Author's Notes: One corrupt hard disk later... And we're finally back to Blade of the Blizzard. Hopefully, the following chapters of this story, and others, will not be too far behind this one, but with college beginning for me soon, I can only assure you that I will do my best.
Review Responses
TigrezzTail: Admittedly, I did leave a bit of a plot hole as to Kabuto's fate, but let's say that, it will not be pretty.
Dragon and Sword Master: Feel free to use it as you wish! And I'm glad you've enjoyed the chapter as a whole.
Lightblade1121: Well, let's just say that more blood will be spilt, and the world darkens further.
spark6811: Indeed, I thought it'd be a fitting means to end the chapter, especially with Naruto and Yugao beginning to get more associated with each other.
YaegerMeister31: I'm glad you've enjoyed it! As for what happens next, stay tuned! (Despite my lousy update rate)
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"'Talking or thinking by a Bijuu or berserk Jinchuuriki'"
With all that said, let's delve back into the conclusion of the Chunin Exams and Naruto's time at Konoha!
-Present Day-
Naruto slowly walked out of the Hokage's office, slamming the door behind him before walking up towards Haku, who was already waiting outside the office.
"No luck?" Haku asked, only to be met with a shaking head in response. "Well, what did we expect, huh? What was in the contract?"
"No clue. I tore it up before reading it," Naruto replied, leading to a confused look from Haku.
"Come again?" Haku asked, tilting her head slightly as she did, "It's not like you to not read through a contract first, or well, feel through it..."
"I'm not going to read, let alone agree to, whatever those greedy fucks tell me to do," Naruto asserted as he brought Haku up into his arms, "As long as I have you, I'll be fine... And the first step to keeping you safe would be to decline any offer those elders make."
"But... Then... What now?" Haku questioned, placing her arms as best she could around Naruto as well, "We can't possibly stay in Konoha any longer..."
"Considering the circumstances, the Land of Iron is the best choice, even if I haven't visited in a while, I still see it as my home..." Naruto explained as he began to walk out of the building before jumping around on several rooftops, "I won't drop you, don't worry..."
"I... I wasn't worried about that..." Haku assured, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth Naruto provided as well as the cool breeze gently flowing through her hair, "You've never dropped me, ever..."
"And I never will," Naruto assured, stopping at the top of a large tree as he sat down, still holding Haku in his arms as he did, "Don't you worry about that..."
"... What did they want you to do?" Haku asked, opening her eyes and looking up at Naruto, before removing the cloth around his eyes to allow them to exchange glances, "Surely you must've heard something..."
"Something about finding the next Hokage... It's Konoha's issue, but it's not my issue." Naruto stated.
"I... Shouldn't we help them?" Haku questioned, placing her hands on both sides of Naruto's face.
"... I wi;l be honest with you, Haku-chan... I always have been..." Naruto assured, pushing some stray hair out of the way of her face as he did, "For all I care, Konoha will burn... With or without us."
"Well... In that case... What's next for us?" Haku asked, sitting upright in Naruto's lap as she looked deep into his blood-red eyes, "Surely you've got a plan mapped out in your head?"
"Hmmm... I do, in fact, have a plan..." Naruto assured, stroking her hair before leaning in close to her face, "After we get our finances and resources in check... We'll move to the outskirts of the elemental nations... We can have a little farm, and we'll stay in our own house, raise our own family... And ignore the rest of the world's issues..."
"That... That sounds wonderful, Naruto-Kun..." Haku admitted, leaning on Naruto's shoulder for a moment as she did so, "Wonderful indeed..."
"Yeah... We've had an insane time together... But... There's no one else, besides you, whom I'd rather share my life with..." Naruto assured, kissing Haku on the forehead as he gently began to pet her on the back of the head, as she slowly began to drift off right there and then.
-Two Days Ago-
"I can't believe you were alive all this time, and you refused to tell me!" Yugao mumbled under her breath, walking in her civilian clothes alongside Naruto and Haku down a busy street.
"Well, let's just say I've had a... Complicated four years..." Naruto admitted, placing an arm around Haku as he did, "And... Well... I guess you could say it's paid off?"
"Seeing how you are now... The reputation and all... I really can't say..." Yugao replied, "At least Haku-san is doing alright... I assume she never gets into the crossfire... Right? She'd better not, anyhow..."
"Of course not, Naruto-Kun keeps me nice and safe at all times!" Haku assured, moving slightly to make sure she was able to hold onto his hand tightly, "Wherever he is... There's nowhere else I'd rather be."
"I see... That must be nice..." Yugao replied, "As mad as I am in regards to him not coming back to Konoha... I am glad that he's at least keeping you safe... And spoiling you, I assume, hehe..."
"Yeah, you're not wrong... He never lets me pay for things myself... And gets me things that I just talk about..." Haku joked as she leaned over to kiss Naruto on the cheek, "But... Well... As hard as it is to express... I'm really thankful for that... He always has my back..."
"Well, I've saved you twice before, and there's no way I'm letting you get hurt like that... Never again..." Naruto explained as he leaned over to claim her lips in a passionate kiss, pulling away soon after and leaving her very much flustered, "You have my word in that regard."
"Aww... Just look at you two being lovey-dovey like that..." Yugao teased as she watched her two companions interact, smiling softly as she did. "I'm very proud of the man you've become... Naruto..."
"Well, I'm only sixteen, so I don't think I would be in consideration for that yet..." Naruto admitted as he looked up at the rising sun. "I assume we're due to be at the stadium?"
"Indeed, let's get to the gate first..." Yugao stated, preparing to leave as she did, "Meet me at the gate in five minutes. We'll go on from there."
"Alright. We'll be right there." Naruto assured, holding onto Haku's hand before the two ran back to their room at Hiruzen's home, whilst Yugao went on her separate path.
-Naruto and Haku-
"You sure you want to come along?" Naruto asked as he worked on fixing his haori and kimono, making sure they were both as neat as possible. "I know you aren't the biggest fan of violence..."
"Naruto-kun, let's be honest... Has there ever been a time when you haven't gotten in trouble whilst being at an important event?" Haku asked jokingly as she tied her hair in front of a mirror.
"Oh, come on now... I wouldn't say I was ever invited to such important events..." Naruto joked back as he wrapped a black cloth around his head and over his eyes.
"Point being, I'm there to make sure I can bail you out when you do eventually get into trouble..." Haku stated as she came up behind him and wrapped her arms around him, leaning her chin on his shoulder as she did. "I've got to make sure you don't get caught, or hurt, or well... Killed, or anything like that..."
"Really? I thought that was my job and oath to you...?" Naruto joked as he turned around to hug his icy companion, "Don't worry... That still stands..."
"It very much is mutual... We wouldn't be a very good couple if we didn't at least try to protect each other, no?" Haku joked as she kissed him on the cheek and cuddled close.
"Hey... Do that again... And don't blame me if I can't keep myself from giving you tons of kisses back..." Naruto threatened with a smirk as he flipped around to face Haku.
"Oh? Would you dare do that? Do you not know of my retaliative methods?" Haku threatened right back as she moved her face closer to make them nose-to-nose. "I dare you."
"Heh, don't say I didn't warn you..." Naruto joked, brushing some of her hair out of the way before cupping her chin with his hand, moments before leaning in closer, only for a knock on the door to cut them off.
"Nii-san! There's a strange person at the door, and she's calling for your presence!" Konohamaru yelled from outside.
"... I swear I'll be hanging him upside down to teach him a lesson soon..." Naruto mumbled as he opened the door, "Does she so happen to have purple hair?"
"Hmm... I'm not sure, I wasn't able to see it..." Konohamaru admitted.
"Well, I'll assume she does, I'll go ahead..." Naruto replied, walking out soon after and finding Yugao at the door. "Hope it hasn't been so long..."
"Well, you've just hit the five-minute mark, so starting now, you're all late..." Yugao commented as Haku and Konohamaru soon joined them outside. "Honorable grandson? What are you doing?"
"Good question," Naruto stated, walking up to Konohamaru as he did, "What are you doing out here? You wanna come along?"
"I do!" Konohamaru cheered, "Grandpa never lets me go view these sorta events... But he didn't say no this time!"
"That doesn't necessarily mean yes either, Konohamaru..." Haku commented as she placed her hands on his shoulder, "Do you really want to come along with us?"
"For a million times... Yes! I do!" Konohamaru cheered as he soon sat down on the ground, "And I won't move until you agree!"
"Well... Fine. Alright, you can go..." Naruto assured, pulling Konohamaru back up to his feet, "But you'll have to promise. If I tell you to look away, you will, alright? There's a reason your grandfather forbade you from attending before."
"Well... Well, nii-san, whatever it takes, I'll do!" Konohamaru assured as he got back to his feet and walked alongside Naruto.
"I guess you can come along..." Naruto replied, sighing softly to himself in reluctance as the four walked up to the entrance, where several carriage-like means of transport were ferried in by several foreign shinobi.
"Hmm... I see... And so it begins..." Yugao murmured as the group stood aside whilst the dignitaries entered Konoha.
"That first cart is the Kazekage... Personally, I'm surprised he would even show up..." Naruto commented, sensing something else as he did, 'That chakra presence feels... Familiar... It can't be...' He thought to himself as he tapped Haku subtly on the shoulder, roughly saying 'We need to talk, privately' in morse code.
"Surely we could do this later..." Haku whispered back as Naruto continued tapping on her shoulder, her expression turning from confused to shocked within seconds. "I see... You wanna deliver a message?"
-Stadium-
Within a hugely crowded and packed stadium, six genin stood in the centre pit, supervised by Genma as they looked around for two other competitors, who have yet to show up.
'Hmpf... Seems like my opponent is a no-show...' Neji, the Hyuga prodigy, thought to himself scornfully, 'Befitting of an impure, talentless peasant.'
'Hmmm... Where's that bandaged guy I was meant to fight...?' Shikamaru thought to himself, scouring the arena as he did.
The others stood silently, as the audience's cheers came to a sudden crescendo, before falling silent nearly immediately after.
"Oi, stop fidgeting around, you all..." Genma instructed, "Turn around and face the guests. It is time for you all to participate in the finals of the Chunin Exams!"
-Audience Seats-
Sakura and Ino looked throughout the arena, having been unable to locate two of the participants in particular.
"Hmmm... Sasuke has yet to arrive..." Ino mumbled to herself as they looked around, wondering just where he could be. "That's strange... He's usually really eager for a fight..."
"True... And Sai isn't here either..." Sakura commented as she looked around as well, "Although, his absence is much more believable..."
"Hey... You two don't mind if we grab a seat here?" Haku asked, taking a seat next to Sakura and Ino with Konohamaru in tow. "We could move if you'd prefer?"
"Well, of course, you can, thank you for being so polite, miss- It's you!" Sakura exclaimed in shock, recognizing Haku from the forest incident a while ago.
"What? Wait, you two know each other?" Ino asked in confusion.
"Of course I do!" Sakura stated, "She is the kunoichi that damned ronin saved, and she's here now! I'd bet if I splash her face with water... Pound after pound of makeup would come off!"
"Who? Ronin? Who's that?" Ino asked, getting even more confused than before.
"Really? You think I'm wearing makeup?" Haku deadpanned. "It's stupidly hot to move around that much already, I don't need another five pounds of sweat to pour out."
"Oh yeah?! Well, let's have a go!" Sakura stated, only for a familiar presence to appear next to them.
"You're welcome to try," Naruto assured, appearing next to Haku as he did. "I assure you, a hand from the wrist down would be the least of what you'll be losing."
Seeing the horror and shock on Sakura's face, Haku smirked, before leaning against Naruto and hugging him gently. "Mmm... She threatened me... Can you believe it? She just threatened me... Could we do something about it?"
"Oh, but of course... Would you like to leave her at the bottom of the ocean?" Naruto asked with a smirk as he moved to pet Haku on the head.
"That would be a great plan... Let's do it later..." Haku replied with a giggle, flashing an evil grin toward Sakura as she rested in Naruto's arms. "Hehe... I'll take her fingers as souvenirs..."
Hearing this was the final straw for the pink-haired girl, as Sakura would pass out from the spot whilst Ino did her best to pick her up, blushing slightly at the sight of Naruto.
'Damn it... And here I was thinking Sasuke and Sai were cool...' Ino thought to herself as she turned towards Naruto, "Ummm... H-Hello... How... I don't believe we've met..."
Naruto sighed as he sat down with Haku, clearly knowing who Ino was. "No, I don't believe we have."
"So... Ummm... What-" Ino began to say, only to be cut off by the sweetest of grins from Haku, almost too sweet, prompting Ino to turn back forward. "Err... Nevermind..."
'I knew it... You're not stealing Naruto from me... Not that easily...' Haku thought to herself, as she sat back down with Naruto and Konohamaru.
-Hokage's Seat-
"Is Sasuke still nowhere to be found?" Hiruzen asked in a whisper, looking up at the jonin standing next to his seat.
"Unfortunately not, Hokage-sama..." The jonin whispered back, "We have several Anbu teams searching for him, but as of now, he is nowhere to be found."
"Such a shame... Should he not make it, he will be disqualified regardless of who he is," Hiruzen stated, as Yugao appeared in front of him. "Neko?"
"Hokage-sama," Yugao stated, bowing her head as she passed a note from Naruto. "Courtesy of the ronin."
Hiruzen nodded, watching as Yugao shunshin-ed away, as he opened the note to read it, with it reading: "IAADECRMSX UB CSGQAI XSCXKOKCPH KVNC MNEX."
"I see..." Hiruzen stated, motioning for the jonin to lean in closer before whispering in his ear. "Be on your guard. Disaster code four."
The jonin nodded, before jumping off, as the Kazekage approached Hiruzen.
"Ah, well, well... Lord Kazekage..." Hiruzen began to say as the Kazekage took a seat, "You must have been tired from your journey."
-The Audience's Seats, Half an Hour Later-
"This... Is needlessly underwhelming..." Naruto commented, sensing the play-by-play of each match so far as the cloth he usually wore was tied around his eyes. "A disqualification... A forfeit... And now another forfeit..."
"Hey... I'm sure Sai had a reason to not show up..." Sakura murmured, still very much terrified of Naruto, trembling with each word as she feared saying something wrong.
"Yeah, and I'd bet Sasuke's about to show up anytime now!" Ino assured.
"Hmpf, guess we'll see..." Naruto replied, turning towards Haku and gently holding her hand and leaning closer to her ear.
"Yes?" Haku asked, smiling softly as she gently stroked Naruto's face, "... You don't mind me doing that, right?"
"Oh, no... Don't worry, I'm alright with it..." Naruto assured, before beginning to whisper. "Be on your toes... The One-Tailed Jinchuuriki has taken stage..."
Haku stared for a moment, before nodding as Naruto placed his hand gently over Muramasa's handle, as motioned towards Konohamaru.
"Hey... Konohamaru... I've got a fun mission for you," Naruto began to say.
"Really? Well, I'm happy to hear it! What is it?!" Konohamaru asked eagerly.
"Well, the mission is to go find a certain white-haired jonin who wears too many masks, and pass him this note, alright?" Naruto asked with a soft, rare smile.
"Alright! I'll go now!" Konohamaru exclaimed, taking the note and running up the stands, managing to run past a masked and hooded figure in the stands, who paid the boy no mind.
-Kakashi, Ten Minutes Later-
After having some difficulty, Konohamaru would finally run into Kakashi, the latter himself having just escorted Sasuke to the arena.
"Hmm? Honourable Grandson? What are you doing here?" Kakashi asked curiously, crouching down to be level with Konohamaru.
"I'm on a mission! This letter is for you!" Konohamaru cheered as he passed Kakashi the note from earlier, waiting around for the completion of his 'mission' to be verified.
"Hmm? A letter? Let's see..." Kakashi began to say, taking hold of the note and reading through it, before crumpling it up. "I see... Good job, Honorable Grandson..."
"Hooray! Do I get a reward for winning?!" Konohamaru asked in excitement, as Kakashi pretended to place a finger on his chin.
"Well, of course, come with me..." Kakashi stated cautiously, moving along whilst giving a look to Gai, prompting the latter to follow along as well.
-Naruto and Haku-
"Well, this is interesting..." Naruto mumbled, sensing around the arena and sensing multiple irregularities. "It seems like we're surrounded."
"Are we now? Well, I'd best get the mirror ready..." Haku sighed, tying her hair into the shape of a neat bun.
"Are we planning on running?" Naruto asked, gently tugging on the cloth around his eyes.
"Who said anything about running?" Haku asked back with a smirk.
"Heh, that is true... I suppose I may have been too far ahead of myself..." Naruto joked, sensing as Sasuke struck Gaara with a Chidori, "That fucking idiot... Did he really just... Never mind, it's not my issue."
Almost immediately after, white feathers began to descend all over the arena, beginning to put many to sleep.
'What the... Genjutsu?' Sakura thought to herself, forming a seal to dispel the genjutsu, as Ino did the same. 'What's going on?'
"Interesting... I don't assume you'll have an issue with this?" Haku asked, dispelling the genjutsu on her end whilst watching Naruto sit unfazed.
"Well, I am blindfolded, so I can't see the feathers..." Naruto explained, unsheathing his blade and dispelling the genjutsu as he did so. "Still, I didn't expect to see the Temple of Nirvana Technique here..."
"It seems like you've underestimated the invaders..." Haku joked, flinging a senbon and incapacitating a Sound Shinobi. "If this was planned, they'd likely come up with some strong genjutsu as a precursor... Right before..."
"Right before they take the Hokage hostage..." Naruto stated, removing the cloth around his eyes and opening them, revealing them to be the Ketsuryugan.
"My... It's... No way..." Sakura murmured, catching a glimpse of Naruto and watching on in shock as the blond jumped off.
"Is that...?" Ino asked in disbelief at what she saw.
"It... I think..." Sakura began to say, as Haku cut her off.
"Hey, keep your guard up if you value your lives," Haku stated, putting on her mask before falling onto her back and into a mirror appearing behind her.
-Hiruzen-
As the 'Kazekage' held the old Hokage in a headlock, Hiruzen showed no sign of struggle, merely playing along despite the kunai at his throat.
"Oh, you old toad... Diplomatic treaties are merely-" The 'Kazekage' began to say, only for Hiruzen to cut him off.
"Cut the crap, Orochimaru. I know it's you. Who else would know the village's layout so thoroughly yet be willing to betray it?" Hiruzen asked, managing to escape the disguised snake sannin's grasp before jumping back.
"How?" Orochimaru asked with a sneer, removing the fake face he was wearing.
"I had some help, that's for one," Hiruzen stated, "And I am aware of your plans. It's a shame that it came so late, else we could have avoided all of this."
"Well, that is unfortunate... For you." Orochimaru stated as the two shinobi posing as the Kazekage's bodyguards were cut down, only to reveal themselves to be four shinobi disguised, each jumping out and towards the rooftop. "For I intend to end this. Here and now. I had warned you to nominate the fifth Hokage soon... For the third one is about to fall!"
"Well, don't be so sure..." Hiruzen stated, removing his robes to reveal combat attire underneath, as Naruto leapt up and intercepted the four shinobi, knocking one to the ground with a swift punch before standing between the remaining three and the warring Orochimaru and Hiruzen on the rooftop.
"Don't get overconfident now," Naruto stated, a mirror appearing next to him as Haku stepped out to assist.
"You will not claim my head so easily..." Hiruzen asserted.
"Well, it seems the meddler returns..." Orochimaru jested, placing his hands together, "No matter. You shall be added to the pile of bodies today."
"I do not plan for that to happen," Naruto stated, turning back towards the three Shinobi facing him and Haku, the fourth of which joined back up soon after and joining in surrounding the two of them. "I don't suppose you four seek my forgiveness immediately?"
"Hmpf... Seems like we've got a fucking smartass here..." The pink-haired girl mocked as she withdrew what appeared to be a flute.
"Yeah... He does seem to appear as a minor character..." The one with six arms stated, "Most definitely not on our level, with that low-difficulty stance of his... Although, there should be some fun to be had with that girl next to him..."
"Oh please... They are not worth it in the slightest... That one hit he landed, was merely a lucky shot." The young man with two heads sneered.
"Be wary, three of you..." The final, much larger shinobi warned, "From how he stands and acts before us, he is no easy prey."
"You ready? We have a good twenty seconds..." Haku whispered, having been perched with Naruto on another part of the roof whilst their four enemies were distracted. "It's now or never..."
"Now seems good, I'm ready," Naruto stated, sheathing Muramasa once more and falling backwards into a mirror Haku created.
"Oh, shut it, fatso, I- Where are they...?" The girl began to say, suddenly realizing that Naruto and Haku were no longer standing where they once had been.
"I'm right here," Naruto stated, appearing behind the pink-haired girl as he formed several seals, "Uzumaki Secret Technique..."
"Stop him!" The six-armed shinobi yelled, only to be far too late.
"... Nocturnal Embrace," Naruto stated, as, besides for the pink-haired girl, a dark, endless void would replace what had been their vision.
"What the?! What is this?!" One of them yelled.
"I can't see!" Another cried.
"Heh... For the Sound Four, I didn't think you to be involved directly..." Naruto stated, stepping in front of the remaining member who still had their usual vision, "If my information fails me not... You're Tayuya... The one with six hands is Kidomaru... Weirdo with two heads is, or well, are... Sakon and Ukon... And the big one is Jirobo?"
"How... How the fuck did you manage to-" Tayuya began to ask in disbelief, a silent rage boiling over underneath.
"Well, a ronin's intel goes beyond a lot of things..." Naruto joked, "So... Are you going to try and kill me?"
"What the fuck do you think I'm planning on doing?" Tayuya stated, holding up her flute before playing out a tune.
"Genjutsu?" Naruto asked again, "That's cute."
"Cute?!" Tayuya asked, "How could you think that's cute?! Wait, no... That's not it... How the fuck are you not caught in the Genjutsu?!"
"Sound-based Genjutsu is very versatile... For it involves the auditory sense everyone has..." Naruto explained, stepping forward and placing a hand over the exit hole of Tayuya's flute and abruptly stopping the tune. "So... How would you expect it to work on someone... Who perhaps wears earplugs...?"
Tayuya looked up in horror, only to notice the earplugs in Naruto's ears.
"Now... Let's see you try to deal with this one." Naruto stated, before glaring into Tayuya's eyes with his Ketsuryugan. "Genjutsu: Ketsuryugan... Never-Ending Nightmare..."
As Jirobo, Kidomaru, Sakon and Ukon regained their vision, all three would see the Pink-haired Kunoichi on the ground, crying her heart out whilst curled up in a ball, as if having faced the worst sights that could possibly ever be considered.
"What the... What did you do?!" Kidomaru demanded, glaring at Naruto as the blond withdrew Muramasa.
"Oh, come on now..." Naruto replied, glaring at the three remaining enemies as he looked upwards, a small shape being visible in the air. "I'm sure someone here has something to say about it..."
"Oh no..." Jirobo mumbled, looking up at the shape in the air.
"That's... Not good..." Sakon and Ukon started to say as a lean yet imposing figure landed in between them. "... Kimimaro..."
"You are all... Pathetic." The newly arrived Kimimaro stated as he dropped Tayuya next to Kidomaru.
"How are you even still here?!" Kidomaru asked in shock.
"I am no longer moving using the force of my flesh, but rather the will of my mind..." Kimimaro stated with a cold tone, "Now... Get Tayuya out of here... I will not kill any of you three just yet... For you three still have some semblance of use."
Kidomaru stared at Kimimaro for a moment, as if wanting to come up with a retort, only for Jirobo to place a hand on his shoulder and nod, prompting the six-armed shinobi to back down.
"Very well..." Kidomaru stated, picking up Tayuya before leaving with the two other members of the Sound Four.
Kimimaro sighed, before turning back towards Naruto. "Now... How should I deal with you?"
"However you'd like me to... In fact, it would be preferable to not fight any of you at all..." Naruto admitted, "However... I am under contract, and, as such... I have no other choice."
"Hmpf, a mercenary?" Kimimaro asked in surprise, a white, sharp object slowly protruding out of his long sleeve. "Strange... No mere mercenary holds the power to combat the Sound Four... Could you, perhaps... Be that ronin everyone fears...?"
"Your intuition serves you well, however... I wouldn't say my job is fearmongering..." Naruto explained as he held up his blade. "From their reactions earlier... You should prove to be a much tougher opponent than those four."
"That incompetent bunch?" Kimimaro questioned, "They clearly stood no chance against you. However... Let's get this over with. For your sake... I'll end this quick."
"For my sake, hmm? What a shame..." Naruto joked, "Orochimaru's brainwashed you that much, huh?"
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed, as he dashed towards Naruto, plunging his arm forward as the white spike in his sleeve pointed outwards, only for Naruto to block it easily by lifting up Muramasa.
"Hmm? Did I hit a nerve?" Naruto asked with a smirk, only for a second spike to come bursting out of Kimimaro's sleeve, managing to place a small cut on the blond's face moments before he was able to leap back. "Hmm... Didn't see that one coming...' Naruto thought as he stared forward.
"I would advise against speaking on topics you know nothing about," Kimimaro warned, the spikes seemingly retracting back into his arm.
Kimimaro narrowed his gaze, dropping the sleeve on his left arm before a small cut opened up on his left shoulder, only for him to reach into it, moments before pulling out the bones consisting of his humerus and his radius, leaving his left arm limp as a sharp edge made itself known on the tip of his bones.
"Surprised?" Kimimaro questioned, the cut closing up as he held his bones as if it were a normal sword, "This is my Kekkei Genkai... Isn't it unorthodox?"
"That would be an understatement..." Naruto responded as he readied himself, not entirely knowing what to expect as Kimimaro dashed towards him. "But... What swordsman would pass up on a chance like this?"
The blond sighed, before responding in kind, lifting up Muramasa into the air with both arms as the edge of its blade glowed a serene blue. Naruto dashed forward, meeting Kimimaro in the centre as he slashed downwards, clashing with his enemy in the centre as sparks flew across the air.
'Those aren't normal bones...' Naruto thought to himself, tilting Muramasa slightly but only managing to scratch the bone sword as he did so, 'They're as tough as steel... Is it also from his Kekkei Genkai...?'
'Hmmm... That blade of his glows... Is it tied to his chakra?' Kimimaro hypothesized, jumping backwards before lunging forwards again. "Dance of the Camellia."
Kimimaro tilted the angle of his bone sword slightly, before repeatedly plunging it forward at high speeds, only for Naruto to respond in kind, launching a series of high-speed counterattacks and parries as sparks would fly non-stop through the air, eventually ending with another clash in the centre.
"Not as bad as I thought..." Naruto admitted, gripping tightly onto Muramasa's handle as its blade now glowed with a blazing red light.
"Likewise," Kimimaro assured, still clashing against Muramasa with his bone sword, only for another bone spike to burst out of his forearm, piercing Naruto's wrist and prompting the blond to jump back.
"Touché," Naruto stated, licking his wound for a moment as Kimimaro removed his top entirely, his ribcage seeming to extend out of his torso. "You really are an unorthodox opponent, aren't you?"
"Unorthodoxy assures that one remains unpredictable," Kimimaro stated.
"And orthodoxy ensures one remains efficient," Naruto argued back, switching stances and holding Muramasa in his right hand. "You've yet to answer my question... Did I hit a nerve?"
Kimimaro glared at the blond for a moment, before launching forward, sharp bones sticking out of his wrists as he launched a flurry of enraged strikes, none managing to meet their mark as Naruto intercepted each of them.
"Yep, definitely hit a nerve..." Naruto joked as Kimimaro launched forwards once again, only for the blond to backflip overhead and land a slash on the Sound Shinobi's back, only managing to form a small cut and draw some blood.
"Be quiet. You? A ronin? You know not how it feels to be accepted..." Kimimaro growled, black lines emerging throughout his body, "You know not how it feels to be of any worth. I serve a master, his name is Orochimaru... And through my service to him, my life has worth."
"Quite a statement there..." Naruto commented, watching as Kimimaro seemed to activate his Cursed Seal. "What do you know of life without being a mere tool?"
"Nothing but pain, suffering, and emptiness..." Kimimaro growled, before dashing forwards once again, this time at a much faster pace than before.
"Well, I so happen to know someone... Who has long broken out of that outlook on life..." Naruto explained, leaning back slightly, only for him to still get cut on the cheek.
"I'd suggest you talk less..." Kimimaro advised, landing cut after cut on Naruto with his new speed and a lack of focus on the part of the blond, "You clearly are-"
"You know, you've introduced your Kekkei Genkai..." Naruto began to say, finally fighting back as he intercepted a strike from Kimimaro's hand with Muramasa, flicking his wrist and slicing deep into Kimimaro's left arm, "How about I show you mine?"
Naruto smirked, before jumping back and flailing his arm forward, sending out several chakra chains which soon met their mark, wrapping around Kimimaro and leaving him bound and immobile.
"What the- What is this?!" Kimimaro demanded, doing his best to fight back, only for it to all be in vain.
"Now are you willing to listen?" Naruto questioned as he stepped forward.
"... Not to you..." Kimimaro growled, a red aura encapsulating his skin, as something akin to a tail protruded from his back.
'What a spike in chakra...' Naruto thought, sensing the sudden disturbance as he jumped back, only for Kimimaro to break out of the chains, now having dark brown skin, several spikes running down his back and a prehensile tail. "This is where the real fight begins, I suppose?"
Author's Notes 2: I think this would be a good place to end it... Which means we'll be leaving Naruto and Kimimaro's final duel to the next chapter. I hope this chapter has been entertaining enough with how long it took to get it out. An extra note as of the day of upload... I have recently been diagnosed with Hypoglycemia, which may hamper updates, but I'll do my best to keep it tolerable.
Regardless, feel free to tell me what you guys think of this chapter in the reviews below, I am, as usual, really curious regarding your feedback.