Shang: Wow, I got over 200 reviews! I'm so happy! Thank you!

Kai: Well, don't think this leaves you of the hook! Shut up and listen... firstly, there's a question about who Naruto-sensei and that Sasuke guys acts around each other now... wanna comment that?

Shang: Well, you'll see. That's all I can say right now... sorry.

Kai: Okay, there's also a complain that nothing really happened in the previous chapter...

Shang: So you didn't saw Naruto using the Kyuubi and Kouba talking about his and Fugou's past as important, eh? Sorry then... I wonder if you'll be more satisfied with this one.

THANKS to everyone who review. I'm glad to know you like the story. Your advice were really useful and I hope you'll enjoy what's in stored... this is only the beginning.

Well, not much action in this one I'm afraid, but still this chappie is somewhat curtial for the whole mission part... plus, if you read carefully, you'll find out some details that can be useful in the coming part of the story.

Now, without further to do:

Chapter #24: Human Being

Chapter Cover: this one would show a frog fighting with a snake and a little in the background Naruto and Sasuke are the audiance

Naruto pushed forward his hand that was carrying the huge, red chakra orb with a wild yell: "Kitsune Rasengan!"

Kouba, not being able to dodge or block the attack just narrowed his eyes, waiting for the hit. However, to his surprise, Naruto's hand went right next to him and hit the wall, breaking it into million pieces.

The former tree-nin gave the blonde a puzzled look and only then did he noticed that his eyes returned to normal, sky-blue. "You missed on purpose…" he stated.

"Why…?" asked the blonde jounin, lowering his head.

"Are you asking why are we trying to kill that girl…" began Kouba. "Or why we search for death?" and with that last phrase his face become emotionless.

"Both, I guess…" replied Naruto with sadness in his voice.

"For the first one, I'm afraid I cannot tell…" responded the former tree-nin. "And when it comes to second… well, you should know very well why… The hatred… The loneliness… The pain… Humans are always divided by many things, but they can easily unite against someone that's different from them… they fight with each other, but they unite, to fight with other humans… an irony…"

"I still don't understand… knowing all that… why did they did this to you? I mean, your father… that girl's father… that's…"

"Humans are born to fight…" interrupted Kouba. "Guess it's just part of our nature… and since we're all warriors, it's only natural we wish to be good warriors… that's why people like us are created… humans want to created the perfect soldier, but when they achieve it, they realize that that soldier isn't human anymore… and so they make a decision to kill him or her… kinda pointless, isn't it?"

"Ninja's strength is measured by the fact he can kill someone…" Naruto recalled one of the shinobi believes. "Taking away life is supposed to be strength? Saving lives is way more difficult…"

"Humans always prefer to go on short-cuts…" announced Kouba. "That's also the reason we were created… you can gain strength by working hard… but receiving it in the way we did is so much easier… is it not?"

Naruto just lowered his head even more.

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"Seems that this battle is at it's end..." announced a male voice. The person who spoken was standing on a tree branch in the way the crown of the oak covered his figure with shadows. The only thing you could say about him because of that was the fact that he was rather short, had messy hair and that there was something shining red on his forehead. "What do you think?" and with that he turned to the other person that was with him.

The other figure was sitting with his legs crossed under the big oak. Shadow of the tree's crown was falling on him as well, but you could tell he was full of muscles from his posture. From the shape of his head you could assume he was bold, but the thing that was the strangest about him was the fact that there were ball flying around him.

"It is…" he replied shortly with a cold, metallic voice.

"I hate when you do that…" announced the one on the branch. "There's no conversation with you… you should stop being such an anti-social person, you know…"

"I didn't came here to chat…" responded the bold one. "I'm here due to our master's order and I don't feel like talking to you is needed to complete this mission… we stopped by just because you wanted to see the result of this fight… that's all…"

"Being partner with you is the major pain in the butt…" stated the shorter one. "But let's stick around until this battle ends for good…"

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"I was counting on you…" announced Kouba as Naruto backed away few steps. "With that demon's chakra you surpass us both… can't you fight like a shinobi?"

"Yeah, I know…" responded the blonde. "Shinobies fight to the death…"

"Then why won't you finish your battle?"

"Coz I'm not just a shinobi…" replied Naruto. "Above that I'm a human being… just like you are… just like that girl is… and humans deserve to live…"

"Humans, maybe…" nodded Kouba. "But, as I said, we're not…"

"YOU ARE!" yelled the blonde with his eyes turning red for a split second again. "Because being human doesn't have anything to do with your looks or abilities… to be worthy of the human title you just have to respect live… yours and others…" he got silent for a while and then continued: "Human or monster… who can decide that? Those who call other monsters just based on the first impression deserve that title as well… you are different, but we all are… that also makes us humans…"

"Respect for life?" repeated Kouba. "Both me and Fugou lost that long ago… we were created to fight… and that's what we did… guess that's also the reason why we followed Ryu: he accepted us for our abilities… we were needed…"

"Than all he saw in you were killing machines…" announced Naruto. "Fighting… it just can't be the only purpose to live…" he lowered his head once more. "I knew a person who thought like that… he fought only for himself… he thought he was alone… that even if he dies no-one would care… but it's not true… there's no such thing as unwanted life… when someone dies, his death will surely bring sorrow on somebody…"

"And who'd care about my life?"

"That girl, for example…" with that the blonde pointed Fugou who was still laying on the floor. "You are not alone… I know your pain… I suffered the same… and I do carry a demon inside… but that doesn't make me one… You aren't made a monster… you become one out of your own, free will…"

"Heh…" Kouba smirked as he walked towards Fugou. "Maybe there's some truth in what you say… guess we did became those by our own choices… every decision has it's consequences, doesn't it?" with that he lift Fugou up. "And once you make a choice you can never change your mind…"

"Yes you can…" interrupted Naruto. "People can change… all that is required is the will to do so… and it's never too late to change…"

"Uzumaki… Naruto…" recalled the former tree-nin as he turned to face the blonde. "You're an interesting guy… even though you seem dumb, you carry great wisdom with you… guess that carrying a demon inside can have a good side… But what now?"

"Leave…" said the leaf-nin with a little ordering tone. "You see that you cannot defeat me.. and I don't feel like taking away your life… especially since it's only just began…"

"I see…" Kouba smiled slightly. "I suggest you go save your students then… perhaps they're still alive…"

"No rush…" replied the blonde. "They should be fine… Besides I'll never forget this feeling… he's using THAT jutsu so his fight should be finishing soon as well…"

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"This is the end…" announced Sasuke as he charged at the swordsman with an incredible speed. "Chidori!"

"Such speed…" was the only thing Kumiko could think about at the sight of the ANBU running straight at Ryu.

"I can hardly catch up with my eyes!" Ibuki said to herself. "Is he even human?"

"So this is ANBU level…" Takaru stated in his mind.

Sasuke's hand went right through the swordsman chest, making his blood cover the area around them. Ryu began breathing heavily as a small smirk appeared on the leaf-nin's face.

"He got him!" announced Kai.

"We couldn't defeat even one of them…" Kusari reminded himself. "And this guy finished them both in such a short time… all this… my training..." his fist clenched. "At this rate, I'll never… be able to find you… brother…"

"Well, you're better then all the ANBU's I killed so far…" announced Ryu as he grabbed Sasuke's hand that pierced his chest with his left hand. "I'll die… however, I'm taking you with me…" and with that he aimed at the leaf-nins head with his huge sword.

And so the chpater ends... I know, kidna of a cliff-hanger... sorry... my exams are coming and before Monday I won't be able to update, but I believe that the 25th chapter should be submitted soon after.

Hope you enjoyed this one and that you'll tell me your opinion about it.

No jutsus this time around, so the jutsu encyklopedia can be left out.

There's not much more for me to do then to just wish you a great week and hopefully till the next update.