First: thank you for all the encouraging reviews! I'm glad you enjoy the story so far.
Secondly: because some of you were disappointed that Naruto got defeated again, I can promise you that it was required for the storyline. Moreover, all the Monodane trained since they learned how to walk, so it's only natural they're rather strong (and Resshin did killed almost the entire clan, remember?). The reason why Naruto used only 10 of his power will be explained a bit later (in the closest chapters though).
I think that covers it… after this you'll be able to learn few things about OC's secrets and romance will be more visible as well. Anyways, here's the ultimate, Monodane showdown:
Chapter #5: Circle of Life
Chapter Cover: Naraku and Naruto are standing back to back. The former leaf-nin is holding a Fuuma Shuriken in his left hand and has kunais in his mouth. The blonde is unwrapping the scroll.
"So, I suppose you came here in hope to fulfill that stupid promise of yours, right?" asked Resshin with a smirk. "But you can't hope to win, can you?"
"I've changed since the last time we saw each other" assured Naraku with a cold voice. For a few moments they kept looking at each other and then, in the same second, they both performed chains of different hand seals: "Hinote Kuiki: Ryuumori!" called out the younger Monodane and instantly a large fireball came out of his mouth.
"Tsuchi Kuiki: Ishirou no Jutsu!" and in a fracture of a second thin spikes shoot from underground around Naraku and started to circle around him, binding his legs and arms.
Resshin jumped to his right, thus avoiding the fireball and safely landing on his feet he slowly walked over to his brother, who was completely immobilized: "Seriously Naraku, I thought you'd be more of a challenge… but in the end you'll always keep falling into basics skills…"
"Sorry to disappoint you then…" replied the younger shinobi with a smirk as he disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.
"Kage Bushin?" Resshin eyes widen a bit. "But when did he…?" with that thought he turned around to face a kick launched by his brother. As Naraku's foot connected with his face, the older Monodane slid back a bit. "Of course, the one that appeared was a bushin from the very beginning… the original stayed behind to catch me off guard… but you know, brother…" with that he turned around and grabbed Naraku that suddenly appeared behind him by the neck: "I'm not the type to get fooled by the same trick twice… if you'd command your clone to attack me with something more powerful then a mere kick, I might have not noticed that that was a bushin too… you're still very disappointing…"
"Yeah well, you forget one thing…" announced Naraku as he grabbed his brother by his shirt with his left hand. "Since you're holding me, you won't move…" and instantly he began performing another set of hand seals with his right hand alone. "Hinote Kuiki: Kasai Yari!" and in a fracture of a second a powerful, fire spear shoot from his middle and index finger right into Resshin's stomach, sending him flying back. "Damn that Stone Skin of his… if I won't find a way to get through it, I won't be able to do any, real damage to him…"
The missing-nin landed safely on a wall and stick to it with his chakra. "Well, you did learned a few tricks in the end… but still you cannot defeat me at your current level… maybe I should show you how the fire domain should be used?" and with that he began performing new hand seals: "Hinote Kuiki: Makai Arashi!" and before anyone knew it a powerful, fire wave came from his mouth, heading straight at Naraku.
Before the younger Monodane could react to that, he got surrounded by a circle of fire. "Not good, there's no way out… only one thing to do then…" and with that he began performing his own set of hand seals.
"Naraku-sama!" yelled Hinako from the top of a nearby building as she observed the firestorm bellow. "How can that Resshin guy be so powerful? I thought Naraku-sama was the strongest… but this guy's strength is inhuman…"
"Will… will Naraku-kun manage?" asked Tamao worried.
"We can't help him, if that's what you're thinking…" reminded Kasumi. "If we try to interfere in anyway, we'll only make things worse, coz Naraku would have to worry about us to… but do not worry, he still haven't used his thumb card…"
"And what's with that Naruto kid?" asked Hinako, turning around to see the blonde lying on Hinata's lap unconscious with Shikamaru and Yari sitting right beside her.
"He should be fine…" replied the lazy ninja. "He just used up a lot of chakra…"
"That's good to know…" announced the green-head quietly as she turned around to look at the two Monodane fighting again.
"Mizu Kuiki: Gogyou Haretsu!" Naraku called out and before Resshin noticed a huge, water gazer shoot out from the place his brother stood, carrying the younger sibling on top of it. As the water fell on the ground, it started to extinguish the firestorm around.
"So, he was able to master the second domain it seems…" Resshin thought to himself, smiling. "This is getting better and better…he may even push me to reach out for my special surprise…" and with that he began forming more hand seals.
Naraku did the same as he came to the ground. The younger Monodane finished first and called out: "Mizu Kuiki: Tsurara Misairu no Jutsu!" and instantly the water that was still shooting from under ground formed a spike which got frozen and launched right at Resshin.
The missing-nin jumped from the wall and landing on the incoming icicle he finished his chain of hand seals: "Hinote Kuiki: Ryuumori!" and as the fireball left his mouth he jumped off the ice spike which crashed into the wall he was standing on just a second ago.
Naraku jumped back, avoiding being burnt into ashes and when he was still in mid-air he heard his brother's voice coming from behind: "Tsuchi Kuiki: Hakachi no Jutsu!"
The younger Monodane looked back and noticed another Resshin, who just finished performing the jutsu and stone spikes started to shoot from under the ground, coming right at the defenseless Naraku. "Kage Bushin! He must've created the clone when that firewall blocked my view… then he used the Dragon Lance to make me jump back, thus making me unable to dodge… this is bad…" and with that last thought his body got pierced by one of the stone spikes.
Resshin landed on the ground and dispelled the clone which performed the Stone Graveyard. He looked up to his brother and then, with a smirk appearing on his face, he said out loud: "Not too original, Naraku… where are you?" and just then the younger sibling's body turned into a wooden pale.
"Resshin-sama, above you!" yelled Hinato, who was standing far away on another roof-top.
The missing-nin look up just in time to see Naraku finishing another set of hand seals: "Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" and instantly a huge fireball left the boy's mouth, covering the place Resshin stood with flames.
"Such power…" Hinata's eyes widen at the sight. "That's Sasuke's technique and still Naraku-san manage to perform a much more powerful version then the member of the Uchiha clan…just how strong are the Monodane? And… how can I even think about matching them?"
As the flames cleared and Naraku was slowly coming to the ground, he noticed that Resshin disappeared. "He must've hid underground… but what for, with his Stone Skin, he'd probably just get few, more serious burns… nothing he couldn't have handle…"
When his feet finally reached the ground, he spotted his brother on top of a nearby building, smiling: "Well, you really did learn few things since the last time we saw each other… you've gotten stronger, I'll give you that, but in the end you're still a brat that presents no danger to me…" and the moment he said so Naraku got trapped in a 'nelson' from the behind by another clone of Resshin.
"See, you kept falling for the most basic tricks…" announced the missing-nin calmly. "It's been fun, but I have better things to do, so hope you won't mind me ending this…" and with that her performed another set of hand seals. With the last symbol his right hand got surrounded with flames and as a smirk appeared on his face, he charged at Naraku, calling out: "Hinote Kuiki: Kasai Genko!"
As he got closer, Naraku bounced his feet of the ground and freeing himself from the grip, he propped his hands on Resshin clone's shoulders. The missing-nin wasn't able to stop fast enough and hit his clone in the stomach, making it disappear in the cloud of white smoke.
The younger Monodane spun around and launched a powerful kick in his brothers face, thus sending the surprised, former leaf-nin flying back.
Resshin was able to land safely on his feet though and as he looked up, Naraku notice that he's still smirking. Then he turned around to see another clone of Resshin, aiming a fist at him.
As the punch connected with his face, he was send flying right at his brother, who gather a huge among of chakra in his right hand and launched a punch in Naraku's stomach. Being unable to dodge or block, the younger Monodane received a powerful blow in the gut, which send him flying again, hitting Resshin's clone and smashing hard against a nearby wall, coughing out blood at the same time.
"Naraku-kun!" Tamao turned away, seeing her friend being defeated.
"And so it ends, Naraku…" stated Resshin coldly.
"I couldn't agree with you more…" replied the younger Monodane weakly as he slowly got back to his feet.
It was only then that the missing-nin noticed his brother's clone placing an explosive tag on a nearby wall. As he looked around, he spotted tens of such notes around him. "Shi…" was the only thought that appeared in his mind before all the tags went off, lifting up tons of dust.
"Even with such a trick his Stone Skin is still activated…" Naraku reminded himself as he breathed heavily. "He must've felt that, but this still won't do…"
"What happened?" asked Naruto as he slowly regained conscious.
"You've gotten into a fight with Naraku's older brother…" replied Yari, hugging him the moment he sit up, making Hinata held back her anger once more. "I'm so glad you're alright, Naruto-kun!"
"Haven't I told her he will be few minutes ago?" Shikamaru's eyebrow went up, but he kept silent. "Girls will always be troublesome…"
"So what was that explosion?" the blonde asked another question as he got back to his feet.
"Now Naraku-sama is fighting your opponent…" replied Hinako. "And even thought it may not look like it, but… he's losing that fight…"
"Naraku… is losing to someone?" Naruto's eyes widen as he turned his head to look at the battle.
"Dammit, at this point summoning Toramaru would cause me most of my chakra…" the younger Monodane cursed in his mind. "But even if I were to do that, he'd summon Harinezumo… a waste of chakra…how should I resolve this then?"
Resshin shaken of the rubble that was lying on him and walked out of the dust. "You're a real pain in the ass, Naraku, you know that?" he asked his brother.
"I take that as a compliment…"
"Take it as you want… enough fun and games, this ends here…" and with that he began another chain of hand seals, different from the others.
"The order of the seals…" Naraku's eyes widen. "He couldn't have!"
"Tenrai Kuiki: Ikazuchi Arashi!" Resshin called out with the last symbol and in a fracture of a second waves of electricity ran on the ground with an incredible speed. Naraku wasn't even able to react before the waves hit him.
The younger Monodane screamed in pain as electricity shoot through him body, making him fall down to his knees from both pain and exhaustion. His skin was now cut in various places and his blood started to fall on the ground as he breathed even more heavily then before.
"That's the difference between you and me, Naraku…" announced Resshin coldly as he looked at his brother. "You must face the facts: you'll never be able to catch up to me…" and with that he collected another among of chakra in his right hand and charged at the defenseless leaf-nin once more.
"All those years…" Naraku couldn't move. "All my training… and yet the gap between the two of us is still so wide... what was the point? Aiko-chan… your wish… I'm sorry…"
Just then a rock fell between the two of them and a moment later it turned into Naruto who held his hand in front, calling out: "Rasengan!"
Resshin, who was unable to dodge when running at top speed, received a hit from the spinning chakra right in the stomach and was send flying back at the wall, spinning.
The blonde haven't waited a second, helped Naraku get up and jumped back to where their comrades were: "Let's get the hell outta here!" Shikamaru helped him carry the exhausted Monodane and started to jump from roof to roof along with the five kunoichis.
Hanone and Hinato jumped down to the place their master was. Resshin slowly started to get back to his feet with a wound in the stomach, yet smiling widely. "So that blonde brat threw that rock to block my way to Naraku… he then performed the Kawarimi to make sure he'd hit me with his attack… being absorbed in a fight with my brother, he knew I wouldn't noticed him collecting chakra for that technique… if I didn't had my Stone Skin activated, he could've even defeated me…"
"Resshin-sama, are you okay?" asked Hanone with concern in his voice.
"Of course, you fool…" replied the dreadlocks. "You think that an attack of that level could do any, real damage to me? But that whisker-marks brat… I think he may entertain me a bit… he actually caught me on the same trick twice…"
"Shall we give chase?" asked Hinato.
"Don't bother…" responded Resshin. "For the time being neither Naraku, nor his companions present any, real treat to our plans… take your subordinates that are still alive and dispose of the dead properly… I want to see both of you at the meeting… you know the place… now move out…" and hearing that both missing-nins bowed and disappeared. "Naruto, was it? This may be more fun then I have imagined…"
----------
"Well, it doesn't seem like we're being followed or anything, so I guess we can stop for a while…" announced Shikamaru as he looked behind. "Besides, someone should take care of this guy's injuries… they seem pretty bad…"
"I… I can do it…" Hinata proposed shyly. "Sakura gave me some tips… I'm not an expert, but I think I'll be able to at least stop be bleeding…"
"That'll do for now" replied Kasumi. "Do it… and while you're at it, we should decide where to go now… even is they're not pursuing us, they may sooner or later… as long as Naraku is in this state, our chances of surviving another fight have decreased, especially if that Resshin guy will go after us…"
"So we need a safe place to rest that is not far away…" concluded Naruto. "I think I know one… it's only about a one-day trip from here…"
"What is this place that you're talking about?" asked Hinako.
"Village Hidden in the Sand…" responded the blonde.
"Out of the question…" replied Naraku, slowly getting up.
"Naraku-san, you shouldn't move too much right now…" announced Hinata quietly. "Your wounds may open again…"
"We will not go to Suna…" repeated the former leaf-nin as he looked at Naruto.
"Why's that?" asked Shikamaru, not really carrying.
"Not all of us are welcomed there…" answered Kasumi, throwing Yari a sad glare.
"What's that suppose to mean? I don't get it…" announced Naruto.
"That doesn't surprise me…" sighed Hinako. "I'll try to explain it to you. As you have probably noticed, or at least you should have, Yari is a former sand-nin… she didn't left her village out of her own, free will though, she was expelled from it…"
"Expelled from the village?" Hinata's eyes widen. "But why? There must've been a reason."
"There was…" nodded Yari. "To put it simply, because of me the Sand has gotten into a war with Kumo Gakure… war because of which Suna suffered great damage…" and saying so, she lowered her head.
Everybody went silent until Naraku decided to speak up again: "No matter the reason, if one of us can't go, no-one will… as outcasts we have to stick together… besides I'm not the type that'd leave his comrade just to assure safety for myself…"
"None of us will…" added Kasumi.
"The current Kazekage is an old friend of mine…" announced Naruto. "I'm sure he'll allow you to enter the village, Yari-chan… Gaara won't let anyone from the Sand suffer… even if that person had to become a missing-nin…"
"You don't get it, do you, pinhead?" asked Hinako. "Sabaku no Gaara IS the reason why Yari had to leave the Sand in the first place…"
"Say what?" the loud mouth's eyes widen.
"It's just as you heard…" interrupted Naraku. "At any rate, this topic is closed… why have to think of something different… Hinako, you know these parts the best… do you have any ideas of a good, hiding spot?"
"Well, there is one about two or three days marsh from here…" began the green-haired girl, but she got cut off by Naruto:
"Let's go to Suna! I promise you that Gaara will let us in… and if he won't, then we'll all just look for a different hideout. Think about it: in worst case scenario, Yari won't be allowed in the village and we'll lose one day… but if she'll be able to enter the village, we'll have all the sand-nins on our side… the whole village will help us fight if someone would try to attack us…"
"Naraku-sama, this kid really is a lot like you used to be…" Hinako smiled to herself.
The younger Monodane looked into the blonde's eyes and then, letting out a sigh, announce: "Okay, we'll do as you say… but don't count on me to leave Yari or any other of my companions on ice… we'll see what your promise is worth…"
The Kyuubi vessel just smile. Soon all of them headed west, straight towards the gates of Suna Gakure.
And with that the fifth chapter ends. Hope you enjoyed it.
Without making it longer, here's another, jutsu encyclopedia:
Hinote Kuiki: Ryuumori (Fire Domain: Dragon Lance) – a jutsu used by the Monodane who mastered the Fire Domain. It's not that different from the Grand Fireball Skill used by the Uchiha, the main difference is that it's more powerful, but also much more chakra draining.
Tsuchi Kuiki: Ishirou no Jutsu (Earth Domain: Stone Prison Skill) – a technique used by Monodane clan members who mastered Earth Domain. The user must first send his chakra to the ground which then, with the use of right hand seals, pushes up thin, stone spikes. Once the spikes surround the opponent, the same chakra that pushed them up starts to bend them in a way they'd imprison the target.
Hinote Kuiki: Kasai Yari (Fire Domain: Fire Spear) – a jutsu used by Fire Domain masters. In this case the user much concentrate the chakra in his (or hers) hand and then, with the use of right hand seals, release it in a form of a flame. This attack requires a lot of precision, but if the bullet would hit the target, damaged caused by it would be rather big.
Hinote Kuiki: Makai Arashi (Fire Domain: Hell Storm) – one of the most powerful, Monodane techniques. The usage is practically the same as in Dragon Lance case, only the among of chakra required is way bigger. The released flame covers almost everything in front of it, however experienced users can control the flames even when they left his mouth, by sending their chakra with the fire (that's why, when Resshin used it, it surrounded Naraku).
Mizu Kuiki: Gogyou Haretsu (Water Domain: Water Explosion) – jutsu used by Monodane clan members who mastered Water Domain. The user must first send his chakra deep into the ground (so that it'd reach the underground water sources) and then, by performing the right set of hand seals, make it push up a huge among of water to the surface, creating a large gazer. This isn't an offensive jutsu, it's purpose is mostly to fight against fire attacks.
Mizu Kuiki: Tsurara Misairu no Jutsu (Water Domain: Icicle Missile Skill) – jutsu known to Monodane clan members who mastered Water Domain. Can be performed only near a water source. The user sends his chakra into the water and forming it into a spike. Then with the use of his chakra he freezes it, making a icicle that can be send at the opponent.
Hinote Kuiki: Kasai Genko (Fire Domain: Fire Fist) – jutsu known to Fire Domain masters. The user first collects his chakra into his hand and then, using the correct chain of hand seals, releases it in the form of a flame which surrounds his arm. A punch launched with such fist is much more powerful then a normal one.
Tenrai Kuiki: Ikazuchi Arashi (Thunder Domain: Thunder Storm) – a jutsu used by Monodane clan members who mastered Thunder Domain. The user must first send his chakra to the ground and then, with the use of right hand seals, form it into electricity. Since the ground is already electrified, the thunders created by the user can move at an incredible speed.
Lastly, here's the character profile of another OC. This time it'll be my favorite of the kunoichis, Tamao:
Name: Akaramu, Tamao
Name origins: her last name, 'akaramu' means 'to redden', 'to blush'… since she's not so different from Hinata (she's extremely shy as well… guess I can't help creating kunoichis like that), I figure it'll be perfect for her… her first name doesn't really have a meaning, I choose if, because I like it (and it's the name of one of my favorite characters from a different manga)
Age: 17 years old
Birth Date: 25th of December
Blood Type: A
Height: 143,2 cm
Weight: 35,3 kg
Rank: not specified... but when she left her village she was a chuunin
Village: Hidden Stone (Iwa Gakure)
Techniques (used so far): none
Favorite food: anything without meat
Favorite color: green
Family: no information
I believe that with that this chapter ends. Hope you liked it and that you'll leave a review once you're done.
Take care and hopefully till the next time!