. I was going to head to Konoha to hire some Shinobi to protect me, but it looks like my ferryman's bailed on me... We agreed to meet here two hours ago." He shook his head, "Anyway kid, if you know what's good for you then you'll high-tail it back to the mainland and forget about this place."

Naruto sat in silence for a bit, it would be best for him if he just headed back and went somewhere else, but... He couldn't just leave... What kind of person would he be if he just turned tail and ran when people needed help? Despite not being a Shinobi, Naruto still wanted to help people, that was one of the main reasons he was traveling! So he could control his abilities and use them to help people! Naruto took a breath and stood, "Nope, not leaving. As a matter of fact, if you can't get to Konoha, then I'll protect you."

Tazuna looked up at him in surprise, "I appreciate the offer kid, but Gato's men are real killers! They won't care how young you are, they'll gut you like a fish!"

Naruto grinned and pulled out his kunai, "Trust me old man, I'm not defenseless. I might not be a Shinobi, but I can keep you safe, alright?" Seeing Tazuna about to speak again, Naruto put a hand up, "Don't even bother trying to convince me otherwise, I'm protecting you whether you want me to or not, I promise!"

The old man sputtered for a bit, before sighing and getting up and giving Naruto a grateful smile, "Well, if you're dead set on it, then I won't stop you. Come on, let's head to my home, you can stay with me and my family."

-A Few Miles Away -

A traditional sliding door was the last thing that anyone would expect to see on Nami's coastline. Especially when it appeared out of thin air! Of course, that was dependent on whether or not they could see it, and it was certain that a normal person wouldn't see this one. It slid open with a bright light shining out as Soi Fon and Yoruichi, in her human form, stepped out and into the Elemental Nations.

The door closed and disappeared behind them as Yoruichi took a deep breath, "Man, it already feels different from the Soul Society and the Living world! I can't wait to do a little exploring!" She said with a mischievous lilt to her voice.

Soi Fon huffed, "Yoruichi-sama, we're supposed to be searching for the boy, remember?" Hopefully it wouldn't take too long. It had taken two full weeks to prepare a Sekaimon to this world, but thankfully Shin let them out somewhere near where Naruto should be. Now they just had to look around for him.

Yoruichi waved her concern off, "Please, that won't take long at all! You sense it too, right?"

"Sense wha- Oh, that." A Hollow, unmistakably. But it was different, she didn't know how to describe it, but this hollow felt unique compared to any she'd encountered before, "That must be him."

Yoruichi gave a catlike grin, "Only one way to find out! Race you there, Little Bee!" She said before disappearing in a burst of speed.

Soi Fon stared at the spot she stood in for a second, "W-Wait! That's not fair, Yoruichi-sama!"

Naruto and Tazuna were walking through Nami's woods, when Naruto suddenly held his head. Tazuna looked over with concern, "You alright?"

"Yeah... sorry, just a headache." That was a bit of a lie, Naruto's head wasn't hurting, but something was going on with it. He hadn't noticed, but his ability to sense people had gotten stronger. He guessed that being by himself for so long hadn't really given him a lot of opportunities to notice. He could sense Tazuna through the fog as clear as day, and it only now occurred to him that his sensing might not just be a strange intuition thing. What if it was something his power gave him? With that thought in mind, Naruto closed his eyes and focused on the things he was sensing. What followed was... amazing. He could feel everything around him, the plants, the trees, insects, even goddamn rocks! How the hell could he do that!?

Though one thing bothered him, the rocks, trees, and other inanimate objects had a different feel... He couldn't describe it, but they felt dormant, like they were just.. there. However, the plants and Tazuna felt different. They were bright, lively. Well truth be told the plants were a bit of a mix, but Tazuna definitely felt lifelike, and dense. So that must be what a human, or chakra, felt like...

So why did the mist feel a lot closer to that than it did to the small lake in front of them?

He got his answer when something appeared right on the edge of his range. Something was flying toward them really fast, "Get down!" Naruto yelled as he turned and tackled Tazuna to the ground, just as a gigantic sword flew over their heads and embedded itself in a tree. Naruto got to his feet just in time to see someone appear standing on the handle. Naruto pulled out his kunai, holding off on activating it for now, and watched as the man turned around, revealing a scratched Kiri hitai-ite, "Fuck..." Naruto said to himself.

He chuckled, "I thought you were just some random kid, but if you dodged Kubikiribocho then you might have some skill after all." He hopped off, wrenching the sword out of the tree on his way down and setting it on his shoulder, "But killing kids who can't fight back leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so I try to avoid it if I can. I'll give you one chance to leave the bridge builder and go, kid. But know that if you refuse, I'll have to kill you."

Naruto swallowed nervously, every fiber of his being telling him to get the fuck out of here. Tazuna came up beside him and put a hand on his shoulder, "It's alright kid, don't throw your life away for me."

Silence reigned over the clearing for a minute, before Naruto stepped forward, "I promised I'd protect you old man, and that's exactly what I'm gonna do."

The Rogue Shonobi raised his brow, "You serious kid? Do you have any idea who I am?" Suddenly, before Naruto could do anything, his opponent appeared right in front of him, his Killing intent bearing down on the blonde like a ton of bricks, "I'm Zabuza Momochi, the Kirigakure no Kijin..."

Naruto's eyes widened, he knew this guy looked familiar! He'd read through some of his parent's bingo books in his spare time, and this guy was a prominent figure, "The guy who killed a bunch of Academy students?"

Zabuza chuckled sinisterly, "Oh, so you've heard of me... That makes this a lot easier." He narrowed his eyes at Naruto, "Though there's one part they always leave out. I wasn't even in the Academy when I slaughtered all those weaklings. I just thought it looked fun and decided to tear them apart." Naruto's blood ran cold, "Do you really want to do this?"

Naruto grit his teeth and tightened his grip on his kunai, matching Zabuza's stare as a slight weight settled on the swordsman's own shoulders, "If I run now, then I know I'll never forgive myself. I didn't leave home just so I could run away when things got difficult..."

Zabuza stared for a second, before sighing, "Shame." Before Naruto could react, Zabuza's massive blade swing around and slammed into his side. Naruto let out a pained yell as he was thrown away, a large gash in his side.

Naruto slid along the ground for a bit before stopping himself. The cut was bleeding severely, but he managed to push himself up through the pain and activate his kunai. With a grunt of exertion, Naruto rushed forward and swung his sword as he went, a wave of green and blue energy rushing forward. Zabuza's eyes widened as he pulled his blade around to block it. The force of the blast pushed him back a bit as Tazuna ran back to give them room. Naruto stopped between Zabuza and Tazuna, holding his side, staring defiantly at his opponent.

Meanwhile, the swordsman was trying to process what had just happened. That hadn't been his strongest swing, not by a long shot, but it should've been enough to bisect the kid. Instead he'd just gotten an admittedly nasty wound, only to get up and rush him, sending an energy wave from his kunai as he went. Zabuza looked over the blade, suddenly very interested in it. At first he'd thought it was Futon chakra, but now that he got a better look, that wasn't it at all. Once again, he appeared in front of Naruto, this time sending a sharp kick to his injured side and grabbing the kunai from his hand. As Zabuza expected, the energy went away as it left the kid's hand. He looked the blade over for a bit, surprised to find that it was just a regular kunai. He channeled a bit of chakra into the knife, only to give pained grunt as the chakra was forced painfully back into his arm.

As he examined the kunai, Naruto scrambled back onto his feet, "Hey, give that back!"

Zabuza gave him an unimpressed look, "Oh sure thing." He said sarcastically, only for the kunai to disperse into energy and reform in Naruto's hand. They both stared at the knife for a second, Naruto looking just as surprised as Zabuza. The blonde shook himself out of his surprise and pointed the tip at Zabuza, reactivating the blade and shooting it out. Zabuza dodged the blades, the subject of his curiosity changing to Naruto himself. Naruto swing his kunai in an arc in front of him, creating floating blades that flew at Zabuza, with the Shinobi dodging or blocking them.

Then it was his turn to be surprised as Naruto appeared in front of him, having ran up while Zabuza was distracted. Naruto lifted his blade above his head, the energy blade around his kunai drastically increasing in size until it was as big as the Kubikiribocho. Naruto swung his sword down, forcing Zabuza to block. Now this was interesting, a sword as big as his own with only the weight of a kunai to account for? While it was clear that Naruto hadn't fought with a sword much, he clearly had training. As the two fought, Zabuza noticed something about how Naruto moved, it looked like he wasn't even bothered by his wound now at all... Deciding that he needed to check it out more closely, Zabuza knocked Naruto's blade away and tossed him into the lake, watching as he sputtered to the surface.

Naruto only had enough time to realize what had happened before Zabuza showed up beside him, "Suiro no Jutsu!" The next thing Naruto knew, he was suspended over the water, trapped in a sphere of it. While he looked around, Zabuza took a closer look at Naruto's wound, only for his eyes to widen as he saw that it was completely healed. Naruto looked like he wasn't even aware of it, but there wasn't even a scar. A sudden thought entered the Rogue Shinobi's mind... Maybe he should take the kid with him? He could always use another accomplice, of course it might take a bit, what with having to kill the bridge builder.

Zabuza created a water clone, having it take over the prison while he went to finish off Tazuna. Meanwhile, Naruto desperately looked around his watery cell, trying to find a way out. It was so damn hard to move in here, he couldn't even swing his kunai! 'Come on, there's gotta be something I can do!' He thought to himself, watching at Zabuza took his time terrifying Tazuna with his approach. Naruto strained himself trying to think of a way out of this mess, 'Come on, I don't care what I have to do! I can't let this happen, I will not let this happen!' After a moment of thought, Naruto grit his teeth and called to his power, allowing it to flow through him. A familiar blackness started to creep through his eye, and in a flash of light, the prison was broken and Zabuza's clone dispelled.

Both Tazuna and Zabuza turned around to see what had happened, and they were both surprised at what they saw. Naruto knelt on the lake's shore, what looked to be a piece of bone falling from his face. Though what really caught their attention was the sword he had stabbed into the ground. The blade was triangle shaped and about as long as a katana's, with the bottom points of it extending past where the blade met the handle, making it look more like a thin arrowhead about 8 inches wide at the bottom points. The blade also had three circles cut out of it, getting smaller as they went up the length and stopping at a little over half the total length. The handle was a little over a foot long and wrapped in blue cloth, with a three inch long spike that looked much like a kunai blade as the pommel. The entire thing was made of a gleaming grey-black metal, with the edges gleaming silver and razor sharp. Lastly, it had his shifting blue and green energy lightly flowing around the holes.

Naruto looked up at them, black shifting on the edges of his sclera. He hauled himself to his feet, yanking the sword out of the ground and pointing it at Zabuza, his energy licking the blade, "You and I aren't done yet.."

Chapter End!

Alrighty, here we go. Naruto is out of the village and things are coming to a head!

Anyway, a few things that I feel people might be confused about or have problems with...

Naruto knowing how to use his Fullbring already - From what Riruka said, most Fullbringers know how to use their powers instinctively, and since Ichigo was able to get his and master it in the span of a few days, I feel like Naruto learning as much about his as he did in a week is pretty reasonable. Speaking of his Fullbring, I'm pretty happy with the design, though it's still subject to change if I think of something else to spice it up or something. Also it still doesn't have a name...

Naruto's sensing - So, as some may have guessed, Naruto's ability to sense people has always been his Pesquissa, even if he was unaware of it. Now that his rreiatsu has been awakened, it's jumping to whole new levels. Now, normally Pesquissa can only sense Reiatsu, but combined with Naruto's Fullbring and being around chakra is whole life, his is much more sensitive than normal. He can distinguish between human souls, chakra, and the souls of objects that Fullbringers manipulate, even if he doesn't know it.

Naruto vs Zabuza - I think I made it pretty clear, but just in case some people didn't pick up on it and decide to complain about Naruto being OP... Zabuza is playing with him, he isn't going all out against Naruto in the slightest. Despite his Hierro and regeneration, Naruto cannot beat Zabuza right now, Zabuza is going easy on Naruto because he's interested in what he can do.

Okay, that's everything I can think of right now... Go ahead and tell me what you think and I'll see you guys next chapter!