Chapter 5 : Rescue Mission - Kazekage captured
Naruto wiped his brow of sweat and settled back into his stance. He was currently in his favorite training spot in the woods behind the Hokage monument, a simple clearing with a small river and spring fed lake in the center of the clearing. Around the small lake were various flowers, medicinal herbs and even a few berry bushes. At one side of the lake was a large sakura tree that he liked to take naps in when he could. It was his secret place where he could come to be one with nature and relax...though he was sure that someone else would one day find this place he would protect it...it was his haven.
At the moment he was standing out in the middle of the lake going through various kata for his Mystical Beast style Kenjutsu. He had stopped because a blue bird had flown down and perched on his sword, looking at him innocently. He smiled and watched the little creature as it hopped up and down his blade. On the other side of the lake he could see a small family of deer drinking from the lake. There was even a small family of fox's here. None of the wild life in the area had ever feared Naruto and he had for years, even before he became a ninja had acted as their protector from hunters and such...this haven was as much theirs as his.
The blue bird, its curiosity satisfied, flew off to get some food near one of the berry bushes. Naruto continued to go through his kata as he manipulated the water and wind around him. Swirls, spirals and arcs of water danced about his shirtless form and blades, his six tails flailing behind him as the winds blew through his hair and fur.
Naruto's eyes began giving off a brilliant icy blue glow as he channeled more of his power creating pillars of water on the lake. He began jumping between them as he continued his kata. He was determined to make sure that no more accidents like the one he had with Mizuki would happen again. He had been careless and hadn't even tapped into a quarter of his power or skill. Though that was partially due to the power draining anti-demon poison he had been inflicted with but the point was that he was more than skilled enough that it shouldn't have happened...he had been berating himself for nearly a week now.
Of coarse just because Naruto thought he was alone didn't mean he really was. The show was being enjoyed by quite a few people. Tsunade, Shizune, Sakura, Ino and Kakashi were watching from the Hokage's office via the viewing crystal. Hinata, who had perfected stalking Naruto to an art, was also watching from the tree line along with Tenten, both in different positions and using a much better form of concealment jutsu. Temari had returned to Suna several days ago for her tri-monthly reports.
With an expert twirl, Naruto, sheathed his twin swords and then began going through Taijutsu kata. Further channeling his control of water and wind he turned the pillars of water into a large sphere and used the wind to hold it in place. He then trained his ability to fight under water and use his affinity to breathe the water. He then tied on a blindfold intent on training his blind fighting.
Finishing his Taijutsu kata his body began glowing bright blue as the massive sphere of water was broken apart and turned into countless small orbs of water all circling around Naruto. The orbs then shot at him as if to attack. Naruto's form blurred as he used his inhuman speed to attack or block the orbs of water.
The people watching were stunned to see such a show of not only skill but raw power. Naruto was hitting and blocking each orb of water that came at him using both his arms and his six tails. The truly frightening part was that he wasn't even tapping into his demonic powers...it was all his human powers.
As the last sphere of water flew at Naruto he held his hand out to halt it. He gestured with his hand and grabbed it as it writhed and took the form of a double edged long sword and froze into ice. He then melted it back into water and began experimenting with shapes, shuriken, kunai, swords, a spear, a club and finally...oddest of all...a rose. He turned the ice into a rose and then charged it with chakra causing it to gain a prism like glow to it. Naruto then dismissed the ice rose and let it turn back into water.
His ears twitched slightly and a smell drifted through the air, he could smell Clover Oil, Metal, Medicinal Herbs, Lavender and Cinnamon rolls. He mentally chuckled...it seems as if Tenten was trying to follow Hinata's example in her favorite pastime of Naruto-kun stalking. He didn't really mind, he knew the Hyuga heiress meant no harm and was very fond of him, if he was honest with himself he'd admit that he was flattered. Tenten hadn't really surprised him much either considering she made it a habit to watch him train his Kenjutsu whenever possible. Besides...it's not like he was trying to hide anything anymore so he'd let them have their fun for now while he worked out his own problems.
Sakura and Ino had gone through great lengths to be nicer to him now and he could tell it was genuine; you can't fool a fox...at least not for a prolonged period of time. He still had some rather deep trust issues with both though, they had treated him like shit when he was younger...well not quite so bad towards the end just before Sasuke betrayed them and he left to train. But many previous years of abuse and insults just didn't go away...even if it was the stupidity of children. He didn't hate either one of them, not by a long shot. He had always had some sort of feelings for Sakura...though not as strong as they used to be and he did find Ino to be both very attractive and amusing to be around, when she wasn't tearing into Shikamaru for being lazy or Kiba for being a pervert.
Tenten and Temari were a lot alike. Tenten was a bit of a tomboy and Temari was the rough and tough Kunoichi, though both had their softer sides. It seemed both had an odd need for physical contact, such as cuddling or holding hands...perhaps it was to offset their otherwise strong personalities. Both girls also had explosive tempers as well with Tenten's favorite thing to do being turning the source of her ire into a living target for various sharp and pointy objects. Temari...would either blast away with wind jutsu or wield her battle fan like a war mace. Thankfully he hadn't been on the receiving end of any of the girl's ire thus far.
Hinata was the pretty much the same she used to be. Still quiet, shy and has a habit of either doing cute things with her fingers or fainting when under too much mental stress. She still blushed a lot and more than once Naruto had caught her getting a nose bleed...it's always the quiet ones. Her Jyuuken skills had vastly improved and her medical skills were nearly on par with Sakura's thanks to Hinata's perfected chakra control and Byakugan. Naruto remembered how he used to think she was weird and a bit creepy...he didn't think so anymore. Like the others she had grown into a very beautiful young woman.
As Naruto approached the shore, his training done for now, he felt Tenten's and Hinata's presences leave. Shrugging it off he wiped some sweat off with a wet towel and began re-applying his bandages that covered his seal. His scarf and trench coat sitting only a few feet away. Just as he finished wrapping his lower torso a small messenger slug appeared in front of him in a puff of smoke, put down a scroll and vanished.
Naruto picked up the small scroll; it was from Tsunade, requesting his presence in her office ASAP. Hiding his tails and fox ears quickly, he picked up his coat and scarf, placing them on hastily before bounding into the tree line in a dead run towards the Hokage tower.
All conversation in the Hokage's office came to a halt as Naruto burst through the doors. The people within the room consisted of Tsunade, Jiraiya, Kakashi, Sakura, Ino, Tenten, Hinata and Ton-ton, who was sleeping in the corner. The group turned to look at the Namikaze heir and he could tell by the grim looks on the two Sannin that this was not a mere social call.
"You called, Tsunade-sama?" Naruto asked in full mission mode.
The blonde female Hokage sighed and took a swig of sake. "Yes...there have been some developments that have come about."
Jiraiya stepped up. "First...Sasuke Uchiha attacked Orochimaru three days ago and seemingly killed him but not before Orochimaru was able to perform the body switch jutsu. Part of him is now in Uchiha and the rest is recovering with Kabuto Yakushi. Uchiha seems to have control of Orochimaru's personality...for now...but he is being hailed as a hero by various members of the council...mostly civilian and those against you. He has fled Oto with three of Orochimaru's best...Karin, Jugo and Suigetsu. They and a large number of other Oto-nin are loyal to the Uchiha...also he has put a bounty out on you, Naruto, he wants you to be brought in alive so that he can kill you and obtain his Magenkyo Sharingan, he will likely be seeking you out along with Itachi."
Sakura and Ino looked horrified, the boy they had once had a crush on wanted to murder his best friend just to gain more power! It was bad enough that he became a traitor but now this? Tenten and Hinata also looked upset but they were more angry than anything...Naruto was just...impassive.
"I suspected as much." Naruto replied. "The only reason, Itachi, left the little bastard alive was and warped his mind was so that he would gain the Magenkyo and then Itachi could harvest them and gain the immortality and true powers gained from taking a siblings Magenkyo Sharingan...just like Madara did. That was the precise reason, Orochimaru, wanted Sasuke-teme. With him he could gain the immortality he desires so much." Naruto sighs and shakes his head. "In the end...you have to pity Sasuke...he is and has always been nothing but a pawn, his quest destroying his own soul and making it easier for those desiring his power to use him."
"Is...that really true, Tsunade-sensei?" Sakura asked looking a bit ill, sure she wasn't in love with the boy anymore but she still did want him back as a friend.
"I'm afraid so, Sakura." Tsunade answered. "Madara, the founder of the Uchiha clan gained great power and immortality but at a nasty price. You see...in order to gain the Magenkyo level of Sharingan you must murder your best friend in cold blood, no matter how cold hearted you are there will always be a twinge of guilt over the death you caused...this awakens the ultimate form of the Sharingan. The other price of this is a disease that comes with the power; it slowly eats away at the eyes and chakra centers within the eyes causing the holder of the Magenkyo to eventually go completely blind."
"However if you have a sibling who also has a Magenkyo level Sharingan and you steal that siblings eyes to replace your own it not only stops the disease completely but it grants a horrible level of tainted power and immortality to the one who did this. Madara was the first to discover it and we believe that he trained Itachi so that he could join him. Sasuke also knows of this and is seeking to take his brothers eyes since Itachi has not experienced any problems from the Magenkyo disease yet. But he can't gain this power until he has his own Magenkyo...that is why Naruto is his other target." Tsunade explained.
"Does this have something to do with that cursed seal thing that Orochimaru put on him four years ago?" Ino asked.
"Not completely." Jiraiya said. "The cursed seal of heaven uses an odd combination of tainted devil chakra and cells extracted from one of Orochimaru's experiments, it does eventually corrupt the mind but only with the persons own dark emotions and thoughts...it doesn't create what is already there. The cells cause corruption but only take hold if the person is liable to be corrupt in the first place. The seal cannot make the inflicted person do anything other than what they would already be slightly inclined to do...it removes their inhibitions on their darker personality aspects so to speak. When that happens the evil chakra the seal draws power from further taints the person and alters them on a genetic level...it makes them into a type of Hanyou like Naruto, but by using a power and being far more evil and tainted than even Kyuubi was."
"Devils…" Naruto said. "Devil kind is the foulest and most evil of entities out there, literately evil incarnate. Even the lowest level of devil is on par with a four tailed demon. The difference between the two is that Demon's are initially beasts of various tails...some are smart and others are completely primal. Some of the tailed beasts even act as protectors of certain areas, Gobi the five tailed Wolf is a master of elements and illusions and acts as a guardian of forests and mountains. Nibi the Nekomanta...the two tailed Cat is another that isn't evil, she is a master of Hell Fire and Necromancy...she is one of the smartest of the Biju and an acquaintance of mine as is her former container who with mine and Jiraiya's help merged with the girl she was sealed in to become a Hanyou, yet retain both personalities so she could lend aid when needed."
"Devil's though work on a different level though. Demons usually represent elements and animals...occasionally one can take on a semi-human form. A Devil though is a humanoid creature of evil in its purest forms. They have elemental capabilities like demons do but they represent Sins and Dark Emotions such as Rage, Hate and Envy. They thrive and live off of the suffering and anguish of other beings...demons included. It gives them a great boost in power; they also have an insatiable taste for blood and flesh...especially that of human virgins. The most powerful is some sort of dark god known as the Lord of Anarchy and Destruction...no one knows what its name is though. The ones you really have to be careful of are the Sin Lords, they are very powerful, easily matching Kyuubi and usually are backed by armies of lesser devils, enslaved demons and Nightbreeds like Ghouls, Vampires, Zombies and the like." Naruto explained.
"Have you ever fought one of those Devil things?" Tenten asked.
Naruto nodded. "Once, a Famine Devil, it was causing mass destruction of crops in far Wheat Country. It's favorite thing to do was suck the life force from anything it came in contact with...damn thing nearly killed me the first time I fought it. If I hadn't awakened my sixth tail fighting it...I probably would have died."
The others in the room winced; no one liked the idea of something powerful enough that could kill someone as powerful as Naruto. Jiraiya remembered that fight all to well...it was when Naruto discovered the secrets behind the two swords his father left for him. It was also during that time that Jiraiya saw another power slowly beginning to awaken within Naruto...one that was still locked away. It was beyond any power he had ever seen but for some reason, Naruto, couldn't unlock it...an Elder Sage they had visited in their travels had told him that Naruto couldn't unlock the power without first obtaining the key which he called the sacred element. It still gave the old pervert a headache trying to figure out the ancient Sage's true meaning.
"There is something else too." Tsunade said getting everyone back to the subject. "Naruto, I have a mission for you, Kakashi and who ever else you see fit to take with you. We told you about the Uchiha first because there is a chance you might run into him on this mission. This will be your first Chunin mission and I am placing you in charge."
She paused for a moment and then continued.
"The Kazekage of Suna has been kidnapped by the Akatsuki." She said.
"Gaara!? When the hell did this happen?" Naruto asked slightly surprised. Temari had told him about Gaara becoming the new Kazekage about a week ago. Naruto had been happy for his friend since Gaara's reasons were to gain more precious people and protect them.
"Temari-san sent a messenger bird here about a half hour ago. Two members of the Akatsuki named Sassori and Dhiedra attacked Suna a few days ago just before she got there. Her brother Kankuro was badly injured in the fight. She and a healer named Chiyo requested our help to get him back...also; Itachi has been seen in the area as well. Once you get to Suna, Temari and Chiyo will guide you to where the Akatsuki have taken Gaara to extract Shukaku...it should take them about two to three days to do so." Tsunade said.
"But it'll take that long to get there! Suna is a three day journey from here, even for a Jounin!" Sakura said worriedly.
Naruto had gone silent, his eyes closed and his arms crossed as he went into deep thought. This was a problem. Asuma, Chouji and Shikamaru were out on a mission to Spring Country, solidifying trade agreements. Gai, Lee, Neji and Kiba were also out on a mission in Water Country...he wasn't sure of the details...only that they were in Kiri, the village hidden in the mists. Kurenai was out on maternity leave having discovered her pregnancy six days ago. Anko was also out due an assassination mission in Grass Country. The only people he could take were in the room with him.
"Alright..." Naruto said opening his eyes. "...I can get us all there in about a day and a half...maybe less if we don't run into problems. Kakashi-sensei will be my co-leader for this mission, if I am not around then he is in charge. I want Sakura, Ino, Tenten and Hinata to come as well. Sakura will be our main medic, Ino our interrogator, Hinata can act as a scout and Tenten's ranged Kenjutsu skills will help. Ero-sennin, I want you to stay here and help mom keep things safe here."
Jiraiya nodded, taking pride in how quickly and efficiently Naruto was taking hold of the situation, though he really wished the teen would stop using that damned nick name. Kakashi and Tsunade were also quite impressed. The girls were just glad to be helping their crush.
"We will leave in exactly thirty minutes, gather all you will need for at two week long mission and meet me at the east gate." Naruto said to the group.
"But h-how will w-we get there so quickly, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked.
Naruto gave her a lop sided smile. "You'll see soon enough, Hinata-chan...now let's go!" He said and flame ported out of the office.
The others looked at each other, nodded and vanished in either puffs of smoke or swirls of leaves.
"Will they be alright, Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked feeling a bit worried.
The pervert for once trying to be comforting placed a hand on her shoulder.
"There isn't much out there that can actually kill, Naruto, anymore and trying to extract the Kyuubi is impossible now that Naruto is a Hanyou. The Akatsuki is strong...but it would take almost all of them to take down Naruto in a fight if he releases his full power. Many would think that being half demon is what gives him an edge...when in truth it is his half human side that gives him the edge he will need. Have faith in him, Tsunade-hime...he has grown much, not only in power but heart as well. He will protect them all and bring them back home safely." Jiraiya said confidently.
"I hope your right." Tsunade said in but a whisper.
Thirty minutes later...
Sakura, Tenten, Ino and Hinata ran up to the east gate followed by Kakashi who had appeared from a puff of smoke. They could see Naruto waiting a short ways outside of the gate; he was leaning against a tree, eyes closed and seemingly unaware of his surroundings. However, before the group could get within earshot of him he stood up to his full height and opened his eyes.
"Okay, we're here, Naruto, how do you plan on getting us to Suna so quickly?" Kakashi asked curiously.
Naruto just smiled and walked a bit of distance from them. "Like this." He said simply.
Naruto's chakra spiked harshly causing him to be surrounded by a sapphire and ruby spiral of energy. There was a sudden mass of black smoke that filled the area. A large golden furred tail with a silver tip swept out from the smoke as it began to clear. The breeze picked up and the smoke was carried off.
The group could only stare in shock. Standing before them was a six tailed demon fox, a little larger than a small house and with fur the same color as Naruto's hair. Its eyes gave off a gentle icy sapphire blue glow and held a familiar piercing nature about them. The fox looked like a six tailed version of Kyuubi, but the fur color, eye color and over all feeling around it was the complete opposite of what was expected with the nine tailed demon. There was no blood lust, killing intent or malicious feelings...just a strong feeling of safeness and security.
Naruto padded up to them a bit and then lay down, lowering his massive head to look at his friends stunned faces as his longer than usual fox ears twitched slightly as various sounds filtered into them. A slightly amused glint could be seen in his glowing blue eyes.
"This is my full demon form, though it is not a large as I can grow." Naruto said in a soft demonic voice.
"N-Naruto-kun...is that really you!?" Sakura asked in awe as she shyly touched his furry muzzle. Despite its stiff and spiky look the fur was soft and silky to the touch, much like some of the fine silks and satins that were imported from Kiri.
"Yes, Sakura-chan, it's me. I'm pretty fast so I'll be carrying all of you to Suna. This was the fasted and most efficient method I could come up with." Naruto replied secretly enjoying the pink haired girls petting of his fur.
Tenten, Ino and Hinata were each looking at him with big eyes, the word CUTE was flashing through their mind. Kakashi sweatdropped...leave it to these girls to see Naruto's full demon form as nothing more than an over grown puppy or stuff toy...though part of him was impressed with Naruto's line of thought...at his size and speed they could cover a lot of ground.
"Are you sure you can handle running for that long?" Kakashi asked.
"Yes, I had loads of stamina before, but now it is near infinite." Naruto answered.
The four girls flushed slightly as they thought of other...very fun...uses for such monstrous stamina. Kakashi noticed and stifled a perverted giggle.
"Alright...ladies, Sensei...climb on." Naruto said.
The four girls happily climbed onto Naruto, each secretly enjoying the feeling of his soft fur and pleasantly warm body. Kakashi chuckled a bit and hopped up and sat down towards the middle of his back. Each of them had the presence of mind to start using a bit of chakra to ensure that they could cling to Naruto's massive form since it was likely that traveling at high speeds they would fall off otherwise.
"Hold on tight...here we go!" Naruto warned and got up, turned and began bounding off in the direction of Suna.
Naruto created a small wind barrier around them so that the roaring of the wind wouldn't cut out conversation or sudden noises that they would need to hear, it also kept them from getting blown off. Kakashi and the girls marveled at how fast they were going as trees flashed by in blurs. Naruto had even bounded over a small village that was in the travel path...scaring the shit out of the commoners. Kakashi laughed when a drunk looked at his sake bottle, scowled and tossed it aside as they passed.
"This is sooo AWESOME!" Ino whooped out excitedly.
"Sure beats riding horses!" Tenten agreed.
"T-this fur is so soft." Hinata said blushing.
"If, Naruto-kun, ever gets tired of being a Shinobi he would make a great taxi service." Sakura said as she relaxed into the large foxes neck.
Ino suddenly got a lecherous grin on her features. "I wonder what the other girls in Konoha would think if we told them that we got to ride Naruto-kun?" She wondered.
"Ohh...now things just got interesting!" Kakashi thought with a quiet perverted giggle as the other three blushed...Hinata nearly fainting in the process.
"Ino, that's...that's...so naughty!" Tenten giggled.
"True!" Ino giggled. "But I bet with his stamina he could keep all four of us entertained for quite a while...hell even Temari could join in on that and he'd probably still wear us out."
"INO!" Sakura chided while wiping some blood trickling out of her nose. Tenten and Hinata weren't doing much better as they got mental pictures...even Ino got a slight nose bleed from her own thoughts.
"I wonder if I should let them know that I can hear every word they say? Though I'd never pegged Ino as a pervert...and what the hell is that smell coming from them...oh...well...damn...that's unexpected...hope they brought some changes of clothes." Naruto silently mused with a sweatdrop.
Now, Naruto, was actually quite flattered that the girls found him so attractive, but he wanted more than the physical when it came to a relationship...that is if he actually chose to pursue one. He knew the girls were aware of his circumstances and had on several occasions held discussions about him. According to Tsunade the first two talks nearly ended in a five way brawl between the girls since none of them really wanted to share. But from the sounds of it they had worked out most of that problem. Naruto fought back the urge to sigh...why couldn't his life get easier just for once?
It had been a little over half a day since the teams departure from Konoha and Naruto's large form was still running at full tilt towards Suna, they were actually making better time than previously thought. They had already passed the half way point.
Naruto's glowing blue eyes suddenly narrowed as his danger senses triggered. There was an odd scent in the air, a mixture of clay, blood and ash from explosives. Looking up he saw a very large bird made of clay coming at them, a flock of smaller birds fanning out in front of it.
"Shit...hold on back there, we're under attack!" Naruto roared out and erected a dome of crimson chakra over them.
The smaller birds impacted with the shield and blew up in multiple and quite loud explosions. Naruto lay down and his passengers quickly got off of him. Naruto shifted into his Hanyou form as the large bird landed in front of them, a feminine looking man with blonde hair smirked at them, behind him was the familiar form of Itachi Uchiha.
"Art is a blast, yeah?" The man said cockily. "The name's Deidara, formerly of Iwa...now hand over that tailed beast you guys were riding on, yeah."
"Like I'd go anywhere with you two ass goblins." Naruto grumbled irritably, Kakashi snickered at the barb as Deidara took offense. "Kakashi-sensei, you up for handling Weasel-teme while I handle goldilocks here?"
"I should be able to handle him." Kakashi said confidently.
"Good, just in case though, take Sakura, Hinata and Ino as back up...in case he tries Tsukiyomi again. Tenten, I want you to cover me from a safe distance while I handle our gender challenged friend here." Naruto said getting an affirmative from the others.
"OI! I'm a guy dammit!" Deidara shouted indignantly. "And for that matter I thought the six tailed was a lizard, yeah."
Naruto released his shield and leveled a death glare at the two as his killing intent filled the air. Glowing blue eyes turned glowing red, his six tails flailing behind him like cobras waiting to strike.
"I am not the six tails. I am Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki, Kitsune Hanyou and soon to be Nine tailed Lord. Sorry to burst your bubbles but the Kyuubi will soon cease to exist, I will take his place but as a Hanyou, though please do try to capture and seal me...I need the entertainment." Naruto purred the last part sinisterly.
Deidara scowled at the blonde Hanyou as Kakashi and his group shot off after Itachi. Tenten backed off a safe distance and began preparing her throwing weapons. Another flock of clay birds shot out at Naruto, this time from all directions, each bird turning into a shuriken.
Naruto drew his blades as his body blurred, his arms going so fast that they became invisible to even a well trained eye. The sounds of loud clangs filled the air as hundreds of clay shuriken were either blocked or destroyed. Some did manage to get past Naruto's defenses though leaving him with quite a few new wounds, not that it was a worry...these weren't laced with a deadly poison so his healing factor kicked in quickly.
Naruto stopped and faced his enemy once again; He could tell that Kakashi and the others were having some trouble against Itachi. Seeing as how this was the Akatsuki and he was in a hurry...the time for play was over.
Tenten gasped as Naruto settled into a stance as a mixture of purple, red and blue chakra swirled around him in a angry torrent. This stance...she had heard of it in ancient Kenjutsu legends! It was said, that a Warrior of Legend once walked ancient earth in a time before the first great human apocalypse. He had two blades, one of pure light and the other of pure dark. His skills and power was unmatched by any mortal and many immortal beings...he was the last of the great Demon/Devil Hunters...Arashi Kazama, Master of the Mystical Beast style. But he passed on millennia ago and with him it was thought his style and blades were lost.
"Naruto-kun...just who are you really?" Tenten whispered.
Deidara blanched when Naruto glared at him, the kids killing intent was as bad, if not worse, than the Kyuubi's had been in its prime. And his eyes...those baleful, crimson glowing eyes...those eyes that now seemed to have flames burning within them. The power he was radiating...it was scorching and ripping up the ground beneath him and the damn level continued to rise.
The feminine Akatsuki member knew he stood no chance against this...this thing unless he had better help. Frantically he created a Clay Clone and prepared to do a Substitution to make his escape. He needed to get back to Sassori to help with the extraction of Shukaku. Their leader wasn't going to like this turn of events...it meant that the Kyuubi would likely be out of their reach and he had been pissed off for months about losing the Nibi to its host.
The chakra around Naruto switched to a mixture of red and white hot fire, oddly not harming him but making him look all the more fierce. A piercing trill thundered through the air as the flames began taking a form around the young Hanyou...the form of a large bird of fire.
"RRRAAAWWWKKKKK!!"
The fire bird screeched once more as Naruto crouched down and two flaming wings spread out.
"Mystic Arts - Blazing Phoenix Rush!" Naruto snapped followed by another thundering trill.
Naruto's form incased within the massive fire bird shot forward, scorching and tearing up the earth beneath him. Deidara cringed; the kid was to damn fast. The feminine mans form was blasted straight up into the air with Naruto's flaming form right behind him. The flaming bird containing Naruto flashed by Deidara at break neck speed and stopped fifty feet above him and hovered there.
Naruto looked down at his prey...time to finish this. "Mystic Fire Release - Phoenix Flare Inferno!"
Deidara's eyes widened as his eyebrows rose up into his hairline. Hanyou-Naruto had thrust his blades in a down slash motion and caused the flaming fire bird surrounding him the shoot towards him.
Below the spectacle, Tenten let out a strangled eep and got the hell out of the blast zone area, that thing was going to hit and hit very hard. At this point she was beginning to wonder, who was more deadly...her crush or the damn idiots after him?
She let out another uncharacteristic eep when, Naruto, suddenly appeared in front of her, wrapped his arms and tails around her and erected a glowing red barrier. She flushed bright pink at the feel of his muscles pressed against her body but her eyes could not be peeled from the sight before her. The massive fire bird had hit its target and struck the ground causing a minor quake.
The ground at the impact zone was ripped up, scorched and incinerated all at the same time as a small mushroom cloud rose from the crater. Deidara, burned and bruised, managed to get out of the way at the last moment using a substitution. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he flew off at high speed on the back of one of his giant clay birds, cursing Naruto the entire time.
Naruto looked down at the girl he had shielded from the blast, her hands had...be it consciously or sub-consciously, started traveling up and down his muscular torso. Tenten's eyes had glazed over as she felt, Naruto's, rippling muscles beneath her finger tips and she suddenly forgot the reason she was there as her head began to swim in a haze of emotion. Her cheeks were tinted bring pink and if, Naruto, was honest with himself...she looked very cute at the moment. Never mind the fact that her touch was causing him to flush slightly as well.
However he settled for cocking an eyebrow at her. "Err...Tenten...you okay?"
"Yeah...your fine...never felt better...such nice hard...EEP!" She startled as her mind suddenly registered what was going on. "N-Naruto-kun! I...I, err, you...fine...let's go h-help the others!" She stumbled out as he let go of her and idly noted a frown on her features at the loss of his touch.
Naruto frowned a bit. "What the hell is with all these girls falling for me all of a sudden...and that musky smell coming from them? Dammit...I don't have time for this!"
"Tenten, you back up the other girls, I'm going to help Kakashi eliminate a certain Weasel-teme." Naruto said going back into mission mode.
Tenten nodded and followed after Naruto. She wished she could have provided him more help with the girly-guy but how do you help someone that can take out an S-Class missing-nin in two hits and act like it was a warm up!?
Little did she know that Naruto had used a fair amount of Chaos Chakra in that attack and mixed with his other two chakra's he had depleted his stores by a quarter. He did have a lot of chakra to spare, more than most Kage level ninja but he wouldn't have the near limitless amounts his tenant does until the final tail was assimilated.
Sakura watched worriedly as Kakashi and Hinata took on Itachi. Ino had almost gotten in a solid hit but ended up nearly being gutted by the bastard's wakizashi. She gritted her teeth as she continued to use her Mystical Palm jutsu to heal Ino, who was letting out the occasional hiss of pain.
They had all heard and felt the explosions coming from the are that Naruto and Tenten were fighting off the gender challenged Akatsuki member. After the explosion, Sakura, had caught sight of him fleeing the area...she only hoped Naruto hadn't had too much trouble with him.
Hinata tried for a fast Jyuuken strike only to get a nasty thrust kick to her gut. She was sent back a few feet until she hit something both hard and soft...and warm. Looking up she could see Naruto, glaring murderously at Itachi, fangs bared and tails flailing angrily.
"Are you alright, Hinata-chan?" He asked in a soft growling tone.
"Y-yes, Naruto-kun...I am fine." She said blushing as he helped her stand straight.
Tenten ran up. "Go help, Kakashi-san, I'll keep Hinata safe." She said
Naruto nodded and shot his glare back at the elder Uchiha brother, a low, primal growl rippled up from deep in his throat causing both girls to shiver slightly.
As he began to walk forward electrical energy began crackling and surging around his right arm. He opened his hand a familiar spiraling ball of pure chakra appeared, but this time it you could see lightning arcing and surging through it as it grew to the size of a soft ball.
"Lightning Release - Element Rasengan." Naruto snarled as he began his charge towards Itachi.
Kakashi cringed and jumped back, the amount of chakra in Naruto's attack was equivalent to his Raikiri, only where his cuts...Naruto's drills and grinds...and thanks to the lightning...pierces.
"Foolish." Itachi muttered and went through some hand signs. "Fire Release - Phoenix Immortal Flames Jutsu."
A barrage of bird shaped fire balls spat out from Itachi's mouth and closed in on Naruto. Naruto vanished in a yellow flash before they could reach and a second later, Itachi, felt an indescribable pain sear through his chest as the Rasengan ripped through his flesh.
However, instead of falling over dead, Itachi turned into a mass of bone, blood and dust as he crumbled around Naruto's arm.
"What the hell?" Kakashi wondered.
"That wasn't, Itachi..." Naruto answered glaring at the remains, his eyes narrowed.
Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto