I DON'T OWN NARUTO
"At the request of Naruto, this is lunar shinobi spar. While killing and maiming are strictly prohibited, the winner is determined by successfully incapacitating your opponent and bringing them back to me. However, if I get a sense things are getting out of hand I will step in, understood?" said Kakashi.
"Hai." Both opponents said.
Both shinobi walk toward the forest with their companions in tow. "Hey 'kichi remember what we talked about." Said Naruto, wearing a midnight blue assemble with a matching bandana to cover his hair. Instead of his kodachi, he has two rattans equipped with earth chakra seals to reinforce the wood sticks. The rattans were Asuma's idea, a way to get used to dual wielding without harming himself or his sparring partner. He enjoyed practicing with the sticks so he kept it up. Gamakichi is also covered in a midnight blue cloak that hides his orange skin and head. "Yea, yea, I gotcha bro. You just stay sharp out there and have fun." Naruto can only chuckle in response, remembering when Shino informed him of the challenge
"Naruto he wishes to challenge you to a spar."
"I heard you Shino, I'm just amazed how talented Kiba is at making poor choices. I'm guessing you didn't try to talk him out of this."
"It would have fallen on deaf ears. Kiba is fixated on you, as if every step forward you take causes him to take one back. I think you two need this."
Naruto silently considers the offer. He can beat Kiba without much problem, that's not being arrogant it's just the simple reality. Naruto's skill set, his doton and suiton releases along with his fuinjutsu allows him to control the terrain. Add his ability with shadow clones and he's a one man assault squad, lethal at any range. But that'd almost be an issue in itself. Beat him too quickly and Kiba won't be humbled. No, he has to give Kiba an apparent advantage and then strip it away from him.
Shino could see Naruto's mind at work. The foxy grin adorning the blonde's face is confirmation enough that Naruto is planning something… troublesome."
"I'll do it Shino but on one condition. A lunar spar, in two days."
Naruto sees Shino quirk his eyebrow but his friend only nods as he exits the table, piecing together what his friend has in store for his teammate.
"I'd almost pity Kiba if he had not brought this on himself."
"I wish I could disagree with you. Of course I'll root for my student but I think Kiba has bitten off more than he can chew." Kurenai said.
"Yea, but this is probably for the best. Naruto might play with him a bit and bruise his ego but it's better than an outright beating." chimed in Asuma before taking a drag of his cigarette.
"Troublesome blonde."
"What Shika?" asked Ino.
"Given the phase of the moon, there is very little visibility tonight. That would appear to give Kiba a definite advantage so why would Naruto be the one to request a nighttime spar?"
"If this was the Naruto from the academy I would just call it poor planning." answered Choji
"Yes but that Naruto is long gone, if he was ever real. It means he either has a way to neutralize Kiba's advantage or he's saying they wouldn't be enough to improve his chances anyway." countered Shikamaru.
"Ok, gentlemen, you have one hour or until there is a victor. Hajime!" and with Kakashi's signal Naruto and Gamakichi disappear with a burst of speed.
As soon as the entry to the forest is out of sight, Naruto and Gamakichi separate. Naruto starts flooding the area with his chakra, making it near impossible to locate him with by nonvisual means. After 15 seconds of flooding the forest with his presence he cuts it off and hides his chakra signature completely, one of the first things Kakashi taught him to do.
Naruto's gambit affected Kiba and Akamaru as both failed to pinpoint his specific location. Coming to the conclusion that tracking by smell would do them no good they duo focus on sound. Hearing movement both head in that direction. Once they arrive both attempt to extend their senses to locate any movement but sense nothing. The duo would only have to look up in a tree behind them to see Naruto, perfectly masking his presence until it is time to strike. As fast as he finished the thought he sees Gamakichi descend upon Akamaru, placing a knockout seal on the ninken. As Kiba turns to defend Akamaru he is struck in his left knee by one of Naruto's rattan, giving Gamakichi time to abscond with the hound. Kiba barely has time to think as Naruto plants a roundhouse on the distracted Inuzuka's jaw, sending him to the forest floor as Naruto heads to atop the trees once again.
"If this was going to be the sum total of your challenge why even bother?" Naruto said, his voice projected, not giving away his location.
"What did you do to Akamaru, bastard!" The Inuzuka yelled but received no response. Rubbing his jaw and trying to shake off the effects of the kick Kiba tries, again to pinpoint where Naruto could be but had no success until he felt a quick chakra spike. Turning to the direction of the spike, Kiba is met with a cloud of ash. Naruto had performed the Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning but did not ignite the ash cloud, instead removing sight and smell from the Inuzuka.
Kiba instantly begins to cough due to the unexpected cloud. Attempting to ready himself for an assault he is instantly strick in the neck, then the heart, followed by the lungs and finished with the liver. Once the final attack is delivered, Naruto returns atop the trees.
"Slashing the carotid artery, stabbing the heart, lungs, or liver. Had I used a bladed weapon you'd be worse off than just a little pain. That's twice now I could have finished this and if we were enemies twice now I would have taken your life. Potentially moved on to your teammates and killed them too. All because of you, Kiba."
As much as he wants to respond, Kiba is simply in too much pain. The liver shot left him gasping for air, which only made him inhale more of the ash cloud. Retreating to another part of the forest, Kiba hopes to buy himself some time and maybe think of a strategy for Naruto. His hope was for not as he soon found himself with a noose of ninja wire around his neck with Naruto descending from a branch above until the two Leaf Nin met in the middle of the air.
"Kiba, all I would have to do is focus some wind chakra into this wire and I'd have beheaded you. Trust me, I've done it before." Naruto whispered, recalling a particularly gruesome moment of inspiration. Poor Oto nin never saw it coming.
Seeing that there wasn't much more to be done, Naruto hits Kiba in the back of his head, knocking him out. He then drops to the ground, catching kiba as he falls and removing the ninja wire from his neck. He then shunshins to Kakashi so he can call it.
"Not even ten minutes, you get bored too easily." stated Kakashi, looking at the heap known as Kiba on the ground and his student scratching the back of his head.
"Eh, you know I'm not one to play with my food. Besides, I could have ended it at three different times. Figured the point was proven. Besides, it's getting late and I want to get to bed." As the two continued talking Kiba began to stir. Looking to see everyone he realizes he lost. Feeling utterly humiliated Kiba does the only thing he could think of, he lashes out at Naruto.
"I thought you wanted to fight like a man, not run and hide like a bitch. You're still the dead last, couldn't fight me straight up so you had to play games and cheapshot me. Coward!" He all but roared, which earned him a shrug from Naruto. No point in arguing when there is sleep to be had.
"Yea, turn and walk away. Maybe that's why Hiashi forbade her from seeing you, Hyugas prefer their women to be with real me, real shinobi." Kiba said with a smirk.
Everyone tensed as Naruto stopped moving, his head down and eyes closed.
"You're going to at least cripple him, yes? I'll even lend some of my chakra." said Kurama.
'No, I promised Tsume I wouldn't hurt him too bad but I will hurt him.' replied Naruto.
As the exchange with Kiba was taking place, Asuma and Kurenai hurried over to Kakashi and the pair of chunin.
"Kiba, how dare you? You've embarrassed yourself and this team. Apologize right now."
"I refuse. Nothing I've said is wrong."
"It's ok, Kurenai-san. I wouldn't want an insincere apology anyway." Naruto said, still with his back turned to Kiba and his head down. "Kiba, you requested a shinobi spar and were given just that. Am I to include what you truly wanted was a simple fight?"
"Of course, dobe. No hiding, no bitch shit. Just us going at it."
"You want to have a go at me? Man, I used to think you wanted Hinata. This is so awkward. Sensei, I'm sure you've been in this situation before how do you handle it? I want to be supportive but not lead him on." Kakashi and Asuma both laugh which only infuriates Kiba all the more as he begins to move toward Naruto before being stopped by Kurenai.
"Sensei if you would referee one final spar I think I can humor Kiba. And since he took a bit of a beating while I'm still fresh I'll only use suiton jutsu. Does this sound fair to everyone." The three jonin look at each other, all recognizing this as a bad idea, Kurenai tries to reason with Kiba.
"Kiba, you've had your spar and you lost. Just leave it be and move on Besides, Akamaru is still unconscious."
"Sensei, I can't. I won't let Naruto look down on me."
"I'd have to care to look down on you. I'd be more than happy to be indifferent toward you if you knew how to shut up. I thought the humiliation in the forest would humble you but you clearly need an audience."
"Screw you! I accept." Kiba says which causes Naruto to small. A true smile. Oh how he loves to unleash his suiton jutsu.
Kakashi has the two separate before signaling for them to begin.
"Hajime" he says and the two stay perfectly still. Kiba looks calculating, Naruto looks unconcerned. Having enough of the inaction, Kiba launches forward with a gatsuga, assuming he's too close for Naruto to dodge.
"Water Style: Water Formation Wall" Naruto whispers as a massive all of water emerges from his mouth, causing Kiba to run into it head first, knocking him out again.
"Aw damn it, I had a whole thing planned and he's already knocked out. Oh well, I'm going to bed, goodnight all. Yo, 'kichi, let's bounce."
"He's been knocked out twice, I've got to get him to the hospital." As Kurenai and Shino leave with Kiba in tow, team ten also departs, leaving on Kakashi and Asuma.
"That was embarrassing." said Kakashi.
"Completely." agreed Asuma.
Walking into his room Naruto notices something wrong. Turning on his light he sees his bedroom covered in pink. Pink bedsheets, pink pillows. He goes into his closet and sees nothing but women's clothing. He then comes across a note on his desk, also in pink:
Hi Naru-chan,
Do you like how I redecorated your room? Pretty bitchin', right? Let this be a lesson to you, don't obfuscate with your nee-chan… nah, I like nee-sama. Yes, that'll do. Now, I know you considered yourself something of a prankster in your youth but if you retaliate I'll make you take a full physical with that old guy with the creepy ghost hands you tried to drown that one time. For a week. Yep, a whole week of some creepy dude fondling your junk. Anyway, tomorrow during breakfast you and we are going to gab like girlfriends. Dress appropriately or there will be consequences.
Sincerely, Shizune-neesama
'You win this round, you psychotic spinster but there will be payback.'
Over the final six months before Naruto left with Jiraiya his squad's directive had changed from primarily neutralizing Oto bases to focusing on supports within the Akatsuki network. By focusing on their sources of income, the hope was to either delay them or to make the organization get sloppy and start making mistakes. The information provided by Jiraiya's network, and unbeknownst to most everyone Itachi and Kisame, helped tremendously. Through investigation what the team discovered is that while the organization has done missions for smaller villages in the past, and even a few for Suna, their primary source for major work is Iwa.
Tsunade reasoned that Iwa may be using the Akatsuki so they don't have to send their best jonin on high risk missions while preparing for war with the added benefit of having the Akatsuki be a distraction from what Iwa is planning. Danzo and Hiruzen counselled that it would be a mistake to focus too much on Iwa contacts as it may give away that Konoha knows what Oonoki is planning. Agreeing with logic, Tsunade informed Dragon to only move on a single high value target within Earth country but sow dissent and distrust with other links in Akatsuki's support chain.
So, that is what his squad has been doing, more subterfuge than direct combat, though there was plenty of that. Due to the more delicate infiltration missions required, the squad was paired off and Naruto got assigned Hebi. She was good at information retrieval, no denying that but he was ambivalent about his ANBU partner. He'd have to admit that training with her has been a fun and unique experience but Hebi is weird. For one, she insists they need a theme song. That in itself is fine but she also says she deserves top billing! Over her sempai, no less! Everyone knows Gama puts the asses in the seats. When he pointed out that ain't nobody came to see you Hebi, he had to dodge poisoned senbon for an hour. Not just because he thought he was the star of the show, which she vigorously denies he is, but also because he called her Hebi when she is to be addressed as Hebi-hime. Every time, she was quite insistent on that. She also criticises his on the field performance:
"Hey, Gama-chan?"
"Yes, Hebi.." she glares at him, even through the mask he can feel the glare, "hime"
"You're our ninjutsu specialist, yes?"
"Yes, yes I am."
"We were just in a combat situation, yes?"
"The dead bodies would suggestion that, yes."
"So why don't you ever use any freaking ninjutsu. You always finish things with your kodachi, maybe a seal of some sort but no ninjutsu. Do you even have any ninjutsu? I'm starting to wonder."
"We've yet to be in a situation that required me to use any. I could just fling them about like those," pointing to the fallen Rain nin, "amateurs but I am a refined ninjutsu practitioner and as such my standards are different." he said and then felt her eyes roll. He felt it, how is an eye roll that powerful he wondered.
"Whatever, we're having a spar when we get back to HQ, ninjutsu only."
"Fine but when I son you don't complain."
"I heard you once did a spar restricting yourself to nothing but suiton. How about we do that?"
"Oh, does Hebi-hime want Gama to get her wet?" Naruto asks and is immediately hit in his side.
"Shut up!" she yelled through laughs. "Just grab the Raijin no Ken so we can leave."
"Oi, I'm the sempai here!"
All in all the two work incredibly well together and have yet to fail a mission and were gaining a reputation within ANBU as quite the fearsome duo.
It had taken four months to identify that high valued Iwa target, and another month to get adequate information to plan his assassination, which had been assigned to Naruto. While researching the guy, who owned several mines throughout Earth country, which while profitable were aweso a front for Iwa black ops. That meant that his security team were actually Iwa jonin or at the very least high chunin. By most conventional analysis he was most vulnerable at his office building but that was only in a relative sense. He always had two guards posted outside his door, with a squad of 8 within the other floors of the building and four more posted outside. Naruto was never one for conventional means and thanks to his gender changing transformation, he didn't need them. It was almost disappointing how easy it was to lead the target around by his dick. Gama gained access to his "secure" compound in a matter of days with just a little flirting. It just goes to show that the best security in the world can't save someone from themselves.
As soon as the target and Gama, henged as a naive and innocent blond named Ani were alone, said target found himself with a sebon coated with a neurotoxin in his neck. He'd have to thank Hebi for that some day. After placing the target's body in a scroll, Gama created a shadow clone and had it henge as the blond while Gama transformed into his now dead target. Gama could have escaped but Hiro Saito, the target's name, however was the entirety of the mission. If possible, Gama was to eliminate his guardian detail, which Gama figured would be easier in the building once it had cleared out for the day. While waiting for that, Gama managed to copy secure documents, very little of it regarded the Akatsuki but there was some information regarding Iwa that Commander Dragon and Tsunade-sama might be interested in. Gama was also able to pilfer some funds from Hiro's secret accounts. It'd take a team of forensic accountants weeks to pull apart where the money ended up, a boring but useful lesson from Danzo-sensei.
The end of the business day came and it was time to put his plan in motion, "Hiro" called out to his guards and the two immediately entered the office only to be greeted with kunai coming for them. The two experienced shinobi easily dodged the projectiles and promptly went to attack, failing to realize the kunai were henged shadow clones. The oversight cost them as both had kunai plunged into their brain stem before they could carry out the assault. Naruto had his shadow clones henge into one of the fallen guards each and sealed the originals.
He then made a shallow wound to his side and burst a blood pack over it to make it look more severe. With a nod, one of the clones jumped out the window while the other propped the wounded "Hiro" as the final part of the operation began.
One Naruto and the guard made it down to another pair of the detail, the clone killed one immediately.
"Hiro, what the fuck is going on!"
"We've been betrayed. I… I've suspected for awhile now. The Tsuchikage told me to look into it and I just came across the financial proof. Half the detail has been compromised, Nero attempted to kill me in my office and is likely informing his accomplices. They can't let us leave alive so they'll likely storm the building. We need to weed out the traitors still inside as fast as we can."
"Ok, what do you want me to do, who can we trust?"
"None of the outside guard, they were likely meant to be the extraction team. With him gone, that leaves three more we have to take care of. They likely have been alerted yet so can I trust you to handle Kiko and Jin?"
"Yes, they should be on the second floor now. Go, and godspeed."
Outside the Building
"Nero, what was that? What's going on?"
"Hiro, he's betrayed us. He tried to have me killed, the detail has been compromised. He has at least four working with him, we have to storm the building, you know how much sensitive information he has access to. Go get the others, meet back here, Go, now!"
Inside the building
Naruto didn't have to extend his senses to tell the Iwa drone, what's his name, had finished his mission while he and his shadow clone had successfully killed three more, leaving five in total ready to defend the building. They gathered on the second floor.
"Hiro, you don't look too good."
"A mere flesh wound, m-boy. They are coming to take the building, we don't know if they have additional forces waiting for us so dragging this out is a bad idea, we need to meet them on the ground floor and end this."
'They all nodded in agreement. Why? There's no point to this fight. Four jonin even with an injured person in tow could evade capture. They wouldn't have had that many more men stationed to buttress the extraction if things went pear shaped. This is just a failure of shinobi tactics.' Naruto thinks as his team makes its way to fend off the traitors.
Close quarters makes for crappy conditions for doton jutsu so the rival shinobi decide to all engage in close quarter combat. Naruto rolled his eyes, they aren't even attempting to make this difficult.
He draws two kunai and launches them, "Kunai Shadow Clone Jutsu" he said and the two kunai became ten. As soon as they reached the Iwa nin, Naruto flared his chakra and let off a mighty explosion, killing the "rivals", including his two shadow clones. Using a burst of wind chakra, Naruto clears the debris to make sure all targets have been eliminated. Once confirming this is the case, Naruto summons ten shadow clones and gives them a nod, subsequently vanishing without a trace.
"Boss finally did it!"
"Why are you excited, we already know he can do it."
"It's still damn cool to see. Take that, Minato-teme!"
"Whatever, can we just collapse the damn building already?"
"Hai" nine clones said in unison before running through the hand signs for Naruto's first original doton jutsu. "Earth Style: Seismic Collapse Jutsu" they stated while slamming their hands onto the ground. Moments later an earthquake ripped through the foundation of the building, leaving the supporting structure unstable. The shadow clones disperses just as the building started to collapse in on itself.
Getting the memory from his clones Naruto can only smile at a job well done.
Three Days later Naruto is in the Hokage office with Tsunade, Jiraiya, Danzo, Hiruzen, Kakashi, and Shizune. Tsunade was reading over a report with a slight smile.
"Chunin Uzumaki, do you know why you've been called here today?"
"No, Hokage-sama" Naruto replies, and is sincere. While he leaves tomorrow he didn't think he had any official business left before his departure.
"As I'm sure you've been told, there are no training wheels in the ANBU, everything is a trial by fire, including the Jonin exam. To become a jonin in the ANBU the agent must successfully complete on S ranked mission alone, flawlessly which you did. It is my great honor to bestow upon you the rank of Jonin, Naruto Uzumaki, may you continue to serve with honor." Tsunade said as she gave Naruto a Jonin vest.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Naruto said, with a face splitting grin. After receiving congratulations from all in the office, Naruto left to prepare for his departure, and promotion, dinner later tonight wearing his Jonin vest.
In Iwa
"I've had the nation's best forensic accounts pull apart the transfers, tell me why did money from my black ops front make its way into shell companies that can be traced back to rain?"
"I don't know Tsuchikage-sama. We've been being hit pretty hard, someone is setting us up."
"Maybe, Deidara-kun, maybe. Or your Leader is preparing to turn on Iwa."
"All I know is what I've told you, he is pretty tight lipped about his ultimate goal. But we will start moving in a year's time, hard and fast. You really should pull Han and Roshi back to the village, they need the protection."
"They will be fine, you just keep yourself safe so you can come back home when this is all over and take this accursed hat from me."
"All in due time, Oonoki-sama. Besides, I'd rarely have time for my art if I were a kage, uhn!"
In Suna
"We'll be moving in a year, Gaara will be the first we target. Will he be ready?"
"Don't worry about Gaara, even if he should fall I have a way to get him back. How are you, you looked tired."
"I look like a 14 year old, Chiyo-baachan but I am tired. Being a rogue nin is exhausting and I really don't want to harm another Kazekage."
"You understand why that had to be done, don't you?"
"Yes but apparently Rasa was even worse. I just want to be done with this."
"I know, Sasori-kun, I know."
The day has finally come for Naruto to depart for his training with Jiraiya. He had already said his goodbyes to his friends, senseis, and ANBU squad so now it's just Jiraiya and Tsunade. Naruto noticed Tsunade looked nervous about something, and was concerned as he's never seen her nervous about anything.
"Tsunade-sama, are you ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Here I have something for you to read while away with the toads. Just know, no matter what you decide nothing will change, ok?"
"Uh, sure."
"Ok, that's enough of the sappy stuff, let's get out of here."
"Shut up, Jiraiya!" Tsunade yells as she cock backs her fist.
"Please don't break Jiraiya, it's hard enough getting the pervert to focus on training. A concussion will just make it impossible."
"Fine, fine. Well, have a good trip and stay safe."
"I will, thanks" Naruto said as he gives Tsunade a hug. Jiraiya summons Fukasaku to request they be reversed summoned and moments later Naruto finds himself in the land of the toads.
'One year' Naruto thinks to himself. While he has grown strong he knows he isn't at the level of the Akatsuki, not yet but with the tasks left to him by Danzo and Hiruzen paired with the training from Jiraiya and the toads Naruto is confident he'll get there.