Naruto Dragon Champion

by Freedom Guard

Two powerful swords from another world...forged by two Dragon Lords and their kind, one side who serve the light...another who serve the darkness, lands in the world of Naruto after a powerful battle. A new warrior class is born...the Dragon Champions

47. Old Feuds Part 1

Naruto: The Twin Swords

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Naruto so let's leave it at that okay?

Chapter 33

Part 1

Old Feuds...

( ): Thoughts

(( )): Kyuubi speaking

((" ")): Holy Talon

...

In the village of Konoha...

The village was somewhat abuzz by the news of the battle that had taken place between Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki as the idea of two team mates fighting each other in a battle to the death was appalling to many of them. Some who were not too happy with Naruto were nevertheless shocked that Sasuke had been willing to attack Naruto with lethal intent as despite their dislike for the blonde, they found the idea of team mates killing one another outright disgusting.

The women who were intimate with Naruto for quite a while now were less than pleased, even the normally gentle and kind Hinata was outraged by this and she was showing that same outrage by asking what was to be done with Sasuke and how Naruto was handling the situation that he was. Hinata took her love for Naruto very seriously and while she had not revealed completely the extent of the relationship to her family, they all saw that their relationship made her stronger and pushed her to better heights, something that both her father and Neji approved of. And the thought of her lover being attacked by the man who he called a friend filled her with shock and anger.

She was not the only one either as the others were not pleased by this as the news of what happened moved over the village. And all of them were more than willing to be vocal about their disgust over the situation.

Sakura was utterly shocked and dismayed at this, even though she had suspected that something was happening to Sasuke, she had never expected to see him willing to attack and possibly kill Naruto. The sight of the battle was more than enough to convince her that Sasuke had completely lost it and she could not help but feel that he had crossed the line, she still saw him as a friend, but this attack had strained her views close to breaking point. That and the fact that she had fallen deeply for her blonde team mate made her unease grow on the matter of how she would react when she would face him again.

Ino herself was utterly dismayed by Sasuke's actions and was not the least bit pleased to boot. She had cared about Sasuke and did find him to be a good looking guy, which was one of the reasons why she and Sakura put aside their friendship to properly compete with one another over him. But now after being very intimate with Naruto and seeing a very different side of him which was quite different and real, she began to feel more for him than Sasuke, that coupled with how he was with her made her happy to be with him. She too had noticed the animosity between the two and she hoped that at least they could work things out. But this attack by Sasuke had changed the whole field and she was not in the mood to let this slide. She wanted to know why Sasuke did this and how this could be solved before things got really bad between them all.

Tenten herself was very annoyed by the news as she wanted to find out just why Sasuke had willingly committed the ultimate taboo in her mind which was attacking with killer intent one's own team mate. Before Neji changed and became a better person, even he did not go as far as to kill Lee when Lee challenged him, and while he had nearly killed Hinata when he still carried his hatred and bitterness towards the Main Family of the Hyuuga Clan, he had long since discarded that feeling of hatred and bitterness. Sasuke's actions had been troubling to many as of late and even though she did not keep track of current events, she was aware of the brewing animosity between the two. Though she was pleased that her Naruto-kun was a lot more mature and controlled compared to the Uchiha, and that made her all the more annoyed as she wanted to know just why the guy had tried to kill his own team mate, and the man she happened to be in a very passionate relationship with. If not for the fact that he was beaten and imprisoned, she herself would have gone after him.

Kin herself was less than happy and it was taking a good deal of her self control not to go to the prison and get some answers from Sasuke, and NOT in a gentle way. She had seen the killer intent in Sasuke's eyes and she knew that there was no denying the fact that he had every intention on harming and killing her saviour, friend, and lover. She had no doubt that Naruto was more than capable in defending himself and seeing him outmatch Sasuke proved that yet again, but that hardly meant she was happy with of the whole thing.

They were not the only ones as the older women who were intimate with Naruto and who were in the village at them were LESS than happy with he news.

Ayame was busy cooking some new ramen with her father when the news came about the battle between Naruto and Sasuke. The very second she heard just what was the level of Sasuke's intent in that fight made her feel very angry and shocked. She cared a lot for Naruto and considered him someone she cherished long before her level of affection switched to that of physical and emotional attraction. She loved the fact that he did not become prideful and still the same young man she liked and cared for. She also did not know what she would do if she met Sasuke again, but it was going to be abundantly clear that her actions were going to be less than friendly towards the young Uchiha.

Kurenai had just come back from a mission when the news reached her and she was outraged by the news. The red eyed Jonin wanted to know just what had possessed Sasuke to willingly attack his very own team mate and try to attack him with killer intent. The woman was already feeling a very strong connection with the young man and after all he had done for her, she did not mind the idea of being this involved with him and she loved him deeply. So it was not the least bit pleasing to her to find out that her lover and trusted one was attacked by the man who he was supposed to be working alongside with in battle. It was such that it had taken some of her fellow Jonin, along with Asuma to convince her not to do anything rash until the matter was dealt with by Tsunade and the others in the Council.

One thing was certain though, Yuhi Kurenai was furious and if there was one thing that everyone knew fully well. A woman who was enraged was someone who was not to be underestimated by anyone.

Anko herself was also very angry with the news and it had taken Ibiki to keep the irate Special Jonin from going to Sasuke's cell and getting some answers from him. And her ways of getting answers were utterly dependent on her mood and right now, the news of her lover being attacked with killer intent by the young man she distrusted due to the Curse Mark, her mood was VERY dark. Naruto had done a lot to help her and cared for her regardless of the circumstances of their previous meeting, and his actions when she recovered her past made her all the more pleased to be with the young man. If she was given the chance to interrogate Sasuke, she had every intention to make every action she took in getting said answers to be VERY painful for Sasuke.

They were not the only elder women in Konoha who were not the least bit happy with the news of the attack made by Sasuke on Naruto.

Tyra was furious and it was taking a good deal of her self control not to go into the prison and beat some answers out of the man. She had felt something was wrong with the young man when she had met him, and while she said nothing about it to others, she felt that there was going to be a serious matter between Naruto and Sasuke. She had not been aware of the past history between Naruto and Sasuke but she was aware that despite the animosity, the blonde Dragon Champion maintained a friendship with the young man. But to know that her lover's friendship was repaid by intent to kill by his supposed friend, she was not in the best of moods.

Nyra herself was less than pleased and she was tempted to go to the prison and use her Dragon Fire to get some answers out of the man. She had been raised to respect life and defend other from the grasp of the Chaos Dragons and those who followed them, but that did not mean that she was not immune to anger over something of importance. She had grown very fond of the young blonde human despite his dark secret and she could see that he had great potential as a Dragon Champion. He was a man who also was quite skilled not just in battle but outside of it and he would one day become a good leader of not just others in the teams he would be with, and also one day the leader of his village. The news of Naruto's own friend Sasuke being his attacker was not the least bit good to her. She had sensed a great deal of not just animosity and jealousy in the dark haired youth, but something evil, not in the league of the Chaos Dragon Flights by any means

Kaelis was also angered by the news and she too was in the mood to demand answers from the Uchiha youth on why he had willingly attacked Naruto. The elven woman was aware that there was some level of animosity directed by the dark haired youth to the young Dragon Champion, and she did not like it. They were supposed to be working side by side and now the young dark haired man had committed something to Naruto that she did not enjoy or tolerate and the only thing that prevented her from attacking him was that he was in custody of the people Naruto trusted.

Arlynn was also rather troubled by the news and it was obvious that she was doing her best not to go into the prison and demand answers from the Uchiha youth. The elven woman was not too happy with Naruto's supposed friend since despite his animosity towards Naruto, the blonde Dragon Champion had stayed true to their ties as team members and allies in battle. But instead of honouring that bond, he repaid Naruto with arrogance, hostility, and more, this attack only served to convince her that he was no longer worthy of being called a friend by Naruto and she hoped that he was recovering from the betrayal. She felt her heart ache for him and hoped that he would recover and this could be resolved

Reina herself was angry and it also took a good deal of her mental and emotional discipline to keep her from going and doing something painful to the man for his actions on Naruto. She loved Naruto very much and it amazed her that he was willing to work with Sasuke. She had no knowledge of the man ion question but it was obvious to her that Sasuke had grown envious and angry towards the blonde Chuunin and Dragon Champion. And it was now proven that he had taken that aggression too far and not he was a danger to those around him. Only the fact that she had developed an understanding that this was a matter to be dealt with by the leaders of Konoha did she not go after the young man and demand answers.

Sasuke was currently being held in a heavily locked down medical center not in the Konoha General Hospital, but in the prison, and in the maximum security wing to boot. At that place there were even a pair of Naruto's made Golems watching over the place alongside a number of ANBU who were assigned to watch him. The guards might have seemed a bit much for one young man, but they were not taking any chances.

It was not going to be long before the news of the attack was going to be circulated to other places and it was going to be interesting to see how it would all play out.
...

In the Hokage Tower...

In the office of the Hokage , things were not too peaceful either, to say that Tsunade, current Hokage of Konoha and one of the women who Naruto had been intimate with was angry would have been comparable to calling a hungry wolf a puppy. She was downright furious and made that abundantly clear as she slammed her hands on the table, not hard enough to shatter it, but enough send the papers flying as she looked at Uzuki Yuugao who delivered the report.

"Sasuke Uchiha did WHAT?"

Uzuki had known about Tsunade's legendary temper, but she was surprised by the fury she was showing, and recalled that the blonde Sannin had a soft spot for Naruto, unaware of the very passionate an physical nature of Naruto and Tsunade's relationship. Not everyone in the village was yet aware of the extent of Naruto's relationships with not just a number of the Kunoichi in the village and out of it, but with others as well, something that all of them were keen on keeping in the dark until they were able to find a solution.

"He attacked Naruto with killer intent, using the Chidori Jutsu taught to him by Kakashi near the Forest of Death Hokage-sama, Naruto however soundly defeated him and he is currently being held in the prison's medical wing."

Tsunade was NOT pleased and neither was Shizune who was in the room, normally she would be trying to calm Tsunade, but she too was furious at the wanton and disgusting attack made by Sasuke. Both women were trying to remain objective on the news but that was proving to be a tough matter, they were well aware that Naruto was more than able to defend himself but that did not make them feel any better that he had been attacked and by someone he trusted no less. Tsunade sat down and rubbed her hands on her temples to try and figure out just what was going to be her response to the news once the truth came out and replied.

"Where is Naruto now?"

"Naruto-san is currently in his house and seems to be deep in thought Hokage-sama. He was not hurt at all and seemed to be in excellent health. He also seems to be focusing not on attacking or venting his frustrations, but is calmly focusing on other matters. No doubt he wishes not to become overtly carried away by the events of today."

Tsunade briefly smiled a bit to herself at that as she knew that she had a hand in training Naruto to make him become a better ninja.

"And Kakashi?"

"Kakashi-sempai is already there in the medical wing at the prison to find out just what was Sasuke's reason for the attack...he has not taken the actions of his other student lightly."

Tsunade nodded and knew that if this was going on, and Orochimaru found out, then he would be making his move. She had recently gotten a message from the Land of Water and it was a mission that was high reward and high risk as well, she had been planning to send Kakashi's team on this mission with support from Zabuza's team sine Zabuza and Haku knew the Land of water better than the others did with the exception of Kakashi. But then this happened and now she had to deal with this situation.

"I see...as of today, Sasuke is not to be allowed to participate in any missions until we get to the bottom of this attack. I want him under twenty four hour surveillance and guard until he can come up with a damn good explanation for this! Dismissed!"

"Hai!"

Tsunade said nothing as Uzuki left the office and already she was deep in thought on how to solve this mess, and also this mission that had arrived only hours after the attack. The reports of the people disappearing in the Land of Water should have been an internal problem that Kiri handled, due to the fierceness of their ninja forces, but the fact that the disappearing people were rumoured to be those who had Kekkai Genkai was of some concern.

Even more so since the one who sent the request was someone who she knew of in the past when she was still a Kunoichi in Konoha. The man had been a member of the Feudal Lord's court and had been on of the people who was on good terms with a number of Kekkai Genkai Clans in the Land though that part of his alliance was kept hidden. She had met the man on a mission when a number of renegade ninja tried to kill him and as such, they were friends of a sort.

She then knew that this was going to be an interesting mission for some and decided to ask Shizune a favour.

"Shizune, I need you to go to Naruto-kun's house and check on him, if he is feeling all right, I need him to go here to the Tower. There's a mission that came in just as this whole mess just decided to rear out it's ugly head. I need him to get with the others and go on this mission once he feels ready. Make sure to also check him if there are other injuries that he has on him."

"Hai Tsunade-sama!"

...

In the Uzumaki residence...

Uzuki was right on the money at this time as Naruto was busy trying to calm himself and also make sure not to do anything rash. So far the blonde Chuunin and Dragon Champion had taken the time to cool his own temper and hoped that maybe the issue between him and Sasuke was finally settled. But he had his doubts on that since he knew that Sasuke was not the kind of person to leave something like this alone for too long.

He was in his living room when Holy Talon spoke to him.

(("You are still in doubt Master Naruto, I am sorry that I was not able to anticipate Sasuke's attack earlier."))

(It's all right, it was bound to happen sooner or later, I can bet that Itachi is going to slightly happy that he finally got Sasuke back to being what he wanted. And that Orochimaru bastard is no doubt licking his teeth and lips right now at the idea of getting Sasuke and the Sharingan .)

(("Perhaps, but I still feel that we have a chance to redeem him before he loses himself."))

That was when the Kyuubi spoke.

((Bah! Let that brat rot all he wants, all of this just goes to prove that you can't every trust the Uchiha for long...or humans for that matter. I am going to be delighted to get the chance to beat down on that runt for all his clan have done.))

(("I know that you do not speak of these matter Kyuubi, but why are you so hostile towards the Uchiha?"))

((They lie, manipulate, the deceive, and they think because they are who they are, they can control anyone and anything they like! I hate them more than most, even you brat.))

(I can see that, but I doubt you'll say anything about it right?)

((Hmph! Maybe when you finally grow up brat, I'll tell you, but mark my words, I WANT to beat that brat to a pulp.))

Naruto ignored that for now as he heard someone come into his home, he reached for a Kunai but relaxed when he saw that it was none other than Hinata who was happy to see him safe. The white eyed Hyuuga heiress did not waste a moment as she crossed the distance and hugged her lover tightly and spoke to him.

"Are you all right Naruto-kun? Are you hurt?"

Naruto had no problem seeing the worry in Hinata's face and hearing the tone of her voice so he decided to placate her.

"I am fine Hinata-chan, I wasn't wounded too bad or hurt for that matter."

Hinata could see that Naruto was correct in that regard and she relaxed, but it did not mean that she was going to let the matter pass so easily.

"Why would Sasuke-san try to kill you?-! You and him were team mates! What he did was unforgivable!"

"I know, I always thought he could come around, but I think I was mistaken, but I think that I should give him another chance. Hopefully that beating finally drove some sense into his thick skull and maybe he can be a lot more open minded about these matters."

Hinata was not so sure about that and made her sentiment known to the man she loved.

"I hope you are right, but I fear that he might have gone too far this time Naruto-kun."

"I hope you are wrong Hinata-chan but whatever happens, I am giving him a chance, but if it comes to the point that I have to wound him to stop him...I'll do it."

This went on for a bit as Hinata decided to get some tea for Naruto and let him drink while fussing a bit over him, that made Naruto smile at her and comment that she was really enjoying the chance to be alone with him. And Hinata did not refute that and it could have gone on for a bit more had it not been for the arrival of Shizune herself.

The Jonin was relieved to see that Naruto was still in good health and was not too badly hurt. And she did not mind working alongside Hinata when she told him that he had to be checked. He half heartedly protested the impromptu examination but did not stop and so that was not too much of an issue. Hinata was none too pleased by the fact that Tsunade had called on Naruto to go to the Tower for a mission, but she decided not to make an issue out of it.

Hinata bid Naruto and Shizune a farewell as she was still going to go to the Hyuuga estate to brush up on her training when it happened. And she naturally wished Naruto good luck in whatever mission the Hokage was going to send him on. Once it was over, Shizune told Naruto of Tsunade's decision regarding Sasuke and while he was not too sure that it was a good idea, he agreed with it. He knew that with things as they were, Sasuke's actions were not going to be easily forgiven and he asked if Kakashi was leading the mission.

Shizune knew that this was something Naruto would ask and replied.

"He will be heading the mission Naruto-kun...but with what happened, you're team will have to undergo some changes before you go. Tsunade-sama is very much angry with Sasuke-san right now and she s not the only one either."

Naruto had no problem seeing Shizune's angry look at the mention of Sasuke and he could not blame her for the reaction either.

"I know, so I should get going now to see just what sort of mission Tsunade-sama has for me this time."

Shizune nodded as they left the house and soon met up with Sakura, who was relieved to see that Naruto was not only unharmed but had his spirit back for the time being. She hoped that it was going to last for as long as needed by the mission that Tsunade was going to give to him and the teams before all of this happened.

...

In the Medical Wing...

Kakashi was not the least bit pleased as he glared at Sasuke, he had hoped that Sasuke would not walk the dark path, but his recent actions, and this attack on Naruto had placed the Jonin on edge. Not only that, he had committed something that screamed taboo in Kakashi's mind, using the Chidori to kill someone who was his team mate. It made him angry as he had made the technique to defend his comrades in the past, and now Sasuke used it to kill his own team mate.

He then spoke to Sasuke who did not even bother to look at him at this moment.

"You care to explain to me what just happened between you and Naruto?"

Sasuke replied.

"No."

Kakashi was not pleased and spoke seriously as he was not in the mood for the Uchiha's attitude towards him or anyone else for that matter.

"You are not going to get away with the silent act Sasuke, what possessed you to use the Chidori on Naruto?"

Sasuke then replied as he glared defiantly at Kakashi.

"That is none of your damn business, you taught me the Chidori and I can use it how I feel I need to use it."

Kakashi was not the least bit amused as he recalled the signs, he could tell now that the events that occurred with Sasuke after seeing Itachi again, being subjected to the memories of the Uchiha Massacre, and the Cursed Seal was turning Sasuke to the darkness. And the attack made it all the more apparent to him that Sasuke was soon thinking only of power and revenge and he spoke seriously and with his anger starting to filter out.

"It is my business Sasuke and you know it regardless whether you admit it or not. I taught you the Chidori to defend your team, your friends, and then I find out you tried to use it to kill one of them! The Chidori was to defend allies from death Sasuke, and you used it to nearly kill one of your allies! Now I ask you again, why did you use it on Naruto?"

Sasuke spoke once again, but this time spitting out Naruto's name with venom.

"Friend? That blonde buffoon, the one who always tried to be something and someone he was not, my friend and ally? I never saw him as a friend to begin with! He was nothing but a dead last idiot who never did anything right back in the Academy. He was always a fool, and now he becomes this powerful because of that sword, he thinks that he is stronger now, more than me. I wanted to show him how wrong he was, no mater how powerful he is now, he is always dead last in my eyes!"

That angered Kakashi and he made that evident as he spoke to Sasuke.

"You forget the fact that he saved your life more than once, I was there when that Alpha Werewolf nearly turned you into one of it's own Sasuke. You did not heed his advice when facing one of them and look what happened to you when you decided to take on their leader yourself. He saved you and kept you alive. Not to mention that I know of the battle with that traitor Aoi, you are allowing your superiority complex to get the better of you Sasuke and that is to be avoided at all costs."

"You know nothing! I have only one mission in my life! And that is to kill Itachi! I don't care about friends or anything else!"

"You think that by taking revenge over friends you become stronger? Revenge is an empty road into damnation Sasuke. I placed that seal on your Cursed Seal to give you a chance to find a path that does not involve being consumed by darkness, and I taught you the Chidori to defend others so they in turn will stand with you."

Kakashi then replied.

"When I gained this Sharingan from my team mate Obito years ago, I did not take it from him to gain power. He gave it to me help me and protect me as well as our team even when he was dead, I carry this to make sure that some part of him lives in this world so he can see the future that he and I fought for and continue to fight for and to one day give to those who succeed us. I too like you saw Obito as dead last when we were your age and Naruto's as well, but in the end he became the friend who showed me the truth of life. You recall that saying I gave back in the training field? That came from Obito and he was right, without us fighting as one, none of us would have lived through the war, and we fight as one still. That is how much my friendships mean to me and what it means to have allies and friends in your corner."

Sasuke sneered at that and replied.

"That Obito...he was a washout among the Uchiha last I heard, he was always tardy and came late, carefree, and never took things seriously. He was a fool to have squandered his talents like that and was an embarrassment to the Uchiha."

Kakashi glared darkly at that comment and he replied.

"Better to be a fool who saw the truth and cared for others than an arrogant ass who hides in the trappings of revenge and treats others like pawns. Just how you judge others, you yourself shall be judged the same way. You call Naruto dead last, and even called Obito a washout Sasuke? Then you are very much the fool here, Naruto has found a greater reason to be stronger than revenge, and Obito's sacrifice ensured that he would be remembered by the right people. From where I stand and see things, you know that Naruto is stronger now and you could not handle it."

That got the reaction from Sasuke as he glared at his Jonin sensei.

"What did you say?"

"I told you the truth, Naruto has indeed grown stronger than you, and despite you claiming that he is dead last, his growth angers you. That is why you attacked him didn't you? If he really was the dead last as you said before, then why attack him? Answer me that Sasuke, why did you attack Naruto with the Chidori, along with what you have been doing lately? Your arrogance is your weakness Sasuke and your actions are more than enough to reveal it."

"I AM NOT WEAK!"

"So says you! Instead of growing stronger on your own, you've been using that corrupted seal more and more now. Don't think that I did not notice what you were doing, you really think that man Orochimaru cares about your growth or your plans for revenge against Itachi? He only cares about power and that includes the Sharingan. You're playing right into his hands and your brother's who wants you to become just like him, and that is a mistake. You want to know why Naruto is stronger now than you?"

"He found a purpose greater than simple revenge, he found friends, people he cares more for than himself, and in turn they stand with him. It's for them he grew stronger, not for himself alone and also to defend those who are innocent and worth saving. That is the source of his strength, his bonds with people and those he cares about, and that is something that is stronger than revenge. And that is why he is no longer dead last."

That enraged Sasuke as the way Kakashi said it made him feel even more angered at the fact that Naruto had not only defeated him, but surpassed him.

"THAT's nothing but lies! He is weak and soft-hearted! He thinks he is better because of his bonds? Then let's see what happens when I kill those bonds of his, and for that matter, how would you like it if I did the same to you?"

The Jonin said nothing and replied a moment later.

"Then you are foolish, I have lost all my friends and loved ones long ago, but I never grew weak either, I grew stronger for them and their memories. And if I do find someone I wish to be close to, then that bond gives me an even greater reason to be stronger. That is the power of friendship and trust Sasuke, the people who you have bonds with give you an even greater reason to become stronger, not just for your own sake, but theirs. And if you lose them, but never forget them, live well, and forge new bonds with others, then you become even stronger. Think about that for now...I'll let you cool your head...but make no mistake of this, your words will one day come back to haunt you. And in the end, when you fall into darkness and find no way out, you have no one to blame but yourself."

With that, Kakashi left the room to let Sasuke brood away at his words and stew it over. The Jonin needed to get some space as he needed to clear his head and focus on what was needed by the village. The village was under heavy guard and so was Sasuke, had he not kept himself cool, he would have done worse to Sasuke than merely speak to him. And that would have demeaned him and what he had learned ever since becoming Jonin.

For now, he had work to do, and so did Naruto as he decided to head for Naruto's home and inform him that they were to go to the Hokage Tower and see just what was the new mission Tsunade had for them as before this had happened, she had informed him of it and it was something that was very urgent.

...

In the Hokage Tower...

Tsunade looked at the mission request and shook her head at the contents, the request came from the Land of Water of all places, and that was already presenting a delicate situation. While they were not in any sense hostile to the Village of Kiri, they did not have very cordial relations between them and Konoha. And of course there was the fact that the Kekkai Genkai Purges were still nominally going on in the land and the last thing she wanted was to get the village dragged into the mess with Kiri.

But this mission was urgent and the situation itself was very peculiar as she looked it over again, hoping that what she was reading was not actually being truthful. If this was the case, even without their interference, something was going on in the Land of Water that was confusing as it was disturbing. The problem was that in order for this mission to successful, it would have to be led by a team of Jonin who were very familiar with the land...and only two in her mind would qualify.

And she had to call them in even with the current situation in her hands, it was not going to be long for her to wait as Naruto and Kakashi arrived with Sakura in tow as well as Shizune, and obviously Sasuke was still going to be on lockdown in the prison medical wing until he was cleared and then sent into the most secured prison she could get. They were naturally not alone as the other team came in and for good reason as Zabuza and Haku were needed. The second team members were already there, with Menma and Kin there as well.

Tsunade looked at the assembled team and spoke.

"I know that recent events have been on everyone's mind and I will state that this matter will be dealt with soon enough. But for now we have a mission that has to be dealt with, a very big one at that. This is why this will be a joint mission with both Zabuza and Kakashi in command of this mission."

That made Kakashi raise his eyebrow, it was not uncommon for Jonin of two different teams to be co-leaders in a mission where more than one team was needed. Still, such missions were usually high priority and very risky, and the fact that this was the team composition, something was definitely up. The same could be said for Zabuza as he had a feeling that this was not going to be a very simple mission. The fact that he and Kakashi were both the leaders meant that this was a mission where the stakes were going to be very high. That was enough to prompt Kakashi to speak first on the behalf of the team.

"What's the mission Hokage-sama?"

"This mission was sent to us by a high ranking member of the Feudal Lord of the Land of Water, and before we get reactions here, the man in question is someone I know well enough to know that this is high priority. Due to the location of this mission and the risks involved, this will be an A Ranked mission and as such will be very dangerous and therefore not to be undertaken lightly, and also due to the covert nature of the mission, no one outside of this room must know of it."

Zabuza was confused a bit and wary, the mission was taking place in the land he had been part of and he did not need to look at Haku to tell that his adopted son was also very much affected. He decided to speak first and get some more details from the blonde Hokage.

"What exactly is the mission about Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade spoke then to them.

"As you are aware, the purge of those with Kekkai Genkai in the Land of Water has been ongoing for a number of years now, and is in abating. But recently there have been reports of covert forces in the Land of Water who are NOT killing those with Kekkai Genkai, but are kidnapping them."

THAT got the attention of everyone, especially Haku as he spoke in his calm tone though it was obvious that the mission was of considerable concern to him.

"Kidnapping of those with Kekkai Genkai Hokage-sama?"

"Yes, the very fact that these are kidnappings suggest that the forces behind it are NOT part of Kiri's ninja forces, nor are they part of the Feudal Lord's own forces, as well as those of the people who are leading the purges. That is in itself a serious concern as this means that outside forces are interfering with the affairs of both Kiri and the Land of Water. The client knows that with the current stance towards those with Kekkai Genkai in the Land of Water, there is no way that there will be aid from Kiri, thus the client sent this request to us. This is why this mission is very high risk and must be done without attracting the attention of Kiri, since we are not at war with Kiri and we gain nothing by involving ourselves in one."

The seriousness of this was not lost to everyone as they knew that getting into a war with Kiri would gain Konoha nothing. The village was now fully recovered and as such was functioning normally, thus the last thing they desired was for that to go completely to ruin in another conflict. Naruto then spoke next as he was a Chuunin and would no doubt serve as sub commander for the mission.

"When are we supposed to take this mission Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade looked at the mission request and replied.

"We have at least three to fours before we can begin the mission, we are to meet wit the client at one of the villages bordering the Land of Fire and the Land of Water. This meeting is under the strictest urgency and secrecy so do not mention this to anyone unless I give my permission. I plan to have Neji take Sasuke's place in this mission until we determine what is to be his fate for this unwarranted attack. Get whatever it is you need for this mission and make sure that you are read for this, once you are done, Shizune will give you the details on where the village is that will serve as the meeting place. Dismissed!"

As the ninja left, Naruto was about to leave when Tsunade spoke again.

"I need to have word with you Naruto so stay here."

Naruto nodded and once the tower office was clear, he moved over to Tsunade and spoke to the Hokage .

"I know what you might ask Tsunade-chan and I assure you that I am fine."

Tsunade nodded at that and replied.

"I know you are...but don't think that I am not worried about this incident with you and Sasuke. I have been hearing about these incidents between him and you lately, and this latest attack is already making things worse. You know that by law, what he has done is close to making him be marked as a criminal."

"I do, and while I know that in some ways this is risky, I don't want him to be marked as one yet. I still feel that I can convince him to stop this nonsense before it consumes him."

Tsunade nodded as she knew her lover all too well, he was a man who backed up his words with action and that endeared him to her greatly. She only hoped that what he wanted concerning his team mate was going to come to fruition and not disappoint him. But she had to be realistic as well, being the Hokage meant doing some things that were hard, she knew that to be true in the sense of her grandfather, granduncle, and her sensei, as well as the Fourth.

"I hope you're faith in redeeming him is vindicated Naruto-kun, but if it does not happen, then I have to mark him. I will make sure to give him a chance to redeem himself, but if he proves that he has fallen too far down the line, then I have to do what I have to. You know that as a Hokage, I have to place the survival and well being of the village's residents first as they are like family, just like what my grandfather said in the past. It's at times not easy, but it has to be done."

Naruto nodded.

"I know, and I think he would be proud that you're holding that ideal close to you Tsunade-chan."

Tsunade smiled as she moved to kiss him on the lips and Naruto kissed her back, it was a brief but passionate kiss between the two blondes and when they parted, Tsunade spoke once again.

"Another concern I need to bring up with you is the danger of Death Fang being involved, that...thing has been silent for now, but if it's got it's grip somewhere in this whole plot in the Land on Water, be careful Naruto-kun."

:"I will."

Naruto left the tower and made his way back home to make preparations for the mission that he was soon going to be part of with Kakashi, Neji, Sakura, Zabuza, Kin, Menma, and Haku.. That meant that he was going to have to gather supplies and check his gear as well as carry any extra weapons that he might need on this mission. He made his way first to the Green house to check in and gather the herbs he might need for salves and potions. Once he would be done with that, he would go and purchase any food and supplies before going home.

As he looked into the village, he made his way to a nearby high building and looked at the direction to where the Land of Water was. He wondered just what was going on in that land and hoped that whatever it was, he and the others were going to be able to resolve this without incident.

But if there was one thing he knew as a certainty, there was always going to something that will crop up. And if there was a chance that Death Fang was involved, he was going to be ready for that battle. He had trained long and hard, he was not going to go into battle with that sword and it's minions unprepared for any reason when the time came.

...

Deep in the Land of Water...

"Are you all right?"

The young woman nodded as she gingerly took the hot bowl of soup into her hands despite the bandage wrappings, she smiled and drank the soup. She was not alone in the place as there were several others as well. The one who handed the young woman the bowl was a woman herself and she was a very beautiful woman. She had her hair which was brown with crimson highlights, in a top knot and a long wave to her back, with one of her eyes which had an emerald colour covered and the other exposed. Her face was well formed and looked very lovely with deep red lips and she carried herself with pride and grace, tempered with strength and power.

She wore a uniform that had a portion of her upper form, namely her bust exposed, but not too much and had the colour of deep blue with her nails using blue nail polish.

Her name was Mei, Mei Terumi and she was a Kekkai Genkai user and was trying her best to keep the survivors in her people's former safe house alive. Mei was trying her best to save as many people as she could and also try to save some of her own people alive. It had been quite a challenge as the war against those with Kekkai Genkai was still happening all over the Land of Water, her clan had been severely weakened as many of them had been killed when the war started. She had been a young girl when it happened and was actually one of the chosen successors of her clan before the war decimated them.

Unlike the others of her clan, Mei harboured no ill will towards the people who feared those with Kekkai Genkai, she understood that with the actions of the other clans who sought power, many of the normal people in the Land of Water would hate and fear them and see all Kekkai Genkai as a source of misery and pain for them all.

This was why instead of allowing her anger to get the better of her, she had her clan work on not only avoiding the hunter teams but to work hard in proving to the people that not all Kekkai Genkai users were evil and also to save those who had Kekkai Genkai. That struggle had been something her family had started and she took up but had taken a much heavier beating due to the actions of the now deceased Kaguya Clan. Mei and her clan never had much love for the Kaguya due to their blood lust and thirst for battle and their actions only made their struggle all the more perilous for them all.

Her newest and most powerful concern was due to a sudden increase of activity in the ranks of people seeking out those with Kekkai Genkai. But instead of killing them, the people who were hunting those with Kekkai Genkai were taking them both alive and dead. This was something that troubled her, even more so since she learned that the bodies were not decapitated so it was not the work of Hunter Nin.

She and those of her clan had tried their best to find out who was responsible and they had found out something that was utterly startling, this was not the work of any of the ninja in the village is Kiri. This meant that there was another force that was involving themselves in the conflict, this was something that worried her greatly, even more so that this was not being dealt with by the Mizukage.

As she looked out into the mists, she closed her eye and sighed mentally, there was something going on here that she did not like. Even with the internal conflicts going on, Kiri would never let foreign forces make their moves uncontested in their lands. The Water Daimyo himself would not allow it, and that is something that truly bothered her. She looked out and decided to see to the others.

The people in the compound which belonged to her clan that had managed to remain secret were also victims as well, even if they had no Kekkai Genkai. That was yet another element to this mystery that confused her. Their stories were not the least bit helpful either, rumours of strange happenings in and around villages, strange songs that seemed to drive people into bouts of depression then sudden rage...

(There is something terrible going on here...I have to find out what it is and stop it before things become even worse. I know that this is wrong, but we might need help from the outside.)

As she moved away, she hoped that her contacts at the outside could find allies to help find out just who is attacking those with Kekkai Genkai and were not part of the village. It was here that she got a messenger bird appear and she got the message, she looked it over and headed out but not before meeting some of her subordinates and giving them orders before she left. It was going to be a difficult trip as the island was a fair distance.

...

In a village on one of the island that in the Land of Water's border with the Land of Fire...

Takeo Shimaru was busy waiting in the hotel while the rest of the village was still going through the daily grind of life itself.

"Mei...it's good to see you made it."

Mei Terumi nodded as she sat down and looked at the one man in the Feudal Lord's court that she trusted enough to call friend.

"Why did you call me Takeo? You know full well the risks to you if they find you with me."

"I know that Mei, but with the kidnappings growing as much as it has now, I had to act, I already made the request to get help from outside of the Land of Water."

Mei was wide eyed at that as she spoke seriously.

"You can't be serious about this Takeo, if the Feudal Lord finds out about it, or the Mizukage for that matter, they will hunt you down and do who knows what to you!"

"I am not unaware of the risks, but I know that what I am doing is the right thing, yes there have been a lot of reasons behind the purges. But you and I know that just because you are a Kekkai Genkai user, it does not mean that you are going to be an agent of disaster. And your clan helped protect my family for years before all this happened. My family owe yours a debt Mei, even if I might be the only one left now to remember that debt."

Mei sighed at that and it was something that did not escape the notice of Takeo as he spoke.

"Listen, I know that you don't like me doing this, risking my neck and the like, but I am willing to risk it. And I also know the aid I am calling for will be worth it."

"Are you really so sure?"

"Yes, I will be meeting them here in the future and the court members of the Feudal Lord as well as the Feudal Lord believe that I am here for a slight vacation that the Feudal Lord had approved of it so no one is aware of this yet. They will be here in a week or so and I assure you, that they will be more than able to get to the bottom of the kidnappings that have been happening as of late."

Mei nodded and hoped that her Clan's long time friend was right on this matter, she did not want him to be killed for what he was doing for them.

"I hope that you are correct in what you have stated Takeo, I will need to go back to the hideout and I will wish you well."

"I know, be careful Mei."

Mei nodded at that and she moved out quickly, leaving Takeo to hold the fort as it were as he waited for the allies that he felt that Mei would need to deal with the new threat. There was something in these kidnappings that filled him with dread and worry, unlike the rest of the court and the members of the Hidden village.

As she went back to her hideout, Mei began to think on just how Takeo had called on from outside the Land of Water to aid them in what was going on here. She hoped that her friend's contact was going to hire very talented individuals and that they could avoid getting on the sight of the Kiri ninja forces.

...

The border of the Land of Water and the Land of Fire...

Naruto was currently moving alongside the two Jonin in the lead and as the only Chuunin in the unit, he was the sub commander of the whole team. He was wearing his Chuunin vest and wore his black and orange clothing as before. But underneath the clothes was a set of Orchaelium chain-mail armour with a thin but comfortable fishnet body suit. And on the outside was a set of uniquely hardened and chemically treated leather armour also in the same black and orange scheme.

On his back was Holy Talon along with one of his newly made katana swords that was made with the same metal that made Asuma's Trench Knives which would help with his use of his Wind Chakra in any Kebnjutsu techniques he had been working on in his off hours. And he also made sure to carry a specially made staff that was made from enchanted wood that was given to him by Arlynn which would expand and retract if he needed it.

He also had the usual set of kunai and shuriken but had his Compound Bow stored away in a scroll along with a set of quivers loaded with specially made arrows that Naruto could call on if he had to. He also made sure to ready some extra weapon scrolls filled with spare Kunai, shuriken, and a set of Fuuma Shuriken as well on the off chance he needed something a bit larger.

Kakashi was still the same but he made sure to carry his old ANBU sword and the new sword Naruto had given him as a present. There was no telling if he was going to need a weapon and besides he was going to see if the new techniques that he had been working on were going to come in handy in what was to come.

He was not the only one as Zabuza was carrying his new sword, it was an exact copy of his old sword and was given a special seal of protection to make sure that it was not going to be easily destroyed even though it was made from high quality steel mixed with some Orchaelium alloy for added weight reduction and strength. His previous sword was currently locked away in the place where he and Haku had chosen to side with Konoha. Naruto had locked the sword away in a cave and made sure to place a barrier of boulders to make sure that it was not going to be easy to enter the place.

And behind them were the rest of the team, but apart from Naruto, the Jonin were accompanied by none other than Haku himself. The young man was worried about coming back to the Land of his birth since while he had some good memories in the land, the rest of it was less than pleasant and he was in no mood to relive it if he had to. But he knew just why he and Zabuza were going back to the land as they were aware of how to go into the land without being easily detected.

As residents of the land in the past, both he and Zabuza knew of the land well, even more so with Zabuza as he was a Jonin ranked ninja and one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. This meant that before his defection after his failed coup, he knew the land well and while there was a chance that the security had been tightened, he knew enough routes to avoid most of the dangers.

And with his training on how to use his Kekkai Genkai, he could scout ahead and do some vital recon work if they need it once they were in the lands itself.

As for Zabuza, he was not very cool with the idea of going back to the land comprised of many islands, but he did have his reasons for the coup. And while it had failed, he was not the kind of person to leave behind his plans half done. Despite this, he had no intention of doing it again as he was focused on living his own life, and taking care of Haku. He knew that Haku had found a measure of peace in Konoha, and despite himself, he did not mind being there as he had gotten used to the peace and there was good excitement there.

He was also curious about who was the one responsible for the kidnapping of those with Kekkai Genkai, this kind of action was something that was different from what he had seen in the past. And the fact that the forces responsible for this were not from Kiri but outside made this all the more dangerous as despite the height of the purges, there were a number of powerful Kekkai Genkai that had managed to remain hidden from view.

As for the others, this was going to be a very serious mission for all of them since they knew that if they were caught, then it was going to be a very serious incident. Sakura being the most studious apart from Neji knew that the Land of Water and the Land of Fire had fought against one another in the past in all of the wars, and while it was a long time, there would still be grudges. And she also knew that with Kiri's notorious military on hand, this was going to be dangerous as her encounters with the Demon Brothers, Zabuza, and Haku had told her.

The same was in the mind of Neji as he knew that some of the Clan's own members were killed here in previous wars and he was in no mood to have his Byakugan taken. Even if there was no official declaration of war between Konoha and Kiri all it needed was something to happen to spark a serious debate and possibly conflict, just like what had happened to his father.

They had left at least day and a half earlier from Konoha and now they were here to deal with a potential threat of war if they were caught.

Crossing to the next island was going to be a bit of a problem since the border island was only reachable by boat and they had to be wary of attacks..

...

In the village...

Naruto and the others were currently moving through the village and thankfully it seemed that their arrival was not too noticeable. They were able to get to the area where the hotel was but they decided not to go into the place yet and were actually staying at another hotel to get a vantage point as well as some cover on the off chance that they were going to be in trouble. It had been a good few days before they arrived and thankfully the supplies of food they had as well as water were enough to get them there to the village in question. He turned to Neji and spoke to his team mate for this mission as they were currently looking at the hotel where the client was supposed to be..

"Neji, do you think we might be walking into an ambush?"

Neji nodded a bit and replied.

"That's a possibility, let me take a look around a bit."

Neji looked at the hotel and the surrounding buildings and then activated his Byakugan. Naruto said nothing and neither did the others as the Hyuuga Branch family ninja scanned the building as well as the others and spoke to them.

"I don't seen anyone in the area that has a high level of chakra to show that they are ninjas, and I cannot see anything that can be considered dangerous so far. I feel we might be in the clear for the moment."

As Neji deactivated the Byakugan, Kakashi decided to speak next on the plan.

"All right, we need to do this with few members, since there are at least eight of us, moving en masse is not going to be a good idea. This many people can be risky since we could be in real danger in an ambush, even more so here in a village where civilians can get caught in the crossfire. Zabuza, Naruto and I will go ahead to the hotel first and speak to the client, Neji, you will use your Byakugan to scan the surrounding area for any possible ambush. Menma, you use your chakra enhancing Jutsu to support Neji while Kin will keep an eye on the rest of the building. Haku, it's best you don't use your Kekkai Genkai and recon the village on foot, make sure to avoid being detected and you will be accompanied by Sakura. Make sure to avoid arousing attention for now, we might be in the Land of Fire still, but that does not mean that we can be careless."

"Right."

The combined squads made their move and soon the two Jonin and Chuunin went to the hotel, Neji provided the long range recon and support with Menma supporting with music and Kin at the ready for defence. Haku and Sakura followed the three but then broke off together to look around the town to act normal. The three moved through the hotel with Naruto using Holy Talon to enhance his senses through a Body Spell known as Hardened Vigil to increase for a short time his sense of sight, smell, taste, and hearing. As they moved from floor to floor, they looked for the room and also on the look out for attack.

Kakashi then would speak into the two way radio to Neji for updates.

"Anyone following us Neji?"

"Negative Kakashi-sensei, I don't see any other traps in your area thus far."

"Sakura, Haku, how are things on your end?"

Haku responded to that as he and Sakura looked at some masks on display.

"None so far, no one here looks too normal to be of concern Kakashi-sensei."

"Same here Kakashi-sensei, I don't see anyone yet."

"Hmmm...that is good for now, keep your eyes open."

"Roger!"

Zabuza was pretty silent for now scanning the area with his own senses and then directed his attention to the next floor as they moved up. They then spot the door and Zabuza spoke next as he decided to try a bit of a poly to find out who their employer was..

"There's the door, I'll go in first, if this client is from the Land of Water, then I think i will recognize him soon enough."

"You sure about that decision Zabuza?"

"Positive Kakashi, besides, Naruto and you are here so I don't think that we're in that much trouble yet."

The three moved with Zabuza in the front and soon they entered the room and there was the man who was wearing simple clothing, but there was the badge that showed that he was a High official. And sure enough, it was something that Zabuza recognized, and it became just as apparent that the man recognized Zabuza as well as his eyes widened.

"Momochi Zabuza?"

"Takeo Shimaru, now this is a surprise."

The former Mist Swordsman moved aside to let Kakashi and Naruto enter, much to Takeo's relief though he was still reeling a bit from the sight of the former Kiri Missing Nin. This was not lost to Kakashi or Naruto but for now they placed that aside as they were still doing a mission and this man was apparently the client. They sat down and began to talk about the kidnappings with Takeo providing some of the details.

"It started small at first, surviving members being picked off one by one, people were killed by the attackers, but they usually took the ones with Kekkai Genkai alive, they always seemed more interested in acquiring them alive than killing them. My retinue and I were on an inspection tour of one of the villagers when we stumbled on a dying Kekkai Genkai user, before my men could react to kill him, he spoke to me about these forces attacking others like him, taking them alive. That surprised me a great deal though I kept it hidden from the others when he died as I knew that this was something that no one expected."

Naruto raised an eyebrow and spoke.

"No offense Takeo-san, but why would a member of the court of the Land of Water care about Kekkai Genkai users when the purges are going on?"

Takeo looked at Naruto and replied to the question as he knew that it was very valid one.

"While many in the Land of Water feel that Kekkai Genkai users are the reasons for the many wars it was dragged into, I do not since I know that despite there being some truth to the statement, they are human. They are not inhuman monsters with the marked exception of the Kaguya Clan. And my family has some covert ties with one clan known as the Terumi Clan which is why I do not have any animosity to them."

"The fact that the Kekkai Genkai were being kidnapped means that the forces behind this are not part of it and regardless of my personal views, I have no doubt that this is not good for the Feudal Lord and the Mizukage. You no doubt know that the ramifications of forces acting with impunity here, but with the victims being Kekkai Genkai users, there is no doubt that none of the Kiri Ninja will help. I knew of Tsunade-hime due to the time she had been here in the Land of Water as Kunoichi and I respect her abilities as a Kunoichi. Along with the fact that both of us had worked side by side to defend the Feudal Lord when a band of renegade Kiri ninja tried to kill the Lord, that is the reason why when she became Hokage, I knew that I can ask for her help."

The three ninja were fairly silent for a minute or two until Kakashi spoke.

"So what exactly do we know of the kidnappers?"

"We know very little sadly, they are no amateurs and the way some of the victims were killed tells us that they are skilled fighters and quite possibly ninja. Another bit of information we found out after some extensive testing is that the ninjas do not wear any forehead protectors. This means that they are mercenaries, but they appear to be in large numbers and thus are not Akatsuki. The one who can tell you more would have to be none other than Mei Terumi, she is the current head of the Clan and has managed to gather more data on the field than most. She can help you and truth be told, as she is a Kekkai Genkai user herself, she too no doubt had been targeted by these attackers."

Takeo then took out a special seal that he then gave to Kakashi.

"This is my clan's symbol, show this to Mei when you see her in one of her clan's lookout posts at a cave system nearby on this map. Due to my family's ties with Mei's Clan which we kept secret for years, I am the only holder of the map in question."

Takeo took out the map of the Land of Water and pointed to a far area near the mountains on one of the islands and Zabuza commented.

"It makes sense that Terumi Clan would select that site as a base network, I've never been there myself but the caves there are very much a maze in themselves. Getting lost in them is the last thing anyone wants."

"Now I cannot be sure if Mei will be around, she might be there or one of her clan mates may be present so you can show them the seal. And I feel that it would be best that you hurry as well to the islands as soon as this discussion between us is over as well. The rotation of ninja patrols on the various islands have been changed a bit so I cannot say if it will be the same as before."

...

Later...

Zabuza and Haku moved ahead of the group as they were taking a shot at locating an open area through the borders of their former home. It seemed that hey were going to do well since they had not been intercepted by the Kiri forces or that of the Feudal Lord's own forces. Haku and Zabuza were the ones who took the lead though in this case, Naruto was also in the lead. He used one of his new creations a crystal that glowed in a series of shades which could serve to have different meanings. Blue would mean that it was clear, red for danger, yellow for potential lead, and purple for confirmed location and asset found. The crystal glowed deeply when they would get closer to one another as well so it served as a way to gauge direction.

Before they set out, he made sure to distribute the crystals to Kakashi, Haku and Zabuza as he went ahead. It was decided that they were going to move to where the caves were that served as the base of the Terumi Clan. The trip was going to be long since they had to avoid alerting anyone who called the islands home. Normally allowing Naruto out on his own would have worried Kakashi in the past, but he had grown so much and had matured that the Jonin had no worries on letting him go ahead. He was able to handle himself and would call in if he needed help from the others when he had to.

The teams took different approaches to the island where the hidden base of Mei's clan was located and moved in a leap frog style with the scouts moving ahead and then waiting for the others to follow behind them. Since the Land of Water had large amounts of mists per the name, the ninja teams were on high alert, even more so since there was a chance they would be followed. Zabuza and Haku had the advantage since they were Mist users themselves so they would routinely shadow Kakashi's team to counter any ambushes while Neji and Naruto would do the same with the former's Byakugan, and the latter's array of sight spells.

Once they got to there the caves were, they decided to split the teams since the island was massive and it was better to cover all corners of the island bit by bit.

...

Naruto moved ahead of the others in his team as he stretched out his senses to locate the caves that dotted the island. There was no telling which of the caves housed the hideout of this Mei Terumi but he was going to keep looking and hope for the best. But as he moved from cave to cave, he had a feeling that he was not alone. He quickly got to cover and used his Ranger training to try and blend into the background.

Holy Talon then spoke to him.

(("Master, it appears we're being followed, and by a lone person as well."))

Naruto nodded in agreement.

(I can sense it as well...give me a moment.)

Naruto gently whispered the command to summon his Dragon Fire reserve and the spell was ready.

"Piercing Sight!"

He looked through the fog and was surprised to see that his pursuer was a woman...and a very good looking one at that. Naruto had never seen her before but there was no denying that the woman was definitely attractive. However, he noted that she had no forehead protector on her and that was quick to send alarm bells ringing in his head.

(She's wearing no headband...could she be one of those mercenary ninja?)

(("Possibly Master, but we should be cautious either way, the fact that she was able to follow you speaks highly of her skills, even more so if she had not alerted the others."))

The Kyuubi was quick to join it at this point.

((Hello...this is interesting, not a bad looking female, but I can tell that she's no doubt a lot more than just a beauty,. Keep your guard up brat, this woman is going to be a challenge.))

Naruto nodded as he decided to reach out for a kunai, just to be on the safe side, but then noted the woman stopping and moving to another direction. He decided to follow her and soon saw that she was heading towards one of the larger cave systems. His spell soon wore off and he managed to enter a field before the cave which seemed to have a clearing of the mist, but to his surprise, the woman was gone. That got him on edge quickly as he guarded himself. That was enough to make him block several shuriken thrown at him from the cave.

He blocked those attacks and quickly tossed his kunai a the next one and drew Holy Talon from his back, just as the woman reappeared before him and she looked very serious towards him.

...

Naruto could not help himself as he looked at the woman who was before him, something about her was a bit off and he could not help but feel that this was either a Genjutsu or something else. Holy Talon soon spoke to him in their link with one another.

(("That woman is no threat master...nor is that person living, I sense only a very faint amount of life force in her."))

Naruto could not help but wonder just what was going on but before he could say anything, the woman came right at him with hostile intent as he blocked the incoming attack and he was forced to fight back with him drawing out his kunai and blocking her own weapon which was a Wakizashi, he then lashed out a knee strike to force the enemy back, but in doing so he felt the clothing have the wetness of water...too much for the moisture to have come from the mist and he then recalled something that Zabuza had done before in a battle with his team and Kakashi.

(This woman is a Mizu-Bushin!)

Naruto charged in and quickly blocked an incoming stab with the armour on his forearm and quickly lashed out with the kunai in his hand and stabbed the woman right on the chest...doing that made the woman explode into a large amount of water. Naruto quickly turned around as more mist came all over the place. He knew well enough what Zabuza had done in the past and focused all of his senses to determine where the next figure was going to come from. To his surprise he moved quickly out of the way when a massive blast of flame came out from the mist.

Naruto rolled to the side and quickly fired a few shuriken at the direction of the flame that came right at him. He did so again but flipped backward when a fireball came at him and he knew there and then that there was someone who was using Fire chakra.

Naruto strained his senses and then he was given yet another surprise when the woman appeared once more and she was smirking right at him. The smirk was seductive but filled with a serious look to boot and he spoke once more.

"Who are you?"

The woman spoke in reply.

"Who am I is not important, what is important is my question to you, what is a ninja from Konoha doing here in the Land of Water?"

Naruto did not say anything at first as he was still trying to figure out just who this woman was, he could sense that she was not a regular ninja.

(Possibly Jonin-level like Kakashi-sensei...possibly ex Kiri ANBU as well..)

The woman decided to try something else and to Naruto's surprise, she moved fast and struck at him with a kunai of her own. But this time he slashed with Holy Talon, cutting the kunai into nothing and before she could recover, he charged at her and then slashed at her as she moved back. The attack connected, and cut the cloth and the fishnet clothing but to Naruto's surprise, there was no blood, and seeing that Holy Talon was not covered in blood told him to stop. This meant that this woman had no evil intent in her at all and as such was not someone Holy Talon could harm and as such, she was not his enemy. But if that was the case, then who was she and why was it she was not wearing a forehead protector?

It did not help matters that the attack he did had revealed a bit of the woman's more than ample bust. The blonde Chuunin blushed a bit at that and hoped that he had not done something to further enrage the woman, but he had a feeling that she was going to react even if she did not notice it. And react she did as she finally saw that damage to her clothing, and she retaliated by unleashing something else at him at him. A LARGE amount of super heated liquid stone!

(What the?-! That's Lava!)

Naruto quickly moved out of the way as the entire mass turned the trees behind him into nothing but burning match sticks and before he could react, another attack came at him in the shape of large spears of water. He dodged those but was quickly shocked as a mass of mist came at from the woman's mouth.

(("Master Naruto! Move!"))

Naruto wasted no time and got out of the way as he watched in surprise as the nearby stones and grass where he had been were suddenly being melted by the mist. That and the heat he felt from the mist told him that it was superheated liquid, only possible with the combination of Fire and water Chakra.

Naruto was quick to realize the implications of what he had just witnessed.

(This woman's got three elemental chakra types! Fire, Water, and Earth! And she can fuse Water with Fire for the mist with the high acid quality, and Fire with Earth for Lava! Only one who can do that it someone who's got a Kekkai Genkai!)

The woman was not pleased by the fact that her foe was proving to be QUITE agile, and while she had to admit that with the silver highlights on his blonde hair and blue eyes, he looked exotic and handsome along with the whisker marks on his face, that did not mean she was going to let him off easy. But before she could retaliate with another attack, the young man placed his sword aside, back into the sheath and spoke to her.

"Hold it! I'm not here as you're enemy!"

"Really, that slash you gave me seems to say otherwise! Now who are you?"

Naruto quickly moved towards her and thankfully the training he got from so many teachers allowed him to close the gap until he was only five feet from the woman, who did not seem bothered too much about his speed, only arching an eyebrow as he spoke.

"My name is Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki, I'm a Chuunin and we were asked to come here to the Land of Water by a client named Takeo."

The woman looked slightly confused by that as well as wary. He knew to expect that and he decided to reveal the seal left behind by the man who had hired them. He then noted that the woman was surprised by the seal she saw and seemed to be calming down a bit so he took a shot at trying to even things out.

He knew that he had to be careful here, he had already fought Neji and Haku as well as Sasuke who had Kekkai Genkai, but Neji and Sasuke's Kekkai Genkai were reliant on their eyes, and Haku only used two elements. This woman used three different elements and was able to fuse them so she was an advanced user of Kekkai Genkai and he had no knowledge on how to fight someone like that.

So that meant diplomacy was now the path open to him, and he was going to take it

"He said that I was to find someone here who can tell me and my team who is responsible for the kidnappings of the people here who have Kekkai Genkai. Someone named Mei Terumi who I can guess is a woman and possibly a Kunoichi, you know her?"

The red haired woman looked at him and spoke calmly which was enough to tell him that she was accepting his story a lot more now much to his relief.

"Takeo sent for aid and you and your team are it huh? I guess I can tell you where to find this Mei Terumi, that person is right in front of you."

Naruto was surprised and felt a bit annoyed with himself as he realized he had actually been attacking the person he was supposed to be aiding.

"You're Mei Terumi...oh Kami, I am so sorry for the attacks earlier, I had no idea what you looked like, Takeo only said your name but did not give a good enough idea on what you looked like at all."

Mei decided to try a bit of humour to defuse the situation; she could see that the young man was indeed very uneasy and contrite about discovering the fact that he had attacked the one asking for help from his village. So assuring him that she was willing to let it go was a good idea, it did not hurt even more since when looked at this distance, he was very good looking.

"You were expecting an old hag by any chance?"

"No! I...uh...I knew you were a female Kunoichi, I just had no idea what you looked like."

Mei could tell he was telling the truth and decided to ease up on the situation a bit more, if he and his team were hired by Takeo and were to her allies, the least she could do was play nice with them, but not before having some fn with him first.

"So, do I look nice to you Naruto-san?"

"Yes you do, Mei-san, you look very attractive as well."

Naruto knew that his words were not exactly the right choices in this situation since at this very moment, he was technically on a mission and they were out in the open, but he had to be honest. Mei was very attractive and he knew that saying otherwise might not be a good idea, since women took offense to someone who lied about their looks. And after her use of Kekkai Genkai, the last thing he wanted was to offend her.

Since honestly, who in their right minds would offend a woman who could unleash three different elements, and combine them to unleash Lava or Steam?

Mei laughed a bit to herself and decided that for now, the game was over as she relaxed, though she frowned a bit at the damage to her outfit. Oh well, she could always change clothes back in the hideout. But then she decided to ask who else was on this little group that Naruto was part of. As much as it would be fun to be alone with a nice looking young man, she had other priorities to deal with.

"Where are the rest of your team then?"

"On their way now, I am going to call them now."

Mei watched with a slightly raised eyebrow as Naruto took out a crystal and it glowed deep purple. And when it did just that, Naruto placed the crystal away and spoke.

"They should be arriving now."

And sure enough, in came Kakashi Hatake, Sakura Haruno, Neji Hyuuga, Kin Tsuchi, Momoichi Zabuza, Haku, and Menma. The Konoha ninja squads stopped and Mei raised an eyebrow in surprise as she recognized some of the new arrivals.

(Kakashi Hatake, the Copy Cat Nin of Konoha, Momochi Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist...and Haku Yuki, the last of the Yuki Clan...who knew they would be here?)

Haku and the others stopped as he spotted Mei Terumi as he seemed to feel that she was familiar, Zabuza on the other hand stopped and stared intently at Mei, trying to recognize her and see if he had ran into her before. And it was a moment later that he recognized her and he was able to speak.

"You're Mei Terumi of the Terumi Clan then. When I heard the name I was surprised your people were still around, I thought that your clan had fled the Land of Water during the attacks when the Kekkai Genkai purges."

Mei nodded a bit and replied though she had a bit of a smile on her face.

"I am and I am the leader of the Terumi Clan or what is left of it, and I know who you are Momochi Zabuza , it's hard to believe that you would return here after that incident with the Mizukage. But I have to admit that you were either brave or crazy to attempt a coup by yourself knowing who you were planning to kill. Even more so for coming back here since you are still ranked as a Missing Nin in the village even if you are now a Jonin of Konoha."

"I did it for my own reasons, but even you have to admit that the coup was needed, Yagura was not himself after all. We all knew that, I was the only one who was willing to actually do something about it."

Mei nodded and that was more than enough to tell the Konoha ninja that something was going on here that only these two and Haku knew about. Naruto was the one who spoke out however since he had a feeling that knowing this was important in the future.

"What are you both talking about Zabuza-sensei, Mei-san? Who is that Yagura person and why did you say that he was not himself?"

Zabuza looked at Naruto and he was not alone as Mei herself also looked at Naruto intently, the former Mist Seven Swordsman looked at the Kunoichi and nodded to her. Mei raised her eyebrow at the silent consent and she replied,

"Although our village was known for it's harshness and brutal training methods, it was for a purpose to make our ninja ready for anything in battle. But for the past number of years Yagura's reign as the Fourth Mizukage, things have taken a more serious turn. The practices have become even more violent and he is even willing to have our forces turn on each other on his own orders. More than one person has tried to find out why since we know that Yagura is a kind and capable leader and these actions were not like him. And some of us who tried to find out the truth have some evidence; enough to make us suspect that there is someone manipulating Yagura in the shadows."

Back in his younger days, Naruto would have scoffed at the idea of someone being able to control a Kage. And for good reason as a Kage was the strongest person in the world and in his mindset at the time, could not be easily controlled. But he now knew that all people regardless of civilian status or ninja could be influenced. He saw that with the Kazekage who he knew was Gaara's father since he had been slain by Orochimaru and had been replaced. The idea of someone being able to manipulate a Kage was something he was now taking seriously as he spoke.

"So you started your coup because of this Zabuza-sensei?"

Zabuza nodded somewhat.

"Part of it was the reason, I know fully well what was going on and I know for a fact that something was going on. I may not have met Yagura personally, but I did want to stop him directly before things got way out of hand. But you already know how that plan of mine turned out so no sense asking about it."

Kakashi thought it over and the fact that there was someone that was actually controlling the Mizukage was of concern. But for now however, their mission was not to find out who the person was, but that kind of information might be useful in the long run once they were back in safer territory. He however also thought that the person in question might also be the one who was allowing the people of the Land of Water to hunt down and kill the people who were with Kekkai Genkai and might be also playing a role in their mission.

"Was he the one who convinced the Mizukage to not stop the killing of those with Kekkai Genkai?"

Both Mei and Zabuza shook their heads as the woman spoke seriously to them.

"No, the purges have been going on in a while now so he was not there to start it. But no doubt he was the one who began to intensify it, and corrupt the rule of Yagura. How he had done so, and if he was alone in these action we're still trying to find out. This is important to us since the person who did it must have been very powerful. You see...Yagura was not a normal person by any stretch of the imagination."

Kakashi was not sure what to say at the moment, bit he was willing to wager a guess that he already knew just what was going on . But for now that had to wait as they were still in the middle of a mission, but he made sure that he would need to speak to Naruto afterwards when they were alone.

"We can leave that alone for now, we need to get out of sight before we encounter any of the ninja from Kiri."

The group nodded and it was here that Haku decided to use his Kekkai Genkai a bit and made some Ice mirrors and used those to look about. That lasted for a minute or so and when he came back, he spoke to the team.

"There's no one following us at the moment but we should move.."

Mei nodded and soon all of them were off to the hideout of her clan, she looked at the team and smiled as maybe these Konoha ninja can really help them out. Besides, she kind of liked the blonde and silver haired one, as he had a very...exotic look in him. She also noted that for some reason, he looked rather familiar to her, and that was not a bad thing since she would enjoy it a great deal if she recalled a handsome man.

Her attention towards Naruto was not lost on the blonde Chuunin and he shook his head, hoping that he was just imagining things. Sure Mei Terumi was drop dead gorgeous, but they were on a mission and now was not the time for his libido to be acting up. And besides, with Sakura and Kin nearby, there was no doubt that they had seen it and were not going to be all too happy with the sight of Mei being interested in him.

And he was right as both Kunoichi were glaring at Mei, they were all right with having Temari, Koyuki and the elven women thus far, but they were not all too sure about this Kunoichi from the Land of Water. But they placed that aside for now as they decided to let time run it's course and not make any assumptions. The mission was their priority and thus they could not let their emotions get the better of them.

As for Zabuza and Haku, it felt...odd to be back in the Land of Water after so many years on the run from the Hunter Nin sent to kill them. But now they were wearing Konoha headbands, and Zabuza had long since given up on trying to start a coup as he had to take care of Haku and also make a life for himself. As for Haku, to be back at the land of his birth but knowing how close it came to be his grave made him less than pleased.

Still if the mission orders were true and someone was invading this land, kidnapping Kekkai Genkai users, and doing who knew what to them, he had to do something.

...

In a hidden part of the Land of Water...

"NOOOOOO!"

"AAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

The screams of people filled what was a massive complex in the mountains, and the guards who were there did nothing as they seemed almost impervious to screams of terror that filled the place. In fact, they seemed to actually revel in the terror. And they were not ordinary people either...they were not dressed as Ninja would be and wore no indication of their allegiance to any authority, in essence, they wore no forehead protectors and had no symbols.

The woman smiled as she walked next to the tall figure wearing dark armour on him as he seemed to watch the gruesome process happening before him with satisfaction...inhuman satisfaction. The woman sat next to him and spoke in a dark yet melodious voice.

"How goes your experiments?"

"They are doing well...the master will be pleased with his...native recruits. And with many of them being hunted by the people of this land, I doubt that anyone would miss them at all. And considering this land's...hatred for those with Kekkai Genkai, nor will they care until it is too late."

"So what of the 'normal ones'?"

"They are cannon fodder, nothing more though I have my plans on what they will be used for, I have always wondered what it would be like to have those with Kekkai Genkai as part of my experiments. The idea of fusing beings with Kekkai Genkai had been a fantasy of mine and now it seems that I can now get that chance."

"You realize that you serve a higher purpose and a better master now?"

"I do, and I feel that these will be my...contributions to my new master's war efforts, and this place will be more than adequate for the experiments. No one will notice the disappearances and they also will not be missed. Why should they be missed anyway? After all, they are hated just as much as the worst criminals."

The figures left but not before the woman summoned a trio of the agents and spoke to them.

"We have reports that some of the...still unaccounted for subjects have called allies outside of the Land of Water. We do not know who they are, but they are a concern that we cannot place aside for long. You're orders are simple, find them and kill them. Gather your fellows and get to work immediately, you will all be paid...handsomely if you get the job done."

The trio smiled warmly at that and soon left, unaware that the woman removed her hood...to reveal horns on the side of her head and a very seductively gleam in her eyes. Which were now revealed to be anything but human.

"Humans...always so easily to corrupt when they are promised something good. But at least I will let them be richly rewarded. It's been some time since I got to partake in varied company. And despite being mercenaries...they seem to be quite...fit. And even if they lose, it's no big loss, I can still have my fun with them when they come back."

...

To be continued...

...

Author's Notes:

Sorry for the delays but getting my PC back and updating all of the fics I planned on updating before my PC got on the fritz ate away on my time. Plus the fact that I am still reeling from a week long world famous festival here in my home town, and a lot of social as well as academic issues made this hard to finish, therefore I am very sorry for it.

As you can see from this chapter this is going to be a two or possibly three part special before we finally get to the parts where Sasuke will finally defect from Konoha and will be pursued by Naruto and the others. But as you can bet, Sakura will not be there to convince him to stay, and you can bet that in his state of mind, Sasuke will do something very dangerous and will get on Naruto's bad side.

I will not reveal just what happens, but I can tell you that it will be something that will black list Sasuke to many in the village. And naturally while Naruto has intentions to not let Sasuke use Death Fang, he will not let Sasuke's actions go unpunished.

And as you can see here, Naruto has met none other than Mei Terumi herself, but before you ask, keep in mind that at this moment, the beautiful woman is not yet Mizukage. Now I know that I am going to get a lot of complaints that Mei Terumi was not part of a clan, keep in mind that since the Kekkai Genkai purges began those who were gifted with Kekkai Genkai were in clans and as such, it would not surprise me that in her youth, Mei was possibly part of a clan that was being hunted by the people of the Land of Water. After all, when she was introduced in the Shippuuden series, she already was a grown woman and so it would be natural that before she became Mizukage, she had a very interesting life. I am also going to use this meeting to expand the relationships that Naruto will be having in he future since in a matter of possibly months, we will reach the end of this story.

Naruto in this case will be helpful in getting Mei into the position of Mizukage and she will be very happy to see Naruto again when she can. He will also be the one who gives her the support in her hope and plans of working hard to change the way those with Kekkai Genkai will be seen in her home.

...

No doubt some of you will be asking me if Mei and Naruto will get intimate and she will possibly get to be part of the group of women who are already Naruto's loved ones. The answer to that lingering question is still unknown. Now don't get me wrong, I LIKE what I see in Mei and I have already worked on adding her to the Deserted Island series, but I am still going to work on how the whole story will go. And when I do, then I will move to the stage of deciding if I should make Naruto and Mei attracted to one another.

Though one can say that having them become intimate to the point that they get married, can help in making an alliance between the villages of Konoha and Kiri a lot more effective and possible. That is an idea that I personally am not against and I will try it if I feel that it can indeed work out.

And before you ask, if I do get to the point that I allow Mei to join the group, I am going to make sure that her alone time with Naruto is more than worth it.

...

And before I forget...I plan to have Haku finally find a girl of his own...who is that?

Here's a hint I can share.

Her name has two meanings, one is nose, and the other is flower.

...

And who is the new foe that Naruto is dealing with?

All I can say about this guy is that before I get to the part where Sasuke leaves the village, you might recall him from Way back in the story. Only this time, you can bet that this character in question had changed a good deal and make no mistake, the guy is not going to be a weakling but a dangerous enemy to Naruto.

And no doubt you can guess just who and what his female companion is.

See you all on the next chapter!