Disclaimer- I do not, nor will ever own Naruto in any which way.
Chapter 3- Battles
Song- Till the Day I die
Cloud's Boundaries
Whoosh
As breeze past by a tree. The ninja guarding the boundary line felt it mover by them.
"Hey there Kenpachi how long did you think we will be stuck on this guard duty? Nothing ever happens." Grimacing at the lack of answer from his partner, he kicked up his feet at his little post.
Drifting off slightly he had a single last thought, 'Hmm funny none of the trees moved.' Snapping his eyes open he bolted up, but found that he couldn't. His eyes were drifting off again.
The last thing he saw was a kunai heading straight for his body, kneeling over, and seeing Kenpachi's dead body.
Whoosh
Three ninja appeared. "Hm, pathetic." The seemingly leader of the group sneered at the dead bodies before signaling to his two companions to follow him. Crossing the border they headed straight for Kohona.
'Soon, we will get what we want.'
Leaf's Shinobi Academy
Naruto sat on the roof of the building waiting for Mari to get out of her last class. Bored he leaned back looking at the clouds. 'Pretty.'
It had been a while since he could just relax, enjoy the roses, or whatever that saying was.
He pondered on what he could do now that Mari was graduating. That meant less time he could spend with her, which probably would result in more training time, which he had to admit would be nice.
It felt good to finally be able to defend himself. He knew that he couldn't do anything against the ninja, except for maybe gennin, but at least the civilians couldn't do anything to him any more.
Mari had never seen him injured before. With the Hokage stopping the ninja attacks, and he dealing with the dumb citizens himself there were no more ill intentions toward him, at least none that people would dare publicly show.
Anyway putting away all of those thoughts he looked down as the class was dismissed. Jumping down he rolled the sebon needle that he had in his mouth around. He saw Mari talking with a friend of hers before she noticed Naruto.
Smiling she waved him over to meet some of her friends. Strolling over he took in the appearance of the people in front of him.
Mari was taller than him naturally. She was starting to develop in to a beautiful girl if you knew what he meant. He gave a little perverted grin at that. She had on a navy blue tank top, a dark green set of cargo pants on, and to adorn it all, a new headband on her neck.
"Naruto-kun, this is my friend, Hana, she just graduated with me. Hana this is my little friend, Naruto."
Narrowing his eyes at her little snide comment on his height he ignored it to greet the other girl, Hana, "Hello Hana, nice to meet you." He gave a slight bow to the older girl.
Hana gave a grin, showing off her canines, "A pleasure to meet you Naruto. Mari here is always talking bout you in the highest fashion." They started to walk to a nearby restaurant to have a small meal.
"Does she really?" He cast a victorious look at Mari at her secret being revealed.
Mari put her face in her palm, 'I'll never hear the rest of this.'
"Yeah of course. By what she tells me, you should be in my little brother's class, maybe even ahead of that." Arriving at the small sushi shop she paused a moment before inquiring, "Why don't you join the academy? That is if you are as skilled as she tells me." Hana baited him.
Rolling his eyes he simply responded, "I just don't feel like joining it at the current time, maybe next year."
'Hey that's the excuse the Hokage tells me all the time.'
Changing the subject she was about to inquire about how he knew so much without ever receiving training, when the shop door opened and in piled her brother and some of his friends.
"Oh Kami, it looks like my brother's class is here to celebrate passing their year." Hana did not look the least bit pleased.
"Nee-chan? What are you doing here?"
Taking one look at Kiba and the mud stain on his cheek she responded, "Nothing Kiba. Its talk between adults, go on and play with your friends." Turning around she expected that to be the last of it, she was sadly mistaken.
Angered by the dig that she sent him he noticed Naruto, "Well what is that boy doing with you? He's not even older than me, and worst, he's a civilian." Naruto not taking this too well narrowed his eyes at this boy, who seemed to wear a dog as a hat.
"Excuse me, just because I am not in the shinobi school does not make me any less than you." Naruto responded smoothly, keeping his cool.
"Hey baka, take a look around we are in a shinobi village, ninja come before you any day." He received quite a few glares from the surrounding civilians, but he seemed oblivious to them all.
By this time they had attracted the attention of the rest of Kiba's class and some of the restaurant.
"Hey what's going on here?" The owner of the store was coming out to see what the commotion was all about. Looking at Naruto he gave a little smile.
Naruto had been coming to his store for a while now. The boy never caused any problems, and he would even sometimes help out the staff if they were overloaded.
"I'll ask again what's going on?" Repeating his question due to the silence.
"Nothing sir, just this little kid had to put in his place." Kiba said while pointing at Naruto. The man raised an eyebrow at him.
"Oh, and what do you suppose I do about that? You yourself are causing a commotion as well." Kiba sputtered out a look of disbelief.
"What to do? Throw him out, not me, I am a ninja."
"Really, you look a little young to be a ninja." Looking down a little Kiba replied, "I mean, I am a ninja in training."
"Sorry kid that's not the same as a ninja in my book. Now sit down and shut up or leave."
Kiba was regained in by his classmates but he gave Naruto one last glare. "Whatever, baka wanna be shinobi."
Storming back to his table they two groups stayed away from each other.
"Sorry for my little brother Naruto."
Smiling at her he replied, "No problem." She somehow found his smile infectious.
Boarders to Kohona
Laying our the layout to the famous gates of Kohona. There was no way for them to sneak in.
Frustrated the masked leader turned to his companions, "We have some serious problems."
Looking up from their own work they held their silence waiting for their leader to explain in further detail.
"Our break in to their village seems impossible. Even with them still suffering many loses from the demon attack, their walls are still some of the most fortified. Nothing short of a fully armed army could penetrate their defenses"
Sighing he shook his head in defeat.
The three ninja stood in silence, none of them really wanting to break it.
The shortest one, with a plain white mask on spoke up, "Captain, there might be another way for us to get in."
This perked the attention of the other two. Gesturing for him to continue the masked captain silently hoped.
"Well we cant find any way to get in through conventional means correct right? We cant risk bringing a full war on them, just to capture a little child who may not even prove to be useful to us. Nor can we sneak in because their patrols are too well guarded." Pausing to let that settle in their minds.
"Okay smart ass, you pointed out our problems. Got a solution?"
Smiling the shrouded shinobi said a single word, "Treaty." Upon seeing their puzzled faces he explained into further detail.
"Our Kage is sending ambassadors to Leaf in order for them to sign the treaty to end the war right? Well that's the perfect excuse to get in. No one would dare question us coming in when peace is so close. And no one would think that we would be bold enough to try to enter through the front gates without disguise." Smiling at them behind his mask, "It is the perfect plan."
The captain thought for a minute before smiling. "That's a perfect plan kid." He ruffled his hair before packing up his things, "You know kid I thought the Ragikage was making a mistake bringing his kid on this mission, but you've done your nation proud."
The young shinobi couldn't help but blush at the praise he would receive. As the son of the Kage he received lot of special attention, one of them just happened to be being on an S-ranked mission while he was only chunnin. What could go wrong?
Back in Kohona, Western Compound
Naruto had just dropped Mari off at her family's compound. He was heading back to his apartment when he realized that he didn't have anything to do.
It was on of the negatives about not having friends. He had no one to talk to, no one to really understand him. Sure Mari was always there for him but she didn't know about Danzo, she barely knew about Kabuto.
Kento-sensei, while he was a great model for Naruto, he didn't really understand him. The sad reality that Naruto was faced with was that no one would ever truly understand him, the pain that he went through, the suffering, everything that happened to him. No one would understand.
Pushing those thoughts aside he started to think about what Danzo told him.
Flashback
"Sit down Naruto, I understand that you have some questions for me?"
Taking a seat Naruto was more than a little nervous. He had never before really spoken to Danzo, Kento usual spoke to him and was used as a medium between the two of them.
"Yes sir, I wanted to ask you about something that has been in the back of my mind for some time," Seeing Danzo's gesture for him to continue he went into further detail, "The people, they seem to hate me for some reason. I know you told me about my parents, and I was wondering if you could tell me why they hold hate towards me."
"Well it is difficult to explain," Seeing Naruto's confused look he explained, "It is truly not my place to tell you. The information about your parents would only help you; however this secret of yours is for you to fid out."
Seeing as though that was the best answer that the was going to get he bowed and left. He reached the door when he heard Danzo say, "Meditate on it Naruto, you will find the answers you want."
That meting took place nearly a week ago, due to everything else in Naruto's world, mostly his laziness, he had yet to get to the advice.
Figuring now was as good as time as ever to get to it. Leaping up to the most relaxing pace for him in the village, the roof top to his apartment. It was one of the taller buildings in the village. It was his fortress of solitude, his place to relax, his palace of peace.
Folding his legs he tried to regulate his breathing. Taking deep breaths in and out. A steady rhythm. Feeling his breathing become steady he tried to get his chakra to get into the same rhythm as his breathing.
In
Out
In
Out
His chakra was steadily flowing around him. He started to fall asleep? No, he was still aware of his surroundings, but he was drifting off, into his sub-conscious.
He opened his eyes. Blinked. 'What the hell?'
He was in what seemed like a long chamber hall. Taking a closer look at his surroundings the noticed that it wasn't a hall so much as a never ending room. Looking at the pipes along the walls he started to follow them.
The led him to a row of pillars, there seemed to be no end to he height of them. Looking up he noticed a paper on the pillar, 'Seal'. He suddenly realized that they weren't pillars, they were bars. A jail.
With sudden realization he leaped back, he didn't know what was being held back but he didn't want to find out. He started to walk in the other direction before he realized, this was his mind. What was a jail doing in his mind?
Curiosity won over, he turned back just in time to see a pair of claws heading straight for him. Jumping straight up to dodge them he almost found himself into another claw. Jumping back from the attack he looked at the cage. He saw nothing but heard a voice.
"Hahaha the little human is afraid. As you should be."
Trying to see the source of the voice he squinted, "Who is there?"
"Hhaha be gone pathetic human, we will meet again. Your progress in satisfactory."
The feeling of falling enveloped Naruto as he seeming came back to life.
Looking down at his hands he just had to wonder to himself, 'What the hell was that?'
Kohona, Hyuga Compound, Main House
While Naruto was attempting to find answers to the questions that he has always carried with him, Mari was having a talk with the Head of the Clan, Hiashi.
"You have done our name proud today. You graduated top in your class, a feat that no other Branch member has ever done before." He praised her for her accomplishments.
Blushing from receiving such praise from her uncle she replied, "Thank you Hiashi-sama." Bowed she waited for his dismissal, when given to her she quietly left the room.
Appearing from the shadows, his twin brother, Hizashi gave his own praise. "That girl is quickly turning into a fine ninja."
Nodding his head his brother added, "She does her mother proud. She would be proud of you as well." Looking at his brother he could still see the sadness in his eyes as he mention his late wife.
"Enough about that," kneeling down he addressed a more serious issue, "Cloud will be aarriving shortly to sign a treaty with us. Do you think they can be trusted?"
Pondering on the thought that had been in his mind ever since it had been announced, "I think, that they will not try to do anything less than honorable while in the village, after all, they would have to deal with the full force of Leaf, something not any one nation can take."
"Hai, true. But they will never cease their quest for bloodlines, ours in particular since the death of the Uchiha." Both giving a less than pleased look at the thought of someone other than them wielding the Byakugan.
Nodding he resigned, "We will increase security all around. My daughters will remain in the compound at all times, with full guard. I am leaving their care up to you."
Bowing towards his brother he spoke his final words, "What of the council?"
"I will deal with them on my own."
A storm was coming, everyone could feel it, even if some were unwilling to do anything about it.
Hours Later
Taking in the sight of a strange ninja tried take Mari and the other two, Hinata and Hanabi, he down from the wall and rushed to them.
'Finally, almost done,' Picking them up he prepared to leap.
The ninja was getting ready to leap over the gates when a force rammed into him. It knocked him down to the ground making him lose hold on the kids.
"Damn." He swore thinking he had been caught by ANBU. To his surprise it was a little boy, no older than ten.
Inching over to gather his targets he noticed they weren't there anymore. They were behind the boy, untied and gagged. 'When did that happen?' Pushing those thoughts aside he took a step closer to the boy.
Naruto eyed the man suspiciously as he tried to get closer, "Don't move or else I will scream. I take it you don't want that happening."
"Boy you seem nice," Hoping to distract the boy he continued, "If you leave me the girls no one will get hurt."
Taking in the three girls behind him shivering from the killing intent that the ninja was bearing down on him, he chose his next words carefully. "What do you want with them?"
"You don't need to worry about that." Grimacing Naruto tilted his head slightly to speak to the girls, a mistake.
Taking the opportunity the ninja, Maki, dashed forward catching Naruto off guard with a punch to the face. Reaching his hand out he tried to grab a hold of the girls but a kick to the face prevented him.
"Run," Settling into a stance before rushing into the older boy, he quickly gave out the order, "Go to your Father."
Maki regained himself seeing the girls run off he tried to stop them. Again a kick almost connected, almost. "Your fight is with me."
Sneering he stopped playing nice guy, "Fine brat." Both rushed at one another, Naruto threw out his fist towards Maki face but it was deflected by his open palm.
Using the momentum, Maki grasped his hand before giving several quick strikes to the body and ending it with a kick to the side of his head. Rolling to the ground Naruto tried to get the ringing out of his head before rolling to the right to avoid a knee to the back.
Back pedaling he formed signs for one of his jutsu, "Fūton: Reppūshō"( Wind Release: Violment Wind Palm).
Dodging the gust of wind he could no longer afford to waste time on the kid. Focusing chakra to leap behind Naruto he gave an axe kick to the boy's shoulder and muttered the name of the technique, Ikazuchi Hakai (Lightning Destruction) .
The attack connected with Naruto sending him sprawling into the ground. For a few moments he laid still. A sigh of relief escaped him. Turning his back he tried to continue the search for the girls. Not noticing the kunai coming straight for him.
Hokage's Tower, Hokage's Office
Every ninja felt the burst of chakra spike from the Hyuga Compounds. The Hokage looked out the window, a smell reached their noses.
"What is that smell?" A civilian on the council muttered. But every seasoned shinobi knew that smell, the smell of a Lightning Jutsu. Casting quick looks around the Hokage assembled his ANBU and with a single look they were off.
Looking at the Cloud representatives their face showed nothing. "What have you done?" The might of the Hokage, no matter how old was something that you never wanted reigned down upon you, lucky for them Hiashi was already sprinting towards his home with only a single thought on his mind, 'Please Hinata, Hanabi hold on. I'm coming.'
Back to the fight
Ducking he growled, 'The brat just won't give up.' Looking at the boy, he was missing his T-shirt, shorts were torn and he all around looked worst. "Listen kid, I don't want to kill you, but you are forcing my hand." Sensing the incoming ninja he swore.
'This kid has given me enough trouble, its time he became of some assistance.'
Charging at the boy once again he was expecting to overpower him, he was surprised when he actually put up a fight.
His fist crashed into the boy's mouth before he received a similar retort. On his back foot the ninja was unprepared for the attacks coming. A fury of punches and kicks came toward him, most of them blocked but a few struck true.
Grabbing his hand he threw the boy over his head and before Naruto had a chance to get up he was on his back.
"Now listen here kid, you've ruined my chances in getting the little brats, but I won't die here, you're gonna help me."
Hands behind his back in the most uncomfortable way Naruto spat, "Never."
"But you have no choice in the matter."
Looking over he saw that the Hokage, Hiashi, and ten other ninja in masks were there.
ANBU & Hiashi
Leaping down to the ground the Head of the Hyuga's trailed after the ANBU.
"Daddy!" He voice made him stop in his tracks along with the ANBU.
Looking he saw his daughters and niece running toward him, unharmed. Embracing them in a hug he almost cried, they were safe.
"Uncle, hurry Naruto is trouble." Mari shouted.
Frowning, "Uzumaki?" Seeing her nod he asked, "Where is he and why is he in trouble?"
"He's at our compound." That immediately brought a surprised look to his face, "He's the one who distracted the bad man so we could run."
Snapping his back up he ordered 5 ANBU to stay with his daughters before returning, he sensed the Hokage right behind him.
"Hiashi, is what they say true?"
"I don't know Hokage-sama, but we're about to find out."
Main Compounds
The two groups stood in a deadlock. Maki was holding a struggling Naruto, while the Hokage looked in pain as he saw the boy in front of him.
"Release Naruto at once!" The Hokage ordered.
"I don't think so Hokage, tell your men to stand down, or the boy dies." Raising an eyebrow at him he continued, "It is obvious you care for him, or else you would not know his name."
Fists shaking with anger, the Hokage could do nothing.
Maki started to back up slowly, "Don't follow or the boy gets it."
"I will have your head." Hiashi shook with fury at seeing the man who tried to kill his daughters, ordering the Branch bodyguards, "Kill that man at once."
As soon as they took a step forward Maki gave a vicious grin, "Wrong choice."
Forming a single hand sign he uttered, "Raiton".
Mindscape
And the world seemed to stop for Naruto. In a moment it felt like an eternity. Was he going to die?
Here? Now?
After everything he fought hard for. Everything for nothing. 'No. I refuse to die like this.'
But what could he do? HE wasn't special. 'Yes you are.'\
But he was, time after time Kabuto told him, "You are very special, you just don't know it yet."
His healing, he could survive what other people would die from.
He knew what he had to do, he had to take it to another level.
Focusing his breathing he repeated what he did earlier.
In
Out
In
Out
In
There, that was all he needed. Maki dropping his hands to form the jutsu Naruto formed the tiger seal, the only one he would use.
'Please, let this work.'
"Raiton: Jibashi" (Lightning Style: Shattering Thunder)
"Suiton: Suijinheki"( "Water Style: Water Wall")
And all hell erupted.
Screams filled the air just as quickly as the smell of burning flesh.
Maki dropped to the ground, third degree burns all over his body, body steaming, almost dead.
Naruto wavered. His eyes dropping. His body a mess, scorched flesh covering everywhere.
"Someone get a medic!"
Naruto fell to the ground having one last thought, 'I did it, now I hope I don't die.'
He could even swear that he heard someone reply back, but with no voice he had ever heard before, right?
"Don't worry brat, I won't let your weak body fall to your heroics."
A/N
Well folks tell me what you think of the first fight scene. This chapter was not nearly as how I wanted it done, but I wanted to post something.
For those of you wondering yes I will go onto into detail what happen between Naruto's self discovery and him saving the Hyugas.
I know some don't want him to have a hero complex, but he will have one. Not as big as in cannon, but it will give him the urge to save people.
As for everything else please review let me know what you think I am doing wrong, what I am doing right, anything you want to see.
Next Chapter- Recoveries and Academies
