The Woren of Uzu no Kuni

by Foxcomm

When Naruto turned eight, something began to happen. He changed, growing fur and a tail. 'What do you mean I'm a WOREN' rated T for language.

6. Chapter 6

"This was an act of war!" one of the council of Suna shouted. "It's obvious that these creatures are too dangerous to let live!"

"And what are we to do," another shouted. "There is only one known entrance to Uzu no Kuni!"

"And let us not forget, all reports have said there have been three individuals that have brought a Kage to their knees," an old woman said to them. "Deis that attacked Konoha, an 'Uzumaki'. Rand Althor with Kiri. And now this Bleu with the Kazekage! What if more of these individuals are there with the same or even greater power! The Hokage himself said that all the ninja of Konoha were unable to stop their attacker. The same with ours. And Kiri is now aligned with them."

"Are you suggesting we let them get away with this attack! They killed the Kazekage, they kidnapped his children! I can't even imagine the horrors they must be going through even now!"

—oo000oo—

"WHEE! Faster kaasan," Gaara cheered as an elemental flew him and his siblings around through the air!

"Alright, Gaara-kun," Bleu said with a helpless smile before willing the elemental to fly faster.

"AAGGHH!" he screamed in excitement.

Kankuro and Temari watched Gaara fly about and looked to each other before Bleu. "Me next, me next!" Kankuro said, hopping up and down.

Temari pushed him out of the way. "No, me please, Bleu…kaasan," she said the last word a little oddly, unsure if she should.

"You can call me kaasan, Temari-chan," Bleu told her before waving her hands and both Temari and Kankuro were picked up by elementals. As they flew around laughing, Bleu smiled and said, "What sweet children. But phewy, I don't get a cute little tanuki later."

—oo000oo—

"As horrible as it probably is, we can't do much at this moment in time," the woman said. "It would be foolhardy to try anything without knowing anything about them. And the most trustworthy source of information just happens to be Yagura. So we are without anything."

"How would you like information," a voice said, entering the room. The man had silver eyes with the sclera black instead of white. His headband was from Taki but it bore a scratch through it, marking a missing ninja.

"Who are you and how did you get inside the council chambers," a chunin with the left half of his face covered by a cloth named Baki demanded, dropping into a ready position to fight him.

"I am Kakuzu, I represent a group of mercenaries called Akatsuki, and I got here through the abilities of one of my associates. And I'm here because we heard about the incident with Uzu and your Kazekage. One of us was so impressed he had a poster of it made to hang on his wall."

"I'm glad death is so meaningless to you," one of the elders growled. "What do you want!"

"To make money, of course. Why else become a mercenary? That being said, I come bearing information." He held up a disc, "Everything on the three individuals that you were just talking about that we were able to find plus several other important figures and general information of the four main clans. We guaranty accuracy."

"Uh huh," Baki said, still ready to attack. "How do we know that's what you say?"

"This." Kakuzu walked around to the speakers stand, set a display on it, and inserted the disc. The screen powered on and it showed a picture of a blue haired woman with her lower body being that of a snake. "This is your attacker, is it not?" He took their scowls as an affirmative. "Her name is Deis, but is more commonly known as Bleu. The woman is a flirt by all accounts and usually has no problem scouting among the young to elderly for a potential one night stand or long term love interest. Our information says that she is older than Uzu itself."

"No person is that old," someone interrupted.

"Sure no one is," Kakuzu said sarcastically. "Chiyo, Ebizo, do you two recognize me?" he asked the oldest there.

"Heh," the old man said before stretching. "Yeah, yeah, haven't changed a bit," he mumbled.

"When was the last time we met," Chiyo wondered. "Twenty five years ago?"

"Forty," Kakuzu corrected.

"We get it," Baki interjected. "Extreme old age with agility isn't unheard of but that would make her thousands of years old."

"Correct," Kakuzu replied. "This information is known by even the school children in Uzu. I even have information on how she does what she does."

"How," the first of the elders asked.

"I'm afraid that is all for the free sample on Bleu." He changed the screen to show a red haired woman that made Chiyo widen her eyes.

"It's her, the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero Uzumaki Kushina!"

"You are close, Chiyo-chan," Kakuzu said with a smirk. "This is her mother, Uzumaki Deis. She is the most prominent member to ever come from the Ryu clan and is the wife is the head of the Uzumaki clan, Uzumaki Rei. It is believe she was the student of Bleu, which would be consistent with their similar abilities and age. She is said to be able to change into a giant dragon over a hundred feet tall that breaths out lightning. I don't know if it is true or not but that is what is said. She attacked Konoha a few years ago. She entered and left without a scratch. And finally," it changed to show Rand Althor. "Rand Althor, the leader of the Rand clan. Despite his size, he is actually a very gentle man and is, of all things, a 'paladin'. A warrior priest. Reports say he dislikes violence and regrets that he is so good at it. Even so, no one doubts that he is a capable warrior and will not hesitate to kill someone if he must. He was that one that 'attacked' Yagura during negotiations, breaking a seal that had been controlling the Mizukage."

Kakuzu turned it off and removed the disc. "…And that has everything known about them?"

"That and more," Kakuzu promised. "It also has a list of known members of the Uzushiogakure, the 'ninja' force of Uzu. This is only a small fraction of immediately ready warriors compared to all the war ready of the entirety of the land. And a rough estimate of their numbers."

"What is your price?"

"Ten million ryo. Plus any information you have on bijuu, especially their known locations."

"Five million," the second elder bargained.

"Non-negotiable. Ten million and the information take it or leave it."

"Give us five minutes to discuss please," Baki asked.

Kakuzu nodded and walked out. At the door, he stopped a moment and said, "Chiyo, Ebizo, you should know I have only grown in strength since our last meeting."

"Figured that already," Chiyo laughed. "Old fuddy duddy."

"You should hardly be calling anyone old, oneechan," Ebizo stated.

"Bah," she scoffed. When he was back in the hall, the council looked to each other and began to discuss if it was worth it. "Pay him," Chiyo said after a minute of the rest arguing. "For all he is, he doesn't break a deal."

"…We should do it," Baki agreed. "We need information direly. For all we know, they spent these years in seclusion preparing for an invasion." When they all agreed, Baki stood and walked out. "Kakuzu-san, we will pay."

"Excellent. Upon delivery, you shall get the disc." He shook Baki's hand and sat down to wait, ready for any treachery they might think of. They went through with the deal.

Back inside the council room, they began playing to full information Akatsuki had gathered. Even still, information was obvious it was hard to come by as the youngest bits are a year old. After that, it became completely impossible to enter Uzu unnoticed. Baki, as one of the lead military advisers there, didn't like it. Their numbers could be greater than they were told, and even if they weren't it didn't look promising. What did look promising was the chance to get a spy in as they had sent messages to all the Uzu outside the country to call them back home.

—oo000oo—

"Cousin," Mina and Nina said, hugging a woman in her fifties.

"Careful, careful, I'm not as young as I used to be," a woman with bright red hair said as she hugged them back. "I brought all the Uzumaki from Ame I could find," she stated. "But my sister and her family are gone. I haven't seen them since the war. Poor little Nagato, he was only seven then."

"That's why everyone is coming back," Mina promised. "Safety. We never should have spread out, they can't be trusted."

"Yes, yes, too war like. Enough is never enough for them," Nina agreed. "But not anymore, everyone's been coming back." Looking behind the elder Uzumaki, she walked over to the boat and helped an old man down.

"Oh ho ho," he chuckled, popping his back as he shook out his tail and fur. "Good to be home, good to be home," he said, taking in the smell of the air. "I haven't been here since Lady Deis lost her husband. Tell me, how is she doing?"

"She's a mother again," Nina and Mina said happily. "Her daughter is Carol and her grandson is Naruto," Mina continued.

"Naruto is such a good older brother too. He loves Carol to death," Nina finished.

"And Deis?"

"Lady Bleu is fine, has a few children of her own to care for now," princess Rand Amelia said to him. "A tanuki boy, a little girl, and an older boy."

"Good, good," the old man said before seeing a butterfly. He almost chased after it like when he was younger but decided not to.

"Ah, here comes another boat now," Amelia said, going over to meet them.

Nina and Mina began taking account of who all were coming back. They were saddened by how many had died from getting caught in the crossfire between the Five Nations and other villages. In their opinion, it was the best decision ever. "It's nice to be having the whole family back again," Mina said to Nina.

"And it looks like they'll be here for Halloween, too," Nina stated excitedly.

Everyone began to smile at that. Halloween was almost as big as Christmas in Uzu. "And what will be the center this year?"

Nina and Mina grinned, "A wizard dual!"

"Between Sora Merlin," Nina began.

"And Madam Ryu Mim," Mina finished.

A child close by blinked and asked, "Madam Mim? As in Mad Madam Mim that my mommy told me about?"

"The same," Nina and Mina replied happily. "We can't wait!"

—oo000oo—

In a field surrounded by almost all the residents of Uzu no Kuni, stood two individuals. One was a man about middle age with a long beard and the other was a woman with an ageless appearance that could be obtained only through magic. "Now if you don't mind I'll make the rules."

"Rules indeed," Merlin's owl huffed on a nearby tree branch. "Bah, why she only wants rules so she could break them."

"I'll deal with you soon, feather brains. Rule one, no plants or minerals, only animals. Rule two, no make believe things like… oh, pink phoenixes and stuff. Now, rule three, no disappearing," she said before reaching up and pinching Merlin's nose.

Merlin huffed and said, "Rule four, no cheating."

"Fine, fine, fine, we'll turn around and march ten paces."

Out in the crowds, Carol turned to her mother. "Kaasan, what is this?"

"A wizard duel, sweetie," Deis said. "It's a contest often used to settle differences through strength of wit. Used to be it was to the death but we stop that now."

"Death!"

"Just watch, you'll get the idea very quickly."

"What about what the owl said," Naruto asked. "About her breaking rules?"

"Rules are just a formality in this. They are there but almost no one pays attention to them. I promise Merlin will stick to them but Madam Mim won't. They are just a reminder for it to not get out of hand."

"Okay," her children said before looking back.

Merlin and Madam Mim stood back to back. "Ten paces, Merlin," Mim said, smiling. "On my count; one, two, three, four, heh, heh, heh." She vanished as she started chuckling.

"Merlin, she disappeared," the owl warned.

Merlin spun around and said, "Madam, you made the rules!" Behind him, a set of teeth and eyes appeared followed by a red alligator. She began to snap at him only for Merlin to notice her and puff into smoke. She bit down on his hat and found something inside. Giggling, she grabbed the hat and reached inside.

"OW!" She pulled her hand out with a turtle biting her finger. She waved it around a bit and the turtle flew off. Seeing Merlin land on his shell, she got down and began waddling over to him.

"Merlin, change into something else," the owl called.

Merlin bit a grass and used it to pull himself back on his feet. "Yes, yes, just give me a moment to think!" He hopped a bit and changed into a hare just before Mim bit down on his tail. Merlin pulled away and looked at his furless tail. "Madam! Just a minute!" He marched back over and grabbed his tail still caught in her jaws. "This is not a toy!" He began to pull only for the jaws holding the tails to change into the arms of a laughing fox. Merlin jumped almost three feet into the air before running with Mim chasing after him.

"Change into something bigger," the owl encouraged while Mim chased Merlin into a log.

"I got you now, Merlin! …Merlin? No disappearing," she scolded only for this blue caterpillar to crawl out of a hole on top. Panting, Merlin moved up a branch while Mim looked out the hole. "Oh ho ho!" Merlin moved to the top of the branch while Mim came out as a plump red chicken. "Oh ho, ha ha ha, cluck cluck, peacock!" she laughed while jumping up and biting him on the butt. She began to pull down, stretching Merlin out until the branch sling shot him up in the air. At the peak of his flight, Merlin looked down to see Mim getting ready until him to eat him. So, instead of staying a worm, he expanded into a walrus and landed right on top of her.

Merlin looked around and said, "Mim? Mim, are you alright? Whoa, whoa, what's going on here!" Under Merlin, Mim changed into an elephant and wrapped her trunk around his neck, pulling him off her and in front of her face.

"You, you big blimp!" Mim said, getting mad. Merlin didn't look afraid; he just played an old cliché. He turned into a mouse and squeaked at Mim, making her scream, drop him, and run away. Merlin began to chase her before Mim changed into a fat tiger and began chasing him. "Eh ha ha ha! Squash me, will you!" She jumped into the air, coming down right where Merlin was with a loud crash. "Got him!" But Merlin had dived into a rabbit hole and came up behind Mim, picked up her tail, and was going to bite it. He didn't notice that the tail grew a rattle snakes' rattle at the end. "Ah ah ah, Merlin," Mim hissed before biting at him. Merlin escaped this time by pushing her tail into her mouth to bite. "Ouch! Ooh!" She pulled her body close and glared after the fleeing mouse. Merlin went into another rabbit hole, followed by Mim. "Just you wait, just you wait; you're going to pay!" Merlin came out the other end and moved a rock over the hole. Mim crashed into it, pushing it off while showing everyone her dazed face before sinking back down the hole. All the spectators were cheering for their favored mage and laughing a bit.

Merlin took a breath before changing into a crab. Mim poked her head up, saw him about to pinch her with a claw. She ducked down in time for Merlin to pinch nothing and pushed her head up under it. His other claw tried to pinch her and she ducked back down again. This happened three more times like a sadistic game of whack a mole until something besides a snake head came from it. Merlin pinched it only to find no give on it. It was a rhino horn. "So you want to play rough do you," Mim asked as she forced herself from the ground. She turned around and ran for a tree, making the people around it scatter. "Alright Merlin, I'll smash you, you old bag!"

"Jumping Jehoshaphat!" Merlin let go of the horn and jumped off before she burst through it and got caught in it. "Here I come, Mim, ready or not!" He changed into a ram and ran right for her rear end.

"Merlin you wouldn't dare!" Merlin slammed right into her, throwing her and the tree several yards. "AAGGHH!"

Merlin took a deep breath before letting out a sigh. Only for the tree to burst into fire and a purple phoenix rose up from the ashes. "Now Mim, no, no phoenixes!"

"Did I say purple phoenixes! DID I!" She breathed fire at Merlin only for people to start booing. "Oh hush, you! It's between me and Merlin!"

"Don't make me interfere, Mim," Deis called out; silencing everyone and making Mim wilt a little.

Merlin stood back up, once again human, and dusted himself off. "That's quite alright, Milady, I can handle this."

"As you wish, Merlin," Deis said before sitting back down. "Watch, Merlin is about to win."

Mim took a deep breath, nodded to Merlin to see if he was ready to continue and Merlin nodded back. Merlin then started running, changing into a mouse and diving into a rabbit hole to escape the fire she was throwing at them. Mim looked down the hole and breathed fire into it, forcing Merlin up and out of the hole and into the air where she caught him in her claws. "Oh hoo hoo! I win, I win!" She opened her claws only for Merlin to have vanished.

"He's gone," the owl said in shock. "Disappeared?"

"Madam," Merlin said from around her, "I have not disappeared, I'm very tiny. I'm a germ, a rare disease. I'm called malignalitaloptereosis. And you caught me, Mim!"

"WHAT!" Mim shouted, making the owl and many others laugh.

"First you should break out into spots." Even as he said it, red dots began to cover her body. "Followed by hot and cold flashes." She went from purple to red and the blue. "Ha ha, and violent sneezing."

"Ah…ah…ACHOO!" A gout of fire burst from Mim. "Ooh! You, you, you sneaky scoundrel you!" She landed and looked to be in a really bad mood as she changed back and Merlin reappeared.

"Do you concede defeat, madam?"

Mad Madam Mim glared at him a moment before smiling. "Got me again, you old coot. Don't worry; I'll get you next time!"

"I'm sure you will," Merlin said, bending his back a little to get it to pop. "Ooh. Sometimes I feel like I'm too old for this."

"Bah, you're only forty seven."

"Some of us age more gracefully than others, Mim," Merlin countered. It was well known Madam Mim used magic to slow her aging and keep herself youthful. Merlin on the other hand was the exact opposite, using his magic to benefit others and never himself. "Anyway, you should be fine in a few weeks, chicken soup, rest, and lots and lots of sunshine."

Mim sighed but nodded.

—oo000oo—

Naruto finished up training the next day and walked into his home. "Kaasan? Tousan?" Hearing music, Naruto followed it to the den. There, he found Carol sitting at the door, giggling, while their parents were dancing in circles. "Lonely rivers flow, to the sea, to the sea. To the open arms, of the seeeaaa, yeah," played the radio. "Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me. I'll be coming home, wait for meeeee."

Naruto smiled and picked up his sister. "Come along Carol."

"But I want to watch, oniichan!"

"Kaasan and Tousan want some alone time."

"But I want to dance too!" Carol slipped free and ran back in. "Can I dance too, daddy?"

Rei smiled at his daughter, let his wife go and offered his hand to her. "Can I have this dance?"

"Yes, daddy!" She grabbed his hands and started swinging them back and forth, making Naruto sigh and Deis giggle.

"You want to dance, Naruto?"

"No, I just got done with training today. Besides, why? Never going to dance with a girl, need to like one first."

Deis giggled again, "Konan still mad at you?"

"I don't even know what I did! 'What do you think of me?' I tell her and pow, zoom, right to the moon!"

"Girls are complicated like that," Deis told him. "Don't worry," she leaned in close and whispered, "not even your father has figured one out."

"But what about you," Naruto asked her.

"I have to keep him on his toes," Deis said knowingly. Despite him saying no, Deis moved over to him and placed her hands behind his back and began to dance.

"Kaasan," Naruto whined.

"Oh, you'll get used to it," she said playfully. "Maybe you should apologize to Konan."

"But I didn't do anything," he protested.

"Maybe, but she is your friend, isn't she?"

"One of my best," Naruto said. "We do some of our best pranks together."

"Then apologize and be friends again."

Naruto sighed but nodded he would. "Naruto," Rei said sternly, making him nervous. "Are you flirting with my wife?" he joked.

Naruto stared at his father a moment before grinning. "Well since you're flirting with my sister, I'd thought I'd take the chance to steal Kaasan away from you."

Deis smiled as well. "Rei, I'm shocked, I didn't know you liked younger women so much!"

"Daddy," Carol said, holding her arms up to be picked up. Rei smiled at them all and held her up to wrap her arms around his neck.

"You caught me," Rei said, rubbing the back of his head. "I love this woman more than life itself."

"I love you too, daddy," Carol said, squeezing his neck tightly.

"Well, you always knew I liked younger men," Deis laughed, hugging Naruto to her making him laugh too.

—oo000oo—

Taking his mother's advice, Naruto headed off to find Konan. Instead of finding her though, he came across Din first. "Heya Din-chan!"

"Hello Naruto-kun," she said, smiling softly at him. She had grown even lovelier over the years. Her red hair was pulled into a ponytail with two long bangs framing her face. Today, she was wearing a pair of pants like most Sora wore, made it harder for people to look up their skirts, and a sleeveless blouse. "How have you been," she asked sweetly.

"I'm fine, Carol is too."

"That nice," she replied happily. "Looking for something?"

"Someone, Konan is mad at me for some reason so I'm going to go apologize."

Din seemed to puff up at the mention of Konan, her feathers becoming ruffled and her lips becoming pursed. "That girl," she almost growled. "She really should learn how to act her age!"

"Din, we're still children, so what if Konan wants to act like one."

"By she is also a princess of the Uzumaki, she should act like one." Naruto sighed; every time you mention the other to one of them they do this. Naruto moved behind her and began to smooth out her feathers.

"She isn't so bad."

"She stole my undergarments yesterday and returned them tie-dyed."

Naruto looked at her, shocked. "Konan pulled a prank like that? Without inviting me? Oh, she is really mad."

"Naruto! You would join her on these…childish pranks!"

Naruto looked at her face in confusion. "Yeah. Not against you, Din-chan, but just to have some fun, sure."

Din sighed, "Oh Naruto, what will I do with you?"

"Love me, hug me, pet me," Naruto said as a joke.

"Like a little kitten," Din laughed, scratching the top of his head, getting a light purr.

SMACK! Naruto was thrown to the grown with a big pile of mud in his face. "Konan surprise attack!" Naruto wiped it from his face and saw Konan standing a few feet away, another handful of mud ready to be thrown, and her fur standing on end in agitation.

"Why you!" Naruto jumped back to his feet, ducking under the next throw and pounced on Konan.

"Get off!" she hissed.

"I'll teach you to throw mud!" They began rolling around, trying to come out on top and pin the other.

"Naruto, Konan, stop this," Din called, following them as they rolled into a bush.

"Pinned yaAA!" Konan said, having thought she had Naruto on the ground but for him to kick himself up to flip them.

"Not this time!" They rolled from Din's sight once more and thumped against a tree. "Ow!" both hissed.

"Naruto-kun, are you al…" Din came through the bushes and stopped, gaping at seeing Naruto sitting against a tree, rubbing his hurting head as Konan sat on his lap, holding her injured head as well.

Naruto was growling in complaint until he noticed that Din was standing almost above them and her feathers were becoming more and more ruffled. "…Uh, Din, are you going to believe what you see or what we tell you?"

"Humph!" She spun around and marched away.

"Come on, Din-chan, not you too!" Setting Konan on the ground, he stepped after her. "Come on, what'd I do wrong!"

"Naruto!" Konan grabbed his arm, growling after Din. "Leave the stick in the mud, let's go play!"

"Uh…" Naruto looked to Konan and then to Din who grabbed his other arm. "Huh!"

"I'm not leaving Naruto-kun with you, delinquent! You have him running around getting in all sorts of trouble!"

"Uh, girls…?" Naruto questioned, looking back and forth between them, suddenly wanting to be somewhere else.

"And you would have him primped, premed, studying books like a good little boy! Naruto loves to run around and have fun; he does it all the time with me!"

"Naruto loves to read! We were reading a book together just last week!"

"Uh, really, why are you two fighting?"

"You stay out of this," they yelled at him.

Naruto's ears lay back against his head, his tail wrapped around him, and he tried to shrink even as they held onto him. "Yes, ladies," he said in submission.

"Let him go," Konan growled.

"You! He was mine first!"

"Naruto is my toy!"

"He's my friend, not your toy!"

"He is too!"

"Is not!"

"Fly off, featherbrains!"

"Scat, kitty cat!"

"Oh, you did not…"

"Kitty cat, kitty cat! Want a saucer of milk!" Konan let go of Naruto and lunged at Din, pushing her off Naruto as well, and carrying her to the ground where they rolled around, scratching, biting, and kicking. "Bad kitty," Din screamed, slapping her cheek.

"I'm going to eat you, little bird!"

"Stop it," Naruto shouted at them only for them to ignore him as they continued to roll around. "I said STOP!" Naruto flared his mana as much as he could as they came to a new clearing, driving the point home, making all the occupants freeze and look at him. The trouble was that it wasn't just Din and Konan there looking.

"…Well, well, a prince and princess of the Uzumaki," a boy about fifteen wearing ninja clothes and a headband from Suna said looking at them all.

"And one from the Sora," another said.

Konan and Din scrambled from the ground to face the four ninja in front of them. "Who are you, how did you get in Uzu," Din demanded.

"We're ninja girl, we go where ever we damn well please," the third and oldest there said. Luckily, all four of them were genin; the bad news is that they were just waiting for their chunin partners.

"Catch them, we can't let Uzu know we're here," the forth ordered.

The four started to spread out to surround them. "Remember, those wing can really fly," the first warned.

"What if they won't be quiet," the third asked.

"Kill them, of course, might have to anyway." Naruto's hand reached down for his bokken only to remember he left it home. Instead he reached behind his back and pulled his daggers free. Konan crouched, tightening the pads on her calves and feet.

"Din, you're the fastest, you go get help, we'll keep them busy," Naruto told her.

"I can fight too!"

"Just go," Konan growled, keeping an eye on the two closest to her.

"Not going to happen."

"You said it," Naruto growled. "I am the son of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina, the grandson of Uzumaki Rei and Deis, and the apprentice of Ryu Suzuka! So there is no way on this earth or the next that I'll let you do anything to her!" Naruto ran forward suddenly, surprising them as he kicked one in the stomach, stomping as hard as he could where his neck met his shoulder to kick off into the air to grab his other one, coming down on his back and driving a dagger into it. It had all been reaction; he never thought to do any of it, and realizing just what he parents had been teaching him to do left him breathless. Konan, on the other hand, had rolled along the ground, swinging her legs around and tripping them up. As they hit the ground, she jumped back to her feet, slamming them down on their chest with more force than her small frame would suggest she possessed. "Go," Naruto shouted as the ninja he was on tried to throw him off.

Din nodded and jumped into the air, flapping her wings to get about the trees. "Oh no, you don't," the ninja Naruto first kicked said, jumping on a tree branch and then jumping at Din. "You're not going anywhere!"

"Ice arrow!" Din chanted, aiming a finger at him. Ice in the shape of an arrow shot from her arm, hitting him and freezing him in a block of ice that fell to the ground like a rock.

"Good one, feather duster," Konan called, twisting into a double spin kick while dodging their kunai. "Now go!"

"Right!" Din floated there a moment longer before turning to the sky and flying off.

"You damn brat," the ninja Naruto stabbed shouted, grabbing his tail and pulling.

"Agh!" Naruto twisted the dagger to horizontal suddenly pulled it across the boy's back. They both dropped to the ground, one in horror that he could no longer move below his chest.

"Bastard!" The second one Konan was fighting started to do hand signs when Konan flipped up to land on her legs on his shoulders be twisting her hips, turning his neck sharply. He too fell to the ground. Panting, Konan looked to Naruto and smile, only to see him twist to a more stable position and throw a dagger at her. It went over her shoulder and she spun to see it embedded in the stomach of the last one. His other dagger joined the first hitting the ninja's chest.

The two of them stayed like that a moment, too afraid to even move away. Konan looked to Naruto to see he had tears in his eyes. "…Konan, are you hurt?"

"No, you?"

"I'm fine, he just grabbed my tail." Konan pulled the daggers free, getting a groan from the boy on the ground, and gave them back. Naruto could only stare at the blood. Oddly enough, Konan didn't feel as shocked by this as Naruto looked to be and it confused her.

"Naruto, we need to move, if more are coming it would be better to be gone."

"…Y-Yeah." Stumbling, Naruto got back up to his feet and looked at them. "They're all still alive."

"I'm kind of surprised," Konan muttered. "Let's go, Naruto-kun," she said, tugging on his arm urgently.

"Too late," two grown men said, dropping down in front of and behind them. They wore chunin vest. "…Well, you two are lucky, the brats are alive," the one in front said.

"So we won't kill you," the other said. "Not that you're in for anything bet…ter." He looked down and saw an arrow made from paper was planted in his shoulder. He pulled it out with a grimace and it fell apart into ordinary paper. "Well now, isn't that something."

"Guess we're taking you alive," the other said, laughing at the other. "Let down your guard?"

"Surprised me," the other chunin admitted. "Won't again." Konan created another piece of paper, folding it into a shuriken with just a flick of her wrist, and throwing it at the other, hoping to catch him by surprise as well. He ducked and sprinted forward, kunai in hand. Naruto blocked it with his daggers.

"How did you do that," Naruto asked.

"I have no idea!" She ducked a punch and kicked the chunin attacking her in the crotch. "That I learned from your aunt!"

"Little bitch," the man just growled and winced instead of dropping to the ground.

Konan back flipped a few times, more paper moving to her hands and she swung it, forming a whip. It wrapped around the man's arm, cutting clothes and flesh as it did. Growling, he grabbed it with both hands, cutting them, and began to pull her close.

Naruto ducked, falling into an adjusted form of the Spellblade to compensate for the shorter blade and having two of them. He ducked under a slash tried to hamstring the chunin only for him to hop over it. "Agile little things, aren't they!"

"Creative with weapons to," the other said, grabbing and pulling the whip from her hands. "It'll be worth it to try and breed them with the rest of the ninja of Suna, that's for sure!"

"We're not some animals you can do what you want to," Naruto growled.

"Hardly looks like it, you little subhuman." Naruto and Konan growled heavily at that.

"Typhoon gale," Konan kicked up into his chin, blasting him away with wind.

"Heavenly strike," Naruto shouted, bringing his dagger across, cutting the kunai in half. "Flashing blade!" Naruto began several stabbing and slashing moves all meant to disable and confused his opponent.

"Think we hit a nerve," the second one laughed, landing on his feet from the kick.

"A little…busy," the first said, parrying as many as he could. Surprisingly, Naruto had scored a few cuts on him. "Suna Bunshin no jutsu!" He jumped back as sand gathered up into a copy of him to hold Naruto in place. "Kaze Chanbara!" He swiped two fingers across, sending a blade of wind that lamed Naruto's right arm. "That took care of him. Got her?"

"One…second."

"Meteor Smash!" Konan jumped up and came down with her foot burning with mana. The man was able to get out of the way and the attack hit the ground, making a crater. As she was recovering from the attack, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms under hers and around her neck. "Let go, let go!"

"Grab her legs!" Both chunin held her before tying her feet and hands together. "Whew…tough little brats."

"Almost got me," the first said, looking to a cut where Naruto almost several an artery. Looking back to the two woren, he said, "So, what should we do to them?"

"Definitely taking them back with us, alive. Imagine what we could learn from them."

"And if this brat's parents are as important as he says," the first continued with a grin, "I think we'll have the leverage we need."

"Or," a third voice called out from the woods, "you can let them go peacefully and I won't kill you all."

"Great, another subhuman," the second muttered.

"…This is your last warning," the voice called out.

"Why don't you come out and face us," the first challenged.

"I don't need to, he can for me," the man in the woods said. Hearing something large coming up behind them, they turned around to see a giant, blue chitin, four legged insect with small fluttering wings on it back that couldn't fly with several spines and really large fangs jump on the second, biting and tearing flesh.

"Agh, ah! Get it off!" He turned his head to the side to avoid a bite and saw his partner dropping to the ground, an arrow in his chest, stomach, and spine.

"Arachne, stop," the person ordered as he walked into the forest. Arachne didn't get off him but it stopped clawing and biting. "If he moves, kill him." The dragon knelt down by the chunin he shot with arrows and pressed two fingers to his neck. "He's alive enough. So, you going to come quietly or do I let my friend here finish the job?" he asked, scratching the top of Arachne's head. The insect leaned down, chittering almost like a growl.

"I concede," the man gasped.

"Naruto, Konan," Din called, running into the field and pulling Naruto from the sand and then untying Konan. "Are you alright?"

"They got a few good hits," Konan grumbled.

"Good as new," Naruto chuckled painfully as he raised his arm. His face went deathly pale as blood gushed from it and he fell to the ground.

"Naruto!" they both shouted as they crouched by him and pressed on the wound to stop the bleeding.

"Here, drink this," the ranger said, handing Naruto a red potion. Din took it, pulled the cork off, and raised Naruto's head to pour it in his mouth. It was sweet and it caused the flesh to knit back together and promoted blood recreation. "That kept him from dying but you girls needs to get him to a priest or druid. The Rand clan estates are in that direction, they're the closest."

"Thank you, sir," Din said, bowing to him. "Um, what's your name?"

"Ryu Kael of the rangers. Now go, I'll get take care of these men." Konan and Din picked him up with one arm over each of their shoulders and carried him off. When they were gone, Kael raised a whistle to his lips and blew on it, summoning aid to help him.

—oo000oo—

"Sir," a man in dark clothes said, kneeling before Ryu Dorogan, Uzumaki Rei, Sora Aoi, and Rand Althor. "The Shadows and I have discovered that the Suna Shadows hid aboard one of the ships that were used to bring our clan members back home," he said to them. The Shadows were the ninja of Uzu, specialist in spying, assassination, jutsu use, and many other skills. "The group ranger Kael brought in was just one of three. All have been apprehended and are being interrogated. Rei-sama, your son should be happy to know he did not kill any of them. I noticed he looked disturbed about the thought he did."

"Thank you."

"What have you done to correct this mistake," Aoi asked.

"We have asked the rangers to begin doing searches through the lands and they have agreed as well given orders to the ship captain to set anchor a quarter of the way to Uzu and do a search of the ship with a mage to authenticate that those coming in are from Uzu. We have also closed the borders to all else until further notice."

"Very good," Aoi said, relaxing a little. "And the ones that attacked Princesses Din and Konan and Prince Naruto?"

"As I said, they have survived their various injuries. One of the stronger priests is trying to restore feeling to those that were paralyzed. The one with the broken neck can move again, the two with the several spinal cords we are still waiting on. Other than that, there are no lasting injuries. They await your judgment."

"Execute them," Dorogan growled.

"Sir, this might have been retaliatory," the ninja hesitated to add.

"How," Althor asked.

"When questioned, one of the genin revealed that recently, two Uzu, a naga and tanuki boy, went to Suna and when they left, the Kazekage was dead. I have a member of the Pathfinders checking this even now."

"Do you know who these two might be," Dorogan asked.

"Sabaku Gaara and Bleu," Rei stated. "My wife and son told me about when they went to see Bleu just a week and a half ago. I was under the impression that Gaara stayed there but…"

"But what," Aoi asked.

"They have a policy on the continent that all jinchuuriki must be related to one of the five Kages to ensure their loyalty. Gaara was the jinchuuriki of the Ichibi."

"So Lady Bleu killed him for doing that and kept the child," Althor finished.

"All of the Kazekage's children, if the Suna Shadows are to be believed," the ninja said.

"…She would have her reasons," Rei said without doubt. "Regardless, Koto," the ninja looked to him, "the ones that attacked my son and his friends, fifty lashes each."

"Yes, Rei-sama," Koto said before vanishing.

"Lashes," Aoi demanded.

"I will not fault someone for scouting a threat," Rei growled. "Bleu went there and killed the Kazekage. He was a pig and deserved it but she shouldn't have done it. We have existed this long by showing restraint, not anger."

"And look where it is getting us now," Aoi countered. "They try to kill your grandson, you niece, my niece too! Of the families that went to the mainland to encourage prosperity between them and us, how many still live! Your own daughter was among them and she's dead as well!" Rei roared right in her face, baring fangs almost an inch and a half long but Aoi didn't back down, her wings spreading and mana flaring.

"Enough," Dorogan shouted. "Lady Aoi, your mother agreed to that as did the rest of this council. We admit now it was a mistake but there is no need to cause more hurt."

"I…" Aoi took a deep breath and the scowl dropped from her face. "I apologize, Lord Rei, you have been hurt more than most in this. I should've listened to your council." Sora Aoi was the youngest there by several decades yet was already an accomplished magician. Yet, at times, she still acts more rash than she should.

"Apology accepted, Lady Aoi," Rei replied, calming greatly. "But you are right, we have shown restraint and our people die. We have left them alone as we should, and our people die. We have warned them, given them chances, and our people die." He looked away with a scowl. "No more. The line must be drawn here, this far, no farther."

"What do you propose," Althor asked.

"We said we would be taking an interest in the world again, we should."

Dorogan nodded, "Start small, send out small teams to the surrounding island nations without shinobi villages that rely on them for protection."

"Except those that call on Mizu," Althor stated.

"And then make it so they stop needing those countries," Aoi said with a grin. "There is nothing a ninja can do that we can't do ten times better, ten times cheaper." She thought about it a moment and took out her charm that connected her to all the Sora Pathfinders. She spent a few minutes asking them if there was any land that truly needed help at the moment. That was quite to find. Almost all of them said the same country they all passed on the way to their post. A whole country was being suppressed by a mob leader and had cut off all food transport in and out of the land. Nami no Kuni.

—oo000oo—

Gatou was walking through the largest town in all of Nami no Kuni, expecting to look at his handiwork. What he found was a festival going on. "What is this," he demanded his guards.

One of them, his face painted a little like a clown, grabbed a passerby with a squash the size of a man's chest and took the vegetable. "Give me that!"

"Huh?" They expected him to get made as food was starting to get scarce. "Sure, help yourself. They have more down the street, I can get another," he said happily, handing it over.

"More down the street," Gatou muttered before rushing down the street. What he found was a table over twenty feet long loaded down with all sorts of fruits, vegetables, and meats. "Where did all this food come from!"

"Huh," a man with a rope headband looked to him and smiled. "Ah, it's amazing, isn't it? These people came by and started giving it away. There was even a contest earlier for a pumpkin twice as tall as I am and just as around. I'm proud to say my family will be having pumpkin pie for a year now," he finished with a laugh.

"But…this didn't come in on the boats," Gatou stuttered.

"Of course not," the villager said. "They grew it right outside of town, right before our eyes! Brought a cow that gives the sweetest milk you will ever taste. Hey, a mug over here!" Several people with extras came by and gave one to each, Gatou and his bodyguards. "Try it, see if it isn't the best you ever had!"

The bodyguard with an eye-patch did try it and gave a moan of approval. "Now that's good milk," he said before draining it. "Sweetest I've ever had."

"Who are these people," Gatou demanded.

"Oh, there they are," the man said, pointing to the head of the table where they were being celebrated. It was large man almost a foot taller than a normal man and half again as wide with blond hair, a woman that seemed almost like a cat with red hair, and another woman with blue hair with almost beak like nose. Oddly enough, the birdlike woman wore some furs and carried a staff with carved animals in it.

Gatou went up to them and said, "You three, who are you and what are you doing here!"

"Rand Perrin," the big man said.

"Uzumaki Lilly," the cat woman stated.

"Sora Flora," the fur wearing woman replied. "And you must be Gatou."

"I am, how did you get here!"

"We flew down from on high," Perrin said with a laugh. "Want to see how?" He stood up, towering over the guards, showing that at his waist a two handed mace.

"Purrrfect, all this celebrating and no exercise was going to make me fat," Lilly said, showing several knives on her body.

"We will kill you if you intend to cause trouble," the bodyguards said, moving close with hands on their swords.

"Perish the thought," Flora told them. "We offered to show you how we got here, we intended to show you. Like this." Perrin began to wave his hands a moment before he transformed into a large eagle. "We can fly, and when we stopped down here for a break, we decided to make some food for everyone."

"And the cow," Gatou asked when he got over his shock.

"That's mine," Lilly purred. "I love milk."

"…Very well then," Gatou growled. "You should be on your way thought. Be a shame if anything happened to you."

"Oh we will," Flora said. "We don't plan to stay long, just a week."

"Why a week?"

"Well, we found out when we got here that it was a lean harvest last year and so we decided to help everyone out for the rest of this year. By the end of the week, there will be enough vegetable that it'll take the world's three biggest pots to make a soup to use it all!"

Lilly leaned forward, "And we've seen a pot the size of a house at home," she whispered.

"Eat my friends," Perrin said happily. "Take what you want, there will be plenty, we promise!"

"And we'll welcome you the whole time you're here," one man voiced and the others cheered in agreement. Gatou tried his best to hide his scowl and left. He couldn't do anything to them now but he promised himself that by tomorrow morning, they would be dead or gone.

—oo000oo—

Two men crept into the room the three were in, pitch covered blades out ready to slice the throats of the strangers. At the beds, they stabbed down only to find they stabbed pillows. "I'm hurt," Perrin said as the lights came back on, holding his mace. "You kill the women but not me?"

"Because they know you're a big softy," Lilly giggled, her daggers out. "Must've seen you with that kitten."

"There was no kitten," Perrin protested with ease that said she brought this up before.

"Yes there was, Perrin, I saw you. You were dangling a piece of twine for it to play with."

"I was helping it train!"

"You're a big softy," she teased.

"We will never speak of this again!"

"Softy!"

Flora chuckled, still watching the shocked, would be assassins. "This is what I have to deal with. How about you just give up and tell us how much Gatou paid you to kill us. And then if it was worth it?" There was no question in her voice, they knew she knew who hired them.

—oo000oo—

Gatou entered the same village the next morning expecting to hear mourning but he didn't, it was still the same festival. Rushing to the table, he stared at his hired blades sitting next to the three strangers, eating and celebrating with their targets. He turned around and ran back to his estate, never noticing Lilly wasn't with them, nor the shadow that followed him. He had just entered the woods when he heard growling. Turning around, he saw a large hunting cat, a white tiger, crouching to pounce on him. "I don't take assassinations kindly," the cat purred before jumping on him. He was so deep in the woods no one heard him scream.

—oo000oo—

Less than a week later and a few hours of work from the Shadows, Gatou Corporation was the property of Uzu through their mainland contacts. Rei, Aoi, Dorogan, Althor, and the leaders of the various branches of the Uzu forces were in a chamber talking. Present was Ryu Kael of the Rangers, Sora Velve of the Pathfinders, Koto of the Shadows, and Uzumaki Laylai of the Leyline, a group of summoners of powerful arcane, elemental, spiritual, or even demonic and angelic origin. Understandably, the largest were the Shadows and even they only numbered between one hundred and two hundred. Each group really was just a guild of similar skilled individuals that originally got together to learn from each other. "Let us begin," Dorogan said, motioning to Laylia.

The woman cleared her throat and opened the book she held. "To begin with, Gatou Corp is being purged of all criminal elements and old connections are being disassembled so no others my use them. We have led to the arrest of over a thousand individuals around the elemental continent and the disbandment of an entire criminal organization in Kaminari no Kuni." She turned the page to check it over and nodded. "Currently, the company is bringing in a less than projected revenue but in truth, I expected such as many of the employees have been arrested on criminal charges. In due time, it shall return to normal and bring in the revenue it is supposed to. Plans are already in place to divert this revenue into our interest and connections outside of Uzu to avoid suspicion that we own it."

"That you, Laylia," Rei said. "Koto, situation in Nami?"

"The druids have finished, sir," he said in the kneeling position again. No one even knew which clan he was from. His hair and face was covered to hide his features and he wasn't one of the prince. Even more so, it was only assumed he was a male, he covered himself so well. As a shadow should, they all knew. "Nami no Kuni is quickly being restored and word of our abilities will begin to spread. Eventually, they will come to Port Town, wishing to use us for missions if all holds out. Our contacts are ready for when they do."

"Good," Althor stated. "Kael, once again thank you for handling that situation with the spies."

"You're welcome sir," he said, nodding to him.

"Security here in Uzu," Althor continued.

"Increased sir, we have located ten more, seven of which were trying to get inside the country. They, like all the others, are having their minds wiped of what they learned and will be returned him. Reluctantly, one of them has lost their left leg and it was not able to be reattached."

"Such is a hazard of being a spy," Althor said without compassion. "Perhaps it will make them think against sending anyone else."

"Maybe but I doubt it," Velve said.

"And what do you have to report, Velve?" Aoi asked.

Velve smiled and said, "I believe everyone here will remember our Tournament of Champions, yes?" He received nods and other confirmations. "We of the Pathfinders have been watching the ninja villages for quite some time now and we have noticed something. Every six months, a tournament of their own is held by one of the five largest villages, Konoha, Suna, Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo. But this tournament is only against their lowest ranked for the purpose of promotions as well as showing off their skilled genin to potential customers."

Everyone could immediately see the use of this. Without a doubt, the ninja villages were a threat to Uzu no Kuni. They needed to give a strong front to show them that it is a very bad idea to try anything else with us. And where better than in their very tournament. "It will have to be a member of each clan at least," Dorogan stated. "Princes and princesses both."

"It must also be symbolic to the villages," Rei said. "This is us; this is what we can do. My son Naruto should go."

"Agreed," Aoi said. "And his friends as well of course, Konan and Din."

Althor began to smile, "And the three former children of the former Kazekage."

Velve nodded to them all. "But all are children still, they're not ready. I can have a team of…"

"No," Dorogan interrupted. "The children are all already training to fight are they not? Gaara himself has become your apprentice, correct?"

"Yes," Velve said slowly.

"Rei, Naruto is the student of Ryu Suzuka, yes?"

"He is."

"And Konan is being taught by her foster mother, your Sister Rinpu?"

"Yes."

"Temari is being taught…"

"She is to be an elemental mage," Aoi said. "Lady Bleu is teaching her."

"And Kankuro?"

"He has shown interest in being a paladin," Althor said, trying to understand what he was getting at. "What are you up to?"

"When will they all be ready and what can be done to speed it up?"

"Year and a half, maybe two or three."

"By then, the youngest will be thirteen at the latest," Dorogan said with a smile. "We send the children, when they are ready, and when they win, it'll put the hurt on their pride even more. If they want to, that is," Dorogan finished.

"…Sounds like a good idea," Aoi said after a moment. "Any village in mind?"

"Konoha," Rei said without hesitation. "We should do it in Konoha if we have the chance. They are the most peace loving but is also seen as the strongest. The plan will work better there."

"Agreed," Dorogan said. "Then we shall continue this discussion when they have finished their training. But remember, they're just children, no need to rush them," he reminded.

—oo000oo—

Author's Notes. Seemed like a good place to stop. I guess I was a little vague, the story where Naruto has a child given to him by a yuki-onna is my own creation that I'm working on right now.