-Author's Note-

I know that it's been done before, that Naruto is the fifth Xiaolin Dragon but I wanted to do my own version. I've had this one done for a while but never published it for some reason. I am actually halfway through working on the second chapter so if this one does well then, hopefully, I can get that finished and uploaded soon.

If there are any mistakes then please let me know and I will do my best to fix them. Any questions, then please feel free to ask.

I hope you enjoy reading.

Word count (without Author's Note): 6922


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Kimiko Tomoshiko, the Dragon of Fire, was running out of options at this moment in time. Currently, she was climbing the side of a cliff in an attempt to win a Xiaolin Showdown against Jack Spicer, self-proclaimed 'Evil Boy Genius', to win the Monkey Staff. The staff was said to give the user the properties of a monkey, which means greatly enhanced agility and dexterity, something that Kimiko can not let Jack have.

Her friends were shouting encouragement from the sidelines, unable to help as she slowly climbed. Jack was already far ahead as he, literally, walked up the side of the cliff with the help of the Jetbootsu, a Shen Gong Wu that allows him to defy gravity. Which is unfair in Kimiko's opinion.

"You know this is a showdown, right, Kimiko?" Jack sarcastically asked with a shit-eating grin.

Growling as she heard the question, Kimiko shouted back, "You know those boots make you look a dweeb, right, Jack?!" Nearly losing her grip, Kimiko practically hugged the wall and held on for dear life. She knows there wasn't any actual danger because even if she lost, which definitely wasn't going to happen, then she would just appear on the ground with her friends. But it was still terrifying to climb the side of a mountain like this without any sort of equipment.

Deciding to ignore Jack, Kimiko tried to climb even faster but was having no luck as the walls crumbled every time she tried to grab hold. Looking up, Kimiko's eyes widened when she saw the Monkey Staff but she could also see that Jack was getting closer. "You might as well say 'buh bye' to the Monkey Staff, cause that one's as good as mine."

"You wish!" shouted back Kimiko as she decided it was time to use her own Shen Gong Wu. "Fist of Tebigong!" Raising her fist which was holding onto a metal gauntlet, it glowed as she called out its name and slammed it into the side of the mountain with its power. The entire mountain shook from the force of the punch, causing rocks from far above to break off and fall.

"Yeah, like that's gonna work," commented Jack as he just stood there, unaffected by the earthquake. "These boots defy gravity, remember?" While the earthquake didn't affect Jack it affected Kimiko as she began to lose her grip from all the shaking. Jack glanced back and continued speaking, not caring that his opponent was about to fall. "Classic miscalculation. Your hot little head has ensured your defeat."

Losing her grip with her right hand, Kimiko tried in vain to hold on with her left. "NO!" she screamed as the rock she was holding onto broke off, causing her to fall. "DAMMIT!"

Her scream echoed throughout the mountain area as Jack grabbed hold of the Monkey Staff, claiming victory over the challenge. "Check it and weep baby!"

There was a massive flash of light and, when it ended, Kimiko landed on top of a small tree, crashing through its branches before slamming into the ground hard. Coming to a stop, she looked at her left hand and was helpless as the Fist of Tebigong vanished. 'I lost', she thought in both anger and sadness.

"The Fist of Tebigong is mine!" Jack happily said as he floated over to the fallen girl, "The Jetbootsu is mine!" As soon as he got to Kimiko, Jack flipped and landed in a perfect one-handed handstand like it was easy. "Oh and look at this! The Monkey Staff is mine too!" he gloated happily, ignoring the murderous look Kimiko suddenly held. "I now have the agility and balance of a monkey." Feeling something at the back of his waist, both Jack and Kimiko watched as a tail suddenly burst through Jack's clothing. It took Jack a moment before he grinned, "Hey! And a really cool tail!"

Laughing, Jack jumped away while flipping happily, leaving Kimiko on the ground as her friends approached her. "You alright there, Kimiko?" Clay asked as he crouched a little, extending a hand to help his friend up.

Taking the hand with a small 'thank you,' Kimiko couldn't help but frown as she could hear Raimundo sniggering into his hand. "Nice winning strategy! What do you call it? The 'slip and fall'?" he asked before falling to the ground in laughter, missing the dirty look Kimiko was giving him.

"Jack just got lucky," Kimiko huffed as they all walked towards Dojo, who grew to the size of a large dragon. "The next Shen Gong Wu is mine, whenever that reveals itself."

Just as soon as they all sat down on Dojo's back, the green dragon shook violently with a gasp. "Good news!" he said happily as he flew into the air with the four monks holding on. "Another Shen Gong Wu just revealed itself!"

Reaching into her bag, Kimiko pulled out a scroll before opening it, with her three friends all leaning over to see what Shen Gong Wu was revealed. "The Tangle Web Comb," Kimiko read off of the scroll. "Looks like it shoots hair and then binds the target."

"Damn, that's hairy," Raimundo said, with everyone giving him a deadpan look. "What? It is!"

After only a half-hour of flying, the group made it to their destination. "Ah, the Loch Ness," Dojo reminisced as he flew down to the water. With ease, he shaped his body into a boat and landed in the water safely. "Oh! The water is colder than I remember. I don't know how my cousin, Nessie, can stand living here! Must have something to do with all the attention."

As Dojo droned on about how famous his cousin is, which was proven true by someone on the shore shouting about seeing the Loch Ness Monster, Kimiko was lost in her own thoughts as she stared at the water below with a harsh glare. Not only was it incredibly annoying that Jack Spicer got lucky and won a showdown but her friends have been making comments nonstop about her loss, her temper, and all sorts of stuff. It took every ounce of self-restraint to not punch her friends off of Dojo and into the freezing water.

"I believe it is most obvious as to why our friend, Kimiko, lost to Jack," spoke Omi, getting Kimiko's attention as well as Raimundo's and Clay's. "Kimiko could not have done better in her showdown, as she is a girl!" he said with a smile, happy with his answer.

Nearly falling down in shock at the answer, Kimiko rounded on Omi and growled out, "What was that?"

Not knowing of the danger he was in, Omi continued, "Since we met, I have been studying all about girls from this eleventh-century tome."

He pulled out a book and showed it to Kimiko, who read the title out loud "The 'Ancient Guide to Females'?"

"Yes," replied Omi, "It tells us that your talents lie elsewhere. In the kitchen, for example."

Walking up to the two, Clay joins in as he hoped to defuse the situation before something happens. "Omi, don't be so hard on Kimiko. She was just trying to do her level best, which was pretty good, considering," he finished.

Her anger growing by the second, Kimiko poked Clay in the chest and asked, "Considering what?!"

"Considering you're such a hothead," Clay answered honestly, with his point being proven.

"I believe her failure was due to lack of upper body strength," Omi suggested.

Snapping, Kimiko clenched her fists, "I'LL SHOW YOU UPPER BODY STRENGTH!" she screamed in rage.

Laughing at what he was seeing, Raimundo joined in as he pointed to the girl. "Lookout! She might use her slip-and-fall move on you," he said with a laugh.

Kimiko looked ready to lunge at her three friends but Dojo stopped the potential fight as he stopped in the water with a loud yell, "We're here!" The four dragon monks looked around but could see nothing but the water. "As in right here!" Dojo finished as he pointed his head downwards, towards the bottom of the large lake.

"Mine!" Kimiko shouted before anyone could say anything, intent on bringing back at least one Shen Gong Wu.

"Kim's right," Raimundo said as Kimiko got ready for her dive, "It should definitely be hers. She has to replace the one she just lost. Sorry!" Raimundo quickly finished as Kimiko glared at him. "The two that she just lost!"

Trying her best to ignore him, Kimiko took a deep breath and dove into the cold water. It was easy to see the Shen Gong Wu as it reflected some of the sunlight through the water. It was deeper than she had expected but nothing too difficult as she managed to quickly reach the Tangle Web comb, grab it and swim straight up. Breaching the surface, Kimiko took a few deep breaths and grinned triumphantly at her friends as she held the Wu out for them to see. "Got it!"


Now that they were all back at the temple, the group of four all got changed into their training outfits, which were a red robe with a black sash and white trousers, black in Omi's case. They then all walked out to the training yard, eager to try out the new Shen Gong Wu. Holding it, Kimiko felt nothing but pride at having a new Wu in her hand. "It's a comb," Raimundo said, sounding disappointed as they each examined it.

"Oh, yes," Omi commented, "Accessorising is within your talents as a female." Kimiko just knew that her left eye was twitching from that comment.

Tired of the comments, Kimiko walked forward. "Just stand back and be prepared to be impressed," she said. "Tangle Web Comb!" she shouted, her dark hair whipping about as she gracefully spun on the spot, pointing the small comb at a training dummy metres away. A tendril of brown hair flew from the comb at high speeds but Kimiko followed its movement with her eyes. The hair flew towards the target and only just managed to graze it, making Kimiko shout in triumph as she believed she had finally managed to successfully use the Sheng Gong Wu. But, just as the hair grazed the target, it immediately turned and shot towards Kimiko. Before she could react, the hair wrapped around and bound her. "Dammit!" shouted Kimiko as she struggled against her bonds. "Help me already!" she shouted to her friends.

"I've got a better idea," Raimundo said with a grin. "How about we go look through her stuff since she's busy 'mastering' that comb?"

Hearing this idea, Omi nodded his head enthusiastically while answering, "Ooh, I've never looked through a girl's stuff before. This shall be enlightening!"

"What?!" Kimiko shouted, having heard exactly what they were planning on doing. With renewed vigour, she tried to escape her bonds to stop the boys from even going near her stuff. But no matter how much she struggled, the hair just seemed to hold on. "Let go already!"

"Kimiko?" a wise voice said from behind the struggling girl. Turning, Kimiko saw Master Fung, an elderly monk walking over to her. "Are you in need of assistance?"

"No!" she shouted out, falling to the ground. "I just need to practice!"

Obviously not believing her, Master Fung said, "Yes, the Tangle Web Comb is a difficult Shen Gong Wu to master. It requires absolute focus." Reaching over, he flicked the hair trapping Kimiko. Responding to the touch, the hair released Kimiko and quickly merged back with the comb.

Now that she was free, Kimiko stood. "Thank you," she answered in a grateful tone before glaring at the comb in Master Fung's hand. "There has to be something wrong with that thing. I was totally focused!"

"Is that so? Then please demonstrate this tremendous focus," Master Fung suggested as he and Kimiko walked over to a table nearby. Sitting down, he crossed his legs and then motioned towards the large pot of tea and the circle of small teacups. Kimiko wondered when all this was set up, especially without anyone noticing. "Please pour some tea."

"Really?" Kimiko asked in an incredulous tone, not understanding how this was supposed to test her focus.

"It requires absolute focus to successfully pour tea from that pot into those cups without spilling a single drop," Master Fung explained.

Lightly scoffing, Kimiko shrugged while walking over to the table. "Alright, but this is a waste of time," she said before picking up the surprisingly heavy teapot. With ease, she poured the tea into the first cup and then the second. "Completely focused," Kimiko said with a confident smile. The door opening drew her attention and made Kimiko frown as she saw her friends walk in. It only took her a second to realise what they were each holding, "Hey! That's my stuff!"

"Keep pouring, Kimiko," Master Fung said.

"Oh, Kimiko's making tea!" Raimundo said as he and the others all sat at the table, still playing with her belongings.

Wiping the lipstick from his mouth, Omi said, "Ah yes, the traditional female role. Let's just hope the tea is tastier than this candy."

"That's lipstick you're eating there," Clay said with a laugh.

Looking over to her master, Kimiko begged for him to stop the others but he just raised his hand. "Keep pouring. You must drown out all distractions, and quiet the storm of your mind. Only then will you achieve absolute focus," Master Fung advised, seeing this as a good test of her patience.

With no choice, Kimiko growled out before pouring the tea again, her hands shaking from the anger she was feeling. The teacup began to shake but eventually settled without spilling, making Kimiko sigh in relief. This task suddenly became a lot harder than she had originally thought. "Okay," she muttered to herself, "Only a couple more to go."

Going to Omi's left, Kimiko made sure to angle the large pot so that it blocked her view of the bald child. "I am very surprised Kimiko can lift such a heavy pot with such delicate female arms," Omi said, not knowing he was making things worse.

Her anger finally getting to her, Kimiko moved the pot and glared heatedly at Omi. "What did you just say?!" she shouted before realising the pot was pouring tea all over the table now. In shock, she accidentally threw the pot and watched in horror as it flew through the air, only to crash and shatter, spilling its content all over the floor. All Master Fung could do was shake his head before walking away, making Kimiko feel worse as she failed her test.


The next day, Kimiko was back in the training yard. She was determined to master this Shen Gong Wu but it refused to work with her. Every time she used it against the dummy nearby, the hairs would fly back and ensnare her. "Tangle Web Comb!" Kimiko shouted for the umpteenth time that day, firing the comb's hair at the dummy. Unsurprisingly, the attack neared the dummy and launched back at her, wrapping around her tightly. "No!" Kimiko cried as she struggled against it.

It usually takes about ten-fifteen minutes of struggling before she sets herself free, the record was a half-hour which was her last attempt. Omi and Raimundo had chores to do while Clay was making lunch in the kitchen, with all three knowing it was best to stay away from Kimiko for a while as she was still pissed at them for everything they did yesterday.

Stomping her feet as she continued her struggle, Kimiko gave one last cry before dropping to her knees. 'Why can't I get this stupid thing to work?!' she screamed in her mind but she already knew the answer. Every time she used the Tangle Web Comb, all she could think about was losing that showdown and her friends all making fun of her instead of helping. All she could do was glare at the annoying piece of Wu laying at her feet.

Hearing footsteps, Kimiko didn't even bother turning around as she knew who it was. Neither said anything as the person walked up to her and flicked the hair, sending it back to the Wu and setting Kimiko free. "Thank you, Master Fung," she muttered with her head down.

"The Shen Gong Wu still isn't listening to you, I see," Master Fung commented as he watched the girl, idly stroking his beard in thought. Kimiko didn't answer but she didn't need to. "I am sure you will learn how to master it, given time," Master Fung said as he began to walk away. "The mind is like water. When it is turbulent, it is difficult to see. When it is calm, everything becomes clear," he said out loud.

Kimiko watched him leave, before staring at the Tangle Web Comb again. It wasn't difficult to understand what Master Fung meant, it was just difficult to accomplish it. Reaching down, she had just managed to pick up the annoying comb before she heard, "We've got another one!"

Turning around, Kimiko saw her three friends crowded around a small lizard. Running up to join them, she asked, "Another Sheng Gong Wu? Already?"

Dojo, the small green lizard, nodded as he held a golden scroll. Opening it, he held it so that the four students could see. "Yep! And this Sheng Gong Wu is very special!"

"The Golden Tiger Claws," Raimundo, a tall tanned boy, said with his hand on his chin. "Look's like you can use it to teleport anywhere you want just by slashing the air. Pretty cool," he commented as they all watched a small figure in the scroll slash the claws and then disappear, only to reappear somewhere else.

"Just imagine the fun you could have with those," the large boy, Clay, said as he tipped his cowboy hat. He thought about using the claws to go to the best BBQ restaurant in all of Texas. He was licking his lip's just thinking about it.

Omi, the little blad monk, frowned, "Yes. Just imagine what our enemies could accomplish with such a Sheng Gong Wu."

"Way to spoil the mood, kid," Dojo commented as he closed the scroll. "We leave in a half-hour so get ready!"

True to the dragon's words, they left the temple after a half hour. Dojo, now a gigantic dragon instead of a small lizard, carried each monk on his back as he flew above the clouds so they wouldn't be seen. "I can already tell it's not that far," he said. "We should be there in ten minutes or so."

"I can't believe you brought that," Raimundo said with a laugh, pointing at the comb Kimiko held. "You can't even use them without tying yourself up!"

Her cheeks glowing red from slight embarrassment, Kimiko replied, "Master Fung told me to take it. He thinks I'll be able to master it when we're looking for the Golden Tiger Claws." She scoffed, pocketing the Tangle Web Comb, "If I were to lose another Showdown, it wouldn't be a great loss to lose the stupid thing. Not that I'll lose again though," she finished, muttering to herself as her last defeat was still fresh on her mind. Stupid gravity and stupid Fist of Tebigon.

As the group of friends were talking amongst themselves, Dojo sniffed as he caught a scent. It was a familiar scent, one he had not smelled in a long time. He could already tell that it was within the vicinity of the Sheng Gong Wu so he had the perfect chance to follow it. "We're here!" he called as he suddenly flew downwards, surprising the four monks as they had to hold on in case they fell off. Finally reaching the ground, Dojo announced, "Welcome to Qufu City!"

Each warrior jumped off of Dojo as soon as they were close enough to the ground, with Dojo quickly shrinking down and landing on Clay's hat. They all marvelled at the city and the crowd of people bustling about. It was the same in a few cities they had already visited in the past but it was always fun and interesting to see new places and how different it was compared to other cities.

As they walked, Dojo sniffed around a little and pointed down a street. "That way!" he said, desperation clear in his voice.

The group didn't question the dragon's directions as Dojo always knew where to go. However, from now on, they will be making sure he stuck to searching for Shen Gong Wu because he had just led them to a food stall. "Dojo," Kimiko said with a sigh, "What are we doing here?"

"Peking Roast Duck!" Dojo answered while drooling, watching as the chef put down a plate of roast duck in front of a customer. "I haven't had it in years. As soon as I smelt it, I knew I had to have it!"

Clay whistled as he saw the food, lifting his hat a little to get a better look. "Gotta admit, it does look good. I'll try it but I doubt it'll be better than the steak back home," the large boy said, remembering all the good times he ate at the barbeque restaurants.

"But what about the Shen Gong Wu?" Kimiko asked in annoyance. "Jack and Wuya could already be here! We don't have time for this!" But they all ignored her, even Omi as he watched the chef chop up vegetables with impressive speed. Just as she was about to leave and search for the Golden Tiger Claws, a person accidentally bumped into her. "Hey! Watch where you're... going..." Kimiko shouted before trailing off as she got a good look at the man.

His blond spiky hair stood out from everybody else's and he was taller than Kimiko, just an inch or two taller than Raimundo if she had to guess. He wore faded blue jeans with black trainers as well as a tight black shirt beneath a grey hoodie underneath a black leather jacket. The leather jacket had an orange stripe going down its sides. "Sorry about that," the man said, his smile crinkling the whisker marks on his cheeks, "I wasn't paying attention."

"No problem," Kimiko replied, staring into the man's deep blue eyes. She couldn't help but blush, this man was just so handsome!

The man then turned towards the food stall and sniffed the air, allowing Kimiko to see the large orange spiral on the back of his jacket. "Oh, something smells good," he said as he walked over, standing just behind Raimundo and Clay, the two too distracted by their orders being prepared. Placing a hand on their backs, the man asked, "Don't suppose you guys wanna share? I'm a little light right now."

"Get your own buddy," Raimundo rudely replied, not even bothering to look at the stranger.

Clay was more polite as he shook his head, "Sorry partner, I'm not much for sharing good food."

Not the least bit offended by Raimundo's rudeness, the man just laughed a little as he patted their backs, "Not a problem, there was no harm in asking. Enjoy the food, okay!" Turning around, he looked at Kimiko and winked with a grin before walking away. Her eyes following him, Kimiko couldn't help but stare at his retreating figure, a dreamy sigh escaping from her lips. She might be a warrior monk in training, but a girl can dream dammit.

The large plate of food was placed down in front of Clay and Raimundo, with a third one being placed in between for Dojo. The chef behind the counter just laughed at their hungry looks before saying, "That'll be ¥73 (Yuan) each, please."

Both Clay and Raimundo reached into their pockets but froze when they couldn't feel their wallets. Trying the other pocket, they started patting themselves all over in hopes of finding it. "Dude! I can't find my wallet!" Raimundo cried out.

"I can't find mine either!" Clay shouted, even searching his hat but found nothing.

The chef frowned and grabbed their plates before taking them away. "If you cannot pay then you cannot have my food!" he said angrily. He reached over and grabbed Dojo's plate as well, "And neither can your small gecko friend!"

"NO!" screamed Dojo as he was denied one of his favourite foods. "GIVE IT BACK! PLEASE!" he begged, diving for the plate but the chef just swatted him away like a fly.

"No money, no food! Now get out!" the chef roared, slamming down his fists.

Both Raimundo and Clay just left, grabbing and dragging Dojo out with them and Omi following after. As soon as he saw Kimiko, Dojo shot from the ground and grabbed her shoulders. "Please give me money!" he begged, shaking the poor girl back and forth. "I want that duck!"

Ripping Dojo off of her, Kimiko dropped him on the ground and asked, "What happened? Left your money back at the temple?" She couldn't help but laugh, feeling happy that her friends are getting a bit of bad luck instead of her.

"I was sure I brought mine," Raimundo insisted, wondering if he possibly dropped it when Dojo was flying.

"I never take it out of my hat," Clay said as he waved his hat about, showing that nothing was there. "Do you mind if we borrow some money? I'm really starving and everyone's ignoring Dojo," he asked with everyone noticing the small green dragon asking random strangers for money but everyone was ignoring him.

Rolling her eyes, Kimiko took off her white backpack. "Ugh, fine. But you both better pay me back," she said as she searched her bag. But after a few seconds, she frowned as she too realised she couldn't find her money anywhere. "What? Where is it?" she asked, turning her pack upside down and spilling its contents everywhere but no purse or wallet fell out.

"Aw!" Raimundo sarcastically said, "What happened? Left your money back at the temple?" he asked, copying exactly what Kimiko had asked him and Clay, word for word.

"Shut up!" Kimiko shouted back before calming herself in case she draws a crowd with all her shouting. Her mind then flashed back to the man that had bumped into her accidentally and remembered how he had gone up to Raimundo and Clay when they were waiting for their food. "That guy was a thief," she said in realisation.

This drew everyone's attention. "You encountered a thief, Kimiko?" Omi asked.

She nodded, looking about in hopes of seeing a head of blond spiky hair again. "Yeah, this guy bumped into me and must have taken my money. I saw him go up to Clay and Raimundo when they ordered food," she explained with a frown, wondering how she didn't notice the man stealing from her. Was it because she was too distracted by how hot the guy was? 'No,' Kimiko internally reassured herself, 'I was just distracted by finding the Shen Gong Wu. He caught me when I was already distracted.'

"Do you know what this thief looked like?" Omi asked.

"Yeah, the guy was tall. He has blond hair, blue eyes, and a cool leather jacket with these orange patterns on it," Kimiko described, "Oh, he also had these marks on his cheeks. They looked like whiskers or something."

Raimundo laughed when Kimiko finished giving the description. "The dude stole your stuff when you were too busy checking him out!"

"Say's the 'dude'," Kimiko said, putting emphasis on 'dude' to make it more sarcastic, "That didn't know someone stole from them when they were ordering food!"

"We should all split up," advised Omi. "This way we can all search this place from bottom to top!"

Groaning, Raimundo said, "That's 'from top to bottom'. That's one of the easier ones as well. Whatever, let's just get this over with. I'm starving."

With a nod, the monks ran in different directions, with Dojo wrapped around Kimiko's shoulders, each hoping to find this thief soon. They jumped to the top of buildings to see if they can see anyone that was blond but the only blond they could find was Clay. They then tried asking people, with some not understanding English and others not seeing anyone like the thief. It was like the thief just vanished into thin air.

Even after a half-hour of running around, Kimiko couldn't find the man and it was annoying her more than what happened yesterday. "Where the HELL is he?! He couldn't have just disappeared like this!" she shouted out as she walked through an empty street, the noise of the public quietened due to the distance.

"Calm down," Dojo said, "Getting angry won't find this guy any faster. Besides, maybe we should find the others. We still have to find the Tiger Claws."

Sighing, Kimiko begrudgingly agreed as that was the real reason why they were all here in the first place. "Fine. Do you remember which way we came from?" she asked, realising she doesn't know where she was. Dojo just shrugged, not having a clue either. "Great."

Picking a random direction, Kimiko walked down the street, hoping to just find the Golden Tiger Claws and then go back to the temple. Turning a corner, she came to a sudden stop as she saw the man that she and her friends were all looking for. He was walking down the street, a backpack over his shoulder, humming to himself without a care in the world.

Running up to him, Kimiko got close and then jumped over, landing a couple of meters away. She smirked as she saw his look of surprise. "Finally found you," she said with a small glare.

"Not that I mind a cute girl looking for me but is there a reason why?" the man asked casually, a smile still plastered on his face as he took off his headphones.

Despite the fact she was angry at him for stealing from her, Kimiko couldn't help but blush a little. Shaking her head, her glare intensified, "You stole money from me and my friends. I want it back now, or else," she threatened, cracking her knuckles to emphasise her point.

Putting a hand under his chin in thought, the man waited a few seconds before replying, "Nope. Sorry."

"Why?!" Kimiko shouted with Dojo jumping into her backpack to keep himself safe from her anger.

"Don't want to," the man answered like it was simple. Almost immediately, Kimiko lunged at the man but he just stepped to the side. Landing in a roll next to him, Kimiko spun around with a kick that the man jumped back from. "Someone's angry," he commented with a laugh.

"Give me my money back!" she screamed, throwing kicks and punches at the man in anger but he dodged every single attack. "And stop moving around so much!"

Still laughing as he ducked under a punch, the man said, "I'd rather not stop moving otherwise you'll just hit me and I don't want you punching me." Jumping back to put some distance between them, the man put his hands out as a sign to stop for a moment, which she surprisingly did. "Tell you what though," he began, "I'll give you your money as well as your friends IF you can catch me."

Furrowing her brow at that, Kimiko asked, "Catch you?" Grinning, the man suddenly turned and ran into the trees on the edge of the village. "Wha- Hey!" Kimiko shouted before running after him into the tree only to lose him immediately amongst the foliage somehow.

"Unbelievable," Dojo spoke to Kimiko as he hung on in case he fell, "We don't have time for this but this guy wants to play hide and seek?"

"First I lost the Showdown to Jack, then I get a Shen Gong Wu that refuses to work with me, after that Raimundo, Clay, and Omi all go through my stuff and even ruin most of it, and now I'm chasing a blond jackass that's hiding from me in the woods," Kimiko muttered as she ran around, only seeing green and brown instead of yellow and orange. "It's just one thing after another."

"Having a bad week?" the man's voice said from Kimiko's left. She charged in that direction but couldn't see him anywhere. "You should try letting loose once in a while and have fun." This time the voice came from behind but she still couldn't find him.

Growling, Kimiko shouted back, "When I get my hands on you I'm gonna-"

His laughing interrupted her threat, "As fun as that sounds, how about we leave that kind of talk until after you catch me... That is if you can." From where he stood on a branch high up a tree, the thief watched as Kimiko ran back and forth. It was amusing to watch, now if only he had something to eat. Stealing money from a couple of foreigners and then messing with a girl like this can really work up an appetite.

"Got him!" a small voice said as something grabbed onto the man's ankles.

"What the hell?!" the thief shouted in surprise as he tried to move away. But with someone grabbing his legs, he stumbled and fell off the branch, hitting a few more as he crashed down onto the ground. "...Ow," he groaned out before sitting up and looking at who grabbed him, "...A lizard grabbed me and shouted 'got him'?" he questioned in confusion.

Dojo, who crashed down with the man, shook his head and then shouted, "Hey! I am a dragon! Not a lizard!"

Clearing her throat, Kimiko grinned as the thief froze from where he was on the ground and turned to look at her. "Found you," she said triumphantly. She then lunged for him again, intent on winning this stupid game. To her surprise, he rolled to the side and stood up, holding Dojo by his arms.

"But you still haven't caught me," the thief cheekily said with a smirk.

Finally reaching her breaking point, Kimiko snapped. Reaching into her coat, she pulled out her Wu and aimed it at the confused blond while shouting, "Tangle Web Comb!" The Wu activated and fired a stream of hair. The thief stood there in surprise at what was happening. He watched as the attack neared him and then, just as it was about to catch him, suddenly turn and fly at Kimiko. "NO!" she screamed, the hair wrapping around her. "EVERY DAMN TIME!" she managed to shout before the hairs covered her mouth.

"What just happened?" the man asked in confusion, watching as Kimiko struggled against her bindings.

Dojo just sighed but answered anyway as he got out of the man's grip, "The Tangle Web Comb is a tricky Shen Gong Wu. It's supposed to ensnare targets and bind them with a lot of hair but, if the user isn't focused enough, then the Wu will turn against them and bind them instead. Unfortunately, that is what has happened to poor Kimiko here. She's been having trouble mastering the Tangle Web Comb because she cannot focus."

Even though he didn't know what a Shen Gong Wu was or why it used hair, of all things, to tie people up, the man nodded along with the small dragon, which also confused him since dragons were supposed to be a myth, especially talking ones. "Should we help her?" the man asked as they continued watching as Kimiko thrashed about, trying in vain to free herself.

"Either that or we wait. She's usually able to free herself in about fifteen minutes, give or take," Dojo answered. He then flinched as he heard Kimiko scream in rage against the hair. "I wouldn't recommend waiting though. She does have a temper."

Deciding it would be best the help, the man walked over to Kimiko with raised hands to show he had no ill intentions. "I'm going to help, okay?" he asked, stopping right next to her. She continued to glare up at him for a few seconds before nodding. Seeing this, the man knelt down and began to pull against the hairs, being careful not to touch anything he shouldn't. As they were working on this, the man tried to start a conversation, "Your name's Kimiko, right? Where did you even find this thing?"

Now that the hair wasn't over her mouth, Kimiko was able to talk. "Why should I tell you? You'll just try and take it for yourself!" she snapped at him, "Who are you anyway?" she demanded, now realising she didn't even know the guy's name.

As he tried to free Kimiko's left arm, the man grinned as he answered, "Can't blame you for thinking I'd do that. The thought did cross my mind," he laughed a little, not the least bit offended that she'd think he'd steal from her again. "And my name's Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki," he introduced himself. "Now that I've answered your question, do you mind answering mine? Where did you find that thing?" he repeated the question from earlier.

Kimiko grunted as she tried to free at least one of her limbs but it was impossible. Sighing as she could be here a while, she decided to just answer the guy's question. "Fine. My friends and I travel the world to find the Shen Gong Wu to make sure that bad guys like Jack Spicer don't get their hands on it," she answered truthfully. "We got the Tangle Web Comb yesterday in Scotland."

"You don't sound happy about that," Naruto commented. "But, then again, I think I can see why." Spotting the Tangle Web Comb next to Kimiko, Naruto picked it up and examined it with a curious expression. It looked like an ordinary metal comb and, if it wasn't for what he saw happen earlier, would have believed it was one as well. "So can I not just use this thing and free you?"

"No," Kimiko said back, keeping an eye on the man in case he just took the Wu and left. Not like she could do anything if he could though and it's not like Dojo could do anything either. "You need absolute focus to use it and if I can't use it what makes you think you-"

"Tangle Web Comb," Naruto interrupted as he pointed the comb at her. The Wu glowed and then the hairs around Kimiko suddenly moved and unwrapped around the shocked girl before flying back into the comb. "Hey, it worked!" Naruto said happily, proud of himself. "Tangle Web Comb!" he said, aiming the comb at a random tree, firing the hair around it successfully. He repeated the process a few more times, calling back and then firing the hair.

"-can?" Kimiko dumbly finished her sentence as she watched Naruto master the Wu that refused to listen to her in seconds. It took a good five seconds for her to finally process what was happening before she shouted, "How did you do that?!"

Shaking his head to stop the ringing from her shouting, Naruto answered. "Wasn't that hard. I just aimed and said the thing's name." He then tossed her the comb, "It's pretty cool, not a fan of the whole hair thing though. It's a little creepy."

"But... But how?"

Chuckling at how this was affecting the poor girl, Naruto said, "It's not difficult, you're just too stressed."

Making himself known as he climbed onto Kimiko's shoulders, Dojo snorted at Naruto's comment. "Yeah, no kidding."

"I've been having a very bad couple of days," Kimiko clarified a little before glaring at Naruto again. "And being mugged didn't help."

"...That's a fair point," Naruto admitted after a second, trying not to notice the glaring. "Anyway, as I said, you're too stressed. When I used that thing I wasn't focusing on it, I was thinking about... well, I actually wasn't thinking about anything."

That got Kimiko's attention. "What do you mean?"

Putting his hand under his chin, Naruto thought about it. "I don't really know. When I used that comb, it was like I just let the comb do its thing."

"But that still doesn't make any sense!" Kimiko argued, not happy with his explanation. "There's no way you can just use the Tangle Web Comb like that!"

"What can I say? I'm just lucky like that."

"But that's not fair!"

"Sorry, Princess but life rarely is." Looking at his watch, Naruto checked the time before turning around. "Look, I need to go now. Got a party I need to get ready for tonight and I really don't want to be late for it." With that said, he turned and walked away, leaving Kimiko to think about what he just said.

A minute later and Kimiko realised something. "That jerk still has my money!"