Chapter 47

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

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

It's been awhile since I worked on Dragon's Maw. To get back into the groove I wrote this little side chapter before rolling back into DOA1. Here is chapter 47. Enjoy!

[ ] Signifies hand signs

Last time:

Hayabusa Village

Naruto, Hinata and Maya were welcomed back home by the village and were thrilled to be at home with their own beds. Jô, Kureha and Genjiro came over and joined them for dinner to welcome them home. It seemed that all was peaceful in the Hayabusa Village and despite the fact Ryu was in Hong Kong in the DOA Tournament and half of the Uzumaki Clan was as well.

Jô said, "It's good to see you all in good health. It seems that the battle at the Umeda Sky Building there in Osaka was quite a mess."

Genjiro took a sip of his drink. "At least it was contained; the mess in Tokyo with the Lords of Alchemy changed the city's landscape."

Naruto nodded. "We had an advantage that the fiends were having some sort of civil war among themselves. It allowed us to take out the two leaders and after that the remaining fiends lost the will to fight."

"Do you think the fiends in the Osaka area are gone for now?" asked Kureha.

Hinata shook her head. "The only reason we knew about the faction war is someone tipped us off. The JSDF Agent we were working with figured it was a third faction in the shadows and I am inclined to agree."

"I think the fiend problem has been diminished but it isn't gone." said Maya. "Besides, our contract was to eliminate Quatrain and once that was done the PSIA was only too happy to see us leave town."

"Government Agencies are suspicious of ninjas regardless of whether we are helping them or not." said Jô somberly. "We operate outside of the law and they aren't very fond of that."

Maya grinned, "Yeah, when I was with the Tokyo Police Department everyone was either scared or suspicious….Of course I was fascinated by ninjas."

Kureha smiled and said, "I believe it was your destiny all along to be a kunoichi Maya; you just didn't know it at the time."

Naruto stretched as he enjoyed the conversation. Then he thought, 'It's good to be home….'

….

Uzumaki Clan Home, Hayabusa Village, Japan

Naruto was practicing with the Kusanagi out on the lake behind his home. That's when he saw the resident Falcon mononoke that watched over the Hayabusa Village. It was circling him in the air. Naruto stopped his practice and held out his arm so the odd Falcon could land. Naruto said, "We meet again Falcon. What brings you to me this day?"

The mononoke looked about and he said, "You've grown strong young Uzumaki; it seems my hunch about you was correct. I thought you would become a powerful ally to the Dragon Lineage. You even married one of them."

"Momiji-chan is a powerful kunoichi in her own right." Naruto smiled and added, "I'm proud of her and love her very much."

"It is good to know she is under your aegis young sage." said the Falcon. "I look forward to when your children grow into fine ninjas themselves."

"This is the most I've heard you talk Falcon." said the young Toad Sage. "Do any of the others talk to you?"

"Only Hayabusa Jô. He speaks to me in his dreams. You are the only one I speak to directly aside of your wife Hinata." said the mononoke. "That being said…."

"Yes?" asked Naruto.

"There is a weapon I believe a member of your Clan could wield." said the bird. "It is a legendary sword that most do not believe is real."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow and asked, "What is this sword's name?"

The Falcon answered, "Yawarakai-Ti (Tender Hands). It was forged by Gorō Nyūdō Masamune and is a holy blade. The Priestess Maya of your clan could wield it. It only cuts those deserving of it according to legend."

"Then it was created to destroy the fiends." said Naruto.

"Precisely." said the mononoke with a chuckle. "You catch on quickly. It was originally created for one of the Dragon Lineage 700 years ago but he had too much blood on his hands to wield it properly so he sealed it away for the one who could."

The Toad Sage asked, "And you believe Maya-chan is the one?" Seeing the mononoke nod he asked, "Where could I find the Yawarakai-Ti?"

"Sasebo." said the Falcon. "Oddly enough a Christian Church sits atop the place the Yawarakai-Ti was hidden deep underground. The place it sleeps under is the Seishin Cathedral. The Yawarakai-Ti supposedly has several dark ninjas that guard it to make sure it stays asleep because if the blade awakens it could cause untold damage to them. You should go there if it interests you."

"It's hard not to be interested." said Naruto with a grin. "I'll look into it."

"I'll be taking my leave then." said the mononoke as he took flight again….

….

After Naruto completed his practice he went into the house to shower off and then went to find his lovely wives. He soon found Maya in the seiza position meditating and kissed her nose which made her giggle. "Well hello Naruto-kun." said the violet eyed beauty. "Are you all done practicing? I didn't realize that so much time had passed while I was meditating."

Naruto grinned and said, "I was talking to a little bird today and he told me about a swordsmith named Masamune and a sword he made called the Yawarakai-Ti. Ever heard of them?"

Maya got out her laptop and said, "I've heard of Masamune. I think everyone has. He is widely recognized as Japan's greatest swordsmith." She tapped a few keys on her keyboard and said, "Here is what I have on him and the Yawarakai-Ti: 'It is generally agreed that Masamune made most of his swords in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, 1288–1328. The Yawarakai-Ti is a legendary sword that he supposedly created.' Here is one of the legends about it:"

"A legend tells of a test where Muramasa challenged his master, Masamune, to see who could make a finer sword. They both worked tirelessly and eventually, when both swords were finished, they decided to test the results. The contest was for each to suspend the blades in a small creek with the cutting edge facing the current. Muramasa's sword, the Juuchi Yosamu ("10,000 Cold Nights") cut everything that passed its way; fish, leaves floating down the river, the very air which blew on it. Highly impressed with his pupil's work, Masamune lowered his sword, the Yawarakai-Te ("Tender Hands"), into the current and waited patiently. Only leaves were cut. However, the fish swam right up to it, and the air hissed as it gently blew by the blade. After a while, Muramasa began to scoff at his master for his apparent lack of skill in the making of his sword. Smiling to himself, Masamune pulled up his sword, dried it, and sheathed it. All the while, Muramasa was heckling him for his sword's inability to cut anything. A monk, who had been watching the whole ordeal, walked over and bowed low to the two sword masters. He then began to explain what he had seen."

"The first of the swords was by all accounts a fine sword, however it is a blood thirsty, evil blade, as it does not discriminate as to who or what it will cut. It may just as well be cutting down butterflies as severing heads. The second was by far the finer of the two, as it does not needlessly cut that which is innocent and undeserving."

"While all known legends of the two swordsmiths having ever met is historically impossible; both of them are widely regarded as symbols for their respective eras." finished Maya.

Naruto pondered and said, "That's quite a legend about the Yawarakai-Ti. It's fairly close to the mark."

Maya smiled and said, "Don't tell me the Yawarakai-Ti is real Naruto-kun."

The blonde said, "I know where it is."

"How?" asked Maya curiously.

Naruto chuckled and said, "A local mononoke told me while I was out practicing earlier. When I said 'a little bird' I wasn't joking. The Yawarakai-Ti was created for the Dragon Lineage to destroy fiends 700 years ago. We need to go to Kureha and find out all the facts before we go to get it."

Hinata poked her head in and asked, "What are we going to get Naruto-kun? By the way, dinner is ready."

Maya hopped up and said, "Naruto-kun has found a legendary sword and wants to retrieve it for fiend hunting."

"What sword is that?" asked Hinata. "Something from our era?"

"No, this blade is only 700 years old." said Naruto. "It's a holy blade called the Yawarakai-Ti that only a holy Priest or Priestess can wield. It will be perfect for Maya-chan with her holy chakra."

Hinata smiled and said, "So where is it?"

"It's in Sasebo sealed under the Seishin Cathedral." answered the blonde as the three entered the dining room.

"Hmmm….Sasebo." thought Maya aloud. "There is a huge naval base at Sasebo. I've never been there before."

….

After dinner Naruto and Hinata were on either side of Maya reading on her laptop about the Seishin Cathedral and Sasebo. Maya read aloud. "Seishin Cathedral, a large church which was built in a neo-gothic style in 1930, is the symbol of Sasebo. It is opposite the main railway station in Miura-cho district. Sasebo is the only Japanese city which uses the symbol of a Christian church as part of its seal/flag. Huh; interesting. So the Yawarakai-Ti is buried below the Cathedral….I wonder where it is exactly. We can't exactly go in and start digging holes in the floor with a jackhammer."

Hinata laughed. "I don't think the local nuns would approve."

"According to our mononoke friend it was sealed by one of the Dragon Lineage so I hope Kureha has information on it." said Naruto. "She is the keeper of knowledge for the Hayabusa Clan after all."

"Why is the blade not here if it was created for one of the Dragon Lineage?" asked Hinata.

"Apparently the one that was going to use the Yawarakai-Ti had too much blood on his hands to wield it properly so he sealed it away." answered Naruto.

"Then we should talk to Kureha first to see if this is the real deal." said Maya.

Hinata nodded. "That would be our best option. A sword that would work with your chakra would be perfect Maya-chan."

"I know." said the violet eyed beauty. "It sounds too good to be true."

"If it is more effective than your regular chakra blade against fiends then we'll all be happy Maya-chan." said Naruto. "Let's go see what Kureha is up to."

….

Kureha was surprised to see her friends coming into the Dragon Shrine. "Good evening my Naruto-kun, Hinata, Maya. It's good to see you. What brings you by?"

Naruto said, "I'm interested in the Yawarakai-Ti Kureha. I know it's in Sasebo and I'm hoping you have information about it."

"You mean the Masamune blade of legend?" asked Kureha.

"That's the one." said the toad sage. "A little bird told me about it."

Kureha raised an eyebrow at Naruto's cryptic answer and said, "Let me look down in the archives below the shrine." The Dragon Priestess disappeared into the back. About thirty minutes later she came back and said, "The original scroll dated from the late 1500's but it is quite legible. There is an entire labyrinth down below the Seishin Cathedral full of the dead that tried to seize the Yawarakei-Ti for themselves. It's been guarded by the Mochizuki ninja clan since olden times. Hmmm….I thought the Mochizuki were wiped out….At any rate, the Mochizuki were almost all kunoichis that served the daimyō Takeda Shingen of the Kai Province. When he mysteriously died in 1573 the Mochizuki disappeared.

"Hmmm….They don't sound like dark ninjas." said Hinata. "Perhaps they are in league with the fiends. What do you think Naruto-kun?"

"Perhaps we can negotiate with this Mochizuki ninjas." said Maya.

Naruto said, "Dark or light they are the guardians of the Yawarakai-Ti so we may have to wipe them out. Hopefully not…."

….

City of Sasebo, Kyushu, Japan

Three days later Naruto, Hinata and Maya were travelling under henge as civilians when they rode into Sasebo Station on the JR Passenger Train System. The three Uzumaki Ninjas were hoping to slip in and slip out without much trouble. [Our first goal is to reconnoiter the Seishin Cathedral and look for passages]. signed Hinata. [From what Kureha's scroll said the Cathedral was built directly on top of the four story Yawarakai-Ti labyrinth].

Naruto nodded and signed, [Remember we know nothing about the nunnery there or the Sisters running it. We have to be cautious].

Maya wanted to laugh. [Are you implying that the nuns there a ninjas?].

[It would be the perfect disguise]. signed Hinata. [You could easily conceal all kinds of weapons in those long, flowing robes].

[I guess you are right]. signed Maya with a concerned look on her face.

Naruto nodded. [Always look underneath the underneath Maya-chan].

….

The three Uzumakis were soon standing in front of the Cathedral. It was three stories tall. The first two floors were red brick with white trimmed windows and the third was gray green tiles roof tiles also with white trimmed windows. It also had an orphanage. "Convent of the Holy Child Jesus Orphanage." read Hinata aloud on a cement pillar at the entrance to the Cathedral. The black wrought iron gates were open and the impromptu tourists entered.

Looking around in a gothic styled Cathedral was a new experience for the Uzumakis. Even speaking in quiet voices they could hear the sounds echo in the chapel because the acoustics were designed for singing. They also noticed the large, western style stained glass windows that lined the chapel walls. 'I never knew how westernized this part of Japan is.' thought Maya.

Hinata was wondering how much it would cost to build such a place and Naruto was wondering why it was built atop an ancient labyrinth or if anyone even knew about it. As they looked around under henge Hinata started looking for hidden passages with her byakugan and found that they were everywhere. She thought, 'This place is a ninja haven as much as a church!' As the day wore on and they toured about Hinata notices certain sisters did indeed have weapons as well as ninja training. Only a ninja could probably detect it but about a fourth of the sisters seemed to be kunoichis.

They also saw the orphans there and many of the young girl orphans had the same signs of being trained as ninjas….right under the noses of the other sisters. Over the next two days the three Uzumakis reconnoitered the Seishin Cathedral under various henges and finally they found the passage leading deep underground. It was right under the main altar in the chapel. Hinata wanted to smack herself for not looking in such an obvious place. She saw the mechanism on the wall to the right of the altar which would cause the altar to pivot to one side and open the passage down to the labyrinth….

….

On the third day the Uzumakis made their move….

Naruto dropped into the darkened chapel in the middle of the night. He went over to the passage below the altar and opened it easily enough with Hinata's instructions. That's when he found himself surrounded by angry kunoichis. The blonde said, "I don't think Sisters should be carrying katanas. What happened to 'Though shalt not kill?' I mean; I have nothing against you training orphans to be ninjas but impaling guests doesn't seem too holy." Suddenly a dozen shuriken impaled Naruto only for him to burst into smoke.

One of the kunoichis whispered, "An illusion? Spread out and find the interloper."

Naruto, Maya and Hinata were perched up in the rafters hiding under a genjutsu courtesy of Maya. They were carefully watching as the kunoichis searched everywhere in the Cathedral chapel. [I count twelve]. signed Hinata from her perch. Once the area was momentarily clear the three Uzumakis jumped down into the open passage to the Yawarakai-Ti labyrinth.

They heard a female voice upstairs say, "Close the altar so he can't get into the passage. God only knows what might come out if we don't seal it shut. We have to keep the evil contained."

Then the passage was sealed behind them….

….

"Well, this is interesting." said Hinata. "It seems these kunoichi's are trying to contain evil rather than protect it. At least we know they aren't evil by nature."

"If I wasn't a holy kunoichi myself then I'd say the very concept is insane." said Maya dryly. "Then again I've seen stranger things."

Naruto cracked a glow stick and lit up the passage which was a long stairway down. "We can switch over to night vision goggles if something is attracted by the light." he said. "I'll lead the way down the stairwell."

"Let me take point Naruto-kun." said Hinata. "I can see fine in the dark without a glow stick."

"Alright, but be careful Hinata-chan." said Naruto.

Hinata nodded in the low light and said, "Always."

After traversing a brick stairwell that led about three stories underground they found a wrought iron gate that was forced open and heavily corroded. Hinata nudged it a tiny bit and found it wouldn't budge. "It's rusted open in place." she said quietly.

Naruto held up his glow stick and saw the remnants of paper ofudas littering the area. He also saw an etching in the red brick that was the kanji for 'evil.' "That's not very promising." said Naruto.

Hinata pointed ahead and said, "Neither is that."

The blonde held his glow stick up and saw a skeletal body lying there full of rusted arrows. Maya said, "Lovely, I wonder who this was." She went over and saw the remains had tattered clothing that looked like they were fairly modern. The skull had a pair of wire rimmed glasses on. "I don't enjoy searching bodies but let's look for a wallet or something we can identify this body from."

"You're the detective Maya-chan." said Naruto. "Do you think he'll have something on him?"

"Here's an old pistol." said Hinata as she pried it out of the skeletal hand and picked it up by the barrel.

Maya looked at it closely and said, "It's a Type 14 Nambu. The Japanese military started using them in the 1920's. Maya rubbed the side of it and said, "It's an early one. There should be a date of manufacture stamped upon it. Here it is; 1934 of the Showa Era. This guy has probably been here since before World War II. The question is what shot him full of arrows. They look ancient."

Hinata picked up an arrow and said, "This arrow is charged with ki energy. The spiritual energy is all that is holding it together. The wooden shaft has to be centuries old."

"Then you know you cannot face the power of this place." whispered a voice below them. They all looked down and saw the skeletal remains craning his neck and staring at them with empty eye sockets.

"You are…?" asked Hinata.

"I was an archeologist. I don't remember my name." said the skeleton. "I was fooled by the charms of the kunoichis that guard this place. My group was wiped out by them. Leave while you can…." The head fell back to the floor and seemed to disintegrate into powder before them.

Maya whispered, "What the hell?"

Hinata said, "The ki in the skull is gone and it crumbled into dust."

The blonde shivered. "I hate ghosts!"

"Don't be such a wuss Naruto-kun." said Maya. "Ghosts can't be as bad as fiends."

Hinata had amusement in her pearl like eyes and said, "I forgot you are afraid of ghosts Naruto-kun. Now is a good time to overcome that. Besides, if you flare your chakra it will disperse the ki energy just like a genjutsu."

Naruto rubbed his chin through his mask. "Hmmm….I never thought about it that way Hinata-chan. Thanks!"

….

The three Uzumaki Ninjas were soon infiltrating the labyrinth proper and were making a map as they went along. It took hours of mapping before they found a passage down. "According to the documents that Kureha has there are four levels to this place." said Hinata. "We've managed to map one floor without being attacked."

Naruto's stomach growled. "Let's eat something before we go down." he said. "I'm starving."

Maya chuckled and said, "The roaring of your stomach will probably attract ghosts if we don't."

"You aren't helping Maya-chan." groused Naruto.

Hinata said, "Don't worry Naruto-kun. We'll protect you. I'm a bit famished myself. Let's eat."

As the three ate nightmares quietly started stirring below them….

….

The second floor was full of Genjutsu traps that Hinata easily saw through using her byakugan. It was here that they found dozens of would be grave robbers, treasure hunters and most recently; archeologists. The place was a mess of pitfalls, arrow filled remains and pressure panel traps that the byakugan princess was able to easily guide them through. There wasn't much to map on the second given it was a path of traps that simply snaked back and forth rather than an actual maze per se.

….

The third floor was filled with beautiful geishas (?). Naruto heard them all calling to him seductively but he flared his chakra and yelled; "Genjutsu kai!" and the veneer of beauty vanished revealing the skeletal remnants of kunoichis that attacked the second they were discovered. "Aim for the heads!" yelled Hinata as her hands lit up with chakra.

Maya drew her chakra blade and streamed holy chakra down it while Naruto threw a pair of shuriken and said, "Shuriken shadow clone no jutsu!" and a wall of metal shot forward from his position. All hell broke loose as a flood of arrows sprayed from the kunoichis and Hinata countered with a water encampment wall.

Naruto body flickered among the undead kunoichis and started blowing their heads to pieces with Toad Style taijutsu. Their skulls turned to dust on impact and the bodies collapsed into scattered piles of bones.

It was Maya's chakra that turned their aggressors into dust with the merest touch however. It wasn't long before nothing remained of the three Uzumaki's enemies.

"That would explain where all of the arrows came from." said Hinata. "They must have been incredibly skilled archers when they were alive."

It didn't take long to map out the third floor. The main room where they'd fought the ghost kunoichis took up the majority of the floor….

….

The fourth floor was a medium sized open room with torches all around the edges. The smell of the oil that kept the torches lit filled the air. In the middle was where a massive Mamushi serpent laid asleep. It was reddish brown with dark lateral blotches on it. "Aren't those pit vipers usually less than a meter long?" whispered Naruto. "This one is closer to fifteen meters."

Maya cringed and said, "I'm more concerned that their venom dissolves flesh and causes tissues to liquefy Naruto-kun."

Hinata's eyes widened and said, "I'm more concerned with the man standing on its head!"

"Welcome!" boomed a man wearing expensive looking samurai armor. He knocked his heel on the head of the Mamashi snake and said, "We have visitors my pet. It seems that they have come for the sacred treasure."

The snake blinked a few times and hissed. "Leave them to me Lord Takeda."

The now named Takeda said to Naruto, "So you used your own kunoichis to resist the charms of my own kunoichis. Very clever youngster. However, this is where your journey ends. Mamushi, deal with them!"

The massive snake was incredibly fast given its bulk. Naruto jumped to the ceiling to avoid it. Hinata jumped left and Maya rolled to the right. The snake tried to slam its body against Hinata as it circled around to strike at Maya.

Naruto charged on the ceiling straight for Takeda. Takeda calmly drew a fine O-katana to duel Naruto who drew the Kusanagi. The two men met head on in a shower of sparks. Naruto was upside down and Takeda was right side up. As the two dueled Naruto quickly concluded this man was a master swordsman. Takeda seemed perfectly calm as he and Naruto circled each other probing for weaknesses.

Takeda knocked Naruto back and said, "You are a curious young man too be able to run on the ceiling like that. I am Takeda Shingen, daimyō of the Shinano and Kai Provinces; who might you be to challenge me boy?"

Naruto's eyes flashed and he said, "I am Uzumaki Naruto, Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku and head of the Uzumaki Ninja Clan. Step aside daimyō-sama, The Yawarakai-Ti was created for our allies of the Dragon Lineage. In their place I come to claim it!"

The daimyō changed stances and snarled "So you are not a fool seeking treasure. Know that I am the Tiger of Kai. You have come to this point with the knowledge of what is held here. Prove your worth to me boy and I will yield. Otherwise this will be your tomb as it is mine!"

Naruto and Takeda charged….

….

Hinata swung her ice zanbatou to behead the enormous mamushi snake but it deftly avoided the fatal strike. The snake bit down on Hinata only to find she puffed into smoke. Maya wounded it with her chakra blade but the creature' hide was thick so it simply hissed in pain when she sliced it.

The mamushi's reptilian eye widened when she whispered, "Mirage Blade." and appeared on its other side leaving a deep cut along its belly.

The snake roared in pain and knocked Maya back with its tail sending her flying. It barely looked up in time to see Hinata diving from the ceiling onto its back where she cut a huge chunk out of it with her blade streaming water chakra. The mamushi lashed out at Hinata causing her to leap clear before it could sink its massive fangs into her.

The byakugan princess landed near the stunned Maya and made a shadow clone to get Maya clear before she took the offensive again. The mamushi tried to go after the shadow clone with Maya only to lose part of its snout to Hinata's sword back in its zanbatou form. "I am you opponent now snake!" she roared.

The mamushi reared back and hissed. "I will kill you first then kunoichi!"

….

Naruto had his hands full. The undead Takeda Shingen was on par with his old enemy Genshin of the Black Spider Clan. Worse still the ghost did not tire one bit as they battled. Naruto was knocked from the ceiling and down into the floor. Takeda nodded and said, "You are indeed worthy of respect ninja. To have lasted this long against me you must have extraordinary strength of spirit. But now it ends!"

The blonde saw Takeda turn into a massive, leaping tiger and descend upon Naruto like a bat out of hell.

Naruto took on his sage form and roared, "Genjutsu Kai!" as he blasted out a wave of chakra which caused the Tiger of Kai to vanish and the skeletal form of Takeda in his decaying samurai armor to be revealed with his sword coming down fast. Naruto channeled wind chakra through the Kusanagi and blocked the daimyō's blade at the last second….

….

While Naruto dueled Takeda's true form and Hinata faced off with the colossal mamushi, Maya silently climbed the altar where the Yawarakai-Ti sat in its sheath on an ornate stand. When she gripped the sheath it burst into flames and it took all of her willpower not to scream. She forced holy chakra through her burning arm only to have her hand frozen in ice. The Uzumaki kunoichi forced even more holy chakra through her frozen hand and the illusion was broken showing the sheath glowing in synch with her own chakra. Maya gripped the sheath and pulled the Yawarakai-Ti from its 700 year slumber. The entire room blazed with her holy chakra and both Takeda and the spirit of the giant snake left their bodies.

Naruto heard Takeda's spirit say, "You offered yourself as a decoy so your priestess could claim what is rightfully hers. Well played young Uzumaki. I will see you again in the pure land." The blonde then saw something float down to him and Takeda's voice whispered, "A daimyō's gift to the Clan Uzumaki, the O-katana Nobutora. Use it well."

Hinata saw the snake keel over on its own before she could deliver the killing blow and felt Maya's holy chakra wash over her as the snake's body turned to dust. The byakugan princess said, "Well done Maya-chan."

….

The three Uzumakis sat down at the base of the altar exhausted. The room itself seemed purified and the torches burned brightly. Hinata said, "You did it Maya-chan. While we kept them distracted you got the Yawarakai-Ti. Now we have an even better weapon against the fiends. You'll have to master that blade of course. I have a feeling you'll that done in no time though."

Maya smiled under her mask and said. "The Yawarakai-Ti already feels like an extension of my arm. It's really amazing."

Naruto patted her knee from the step below where he was sitting. "Well done Maya-hime. To think you purified this entire hellhole with one blast of your holy chakra. We will definitely be celebrating when we get back home."

That was when Hinata noticed an ornately sheathed O-katana sitting in Naruto's lap. "Where did that come from Naruto-kun?" she asked brightly.

"Ah, Lord Takeda left it as a gift to the Uzumaki Clan." said Naruto. "He said the O-katana's name is Nobutora." He pulled the Nobutora from its sheath and saw the blade glow in the light of the torches.

"It's a beautiful blade." said Hinata. "I wonder if it holds a special power."

"I have no idea." replied the blonde. "He simply said 'Use it well.' before I felt his spirit go to the pure land."

….

Climbing back up through the labyrinth was a lot easier than going down since the place was purified. All of the remains of the bodies were gone now. They waited until just after midnight to open the passage under the altar. There they saw two kunoichi's waiting for them with naginatas. Both of them seemed petrified and Naruto said, "No need to mind us ladies, we're not undead."

"W-w-w-what?!" choked out one of them. "You're the interloper from last night! How did you get in there?"

The other kunoichi was more to the point. "Why aren't you dead?!"

Hinata flipped up onto the altar and Maya body flickered up beside her. Hinata said, "We are ninjas of the Uzumaki clan and came to claim the Yawarakai-Ti from Lord Takeda with his blessing. Are you the Mochizuki clan in his service?"

Several other kunoichis surrounded them by this point. One that was obviously in charge said, "If our Lord Takeda Shingen truly gave you his blessings then he would have given you a gift as proof."

Naruto nodded and said, "Daimyō-sama gifted us with the O-katana Nobutora before he departed for the pure land. Naruto held the sheathed blade before him and said "I will show you the blade if you wish."

"Draw it slowly…." said the head kunoichi. Naruto nodded and drew the Nobutora that gleamed in the moonlight. The kunuichi said, "This is Nobutora forged by Kanemitsu. That means you have the sacred blade."

"I have the Yawarakai-Ti." said Maya. "Observe." She drew the blade and it glowed like a torch with her holy chakra.

The head kunoichi kneeled and said, "The Mochizuki Ninja Clan is in your service as the honorable heirs of Lord Takeda Shingen. If you wield the Nobutora then we are in your debt for freeing our Lord from his imprisonment in the labyrinth. I must ask though, why would you seek the Yawarakai-Ti?"

"We are fiend hunters and allies of the Dragon Lineage." said Hinata. "The Yawarakai-Ti was created to destroy fiends."

"I see." said an elderly nun that came in while they were talking. "Then we of the Mochizuki Clan are your vassals."

Naruto said, "The Uzumaki Clan would rather have you as our trusted allies than as vassals. Perhaps we could come back tomorrow after a good shower….We reek of death from the labyrinth….I mean we really need baths."

The elderly nun laughed and said, "I understand Lord Uzumaki. Please come back tomorrow evening after you have refreshed yourselves. Ask for Mother Harumi and my kunoichi's will escort you to my office. Then we can discuss the relationship between our clans."

….

POSTSCRIPT:

Well, that got the creative juices flowing. Next chapter we'll jump back into the action of the Dead or Alive 1 Tournament and wrap things up in Sasebo (for now anyway). See you next time. Blue out. 2/11/18