"C'mon Baa-chan, teach me your super strong punch! I want to be able to punch the ground open too!" Naruto whined as the group travelled through the Aocang mountain range, in the direction of the hidden leaf village.
The group had been travelling for three days now, and were halfway to Konoha.
Annoyed by his constant pestering, Tsunade bonked him on the head. "I already told you no brat!"
"Itai!" Naruto yelled as he rubbed his head. "Fine! I'll figure it out myself! I bet you're a terrible teacher anyways!" He shouted.
"Why you!" A tick mark appeared on Tsunade's forehead as she raised a fist.
"Here, let me give you my 'Fist of love!' you brat!" Tsuande yelled as she hit Naruto, sending him flying down the mountain path.
Yugito and Shizune just sighed as the duo bickered, their voices disrupting the otherwise tranquil environment of the mountain range.
"This is the legendary lady Tsunade?"
"Tsunade-sama is so childish."
Jiraya laughed. 'At least she's going easy on him. If it were me, she would send me flying off the mountain.' He thought.
As Yugito ran ahead to check on Naruto, Tsunade quickened her pace to catch up to Jiraya, who was leading the group.
"So Jiraya, you wanna tell me why we're taking this needlessly long route through the Aocang mountains instead of simply going straight to Konoha?" She asked with narrowed eyes.
Smirking, Jiraya lowered his map and handed a scroll to Tsunade. As Tsunade took the scroll, both Shizune and Mabui looked over her shoulders to take a peek.
"Iwa? In the land of fire? No wonder you were avoiding the main road." Tsunade said as her eyes widened. Both Shizune and Mabui, who weren't aware of Naruto parentage, were left wondering why the two Sannin seemed so worried at the prospect of a few Iwa nin.
Jiraya nodded. "And not just any Iwa nin. My spies reported the elite of Iwa, their BOULDER squad, has entered the land of fire and are headed towards Konoha. It would seem that news of Danzo's coup has finally reached the ears of the other major villages. It seems that the BOULDER squad has been sent to investigate, infiltrate, or perhaps even attack."
He was interrupted as they reached where Naruto had landed, and where Yugito was shaking him awake. He suddenly snapped awake, jumping up and pointing at Tsunade. "Baachan that hurt!"
Naruto grumbled as Jiraya hushed him. "You guys are noisy. Let me enjoy the natural tranquil environment. It's not everyday that one comes to the Aocang mountains." Jiraya took a deep breath and sighed. "Ever since I became a true sage, nature seems to call to me more! This place is positively glowing! The chill, swift wind, the dew on the leaves, and the crystal clear water. This place is radiating with natural energy!"
Tsunade gasped. "You mastered Sage mode? I thought…"
Jiraya smirked as he replied to Tsunade. "Well…"
Drowning out their voices, Naruto performed his breathing technique, taking a second to fully concentrate and enter his newly dubbed 'Total concentration' mode. He took a look around again and found that Jiraya wasn't exaggerating. Aocang mountain range was already beautiful, but now it took his breath away. While he couldn't sense Nature Chakra just yet, he could feel that this place was different. More peaceful.
"Hey Naruto! Race you to that waterfall!" Yugito shouted as she started running.
"Hey no fair! You had a head start!" Naruto shouted back as he began running as well. Soon, only their dust clouds could be seen.
"Naruto/Yugito! Don't run off on your own!" Both Shizune and Mabui shouted as they dashed after them.
Jiraya and Tsunade began to laugh as they watched the group.
"He really acts like Kushina doesn't he?"
"Yes. He's the perfect mix of them both."
"Captain Roshi."
"Yes?" The captain of Iwagakure's BOULDER squad, and the jinchuriki of the 4 tails, Roshi, replied.
"I was wondering why you suddenly ordered us to leave the main road and towards the Aocang mountains. What is our goal?"
Roshi smirked. "I sense something that will please the Tsuchikage more than a mere infiltration. The beast within me senses another."
The BOULDER ninja froze. "Another beast? Which one?"
Roshi smirked. "The nine."
"THE NINE? Thats a suicide mission! Taichou! You cannot possibly be planning to…"
"Oh shut it." Roshi said as he put his finger in his ear. "I'm planning to seeing who their Jinchuriki is, then we can go back to our original mission." He blew the earwax off his finger, hitting his subordinate in the face with it.
"Besides, Han and his squad have gone on ahead to Konoha already. It's fine." Roshi said as he dashed in the direction of Naruto's travelling group.
"…Hai, Taichou." The shinobi said as his face fell. 'Why do I feel that this will not go as planned at all?'
"What are you guys doing?" Yugito asked as she watched Jiraya and Naruto sit down and summoning paper, ink, and brushes. The group had stopped for lunch in the shade of a large tree near a lake. Jiraya had then decided that it was as good a time as ever for Naruto to practise his fuinjutsu.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You're already teaching him fuijutsu? Does he even understand it?"
Jiraya laughed. "He's not getting it as fast as he gets ninjutsu, but I'll get him there!"
Naruto fumed. "I'll get this! Just you wait! I'll be the best sealmaster ever!"
Tsunade laughed lightheartedly at that while Yugito looked interested. "What does fuinjutsu do? Can you teach me too?"
Naruto was about to say yes with a huge smile before Jiraya stopped him by covering his mouth. "Sorry little girl, but this is a village secret."
Yugito pouted at that, and walked over to Mabui. "Ne, Mabui-sensei, do you know any fuinjutsu?"
Mabui sweatdropped and tried to explain to Yugito that her knowledge on the subject was severely lacking. "Sorry Yugito-chan, I don't know enough on the topic to teach you. I can at most teach you to seal and unseal weapons."
Yugito looked ready to cry. Naruto couldn't explain it, but he never wanted to see Yugito like that.
"Hey Yugito-chan, do you know how to water walk?" Naruto asked.
Yugito shook her head to say that she did not.
Naruto smiled and made five kage bunshin. "I'm a little busy right now Yugi-chan, but can you make do with my kage bunshin for now? They can teach you to water walk in the lake over there."
Yugito's face lit up and she quickly followed the shadow clones over to the lake.
Naruto turned his head and saw Jiraya wiping a tear from his eye.
"What is it ero-sennin?"
"So young and already a lady-killer…"
Naruto's face turned red and he glared at Jiraya. "Don't make me out to be a super pervert like you!"
Jiraya turned away and huffed before a smirk creeped onto his face. "Well what would you precious Hinata-chan say if she saw this hmm?"
Tsunade, who had been listening to the amusing conversation quietly, was shocked. "Naruto, you're too young to have a girlfriend already!"
Naruto turned an even deeper shade of red. "Hinata-chan is not my girlfriend! She's just a very good friend!"
"The gaki's got the Hyūga heiress wrapped around his little finger." Jiraya told Tsunade, who was shocked into silence.
'The Hyūga heiress?'
"It's not like that!" A tomato red Naruto shouted at the group.
Shizune and Mabui laughed as Naruto got more and more flustered.
Yugito, who had fallen into the water and was now splashing water at the clones, turned to the laughing group. "Why does it feel like I'm suddenly super irritated with Naruto?"
Back in Konohagakure, one Hinata Hyuga suddenly felt a jolt of anger run through her body, breaking her chopsticks in half.
"H-Hinata? What's wrong?" Her father asked nervously.
Hinata took a deep breath and calmed down. 'This must have something to do with Naruto.' She thought.
"I'm alright father."
The BOULDER shinobi was forced to stop as he saw his captain halt abruptly on a tree branch, his his raised in the air.
A second later, he could feel the pure rage his captain was letting off in waves, and he could feel the tree branch beneath him cracking.
"S-Sir? Taichou?" A BOULDER shinobi asked nervously as Roshi glared down at the travelling group. Just a single cliff below them, a mere 50 meters below them, was Naruto and the group walking along the path.
Roshi trembled in rage as he stared down at the golden haired boy walking with the rest of the group on the mountain path further down the mountain path. His vision tunnelled the second he caught sight of the boy's hair, and his mind barely registered the presence of the two Sannin.
"Yellow…Flash!" He growled as he summoned his weapons, twin butterfly blades, each attached to a chain. (Like Kai's weapons from kung fu panda 3)
"Change of plans." He growled as his killing intent exploded, causing the group below to instantly leap into defensive positions. Only Jiraya tilted his face upwards and smirked at the enraged Roshi.
"Sir?" The BOULDER shinobi whispered. "There are two sannin. We need to-"
"That brat. I'm killing him. The rest of you cover me." Roshi barked before rocketing down towards the group, aiming to chop off Naruto's head with his blades.
"Taichou!" The shinobi cried out in fear as the BOULDER squad leapt into action.
"Shizune! Take Naruto and retreat! Jiraya and I will cover you!" Tsunade shouted as she saw the Iwa ninja race down the cliff. Shizune nodded as she scooped Naruto up and ran away, Naruto complaining the whole time.
Roshi was forced to change course as Tsunade launched a rock towards him with pure strength, almost knocking him right out of the air.
"Let's go Yugito!" Mabui said as she scooped the young girl into her arms. The four of them retreated as the two sannin took battle stances.
"How long has it been since we've fought together, Tsunade?" Jiraya laughed.
Tsunade smirked in return. "Too long. You better not get in my way, old man."
Jiraya opened his eyes, red lines now outlining his eyes. His happy go lucky attitude was gone, replaced with a will as
powerful as fire and as unbreakable as stone. "The red one there is Roshi. Jinchuriki of the four tails. Looking at him with sage mode, its like looking at a raging inferno. Be careful Hime."
Tsunade scoffed as Roshi, covered in red chakra, crashed down, creating a huge crater. "We're the sannin." She said as she put her fist in her palm, "And you know what they said about us in the war, with each sannin, their power is multiplied! A mere Jinchuriki doesn't stand a chance!"
Jiraya smirked. "It's been a while since i've seen you this fired up, Tsunade-hime."
"You can blame that brat." She retorted as Roshi walked out of the dust cloud he had created. His entire body was glowing with violent red chakra, with three tails swirling behind him.
"My men have you surrounded. Give up the kid, and I'll let the rest of you walk free." Roshi snarled as he pointed one of his blades at the two sannin. Before he knew what hit him however, he was sent flying backwards, courtesy of a knee to the face by Jiraya.
"Say that again you bastard." Jiraya spat. "Hand over who?"
Tsunade, not wanting to be left behind, leapt into the air to kick Roshi from above.
Roshi quickly stood back up, and let out a cry of anger as the red chakra cloaking him reached the fourth tail, and more crimson chakra poured out and whipped around violently. The cry of rage was so powerful that it managed to knock Tsunade back, as bones began to form around Roshi's body.
"Heh, he's a little stronger than I thought." Tsunade admitted.
The now enraged Roshi then concentrated his rage and violent Chakra into the blades and chain, before whipping them around wildly, creating a storm of pure destruction. (Like kai from kung fu panda three)
The two Sannin went on the retreat as the blades were enhanced with bijuu chakra, extending their length and increasing their destructiveness. The blades cut and tore, as well as dragged solid objects like boulders towards the sannin (Like in kung fu panda three), forcing Tsunade and Jiray to evade. The chains were also a problem, creating an inescapable net of red chakra that threatened to burn them with the slightest touch. (Red bijuu chakra is corrosive I think).
The sannin were forced to dodge and weave for their lives, but unknown to Roshi, they had already shared their plan to counterattack, through nothing but eye movements. While Roshi's style of attack was extremely destructive, it wasted too much Chakra, and the bijuu cloak was a double edged sword, although they didn't know that. Roshi was the one on a time limit, not them. Still, in this state, he was a complete monster.
"So unrefined. Tsunade complained as they dodged another butterfly blade. "You punch and kick with your monster strength Hime, you of all people can't complain." Jiraya teased.
"Shut up."
"We need to quickly finish up here Hime, the rest of the enemy nin have already gone after the brat. It seems they changed their plan midway." Jiraya said.
Tsunade nodded, and their counterattack began. "Sage art: Purge of sacred flames!" Jiraya shouted as he created a raging inferno of white flames. "Now Hime!"
Tsunade cocked her hand back and fired off a single punch. "Collaboration jutsu! Fire fist!" She shouted as the sea of white flames engulfed Roshi in the shape of a giant fist, forcing him to create a barrier using his bijuu chakra and chains. Before he could fully shield himself however, both Tsunade and Jiraya appeared in front of him, one with her hand cocked back and another with a giant rasengan swirling in his hand. "Crap! I can't defend in time!"
As both attacks connected, Roshi was finally stopped, but not before creating giant craters and massive destruction over the mountainside.
"No one has ever come out of my phantom dance unscathed before.' Roshi panted as the amount of bijuu chakra permeating the area significantly decreased. "That technique was the one that killed over 500 konoha shinobi in the last war." He was on one knee, coughing up blood, as blocking the collaboration jutsu had taken a significant portion of his chakra. The attack right after had nearly killed him, if not for the beast within him. White flames still burned around him, and his bijuu chakra was the only thing keeping him from becoming a roasted monkey.
"Shut up." Tsunade said as her fist rocketed into Roshi's face, sending him crashing into the cliff.
Jiraya sighed as his sage mode disappeared. "My time's up. Time to summon Ma and Pa."
"Jiraya." Jiraya tilted his head to look at Tsunade.
"Yes Hime?"
"He's still moving."
Jiraya looked at Roshi and sure enough, he was standing back up. But he was… Growing? Jiraya's eyes widened.
"Hime! Get away! He's releasing his tailed beast!"
"It's too late!" Roshi laughed. "Neither of you are a match for the monkey king!" He shouted as his body began to glow.
"Summoning jutsu!"
"Summoning jutsu!"