Blade of the Maelstrom
Chapter Three — Whispers of a Tainted Triumph
In the shadows of our ambitions, we dance with demons we can never tame
Sunlight filtered through the verdant canopy, dappling the forest clearing with dancing shadows and rays of golden light. Wind wheezed through the branches, and the rustling leaves whispered silent secrets. The heady fragrance of wildflowers hung mingled with the musk of wet earth in the air. Birds chirped in the distance, insects buzzed in the clearing, and Naruto's heartbeat thumped in his chest.
His muscles tensed as he made the shadow clone hand sign, and chakra rushed through him like a swelling lake about to burst through a dam.
"You ready, Malenia?"
She nodded.
He lunged forward, a legion of clones exploding into existence beside him. They swarmed forward, a fierce tempest of fists and energy, engulfing the clearing in a hurricane of motion.
As he and his clones ran towards her, Malenia meandered towards him. Step by step. The metal of her sword gleamed under the sunlight, each chip and line shimmering with the memory of battles long past.
Once he and his clones reached her, slashing with kunai, throwing shuriken, and flinging punches, she moved. No more than a flash of red and dull gold in the wind, she spun like a dancer and executed her pirouettes in the air as if it refused to try to bring her down. Her blade flickered as a single line whenever she swung.
The swipes of her sword flowed from one another seamlessly, like a river navigating a dense forest. All of them found their target. All of them left behind a cloud of smoke and one less clone.
She's faster than Lee with his gates open!
He narrowed his eyes and summoned more clones.
She performed a rapid jump-kick, her form becoming a dizzying whirl. Her weapon hissed through the air, another clone evaporating under its keen edge.
Naruto's heart pounded as he watched her weave through his assault, her sidestep-and-slash routine cutting through his defenses.
I need to up my game.
With a raspy shout, he summoned a clone next to him. Its hands shaped the chakra the original provided, and the Rasengan swirled above his palm.
Let's see how you handle this!
She bolted at him and slammed her boot into his chest. His footing slipped, and the coppery taste of blood flooded his mouth. He flew back. The Rasengan dissipated. Her sword carved a wide arc in the sunlight, and she dashed to strike his fallen form.
He winced and substituted himself with a fallen branch.
A triple-slash combo blasted the branch to splinters.
Whoa…
He gulped and made more clones.
She descended upon him again, ignoring the clones. She dodged everything they threw at her. Kunai, shuriken, Rasengans… She weaved through all the attacks like a stream through the gravel and pressed on the original.
How the hell does she know I'm the original?
~ Slam ~
Two heavy slashes shook the ground seconds after he substituted with a clone.
She turned toward him, like a blood hound locked onto its prey, and unleashed another combo of jump kicks, spin slashes, and vertical slashes.
It took all the tricks Naruto had and more to survive her onslaught. Numerous nicks and cuts piled up on his body, blood dripping from each one. His heart pounded with the accumulating pinpricks of pain.
This isn't working. I need to land a Rasengan somehow.
Then an idea struck him. A risky, borderline insane tactic that just might work. He glanced down at his side, and his muscles tensed as he prepared for the pain. He summoned a clone and molded his chakra.
A Rasengan larger than any he'd made so far whirled into existence.
The air froze. Naruto locked his gaze onto Malenia's helmet. His jaw clenched as she tilted her head and pointed the tip of her blade at him. Time dilated, each heartbeat stretched out, and she charged at him.
He squared his shoulders and tightened his grip on the Rasengan.
She reached him as fast as a flash of thunder, a blur of gold and crimson. He gulped and stood his ground, forcing himself not to move as the blade pierced his side. Sharp pain flared at the spot. His blood stained the cold metal, and another line appeared among her sword's memories.
A single heartbeat passed before he moved. Pushing through the veil of agony, he lunged at her, arm swinging forward. The Rasengan in his hand roared, the swirling orb of chakra lighting up the clearing with its bright, azure light. The rushing wind echoed around them as he slammed it into her chest.
A bright explosion of chakra enveloped them. The shockwave uprooted nearby vegetation and shattered the ground beneath them. The chorus of chirping birds went silent as the unleashed energy howled.
The impact force flung Naruto backward, and the gaping wound in his side cried out with every rapid heartbeat. He crashed onto the ground, his vision blurred as he struggled to get back up.
That should've done some damage…
He stood up, shaking and holding his bleeding side.
The dust settled.
Malenia stood at the same spot she had been when she stabbed him, unfazed.
"Is that all?" Her voice, a soft whisper, echoed through the silent clearing like a drop of water falling in a cave.
The words spiraled in his mind, intertwined with the pulsating throb of his wounds and the urgent drumming of his heart.
He had given his all, yet his all was utterly inadequate.
She's too strong…
His body slumped, and his muscles screamed. He couldn't win. He couldn't even touch her. His gaze slipped to the loamy earth beneath him, each granule a stark reminder of his pressing desperation. He'd asked her to prove herself to him, and here he was, unable to prove himself to her.
What a joke.
Though… there was one weapon that could give him the advantage. The raw, uncontrollable power locked away in the deepest corridors of his being. The volatile, malicious chakra of the Nine-Tails.
She'd called it a god, and after seeing what it was capable of, he couldn't disagree. It would definitely even out the playing field, yet the energy's sheer magnitude and wrath would leave him as little more than a rampaging monster.
Is it worth it? If I beat her and start rampaging through the mountain…
He gulped.
Can I gamble with the toads' lives like that?
His fingers curled into a tight fist, and he paused his breathing. Flashes of his fights against Gaara, Neji, Haku…
The uncontrollable transformation. The embodiment of terror. The unchained destructive fury.
Haku's acceptance of incoming, inescapable death...
Yet, the sight of Malenia standing there, waiting and giving him all the time in the world to just stand there thinking, ripped his heart into shreds. Not only was he a non-threat to her, but he was also right earlier. This fight was never about him judging her.
She was judging him.
He glared at her, his bright blue eyes shining with chakra. "Not yet."
He turned his focus inwards, towards his mindscape. In all its fury and colossal power, the Nine-Tails lay behind a strip of bars and a thin paper with a 'seal' written on it. An ocean of might and hatred trapped behind a thin barrier of chakra.
He drew a deep breath and offered his open palm to the beast.
The beast's tails swirled behind it. "I want you to say it."
Naruto clenched his teeth and looked down before responding. "Nine-Tails… I need your power."
It chuckled. "Of course you do."
Flaming auburn water surged from the cage and enveloped him.
Raw force flooded him, coursing through his veins like a rampaging river. The energy engulfed him, clothing him in a mantle of blazing chakra. His eyes flew open, morphing into a vibrant fusion of red and orange, the fox's pupils etching themselves onto his gaze.
A primal growl reverberated from his throat, the air rippling with the release of raw chakra. His wounds began to knit together, and the fatigue within his muscles evaporated.
A faint smirk stretched on Malenia's face, the side of her sword resting on her hip.
For a lifetime, he had been branded a loser, an imbecile incapable of greatness. Even Pervy Sage had underestimated him. And now, Malenia, a demigod, had offered him training without contempt or mockery. He had to prove his worth. His competence. His potential.
I will not let her dismiss me.
He unleashed a guttural roar that echoed through the forest clearing, the sound of untamed might and unharnessed power. His blazing aura, in crackling crimson and auburn hues, cast a burning light over the grass.
He sprinted forward, a blur of searing chakra, his speed dwarfing his previous efforts.
Malenia stood her ground.
The clash of Naruto's claws against her blade rebounded through the clearing. He grunted and growled as he pushed forward, but she didn't budge. With a smirk, she sent him flying back.
Even with the power of the Nine-Tails fueling him, his speed fell short of hers. No matter how much chakra he took and how fast he became, she remained as far above him as when they started. She danced around him in pirouettes and allegros, chipping away at his chakra armor one cut at a time.
As the edge of her blade descended upon him, he caught it with his hand. The steel forced its way through the chakra cloak. Skin and muscle split. Blood began pouring among his visible bones. He clenched his teeth and kicked her.
She skidded backward.
He claimed more chakra from the beast, and two more tails spurted out behind him. He rushed after her and attacked, landing several more punches.
Then she regained her footing, and he was back at square one.
The fight raged on, and Naruto claimed more and more chakra. A fourth tail was about to appear, but then it retreated. The flow of chakra didn't.
"Naruto…" The beast's voice slithered through the thumping in his ears like a snake. "Don't you know what happened to the two humans that ate like pigs?"
Coldness crept over his body, despite the burning chakra cloak. Ice grew within his ears and nose, behind his eyes, and beneath his tongue. Slithery tentacles wrapped around his gut and clenched.
As his muscles strained, he closed his eyes, surrendering to the maelstrom within. His thoughts spun like whirlwinds, memories of the past blending with the reality of the present.
He remembered the jeers, the derisive laughter, the harsh dismissals of his dreams. The bitter loneliness of an empty apartment. The piercing glare of the villagers. The pain, the suffering, the desperation to prove his worth.
Naruto gritted his teeth. "I'm not worthless."
The beast's chakra seeped deeper into his being, the raw, dark energy coursing through his veins and consuming him from the inside out.
His speed, strength, and resilience increased exponentially. His senses heightened, the world around him slowed down, every detail glaringly apparent. Raw, untamed power exploded within him.
He landed blows on Malenia. Each hit echoed through the clearing, and the ground trembled beneath them. Yet she stood her ground, matching his blows with a serene grace that never wavered.
Enough of this!
He made one more Rasengan, pouring everything he had into it. The swirling ball of chakra swelled until it dwarfed a horse.
"This ends now!" He clenched his other fist and charged.
She sidestepped with ease.
A cut through Naruto's wrist dissipated the Rasengan. A kick to his chest sent him sprawling backward. A stab straight through his heart dissolved the burning chakra cloak.
He fell on the wet ground, his strength depleted, and his body broken.
As the Nine-Tails' chakra rushed to save his life, he stared at the sky.
He had given it his all. It wasn't enough.
Only one more thought passed through his mind before he lost consciousness.
I wasn't enough.
The sunset became a faint ember smoldering in the deepening dusk, its last vestiges casting elongated specters that danced across the clearing. Naruto opened his eyes, a bitter tang tainting his tongue. His chest stung, and his skin prickled as if ants were climbing all over it.
Malenia stood above him, her helmet on the ground beside her. Her hair fell over her scarred eyes, and her skin bore no mark of the sparring match.
"Welcome back." Her voice crept like a soft summer breeze.
"Go on." He gulped. "Just spit it out."
"What?"
"Call me a loser, like everyone else."
She leaned down and pulled him up into a sitting position. Her armor sponged up the last droplets of sunlight, and each movement she made left behind the faint rustle of metal against metal.
She sat in front of him seiza style and put her hand on his shoulder. "Why do that?"
"Because I lost," he mumbled, avoiding her gaze, "I couldn't even touch you."
Malenia shook her head. "Naruto. I will speak in my own language now. I need to… be clear."
"Alright." He scratched his temple. "We can both speak in our languages for now. Could be a good lesson, I guess…"
"Indeed." A soft smile played at her lips, and she continued in the tongue of the Lands Between.
"Naruto." Her armor rustled in the evening breeze. "Under the canopy of the Haligtree, we speak not of victors and vanquished. To strive, to dare, to brave the odds—this is the true measure of one's strength. A falling leaf suffers not defeat before the wind. It merely follows the path laid before it by nature's design."
"I…" He frowned. "I don't get your fancy talk."
"You took on a demigod today. And you came at me without a shred of hesitation or fear." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Your courage today is a testament to your true character. It matters not if you did not best me. Only that you did not shrink from the challenge."
He snorted. "Says missus, 'I have never known defeat.'"
"There is a difference, Naruto, between a battlefield lost and a soul defeated." She looked up. "A king can lose his crown yet not his dignity. An artist can destroy their creation, yet not their ability. We are, all of us, marked by our trials. It is how we rise from them that defines us. There is a lesson here for you to learn."
"A lesson?" He struggled to sit up straighter, and his body protested with fresh waves of pain.
"Yes." Her scarred eyes focused on him. "True strength resides not in the brawn of the body, nor the flare of magic. It is the unyielding resolve of the spirit. Your determination, your indomitable spirit in the face of defeat—that is your strength. Do not let anyone tell you otherwise."
"You were supposed to show your strength to me." Tears pooled in his eyes. "But I feel like I was proving myself to you. And I blew it."
She chuckled. "You misunderstand. When I vowed to take you under my wing, I never required any level of mastery. Weak or strong, raw or refined, it's my sacred duty to guide your transformation. You've done nothing to falter."
The corners of his mouth quivered as a bitter tang appeared in his mouth. His throat tightened, and his gaze dropped to the grass beneath him, each blade glistening with droplets of dew.
"Back at the Academy, they... they all called me a loser." His voice trembled. "They said I couldn't control my chakra right. Too loud, they said. Too much energy." His hands clenched into fists, knuckles turning white. "Everyone was laughing at me. The teachers, the other students... everyone."
A long silence stretched between them, broken only by the distant hum of cicadas and the soft whistle of the warm breeze.
Malenia's scarred eyes remained fixed on Naruto. She reached out slowly, and her cracked hand found its place on his shoulder, the pressure firm yet gentle.
"Naruto." She spoke softly. "Experiences and judgement mold our lives, but they do not form our essence. I've carried the Scarlet Rot since birth, a single speck of imperfection amidst the golden grandeur of Leyndell. Believe me, I know what it means to be different."
"But I—"
She tightened her grip slightly. "You are not a loser. You, Naruto Uzumaki, have the spirit of a true warrior, and I'll ensure it shines forth."
He lifted his gaze, the twilight sky above flickering in his widening eyes.
"Your past, the Academy, your mentors..." She shook her head. "They shaped you, but they don't decide your destiny. Your future is in your hands."
As the cicadas' hum grew louder, blending with the fading light, Naruto swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat.
What was he supposed to say to that?
Eventually, his voice barely above a whisper, he squeaked out a 'thank you'.
"You're welcome," She withdrew her hand from his shoulder. "Now, are you ready to analyze the mistakes you made during our fight?"
"Yeah…" He nodded slowly. "I'm ready."
"The way you approach combat mirrors the tempestuous storm in its wild vigor. I admire it." Her voice was as steady as a calm lake, "However, it bears the unrefined passion of a tempest rather than the steady flow of a river. You do not dance the dance of a seasoned knight, but rather thrash like a cornered beast."
"But Iruka-sensei always said we should give everything we've got in a fight." His eyebrows knitted together. "He's one of my precious people. He wouldn't lie to me."
"True, one must always fight to their utmost limits." She gestured to the devastated ground around them. "But there's a wide chasm between investing everything into a fight and carelessly exhausting your energy. You prefer brute strength over elegance, disregarding strategy. This might fare well against minor foes, but against a seasoned adversary, you become an open manuscript. Predictability is a fatal flaw a warrior is allowed but once."
Easy to predict...? A chill ran down his spine. His fighting style was unpredictable, wild. He was the Number One Hyperactive, Knucklehead Ninja of Konoha, believe it!
"What are you talking about?" His voice wobbled as he picked up a fallen leaf and started fiddling.
"Consider your Rasengan. It's a potent technique, but one you lean on too much. The moment your foe sees that familiar swirl of energy, they are already crafting their countermove."
"But... but the Rasengan is my best shot, believe it…"
"And therein lies the problem." She tapped his chest. "You bet everything on a single, high-risk move. Rely too much on raw power, and when it fails, you are left exposed and defenseless."
Her words rang in his ears, and he fell silent. He looked down. All his past failures danced before his eyes. Sasuke beating him at the Valley of the End. The rain drenching the Third Hokage's grave. Neji almost killing Hinata. Haku falling to Kakashi's Chidori. Iruka taking a windmill shuriken to the back for him.
He gulped and nodded.
"You bear the seed of greatness." Warmth seeped into her voice. "But untamed potential, if left unguided, amounts to nothing but wasted chance. You possess the strength, now you must learn to wield it."
"I've always been a lone wolf, y'know?" He clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms. "No one ever stuck around to teach me."
"Naruto…" She lowered herself onto one knee and gently tilted his chin upward. "Each of us treads a unique path. Yours, I acknowledge, has been more trying than most. It's our trials that mold us, shape us. It's these tribulations that ultimately forge our strengths."
His vision blurred as a tear escaped, tracing a warm path down his dirt-streaked cheek.
"You are not alone anymore." She smiled. "In life, we may not always get the guidance we seek when we want it, but it's never too late to learn or grow."
His eyes met her scarred skin, and the world faded away.
"I'm not alone...?" His voice came out as less than a whisper. "Even after all the people who've ignored me or left me... you're not gonna do the same, are ya?"
"Never." She caressed his cheek. "But remember, learning requires dedication, patience, and discipline. You'll have to embrace these principles as your own. Are you ready for that?"
Naruto swallowed hard, his heart fluttering in his chest. A thousand thoughts rampaged through his mind like a whirlwind until he found his answer amid the chaos. He took a deep breath, and as he exhaled, he nodded, locking his gaze with hers.
"Yes." He maintained a steady tone. "I'm ready."
A croaking noise filled the air.
A small, orange toad wearing a vest hopped into the clearing.
"Gamakichi!" He grinned. "It's awesome to see you, believe it!"
"Yo, Naruto!" Gamakichi hopped up to him and glanced at Malenia. "And you must be Malenia. Heard a lot about you."
She nodded. "My pleasure, Gamakichi. Naruto talks about you."
"Really now?" He puffed his chest out. "I hope he hasn't bored you with too many tales of our grand adventures."
Naruto and Malenia laughed.
"Never bored." She smiled. "They are...entertaining."
"Entertaining, huh?" He crossed his arms, grinning wide. "I like that. And Naruto here could certainly use a little entertainment between all that training. I've been listening in on your match."
Naruto scratched his head. "Heh, more like I was the one gettin' thrashed, believe it."
"Ha!" Gamakichi chuckled. "Nothing like a good old beating to keep you on your toes, eh Naruto?"
"You said it, Gamakichi." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Anyway, what brings you here? Weren't all you toads s'posed to keep your distance while Malenia's around?"
"Yeah, I kind of went against Grandma Shima's orders." Gamakichi frowned. "Jiraiya showed up on the mountain looking for you."
"Pervy Sage? Here?" Naruto's voice rose by a notch.
Gamakichi shrugged. "Couldn't catch his full conversation with the elder toads. But it seems urgent. Then I remembered how much you didn't want to see him, so I hopped right down."
"Shoot, we gotta get outta here." Naruto jumped to his feet. "We can't let Pervy Sage see Malenia. If he—"
"Woah, what's the hurry?" Gamakichi cocked his head, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Why can't she meet Jiraiya?"
Naruto paused, his gaze flickering to Malenia before settling back on Gamakichi. He drew a deep breath and dragged him away.
"Look, she's sick, alright? I don't know what Grandma Shima told you, but Malenia has the kind of sick that spreads. I'm safe, but if Pervy Sage finds out…" He shook his head. "He'll just want to drag Grandma Tsunade into this."
"But can't Tsunade help?" Gamakichi scratched his head. "She's the best medic ever."
"Nah, she can't. Nobody can, except me." Naruto sighed. "And to be honest, I'm not sure I trust Pervy Sage or Granny to let me handle this myself."
"Wha- Naruto!"
"Nah, let me finish." His voice came out firmer. "I know what you're going to say. But look at the facts, Gamakichi. You remember how Jiraiya said he'd train me, right? Then, at every chance, he'd leave me behind. It's like I was training myself, believe it."
"But Tsunade—"
"Granny Tsunade? She sees me as nothing but a kid."
"Oh, get off it, Naruto. No, she doesn't."
"I mean, look at Shikamaru, the guy who gave up a fight 'cause he was too lazy to continue, he made chūnin. I took down Gaara, stopped a rampaging One-Tails, and I'm still a gennin."
"True, but she wasn't there for that."
"She had the reports! She saw me against Kabuto!"
"You're overreacting. There's more to being a chūnin than punching someone hard enough."
"Do you remember when we first met, Gamakichi? When I summoned you during my fight against Gaara?"
"I do." He nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You were so surprised to see me."
"Back then, I was the 'dead last.' The class clown. The loser." Naruto bit the inside of his cheek. "And even after everything I've done, after every fight I've won... No matter how hard I've tried, no matter what I've accomplished, that's how people still see me."
Gamakichi's smile faltered. "C'mon, Naruto. You're a hero, and you know it."
"Sure, I know. You know. But the rest of the village..." Naruto shook his head. "It's like they're blind. I'm tired of feeling underestimated, of being overlooked. And I won't let that happen again, not this time."
"Naruto—"
Naruto held up his hand again.
"This is my fight, Gamakichi. For once, I want to handle this myself. I want to show them, and prove to myself, that I'm not the 'dead last' anymore."
Gamakichi stayed silent for a moment before sighing and sagging his shoulders. "Alright, Naruto. I understand. I'll stall Jiraiya as long as I can."
"Thanks, Gamakichi." Naruto smiled. "I appreciate it."
Gamakichi cleared his throat. "One more thing. Jiraiya... mentioned something else. Something called... Akatsuki."
"Akatsuki? What's that?"
"No idea. He didn't go into details, but... he sounded really spooked. You two need to be extremely careful on the road."
A shiver ran down Naruto's spine. "Thanks for the heads up."
"No problem. Just... be careful, alright?"
Naruto nodded. "We will, Gamakichi. I promise, believe it."
He moved back to Malenia, while Gamakichi stayed where he was. He clasped her hand and waved to Gamakichi before taking a deep breath and focusing on his chakra.
He made a familiar hand sign. "Summoning Technique."
A cloud of smoke enveloped him and Malenia. When it cleared, they were no longer in the rocky terrain of Mount Myōboku but in the familiar forest where Naruto initially found her.
The pair found themselves in a forest brimming with life. The rustle of leaves underfoot and the harmonious orchestra of forest creatures played in the background as they started walking.
As they passed a small meadow, a bright flower standing amongst the greens caught Malenia's eye. She moved forward and gently plucked it, cradling it in her hands.
"Whoa, check that out." Naruto tilted his head. "What kind of flower is that?"
"I don't know what you call it here, but it resembles the Altus Bloom." She smiled and stroked the flower. "It reminds me of home."
"Home, huh?" Naruto echoed, his curiosity piqued. "You've never really talked about your home. What's it like?"
She ignored him. Her gaze fixed on the flower. Then she started to hum a melody, her voice soft yet resonant. The notes were unfamiliar to Naruto, but they carried an undeniable allure.
After a few moments, she began to sing:
In realms where sun descends,
Where silver streams do shimmer,
Blossom Altus Blooms,
'Neath the moon's faint glimmer.
A life-light ballet swirls,
Hidden from mundane worlds.
Struggling to find repose,
Under the gold's bright gleaming,
Tossing, turning in the night,
In the moonlight softly dreaming.
Stars a blanket overhead,
Yet still, no sleep in your bed.
Close your eyes, embrace the dark,
Let your weary heart surrender,
To dreams spun by silver streams,
And the moon's soothing splendor.
In the quiet, hushed and deep,
Find, at last, the gift of sleep."
"That sounds beautiful." He smiled. "Was that a popular song in your homeworld?"
She sighed and tucked the flower into her hair, its golden hue shining amidst her crimson locks. "Another time, Naruto."
As they resumed their journey, a strange sensation echoed in Naruto's mind - an eerie, familiar voice ringing through his consciousness.
"I told you, Naruto." The Nine-Tails' voice echoed through his head like a waterfall through an empty cavern. "There would be consequences."
Naruto's heart pounded in his chest, his hands clenching into fists.
He didn't have a shred of the beast's chakra in his system. Nor was he in his mindscape.
Which means…
"That's right. I see what you see, hear what you hear, and taste what you taste." The beast chuckled. "And I can talk to you whenever I damn please."
Hey, everyone!
Sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. I had some college exams to deal with, but now I'm back. I'll have the next chapter ready much sooner than this one, believe it! There will also be an increase in activity on my p. a. t. r. e. o. n. in the following few days, as I post some long overdue bonus content. One of which will be the story of how Malenia met her mentor, the Blind Swordsman, as well as more of Naruto and Malenia's language lessons (Don't worry, bonus content isn't important to keeping up with the story, I wouldn't do that to you).
Speaking of language lessons, you saw that Malenia spoke to Naruto in her own language in this chapter. She will continue to do so, and they will keep learning each other's language on the side (the scenes I mentioned above). I won't be clarifying when Malenia is speaking which language, just assume she's speaking her own whenever she's talking to Naruto (the difference in language should be obvious anyway). She should become fluent in Naruto's language by chapter six or seven, at which time she'll start speaking the same to everyone.
If you have any questions or comments please let me know in the reviews. I love them!
That's it for chapter three. Hope you enjoyed it.
I mentioned it above, but check out my p. a. t. r. e. o. n. at: user?u=53437875 (just paste that after p. a. t. r. e. o. n. / (don't forget to remove the spaces)). I'll be posting some cool stuff on there, and plenty of it will be free.
See you at chapter four!