A/N: Another peaceful episode…somewhat.

Just a block of action here and there, and we're good to go.

Anyway, let's see what trouble we're getting into now…

…

[Kitsunebi Forge, Konoha]

Things had been a little quieter since Naruto had returned with Tsunade.

Crime was still rampant in the village, but with a Hokage now in office, law and order made a gradual return to Konoha. And given the exquisite quality of the arms Naruto produced in his shop, even with his more mundane works, extra patrols were assigned to ensure that nobody tried to rob the store again.

But to be on the safe side, after the damage was promptly repaired by a number of Doton specialists and a new door was installed, Naruto made sure to inscribe a set of powerful protective runes to prevent entry. His attempt to recreate Mordenkainen's Arcane Seal had proven to be of limited success…without the power and skill to actually recreate the actual seal, he had to make do with the runes he did know how to use. He'd nearly swatted himself over the head for not thinking of doing this in the first place - after all, what protected a building more effectively than application of the right rune words?

His inspiration for the security system came from a particular plane where the magic was drying up. It was there that he came across a most interesting device one night during his travels - stone gates fitted into a cliff, with carvings that would only show in moonlight or starlight. His skill in archaeomancy as a Lorehold alumni allowed him to deduce that the gates were of elven and dwarven make. His lessons had also provided him with the ability to comprehend foreign languages.

He couldn't forget those lines if he tried: "The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter."

A stroke of genius that proved the possibilities when people set aside their differences and collaborated on a project - such as the case with the gates he found. He had no idea who Narvi, or Celebrimbor of Eregion were, but he could only applaud them for their genius. However, the security measures for his forge were far more comprehensive than on the Doors of Durin, consisting of an interlocking array of rune words covering the outer walls and all entry points. The runes were designed in such a way that they would only allow him to open the door and allow entry for customers and clients. Add to this, the runes hid a most nasty surprise waiting for any would-be robber who tried to force their way in…in a way, he ensured that the walls had the ability to very literally fight back.

In addition, he put another pair of Komainu Battle Armor outside the doors to his forge. Plans were made to potentially grow the pack to 18 komainu in total…more than enough to tear apart any fool that thought it a good idea to rob his forge. However, he wasn't about to risk being charged with excessive force, which is why he set all his Komainu Battle Armor pairs to threaten first, maim second, and kill should the intruders be dumb enough to persist in their heist.

Things were looking up in general. All he needed was to qualify for the Chūnin Exams, get promoted, and he would have so much more freedom to choose his next course of action. Possibly to even get started on his vision of a magic university to educate and train Konoha's first mages - if he could just get Tsunade to let him take in more students than just Konohamaru and his friends. Perhaps, if he was able to secure permission to do so, he could even take in washouts from the Ninja Academy as a proof of concept before scaling up with a mix of both completely fresh students and washouts alike. Once he produced promising results and mages, he would get the permission to erect the school that'd be ground zero for magical education in Hi no Kuni. Once that was done and he was able to take verifiable results to the Daimyō of Hi no Kuni, he hoped to be able to finally establish that campus he wanted - any mages his campus produced would, of course, swear fealty to the Daimyō, but all in all a fair trade. In his eyes, the evolution of this plane and its suitability to walk into the Omenpath Era was a worthy endgame.

The problem was that even then he would very likely be on call for higher-ranked ninja missions, which slowed down his goal of erecting even a basic mage tower, let alone establish a campus for magical education. That, and there was every chance that Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi would commit to the path of the ninja instead of mages. It was a possibility he'd made peace with, but it still meant that he would be bereft of possible mage hopefuls to teach, potentially even denying him his first batch of teachers. He'd be back to square one, and his dreams of a magical university to rival Arcavios's vaunted Strixhaven University would potentially grind to a halt.

But he couldn't afford to think of the challenges: for now, he was going to do everything in his power to get the ball rolling at the very least. After all, it was as Jiraiya had said: he was going to need a damn solid reputation to be able to do so much as establish a mage tower, let alone a citadel of magical education. He was going to have to prove the value of mana-based casting as a viable alternative to the established norm of chakra-based casting. Not an easy milestone, but it was one that he would try to overcome.

Naruto had a feeling that his participation and aid in the acquisition of Tsunade as the Hokage had engendered a respectable amount of goodwill. Though Tsunade planting a chaste kiss on his forehead was not lost on him, he was glad that things had turned out okay.

That said, a single successful and high profile mission alone was not enough to make sure he'd be heard - it could just as easily have been a fluke that the mission was a success and he'd only tagged along. Doubly so as he wasn't exactly a sanctioned Shinobi at the time, so it very likely wouldn't have counted as he'd just received his headband not that long ago. Still, it was a stepping stone, and if it took him one step closer to the Chūnin Exams, then so be it.

"How do I look?" Haku asked.

Naruto looked at his receptionist. The cuirass he'd made for her was a snug fit for her form, and incorporated a light fauld to protect her hips. Every piece -from the subtly feminine chest piece, to the faulds- was corrugated to give it a ruffled, cloth-like appearance, like a short-tailed ball gown or an outer corset. Such was the nature of plate armor that he may as well be a tailor of suits and kimono - not too different from the way he custom-tailored weapons for his clients.

A practical gift made in gratitude for Haku's defense of the forge, and one that could be completed should she decide to add more pieces of armor to the set. It wasn't enchanted per the agreement he'd had to not distribute magic weapons and armor to clients and customers without a Hokage-authorized permit, but it was still a very good cuirass.

"If the battlefield is a ballroom, you're already dressed to kill," he answered honestly, "How's the weight?"

"Surprisingly nice," Haku replied, twirling around, "I didn't think armor could be this light."

"Well it should weigh a little less than a flak jacket, but overall you'll get a good protection-to-weight ratio out of it thanks to the tool steel construction," Naruto continued, "And because it's thin, has good freedom of movement, and the weight is resting on the part it's protecting, you won't tire out as easily while wearing it. Though if you want more pieces, you're gonna have to buy them."

Haku nodded gratefully, undoing the leather straps at the sides of the armor. "Thanks, but I think a breastplate's more than enough protection for me."

Naruto shrugged. At least he tried. "Well, that's one gift out of the way - now I still owe Hanabi and Tenten their gifts."

The ring of the shop bells alerted Naruto to the presence of someone at the door. He turned to regard the newcomer and recognized her as Shizune, who was cradling Tonton in her arms. His mind raced as to what the woman wanted, while his eye studied her movements carefully—he'd already seen her fight before, which helped him picture the different kinds of weapons that would suit her. Whatever the demand, he was going to serve Shizune to the best of his ability…if it was not to shop, then at least he would know what the Hokage's aide wanted.

"Can I help you?" Naruto asked, taking on a professional tone.

"Thanks, but I'm here on official business," replied Shizune politely, "Uzumaki Naruto, you are to report to the Hokage's office within half an hour."

"I'll close up the store for lunch," Haku offered, about to dive under the counter.

"Don't take too long," Shizune added without missing a beat, "As it just so happens, Tsunade-sama has called for you too."

…

[Hokage's office, Konohagakure no Sato]

Tsunade sat in her office, dealing with the bane of all Kages' existence far greater than the Bijū themselves: the ever-expanding mountain range of paperwork.

She heaved a sigh of relief before taking a swig of her saké in triumph—today, she'd cut that mountain range in half, but there were still a lot of issues to deal with. A mission report here, a payment dispute there, and demands for law enforcement everywhere; mundane issues, to be sure, but ones that needed to be addressed promptly. That it was a mess was not a surprise, given the state that Konoha was in not long after the Oto-Suna Invasion.

That said, there were things that Hiruzen-sensei thankfully already dealt with before his passing - key of which being the agreement he had come to with Uzumaki Naruto. The boy was legally prohibited from selling or taking commissions for any piece of magic-enhanced gear unless the customer or client walked into his forge with an official Hokage-authorized permit. This also applied to anyone looking to enhance existing and mundane equipment with magic: not even a junk metal shuriken was to be enhanced with that multiversal mojo without express approval from the Hokage.

There was a very good reason for that new law, one that Tsunade agreed with. According to a report from the Chūnin Exams, witnesses watched as Tenten charged chakra into a spear-aptly named "Ryūsei"-that she bought from Naruto's forge before throwing it, evidently enhancing the spear's damage and allowing it to live up to its name as it cratered the ground upon touchdown. Suffice to say, that little bit of advertisement that Tenten had served its purpose: Naruto was not wanting for customers and clients looking for high-quality, bespoke arms in his forge.

Fortunately, the law was promptly put in place before magic-enhanced gear circulated the village without oversight; Naruto's weapons were already of exquisite quality before any enhancements, but to take those weapons and add some of his magic to the mix? That was a recipe for disaster.

Had he lived, Hiruzen-sensei would've intuited as to which shinobi he could trust with a permit, and whom he did not - a job that now fell squarely on Tsunade's shoulders. Fortunately for all involved, her instincts were honed by her tutelage under Sarutobi Hiruzen himself, and so she felt confident in her judgment as to whom to award that permit.

Tsunade was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a knocking at the door. "Enter."

As soon as the door opened, Shizune walked in with Tonton nestled in her arms, accompanied by Uzumaki Naruto and the girl who worked as the receptionist to his forge. "Ah, good. I was expecting you both."

After downing the last shot of saké from the saucer, Tsunade then turned to regard both Naruto and his receptionist who had come to a stop in front of her desk. "I'll get straight to the point while the saké's got me in a good mood: I'm finally putting you in a team, Naruto."

The look of surprise and elation was clear in Naruto's eyes. "Now that is good news."

Tsunade grinned mischievously. "Even better news is that you're standing right next to your first new teammate."

The girl did her damndest to hide her shock, but there was no hiding that subtle flinch. "I'm sorry, I don't know…"

"You can drop the innocent bystander act, Miss Masked-Hyoton-user," Tsunade interrupted, the mix of geniality and that sense of "gotcha" in her voice made it harder for the girl to hide her shock. There was every indication that the girl was going to gawp at the revelation. "That's right. We know who you are, Haku, and we know what you can do - we've known since Hiruzen-sensei had his suspicions while he was alive. You're good at hiding, but you would've been found out eventually. And to think, we had Momochi Zabuza's missing partner in crime and apprentice living within our borders all this time—luckily, you haven't done anything beyond working as a receptionist and helping to defend the village. Though to be honest, I think you're working way below your capabilities if you're working for Naruto as his receptionist."

Haku said nothing, giving Tsunade the preamble to continue. "However, more seriously, you're living in our village as an illegal immigrant with a rap sheet. Though from what I understand, you've been trying to remedy that situation so you can live here legally, which also means applying for amnesty in your case. If I still know the village elders as well as I do, they'd be stoked at the idea of hosting a Kekkei Genkai-level Hyōton user in our village, so I imagine they'd give you that citizenship if only to flip Kirigakure the bird. Though there is the understandable little issue of trust."

"And so serving with distinction as a kunoichi of Konoha will solve all three of my problems." Haku interjected, quickly catching on.

"Smart girl, Zabuza obviously taught you well," Tsunade replied.

"You have yourself an Ice Queen," answered the girl, cutting straight to the point.

"That was fast," Tsunade noted.

"I owe Naruto-kun, that's all, Hokage-sama," Haku explained, tersely yet politely.

Tsunade nodded - Haku would divulge the specifics when she was ready. For now, however, she had another matter to attend to. "Now that that's settled, you may come in."

Without prompting, in walked a man in the indigo BDU and green flak jacket of a Konoha Jōnin. He wore no hitai-ate, instead wearing a happuri that flew the Konoha crest dead center on the forehead, which held up a scrub of short, spiky brown hair. His eyes were a deep, dark brown, with which he studied both Naruto and Haku with a mix of discernment and geniality. The way he carried himself spoke of experience - not so much in a leadership role, but he had clearly seen action.

"Uzumaki Naruto, Haku, I'd like for you to meet your Jōnin sensei, Yamato - fresh from ANBU," Tsunade introduced.

"Pleased to meet you both." Yamato greeted, nodding respectfully at the students he was to teach.

"You have one more team member on the way," Tsunade continued, "You will spend the rest of the day off to make preparations for your first mission, then report to the west gate tomorrow to meet your third team member. You're free to leave, except for Yamato - I'm going to speak with him for a bit."

Naruto and Haku departed the office, leaving Tsunade alone with Yamato, Shizune, and Tonton (who was munching on a plate of edamame).

Satisfied that the Genin team was gone, Tsunade tented her fingers and leaned forward on her desk. "A word about your third Genin…"

…

[Elsewhere]

Ajani had seen mountains before, but never more prominent than in this place.

Evidently, the place he'd found himself was what the natives called Rai no Kuni - "Lightning Country" in the basic tongue.

Here in this land, he found an abundance of White, Red, and Blue mana - while the whole land was dominated by a mountain range, that spoke of the presence of plains and an extensive river system at the very least in this country. If Ral Zarek had found his way here, he'd have a sheer mana advantage just by setting foot here - and if Ajani had kept his ability to use Red mana, so would he. That said, mages from either Tarkir or Ikoria might find the world more agreeable than one from Alara or Capenna.

His thoughts were interrupted when he'd heard the sounds of battle in the distance. Ajani's trained and sensitive feline ears had told him that whoever was on the receiving end of this combat was severely outmatched. He sprinted, making his way towards the commotion, and found a pair doing battle with a blonde woman.

One of the attackers was a steel-haired man that wielded a triple-bladed scythe, his skin black with bone-white skeleton motifs. His compatriot was a more stoic individual wearing a bandana who stood by and watched the fight with rapt attention. Both of the attackers were wearing a black overcoat with red cloud patterns on the tail - and both gave off the aura of something horribly wrong, as well as the stench of undeath.

The woman was engulfed in an aura of blue flames, her fingernails extended into long, dagger-like claws as she did battle with the evident berserker who hadn't moved from his spot. He was quick to note that the woman had landed a number of definitive hits on her opponent - strangely enough, they were blows that should by all accounts have ended him and yet she was taking all the damage. Add to this, the berserker was not even winded from his fight, as goaded the woman into the offensive without moving, his compatriot clearly waiting for his opportunity to deliver the final blow.

There was no time to think - he needed to act fast before the woman was killed attacking an opponent that was not taking any serious damage. There was a reason the man was not taking a step, and that often involved an array…and given what he'd observed thus far, killing him was likely to kill the woman. It was for that reason that until he broke the berserker's focus on his array, he was not going to kill him.

With a plan of attack in mind, he unsheathed his double-axes and ducked low for a running start, legs prepared to sprint on command. The second his muscles fired into action, noise was made as he approached the berserker, his arm outstretched as soon as he neared his target. The berserker barely had time to register before Ajani slammed his forearm into the berserker's neck, and a quick turn allowed him to grab his victim by the throat before tossing him away. Within that same motion, he jammed the edge of one of his axes at the berserker's companion, his hand taking on a dark coloration resembling iron as he grabbed the blade.

As the two of them clashed, Ajani was able to get a better look at his new opponent. He wore a mask, but he was able to see dark brown skin along his eyeline, which revealed a pair of empty seafoam green eyes set in a sea of red where there should have been white. He wore the plated headband that the ninjas of this plane wore to denote their village of allegiance, but it was gouged out. Where a Konoha shinobi would've worn a leaf with a spiral motif, his opponent had a downwards-pointing arrow without its point to give the impression of a waterfall. More disturbingly was that there was no life in those seafoam green eyes - simply greed.

Ajani quickly withdrew his axe, kicking the greedy man away before dodging something slithering from under his sleeves. He was quick to use a cantrip to create a wooden wall that prevented him from taking serious damage - as he did, he took up a protective position in front of the young woman, letting out a menacing and bestial roar.

"What are you?" asked the woman, fear and curiosity lacing her tone.

"What I am is of little concern at the moment," Ajani replied, readying his grip on his double-axes as he kept eyes on both the greedy man and his unhinged companion, "But for the moment, I am both ally and salvation."

The berserker stood back up, not too worse for wear. The only thing different about him was that his black and white warpaint was gone, and in its place was the peachy skin of a normal human. The rage and frustration in his voice exemplified as he clenched his teeth, his hands tightening around the haft of his triple-bladed scythe. "You damn, meddlesome fleabag! I was just about to finish this!"

"The White Lion of Konoha," came the deep voice of the greedy man, "You certainly live up to your title…a white-furred lion-man who aided the defenders of Konoha during the Oto-Suna Invasion."

"I merely saw an unjust war, and aided the defenders," Ajani replied, "Just as I would when I see two villains teaming up on a lone woman, and dragging out the fight longer than necessary. All while goading her into attacking."

"Heh, an idealist, eh?" scoffed the berserker, "My friend here is gonna hate you."

"I am above concepts such as 'hate,'" corrected the greedy man, "Nothing can be trusted except for money…and I sense that Sunagakure, perhaps even Otogakure would pay a premium to see your head mounted on a wall."

"That assumes that either of you will live long enough to claim your prize," Ajani challenged.

To end this fight, he would need to stall…and at the same time, make so much noise that it'd be hard for anyone to ignore what was going on.

"Girl, do you have any of your peoples' Jutsus that can draw eyes in our direction?" Ajani asked with a low voice, his eyes trained on the duo.

The blonde was silent for a moment. "I think I know what you want to do, but I might need some time."

"Do it, but be ready should things go wrong," Ajani advised, "I have a feeling that neither of them have any intention of leaving so easily; for that reason, I'll be pulling my own weight to buy time."

The fight resumed as soon as the berserker charged, making a beeline for the circle on the ground - the same one that Ajani had removed him from. Ajani was quick to charge and intercept him, promptly kicking him off the circle as his skin took on the black coloration. He was then quick to borrow the ambient white mana of the land to summon a massive leonine beast with prominent horns on its head - a creature he knew from his time on Zendikar as a Felidar Sovereign.

The beast was summoned just in time to pounce upon the greedy man, preventing him from doing whatever it was that he did to try and attack Ajani. It bit down on his shoulder before ragdolling the greedy man in its jaws for a moment, then tossing him aside, roaring menacingly as its victim was impaled upon a broken tree branch.

With a mental command the Felidar took up a position next to the young woman, protecting her from any surprises that might arise. Much like his berserker friend, the greedy man had the stench of undeath about him - that he'd somehow managed to cheat death, and for that reason, he was not taking any chances.

Ajani then turned his attention back to the berserker, intent upon returning to his magic circle. He confidently twirled his double-axes as he took up a defensive stance - Ajani was not going to let the berserker regain control of the array. If the woman failed to perform her half of the plan, she was doomed. With any luck, she would be able to finish whatever it was that she needed to do before it was too late.

The berserker charged, and the two of them clashed as soon as he neared the perimeter of his accursed circle. The differences were clear between them: the berserker's swings were wild, inaccurate, but fierce and fast - but Ajani's parries were accurate, his counter-swings having the force of a mountain behind them to off-balance the berserker. And yet, Ajani did not move from his spot, never allowing the berserker to take up position on his array.

Ajani felt a sense of danger coming his way, and was forced to duck and watch as a tendril of something passed him by. A look off to the side had confirmed his worst fears: the greedy man was still alive - with a hole through his chest, but still very much alive…and a cold rage clear in his seafoam green eyes. Ajani saw a very thick strand of something retracting back into his sleeves, and pulled taut…whatever it was, it smelled very similar to hair.

Before the two of them could capitalize upon Ajani's momentary distraction, a flash of blue had erupted from the direction of the woman…and in her place was a massive beast covered in roaring blue flames in place of fur. The creature was pure energy, taking the form of a massive, striped cat with two long tails - it was more an elemental than a true beast…an Elemental Cat.

The Elemental Cat, took in a deep breath and let out a long, ear-piercing yowl. Having come from Alara's Naya shard, Ajani was used to such loud noises - this creature was clearly not as powerful as Progenitus, or the Child of Alara, but there was no denying its power.

As the Elemental's yowl subsided, Ajani turned his attention back towards his opponents, a confident smirk on his features. "That yowl will surely have attracted the attention of her pride. You have lost the element of surprise - leave now, or face certain defeat."

The berserker sneered. "And what's stopping us from murdering her reinforcements as soon as they get here, and then taking her?"

Ajani narrowed his eyes, his gaze between the berserker and his avaricious companion. "Ambushing this young woman while she is alone, despite each of you clearly being her superior in single combat, speaks to your cowardice," he declared, earning a snarl from the steel-haired berserker and a thoughtful stare from his greedy companion. "Now she is not alone, and I will see to it that you will not have your prize without a fight. Furthermore, while the two of you are undeniably skilled and powerful, even undead abominations such as yourselves cannot feasibly outlast the waves of warriors that will inevitably overrun you."

There was a tense silence between the three of them. Ajani knew full well he was bluffing - he had no guarantee that even a single warrior of the woman's pride would come to her aid. The odds were high that he would have to continue the fight alone. And yet, there was also a chance that neither the berserker nor his avaricious friend would want to risk it. Either way, Ajani was still going to fight his hardest to protect this woman; he did not want a repeat of the tragedy that befell Tamiyo, not while he had the potential to prevent it.

"Let's fall back, Hidan," the greedy man conceded, earning an outraged glare from the berserker.

"The hell, Kakuzu?!" barked the now-named Hidan, the grip on his triple-bladed scythe tightening in rage until his knuckles blanched, "He's clearly bullshitting!"

"Be that as it may, he's also right," explained Kakuzu, his voice level as he turned to regard his partner, "We could most certainly cut down many Kumogakure ninjas over a long slog, and still have the energy to potentially kill the White Lion. But it's clear to me that the Lion intends to make us work for it; I estimate that by the time we take the Jinchūriki, he will have done everything in his power to ensure that at the very least, we won't get far when her reinforcements arrive. Rest assured, you'll get another chance to sacrifice the soul of the White Lion of Konoha to your god, when the odds are more in our favor."

Hidan let out an exasperated sigh, followed by a howl of rage before turning his attention to Ajani. He sneered, his stare tinged with equal parts rage and excitement as he pointed his triple-bladed scythe menacingly at Ajani. "This isn't over, you meddlesome cat!" he threatened, "We'll meet again! And when we do, I'm gonna skin you and wear your pelt after I've sacrificed you to Jashin-sama!"

Having said his peace, both Hidan and Kakuzu sped away, leaving Ajani behind with the Felidar Sovereign and the Elemental Cat. As he turned to regard the elemental, he noted that it had begun to dissipate into nothingness, and in its place was the young woman who had been fighting for her life not too long ago, who had collapsed onto her knees.

Assured that the zombies had departed, Ajani strode towards her cautiously, his gait and demeanor non-threatening as he sheathed his double-axes and dispelled the Felidar Sovereign. The young woman drew a dagger and held it in front of her.

"You are badly hurt," he said, hands raised in a placating gesture and his gaze softened, "I intend to heal your wounds."

The young woman held her ground, looking at Ajani with suspicion in her eyes. After a moment's contemplation, she relented and allowed him to come closer. Ajani lifted her wrist gently, and positioned a free hand over it as he prepared a simple healing cantrip using the ambient White mana in the area. Such was his skill in the art of healing that any and all wounds she'd suffered from her battle.

"A warrior and a healer," said the young woman, astonished as she stood up, curiously examining her body, flexing her fingers experimentally, "Is there anything you can't do?"

"I've mended everything I could," Ajani explained, "The rest is up to your pride's healers."

The young woman regarded Ajani before nodding gratefully. "That was quite a bluff. You got those two Akatsuki scumbags to back off - you must have balls of steel if you can do that even after they called bullshit."

"It was the best I could do under the circumstances," Ajani admitted, "I am Ajani Goldmane."

"Nii Yugito."

…

[Streets of Konoha]

Naruto and Haku made their way to the west gate of Konoha, having made their preparations for their mission the night before.

Normally, Naruto would've avoided the more out-of-the way routes in Konoha, but this time he was accompanied by Haku. There was very little chance of him being assaulted by anyone like Danzō's ROOT operatives now that he was not alone - and Haku knew enough about what had happened, having been the one to save him from Sai's mock battle.

Haku wore a newly-minted hitai-ate with a black bandana around her forehead, her hair done up in a bun and in a cap to hold it. Her attire was much simpler, consisting of a bright blue haori over a cream-colored vest and a pair of calf-length shorts. She didn't wear her new breastplate, having evidently sealed it away in a scroll to be brought out in the event the situation escalated to heavy-duty combat.

"You packed up everything you need?" Naruto asked.

"Yes," Haku replied assuredly, "I've had to learn to pack up efficiently while I was with Zabuza. The fugitive life does that to you."

"I can only imagine."

Naruto was about to say more when his warrior's intuition blared, warning him of impending battle. A simple cantrip enabled him to create a wind wall using the ambient Green mana surrounding him, deflecting a salvo of four arrows away from him and Haku. It was Haku's turn to defend, creating a buckler of ice to intercept a blade coming his way before creating an ice sword in her free hand to slash at the assailant. The attacker ducked under a slash, and attempted to bring their blade down on Naruto, who was able to summon his war sword just in time to parry it before kicking away the perpetrator.

With the space created between them, Naruto was able to get a better look. Their assailant was a girl around their age, her skin a warm tan on a slim frame, her scraggly brown hair reached her shoulders. She wore a brown, fur-lined leather vest, under which she wore a green halter-top, and a pair of beige shorts. As far as protection was concerned, she wore a pair of boiled leather greaves and bracers reinforced with metal plates. The way she moved, and the way she kept focus on them spoke of a life largely spent in the wild, her golden brown eyes reminiscent of a wildcat, which complemented her feral appearance. Given her physicality, it would not have been a surprise if she were mistaken for a wildcat on the prowl.

In terms of weaponry, the wildcat in human form held a laminate bow in one hand with the string pointing down, and a quiver loaded with six arrows slung across her back. What she wielded in her other hand was a blade that Naruto recognized as a nata—a blade with a squared tip like a meat cleaver that saw use as a hatchet or machete. The assailant's nata, on the other hand, was quite a bit larger, eyeballed to roughly the size of her thigh, its one-handed grip angled in such a way that the blade was in line with her arm for deft one-handed chops and slashes, though he noted that the grip had just enough length for power-strikes.

And yet, for all the assailant's bestial savagery, he noted something else in her stance as she circled both Naruto and Haku…as if she wasn't fighting seriously, just enough to tease out potential without revealing her own. In a way, it was not unlike the scuffle he'd had with Sai not too long ago.

The assailant grinned savagely, revealing sharp canines. "Not bad reflexes," she said, her voice raspy like a wildcat menacing its prey, though her tone was sincere, "It seems I was put in a good team."

"You're our third team member?" Naruto asked, almost suspicious.

"Then why attack us?" Haku added, her voice calm but threatening like an imminent blizzard. In Naruto's eyes, she really did her resemblance to the yuki-onna justice, being able to emote anger and fury without so much as raising her voice.

"I was taught to test prospective teammates this way," replied the leopardess, "not the best way, I'll admit, but the only way I know how."

"And had you taken it too far, I'd have to disband this team," came a voice from an alleyway.

Naruto turned to regard the speaker and found Yamato walking towards them before coming to a stop. "Naruto, Haku, you've just met your new teammate Hyōhime."

In Naruto's mind, it was a fitting name; given her feline appearance and ferocity, she did indeed look like a princess of the wilds. All she needed were the rosettes that leopards were known for, and her name would have been a lot more literal.

"The mission we're on is our trial by fire," said Yamato, nodding to Team Yamato to continue their way to the west gate, "Whether we stay together as a team or not will depend on how well we perform."

"What's the mission?" Naruto asked.

"To capture something called an 'angel.'"

…

[Elsewhere]

It was a typical walk for Fū as she made her rounds through the Takigakure wilderness, the birdsong calming her nerves.

She'd tried to enter the Chūnin Exams, but was barred from entering. Admittedly to make sure that nobody tried any funny business with her - and for good reason. No village wanted to lose a Jinchūriki, despite the reservations of the people that they were supposed to protect.

As she strolled through the wilderness, her eyes caught something odd: a metallic creature investigated the woods, sniffing around. The thing caught sight of her and bolted in the opposite direction, triggering Fū's competitive spirit to chase after it.

It was fast. Fū was faster, being able to sweep the thing off its four legs, and hold it up as it struggled in her grasp. When she turned the thing around to get a better look, holding the thing by its equivalent to armpits, what she saw was not what she expected: by general shape and facial features, the thing looked like a tanuki, if tanuki were made of metal and looked back at her with glowing green eyes. The tanuki's metal body was segmented like body armor, decorated with red string, with hints of moss and patina on its body - though given the proportions of the plates, the tanuki actually looked as though it could be worn as armor.

Before she could decide on what to do with it, the tanuki fell as its arms detached from its body, allowing it to land in front of Fū's feet before its arms reattached themselves to its shoulders before running away. This time, however, the metal tanuki was able to put more distance between itself and Fū by maneuvering through the varying obstacles that made up the Takigakure wilderness, its movements flowing like water due to its smaller size as it crawled through every opening it could find.

As she maneuvered her way in pursuit of the metal tanuki, Fū followed it to a clearing. What she saw when she arrived was unlike anything she'd ever seen before: the tanuki leaped into an upright, ovoid plane of light that was swirling on the inside, standing right in the middle of the clearing.

"You know what that is, Chōmei?" she asked under her breath.

"I'd be careful, Fū," cautioned a voice from within, "I have no idea what that thing is."

Fū silently agreed with her Bijū. To her knowledge, she and Chōmei had the best relations between Jinchūriki and their tenants - which was why she heeded Chōmei's advice.

Still, curiosity had won out…that, and she really wanted to catch that tanuki. As she got closer to the plane of light, the swirling slowed to a stop before forming a clear picture on the inside…like a dark tunnel with a bright white light at the end.

After setting foot into the tunnel, Fū had the strange sensation of being pulled away, the turbulence hitting her front at full force as she neared the white light at high speed. She didn't even have time to scream as she was engulfed in white light.

As soon as her vision cleared, she found herself with her mouth agog.

Gone were the trees of her native land, and in its place were tall buildings that would've put even a Kage tower to shame. Dominating the skyline was a destroyed tree on top of one building - the thing looked like an explosive seal had detonated within it, though she surmised that the thing would easily have dwarfed the titanic tree back home.

And all this time, Fū had one key question in her mind that she promptly whispered under her breath.

"Where am I?"

…

A/N: Oh dear, I wonder where Fū has gone.

Suffice it to say, I've decided to throw a bit of a curveball there. Instead of people and critters from the multiverse visiting Naruto's world, this time, I'm sending someone from Naruto's world to some other place in the multiverse. I'll leave it to you as to where she's gone.

…

Vocabulary/Translations/Notes:

Happuri—this is the mask with the t-shaped visor that samurai wear; it's also worn by Senju Tobirama, and of course Yamato.

Hyōhime—the name literally means "leopard princess" ("Hyō" (ヒョウ) means "leopard", and "hime" (姫) means princess).

…

Cards used:

Felidar Sovereign (4)(White)(White)—Creature - Cat Beast

Vigilance, lifelink

At the beginning of your upkeep, if you have 40 or more life, you win the game

…

Tanuki Transplanter (3)(Green)—Artifact Creature - Equipment Dog

Whenever Tanuki Transplanter or equipped creature attacks, add an amount of (Green) equal to its power. Until end of turn, you don't lose this mana as steps and phases end.

Reconfigure (3)