DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO (I WOULD TRADE A LEG AND AN ARM TO OWN IT THOUGH HAHA)

Popping Pills

"Say goodnight boy!" he said as he was about to stab Naruto through his chest.

As Katashi's blade was about to pierce Naruto's body, Katashi quickly turned around and used his blade to slash at incoming insects.

"Hijutsu: Mushisaikuron (Hidden Jutsu: Insect Cyclone)". Shino cast a jutsu that sent numerous insects at Katashi in order to prevent him from finishing Naruto for good.

Shino did more hand seals which made his insects swarm his opponent in a circular motion similar to that of a cyclone. He kept on adding insects into the mix in an attempt to overpower Katashi. So far his bugs were able to push him across the ground, adding the fact that some of his bugs kept sucking chakra from him.

"You think a couple of bugs can stop me boy?!" he yelled as he streamed chakra into his blade and in one fell swoop all of his insects were turned into a crisp using a similar jutsu Shino witnessed earlier.

'It appears that he knows Hi Shinten no Jutsu (Fire Style: Flame Spread Technique) as well. Not only that, the magnitude of the jutsu is correlated to the amount of chakra he expended' Shino analyzed Katashi's moves.

Despite seeing all his insects get incinerated, Shino remained emotionless and didn't react whatsoever. Katashi grinned over his success, "If you're here, then it means you dispatched of my brother then…" he inquired.

"Your brother escaped moments ago" Shino replied

"That coward… But it doesn't matter. I don't need that moron anyway" he said as he rushed towards Shino. Shino knew fighting this guy head-on was unwise, if Naruto had a difficult time dealing with this man in close combat then it would be way more difficult for him.

Shino kept dashing backward to put distance between them. With each dash, backflip, and somersault, Shino threw a swarm of bugs at him. Though every time he does so, it either does little to no damage or got eradicated quickly. He knew he couldn't keep this up for too long for he was burning chakra like a wildfire

Katashi smirked after noticing Shino's movements were beginning to slow down and get sloppy. "What's wrong kid? Getting tired?" he taunted but Shino didn't respond as he just kept on dodging and weaving attacks in between.

Katashi threw a smoke bomb on the ground to make it harder for Shino to spot him. In the middle of all the smoke, Shino stood his ground all panting and exhausted. Shino conjured what little chakra he had left to send out a swarm of insects to locate his enemy, he then felt a chakra signature approaching from behind.

Shino took out his kunai and quickly turned around to stab Katashi but once the tip of his kunai met with Katashi's body, it dispelled before his eyes. Shino knew he made a grave mistake as he got kicked in the back making him stumble to the ground, he tried to get up but was unable to do so in time.

Katashi kicked him once more and turned him around to grab his throat. He lifted Shino up by grabbing his throat tightly, his grip was enough to constrict Shino's breathing. "You should've stayed out of this boy, you already won your battle. You could've fled on your own, but you didn't and that's your mistake. You're no better than the bugs you control kid" Katashi said as he was about to snap Shino's neck.

"OI! I AIN'T FINISHED WITH YOU YET!" Naruto yelled

"N-Naruto?…" Ino groaned out as she saw her blonde teammate standing up again.

"Begging for more huh?" he yelled as he threw Shino away instead. Katashi knew he could've disposed of the other boy but he got too cocky for his own good thinking that these kids would do squat to him.

"I guess I just don't know when to quit!" Naruto returned

"Admirable but that will kill you in the end" Katashi remarked

Naruto did a hand seal and made 20 copies of himself, "I'm getting sick of your jutsu boy!" Katashi yelled

"INO! TAKE SHINO WITH YOU, I'LL BUY YOU GUYS SOME TIME!" Naruto exclaimed, "B-But… What about you?…" Ino interjected

"NO TIME, SO JUST GO"

"BUT…"

"I SAID GO!"

Hearing Naruto scream at her for real made her flinch, she then did as she was told and quickly went to get Shino, "Oh no you don't!" Katashi yelled as he ran to stop Ino and Shino from escaping. Naruto quickly appeared in front of Katashi to stop him.

"You have to go through me first!" Naruto said boldly

Katashi gritted his teeth and swung his weapon, their blades collided once more. Tanto against kunai, the force of Katashi's swing sent vibrations into his bones causing his arm to feel more numb as it is.

"When will you learn to stay down?!"

"Never!" Naruto yelled

He dashed backward and made more clones to overwhelm Katashi. "Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique)" Naruto roared as his clones began to run towards Katashi.

"Brint it on!" Katashi growled as he mowed down hordes of Naruto's clones. Clone after clone got dispelled until he got rid of the very last one. After fighting for a prolonged period of time, Katashi was starting to get exhausted himself, it seems that the 2nd enhancement pill's effects were about to wear off.

He looked around his vicinity to look for Naruto but alas he couldn't find him anywhere, he also couldn't see where his elder brother was. 'They probably took their fight elsewhere' Katashi thought to himself, he kept searching until he finally thought that Naruto fled the scene. When suddenly the ground cracked beneath him, a clone of Naruto burst through the ground and uppercutting him in the process.

Naruto's uppercut was so strong that it sent him up in the air, 'How the hell did this kid get this strong?!' Katashi mused to himself.

The real Naruto was on the ground, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu: Rakkasan! (Shadow Clone Technique: Parachute)" Naruto announced. He created four clones around him, he jumped up and was launched into the air with the assistance of his clones which served as his springboard.

Once he reached the height of Katashi, he waited for him to get to a lower elevation to perform another taijutsu move. "Bunshin Kaiten Kakato Otoshi! (Clone Spinning Heel Drop)". Naruto created two more clones to assist him in his combo attack.

He and his clones spun in the air and delivered a powerful heel kick. The clones aimed for Katashi's shoulders whereas Naruto went for Katashi's head. The force of the move quickly sent Katashi flying to the ground. The impact resulted in a massive crater, sending dust to fly up into the air.

Naruto then landed on the ground safely but as soon as he tried to stand, his knees gave in causing him to kneel for a second. Naruto was at his limit, his heart pumping real fast while adrenaline coursed through his entire body.

Once he was able to get up, he went over to the crater to see Katashi's still body with an enhancement pill in hand.

"I-I… I did it? I DID IT DATTE-" Naruto's celebration was cut off when he passed out and fell to the ground due to extreme exhaustion plus the beating he got from Katashi. Not only did he end up victorious, but he also ended up with cuts and bruises all over his body as well as cracked ribs to boot.

- With Asuma -

(This part took place when Naruto was facing Katashi all on his own)

"Seems like I have to step up my game then. It appears that the basic shit won't cut it with you" Asuma said to Tadashi. Their battle has been going on for too long, sure Asuma could go all out if he wanted to but he wanted to gauge his opponent's skill first before doing so. By any means, Asuma wasn't belittling his foe because he did not want to reveal all his cards to his enemy as that would be foolish. Plus he still doesn't know the full capabilities of the pills Tadashi has at his disposal.

Asuma tightened his grip on his trench knives, it then began to glow with a bluish aura. It also started to vibrate as Asuma channeled his chakra into his blades.

"Getting serious now, are we? Let's dance" he taunted Asuma as he ingested another pill. Asuma really wanted to finish this fight as soon as possible, not knowing if his students were still safe was killing him on the inside.

He didn't respond to Tadashi's taunt but instead rushed forward, now this time he was on the offensive. It's his turn to set the tempo, he began by closing the distance between him and Tadashi. His opponent was barely able to react, it was as if he was far away for a moment then a second later he was right up at his face.

Tadashi tried to block Asuma's attack but he was too late, Asuma delivered three quick right jabs to Tadashi's face followed by a strong punch to the back of his skull causing him to lower his head against his own will. He quickly continued his combo by slashing Tadashi left and right. Once he was finished slicing and dicing Tadashi, he uppercut him thus lifting him up to the ground. And while Tadashi was in mid-air, Asuma jumped up and spun around to add more momentum to his punch. Once his attack connected, it sent Tadashi sliding across the ground.

Once Tadashi stopped stumbling, he quickly got up to his feet in order to defend himself. But Asuma didn't stop there as he vanished from his sight and reappeared behind him, "CRAP! HE'S FAST!" he thought to himself. He was then pulled out of his thoughts as Asuma grabbed his arm and lifted him over his back thus throwing him to the ground.

Asuma's throw had enough force to make him bounce off the earth, he spun around to add momentum to his punch once again. Tadashi was sent flying to the cliff's wall. The impact cracked the rocks reminiscent of a spider's web.

Tadashi groaned as he coughed up some blood, he attempted to get back up with all his strength no matter how shaky his legs were. He was panting like crazy, he didn't expect him to be that fast. Even with the effects of the enhancement pill he ingested, he still wasn't able to quickly react.

"Give up now and you'll be able to live another day, seems to me you and your brothers aren't just some lowly bandits. Tell me, are you three missing-nins?" Asuma asked sternly.

Tadashi spat out blood onto the ground, "What's it to you pal?" Tadashi asked snarkily

"With the way you fight as well as the tools you got, it all screams "I'm a missing-nin!" to me. If you're a bandit, that would be a simpler scenario. Though I have a strong feeling you three are indeed runaway shinobi" Asuma explained.

"THERE'S NO WAY I'M COMING WITH YOU! OR GO TO THE SLAMMER FOR THAT MATTER!" Tadashi yelled frantically. He knew he was done for, the pill he took before receiving a beating was essentially a waste. The chakra it gave him was instead used to keep his body functioning when it should have given up after Asuma blitzed him. And he was on his last enhancement pill since he gave the others to his brothers. The only thing is that the last pill he's got at his disposal was a prototype. A prototype that was more potent than the ones he consumed before. He knew this would certainly give him more strength but other than that, he knew nothing. Not even if it was safe to use.

Without any hesitation, he took the pill and gulped it immediately. Tadashi felt immense power enter his body, he felt like he had the strength of a dozen shinobi. Not only that but his body began to change and contort. His muscles began to increase in size, making him bulkier than he already is. "YES… YES… I CAN FEEL THE POWER THROUGHOUT MY BODY!" he grinned in satisfaction.

Asuma knew he had to finish this pronto, he then channeled more wind chakra to his blades. While doing so, it effectively increased its reach and sharpness. As he was about to rush towards him, Tadashi vanished and quickly reappeared beside him and delivered a spinning kick. Luckily for Asuma being the trained shinobi that he is, he was able to block his kick. But dear Kami was Tadashi's kick heavy, it even made his arms feel a bit numb which was rare for him as it only happens few and far between.

Tadashi then took the opportunity to slash Asuma with his tsurugi, Asuma couldn't block the blade with his knives even if he wanted to for his hands were preoccupied at the moment. He quickly performed a Kawarimi (Body Replacement Technique) with a nearby log, Tadashi's blade sliced through the piece of wood like butter causing shards of it to scatter everywhere.

Tadashi sensed something was approaching from behind at a high speed. He turned around to catch Asuma in his palm like a spider catches a fly. Asuma grunted in response, Tadashi then slammed him to the ground and kicked him into the same wall he was sent flying into. "HOW DOES THAT FEEL HUH?! HURTS DOESNT IT?!" he said angrily.

Asuma was in a great deal of pain, he slowly got back up for he could not afford to stay on the ground any longer. Once back up, he got back into his fighting stance and tightened his grip on his blades. He began to divert wind chakra into the knives this time thus increasing its sharpness and reach. He vanished from his sight once more, "The same trick won't work on me you idiot" Tadashi said.

Tadashi felt a chakra signature coming from above, "GOTCHA!" he yelled as he swung his sword, instead of blood spraying out of Asuma's body it simply turned into a puff of smoke. "WHAT THE-" he said but his sentence was cut-off.

"Kanashibari no Jutsu (Temporary Paralysis Technique)/Katon: Haisenkisho (Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning)" Asuma and a clone of him said in unison. Asuma's clone paralyzed Tadashi while the original cast a fire-style jutsu.

Asuma spewed a stream of chakra-infused gunpowder toward Tadashi, enveloping him in the process. Once Tadashi was completely surrounded by the gunpowder, Asuma ignited the gunpowder by biting the flint in his mouth which caused a huge explosion.

Dust and dirt were sent flying across the battlefield, leaving nothing but scorched earth and smoke. Asuma waited for a moment to see if that did the trick. Once the smoke dissipated, Asuma saw Tadashi still standing and surprisingly all in one piece. It seems like the pill made him more durable and resistant to explosive attacks. But something was off with Tadashi, he was just standing there.

Asuma kept his guard up until Tadashi's body fell forward causing a loud thud. He sighed in relief for he was glad that the fight was finally over, his break was cut short when he remembered his three students.

Asuma quickly grabbed a sealing scroll and sealed Tadashi's body into it, it was protocol to retrieve the body of a nukenin in the event they die. He spent no time sealing the corpse and quickly headed to where his students were.

- At Konoha's Hospital -

It was dark and you could see nothing, but you could faintly hear two men having a conversation nearby.

"Apparently they were nukenin, they had some sort of soldier pill"

"Have you retrieved any of it?"

"I did, it's in the scroll I gave you earlier"

"Very well, is there anything else I should know?"

"It appears that his tenant assisted in his healing otosan"

"I see… I see… Did he show anything else we should be worried about?"

"That I am unsure of, I wasn't there when it happened"

"Very well, I'll handle this and contact one of my students"

Naruto opened his eyes slowly only to see that he was in a white room with two men beside him. Once his vision got clear he realized it was his sensei and the Hokage. But before he could talk to them, he remembered his teammates.

"Where's Ino and Shino?! Are they alright?!" Naruto asked in a panic

"Relax Naruto, they're alright. Take it easy, if anything you should worry about yourself. You did good Naruto, so don't worry" Asuma said reassuringly.

The door then opened to reveal a shinobi calling out to the Hokage, "I will be going now, I have other matters to attend to. Get well Naruto-kun and congratulations for succeeding in your first battle" Hiruzen smiled at Naruto before leaving him and Asuma alone.

Instead of feeling joyful, Naruto felt rather disappointed. Asuma quickly noticed it and asked him about it, "What's the matter?" he asked

"It's just… I wasn't strong enough. We almost got killed there, it's probably a miracle or a fluke that all three of us survived. I-If I was strong enough then this wouldn't have happened" Naruto berated himself for being weak.

"If you think you're weak, then get stronger. There's no rhyme or reason in belittling yourself, it'll only make you weaker. The only thing you can do is to keep moving forward and get stronger each and every day to protect those you value. So don't talk like that Naruto, you did good back there and I'm proud of you. Get some rest now, I've got other things to do" he said as he patted Naruto's shoulders.

Naruto was all alone in his room, hearing Asuma's words replaced the doubt and disappointment in his mind. It was quickly replaced by determination and a renewed vigor.

- Somewhere In The Wilderness: North of Konohagakure -

Takeshi was sprinting through the woods even though it was completely pitch black. Under the assumption that his siblings weren't dead, he kept on running to avoid being caught by them out of fear of being killed for abandoning them.

Thunder roared from the distance, rain began to fall causing the ground to be muddy and slippery. It was getting harder and harder for him to run, Takeshi also needed to look for shelter as soon as possible. There's no way he could last out in the open during a storm in the middle of the night.

As he was running, he tripped on a root causing him to stumble forward and fall into a hole in the ground. Luckily something sturdy broke his fall, but the drawback was that it was sticky which prevented him from getting up.

He kept on struggling and squirming to get out but he just can't cause he was stuck real good. Suddenly eight red glowing eyes appeared before him, which were accompanied by aggressive snarling. Thunder flashed revealing what the creature looked like, it was a hybrid between a wolf and a spider. It was not natural that's for sure, he was certain such a creature did not exist but alas one was already in front of him

It growled and bared its sharp fangs, Takeshi tried to scream but it was no use. No one could possibly hear him screaming, not only was he in a hole but it was also raining making it nigh impossible for a person to hear him. He was already doomed, the "spider-wolf" then came closer as it walked on the web with its eight paws.

He was caught in its web and he was its dinner for tonight.

(A/N: And that ends this chapter yay! I got a review saying I was bashing Kishimoto, but far from it. I like the guy, he gave us Naruto which was part of my childhood. If I sounded like I was shitting on him, I am not and I apologize for that. I love Naruto the way it is but it wouldn't hurt to explore and try different things. Anyway, I hope you guys still like this story so far, show me some love and perhaps a little bit of RnR, and yeah. I did notice that chapter 5 had fewer visitors than chapter 6 which confused me but oh well. Take care yall and cheers! ^^)