Chapter 62: The Test
"So where are you taking me?" Naruto asked.
"A place far from civilization," Elvo said.
"Why? Why can't I train in Konoha, or close by it even?" Naruto asked.
"You'll see when the sun rises," Elvo said.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Naruto demanded.
"Wait and find out. Now on to more important things, we have to see how able you are. I know you're perfect for you life here, but for what I need, you must improve," Elvo said.
"How you gunna test me? Make me do stupid things or what?" Naruto asked annoyed.
"You're going to fight me, with everything you have. Use every trick you know, even some you don't. It may even turn out you're good as you are," Elvo said.
"Does that mean I could go back home?" Naruto asked.
"Not right away, but it definitely cuts a lot of time off of our journey," Elvo said.
"Why do you wear the hood? It's going to come off in the fight, might as well let me see you're face now," Naruto said.
"True, you will eventually see my face, but it won't be during the fight. If you manage that…" Elvo said.
"What? What happens if I can knock your hood back in the fight?" Naruto asked.
"Nothing, it won't happen. Anyway, what weapon do you use?" Elvo asked.
"None in particular. Kunai and shrunken obviously. I know a little with pretty much any other," Naruto said,
"Even a scythe?" Elvo asked.
"No, but that's not really a weapon," Naruto said,
"You won't say that when you have to fight a man wielding one," Elvo said.
"But it's so impractical. No ninja would wield it," Naruto said.
"You're smarter than people usually give you credit for," Elvo said and Naruto grinned, "And you're right, but this man's not a ninja."
"Then I don't have to worry, I can use jutsu and he can't," Naruto said.
"He doesn't need to. The twelve fought him in their past lives. All of them. And it took all of them to send him back," Elvo said.
"Send him back? Wait… are you talking about Kyuubi?" Naruto asked.
"Forget what I said about being smart," Elvo said and Naruto scowled, "Kyuubi's a fox, he can't wield a weapon. You killed him anyway. But this is a man that could kill Kyuubi easier than you did," Elvo said.
"What is he?" Naruto asked.
"You've met him in the past, when you died," Elvo said.
"How do you know I died?" Naruto asked.
Elvo stopped and spun around, "I know more about you than any mortal ever could. I know more about you than you do right now, but if this little training mission goes as planned, you'll find out what I know," Elvo said.
"So you won't tell me?" Naruto asked with a stern face.
"Who I'm telling you about is no threat to humanity right now, I'm merely saying he will be again, and I'm sure you will be there to fight him," Elvo said.
"Am I training to stop him?" Naruto asked.
"Partly. Him, and three others," Elvo turned and started walking again, "including me," he said but Naruto didn't hear him.
A few hours later and the sun was on it's way up. "Hey Elvo, the sun's coming, you gunna tell me everything now?" Naruto asked.
"We're not there yet… come, we must hurry," Elvo said as he started to run, Naruto faltered a bit before following.
"Why are we running?" Naruto asked.
"When the sun passes over those mountains you and I must be engaged in our combat," Elvo said.
"What?" Naruto asked nearly slipping off the branch he was on.
""I will vanish at sunrise unless I am fighting, I can then stay until the battle is over. I told you I'd test you in a fight, we're almost at a clear enough spot," Elvo said.
"What do you mean vanish?" Naruto asked.
"I will explain everything after the fight, we do not have time now," Elvo said.
Naruto was about to say something when they entered a large clearing, Elvo dropped his back and jumped at Naruto, fist raised for the attack. Naruto let out a cry of shock as he dodged and dropped his own bag.
"We are here; fight me with intent to kill. If by some change you do kill me, our training trip will be over and you can return home, but be sure to tell Nomad of the circumstances of your return," Elvo said.
"Do you really want me to kill you?" Naruto asked.
"If you can, yes," Elvo said. Naruto gritted his teeth and grabbed a kunai in his hand, "Come on kid, I can't give the first blow," Elvo said.
"You already did," Naruto said looking up confused.
"We don't have time for explanations, I'll tell you everything after we fight, now come on!" Elvo yelled.
Naruto jumped a bit at being yelled at, but he nodded and charged Elvo, kunai in hand. Elvo dodged to attack and all that came after it. "Don't hold back, use every trick you have, any jutsu you can," Elvo said as he dodged.
At this Naruto stopped and put his hands in his most famous seal, "Kage Bunshin No Jutus!" he yelled as a hundred clones appeared behind him.
Without a word all the clones charged at Elvo who went to work dispelling them all. None of the clones managed to land a hit on Elvo, and in a few minutes he had cut them all down. The sun had risen and was now resting on the mountains, but there was no sign of Naruto. Elvo was looking around for the orange clad ninja when a fist came from below and was aimed straight for his face.
Elvo managed to pull his head back to avoid the attack, but he didn't see it until the last second. As Naruto was still in the air Elvo grabbed his raised right arm and twisted it around his back. Naruto let out a cry of pain as Elvo grabbed his left shoulder for support.
"Very clever, I barely saw it. But the stories I've heard said you were much better than this," Elvo said.
In response a foot collided with Elvo's face forcing him to release Naruto. When he did, the Naruto he held vanished in a puff of smoke and the one that kicked him landed where it once was.
"Excellent. That's what I expected. Now…" Elvo pulled out a katana, "I'll start fighting back, and I'll be trying to kill you too, so keep on you're toes," Elvo said before charging Naruto.
x-X-x
The sun was setting and Naruto was breathing heavily. He had burses and cuts all over his body. Elvo was brutal, and way beyond his ability, but he had lasted the day. Naruto was leaning against a fallen tree, a tree Elvo knocked over when he was sent into it after getting hit by a Rasengan. One of the few hits Naruto managed to deliver.
But though they were few, each counted. Elvo was standing in front of Naruto, breathing normally. The front of his shirt torn up, though his hood was still on. His Katana was also broken halfway down, the result of Naruto's most recent successful attack.
The land they were fighting in was unrecognizable from how it was at sunrise. Countless trees were uprooted, there were cracks and craters all over the ground, and even a large swamp-like area Naruto managed to summon and catch Elvo in for a moment or two. Naruto was also out of weapons, his last kunai broke when he broke Elvo's sword.
"Anything left kid?" Elvo asked.
Naruto just looked at him, "How, how can you be so strong? How can you not be tired you?" Naruto asked.
"Think of the question you just asked me. Does it sound familiar? Have you ever heard it before?" Elvo asked.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Naruto asked.
"Answer and find out," Elvo said.
Naruto scowled and thought back. A smile crossed his face when he remembered where he heard it before, "yeah, in training with Sakura and Sasuke Sakura used to ask me that," Naruto said.
"What was your answer then? Not what you said, but the truth?" Elvo asked.
"Kyuubi. I was getting some of his chakra," Naruto said.
"Not entirely. Only when you took on his appearance did he give you his chakra. That stamina was always in you. Once he was dead, you had a great jump in power. But did you ever wonder how you could kill him?" Elvo asked.
"Are we done fighting? Is this where you explain everything?" Naruto asked.
"Yes, it is," Elvo said flinging his katana into the ground.
Naruto grinned and slid to the ground. Elvo walked over to where the packs were. Once he had retrieved them and set them down he sat across from Naruto against another tree.
"So, what do you mean you'd vanish at sunrise, why'd I have to make the first attack, why are you wearing the hood, who wields the scythe, and what about everything with the Kyuubi?" Naruto asked once Elvo sat down.
"You got a good memory kid. I'll answer them all, but I get to choose the order. Firstly about the Kyuubi, answer my question, did you ever wonder how you managed to kill him?" Elvo asked.
"No, I just figured he was still weakened form the seal," Naruto said.
"Slightly, but not enough for you to win. Do you remember where you fought?" Elvo asked.
"In my mind," Naruto said.
"Right, you obviously know that the instant the Kyuubi was released you got all your chakra back. When you fight in your head you don't need to practice control, because your mind is always in control. But even now, if you were to fight Kyuubi in the real world, you'd die," Elvo said.
"Then how the hell did I do it?" Naruto asked.
"Simple. Every being that has chakra has a potential. When you train and get stronger you're tapping into that potential, but only very little of it. No human has ever tapped more that a quarter of their potential. The tailed demons had more; Kyuubi for example had just under half his potential tapped.
"You have just under a quarter of yours tapped, and if your lifestyle continues as it is, I have no doubt it will break the 25 percent mark. When you fought Kyuubi in your mind, you somehow had all of your potential tapped. But the instant you returned to reality you were back to normal," Elvo said.
"So that's how, I had all of my potential," Naruto said looking at his hands.
"Right. Now, you had to make the first attack because my staying could be of no physical cause of my own. I'd leave because of the means I used to get here which cancel out at the next sunrise. The man with the scythe you've met before and I where the hood because…" Elvo said as he pulled his hood back revealing his golden eyes and silver hair that went down his back.
Naruto's eyes widened when he saw Elvo's face. "I've never seen anything like you before… what are you?" Naruto asked.
"The same as the scythe wielder. He's my exact opposite, do your remember being dead?" Elvo asked.
Naruto didn't answer right away, Elvo had to kick him to snap him out of his daze, "yeah, what about it?" Naruto finally asked.
"Do you remember anyone being with you?" Elvo asked.
"Yeah, an old man in a chair," Naruto said.
"You called him Chaos; do you remember what he is?" Elvo asked.
"Chaos, that's right!" Naruto yelled, "yeah, he was the god of Chaos wasn't he," he asked.
"Still is. Now, can you tell me what I am then?" Elvo asked.
Naruto's eyes widened and Elvo grinned. He then began explaining the system of four gods, who was who, and what each did. Naruto's eyes were even wider once Elvo finished, "why are you telling me all this?" he asked.
"Because killing Kyuubi wasn't the only time you exerted your full potential. You did it once after that, and killed Chaos by doing so. Then, however, you caused the universe to fall, because a god had died. The four of us rebuilt it and Chaos didn't attack, meaning you never exerted your full potential again, if you can now, you'll be as strong as a god," Elvo said.
Naruto's jaw hit the floor. "As…strong as a….a….a god…" he said slowly.
"Yes. And if you do, you'll become a fifth god, the focal point," Elvo said.
"What's that mean?" Naruto asked.
"The balance we have is slightly skewed and hard to keep in line. You would watch over it constantly and act when necessary to pull the balance back," Elvo said.
"You said before you wanted me to try and kill you, but if I did, wouldn't the universe fall then?" Naruto asked.
"Yes but I also know the circumstances to how you did it last time, I wasn't going the call it into play so I was rather sure you wouldn't tap you're full potential," Elvo said grinning.
"How do I reach my full potential?" Naruto asked.
"Tomorrow we start getting you ready to do it, then you can," Elvo said.
"But how do I?" Naruto asked.
"I don't know. I only know how to get you ready for it, how to get you past the first quarter. Once that happens, someone else takes over," Elvo said.
"Who?" Naruto asked.
"Who do you think? Chaos of course," Elvo said with a grin.
x-X-x
AN: alright, I'm sure someone is gunna call me on Chaos fighting the twelve. Chaos previously says his plans were never so close to completion and it caused him to jump the gun. This is true. His arriving in the past was part of his plan, he planed to kill off the twelve and would then manage to take to world. Elvo showed up and helped the twelve defeat him, that's when Elvo became number XIII.
That is also how the twelve know so much about the afterlife and Chaos. (they forgot a lot about being actually dead, just like Naruto). So, those were the only two times he was ever in the mortal realm in the universal run of Naruto, in the previous run he was there as well.