Sarutobi didn't understand what was going on at all. Members of the Hidden Sound and Star village were attacking with what looked like monkeys. "You mind explaining this," he demanded of Aoi as she cast a spell freezing one of the many attackers in a block of ice. "Why are your kin…"

"They are not our kin," Aoi replied. "The Highlanders have been lost since before the founding of Uzu, I didn't even think they still lived!"

"But you knew those four, the Court of Blades," Baki reminded.

"Knew of," she corrected. "The Court of Blades is a story of the greatest assassins to ever come from the Highlanders. It's said nothing can stop them, not even the finest of armor crafted by our greatest smiths. The Highlanders are mercenaries, an entire army of them! Maybe even two or three armies for all I know!"

"And they came here for," Baki questioned.

"Knave said it already, to shift the balance of power," Aoi explained as more attackers came, now focusing on this box.

—oo000oo—

Inside the stands all hell seemed to break loose. It was quickly turning into a free for all for the defenders. The Konoha ninja's were surprised and with them being unsure of just who was attacking, only taking note of their inhuman species, were beginning to attack those from Uzu as well as the Ninja/Highlander alliance. It would have descended into chaos except for three sisters suddenly beginning to sing. "Ieyui. Nobomeno. Renmiri. Yojuyogo, hasatekanae kutamae." There was more than one reason to bring those three to a battlefield even if they didn't fight. They carried in their voices the means to bring peace to an unsettled mind, to drive the unsteady warrior, or encourage the hopeless. To ease the scared and let them see what was happening around them was a simple task.

Deis smiled as from above descended Talon on a giant creature attacking the wall. "Got to love spellsingers. Really they are an unfair advantage."

She walked through the fighting without stopping. It was like it parted just for her. As for the fighting itself, she smiled. She intended to display their strength with this but as the real warriors and not just the children were involved now, she knew their strength would be told. She caught a Highlander that jumped at her in one hand by the neck, snapped his spine, and discarded him. She felt something and she needed to find it.

Dorogan was also making his way through the fighting, heading to the Kage box of all places. He had been sensing something undead for some time now, traces of it was all over Konoha but now he knew it was here. Slashing an Oto ninja across the stomach, he kept running. What he found was a man with long black hair and snake like eyes. Dorogan's sword pulsed at seeing him. "You, who are you," Dorogan demanded.

"Ryu Dorogan, yes? I am Orochimaru. Sorry about the attack, I honestly didn't want to do it while you and yours were here but when the chance to destroy Konoha comes…" He shrugged to him. "Not much I could do. These…Highlanders are a powerful lot. I dare say they might be a match for the Uzu."

"I don't care about them or the attack," Dorogan told him, his sword pulsing more. "I care about you."

"Me?"

"My sword, when it sensing undead or other beings that survive by feeling on the lives of others, it begins to seek them out to destroy them. You may still be alive but you must be destroyed."

"Oh, you make it sound so easy," Orochimaru said, holding up his arm and from it several snakes extended to grab him. Dorogan swiped his sword at them, cutting off their heads, as he charged Orochimaru. The snake barely was able to cough up his sword and hold it up in a block in time to save himself. Kusagani and the red bladed sword. "What is this sword called," Orochimaru asked even as Dorogan pushed him back.

"…It is Xuz'sila, in ancient tongue it means Endbringer."

"Very nice sword though I would have to relearn sword play to use it. The style is so different from my own." Dorogan knew Orochimaru was also fighting with a magical sword for that was the only way it could withstand the strength he pushed against it. Forcing the blades to the side, Dorogan spun swinging his tail right at Orochimaru. The snake fell backwards to avoid it and jumped up on the roof. Dorogan followed and slammed into the tiles blade first, slicing right through them. Flipping over the blade trying to kick Orochimaru, he pulled it up out of the roofing and was on the attack. The swords clashed and Orochimaru quickly learned just which of them was the better swordsman. "Come to me my sounds!" Four teens landed on the roof around him. "I planned this for the old man but I guess you will suffice."

A barrier was raised around them, one too small for Dorogan's full form. He focused on Orochimaru and said, "This will change nothing."

"No? I disagree." He began doing handsigns and from the ground three coffins began to rise. Endbringer screamed at him about two of them but he sensed the third one was harmless. "Maybe these three will change your mind." The doors to the coffins fell, two revealed grown men while the third held a girl barely breathing anymore with seals written in blood on her body trying and failing to work. "Allow me to introduce to you the Hokage's of Kono…"

"You failed with one and I know the others," Dorogan interrupted. "Hashirama, Tobirama. Been a long time."

"…Damn, you still don't age," Tobirama muttered before looking to the third coffin. "Now what idiot used this jutsu without knowing the limits?"

"Him," Dorogan said, motioning to Orochimaru. "You both look like shit."

"Some people don't age as gracefully as others," Hashirama replied, popping his neck. "I take it we have to fight you?"

"Most likely. You can take some solace though, inside here I can't go full out."

"Great, that means we'll only be mostly destroyed and not fully," Tobirama joked.

Dorogan smirked at the irritated Orochimaru and said, "Maybe you should explain why your jutsu didn't work with the Fourth Hokage."

"That's easy, if the soul is not in heaven or hell, it cannot work."

"…Fine," Orochimaru snapped. "But I still have you two! So enough of your ramblings and kill him!" He moved behind them and slammed two kunai into the back of their heads.

Dorogan looked at the two as the cracks in their bodies smoothed out and they were once again at their physical peak. "Don't worry my friends, I shall release you," he told them, holding Endbringer out across his chest. Lunging at Hashirama, he meant to take him out of play before he could change the field to suit them both. Hashirama ducked under the slash and gave an uppercut to Dorogan that knocked him off his feet. He slid down the tiles but jumped to his feet and stopped before he hit the barrier. Licking a lip that had some blood on it, he smirked before charging again. Several spears of wood came at him as fast as a viper and Dorogan pulled one of his wings in their paths. They hit the webbing between the spines and broke on them.

Pushing pass them, Dorogan came upon Tobirama next as he pulled water from the very air to attack him with. It shot at him with the speed to tear through a normal man, armor and all. The bullets hit his armor and left dents. They hit his flesh and broke upon them with barely a scratch. Dorogan plowed through it and attacked. Tobirama moved just enough to dodge the sword but Dorogan's wings had a considerably longer range. The two wings on Dorogan's left followed the sword and cut Tobirama in three. The body began to put itself back together and before Dorogan could finish him, Hashirama came in attacking. Using his other wings as a shield, he was able to bring Endbringer down on Hashirama's right wrist. The hand fell to the ground and began to shrivel up. It didn't reattach to his arm, the outer skin crumbled away and revealed a hand much smaller than Hashirama's own.

Orochimaru began to scowl, he never thought anyone could defeat the Second's jutsu. He had always thought that it was unbeatable. Hashirama pulled back as Dorogan made a slash, cutting the Shodai Hokage across his nose. Figuring this was going to go wrong without intervention, Orochimaru took up Kusanagi once more and joined the fray.

—oo000oo—

Naruto twisted Cutter around as fast as he could to keep the sword from piercing his flesh. The Highlander in front of him was smiling as he toyed with Naruto. He knew he could finish it with the boy quickly but he was skilled for one so young and it had been so long since his last good fight, he wanted it to last. "May…" Naruto ducked a slash, "I ask what got," he twisted Cutter up to intercept the blade and tried to counter, "you guys involved?"

"We are mercenaries," he replied as if it was obvious. "And more importantly, this is fun!" Naruto rolled out of the way of an overhead slash and came up blocking three strikes before the Highlander pushed Cutter back over and behind Naruto's shoulders. "Not bad kid, not bad."

"Surrender," Naruto said, not really wanting to kill him.

"You think you can win in this situation."

"…Yes."

He smiled at Naruto and said, "I would very much like to see that. Your name?"

"Naruto."

"Heh, name's Conner. Now let's see you win." Naruto knew he was about to go for the finisher so he turned Cutter up into the sword and took off a foot and a half of it before Naruto swung it around almost lightning fast. "…I see," Conner muttered.

"This scar on my neck is from my sensei doing that same move to me." Naruto turned and looked for one of his friends to help, Conner had already fallen to the floor dead.

—oo000oo—

"And there it is," Deis said, looking to one of the Highlanders wearing a dark suit of armor.

"…A Dragon. So you probably know this sword," Ashram said, holding up the Soul Crusher.

"We've met," Deis said after a moment. "What are the Highlanders doing here, now?"

"You remember the old code, do you not," Ashram replied. "The Highlanders are soldiers of fortune. Granted, not much fortune for a good long while, no real wars where we were at but now that will change."

Deis narrowed her eyes. "You mean to plunge this land into war."

"Perish the thought," he said with a laugh. "These are humans! They will handle that part on their own. They came to us, they paid with gold in advance, aid in their attack and that is it." Deis looked him over a bit and sighed. It had been a very long time since she had done this. Saying magic word that had not been uttered in ages, her dress vanished and in its place was armor. "My, I do believe it has been some time since you wore that. Come by my fort, our smiths can let it out. Your chest must be screaming already."

"My chest is hardly your concern," she said as she pulled the sword from her waist. Where Soul Crusher was black with a red glow, this sword was white with a blue glow. The Holy Sword of Ladon. The two began to pulse in sync with the other.

"…Well now," Ashram said with a smile. "You are that dragon. You are his daughter."

"Granddaughter," Deis corrected.

Ashram sheathed Soul Crusher. "Then I will not fight you. As a wielder of the Soul Crusher, I am sworn to never fight with his line."

"Sten would be proud," Deis said with a smile. Both swords once belonged to the same man, Ryu, Deis's grandfather. One was kept within his family line while the other was entrusted to his friend, Sten of Highfort.

"Your stake in this," Ashram asked.

"My son is here."

"…Very well then." Ashram bowed his head to her. "This is of course by no means a breaking of the contract but I will adjust it a bit. No more attacking Uzu."

"Now that I can live with. Oh, right, have to find Ayame and her father. They might be in trouble." She took her eyes off Ashram for just a moment and when she turned back the monkey was gone. She didn't doubt that the orders would spread like wildfire so she instead went in search for her friends.

—oo000oo—

At that very moment, Ayame was sitting in front of her family's shop, going through the pockets of the ninja and a few Highlanders for anything of value either magic-wise or gold. They thought her a simple little girl right up until she suddenly appeared behind the five of them and slipped a blade into their hearts. Not exactly something her father liked but given she was doing it to keep him safe, she felt she could live with it. "Did you do this," an Oto ninja said as he came upon the scene.

"I did," she said, never even looking up as she shuffled through the pockets of a dead Oto.

"I'm going to enjoy this whore," the Oto ninja shouted while grabbing a kunai, making Ayame sigh. They never learned.

—oo000oo—

Naruto easily spotted his teacher and ran over to her. "Sazuka-sensei," Naruto called as he made it within earshot. Said woman was currently standing in front of at least a dozen people within the skills or the condition to defend themselves in this battle, holding back all attackers alone.

"Naruto, form up! We need to get these people to safety!"

"Yes sensei!" The two began to work in tandem, forcing all others back until the proctor from the preliminaries arrived, blocking a blow from Sazuka with his own sword.

"I am here to help you escort these people out of here," he informed them.

"Where to," Naruto asked.

"There is a tunnel to a safety bunker within the next building." Hayate coughed a few times before saying, "Follow me!"

With those that could move helping those that couldn't, they made their way out of the building and into the next. And as they entered the first floor, they were stopped by a single Highlander. "You two," the warrior spoke, "I have orders not to engage the Uzu but if you do not leave now, I will."

"I doubt you can handle the both of us," Naruto said, taking his stance.

The Highlander smirked and he drew his sword. It was a blade Naruto had seen before in Uzu though never anywhere else. It was a blade-staff, a single hilt that was longer than needed and from both ends came a double edged blade. "…Naruto, follow my lead very carefully," Sazuka told him. "Hayate, we will handle him."

"I can help," he started to protest.

"Leave now," she ordered. Hayate hesitated a moment before taking those they guarded down a different stairway. "Naruto, what can you tell of that weapon?"

"…Both blades have two edges, no hilt to keep his hands from slipping down the blade, slight glow to it. It's magical, we will not be able to cut it and it probably won't cut him."

"A blade-staff requires a master swordsman to use, do not be surprised when he holds the both of us off."

"Yes, sensei," Naruto said before she led the charge in. The man spun his blade-staff in a circle, blocking her attack and forcing it away before catching Naruto's. Even as they moved to attack from both sides he kept an amazing awareness of his surroundings so as to always block their attacks. As Naruto tried to strike low, the highlander jumped, blocking the attack and kicking Sazuka in the chest and off her feet. He backed up into a hallway and moved through it while still parrying their attacks. "You have a name," Naruto asked.

"Mason," he told them while catching Naruto's attack on the low and Sazuka's on the high before kicking Naruto, knocking him back. Where the two of them preferred graceful and subtly dangerous attacks, Mason used a series of aggressive and quick strikes that while always blocked, always held them back as well.

Mason used the moment gained by kicking Naruto to move over to a stairs and faced them while moving up it. As the two kept on attacking, he moved up the stairs to keep the advantage of higher ground until they came to a narrow walkway above a courtyard. A drop from here wouldn't kill you but it would hurt bad. Mason swung his blade staff around, cutting a piece of the railing free before kicking it behind him, throwing open a door. He backed into the door smirking as the two came at him again.

—oo000oo—

Dorogan ducked a blast of water from Tobirama, punched Hashirama in the gut and making him bend over, rolled over his back to his other side to dodge Orochimaru, and as he came to his feet, he pushed Endbringer through Hashirama's chest and out his back. Blood fell from the man's lips as he looked forward a bit in shock. Cracks formed on his skin before it fell off like ash, revealing a young woman in her late teens with short blue hair. It was her blood that escaped Hashirama's lips and she was shaking as she looked to the blade and him. "…I…don't want…to die," she whispered, afraid.

"…Thy sun shall no more go down," Dorogan told her as he eased the blade out and then her to the roof. "Nor shall thy moon withdraw itself. For the Lady shall be thine everlasting light and your days of mourning shall be ended." He stood and jumped back, avoiding another attack. He was sorry for the girl but there was nothing he could do. He was no healer and could only pray his goddess Myria would watch over her. He looked to the two and said, "One down."

Orochimaru looked to the sensei of his sensei and smirked. "You really are impressive. Is there no way we can cooperate? The things we could learn from one another would be great indeed."

"No," Dorogan told him stoicly. "This battle will only end when you lie dead on the floor." Dorogan began to step to the side, circling them to keep both in his sight. Tobirama had taken to waiting now as getting close meant getting close to that sword. Orochimaru sighed at the waste before he motioned Tobirama forward and both ran at him again. Catching the swing of Kusanagi with Endbringer, Dorogan folded his wings so they stood as a shield to Tobirama's attacks. Taking a deep breath, he lowered his wing and acid shot from his mouth right into the face of Tobirama. He fell to the ground and began twitching as his body began to rebuild itself. Dorogan rolled back away from Orochimaru, stabbing Endbringer through Tobirama as he did. The ash fell to the ground, revealing a young man without a head, still twitching. "Thy sun shall no more go down, nor shall thy moon…"

"Shut up," Orochimaru interrupted him, attacking him once more.

Dorogan fended him off but still finished his prayer for the boy that now laid dead. "Does it scare you, Orochimaru," he asked after finishing. "That soon, you will be judged by someone you could never touch, never harm?" Endbringer clashed with the Kusanagi and Orochimaru extended his neck, fangs bare to bite Dorogan in the jugular, poisoning him, and tear it out. Dorogan let him. He bit down and it felt and tasted like biting a sword. Dorogan grabbed him by the neck while his wings came around and their sharp tips stabbed him several times in the body. The grip holding Kusanagi fell slash and Dorogan pushed the sword wide, cutting the arm holding it off, and drew Endbringer across Orochimaru's stomach, slicing him in half.

Orochimaru fell to the ground and tried to bring his body back together but failed. The jutsu wouldn't work. "H-How?"

"Endbringer," Dorogan told him simply. "It kills things permanently. The hand and your legs are dead. Just as you are as well." Stabbing down, Orochimaru moved his arm in the way and pulled it away from his heart before opening his mouth and another Orochimaru came from the within him. Dorogan glared at him before pulling his sword free. "Fine." He growled before being covered in a white light. When it fell away, Dorogan's scales had covered his body, taking on a burnished steel quality, even his hair had turned into dagger like spines.

"Just how many dragon types are there," Orochimaru muttered.

"There are three groups. Chromatic, Metallic, and gemstone. Each with their own unique set of skills and breath weapons. I am a steel dragon."

"And you breathe out acid?"

"Or if I choose, turn the acid into a poisonous gas," Dorogan told him before breathing such a cloud out. It quickly filled the space they were in with Dorogan not being harmed by it while Orochimaru began to cough up blood. "You are not escaping death again, body stealer." He kept breathing the cloud out until it grew too thick for Orochimaru to see. As more blood poured from his mouth, he tried to call for his Sound Four to release the barrier. All he could get out was a gurgle.

Dorogan watched his pitiful attempts to survive as he tried to reach them and shook his head. Secretly, he was impressed by his resilience. Even an Uzu would have likely died by now yet he still moved. Coming up behind him, Dorogan grabbed him by the front of his neck, stabbed him in the small of his back, and pulled the blade up. Orochimaru grabbed it to try and stop it but only lost his fingers for trying. In a second, the blade traveled up through his ribcage, cutting his head in half, before going back down, completely splitting him. Looking down, seeing only the heat of his body, Dorogan flicked the blood off his blade, sheathed it, and said, "Thy sun shall no longer go down nor shall thy moon withdraw itself. For the Lady shall be thine everlasting light and your days of mourning shall be ended." Leaving the bodies where they laid, he looked around with a slight frown. A cloud this thick would spread far before being blown away, killing many. For a moment, he honestly didn't know what to do until he heard an explosion outside the barrier. Then he did, this gas was very flammable, explosive in this amount. Calmly, he searched the bodies until he found an explosive charge. Setting it, he changed into a dragon small enough to fit inside here, and while touched the note, tapped the barrier. An electric current was carried through his body, into the note, and set it off. The resulting explosion threw Dorogan right through the barrier and slammed him into the mountain. It was a fireball bigger than even Bleu could create.

—oo000oo—

Naruto was just about to go in for another strike when the entirety of Konoha shook with a great explosion. His balance lost, he was thrown back into the railing and fell to the ground. "Owe!" Groaning as he got up, he nearly stared in shock as it looked like the sky was a blazed. "…Sensei!" He turned to the two to see them moving around the well. As he ran for them, Mason caught Sazuka's sword in an overhead chop, slammed the hilt of his sword-staff into Sazuka's face, and spun around and stabbed his blade into her stomach. Naruto's heart stopped for a moment before she just vanished, the contingency spell placed on her, and everyone else from Uzu, activated and teleported her home as soon as the blade pushed an inch into her body.

—oo000oo—

Sazuka fell to the floor of the room prepared by the Uzu healers for this to see a few others there including all the children that can't fight, sent there by their parents. "Damn it! I got sloppy!"

—oo000oo—

Naruto swallowed the lump in his throat as Mason looked to him expectantly. "Well…this doesn't change a thing; you still can't have the civilians."

"Then face me and show if your determination matches your words." Mason flipped his sword around a few times as he waited. Naruto ran in and went on the offensive, slashing at Mason's head followed by swiping at his legs only for Mason to block both. Naruto parried a slash at his own chest, making Mason spin around slashing at his head from the front, with Naruto lifting Cutter up to block it followed by moving the blade behind his back to stop the reverse slash. While Mason was pulling back from that attack, Naruto attacked again by attacking for his midsection. Mason spun the sword-staff in front of him, pushing the blade away and slashing low. Naruto jumped over the attack and started forcing Mason's weapon up. When it was over Naruto's head, he slashed up but not at the blades. At the handle. The weapon was magical to be able to stand against Cutter but the hilt was never meant to parry a blow. The bottom blade was cut off with the hilt on it almost nonexistent. Mason jumped back, glaring at his left hand for losing a finger.

Holding the remainder of the blade with his good hand, he grabbed a wrap with the other and used his teeth to pull it tight around his hand to stop the bleeding. When he was ready, Naruto slashed down through the air sending a blade of mana at him. Mason jumped over it and let it hit the wall, blowing up, before a smaller blade came at Mason from his back. It hit him and blew up as well, throwing him at Naruto. The spellblade was going to attack him in the air thinking he couldn't defend himself only for Mason to twist in the air and grab onto Naruto's shoulders. He flipped the boy and threw him at the well, making Naruto lose his grip on Cutter. The blade clattered against the ground and sat there out of reach. Naruto himself caught a stone in the wall and looked up to see Mason looking down at him.

"…You're good boy, very good. When you grow into your potential I doubt there will be anything that can stop you. …So I have best stop that potential here." Slashing along the edge to make rocks fall on him, Naruto pushed them aside as best he could before looking down to see only darkness.

Above them, a figure had watched the battle with interest. Pulling his sword, he threw it down to embed in the lip of the well close to Mason, making him jump. Naruto pulled himself up, dug his claws into the stone, and ran up it, grabbed the sword, and felt like he was punch in the stomach upon taking it. But that didn't stop him from landing and cutting Mason in half. The Highlander stumbled back and fell apart, staring at the sword in shock as he died. Naruto did as well, it felt like something was trying to fight him for… He didn't know but he growled and stabbed the blade into the stone. It was black with a red glow to it and an eye of gold in the hilt. Thoughts tried to push themselves in on him, thoughts he knew weren't his own. Thoughts of destroying Konoha, of subjugating the Land of Fire, and of him ruling over everything.

"No," Naruto growled before finally forcing his hands from the cursed blade. Stumbling over to Cutter, he picked it up and faced the black sword again, this time with the intent of using Cutter to destroy it. Such an evil thing shouldn't exist, it can't exist! He ran at it and slashed with Cutter only to be blown back by a surge of magic. Slamming into the wall and falling to his knees, he looked at it in shock at the power.

"Interesting," a man in dark armor said as he dropped down and picked up the black sword while looking to the boy. "Not only did you resist it and freed yourself, you ignored its promise of power. Who are you boy?"

"N-Naruto," he panted.

"Naruto…I will remember that name. You have a contingency spell correct?" Naruto could barely nod before a throwing dagger hit his chest, sending him back to Uzu. "Uzumaki Naruto…very interesting," Ashram said before leaving.

—oo000oo—

Naruto dropped on the floor with a growl as he pulled the knife out of his shoulder. "Naruto! Did you…"

"No, I won. This was done by a knight with dark armor and sword that said I was very interesting. He did this to remove me from the fight."

"…It will take us a minute to find a mage to teleport us back. Let us hurry."

—oo000oo—

Neji pushed aside another ninja in his way as he moved to the closest rally point. Two more were attacking him with one grabbing his arm when two blades on chains hit them in the chest and pulled them from their feet. "Get your sticking paws off him you damn, dirty apes," came from behind him. Neji turned around to follow the chains and saw they led to Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. At the moment, Temari was cast a spell, throwing fire at her enemies. Kankuro swung the Hammerthyst around into the stomachs of ninja close to him and then when they were on the ground brought the hammer down on their heads or chest. Jutsu were being fired at the three but they always detonated before hitting them. The chains were being pulled back to Gaara who was glaring at Neji. "Brother, sister, I have something I need to do."

"Have fun," Temari waved off.

A wave of sand came up around Gaara and ran forward, separating Neji from everyone else but Gaara as well. "…And this is," Neji asked.

"I killed them because the one that gets to do that to you is me."

"…By making me your enemy, Fate has deemed you…" Neji was hit in the face with a handful of sand.

"I somehow doubt that Skuld, Belldandy, and Urd let you in on their secrets. So shut up and let me kick your ass."

Neji wiped his face clean with a glare at the tanuki boy. "Fine then, come and try."

"The words I was waiting for." He grabbed not his sword or axe but the dagger with the handle too long for it. Pulling it from the sheath, he revealed that the scabbard was magical to hold a blade much longer than it was. Much longer. Gaara now held a heavy claymore two handed sword with a wading heron on the blade, one heavy enough to cut horse and rider in half. "If you surrender, I won't kill you and raise as my zombie. I think that would be a waste anyway. Of a good zombie raising." Gaara ran forward and brought the blade down if an overhead slash. Neji jumped to the side and the blade carved a gouge in the cobble stone road. Even as he tried to attack the dark knight, Gaara was already on another attack. Cutting a street pole in half, Gaara looked to Neji as he weaved out of the way.

"…I've noticed that the Uzu prefers attacks and weapons with special abilities. What is special about that sword?"

"This? Nothing special, a slab of steel really. Well, I have used this sword for the last three years to kill demons. Their blood taints this blade, striking not only the body but also the soul. I can kill a demon here on this realm with this." Gaara ran at him, pulling the sword up from behind him, cutting stone and dirt as if they weren't there. Neji sidestepped it and tried to attack while he was committed to the move but Gaara twisted around and slammed him from the side with the flat of the sword, throwing Neji into a wall.

Holding an arm over his chest where the sharp edge cut him, Neji panted in pain. "That…isn't possible. A sword like that is too heavy for someone as small as you! And there is no way steel can cut through stone and wood like that!"

"True, steel can't. But every weapon from Uzu is made from mithril. And regular mithril can cut just about anything. Stone shatters, leaving nothing to stop the blade. Wood though will pinch a blade but doesn't have the strength of stone. Heh. And human flesh is just useless against it."

Neji jumped out of the way of another attack. "I thought you wanted to kick my ass…not kill me."

"Maim you, not kill you. A man can live without his limbs. Then you can moan and groan about how it was fate to lose your ninja career almost as soon as you started. Worse, you'll be at the mercy of those you hate, wouldn't you?" Neji could feel Gaara smile at him at that.

"No!" Neji dodge again and tried to get away only for sand that blocked his path formed foot long spikes that followed his movements.

"That's it, isn't it? You can't stand the thought of being at the mercy of those you hate. At least…not without Hinata there." Neji looked pale at that thought. "Oh, I know all about the Hyuuga, Hyuuga Neji. I know how you treated her and I know about the hatred and loathing. If Hinata was there…" Gaara brought the sword across in a slash, the tip just missing Neji's legs. "She would no doubt care for you and try to protect you. She had a kind heart."

"…H-H-H, Lady Hinata wasn't strong enough to be a ninja, she should have stayed in the mansion…where she could be safe and happy!"

"But she wasn't safe or happy," Gaara countered, bringing the heron claymore down, trying to cut off a limb still. He watched as Neji grew more and more fearful. The fel-weapons he held all had the aura of the demons that empowered them. A dark knight was immune to it and could direct it. Those that fought with them or against them tend to begin to fall under the palpable feeling of death they give off and begin to hallucinate. What does Neji fear, he wondered.

For Neji, the world had turn to ones of shadows as the fight continued. Blood covered the ground as well as the seal of the cage bird. Gaara was only a silhouette with evil glowing eyes. He tried to dispel it as a genjutsu but nothing worked and his fear grew.

"Face it, Neji," Gaara said in a voice that wasn't his own, that Neji knew wasn't real but chilled him to the bone anyway. "Her own family wanted her dead and gone and they made sure she was. And now, without her there, you are at the mercy of those that look down on you. Your uncle and cousin."

"O-Only if you beat me," he denied.

"HAHAHA! Don't you see! I already have!"

Neji looked down and saw his arms and legs on the ground and he could do nothing. "No… No, no, no, NO!"

"YES! Your fate is to rely on them for the rest of your life until they decide to let you die!" Gaara laughed hard as Neji tried to deny it and wept.

—oo000oo—

The sand barrier came down and Temari saw Gaara standing over Neji, the boy sitting on the ground, looking at the stones before him helplessly, his limbs limp as if they had been cut off. Gaara cleaned what little blood had gotten on his sword and sheathed it. "And so I condemn you, Hyuuga Neji, to be as weak as you thought Hinata was." Gaara walked away, his helmet shifting back into his hat with a light smile on his face. "Neechan, I'm done."

"Wow, you really let him have it," Kankuro said, looking over the helpless boy. "He barely has a cut but you think he had almost died."

"He did fight Gaara," Temari reminded.

"Well that's true," Kankuro replied. Gaara only hummed as he looked around to see the fighting diminishing.

—oo000oo—

Aisha had a wide grin on her face as she clawed another ninja coming at her with Perrin behind her, guarding a doorway leading to others that can't fight. "Do you feel it, Perrin? The feeling this brings!"

"I feel enough thank you."

"Weapons clashing, men and women testing their will again others!"

"War is hell for sure," Perrin replied.

"It gets my blood pumping!" A white spot was spreading from her nose.

"More coming, Aisha," Perrin warned.

Star, Oto, and a few Highlander mercenaries approached once more. "More! Hurt me more," Aisha screamed; the combat high and rage taking over. "Stab me, crush my bones, break your weapons upon my body! This battle brings the animal out of me! Test your strength against it and DIE!" In a rush, that white spot completely covered her body, turning her body into that of a white tiger as she ran at them, clawing and biting, jumping and pouncing, anything and everything she could do to kill them. Perrin watched coldly as he waited to see if she would fight him as well. She never even looked back.

—oo000oo—

Naruto and Sazuka found Bleu as she was doing what she could to help. "Blue, you need to send us back," Naruto pleaded.

"What? Why? You just escaped death already."

"They did it on purpose to get rid of us. Highlanders are attacking as well," Sazuka told her.

"Fine, fine, just a moment." She finished the circle she was making and turned to them. "Remember, inside limbo keep your hands in close to your body. You may feel some slight nausea. And in the event of an emergency, put your head between your legs and kiss your butt goodbye."

"Yes, Bleu," Naruto said with a smile before she snapped her fingers and the world around them turned inside out before they reappeared atop the Hokage tower. He loved going through teleport spells. Looking around, he was about to jump down when he noticed something. The fighting was over. "…Wow, that fast?"

"Not really surprised," Sazuka stated. "We were here in force and even with the Highlanders, Lady Deis and Lord Dorogan is here." Overhead, Talon crashed atop the mountain while fighting a giant snake. They separated and the snake hissed at her while Talon roared before taking a deep breath and releasing a beam of light that burned earth, wood, and flesh. It set the snake on fire and made it writhe in agony before dying. "Plus all the ones chosen for the Chunin Exam. I'm kinda surprised it took this long. We better find the others."

Heading down to the arena where they last saw everyone, most of those from Uzu were there in the center. Aisha looked happy despite her clothes being torn to shreds and her barely looking decent. Well, actually she looked more than decent if the way men were staring were anything to go by. Konan and Din were sitting on a couple of chairs that had gotten pulled up and thrown down there. Konan was kicking her legs while wearing the cloak and mask of the Knave while Din had on the crown of the Queen. Perrin had a new scar on his face on his left cheek and was looking over his hammer. Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro…looked better than going into the battle oddly enough. Off to the side, Dinzt was flirting with a woman from the village. One with red eyes, long black hair, and wraps around her body. Dorogan was inspecting his sword as well, fire coming off the blade to burn away what blood remained on it, while Deis was entering wearing a set of armor and a sword Naruto had never seen before.

"Kaa-san? What is that you're wearing," Naruto questioned.

"This is armor I used to wear, nothing more." Naruto nodded but looked at the sword more closely. It was white with gold emblazing and… Naruto stared at it. A gold eye was in the hilt. "Naruto?"

"I…nothing, I just thought… It's nothing, Kaa-san. Thought I seen that before." Before he could think more on it, Konan jumped on his back.

"Nya! Naruto-kun, look, I got the mask and cloak of the Knave of Blades!"

"…So you did. Beat him for it, huh?"

"Yup! Did it all by myself too!" A small crack from a tiny fireball went off over her head. "…Well, maybe Din helped…a little. But I could've handled it!"

"I'm sure," Naruto said with a smile. "Kaa-san, does this mean the Exam was canceled on account of invasion? Should we go home now?"

"…We'll meet up with everyone that was caught in the attack from home."

Yes kaa-san," Naruto said before looking down at his hand at a burn in his bandages. The gold eye from that black sword. It was different from the eye on the other but what are the chances…

"Naruto, keep up," Sazuka said to him.

"Yes, sensei." He hurried after her.

—oo000oo—

The group met with a couple of priest and priestesses that were busy healing the injured that had been brought to them. Among their numbers was Hinata as she followed the instructions of those older than her, healing wounds that would take months to close otherwise. "Deis-sama," she said when she saw her coming over. "We were just finishing up healing those from Uzu when…um, someone from Konoha stumbled over. When we healed him, more started coming and…well…" What had probably started as just one or two people being mended had turned into a field hospital. Life changing injuries were being healed so quickly that the ninja often went back into the battle or to help where needed.

"I understand, when will you be finished?"

"Um…" Hinata hesitated and an older priest of Ladon came over.

"We are handling them as fast as we can but many are still injured. We are helping not only Uzu and Konoha but any brought before us. Star and Sound ninja are being taken away while we are helping the Highlanders escape…if that is alright with you."

"It is," Deis replied.

"Good. I saw a rather angry Knave come through here missing his cloak and mask."

"Nya," Konan laughed.

"We'll be done before nightfall, Lady Deis," the priest assured her.

"Good. Where are the Uzu gathering?"

"The Hokage has offered the academy yard. Mages are already there opening portals to the four clan houses."

"Thank you."

She started to leave when the priest said something else. "There is something odd, Lady Deis. A case of fel-poisoning only this ninja was from Konoha."

"…A dark knight attacked a Konoha ninja?"

"Yes but the damage was almost entirely mental. The boy was nearly catatonic." He looked to Hinata who had been called elsewhere to help again. "He kept saying Hinata. I don't know if he meant miko Hinata but when she saw him… It was very cold. I have never seen a priestess wish to ignore a wounded man so much."

"…Probably a Hyuuga, correct," Deis asked.

"Yes, my lady."

"Do not worry, if more Hyuuga come, have someone else heal them. Otherwise there should be no problem."

"It will be done. If you will excuse me," he turned and went back to those in need of aid.

Deis led them all to the academy except Gaara who held back a moment. Going to Hinata, he said, "So, you saved him?"

"Yes," she muttered.

Gaara was silent a moment before saying one thing and leaving. "He knows what it means to be weak now." Hinata glanced at his back before continuing her spells.

—oo000oo—

That afternoon, Sarutobi sat in his office smoking his pipe while thinking about the day. From one stand point, the day had gone extremely well. There were hardly any casualties and the number of wounded was nonexistent thanks to the healers of Uzu. Prisoners had been rounded up and they had figured out the perpetrators of this attack. All in all it was rather productive. But then there was the military stand point and in that view it had been a very horrible day. Not for the attack itself but that it looked like Uzu had almost saved Konoha single-handedly. They literally did all the major fights. Orochimaru dead at the hands of Ryu Dorogan. Many civilians saved by Uzu. The summons defeated by Talon. Their own wounded healed by their healers. It looked like Konoha could not take care of even their traitors, much less their own. And it didn't take a genius to figure out that this would quickly spread and the view of Konoha being the strongest will quickly topple with Uzu replacing them. It was an embarrassment he wasn't sure they could overcome.

"Sarutobi," Danzo said after taking a pull from his own pipe. "Why did you invite me in here?"

Hiruzen let out the smoke he was holding in a sigh. "Is it not enough, old friend, to want to talk to you like we once did?"

"We haven't talked like that since sensei died," Danzo replied.

"…Uzu, what is your take on them?"

"Need you even ask? They are strong not only than what we thought before now but also than we are." He took another pull from his pipe. "People will no longer wonder 'how will Konoha respond to this'. They will question how will Uzu respond. They will wonder would we have survived without them and doubt that we would have. Someone might even get it in their mind to hire those 'Highlanders' again to try and finish the job. 'What will Konoha do without Uzu there to save them?' But you know this."

Sarutobi sighed and said, "Yes, I do. I was just hoping you had a brighter thought on your mind."

"…We need those stronger than ourselves to come back. We need to make people know that to attack us is foolhardy."

"…I know."

Danzo was silent for several minutes as they thought about the changing face of the world. "Adapt or die," he broke the silence with. "Jinchuuriki vanishing. Summons proving to be useless. Creatures of legends returning to the world. I am honestly at a bit of a lost. We aren't needed anymore, are we?"

"I question that as well," Sarutobi admitted. "I have never been suffered to let live before and yet…Uzumaki Deis lets me live at her sufferance. She can kill me at any time and probably doesn't because of Naruto. I don't even know why Jiriaya is still alive."

Danzo took a pull on his pipe but didn't finish. "I need something a bit more soothing than this."

Sarutobi nodded and grabbed a bottle hidden behind a couple books, a gift from Naruto after his return. "Naruto gave this to me, called it Dragonfire Whiskey. Burns a little on the way down but it will mellow even a Hyuuga out." He grabbed the two glasses that he kept next to it and put a little in both. He took his in a sip and had to keep his face schooled. Danzo took more than a sip to try it and swallowed, breaking into a coughing fit.

After almost a minute he stopped and said, "I see why it's called Dragonfire."

"More?"

Danzo finished his glass and said in a strained voice, "Please." A few glasses of that and all the tensions the two had were gone. "So what's the plan?"

"Getting drunk and dealing with it later sounds good," Sarutobi replied.

"…That does have its merit," Danzo admitted, liking the idea. "But then we will just want to get drunk and deal with it later as well."

"…We need our strongest back. We need people to know they are back. Jiriaya is staying and I have to call back Tsunade. We need our ninja to step up their training and expand. We need to try and get some of the power that Uzu is overflowing with. I don't suppose you happened to grab one during the fray, did you?"

"…I tried," Danzo told him. "But each one vanished in the arms of those that held them. They were ready for anything… We have no choice. Call for Itachi and pardon him. He is not going to be happy."

"Far from it," Sarutobi agreed. "…Now shall we get drunk?"

"With Itachi coming back, most certainly. Might I also suggest taking in the Oto sense they are now leaderless?"

"You were always ready with plans to get us stronger," Sarutobi said while filling their glasses to the top. "Oh, the curse seal it off limits." Danzo frowned but didn't argue.

—oo000oo—

Author's notes. Sorry, everyone, been very busy. Cough, Gears of War, cough. Also moved recently so been busy with that as well.

See you space cowboy.