"Can you explain it again, Kaa-san?"
Tsunade looked at her normally hyper blonde as he worked on an antidote for his hallucinogen; it wasn't something that was necessary at the moment, but for some reason he seemed to learn more while he was doing something else. Naruto Senju was a tactile learner that needed to keep his hands busy when listening to lectures that didn't have a hands-on opportunity. The lesson they were working on, for example, was a discussion on taijutsu styles.
"The most basic taijutsu style is called the 'Strong Fist' and it focuses on external damage; broken bones and using force to render an opponent unconscious. Then we have several variations of the Strong Fist, one of which is our own 'Solid Gold Fist', which is the perfect combination of medical ninjutsu and taijutsu."
Putting down his pen and closing his notebook, Naruto looked into his mother's warm, honey colored eyes and scrunched his nose in the manner he always did when he was deep in thought. It wasn't the first time he learned about taijutsu, but as his Uncle Orochimaru had once told him 'The Elite do not neglect the basics.' He wanted to be prepared for what was out there and thus far he had only taken out untrained bandits and dishonored samurai. But with the mention of the Senju Solid Gold Fist came the thought of his own personal style that was a gift from Ko-chan. Through her, he gained the Boil Release kekkei genkai, and the ability to use the taijutsu style unique to her jinchuriki; Boil Release: Unrivalled Strength. Whereas the Solid Gold Fist focused on dealing massive damage with explosive chakra control and essentially becoming a tank due to the constant healing of the user, the Unrivalled Strength style was a combination of thunderous strength and lightning speed.
"Shizune even has her own fighting style that she will teach you when you get older."
Those words had the desired effect; little Naru-chan was instantly ripped from his own thoughts as his eyes shone with barely concealed excitement. The blonde Sannin giggled at her son as she nodded wisely with her eyes closed and arms folded beneath her generous bust.
"Yes, indeed." said the mother dramatically. "Her taijutsu style is based off of the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist. Oddly enough, she hasn't given the style a name, but she calls the techniques used 'Death Techniques'. But that's enough for today. Go ahead a shower so we can have dinner; Shizune is making ramen tonight."
The tiny boy was gone so fast, the older blonde would swear that she could see an afterimage sitting where he once did. With an amused chuckle, brown-eyed mother stood and stretched before quitting the room as well. Her son's obsession with ramen was as unhealthy as her former addiction to sake.
"Ichi-kun,"
Inoichi Yamanaka looked down at the gorgeous brunette that had seduced his mind and stolen his heart all those years ago. Akemi Yamanaka stared up at him with half-lidded eyes. The clan head felt his cock harden instantly. He couldn't get enough of his wife and though they both missed their daughter's near constant presence in the house, her relationship with the Senju heir had given them more time to show each other that the physical attraction was still there and burning hotter than the sun. They had been making love for roughly an hour and a half; Akemi was quite insatiable at times. The wife of the clan head allowed her cool hand to grasp her husband's member and start stroking it gently.
"I want to train our daughter," she whispered in between scorching kisses she planted on his neck. "I believe she's become serious enough to claim the other half of her birthright."
Inoichi felt his mind hazing over as his wife started to straddle him while continuing to stroke his middle-man. He knew that his Akemi was once a kunoichi, a powerful one at that, but it was easy to forget it. He nodded as she pressed her lips to his in a passionate kiss, her hand guiding his erection into her depths. There was a reason Akemi Yamanaka owned a flower shop; may Konoha fear the mother of the Yamanaka clan heiress.
Shockwaves reverberated throughout the preliminary stage, growing louder and louder still with each strike thrown. Lee had removed his leg weights while Naruto began releasing thick steam that allowed him to easily keep up with the other boy. The initial start to their battle was rather slow as the pair engaged in a heated taijutsu competition. The medical prodigy and the Strong Fist prodigy were evenly matched, trading blows and blocking what could be blocked, all the while urging each other to hit harder.
Finally, they slowed just enough for the onlookers to catch a glimpse of what was going on. Lee appeared in front of Naruto, in the middle of a perfectly executed tornado kick. Naruto didn't take time to admire the other genin's form as he grabbed him by the ankle and slammed him to the ground. The bushy-browed genin spun and began attacking with a flurry of kicks while walking on his hands with an ease acquired from regular practice. The blonde had only just managed to block the fancy footwork before the green clad shinobi's right foot hooked behind his neck and brought him into a powerful blow from the left that connected with his chin.
Airborne, Naruto righted himself and spun as he began his descent. Lee launched himself after his opponent only to find himself on the end of a vicious axe kick that sent him rocketting back to the stage floor. Once the Senju heir landed, he charged at the exuberant youth, throwing a straight punch that was blocked and counter by a spinning elbow. Just barely catching the elbow, he tried to knee the other bow in the ribs, only for his own attack to be caught as well.
"Your flames of youth are most impressive, Naruto-kun." Lee shouted, the brightest of smiles gracing his features.
Naruto ducked his roundhouse kick before retaliating with a bone-shattering uppercut. "Thanks. You're damn good, too. I wouldn't mind sparring with you from time to time."
Before Lee could go too high, Naruto grabbed him by the ankle and slammed him back to the floor. He launched himself into the air and spun before falling with his right leg over his head.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain."
Lee rolled to his feet and managed to escape the attack mere seconds before Naruto brought his foot down and destroyed a portion of the ground below. In the stands, Ino was smiling with pride as she snuggled into the haori that her koibito draped around her shoulders before he made his descent to the arena floor. Apparently it was his favorite one, despite him having one for every day of the week. Literally. She'd seen it; made a plan to 'borrow' a few for 'scientific purposes', point of fact. Beside her, Sakura was watching him with the look of something fathomless and deep, a soft blush coloring her cheeks as she watched the walking poison factory trade blows with the mini-Might Guy.
Asuma and Kurenai watched in astonishment at the fight taking place. Asuma had seen the kid fight, though only in brief spars against Ino during which he held back. If this match was anything to go on, he held way back and Asuma had a sinking suspicion that he was still holding back. He hadn't used any jutsu aside from the single kekkei genkai that he used to augment his already insane speed and physical strength. Meanwhile Kurenai had been a bit skeptical when Asuma had told her about the insanity that was his student's boyfriend. Now watching him and Guy's student literally tear up the arena with nothing but taijutsu, she found herself a little scared.
That wasn't helped when Naruto and Lee took stances away from each other. Guy's clone had his arms crossed in front of his face. The air around him started distorting due to the heat his body was giving off as his skin turned red as veins began bulging around his body. His hair rose and remained standing on end, his eyes losing their dark pupils. A green aura surrounded him, his chakra becoming visible within the aura. The jonin looked to Guy with looks of varying levels of incredulity.
"You didn't actually teach him the Eight Gates Formation." Kakashi prayed that his friend and self proclaimed rival wasn't really that much of an idiot.
Still, Might Guy said nothing, opting to merely watch the end of the match unfold. The Handsome and Noble Blue Beast of Konoha knew for a fact that the young Senju would have a way to counter this. The Eight Gates Formation put a strain on the body and bones, tearing muscle tissue and, depending on which gates are opened, kill the user. That was the reason that Guy hadn't taught his student the secret to unlocking the final gate.
"Eight Gates: Gate of Life: Open."
Naruto watched the transformation take place with excitement boiling over. Steam began billowing thicker off of his flesh, causing the arena to heat up significantly. Unlike his initial use, the steam rose to the roof of the arena and clung desperately to the atmosphere. His sun kissed flesh seemed to have a minor glow about it and when he exhaled, a jet of thin steam flowed from between his lips.
"Boil Release: Unrivalled Strength: Second Step."
Both genin vanished from perception and all that could be heard were the shockwaves of cleanly landed blows and the crunching of bones. Suddenly, Naruto was visible in midair with blood flying from his mouth. Ino and Sakura gasped, only to watch in horror as the blonde was suddenly ragdolled by an invisible force. Every blow that was struck seemed to sound worse than the last.
"Eight Gates: Gate of Pain: Open." Lee's speed increased as he continued to batter the blonde until his own nose was bleeding from the strain. "Reverse Lotus!"
Naruto opened his eyes to find himself enshrouded in darkness. Lee had wrapped him in the bandages that adorned his arms. There was the briefest sensation of being pulled before there was nothing but devastating pain that caused him to blackout temporarily as he hit the ground. Lee landed gracefully, only managing to remain on his feet through sheer willpower. All was still, and a shell shocked Zabuza moved to call the match before a dense feeling saturated the air. Instantly, Team Ten and Sakura were on edge, having felt this power once before. There was a subtle difference in the feeling, however, as it didn't feel as sinister as it did in the Forest of Death
Chakra exploded from the motionless blonde as the diamond seal on his forehead unravelled. His bones cracked loudly as they snapped back into place, the lacerations on his flesh closed. The damage was steadily being reversed as the Senju heir stood. His hands were coated in chakra so concentrated, it was visible. Smooth black lines trailed down either side of his face from the Strength of a Hundred Seal, before crossing on his neck and arms, moving lower still to form an odd yet intricate pattern on his exposed muscular torso.
"Ninja Art of Creation Rebirth-Strength of a Hundred Technique." Naruto opened his ultramarine eyes and smiled kindly at his opponent, who lowered himself into his Strong Fist Stance. "Mitotic Regeneration: Solid Gold Fist."
Lee made the first move, suddenly appearing in front of Naruto who ducked under his straight punch. He countered with a blurry chakra laced back fist, before grabbing the other boy by his throat and slamming him onto the ground. The force was so great, he bounced high enough for the blonde to grab his leg, swing him above his head, and slam him onto his face. Rock Lee struggled to stand, but stayed on the ground, the gates he opened forcing themselves closed.
With easy strides, the Senju heir made his way to downed taijutsu prodigy. Might Guy was suddenly in front of him, intent on stopping his advance. He blinked in surprise when he realized that the son of Tsunade was already kneeling beside Lee. Carefully, he rolled the boy onto his back and touched his forehead. Lee's breathing was shallow, the damage done to his body at levels that were insane. Moving his chakra, Naruto felt the power of the Mitotic Regeneration moving into the exuberant youth, righting the damage done to him from what was a mixture of the fight and what had to be a last resort technique. Within seconds, Lee's breathing evened out and deepened. Naruto left him to Guy, deciding that he would be alright as he deactivated the technique.
"The winner is Naruto Senju." Zabuza called finally, looking at the boy that broke his spine in a new light. "Will the victors of the previous matches come to the arena floor."
Ino and Sakura were the first to land, with the blonde kunoichi returning the haori with a blush. He was okay and in control; she couldn't ask for more. The others joined not soon after, the foreign shinobi eying Naruto in both fear and apprehension. After a short speech from the Sandaime, the winners drew numbers. The matches for the finals were shown after a few moments and the genin were dismissed for a month to train for the finals.
"That was insane!" Sakura was bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement as Ino clung to Naruto's right arm. "I've never seen you fight like that."
The blue-eyed Senju rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment with a slight smile. "Both of your fights were nothing to scoff at. Tenten and Temari didn't see that ass-kicking coming. I'm so proud of you."
He gave Ino a tender kiss, then gave Sakura a side hug since Ino was still holding onto his dominant arm. The trio came up to the Yamanaka compound and entered the main house with smiles. As they entered the kitchen, they all saw Inoichi holding his wife from behind, his arms wrapped around her waist, as Akemi giggled at her husband, pressing back against him. The medic in Naruto and Sakura instantly noticed the deep blushed adorning their faces. Ino, who knew her parents almost as well as they knew her, was already aware of what happened. Sure, they were always lovey-dovey, but this only happened after…
The Yamanaka heiress shuddered as she willed her mind away from that train of thought, before her conscious mind was assaulted by images of her parents replaced by her and Naruto. She blushed profusely, before releasing her grasp on her blonde.
"Kaa-san, Tou-san." Ino coughed. "We're home."
Husband and wife turned to find the trio; a blushing Ino, a flustered Sakura, and a confused looking Naruto. They chuckled at them before Inoichi nipped his wife's ear and released her to grab a drink from the fridge. Her quiet moan was just loud enough to be heard by the genin trio. Clearing her throat, Akemi turned to the trio and smiled kindly.
"How did it go?"
Ino, her thoughts and embarrassment forgotten, began bouncing excitedly. "It went great. The three of us made it to the Finals and we have a month to train. Will I be learning more clan techniques, or do I get to train with Naruto?"
"Clan techniques, my little Sunflower." Inoichi smiled as he stood beside his still blushing brunette. "I'm sure Naruto will be doing his own training."
Ino pouted. Naruto chuckled and pressed his lips to her temple. Akemi smiled as her daughter pressed herself closer to the Senju heir. Sakura looked away with barely concealed irritation.
"So are we going to start tomorrow?"
Akemi shook her head. "We'll be leaving after lunch. We have to travel a bit for your training."
Ino was confused but knew better than to question her mother. With a nod, she walked the Senju-Haruno duo to the door. Once again, Ino kissed her boyfriend, wrapping her arms around his neck. Naruto growled, deepening their kiss rather hungrily before releasing her. He could swear that he could hear her mother giggling, though whether it was at them or because she and Inoichi were doing the same thing, he wasn't entirely sure. The need for oxygen became too great and they seperated, but Ino pecked his lips once more, knowing that she wouldn't see him for a month.
"Don't push yourself too hard, Blondie." Naruto teased.
Ino rolled her eyes but gave a small smile. "Whatever, Whiskers. You better wow me in the Finals."
Yugao Uzuki found herself growing steadily more restless as she and Hayate were being guided by a nurse to the room that Naruto Senju had reserved for the operation. The nurse, an attractive brunette woman that wore her hair in an elegant bun, pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she knocked on the closed door they stopped in front of.
"Enter."
The blonde and his pink haired companion were currently discussing the various kinds of toxins and the chemical compound of their antidotes. From what it sounded like, the Senju boy was actually reviewing with the other kunoichi, catechizing her as she looked through a textbook that he provided her.
"Great job, Sakura." he smiled. "For this operation, I'll be using a technique I created a while back."
The flames of determination burning brightly in her viridescent eyes, the pinkette nodded as the duo turned to the nurse and patients. Naruto instructed Hayate to the operation table, and after the older man removed his shirt, the young medic went to work. Sakura wheeled a bowl of concentrated medicinal fluids over to the right side of her blonde friend. With soothing green medical chakra coating his hands via the Mystical Palm Technique, Naruto scanned the shinobi's torso for where the anomaly could lie.
"Alright, so there's good news and bad news." spoke Naruto with a frown after a moment of confirming his findings. "The bad news is that the toxin has infected your lungs, which is what is causing your coughing fits. The good news is the fact that your lungs haven't absorbed the toxin. Whoever created it seemed to be an amateur, but I'll be able to determine more after I remove it."
"What does it do?" asked Yugao before Sakura had the chance.
Naruto frowned as he prepared vials to take samples and unsealed his poisoner's kit. "It was meant to weaken the body by attacking the respiratory system. From what I can tell so far, the near constant channeling of chakra throughout the body is one of the only reasons you haven't ended up on my table earlier."
Moving back to the operation, he had Yugao help her lover onto his stomach before giving him a pillow to rest his head on. Blue chakra coated his hands and he moved his palms directly over his lungs, carefully making two inch incisions on either side of the man's back. The chakra scalpel faded as Naruto used his chakra to manipulate the medicinal fluid resting the bowl beside him.
With a practiced ease, the Senju heir pushed the fluid through the incision and manipulated it out of the other. Yugao and Sakura could see a dark fluid trapped in the healing liquid. Without hand seals, Naruto conjured a shadow clone to deal with the cataloging of the toxin as he focused on healing the damage internal, then external tissue of the kenjutsu master.
Taking a deep breath and with help from Yugao, Hayate sat up and watched as Naruto put together an antidote with supplies in his kit. The prodigy was muttering about 'good poison going to waste,' and 'damn amateurs,' much to the entertainment of the Sakura.
"What makes you say that the creator is an amateur?" she asked with a furrowed brow.
Naruto turned to her with a rather serious expression, and she realized that she goofed by invoking the inner nerd of her venomous teammate. "If created properly, or even administered properly, Hayate-san would not have survived as long as he did."
Yugao stiffened at the words of the blonde clan heir. She didn't doubt his words, and as he handed Hayate the bitter antidote, she couldn't help but fear the worse for the love of her life. Naruto handed her three more vials of the murky, bitter liquid.
"Make sure he drinks one each week for the next three weeks and come back for me make sure he's truly fine."
Yugao couldn't help but smile at the memory as Sakura worked on some advanced kata with a katana that Naruto purchased for her as a gift for making it to the finals. Naruto didn't ask for any payment, despite Yugao borderline throwing ryo at him. Instead, he asked for her to train his pink haired friend in the way of the sword. The girl was formidable with a tantō, and now armed with a standard katana she would be still more dangerous to those that stood against her.
"That will be enough for today, Sakura-san." said the Anbu. "You did great."
The pinkette bowed in respect to her sensei for the month. "Thank you, Yugao-sensei. I'll see you tomorrow."
The Yamanaka mother-daughter duo entered the Land of Vegetables after two days of high speed travel. In fact, Ino was unaware that Akemi was trained as shinobi; she thought her brunette of a mother was merely a regal civilian that owned a flower shop. There were dozens of questions that Ino had, but her mother didn't allow her to ask them. Something that stood out to her was the reaction that Akemi gave when they entered the small village in the center of the country; the woman inhaled deeply and exhaled with wistful sigh.
'They don't have air this clean in Konoha,' the woman said, her smile was one that bled nostalgia. 'I only wish your father were with us right now.'
Then there was the small fact that everyone referred to her mother as 'Akemi-sama' and her as 'The Honorable Daughter'. Still, Akemi refused to answer her daughter's wealth of questions but rather, told her to enjoy the crisp, clean air of the mountainous region.
Ino found herself being woken up at the crack of dawn by her mother. Dressing quickly, she followed the older barefoot woman to the top of the hill on the outskirts of the small village. Ino didn't know how to feel about this; she still had an impossible amount of questions, namely why there were here specifically, and why everyone referred to in reverence and with the utmost respect in their voices. But the blonde kunoichi held her tongue as her mother moved away from her.
"My beloved daughter," started Akemi, sounding suddenly younger than she did before arriving in the Land of Vegetables. "You don't understand how proud of you I am. Of course, I've always been proud of you, but ever since you've been taking your craft seriously, I have started to see even more of myself in you."
A breeze kicked up, causing the emerald blades of grass to dance serenely. Ino looked around, not minding the light of the rising sun causing her mother to look more like a divine entity than a mortal. What she did notice, however, was the fact that the woman that gave birth to her looked younger. The few wrinkles caused by the stress of running a business, being the wife of a clan head, and raising a daughter vanished. It was even to make Ino take a step back in surprise. What the hell was her mother?
"The name of our clan is never spoken aloud, for it has been lost to time. However there is a power in our blood that is equal to the Senju and the Uchiha." said the mother, her voice thick with the power of which she spoke. "It's time for you to claim your birthright. Haven't you ever wondered why, out of all of the businesses to start, a flower shop?"
Ino didn't answer; this was too much to take in, but she continued to listen intently. Her mother took a single step, pressing her dainty, bare foot onto the grass and channeling her chakra into the ground. Immediately, various flowers bloomed around her, covering the hilltop in scarlet and amethyst. The genin's jaw dropped. It was then that the blonde remembered something her venomous koibito said. 'My duty is to save the flower,'
"The Flower Ninja Art," smiled Inoichi's wife. "This is the power of our clan. Our flower can cut kunai, cast genjutsu, and even heal grievous wounds. Now, my precious Ino-chan, let's show Konoha the power of the Land of Vegetables."