Naruto looked on as the Ichibi's Jinchurriki was carried away by his siblings, the three talking quietly, as if afraid of drawing his attention to them. It was a little ridiculous in his mind, as he had made it quite clear that he would allow the group to escape. He took a deep breath, enjoying the quiet for a moment. Kyuubi was always silent for a few hours after it was summoned a rarity these days. Something played at the edge of his senses, a little warning. Naruto's battle mode reengaged at that.
It was small, a little flash of scent here, and a bit of color outside of the environment there, more than enough for Naruto to know he was being stalked by someone. Chakra flowed unconsciously to his ears as he scanned the area, and he heard the obvious sound of a blade being drawn. Then there was a second blade, from a different area.
'Two people, hoping for an easy kill. Something tells me this is going to be a problem.' The moment the blades were out the pair moved, at incredible speed, the one from behind nicking Naruto's cheek as he dodged and the one from the side scratching the inside of his arm. He hissed in slight pain as a fiery pain lanced up his arm, but he ignored it, focusing on getting away, drawing his ninjato in his right, uninjured hand to hold off any further movements.
His eyes scanned his opponents, two men, exactly the same, with only a small bit of clothing difference between them. Black pants and grey shirts, one with a grey collar and the other with a white collar. Naruto figured it was the white collar he had spotted.
His eyes scanned their faces, and other than the perfect matches he saw nothing to distinguish them apart from a slashed Iwa forehead protector. Naruto recognized them from the bingo book easily, as they were the only set of twins there.
"The Bloody Duo of Iwa." 'Rather unimaginative names these bingo books come up with.' "What do two high A-Rank ninja want with me?" A pair of bloodthirsty grins spread across their faces, and they spoke in an odd unison.
"You are a potential threat to Iwa. You will die soon, the poison should already be spreading through your veins. Even if it doesn't, we are high A-Ranks individually, and mid S-Rank together. You have no hope to survive this." They said, smiling every word.
Naruto smirked internally, the burning in his arm already diminishing as the Kyuubi's chakra did its job and healed him both light injuries already closed. The pair paid no attention to that as they charged him, expecting an easy win as the poison destroyed Naruto's nerves. They were disappointed as Naruto's ninjato clashed with their blades.
"The poison should be working by now…he must be immune. Oh well, we will end him brother." The pair went on the attack, showing flawless teamwork as one drove Naruto's ninjato high and the other came in with a low sweep, stopped only by Naruto catching the man's blade under his foot in a show of speed, catching the others foot in his face, sending him flying.
He flipped in midair, blocking another blade and barely dodging the second, the katana nicking his Haori. He hissed in a breath before he was kicked into the ground, hard. As if that wasn't enough one of the pair started hand seals, but Naruto interrupted it with a senbon into his finger, interrupting the change.
Naruto rose from the dust, looking for all the world like an awoken demon. He glared at the two while considering his situation. 'I can use six Soru in a burst now, or twenty spread out with a minute atwixt them. I can use thirty Geppo regardless as to what happens before it damages my ankles. I have two powerful, speedy, and experienced ninja who are out for my head, with no potential backup around. I am going to need every bit of skill I've gained.' He thought morosely. As if it wasn't enough to defeat a biju, a feat which would leave many ninja unable to do anything else!
The two charged again, katana leading the way as Naruto weaved around them with a grace that not even the finest dancers could replicate. One katana nearly sliced off some of his hair while the other nearly stabbed his arm. His focus on the katanas, Naruto missed the two fists that slammed into his stomach, sending him flying into the air. He kept himself from being attacked with Senbon, but the other ninja slammed his foot on the ground as spikes rose up.
"Doton: Iwa Toge Fushido no Jutsu! (Rock thorn bed jutsu)" Small and sharp spikes rose up for twenty-five feet around the user, the one with the white collar, and Naruto was headed right for a large group of them. The man didn't give Naruto the opportunity to escape however, as he continued on with the next part of the jutsu, even as his brother used his own.
"Doton: Iwa Toge Chakushu no Jutsu! (Rock thorn launch)" "Doton: Hell Zone Rock Shard!" At the same time the spikes launched up at a hundred miles an hour straight towards Naruto, the grey-collared brothers jutsu raised small rock shards that rocketed towards Naruto, the two jutsu coming at him from below, in front, and above. Naruto nicked his thumb on a canine, pressing his hand against the air.
"Kuchyoise no Jutsu: Rejection" Takami the hawk appeared, now large enough for Naruto to ride on his back, wings drawn into his side before flinging them out with a screech into their regular flight position.
Waves of high speed wind stopped the projectiles in their tracks, before sending them straight back at the users at even higher speed. As if that wasn't enough Naruto and Takami sent a new jutsu at them.
"Futon: Daitoppa! (Great Breakthrough)" "Katon: Kasai Sanshuhouuo no Jutsu )Fire Release • Fire Salamander)" A massive salamander made of crimson flames roared as it absorbed the blast of wind from the hawk, scuttling towards the area where the brothers were frantically building up their most powerful defensive jutsu.
"Doton: Iwa no Doomu! (Earth Dome) Doton: Sekkai Bunshin: Shinogeru Inshou! (Stone Clone: Protective Seal)"
Before the attack had even come close to the duo or the defenses had been formed Naruto had already left his position, leaping off Takami as the bird dispelled with a poof of smoke, reaching a great height with the help of Geppo (Moon walk). He took ten Senbon in each hand, spreading it around him as he began his combo.
"Katon: Go! (Five) Kage Senbon no Jutsu! (Shadow Senbon)" He looked down at the dome. "Time to end this. Ninpo: Hells thunderstorm!" Fifty-two seals in a few brief seconds as the thousands of flaming Senbon formed a crimson vortex around the blond. He finished off with a ram seal, holding it in place as the Senbon multiplied further, forming a fiery tornado as it blasted downwards at the swiftly reforming remains of the dome. The now countless Senbon blew through the defenses, piercing the twins hundreds of times in a second, before Naruto used the final stage of the technique.
"Ninpo: Shatter." Each and every Senbon shattered into hundreds of incredibly sharp pieces, raining down on the entire battlefield and leaving hundreds of thousands of little holes in every surface, and the bodies of the two ninja were torn to unseeable shreds.
Naruto landed on the ground, and a pair of hands grabbed his shoulders as a katana stabbed his stomach. "!" He fell, blood pouring from his gut as the two injured shinobi stood over him.
"This one was too close brother. If we hadn't of buried ourselves deep underground and used clones to replace ourselves we would have died. As it was those damn pieces of fire have left us in no fit shape to fight anymore. Hell, I can't use my left arm!"
"Calm yourself brother. He is dying, and we can easily find a medical ninja to heal us." The two walked away, which turned out to be a mistake. Ominous chakra surged through the area once again as a shroud of crimson chakra engulfed Naruto. The two turned around slowly, afraid of what they would see.
Crimson eyes glared from beneath bloody bangs.
~Break~
The invasion was practically finished, with Orochimaru's and Suna's forces in full retreat. The cost of this victory was quite great however, as the third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had fallen in battle. Even now the masses wept, mourning the loss of the beloved leader, grandfather figure to so many shinobi. In the shadows of the procession, Danzo plotted. The village would suffer from this, and Danzo was needed to ensure the foolish Daimyo did not ruin the village by appointing a terrible Godaime.
His one good eye closed in a moment of grief for his former friend, and then it opened again. The Root members nearby took a sharp breath as they recognized the look the elderly man had.
The True War Hawk was back.
~Break~
"What are you?" It was a simple question, but one with far too many answers to be listed. The crimson eyed blond looked at the injured twins as he answered.
"I'm complicated. Katon: Karyuu Endan! (Fire Dragon Napalm)" Naruto blew a massive stream of bloody flames, the fire moving so fast it nearly carved through the pair, having only just gotten out of the way in time. The two began counter jutsu, both having mastered one-handed seals a long time ago.
"Doton: Doryuudan no Jutsu! (Earth Dragon Blast)" Two mudstone dragon heads rose from the earth, instantly shooting massive cannonballs at Naruto. Each one struck home as a raven flew from the area. A dark and demonic voice let them know that Naruto was not dead.
"Doton: Ikiumeru no Jutsu! (Alive Burial)" The white collared twin, the one with the ruined arm, was swallowed into the earth, the chakra embedded into it ensuring that only the death of the caster of the jutsu would free the twin. The other twin watched in horror, before glaring at the now revealed Naruto.
"I will end you! Doton: Retsudo Tenshou! (Splitting earth force)" He slammed his hands on the ground and a massive rift in the earth raced towards Naruto, opening up an abyss underneath the blond. As a bolder slowly fell with Naruto standing on it the two glared at each other, both sides knowing the battle was far from over.
The last member of the Bloody Twins whirled around, his Katana barely catching Naruto's ninjato. Naruto kept up the assault, his swift strikes proving difficult for the ninja to block. All too soon Naruto had scored a point, a long gash on the ninja's thigh to spread more of his blood on the ground. The ninja backflipped back, falling back to his secondary element as the blond was always two steps ahead of his Doton jutsu.
"Raiton: Denshi no Jutsu! (Electron)" Two crackling yellow spheres appeared, one in each of the shinobi's hands. They were flung at Naruto, the orbs letting loose bolts of lightning at anything that it came near, and would focus on metal. That technique was nothing more than a distraction for a stronger one however.
"Raiton: Raikou Kousen no Jutsu! (Lightning beam technique)" A massive beam of pure electricity shot from the ninja's hands, headed straight for Naruto. A wicked grin grew on the ninja's face. It was over, and he would be able to rescue his brother.
"Katon: Kasai Uzu Nami no Jutsu! (Fire Spiral Wave)" Naruto slammed his hands into the ground, before swinging them in the direction of the last twin. A massive wave of blue fire sprang from his hands as the motion was completed, the pure heat melting the earth around them. The two lightning balls as well as the beam met the technique head on, but the fire would not be denied.
The man's eyes widened in fear and regret as he took one final look at where his brother lay entombed before being destroyed, not even the ash remained.
A panting Naruto was all that remained on the field, amongst the newly formed lava and landscape devastation. "Burn in the fires of hell." He spat, not happy at all about the fight. 'I let my guard down! And nearly lost because of it. I need more training. Wait a minute…I was dominating that fight until I let my guard down. Still, that cannot happen again.'
AN: Okay, thanks VynosNeptune, as his list of custom elemental Ninjutsu was used in both this chapter and the last, and will likely be used in other chapters as well.
Short chapter as this bit was bugging me. Can somebody who is talented at naming things message me or something? As you can probably tell from "The Bloody Duo of Iwa", I am not the most creative person for naming things. I will need some help with that in the future.