The God Bows Down

by Houkaru Kisaragi

When you harnessed pertinent knowledge of the future and were able to return to the past, what would you do? Naruto knew precisely what he should do to prevent an imminent catastrophe.

9. Reshaping my Reality

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"Leave now, Mei-chan."

Mei snapped at Naruto. "I'm not going to leave!"

Switching her attention to the mysterious assailant, the redhead growled. "Who are you?"

Naruto seized Mei's wrist and glared furiously at the redhead. "Mei-chan, listen to me for once! Leave now!"

"I'm not-"

"You should listen to him, woman." Tobi, garbed in a black cloak, chuckled with amusement. "It's best for you to leave. A little girl like you is unfit to stay here."

"L-Little girl?" Mei was aggravated and her eyelid twitched vigorously. Flipping out a hand seal, the redhead snarled. "That's it! Nobody calls me that! Not even my stupid brother calls me that. Because he know the consequences if he does that! Yoton: Yoryudan no Jutsu!"

"Lava Release?"Tobi remained rigid and allowed himself to be consumed by a dragon composed of scorching lava. Mei grinned triumphantly as she witnessed her attack colliding against the stranger's frame; she knew his death was guaranteed.

It was her mistake.

Leaping to the sky, Tobi emerged from the smoke and had woven a chain of seals. "Impressive, little girl. You surprised me with your fascinating Kekkei Genkai. Then again, I get surprised too easily. Doton: Doro Urufu!" (Earth Release: Mud Wolves)

Mei was astounded as the rubble from the ground started to morph into the shape of a pack of wolves. Mercilessly, the counterfeit wolves darted towards the redhead with the intent for bloodshed. Inhaling a deep breath, Mei shot out a barrage of flaming bullets at her foes. "Yoton: Yodan!" (Lava Release: Lava Bullet)

Flashing through a few hand seals, Naruto raised both hands and exclaimed, "Hyoton: Soryu Bofusetsu!" (Ice Release: Twin Dragon Blizzard)

A pair of colossal black dragons materialised from the blond's palm and they soared into the sky. Spiralling around a perplexed Tobi, the dragons eventually merged and a hurricane manifested, threatening to crush the Uchiha ancestor. The twirling twister grew exponentially and it inadvertently bought a hail of freezing snow into the territory. Naruto immediately unpacked his backpack and dug out a scroll; his assault served merely as a distraction. Biting his finger, the blond sprayed a few drops of blood onto the scroll and slammed his palm onto the paper. "Kuchiyose!"

A pen appeared in Naruto's grasp and he drew a myriad variation of complex seals on the scroll dexterously in seconds. "Mei-chan, get out of here!"

"I'm not going to retreat! I won't let that ingrate denounce my pride! And you! You're looking down on me, aren't you?" Mei puffed her cheeks in exasperation and Naruto somewhat was attracted by her unyielding tenacity. Glaring at the snowstorm, the redhead clamped her hands into a prayer motion. "Suiton: Suishoha!"

A twirling mass of water generated a tornado as it rose to the sky. Mei channelled a gargantuan quantity of chakra into her technique and her pupils emitted a bright glow. Spontaneously, Tobi had dispersed the blizzard with the extensive usage of his Sharingan's latent ability. Much to the Uchiha ancestor's dismay, the rampaging twister of liquid engulfed him. "Not again!"

Mei smirked gleefully and stared haughtily at Naruto. "See? I told you I can do it! I-"

The blond widened his eyes when he saw Tobi standing miraculously behind the redhead. Fresh, crimson blood cascaded from the edge of Mei's lips to the curvature of her chin. The redhead glared weakly to her back and spotted a kunai pierced into her back. Ruthlessly, Tobi pulled his weapon from Mei's back and watched enthusiastically as the redhead collapsed onto the ground. Chortling sadistically at Mei's demise, Tobi twisted his attention to Naruto. "I see that you care for this… girl. Why?"

The blond stared horrified at Mei's motionless frame and the pool of blood beneath her body. "M-Mei-chan… she's losing too much blood. I have to finish this seal!"

Scribbling the last segment of the intricate seals, Naruto declared boldly, "Kinjutsu: Jikukan Teishi!" (Forbidden Technique: Time-Space Halt)

Swiping his blood horizontal across the scroll, the blond articulated another command phrase, "Kinjutsu: Jikukan Shizen Hanko." (Forbidden Technique: Time-Space Nature Defiance)

Naruto stood up and connected a set of complex hand seals. "I won't play games with someone like you. Enton: Ryugadan no Jutsu!" (Blaze Release: Dragon Fang Bullet Technique)

Tobi marvelled as a pillar of black flames, resembling strikingly his clan's fabled technique, Amaterasu, took the shape of a towering dragon. The Uchiha ancestor activated his trademark, passive ability, but to his astonishment, he wasn't able to warp the atmosphere. Recalling Naruto's endeavour, Tobi realised his adversary had used a countermeasure to defy his prowess. "H-How is this possible?"

Naruto grinned, "The first forbidden technique stopped time temporarily around a radius of distance that I won't tell you. The second forbidden technique kicks the law of nature's butt and dumps it into the bin! However, that jutsu only disable a specific ability from something, in this case, your talent of distorting space. Without that ability, you're a sitting duck!"

"I wouldn't say that!" Tobi clamped his hands together and bellowed, "Doton: Doryuheki!" (Earth Release: Earth Style Wall)

Humongous plates of earth ascended from the dirt and shielded Tobi from the torrent of malicious fire. The Uchiha ancestor immediately retaliated with a swift assault. "I'll show you true terror. Doton: Jishin Reppa no Jutsu!" (Earth Release: Earthquake Destroyer Technique)

Naruto grimaced. "Mei-chan cannot fight anymore! She'll die if she stays here. Kage Bushin!"

A clone of Naruto materialised beside its master in a fog of cloud and sped towards an unconscious Mei, snatched her limp body and fled from the imminent battlefield. Sighing in relief, Naruto slammed both hands onto the ground and bit his lip. "This is one of the few techniques that I have absolutely no control over. But facing someone of his calibre… I have no choice! Ototon: Mukyu Daijishin no Jutsu!" (Sound Release: Infinite Great Earthquakes Technique)

A shockwave erupted from the ground and an enormous tidal wave of debris swam towards Tobi. Geysers of rocks emerged from the soil and rushed fiercely towards Naruto. When both assaults clashed, an overwhelming destruction occurred on the field.

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Nagato stood formally beside his new teammates. Killer B was appointed teacher to the nonchalant redhead. "Heyo! Samui-chan was qualified for the chunin exam so she left the squad! Nagato will be our new friend!"

Karui, a petite girl with crimson hair, drew out an irritated growl. "Who's this guy? He's way older than us. Are you sure he is a genin, Killer B-sensei? Judging by his age, he's definitely a loser!"

Omoi blinked. "What if he is a spy sent from an evil organization hell-bent to acquire the ultimate secret from our village? What if he succeeded and killed us all afterwards? What if he is actually the mastermind from the evil organization? If he is the mastermind, that means he has no subordinates to do his bidding! I know what he'll do to us! His goal is to take over the world and force us all to learn tango! We're doomed!"

"Shut up, Omoi!" The impetuous girl gritted her teeth in frustration. "Look at him! He's way older than us! He's definitely a dropout! And look at those scary eyes! He probably has no friends; that's why we've never heard of him!"

"I'm new to the village." Nagato responded. "And you girl, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

"Shut up, loser."

The redhead sighed.

Killer B smacked Karui's head and yelled, "Nagato is right! You shouldn't judge a book by its cover, ya fool! Apologise to ya teammate!"

"Nope!" The stubborn redhead shook her head. "Never! I'd rather die!"

The rapper rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "Whatever, punks! I'mma bring ya three to the training ground and test ya fools! If you can't beat ma training, I'mma kick you back to the academy! That goes with ya too, Nagato!"

The three genin saluted.

"Let's roll!"

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Tobi hid behind a tree and was desperately trying to reclaim his breath. "Damn that guy with those Rinnegan eyes. So the rumour is true. Those who possess the Rinnegan are granted the privilege to gain all the elements. That guy just used the Ice Release, the Blaze Release, and the ancient Sound Release. The Ototon was known as the most destructive element in the world. By manipulating the vibration in the air, he can even make people deaf. I can't transfer myself to my dimension all the time. If I'm not careful, I might have to use Izanagi."

The Uchiha ancestor growled. "I need to find his weakness. Speaking of which, how did he know my weakness? I'm sure I have never fought against that guy before. How did he know about my dimension-altering abilities? He seems to be profoundly knowledgeable of my techniques. I cannot let him ruin my plan for the future. I must exterminate that pest!"

Meanwhile, Naruto stood on a leaf atop a tree. Scanning his surroundings vigilantly, the blond clapped his hands and a pulse of inaudible, harmless shockwave emitted from his colliding palms. The sound wave scattered across the forest while Naruto's ear twitched. "I can't hear Tobi's heartbeat. He's probably trying to control his heartbeat or he's somewhere further. I have to lure him out."

Chaining a set of hand seals, Naruto slammed a palm in the air and extravagant, sophisticated seals materialised on the atmosphere. Spontaneously, a gigantic pink serpent appeared with the blond standing on top of the snake's head. "Natsumi-chan, I need your help."

"What may I do to aid you, Naruto-nii?"

"There is this enemy who knows how to travel to outer-dimension. I'm not sure if he managed to hide in his dimension or somewhere in the forest." Naruto frowned. "Can you help me find him?"

"With pleasure." Natsumi's eyes shone an electrifying red and she stuck her forked-tongue out from her mouth.

Naruto grinned, "Natsumi-chan is Shizuka-sama and Manda's only daughter. Natsumi-chan inherited all of her parent's latent ability and her passive powers allow her to smell any enemy from across a country. She also has infrared-red receptors, giving her the capability to detect thermal radiation from afar. Nothing can escape Natsumi-chan's eyes and tongue. Not even Tobi can escape from Natsumi-chan's tracking abilities."

Tobi sensed a disturbance in the air and swirled around, only to notice a humongous cobra glaring at him from afar. "I-Is that his summon?"

Naruto completed his hand seals and yelled aloud with Natsumi in unison. "Dokuton: Daidokudan no Jutsu!" (Poison Release: Great Poison Bullet Technique)

Tendrils of purple liquid gathered into a virulent sphere and it grew gradually before the blond and the snake. Tobi dropped to the ground and sped away before a massive globe of toxic fluid shot towards him. The Uchiha ancestor hastily wove a set of seals and muttered, "What the hell? Poison Release? How did that guy know so much? Katon: Karyuheki!" (Fire Release: Fire Style Wall)

A gate of flames rose behind Tobi's back and shielded the Uchiha ancestor from the orb of poison. When Naruto and his cobra's assault slammed into the burning wall, it sprayed its acid onto the fire and miraculously melted the flames, much to Tobi's consternation. "The Dokuton is capable of melting fire? How is that possible? Just how many elements does he know? Hyoton, Enton, Ototon and Dokuton? That's too much! And he's an expert in fuinjutsu. I need to formulate a new plan to beat him and retrieve his eyes!"

Naruto exclaimed, "Natsumi-chan, I want you to dig underground. When I give you the signal, you stop him from escaping. Understand?"

"Understood," The pink cobra said and burrowed into the ground, while the blond dove towards Tobi. "You ain't running this time! Mokuton: Mokusatsu Shibari no Jutsu!" (Wood Release: Smothering Binding Technique)

The Uchiha ancestor was petrified when the trees in his vicinity shifted ominously before their branches blitzed towards him. It was unavoidable and Tobi was captured by countless wood tendrils, wrapping him in a death grip. Naruto landed gracefully beside an imprisoned Tobi and grinned. "I got you now, Tobi."

"You know of my identity. Just who are you?" The masked man snarled.

"I am the man who will make you my bitch." Naruto seized his kunai strapped from his waist and he threw it at Tobi. "Prepare to die!"

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Nagato grasped his hands, flexed his fingers and unfurled them, only to reveal a miniature white rabbit sitting on his palm. Karui resisted her urge to squeal at the sight of the vulnerable, little bunny. It was sniffing the air and grooming itself adorably. Puffing its cheeks, the kit that resembled a fluffy cotton ball blinked at Karui. "This is Nito. He likes carrot and strawberry."

Another two tiny white bunnies materialised on Nagato's shoulder and they squealed cheerfully. The redhead stroked the bunnies' heads with his finger and smirked. "This is Nimo and this is Niko. They are triplets who have telepathic powers. In another words, they can communicate via brainwaves. Karui-san, please have Nimo. Handle her with care. Omoi-san, please take Niko with you. She likes to nibble on cloths so be wary of her habits. We will use the triplets to communicate with each other. Don't worry, their telepathy stretches to a distance of a twenty-seven miles radius."

"That's quite far." Omoi placed the bunny on his shoulder and stroked his chin. "What if the bunnies decide not to communicate with each other? What if they can't remember what we have to say? What if Karui falls in love with her bunny and abandons duty? If we fail our mission, Killer B-sensei will bust our as-"

"Shut up, Omoi!" Karui hit her friend's head violently and blushed. "I do not like cute balls of joy! I absolutely loathe… loathe…"

The impulsive redhead stared at the kitten, which was sniffing her scent and patting her palm with her tiny paw. Karui swallowed hard. "I… I…"

Nagato rolled his eyes and deadpanned. "We don't have much time. Killer B wishes for us to find him and beat him. Obviously, genin like you can't do the latter so-"

"W-Wait, hold up a minute!" Karui placed a hand on her hip and pointed a finger at her fellow redhead. "You talk as if we're weaker than you!"

"Anyway, the two of you will do back-ups. When I give you the signal, you attack."

Omoi shrugged. "I'm fine with that."

"Well, I'm not." Karui protested.

"Majority wins. Let's go." Nagato dashed into the woods, much to Karui's aggravation.

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Naruto stared at the silhouette of Tobi, who had escaped his projectiles and stood atop a tree. "That Kiri headband… Since you know my true identity, then that means you must be the one who freed Terumi Yagura from my illusion."

"That's right." The blond folded his arms and smirked. "Only someone who possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan can hope to control a jinchuriki. Currently, you are the only member from the Uchiha clan who possesses the Mangekyo Sharingan. However, no matter how powerful your Sharingan becomes, you are but inferior to me. Before my eyes, all of your jutsu are useless. I will show you what a real God can do. I will make you understand… fear!"

"You must be the descendent of the Rikudo Sennin. You are strong, I must hand it to you. But you're naïve!" Activating the Mangekyo Sharingan, Tobi roared wrathfully, "I will show you despair! Amaterasu!"

Black inferno charged ferociously towards Naruto and Tobi chortled malevolently. The Uchiha ancestor groaned as blood dripped from his eyes as it was a strenuous process. Naruto grinned and knitted a multifarious set of foreign hand seals, which intrigued Tobi. Clasping his hands together, Naruto released a black orb of menacing power. "Tenton: Kuroshinju." (Heaven Release: Black Pearl)

Tobi blanched in horror. "N-No way! The Heaven Release? That's a myth! That's not possible! There's no such thing-"

"I've prepared this for you. This is the Black Pearl, the technique that sucks all life force into it. Such a deadly technique, you couldn't help but wonder why it belongs under the category of the divine Heaven Release." Naruto grinned, "I'll tell you. The Heaven Release is created by the Rikudo Sennin. In the past when the great sage was choosing his heir, he entrusted his two sons with the forbidden Tenton. The oldest son used his newfound knowledge to craft more destructive jutsu, believing that his powers would bring peace to the world. However, the youngest son never relied on the Heaven Release; but instead, he used its philosophy to understand the virtue of life."

Blue markings, tattooed on Naruto's arms, traced towards the blond's palms and it illuminated in a dynamic glow; Naruto was transmitting an abundance of raw chakra into the orb. The dark flames exploding from Tobi's eyes were swiftly directed towards the black sphere and it was absorbed entirely by the vacuum. "The sons shared contradicting beliefs and without a choice, they fought. The oldest son fared well; after all, he was the eldest. The youngest son knew he couldn't beat someone who had mastered the Heaven Release. He, too, used the Heaven Release and created a technique that held similar properties as the Rikudo Sennin's prowess. The youngest son invented the Kuroshinju to defeat his elder brother."

When the last flicker of flames were consumed by the orb, Naruto vanished into a swirl of whirlwind and reappeared behind Tobi. "I have poured my chakra into this orb. You have done the same as well. So, let us imagine what would happen if this black pearl, containing the suppressed energy of both of our powers, detonated inside a human's body? I think you know the answer. Let's try this out, shall we?"

Tobi widened his eyes as Naruto injected the sinister orb into his back. It was then the Uchiha ancestor realised that he had retained his powers, but it was too late. "So the kinjutsu he used has a duration period! He knew he couldn't stop me for the entire time so he planned to take me down like this! Damn it!"

A calamitous explosion erupted within the centre of the field.

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"Can you hear me?" Nimo, Karui's bunny and a living walkie-talkie, squeaked. "This is Kickass speaking, over."

"Why are you Kickass, Omoi?" The redheaded girl growled at the kitten. "I want to be Kickass."

"Karui-san, you're Bitch-slap and Omoi-san is Kickass. I am Egg-tart! Our monikers are settled! Just go along with it." Nimo spoke on behalf for Nagato.

"Damn it! Why am I Bitch-slap?" Karui sighed. "So what's the plan?"

Nimo giggled. "This is Kickass speaking. I can't hear you, Karui. You're supposed to end your sentence with over. And you too, Nagato, please say, 'over' when you finish talking, over."

"This is Egg-tart speaking. Understood, over."

Karui groaned. "I ain't say no over in this shit!"

"This is Kickass speaking. You ain't saying no what, over?"

"I said I ain't say no over in this shit!"

"This is Kickass speaking. You're not cooperating, over."

"This is Egg-tart speaking. Bitch-slap, if you don't cooperate and continue dawdling, we will ultimately fail this test and get kicked back to the academy, over."

The redheaded girl clenched her fist in vexation; she knew jeopardising the mission for the sake of her mere pride was unfruitful. Screaming her tantrum with resentment, Karui spoke infuriately, "Fine! This is Bitch-slap speaking! Copy that, over?"

"This is Kickass speaking. I see that you have made up your mind, Bitch-slap. Now, we will proceed with the plan. Egg-tart, please guide us, over."

"This is Egg-tart speaking. Roger that, Kickass, over."

Karui sighed. "I'm so not hanging out with the two of you when this is over."

"This is Kickass speaking. When this is what, over?"

"I said I'm not gonna hang out with ya two jackasses when this is over!"

"This is Kickass speaking. When this is what? You gotta finish your sentence, over."

"I said… w-wait, I'm supposed to say, 'over' even when I finished my sentence with over?"

"This is Kickass speaking. When you finished your sentence with what, over?"

The redheaded girl heaved a heavy sigh. "I'm so gonna kill you when this is over, Omoi!"

"When this is wh-"

"THAT'S IT!" Karui stood up from her spot rashly. Killer B, who was studying the landscape, spotted Karui yelling at a bunny in her grasp and he immediately jumped at the girl. "I found ya now, Karui-chan!"

The redheaded girl yelped and swivelled her sight, only to see her teacher charging at her with blades drawn.

"Bansho Ten'in!"

Killer B was unexpectedly pulled to the side of the terrain, much to his shock. Nagato grinned as the rapper flew to his direction. "Do it now, Omoi-san!"

Omoi emerged from the bushes and sent a flying kick at his teacher's face. The rapper performed acrobatic flips in the air and dropped to the ground. Nagato sped towards Killer B in hyper acceleration and threw a kunai at his foe. The rapper swung his blade and deflected the projectile's trajectory. Without hesitation, Killer B launched a fist towards Nagato, but the redhead ducked faultlessly and elbowed the rapper's arm before delivering a devastating knee into his foe's gut.

Retreating, Nagato stood on the other side of the battlefield and flipped a hand seal. "Onmyoton Ougi: Kin!" (Secret Art of the Yin-Yang Release: Seal)

Killer B was stuck in a stupor as he was immobilised by unforeseen forces. "W-What is this? Since when-"

"Since when I counterattacked your punch." Nagato smirked. "You have lost, B-san."

The rapper's eyebrow twitched. "Those kids didn't do-"

"Karui-san was the bait, B-san. She lured you out. Omoi-san served as the distraction and I'm the attacker. Without them, this plan wouldn't work, so they deserve some credit."

Killer B sighed. "Fine. You guys win. Now free me!"

Karui, still frozen from shock, gawked. "H-He is that powerful? He just defeated Killer B-sensei without much effort! But why is he still a genin?"

"Are you alright, Karui-san?" Nagato smiled at the girl, who was in a trance.

"I-I'm fine…"

"That's good. We have a mission tomorrow morning. Have a good night rest." The enigmatic redhead bid goodbye and disappeared into a twister of flames.

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"So how do you feel, Tobi-san?" Naruto emphasised his foe's name with a mixture of disdain and mockery. "Does it hurt much?"

Tobi covered an eye as his breaths laboured. Half of his mask was shattered and he had lost an arm, leaving a macabre mess. "D-Damn it! Damn it! That guy actually forced me to use Izanagi! If I didn't resort to Izanagi, I would be dead! Unforgivable! T-This humiliation! This power! Just what is he? He pushed me to the point of sacrificing an eye just to escape that technique! Not even Senju Hashirama could do that! T-That bastard…"

The Uchiha ancestor stood up groggily and weakly formed a hand seal with one hand. "I will never forget this."

"Trying to escape? Natsumi, now!"

The pink cobra rose from the ground and lunged at Tobi. To Natsumi's surprise, her serpentine body phased through Tobi's body.

"I will be back. And I will destroy." Tobi's body sunk into the ground and his presence vanished. Natsumi sighed and stared apologetically at her master. "I'm sorry, Naruto-nii. I failed."

"Don't worry. We'll get him next time. Thanks for your help." Naruto stroked the cobra's head and she disappeared into a fog of clouds. "Madara, Tobi, or whatever you are, you know where Yagura is, but you better pray to god I don't find out where you are. Because if I do, well… too bad for you."

Naruto sighed and ran to a cave located at the borders of Kusagakure. Pumping chakra into his feet, Naruto's speed was boosted to an ungodly degree as he practically flew to his designated destination. When the blond arrived to the entrance of the cave, he scurried into the darkness and smelled the pungent odour of ammonia and dried blood. Naruto perceived Mei's fragrance and travelled deeper into the cave and found the redhead, lying unconscious on the ground. "This place sure stinks."

Hoisting Mei bridal-style, Naruto sauntered out of the cave and gently placed the redhead on the ground. Scrutinising Mei's wounds, Naruto sighed and undressed her, much to Mei's displeasure. The redhead stirred and managed a weak groan, "I-I might be vulnerable… but don't you… dare take advan-"

"I'm not going to take advantage of you." The blond's palm emanated a soothing green glow and he said softly, "But if I don't treat your wounds, you will risk infection and unwittingly death. Alright, if I take advantage of you, I'm allowing you to castrate me. Happy?"

Mei grunted from the sting of her injury and conceded reluctantly. Naruto transferred his chakra into Mei's body in order to replenish her body's lost energy. In the meantime, he struggled to ameliorate the redhead's dire condition. "My healing power is mediocre at best. It will take a while before your wound can be completely healed up. This is a crucial period. Do not fall asleep. If you do… well… Yagura will kill me."

Naruto sighed and regained his focus.

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(A day later…)

Konan sighed for the umpteenth time in her throne. Everything was going smoothly for her, which meant boredom. According to Naruto's plan, she was up to pace. The ninja within Amegakure was still oblivious of the fact that Hanzo was dead. It was still not the time for her to disclose Hanzo's death to the public, which meant she had to continue camouflaging herself in the shadows. "I hate this. How did Naruto-kun talk me into this?"

A guard came barging into the chamber and yelled maniacally. "Konan-sama! Konan-sama! Konan-sa-"

"Shut up!" Konan rolled her eyes. "I'm the only one here. If you talk, I can hear you! You don't need to scream. What's going on?"

"M-My apologies, Konan-sama." Reclaiming his breath, the guard muttered meekly. "Uh… there are Konoha ninja invading our territories. They didn't flash warrant and decapitated our troops without warning. Should we inform Hanzo-sama?"

"There is no need to. Hanzo-sama has given me the right to handle such trivial cases. Hanzo-sama is a busy man; he doesn't need to be bothered by a few worms crawling in our turf. I will meet the Konoha ninja personally." Konan dissipated her body into sheets of paper.

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(In Kirigakure…)

"I cannot tolerate that man's existence!" Zabuza roared. "His existence only brings shame to us!"

"I agree." Ringo nodded. "But we cannot kill him."

"How unfortunate." Mangetsu sulked.

"Then we can drug his food with some diarrhoea pills!" Jinpachi said.

Kushimaru scoffed. "Childish."

Jinin stroked his chin and contemplated. "That's not really childish, Kushimaru-san. The world is cruel, that's why we must fight with cruelty! If we can't kill him, we can cruelly torture him."

"Awesome idea!" Mangetsu grinned.

"I think it's a great plan too." Ringo snickered.

"Then I got what you need." Fuguki dug in his pocket and retrieved a packet of powder. "The next time we meet, just spray this colourless, odourless and tasteless powder into his drinks and he'll suffer the consequences of defaming the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

The swordsmen cheered.

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(Two days ago…)

"When you find an opportunity, give this to your comrades and lure them to poison Uzumaki Naruto, Fuguki-san. When Naruto dies, you will just put the blame on the other swordsmen. You don't need to be a scapegoat. What's most important is to destroy that man. Terumi Yagura is a failure, unfit to be the ruler for Kirigakure. Uzumaki Naruto is a threat to the village of Kirigakure. They must be exterminated."

"I understand, elder lord."

"Good. This time, make sure that man dies!"

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Mei opened her eyes and saw her vision whirling. When she regained the ability to adjust her eyesight, she saw Naruto staring at her in close proximity. She yelped, but felt a jolt of pain surging through her body; the particular sting from her back was worrisome. "You're injured. Stop thrashing around, geez."

"I-I don't need your help!"

Naruto chuckled and joked, "Yeah, I should just watch your wound rot and laugh at your grave. Ha, ha, ha!"

Mei glared at the blond and muttered, "I won't say thank you."

"I don't expect it." Naruto sighed. "Seriously, you're a girl. At the very least, behave like one."

The redhead blushed. "A-Are you saying I'm not a girl?"

"You have the looks, but you're just lacking…" Naruto tapped his chin and pondered, "Lacking some… criteria."

"Your mouth only speaks garbage." Mei huffed. "After all, I am one of the Nanatsu Megami no Kiri." (Seven Great Goddesses of the Mist)

Naruto arched a curious brow. "Goddess?"

"The Nanatsu Megami no Kiri represents the seven strongest kunoichi in my village." Mei smirked proudly. "Since the establishment of my village, the female ninja competed against each other to become the strongest. The seven strongest kunoichi whose strength rivals each other will become the Nanatsu Megami no Kiri. I'm tougher than you think I am. The Seven Great Goddesses of the Mist is a similar organization to the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. We are the best of the best and our direct superior is the Mizukage, no one else."

"Wow, that sounds awesome. Ain't wanna mess with a goddess like you." Naruto grinned and pointed a finger at the redhead's pleasant smile. "Yeah, keep smiling. It will do you good. As they always say, keep a smile everyday and you get to keep sickness away!"

Mei flushed a pink tint on her cheeks and looked away. "Full of nonsense…"

"Alright, have a grilled honey chicken." Naruto handed a skewer of delicious cooked chicken to the redhead. "I cooked it especially for you. I even got stung by the bees just to get a pot of honey for you. Come on, eat some."

Grabbing the stick of chicken, Mei sighed. "Who is that man? You seemed to know him."

The doleful atmosphere somewhat became depressive as a shadow cast over Naruto's eyes. "He is someone you don't want to know. Besides, even if I tell you, you wouldn't understand."

"Why wouldn't I understand? Are you implying I'm stupid?" Mei snarled.

"No! I'm just saying…" Naruto stared at the redhead and sighed. The blond stood up and dusted his pants. "Never mind, you wouldn't understand. I'll go do some stretching at the outdoors."

"What about your chicken?"

"Rain check!" Naruto dashed out from the cave.

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"We're here for Hanzo!" Yahiko demanded.

"He is not going to meet you, Konoha ninja. Please leave our village at once." Konan deadpanned.

"I am Jiraiya, little girl." The white-haired man said, "We like to have an audience-"

"No." The blue-haired woman interjected. "Leave, or you'll be labelled as trespassers. You have been warned."

A blond who looked awfully similar to Naruto walked forward. "Please, we need to see him."

Konan stared with curiosity at the blond and muttered, "Who are you?"

"I'm Namikaze Minato."

The blue-haired woman widened her eyes in recognition of the existence of her nemesis. "Namikaze?"

"I-Is there a problem?" Jiraiya sensed a murderous bloodlust emitting from Konan.

"I am Shikigami Konan. Would you believe me if I said I have no problem with a Namikaze?"

Upon recognising Konan's clan, Jiraiya was startled. "Oh, shit! The Namikaze is responsible for destroying the Shikigami. The two of them are born enemies!"

Yahiko scoffed. "Whatever, woman! We're going and you're not going to stop us."

Konan narrowed her eyes analytically at the orange-haired ninja. "It seems Nagato's brainwashing technique works. He has no idea who I am or what happened to Hanzo. That's good. As for him, Namikaze Minato…"

"We don't have the time to stand here chatting with you, woman!" Yahiko stormed forward. "Back off-"

A cut embedded on the orange-haired ninja's cheeks, much to his stupefaction. "You cannot beat me. Leave or die!"

Jiraiya sighed bitterly. "It seems we cannot move forward without defeating her."

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Tobi, scathed with numerous injuries, returned to his headquarters while gasping for breaths. Zetsu rushed to his creator's side and exclaimed in panic. "Tobi-sama, w-what happened?"

"A-Advance our production!"

"B-But sir…"

"DO IT!"

Zetsu nervously elaborated, "Shodaime Hokage's cells are precious, sir. If we ruin the DNA structure within the cells, we might risk genetic mutation. The pure cells will be tainted and we will not obtain adequate results. The production of your army will not be fulfilled. If we pushed the schedule in advance, it will only destroy our plans. If you wish to speed the process up, it will take at least eight years to gain a sufficient amount of soldiers. Tobi-sama, we must wait, no matter what."

In a fit of rage, Tobi slammed a fist onto the ground and yelled, "Damn it! Damn it all!"

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Sorry for the late update. I have not drank from the fountain of youth lately. But I will. Youth EXPLODES!

Pairing:
1.) NarutoXKonan (Confirmed)
2.) NarutoXMei
3.) NarutoXShizune
4.) NarutoXKoyuki
5.) NarutoXAnko
6.) NarutoXKurenai
7.) NarutoXPakura
8.) NarutoXHarem

a.) NagatoXMabui
b.) NagatoXShizune
c.) NagatoXKurenai
d.) NagatoXYugito
e.) NagatoXSamui
f.) NagatoXHarem

Please review