Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any abilities from notable works that I used in this story. Give credit to where credit is due.
Chapter 03: Predator
A 7-year old Naruto woke up to the blaring of his alarm clock. With a tired yawn, he reached out to the noisy item and punched the snooze button with a fist that effectively shut it up. However, it was already too late since it already woke him up.
Sighing, he rose from his bed in a sitting position and rubbed the grit from his eyes. Today was the day that he would be going to Training Ground 44, or lovingly called Forest of Death by some ANBU, to practice his skills. Practicing his skills in his secret training ground was good but having moving opponents that could kill you was better.
Deciding to get this day over and done with, he pushed himself off the bed and went straight to the bathroom for his daily morning ritual.
It was half-an-hour later that Naruto exited his bathroom and went to his closet to get his wardrobe for the day.
Ever since he met Kenshin and his subsequent training with him in the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu sword style, Naruto started emulating the man mainly in how he dressed. He now wore a royal blue kimono and white hakama. Instead of the sandals, he decided to wear a pair of geta sandals since he found it comfortable. To complete the outfit, he pulled out an orange scarf from one of the drawers and placed it around his neck and adjusted it so that it would hide his mouth and the whiskers on his cheeks. Lastly, he pulled out his beloved Sakabatou and tucked it behind the sash on his hip.
With that done, he exited his bedroom and made his way to the kitchen to fix himself a simple breakfast. He wasn't much of a cook but he got by with his limited skills in the culinary arts. While he was enjoying his breakfast of pancakes and bacon, he dived into the memory of what happened after getting his sword and having the entirety of the sword style dumped into his head.
It was one hell of an experience and wouldn't want to have a repeat of it anytime soon.
Getting the entirety of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu sword style dumped into his head wasn't a pleasant experience. He remembered passing out from the strain only to wake up a few hours later with a huge migraine. Thankfully, Kurama got rid of it but warned him that it wasn't a good idea to overload his brain with so much information since it could only take so much even if he had exemplary control over his mindscape.
After getting rid of the throbbing pain in his head, Naruto spent the rest of the day going through the various lessons he got from Kenshin, not in actual practice but more as an introduction to explain the style and technique to him.
Naruto was amazed at the power of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Instead of brute force like most Kenjutsus were based at, the style that Kenshin 'taught' him was mostly based on speed and quick attacks. However, there were a few techniques included in the style that specialize in power and was often used as a last resort if anything else.
According to Kenshin, the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu sword style was invented a long time ago to defeat multiple enemies, making it the only style in the world that could negate a swordsman's weakness in dealing multiple opponents at the same time. The style utilized god-like speed and agility to get under the guard of different opponents and attack with pinpoint accuracy. Masters of this style were said to have gained a sort of clairvoyant ability that allowed them to predict their opponent's moves and create a counter-attack in a split second.
Kenshin informed Naruto that it would take years of constant practice and battle experience to achieve this level; though he didn't doubt that Naruto would reach that level in a matter of years due to his prodigious talent.
There was also a drawback to using Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Due to the continuous use of god-like speed, the human body would eventually break down until to such a point that they could no longer use it or pick up a sword again and fight at their peak. Fortunately for Naruto, his physiology made him immune to this drawback so Kenshin wasn't worried in letting his owner learn it.
Naruto was also fortunate that he had his other techniques to supplement the style considering how undeveloped his body was. Shunpo would be used as a means to attain god-like speed until Naruto's muscles were strong enough to produce the necessary strength and endurance to achieve it physically. Having Ki would also be a great boon to the blonde since it would give him the added insurance of extra strength and speed to achieve the minimum requirement of the ancient sword style.
With that in mind, he spent the rest of the months going through the various katas and techniques of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu and committing them to muscle memory. In most cases, he was good enough with the style but he was far away from being a master at it. If he continued with his training regimen, Kenshin told him that it would take a year and a half to fully master the style which would make him ready to perform its two ultimate techniques– the Kuzuryuusen (Nine-Headed Dragon Flash) and its Battoujutsu counterattack, the Amakekeru Ryuu no Hiramek. (Flash of the Heavenly Flying Dragon).
This was one of the reasons why he was on his way to the Forest of Death. He needed live opponents to practice his techniques if he wanted to be proficient at it. Training dummies could only give him so much experience. If he wanted to be the best in his chosen kenjutsu style then he needed live enemies to play with.
Since it was still too early and he wasn't in a relative hurry to get to his destination, Naruto decided to forgo using Shunpo and just walk there since it was a beautiful morning. Despite the fact that the villagers hated his guts, he was no longer affected by it.
He exited his apartment and locked the door behind him before leaving the run-down compound. He walked through the slums in a sedate pace while carefully observing the people around him. He wasn't disappointed as his assumptions regarding the villagers were proven correct. When he was in sight of the crowd, everyone started whispering things about him. They didn't bother to lower their volume since it was obvious that they wanted to be heard. Fortunately for them, the villagers didn't confront him or they would 'enjoy' a hands-on experience to what he could do. He just walked and ignored the taunts while enjoying the cool morning air cooling his body.
It didn't take him long to arrive at his destination, which was relatively outside the village considering the forest's reputation.
In front of him was a large chakra-reinforced iron fence that blocked his path from reaching his destination. Smirking slightly, Naruto easily jumped to the very top of the fence, which was a good 20 feet up and landed on the top without so much as a grunt. He looked at the forest for a few seconds, admiring the gigantic trees that was said to have been created by the Shodai Hokage, Senju Hashirama, when he founded Konoha. The Forest of Death was well-known in the village as a haven to many large animals, predators that shinobis feared to face.
It was said that the life-giving chakra that the Shodaime used to create the forest bled to the animals, making them bigger and stronger than they normally would. This theory was further proven upon the existence of man-size tigers, insects, and other animals that considered the deadly forest their home.
Naruto was excited to explore the forest and meet these so-called predators.
"Excited, aren't you?" said Kurama.
"Of course. It's not every day that you discover that the Village Hidden in the Leaf had its own version of a wilderness training ground." Replied Naruto with a smirk. "Besides, Kenshin said I need live opponents to practice my skills in Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu if I wanted to be a master. With the lack of choices, I would say that large animals that would love to eat me whole are the next best thing."
"You're correct. I don't think your surrogate grandfather would love it if you use his shinobis as training dummies for your many techniques. Judging from Kenshin's description of them, the techniques would pack quite a punch."Kurama commented as the bijuu recalled the various conversations he had with the sword's spirit in regards to the style's many techniques.
"You have a point there. Besides, I want to keep my skills hidden even if I do trust the old man to keep them. He might love the fact that I can now defend myself but I wouldn't put it past the council to try to get rid of me just because I started defending myself." Naruto said bitterly, remembering the old farts in the council who was adamant in putting him to death.
Strangely enough, it was only the civilian side of the council who hated him while the shinobi council didn't. The latter either treated him like a comrade or neutrally in the case of the Hyuuga Clan.
"Speaking of which, what are you going to do tomorrow? It's your eight birthday and you know that the villagers tend to come at you with a vengeance during that time. Now that you mentioned it, I think your birthday coincides with the 'Fox Festival' to celebrate the Yondaime's victory over me." Kurama said with a grin. It made him angry that these people would think that a powerful bijuu like him would be defeated easily by a mere human though Kurama could never deny the fact that the Yondaime was a powerful foe and had succeeded in a feat that only Senju Hashirama was able to accomplish with his bloodline, Mokuton.
"Meh, we'll cross that bridge when we get there. Besides, I can always hide out here in the Forest of Death if I have to. Besides, I don't think the villagers would be stupid to go into a place that shinobis feared to tread." Naruto remarked before jumping down from the fence, landing on the ground without a sound with a small burst of Reiryoku to slow down his fall. A bloodthirsty grin made its way onto his face when he realized something. "However, I wouldn't say no to have a crack at them if they do turn up. After all, self-defense isn't a crime, right?"
"Is it me or you're getting a bit bloodthirsty?" said Kurama with the same grin on his face.
"It must be your influence rubbing on me." Naruto said casually as he strolled into the forest without a care in the world; hand on Kenshin's hilt just in case a predator would suddenly attack him from the shadow.
"Who cares? As long as we both have fun, being bloodthirsty is the least of your problems." Kurama said with a slight tinge of amusement in his mental voice which made Naruto smirk.
"Correct, Kurama. Definitely correct." replied Naruto as he drew Kenshin when a large tiger sprung out of the shadows with fangs and claws ready to render him into shreds of meat.
Naruto didn't see or sense another person wearing a blank mask observing him from the shadow of the trees.
Deep in the Forest of Death, Naruto was having a time of his life. On his second hour of being in Training Ground 44, he was ambushed and attacked by many of its dangerous denizens giving him a workout while having fun in the process. Scattered around him were unconscious predators ranging from tigers to large snakes, all knocked out by the blonde swordsman.
Naruto channeled a bit of Ki into his legs and jumped high into the air to dodge a rage-powered charge from a 6-foot tall tiger who wanted nothing more than destroy the person who downed many of its kin. Naruto righted himself in the air with his sword held over his left shoulder, preparing himself for his next technique.
"Ryuutsuisen! (Dragon Hammer Flash)" shouted Naruto as he fell on top of the rampaging tiger landing a double-handed sword strike on the animal's neck. Since he was using a reverse-edged sword, instead of decapitating the tiger, he simply knocked it unconscious.
Naruto was thankful of his relatively harmless blade and its incapability to kill since he didn't want to kill any of these beasts. After all, it wouldn't do to run out of sparring partners since he planned to come back for more – well, maybe a few days later once the animals were fully recovered from being clobbered silly. The powerful denizens were a poor substitute to shinobi skills but being attacked on all sides in numbers was a good workout in his book.
Landing beside the downed tiger, he swung around when he felt something coming at him from behind at high speed. Without thought, he slammed Kenshin on the ground and shouted his next technique.
"Doryuusen! (Earth Dragon Flash)"
From the impact point, various rocks and earthen debris erupted and hitting the large snake who was about to swallow him whole. The force of the multiple impacts caused the snake to hiss in pain and wasn't aware of the blonde's next move.
"Ryuusosen: Garami! (Dragon Net Flash: Gnawing)" Naruto whispered as he used Shunpo to disappear from his spot and appeared immediately in front of the snake before landing a Ki-enhanced blow on its head that knocked it unconscious.
"You know, you're getting good at those techniques Kenshin taught you." commented Kurama since the bijuu was carefully watching its container's wreaking havoc on the local wildlife.
"Thanks, Kurama." said Naruto as he landed on the ground in front of the downed snake and checking out the devastation he caused to the local denizens of Training Ground 44. He replaced Kenshin back on its sheath since he could no longer sense anything around him. "However, I don't like the fact that I'm still physically weak to properly use these techniques unless I use Ki to enhance my speed and strength."
"It's expected, Naruto. You're still physically undeveloped to produce powerful attacks. You're saving grace is the ability to use Ki to enhance your strength and Reiryoku to boost your speed. Without it, you would be left with nothing behind your knowledge of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu. Don't worry though; I'm working on the solution, so to speak."
"Oh? Do tell." Naruto asked curiously, wanting to know what his tenant was planning.
"Thanks to your permission, I am slowly enhancing your muscles and bones to achieve similar results. Even if they are still undeveloped, I'm making your muscles and bones denser to improve your physical strength. Give me a week to work on it and I'll make sure that you are able to have the strength of a fully-developed teenager."explained Kurama with a grin.
"You can do that? How?" Naruto exclaimed in amazement.
"Simple. With me inside you, I can direct my potent chakra directly to your muscles and slowly improve them. Think of it as a direct application of your regenerative powers. Instead of removing the damage, I am enhancing them to put them in peak performance."
Naruto was amazed at the fox was doing. He could never deny the fact that being younger, despite his skills, gave him a physical disadvantage. However, with the fox changing his physiology to that of a teenager despite his age, that would put him on par with a Genin or maybe even a Chuunin.
"Thanks, Kurama." Naruto said happily though he paused when he realized something. "Hey, Kurama. I just thought of something. I know that those who have a bijuu sealed inside them tend to use their tenant's chakra. Does this also mean that I can use yours if I need them?"
"Yes you can but I suggest that you don't. I may be able to enhance your muscles and bones but your chakra coils need to develop on their own. If I tamper with it then it is possible that they would be destroyed due to my potent chakra and I'm already channeling small amounts of it while I'm enhancing your body to avoid damaging your tenketsus and chakra pathways. Despite the fact that you had a sort of immunity to it when I was sealed inside you and your coils had adapted to it splendidly, a large amount of my chakra into your system would be dangerous at this time. Give it around 4 to 5 years more before you attempt it once your pathways matured. But for now, stick with your own. Besides, you're already formidable without it."
"No worries about that." Naruto said with a shudder. Thanks to his night-time forays into the Konoha Library, he learned that chakra pathways were a serious thing to a shinobi. This was one of the reasons why the Konoha Academy would slowly ease the students in the use of chakra until their pathways adjusted to the strain. Too much while undeveloped would destroy the pathways and destroy a person's chance in becoming a shinobi. In Naruto's case, all of his abilities would be destroyed if he wasn't careful. "I have no plans in using your chakra as of now. I'm just curious, that's all."
"Good. I'll tell you when you're ready for my chakra since you would undoubtedly need it in the future. Anyway, I suggest you concentrate since you have more company coming."
"Huh?" was all Naruto's reply when he sensed several presences surround him. He looked around and discovered that his conversation with Kurama made him unaware of the fact that some tigers and snakes were closing in on him from all sides. He cursed his inattentiveness and vowed not to do so in the future. It would prove to be deadly, especially when faced with an opponent.
Inwardly cursing, he loosened Kenshin from its sheath with his thumb and settled into a battoujutsu stance, waiting for his opponents to make the first move.
Shimura Danzo, one of the veterans of the Third Great Shinobi War and an adviser to the Hokage, was currently sitting behind his desk, reading a report from one of his ROOT operatives outside Konoha.
Despite the fact that the Sandaime Hokage explicitly ordered him to get rid of the program, he maintained ROOT from the shadows and making use of his emotionless army to protect the village from harm.
Many would view Danzo a war-monger, a tyrant in his ways of battle. However, he wasn't really a bad guy who disregarded the Hokage's orders which would label him a traitor if nothing else. In truth, he did so because he wanted to protect his beloved village from harm. It was this zealous goal that made him create his now-hidden army to protect Konoha from the shadows without the Sandaime's knowledge. ROOT had been privy to many assassination missions deemed necessary by their one-eyed leader to make sure that Konohagakure no Sato wouldn't be subjected to a battle that it couldn't survive from.
No, Danzo made it his nindo (Ninja Way) to make sure that Konoha survived the harsh reality of shinobi life. Also, Danzo knew that Sarutobi was aware of the ROOT program still existing; but the lack of evidence made it impossible for the aged leader to confront him about it.
Danzo was brought out of his musings when one of his trusted spies in the village appeared, kneeling in front of him.
"I have news, Danzo-sama." said the blank-masked ROOT operative.
Danzo immediately recognized the ROOT shinobi in front of him. This particular one had a special assignment, an assignment that the one-eyed warmonger deemed necessary – to keep an eye on Konoha's sole jinchuuriki, Uzumaki Naruto.
"Report." Danzo said tersely.
"I have finally located Uzumaki Naruto. We haven't been able to monitor his destination since he started disappearing from his apartment in the slums a year and a half ago. Today, he left his apartment early in the morning and headed straight for Training Ground 44. He is very different from what he was a year and a half ago, Danzo-sama." the ROOT operative reported in monotone, without a hint of emotions in his voice.
It constantly vexed Danzo when they discovered that the jinchuuriki had a method of disappearing from his watchers and they didn't know what it was. There was a village-wide panic among his ROOT agents when they discovered that Uzumaki disappeared and they weren't able to find him until their target appeared again in his apartment as if he was there all the time. This was a constant occurrence for more than a year and it annoyed the warmonger to the point of pulling out his hairs in frustration.
"What is he doing in that place?" said Danzo with a curious frown on his face. "Also, what do you mean he is different?"
"Just that, Danzo-sama. Unlike the Uzumaki Naruto that we saw a year and a half ago, this Uzumaki Naruto is quite different. This Naruto was now garbed in a typical samurai fashion – a kimono and hakama. He now took to wearing a katana on his hip. I followed him to the Forest of Death and was privy to his use of it. He demonstrated a powerful kenjutsu style that destroyed all of the predators in the area that foolishly attacked him."
"A powerful style? Elaborate." Danzo demanded. He didn't know what happened to the Kyuubi jinchuuriki within the span they weren't able to trail him, but wherever the boy ended up, it seemed that the boy changed. And it was a big change at that if the boy was now carrying a sword and knew how to use it.
"Hai, Danzo-sama. The style he used seems to rely on speed, allowing him to down multiple opponents at once. It is a style that I don't recognize and is undoubtedly powerful in its own right. What puzzled me is the katana he uses. It seemed to have a reversed-edge, making sure that his opponents aren't killed."
"A reverse-edged sword, you say?" Danzo said in surprise. Such a sword was mentioned in history and was no longer being used since such a harmless blade had no use in a war-torn nation. "Not only is it a stupid sword considering that it doesn't kill its opponents but it is a sword that is no longer being used today. Tell me, is he using that chakra?" he inquired with a raised eyebrow, knowing that the operative in front of him specifically knew what he was asking.
After all, this operative was specifically chosen because of his unique ability, a sensor that would allow him to detect chakra in its raw form. He was chosen to ensure that they were made aware if Uzumaki Naruto had tapped into the bijuu's potent power.
"No, Danzo-sama. Whatever Uzumaki did, he wasn't using the bijuu's chakra. In fact, he wasn't using chakra at all. I don't sense any chakra being used during his fight with the predators of Training Ground 44. From the looks of it, everything he did was pure skill alone."
Danzo nodded and leaned back on his high-back chair as he digested the information revealed to him. Whatever happened to the jinchuuriki, it made the boy strong, strong enough to lay waste to the denizens of the Forest of Death that even ANBU feared to face.
Hell, even his ROOT operatives stayed out of the forest since the animals there were known to gang-up on unsuspecting shinobis and feasted on their remains. Whatever happened to Uzumaki Naruto made the boy strong that he considered Training Ground 44 a playpen of sorts.
Where did the boy get this power?
Where did the boy learn his skills?
Uzumaki Naruto was a mystery; a mystery that Shimura Danzo would do anything to unravel.
"Keep an eye on him for now. Gather as much information as you can and make sure you're not detected. We don't know what he is capable of so you need to take extra precautions that you're not discovered. I wouldn't put it past the boy to report your presence to Sarutobi and the old monkey would use such revelation to bring down ROOT."
"Hai, Danzo-sama." said the ROOT operative before disappearing from the room without a sound.
Danzo looked at the document in front of him with a picture of a whiskered-faced, blonde boy.
"Uzumaki Naruto. What secrets do you possess?" Danzo said out loud, his thoughts trying to come up with answers to many of his questions.
Naruto was currently catching his breath on his perch on top of one of the large trees in the Forest of Death. The second wave of attack was intense. There were more than a dozen tigers and snakes ready to make mince meat out of him. Thankfully, with liberal use of Shunpo and Kenshin, he survived the clash and retreated to his current perch to rest up. He decided to stay in the forest for the night since he had no plans of going back to the village and face the current mob that was a common sight every time his birthday rolled in.
It was official, the blonde hated October 10 with a passion.
Naruto looked around and an idea manifested itself.
"I wonder if I can make a tree house and start living here from now on? Aside from predators, it is practically a peaceful place to hang out." Naruto mused out loud as he enjoyed the silence of the trees around him.
"Nothing is stopping you. After all, no one comes here, well except during those exams that Konoha sometimes hosts." replied Kurama in the silence of his mind.
"Good point. I think I'll explore the place first before I set up shop here. I know that there is a section of the forest that no shinobis tread because of the dangerous animals that lived there. If I find it comfortable and of relative safety then I might turn it into my new training ground and home." said Naruto as he stood up from his perch and patted the grime off his outfit. He recalled the map he found in the Konoha Library depicting the different sections of Training Ground 44. If his sense of direction was correct, the S-Class sector was north from where he was standing.
Nodding to himself as he made up his mind, Naruto took a step and disappeared using Shunpo to check out the place.
He didn't notice the bewildered ROOT operative who watched him disappear from the branch he was perched on.
End of Chapter 3
Chapter Uploaded: July 04, 2012