Hey guys! It's me as usual! This is coming in late as usual so no surprise there! I'm really happy about how thie fanfic and Crouching Fox Hidden Dragon has taken off, I'm so proud of myself! Anyways, it's getting near the end of the school year and it's getting busier and busier. I have a huge project I have to work on so all fanfics will be coming in later than usual. Other than that, enjoy the chapter!

Laughing was waiting patiently at the door when Naruto left the room in his new clothes. He had left his mask and weapons in his room along with his ANBU gear. For the first time, Naruto could see Laughing's face. Black hair tipped with silver stood up in spikes, his stormy grey eyes had a confident look about them making one feel safe to be around him. His calm demeanor hiding whatever he was currently feeling, two elongated canines poked out of his upper lip, making him look like an Inuzuka.

"Let's go, Grandmaster is waiting," Laughing stood up, his black martial arts gi pants swishing as he did so. Not another word was exchanged as Laughing led Naruto through the halls of his former home. The wooden halls were all empty, assuming everyone was at dinner. After passing many doors which all looked the same, Laughing stopped and gently slid one open.

Inside was a grand hall lined with tables filled with food and monks of all ages sat on mats which served as seats. In the middle of it all was a table larger than the rest with twelve seats around it and one throne like seat at the head of the table. All of the seats were filled, even the throne like one but one was left empty. On the throne like seat sat a monk older than the rest, the Grandmaster. His head was bald like the rest of the monks, but a greying beard sat on his chin.

Silence followed as Laughing and Naruto walked down to the tables. The Grandmaster stared at Laughing, his hazel eyes not noticing Naruto following him. Unflinchingly, Laughing returned the stare, his grey eyes never straying from their target. Nobody dared move and interupt the staring contest, for the Grandmaster's fury was to fear. Finally, the Grandmaster spoke, "So you've returned, my wayward disciple. After what you have done three years ago, you still dare to return. Have you no shame or guilt?"

"I feel no guilt for what I have done, if I had not done it, this temple would have burned to the ground. Your sanctuary gone, you've always taught us that we should do what we feel is right, protect what is important. But you have not done so yourself, you hide away in the temple, build so many walls around yourself so you won't be harmed. All you do is hide in your petty teachings, you're nothing but a coward, a hypocrite," Laughing growled the last few words.

Three years back, when Orochimaru attacked the temple, Laughing had taken the temple's treasure, the Dragon Sword and fought him off by himself. The Grandmaster didn't show up until after Orochimaru retreated, the Dragon Sword could only be touched by the Grandmaster of the temple. The thing was, when the Grandmaster retired, his direct disciples would try to unsheath the sword, only the true master would be able to unsheath the sword. And since Laughing unsheathed it, it made him the master. Not ready to retire yet, the Grandmaster stormed up such a fury that Laughing was forced to flee along with the Dragon Sword.

There were several gasps following Laughing's words, nobody ever dared talk-back to the Grandmaster, much less call him a coward and a hypocrite. "You dare..." the unspoken threat hung in the air. While the Grandmaster was old, he could still match up with many younger shinobi. The sound of wood meeting tiled floor echoed through out the hall as the Grandmaster picked up his staff that served as a cane and stood up to his full height.

"I dare, I dare to do the things you don't allow us to do because you're afraid that all of your disciples will turn out to be like me. I dare draw the Dragon Sword, I dare use the true form of the Dragon Sword, I dare use chakra and ninjutsu and genjutsu and I dare using my demon," Laughing growled defiantly. He walked swiftly up to the Grandmaster, towering over the old man by a good half a foot.

"Let's take this outside," Grandmaster replied and led the way to the dusty courtyard, dinner completely forgotten.

"Fine," Laughing shunshined away with a gust of wind that ruffled everyone's clothes, leaving Naruto to follow the monks to the courtyard.

Laughing was already there when Grandmaster and the rest of the monks arrived. He had traded his clothes for his ANBU gear and his mask was on the back of his head instead of his face. His swords were not on his back but probably in his room still and he held a spear in his hands.

"This is what happens to misbehaving disciples," Grandmaster planted his staff firmly into the ground and shrugged the cloak off his shoulders. Neither of them moved, just staring right at each other in a deadlock a gust of wind blew shaking the trees and riling up the dust. Leaves fell all around them and on some unspoken signal, both of them leapt at each other.

There was the wooden thok of staff meeting spear, then a blur as both of them moved swiftly and effictiently to parry one another's blows. One minute it would be Grandmaster on the offense, twirling his staff expertly then the next minute, he would be hurriedly backpedaling as he dodged Laughing's spear's attack.

"You forget, the spear was not my favorite weapon," Laughing spoke as Grandmaster dodged, letting the spear fly past him. Grandmaster's eyes widened slightly as he recalled what his former disciple's favorite weapon was.

"That's right, you remember now, my favorite weapon-" Laughing flicked his wrist and the spear split into three parts, each linked to the next with a long black chain. The three parts now wrapped around Grandmaster, "was the sanchigun, (AN: three part split stick or three part stick or something like that)

Laughing flicked his wrist again and the weapon unravled, sending Grandmaster flying and forcing him to stop his momentum by digging his staff into the ground. "You were always the trickster," Grandmaster murmured. "Will you ever forgive what we-no I have done?"

Laughing walked over and rested on hand on top of Grandmaster's hand and staff, "I have, but it's you who needs to forget the past and look to the future, you're living in the past old man," his voice was softer now, less harsh.

"I guess you're right," Grandmaster squinted up into his student's face, "But that still doesn't give you a right to insult me," Grandmaster whacked his student across the top of his head with his staff, "Drop and give me 500 push-ups, you won't get dinner until you're finished,"

"Hai Grandmaster!" Laughing immeadietly hit the ground and started doing push-ups, a small grin evident on his face. Oh how good it was to be home again.

There's your new chapter! I hope you enjoyed that! Please let me know if I have screwed up anywhere and remember to review! The more reviews the longer the chapters! R&R! ~AnimeClouds~