They got back to Tazuna's house.

Naruto sat down between Sasuke and Sakura, Kakashi leaned against the wall as Aoba took a seat next to Naruto. Shin eyed a singed Naruto strangely.

Kakash folded his arms, "Who attacked you Naruto?" Kakashi's voice was hard. This encounter worried Kakashi. It had been a few days since the encounter. Did Gato hire more shinobi? Should they retreat? Tazuna would surely die if they left now. He needed more intel.

Naruto frowned harder recalling the battle. "He didn't give a name, but he used a sword shaped like a giant scroll that created explosive tags and caused explosions." Naruto said his voice heavy with caution.

Both Kakashi and Aoba made eye contact with each other. "Only one person using the blaster sword. Jinnpachi, he's one of the 7 swordsmen of the mist. He's a ruthless killer." Aoba explained. Aoba looked at Naruto proudly. "You were able to hold him off?"

Naruto nodded with a smile. "He's tough but not that fast and his sword limits his versatility." Sasuke looked on angrily. He knew Naruto was ahead of him, but to be fighting Jonin level-opponents showed how far that gap had grown.

Sakura looked on fearfully. She could barely do anything against the chunin Brothers, how could she help when they might have to face another Jonin.

"Kakashi-sensei, what are we suppose to do?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi looked grim, he would most likely have to face Zabuza, Aoba could beat Jinnpachi, Naruto could take on the hunter-nin while Sasuke and Sakura secure the client but that was cutting it close. Kakashi snapped his book closed. "We endure."

Shin grew angry. "What kind of response is that?!"

"Shin, we are shinobi. To face adversity is to live each day. We will train, we will grow, we will strategize. That's what it means to endure."

Kakashi turned his head to Naruto.

"Was there anything else?" Kakashi asked.

Naruto mulled it over In his head. He knew who the hunter-nin was but that information did not change anything. He needed to setup a proxy. Naruto had a feeling he would need his unique Sage form this battle.

"No, nothing else, senpai."

Kakashi stood up straight. He motioned toward Sakura, Sasuke and Shin with his hand.

"You three, we're guarding Tazuna today. Zabuza should be healed in 3 days. We'll use today and tomorrow to train in intervals after guard duty is over."

"Roger."

"Hn."

"Understood. "

"Okay!"

Team 7 departed. Naruto exhaled the spent natural composite that he used up to accelerate his healing. He leaned back against a cushion. Closed his eyes to recover.

"I'm glad you're ok, the battle seemed intense." Aoba said into the quiet of the house.

"You have no idea, I had to push myself beyond my current limit and I still don't know if I could have won." Naruto replied with his eyes still closed. A light green glow radiated from his body.

Aoba looked on, it was impressive. It looked like the same technique he was using on the bridge but he could see improvements already.

"Jinnpachi is one of the 7 swordsmen of the mist. A strong Jonin, I don't know what an outcome between myself and him would be. Good job."

Naruto let out a sigh. "I lost it, he talked about killing Uzumaki for the blast sword. I wanted to kill him so bad then, I lost control."

Must be talking about when the Kyuubis chakra was leaking from him. Aoba thought to himself.

"That might be so, but don't dwell on it. Learn from it and let it go."

Naruto smiled slightly, "You're right Aoba-sensei."

A grumpy Sasuke, alert Sakura and nonchalant Shin follow Tazuna as Kakashi leads the group to the bridge with his book in front of him.

Sasuke knew he could be faster, stronger, more lethal but he needed guidance. "Kakashi," Sasuke's teacher turned his head to regard his emotional student.

"What is it Sasuke?" Sasuke stared. "I need to get stronger. Train me."

Kakashi let Tazuna past him, Kakashi hmmed to himself, sitting on the side of the bridge deep in thought, he could hear Tazuna organizing his workers to start the projects for the day. Kakashi peeked around to see Sasuke still staring into his soul. Kakashi sighed.

"OK, I'll plan something out for you when we return to the Leaf." Sasuke did a quick bow then left. Sakura and Shin were on opposite sides of the bridge. The bridge was about 3 yards away from completion. It was truly a spectacular site.

Shin was making weird comments and gesturing a lot with his hands to the workers. They ignored him for the most part. That kid had terrible interpersonal skills.

Sasuke with his sharingan blazing constantly scanned the area, analyzing every twitch or breeze, Kakashi could see him trying to process everything. Sasuke's arms were crossed, he ignored the workers when they talked to him.

Sakura was at the uncompleted edge of the bridge. She was looking at her reflection in the water. She could cast two new genjutsu now. She wasn't useless! But her taijutsu was still subpar and her jutsu ability was low. She had to stop herself from getting down. She would help Sasuke this time! Then he would trust her to watch his back, falling in love with her and that would be that. She giggled at the thought. Tazuna was screaming at his workers nonstop.

"Gichi, rebar first!"

"Got it, Tazuna!"

"Uomi! Lay the cement down using the fill!"

"Yes sir."

Team 7's day continued in much the same. They stood watch over Tazuna and his workers as they worked hard to finish the bridge. The genin searches the area intensely, ready to defend the client with their all. Soon the sun started to set at Tazuna and team 7 headed back.

"We're having fish tonight. Tsunami cooks it so well."

Kakashi eye smiled in thanks.

Three days later Team 7 plus and Aoba headed to the bridge. Naruto stayed behind in case the house was attacked. The team departed with Tazuna in tow. Naruto chose to get a little extra sleep. He was far from lazy but between the mission to Snow and rushing here, he had barely had time to properly rest.

Naruto had just entered rem when a piercing scream woke him up. He sprang up. Naruto quietly opened the door to investigate. Two men had Inari and Tsunami tied up in the living room.

"Gato's been looking for this very special family." The white haired looking bandit said.

"She's sexy, we should take her with." The dark haired bandit said, leering at Tsunami who turned her head away in disgust.

"Fine, kill the brat."

"No!" Tsunami screamed squirming in the tight ropes. "If you hurt my son, I'll bite my tongue and bleed to death."

The white haired one sighed. "Why are hostages so difficult? Fine," he looked at Inari, "Thank your mom for letting you live."

"No! Mom! Leave my mom alone!" Inari sat up in his ropes, he ran at them screaming. The bandits drew their swords intent on cutting him up.

Naruto from above knew he had to act. Disappearing with his quickest body flicker, he appeared right next to both bandits. Naruto turned his toward a surprised Inari giving him a smile.

"I'll handle it from here. Good job protecting your mom kid."

Freaked the hell out at his speed, both bandits tried to retreat only for Naruto to grab a hold of their arms and body flicker once more outside with them. Naruto let them go as they both drew their swords, white one slashed high while the dark haired one slashed low. Naruto jump-twisted his body spinning in between both strikes, landing a punch and kick that knocked them both to the ground.

Naruto threw a few shuriken they deflected. Naruto flickered into white haired's guard, stabbing him into the chest with a wind-enhanced kunai, Naruto flicked it to the side, impaling dark haired in the head. Naruto dispassionately gazed down at the bodies.

Naruto felt a few strong chakra signatures flare In the direction of the bridge. He channeled chakra through his body disappearing in a poof of smoke.

Naruto watched from a tree at the battles happening before him.

Kakashi was fighting Zabuza and the exploding sword guy. Aoba was fighting a weird guy with a needle looking sword with lots of strings everywhere. Sasuke was fighting the hunter-nin and Shin and Sakura were watching the client. Naruto had one thought, time for a rematch!

Going through hand seals Naruto summoned a small Sarco.

"Hey Shara, I need to use Sarco Sage form for this battle. Could I have your help?"

Shara eyed the Sarco's new summoner. He was entertaining and growing strong. The boss would be pleased if she helped.

"Of course, Naruto!" Naruto held out his arm. Shara opened her mouth biting him in the forearm until blood bled out. His arm gained a greenish hue as natural energy poured into him at a rapid pace.

"Thank you, Shara"

"As our summoner, it is our duty to help you grow. By Naruto!" She waved her tail goodbye until she poofed away.

Naruto centered the influx of natural energy into his core. Melding it into harmony with his chakra, then converting it into nature energy, Naruto's eyes become yellow and predatory, his whiskers marked deepened with black lines. A gold shimmer radiated from him.

Naruto rapidly compressed his chakra, then formed his wind cutter. Whoosh, in an instant the cutting wind was formed on the outer edge of his chakra. It felt so easily to control in this form, plus the influx of natural energy continues to meld in his core.

Naruto focused on Jinnpachi, Kakashi forced him back with an explosive tag at his feet. Jinnpachi jumped further down the bridge and Naruto saw his chance. Molding his chakra deep into his legs, then his body, arms and face, he disappeared at lighting speed, Naruto appeared right in front of a startled Jinnpachi. He threw a kick that Jinnpachi blocked with his blast sword. His hands opened and started to bleed from Naruto's cutting wind. The attack knocked him backwards off the bridge. Naruto followed, jumping off the bridge.

Jinnpachi eyed his opponent warily. He thought Kakashi was a problem, this one was very fast. Jinnpachi readied his blade in front of him. Naruto's cutting wind swirled at his feet, Naruto flickered into Jinnpachi's face mid air, he twisted his body throwing a kick down toward his head. Jinnpachi side-stepped. The wind behind the attack split the water open.

Jinnpachi clicked his waved his blade, sending numerous exploding tags toward Naruto.

Naruto molded chakra into his hands, flipping through 39 hand seals in a few seconds. Naruto summoned a water dragon that roared. It formed a barrier by running into the exploding tags. They exploded, the water pouted down on their heads. Naruto's wind cutter armor flared, he drew Kusanagi, Jinnpachi and Naruto flickered from view clashing sword against sword constantly.

Naruto went into a combo that Jinnpachi escaped from using the blast sword to explode. They dashed back In, swords clanging against each other, moving faster and faster trying to find openings. Naruto slid against the ground after pushing Jinnpachi back during a deadlock. He was good and knew how to use his sword well. Naruto could tell that he was barely tapping into the potential of the sword.

"I've had enough, it's time for you to die brat." Jinnpachi held his sword high as exploding tags formed around and above the blade in endless quantities forming an 'exploding blade'

He swung down with intent! "Bakumatsu!"

Naruto threw Kusanagi like a saw, Jinnpachi saw it coming and dodged to the side, finishing his explosive swing with a maniacal laugh.

Naruto held out both hands forming a gigantic Rasengan. "Chou Odama Rasengan!" The exploding tags collided with the rasengan detonating safely. Roaring Naruto pushed his rasengan into Jinnpachi, it exploded, Jinnpachi turning into a puddle right after.

"When did he?" Naruto asked himself, dodging a water spear, and another and another as he ran across the water, side stepping, flipping, and jumping to dodge the water jutsu.

Naruto focused while dodging spears of water, blocking out of the noise of countless jutsu, chakra flaring in the air and chakra saturated water below him to find Jinnpachi's chakra signature deep below. Looks like he was trying to put a stop to Naruto's speed. A good plan actually, except, Naruto went through hand seals, slamming his hands down onto the water, a summoning circle formed.

"Summoning Jutsu: Carnivorous carnival!" poofs of smoke in the water dissapeared to show His Sarco's. They wasted no time attacking everything in the water, fish, sharks, and Jinnpachi. They tore apart and ate everything.

Fear ran through Jinnpachi's body. He could feel their hunger for flesh, they swam toward him slowly mouths party In the water. A fish swam by its mouth barely touching the tooth and the jaw snapped down splitting the fish in half as blood filled the water.

Jinnpachi quickly formed hand seals, he held his palms out "Water Style: Twin twisters!" from his hand two twisters jutted out twisting the Sarcos away from him, he twisted his palms up pushing him all the way to the surface. He broke through the water with a big breath of air.

He stuck his face close to the water to see the monsters swimming towards him. Naruto appeared throwing a wind cutting kick towards his neck while throwing his kunai towards his heart.

Jinnpachi rolled left while speeding through hand seals, "Water prison jutsu!" He formed the water prison trap around himself, Naruto's kunai bounced off the water prism but his kick pierced the sphere cutting through his right shoulder as he rotated.

Naruto twisted bring his other foot down to finish Jinnpachi. Jinnpachi grabbed the hint of his sword on his back and a few exploding notes appeared, pushing him away from Naruto and the Sarcos, pushing Naruto back and damaging his back. Naruto retreated.

Jinnpachi held his bloody shoulder with his hand to use his water manipulation to put enough pressure to stop the bleeding. His right arm was limp, the brat had cut through everything holding it together. He grit his teeth In anger, damn that brat. The bleeding stopped. His used his one hand to draw his sword. Jinnpachi shoved it in the forming hundreds of exploding tags that killed a few Sarcos. He backflipped dodging Naruto's rasengan. Jinnpachi had left a few exploding notes In Naruto's face that he quickly tried to dodge.

The smoke cleared, Jinnpachi landed back on the water, his breath heavy. This brat was a lot stronger than the last fight! Jinnpachi went to move when a 'Naruto hand' reached up from the water to grab his legs, the original Naruto dove back in seeing an opening. He formed a larger rasengan, Jinnpachi swung his sword toward the flying Naruto sending exploding tags at the clone who poofed with the explosion.

The Naruto holding Jinnpachi's feet the real one pulled two kunai out of the water rose up and stabbed Jinnpachi in both knees.

"Ahhhhhh!" Jinnpachi yelled spitting needles that hit Naruto in the neck.

"Gahh." Naruto spat out blood as he glared at his opponent in front of him.

A fireball came scorching towards them. Jinnpachi formed a hand seal causing a surge of water to block the fireball. Jinnpachi swung his seal sword, smacking into a recovering Naruto's shoulder leaving a paper seal ther. Naruto saw it and panicked trying to to take it off, when that didn't work he covered himself in his wind armor just as it went off, bloodying his arm and taking a chunk of it off.

"Ahhh!" Naruto screamed in pain. Red chakra coveredn the hole, hisarm started to heal as Jinnpachi looked at him angrily.

Jinnpachi roared, picking up his weapon. He swung at a kneeling Naruto, sending him rolling across the water, exploding tags following his form. Naruto formed the bird hand seal while skipping across the water.

"Wind cutter style: blaze!" His armor surged out around him, leaving his bare as it tore through the sealing tags stabbing through Jinnpachi.

"Gah!" He spit out a bunch of blood, falling to his knees. He started to sink as his rolled into the back of his head. Jinnpachi sunk into the water as the Sarcos moved in biting and severing his legs.

Kisame, Zabuza, Kushimaru, Ameyuri, Fuguki, Jûzo… my comrades. I truly miss the bloody days where we worked together. See you all in the afterlife.

Jinnpachi sank as more and more Sarcos continued to bite down on his body, eating him until there was nothing left.

Naruto climbed back up to the top of the bridge. He saw Sasuke destroying Ice mirrors with the chidori, Zabuza and Kakashi were moving too fast. On the far side, he caught a glimpse of Aoba and Kushimaru fighting.

Jutsu used:

Wind cutter style: blaze

Water prison jutsu

Water Style twin twisters

Summoning jutsu

Water Style water spears