Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN FMA NOR NARUTO!!!!!!! damn...

Well ladies and gents, this is the next installation of Beyond the Gates, it's not as long as I wanted it but it'll have to do for now... I'm already most of the way done with the next part.. it's just that fighting scenes are kinda rough to do sometimes... and I'm still working it out. Thanks for reading so far and I hope you like the rest of it!

On a different note, I'm hoping for a beta, someone well versed in the area of "sentence structure"... I've never really done to well with that :P any way, if you're interested or if you just want to talk, drop me a message on IM or an E-mail, it's mymilkman (at) hotmail (dot) com I'd also like to talk to some one who might be able to translate some things for me into Japanese

--At Ed and Al's Camp--

Exhaustion finally set in and Ed collapsed to the ground with a loud thud in front of the clearing that he and Al were using as a base. Al quickly jumped to his feet inside the little hut they built at the sound. Quickly he ran out into the clearing where he spotted Ed, unconscious and his face firmly planted in the earth. The worst possible scenarios played in Al's mind when he saw his older brother bite the dust in the most literal sense.

Quickly he ran to his side and turned him onto his back, praying he was ok. Al quickly ran his eyes over his brother's body. No cuts, no bruises, maybe a little dirty but other than that he was perfectly fine. Al let out a sigh of relief when he saw his chest rise and fall, a sure sign that he was still breathing. Al slowly pulled Ed into his arms and began carrying him back to the tent. Sometimes he really wondered who was the older brother of the two…

Ten minutes later:

Ed's eyes fluttered open when the suns rays shown brightly into his eyes. Cursing softly to himself he began to prop himself up on his elbows when a voice spoke out, "Geez Ed. I'm not sure what the hell you did but…" Al looked over at Ed for a moment as if to size him up, "you sure did a number on yourself."

Ed chuckled and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "Heh. Naruto spent whole night out training…" Al nodded. It wasn't too hard to believe being that these were ninja they were talking about here. Ed's eyes lit up as he continued, "oh, and I think I found out why they have such a different aura than what we're used to."

Al almost did a double take when he heard this, Ed had been gone for one night and he already figured out one of the questions they had developed so many theories about. Al shook his head and chuckled, "Alright, let's hear it."

Ed jumped to his feet excitedly, "It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen Al!" Ed's eyes gleamed with an excitement that Al hadn't seen in his eyes since… well, since he first learned to use alchemy without the circles. It made Al wonder what the big deal was. Ed grinned and continued, "These ninja can walk up the side of a tree without using their hands! Apparently they use something called "chakra" to make themselves stick!" Ed remembered overhearing Sakura explain the basics of the exercise they were doing to Naruto. It fascinated Ed to no end but he just couldn't understand how they did it…

Al's eyes widened, "So that's why we're sensing such different energies from them." Ed whirled on Al, "Exactly, I can't imagine what else…" Ed was suddenly cut short when he fell forward. Al caught him just before he hit the ground.

"Ed… you need to rest," Al chided him gently.

Ed suddenly felt the effects of staying up so late after a heavy sparing match and his eyelids began to droop closed, "Yeah I got yah Al," Ed laid his head back down and finally began to succumb to the gentle pull of sleep, "I guess you… get to watch the team today." Ed's head rolled to the side slightly and his eyes finally drooped closed. Al stood when he noticed Ed's breathing even out into a steady beat. He couldn't help but smirk when he looked down at Ed. He was sleeping with his stomach showing again, "I swear Ed, you're going to catch your death of cold one of these days." Al threw a small blanket over Ed and began to make his way over to the bridge to catch up with the mysterious ninja.

--Heading to the Bridge--

Al was walking along the forest floor when he heard the telltale sound of footsteps crunching softly on the twigs that littered the path. Al quickly ducked down behind some thick low standing brush on the side of the road. Only moments later he could hear the old man… what was his name again? Oh! That's right, Tazuna. He could hear Tazuna boasting loudly about how hissuper bridge would bring super profits to all the super businesses in the super amazingly awesome Land of Waves. Al sighed mentally. The only thing that was more annoying than someone that was full of themselves was someone that was full of themselves and liked to use the word super to describe everything. Mentally shaking himself from his momentary stupor, Al parted the brush in front of him to see that all of team seven, minus Naruto was there. Al mentally made note of that, hoping that Ed would swing by Tazuna's house before catching up with him.

The band of four made their way past Al. Once the coast was clear, Al walked into the clearing and followed the path to the bridge, taking care to make sure he was far enough behind the group so they wouldn't notice him.

--At the Bridge--

The bridge came into view and Sasuke mentally cheered… not that he would tell anyone else that. The old man they were escorting was starting to grate on his nerves. Apparently listening to the same thing said over and over was one of the few things that made the last Uchiha want to go on a killing spree. Luckily for Tazuna and the rest of the Country of Waves, Sasuke had nearly immesurable control over most of his human emotions making him seem like an emotionless doll to most who saw him. Despite that fact he was visibally relieved when Tazuna shut up and began to speed up to get to the bridge faster.

When the team got closer to the bridge the fog that thickly blanketed the bridge, lowering visibility noticeably, they knew something was out of place. Sasuke looked around and immediately the wheels in his head started turning… The bridge was the only place that the fog had covered. On their way to the site, there had been no fog at all… VERY suspicious if you ask him. The second thing that told him that something was definetly wrong was the fact that Kakashi suddenly looked more alert. But even with those bits of evidence, it wasn't nearly as obvious the final bit, as a matter of fact, he almost garaunteed that even Sakura could draw the same conclusions when the bodies of the bridge builders came into view. Yes… something was wrong, and Sasuke was sure enough to bet his Sharingan that it had something to do with a certain mist duo.

--er... still at the bridge, but somewhere else :P--

Every fiber in Al's being suddenly began screaming. Something was off about this fog. It felt like it was supercharged with some unknown energy and he knew immediately that it wasn't a good thing and when the bridge came into view he was sure that this had something to do with what the mystery kitsune that brought them here.

Al quickly made his way to the bridge where he saw the three ninja in a stare down with two unknown people. He didn't know what it was that made him more nervous, the feeling of overwhelming bloodlust or the monstrosity of a sword the one man had on his back. Either way… he just KNEW this wasn't going to end well. Al jumped behind some crates nearby when the saw the boy, Sasuke was his name, take out several clones of the bandage man. He wouldn't jump in unless he had to, and he hoped against hope that it didn't come to that.

--Ed and Al's Camp--

Ed groaned as the sunlight finally became unbearable… seriously, how was anyone expected to get sleep when they had the sun beaming into their eyes? Ed slowly pushed himself to a sitting position, yawning loudly. Ed slowly stood to his feet and walked out of the tent. Looking around he didn't see AL. "That's right. I told him to take the team today… great. That means I get to sit around watching the house all day…" Ed moaned in poorly disguised disgust.

He did some morning (in this case early afternoon) stretches and headed back into the tent to change. Once full clothed again he threw his favorite red coat over his back and headed into the direction the house was in.

--Heading to the House--

Ed slowly made his way down the forest path to the house in quiet contemplation. How was it that these ninja did what they did? Was there any way that he could learn it? There were so many questions that he had no answers to, and so far the only one that they could get answers from was currently locked into some 12 year old's stomach... and how was it exactly that this "Kyuubi" expected to speak to them when he had no effect on the outside world... He had so many questions and so few answers.

While lost in thought he failed to notice the approach of a certain blond haired ninja as he made his way through the forest tree tops when he suddenly tripped over something. Ed cried out in panic as he threw his arms out in front of himself and caught himself from a potentialy painful meeting with the ground.

Naruto suddenly jerked to a hault in his tree hoping and whipped around to find the source of the yell. Down on the forest floor he saw the familiar red clad blond from a few days before. Naruto lept off the branch and to the forest floor behind the other blond.

"Damn... how did I not see this thing..." Ed muttered to himself as he looked to the rather large corpse of a boar he just tripped over. There was a light tap behind him and he instantly stiffened. Ed cast a glance over his shoulder and let a breath out. "Jeez, Naruto... Scared the hell outta me."

Naruto grinned and waved at Ed, "Yeah, well. What do you expect? I'm a ninja."

Ed smiled, "Yeah.. You are aren't you?" Ed looked around. "Where you headed? I don't see the rest of you here."

Naruto's smile faded a bit, "Yeah the rest of the team left me back at the house to rest after last night." His grin returned in full and he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment, "I kinda overdid it in training last night."

Ed chuckled and took a better look at his surroundings. The trees were slashed in many places and low hanging limbs were cut from the trees. Ed fell into a stance and tossed a paniced glance to Naruto, "I think somethings wrong."

Naruto looked at Ed slightly puzzled until he too looked around and noticed the condition of the forest around them. "It goes back to the house!" Naruto started to panic. Kakashi said that Zabza and his men might try something while they were at the bridge... this must be it! Withough saying more Naruto jumped to the trees and began to make his way back home, while Ed made a sprint toward the house following just after Naruto.

--At the House--

Ed and Naruto arrived at the house at around the same time, much to Naruto's surprise. This guy acctually kept up with a ninja tree hoping while he was on the ground... what the hell!? Naruto's thought were interupted when Ed suddenly lept forward toward the house. Two men were dragging Tsunami while Inari chased after them in blind rage. Two word crossed Naruto's mind at this moment, oh, and shit.

--At the Bridge (I'll bet you love all the jumping)--

"Tazuna-san! Get down!" Sakura screamed when she noticed the distinct whistle of senbon slicing through the air. She jumped at Tazuna, praying she could make it to him in time. Reality seemed to slow to a stop as she hurled herself into the stray projectile's trajectory. Tazuna's eyes widened as he noticed the needles headed his way. Sakura's pulse quickened in he desperation, however she knew it was too late. Suddenly, like magic, the ground shook and a wall of concrete erupted from the bridge, knocking the senbon harmlessly away.

"What the hell was that!?" Was Sakura's only thought as she fell to the ground hard. Tazuna, who fell to his rear when the wall erected, shakily picked himself off the ground.

From behind them a voice spoke softly, "I apologize. I was nearly too late." Sakura spun on her heels pulling a kunai out, ready to defend Tazuna and herself. Slowly a hazy figure began to emerge from the dense fog. Sakura's hands began to shake as the figure crept closer at a walking pace. She swallowed hard and tightened her grip on her weapon, steeling herself for the battle to come.

The figure finally came within sight, golden blond hair adorned his head, and deep amber eyes looked on with concern, his red trench coat hanging lazily off his shoulders. Sakura let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Thank God," she whispered to herself, causing the blond to smile.

--Again! At the House--

"Damn you bastards!" The small boy screamed in rage as he charged the two thugs. He slammed hard into the nearest one.

"Damn kid." The thug mumbled to himself, backhanding Inari. Inari flew back several feet landing hard. He turned back to the woman his partner was holding, "Sorry lady, but I can't let this one slide." The woman began to thrash wildly, screaming, with tears flowing from her eyes. The thug pulled his katana from its sheath and took a quick step toward the boy. His sword came down like lightening but instead of the clean slice and bloody spray he was expecting, his sword halted mid stroke.

A blond boy clad in a red trench coat stood between the thug and his would be victim. The thug looked at the blond in surprise when his blade cracked and snapped in half under the boy's iron grip. A smirk crossed his face and his golden eyes danced with a look that promised pain. "Bad move, pal." Ed whispered as he slammed his left knee into the thug's gut, cracking a few ribs and knocking him unconscious.

The blond spun around to face the remaining thug. The thug panicked and drew his katana, holding it to Tsunami's throat. "Stay back or she dies," The thug grinned evilly at Ed. "I guess you didn't think things through."

Ed smirked cockily, " What will you do without a hostage though?"

The thug frowned, "What the hell are you talking about? I've got one right…" He was cut off when he pulled on his hostage's hair and was suddenly surrounded by a puff of smoke. When the smoke cleared he was holding a mop upside down instead of the "insurance" he was expecting. He cursed loudly when he felt someone grip his arms from behind. A ninja dressed in orange landed in a crouching position in front of him, facing Ed. Ed grinned, "Good to finally see you."

Naruto nodded, " Yeah. You know what they say though," Naruto began rolling up his sleeves. " The superhero always shows up at the last minute!"

Ed's smile grew even larger at this; he could tell he was going to like this kid. Naruto pulled his fist back and pivoted, building momentum and planted a full body punch to the thug's face. The force of the blow was enough to send the poor, now disfigured man flying.

Naruto flashed a grin at Inari and said, "Not bad kid. I think I've changed my opinion of you." before he took off into the forest again. Ed watched Naruto leave and turned back to Inari.

"Good job. Now you and your mother get inside." Ed smiled at Inari, "We'll take it from here." And with that Ed left.

What will happen in the next installment? Will Ed and Al ever figure out how to get ahold of Kyuubi ? How will Kakashi take to Ed butting in on his fight? What will happen to Haku and Zabuza????????? Stay tuned for some answers! (but most likely more questions :P)

Any way, thanks for reading and please remember to review! The more reviews I get the faster the next update will come!