AN: A recent review pointed out to me that some people may in fact have difficulty with the linguistics as I use a fair bit of Japanese for the names and titles of gods or techniques. So I'll be including a list of all previous translations at the start of the chapter from now on.
Previous Translations: Yorokobi - Pleasure/Delight/Joy
Yokubo - Desire/Lust
Kajo - Excess
Shifuku no Kurushimi - Blissful Throes/Blissful Suffering
Tatakainouta - Song of Battle
Zeitakuna Kutsu - Luxurious Torment
Hentai-ryu: Erokenho - Pervert Style: Erotic Fist Art
Konton - Chaos
Kanzen - Perfect
Henka - Change
Harakainokeru - Dispel
Aka-en - Red Flame
Aoi-en - Blue Flame
Maho - Magic
Chishiki - Knowledge
Unmei - Fate
Nozomu - Hope
Hoho no Chenja - honestly this one is a mess, but roughly means Changer of Ways
Ryuketsu - Bloodshed
Chikara - Strength
Meiyo - Honor
Budo - Martial Arts
Ikari - Rage
Jumon - Incantation
Himitsu no Sewanin - Secret Caretaker(Keeper of Secrets)
Sento - Combat
Same no On'na - Shark-Woman
Maebure - Harbinger
Shibari no Ashikase - Binding Fetters
Kanpeki - Perfection
Reikan - the closest English word would be Inspiration, but it specifically refers to 'a divine creative impulse'
Sekkyo-sha - Preacher
Aijin - Lover
Kaen Hosha-ki - Flame Radiator (Flamer of Tzeentch)
Himeiwoageru - Which Screams (Screamer of Tzeentch)
Shikkan - Disease
Ai - Love
Zetsubo - Despair
Mi Haito - Undivided/Not Divided
Shibo - Aspiring
Koki - Exalted
Chakra no Bato - Coruscating Chakra/Chakra of Coruscation
Gyokai - Industry
In case someone somehow doesn't know, Hi - Fire
Don'yoku - Greed/Avarice
Yokuatsu - Tyranny/Oppression
Yami no Chichi - Father of Darkness/Dark Father
Kakashi listened to the explanation from Aoki with the rest of the Konton Gundan, along with Jiraiya and Shizune, before the Godaime Hokage. Sasuke looked increasingly uncomfortable with letting the Fearling manifest for such a long period, although it was hard to tell because he always looked vaguely annoyed.
Naruto frowned, "I don't like this one." he decided, he had a bit of a dislike for tyrants already.
Sakura was confused, "I thought fire was an undivided thing?" she asked.
Aoki chuckled, "This one has special domain over the fires of forges." he explained, "Tzeentch-sama and your own patron also hold sway over flames, but in different ways." he added.
Genkei scoffed, "The fires of war are superior to your magic tricks, coward." he spat in confrontational tones.
"No religious debates in the Hokage office!" Tsunade snapped, hurrying to nip that problem in the bud, "So what is this?" she asked, gesturing to the shield.
"It's a tate." Aoki answered dryly with a smirk and his Uchiha host grunted and pulled the Imp back into the Juin as he cracked his neck to the opposite side.
"Getting sick of that." Sasuke grumbled, "I got the information out of him already," he added quickly, "apparently this Gyokai no Kami has few actual Daemons of his own, but specializes in enslaving other Daemons." he explained, "There's a pretty basic Mi Haito no Fury in that tate, the method is similar to how we understand Fuinjutsu." he clarified.
"Should we let it out?" Kakashi asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Fuck no," Genkei said bluntly, "its more useful in that hunk of iron anyway." he clarified, "I say Sakura-sama use it, she needs to practice swinging her axe one handed anyway." he insisted and the pink haired girl perked up at the idea.
Kakashi shook his head, "Let Jiraiya-sama examine it more, if we can learn more about this form of Fuinjutsu that'd be best." he refused with reasoning, Sakura scowled at being denied something so useful.
Naruto didn't care too much about the shield so he decided to bring up something he did care about, "So, anyone marked by one of the Konton no Kami in our forces is supposed to join Konton Gundan?" he asked for clarification first.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow, "Yes, did you notice someone else already?" she asked, surprised at how quickly that happened.
Naruto grinned, "Yeah! Hinata-chan and Karin-neechan!" he answered happily, "We noticed it today when they moved in with me." he added, clearly proud of himself.
Jiraiya's eyes widened, "How did you get Hiashi to agree to that!?" he asked, "I knew they were both into you but seriously?" he added.
Naruto just gave a thumbs up, "Hinata-chan is supposed to be my first wife apparently, I think it was Hiashi's idea because he seemed happy." he added, Sakura's eye twitched as she wondered if every guy in Konoha was a pervert.
Tsunade scoffed, "Hiashi-san is probably pleased because you agreed to pay a six million ryo dowry and ensured neither of his daughters are relegated to the branch house in one move." she pointed out.
Sasuke got the distinct impression there was more to it than that, and then wondered where he got that impression since he didn't even know Hiashi personally. Aoki told him it was schemers intuition, cautioning him against moving against the Hyuga clan in future. The Uchiha didn't really have anything against the Hyuga clan except a vague desire to prove his clan had the better dojutsu, which was a goal that took a back seat to things like avenging his dead clan and rebuilding it.
Naruto just shrugged, "I can afford it, but I should probably take some more missions." he said calmly, the fact six million ryo didn't concern him raised some eyebrows from those who weren't in Tanzaku when he learned what gambling was. Tsunade made a mental note to never gamble with the younger blonde, if they both bet on the same thing reality would probably bend at the least.
Jiraiya looked torn between pride and jealousy, Tsunade just looked vaguely annoyed, "I don't care how many girlfriends you have, just don't slack off on being a shinobi." she ordered bluntly.
Shino adjusted his sunglasses, "Naruto-san should also avoid too many wives for the sake of the gene-pool." he added bluntly.
Tsunade nodded in agreement with that, "Yes, well, Naruto-kun, you can explain to your girlfriends what the Konton Gundan actually is." she said, "Karin is still in a probationary period however, she's not technically in the ninja program." she added with a frown, "I'll get Hinata's paperwork in order, Kakashi-san will explain to Kurenai Yuhi, and you can let us know what Karin decides she wants to do." she decided.
Naruto nodded in agreement, Kakashi didn't really argue but he was a little tempted, "In that case I'd like to enlist Kurenai-san to assist in training Sasuke Uchiha and anyone with an interest in advanced genjutsu." he said instead, he knew his own failings as a teacher well enough by now and decided it was better to just get help where available.
Tsunade nodded, "I won't force her, but I'll classify it as jonin commander work hours if she says yes." she assured, not wanting to force the woman to work in her off time.
Sakura wanted to ask about Sasuke's eye, the left one was covered up in a bandage, but she wasn't sure how to approach the topic and he left quickly when they were dismissed. Shino was curious but decided it wasn't his business, Kakashi and Jiraiya had been briefed, and Naruto just assumed he'd done something to damage it.
Karin and Hinata listened to Naruto's attempt at explaining the Konton Gundan, thankfully Maemi helped explain details he skipped over. Karin frowned as she considered what she wanted to do, but Hinata seemed interested in joining at least.
Kin just looked bored, which reminded Naruto, "Oh yeah, Kin-chan, did you want an instrument or something?" he asked, surprising the girl.
Karin was surprised as well, "Can't she use genjutsu with something like that?" she asked, concerned.
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, I think it sounds cool and want to learn that kind of genjutsu too!" he said, apparently not seeing the danger.
Hinata frowned, "Is that safe?" she asked in concern.
Naruto seemed confused, "I think so, you can see right through genjutsu with Byakugan anyway, and I can detect them pretty easily thanks to my hightened senses." he explained, not seeing the issue.
Kin shrugged, "I'll take a koto if you're offering, that way these two can be less concerned about me being able to use it subtly." she answered, "I'm used to using ninja wire and senbon anyway." she added flippantly. The girl hadn't really considered it, but having something to do besides reading and staying in shape sounded good to her.
"Hinata-chan, are you sure you're okay with moving in with Naruto?" Kurenai asked as she took her team to the gates of the village for a C rank mission, she was worried about the girl. The newfound confidence and drive displayed by the young Hyuga was admirable, but being married off and kicked out of the Hyuga compound didn't sit well with the jonin.
Hinata nodded, "Of course! I want to be with Naruto-kun, and as long as I'm the first wife I don't mind Karin-chan or others joining in." she explained, "Honestly it's probably for the best, I wouldn't have the stamina by myself." she added with a faint blush.
"Still, are you sure?" Kurenai asked, "Being kicked out of your home like that..." she added carefully, she was disappointed with Hiashi for that part in particular.
"Yes! I'm free from the overbearing elders!" Hinata added cheerfully, "I can still see Hanabi-chan and Neji-niisan, so being able to live with Naruto-kun is like a dream come true." she explained with a happy sigh and a blush on her cheeks.
Shino adjusted his sunglasses, "They say home is where the heart is, if she is happier living in a smaller living space with who she loves then I see no issue." he chimed in with his opinion on the matter.
Kiba sighed, "I still can't believe it, an actual harem." he grumbled, slightly jealous of the luck of the blonde. He wasn't interested in Hinata that way, but the other girls Naruto had living with him did catch the interest of the Inuzuka.
Kurenai found it hard to believe as well, she couldn't imagine sharing a man with other women like that.
Tsunade listened to the concerns of the miners that Rock Lee found while training recently, apparently the Katabami Gold Mine in Kawa no Kuni was taken over by a family named Kurosuki with a shinobi leader. Annoyingly enough she didn't have many teams who could handle this, Kurenai had taken her team for a C rank, Gai was off on an S rank, Kakashi was similarly occupied, and Sasuke was still on medical leave.
The Hokage considered her options, sending Naruto and Sakura without Sasuke to mediate was just asking for problems. Sakura would be good muscle, but she honestly couldn't trust the girl to obey anyone besides Sasuke or Kakashi. Once again the Godaime Hokage mentally cursed her traitorous former teammate for killing their sensei and forcing Konoha's forces to be stretched so thin.
"Shizune-san, send for Naruto-kun and the rest of Lee-kun's team." Tsunade sighed, the blonde was technically capable of taking on A rank opponents if he actually took it seriously.
Lee waited patiently, but he was clearly eager to accept the mission. Neji and Tenten arrived in short order, followed by Naruto with Maemi, "What's up, Tsuna-baachan?" he asked casually.
The Hokage didn't even bother to reprimand him, "I have a B rank mission for you four genin." she began, "As Naruto-kun is a Koki Ninso I'm putting him in charge nominally, but I'd like Neji-san to offer advice and for that advice to be heeded." she continued.
Tenten was surprised to hear the young blonde's odd classification, but didn't argue as Neji nodded his agreement. Lee looked impatient, "We should hurry and save those people!" he insisted.
Tsunade sighed, "Alright, Lee-kun and the clients can explain the mission on the way, you're heading for the Katabami Gold Mine in Kawa no Kuni." she said with a dismissive wave, she had enough work to do. Maemi did her best to hide her interest in going to a gold mine.
"So, what's with the oni?" One of the miners asked, gesturing to Maemi with confusion.
"You guys hear of the Kajo no Kami yet?" Naruto asked with a grin, at seeing them shake their heads he decided to enlighten them, "Well Maemi-chan here is a Kajo no Tenshi, and I am the Densetsu no Kajo no Ninso!" he bragged happily, beginning his usual spiel about all of the titles he knew for Slaanesh.
The miners were surprised, since they had at least heard of the term Kajo no Ninso. However all they heard was that he had a bounty for the death of Gato, the shipping magnate.
Lee seemed to be reminiscing about something, "Ah, Naruto-san!" he suddenly exclaimed, "I know of a wonderful shop that serves curry, not far from the gold mine if my memory serves. Should we use it as a pit stop?" he asked.
"Yeah, sure." Naruto agreed with a nod, having somewhere to rest and eat before they went to the mine would be a good idea.
"Sansho-baachan!" Lee greeted happily as he rushed ahead to meet the old lady in charge of the curry shop he'd told them of, Maemi supposed the woman seemed nice even if her shop was a little quaint. Then the Muse smelled the curry as they approached and her eyes widened in surprise, that was a downright excessive amount of spice.
As soon as everyone caught up Lee performed introductions, obviously rather fond of the old woman who had apparently made a curry that once saved his life. Maemi listened to the story curiously and realized the toxic shock of the concentrated amount of chili in the curry had basically kicked his body into overdrive trying to deal with it, the Muse looked at the old woman with some interest as she prepared food.
"Oh, I don't eat, I'm not actually a material being." Maemi said apologetically as one plate was placed in front of her, "Naruto-sama can have my serving, I get sustenance from him after all." she explained, Sansho looked surprised at the horned blonde being referred to as a boy.
Neji struggled to get down a single mouthful of the curry, immediately washing down what he could with water as his face flushed. Tenten had similar issue, fanning herself after trying just a bit of the curry. Despite his face heating up Lee insisted the food was delicious and kept going.
Naruto picked up his spoon and tried a mouthful, his face lit up with temperature and joy, "This is great!" he agreed with the bowl cut genin next to him, eagerly eating both his own and Maemi's servings.
The miners watched with stunned disbelief, even they could barely handle the intense spice and the strange blonde genin was going for seconds. One of the men had even collapsed into the table, his friends relieved to find he was not dead. Neji found himself admiring the fortitude of Naruto once again.
While the horned hermaphrodite was enjoying his second helping of the incredibly spicy curry, Lee and Sansho discussed the son of the woman, who had apparently gone to Katabami Gold Mine. The woman blamed herself for telling him he should be stronger, fearing that she'd pushed him too hard.
Lee frowned as he felt some responsibility for he recalled the woman praising his strength the last time he had been at the shop, "Naruto-san!" he exclaimed suddenly as he stood up, "I request that we add rescuing Karashi-san to the mission parameters!" he proclaimed boisterously.
Naruto breathed out a content sigh, and with the curry in his system the heat haze from his breath was visible, "Yeah I'm fine with that!" he agreed cheerfully, face still flushed from the curry, "Should we head out now then?" he asked.
Neji didn't want to disagree with the blonde, "Perhaps it would be best to stay here for the night, and scout the place in the morning?" he suggested, Tsunade had asked him to offer council after all.
Naruto considered it, "Do you guys need a rest?" he asked the other genin, Tenten nodded her head since they'd been traveling all day to get there, "Right, I keep forgetting I have way more stamina than others." the blonde mused, "Alright, we'll rest here tonight if that's fine with Sansho-baachan." he agreed.
Late that night one of the miners left under cover of darkness, Naruto heard him leaving but assumed he was getting some privacy at first. When he realized the man wasn't coming back he alerted the others, "If the enemy spots him and gets information about us out of him we'll be in trouble." he pointed out, "So, sorry to push you guys, but try to keep up y'know." he added with a laugh.
Lee, Neji, and Tenten nodded in agreement, following the blonde towards the gold mine, Maemi riding on Naruto's back so they could go faster. Naruto and Lee could probably drop their leg weights to speed off ahead, but the blonde didn't want to split the group so soon into the mission.
By morning the four genin arrived at the edge of the mine, Naruto frowned as he saw a member of this Kurosuki crime family abusing an old man. Maemi frowned at the amount of raw despair she felt coming from the miners, none of them had any fight in them at all. The suffering didn't bother the Muse so much, but putting down the domains of the other gods was practically an instinct for the Imp.
Without hesitation Naruto leaped down with a burst of chakra enhanced speed and cut out the throat of the man abusing a worker with an iaijutsu strike from his wakizashi, following up by leaping at and killing the surrounding guards with a mix of sword strikes and sharp kicks to their throats as the other three genin quickly moved to follow.
"That was reckless." Neji pointed out, but it seemed they were fine. The old man Naruto had rescued looked horrified by what had happened, so much so he didn't speak as he shivered on the ground. The Hyuga couldn't blame the man, the blonde ninso had hit arteries and wound up splashed with blood from head down to bone spurs.
Naruto shrugged and wiped the blood off his blade and sheathed the short sword, "I don't like tyrants." he said bluntly. Tenten couldn't help but giggle at that despite the brutal method of dispatching the guards as she took out a water canteen to offer it to the old man who had been rescued.
The old man however seemed upset to be rescued, "No! What have you done!?" he finally found his voice, "I'm as good as dead, to survive when members of the Kurosuki family died? I'm dead." he added in despairing tones.
As the genin tried to make sense of his ramblings they heard a gong, "Oh no, stealth is no longer an option." Naruto said sarcastically before suddenly grinning, "Anyway, let's go meet the welcome party!" he added eagerly.
Neji activated his Byakugan and frowned, "No one is coming for us, perhaps that gong is for something else." he suggested.
The old man sighed, "For whom it tolls, I don't know, but that's the funeral gong, Raiga-san buries alive those who go against him." he explained sorrowfully.
Naruto scowled, "Quit it with the despair, are you trying to kill my vibe!?" he snapped, "We're here to rescue you all, I'm Kajo no Koki Ninso! Naruto-sama the future Hokage of Konoha!" he arrogantly proclaimed, "Set aside wrath and despair, I'll bring you the joy of life by killing this Raiga!" he insisted, rushing to find his new enemy.
Tenten raised an eyebrow, "Did he just refer to himself with the honorific I think he did?" she asked, she knew he used 'ore' instead of 'boku' lately but that seemed like a bit much.
Neji sighed, "Well, his manner of speech is the only outward sign that he's still a guy." he added, although a slight smile tugged at his lips as he moved to follow. Lee and Tenten following behind the Hyuga, although the kunoichi thought the shoulders of the hermaphrodite were still vaguely masculine she didn't bother voicing it.
Naruto swiftly found the funeral march and landed in front of them with a burst of speed, "Alright you punks!" he began as Maemi hopped off his back, "Where is your boss!? I challenge him to single combat!" he announced as he pulled his sheathed tachi from his sash.
"You want to challenge Raiga-san?" One of the thugs asked, "Are you stupid or just suicidal?" he mocked.
"Shifuku no Kurushimi." Naruto retorted blandly with a flick of his wrist, his whip of purple chakra carving into the man who spoke, "I challenged your boss, I didn't ask for lip!" he snapped as the man fell to the ground with a cry of pain and a spurt of blood, the atmosphere of the gold mine had set him on edge.
The remaining thugs started to back up but found themselves surrounded, Tenten even pulled out a kunai to brandish it threateningly as Neji kept his Byakugan active and Lee entered a cat stance. They dropped the coffin as one of them stepped towards Lee, "Wait, Raiga-dono is waiting for this casket!" he explained, "He's always present for the funeral so he can recall the good times he had with the person and forget about their betrayal, just let us do this and you'll get to see him!" the man explained.
Lee's eyes widened, "Karashi-san?" he asked and the cloaked man jolted in alarm, "Sansho-baachan is worried sick about you!" the bowl cut genin scolded, "Joining a group like this is not how you become strong!" he added.
Naruto nodded, "Yeah, following this Raiga around is how you become a disposable lackey y'know." he added, earning him some killing intent from the other men which he returned in kind. The depth of the blonde's chakra added an edge to his malicious intent that outpaced his actual skill, giving an uncanny air that made the men back down, "See? Cowards." he added callously.
Neji frowned and looked around in concern, "We're being watched from a distance." he said suddenly, "Likely this Raiga, orders?" he asked the blonde.
"Get Rokusuke out of there," Naruto responded with a gesture towards the coffin, "and keep the underlings off me. I'm challenging Raiga for the glory of Slaanesh-kaasama." he explained, cracking his neck to the left and then to the right. Tenten moved to open up the coffin, Lee and Neji watching her back as she rescued the miner who had run off from the group that hired them.
A thick mist descended over the area and Neji's frown deepened, "Odd, the mist is thick with chakra. I can barely see through it with my Byakugan." he warned.
"Fools! Raiga Kurosuki is a former Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shu!" One of the lackeys mocked, bragging about the power of his boss.
Naruto blinked in surprise, remembering Zabuza and Kisame, "Alright, you three get in manji formation." he ordered, he remembered how dangerous the other two members had been when he met them in the past and was curious about how he measured up now. His continued insistence on fighting Raiga startled the Kurosuki underlings further.
The blonde crouched and handed his sheathed blade to Maemi, listening carefully as he pulled out his combat stimulants and popped one in his mouth. He took his weapon back and stood up as he swallowed the small white combat drug with his saliva, wondering where Raiga would strike from first.
Naruto looked up in sudden alarm, palming a kunai with his right hand as he used his left to hook the end of his scabbard between Maemi's legs and shove her away. The blonde crouched swiftly as he heard the attack bearing down on him, recognizing the scent of burning ozone at this point he managed to jam his kunai in the rocky ground beneath him as the lightning struck him.
Karashi winced in sympathy, "That's what happens to those who mess with Raiga-san." he muttered, trying to seem like he was pleased with the victory of his boss. The other lackeys chuckled but they stopped when they noticed something that terrified them more than the surrounding genin.
Naruto stood up shakily, hair standing on end his body shuddered. Then he laughed, "That was so intense!" he praised loudly, eyes darting around as he listened for another attack in the Tatakainouta, "I never felt an attack like that before, I think I might just want some more!" he taunted, truthfully he knew he'd only survived by using the kunai to ground himself but the intensity of the attack and how it affected the song only he could hear excited him.
Neji narrowed his eyes, "Naruto-san! Multiple contacts!" he warned quickly, seeing a few shadowy figures lurking in the mist.
Naruto frowned, he saw them too, and they seemed to have substance and even made very subtle sounds as they moved. But his hearing was beyond what a normal human was capable of so he noticed certain sounds were missing like the beat of their hearts, and most telling was the lack of presence in the Tatakainouta.
"They're not there." Naruto informed, closing his eyes, "I don't know how he has a genjutsu that can fool your Byakugan, but he can't fool my senses." he bragged, waiting for another attack to come.
All three of the other genin were startled by that, it was unheard of for something to fool the Byakugan. Neji wondered just how enhanced Naruto's senses were.
A ball of electricity came at the blonde from the mist, Naruto responded with a Juken palm strike from his right hand. It still hurt his arm but his chakra disrupted the Raiton no Jutsu, "Come on out! Your silent killing crap won't work on me so just face me in a duel of kenjutsu skill!" he demanded, "I've already fought two of the Kiri no Shinobigatana, so come on!" he added, exaggerating things in the case of Kisame.
"You sure are one loud brat," A new voice, presumably Raiga, called out from all around the mist, but Naruto's head snapped in a singular direction, "are you a ninja or a samurai?" he asked.
"Kajo no Koki Ninso!" Naruto answered with a feral grin, proud of his title, "We doing this or what?" he asked, right hand hovering near the handle of his still sheathed tachi.
There was a moment of tense silence, "I don't really want to..." Raiga's voice responded, Naruto's head following something none of the others could track despite his closed eyes, "You're a really dangerous kid though, it'd be a bad idea for me to let you live." he continued sadly.
Maemi frowned at the sheer amount of despair coming from the man, but she felt the defiance despite the despair that likely indicated something rather alarming, "Naruto-sama," she called out carefully, "I think he's marked." she warned.
Naruto just grinned wider at that, "Come on out and face me!" he demanded again, "I'll give you something to despair about you morbid bastard!" he taunted.
Raiga's sigh echoed around the mist, "Hot heads like you are particularly annoying, and I heard you got a bounty but it's not like I can go claim it. We don't even have any good memories so I can't enjoy a funeral for you." he complained, his whining starting to grate on Naruto's nerves.
Suddenly another ball of electricity shot through the mist at the blonde, but he tossed his scabbard at it as he unsheathed his tachi. The horned genin turned to parry a fanged blade as his new opponent appeared in a burst of speed, sparks flew from the clashing blades and Naruto felt electricity run down the blade and into his arm.
Raiga had blue eyes with a darker ripple around the pupil, waist-length green hair with the top two bangs falling down on his cheeks on each side, and having dark, full lips. He wore a grey hooded mantle with three red stripes, with a bandaged bundle on his back and a pair of fanged swords in his hands.
"You're really dangerous for your age." Raiga acknowledged calmly, swords held at the ready.
Naruto frowned, "Who is that on your back?" he asked since he could hear breathing and a heartbeat, the former of which hitched and the latter sped up as he announced them.
Raiga scowled, "None of your concern, brat." he snapped, using his pair of electrical weapons to attack in a flurry. Naruto found himself forced to dodge, as parrying or blocking one blade would leave him open to the other. The blonde then startled his opponent with a counter attack that almost killed the man, the tip of his tachi thrusting in between attacks to graze the neck of the former Kiri ninja as he narrowly dodged.
Naruto followed up with a sweeping kick from his right heel that Raiga attempted to bunt on instinct but was forced back by the surprisingly sharp bone spur he'd mistaken for high heels digging into his shin. The blonde grabbed his wakizashi's scabbard in his left hand as he used the tachi in his right to block another swing from his opponent, barely catching the other blade with the tsuba of his shorter sword before doing the splits vertically to swing his right heel spur at the man's face.
Raiga stumbled back in surprise as he avoided the kick, realizing with some alarm that his opponent effectively had four blades to his two. The man backed off a step and took a defensive stance, watching as Naruto pressed his left thumb to the tsuba of his wakizashi. The blonde kept his right foot and tachi forward, holding his wakizashi near his left hip in a basic side stance.
The two swordsmen started circling each other slowly, Naruto grinning as he listened for an opening in the lull in the Tatakainouta as Raiga watched carefully with narrowed eyes. The other three Konoha genin watched in surprise, realizing that Naruto had improved even further since the Chunin Exams, while the Kurosuki lackeys and Karashi watched in stunned disbelief.
The atmosphere was tense as neither shinobi made an aggressive move, both looking for an opening in their own ways but neither able to find one. Neji realized that this was what happened when kenjutsu of similar skill levels clashed, there was no long drawn out clashing of blades although he could tell that if it came to that Raiga's weapons had the advantage in that regard. His Byakugan could see that each clash of Naruto's tachi with the oddly shaped swords of the nukenin left small chips in the blade of the blonde.
Suddenly Raiga tapped his blades together, electrical chakra sparking between them and forming an orb that flew at Naruto, "Raikyu!" the man announced before dashing away. The blonde target of the attack thrust his left arm towards it as he pushed his thumb against the tsuba of his wakizashi, launching the weapon into the electrical orb before tossing the scabbard to be collected by Maemi.
Naruto lunged, grabbing his wakizashi in his left hand before it hit the ground then leaping after Raiga as the man started running up a nearby cliff. The former Kiri nin holstered his blades and weaved hand signs, and with a burst of chakra the cliff side beneath him collapsed towards his blonde opponent in an avalanche.
The horned hermaphrodite was startled by the attack and forced to leap away to avoid being crushed, landing in a crouch as Raiga retreated, "Ikazuchi no Kiba!" the man announced from the top of the cliff, raising his blades high in the air and unleashing arcs of Raiton chakra into the air.
Neji's eyes widened in alarm as he noticed the Raiton chakra was coalescing into the clouds and gathering them, "Look out!" he warned, tackling Tenten out of the way of a bolt of lightning as Lee narrowly evaded one himself. Naruto scowled, his ability to hear the Tatakainouta allowing him to dodge the bolts of lightning as he charged the electricity wielding nukenin.
Once he dodged past the lightning bolts and got in close again the horned blonde began his lethal dance with his opponent, going on the offensive to stop his lightning bolts, however one of his kicks was parried rather painfully as the blade in Raiga's right hand sheared his bone spur from his left heel. Naruto winced but twisted his body to lash out with his tachi as he dug his right heel spur into the throat of the nukenin before falling back.
His opponent stumbled back, having blocked the tachi with the fanged blade in his left hand but unable to protect his throat he gurgled blood. Neji rushed to catch Naruto, saving the blonde from a likely fatal fall with some relief. If he'd allowed the blonde to die Hinata would never forgive him, and he still felt grateful to the hermaphrodite for helping dig him out of his despair.
To the alarm of the Hyuga as the mist cleared he noticed Raiga somehow wasn't dead, Naruto frowned since the man shouldn't be able to breath, but they both noticed the small person on the back of the man start breathing heavier. Neji's eyes widened as they watched the bandages fall away to reveal a purple haired young boy, reaching to stem the blood flow.
The alarm of the Hyuga was more than that though, with the mist cleared he could see clearly what was going on, "They're both one person." he declared, baffled as he tried to make sense of what his Byakugan saw. The young boy had nothing below the waist except for Raiga himself, and their keirakukei were intertwined. At the point their bodies connected were three unique tenketsu arranged in a triangle, each almost as large as the Hachimon.
"I won't let you kill Raiga-san!" The boy declared breathlessly, "Raiga-san is my legs, my body, precious to me! I am his eyes, if I have to be his lungs too then-" he stopped to take deep gasping breaths and Naruto could hear his heart trying to keep up with the new strain, "then I will be his lungs!" the boy finished after a moment.
Neji let the blonde stand on his own, although the horned genin seemed unbalanced by having only one bone spur he managed by staying on the ball of his left foot. Tenten and Lee just looked confused, unable to see the strangeness from their distance but picking up on how disturbed the other two genin were.
The boy emerging from Raiga's back curled around the head of the man as the nukenin raised his blades, acting as lightning rods they brought lightning down on the man. Instead of harming either of them the electricity was contained around them before it swirled to take the shape of a dragon, then it bore down on the two closest genin.
Naruto leaped backwards as Neji braced himself and started spinning, "Kaiten!" he announced as he released a heavy burst of chakra from every tenketsu at once. The ultimate defense of the Hyuga clan dispersed the dragon shaped Raiton no Jutsu, having avoided the attack the attack the blonde genin dropped his swords and weaved hand signs.
Naruto leaped past and above the Hyuga as he unleashed a breath of screaming wind, his chakra distorted the air and crumbled the cliff side beneath Raiga's feet. The nukenin stumbled back as the horned blonde leaped from a crumbling piece of the cliff to close the distance, swirling chakra in his right palm and stabilizing it with his left.
The blonde plunged his Rasengan at the man but Raiga blocked by crossing his swords, his legendary weapon apparently able to withstand the swirling chakra orb despite the keening sound that came from the clash. Naruto couldn't really recall what the blades were called but he'd ask later, for the moment he focused on dealing with the dangerous opponent.
As the clash ended the cliff beneath Raiga gave way and Naruto fell back with a smirk, "Shibari no Ashikase!" he announced as he thrust out with his left hand, his chakra binding his opponent and with a tug the blonde consigned the man to be crushed by the cliff falling around him.
Neji caught Naruto again, growing exasperated with needing to do that but glad to be able to help in some way. The blonde seemed quite pleased with being held in a bridal carry but the celebration halted with an anguished wail, the boy coming from Raiga's back was still alive somehow. The body of the nukenin was crushed, his weapons half buried, and the young boy coming out of his back desperately trying to heal the corpse of the man he was connected to by expending his chakra.
Naruto frowned as the Hyuga boy helped him stay on his feet while he found his balance, and he picked up his discarded tachi as he approached. The sheer emotional anguish coming from the young boy connected to Raiga tugged at the hermaphrodites heartstrings, but he could see that the boy was as good as dead.
With a shaky hand Naruto plunged his tachi into the neck of the child, right as the boy turned a glowing red eyed glare filled with hate on the blonde. The horned genin shuddered as for the first time performing a kill bothered him, it was a mercy killing but the lack of glory in it and performing it after he'd won the fight already just made it feel wrong.
Tenten, Neji, and Lee watched in surprise as Naruto's body seemed to fold in on itself. It took a moment for them to realize his muscles had become more sleek, his shoulders were still vaguely masculine but his entire body was far more slender now and he moved to collect the weapons of his defeated opponent with a grace that made the other genin feel like they were watching the movements of an apex predator rather than a fellow human.
Maemi smiled proudly at that boon, the newfound agility would be a massive edge in not just physical confrontations, but also for stealth and mobility. She hid her grin as she noticed the somber mood, collecting the wakizashi of her blonde master and helping him sheathe and holster his original swords.
"Tenten-chan, what were these called again?" Naruto asked, trying to forget about his new least favorite kill.
"They're called Kiba," Tenten answered, "although if that's confusing you can also call them Raito." she pointed out, remembering they knew a genin by the name Kiba already.
Naruto nodded, "Raito, huh?" he mused, giving a shaky grin, "I guess mission accomplished then?" he asked, hooking the blades into his sash across each other diagonally. The other three genin nodded, none of them felt particularly accomplished.
"I will take Karashi-san home to Sansho-baachan," Lee offered, "please inform the villagers they have been freed without me." he added, taking the young man with him as he left.
Naruto sighed, resting his left hand on the scabbards of his wakizashi and tachi, both back on his left hip in his purple sash, "Yeah, let's go let them know they're free of the Kurosuki family." he said, and even with only one bone spur he compensated well by walking on the ball of his left foot.
The blonde frowned as they walked, his thoughts pulled to Haku again. Now that he was aware that others were using the power of the Konton no Kami, and had actually seen it used by someone besides Orochimaru's minions first hand, he was worried about the pretty boy with Hyoton. The blonde realized he hadn't seen the dark haired boy since the Chunin Exams, he wasn't sure how to contact him but resolved to at least try.
Naruto felt a cold coming on as they returned to Sansho's curry shop to meet up with Lee, Maemi panicked a little but insisted Naruto have as much curry as he could eat before bundling up for the night. The old woman who made the curry was startled when the Muse also asked if the blonde could have some sake with his meal, she almost refused but the genin informed her that their hitai-ate technically made them all legal adults.
The fact the Imp seemed desperate and the other three genin preferring water was the only reason Sansho agreed, letting the blonde hermaphrodite enjoy a bottle of sake with the curry. She wouldn't have let him have the whole bottle if not for the sheer amount of curry he was putting away.
When it seemed like a storm was approaching Maemi insisted Naruto be allowed to rest, Neji wasn't sure what exactly what was going on but the small Daemon seemed oddly insistent. So the remaining three genin helped shore up Sansho's store for the storm, chopping down nearby trees that might be a danger.
To Maemi's relief Naruto seemed fine by the next morning, she wasn't sure if it was Slaanesh protecting the blonde from the influence of the plague god, Naruto's own Uzumaki stamina, or that same stamina being enhanced by the Chakra no Bakemono locked within him. Regardless of why she was glad he was fine and seemed to have emotionally recovered as well.
To the surprise of the other three genin, Naruto's left heel bone spur had regrown completely overnight. Tenten was baffled by that level of regeneration, having assumed that such a thing would take weeks. She wondered if that was why Maemi insisted on Naruto eating and resting so much.
With their mission done the four genin returned to Konohagakure no Sato, although Naruto insisted on a quick pit stop once they were back in Hi no Kuni. For a moment they thought he was just enjoying a quick gamble and some more sake, but Neji noticed he was leaving notes and messages with gambling den owners. The Hyuga wondered what the blonde was up to, but decided to leave him to his privacy.
Neji and Tenten were careful to not let Lee accidentally drink any alcohol, they didn't want to force Naruto to have to subdue the taijutsu specialist while he was in that state.
Tenten was a little disappointed she hadn't gotten to show off the new ninjutsu she'd been practicing, but she supposed she could always practice it more and have it be even more perfect for next time.