Chapter 43

Blanket disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Ninja Gaiden or DOA

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

I'm throttling back a little on my update speed. I've been getting rushed in my story writing and I feel the quality is suffering a bit. So in an effort to improve my work chapters will be coming out a bit slower but (hopefully) will be improved a bit. That being said, we are shifting more towards the DOA1 arc this chapter. There is still a bit to wrap up with the School Daze arc but I figure it will be closed by the end of next chapter. Here is chapter 43. Enjoy!

[ ] Signifies hand signs

Last time:

"You may kiss me if you wish." said the British girl. "I wouldn't mind Uz -Naruto-kun."

Naruto scratched his neck and said. "I really can't do that Graves-san; I doubt my girlfriend would like that."

Alyssa's eyes bulged and she asked in a shocked tone, "Y-you have a girlfriend? W-who is she?"

Naruto smiled and said, "You know her. It's Hyūga Hinata-chan. We've known each other forever." Before Alyssa could say anything else Naruto said, "Anyway, there's no worries. Like I said, I would have helped anyone in your position. Gotta get dressed now!" He quickly closed the door and exhaled in relief. Naruto turned around to Hinata who was covering her giggles and still wearing just her towel.

Hinata smiled and said in a sultry tone, "You can kiss me Naruto-kun…." Then she dropped her towel….

When they left their room an hour later they were both wearing very satisfied smiles….

….

Kyoto Public Security Intelligence Agency, Kyoto, Japan

Alyssa Graves was in her room and was talking with her friend Kokoro. It had been an hour since Naruto shocked the daylights out of Alyssa by claiming Hinata was his girlfriend. The sandy blonde British girl was trying to figure out what to do….

"Kokoro, did you have any idea Naruto-kun and Hinata-chan are involved with each other?" asked Alyssa.

"No, but it doesn't really surprise me." replied Kokoro. "They seem to have an easy familiarity about them and are totally comfortable with each other from what I can tell. Why do you ask?"

"I wanted Naruto-kun to kiss me as a reward to him for saving me and he refused." said Alyssa with a huff. "He said Hinata-chan is his girlfriend."

Kokoro blanched. She knew Hinata could fight and the girl's killing intent was ferocious. When Hinata pulled Kokoro out of the line of fire at the shopping arcade; the Ba Ji Quan dancer could tell Hinata and Naruto were both experienced combatants. They didn't even flinch under fire. "Alyssa-chan, I-"

Alyssa's brown eyes were set in stone. "I want Naruto-kun to myself." she stated. "I think he's actually worthy of my attention Kokoro."

The dark haired girl stared at her friend incredulously before she said, "Alyssa, on a personal level I think it's wrong to try to steal a friend's boyfriend. Furthermore; I know for a fact that Hinata-chan would rip you to shreds with ease."

"What are you talking about?" asked Alyssa in disbelief. "Hinata-chan is harmless."

Kokoro sighed. "Alyssa-chan, you know I'm good at the martial arts right?"

The sandy blonde haired girl smiled. "Of course I do Kokoro-chan. You are amazing. What does that have to do with anything?"

"Hinata-chan is much stronger than me. So is Naruto." said Kokoro seriously.

Alyssa wanted to laugh but the deadly serious look in Kokoro's eyes frightened her. "Are….are you serious?"

Kokoro nodded in silence and then she said, "Hinata-chan didn't flinch or lose her cool one bit when we were being shot at. I was frightened terribly but I could tell that she was perfectly calm. Believe me Alyssa-chan; Hinata-chan is strong; really strong."

"What about Naruto-kun?" asked Alyssa.

"He is strong also." answered Kokoro.

Alyssa Graves was at a loss….

….

Mugen Tenshin Village

Ayane and Kasumi were up early in the morning sparring with each other. They'd generally done their best to spar in private but this morning they got caught by Shiden and he asked to observe. Neither Ayane nor Kasumi would have minded all that much but a large crowd soon gathered as the two beautiful young kunoichis went at it. Even Genra was there for the Hajin Mon. Seeing the two girls battle it out right side up and upside down on the ground and in the trees had the crowd dazzled but when they started sparring on top of the water it was a real spectacle. The two sisters finally called it a draw and walked back over onto the land where a large crowd was staring wide eyed and cheering.

Ayane said under her breath, "I think sparring in front of everybody was a mistake Kasumi-chan…."

Kasumi nodded. "We did get a bit carried away on the water. At least we weren't using any jutsus."

Shiden came out and met them at the edge of the small lake they'd been sparring on. "Kasumi-chan, Ayane; that was a brilliant display! Many of our higher ranking ninjas couldn't even keep up with your speed. You are both nearing Master Level. I knew you both had grown but this is truly astounding!"

Everyone was heaping praises on both Uzumaki kunoichis. Kasumi smiled and thanked everyone but Ayane felt very uncomfortable being at the center of attention in her home village. It just seemed unnatural to her.

Genra came up to his daughter and said, "You both must have gone through some brutal training to have become so powerful."

Ayane bowed. "Thank you Father." 'Wrestling with things like high level fiends and dinosaurs with Naruto-kun tends to toughen you up….not to mention Orochimaru-sensei is a slave driver….' "Our training is hard but it still continues."

'There is no doubt in my mind that Ayane-chan has surpassed me in the shinobi arts. I need to learn chakra techniques.' thought Genra. "I am proud of your achievements as a kunoichi Ayane-chan."

Ayane smiled softly but her attention was drawn away by someone else striding up. Her favorite blonde ninja was there. "Showing off my himes?" asked Naruto playfully.

"Naruto-kun!" said Ayane as she body flickered over to her husband. Kasumi was there a split second later. They each shared a passionate kiss with Naruto before he said, "Easy girls, I'm a shadow clone. Boss sent me out to see you and make sure you are both okay." He created another shadow clone and both kunoichis got a warm hug and another kiss. "We've got plenty of chakra for a few days though."

Seeing the crowd coming over the clone hugging Kasumi said, "There is much for us to discuss in private later."

Both kunoichis nodded as they turned to face the crowd each holding hands with 'their' Naruto….

….

Firits House, Uji-City, Momiji and Aoi's room

Aoi was lying on her stomach in bed with Naruto's shadow clone he'd left to keep her company (Momiji and Maya had clones too). The redhead was lazily drawing circles on her husband's chest with her index finger. "Mmmm….Naruto-kun. It's fun playing as high school students so we can sneak around and have sex at various places on campus but I miss our home and more importantly our bed. I really hope this attempt on that witch Alyssa's life will be the end of this mission. Momiji-chan and I haven't picked up any leads since that first night with those perverts. Of course, camping out in bed with you isn't all bad…." she mused.

Naruto gently ran his hand through her soft hair. "It all kind of depends on old man Ishigami in Tokyo. If he was smart he'd pull these girls out of the line of fire instead of having us wait on the defensive."

"Shame those two assassins escaped." said Aoi. "You and Hinata-chan should have killed them."

Naruto kissed Aoi's forehead. "You know we got other information because we didn't kill them Aoi-chan. Besides, Hinata-chan said the big guy she fought was aiming at Kokoro, not Alyssa. Something doesn't add up."

"I'm worried about Kasumi-chan and Ayane-chan." said Aoi. "What if they go after Raidou alone? According to Yomiko the two of them are practically screaming for vengeance."

"That's why boss sent a clone up to help them out." said the blonde. "Hayate's in bad shape and they both need support until we all get there. Don't worry. Ayane-chan and Kasumi-chan will wait for us."

….

Kasumi and Hinata's room

Momiji woke her clone with a kiss and sat up giving him a beautiful view of her amazing body. Seeing his glaze eyed look of lust she smiled and purred, "Good morning Naruto-kun."

Naruto sat up and gave his wife a very impassioned kiss. "Good morning to you Momiji-chan. How is my Dragon Priestess today?"

She smiled eagerly at him and then said, "Actually, I feel kind of guilty using this room since Hinata-chan and Kasumi-chan are both out."

The blonde chuckled."It isn't like we're having a tryst behind their backs Momiji-chan."

Momiji pressed Naruto back down and giggled as she more or less pounced upon him. "I guess it isn't really a scandalous love affair since you put it that way. Still, I miss our bed at home. This room doesn't smell like you and me."

Naruto ran his hands over her breasts and down her sides as he marveled at how smooth and silky her skin was. "Momiji-chan, I want you…." he purred lustfully.

The Dragon Priestess lowered herself and kissed husband hungrily. "I guess we'll be late for breakfast." she said in a sultry tone.

They didn't get out of bed until hours later….

….

Maya and Ayane's room

Maya was lying in bed on her side with Naruto's arms wrapped around her from behind. She was fiddling with her laptop looking up the reports on the assassins that Naruto and Hinata had fought. Ordinarily she would have been hard at work at her desk but she was just too comfortable in her husband's arms to get out of bed. Her eyes lazily drifted over the data they had on the Dead or Alive Combat Tournament. "Fame Douglas…." she said aloud.

Naruto propped his head up to peer over Maya's shoulder. "What about fame, Maya-chan?"

"The head of the Dead or Alive Tournament Committee is named Fame Douglas." said Maya. "Kokoro was being targeted and her last name is Douglas as well. Do you think there's a connection?"

The blonde kissed his lavender eyed wife's shoulder and said, "What do your instincts tell you?"

"My gut tells me there is a link." said Maya.

Naruto nodded. "Let's get on the phone with my original and see what the PSIA has to say about it. It would be quite a coincidence if the Dead or Alive Tournament is a deciding factor."

Maya nodded. "I kind of hate to get dressed. I'm soooo comfortable."

"Well, you could always call naked." Naruto said helpfully.

Maya smiled and kissed Naruto over her shoulder. "Let's get up Naruto-kun."

….

Kansai International Airport

The very battered Bayman boarded his flight out of Japan. He'd been notified that Christie had been flown out the previous night on an emergency flight for medical treatment. Apparently the white haired assassin had several internal injuries. (Not that he particularly cared). 'At least I can still walk. Whoever that blonde was that mangled Christie was of some particular interest to Donovan….I guess that's the reason I still have a paycheck on this botched job.' The big Russian looked at his right arm which was in a cast. 'Whatever ability that ninja girl had was unbelievable. She would have killed me if it wasn't for my body armor. Even so; she broke my arm in three places before I could leap back. My armguard I was wearing might as well have been made of tissue paper….'

Bayman was going to receive medical treatment from his own little network. Donovan had offered him treatment at a DOATEC facility in Japan but Bayman didn't want to owe his client any favors. 'Donovan is crafty as can be but the pay is good. As long as I keep him at arm's length I'll continue to take jobs from him. I have a feeling he's just testing me for something big anyway.' As Bayman's flight took off he wondered just how big Donovan's operation was. Deep in his gut something told him it was a bad deal but the pay was too good to let go….

….

Kyoto Public Security Intelligence Agency, Kyoto

Naruto was sitting there looking bored at the debriefing from a PSIA Officer who seemed to be making an effort to look imposing to them and the small group of Public Service agents involved in the 'Graves Case.' The two Uzumaki Ninjas were considered outsiders by some of the group because of them technically working as JSDF Agents. Others seemed to respect them for having stopped two snipers from completing their objectives. In reality; if the truth was out that they were ninja mercenaries hired by the Defense Secretary Ishigami Ken was revealed then the shit probably would really have hit the fan.

"We've found no traces of either assassin although the DNA samples from the bloodstains correlate with a woman of northern European descent and a male of Eastern European descent." said the debriefing officer. "The drawings based on the information from our two JSDF Agents are in circulation but we have yet to find any matches of known assassins…."

'An assassin whose identity is known can no longer be an assassin….' thought Hinata glumly. She signed to Naruto, [I still believe Kokoro Douglas was the intended target but these people have totally dismissed the idea].

Naruto nodded. [I know Hinata-chan. We don't know why Kokoro would possibly be targeted though other than her family is probably wealthy. The PSIA is fixated on Graves being the target for political reasons. Worse still, old man Ishigami will be in the same boat as them. Sadly there is no way for us to follow up at this point.]

The stuffy debriefing officer asked if there were any questions and one agent asked, "How longer are we going to keep Graves-san here? She and her friend are theoretically she should be headed back to school instead being here in a safe house."

"Graves-san's Mother is the British Ambassador to Japan." said the officer. "We can't just randomly toss her back on the street. Depending on the situation we may have to send her to Tokyo to her parents. We'll be conferring with the Defense Secretary Ishigami Ken about this since our JSDF guests are undercover as school kids. I can't think of any reason to cart them off to Tokyo with her because they are supposed to be normal high school students."

….

"Well, that was a grand waste of time." said Naruto quietly as the two Uzumaki Ninjas left the briefing room.

Hinata nodded. "Now we have to go back to pretending we are helpless students again."

Alyssa saw Hinata and Naruto coming back from their meeting and said in a friendly tone, "I just heard from my Mother. I told her how you saved me Naruto-kun. She wants to meet you."

Naruto sighed and Hinata wanted to face palm. "I thought we would be heading back to school." said Hinata.

"My Mother is the British Ambassador to Japan." said Alyssa. "She has more than enough pull to get us all out for a few days." The British girl turned to Naruto. "I might be able to persuade her to meet your parents as well Naruto-kun. I'm sure it would be a treat for them. Have they ever been to Tokyo? Hokkaido is remote in some places."

"I'm an orphan." said Naruto plainly. "My parents were killed in an accident the day I was born."

Alyssa's face fell. "I….I'm terribly sorry Naruto-kun. Please accept my condolences."

Naruto wrapped his arm around Hinata's waist and Hinata leaned into him. "It's alright Graves-san; as long as I have Hinata-chan everything is fine." The two lovers kissed each other warmly much to Alyssa's consternation.

Doing her best to recover from her unintentional faux pas Alyssa said, "Won't you have a late breakfast with Kokoro and I?" 'I originally wanted to have breakfast with just Naruto-kun but I'll have to try a different tack now.'

'What is this girl up to?' wondered Hinata. 'I think she's trying to get on Naruto-kun's good side. (Sigh) What a brat.'

….

Soon the four high school students were sitting together in the cafeteria eating together. Kokoro asked, "So where were you two this morning? I was kind of worried."

"The PSIA Agents had some questions for us about the shooting." explained Naruto. "I'm surprised you two weren't questioned as well."

"You poor dear." said Alyssa. "I wonder why they keep bothering you Naruto-kun."

Hinata had an urge to make gagging sounds at Alyssa's attempt at sweet talking. "Well, the questions they asked Naruto-kun and I were pretty straightforward. I'm sure they'll be talking to both of you also." 'Gods this girl is beginning to annoy me. I wish I could question Kokoro to find out more about her. She seems totally oblivious to the concept she might be a target.'

….

Mugen Tenshin Village

After the crowd dispersed Naruto's clones were standing with Kasumi and Ayane who were talking with Shiden and Genra. Shiden looked back and forth between the two blonde ninjas and said, "It is good to see you Naruto but I don't know which of you is a clone and which is the original."

The Naruto with Kasumi said, "We are both clones Shiden-sama. The original is still out on a mission."

Shiden looked a bit bug eyed and Kasumi said, "This is nothing unusual Father. Naruto-kun often sends shadow clones out on duties while he is otherwise occupied."

"I wanted to see how things are in the Mugen Tenshin Village." said Naruto's clone with Ayane. "I also wanted to see how Ayane-chan and Kasumi-chan are holding up. I've missed my wives."

"Why don't we wash up now that we've finished our spar?" asked Kasumi. "Then we can all sit down and talk together."

Ayane nodded. "That's an excellent idea. We ladies need to cleanse ourselves at the public baths. Why don't we all meet somewhere afterwards?"

"We'll meet out in front of the Head Family home." said Kasumi. "That's assuming it's alright with you Father."

Shiden saw his daughter and Ayane looking at him in the same way that Ayame did when she simply expected a 'Yes, anything you say dear' answer. Shiden smiled weakly and said, "Of course Kasumi-chan, Ayane. That will be fine."

The two girls smiled and vanished in a body-flicker. One of the clones said, "I should have asked the girls if they wanted company bathing."

Shiden coughed and blushed a bit. "I assure you they will be fine on their own."

Both clones grinned mischievously. "I suppose we'll have to wait then." said a clone. Then he turned serious and said, "Shiden-sama, Genra-san; tell me about this Raidou person. The Uzumaki Clan is going to end him."

Shiden sighed. "It is a long story Naruto. The Mugen Tenshin Clan should deal with it. It is our problem."

"He crippled my brother in law Hayate." said Naruto. "He signed his own death warrant when he did that. We Uzumaki's value our family and friends more than anything."

"Let's head back to the main house Naruto." said Shiden in a resigned tone. "Genra, will you accompany us?"

"Of course Shiden-sama." said Genra. 'Perhaps I can speak to Naruto and convince him to share some chakra techniques with me. Ayane won't. I can use defeating Raidou as a pretext….'

….

Firits House, Uji-City, Maya and Ayane's room

Maya was up and dressed in a tee shirt and cutoff denim shorts. Her clone of Naruto was up as well. He'd henged into a non-descript student and bought some lunch for himself and Maya. Naruto's clone had run into Aoi who recognized the henge and she joined them as well. Maya took a bite of her lunch and said, "Fame Douglas has never been married but is known to have had several mistresses over the years. One of them is named Miyako and she is Kokoro Douglas's Mother. Combine that with an assassin that may well be an operative for DOATEC and we have a possible faction war going on in DOATEC's ranks."

Aoi growled. "Couple that with the fact that the assassin Christie was the one that tipped us off about the fiend Akiyama and we have yet another connection; this time with the fiends."

Naruto sighed. "DOATEC also has connections with the Lords of Alchemy and the people that tried to wipe out the Hien Clan. They seem to be everywhere."

"We need to research this corporation extensively." said Maya. "They seem to have been involved directly or indirectly in several things that our clan has been putting our lives on the line for."

"What do we actually know about DOATEC for certain?" asked Aoi.

Maya looked over her files and said, "The Tokyo Police Department Database says this-"

"You still have access to the Tokyo PD Maya-chan?" asked Naruto.

Maya nodded. "I'm legally MIA and assumed KIA but I still have access through several executive back doors."

Naruto kissed her cheek and said, "You're becoming quite the kunoichi Maya-chan."

Maya blushed and smiled shyly. "Well….anyway; here's what they have on DOATEC: It is headed by Fame Douglas who has built a huge empire on the weapons market in the last twenty five years. They have their own private army and have dabbled in genetics to create special breeds of guard dogs to support military units. DOATEC is rumored to have provided arms to several countries around the world of a very advanced nature and they publicly sell weapons to NATO Countries as well as others."

"Fame Douglas is a multi billionaire and very is very popular. He's had several mistresses and has at least two children. His older daughter and heir apparent is Helena Douglas who is the daughter of his mistress Maria who is an opera singer. He has a second daughter by a geisha named Miyako. That is Kokoro Douglas who we've met."

"DOATEC recently became an entertainment company as well and the Dead or Alive Tournament is Fame Douglas's brainchild. It appears to be an extremely successful venture so far and their goal is to show off the greatest fighters in the world."

"That's our plain vanilla public description of DOATEC." finished Maya.

Aoi frowned. "We know they've done more than manipulate the genetics of dogs. That small army of clones we fought on Em Nenhum Island was completely outfitted with their custom gear and more than likely were created by them and the LOA. We know the LOA files we copied kept referring to their 'partners' which we are 99 percent sure is DOATEC. We also know they are after chakra or at least were trying to help the LOA obtain it."

Naruto pondered and said, "That Christie woman I fought had inside information about DOATEC's Tournament before any of the information was publicly released and tipped us off about the high level fiend Akiyama back in Tokyo. As far as we could ascertain Akiyama was double-crossed so DOATEC has some sort of inside connections with the fiends."

"What about the Hien Clan massacre?" asked Aoi.

Maya shook her head. "Unfortunately that evidence is circumstantial. From what you've told me all we know for certain is the attackers that tried to exterminate the Hien Clan were using DOATEC armor and weapons. That's not proof DOATEC was even connected to those events. We need to keep digging."

"I'll call Hinata-chan and let her and Naruto-kun know." said Aoi.

Naruto's clone nodded, "We need to tell everyone Aoi-chan…."

….

DOATEC Hidden Medical Facility, Tokyo

Christie woke up in a low lit white room with the smell of antiseptics permeating the air. She hurt like hell all over. 'Am I in a hospital?' wondered the white haired assassin. Christie tried to sit up but it hurt too much and she gasped in pain. "Oh fuck I hurt…." she grunted. That's when a door to the dim room opened and a woman in a white hospital smock walked in. The woman was obviously Japanese and looked rather dispassionately at Christie as she took the white haired woman's vitals.

The woman's eyes met Christie's pained ones and she said in perfect English, "I'm Doctor Oda. You are hidden in DOATEC Tokyo Branch Christie. Your body is a complete wreck but you'll fully recover given time. Mister Donovan wants a report on your fight with Uzumaki Naruto." The Doctor pulled out a small recorder and said, "You can start any time you're ready. The sooner you get your report out, the sooner I'll give you a shot of morphine to dull the pain. Until I get that report I won't be giving you any painkillers."

Christie's steel gray eyes widened. 'This bitch is heartless!' she thought. Christie cleared her throat and said in a raspy tone, "I took a headshot at Uzumaki Naruto to remove him from the picture so I could eliminate Kokoro Douglas more easily…."

….

Kyoto Public Security Intelligence Agency, Kyoto

A woman in her thirties got out of her black sedan in front of the PSIA building. She was rather beautiful with dark eyes and hair. This was Kokoro Douglas's Mother, Miyako. She soon was escorted to the cafeteria where Kokoro and her friends were having lunch. "Kokoro-chan?" asked Miyako.

Kokoro whipped her head around and saw her Mother. "Kaa-san!" cried out the girl as she embraced her Mother.

Miyako held her daughter close and said, "There, there my girl…."

As the two spoke for a few minutes in private, Hinata came in having just ended her call with Aoi. The byakugan Princess sat down at the table with Naruto and asked, "Who is Kokoro with?"

Alyssa answered, "That is Kokoro's Mother Miyako. They are very close."

Hinata's eyes widened slightly and she started writing….

….An hour later….

"It was terrifying knowing I was the target of assassins Miyako-san!" said Alyssa dramatically as she finished the story of how Naruto and Hinata (mainly Naruto) saved Kokoro and herself from gunfire.

Miyako nodded and then bowed to Naruto and Hinata. "I thank you both deeply for saving Kokoro-chan and Alyssa. I will forever be in your debt."

Hinata shook Miyako's hand and said, "We were both very glad to help our friends."

Within the hour Kokoro said goodbye to the others to go home with her Mother. Miyako was outside waiting in the car.

….

Miyako was sitting in the car while she waited for Kokoro. She was reading a note slipped into the cuff of her shirt sleeve by Hinata….

Miyako-san-

I'm sorry to contact you in a covert manner like this but Alyssa Graves was NOT the target of the assassination as others believe. Kokoro was. I believe it was due to her connections with Fame Douglas. (Miyako's dark eyes widened). As I am an agent assigned to protect Graves-san undercover I could not reveal this to you publicly. I have reported this to my superiors but they are fixated on Graves-san due to her political connections. I am in no position to help you directly but if you have connections with Fame Douglas then I advise you use them. I wish you and Kokoro the best.

Good Luck.

-A friend

Miyako sighed. 'I guess it was only a matter of time before someone found out. I've never even told Kokoro about her Father. As soon as I get her home I need to call Fame and inform him. He'll keep us out of danger….'

About that time Kokoro hopped in the car and jarred Miyako out of her musing. "Kaa-san, I'm so glad we're going home. This whole weekend has been dreadful."

Miyako smiled at her beautiful daughter. "Don't you worry Kokoro-chan. We'll soon be home safe and sound."

….

Mugen Tenshin Village

That afternoon; Kasumi, Ayane and Naruto's clones were in Kasumi's room sitting at a low tea table. Before them was a laptop that was the homepage for DOATEC Industries.

Dead or Alive World Combat Tournament:

D.O.A.

"This is where Raidou went." said the Naruto with Kasumi. "The problem is the tournament is literally worldwide so he could be anywhere. We'll have to research this thoroughly before we make a move because Raidou may no longer be in Japan."

"Does the rest of our clan know?" asked Ayane.

Naruto's clone with Ayane shrugged. "At this point only Hinata-chan and Boss know for sure. They intended to inform the others when Boss made me so I figure the others know by now."

Kasumi's brown eyes narrowed. "According to this the preliminary matches have already started but contestants can still enter in the next six weeks. They have a graph for winners but it hasn't started to be filled yet. It looks like there are literally hundreds of contestants at this point."

Ayane nodded. "There are four contest venues here in Japan alone."

"Remember girls, there is still plenty of time to figure this out." said Kasumi's Naruto clone. "If we can find Raidou before he gets into the higher tiers we can eliminate him early and avoid getting on an international stage."

"This contest seems strange." said Kasumi. "DOATEC must be spending a vast fortune to fund this. What's the purpose in 'gathering the world's greatest fighters' anyway?"

"DOATEC is a weapons company that was connected to the LOA." said Ayane. "I'm sure there is more to this than putting on a show."

Ayane's Naruto clone said, "DOATEC will make a fortune off of this regardless. People are already buying tickets like mad. But I agree with you Ayane-chan. There is no way they are doing this without a motive outside of entertaining the masses."

Kasumi sighed. "I guess time will tell…."

….

DOATEC Tritower Headquarters

Deep in the bowels of DOATEC's Headquarters, Victor Donovan was taking stock of his current situation. His plans to eliminate Fame Douglas were going to be pushed back since his two best assassins were out of commission. Bayman had vanished for the time being and no doubt was being patched up be some physician in the criminal underworld. As for Christie, He'd seen the medical reports and heard her verbal statements regarding the battle with Uzumaki Naruto. He looked at the photos of Christie's injuries and she looked like she'd been through a meat grinder. 'According to Doctor Oda; Christie won't be back in fighting trim for six months which is after the DOA Tournament.'

It had been Donovan's intention to eliminate Kokoro since she could possibly inherit the company. Likewise he intended to eliminate her older half sister Helena but as things stood he didn't have assassins skilled enough to do so. 'Damn it. Fame Douglas watches over Maria and Helena like a hawk. Killing Kokoro should have been a simple task. I have to wonder why Uzumaki was there.' Victor leaned back in his chair looking over the projected plans for Project Alpha and Epsilon. "On the positive side, Christie was crafty enough to leak the information about Raidou to Uzumaki Naruto." thought the scientist aloud.

It took a lot of time and money but from what Donovan and his staff concluded; the former Mugen Tenshin kunoichi Kasumi was the best choice for hyper cloning into a weapon, Project Alpha. Her now crippled brother Hayate would make a fine backup as Project Epsilon. Of course it was teeth gnashing for Victor Donovan to give up on Uzumaki Naruto as Project Zeta but his new subordinate Lovelace was working on an alternative….

"I can't make my move against Fame Douglas for six months then." concluded Donovan. "It's frustrating but there is nothing to be done about it. On the plus side; Project Lambda has worked beautifully under Lisa Hamilton's guidance. Perhaps Project Zeta was simply too ambitious at our current research levels. Once we start Project Alpha we will be armed with more and better knowledge and attempt cloning Uzumaki Naruto once again."

Donovan's never ending game of cloak and dagger continued….

….

POSTSCRIPT:

This chapter turned out a bit shorter than planned. I was able to establish all the plot points I wanted though and it was a good stopping point. Victor Donovan seems to have accepted that Kokoro is out of his reach for now and has pushed back the deadline to assassinate Fame Douglas. (And poor Christie has a Doctor with the bedside manner of a grave digger). The Uzumakis are slowly but surely piecing together the public and private sides of DOATEC and they aren't too pleased with what they have uncovered so far. Next chapter we'll see the preliminaries of DOA1 and which members of the Uzumaki Clan plan to enter. See you next time. Blue out. 11/17/16