Hello People! This chapter is something I have been waiting to write since I got the idea for this story! It reveals a lot of things, brings new ideas, and has a new OC! If you don't like, don't read.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! I OWN ONLY MY OC'S!
And without further ado, LET THE READING COMMENCE!
4 years have passed since Naruto started the Ninja Academy. In those 4 years, a great many things have happened.
In terms of Naruto's training, It was going quite smoothly. He had mastered the Kitsune Henge to the point that it was instantaneous. His elemental manipulation was moving along slowly, since Kitsune could control all elements, but Nero told him that his control would improve once he had more than one tail. His Kitsune-bi was so far his best attack. It was hot enough to melt a human body in seconds. As for the art he was working his hardest to master, teleportation, it used too much youki, but he could perform it well enough.
His physical abilities were extremely impressive. His hand to hand prowess was extraordinary. Not that surprising, given that Nero only held back enough so as not to kill him. His Kenjutsu prowess was, for lack of a better word, amazing. Nero pushed Naruto very hard when it came to Kenjutsu. Naruto wanted to be as good as Nero, and, while he wasn't there yet, he was already good enough that Nero was certain he wouldn't lose a fight against another swordsman. Naruto still used the Nodachi Nero gave him. He took it everywhere with him, even the academy, it was always strapped to his side.
In the Academy, Naruto was one of, if not the best in the class. Iruka was very impressed with the boy, and if anyone asked, he had nothing but good things to say about the blonde boy. Sasuke, surprisingly enough, took Naruto's being best very well. His father, however, did not. He told Sasuke that he was of the Uchiha clan and "Should show that Namikaze brat that our clan is best." Itachi and Mikoto had heard that, and told Sasuke later that he needed to follow his own path, and become strong when and how he wants to. Naruto and Sasuke frequently sparred together after those two conversations, and found that they worked surprisingly well together. After Sasuke told Itachi and Mikoto that he and Naruto were still friends, Itachi agreed to train Sasuke in his free time.
As for Nero, he and Kurenai had grown close over the last 4 years. They now shared a room, as after Kurenai passed her Jonin exams the two had… celebrated. Neither of them got that much sleep that night, and Kurenai walked with a limp the next day. Kurenai and Anko were still friends, though Kurenai liked Nero as well, she knew that Kurenai and Nero were perfect for each other. Over the course of the past four years, Nero had trained Kurenai as well. She was now far better in Taijutsu than she used to be, and she knew a few new Kitsune Genjutsu. They weren't as potent as they normally would be, as she used chakra opposed to youki, but they were still extremely effective. Nero had yet to mark Kurenai as his mate, as he lacked sufficient youki to turn her into a Kitsune with the mark. When he told her about the mate mark, what it stood for, and what it did, she was ecstatic. She couldn't wait until he got his power back.
Naruto never really had problems at the Academy, as the teachers were too scared of Nero to try anything, and most of the kids left him alone. The only ones that didn't, however, were, obviously, his friends, and, sadly, Sasuke's fan girls. They didn't like him being near their "Sasuke-kun". Honestly, they both found it disturbing. The worst one, however, was Sakura Haruno. She was the epitome of a fan girl. She was constantly trying to hit Naruto for any reason whatsoever. Naruto was one step away from slicing her arm off should she try again, and Sasuke was thinking something along those lines as well. Naruto helped Sasuke hide from his fan girls frequently at his house.
Today was Naruto's graduation day. Naruto had calmed down considerably since he started going to the academy. He had learned to control his excitement and emotions, with help from Kurenai and Nero. He quickly took a shower, brushed his teeth, got dressed, and strapped on his Nodachi. His clothing had changed slightly since he was 8, as he had exchanged the jacket for a coat, much like the Yondaime's, but his was rusted orange, and had black flames licking the bottom. He calmly walked to his "Parents" room. Naruto didn't call Kurenai his mother because he knew his birth mother was still alive, but he still considered her one of his parents. When he got to the door, he knocked. Naruto hadn't rushed into rooms since he walked in on Kurenai and Nero making out on their bed. Luckily, they were both clothed at the time. But they told him to always knock from then on. After about a minute, Nero opened the door, without a shirt on and looking extremely tired.
"Rough night?" Naruto said, trying not to laugh at the look on his father's face. Nero growled in response.
"Just wanted to remind you that graduation day is today, and I want to go to the fox realm tonight." Naruto said. Nero nodded.
"I'll tell Kurenai. I'll see you after you graduate. You eat yet?" Nero asked.
"I was about to make something. You don't have to feed me, you know." Naruto replied, already walking towards the kitchen.
"All right. Say hi to Sasuke for me." Nero said. Naruto simply waved his hand in response. Shrugging, Nero shut the door and turned back to see Kurenai sitting up, rubbing her eyes cutely.
"Morning, hime." Nero said. Kurenai smiled.
"Morning, Nero-kun."
"Naruto's about to leave for the academy." He said, laying back down on the bed, Kurenai immediately snuggling up against him.
"I hope he passes the exam" she said. He kissed her forehead lightly, making her sigh in content.
"He will, hime. He will." the two snuggled close together, not wanting to leave the other's warmth.
Konoha Academy
Naruto was sitting in his usual seat, next to Sasuke. He sat there as protection from Sasuke's fan girls, both for him and Sasuke. And, right on cue, Sasuke's two biggest fan girls rushed the door, fighting each other to get to sit next to him. When they finally got in the classroom, they looked towards Sasuke and saw Naruto sitting next to him.
"NARUTO-BAKA!" Sakura yelled. Naruto didn't even look in her direction.
"Shut up, Sakura." He said, which only served to make her angrier. Ino had already taken her seat. Sakura was about to charge our favorite blonde, who was fingering the hilt of his Nodachi, when Sasuke, who saw that Naruto was about to kill her, and was tempted to let him, decided to diffuse the situation.
"Sakura, shut up and sit down. You're annoying me." he said, his face a mask. Sakura was all too happy to do anything that her crush wanted, and sat in her normal seat, after glaring at Naruto, who promptly released a minute fraction of his killing intent at her. That small amount was enough to make her avert her eyes and start shaking.
Iruka and Mizuki walked in not a minute later. After making sure everyone was here, the two Chunin started speaking.
"Good morning. I'm sure you all remember that the graduation exam is today. If you manage to pass the exam, you will officially be genin of Konoha." Iruka went on to explain that they would be testing everything that they covered, including a written exam, marksmanship, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, and Ninjutsu tests. Whether or not they would pass was determined by their abilities overall. First up: the written exam. Naruto didn't have any issues with this one, as Nero had drilled strategy and the way of the ninja into his head. History wasn't important on the battlefield. He had done well enough. Once he was finished, he gave his paper directly to Iruka, as he didn't trust Mizuki anymore than his father did.
After everyone's tests were handed in and graded, they moved to the training fields for the marksmanship test. No trouble there, either. Accuracy was another thing that Nero had drilled into him, saying "A ninja doesn't miss." While he didn't get the highest score EVER, he was pretty good on that as well.
Once everyone had performed that test, they moved to the clearing for the Taijutsu test. The test was that they had 10 minutes to lay one blow on Iruka or Mizuki, depending on who the tester was. For quite a few students, it took the full ten minutes to land one blow. Then Sasuke was up. Looking at Iruka, he waited until Mizuki started the spar. As soon as it was declared, Sasuke dashed forward. Iruka actually had to try to avoid getting hit by Sasuke, who was using his family's Taijutsu style with all the skill and ability he had gained from sparring with Itachi. It only took Sasuke a minute and a half to get a hit on Iruka, and he got three, not one. Iruka congratulated Sasuke for passing, and Sasuke walked out of the arena, ignoring the screams of his fan girls. He and Naruto simply nodded to each other. Eventually it was Naruto's turn. He was up against Mizuki.
As soon as Iruka gave the signal, Mizuki attacked. His charge was ineffective, however, as Naruto dodged every blow. After only thirty seconds, Naruto got bored and decided to end it. And end it he did. He hit Mizuki in the stomach it sent him out of the arena and halfway through a tree. No one could debate that he passed.
After that was done (and Mizuki was woken up), they headed back inside for the Genjutsu and Ninjutsu part of the exams. First up: Genjutsu.
For the Genjutsu exam, you had to detect and dispel a Genjutsu that would be placed on you by one of the instructors. No problems there, either. Naruto and Sasuke easily passed, due to Kurenai and Itachi's training, respectively.
Lastly, there was the Ninjutsu exam. You had to be able to successfully perform the three basic academy techniques, the Kawarimi, the Henge, and the basic Bunshin. No problems for Sasuke there. Naruto, however, was a different story.
"Okay, Naruto, start with the Henge." Iruka said. Naruto nodded. Seallessly, he transformed himself into Iruka, surprising Iruka and Mizuki.
"How did you do that without seals?" Iruka asked.
"It's a special version of the technique my father taught me. It's an actual transformation, opposed to an illusion." Naruto explained, changing back.
"All right, then. Continue." Iruka said. Naruto quickly substituted himself with one of the chairs in the classroom. He then switched back after about a second.
Nodding, Iruka said, "Last is the Bunshin." Naruto nodded. He put his hands into a familiar cross shaped seal.
"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" with a puff of smoke, there were 12 Naruto's. Iruka's jaw dropped.
"Naruto… how do you know that technique?" Iruka asked.
"My dad taught it to me. He said I have too much chakra for the regular Bunshin, so he taught me the Kage Bunshin." Naruto explained. Iruka nodded.
"Alright then, you pass the Ninjutsu exam. Now I'll tally your scores… overall… you pass! Congratulations, Naruto! You are now officially a genin of Konoha. Pick which headband you'd like." Iruka said, putting three headbands on the desk. They all had the same symbol, but they had different band colors. One was blue, a color that most Konoha Nin seemed to wear. There was also a red one and a black one.
"I'll take this one." Naruto said, grabbing the black one. He attached it to his belt (Think Gaara) and walked out of the room, sitting down next to Sasuke.
"So you passed, huh?" Sasuke said, seeing Naruto's headband.
"Yeah. No problem."
"Wonder whose team we'll be on…" Sasuke mused. Naruto shrugged.
"Dunno. We probably won't be together, though. With the two of us being Rookie of the Year, and second best, no offense, the team wouldn't be balanced if we were."
"Good point. Still, I wonder…"
"I don't know. I just hope we're not on the same team as one of your fan girls." they both shivered.
"That would be a fate worse than death. And it likely WOULD get us killed. None of them have any skills. How Sakura and Ino graduated at all is beyond me." Sasuke commented, looking over towards them.
"What were their ranks in the class?" Naruto asked.
"Sakura was Kunoichi of the Year, and Ino was somewhere in the middle." Sasuke answered.
"Great. That means that I'm probably gonna have Sakura on my team. At least you won't have to worry about you getting Ino."
"Yeah, I guess, besides the scores, there's that Ino- Shika- Cho thing. Sorry you're probably gonna get Sakura." Sasuke apologized, patting Naruto on the back.
"It'll be worse for her, trust me. She's already on my last nerve, and I won't hesitate to sever a limb." Naruto replied, gripping the handle of his Nodachi.
"I almost feel bad for her. Almost." Sasuke said. The doors to the classroom opened. The teachers said their speeches, and told the ones that graduated that tomorrow they would announce their teams. The kids started filing out, Naruto looking towards Mizuki, seeing him talking to one of the kids that failed. 'So he's starting his plan' Naruto made a note to talk to the Hokage after talking to his father. Speaking of his father, he and Kurenai were at the gate, waiting for him.
"Well, I see you passed." Nero said, smiling. Kurenai was smiling as well.
"Like there was any doubt." Naruto replied. Nero nodded.
"I think Mizuki is up to something." Naruto told his father, as they were walking away from the academy.
"Well, what do you plan on doing about it?" Nero questioned.
"I think I need to talk to the Hokage. I saw Mizuki talking to one of the students who didn't pass. I don't know what about, but it seemed to cheer the kid up."
"Well, he could've just told him he could try again next year." Nero reasoned, testing his son in his deduction skills.
"I don't think that would have as big an impact on the kid's mood…" Naruto stated.
"Do what you think you need to, Naruto."
"Alright, then, I'm gonna go talk to the Hokage. I'll see you guys at home." Naruto started to walk towards the Hokage's office.
"Good luck." Kurenai said. She turned to face Nero. "Is this that 'Final Test' you were talking about?" She asked her boyfriend.
"Yes. I knew Mizuki was up to something the minute I saw him. I just didn't care enough to do anything about it. This will be a very good test of his skills." Nero answered.
"I hope he does okay…" Kurenai said.
"He will. With everything we trained him in, he'll do just fine." Nero said
"I'm kinda hungry… Wanna get some dango?" Kurenai asked.
"Sure, Kurenai-chan. Let's go." Nero said, grabbing Kurenai's hand as they started walking toward the dango stand.
Hokage Tower
"So, Naruto-kun, you believe Mizuki is trying something, yes?" Sarutobi asked. Naruto had come into Sarutobi's office 5 minutes ago and told the Hokage what he thought Mizuki was up to.
"Yes, Tou-san seems to believe something's up as well. I don't know if he knows, but I'm pretty sure he doesn't care." Naruto replied.
"That sounds like him…" Sarutobi mused, "Back on subject, though, what do you believe we should do?"
"I think that you should have ANBU watching him, but the thing is, what could he be planning?"
"I don't know, could you hear what he was saying to the student?" the Hokage asked.
"Somewhat. I heard something about a special test, he mentioned the scroll of sealing, and I think that's it…" Naruto responded.
"There is no 'special test' for those who failed. And the scroll of sealing… I know what he's planning."
"What is it, old man?" Naruto questioned.
"Naruto-kun, I think I have your first A- rank Mission." The Hokage said, smirking at him. Naruto smirked back.
This was going to be a very interesting day…
Konoha Forest
"Where is that kid?" Mizuki was beginning to get frustrated. The kid he tricked into stealing the scroll of sealing for him hadn't shown up. Was he caught?
"Looking for this?" A voice interrupted Mizuki from his musings. He turned around to see Naruto, holding the scroll of sealing.
"How did you-?"
"The kid you duped was caught. He spilled the beans the minute Jiji called for Ibiki. You're despicable. Tricking a kid. You have two choices: Come with me and go to jail, or get sent to the morgue." Naruto said, now frowning.
"How about a third choice? Like I KILL YOU!" Mizuki charged. Naruto threw the scroll back into a tree and swiftly, in one movement, drew his Nodachi and severed Mizuki's right arm. He then spun around to Mizuki's back and stabbed him through the chest, piercing his heart.
"Fool." Naruto said, then ripped his blade out of Mizuki's body. He wiped the blood off of the blade, sheathed it, grabbed the scroll, and headed back to the Hokage Tower, even as ANBU began to clean up the sight.
Hokage Tower
"I'm impressed, Naruto-kun. I didn't expect you to get this done so quickly." Sarutobi said as Naruto handed him the scroll. "Here's the payment for an A- ranked mission." He handed Naruto a slip.
"Thank you. If that's all, I have something important to do tonight." Naruto said, putting the slip into one of his coat pockets.
"Of course, have a nice night, Naruto-kun." Naruto nodded and teleported to his mansion.
Namikaze Mansion
Nero and Kurenai were snuggled up next to each other on the sofa, just loving being around each other, when Nero heard the sound of the dimensional ripping that comes with Teleportation. He turned his head to see Naruto staring at the two of them.
"Am I interrupting something?" He asked.
"Not really." Kurenai said.
"So, how'd you do?" Nero asked.
"I killed him. The scroll is safe." Naruto responded.
"Good. That means you're ready to meet my lord and your mother."
"You mean, if I hadn't kept the scroll safe, you wouldn't have taken me to the Kitsune realm?" Naruto asked, surprised.
"That's right. Think of it as my final exam. You proved you're ready. No normal genin would've been able to fight Mizuki and win. You proved that you listened when I taught you. And, for what it's worth, I'm very proud of you." Nero said, a small smile forming on his lips. Kurenai was smiling as well.
"So, when do you want to leave?" Nero asked.
"As soon as possible." Naruto replied.
"Alright, we leave in an hour. Meet me in the courtyard by then." Naruto nodded, then left the room.
"You're going to the fox realm tonight?" Kurenai asked.
"Yes. I believe Naruto's real mother is there, as well as the fact that my lord should be able to release the seal on my power, then I'll be able to officially make you my mate." Nero said, kissing her.
When they broke apart, Kurenai asked, "When will you be back?"
"I don't exactly know, but we'll be back by tomorrow, so that Naruto will know what team he'll be on." Kurenai nodded.
"So, we have an hour before you leave?" Kurenai asked, smirking at him.
"Yes."
"What do you want to do in the meantime?" She asked, leaning closer to him.
"I'm sure we'll think of something." he said, before he lifted her bridal style and carried her off to the bedroom.
Namikaze Courtyard (one hour later)
"Have fun?" Naruto asked Nero, who had shown up looking oddly happy.
"If you must know, yes, yes I did." he responded, still smiling.
"Your smile is starting to creep me out, Tou-san." at that, Nero resumed his usual face.
"All right, then, are you ready?" Nero asked. Naruto nodded.
"Okay. Remember, you are NOT going to direct where we are going. I will supply that. You just perform the technique and I'll direct us to the Kitsune realm. Ready?"
Naruto nodded, and with a ripping sound, they were gone.
Kitsune Realm (Entrance to Chamber of Inari)
A familiar ripping sound filled the air, and then standing there were Nero and Naruto. Naruto looked around in amazement and shock. They were in front of a giant gate with a fox head covering it. On either side of the gate were two fox statues, both sitting down, seemingly standing guard. Naruto could swear they were almost alive, with the energy they were giving off.
"Still loves the theatrics, I see." Nero remarked, chuckling lightly. He walked up to the gate, Naruto following behind him. He put one hand on the gate and the eyes of the foxes turned crimson red for a moment, then an unlocking sound was heard. Nero pushed on the gate, and the doors opened. Naruto was gob smacked at the room.
The room itself was nothing special, a stark contrast to the door. The furniture in the room was all a matching color of either gold or crimson red, as were the walls.
"He REALLY hasn't changed."
"Neither have you." A voice said. They both turned to see who it was.
The man they saw was over 6 feet tall. He had dark brown hair, blue- green eyes, and broad shoulders. He was wearing black pants and a red shirt. His arms were crossed, and he was smirking. Nero smirked.
"It's god to see you again, old friend." the man remarked, looking at Nero. "And who's this? You have a kit when I wasn't looking?"
"No, my lord. I will fill you in, but may we go somewhere more private." Nero said, looking around.
"Very well. Follow me." He led them into a room much like the first one, only it only had a sofa, three chairs, and a table. There was also a woman sitting on the sofa. She was wearing a red kimono with flower designs going down the left side. She was very beautiful, Naruto noted. She had red hair and beautiful green eyes. She also had fox ears and 8 tails, the same color as her hair, flowing behind her.
"Inari-kun, who was it?" she asked.
"Nero." The woman turned around fully to see them. When she saw Naruto, she stopped completely, her eyes widening.
"M-Minato-kun?" Naruto's eyes widened as well. Was this woman…?
"Kaa-chan?" He said hesitantly.
"Naruto… NARUTO!" The woman exclaimed, hugging Naruto with all she had. After a moment, he hugged back with just as much force as her. Both were openly crying. Nero and Inari just stood and waited. After about ten minutes, they had both finally calmed down. Inari motioned for them to sit down. Nero and Naruto sat in chairs, while Inari and Kushina sat on the sofa.
"I know you, Nero. You didn't come here just to reunite Kushina-chan and her son. Why are you here?" Inari asked.
"Believe it or not, my lord, but Naruto is the main reason I'm here. I came here for many things. First, I wanted Naruto to meet his mother. Next, my power was sealed by Minato, your husband." He looked at Kushina, "I was hoping that you could break the seal."
"I have the power to break such a seal. May I see it?" Inari asked. Nero looked to Naruto, who nodded. Naruto stood up and removed his coat and shirt, channeling his chakra as he did. As soon as his shirt was off, the seal was visible. Inari looked at the seal.
"The Shiki Fuiin, eh? This is a very powerful seal." Inari said.
"Will you be able to break it?" Nero asked.
"Of course I can. No matter how good he was or who was powering it, he was still human."
"Then what are you?" Naruto asked, finally speaking up.
"Me? I am Inari, the fox god. I am also your mother's mate." Naruto's jaw dropped.
"F-Fox God? Mate?"
"Yes and yes." Inari responded.
"How?"
"How what?"
"How did you two become mates?" Naruto asked.
"The same way everyone else does. We fell in love." Kushina answered, "He pulled me into this realm before Danzo's ROOT ANBU could finish me off. In this realm, I was able to sufficiently heal. I never went back because I thought you were dead. I didn't think I had a reason to go back. But Inari-kun protected me, sheltered me, fed me. I eventually fell for him, and we mated."
"But you and tou-san…"
"Minato was 100 percent human. He wasn't able to mark me as his, though I marked him as mine. As Inari-kun is… well, Inari-kun, he was able to mark me. That's for life."
"So, in a sense, I'm your step-dad." Inari explained. Naruto nodded his head.
"Okay, but what makes the fox god so powerful? I thought that Kyuubi was the highest position." Naruto asked
"The fox god is the strongest Kitsune ever. If a Kitsune appeared with the potential to surpass me, I would step down. As the Fox god, I am a supernatural entity, much like the Shinigami that sealed Nero in you. That is why I can break the seal. I am much stronger than Nero is."
"How strong exactly?" Naruto asked.
"About 10 times stronger than Nero. Though, if I ever really want to kill someone, no one would be able to stop me."
"Wow…" was all Naruto could say.
"Now then, about that seal…" Inari looked at the seal for another moment, before cracking his knuckles. He looked up at Naruto and said, "This is going to hurt. A lot." Inari put his hand on the seal and grasped it. His hand begun to glow red with youki. He then twisted his hand like one would a doorknob. Naruto immediately felt a searing pain. Nero's youki rapidly started to leave Naruto's body and headed towards Nero, his body absorbing it. Naruto, meanwhile, was trying his hardest not to cry out.
Kushina was looking worriedly between her son and her mate. Almost as if he read her thoughts, Inari said, "It's going to be alright, Kushi-chan." hearing that, she nodded, but still looked worried.
After about ten minutes, Inari was able to get the seal all the way open. Naruto was now resting on the couch, his head in Kushina's lap. He had passed out halfway through. Energy was still coming out of Naruto's body in waves, though not as much as it started out with. Inari guessed that it was almost done.
After another five minutes, the energy finally stopped. Nero looked towards the others. "It's done. All of my power's back."
"Good. He should wake up shortly, then." Kushina perked up at that.
Not a minute later, Naruto woke up, seeing his mother smiling down at him.
"Hey, Kaa-chan." He said.
"Morning, sunshine." Inari said. Naruto looked towards him.
"Nero's power is out of you. That means that I can awaken your own now." Inari stated. Naruto looked at him.
"Isn't my power already active? I mean, Tou-san was training me in the Kitsune arts."
"Yes, but you were using his power. You didn't notice it because it's been in you since birth. But now that Nero's power is gone, I can make your Kitsune nature active. You won't have as much youki as you used to, obviously." Inari stated. Naruto nodded.
"Okay, do it." Naruto said. Inari stood up. He walked over and put his hand on Naruto's head.
"This won't hurt, don't worry." Naruto nodded, again. Inari's hands glowed red once more, for a moment, then, Naruto felt an enormous rush of power flow out of him. After a minute, Inari removed his hand.
"There you go." He said. Naruto sat up.
"I thought it would hurt more than that." He said, scratching his head. He then felt something on top of his head. "What the.." Inari motioned towards a mirror. Rushing toward it, his eyes widened at what he saw.
He now had blonde fox ears and two fox tails.
"Two tails already. Impressive." Inari remarked.
"What did you do to me?" Naruto questioned.
"He awakened your Kitsune heritage." Kushina answered, "Because of the seal, your Kitsune nature was suppressed. Inari-kun made it active."
"I can't go around the human world with fox ears and tails!"
"So use a Kitsune Henge." Inari responded. "No human can see through one, because there's nothing to see. It's a real transformation, remember?"
"Oh yeah." He activated the Henge. He now looked the same as he did before the fox tails. "Thanks."
"That's not all I came for." Nero said. Everyone looked toward him.
"What else?" Kushina asked. Inari looked at the sword on Naruto's waist.
"You want me to give him a sword." Inari stated.
"Yes. That blade is a normal human blade, albeit a little stronger. He needs a Kitsune- made blade." Nero explained.
"Very well. Gather around me." they al stood up and got near Inari, and there was a familiar ripping sound, and then they were gone.
Blacksmith Shop
The ripping sound filled the air, and the four Kitsune had appeared. Naruto looked around.
"Where are we now?" he asked.
"We're at the shop of the blacksmith who forged Nero's Chishoku." Inari answered.
"Chishoku?"
"The name of my blade." Nero answered this time.
"So he's gonna make me a sword?" Naruto asked.
"If he feels like it. Kizuku only makes weapons if he feels like it." Kushina responded.
"Who the hell's in my shop?" They heard a gruff voice. Naruto saw a big burly man with 7 tails walk out of the back room. The man had black shoulder length hair tied back into a ponytail. His tails and ears were the same color as his hair, as were his eyes. He was wearing a blacksmith's apron over plain black pants and a tan short sleeved shirt.
"Who's- oh, I'm sorry, Inari-sama, I didn't know it was you." The man said, quickly bowing.
"Don't worry about it. I'm actually here as a customer."
"Is there a problem with Nensho Tenshi?" Kizuku asked.
"No, she's fine. I'm just paying for it. I actually came here with a kit who needs a weapon." Inari responded.
"That him?" Kizuku asked, pointing to Naruto.
"Yeah, and just so you know, he was trained by Nero and he's Kushina's kit." Inari said.
"Whoa, quite the resume, eh kit? Come on back, we should get started."
Kizuku led them to the room where he come out of. It had the standard things a blacksmith's shop would have. Kizuku motioned toward a table. They sat down at it while he headed toward some of the metal slabs on the wall.
"How long do you want it?"
"Well, I'm used to wielding a Nodachi, so I'd like it to be the same length as the one I'm currently wielding." He put his Nodachi on the table. Kizuku grabbed the blade.
"Oh, great! You already have a sword! This makes things even easier!" Kizuku said.
"What do you mean?" Asked Naruto.
"If you already have a sword, I can just reforge it with your power. It's what I did with Chishoku." replied Kizuku, already at the fire pit. He unsheathed the sword, took the hilt and guard off of the blade, and put it into the fire pit. He used his powers to speed up the process of it melting down. Once it was melted, which only took a few minutes, he took the liquid metal out of the fire pit. He also took some that he was apparently already melting out. He was explaining what he was doing to Naruto.
"I always start with an ordinary metal base. I then mix it with a special metal only found in this realm. That's what makes them unbreakable." He mixed the two metals together. "The power, however, comes from you."
"Me? What do you mean?"
"I think a demonstration would be better. Would one of you care to demonstrate?" Kizuku looked towards Inari and Nero.
"Sure." Inari said.
"He led them outside. Kizuku stayed to watch the metal.
Outside, Inari was standing about 20 feet away from the others. He summoned a 5 foot long katana with a golden handle and a round hand guard. He unsheathed the sword to reveal the blade. The blade itself was silver, but it had an ethereal glow around it. The air around it seemed to shimmer when it moved.
"This is my sword, her name is Nensho Tenshi. This, Naruto, is her power." at that, a pillar of fire surrounded Inari, hiding him from view. When it died down, he became visible. He looked largely the same, save for the fact that his eyes were now gold. His sword, however, now had golden flames dancing around the blade.
"Wow…" Naruto said.
"I had a similar reaction when I saw the blade's power the first time." Nero said. Inari started walking towards the three others there.
"The power of the sword is like a special ability. The sword always facilitates your greatest asset or skill. For me, it's my enormous abilities with fire. Nero's uses his youki to fight. Understand?" Inari asked, deactivating his power. His eyes faded to their usual power and his blade lost the flames. He sheathed his sword.
"I think so."
"Good. Let's go back inside. Kizuku's probably ready for the next step." they walked back inside and, sure enough, he was ready for the next step.
"Naruto, come here." Naruto walked towards Kizuku, while the others sat back down. "You know how to use youki, right?" Seeing Naruto nod, he continued. "Good, then I want you to infuse the metal with your youki. Just funnel your power into the metal."
Naruto nodded and put his hands over the metal. He started to push his youki out into the metal. The metal immediately started glowing a dull blue color. Naruto funneled his youki into the metal for a full 5 minutes before Kizuku told him to stop. Kizuku used flame manipulation to make the metal hotter, then began forming the sword itself.
After 45 minutes he was finished. "Kit, come here and see your new weapon." Kizuku shouted. When Naruto walked in, he saw what he thought was the most beautiful blade he had ever seen. The sword's length had not changed, but that was all that hadn't changed. The handle of the blade was platinum in color, the guard was round with a spiral etched onto it that swirled into the blade. The sheath was still black, though it looked like new again. Kizuku handed it to Naruto. "Try it."
Naruto unsheathed the sword. The blade was beautiful. It was a bright blue in color, seemingly shimmering when Naruto waved it around. "I love it." Naruto said, smiling.
"Come on Naruto, let's see what it can do." Nero said, walking out of the shop. Everyone followed him out. Nero was standing in the clearing, holding Chishoku in his hand.
"Are you sure, Tou-san?" Nero only nodded. Naruto handed the sheath to his mother and took a stance. They glared at one another for a moment before leaping towards one another. Both were going for killing blows, and both were being prevented. Naruto was beginning to be pushed back. Naruto deflected a strike towards his right shoulder, only to be kicked in the stomach, sending him back. Naruto looked towards Nero. Chishoku was glowing a crimson red, the red blade pulsing with energy.
"Come on Naruto. Show me, show your mother, show Inari-sama what that sword can do! Show us what YOU can do!" Nero shouted, swinging his blade diagonally down, an arc of red energy shooting off of it, heading for Naruto.
Naruto stood up, gripping the handle of his blade. The blade began to pulse with energy. With a roar, Naruto swung his blade at Nero's energy blast, causing an explosion. When the smoke cleared, all were impressed with what they saw.
Naruto's eyes were now slitted, his fox features were showing, and his eyes were glowing bright blue, not unlike the color of his sword. And speaking of his sword, the blue blade was pulsing, and blue lightning was dancing around the blade. Naruto immediately charged Nero, and when the two blades clashed, a burst of wind and lightning struck Nero in the chest, sending him reeling back. Naruto was about to attack again, but Inari was in front of him, smiling.
"Good job, kid. I'm impressed. That's quite a sword. Looks like you got another masterpiece, Kizuku!" he shouted to the blacksmith, who grinned brightly. Naruto cancelled the energy flow to his sword, the blade returning to it's normal state. Kushina handed him the sheath, and he sheathed it and put it back on his hip.
"All that's left is to name it." Kizuku said. He looked towards Naruto.
"Doesn't the maker normally name the blades?" Naruto asked.
"Normally, yes. I don't, though. I'm not the one wielding the sword. You are."
Naruto paused in thought, thinking about the fight and what the sword could do. "I've got it." He put his hand on the pommel of the sword. "Kaminari Arashi."
"A fine name." Inari stated. The others nodded. "Well, we have more to deal with, we should get back to the chamber. It was good seeing you again, Kizuku."
"Same here. Good luck, kid. Make good use of that sword." Naruto nods.
"I will. Thank you." Naruto replied, bowing.
They teleported back to the chamber.
Chamber of Inari
The next thing they knew, they were back in the room they met Kushina in.
"So tell me, Nero, is there anything else?" Inari asked, sitting down on the sofa, Kushina next to him.
"Yes, actually. I want you to give Naruto the fox contract."
"Of course." Inari summoned a giant scroll onto the table and opened it. Listed on it were Inari's name, Nero's, as well as Kushina's.
"Just sign your name in blood there." Naruto did as instructed. Inari then rolled up the scroll and teleported it away.
"That's all I came here for." Nero said.
"So, Kaa-chan, are you coming back with us?" Naruto asked.
"No, Naruto-kun, I'm not. My place is here. You are at the age that you can take care of yourself. You don't need me anymore." Naruto looked down. "But I will drop by every now and then to check up on you." He smiled at that.
"Naruto." Naruto turned towards Inari, who handed him a scroll.
"What is it?"
"In that scroll is a summoning seal. If you use it, I will be summoned. Use it only if you and Nero cannot win."
"Hai." Naruto responded. He tucked the scroll in his coat. "Well then, I guess we should be going. Right, Nero?" Nero nodded. Naruto hugged Kushina one more time, then said goodbye to Inari. Nero put his hand on Naruto's shoulder, bid the two of them farewell, and teleported them back to Konoha. Inari put his arm around Kushina's waist and pulled her to him.
"You'll see him again." He said.
"I know. I just can't believe that I missed 12 years of his life."
"You can make up for that. Just be there when he needs you." Inari said. Kushina turned so that she was facing him.
"How is it you always know what to say?"
"It's a gift." He smiled down at her. "I love you, Kushi-chan."
"I love you too, Inari-kun." she moved up to kiss him.
After a moment, they separated. Kushina grabbed Inari's hand and led him into their bedroom.
"You, my dear, are the definition of a vixen." he said, smirking.
"Damn straight." he shut the door behind him before she pulled him onto the bed. They didn't sleep much that night.
And done! This chapter just would not end!
Anyway, I don't know if anyone's noticed, but there is a poll on my profile that directly relates to this story. I will not be updating this until I get a response, mostly because I need to know what you want to see. Worry not, though, I will be releasing a new story sometime soon, probably next week. Look forward to it!
Next chapter: assembling the teams and going to Wave!
READ AND REVIEW OR I SHALL CALL ON THE ANCIENT POWER OF BRUCE LEE TO POUND YOU INTO THE NEXT CENTURY!