Mar's Maelstrom

By The Obsidian Blade

Chapter Seven-Snow, Alan, and another interest

Naruto awoke to the sun hitting his face. He finally had a dreamless sleep. He was guessing that it was because he passed out in battle. His body was still in pain. The chakra had more of and affect than he thought. He sighed as he crunched the floor below with his fist. He should have won damn it! He knew he could have but when he threatened Babbo the blonde just lost it. Sure he had more power but his thought process was completely different. At first he didn't want to kill the guy but when the black chakra came in he totally lost it. It was not a good thing. He was so used to being in control that it was hurt. Sure he allowed Kyuubi control once in a while but those were dire situations. And even after that his body wasn't in as much pain as it was in.

The blonde heard a cough and looked to the side. Standing there was Babbo and Jack. Babbo had some sort of smug expression on his face. "How embarrassing! Against an infant like that! A pity you passed out before I displayed my combat skills! Well form no on you too can depend on me!"

Naruto sighed before grabbing him by the chain and whirling him around a few times before throwing him to the ground. Jack kneeled to the Arm. "I know that's a lie. A little bird told me." Naruto looked up at the sky.

'The guy didn't destroy Babbo,' he thought to himself.

"Maybe he thinks you can make a difference with him by your side," Kyuubi suggested.

'Maybe,' the blonde returned. 'What gets me is this. Why didn't I beat him? I knew I can, but my body rejected it when I said I wasn't going tot kill him.'

"Kit." Kyuubi started. "You did want to kill him for the better half of the battle. This side of you may not want to have killed him but your other part did."

'Whatever, let's talk about this later.' Naruto got up and looked at Jack. "Jack I over slept this time. The sun is almost setting and my body is still in pain. We are going to have the day of. But you are going to set up camp while I get some meat." Jack nodded at the command while silently leaping for joy that he didn't have to train today. Naruto smiled slightly as he got up. He grunted in pain. The other persona needed to die.

Nightfall quickly came and the three were sitting by the fire. They just ate the fish that Naruto caught in the stream and the vegetables that Jack planted and they were now just staring at the flames as it lowered and rose again in erratic patterns. Jack looked at Naruto before speaking. "What happened back there?"

"Hm?" The blonde didn't like where this was going.

"You know what I mean!" Jack yelled. "What happened back there in the fight against the totem guy?! It's like you completely changed!"

Naruto stared at him before staring at the flames. "I don't know," he finally replied softly. "I honestly don't know. When I transformed the power was immense. It felt great till I had to change back. That hurt. My mind set also changed. At first I didn't want to kill him but when I changed I wanted nothing more then his blood on my claws." Jack looked at him wide eyed. Naruto didn't even know what happened to himself. "Let's get some sleep."

Jack woke up to Naruto shaking him awake. The teen grumbled as he got up begrudgingly. He looked at the sky to find out it was still dark outside. "Alright, do to what I have last we are going to halve everything." Jack almost leapt for joy. Then he remembered what the blonde said about what he had last. "Now let's get going before you got one hundred suicide runs."

Jack immediately got up and started running around the clearing. Naruto smirked. His body wasn't in pain and he could think clearly. Naruto slowly got up and did some training of his own. With a quick hand sign he created a single Kage Bunshin. "Your job is to make sure that jack gets all his work done. He knew he was not going to like it. "The clone nodded before looking at Jack. "Dispel yourself when he is finished okay."

Naruto started walking away to another part of the clearing. When he was a good distance away form any prying eyes he did a quick hand seal. "Kage-Bunshin-no-jutsu!" Ten more of the blonde appeared in the area. Naruto smirked as he got into a tiajutsu stance. The Kubukiri was near the tree. The clones rushed the blonde. The original ducked under a kick to the head before grabbing the foot and throwing the clone to another one. He jumped back form an axe kick. The one who caused the axe kick ran towards the blonde. Naruto went on the defensive, blocking a combination of kicks and punches. A punch to the jaw finally connected to the original. The clone followed it up with an elbow the gut and then a kick to the chest sending Naruto sliding against the ground. Two of the cones followed the blonde.

The blonde saw a foot come crashing down. He quickly flipped himself up before flipping himself over a clone. His hand quickly planted itself on the back of the clone. The original smirked as he pulled out a kunai and through it in the leg of an on coming clone. Naruto ducked under a right hook before kneeing him in the gut and punching him away. Naruto smirked as the paper bomb he planted on the clone went off. He smiled greatly as three pops were heard. "Six down, four to go."

The four looked at each other before nodding. Each of them blurred out of sight in four different directions. Naruto slowly pulled out a kunai and watched for anything unusual. His eyes widened a little as he jumped back. A had shot out of the ground. His head tilted little back as a kunai sailed through the air, slicing the bridge of his nose just enough to draw blood. Naruto turned to where the kunai only to jump back from a fist. The back of his foot pulled a length of ninja wire. His eye s widened a little as he jumped back even further. Two wooden grids with spikes quickly sprang out of the earth and snapped closed. "I just had to rig traps didn't I?"

He shook his head slightly as he held up his right arm. "Weapon Arm Ten Dagger Bracelet!" the ten long throwing knives appeared on the chakra strings. The clones smirked as they tried the same thing only to find out it couldn't happen. "Well at least now I know that there won't be more than one Babbo," the original mumbled under his breath.

The knives quickly went into action. The clones started to dodge like crazy. Do to the fact that the knives can come back from behind made it really hard to dodge. Finally the knives hit, dispersing the three. Naruto pulled them back into bracelet as he felt a kunai press against his neck. The blonde sighed and raised his hands in the air. "Alright I give." The clone smirked as he pulled the clone away. "Now we are going to have a little experiment with my bracelet." The clone smirked. At least his time alive wouldn't be futile.

"So what are we going to do boss?" the clone asked.

"You know the kid we fought to days ago?" the clones nodded. "Well I have a feeling that he only used one Arm. The pole may have seemed different but it had the same presence. I want to know what do with my bracelet." The clone nodded before they set out to work. They worked on what they couldn't do with the arm and what they can do. Naruto figured out that he could make one singled knife at a time but it could only be about ten or so feet from the rest making it only good for close range combat. He also noted the single hole on the Arm. It was kind of like the ones that surrounded the cross on Babbo.

Before they could delve any deeper into finding out what they could do Naruto got a rush of information. He shook his head to clear himself of the minor head ache before getting up from is cross-legged position. He looked at the sun position before looking at the clone. "Looks like Jack finished earlier than expected. I was expecting him to finish around mid-day not mid-morning. Alright, I want you to scout out the area since we didn't do it yesterday. Dispel yourself if you find anything interesting." The clone nodded as they both walked in separate directions.

The original walked up to Jack. He was on the floor panting. Naruto shook his head before helping him up. "Alright, after this I don't expect you to be able to move. This is training for both of us." Naruto led them to where he had two kunai planted in the ground about a mile apart. You are to run from one kunai to the other fifty times."

Jack had eyed the blonde skeptically. "You are going to throw kunais at me aren't you?" he asked. Last time Naruto had something like this there were several hidden traps in the ground that almost cost him his ability to have children and Naruto was at the side throwing a hail of kunai. The thing was what Naruto called a suicide run. The blonde said that he went through something a lot worse but Jack still had his doubts.

"Nope," Naruto answered. "There are no traps in there either and I won't throw a single kunai.' Jack eyed him a little before starting to run. Naruto smirked as he pulled out a few sennbon. He waited for Jack to complete a lap before throwing a sennbon. The needle went a few centimeters in the poor teen's neck, disabling his left arm.

Jack yelped in surprise as the sennbon entered his neck. Enraged on the temporary loss of his arm he whirled around. "I thought you were not going to throw anything!"

Naruto blinked before holding up the sennbon. "I said I wasn't going to throw a single kunai. I never said anything about sennbon or multiple kunai for that matter." Jack paled the guy was nuts. "You might want to start running before I make you go through suicide runs." Jack yelped before going back to running. Naruto smirked as he threw sennbon after sennbon at the kid. About a quarter of the way in Naruto froze up.

"Jack quit running!" Naruto yelled out. "We got work to do!" jack stopped and thanked the gods that it was over. Naruto got up and strapped Kubukiri. Babbo hopped over to Naruto after sleeping.

"What's the rush?" the metallic sphere asked.

"There's a dog passed out in the middle of the road," Naruto replied. He gripped the hammer before looking at Jack. "It'll be quicker if I run there at top speed." Jack nodded a bit before Naruto disappeared. The dark haired kid blurred out of sight not even a second after Naruto.

They reappeared in front of a brown dog. His whisker seemed to be made of fur and skin. His fangs poked out of his bottom lip. A metallic whistle was attached the red choker he wore. Strangely he wore glasses, a red stalking cap, and a pair of blue jeans with the buckle tot eh side. Naruto bent down. To check to see what was wrong with it. Naruto pressed his hand against the bottom of his jaw to see a pulse. Naruto sighed in relief as he got. "His pulse is good and his breathing is alright. Could have passed out do to exhaustion."

"That dog!" Babbo yelled out with a surprised look on his face. Naruto and Jack whirled around to see if he knew anything. "Is certainly ugly! Hahahahaha!" Babbo rolled himself next to the dog's face for comparison while still laughing. The laughing caused the dog to wake up. When the two looked at each other they jumped back in shock. "And awfully strange! State your name dog!"

"Me?" the dog asked "I am Edward. Who are you?!"

Naruto looked at the dog with a raised eyebrow. 'A talking dog? What's next, a lady that looks ten when she is thirty-two?'

"Don't question it kit," Kyuubi said from her cage. "It might come true. You questioned the same thing before and you got Tsunade."

'But she hid behind a genjutsu,' Naruto complained. 'I am talking about the fact that it isn't a genjutsu and she has to re-age.' Naruto looked at the dog that went back to the ground trying to go back to sleep.

"It's no use!" Edward yelled. "Not when my precious life of my princess is in such grave danger." Naruto looked at the dog before shaking his head.

"Sleeping isn't going to do anything mutt," Naruto commented. The dog growled before looking at the accessories that Naruto and Jack and Naruto wore

"You are Arm wielders?!" the dog asked in total shock. Naruto and Jack nodded dumbly.

The group was now at a large castle covered in ice and snow. It wouldn't shock Naruto, Jack and Babbo if it wasn't for the fact that it was the only area with this kind of condition. "Uh why is there only snow in this designated area?" Naruto asked looking at the place in awe. It was a battle heaven for him. There was wind, ice and, water, just his elements!

"It is the power of the princess's Arm," Edward answered. She has sealed herself away with this snow and ice. You see her life has been targeted. In our kingdom located on the far reaches of this land my princess was born to the king and queen. Wrapped in their love she was very happy. But the queen passed away and the king took for his new wife, a vile woman! After time the king fell ill and the queen took full control of our kingdom. From who-knows-where she gathered imperial guards. And one by one she erased those who stood in her way. When I guessed that the queen's evil eyes fell on the princess I fled and led her here. We shook of pursuing parties, crossed the sea and mountain until we were finally backed into a corner on this remote island. And the princess sealed herself away. However if the pursuers have already broke into the castle posses an Arm to brake the seal the princess will surely be sacrificed to the queen. And even if they don't the Arm that seals the princess off will eventually cause her death!"

Naruto shook his head before gripping the hammer a little tighter. "You know sleeping on it won't do anything. You have to give it your best shot. But now you have help. Leave it to me."

The group entered the castle. Naruto let out a low whistle. "This place really is my battle paradise."

The dog pointed to a spiraling staircase. "We'll ascend from here. It's far safer than an all frontal assault." Naruto and Jack nodded as they fallowed the dog.

As they were going up the stairs a question hit the blonde. Usually people that lived in royalty were stuck up snobs and no one liked tem. What made this princess so special? "Hey Ed! From what I have seen in the past, princesses are usually stuck up and no one likes them unless they are stuck up as well. What is this one like?"

"An angel," he softly replied. "With a heart pure as Snow. I fear that she only wanted to save me form her fate. I'm ashamed to have been protected when I should have been her protector. During our travels she shared her food with me. When I was ill she cared for me without sleep. One wonders who the master is and who the servant is." Naruto sighed. The dog's attitude was pissing him off.

"Yo Ed!" Naruto called out. The unsuspecting dog turned around only to receive a knock on the head by Babbo's hammer. "I won't have an angsty dog leading us the way up here. The way you make it sound is that she believes you can do it. Don't let her hopes fall in vane" Ed looked at the blonde before nodding. "Good now lead the way. I want to see this princess alive." Naruto had a slight smirk on his face as he watched the dog lead the way.

They were led to a dark room. Naruto's eyes quickly adjusted to the dark. Naruto looked as Jack flapped his arms trying to find his way. He quickly sniffed the air. His heart sped up. He knew that scent.

Edward sniffed the air before freezing. "You tow noticed it to?" Babbo asked.

Edward nodded. "The smell of a human."

'But no mere human! One with incredible magic power.' Babbo continued his gaze at Naruto before he noticed the knife coming out of he shadows. "Naruto!"

Naruto smirked as a knife appeared in his hand. Naruto had it pressed against the attacker's neck as well as he felt an edge press against the metal slab of metal around his neck. Both of them looked each other in the eye before Naruto smiled. "Hey Dorothy." The knife in his hand returned to the bracelet.

The pink haired teen looked at him funny before enveloping him in a hug. "Naru-kun!" Naruto blushed a deep crimson as she scratched behind his ears. His eyes glossed over with pleasure. She led him to a place where he and she could sit down. He laid his head in her lap and almost drifted asleep. The older teen smiled. Her preparations for having him were almost complete. All she needed to do was get a house somewhere where they could raise their kits.

When she stopped her ministrations she asked what they were doing in the castle in the first place. Naruto told her about the princess and she shook her head. "Now that is why there is suddenly ice and snow?" the group nodded their heads. "Well you better get a move on. Your princess must be totally frozen. Even with an expert spell her heart will stop after half a day." Naruto cringed. Great, just fucking great. They have a Kami be damned deadline.

Babbo's eyes shot out. "How can you sound so unconcerned?!"

"Because I am ugly," the pink haired teen replied. "I originally came here for Arms. But since Naru-kun is here I guess I got a little more." Naruto blushed before shaking it off. Why was she having this kind of effect on him? Why only her and Kyuubi? Was it that he loved the two? What was it about those two that made his heart race? Inside the seal Kyuubi was whooping for joy at the thought that Naruto might love her. His ears twitched a bit before he got up.

"Alright, you guys go on ahead," Naruto commanded. "I will catch up." The group nodded before rushing off, leaving Naruto and Dorothy. He put on his kitsune mask on and looked at Dorothy. "You want to take them on or can I?" Dorothy smirked viciously.

"I'll take them on," she replied. "Those three will probably die without you." Naruto nodded.

"Make sure they don't live." The pink haired nodded before Naruto blurred out sight. He reappeared in front of a large ice covered door. He looked at the others before speaking. "When this mask is on I am Kitsune." The group nodded wondering why he would call himself that.

"Let's get going." The group nodded before walking into the icy chambers. It looked like the ball room. The center had a little uprising platform with a large block of ice in the center. In the ice was a girl around his age. She had a red bow with a zipper on the side. She wore a pink zip-up shirt with zippers connecting the sleeves and the shirt and flannel trimming along the color and the cuffs. She had green eyes (I am guessing) and short black hair. Around her neck was a snowman necklace. Her skin was fair. Naruto blushed a little behind the mask before shaking it off. Great, three girls now have the same affect on him. Why did Kami have it out for his tailed ass?

Two figures appeared in front of the ice. One was a tall man. He ha black spiky hair. His white mask had to eye cover that bulged out of the mask and two lines of small hole that went down the center. He wore a tan trench coat that was to big for him. The other was a girl that looked about ten. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. A mask was at the top of her head tilted to the side slightly. She wore a large green dress with a dark green skull. On her back was a large suitcase. "Humph. Just children," the male commented.

"Peta said don't be fooled by the one wearing a kitsune mask," the girl commented. "And look. They have something very interesting. We have been thinking about looking for it while we are here but it came to us." Naruto gripped the hilt of Kubukiri lightly. He looked at Edward before looking at the ice. "I am guessing that she gave you the way to get her out of there." Edward nodded. "Good, when you see and opening I want you to use it. Jack, make sure they don't touch Babbo. I need to fight with out him for right now. "

"What do you mean you need to fight with out me?!" Babbo yelled in protest.

"These people want you alive. If I use an attack like Demon's Whip and they catch you they have a chance to rip you out of my hand. I am not letting them have that chance."

"The ay he acts doesn't sound like the Arm I have heard about," the man commented.

"No," the girl replied. "Not at all. Its memory might be shot."

"Then do you mind if I see Kitsune fights?" the man asked as he took of his mask. "All I have been doing for four days have been is drink sake. I want to sweat cutie."

"I won't join you," the girl voiced out. "In fight in or sake."

The man grinned before looking at Naruto. "Okay peewee how about this. One on one. Me an you! That's the noblest form of fighting right? Of course if you're scared, I'll take you all at once. Makes no difference to me." Naruto nodded, ignoring the protests of Edward, Babbo, and Edward. "I like you. What's your name? Who's your tribe?"

"Naruto of Konoha ANBU Black ops," Naruto answered.

The man smiled. "I am Ian of the Chess Pieces." Naruto looked at the man before unlatching the Kubukiri and slipping into a subtle kenjutsu stance. He saw the others freeze up.

'Crap this is not good,' Naruto thought. 'Now that they are in this condition the Chess Pieces have an easier chance at going for Babbo. I have to make this quick.' Naruto's free hand went through several hand seals. "Hyuuton-Sensatsu-Suishou-no-jutsu!" Many needles raised out of the ice before rushing for Ian. The man flipped back wards before kicking off the ice towards Naruto.

The blonde blurred out of sight as well. Both warriors clanged in the center of the gap. Ian had a metallic python like whip stretched between both of his hands while Naruto kept pushing forward with Kubukiri using one hand. Naruto's free hand extended outward. A swirling ball of chakra started to appear in his palm. "Rasengan." Naruto slammed the sphere into the man's chest, sending him crashing into the ice behind him.

The blonde was shocked when he saw the man get up. "What kind of Arm was that?"

Naruto shook his head. "It's all me." The man grinned before the two disappeared in a blur. Several clangs rang out through the ball room. Naruto appeared in front of them with his hand raised. "Hyuuton-Tsubame-Fubuki-no-jutsu!" About fifty swallows made of ice and snow went flying after. Ian. Ian smirked as he raised his hands before his whips extended, lashing out at the swallows, destroying them.

Ian ducked under a strike from Kubukiri and lashed out one of his Python whips. Naruto grabbed the whip before hit could connect and pulled him forward. The blonde cocked his fist backwards and slammed it into Ian's face, sending him skidding across the floor. Naruto stabbed Kubukiri in the ground before running throw some hand seals. "Suiton-Mizurappa-no-jutsu1" He raised his hand and shot the jet at Ian.

Ian saw the jet coming at him and quickly flipped out f the way. Behind Ian was Edward, something Naruto couldn't see do to the size of thee dog and Ian. The jet of water connected to the dog and shot him backwards. His head landed on a small block of ice, knocking him out.

Naruto and Ian blurred out of existence and clanged in the center of the gap. Their bodies twisted into a half circle before they jumped back. A flash of light stopped them from jumping again. The two looked towards the dog as his choker exploded in to smoke. "Good evening," a voice said form the smoke. A shadowy figure started to take shape. When the smoke settled the figure was definitely male. His skin was tan. He wore a white trench coat with tow straps keeping it close, green pants, a black shirt and a metal belt with a chain coming of it. Under his right eye were two large scars. His brown hair reached down mid black and was tied into a pony tail. "And good morning."

Naruto looked at the man funny, of course no one could tell because of the mask. He put Kubukiri up. The man walked up to Naruto and patted him on the head. "Go ahead, take off the mask. It's time to finish your part." Naruto strangely complied with the man and attached the mask to his belt.

"Well, well!" Ian called out. "Mr. Dog. Are you going to get in the way? You are developing a bad reputation among our members ya know."

"You talk like that after a child nearly killed you?" the man said mockingly. "Get lost." Ian whipped one of his whips at the man. The scarred man quickly caught the whip. "Bracelet weapon Arm python whip. Your weapons are still pretty good. Pity your skill is still so bad."

"Back down Ian," the girl commanded. "This is the real thing."

The man let go of the whip before turning to Naruto. "So Naruto was it?" Naruto nodded at the question. "I have been watching form inside the dog and the dog is watching from inside me. We were separate once but then something happened and now I and Edward are combined. When he sleeps three times I come out but when I sleep once he comes out. Hardly seems fare. Hahahahaha!" Naruto sweat dropped at the last part. "Hold out your hand." Naruto looked at him oddly before holding out his hand. He dropped some kind of pin with a flame design on it in the blonde's hand. "This is the Arm of Fire. Throw it and break the princess's seal." Naruto nodded before he blurred out of sight. Ian made and attempt to catch Naruto but was quickly thrown back by the man. "Didn't I tell you to get lost fool? This is the scene where the prince frees the princess. Don't mess up the plot.

Naruto reappeared in front of the princess's prison. His hand gripped the Arm that the man gave him before slamming it on the ice. At first it started tot crack before it shattered completely. The princess woke up in the middle of falling. Naruto quickly caught her however the position they were in they accidentally kissed. His face became red quickly and his eyes widened. And in shock he lost complete control over his body and fell back wards. Both he and the princess quickly got up.

A/N Alright I am going to stop it right there. I was planning on doing more but decided to keep you guys in suspense and waiting. So I am going to stop. I have a challenge for anyone who wants it. The idea is a gender bender so if you don't like it then doesn't pick it up. The idea is a Naru/femShino. I have never seen this done at all. It has to be longer than a one-shot and please have it take anytime before the first Sasuke retrieval mission. Anyone who wants to take it up pm please. So yeah review or I send my hordes of minions to drag you to the ninth level of hell for your never ending match with Chuck Norris.