Chapter 7 - Retaliation from Kusa.
Pairing: Naruto x Uchiha Mikoto.
THIS WILL NOT BE A HAREM
As stated on my Twitter, something happened and had me unable to write for a bit. I apologize, this might be one of the only updates in a while, but I'll still try to write a new chapter before too long. As an apology, I made this my longest chapter yet.
A/N: I post updates regarding the story on my Twitter. So, if you want to be prepared for when chapters come out, I'm always announcing how far I am with the stories in good time. My Twitter: Skairipa1337.
Also, I want to make it clear that while Naruto has an obvious attraction toward Mikoto, they aren't romantic feelings. I doubt I need to explain this, but since some of you decided to argue with me in the DMs I feel like I have to make this statement. "Just because you find a girl attractive, doesn't have to mean you love her romantically." Can't we all agree on that? Good. The romance will grow later when the time is right.
Warning: The main character's age has been adjusted.
The border between Hi no Kuni and Yu no Kuni.
The first sound that greeted Naruto in the morning was the hectic crying of a very touched Karin. Opening his eyes, he sat up against the wall and cursed the pain in his neck. You would have thought Orochimaru had a play in this, but it was just his sleeping position for the past few days that was messing with him. It shouldn't be a surprise that sleeping on the ground and using a thin cloak as your pillow would end up in either back and/or neck pain.
Groggily blinking his eyes open, he couldn't, despite the pain in his neck, keep a smile off of his face as he watched the babbling and wailing child clinging to her mother that was sitting on the bed, whispering reassuring words in the ears of her child meanwhile stroking her red locks.
"Seems like you've saved my life yet again, Naruto-san." The soft words came from Akari, whose gaze had fixated on him when she had noticed he wasn't asleep anymore. That boy, a total stranger. Or well, maybe not anymore. Had gone out of his way for her and her daughter more than anyone in their life. He had gone as far as to save her life twice.
Naruto placed a hand over his mouth as he rested his back in against the wall, "Mah, don't mention it. I think it's written with bold letters in the family manual that you're supposed to take care of each other." Naruto lamely joked, yet it still managed to make the older woman smile with a soft giggle.
Karin's ear perked up at the sound of her 'Aniki' who had finally woken up. Bouncing out of her mother's lap, she ran across the floor, and to Akari's big surprise, her daughter swung her small arms around the tall blond's neck in the most suffocating hug a child shouldn't be able to give.
"Ano… Aniki… Can you dye your hair?" The question made Naruto raise a brow with a confused gaze. Dye his hair? Was there something wrong with his hair color?
Tilting his head slightly, he asked, "And why should I dye my hair? I like my hair."
Karin blushed slightly and ran back up to her mom, pointing at their heads, "Then you can look like us! Like an Uzumaki!"
Naruto's face dropped into the floor before sitting up again. 'Are all Uzumaki this energetic and weird in the morning, beside me?' He thought with a large sweatdrop hanging off of his forehead.
Akari giggled at her child's behavior and placed a hand on her head, ruffling Karin's hair softly, "Go easy on Naruto-san dear, I think he's hair should stay blond. Rather charming to have a blond Uzumaki, wouldn't you agree?"
"I guess… Oh! Tsunade-chan is also blond Uzumaki!" Karin beamed up as the blonde Sannin came to mind. The kind lady that had been kind of weird, but had been treating her mom back to being well again.
Akari's eyes widened at the mention of that name. Tsunade was quite a famous persona. "T-Tsunade? As in Tsunade of the legendary Sannin, the supposed best medic around?" She stuttered out, her gaze fixing on Naruto.
"She is only part Uzumaki, but yes. Her. You looked quite sick, and I doubted that without the experience she had, you'd live. So I brought you to the best of the best." Naruto smirked slightly, and as if that had been her cue to enter, Tsunade knocked on the door and entered.
"Rise and shine Gaki- oh, you're awake. Welcome back to the land of the conscious. You've been out of it for a while." Tsunade muttered as she entered the room. Her pigtails swaying behind her as she walked, and her apprentice right on her heels.
Akari's eyes widened even further as the one and only slug sannin entered the room. Bowing her head down, she stuttered out again, "T-Tsunade-sama! I have no idea on how to thank you for treating me and saving my life…"
Tsunade's eyebrow twitched slightly as she walked over and bonked Naruto on the head, "Don't thank me, thank the gaki here. He brought you here, and he has given me my payment. No debts, it's all been solved."
Naruto couldn't help but pout as he was hit on the head but smiled slightly with a nod as she mentioned that everything had been paid and there was no debt lingering for the sudden treatment.
The redhaired woman started tearing up as she bowed her head, muttering many soft sentences of 'thank you' as she clung to her daughter who giggled at her mother's odd behavior.
Around five hours later, it was finally around noon time. Akari and Karin had been going through the last few check-ups, and after a tearful goodbye from Karin's side, the Uzumaki trio was finally about to head out from the hotel room.
Tsunade flicked Naruto's forehead with her pointing finger as she leaned in against the doorframe, watching the trio stand in the hallway. "Don't overwork the woman gaki, she has still just woken up last night. Make sure that she gets a proper meal before departing, and a trip to the hot springs would be good for her body's healing." Tsunade instructed sternly with her arms crossed beneath her bosom.
"Hai, hai, don't worry. We aren't going to be leaving the area before evening if everything goes according to plan. It'll take two days on foot, but if I carry them throughout the night we should be back in Konoha by morning." Naruto explained as he rubbed his forehead with annoyance.
Shizune who was standing behind her master raised a curious brow at that, "Why are you in such a rush to get back to Konoha? You could take the day off and relax, sleep here, and then depart by morning."
Naruto blushed with an enormous sweatdrop. If Mikoto found out that he had been slagging on getting back there would surely be hell to pay. "Let's just say I got a furious thing reeling me in back at Konoha. And of course, I shouldn't keep Oji-san waiting."
"The Uchiha woman still scaring you shitless?" Tsunade roared out with laughter and clutched her stomach. She had met Naruto quite a few times already, and the topic of a certain Uchiha Mikoto had often been on topic. The woman was ready to murder for the blond to take a break, she obviously cared a lot for him.
Naruto facepalmed at that, "She doesn't scare me, but I'd rather not make her upset with me. Everything will be easier that way."
"You don't want to make your girlfriend upset? I guess I can respect that." Tsunade smirked with a teasing grin forming on her lips.
Naruto slapped his forehead hardly at that and decided to follow up with slamming his forehead into the wall, "She isn't my girlfriend! She is a married woman for crying out loud, and my best friend's mom. She is basically my aunt at this point, what is it with you and always teasing me like that?"
"A marriage hasn't seemed to be able to stop other lovers from carrying out their inner desires before. And I'm just teasing you gaki, take a break and relax, would you? It's not like it's a taboo topic to talk about if you did like her that way, I mean, of course, homewrecking would be looked down upon. And I doubt this Uchiha Itachi would be happy that you were having a go at this mom and-"
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cried out in protest as she stood in between Naruto and her master, a furious blush on her face from all the stuff her master dared to mention in front of Naruto, and even a child.
Tsunade just waved her off and walked back inside, "Don't spoil my fun Shizune, he's fun to tease. Good trip gaki! If you feel like gambling let me know, I could use the extra money."
Naruto just kept trying to rub this growing blush on his cheeks away as he started walking away with Akari and Karin in tow. The latter two were quite perplexed about the conversation, one giggling away at the teasing and the other not quite able to understand any of it, but found her Aniki's flustered face to be hilarious.
"Have a safe trip!" Shizune called from the doorway, making Naruto turn around with a casual wave.
"Yeah, be well until next time. And do something about Tsunade, would you? I'm getting a heart attack from being near her." Naruto groaned out loudly, making the dark-haired girl giggle away with a shake of her head. Naruto and Tsunade would always be like that, nothing would be able to change that. And it was kind of cute the way Naruto seemed to talk about this Uchiha Mikoto, even if he was insisting on denying the possibility of attraction to her.
When the Uzumaki trio had finally left the hotel, Naruto decided to guide them toward a local restaurant with an all you can eat buffet. The place wasn't much to be excited over, but the overall food quality had been said to be one of the best around the area.
So getting a table in the corner of the restaurant, they were handed plates and chopsticks and were told to just go up and get as much they wanted.
The lunch was rather eventful. A woman such as Akari that seemed to carry herself with pride, was now stuffing her face with food. It was a bit fun but sadder to watch. She must really have been starving in Kusa.
When Akari and Karin finished eating to their heart's content, Naruto paid and they were just sitting and relaxing for a but until Akari decided to ask Naruto something.
"Naruto-san? If I may ask, who is this Uchiha Mikoto that you were getting endlessly teased about earlier?" Akari asked in a soft tone, making Naruto blush at the mention of teasing. Sighing into his hand, he leaned into his seat and shrugged.
"Well, she is the mother of my best friend Itachi. When my parents died, she took me in. She raised me after my parents were unable to, and had my back when I needed it. She still occasionally ask me over to dinner with the family, and she is quite fun for an Uchiha, considering that most of them and especially her husband Fugaku is grumpy. She can be a bit scary, but I know she means well. She just cares about my health and gets upset with how much I work and train, but yeah. She is kind, she is a loving mother, she's loyal, she's pretty and beautiful, huh-"
Naruto's eyebrow started twitching dangerously as Akari fell into a giggling mess, "S-Sorry, I just found it a bit funny. I mean no offense, she sounds wonderful. It was just the way you described her, I can understand why Tsunade-sama would tease you about her. You did also say she is pretty and beautiful, and I doubt that is a word you'd casually use when describing the mother of your said best friend."
"Okay! I'll admit I think she's a beautiful woman, but I don't like her the way all of you think I do. She's like my aunt, but I care for her obviously." Naruto pouted with his arms crossed over his chest.
'Perhaps not yet, but you sound awfully close. Attraction can and will nine out of ten times build up and evolve into feelings.' Akari thought to herself with a small smile and looked down at her daughter. That was how she had been created anyway. As she nodded at his answer, her mind wandered again. Naruto seemed to think of this woman in high regard, she would look forward to meeting her soon hopefully.
"Very well then. Yet, I'll remind of you never saying never, Naruto-san. Didn't Tsunade-sama mention some glorious hot springs?" Akari finished, changing the topic of their conversation to spare Naruto of anymore embarrassment.
Naruto blinked and nodded his answer, "Yeah, though I wouldn't call them glorious. The environments are just calmer and the water feels nicer. They aren't that different than the ones in Konoha, but I guess if you pay more for the deluxe baths, then your experience would better."
Akari frowned a bit. Of course, she had been ignorant for a second. It obviously costs money to go there.
"If you're frowning about the money, don't sweat about it. I got it covered." Naruto chuckled through a small smirk as Akari's eyes widened in surprise.
"How did you?" She mumbled out slowly with a tilt of her head.
Shaking his head, the blond stood up and patted his full stomach as he motioned for them to follow, "I told you I'd take care of you, and I don't want any disagreements. We're going to relax at the hot springs, and I don't want anything for this. And I'm tempted to throw a fit if you disagree…"
Akari was about to her disagreement, but considering Naruto was almost threatening about throwing a fit she shut up. After all, this blond boy had taken out Ryujin on his own. How wasn't he wounded? It was to her knowledge that Uzumaki healed faster of course, but Ryujin wasn't a pushover from what she had heard around the village in Kusa.
"Fine, but I stand by my terms concerning helping you around the house. I'll cook and clean, and I'll throw a fit if you disagree with that." Now it was Karin's time to flinch a bit. While her mother was kind, she was born the usual Uzumaki stubbornness. Naruto on the other hand sweatdropped. Akari was beginning to look more and more like his mother, and not just in looks.
"H-Hai.." He gulped. The mere image of a second Kushina appearing was enough to startle him. While he normally wasn't afraid of much, there were a few things that startled him. Snakes, angry chunin instructors, and a mother's wrath.
Soon after they were checked in at the Yu no Kuni hot springs. Compared to what Naruto had been treating himself to the last time, he decided that for Karin and Akari's sake, that they would get the more expensive deluxe experience that the hot springs had to offer this season.
To say it was better was an understatement. What Naruto had experienced the first time was just hot water and rocks. This time there were candles, relaxing music, and separated areas for one person to enjoy alone. These separated areas were quite big in size, it wasn't too big nor too small for a single person.
The water was a few degrees hotter, allowing the heat to really sink into the muscles. So here they were. Karin and Akari had their own little bath to relax in, and Naruto from his own bath could hear the child laughing and giggling away with excitement. They probably hadn't experienced a hot springs area before.
Sighing with content, Naruto folded his arms on a rock and rested his chin down on his forearms, his eyes fluttering close as he let out yet another small sigh. Simply letting the warm water wash away the stress and strain of the last few days.
He didn't want to scare Karin or Akari earlier, but the actual reason he wanted to leave was that he had a bad feeling in his gut. If the leader of Kusa was so desperate to get them back in his custody that he would confront them in person, then Naruto sincerely doubted that this was the last they would see of them.
It honestly felt like they had given them up too easily.
So, in order to keep his lost family safe and sound. He wanted to get out of here as fast as possible, even if he had to carry them all the way to the protecting walls of Konoha.
And he had felt the presence of people with stronger chakra signatures around the area the other nights. He was almost certain that either Kusa or other Shinobi was around the area. And while he was confident in his ability, he'd rather avoid the conflict. They had a child with them, and a woman that had just woken up and finished her treatment after all.
He had clones hiding all around the town, transformed into rocks, bushes, and all kinds of objects to scout and keep watch for him. So if anything suspicious happens, then he would know in an instant when they were popped.
And as if he had dared the devil to show himself, he felt the tingling sensation in the back of his head. One of his clones had popped. And it wasn't on its own free will. His eyes snapping open as he started seeing all the memories and last visions of several clones that had been hiding a few streets away from the hot springs.
Gritting his teeth with anger bubbling in the very depths of his core, Naruto leaped out of the hot water and rushed into the changing room. Quickly getting dressed as he pulled out his scrolls, unsealing his armor as several more clones popped to alert him.
They were inching closer and closer to the hot springs at a rapid pace. There must have been either spies or scouts in the area. He didn't know how they would otherwise have found them so quickly.
Placing his ANBU gear back in place, he hurriedly unsealed his sword and the blade he had stolen or well… Taken as spoils of war from Ryujin a few days prior. And placed them on his back and at his waist respectively.
Crossing his fingers as he stood in the private changing room, he muttered softly to himself, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu." And a dozen clones appeared around him. All of them quickly transformed their appearance into that of workers and guests of the hot springs before scattering all around the area.
Naruto himself hurried to the wall where Karin and Akari were behind on knocked on it. As he waited, more and more of his clones got popped. He had no one left now to spy on the area around him besides the clones that were transformed and hiding within the walls of the hot springs.
Akari was the one to open the wooden door with a towel wrapped around her body. A small blush on her face as she opened her mouth to speak but was quickly shoved inside the area again and the door was closed. When she saw it was Naruto, and that he was clad in the battle uniform she had first seen him in, her eyes widened with her lips trembling.
"There's someone here and I don't know yet if it's Kusa or not. I had clones keep watch for me, but they were all disposed of in mere moments. I only have clones inside the hot springs now, and you two need to get dressed as fast as possible. We need to get out of here, there are too many civilians and risks from staying here." Naruto whispered out demandingly, and Akari dumbly nodded as she grabbed Karin and rushed out to change back into their clothes.
It only took a few minutes, and the two redheaded females came out wearing their clothes. Their hair was damp and wet as they panted slightly, and Naruto instantly grabbed onto Akari's free hand as she held the confused and scared Karin to her chest with her other hand. Slowly dragging them throughout the hot springs, Naruto reached up and slowly pulled his sword out of its sheath. Holding it up before him as the light of the dancing flames from the candles reflected off of it and onto the walls around them in yellow and orange patterns.
The first clone within the hot springs popped. They were at the entrance. It was only a matter of time now before panic would spread throughout the establishment. It was beyond his understanding all of this. True they were in Yu no Kuni, but they were so close to the Hi no Kuni borders yet again. Was Kusa really that desperate? While they were already in shit to their knees from the political issues they had just been put in, they were assaulting a Konoha shinobi for the second time around. Oh, there would be hell to pay when Hiruzen found out about this without a doubt.
He was at a disadvantage right now. More and more clones were popping left and right. They were surrounded. There had to be a skilled shinobi or kunoichi among them if they were so easily able to distinguish his clones from ordinary people. And he was tasked with protecting both Akari and Karin. He was without a doubt on the defense in an upcoming fight.
Finding a nearby closet, Naruto looked around him before turning around to make Akari face him, "We got a few options. I can either hide you in here and fight them off on the offense, or bring you with me and fight, but I'll without a doubt be on the defense. I'll, of course, have clones guarding you, but I'd rather not leave you two out of my sight for too long."
Akari's face lowered with a guilt-filled frown. She hadn't been in Naruto's company for more than about a week, and she was already giving him this much trouble. Attacks from left and right, constantly protecting them and treating her. He even got a Sannin to heal her since she had been so sick and fatigued.
"I-I don't know. It seems like all I bring you is bloodshed and battle. Perhaps the wisest option for you would be to hand us over again. Or just hand me over, but take Karin with you! I want my child to grow up happy in Konoha, and she got you there. Her Aniki. You can protect her, keep her safe, and I'll do the same by staying in Kusa." Akari mumbled out in distress before Naruto squeezed her hand tightly making her gasp with a confused glance.
"No. We are Uzumaki, and we stick together. You are my family, Karin is my family, and I won't hand you back even if I'm on my dying breath. I'm not overconfident by saying this, but if I can take out their leader I doubt that I can't take out what other goons they had to offer me this time. But you got to take Karin with you and hide somewhere, I don't want her to experience what I'm about to do." Naruto spoke with determination as he lowered his sword and let go of Akari's hand.
Reaching into his pouch, he pulled out a kunai and placed it in her hand before curling her fings around it tightly. "You take this and hide here. I'll be back as soon as possible." He spoke as if it was the end of this conversation, just making her dumbly nod.
Nodding with satisfaction, Naruto crossed his fingers again and started to create two more clones, but these two were pumped up with enough chakra to resemble that of fifty clones respectively. The two clones quickly hid with Akari and Karin in the closet, closing the door before Naruto blew out the candles in the hallway to let the area go dark. It was showtime.
The darkness erupted in the room as the candles flickered out, leaving a trail of smoke to rise to the ceiling. Grabbing the hood of his cloak, Naruto pulled it over his head before drawing the sword he had taken from the leader of Kusa.
Racing off into the dark hallways, Naruto mentally prayed for Akari and Karin to be safe. Jumping off into the ceiling to stick to it, Naruto stayed there as the screams he had predicted started echoing all over the hot springs. They were here now. If they dared to lay a single finger on any of the civilians, then he would brutally slaughter them. Snorting quietly to himself, he reminded himself that it had been the plan all along.
They were daring to mess with his family, and he wouldn't allow that. So as he kept hiding at the ceiling, his back against it as his front was facing toward the floor, he started hearing the rapid running footsteps racing throughout the establishment. As he had suspected, they were shinobi. Their chakra signatures were getting closer faster than a civilian would be able to, and the moment his eyes came into contact with two figures running beneath him. He dropped from the ceiling.
Cutting the flow of chakra from his palms and feet, he tightly grabbed his sword and dropped just down on top of them. Pointing his blades downward, he gritted his teeth as he stabbed both of them in the back of their head. Landing right in between them as their bodies were slammed into the wooden floor, a pool of blood already spilling from their corpses as he pulled his blades out of their fractured skulls.
Those were weak. He honestly found it insulting. He had been facing off ANBU level shinobi the last time, along with the village leader but these two didn't even seem like chunin level, but this also meant the strong one that was able to sense his clones were also still out there somewhere.
There wasn't any time to waste, and he was beyond tired of dealing with Kusa. He wanted to go home, with his family. So, with a quick hand seal, he body flickered toward the place he could sense the most chakra signatures. He landed with a swirl of leaves around his frame right in the middle of a small group of five. His presence startled them, but before they could mutter a word they were already at the mercy of the blond's blades.
Moving fast and swift around, he spun beneath an incoming fist and decapitated the arm of his enemy, letting the limp fall down to the ground with an audible thud as the man screamed with blood pouring out of the stump that was left of his arm. To put the man out of his misery, Naruto stabbed his sword up through the man's skull, blood dripping down the metal of his sword before he kicked the corpse through a paper wall.
The remaining four shook in place as they took a step back. The hooded figure had just mercilessly torn down their comrade in barely a second, looking like a nightmare in the dark as he turned around to look at them. The blood of their friend dripping from the tip of his sword.
"Which one of you losers are in charge?" Naruto asked coldly as he flicked the blood off of his sword. His body slowly starting to walk toward them as they scrambled against the wall. These shinobi were a joke. How desperate could Kusa be? This was an insult to his ability, or perhaps Kusa simply didn't have anything to offer him.
"R-Ryuzaki-sama!" One of them yelled out with despair and pushed his back up against the wall as he with a trembling hand held a kunai in his grasp, a desperate attempt to cling to his life.
Naruto tilted his head as he effortlessly flicked his sword against the kunai, letting the metal fly out of the man's grasp and onto the floor with a loud metal ringing sound, "And which of you weaklings is Ryuzaki? I already beat one 'Ryu' so who's this loser?"
"R-Ryuzaki-sama is Ryujin-sama's son!" A female tone muttered from his right, standing in the corner of the corridor with her legs trembling with fear.
"You guys are utterly pathetic. You are shinobi! Yet you also trash around with the fear of death in your veins. You are not true shinobi, you are academy students with a headband!" Naruto roared out with slight anger, his sword in a split second later thrust up into the chest of the man he had interrogated the moment before. Blood pouring out of the wound in his chest as he coughed up blood, and fell limply to the ground.
The woman gasped and felt like vomiting as yet another comrade of hers was slaughtered like a farm animal. His body lying limply against the wall with a pool of blood forming beneath him. The remaining three of her teammates trying to make a run for it, but before they could even get around the corner, three shining kunai were embedded into the back of their skull respectively, while this masked monster's hand was outstretched in their directions. The attack had been so fast, she hadn't even seen or heard the kunai being thrown.
"You're a monster!" She screamed and fumbled into her pouch, screaming with tearful eyes and a pale face as she desperately threw shuriken, kunai, and senbon to save her life, but the blade of Naruto's sword was easily deflecting them all over the hallway.
With a soft chuckling, Naruto kicked the man's lifeless corpse, "I'm a Shinobi, it kind of lays in the job description. So if you are such a coward, I give you a way out of this. Tell me where Ryuzaki is, and I'll let you live. And what is your goal here?"
"U-Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha crippled Ryujin-sama… We need the female Uzumaki to heal him! And Ryuzaki is outside! There are only f-five more of us in here!" She yelled out, not even daring to think for a second before blurting everything out. And Naruto could tell she wasn't lying.
Naruto sheathed his sword and crossed his arms over his chest, "I already cut down two, so that means three more. Tell me of this Ryuzaki, what should I expect from him?"
She couldn't believe this. So many of her comrades were already dead. What kind of monster was this guy? And how did Uzumaki Naruto find him on such a short notice? Or could it be that this was the man that had taken down their leader and crippled him?
Slumping down against the wall, she felt powerless and weak as she stared up at the hooded man, "Ryuzaki-sama is a water release user, he has a sword! A-And that's all I know, please believe me! I have never fought along with Ryuzaki-sama before, I don't know anything else." She wailed out.
Naruto felt truly sorry for this girl. She had been put in harm's way by her village, and he doubted she was anything above Chunin at most. He wanted to spare her, but if Kusa had to know the hard way that he wasn't to be messed with, he couldn't leave any survivors. Unless he wanted one to tell the tale and give a message.
"As promised, I'll let you live, tell you Ryujin-dono that if he dares to mess with Konoha again, I won't spare his Shinobi any more mercy… But if I see your face ever again, I will take my mercy back and feed you limp by limp to The Shinigami." Naruto threatened as he released a bone-chilling killing intent all over the hallway, making the woman cry out in fear as she rapidly nodded.
With a swift blow to her neck, she gasped with salvia flying out of her mouth as she was knocked out by Naruto's hand. The side of his hand had been chopped right into her neck, making her vision go black as she passed out against the floor.
Shaking his head at the bloodshed he had committed, Naruto sighed and pulled out the sword, he had taken from Kusa, out of its sheath. This sword had belonged to his enemy's father, and to be sure his message came through to this Ryuzaki fellow. He would cut him down with his own father's blade. Not that the message would have much meaning when he was dead. Yet the sour justice would be a sweet pleasure for Naruto. He didn't enjoy bloodshed, but he would do anything to make sure his family was safe.
Ryuzaki of Kusa was standing outside of the hot springs. He had taken great pleasure in hearing all of the screams echoing from inside. His father had been weak and overconfident in his ability to take down one man, he wouldn't be so foolish. He loved and respected his old man, but he needed a stronger will for the sake of Kusa.
As the door creaked open, he narrowed his eyes as one of his shinobi came slowly waltzing out through the door, "I had heard the tales of the Yondaime Hokage's son, yet I never believed fully that he was indeed as powerful as the stories and bingo book suggests."
The man he had been talking to fell limply down to the ground, revealing the cloaked Naruto who chuckled and reached up to pull his hood down, "So as I thought, you do indeed have some sensory skills. It surprised me that someone was able to take out all of my clones, it indeed did surprise me."
"Kusa produces some of the best shinobi, it's an insult to our nation that you think so little of us." Ryuzaki snorted as he flicked some of his dark locks out of his face. His sharp narrowed eyes glaring daggers at this blond boy that was daring to stand above his dead shinobi, holding his father's sword in his hand as it belonged to him now.
Snorting with laughter Naruto leaned down to wipe the sword's blade clean on the dead man's clothes, adding more salt to Ryuzaki's wounds as the man clenched his fist tightly. Digging his nails into his palm to draw a few droplets of blood.
"If some of the best were taken down so easily, I think I should dub myself the next Shinobi no Kami. This was a pathetic bunch, they cried and begged for mercy. What were they? Genin level? Chunin maybe?" Naruto snorted as he pushed the corpse away with the tip of his foot.
"They were mere cannon fodder to weaken the enemy, they served their purpose. You've yet to experience the real challenge. I doubt you'll surrender, so let's see what the oh so great Uzumaki Naruto has to offer!" Ryuzaki roared out, and Naruto could have sworn he saw the image of Ryujin behind him. Father like son indeed.
Shaking his head Naruto lifted the blade and decided to put it to the test. Kusa had produced great weapons in the past, so he wanted to see if this one lived up to the tales. Lightning crackled around his fist as the entire edge was surrounded by a dark blue coat of lightning, the sparks of electricity flying off the blade.
'I went easy the last time, I'm not going to make that mistake twice.' Naruto thought to himself as he disappeared from sight. Appearing straight beside Ryuzaki who scowled and backflipped away from the lightning-fast sword that roared with the lightning coated slicing through the air.
Ryuzaki flipped a few feet away, the wind rushing through his hair as he flipped through hand seals at a quick pace "Don't underestimate me! Like I would fall for such a pathetic attack!" He shouted back with angry veins forming all over his face.
"Water Release: Water Serpents!" He roared out, and the entire ground started rumbling. The roof of the hot springs' establishment flew off as three huge serpents made out of the boiling water flew into the air.
Snorting Naruto leaped straight into the air and above the three serpents, his hand letting go of the sword as it swirled in the air beside him. His hands going through hand seals at light's speed as his hands crackled with lightning. "Lightning Release Bullet: Splitting Powerful Breath." Naruto calmly called out as he spread his palm that was immediately covered in blinding blue lights of condensed lightning chakra. Thrusting his hand forward he unleashed a splitting lightning bolt that wrapped all around the three serpents.
Narrowing his eyes as the serpents inched closer by the second, Naruto clenched his fist tightly together as the lightning powerfully squeezed the water jutsu. With an agony filled cry, the three serpents exploded into a shower of burning hot water.
Landing on a nearby ceiling, it didn't take Naruto a moment before he had finished his next series of hand seals. Thrusting both lightning covered palms forward this time, he called out, "Lightning Release: False Darkness!" Two identical dark blue spears of lightning sprung out of his palms with a thunderous roar.
Ryuzaki almost didn't have any time to react before he had to form a water wall to protect himself. The water-based defense barely managed to form in time before it was destroyed without mercy. The electrolyzed water exploding all over him as his body burned with the paralyzing electricity running through his veins.
Groaning with gritted teeth, Ryuzaki kneeled down and fumbled with his sword to get out of its sheath. His semi-paralyzed body barely reacting to his brain's commands. "Y-You got some nerve!" He muttered out with a shaking body that was still twitching from the lightning attack, his sword barely grasped as he almost dropped it onto the ground at the sound of a loud thunderclap beside him.
Without time to turn his head, a powerful lightning coated fist was striking his cheek with such velocity and power that it sends him flying at light's speed into the hot springs, crashing through wall after wall, the audible sound of bones cracking met his ears as he winced loudly in pain.
Naruto stood calmly back in place as the lightning that had been covering his feet and hands disappeared. Reaching his hand into the air, he grabbed the hilt of the sword he had let go of earlier and quickly sheathed it in its sheath. "You speak so proudly of Kusa's powerful shinobi, but yet I have to see any. I was foolish enough to hold back against your old man, I won't make the same mistake twice. Seems like I overestimated your power as a sensor as well, or maybe you were just too slow." The blond taunted.
"DON'T MOCK MY POWER!" The loud roar came from the former nice hot springs, the cry of the rage of despair was followed with a huge water dragon tearing down the rest of the place as it flew into the sky, glaring down at Naruto's form.
"Your ignorance shall be your downfall just as it nearly was mine." Naruto sighed and flipped through some similar hand seals and raised his fist into the air again. The splitting lightning bolt springing out of his arm to crash right into the mouth of the water dragon. The water dragon exploded above the surrounding houses, raining with hot electrolyzed water.
Ryuzaki came flying out of the remains of the destroyed water dragon, his sword held high as his skin was severely burned all over his body. Attempting to cut down at Naruto, the blond easily sidestepped and drew both of his blades, one quickly blocking and redirecting another swift attack from the Kusa shinobi, and the remaining one getting jammed right down through the man's thigh to split it open.
Ryuzaki's eyes widened with horror as he cried out in pain. He looked down and watched the blood pour out of his leg as the sword was mercilessly yanked out of his leg, cutting the wound even further open.
His eyes were so filled with anger and fury, the pain in his blood-soaked leg ignored as he stood up and attempted to cut Naruto down with blind fury behind each swing of his sword.
Naruto started to feel pity for this man as well. He was like an exact copy of his former opponent, Ryujin. Seemed like this overconfident behavior was a family trait, or perhaps just the way of Kusa. Sighing to himself while evading every quick slash and stab, the blond felt no pattern or strategy behind any of these attacks.
Ryuzaki was like a wounded animal.
Shaking his head again, Naruto drew his sword out of its sheath and channeled his lightning chakra through it. Deciding to put an end to the man's misery, he blocked the next incoming slash at his chest and pushed the man back.
The pain in Ryuzaki's leg started to show itself more and more, almost unable to move back as the blond forced him into the defense yet again. He was forced to bring his own up to block an incoming attack, the clashing of their blades sending sparks of lightning all over his face and into his eyes. Groaning loudly he fell onto his rear, holding his sword up as the blond cut at him over and over again.
The lightning filled blade was proving more and more dominant. The blade in Ryuzakii's hand starting to get more and mored red glowing from the heat, and the blade soon snapped in half and he dropped the hilt. His palms filled with burn marks as his flesh was smoking.
Naruto frowned with the pity all over his face. He could without a second thought strike him down here in self-defense. It wouldn't hurt Konoha or anyone. He was the one that got attacked after all. And the village surely wouldn't mind that he took the life of the man terrorizing their home.
Ryuzaki's face got crazier and crazier as his eyes bulged out of his head "DO IT! Don't you have the balls to do it?! Are you some pathetic weakling? Is this all Konoha has to offer? A spineless coward-" Ryuzaki never got to say another word as the lightning coated blade was stabbed right in through his mouth, escaping the back of his neck as his eyes became dull and lifeless.
"You can insult me, but insult my home or family and I won't spare you any mercy," Naruto muttered primarily to himself. His opponent was too dead to hear it after all.
Akari had been hearing the tons of screams and cries of battle. Somehow this lone section of the hot springs hadn't been torn down during the fight, but she had heard the roof and walls getting torn down around her and Karin. Speaking of Karin, the child was hiding her mother's clothes as the two clones stood guard on each side of the door.
She gasped when the two clones suddenly vanished out of existence, leaving two small clouds of smoke behind. Soon the sound of echoing footsteps on the wooden floor outside of the became louder and louder, before stopping right outside of the closet she was hiding in.
Holding up her kunai, she was getting ready until she heard Karin mutter, "A-Aniki.." Blinking at her daughter's words, and sensed out the area. With a soft sigh, she lowered the kunai. It was just Naruto.
Opening the door up, she was immediately greeted with the sight of Naruto soaked in blood and looked him all over, "Naruto? Are you alright?! What happened to you?" She asked with worry evident in her voice.
"H-Hai! Hai, I'm, alright." He chuckled with embarrassment, scratching the back of his head.
Akari narrowed her eyes skeptically at him and stood out of the closet, Karin following right behind her as she looked him over, "You're covered in blood." She stated, and Naruto felt liked face-palming at his point.
"It isn't mine, so don't worry. I didn't get wounded this time around." He kept chuckling in a soft manner. While he hadn't held back, he hadn't gone all out either. He wouldn't unless it was needed of him, and this Ryuzaki was at his highest B-Rank from what Naruto could experience before he had cut him down.
"You need a change of clothes." She huffed a bit. This blond baka had made her worry, but she was joy-filled that he was unharmed and well. The ruckus outside almost made her think otherwise.
Naruto just dumbly nodded. She was also starting to sound like Kushina now. It was truly terrifying to witness.
"Yeah, but first I want to get the hell out of here. I'm so done with vacations." Naruto chuckled, making Karin giggle slightly as she wiped her tearful eyes.
Akari huffed again and bonked him on the head, "Language, there is a child present."
"Itai! Hai, hai, I'm sorry."
The next few hours were spent getting thanked by the villagers. Naruto was getting endless gifts and even some more lewd offers for having saved their town. The hot springs owners were sulking and pouting at their ruined establishment, mumbling about how they would explain this to the insurance companies.
Before leaving the area, Naruto had gotten rid of the dead bodies and sealed Ryuzaki's body inside a scroll. The man had been the son of a village leader and had been rather rude and loathsome like his old man. So, the least he could do as repayment was being cashed in as a bounty.
And before they had left Yu no Kuni, they had gotten much-needed showers and new clothes. Naruto practically had to beg them to let him pay, since they were so dead set on repaying him for saving their village from the monsters that had invaded their home. Little did they know it was actually him that had brought them here by saving his family, but they didn't need to get their good moods ruined by knowing that.
Akari was now wearing some black skin-tight pants and a long-sleeved red shirt. Karin was wearing the same as she had been gifted earlier when they had been with Tsunade and Shizune, and Naruto just settled for some plain black and white clothes despite Akari's pleas of him getting some more color into his outfit.
Naruto had pouted and asked what was wrong with his clothes, and Akari had just shaken her head at him and stated he looked plainer than a boring wall without any color. A hit to his pride would be an understatement. Not that he had much pride in the first place outside of battle.
So here they were after a long week. Walking side by side through the woods toward Konoha. Naruto and Akari chatting slightly about more Uzumaki stuff and history, while Karin was getting a piggyback ride from her Aniki.
Naruto was pretty deep into the conversation, so he didn't notice Karin pulling and playing slightly with his spiky blond locks. Questioning ever so often how they were so soft while looking so spiky. To say Naruto had an interest in the Uzumaki's use of Fuinjutsu would be an understatement.
And so their journey continued, and soon they would be home. Back in Konoha where the Uzumaki should from now on belong.
Akari who had held a small break in her stories looked up at the blond and gained the very first grin Naruto had ever seen on her. And it was a teasing one at that.
"So, tell me more about this Mikoto…"
'Oh, you got to be kidding me…'
Here we go. The longest chapter of this story so far. I hoped you liked it. I certainly enjoyed writing all the teasing, and of course, I had fun getting more experience with writing fight scenes.
Questions of the chapter: What did you think of this fight compared to the last one? How do you think Mikoto and Akari will get along? Let me know your theories and thoughts.
Please go follow my Twitter as well so you can get updated when I release new stuff. Skairipa1337. Thanks for your time.