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Ryuu stood, holding his tanto horizontally and exhaled, a green-tinted blade of Wind Nature chakra forming around the tanto blade and extending to the length of the average chokuto. His ANBU teacher nodded, grinning behind his mask as he successfully mastered yet another jutsu without his Sharingan. She had already taught him several Sealing Jutsus, the Dragon Flame Jutsu, the Phoenix Flower Jutsu, and Wind Style Air Bullets. Now he knew how to make Vacuum Blades as well. She could tell he had a purpose for learning the jutsus but that was about all she could tell.
"Good," she nodded drawing her katana. "Now that you know that one, you'll have to learn kenjutsu. I have a sneaking suspicion you'll excel at it."
Ryuu shrugged as she swung at him. He blocked it and shoved her back then spun slashing at her legs. She leapt over it then raised her sword to find his Vacuum Blade at her throat.
"It's not very different from fighting with my tanto except with more reach," Ryuu noted.
She nodded and vanished in a cloud of smoke then the real one appeared a distance away. She swung her sword in a circle in front of her then charged forward in a blur, leaving an after image. Ryuu tilted his head slightly then swung his blade up blocking her own.
"Neat trick," Ryuu commented. "But all you are doing is speeding up."
"I see," she grinned stepping back. "Your brother taught you to fight with a tanto very well it would seem. Shame you don't know the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"I know," Ryuu grinned. "If I did, I could be home sleeping while you trained him."
The ANBU laughed for a moment before reaching up to her mask and pulling it off, revealing one of the most beautiful women Ryuu had ever met. Even though she was likely older than his brother would be.
"You know, I always wanted to be ANBU," Ryuu stated, not entirely sure why.
"Why's that?" she questioned.
"Honest?" Ryuu questioned. "Because even in times of peace the ANBU get the absolute best, most dangerous missions ever."
"It's not as great or exciting as it sounds," she stated. "Most ANBU wind up spying on friends rather than fighting enemies. Some have to go so far as to assassinate friends. Sometimes lovers. Other times you go out with your friends to stop a group of ninja that threaten your village and you watch as your friends are slaughtered. They die one by one until suddenly you find that you've no friends left. You find that you are utterly and completely alone. That much is inevitable. If you're lucky, you may have one person left when you find out you're alone and you will cling to them, and shield them from any harm. But deep down, you will know that their death is inevitable."
"You sound as if you're speaking from experience," Ryuu noted.
"I am," she agreed. "I spied on several of my friends, had to assassinate one, watched thirteen die in battle because of my own mistakes, and was lucky enough to keep my lover alive. However, I'm not foolish enough to not see that he is slowly dying. His body is simply unable to function properly. He'll likely be dead within another two years."
"I see," Naruto nodded. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," she smiled. "I'm at peace with it. Death is inescapable. We'll all die eventually. Now, start doing sit ups."
Ryuu dropped to the ground instantly, following his orders as fast as he could.
"So what's your name?" Ryuu questioned. "Since you're going to be training me until your training methods finally kill me."
"Yugao," she smiled. "However, while I'm wearing my mask, simply identify me as either my mask or Master."
"Yes Boss," Ryuu grinned and Yugao rolled her eyes.
"Excuse me, Yugao?" a Leaf Shinobi spoke up stepping into the clearing. "We are being ordered to send Ryuu to help Team Guy investigate a group of shinobi to the west."
Yugao nodded and Ryuu stood, following the shinobi as Yugao did the same, putting her mask back on. After a few minutes, Ryuu left the village with the Leaf ninja while Yugao left, most likely for a mission. Ryuu followed the ninja to a small cave where four other Leaf Ninja were sitting, all disheveled and bruised.
"You guys okay?" the ninja Ryuu had followed questioned.
"Yes, thank you Genma," the jonin, a tall muscular man with black hair in a shiny bowl cut, a tight green jumpsuit, a Konoha flak jacket, and a forehead protector on a red backing as a belt spoke.
Ryuu looked around at the three genin, two boys and a girl. One boy looked exactly like a younger version of the jonin captain minus the flak jacket, the other was a Hyuga with white, lavender-tinted eyes, a black forehead protector backing with two straps hanging from it that looked like they were made to secure the headband to his head, a short-sleeved white jacket-like shirt, bandages covering his right arm, black shorts, a bandaged right leg, and blue sandals with his hair reaching his waist with the last three inches or so tied into a loose pony tail. The girl was wearing a pink, sleeveless, qipao-style blouse with red sleeve trimmings and yellow fastening buttons, dark green pants, and blue sandals. Her hair was in two buns on the sides of her head, and she had two scrolls beside her.
"You're Ryuu, correct?" the man questioned.
"Yes sir," Ryuu nodded.
"Allow me to introduce Lee, Neji, and Tenten," the man introduced first the mini-him, then the Hyuga, then the girl. "And I am Konoha's Blue Beast, Might Guy, I'm sure you've heard of me."
"Not really," Ryuu admitted.
Guy instantly folded forward moaning something about being old as Lee tried to convince him of the opposite.
"They do that," Neji stated seeing Ryuu's confusion. "You're an Uchiha right?"
"Yeah," Ryuu nodded.
"Good," Tenten smirked. "We'll need you."
"What are we doing anyway?" Ryuu questioned, making Guy stand straight again, grinning so wide Ryuu thought he might be wearing dentures and flashing him a thumbs up.
"We've been tasked with eliminating a group of seven unknown shinobi just west of here," Guy stated. "With your help it shouldn't be a problem."
"You do remember that we couldn't touch them before, right?" Tenten questioned. "Not even you."
Guy again folded over and Ryuu rolled his eyes.
"Fast?" Ryuu questioned.
"Impossibly strong," Neji stated. "They fought us as thought they knew what we would do before we did."
"I see," Ryuu nodded. "Me and your two fastest fighters should fight them while the other two cover us from a distance."
"Well, Lee and Guy Sensei are the fastest and I'm a ranged fighter but Neji is more close range and tracking than anything," Tenten stated.
"He'll cover you as best he can then," Ryuu stated. "How long until you can move?"
"We can go right now!" Guy stated standing and giving him a thumbs up while grinning again. "Nothing can extinguish the fires of youth!"
"Yes Guy Sensei!" Lee exclaimed standing as tears rolled down his face.
"This is pretty much common for us," Neji stated. "Just ignore them."
Ryuu grinned and nodded.
"Are you two ready to give it another shot?" Ryuu questioned.
Neji nodded and Ryuu turned back toward the entrance of the cave as the others all stepped up behind him.
"Let's get going shall we?" Ryuu grinned before sprinting out of the cave.
The others all followed, Neji and Tenten eventually falling back as Guy, Lee, and Ryuu entered a valley where six men and a woman stood waiting, all wearing blank forehead protectors. The men all wore black forehead protector backings, black, skin-tight, short-sleeved shirts revealing heavily muscled torsos, and black and very dark grey camo pants that had pockets everywhere, at least thirty. The woman was wearing a white forehead protector backing, a white poncho over a tight white qipao-style shirt that was open from the bottom of her rib cage and revealed an expanse of the flawless skin of her stomach until her loose white dancer's pants. They all had sandals matching the rest of their clothes and all had the same amused yet condescending grin plastered on their faces.
"Welcome back friends," the woman spoke. "Oni, Makai, handle the two retards again. Aku, you handle the new-blood."
Three of the men stepped forward. One had a skin-bald head, one wavy brown hair to his shoulders, and one had black hair spiked backward with two locks farming his face.
"Aku," the own with the black hair bowed.
"Ryuu," Ryuu stated returning the gesture and noting the woman tensing before she grinned.
Oni and Makai both charged at Lee and Guy, both successfully managing to keep them at bay, despite both of the Konoha Ninja moving in blurs. Aku reached Ryuu, swinging a punch. Ryuu ducked under the punch and threw one of his own. Aku caught it easily then spun and hurled Ryuu threw the air to the wall of the cliff. Ryuu landed on it, staying thanks to Yugao having taught him to walk and stand on trees, cliffs, and walls. Ryuu drew his trench knife and kunai and sprinted forward, slashing at Aku's stomach then spinning and slashing at his throat less than a second later. Aku caught the second attack then an attempt to drive the kunai into the opposite side of his neck and began to squeeze. Ryuu grit his teeth against the pain and planted both feet into Aku's chest, launching him into the bald man holding Lee by the throat. Lee landed on the ground and crouched, gritting his teeth as he pulled his leg warmers down and removed two sets of leg weights. Then, he dropped them, each forming a crater as they hit. The bald man stood, shoving Aku off om himself then grinned and crouched, readying himself for Lee. Guy, still fighting the man with the brown hair, was surrounded by green chakra while his skin was an angry red, his hair was standing straight up on his head, and his eyes were completely white. He was a perfect match for his opponent but his opponent seemed to have more energy, as he was slowly gaining ground.
Aku turned back to Ryuu and cracked his neck then began walking forward. Ryuu leapt at him, slashing at his head but Aku raised his left arm and blocked Ryuu's attack at the forearm, then a kick at the shin, followed by another slash, a stab, a knee, and an axe kick. Ryuu finally leapt back, putting both blades away and activated his Sharingan, grinning.
"Fire Style, Fireball Jutsu," Ryuu growled firing a massive ball of flames at Aku.
Aku held his hand out and the fireball hit his hand, stopping before turning into a blade.
"Flame Sword!" Aku growled.
Ryuu raised an eyebrow then drew his tanto and created a Vacuum Blade.
"Let's see what you've got," Ryuu grinned.
They both charged forward and began to fight, Ryuu being able to keep up with his Sharingan active for several minutes. Finally, Ryuu sidestepped a slash and impaled Aku through the heart.
"AKU!" the bald man shouted just before Lee leapt over him with a kunai and drove it into his head, killing him.
"Oni!" the woman shouted. "Makai, fall back!"
Makai, the brunette, instantly leapt back as the woman stepped forward alone.
"I'll handle them then," the woman growled.
Then, she sprinted forward and jumped into the air, Guy meeting her halfway, only for her to kick him back. She landed behind Lee and spun kicking him into Guy, both of them crashing into a cliff. Just as they did, ninja tools of all kinds began to rain down at the assembled rogue ninja, Tenten seeming to have finally decided to step in. The woman looked up at the falling weapons in annoyance and swiped her hand over her head as if swatting a fly, a massive gust of wind blasting the weapons away before the woman exhaled a ball of fire as big around as the average building in Konoha up at the cliff. The explosion sent Tenten and Neji tumbling into the valley where they stayed as the woman turned back to Ryuu.
"Imagine my surprise when I learn that the backup my current opposition sent for was not a group of jonin like I expected, but the same person that I was ordered to retrieve," the woman spoke grinning at Ryuu. "He will be most impressed and grateful. I may even finally be worthy of speaking to him in person."
"Who?" Ryuu questioned.
"Never you mind who," the woman stated. "I am Neikan. Pleased to meet you."
"I'd return the compliment but that would be a lie," Ryuu stated. "Are we going to fight or chat?"
The woman grinned and began making hand seals.
"Fire Style, Dragon Flame Caterwaul!" the woman shouted before exhaling several small dragon-head-shaped fireballs at Ryuu.
"Impressive," Ryuu grinned mimicking her hand seals. "Fire Style, Dragon Flame Caterwaul!"
His jutsu met hers in a massive explosion, kicking up dust. As it settled, the woman fired several fireballs only for Ryuu to block them with the exact same thing. Finally, the two charged, Ryuu with his trench knife and a kunai and her with a pair of kunai. They fought for several minutes, both blocking each other's attacks at the same time as throwing another, neither gaining the upper hand.
Ryuu dropped to the ground, spinning, and the woman leapt into the air. Ryuu appeared behind her and spun, smashing his foot into her stomach, slamming her into the ground, then fell toward her, slashing at her throat. She rolled out of the way then threw her foot out behind her and sent him flying. He landed on his feet and saw both of his knives lying behind her, along with her own. She charged, not realizing she was close to the blades than him, and threw a punch at his head. He blocked it then caught her other fist as it sailed toward his stomach. she kicked him back then leapt into the air and began making hand seals.
"Fire Style, Dragon Flame Bomb!" the woman shouted exhaling a massive wave of fire at Ryuu.
Ryuu darted forward, slipping under the flames before leaping into the air and driving his fist into her stomach before flipping over her and holding his hand out to his side.
"Flame Sword!" Ryuu growled as a blade of flames, matching the one Aku had used earlier formed.
"NO!" the woman screamed just before Ryuu decapitated her, her head and body both lighting on fire and burning as they crashed back down.
Ryuu landed in front of the others who all stared at him in awe and fear.
"Your turn," Ryuu growled.
They all turned to run but Ryuu charged into their midst and began slashing right and left. Two of them, Makai and a man with golden blonde hair spiked forward, leapt into the air and began running in opposite directions. Ryuu held his hand out and the blade shot after the blonde, stabbing him through the heart and lighting him on fire as Makai escaped. Guy and Lee both woke up, looking at Ryuu to see him standing amidst the flaming corpses of their now dead opponents with blood splattered across his face and his body illuminated by the bloody light of the fire. Ryuu raised his hand then swung it down again, extinguishing the Flame Sword and turned to look at the, his Sharingan seeming to glow in the light of the fire and perfecting the truly unnerving scene before them.
"You guys okay?" Ryuu questioned.
"Fine," Guy nodded standing. "Did you do this?"
"It's amazing how poorly they fight when they're afraid," Ryuu stated. "Killing them was easy after she was dead. One got away though."
"Never mind him," Guy sighed. "Our mission is complete and I doubt he'll be coming anywhere near you again. Let's go."
"I have a question," Ryuu stated. "Why were they so much better than the two of you?"
"Because we were both still holding back and wanted to see what you could do," Guy stated.
"I see," Ryuu nodded shaking Tenten and Neji awake. "Time to head home."
They both stood and they all headed back to the village, arriving at the same time as Team Kakashi.
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