The Next Step

Well, I've closed the pairing poll (May I just rant, and say over fifty people went against my advice and voted for Hinata?!) but still, the winners of the polls are… *DRUM ROLL* Mei, Fuu, Anko and Samui. As I said, Funu is already in.

BTW, sorry NaruHina fans, but I hope you'll all keep reading!

"Thanks you so much. This fertiliser is very potent, you know." Wheezed an old man as he handed Naruto the mission pay-out.

The guild post Yami had given him consisted o transporting some highly reactive fertiliser from the shop to the old man's house in under an hour; any longer and the fertiliser would begin to disintegrate.

"Thanks." muttered Naruto. He took the reward without a moment's hesitation, and then ran off into the dark streets.

"Be careful out there boy! There are bandits in this town you know!" called the blonde's client, who by now was far out of ear-shot.

The young blond was currently flicking through the notes he'd been handed for the delivery. It wasn't much, but it would get him past a few days. Grinning at his luck, the jinchuriki grinned.

"Hey, did you hear about the fight near the fountain?"

Naruto's ears perked up.

"Yeah! That kimono-wearing guy! Apparently he ticked off a bandit leader!"

"Kimono-wearing…?" the image of Utakata appeared in his head almost instantly. Without a second though, he began to dash at full speed towards the centre of town, where he'd earlier passed a majestic fountain.

And with him, the plot began to move.

XXX

"Do not be so quick to anger." Muttered Utakata, as he filled up his pipe. "Being cocky will result in a swift death."

The beast of a man grit his teeth at the scrawny brunette bellow him. The man himself wore large plated armour, with chain-mail visible under the gaps. His black hair was groomed into dreadlocks, which hung like palm-tree leaves over his face, which was filled with rage at the sight of Utakata. "D'ya know who yer talkin' too, boyo?"

"Evidentially someone of lower birth." Replied Utakata, without a hint of emotion.

A crowd had gathered around. The pipe-wielding man still sitting, stock-still, on the fountain's edge, the huge bandit standing parallel to him. Other males, followers of the hulking man, were lining the crowd, preventing Utakata from fleeing.

"You gotta lot of balls, boyo…" seethed the man. "I'm 'Fortress' Gaul! Rogue ninja from Iwagakaru itself!"

Utakata smiled, ever so slightly. "Ah yes, I have heard of you… The idiot they kicked out shortly after promoting to chunin. Specialised in demolition, impossibly slow." He chuckled lightly. "All-round pathetic…"

"Yer' a dead bastard!" roared Gaul, as he slammed his fist forward, attempting to crush Utakata between his knuckles and the fountain.

The kimono wearing man simply sighed, and brought his free hand up to a single seal. "Awaton…" as the fist was a few inches from him, the grin returned. "Awabushin." (Bubble Release: Bubble Clone)

Gaul's fist slammed with the force of a rocket into Utakata's chest, but instead of leaving a huge bloody crater, the brunette actually exploded, in a wave of soapy bubbles.

"Wha-?" Gaul spun round, to see Utakata, now standing behind him, walking calmly towards the crowd.

One of the bandits stepped forwards. "Where are you going, huh?"

In a swift motion, Utakata had slammed his palm into the man's stomach, his movement so fast it was impossible to trace. The bandit who had been at the mercy of the attack doubled over, and coughed up blood, before falling helplessly to the earth bellow.

"I do not fight pointless battles. You annoyed me. I insulted you. That is all there is to it." He looked back at Gaul. "I do not wish to fight. So please leave while you still have a life."

Gaul grinned, albeit cautiously. "Heh, who are you kidding? D'ya really think ya can take on me AND my men?"

At this point, our favourite blond appeared in the crowd. Using his slender figure and size, he managed to weave through the crowd to get to the front, where he witnessed all of the bandits and Gaul running head on towards Utakata, who simply sighed in distaste.

"You really are cowards… Awaton:" he raised the pipe to his lips.

Naruto's eyes widened. The way he was so calm and tranquil at the possibility of dying. As he saw Utakata standing there, a silhouette seemed to shine over the brunette. It was that of a grinning man, wearing a bandana and staring with shining lavender eyes. "Tsukimi…?"

"KILL IM'!" roared Gaul.

"… Soubou-Awa Hou." (Bubble release: Violent Bubble Cannon) whispered Utakata.

For a moment, the surrounding bandits seemed to freeze, and then in a flash, they were blasted outwards as a tidal wave of bubbles exploded from the nozzle of the pipe, each one exploding with the force of a bomb, ripping into the skin of all the oncoming bandits. Gaul himself, being the closest to the bubble-user, received the brunt of the attack, and was now standing statue-still, blood dripping from his forehead and chest, his armour cracked in several places.

Naruto's eyes widened. Not even Tsukimi had displayed this amount of power before; but then again, he had never seen the Hyuuga fight seriously enough to display a large amount of power.

Utakata calmly tapped the remaining liquid out of the pipe, then placed it in his pocket, before walking towards the terrified crowd. "Move, if you please." Whispered Utakata, in a voice which caused the onlooker's to instantly move.

Donning a casual, relaxed stride, Utakata began to walk towards the west area of Yama, not even casting a glance back at the heavily injured bandits. But if he had, he may have noticed the blond boy following him, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

XXX

"Welcome to Konoha, brothers!" greeted the elderly Hokage with a pleasant grin. "So sad to hear the Raikage was unable to come."

The one-eyed man nodded. "He sends his apologies. Unfortunately, he and his brother had a little problem they had to deal with." He smiled. "We of Kumogakaru no Sato extend our hand in friendship."

"And we of Konoha gladly accept your hand." Replied the Sandaime, with another warm smile. "I hope your stay in Konoha meets to your standards, and we shall discuss the treaty later over dinner. Please come to the mansion at 11."

The Kumo nin smiled to, although it was unmistakably weaker than a usual smile. The man's eyes darted to a large wall surrounding a separate mansion flanking that of the Hokages. "Who lives here, lord Hokage?"

Sarutobi stopped for a moment, and glanced at the Yin-Yang symbol emblazoned on the large gate. "That would be the Hyuuga clan. No doubt you have heard of them."

The man's face was suddenly covered in sweat. He gulped then smiled again. "Of course I have… Of course…"

XXX

"How long are you going to follow me, Uzumaki-san…?" whispered Utakata, as he suddenly stopped. He had been walking for a good half-hour, not even once glancing back.

Naruto suddenly grinned, finally having attention on him. "Until you agree to train me!"

Utakata spared a single glance at the young jinchuriki. For a moment, there was silence. "… Train you…?" In a flash, he had appeared before Naruto, the pipe barely inch from Naruto's face. The blond gasped slightly, the mere pressure of the pipe causing him to choke slightly. "If this were a real fight, you would be dead before you even realised it." He took a step back. "I am not in the habit of training anyone. The title of 'Sensei' does not suit me, and as for 'Master'." He closed his visible eye. "I do not deserve to be called such a thing." He turned on his heels. "Train yourself, Uzumaki."

The boy clenched his fists, and glared at Utakata's back. Then, with a heavy sigh, he whispered; "I have killed you know."

Utakata froze. He glanced back at Naruto, his eye slightly wider than before, showing his surprise.

"A man called Gin… He was around twenty. I don't know anything about him." Tears began to fall from Naruto's eyes. "H-he killed him…" the image of a grinning man appeared in his head. "He killed my teacher. And I was so angry." For a moment, his eyes sparkled with an amethyst shade, unnoticed by him but seen by the bubble-user. "I only thought of ending his life. It was only a few days ago. And… I killed him." The tears came by themselves now, flowing like water down a hillside. "I'm only six…"

Utakata's gaze softened slightly. "This teacher of yours. Was he the one that gave his life to protect you?"

With a great sniff, the boy nodded. He wiped his eyes with his bandaged fist, and sniffled again.

The brunette let out a small sigh. "How bothersome…" he smiled softly. "Very well. I shall test you. If you pass, you will become my pupil. And if you fail, bother me no more." He turned again. "Follow."

Naruto quickly fell into step with the man, who had begun a rather regal stride rather than a casual walk. "Let me say this; if you pass, you will address me as Sir, Sir Utakata, or Lord. Do not ever refer to me as teacher, and if you ever speak the word 'Master' in my presence I shall personally dismantle your body."

The way he spoke in such an emotionless tone made him sound deadly serious.

XXX

"You seem to have engaged in an original fighting style, created by your own imagination." Muttered Utakata. "Impressive; not many can create a successful style right off the bat- in such a short space of time too. However… That in itself makes it difficult for me to train you."

Naruto's jaw dropped. "Eh?! How come?!"

"Teaching someone relies on passing techniques to the pupil. My techniques all rely on my fighting style. It is a simple 'Cause and Effect' style."

The blond grinned. "That's what I'm trying to avoid!"

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "How so? Why would you avoid the typical fighting style?"

"Cause!" grunted Naruto. "If I do something 'normal' there'll always be something that can beat it, right?"

Utakata raised an eyebrow, then gazed up at the starry sky above. "Interesting… So, in simple terms, you wish to create a style which has the perfect balance of abilities? Very interesting…" he glanced down at the very eager child. "Many choose to focus on upgrading one particular area, such as strength, defence, or ninjutsu… But you want to try and produce a balance… Very interesting." He smiled softly. "I do not know how to respond to such a request. Ordinarily, I would have laughed at such foolish thinking… But… You seem to have taken my interest, Naruto Uzumaki." He chuckled very lightly, then met Naruto's gaze. "Are you willing to risk years of training with the future shrouded in mist? So many have tried to perfect a style like yours, and all seem to have met swift deaths…"

Naruto grinned. "I'm up for it! It's what Tsukimi-sensei would want! I'll never give up; that's my way!"

Utakata laughed. "It must be nice to be a dreamer. Alright, Uzumaki, I shall indulge you. Under my critique, you shall sculpt this 'Rougufu' of yours. But understand this; I can only guide you so far. A parent may teach a child how to talk, but the child's words are its own." He then frowned. "Do not disappoint me, Uzumaki."

The boy laughed. "Yes, Sir!"

The stoic ninja produced a small leather wallet from his kimono, then tossed it at the young blond, who caught it in one hand. "Find a hotel, and rent two rooms for one night. I shall find you later on." He turned on his heels and walked off into the dark streets. "I have some unfinished business to take care of, so please don't stay up for me."

Naruto tried to protest, but the man had already disappeared into the darkness. But if he had followed, he would have noticed Utakata now standing opposite the great titan of a man from earlier, glaring at the ninja with all-round fury.

"To what do I owe the displeasure of meeting you again, 'Fortress' Gaul?"

"Don't play wit' me ya' bastard!!" roared Gaul. "You put me down in front of all my men! They all think I'm a bloody fraud now!"

"What a tragedy. Excuse me while I weep." Drawled the brunette, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"SHUT UP!!!" cried Gaul. He slung his fist forwards, pure rage clouding his judgement. He was of course brought abruptly down to earth when his fist was blocked by one of Utakata's hands.

"Do not think yourself strong, Gaul." Whispered Utakata. From the hem of his kimono a blue vapour began to emerge, crawling along the ground like a grotesque mist, encircling the pair. "I merely let you live on a whim. But attacking me twice has earned yourself forfeit." The man's shadow suddenly began to deform, no longer appearing as a man, but a huge bubbling mass, with six-tails.

Gaul's jaw dropped, as he stared helplessly at the deforming ninja. "W-What are you?! H-Help!!"

"Do not bother… I have encircled the area in my genjutsu. No one can see, hear, or even sense our presence…"

Gaul took a step back, then tripped, and fell, still staring, horrified at the man, no, thing in front of him. Tears dripped from his eyes. "H-Help…"

"Farewell… Itadakimasu." (I humbly receive)

Gaul's screams echoed for what seemed like an eternity, before a silence enveloped the surroundings. The blue mist retracted back into Utakata's kimono, and the man stood there, still with a mask of no-emotion on his face, wiping his mouth with a tissue. "Gochisosama deshita…" (Thank you for the meal)

XXX

"Rougufu…" Naruto swung his chakra coated fist forward, a few inches from Utakata's chest. "Tsukimi!!"

The man doubled over, as though making an impact with an imaginary fist. While this happened, Naruto raised his fist above his teachers head, and slammed his fist downwards, driving the bubble-user's face into the ground.

As this happened, Naruto leapt back, and paused for a few seconds. As there was no reply, he began to panic. "Sir, are you alive?"

The was no response.

"Sir? Sir?! Are you still-" the words had hardly left his lips when cold metal bit the side of his cheek, sending him sprawling out onto the ground. Utakata stood erect beside him, polishing his pipe which he had presumably hit Naruto with. He was completely unharmed, spare a few bits of dust on his kimono.

"Do not wait for your opponent to simply die. If you poison them, letting them rot is the worst possible thing you could do. For example; if I was a medic nin who had just been poisoned by you, then you leave me to die in a remote area. I can simply heal myself, then come back after you. It's that simple. Kill an enemy while you can." He cast an eye in the blonde's direction. "Letting a target live can be the worst mistake of your life."

Naruto nodded, as though downloading the information.

"Your style is impressive for someone your age, but it lacks subtlety. That chakra radiating around your arm is a clear warning message, but also tells your foe to avoid you. Before long, we must find a way to hide this flaw, and perfect your speed, so seeing the chakra will be the least of their worries." The man began to twirl the pipe around in his hand. "By simply viewing you once, I get the impression your style is a mid/close-range style, an improvement of the infamous Juken style. But it has its weaknesses."

Naruto raised an eyebrow, then gasped suddenly as Utakata leaped backwards, performing a furious set of hand seals. "Awaton: Awatama!" (Bubble Release: Bubble Bullet)

As the words left his lips, he spat out a large stream of head-sized bubbles, each with the force of a rocket. When they arrived close to the surprised Naruto, who swept them away with a strike of his charged fist, the brunette appeared suddenly in front of the blond, his pipe now an inch from Naruto's face.

"Long range is the downfall of so many. And it may easily eradicate close and mid-range fighters before they have a chance to get in range." He slid the pipe back into his sleeve, then stood erect. "You should prepare some high defensive techniques, and perhaps some long range abilities along side it. This may provide a suitable balance."

Getting over his shock, Naruto nodded, then grinned. "Just you wait, Sir! I'm gonna be the best!"

XXX

Okay, I know Naruto's acting a little childish for someone who watched his teacher DIE, but nevertheless, he is still the same Naruto (In the manga he recovered from Jiraiya's death in like five chapters, but did get REAL mad at Pain for it. Naruto is currently like that.)

Also for those who don't know, Utakata is the six-tail jinchuriki, and he ain't gonna be completely based of the anime-version. (I.e. turns into bijuu and eats man)

And finally, the little bit with the cloud-nin is just a verification of the current time period. Naruto-wiki doesn't say what age Hinata was when she was kidnapped, so, for arguments sake, I say six.

So until next time,

Hangman1