Naruto and Kurotsuchi stood at the edge of Toki facing a group of people. They had come together to send off the fellow heroes of Toki. Two days had passed since the pair took down Bunto and the brothers. Word had spread like wildfire ever since and soon everyone in Toki came to know them as heroes.

"Goodbye Naruto, Kurotsuchi. Thank you once again from the bottom of our hearts," Satoshi said as he shook both of their hands and bowed. The group behind followed in bowing and saying their thank yous.

"You're welcome. We also thank you for your hospitality and generosity," Naruto said as the teens bowed back at the crowd.

"We hope Toki prospers and we promise to come back here," Kurotsuchi added.

"Thank you!" "Goodbye!" "You're the best!" Many cheers were shouted by the crowd as they waved the two goodbye. Naruto and Kurotsuchi waved back and made their way down the curved road that led away from Toki. Soon, Toki was out of sight and there was only forest.

They eventually reached a fork in the road which marked the end of their journey together. "I guess this is goodbye…" Naruto stated.

"Yeah I guess so…" Kurotsuchi said rather disappointedly. However, she pushed back those feelings as she turned to face Naruto. "I enjoyed our time together, Naruto. I would love to do it again someday," she said with a grin that matched the one Naruto had.

"Me too, Kurotsuchi. Goodbye and I-" Naruto was interrupted as he felt something that was foreign to him. Something that never happened before. Kurotsuchi was burning up and she quickly turned away from Naruto to hide her face.

"Goodbye, Naruto-kun…" She whispered just enough for Naruto to hear. Naruto stood rooted as he tried to comprehend what had just occurred. He touched his cheek where she had kissed him. He even pinched himself as if to check if he was dreaming. Kurotsuchi was getting further and further away and Naruto swore he saw her hips moving a little more than it should.

"Goodbye, Kurotsuchi-chan," he said, causing Kurotsuchi to stop. She turned around and saw Naruto with the biggest smile ever. She waved goodbye to him which he did too before he disappeared with the wind.


Unknown Location

It felt like a thousand needles were poking his skin. All he could see around him were darkness and machines. As much as he tried, he couldn't stand from his lying position. He had never felt his body so heavy before. "Kukuku looks like you're awake…" came a voice from the dark abyss. The voice caused the hair on his arms and neck to stand. It felt too cold and evil even for him.

He looked in the direction of the voice and felt the blood draining from his face. "Y-you! I k-know who you are," he said shakily. He had never been this scared his entire life. The aura this man exuded just brought it out of him.

"Who doesn't know who he is? Orochimaru-sama has definitely made sure of that," a man with glasses said while he prepared several vials.

"You're scaring him, Kabuto," Orochimaru said with a smirk. His abnormally long tongue licked his lips as he approached his latest experiment.

"What do you want with me?!" He mustered all his confidence to demand from the snake sannin.

"Kukuku…what do I want? Why should I tell you that…Geto Junpei…" Orochimaru smirked when he saw the look of horror on Geto's face. "Oh yes, I know exactly who you are…and I know what you want."

Kabuto approached him from the side and in hands were the vials he was preparing previously. Geto saw the vials and tried to move away but realised that his arms and legs were blinded to the bed he was on by snakes. The last thing he saw was Kabuto's smirking face before darkness once again made itself known.


Training Duration: 1 year and 7 months since leaving Konoha

Naruto stirred awake to the sound of ocean waves and the sound of seagulls. He blinked his sleep away and noticed that Jiraiya was still asleep. He stood up from his futon and headed for the bathroom. He stared himself in the mirror as he brushed his teeth.

It had been more than a year and a half since he left Konoha to train with Jiraiya. His appearance was more or less the same but slightly more mature. His jawline was sharper and he had lost his baby fat. His hair was as messy as always and long with it coming down partially across the front of his face. He couldn't help but notice that every time he put up his mask he looked like Kakashi, just with yellow hair. 'Should I cut my hair? Nah…I'll do it next time,' he thought before he rinsed his mouth with water. He had definitely grown taller and it could be seen quite clearly. When he first met Jiraiya, he was at his chest height. Now he was at the height of Jiraiya's shoulders and he still had several more years to grow.

Naruto changed out of his sleeping clothes and went to shake Jiraiya awake. After waking him up, Naruto wrapped a scarf around his neck before making his way out of the room they stayed at for the night. Compared to the mainland, winter in coastal areas doesn't really bear snow. However, it was still chilly.

Naruto made a beeline for a ramen stall he saw the previous day. He ordered two bowls of chicken ramen and waited as the chef started preparing. He turned away from the counter and stared at the breathtaking scenery behind him.

The blue of the seas contrasting with the brown of ships and the green of islands. The sound of seagulls and the sea water washing up onto shore added to the wonderful scenery. Naruto took a deep breath and immediately the scent of sea water hit his nose. He and Jiraiya were currently at a port town off the east coast of the Land of Fire. It was a small yet bustling town that dealt with a part of the land's fish imports.

Soon the smell of the seaside was replaced with a smell he will always love - the smell of ramen. He turned back towards the counter and thanked the chef before digging into his breakfast. "You have been eyeing this place ever since we came here, haven't you?" Jiraiya asked as he took a seat beside Naruto. Naruto merely nodded as he had a bunch of ramen in his mouth. "One large bowl of shrimp ramen please."

"Are you ready for the next part of your training?" Jiraiya asked as he scribbled in his notebook.

"Of course! I can't wait to master water chakra. It's going to be the hardest thing we've done on this trip," Naruto said enthusiastically.

"Even harder than mastering wind chakra?"

"Probably, seeing as wind is my strongest element, but who knows?" Naruto said as he finished his first bowl.

"Ok, we're leaving in an hour. The old man who has a boat said to meet him at that time," Jiraiya informed before he started digging into his ramen.


Three Hours Later

"Ohhh….When are we going to get there…." Naruto moaned as he leaned against the edge of the boat. "We've been going for hours and all I've seen is water and more water…."

"Hey, do you want to reach there in one piece or not? Shut it before I throw you overboard," the captain of the boat chided. They had paid an old man to take them to their destination. The boat they were in was simple and usually used for fishing. They could've walked on the water but that would've taken forever and it could be dangerous.

Suddenly, the surroundings started to get blurry. Naruto rubbed his eyes thinking it was some dust in his eyes but found that it was from the surroundings. "We've officially crossed the Land of Water's border. Only an hour more till your destination," the captain informed them.

"I guess it fits to call them Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist," Jiraiya said and Naruto couldn't disagree. He could only see about five metres in front of him. He couldn't sense any chakra which meant that the mist was all natural.

One Hour Later

Naruto watched as the boat got smaller and smaller in the distance. Soon the boat disappeared in the mist-covered horizon. He removed his sights from the now empty seas and turned to the island they were in. They were on a small remote island located slightly away from the main peninsula where Kirigakure resided. The island was mostly covered in forest but it had a river which ran through the middle.

The student and teacher duo travelled from the shore into the heart of the island. They traversed through the trees while avoiding the local wildlife. The cool winds of winter blew from their backs as they eventually reached the heart of the island. A large river flowed from the east and the west of the island, meeting at a singular point in the middle of the island. In the middle, a waterfall circled around a large lake which was inside the land. It was a mesmerising sight.

"The locals call this island the Evening's Eye," Jiraiya stated.

"This is where we're training training?!"

"Cool right?" Jiraiya said with a smirk. "I thought if we're going to train we might as well make it soothing to the eyes." Naruto nodded vigorously before going to set camp. They would start training the next day and he couldn't contain his excitement.


The crashing of water and the calls of birds covered the island as the sun started to rise. Naruto and Jiraiya were already up and about and were doing a morning warmup. "Ok, Gaki. You know the drill, 100 pushups, 300 sit ups and 200 squats!" Jiraiya ordered as Naruto went about his usual routine. After an hour of exercises, they started the nitty gritty training. Jiraiya picked up a leaf and handed it to Naruto. "Start with soaking the leaf with only your chakra," he said.

Naruto took the leaf and did the exercise which Kakashi had gotten him to do in the past. Soon the leaf was drenched. "Heh, wet just like how I ladies get when they see me," Jiraiya commented before getting a smack on the head. "Oi!"

"Good one," Naruto commented. "Moving on though…"

"What did you do when you soak that leaf?" Jiraiya asked as he made Naruto sit down with him on a fallen tree.

"I channelled chakra through it."

"No shit. No, try to explain it with detail," Jiraiya prompted.

"Hmmm...If I had to explain, I would say that I channelled chakra into the leaf's water system and used the water in there to expand out and soak the whole leaf," Naruto explained after thinking for a while.

"So you expanded the water, correct?" Naruto nodded in affirmative. "Good. That's what we're going to focus on next," Jiraiya said before he asked Naruto to follow him to the river. Naruto followed Jiraiya's lead and stepped foot onto the river. The river currents were strong as they travelled to the waterfall in the middle and if he wasn't careful, he might get dragged with the current. "Sit down on the river using chakra! That's your first challenge!" Jiraiya shouted amongst the loud crashing of water.

Naruto sat on the water and was immediately almost dragged by the current had he not created two clones instinctively to catch him. He once again tried to sit down and was dragged by the river. 'Tsk, the water is so strong!' Naruto thought as he fought against the current for what felt like hours to him.

'The current is pushing me. I need to use my chakra to pull myself back like an anchor. I cannot move.' Naruto picked himself up and stood on the river bank. He slowly made his way deeper into the river and he could steadily feel the strength of the water picking up. 'I need to increase my chakra' he thought as the resistance against the water started to fall.

Naruto reached the middle of the river and took a deep breath to calm himself down. 'I need to anchor myself here…' Naruto channelled chakra to his feet and extended it to the water below him. The water was like a blaze of fire - rushing and strong. He needed to grab the water like a rope. He needed to anchor himself. His chakra seeped into the water and felt around like a man in the darkness. 'Come on…give me something…there!' His chakra grabbed onto the water around him and held it like a rope. Soon, Naruto found himself sitting against the current and not moving more than an inch back before moving forward an inch.

"Good job, Gaki! It took you about 5 hours or so. That's shorter than when I first tried it. Come on, let's eat," Jiraiya said as they made their way back to camp.

"You mastered water chakra?" Naruto asked as he wiped himself dry.

"No. I tried to but it was not my forte. I couldn't finish the last step," he replied while flipping some chicken he had bought before departing the previous day. After eating, Naruto and Jiraiya decided to stop the physical training.

"What was the point of that first training?" Naruto asked as he watched his clones train their wind style jutsu.

"Ah, good question. What did you do to stop getting pushed by the current?" Jiraiya asked back.

"I anchored myself using chakra."

"You pulled on the water below you, no?" He asked, getting a nod from Naruto. "Water has no state. It can be solid, gas and liquid. Unlike wind which is sharp, precise and straight, water has no definite shape yet it has strength. It can push and pull at the same time. That's what you need to learn. The difference between wind and water styles and to be one like water. To be able to adapt. You expanded or pushed the water out of the leaf. Now, you've pulled yourself to the water to anchor yourself. You're slowly getting there," Jiraiya explained to an in awe Naruto.

"Woah…There's no way you thought of that yourself," Naruto said, causing Jiraiya to have a dark cloud over his head.

"That obvious huh? It was the words of the person who taught me water style," Jiraiya said.

"Who?"

Jiraiya smiled at the question or rather the man who was the answer. "Sarutobi-sensei of course…"

"No wonder that sounded so wise. It was Jiji's words…" Naruto said as he nodded.


2 months later

Naruto sat crossed-legged in the middle of the Evening's Eye. The waterfalls crashed just a few feet away from him. His eyes were closed as he regulated his breathing. He expanded his chakra to the water below him and eventually it reached the waterfalls that circled him. He let out a pulse of his chakra which caused ripples to form around him. He could feel it. The feeling of every single bit of water around him, down to the smallest water drop.

With a little effort, he pushed more chakra into the area around him and he never felt more connected to that around him. If one were to look at him from outside, they would've seen rings of water in the air circling Naruto. The ripples around Naruto grew stronger and harder and seemed like mini waves.

Three Naruto clones appeared and the four sat back to back with each other. Suddenly, the area bursted with chakra. Jiraiya watched from the top of the waterfall with interest. He could feel the chakra getting more potent within the water.

'Now comes the hard part…' Naruto thought as he felt for his chakra in the waterfall. 'Flow…Push…Pull…STOP!' Suddenly all the water from the waterfalls stopped before flowing backwards, up towards the rivers. The water stopped halfway before it started moving to the left. Soon there was a large ring of water circling overhead of Naruto. The water moved at such high speeds that it was carving into the rock behind it. After a few seconds of keeping it up, Naruto released his hold on the water and it all came crashing down again.

The clones dispelled in a puff of smoke and Naruto sighed in relief before laying down out of tiredness. "I did it…I did it! Haha I actually just stopped a waterfall!" Naruto exclaimed gleefully.

"I never seen anything like that ever before. That was great, Naruto!" Jiraiya praised as he jumped down to where Naruto was.

"Haha, thanks. I don't know if I ever used that much chakra in just a training session before," Naruto said as he stood up and took the towel Jiraiya handed him.

"People dream of having the amount of chakra you use for training," Jiraiya said with a shake of his head. "Incredible…You make your parents proud, you know that."

"Really?" Naruto's eyes lit up like a child entering a toy store for the first time. "Thanks, Ero-sennin."


Kirigakure no Sato

Mei Terumi, the Mizukage, was having another day at the office. Sitting behind a desk, going through what seems like an entire forest worth of papers and dreading every minute of it. "Why must there be so much paperwork…" she groaned. It was the thought of every kage that had ever taken the position. After signing a form, she decided it was time to take a break.

She stood up and got a well deserved stretch. She turned and looked out of the window behind her. A sight that reminded her why she was a Kage met her. The sight of her village, rebuilding, her people working together and laughing about as they walked the street. A sight she wished would stay until the day she died. She didn't want war once again to befall her land. She lived through plenty and would do what it takes for her people to never fall at the hands of civil war.

She also wondered if one of those men down there would be willing to marry her. Yet, she knew the answer almost immediately. 'Nobody wants me at the altar… They're just too afraid,' she thought with a sigh. The anbu that were hidden in the corners of her room found this to be her routine. She would work, take a break and always end up disappointed in herself or rather in her love life before working again.

Suddenly, the large doors of the Mizukage office slammed open. "Mizukage-sama! We have urgent news!" Ao announced as he barged into the Mizukage's office.

"Report?" Mei ordered as she sat in her chair.

"Our sensors have picked up a large chakra outburst near the Evening's Eye," Ao reported.

"How large is this chakra outburst?" Mei asked as she interlocked her fingers in front of her and rested her elbows on the table.

"It felt like multiple A-rank jutsu going off at the same time."

"Hmmm…." Mei licked her lips as a smirk came onto her face. "Interesting…Ao, call for the Tsunami Squad. Have them recon and search the area. If they do make contact, ask them to retaliate if unfriendly."

"Hai," Ao said as he bowed. He immediately turned on his heels and called for Kiri Anbu's best tracking and hunter-nin squad.

'Let's see what the mist brings us today…' Mei thought as she stared off into the direction of the Evening's Eye.


"They're coming as you said, Ero-sennin…" Naruto stated as he stared at a snowflake falling from the sky. He followed the snowflake's path till it reached the river water before dissolving.

"How many?" Jiraiya asked as he stood up from where he was sitting.

Naruto picked up a rock and skipped it across the river. The rock bounced five times before it reached the opposite side. Jiraiya nodded before they both disappeared in a swirl of leaves.


Five shadows were blitzing through the forest that led to the Evening's Eye. They stayed in a tight group as their eyes flickered left and right, scoping out their surroundings. They may be on home turf but whoever released the chakra blast, was here before them and could have set up an ambush.

Suddenly, the two who were leading came to a grinding halt which was followed by the rest. They hid in the shadows as their attention was turned to the sound of bushes shaking. They sat in anticipation as they waited for their enemy to reveal themselves. The bushes were pushed to the side to reveal…an innocent bunny.

"Tsk, why did we stop for that?" The annoyed captain, Tako (Octopus), asked.

"I sensed a human's chakra level, Taicho," answered the group's sensor, Uni (Sea Urchin).

"Well she's not wrong about that," came a voice that placed them all on edge. They turned their heads up to see a hooded shinobi standing on the branch above them. He was sticking to the branch upside down and staring at the group. Immediately, Uni was onto him with her tanto out. Yet, she hit nothing but air.

Tako managed to see the man's fast movements and saw that he was to their right. Tako predicted where the shinobi would land and threw senbon right at the predicted area. However, the man was ready and with a flick of the wrist, used his sword to stop the senbon in their tracks. "You're still using senbon? Still as precise as always," he said, which made all the Kiri Anbu freeze what they were doing as it sounded like the man knew Tako personally. He took off his hood and revealed a masked face and some unforgettable blonde hair.

Tako instantly recognised who it was but before she could make her men stand down, Kujira (Whale) was already mid-slash with his tanto. The tanto slashed through Naruto but he exploded into a puff of smoke instead of blood.

"One minute. That's 10 seconds longer than you thought so I win," Naruto said from behind the group of Anbu.

"Ah damn it. Where would you even get that rabbit?" Jiraiya unwillingly gave Naruto the bet he won.

"I didn't get it. I was the rabbit…anyways," Naruto said as he gestured to the still very on guard Anbu squad.

"State your reasons for being here or bear the consequences," ordered Kujira who still had his tanto faced towards Naruto.

"We would like to request a meeting with the Mizukage-"

"How dare you trespass on the Land of Water and request a meeting with our leader. I have never heard such nonsense," Uni spat.

Naruto reached into his pockets and showed the squad and showed them a sealed scroll. The scroll bore the seal of the Hokage on its front. "Does your squad speak for you, Tako-taicho?" Naruto asked as he stared into the eyeholes of Tako's mask.

"We will escort you to our Mizukage," Tako said.

"B-but, Taicho…"

"They bear the mark of the Hokage. To reject a diplomatic group could lead to many unwanted consequences. Besides, I trust that they're not here to cause harm. If they do harm to Kiri, I will commit seppuku. Now, move! We will escort Jiraiya-sama of the Sannin and his subordinate to the Mizukage." Her words were final as the team took a surrounding formation around the Konoha duo. Naruto could feel the team's eyes roaming mostly on him. He couldn't blame them really.

The journey to Kiri was silent and was done by boat. They arrived forty minutes later to mainland Kirigakure. It was the duo's first time in the village and they soaked in every bit of it. To say the least, it was definitely misty. Naruto thought it looked a lot like Konoha. The village had a Main Street in the middle which ran from one end of the village to the other. The village was in the midst of rebuilding from the civil war. The buildings were circular instead of Konoha's rectangular which Naruto was used to. There was definitely more alleviation than in Konoha as buildings were built on hills and smaller surrounding islands. One such building was the Mizukage's tower.

A long and tall staircase led to the Mizukage tower. It definitely gave a foreboding impression to any enemies who climbed it. It showed that the Mizukage was much bigger than you. However, Naruto was no enemy and he saw it as any other stairway. The only thing that mattered was the tower itself and the Kage that was in it. If one was to be a Kage, they had to be strong and Naruto respected that.


Entering inside the building, the Anbu took the two up a flight of stairs to the third floor. They turned a corner and Naruto could see at the end of a long corridor a set of large wooden doors which he assumed led to the Mizukage's office. "Really makes you think twice about meeting the Mizukage with a hallway this long," Jiraiya commented.

"Yeah, imagine trying to propose an idea. This hallway will definitely make people think twice, maybe even thrice," Naruto said in agreement. Before they reached, Naruto was met with a familiar face.

"We welcome you, Jiraiya of the Sannin. We hope that the Hokage has wonderful things if she had sent you of all people to deliver a message," Ao greeted with a slight bow.

"Thank you. We would have requested this meeting in a more formal way but our villages have yet to establish proper hawk messaging routes," Jiraiya responded with a bow. "See, Gaki. Even Kiri-nin knows to respect the great Jiraiya. Not like you and your Ero-sennin…" Jiraiya whispered to Naruto who gave him a deadpan look in return. Naruto need not see his face to see the smug look on it.

"You've grown, Naruto-kun. Both in size and strength," Ao said as he bowed to Naruto which he returned. Naruto could imagine in between the bow how Jiraiya's smug look fell when Ao acknowledged him too. In fact, he could also feel the chakra of the Anbu that escorted them had fluctuated in surprise.

"It's nice to see you too, Ao-san." Naruto and Jiraiya were led by Ao to the Mizukage's office. Naruto sensed that two of their Anbu escorts had left and were swapped out for two new ones. 'Must be the Mizukage's personal guard…'

"You forgot that I've met many people, Ero-sennin," Naruto smugly said as he received an eye roll in return. "Besides, the student of Jiraiya of the Sannin must be recognised to continue his teacher's legacy no?" Naruto chuckled as he saw Jiraiya's grin. He knew what buttons to push to make Jiraiya's mind change.

Ao knocked on the door of the office before pushing it open. In a glance, Naruto could see that the office was very similar to the Hokage's. Photos of previous kage's on one of the walls, a large window in the back overlooking the village, Anbu in the corners, a large wooden table in the middle filled with paperwork and a beautiful lady behind said table. It gave him flashbacks of home which he was starting to miss…


'Damn.' Both Jiraiya and Naruto thought as they first laid their eyes on the Godaime Mizukage. Mei Terumi was a beautiful woman who could give Tsunade a run for her money - both in beauty and strength. She had a slender figure, green eyes, auburn hair and wore a blue dress that was fit for someone of such high status. Naruto could not stop the blush that was coming to his face. She really was pretty. It was too late to wear back his mask which he took off after reaching Kiri.

Naruto could sense that underneath all that beauty, she had the power to back up her position as Mizukage. Her chakra was calm and soothing like the waters of Kiri but it also had something within it that promised a world of hurt. 'Her water, fire and earth chakra natures are similar in strength. Kekkei Genkai? Another Lava user like Kurotsuchi?' Naruto thought.

Mei shifted in her seat to sit up which caused Naruto to break out of his thoughts. "My name is Mei Terumi, the Godaime Mizukage. Welcome to Kirigakure," she said politely as Naruto and Jiraiya bowed.

"Sorry for the intrusion, Mizukage-sama. We have a message from our Hokage and our villages have yet to establish any formal communication routes," Jiraiya said.

"I understand. I'm quite surprised that Hokage-dono sent her best shinobi just for a delivery mission. It must be quite an important message," Mei said as she gestured for Jiraiya to take a seat across from her. Meanwhile, Naruto stood on guard behind him.

"I have not read the scroll but there must be a reason she sent me here," Jiraiya said as he passed the scroll to her. Mei took the scroll and opened it such that only she could read its contents. After a few minutes of reading in silence, she placed the scroll down and began tapping her chin to think.

"Jiraiya-san, the letter mentioned for you to read it too," Mei said which surprised Jiraiya. Jiraiya took the scroll and began reading it for himself. As he went further down, a frown started to appear on his face. 'How could you Tsunade…I have to negotiate a treaty! You know I hate that shit!' Jiraiya cursed as he continued to read on.

Every Jonin in the village is trained to be able to negotiate, whether that be small time deals or treaties. A jonin is the biggest representative of a village's strength, hence they are needed to make decisions that benefit the village. More well-known and trained jonin are usually sent to make a draft treaty for the Hokage before the two Kages come to an agreement later on. Therefore, who better than Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin.

"Very well, I think we should discuss this in private," Jiraiya suggested.

"Agreed. I think your student can take a look around Kiri in the meantime. I will send my guards to take care of him. Is that good?" Mei said as she turned her attention to Naruto who had been quite quiet.

"Yeah, I don't mind. Will it be the three Anbu who escorted us here?" Naruto asked.

"Do you want them to be the ones?" Mei asked. Naruto nodded in affirmative. "Very well." Naruto thanked the Mizukage with a bow before heading for the door with the Anbu guards following him. Before he reached the door, he stopped. "Anything wrong?" Mei asked as everyone in the room looked at him.

Naruto reached for a scroll in his backpack and unscrolled it. Within it, was a storage seal. He channelled chakra into the seal. He could sense the Anbu tensing in case he attacked but he paid them no mind. Two scrolls appeared from the seal. "What's in the two scrolls, Gaki?" Jiraiya asked as they must be important for Naruto to take it out now.

"You're going to negotiate a treaty right? So I thought maybe these could help," Naruto said with a knowing smirk. "They're for Mizukage-sama," Naruto said as he held the scrolls and in a split second Anbu had taken it and placed it in front of the Mizukage.

"What's inside the scrolls?" Ao asked curiously. His hidden byakugan eye narrowing on the scrolls.

"Inside the left one is Raiga Kurosuki, and I think you can guess what's in the other one," Naruto said with a smirk. "I'll see you later, Ero-sennin, Mizukage-sama, Ao-san. You too, Haku. Ja ne," Naruto waved goodbye and he was gone in a puff of smoke.

Everyone in the Mizukage's office was silent at Naruto's nonchalant words. "Raiga Kurosuki…He killed a Kiri shinobi swordsman…" the Mizukage muttered in disbelief. Even Jiraiya was in disbelief. They never discussed any of their missions at length before. 'He never stops surprising me…'

The anbu who were in the room were also surprised. They were especially surprised that Naruto knew the identity of one of their captains.

"Mizukage-sama, if what he says is true. Then the other scroll must contain the Kiba blades," Ao pointed out.

Mei opened the scroll and channelled chakra into the storage seal. A loud collective gasp was heard as low and behold, the Kiba blades sat on the scrolls in front of her. "Ao?" Mei looked at him expectantly.

"It's not a fraud, Mizukage-sama. He stopped Raiga and won the blades. The Kiba blades are back in Kiri after so long," Ao said as some joy leaked out of his usually cool facade.

Jiraiya could not hide the grin on his face. His student is slowly but surely training to surpass him. And Jiraiya didn't think it would take that long. 'Oh how you've blessed me, Gaki. These blades are going to be a major help in settling this treaty,' Jiraiya thought.

"You have a unique student, Jiraiya-san," Mei commented.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Jiraiya said with a smile. "Now, shall we?"

"Yeah. Hey, you three, shouldn't you be following someone?" Mei called out the three Anbu who were like everyone else in disbelief. The three bowed at the Mizukage before they all disappeared.


"I heard there were Konoha-nin in Kiri, but never would I expect it to be you…" Naruto need not turn around to see who was speaking. The man who went to sit beside him had a very recognisable voice and chakra. Naruto continued to slurp his noodles as the man ordered his.

"I thought you would be happy to see me," Naruto answered cheekily.

"I'm sure someone else is."

Naruto placed his chopsticks horizontally on his empty bowl and placed it aside. He finally looked up to the man beside him. "You look like you haven't aged a day, Zabuza-san," Naruto said with a smile.

"What's that supposed to mean? You make me sound fifty," Zabuza said in his gruff voice. Naruto merely gave him a knowing smirk. "Oi, I'm the same age as your stupid copy ninja!"

"I know," Naruto said with a shrug. Zabuza gave him a deadpan stare before he shook his head. His bowl of ramen arrived and he started digging in.

"Have you met Haku yet?" Zabuza asked.

"Yeah, not on the best of terms though," Naruto said as he sipped on his glass of water.

"She tried to kill you?"

"Eh, can't blame her," Naruto said as he chuckled to himself. "Can't believe she's the captain of her team. She seemed like the quiet type back in Wave."

"She still is. She just learned how to voice out in important times. Tsunami became the village's best squad under her leadership." Naruto didn't miss the pride that leaked out from Zabuza.

"Well, she should be coming in a little bit," Naruto said as he looked at the clock that was on the wall of the stall he was in. "It's been two minutes since my clone dispelled so I say they'll be here shortly. In the meantime…"

Two Minutes Later

Two blurs were seen clashing against one another off the shore of Kirigakure. Sparks flew as their blades met. Naruto disengaged from his bout with Zabuza and created distance between them. "You've improved Gaki! Show me more!" Zabuza called out.

"It's hardly fair to fight with someone coined as the Demon of Kiri…but ready… when you are," Naruto said with a smirk as he crouched down low before charging for Zabuza. Water was kicked up as Naruto launched at high speeds towards the veteran. Zabuza could feel it. The adrenaline that comes with a good fight. He could feel it flowing through his veins.

Zabuza saw Naruto coming and slashed down with Kubikiribocho. He hit nothing but air as he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand. Zabuza immediately turned around and blocked the slice that was coming for his neck with the handle of Kubikiribocho. 'That was fast,' he thought. Naruto pulled his blade away from Zabuza and brought it low for an upward slash.

Zabuza stopped the attack with his foot and kicked it away. He brought in his blade for a diagonal slash on Naruto. Naruto used the momentum of Zabuza's kick to duck under the slash and turn for an attack on Zabuza's side. Zabuza used the blunt side of his blade to push away Arashi. Naruto took this opportunity to disengage from Zabuza.

'He defended perfectly,' Naruto thought as he saw Zabuza come in for an attack. He could see the craziness in Zabuza's eyes and Naruto could feel himself ready to go. Naruto jumped over Zabuza's side attack and landed on Kubikiribocho's flat side in a crouch. Naruto aimed a kick for Zabuza's head but it was caught by Zabuza. Before he knew it, he was thrown several metres away. 'He held Kubikiribocho with one arm!' Naruto thought in shock. Naruto flipped himself upwards and landed on the water safely.

He was about to charge in but they had guests. "Really took your time coming here, Haku…" Naruto said as Uni, Tako and Kujira landed near Zabuza.

"We were evacuating citizens from this little fight of yours," Haku said as she shook her head.

"How about joining in our spar, Haku?" Naruto asked as he grew excited at the prospect.

'He's already fighting Zabuza-sama and he still wants to fight Taicho. Is he crazy?" Uni thought.

"Are you sure you can take us on?" Haku asked. Naruto could hear the smugness coming from behind her mask.

"Why not find out? Actually…I have a better idea, how about all four of you take me on?" Naruto said. This time everyone including Zabuza was surprised.

"That's insane! You'll definitely lose, or even worse, die!" Uni called out as Kujira nodded in agreement.

"I might… Or I might not," Naruto said with a shrug.

'No shit.' The four Kiri-nin thought. "Just go with it, Uni, Kujira. He may lose but he will definitely not die," Haku whispered.

"Taicho you're kidding. He-"

"Hahaha. You're crazy gaki! I like it," Zabuza exclaimed as he took his stance.

"Kai," Naruto whispered as he released his resistance seals. "Ready?! GO!"

A mini-wave was kicked up as Naruto bursted from where he stood. He was a blur of speed as he rushed in towards the Kiri-nin. 'That speed is insane!' Uni thought as she brought her tanto up just in time to block Naruto's kick. She skidded backwards from the power behind the kick.


Naruto spun his sword quickly to deflect the senbon thrown at him. He ducked under a punch from behind him and turned around instantly to sweep him off his legs. Kujira jumped over his sweep and aimed a kick to Naruto's head. Naruto caught it in his arms before he turned into a puff of smoke as he was hit with senbon in the back.

The real Naruto was underwater and pulled Kujira under. He jumped out of the water with a slash ready for Zabuza who ducked under it and simultaneously aimed to cleave Naruto in half. Naruto stopped channelling chakra to his feet causing him to drop straight into the water and avoid the Kubikiribocho.

Uni and Kujira had taken this chance to regroup with Zabuza and Haku. "Still as fast as ever, eh Haku," Zabuza commented.

"Definitely."

"West side!" Uni called out as Haku instantly threw senbon in that direction. As predicted, Naruto appeared but the senbon went straight through him before he turned into water. The real Naruto appeared after the clone fully dispelled. " Mizu Bunshin (Water Clone) , a local favourite is it not?" Naruto said, looking unharmed.

'Its 4 v 1 and he still looks as good as when we started.' Uni thought. 'I definitely can't underestimate him.'

"Let's do this for real, shall we?" Naruto charged towards the four kiri-nin once again.

" Suiton: Mizurappa !" Uni exclaimed as she shot a jet of water towards Naruto. Naruto channelled wind chakra to his sword and split the jet in half, shocking the Anbu member.

Seeing the jutsu fail, Zabuza went through several hand seals, 44 to be exact. "You should know better than to challenge a Kiri-nin on water, Naruto. This is where we're born! Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu !" Zabuza exclaimed. A large water dragon appeared behind him which charged towards Naruto.

"And you should know, Zabuza-san. I too am a descendant of the water," Naruto said with a smirk. He stopped charging in and made one hand seal, the bird hand seal. " Suiton: Fukusu Suiryudan no Jutsu (Multiple Water Dragon Jutsu) !" The eyes of the Kiri-nin widened as they saw five water dragons appear behind Naruto. One of the water dragons clashed with Zabuza's, dispelling them both. The other four targeted each of his opponents. "How will you block this, Haku!!!"

With Uni

Seeing the dragon heading for her, Uni jumped away but was surprised to see the jutsu change direction and follow her. 'I can't use any earth jutsu to block it and water jutsu won't do much.' Uni reached for her weapons pouch and pulled out a piece of sealing paper. 'Here goes nothing,' she thought as she turned around and faced the seal towards the dragon. "Fuin!" The water dragon started getting absorbed into the seal but it was too much and overloaded the seal. The seal exploded sending Uni flying.

With Kujira

Kujira's first instinct was to run like Uni. After running several metres away and seeing that he couldn't lose the jutsu, he stood his ground. " Suiton: Sujinheki !" A large wave rose from the sea and stood in between Kujira and the dragon jutsu. Water exploded in all directions as the two jutsu came in contact. Kujira was sweating cold sweat as he focused on keeping the water wall strong, else it will be for naught.

The water dragon eventually ended and Kujira was on his knees sweating. 'That boy has a lot of chakra…' Suddenly, he sensed a presence behind him and turned to swipe it with his tanto. He sliced nothing but water as he felt a hand on the back of his neck. "Fuin," Naruto whispered to Kujira. Kujira found himself unable to move at all. It was like his body was turned to ice.

With Haku

Haku smiled as she watched Naruto use his jutsu. "You've certainly grown stronger, Naruto-kun. It was your chakra that we detected all the way from Evening's Eye . But, I've also grown stronger…" Haku said to nobody in particular. Haku widened her stance and went through several hand seals as the water dragon got closer and closer. Haku took a deep breath in as she closed her eyes. She placed her arms in front of her as she felt the water droplets around her. She could hear the crashing of the dragon tearing through the water as it got ever closer.

Haku took a deep breath again and opened her eyes. " Ice Style: Sheer Cold …" she whispered as small crystals of ice started to surround her. The water that she stood on also froze. The water dragon that was vigorously rushing towards her started to slow down until eventually it stopped completely and was turned to ice.

With Zabuza

Zabuza rushed towards the water dragon and met it head on. Kubikiribocho dragged on behind him, slicing through the water. As the water dragon neared, Zabuza leaped to a height above that of the dragon and brought down his blade on the jutsu's head. The Kubikiribocho cleaved straight through the jutsu from head to tail. In a second, the jutsu fell into nothing but a mere heap of water.

"That blade truly is something but I think its the user that makes it great," Naruto commented.

"You bet it is, Gaki," Zabuza replied as he brought his blade into a diagonal slice for Naruto. Naruto turned into water as the blade went through him. Zabuza looked around to see Naruto was nowhere near.


Haku ducked under a kick that was aimed for her head. She stabbed multiple senbon into Naruto's outstretched leg before he turned into a puff of smoke. Haku immediately jumped as two hands emerged from the water below her, looking to grab her legs. Haku crossed her arms in front of her to block a punch from another Naruto that was in front of her.

Haku was sent flying through the air for several metres before she landed safely on the water. She instantly threw senbon that clashed with a group of kunai that were heading her way.

"You forgot about me, Gaki! Kirigakure no Jutsu (Hiding in the Mist Jutsu) !" Zabuza called out as he landed beside Haku and instantly a mist shrouded the area.

"How original, Zabuza-san," Naruto said as his head flickered around. 'This is going to be a pain in the ass…'

"It wouldn't be my specialty if I didn't use it," Zabuza's voice carried across the mist. Naruto had to react quickly and instinctively, else he would get injured.

'Man, this guy is really silent…' Naruto thought as he jumped over a slice that could've cleaved him in half. Naruto released a chakra pulse to disperse the mist but to no avail. He focused on his sensory abilities and other senses other than sight. 'There's two chakra signatures in the mist. Haku-chan must be using-Oop' Naruto blocked several senbon using a kunai. 'Yeah, she's definitely using it… In that case…'

Naruto waited for Zabuza's next strike patiently. As soon as he saw Zabuza's blade slice through the mist with his torso as its destination, Naruto jumped and landed on it. " Futon: Daitoppa !" Naruto blew a large sphere of air towards the direction of Kubikiribocho's handle. The jutsu blew away the mist while also posing a threat towards Zabuza who he assumed was behind the blade.

Naruto was shocked to find cold steel near his neck. "That was good, Gaki but you're not ready to take both of us at the same time," Zabuza said from behind Naruto. The mist cleared to show an ice wall which stopped his wind jutsu and Haku holding the Kubikiribocho.

"I may not be suited for the blade, but I still know how to use it," Haku said with a chuckle as she saw Naruto's shocked expression.

"Woah, it's been you this whole time. I definitely thought it was Zabuza-san behind the blade. You were just a distraction while Zabuza-san silently went for the kill," Naruto said. "I guess you win…this time that is." He placed his arms in surrender before he dispelled in a puff of smoke.


Naruto crouched over Uni as he felt for her pulse. She was blown away all the way to shore by the seal exploding on itself. 'At least she's alive.' Her armour had saved her from the brunt of the explosion and she was lucky that it was a water jutsu. If that had been a fire, wind or lightning jutsu, the results may have been worse.

Uni came to with a groan as she sat up and was immediately on guard. "Woah easy there," Naruto said as he held his hands up. "You tried to seal the jutsu and that wasn't a very good idea. So you're here now," Naruto explained.

"Woah, it's been you this whole time. I definitely thought it was Zabuza-san behind the blade. You were just a distraction while Zabuza-san silently went for the kill," Naruto said. "I guess you win…this time that is." He placed his arms in surrender before he dispelled in a puff of smoke.


"It would've worked on regular jutsu but for jutsu with a lot of chakra behind it, not so well," Naruto said as he handed her a healing cream for any bruises. Naruto saw that she was hesitant to take it so he took her hands and placed the cream in them. "Just take it. Relax there's no poison. You probably injured yourself from that explosion."

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Uni asked.

"Must there be a reason?" Naruto asked as he sat beside her on the beach and watched the fight that was still going on at sea. "If this treaty goes well, our villages may be spending more time together. What's wrong with me helping you?"

"Tsk, you really believe all that. How naive can you be? Treaties can tear away as easily as the papers they're written on," she retorted.

"I know, but can you imagine a world where they aren't. Villages actually work together instead of against one another. A world of peace."

Uni snorted. "That's an unreachable reality. The world will never be truly at peace," she said.

"It is definitely far-fetched but not unreachable. But it's through thinking like this, our people, shinobi, are constantly falling into conflict with one another. We always think about people backstabbing us, us backstabbing people and the cycle goes on," Naruto said as he watched a mist start to form near the fighting area.

"You really want peace? It's almost laughable…"

"Why? Do you not like the idea of peace?" Naruto asked.

"Of course I like the idea of peace. Only the insane don't. But what does peace look like? Children killing lesser people? Shinobi living with one another happily ever after? Our world would collapse before that happens. I rather not talk about unrealistic scenarios like these," Uni was definitely not someone to mince her words.

'I know…' Naruto has thought about this dream of his several times and what she said was true. "Looks like the fight is over," he said as he stood up. He extended his arm for Uni to take. She was still hesitant to take it. "My dream may be unrealistic but, there's nothing wrong with our villages being allies. Even if it is temporary (touchwood) as you think it might be," Naruto said as he looked her in the eyes.

They held a small staring contest before Uni finally relented. She took his hand and stood up. Haku and Zabuza appeared in a shunshin near them moments later. "What did you get injured from?" Haku asked as she saw the condition of her teammate.

"I tried to seal the water dragon but it seems that the jutsu overloaded it and it backfired on me," Uni explained.

"Hn, please be more careful next time. After you recover, we will be doing more training," Haku said.

"Yes, taicho…" Uni did not want to do training to say the least.

"Where's Kujira, gaki?" Zabuza asked as he finally noticed the missing Anbu member.

"Oh yeah…" As if on cue, a Naruto clone appeared in shunshin with Kujira. The clone handed him to Naruto before dispelling. "Fuin: Kai!" Naruto released the paralysis seal on the man who immediately dropped down in a crouch. "Sorry about that. Your muscles tend to get weak after being paralysed like that," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head anxiously. Kujira merely gave him a thumbs up before going back to all fours.

"Looks like both of you have to do some more training," Haku said. Naruto swore he heard Kujira mumble, "shit…" ;however, it seemed nobody else picked up on that.

The group turned as they heard the sound of clapping coming from behind them. They turned to see the Mizukage, Jiraiya, Ao and a young boy around Naruto's age. "That was quite a show," Mei said as she licked her lips. "There's no wonder how you managed to defeat one of the seven shinobi swordsmen of Kiri."

"Mizukage-sama was not talking about you," Haku whispered to Zabuza who was confused.

"I take it that you opened the scrolls?" Naruto asked as he dusted off some sand that was on his pants.

"We've analysed the body and the blades. They're authentic as you claim and we thank you for that," Ao said.

"Wait, you killed a member of the seven shinobi swordsmen? Who?" Zabuza asked as nobody had filled him in on it.

"Technically he was an ex member. I killed Raiga," Naruto said.

"Haha so that bastard finally died. Good job, Gaki. You saved me the time of searching for the scattered blades," Zabuza complimented as he ruffled Naruto's hair.

"I'm guessing you're reestablishing the seven shinobi swordsmen? And that guy over there is one of them?" Naruto asked as he pointed to the teen who was beside Ao. "That's the Hiramekarei on your back, isn't it?"

The teen merely nodded. "Oi, Chojuro, I taught you to be more confident than that," Zabuza's voice boomed, causing Chojuro to flinch slightly.

"Y-yes Zabuza-sama. You know about the seven Kiri blades?" Chojuro asked Naruto.

"I read from time to time…"

'Understatement of the year right there' Naruto heard Kurama comment in the back of his head.

"Ne, Mei-sama. Do you know any good places to eat in Kiri?" Naruto asked casually, shocking everyone around him, especially the Kiri anbu.

"Err…Gaki you might wanna show Mizukage-same respect there," Jiraiya said as Ao nodded in agreement.

"I do respect her. A lot in fact. She is very skillful if she is a kage. Being extremely beautiful is also a plus. In addition, I don't think it was easy for Kiri to accept someone with a kekkei genkai to be their Kage with how their civil war went. It also helps if someone treats the Kage normally from time to time. Am I right Mei-sama?" Naruto said to a stunned audience.

A smile broke on Mei's face. "I like a man who is very straightforward…You're very right, Naruto-kun. Come on, let's go eat," Mei said as she beckoned the group to move.

"Where are we going Mizukage-sama? Somewhere fancy for our guests or something more down to earth?" Ao asked.

'Going? Fancy? Guests? Marriage?' Suddenly the group felt a strong killing intent coming from the Mizukage. "Shut up, Ao or I'll kill you!" Ao's face turned pale as a ghost at the threat.

'That is why you always respect the Kage. Especially the women…they're scary,' Naruto thought as Jiraiya came beside him.

"You always have a way with these Kage, don't you Gaki?" Jiraiya whispered.

"I think growing up with Jiji showed me a different side to them. There's a reason why Tsunade-baachan hits you and not me," Naruto said with a smirk.

"Oh, how I would like to hit her instead," Jiraiya said with drool coming out of his mouth.

"Ew, I did not need to hear that. The fuck?" Naruto exclaimed as he pushed Jiraiya away from him. 'I do not want to know what my godfather and someone I think as a grandmother are doing…Errr I'm gonna be sick…'


Three days later in Mizukage office

"I will send the treaty to Tsunade-hime and she will send back a reply via the new messenger hawks," Jiraiya said.

"Understood," Mei acknowledged with a nod.

Meanwhile, Naruto was outside the office with Zabuza and the three Anbu guards. "It's been fun exploring Kiri with you, Haku-chan. Hopefully, you can come to Konoha and I will show you around next time," Naruto said as he shook Haku's hand.

"I look forward to that. Maybe Zabuza-sama can join us?" Haki said as she gestured to Zabuza.

"Hmph, why would I want to visit Konoha?"

"To have a rematch with Kakashi and Asuma?" Naruto suggested.

"Argh, don't remind me of those bastards. You know what? You've got me all set on fighting them," Zabuza said as he took Naruto's outstretched hand. "Take care, Gaki. You're strong but be smart in choosing opponents," he advised.

"Yes sir," Naruto said with a two finger salute. Naruto then turned to the two other members in charge of escorting him around. "I may never see you two again, but thank you for showing me around."

The two nodded back in thanks before the door behind him opened. "Oh and Uni, think about what we've talked about," Naruto said before he turned around.

"Are you ready, Gaki?" Jiraiya asked as he placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Yup, all set."

"Before you leave, Naruto-kun. Can we ask what's your clan name?" Mei asked.

Naruto pulled his mask up and winked. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki." With that, both Jiraiya and Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Uzumaki…No wonder…" Zabuza muttered.

'Interesting…' The Mizukage thought.


Naruto blinked away the light that was in his eyes. One second, he was in Kiri and another he was in an unfamiliar place. "So, this is the boy you've been talking about, Jiraiya-chan," he heard a voice say.

"The resemblance to his father is uncanny," a more feminine voice said.

Naruto took in his new surroundings. There were many green and massive trees. The size of the leaves were as big as trees in Konoha. It was very sunny and was the inverse of what he had been seeing for the past few days.

"Where am I?" Naruto asked.

"You didn't tell him, Jiraiya-chan?" Naruto felt a weight land on his head and immediately tried to swipe it. However, his hand was stopped by another smaller one with what felt like three fingers.

"Argh!" Naruto shouted in shock as a green toad stuck his head in front of Naruto's.

"Hello there, Naruto-chan. Welcome to Mount Myoboku," the toad said with a smile.


Sorry this new chapter so long. Took break to focus on my term tests and rewrote a bunch of times so it took far longer than usual, but we back now. So, Naruto mastered wind and water chakra, what is there for him to do now? Fine out ig.

Btw, that whole fight in middle came about because I watched the demon slayer ep where Muichiro vs Obanai and Sanemi. I saw it and thought 'Hey that looks cool I should some of that in '

Goodbye for now. Thanks for staying patient with the uploads.