So many death threats...I feel so loved! Anyway I won't keep you in suspense so here it is the next chapter. Thank you for the reviews and I hope you enjoy!

"Speech"

'Thought'

"Kyuubi"

(Standard Disclaimer)

Chapter 35: Resilience

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Anko finished when Naruto smirked and turned to Zaiaku. "Turns out Onigiri quit just one millisecond before you Naruto," Anko said as she vanished in a puff of smoke. Zaiaku crossed his arms and said, "I told you I quit first." Naruto weakly laughed and said, "Zaiaku, remember when I said I had something for Itami? Why don't you take it to her?"

Zaiaku blinked then slapped himself on the forehead, oh damn he was dumb today. "Yeah sure what is it?" Zaiaku asked as he jogged over to Naruto even though he had a good amount of damage on him and his chakra was very low. Naruto pulled a small rope that was around his neck and from inside his shirt came a small crystal bottle. Lying inside the bottle was one small yellow oval that looked like a piece of candy.

Naruto pulled the top off the crystal vial and poured out the one 'candy'. Naruto held the 'candy' between his fingers and in one swift motion he cracked it in half. "Here Zaiaku," Naruto said as he put the two pieces in Zaiaku's palm, "it's a very powerful chakra based healing pill. Made it myself so I know it'll work without a doubt. Since it's made for my body only give her half and take the other half yourself, you need it."

Naruto was grinning as Zaiaku popped half of the pill in his mouth and swallowed. Zaiaku felt his body get a sudden surge of chakra and his pain from his wounds lessened considerably. "Thank you Naruto I have to get going. Good luck in your match," Zaiaku said as he prepared to leave. "Heh, good luck with Itami lover boy," Naruto laughed as Zaiaku took off in a cloud of dust. Naruto sighed, today had been a long day...wow...the hole in the ceiling was much bigger then he thought. How did he end up on his back again?

Tsunade's eyes shot open, "oh shit Naruto!" Kyuubi scoffed and said, "Kit you used to much chakra. Damn I suppose this cuts our little time together short. It's been a blast but I have things to do, people to reprimand." Kyuubi stood and with that his throne turned back into its simple chair. "Have a nice day Hokage, Kazekage, puppet master, wind mistress," Kyuubi said with a grin as he mentioned each one of them that provided him with entertainment.

With that Kyuubi seemed to fade out of existence, his fire red hair the last thing to vanish into thin air. Kyuubi swiftly returned to the world of the Seal and gave an exponential boost in chakra to Naruto. Naruto no longer found breathing a problem but he suddenly found that he was REALLY tired and his body wouldn't move.

"Oh Kit, you got your ass handed to you!" Kyuubi screamed in Naruto's mind. In reality Naruto had done really well, especially considering the circumstances. He went through a clever ploy with his perfected shadow clones and won the match with a Kyuubi style sarcastic comment closer. Naruto was in a world of lustful illusion, used up a massive amount of chakra with eight Rasengan, two of which were given his special brand of Kitsune elemental power.

'I just gave up!' Naruto yelled half heartedly in his mind. He knew his teacher by now and this was just his way to mess with the Kit and say good job. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say Kit," Kyuubi said with a smirk. He didn't know when he began calling Naruto Kit. One day he just found himself doing it. He may be a twisted, perverted, eons old demon but hell this little golden Kitsune felt like family. Might as well have been seeing as he indirectly has part of Kyuubi's genes.

"Get up," came a dark growling voice as it slowly approached Naruto. "Five more minutes..." Naruto grumbled as he lay there absorbed in his thoughts. Gotta get his chakra back up so he can beat Katsu. He was such a bastard when...wait a minute. Naruto jumped up and pointed an accusing finger at Katsu, "OH MY GODS! YOU ALMOST KILLED ITAMI! YOU BASTARD!"

Massive blinks and confusion all around folks, the fox boy just jumped up like he wasn't even tired. Swiftly people began to return to that calm and concentrated frame of mind. This was a match between two very powerful ninja and they had to focus on that.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. You can't get out of this one with a fart you idiot," Kiba muttered in his seat next to Hinata. "Kiba-kun? Do you think he'll be alright?" Hinata questioned as she balled the material of her pants in her hands. She didn't know what she would do if Naruto was killed here and now.

"Well he's low on chakra so that's bad right off the bat. That Katsu guy is inhumanly flexible and resistant to attacks so that's another strike on Naruto's side," Kiba said before being jabbed hard in the ribs by the insect user beside him.

Kiba blinked and looked from Shino to Hinata who at the moment looked close to tears. Kiba threw up his hands in defense and quite hastily said, "not that I'm saying Naruto's in a losing situation Hinata! Naruto can win this one!" Kiba calmed as soon as Hinata did and he thought to himself, 'it's just gonna take one of his insane miracles.'

Tsunade sat in her chair beside the great Kazekage of the sand all the while her hands fidgeting in anticipation for the match to begin. "Nervous Hokage?" Gaara asked with his traditional poker face and crossed arms. Like that Tsunade's tournament long facade fell and she nodded, "to be honest yes. Even with the chakra used to make Kyuubi's body Naruto is running low."

Gaara crossed his legs and looked down his nose at Katsu, "is it just me or have you sensed the Snow Genin getting stronger and stronger as the matches go on." Tsunade nodded, "he has, I can feel it from up here." Gaara glared down at Katsu but said nothing. There was something not entirely right about that Genin. Only time would tell though...

The Judge gulped as he raised his arm, oh dear god why did he accept this job? The Judge dropped his arm and in a flash Katsu shot off like a rocket to Naruto, his arm long gloves prepared to turn his innards into liquid. Katsu prepared to grab Naruto by the neck but the Kitsune wonder of Konoha dodged to the side last second and touched Katsu's head sending a short electric pulse through him, much like a strong static cling.

Katsu twitched and landed in a roll coming up on his feet quickly. "You intend to fight me with such amateur moves?" Katsu said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Truthfully," Naruto said as he formed the oh so familiar cross shaped seal, "yes!" Suddenly twelve Naruto's popped into existence all of them waving their tails generating sparks of electricity. Katsu's fists clenched and he yelled out in his voice that sounded like two rocks crashing together, "I'll kill you fox!"

Katsu charged into the fray of clones only to find that in a contest of speed he was completely outclassed. The Naruto clones avoided his hands and arms like the plague while they gave short zaps here and there to his head and upper body. Katsu was almost standing still while all twelve clones closed in on him and gave him a large shock of electricity.

They backed away from his smoking form and he promptly fell to his knees then to the ground. "He's done!" Naruto yelled, "that was enough to stop his heart!" "Not quite..." came a grumbling sound from the center of the Naruto clones. In a flash Katsu had jumped up and neatly taken care of the Naruto clones. "I'm impressed with your speed Uzumaki but with resilience such as mine you cannot defeat me!" Katsu said with a dark laugh.

'How can he keep getting stronger?' Tsunade as she watched the match go on. It made no sense from a logical and medical point of view. His body seemed incapable of pain and injury while his chakra reserves continued to skyrocket. This couldn't be some type of blood line could it? "Uzumaki is in trouble," Gaara spoke with his normal cold tone. "Yes...he is..." Tsunade said worried for her adopted brother.

Naruto stood in the ring, his body swaying back and forth as he tried to return his vision into focus. 'Oh damn, I'm in a shit load of trouble now...' Naruto thought as he swiftly dodged the strikes Katsu threw. "Yah think Kit?" Kyuubi commented as Katsu placed a glancing blow on Naruto's left arm. This light tap was enough to give his Humerus a small crack.

Naruto jumped back holding his arm and focusing his chakra to repair the damage. Katsu would have none of that as he kept on the Kitsune like stink on crap. Naruto found that either Katsu's attacks were coming faster and faster or he was progressively getting slower.

"I'd say you're getting slower AND he's getting faster," growled Kyuubi inside Naruto's mind. 'How is that possible, he has to be getting pretty damn tired by now!' Naruto wailed in his mind as Katsu struck another glancing blow earning Naruto yet another cracked bone and waste of chakra.

Kyuubi growled inside Naruto's mind and said, "Kit you need some help here!" On the outside world Naruto nodded and smirked at Katsu, "you know if you weren't a total ass hole I'd ask if you could tell me how you keep gaining chakra, then maybe I'd ask if you'd teach me. But you nearly killed my friend and that earns you a spot on the list of people I must kick the ass of." Katsu laughed his dark laughter and leapt back from the snarling Kitsune, "what can you do? You grow weaker and I grow stronger. What could you possibly do to fight me?"

Nartuo grinned and bit his thumb, "this." In a flash Naruto had left a long smear of blood on the nine tailed Kitsune tattoo in his arm taking great care to only smear his blood on four tails. Naruto formed several hand seals then slammed his hand into the ground with the cry of, "Kushiyose no Jutsu!"

Out of thin air appeared an apparition, a Kitsune of four tails. The Kitsune had bright red fur and blood red eyes to match. The Kitsune looked around the spotted Naruto, taking deep breaths and kneeling on the ground. "Naruto-sempai!" cried the fox and it bowed to the golden six tailed Kitsune. "What have we talked about the name Shinka," Naruto said with a grin as he shakily stood with Shinka's assistance.

If one were to look around the stadium, even the Kage's box, hell even at Katsu one would be able to see the pure shock on their face. Now in the world of the ninja there had NEVER been a contract with foxes let alone Kitsune. Only a long and complicated procession of seals and hundreds of ninja could summon a demon such as a Kitsune who refused to be 'used' by humans. Not that they were stuck up they just did not trust the human race. Then again with people like Orochimaru could you blame them?

Here before their eyes was a Kitsune, called on the behalf of one Uzumaki Naruto, and a very imposing beast at that. "I'm sorry...Naruto-kun?" Shinka asked with confusion in 'her' voice. "Good, now I have a reason to call you. I was kind of hoping for Iyasu but you can help me just enough. See that ninja over there?" Naruto asked as he pointed to Katsu.

Katsu gulped and his eyes opened so much that his glasses nearly fell off his face. Shinka slowly turned his blood red gaze to Katsu with a wide and deadly grin on her face. "Yes Naruto-sem...I mean kun. I see him," Shinka said, her five tails whipping around behind her. "Well show him what coat you want," Naruto said coolly which made Shinka take off in a blood red blur.

Katsu's eyes opened and before he could react he had been completely crushed by the Kitsune with a top speed shoulder tackle. Katsu howled in pain but was not let off so easily as he was suddenly hit with a very powerful explosion of flames. Katsu flew to the other side of the arena while Shinka smirked wildly. This was why she wanted a crimson coat! So much fun!

Kyuubi began to laugh inside Naruto's mind much like a certain perverted Sannin which caused Naruto to scream in his thoughts, 'get you head outta the gutter!' Kyuubi growled and said, "I haven't seen such a vixen in a long time so shut it Kit." 'Oh whatever,' Naruto said as he pooled the rest of his chakra and got to work. "Shinka!" Naruto called and in a flash the vixen was by his side, listening to his plan with rapt attention.

Silence perforated the clearing for a long time until a loud explosion freed Katsu from his concrete in prison. "I'LL KILL YOU FOXES!" Katsu snarled as his eyes scanned the area. His eyes landed on two figures in the center of the ring speaking in hushed tones. Katsu, at the moment, wasn't thinking. Why would they be so CONVENIENTLY sitting in the EXACT CENTER of the ring? In Katsu's mind all there existed was a painful death for the Kitsune and his summon.

"DIE!" Katsu growled as he launched at the figures, his hand running right through both of them. When I say through I mean through, his hands hit pure illusionary clones, they were traps! Katsu looked around and saw on either side of him was Naruto and Shinka. "Katsu! I'm gonna use a jutsu inspired by Itami! Feel free to scream in pain if you like!" Naruto yelled smugly as his tailed flailed madly charging electricity.

Katsu yelled and charged Naruto only for him to vanish from sight with such a speed that he seemed to be only a golden blur. Katsu looked around and found that he was trapped in a large circle with two Kitsune literary running circles around him. "Kitsune Seikon Tatsumaki!" screamed both Kitsune as the wind around the circle slowly filled with rising flames and flashing lightning.

In a matter of seconds the entire battlefield had turned into a massive roaring tornado of fire and randomly firing lightning bolts. While the tornados sound was great only one thing penetrated it's ear splitting qualities. The only thing that could be heard was the howls and screams of pain. The jutsu lasted for well over five minutes and when if began to come to an end many in the audience needed to be doused with cold water.

Slowly the wind ceased and the flames vanished. When the dust had settled all that remained was Naruto, winded and smudges of dirt all over him, and Katsu, his body badly burnt to the point that only his pants, gloves, and scarf remained.

Kastu's hair had been reduced to a burnt patch of skin and his shirt was completely nonexistent. Thankfully his pants had survived the flames but his sandals had not and neither had his Hitai Ate. Naruto grinned weakly and using whatever strength he had left he carefully shuffled his feet over to Katsu. Katsu watched him through his cracked glasses as he approached closer and closer.

Naruto held his finger up and said, "timber." As he touched Katsu's bare forehead the electricity he had gathered from his shuffling and the electricity Katsu had been shocked with collided sending both competitors to their back several yard away from each other. The Judge slowly crept out of his hiding spot in the wall, this job better pay good! Looking over both competitors he held up his hands and said, "Both Uzumaki Naruto and Hitokage Katsu are unable to battle! It is a draw!"

In a snap of smoke Taishou appeared and said in his normal loud voice, "Thank the gods! That was almost to suspenseful even for me! Good job Naruto! You showed him who's boss!" Taishou then bent down and picked up, not his student, but the Snow Genin. Sometime during this process Hinata had appeared beside Naruto and scanned him over with a simple jutsu. After roughly putting the Genin under his arm Taishou held up his fingers and said, "places to go things to do Naruto. See you later!"

"Stop right where you are," came a cold and foreboding voice from the one and only Kazekage. "Uzumaki Naruto is your student hence you are to care for him as if he is your own flesh and blood," Gaara said as he walked over to Naruto and knelt down next to him and Hinata. Looking at Hinata who had a concerned look on his face he glared into nothing and reached out for Naruto. Slinging Naruto's arm around his shoulder he picked Naruto up with no problem then turned to glare daggers at Taishou.

"You do not even bother to help him when he is obviously exhausted," Gaara spat his old Shukaku habits returning to the surface as killer intent radiated off him. Taishou returned Gaara's glare and said, "I have good reason." "I'd love to hear it," came a reply from Gaara's side as Tsunade appeared in a blur. Meanwhile Hinata had taken the other arm of Naruto and noticing this Gaara allowed her to have her love. Without a word she started for the exit with Naruto where a stretcher was waiting for him.

"This Genin is not from Snow. I recognize his patterns, I know his attacks, how his weapon works, even why he's here and where he's from...he is from the Sound," Taishou said with venom dripping from his tongue.

How he figured this out and when he did was a question that was on both the Kage's minds. What other information he had was another mystery. How such a competent shinobi could miss the spike of chakra was also one of the many that would remain wordless. All they knew was that in an instant Katsu from the Sound had twisted in Taishou's arm and slammed his gloved palms onto Taishou's body...

End Chapter

Well, well, well, what do we have here? Another cliffy? Heh, time for Q and A!

Q: Taishou/Anko in the future?

A: ...Uh...no comment...

Q: What the hell is Katsu?

A: That will be answered in a few chapters answering more questions you guys asked a while ago!

Well that's that, I'll drop a preview and then be on my way! Later all!

Damn the doctors for taking away her Tokkuri bottle. She needed it to live damn it! Besides...without it she couldn't mask anything behind her drunkenness. "People care about you, they don't want you to die," Itami said audibly gulping, this was much harder without her liquid courage. Zaiaku began to sweat, Itami sat here with her hand on his speaking about people who cared about him. This couldn't be going where he thought it was...