Chapter 8
Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Ninja Gaiden or DOA
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Just a list of current ages for those keeping score (based on the DOA Wiki):
Ayane: 14
Naruto, Hinata, Kasumi: 15
Momiji: 16
Ryu, Kureha, Hayate: 21
Last time:
Hinata's clone sighed. "It is true but Naruto-kun and I aren't happy about it. We went over the laws and it seems that because Shiden-sama has the political power and wants Naruto tied to the Mugen Tenshin Clan he basically has forced it upon us. Naruto-kun and I already decided to get married but now he has to have Kasumi-sama as his wife as well. Theoretically Naruto-kun would have to marry a woman from this village as well so we would have blood ties here."
"Have you considered Momiji?" asked Genjiro. "She's a good girl and an outstanding kunoichi. I also know she really likes Naruto."
"How do you know that?" asked the clone.
Genjiro chuckled. "Well, I'm old but I'm not so totally out of touch that I can't recognize when a girl's in love with a boy. Besides, I saw her peeking at Naruto in the public bath."
"WHAAAT?!"
The Black Spider Clan Enclave
Obaba was fidgeting. Her plans to gain the power to call upon otherworldly servants to aid her at Nagoya had failed utterly. That really wasn't the most disturbing thing though. The Greater Fiend Ishtaros contacted her revealing the Holy Vigoor Empire may have fallen to the Dragon Ninja, Hayabusa Ryu. As if that wasn't bad enough news, Ishtaros was concerned about a possibly even greater threat. She claimed that something ancient had awakened and many mystical tribes such as the Tengu were actively searching for this being. Obaba didn't know the nature of this entity and was told to seek it out to perhaps join their cause.
The question on Obaba's mind was just how old this person/thing was to have Ishtaros refer to it as ancient by fiend standards. Also, creatures from other realms like the Tengu were exceedingly dangerous. She cautiously put out feelers to find the creature but so far the only thing she'd heard about was a new ninja that showed up out of nowhere in the Hayabusa Village. Although information was scant it appeared he could literally make an army of duplicates of himself and managed to defeat a powerful fiend of unknown origins as well.
The odd ninja also was responsible for demolishing the Tengu Brothers and apparently did it effortlessly. They said he could control the wind itself and had some unearthly power that changed his eye color when it was activated. The two claimed it was much like the fiend's powers in that it felt way beyond human. Of course, they were busy trying to stay alive so the pair really didn't have time to examine him too thoroughly. Other than the fact he was blonde and seemed to have whisker like tattoos or marks of some sort on his face they couldn't tell her much.
Was this the one Ishtaros spoke of?
The Hayabusa Village
Naruto woke up in the middle of the night lying on his side He smelled fresh shampoo mixed with Hinata's own sweet scent and opened his eyes to find Hinata was cradling him in her sleep with his face tucked into the valley of her breasts. She was obviously very much asleep from her deep breathing and her sleeping Yukata had come open leaving her completely exposed. Naruto laid there stock still as he smelled and felt those luscious mounds pressed against him. He felt himself go totally erect and figured he must be healed or he'd be dying of pain right now. He wanted to taste Hinata so badly….It didn't help at all when she moaned and wrapped her arms more tightly around him.
She said in her sleep, "Mmmm….please Naruto-kun…." and he reached out with his tongue to taste her. She mewled softly and Naruto started kissing her breasts and up her neck as he slowly savored her sweet flavor. She suddenly woke up to the delicious sensations and pulled his head back to give him a soul searing kiss. It was the first real kiss they'd shared and it left them both panting. Hinata immediately went on the offensive and kissed and nibbled on his shoulder.
Naruto gasped as she worked her way back up and started kissing and licking his neck. "Hinata-chan, I-I want you…."
Hinata pulled back and they stared into each other's lust filled eyes. She reached down and traced her fingers over his manhood. "Naruto-kun, I want y- No, we have to wait until you're fully healed! Just kiss me and touch me tonight. I love you so much Naruto-kun…." The couple made out passionately for hours feeling, caressing a memorizing each other's bodies while their hearts raced as one. They finally fell asleep again just before dawn….
Hinata woke up a few hours later with her hair disheveled and her eyes bright and content. She smiled down at the sleeping Naruto as she sat up. 'I never would have done half that stuff if it weren't for my shadow clone being so perverse….she was right though, Naruto-kun is amazing.' She fondly ran her fingers through Naruto's spiky locks as he slept. Kissing him sweetly, she woke him up.
He returned her kiss; rubbing his eyes and smiling brightly at her he said, "Good morning Hinata-chan!"
"Good morning Naruto-kun." she answered with a warm smile. "We have a lot to do today. While you were being watched over by my shadow clone I had a….discussion with Ayane-san and Momiji about their behavior towards you. They each want to talk with you about things and apologize, especially Ayane-san. I am angry with her for what she did but I think she's being genuine."
Naruto looked a bit confused. "Genuine about what Hinata-chan?"
"Did you read the letter her Father sent?" asked Hinata.
He nodded as he held the letter up. "You mean this one advising me to commit ritual suicide?"
"…."
"…."
"Let me see that letter!" Hinata said as she angrily snatched it away from Naruto. Reading Genra's words advising Naruto to kill himself she thought 'Men!' but covered her irritation with a smile even though her eyebrow was still twitching. "It says hear you have permission to court her. She's interested in being one of your wives."
Naruto's eyes bulged. "Then why the hell did she kick me in the nuts?!"
"I'm not going to answer that other than it seems when she's confused she reacts with violence much like Sakura did." Hinata explained. "I want you to sit down with her and discuss it Naruto-kun. She really did seem terribly upset and sorry for what she did but if she's going to be abusive I won't let her near you."
"She knows I have to marry Kasumi-sama doesn't she?" he asked.
"Ayane-san clammed up when I mentioned that but she is already aware. I didn't press the issue." answered Hinata.
"I hate to sound so calculating but what about the politics involved Hinata-chan?" Naruto queried. "She's from the Hajinmon sect and Kasumi-sama is from the Tenjin Mon sect of the Mugen Tenshin Clan. Is that going to cause issues politically?"
Hinata looked thoughtful. "I'm glad you're thinking about these things Naruto-kun even though it's sad it should even be a factor in a relationship." said Hinata approvingly. "Actually, given they are the heiresses of their respective sects it would be a huge benefit to us politically for you to be married to both Kasumi-sama and Ayane-san. If there was ever a division in the Mugen Tenshin Village we would always have the upper hand because both sides would be obliged to support us."
Naruto nodded. "What about the Hayabusa Village? I-"
"Momiji." answered Hinata.
"Momiji?" he asked.
"Yes." said Hinata. "There are only four girls close to our age that are in the village. Two of them are already involved in relationships. That leaves Momiji who has a lot going for her. She's a strong kunoichi and a Shrine Maiden which is a huge advantage. I was blind to it for some reason but she really likes you. The reason she never acted on those feelings is she knew you were with me but now that's no longer an issue."
"And the other?" motioned Naruto.
Hinata smiled to the point her eyes were closed. "The other girl available is Aiko-chan but she's a civilian and is *cough* big as an ox *cough* and doesn't have a very friendly disposition."
"You mean the pig farmer's daughter who's got squinty eyes and is mean as a snake?" asked Naruto in a cold sweat.
"That's the one Naruto-kun!" chirped Hinata happily.
"We'll definitely go with Momiji." he said with a shiver.
"I sooo glad we agree." she said. "Besides, Momiji is a beautiful girl. Actually, Ayane-san is too if you overlook the kicking."
"You're beautiful too Hinata-chan. Never forget that." Naruto said smiling.
Hinata kissed his nose. "Why don't we get cleaned up and get our gear on? We'll have breakfast and then you can sit down with them one at a time and talk."
"It will need to be someplace private, especially for Ayane." said Naruto seriously.
Hinata raised an eyebrow but said nothing. There was obviously more going on with Ayane than she realized. "I spoke to Genjiro yesterday and he said the back office of the dojo was available for you to use."
"Thank you Hinata-chan. You take such good care of me." he said appreciatively.
She sighed and smiled. "I want what's best for us Naruto-kun. I'm not happy about this harem thing and I know you aren't either. But if we have to do this then I want us all to get along with each other. It's nice that Momiji is already our friend."
The young couple was soon getting dressed and preparing for what was going to hopefully be a day of laying down new foundations.
The Mugen Tenshin Village
Hayate was talking with his little sister Kasumi. "Are you sure you want to do this Kasumi? It's not like you have to get married tomorrow or something."
"I'm sure Hayate." replied Kasumi. "I need to go and see my future husband in the Hayabusa Village. I don't know how long I'll be there but I have to get away from Shiden-sama. I hate to even live under the same roof with him."
"I'm sorry Kasumi-chan. I should have intervened as clan head or something." Hayate said sadly. "You know Mother doesn't want you to leave so soon."
Kasumi shook her head. "I know; I've talked to Mom and she's upset but we will lose face politically if I back out of this."
"Well, if your mind is set Kasumi, I'll let you go." said the young clan head. "I'm sending Rokuro and Shiro with you for protection and to haul some of your stuff. That is not negotiable Kasumi."
"I really don't need an escort." she groaned.
"You will have one though. I will not have you in danger." Hayate said commandingly. "Besides, Shiro is carrying Ayane's stuff that Genra packed."
"Alright." she relented. How about the three of us go in two hours?"
"I'll see you off then." he agreed.
The Hayabusa Village
Momiji saw Naruto and Hinata eating breakfast with several other villagers and flagged down her friends. "Naruto-kun; Hinata! I'm glad to see you. I'm sorry to interrupt your breakfast but Kureha needs you at the shrine when you're done." Naruto looked up at Momiji and saw deep concern in her eyes. "How are you feeling Naruto-kun? I'm really sorry about yesterday…."
"I'm okay. We'll sit down together and talk later today Momiji. Has Kureha figured out those scrolls Genjiro gave her?" asked Naruto.
Momiji nodded. "Yes she did; and I'm glad you are alright. I have to get going to tell Genjiro to meet us all at the shrine."
Hinata answered, "We'll be there Momiji. It will only take us a few more minutes to finish up here."
Within a half hour, Genjiro and the others were gathered at the shrine. Kureha asked Momiji to stay as well. "….Anyway, I wish Ryu or Jô-sama were here but whatever Obaba wants with this statue can't be good." said Kureha in a worried tone.
"What exactly do the scrolls say?" asked Genjiro.
"The scrolls must have been written by some kind of mystic because half of the writings seem like babbling." explained Kureha. "In a nutshell, if one follows the rituals written in here that represent the Chinese Zodiac combined with a human sacrifice of blood and power 'like that contained in the Grass Cutter Sword' then it allows one to call beings of great power from another place to aid you in battle. In the hands of Obaba this could be very dangerous."
Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment. "Kureha, are the signs in the Zodiac Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey and finally Ram by any chance?"
Kureha looked totally shocked. "H-How did you know?"
"Those are the hand signs for a standard summoning." said Naruto.
Hinata nodded. "That makes sense. I didn't know the hand signs involved but I knew it took a couple of drops of blood and lots of chakra. I guess the idea was to use the chakra in the Kusanagi to power the summoning."
"The statue must somehow be linked to a summoning contract. Let's get it out and examine it." Naruto said as he grabbed the scroll the Kusangi and the statue were sealed into. After he unsealed the statue he examined it carefully. Finding nothing out of the ordinary he handed it to Hinata to look over with her byakugan.
After a few moments Hinata said. "The statue's head comes off and on the inside is a seal of some sort." She gently twisted the head and after carefully working it loose she pulled the head off and showed the seal to Naruto.
Genjiro and the two shrine maidens watched as Naruto carefully examined a small but intricate seal. "It's a single use summoning seal for someone without a contract. It needs to be smeared with a little blood and the hand signs done. That should summon whatever animal or creature that holds the actual contract provided they still exist."
"So what about doing a human sacrifice and using the Kusanagi's power?" asked Kureha.
Naruto shook his head. "Whoever wrote those scrolls didn't have it right. All it takes is a few drops of the summoner's blood and some chakra. Since Hinata-chan and I both have chakra there's no need to use the Kusanagi. To be honest I don't believe the Kusanagi itself could be used that way. Only someone that already has chakra could tap into the Kusanagi's stores of chakra. Even if Obaba followed those instructions to the letter it wouldn't work."
"So you or Hinata could use it Naruto-kun?" asked Momiji.
"Well yes but the problem is we have no idea what we would be summoning provided the summons still have a contract connected to this seal." explained Naruto.
Genjiro asked, "Do you want to try it out Naruto?"
"Not in the village." Naruto answered quickly. "We could summon something small and harmless or likewise summon something hostile that is several stories tall. I'm not willing to take that risk with people around."
"We should probably wait until Ryu or Jô-sama returns before we do anything." said Kureha. "If you were to summon something inherently evil then it would be best to have one or both of them on hand."
"Well, there's no reason to hurry. It's not like these items are going anywhere." stated Genjiro. "Go ahead and seal it all back up Naruto, including the scrolls unless Kureha needs them for further study."
"I'm done with them." said Kureha as she handed them over to Naruto. "It can wait until Ryu gets back."
"That's fine by me." said Naruto as he sealed the items. "On the positive side I don't think Obaba would be able to use these anyway so even if she somehow got her hands on the items it wouldn't do her any good."
"Any clues or ideas what creature it was meant to summon Naruto?" asked Genjiro.
"Your guess is as good as mine." answered the toad sage as he handed the scroll with the items sealed in it to Kureha. "To be honest I wouldn't be surprised if it didn't work at all. Put that scroll someplace safe and we'll sort it out later."
"Right." said Kureha. "I know just the place. I don't need to tell you all this but the discussion we had never leaves this room."
Everyone nodded in agreement. Their business done at the shrine, everyone went back to their normal duties.
The Mugen Tenshin Village
Hayate and Ayame saw Kasumi off and Kasumi hugged each of them and told them goodbye. Shiden attempted to talk to her but Kasumi ignored his presence. This normally would have incensed him greatly but he felt awful about this situation so he simply watched his beloved daughter leave in silence. He hoped someday he could heal the rift between them but right now wasn't the time. Ayame and Genra each sent a letter with Shiro for Ayane along with some of her belongings. Ayame prayed that somehow her two daughters would get along like they once did. She was afraid they'd get in a fight and compete with each other for Naruto which would lead to the whole situation imploding or worse.
Soon Kasumi's group crossed the bridge leaving the village and Kasumi didn't look back. She had to look forward and hoped things would work out for the best….
The Black Spider Clan Enclave
Obaba's contacts confirmed it. The Holy Vigoor Empire self destructed upon the death of their Emperor. Her agent Gamov was dead, apparently murdered by their supposed ally the Dark Disciple. Genshin was aching for revenge over his younger brother but Obaba wasn't about to let him go on the warpath. Furthermore, the Dark Disciple was destroyed by the damned Dragon Ninja as well!
She growled angrily at the situation. Years of carefully constructed plans were completely ruined by the Hayabusa ninja….again! On the positive side though, her spy inside the Mugen Tenshin Village had information of great value. Yomiko had slowly advanced through the ranks and was the young clan head Hayate's kunoichi secretary. She was a master seductress and always managed to get what she wanted (usually a man). Unfortunately Hayate was immune to her charms for some reason. According to Yomiko, Hayate was simply that strong willed. He considered her sexual advances to simply be annoying like a fly buzzing around.
Yomiko revealed that the young blonde ninja that defeated the Tengu Brothers was named Uzumaki Naruto and that he had powers that were rumored to be like those of the old masters of legend. She said he used an unknown power called chakra instead of ki. Actually the old clan head Shiden was so impressed that he offered his prized daughter to the (apparently) teen aged ninja and instated old clan laws to give the boy a harem of all things. While it wasn't unheard of it was highly unusual. Yomiko's vivid description of the boy's strange fighting abilities when he sparred with Hayate intrigued Obaba so she decided to go through the ancient texts.
The old sorceress soon found what she was looking for: chakra. She remembered it being mentioned vaguely when she was a child. It was a power that long ago manifested and was made extinct in humans by some calamity before the ancient deities and fiends even existed! The only things that still had chakra today were some of the mononoke and it was rare even among them. Obaba soon concluded that if this boy(?) joined the Black Spider Clan they could finally eclipse the Hayabusa Clan that had foiled them for so long. The question was how….Yomiko had the obvious answer: seduction. But that would mean Yomiko would have to leave her post and live as Uzumaki's wife in the Hayabusa Village. That would never do. It had taken years to get Yomiko into the position she was in and throwing that away would be a mistake.
Obaba thought of another option; her own auburn-haired great-great granddaughter Aoi-chan. The girl was absolutely beautiful and like Yomiko was quite capable with her feminine charms. Even if Aoi had to live with Naruto a few years just to bear some of his children it would give Obaba what she wanted. Aoi was also quite skilled in disinformation. Perhaps she could woo Uzumaki into joining the Black Spider Clan willingly. That would be delicious! But Obaba knew she was getting ahead of herself. How on earth could a Black Spider Ninja even get into the Hayabusa Village without being killed on sight…?
The Hayabusa Village
That afternoon, Ayane was invited to the back office of the old dojo by Hinata so she could sit down and discuss things with Naruto, alone. She was very nervous and self-conscious about the situation because she felt that she had already ruined everything because of losing her temper and kicking Naruto without reason. In spite of the fact she was a confident kunoichi when it came to fighting the new emotions she was dealing with frightened her a bit. Ayane had never felt this way about anyone before and the thought of Naruto refusing her made her want to cry. Still, she had to admit to herself that if he did refuse her she would not have the right to hold it against him. After all, Ayane only had herself to blame for this one.
On the other hand, what the hell was with her bad luck? The first genuinely nice guy that treats her well and she really likes has to take harem? 'God must hate me or something….' thought Ayane to herself.
"….Ayane?" asked Naruto.
Ayane almost flew through the roof when she heard his voice. She looked up at him from her sitting position and blushed. "Ummm….have you been here long?" she asked embarrassed.
Naruto answered, "I've been here for a few minutes and you were all spaced out muttering about something. Are you okay?"
"Y-Yes! Yes I'm fine!" Ayane stammered out. She noticed him putting tags on the walls. "What are you doing?"
"These are silencing seals so our conversation will be kept private." he said as he placed the last tag. Ayane watched as Naruto channeled chakra through the tag and seal patterns travelled around the room to the other tags. Once the glowing stopped he said, "There; now the room is soundproofed and we can visit."
Ayane and Naruto were sitting across the table looking at each other trying to figure out what to say. 'How do I say it? Gee, sorry I nearly turned you into a woman! But don't sweat it; I really like you and want to be your wife! Gods! What am I supposed to say?!' she mentally screamed to herself.
"Ayane?"
"Yes?"
"Why did you nearly castrate me yesterday? Did I do something to make you angry at me?" asked Naruto.
Ayane gasped. She wasn't angry at him! "No, of course not! You didn't do anything wrong; I was just really confused and upset….I-I'm so sorry Naruto-kun! I didn't mean it. I really like you! Please forgive me!" she said as tears started rolling down her cheeks.
Naruto sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I'll forgive you on three conditions."
"NAME THEM!" she exclaimed.
"First you must promise to never, never do that to me again. It really hurt me Ayane! If I didn't heal fast and all I'd probably be bed ridden." said Naruto.
She nodded rapidly and said "I promise! I'm so sorry I hurt you….I give you my word as a Mugen Tenshin kunoichi that I'll never hurt you again."
Naruto nodded. "The second thing I want you to do is listen to my story and swear to never repeat it."
"I swear whatever you tell me will not leave this room." Ayane said with conviction.
"The third thing is this: After I finish telling you my story I want you to tell me your story and leave nothing out. Can you do that for me?" he asked. The color drained from her face. "I know about that bastard Raidou and I will never hate you for something like that. But, I need to hear you explain what you went through so we can understand each other. I swear I won't tell a soul."
Ayane looked reluctant but finally said, "Alright, I'll tell you everything….Where should I start?"
"I'll go first Ayane." said Naruto. "That way you'll feel more comfortable. Okay?" She nodded in agreement. Naruto exhaled loudly. "Well, for starters I'm sort of a time-traveler from I can tell."
Ayane blinked; blinked again and blinked again before she exploded into tears, lunging over the table and hugging Narutos head against her developing assets. "Oh, god! I kicked him in the balls so hard I have damaged his mind!" she wailed. "What am I going to do?! How can I fix his brain and his nuts?! Forgive me Naruto-kun!"
She heard Naruto's muffled voice from her bosom, "Ayane, I'm not brain damaged!" Pulling his head out of her iron grip he said in a completely serious tone, "Hinata-chan and I come from the time of the old masters. That's why our powers and abilities are so different." He gently pried her off of him so the two were sitting face to face and he wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs. "Don't cry Ayane-chan. I'm going to tell you the story of my childhood in the village of Konoha and how I ended up here…."
Ayane listened to Naruto's story over the next two hours and asked many questions. She was both disgusted with the way Naruto had to grow up and amazed that he turned out to be such a nice person that never gave in to despair and hatred. Naruto explained how he and Hinata arrived together in the sacred wilderness and how he and Kurama were friends now. He also explained they didn't truly know the full answer as to why the Elemental Nations were destroyed and how they were trying to unravel that mystery….in the end, Ayane was completely floored.
"….And that's pretty much the short version of my life." finished Naruto as he looked into her mesmerized red eyes.
"You are and amazing person Naruto-kun." Ayane said with genuine admiration in her voice. "I seems like what I've been through is nothing compared to all that."
Naruto shook his head. "The world was a different place then Ayane. I've told you my story. Will you tell me yours?"
"Yes." Ayane started reluctantly. "I was born to Lady Ayame after that monster Raidou forced himself upon her…." They talked about Ayane being an outcast and actually being best friends with Kasumi before she found out they were related. Ayane explained how jealous she was of Kasumi and how much anger she had. She explained that she thought Naruto was taking advantage of her and was going to be with Kasumi instead. The thought had burned in her mind and led to the….incident of him being injured by her. Ayane completely broke down in tears explaining how unhappy she'd been.
The truth was Ayane didn't know why she was pouring her heart out to Naruto. Somehow she felt safe and knew he wouldn't judge her for shedding tears in front of him despite the fact she was a strong kunoichi. After a while she'd finally exhausted herself letting all the pain out and was sitting beside Naruto with her arms around him snuggled into his side. She was tired but had a strange sense of peace sitting this close with Naruto.
"Ayane-chan, do you feel a little better now?" Naruto asked.
"I'm really tired Naruto-kun. After hearing all that; would you still be interested in me –as a wife?" she asked with a quiet desperation in her voice.
Naruto was tired himself. It had been gut-wrenching trying to assure Ayane that he would never judge her because of her past. He'd shed tears himself seeing her so sad. "Ayane-chan, in the next few days I want you to talk to Hinata-chan, Momiji and remember that Kasumi will be involved too. We will all have to live under one roof as a family and share our lives together. It won't be easy so think hard before you decide. If you truly want to be with me after you talk to the others then come give me your decision. Remember I can't play mediator between you and Kasumi. If you truly hate her and can't accept her then be honest with yourself about it. I won't hold it against you. You might even talk to Ayame-sama about it if you would feel comfortable. I think we should call it a day. We're both tired and have been talking for hours."
"But what do you want Naruto?" she asked.
He smiled softly. "I want you to be happy. If being with me would do that then I'll gladly accept you as my wife."
She looked into his azure eyes and gently brought her lips to his in a chaste but meaningful kiss. She'd never been kissed before but she wanted to share this with him….and much, much more….
Meanwhile….
Momiji and Hinata were having an early dinner together quietly talking about things. For the most part Momiji felt reassured that Hinata accepted her and felt that Naruto would too. That brought them to the current question. "Where are Naruto-kun and his family going to live?" asked Momiji. "Right now you and Naruto-kun are stuck in a tent of all things."
"We really haven't had time to consider it." answered Hinata truthfully. "According to the laws, Shiden-sama and the Hayabusa Village or at least the clan head are supposed to provide a large home suitable for a new clan. Things are such a mess right now that I can't see that being possible until the village is repaired. It wouldn't be right to be building us a mansion when so many people still don't have homes. Right now the main concern is who Naruto-kun's wives are going to be."
"How many wives is Naruto-kun planning to take?" Momiji inquired. "Kureha acted like he could take a lot."
Hinata sighed. She really hated the idea of sharing Naruto. "Well, he's marrying me first and one girl from each village which presumably would be you and Kasumi. There's also the question of Ayane….They've been talking for hours…." Hinata wanted to activate her byakugan and see what was taking so long but she didn't want to invade their privacy. Naruto told her that Ayane had some real issues that would need to be worked out and that was probably what was taking so much time.
She soon saw Naruto exit the old dojo alone and wondered how things went. Hinata went over to see him and hugged him. "How did it go Naruto-kun?"
"It was difficult Hinata-chan. We'll discuss it in private later. Right now I'm starving and need food." Naruto said tiredly.
Naruto saw Momiji come over. "Naruto-kun, is everything all right? You were in there for hours."
Naruto nodded. "Everything is okay. We had a lot of topics to discuss. I meant to sit down with you today as well Momiji. I'm sorry things ended up taking so long. Would it be alright if we sit down together tomorrow? I'm tired and famished."
"It's okay Naruto-kun." Momiji said with a smile. "Come on; let's get some food in you and we'll visit tomorrow in the morning."
"Thank you Momiji." Naruto said with relief in his tone. The last thing he wanted was another female to lose her temper on him….
Later….
Hayabusa Ryu arrived back at the village late in the evening and frankly he was exhausted. The dealings with Murai, A.K.A. the Dark Disciple, various fiends, the Black Spider Clan and such had worn him out. He was thankful to see his beloved village again and was welcomed home at the gates by the guards. News travelled fast that Ryu-sama had returned victorious over the Vigoorian Empire and had avenged their kin. Naruto and Hinata were about to settle in for the night when they were roused by the villagers and went out to greet Ryu at the Dragon Shrine.
"I see you made it back alive. I'm glad to see you returned to us safe and sound." said Naruto congratulating his friend.
Ryu was as serious as ever and said. "The villagers we lost have been avenged and the Holy Vigoor Empire is destroyed. It was a very difficult path and I'm glad to be home. I see you and Genjiro have been busy protecting the village. You have my deepest thanks."
"It's all right Ryu. Helping out in the village was the least Hinata-chan and I could do." Naruto replied. "More and more people have returned and the village is slowly coming back to life."
Naruto suddenly twitched and Momiji came over. "Is something wrong Naruto-kun?"
Naruto nodded. "Get Hinata-chan and meet me at the village gates. I sense something. Ryu, did something follow you home? It feels like a fiend but I can't tell for sure."
"Anything's possible Naruto." said Ryu gravely. "Use that sage mode you showed me and see if you can pinpoint it."
The both looked over at Hinata and Momiji which arrived with Ayane and Kureha in tow. "I sense something evil Hinata-chan. Will you help me find it? It's a fair distance from the village but I'd rather go out and destroy it than let it get close."
"Of course I'll help Naruto-kun. I am a scout after all." answered Hinata.
"Let me help." said Ayane. "I owe you one and I know some powerful ninpo."
"I'll leave it to Ryu to decide who is in the party. I have to enter sage mode and reach out with my senses." Naruto immediately sat down when they reached the village gates and sat in a meditative position. After a minute or so he opened his toad like eyes and focused in one direction. "That way Hinata-chan" he said pointing into the sea of trees.
Hinata focused with her byakugan and quickly said. "They are out of my range. Take point and I'll follow until I spot them."
The two Konoha ninja looked ready to depart when Genjiro said; "Wait a minute; you can't go alone!"
"What do you suggest?" asked Naruto. "We're taking to the trees and we can move faster than normal ninja you know. Time is of the essence Genjiro."
"Hinata can carry Ayane and Naruto will carry Ryu-sama." stated Genjiro. "You can engage them outside the Sea of Trees and eliminate them between the four of you. Momiji, Kureha and I will defend the village in case something sneaks by."
"It's as good a plan as any." said Ryu. "Can you two handle passengers?" he asked.
Hinata nodded. "Get on my back Ayane-san. We'll be traveling through the treetops at rapid speed so I'll need you to hold on tight."
While the two girls arranged themselves Ryu and Naruto were having a bit more trouble. "This is a bit embarrassing having to be carried." said Ryu.
"At least you don't have to do the carrying." grumped Naruto. "With all your combat gear your ass is heavy Ryu."
Ryu chuckled. "Onward my loyal steed." Naruto made a growling sound and launched himself into the trees with Hinata close behind carrying Ayane.
Ayane hadn't ever seen Naruto or Hinata travel this way but after she got over her initial shock she found traveling through the treetops at incredible speed exhilarating. Hinata asked, "Are you okay Ayane-san? Once we find the target we'll really have to pour on the speed and may run directly into combat."
Ayane smiled savagely (unknown to her Hinata could see this due to her byakugan). Don't worry about me Hinata-san; this is awesome! Please just call me Ayane, I want us to get along."
"Alright Ayane, just call me Hinata. Know that I have your back in this battle."
Up ahead Naruto was talking with Ryu. "The closer we get the more it feels like that fiend I fought Ryu. I sense other signatures too. This could really turn into a bloodbath."
Hinata called out, "I see them!" and they stopped a few branches apart.
"How many Hinata-chan?" asked Naruto.
"There are three ninjas running ahead of some armored fiend. It's huge!" said Hinata. "There are four other lesser fiends but taking them shouldn't be a huge issue. They seem to be keeping the ninjas from splitting up. I don't know what to think of the armored one though."
"Leave that to me." said Naruto as he motioned Hinata to take point.
Hinata shot ahead with Ayane holding on tight. Naruto and Ryu fell into formation behind them. "They should come into normal visual range soon. Two of the ninjas are lagging behind I don't think we'll reach there in time to save them."
Suddenly they saw a pinkish aura and a massive bolt of energy unleashed just as they came into visual range. "Torn Sky Blast!" said Ayane in amazement. "It must be Hayate-sama."
They saw the armored fiend stagger and shake its head. The armadillo-like creature obviously was stunned but was very much alive.
Ayane felt a twinge of fear but swallowed it. "We have to help Hayate-sama!"
"It's Kasumi-sama!" exclaimed Hinata. "She's helping the two others up and they are running again but it's going to be close."
Ayane wanted to scowl but she knew it was her duty to help. "I know some serious ninpo but if Torn Sky Blast won't stop it I don't know what will…."
Naruto said. "My rasenshuriken will take it out."
Hinata agreed silently. Ayane wondered what 'rasenshuriken' was and Ryu asked, "Are you sure Naruto?"
Naruto nodded grimly. "Rescue those three and get them the hell away from there. Deal with the lesser fiends at long range. When I unleash the rasenshuriken anything near that twenty foot armored fiend will be totally annihilated."
They landed just outside the Sea of trees on the ground. Naruto made two clones and started gathering a mass of energy. The other three launched in to rescue their allies. One of the lesser fiends went to intercept but was cut down ruthlessly courtesy of Ryu and his Dragon sword.
Hinata body-flickered over to the closest ninja that just collapsed due to exhaustion. He looked up and saw a white-eyed kunoichi and said "Save Kasumi-sama." before she grabbed hold of him and body flickered away out of range.
Kasumi was still standing over her comrade Rokuro as he was pleading with her to run. She was worn out from the Torn Sky Blast but promised herself she would protect her comrades. She saw Hayate and Ayane land near her but her momentary distraction cost her as one of the lesser fiends struck her and sent her flying. Hayate motioned for Ayane to attack as he picked up the injured Rokuro. Rokuro was in too much pain to argue as Ryu gathered him up and teleported clear before running out of Naruto's line of fire. Ryu could feel the mass of energy swirling above Naruto's head as his clones added more power to the swirling maelstrom known as rasenshuriken.
Ayane cut down the fiend that attacked Kasumi with her twin kodachis. Normally she would have said something cynical or haughty about having to 'save the princess' but she saw Kasumi getting back up unsteadily and realized Kasumi had truly given her all to protect their clan mates. Ayane grabbed her injured sister and teleported clear stopping only when Kasumi said, "Thank you Ayane; I owe you my life."
As Ayane looked at Kasumi and saw her older sister really meant it. She gruffly said, "You would have done the same for me." suddenly they both noticed the screeching noise the rasenshuriken was giving off and looked at Naruto who had just dispelled his clones. He was glowing with power and both Kasumi and Ayane stared wide eyed as he elevated the jutsu higher above him.
"Is that…?" asked Kasumi.
"It's Naruto-kun" answered Ayane.
The armadillo-like fiend and the two lesser fiends seemed frozen in place as they stared at Naruto who yelled "Rasenshuriken!" as he threw it at them.
Ayane and Kasumi felt the vacuum of wind and the sheer force of the rasenshuriken as they were the closest. They both tried to say something as the wind buffeted around them but the screeching noise drowned out anything they tried to say. All the ninjas watched in morbid fascination as the disc of death collided with the armored fiend and slowed down for a split second as it ground through the thick armor of the beast's hide. The creature let out a scream of the damned as its armored skin was pierced that echoed for miles. Thousands of microscopic wind blades cut through the monster removing the fiend from existence.
The two lesser fiends seemed to cry out as they too were obliterated but the sound of the greater fiend's dying scream and the noise of the rasenshuriken itself prevented them from being heard. The giant wind shuriken plowed a little into the ground leaving a crater before it ceased to exist and a clap of thunder sounded as the split air where it had been slammed back together. Then there was silence,,,,
Everyone looked at the darkness where Naruto was standing and saw his toad like eyes glowing. His voice echoed through the silence pervading the area. "Hinata-chan…?"
Hinata's byakugan eyes were already scanning the area like a hawk. "All of us are safe and there's nothing left of the fiends. I think it's safe to say the battle is over."
Naruto turned to Ryu. "What are your orders Ryu-sama?"
Ryu was gaping at the crater left behind but quickly composed himself. "Bring the injured over to Hinata so we can examine them and treat them."
The group of seven ninjas gathered quickly where Hinata could give them a thorough check up before the returned to the Hayabusa Village.
Back at the village….
Everyone heard a distant screeching noise before the heard an animalistic dying scream that would give many of them nightmares for weeks to come. It was followed by a thunderclap and an eerie silence from the far side of the Sea of trees. Both Kureha and Momiji sensed it. The fiend was dead as if it had been erased from existence in a second. "Good god…." muttered Momiji.
"What is it?" asked Genjiro. "Do you girls sense something?"
Kureha was still a bit dazzled. The death cry, the thunder and then nothing! She turned to the villagers and spoke in an authoritative voice. "I sense the fiend or whatever it was is well and truly dead. Let us relax and wait for Ryu-sama's return. There may be injured so prepare some beds."
The atmosphere of tenseness lessened a bit and the healers went to do as Kureha asked. Naruto appeared before them in a body-flicker minutes later. "We have three injured from the Mugen Tenshin Village. Hinata-chan is checking them over and the fiends are dead. Once they're ready to move another clone will come."
"You're a clone I take it?" asked Genjiro. The clone nodded. "Do you need help with the injured?"
"Not as far as I can tell." answered the clone.
"We're already preparing beds at the Dojo." said Kureha. "Was anyone else hurt?"
"Nope. I'll inform the boss. Later!" with that the clone dispelled.
With Naruto and the others….
Several Naruto clones were standing by guarding the party while Hinata was administering some first aid. She turned to Kasumi. "Kasumi-sama, all three of you are suffering from exhaustion and are bruised up but Shiro is the only one who is injured enough that a good bed rest won't fix him up. His ankle is badly sprained. Rokuru has a head injury but it's not serious although I'm sure it hurts. All three of you have some cuts and nasty bruises though. It would be best if we carried you back to the village and got you all cleaned up and disinfected. Is that all right?"
Kasumi nodded. "Thank you for all your help Hinata-san. All four of you saved us from certain death and I will always be grateful especially to you Ayane." She turned to Ryu. "Ryu-sama, we are in your care."
"Let's head back to the village then." said Ryu with relief in his voice.
Naruto's clones started gently picking everyone up to carry them quickly over the Sea of Trees and back to the Hayabusa Village. Soon, the only sign there had even been a battle was the crater that cut into the very rock on the ground by the rasenshuriken.
Out of the trees a ninja descended down and examined the crater up close. Her auburn hair shined slightly in the moonlight as she ran her hand over the polished smooth surface of the crater. What she witnessed left her in awe of the mysterious blonde ninja called Uzumaki Naruto. 'It's a good thing that old hag Obaba said those fiends were completely expendable. He took that huge one out in one shot. I wonder if he likes redheads.' With that she vanished in a teleport to report back to her grandmother Obaba. If this didn't impress the old hag nothing would!
POSTSCRIPT:
And done. The first Ninja Gaiden on Xbox is complete and Obaba seems to have taken an unhealthy (at least for our heroes) interest in Naruto's abilities. The question is; what is she going to do about it? Blue out. 9/23/14