Disclaimer: I, Raymond Smith (aka pain17ification), own nothing
Labyrinthian Maelstrom
Chapter 2: Mistakes and Tutorials
Jiraiya stayed at the entrance of the abyss until nightfall, unable to comprehend what happened. It should've worked, the kid should've called on the power of the Kyuubi and summoned a toad large enough to save him.
Hell, he'd take Gamabunta at this point, even if the old toad was still pissed at him!
"Okay, calm down," he said, hoping to psyche himself up. "Just doublecheck the scroll and see if his name is faded or not."
Quickly performing the Summoning Jutsu, Jiraiya summoned Gama who looked around curiously before croaking questioningly at Jiraiya.
"I need you to show me the scroll, Gama. I need to check something."
Complying, Gama regurgitated the scroll, and it unfurled to show the last few names signed. To Jiraiya's immediate relief, Naruto's name wasn't faded like the past summoners who had perished.
'Oh, sweet relief… The brat's still alive,' he thought to himself. "Just need to Reverse Summon him. Better get Ma and Pa to help with this."
With a plan in place, Jiraiya dismissed Gama before performing the Summoning Jutsu once more. This time, a pair of small and elderly toads appeared. These two were Fukasaku and Shima, otherwise known as Pa and Ma Toad.
"Jiraiya-boy, why have you brought us to this random crevice," Shima questioned. "Over a decade of no visits or calls, and you suddenly decided to bring us to this?"
"It's not exactly the crevice that I summoned you both, ma'am," he replied respectfully.
He may proclaim himself a Toad Sage, but if one were to get technical, Jiraiya had yet to truly become a Sage. As such, he regarded the two before him with complete respect.
"Then what is the reason, boyo?" Fukasaku inquired with a raised brow. "You appear…stressed. What troubles you?"
"I was trying to get my new student to summon a toad," he began, but was cut off.
"New student?" Shima asked skeptically. "You used to go on and on about how you'd never take on another tadpole to train, Jiraiya-boy. What makes this one so special to make you go back on those words?"
"Is there something you've neglected to share with us, boyo?" Fukasaku added with a knowing undertone. "Don't forget that we're always kept up to date whenever someone signs the contract scroll."
"…the kid was Minato's son," Jiraiya confessed, knowing he couldn't keep the truth from them.
Even if he really wished to.
"So, Minato's tadpole took after him," Shima commented, looking pleased. "I'm sure the boy is a chip off the old block with you looking after him."
The two elder Sages saw Jiraiya flinch faintly, and they narrowed their eyes at him.
"You didn't raise the boy, did you?" Fukasaku accused.
"I had other responsibilities that would've put Naruto in danger," Jiraiya defended himself. "I'm the village's spymaster, and we were in a vulnerable position after the night the Kyuubi somehow escaped from Kushina. I needed to make sure nobody attempted to target the village while it tried to recover."
"And it never occurred to you that we could've watched over the tadpole while you were off doing your duty?" Shima challenged. "Minato-boy spoke with us during young Kushina's pregnancy, Jiraiya-boy. He raved about how excited he was to introduce him to us and asked us to help the boy become a proper Toad Summoner when he came of age."
"I couldn't just take Naruto from the village and hand him off to you. He had just been made a Jinchūriki and was newborn. We needed to make sure the seal held and that he received proper care. We also needed to let the village know what happened to the Kyuubi because they were in a panic when it suddenly vanished."
"You fools announced his Jinchūriki status to an entire village of grieving, terrified people?! Are you insane, or just darn stupid?" Fukasaku yelled out in frustration. "You know that Kushina had her status known only to a very select few, which allowed her to live a relatively normal life despite being ridiculed as a foreigner."
"How do you-?"
"Minato-boy introduced us to Kushina many times, and she confessed her reluctance to pass on her burden of being a Jinchūriki to her child. She told us what she went through, and I wouldn't be surprised if Naruto-boy's time in this village wasn't harder than his mother's."
"He had sensei to look after him," Jiraiya argued.
"Yes, and just how much power does a Kage truly have over the village? Especially when your sensei is further up in years than you, boyo?" Fukasaku fired back calmly, a stark contrast from the anger and frustration he displayed previously.
"He passed laws to protect Naruto!"
"And were they passed before or after the inevitable outrage and panic of the village revealed itself?"
"…I called you both here to use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to bring Naruto back."
"Why? Where did the tadpole go?"
"Down there," Jiraiya answered truthfully, pointing to the chasm. "I put him in a do or die situation so that he could call upon the Kyuubi's chakra. He can't summon anything bigger than a tadpole with legs, so he needed some extra juice."
Both elder Sages looked over the edge of the chasm entrance, frowning at the darkness that swallowed up any sunlight and the deadly spikes that adorned the walls all the way to what they assumed was the bottom.
"You threw the tadpole down this pit of death?" Shima admonished with a frown. "How could you do something so reckless with not only your godson, but your student?"
"I hope this asinine plan of yours wasn't approved by the Hokage, Boyo," Fukasaku added, narrowing his eyes at his only living pupil. "Otherwise, I'd be worried about the leading force behind this village."
"I never told sensei how I planned to train Naruto in; only that I'd have him sign the contract and learn to summon. I left out any and all details of my training methods," Jiraiya explained, earning unamused looks from his superiors.
"So, you had no means of backup or contingencies in case something went wrong?" Fukasaku questioned.
"Damnit, Pa! I know I'm making a lot of mistakes right now, so can you and Ma please help me start fixing them by summoning Naruto back up here?!"
The two elders shared a look before they both went through the same handseals, pressing one of the palms of their forelimbs together while their free forelimbs pressed to the ground, surrounding them in a large sealing formula.
"Reverse Summoning Jutsu!"
A burst of smoke erupted from the ground before the trio, but it revealed nothing when it dissipated. Concerned, the two elders tried once more; this time feeding a healthy dose of their chakra stores into the jutsu.
The results were the same.
"Something strange is preventing us from bringing the tadpole here," Shima commented worriedly. "Pa, we'll try one last time using senjutsu."
"Agreed," he replied before the two took meditative positions with clapped forelimbs.
Jiraiya was stunned at what they were planning. 'What the hell is keeping the brat if they need senjutsu of all things?!'
After some time, the two elder Sages gathered enough senjutsu to attempt the Reverse Summoning once more. They carefully went through the motions, observing the other to make sure they both were performing the technique properly.
"Reverse Summoning Jutsu!" they both exclaimed simultaneously, producing an explosion of smoke large enough to encase Gamabunta himself.
But when the smoke cleared, it wasn't a redheaded boy with whiskers that was revealed. Instead, it was a tiny woman with pale skin, hair as black as night, and eyes a bloody crimson. What made her truly stand out were the extra features she had; a pair of horns that curved back against her skull before pointing skyward, leathery wings similar to a bat, and a spaded tail that gleamed with deadly sharpness. For clothing, she wore an ashen gray dress.
Looking at the trio with an expressionless gaze, she flapped her wings once to get off the ground and float before them. When they tensed for an attack, she surprised them when she rolled her eyes and pulled what looked like a greeting card from her dress sleeve.
Clearing her throat, she recited, "You are in violation of one of the rules involving the illegal removal of a citizen of the Infinite Labyrinth. Desist any further attempts of removal, or you will face the consequences of rule violation."
"Rule violation? What the hell are you talking about? And who are you, anyway?!" Jiraiya demanded.
"I am the Labyrinth Informational Literature and Instructional Teaching Helper; otherwise known as a L.I.L.I.T.H. Unit. I am one of the Guide Units for those who enter the Infinite Labyrinth. However, L.I.L.I.T.H. Units are also partially responsible for enforcing the rules of the Labyrinth."
"What is the Labyrinth, dearie?" Shima asked politely.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with. The affairs of the World Above are of no concern to us Labyrinth Dwellers."
"We've no intention of interfering," Fukasaku said in appeasement. "We only wish to know about the well-being of someone who may have fallen into this Labyrinth. Do you know of anyone named Naruto Uzumaki?"
"Please, he's just a tadpole!" Shima pleaded. "We want to know if he's alright!"
Lilith raised a brow. "I am not aware of anyone by that name in my memory banks."
'Memory banks? What is she, some sort of living computer?' the Sannin mused with a frown, mentally jotting everything down.
"If the name isn't there, then the person either does not dwell in the Labyrinth, or they have yet to finish their introduction to it; by which point they will be registered fully."
The Unit ceased any further questions with a small flex of her power, saturating the air in a somewhat malicious energy.
"I will answer no more inquiries. I only came to warn you about rule violations. If you continue these actions, the consequences will be swift and concise. Farewell," she bid before vanishing in a burst of black smoke.
After a moment, Jiraiya stated, "We need to speak with sensei."
The Third Hokage and Professor of the Hidden Leaf Village, Hiruzen Sarutobi, needed a few moments to process what his most loyal student and the toad elders had informed him concerning one Naruto Uzumaki. The information was so outlandish that he needed to take a few puffs of tobacco from his trusty pipe.
"So, Naruto is currently M.I.A. because of your actions, Jiraiya," he began, and continued before the younger man could get a word in, "and our best chance of retrieving the boy is ineffective, even with the legendary power of senjutsu assisting the process. Am I correct so far?"
"I thought he'd be able to call upon the Kyuubi!" Jiraiya tried defending himself.
Ignoring him, Fukasaku nodded to the Hokage. "Yes, and the young lad is more than likely in this Infinite Labyrinth that the strange, winged woman informed us about. Considering how we were targeting Naruto specifically, her unexpected arrival practically guarantees that the lad is there."
"The tadpole isn't dead," Shima continued. "His name hasn't had its ink fade, otherwise we'd know he was gone."
"We may want to send a scout team to the bottom of that chasm to look for any possible entrances to this Labyrinth," Hiruzen mused aloud.
"But how will they get out?" Jiraiya asked. "If Naruto is trapped in that place, how will the scouting party make their way out?"
"A valid question… If Reverse Summoning had no effect, than I'm not sure what will." He thought for a moment before slowly perking up. "Minato taught a variant of the Flying Raijin to his Kage Guard, right?"
Jiraiya needed a moment to remember before nodding in confirmation. "Yeah, he did! It took a lot of practice, but those boys were able to make it work. It obviously isn't meant for battle, but it might help get Naruto out of that place!"
"Are you sure it's wise to put so much stock into Minato-boy's jutsu?" Fukasaku calmly challenged. "Don't forget that the Summoning Jutsu is a space-time technique, as well. And we enhanced our jutsu with senjutsu, only to still fail. Think very carefully before you send any other tadpoles after the lad."
"Pa's right. You can't rush something like this," Shima spoke up. "This Labyrinth runs by rules separate from our own, and they refer to where we are as the World Above; distancing themselves from us almost entirely."
"We don't know who created this Labyrinth," Fukasaku continued. "We don't know who or what else dwells in it that can retaliate against our interference in what they deem is the Natural Order of the place. As a Sage, you must always respect the Natural Order; even if the Order is different to your own."
Jiraiya sighed at that. "They're right, sensei. For all we know, something as powerful as the Bijuu could be living in that place."
"All the more reason to think of a way to save Naruto. He's crucial to the stability of this village," Hiruzen argued.
"Because of his heritage, or because of his military value?" Shima questioned with narrowed eyes.
"Both."
"And if the lad decides he doesn't wish to return?" Fukasaku asked carefully.
"Unfortunately, Naruto doesn't have the luxury of that choice. He is the son of a Hokage and an ex-Jinchūriki, and he is our current Jinchūriki. He is too valuable to allow any notion of choice against what is expected of him."
Both elder toads frowned at the words of the Hokage. "If that is truly your decision," Fukasaku began.
"…then we will have nothing to do with it. Minato-boy would be ashamed of you for what you're saying about his tadpole!"
"Now, hold on…" Jiraiya tried to persuade them, but they silenced him with a shared glare.
"Don't expect any help from the Toad Clans in this endeavor, Boyo," Fukasaku stated firmly.
"You can still summon some of us to assist you in battle, but not to force Minato's boy into what amounts to slavery," Shima concluded before both toad elders vanished in twin bursts of smoke.
"Well," Jiraiya began, "that could've gone better."
"I understand their anger," Hiruzen confessed. "But I have a duty as the Hokage, and Naruto has his own duties to the village as its Jinchūriki. It's cruel, but we have no choice but to bring him back here, even if he has no intentions of returning."
"What if he fights us on this, sensei?" the Sannin asked with a faint frown.
"Then we will do what we must to ensure the stability of our great tree."
"Are you alright, Uzumaki-san?" G.A.B.R.I.E.L. asked him when the young redhead asked for them to stop and grumbled pitifully while holding his head.
"I feel like someone just took a mallet to my skull…" he groaned out while massaging his temples in an attempt to clear away the throbbing.
Hazel, feeling concerned for him, perched herself on his shoulder so that she could nuzzle his cheek. She didn't know if it would help, but she didn't like the idea of doing nothing when her closest companion was in pain.
"Ugh, first that weird itching feeling from my stomach, then this…"
"This feels…familiar," the Kyuubi mused.
'How so, Fox?'
"I'm not sure why, but this discomfort feels like an attempted summoning."
'Summoning? Someone tried to summon me?'
"It's merely a guess based on an old experience. For all we know, you could be going through some odd ramen withdrawal or some other ridiculous nonsense," the Bijuu replied, shrugging carelessly.
'Right… Like I'd go through something like that, even if it was because of ramen,' Naruto mentally snorted, ending the mental talk as he rubbed Hazel's head. "I'm fine, girl. Just needed a minute."
Hazel chittered with concern before giving him one last nuzzle and taking her place in his hair as he stood back up. He gave G.A.B.R.I.E.L. a nod to show he was fine, and she smiled back.
"Are you ready for the next part of your Tutorial, Uzumaki-san?" she asked as they resumed their sedate trek.
"Lay it on us, Gabriel!" he replied, sharing a grin with Hazel.
"What I'm going to start informing you about are things known as Extra Stats. What this means is that these stats aren't seen on your Statistics page, because these stats depend on the situation."
"Whatcha mean?"
"Two examples would be Hunger and Fatigue, two stats that are associated with your body's ability to cope over time. Hunger is self-explanatory; it measures how full you are, and the higher your Hunger stat, the more debuffs you suffer such as lowered Strength or Skill."
"I'm guessing Fatigue has to do with how tired I get over time?"
"Precisely. If you aren't rested enough, your Fatigue stat will increase and give you debuffs like Exhaustion or Mental Impairment. Fortunately for you, your Stamina Beast perk allows you to recover from these debuffs faster and more efficiently than others."
"Sweet!"
"However," she continued before he could get too boastful, "that doesn't mean you can be careless. Rest when you can, and when it is safe."
Nodding alongside Hazel, he replied, "I understand. So, if these stats are hidden, how will I know how much they've grown?"
She didn't answer, and it was because Naruto's stomach chose that very moment to growl, and quite loudly at that. He blushed in embarrassment while Hazel gave a small yawn and curled herself in his hair.
"Just like you would naturally when you were living in the World Above, Uzumaki-san. These hidden stats vary in nature, and they are entirely dependent on the individual. Even those of the same race, same class, and same health have their hidden stats vary between one another. One could become a victim to hunger sooner than the other, one could require more rest, or one could even require practically nothing and still be relatively fine."
"Gotcha… So, what do we do?"
"Well, this leads into the next Tutorial," she replied, waving for him to follow her to a small cave-in that looked structurally sound. "In here is where we can set up a campfire and, with the proper precautions, a Safe Zone."
Following her into the cave-in, Naruto took a seat while G.A.B.R.I.E.L. summoned forth a pile of wood and some basic cooking equipment in the form of a pot with a hanging handle, a stirring spoon, and two small bowls. She then turned him expectantly, getting him to realize she wanted him to make a fire.
[Acquired: Firewood x4, Small Pot x1, Stirring Spoon x1, Small Bowl x2]
Pulling out one of his Spark Stones from his Tools, Naruto then unsheathed his kunai so that he could shave one of the pieces of firewood. The reason for this was because he knew firsthand that larger pieces of wood would have trouble igniting compared to smaller pieces, or even shavings that had more exposed wood fibers that could catch a flame.
With a few sparks, Naruto had a small fire going and carefully enclosed it with rocks so that the fire wouldn't spread uncontrollably. Placing a piece of firewood in the vicinity of the building flame, he turned to G.A.B.R.I.E.L. with a smile.
"What's next?"
Smiling back, she replied, "Cavernous places can have some food if you look carefully enough, Uzumaki-san. Perhaps you and Hazel-san should go take a walk around the area?"
Nodding, he stood up and left the cave-in while gently rousing Hazel to assist him. They spent some time looking around, hoping to find something they could cook and fill their stomachs.
[Acquired: Oyster Mushroom x4, Hen-of-the-Wood Mushroom x 2, Cave Rat x1]
Humming thoughtfully as he looked over his current batch of ingredients, Naruto looked to Hazel for her opinion. "Whatcha think, Hazel? Mushroom soup and I'll have some roasted rat? I'm pretty sure you won't like the taste of that guy."
She made a face at that, but she nodded in agreement with his suggestion for mushroom soup.
"Wish we had some water… Not just for the soup, but also just to drink…"
"Seeing as you're still in a Tutorial Session," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. began as she summoned a pair of canteens, "I'll give you these for the journey. Don't lose them or break them, or else you'll need to wait until we find a merchant for another chance at one."
[Acquired: Canteen (32oz) x2]
"Thank you very much," he replied, grateful for her generosity as he poured some water from one canteen in the pot to boil while he opened the other to take a small sip of water. "Hazel, have some water!"
Pouring some into the cap of the canteen, he offered it to his friend, and she sipped it to quench her thirst. Meanwhile, the water in the pot took little time to boil, and Naruto put in two oyster mushrooms and one of the Hen-of-the-Woods to cook while he carefully skinned the cave rat.
[Food in Progress: Simple Mushroom Soup and Roasted Cave Rat]
'These pings get a bit annoying sometimes,' Naruto thought to himself before skewering the rat with a nearby stick and positioning it near the campfire to cook.
"At a campfire, you can rest, eat, and bond with future party members. However, a campfire alone doesn't make a Safe Zone unless you have capable people standing guard," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. informed Naruto.
"So, what do we do?"
"Due to this being a Tutorial Session, I'll block off entrance to our makeshift campsite with Barrier Magic. It will turn this area into a Safe Zone."
Naruto observed as she used magic to create a shimmering wall of light that covered the cave-in entrance, amazed at the power G.A.B.R.I.E.L. displayed before she returned to the campfire.
"That was cool," he complimented.
"Thank you. Now, a Safe Zone is an area that a monster cannot come into or invade; provided they aren't stronger than the defenses of the Safe Zone. Towns and Settlements are all Safe Zones due to their defenses, the amount of people able to fight, and their size. It would take either a very formidable beast or an impressive invasion force to threaten most of these places."
"What are the chances of something breaking into our Safe Zone?"
"Non-existent," she replied. "We're still in a Tutorial Zone, so there's no chance that higher classed enemies can get in and cause trouble."
Smiling in relief, Naruto chose to take this time to relax, eat, and rest. He never realized how tired he actually was when he was out like a light the moment he laid down on the ground, Hazel curled up beside him.
G.A.B.R.I.E.L. smiled gently at their sleeping forms. "Rest well, you two…"
The following morning had the trio once again making their way through the Tutorial Zone of the Labyrinth. Along the way, they ran into a few more Cave Imps, which Naruto was more than ready to take down.
Hazel even joined in, showing that while she wasn't strong, nor did she have a means to use her Magic stat yet, she had a nifty little trick up her furry sleeves.
Nipping Bite: A basic attack that does little to no damage but reduces an Enemy Unit's Strength or Defense stats by 1 Point per successful hit for the remainder of the encounter. This move is not affected by Recoil Damage.
Physical Damage: 0-1
Stat Lowering Chance: 50%
While this might have sounded insignificant, Naruto believed that Hazel's attack would come in handy in the future; especially if she stacked enough stat lower debuffs against an enemy with Defense higher than his maximum damage output.
Thus, negating any potential Recoil Damage he could take.
"You're so helpful, Hazel!" he praised while rubbing her head affectionately, making her preen at his praise.
The duo was then caught off guard when their bodies lit up in a glowing outline that quickly passed, but it was then followed by a feeling of increased energy.
[Naruto Uzumaki: Level Gain +1]
[Hazel the Squirrel: Level Gain+1]
"Whoa…! What was that?!" he asked G.A.B.R.I.E.L. excitedly.
"Ah, it would seem that you and Hazel-san have both leveled up, Uzumaki-san!" she answered with equal excitement.
"No way! That's awesome!"
"Why don't we see how your Statistics have improved?"
Eager to see, Naruto pulled up Hazel's stats first.
Hazel
Level: 2 (EXP: 20%)
Title: Undiscovered
Health Points: 60
Energy Points: 45
Strength: 3
Magic: 18
Defense: 6
Resistance: 9
Skill: 10
Speed: 14
Whistling in appreciation, Naruto commented, "Not bad, Hazel! You had some nice jumps in your stats!"
"Stats, upon Leveling Up, can grow from a range of 2-10, while Health and Energy can jump in dividends of 10 ranging from 10-50."
"That's insane… So, Hazel could've doubled her Health Points if she was lucky enough?"
"Exactly!"
"This place is crazier than we initially believed…"
'No kidding!'
"Now, why don't you see your stats, Uzumaki-san?"
"Right…"
Naruto Uzumaki
Level: 2 (EXP: 10%)
Title: Undiscovered
Hit Points: 220
Energy Points: 400
Strength: 17
Magic: 15
Defense: 16
Resistance: 13
Skill: 13
Speed: 12
"My EP shot up by 100?!"
"Remember your perk, Uzumaki-san," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. reminded him.
"That perk you got because of your Uzumaki heritage," the Kyuubi also reminded him.
'Oh, right. I forgot that it increased my growth rate for Energy…'
G.A.B.R.I.E.L. clapped her hands to get Naruto and Hazel's attention. "You both have now reached Level 2! This means that you are now ready to receive Tutorial Magic!"
"Wait, so Hazel can finally take advantage of her crazy Magic stat?! How cool is that, girl?!"
The squirrel chittered excitedly, eager to see what she'll learn.
"I will now assign to each of you a Tutorial Spell that you will be able to keep throughout your time here in the Labyrinth. For Hazel-san, I will give you the Wind Burst spell."
The chibi angel gathered light green energy and shot it at Hazel, who absorbed the energy while Naruto watched her Skill page.
Wind Burst: A low-level Wind Element spell that creates a small gust of sharpened air.
EP Cost: 5
Magic Damage: 6
"Sweet! So, what will I get?"
"For you, Uzumaki-san, I'll give you the Water Ball spell," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. replied, sending some light blue energy into him that he absorbed.
Eager to see, he went to his own Skills page to look over his new spell.
Water Ball: A low-level Water Element spell that launches a sphere of liquid at a modest speed.
EP Cost: 5 EP
Magic Damage: 6
"Huh… Guess all the Tutorial Spells have the same cost and damage output?"
"That is correct. Now, using these spells should come pretty easily to you both. You picture what the spell entails, and then you gather up your energy and release it as the spell. Simple, right?"
"It sounds simple," Naruto agreed, still feeling a bit unsure. He had been given so-called simple techniques before, but he found he couldn't do them as well as others.
Hazel, wanting to test it herself, leapt off Naruto's head onto a nearby rock and focused her attention on a wall nearby. Gathering her energy, she pictured a gust of wind that would cut into the face of the wall before she thrust her forelimbs forwards.
In front of her, a small archaic looking ring of light green energy appeared before unleashing the Wind Burst spell at the rock wall. While it didn't cut into it like she hoped, Hazel still looked very pleased with the outcome.
"That was great, Hazel!" Naruto praised her, smiling at her before he noticed something. "Hey, Hazel… Call me crazy, but I think you got bigger after you leveled up."
Curious, the squirrel looked herself over before sidling up to Naruto to compare how her supposed new size felt compared to her old one. To her wonderment, she was in fact slightly taller than she had been before.
Not by very much, but she still was bigger than she used to be.
"I wonder how much bigger you'll get. Maybe you'll be as big as me someday!"
Hazel froze at that, her mind conjuring the image of herself able to look Naruto in the eye before she leaned in, and…
"Hazel…?" Naruto asked, confused when the squirrel suddenly turned very red and fell back with a strange smile on her face. "Okay…? I guess I'll give my spell a try now."
Naruto held up his right palm, closing his eyes as he pictured what his spell should look like.
'A ball of water… A ball of water… I am holding a ball of water…'
"Just spit into your hand. I'm sure that'll cause some damage," the Kyuubi taunted with an amused snort.
The comment was ignored.
Gathering his chakra, he kept picturing the spell in his hand, and when he felt a sudden drop of something wet hit his hand, he opened his eyes and smiled brightly at the sphere of water floating just a couple inches above his hand, feeling it drip onto his hand.
Keeping his grin, Naruto wound his hand back before flinging the Water Ball spell against the same wall that Hazel aimed at before. It struck and burst with a large splash, some of the water hitting Hazel and breaking her out of her daydream, much to her shock as she leapt to her feet and looked around frantically.
When she saw nobody attacking them, she turned to Naruto and saw him looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry, Hazel. My spell splashed against the wall and woke you up. You okay?"
She shook the lingering water from her fur and smiled at him warmly before climbing up to his head to perch herself once again upon his hair.
"Well done, you two," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. praised with a bright smile. "With practice and continued usage, these Tutorial Spells will get stronger and may even branch out into newer kinds of spells. It just takes dedication and time. Now, let us continue. We have one last Tutorial for this journey before you both can become registered as adventurers in the Infinite Labyrinth."
"What's that?"
"You'll see. Come along, now."
Naruto was grateful that the "floor" of the chasm that he fell in opened up during daylight. It helped light up where he and Hazel were, but it also helped give him some semblance of how much time has passed throughout the day. Based on his estimation, it was late in the afternoon, getting closer and closer to sunset.
"So, are we going to have another combat trial, or something?" he guessed.
"In a way," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. answered. "This won't so much a Tutorial, but more akin to a Final Exam that ends the Tutorial Session."
"Okay…? So, what's the test?"
"You'll go up against a more powerful enemy here in the Tutorial Zone. Using everything I have taught you, as well as gifted to you, you and Hazel-san are to defeat this enemy so that the Tutorial Session finishes, allowing you both to leave the Tutorial Zone and truly enter the Infinite Labyrinth."
She kept leading them before stopping at a cavernous hallway with only one other point of entry that was around the bend. Turning to them, she asked them an important question.
"Are you ready to end the Tutorial Session?"
The same question popped up in a text box before them, with options to confirm or deny if he and Hazel were prepared.
Naruto shared a look with Hazel, who moved from his hair to his shoulder. "You ready for this, girl?"
Hazel nodded firmly, giving an adorable look of determination.
Smiling at her, he turned back to G.A.B.R.I.E.L. and nodded while hitting the confirmation option on the text box. "We're ready."
Smiling back, G.A.B.R.I.E.L. beckoned them to follow her as they rounded the corner. "The Tutorial Boss is up ahead. Good luck to you both," she bid before vanishing in a burst of light.
Naruto took a breath to steady his nerves before he pressed on, ready to face the boss and see more of the Infinite Labyrinth.
[WARNING! WARNING! TUTORIAL ZONE INVADED BY APODOUS ZONE!]
"That can't be good," Naruto muttered with a frown before the ground rumbled and he lost his footing, tripping over his feet as the earth beneath him cracked and forced him to move ahead.
Diving into a roll, he looked behind him and swallowed nervously because where he was standing was simply gone; a large crevice circling the area and trapping him in what he could only describe as a miniature arena that forced him and Hazel to stay and fight.
And what they were meant to fight was much larger than he was, made entirely of wood, and had an evil looking face on its bark. It looked to be the trunk of a tree that had been uprooted, with the roots themselves wriggling and swaying almost like tentacles while the "mouth" of the face showed swirling darkness within its maw.
"What the hell…?" he whispered to himself, taking out the Gabby Dagger while Hazel bared her teeth at the monster before them. "Let's try this; Observe!"
His right eye glowed as he peered at whatever information he could on the monster, and what he saw had him reeling in surprise.
Treant (Boss):
An enemy that normally should not be in the Tutorial Zone. It appears to have grown itself into the earth just outside the gates leading to the Infinite Labyrinth.
Level 8
HP: 1200
EP: 50
Strength: 25
Magic: 15
Defense: 30
Resistance: 20
Skill: 18
Speed: 8
"It's Level 8?!" he cried out in shock before steeling his nerve and glaring at the Treant. "Screw it! It could be Level 100 for all I care! We're getting through you, you overgrown weed! You hear me?!"
The Treant gave a cry in response, sounding like a scratchy wail that echoed off the walls before coiling its roots and leaping off the ground in an attempt to flatten them.
(Play "Paths That Will Never Cross – Fire Emblem: Three Houses OST" (1))
Naruto dive rolled away from the Treant's landing zone, taking a swing with his Gabby Dagger. When a red "2" accompanied the hit, Naruto leapt back just in time to avoid one of the roots going for a swipe.
"Damnit, its Defense is insane. I can't do much damage to it."
Hazel, from Naruto's shoulder, fired off a Wind Burst, which did 4 damage to it. While it was double what Naruto did, it still was only a total of 6HP out of a total of 1200HP.
"We need to think of something… Hazel, think you can Nip at its stats? I'll distract it."
She nodded in reply, leaping off his shoulder and circling around while Naruto formed his signature handseal.
"Oi, Moss-for-Brains!" he called out, earning the Treant's attention. "Bet you can't hit me! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Four copies of himself appeared from bursts of smoke, and all five of the redheads noted that the Treant had red steam coming from its head as it roared at them.
[Skill Obtained: Taunt]
Taunt: Provoke your opponent, getting them to target you and ignore others in your Party. Damage dealt and received between you and a Taunted Enemy is doubled.
"Now, we're getting somewhere! Come on, you future barstool! Let's see what you got!"
With a conjoined battlecry, Naruto and his Clones charged the Treant. Because of their Stats, both sides could hit the other quite easily, and Naruto made liberal use of the Substitution Jutsu to have a Clone take any hits that would've landed on him.
Unfortunately, while he and his Clones did manage to whittle away a portion of the Treant's HP, Naruto ran out of Clones to swap with, and he was struck in the chest before he could make more.
"ACK!" he cried out in pain, flying back before roughly landing in a tumble as he glared at the monster.
That hit, thanks to being under the effects of Naruto's Taunt, did a solid 18 to his HP. That kind of damage was more than he could dish out on his own, and he growled as he got back to his feet.
"I'm still standing, you wannabe hentai monster!"
Oddly, the Treant seemed to take further offense to that specific insult, and it leapt up for another attempt to flatten the whiskered redhead. However, the monster was unaware that it had a passenger scurrying around the hollowed areas of its roots and body.
Naruto, after avoiding the leaping slam, grinned when he saw a series of red zeroes and ones floating off the Treant, showing that Hazel was using her Nipping Bite in rapid succession. And his grin grew when he saw a series of pop-up notifications.
[1 damage; Treant has lost 1 point to Strength]
[Treant has lost 1 point to Defense]
[Treant has lost 1 point to Defense]
[1 damage; Treant has lost 1 point to Strength]
[Treant has lost 1 point to Defense]
[1 damage; Treant has lost 1 point to Strength]
[1 damage; Treant has lost 1 point to Strength]
[Treant has lost 1 point to Defense]
[Treant has lost 1 point to Defense]
"That'll do for now, Hazel!" he called out. "Get out of there!"
Immediately charging after that, Naruto formed nine Shadow Clones that ran alongside him, each armed with their Gabby Daggers as they cried out for blood…or bark.
With the Treant's Defense stat lowered by 5 points, and with the damage doubled due to being under the effects of Taunt, the monster took a whopping total of 140 points of damage to its HP after being cut into by Naruto and his Clones.
Naruto grinned viciously as he looked at the Stats of the Treant once again.
Treant:
Level 8
HP: 990/1200
EP: 30/50
Strength: 25 (-4)
Magic: 15
Defense: 30 (-5)
Resistance: 20
Skill: 18
Speed: 8
'Looks like Hazel managed to do roughly 4 damage during all of her Nips. So, altogether, we've done 210 points of damage… That's a good chunk, but this bastard still has a lot of health left…'
"Then channel my chakra."
Naruto was surprised to hear that particular offer. 'You're actually offering me your chakra? I thought you told me that you'd only let me use it if YOU thought I needed it?'
"I'm making an exception this time. This fight bores me, and you already figured out a proper method to turn things into your favor using that rodent of yours."
'Oi! She has a name, and she's not a rodent! She's my best friend, alright?!' Naruto vehemently defended.
Chuckling, the Bijuu replied, "Sure she is. Now, will you accept my chakra and end this fight already?"
Naruto said nothing, taking a moment to consider the offer. In the end, he had this to reply.
'No, I won't use your chakra. Hazel and I can handle this on our own. Thanks anyway, Fox,' he bid before cutting the connection, unaware of the pleased smile the Kyuubi had on its face.
With that out of the way, Naruto took note that he had been so focused on his chat with the Kyuubi and considering its offer that his Clones continued the fight without him down to the last man. The Treant had taken more damage with each Clone destroyed, and Hazel had retaken her place on his shoulder away from the danger.
Checking the Treant once again with Observe, Naruto whistled in appreciation when it showed that his Clones had managed to do a combined total of 560 extra damage as they were being wiped out. With the initial 210 from before, the Treant had suffered a total of 770 points of health.
Grinning, Naruto once more Taunted the monster. "Had enough yet? Or are you actually trying to get turned into firewood? Maybe I can sell you to the first merchant I run into! I'll even sell you at a discount!"
Hazel giggled at his taunting while the Treant once more fell for the provocation, trying once more to leap at the duo. And once more, Naruto easily rolled away from the attack, noticing how the monster used up 10EP to perform it, leaving it with only 20 points left.
An idea sprung into his mind, and Naruto made another set of nine Shadow Clones that split off into two groups. The first group of five Clones used the smokescreen from the jutsu to perform the Transformation Jutsu and assumed the appearance of scattered rocks while the remaining four Clones stood beside the original Naruto.
Absently, Naruto noted that creating all of his 22 Clones, on top of the liberal use of Substitution from the first batch, had used up a significant amount of his Energy Points. He only had 160 left out of his initial 400.
Filing the information away for later, Naruto and his four Clones once again charged the Treant while Hazel added a Wind Burst when the original Naruto was close enough to the monster. However, the Treant surprised them when it spun in place, knocking away Naruto, dealing another 18 damage to him, and destroying his Clones in one move.
However, that move knocked off another 10EP from the monster, and Naruto decided to make his move. Positioning himself near the edge of the arena, he went for one last Taunt.
"Tell you what, Stumpy! I'll give you a free shot!" He then unattached his headband from his pants and tied it around his head so that it acted as a blindfold. "Ready when you are, Stumpy!"
Officially pissed off at the nonstop taunting from the brat, the Treant went for one final leap to crush him once and for all. What it never anticipated was for something to intercept its crash landing.
"NOW!" one of Naruto's disguised Clones exclaimed.
In five bursts of smoke, the Clones revealed themselves and dove at the falling Treant, using their combined momentum to push the monster over the edge and into the darkness below. It cried out in fury as it plummeted to its demise while the Clones dispelled themselves the moment that they saw their creator was out of danger.
(End Music)
Naruto pulled off his makeshift blindfold and replaced it around his pants before he and Hazel looked over the edge where the Treant fell to its death. After a moment, Naruto pulled the squirrel off his shoulder, hugged her close, and spun them around in sheer excitement.
"WE DID IT!" he cheered in triumph, unaware of hos his best friend was turning red once again due to his hug.
In another flash of light, G.A.B.R.I.E.L. appeared before them, and she had an expression of relief, apology, and excitement on her face. "You both survived! I apologize sincerely for not being aware of the sudden appearance of that Treant; but you both managed to defeat it and finish the final trial of your Tutorial Session! Congratulations!"
[Tutorial Session Completed]
[Naruto Uzumaki: Level Gain +3]
[Hazel the Squirrel: Level Gain +3]
"Even more congratulations are in order! You both have now reached the Level 5 threshold!"
The duo looked positively giddy at the news. But their excitement was interrupted when some things flew out of the darkness the Treant fell into, landing before them on the ground.
"Let's see… We got some wood…"
[Acquired: Treat Wood x8]
"…some moss…
[Acquired: Treant Moss x4]
…some seeds…
[Acquired: Apple Seed x2, Pear Seed x2, Cherry Seed x 2]
…and some weird nut, I think," Naruto finished, curiously looking at the nut in his palm.
[Acquired: Treant Heart x1]
"A Treant Heart…?" Naruto repeated, looking confused while Hazel eyed the nut hungrily. "Hey, Gabriel, what is-?"
*NOM!*
"Hazel?!"
The poor squirrel couldn't resist her hunger, and she snatched the Treant Heart from Naruto's hand before devouring it whole. With a satisfied look upon swallowing, she smiled at her friend to show that she was perfectly fine…despite her being outlined in a forest green glow.
"Amazing!" G.A.B.R.I.E.L. exclaimed. "By consuming that Treant Heart, Hazel-san has acquired some Skills and a new Perk! See for yourself, Uzumaki-san!"
Curious, Naruto pulled up Hazel's Skills/Perks page.
Skills:
Scavenger: A passive Skill that grants a higher chance to spot and collect hidden materials (Unique to animalistic species).
Nipping Bite: A basic attack that does little to no damage but reduces an Enemy Unit's Strength or Defense stats by 1 Point per successful hit for the remainder of the encounter. This move is not affected by Recoil Damage.
Physical Damage: 0-1
Stat Lowering Chance: 50%
Wind Burst: A low-level Wind Element spell that creates a small gust of sharpened air.
EP Cost: 5
Magic Damage: 6
Seed Shot: A barrage of seeds are spat at the target, dealing damage and siphoning Health Points over time.
EP Cost: 10
Magic Damage: 2-5
HP Stolen: 1% per round per seed attached.
Harvester: A passive Skill that doubles the rewards for food found in the Infinite Labyrinth.
Perks:
Nimble Frame: 75% chance of attacks missing.
Photosynthetic: Unit passively regains Health Points when under sunlight or is hit by Light Element attacks.
"That's so cool! Hazel, you're the most badass squirrel ever!" Naruto praised with a bright grin, making Hazel shyly smooth out her tail fur while she blushed.
"Now," G.A.B.R.I.E.L. spoke up once again, "let's see how your Stats have increased now that you both are Level 5."
Naruto pulled up Hazel's first once again.
Hazel
Level: 5 (EXP: 0%)
Title: Undiscovered
Health Points: 140
Energy Points: 105
Strength: 18
Magic: 45
Defense: 20
Resistance: 22
Skill: 25
Speed: 30
Naruto was smiling at her Stats – particularly her incredibly high Magic stat – before he took a look at Hazel and nodded to himself. "Yep, you're growing with each level you gain, Hazel! You're as large as a small cat now!"
Hazel was surprised at the comparison, looking herself over before testing her new size by leaping onto her friend's shoulder. From her perch, she could tell that she really had grown in size. However, she pouted since this meant that she wouldn't be able to sleep in Naruto's hair.
Chuckling at her pout and gently stroking her cheek, Naruto opened up his own Stats page.
Naruto Uzumaki
Level: 5 (EXP: 0%)
Title: Undiscovered
Hit Points: 350
Energy Points: 700
Strength: 35
Magic: 35
Defense: 30
Resistance: 30
Skill: 28
Speed: 40
"So, my best stat at the moment is my Speed, while Skill is the lowest. Not good if it means I have less chances of hitting my targets… At least my offensive and defensive points are both equal."
G.A.B.R.I.E.L. looked pleased with them both, and she made to speak before someone cut her off.
"Hey, you lot gonna stand there all fucking day, or are ya gonna come over and see my wares?!" (2)
The trio turned to the source, and G.A.B.R.I.E.L. couldn't help asking, "What are you doing in the Tutorial Zone?"
"Your assignment is to descend to the bottom of this chasm and see if it leads anywhere," Hiruzen ordered a squad of four ANBU. "When you get close to the bottom, use Shadow Clones to perform the search. We have reason to believe that personally entering the bottom of the chasm results in entrapment on a level that even the Reverse Summoning Jutsu cannot pull you out of. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Lord Hokage!" the quartet replied.
"You have your orders. Now, go!"
With his command, the ANBU leapt into the chasm under the light of the moon. Meanwhile, the elderly Kage stood at the entrance of the chasm alongside his student. With luck, they would find a way into this Infinite Labyrinth and bring Naruto back to the village.
If they failed, then Hiruzen would take the matter to his Shinobi Council in the morning. For now, they could only wait.
1~ This track will be used for Boss Battles
2~ Care to guess who this is?
And that's the end of this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it and look forward to more!
I'm open to suggestions for who Naruto meets first out of the lovely ladies in his harem (save for Hazel since she's been with him from the start)! The ladies are:
The Arachne beauty, Shiraori (also known as Kumoko)
The Elf warrior, Ariane Glenys Maple
The lewd Dragon, Tio Klarus
The busty Oni, Shion
The badass Beast Woman, Ghislaine Dedoldia
The adorable Slime Girl, Suu
If you throw out your suggestion, then I must insist that you give me a scenario for how he meets them in the next chapter! I look forward to seeing what y'all can come up with!
Until next time!
Stay safe! Stay healthy! Stay positive!
Dreaming of the Future
pain17ification