I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
Gathering of the Beasts
Naruto stepped out of the ship and looked around. The island was on the horizon, massive and intimidating. Stone spikes protruding all over and corpses of massive animals spread around it. After a few minutes, Naruto spun around and saw a massive tentacle rising out of the water behind the ship. His mind first flashed to the octopus the Great Toad Sage had said would teach him but soon nine other tentacles rose out of the water.
"Squid!" Naruto shouted as the tentacles all swung down.
They all leapt over them but as they did, one of the tentacles caught Honoka. Aoba leapt at the tentacle but another caught him. Naruto drew his Sword of Kusanagi and extended the blade, slashing both tentacles but failing to remove them. Both dropped their would-be victims and the squid screamed a loud metallic screech and pulled back from the ship. Aoba landed first and caught Honoka who instantly threw her arms around him, sobbing into his shoulder.
"Never been caught before?" Naruto questioned before remembering how she died before. "Flashback?"
Honoka managed a nod just before a massive creature with the upper half of a bald ox and the lower half of an octopus appeared and smashed its right fist into the side of the squid.
"Squid don't deviate!" the creature shouted. "The rest I abbreviate!"
"What is this?" Yamato questioned. "Here comes another one now, spouting weird rhymes."
"He's just rapping," Fu scoffed walking over as Naruto leaned on Yamato's shoulder grinning and waving at the creature.
"Wave to our teacher," Naruto ordered. "This, is the Eight-tails."
"It's Lord Killer B!" the Cloud Ninja that had been on deck with them stated smiling.
Suddenly a man grew out of the Eight-tails' head as the Eight-tails shot into his back merging with him. The man had a standard Cloud Village uniform minus the shirt under the flack jacket, white hair combed backward, a white gotee, and two blue marks on his left cheekbone.
"All y'alls is late, fools, ya fools," B stated dropping to the deck as Samehada shot forward sniffing his leg. "What's this?"
"Give him some of your chakra," Naruto said and B did so before Samehada wrapped around his waist purring like a cat as it shivered. "He likes Jinchuriki."
"I see," B said, forgetting to rap momentarily.
"I'm glad you made it in one peace, I've been waiting for you," a voice above them shouted making them all look up to see a Cloud Shinobi with a standard uniform, spiky brown hair, and a blue mark along his nose. "I am supervisor Motoi. Welcome. I'll show you to your rooms. Follow me."
Naruto grinned and set his Sword of Kusanagi's pommel on the ground, extending the sword to the stone spike Motoi stood on then creating a clone to hold it.
"After you?" Naruto said gesturing for the others to go.
The others all went up the sword like a thin footpath while Hinata brought Guy up onto deck. Naruto created a clone who picked Guy up and ran up the sword followed by Hinata and Naruto. When they reached Motoi, Naruto gripped his Sword's blade and it shortened back to its normal length and Naruto put it away. Motoi grinned and led them through the spikes to a forest inside. As they walked, Naruto looked around. B was too far ahead to hear so he looked to Motoi.
"I thought Gaara was going to be coming here too," Naruto stated.
"Lord Kazekage is already here," Motoi stated. "With you and Fu, the last of the free Tailed Beasts has been gathered."
Suddenly a massive gorilla with three scars, one over his left eye, one on the left side of his upper lip, and one on the left side of his chest appeared roaring angrily.
"Stand down King," B spoke up holding his hand out. "They're with me."
The Gorilla looked at him in confusion and dropped down to his hands and feet.
"That's one bid gorilla," Naruto whistled.
"That's...a gorilla?" Yamato questioned.
"Master Killer B stands atop the island's hierarchy of beasts," Motoi stated. "He has tamed every one of them. So long as he remains here, this place will offer you no danger. Also, Hidden Cloud Shinobi maintain a barrier around the island. We'll know right away if anything suspicious approaches."
"How can he turn into his full Tailed Beast form without dying?" Naruto questioned.
"He has the Eight-tails completely under his control," Motoi stated. "This island is where he trained to control it."
"Under control?" Naruto questioned. "Impressive."
"No funny ideas Brat!" Kurama growled.
Naruto smirked and Motoi and B led them the rest of the way through the forest to a building that looked like the Eight-tails and they gathered around on the third floor as Gaara watched from the side of the room.
"You Hidden Leaf ninja can use this entire floor," Motoi stated. "The dining hall is downstairs, you can eat whenever you want. However, there seem to be two more of you than we have rooms."
"I'll be staying with Aoba," Honoka spoke up and Naruto grinned.
"Alright," Motoi nodded. "Someone else is going to have to pair up as well."
After a few moments of silence, Fu did what Naruto knew she would.
"Naruto and Hinata will stay together too," Fu spoke up as Naruto's head fell forward to hide his face turning beat red while Hinata simply struggled not to faint.
"That will work," Motoi nodded. "Either way, I have some business I must attend to. I will be around if you need me."
The others all went to their room but Naruto remained standing where he was, as did Hinata.
"I-I'll go unpack," Hinata muttered knowing he wanted to go see B.
Fu and Gaara walked over and Naruto turned to Gaara.
"Have you asked him to train you to control Shukaku?" Naruto questioned.
"He refused," Gaara said flatly.
"Right," Naruto sighed. "Let's go see if I can win him over."
The three of them walked to Killer B's door and Naruto knocked, the other two standing behind him.
"It's the brat with Orochimaru's sword," B noted as he stepped out ignoring Fu and Gaara. "What's up? You want my autograph or somethin'?"
"No," Naruto said shaking his head. "We want you to train us."
"No way," B stated after a minute. "I'm here because my brother the Raikage ordered me to take a vacation. Why would I give up my R and R for the likes of you?"
"Because you know what it's like to be a Jinchuriki," Naruto stated. "Although, I doubt you really even know that, being the Raikage's brother and the village hero since you were young. I was singled out and hated by everyone except my parents for years because of my Tailed Beast who destroyed my village and killed dozens of the people living there. I have the Nine-tails. This is Fu, who was cast out from her village for being the Seven-tails' Jinchuriki. Gaara, the Kazekage, is the One-tails' Jinchuriki and had it even rougher than me for his entire life. He only changed after I showed him another path. Gaara has nearly destroyed his village and those he cares about several times because he can't control Shukaku. I recently battled the leader of the Akatsuki, Pein, and in that fight, Kurama's chakra cloak covered me and I nearly destroyed the village and everyone inside. I nearly lost the love of my life. Please. You must be able to understand how it would feel to be responsible to for your own village's destruction. Please train us."
"No," B repeated. "I'm not wasting my time on someone as weak as you. I took control of my Tailed Beast alone. If you can't do that, you don't deserve to be trained by me."
"Then fight me for it," Naruto suggested. "If I beat you, you train us. If you beat me, we'll leave you alone."
B grinned and nodded. He led Naruto out of the building and the others all gathered around the doorway to watch, humans and Jinchuriki alike.
"Any rules?" Naruto questioned.
"Don't hold back," B spoke. "Any weapon is fair game."
He tossed Samehada to Fu then held his arms out invitingly.
Naruto drew his Kusanagi Sword and the blade shot out, aimed directly at B's chest. At the last second, B turned sideways and the sword shot past harmlessly. Naruto swung sideways and the blade carved through several trees harmlessly. Be jumped over it and landed on the other side easily, pulling out his small book of raps and a pencil writing.
Naruto swung at his back but B spun around blocking it with the pencil, chakra streaming through the pencil. Then, he shoved the sword away, dropping the pencil and putting the book away before charging at Naruto. Naruto retracted the blade and swung at B only for him to easily avoid the blade and punch Naruto sending him flying away. Naruto landed hard and stood as B threw seven swords into the air before catching them all at various points on his body. One was now held in the eye of each elbow, one in his mouth, one pinned between his right shoulder and his head, one under his left armpit, one between his right thigh and his abdomen, and one in the back of his right knee.
"What the-" Naruto muttered as B grinned around the sword in his mouth.
Naruto shot the blade at B again but Be began spinning and flipping, the blades he had sailing into the air one or several at a time while the rest flashed around like a sharp tornado, making it impossible to keep up, even with a Sharingan. Naruto's blade reached B only to be knocked away instantly as B's own blades began sparking against it rapidly. B shot along the blade at Naruto alarmingly fast as Naruto stumbled back, dropping the sword and swearing, reaching for his Crow Blade and Temujin's sword. B reached Naruto and Naruto began blocking any and every blade that flashed at him, only barely able to keep up. Every two seconds like clock work, B left a small scratch on Naruto someplace seemingly random but never missing an interval.
He's toying with me! Naruto thought just as his eyes followed four blades into the air.
He cursed himself mentally as the other three instantly impaled his through both shoulders and his right leg, the force launching him backward and to the ground immobile.
That bastard hit my chakra points! Naruto raged silently unable to move.
"It's over," B stated catching his other four blades and putting them into the pack on his back. "Now leave me alone."
B pulled the other three out of Naruto using chakra to remove the blood from them and put them away, walking past and into the building as Honoka rushed over healing Naruto. Naruto stood retrieving his fallen weapons then sighed.
"I'm sorry," Naruto said turning to Gaara and Fu.
"It's alright," Gaara stated. "You couldn't have beaten him even in Sage Mode. He has access to his Tailed Beast's power. He was toying with you."
Naruto sighed nodding and turned as Motoi walked over.
"Please forgive Master B," Motoi apologized. "He has his reasons for refusing. Even if he won't admit it. However, since you are also Jinchuriki, I will take you to Master B's training grounds. You will need to learn to control yours for war."
"You know how he did it?" Naruto questioned.
"More or less," Motoi nodded. "Follow me."
"Um, c-can I c-come t-too?" Hinata stammered from behind Motoi.
"Sure," Motoi nodded.
Yamato also joined them as the six of them walked through the forest to a large yet surprisingly quiet waterfall. There was a small pond below it and a small patch of solid ground in the center directly in front of the waterfall.
"Is this it?" Naruto questioned.
"Yes," Motoi nodded. "This place is called the Waterfall of Truth. This is only the first step but it is important. Sit down on the patch of ground. You will see your true selves. However, I would advise you to only do it one at a time."
Naruto went first, leaping over Motoi to the patch of ground and sitting down. For a moment, nothing happened until a figure appeared behind the water, walking forward. It was...