Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. However, the original characters and plot of this fic belong to me.

Author Notes: I enjoyed reading your comments about the previous chapter. I don't have much to say except that i'm glad i finally reached this stage of the story. Oh, and i'm reaching the 100k mark.

Chapter 22: Project Reckoning

Genkei whizzed across the forest path, keeping his distance from Naruto. It had been a few hours and they would be nearing the canyons in the region of Iwa soon. He was paying attention to Naruto's behaviour closely. At the moment, there were only 3 tails and Naruto was capable of controlling the Kyuubi's chakra to his own advantage. However if one more sprouted, then not only would the jinchuuriki lose control but the chakra would eat away at his body.

Genkei was concerned, more than he had been hours ago. The longer Naruto used Kyuubi's power, the weaker his seal became. This wasn't a favourable development but he was rendered useless. Approaching the blonde and trying to reason with him could possibly anger him more. Since the Kyuubi's chakra could be released on unstable emotions, it would result in an unwanted conclusion.

Naruto was leaving a trail of chakra behind him, the trees being moved by the force of his running. His mind was only on one thing; retribution. The events in Konoha had left him confused about Hajin and his motives. But the attack on the encampment made him an instant enemy, and he was keen to meet the suave Kage.

Genkei jumped from the hill, landing on the hard baked ground. Naruto followed quickly, his canines glinting in the sun. Genkei manoeuvred in between all the turnings, careful not to lose his way. It was then that he realised something, stopping instantly.

Naruto also came to a halt, "What's wrong?" His voice sounded more feral.

Genkei looked around; they were on high ground surrounded by plunges. There was a steep drop to the bottom and it wouldn't be a pleasant fall. Somewhere, he could feel the presence of another 2 chakra forces. "We're not alone."

Naruto began to concentrate, understanding what he was referring to. "I feel them too."

Naruto started blinking when drops of water appeared in front of his face, out of the air. He turned to find that more of them were forming, until they shaped a complete dome around him and Genkei. The drops of water joined, completely enclosing the two.

Genkei could see past the water dome, albeit it was a little blurry, "Prepare yourself Naruto; this isn't going to be easy."

Cackles spread throughout the area, "Oh my, this is amusing!"

"It is, isn't it Ken?"

Two figures could be seen walking towards the dome shaped prison, clothed in brown and black garments; the metal of the masks on their face sparkling. Ken rubbed his hands together, "So predictable. Hajin-sama was right; you did give in; that chakra is the fox's, no?"

Naruto growled, "Where are the other 2 idiots?" He was surprised to find only half of the Titans of Iwa present, considering they mostly worked as a squad.

The man standing next to Ken answered, "They're where they should be. We were left behind."

Genkei didn't like the sound of his voice, "What do you mean?"

"We were waiting for Naruto. He will come with us."

Ken shook his head, "Nin, you don't have to go and tell them everything."

Nin moved his hand to his mask, removing it. He had a scar running across one eye, his brown hair tied on top of his head. "It doesn't matter; he only has a few hours to live."

Naruto clenched his fists, "Which one of you bastards attacked my home?"

Ken waved his finger, "Now, now, there's no need for that. Besides, we weren't involved. Tenjou-san led the expedition; said it was pretty easy."

Nin smirked, "I would've expected the fabled Confederation to have a stronger defence."

Genkei disliked their attitude, "There was only 1 person fighting and you still suffered around 40 casualties. I got rid of the corpses."

Ken sighed, "Who gives a shit? I don't like you two; you talk too much."

Naruto's face displayed his rage, "That's funny coming from you."

Nin slapped his hands together, "I still owe you from 6 years ago."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, "So you're the one I got a shot at." He grinned, "Must have been a big hit to your pride."

Nin shouted, "Shut up! You're as good as dead!"

Ken was shocked, "Nin, calm down. Don't let your anger get out of control."

Nin cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, Ken."

Naruto spat towards the ground, "I'm sick of this." He was ready to make a move but was interrupted by Nin.

"You should be more careful." Nin was smiling, his face seemingly contorted.

Naruto paid no attention, the red chakra gushing from him. He moved forwards but was surprised to find several globules of water form around his leg. They continued growing before forming a bubble of sorts. He tried to move but he couldn't; his leg was stuck.

"I call it the Kisei Maruyane." He held his hands tightly together, "That water is special, like a glue of sorts. As long as you are in that dome, you can't move. If you do, the water will target you and stop you."

Genkei listened intently, not moving an inch. He was still free of anything and preferred to keep it that way.

Naruto let his cocky demeanour show, "Sounds pretty useless. You're going to keep us motionless, that's all."

Ken started laughing, "This guy's priceless. Seriously, you should shut up."

Nin moved closer to the dome of water, "That was only the first part of my explanation." He put his hand into the dome, not passing the water itself. He performed hand seals and it started raining inside the dome. "The dome will fill wholly with water and you will drown." He laughed, "This is why I love this technique; I get to see my prey quiver with fear."

Ken spoke up, "Hey, we need him alive."

Nin looked back, "I know; I was just giving a realistic explanation."

Genkei could feel the water dripping down his scales. He didn't move, even though the water had reached up to his waist. "Any ideas Naruto?"

Naruto knew time was of the essence, "Right now, anything I do will also affect you."

Genkei sighed, "Same here but if push comes to shove, you should be the one to act. My technique will carry a lot more force than yours." The water had now reached Genkei's throat.

Naruto's anger swelled up inside him. He wanted to harm the two shinobi standing outside of the prison. He shifted his eyes around the dome, observing the structure. He was getting tired of being stuck in places.

Nin grinned widely, "Are you hearing this Ken? They think they can do something."

Ken looked bored, "I thought the guy was supposed to be around our level. This is pathetic. And what's with the lizard?"

Genkei's ears twitched, "That's drag…" His voice was drowned out, the water covering his mouth and slowly rising above his head.

Naruto's hair and clothes were drenched in water. He looked at Genkei from the corner of his eyes, recognising that he was holding his breath and in a calm state. He needed to figure something out. His initial plan was to blast out forcefully with an earth element technique but he didn't want to hurt Genkei. Earth was stronger than water but how could he implement that in this situation.

Ken scratched his head, "Can you believe this guy? I think he's already given up."

Nin was enjoying watching Naruto struggle, "Just enjoy the show; you're always lusting for blood after all."

Ken grunted, "What show? I've seen you do this plenty of times. It's always the same."

Naruto ignored the two as the water now passed his head, filling faster by the second. He couldn't see properly, bubbles being released from his mouth. Then it hit him; the answer had already been there. He didn't need hand seals for what he was about to do, "Raiton Seidenki!" His body let off a current of electricity which passed through all of the water.

Genkei shook with slight pain while Nin removed his hand from the dome instantly. He was surprised by the intensity of the current, his hand now throbbing. Naruto knew he would have to be quick. As soon as he moved, the bubble of water would form around his hands. He rapidly made hand seals, "Doton Gankai Takamari!" His hands were enclosed in a bubble but the ground beneath him and Genkei surged upwards.

The two companions were launched through the dome of water, bursting out into the open air. Naruto had realised that the dome could be passed through by Nin's action. This weakness was compensated by the fact if someone tried to move while inside, they would be stopped by the bubbles. He assumed Nin must have relied on his foes panicking and getting themselves trapped, before they figured out how to counter. Naruto was now free of the bubbles which had trapped him; they weren't able to exist outside of the dome.

Nin yelled, "Damn it, Ken. Why did you distract me?" The dome crashed to the ground, a huge splash echoing through the area.

Ken was laughing like a mad man, "Ooh, this is getting interesting."

Both Genkei and Naruto were now high in the air, with the former putting his clawed hand out. Naruto took the invitation and gripped the hand, before Genkei span him around and threw him towards the enemies.

Naruto soared through the air, his fury ready to be unleashed with an attack. He was within range of Ken, pulling his hand back and slamming it into the man's face. The Kyuubi's chakra was behind his attack, rushing forwards and devastating the earth. Naruto landed and jumped back, holding his wrist.

Genkei was diving towards the ground, head first. At the last second, he turned to face his feet towards the earth. The ground beneath him cracked from the force of his landing.

Naruto felt as if his hand had made contact with steel. He looked at Ken, whose face was now turned to the side. His eyes widened, confused by the sight. That blow should've detached his head clean off the shoulders. Even the land behind Ken was now ripped open due to the force.

Genkei recognised the suspicious fact, "He should be dead."

Naruto's hand was throbbing, "Something's wrong, he's not normal."

Ken's mask crumbled to the floor. He turned to face Naruto and Genkei, part of the flesh on his face missing. "That hurt!"

Naruto couldn't budge his eyes from the man's features. Behind the skin and blood, was metal. "What are you?"

Nin tilted his head, "He got you good Ken."

Ken was a more handsome man than his partner. His silver locks falling to his jaw, but he was now covered in blood, "My beautiful face…" His pure white eyes were a frightening sight, "I really don't like you two."

Genkei decided to quickly speak with his comrade, "The other one must be a ninjutsu specialist. He created water out of thin air, that's no easy feat."

Naruto nodded, "But what about this guy? He looks like a freak."

Ken started laughing, "The Titans of Iwa are freaks, just like you."

Nin took the needle tying his hair together and threw it to the floor. His brown hair fell to his waist, "Do you want to know what we are?" His character took a sadistic turn.

Ken resumed, "We were a part of Project Reckoning, created during the Konoha and Iwa war."

Naruto was stunned; he didn't know what to say, "Created?"

Nin nodded, "Modified from our original selves. There were hundreds used but only 5 survived; a family. We were orphans, easily picked up off the street without anyone noticing. Right now, there are only 4 of us left since the youngest brother decided to run away from Iwa. He didn't want to stay and serve the one who gave him a purpose. You should know him, he was a member of Akatsuki; Deidara."

Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing, "Deidara…"

Nin resumed, "He was supposed to lead the first ever aerial assault team with his abilities. Konoha wouldn't have stood a chance if we had come into existence during the war."

Ken grinned, "We were experiments that would command squads. Unfortunately, the Tsuchikage was killed and the war stopped before we could be put into battle. But Hajin-sama kept us, planning to use us at a later date, for a greater war."

Genkei was beginning to figure out certain details, "Greater war? You mean against the Confederation?"

Ken started to unbutton his top, "They will be a stepping stone to something bigger." He took off his top and threw it to the ground. His body was scarred heavily, not a clean spot visible. Then, something moved inside him before blades began protruding from his abdomen. They weren't very long, reaching only a few inches outwards. Blood was left dripping to the floor due to the deed.

Naruto was disgusted by the scene, "You're serving someone who made you into this?"

Nin growled, "What do you know? Living without support was hell. We were made to be special, unique. We were given power and look at us now; we're going to be instrumental in something that will change the face of this planet."

Naruto clenched his fist, "You act like war is something glorious."

Nin slammed his fist into his hand, "It is glorious in every way; a true form of battle which decides who the strongest are."

Ken grabbed one of the blades in his abdomen, "Too bad you won't live to see it." He pulled it out, revealing a sword a few feet in length. "It's time we really started fighting. I'm going to teach you that beauty is not to be trifled with."

Nin quickly intervened, "You take the lizard; I want this bastard for myself. After that crap he pulled all those years ago, I'll enjoy ripping him to shreds."

Genkei was speechless, troubled by what had been revealed to him. If what was said was indeed true, there was a possibility that everything had been planned from a long time ago. It was worrying to know that the Confederation may have been tricked.

Naruto was eager to start the fight, knowing these people deserved to die. He would win for Yuka's sake. He couldn't afford to be stopped here and he refused to lose.

Nin was quick to act, "Doton Kakou Abureru Gouka!" He slammed his hands into the ground upon finishing.

Naruto was alerted by the rumbling underneath him. The ground crumbled, causing him to fall through. Naruto steadied himself and began to jump from rock to rock. He could see the extensive drop, startled by the strength of the technique. He began passing all the falling rock, jumping into the middle of the canyon. He then formed shadow clones, using them as a support and making his way to the bottom.

It didn't take him long to reach the bottom safely, while his shadow clones crashed and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Looking to the side, he covered his face when the rock landed on the ground. The whole wall had been destroyed, leaving behind a massive scar. He was surrounded by water which was a foot deep; it covered the locale.

"Shouldn't you be paying attention to me?"

The voice caused Naruto to look directly in front of him, Nin was smiling at him. He was surprised by how fast the man had made it to the bottom. The plunge had been a few hundred feet. "I won't have any doubts about killing you."

Nin gritted his teeth, "What did you say? You're the one who's going to die after Hajin-sama is done with you!" He formed hand seals, "Katon Moetatsu!" Nin took a deep breath before blowing out a huge flame. The blaze heated up the vicinity so much that the water began to steam.

Naruto looked at the wall of fire approaching him, quickly countering, "Suiton Ootsunami!" The water around the jinchuuriki's feet gathered and ascended high into the air. It rushed across the ground, engulfing the fire and crashing into Nin.

Naruto took out a kunai, the thunderous tidal wave calming down. The water once again spread through the area, forming around Naruto's legs. What happened next was beyond Naruto's wildest imagination.

Where Nin had been standing, the water began to rise and form a shape. Arms and legs were visible before Nin appeared, grinning. "Is that the best you got?"

Naruto was unmoving, "What are you?" He didn't understand; the man was made of water? That couldn't be right, it made no sense.

Nin started laughing, "I'm an immortal; no element can harm me. I simply become one with it."

Naruto shook his head in disbelief, "Katon Karyu Endan!" He released a column of flame towards Nin who walked through it, changing into fire and then back to normal.

Naruto followed by throwing the kunai in his hand but Nin was quick to move out of the way. The scarred man had reached Naruto and held his hand out, "Futon Fuujin Moui!" The air in front of Naruto formed the shape of a man with a sword in his hand.

Naruto was unable to react as Fuujin slashed at him multiple times, cutting open his body.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Why do I get stuck with you? You don't even look like a challenge?" Ken had a questioning look.

Genkei put out his hand, the claws extending until they were about a foot long. His best option was to beat Ken and then worry about Naruto. The high ground they were standing on had just lost a hefty piece of itself.

Ken spun the blade in his hand, "Oh, looks like you have a trick." He vanished from his spot, appearing next to Genkei.

The silver haired shinobi thrust his blade downward towards Genkei's head. Genkei blocked and tried to attack back, but was also deflected. The two opponents began slashing at each other, the clashes of claw with metal sending a ringing sound through the air.

Ken was attacking relentlessly, his speed seemingly increasing with every second. He finally broke through Genkei's defence, striking his back with all the force he could muster. Genkei smiled in return, digging his claw into the man's leg and piercing off more flesh.

Ken gasped and jumped back numerous times, creating a safe distance. He looked towards his leg, the metal on his bone showing. Facing Genkei again, he noticed that he had done no damage. "You have a way of making people dislike you."

Genkei's claws were dripping with blood, "Surprised you couldn't harm me?"

Ken mocked the dragon's voice, "Surprised you couldn't…shut the hell up!"

Genkei became serious, insulted by the lack of respect, "My scales are as hard as diamond. You have as much chance of piercing them as you do of winning this battle. Tell me; where has Hajin gone?"

Ken grabbed another of the blades sticking out of his abdomen and pulled it out. His body was covered in blood due to the open wounds. "Screw you!"

Ken rushed towards Genkei and drew him into a second exchange. The dragon was on the defensive, forced to block the flurry of attacks. His claws were not getting damaged but he was finding it increasingly hard to defend. The sounds of their clash seemingly sent thunderous roars, as Ken tripped up Genkei and sliced him across the stomach.

Genkei hissed before slamming his tail into the Kenjutsu specialist. Ken was sent flying but twisted in midair, landing on his feet. He started laughing, madly, "Your scales are as hard as diamond, eh? Well they don't cover the whole of your body! It's time I end this!"

He dug his blades into the ground on either side of him. He then started running around Genkei, pulling out the blades from his stomach and digging them into the earth until they formed a circle. Ken came to a halt and reached for the final two blades sticking out of his abdomen. His body was now a mess and a gruesome sight to behold. "There's a reason why my opponents don't last long against me, I don't allow them to." He began to spin the blades in his hand at a rapid pace, "Daikonran!"

The ground rumbled before the blades circling Genkei extended high into the air. Genkei looked around in confusion but then realised something. Those blades weren't placed to make sure he didn't get out; they were to keep Ken inside.

Ken roared as chakra surrounded him, disappearing from his spot. A clang could be heard, causing Genkei to turn his head but he received a slash from behind. He stumbled forwards before hearing multiple clashes of metal in each direction. He was then struck again. The process continued, filling the air with sounds of clashing metal while Genkei was sliced multiple times. Ken was banging into the blades on the side and it confused the dragon. His speed was amazing, making it hard for the summon to follow.

Genkei's stomach was bleeding now, while he struggled to spot which angle Ken was coming from. He was being smashed everywhere, finally having enough. He crouched, the scales on his back moving before two wings burst out. Flapping them hardly, he ascended higher into the air. However, he was struck a few more times before he could escape the jail like structure.

Hovering in the air, Genkei looked towards the prison of sorts. The clanging of metal could still be heard, making the dragon realise that Ken hadn't noticed his departure. The kenjutsu specialist's movement was unreal, something Genkei hadn't ever witnessed before.

Nonetheless, the dragon brought his tail towards his mouth. The fluttering of his wings could be heard while steam escaped the orifice on his face. His tail then began to control the steam, shaping it into a huge ball. "Shugoryuu Kunan!" The ball of scorching steam was shot with a deafening bang.

It zoomed towards the structure, in which Ken was still rebounding, and crashed. The ground seemed to split apart, a cloud of smoke rising into the air. Genkei ignored the dust, watching the prison blasted apart. He waited for the effects of his attack to finish before descending to the ground.

His wings made him seem more intimidating than usual. The dragon waited for the dust to settle, noticing his enemy on his knees. Ken was coughing up blood, a lot of skin burnt off his body.

Genkei was shocked by the spectacle; what had Iwa done to this man? His visible bones were covered in metal, and his blood soaked form was a disgusting sight.

Ken reached into his pocket, pulling a pill out and chomping it. Genkei recognised the item, "A blood pill…"

XXXXXXXXXX

The water covered Naruto completely. He lay there in agony; his body had been torn up in various places. Focusing the Kyuubi chakra to his cuts, he began to heal them before sitting up. However, the chakra receded and Naruto found that he couldn't control it anymore. His tails disappeared as well as his shroud. The jinchuuriki was taken aback; he hadn't wanted that to happen.

Nin didn't give him time to dwell on his thoughts, "Suiton Hahonryu!" A spiralling ball of water was shot from Nin's hand towards Naruto at a high speed.

Naruto was too slow to move, struck on his shoulder. He was forced backwards several feet from the blow before rolling and standing up. He began jumping everywhere, forced to defend against the various techniques Nin was sending his way. He was using all the elements with ease.

Naruto couldn't beat him with ninjutsu and that was one of his strengths eliminated. He knew that the elemental monster could be hurt since he had struck him years ago, which meant that the only realistic option he had left was taijutsu.

Naruto was cursing himself inwardly since his speed wasn't that great. The Kyuubi's chakra would have been useful at this point, why couldn't he call upon it? Something was wrong with but he'd have to worry about it later. Turning around, he rushed towards Nin, dodging the rocks thrown his way. He continued avoiding the attacks being sent at him before reaching within a few metres of Nin. He'd have to end this quick, readying a kunai.

However, as soon as he got into a position to do something, Nin spread out his arms, "Futon Daitoppa!" A blast of wind was sent at Naruto, sweeping him off the ground and throwing him into the canyon wall.

Naruto gasped when his back slammed into the unforgiving rock. He fell to the ground, his body showings signs nearing its end. He didn't understand how you could beat something like Nin. His only remaining strength was seals but that seemed useless in this predicament. And if he couldn't get close to Nin then his taijutsu was pointless. How was he supposed to harm this man?

Naruto could hear Nin laughing at him, "You're pathetic! Come on! Fight you bastard!"

Naruto rolled out of the way, a blast of fire passing him. However, the ground underneath him trapped his legs. He looked towards Nin who was smiling and then sent another fire attack towards him. Naruto screamed when the flames struck him, burning him severely. The rocks holding his feet crumbled, letting him fall to the ground.

"This is what you get for disrespecting me." Nin was enjoying himself, a sadistic smile across his visage.

Naruto was panting; his chances of surviving looked slim. He glanced towards Nin who was slowly forming more hand seals. He had to think of something quick or he wouldn't make it past this fight. Closing his eyes, he tried to think of anything and then it hit him. He had hurt Nin before with an elemental technique; when he was trapped in the dome of water. Nin had been holding his hand in the water and Naruto had hurt him with a Raiton technique.

Naruto swiftly opened his eyes, realising that the man could only fuse with one element at a time. If he could trick him then he could win this. He flipped to his feet avoiding a boulder which was rolling towards him. Rushing towards the wall of the canyon, he placed his hand on it. "Doton Gakekuzure!" The wall turned into a mixture of rock and mud, sliding towards Naruto and Nin.

Naruto was quick to move out of the way, leaving the wave of mud and rock to Nin. The Iwa shinobi merely grinned, allowing for it to engulf him. Naruto waited for the attack to finish. The water that had previously been there wasn't visible anymore. His eyes darted around, trying to find where Nin would emerge.

Then, several feet away from him, a lump of mud began to take the shape of a human. Naruto smiled, having found his target. He ran towards the body of earth before it could fully take shape, slamming his hand into it, "Eremento Fuin Chihyou!" A black symbol flashed across Nin before he took reformed. Naruto moved back, waiting for the man to react.

Nin shook his head, "Huh?" He started looking over his body, "I'm going to rip you up!" The anger of the shinobi was evident.

Naruto observed the man who now looked exactly like himself, except that he was made of mud and rock. "Now you can't fuse with every element."

Nin shouted, "Shut up you weak little shit!"

Naruto remained calm, "You really do need to control your anger." This was his last chance and he had to make it work. He had taken a beating and his body wouldn't be able to handle much more.

Nin moved, the mud dripping off him, "Damn it!"

Naruto explained for the man's sake, "You said yourself that you were capable of fusing with any element."

Nin had a confused expression, clearly not understanding.

Naruto resumed, "I knew that you would merge with whatever element I used against you instead of avoiding it; after all, it can't harm you right? I've sealed you to a specific element."

Nin was gritting his teeth, "You…"

Naruto smiled, the blood dripping from his lip, "I have to admit, I didn't think I stood a chance of winning when I saw what you were. I don't believe anyone would think they could beat you."

Nin looked at Naruto, "What makes you think you still stand a chance?" He tilted his head, shouting, "Answer me!"

Naruto smiled, "Your ability lets you unite with any element but you can't do that at will. It happens on its own; they did something to you, I don't know what. But you're still human, that's why I was able to punch you all those years ago, that's why you felt pain from my lightning technique."

Nin didn't say anything, remaining silent. His hatred for the man was growing and his pride was increasingly hurt.

Naruto realised he was right, "You were lying, you're not immortal. The only problem is that you wouldn't let anyone near you to accomplish that. You've got a lot of chakra and you're well versed in the various techniques. It's easy for you to keep a person at a distance from yourself."

Nin growled, attempting to form hand seals. But he couldn't do them, the mud dripping from his fingers messed up his coordination.

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" Shadow clones popped into existence before making a circle around Nin. Naruto closed the only gap in the ring, "I forgot to tell you that in your state; it's really hard to do anything."

Nin laughed, "So what? What are you going to do now? You can't harm me like this. I really am immortal while an element."

Naruto started forming hand seals in synchronisation with his clones, "You're wrong. What will you do when you can't fuse with whatever I throw at you? I told you already; as long as that seal is on you, you can't shift between elements." The jinchuuriki spotted the concern on the shinobi's face, "Earth's weakness is lightning. You can be killed."

Nin panicked, trying to carry out any technique while Naruto and his clones performed their hand seals. Each of the Naruto's shot a burst of lightning into the air above Nin. The lightning crackled, forming a gigantic ball.

Nin looked above himself in fear, shrouded in light from the technique. He could see the ball charging up for something. "YOU SON OF A…!"

Naruto pictured the pale face of Yuka in his mind as he screamed out in unison with his partners, "Raiton Messatsu!" The ball of energy shot a beam of lightning straight into Nin, decimating him into pieces. The mud flew everywhere, and the ground exploded from the force of the attack.

Naruto fell to his knees, his chakra near enough depleted. The shadow clones disappeared in puffs of smoke while Naruto reached into his pouch. Taking out the only remaining soldier pill, he threw it in his mouth.

He felt his energy return to him, standing to his feet. He looked at the remains of Nin, pieces of mud and rock. He waited, hoping there wasn't another surprise in store for him. His anxiousness faded when nothing happened for several minutes.

Then a massive bang was heard above him, where Genkei and Ken were. Naruto needed to get up there quickly, "Doton Doryu Joheki!" The area at the base of the canyon began to rise with Naruto still on top. The earth rose until it was level with high ground.

Naruto instantly shot his eyes toward the huge crater where he presumed the impact was. It was an incredible sight.

"You won…" Genkei addressed Naruto without taking his eyes off Ken.

Naruto nodded, "Yeah…barely." He faced Ken who was now standing up. He was shocked by the disgusting form.

Ken was glaring daggers at Naruto, "You killed Nin? That's bullshit!"

Naruto looked at the mud and rock from the corners of his eyes, "He's right there…in pieces."

Ken gritted his teeth, "I'll kill both of you!"

Genkei was amused, "That's not likely. I've already figured out your weakness."

Ken faced the dragon, "You don't know anything."

Genkei's claws retracted to their original state, "You're a living weapon. Your body has been modified to include metal blades which I'm assuming are connected directly to your bones."

Ken was shaking slightly, his pure white eyes scarier than usual. Naruto stared at the shinobi; thoughts of what Iwa had been doing raging in his mind.

Genkei resumed, "There's a deficiency though; as soon as you start using your blades, you start losing blood. You use high impact moves at the beginning because you have to finish the fight quickly. The pill you took was to replenish your loss of blood."

Ken put out his hands, chakra surrounding them.

Genkei finished, "Your downfall was to fight with someone against whom your techniques don't have that much of an effect. I'm sure if you had taken on Naruto, you would've won." Naruto raised an eyebrow, but didn't question the dragon. His skills had fallen quite drastically from two years prior and this battle had made him realise that fact. "I'm quite confident that most shinobi wouldn't stand a chance against you. You are indeed a weapon bred for killing."

Ken closed his eyes, the scattered blades across the ground rising and rushing towards him. Naruto watched as Genkei moved out of the way and the blades impaled Ken. However, this was what the silver haired man wanted. He was grinning, "Forget the mission, you bastards killed my brother!"

Genkei watched the several blades protruding from each inch of Ken's body, leaving only his face free. The summon realised the danger of the technique, "Naruto…"

Ken cackled madly, "Hakanai Jitsuzai!"

Naruto was frozen when he saw the blades explode out of Ken in every direction and in the process rip his body apart. He could see the metal blades approach him, but he didn't have time to react. A flap of wings was heard before he was pushed off his feet by Genkei.

Naruto grimaced before hearing a growl and instantly sitting up. Genkei's wing had been ripped from the force of the attack, "Genkei!"

Genkei looked back towards Ken, ignoring his own pain, "Suicide…I didn't see that coming."

Naruto stood up, surveying the surroundings which had hundreds of blades sticking out. "Thanks. I wouldn't have dodged that."

Genkei observed Naruto, "The Kyuubi's chakra, what happened?"

Naruto shrugged, "I don't know. I can't call on it."

Genkei was inwardly wary of the peculiar information. There was something wrong about that fact. He didn't let his concern show though, "It's better this way. That chakra is no good."

Naruto walked towards his friend, "Are you okay?"

Genkei forced his remaining wing into his back. It was an awe inspiring yet frightening scene. "We should return to the Confederation."

Naruto was quick to protest, "No!"

Genkei was expecting that response. "What exactly are you going to do? Go through an army and beat them all. Hajin is going to be much stronger than the opponent you faced today."

Naruto was speechless, the dragon was right. The fight against Nin had been difficult and pushed him to his limit. And not only was Hajin in his way, there were still two members of the Titans of Iwa remaining and Tenjou too.

Genkei recognised the conflict in the jinchuuriki, "Think carefully about this…"

Naruto couldn't bring himself to change his mind. The death of Yuka was fresh on his mind and he desperately wanted answers. "I don't care. I need to know why he did that to Yuka." He was pleading, "Genkei…please."

Genkei sighed, troubled by the situation. It was made apparent by Nin and Ken; that Hajin wanted Naruto. And the dragon was more than hesitant to help in that endeavour. Regardless, Naruto was in a dire condition emotionally, due to the recent events. Denying him help in his time of need wouldn't bode well since the blonde would try and find Hajin on his own. "Fine…" It was better that Naruto had someone with him rather than being alone.

Genkei sniffed the air, trying to identify the various scents. Even though he knew so much of the Tsuchikage, he had never met the man. Finding his scent, he took off with Naruto close behind. Above all else, there was one thought lingering on his mind; what was this greater war?

Daikonran – Pandemonium (Original)

Doton Doryu Joheki – Earth Release Earth Flow Rampart

Doton Gakekuzure – Earth Release Landslide (Original)

Doton Gankai Takamari – Earth Release Rock Upsurge (Original

Doton Kakou Abureru Gouka – Earth Release Descent To Hell (Original)

Eremento Fuin Chihyou – Element Seal Earth (Original)

Futon Daitoppa – Wind Release Great Breakthrough

Futon Fuujin Moui – Wind Release Wind God Menace (Original)

Hakanai Jitsuzai – Fleeting Reality (Original)

Kage Bunshin No Jutsu - Shadow Clone Technique

Katon Karyu Endan – Fire Release Fire Dragon Flame Missile

Katon Moetatsu – Fire Release Blaze Up (Original)

Kisei Maruyane – Death Dome (Original)

Raiton Messatsu – Lightning Release Obliteration (Original)

Raiton Seidenki – Lightning Release Static Electricity (Original)

Shugoryuu Kunan – Dragon King Suffering (Original)

Suiton Hahonryu – Water Release Rapid Crusher

Suiton Ootsunami – Water Release Giant Tidal Wave (Original)

Author Notes: Yes, Naruto is strong but he isn't Superman. Where would the fun be in that? Anyways, I used Deidara because Kishi didn't explain his abilities nor did i expect him to. Now you know why Hajin thanked Kakashi for killing him near the beginning; he wasn't just a missing-nin, Deidara ran away from Iwa because he didn't want to be used. Also, believe it or not, i had to shorten the fights in this chapter by about 1500 words. Whether that affected the overall outcome, i can't say. But i do think shorter fights were better in this circumstance. Until next time, laters.