July 1st 2008:

Ferocious and aggressive screams boomed throughout the cold atmosphere inside of the endless Labyrinth. A Hell-Hound dragged itself out of a pile of rubble and rocks. Blood covered its entire body.

A golden glow of luminous chakra stretched itself down at the Hell-Hound in the form of a chakra-arm. The Hell-Hound gritted its teeth when it was stabbed through the skull.

An aureate inundation of dust covered the concrete beneath the feet of Naruto Uzumaki: who dispelled his chakra-constructed arm. Naruto slipped his calloused hands into his pockets and let out a soft hum.

Naruto walked through one of the multitudinous corridors within the Labyrinth until he found another entrance to an isolated room. Opening the door—Naruto stepped into the sector and squinted.

There were ten tables set across the ground of the enormous room while three candles illuminated his vision. Naruto sauntered deeper into the room. He heard an entertained huff of laughter.

Sapphire eyes of prudence glanced in the direction of the chuckle and discerned Quintus—Quintus' wrinkled features were blemished by a contemplative expression. Naruto widened his blue eyes. "You, huh?"

"Indeed, it is me." Quintus produced a loud cough from the pits of his mouth and nodded. "I wasn't expecting to see you of all people in this room."

"Trust me." Naruto suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and sighed. "Whoever built this Labyrinth must really like complicated puzzles."

"I'm not the biggest fan of puzzles." Quintus stroked his beard. "Most of them have become rather tasteless over the years of my long life."

"Never said you liked puzzles." Naruto shrugged and leaned his head back in realization. "Wait a minute…You're the creator of this maze?!"

"I am the creator of the Labyrinth." Quintus gave Naruto a small smile of confirmation. "My real name is Daedalus."

"Screw you and your damn maze!" Naruto pointed an irritated finger at Daedalus and growled. "This Labyrinth keeps randomizing its rooms!"

"That's the point." Quintus—or rather—Daedalus shook his head in concealed amusement. "The Labyrinth is one of my masterpieces."

"I've been lost in this masterpiece of yours for ages!" Naruto grunted—frustrated. "I had to fight Epimetheus and Menoetius!"

"You defeated them?" Shock infected Daedalus' baritone for the briefest of minutes. "I suppose you truly are strong, aren't you?"

"I'm stronger when my friends help me." Naruto flourished a calloused hand and grouched. "How the hell do I get back to the surface, huh?"

"The Labyrinth shall guide you when it sees fit." Daedalus patted a rock-constructed wall and hummed. "You must trust your destiny."

"What the hell does trust my destiny even mean?" Naruto mumbled to himself in unadulterated confusion. "Can you please help me leave?"

"If you insist." Daedalus had an amused expression. He patted the wall behind one of the tables. "My dearest creation, I beseech you."

Naruto opened his mouth to speak—but stopped when he felt the room around him tremble and rattle until a door was constructed in front of him. The Uzumaki sprinted through the door in excitement.

"Took you long enough…"

(-)

The sound of endless foot-steps reverberated across the sequestered depths of Hecate's grandiose castle. A pale and ebony-haired individual walked down a corridor.

Aureate eyes of unadulterated malice and conceited pleasure glinted an ominous light. Kronos stepped into the central-room of Hecate's decorative palace and watched his subordinates sink to their knees.

A somewhat annoyed grunt escaped his mouth. Kronos snapped his fingers and summoned himself a small mirror. He analyzed his smooth features and touched his chin. "This mortal body shall suffice for now."

Kronos dematerialized his hand-held mirror and snapped his luminous gaze downwards at both Prometheus and Hecate: who possessed expressions of perpetual reverence. "What are your orders, my lord?"

"Hecate." Kronos clicked his teeth and stretched a smooth hand forward in appreciation. "This body has incredible physical abilities."

"That was Prometheus' idea." Hecate responded and nodded. "My lord, do you still intend for Luke Castellan to be your vessel?"

"Not anymore." Kronos shook his head—amusement plastered across his pale face. "That foolish boy shall be a back-up if this body fails."

"What about the Kyuubi, lord Kronos?" Prometheus interrupted their conversation and lowered his head. "Shall you take it yourself?"

"No, I have no time to retrieve the Kyuubi and kill Naruto Uzumaki." Kronos created himself a golden throne. "Menoetius has failed."

"You two and Luke Castellan have failed." Kronos slumped into his throne in concealed irritation. "What has become of Epimetheus?"

"I can answer that question, my lord." Hecate offered and coughed. "Epimetheus was handling the monster settlements of your army."

"Monster settlements?" Kronos' iridescent irises glistened a sinister yellow. "Has Epimetheus manufactured his own faction in my army?"

"Of course not." Hecate's pleasant soprano had an inflection of reassurance. "Naruto Uzumaki was the one who defeated him."

"That child again?" A wide grin of amusement graced Kronos' malice-filled features. "Prometheus, I have a task for you."

"What are your orders for me?" Veneration coloured Prometheus' gentle baritone. "I promise to succeed in whatever you give me."

"Wait a second." Kronos tapped his chin in blatant curiosity. "Has Luke Castellan started the assault on Camp Half-Blood, already?"

"He has." Hecate confirmed Kronos' suspicions and hummed. "Shall Prometheus and I assist him in the assault of the heroes' camp?"

"That would be pointless." Kronos flourished his hand and sighed. "You cannot harm a demi-god if they don't issue the challenge first."

"Prometheus." Kronos directed his gaze down to one of his most faithful subordinates. "The capture of the Kyuubi is your responsibility."

"I shall not fail a second time."

(-)

Yells filled the cold atmosphere inside of the battle-infested areas of Camp Half-Blood. Leo Valdez squinted his eyes forward and concentrated on the monsters.

A Hell-Hound lunged out from the bushes and clicked its teeth at his unsmooth face. Leo pressed a button on the helve of his screw-driver—this screw-driver expanded itself in size and whirred.

Leo watched the Hell-Hound for the briefest of seconds and drilled his screw-driver into its crimson-coloured eyes. The foul creature caterwauled and crumbled into a hurricane of aureate particles.

Luke Castellan had launched his assault on Camp Half-Blood. This battle would be between the heroes of the camp and the monsters and rogue demi-gods of Kronos' army. Leo turned around. "Huh?"

An unhinged Laistrygonian giant rushed in his direction. Within one of its calloused hands was a gigantic spear. Leo adopted a somewhat amateurish stance and widened his eyes in absolute focus. "Alright…"

The giant hurtled its spear downwards and aimed it at Leo's skull. Leo disappeared in a vortex of luminous flames before he appeared behind the gigantic creature: who scratched its head in confusion.

Leo stretched a coarse hand forward and gritted his teeth. Flames leaked out from his fingers and consumed the Laistrygonian giant inside of a tornado of fire. The giant's body crumbled into yellow dust.

"Hah!" Leo crossed his arms—a massive amount of triumph and mischief evident in his baritone. "Monsters: 0! Leo Valdez: 1"

The child of Hephaestus paused in his reverie when he heard the loud sound of a sonic-boom. All of the trees around him rattled until three demi-gods were hurtled down into the soil.

"What the heck?!" Leo rushed over to one of the demi-gods and checked their pulses. "Good. These three are still alive."

Another sonic-boom reverberated into the depths of Leo's ear-drums. Leo raised his expanded screw-driver and gazed at the source of such a cacophonous noise. A single outline walked out from the trees.

This was Krios—one of the titans who specialized in constellations and was one of Kronos' most powerful warriors. Krios cracked his neck and glanced at Leo in amusement. "A fourth one, huh?"

Krios planted his battle-axe onto his shoulder and scanned the inundation of golden dust on the soil-covered concrete beneath him. He smiled—impressed. "You've defeated many of these monsters."

"I suppose whatever era it is…" Krios paused and let out a pleased rumble of laughter. "You demi-gods shall always be incredible."

"Thanks for your compliment!" Leo possessed a somewhat prudent countenance on his features. "What's your name? I'm kind of curious."

"I have held countless names over the years I have roamed this realm." Krios hummed. "You shall call me Krios, child of fire!"

"Nah!" Leo stuck his tongue out and twirled his screw-driver. "Since you have that fancy axe on your shoulder, how about Mr. Axe?"

"What a simplistic nickname." Krios shook his head—disappointed. "You can call me whatever you want, but give me a good battle."

Silence perpetuated in the cold air between them for three seconds before Krios vanished within a sapphire-tinted distortion. Leo grunted in exertion—blocking a powerful swing from Krios' battle-axe.

Krios flipped backwards and disappeared for a second time. Adrenaline fuelling his system—Leo gritted his teeth even more than earlier and raised his palm to deflect Krios' mana-imbued axe-kick.

Amusement illuminated Krios' passionate gaze. He slammed his head downwards and smacked it into Leo's forehead. Leo's entire body rattled as he collapsed onto the ground. Krios clicked his tongue.

Krios stared down at Leo and clasped his calloused hands. "Perhaps I have overestimated the demi-gods of this era."

Krios' speech was interrupted by the sound of endless foot-steps. Some type of gargantuan robot had stepped into the area. The titan arched a rather curious eye-brow. "What an interesting invention."

Leo climbed to his feet and tapped the buttons of the control-pad in his unsmooth hands. Krios bent his knees—but was smacked into the tree by the metal-constructed claw of the robot. Leo grinned. "Hah!"

"Impressive machinery, son of the forges." Krios emerged from the destroyed tree and cracked his neck. "Shall it be enough to stop me?"

Krios summoned another battle-axe and sprinted forward. The gigantic robot flared its sensors before it detected his divine presence. Beeping to itself—the robot slammed its claws onto Krios' body.

The robot let out another beep of confusion as Krios ripped through its metal-constructed claws and propelled himself onto its shoulder. He patted the robot's radio-head. "Magic-Of-The-Divine: Crumble!"

A potent burst of mana escaped Krios' palm and consumed the robot in an obsidian-tinted hurricane of destruction. Leo growled at the sight of his disintegrated creation and screamed. "Not my latest robot!"

Krios stuck his hand out at Leo and summoned a ball of destructive mana. Leo stumbled back—grabbing onto his most trusted screw-driver. The titan yawned. "I have grown tired of your games."

The sphere of destructive energy was launched in Leo's direction until it was stopped by a vermillion outline of luminosity. Naruto Uzumaki revealed himself to them and grinned. "Sorry I was late to the party!"

"Took you long enough." Leo shoved his shoulder into Naruto—an amicable smile on his relieved features. "Can you handle him?"

"Sure." Naruto adjusted the sun-glasses on his whiskered face and tilted his head. "You should leave. Take those three out of this area."

"Gotcha buddy!" Leo raised a thumb in concurrence and helped the semi-conscious demi-gods escape the forest. "I hope Naruto can win…"

"Time to get the real party started!"

(-)

Krios had an entertained expression on his pale visage and analyzed the silhouette of Naruto Uzumaki in the distance. Kronos had ordered him to keep the boy alive if he were to encounter him in battle.

This blue-eyed child's presence was both peaceful and monstrous. Krios watched him crouch down into the stance of an unhinged battler before he adopted his own stance of combat. "He is a powerful foe."

Krios had heard the multitudinous rumours and the perpetual tales about Naruto Uzumaki from the gossipers of the Shinto pantheon. He was described as the one who illuminated the path in the Divine-War.

These rumours and tales spoke of his calamitous strength. Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki's abilities combined could destroy the world itself. That was how revered Naruto's power was to everyone.

Krios possessed doubts about being able to challenge this monster of commendable prowess and waited for him to strike. Naruto steeled his azure eyes in ruthless resolve while Krios tensed his muscles.

A low screech of sound echoed into Krios' ears from behind. Krios turned around and was met by the sight of Naruto's Shadow-Clone: who had constructed a Wind-Style: Rasenshuriken onto its palm.

Krios pressed his foot down into the soil to erect a magical-barricade—but grunted when a round-house kick was embedded into the back of his head. Naruto grinned. "Take this!"

The Shadow-Clone body-flickered at Krios and propelled its Wind-Style: Rasenshuriken in his direction. Krios gritted his teeth to himself—concocting some type of plan in his head. "What can I do?"

Naruto felt his Shadow-Clone dispel and twirled around in the air. Another kick to the back of the head shoved Krios into his Rasenshuriken—this Rasenshuriken grew in size. "Impressive…"

Krios produced a loud scream of unadulterated pain as his body was obliterated at a cellular level before he regenerated his limbs. The titan appeared above Naruto and summoned his battle-axe. "Uzumaki!"

He channelled an abundant amount of divine-energy into his axe and aimed it down at Naruto's head. Naruto directed his sapphire-accentuated gaze at Krios—somewhat amused.

Naruto pulled a Kunai out from his sleeve and poured wind-natured chakra into its end. The Uzumaki clashed against Krios' battle-axe before the two weapons propelled their users backwards.

Krios steeled his gaze in annoyance and opted to engage Naruto in an endless match of hand-to-hand combat. Naruto lifted a calloused palm to block Krios' knuckles and head-butted him right in the nose.

Ichor dribbled out from the pits of Krios' shattered nose and covered his cheeks. Naruto bashed his elbow into the titan's solar-plexus—knocking him down into the soil underneath their feet.

Naruto lowered the sun-glasses from his whiskered face and his luminous eyes glinted an ominous vermillion. Krios' determined irises glistened a sinister obsidian. "You cannot scare me, child."

Krios jumped to his feet and disappeared in a blur. Naruto glanced at Krios and conjured a Shadow-Clone—this Shadow-Clone summoned a Magnet-Style: Rasengan onto its hand.

The titan stretched his arm forward to destroy the sphere of chakra—but his body became paralyzed when he touched it. Shock coloured Krios' smooth baritone. "What type of technique is this?"

Naruto materialized an aureate chakra-arm out from his shoulder-blade and created a Lava-Style: Rasenshuriken. Krios closed his eyes before his body erupted into golden particles.

"He was a powerful opponent." The Uzumaki slipped his calloused hands into his pockets. "Kurama, are you still sleeping?"

"What now, you absolute brat?" Inside of the deepest depths of Naruto's mind—Kurama grunted. "Sleeping is my favourite hobby."

"What a convenient excuse to be lazy." Naruto's entertained features possessed a childish expression. "You overgrown fur-ball!"

"Shut the hell up!"

(-)

Luke Castellan grunted at the touch of a steel-constructed dagger on his nose and tilted his body backwards. Annabeth Chase dove towards him. She gritted her teeth and aimed her dagger downwards.

Tendrils of aureate mana leaked out from Luke's shoulders before they grabbed onto both of Annabeth's wrists. Annabeth gritted her teeth even more in aggression. Her head was slammed into his nose.

A pain-filled grunt of frustration produced itself within the pits of Luke's silver-tongued mouth. Annabeth gave him a pleased smirk and shoved her shoulder into him. Luke stumbled into a tree-trunk.

Luke stretched a calloused hand out and summoned his most trusted blade. Back-Biter glinted an ominous gold. Annabeth ripped Luke's magical tendrils from her wrists. "How dare you attack camp, Luke!"

"When did all of you become so hostile towards me?" Luke let out an entertained chuckle and twirled his blade. "This camp shall fall soon."

Blood spurted out from the deepest depths of Annabeth's lips as Luke buried his knee into her abdomen. Annabeth leaned backwards and positioned herself behind Luke: who shook his head. "How futile."

Annabeth smacked her palm into the back of Luke's head and propelled him in the direction of a green-eyed silhouette. Luke's blue eyes of vigilance widened in shock. "I didn't account for Percy, damn!"

Riptide bisected itself at Back-Biter before the two blades entered an endless clash for dominance. Percy's emerald-hued irises were flooded by ruthless determination. "I will be the one to stop you!"

"Good luck!" Luke had a maniacal countenance of mockery on his handsome features. "You and Annabeth aren't enough for me!"

"You sure?!" Annabeth's annoyed voice streamed into Luke's ears. She snorted. "Didn't you run from Percy last winter?"

"Circumstances were against me!" Luke chuckled and bashed Back-Biter into Riptide—amused. "The odds are now in my favour!"

Annabeth clicked her tongue in absolute disgruntlement and threw seven daggers at Luke. Luke twirled around before he deflected them all. "I can anticipate your every move, Annabeth!"

The crazed grin of battle-lust on Luke's unhinged face grew in size. Luke turned towards Percy and upper-cut him in the chin. Percy's head snapped back at an inhuman angle. "Doesn't that hurt?"

"Nah." Percy ignored the damage to his head and grinned. "Compared to all of Naruto's kicks and punches, that upper-cut was nothing!"

Luke flipped backwards and landed down on an enormous tree-branch. A small amount of mana materialized itself onto his calloused palm. "Time for the mastered version of this technique!"

Annabeth watched in unconcealed interest at the mass of mana on Luke's palm—this mass of mana morphed itself into some type of cube. Percy lurched back in realization. "You used that last time!"

"Indeed I did!" Luke shouted in response and shrunk the cube on his palm for a second time. "I call this spell of mine—Condensed-Cube!"

"What a lame name!"

The loud laughter of an unfamiliar voice rolled itself into the ears of the three individuals on the battle-field. On the top of a gargantuan wooden-branch—Leo Valdez crossed his arms.

"Who the hell are you?" Luke arched a confused eye-brow. "From the warmth in your presence…You must be a child of Hephaestus."

"I recognize you." Annabeth murmured and glanced at Leo: who grinned. "You're the demi-god who Naruto brought to camp, right?"

"Bingo on both accounts!" Leo directed finger-guns of confirmation at Annabeth and Luke before he laughed. "The name's Leo Valdez!"

"I'm Percy Jackson." Percy grunted in pure exertion and raised his blade. "Now isn't really the best time to introduce ourselves."

Luke descended from his tree-branch and disappeared inside of an aureate blur of mana. Percy stumbled as Luke appeared in front of him—but the son of Hermes was stopped by a fire-covered hand.

The Condensed-Cube was crushed into shards of mana at the touch of Leo's flame-consumed fingers. Leo slammed his knuckles into Luke's nose and heard a smooth crack. "Damn, that's gotta hurt!"

"Nice!" Percy adjusted his battle-stance and gandered at Leo in appreciation. "I think you and I are gonna be great friends, Valdez."

Luke healed his shattered nose and manipulated his magical-energy into his knees. Annabeth snuck behind him before embedding a dagger into Luke's shoulder-blade. He fell down to his knees.

Percy rushed towards a prone Luke and aimed Riptide downwards at his neck. Luke opened his blue eyes, unleashing a powerful pulse of mana in Percy and Leo's direction. "This one is Epimetheus' spell!"

Annabeth reached into the bag hooked onto her belt. She pulled out three more daggers and hurtled them at Luke. Luke lifted his hand. Another powerful pulse of magic emerged forth from his palm.

"Mana-Burst! Activate!"

Leo stared over at a discarded shield on the soil-covered concrete underneath his feet. He grabbed the shield, tensed his muscles, and threw it forward. Luke struck his palm onto the shield in pure glee.

The shield crumbled into nothing more than twenty shards of metal. Luke gathered a third pulse of mana onto his palm and lunged for Percy's solar-plexus. Percy gave him a somewhat cheeky smirk.

A tendril of water erupted out from the soil and manipulated itself into the form of an enormous hand—this water-constructed hand grabbed onto Luke's waist. Percy crouched beneath the burst of mana.

He rolled forward, clenched his fist, covered his knuckles in a layer of water, gritted his teeth, steeled his emerald-hued gaze, and punched Luke in the face. Luke growled as he was hurtled backwards.

Leo jumped onto the tree-branches and followed Luke before he smacked a fire-covered palm-strike onto Luke's abdomen. Blood streamed out from his mouth. Annabeth had a smile on her face.

Luke was slammed downwards into the grass and created the deepest of craters within the soil-covered ground. A grunt of unadulterated agony filled the open air. "Damn, you three."

He climbed to his feet inside of the endless crater until Annabeth slid into it and drilled her knee into his face. Luke stumbled for thirty seconds. Annabeth axe-kicked his chin and punched his nose.

Luke jumped out of the ginormous crater—exhaustion marred his agony-filled features and his blue-coloured gaze. Pants of fatigue trickled out from his lips. He clenched both of his fists. "I cannot lose now!"

"Sorry to tell you this, buddy." Leo appeared behind him in a hurricane of flames and patted his shoulder. "But I think you've lost this battle."

"I'm impressed by you." Luke glanced at Leo and smirked. "You are one of the first children of Hephaestus to have developed pyrokinesis in ages."

"Charles told me all about my flames' rarity!" Leo aimed a powerful punch of fire at Luke before his body trembled. "What the heck was that?"

Luke buried his fist into Leo's stomach and he slumped down into the concrete. Percy widened his green eyes in absolute confusion. "How is he still able to fight? He must be exhausted from battling all three of us."

"I suppose I forgot to tell you about this technique." Luke engulfed his body in a layer of impenetrable and powerful mana. "This is a new ability."

"This is inspired by the Condensed-Cube." Luke hummed. "Instead of condensing my mana into a cube, I condense it around my body."

"This was my last resort!" Luke's smooth baritone possessed an unhinged inflection. "I'm amazed that the three of you tested me to my limits."

"Let me share a quote Prometheus told me to you." An amused countenance blessed Luke's features. "This one is my favourite quote."

"Once an individual is brought down to their absolute limits shall they bring out the most primal power inside of them!"

"What a cliche quote." Percy responded before he gritted his teeth in concentration. "He took down Leo in one blow. I have to stay focused."

Annabeth emerged out from the crater and ducked her head low. Luke swung his arm across the air. He raised a rather impressed eye-brow. "I'm surprised that your reflexes can keep up against my enhanced strength."

The child of wisdom rolled backwards. Grey eyes of unadulterated intelligence scanned the battle-field. Leo was unconscious on the ground while Luke and Percy were engaged in a heated stare-down.

Luke bent his knees. Annabeth and Percy tensed themselves. Amusement illuminated Luke's blue eyes until he began to cough out globs of blood. Confusion replaced his amusement. "Everything hurts for some reason."

Annabeth produced a dagger from her pocket and aimed it towards Luke's neck—but was stopped by the powerful layer of mana wrapped around his body. Her dagger exploded. "When did Luke gain such a potent mana?"

Another tremor of unconcealed pain rattled throughout the entirety of Luke's mana-covered body. Luke coughed out another stream of blood and fell down to his knees. "My body is still too damaged!"

Percy appeared in front of Luke and cleaved Riptide downwards. Rolling backwards to protect himself—Luke deactivated his cloak of magical-energy and transmitted a mental message to his allies.

Annabeth gritted her teeth when a pink-coloured portal opened beneath Luke. She heard Percy walk up to her in confusion. "I thought the barriers at camp would stop people from opening portals."

"I suspect this portal was created by someone of divine origin." Annabeth answered. "That means they could bypass the barriers."

"Luke escaped for a second time." Percy clenched an irritated fist. "Next time, I won't let him escape and I will take him down."

Annabeth turned around once the sound of a fatigued groan filtered into her ears. Percy followed her gaze and noticed Leo: who was still laid against the concrete. "My stomach and chest are killing me!"

"Leo!" Percy stepped over to the child of the forges and extended his hand out for him to grab. "Thanks for helping us out against Luke!"

"My pleasure." Leo accepted Percy's hand and climbed to his feet before he rubbed the back of his head. "Damn, everything hurts."

"The mana Luke imbued into that layer of magic had extreme potency." Annabeth explained. "His skill in mana has grown."

"Last time, he could only open portals, use that cube, and heal injuries." Annabeth hummed. "How powerful is that cloak of his?"

"No clue." Percy shrugged and stretched his arms. "If Luke left, then his army of monsters must have left through those portals."

"Probably." Leo nodded—a suppressed amount of nonchalance in his tone. "Wait a second. Isn't the Labyrinth still around, though?"

"What the heck happened to Daedalus?" Percy turned to Annabeth: who closed her eyes in contemplation. "Isn't he on Kronos' side?"

"I can't say for sure." Annabeth opened her eyes and shook her head. "Come on, you two. We have to check on everyone else."

The three of them stopped in their tracks at the sight of a crimson outline. Naruto emerged from above them and landed down on the concrete. His vermillion eyes transmuted themselves into blue.

Percy smiled. "Naruto! Were you out there fighting monsters?"

"Yep." Naruto flourished his calloused hand and tilted his head. "I guess it will be time for me to return to Japan soon, huh?"

"Quit talking to me. I'm tired."

(-)

September 10th 2008:

Naruto and Sasuke disappeared in distortions of a luminous sapphire and crimson. A massive orb of pure flames erupted out from the pits of Sasuke's mouth. The Uzumaki performed several hand-signs.

Slamming a calloused palm downwards—Naruto summoned a gigantic wall of rock in front of him. Sasuke watched his flames clash against the Mud-Wall before he produced a Kunai from his sleeve.

Sasuke jumped over the Earth-Style: Mud-Wall, poured lighting-natured chakra into his Kunai, and propelled it in Naruto's direction. Naruto materialized a chakra-arm out from his stomach.

The chakra-arm created a Rasengan and obliterated the lightning-enhanced Kunai. Naruto blurred towards Sasuke, giving him a somewhat mischievous smile. Sasuke had a smirk on his pale face.

Naruto dispelled his chakra-constructed arm—but grunted when Sasuke slammed his knee into his nose. Another knee to the nose hurtled Naruto backwards. The Uzumaki grunted. "Damn that hurts."

Sasuke manifested himself a luminous Chidori while Naruto called for his chakra and constructed a Rasengan onto his palm. The two techniques clashed to a stand-still. Naruto chuckled. "Good fight!"

"Indeed." Amusement danced inside of the ebony depths of Sasuke's composed irises. "I still have to sort through a few documents."

"I feel bad for you!" Naruto slipped his hands into his pockets and let out a languid yawn. "I still have to check out that Kappa sighting."

"I checked that for you already." Sasuke responded. "The Kappa was a peaceful one. We have other problems to worry about."

"Izanami, huh?"

"Yes…"

Naruto sighed.

A/N: Thanks for reading.