So, uh, hello?

it's been like what, four years since I updated this fic? LOL
Idk honestly, I felt a sudden urge to update this fic and here I am.

After literal years of sitting on this chapter, I finally decided to do something about it and finish it.
TBH who fucking knows when the next update will come - if it comes lmao, I kinda forgot the plot I was gonna go with, but here we are, we're doing it, and we're gonna make it happen. Maybe. Kinda. Who knows, honestly? I've just been so caught up with getting my second book revised/edited/published that fanfiction has honestly slipped my mind in its entirety, along with my new job and getting engaged, there's been so much going on in the last year alone, that I've kinda lost interest in Fanfiction, but, but, but, that doesn't mean I'm abandoning these fics or anything. I'll be here, I'll still update every now and then, every few years lol, but I'm still lurking around!

Again, who knows when the next update is coming, but know that it is! The same goes for all of my other fanfiction!
(Did you know, despite all the somewhat deserved hate that A Throne For a King gets, it has over ONE MILLION VIEWS - I'm shook that something I've written, despite how reviled and hated it is, has been viewed over ONE MILLION TIMES. I'm honestly blown away. It's true what they say, bad publicity is good publicity)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto


Chapter 4: Get Your Shit Together

"Since we have literally nothing better to do…what abilities do you have, Naruto?" Shizuka asked.

It had been almost two days out into sea. While there were a few close calls from pirates and a handful of unaccounted storms that had rolled in, the crew, shinobi and extra passenger, had managed along quite well. The winds were steady for once but they were suffering a searing crucible with the sun above beaming a powerful radiating heat. The ship hobbled along though, buoyant and monotonous. Guy had knocked out, sweat pouring down his bushy brows. Aoba had even brought a hand to shade his eyes hidden in sunglasses. Yamato, with little choice, managed to somehow create a small roof of shade.

All of them; crew included were practically dying from the abhorrent fire of the star. Shizuka had even decided to remove her harness holding her body suit to her sweaty skin. It laid beside her along with a small pile of jōnin flak jackets. Next her, a blond boy's head laid; drenched as bad as the rest of them. His hair hung heavy with giant beads dripping onto the wooden deck, only to evaporate into steam. Strangely enough; he for some odd reason, decided it necessary to keep his jumpsuit jacket on – it wasn't even unzipped! That alone, made her sweat all the harder.

"Abilities?" He blushed for a moment, his eyes drifting to face the pale-skinned beauty beside him. Slowly reaching up, he undid his hitai-ate, tossing the headband away. "Erm abilities…yeah…I can do the shadow clone…and…the rasengan…?"

"And?" Shizuka's brow raised. If the heat hadn't beaten down on them so powerfully, she would have risen to give him an incredulous look. "For someone who trained with the great Jiraiya of the Sannin, you must have other skills than that."

"Well…I uh, have the Fuuton: Rasenshuriken…" He responded. "Oh! And Sage Mode and the Ōdama Rasengan, rasen-taregan; Rasenrengan…"

"Stop." Shizuka's face was deadpanned. Her head turned to face him, finding the embarrassed blush on his whiskered cheeks. "Are you seriously telling me that your ninjutsu repertoire consists of one A-ranked ninjutsu and another A-ranked and variants of the same said A-ranked?! Y-You trained with a Sannin – how can you tell me that those are the only techniques you have in your ninjutsu arsenal?! At least your taijutsu is solid, what is your genjutsu like?"

Naruto had the decency to look sheepish. "Genjutsu is nonexistent for me – too much chakra."

"Well…" The kunoichi facepalmed, catching the attention of the burning hot jōnin, lazily watching the two interact. "H-How the hell did you beat me. Anyway, it seems I have my work cut out for me…"

"Eh?!" Naruto's eyes widened like plates.

"You said Fuuton: Rasenshuriken – right?" Shizuka gave him a small smirk. "That means your elemental affinity is Wind – my affinity. Come on, I have no idea where you're going, or what you're even doing, but I will do what I can to teach you basic wind techniques. Besides – it's so boring right now that I'm actually in pain; any form of entertainment will do."

"Training me is entertainment?" Naruto glared, menacingly. "Sounding an awful lot like the old perv, Shizuka-chan!"

"Oh, don't worry, Naruto-kun." She huffed. "Wind chakra isn't regarded as one of the hardest elements to mold for nothing, y'know."

Suddenly, energy had exploded in the kunoichi's body. She shot up to her feet, almost unaffected by the beating sun. Yamato excitedly elbowed Aoba. The two jōnin shared a knowing look and almost had cheeky smirks on their faces. A powerful sigh exploded from the blond boy as he sluggishly rose to his feet. A massive body shaped sweat stain had been revealed where he once laid, garnering a few snickers from the two jōnin watching.

"I assume you know the chakra control practices." Shizuka raised a brow.

"I won't say I know them perfectly, but I got the harder ones down." He sighed. "I have too much chakra to truly master it – well, I always use my shadow clones to help but we're kinda stumped because of limited space."

"That's no problem, Naruto." Shizuka stretched her arms and legs. "First, we have to stretch."

A raging burning inferno of a blush appeared on his cheeks. The woman's body suit had sweat stains in certain areas and without the harness, he came to realize just how truly curvaceous she actually was. From the monstrous size of her chest to her beautifully shaped hips, simply stretching seemed impossible. Gulping as quietly as he can, Shizuka's eyes perked. A little glimmer appeared in her jade eyes, sending shivers up and down his spine. If it already wasn't so hot, he was certain he'd sweat even more. Continuing to stretch, she bent over, sliding her hands against her shapely athletic legs.

She's doing this on purpose… Naruto's eyes widened as her hands continued to roam.

She bent back, letting her breasts fall back with her, jiggling as they always did. His once hot face had burned with the righteous fury, possibly even hotter than the sun itself. The sweat stains and the bodysuit she wore so fit so well, so tight, he felt that if she stretched further, she might rip the fabric. He shook his head, trying his best to concentrate, only to realize that he hadn't even bent in the slightest. Narrowing his eyes, he gulped once more. She was insane, she had to be!

"Now." She slammed her hands against her sides and pushed her hips forward, stretching her back. That massive rack of hers jumped a little nearly bringing the Uzumaki over the edge. "Okay…since you didn't want to stretch, I guess we can get straight to the first ninjutsu I can teach you. It's called Fuuton: Daitoppa."

"The hand seals – Tiger, Ox, Dog, Hare and Snake. In that specific order, Naruto."

She walked past the boy, skin-tight body suit bending and creasing with each step she took. Grabbing his hand, she brought him up to the railing of the deck. Slowly, she took a powerful deep breath, channeling chakra into her lungs and stomach. Speeding through the five hand seals, she brought her right hand to her lips.

It was incredible, sending shivers up and down the Uzumaki's back. Winds roared forward, shaking the vessel as it drifted across the glistening waters. Sweat against her skin, like a diamond glimmering beneath light. The ninjutsu sliced through the surface of the crystalline water, shearing a trench through the blue waves. Powerful in how it split, the waters shuddered against the aft of the ship, forcing the unconscious Noble Green Beast from his sleep. Shooting into the air, the bowl-cut jōnin grabbed onto the mast for dear life.

Naruto though, ignored the yells coming from the terrified jōnin. His jaw was too busy scraping the deck. His skin had turned cold as ice, both terrified and inspired. Dare he say, impressed. She was incredible, such power in an attack – he'd never seen wind of this magnitude. Unlike Temari, Shizuka created the attack without a fan or weapon. His eyes glimmered with excitement, watching her sly smirk grow on her pale face.

"Well, you have me convinced," Naruto spoke after a few minutes of silence. He did a terrible job of hiding the pride in his eyes. "Well, here goes nothing…"

Standing at the edge of the boat, he sped through the hand seals with extreme precision. "Fuuton: Daitoppa!"

She knew he was strong. She knew he was talented, but she never expected this. Chakra exploded from the boy, rippling against her skin, she could even feel it in the fibers of her clothes. Shizuka's eyes practically popped from her head. Wind howled from his lips, smashing against the surface of the sea. Throwing an arm to cover her face, she gripped the railing, feeling the screaming wind lift her feet off the deck for a few moments. A beaming smile spread across her face feeling the intensity of his ninjutsu. Once his breath had run thin, the ship stopped shaking and the waters calmed at a slow and steady pace.

"T-That was incredible…" Shizuka looked at the blond with glimmering eyes. "You weren't kidding when you said you had a lot of chakra."

"See?" Naruto beamed with a cheeky smirk. "It seems I got it down."

"It's one of the easier ninjutsu, Naruto." Shizuka narrowed her eyes. "I'll have you know that it'll only get harder from here on out."

"I look forward to it."

She watched carefully as he stood back up, unaffected by the intensity he just displayed. A face of courage, a face of the man who freed her from her own mind. Strange as it was, it was inspiring to see. So willing, so innocent. Free of anger, despair or frustration, he eagerly followed her command, her words and requests without a complaint. Truly, a breath of fresh air. Giving the jōnin watching from the end of the ship and the shinobi and crew watching and waiting for a show, she gave them a wink, excited and ready to take this wide-eyed, child-like boy under her wing.


"How…I-I don't…u-understand," Shizuka gasped, holding her chest and panting. "There shouldn't be that much chakra in one person…"

Naruto, completely unfazed and fresh, smirked with a confident stance. "It's okay friend, I'm just the best."

"Oh yeah?" Speeding through hand seals, the woman landed on the snake seal. "Fuuton: Daitoppa!"

Dodging the great gust of wind, Naruto watched it shred through the scenery, eating the trees and even the mountain behind. Shinobi and those who travelled to protect him sat against the fringe between foliage and sand, cheering and laughing at the confrontation. The blond boy had proven just how ridiculously skilled and agile he truly was. It was sickening and almost criminal that he'd have such incredible power and skill.

Moving fast, he activated his spring-loaded wrist launchers. Shuriken and kunai flew across the clearing in rapid succession. Shizuka, for all her skill, quickly drew her katana, deflecting and dodging the projectiles just as quickly as they came. Sparks and smoke, her eyes widened for a moment as the sizzling tune of a paper tag caught her attention. In a split second, she jumped back as the tag finally exploded. Smoke as dark as night appeared, spreading between palm trees and jungle brush. She needed to focus.

"You're going to have to try harder than that, Shizuka-chan!"

I don't regret coming along, but he is really starting to get on my nerves!

"I'm gonna beat your ass, Naruto-kun!"

She saw it. The shadow in the smoke. Channeling her chakra, the immediate burst dissipated the smoke screen, revealing his position between two crossed palm trees. Dashing for him, she swung quick and precise. He ducked underneath a slash of her katana, nearly screaming at the hairs sliced from his head. Rolling about the sand, he threw up his own hand seals, speeding through a set so quickly, the jade eyed girl couldn't tell what ninjutsu it was that he completed. "Fuuton: Hajinkaru no jutsu!"

As the final syllable left his lips, Shizuka had already cursed her luck. He took a deep breath, expanding his chest, only to release it with a deafening blast. Blades of wind rushed about, cutting her cheek and parts of her harness and body suit. Moving like lightning, she sped through her own hand seals, using the last of her chakra to create a barrier of wind, protecting herself where she felt she needed it the most. The winds grew in strength, lifting her from the sands.

She panicked. Channeling chakra around herself, she spun about, throwing a kunai through the piercing winds. Rope connected to its loop, the kunai lodged into a tree, ending her ascent. As the winds died down, she pushed through, swinging around the tree, flying back toward the blonde Uzumaki. Foot out, channeling chakra into her sole, she crashed into him, only for his body to burst into smoke, revealing a shattered log in his place.

Senses heightened, jade eyes narrowing with frustration, kunai launched at her from between the crossed palm trees, thwacking and thudding as their blades pierced the bark. Splinters, sizzling tags and the shrill screech of spiraling shuriken, she cursed his movements. Ducking, weaving and using all of the training she gained in her years of action, she responded with her own barrage, shuriken and kunai nearing the hundreds, clashed and clanged as metal met metal, clinging and clanging against each other upon the sandy beach.

He sped through hand seals once more, getting faster and faster the more they sparred. Cursing once again, she moved through her own set, trying to match his movements. To her surprise, he stopped the sequence as he neared the final seal. Her hands still moving, his hand seal changed mid-action, leaving the form of a Ram, to the cross. Eyes bulged as several Naruto clones popped into existence, each one charging for her with the same vigor.

She moved between each one, slashing and swinging, dodging and maneuvering away from them. Pop, pop, pop. Smoke, distractions and if she was truly unlucky, mirrors and flash. He had too many tricks, too many sudden plans that her tactical mind could not keep up. In the confusion under the cover of smoke, a fist slammed through the dispelled clones, smashing against her cheek, sending her flying through the jungle floor, only stopping as her back crashed against the crossed palm trees. Frustration growing, she pushed herself off the dirt and mud, pale and sweating.

Clones gone, smoke dissipating, she came face to face with his final sequence. Taking a deep breath, he roared the jutsu name, expanding his chest. Wind rushed into his lungs, drawing leaves and trees to bend in his direction. Shizuka sped through hand seals – at the rate he was going, it would only be a matter of time before he could learn to level an entire island with wind alone! She wanted to end the spar as quickly as possible, thinking quick on her feet, moving around the Uzumaki as he charged his ninjutsu.

Kunai were thrown, shuriken were deployed, explosive tags were laid, but clones moved in, popping in within hand seals, without even a shift of chakra disposition. She could sense everything he was doing and everything he was not – somehow, someway, the Uzumaki left her stumped once more. Cursing under her breath, cursing loudly, cursing to the heavens above and to Jigoku below, she sped through the final sequence of hand seals, falling static and planting herself between the crossed palm trees. Mountains and rock formations to her back and the sea and beach to her front, Naruto remained in her sights, with cheering jōnin and crewmen hiding behind his silhouette.

Wind exploded from his lips, snapping palm trees with the sheer force. Juvenile palm trees were ripped from the earth, shrubs and smaller foliage were obliterated as the wind pummeled through the jungle. Barreling toward her, she had no choice but to cancel her jutsu. With a shift of chakra, the winds compressed, tightening around her body before launching her away. Rolling through the impromptu training field, she sprang to her feet, flipping through the air and landed on a wooden stump. She prepared another sequence of hand seals but she suddenly froze, groaning from the bruises already forming across her body. Holding her head, the woman fell back, collapsing into the dirt and debris.

"Ugh…that was painful…" She groaned. Her vision spun rapidly, rolling and dancing in every direction. "What a hit…"

"Shizuka…" A boy's worried voice sounded and echoed. "Shizuka…are you alright?"

"N-Naruto…?" She asked, delirious and mind beating like a tribal drum. "That was a good hit…"

"Alright, you're fine." Naruto chuckled. Pulling her to her feet, she stumbled, falling into his chest. The proximity, the warmth, the sweat, the Uzumaki gulped loudly, loud enough for her to hear.

She smiled softly, leaning closer into his body. Head against his shoulder, burying it deep into his neck, she whispered, her breath tickling against his skin. "N-Naruto…I don't think I can walk…"

"Save it for someone who's strong enough." He said with a shit-eating grin. He knew he was reaching a line that shouldn't be crossed, but aggravating her was just too much fun. She knew what she was doing – he refused to fall for it.

"Strong enough…?" She wondered for a moment, completely silent. "Are you calling me fat?!"

She punched his arm, sending ripples of agony through his arm. From the hit alone, his arm vibrated. "Bahaha! I knew you'd do that!"

"And you still did it anyway?!" She hissed with venom. "I should shove this katana into your stomach and call it a day!"

"Shizuka…" Naruto grinned. "I was kidding."

"You should make better jokes."

The boy threw his arm around her, holding her close, careful to not drop her. "Please, you love my jokes."

"I loved putting you in the dirt when you were just a guppy."

"But I'm a fast learner."

"Fuck you and your cheat codes."

"Kage Bunshin are not cheat codes! How many times do I have to say this to you?!"

"I was talking about your inhuman chakra reserves," Shizuka growled, "Ugh, how much longer until we meet this talking octopus you keep talking about? I thought this was the island we were supposed to meet."

"Well, I was told we would meet here, but as far as I'm concerned, there's no sign of him," Naruto adopted a thinking pose, "maybe, we should venture further – I was told that this was a resort of some kind. Not entirely sure where the resort is but the island is pretty enough."

"I'm not too sure about that," Shizuka frowned, "this place is pretty much a virgin island, there is no sign of human activity aside from us."

"To be fair, we are just on the beach. If we venture further…" Naruto pressed, turning his eyes away from the girl, "we can find this talking octopus."

"You do know that octopi are sea creatures right?" the girl sighed into her hands.

"And you do know that I'm not that dumb," Naruto shot back.

"You know what, fine," she relented, "it's too hot to complain."

"Thank you!" he smirked, "after you, island princess."

"Call me that again and I might really kill you."

"Gonna tell me that you're not an island princess?"

As the pair of teens bantered, Yamato and Guy watched the interaction, almost wistfully. Neither said a word, motioning for the shinobi and crew to follow. For the experienced ANBU who fought beside the young Uzumaki for the greater part of a year, to see him relaxed and as close as he was, made his heart swell. Sure, the idiot went off and snuck around his explicit orders, sure there was a War about to be fought to protect him – for these quick moments beneath the sun, beneath the palm trees and the against the pale white beaches and cool waters of the great seas, it did not matter.

Like watching a brother, or a child, grow from adolescence to adulthood, learning, living and loving, he was glad they ran into Nadeshiko. Shizuka would do wonders for the boy. Yamato had no doubt. Steeling a glance at the powerful taijutsu master beside him, he prepared himself. Naruto suddenly grabbed Shizuka and sped off into the jungle toward the rock formations deeper within the island. Guy was trembling, watching the interaction with a steel gaze.

"Guy, don't do it," Yamato pleaded.

Bushy brows furrowed, eyes snapped shut. Even Aoba who was not really paying attention grabbed earplugs, ready for deployment. Guy clenched his fists, trying to hold himself back, but he simply could not restrain himself. Snapping a fist into the air, fire roared from his eyes as his teeth barred free, "Naruto-kun is brimming with such youth! I cannot, will not, be outdone by Kakashi's student! When I see Lee again, we must, will, match his flame! This entire journey, Naruto-kun has done nothing but surprise me, time and time again!"

"Goddamn it," Yamato deflated, "this journey just gets longer and longer."


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Ja ne!

gottahavekyuubi