Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto nor Sekirei, all characters, thoughts and ideas that exist in this story that were taken from the original works belong to their specific creators, Masashi Kishomoto and Akurako Gokurakuin. Only original thoughts and or characters created in this story are my own.

Review Responses:

I must say I'm rather disappointed with some of the comments about the Sharingan. This was foreshadowed in Chapter 2 quite heavily. Sasuke's body followed Naruto into this new world, Karasuba was hinted at being there at the scene, Takami even mentions in an internal monologue that MBI had recovered Sasuke's body. Did you really think that MBI wouldn't be interested in a pair of eyes that looked that alien? What truly disappoints me is that the real point of that scene was completely missed by everyone. I haven't seen a single review that touched on it which is sad considering it should be more of a 'wtf' than MBI having the eyes at all considering that their existence can be easily explained.

Maybe someone will go back and comb over everything in more detail but who knows. Things will make sense as more revelations are made known.

I won't say any more on the Sharingan only that it's not going to be used in the way most of you are probably thinking. I haven't even decided if I want to implant it in someone, I have a different purpose for it. Something far more evil than a simple implantation and liberal use of mind fucking techniques.

Higa and Hanabi. Yes, that scene was there specifically to rile you, my readers, up. Hehe. I don't want to say any more on this only that I have two out-comes written in my mind for that and I'll just choose whatever one writes into the story better.

Mutsu vs Naruto. A lot of people felt I underpowered Naruto. Perhaps I did a little, the possibility is there, but remember the Naruto I wrote, regardless of whether or not he was underpowered, still displayed far more skill and ability than where he currently is at in the Manga. At the moment all the Naruto in the manga has is Kawarimi, Henge, Shadow Clones, Rasengan Version 1, Rasengan Version 2, Rasengan Version 3, Rasengan Version 4, Rasengan Version 5, etc., etc., He's pretty much a one trick pony.

He couldn't use his bigger attacks because he didn't want to hurt Akitsu or cause collateral damage to the city. The smaller Rasengan were useless since to get in range to actually hit Mutsu with it would basically mean sacrificing his body. Mutsu has about twice the reach of Naruto with his sword. He would have chopped Naruto's head off before the smaller Rasengan even got close enough to do anything. Naruto opted to try and use long range only attacks to negate Mutsu's reach advantage. And yes, while Naruto DOES have some skill in facing sword based opponents that doesn't mean he's capable of beating them while fighting in their element.

And finally Naruto wasn't trying to kill his opponents. He only kills if he feels it's necessary. He had opted to drive them away instead of kill, it actually stated he could have killed Mikogami if he wanted to, but he didn't because that wasn't his intention. So Naruto was basically fighting, handicapped, against an opponent he didn't want to kill. Did I under power him even still considering those factors? Possibly, but not by as much as you all imply I did.

For those that want Naruto to kick ass and take names, well, there will be plenty of that, just you wait.

And finally I never said Naruto became Hokage because he was smart ^_^. He had Neji and Shikamaru do the hard thinking. Naruto was powerful, charismatic, respected and loved. That was enough. As sad as it is to say this, intelligence isn't always required in a leader, that's what advisers are for.

Chapter 10: A Fate Worse Than Death

The overgrown Arboretum was further away than Naruto had originally anticipated. It was far larger than it had appeared at first and night had completely fallen by the time he and Musubi arrived at the location.

Naruto stared at the overgrown place with interest. It was definitely the Mokuton bloodline that had done this. Or at the very least someone that had a very good imitation of it. Naruto could sense the chakra as it flowed throughout the overgrowth. It was truly incredible. Whoever had done this had great power and potential. They would more than like become incredibly powerful in the future.

However at the moment it looked like said individual had little control over it if what he looked at was anything to go by.

Musubi landed beside him and began to observe the arboretum with interest. Naruto in his haste had slowly outpaced Musubi on the way here. He hadn't intended to do so but in his haste to get here as soon as possible he had forgotten what Musubi's limits were.

"Sorry Musubi, didn't meant to leave you behind." Naruto apologized.

"It's alright Naruto-sama, you're really amazing!"

Naruto gave Musubi a smile he that wasn't really feeling, "Come, let's go find an entrance, the overgrowth is impenetrable here."

Musubi smiled in return and quickly followed Naruto as he jumped from building to building. Naruto couldn't help but be worried. He had already encountered three Ashikabi with less than ideal morals that would do anything to get their hands on something. That meant more than half the Ashikabi he had dealt with would use any means possible to obtain this new Sekirei. It was a small sample size to base his conclusions off but Naruto was worried that the entire place would be inundated with greedy selfish Ashikabi that hoped to expand their power.

As they circled the perimeter Naruto caught a scent on the wind. He knew that smell, it was the smell of death mixed with smoke. It was something he had quickly become accustomed to in the Elemental Nations and something one took quick notice of if they wanted to live very long.

"This way." Naruto said as he changed his direction slightly and headed towards the scent of smoke that still hung in the air.

This was better than just trailing along the edge of the arboretum. If there was smoke and death there had been a battle. The only reason for there to be a battle this close to the overgrown area was if people had been fighting to get into the place.

That meant an entrance.

The first thing Naruto noticed on arrival was all the destroyed vehicles and slain soldiers. That was where the smell of death came from. The vehicles looked like armored cars designed to carry troops. They were all tipped over or split in half. It was like a massive blade had simply sheered through them. Many of them were still on fire as smoke billowed out from them.

Well that explained the smoke Naruto had been able to smell.

The fallen men were in much the same condition. Their wounds were of the same type. The missing limbs of the soldiers looked as if they had been sheared off cleanly. It was as if they had been cut by an extremely sharp blade. There was another possibility as well that Naruto realized he couldn't discount right away since he was dealing with Sekirei.

He was able to inflict the same type of injuries with blades of wind.

That was when he noticed a second source of smoke as a flash of red to the side caught his attention. Down there two Sekirei were caught up in a deadly dance of death. One of them wielded fire and shout great gouts of flames and precise balls of fire as he tried to create some distance from the second Sekirei. Naruto couldn't help but feel that he recognized that Sekirei but he was too far away and the face mask covered many of his features.

The second Sekirei however he did know. It was Mutsu, the bastard that had tried to take Akitsu for his master the previous night. So Hayato was after yet another Sekirei. For some reason Naruto had a hard time believing that Hayato was the proper Ashikabi for whatever Sekirei was stuck within that overgrowth.

Naruto also knew he had to step in or the fire wielding Sekirei wasn't going to last. While he held his own at the moment Naruto could tell from this vantage point that Mutsu dominated the battlefield and dictated the flow of battle. It would only be a matter of time before he won.

It was time to continue their previous battle. "Come Musubi, we need to help that flame wielding Sekirei down there."

"But Sekirei battles are one on one!" Musubi protested. Apparently she was a stickler for rules of engagement.

"This isn't a battle, it's a rescue."

Naruto held his hand out to the side and began to channel his chakra into it. Wisps of blue energy began to converge and then spin wildly within its confines. The Rasengan took form in his hand as he completed the technique.

Naruto leapt from the top of the building and shot towards Mutsu as if he had just been fired from a cannon. The attack came so sudden and quick that by the time Mutsu had realized Naruto was there it would have been too late. Unfortunately for the blonde shinobi he hadn't anticipated the flame wielding Sekirei's reaction. Mutsu noticed his opponent's eyes widen as they shifted to something above his shoulders and knew that something was headed his way.

Mutsu didn't waste any time and reacted instantly. Being a seasoned fighter he knew better than to stay in one spot and wait for whatever it was that had distracted his opponent. He rolled to the side just before Naruto barrelled into where he had once stood. A massive explosion erupted from the ground as the Rasengan drilled into it and detonated.

"Damnit I know I hid my chakra, there was no way you should have been able to sense my approach." Naruto complained bitterly as he rose from the smoke that had billowed out from the impact zone.

"You!" Mutsu growled as he stared at the blond shinobi. "First last night and again tonight, why do you insist on getting in the way of my master?" He wasn't normally one to get riled up but this was twice now that this Ashikabi had gotten in his way and he had to admit that it was starting to get rather bothersome.

Naruto shrugged, "I didn't even know you were here until I arrive a few moments ago." Naruto admitted, "I'm just here to make sure that whatever cute little Sekirei is in that forest over there gets hooked up with their proper Ashikabi, not one that makes trophies out of Sekirei."

"Kagari-san!" Musubi shouted out a greeting as she landed behind the flame-wielding Sekirei.

Kagari whirled around to face Musubi, "It's Homura, not Kagari."

"Oh! Sorry, it's just you looked like Kagari-san from the back." Musubi apologized sheepishly.

Naruto looked Kagari up and down. Now that he got a good look at the Sekirei he realized it really was the same person that lived with him at Izumo Inn. "You have dual identities?" Naruto asked curiously.

"No!" Kagari/Homura whirled around as he shouted at Naruto this time. "I'm Homura, Guardian of the Unwinged Sekirei."

"Alright, Alright, I understand Kagari-san." Naruto said as he waved his hand to placate the irate Sekirei.

"Grrr!"

Naruto turned on Mutsu and re-focused on the task at hand. Considering how powerful Mutsu had demonstrated to be the night before he knew that neither Musubi nor Kagari had any chance against him alone. "I think it's time we finish the fight from last night." Naruto addressed Mutsu.

Mutsu raised his sheathed sword in preparation. The two of them both knew that the other was a powerful opponent. "I can handle this!" Kagari/Homura said as he stepped in front of Naruto. "I don't need your help."

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but notice you getting your ass handed to you while I was up on the building." Naruto pointed out. "He has you outclassed in every way."

Kagari/Homura shook his head in stubbornness. This was his fight and he wasn't going to sit out and let someone else take over. Especially if that someone was an Ashikabi that he knew little about. "I'll manage. Anyways he didn't come here alone; his companion has already gone on ahead. If you really are here to help out that unwinged Sekirei I suggest chasing down the other. She's had a considerable head start." Kagari/Homura had raised his hand and pointed into the overgrowth opening.

Naruto frowned as he thought for a moment. His original goal had been to rescue the trapped Sekirei and keep her safe until she found her Ashikabi. But Kagari couldn't win this battle, not alone.

Alone.

Naruto looked over at Musubi and suddenly an idea formed in his mind. "Alright, I'll chase down that other Sekirei but I 'know' you will lose if you continue to fight Mutsu alone." Kagari/Homura opened his mouth to protest but Naruto held up a hand to silence him. "So I'm leaving Musubi-chan here to help you, along with some other support."

"Really Naruto-sama?" Musubi said as she started to bounce on her feet. "I get to fight finally?"

Naruto smiled over at the bubbly Sekirei and nodded, "Yes."

"Yay! Musubi can put the landlady's training to use now!"

"I said I don't need any hel-" Kagari/Homura stopped as Naruto gave him a pointed look. Naruto knew that he wasn't as stupid as that. He had to know that he had been fighting a losing battle. He had been probably just trying to buy time, for what Naruto didn't know. "Fine, but just make sure that scythe wielding Sekirei doesn't reach Kusano."

"You can count on it. I'll make sure Kusano finds her true Ashikabi." Naruto brought his hand up and formed a sign, "But before I go I'll leave some help. They won't be able to do much more than distract against an opponent like this but that should be enough. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Two clouds of smoke appeared to either side of the blonde haired Ashikabi. Three pairs of eyes widened in surprise when the smoke cleared to reveal two identical copies of Naruto.

"Naruto-sama! There are three of you!"

"What the hell is this? What the hell are you?" Kagari/Homura had always figured that Naruto was strange, but this took it to a whole new level. He had just displayed an ability that was unheard of even among the fantastical abilities of his own kind.

"…" Mutsu unsheathed his sword and gripped it tightly in his right hand while he held his sheath at the ready in his left. It looked as if he was going to try and dual-wield with the sheath being his second blade.

Naruto didn't doubt for a moment that he could. Powerful Shinobi could turn virtually anything into a weapon; it wasn't so hard to believe that a Sekirei as strong as Mutsu could put his sheath to good use.

With a quickly application of Shunshin Naruto appeared beside Musubi in an instant. The two male Sekirei started in surprise at the sudden swift movement. "Take care of yourself Musubi-chan." Naruto said as he bent forward and kissed her on the lips. Musubi leaned into the kiss and sighed in contentment as her crest flared and her wings erupted from her back.

Mutsu grimaced and shot forward. He hoped to take Musubi out before the Norito could finish activating. The two Naruto clones had been watching him however and intercepted before he could make it there.

Mutsu ducked as the first clone that reached him tried to slam a fist into his face. He brought his sheath up to block the kunai of the second clone that stabbed down at him having anticipated his avoidance of the first attack.

Mutsu spun on the balls of his feet in his crouched position and slashed upwards with his sword aiming at Clone A. Said clone had already started to move the moment his companion's attack had been foiled and was just barely able to jump out of range of the slash, although it did cut through a small portion of his clothing.

Mutsu continued to spin completing a 360 degree turn as he brought his sword into a downward diagonal slash at Clone B. The clone quickly whipped out a second kunai in his free hand and blocked the slash. The two struggled against each other for a moment before they quickly jumped away from each other. A ball of fire slammed into the ground where Mutsu had just been.

Kagari/Homura had joined the fight once more.

"By my fist of the contract, my Ashikabi's perils will be shattered!" The wings faded and disappeared into Musubi's back. An aura erupted around her as her power skyrocketed.

"A Norito? How troublesome…" Mutsu muttered to himself as he eyed the now powered up Musubi.

With his enhanced hearing Naruto heard and whipped around in surprise, "What? Shika-" he stopped. His friend was dead, he knew that, but he couldn't help it for a moment believe that Shikamaru was alive. The inflection, the intonation, it was exactly how his old friend had used to say it. However instead of his dead friend it was Mutsu that was staring back at him.

"Tsk." Naruto turned to his Sekirei and smiled at her, "Take care Musubi, be careful of Mutsu, he's strong."

"Yes Naruto-sama!" Naruto nodded in satisfaction before he bolted into the overgrown arboretum.

Once Naruto was gone Musubi turned back to Mutsu and balled her fists in front of her. "I'm No. 88 Musubi!" She introduced herself to Mutsu.

"No. 05, Mutsu." It was basic etiquette to introduce ones number and name before one initiated a fight. Although technically this one had already been started. However while Mutsu may be irritated by these constant interruptions but he wouldn't let that affect his manners.

The two Sekirei looked over at Kagari and waited patiently. The two Naruto clones exchanged a couple of confused glances but then shrugged helplessly to each other. This was the oddest way to do battle but the longer this got drawn out the better.

"I'm not going to introduce myself! I'm supposed to be undercover!" Kagari/Homura growled out in annoyance.

"Kagari-san! It's only polite to introduce yourself!" Musubi said.

"It's Homura, not Kagari!" Kagari/Homura yelled as he glared at Musubi. There wasn't any real heat behind the gaze or shout. Mutsu noticed that it was filled with something else, embarrassment? Resignation?

"You're not winged yet are you?"

"Urk!" Kagari/Homura hadn't expected that question.

Musubi tilted her head in confusion and blinked, "Kagari-san isn't winged yet? Naruto-sama could wing you! He's an amazing Ashikabi!"

"It's Homura! And no I don't want Naruto!" Kagari/Homura yelled in indignation. Why couldn't anyone understand that? He was certain that some god out there was laughing at him. This all had to be some madman's plan or something.

"My Ashikabi could use another Sekirei, Kagari." Mutsu offered. Mutsu was well aware of his master's habit of picking up stray Sekirei and considering how well this Kagari had faired against him before that annoying blonde haired Ashikabi had arrived he would be a strong asset.

Kagari's shoulders slump in defeat, "I give up." He said mournfully.

"So you accept my offer?" Mutsu asked.

"No!"

"Oh so you want Naruto to be your Ashikabi!" Musubi said excitedly.

"NO! I… Oh forget this!" Kagari/Homura growled as he threw a ball of fire at Mutsu. This conversation had just taken a turn towards stupid.

The conversation was over at that point as Mutsu simply side stepped the ball of fire. It was a pity that Homura hadn't accepted his offer, Mutsu was well aware of which name was his true name and which wasn't, but that didn't mean he couldn't force it. All he had to do was knock Homura out and drag him to his Ashikabi. Once he was winged it would be too late.

Out of the corner of his he saw Musubi as she rushed headlong towards him at near supersonic speeds. "Smashing Point!" Mutsu said as he slammed the butt of his sheath into the ground. A shockwave rippled through the earth and fractured the ground into pieces.

Musubi stumbled and almost tripped as a large jagged piece of earth erupted before her. She lost all of her forward momentum as she dodged the earth and recovered her balance. Mutsu took advantage of her distraction and shot towards her with the intent to take her out quickly. Her Norito made her the most problematic of his four opponents. An explosion erupted from the spot where he had just been indicating that Kagari/Homura had just missed him.

Mutsu covered the distance to Musubi in a flash and swung the sheath of his sword at the young Sekirei's legs. As Mutsu had planned Musubi jumped to avoid the sheath which put her exactly where he wanted her to be, in mid-air and no way to dodge his sword as he thrust his blade straight towards Musubi's chest.

There was a blur of yellow and Mutsu's sword hit nothing but air. Mutsu knew he had to move. His instincts and combat experience warned him of impending danger. Mutsu jumped to the side and narrowly avoided a second blonde-haired Ashikabi clone that slammed into the ground where he had been with two kunai held in each hand.

Mutsu twisted in mid leap and slammed both his sheath and his sword into the ground. "Fracturing Storm." Mutsu said as he buried his blade up to its hilt. With a flick of his wrist he twisted his blade and ripped it from the ground as he slammed his sheath into the earth a second time. The ground ruptured and fractured a second time but unlike the previous multiple lines of jagged rocks shot outwards from the epicentre.

The Naruto clone that had tried to ambush Mutsu jumped out of the way but the one that had saved Musubi wasn't so lucky. The brown-haired Sekirei had been about to rush towards Mutsu a second time when a wave of spiked rocks shot towards her. It had taken all of the clones speed and ability to knock Musubi out of the path of the attack.

Unfortunately it didn't leave the clone any time to move and it disappeared in a cloud of smoke as a couple of jagged rocks pierced him.

Homura started to sweat a little, which was quite the feat when one considered the fact that he was used to intense flame. Homura was beginning to realize that Mutsu had been playing with him the whole time. If he had been even half this serious earlier he wouldn't have lasted long enough for Naruto to arrive.

The members of the first disciplinary squad really were on a completely different level than the rest of the Sekirei in the Sekirei Plan. Maybe if he was winged he would have been able to fight on a more equal level.

No, no he couldn't think like that. He wasn't capable of being winged.

Mutsu stared at the cloud of smoke as it dispersed, "Well, that's interesting. Solid bodies but they can only take a single hit." Mutsu turned to stare at the remaining clone. Said clone began to sweat as he interpreted the meaning behind that stare.

"Ah crap." Naruto's clone said as Mutsu charged towards him.

x~X~x

As Naruto ran through the overgrowth he pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed one of the few numbers on it. He didn't know very many people and as such he only had three numbers: One for Hanabi, one for Kagari/Homura and one for Uzume. Hanabi couldn't help him right now and Kagari/Homura was already hip deep in this mess that left only one person he could call.

The phone only rang once before someone answered, "Oh! Hey bro! This is the first time you've called me, what's up?" Uzume asked.

"Hey Uzume, sorry for being abrupt but is Akitsu there?" Naruto asked urgently.

He couldn't ask Uzume to come out and help, she'd already done enough for him. However Naruto was certain that Akitsu wouldn't hesitate to come to his aid. He couldn't be everywhere at once so he was going to need help. Despite his virtually unlimited stamina he had actually invested a lot into the clones he had sent out into the ocean. As a result he was feeling the effects of the chakra expenditure. It was a decidedly unusual situation for him, one he didn't get to experience very often.

He had sent six clones out into the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan. He had to take into consideration many factors when he did so. The clones needed to have enough chakra to water walk for days across a wide open body of water that had the potential for sudden and violent changes in weather and condition. Not only did they need enough chakra to do that but enough to perform the Hiaraishin no Jutsu afterwards and still have enough chakra to explore the island and deal with any problems that could potentially arise.

This meant instead of normally splitting his chakra equally between his clones he had invested virtually all of his chakra into those clones. It was a gamble he felt was worth taking since he would have been refreshed after a good night's sleep. He hadn't expected something like this to occur only hours after he had made those clones.

Still despite all that he still had enough to deal with any random Sekirei and he had Kurama to fall back upon should the worst case scenario arise and he needed an extra boost.

"Ya, she's here beside me eating dinner, why? Shouldn't you and Musubi have been home by now? Visiting hours ended an hour ago."

"I know but something came up. I need Akitsu's aid, can you send her to the overgrown arboretum?" Naruto asked, "It's hard to miss if she takes to the rooftops."

"Sure I can ask… Oh, she's already gone." Uzume said in surprise. Apparently Akitsu had heard the conversation through the phone.

"Great, thanks Uzume-chan, I owe you." Naruto jumped over a particularly large root without slowing. He ate up ground faster than most Sekirei could move.

"Ah hah, no problem bro, any time."

"Bye." Naruto said and hung up. He quickly pocketed the phone and once more began to concentrate on his surroundings.

He just realized something; he didn't have a clue where the hell he was supposed to go. It was difficult to detect chakra signatures inside the overgrowth due to the massive amounts of Mokuton chakra that flowed through the plants.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted again and seven new clones appeared beside him. Naruto and his clones looked at each and nodded. They knew what to do. As one they bolted off into different directions while Naruto continued on in the same direction.

His clones knew what to do, if they discovered anyone or anything of interest they would dispel themselves and let him know. In the meantime he would continue on in the direction he had been going.

Naruto hoped he would be quick enough. He didn't know exactly how long ago the scythe wielding Sekirei had entered the forest and that made things incredibly time sensitive. All he had was Homura's vague mention. For all he knew the Sekirei Kusano had already been kidnapped and he was running around the overgrowth for absolutely no reason.

It was only a minute later when one of his clones dispelled itself. It was Seo, both he and his two Sekirei were in the overgrowth. What they were doing here was anyone's guess but Naruto didn't think it was to capture the Sekirei. The look on their face was one of worry and concern.

And that made Naruto concerned. From the little encounter he had with Seo he knew the man was made of sterner stuff than most of the people in the city, possibly the entire city combined.

Before he could make a decision on whether or not he should head over to Seo two more clones popped. It only took him a moment to go through the memories and he couldn't help but curse.

For two very different reasons.

One of his clones that had been fighting Mutsu was already down. He was apparently far more dangerous now that he didn't have to worry about getting his Ashikabi caught up in his abilities. His clones didn't have enough chakra to toss around ninjutsus, not if they wanted to stay up long enough to delay Mutsu.

What's worse was that from the memories he had gained from his clone. Musubi and the others were severely outclassed. That meant he had to finish things here quickly and get back to his Sekirei before she was overwhelmed. Thankfully Musubi appeared to be as tough as she was thick so she could take some hits before going down.

She was certainly more durable than his clones.

Naruto shifted his feet and shot off in an eastwardly direction. The second clone that had popped had found his target. Which was both good news and bad news.

It was good news because it meant he didn't have to search any longer. With a firm location in mind he could get there quickly and finish this before Musubi was overwhelmed. And as if to accentuate that point the rest of the clones he had sent out to explore the overgrowth dispelled themselves.

The bad news was what was going on there. From the memories he had obtained from his clone there was a small clearing in the center of the overgrowth where the Sekirei Kusano had been. It was currently torn up and in pieces. Slashes could be seen all over the place. There were at least three different types and although Naruto wasn't able to differentiate too well between one and the other he was certain that most of it had been from the scythe wielding Sekirei.

Minato was there as well, which was a big surprise to Naruto. He had always liked the man which meant he now had two reasons to kick the scythe wielding Sekirei's ass. Minato was covered in minor cuts and bruises from what Naruto could see and there was a particularly nasty gash across his back as if he had taken a major attack for someone. His clothes were in complete tatters.

Minato was also sprawled out over the back of a woman that Naruto could not identify. However judging from the fact that the woman was naked, in far worse shape than Minato, and had a naginata clutched in her right hand Naruto was certain that she was a Sekirei. She was probably the person he took the attack for. Naruto could easily see Minato as someone who would risk his own life for someone else.

It appeared that Minato was an Ashikabi as well.

The worst part about the entire thing was the last thing his clone had seen. It was of a scythe wielding Sekirei knocking a young child across the back of the head with the butt of her scythe. That sort of blow was sure to knock the child out. She looked a little worse for wear with some of her clothing torn and a few scratches here and there but she was definitely in better shape than Minato and his Sekirei.

If only he had enough spare chakra to give his clones enough juice to do more than just scout.

Naruto redoubled his efforts to reach the glade. He wouldn't be able to arrive before his target left, but if he got there soon enough it wouldn't be difficult to track where she was going. He was certain he'd be able to catch up with her, burdened as she was.

It was about five minutes after Naruto had entered the overgrowth that he finally made his way into the glade where the battle for the Mokuton using Sekirei had taken place. Minato looked up and his eyes widened in surprise as he recognized Naruto.

"Naruto! What are you doing here?" Minato asked incredulously. Naruto was probably the last person Minato had expected to see here in the overgrowth. The two hadn't had any contact since Naruto threw him through the front of the store.

He had to work there now to pay off the debt he owed the owner. At least he got a little something on the side to help pay for expenses since his mother had cut his allowance in half.

"Trying to save a cute little Sekirei from a fate worse than death." When Minato gave Naruto a questioningly look Naruto explained further, "A Sekirei can be forcefully winged by any Ashikabi. To me forcing someone into servitude, one that they're even forced to love and enjoy due to a bonding of souls, is a fate worse than death. It reminds me far too much of something I sacrificed everything to stop."

Naruto wouldn't, couldn't, explain any more to Minato. What Madara and Obito had been trying to do was enslavement of the highest magnitude. He could never forgive someone for forcing their will on another.

"You're here to save Kuu-chan?" Minato asked.

"Kuu-chan?" Naruto asked raising an eyebrow in question.

"Kusano, the Green Girl. She's the one that made this place." Ah, so Kuu-chan was her nick name that was good to know, "Where's your Sekirei?" Minato asked. Naruto frowned at the implication that Minato thought him weak but he remembered that Minato wasn't aware of what he could do.

"Yes, I'm here to save her, and I'm plenty strong without my Sekirei." Stronger actually since he didn't have to worry about collateral damage.

As Minato slowly crawled off his Sekirei Naruto was finally able to get a good look at the girl beneath him. She was in rough shape and without help she'd probably die. There was a Sekirei crest prominent on the back of her neck but it was starting to lighten and looked as if it could fade away entirely at any moment.

Naruto groaned and made a hand sign, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted and three new clones appeared around him. Minato's jaw dropped as he witnessed his friend duplicate himself like it was nothing. "Which way was Kusano taken?" Naruto asked.

Minato shakily pointed further east. "No. 43, Yomi, took her that way." The three clones turned as one and shot off into overgrowth. They would chase after the Sekirei and keep track of where she was going so that Naruto could quickly catch up.

As much as Naruto wanted to chase after Kusano now he couldn't just leave the two of them alone. He couldn't do much, not knowing any medical ninjutsu, but he knew first aid and had some supplies from his shinobi days that could help stabilize the fallen Sekirei.

Naruto rolled up his left sleeve as he approached Minato and his Sekirei. There on the shoulder was a sealing array. He placed a couple fingers on it and funnelled his chakra into it. He manipulated the chakra so that only certain parts of the seal activated allowing him to retrieve specific items.

In this case a medical case.

Minato's eyes bugged out even more as a first aid kit popped out of Naruto's shoulder.

"Do you need anything?" Naruto asked as he knelt beside the Sekirei. He opened the kit and quickly pulled out a roll of bandages. The first thing he had to do was stop the Sekirei from bleeding out any more than she already was.

"Ah, no, I'm fine. Most of this blood is from Kaho-chan. Can you save her?" Minato asked as he finally regained his senses. As confused and curious as he was about Naruto's abilities his concern for his Sekirei overrode everything.

"That depends on her strength of will." Naruto said as he began to wind the bandages around the wounded Sekirei. It was a testament to the seriousness of the situation that Naruto didn't even take the time to appreciate the perfectly proportioned figure of the Sekirei before him. Naruto's hands moved expertly, they appeared as nothing more than a blur to Minato's eyes, as he bandaged Kaho as best he could, "I can't heal her, but I can help her heal herself."

"Kaho-chan is strong, she'll persevere." Minato stated with conviction.

Naruto nodded as he finished with the bandages. He put the rest back into the kit and pulled out a couple of pills. They were both similar in shape and color. They were both so dark as to almost be black and completely spherical. Naruto quickly put them into the Sekirei's mouth and began to massage her throat to help her swallow.

"What are those?"

"Special pills, they can't be made anymore and I have a limited number of them. One of them is a Plasma Pill. It increases the body's ability to create red blood cells, white blood cells and plasma. It will help her replenish what she's already bled out." Naruto explained as he watched in satisfaction as Kaho swallowed the pills. It seemed that despite being knocked out her body was at least semi-responsive. "The other pill is a Soldier Pill. It replenishes ones stamina, chakra and provides them with nutrients. Consider it a super supplement."

"Chakra?"

"The energy Sekirei use to power their abilities."

Minato blinked in surprise, "Oh, well I… thank you Naruto-san." Minato said finally and bowed. There were many questions that Minato wanted to ask but Naruto really didn't look like he was in the mood, nor had the time, to answer any more.

Naruto twitched slightly as another clone dispelled. This was the second clone he had left with Musubi. Mutsu had strategically placed himself so that when Kagari had shot a gout of flame at him it hit the clone when he dodged. Mutsu was a good strategic thinker, even in the heat of battle, something else he shared with his old friend Shikamaru. That wasn't good. Considering how head strong Musubi was she was probably going to go head to head with Mutsu.

At least his memories brought a bit of good news. Mutsu wasn't moving as fast as he was at the start. It seemed he didn't have unlimited stamina. Musubi had been able to get in a single mean right hook to Mutsu's left shoulder just before her Norito had run out and Mutsu was definitely feeling it. The sheath was lying discarded on the ground and he was reduced to using just his sword now since his left arm was no longer capable of holding anything.

Kagari had upped the ante as well and there was now a steady stream of fire coming from the flame wielding Sekirei. Although Naruto had to admit he didn't like the way that Kagari's body appeared to smoke and smolder.

Still he had to hurry. He had to place his faith that Musubi and Kagari could hold Mutsu off long enough for him to rescue Kusano and get back. Naruto grimaced, this was going to be tight, but he was no stranger to tight situations.

"I have to go, I won't let Kusano become enslaved to someone that views her as nothing more than a trophy." Naruto said as he stood up. What awaited Kusano was a fate worse than death. It felt as if he'd been fighting his entire life to prevent such things from happening.

Minato stood with him and gave the shinobi a shaky smile, "Please save her. I wasn't strong enough to stop Yomi from taking her."

Naruto gave his friend a small smile and nodded to reassure him, "Don't worry, I will. I promise." Naruto said.

With that he turned and shot off after his clones. He had only stayed in the glade to help Minato out for a couple minutes but even those minutes were precious. Right now Naruto was cursing the fact that he had imbued so much chakra into his clones out in the ocean. He really could have used that chakra right about now. He had barely exerted himself compared to what he used to back in the Elemental Nations and he had already begun to sweat.

One thing he swore to do after tonight was get back into training. He had become complacent, comparatively speaking, since coming to this world and he was paying for it now.

Another clone dispelled. The three he had sent after Yomi had reached their target. One of them had tried to slow her down and intercepted her. It hadn't worked out very well. This Sekirei wasn't as easily cowed as Yashima had been. She had twisted in mid jump and swung her scythe at his clone as he had tried to attack her.

Boy had he been surprised when a blade of wind shot out and cut him in half. The clone didn't survive that. At least now Naruto understood just why the glade had looked so torn up. The blades of wind from the scythe probably did most of the damage.

One good thing that death had accomplished was that it let Naruto know that the Sekirei hadn't deviated from her path. She still headed straight east. At this rate Naruto would catch up with her soon, hopefully before she left the forest.

Naruto channeled a bit of Kurama's chakra through his coils and boosted his speed to supersonic levels. A shockwave erupted from him as he blasted through the overgrowth tearing leaves, small branches and vines up from his passage. Anyone with any sort of capability to sense others were going to pick him up now but this situation warranted using some of Kurama's chakra.

It's not like anyone would know what it was they sensed, only that it was a very good idea to run away from it.

Naruto planned as he shot through the forest. Yomi carried Kusano under her left arm that meant torso shots were risky since it risked Kusano. The best way would be to take out her legs, cut them off at the knees. The Sekirei was certain to drop Kusano for any number of reasons and his clones could pick up the child before she hit the ground.

The course of action decided Naruto simply calmed his mind and got ready for action. When he came within sight of his clones, they had stayed hidden but kept pace with their target, he flashed through the ANBU sign language and indicated his course of action to them. The two clones nodded in agreement and silently circled to either side.

In a flash Naruto shot forward and quickly covered the distance between him and his target. The Sekirei gasped and swung her scythe towards him quickly in an attempt to ward him off. Naruto however was forewarned of what she was capable of and was able to easily determine the size, shape and speed of the blade of wind. Being a master wind manipulator himself he was able to easily dodge the blast without losing any speed due to his inherent knowledge of how blades of wind worked.

Naruto summoned a kunai into his hand and coated it in a thin coat of wind chakra increasing its length and sharpness. Before Yomi had the chance to swing a second time Naruto was already within her guard and swung his blade at her knees.

A sharp pain blasted through Naruto's head and caused him to miss his target. With a loud cry his kunai flew harmlessly from his fingers, the chakra dispersing, as he lurched to the side. The pain was excruciating. It was as if someone had just stabbed him in the temple with a knife. He brought a hand up to his temple and held it gingerly.

Yomi didn't know what was going on but she quickly took advantage of the situation and swung her scythe wildly in Naruto's direction. A dozen blades of wind shot towards the distracted blonde. Naruto only had time to widen his eyes before the blades slammed into him.

Or at least they would have if a clone hadn't the presence of mind to change the plan and use a kawarimi to replace himself with Naruto. A poof sounded as the clone burst, taking the attack in place of its creator.

The final clone caught Naruto and stabilized his footing on the large branch he had landed on. The two of them could vaguely hear the Sekirei complain about all the interruptions and annoyances she had to deal with to capture Kusano.

"What the hell happened?" The clone asked Naruto as the original finally managed to get the pain under control. The two of them could hear as their target took off into the overgrowth again.

"I don't know. One moment I'm about to cut her legs off and the next it feels like 'I'M' the one being stabbed." Naruto muttered angrily as he rubbed his temple. He was upset. He had her dead to rights. This should have been over.

"You're bleeding?"

"What?"

"Your nose, there's blood coming from it." The clone said as he pointed at the original's face.

Naruto wiped his nose and noticed the blood on the back of his hand. It appeared as if he was indeed bleeding. "That doesn't make any sense. Kurama should be able to heal something that minor in an instant."

"Yes, he should have, and the chakra you had borrowed from Kurama is gone now." The clone pointed out. That was when the original realized that all the power he had borrowed from Kurama was gone.

Kurama what the hell is going on? Naruto sent a telepathic message to his tenant. It was pretty abrupt and blunt but he didn't care since whatever had happened had caused him to miss his target. He was upset over that fact. The fastest way to get answers was to go straight to the source. Besides with the furball in his head perhaps he knew what caused the sharp pain.

I'm a little busy kit! Kurama replied, his voice sounded a bit strained.

With what? Chasing your tails?

No you nit-whit, fending off an attack on your mind.

Naruto blinked in surprised. A what? His mind was under assault? Kurama didn't sound like he was lying. And if he wasn't that meant this was serious and potentially very bad.

It also explained the sharp pain in his head.

Naruto turned to his clone, "Let's go. Kurama is otherwise indisposed. We won't be able to rely on him at all." Naruto said to his clone. The two quickly shot off after their target but stayed close together so that the clone could help Naruto if he experienced any more adverse side effects from the mental attack.

What kind of attack? Where did it come from? Naruto asked Kurama. He was far more respectful than earlier now that he was aware of the seriousness of the situation.

Still busy kit, whatever it is, it's powerful. I haven't a clue what sort of attack it is but I'm not taking any chances. Kurama explained, his voice sounded even more strained than before. Whatever it was that Kurama was struggling against it was taking a lot out of the fox.

How did someone manage to attack my mind? I didn't see anything that could have done it.

I'd be surprised if you did. You remember how I told you how Musubi's bond was connected to something outside your mind? Well guess what, something is attacking your mind through that connection. Kurama informed Naruto. Now enough with the questions whatever is attacking you is strong.

How strong? Unfortunately Naruto didn't get a response; Kurama seemed to have gone back to defeating whatever it was attacking him. Naruto would have gone in to help if he didn't have concerns of his own out here.

Naruto cursed as he jumped from one large branch to the next. The very thing the two of them had feared would occur was indeed happening. Naruto hated this, he knew far too little about Sekirei and now it was costing him dearly.

It seemed he now had another goal aside from getting back into peak condition. No longer could he just sit back and let the world go by. It was time to start building a new spy network like he had back in the Elemental Nations.

Another sharp pain, although this one slightly less intense now that Naruto was prepared for it, ripped through his mind. Naruto grit his teeth and sped up even more. He had to end this now.

"There's blood coming from your ears now." His clone informed him.

"Kurama better hurry up and stop that attack." Naruto said as he wiped the blood from his ears. "I'm not an expert on injuries but I know bleeding ears are a bad thing." It was odd, there was no loss of hearing but it was probably only a matter of time until he was impaired.

"That's the edge of the overgrowth." Naruto's clone said. This caused Naruto to frown. He was right; the edge of the forest was definitely just ahead of them judging by the change in light. Naruto could definitely see the glow of the city lights getting brighter and brighter in the distance.

They still hadn't caught up to the Sekirei yet. This was problematic.

With one last burst of speed Naruto exited the overgrown arboretum and realized just how problematic the situation truly was. There was a long black car with tinted windows and multiple doors just outside the edges of the arboretum. The back door was open and outside of it stood the spoiled rich kid that Naruto had seen the previous night.

And in his arms was Kusano the Sekirei Naruto had promised to save.

Beside Hayato Mikogami was Yomi. She looked a little worse for wear than before. Naruto had scared her badly earlier. She had pushed her body beyond its limits in her hurry to get to her Ashikabi and away from Naruto.

Things got worse from there. There were two more women standing to either side of Hayato. Judging by the large chakra sources Naruto could feel from them they were definitely Sekirei.

One of them was a tall, lithe girl with long gray hair and dark eyes. She was clothed in a long, elegant white dress that was open in the middle revealing her ample cleavage and belly button. The Sekirei had no visible weapons that Naruto could see. She had self-satisfied smile on her face which quickly replaced to one of suspicion at Naruto's arrival.

The second Sekirei had long blond hair and purple eyes. She wore a black western styled dress with a large yellow vertical strip down the front. She was topped off with a pair of white gloves, black stockings and a pair of black high heels. Buckled to her waist was a long whip that reminded Naruto very much of ones he had seen back in Anko's room.

"Let Kusano go." Naruto demanded as he landed on the ground a couple meters from the Ashikabi. Naruto's clone had remained hidden just within the confines of the overgrowth ready to give his creator support from afar.

"It's you again! First you stole Akitsu from me and now you're trying to take Kuu-chan as well?" Hayato shouted in anger at Naruto. Naruto was certain he'd be pointed a finger indignantly if his arms weren't already full. "Well not this time! I have won Kuu-chan fair and square! The director said that it was first come, first serve! My Sekirei got to her first so it's my right to wing her!"

A low rumbling growl emanated from Naruto's throat, "The director is a madman. I'm not going to let you enslave an innocent girl like Kusano just because you're as deluded as he is. You're not her Ashikabi, you're not the one she reached out for and called to. Besides Minato got to her first, your Sekirei took her from him." He wasn't entirely sure if that was true but at least Minato was man enough to go in person, Hayato couldn't be bothered to do even that.

"You don't understand! This is a game and the Sekirei are pieces in that game! Whoever collects the most have the best chances of winning! I'm not going to ruin my chances of winning this game by giving up my hard earned prizes!"

Hayato was certifiably insane. Naruto knew that now beyond a shadow of a doubt. Earlier could have been chalked up to being a child but this went beyond it. Hayato had completely merged fiction and reality together. He was trying to replace actuality with his own reality. The worst part about the entire thing is that Naruto knew Hayato honestly didn't think there was anything wrong with what he was doing.

That made him a very dangerous person, one that words would not work with. In that regard he was worse than Madara. At least Madara was aware of the full implications of what he was doing.

Hayato didn't.

He had to die.

Naruto signaled his clone with his left hand and began to form hand seals with his right. Naruto frowned as he realized he was having incredibly difficult time moulding chakra. His control was as bad as it was during the academy. The conflict in his mind must be having a worse effect on him than he realized. He would have to improvise then.

Naruto couldn't mould his chakra to cast ninjutsu but he was still able to access his storage seals. Including the several hundred kunai he kept in the seals on his wrists. In an instant Naruto became a whirlwind of steel and death as he began to throw the kunai as quickly as he summoned them. Every second Naruto snapped a half dozen kunai through the air. These weren't aimed at Hayato however. Instead he threw them at his Sekirei to keep them occupied and unable to help their Ashikabi.

The Sekirei all acted in an instant. If nothing Naruto had to admire their ability to react. Yomi jumped in front of Hayato while the other two Sekirei began to dodge the kunai to the best of their ability. Naruto wasn't too worried about them, he wasn't aiming to kill them merely distract. However despite their agility and speed they weren't able to dodge everything and small slashes and cuts in their clothes began to appear.

Then Naruto began to move closer and closer to Hayato. A terrified look came over Hayato's face as he watched Naruto stalk towards him. For someone as sheltered as him Naruto must have looked like death itself.

Yomi began to fire blades of wind at Naruto from the end of her scythe. Naruto just weaved his way between the blades. Neither his forward movement nor his barrage of blades slowed.

Suddenly two large fūma shurikens arced out from the trees and headed for Yomi. The second one followed the path of the first exactly so that it appeared as if there was only one shuriken to the target. Naruto's aim was good from years of tossing shuriken and kunai. That was something that hadn't dulled over the months of complacency in this new world. The large quad-bladed shuriken would take Yomi's head from her shoulders before just barely missing Hayato and Kusano.

If the other two Sekirei didn't interfere Yomi was dead leaving a clear path for Naruto to go in for the kill.

However once again Naruto underestimate just how dedicated the Sekirei were to their Ashikabi. To Naruto's surprise the whip user lashed out while in the midst of dodging the kunai and threaded the end of it through the middle of the spinning fuma shuriken and yanked it to the side. It cost her though as three of his kunai found their target and embedded themselves in her body.

This gave Yomi enough time to ready her scythe and knock away the second shuriken which she hadn't been aware of.

Their efforts didn't matter though, it was over now. Naruto was close enough and he had a secondary plan just in case. "Kawarimi no Jutsu!" Naruto shouted as his hands flashed through the hand signs. He may not be able to mould chakra very well and his abilities may have been reduced to academy level but he could still do this jutsu even with his horrible control in the academy. Naruto disappeared in a cloud of smoke and was replaced with his shadow clone.

A clone whose hands were pressed together to make the tiger sign.

"Fūton: Kazeyūdan no Jutsu!" Naruto's clone roared as he breathed out a massive wave of wind that formed into the shape of a dragon. Unlike the flashier elemental versions of this jutsu it wasn't instantly identifiable. However it didn't take long for the Sekirei to realize just what it was they were looking at.

And just what it was that looked back at them.

Yomi had just enough time to scream before the dragon of wind cratered her into the ground. The jutsu detonated and sent millions of blades of wind directly into the Sekirei and the crater she had been forced into. Even her vaunted Sekirei durability did little to save her as the blades of wind tore her into pieces.

It was over in a matter of moments. Where Yomi had once been there was nothing aside from deep a hole in the ground covered with blood and tiny bits of flesh and bone.

Naruto's clone popped, all of its chakra used up. It had taken virtually every last drop of chakra the clone had to fire that jutsu, and it had taken the rest to ensure that it was directed into the ground to avoid collateral damage. The Kazeyudan no Jutsu was a Ninjutsu unique to Naruto. No other ninja that Naruto was aware of had a strong enough elemental affinity, large enough chakra reserves and good enough control to successfully pull that technique off. Wind was far harder to focus and control than any other elemental release, especially when one tried to force it into an unnatural shape like a dragon's head.

Naruto was just glad that whatever was that affected his control didn't affect his clones.

Hayato and the other two Sekirei just stared down at the mess that used to be Yomi in shock. One of their own had just been completely annihilated. There was no recovering from that. None of them, Hayato especially, had really understood just how far Naruto was capable of going to accomplish his goals.

Naruto took advantage of their shock and shot out from the trees a second time, this time he headed straight for Hayato. Hayato's eyes widened in fear as he watched helplessly as Naruto charged headlong towards him with a summoned kunai in either hand. The other two Sekirei were too far away due to Naruto's whirlwind of steel earlier to stop him in time. All Naruto had to do was watch out for the whip and Hayato was dead.

Simple right?

Unfortunately for Naruto when Murphy's Law hit him, it really hit him. "Smashing Point!" Naruto cursed and leapt to the side just in time as Mutsu landed where he had been and fractured the ground.

If Naruto hadn't moved he would have been knocked off balance and easily finished off by the sword wielding Sekirei.

"Ramen damn it, nothing is going right tonight." Naruto snarled as he stood up. Mutsu had taken away his last chance of rescuing Kusano. From what he had seen of the other two Sekirei he would be able to deal with them easily but not Mutsu, not in the state he was in.

Although Mutsu did look like he just walked out of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. His left arm hung uselessly at his side, his shoulder was probably broken, and his right looked as if he had just punched a fireball. Considering he had been fighting Kagari that was probably accurate. His hair was completely messed up, more so than usual, and was definitely looking a little on the singed side. His scarf was completely gone and that was definitely a kunai stab wound in his left leg.

Naruto had to hand it to the man, he was tenacious. Something he also shared with Shikamaru. His old friend may define laziness but when push came to shove and he was required to act he was like a force of nature willing to put everything on the line to achieve success.

Naruto's eye narrowed in on something as he noticed an oddity about Mutsu. His left shoe was rimmed with frost.

He didn't know any ice ninjutsus and none of the Sekirei he had left there were capable of using cold based abilities. That meant another Sekirei had joined the assault on Mutsu but the only one that would pick a fight with a single digit was someone that had something to gain from it.

Perhaps this was salvageable. And as if to confirm his suspicion Akitsu landed beside him. His second Sekirei had finally arrived. Naruto had wondered what had taken her so long but if she had stopped to aid Musubi then that made sense.

Naruto took a moment to take in Akitsu's appearance. Even in combat he couldn't help but admire her figure. Akitsu wore a long pure white dress with black trimmings, long voluminous sleeves and a black obi. The shoulders of the dress were pulled down and a great deal of cleavage was visible. The only thing that kept the dress up was some chains that connected either side of the dress and wrapped around her neck.

How Akitsu convinced Miya to let her buy something like that Naruto would never know, but he certainly wouldn't complain.

Akitsu's eyes widened in surprise and concern as she noticed the streaks of blood that flowed from Naruto's ears and nose. The bleeding hadn't stopped yet. "Ashikabi-sama…" Akitsu started but was stopped as Naruto placed a finger to her lips. He already knew what she was concerned about.

"I'm fine, where's Musubi?" Naruto asked.

"Down." Akitsu replied.

"Down? She's taking a break? Odd." Naruto frowned, that didn't sound like Musubi to him. She was a bundle of energy at all times. She would have given him a run for his money when he was younger. "Mutsu must have taken a lot out of her."

Akitsu didn't have the heart to say anything more and simply stood silently at the ready. Naruto had no idea just how right he really was.

"Mutsu! Thank god you're here!" Hayato said in relief as he tried to control his shaking body. His brush with death had rattled him badly. "That man attacked me and destroyed my Yomi!"

Mutsu glanced down at the bloody crater and frowned. His eyes narrowed as he looked over at Naruto. "You killed her, why?"

"Because she was in my way." Naruto stated as he eyed the gathering before him and tried to think up a plan. "Death is preferable to the forced enslavement Sekirei undergo when they're taken form their true Ashikabi."

"It's not slavery!" Hayato shouted out in anger, "They're meant to be winged. Any Ashikabi is as good as another. I'm just better than the rest at finding Sekirei!"

Naruto could tell from the look on Mutsu's face that he didn't agree with his Ashikabi on that front. However Naruto knew that Mutsu would follow his Ashikabi's wishes regardless of his own views or morals. That was one of the things that sickened Naruto about the bond between Sekirei and Ashikabi. While the Sekirei were all unique and had their own moral code, that code could be forcefully shelved if the Ashikabi demanded it.

"Hayato, we need to leave now. This man is too dangerous for us to remain here any longer." Mutsu said as he slowly backed towards his Ashikabi. He was careful to keep his eye on Naruto the entire time.

"Akitsu! Destroy that vehicle!" Naruto commanded. He had to stop them from leaving. He wasn't entirely sure what type of Sekirei Akitsu was but he had a feeling it had something to do with cold.

"Yes Naruto-sama." Akitsu said as she raised her arms.

The air grew noticeable colder as the ground around Akitsu began to freeze. Hundreds of ice shards coalesced around her for a brief moment before a massive assault began to bombard the vehicle.

"Troublesome…" Mutsu muttered as he smashed the butt of his sword against the ground. "Smashing Point!" Mutsu shouted causing a wall of fractured rock to rise up before him. The shield of earth protected his Ashikabi and himself from the danger.

The other two Sekirei had to dive to the side to avoid being impaled by the wall of ice shards that swept towards the limousine. The sounds of shattering glass, twisting metal and exploding tires filled the air as the shards of ice tore through the vehicle with abandon. There was an explosion as the gas tank ruptured and a spark from the electrical system caused the remaining fuel to ignite. The wall of earth protected Hayato and Mutsu but the explosion scorched the other two Sekirei. Not enough to badly hurt them but they were going to feel that in the morning.

As the last of the ice shards finished turning the limousine into swiss cheese Naruto could help but whistle appreciatively. "Well, that was certainly more effective than I had hoped fo-ARGH!"

Naruto cried on in pain as he fell to his knees. He clutched his head in pain as yet another massive wave of agony scorched his brain. It felt as if his mind was being torn into a thousand pieces. Naruto had never experienced anything that bad in his life. He coughed and noted that some blood trickled from the corners of his mouth. He blinked to clear some liquid from his eyes.

GOD DAMNIT KURAMA WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON! Naruto shouted at his tenant. Naruto thought for a moment there that he was dying.

"Naruto-sama!" Akitsu cried out in shock, Naruto dimly noted that was the most emotion he had ever heard from her. He felt her place her hands on his face. Log they were cold, or maybe he was just overheating? Either way it felt very nice.

This is ridiculous! It feels like I'm fighting Gyūki in here! Kurama shouted back.

Well whatever you're doing in there, it's killing me. End it now, I don't care how, but END IT. I am DEAD otherwise. Naruto shot back.

Fine, but don't bitch about the results. This damn attack is homing in on Musubi's connection, I'm going to re-imprint it to myself. Without a destination it should be easy to force out.

Why didn't you do that in the first place?

Because for all I know doing so will kill Musubi! We don't know enough about any of this shit. Kurama growled out, he was as frustrated as Naruto was. He was the great Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox. The greatest of the Bijuu, he should NOT be having this much difficulty.

Do it.

If he died the connection would probably be severed anyways and they would both die. He would just have to rely on luck in this situation.

Not that luck seemed to be on his side tonight but something had to go right eventually.

With a grunt of exertion Kurama focused all of his power into a single concerted burst and lashed out at the mental assault. He simultaneously began to overwrite the connection Musubi had with the outside world using the silvery orb around his a medium. With an almost audible snap the connection swapped over and suddenly all of strain of trying to hold off the assault disappeared.

Shit.

Shit? What shit? I don't like hearing shit! Naruto cried out in a panic. Kurama didn't need to respond as the 'oh shit' became apparent.

Naruto's mouth opened wide as a soundless scream erupted from him. A massive shockwave rippled outwards from Naruto's mind and knocked him flat on his face. Hayato and his Sekirei cried out in pain as they too were slammed with the shockwave. They were all thrown backwards several yards before landing on their backs. Mutsu's earthen wall did nothing to stop the wave of force.

The shockwave of mental energy continued on and rippled across the city. Every Sekirei was affected by the shockwave and every Ashikabi tied to a Sekirei experienced the same pain their Sekirei did.

Only Akitsu seemed to be unaffected by it.

Naruto groaned and slowly rose to his hands and knees. Kurama? What the hell was that? Naruto asked as he tried to shake the fuzziness from his head.

There wasn't any response.

Damnit that wasn't good, "Akitsu, get me out of here, take me to Musubi." Naruto gasped out. The mental pain was gone but he felt as if he was suffering from chakra exhaustion. Him of all people. He wasn't in any condition to continue fighting. And although the pain was gone his mind was completely scrambled. He even had trouble seeing straight. When he coupled that that with Kurama's odd silence and he didn't want to stay around here any longer.

Mutsu was even starting to get to his feet even though everyone else was still out. The two of them were more experienced and could handle pain far better than the average Sekirei or Ashikabi.

Naruto did not want to stick around an enraged Mutsu after what just happened to Hayato. Not in the condition he was in.

"Yes Naruto-sama." Akitsu said as she gently picked Naruto up and shot away from Hayato and his Sekirei.

Naruto looked over Akitsu's shoulder towards the small Sekirei that was lying on the ground near Hayato. "I'll save you. I swear it. Even if I have to rip your bond away from that thing I will do so. Hayato is a dead man walking." Naruto vowed to himself and the small Sekirei on the ground.

For a brief moment Naruto thought felt a light touch on his mind and then it was gone.

Surprisingly it didn't take very long for Akitsu to carry Naruto to the battle zone where Musubi had fought Mutsu. It was definitely in far worse shape than it had been from the memories his last clone had given him. The ground was in complete shambles. Craters and earthen spikes riddled the area and scorch marks could be seen everywhere. The embers of a few intense fires still glowed in some areas that had experienced a particularly strong fire.

Kagari was slouched with his back against a particularly large pillar of earth. He didn't look very good. His body smoldered as if he himself had been set on fire at one point in time. Many parts of his clothing had been burned away, thankfully not enough to compromise his modesty.

Near him was Musubi. She was laid out flat on her stomach with her face tilted to the side. Her eyes were closed and she looked as if she had been on the end of several nasty wind ninjutsus. There were cuts and gashes all over her body and a small pool of blood had definitely started to form beneath her. For some reason all of her clothes were destroyed save a pair of plain white panties.

However those injuries weren't what concerned Naruto the most as he stared at the nape of Musubi's neck.

Her Sekirei crest was gone.

Author's Note: Some people may wonder why Naruto didn't just have Akitsu finish off Hayato and his Sekirei? The reason is simple, he didn't think of it. At that moment in time his mind was pretty much on automatic. His reasoning and thinking capabilities were completely ruined by the mental blast that scrambled his wits. In his mind he was hurt, badly, and was completely incapable of fighting any longer. To compound the situation a powerful opponent was recovering and Naruto had no idea what kind of shape said opponent was in. He hadn't even considered the fact that he had additional assets he could use to continue the fight. Had he been in full control of his faculties he would have finished them off, no doubt, but with his wits scrambled all he could think about was the welfare of his Sekirei and himself.

Also what caused the shockwave? It'll be explained later but I don't mind saying it here. It's easy enough to guess anyways. The connection was severed that meant that the force trying to attack Naruto lost its forward momentum. It also lost its path to return to its source. That meant it just sat there. This also meant that it had no way to reinforce itself and power up. With no were to go and no way to regenerate the force behind the attack it just detonated when Kurama hit it with everything he had.

As for why Minato/Kaho wasn't able to beat Yomi in my story? Well Musubi was only able to beat Yomi due to Miya's training, Kaho never got that training. Kaho is strong, don't get me wrong, but Kaho is at that moment in the story, probably only a little bit stronger than Musubi without Miya's training and it was specifically Miya's training that allowed Musubi to win. And now everyone knows what's been up with Minato. More on him next chapter.

And finally... everything I said last chapter about this one is true, you may just need to push the envelope of your mind to see some of it.

Please leave a review and let me know what you think!

Jutsu List

Naruto:

Fūton: Kazeyūdan no Jutsu – (Wind Dragon Bullet Technique)

This is a wind ninjutsu unique to Naruto. With this technique Naruto releases a giant breath of air infused with his chakra. He then manipulates that chakra so that it forms into the shape of a dragon's head. It's incredibly difficult to control but if done right gives the user greater ability to direct the course of the wind based attack. Because of the nature of wind only a person with an extremely high affinity for wind based abilities can even hope to utilize the ability.

Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique)