《The Cloud Over The Leaf》


 Ch.0 Prologue

    The darkness was everywhere, endless in its expansion. Everything was still, quiet, and calm. This all changed once a small, bright light gradually appeared in this expanse. It floated listlessly,seeming to survey its surroundings.

    "Where...am I?"

    The small orb looked around with increased caution.

    "That''s an easy question. You''re in limbo."

    The orb shivered as its view turned around and became stock still. A entity covered in a black cloak floated behind him with a large burning book floating beside him.

    "This is where you usually end up when you die. Well, beside any abnormal situations."

    The entity floated around the orb while it contemplated its words.

    "I...I see. I guess it would have happened eventually."

    "As are all deaths."

    The burning book suddenly moved towards the orb.

    "Huh?! What-"

    A flash bursted from the book, dazing the orb.

    "Ah! What was that?!"

    "So sorry there! I''m in a bit of a hurry, so I need to get you squared away."

    The book moved towards the entity, opening its pages. The entity seemed to read something as the orb continued to float in confusion. The entity soon became very animated, as it clapped its hands and sighed at various points in his read. The book finally closed after what seemed to be an eternity to the orb.

    "Man, your life was crazy as hell!"

    The orb shivered at his words. He tried to remember what happened to him, only to find nothing. Not even his name was left to him.

    "You know my life?! Wha- what happened to me?"

    "Sadly, I can''t tell you."

    The entity shook his head as he continued to explain.

    "You see, my job is to send you to where you need to go. This book reads your life and decides your fate."

    The orb looked silently at the entity and listlessly floated for a while.

    "I see. I guess I should just accept the decision."

    The entity floated in silence as the book slowly began to build up energy.

    "Correct. That''s what happens... In normal situations."

    "Huh?!"

    *Ding ding ding*

    The entity suddenly pulled out a bell and began to ring it happily.

    "Congratulations to you! You just so happened to run into a Rule breaker!! Fuck regulations!"

    Even the book began to spin and flip as it went around the orb.

    "Wh-what are you talking about?!"

    "You wanna know about your life?! You got it! The catch is you gotta go to a new world! And your life gave me the perfect answer! All i need to do now is give you a boon, and you''ll be on your way."

    The entity floated back and forth as he was deep in thought. He then punched his hand as an idea came to him.

    "Of course!! The main character has one so why can''t you?! I got the boon and I''ll give it your memories too. This is just too good!"

    The entity extended his hand to the orb as a black mass of energy began to gather.

    "Now hold still. This is your power up! Can''t have it miss you now."

    "Wait! Why are you doing this?!"

    "Because I want to? I''m tired of tragedies. It''s time you get to enjoy yourself more."

    The black mass of energy formed into a small dot and fired into the orb. It''s pale blue body now had a speck of black in the middle, like a beauty mark.

    "Perfect. Well, off you go then!"

    "Wait! I don''t know what you did, but if it''s helping me...thank you."

    The entity froze, and then bursted laughing.

    "Don''t worry about. Pay me back by enjoying yourself."

    "Hey!! Are you changing fates again?! I told you to stay away from the new souls!"

    "Uh oh! Gotta go, little guy! Make the most of your new life!"

    The book finally built the energy needed to finish the process and floated to the orb.

    ''Don''t tell me it''s..''

    *bang*

    The book let out an enormous amount of energy and light flashed on the orb once more, making it disappear.

    "Let''s go, Burner! Chief''s on our ass again!"

    The entity and the book hightailed it out of the area as another entity in a white robe chased after them.

    "Get back here!"

    As the chase continued on, the vast expanse went back to its natural state, calm and still.

 Ch.1: So This Is A Thing… (1)

    The world tumbled and flipped as the little orb was wrapped in a familiar sensation.

    "W-what is happening?!"

    He felt himself expanding and contorting beyond his will. This continued for an unknown amount of time as his shape began to twist and form even more. He soon felt a force pushing him, sending him down towards a myriad of sensations. He soon heard sounds and voices through the tunnel.

    "Almost there! Just one more push!"

    The space around him contracted and forced him out into the new world and the hands of a mysterious being, scaring the shit outta him.

    "Aaaaaah!!!"

    He unconsciously let out all of his frustrations and anguish.

    "Its a boy! He''s nice and healthy too!"

    ''What the hell is going on?!''

    The baby continue to wail as his confusion only added on to his cries.

    "He''ll be pretty strong if he can yell like this!"

    The strange figure brought him over to a strange liquid as he felt it washing over his body.He felt strangely relaxed as he was soon wrapped in a warm cloth. He felt... Strangely relaxed in this little prison.

    "Let me hold him."

    A weak voice graced his ears, unlike this loud person holding him.

    "Sure! Here you go, Mom~!"

    He was handed over to the new voice as he felt the arms of his new captor to be rather weak. His eyes were still closed as everything around him still took some getting used to. He felt a very calming sensation washed over him.

    ''Who...is this?''

    He felt at peace for some reason as he slowly wanted to see this person. After a few minutes of silence and the occasional sniffle, He finally managed to open his eyes and saw who held him.

    ''!!''

    It was the strangest feeling he ever had. The instant connection to this person felt natural, even meant to be.

    "Hey there, my little boy."

    Vivid blue eyes stared at him as he was frozen. Her long, sand blonde hair trickled over her chocolate skin. Her face grew close to his as she kissed his forehead lovingly.

    "Your name will be Hii. Welcome to the world."

    As Hii couldn''t seem to pull his face away ( or move his neck for that matter), the source of sniffles in the room soon loomed over him.

    ''His hair is so fluffy!!!''

    Hii''s first thought as he viewed the man was strangly how much he wanted to touch his hair.

    "I-I''m a father now?! I ca-can''t stop crying!"

    The pale skinned man with shaggy black hair couldn''t seem to hold himself together as he gazed at Hii with affection from his green eyes.

    ''...He seems nice''.

    Hii couldn''t help, but feel happy as the two smothered him in love.

    "He has your face,Henda."

    The woman said to the man as more tears seemed to be on the verge of falling.

    "He-he looks like he got everything else from you, Kaya."

    The woman giggled as she looked down at Hii.

    "That just means He''ll be momma''s little boy."

    "Hahaha. That''s probably for the best."

    Hii listened to their banter as he felt his eyes getting heavy.

    ''Ah. Right. Babies don''t stay up for long.''

    Hii soon closed his eyes in his mother''s embrace, falling to a peaceful sleep.

    Or so he thought.

    [You just gonna ignore me, huh?!]

    ''What?!''

    Hii woke up in a bizarre space, colored in mixtures of grey and black as far as the eyes could see. Hii floated around this space, just as he did as an orb, looking all around.

    ''Who said that?!''

    [Down here.]

    Hii looked down and...grew confused.

    A small black mass of fur laid out on the floor of the space, looking at the floating, swathed Hii.

    ''Who are you? Where is this?''

    Hii asked the furry being and managed looked closer at the...puppy on the floor. The puppy moved its head in his direction as he was shocked. The puppy had no eyes, or even eyelids. It was like he never had eyes to begin with. The puppy gave a strange, human like smile as he answered his questions.

    [Let''s answer your question from least shocking to the most shocking. First, we''re inside you. Secondly, I am you.]

 Ch.2: So This Is A Thing… (2)

    "You are me?!"

    Hii stared at the puppy, trying to figure out whether he is lying or telling the truth. He holds his gaze, as if trying to stare through the puppy.

    "Pft."

    The puppy starts to chuckle.

    "Bwahahahahaha!!!"

    Only to go into full on laughter.

    "W-what''s so funny?!"

    "Haa. Haa. Both of us."

    Hii looked confused while he proceeded to explain.

    "We thought the end was finally here for us only to be put in a new life. Life sure is strange."

    The puppy shook his head, letting his ears flop from side to side. Hii had the urge to pet him, but held it back. He still wasn''t sure what this ...dog was.

    "Hey! I''m a wolf,dammit! Get it right!"

    "You can read my mind?!"

    Hii floated backwards in shock.

    "No. Your face said it all. Let me tell you though, my fur is fluffy and soft. It''s the best feeling ever.

    Hii appeared right in front of the pup, stretching out his tiny arms and hands. The pup wondered how he moved so fast before laughing once again

    "Let me touch it! Pleeease?!"

    The pup laughed at the huge shift in caution.

    "Fine, but only for 10 seconds."

    Hii pounced on the pup and rubbed the soft fur.

    ''This! This is so soft!''

    Hii lost himself in the soft sensation as he continued to rub the wolf. The wolf soon disappeared and reappeared a few feet away.

    "Time''s up! Hope you enjoyed yourself."

    Hii stared at the pup with tear filled eyes. The wanted nothing more than to continue to pet the wolf. The wolf flinched at those eyes and turned away.

    "... Once a day."

    "?!"

    "I''ll let you pet me once a day as long as you listen to what i have say."

    Hii agreed almost instantly. The pup sighed as he felt he should''ve just started with that in the first place.

    *****

    "So... You are me, but not exactly me?"

    "Right. I guess I''m considered the boon you got from that oddball with the book."

    The two sat side by side as they gazed at the grey and black horizon.

    "But why are you a wolf?"

    " I have an idea why I''m an animal. I''m probably a biju."

    "...A..biju?"

    "Aah. You don''t need to know that right now. Just now I''m really strong and i got your back. Well, since you are me."

    The pup laid his head down on the floor as Hii thought about what he said.

    "The best way i can explain our relationship is like this. I''m you, or more precisely, I''m you with the memories you had before we died. You are a blank slate of me."

    Hii slowly nodded as he tried to piece the situation together.

    "So... What can you do exactly?"

    "As far as the memories I got from the weird guy, nothing. We''re too young for me to have a power yet. I''ll let you know when I get somewhere with it all."

    "Is there...anything I can do to help?"

    The puppy faced Hii with what looked like a shocked expression,but slowly turned into a strange smile.

    "Just live and help me change somethings that happen in this world. We owe it to-"

    Hii looked at the wolf pup to continue, but he never did. He just seemed to look out into nothing. Hii felt something strange when he saw this. He felt...like he knew who or what the pup was thinking about. Everything seemed so blurry as his head started to hurt.

    "Stop!!!"

    Hii shook as he looked up, startled by the outburst.

    "What happened? What was that?"

    "Don''t try to understand me! Just...not yet. It''s too soon to see what happened to us. Just be happy. As much as you can."

    The puppy looked at Hii with the saddest expression the baby had seen before.

    ''What happened to us?''

    Hii couldn''t help, but think about it again, prompting the pup to swatt him with his paw.

    "Stop."

    Hii sighed as he felt oddly happy over how soft his paws were.

    "I hope I get a dog."

    "What?! Am I not good enough for you?!"

    "That''s not it! Haaa. Well, I''m Hii now. I''ll just live like that then."

    "That''s the spirit. Live it up like any decent baby would!"

    Hii nodded his head, and soon thought of another question.

    "What should I call you?"

    "Me? Hmmmm...."

    The pup thought for a while, tilting his head back and forth. Hii mustered whatever will power he could to not float over and pet him. He had a feeling if he went too far, his privilege would be revoked. After an agonizing amount of time for Hii, the pup stopped and came to a decision.

    "My name will be Akumu. It kinda fits, I guess."

    Hii wanted to say something, but soon found specks of light floating around him.

    "What is this?"

    "Ah, you must be waking up."

    Hii began to float up into the air as more lights began to appear.

    "Wait?! When will we meet again?"

    Akumu started to chuckle.

    "Did you forget? It''s everytime you sleep! I''ll see you in the next few hours."

    "Whaaat?! Can I pet you when I''m back?!"

    "Once everyday. Don''t push it."

    ''Haaa. So this will a thing,huh?''

    The lights enveloped Hii as they fired him off into the distance.

    " I heard that!"

    Akumu chuckled as he watched the ball of light slowly disappear into the distance. He watched as the grey tones around him were swallowed by the darkness, making everything pitch black around him. Akumu did nothing as the vast darkness surrounded him. He muttered softly to himself as he laid his head down.

    "I''ll stop all the tragedies I can. Just you wait and see, my little devil."

    The last bits of gray were devoured by the darkness as Akumu disappeared in its depths.

 Ch.3. Meeting The Family

    Forestbear

    Hii woke up to the humming sound of the nurse coming near his crib.

    "Ok Hii-chan~! It''s time for your farewell bath!"

    The nurse picked Hii up and began to take off his swaddle and wash him gently.

    ''She''s rather into her job.''

    [Better to be into a job than to do one you hate.]

    Hii patiently waited for the nurse to finish as he watched her work.

    "Aah I''ll miss Hii-chan~! You don''t cry at all during this! I hope one day my baby can be like you!"

    The nurse smiled brightly as she swaddled Hii in a soft cloth once more before bringing out to the hallway hospital. The two walked for a short while before the nurse''s face grew excited.

    "Kaya-san! I brought little Hii-chan for you~!"

    "Thank you for taking care of him, Mae-san."

    Kaya''s gentle voice seemed to relax Hii as Mae-san handed him over to her. Hii once again saw the pretty mother and became lost in her eyes. She similarly seemed to gaze endlessly at Hii as the two felt their familial connection grow more and more.

    "Umm, Kaya. Are you ok?"

    A hand gently fell on Kaya''s shoulder, but Kaya didn''t turn her head away. Henda''s face popped up in Hii''s side vision, but he didn''t care as he continued to stare at his mom.

    "Awwww~!! The bond between mother and son is the strongest~!"

    The two continued to stare until Kaya blinked and woke up.

    "Ah?! I''m sorry!"

    "It''s ok! I''m envious of your little connection!"

    Mae''s eyes were sparkling as she gazed at Kaya and Hii in adoration. Henda stood off to the side, swirling his fingers on the wall.

    "Henda! What''s wrong? Did you see our son?"

    "... I did. You both ignored me."

    Kaya and Mae looked at Henda with sweat drops falling down their heads.

    ******

    Henda was beaming as he held Hii in his arms. Hii''s eyes sparkled as he looked at his dad. To be more specific, his hair.

    ''It''s so fluffy!!!''

    [...It''s not that fluffy.]

    Hii occasionally looked around to find the buildings in the odd japanese style and the occasional blur jumping in the air. Kaya looked up into the sky with narrowed eyes.

    "Looks like some squads have come back."

    Henda''s eyes brighten at those words.

    "Which means more weapons! Ahh~! I can''t wait!"

    Kaya began to giggle as Hii felt his father was rather interesting as well.

    [He must be a blacksmith. Surprising with that hair.]

    Kaya stopped suddenly and smiled as she suddenly disappeared, followed by a shriek nearby.

    "Kushi~!"

    "Wha-?! Kaya?! I haven''t seen you in so long!"

    Hii could barely see his mom hugging another woman. His eyes widened in surpise by his mother''s speed.

    ''How did she do that?!''

    [I don''t know. Hopefully we can learn how when we''re older.]

    The woman Kaya was hugging had long red hair flowing to her back and long green dress. She looked very happy to see Kaya as the two chatted away.

    "So how''s Minato doing? Bet he''s busy being the Hokage and all."

    "Yep! He''s busy, but he''s living his dream, so he''s excited every day!"

    Kushina smiled brightly as she talked about Minato. Henda nodded his head with a smile hearing those words.

    "Man, I don''t really like war, but I''d love if the Hokage needed more kunais. His are so fun to make."

    [So he makes them,huh?]

    "By the way,Kushi."

    Kaya''s face grew mischievous,staring at Kushina. Kushina''s face tighten as they stared at each other.

    "Have you gotten fat?"

    Kaya''s smile grew wider as a tick mark grew on Kushina''s head.

    "Kaya~. You know you shouldn''t say that."

    "Oh~? Well, are you hiding something from me,Kushi?"

    This time, Kushina anger dropped into a cold sweat. Kaya''s mischevious smile turned into a scary one. Henda took a few steps back from the two, protecting Hii.

    ''.....''

    [.....]

    The pair were speechless as they watched the grin on Kaya''s face became wider and scarier,slowly approaching the retreating Kushina.

    "Oooh~? You''re keeping secrets from big sister now, eh?"

    "N-no! Not at all!"

    "What''s wrong? You''re sweating sooo much. Let me help you."

    Kaya performed a set of hand signs and pointed to Kushina.

    "Water style: Water orb justu."

    The sweat on Kushina drained from her clothes and skin and formed into a small ball on Kaya''s finger.

    *Splat*

    Kaya let the ball drop to the side and patted the frozen Kushina on the shoulder.

    "Now then. Let onee-san know what''s on your hiding~."

    "...Yes, Kaya."

    Kushina looked around and motioned Kaya to come closer. Kaya gleefully leaned forward and listened to Kushina''s secret. Henda was a bit curious of what they were whispering about, but he kept to himself with Hii. Kaya''s face changed rapidly between happy and tense as she straightened up. She suddenly grabbed Kushina and pulled her in for a big hug.

    "Congratulations. Tell me if you need me for anything. I''ll help you no matter what."

    Kushina nodded as her smile grew a bit complicated. She hugged her back and the two separated.

    "Come look at my baby,Kushi. He''s a real cutie."

    Kushina''s eyes grew wide as Kaya dragged her to Henda and Hii. Kushina squealed as she saw Hii for the first time. Henda had a prideful smile on his face as he showed his son off. Hii looked up at Kushina with his blue eyes and couldn''t help but notice her red hair. He stared at it intensly, while the three laughed.

    "Aaah, I guess he likes your hair, Kushina."

    "I can see that. He''s so precious."

    "Hold him, Kushina."

    Kushina jumped a little.

    "I-is it ok?"

    "You''re his auntie. Hold him."

    Kaya''s stern instructions made Kushina timidly reach out to hold Hii as Henda happily obliged. Kushina felt the weight of the baby as she gazed at Hii.

    "H-Hi there, little Hii. Auntie has you now."

    "Ah."

    The three froze as Hii''s first attempts at a word went to Kushina. Kaya and Henda couldn''t help but look at each other as their baby became quite loud. Kushina became a bit more relaxed as she lightly bounced the baby.

    "You''re a good boy, huh Hii?"

    "Ah."

    "You gonna grow big and strong, aren''t you~?"

    "Aaah!"

    Henda grew more and more pale as Kushina played with Hii. Kushina suddently felt a spike of ill intent and looked up, only to find Kaya''s twitching smile.

    "I think that''s enough for today, don''t you?"

    "I think so too!"

    Kushina politely gave Hii to Kaya, who gently took Hii in her arms. Her twitching smile instantly turned into a gentle, motherly one. She changed her face so quickly, the two couldn''t tell when the transition happened!

    "Hii loves Mommy, right~?"

    "Aaah~!"

    Hii gave the loudest squeal as he saw his mother''s face. Her smile became the brightest as she covered Hii in kisses.

    "I love Hii too~!"

    The two looked on at the interaction, both thinking the same thing that Akumu.

    [''Hii is really smart to avoid making her mad!'']

    *******

    The two said goodbye to Kushina as they hurried on home. Their home was a homely house next to their blacksmithing shop. The two made their way inside, only to be stopped by a tall, stern looking man.

    "You''re late."

    Kaya looked at the man with a similarly stern face and replied.

    "You should''ve come with us, father."

    The man snorted as he refused to acknowledge his daughter''s sense. He had a darker skin tone than Kaya, and his hair was the same color blonde, with specks of ash in it. One of his sleeves dangles empty as his other arm dangled by his hip. His brown eyes looked at the bundle in his daughter''s arms with barely concealed happiness and anxiety. Kaya and Henda waited for the man to say something, only for him to turn and walk further inside the house.

    *Bonk*

    "You old buffoon! Why won''t you ever be honest?!"

    An older woman with a few streaks of white hair came through the doorway to greet them. Her green eyes shined with love as she saw her daughter holding her new grandson. Her pale hand beckoning them to come and sit inside. The two smiled wryly as they made their way past the crouched old man holding his head. The woman use a steel cane to make her way excitedly over to the couch as three sat down. The bubbly grandma was ecstatic to finally see her grandson and Kaya couldn''t help showing him to her with a smile. The grandma held Hii in her arms and slowly studied Hii''s features as Hii also looked at the new face in front of him. He could tell she was a beauty when she was younger, and the streaks of gray only added to her charm.

    "....He looks just like you, dear. He does have Henda''s nose too."

    "I''m glad he looks a bit like me."

    "Hehe. He''ll look mostly like me though."

    The grandma sighed as he brushed Hii''s face with her hand.

    "He''s gonna be a lady killer when he gets older. I can see it already."

    The grandma turned around and looked at the old man staring at a painting that had been in the house for years like it was new. A fresh tick mark formed on grandma''s head as she looked at her foolish husband.

    "Di! Stop looking at that painting and hold your grandson!"

    "...."

    Di slowly made his way to the couch, seeming uninterested, but frequently peeking at Hii. This made the Grandma even more frustrated.

    "Do I have to get up to make you move faster?!"

    "N-No, Riku! I''m coming now."

    Di''s stern voice seemed to soften as he went to the couch, standing in front of them. Riku handed Hii to Kaya as she began to stand up. Di quickly grabbed hold of Riku to help her stand while she adjusted her cane. She smiled slightly as she moved to a nearby chair and watched as Di sat down on the couch next to his daughter. Hii looked at the stern face curiously as the grandpa finally studied Hii as well. His gaze soften considerably as a trace of affection could be seen in his eyes.

    "...Y-you did a good job,Kaya."

    His sentence seemed to make the room shake as everyone jumped at his words of praise.

    [Guess those words are hard to come by.]

    Tears started to trace her eyes as Kaya hurriedly wiped them away.

    "I-I did my best!"

    "Mmm."

    Di''s lone hand akwardly raised up and patted his daughter''s head. The tears came in full force as a smile bloomed on her face.

    "Geez! I''m not a kid,Dad!"

    "I know. You''re a mother now."

    Kaya nodded happily as her father continued to pat her head.

    "Ahh!"

    Everyone looked at Hii with a smile on their face as he continued to stare at his grandpa. Kaya started to fidget a little as she looked at her father.

    "Do...you want to hold him?"

    "...Can you help me?"

    Kaya smiled happily as she helped her Dad hold Hii while Henda stood up to help Riku so she and Kaya could sit at each side of Di.

    "Make sure you hold his head right. You''re out of practice."

    Di nodded as he held Hii carefully, feeling the light weight of the newborn.

    "Ah~!"

    "He''s happy to see you, Dad!"

    Di couldn''t help but form a smile as he affectionately cared for Hii.

    "Hmph! And you thought he''d cry when he saw you."

    "N-not in front of them."

    " You big softie."

    The family laughed happily as they welcomed their new addition with open arms and open hearts.

 Ch.4. The Unforgettable Night (pt.1)

    5 months has past since Hii has come into the world. He soon became familiar with his new family members as well as Akumu. Since the two meet whenever Hii sleeps, He''s had no choice but to get along with Akumu.Everyone else was very easy to get along with.

    "Hii-chan!! Look here!"

    "Aah!!"

    Kaya smiled brightly as she shook a little rattle in her hand. Hii could now sit up and could move his head slightly, keeping his eyes on his relatives. Hii had become the liveliest person in the household. Everyone wanted to spend time with Hii, mostly because Hii wanted to spend time with everyone else. The family found Hii to be an exceptional delight with very little problems.

    Hii didn''t seem to have the normal child problems as he only cried for two reasons. They were to either eat or because of poop. Any other time and Hii would be busy kicking, laughing, smiling, or sleeping. This lead to everyone always being around him.

    Di was the one who would always tell Hii about war stories or previous ninja battles he had before he lost his leg. Hii would always be silent and attentive to his grandpa, much to Di''s delight. He would always be wacked by Riku,however, if the stories got too violent.

    Riku herself enjoyed holding Hii and simply humming a tune as she would usually be the one to rock him to sleep.

    Henda was the most awkward of the group as he really didn''t know what to say to a baby, but Hii gave him a rather easy way out. Henda would just put Hii close to his head and Hii''s hands would shoot into Henda''s hair at extreme speed! This was always followed by a squeal of delight as Hii would only think of how fluffy it was. This,of course, made Henda''s time bittersweet as the other three didn''t like how Henda could always make Hii so happy.

    Kaya always had the most time with Hii when she was at home. They had a lot of fun and idle time together, although feeding time wasn''t the best time for Hii. He always wished he didn''t have a older soul when he had to drink from a boob. Akumu always teases him to imagine it as a water ballon, but Hii couldn''t get over his discomfort. Kaya picked Hii up and watched as he grabbed the rattle and started to shake it.

    "Aaah!"

    "Oooh! My Hii is so smart!"

    Kaya began to spin in happiness as Hii just kept squealing happily.

    "Oi! Kaya, don''t swing Hii around like that!"

    "Ok, Mom! I''ll calm down. It''s just... Hii really brightens my mood."

    Kaya looked outside the nearby window towards the Hokage statues. The four heads stood silently over the leaf while Kaya''s focus was mainly on the fourth head. Riku''s expression became a bit grave as she watched her daughter.

    "Haven''t heard from her yet?"

    "Yea... She should be due around this time. She hasn''t called out to me yet though."

    Kaya was becoming worried as she knew Kushina would definetly let her know if anything was wrong. When the two first met, Kaya decided she would help protect the little red habanero. This lead to her gaining her own nickname from her mastery of water style and shooting her opponents with precision, becoming "Storm Clouds".

    The two were inseparable after that, only to include Minato after he saved Kushina from the cloud ninjas that tried to abduct her. Kaya was even more angry at this fact since her lineage is from The Hidden Cloud Village. She didn''t care about Kushina being a Jinchuuriki since she knew they were two different beings in one body. She loved Kushina and that''s all she cared about.

    Though she was more mature now and also had more people she loved in her life, Kushina and Minato would always have there Big sister''s help whenever they asked. Riku sighed as she saw her daughter deep in her thoughts.

    "Everyone grows up, Kaya. You felt it when Hii was born, right?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "If those two meant any harm to Hii, you would protect Hii at all costs on your own, right?"

    "...."

    "That girl will also be a mother and will want to protect and nurture her baby on her own. She''ll want to be able to hold her own with her husband, or alone. She can''t be dependant on a big sister."

    ".... I know."

    Kaya hugged Hii tighter as she looked at the setting sun. She wished there was something she could do for her little sister, but couldn''t think of anything.

    *****

    Akumu sat patiently in Hii''s soul, sensing him having fun with his mother. A smile crept on his face as he saw Hii enjoying his mother''s company. His smile didn''t last long however, as he observed the calender marking the day.

    [Today''s the day. It''ll probably be a few more hours. How am I suppose to stop it?]

    Akumu snarled at his weakness and shook his head.

    [No, I can at least mitigate it. I just need to figure out what I should choose.]

    *I can help you with that.*

    [!!]

    Akumu stood up and bared his fangs.

    Someone could come in here?!

    [Who''s there?!]

    *Oooh, c''mon! It''s only been 5 fucking months! Am I that forgettable?!*

    A familiar, dark figure appeared in front of Akumu, looking as whimsical as ever.

    [You!]

    *Yes! Me! How else am i suppose to respond to that? Tell you I''m someone else?*

    Akumu didn''t let his guard down as he stared at the being.

    *Heh. Still mad I split you off?*

    [...]

    *You are all the grit and tenacity. It wouldn''t be fun if I didn''t let you hold the weight of the life. The other one would''ve been buried, again.*

    [... What do you want?]

    *Well, Order has been grinding my ass to make it fair for you since I put you here. Can''t believe that guy.*

    The figure scratched his head and continued.

    *Since I gave you a shitty deal all around, That''s worth 2 boons. Since you''re technically a whole other person now apart from...?*

    [Hii.]

    *Right. Well, since you''re a different person from Hii, you need your own boon. So I''ll help you out since i know what you plan to do, or rather stop.*

    The figure''s shoulders jumped up and down as he shook his head side to side.

    *I can''t believe someone like you was a goody two shoes deep down. I fucking love it!*

    The figure rose his hands up as he seemed to cackle in his own madness.

    *I live for Chaos as I am Chaos. It would be boring if I didn''t let your attempt at least become feasible.*

    [So you''ll give me 3 boons?!]

    *Yep! You seem to be on a roll with luck, huh?*

    Chaos nodded his head, not waiting for a response.

    [I can choose what I want then,right?]

    Chaos looked up at Akumu and blurted out.

    *Fuck No!*

    [?!]

    *Ha! You may get boons out of me, but I''ll give you what you need, not what you want!*

    Chaos laughed as three dark orbs formed around him as it began to think.

    *Hmmm. That''s good for a wolf like you. It''ll be unique too out of the bunch. That one isn''t too bad either. Oh!! And if I add that one too!? Hehehehehe!!*

    Akumu felt his fur spike and tried to flee, but found himself unable to move at all!

    *Come on! After all my thinking for your sake, and you wanna run away?! These boons aren''t bad, you know.*

    Chaos floated in front of Akumu as the balls of darkness came closer.

    *Now, hold still. This will probably hurt.*

 Ch.5. The Unforgettable Night (pt.2)

    The night was still, and the moon was full. Kaya looked out at the moon with a bad feeling in her chest.

    ''What should I do? Should I go and look for her?''

    She contemplated her mother''s words, wondering if the time to let Kushina handle everything on her own had come. She knew Kushina well and this also lead her to believe she could screw it up. If Minato wasn''t there to help her, who knows what she''ll do.

    ''But if she fails, she''ll pick herself up like she always has. She''d grow to be a great mother that way. I just hate to see her fall.''

    "Stop thinking about it, idiot."

    "Wha-Mom?!"

    Kaya turned around surprised as her mother slowly moved beside her.

    "Haaa. You know, you make the same face that buffoon does when he thinks too much."

    "Oh. Haha."

    Kaya dryly laughed as she focused back up to the moon. Riku placed her hand on her back, keeping silent and just supporting her daughter.

    ***

    Henda and Di slowly crept next to Hii''s crib as the left the women alone to talk. Henda softly poked one of Hii''s cheeks as he lightly exhaled.

    "I hope Kaya will feel better. She hasn''t really been cheerful in the last two months."

    Di nodded as he watched his grandson.

    "She''s wearing a mask to keep everyone happy."

    Henda nodded as he pulled himself away from the crib, gazing at his father in law.

    "I don''t like it, but I''m not in their circle like that. I''ll just support her as much as I can."

    Di slowly nodded as he made his way out of the baby''s room.

    "Sometimes, that''s all you can do."

    Henda looked at Di''s back slowly disappear and sighed.

    ''Those two love each other so much, but their pride..''

    Henda was only a blacksmith, but he could only imagine the pressure his wife never tells. The pressure to be descended from the Cloud village. The pressure of not being talented in kenjustu, like her father. To have the wrong affinity to learn the family techniques.

    ''Kaya had to push through all that to get where she is now. I can''t imagine how that was for her. Her dad too, and even Riku when I think about it''

    He shook his head of those self depreciating thoughts and gazed at his son.

    ''I have to be strong like that! I have to be a father for Hii!''

    Unlike Kaya and her family, Henda was just a normal boy who fell in love with blacksmithing. He could only get more experience with Di as having one arm in this business was a little too much to handle. Though Di had experience and Riku or Kaya as helpers, they were ultimately not interested in the craft.

    Henda, however, jumped at the chance to be an apprentice that did more than work the counter. He just never expected to fall in love with the master''s daughter! He also never expected to succeed in his love either!

    ''Though it was luck, I also had to try hard to get here. I''ll just have to keep at it like I always have!''

    A fire burned in his eyes as he turned to leave the room, before turning back silently and kissing Hii on his forehead.

    '' Hope your dreams are fun, son!''

    Henda smiled as he headed out of the room, wondering if his wife was feeling better.

    *****

    The gray and black space twisted once more as Hii had appeared in his soul space. Hii looked forward to sleep now that Akumu let him rub his fur more than he used too.

    ''Hehehe! I get to pet him one more time today!''

    Hii looked around for akumu and found him laying down a distance away.

    ''Akumu!!! Let me rub your fur!!''

    Hii shot towards Akumu and buried himself in his side. Akumu looked at Hii frolicking in his fur and sighed.

    [Hii. We need to talk about something.]

    ''Huh? About what?''

    [Face in front of me and I''ll tell you.]

    Hii obeyed and slowy floated in front of him. He felt a sense of pressure from Akumu now, unlike before. Akumu faced Hii and started to explain.

    [That crazy being came in here while you were awake.]

    ''What?! Did he do something? Did he hurt you?!''

    Hii started to panic. He wasn''t sure what he could do with this body against that being.

    [No, it''s fine. Chaos didn''t do much. In fact, he helped us out.]

    ''...His name is Chaos?''

    [Ugh, yeah. It is. That''s beside the point though.]

    Akumu faced towards Hii and said nothing. Hii stared at Akumu, waiting for whatever he had to say to him. The two stared at each other until Akumu finally sighed and began.

    [Tonight, something bad will probably happen.]

    ''Something bad?! What''s gonna happen?!''

    [Well, before I begin to explain what''s going to happen, I have a question for you.]

    Akumu paused for a short moment and spoke again.

    [Would you want to save the people of this village at the cost of your life?]

    ''What?! To use my life to save them?! Is the threat that bad?!''

    [It''s the strongest type of Biju right now. It''s going to be unleashed tonight. Remember the pretty red haired lady?]

    Hii nodded. He doesn''t think he could ever forget that ladies smile.

    [She''s like us. She holds a powerful beast inside her. They aren''t as friendly as us though.]

    ''Really?!''

    [Yeah. The problem is though, she will die tonight with the 4th Hokage.]

    Hii''s face grew pale at the level of threat Akumu spoke of. He then realized something.

    ''You said you can stop it?!''

    [I can have a good attempt at it, and I''ve been thinking how i can make it succeed.]

    Hii''s eyes sparkled with excitement!

    ''Oooh!! Then what can I do to help?''

    Akumu looked at him, and clenched his jaws.

    [I need you....to give me your life energy.]

 Ch.6. The Unforgettable Night (pt.3)

    The silence between the two was heavy.

    '' My life energy....''

    Akumu slowly started to become jittery as Hii was deciding. His tail started to swish around and he couldn''t face Hii. Not with what he requested.

    [Well, I probably don''t need it. Yeah. I can probably make it wo-]

    '' I''ll do it.''

    [What?!]

    Akumu shot up on all fours, looking in shock.

    [You really don''t have to-]

    ''You want save people, right?''

    Akumu could only slowly nod his head in acknowledgement.

    '' Then save people. That''s as simple as it gets.''

    Hii nodded his head. Akumu couldn''t help, but be impressed with Hii. He couldn''t help, but wonder if he had a side of him like this.

    ''I have a condition though.''

    [What is it??]

    ''You have to make sure Mom is safe. I only care about that.''

    [...Got it.]

    Akumu wouldn''t let this chance slip by.

    [I won''t need to take it right now, but it would likely-]

    *Crack*

    Their small world began to break as small cracks formed all around them.

    ''What is happening?!''

    [I don''t..... No!]

    The world shattered as Hii was enveloped in a flash of light.

    ****

    "Ah!!!"

    Hii cried as his father hurriedly picked him up from his crib. Hii was confused by what was happening, but the face his father had was one he wouldn''t forget.

    It was a face of fear and worry.

    "I''m sorry!! We gotta go, Hii!"

    Henda picked up some of Hii''s necessities and made his way towards the front of the house. Outside, Granpa Di and Grandma Riku stood in front of the house looking up. Hii''s eyes couldn''t help, but follow and his body shivered in fear.

    ''W-what the hell is that?!''

    [....That''s the being I was talking about.]

    Hii couldn''t believe such a beast existed. Red, spiky fur covered its whole body and its 9 enormous tails. His sharp teeth snapped at the rocks and boulders sent towards him while his claws swiped through buildings. His red eyes glowed with rage, gazing at the village.

    "Ggggguuuuurroooaaaaaah!!!"

    The beast roared into the night, promising the village and unforgettable event.

    ****

    Hii could only look in terror as the beast fought the village.

    ''You, you''re going to fight that?!''

    [I''m gonna try. I can only try!]

    Hii could feel it clearly now. Akumu''s emotions were closer to Hii than ever before. He could feel fear,excitement, and worry. Hii''s tiny fists clenched around Henda''s shirt as he became filled with conviction.

    ''When will you take my energy?''

    [....as soon as Kaya-]

    ''Call her mom.''

    [....As soom as..Mom comes.]

    The front door opened and everyone turned around. Kaya stood with her standard Leaf equipment. Dark blue pants and shirt with her leaf green vest and her headband covering her forehead. She had a solemn, but determined look on her face as she gazed in the direction of the Kyuubi without flinching.

    "Kaya! You should come with us to the shelter! They will probably need-"

    "No, Honey. I''m going to battle."

    Her unwavering tone caused the Henda to flinch and hold his head down. Di went towards his daughter and the two stared at each other in silence. Di then patted his daughter''s head, much to her shock. She could feel what he wanted to say, despite him not having said it.

    I''m proud of you.

    Riku smiled as she too went forward and hugged her daughter.

    ''These two idiots really need to express themselves to each other more.''

    "Be safe."

    Kaya nodded as she hugged her mom back.

    "Ah!!"

    The one sound that made Kaya falter finally appeared. Her final and strongest obstacle.

    "Let me hold him."

    Kaya managed to choke these words out as she held her hands out to Henda. Hii looked at her with tears in his eyes, arms outstretched towards her. She struggled to keep her tears in as her fear was picked up with Hii in her arms. Thoughts of her not coming back came and went through her mind as she consoled Hii. Little did they know that he wasn''t crying just for his mom fighting the scary monster.

    ''Aaaaah, this hurts!''

    [I''m almost done! Hold on!]

    Akumu was taking the energy he needed from Hii as carefully and quickly as he could. Hii''s hands gripped Kaya''s vest as hard as he could.

    Kaya could feel how hard he gripped her, and felt her resolve slowly getting crushed.

    ''He''ll make me not want to go. I have to give him back.''

    Kaya tried to give Hii back to Henda, but found him holding on for dear life to her. Her tears finally started to fall as she saw his tear soaked face. She couldn''t help but kiss his head and hold him close.

    "I''m sorry! Mom''s has to go. You''ll be good for Dad, Grandma and Grandpa, ok?."

    Kaya felt her heart shatter as Hii slowly started to loosen his grip.

    She couldn''t bear to look at him now as she quickly handed him over to Henda and dried her face.

    Everyone looked at her with conflicting emotions as she faced away from them.

    "I''m going. Take care of Hii for me."

    "Only until you get back."

    Di said as he started to walk to the shelter with Riku. Henda''s face was already a mess at this point and he could barely hold his sniffles in.

    "Thank you, Dad."

    Kaya disappeard in a cloud of smoke as she hurried over to the front line.

    The family watched as she left and soon hurried over to the shelter. No one noticed how Hii''s sand blond hair slowly started to become snow white.

 Ch.7. Kaya of Storm Clouds

    Forestbear

    Trying to blitz as many chapters as I can on my off days. Due to the lack of some jutsus I need, I''ve decided to use my imagination to fill in blanks the story didn''t have or I couldn''t find. Enjoy.

    Kaya sped off to the front of the village at her quickest speed. She rubbed her face with her hands, hoping to alleviate her puffy eyes even a little.

    ''I got to stay positive. I''ll survive this.''

    Kaya slapped her cheeks and focused.

    ''I should have enough chakra for a few big jutsus. I just need to time them well. Huh?! This chakra!''

    Kaya felt a familiar presence nearby and flickered over to them. She landed on the ground and kneeled down with a few other ninjas nearby.

    ""Hokage-sama!!""

    The man in question carried a long battle staff as he stood in defiance of the beast. His black battlesuit and long battle staff were his trademark weapons. His aged features couldn''t diminish the blazing Will of Fire in his gaze.

    The God of Shinobi and the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen!!

    "Everyone! We must push the Kyuubi back! We must all band together! Show him the Will of Fire!"

    "Oooooh!!!"

    The ninjas rallied as they surrounded the beast.

    "Hokage-sama!"

    Kaya came to the Third Hokage with a worried face. Hiruzen turned his head towards her and sighed as he knew what it was about.

    "Hokage-sama! What happened to Kushina?!"

    "Kaya. I know how you feel. I also don''t know what happened to her or minato. We can find out soon once we have this situation handled."

    Kaya could only nod her head meekly as she prepared to fight. Hiruzen, however, had other plans.

    "We will need your jutsu,Kaya. You will stay here to help while the Nara clan come up with a plan."

    " ....Yes, Hokage-sama!"

    Hiruzen chuckled as he readied his staff.

    "I know you want to be in the front, but your jutsu will really help us. Try to make one as big as you can."

    Kaya nodded and started to concentrate. Her hands went through a few complex seals as she stored chakra. The chakra began to mix as she started to take in a deep breath.

    Steam style: Rising Cloud!

    From her mouth, a steady stream of cotton candy like clouds floated in the air, rising above the village. The white clouds caught the attention of some of the ninjas nearby, making them alert Shikaku Nara, head of the Nara clan.

    "Kaya is here?! Good! Have some ninja proficient in lighting release move over to her area! We''ll hammer it when it''s not expecting it!"

    The ninjas hurriedly moved to position as the others attacked and defended against the onslaught of the Kyuubi. The cloud hanging over them seemed to boost the morale of the ninjas as some medical ninjas soon started to come close to Kaya and pressed their hands on her back one at a time. Kaya was covered in a thin blue aura as the clouds spread over the battlefield.

    Kaya began another series of handsigns as she prepared for another jutsu.

    ''Kaya! Please heal the ninjas on the northen side!''

    A mental message came to Kaya from Inoichi, Shikaku''s teammate and leader of Yamanaka clan.

    ''I''m on it!''

    Kaya unleashed her chakra as the cloud shook.

    Secret technique: Raining Transfer!

    The cloud rumbled and soon rainbow colored rain fell from the cloud in selecr areas. The ninjas hit by the rain had their wounds healed and stamina slightly refreshed!

    This technique lowered the casualties of war and battle significantly, raising Kaya''s notoriety!

    The technique was very taxing for her,however, as she was already looking taxed from the continuous orders for assistance. Everyone knew she was losing lots of chakra fast because of this technique. They also all knew that Kaya would hold out far longer than any other ninja due to her willpower.

    She gritted her teeth as she continued to transfer the healing rain to those in need. The Third Hokage focused on defense as the Fox rampaged.

    Earth style: Mud Wall!

    He spewed a giant wall of mud to stop the Fox''s swinging claws. Shikaku didn''t let this chance slip as he sent a mental message out.

    ''Kaya! Can you still handle a combination blast?''

    ''I can! Bring it on!''

    Kaya''s body was shivering from the strain, but she couldn''t fall now. She saw how everyone was fighting with their lives on the line. She couldn''t falter here. She continued to pour chakra into her cloud as she neared her limit.

    That''s when it happened.

    ''Huh?!''

    She suddenly felt...energetic?! Her chakra stores felt refreshed as she felt she could bring on more downpour. She started to think about what was happening, but shook her head.

    ''Now''s not the time to figure it out. I gotta save anyone I can!''

    The raindrops hitting the other ninjas seemed to heal them faster, making them fire their Jutsus much faster.

    The Fox was on the ropes now!

    ''Now!! Fire lighting jutsu into the cloud!''

    "Ooooooh!!!!"

    Those that were strong in raiton fired into the cloud above the Kyuubi.

    Lighting style: Shocking bolt!

    Multiple lighting bolts fired into the cloud and began to slowly accumulate. Kaya waited for her chance to strike as she poured more chakra into the cloud. The Kyuubi was none the wiser as it stood on its hind legs with its mouth open.

    "Oh no!"

    "Is that a Bijudama!?"

    Kaya closed her eyes and continued to focus, despite the giant ball of purple chakra that began to form. She waited for the best moment to strike. Once the ball was nearly complete, Kaya''s eyes opened her eyes and her hands quickly did the necessary seals.

    Secret Technique: Combined Judgement!

    The electricity in the cloud suddenly condensed at one point, right above the Kyuubi. The thick bolt of lighting fell straight onto the Kyuubi, covering everything in bright flash.

    Moments later, the sound of thunder rung in the ears of everyone present along with the pained roars of the beast.

 Ch.8. The New Biju?! (Pt.1)

    The dust began to settle, revealing the foxes battered form. Everyone gathered their strength to push the Kyuubi out in the brief window they had. The 3rd Hokage had his staff pointed towards the Kyuubi, way ahead of everyone else.

    "Enma, Extend!!"

    "On it!!"

    His staff extended out and quickly reached the Kyuubi''s chest.

    "!?"

    It was too disoriented from the earlier blast that it was shot out of the village on its back.

    With a crash, it was laid out, toppling some of the forest nearby.

    The staff quickly retracted back as the Hokage gave his orders.

    "Good work everyone! We must keep it out of the village! Choza! You take the lead and distract it!"

    "Right!"

    Choza Akimichi, Leader of the Akimichi clan, rushed forward to the village gate while readying his jutsu.

    Super Expansion Jutsu!!

    Choza began to greatly expand until he was a towering giant, blocking the village gate with his staff and body. The Kyuubi was coming back around as it tried to get up. Choza watched with a staunch gaze as the beast tried to get back up, only to be surprised.

    Water style: Rain Bombs!!

    Kaya once again brought her chakra as high as she could and fired from her clouds! The clouds soon dropped huge orbs of water dropped onto the Kyuubi!

    *Boom Boom Boom*

    "Grraaaaagh!!"

    The Kyuubi was enraged, but it couldn''t get back up from the barrage. The excess water started to flood the area as the Leaf ninjas all marvelled at Kaya''s strength.

    ''I didn''t notice Kaya''s chakra reserves were so large! We must use this opportunity!''

    Shikaku thought as he signaled Inoichi to deliver a message.

    ''Everyone!  A portion of you help the injuried near you and bring them to the medical ninjas! Save as many lives as you can!''

    The Leaf ninjas quickly scoured the damaged wrecks to save any injured or trapped ninjas. This move saved the lives of many ninjas as Kaya seemed to break all limits and continued to pelt the Kyuubi with Rain Bombs.

    *Boom! Boom! Boom!*

    The Bombs continue to explode on the Kyuubi continuously for minutes as many began to worry about Kaya. Sweat was dripping down her face, and her legs were as unstable as they could be. Her eyes seemed to look hazy as she kept her jutsu going.

    ''If Kushina is hurt or dead, I''m taking you with me!''

    She gritted her teeth as she felt her power disappear rapidly. Her resolve, however, was far from going out.

    "I got one more!!"

    "Kaya!! That''s enough!"

    Kaya ignored the Hokage as one massive ball of water formed from the remaining clouds. The moon shined brightly through the lens of the massive ball of water as floated ominously over the Kyuubi.

    "Graaaaugh!!!"

    The Kyuubi was very irate, as if his mind was woken up by the barrage of water. The beast began to charge a smaller Bijudama to counter the massive ball that dared to challenge it!

    Sadly, Kaya wasn''t looking to clash with the beast. She was looking for a smash him into the earth!

    Water style: Abyss Drop!!

    "Haaaaaaah!!!"

    Kaya raised her hands and slammed them down to the ground forcefully! The giant ball of water shot down with force towards the Kyuubi, who''s counterattack wasn''t finished.

    The Third Hokage had other problems to deal with besides watching the battle.

    "Anyone who uses earth style, assist me in making a wall!"

    The Hokage knew that though the jutsu was powerful, the aftermath of that much water would definitely come their way!

    Groups of ninjas still able to move came to the Hokage as the ball made contact.

    *Booooooooom!!*

    "Graaauuuuugh!!"

    The ball exploded with immense force as the Kyuubi was flattened under the force. Even with the assistance of its 9 tails, it couldn''t resist the impact!

    The 3rd saw the incoming water and braced himself!

    "Altogether!!"

    Earth style: Mudwall!!

    Numerous ninjas erected a large wall to keep the water away from the village. The incoming water smashed into the wall, but the wall held strong as the water flowed away and soon disappeared.

    The Kyuubi laid flat on the ground, slightly embedded in the ground around it.

    Kaya tried to walk over to the Kyuubi, but her legs wouldn''t move as the finally began to buckle.

    "Not... Yet! I-I still have..."

    Kaya began to fall like a broken kite towards the ground.

    *sssh*

    An arm stopped her fall as a man suddenly appeared in front of her. He had golden hair, blue eyes, and long coat with writing on the back.

    What was written on it was "The Fourth Hokage!"

    The 4th Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had arrived!!

    "I''m sorry I''m late, Kaya."

    Minato tried to apologize, but Kaya was out cold.

    Minato smiled wryly as he careful laid her down and gave orders for the medical ninja to take care of her. He then rushed to the still unconscious Kyuubi as he landed next to it.

    "Minato!"

    The Third Hokage came beside him as he was getting ready to take the Kyuubi away.

    "Don''t worry! I''ll handle this. Help everyone else."

    Minato said as he grabbed the Kyuubi and teleported away. The Third looked on as he sighed in worry. The Leaf ninjas began to fully scour for the remaining injured in the wreckage. The Third joined them in saving everyone they could while also keeping an eye on Kaya. He shook his head as he saw the frustrated look on her face.

    "Haaa, when will you stop being so headstrong?"

    Shikaku nearby merely laughed, walking away saying "What a drag."under his breath.

 Ch.9. The New Biju?! (Pt.2)

    In a forest clearing a distance away from the Leaf village, a disturbance suddenly appeared.

    *Boom*

    The Kyuubi suddenly dropped on the unsuspecting forest as trees snapped and fell under the weight of his body and tails. It twitched once it landed on the ground, but it still hadn''t woken up from Kaya''s barrage.

    The 4th Hokage also appeared a distance away from the fox. He was not alone as he also teleported his wife and newborn son. Kushina Uzumaki looked very pale as she struggled to even breathe properly. Her tender gaze on her son, Naruto, never faltered as she looked to Minato.

    "Kushina, we have to seal the Kyuubi."

    " I know."

    Minato watched her as she watched Naruto''s sleeping face in her arms. His face turned grim as she asked him a dreaded question.

    "You plan to use Naruto to seal him?"

    Minato couldn''t help, but feel guilty. His son was only hours old, yet had to bear such a responsibility.

    "....Yes."

    The two were silent as even the world didn''t interfere in their decision.

    Minato didn''t miss Kushina''s tightening grip on Naruto, nor the worry on her face. He wished he had more options, but the strongest Biju laid only a short distance away from them, ready to wake at anytime.

    He had to take this opportunity to ensure the beast was sealed, no matter the cost!

    He cursed the fact that children who developed with mother''s that held a Biju would grow to be perfect containers for the beast.

    Kushina looked up from Naruto''s sleeping face, and could see the determined look on Minato''s face. She knew what that look meant, and started to frown.

    "You''re not thinking of sacrificing yourself, are you?"

    The 4th Hokage flinched at those words. Kushina''s frown deepened.

    "I just... I thought if I take a part of the Kyuubi instead of you-"

    "You''ll die if you use that jutsu!"

    Kushina couldn''t help yelling at this blonde idiot. Her hair threatened to flare up if he thought to take that wretched fate. She knew he feared her anger, but she also knew how serious the situation was.

    He didn''t flinch at all seeing her getting angry.

    "If I take a part of it and Naruto gets the other, you can live with him and watch him grow up.

    She faltered. She wanted nothing more than to nurture her little boy.

    She remembered Kaya and her little son, Hii. His cute face awoke anticipation for her own child, and he was right here!

    She didn''t want to leave him so soon!

    Minato saw he had the upper hand, and went to finish the fight!

    "It''s fine for me to sacrifice myself for the village. They helped make me. You helped make me who I am today. I can at least die with no regrets knowing you two are safe."

    Kushina didn''t say anything to his words as she looked back down at Naruto.

    "Besides..."

    Minato''s smile became strained as he thought of another problem.

    "Kaya would kill me if you somehow died and I lived."

    "Pft!"

    Kushina couldn''t hold back her laughter as she also nearly forgot about their dreaded "Big Sister".

    " She would definitely kick your ass! Hahaha!"

    Minato smiled wryly as he remembered the last time it happened. He thought he could teleport away and it would blow over, but he never expected his punishement would build interest!

    It made for an interesting tale for the village.

    Kushina kept snickering as she also remembered that incident.

    Minato felt a shiver crawl up his spine as he shook his head.

    His eyes regained his determination as he realised even if he was gone, Kushina would be safe.

    He started to stand when he soon heard a sound that startled him.

    He definitely didn''t want to hear this sound.

    *clink clink clink*

    Chains shot out of Kushina''s back and swarmed towards the Kyuubi. They began to wrap and restrain it lightly in case it woke up.

    "Kushina!"

    Minato could see her face growing paler, but her determination didn''t wither. Her face was the same as Kaya''s.

    "Hold Naruto for me."

    The order was given, so he could only obey. Minato sighed as he took little Naruto in his arms.

    He could feel Kushina''s arms shaking as her strength stubbornly held on as he took their son.

    He sighed and made a handsign.

    *poof*.

    A small altar with cushion appeared nearby, with candles and markings all around it.

    Kushina bit her lip when she saw the Altar, but didn''t say anything.

    Minato placed Naruto on the altar and gently caressed his head.

    He then walked over next to Kushina and looked at her. She looked back, her stubborn resolve firm. He sighed as he clasped his hands together.

    "I take one half, and you take the other to Naruto?"

    "No! I''ll take it! Naruto doesn''t need to have the life I had."

    Kushina was bitter at the moment. She could feel she couldn''t take the Kyuubi all on her own, but she didn''t want her husband to sacrifice his life and not be with their son.

    She knew, however, that they had to protect the village. Their Big sister was there and all the others they held dear.

    She gritted her teeth and prepared herself when she noticed something...odd.

    Her legs that felt like jelly before now felt...firm. She could feel strength returning to her, but she couldn''t figure out how.

    It was then that she realized the sensation that she overlooked.

    ''This feeling. Its just like!''

    She gasped as she stood up, surprising herself as she didn''t even realize she had the strength to do that.

    She turned to Minato, realizing he hadn''t noticed the oddity as his gaze grew stern. She felt it as well as her chains jostled.

    The Kyuubi was waking up.

    They had to act before he could gather himself.

    She prepared to strenghten her chain, but soon paused.

    ''Shit! It nearly slipped my mind!''

    "Mina-!"

    She tried to stop him, but she was too late. The last handsign was made and the technique she didn''t want to see Minato use was complete.

    Sealing technique: Reaper death seal!

    Minato didn''t look at her as he blocked out everything except the Kyuubi''s movements.

    He prepared to seal as much of the Kyuubi as he could at the cost of his life!

    He readied himself to begin, but he suddenly felt the drag on his soul disappear.

    "What?! The jutsu-?!"

    "Minato!"

    The shriek from his wife jolted him out of his confusion as he hurriedly turned to her.

    Her face was a sight to behold. Her mouth agape as she witnessed something bizarre happening.

    She could see the Shinigami of the Reaper death seal!

    That wasn''t even the most important thing!

    The strangest part of what she was seeing was the large black wolf with no eyes!

    It was trying to devour the reaper?!!!

 Ch.10. The New Biju?! (Pt.3)

    Minato didn''t know what to do, and neither did Kushina.

    They could only watch as the Shinigami fight for its life.

    ''This damn ghost is struggling in vain.''

    Akumu''s jaws were clamped on the spirit''s neck as he fought to bite through it. The spirit''s hands tried to pry the wolf''s jaws off, but it could feel the sensation of death coming to it.

    I''m not letting you get away!''

    Even Akumu could feel the Kyuubi waking up and decided to end this little struggle.

    Ghost style:Dark Eclispe Technique!

    Akumu''s head began to glow with dark energy and expand. He became large enough to devour the Shinigami in one bite, snapping the hair that trapt Minato''s soul!

    "Iiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!!"

    The Shinigami gave a shrill cry as Akumu began to devour the spirit into nothing.

    Minato and Kushina could only see the back of the now normal sized wolf chewing on Minato''s trump card.

    *Gulp*

    They could hear the wolf swallow his meal as it turned around and faced them. The two had rather amusing faces Akumu thought as he slowly walked forward.

    Minato readied his kunai and watched the wolf, not forgetting the Kyuubi behind him.

    ''It ate the jutsu?! How can we stop the Kyuubi and this beast?!''

    Minato''s thoughts were racing light speed while Kushina''s face seemed to come to realization.

    "You are the one who healed me, aren''t you?"

    "!!"

    Minato was shocked as he heard his wife. He turned to her, only to find himself even more baffled. Her face was lively and full of energy! It was as if she didn''t nearly die from the Kyuubi coming out of her at all!

    She was perfectly fine!

    While Minato tried to steady his whirl of emotions, Kushina stared at the wolf who seemed to look directly at her.

    Though she lost the Kyuubi, she could still vaguely tell the intentions of others. Her gut instinct was astounding as she tried to see the wolf''s intentions. The wolf seemed to radiate darkness, seemingly giving a cold chill to the surroundings. She was worried as her chains began to rattle more and more, but she knew this was important. She then suddenly realized the energy coming off the wolf was familiar.

    ''It''s the same as the energy that helped me earlier!''

    Kushina then turned around and started to tie up the Kyuubi!

    "Graaa!!"

    The Kyuubi realized it was bound once again! His hatred burst forth as the fox tried to get up, but the chains around his limbs and tails held him down.

    "Kushinaaaa!"

    The fox bellowed as he couldn''t contain his rage.

    "Kushina!"

    "Don''t worry,Minato! I think the wolf is alright!"

    Minato trusted Kushina''s words, though he couldn''t help but look back at the wolf. He could see Akumu...smile as he bared his fangs.

    ''....Let''s just trust her for now.''

    Minato also turned around and began to wrack his brain for ideas to help.

    The two suddenly felt the wolf move towards them at high speed!

    ''Shit!''

    Minato was going to turn back around, but saw Kushina still focused on the Kyuubi.

    ''....''

    He paused and focused back on the Kyuubi as well, hoping his wife''s words rang true. He was quite surprised when he felt the wolf bold towards Kushina and leapt towards her!

    Minato was ready to Hiraishin in front of the wolf when he saw her head turn towards him. He could see her eyes, and knew what she was trying to say.

    Trust me!

    Minato hesitation lead the wolf to finally land on her....and disappeared?!

    "What?!"

    Minato couldn''t believe his eyes as Kushina''s chakra started to skyrocket.

    "Haaaaaah!!!!"

    The chains behind her began to retract at high speed, dragging the Kyuubi over to her direction. She rushed forward as she felt her strength increase.

    "Thank you, Wolfy!"

    Kushina yelled as Minato felt cold sweat fall down his back.

    ''We don''t even know what that thing is, and she already gave it a nickname?!''

    If only he could hear the laughter Akumu had as he realized Naruto''s bravery was definitely inherited from his mom.

    Kushina smiled as the wolf didn''t take offense and continued to close the distance with the Kyuubi. Minato stayed near Naruto, ready to either assist his wife or take them both away if need be.

    As Kushina got closer to the Fox, He started to form a Bijudama!

    He didn''t want to go back to being imprisoned again!

    The bijudama began to form, and Kushina tried to yank his focus away, but he wouldn''t budge!

    Minato was getting ready to grab her when he suddenly saw the wolf appear once again!

    It shot out of Kushina''s stomach and ran straight to the Kyuubi!

    The Kyuubi was stunned, but soon aimed his Bijudama at Akumu!

    His instinct told him the smaller wolf was a bigger threat!

    ''Hmph!''

    Akumu scoffed at at the beast and raised its head.

    "Woooooooo!!"

    The wolf howled towards the Kyuubi. Its howl sounded closer to the wails of ghosts instead of wolves! The Bijudama that was forming suddenly collasped as all the Yin energy around them headed straight for Akumu!

    Akumu didn''t stop moving as he soon came below the Kyuubi. He could see the Kyuubi was still shocked over the turn of events!

    Even Kushina and Minato were shocked at what happened!

    ''Ok! Here goes!''

    Akumu''s body began to glow with black chakra and his newly gained Yin chakra once more, but he didn''t expand.

    Ghost style: Assimilation Technique!

    Akumu''s body began to transform as the tips of his fur turned eerily white! A ring of four blue flames floated around him as he used his other technique.

    Ghost style: Dark Eclispe Technique!

    His body suddenly grew to the size of the Kyuubi and knocked him over!

    ''What?!''

    The Kyuubi was still shocked from his Bijudama disappearing, now the wolf was as big as him?!

    He couldn''t keep up with it at all!

    Akumu lunged at the Kyuubi and his jaws locked on to his back.

    "Graaaugh!!!"

    The Kyuubi snapped out of his daze and tried to get the giant wolf off of him, but Akumu pressed him down!

    Kushina snapped out of her daze as well and began to try to assist the wolf.

    They soon saw Akumu''s big,white teeth suddenly have sealing marks on each tooth! His jaw clamped down on Kyuubi as it howled in pain that reached his soul.

    The wolf ripped away from the Kyuubi, taking a silhouette of the fox with it!

    ''It used the Reaper Death Seal!?''

    Minato''s mind was reeling as he saw this spectacle. Kushina was shocked as well, but she saw the Kyuubi started to shrink along with part of its soul being taken away.

    "Now!"

    Kushina used her full power to drag the Kyuubi towards her and suck him into her body!

    Sealing Technique: Adamantine  Chains!!

    "Nooo!!"

    The weakened Kyuubi tried to resist, but was sucked into Kushina once again. Minato appeared right before her, pressing his hand on her stomach.

    Four Symbols Seal!

    A tatoo with four marking appeared on her stomach as the Kyuubi was finally placed back into Kushina.

    Minato sighed in relief, but couldn''t let his guard down. The wolf was still there, holding the feebly thrashing soul of Kyuubi in his jaws.

    Minato looked at the looming wolf for a short while, and bowed his head.

    "Thank you for your assistance!"

    Minato wouldn''t dare to not respect this being as it helped him do something he couldn''t have done without sacrificing himself!

    Akumu nodded his head, still holding on to the struggling Kyuubi and started to walk towards where they stood before.

    Minato wondered where the wolf would go with a soul in his mouth, until he quickly realized who was in that direction. He held Kushina and teleported back to their son.

    Kushina was quite exhausted at this point, having done so much today.

    She had a baby, got a beast ripped out of her, got acquainted with a new beast, and even put the old beast back into her!

    She just wanted to sleep, but her husband''s quick moves put her on alert. She realized she was next to her son once again as he was crying his eyes out from the commotion. Newfound strength surged through her as she quickly and gently picked up her son with the utmost haste.

    "It''s ok, Naruto! Mommy''s here!"

    She brought her son close to her and held him in her arms. As he stopped crying and went back to sleep, it was Kushina''s turn to cry. The transition made Minato worried as he tried to console her.

    "It''s ok,Kushina! Everything is fine."

    This only made her cry more, as her crying quickly turned into sobs.

    "I-I thought I was going to lose everything! I''m so happy right now."

    Minato couldn''t help, but cry as well. Even if he would sacrifice himself for the village, death wasn''t something that was easy to overcome.

    He hugged his family in his arms as they had a moment of peace, but only for a short while.

    Akumu was now in front of them, holding the Kyuubi soul still in his jaws, and looking in Minato''s direction.

    "....We still have one last thing to do."

    Minato wiped his wife''s tears, his own tears, and picked up their son. He looked lovingly at Naruto before heading over to the altar once more, with Akumu in tow.

    Akumu placed the soul close the altar and Minato prepared the seal he originally planned to use for Naruto.

    Eight Symbols Seal!

    The soul was sucked into Naruto as a new Jinchuuriki was born. Minato winced,however, for the Kyuubi as the wolf seemed to have eaten on of its arms before he was sealed.

    Akumu ate the energy and slowly changed back into his all black, smaller form. Kushina picked up Naruto and held him. She worried for his future now with Kyuubi now inside of him, but she was grateful she could be there to help him through it.

    Kushina had managed to drag the Yin part of Kurama into her while the Yang part went to Naruto. Minato looked at Kushina with a smile, glad that his family was still intact. He wanted to thank the wolf once again for its help only to realize it was gone.

    Minato and Kushina looked around for the wolf only to hear the eerie howl of Akumu in the distance. The two looked at each other and wondered whether it was a good or bad thing that a new Biju had made an appearance.

    To them, however, it was miracle they needed.

 Ch.11. The Aftermath

    Akumu raced back to the village as quickly as he could.

    ''I wasted too much time! I need to hurry!''

    Akumu stealthily crept his way back into the Leaf village and saw the damage.

    Although the damage looked bad, it was actually quite low. Thanks to Kaya''s healing rain, the Leaf suffered nearly neglible damage in the attack.

    He didn''t have time to go over the changes. He had to get back to Hii as soon as he could!

    After stealthily making his way back to their house following Kaya''s scent, Akumu discovered everyone was heading back to the house. Their faces seemed a bit worried as they came to the house in a hurry.

    ''How am I going to get to him? Wait! I got it!''

    Akumu came next to a small pebble on the road and focused.

    Ghost style: Dark Eclispe Jutsu!

    Akumu started to shrink down to the size of the pebble and swiftly made his way towards the family.

    *****

    Henda was filled with worry. He held Hii closely and constantly monitored him as they walked back. Even Riku had a frown on her face.

    ''He hasn''t woke up to any loud noises...''

    He knew that Hii would usually glance at any loud noises that startled him. Unlike other children, Hii would try to figure out how or who made the sound and not simply cry. This was something the whole family was proud of since it showed just how smart little Hii was at such a young age.

    This night,however, Hii was still to any noise. The rampaging beast, his mom''s amazing jutsu, and even the cheers of the families didn''t wake him up. Only his light breathing was consistent.

    Even worse was the change in his hair. His sandy blond hair changed to pure white without any of them noticing. These changes worried Henda to no end.

    "Should we go to the hospital?"

    Henda brushed his son''s hair as he asked his in-law''s opinions.

    "They''re swamped with patients right now. It wouldn''t be smart to go. Let''s just let him rest for now."

    Riku said as she brushed Hii''s hair. Di could only nod as he stomped alongside them.

    Di was in a foul mood due to everything happening this night. His daughter fighting a foul beast stronger than his brother had ever fought, and his grandson seemed be sick!

    He wished he could cut everything in his families way down, but he knew he needed to gather his calm.

    Their worries were so deep, they didn''t even notice the tiny black speck coming towards them from the shadows.

    Akumu jumped into Henda''s body from his ankle and started to make his way up to Hii.

    Henda felt a shiver run up his spine as Akumu rejoined Hii.

    *****

    [Hii! Are you ok?!]

    Akumu landed back into their mindscape, finding Hii floating listlessly. Pangs of guilt hit Akumu as he quickly came over to him.

    [Don''t worry! I got a plan! You''re gonna be alright!]

    Akumu looked at Hii as he noticed his being was slightly transparent. He looked like he was sleeping peacefully, but Akumu knew this rest could be fatal.

    Akumu suddenly started to glow with a black light surrounding his body while a red one was shining in his stomach.

    He figured out a plan as he remembered that Minato knew the Reaper Death Seal. Since the Tailed Beasts were pretty much immortal, he only needed to get a piece of one of them to help Hii. Luckily, He managed to get what he needed.

    [He''ll probably grow this back, hopefully.]

    Akumu stopped thinking about his victim and started to strip the arm of everything, but the soul energy. The red chakra was slowly absorbed into the black light with the soul energy remaining in his stomach brightened. Akumu''s body began to creak and grow as he absorbed majority of the arm into himself.

    [This should be enough.]

    Akumu condensed it a bit more, just to be safe. He opened his mouth and out of it came a ball of fluffy white light. Akumu pushed the ball in Hii''s direction, watching it disappear into him. Akumu watched with bated breath as he saw Hii''s body show no signs of change.

    [Dammit!! Did he lie to me?! Am I too late?!]

    Akumu was going to start cursing when suddenly, Hii''s body became more solid. He saw Hii open his eyes in shock as he shot around the mindscape at high speed!

    ''Aaaah!! What did you do, Akumu?!''

    [I found a way to help you back! It should wear off soon.... probably.]

    ''Probably?!''

    5 mins later

    Hii''s puffed his cheeks like a balloon as Akumu tried to coax his forgiveness.

    [Come on! I said I''m sorry!]

    ''Hmph!''

    Akumu bitterly laughed as he watched Hii float away with back to him. Akumu lowered his head towards Hii in a with a solemn atmosphere.

    [Thank you for helping me!]

    Hii floated silently before turning around and floating next to Akumu with his head still down.

    ''Did you keep Mom safe?''

    [Yes! She should be exhausted, but fine!]

    ''Did you save a lot of people?''

    [Yes!! I saved a lot of people I didn''t see from my memories of the event! Even Kushina and Minato are fine!]

    Akumu continued to keep his head low until he felt a small pair of hands rubbing his head.

    ''That''s good then. I accept your apology.''

    The two of them stood and floated in silence as Hii continued to ruffle Akumu''s fur. Akumu could only let him do as he wished since he knew how big of a favor he was given.

    *****

    Morning came over Konoha, shedding light on the many collapsed homes anf buildings. Some families grieved for losses while others were grateful for everyone making it through.

    Many of the ninja were especially grateful for Kaya''s assistance. Many families, such as the Umino and Yuhi, managed to survive the assault thanks to the Rising Cloud technique.

    The person in question was laying on a medical bed in a makeshift hospital out in the field.

    "Ahhhhh!!!"

    "Uaaaaaah!!!!!?"

    Kaya woke up screaming in a rage, scaring the nearby nurse. She looked around her, processing where she was.

    "... Where''s the Kyuubi?!"

    It seemed she couldn''t process anything at the moment.

    The nurse kindly told her that the beast was sealed by the 4th Hokage. Kaya grew tense as she soon asked where the 4th Hokage was and proceeded to head towards him.

    The nurses trying to stop her to have her rest learned first-hand that Kaya was amazingly strong when she was determined!

    Dragging some straggler nurses with her,Kaya soon came to the Hokage office and entered to find Minato and Hiruzen discussing plans for reconstruction.

    " Excuse me, Hokages! I have some quick questions."

    Hiruzen chuckled with his pipe while Minato felt a cold sweat coming from the gaze Kaya had on him.

    "Yondaime-san?"

    "Y-yes?!"

    "....Is she safe?"

    "Yes! She''s safe."

    The two didn''t go into detail, but Kaya breathed a sigh of relief hearing that.

    "Tell her I''ll visit after a few days please."

    "Of course!"

    Kaya bowed her head and started to leave the room, but stopped at the door.

    "...Minato?"

    "Yes, Nee-san?"

    Minato responded casually since he knew the worst situation wasn''t going to happen.

    "....Is it cute?"

    "...He''s the cutest."

    Kaya nodded her head and headed out of the door, saying "congratulations" as she dashed off.

    Minato flopped onto his desk while Hiruzen chuckled while smoking his pipe.

    "Not much has changed since your Genin days, eh Minato?"

    "Don''t poke too much at my misery, sensei. She''s still like a storm."

    Minato ruffled his hair and asked Hiruzen a more serious question.

    "Any luck on finding the beast?"

    Hiruzen drew a long drag of his pipe, exhaling it from his nose in deep thought.

    "Anbu have searched and found some tracks, but they were too light and erratic to follow. It seems to be able to change its size at will. If everything you said is correct, it is a very powerful beast."

    Minato nodded his head as he looked out of the window at the village starting to repair itself.

    ''Whether it''s helped just because or for a motive, it did save my family. The least I can do is return the favor somehow.''

    Minato shook his head and proceeded to talk with Hiruzen about the construction plans and increased surveillance of the village.

    Another strange incident that day happened as Kaya came home and immediately screamed at the top of her lungs.

    "WHAT HAPPENED TO HII''S HAIR!!!?"

    The events afterwards remained unknown as no one wanted to get near that house to see.

 Ch.12. The Babies Meet (pt.1)

    The spring season had come, with flowers blooming all around Konoha.

    Hii woke up in his crib, ready for the new day. His had been modified to be a bit sturdier recently since he was getting bigger. He sat up groggily, yawning and stretching in his pajamas. His room was right in between the parents and the grandparents room, in case they ever needed to get to him. He never fussed though, so the family just come to talk to him and pinch his cheeks most of the time.

    ''Alright! A new day! That means another chance to train my legs!''

    "Aaaah!!"

    His tiny hands rose towards the edge of the crib as he began to use the nearby bars to try and stand on his own. On shaky legs and balance, he managed to hold himself up!

    ''Yes! First step complete! Now I just need to balance and stand!''

    Hii tried to keep himself standing, but the second he let go of the bar, he crumbled down like a sand castle.

    His cheeks began to puff up in frustration.

    "Aaah!"

    Hii was really tired of his body growing so slow. Ever since the Kyuubi attack 5 months ago, Hii had been wanting to get stronger to protect his family.

    The first steps would be to get moving around on his own to feet instead of all fours, but that hasn''t been going to well.

    His whole family was very surprised when he tried the first time. He almost fell on his head though, leading Grandpa Di to literally scoop him up from across the room! He never knew his Grandpa could move so fast, but everyone crowded around him to see if he was ok. He didn''t want to worry his family so he decided on a new tactic.

    This lead to him only making his attempts when family members were sitting down nearby. He''d crawl to their legs and use them as crutches to help him stand.

    It seems this move brought about the creation of a leaderboard of sorts being put in the hallway named,"Hii''s standing assist board ranking".

    Akumu had a pretty hearty laugh at that thing.

    "Ara~. Look who''s up this early~."

    "Ahh!"

    Kaya came into the room, much to Hii''s delight.

    Kaya''s face was beaming as she picked up Hii.

    "Hi~!"

    "Ah~!"

    Kaya had shivers of happiness because her son was trying to copying her words.

    His first word wouldn''t be too far from now!

    Kaya kept Hii close as she brought him to the kitchen. Grandma Riku was already making breakfast, humming an old song to herself.

    "Good morning, Mom."

    "Ah!"

    "Morning, Kaya and little Hii."

    Riku turned her head and smiled as Kaya took a seat with Hii on her lap.

    Kaya began to play with Hii''s arms as he just laid back and let her have her fun.

    "Pow! Pow! Hii is the strongest baby ever~!"

    "Ah!!"

    Kaya and Riku laughed as Hii attempted the best victory pose he could muster. Of course, it just looked adorable to the two women as Riku finished making breakfast.

    "Kaya, dear."

    "Yes,Mom?"

    Riku slowly walked over to the table and sat next to Kaya. She took Hii into her lap, and put her hands over his ears, much to his confusion.

    "You were quite loud last night."

    Kaya''s face instantly became red as her body seemed to grow smaller and smaller, hoping for a hole to appear to jump in from the shame.

    "...Sorry."

    "Don''t be ashamed dear. Why, if it wasn''t for my leg, you would have more siblings."

    Kaya''s face was a spectacle to behold as Riku chuckled. Hii was still oblivious to what they were saying, but Akumu''s face was just as spectacular as Kaya''s.

    "I understand the brush against death can make your body want more satisfaction, but try to moderate yourself, ok? Henda is not a ninja."

    Kaya''s cheeks began to puff.

    ''Ah! That''s hereditary then?''

    [Looks like it to me.]

    ''Hey, why are my ears covered?''

    [Don''t worry about it. Just think of some ways you can stand longer.]

    ''You''re right! Gotta plan ahead for success!''

    Hii began to think of more ideas to stand as Akumu couldn''t believe these two ladies would breach such a topic so early in the morning.

    "Henda is really eager, you know?! I''m sure he''s fine!"

    "Kaya. You''re a jonin. The stamina you have has been boosted from chasing Kushina and Minato all the time. You''re gonna drain him dry if you keep this up."

    "Ugh! Fine..."

    Kaya stopped her pouting face as she took Hii back in her embrace. She held him under his arms as his feet dangled to the floor. His feet immediately tried to stand as soon as the touched the floor. His body ,however,wasn''t able to hold up and he fell back into his mom''s hands.

    The two smiled as they watched over Hii''s attempts to stand over and over. Kaya broke the peaceful silence with a question.

    "Where is Dad?"

    "He''s in the shop working on the little tantou blades."

    Kaya sighed when she heard that.

    "Seriously? He''s way too excited nowadays."

    "I can''t blame him. With Hii growing up and you fucking Henda every chance you get..."

    Riku, of course, covered Hii''s ears during that statement.

    "Mom!"

    "Hahaha. Sorry, dear. Women who grow in the Rock aren''t dainty. We grow just as tough as men, if not tougher and more vulgar."

    Riku smiled as Kaya could only sigh. Even though her mother was a beautiful woman even with her hints of grey, her mouth could give mercenaries a run for their money in vulgarity.

    "I''m just saying he''s happy more chances are popping up for him. Even I have a chance to pass on my skills.

    Kaya grew silent as she looked at Hii with sad eyes. Riku sighed as she patted her daughter''s head.

    "Hey now, we already told you chakra nature is a random affair. Don''t look down like that."

    "But you both-"

    "Both of us struck out with you having water nature chakra. We shouldn''t have been so certain you''d get one of ours. It''s what we get for pressuring you."

    Riku looked at her daughter with tender eyes as she wiped the coming tears from her face.

    "Now go get Henda so he can eat. Hopefully he''s still alive."

    "Mom, stop! I''ll go get him."

    Kaya rose from her seat with a chuckle and went to her room to fetch Henda. Riku held onto Hii, acting as his new standing support.

    "Ah!"

    "Ara Ara~! My grandson will be very strong~!"

    Creaks could be heard coming from her daughter''s room as she guessed her son in-law was finally up. As Riku turned around and saw Henda, she was shocked! He''d looked like he hadn''t slept at all with bags under his eyes, and a nearly lifeless aura to him!

    Even his hair seemed less fluffy than usual!

    Riku turned to her daughter, only to find her daughter suddenly fascinated with everything in the opposite direction of her.

    Riku sighed as she looked at Henda with pity.

    ''Good luck, son.''

    "Kaya, take little Hii while I get some breakfast for Henda. Come sit down, dear."

    Henda could only stiffly shuffle over and smiled as best as he could.

    "...Yes,mother. Thank you for the food."

    Kaya took Hii into her arms and quickly leapt into her own little world with only Hii and her in it.

    "Hii~! We''re gonna have a lot of fun today!"

    "Ah?!"

    Hii''s head tilted as Kaya laughed at his cuteness.

    "I got you some playdates today! We''re gonna have so much fun!"

    Hii grew excited while Akumu could only chuckle wearily.

    [More babies huh? How Fun.]

 Ch.13. The Babies Meet (pt.2)

    The two of them got dressed after eating and started heading out to the meet up point.

    Kaya wore a black and white dress that matched Hii''s little shirt and shorts. Kaya held Hii in her arms as she gleefully skipped over to Kushina''s home. Hii enjoyed the sights as he looked at everything they passed with excitement.

    "Oooh! I can''t wait to show you to Kushina and Mikoto! You''re gonna look so cute together with their kids!"

    ''I wonder what they look like? Do you know, Akumu?''

    Hii waited for an answer, but Akumu was strangely silent.

    ''Akumu?''

    [Huh?! Y-yeah, this should be fun!]

    ''...That''s not what I asked you.''

    [Oh.... Then what was it you asked me?]

    ''Before that, are you ok?''

    [.... Honestly, no. I''ve been thinking about something.]

    ''What?''

    "We''re here~!"

    Kaya tells Hii as they come to the house. A nice, homely style house came into Hii''s view as he looked in front. Kaya walked right to the door and knocked a few times. Hii could hear the sound of shuffling inside the home as Kaya waited patiently for the door to open.

    "Hmmm, two of them, eh?"

    [So that''s what that was.]

    "Ah?"

    Hii was so confused, he unconsciously let out his real thoughts. Though they weren''t much words yet.

    Kaya shook her head and kissed Hii on his forehead.

    "It''s nothing I need to worry about. Isn''t that right,Hii?"

    "Ah!"

    Hii decided to forget it and enjoy his day!

    *****

    Inside the Uzumaki/Namikaze home, Hii found himself in a pickle.

    "Aah!"

    "Ah."

    "Ah?!"

    Hii watched as two other babies crawled after him in like a slow motion chase. The first one was a baby with shiny blonde hair, blue eyes, and three whisker marks on his face. He also had a very bright red onsie on that his mother seemed proud to see him wearing.

    Hii learned his name was Naruto Uzumaki, son of the same red haired lady he liked a few months back, Kushina Uzumaki. This was her house as she squealed at her son''s cute antics.

    The other boy had black eyes and black hair that seemed to refuse to be tamed. This child was Sasuke Uchiha, son of the other woman with long black hair, Mikoto Uchiha. His black onsie had a small fan on the back.

    The one Hii found to be strange was Kaya, as her nose seemed to grow bigger and bigger at Hii''s evasive dodges of the other babies.

    He still didn''t know why they were chasing him or why the mothers made a game of it. He just had the sinking suspicion that if he was caught, he''d be slobbered on.

    "Go get em, Naruto!"

    "You can do it, Hii! Go~!"

    "Do your best Sasuke! Itachi and I are cheering for you!"

    [Seriously? What kind of play date is this?]

    Mikoto looked to her left to see a boy with similar features to Sasuke, but with tamer hair. He looked to be around 5 years old and had a stoic look on his face. It seemed to drop, however, when he looked at Sasuke.

    "What do you think of this little date, Itachi?"

    Mikoto asked her older son, Itachi Uchiha, his thoughts on the event in front of him.

    "Well, to be honest, I don''t really understand why you are cheering for them chasing Hii-chan around, Mother."

    "Fufufu. It''s for bonding purposes."

    Itachi looked at his mother skeptically. Mikoto merely brushed it off with a smile as she once again focused on Sasuke who found an interesting toy block.

    Naruto, on the other hand, had loads of energy to spare.

    "Aaah!"

    ''How many circles do you want to crawl in?!''

    Hii had no choice, but to continue to crawl away from Naruto as he didn''t seem to give up at all on getting to Hii.

    Hii then decided to try a new tactic, hiding behind the now preoccupied Sasuke.

    Narut ended up heading straight into Sasuke, making the others giggle and smile at the antics.

    [Hey.]

    ''Hmm? What''s up?''

    [Crawl over to Itachi for me.]

    Hii didn''t really understand why he had to go to Itachi, but decided to do it anyway. He made his way over to him easily since the other two seemed preoccupied with the block.

    "Ara Ara~! Hii is curious about you, Itachi."

    Itachi looked down at Hii with a curious glance as he slowly reached to pick him up.

    As he reached down, Itachi felt a strange chill pass through his hand, causing him to shiver slightly.

    "?"

    Itachi looked around to find the source, but couldn''t figure out where the chill came from.

    He decided to ignore it and picked up Hii, who promptly reached for Itachi''s bangs.

    "Hii really likes hair, doesn''t he? He grabbed mine when we first met again too."

    Kushina smiled, loving the fact that someone else could like her hair.

    "Haaa. It''s his Dad''s fault. Hii''s hands always shoot to his head whenever he holds him."

    "Haha! I wonder if he will do that to Minato too when they meet?"

    The mothers laughed as the babies continued to play around.

    Akumu, however, seemed to be deep in thought.

    ''Akumu? Did this help going to Itachi?''

    [...Yeah. It did. Thanks.]

    ''You''re welcome!''

    Hii continued to play with Itachi''s hair as Itachi found this new little baby to be kind of cute.

    ****

    Kaya brought Hii back to his room after dinner. The family laughed at Kaya''s telling of Hii''s first playdate with the other kids and even more when Hii kept going to his Dad to play with his hair.

    "Ok Hii~. Time to go to bed."

    "Ah!"

    Kaya smiled as she gently placed Hii in his little crib. She brushed her son''s white hair as she looked down at him.

    ''I really want to know why his hair turned white.''

    Kaya remembered her anger 5 months ago when she came back from the Kyuubi attack. She nearly washed the house away in rage if it wasn''t for her family calming her down. The family had searched all around the house to find the source of this mutation, but came up with nothing.

    Kaya''s worry was felt by Hii as he used the rails of the crib to stand and pat her face.

    "Ah!"

    "Pfft!"

    Kaya giggled and kissed her son''s head.

    ''It doesn''t matter. He''s still my baby.''

    "Go to sleep, Hii. Mommy will see you in the morning."

    Kaya laid Hii down once more and headed back to her room after turning the lights off.

    Hii laid in the dark and was slowly preparing to go to sleep.

    As his eyes started to get heavy, a serious voice echoed in his head.

    [Hii. We need to talk.]

 Ch.14. The Reason For Separation

    Hii was brought to their mindscape almost immediately. He floated towards Akumu who looked...tense.

    ''What''s wrong? You don''t look too good."

    Akumu said nothing as he simply looked in Hii''s direction. Hii began to feel uncomfortable at the silence.

    ''Hey, you usually say something by now. What''s wrong?''

    Hii tried to play off the sinking feeling of dread off as he floated close to Akumu and brushed his fluffy hair.

    The feeling only grew worse as Akumu just let him do it.

    ''A-Akumu~. I''m rubbing your fur again~."

    Akumu merely sat there and let him have his fill. This made Hii stop entirely as he just stood by and waited in fear. He didn''t think it would be so serious.

    [Hii.]

    Akumu finally said something, but his tone sent shivers down Hii''s spine. Akumu turned towards him again with an unknown conviction.

    [I''m going to leave your body.]

    Hii froze at Akumu''s words. Akumu sighed and waited for Hii to wake up from the shock.

    Hii started to shiver like he was cold. He hoped he heard wrong, but he was too scared to make certain.

    Akumu''s face began to scrunch up as he frowned. Even he didn''t want to leave him, but he finally figured out some of his concerns about Hii.

    He had to tell him it was for his own good.

    [Hii.]

    Hii looked at Akumu, tears starting to form around his eyes.

    [Have you ever wondered why you can''t stand yet?]

    Hii''s body shook, but he refused to answer. He refused to acknowledge it!

    [It''s because of me. I''m the reason you haven''t been growing much.]

    ''That doesn''t make since! Why would you be the reason I''m not growing?!''

    [It''s because I''m growing as well.]

    ''Huh?''

    Hii grew confused, but Akumu patiently explained.

    [I''m absorbing your chakra as we speak, you just can''t feel it since we''ve been together since the beginning.]

    Akumu looked apologetically at Hii, but Hii was having none of it.

    ''What did I do to make you want to leave?! Tell me and I can fix it!''

    Akumu let out a deep sigh as Hii desperation ramped up.

    [Hii. Now I know you saw the reaction Itachi had when he tried to pick you up today, right?]

    Hii''s desperation came to a halt as he remembered the shiver Itachi felt as he reached for Hii.

    Akumu pressed on with his reasoning.

    [I paid attention as he picked me up and realized his chakra was getting absorbed by me. To be more specific, his yang chakra.]

    Akumu looked away from Hii and stood up. He started to walk around Hii as he continued.

    [This isn''t the first time it''s happened either. Di and Henda both have the same shiver when they pick you up. They might take it as excitement for being with you, but ever since I came back from the Kyuubi attack, this has happened.]

    Hii wanted to close his ears. He wanted to ignore the logic, but Akumu wouldn''t let him.

    [You want to know what the worst example is?]

    Hii hesitated, but felt he had no choice, but to nod his head.

    [Look around.]

    Hii did as he was told and looked around, but didn''t see anything out of the ordinary. The same black and grey horizon in the distance.

    [You probably can''t see it. Remember when we first met?]

    ''Yeah. You told me you were me.''

    [ I did, didn''t I? Notice how much black is in here, Hii.]

    Hii looked around again. He noticed the black seemed to push against the grey, covering it completely. The grey would fight back and the black would recede. This happened over and over wherever Hii looked.

    [It''s because you aren''t in here all the time. You don''t notice that the black is slowly claiming the grey areas.]

    Akumu looked in Hii''s direction.

    [I''m eating you. I''m slowly eating all of your life energy you need to grow for myself to grow.]

    Hii couldn''t believe it. He couldn''t believe Akumu would try to hurt him, unconsciously or not.

    [Even more evidence if you still can''t believe it. Remember Sasuke and Naruto?]

    Hii slowly nodded his head.

    [Those two are half a year or so younger than you, yet you all are around the same development.]

    Akumu sat in front of Hii, making sure the baby couldn''t avoid facing him.

    [In a few months, they will pass you in development.]

    ''R-really?''

    Akumu nodded his head.

    [I''m certain. I''m even more certain that you will rapidly grow as soon as I leave you.]

    Hii''s tears couldn''t be stopped now. He held himself from bawling outright, but his control was slipping as fast as the tears were falling.

    Akumu sighed and brought his face towards Hii.

    [Don''t cry. I''ll still be around. Just not always by your side.]

    Hii''s sniffled started to grow as Akumu used his fur to try and wipe the tears.

    [I''m sure I can come back to you, but you have to grow up first. We have to grow up, ok?]

    Hii weakly nodded his head and latched onto Akumu for one last hug.

    Akumu stiffened, then relaxed as he let Hii cry himself to sleep.

    ****

    Inside Hii''s room, the temperature of the room dropped drastically. A black shadow emerged from Hii as Akumu appeared next to the crib. His size let him see through the rails of the crib, looking at Hii''s tear soaked face one more time.

    ''I''m sorry,Hii. This is for the best, for both of us.''

    Akumu slowly turned away as he walked into the shadows of the room.

    *Wrrrrrr*

    The shadows on the wall rippled like a puddle as Akumu jumped through. He appeared outside of the house and started to walk down the street, which then turned into a run.

    ''I changed what would happen too much. It''s only right I have to watch out for enemies here and outside of the village.''

    Akumu could feel the life energy of everything around him. The sleeping birds, the people, and even the ninjas watching over the village.

    He wanted to devour them all, but he supressed those sinister thoughts.

    "The reaper is still not fully assimilated yet. It will take a bit more time."

    Akumu sped along the village road until he came to the forest of Death. He would make here his new home for now and his base of operations.

    He looked back once more at the village, specifically in Hii''s directions. He could still sense him now and felt Hii could do the same. A smile rose up on his face, revealing his white fangs.

    "Grow up fast, Hii. I want to fight with you one day."

    Akumu turned forward and walked into the forest. A ghastly howl was heard as the forest grew eerily silent, welcoming it''s new resident.

    *****

    Hii woke up once again to a new day. He didn''t feel so happy about it though.

    ''Akumu?''

    Hii waited for a response, but he could only hear the chirping of the morning birds outside.

    Hii wanted to cry, but he held in his tears as he started to sit up for his morning ritual.

    He sat up and started the climb up the rails to stand once more. He wished he didn''t notice how his strength seemed....different. He felt more powerful than yesterday, but this only made him sadder as Akumu seemed to be right in his deduction.

    ''The moment of truth.''

    Hii finally stood up, feeling a world of a difference in his chances of remaining standing. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let go of the rail.

    He waited to feel the softness of the futon under him, but all he felt was the strength in his legs hold out and his back stand tall.

    His eyes started to water as he just stood there. No triumphant thoughts or accomplishment. Just the sadness of losing family stayed with him.

    His door opened up as Kaya came in once again to greet her baby.

    "Good morn-"

    Kaya stopped as her eyes caught a sniffling Hii. She immediately rushed to pick Hii up and pacify her baby.

    "What''s wrong Hii? Did you have a nightmare?"

    Hearing the word nightmare push for waterworks.

    "Uwaaaah!!"

    Hii started to cry heavily as Kaya did her best to console him. The family woke up quickly to Hii''s rare cries and came to the room.

    Riku came close to Kaya and inspected the room and her daughter.

    "What happened, Kaya?! Is Hii ok?"

    "I think so. I don''t know what happened. I think he had a bad dream."

    Kaya continued to console her baby as he slowly started to calm down.

    "It''s ok~. Mommy''s here~"

    Kaya patted Hii''s back gently as she hummed a tune Riku would hum when she was younger and upset.

    The family relaxed as they saw their youngest member relax.

    They weren''t prepared for the next bomb coming though.

    "M-mom."

    "That''s right~! Mommy is-"

    Everyone stopped as they realized they never heard that voice before. They all looked at Hii with shock on their faces as he gripped onto Kaya''s shoulder.

    Kaya shook in excitement as she looked at the faces of all of her family.

    "H-Hii, sweetie."

    "?"

    Hii looked at her with confusion on his face.

    "W-who am I?"

    She pointed to herself, her finger shaking in disbelief as the moment she had waited for had come.

    Hii looked at her with his head tilted and responded.

    "Mom?"

    The spring morning started for this family with a rare shower a tears and a sure chance of mothers fainting in happiness.

 Ch.15. The New Household

    3 years have gone by since Akumu left me. I now know why he did it, but it still hurts to know he was right.

    I find myself in the mindscape again today. I can''t seem to dream, but I like to run and jump around until I wake up.

    "Today is running, I guess."

    I start to run around in an circle. Lines just seem to appear in a perfect cirlce as i just keep running.

    The space is now a blinding white, no longer the grey and black patterns as before.

    I honestly miss the patterns.

    I miss Akumu.

    That jerk! He told me he''d be around, but I haven''t seen him since he left.

    "I hope gets eaten by something!"

    I stop running as I think that and shake my head.

    "No, I don''t. I just wish he''d at least come by."

    I look down at the white ground for a little while.

    I slap my cheeks and wake myself up!

    "What am I doing?! I can''t be mopey! I gotta get strong so we can stick together!"

    Renewing my resolve, I start running again.

    I only get two more laps before the white particles start to float around me.

    "Time to go."

    They soon cover me completely and I fade into the white horizon once more.

    ****

    I wake up in my bed to the same ceiling I''ve known for a while now. I should really put something up there, maybe a Leaf symbol or something.

    I roll out of bed with a yawn and stretch my arms and legs as i dangle over the edge of the bed.

    ''I wonder if those two are up?''

    I hop down and walk out of the room and head to the kitchen.

    ''I wonder if there''s milk? I should probably get some more to be sure.''

    I open the fridge and look in.

    There''s milk left! It''s not much though.

    "Guess I gotta get some. I should ask Mom or Dad for some money."

    "No milk again?"

    A gruff voice sounds from behind me. A smile flashes on my face as I turn around.

    "Morning, Grandpa!"

    "Morning."

    Granpa towers over me as he looks into the fridge as well. He might look rough and strict, but he''s a huge softie.

    I rush and hug his waist and he pats my head.

    "Hehe. Go on now and wake them up."

    "Awww! Again?! Didn''t I do it yesterday?"

    Grandpa gave me a smirk. I know where this is going.

    ""You have no choice, but to be a Big Brother.""

    We both say it at the same time. I''m sure this is the 100th time I''ve heard it. I deserve a prize.

    "Good that you know. Now get to it."

    I sigh as I start to head my old room.

    Opening the door always gives me nostalgic feelings.

    The toys on the floor are new and the additional crib.

    My twin siblings are, of course, sleeping peacefully.

    The older twin was named Moya. She came to us with Dad''s pale skin and Mom''s sandy blonde hair color.

    She''s gonna be a pretty girl since she has most of mom''s looks.

    The only thing I really wish she didn''t have was Dad''s curly hair.

    I mean, straight hair is the way to go right?

    I''m not jealous!

    Over to the left side is my younger brother, Yozora.

    He''s pretty much a pallete swap of Moya, tanned skin and dark black hair.

    Nnnngh! It''s curly too though!

    Why?!

    Let''s get this over with.

    "Moya! Yozora! Get up!"

    "Mmmmhmmm."

    Moya groans to high hell. Again.

    "....."

    Yozora says nothing, but I can feel the sass from that look on his trying to sleep face. He''s pretty expressive for the silent type.

    "C''mon! Up!"

    I rub both of their heads as they continue to groan or ignore me.

    .....I''m seriously not jealous.

    .....Ok! Maybe a little jealous.

    "Hnnng. Hii-san~."

    "It''s Nii-san to you!"

    "Hii-nii."

    "I guess that''s fine."

    "Five more minutes."

    I sigh as I let up and just let things be.

    "It was nice knowing you kids."

    I walk out of the room with a sigh and look to my right to see grandpa.

    I give him a thumbs down for my attempt and he shakes his head.

    "Those kids..."

    " I have a weakness for my bed too though."

    "You only allow it to bother you for a little while."

    I just shrug my shoulders. I can''t tell him I don''t really dream right? Let''s not get Grandpa concerned about me.

    *Clank Clank*

    A rhythmic clanking comes from the kitchen area as we head back. Looks like Grandma is up.

    "Morning, Grandma!"

    "Oh! Good Morning dear."

    I rush to hug Grandma, which puts a smile on her face. She takes a look around and sighs at the sight of us too.

    "Just the early birds today?"

    Grandpa and I both nod as she rubs the bridge of her nose.

    "Those kids. Well, you at least did your part, Hii-chan. I guess we''ll get another show."

    All three of us sit at the table as we wait for the show to begin.

    *Creak*

    Sure enough, Here comes the star.

    "Morning, Mom."

    I get up and give her a hug as well. Mom hugs me back groggily as I look to the side and see the door to their room is still closed.

    ''Guess Dad''s been done in again.''

    I''ll pray for his health today if I pass a shrine.

    Mom looks into the kitchen and counts the heads. Seeing the numbers come up short brings the rage right to her face. I shiver as I get the indirect fear smile.

    "Hii. Did you try to get them up?"

    I nod my head.

    "And they didn''t get up? Did they say anything?"

    "They asked for 5 more minutes."

    The smile is getting more sinister by the second!

    Guess I''m praying for three people today.

    Mom lets go of me and heads into the twins room and I shoot back to the table with Grandma and Grandpa. I can see the grin on Grandpa''s face rise in anticipation.

    And then it happens.

    "GET UP NOW!!"

    And they''re off! Yozora comes out of the room with flare as he slides out into the hallway at the perfect angle! Tears seem to be falling as he runs down to the bathroom at record pace,holding a fresh lump on his head. Moya follows quickly behind with two lumps, a standard score from her records. Who will get to the bathroom first to pacify Mom''s rage?! Looks like Yozora got to the sink first and starts to wash up! Moya is quickly beside him and speeds up her paste. It''s neck and neck! Who''s gonna be the first one to sit at the table?! Ah?! They both come up at the same time! As expected of fraternal twins! They''re duking it out at the doorway! Only one can make it to the chair! Who''s it gonna be?! It''s....!?

    "Yay."

    Yozora with the win!

    "He''s hiding his heavy breathing better."

    Grandpa gives rare commentary over the performance!

    Grandma is nodding in agreement on the side!

    Moya''s sitting in the corner with her face to the wall.

    With that over, I now have free reign to wash up myself. I''ve had far too many run-ins with flying siblings.

    I get to the sink and take my time washing up.

    I hear Dad dragging his way to the sink and scoot over for him. We make eye contact and smile.

    It''s a pretty good morning today.

    *****

    I had to go shopping for groceries with the twins. We''re known through the streets as everyone always calls out to us. I have to say mom''s reputation is pretty good.

    "Hii-nii!! Let''s get some candy?!"

    "No."

    "Awww!"

    Moya and Yozora started puffing their cheeks again. That really must be a family thing.

    We start heading back home since we don''t want spoiled milk. We get to our street and find Grandpa standing outside.

    "Grandpa? What''s wrong?"

    Moya spoke for us, as usual.

    Grandpa turned to us with a scroll in his hand. That''s not what''s caught our attention.

    Grandpa is smiling?!

    This can''t be good.

    "I''ve been waiting for you all to be of age."

    Grandpa walks towards us with the widest grin I''ve ever seen! I can feel the shivers of Moya and Yozora through my shirt!

    "It''s time to begin your training."

 Ch.16. Chakra Nature

    After the milk was secured, The four of us headed over to the nearby training ground.

    Moya and Yozora haven''t stopped shivering since we''ve been following Grandpa. I''ve been shivering too, but that''s beside the point.

    Grandpa has been smiling so much, I''m starting to suspect he may be someone disguised. Is training so fun for him?

    He gets to the center of the field and turns toward us. The wind blows across our necks, sending shivers down our spines.

    "S-so Grandpa!? What are we training in?"

    Grandpa nods his head and sits down. He motions for us to sit too, but we end up falling on our butts.

    Our legs gave out. So embarassing.

    Grandpa chuckles and looks at each of us.

    "Now now. I''m not gonna hurt you. I just need to tell you a few things and we''ll go from there."

    Ok? So far, so good.

    "First, breathe in deep, then exhale slowly, Ok?"

    I get it, but I think Moya and Yozora are confused.

    "Just follow after everyone, ok?"

    "O-ok, Hii-nii."

    The three of us follow Grandpa''s lead.

    Breathe in.

    Breathe out.

    I feel a weight drop from my shoulders as I exhale. I look at the other two to see how they''re doing. Seems like they''re calmer too. I can see the inner brat is gonna come out any moment for them without their initial fear.

    "Ok, now I''m going to tell you what''s going to happen from now and into the future."

    We nod as grandpa seems to be thinking about what he wants to say.

    "First of all, I want to say I''m glad that you three are my grandchildren. I hope you will pass through all obstacles and continue the family forward to the future."

    Whoa! Grandpa''s gonna bow his head to us?!

    All three of us shot over to stop him from doing so.

    "You don''t need to bow, Grandpa! Really!"

    Grandpa looks at us in shock and clears his throat.

    "Um. Well, I thought I should show my gratitude a bit. You''re very important to my dream. It''s only right in my mind."

    "But you''re our Grandpa! Just order us like you usually do!"

    Yozora nods to Moya''s words and I can honestly nod to them too. I''d do anything for the family. They''ve done a lot for us.

    Gramps just chuckles and continues.

    "Ahem! Anyway, I just want to let you know that I will help you today to unlock your chakra. You''ll have to get used to this power as it''s the basis of all ninja."

    Yozora''s eyes are shooting fire over how excited he is. Moya''s not far behind him as well. I was going to go down this path one way or another, so I''m not surprised. I''d never let Mom fight on her own again after the Kyuubi attack.

    "Well, I''m glad you all look excited. We''ll start by having you learn the proper way to channel chakra. Now pay attention."

    Grandpa goes into detail how we imagine our chakra going through a set pattern until we can feel our chakra. Once we feel it, we''ll be able to do jutsus like Mom and Grandma! Grandpa says he can''t do all of his anymore since his arm is gone, but He''ll teach us what he can.

    "Now, calm your mind and begin. It can take a short time, or it could be a long while until you unlock chakra. We''ll go to the next step when you all unlock it."

    We all nod and eagerly start to meditate. I can''t really feel anything, but I''m not gonna give up on this! I gotta catch up to Akumu!

    *****

    We''ve been at it for a while now, but still nothing. Grandpa is also meditating as well, sitting still right across from us. I kept  up the pattern, but I''m just no-.

    .... Wait, what was that just now!?

    It felt really hot, almost like a flame in my stomach. I check my body and see nothing out of order.

    Did I imagine that? Whatever. Let''s just continue.

    ......!?

    Ok, there it is again. Is this chakra? Should I just continue to do it? I decide to disregard the feeling, and felt it spread all over my body! The feeling followed the pattern Grandpa showed me before!

    Is this my chakra?! It''s really hot! Wait, isn''t this like the opposite of what Akumu''s was?!

    I can''t give up if that''s the case! I continue to circulate the chakra until it starts to feel warm. It actually feels really good! I should probably stop there though. I feel like I''ll fall asleep if I continue for too long.

    I open my eyes to Grandpa right in front of me!

    "Uwaaah!"

    I crawl back fast from Grandpa, startling Moya and Yozora.

    "Ah! Sorry, Hii. I was just surprised that you got it. I didn''t mean to scare you."

    Grandpa scratched his head nervously while the twins look a little peeved and confused at why they were interrupted.

    "You two continue to practice. We still have time today, but Hii has finished the first step."

    ""?!""

    The two look at me with astonishment. I can only smile as the two look at each other, then immediately go back to the exercise.

    They''re so competitive. I bet that''s from Mom too.

    It''s fine they''re competitive. I have a question anyway.

    "Hey,Grandpa?"

    "Hmmm?"

    "Does chakra have temperatures? Mine felt hot when it first rotated."

    Grandpa held his hand to his chin and thought.

    "I''m not too sure. Some members of our family felt a chill when they awakened their chakra and ended up with Yin chakra.I suppose the opposite could happen too."

    Yin chakra?! That must be what Akumu is made of!

    "What is Yin chakra?"

    "There are two types of chakra and 5 elements. The types are Yin and Yang chakra. They say Yin chakra is death, while Yang chakra is life. The two come together to form all existences with their fusion. The elements are Fire,Water,Earth,Wind, and Lighting. They are natural elements made from different combinations of Yin and Yang. I''ll go over more in the training later."

    I heard  Grandpa''s words and grew excited! My chakra must have a lot of Yang in it! If that''s the case, then we should be beneficial to each other if i get stronger. I''ll have to work hard to match a Biju though.

    Hmm? Wait a second. Didn''t Grandpa say something about our family having Yin chakra? We aren''t that big though?

    "Grandpa, what did you mean by-"

    *fwoosh fwoosh*

    We both turn to feel Moya and Yozora also unlocked their chakras at the same time.

    "Seriously!?"

    These two compete in everything?!

    "Not bad, Yozora. Guess it''s another tie."

    "Next time."

    The two smugly goad each other like their adversaries, but I know for a fact both of you would lose to a carrot in a heartbeat.

    "Good good! You''ve shown great potential!"

    Grandpa is nodding his head happily as he unfolds the scroll he had with him with his teeth. He spread the scroll and we could see a number of steps written on the scroll. He focused and made a handsign and slapped the scroll where step 1 was.

    *Poof*

    4...sheets of paper came out?

    The three of us looked at each other and back to Grandpa.

    I''m the older brother, so I better ask.

    "Grandpa, what does this paper have to do with our training?"

    Grandpa chuckled as he picked one up in his hands.

    "This is a chakra nature test paper. Before you start your basic training, you''ll practice the chakra method with it between your fingers."

    Grandpa held towards us as we looked at it.

    *Shkkk*

    "Huh?!"

    "Woah."

    "How did you do that?!"

    All 3 of us were shocked!

    The paper in Grandpa''s hand crinkled like crazy!

    Grandpa laughed as he put the paper down and we watched him like hawks.

    "The paper''s reaction to your chakra is the nature of your element. Once I know which elements you have, your training will be with members who know about it or have it in the family. Now pick one up and we''ll start from youngest to oldest."

    We excitedly grab a paper and get ready.

    I wonder which one I''ll get?! I''m excited now!

    Yozora calms himself and begins to move his chakra along the pattern.

    *Shink Shhhh*

    The paper split into two?! And it crumbled away?!

    "What does that mean?!"

    I unconsciously said it out loud, but the twins are waiting for an answer too.

    Grandpa nods slowly as he digested what happened.

    "Hmmm. You have Wind and Earth. Your Grandma will teach you when it comes to that."

    Yozora fist pumped in silence. How cute.

    "Ok! It''s my turn then!"

    Moya grabs hers and nervously starts to mover her chakra as well.

    *fwoosh shhhh*

    "Uwah!"

    Moya dropped the paper as it caught on fire and watched it  crumble away into dirt in the air.

    "Does this mean I get Fire style and Earth style?!"

    Grandpa slowly nods as he pats Moya on the head.

    "Hmmm. Good. You will be your Grandma''s successor. She''ll teach you everything you''ll need to learn her techniques."

    Moya danced around in happiness and she definetly is gonna tell Grandma when we get back. Yozora isn''t too amused he didn''t get that style too. Grandpa rubs his head as well and consoles him.

    "Don''t worry too much, Yozora. You''ll definitely make the most of your nature. I know you won''t lose to your sister. Your Mother probably knows people with wind style as well, so you''ll get just as strong. Just don''t give up, ok?"

    Yozora''s fire comes back as he nods enthusiastically.

    Now, it''s finally my turn.

    I follow the pattern and eargerly await my results.

    Grandpa nearly stares a hole into the chakra paper and wait for the reactions. Once the paper began to move, Grandpa seemed to freeze.

    *Shkkk*

    Grandpa''s eyes widened, and the he started laughing. He laughed until tears came down his cheek. All 3 of us are confused! Did he break?!

    "What''s wrong, Grandpa?!"

    I yell and he snaps out of it. He wipes his eyes and places a hand on my shoulder.

    "The heavens do have eyes, Hii. You have exactly what your mother and I wanted! You''ll be trained by your Mother and I! No excuses!!

    The 3 of us look at Grandpa laughing crazily and look back at the crinkled,soggy paper in my hand.

    This, this is good! Right?!

 Ch.17. The Basics

    The way back home was...interesting to say the least.

    If Grandpa was happy on the way to the training ground, he was ecstatic on the way back.

    I even see a hop in his step every now and then!

    We make it back to the house exhausted, besides Grandpa. The family looks pretty normal, I guess this was talked about before.

    Grandma takes one look at Grandpa''s face and is surprised by the smile.

    "Di! Do they-?!"

    Grandpa nods his head, making Grandma smile the brightest smile I''ve ever seen her smile.

    "Yosh!! Which one has Earth element?!"

    The twins synchronize a shiver, which Grandma didn''t fail to notice. Her smile is getting eerie now!

    "Oho~?! The brats are like me, huh? This will be fun."

    "Moya has Fire as well, Riku."

    Grandpa is quite adept at adding oil to fire as Grandma''s eyes seem to be able to pierce through Moya now.

    My poor sister is shivering like a leaf.

    I rub her and Yozora''s heads to calm them down a bit, though I''m in a worse situation.

    Mom went on a mission today, so she doesn''t know yet. When she gets back though....

    Oh boy.

    "We''ll need Kaya''s help to find someone for Wind style. Yozora is the only one."

    "Wind style, eh? I guess that''ll have to do."

    Riku nods her head at the advice and proceeds to ask Di more about the process, which brings Grandma to boisterous laughter at how fast we unlocked Chakra.

    "Three little Geniuses, eh?! Looks like we''ll have a shot at being a clan after all."

    Di''s also excited while the rest of us are confused. We''ll be a clan?

    Grandpa looks at our faces and smiles.

    "Don''t worry about the other stuff. You''ll have to work hard to get to your Mom''s level."

    All of our eyes shine when we think of Mom''s prowess.

    The twins could only hear tales, but I was shown the bits of Mom fighting the Kyuubi when he came back. Her Rising Cloud Jutsu is so versatile!

    I wonder if I can learn it too?!

    "Oh right. What did Hii-chan get?"

    Grandma asks as she realized I wasn''t under her tutelage and finds a very smug Grandpa.

    "Hehehehehe!"

    "Stop creeping the kids out, you big oaf!"

    Grandma slaps Grandpa on the shoulder, but it doesn''t stop his laughter at all.

    The two always seem to fight all the time, but Grandma''s smile always seems to let us know the love they have is priceless.

    I guess that''s the same with Mom and Dad too.

    We ended up being celebrated with a big feast with all of our favorites by Grandma.

    I''m not passing up on Grandma''s rock bass fillet, but the twins are a little anxious as no carrots can be seen in the meal.

    I''m glad they''re already learning not to trust a good thing, but it''s too late.

    Can''t escape it, so why not enjoy it?

    *****

    A few weeks have passed since we unlocked our chakra and it''s been hell for the twins and I.

    Grandma took over the training now as she tries to teach us the basic ninjutsu for Genin. Grandma and Grandpa have decided to switch off on subjects due to their style and...well, disability.

    Grandma gives the basics of handsigns and chakra use while Grandpa gives us a bit of combat experience.

    I''ve always known Grandpa was strong, but not to the level of barely paying attention and beating us down.

    The two won''t tell us what happened to them yet, but whoever took their limbs must''ve been powerful.

    Grandma is teaching the Transformation Jutsu and having us transform into her and Grandpa.

    Grandma would correct our details and smack the twins when they misbehaved. She was very patient with teaching this, saying the Jutsu could save your life someday. I feel she''s speaking from experience on this.

    It was a pretty fun week getting the basics of that Jutsu down though. It was especially funny when we all passed.

    Mom came into the house to find four Grandma''s turning towards her, Grandpa with a big grin on his face, and Dad walked in right after he finished his orders so he doesn''t know who is who.

    Mom being Mom, however,  didn''t need much help in figuring us out.

    "Hey Dad, which one is the prettiest?"

    Grandpa walked over and hugged Grandma quite quickly, getting him a slap on the shoulder and a slight blush.

    Pretty smooth, Gramps.

    Mom just turned to us and smiled.

    "I''m thinking I should make stew tonight. With looots of carrots. What do you think?"

    The twins gave up quickly after that.

    Mom made us copy her as well and gave me a thumbs up over how quick we copied her.

    Of course, Grandpa dropped the bomb of of the twins nature to Mom, bringing a happy smile on her face.

    "We''ll need your help to find a Wind instructor, Kaya."

    "I have someone in mind to help. Leave it to me! I''m glad you got some succesors, Mom!"

    Grandma nods her head as she stares at Mom with a bright smile.

    "What''s wrong, Mom?"

    "It''s about Hii."

    Mom shoots a look at me and looks back at Grandma.

    "What is his nature?"

    "Lightning."

    Mom''s face....turns a bit complicated. I expected her to be happy, but I didn''t think Grandpa''s words would bring this on.

    "Oh. I see."

    Just then, Grandma leaned over to Grandpa.

    *Smack*

    A loud clap echoes as Grandma smacked the back of Grandpa''s head.

    "You dumbass! Tell her the full details!"

    Di shrugs off the slap and chuckles to himself.

    "Hii has Lighting and Water."

    I turned to see mom''s reaction only to be put dead center in her chest.

    Haven''t been here in a while.

    "Yees!! Oh I''m soo happy! I''m gonna teach you everything I know!!"

    Mom lifted me up as she shook to and fro. All I can feel is soft mounds and death slowly creeping up.

    "Mom! Put me down."

    Mom snaps out of her reverie and sets me down with a red face. I can''t tell if it''s from excitement or embarassment.

    "You have to calm down, Kaya. Don''t let your emotions show too much."

    Grandpa says sagely as he eats his food.

    "Says the skipper."

    Of course, Grandma once again fires bombs on Grandpa, bringing laughter to the table.

    "D-did anybody want to blacksmith?"

    Sorry Dad, I don''t think anyone does.

    "Me."

    ....I stand corrected as Dad sheds tears of joy over his one child after his craft.

    *****

    The Substitution jutsu was pretty fun as well since we used logs and toys as things to switch with.

    Moya was actually the first one to get this one right followed by me, then Yozora.

    Yozora got her back in the Clone justu training since she was dead last.

    Second place for me though.

    Mom taught us the basic times when to use these Jutsus from experiences she had.

    Hearing how close Mom came to death though wasn''t something we were found of hearing about.

    "Hmmm."

    "What is it, Moya?"

    "I don''t like hearing your close saves, Mom."

    Mom is shocked to hear Moya say that. Even more so when we all nodded at the same time.

    "Why?! It''ll help you know better if you''re in a similar situation."

    " I know! But.. It''s just.."

    Moya turns to me. Guess she needs assistance.

    "Hii-nii."

    Yozora too, huh?

    "I think it''s because you''re our Mom. We don''t want to hear how close to death you were, no matter how beneficial it is. We don''t want to imagine you getting hurt."

    Mom stares at all of us as the other two nod their heads. We didn''t realize this got us a death hug from Mom. Her saying "My little babies" didn''t help either.

    We endured though, since it was Mom.

    After that, we were to train chakra control. Mom wanted us to climb a tree, which we would all do anyway when we went to play.

    It was only when we saw her upside down on a branch did the twins realize how fun it would be.

    I like the idea as well, but using it for pranking is a bit much.

    "Hii."

    "Yes?"

    Mom puts a hand to her head and sighs.

    "Watch out for them, ok?"

    "It''s my job, Mom."

    We tried to run to the top of the tree, but it takes a couple of days for us to get it.

    Surprisingly, I''m the last one to get it this time. I seemed to keep putting too much chakra into it, but I managed.

    It wasn''t over yet for me though as Mom took us to a nearby lake and made us put on swimsuits. When she started to walk on the water, I knew I''d have a bad time.

    It goes to show we all learned how to swim really fast that day. We tied on this one.

    It took us another week to master that before Mom taught us the last technique we could learn, the Body Flicker Jutsu. As soon as I learned the description of this technique I knew why Mom didn''t want to teach it to us.

    The bright eyes the twins had on this technique was all I needed to piece it all together.

    Mom warned us, or more specifically the twins, to not use this technique to cause trouble.

    The three of us agreed to not cause trouble with the technique.

    I did have to slap a couple of crossed fingers though to make them take it seriously.

    Better me than Mom.

    This time, I got the basics down first out of the three of us. Moya was second while Yozora was last.

    This, of course, lead to a race using Body flicker to see who was the best of the two.

    I don''t know how many times they tied each other, but Mom and I laughed till our cheeks hurt.

    With the basics down, the twins thought they were ready to be full fledged ninjas.

    I knew better. Especially when Grandpa had a very pleased smile on his face at their confidence. It was like a spider looking at a fly that was dreaming it was in the sky instead of a web.

    Needless to say, he crushed that confidence flat.

 Ch.18. The Reunion

    A month has passed since we got the basics down, and nothing really changed too much from normal.

    I still wake up first with Grandma and Grandpa, watching the twins run from Mom''s wrath ever now and then. It''s more interesting now though since they boost themselves with Chakra.

    I wonder will they ever just get up on time? Probably not.

    New things have been added to our training schedules.

    Chakra control, chakra control, and chakra control.

    I guess it makes sense when everyone was excited about our chakra natures that they want our control to be exceptional.

    We''ve been getting used to using chakra whenever we can. We lift things with chakra in our muscles, we run fast with it, and we''ve been playing around on trees and water as well.

    I gotta say, tag has never been more fun since we''ve unlocked Chakra.

    Though the twins still want to challenge my prestige, I am STILL the tag champion.

    No one gets away from me!

    Yozora has suddenly become the hide and seek champion though. It seems like no matter where you hide, he just finds you.

    That doesn''t stop the challenge though! Moya and I are still discussing tactics to give him the slip.

    Moya hasn''t had much luck in the games department, but she has been getting really good at fighting Grandpa.

    She uses her kicks and punches to try and get through his defenses in ways Yozora and I never thought of.

    She''s even just attempting to fight him on her own!

    His grin and her grin are starting to become strangely similar though.

    ....Should I be concerned?

    ....Nah!

    We''ve also been introduced to the other types of jutsu. Shuriken jutsu, sealing jutsu, and kenjutsu.

    Shuriken jutsu is pretty fun, though it is really dangerous when Moya starts trying to ricochet shurikens off each other.

    That got her a mean lump from Mom.

    Sealing justu is a lot more laid back since we just have to write symbols. Grandma teaches this one, which isn''t surprising to us. She has been putting up calligraphy in the house for a while now, so it''s to be expected. Yozora tends to get praised alot since his hands are so steady. I''m not horrible at it, but Moya?

    "This symbol is off, Moya. Do it again."

    "Uuuuaaaagh!!"

    She''s not having the best of times.

    Finally, Kenjutsu is the subject I''m surprisingly good at. The katas are pretty fun, and I honestly love the feeling of clashing blades.

    Yozora just tends to marvel and ask Grandpa how he made the blades. Grandpa loves to explain, but he likes swinging them more.

    Moya isn''t as strong against Grandpa in this training, but I''m keeping up with him.

    I''m starting to think that maybe the way Moya looked while fighting Grandpa hand to hand is what I look like now.

    Those two wouldn''t stop shivering when Grandpa and I were clashing swords. They''re wooden, of course, so I wonder why they''re act like that?

    Grandpa didn''t know either. Guess we''ll just leave that alone?

    *****

    I''m swinging my wooden sword today on the lake in the training grounds. I just love the feeling of practicing on water.

    The soft ripples of the water flowing out as I unleash a perfect swing?

    The wave of water when I land a powerful blow?!

    Priceless. Just priceless.

    I''m alone today since Moya and Yozora wanted to take some days off. Grandpa surprisingly agreed for once, letting the two go play with other kids.

    They couldn''t use any ninja techniques though. We''re forbidden from using them until we''re in the acadamy.

    I still wanted to practice though, so this is the perfect time to get in as much kenjutsu practice as I can.

    Well, I planned to, but someone had other plans.

    Middway through one of my swings, I suddenly felt the air in the training ground drop drastically.

    "What the heck?! It feels eerie all of a sudden!"

    [My bad. I guess I''m getting really strong.]

    I almost dropped my sword hearing that voice.

    Tears start to well up the instance I register that voice.

    My head turns so fast towards the nearby forest, where I heard the voice.

    I see him just sitting under a tree, looking in my direction.

    Before I could even register it in my head, I used Body flicker Jutsu and rush towards him.

    "Akumu!!"

    I wrap my hands around his neck and give him a big hug.

    I''m not gonna let him leave so easily now!

    [Calm down! I''m not leaving you.]

    "You''ve been gone for 4 years now. Not once did you come by! I''m not believing you!"

    [S-sorry. A lot happened.]

    "What happened?"

    Akumu breathes out slowly as he starts to tell me about his 3 years. Apparently, he''s been in the forest of death for most of the time, fighting predators.

    [Be careful if you ever go in there. Those snakes can get huge.]

    "I don''t know if I''m scared or excited to see anything thay big."

    [Probably excited. Guess Grandpa wore off on you. You mind letting go of my neck?]

    "Nope."

    [Haaa... Fair enough. Anyway, I''ve been spying on people most of the time. Mainly ninjas.]

    I can''t believe that!

    "You can sneak up on ninjas now?! How''d you get so good?"

    [I can sense their chakra flow and how they move and copy it for the most part. It''s not that hard for me, especially moving in shadows.]

    Geez, this wolf is getting ridiculous!

    "When are you coming back?"

    Akumu sighed and moved his head away from me.

    [I don''t know. This growth is getting annoying.]

    I can feel my cheeks puffing up at this evasive no.

    "What''s complicated about growing?! Don''t you just grow normally?!"

    [Sadly, no. It''s actually complicated!]

    Akumu starts to growl a little as he thinks of it. Is...is it that bad?

    [I have to keep eating Yang chakra to grow. I''ve been literally eating trees all damn day!]

    "T-trees?! Like the one behind us?!"

    [Yeah!! Isn''t that fucking horrible?! I can''t get near people because I might absorb their Yang and hurt them, but I can''t eat trees all day because they come investigate it! Ugh!!]

    Akumu shoots up and runs to the nearest tree. I watch him bite hard into the tree, snapping the bark off as he latches on.

    The tree, it just starts dying. From a perfectly healthy tree, to a fall tree, and then a dead tree. Even the leaves scattered into nothing as they hit his back.

    He lets go of the tree and sighs.

    [Sorry. Just thinking about it pisses me off.]

    The tree starts to creak with the breeze and starts to fall over.

    Note to self. Never be around a pissed Akumu.

 Ch.19. A Wild Naruto Appeared?!

    Akumu took a while to calm down, breathing in and out slowly.

    I waited for him to calm down next to him, lying on the side of stomach.

    "I miss this fur."

    [Haaa. Hehe, you''d sleep in it all the time. I can''t stand your drool though.]

    "I didn''t drool!"

    [You did. Like a river.]

    I was going to counter that argument, but I noticed Akumu went stiff.

    [Someone''s coming. I''m gonna go hide nearby!]

    "Just hide in me. At least until they go."

    [.....Fine.]

    Akumu jumped into me and completely disappeared. I felt my body become cool as a familiar feeling washes over me.

    ''Welcome back!''

    [What are you, a wife?!]

    He jokes, but I can feel his tail wagging in there.

    [Be careful. Three Life Signatures are coming this way.]

    I was gonna ask if he knew them, but the rustling bushes took my attention away.

    I see a kid jump out of the bush with striking blonde hair and excited blue eyes.

    "Hehehe! I finally lost them!"

    Naruto did a victory pose and started laughing at his success almost immediately.

    [The other two are in the trees watching.]

    I....I fought the urge to facepalm. Somehow anyway.

    ''Is he gonna be ok like this?''

    [...I don''t know. This is...a new sensation.]

    "Alright! Now I can train on my own!"

    Naruto pulled out a scroll and prepared to open it when suddenly, he stopped and slowly looked my way.

    "....Don''t tell me you only noticed me right now?"

    "......"

    Naruto gets into a defensive pose, looking ready to charge at anytime.

    "Who''re you? What are you doing here?!"

    "....What are you doing here, Naruto?"

    He flinched.

    ''So he really doesn''t remember?''

    [Babies don''t really remember what happened during the early years. You''ve been with me since the start so your kinda like my age.]

    ''Eww. Old Babies''

    [Or Geniuses. Pick one.]

    "How do you know who I am?! Are you a spy?!"

    Now, I know what I could say to get him to calm down real quick.

    Buuuuut....

    "Hehehehe! Finally! I have you alone!"

    "!!"

    [You''re evil! I''ll watch out for the other two if they move and let you know!]

    With Akumu at my back, I can have some fun for once!

    Naruto grits his teeth and readies himself. I got to think of something good to follow up with. Should I just attack or monologue?

    "You''ll never get away with this!"

    Ooooh! I can play off this!

    "Hahaha! Foolish! Once my plans are complete, the world will tremble before me!"

    "I''ll stop you!!"

    ''Oh the heroism is so strong~.''

    Naruto comes swinging with his right fist to my face. I duck under it and trip him with a low sweep. He tumbles away a bit before getting up.

    "Uraaah!"

    "Hehehe! It''s useless!"

    I goad him on and he swings a left and another right, much more controlled than before. I step back and dodge, but he follows up with a kick. I grab his foot and toss him to the side, making him roll in the dirt some more.

    [He still has a clean patch in the back.]

    ''I''ll get to it!''

    Naruto stands up again, this time with tears starting to well up.

    Oh boy, did I go a bit too far?

    "Hey, I do wanna apologize for that. It''s just a joke."

    I try to explain to Naruto, but it looks like he isn''t listening.

    .....What are you doing with that scroll?

    "Hey....don''t take it too far now."

    "I."

    This guy seems serious.

    "Will."

    The scroll opens up and out pops a few shuriken and kunais.

    "Beat you!!"

    ''Guess he doesn''t have chakra yet. That looks like a quick release scroll.''

    [Don''t hit him too hard.]

    He tosses the shurikens and kunai in desperation towards me.

    I just stand there and watch four shuriken fly right by me.

    ''Guess he hasn''t trained enough yet.''

    He seems better with the kunais though as they seem to be heading on course.

    ''Here goes.''

    The two kunai hit me straight in the chest and I fall down. Naruto''s mouth drops as the other kunai in his hand stays still.

    [The other two look surprised as well!]

    Yay, I got everyone by surprise!

    *Poof*

    My body disappears as a log with the two kunai embedded in them replaces me. I slowly approach Naruto from behind while he''s still shocked and confused.

    "Feel my dreaded power! Secret Technique: Tickle Monster Jutsu!"

    My fingers go to town on his sides as he starts howling with laughter. I still do this to Moya and Yozora from time to time, earning me great skill at this technique. I gotta instill fear of the older sibling somehow, right?

    Naruto tries to run away from my fingers, but he''s no match for my speed.

    Moments later, he''s on the floor, wheezing and giggling in exhaustion.

    Victory is mine!

    *****

    "Eh?! You''re not a spy, but Auntie Kaya''s son?!"

    Naruto has calmed down now so I decided to clear the misunderstanding. I''m still trying to figure out how he didn''t realize I was lying. An enemy ninja that gets the drop on you definetly won''t tickle you into submission.

    "I thought you''d figure it out during the little scuffle."

    "Hahaha! Yeah, I knew all along! I was just playing!"

    [Thick skin on this one.]

    "Yeah, sure. What are you doing out here by yourself?"

    Naruto seems to want to say something, but I have a feeling  of what was coming. Let''s cut him off here.

    "Before you even say it, I have permission to be here and train. How about you?"

    Looks like I got him. Naruto''s just fiddling with his scroll now as he tries to roll them up into it again. I sigh and take the scroll from him and reset the seals and put the tools back. It''s my fault he used it anyway.

    I''m just really glad he didn''t throw that last one. It looks a little different from the other kunai. It''s three pronged and has some writing on it. It looks like it''ll hurt real bad.

    [That''s the 4th Hokage''s kunai. If he threw it, the 4th would''ve. probably appeared.]

    I must be getting better at Water style because my back is iflooded! I try to keep calm and put the string back on the seal and wrap it up. I hand it back to Naruto, and he''s just staring at me. With sparkles in his eyes.

    Oh no.

    "Nope."

    "Eh~?! Wait! Can''t you help me train?!"

    "Why do you want to train with me? I don''t know much at all. Isn''t Kushina Nee-san a strong ninja?"

    Naruto folds his arms and huffs.

    "Mom just wants me to practice seals all day. That''s not training at all, just studying! I''ve copied the seal on this scroll so many times, but I can''t even make a real one yet since Mom won''t teach my how to unlock my chakra."

    [That''s probably because of his seal. His chakra is held air tight, but he''s probably got a lot of it.]

    "What about your Dad?"

    Uwaaaah. Bad topic! Even more silence! This time, he''s just sad.

    "He''s been busy trying to find someone that attacked the village. I think he means the guy behind the Kyuubi attack. I overheard him and Mom talking about it. I don''t want to interrupt him catching the bad guy."

    Naruto just fiddles with his little scroll and looks down. My hand seems to find its way to his head and I ruffle his hair.

    "Fine. I''ll only teach you some little things I know today. You have to get your Mom''s permission to come back out with me next time, ok?"

    He turns and gives me the brightest smile I''ve seen yet. He seems almost radiant.

    "Oh yeah!!! Thanks, Hii-nii!!"

    "Everyone calls me that! Ugh, nevermind. Let me teach you a few things."

    Since he has them here, we go over shuriken-jutsu since missing four shurikens with a still target is a huge no-no.

    We practice and hang out until the sun starts to set.

    I stretch and get ready to head home when I remember something I heard Naruto say earlier.

    "Hey, Naruto?"

    "Yeah?"

    "What did you mean you finally got away from them earlier?"

    "Oh! That was because..."

    Uh oh. His face went white.

    [One of the Ninjas hiding left a while ago, And I''m sensing an eruption of Yin energy nearby.]

    Someone told already huh?

    "H-Hii-nii."

    "...Yeah?"

    "Can you help me apologize to my Mom?"

    [One extra large serving of angry Mom is coming this way. I think Naruto ordered it.]

    "NAAAARRUUUUUTTTTOOO!!"

    Right on que, Kushina is walking slowly to Naruto from the distance. How her hair is rising into the air like that is beyond my comprehension as the only thing I can recognize is that face she has. It''s the face of a reckoning coming.

    Naruto has gotten as pale as a sheet. He won''t even turn around to look at her as she creeps closer and closer. I''m pretty sure even I can taste the anger in the air, and it''s spicy!

    Well, I have no other choice.

    I do the only thing I can do in this situation.

    I clap my hands twice, and pray through the screams as Kushina gives Naruto a hard lesson in discipline.

    [''Amitabha.'']

    The sunset looks pretty as usual today. I''ll just stare at it for a while.

 Ch.20. Barbeque Chips and Waterballs

    The next day was a rest day for me. I decided to head to a nearby park and chill out with Akumu.

    ''Ahhh, this is the best! Too bad I have to rest. I would''ve brought my sword here to train.''

    [You really love the swordplay huh? I guess you got that from me.]

    I stopped and looked up.

    ''Seriously? You never told me much about... Us.''

    [Well, majority of it isn''t good.]

    I climbed up a nearby building with chakra, taking it slow to get some pseudo training in.

    ''So why did we like swords?!''

    [It''s a man''s fantasy!]

    ''Fair enough, I guess.''

    I get to the top and lay down, looking at the clouds.

    Akumu and I just lay in silence as we enjoy the peace.

    [...Actually, I had to learn the sword to learn discipline.]

    ''Discipline?''

    [Yeah, I had to learn it all sorts of stuff. Martial arts, archery, shooting, Everything.]

    ''Why?''

    [To stop my want to kill someone.]

    ''.....?!''

    I sat up and looked out at the buildings.

    ''Why the hell would someone teach you that to make sure you don''t kill someone?!''

    [Well, the reasoning was that I learned all the rules for each one and had to follow them. It grinded my edge down.]

    ''Did you still kill the person?''

    [......]

    We were silent again as I laid back down and looked at the clouds some more.

    ''Just tell me when you''re ready. There''s no rush to let me know. I may be from you, but I''m not you''

    I let him know my feelings as I stare at the clouds some more.

    [...Thanks.]

    I nod and keep looking at the clouds.

    "Tch! Someone''s here already. What a drag."

    I tilt my neck up to see a boy my age with a spiky ponytail. His eyes looked lethargic, like he''d fall asleep standing if he was allowed to.

    "You look tired. You wanna lay down?"

    The boy looked surprised at Hii, and chuckled.

    "Yeah, maybe I''ll do that. I''m Shikamaru, by the way.

    "I''m Hii. Come and lay down."

    "Well, why not? I got this friend with me though, you mind if he comes too? You were here first."

    I roll over to see another kid behind Shikimaru. He''s.... a bigger kid, but he looks nice enough.

    Wait, is that?!

    "Are those the Barbeque Kimchi chips?!"

    He''s holding a pack of chips I always wanted to try! His face lights up when I mentioned the chips.

    "You like these chips?"

    "I never got to try them! My siblings always spend all the money when we shop. Are they good?!"

    "Yeah! You should try some!"

    Don''t have to tell me twice!

    *****

    The boy named Choji and I munch away on the chips. They taste so weird, but oddly satisfying. I can''t decide if I want more or if I should stop!

    Luckily, before I can decide, the chips are all gone.

    Choji pats his belly in satisfaction. I see Shikamaru is just napping away.

    "Whew! What did you think?"

    "Hmmm. I feel like those were really good, but I can''t place the flavor on good or bad."

    Choji nods his head at my opinion.

    "That''s fine, isnt it? It just means it has a unique taste."

    .....Huh. That''s pretty deep if you think about it. We''re all like that aren''t we?

    I look at Choji who pulled another bag out of nowhere and smile.

    "You know what, Choji? You have a big-"

    "Ah!"

    Shikamaru shot up from his sleep and looked at me in panic. I glance over to him and see him sweating a bit. Maybe he had a bad dream?

    "You have a big heart."

    "Phew!"

    Shikamaru literally deflates and falls back down on the ground.

    "Thanks, Hii! Hehehe!"

    What was that all about?

    [....Don''t ever call him fat, ok?]

    .....Ok?

    *******

    A few weeks pass by and I''m now 5 years old.

    Yay!!

    What did I get for my birthday, you ask?

    More training! That''s what!

    Just what I wanted, actually. The other stuff is getting boring now. I want to be stimulated somehow so I break my current limits. Moya and Yozora are also getting a little bored with the everyday training.

    "Hii-nii! You have new training today?!"

    I put on the smuggest grin I can.

    "Hehehe, little sister. You are correct."

    "No fair! How come you can do it, but we can''t?!"

    "Because I''m older~."

    The two start puffing their cheeks in defiance.

    You too, Yozora? Hehe, so cute.

    I pat their heads as I get ready to go out with mom for Water style training.

    I gather myself and get ready to train.

    "I''m ready, Mom?"

    "Ooh! I''m so excited!! Let''s go quickly!"

    Hey! Don''t leave your son before telling me where I need to go!

    I chase after Mom as we jump from building to building. Jonins are really fast!

    Soon we reach the training ground I met Akumu again and she motions me to sit down.

    "Now, I''ll explain how to use Water Release. You must first try to mold your chakra and try to feel the sensation of water around the lake."

    "How do I do that?"

    Mom looked at me and pointed to the lake.

    "Get a handful of water and try to mimic the sensation in your body with chakra."

    I cup my hands and lean down at the edge of the lake to get some water. The water is cool, and clear, but I''m not sure how to change it.

    I make a few attempts, but my chakra doesn''t do much.

    "Mom? I don''t get it."

    I turn around to ask Mom for more pointers and I see a mischevious look on her face.

    What are you planning, Mom?

    I see her slowly going through a few handsigns.

    "Mom?!"

    Water style: Water Ball Jutsu!

    Mom forms a ball of water the size of my head and pushes it to my chest.

    "Uuuahhh!!"

    *Splash*

    I lay on back as I contemplate why my Mom decided to betray me like this.

    "Yahoo!!"

    Mom jumped in?!

    "Whooaaa?!"

    The wave made by Mom''s cannonball surrounded me and created a little whirlpool underneath me. As I recovered from the little spin, I notice the water is still, without a ripple.

    "Where did Mom go?!"

    I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder and turn around in a panic.

    I don''t see anyone around, so I stand up on the surface quickly and look down.

    And Mom is making funny faces at me under the water. Great.

    Mom surfaces next to me with a leap and lands gracefully.

    "Rule number 1 of Water style fighting: Whoever controls the flow of battle has the upper hand. Always aim for control if you can."

    She pats my head with a smile like Moya and Yozora when they get away with something.

    I sigh and resign myself to my fate. It''s obvious she wants me to figure it out on my own.

    I should just bring swimming trunks for this training.

 Ch.21. Research Visits (pt.1)

    It''s been a month now and I still don''t really get it.

    Mom refuses to tell me now since she just loves to prank me. Her main excuse is, of course:

    "You have plenty of time! Just play in the water like a normal child!"

    This is her go to excuse since 2 weeks ago.

    [Maybe your Mom just wants you to take it easy. They do say all work and no play make for dull ass kids. I know an example of one.]

    ''Who?''

    [You haven''t met him yet, but when you do, you''ll understand.]

    Whatever. Mom''s getting ready to prank me again. Even she''s gotten into having fun, bringing only a bathing suit and a jacket to the lake.

    I feels weird to say, but Mom has some pretty good style. A white two piece with her figure is pretty breathtaking.

    Especially if she wasn''t hurling Water balls at me right now.

    "Hii-chan!! Momma''s gonna send a big one now too~!"

    "What about this is Water Style training?!"

    "That''s easy! If you ever run into a ninja like me, you better run~!"

    Fuck! That''s just a Water Boulder!!

    I make a few handsigns and try one of my few techniques. Please let this work!

    Clone Jutsu!

    I make a 5 clones that run in different directions. Hopefully Mom can''t identify-

    "I caught you~!"

    Mom grabbed and supressed me in her chest immediately!!

    "Nooo! How did you catch me?!"

    "Hehehe~! That''s silly, Hii. Mothers will always find their babies! Now for your punishment~!"

    "Mom,stop! I really don''t get it! Moooom!!"

    *****

    "Ugh! That was horrifying."

    [She gave you some sound advice though. Anyone who can use water style like her is better avoided.]

    Akumu and I are walking through the streets towards the place where I can make a comeback!

    The Konoha library!

    All these great books in here, one of them has to have something about Water style!

    ''Let''s ask the librarian where I can find something about chakra natures.''

    I find the lady and she directs me to an aisle nearby. I hope it''s not on the higher shelves.

    ''You see it, Akumu?''

    [Nope. It''s might be taken already.]

    Haaaa, let''s look around some more. I''m not giving up here!

    "Is that it?!"

    I find a book in the corner called...

    "Water Style in Medical Ninjutsu?"

    This isn''t exactly it, but...

    "I''m taking it!"

    I find a chair and sit down and groan as I lift the heavy book.

    [Fun. Let''s see how far their medical and anatomy science is in this world.]

    Huh?!

    ''Akumu? You studied medicine?''

    [Yeah. One of my methods to kill that bastard was to poison him. Had to figure out the limitations of the body, so I''d make sure his chance was slim to none in case he got to a hospital in time.]

    ''Really?! That same guy! What did he do?!''

    [.....]

    ''Nevermind!''

    I open the book with a sigh and start to read.

    *****

    I''m finally heading back after a long day....with the book strapped on my back. I''ll bring it back in a week.

    [I didn''t think you''d like it so much.]

    ''It''s amazing!! To be able to heal people with cellurar, cellular regeneration is so cool! The chakra system is so vast and strange!''

    I feel like my eyes are sparkling as I skip my way back home. I can''t wait to study some more!

    [Hey, doesn''t your Mom know it?]

    I stopped dead in my tracks. How could I forget?!

    "Mom doesn''t, but maybe Grandma does!"

    I can get her to teach me too!!

    I quickly head back home and find everyone getting ready for dinner.

    .....Why are Mom''s cheeks puffed and Dad''s kneeling on the floor?

    "Ugh?"

    "Nii-san."

    Yozora comes over to me and I rub his head.

    "Hey bro. What happened?"

    Yozora turned and pointed at Dad.

    "Forgot Mom''s order. No weapons ready for mission."

    .....I clasp my hands together and pray Dad survives.

    "What''s that?"

    Yozora points to my back.

    "Something else I''m gonna try to learn! It''s really interesting."

    "Good luck."

    Yozora''s so cute. Just wish he''d show a bit more emotion.

    I leave the interrogation room and look for Grandma. I find her in her room, combing Moya''s hair.

    "Hey, Hii-Nii! Where''d you go today? I was looking for you to play!"

    "Sorry, Moya. I went to the library to figure out how to do  Water Style jutsus."

    Grandma''s brows prick up when she heard that.

    "A ninja must be resourceful. Did you find what you needed?"

    "No, but I found an interesting book on Medical Ninjutsu using Water Style."

    Moya gets excited and wants to read the book, but it seems she can''t get past the first few pages before she gives up.

    "Hii-Nii. You are way too smart. I don''t get it at all."

    "Hohoho. Some things are better suited for others. Did you want to learn Medical Ninjutsu, Hii-chan?"

    I nodded my head with a smile.

    "I wanna be able to heal everyone in the family! I also want to get you and Grandpa''s limbs back!"

    I''ve been thinking about for a little while now. Grandma and Grandpa were definitely strong when they had all their limbs. I want to experience that strength one day!

    Grandma smiles warmly at me and rubs my hair.

    " Thank you,Hii. I don''t know much, but I learned enough to stop my injuries when I was younger. I''ll teach you what I know at least."

    I smile while Grandma rubs my head. She then tells Moya to head in to see if Dad got up yet, and tells me to sit down in front of her.

    "Come, I haven''t combed your hair in a while. It''s getting long."

    We have a nice moment while Grandma hums a Hidden Rock song. It''s kinda catchy I thought as I close my eyes and let the comb dance through my hair.

    ******

    I laid back on my bed after looking at the book some more.

    ''Fascinating. The chakra system is really something else. It''s like the nervous system, but completely different.''

    [Yeah. It''s different alright. Did you figure out something from the methods shown in the book?]

    I nod my head, but it''s not enough.

    ''I got a good basis, but I need to find something that will pull it all together.''

    [Well, why not look into another element? Maybe Itachi can help you out.]

    "That''s it!"

    Itachi! The Uchihas! And most importantly, Fireball Jutsu!

    I can apply whatever they do in that to Water style!

    Looks like I''m visiting Aunt Mikoto''s place tomorrow.

    I tuck myself in and get ready for another day of research!

    I wonder if Dad''s on the floor still. Poor guy.

 Ch.22. Research Visits (pt.2)

    The next day comes quickly as I head on towards Aunt Mikoto''s house today. I''m dressed in my trademark black and white shirt and pants. I just love this pattern.

    Probably because Mom always dressed me in these colors.

    Speaking of Mom.

    "Do you have to come with me? Don''t you have a mission coming up?"

    Mom is dressed in her mission gear, humming as we walked.

    "I have a bit of time before I report in. I just wanted to see my little Hii play some more~."

    Haaa. She is always on about that.

    "Why do you want me to play so much?"

    Mom smiled at me and turned her head forward as she continued to hum.

    "It''s because this is one of the only time your life won''t be on the line."

    I stopped after hearing her. She stopped as well and ruffled my hair.

    "I want you to understand something, Hii. It''s fine to get stronger and to develop faster. It does, however, come with a price. Your freedom will be restrained and you''ll be responsible for those who didn''t develop fast enough or took their time. In the field, death always looms over you, be it a simple mission or a mission where you know you''ll face it. Your friends may die and it could even be your fault that they do. I say all that to say this. Be a kid while you can,Hii."

    Mom stops rustling my hair as I stare at her. Her usually happy eyes... They went completely dark.

    "You''ll only have this chance before you''ll have to endure. Pain,grief, even loneliness is just some of the many things adults endure. This applies even more so for ninjas, so be a kid as long as you can. You and the twins will all go to academy together once you turn 8. Those will be your last years as children. You''ll be ninjas after that."

    Mom turns around and continues to walk towards Mikoto''s place.

    "So have fun every chance you get and make sure it''s spent well and not wasted. You never know when it''ll all end."

    Mom continues to walk, but I can''t follow her. I feel...heavy, like the weight of the world is on my shoulders.

    [Breathe. This is the weight that''s always been there since we came to this world. We knew we had to fight. This is the weight of a warrior, of a ninja.]

    I breathe in and out, slowly calming my beating heart down.

    I''ve known this for a while now. Grandpa and Grandma are clear reminders of what that world is like.

    But...

    I wanna see it for myself! I want to protect my loved ones and my home!

    I just want to be strong enough to do that. Nothing fancy, just that.

    "Haaaa."

    I feel so much lighter now as I open my eyes and see Mom staring at me. We stare at each other for a short while, then she sighs and comes towards me.

    Before I can ask her what''s wrong, she picks me up and puts my head on her shoulder.

    "Mom?! What-"

    "Shhh. Be quiet for a moment."

    Her soft tone shuts me up as I just... let things be.

    She hugs me tightly, as if I''m going to go somewhere she can''t reach. I hug her back in response, though I don''t understand what''s happening.

    "I wish you weren''t so smart sometimes. You give me more trouble than the twins."

    I give you more trouble?!

    I don''t know what to say to that, so we just stay quiet as she hugs me. This is getting akward.

    "M-Mom, we''re wasting time. We have to go if you want to see Mikoto nee-san."

    "Hmmm~. You''re right. We should get going."

    I wait for Mom to put me down, but... She''s still carrying me?!

    "Mom?!"

    "Hehehe! Ninjas never let their guard down!"

    "Nooo!!"

    I was subjected to kisses and teases on my cheeks and face as she just carried me.

    I couldn''t break free either. I had no choice, but to accept the punishment for letting my guard down.

    *****

    We arrive to a pretty big estate with that fan symbol plastered everywhere. People call the place the Uchiha compound, but it''s not just Uchiha that live here. Other families frequent the area and many others from this clan are spread out in the village.

    Mom said something about the Uchiha and Hyuga clans were at odds with the 3rd hokage, but they are pretty favorable to the 4th.

    Maybe because he doesn''t have a big clan?

    Mom knocks on the door of the entrance and we wait for Mikoto nee-san. I managed to clear up my face from all of mom''s punishment, but I''m still embarassing.

    "Ara~! Kaya-san! What a surprise!"

    Mikoto appears from behind the door and greets us. She bends down and makes eye contact with me and smiles.

    "You''ve gotten so big, Hii-chan~? Do you remember me?"

    "I remember you, Mikoto nee-san."

    I bow to her and she looks delighted.

    "So cute~! Come inside, I''ll get some snacks."

    We head inside and arrive at their living room. Mom and I sit at the table and wait for Mikoto to come back.

    *Step Step Step*

    We hear some footsteps coming towards us from inside the house.

    The door opens and Mom and I check to see who it is.

    A boy a bit older than me stands with messy black hair and a handsome face. He scans the room and his vision lands on Mom and I. He looks shocked to see Mom.

    "Kaya-san? What are you doing here? Shouldn''t you be at the briefing?"

    "Tsk!"

    Did Mom just click her tongue?! What happened to enduring, Mom?!

    "Is it that urgent?"

    "Yes, Hokage-sama even invoked one of his Little Brother passes."

    Little Brother Pass?! What''s that?!

    "....Haaa."

    Mom sighs and looks at me, then kisses my forehead.

    "Guess I have to go back early. I''ll see you when I get back."

    "Ok! Bye Mom! Be safe!"

    "Don''t worry about Hii-chan. I''ll make sure his stay is comfortable."

    Mom nods her head to Mikoto, gives me a hug and disappears. The boy shakes his head as he chuckles.

    "Kaya-san is always like that. Comes and goes like a storm."

    He then looks at me and smiles.

    "You''re one of her kids, right? I''m Shisui Uchiha. Nice to meet you."

    "My name is Hii. Nice to meet you and thank you for taking care of my mother."

    I bow to him while he scratches his head.

    "No need to be so formal. I''m not that good at keeping up with her anyway. She takes care of most of us."

    "Hii-kun is so polite. What did you come by for,Hii? Did you come to play with Sasuke?"

    I shake my head and remember why I originally came here.

    "I needed help completing my Water Style technique. I wanted to know if you could tell me a bit about how your Fireball jutsu works. Maybe I can use something in that to apply to my Water style."

    Mikoto looks surprised by my question. I know why.

    "Why doesn''t Kaya teach you? She''s the best user of the style I know."

    "She won''t teach me directly. She''s just been bombarding me with water balls and tells me to feel the water."

    Mikoto frowns as she thinks of the reason for Mom''s behavior.

    I decide to let her know what I think.

    "I think she doesn''t want me to grow up too fast."

    Mikoto smiles wryly at my conjecture and nods.

    "I can understand the feeling. I felt the same with how fast Itachi grows. He''s an Chuunin now and I can''t help, but worry. He''s still 10 after all. Luckily, Shisui is there to keep an eye out for him."

    Shisui blushes a bit,scratching his head.

    "I''m not that mature. I''m only 12. Itachi is smart too, so there''s not much I need to do."

    Shisui then turns to me and smiles.

    "Since Kaya won''t do it, I can at least teach a view principles of the Fireball Jutsu to you. Hopefully, it helps you with your training."

    "I hope so too. I was going to see if Itachi nii-san could help me, but I''d be grateful if you could, Shisui-niisan"

    Shisui nods and smiles brightly. What a nice nii-san he is for helping me.

    I have a new goal now though. After I learn how to use Water Style, I''ll have the biggest water fight ever with Mom ever!!

    Hehehe! I can''t wait!

 Ch.23. The New Challenger!

    Shisui takes me out to a nearby lake to show me how the jutsu works . I''m on high alert, though. I can''t have someone else surprising me near a lake again.

    "Ok, so for the Fireball Jutsu is rather simple. It''s done in 3 steps."

    Shisui does a handsign and continues to explain.

    "First, in regards to fire jutsu, you have to imagine a fire inside your chest. The power of the fire depends on how much chakra you can use to form it."

    Shisui holds his stomach and rubs the area I assume he''s imagining.

    "Second, you condense it and place it at the base of your throat. Finally, you force it up and out of the mouth."

    Shisui turns to the lake and does the handsigns rapidly.

    Fire Style:Fireball Jutsu!

    A large ball of fire burst from his mouth and onto the surface of the lake!

    "Ooooh~."

    [It''s pretty powerful!]

    The fireball lasts for a few seconds and finally stops.

    "Well, that''s all there is to it. Did that help a little?"

    "I think so. Thanks, Shisui nii-san!"

    I''m happy he went out of his way to teach me.

    I''m even more happy as I think I figured out how Mom does the Water Ball Jutsu!

    I go to the edge of the lake next to Shisui and use the handsigns Mom uses. I''ve long memorized what they are, but I could never understand the application.

    Now We''ll see if I got it!

    ''Water is cool and flowing. It fits in any container. I just have to make it fit into a ball with my chakra.''

    I extend my hand out and focus.

    Water Style: Water Ball Jutsu!

    Water from the lake flows up to my hand and form a rather crude ball. It collapses after holding it for a few seconds, though.

    "It''s rather shoddy, but it''s a start."

    "That''s great! I''m surprised to see you got it rather quickly."

    "I''ve been practicing since the training with Mom started. I just needed one more push to get it. Now i can perfect it!"

    Soon I''ll turn Mom''s little water fights to real water fights! I bet that will be much more exciting!

    I lick my lips as I imagine the kind of battles I''ll get when Mom gets back. Shisui just laughs when he sees that.

    "Hahaha! You''re just like Kaya! She does that too when she finds someone strong in Water Jutsus."

    Really?!

    I look shocked as he shakes his head.

    "It''s a well known fact. You''ll learn more about her from the other ninjas once you''re a Genin."

    I don''t really know if I want to hear more honestly.

    [I''d love to hear more. Sounds like she''s more like her Dad than I thought.]

    *Clink*

    Shisui and I both turn in the direction of the source of the noise.

    "That sounded like Ninja Tools! I''m gonna investigate!"

    Fast!!

    Shisui just yelled and disappeared at the same time!

    ''Where did he go?!''

    [To those trees in the distance, quick!]

    I flickered over to the area at my fastest speed!

    I finally get in between the trees and Shisui already here.... hiding?

    There is a group of three boys and a girl standing nearby. Well, standing is debatable. More like groveling on the floor.

    "D-damn it! I haven''t lost yet!"

    One of the boys jumps up from the ground and runs straight to the girl. He tried to give her a right punch, but the girl dodged the move effortlessly and tripped him. He falls down to the ground with a splat as the girl fixes her short black hair.

    "Looks like none of you regular eyes are a match for me."

    The boys grit their teeth and try to stand, but looks like the fights over.

    Regular eyes though? As opposed to what?

    I also notice something else interesting. All the kids have the fan on their backs.

    Ooooh~ Family problems.

    Better stay outta this one.

    Well, except the girl suddenly faces my direction.

    "Are you here to back them up?"

    "Ah?! No, I heard the fight from afar and thought someone needed help. Looks like I don''t need to do much now though."

    I really should''ve been hiding like Shisui. Shit!

    "Uh-huh. That''s not gonna work on me this time."

    "Huh?!"

    What''s not gonna work?

    "You bastards probably got another friend this time? Can''t beat me yourselves?"

    The boys look at me in confusion. Idiots! I''m confused too!

    I don''t even know you and you want me to fight?! For guys that jump girls no less?!

    "Wait! I really don''t know them! Honestly!"

    "Hmph! Lying to the end, huh?!"

    Why?!!

    The girl shoots towards me and aims for my face with a punch.

    I step back and jump over the kick she tried to sweep me with.

    "I''m serious!"

    "I''ll get serious as well!"

    Why won''t she listen to me?!

    Shisui?! Where is he when I need him?!

    We exchange more blows and I gotta admit I''m shocked. She''s better than Moya when we spar in taijutsu practice!

    I jump back and start to throw punches her way. She effortlessly dodges them and fires back with her own punches and kicks.

    Ooooh! I''m getting excited! I can feel the grin rising on my face! Maybe Shisui should just kick back for a bit longer.

    I jump back and get some distance as I ready my stance.

    The girl readies herself as well.

    My face is starting to hurt from smiling too much.

    Sadly, one of the boys got up and managed to get behind her with a bear hug.

    "You sly bastard! Let me go!"

    "Hehehe! Go on, kid! I''ll give you the first punch!"

    "Ok!"

    I respond immediately and run towards them.

    "You!"

    The girl probably wants to admonish me, but that''s gonna have to wait.

    I get a good headstart, clench my fist, and punch how Grandpa taught me!

    Straight to his face.

    "Buwa!"

    He falls down comically as the other two boys look shocked.

    "What? I didn''t say who I was punching, did I?"

    I shake my hand a bit though. I might''ve punched a little too hard. It stings pretty bad.

    The girl looks at me with a shocked expression.

    "Did they really bring someone else with them to beat you up?"

    She slowly nods her head. No wonder she flipped out on me.

    Once bitten, twice shy.

    "No wonder."

    "Ok. That''s enough, then."

    Shisui teleports in and everyone is spooked, except me.

    "Sh-Shisui!"

    "Aneki..."

    Hmm? He has a sister. That''s interesting.

    [Ok.... That''s new.]

    ''You didn''t know either?!''

    Shisui walks over and checks the boy. He whistles and looks at me.

    "Out cold."

    "H-hahaha. Oops."

    Grandpa would certainly be happy his style works.

    "Now then. Someone mind telling me why you''re bothering my little sister?!"

    I see Shisui''s eyes glow red before he faces the other two kids with terror in their eyes.

    I hope I''m not next?!

 Ch.24. Training With Uchihas (pt.1)

    A mad Shisui is a bad time.

    Those kids look exhausted after his "lecture" on proper Ninja behaviour. The three limped away quickly, fearing he might go into further details.

    I''m starting to sweat though!

    [You should be fine.]

    ''I hope so!''

    Shusui turns around to us and I finally get to see a Sharingan.

    His eye has three... tomoes, right? So this is a mature Sharingan I believe.

    "We''re not getting the lecture too, right?"

    I joke, but I''m really don''t want it!

    Shusui pauses,then his Sharingan disappears. The girl hasn''t raised her head up though. She''s just staring at the ground.

    Shisui walked in front of the girl and I can see the tiniest shiver go through her body. He sighed and patted the girls head.

    "They started it?"

    "...They stared."

    "Maka. You know you shouldn''t get aggressive with them."

    I feel like I shouldn''t be here. It''s embarassing for me when Mom smothers us in public, so i can only imagine how it feels to be scolded.

    "Hii. Can you stay for a bit?"

    And Shusui with the block! Great. I can see her cheeks turning red. Sorry, but I tried to leave.

    "Maka. I know you want to prove yourself, but you can''t just beat them up like this."

    "I know. I need power! I need enough so they can''t make fun of me!"

    Shisui sighed as he ruffled her hair.

    "Power is a great option, but don''t forget that soft options exist as well. Not everything is solved with power."

    Maka nods her head, but who knows if she can really agree with that logic.

    "Now Maka, this is Hii-chan. He''s a child of one of my superiors."

    Maka turns toward me and bows her head.

    "I''m Maka Uchiha, and I''m sorry for not listening to you!"

    She seems to be pretty flustered, so we''ll just let that go.

    "No worries! It was a pretty fun to fight you though. In fact,would you mind us continuing, Shisui?"

    I still haven''t calmed down yet, so we might as well see who''s better.

    I see Maka''s eyes get sharp as a small grin comes on her face.

    ''Good, she must be thinking the same thing.''

    Shisui looks at both of us and smiles.

    "Sure, but how about we make it a bit more interesting?"

    "Oh? What did you have in mind?"

    Shisui points to himself and smiles.

    "How about you two fight me instead?"

    ******

    Now we''re at one of the nearby training fields, stretching.

    Maka has had an intense look on her face as she stretches everything she can to be as limber as possible.

    I decide to follow her lead, since she should know her brother best.

    Something''s been bothering me though, so I decided to ask Shisui about it.

    "Hey, Shusui nii-san?"

    "Hmm? Ready to train already?"

    "Not quite. I had a question. I don''t know if this is intrusive or not, but what did Maka mean when she said "normal eyes"?"

    Shusui''s face gets a little dark after I asked him.

    "If you can''t say,then don''t mind my question!"

    "I can answer it for you."

    I hear Maka''s voice from behind and turn towards her.

    "You see, I''m defective."

    "Maka! Don''t call yourself that!"

    Oh no! I stepped on a paperbomb!

    "I''m sorry! I didn''t-"

    "It''s fine. I''m not fragile. I was born with an eye defect. It makes my eyes unable to have a sharingan."

    "O-Oh. I''m sorry. I was just curious."

    Maka sighs and shakes her head.

    "It''s fine. I don''t need you to feel pity for me. I''ll just have to be the best Uchiha without a Sharingan."

    Her voice is oozing with confidence. I think I''m starting to like her a bit more.

    Shisui just sighs and stretches his neck.

    "Ok, are you two ready?"

    "Yes!"

    Maka and I  get ready as Shisui calmly waits.

    "Rules are simple. No ninjutsu for now, but genjutsu is fine. Each round is 15 mins long. Your goal is to hit me.....once. Are we clear?"

    Maka and I nod our heads.

    "Go!"

    Here we go!

    *******

    Sweats pouring down my face. I try to collect my breath and look at the other two.

    Maka is trying her best to attack Shusui with punches and kicks, but he either dodges or blocks.

    This is the 4th round we''ve had against Shusui and we can''t even scratch him.

    ''I need to learn more Genjutsu. I just need alot of everything really.''

    [One at a time. Focus on matching her for now.]

    I breathe in deep, and rush over to assist Maka. Shisui blocked both of our attacks and jumped back. We rushed him at the same time. I aimed to sweep his legs while Maka hung back. My legs miss as he jumps in the air, but that''s a chance for us. Maka accelerates,jumps off my crossed hands, and tries to punch Shisui in the face. He, of course, dodges and throws her of to the other side as I get back up and start my own assault.

    I''ve gotten a decent understanding of Maka''s attacks and try to coordinate with her, but Shisui keeps dodging and seemingly teleporting everywhere we''re not.

    He''s way too slippery!

    We try one more time to catch him of guard. I use some handsigns and start it off.

    Clone Technique!

    I make 3 clones of my self and position them around him to try and cage him in.

    Maka does some handsigns as well. How will she follow up?

    Genjutsu: Sandstorm!

    Shisui looks surprised as he covers his eyes to strain and see. We''re looking good so far! I swoop in to hit him, but somehow he sees my moves. He blocked my kick to his knee and I followed up with a roundhouse kick.

    My back is to him now so i better assist. I cross my hands once again and bend down. Maka catches wind to the plan and. I vault her over me, high into the air. I head in with my clones and try to strike him. He blocks my move and tosses me overhead.

    As I fall down, I can see Maka landing on top of Shisui and punching down. She got him!

    *Poof*

    "What?!"

    "N-No way!"

    What just happened? He disappeared into smoke. Is this a technique?

    I see Shisui walking out of the nearby bushes with his hand scratching his head.

    "Huh. I didn''t expect you to beat me so quick."

    "Nii-san! Shadow clones are cheating!"

    Shadow clones?! What are those?!

    "Shadow clone?"

    Shisui looked at me and did a strange handsign.

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    *Poof*

    I see a clone of Shisui appear beside him and lean on the other Shisui.

    "It''s real?!"

    Maka folds her arms and looks pissed.

    "He always does this when we fight! Just disappears in the middle of the fight!"

    I can''t take my eyes off the clone. A real clone! An actual clone that can do stuff! I can always have a fighting partner! It''s everything I need!

    "You gotta teach me how to do that!!"

    Shisui seems caught off guard, but I won''t let this go!

    He WILL teach me that move!

    [Ugh. Calm down. You''re freaking him out.]

 Ch.25. Training With Uchihas (pt.2)

    2 weeks has passed since training with Shisui and Maka started. I finally got the Shadow Clone Jutsu out of Shisui and found out it''s too good to be true.

    I can actually remember what my clones experience!

    Hehehehehe!!! I''m going to definitely surprise everyone now!

    I head to the nearby training ground with so much excitement!

    [Well, what are you gonna do now? You gonna use my chakra?]

    ''Can I?! I want a lot of clones for what I need to do.''

    [Sure. Just remember, I automatically absorb more nearby Yang energy if my Yin energy gets too low. The closest source is you, so be careful.]

    '' I will. Let''s get started with a low amount.''

    I form the seal and tap slightly into Akumu''s chakra.

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    *Poof*

    10 clones appear near me, making me really nervous in anticipation.

    "Two of you go to the library and read up on Water Style and Medical Ninjutsu available. Two of you will practice Grandpa''s sword forms together. One of you will work on the Sealing Jutsu Grandma taught us.The rest of you will work on Water Style jutsu here."

    They all nod and go do what I ordered. I''m so excited! If this works, then I''m gonna be able to learn everything I need to learn will be so much easier to get done.

    I haven''t even gotten to Grandpa''s Lightning Element practice yet either! He does seem pretty busy recently though.

    Focus! More training! I should head to Aunt Mikoto''s place to see if Shisui or Maka is there.

    I head over to the Uchiha estate and knock on their door. This time, Itachi opens the door?!

    I haven''t seen him in a while. He''s pretty tall now!

    "Hi, Itachi Nii-san!"

    "You are.... Hii-chan? You''ve grown."

    "Hehehe. We''re all growing up. Hey, have you seen Shisui or Maka?"

    "Shisui is on a mission and Maka is inside with Sasuke."

    "Haaa. Shisui''s too fast! I guess I''ll spar with..... actually, are you free right now, Itachi?"

    " I was going to practice my Shuriken Jutsu, but what did you have in mind?"

    "Can you spare with me? I want to get stronger by fighting strong ninjas!"

    Itachi thinks about my proposal, and looks inside the house. A grin forms on his face for some reason?

    "Sure, but looks like you won''t be alone."

    I look in the house and see Sasuke and Maka looking this way from around a corner. Damn! My solo training!

    "Hii-chan! I''m coming with if you''re training!"

    "I wanna train with Nii-san too!''

    Maka and Sasuke both shoot down my idea for solo training. Haaa. Let''s just get training in what I can.

    ********

    We headed to one of the nearby training areas and get ready. I have my practice sword with me for once, so I''ll get to experience fighting with it versus someone new.

    "How did Shisui set up your training?"

    "We had 15 minutes to try to hit him once. He always Shadow clones away partway in the battle though."

    Maka grumbles as Itachi nods his head.

    "Then my training will be 10 minutes and the same rules. You are allowed to use anything you like."

    I''m surprised Itachi would let us use Ninjutsu as well!

    "Really?!"

    "Yes. Remember, I won''t hold back as well. Sasuke?"

    "Yes, Nii-san?!"

    "How is your Fireball Jutsu?"

    Sasuke pouts once he hears his question.

    "You will get it eventually. Take your time and practice. I''ll help you after we''re done."

    "Really?!"

    Itachi nods and Sasuke looks really excited.

    "You promised, Nii-san!"

    Sasuke goes to the bridge and starts to practice his Jutsu.

    "Are you ready?"

    We both nod.

    Itachi brings out his kunai and braces himself.

    "Shuuu~"

    I breathe in and shoot forward, drawing my blade at the ready. I clash with Itachi a few times with the blade.

    Itachi just shrugs it off!

    "Hii!"

    I pull back as Maka throws shurikens Itachi''s way and also weaves handsigns!

    Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!

    Small fireballs shoot out from her mouth onto the shurikens!

    Itachi weaves familiar handsigns and I get ready to move.

    Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

    Itachi spews out a massive fireball that engulfs the other fireballs.

    I''ve got him now!

    I use my chakra and accelerate quickly over to Itachi and slash down! Itachi doesn''t even blink when I, Slice him?!

    I went through him?!

    [Behind you!]

    I quickly jump to the side as I barely avoid a grab from Itachi.

    "Good reflexes."

    "T-Thanks."

    This guy is super scary!

    Maka comes over with another jutsu prepared. I prepare mine as well to catch him by surprise.

    Fire Style:Fireball Jutsu!

    Water Style:Waterball Jutsu!

    I stretch my hand towards the lake and the water quickly forms in my hand. Maka''s Fireball spews forth, half as big as Itachi''s fireball. The forming of the ball at basketball size is good enough as I throw it towards Itachi!

    Itachi sidesteps the Waterball and it collides with the Fireball, bringing a vast cover of steam.

    I head straight towards him through the cover and strike again. He reads me this time, grabs my arm, and throws me over to Maka''s direction. Maka weaves a handsign and uses her Jutsu.

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    She splits into two clones. One clone that shoots towards Itachi to fight close combat and the other to catch me.

    I''ve gotta assist!

    "C''mon! We got only a little time left!"

    I get up and decide to use clones as well.

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    I can only make one more clone, so we go towards Itachi as well. Itachi fends us off almost effortlessly even with our barrage of moves.

    I form another Waterball and chuck it as hard as I can at Itachi. He dodged it without looking?! Gotta make it more silent.

    Our time is running out. Maka and I make eye contact as we try to form a plan, but Itachi cuts in. Itachi quickly struck my stomach, making me gasp for air! Oooh, that hurts....

    [Ooooh. He got you good!]

    I can''t answer Akumu as I have trouble staying on my feet. I try to stay standing, but something knocks into me and knocks me onto the floor off.

    "Maka?!"

    "M-my bad. I screwed up."

    Itachi looms over us with a kunai extended to our necks.

    "End of the round 1."

    Itachi is no joke! I feel he''s more brutal than Shisui, but that''s also a good thing. Fighting outside of the village will be messy and unpredictable.

    I better get used to this now.

    "Come on,Maka. We gotta get ready for the next round."

    "Right..."

    She hasnt gotten up yet though. Looks like Maka really needs a break. I move from under her and grab my sword.

    "Maka might need to rest some more. I''m ready for another round!"

    Itachi just nods and we both get into position.

    "Nii-san!!"

    Sasuke runs over in between us and gets mad.

    Oops? Almost forgot about him. Luckily, I have a solution!

    "Sasuke! Help me fight Itachi with your Fireball Jutsu! Maka''s too tired!"

    Sasuke looks at me, then looks at Itachi who nods his head. Sasuke gets next to me and pulls some shurikens out from a side holster.

    "Don''t slow me down in front of Nii-san!"

    "Hahahahaha!!"

    My grip tightens on my sword as my smile widens.

    "Don''t worry! I wouldn''t dream of that."

    *******

    Round 2 ended just as quickly as round 1, but I think I did better.

    I''m laying on the ground, thinking of improvements and countermeasures.

    Why? Because a Sharingan is utter bullshit!

    Itachi''s eyes changed as soon as I charged him into those red eyes with two dots and suddenly, all my sword moves became see through to Itachi!

    Sasuke didn''t do too good with though with his Fireball Jutsu. He tried to shoot Itachi with them at Itachi''s blind spots and as interruptions for his Jutsu, but they didn''t form correctly most of the time. He still got off a Fireball though, and I managed to counter Itachi''s fireballs with my waterball. I had one stand off with Itachi and we made eye contact.

    That''s were it all went bad.

    I learned the Sharingan can just use Genjutsu from the eye itself!! That''s super cheating! He might''ve used it in the first round too!

    I thought I caught on fire from a fireball I barely dodged earlier! As I pat out the flames, I felt the cold steel of a kunai near my neck. Sasuke had to fight a Shadow clone, but that didn''t last long.

    ''Genjutsus are really crazy. Apparently, Shisui is better at it than Itachi too!''

    [It''s a Doujutsu. It''s a lottery cheat.]

    ''That makes it even worse! Now I can''t help, but think of Maka not being able to have it. It''s unfair.''

    [Everyone has their own hand of cards to play. You just have to play it how you wish. You have me anyway. Isn''t that cheating too?]

    ''You''re right, huh? We just use what we can.''

    Maka''s not giving up either. I can''t get daunted by obstacles. I just have find solutions.

    I look over and see Sasuke breathing heavy and Maka and Itachi still fighting.

    I get myself up slowly and grab my sword.

    I still got a round in me.

 Ch.26. Dancing Shadows (pt.1)

    In the Hokage building, Minato was doing paperwork regarding the village expansion. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as the letters were starting to blur. He really needed an assistant

    *Knock Knock*

    "Enter."

    The door swings open as Kaya walks in with a grim expression. Minato was used to seeing her like this since it was his fault for telling her the information.

    He wouldn''t keep it from her though. He knew what she would do if she found out he kept it away.

    This was why he used his "Little Brother Ticket".

    "Hokage-sama."

    Minato just nods his head as he waits for his other guests to arrive.

    Kaya just stands still like a statue, her eyes blazing with energy to tell what she discovered. Minato knew it couldn''t be good.

    *Knock Knock*

    "Enter."

    This time, Shikaku Nara came into the room, followed by two unexpected guests. The guests were a plan looking man and his wife clinging to him in fear. The two make their way in while Shikaku closes the door.

    Once inside, the demeanor of the couple changed as they quickly seperate from each other and unsealed themselves

    *Poof*

    The "wife" came in with brown hair and Jonin gear. On the side of his shoulder was a shuriken with a fan inside. The other man came with long, straight hair nearly to the bottom of his back. His eyes were whitish purple as they scanned the room, glancing and nodding at everyone inside.

    "Thank you for coming, Fugaku-dono, Hiashi-dono."

    "It''s a pleasure, Hokage-sama."

    "Indeed. You''re much better to work with than Hiruzen."

    Minato had a wry smile thinking of his Grand Sensei.

    ''I must focus here. We must be as thorough as possible.''

    Minato shakes his head and looks to the corner of the room.

    "Tenzo! If you would."

    Four chairs suddenly sprouted out from the ground behind the four.

    "Please sit. Dog, watch out for any spies."

    "Yes, Hokage-sama!"

    A voice was heard in the room, but nobody could see the person, or at least attempted to look.

    "Now then, let''s begin the meeting. Shikaku-san."

    Shikaku nodded his and stood up from the seat.

    "I guess I''ll start. We''ve had a interesting time with our investigation."

    Shikaku pulled out a scroll from his pocket and released the seal.

    *Poof*

    A rolling whiteboard appeared with detailed information about two distinct targets.

    Danzo Shimura and Orochimaru.

    "The first, Danzo, has been moving passively throughout the span of the investigation. I can,however, say that the movements of Root have been rather erratic."

    He points to parts of the board highlighting the movements.

    "In the last 4 years, Root has had a few movements, but they seemed to be corralled. It''s as if they are being herded into a defensive state."

    Shikaku looks at Minato and continues.

    " I assume this is the "Informant" you advised us of before, correct?"

    "Yes, though it looks like it has stopped herding them in."

    "Right. This has stopped a year or so ago."

    Minato turned to see Kaya impatiently tapping her feet and motioned Shikaku to continue.

    "In regards to Root. During investigations, we''ve come across a few immobilized agents that have had numerous seals taken from their bodies. These seals also allowed the Yamanaka clan to get some inside information from them and we''ve discovered... The information you received is correct, Hokage-sama."

    Minato could feel the tension increase in the room at the implications this presented.

    ''Haaa, what a dilemma this is.''

    Minato still thought back to the time he came home to that strange existence.

    ******* 4 years ago

    Minato was exhausted as usual, coming home with his Hiraishin technique to the front door.

    He noticed no lights were on so he went in silently, hoping not too alert Kushina and baby Naruto.

    "Good work out there today."

    Minato reflexively held his kunai in his hand and kept his senses sharp.

    That voice wasn''t of someone he knew.

    "Now now, calm down. I''m not here to hurt you. I''m just here to.... Chat about a few things."

    "Who are you?"

    "We''ve met before. I wanted to thank you for not immediately attacking me when you saw me the first time. Go ahead. Turn on the lights."

    The voice was silent after he spoke as Minato stood with a pale expression.

    ''Could it be Madara? I haven''t been able to teleport to him. Has he come back for another attempt?''

    Minato quickly shook his head as the thought didn''t make sense. He racked his brain for an answer, until he thought of an obscure one. An answer he couldn''t believe, but kept coming to the forefront of his mind.

    ''The Unknown Biju.''

    Minato slowly inched his way to the light switch. He flicked it on and there he was.

    An all black wolf sat near one of the couches in the living room. He laid down languidly, as if posing no threat.

    "Come and sit down. We have a lot to talk about."

    Minato still held his kunai and slowly walked over to the living room, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious.

    "Calm down, Hokage-sama. If I really came here with ill intentions, do you think this house would be perfectly fine? Do you think Kushina wouldn''t have raised hell already?"

    Minato paused and decided to relax slightly, only slightly at the mention of Kushina. Her ability to sense intentions made her trust the wolf when they first met. His trust in Kushina lead him to allow the Biju to assist her and the result was this happy home.

    He breathed in deeply and exhaled, then turned to the beast.

    "Where should I sit?"

    Minato could see the white, sharp teeth of the beast as it smiled at him.

    "Just sit on the other side, it won''t take too long."

    Minato moved and sat down in his chair. He attempted to relax as he saw the wolf sit on the other side near the table appropriately.

    "Well, I have along overdue introduction to give. Hi, you can call me Akumu. I...guess I''m considered a Biju."

    Akumu bows his head, surprising Minato with his manners.

    "I''m.... The 4th Hokage of the Hidden Leaf village, Minato Namikaze. Pleased to meet you."

    Minato also bows his head and all of his tension seems to dissipate.

    "Glad to make your acquaintance. Let''s get started, shall we?"

    Minato nodded his head and looked at Akumu with confusion.

    "Why are you here?"

    The question came out naturally as Minato held his mouth in embarrassment. Akumu just chuckled and responded.

    "I''m here to inform you of a few things."

    "Inform me of what?"

    "Some snakes that have been infesting your home for too long."

    Minato''s face hardened when he heard this. He knew it couldn''t be good.

    "The first one I''ll tell you to watch out for is Orochimaru."

    "Orochimaru-san?!"

    "Shhh. Families asleep, remember?"

    Minato covered his mouth, but the concern on the topic didn''t disappear.

    "You''ll have to monitor him more with trustworthy ninjas. Though the next part might inhibit that a bit."

    "What do you mean?"

    "Your other pest is Danzo."

    Minato couldn''t help, but clench his fists. He couldn''t place the feelings he had for Danzo, but necessity was the only reason he obliged him.

    "Haaa. Where''s the proof of this?"

    Minato asked Akumu as he maintained his calm. Akumu nodded his head and replied with a smile.

    "I don''t have any~."

    Minato couldn''t help, but facepalm.

    "How do you know that they''re going against the village?"

    "I can feel it."

    Minato now held both his hands to his face.

    "Akumu-san, how can I believe you with no evidence? I can''t make false accusations against a council member for no reason."

    "Then you should investigate them."

    Akumu''s smile deepened.

    "Just investigate the movements of Root and Orochimaru then. In the meantime, answer some questions of mine honestly."

    Minato nodded as he started to think this was a prank of sorts, except Akumu was very real as the cold chill in the house didn''t disappear.

    "Why does Danzo have his right eye covered?"

    "I would assume due to injuries in the past."

    "From what? He doesn''t go out much, does he? He''s also a Kage tier right? Who could hurt him that badly and he never let it be known?"

    Minato began to think more on the topic as the questions rolled out of Akumu.

    "Why does Danzo have his arm in a sling? He can''t be trying to recover naturally, right? That could take months. Oh, wait, it''s been years since his arms been in a sling. I wonder what it looks like now?"

    Minato started to feel a bit suspicious as well.

    "Where was Danzo when the Leaf Village was attacked by the Kyuubi? He couldn''t have helped at all? More ninjas would easily solve the problem faster, especially Anbu right?"

    "......"

    "Why is he so fixated on the Kyuubi anyway? It''s like he has an unnatural fear of anything related to Madara Uchiha. Speaking of which,the Uchihas are especially resisted in this village. Why though?"

    Minato face began to darken slowly as the questions piled up, but the answers were nowhere to be found.

    "I''ll look into it. I''ll see if I can find more answers for you."

    "I appreciate that. On to the next on my list of things to say. Let''s see. That guy you fought that released the Kyuubi?"

    Minato stared at him in shock! Was he around at that time? Why didn''t he help before? These questions popped up in his mind, but he couldn''t focus on them.

    "He''s probably someone you know, but definitely not Madara."

    "Do you know who it was?!"

    Killing intent raged from Minato as he stared at Akumu, hoping for a name for the person to who attacked his family and village.

    Akumu moved his mouth to answer, but stopped as he sensed another presence.

    "Good Evening, Kushina. Did you want to join us?"

 Ch.27. Dancing Shadows (pt.2)

    Minato looked towards the hallway and saw Kushina standing near the corner. Her face showed concern and confusion as she saw Minato sitting down with a Biju in their living room.

    "Don''t worry, Kushina. Everything''s fine."

    "Hey Kushina. How''s little Naruto doing?"

    Kushina could barely register what was happening. She wanted to scream, but she knew Naruto would wake up. She could only do her best to respond.

    "G-Good! He''s crawling into everything now, but he''s a happy baby."

    "That''s good. I''m glad you''re enjoying being a mother."

    Kushina couldn''t feel any bad intentions coming from the beast, so her guard steadily dropped.

    "Why are you in our house anyway?"

    Minato felt cold sweat drip down his back at the flip in Kushina''s attitude. He didn''t want to offend the wolf, but soon saw the wolf chuckling quite a bit.

    "Sorry. I had to meet him here so I didn''t have to deal with prying ears."

    "I see. Well, what are you guys talking about that''s so important?"

    Minato heaved a sigh as he had to inform his wife about what he just learned.

    ******

    "I knew that creep was a snake! Orochimaru even more so!"

    "K-Kushina. Your volume."

    Kushina covered her mouth, but everyone could tell how much she despised Danzo. Orochimaru just gave her a creepy vibe.

    "Well, how you deal with them is up to you and your husband. I hope you verify for yourselves first or you''ll let a disaster come for you again."

    They both nodded their heads as Akumu gave them much to think about. Kushina let out a short gasp and decided to ask a question.

    "So you''re called Akumu, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Do you know if the other Tailed Beasts have names?".

    "Most likely, but it''s probably better if you ask them yourself. They''re not meant to be weapons, you know? They have life after all."

    Akumu tilted his head to the side as he answered this question. Kushina felt shock as she never thought to just....talk to the Kyuubi.

    [Don''t give them funny ideas, mutt!]

    Akumu heard a baleful voice ring in his ear, but he ignored it.

    "You should probably ask him questions like what he likes and such. I bet the answers would surprise you."

    [I don''t need people to know more about me!]

    {Shut up, you stubborn loner!}

    The voice no longer responded as Akumu continued to give his ideas.

    "Minato, you should expand on the Rasengan more as well."

    Minato was surprised that Akumu knew his move, but was also intrigued by what ideas he had for it.

    "I''m not sure where to go from here with the technique. I feel that it''s already as good as it gets."

    "What about adding a nature to it?"

    Minato shook his head.

    "I''ve tried, but it doesn''t stabilize enough with one hand."

    Akumu tilted his head once again, ignoring the glint in Kushina''s eyes towards his fur as he thought of Minato''s problem.

    "Use another hand to stabilize it then."

    "Another hand?"

    Minato thought about Akumu''s words and felt they held some truth in them.

    "You should also make sure Naruto gets to learn his family techniques. You''ll probably need to force him to learn Fuinjutsu, so prepare for that."

    "Ugh! I hope he''s not like me."

    "He probably will be exactly like you, sans the hair."

    Kushina let out a sigh as Minato laughed at the idea of a boy version of Kushina.

    "Ah! I have another question!"

    "Yes?"

    "Where are your eyes?"

    "I don''t have any?"

    "Eh?! Then how do you see?!"

    "Through feeling with chakra in the air. I''m a Yin beast, so it''s pretty easy. Wolf senses also help too."

    Kushina folded her arms and nodded her head. Akumu held in his laughter at how much Kushina reminded him of Naruto in the future.

    "Akumu, why did you tell us all of this? What do you gain from it?"

    Minato asked a question this time, bringing Kushina''s attention to the answer of this question as well. Akumu smiled as he answered.

    "Two reasons. One, I actually like Konoha quite a bit. You could say that this place held a lot of significant memories for me. I want to see the village at its best. The second reason is that my....host lives here as well."

    The two were surpised Akumu had host.

    "There''s another Jinchuuriki in the village?!"

    "Who is it?"

    Kushina and Minato both wanted to know the answer to the questions, but Akumu raised his paw in the air.

    "One at a time. First, yes. There is another Jinchuuriki in the village. As for your second question."

    Akumu turned towards Minato.

    "I can answer that question instead of the previous one. I''m just letting you know you''ll only get this answer."

    "W-Why?!"

    "....."

    Akumu didn''t answer as the two stared at each other. Minato finally sighed after a few seconds and nodded his head. At least he would know one of the answers.

    "I understand."

    "Good. I''ll tell you eventually. As for my host, it''s Hii. Kaya''s baby."

    Both of their eyes grew wide, not eexpecting that answer.

    "Kaya''s baby?!!!"

    Kushina slammed the table in surprise.

    Akumu just nodded his head.

    "T-Two baby Jinchuurikis..."

    Kushina seemed shaken up by the news.

    Minato looked at his wife and was going to move to console her.

    "That means Naruto can have a true friend! Even with the child of my friend! That''s amazing!!"

    Minato stopped midway and just laughed lightly at his wife''s positivity.

    "Hahaha. I''m glad you''re happy. Please take care of Hii from now on in my absence."

    Akumu bowed to them, confusing the two.

    "Sure, but aren''t you going back to Hii?"

    "I can''t. I''d kill him."

    The two were shocked once again as Akumu explained.

    "As a Yin beast, I absorb Yang to grow and sustain myself. As of now, I believe I was suppressing Hii''s growth by absorbing the Yang he needed to grow. I''ll seperate from him for a while and watch him from the shadows. I''ll go back when I think he''s strong enough."

    "I see. Where will you go?"

    "Not far. The Forest of Death should be fine. I can just steal life from trees. No one should notice, but you should probably close it off just in case. Hii would get mad if I''m away too long."

    Minato nodded his head and noted to remember to mark the Forest of Death as forbidden for now. Kushina was sad for Akumu and walked over to pet him.

    "It''s ok! We''ll look after Hii for you! I promise!"

    "Thank you. I do want to mention something as well. Danzo most likely placed seals on individuals of his group. If you need help removing them, bring them to the me. I''ll eat the seals."

    Minato was surprised, but nodded his head. Fuinjutsu was formed from a mix of Yin and Yang chakra, depending on the seal.

    If Akumu could eat Yang, then he could definitely eat seals.

    "Then I''ll look for you once we have a need for that ability."

    "Perfect. I''ll also look for one of Orochimaru''s labs that might be in the Forest. I''m sure I''ll find it eventually."

    The two then realized Kushina had become very silent and looked over to her.

    Her face was lax as she buried herself in Akumu''s fur with pure joy.

    "Minato! You have to feel this!! It''s warm and cold at the same time,and it''s so soft!!"

    "......."

    "H-Hahahaha. Sorry."

    Minato bowed his head in apology for his wife while Akumu just sighed.

    "Uuuuuaaaaahhhh!!!"

    "Oh! Naruto! I was too loud!"

    Kushina rushed out of the room to Naruto, leaving Minato with Akumu alone once again.

    "Well, I think it''s time I head out."

    Akumu sat up and trotted over to Minato.

    "I see. Thank you for the information."

    "You''re welcome. Oh! Almost forgot!"

    Akumu looked at Minato with an air of seriousness.

    "Let the Uchihas do more than just grunt work. They technically helped build this village. They should have a say in politics as all the other clans do.Talk to Fugaku to come to some sort of deal. It will benefit both of you to work together. I expect Danzo will give resistance to that idea, so ask him the question why the Uchiha corpses recovered don''t have eyes when his group "finds" them."

    Minato slowly nodded his head as he digested that information.

    "Whether you believe it or not, I''ve done what I need to do. See you around and good luck."

    Akumu extended his paw out to Minato. Minato was confused for a second, but soon shook Akumu''s paw.

    Akumu then trotted over to the light and pressed it, darkening the room. Minato quickly turned the light back on and found Akumu was gone.

    Minato scratched his head as he went back to their room and saw Kushina consoling little Naruto. Minato smiled and decided to at least give a try to the information he''d just received.

    He also realized Akumu''s fur really was soft.

    A couple of weeks later, Kushina excitedly told Minato that the Kyuubi actually had a name, Kurama. She had pestered him with all sorts of cute names before he finally caved in and told her his real one.

    They had been talking ever since, leading her to actually receive an apology from Kurama. Well, as apologetic as he could get.

    Minato had long since tried to make sense of Akumu''s advice for the Rasengan and finally decided to try to make it with a Shadow clone. The resulting jutsu ended up more stable then before, but still incomplete. This didn''t diminish the fire in Minato''s eyes as he realized the technique was still far from being complete.

    This,however, also gave Akumu''s other information more credibility, which gave Minato a headache.

    ******

    "Haaa. So how do you propose we should proceed with this?"

    Fugaku''s eyes had already turned crimson unknowingly as he stared at the board with killing intent.

    "We may be able to approach Orochimaru and come to an understanding, though if he leaves, we shouldn''t stop him. As for Danzo, I''d rather kill him at this point for my defiled clansmen."

    Hiashi slowly nodded at Fugaku''s opinion.

    "I also agree with that point. If he targets the Uchiha because of irrational fear and control, what stops him from coming after the Hyuga clan next?"

    Shikaku heaved a sigh as he too felt Danzo''s control was a bit too much. Nearly half of the village''s Anbu were under Danzo''s control. The number has lowered since Akumu had attacked any that had tried to secretly kill any Uchiha members or had been identified as a Root member, but a good amount still remained on his side.

    "I think we should handle this with care. We should strip him of his power and abolish Root."

    Shikaku gave his answer, but everyoneillooked over at Kaya whose expression had become dark. No one could tell what she was thinking.

    "Mina, Hokage-sama?"

    "Yes?"

    Kaya lifted her face to Minato, killing intent covering it in abundance.

    "You said Hii''s name was added to the list of potential recruits for Root, correct?"

    Minato''s body was starting to sweat. He knew he had to tell her when this list was given to him for consideration. He really didn''t want to, but he had no choice.

    "Yes. That''s correct."

    "He,hehe,hehehehe."

    Kaya''s chakra started to make the sweat forming on everyone float up into the air as her anger continued to rise.

    "That. Bastard. Had. The. Balls! To! Target! My! Family?!!!!"

    Mist was starting to form in the room as Minato stood up.

    "Please calm down, Kaya nee-san!"

    The sweat that floated up fell down to the ground as Kaya started to breathe in deeply and exhale.

    "....I''m of the position to kill him and move on."

    Kaya responded with a chilling killing intent that sent shivers in the spines of everyone, except Fugaku, who nodded in agreement.

    Minato nodded his head.

    "I will at least inform 3rd Hokage of our decision, then we will first proceed to at least talk to Orochimaru. Afterwards, we''ll move for Danzo to be removed from council. Any illegal moves he or Root makes after that will lead to us killing him otherwise."

    Kaya gritted her teeth, but could only nod her head. Everyone else had no problem with the plan and began to go over the finer details of what would and could happen.

    ******

    In the Headquarters of Root, Danzo stood in his main square, squeezing his cane in frustration.

    ''I''ve lost operatives to the Yamanakas before and they were never able to get past my mental seals. How could they have all failed this time?''

    Danzo was becoming alarmingly concerned as the New 4th Hokage cracked down on Root, viciously looking for all activity that the organization had done.

    Danzo had an easier time dealing with Hiruzen, but Minato gave him no quarter. He was now especially concerned with Danzo''s appearance as he frequently asked what happened to his arm and eye. He couldn''t let them know he had the 1st Hokages cells implanted. Even more so with the few Sharingan he managed to implant in his arm.

    "Damn! That beast makes matters worse as well."

    Danzo also got the reports from nearby operatives that a strange,eyeless, black wolf-llike creature would attack any lone operative of Root he placed in the village.

    All the fail-safe seals he placed on his pawns were destroyed, but their lives were still intact! That meant the secrets they held were available to find!

    Danzo knew many of his secrets were already compromised and only the most damning were left in the dark.

    ''I''ll not hand over MY Konoha to people who can''t see the good I do.''

    Danzo thought suddenly of the many potential candidates he had found.

    The one that truly shined to him was Hii.

    Son of Kaya of the Storms, Grandchild of Di, the Stormblade and Riku, The Volcano.

    He couldn''t let him get away, but he knew Kaya wouldn''t let him have him easily.

    "I''ll need to find some substitutes, just in case I can''t get him."

    Danzo held his hand on his chin as he began to formulate a plan. The shadows flickered and danced as the various Wills of Fire burned in numerous colors into the night.

 Ch.28. The Medical Experiment (pt.1)

    Another week has gone by, and my fights with Itachi have been getting better. The sad thing is though I''m improving, he''s also improving as well. I''ve lost count of how unfair Itachi can be.

    Maka is my next candidate for being unfair as she''s been improving at a crazy speed as well. She apparently has high Wind Style aptitude as well and has started to progress in forming that transformation too.

    Sasuke has also gotten much better. He seems to do better in actual fights than in practice so Itachi has been pressuring him just enough to see him progress.

    Maybe I should do that to my little siblings too? No, wait. Grandpa does that already. Nevermind.

    My improvements haven''t slacked compared to them though! I''ve learned a few more water jutsus at the library, but that''s all they had. On the other hand, I now have basic Medical Ninjutsu thanks to my Shadow clones.

    Now I can heal my wounds and keep fighting! Hehehehe~!

    "Hii-kun. Stop smiling like that."

    "Huh? Did it show on my face?"

    "Haaa, obviously. It''s weird how excited you get for fighting."

    "Didn''t you get a creepy smile on your face when you realized you could make super fire bullets if you mixed wind into them?"

    Aaaand Maka goes to see if Itachi''s ready. Typical.

    Maka and I have gotten closer over time. I''m sure it''s because I''ve kept up with her, unlike her relatives.

    I wonder if there''s something we could do about her eye problem.

    [Maybe, but you need to be stronger.]

    I nod my head as I finish cleaning my practice blade. Grandpa said taking care of a real blade takes dedication, so your practice blade must be clean and ready for use.

    Even though it''s made of wood, I can still barely cut with chakra pumped through the blade.

    ''I should heal up a bit too.''

    I use a handsign and my right hand starts to glow. I press it towards any wounds I have and they slowly disappear.

    I''m getting ready to fight, but I see Sasuke holding his right arm.

    "Sasuke? You ok?"

    "I-I''m fine. Don''t worry."

    I couldn''t stop myself from shaking my head. This fool.

    "Let me see, I can heal you."

    I don''t wait for his approval as I check his arm. Gah! He''s got a deep gash! We''ll have to fix this.

    I get ready to heal it, but then I just had a great idea!

    ''Hey Akumu, can I use your chakra?''

    [Sure, but why?]

    ''I wanna see the effects.''

    [Ok, but be careful. I''m sure it''s gonna come with a price of sorts.]

    No point in getting scared now!

    I tap into his chakra and form the medical jutsu, but....

    "Hey, Hii-san? Why is it black?"

    The chakra on my hand turns midnight black from the usual green glow.

    "Ugh. It''s an experiment. This won''t hurt you, but it might hurt me! Let''s find out then!"

    "Wait, I can just-"

    I don''t bother with his words and clasp my hand to the wound. Sasuke flinches, but then looks confused as he felt no pain.

    I can''t say the same for myself though.

    ''Ok, side effect found.''

    I check my right arm and see that everything is fine on the surface, but I''m feeling pain in the same spot Sasuke''s wound is.

    [Phantom pain. That''s odd.]

    ''Well you are phantom like right? I could see a correlation.''

    His wound heals and I stop the Jutsu.

    "Are you ok?!"

    Shit! Maka came back!

    I sweated a lot from experiencing the pain! I gotta fix this.

    Water Style:Waterball Jutsu!

    I quickly use my handseals and form my sweat into a ball and chuck it into the forest.

    "I''m fine! No problems here!"

    "....."

    Maka looks at me with a deadpan stare.

    Don''t let the akwardness get to you! I can do it!

    "...Fine. Get ready. The next round is coming."

    I nod and breathe out and wipe any remaining sweat away. I look at Sasuke and zip my mouth. He nods and we head over to the other two.

    Itachi just stands with his eyes closed and only opens them when we all assemble.

    "Ready?"

    """Yes!""""

    We ready ourselves and Itachi assumes a battle stance.

    Sasuke starts us off this time as he throws several shurikens to Itachi, who takes them down with his own shurikens.

    I flicker over to him and give him a horizontal slash to his stomach. He parries it with his kunai and we exchange some blows.

    Fire style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!

    Maka fires a fan of fireballs to our location and we both jump back.

    *Boom*

    The fireballs explode and gives me some cover, but Itachi throws some shurikens my way.

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Ugh! He throws them at weird angles again!

    Itachi rushes toward me, but Maka comes from behind and intercepts him.

    The two exchange more blows, but Itachi manages to toss Maka over towards the lake and weaves handsigns

    Fire Style:Fireball Jutsu!

    Itachi sends a massive ball of fire to Maka, but she also weaved handsigns while she was in the air!

    Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!

    Maka sends a massive fireball towards Itachi''s fireball and the two collide!

    *Boom*

    The explosion sends us all back while Maka flies to the middle of the lake. She lands and stands on the water, but she''s shaky.

    I intercept Itachi now, but I''ll bring a surprise with me this time!

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    Another me appears beside me and we both charge towards him. He keeps his calm, but fighting two of me is putting pressure on him for sure.

    Sasuke comes in as well and tries to kick Itachi in the head, but Itachi catches him and swings him my way. My clone catches Sasuke and I go alone to strike at Itachi''s head with a vertical slash. I see his eyes going red!

    [I got it!]

    Akumu keeps me from his Genjutsu, which shocks him! It doesn''t keep him from dodging though. Shit!

    We exchange once more and end up in a deadlock.

    I try to catch my breath as Itachi just looks at me with a smile.

    "You''ve improved quite a bit."

    "It''s not over yet!"

    I back away from Itachi and head towards the lake.

    Water Style: Waterball jutsu!

    My hand stretches to the lake and a big ball of water forms up.

    ''Spin!''

    I urge my chakra to spin the water to a thin donut shape in one direction.

    Water Style: Circular Saw Jutsu!

    I toss the saw towards Itachi, slightly above his mid section.

    He''s surprised, but he still managed to duck down, but that''s what I want him to do!

    I rush forward and slide under the saw and swing at Itachi!

    I think I''ve finally got him?!

    A shadow clone just materialised behind him and launched him through the hole?!

    Damn it!

    Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

    Maka managed to help me out and fired on the airborne Itachi!

    Itachi should be finished?!

    Another damn Shadow clone?!

    Itachi launches himself from over to the side using his clone and rushes Sasuke! My saw slices through a few trees, but that''s all I can do now.

    The two have an exchange, but Itachi won quite easily. Damn bigger body.

    Maka just raises her hands since I can''t get up. That was my last strike.

    Why I don''t have more chakra? Shadow clones....

    Haaah. Itachi has another win under his belt.

    ********

    I head back home and see Grandpa sitting outside.

    "Hey Grandpa! What are you doing out here?"

    "Just getting some fresh air."

    "You''ve been inside all day?"

    "No, just making weapons."

    I decide to sit outside with Gramps and enjoy the cool air.

    Grandpa just uses his hand and rubs my head as we enjoy the breeze.

    I can''t lie to myself though. After discovering what Akumu could do with his chakra.....

    [You better be careful with that idea!]

    ''But it could work, right?''

    [Maybe, but that doesn''t mean it will be easy. You probably can''t pass out if you try to do it!]

    ''I kind of understood that. That means I just have to grit my teeth and make it work!''

    [......Haaaa. Ok. Fine. But I suggest you put something in your mouth.]

    I nod my head and brace myself! It''s time for a real medical experiment.

    "Hey Grandpa?"

    "Yes?"

    "Can I sleep with you and Grandma tonight?"

 Ch.29.The Medical Experiment (pt.2)

    Dinner at the house was rather lukewarm since Mom isn''t here.

    She''s been gone for a bit longer than usual, but Grandma and Grandpa don''t seem to be worried. Moya and Yozora seem ok, but they have been low energy lately.

    I can''t let this distract me though. I have to do this while Mom isn''t here to get

    After this, I need to prepare myself for what''s to come.

    [Check the sky for me before you do this.]

    ''Huh? Why?''

    [I need to check something.]

    "Hey Grandma, I''m going to get some fresh air before we head to bed."

    "Ok. You come back in soon. Grandpa and I usually go to bed early. Moya! Help me get the dishes."

    "Ugh. Oooook."

    "I''ll help."

    "Thanks, Yozo! You''re the best twin ever!"

    "Only."

    We all laugh as the two bicker as usual. Dad seemed busy with some ideas for weapons as he kept muttering at the table. Grandma kept having to call him to wake him up.

    I leave them all alone and head outside to look at the sky. A full moon greets me along with a chorus of stars as I jump onto the house.

    ''Did this help? It''s a nice night.''

    [Yeah, it helped. I feel more Yin energy in the air than usual. You''ll have to experiment tonight if you want the best chance.]

    ''I see. I''ll have to brace myself.''

    The night air is refreshing as I think of Sasuke''s wound I healed earlier. The pain was bad at first, but quickly ended once the wound was healed. Hopefully, this happens here as well, but odds are not likely.

    Oh well. I''ll have a sock or something for the pain.

    *******

    I sleep in the middle of Grandma and Grandpa and wait for them to fall asleep completely.

    Luckily, they held my hand when I asked them, though it''s embarrassing. I hid a sock under my pillow as we went to bed just in case. I stuff my mouth with it and psyche myself up.

    ''Ok! You ready?''

    [I am. You make sure you went to the bathroom? You don''t want an accident.]

    ''I did! I should be empty!''

    [Ok.]

    I start to channel my Medical Palm Jutsu and access  Akumu''s chakra. My palms glow black and travel along Grandma and Grandpa''s bodies to their destination, the lost limbs. I haven''t felt anything yet, but I am feeling some tingling in my insides right now.

    ''Akumu, I feel some slight discomfort. What do you think it is?''

    [You may be healing some unknown injuries. They might be pretty old, so they don''t damage you too much.]

    ''Maybe the fresher the wound, the more pain I feel.''

    ''If that''s the case, maybe this''ll be easier than we thought.''

    The chakra made a slow crawl through the body and we''re finally getting to lost limbs.

    And all hell broke loose.

    ''Ugh!!! Aaaaargh!!!!''

    I felt two sensations come through me at once. This numb feeling traveled through my left arm holding Grandma''s hand. I felt like I couldn''t feel it anymore, but my shoulder felt like it was burning off.

    The other one was my leg! Ugh!!!!! This one hurts far more than I thought!!! My leg feels like it''s burning off!! My lower leg feels like it''s dissolving in heat! There is a numbing feeling under my knee that helps a bit, but I can''t help, but nearly bite through the sock.

    The pillow will have to be next!

    [Can you describe the sensation?!]

    ''Pain!!!!''

    [I can tell that by the sheets.]

    I try not to grip my hands too much as my feet and mouth have clenched as much as they could. The sensations just seem to repeat over and over. I''m starting to feel like I''m blanking out.

    [I''ll help you out!]

    I feel a warm sensation wash over me and numb the pain just a bit, but it disappears soon and the pain comes back full force. We repeat this two more times before the sensation can be felt no longer.

    The futon around me is soaked in sweat. My vision is hazy, but I''m still conscious.

    ''Did,did that.... do it?''

    [Looks like it. We''ll see tomorrow.]

    ''Thanks for the help,Akumu.''

    [Don''t mention it. I''m still suprised you could handle that much pain.]

    I managed to smile as I took the sock out of my mouth. I was too tired to respond anymore as I felt sleep start to come over me. I hope this worked, otherwise it wouldn''t be worth it.

    ''Goodnight, Akumu.''

    [Good night,Hii.]

    I quickly fall asleep and let my consciousness finally fade.

    ******

    "....Huh?"

    I woke up and found Grandma and Grandpa are gone.

    I start to sit up and move the futon, but my left arm feels weak. My right leg also seems asleep as I slowly try to get myself up.

    [Morning.]

    ''Morning. Did you wake up now too?''

    [I don''t really sleep, just kind of go low power for a while. The other two got up,changed and left out.]

    I''m a bit surprised.

    ''They weren''t shocked or anything?''

    [Oh, they were. It''s just it wasn''t the main emotion they felt.]

    .....I''m getting an ominous feeling now.

    I try to stand up, but my leg gets a bit wobbly. I try to maintain my balance first and end up sitting down on the futon once more.

    ''Damn. I''m still weak.''

    [What did it feel like when you healed them?]

    ''All I could feel was pain. The pain was different though. My left arm felt like it was numb for a good while, but my shoulder had this searing pain in it. My right leg was worse though. It felt like my foot was melting off, but right under my knee was the same numb, searing pain.''

    Akumu seems to think for a moment and I hear him sigh.

    [I get it.]

    ''What do you get?''

    [The pain of the injury. You have to endure the pain of the injury for this healing to work. The arm injury sounds like a Lightning Release Jutsu was used, but I''m not sure about the other one.]

    Haaa. Grandma did say Rock women grow up tough. Looks like she meant it.

    I circulate my chakra around my body and see if I can just calm myself to make my body feel better.

    It starts to work a bit, so I wiggle my toes and fingers to make sure it''s working.

    I''m finally able to stand up, but I seem to have a minor limp. I can manage with that.

    I go out of the room and find a line up.

    Dad''s standing with his arms crossed, looking quite mad.

    Yozora and Moya have some tears in their eyes.

    Grandma.... is standing on two feet.

    It really worked!!!

    She looks pissed though, but I could care less!

    I also see Grandpa cross his arms as well!

    Tears start welling up in my eyes, but I try to hold it in!

    "Hii."

    I turn to Grandpa who started to speak.

    "Thank you. For...making me whole again."

    Grandpa flexes his left arm. It''s a little smaller than his right, but I''m sure Grandpa will fix that soon.

    Grandma also nods her head as she looks at me.

    "I also want to thank you for my leg back. This is definitely one of the best gifts I''ve been given in a long time."

    My face is smiling ear to ear. I''m just happy thay it worked.

    "However...."

    Grandpa''s aura gets really sinister all of a sudden!

    W-what happened?!

    "What was the price?"

    "Huh?"

    Grandma cuts in as well.

    "That''s right. What was the price for you to be able to do this? Don''t you dare lie to us either."

    Dad cuts in now as well.

    "They changed the futon this morning after they woke up. Yours was drenched in sweat and you wouldn''t wake up either. It''s 3 in the afternoon now! We were worried you wouldn''t wake up at all!"

    ""Hii-nii!!!"

    The twins rush me and both hug me in pseudo death-grips.

    It seems I''ve made a big mistake. The drawback was much bigger than I thought.

    [Well, that''s what happens in experiments. Fuck ups are bound to happen.]

    "So Hii dear, tell Grandma what you experienced to have that effect?"

    "....W-Well, It seems I felt the pain that you felt when you got the wound?"

    Their faces became horrifying to look at as I just stared at the tatami floor.

    "I-It took a while, but I thought it wouldn''t be so bad if you got your limbs back."

    They stare at me for a good minute and sigh. Grandpa comes forward and ruffles my hair and heads for the shop to work.

    "Come, Henda. We have work to finish."

    "Y-yes Father!"

    Grandpa turns around and motions to Yozora.

    "You too. You''ll learn a bit about making weapons."

    "Umu."

    Yozora nods his head, hugs me tight one last time and goes after the men.

    Grandma walks toward me with a smile on her face.

    Uh oh.

    *Smack*

    "Why the hell didn''t you even tell us what you planned to do?!"

    "I-I thought you would say no!"

    *Smack*

    The back of my head is hurting bad now!

    Grandma''s face is a mess of tears as she hugs me as well. I can feel her strength as her hug is amazingly firm.

    "Don''t you ever do something like that again! Especially without telling anyone! Understand?!"

    "Y-yes!"

    Grandma nods her head as she wipes her eyes.

    "Good. Now, about your punishment. You''re going to accompany and help me for a week. No training at all. Understand?"

    "But!"

    "Understand?"

    "...Yes."

    Maybe... I should''ve thought about that more.

    [Well, at least you have a vacation now. Hehehe~]

 Ch.30. Lightning Style!

    This week.... was hell!!

    Grandma wouldn''t let me train at all! No Shadow clones! No Waterball!! I couldn''t even read a book about anything with any kind of Jutsu!

    She only gave me a cookbook!!

    I helped make food, I gave her and Grandpa a shoulder massage every day, and I just.....had to sit there. She''d smack me if she sensed any chakra forming from my body.

    It was torture.

    All that time wasted and I couldn''t do anything! Ugh!!

    [Well, it''s not all bad. You''ve gotten a bit good at cooking.]

    Cooking is the only thing I could look forward to that I could train in. Timings for fire and flipping techniques are just as fun as a battle at this point.

    It was kind of funny to see the villagers and ninjas who knew Grandpa and Grandma freak out when they had all their limbs back. Their faces made it totally worth it.

    Grandpa has been finishing orders at breakneck speed and Dad has never been happier.

    He always wanted to learn Grandpa''s techniques the official way as opposed to the salvaged technique with one arm.

    Now Dad can see the techniques in their entirety. His work has been getting better and better.

    I saw a ninja taking a box of three pronged kunai from Dad to the Hokage building. I guess Minato still has Dad make his weapons. I wonder what he needs that many kunai for though?

    [......]

    ''Akumu?''

    [Yeah?]

    ''You ok? You blanked for a bit.''

    [I''m fine. It''s just.... I''ll probably have to go again soon.]

    ''Why?!''

    [A limited time item is up for grabs. I can''t miss it!]

    Haaa. Akumu won''t tell me what''s really happening again.

    ''Is it why Mom is gone?''

    [Probably related to it.]

    ''I see. Tell me when you go. I''ll get strong enough to accompany you soon.''

    Tomorrow is the end of the ban. I''ll get back to training with Itachi,Maka,and Sasuke! It''ll be great!!

    *******

    "Hii."

    Oh boy.

    Grandpa caught me mid step out of the door!

    He doesn''t need a shoulder massage again, does he?

    "In trouble?"

    "Well, he did hurt himself really bad. I wouldn''t let it go so easily."

    And the twins are not helping!

    Grandpa shakes his head and points to himself.

    "You train with me today."

    I...don''t have a problem with that.

    I wait for Grandpa to finish his breakfast as I wash the empty dishes.

    Damn punishment. I''m reflexively cleaning now.

    Whatever. Let''s just get them squeaky clean.

    "I''m done."

    Grandpa finishes his meal and puts the plate in the sink.

    "Leave the dishes to Riku. You come with me."

    "Ok!"

    "Hey, Grandpa! Can we come too?!"

    Moya asks with excitement while Yozora nods in agreement.

    Grandpa shakes his head.

    "No. You train with Grandma."

    "Awww! Why Not?!"

    Grandpa raised his hand.

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    Sparks of electricity dance around his hand and disappear as he clenches his fist.

    "You don''t have this. Only Hii does."

    The two look on with sad faces as Grandma nods her head.

    "Don''t feel left out, you two. Grandma has just as much skill as Grandpa."

    Grandpa nods his head, grabs a nearby ninja pouch, and starts to head out the door.

    "See you guys later."

    "Umu."

    "Yea. Bye Grandpa. Bye Hii-nii."

    The twins look a little disheartened, but I''m sure Grandma will have them excited soon enough.

    ******

    We head to the nearby training ground and Grandpa tells me to sit down.

    "Hii."

    "Yes, Grandpa!"

    Grandpa takes a deep breath and exhales. His gaze grows sharp like a blade as his mouth opens.

    "You must know that what I''m going to teach you is not just a technique, but our heritage. Our family developed this Kenjutsu and it became one of the top Jutsu of the Cloud village in its time. Once you''ve learned it, use it with pride and conviction towards your missions and goals! Understood?"

    "Yes, Grandpa!"

    I''ve never heard Grandpa talk so much before! I''m excited to learn what he knows!

    "You''ve already learned the first level of my katas, so now you''ll learn how to use your Lightning Nature to access the second level."

    Grandpa hand starts to spark with electriticy once again as he explains.

    "How you change your chakra to Lightning Release is by making it vibrate at high speed. The higher the speed, the more powerful the lightning."

    I see the lightning changed from a few sparks to his entire hand being coated in lightning!

    So cool!!

    "I know you''ve learned how to use Water release to some extent, so this shouldn''t be too hard for you. Just try practicing today to see if you can manifest it."

    I nod my head, but soon a thought crossed my mind.

    "Grandpa? Can I use Shadow clones as well?"

    Grandpa nodded his head and I got excited!

    I make the handsign, but how many I should use? Four should be good enough!

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    *Poof Poof Poof Poof*

    Four clones appeared nearby and sat down and meditated. I also sat down and think about how Grandpa said I should move my chakra.

    I manipulate my chakra to vibrate slowly. I''ll have to increase it over time to get fast enough for sparks.

    An hour passes and Grandpa calls me.

    "Hii. Spar with me. I want to see the skills you''ve developed so far."

    I nod as I draw my practice sword.

    I leave my clones to continue to practice as I rush towards him.

    I swing my blades like I''m facing Itachi, but Grandpa just repels the attack like it''s nothing!

    "Our family''s style of Kenjutsu is called the Stormblade. Just like a lightning filled cloud, it blocks all attacks and counter viciously like lightning.The more disordered the rhythm of the opponent, the more chances you have to end the fight cleanly and swiftly."

    I listened to Grandpa and attacked again and again. My attacks went nowhere, even though I tried all sorts of techniques.

    I tried to give him a over head smash with my blade, so I raised my sword over my head.

    Grandpa saw the swing coming and dodged it with the least amount of effort. His blade then swung to the side of my neck in the less than a second! I couldn''t do anything! My blade just finished its swing when he cut!!

    As the blade was near me, I couldn''t help but notice how my Grandpa''s blade was glowing with crackling chakra.

    "Coating your blade with Lightning chakra sharpens it, but could also make it longer."

    I watched as the edge of his practice blade extended out an extra 2 feet! That''s definetly for surprise attacks.

    His blade stopped glowing and he put his sword away. He closed his eyes and nodded his head as he looked at me with a proud expression on his face.

    "You''ve mastered the basics of the Stormblade. You have to get Lightning Style to perfection to move on to the next step. And if I''m lucky...."

    "If you''re lucky?"

    Grandpa didn''t continue and rubbed my head.

    "Don''t worry about that now. Focus on getting the hang of vibrating your chakra first."

    Grandpa left me to meditate while he swung the practice sword around. His moves look so gentle, but I can sort of sense a hidden intent in the motions.

    Oooooh~! I want to learn it!

    [Stop smiling and get to work.]

    ''Ah! My bad.''

    I need to stop gawking like that. I focus back on my training to get Lightning Style so I can learn those moves.

    Hehehe!!! I can''t wait!

    *******

    In another training area,

    Grandma Riku had the twins go into meditation on the firmness and structure of a newly created cliff. A soft breeze quietly blew by as Moya snored and Yozora tried to grasp how Grandma made the cliff.

    ''Sheesh! I thought Moya would be just like me with this, but...''

    Riku watched the drool on her granddaughter''s lips plop down in a steady rhythm.

    ''....Was I that bad when I was younger?''

    Riku thought more on the subject, but quickly refuted since it didn''t matter anymore.

    Those years were long gone.

    ''Hm?''

    Riku turned slowly to a tree nearby and sensed a presence.

    ''Oh! What''s he doing here?''

    Riku could tell the person was looking at her and gestured him to come over.

    *Swish*

    Out of the trees came an Anbu soldier with a Dog mask over his face.

    "Greetings, Riku-san. I have a message from Hokage-sama!"

    Riku just silently went to the kneeled Anbu and ruffled his head.

    "S-Stop it, Oba-san. I''m on a mission."

    "Hmph! You call me Oba-san now, huh? Tell me while I''m doing this as punishment."

    Kakashi couldn''t hold his sigh in as he regretted losing in Janken.

    He''d get Tenzo back later!

    "I have a message from Kaya-san and the 4th Hokage, Ma''am."

    Riku''s was interested in the information, but that didn''t stop her hands.

    "Well dear, You better get to talking then."

    Kakashi nodded his head and stood up slowly. He moved his head to Riku''s ear as he delivered the message.

    Moments later, Kakashi finished delivering the message and prepared to leave, but hesitated.

    "You....have your leg back?!"

    "Hohoho! I''m not the only one back at full capacity. Do come by sometime. The twins and Hii would love to meet you."

    "....I''ll think about it."

    Riku''s face became stern.

    "Don''t think about it! Do it! As if you''re a stranger in our home! Di will definitely rip into you since you stopped doing Kenjutsu for silly reasons! You don''t even come by anymore as if we don''t allow you to come! I''ll drag you over next time I see you since you feel like you''re intruding! And another thing!"

    "Ah! The Hokage is calling me! I have to go now, Oba-san!"

    Kakashi quickly flickered away as Riku scoffed at his excuse.

    "Hmph! As if Minato-chan would care if I nag you!"

    Riku shook her head as she looked up at the sky.

    *tssssss*

    A vague sizzling could be heard as grass near Riku''s feet slowly turned to ash.

    Riku had a long forgotten, dreadful smile on her face.

    "Looks like we''ve come out of retirement at the right time. I can''t wait to move these old bones~."

    Riku calmed her chakra and watched over the twins again. Moya was still sleep!

    She sighed and struck Moya in the back of the head with a nearby pebble.

    "Uwah!"

    She fell forward and hit her head hard on the ground.

    "Ooooooowwww....."

    "Haaaa. There''s a long way to go before you get strong."

 Ch.31. The Calm (pt.1)

    By the outskirts of the Leaf village, a large tree stood in the corners of the nearby forest.

    Around the tree were many other dead,fallen trees that acted as fertilizer for the new sprouts growing from them.

    On one of the trees, a strange marking appeared on the rotting bark.

    *Ssssh*

    Four figures suddenly appeared near the dead tree. They all looked up at the standing tree with high tension.

    "Everyone. The mission is to scour the place for any survivors and information. We will talk to Orochimaru first before any actions will be permitted. Understood?"

    ""Yes, Hokage-sama!""

    The three figures were all Anbu, while the fourth was Minato.

    They approached the tree and found several bite marks alongside its base.

    "This is the tree. Find the entrance and be careful."

    The three nodded as they moved along the tree. They searched the base of the tree and quickly found a switch in the form of a branch.

    *tsssssh*

    A door formed on the tree and the four came in front of it.

    "Bear, take point. Monkey, follow behind Hokage-sama. I''ll guard the center."

    "''Yes, captain!""

    The unit moved slowly into the tree and were shocked. Numerous amounts of test tubes, data, and corpses littered the hallways. The air was fresh with blood as screams could be heard further in.

    "Let''s go!"

    Minato yelled as he dashed towards the sounds. The other three followed as they made their way to the main lab. A group of people sat huddled in the corner in fear as a man slowly walked over to them with a long sword.

    "Stop, Orochimaru!"

    The man paused and turned slowly around. His long black hair revealed yellow,snake like eyes that held Minato in their gaze like a predator finding prey.

    Minato fought the shiver crawling up his back as he held his kunai firmly.

    "Aaah. If it isn''t Hokage-sama. What a pleasant surprise."

    Orochimaru''s tongue slowly licked his lips as he glanced at the group with no fear or remorse.

    "What are you doing?!"

    Minato had a clear idea of what  was happening, but he needed to hear it from Orochimaru''s mouth.

    Orochimaru chuckled devilishly as he wiped the blood off his blade.

    "Why, I was in the middle of tying up loose ends. I couldn''t just leave the place without doing that.This is the last group I need to clean up."

    The group huddled in the corner shivered as Orochimaru''s gaze was set back onto them.

    Minato found it hard to not cut him down now!

    He breathed in slowly,his anger kept at a set minimum. He couldn''t act out at this time.There was more important things to do now and too much at stake.

    "We''ll deal with the rest here instead. Leave them be and get out of Konoha!"

    Orochimaru was shocked at first, then chuckled sinisterly.

    "You want to save the lives of these dregs?"

    Minato nodded his head while fighting his anger. The three Anbu prepared themselves in case this was where the negotiation went south.

    "Fine. They aren''t of much use to me either way. Take them if you wish."

    Orochimaru tossed his head back leisurely and swallowed his blade with relish as he walked towards the entrance.

    The Anbu felt shivers down their spines as Orochimaru passed by them. His eyes watching all four of them with anticipation.

    "Wait."

    Orochimaru paused his steps, looking at Minato with increased curiosity.

    "I need evidence of Danzo colluding with you. Give me that and I''ll give you a head start before Sensei and I come for your head."

    Orochimaru couldn''t contain his laughter as he held his stomach.

    "Ufufufufu! You think that fool can stop me? You''re too naive if you think his presence will change anything, much less yours."

    "That''s quite naive of you, Orochimaru. You still think I''m the same as before?"

    Minato''s face curled with a confident smile.

    "I have some new moves to try out. Some that might even catch you off guard."

    Orochimaru stared at Minato with ever increasing fascination.

    A smile curved on Orochimaru''s face as he heaved a fake resigned sigh.

    "I guess I''ll take a free headstart then. You can find my experiment data and the participants given to me or "found" by a certain sponsor further inside. You might even find some....controversial evidence in some of the samples in the lab."

    Orochimaru crossed his arms and stared at Minato.

    "I''m surprised you knew I was leaving. You''re more perceptive than I thought."

    "I have my sources."

    Orochimaru chuckled lightly as he turned back to the entrance.

    "Once I have immortality, I''ll be sure to look for your sources myself. They are...most intriguing."

    Minato''s face grew stern, but he replied confidently.

    "You won''t need to worry about my sources. You''ll be dead before then."

    "Hehehe. We''ll see about that."

    Orochimaru continued out of the room and into the darkness. Minato stared in the direction he went with a mixture of emotions on his face. He hoped his sensei would be able to handle this news well.

    An Anbu with an eagle mask approached Minato, bringing him out of his thoughts.

    "Hokage-sama. Your orders, sir."

    Minato looked around the room and gathered his thoughts.

    "Monkey, you help bring them out of here and gather information on who they are and where they''re from. Eagle, go find the information needed and store it in a scroll."

    Minato sighed as he saw the bodies laying cold near him.

    "Bear, summon some Chuunin and Jounin to help clean up the bodies here and build a burial."

    "Yes, Hokage-sama!"

    The three got to work as Minato just stood their processing the information.

    Minato pinched the bridge of his nose and started to walk to the startled people in the corner of the room with Monkey.

    "Everyone! I''m sorry on behalf of the Leaf village for what you''ve been through! We''ll bring you food, shelter, and a way back home if possible!"

    Minato bowed his head towards the crowd with sincerity.

    "Please follow this Anbu ninja with the monkey mask. He will lead you outside."

    Monkey nodded his head.

    "Please follow me."

    The people were still scared, but the idea of leaving this place for good roused them to follow along.

    Minato sighed and started to head further in to look at the information Orochimaru left.

    There was one last surprise, however, he had to deal with.

    "Mister~?"

    Minato looked over to see a little girl staring at him.

    His heart clenched as he saw how she was around the same age as Naruto, but was exposed to this situatiom so early.

    It wasn''t the first time he saw it, but how he wished it was the last.

    "Yes, little girl? How can I help you?"

    Minato crouched down on one knee as he came in front of the girl. Up close, he noticed her features clearly. Big, brown eyes, a cute oval face, and slightly pointed ears. Her brown hair came down to her back as she looked up at him with a determined, but naive gaze.

    "Are you strong~?"

    "Well, I think I''m pretty strong."

    "Stronger than the snake man~?"

    "Mm. I believe so."

    "Can you make me stronger~? I have to kill the Snake man for my family."

    Minato had a feeling, but he was still shocked. He could only sigh as the circle of hate brought itself around again.

    "I can help find training for you in the village, but you''ll have to work hard for your ambition to come true."

    "Ok! I''ll definitely kill him~!"

    Minato couldn''t wait to kill the snake man himself for contaminating a bright smile like hers with such intentions.

    He had to be patient though. They needed to deal with the snake under their bed before going after the one in their garden.

    Minato brushed the little girl''s hair with his hand as he was looking forward to the debut of his new Jutsu. Hopefully, Orochimaru would have a front row seat.

    *******

    Hiruzen looked out over the Leaf village from the Hokage building. He saw the dark clouds coming from the horizon and sighed.

    ''Forgive me, my disciple.''

    Hiruzen looked over his shoulder and found Kaya walking towards him.

    ".....Stinky Old Geezer."

    "Haaaah. Kushina calls me that all the time. I didn''t expect you to do it as well."

    "I thought I''d try it out. It''s not really for me, it seems."

    Hiruzen chuckled while Kaya shrugged her shoulders.

    The two stared at the approaching storm, contemplating various things in silence.

    "....Is this truly necessary?"

    "Absolutely."

    "...The Leaf needs light and dark to keep it stable."

    Kaya sighed and pulled out a small intel scroll.

    "Pardon my tone, Lord 3rd, but I cannot let a man that can do such atrocities run a village my family resides in. I''d rather just have light."

    She handed the scroll to Hiruzen, who looked at it, but slowly took it into his hands with a sigh.

    "That man is no longer your friend. He no longer does things just for the village. He does it for His village in his mind. You should read that and see what I mean."

    Kaya walked away as Hiruzen looked up at the sky. He looked down at the scroll and with a heavy heart, peeked at his contents.

    Time seemed to move slowly as Hiruzen continued to read the scroll. His face showed traces of fury as he meticulously scanned the scroll.

    The sun was setting when he finished.

    The last golden rays left his face as he looked at the setting sun.He looked down at ground and muttered under his breath.

    "Danzo, what have you done?"

 Ch.32. The Calm (pt.2)

    Grandpa and I are heading back home after training. It doesn''t seem like I''ll get my Lightning Release easily.

    Haaa.

    Grandpa''s moves became more and more fluid as we fought with the practice swords.

    It''s ridiculous to fight him now. He''d probably cut my head off at a twitch.

    I feel my head get wobbled around by a big hand as I''m thinking.

    "Don''t compare to me. You''ve done really well today. I had to train for at least a week to reach where you are now. You''re not far from getting it."

    Grandpa''s words are pretty encouraging. I guess I''ll just prepare for more training tomorrow.

    We get back to our house and find Grandma making food.

    "We''re back, Grandma!"

    "Welcome back, Hii-chan."

    Grandma gives me a smile and looks at Grandpa.

    "I''m back."

    "Welcome back, dear. Hii-chan, go see if the twins are up yet. They got worn out pretty quickly today."

    I nod my head and go to the twins room. They''re both laid out on their beds, snoring. They must be pretty tired.

    "Moya! Yozora! Wake up!"

    .....Nothing!

    Moya is still snoring. Hell, I don''t even remember the last time I''ve heard Yozora snore.

    Heh. They''re even in sync.

    I head out after rubbing their hair and find Grandpa....smiling?

    "What happened, Grandpa? You look happy."

    "Oh, nothing. Just seems like tomorrow is gonna be a fun day."

    ......Hm?!

    ''Hey,Akumu?''

    [Hm?]

    ''Is your "limited time item" going on sale tomorrow?''

    [Hehehe! Looks like it.]

    Akumu snickers rather ominously so I guess I''ll ignore him for now.

    "Need help, Grandma?"

    "Oh! You want to cook some more? Then I''ll put you to work."

    Grandma and I cook food for Grandpa and us. We also cook a meal for the twins when they wake up.

    Grandma and Grandpa have had smiles on their faces for a while now. Grandpa''s is normal, but Grandma''s looks eerie for some reason.

    I feel like I should probably be careful tomorrow.

    ******

    Today, it''s been raining pretty hard.

    I still plan to train today, but it''s gonna be in Water Style!

    I have a Shadow Clone stay at home to work on Lightning Style while I head out into the streets.

    Water Style:Waterball Jutsu!

    I use my handsigns and create a water ball above my head to catch the rain.

    Today, I just plan to run around and try to see how large of a water ball I can hold with my chakra.

    Sadly, I''m alone today. Akumu left in the middle of the night again.

    Jerk.

    I''ll definitely ask him what''s going on when he comes back.

    As I run, the water from the rain slowly makes my waterball bigger. I can see now why Mom always said this Jutsu is one of the best Water Style Jutsu. If I''m ever in a place with water, the Waterball can be like a moving weapon. You can do almost anything with it!

    I twist the ball into different shapes like a square, triangles, and even a star.

    It was then I came across a strange sight.

    A man was....walking on his hands in the rain?

    And he''s running as fast as I am?!

    No way am I gonna let him win!

    I speed up my pace, but the guy is hot on my tail!

    I try to go even faster, but the Waterball is far bigger than me now. I can''t move quick when it''s so heavy.

    Dammit! I have to stop now.... I guess the weird guy won.

    I pant and catch my breath with my hands behind my head. I wonder how hard that dude trained to get that much stamina.

    ''Hm? I sense....a presence nearby.''

    I take a look around and all I see is a butt in my face.

    Hm?

    What the?!

    I jump back and look down to see a damp bowl cut in front of me.

    Is...this the guy I was racing?!

    Why is he in front of me?!!

    Why is he still on his hands?!!!

    Why the green jumpsuit???!!

    The man looks up at me while still in a handstand.

    His beady eyes seem to be on fire with determination and his thick eyebrows are arched up in delight.

    I....I don''t even know how to describe how I feel right now.

    He somehow puts his right arm out and gives me a thumbs up.

    "Youth!!!"

    ''How do I respond to this?!''

    "Ugh...youth?"

    "Hahahaha!"

    The man laughs jovially in the rain soaked to the bone. I can''t tell if I want to envy how carefree he is or wonder how he became a ninja with that headband belt he has.

    "Training in the rain, what dedication! I can feel the youth in you, young man! What is your name?!"

    I kinda don''t wanna answer him, but I feel like I should just play along.

    "I''m Hii. Nice to meet you, ugh..."

    "The name is Might Guy! Nice to meet you as well!"

    He shakes my hand after we introduced ourselves. He still hasn''t come out of that handstand yet. I...don''t know if I''m impressed or not now.

    "Why were you....running in the rain on your hands?"

    "Hahaha! It''s because it''s my punishment for losing to Kakashi. I must run around the leaf village 5 times on my hands."

    ".....How many times have you lost?"

    "The score is 5 wins, 2 ties, and 7 losses. I''ll catch back up soon enough."

    ......This guy is a monster!

    There''s no way I was winning that race!

    "I see."

    "Now, why would a young leaf like you be out here, little Hii?"

    "I''m training my Water Style Jutsu. See?"

    I reach my hand out towards him and all of the water in his clothes forms a separate mini ball. I chuck it to the side and he just laughs some more.

    Such a carefree guy.

    "Hahaha! I feel dry and refreshed now. Thank you, Hii-chan! I feel like I can run 10 more laps now!"

    ".....Please don''t hurt yourself, Oji-san."

    "Geh!! I''m not an Oji-san! I''m 19 years old! I''m in the prime of my youth!"

    .........WHAT?????!!!!

    "You''re lying!!"

    "Might Guy doesn''t need to lie! I''m not even old enough to drink yet."

    This guy makes my head hurt.

    "Oh! I''ve stood here too long! I have to finish 3 more laps!"

    He already did 2?!

    "I''ll see you around, Hii! If you ever need help with Taijutsu, I''ll show you the ropes!"

    The man laughs as he continues to run at full speed on his hands.

    .......I might need help.

    I thought he was kinda cool.

    In a weird, unique kind of way.

    ......Maybe I should head home.

    *******

    I decided to walk back and put my raincoat on. I stopped my Waterball Jutsu so I can replenish my chakra on my way back. Looking at the buildings nearby, I feel like I''m near a old estate again.

    I see two guards who look like they spotted me from a distance away. Looking at them, I see their eyes are whitish-purple and the veins on the side of their eyes are bulging.

    Weird.

    I think Itachi said something about this. What was it again?

    I stop a distance away from the guards to think about it. I think it started with an H?

    "This is the Hyuga clan estate! Please keep moving!"

    Hyuga!! That''s it!

    "Thanks, mister!"

    The guards look confused, and I continued on my way.

    "Kyaaaa!!"

    Huh?!

    "Mistress!!"

    The guards rush into the estate and I hear the sound of weapons clashing from inside.

    I rush inside and see many black cloaked people with masks on fighting the guards!

    I need to help them!

    I weave handsigns quickly and aim for the heads of the intruders!

    Water Style: Drowning Ball Jutsu!

    I''ve been working on this one for a while now! I finally get to use it since it''s raining!

    Water forms around the heads of the intruders, stunning them momentarily.

    The guards use this chance to attack the intruders, poking them at multiple points on their bodies.

    The masked guys all fell down, without getting up. The guards gave me a nod and used their eyes to look around the estate.

    "They''re searching for Hinata and Hanabi-Sama!!!"

    I saw them frantically head into the estate at high speed.

    I was going to follow them into the courtyard, but I see out of the corner of my eye, two shadows are escaping over the wall!

    "They''re getting away!!"

    I yell out before jumping over the wall after them and give chase! The two are fast, but I''m catching up to them steadily. I notice that each of them have a bundle under their arm. One looks to be my size while the other is significantly smaller.

    Those must be the two missing people!

    I have to act fast. If they planned how to sneak into such a big clan, there must be more of them. I use a handsign and prepare myself.

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    *Poof Poof*

    I make two shadow clones and have them draw back further behind me as I accelerate towards them.

    "One of the targets is chasing us!"

    "Complete the mission! You know what to do."

    The one with the smaller bundle actually turned around and tries to grab me!

    I dodge his hand and strike him with my practice sword to his arm holding the bundle as hard as I could!

    "Agh!"

    I hear a loud snap and his painful yell and watch the bundle drop from his arm.

    I reached out and grabbed the bundle before it reaches the ground and turn to watch the two figures movements.

    I hold the bundle close to me and stand at the ready with my sword in my hand as I check the victim.

    I check the bundle briefly and see a young girl sleeping inside. I can''t tell if this is Hanabi or Hinata, but this must be the younger one.

    ''She''s still asleep. She must be under a Genjutsu.''

    One of the clones came close and I hand the girl over to him.

    "Damn brat!"

    The figure throws shurikens at us and I block them with my practice sword! I quickly weave handsigns and aim towards his head!

    Water Style: Drowning Ball Jutsu!

    The masked figure with the broken arm is caught off guard as the water forms around his head. He tries to shake it off, but the water stays around him and only increases in size in the rain.

    The clone holds the girl close and takes her back to the Hyuga estate. Hopefully, the guards are headed this way and can take their mistress back.

    The figure is struggling to get rid of my Jutsu and his attempts are getting more frantic. The other figure is hesitating, looking at me and looking in the direction he was running. He must be debating if he can take me or not.

    They did say I''m a target or something to that nature.

    "Why are you doing this!?"

    I try to question the other figure to try and get some more time.

    Maybe I can stall him long enough for other ninjas to come?

    The figure looks at me menacingly and just turns away!

    "Hey, what about your friend?! You''ll leave them to die?!"

    The figure turns around briefly before scoffing at something I said.

    "Nothing else matters.There''s only the mission."

    The man with the waterball on his head stopped his struggle completely.

    He falls down with a thud and my jutsu stopped.

    The other figure starts to run!

    With this situation, there''s nothing left to do, but use that.

    I weave hand signs and have the clone follow me to assist in this Jutsu.

    Water Style: Waterball Jutsu!

    I absorb the rain around me and create a big water ball above my head.

    I chase after the figure and my clone weaves handseals behind me.

    Water Style: Water Tentacle Jutsu!

    The waterball forms into a long tentacle that shoots out towards the figure. The cloaked figure dodged the tentacle as it shot through a branch he intended to land on.

    We both land on the ground and he pulls out a kunai to defend himself.

    My clone and I split the tentacle into multiple ends and lash them all out towards the figure!

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    ''Shit! He has Lightning Element!''

    He cuts the tentacles that come near him and the ends turn back into water!

    I keep trying to get the other victim, but the figure keeps me at bay. We slash each other for about a minute before I start to get exhausted.

    This Jutsu takes a lot more out of me than I thought!

    The figure sees the gap and throws his lightning kunai towards my head!

    My clone pushes me out of the way and takes the blow!

    *Poof*

    *Splash*

    Damn! My Jutsu can''t be maintained anymore and the use has left me exhausted.

    Still, I can''t give up here.

    "Haaa. Give. Haaa. Her back!"

    The figure pulls out another kunai and charges it with electricity.

    Heh, can''t let it be easy, huh?

    I pick my blade up from my back and try to catch my breath for the fight.

    "Leaf Whirlwind!!!"

    Huh?!

    Might Guy comes out of nowhere and kicks the figure to a nearby tree!! The hostage is taken by Guy as he lands beside me. He hands her over to me, never taking his eyes off his opponent.

    I didn''t even see him arrive!

    "It looked like you need help, Hii. I just finished my laps and I''m full of Youth! Just leave everything to me!"

    "Haaa. Thanks, Guy."

    Guy nods his head and takes his stance towards the figure.

    I check inside the cover over her and find this girl looks a bit older than the other one. Her short dark blue hair is quite a unique look. I hope she''ll be ok after all of this. I carry her on my back and turn to see Guy fighting the figure.

    Guy knocks the guy backwards after a few exchanges and holds one hand behind his back and the other extended forward.

    "You''ll have to do better than that to defeat Konoha''s Blue Beast!"

    The figure leans against a nearby tree and starts to chuckle softly.

    He pulls out a kunai from behind him once more.

    "For Konoha!"

    Guy gets ready for more combat, but the figure turns the blade backwards and plunges it into his neck!

    The blood gushes out of him as he slowly leans against the tree.

    Guy swiftly tries to save him, but his life fades away before we have the chance.

    Guy looks at the man and then back to me.

    "Just what is going on here?"

    I look at the dead figure and sigh.

    "I''d like to know too."

 Ch.33. The Storm (pt.1)

    The rain has stopped for little while now.

    I''m currently on Guy''s back as he piggybacks me and the girl  to the Hyuga estate.

    Guy''s stamina is ridiculous...

    I make sure I hold the girl securely as Guy moves at high speed.

    I feel the familiar sensation of memory from my shadow clone coming to me as he runs.The other girl made it back to the estate and my clone disappeared shortly after.

    They called her Hanabi-sama, so the one I have now should be Hinata-sama.

    Guy suddenly stops close to our destination and bends down to the ground.

    "I''ll drop you off here,Hii! You bring the little girl back to her family. I have to check around and see what''s going on in the village."

    Guy gently puts me down close by the estate and heads off to find informatiom.

    I piggyback the girl and continue for a short while until the guards from before find me again. With them is a man with long black hair and a somewhat noble gaze. He''s accompanied by a young boy who looks a bit older than me.

    "Thank you for saving my nieces, young ninja. The enemy attacked the main house to distract us while they took the two away. We were unprepared for their craftiness when they targeted us."

    The man bows his head towards me, and the boy has a rather tight face at this.

    "Don''t worry, sir. I only helped because I would want the same if my family was under attack."

    With Grandpa and Grandma having their limbs back, I don''t think I have to worry too much now though.

    The man nods his head and gives a friendly smile.

    "My name is Hizashi Hyuga. Let me take little Hinata for you."

    I nod my head and hand Hinata over to Hizashi.

    A woman came out of the estate slowly with numerous guards escorting her while we talked.

    Hizashi looks surprised at this and immediately heads towards her with Hinata in tow.

    "Haruka-san! You should get back inside. The weather isn''t good for you."

    Haruka doesn''t seem to hear Hizashi and only looks at Hinata carefully, checking all over for any wounds and injuries.

    Hizashi just sighs and allowed her to inspect the girl to her heart''s content.

    When she was finally satisfied, she turned my way and looked like she was going to bow to me. I can''t have a lady who''s shivering from the cold do that!

    "It''s ok, ma''am! You don''t have to bow or anything if you''re unwell. I was happy to help."

    Haruka stopped her action and looked at me with surprise. She then smiles happily towards me.

    "You are quite respectful for someone so young. My name is Haruka Hyuga and I would love for you to come inside so I can thank you for rescuing my daughters."

    Haruka gives me an invitation, but I really just want to decline it and head home to sleep.

    Unfortunately, it looks like that isn''t an option. I can feel Hizashi, the boy, and even the guards staring at me with silent pleas.

    Their eyes are telling to accept it. I can even see the veins start to bulge as it''s slowly turning into a threat.

    "Hm?"

    Haruka looks around and they all turn their heads away.

    "........."

    Haruka looks back at me and makes a intrigued look as she scrutinized my face.

    "You know, you look a lot like Kaya-san. Are you related?"

    "You know my mom?"

    Her purple hair moved violently as she lunged forward and grabbed my hand.

    "You''re Kaya''s son?!"

    .....Did I just trap myself?!

    "Come inside! We have a lot to talk about!"

    "Ugh,wait!"

    Haruka didn''t listen to me at all. The others just avoided eye contact with me as she somehow dragged me into the estate.

    *********

    The council came together for the emergency meeting the 4th Hokage held during the storm.

    Everyone gathered in a building nearby the Hokage''s office.

    The meeting was sudden, so most of the council were caught unaware of the reasons the meeting was called.

    Only Minato, Danzo, and Hiruzen had stern faces as they faced each other.

    This meeting only had Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado,Danzo,Hiruzen, and the 4th Hokage.

    The 5 sat down and looked to Minato to start the discussion.

    "Thank you all for coming here. I''m afraid I have some important things to discuss that must be done with haste."

    "Let us know, Lord 4th. We''ll do our best to advise you."

    "Hmph! I hope the situation isn''t too far gone to be fixed."

    "......"

    "......."

    Homura was happy to assist while Koharu was as willful as ever.

    Only Danzo and Hiruzen were silent as they waited patiently to discuss.

    "I have found reason to believe that Orochimaru has defected from the Leaf."

    Minato gave the news, watching Homura and Koharu become shocked that one of their strongest ninja had defected from the village.

    He wasn''t paying attention to them though.

    He was mainly watching Danzo and Hiruzen.

    Danzo''s face was stoic as usual, but Minato could see the faint twitch in his fingers.

    Hiruzen was more transparent as a heavy sigh breached his lips.

    "We found his lab mostly in shambles and many dead bodies all over. I have evidence to support my belief that he was experimenting on civilians and ninjas alike creating forbidden jutsu."

    "Unbelievable. Is this perhaps the result of the wars on his mind?"

    "That''s not important now! We must report him as a Missing Nin! To use your own village for experiments is heinous!"

    Danzo nodded his head silently while Hiruzen shook his head in disbelief.

    "This is just part of the news, sadly."

    The two braced themselves as their worries were getting more numerous with how out of hand the situation was quickly becoming.

    "I''ve also found evidence that there may be a high level traitor among us."

    ""!!""

    Koharu and Homura froze.

    The worst news came out and even at the worst time.

    Homura quickly began to calm down and think of possibilities for who could it be.

    "How strong would you say the traitor is?"

    "From the intel, I''d say Jonin to possibly Kage levels of skill. The traitor has records of treking to labs through dangerous borders undetected. They are highly skilled."

    "Did the records hold any defining features?! Anything we can use to potentially identify them?"

    Minato shook his head as he pulled out a file from his desk.

    "There''s not a clear description of the person in question. Only the height is consistent. That information, however, isn''t distinct enough for us to find them."

    The two were in deep thought as Danzo''s grip on his cane loosened while Hiruzen''s grip on his arms tightened ever so slightly.

    Koharu came up from her thoughts and notices the aura around the two.

    "What''s wrong with you two? Do you have an idea who the traitor is?"

    The two turned to the group, but before they could speak,

    *Bam*

    "I''m sorry, Hokage-sama, but I have a report!"

    Minato quickly recovered from his shock and urged the ninja to report.

    "Several clans have been attacked by unknown groups of Ninja!"

    "What?!"

    Minato stood up with shock as he heard the news, but soon he became conflicted.

    "Have any standby ninja assist them immediately! Bring medical ninja as well to save as many lives as you can!"

    "Yes, Hokage-sama!"

    The ninja leaves the room immediately, leaving everyone in the meeting concerned on how to proceed. It was then that Danzo stood up and started to walk out of the room.

    "Danzo-san, where are you going?"

    "I will get my group to find out more information on the attacks. Perhaps we can find something while the tracks are fresh."

    Homura nodded his head.

    "I agree with Danzo-san, it''s better to figure out where they came from and how they got in. They could be linked to the traitor."

    Koharu nodded as well, thinking that it was the best course of action.

    "But Danzo! We still have to keep you hear to discuss more about the gaps in the files."

    Danzo turned from the entrance and faced Minato.

    "4th Hokage, you are still too green. Four clans can be attacked now, but what about in the future? You must be able to take a small loss for a much bigger gain! If we find the culprits, we can bring them down at the source and avenge ourselves. Don''t lose sight over the goal blinded by your emotions."

    Minato grew shocked as he heard Danzo''s advice and stood in stern contemplation. Danzo turned back around, satisfied with showing his experience to the 4th.

    Minato nodded his head slightly.

    " I see. You may be right, Danzo-san."

    Danzo nodded his head.

    "It''s our duty to assist the Hokage as best as we can."

    Minato sported a bright smile as he sat back down, more composed than before.

    Koharu and Homura were surprised by the quick change in Minato''s character, but they both believed it would bring the Leaf even closer to being secure.

    "By the way, Danzo-san?"

    "Hm?"

    Danzo looked back and waited for the 4th to ask his question.

    "How did you know four clans were attacked?"

    The room''s temperature suddenly plummeted and thick killing intent emerged from Minato, stifling everyone in the room.

    Minato''s face had taken a stern expression as he interlocked his fingers in front of his face.

    "You should sit back down, Danzo. There''s more to discuss....about this traitor in our midst."

 Ch.34. The Storm (pt.2)

    The atmosphere of the room came to a standstill.

    Danzo kept his back to the others, not letting them see his face grow tense.

    ''He shouldn''t have too much to incriminate me. I can''t seem suspicious.''

    "If that''s what you wish, Lord Hokage."

    Danzo turned back around and sat back down at his seat.

    Everyone watched him with a questioning gaze, but he only looked at Minato.

    Minato looked coldly at Danzo while he pulled out a folder twice as thick as the first.

    "Now we''ll go into further details of the traitor that has been discovered."

    Homura and Koharu couldn''t help,but look at Danzo, but his expression gave away nothing.

    "Well, let''s begin."

    Minato eagerly opened the file and began to read off the information.

    "It seems the traitor was very interested in the cells of Shodaime Hokage. He had many children tested to see if it could be brought back."

    "I can see this being nothing, but a benefit if it''s for the Leaf."

    Danzo adamantly stated as he watched the others slowly nod their heads in agreement.

    "That''s true, but I do see something else in here that doesn''t benefit the Leaf."

    Minato placed a document on his desk from the folder.

    The document was picked up by Hiruzen, who read it slowly and meticulously.

    He shook his head once he finished, passing it on to the other two for them to read. Homura took the paper while Koharu came beside him to read it as well.

    Their faces held confusion as they couldn''t understand why would this be something beneficial to the traitor.

    "What does an arm made of the 1st Hokage''s cells give the traitor? It''s a death wish!"

    The two could see from the data of the creation of Tenzo that no one could just hope to be able to handle the 1st Hokage''s power. The death toll was in the hundreds only to get 1 who couldn''t even have the same effect as the original.

    "Indeed. By itself, it could be a death wish, but with this document, we can gleam some sense from it."

    Minato put another document on the table from the file.

    Hiruzen picked up the paper again, but his first reaction was to crush the paper in anger!

    "Haaa."

    He breathed in and continued to read in silence, alarming everyone besides Minato on what was on that paper.

    He finally finished reading the document, handing it over to Koharu and Homura.

    When Koharu received it this time, she couldn''t help standing up in shock.

    "He took Kagami''s eyes?!!"

    Homura stood up as well and read the document.

    Kagami Uchiha was a comrade of the four. He was one of the most loyal members of Konoha, the two had no doubts about that.

    The list showed the number of bodies from the Uchiha clan "found" by Root ninjas. The strong connection between them all was that the deceased were all reported to have a Sharingan, and their eyes were missing from their bodies.

    "I could imagine if you used many Sharingans, you''d be able to stabilize the cells of 1st. I couldn''t quite figure out why you would want an arm full of Sharingans, but Fugaku gave me an idea as to why."

    Minato crossed his fingers in front of his face and pondered.

    "He said there was an incredibly powerful technique that the Uchiha could use. The problem was that the eye used would be sacrificed."

    Everyone understood now why so many eyes were taken.

    ''With that many eyes as back-ups, they could use that Jutsu however they wished.''

    Homura started to sweat as the scale of difficulty this traitor presented increased more and more.

    While Homura and Koharu still grasped the information, Minato and Hiruzen only stared at Danzo, eyeing his every twitch and change in expression.

    Homura went towards the desk and looked through the files. The more he looked, the deeper and deeper into the Leaf this traitor appeared.

    Homura kept glancing through the information until finally, it feel into place.

    The final piece of information that brought it all together.

    "The Kyuubi."

    Homura murmured, but the silence in the room made it loud and clear.

    The document in Homura''s hands stated the traitor knew that there were now two Kyuubis after the attack.

    This information,however, was top secret as only a few ninja knew.

    Of those ninjas that knew this....

    Homura straightened up as he looked at Minato''s face, who continued to stare at Danzo.

    ''I''ve been a fool.''

    Homura headed back to sit down, but instead of the side where Danzo sat, he sat next to Hiruzen.

    He too, joined in staring at Danzo in disbelief. Once all the pieces came together, Homura could only hold his head in shame.

    These changes didn''t evade Koharu as she also dived into the folder, only to also figure everything out.

    Four pairs of eyes found their way to Danzo as he finally changed his expression. His angry face confused the two advisors, but not Hiruzen and Minato.

    "So Danzo, I''ve always had a question for you. Why is your arm in a sling?"

    Danzo looked down at his right arm and looked back at Minato.

    "It was injured in a battle a long time ago. I kept it as a reminder of what hesitation can do for a ninja."

    "I see. If you don''t mind, I''d like to see it."

    Danzo snorted as he stood up in front of Minato.

    "Let''s not beat around the bush, shall we?"

    Minato also stood up and leaned against his desk.

    "I guess that would be a good idea. I''m just debating with a decision now.".

    "A decision regarding what?"

    "Whether I throw you in prison, or just kill you here."

    Danzo chuckled as he stood unfazed by Minato''s killing intent.

    "You can attempt to kill me, but I might not die."

    "I''ve heard that might be the case."

    "I have a question as well then."

    Danzo raised his head and shook it.

    "What gave me away?"

    Minato suddenly smiled at the question.

    "Nothing really. Just a really observant bystander."

    Danzo couldn''t help scrunching his face as he couldn''t see where he made an error.

    "That doesn''t matter much now though. You will be removed from the council and Root will be disbanded."

    Danzo looked straight into Minato''s eyes and smiled.

    "I refuse."

    Koharu and Homura gasped as they couldn''t believe what they heard.

    "You know that this could be considered mutiny, right? It''s punishable by death."

    "I will not let some young punk casually end all that I''ve created!"

    "....So be it."

    Minato sat back down leisurely as he picked up the scattered documents.

    *tssuu*

    Minato disappeared from the office,leaving Danzo confused.

    "Danzo."

    Hiruzen''s haggard voice filled the room as he slowly stood up. Danzo turned towards him and eyed his "old friend".

    "Did you really do this for the village, or for Your village?"

    "......"

    Hiruzen shook his head lightly as his stance seemed to become firmer suddenly.

    "I see. How unfortunate."

    *tssssuu*

    Minato flashed back into the office, with smile on his face.

    "Where did you go, Lord 4th?"

    Homura couldn''t help asking with how bright his smile was.

    "Checking the damage. It looks like it''s pretty bad."

    "Lord 4th?! Do you mean the four clans have been decimated?"

    Minato shook his head as he looked at Danzo.

    "The Roots headquarters had been destroyed."

    "What?! How is that possible?!"

    Danzo was furious. He just stated he wouldn''t lose his creation, only to hear it was destroyed?!

    "You should''ve been careful with your list of candidates. You managed to get one mom very upset."

    Danzo grit his teeth as he watched Minato slowly approach him.

    "Don''t worry. We found quite a few Root members who were quite happy to talk about you after their seals were removed."

    If looks could kill, Danzo would''ve eradicated Minato at this point.

    Minato patted Danzo''s shoulder and looked towards Hiruzen.

    "Are you ready?"

    "....Yes. I''ve delayed this long enough."

    Minato reached out and grasped Hiruzen''s shoulder as well.

    *tttsuuu*

    The three ended up in a large coliseum that was used for the Chuunin exams.

    Minato let them both go and disappeared into the stands.

    Danzo looked around,seeing multiple Jounin,Chuunin, and Anbu watching the center of the arena.

    Kaya sat near the edge, eyeing Danzo with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

    Fugaku and a few other Uchiha watched Danzo with radiant hatred, a gathering of Sharingans all directed at one point.

    Danzo also saw his group tied up in wood shackles as Tenzo and Kakashi watched over them.

    Danzo finally couldn''t help but cackle out loud in surprise and madness!

    "Hahaha! Is this my welcome party?!"

    "Not quite."

    Hiruzen took off his robe and revealed his black shinobi battle outfit.

    He stood a distance away from Danzo as he prepared himself.

    "If you are going to eye the village as your own with no regard to me, it''s only right I get to fix my mistake in letting you go rampant first."

    Danzo grew excited as he had long wanted to be rid of Hiruzen. His self control didn''t matter anymore as everything was out in the open.

    Danzo used his free hand to unlock the seals on his right hand.

    *Clank Clank Clank*

    The three locks on his arm were released as a pale arm covered in red irises appeared.

    Hiruzen had read about the arm, but seeing it was an entirely different thing.

    Fugaku''s eyes started to spin rapidly as he counted the missing eyes of his clansmen.

    "Is the crowd here just to bear witness to you losing your life, Hiruzen?"

    Danzo finally felt he was a match for Hiruzen. For so long, he held his inferiority and gathered his strength. He could finally let out his long held grudge of not being fast enough to sacrifice his life.

    Hiruzen shook his head with a wry smile.

    "No, they''re just waiting for their turns to come. Don''t think you''ll get out of here alive, Danzo."

    "Hmph. Show me if the God of Shinobi is still around or if he''s now just another myth."

    The two look towards each other. The bonds before the arena all disappeared as the two raced towards each other. No longer were they friends, rivals, leaders, or even protectors of the same village.

    They were only ninjas on a battlefield, clashing at each others throats with everything they had.

    *Clank*

    The battle of the older generation had at long last begun!

 Ch.35. To End An Immortal

    Hiruzen and Danzo clashed head to head, exchanging many blows and shurikens at rapid speed!

    Hiruzen bit his finger and used the blood to cover his hand. He weaved seals and placed his hand on the ground!

    Summoning Jutsu!

    *Poof*

    Enma appeared in front of Hiruzen and took in his surroundings quickly.

    "What''s going on?"

    "Danzo has betrayed the Leaf''s citizens and clans. He must be taken down."

    Enma looked surprised, but a gleeful smile formed on his face.

    "Good, I never liked him anyway!"

    Enma transformed into a staff, landing in Hiruzen''s hands.

    Hiruzen charged forward with Enma in tow while Danzo weaved seals while also rushing forward.

    Wind Style: Vacuum Blast Barrage!

    Danzo blew multiple air slashes at Hiruzen, who blocked the slashes with swings of the Adamantine Staff!

    Danzo decided to blow Wind Chakra onto a kunai and clashed against Hiruzen!

    The two clashed back and forth while the others just watched them duke it out.

    "How long do you think it''ll take for us to get our turn?"

    "Ha! If we even get a turn! I''m sure he doesn''t have that many eyes!"

    Ninjas discussed the battle on the sidelines, but the few Kage tier ninja were watching the battle like hawks. Hiashi stood close to the edge, his Byakugan active and watching the changes in Danzo''s chakra.

    He couldn''t wait to get into the ring ever since he had been informed his daughters were targets of Danzo as well.

    Shikaku looked around the arena and sighed at the mess.

    ''What a drag! This could''ve been over already if not for Lord 3rd''s request.''

    Shikaku really wasn''t fond of the idea of the 3rd fighting Danzo alone, but Minato allowed it with conditions.

    The arena was Hiruzen''s idea after he had read the scroll Kaya had given him. This plan was easily implemented with Minato''s help transporting people and Kaya''s assistance in getting rid of Root with the help of the Anbu truly loyal to the Leaf.

    The agreement reached by everyone was that once Danzo would use the secret technique, a queue of ninjas would join the fight.

    Hiruzen only wanted to get the first kill since he felt responsible for everything getting out of hand.

    Danzo,however, was not going down without a fight!

    The two had clashed for a while with no winner in sight.

    "Enough, Hiruzen! Since you don''t seem to have warmed up enough, let''s put our convictions on the line!"

    Danzo drew back from Hiruzen and weaved seals. Hiruzen''s eyes glinted as he did the same!

    Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!

    Fire Style:Dragon Flame Bomb!

    Hiruzen and Danzo spewed wind and fire from their mouths towards each other.

    Danzo''s Wind blast fed the flames of Hiruzen''s Jutsu, making it grow exceptionally huge!

    *Boom!*

    The explosion greatly rocked the arena, making the ninjas brace from winds!

    "This is the power of the 3rd?! Amazing!"

    "Danzo shouldn''t have tried that with Wind Jutsu...."

    "What?! You''re on his side?"

    "No, just... nevermind."

    The explosion cleared and everyone could see Danzo''s burnt body laying on the floor.

    Hiruzen watched Danzo''s body and felt saddened. He didn''t let his guard down though. He knew this wasn''t the end.

    "Ah.... So you''re going to really cut me down?"

    A weak voice reached Hiruzen''s ears as Danzo slowly brought himself to his feet.

    His bandages on his face burned away, revealing yet another Sharingan. Fugaku grew even more incensed seeing yet another Sharingan in this man''s body.

    "Well, let''s see you truly go through with it."

    Danzo weaved a few handsigns and suddenly disappeared!

    "What?!"

    "Don''t hold back! I know I won''t, Hiruzen!"

    Danzo appeared behind Hiruzen and went to stab him in the back with a kunai!

    "It''s definitely not the time to hold back, huh?!"

    Water from the rain earlier in the day suddenly shot up and shielded Hiruzen from Danzo''s attack!

    "What?! So you''ve come to interfere..."

    Kaya landed next to Hiruzen with a smile.

    "Interfere? Oh Danzo, you let me in yourself."

    Kaya weaved handsigns and extended her hands.

    Water Style: WaterBall Jutsu!

    Water was pulled into a giant orb of water above her head as she continued to weave handsigns.

    Water Style: Water Spike Barrage Jutsu!

    The ball of water suddenly shrunk and fired many large water spikes towards Danzo!

    Danzo didn''t move and welcomed the spikes as they struck him!

    Danzo was skewered into the ground, then suddenly disappeared again.

    He reappeared again a distance away from the two.

    "It''s useless. You won''t be able to kill me so easily!"

    He tried to move in to attack, but he suddenly saw a yellow flash!

    *Swish*

    Danzo vision suddenly spiraled out of control as he couldn''t feel his body.

    He only realized after he saw his own back that Minato had cut off his head!

    "Well, let''s find out how much it takes to kill you."

    Minato held his kunai at the ready while Danzo''s body disappeared once again.

    He reappeared in front of Hiruzen this time to catch him off guard, but Kaya blocked him off once again.

    "Damn it!"

    Danzo cursed as he now understood the rules of this arena he was trapped in!

    "Finally! It''s time! Hiashi!"

    "Hmph! Lets see who gets in first."

    Fugaku and Hiashi both faced each other and held their fists out in front of them towards each other.

    "Rock!"

    "Paper!"

    ""Scissors!!""

    The two unleashed their kekkei genkai and watched the others movements. The two wanted to get to Danzo badly, but only one could get there first!

    Fugaku''s eyes spun rapidly as they tried to calculate the trajectory of each of Hiashi''s moves!

    Hiashi, on the other hand, stared at the fluctuations of Fugaku''s muscles to see which of the three he would use!

    The hands finally came down as the two saw the verdict.

    "Hmph! The Hyuga is indeed the strongest in the Leaf!"

    "Dammit! Kill him quickly so I can get in!"

    Hiashi nodded as he jumped down and joined the battle.

    "Do you think this is a game?!"

    Danzo was infuriated as he turned towards Hiashi, but he felt a chill when he saw how focused Hiashi''s eyes were on him.

    "Of course not! Did you think my daughters would be your pawns, you bastard?!"

    Hiashi appeared right in front of Danzo and assumed a stance of the Gentle Fist.

    "You won''t escape!"

    Eight Trigrams: 64 Palms!

    Hiashi swiftly attacked Danzo''s chakra points as he poked and jabbed his chakra network with deadly precision.

    "Haaaa!"

    Hiashi struck Danzo heavly as he was sent flying towards a nearby wall.

    He coughed up blood on impact and soon disappeared once again, gasping for breath this time.

    ''Damn it! I can''t keep up with everyone!''

    "Where are you looking, Danzo?"

    Danzo quickly turned around only to find Fugaku standing behind him with his Jutsu already prepared!

    Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!

    Fugaku spit out a huge fireball that swallowed Danzo whole!

    "Aaaaaah!!!"

    *Boom*

    Danzo was blown up again, only to reappear with a grave expression.

    "Damn it!"

    He wanted to flee, but remembered the large group of ninjas watching the battle.

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    Danzo heard a strange sound, only to feel his chest get ripped open by a hand coated in Lightning from behind

    "K-Kakashi!"

    Kakashi wearing his Dog mask struck Danzo in the heart with his Lighting Blade!

    "That''s for trying to take Obito''s eye from me."

    Danzo disappeared again and reappeared in between everyone.

    He knew he was surrounded, and tried to find a way to get out of the encirclement.

    "I''m not late to the party, am I?"

    "Who?!"

    A husky voice came from outside the encirclement as everyone saw a new ninja appear.

    Kaya was especially shocked to see him!

    "D-Dad!"

    Di walked into the encirclement with a white katana in his hand.

    He smiled gleefully as he looked at Danzo.

    "So he''s the immortal man we have to kill? You don''t look so strong."

    "You! How did you get your arm back?!"

    "Hehehe. Someone cared a lot about me and decided to fix it. That''s enough about that though."

    Di held his hand over the hilt of the blade and gave Danzo a sinister grin.

    "Show me how you recover again."

    Lightning Style: Lightning Chakra Armor!

    Di''s long,sandy blond hair spiked up as a cloak of Lightning chakra covered his body and disappeared!!

    *Shink*

    Danzo felt the familiar sensation of his vision rolling all over the place and immediately revived himself.

    ''I couldn''t even see the technique!''

    Di shook off the blood on his blade and turned back around to face Danzo. His smile became bigger as he saw Danzo was actually fine!

    "Interesting! Kaya, how long can we play with him before his ability runs out?"

    "Well, you have until all of his Sharingans close. Wait, we?!"

    "I can jump in now, right?"

    Kaya watched in shock as Riku jumped down into the ring as well, looking towards Kakashi.

    "Kakashi-kun! You''re coming over for dinner this time, understood?"

    "Y-Yes, Ma''am."

    "Good. So Danzo? You''re finally going to die, huh? Guess I better assist in that."

    "Even you?! Who did this?!"

    "That shouldn''t be your concern right now."

    Riku weaved hand seals as the ground near her started to burn with heat.

    Lava Style: Eruption Jutsu!

    Danzo suddenly felt the ground beneath him become increasingly hot!

    He tried to move away, but Minato threw a kunai on the ground, teleported to Danzo and teleported him back towards the Jutsu!

    "Damn you! Uwaaah!!!"

    *Boooom*

    Minato casually brushed his coat as he watched Danzo burn from the Lava that erupted from the ground!

    "Thanks, Minato-kun. Di and I have gotten rusty, haven''t we?"

    "Not at all, Riku-san!"

    Di nodded his head in agreement as he watched Danzo melt with fascination.

    Danzo reappeared again, but was finally too tired to continue.

    His right eye slowly shut as his last Sharingan had been used up.

    Minato saw this and he looked toward Fugaku, who previously mentioned he wanted to end Danzo himself.

    Fugaku looked at Minato with a glint in his eyes, waiting to finish this. Minato shook his head, however, and looked up into cloudy sky.

    "Akumu, your reward is ready."

    Everyone looked at Minato in confusion, wondering what he was talking about.

    Kaya looked irritated as Minato was holding secrets from her again.

    "Minato! Who is Akumu? What reward is he getting?!"

    Before Minato could answer her, everyone felt a chill crawl up their spine simultaneously. From Hiruzen''s shadow came a long, black wolf that leisurely walked towards Danzo.

    "!!!!!"

    Everyone was taken aback, but Minato raised his hand to ease everyone.

    "Don''t worry, everyone. This is Akumu. He''s.... apparently a new Biju. He''s also the one who helped us get information from Root."

    Danzo twitched as he watched the sinister looking wolf come towards him.

    "So, you''re the reason I failed. I''ll make sure you won''t get away with it unscathed!!"

    [Hohoho! How exactly?]

    Everyone heard a voice in their minds laughing at Danzo as the wolf sat down and watched him in amusement.

    "Damn it! I''ll not let some mutt be the end of me!"

    Danzo bit his thumb and weaved hand signs furiously and slammed the ground.

    Summoning Jutsu!

    *Poof*

    "Gruuuuuuooou!!!"

    A huge, elephant like creature with tiger like claws appeared behind Danzo!

    "A Baku?!"

    Hiruzen seemed to know the beast, putting everyone on guard as they prepared to deal with it.

    Only, they didn''t need to deal with it at all.

    Akumu rushed up towards the Baku, moving extremely fast.

    "Crush him!!"

    The Baku listened to Danzo as it raised it sharp claws and slammed them into the ground!

    *Boom*

    The arena was silent as they saw the black wolf get crushed under its claws.

    "....That was a Biju?! It''s so-"

    "Guuuuooooo!!!"

    Kaya was skeptical about Akumu''s status as a Biju, but everyone noticed the pained expression on the Baku''s face.

    They saw the Baku''s body start to thin as all of its muscles deteriorated at rapid speed!

    "What''s this?! What''s happening?!!"

    Danzo could only ask in hysteria as he saw the Baku become skin and bones, collapsing onto the ground in agony.

    He saw the black wolf once again appear from behind the Baku as it disappeared in a puff of smoke.

    [Tsk. Was that all?]

    Danzo began to shake frantically as he saw the wolf closing in on him.

    "No! I still have one last move!"

    Against this threat, Danzo had to pull out his final card.

    He opened his Kimono to reveal a four directional seal across his chest!

    "That''s the Area Seal Bomb! Everyone, get back!"

    The other ninjas retreated towards the stands of the arena, but Akumu just rushed towards Danzo at a greater speed!

    He appeared in front of Danzo and lunged to bite him.

    "You won''t take me without a fight, mutt!!"

    [Good! Struggle for me!]

    Akumu bit into Danzo''s experimental arm as Danzo released the seal!

    Danzo waited for the seal to engulf everything around him, only to find it wouldn''t activate!

    ''What?! Why won''t it activate?!''

    Danzo then noticed the seals of his technique were crawling into Akumu''s mouth that held his arm!

    [Boring. Let''s just get this done with.]

    *Rip*

    "Aargh!!!!"

    Danzo felt intense pain as Akumu ripped of his arm of the 1st Hokage cells and looked towards Fugaku.

    [He''s all yours.]

    Akumu then disappeared into the shadows of the arena, no longer bothering with Danzo.

    Fugaku only looked at Akumu briefly before swiftly appearing in front of Danzo.

    "Now to end this for good."

    Fugaku looked down at the exasperated Danzo and smiled.

    "I bet you''ve been looking for a Mangekyou Sharingan in my clan to take, haven''t you?"

    "!!!"

    Danzo was shocked out of his pain! He had always wondered if anyone in the Uchiha clan had one, but he couldn''t find anyone who had such abilities!

    ''Could it be?!''

    He watched Fugaku''s Sharingan morph into a black ring with red tomoes and found himself in a world of red, black, and negative colors.

    He found himself strapped to a table  as he watched a multitude of Fugakus surrounding him.

    "Welcome to the world of Tsukoyomi, Danzo. For the next 72 hours, I''m going to torture you relentlessly. When I''m finally done, I''ll pluck your eyes out, just like you did with my clansmen."

    Danzo couldn''t even utter a word as the swarm of Fugakus surrounded him. His pained cries could be heard in the negative world for quite some time, but no one would help him escape this fate.

 Ch.36. Busted!

    Most of the ninjas gathered around the arena started to head back to their posts or head home.

    Minato looked at Fugaku as he watched him burned Danzo''s body into ashes. Hiruzen had already left, sent back to the Hokage office by Minato.

    Fugaku just continued to pour chakra into the fireball, hoping to burn even the memory of Danzo into ashes.

    Fugaku noticed Minato''s glance, but kept burning the area Danzo died in for a few minutes more before stopping.

    "Thank you for allowing my clan to get revenge,Hokage-sama!"

    Fugaku bowed to Minato,showing his appreciation and respect.

    "Don''t be so formal, Fugaku-san! Comrades don''t need to be so stiff with each other."

    Fugaku nodded as he looked around at the leaving ninjas.

    "I guess it''s time for me to go as well. I''ll pray to our fallen relatives so they can have peace."

    Fugaku nodded once more before flickering away. Hiashi, who was nearby, also nodded and flickered back home.Minato sighed as he turned to face the others.

    "Let''s get the place patched up and ready for the next time we need this arena."

    "Yes, Hokage-sama!"

    Ninjas that stayed behind to clean up got to work as Minato walked over to Kaya and her family.

    "Thank you for assisting us, Di-san, Riku-san."

    "Ara ara~, it was no problem at all, Minato-chan! I''ve never liked that old fuck anyway!"

    "Language, Riku."

    "Hehe! Yes,dear."

    Minato smiled as he watched them interact.

    ''It''s been years since I first met them and they still haven''t changed.''

    Minato hoped Kushina and he could have the same style of relationship.

    At least with her not being too mad at him.

    "Minato."

    Speaking of mad, Kaya glared at Minato with her arms crossed.

    "Y-yes?"

    "You still haven''t explained what that Wolf Biju is!"

    Minato sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

    "I don''t know much about him either, but Akumu has assisted us with our investigation significantly. He only wanted the arm Danzo was having worked on as payment for all he did."

    Kaya was still unconvinced, but held her suspicions at bay as she sighed in resignation.

    ''Let''s deal with one thing at a time.''

    Kaya turned to look at her parents whom she hasn''t seen in a good while.

    They looked just like they did before she left, but with a glaring change to the amount of limbs they had before.

    "So? What the hell happened when I left?"

    Needless to say, she was very happy, but concerned with this change. She had never seen them with all their limbs, so this was a fresh experience.

    Riku put her arms around her daughter and gave her a hug.

    "First off, it''s good to see you too,Kaya. Secondly, we need to verify something with Minato before we tell you what happened."

    Kaya wanted to say something, but she knew her mother had the final say on this. Her dad wouldn''t bother with it unless it crossed some line he wasn''t comfortable with.

    "*sigh* Fine! I won''t ask, for now. How is everyone doing?"

    "Pretty good! Moya and Yozora are starting their Earth Style training, and Hii has begun his Lightning Style training with Dear. Henda is busy with orders and mastering Di''s complete method of blacksmithing. We all missed you,though."

    Di nodded his head as well, bringing a few tears to Kaya''s eyes, but she kept them at bay. She had more work to do.

    "Ok, I''ll be done soon and head back home."

    Kaya stood in front of Di as well, staring at the role model she always wanted to follow in the full glory she only heard stories about.

    He looked at her and the two stared at each other, until Di opened his arms wide.

    Kaya ran into her father and gave him a big hug. She was happy he somehow got his arm back!

    "*sniff* Minato, I''m going to go assist in cleaning up the root documents and checking on old man Hiruzen."

    Minato nodded as Kaya flickered away as well.

    Riku turned to Minato and her face became stern as she faced him.

    "Minato, Akumu is related to Hii, correct?"

    Minato was shocked, but he nodded his head in agreement.

    "Haaaa. That brat. He hides his secrets really well."

    Minato was confused until Riku explained how they got their limbs back was due to Hii and possibly Akumu.

    "....That power is without a doubt useful, but the drawback is horrendous."

    "We think so as well. It''s even worse that the state he was in after he did it could''ve been much worse. I''m sure after seeing Akumu fight, there must be conditions for the techniques to work."

    Minato thought hard about his interactions with Akumu and suddenly understood something.

    "It only ever fought or appeared at night, or when there is no sun! Anything related to the moon may also assist it. I do remember on the day of the attack, the moon was full."

    Di was shocked as he remembered something as well!

    "Before we got our limbs back, Hii did check outside first before we went to bed."

    The three nodded and looked in the direction Kaya left in.

    "It might have helped Kaya as well. She never used that much power before when the Kyu, Kurama attacked the village."

    "Kurama?"

    Di asked, making Minato sigh.

    "It''s the actual name of the Kyuubi. Kushina told me once she got more familiar with him."

    Now Riku and Di were shocked! They had their own fair share of encounters with Biju, but never knew thay they had names!

    "Can you tell us a bit about what you learned from Akumu?"

    Minato nodded before teleporting them back to the Hokage office to discuss what he knows.

    *******

    That was...different from what I thought.

    Haruka was a very nice lady. Too nice in fact. I could barely get away without her feeling like she wasn''t a good host.

    She had a lot of stories with Mom though. It seems like Mom would visit her every few days to see her.

    Haruka seems to be sick with something, but I don''t know what? Maybe Akumu would know?

    I''m jumping across the rooftops, heading back home before more rain comes.

    [Hii!]

    I stopped on a building and looked around.

    ''Akumu?! What happened?! Why do you sound like that?!''

    [I...need you to come over to me.]

    ''Where are you?!''

    [Near the lake where you trained Water Style!]

    I quickly changed directions as he moved towards the forest, ignoring everything around me as I rushed to Akumu!

    [Wait!]

    ''No! You sound like you''re in pain! I will not stop!''

    [Behind...]

    I didn''t stop as he continued to go towards the lake. I definitely couldn''t forget this place since I was water balled to high heaven here.

    I came to the lake and saw Akumu laying on his side near the edge. I rushed up to Akumu and felt his furry neck. It''s as soft as usual, but I don''t see any wounds.

    "What happened?! Are you hurt?!"

    [No! Just... I really underestimated the 1st Hokage.]

    Huh? How did the 1st Hokage have anything to do with this?

    I looked at him from head to tail. He looks fine besides a bloated stomach.

    "What did you eat?"

    [The biggest, juiciest piece of Yang chakra I could find. I just didn''t think it would be so hard to actually digest though. It even seems the eyeballs I ingested didn''t help either.]

    "Eyeballs? Who''s eyes are you eating?!"

    [Don''t worry about that! Just... let me rest inside you.]

    I nodded and watched as Akumu slowly entered my stomach.

    I then felt....heavy? This never really happened before when he came back.

    I''ll talk to him about it later.

    I stand up and dust myself off as I get ready to head back home.

    And then I froze. I made eye contact with someone who followed me.

    She came out from the trees and landed right in front of me.

    I feel a deluge of cold sweat come off my back.

    She stood before me with caution and anger on her face.

    "Hii? Where did the black wolf go?"

    Mom looks really,really pissed.

    I step back, and she steps forward.

    [I... tried to tell you.]

    ''Wish you made that more clear, buddy.''

    I have no other choice! I''ll have to use the family technique Dad taught me!

    I immediately drop to my knees and bow my head to the floor!

    "I''m very sorry, Mom!"

    I dare not look up, in case it isn''t effective.

    I heard nothing for a short while, then I heard a sigh.

    I feel a hand rubbing my head gently, but it only subsides my fear slightly.

    "Don''t sit in the mud, sweetie. It''s not good to get your clothes dirty."

    Mom lifts me up and drains the water from the mud. She dusts me off and looks me right in my eyes.

    "Now, about that wolf."

    .....Guess it didn''t work.

 Ch.37. Acceptance And Changes

    I''m sitting in sezai again, this time inside of the house.

    Mom''s staring at me, but I''m not gonna look at her.

    I''m not gonna lose Akumu, by any means!

    "Hii!"

    Nope!

    "Hii! Look at me!"

    "No!"

    I can feel Mom getting mad, but I don''t care!

    [Hii. Maybe you should hear her out.]

    ''I really don''t want to! I can feel she''s gonna say something about you being too dangerous or something.''

    [I did just bite a pretty powerful ninja''s arm off and I''m pretty sure his summoning is probably dead. Give her the benefit of the doubt.]

    ''I guess that''s fair. You bit his arm off?''

    [Right off his shoulder.]

    ''Cool!''

    I humor Akumu and decide to look at Mom.

    .....Shit! I didn''t notice she started to cry!

    Damn, now I feel bad....

    "Hii. How long has... Akumu been with you?"

    "Since I was born."

    Mom looks shocked to her that answer, but she seems to have no choice, but to accept it.

    [You don''t lie to her. You''ve never really lied to anyone really when I think about it.]

    ''Huh? I don''t think I have either. Probably not the time for self reflection though.''

    [Agreed. She''s calling you.]

    I look back up at Mom. She looks...a little frustrated.

    "....Can you talk to Akumu?"

    "Yep, we were talking right now."

    "..... Can I talk to him?"

    "......"

    [Hii.]

    "...Fine."

    Kaya braces herself, and flinched when I lifted my shirt.

    Akumu starts to come out, slowly this time.

    The air feels colder again and he just lays next to me once he''s free. Whoa, I just got dizzy.

    [Are you ok?]

    I feel... a bit tired for some reason.

    "I just feel a bit tired. That''s all."

    [Hmmm. We probably won''t be able to separate as often once I''m fully grown. At least until you''re bigger.]

    "I see. Mom, are you ok?"

    Mom seems a bit stunned to see Akumu coming out of my stomach. Well, I can''t blame her though. It will be surprising no matter how you see it.

    "Y-you better not hurt my baby!"

    [Wouldn''t dream of it. He''s like my twin.]

    "Huh. Now that I think about it..."

    Mom put out her hands.

    "I gave birth to a bouncing,baby boy. Not a black wolf pup!"

    [Your loss. I was adorable.]

    "I have to agree with him on that."

    Mom holds her head with her hands.

    "You, aren''t you suppose to be evil or something?"

    [Pfft! Do I have to? It seems pretty tiring. I just want to sleep really.]

    Mom seems to want to argue, but ends up sighing.

    She sits down sezai in front of me and looks kinda glum.

    "I, I apologize. I was a bit too hasty in judging you."

    Mom lightly bows her head and pats mine.

    "Akumu''s a good boy, huh?"

    "Yep! He''s a wolf though, not a dog."

    "Isn''t it the same thing?"

    [No! It is not! Better yet, I will be a evil, just so I''m not a good boy!]

    *Pffft*

    Mom started laughing loudly as she held her sides.

    "Hehehe! You''re pretty funny, huh?"

    Mom rubbed Akumu''s head without fear at all. Her face slowly morphed as she grew slightly shocked.

    "Your fur, is really soft."

    [Thanks? Everyone says that.]

    "Wait! How do you see anyway?!"

    [Ugh! She''s just like Kushina! I should just head back.]

    "No wait! I''m sorry! Just let me pet your fur!"

    [No! I''ll be stuck here forever if you do that!]

    "....You two seem to get along well."

    ********

    The twins came back with Dad as Mom and Akumu were arguing about me for some reason.

    This is pretty embarrassing.

    "Hii should learn more Water Style Jutsu!"

    [No way! Hii will probably be much better at Lightning Style than Water! No offense, but even Grandpa said Hii has talent.]

    "Ugh! Water Style has so many uses! He has the head to use it well in the right circumstance too!"

    [I agree, but his sword skill is improving fast as well. Lightning Style techniques would be much more useful to his arsenal now in speed and piercing ability.]

    Mom seems to be seriously considering his words.When did they become friendly like this?!

    "Mom."

    "Mom! You''re back!!"

    Yozora and Moya rush into the room and hug Mom. She hugs them back and rubs their heads with a big smile on her face.

    "Dog?"

    [Close, but not quite.]

    Oh? Yozora''s eyes are sparkling when Akumu talked.

    "Haaa? A talking dog?!"

    [I''m not a dog!]

    Even Moya doesn''t seem too scared of him. She even pets him!

    "Ooooh! Yozo! You gotta pet him!"

    Yozora began to pet him as well, both rubbing his fur happily.

    "We''ll continue this discussion later."

    [Fine. I think these two should start specializing in different weapons too. They don''t get swords like Hii does.]

    Mom perked her ears at that, but decided to ignore it for now as she rushed to Dad in a sprint!

    "I''m back, Dear~!"

    "W-welcome home!"

    .....Good luck,Dad.

    "Oh! Looks like everyone is here!"

    Grandma and Grandpa came inside next. The whole family''s back now.

    Grandma looks at me and gets confused.

    "Hii dear, why are you on the floor?"

    "Ugh...Punishment?"

    "For what, dear?"

    "Not telling Mom about Akumu."

    Grandma looks right at Mom, who''s hiding behind Dad right now.

    "On the floor."

    "But Mom! I just-"

    "On. The. Floor."

    Mom''s head hung low as she also sat next to me.

    .....This is gonna be a family thing,huh?

    ******

    After Grandma berated Mom on her behavior, the family all moved into the living room. Akumu has become a new pillow for the twins as both of them fell asleep on his side.

    I guess he''s used to it now since I used to do it all the time.

    "Haaa, you could''ve waited until we came back to talk to him, Kaya."

    "I was just concerned, Mom! I was scared of what would happen to him."

    "Haaa. I''m not going to argue anymore with you."

    Grandma holds her forehead back with one hand.

    Mom has me sitting on her lap again. I can''t get out of this one. Her hold is tight this.

    Grandpa just smiles at the two arguing again and turns to Akumu.

    "Thank you for protecting my family, Akumu."

    [No problem. They''re my family too.]

    Grandpa smiles and says nothing more.

    Grandma gets excited as she looks at all of us.

    "I have good news for all of us today. We can finally be a clan, Kaya."

    "No way! Didn''t they reject us before?!"

    Mom looks really excited. What''s the big deal about being a clan?

    "Yes, we finally can all have a last name. Di has already thought of a name though."

    Grandpa nodded his head and looked at us with a serious face.

    "Kurokumo. That''ll be our last name."

    "....Is it related to our other relatives, Dad?"

    Grandpa had a sullen face when Mom said that. The atmosphere is getting rather tense.

    "Are you ok,Grandpa?"

    "Umu. I''m fine. Yes, it is related to the old clan."

    Grandpa eyes burn with determination as he clenches his fist.

    " Grandma and I could be considered the dark outcasts of the clans we were originally from, but now we''ll make a clan of our own. We''ll make it however we wish."

    Grandma nodded as she also grew excited.

    "Hehehe! Now we can finally use those old connections we made!"

    Grandpa nodded his head with a smile.

    "Now we can discard the memories of the old village and truly embrace the Leaf. It''ll be a new start for all of us. The children will also be able to get into the higher level class in the academy as well now."

    Mom patted my head softly as she seems to think of the past.

    " I was put in the civillian class back then too. Now you can just get to the higher end class with the other clan kids."

    Oh? That means I can go to school with Sasuke and Naruto? Maka and Hinata should be there too.

    "Now the only thing we need is a symbol to wear. I guess you have an idea about that?"

    Grandpa just smiles and shows a pretty simple drawing. It''s just a black cloud, but it looks pretty good.

    "We''ll keep it simple. We don''t need an elaborate symbol anyway."

    "True. We don''t need elegance. This is good enough."

    The two laugh at each other as Mom nods her head as well. Dad seems to like the symbol too.

    "It''s simple enough to put on any custom weapons we make. It''s perfect!"

    Grandma smiles while Grandpa nods with a sense of pride.

    "I''m glad my son-in-law can appreciate our symbol. We''ll have to get some clothes made for everyone to show the symbol off."

    "I can handle such a simple task. I have many friends who make clothes. I can get a good price for it."

    Grandma pats her chest with a smug grin. Grandma has lots of friends despite her coarse language. I wonder will Moya be like her?

    "Now, about Akumu..."

    I tighten up as Grandma gets to the topic.

    "You just keep doing what you''re doing. Just make sure to protect Hii."

    [Got it!]

    ........ That''s it?!

    "That''s it?!"

    Even Mom can''t believe it!

    "What can we do? It''s not like we can punish him or something. He can eat seals and completely disappear at night. We can''t do much to him. He''s done nothing wrong anyway."

    Grandpa nods his head.

    These guys are way too lax! I guess that''s fine, but still!

    "Besides, he may have possibly helped you out before during the Kurama attack. You already owe him alot for saving Minato-chan and Kushina-chan. Could you handle more debt?"

    "You saved Minato and Kushina?!"

    [Ah? I never told you that, huh?]

    Mom immediately bows her head to Akumu after she heard the news.

    "Thank you for saving those two! It means a lot to me!"

    [It''s fine! You mean a lot to us as well, so it was just a minor detail.]

    Jeez. I feel stupid for being worried at first now.

    "On the subject of Akumu, how do you suppose we get the twins off of him?"

    Dad asks a rather complicated question as we look at the two sleeping peacefully on Akumu''s side.

    ".....Is he really that soft?"

    "You wouldn''t believe how soft he is!"

    Akumu gets rather scared as Grandpa shoots up from his seat to pet him. Grandma joins him shortly afterwards, followed by Dad and Mom.

    I just watch as Akumu looks to me for help, but I can''t fight family off. Their faces look like it''s pure bliss to pet him too.

    I guess this can be an funny story for how our family started as a clan.

    I can see it now.

    We''re the Kurokumo clan, and we pet Bijus.

    Huh, that has a nice ring to it.

 Ch.38. The Test and Legacy

    A few more weeks pass as I''m training with Grandpa all the time now.

    I managed to get Lightning Style down faster than I did with Water Style. This made Mom rather mad, but it''s her fault. I didn''t learn it quicker because she wouldn''t teach me properly.

    I''m getting better at fighting Grandpa with the my sword, but being able to fight him evenly is still far away.

    "Haa haa haa."

    "Good job. Rest now."

    Grandpa pats my back and continues to hone his form.

    [You''re getting stronger. Don''t worry about the difference. You''ll get there.]

    ''But you''re suddenly getting heavier...''

    I started feeling a weight start to drag me down ever since he ate that arm. It''s like I''m bloated or something.

    [That''s probably because of my growth. I''ll be leaving anyway soon, so you won''t have to worry about it too much.]

    ''Huh?! Why!?''

    [It''s for two reasons. One, I still don''t know if your power is hindered by me or not. These next few years will be the years where your chakra will really grow from training. You can''t mess these years up with me messing up your chakra growth.]

    ''But what about Naruto?! He has one too!''

    [He''s an Uzumaki. They already have high chakra to begin with. He just needs to learn control..]

    I can''t really argue against him. We still don''t know if it''s fine he stays with me or not.

    [The other reason is because I want to find out what''s going on in the world. I have already messed the world up quite a bit. I have to make sure things don''t get too far out of hand.]

    ''I still don''t like it.''

    [Then you better be much stronger than this when I come back! I''m not leaving now though. I''ll leave when you start going to the academy. Just a few more years until then, so let''s have fun until that time.]

    I nod my head. I gotta figure out more ways to get stronger.

    "Hii."

    "Yes, Grandpa?"

    "The break is over. Come."

    I jump to my feet and attack Grandpa with all I have!

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    We continue to cross blades for a while as I try to use my Lightning Chakra

    I''m trying to use the Lightning to speed up my body, but I''m barely able to get it to work.

    "....."

    Grandpa suddenly stops fighting for some reason?

    "Grandpa, are you ok?"

    Grandpa breathes in deeply and exhales.

    "Hii. I need you to test something for me."

    Huh? What''s Grandpa testing?

    "Sure, Grandpa! What do you want me to do?"

    Grandpa puts his practice sword down and kneels next to me.

    "I need you to put Water Style Chakra in one hand and put Lightning Chakra in the other."

    I nod my head and see if I can do it.

    I put Lightning Chakra in my left hand and Water Chakra in my right hand. I have to focus more on my left hand, but I think I can maintain it.

    "Ok! What''s next?"

    Grandpa gulps and checks my hands.

    "Try to put your hands together."

    I nod and clasp my hands together.

    "Maintain it!"

    I hold my Chakra together and maintain the flow I have in both arms.

    "Try to meld it together!"

    I try to meld it together, but it''s pretty difficult. The two energies clash for a bit, but it soon got kind of easy to put them together.

    I closed my eyes and continued to meld the Chakras together until I just feel.... one weird Chakra.

    I haven''t heard Grandpa say anything in a while either.

    I open my eyes and notice my hands have a white orb in them. It looks like a Water Ball, but I can see it''s Lightning flowing around in a circle.

    "Whoa..."

    [Wow! That''s Storm Release!]

    ''Storm Release? I thought they''re were only 5 elements.''

    [There are, but combinations also exist if you can fuse two or more together. It''ll probably take more Chakra to do it, but it''ll make for a much more powerful Jutsu.]

    "Grandpa? Did I do-"

    Oh my God!

    The orb in my hand disappears when I noticed Grandpa had tears in his eyes!

    "Grandpa?!"

    Grandpa shivers and quickly wipes his eyes.

    "S-sorry Hii! I-I became too emotional. I''m okay."

    Grandpa looks up into the sky for a bit with a smile on his face. He turned back towards me with a rare smile.

    "I can finally pass on the legacy of the clan! The true Storm Blade will surface once again!!"

    Grandpa nods his head and picks up his practice sword.

    "One more spar, and we''ll go get some ramen to celebrate! Do your best!"

    *Gasp*

    I pick up my sword quickly and fly towards Grandpa!

    I gotta get Teuchi-san''s ramen again!

    *****

    Grandpa and I are walking happily to Ichiraku Ramen!

    Ooooh! It''s gonna be so good!

    Grandpa took me here before after training and I''ve been hooked since.

    "C''mon Grandpa! Teuchi-san''s probably busy right now!"

    "Ok, Hii. You go first and get some spots for us."

    I nod quickly and rush over to the store.

    I can taste it now!

    ''Hm? Wait, isn''t that...''

    I see familiar curly hair on a short frame nearby. With that crest on her back her back as well, that can only be...

    "Maka-chan!"

    Maka turned around and looked surprised to see me.

    "Hii-chan! Long time no see! I thought you had gotten fed up with being beaten by Shisui and Itachi."

    "Haha! No way! I''ll beat them soon enough. I''ve just had family training to do."

    "I see. Well, I''ve gotten stronger as well! We should have a match soon!"

    "Yeah! Where are you going now?"

    Maka tilts her head up to think. I guess something might''ve slipped her mind.

    "Nowhere. Just gonna head home."

    "You should come with Grandpa and I to Ichiraku!"

    "Ichiraku?"

    *Gasp*

    She doesn''t know?! All the more reason to bring her with me!

    "You''re coming with!"

    "H-hey!"

    I drag Maka with me as well as we get to Ichiraku!

    Yess!!! No one''s in today!

    "Teuchi-san!!"

    "Oh! It''s Hii-chan, eh?! Ready for another bowl?!"

    "Yep! I brought a friend with me too!"

    "H-hello!"

    Teuchi looks at Maka and chuckles.

    "Already bringing other customers, eh? I''ll make a great bowl of ramen for you both!"

    Yess!!

    "Who is this, Hii?"

    Grandpa comes through the flap and sits at the table next to me. Maka is sitting on my other side.

    "This is my friend, Maka Uchiha. She''s one of my sparring partners."

    "Oh. Thank you for taking care of Hii, Maka-chan."

    "No no! Hii takes care of me and Sasuke all the time. It''s no big deal."

    Grandpa nods and we all order a bowl!

    "It''s....really good!"

    I see Maka''s face light up as she digs into her bowl.

    I dig into mine as well! I just love the broth so much!

    "Haaa. That was good."

    "You''re finished already?!"

    Grandpa has already emptied his bowl and is already paying Teuchi-san for ours too!

    "T-thank you for treating me."

    "I was gonna pay for Maka''s though. I brought her here."

    Grandpa just rubs my head and waits for me to finish. Guess they''re is no arguing on this one.

    Maka and I finish our bowls quickly as well, anf give thanks for the food.

    "So Grandpa, Why are we celebrating anyway? What did that weird Chakra mean for our family?"

    Grandpa looks at me with a shine in his eyes as he nods his head.

    " It means you have the family Kekkei Genkai. You can truly inherit the Kenjutsu of the Clan"

    "The Clan?"

    "Yes. The one I had when I was a Cloud ninja."

    Grandpa leans forward on the table counter and sighs.

    "I was the younger brother of A, the Third Raikage."

    "The third Raikage?!"

    "Yes. He and I used to compete all the time. He would block my blade with his Lightning armor, and I would cut him with the blades I made. I aimed to be the sharpest sword, and he aimed to be the strongest shield."

    Grandpa looks down as he shakes his head.

    "I followed the old tradition of our family to try and reach my ambition, but fate is rather cruel sometimes. I was only born with Lightning affinity while my brother was born to have Storm affinity. I used the forgotten style of our clan to the best of my ability, but the true power of the blade  lies in Storm release. My brother, however, believed in his body more than a weapon, so he never really used it. The talentless brother took up tradition while the other made a name for himself."

    Grandpa stared into the bowl like he was looking at the past.

    I pat his shoulder and he wakes up from his memory.

    "What happened to make you leave, Grandpa?"

    "Haaaa. The Eight Tails."

    I was confused as to what that could do with Grandpa losing an arm.

    "I was friends with the host of the Eight tails and hung around him most of his life. It was hellish to see what he experienced when I wasn''t around him. When he died and the Eight tails came back out, I begged him to at least treat the new host with respect. He didn''t believe a weapon should be given respect, just to kill what needed to die."

    He rubbed his arm slowly as he continued.

    "We had a fight about that, then it somehow evolved into a duel. I lost my arm clashing against his Hell Stab Jutsu he created. I couldn''t even pierce his skin, let alone his armor."

    Grandpa turned towards me and smiles a lonely smile.

    "I left afterwards in defeat. I couldn''t turn back after all that happened and dropped the family name. After I left, he ended up fighting the Eight tails and somehow received a scar. I heard he mellowed out much more after that, since his prized body wasn''t as strong as he thought."

    Grandpa stood up and stretched his body.

    "My brother''s family and our family can be considered a split between the families. We use the Storm Blade while the others use their own bodies as weapons. You''ll be able to use our legacy to the fullest though, Hii. I hope if you run into any Cloud ninja, you let them know our sword style still exists. I''ll head back home first ahead of you. I have to tell Grandma the good news."

    Grandpa bows goodbye to Teuchi-san and walks back home.

    "......."

    "That was pretty incredible."

    I think so too.

    I feel a weight now towards this sword style, the weight of Grandpa''s convictions.

    "Thank you for the meal, Hii. I have to get back home now. Nii-san is probably going to look for me soon. See ya at the training grounds!"

    Maka and I walk out of the shop as well and I watch her head back home. The air around her seems a bit sharper than before.

    ''She seemed kinda tense.''

    [After a story like that, I might be determined too.]

    ''Determined?''

    [She''s fighting against her disadvantage and looking for her own path, just as your Grandpa did.]

    ''......Can we help her at all with that?''

    [Who knows? Do you think she''d let you?]

    ''Probably not. I''ll help her if she ever needs it though.''

    [That''s all we can do.]

    I say goodbye to Teuchi-san and rush back home to catch up to Grandpa. I have to ask him more about Storm Release and the blade.

 Ch.39. The Rematch!

    It''s finally time!

    [Oh. You plan on doing that today?]

    ''Yep! I''m gonna go full power today! I gotta fight Itachi!''

    I grab my clothes and my practice sword and rush out of the house as fast as I can! I said bye to Grandpa on the way out as I dash towards the Uchiha estate.

    [Do you have a plan? I''m pretty sure you won''t win straight on against him.]

    ''I don''t mind if I lose, but I need to see where I stand now.''

    [Oh. Well,have fun I guess.]

    I arrive at Itachi and Sasuke''s house and knock on the door.

    "Oh! If it isn''t Hii-chan! Are you looking for Itachi?"

    "Yes, Mikoto-neesan! Is he here?"

    Mikoto shook her head.

    "Sorry to say, but he went on a mission just yesterday. Shisui and Sasuke are inside though. Maybe you can train with them?"

    Haaa. I just missed him! Well, I can at least train against Shisui again. I haven''t fought him in a while either.

    "I''ll go see Shisui and Sasuke then! Pardon my intrusion."

    "Hehe. Come on in."

    Mikoto takes me to where Sasuke and Shisui are. This house is big, no matter how many times I come here. I just can''t get used to the size.

    I spot Shisui and Sasuke going over... notes?

    "Hey! Long time no see! Sasuke wanted to know what he''d have to deal with in school, so I thought of a few problems. Want to check them out too?"

    "Huh. Sure, I guess. I really came here to train though."

    I shrug my shoulders and sit down at the table for a while and look at the problems.

    "Heh! I''ve figured a couple of them out. Let''s see how many you can get."

    "Sure."

    ******

    Hmmm. These situations are really fun!

    I never knew puzzles could work like this. I''m already on the 7th one. I wonder if the academy will have better ones.

    Sasuke''s looking rather stressed right now though. Shisui can''t seem to stop smiling.

    "How did you know the answer to number 4?!"

    "You gotta look at it from the perspective of a ninja. You can''t trust anyone completely, especially if they come out of nowhere with information not discovered yet. Most of the time, it''s a trap."

    "Ugh!! How come I couldn''t see it?!"

    Sasuke looks pretty frustrated. At least he''s better than Moya. She gives up even looking at puzzles.

    "You have to calm down. My Grandpa always says if your mind is at ease, the world is easier to see. Take a deep breath."

    Sasuke follows my advice and breathes in slowly, calming down as he looks over the problems again.

    Shisui nods his head as he watches us solve the questions.

    It''s been a good 15 minutes since we started, but I gotta say I enjoyed this more than I thought.

    [You gonna just do puzzles though?]

    ''I''ll get to it.''

    I put my pencil down and look towards Shisui. He nods and goes to get his gear.

    "Wait! Are you going to go fight? I want to go too!"

    Hmmm....

    I pat Sasuke''s head and shake mine.

    "Sorry, Sasuke. This isn''t a training session. I want an actual match."

    "?!"

    Sasuke looks at Shisui and sees him nod his head as we get ready to head to the training grounds.

    "I still want to watch!"

    I look at Shisui and see him nod his head.

    "Ok, get ready then."

    Sasuke face beams brightly as he moves to get his stuff.

    I chuckle at how happy he looks at seeing the fight, and Shisui laughs with me as well.

    "I''m glad to see such a happy Uchiha. I hope more children of the clan will be just as happy."

    Shisui nods, then looks at me and pats my shoulder.

    "I heard you have a clan name now. Should I call you Kurokumo-kun now?"

    "Please don''t. You know me enough that I don''t really care about that. We''re good friends anyway, right?"

    "Hehe. Fine."

    Sasuke comes running back with some ninja tools in hand.

    ......I just told you you''re not fighting.

    "Haaaa. Let''s go."

    Shisui just laughs as Sasuke follows along, oblivious to how bored he was going to be.

    *******

    We go to our usual training ground and start to stretch ourselves. I''m going to go all out today.

    "So, should I use my Sharingan as well?"

    "Umu. I want a real clash."

    "!!"

    Shisui and I set up our rules while Sasuke was surprised to finally realize this wasn''t a normal fight.

    "I told you, Sasuke. Today, you''ll just be watching."

    I pull out my practice sword and get into my stance. Shisui prepares himself as well and I see his eyes go red.

    "I''ll fight at about half of my power in the beginning. See if you can pull more from me."

    "Ok."

    I breathe in deeply and flicker towards him!

    *Clang*

    Shisui sees my movement and blocks it as we exchange more blows.

    The two of us keep striking at each other at high speed!!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    The two of us separate from each other and weave handsigns at the same time!

    Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

    Water Style: Raging Torrent Jutsu!

    The two of us spew our Jutsu at each other and it creates a large cloud of steam.

    I continue to weave seals and point my hands out to the steam.

    Lightning Style: Electric Ball Jutsu!

    A small ball of electricity shoots out of my palm and into the steam, carrying the current all over!

    "Ugh!"

    I''m not affected by my electricity and charge over to Shisui, who''s feeling the jolts.

    "Haaaa!"

    I smack Shisui in the stomach with my blade, but he disappears into a murder of crows.

    "Not bad. You''ve definitely gotten stronger. I guess I''ll amp it up a bit."

    Shisui starts to split off into 3 other versions of him as he rushes towards me.

    ''Are those clones, or afterimages?''

    I swing on the nearest one and my attack is blocked by the blade of one of them. Another comes toward me and I block him off as well, while the other just watches.

    "Afterimages!"

    How fast is he?!

    Fuck it! I got a suprise for him!

    Lightning Armor!

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    My body is covered in lightning as I zoom past the two and strike the third clone!

    "?!!"

    I catch him off guard and continue to strike him off balance as I increase the Chakra in my armor!

    "Uuwooaaah!!"

    I strike once more with my blade from overhead and managed to knock the blade out of his hand!

    I have to release my armor now, but I did it!

    I can''t get careless though. It can''t be over with just that.

    Sure enough.

    *Poof*

    The Shisui I smacked disappears into a puff of smoke and reappears behind me!

    His sword is placed on my shoulder as a smile graces his face.

    "You just keep surprising me at every turn."

    "I aim to please."

    ''Luckily, I''m not here.''

    Water Style: Water Clone Jutsu!

    My clone dissolves into a puddle of water as I flicker behind Shisui!

    I hid myself during the impact of our Jutsu as well!

    "?!"

    I place my sword on his shoulder this time, or at least reach for it. He''s pretty tall compared to me.

    "Did you like this surprise too?"

    "I love it!"

    Shisui suddenly disappears into vapor?!

    "You should keep a look out for Genjutsu. It only takes a second when you fight an Uchiha."

    A blade finds its place on my shoulder again as I heave a sigh.

    Eye contact! Fucking Eye contact!!

    That''s so broken!!

    ''But it wouldn''t be fun if it wasn''t.''

    [Hehe. Gotta think of a plan for Itachi then. He''s definitely better at Genjutsu.]

    I put my hands up as Shisui laughs in his victory.

    "You should use that Jutsu all the time. The Lightning armor is a really useful and a pain to go against. I couldn''t place you in a Genjutsu if you kept it up."

    "I can''t maintain it for too long. I have to train my body to last longer."

    "Well, that''s going to be tough. You''re going to have to do strenuous workouts."

    Hm? Workouts?

    I seem to be forgetting someone who can help with that.

    [Guy! How can you forget the eyebrows?!]

    "The eyebrows!!"

    I yell out as I finally remembered Might Guy. Shisui pauses, and laughs so hard he holds his stomach.

    "Hahahahahaha!!!! Eyebrows?! As in Guy?! Hoooo. I''m going to use that next time I see him."

    He starts to settle down as he breathes out in a satisfied manner.

    "Jokes aside, he will definitely be able to help you with that kind of training."

    " I see. Do you know where I can find him?"

    "You just need to head to the training ground on the other side of the village. He always trains there."

    I memorize the location and pick up my sword. I''ll have to find him when I have the time.

    "Hmm?"

    "What?"

    "What happened to Sasuke? He''s been quiet for a while now."

    Shisui and I turn around and find Sasuke staring at us, mouth agape and eyes bulging.

    *Pfft*

    We both immediately start laughing hysterically as Sasuke manages to gather himself and blushes furiously.

    "S-Shut up!! I was just surprised!"

    "Hahahaha!! I''m sure I can fit a bomb in there! I gotta tell Itachi about this!"

    "Noooo! Don''t tell Nii-san!!"

    Sasuke chases after Shisui and I as we run away, trying to get us to never tell Itachi.

    Now I know for a fact I won''t tell Itachi if he asks me, but I also know that Shisui is gonna tell Itachi whether he likes it or not.

    And sure enough, a few days later,  I heard Itachi was told about it and a small laugh came out of his mouth.

    Sasuke hates Shisui now, and it''s absolutely hilarious.

 Ch.40. Youth!!!!!

    I''m heading over to the training ground Shisui told me about today, and I don''t really know how to feel.

    I just hope Guy doesn''t make me wear a leotard.

    [He''ll definitely bring it up.]

    Ugh! Please no!

    I make it to the training ground and regret is starting to kick in as soon as I see him running around on his hands again.

    "Ah!!! Youuuth!!!!"

    I''m getting shivers right now!

    [......]

    Please say something!

    [I didn''t think it was this intense. Good luck.]

    ''So this is where our bond ends?!''

    [I don''t need the training! You do! I''ll cheer for you though.]

    Damn it!

    "Hm?"

    Ah! He noticed me!!

    "Ah! Hii-chan! I still remember your display of youth! What brings you out this way?"

    "Ugh..."

    Haaaa. I need to do this, but..... I really don''t want to!

    "I-I need help with Taijutsu. I want you to help me please."

    I bow to him, hoping he can give me a few pointers.

    ....Why is he crying?

    "Uuuugh!!! I can feel it!! I can feel the youth!!! Of course I''ll help you! I''ll show you the way to use Taijutsu!"

    Ugh!!

    This level of passion... is a bit much!

    [Par for the course.]

    ''Seriously?!''

    [You''ve seen nothing.]

    "Well, let''s start with what you''re wearing."

    ''Here it comes! Time to use my secret technique!''

    "Guy-sensei!!"

    "Hm?!"

    "I want to wear what I have now! I need to promote my clan so they know we are hard workers! I can''t let my family down!"

    ''Please believe it!''

    Guy stands there for a little while, then gives me a thumbs up.

    "Building your family up,eh? That''s admirable! Of course I can allow such burning passion!"

    ''Whew! I did it!''

    "Well, to get a good foundation, we''ll take things slow. Let''s go with 10 laps around the training grounds to start!"

    And that''s how my self-inflicted hell started.

    ******

    Sit-ups

    Push-ups

    Squats

    Running

    And Sparring. Everyday. For weeks.

    On top of my other training.

    I''m so tired.... but I can''t give up now.

    I feel improvements in my stamina and my Taijutsu and they''re immense.

    I also can''t stand how much stamina he has! He does all my workouts with me and does his own after!

    ''He''s just a monster!''

    "Hahahaha!!!"

    We''re running through the village today. I''m sweating like crazy and yet this guy is on his hands again!

    I''m not losing again!!

    "Hnnnngh!!"

    "Hahaha!! Show me your Youth!!"

    The two of us race through the village, dodging people and obstacles alike.

    "Hii-Nii!!"

    Huh?!

    Moya is chasing after us?!

    "Moya?! What are you doing here?!"

    "I was shopping with Mom and I spotted you! Mom wants to know when you''ll come back home."

    ''Shit! He''s gaining distance again!''

    "Tell her I''ll probably be back late. I''m racing Guy-san right now!"

    Moya''s eyes sparkle as she sees the man "running" with his hands.

    "How is he doing that?!"

    "It''s because he''s a freak!"

    "Hahaha! Thank you for your compliment!"

    "It wasn''t a compliment!!"

    We end up leaving Moya behind and race back to the training grounds. Of course, I ended up losing again to this damn beast!

    "Haa haaa haaa!"

    "Phew! I worked up a sweat! I guess now would be a good time to get serious!"

    No way!!!

    "Now then, Hii. I remember you have an objective in training with me. It was to boost your stamina for a Jutsu correct?"

    "Haa haa, yes, Guy-san."

    "Good! Now use that Jutsu against me!"

    "Eh?"

    Seriously?!

    "Are you sure? It makes me pretty fast."

    "Hahaha I love a good challenge! Show me the splendor of your Youth!"

    I don''t think I''ll ever understand your obsession with Youth, Guy.

    I should take his offer though. I still have to get used to fighting with the armor on.

    I nod my head and prepare my stance.

    Lightning Style: Lightning Armor!

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    My hair spikes up as electricity coats my body. I feel my entire body become tense and aware.

    "Oooh! Your Youth is shimmering brightly! Let''s see how much you''ve improved!"

    Guy gives me a thumbs up, and disappears?!

    I see a fist coming straight towards me as I hurriedly jump back.

    ''Holy hell! He''s fast!''

    I put my guard up as I charge toward him!

    I punch towards his chest, but he dodges and kicks me in the back!

    "Ugh!!"

    "I''ll go lightly for now. Come at me with all you''ve got!"

    "....You got it!"

    I amp up my Chakra and strike towards him viciously, but he just counters all my moves!

    I can''t lie to myself though.

    I''m having a lot of fun!

    We continue to fight, though it''s more like i''m trying to catch him and getting my ass kicked.

    I can now last at least 5 mins in my Chakra mode, but it''s not long enough at all!

    "Haa,haa,haa!"

    "Hahaha! Excellent! Let''s have a little break workout. 100 push-ups!"

    ....I should just ignore how insane he is.

    I have bruises all over me though. I''ll have to patch myself up first while I catch my breath.

    Medical Style: Mystical Palm!

    My hands begin to glow blue and I quickly heal myself.

    I''d offer to heal Guy too, but he''s just peachy right now.

    He obviously doesn''t need it.

    "Oooh! You also use medical Ninjutsu?! That''s amazing!"

    "Thanks, I learned it so I could train harder."

    I finish healing myself and see...

    Haa? Guy''s crying again.

    "Ugh! Such youth!! I can feel your burning passion to improve yourself!"

    "I guess. There are too many strong people I want to compete with. I can''t slack off."

    "Yes!! That is the meaning of Youth! To challenge those better than you in glorious competition! I have a rival of my own I wish to beat!"

    Huh?! Someone rivals Guy?!! Who the hell is that?!

    "Who''s your rival, Guy-san?!"

    "Why, it''s Kakashi Hatake!"

    .......That guy?

    "The guy who keeps getting dragged to dinner by Grandma?"

    As soon as I said that, I could''ve sworn I saw Guy shiver slightly.

    "Y-yes! He''s my eternal rival!"

    "Ooh! Who''s winning right now?"

    Guy thought for a moment and looked up with a bright gleam in his eyes.

    "He should be winning right now by 1 win over me. The score should be 11 matches with him having 6 wins."

    His eyes literally look like they caught fire as he shakes in excitement!

    "I''ll definitely even the score and surpass him."

    "Do you guys just fight all the time?"

    "No, we also play games! The competition is endless!"

    ......?

    "You mean, like rock paper scissors?"

    "Exactly! It''s far more challenging then you think."

    "Really?"

    [You haven''t seen two Doujutsu users play it! It''s pretty intense.]

    ''Really?!''

    Guy just shakes his head he seemed to remember something.

    "Ah?! We''ve wasted too much time! Hii! Let''s show our youth once more!"

    Haaa.

    I turn my Lightning Armor back on and dash towards Guy again!

    I have to try to hit him at least once!

    ******

    Another bust!

    Guy just kept dodging all my moves and countering me viciously.

    He did hit me in all my weak points though, so I''ve learned all about how weak my Taijutsu actually is.

    It''s kind of embarrassing how easily I got beat. I have to improve quickly

    [It''s best to stay humble. The world is a big place after all.]

    ''Sure, but can Guy really not use any Jutsu? I don''t really believe that.''

    [Just ask him next time you train. Doesn''t hurt to try, right?!]

    I nod my head as I reach back home and open the door.

    "Nii- san. Welcome back."

    "I''m back, Yozora."

    "Welcome back, Hii- nii!"

    "Thanks, Moya."

    I rub the twin heads in front of me as I look inside the house. I notice there''s a lot of chatter going on inside the living room.

    "Is someone here today?"

    "Mask nii-san is back today."

    "Oh!"

    I head into the room and see Kakashi, A.K.A. Mask nii-san, talking to Grandma and Grandpa. When we were introduced to him for the first time, we all decided on that name. Kakashi doesn''t seem to mind it either.

    "Oh! Hello again."

    "Welcome back, Kakashi Nii-san!"

    I rush to Grandma and Grandpa, giving them each a hug.

    "Ara ara~! I feel that you''ve gotten stronger, Hii-chan."

    "Umu! I lasted a bit longer today against Guy!"

    "Ooh! That''s pretty impressive."

    Mask Nii-chan told me as he looked shocked I could last against Guy.

    I looked at him curiously as we stared at each other.

    "You play against Guy in Rock Paper Scissors, right?"

    *Pft*

    Grandma laughed a bit while Kakashi rubbed his head.

    "Well, yeah. I can''t exactly fight him in Taijutsu all the time. A ninja must show versatility in any given situation."

    I nod my head, but in the back of my mind....

    ''You probably just lost in all your Taijutsu fights.''

    "Are you strong, Nii-san?"

    "Hmmm, I''d say i''m decent."

    "I want to spar with you then!"

    Kakashi looks surprised, but Grandma and Grandpa just nod their heads.

    "Hehe, you should give it a go, Kakashi. Hii might surprise you with how strong he is."

    Grandpa just nods his head while the twins have sparkles in their eyes.

    "Can we fight too?! Please, Nii-san?!"

    "Nii-san!"

    The twins look at me and I can only look at Kakashi.

    "Haaa. Guess I have to see how well you guys can fight. We''ll test your skills tomorrow, ok?"

    "Yay!!!"

    "Thank you, Kakashi Nii-san! Are you sure it''s ok though? I wouldn''t want to interfere with your plans."

    The twins celebrate, but I have to thank Kakashi for doing this. He''s probably busy looking at the armor he''s wearing.

    "Don''t worry about it. I''ll just let Sensei know I''m playing babysitter for Kaya. He should let me off with that."

    Uh-oh. He shouldn''t have said that.

    The one thing you shouldn''t do is belittle the twins. It makes them really mad.

    I can see dark emotions surface in the eyes of the twins as they stare daggers at Kakashi.

    "Babysitter~? You''re gonna regret that!"

    "Oooh? Will I now~?"

    The tension in the air thickens as the three stare at each other.

    I just sit with Grandpa and Grandma as  we watch the sparks fly.

    I wonder how they''ll do tomorrow?

 Ch.41.Growth

    I wake up early in the morning the next day and wash up. My muscles are a bit sore, but I think I''ll be ok today.

    I head out into the kitchen and was immediately shocked!

    ""Morning, Nii-san!""

    The twins!

    They woke up early?!!

    I''m sure my mouth would go to the floor right now, but I can''t help it.

    "Don''t worry,Hii. We were shocked as well."

    Grandpa rubs my head as we look at the two discussing plans for today.

    "Haaa. They only ever wake up in time for mischief."

    Grandma shakes her head as she makes breakfast.

    "Nii-san! Can you come here?"

    Moya calls me over to her and Yozora.

    Well, let''s see what they have in mind.

    "Hehe! Let me tell you the plan, Nii-san!"

    Moya goes on to explain what they came up with.

    .....It''s vicious. No matter how I look at it....

    "You''re not trying to kill him, are you?"

    ".......No."

    ''Why did you pause for so long?!''

    I started to sweat a little at the side plans they made in case the main one failed. They''re not any better than the first one.

    [These two are little devils.]

    ''Yeah. I''m starting to wonder if this will be a sparring match or a death match.''

    [You should probably back out.]

    ''I can''t. I suggested it, I have to see it through!''

    I sigh as I resign myself to a crazy time.

    "Nii-san."

    Yozora pats my shoulder as I turn to him.

    "You fight him first."

    "Eh?"

    "Yeah! You spar with him first for your match and we''ll fight him afterwards!"

    "This is just a sparing match though?!"

    ""Nuh-uh!""

    Oh boy.

    I''ll just focus on doing my best.

    I want no parts of their fight!

    ********

    We head over to the nearby training ground those three decided on yesterday.

    These two have become so solemn and serious, it''s scary!

    They''re just inspecting everything and checking the best places for traps. Grandma and Grandpa found a place to sit while I nervously watched the twins prep.

    "These brats! They only remember what I tell them when they''re up to no good. I wonder who they got that from?"

    Grandma kept watching the two work while Grandpa just stared at her and sighed.

    ''It must come from Grandma.''

    We wait for a bit as the twins keep surveying the grounds when Kakashi finally came.

    "You''re late, Mask nii-san! You getting scared~?!"

    "Of course not. I had to feed a neighborhood kitten on my way here. Sorry about that."

    Grandma just laughs as Kakashi scratches his head.

    The twins aren''t amused from the looks of their puffed cheeks.

    "Haaa. Kakashi nii-san, you and I will be fighting first. You''ll fight the twins afterwards. Is that ok?"

    "Ooh~. That''s perfectly fine. A good warm up would do nicely."

    "Ouch! No need to shoot my confidence down that bad."

    "Ah! Sorry! I didn''t mean anything by that. It''s just that I always get riled up by brats acting tough without reason. I''m excited for the twins to show me what they can do."

    I can feel their anger from behind me, but I''m not turning around. Kakashi just chuckles in their direction and goes to one side of the training ground.

    "What are the rules for our match then?"

    I ask while I do my stretches.

    "Just hit me with everything you got."

    He puts his dog mask fully on his face and readies himself.

    I nod and pull my blade out and slowly shift towards him.

    "Haaa!"

    I shot out towards Kakashi and swing my blade at him!

    My speed has increased greatly since I started training with Guy, so I''m eager to see how fast I am now.

    *Clang*

    Kakashi reads my move and blocks it with a kunai. We trade blows for a bit and I notice that Kakashi has a form to his Kenjutsu.

    I wonder if he can teach me what he knows?

    "Not bad, but you should give up if this is all you''re capable of."

    "I''ll have to try harder then!"

    I jump back and prepare my jutsu!

    Kakashi sees my jutsu and also weaves handsigns?!

    Water Style: Raging Torrent ��2!

    He copied my move?!

    Our streams clash against each other, splashing water everywhere.

    This works in my favor!

    Lightning Style: Paralyzing Bolt!

    Lightning shoots out of my hand and  shoots along the water toward Kakashi.

    "Hnnngh!"

    Yosh! Kakashi should be paralyzed!

    *Poof*

    Shit! A substitution!

    I rush to a nearby tree and look around the area for him.

    I checked everywhere, but he hasn''t popped up.

    I suddenly felt a shiver and jumped out of the tree immediately as a rain of kunai fell where I just was.

    ''This is probably a diversion.''

    I weave handsigns and hold my jutsu as I land on the ground.

    Earth Style: Headhunting Jutsu!

    As I land on the ground, a pair of hands grab my ankles and drag me into the ground!

    I can''t move!

    "Well,you did better than I expected. Not bad at all."

    Kakashi appears beside me and pokes my head.

    "It''s not over yet!"

    *Poof*

    "What?!"

    My Shadow clone disappears as I send shurikens and kunai at Kakashi!

    He jumps in the air to dodge, right into my trap!

    Water Style: Abyss Chain Jutsu!

    This is a new move I made!

    The water from the ground shoots up and attaches to Kakashi''s limbs.

    Four water chains wrap around Kakashi, immobilizing him as he''s dragged to ground.

    "I got you!"

    "You did. Congratulations."

    A voice sounds behind as I feel the cold edge of a blade.

    Damn! He figured out I was hiding in the bush!

    I have one more move!

    Lightning Armor Chakra Mode!

    My hair spikes up and I immediately dash out of the bush!

    I see my chains are wrapped around a stump.

    Looks like my only choice to win is to use Kenjutsu!

    Kakashi jumps out of the bush, throwing shurikens towards me!

    *Clang Clang*

    I block them with my sword and dash towards him.

    We exchange more blows and I managed to knock the kunai out of his hand!

    "Haaaah!"

    I strike him with my blade and he blocks it with a cross arm guard!

    He grabs the blade and flips me over his back!

    I flip to my feet and move to punch him, but he sees me coming and hits me in the stomach.

    "Ugh!"

    The armor blocks most of it, but it still staggers me.

    He wraps his arm around my neck when I tried to recover!

    I try to break out, but he has a firm hold around my neck.

    "Got you~."

    Haaaa.

    I tap on his arm and he lets go.

    "Good job! You really gave me a bit of a hard time."

    "Yeah...."

    Damn it! I still lost! Did I even have a chance?!

    [Calm down. The goal isn''t to win, but to get better. We get a little better every time, losses and all.]

    I grab my sword and grudgingly walk over to Grandma and Grandpa. I sit down between them and lie down. I feel a hand rubbing my head as I sulk.

    "Hey now, don''t feel bad about losing. You improved a lot since you first started training. Catching Kakashi off guard is no easy feat."

    "He still won though..."

    Grandma laughs as she watches the twins do their stretches.

    "He better win, or I''d start to worry about the Anbu. You did put up a good show for the twins though. Look at how fired up they are."

    I checked the twins and noticed they were only looking at Kakashi with fire in their eyes

    Have they always been so determined?

    "What happened to them?"

    "Ara~! You don''t know? Those two look up to you. If a bad man in their eyes beats their brother, they will definetly try to get back at them."

    The twins finish stretching and head towards Kakashi.

    "You''re gonna pay for making Nii-san sad!!"

    "Umu!"

    "Oh! I hope you''ll go a bit easy on me."

    ""Not a chance!""

    Moya darts toward Kakashi while Yozora throws shurikens at him!

    Kakashi dodges the shurikens and blocks Moya''s punches and kicks with ease at first, but they slowly started to get in synch with each other.

    I''m shocked to see them doing so well against him.

    "Surprised?"

    Grandpa asks me as we watch the fight.

    "Yeah. I never knew they could get this good."

    "That''s the funny part about those two. They always have fun no matter how bad it gets. If the training is fun, they do great. If it isn''t, it''s a mess. They don''t care about much else, but their family and few friends they have. That''s really all you need to get stronger."

    I watch the two set off some nearby traps and piss Kakashi off. When did they put a log up there?

    "You surprised us even more."

    "Huh?"

    "I never expected you to be able to move that fast with the Lightning Armor so soon. That Jutsu you used as well was also interesting. You''ll definitely get much stronger in the future. Keep training hard."

    Grandma says while Grandpa nods his head.

    [You''re definitely getting stronger, Hii. It''s just all of your opponents are scary.]

    ......I see. I guess I was worrying too much.

    I feel my blood start to pump as my hand reaches for my sword and a smile creeps on my face from watching them.

    Win or lose, it doesn''t matter as long as it''s fun.

    I can fight for something like that!

    I stand up and start to head over to the battlefield.

    Moya got caught in Kakashi''s Hunting Jutsu as well. He''s staring down Yozora who has shurikens in his hand with his foot on Moya''s head. He turns to me and sighs when he sees my face.

    "You''re all stubborn, huh?"

    "Get off me, Mask! I''ll definitely kick your butt!"

    "Language."

    "Not now, Yozo!"

    "Hahaha! I guess I better help then. Sorry, Kakashi-san."

    "Haaaaaa...."

    I draw my blade and charge toward Kakashi!

    I can''t let my sister get buried now, can I?

    *******

    Riku and Di watched as their grandkids "played" around with Kakashi.

    "They''re all getting strong pretty fast. It''ll be a good while before Moya gets the hang of Earth Style. Yozora will probably get it faster than her."

    Di only nodded his head as he watched Hii and Yozora pull their sister out of the ground.

    "Hii picked up on fighting abnormally fast."

    "It''s in his genes. Nothing too strange."

    Riku only gave her husband a short glance and turned back to the fight.

    "So Hii will learn the Storm Blade when he''s older, correct?"

    "Umu."

    "When are you going to give him a real sword? I know you''ve been making them in your spare time."

    Riku glanced at Di, but he avoided her gaze.

    "....You''re not gonna try to make the perfect blade again, are you?"

    "....."

    *Smack*

    Riku slapped Di''s shoulder and sighed.

    "You know, you can be so ridiculous when it comes to blades. I can see it now. You must''ve thought you made the perfect blade for him, was going to give it as a gift, and found one imperfection in it."

    Di held his gaze on the battle, ignoring Riku''s condescending gaze.

    "You scrapped it, huh?"

    Di flinched, but still said nothing. He didn''t need to, however, as his wife figured him out.

    "He needs to get used to a real blade''s weight. Get it done, dear."

    "Umu."

    Riku refocused on the fight and laughed.

    "He''s not going to do that 1000 years of death thing on them, is he?"

    "He might."

    Riku face became blank, then she sighed.

    "They''ll probably need a kick in their asses to get into training anyway. Might as well let Kakashi do it."

    ""Gyaaaaaah!!!!"

    "Ah. There they go."

    The two warmly watched their twin grandchildren get healed by the oldest one while they stared viciously at Kakashi. It seemed a blood feud would start between them soon.

    It seemed that today would be another good day.

 Ch.42. A Glimpse Of Youth

    "Hii-Nii!!"

    "Yes?"

    "Heal me again please!"

    My hands glow green as I touch Moya''s tailbone.

    Kakashi was pretty brutal in that fight.

    "Did he have to do it twice?! I''ll get him next time!"

    "Maybe you shouldn''t have used those paper bombs?"

    Moya just snorts at my question as she thinks of more ways to get back at him, I assume.

    "Nii-san."

    "Yes~."

    I also heal Yozora as well. Even he couldn''t escape the 1000 Years of Death.

    Me? I''m perfectly fine. I just ended up playing support to the twins by the end of it all.

    Those three, however, were ridiculous.

    Grandma had to repair the training ground after they were done!

    ''I wonder where they got paper bombs from?''

    Maybe it''s best if I don''t worry about that. Grandma comes in and looks at the twins with a snickering grin.

    "I hope you brats learned from that. Focus on your training so you can get him back."

    ""Yes!""

    Grandma just casually restarts the anger in them as they waddle their way to their room to study and train.

    "Grandma, is it ok to do that?"

    "Of course it is! Kakashi needs to tone down fron his brooding with some mischief. What better way to do it than by sending some brats his way? Hehehe!"

    I shiver as Grandma brings books on Earth Release to the twins room like she planned it.

    Grandma is scary sometimes!

    ******

    "Youth!!"

    "Y-Youth!"

    I''m back to training with Guy again, and I''m starting to get a bit scared.

    His catchphrase is starting to rub off on me.

    [Don''t fall into temptation! You can do it!]

    ''You must be having fun watching me suffer.''

    [Not really.... I actually have a bit of a problem going on right now too.]

    ''Oh?! What''s wrong?''

    [It''s nothing really. I just...might not be blind anymore.]

    I stop in the middle of my run.

    "What?!!"

    "Hm? What''s wrong, Hii? Have you grown tired already? I''m sure your youth can shine brighter!"

    "N-No! Just got surprised by my growth!"

    Guy nods his head with a trademark smile on his face.

    "Indeed! I must say I''m happy that your youth shines so brightly! Let''s continue into the sunset,Hii!"

    ''Yeesh! Can''t he take a break?''

    I continue to run after Guy who''s on his hands again.

    How fast must I be for him to actually use his legs?

    Ironically, He was ecstatic today because he beat Kakashi in their little rivalry games.

    Kakashi, however, told him he had a bit of an "incident" the day before.

    He then punished himself for getting excited when Kakashi wasn''t at his best.

    I can''t understand him sometimes.

    But enough about that!

    ''What do you mean you might not be blind?''

    [I...I don''t really get it, but it feels like something''s growing in my head.]

    ''Will you be okay?''

    [I don''t know, but so far it''s been pretty bearable. I''ll just have to wait and see.]

    ''Well, let me know if you need anything.''

    [Got it!]

    I continue to run after Guy as he blitzes forward on his hands again.

    This continued for a little while before he stopped and seemed to fall into deep thought.

    "Yes.... It seems like I''ve reached the next stage."

    "What?"

    Guy turns towards me with a brilliant smile.

    "It seems I''ve now reached a new level! I need to test this, but...."

    Guy gave a troubled look as he folded his arms.

    "I''m certain I won''t be able to move after I test my breakthrough..."

    "Eh?!"

    My shock must''ve not shown on my face because Guy just stares at me with a serious expression.

    This guy?! He won''t be able to move?!

    How?!!!

    "I have a favor to ask of you, Hii."

    *Shiver*

    I just got the weirdest spine tingle I''ve ever had just now!

    "I need you to use your Medical Ninjutsu on me when I''m done testing my technique."

    "Oh. Okay, I guess."

    "The problem is I need you to show me that with absolute confidence,you won''t tell anyone."

    "....Ok?"

    Is it so amazing, I''ll tell everyone?

    "Good! Now then."

    Guy reaches into his pocket and pulls out....

    Geh?!

    Why does he still have a kid jumpsuit?!

    "I''ll need you to put this on!"

    "You still want me to wear it?!"

    "I know you''re representing your family, but I''ll need your support for this! Please!!"

    Guy jumps into the air and falls down into a perfect dogeza!

    ''......''

    [.........Well-]

    ''Don''t you dare say I should do it!''

    [.....You should probably do it.]

    ''.......''

    [.......]

    *******

    ''I hate you.''

    I''m now.....wearing the damn jumpsuit.

    Guy has been crying in delight ever since I wore it.

    It''s like he achieved a life goal or something.

    "Finally! I finally got the next generation to wear the jumpsuit of Youth!!"

    ''It was a life goal?!''

    [.......]

    "I''m brimming with Youth! I''ll succeed for sure today! Youth!!"

    ".....Sure."

    Guy brought me to this huge boulder in a different area. I guess he''s gonna practice with that.

    Guy looks with intense passion at the boulder and gives me one final warning.

    "Remember, Hii! Be very careful with my body. I''m putting my trust in you."

    "Ok! I''ll do my best."

    ''As long as you don''t tell anyone I had to wear this.''

    Guy nods his head and assumes a cross guarded pose.

    He then, stands there for a while....

    ''What is he supposed to be doing exactly?''

    [....So that''s how you unlock it.]

    ''Do what?''

    [You''ll see.]

    Huh?!

    Suddenly, the air feels...stifled?

    I turn to Guy and.....

    ''What the hell is that?!''

    A green aura is surrounding Guy''s body as wind starts to pick up around him.

    "Eight Gates..... 5th Gate of Limit:Open!!"

    A burst of intense chakra came out of his body as his skin turned red!

    "Whoooooaaaaaa!!"

    Guy continues to pump chakra into his body, making his vest fly open!

    "6th.....Gate.....of......View......"

    His energy seems to be consolidating as he focuses his chakra towards a certain point in his abdomen.

    He continues to pump chakra at that point, but it doesn''t look like anything is changing.

    I''m sweating from the pressure he''s giving off! He can go farther than this?!

    It''s just....

    "He looks like he''s in intense pain."

    [That''s the trade off for that much power. That pain must be unimaginable and it isn''t even complete yet.]

    ''What?!!''

    [You heard him say it. Eight gates. He only opened up the 5th one. There should be 2 more he can open safely.]

    ".....Two more?"

    I can''t tell if I''m sweating from the pressure or the scary thought of 3 more versions of this technique!

    The chakra around Guy seems to be rising once again, sending bursts of air rushing everywhere.

    I can barely hold myself up! I''ve been pushed a few meters away from Guy already!

    "......Open!!!!!"

    Suddenly, the air bursts once more and I can''t keep myself on the ground!

    "Uaaah!!"

    I''m sent flying a few more meters before I can stabilize myself!

    I''m trying to keep my eyes on Guy when I suddenly see him jump into the air!

    He jumped the height of the Huge boulder like it was nothing!

    His fists clench and all I can see is an endless amount of flaming fists descend on the boulder.

    "Asakujaku!!!!"

    The fists break through the boulder as it quickly disappears into dust!

    "T-That''s so cool!!"

    I couldn''t help, but shout after seeing that!

    A giant cloud of dust and dirt surrounded where the boulder once was, but I can''t see Guy anymore.

    Where did he go?

    [Go into the cloud quickly!]

    ''Ugh, okay.''

    I quickly hold my breath and make my way through the dust storm to find Guy laid out on the ground.

    "Guy! Are you ok?!"

    I reach to touch his shoulder since he wasn''t responding to me.

    [No! Don''t touch him!]

    I freeze.

    [That technique unlocks the limiters on your body. It tears muscles and puts the body in a critical state. You have to heal him from a bit of a distance!]

    I nod my head and weave my handsigns.

    Medical Palm Jutsu!

    My hands glow green as I inch them slowly towards Guy''s body. I hover an inch or so away from his skin and the Jutsu starts to take effect.

    I focus on his chest diligently while my eyes look all around me.

    Small craters of flame pepper the ground around Guy. I can see that some have the outline of fists in them.

    This technique is really dangerous.

    After a while, I finally finish healing his chest, so I can press my hands on him.

    "Ugh!!"

    He groans in pain, but it''s probably just discomfort from the rest of his body not healed yet.

    ''.....Maybe-''

    [No! Do it normally! You remember what happened last time you tried to heal with my chakra!]

    I nod my head. That....wasn''t the best experience.

    I continue to heal Guy for a good hour before he starts to come to.

    "Ugh.... How long was I out?"

    "Um, about an hour?"

    Guy winces in pain as he tries to get up.

    "Wait, Guy! I''m not done healing you yet!"

    "Youuuuuth!!!!"

    Guy suddenly just stands up like normal?!!!

    "I''ve already acclimated to the pain! I appreciate your help today, Hii! Hahahaha!"

    My jaw would hit the floor if it could.

    "Shouldn''t you just get healed?! Straining yourself could make it worse!"

    "Don''t worry! I''ll just sleep it off! I''ve made it this far with my Youth! My road doesn''t end here!"

    It was then that something in me just snapped.

    "SIT DOWN AND LET ME HEAL YOU NOW!!"

    Guy''s face paled and he immediately sat down on the spot.

    I went over and started to heal all of his limbs so he could recover properly.

    ''How the hell can he be so cool and so stupid at the same time?!''

    [........]

    "Um... Hii-kun?"

    "Yes?!"

    I respond a bit harshly as I focus on his muscles.

    Wait? Did he call me Hii-kun? Isn''t it suppose to be chan?

    "I''m sorry for making you worried!My youth couldn''t be contained since I finally got the to the next level!"

    "That''s fine,Guy. Just make sure to take care of yourself. Your body is ultimate best weapon, so you have to take care of it better than others. Grandpa always says the most important weapons are well maintained."

    I continue to heal Guy as another hour passes. The sun is starting to set by the time I healed everything to tolerable muscle pain for Guy.

    I wipe the sweat on my body and get up with a sigh.

    "If you want to do more training with whatever that move is, come get me so I can heal you, ok?"

    Waterworks starts flowing from Guy''s eyes as he gives me a thumbs up.

    "I can feel the Youth! I''ll let you know when I feel I''ve reached the next level!!"

    "Good, I''m going home. I''m tired."

    "Right! I''ll rest up and be back out again in no time! Hahahaha!"

    Haaa, I''m not going to just ignore that for now.

    I trudge my way back home, heading through the town and arriving at my house. I went past my shocked grandparents and the twins with bright stars in their eyes and head straight to the bath. I come in front of the mirror and see my reflection.

    .......Haaaa.

    I still have the jumpsuit on.

    I went through the village and home with this on......

    [Well, I was gonna tell you, but you were already pretty mad and exhausted....]

    ''......Let''s just take a bath.''

    I''ll deal with it later.

 Ch.43. Awakenings

    I wake up the next day to some intense shaking.

    "Hii-Nii!!"

    "Nii-san."

    I open my eyes to see two vibrant pairs of green eyes staring back at me.

    "What?"

    ""Where did you get that jumpsuit?!""

    We stare at each other for a few seconds, and then....

    I go back to sleep.

    ""Hii!!!!""

    "Just give me 5 more minutes..."

    "But it''s already morning!"

    Ugh....fine.

    I groggily get up and rub their heads.

    I see the jumpsuit as I head out of my room on the floor and sigh.

    ....Better wash it and get another one for them.

    No. Guy most likely has more or will get more if I ask.

    "It''ll be a few days before I can get more. You can wait until then, right?"

    The two rapidly nod their heads as I chuckle.

    I head to the bath and wash up before coming back out and greet everyone at the table.

    "Hii."

    "Yes, Mom?"

    Mom looks at me with a cautious glance.

    Don''t tell me?!

    "You, Do you like to wear the jumpsuit?"

    "No! I had to wear it for a promise!"

    Mom sighs in relief, but she then catches on to something I said.

    "A promise? Don''t tell me?! Did he have a breakthrough?!"

    Mom shoots up from her chair and grabs my shoulders.

    "Ummm..."

    "You don''t have to worry about it. I already know about the Eight Gates."

    I nod my head as Mom already showed she knew more about Guy than I did.

    "That fool! He always ends up in the hospital when he breaks through! He must''ve had you heal him. I''ll have to tell Ningame again."

    "Ningame?"

    "Oh! It''s his summoning turtle. He uses it rarely from time to time."

    "Ooh! I want to summon stuff too!"

    Moya jumps into the conversation, but Mom reprimands her.

    "No. You must get a summoning contract with something that aids you, not because you think it''s cool."

    "Aaawww!!"

    "What summoning do you have, Mom?"

    Yozora asks Mom and she scratches her head.

    "I also summon turtles. I just summon different ones since I have better chakra control than Guy."

    "Can you show us?"

    Yozora asks Mom, but Mom just shakes her head.

    "Nope! I won''t let that old bastard come out unless I need him. Honestly, I hope you never get the chance to meet him."

    """Eh?!!"""

    Is he that bad?

    I look to Grandma and Grandpa and see Grandma shake her head.

    Grandpa looks up at me and just says two words.

    "Snapping turtle."

    Nope!

    "I''ll hold off on meeting him then."

    I heard some summonings can get big, and I don''t want to meet a bigger than normal snapping turtle.

    " Glad you understand, Hii."

    "Why is a snapping turtle so bad, Mom?"

    "You should read about it later."

    Mom leaves it at that and we continue to eat our breakfast and ignore Moya''s pestering.

    *********

    Since Guy is out of commission for a while, where should I go to train?

    [To the Uchihas!]

    ''Akumu?''

    Since when was he so excited to see the Uchihas?

    [I need information on their eyes.]

    ''Ugh...is that ok?''

    [Probably not. I just need to check something. If Itachi or Shisui is there, maybe they''ll humor you.]

    ''I guess I''ll ask for you, but no promises.''

    [Thanks.]

    I head over to the Uchiha estate and knock on the door once more.

    This time, Maka is the one who opened the door?!

    "Hey Maka!"

    "Ooh! Long time no see, Hii! You hear to train?"

    "Yeah! Is Itachi here?"

    Maka looks a bit sad as she shakes her head.

    "No, Nii-san and Itachi-san have been out on missions. It''s just Sasuke and me here today."

    "Well, that''s fine. You want to train together today?"

    "Sure! I''ll show you how strong I''ve gotten!"

    Maka gives a determined smile as she goes inside to fetch Sasuke.

    I head in and greet Auntie Mikoto and also see. Sasuke and Itachi''s dad,Fugaku-san,as well.

    "Hello, Fugaku-san!"

    "Oh. You must be Hii. Thank you for helping Sasuke in his training."

    "It was my pleasure, sir."

    I bow towards Fugaku who just chuckles.

    "Don''t be so uptight. Kaya would come after me if I allowed you to be so respectful."

    "I see. I''ll try to be more...familiar."

    Ugh! It''s awkward when you have to talk to a friend''s parent for the first time.

    Sasuke and Maka find me after they get their stuff.

    "We''re going out to train, Father!"

    "Good. Train hard!"

    We head over to the training grounds and do some stretches.

    "Ok, how should we train today?"

    "You''ve been gone for a while. Let''s see how strong you''ve gotten."

    Maka cracks her knuckles with a smile on her face. Sasuke also grins deviously and takes position on her side.

    Two on one, huh?

    "Fine. Let me show you how strong I''ve gotten!"

    "Heh! Don''t get sad when you lose."

    "Uoooh~! Cocky, are we? Let''s see if you can back it up."

    I jump a distance away and wield my sword.

    Maka jumps away as well, but Sasuke comes toward me!

    "Let''s see what you got!"

    He pulls out a kunai and leaps to strike at me! I dodge to the side and strike him with a slash!

    He blocks with his kunai, but he''s sent flying!

    I''m a lot stronger than before!

    "Ugh! That was pretty good."

    "My turn!"

    Moka flashes towards me!

    She''s much faster than before!

    She strikes at me with her fists as I dodge and try to hit her.

    "You got faster too! I won''t lose though!"

    "Ha! Bring it!"

    Maka jumps back and.... splits into 3 clones?!

    No! These are afterimages!

    That''s Shisui''s move!!

    The images rush towards me one by one and strike me! I block them, but there is no contact where I block!

    The images disappear when I hit them and shurikens flood my vision right after!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    I strike them away with my sword and see Maka in the distance grinning.

    "Haha! You like my trick? Nii-san taught me how to do it!"

    "It''s pretty good! It won''t help you win though!"

    "We''ll see about that!"

    Maka comes towards me again, but this time, I''ve got you!

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    *Poof*

    A clone of me appears at my side and we both shoot towards Maka!

    I cross paths with my clone a few times and strike towards two of the images together!

    "Whoa!"

    Maka dashes out of the way of our strike and the images disappear, leaving Maka by herself on the side.

    Wait! Where''s Sasuke?!

    *Swish Swish*

    I hear shurikens come from behind me!

    I duck out of the way only to see another pair of shurikens!

    *Clang Clang*

    I block them and shot towards Sasuke!

    We strike back and forth, but I end up knocking him towards a tree!

    "Ugh! Not yet!"

    He weaves hand signs and takes a deep breath!

    I weave hand signs as well to counter!

    Fire Style:Fireball Jutsu!

    Water Style: Raging Torrent Jutsu!

    We both spew our attacks at each other, but they both collide into a steamy mist!

    I quickly make my way to where Maka was to see if I can catch her off guard!

    *Clang*

    Only she came to me instead!

    She tries to strike me with the kunai, but I duck under her attack and sweep her legs! She''s caught off guard as I strike her in the stomach!

    "Ugh!"

    Maka is knocked away from me as the mist starts to clear.

    ''Now!''

    Lightning Armor!

    My hair spikes up and I shoot towards Sasuke!

    Huh?! He looks a little...disoriented?

    "I! I can''t lose here! I have to grow strong like Nii-san! I can''t let Father down!"

    Sasuke starts to yell something as I close in on him!

    I dash behind him and hold my sword to his shoulder.

    "You give up?"

    I see Sasuke turns around and I''m shocked by a pair of familiar red eyes.

    "No! I can still fight!"

    Oh boy! This is gonna be problematic.

    Sasuke jumps high into the air and throws kunai at me in a strange pattern!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    They ricocheted off each other towards me?!

    "Whoa! *Clang Clang* I didn''t know you could do that!"

    I block the kunai I couldn''t dodge and rush towards him.

    I try to trick him with some maneuvers, but he''s keeping up with me.

    I don''t think he''s noticed his eyes changed yet?

    "I won''t lose! I''m strong, just like Nii-san!"

    "I''ll admit you''ve definitely gotten better."

    But...

    *Smack*

    "Uagh!"

    Sasuke fell down as my clone whacked him on the head.

    ''I guess he forgot about the clone.''

    Fighting Sharingan users is tough, especially if they know how to use it.

    ''Looks like Sasuke is going to be a pretty strong opponent pretty soon.''

    I walk over to him and see if I hit him too hard.

    I unconsciously associate that eye with being stronger than me, so I don''t think the clone held back.

    "Hey! Sasuke! You ok?"

    .......

    Uh-oh! He''s not responding?!

    I quickly check his pulse and he''s breathing. I guess he''s just out cold.

    I better heal him just in case.

    [Wait!]

    ''Hm?''

    [Use my Chakra instead!]

    ''Why? He shouldn''t be hurt that bad?''

    [I can check the eyes while I heal him!]

    ''Ah, right! I''ll do that then.''

    I weave the handsign for my Medical Palm Jutsu and my hands glow green, then they start to glow black as I place my hands on Sasuke''s head.

    "Ugh!"

    Yeah, I definitely hit him too hard! The rushing migraine I just felt is proof enough.

    The black chakra sweeps over Sasuke,making him as good as new.

    The chakra then spreads on Sasuke''s face and eyes very slowly. I don''t feel any pain, so this must be Akumu''s doing.

    [Ok. That''s how I remember. What about.... Ah! There it is!]

    ''What did you find?''

    [My solution!]

    I roll my eyes. Not this cryptic mess again.

    ''Don''t tell me then.''

    [Hehe! I won''t then, brat!]

    The black chakra shoots back into my hands and disappears. Sasuke looks much better than before, so I guess it worked.

    [Now go check on Maka.]

    ''Right. I might''ve hit her too hard too.''

    I leave my clone to watch over Sasuke and head over to Maka.

    I find her leaned up against a tree, trying to stand on her feet. Her face seems really down.

    "Ugh! You got so strong! I gotta catch up to you."

    "I''m sure you''ll get there really quickly. Sit down and let me heal you."

    Maka nods her head and sits back down as I kneel beside her.

    [Let''s check her too!]

    ''Sure.''

    My hands glow green and I place my hands over her eyes, much to her confusion.

    "Why are you healing my face? You hit me in the stomach, remember?"

    "I just need to check something else too. Don''t worry about it."

    Maka looks in my direction and slowly nods her head.

    My hands starts to glow black as I heal her.

    I clench my teeth to endure the pain from the wounds Maka has. Maka had numerous other wounds besides the punch I gave her.

    ''Must be from extensive training. I got to respect her dedication.''

    The black chakra slowly spreads on her face as well as Akumu checks whatever he''s looking for.

    [Hmmm.... That''s there. That''s there too. Doesn''t seem like anything is missing. No, wait! There!]

    Akumu seems to get excited as he figures something out.

    ''What happened?''

    [I need you to keep her occupied while I tweak some things!]

    ''What?! What are you tweaking?! Akumu?!''

    Akumu ignores me as I see the black chakra shift around her face. She doesn''t seem to feel anything happening to her at all.

    "Are you done yet?"

    "N-No! Just hold still a bit longer."

    "That''s odd. You usually heal pretty quickly."

    "I''m testing out a new medical technique. I think it''s going to be really cool once I perfect it."

    I lie to her to buy more time, but I don''t know if she''ll believe me.

    "......"

    "......"

    ''Please hurry up, Akumu!''

    "S-So, we''ve had some pretty good weather lately."

    "......."

    "Your technique''s really good! How long did it take you to get that Body Flicker technique down?"

    "Hii?"

    "Y-yes?"

    "What are you hiding?"

    I can sense Maka is going to move my hands, so I quickly press my hands to her face firmly! She tries to pry my hands from her face, but I didn''t budge!

    "....."

    "....."

    "Hii."

    "Ugh! You''ve been training pretty hard! You had some hidden injuries, so let me just heal them for you."

    I can feel Maka''s eyes stare with suspicion through my hands, but I hold firm.

    ".....Haaa. Hii? Can I ask you a question?"

    "Sure! What is it?"

    "Why do you want to grow strong?"

    "Why do I grow strong? Why do you ask?"

    Maka''s head bends down slightly as she answered.

    "My goal for become strong is to be acknowledged by my clan. I want to be seen as someone worthy of the name Uchiha."

    "Aren''t you really strong though?! Haven''t you already reached your goal?"

    " I worked hard to get to where I am now, but they think it''s not worth the time. They think this will be all I''ll be able to reach."

    " I think you can definitely get stronger! Can''t your Nii-san just teach you what you need to learn?"

    I would if the twins needed me like that!

    "No. Nii-san can protect and teach me, but he won''t be able to change the clan''s mind. I have to be stronger than everyone else so no one can refute my ties."

    "Is it because of the Sharingan?"

    Maka slowly nods her head.

    "The Sharingan isn''t just an ability. It''s the true birthright of the Uchiha. Not having one just makes you look inferior and shunned by the others. It won''t matter even if you''re better than the ordinary members of the family with it."

    I can feel a lot of pain in Maka''s voice.

    "That''s why I attacked you when we first met. I thought you were another person called by those losers, looking to feel superior over a defect."

    "Don''t call yourself that."

    My tone came out a lot colder than I thought, surprising both Maka and I.

    "You have great potential, Maka. I''m sure you''ll rise up to be as great as you want to be.

    "I want to believe you, but the Sharingan is a status symbol for us. Some of the older boys I had to fight before awakened their Sharingans and now they don''t even acknowledge me. Even if i''m sure I can beat them, they automatically look down on me just because I haven''t become a "full member" in their eyes!"

    I can feel the anger in her voice clearly as she clenches her fists.

    "You''re the only one besides Sasuke''s family and Nii-san who believes in me! That''s why I want to hear what makes you so strong!"

    "......"

    Wow. Her circumstances are....really heavy. I wonder if Mom felt like this when she learned she couldn''t use Lightning Style?

    Ah! I should answer her before I get lost in my thoughts!

    "My reason for growing stronger....is to chase after a friend of mine."

    "A friend?"

    "Yeah. A really strange friend."

    I look up at the sky and the passing clouds through the branches of the tree.

    "My friend and I was born at the same time, but I guess he''s technically older than me. He taught me many different things and always helped me out in some crazy situations."

    I feel a slight tickling sensation in my eyes, but I ignore it.

    "I could only help him in little situations, so I want to get strong to help him in whatever he needs. The problem is he''s growing too fast. I''m scared we won''t be able to be around each other without him accidentally hurting me soon."

    I look at Maka again and notice that my hands have stopped glowing. He must be done.

    "I want to get stronger quickly, even just a little, to stay with my friend a little longer."

    ".....That''s a pretty good goal."

    I remove my hands from Maka''s face and smile at her. She still has her eyes closed.

    "I''d say we have all the reason to grow stronger, so let''s get there together! I''m sure we can achieve it!"

    I stand up and extend my hand to Maka to pull her up.

    I see a smile form on her face as she giggles a little, and then starts to laugh?

    I feel like she seems easy going now though. It''s like a weight was removed from her.

    She opens her eyes and looks at me with a smile.

    She grabs my hand and I pull her up.

    "Heh! I guess I have no choice, but to accompany you! I''ll race you to the top then!"

    Maka smiles sweetly as she brushes herself off and goes to check on Sasuke.

    [It was much easier than I thought. I also glad you want me around more! Hehehe!]

    ''.....Tell me something, Akumu.''

    [Hm?]

    ''Why...did Maka have a Sharingan as well?''

    I almost froze when I saw it.

    The 1 tomoe spun around her eyes, just like Sasuke''s . It was brief before it disappeared, but I know it was there!

    [Well, she technically had all the emotions she needed to unlock it already. It just couldn''t get to her eyes. That was easy to fix though once I had a correct template to copy.]

    "Sasuke! Wake up already!"

    I watch as Maka shakes Sasuke up with a headache coming on.

    Not just one, but two of them?!

    [Yeah, well on that thought... I might be unlocking mine as well.]

    .......Three. Just great. My friends are all powering up. I better not slack off or they''ll all beat me.

 Ch.44. The Warning

    We trained all the way to sunset today.

    It was an satisfying training session since I finally know I''ve improved. I held back after the first session. I learned my lesson in not holding back after all.

    I''m heading back to my house now, with my head sagging.

    Why do I look so down? It''s because I wasn''t able to tell Maka or Sasuke that they unlocked their Sharingans.

    [Couldn''t you just tell them you saw it briefly when you fought?]

    ''Only with Sasuke could I do that! If I did tell him, Maka would probably destroy herself in training to get stronger. If I told Maka she has hers, I don''t know how she''d react or if she''d believe me.''

    [Ah! The only solution then-]

    ''Is to tell neither!''

    I saw nothing!

    I just healed wounds! That''s all!

    "I''m home!"

    "Welcome back."

    "Welcome back, Hii-Nii!"

    I take my shoes off at the entrance and see the twins laying on the ground.

    "What are you two doing?"

    ""Feeling the earth.""

    ...Huh?

    "Grandma said we have to feel the earth to move it, so we''re laying down and trying to make it jump with our chakra!"

    "Nothing yet."

    Wow! I''m surprised they''re still training!

    "You two are working hard! Keep it up and you''ll be strong in no time."

    "We don''t need to be strong! We just gotta beat Stinky Mask!"

    Yozora nods along with Moya''s declaration.

    They won''t let that go, huh?

    "Well, good luck then."

    ""Thanks!""

    I pass by them and head over to the bath.

    I hope Kakashi won''t hurt them too much. It could be them hurting him though.

    *******

    Later at night,

    Hii went to sleep early as usual.

    Akumu sat in his Mind space, bearing the pain of his eyes forming.

    He''d never tell Hii about how painful it truly is.

    The pain kept him from talking most of the time. He was lucky Hii was too busy training to notice his silence.

    The pain had lessened recently, so Akumu was eager to have this ordeal pass.

    [Haaaa. Once they finish forming, I will finally see again.]

    *I''m glad to see your growth is coming along well!*

    Akumu stood up and growled in the direction of the voice.

    A shadowy figure slowly materialized from a portal in the Mind space. His black cloak floated in front of Akumu along with his flaming book.

    [Chaos.]

    *Well, hello to you as well! How have things been going?*

    [.....]

    *Oh, you''re still mad at me for that? Come on~! It wasn''t that bad.*

    [I nearly killed Hii!!]

    *Nearly. I don''t remember there being a funeral for him. You''re fast thinking saved his ass anyway.*

    Chaos started floated around Akumu, inspecting him and nodding his head.

    *You''re growing faster than I expected! You have a knack for blowing through my expectations.*

    [Why are you here, Chaos?]

    Akumu calmed himself and asked the entity.

    He knew better than to try to understand him.

    *Easy now! I''ve come with the best intentions. At least let me speak.*

    [......]

    *You''re mad I made you bite into Hii''s soul. Maybe I should''ve explained that?You could''ve just ignored it and grown normally though~.*

    [I would just have to watch everyone struggle and die against Kurama then?!]

    *You could''ve just treated it like a front row seat to the anime. Just watch the events unfold as you remembered. With an added cast, of course.*

    Chaos continued to float around Akumu with a chuckle.

    *But I know you couldn''t bear to do that.*

    [Grrrrr!!]

    *Ok,ok! Maybe that was a bit too much teasing.*

    Chaos floated in front of Akumu and sat down in the air.

    *How about I answer an honest question for you then? For your forgiveness~?*

    Akumu was already fed up with him, but he couldn''t hold back the urge to get answers.

    [Give me three answers then.]

    *Sold!!! To the fuzzy wuzzy wolfie!!*

    Akumu nearly growled, but held it in. He was better than that.

    He breathed in deeply and exhaled.

    [Why did I have to eat part of Hii''s soul to use my abilities?]

    *Ah! It''s because I gave the power to you, but a part of it went to Hii. You had to take it back. *

    [Why couldn''t you just-]

    Akumu held his tongue.

    Knowing this kind of being, if he asks the question impulsively, it could count towards his answers.

    *Awww! I thought you''d ask another question! How frustrating~.*

    Akumu breathed in once again and calmed himself.

    [What happened to Hii once I put the piece of Kurama''s arm in him? Is he okay now?]

    *His little soul became complete once you put that piece into him. The excess made him mature a bit faster than normal, but besides a bit of a learning boost, nothing much really. You and him at that moment became two different people.*

    Akumu sighed in relief, but a problem soon came to him.

    Which question should he ask for his final chance?

    Akumu thought of several questions, but couldn''t decide which one to ask.

    *30 seconds left.*

    Akumu looked at him in shock!

    *I didn''t say I had all night, now did I?*

    [Tch!]

    Akumu just decided to ask the first question that came to mind.

    [Why did you give me another chance?]

    Chaos looked at him, and gave him a shrug.

    *Why not?*

    Akumu lunged at Chaos, but Chaos simply fazed through him!

    *Hahahahahaa! That was priceless!! Hahahaha!!*

    [Enough! Why did you even come here?!]

    Chaos chuckled for a while longer at Akumu''s expense, then settled down.

    *Haaa. Right. I came to inform you of some things.*

    Akumu sat down on the floor, waiting with a pissed off look on his face.

    *Pfft!!*

    [Just tell me already!]

    *Hehehe! Right. I came to let you know 3 things. No questions though! I don''t feel like humoring you for much longer.*

    Akumu was getting more and more pissed off at him, but he held it in.

    Chaos reached behind him and brought out a floating knife! It was glowing green with a mysterious energy from the tip of the blade to the tang.

    *First on the list!*

    The knife hurtler towards Akumu before he could react!

    ''Slash! Slash!''

    [Aaaaagh!!!]

    Akumu shook his head vigorously as the pain was excruciating!

    *Aaaand done!*

    [Why did you do that?! Uuugh!]

    *Well, you looked like you were in pain trying to form your eyes, so I gave you a push. This knife is special as it''ll speed up the growth of what it cuts. I don''t even remember why I made this weapon! Maybe it was to torture someone? Meh. You''re welcome.*

    Chaos put the knife away and dusted his robes. Akumu rolled around in pain for a short while, but the healing effect Chaos mentioned took effect. He could feel a soothing sensation in his eyes, but his anger was blazing fully!

    [Grrrrrrrrr!!!]

    *Awww shut up! You don''t need to bitch and whine anymore about eye pain. Anyway, the Second thing on the list.*

    Chaos resumed his seated position in the air and looked at Akumu.

    *Since you''re now on the cusp of being fully grown, I suggest you leave Hii.*

    [What?!]

    Akumu momentarily forgot about his pain as confusion took over his senses.

    *I''m just giving you basic advice. Biju aren''t known to be able to zip in and out of a host. You two are going to be special exemptions of that. You already can see the effect it has on Hii when you leave or re-enter him. Once you''re grown, normal Biju rules apply. You can use this information as you see fit. Don''t whine to me if you kill him on accident though.*

    Akumu was silent as he heard this information. He had already noticed Hii became suddenly exhausted if he left or entered him. He would most likely have to separate from him for a much longer time than he originally planned.

    it was then that Akumu caught something important Chaos said.

    [You two? What do you mean by that?]

    ''Boom!''

    Confetti rained from the sky as Chaos clapped in applause!

    *Congratulations!! You''ve won yourself a wife!*

    [A wife?! How?!]

    *Well, I guess you could say that you two were already like a married couple before, so perhaps this will just be a continuation of that.*

    Chaos shrugged his shoulders and floated up from his seated position.

    *I decided to extend the same invitation I gave you to a woman you knew. She died rather abruptly, and I figured you could use a buddy from your past besides.... someone who used to be a part of you.*

    Akumu''s confusion knew no end as he tried to make sense of Chaos''s words.

    He struggled to make sense of what was happening until he suddenly recalled it.

    No, He suddenly recalled her.

    [You brought her here?! Where is she?!]

    Chaos stared at Akumu and chuckled.

    *Relax. She''s not born yet. You''ll sense her once she''s in the world though. She is going to be your other half, after all.*

    [My other half?!]

    *It was Order''s whining that made me do it. If you can eat Yang, someone must eat Yin for balance. It''s so much easier to create something that could do it with an already made soul. That''s all I needed to tell you. I''ll head back now.*

    A portal opened behind Chaos as he turned to make his way through it.

    He stopped suddenly before he entered the portal and looked back at Akumu.

    *You should be prepared for the possibilities of change. Protecting everything is a mountainous task. I''ll enjoy watching how you keep it all together.*

    Chaos left through the portal, disappearing from the Mindscape.

    Akumu could only sit on the floor and think over everything that was said.

    He thought back to his time in school, filled with those thoughts of revenge and youth.

    He remembered the girl who would stop her daily dashes through the halls and the tracks to pester him with questions and her excessive energy .

    He remembered the teasing of the students, the carefree smile on her face in contrast to his frustrated blush.

    He remembered the times he would ever so rarely smile when he was with her.

    [Fuyuki.....Why?]

    His growing eyes no longer hurt him as he laid back on the floor, deep in his thoughts.

    He laid there, steeling his convictions and plans for the future.

    Before he could leave and set out on his path, he had some loose ends to settle first.

    He had a lot to do and from how he could feel his eyes forming now, he had little time to do it.

 Ch.45. Akumu’s Past

    I woke up feeling pretty refreshed today.

    I stretch my arms out and was about to get ready for another day.

    That is until I noticed a huge black wolf laying next to my bed!

    "Akumu?!"

    [Morning.]

    I shoot up to my feet and kneeled next to him.

    "Why are you out?! Did something happen?!"

    [Quiet down. I''m close to being fully grown. I can''t stay in you forever. I won''t be able to get out without hurting you soon.]

    "I definitely wouldn''t want that!"

    [Me neither. We just have to deal with it like this from now on.]

    "But how are you going to come with me?"

    I mean, he''s nowhere near small enough to hide.

    [That''s actually pretty simple now.]

    Akumu came close to me and disappeared into my shadow!

    [I''m still close to you, just not on the inside anymore.]

    "That''s really cool!"

    [Well I''m glad you think so. I''ve made up my mind. You''re going to train with me from now on for a while.]

    "Really?!"

    [Yeah. Go eat breakfast first and enjoy your morning. We''ll leave at noon.]

    I can''t wait! I wonder what kind of things Akumu would teach me?!

    I head out of my room, excited about the new training I''ll get.

    "Morning, Hii-chan. You look pretty happy today."

    "Yeah! I''m going to train with Akumu!"

    "Oooh~! Well, you better eat up! I don''t know what a Biju would train you in, but you''ll need your strength."

    Grandpa nods at Grandma''s words and rubs my head.

    The twins on the other hand...

    "I wanna go."

    "Yeah! We wanna go too!"

    [Sorry. I''m only bringing Hii for this training.]

    The family watched as Akumu slowly formed his head up fron my shadow.

    The twins went nuts!

    "How do you do that?!"

    [It''s a special skill. I''m probably the only one who can do it.]

    "Cool."

    The three were playing around behind me as I sat to eat my breakfast as fast as I could.

    [Slow down. Savor the food. You''ll regret it if you don''t.]

    Grandpa''s ears perked up at Akumu''s words.

    "What kind of training will Hii be doing?"

    [Intense training. More than what he''s done so far.]

    The table goes silent as I continue to eat without a care.

    "What exactly will you be doing?"

    [It''s a surprise.]

    Mom''s face scrunches up while Grandpa nods his head.

    "He must come back stronger."

    [Don''t worry. He''ll have to.]

    "I''m done!"

    I finish my breakfast and quickly go to the sink to wash my dish.

    "Do I need to bring anything for this?"

    [Just the bare essentials and your sword.]

    I clean my dish and head back to my room.

    Akumu comes out of my shadow and lays next to my bed.

    [We will be gone for a good while, so spend some time relaxing. I have a lot to teach you in a little bit of time.]

    "Sure. I guess I''ll talk to Grandpa for a bit."

    I head out of the room and see Grandma about to leave with the twins.

    "Hii-Nii! We''re gonna train too!"

    Yozora nods with Moya''s words while Grandma laughs heartily.

    "I''m happy I didn''t have to resort to any tricks to get them to come this time. It''s quite refreshing."

    Grandma rubs my head and starts to head out with the twins in tow.

    "See you when you come back!"

    I wave back at them as they head off to the training grounds. Hopefully, they''ll figure out Earth Style soon.

    I head back in and sit next to Grandpa and Dad who are inspecting some weapons.

    "Are you excited to train with Akumu, Hii?"

    "Yep! I really can''t wait!"

    "Make sure to learn as much as you can. It''s a rare thing to have a Biju as a teacher."

    Dad encourages me as Grandpa just inspects the weapons. They must be in need of repairs.

    "How long?"

    "Huh?"

    Grandpa asks a question, but Dad and I don''t really understand what he''s asking.

    [A month or two.]

    Akumu answers him and he nods his head slowly.

    "Hii, remember what you learn and instill it into your movements. You still have to learn the rest of the Storm Blade."

    "Y-Yes Grandpa!"

    ....I''m suddenly getting the feeling like this training is going to be different from what I expected.

    ******

    It seems I was on to something.

    I''m now standing in front of a very insidious forest. A gate with many "Keep Out" signs posted on it for whoever would want to get in there.

    Or is it to keep everything in from getting to you?

    "What is this place?"

    [The Forest of Death. You''ll be very intimate with traversing it by the time this training is over.]

    *Gulp*

    "Ugh.."

    I don''t know about this.

    [You can''t chicken out now. You will become a strong ninja, one way or another.]

    Akumu comes out of my shadow and comes next to me.

    [Come on. Let''s go.]

    Akumu jumps over the fence and urged me to come.

    I jumped over the fence as well and I followed him deeper into the forest.

    All I could hear was the sounds a wildlife and insects.

    [I want to explain some things to you, Hii. It''s about my past. You deserve to know about it more than anyone else.]

    "Eh?!"

    He never talked about it before!

    I eagerly head up next to him and wait for him to begin.

    He sighed seeing my eagerness, but kept his head forward as we continued to walk.

    [I was born as Takashi Rendou, but don''t call me by that name. I''m just Akumu now. I was born with only my father to take care of me. My mother died during childbirth.]

    I felt a cold shiver at how nonchalant Akumu was describing his past.

    I didn''t know it was that bad.

    "I..."

    [Don''t apologize. You''ve done nothing wrong. My life is just shitty. There''s still a ways to go, so let me finish it now while I still think it''s a good idea.]

    Akumu shook his head and continued his story.

    [I had a good 4 year run with my dad, but he was couldn''t hold himself together without Mom. He couldn''t cope, so he offed himself. Found him in the living room laying out on the couch. Thought he was sleep, but he never woke up no matter how much I shook him. They said he overdosed on sleeping medication.]

    Akumu shook his head as he stopped near a tree.

    [Let''s stop here. This''ll be our little rest stop for now.]

    It was a hollow tree that stood close to a river. It was oddly beautiful, but I couldn''t focus on that. I wanted to know more about Akumu, but I was getting anxious of what happened to him. I don''t know how, but I can feel the pain in his story.

    Akumu just laid down near the tree,looking out at the river.

    [After that, I was sent to be with my Grandpa. He lived out in countryside, so I got to experience what that was like. My Grandpa was a pretty strict guy. He always called my Dad a coward for killing himself, so we never really got along the first few months I knew him. After a while though, he grew on me and I felt pretty happy around him.]

    Akumu felt the breeze go through his fur and took a deep breath.

    [That went on for about 4 more years when more bullshit came my way. I always knew my Grandpa was probably a part of some shady shit when I saw that giant tattoo on his back. I still remember the way that tiger was drawn so fiercely. I told him I wanted one just like it and he smacked me in the head.  He''d always say,"Just study and be productive, brat!", and I''d always tell him he was an old fart. We''d go back and forth like that for a while and the neighbors were used to seeing me run to the fields or the nearby creek afterwards to cool off. One day, after another fight like that, I ran and went to the creek again. I sat there just throwing rocks on the water and just venting at why he didn''t want me to get a tattoo again. When I came back,however, the house was surrounded by cops and there was blood everywhere.]

    Akumu''s let out a heavy sigh as he continued.

    [Some young bastard had beef with my Grandpa over something and got some guys to head with him to put Grandpa in his place. Grandpa tried to be civil at first, but he wouldn''t back down, so a fight broke out in the house. Grandpa held them off, but his injuries were too much. Someone called for help, but it was too late when they arrived. That''s how I lost my Grandpa.]

    Akumu paused to look over at me and sighed.

    [Stop crying. This is just an old story.]

    "B-but! It''s so sad..."

    [It''s the cards I was dealt. Wipe your tears. It''s old wounds now.]

    I wipe my face with my shirt, but the tears doesn''t seem to stop. Akumu sighs as he sees my failed attempt to calm down.

    [Come and lay down on my fur. There is still more to tell.]

    I nod and lay myself on his side. His fur is still soft and cool, but I can''t help but squeeze him close.

    Akumu chuckles and leaves me be.

    [I met a friend of my Grandpa at his funeral. Ryu Oniyama was his name. He looked like a middle aged man in shades to me, but he had a presence that demanded respect. He found out about me on that day and immediately took me in. Said he owed my Grandpa too much to let me go to foster care. I learned that Grandpa was what was called a Yakuza. It''s like a bandit here, but more refined I guess. Ryu-san swore he''d find whoever did it and make them pay if the police couldn''t find them first. I volunteered myself to kill them at that time. He laughed at me and told me I was too weak to hurt anybody.]

    Akumu chuckled and turned to me.

    [You wanna know what I said?]

    " *Sniff* What?"

    [I told him to make me strong enough so I could kill them then. That started years of training, weapon mastery and other things Ryu-san let me do to get my chance. I went to school, trained, and even barely made a few friends on the way. All that time though, I always remembered my Grandpa''s beaten body and swore I''d find them. It wasn''t until I graduated High school did I finally get the opportunity to get my revenge. Too bad Ryu-san was far too smart and savage for me.]

    Akumu paused and took a deep breath again. Some of his words don''t make sense to me like High school, but I still pay attention.

    [He had already found the culprits some years ago. Had the bastards beaten and tortured long before he told me. There was only one guy left out of four, but he was pretty much a husk of who he used to be by the time I was introduced. Ryu-san handed me a weapon and told me I could finish him off. I stared into his lifeless eyes and.... I couldn''t do it. I punched him and kicked the shit outta him, but I felt like killing him was too much. Ryu-san didn''t think the same and killed him right after I handed the weapon back.]

    Akumu bitterly chuckled.

    [He said he was proud of me on our way back home for not killing. I still don''t know why he said that to this day. I lived listlessly after that, working a job he got me through connections. I lived the day to day monotonous life for around a year before I felt it. This growing  sense of despair filled me up and made me depressed. I didn''t know what to do with my life anymore.]

    "Did you ever decide to do something with your life?"

    [No. Life decided for me.]

    Akumu rose up and went towards the water and drank from the river. He faced the river and shook off some residual water on his face.

    [I used to go to a bridge near my job and stare off of it everyday. I always contemplated whether I would jump or not looking down at the rushing water.  Everytime I felt I could do it, I always remembered everyone, Ryu-san, Grandpa, and....Fuyuki. She was... a friend of mine, more or less. Always thought she was annoying, but she always popped into my head when I felt like ending it all. She was always around to help somehow.  One day, however, one event changed all of that. Come on, let''s keep going.]

    Akumu gestured deeper towards the forest and we slowly walked towards the center of the forest.

    [That day, a man came by me on the bridge holding a small infant. I glanced at him and saw his eyes were dull and listless. He turned to me and I saw him light up as he approached me with a surprisingly animate conversation. I was surprised, but I never really thought much of it. I chatted with him for a while and he seemed to need to take a phone call. He looked angry as he read whoever was calling and he asked me to do something I thought was truly strange. He told me to hold his baby. I thought perhaps he''d be loud and wanted to let the baby sleep, so I decided I''d help him. I held the baby and I felt like time stopped. She was a beautiful little girl with a small face and little curly hairs. I watched the child as the man started to scream on the phone. I just ignored him for a while and just focused on the child, trying not to wake her up. I suddenly heard a screech and a hard thud. I quickly looked back only to see the man I just meet had been hit by a truck. He was dead on impact.]

    I''m shocked, but confused at the same time. What exactly is a truck or a phone? I''ll ask later.

    [The authorities came and the driver described him  jumping in front of the truck.No relatives known to him besides the child in my hands and the mother was nowhere to be found. I found out her name was Miyu. Once they planned to put her up for adoption, I immediately volunteered. I didn''t know a thing about kids, much less babies, but something pushed me to keep her. Sure enough, I became her Guardian. I''ll tell you it was hell raising a kid! So much crying, diapers, and endless nights of staying up and feeding a baby. Her happy little smile made it all worth it though. I applied for maternal leave from my job and told Ryu-san about my decision. He laughed and said, "I thought I''d never be a Grandpa!", and helped me take care of her. Fuyuki helped me out the most. She found out I suddenly had a kid and scared the hell out of me with her questions. She basically turned into the Mom for Miyu.]

    Akumu chuckled as we slowly walked.

    [With help and time, I like to think I became a decent Dad for Miyu. Our favorite time together was actually watching a show about ninjas. We''d watch it every week together and she''d always quiz me on what''s happening and who was who. She always loved this ninja in orange and I favored an avenger of a ninja a bit more. He was a bit more relatable to me. We kept watching and reading the story whenever we could together. It was our little bonding time.]

    I can feel Akumu''s smile as he happily trots forward.

    [We followed it to the very end. She cried at the ending, happy to see someone''s dream came true. She wished the family and friends he lost on the way were there to see him realize his dream. I told her they will always be with him in his memories. Even if you can''t remember them, they''ll always remember you. I still remember how her wish came in my head right before I died. It was a rather lame death when I think about it. Dying to save someone is a rather generic way to go, but it was rewarding. A child got swept away in a river during a typhoon. I saw it happen and immediately reacted, despite getting on in my years. I Didn''t have enough energy to make it out after I got him to safety myself. Guess I didn''t continue to train hard enough. Only thing I regret is not telling Miyu I loved her more. Well, maybe also about....]

    Akumu looks thoughtful as he looks at the setting sun. He shakes his head and sits down once more.

    [That''s my story of who I was,and as far as I''m concerned, you''ll be the only one I care to know it.]

    I nod my head slowly as he looks my way.

    [Tonight starts the night I teach you all I''ve learned and also the night you''ll learn what true battle is really like. Prepare yourself well for this will be a night you will remember, whether you like it or not.]

 Ch.46. A Night To Remember

    Akumu and I made our way to the center of the forest until we came across a building. It was a tall tower that rose slightly above the trees on the area. I marveled at the sight while Akumu headed inside an open door.

    [Let''s go over the basics and ground rules. Here is where you will be staying in the forest. This will also be your "safe" zone. It has some food, places to cook and clean, and a bed. You just have to pick a room for yourself.]

    "Will you be staying with me here?"

    Akumu shook his head.

    [No, I''ll only come in here for announcements and non-hostile interactions.]

    Non-hostile interactions?

    So every other interaction is hostile?!

    [Now let''s go over the training. The objective for you during this time is to tie 15 knots on the fence surrounding the border.]

    "T-That''s it?"

    [Yep! All you have to do is get there and get back without getting caught.]

    "Ooookay? Caught by who?"

    [Me.]

    A cold shiver came up my spine as I saw the smile on Akumu''s face.

    [Don''t worry. I won''t hurt you too much. I''ll heal you just enough to make sure you''re able to try again.]

    The shiver hasn''t stopped since he started talking. Akumu stops looking at me and I feel the cold vanish suddenly.

    [You trained really hard to get strong, but you know what made you shiver just now, right?]

    "No! What was that?"

    [Killing intent.]

    I reflect on Akumu''s words. I think I understand a bit about why we''re here.

    [You''ve practiced with some tough opponents for your age, but you haven''t dealt with killing intent. I''m the best teacher to teach that. Not only am I an actual predator people fear, I also can exist in shadows. I''ll be your initiation into the real world of a ninja proper so you won''t freeze up at the first sign of death.]

    I slowly nod my head as Akumu heads towards the door.

    [It looks like it''ll be a full moon tonight. We''ll start the lessons tomorrow.]

    I begin to put my stuff away as Akumu just lays down on the ground near the door and curls up for a nap.

    I check everything in the building during my free time and I kind of like the feel of this place. I end up doing my daily workout in an arena like area for a good while before I hear a grunt.

    [Ugh!]

    ''Akumu!''

    I rush to my feet and head over to Akumu and see him shivering in pain!

    "What''s wrong, Akumu?!"

    [It''s.....time.]

    "Huh? It''s time? Time for what?!"

    Akumu doesn''t answer me and rushes outside!

    "Akumu!"

    I chase after him, but it turned to night time before I knew it.

    "Akumu!!"

    I try to keep track of him, but he zips in between the moonlight and the shadows. Where is he going?!

    Akumu continued to run through the forest at high speed!

    I''m getting a bit worried for two reasons.

    One is obviously because Akumu seems to be going crazy.

    Two is because of how fast he is!

    I can barely keep up with him!

    I have no choice then.

    Lightning Armor!

    My hair spikes up as I charge after him. I''m fianlly able to keep up with him and I can see what he''s doing.

    He''s.... biting chunks out of the trees?!

    Large chunks of trees are missing from the ones we''ve passed so far! I follow Akumu as he continues to bite and run, rushing towards a large group of giant trees. He gets to the center of a circle of them and finally stops.

    I land right behind him and reach out to him.

    "Akumu?"

    [G-Get Back!!!]

    Akumu roars in pain as he suddenly starts to shiver violently. Orange energy starts to gather around him.

    I jump back a bit since I trust Akumu, but soon, I used my Lightning Armor to make a full sprint backwards.

    Everything around Akumu is dying!

    The green grass he was standing on became dry and light brown as did the trees nearby!

    And it''s spreading wider!!!

    "What is going on?!"

    I race through the trees in a random direction and try to get away from the spread!

    It''s faint, but I can see a orangish like energy getting drained from the surroundings as I run.

    ''That must be the Yang Chakra!''

    "Ssshaaaaa!!"

    "Huh?!"

    Where did this snake come from?!

    A giant snake appeared near a tree I landed next to and lunged towards me! I barely dodged out of the way, getting scraped by the snake''s scales, and continued to run.

    Something told me to watch the snake react to Akumu''s state. I looked back while running and I was shocked with what I saw.

    The snake was looking at me, trying to find another chance to swallow me whole. It suddenly noticed the giant tree branch it held itself on was starting to give way. It then shivered and turned towards the direction I ran from.

    "Shaaa!!!!!!!"

    The snake''s scales soon took a dull color instantly as I could more clearly see the Yang Chakra getting sucked right out of it.

    In a matter of seconds, the giant snake fell from the brittle branch lifelessly with a thud.

    A cold shiver ran up my spine as I dashed as fast as I could, pouring as much chakra in my legs as I can.

    "That....was horrifying..."

    That snake died in seconds. If I lingered for just a while longer, or I ignored Akumu...

    I shook the thought from my head as I raced back to the tower and look behind me, panting for air.

    "Haa haaa,Huh?!"

    The trees!!

    They look fine?!

    ''Maybe Akumu''s absorption stopped at some point.''

    Awoooooooooooo!!!!!!

    I hear a baleful howl echo from the forest.

    ''That must be Akumu! I have to check on him!''

    I have to be careful, in case the drain spreads again.

    I try to creep towards the trees, watching everything in case something drops dead.

    I watch the area for around a minute, but I don''t really see anything changing.

    No other choice!

    I take a deep breath, and start to walk back the way I came.

    It was a surreal sight.

    I walked on the ground this time,since the trees probably won''t hold my weight anymore either.

    It''s....silent.

    All the bugs noises, birds chirping, and even the wind is gone.

    I can only hear the sounds of my footsteps on the dead leaves that litter the ground now.

    ''Akumu could do this?''

    I....never really realized it. Akumu really is a Biju.

    ''But I won''t be scared of him. I can''t!''

    He''s been there since the beginning! I''m not gonna get scared just because of the odd way he develops.

    This is just how he grows.

    I slowly make my way closer to where I last saw Akumu and the damage increased the closer I got. The trees look very brittle, like they''ll fall at any time.

    I tried to push one of them nearby with a bit of strength and...

    *Creak Creak*

    "Eh?!"

    The tree started to fall down! It headed towards the ground so quickly, it caught me off guard!

    *Crack*

    "Whoa!!"

    The tree actually shattered into pieces on impact!!

    "......"

    I''m speechless. It shattered like a plate hitting the ground.

    *Gulp*

    I-I have to check on Akumu.

    I make my way further in and see many other trees just like the one I pushed earlier. I try to avoid touching them this time and finally make it to Akumu''s location.

    The giant trees that were near him before have all fallen to pieces on the ground. I can see Akumu just standing there, bathed in moonlight.

    He slowly turns his head in my direction and breathes a sigh of relief.

    [Haaaa! Thank God! Are you okay?]

    A sigh escapes my lips as he said that.

    "Yeah, I''m fine. I got out of the way."

    I look around and notice that everything close to Akumu all disappeared or shattered. It''s like the forest has a giant bald spot now.

    "Is the forest going to grow back?"

    [Ugh! I hope so. I didn''t expect it to be that violent.]

    Akumu comes toward me as I look at him.

    ''He got a much bigger.''

    Akumu was about as tall as me when he came out before. Now he seems to be.... about as tall as Grandpa. He looms over me now.

    "You''re huge now."

    [Yeah. I''m fully grown.]

    I inspect Akumu and see besides his new weight class, everything else looks about the same. Some of his fur now has a tinge of purple running through the black and his face seems fluff-

    "Wait a second! Akumu! Bend your head down!"

    [Ugh,okay?]

    Akumu bends his head down and I get a good look at his face.

    It looks like a normal wolf with eyelids and everything!

    "Akumu! It looks like your eyes are fully developed now!"

    [Yeah. I felt that.]

    Hm?

    "Then shouldn''t you open them?"

    [...I''m kind of scared to open them.]

    "Come on! This mess happened to finish your growth, you should at least see the night sky for once! I wanna see you open them!"

    [Haaaa......fine.]

    I eagerly watch as Akumu slowly opens his eyes.

    I see his eyes look just like a Sharingan, but it''s different. The parts that are usually black; the pupil, the ring, and the one tomoe, are white while the rest of the eye is pitch black.

    "Whoa! Your eyes look really cool!"

    [Thanks. You look....a lot different than I thought.]

    "Eh? What do you mean?"

    [I thought maybe you''d look like I did when I was younger. Oh well.]

    Right! This is technically the first time he actually seen me.

    [Now that I know what you look like, it''ll be easier to catch you.]

    "Eeeeeeh?!!!"

    Akumu chuckles as he lifts his head up and looks around. He raises his head to the night sky and just stares at the stars and the moon for a while. I stand next to him and watch them as well. Besides the deadly situation earlier, it''s a beautiful night today.

    [Come on. I''ll figure out what to do with this area tomorrow. You should get some rest. Training is going to be tough.]

    "Ok!"

    Akumu and I head back to the tower through the dead trees. I have to jog slightly to keep up with Akumu''s new stride now.

    There''s no doubt that he''s gotten even stronger now!

    I can''t fall behind! I''ll get just as strong!

    I have to!

    This night will be a night I can''t forget. I can''t forget my resolve, and I won''t forget Akumu''s eyes.

 Ch.47. The Game Begins!

    Forestbear

    Thanks to everyone who decided to read and stick with my story! I''m trying to get back to daily chapters, but you''ll definitely get as many as I can fix up. I hope you enjoy the story!

    The next day, I wake up and get ready for training.

    I head outside and find Akumu just resting outside of the door.

    [Oh! You''re up early. Good! I have some things to let you know before we begin.]

    Akumu sits up and clears his throat. He doesn''t open his eyes for some reason. Maybe he''s just used to it?

    [Now then, I''ve had a night to think over the rules to make them a bit more fair. I didn''t think my growth would''ve finished before we did the first session. As you know, you''re objective is to tie knots with vines or whatever you can on the fence of the forest. I will stop you with attacks intent to kill or injure. You won''t die since I''ll heal any injuries you receive if you''re caught or if you make it back. Once again, the inside of the tower is your safe zone.]

    "I got it."

    [Now for the additional rules. I''ll give you chances to be spotted by me without me giving chase. You only have two chances each day for me to do this. After that, I''m coming at you with full power. This is to test your ability to adapt to the situation given to you, no matter how grim it is. You can fight me as well to make sure you don''t get caught, but be careful how you do it.]

    He opens his eyes slightly as he looks at me.

    [I''m gonna be honest with you. It''s going to hurt very badly if you''re caught. Take caution and be aware of your surroundings at all times. I''ll try to go easy on you, but please be mindful I''ll only do that in the beginning. The objective isn''t to get stronger than me.  You need to react quickly and rationally under pressure. Strength will come later. Work on your speed and the tools at your disposal. Understood?]

    "Yes!"

    [Any questions?]

    "I have one. You said you''d give me two chances to get spotted. How will you give me chances if you spot me? Will you just go away?"

    [Ah. Good question! Observe.]

    I look at Akumu and notice his shadow starts to wiggle and split. Four other versions of Akumu came up from the ground, looking like how he did before the transformation yesterday.

    "I, I didn''t know you could do that."

    [Honestly, neither did I until I tried it. This is much more fair anyway. They have the same rules as Shadow Clones. If you beat all of my clones, I''ll have no choice but to come after you myself. Be mindful of that.]

    I nod my head as I watch the clones spread in four directions.

    [I will only come after you after the clones are all gone. Be careful of that, ok?]

    "Ok!"

    [Any more questions?]

    I shake my head. I''ve got the basic idea down.

    [Good! Well, begin when your ready.]

    I flicker away as I jump towards the south.

    I''ll do this as quickly as I can!

    ******

    I jump from tree to tree as I head towards the gate. I grabbed some nearby vines to use as my knot for the fence.

    ''So far so good. This doesn''t seem so bad yet.''

    I''m almost to the fence when I felt a shiver run up my spine. I turn around quickly and spot an Akumu clone near the ground, looking at me. I see it smile and then disappear into a shadow of a tree.

    [One.]

    *Gulp*

    ''I, I see. Akumu was very serious.''

    This isn''t going to be as simple as I imagined.

    I decide to speed up and I make it to the fence a few minutes later.

    I land near the fence and start to tie my knot on it.

    I watch my sides to see if he''s around.

    It''s a little tricky to tie this, but I got it done pretty quickly.

    Ok! I just have to get back to the tower and-

    [Two. Good luck.]

    My head turns so fast behind me, I almost hurt my neck!

    An Akumu clone has been laying down behind me?!

    For how long?!

    [Sharpen your senses. You''re up for grabs now.]

    The clone chuckles as he disappears into the forest.

    Ok! I''ve greatly underestimated Akumu!

    I can feel the sweat rolling down my back!

    ''I have no choice now! It''s do or die!''

    I draw my blade and activate my Lightning Armor!

    I''ll have to blitz through!

    I rush straight for the tower as I pump as much Chakra into my legs as I can!

    I manage to get through half of the forest before it came.

    "Shaaa!!!"

    "Not another one!"

    I dodge completely this time as I strike the snake on the head!

    "Shaaa?!!!"

    The snake wobbled back into the tree.

    It made me worried for nothing!

    [Good hit! I was a bit worried for a second there!]

    Oh no! He was there!

    I shoot towards the tower at full speed!

    [Grrrrrrr!!]

    [Get back here!]

    They''re both here?!

    I rush as fast as I can, but the two are gaining on me!

    I weave seals and quickly turn around!

    Water Style: Raging Torrent Jutsu!

    I spew a torrent of water at one of the clones and keep moving! I can feel one of them gaining on my heels!

    I weave another handsign and go through a nearby bush!

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    I shoot out of the bush in 3 directions as we all head towards the tower!

    [Smart!]

    The Akumu Clone laughs and speeds up behind one of us!

    *Snarl*

    *Crunch*

    All I could hear was the growl from Akumu and the snapping of bones!

    "Ahhh!!"

    *Poof*

    One of the clones disappears and the last memory I get is terrifying!!

    I rush towards the tower and see the real Akumu still curled up.

    I ignore him and rush towards the tower with my remaining clone. I send my clone to the door and pull it open only to be attacked by Akumu!!

    His jaws wrap around my neck and press me down to the ground!

    "Agh!"

    It hurts like hell! I have to get him off before the other one comes too!

    [Grrrrrr!]

    Aaaaaah!! I hear the other one two!

    Water Style: Raging Torrent Jutsu!

    My clone fires on the wolf with a torrent as I jump up from the ground and dive for the tower!

    The other wolf clone jumped for me, but my clone dived and blocked him!

    I flung myself through the opening and plopped down on the floor!

    I made it!

    "Haaa haaa haaa."

    That was way more intense than I thought!

    [Congratulations! You got one point!]

    The clone of Akumu trots in with a smile on his face.

    I''m still trying to catch my breath as I try to stand.

    [Take a rest. There''s 14 more to go now.]

    "You..really didn''t hold back."

    Akumu smiles menacingly as he circles me.

    [I told you I''d come for you with intent to kill. You''ll have to find more creative ways to get to the fence and back. With each win, I''m going to make it even harder for you.]

    Akumu looks at my neck and clicks his tongue.

    [Come here. I need to heal you.]

    "It''s ok! I can heal myself."

    I weave seals and my hand glows green as I heal the bite marks around my neck.

    "Ugh!"

    He really did bite me hard!

    I suddenly feel a cool sensation wrap around me. The neck wound and my other scrapes I had before are all disappearing. I look up and see Akumu healing me through his shadow. He slowly disappears into his shadow as he uses the final bit of Chakra comes to heal me.

    I feel refreshed! I even feel a like I could go again! I definetly won''t though!

    ''Wait. Maybe I should do that for now!''

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    *Poof*

    I make three clones and have them search for ways to get outside stealthily. I join the search later after I recovered some more chakra on the ground floor and see what I can find.

    Besides the ground floor, it looks like the windows are also an option. I should leave one open and jump through it in an emergency.

    My other clones come back and tell me of the other areas they searched. The only one of note seems to be the top of the tower. It has a door as well to go through I can take advantage of.

    I''ll have to think of different ways to get to a fence and back. There''s no way Akumu would let me get away with the same method over and over.

    A thought crosses my mind as I have the clones go out through the window and see if they can get to the fence right now.

    All the checking I''ve done passed so much time it''s nightfall now. I need to see the spike in difficulty at night time.

    I wait to see how long the clones can last at night to see how fast they get caught.

    I suddenly feel a rush of memories come back to me as I get my answer. All the last clone saw was a white and black Sharingan and a pair of white teeth in the dark rip through the other clones and stare into its eyes.

    [Nice attempt, but I don''t think you''re ready yet.]

    All it saw after that was the inside of his mouth.

    Yup. Daytime it is.

 Ch.48. Improvements and Bonds

    One month has passed since Hii and Akumu have been in the Forest of Death.

    Hii was currently hiding as a transformed rock in the forest.

    ''So far, so good. I should only have to wait a bit longer before he comes.''

    Hii had went through a dozens of plans, ending with some success and failures.

    Success was another knot on the fence while failure ranged from the scariest chase he''d ever had, the familiar sensation of fangs or claws piercing his skin, or waking up in the tower covered in his own blood and not remembering how he got there at all.

    Today would be the first time he tests an idea he had ever since he lost during the first few attempts.

    The clones always seemed to catch him off guard everytime he made a attempt on the gate. They seem to move in synch, but that was only once his chances were gone!

    Hii began to guess that the real one was the one who set them on certain routes and could possibly control them from far away unlike shadow clones.

    His success always seem to be when he finished all the clones off anf had to fight the real Akumu.

    He had to test this theory out.

    ''I figured out the routes they all go down. I just need to surprise him while he patrols.''

    Hii hatched this plan and slowly perfected it over time. Today was the day he finally put it into action.

    He knew one of the clones would come down this way a little before noon. Akumu let them run on their own, forming their own patterns.

    ''It''s almost time!''

    Sure enough, Hii heard the soft steps of a clone coming close to him.

    He waited.

    ''Not yet.''

    The sounds of paws hitting the ground came closer.

    The clone managed to pick up the scent of Hii nearby and came right above the rock.

    Hii made that scent trail just for him to follow to the trap!

    ''Now!''

    *Poof*

    [Ugh!]

    Hii struck the clone right in his neck with his sword as soon as he undid his Transformation Jutsu!

    *Shhhhhrrk*

    The clone dissipated into the ground as Hii headed to his next location.

    ''Ok! Step one complete!''

    Hii prepared to start the next step of his plan.

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    *Poof Poof*

    Two clones appeared and started to head toward the gate in two directions.

    ''Let''s see if this works.''

    *******

    Akumu laid in the shade of a tree near the tower as all this went on.

    ''Hmm?!''

    Akumu''s ears twitched as the information from the defeated clone came to him.

    [Hehehe! Finally challenging me,huh?]

    Akumu lifted himself up slowly, his joints cracking slightly as his limbs extended fully. His face turned in the direction of the last slain clone.

    [Let''s see how you deal with me this time.]

    Akumu had a smile on his face as he looked towards the sun reaching its peak in the sky.

    He had rather average expectations for Hii with this training, but this boy splendidly exceeded them.

    Hii used rather interesting methods to get by his clones and Akumu looked forward to the new ways he could come up with.

    Akumu''s smile began to spread wider as he headed over to the location of his last clone that was just defeated.

    *******

    *Thwack*

    [Uwah!]

    The fourth clone was quickly dispatched as Hii moved to the next part of the plan.

    ''The clones should be there soon.''

    Hii had managed to get only 11 knots on the fence in the month he was in the forest.

    His most sucessful venture was using the nearby river as a method to sneak his way to the gate and back.

    Sadly, Akumu managed to figure this out and would personally attack if Hii was in the river.

    Hii had one last method he hadn''t tried yet.

    He had to try and fight Akumu in the clearing he created.

    ''He won''t have any close shadows to work with there. I should be able to hold him down for a short while.''

    Hii made it to the clearing quickly and started to set up his traps. He only had a bit of time before Akumu got to this location.

    ''There, over there, and here. That should do.''

    Hii reached into his bag and pulled out a small scroll.

    ''Let''s hope it works this time.''

    Besides completing the training, Hii found that his pool of Jutsus he could use were rather shallow.

    He began to look over his techniques to find some that could be improved or adapted.

    He only figured out one such technique, and he would test it out today.

    [I see you''re challenging me with a new plan.]

    Hii turned towards the source of the sound, seeing Akumu come out of the nearby bushes.

    The clearing gave no cover for either of them as Akumu slowly made his way in front of Hii.

    "I''m going to win this time."

    [Don''t forget about your mission.]

    "I didn''t."

    Hii held his sword firmly as he started to circle Akumu. Akumu leisurely circled him as well, grinning at the improvements Hii had shown.

    He no longer froze when subjected to Akumu''s killing intent.

    In reality, Hii had already finished the main goal of Akumu''s training, but Akumu admired his will to compete with him.

    Akumu didn''t think it was wise to try to compare to a Biju, but he admired the resolve all the same.

    [Here I come!]

    Akumu charged towards Hii while Hii''s body instantly coated itself in lightning!

    The two crossed by each other multiple times, neither getting an advantage.

    At least, that''s until Akumu raises his level of participation.

    [Here I come!]

    ''Ok! The plan starts now!''

    Akumu raised clones from his shadow. Only two could come out since the only shadow he could draw from was his own. The time of day seemed to also affect his ability.

    This was the moment Hii was waiting for!

    ''Now!!''

    Hii pulled out a shuriken and threw it between some nearby trees!

    *Snap*

    A set of wires were cut by the shuriken, sending a multitude of them towards the center of the clearing!

    Hii ducked down and avoided the passing shurikens.

    Akumu avoided it as well as he sank into his shadow. His clones however...

    [Ugh!]

    [Agh!]

    Both were caught off guard and riddled with shurikens as they slowly sank down back into the shadows.

    Akumu cautiously rose back up from the ground, staring at Hii with a sharp glint in his eyes.

    [Not bad.]

    "Thanks."

    The two didn''t say much as they once again clashed into each other!

    *Clang Clang*

    The two went at it for a while, but Hii had long discovered another problem with his young age.

    His stamina was nowhere near enough to keep up.

    ''It''s time to try it!''

    Hii reached for the small scroll and opened it.

    Akumu stopped in his tracks and observed the scroll, noticing the kanji inside the seal.

    [Water?]

    *Poof*

    *Shuuuu*

    A large amount of water was released from the scroll, spreading out all over the ground.

    Hii put his sword on the ground and weaved handsigns near the water!

    Water Style: Water Wolf Armor Jutsu!

    The water formed around Hii''s body quickly and took the form of a large wolf on all fours!

    It was almost as big as Akumu''s clones in size with a rather crude appearance of a wolf.

    [Oooh! That''s new!]

    Akumu'' s tail couldn''t stop wagging as he watched the new technique with interest.

    His eyes naturally opened as his bizarre Sharingan eyed the changes in Hii''s body.

    "Awwooooo!"

    Hii howled fiercely and picked up his practice sword with his newly formed teeth.

    "Grrrr!"

    [Hoho! Bring it then!]

    Akumu licked his mouth as he took his stance in anticipation!

    "Graah!"

    Hii shot towards Akumu and the two clashed once again!

    Claws, fangs, and a sword repeatedly struck each other as the two fought circles around each other.

    It was a feral battle!

    The only problem was Hii''s chakra capacity wasn''t much higher than his stamina.

    "Haaa haaa haaa."

    [Heh! Tired already?!]

    "Grrr!"

    Hii clenched his teeth tightly as he tried another technique he wanted to try!

    *Chi chi chi*

    His sword began to crackle with lightning as the flowing water of the wolf began to speed up!

    [Hooo!]

    Akumu''s tail was wagging fiercely as he waited for the technique to finish!

    As the water and the lightning began to crackle, the jutsu suddenly stopped completely!

    *Shaaaa*

    The sword fell to the ground along with the water forming the wolf, leaving only an exhausted Hii laying on the floor.

    Akumu''s tail hung sadly as he sighed.

    [ Dammit! It was getting fun too.]

    Hii couldn''t even raise his head as he laid spread out on the ground.

    ''Chakra exhaustion! This is my limit for now.''

    He tried to lift himself off the ground, but his body could only helplessly struggle.

    "Haaa. It almost worked."

    [Well, that wasn''t a bad attempt at all! I really enjoyed that fight.]

    Hii could see Akumu''s shadow slowly hovering over him as he came closer.

    [Too bad you don''t have enough control to complete that move for now. I''ll help you get back to the tower.]

    Akumu didn''t wait for Hii to respond as he picked him off the ground and flung him onto his back.

    [Water wolf armor, huh? How did you think of that?]

    "I thought of it when I tried to traverse the river. It eventual came to a wolf like form."

    Hii laid powerlessly on Akumu''s back as Akumu swiftly went back to the tower.

    Hii suddenly felt memories of his clones coming to him as a smile came over his face.

    "Akumu."

    [Hmm?]

    "I did it!"

    [You did it?]

    "I got the 15 knots on the fence."

    Akumu looked surprised, but his face slowly changed into a sly grin.

    [You sent shadow clones to tie the rest while we fought, eh?]

    "Yeah. I knew if I challenged you, you wouldn''t pay attention to the fence too much as long as I made it challenging for you."

    Akumu couldn''t help, but laugh as they arrived at the tower.

    [You figured me out. That''s amazing for someone so small.]

    "Tch! I''ll get bigger soon!"

    [Hahaha! Don''t worry about that too much. Nothing time can''t fix.]

    Akumu used his shadow to open the door and bring Hii inside.

    [Well, get some rest for now. We''ll head back tomorrow.]

    Hii barely managed to nod his head as sleep overtook him.

    Akumu chuckled lightly as he placed Hii on one of the beds.

    Akumu curled up next to his bed as he also decided to nap for a little while. His grin didn''t fade as he slowly drifted off.

    *****

    "H-Huh?"

    Hii woke up groggily from his bed as he finally recovered from overdrawing his chakra.

    ''Ugh, I used too much chakra.''

    Hii felt his body was pretty sore, but not as bad as Guy''s training.

    Hii got out of the bed and headed out of his room to see where Akumu was.

    "Akumu?! Where are you?!"

    [Outside!]

    Hii walked out of the tower and found Akumu wrestling with food he found in the forest. He had a giant snake on his mouth as he happily dragged it over.

    "Snake again?!"

    [Hey! It''s pretty tasty! Get it ready.]

    "Aaaah fine!"

    Hii was adverse to eating snake meat in the beginning, but he slowly got used to the taste. This was further enhanced with Akumu finding some herbs that made it taste better.

    Hii sighed as he sliced pieces of the snake to put on skewers.

    Akumu had dug a pit to put the fire as he and his clones gathered branches of wood.

    The wood he drained of Yang chakra became really good firewood so Hii was happy Akumu always went to get it.

    Once the fire was going, Hii placed the skewers carefully along the outside of the flame and waited.

    The two of them looked into the fire in silence, patiently waiting for the snake to finish cooking.

    "Akumu?"

    [Hm?]

    "Do you really have to go?"

    Akumu glanced at Hii, then continued  stare at the fire.

    [Yep. It''s my duty to keep whatever happens from now on in line. I have to keep everyone in Konoha on their toes.]

    Hii buried his face in his knees as he thought it was unfair.

    He wanted to help, but he was too small to do much of anything for Akumu.

    Hii felt a weight behind him as he raised his head. Akumu stood over him and prodded him with his nose.

    [If you miss me, just call out to me like wolves do.]

    "Huh?"

    Akumu looked up into the night sky and Hii followed along with him. A crescent moon hung above the night sky amidst countless stars.

    [Just howl to the moon. I''ll probably hear it.]

    Hii chuckled as he couldn''t believe that would work.

    "I wonder will the village get concerned with me howling every now and then?"

    [Probably. Just run away if Anbu come you.]

    "Hahahahaha!!"

    Hii wouldn''t believe it if they seriously had to send Anbu to find the source of howling in the village.

    [They''d probably have to send Inazuka clan members first. You''d probably be a living nightmare for them! Who can track clean water with no scent?]

    "Hahahaha! Stop!"

    Akumu smiled as he saw Hii laughing.

    [Hey. Show me that form again.]

    "Ok!"

    Hii wiped his tears and went over to the nearby stream.

    He weaved handsigns for his Jutsu and focused.

    Water Style: Water Wolf Armor Jutsu!

    Water from the stream formed around Hii as his wolf armor manifested.

    Akumu saw the smaller wolf coming towards him and observed it in detail.

    The fur around the wolf was formed up of rushing water in set patterns and flows. It''s color fluctuated from deep blue to white and back.

    It''s eyes were a glassy blue, similar to Hii''s.

    Akumu nodded his head as he saw this Jutsu.

    [This is definitely a unique Jutsu. I hope you make this even better the next time I see you, ok?]

    Hii nodded his head as Akumu chuckled.

    [Also learn how to speak in this form. You''ll scare your teammates if you can''t warn them of this move. Now follow my lead.]

    Akumu looked back up at the sky.

    [Awoooooooo!!!]

    A sinister howl echoed through the forest, scaring nearby animals.

    Akumu stopped and looked at Hii, who nodded his head.

    "Awooooo!!!"

    A immature,serene howl sounded through the forest with a relaxing ring to its tone.

    Akumu nodded with a smile and howled once more while Hii followed behind him.

    [ "Awoooooo!!!!!"]

    The two howled, their distinct sounds synchronizing to a strange, ephemeral ring.

    The two forgot about covering their skewers, however, and had to deal with a roaming bear afterwards. The two laughed at their own silliness as they worked together to push the bear back.

    Their final night of training was a rather fun night of laughter and fun under the stars.

 Ch.49. Meeting And Training

    The Hokage Building even at night was busy as Minato was still buried in his paperwork with drowsy eyes.

    ''I really need an assistant to handle some of this mess.''

    Minato rubbed the bridge of his nose as he took a quick break from his work and sighed.

    He felt a sudden shiver crawl up his spine as he paid attention to his surroundings.

    ''This sensation. It must be...''

    [Hello again, 4th Hokage.]

    Minato looked around for the source of the sound, but couldn''t find it.

    [I''m in your shadow. You can''t find me that easy.]

    "Akumu... Please stop surprising me like that."

    [Hehehe! Gotta stay on your toes, Yellow Flash. You never want anyone else to sneak up on you like that mask did.]

    Minato''s expression became serious as Akumu mentioned that ninja.

    "Will you tell me more about him now?"

    [Yes, in a way. I have some other information for you as well.]

    Minato nodded his head

    "Before you begin, may I call some people to receive this information as well? I have a feeling you will have some big news again."

    [Sure. You should probably call Shikaku and Fugaku. They would be the most relevant for this information. I don''t trust those other old ninjas besides Hiruzen.]

    Minato nodded his head as he planned to do just that.

    "Eagle, please call Shikaku-san and Fugaku-san to my office."

    "Yes, Hokage-sama!"

    A hidden Anbu quickly went to fetch Shikaku as he wondered why exactly was the 4th talking to himself.

    ''Perhaps he is too tired from the paperwork? Maybe it''s a new Jutsu?!''

    The Anbu shook his head of those thoughts as he focused on his task.

    15 minutes later.

    *Knock Knock*

    "Come in."

    The door to the Hokage office opened as Shikaku and Fugaku entered the room.

    "It''s quite late. What did you need of us, 4th Hokage-sama?"

    Shikaku asked Minato,wondering why he was called here so late in the night.

    Minato motioned Fugaku to close the door as he turned to look around the room.

    "Everything you here from now on is confidential. Understood?"

    "Yes, Hokage-sama!"

    "I called you both here to receive information together with me from Akumu. I would love your input on how we should proceed with the information we''ll receive."

    The two men grew serious at the possibilities of the information Akumu could give the Leaf. He had already helped them find information on Danzo and Orochimaru no one else anticipated. They wondered how important this information would be.

    "When will the Akumu arrive?"

    [I''m already here.]

    Everyone besides Minato felt a shiver as a large wolf came right out of Minato''s shadow, appearing directly behind him.

    Shikaku took a deep breath to calm himself and focused his attention on the black wolf. Fugaku also monitored the wolf curiously as his size had increased since they last met.

    [Nice to meet you all officially! You can call me Akumu. I hope we can get along well for years to come.]

    Akumu bowed his head slightly at the two men.

    "It''s... our pleasure to make your acquaintance."

    Shikaku responded back to Akumu as he and Fugaku also gave a courtesy bow.

    The two men were surprised as they hadn''t expected Akumu to be so polite.

    "Tenzo. Chairs for our... human guests please."

    Two chairs suddenly formed behind the two, prompting them to sit down.

    The two sat down slowly as Akumu went to the side of the desk to give Minato space.

    Fugaku was a bit confused as he looked at Minato.

    "Is it ok for Hiashi to not be here?"

    [It''s fine. The information I have now is just relevant to the two of you. When he''s necessary, I''d like him to be hear about this as well.]

    Fugaku nodded his head at Akumu''s response.

    Minato looked at Akumu with a smile.

    "Now then, the first thing I want to do is thank you for your information last time. With your help, we''ve saved quite a few lives that may have not made it. I even have a daughter now."

    ""What?!""

    [A daughter?!]

    Akumu and the others were surprised as this was something no one knew!

    "Yes. I found her in Orochimaru''s lab, the one you found for us. She appeared to be the last of her clan left out of the survivors."

    Minato shook his head softly.

    I couldn''t ignore those eyes for revenge against Orochimaru. I wanted to help her with her wish, but also to give her a happier life. I brought her home to meet Kushina and Naruto. Kushina took a liking to her quickly, but Naruto didn''t get along with her at first. She''s been very good for motivating Naruto with his studies now though. She''s showing great potential for being a ninja. I just wish I can do something about her hatred."

    Minato''s eyes became a bit cloudy as he quickly shook his head.

    "Please take care of her if you see her. Her name is Shizuka. She''ll take my last name once she''s strong enough."

    "I didn''t know you had adopted a child, Hokage-sama. Congratulations!"

    "Congratulations! I''ll have to get a gift for her."

    [Congratulations!  I hope she''ll be able to clear her vengeance.]

    Minato nodded his head as he remembered the main topic at hand.

    "Sorry for changing the subject at the start, but can you tell us the identity of the Masked man?"

    [ I won''t be able to tell you. I will instead give you a hint this time.]

    Minato face scrunched slightly, but he still waited patiently for any information he could use to find the figure.

    ''I can''t let someone who''s potentially Madara just walk away!''

    [Your hint to find who the identity of the figure is with Kakashi.]

    "Kakashi?!"

    Minato was surprised!

    Fugaku and Shikaku were also caught off guard as well!

    "Why Kakashi? Is there a relationship between the two?"

    Fugaku asked cautiously. The other two waited for the answer as well.

    [All I can tell you is that Kakashi is related to that figure in a way. The best way to find out how is to train him a bit more in a specific direction. I''m sure you''ll figure it out.]

    "Ugh! What a drag! You deliver nothing, but hints?"

    [Hehe! Sorry. It''s the way it has to be.]

    "How credible is the information you have?"

    Fugaku asked as he went over the information received. He had an inkling that the identity of the man was someone he may have already knew. He looked over at Minato''s brooding face as he might''ve come to the same conclusion as him.

    [I''m pretty certain on the information I have. If you do decide to attack him with the Hiraishin, I suggest you proceed with the utmost caution.You may also want to monitor all your relatives on missions from now on, Fugaku-san. He might try to gather eyes or even steal the recovered ones if he can.]

    Fugaku''s hands gripped his seat hard as he nodded his head and decided to get extra security on the eyes they retrieved from Danzo''s clutches.

    [Now for one of the main points I wanted to inform you about.]

    Akumu''s eyes slowly opened as he looked at the three men.

    Fugaku shot up from his seat in disbelief!

    "A Sharingan?!"

    The other two were shocked as well as they saw Akumu''s white Sharingan.

    [I wanted to ask you some information on how to use these eyes effectively once we''re finished, Fugaku-san. That is, if you don''t mind.]

    Fugaku stood still and breathed in deeply to calm himself.

    [I''m sorry if you were offended in any way, but my eyes came with my reward last time. I honestly didn''t expect this to happen. I hope you understand.]

    "No. It''s alright. I''d rather a Biju use them than a greedy human. The light was taken from them as well. It''s good to see that they were able to used once again."

    Fugaku thought for a short while and looked back at Akumu.

    "I can give you the basics of how to use them effectively, but I won''t give any clan techniques unless you join under our clan."

    [I''m fine with the basics. I''m already under a household, so I won''t be able to join you.]

    "That''s fine. I can respect that decision."

    The two nodded in agreement as Akumu turns toward Shikaku and Minato.

    [The other information I''ll let you know is to look out for the birth of an organization that may be called the Akatsuki. They will be controlled by the Masked man and have the goal of collecting all Biju for a sinister purpose.]

    The three''s faces, especially Minato''s, became stern as he held his hands together.

    "I see. So he''ll have to recruit people to help with that. Do you know how many may be in the group?"

    Akumu shook his head.

    [I plan to find out. My estimate is at least 10 S rank ninja, give or take.]

    Their faces became grim as the three thought of their own opinions on the matter.

    [That''s all the information I have right now. I''ll let you gentlemen think on countermeasures and such. You would have a better idea on what to do after all.]

    "...Thank you for the information, Akumu. We''ll take it from here."

    Akumu nodded his head and looked at Fugaku.

    [I''ll look for you tomorrow if you''re free. After that, I plan to leave the village to scout some areas of interest in a few days. If you need to contact me, just find Hii Kurokumo.]

    "Hii?! How surprising! Sasuke won''t stop talking about how fun training is with him. I didn''t know he was related to you."

    [Heh. Those kids have a lot of fun. Hii also hangs out with Shikaku''s son as well. It''s only on his rest days though.]

    "Haha! I''ve heard of that as well. It''s good the youth are getting along. I wish Shikamaru would train just as much, but I guess he finds it a drag."

    Shikaku rubbed the back of his head bashfully as the other two sighed.

    [Well, I''ll be off now. Use the information how you see fit. Good night.]

    The three nodded their heads as Akumu slowly sank into the shadows and disappeared. The three went over the information they received once more, debating into the night. It would be a while before they could leave the Hokage building.

    ******

    Hii was relaxing as he finally came back from his long training.

    "Hii-Nii! What did you do for your training?! Did you kill stuff?!"

    "That''s not the first thing you should ask, Moya."

    Hii was sitting in the living room, surrounded by Moya and Yozora. He was reading a book at the table. Moya was pouting at him on one side while Yozora was eating an apple on the other.

    Henda sat nearby on the couch, laughing at their little interactions.

    "Moya gets straight to the point! Hahaha!"

    "Are you Stronger?"

    Hii nodded his head at Yozora''s question as he read a on medical anatomy.

    ''I have to find more ways to get stronger or Akumu will just leave me in the dust.''

    "Don''t ignore me, Hii-Nii!"

    "Ugh. Fine."

    Hii rolled his eyes as he patted Moya''s fluffy head.

    "I had survival training with Akumu. I killed a few snakes.How did your training go?"

    "Hehe! We can almost use earth style now! Grandma will teach us more Jutsu once we learn how to control it well. "

    "Mmm."

    Moya gave a peace sign while Yozora simply nodded.

    "Good. l knew you two could do it."

    The twins giggle happily as Henda stood up from the couch.

    "Ok! I''m going to make some weapons. You want to help a bit, Yozora?"

    "Yes."

    "I wanna go to! Can I hammer stuff again?!"

    "We''ll see if we can find something for you to hit."

    "Yay!"

    "We''ll be back, Hii."

    "See you later!"

    The three of them head out to the shop as Hii continues to read.

    ''I wonder where Akumu went to?''

    Akumu had left in the morning very excited.

    Hii continued to read about the different functions of the body, looking for a way to increase the power of his Jutsus from the base.

    ''If I can use Storm Style, maybe... No that might be a bad idea.''

    Hii sat down all day as the sun started to set.

    [Hii.]

    A voice suddenly surprised Hii, but he responded with a smile.

    "Welcome back, Akumu! Did you get what you wanted."

    [Yep! Go to your room for a bit. I gotta show you something.]

    Hii closed his book and headed to his room.

    Hii went to his room and sat on his bed. His shadow began to stretch as Akumu slowly came out of it, noticeably excited.

    "So what are you going to show me?"

    [Something cool!]

    Akumu''s tail wagged violently as he tried to contain his excitement.

    Hii snickered as he wondered if Akumu could control his tail or not.

    "Ok, show me."

    Akumu nodded his head as he slowly opened his eyes.

    [Look into my eyes and relax your mind. Don''t resist, ok?]

    Hii nodded his head and looked into his eyes and saw the one tomoe spin around rapidly.

    He watched the eyes spin until suddenly, the white pupil grew bigger and bigger.

    "Huh?"

    Hii realized he was now standing up in an unknown space. It was a wide, white world as far as he could see.

    "This is a new skill I learned! My ability with Genjutsu is apparently pretty good. It might even be my specialty."

    Hii turned around and was stunned.

    He didn''t see a wolf talking to him at all.

    There was a tall man with short black hair looking at him. He wore a black kimono and sandals.

    He looked at Hii with a grin he was all too familar with.

    "A-Akumu?"

    "Yeah. I didn''t think I could do this either. It''s kind of weird to be human again, even if it is in an illusion."

    Akumu rubbed his head as he looked around.

    "This is a bit too bland. I wonder if I can....."

    The white space suddenly changed into a dojo.

    Hii just stood there, shocked at what he was seeing as he couldn''t take his eyes off of the room.

    It looked familiar, but foreign at the same time.

    "There! Much better. Now then, welcome to your new training ground. Since the first one was pretty good. I thought we''d go for another one before I left. This time, however..."

    Akumu''s smile widened.

    "You get to fight the human me."

 Ch.50. Battle With Illusions

    Akumu smiled devilishly as he waited for Hii to respond.

    He looked over and noticed Hii''s mouth was open and he wasn''t blinking.

    "Ugh.... Hii? You okay?"

    "You look so cool!!"

    Akumu was taken aback at Hii''s sudden movement towards him.

    "So cool!! Is this what you looked like before?!"

    Hii zoomed all around him, checking out Akumu at every angle.

    Akumu''s face became a bit red at the insistent praise from Hii.

    "Ok! That''s enough! Let''s get serious here."

    Akumu grabbed Hii by the head and held him in place until he calmed down.

    Hii''s face was bright red as he collected himself.

    "S-sorry. I lost myself a bit."

    "It''s okay. I''d be surprised too if a wolf became a man suddenly. Anyway, check out the space! I''m sure you''ll love this!"

    Akumu sat on the ground on his knees and motioned Hii to join him.

    Hii took a seat and waited for Akumu''s explanation.

    "Let me tell you more about this technique. I learned how to use my eyes properly today from Fugaku-san. It turns out my Sharingan is a bit special when it comes to Genjutsu."

    "Special?"

    "Yeah. My Genjutsu can be used to make illusions and fears seem real. My eyes can also do simulations of things I want the opponent to experience. This area can do all of those things."

    ".....Simulations?"

    Hii tilted his head while Akumu slapped his forehead.

    "Of course you wouldn''t know what the hell that is! Ok! Let''s just say this world is like a lucid dream. You can be considered a like a part of my dream right now."

    "Eh?! I''m a dream?!"

    Akumu nodded his head.

    "In a way. You can fade away like a clone here. Watch."

    Akumu extended his hands out and focused his attention on a spot near Hii.

    *Poof*

    "Eeeeeh?!!!"

    From the smoke, Hii could see.... another Akumu?!

    Hii looked at Akumu to explain, who was snickering at his reaction.

    "In here, I rule everything."

    Akumu summoned a kunai and threw it at the other Akumu!

    *Puchi*

    The kunai went right into his chest, knocking him down.

    "I dragged your consciousness in this world so you can train in the stuff I know. It''s also to protect you."

    "To protect me? From what?"

    "From how intense my training is."

    Akumu extended his hand and focused his imagination again.

    *Poof*

    This time, a rack of swords appeared in front of them.

    "Oooooh!!!"

    Hii couldn''t help, but look through all the weapons that appeared. The swords came in different shapes and sizes, all different and unique.

    "These swords! They''re amazing!"

    "Right? Pick one up you want to fight with."

    Akumu chuckled while he grabbed a katana on the rack and walked over to the side. He also got rid of the other Akumu on the floor with a thought and watched Hii choose a blade.

    Hii took a long time inspecting each blade, swinging a few of them as well before settling on a shorter katana his size.

    "A wakizashi eh? Good choice for you."

    "This is called a wakizashi? It feels just right! So do we practice forms now?"

    The weapon rack faded away while the walls of the dojo began to expand and spread out.

    " Now we''ll have a match with real swords."

    "Eh?! A match?!"

    "Don''t worry. You can''t die in here. It''ll still hurt as if it''s real, so you better pay attention."

    Akumu smiles devilishly as he drew his katana from the sheath.

    Hii drew his blade as well and took his stance.

    "Start when you''re ready."

    Akumu just stood there with his sword in hand. He leisurely waited for Hii to make his move.

    Hii could feel the killing intent on his skin as he edged closer towards him.

    He could feel the weight of a real sword in his hand as he slowly got into position.

    "Hup!"

    Hii shot toward Akumu, aiming to slice at his chest.

    "Naive."

    *Clang*

    "Uwaaah!"

    Hii was sent flying back as he barely managed to stabilize himself.

    One swing.

    It only took one swing to knock him back!

    "The old man has been holding back on you, slowly building up your skill."

    Akumu slowly walked forward towards Hii.

    "I''m not that nice. I''ll treat you like an enemy when we fight."

    He stopped right in front of Hii.

    "I won''t go too easy on you. I''ll cut you deep if you give me the chance."

    *Swoosh*

    "!!"

    Hii immediately dodged Akumu''s slash, but it wasn''t a clean miss.

    *Drip Drip*

    Blood spilled from the gash on his shoulder as Hii tried to hold his blade.

    ''He''s serious!''

    His blade shook lightly as he tried to keep his arm still.

    Hii did a handsign with his free hand, preparing to use chakra to boost his speed.

    "Huh?"

    But Hii couldn''t feel anything but the sting from the cut on his arm.

    Akumu walked towards him again.

    "This space makes it so you can''t use Jutsu or Chakra. You can only use your body and your skills."

    Akumu held his blade with two hands as he grinned deviously.

    "Can you cut me, I wonder?"

    Akumu shot towards him and swung for his neck!

    *Clang*

    Hii barely managed to block the blade, rolling away from Akumu for some space.

    Akumu, however, wasn''t going to hold back anymore.

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Screeches of clashing metal rang out of the dojo as Hii desperately tried to fight back!

    Akumu just leisurely swung at any opening Hii offered without fail.

    "Your stance is too wide. Fix it."

    *Puchi*

    "Ugh!"

    Akumu corrected Hii''s mistakes with slashes and light stabs.

    "Hold your sword firm, even if your arm is shaking."

    "Haaa. Haaa."

    Hii couldn''t seem to escape Akumu''s slashes.

    Hii''s legs and arms were cut in multiple areas, but he wouldn''t give up.

    He didn''t want to give up.

    ''He''s hitting all the weak points Grandpa told me about in my stance. I can try to correct some errors here!''

    Hii straightened his sword and keenly watched Akumu''s every move.

    Akumu nodded his head and dashed towards Hii!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    The echoes of clashing steel rang out in the dojo as the two went back and forth exchanging blows.

    Over time, the cuts Hii received from Akumu started to lessen.

    "Good. Just a few more exchanges."

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    The two clashed for a while longer until Akumu finally relented.

    "It''s not perfect, but you''ve got most of your errors corrected for now."

    "Haaa haaa, how, haa, are you not tired?!"

    "Genjutsu. I control everything in here. Remember?"

    "Not, haa, fair."

    "You''ll get to used to it in no time. Now for the next part of this training."

    Akumu snapped his fingers.

    Hii suddenly felt refreshed and full of energy once again. Even all of his cuts disappeared!

    "Woah!"

    "Don''t get shocked yet. This next part will be more intense than before. Do you want to pick a longer blade? You may need it."

    Hii eyed his wakizashi, checking the edges and curve of the blade.

    "I''ll stick with this one. I feel pretty familiar with it already."

    "Familiarity is the best thing for a choice in a weapon."

    Akumu nodded his head as he started to think about an opponent for Hii.

    " Hmm. Someone who would die and not affect him too much. Uhhhh...."

    Akumu continued to think when suddenly, he clapped his hands with an idea!

    "Right! That guy Miyu and her friend told me they struggled with! What was that game he was from again? Something with a soul? Hmm, can''t remember. I believe he looked like..."

    Hii wondered what Akumu was talking about as he summoned someone on the other side of the dojo.

    Hii looked over to see ...a man with a uchigatana. He had pale skin and only seemed to have a loincloth in his possession besides his sword. He was mostly skin and bone, but his eyes held a strange lust for battle.

    "Umm? Who is that?"

    Akumu smiled devilishly.

    "Your next opponent. The next fight will be one to the death. You better be careful, I''ve heard he''s killed a lot of people."

    Hii wondered where Akumu had seen such a man before, but he didn''t have enough time to figure it out.

    The man rushed towards Hii with an overhead slash!

    Hii jumped back from the attack and got into his stance, holding his blade in front of him. The man moved his weapon to his side, his shoulder facing towards Hii, ready to draw. The two circled each other slowly as they watched each other.

    "You are allowed to use Chakra against this guy! Just be cautious of his Iai. It''s pretty fast."

    Hii nodded his head as he felt the familiar rush of Chakra flowing through his body once again.

    Hii would usually rush towards his enemy quickly to catch him off guard, but something told him it would be a bad idea with a long reaching weapon.

    His thought struck true as the man dashed in instead and swung his blade towards Hii''s neck!

    ''He''s really fast!''

    Hii ducked the slash and sent his own attack towards his arm!

    *Puchi*

    The blade struck true, but the man seemed unfazed as he attempted to slash him overhead once more.

    Hii dodged most of the slash, but his arm was cut by the edge of the blade!

    "Ugh!"

    Blood steadily trickled from his arm, but Hii kept his focus.

    ''Akumu said this is a battle to the death. I''ll have to kill him to progress.''

    Hii saw the wound on the man''s arm barely leaking any blood despite the notable size.

    The man shot towards Hii again, making similar slashes like the last clash.

    *Clang Clang*

    Hii and the man clashed against each other multiple times before Hii started to notice something was off about the man.

    ''He seems like he''s not alive. It''s like he''s a puppet!''

    Hii tightened his grip on his blade as he cautiously started to circle towards the man.

    ''If that''s the case, I won''t need to feel bad. I should be able to kill him.''

    Chakra began to coat the blade as Hii''s gaze became steady and clear.

    He could see the man starting to step in, hand on hilt of his blade as he aimed his blade towards Hii!

    Hii felt the direction of the attack and kept his cool, waiting for his opportunity to counter.

    ''Once it''s close, I''ll go for the head!''

    Once the man fully commited to his slash, Hii moved!

    The man sliced for Hii''s neck again, but Hii dodged it!

    Ducking barely under the blade, Hii strengthened his arms and legs with all the chakra he could muster and sliced!

    *Slash*

    Hii passed the man as the two held their sword forms like statues.

    The man''s head slowly slid off his body as he slowly fell to the ground.

    "Haaaa! Haaaa!"

    Hii could finally breath as he gulped air in voraciously.

    "Breathe in deep! Let it out slowly."

    Hii followed Akumu''s advice as he breathed in as much air as he could, then released it as slow possible.

    He did this a few times before he felt he had calmed down.

    "So? How was it?"

    "It, it was definitely intense. I feel like I learned something from it."

    "Good. As long as you learned something from it, that''s enough. I hope that was beneficial for you."

    "Akumu?"

    "Yeah?"

    "Why did I have to kill him?"

    "......Haaa."

    Akumu scratched the back of his head as looked towards the dojo wall. Hii waited for Akumu to respond, but soon noticed he was pointing towards the wall.

    Hii turned his head to find the wall had a banner on it that he hadn''t seen previously.

    "Hesitation leads to death?"

    "That''s right. In this world and in the world of warriors, hesitation is one of the most frequent reasons for death. This is especially true here."

    Akumu walked next to Hii and patted his head.

    "I''ll have you kill that guy everyday until I leave. I don''t want you to ever experience the consequences of freezing in the moment. They can be life or death decisions on missions and in general."

    Akumu smiled as he lifted his hand. Hii nodded his head and looked at the banner once more.

    "Come on. That was enough for today. Let''s head back and rest."

    The dojo walls soon became wavy and then stark white and blank as before. Hii felt the world around him shifting as he suddenly shivered violently!

    Once he stopped shivering, he realized he was back in his room, facing Akumu.

    "Wow! That was-"

    [Alright! I understand it was amazing, but first, lie down on the bed for me please.]

    "Uh,okay?"

    Hii did as he was told and laid down with his head on his pillow.

    [Good. Now just relax and lay there.]

    "Huh? But wh-"

    Hii suddenly felt his world crash as he blacked out on the bed.

    Akumu watched as Hii went soundly to sleep, sounding very exhausted.

    [As I suspected. The downside is extreme fatigue for both of us. This is good for capturing someone, but I better only train people near beds if this happens all the time.]

    Akumu shook his head as he laid next to Hii''s bed.

    [We''ll train more tomorrow. Goodnight, Hii.]

    Akumu laid his head to the floor and went to sleep as well.

    The two slept soundly asleep, even as the family came in the room to wake them up.

    They both got scolded by Grandma the next day for missing dinner and worrying her.

    It was then decided the training would he be moved to bedtime by the two unanimously.

 Ch.51. Departure

    Inside the Illusionary Dojo, a steady rhythm of combat could be heard.

    Akumu watched Hii as he struck the training dummies he summoned over and over.

    These training dummy were two random ninjas who kept striking at Hii from different angles with punches and kicks.

    "You got to hit harder than that! Remember to use your elbows and knees to counter their blows!"

    "Yes!"

    Hii was sweating all over as he picked his stance up once more.

    Akumu shook his head at Hii''s tenacity.

    Akumu had shown him all sorts of techniques in the past few days since he got to know how to properly use his Sharingan.

    Sword techniques, martial arts, and even tactical maneuvers were all taught to Hii rigorously.

    He could show them all to Hii with ease now.

    ''I still can''t believe he picked that art out of all of them.''

    Hii smashed into the dummies with his elbows and knees over and over.

    Hii chose to specialize in Muay Thai of all the other martial arts Akumu knew . It was apparently the most versatile for him. It was also one of Akumu''s favorites.

    In regards to the sword styles, Hii still wanted to focus on the Storm Blade, which Akumu didn''t mind. He would just supplement the gaps he may find in the art with the ones he learned.

    ''Hii learned the moves about as fast as I did. It''s kind of strange to see how freakish I was. It''s a benefit here though.''

    Akumu shook his head of his thoughts on the past as Hii smashed into the dummies some more.

    "Ok. Take a break."

    "Haa. Haaa."

    Hii panted heavily as he felt his muscles ache.

    His excitement, however, continued to increase.

    He was getting stronger. He could feel it.

    "I''ve given you the basics of all the arts I know. You will just have to adjust them to your own unique style."

    Hii nodded his head, and stared at Akumu.

    "Hmm? What''s wrong?"

    "Do you have to go?"

    "....."

    Akumu stared into Hii''s deep blue eyes and sighed.

    "Yes. I have to go."

    Hii looked down at the tatami floor of the dojo, dejected.

    He felt a hand brush his head slowly and looked back up at Akumu.

    "If you want to be a Ninja, you have to learn how to endure. I know you''ll grow fine without me watching over you all the time."

    Hii gave a small smirk, but it still didn''t make him feel better having to watch Akumu leave.

    Akumu looked at Hii and thought of a good idea.

    "I know what I can do for you!"

    "?"

    Akumu snickered as he extended his hand into the air.

    "Hnnnnng!"

    Akumu strained as black energy flowed out of his hand to form a sphere.

    Hii watched as the sphere grew bigger and bigger. Soon it was the size of a massive boulder, casting a shadow over the two.

    "Now, I just have to condense it."

    Akumu''s hands slowly closed as the ball of dark energy became more compact bit by bit. The ball slowly became the size of Akumu''s palm after few strained attempts.

    "Whew. Ok! This should be good enough."

    "What is that?"

    Akumu smiled as he handed the ball of energy towards Hii.

    "Take this! It''s my Chakra."

    Hii tilted his head as he held the ball of energy in his hands. He looked at the ball closely and then back at Akumu.

    "It''s a bit big. Where should I put it?"

    "Ah! You''re right! I''ll fix it for you."

    Akumu grabbed the ball of Chakra and pressed it against Hii''s chest.

    *ssssuuuuuu*

    The ball of Chakra slowly disappeared into Hii''s body, yet he didn''t feel anything.

    "This chakra will be very useful to you. You can use it to contact me whenever you want as a dream, or use it to form this space. You can also use it as a reserve chakra source in case of emergency. Just be careful if you heal with it again, ok?"

    "Cool! How do I use it?!"

    Hii was excited to have a backup of Chakra, but he was even more excited to have a way to contact Akumu!

    He quickly learned how to use the ball of Chakra and happily finished the rest of his training with Akumu coaching him on his shortcomings.

    "That''s the last part of it. You''ve done a good job."

    "Thanks for teaching me everything, Akumu."

    "Haha! You''re welcome! I''m sure you''ll be able to use all you''ve learned effectively.I have faith you''ll get as strong as me soon enough."

    The world started to shake as the endless white border came into view.

    Soon the two came out of the world and were back in Hii''s room. Hii laid back in his bed and Akumu jumped up to his bed as well.

    [Since today''s my last day, I thought i would sleep close to you this time.]

    Hii had a bitter smile as he fought off the fatigue of returning from the Illusion World, a name Akumu came up with.

    "Akumu..."

    [I won''t leave without telling you, ok? Get some rest.]

    Hii smiled as he finally let himself drift off to sleep.

    [Feels like I''m a parent again. Sheesh.]

    Akumu circled around Hii, enveloping him while placing his head on his chest.

    [Good night, Hii.]

    Akumu lowered his head as well and closed his eyes and welcomed the night.

    ********

    Hii slowly opened his eyes as he looked around,noticing nothing but black fur.

    [Morning.]

    "Mmmm. Morning."

    Hii sluggishly got up.

    He stretched his arms wide and yawned.

    ".....Today''s the day,huh?"

    [You know it. Let''s have fun today.]

    Hii nodded his head as he got out of bed to wash up. Akumu jumped off the bed and into his shadow.

    "Morning, Hii."

    "Morning, Grandma."

    Riku rubbed Hii''s sleepy head and noticed he looked quite sad.

    "You know he has to do this. It''s his way of protecting all of us."

    Hii weakly nodded his head and sat down at the table with Di.

    Di also rubbed his head softly as they waited for the twins to wake up.

    Akumu sat around Hii''s chair and kept his head on his lap.

    Today, he would keep his time all together with Hii and the family.

    The twins came out short while later with Henda and everyone ate their breakfast. Riku smiled at the twins and decided to tell them the news.

    "Today is the last day for Akumu to stay with us for now. That''s why we will take a break from training today and play in the training field."

    The twins gasped and quickly turned to Hii.

    "Are you gonna play with us today, Hii-nii?"

    The twins stared at Hii with twinkling eyes.

    Hii held back a snicker as he nodded his head.

    "Yeah! Akumu and I will be with you today. Let''s play a lot of games together!"

    "Yay!"

    "Yay."

    The two run around the table and start to rub Akumu''s face.

    [Wash your hands, brats!]

    "Hehehe!!"

    The two headed off to wash their hands as Akumu sighed.

    "Haha! I hope you are ready. Those two are quite a handful!"

    [Haaa. Well, I''m as ready as I''ll ever be. I might as well have fun before I go.]

    "Hehe. You''ll have fun, alright."

    Akumi felt a shiver as he saw how Di and Riku looked at him. He hoped that wasn''t pity he felt in their gazes.

    ******

    Akumu became a toy for the twins and Hii as they played all sorts of games in an empty training ground with Di and Riku watching over them.

    "Hahaha!! Come catch me!"

    [I''m gonna get ya!]

    "Hahahaha!!"

    Akumu chased the twins all around the field and forest as they ran and jumped through the trees. Hii chased after the three as well, joining in on the fun of catching his siblings.

    "The kids are pretty brave to enjoy being chased by a Biju."

    "Well, he''s not like any of the other ones we''ve seen before. It also really cares for Hii as well."

    "I thought you would''ve tried to fight him at some point by now."

    Di looked into sky and sighed.

    "I''m not my brother. I don''t have a habit of fighting Bijus."

    Riku grabbed Di''s hand and squeezed it.

    "You know what I meant. I heard Hii learned some sword moves from Akumu. Maybe you would want to find out what he learned?"

    Di squeezed her hand back, looking over to Akumu grabbing Moya by the shirt like a small pup.

    "I only need the Storm Blade. I''ll polish it to the end."

    "Haaa. You stubborn mule."

    Riku shook her head as she also watched the kids play.

    "Aren''t you the same?"

    "Hahaha! You''re right! Isn''t that why we got married?"

    "I wouldn''t have it any other way."

    The two just continued to watch the four play around as they enjoyed the moment together.

    *********

    The sun soon started to set as the day came to an end.

    "Haaa, Haaa, that, was so fun!"

    "Umu."

    "Yeah. It was pretty fun."

    [You kids are too much.]

    The kids all laughed at Akumu''s tired complaint.

    They had played for hours today, playing many different games with each other.

    Akumu complained a lot, but he also enjoyed their company.

    The twins learned of Hii''s Water Wolf Armor and immediately made him race against Akumu.

    Hii lost, but it was pretty close according to the twins.

    "Come on kids! Let''s head home

    Riku called out to the kids, signaling for them to get ready head back home.

    The twins jumped up at the call, but Hii only sluggishly raised himself up.

    Akumu did the same as he watched Hii.

    "Come on, Hii-nii!" Let''s go home."

    "Yeah."

    The twins called out to Hii, but Di grabbed the two in his arms.

    "You two come with me."

    ""Eh~?!""

    Riku came to Hii and Akumu and patted their heads.

    "Make sure you say goodbye properly. I''m sure you''ll see each other again."

    Riku smiled as she headed back home with the kids.

    "Bye, Akumu! We''ll see you when you get back!"

    "Bye!"

    Moya and Yozora waved their hands as Di hoisted the two over his shoulders as Riku followed behind them.

    Akumu turned to Hii and motioned to a nearby tree.

    [Let''s watch the sunset.]

    "....Sure."

    Akumu and Hii went over and sat under the tree, watching the sunset slowly over the forest.

    Neither of them said anything as they just silently enjoyed each other''s company.

    The sun was halfway below the horizon before Hii finally said anything.

    "Akumu?"

    [Yeah?]

    "I''m going to get stronger."

    Hii clenched his fist tightly as he continued.

    "I will be a ninja that can endure! I''ll show you the next time we meet. I promise!"

    Akumu silently nodded his head as he looked at Hii.

    "I-I won''t let you down!"

    Akumu smiled as he tenderly nuzzled Hii''s face.

    [Make sure that next time, you don''t cry as much as well, got it? I''ll be waiting for you to show me your growth.]

    *Sniff*

    "I will!"

    Hii grabbed onto Akumu''s neck as he tried to silence his sobs, but to no avail. It just poured out of him.

    Akumu just let Hii cry himself out as he felt the fading rays of the sun.

    Akumu opened his eyes as he felt night approaching.

    It was time to go.

    Akumu raised himself off the ground and put Hii on his back.

    Hii had fallen asleep after all of his crying, but Akumu didn''t mind.

    It would be easier on his heart to leave without feeling Hii''s eyes follow him as he left.

    Akumu quickly brought Hii back home silently as he phased into his room.

    [Okay. Now I just need to put him on the bed.]

    Akumu tried to shift him onto the bed, but Hii had a death grip on his fur.

    [Haaa. Sheesh.]

    Akumu complained, but the smile on his face betrayed any signs of irritation.

    He jumped on the bed and phased through it, leaving Hii on top of his sheets.

    Akumu came back up from under the bed and smiled.

    [Goodbye, Hii. We''ll meet again soon.]

    Akumu disappeared into the shadows and reappeared outside of the house.

    "You''re leaving?"

    Akumu looked up and saw Kaya returning home in her mission gear.

    [You returned, huh? Yeah, I''m going to head out now.]

    "You''ll be coming back, right? Hii really loves you.]

    Kaya stepped forward and petted Akumu.

    [I know. I''ll be back before you know it. Well, as long as everything is okay outside.]

    Kaya nodded her head as she looked into his eyes.

    "Be safe."

    [I will.]

    Kaya watched as Akumu rushed off into a nearby shadow and disappeared completely.

    She sighed and headed into the house.

    "Welcome back."

    "Hey, Dad. I''m back."

    Kaya greeted her dad as she put her gear down on the floor.

    "I guess we''ll have to give Hii more training, right?"

    Di nodded his head.

    "Haaa. How irritating. I''ll take him out tomorrow then?"

    "I''ll train him when you''re out on missions."

    Kaya nodded her head as she headed to Hii''s room. She saw Hii sleeping soundly, gripping his sheets with tear tracks on his face.

    "Haaa."

    She moved to the bed and sat beside Hii while brushing his hair. She decided to sit around for a bit longer before she rested.

    She had to make sure her baby was okay, after all.

 Ch.52. The Academy

    The Kurokumo household was lively as usual in the morning.

    "Wake up already!"

    ""Waaaaah!!!""

    The twins were getting chased by Kaya once more for oversleeping as usual.

    Riku looked from the stove at the sight and shook her head.

    "Haaa. They''re 7 now. You would think they would grow out of it by now."

    Di looked up from his newspaper and sighed.

    "Those two? Probably not."

    Di and Riku then looked over the table at their eldest grandson.

    Hii was now 8 years old and would finally go to the academy today.

    Hii, however, wasn''t very excited about it.

    "Do I have to go to be a ninja? Couldn''t I just take a advancement test or something?"

    Riku placed breakfast in front of him and looked at him.

    He knew that look. It was the "Don''t even think about it!" look.

    "We know you''re pretty advanced compared to the other children, but that doesn''t mean you can isolate yourself."

    Kaya soon came to the table with the twins as well.

    "That''s right! You should go learn to make friends in the academy instead of the other stuff. You''re already nearly past Chuunin level at this point. You two, sit down and eat."

    ""Yes."""

    The twins synchronized their replies and both sat down to eat.

    Henda came in to the room, out of energy as usual.

    Kaya kissed him and sat next to him, bringing a response from the twins.

    ""Ewwww!""

    "Shut it! You definitely have to go! You should go study with the friends you play with on your off days, Hii. It will be fun that way at least"

    Hii thought about the people he spent the most time with on his off days.

    "There isn''t many of them. Just Shikamaru, Choji, Maka, Sasuke, and....."

    Hii thought about the last one he had been "hanging" out with.

    ''Hey! I managed to ditch my Mom again! Show me how you did those cool Jutsus last time!''

    Hii recalled how he met Naruto again after the first encounter at the same training ground.

    ''Naaaarutoooo!!''

    ''Gyaaaaah!!!''

    Then he remembered how it ended the same as the first time. That happened quite a few times actually.

    "Maybe I haven''t hung out with Naruto that much to be considered a friend."

    "Haaa. Naruto definetely considers you a friend. He really doesn''t like to train on seals with Kushina, does he?"

    Hii nodded his head as he remembered the two fighting.

    "I actually think he can be good at it though. It''s his attitude towards it that''s horrible."

    "Reminds me of someone."

    The two of them glance at Moya, who''s happily eating her breakfast.

    She looked up at the two, tilting her head.

    "What?"

    The two shook their heads and looked at each other.

    "Anyway, get ready to go soon."

    ".....Yes."

    The family of 7 continued to eat their breakfast, readying themselves for a new day.

    ******

    Hii checked himself in the mirror.

    His pale silver hair hung close to his tanned brown shoulders. His dark blue eyes looked over his outfit. His white kimono like robe held his new family symbol of black clouds on its back. His pants were black and his sandals were black as well.

    He still felt underdressed.

    ''I can''t bring my sword to class, huh?''

    Hii looked over at his wooden sword hung on his wall. All the nicks and scratches he saw on the wood only helped him realize how far he had come since he first got it.

    But it wasn''t far enough.

    ''I have to study more. There has to be a way to make my Jutsus stronger.''

    Hii left the mirror and began to fill his backpack.

    Scrolls, brushes, and his medical books he saved up to buy.

    He''d use them and anything else he could to get stronger.

    "Hopefully, I can learn something good there."

    Hii grabbed his back pack and headed out of his room.

    Everyone stood by the entrance, watching Hii make his way.

    "Have a good day."

    "Have a good day at school, Hii-nii!"

    The twins wave energetically as Hii passes them with a smile.

    "It''ll be your turn next year."

    "Yeah! We can''t wait!"

    "Umu."

    Hii flinched as he saw his dad.

    Henda''s lip quivered as he looked at Hii with his backpack. Tears started to well up in his eyes.

    "My baby boy is getting older!"

    "Aw jeez! Don''t cry now! At least wait until he has a headband."

    Kaya shook her head and patted Henda''s back.

    Hii could only feel embarrassed at all the attention.

    "Have fun."

    Even Di gave a few words with a smile!

    Hii face became a bit red as he headed out of the door.

    "Hahaha! Hey, wait! Let me take you there!"

    Kaya laughed as she chased after her son.

    Hii slowed down and waved at his family before they couldn''t see him anymore.

    Nearby neighbors chuckled as they watched the family send their oldest off for his first day.

    ******

    "Are you nervous?"

    "No. I just don''t know if I''ll learn anything new."

    "Hahaha! You''ll learn some new things. They might not all be about ninjas though."

    Kaya walked Hii to the academy taking the normal roads.

    She had her casual clothes on today. She wore a grey shirt and black pants with a black cloud on the back.

    Mother and son walked side by side as they slowly neared the academy.

    Hii looked to his Mom and asked a question.

    "Mom?"

    "Yes?"

    "Do you think it''s important for me to go to school? Honestly?"

    "Hmmmm..."

    Kaya placed her hand on her chin and thought about it.

    She turned to Hii with a smile.

    "I think you need it. For a refresher on ninja arts and for socializing."

    Kaya rubbed Hii''s head as they neared the Academy gates.

    "The person who knows you the most besides your family is a giant, black wolf. Mommy won''t allow you to be a weirdo without friends."

    Hii nodded his head and decided to give school a chance.

    Not like he had any other choice anyway.

    "Kaya!"

    The two both looked up to see Kushina waving at them with Naruto and a brown haired girl standing next to her.

    "Hey, Kushina! You dropping your kids off too?"

    "Yep! Hope our kids can get along well!"

    "I''m sure they''ll be fine together. How have you been recently?"

    Kaya and Kushina started to chat as more and more parents came the gate with their children.

    Hii looked over to see Naruto and the other girl standing next to each other.

    "Watch, Nee-san! I''ll be the strongest ninja ever! Believe it!"

    "You''ll have to prove it."

    The girl responded in a cold demeanor, but Naruto seemed to not mind it at all.

    "Hehehe! I''ll definitely do it! Hey, Hii-nii!"

    ''Oh boy.''

    Hii waved at Naruto as he came over to him.

    "Hey, Naruto. You look excited for school."

    "Yeah! I can''t wait! My sister and I will be the best there is!"

    "You have a sister?"

    "Yeah! Her name-"

    "My name is Shizuka Uzumaki. Nice to meet you."

    Hii looked at the girl who appeared next to them.

    She wore dark green shirt and pants that seemed to give off a nature like style. Her long brown hair covered her left eye while her uncovered brown eye seemed to observe Hii in detail while extending her hand.

    Hii also observed her as he reached to shake her hand.

    "Hii Kurokumo. Nice to meet you too."

    Hii shook her hand as they both observed each other.

    ''She came close to us without me realizing. She''s pretty good.''

    ''His hands are pretty rough. He must train quite intensely. Perhaps with a weapon?''

    The two had similar thoughts as they assessed each other''s strength.

    "Hey! Why are you staring at each other?"

    ''''Is he really going to be the strongest?''''

    The two both turned to face Naruto at the same time.

    "W-why do you guys have the same expression? What happened?"

    ""Haaaa.""

    They both sighed and turned to each other.

    "Looking forward to getting along with you."

    "Likewise."

    The two shook hands again with much more familiarity over a blinding connection.

    Silly younger siblings.

    "Haaa. Those two would bond over something like that."

    "Well, it''s a sign that they''ll enjoy school at least."

    The moms stand back and watch the kids interact with each other.

    "Ara~! I managed to meet you guys here this time."

    "Ah! Mikoto!"

    Mikoto Uchiha came to the gate as well with Sasuke and Maka in tow.

    "Hey, Hii! I''ve gotten even stronger since the last time we fought. We should spare again soon."

    "Sure. The next time I''m free, I''ll come find you."

    Sasuke approached Hii with a grin as he looked over everyone present.

    Maka shook her head as she followed behind him.

    "Hey, Maka. How have you been?"

    "Pretty good. I''ve been getting more training from Fugaku-san nowadays."

    "Shisui''s too busy?"

    Both Sasuke and Maka nodded their heads. Sasuke responded with a pout.

    "They''ve been going on a lot of missions lately!"

    "Yeah? Mom''s been going on a lot of missions too...."

    Hii realized the three have been chatting without Naruto and Shizuka.

    He thought he might as well introduce them so it wouldn''t be awkward.

    "Sasuke and Maka, These two are Naruto and Shizuka Uzumaki. Naruto and Shizuka, these two are Sasuke and Maka Uchiha."

    Hii introduced the two and moved out of the way for them to greet each other.

    "Hmph! I hope you don''t hold us back."

    "What was that?!"

    ''Oh boy.''

    Hii could only watch helplessly as the two kids seemed to be at odds with each other on sight.

    "Pleasure to meet you~."

    "Nice to meet you as well."

    The two girls shook hands with refreshing, nice smiles.

    Hii, however, felt a cold sweat coming down his back.

    ''W-what?! Killing intent?!''

    Hii looked around and only saw the other kids chatting, the parents, and Naruto and Sasuke staring each other down.

    ''No. It''s different from killing intent. What is it?''

    Hii slowly looked around and finally noticed the problem. Maka and Shizuka were still holding their handshake with sinister like smiles. The pressure emanating around them was suffocating.

    ''......''

    Hii decided he was just going to ignore the four of them as Hii just looked towards the academy and took in the sights.

    He could hear the laughter of what he assumed to be his Mom and the other Aunties, but he decided to ignore it.

    "Haaa. What a drag."

    "Well, fancy seeing you here, Shikamaru."

    Hii turned to see Shikamaru heading over to him with his hands in his pockets. He could see the desire to sleep in his eyes.

    "It''s been a long time since I''ve seen you. We should play shogi sometime."

    "Sure. You''ll have to teach me how though."

    "Heh. I''m sure you''ll pick it up pretty quick. By the way...."

    Shikamaru looked over to see Sasuke and Naruto still staring each other down while Maka and Shizuka still had their eerie atmosphere going on.

    "What''s going on with them?"

    "Don''t ask. It''s troublesome."

    Shikamaru just nodded his head and faced the same way as Hii as they both waited for the academy to open.

    "Hey guys!"

    The two turned to see Choji coming towards them.

    He had a confused face as he came closer.

    "Why are you both facing the Academy?"

    ""Don''t ask.""

    ***********

    Soon, the students were all sent into the Academy with a wave of parents wishing their kids good luck.

    Everyone sat down in their classrooms. Hii found a seat near the front, along with two other students.

    He was actively ignoring the raging battle between the Uzumakis and the Uchihas going on in the back.

    "Okay, Everyone! Settle down!"

    A man came through the door of the classroom with a clipboard in his hand.

    "Welcome to the Ninja Academy! Here, you''ll be learning about the many different ways of being a Ninja. My name is Iruka Umino. You will call me Iruka Sensei. Understood?!"

    """Yes, Iruka Sensei!"""

    "Good! Now we''ll go through roll call. You introduce your name and your dream. We''ll start at the right hand side and work our way up.

    The student at the end of the row stands up and introduces himself. This goes on until it wad finally Hii''s turn to stand.

    "My name is Hii Kurokumo and my dream is to make my clan one of the greatest in the Leaf."

    "Excellent! You can sit down now. Next!"

    Hii sits down and watches the others introduce themselves.

    ''I can''t tell people about wanting to help Akumu. Most people wouldn''t want to help a Biju in anyway, much less save a world.''

    He held his mouth shut on his true dream as he saw the many different kids introduce themselves. Only a few really stood out to him, though he knew of most of them.

    Shikamaru and Choji''s turn passed, leading to Ino Yamanaka, Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga, and Shino Aburame.

    Hii decided to pay special attention to Shino since he didn''t even notice him in the classroom!

    Naruto obviously said he''d be the Hokage as his dream, while Sasuke said he wanted to be a strong ninja like his brother.

    Of the last few dreams, the one that really caught him off guard was Shizuka and Maka''s dreams.

    "My name is Maka Uchiha and my dream is to be a strong ninja without the help of my bloodline."

    Silence rested on the class tried to understand what she meant by without her bloodline. Some students got her message as they looked at her in shock.

    But that wasn''t the worst one!

    "My name is Shizuka Uzumaki and my dream is to kill the traitor, Orochimaru."

    Shizuka''s dream dropped the temperature of the class down by a couple degrees!

    Hii could feel the radiance of the killing intent on his skin as she calmly stated her wish.

    ''Maybe the Academy will be interesting after all.''

    *Slam*

    Iruka slammed his book on the desk, shocking quite a few students out of their stupor.

    "Okay! Thank you for sharing your dreams, everyone! Try not to share your killing intent next time, Shizuka."

    "Understood, Sensei."

    Shizuka bowed sincerely to Iruka Sensei as he clapped his hands.

    "Well then, let''s enjoy the next 4 years together as we hone our Ninja skills. How about we start class now?"

    Hii couldn''t help, but think what a crazy class this was.

 Ch.53. Sparring Match

    Forestbear

    Happy Halloween everybody! Hope you have a fun, safe night! Or a relaxing one! Whichever you prefer really.

    The few weeks after the first day of school were surprising fun for Hii.

    Hii actually ended up enjoying Iruka Sensei''s lessons and liked to solve his problems.

    Some in the class didn''t have the same appreciation for it.

    "Man! It''s so booooring."

    Naruto laid on top his desk as he whined about class.

    "You should pay attention, Naruto."

    "I know, but!"

    "You have to work hard to be the best."

    "Ugh..."

    "You better keep dreaming, loser."

    "What?! You got something to say?!"

    "Quiet down, Naruto."

    ".....Yes."

    "Leave him alone, Sasuke."

    "....."

    Hii decided to ignore those two as he looked over at their "sisters".

    They were both studying pretty intensely, but Hii had a feeling it was only a front. He could tell the two were glancing at each other from time to time.

    "Ok, class! Today, we''ll will be doing something a bit different. We''re going to step outside and have some sparring matches!"

    ""Waaaah!""

    The class explodes in excitement, mostly at something new besides lessons.

    "Everyone! Let''s head outside to the yard."

    Everyone piled out the door while Hii waits for the crowd to disperse before heading outside.

    Everyone lined up besides the fence as they wait for Iruka Sensei to give instructions.

    "We''ll have an arena sparring match session today!"

    "Oooh!!"

    The students start to get excited. A couple of students were especially happy to have a chance to show off their skills.

    "Here are the rules. The fights will be in the ring over here. Two students will battle inside and you win if your opponent falls flat on their back or steps out of the ring. I''ll choose from the list of students in the class. You come forward when your name is called and I''ll explain the rest."

    "I wanna go first!"

    "Me too!"

    All the kids wanting to show off their skills call for Sensei''s attention, but he just looks at his list with a pencil and starts to mark down some matches.

    "Man, what a drag."

    "I think it should be a bit fun."

    "I don''t really want to fight...."

    Shikamaru, Hii, and Choji stand together as they wait for their turn.

    "Hey, Shikimaru! Choji! Are you ready to fight?"

    A girl with platinum blonde hair comes toward the group with a smile.

    "Ugh, it''s Ino."

    "Hey! You need to stop being so mopey! And what''s wrong with me being here?!"

    Shikamaru rolled his eyes and ignored her, making her more angry at him.

    "I hope I don''t have to fight at all...."

    "You can''t just give up now, Choji!"

    "Ino Yamanaka! Sakura Haruno! Come out!"

    "Yes Sensei!"

    Ino went to the circle while a timid, pink-haired girl also slowly entered.

    "The two of you will spar first. You will start with the combat sign of ninjas."

    Iruka does the combat sign for all the students to see.

    "Once the battle ends, you will face each other and perform the sign of friendship by linking your fingers together. No Jutsu are allowed and no hard feelings for the outcomes of the spar, okay?"

    ""Yes, Sensei!""

    Ino and Sakura both did the sign of battle and started to spar. Ino had slowly inched in her advantage through most of the fight, while Sakura was trying her best to keep up with Ino.

    "Come on, Sakura! Fight like you mean it!"

    "O-okay!"

    It was a rather heartwarming scene of two friends training.

    Unfortunately, Sakura didn''t have the best balance and fell out after another exchange with Ino.

    "You have to watch your step, Sakura."

    "I-I''ll do better next time!"

    The two smile as they do perform the sign of friendship.

    "Good job! Now I''ll call the next pair!"

    Iruka called random names from the list as another pair of kids eagerly went into the circle.

    "Man~! I just want to nap."

    "I''m actually a bit excited. I hope I get someone who can fight well."

    "Seriously? I''ve had enough training with my old man."

    Choji nods his head as well, still stuffing his face.

    "What flavor are those, Choji?"

    "Seafood Bbq! You want one?"

    Choji hands him a chip as they watch the others fight.

    "This is pretty good."

    "I know, right?! It''s really tasty!"

    "I''ll never get why you guys like those weird flavors."

    Shikamaru shook his head as Hii and Choji talked more about the chips.

    "Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akamichi! Come on out!"

    Shikamaru sighs while Choji clams up as they both slowly make their way to the ring.

    "Make the sign of battle and begin!"

    Shikamaru and Choji just stare at each other, one with tired eyes and the other with eyes full of tears.

    "I''m not fighting."

    ""Eeeeeh?!""

    "M-me neither."

    Iruka looks at the two students, sighs, and writes some notes on his list.

    "Okay..... I''ll let it go this time. At least do the signs of battle and friendship."

    The two happily use the sign of friendship and head back to the fence.

    Hii looks at them both with a wry smile.

    "Well, that''s one way to get by."

    "All according to plan."

    "T-that was a plan?! So cool, Shikamaru!"

    Hii shakes his head as he watches the other kids come and go from the ring.

    Lots of kids managed to successfully show off their skills, while some other boastful kids got put in their place.

    "Hii Kurokumo and Hinata Hyuga! Come out!"

    ''Oh? Hinata? I haven''t seen her since the first time I met Guy.''

    Hii hadn''t been able to visit the Hyuga clan since the incident due to his training.

    ''I should go say hello to Haruka-san again.''

    Hii waited in the circle as Hinata made her way in with her index fingers poking each other.

    "Ummm...."

    "You....wanna spar?"

    The aura Hinata gave off made Hii feel like she would give up before she even tried.

    Her eyes seemed to focus as she managed to make eye contact with Hii.

    "I''ll....do my best!"

    "Cool!"

    Hii and Hinata both do the sign of battle and get into their stances.

    ''Let''s see how the Hyuga fight first-hand!''

    Hii unconsciously licked his lips as he brought his fists up and gave a light jab with his left.

    "!!"

    Hinata''s aura changed completely as she dodged the fist and sent a palm towards him!

    Hii dodged to her side, but Hinata quickly sent another palm towards him! Hii redirected her palm and slightly stepped in with body jab!

    "Haaa!"

    Hinata shouted as she didn''t retreat and sent her palm towards Hii'' s fist!

    *Clap Clap Clap*

    The sounds of deflection rang out as Hii and Hinata traded blows with each other at a increasing rate. The smile on Hii''s face was growing with every blow!

    ''This is so fun! I didn''t think her palms were this heavy! How exciting!''

    Hinata and Hii skirted along the edge of the ring as the two continued to fight.

    "Woah!"

    "No way!"

    The other students were shocked at the level the fight was rising to!

    The two continued to trade blows, both giving their best while refining their skills.

    ''She''s guarding against my attacks so well! I gotta figure out how to get around it!''

    Hii was growing more and more excited by the second as he tried to restrain himself from using his knees to fight as well.

    Hii then suddenly felt something was wrong.

    "Hmm?!"

    Hii noticed his hair was starting to spike up very slowly.

    "Tch!"

    Hii suddenly stopped and jumped away from Hinata.

    "Haa, haa, haa?"

    Hinata was breathing heavily trying to keep up with Hii''s speed. She started to slowly catch her breath as she wanted to ask Hii what happened.

    Hii suddenly raised his hand and faced Iruka with a slightly red face.

    "Sensei! I lost!"

    "........"

    Everyone was so shocked by Hii''s declaration, it didn''t completely register at first.

    ""Ehhhhh??!!!!""

    Hii awkwardly chuckled as he stood there.

    Iruka''s hand hit his own forehead and he groaned at these weird matches in his class.

    "Hii-kun, why did you surrender?"

    "Sensei, I accidentally used a Jutsu while I was fighting. I''m disqualified."

    "Eh? I didn''t see you use any handsigns."

    Hii pointed to his hair.

    "My family Jutsu spikes my hair up when I use it, Sensei. I also started moving faster than I usually would without it."

    Hii turned to face Hinata.

    "I''m really sorry I screwed up the match!"

    Hii bowed to Hinata and apologized.

    "N-no, it''s ok! I-it was a good match."

    "I know, right?! We should fight again sometime!"

    Hinata timidly nodded.

    "Yes. I think that would be great."

    "Cool! I''ll have a rematch with you another time then."

    Hii extended two fingers to Hinata for the friendship sign.

    Hinata smiled and did the same, completing their match.

    "That''s how it should be between comrades. Try to hold yourself back next time, Hii. You two did really well."

    "That was awesome!!"

    "You guys were so fast!"

    The class was getting rowdy as the two headed back near the fence.

    Shikamaru and Choji looked at Hii surprised.

    "Man, I didn''t know you were that strong."

    "Wow, Hii! You were moving super fast!"

    "Hehehe. It''s nothing, really. My grandpa is way faster than me."

    "Tch! I guess you had to do clan training too?"

    Hii nodded his head.

    "Yep! We''re a new clan, but my Grandpa has an old style of Kenjutsu. We''re pretty fast."

    Shikamaru sighed as he shook his head.

    "You''re gonna be a monster to fight someday."

    "I know! I can''t wait!"

    "Haaa~! What a drag."

    The three chatted for a bit while other sparring matches were called.

    "Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki! Come on out!"

    "Alright!"

    "Hmph."

    Hii had to paid attention to this match.

    He wanted to know how strong Sasuke and Maka had gotten in the time he hadn''t been able to train with them. He also remembered his Mom saying Naruto trained with his Mom and Shizuka as well.

    "Get ready! I''ll show you how strong I am!"

    "Stop whining and bring it."

    The two used the sign of battle and charged at each other.

    They clashed head on and blocked the others moves pretty well.

    Hii watched as the two battled it out with fists and kicks.

    ''Oh~! Sasuke definitely has better technique than him, but Naruto has way more stamina than him. If Sasuke can''t knock him out, Naruto might outlast him.''

    "Ugh! Why you~!"

    "Ung! This loser!"

    Sasuke and Naruto were trading blows rather aggressively as time passed.

    Hii looked around and noticed Shizuka and Maka''s auras were getting denser as the fight was drawing to an end.

    "Uwah!"

    Finally, Naruto tripped after receiving a punch from Sasuke and fell out of the ring.

    "Sasuke wins! Good job, you two!"

    Iruka praised the two as the class clapped as well.

    ""Sasuke-kun~!!""

    A group of girls seem to have formed a little fan club over Sasuke.

    Hii shook his head.

    ''They should focus on getting stronger first.''

    Hii decided to no longer pay attention to it as he watched Naruto and Sasuke give each other mean looks.

    "Use the sign of friendship. Remember, no hard feelings."

    Naruto and Sasuke nod their heads and use thr sign of friendship, though it was rather brief.

    Iruka sighs as he looks over at the list for the next match. His face scrunches up as he looks at the remaining names.

    ".....Shizuka Uzumaki and Maka Uchiha! You''re the last group!"

    The two girls silently enter the circle and face each other. The mood of the arena is....rather off.

    "Now it''s just a sparring match, you two. I don''t know what''s between you, but keep it friendly, okay?"

    ""........""

    "Okay?!"

    ""......Yes, Sensei.""

    The two respond back, but everyone can see the seriousness in their eyes.

    Iruka hovers over the two this time, unlike the previous matches.

    "Use the symbol of combat and begin!"

    ""!!!""

    The two immediately use the symbol and dash towards each other!

    *Thwack Bam Pow*

    It immediately turned into a slug fest as the two trade vicious blows with each other!

    Everybody is shocked by the viciousness of the blows, even Iruka-sensei!

    He quickly snaps out of it as he tries to break it up.

    "Stop stop stop!!"

    Iruka grabs both of them and lifts them in the air to separate the two, but Maka wouldn''t let go of Shizuka''s hair. Shizuka wanted to grab her as well, but Maka''s hair was too short to reach!

    "Haaa. I didn''t think this would happen! Maka-chan! You have to let go!"

    Hii facepalms as he sees the mess of a scene.

    "Hii-san, can you...?"

    "Yeah, can you stop them?"

    Hii looked to his side to see Sasuke and Naruto looking at him with pleading eyes.

    Hii sighed as he resolved to himself to help his friends.

    ''I guess I''ll have to use that technique if I want to stop her.''

    Hii decided to decisively use a shameless tactic to stop them.

    "Maka! I''ll tell Shisui-san you''re being bad if you don''t let go!"

    Maka immediately let go of Shizuka''s hair, but she didn''t let up on glaring at her.

    Hii only looked up into the clouds when those eyes glanced his way.

    Iruka looked gratefully at Hii for a moment and then looked at the two girls with a face full of anger.

    "The sparring matches are to foster friendship! No brawls are allowed! Got i?!"

    ""....Yes, Sensei.""

    "Good! Now do the sign of friendship!"

    The two continued to stare at each other, ready to start another round.

    "Do. The. Sign! Now!!"

    The two shiver and quickly do the friendship sign, though for only a second.

    Iruka''s face turns into a smile as he places them back on the ground.

    "Good! That was..... overall pretty good. I''ve noted down your scores and mostly everyone will get participation points. Let''s head back inside now, everyone."

    ""Yes, Sensei!""

    They all start to head back inside, but Hii is suddenly held back by a forceful grip on his arm.

    Hii could see Shikamaru, Choji, Naruto, and even Sasuke avoided looking at him as they quickly merged into the crowd.

    ''Traitors!''

    Shizuka stopped to give Hii  a devilish grin as she headed back into the building.

    "Hii? We need to talk about your loyalties."

    Maka stood behind him, grasping his arm with a smile.

    The smile was rather cold to be anything good.

    "My loyalties? What do you mean?"

    "Are you going to tell Shisui Nii-san about this?"

    Hii tilted his head.

    "No? I just needed you to let go so we could continue with class. You two can fight all you want outside of it."

    Maka stared at Hii and slowly nodded her head.

    "Good. You better not get involved with that girl. I''m gonna take her down! Got it?!"

    "Okay? I don''t really get it, but I won''t then."

    Maka smiled brightly as she let go of his arm.

    "Good! Come on! We''re gonna be late if we stay out too long!"

    "Right."

    ''Why are they even fighting, anyway?''

    Hii wondered about what they were fighting for, but decided he''d rather not know as he recalled Shizuka''s smile before she went in.

    ''Whatever they''re fighting for, it can''t be good.''

    Hii shook his head free of the thoughts as he made his way back inside.

 Ch.54. The Uzumaki Household

    "Haa Haa Haa."

    Hii sat down on the grass, trying to catch his breath.

    It was another training day for him on the Storm Blade.

    "You''ve gotten better."

    Di stood over to his side with a wooden sword in his hand.

    The two were in the middle of the training ground.

    Di was standing flawlessly while Hii was covered in dirt and sweat.

    "You''ve almost gotten the basics of the first stance down."

    Di gazed at the many streaks of blackened grass that crisscrossed over the training grounds with a proud gaze.

    "The Storm Blade is a lethal Kenjutsu, so you''ll have to practice it rigorously. I''ll have to make a blade for you soon as well."

    "Really, Grandpa?!"

    Hii shot up to his feet as he stood next to Di.

    "Hahaha! Excited about having a real sword,huh?! I would be too."

    Di patted Hii''s head with a smile before walking a short distance away.

    "I won''t make it until you''ve mastered the basics of the first stance. Come at me again."

    "Yes, Grandpa!"

    Hii''s hair spiked up as his Lighting Armor clad his body.

    He moved into the first stance, sheathing his sword with his left hand while his right hovered over the handle.

    Di also activated his Lighting Armor and held his blade to the side, standing casually.

    "When you''re ready."

    Hii nodded his head.

    *zzzzt*

    He quickly disappeared and reappeared right in front of Di and swung at him.

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    "Too sloppy. You need more control. And stop holding back so much."

    Di casually blocked all of Hii''s hits without even looking!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    ''Grandpa''s reactions are so fast! I should use more power!''

    "Haaaaaa!!"

    Hii''s Lightning Armor reached max power as he zipped around Di, slashing at him at any opening he could find.

    "Better, but there''s too many gaps. It''s useless against faster ninjas."

    Di sensed Hii coming towards him and tripped him as he passed by!

    "Uwaaah!!"

    Hii tumbled towards a tree and crashed into it!

    "Owww!"

    "Make sure your senses are able to keep up with new levels of speed first, Hii."

    "Y-yes, Grandpa! Owww."

    Di had a smile on his face as watched his grandson stand back up.

    "Still, I''m actually very happy with you."

    "Eh?"

    "You learned how to use the technique much quicker than I did."

    Di looked up into the sky, watching the fleeting clouds pass slowly.

    "I can only use the first style, but you''ll be able to use the other two and even make your own."

    Di looked back down at Hii with a smile.

    "I can''t wait to see what you come up with. I''ll teach you everything I know about the first stance. You''ll be mostly on your own for the other two."

    "I understand, Grandpa!"

    Hii grew excited. He always loved to train with his Grandpa.

    It was because when his Grandpa trained him, he could let loose like when he was fighting Akumu.

    "Good. Let''s go again."

    "Yes!"

    Hii picked himself up and charged at Di.

    Sounds of lightning sparks and wooden sword strikes echoed near the training grounds for some time after that.

    ******

    It had been nearly half a year since the Academy started. Hii had gotten used to his class as he ignored the chatter of his fellow students and continued to read his anatomy book.

    ''If I want to make that Jutsu better, I would have to use all these points.''

    "Hey, Hii!"

    "Hmm?"

    Hii closed his medical book to find Naruto''s beaming grin.

    "You are good at using Chakra, right?"

    "Yeah, I think?"

    "Can you come teach me at my house?"

    Hii tilted his head.

    "Why me?"

    Naruto had an awkward expression as he rubbed his head.

    "Well, I don''t know anyone else. My mom and Nee-san had tried to teach me, but I don''t really get what they''re saying half the time."

    Naruto smiled at Hii.

    "But when I ask you questions about our homework, It''s a lot easier for me to understand. I think you can help me get it!"

    Hii had a smile on his face.

    "Sure. I can help you with what I know."

    "Great! Let''s go after class!"

    Naruto celebrates excitedly as he heads back to his seat. Hii notices Shizuka looking his way. Shizuka looks at Naruto''s happy face and smiles before going back into her text book with no expression.

    ''I wonder how she helps him?''

    Hii pondered for a bit, but decided to dismiss it and dive back into reading his anatomy book. The break was almost over.

    "Um...."

    ''Again?''

    Hii felt a poke on his shoulder, bringing him to turn to his side. He saw a bright pink haired girl looking at him timidly.

    "Yes?"

    "C-Can you recommend a book for me?"

    ''Hmm?''

    Hii tilted his head, making the girl explain in a panic.

    "Ah! You see. I''m interested in the different styles ninjas can use. I haven''t been able to find any easy way into medical Ninjutsu, so I thought maybe you would know. That book seems to be past beginner level"

    Hii thought about it and nodded his head.

    "You''re right. I have a beginner medical book you can borrow, if you''d like."

    Hii flinched when he saw how bright her eyes became as he said that.

    "Really?! I''d love to borrow it! The other ones I saw at the bookstore were so expensive!"

    " S-sure. I''ll bring it over tomorrow before class."

    "Great! Thank you very much!"

    The girl bows her head, making Hii chuckle. He shook his head as he replied.

    "No need to be so formal.By the way, I don''t know if I introduced myself personally to you. I''m Hii Kurokumo."

    Hii extended his hand towards the girl.

    The girl looked a bit embarrased as she realized he didn''t know who she was!

    "U-um! M-My name is Sakura Haruno! Nice to meet you!"

    "Pleasure to meet you."

    Hii and Sakura talked for a good while before Iruka-Sensei came back and started the lesson.

    ''Ah! I forgot to work on the Jutsu. Next time then.''

    Hii decided to study it more once he had free time. It didn''t feel bad to get introduced to more people his age.

    ******

    "C''mon Hii! Let''s go!"

    Naruto excitedly ran down the street as Hii and Shizuka walked behind him.

    "No need to be so excited. We''re almost there."

    Shizuka called out to Naruto, but he just continued rushing ahead.

    The three came to the Uzumaki residence and Hii once again saw the moderately sized homely house.

    ''I haven''t been here since I got chased by baby Sasuke and Naruto...''

    Hii couldn''t help, but remember that memory as a wry smile covered his face.

    "Mom! We''re home!"

    "We''re home."

    Naruto and Shizuka both enter the residence while Hii trails behind them.

    Kushina comes from the nearby kitchen area with an yellow apron on.

    "Welcome back! Huh?! Is that Hii-chan?!"

    "Please excuse my intrusion."

    Hii bows his head in respect, but as soon as he raised it,

    *Glomp*

    His head was securely grabbed by Kushina!

    "Awwww!! Don''t be so distant! You should treat our home like your own! It''s been so long since you''ve come here!"

    Kushina started to spin around with Hii securely in her chest.

    "Mom! Stop! You''re being weird!"

    Kushina turned to Naruto with an angry look.

    "Don''t you start,Naruto! I heard from Iruka you''re slacking off again!"

    "Geh! I wasn''t slacking off! I just didn''t get it! T-that''s why I brought Hii to help me study!"

    Kushina felt a tap on her arm as she looked down.

    "C-can you let me down, Kushina-san?"

    "Oops! Sorry Hii!"

    Kushina put Hii down as he took in a deep breath.

    "You should take Hii to your room, Naruto."

    Shizuka starts to take her stuff to her room while advising Naruto as she passed.

    Kushina, however, blocked her way towards her room.

    The two stare at each other as Hii starts to feel a strange pressure emanating from Kushina.

    Kushina begins to smile as she opened her arms wide in front of Shizuka.

    "Shizuka-chan~."

    "...."

    Shizuka''s cold expression slowly started to heat up as she avoids Kushina''s eyes.

    "I won''t let you pass without it~."

    Her blush covers her whole face now as she shut her eyes and takes a deep breath.

    She then went into Kushina''s embrace.

    "Hey, Mom."

    "Hi, sweetie. How was school?"

    "Good."

    Shizuka quickly escaped from Kushina after that and dashed to her room.

    Kushina giggled as she heard the door open and close.

    "Still so shy."

    Kushina turned back to Naruto and also opened her arms with a big grin.

    "Hehehe!"

    "Hehehe!"

    The two laughed the same exact way as they hugged each other.

    "Keep an eye on your sister, okay?"

    "You got it, Mom!"

    The two separated from each other while Hii watched them with a smile.

    "You should take Hii to your room to get started, right?"

    "Right! C''mon,Hii!"

    Naruto grabbed Hii''s arm, dragging him to his room.

    "I will bring you some snacks later for your studying. Make sure you don''t waste Hii''s time,dattebane!"

    "I won''t, dattebayo!"

    Naruto opened his room door, allowing Hii to see into the room. The room was plastered with many different seals with one of the Leaf symbol above his bed. He had a desk that had many different scrolls spread over it. He had a giant symbol of fire right above that as well.

    "Your room....is pretty decorative."

    "Thanks! Let me put my stuff away so we can start. I''ll get a cushion for you too!"

    Naruto put his stuff away and brought out a cushion for Hii and his books.

    "Okay! Teach me about Chakra!"

    Hii tilted his head in confusion.

    "What do you need to know about it specifically?"

    "I wanna learn how to make cool Ninjutsu!"

    "......"

    Hii pinched the bridge of his nose as he realized how tough this was going to be.

    ''This is gonna take a while.''

    *******

    ''Huh. It wasn''t that bad.''

    Hii looked up from his notes to see Naruto with steam coming from his head.

    Hii felt that Naruto''s learning ability was rather familiar, but he couldn''t place where he had seen it. That was until he realized exactly where he had seen it.

    ''He learns like Moya. That''s why he has such a hard time learning from the text.''

    Hii remembered his Grandma telling him something like this some time ago.

    ''That brat, Moya is so strange sometimes. She couldn''t figure out how to use the technique until I described it like her favorite food. At least Yozora got it normally.''

    Hii closed his notebook and stretched his arms as he thought about a solution.

    ''That might work.''

    "Ugh!! I still don''t get how to use it!"

    "I think I figured out why."

    "Eh?!"

    Naruto suddenly shot up as he looked at Hii.

    "Really! Why?!"

    "You''re probably an active learner."

    "Active?"

    Hii nodded his head stood up as well.

    "Let''s go outside. We''ll try and figure some things out."

    "Okay!"

    Hii and Naruto headed outside and to a nearby tree in the backyard.

    "How good are you at Chakra Manipulation?"

    "Ugh.... Not very good."

    Hii nodded his head.

    "To use Chakra, you need to be able to manipulate it to your will. A basic way you can use it is to climb trees."

    Naruto looked confused hearing that.

    "I already climbed trees as a kid! That trains it?"

    "Not that way. You do it like this."

    Hii walked over to a tree and started to walk up the tree slowly!

    "Huh?! How do you do that?!"

    Hii stood on the side of the tree and instructed.

    "Send Chakra to your feet and walk on the surface where I am."

    "Okay! I''ll try it!"

    Naruto starts to channel Chakra into his feet and tried to go up the tree.

    "Uwah!!"

    *Bang*

    But he fell down after two steps.

    Naruto rubbed his head and looked at Hii.

    "How come you can do it, but I can''t? That''s unfair!"

    "You probably put in either too much Chakra or too little."

    Hii thought about it for a moment and clapped his hands.

    "Your Chakra should be like...ramen broth. It should be not too thick and not too thin. Got it?"

    Naruto crossed his arms and seemed to understand the idea.

    "I think I get it!"

    ''Really?''

    Naruto excitedly tried again, keeping his Chakra at a set amount and slowly started to climb.

    ''......''

    Hii watched Naruto slowly make his way up the tree, one step at a time. He could tell that Naruto was putting nearly just the right amount of Chakra.

    ''So....he really does learn like that.''

    Hii shook his head as he watched Naruto slowly climbed up the tree.

    "I doing it! I doing it, Hii!"

    Naruto waved at him enthusiastically from the higher branch of the tree.

    Hii waved back at him as he thought about how similar he was to Moya.

    ''I feel like I shouldn''t let them meet at all.''

    Hii had the sneaking feeling that it would be a horrible decision for those two to meet each other.

    ''I should hold it off for as long as I can.''

    "Is something wrong?"

    Hii''s head snapped up to see Shizuka looking at him.

    "Nothing! Just had a thought about something."

    "I see. Where''s Naruto?"

    "Up here, Nee-san!"

    Shizuka looked up in shock as she saw Naruto high up in the tree.

    "H-how did?!"

    "Hii taught me how to do it!"

    Hii was suddenly face to face with Shizuka as she held his shoulders.

    "How?!"

    "E-excuse me?!"

    "How did you get Naruto to understand it?! I''ve been trying for so long to get him to understand it!"

    Shizuka shook Hii back and forth like a leaf in the wind. It was quite fitting since they were on the tree.

    "I just told him his Chakra should look like ramen broth."

    "....ramen broth?"

    "Yeah. He seemed to have picked up on it as soon as I compared it to that."

    Shizuka silently thought about Hii''s peculiar example.

    Hii could see her eye growing brighter and brighter by the second as she seemed to understand something.

    "You''ve dealt with someone like Naruto before?"

    "My sister."

    Shizuka looked shocked, but collected herself with a serious expression.

    " I see. My intuition tells me we can''t let them meet."

    "I felt the same, but we may only have a year to keep them apart."

    "Tch! The Academy is too small. They''ll run into each other eventually."

    Hii and Shizuka nodded their heads as Naruto quickly headed back down.

    "What are you guys talking about?"

    "Nothing important. Do you think you can beat me in a race, Naruto? You can''t say its unfair now that you can do it too."

    "Oh yeah! I''m gonna win this time, dattebayo!"

    Naruto was successfully distracted by Shizuka''s taunts as the two went to similar size trees nearby.

    "Hii-kun, can you give us a countdown?"

    "Yeah! Nee-san will cheat otherwise!"

    "It''s not cheating. It''s getting a tactical advantage."

    Hii shook his head as he raised his hand.

    "Ready?!"

    "Yeah!"

    "Yes."

    "Go!"

    The two rushed up the tree once Hii''s hand swung down.

    Shizuka easily ran up the tree while Naruto had a bit of difficulty adjusting at first, but he quickly stabilized and rushed upward.

    It wasn''t enough, however, to catch up to Shizuka.

    "I win."

    "Darn it! One more time!"

    "Of course, little brother."

    The two came back down and got ready to race once more.

    Hii gave the signal for them again as both of them ran up the trees. This time, Naruto had a much cleaner start and got much closer to winning.

    "Argh! One more time!"

    "Sure. You won''t win."

    Naruto couldn''t tell due to his frustration, but Hii could see that Shizuka wad looking rather winded while Naruto was just brimming with energy.

    ''He has a lot of energy compared to her.''

    Hii decided he should help a fellow older sibling out.

    "Hey,Naruto? How about you race me instead?"

    "Huh!? Sure!! I wanna see how fast you are!"

    Hii went to Shizuka''s position and takes her place.

    Shizuka gives him an appreciative glance as she catches her breath.

    "Haa. Ready?"

    "Yeah! Let''s go!"

    "Ready."

    "Go!"

    Hii and Naruto shot up the tree at the same time!

    Hii monitored Naruto''s speed and adjusted his to match.

    The two reached the top at the same time.

    "A draw."

    "Agh! I was close! One more time!"

    "You''re on!"

    ''So much energy!''

    Hii and Naruto headed back down and got back into posisiton.

    Shizuka signaled the start of the race for another 3 times as Hii and Naruto continued to race.

    "Hey! Dinner''s ready! You guys come in and eat!"

    Kushina came out to call them for dinner as the three continued to race up the trees.

    Naruto hadn''t been able to win over either of the two. He could only lose to Shizuka and tied with Hii.

    "Argh!! Just wait! I''m gonna get even faster and win, dattebayo!"

    "Hmph. Big sister will always win."

    Naruto dashed into the house to eat as Hii and Shizuka slowly caught their breathes.

    "Thank you for your help."

    "No need. Older siblings have a pride they must keep as long as possible."

    Shizuka smiled as she started to stretch her arms and legs.

    Hii looked at her and suddenly had a burning question.

    "Hey. Why do you and Maka fight all the time?"

    Shizuka looked at Hii with a sly smile on her face.

    "It''s because we''re rivals."

    Hii had a perplexed look on his face as he watched Shizuka head towards her home.

    "Shall we have dinner?"

    "...Haaa. I guess so."

    Hii shook his head as he followed Shizuka back into the house.

    The mystery between those two seemed to only get deeper the more Hii tried to understand it.

    He should just leave it alone and focus on other things.

 Ch.55. No Pain, No Gain

    Hii sat in his chair, deep in thought.

    ''How exactly am I suppose to get a better idea on how to use this Jutsu?''

    Hii sat contemplating on his Wolf Armor Jutsu during their study break.

    The Jutsu was a bit difficult to perform , but Hii could feel it could be a very strong Jutsu if he could improve it. It could even be a trump card in special situations.

    ''It has a lot of potential, but the problem is my Chakra flow. My points aren''t being used to the fullest.''

    Hii could feel that his Wolf forms was very sloppily made compared to his Lightning Armor. His chakra was inconsistent and hard to maintain.

    Another problem was that he couldn''t use his chakra from every point in his body to regulate it smoothly.

    ''The coverage has to be more adaptable so I can make it sturdier and more fluid, but how can I learn to feel the Chakra points when I don''t know where they are? The book just gives a general area.''

    He leaned back against his chair to think of a solution, but nothing came to mind.

    ''I shouldn''t think about it too much. Let''s relax and take it slow.''

    He looked around the classroom to see his classmates doing their usual thing.

    Shikamaru was sleeping as usual while Choji snacked away.

    Maka seemed to be deep in her book when Hii looked her way while Sasuke was annoyed at the horde of girls surrounding him.

    Shizuka was laughing at something while Naruto was trying to read a book, but didn''t seem to understand it.

    Hinata was sneaking a few peeks at Naruto while he was preoccupied.

    "......."

    Hii found himself looking straight at Hinata''s eyes for a few seconds before she noticed him and started to turn slightly red.

    ''That''s it!''

    He stood up and walked over to Hinata.

    She looked startled as he came to the row right under her with a smile.

    "Hey Hinata! Can you help me train today?"

    "Eh? A-are you sure you need my help?"

    "Yep! Honestly, I think only you can help me."

    Hinata took her time to think, then meekly nodded her head.

    "I would love to help you. I have to repay you for what happened before."

    "Before? Oh! Don''t worry about that! Guy-san was the one who really helped you anyway."

    "Hey! What are you two talking about?!"

    Naruto came over to the two, standing next to Hinata. Hii watched as her face started to grow bright red all the way down to her neck.

    "I''m setting up some training for myself."

    "No fair! I wanna get strong too! Let me come with you!"

    Hii saw out of the corner of his eye Sasuke and Maka both leaning their ears in his direction as Naruto complained.

    ''Yeesh.''

    "Sorry! I need to keep what I''m training on a secret, so only Hinata can help me."

    "Ehh?! I bet you''re just hogging all the cool Jutsus!"

    Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. A sinister smile appeared on Hii''s face when he saw that.

    "Then you should ask Kushina-obasan to teach you then."

    Naruto''s anger evaporated at the thought, replaced by a cold chill.

    "N-no thanks! I''ll figure out my own super Jutsu! Just you wait and see!"

    "Sounds like a good idea."

    Naruto headed back to his seat with his head up while Shizuka tried to hold in her laughter, but obviously failed to cover it as her shoulders bounced up and down.

    Sasuke and Maka straightened up and showed no changes, but he could see the two having slightly dejected shoulders.

    "....We can all train in a group once I finish, ok?"

    "W-what?! We don''t need to be in your group to train."

    "I wanna fight you again, Hii."

    "Alright! Hurry up and finish so we can learn cool Jutsus too!"

    "Hehehe!"

    Hii looked to four of them and shook his head.

    Hii chuckled as he turned back to Hinata.

    "Should we practice at your place? I wanted to see Aunt Haruka again."

    "Okay. Mom also asked about you and Kaya-san as well. She''ll be happy to see you."

    Hii stood up and started to head back to his seat.

    He  sat  down and started to read a new book he found on Chakra flow.

    He was excited to finally make some progress with this technique. He promised Akumu he''d work on it after all.

    ******

    "Welcome back, Hinata-sama!"

    Two guards greeted Hinata as they passed into the estate.

    Hii vaguely remembered the place, but seeing it once more, he realized how huge it is.

    Hii just followed behind Hinata as they made their way through the halls.

    They came across a large room with a simple table and snacks.

    "You can wait in here, Hii-kun. I''ll go check on Mother right now."

    Hinata hurried down another hallway while Hii took a seat and waited for her to come back.

    "This place is way bigger than I thought."

    Hii looked over the room, feeling the air of nobility from the paintings and drawings in the room.

    He heard the patter of feet as Hinata appeared again a bit winded.

    "Mom is awake. You can see her now."

    ''Awake? Was she napping or something?''

    Hii held his thoughts as he followed Hinata over to her mom''s room, deeper into the estate.

    As they went further in, Hii felt a strange sensation on his skin momentarily before it dissapeared.

    ''I''m being watched.''

    Hii couldn''t see anyone nearby, but he could imagine their Byakugan could easily see him.

    ''Why is the security increase so intense?.''

    "She''s in here."

    Hii and Hinata came to a large room where Haruka was in her bed, wearing a purple robe while sitting up.

    "Hii-chan! Nice to see you! *cough*"

    "Hello, Haruka-san. Are you ok?"

    Haruka shook her head as Hii came closer to her and kneeled down.

    "I''m fine. I''ve just been under the weather recently."

    Haruka smiled at Hii, but it looked rather forced to him.

    "Maybe I can help you feel better! I''ve been studying a lot of Medical Ninjutsu."

    Haruka giggled and rubbed Hii''s head.

    "There''s no need to worry about me. I''ll be fine."

    Hii nodded his head, but still grabbed her hand tightly.

    She smiled more naturally as she chatted with Hii after that. Hii talked to her about how his family was doing, but he also paid attention to the state of the room.

    He had a feeling she had been in this room for a while now, and most likely not because she wanted to.

    Hinata was silent as the two talked. Hii noticed that though she had a smiling face when they turned to her, her fists were clenched tightly. It seemed like she was holding something in.

    ''Her condition is probably worse than it seems.''

    He decided to stealthily used some of the chakra Akumu left him to help heal her.

    He didn''t feel like it would be a waste at all using Akumu''s chakra like this.

    "I''m gonna try to heal you, Haruka-san! I''m pretty good at it!"

    Haruka sighed and shook her head.

    "Sure. People have looked into it before. You can check too if you like."

    Haruka resigned herself to Hii''s probing as he sent chakra into her body.

    He started to feel a bit tired as the chakra slowly went through her. Her complexion got slightly better at each full rotation. He slowly withdrew his hand after the chakra went through 3 full rotation.

    "Whew! It really is hard! I''m going to go train with Hinata now, Haruka-san! I''ll talk to you more next time and try again!"

    Hii stood up and bowed to Haruka.

    Her smile was radiant as she did feel better after Hii''s attempt.

    "Do come again, Hii-chan! I feel better already after seeing you!"

    "I''ll definitely be back!"

    Hii walked outside and gave Hinata and her Mom space.

    "Thank you..."

    Hii heard Hinata''s small voice and a smile came across his face.

    He left the two to talk a bit more before they would begin the training. He had noticed someone was slowly walking down the hallway and waited by the door for them to pass.

    "It''s useless."

    He heard a rather young, but cold voice speak to him.Hii turned his head and found a familar boy that just past him further down the hallway.

    "What is useless?"

    "She will not be able to escape her fate."

    A rare frown appeared on Hii''s face as he locked on to the boy.

    "No one can escape destiny."

    "And how do you know that?"

    "I''ve seen many doctors come out of that room with regretful faces. It''s already a fact in the estate."

    Hii''s frown only deepened as he heard the dry confidence in his voice.

    "It sounds like you don''t want her to get better. Do you have a grudge against her? Or is it against all of them?"

    The boy frowned and rubbed the bandage on his forehead. He turned his back towards Hii.

    "You should make sure to see her before she''s gone."

    "I''m sure she''ll be fine."

    "Hmph! You will have to accept reality soon enough. No amount of belief will change that."

    The boy attempted to leave after saying his thoughts.

    "What''s your name?"

    Hii asks the boy as he stares at his back.

    "My name is Neji Hyuga. My father talked to you before."

    "I think I remember you now. I''m Hii Kurokumo."

    Neji nodded his head and continued to leave.

    But Hii wasn''t done with him yet.

    "I''ll come and beat you up the next time I come here."

    "....What?"

    Neji glanced at him with the veins near his eyes starting to bulge out.

    "It''s your fate to get beaten up by me."

    ".....We shall see if that''s your role or not."

    "I''ll make it my role."

    The boy turned forward and continued to head down the hallway.

    The door to Haruka''s room opened as Hinata came out and closed the door behind her.

    "Sorry for the wait. D-did something happen?"

    Hii turned to Hinata with his everyday smile.

    "It''s fine. Let''s get started soon. It''s gonna get dark if we don''t hurry."

    Hinata nodded her head and lead Hii to the training ground.

    *******

    The two stood in the training grounds face to face.

    Hii has a big smile on his face as he prepared to explain the assistance he needed.

    "Let''s get started. The reason I wanted you to help me train is because of your family techniques."

    "I see. What should I do?"

    Hii nodded his head.

    " I need your help in utilizing all my Chakra Points effectively."

    Hii started to stretch as he continued to explain.

    "I have a Jutsu I''ve been working on for a while now, but it has shown no improvements no matter how I train. I''ve come to a guess that it might have to do with my Chakra Points and flow. All I need you to do check my Chakra points as I use my Jutsu and strike my  points that go against the flow."

    "Strike them?! But! You would get hurt."

    "I know. It''s the price I have to pay to get it right. It''ll also serve as a reminder the next time I use it. I''ll know which ones I shouldn''t use."

    "....I see."

    Hinata nodded her head and looked up at Hii.

    "I''ll do my best to help!"

    "Great! Now use your Byakugan and close the unnecessary points you see. Don''t hold back!"

    Hinata nods her head and weaves a few seals.

    Byakugan!

    The veins on her face bulge out and her eyes gain a strong sense of focus.

    Hii took in some deep breathes and readied himself.

    This was definitely going to hurt!

    He weaved his handsigns and focused his mind.

    Lightning Style:Lightning Wolf Armor!

    Hii''s hair spiked up as thick Lightning Chakra covers his body. It vaguely formed the body of a wolf around him as he got on all fours.He tried to use as little Chakra as possible to maintain the armor for Hinata to strike his points.

    "Go ahead and start when you''re ready!"

    Hii waited as Hinata eyes slowly scour his Chakra points. She seemed shocked by the initial transformation, but quickly got back on track.

    Only after a few seconds did she finally move to strike.

    "T-then I''ll start! Haaa!"

    *Pow Pow*

    "Ugh!"

    Hinata starts to attack a few points before Hii grunted. She stopped for a moment, concerned if he was okay.

    "Keep going!"

    Hii gritted his teeth as he urged her to continue. He could only maintain the Jutsu for so long.

    "O-okay! Haaa!"

    *Pow Pow*

    Hinata continued to attack Hii''s Chakra points.

    ''This hurts way more than I thought!''

    Hii held on as Hinata continued to strike his Chakra points.

    After a minute, Hinata finally stopped striking him as Hii fell down.

    Hii was shivering as he felt intense pain in his limbs and chest. Hii tried calm down and alleviate some pain.

    ''There was way more Chakra points throwing me off than I thought.''

    Hii commited the pain to memory as he tried to feel those points.

    "Are you ok?"

    Hinata undid her Byakugan and looked concerned for Hii''s shivering state.

    "Don''t worry! I''m fine."

    Hii began to use Akumu''s Chakra and partially healed his body, barely stopping his shivering.

    Hii inhaled deeply and started to focus his Chakra away from the numb areas on his body.

    He felt a faint guideline from one of the points to the other and pursued the connection with his Chakra.

    He pushed his Chakra slowly into through the points, activating his armor once more with a much smoother appearance.

    He felt his Chakra flow growing smoother and became excited.

    "It works! It''s....going to take a long time before I get it to where I want though."

    The time it took Hii to finish connecting a cleaner circuit was quite long. The sun was already starting to go down at this point.

    Hii sighed as he felt the numbing feeling disappear.

    "This is going to be quite a process. Thank you for waiting, Hinata-san."

    "I-it''s okay. I''m glad I could help."

    Hinata smiled with her hands clasped together.

    Hii couldn''t help rubbing her head with a smile.

    "You''re a kind girl. I wonder why you don''t fight more seriously? I can tell you''re pretty strong from those hits."

    Hinata didn''t answer and lowered her head.

    "I just....can''t hurt people. I don''t think I''m strong."

    Hii saw her expression getting darker as she started to brood on her flaw.

    "Hyaa!"

    Hii ruffled her hair all over with both hands and a smile on his face.

    She quickly jumped back from him as she tried to fix her hair.

    Hinata hair took on a rather  wild shape, since Hii used a little Lightning Chakra as well as he rubbed.

    "Do you look up to anyone?"

    "Eh? Who do I....look up to?"

    Hinata thought for a moment, then her face started to become red.

    "......."

    Hii waited for her to respond, but she was busy fiddling with her fingers.

    "Is it Naruto?"

    "Huuuuh?!"

    ''... It''s him, alright.''

    Hii looked at Hinata with a knowing smile as her blush became bright red.

    "Let me tell you something."

    Hinata looked up at Hii as he looked over to the orange sunset.

    "That guy is very stubborn. I remember he would sneak out from his house to find me at the training grounds. His Mom would always find him and beat him everytime. It was pretty scary, honestly."

    Hii chuckled as he remembered Naruto''s face whenever he got beaten.

    "He never did give up, even with all the beatings. He''s even more stubborn on protecting people he cares about."

    Hii turned back to Hinata with a smile.

    "I''m certain you are capable of showing your strength like that as well."

    Hinata was shocked to hear that from Hii.

    "Even I can...."

    Hii started to stretch his arms while she just stared at the ground.

    "Just don''t give up on doing your best, ok?! You''ll find your own way to protect your loved ones, I''m sure."

    "Y-yes! I can''t give up!"

    Hinata had a firm gaze as she steeled her determination.

    Seeing that face made Hii feel a bit mischievous.

    Hii suddenly came close to her ear and whispered to her.

    "Also don''t give up on Naruto either, ok?"

    "W-w-what?!"

    Hinata seemed confused, but Hii could see the blush creeping down her neck. She understood what he meant.

    Hio couldn''t help laughing out loud as her face turned bright red.

    She looked at Hii with a rare frown as he laughed.

    "You''ve been making fun of me a lot today."

    "Hehehe. Guess you''re right. Take your fury out on me and hit me again if you want! I''m ready for another round."

    Hii reapplied his Chakra armor and readied himself.

    "I will."

    Hii felt a chill run up his spine as her Byakugan activated. Her face was very serious compared to before. She even took a more serious fighting stance as she circulated her Chakra.

    "H-hey, w-wait a minute."

    "Haaaa!"

    "Augh!"

    *Pow Pow Pow*

    Hinata decided to showed Hii the full power of the Hyuga clan.

    He learned just how much she held back as the pain was way worse than before!

    A mad Hinata was scary!

 Ch.56. Shock After Shock pt.1

    Hii put up his books in his bag and started to head to the front of the academy.

    "Hey!"

    Hii turned around and saw Naruto rushing towards him.

    "Are you heading to Hinata''s place again today?"

    "Yeah. I have some more things to do there before training, so I need to get it done so we can start."

    "I''m gonna go with you this time dattebayo! I wanna get stronger too!"

    Naruto hung close to Hii, obstinately waiting together with him.

    ".....Fine. You can''t be loud though."

    "Yeees! Ha!"

    Naruto clasped his hands over is mouth while Hii stared at him.

    Hii sighed, turned his head, and waited for Hinata to come out.

    "Naruto~."

    Naruto shivered as Shizuka approached them with a teasing smile on her face.

    "Nee-san! What''s wrong?"

    "Where are you going? Did you forget Mom wanted to talk to us today about something?"

    "Geh! I forgot! I was going to go with Hii to Hinata''s house!"

    "No. You. Don''t~! You''re coming with me."

    Shizuka grabbed Naruto by the collar of his shirt and started to drag him out of the academy.

    "Wait! Can''t I at least go partway with him?"

    "Nope~. Mom said I had to capture you and take you back~."

    "Aaaah! Why today dattebayo?!!"

    "See you tomorrow, Hii-kun~!"

    The two bickered into the distance, causing Hii to shake his head.

    "S-sorry for the wait!"

    Hii turned and saw Hinata heading towards him.

    "Don''t worry about it. Let''s go."

    "Umu."

    Hii and Hinata walked out of the academy and headed over to the Hyuga estate.

    Hinata looked a bit nervous as the two got closer to the estate.

    "What''s wrong? You look tense."

    "Eh? N-not really. It''s just..."

    "Don''t worry. I''ll make sure you''re Mom will feel much better after today''s treatment."

    "T-thank you! But that''s not it."

    Hii turned to Hinata and saw her fidgeting with her fingers again.

    "Well, what''s wrong then?"

    "It''s...about Neji-niisan."

    Hii''s face immediately frowned when she mentioned his name.

    "What about him?"

    "W-well... Can you two...not fight?"

    "No."

    He shook his head confidently.

    "That''s impossible."

    "I-I see."

    "Sorry, Hinata. I can''t let what he said slide."

    "Oh...."

    Hii turned back to continue heading to the estate while Hinata followed closely behind.

    *******

    Hii let go of Haruka-san hand as he  finished his healing session.

    "Whew! Do you feel better, Haruka-san?"

    ".....Yes."

    Haruka had a complicated expression as she looked at Hii.

    "Hii-chan. It might be for the best if you stop healing me."

    "Why?! You feel better, right?!"

    Haruka sighed and nodded her head.

    "I do, but this will bring unwanted attention to you. People will want to know how you did it."

    "Then I''ll just leave after you''re healed and hide behind my Mom!"

    Haruka looked at Hii in surprise.

    "Pffft!!"

    She then started laughing hysterically as tears started to well in her eyes.

    "That''s right! Kaya-san wouldn''t let anybody bully her baby! How could I forget that?!"

    Haruka continued to laugh for a little while longer before wiping her eyes of her tears.

    "Haaa. Well, I hope you can heal me completely in that case, Hii-chan."

    "Of course! I''ll get you healed up in no time!"

    Haruka smiled brightly and rubbed Hii''s head.

    "Now then, I heard you''ve been getting into a spat with Neji-chan?"

    Hii face started to frown, but he said nothing as he just continued to heal Haruka''s body.

    Haruka sighed as she brushed her purple hair away from her face.

    "Boys sure love to fight. I''m sure Neji-chan said something to make you mad."

    "......"

    "You''re a little too much like Kaya-san. Just....try not to kill each other, ok?"

    "I''ll try. I''m finished for today. I''ll see you next time, Haruka-san."

    Hii stood up, bowed, and headed out of the room, finishing his task.

    Haruka could only sigh as she watched him go.

    ******

    Hii and Neji both stared at each other in the Hyuga clan training ground.

    Hinata stood nearby, flustered at what she should do.

    "U-um!"

    "Yes, Hinata-sama?"

    Neji asked Hinata without looking away from Hii.

    "Do you have to fight?"

    "We must, Hinata-sama. He told me my fate was to be beaten. I must see if that''s true."

    "There you go with that "fate" thing again. You''re not wrong though. You will see that I was right."

    "Hmph!"

    Neji starts to get into his stance, spreading his feet out slowly as he moves into position.

    "You should back up, Hinata. We''re gonna start soon."

    Hii raised his fists and his feet started to slowly march at a rhythm.

    Neji''s eyes start to focus as veins start to appear on the side of his face.

    Hii looks at him with a smile on his face.

    "Any rules you want for this match?"

    Neji thinks about it, and nods his head.

    "Taijutsu only. I''ll show you the power of the Hyuga clan."

    "Yeah, you do that. Hinata! Can you start us off?"

    Hinata looked at the two of them and sighed.

    "O-ok.... Ready?"

    The two stare at each other in their stances, tense and ready to fight.

    "Begin!"

    She shouted, expecting to see the two dash at each other and start fighting.

    These two, however, had other ideas.

    They began to circle each other, inching closer and closer to their opponent as they watched their every move.

    ''This guy has a stance that looks more relaxed than Hinata''s. His technique won''t be as stiff as her jabs and pokes. I''ll have to be careful of his speed.''

    Hii monitored Neji carefully as Neji did the same.

    ''His foot movements are rather strange. Is it to throw me off? No. His leg muscles are too toned for him to not use them. I should proceed with caution.''

    The two had similar thoughts of their opponent as they slowly inched towards each other.

    Hinata stood by, silently enduring the tension between the two.

    A cold breeze suddenly blew by across the back of her neck.

    "Fuwah!"

    Hinata felt a cold shiver go down her spine and let out an embarrassing sound.

    ''Oh no! I let out such a strange sound! How embarrassing!''

    *Swish Swish Pow Bam*

    "Eh?!"

    Hinata heard the sounds of combat in front of her and quickly looked up to see Hii and Neji fighting at last.

    Neji poked at Hii with high speed precision towards his Chakra Points, but Hii blocked them by dodging or slapping his attacks away.

    Hii also sent a few punches and kicks to Neji, but Neji dodged them as well as tried to attack any sloppy attempts.

    The two countered each other at every chance they could and anticipated the other''s movements.

    Despite how much they disliked each other, the two were an equal match for each other.

    The two kept jabbing at each other, neither receiving any significant damage.

    A few minutes passed as the two continued to silently battle.

    ''Tch! So we''re the same level. I''ll have to do something drastic. Wait! I could try that move.''

    Hii began to strike at Neji more freely as he started to open up some gaps in his stance. He also held his hand further out to his right side to distract him.

    Neji didn''t immediately go for the openings as he watched Hii''s movements carefully.

    His Byakugan focused on Hii entirely, trying to anticipate his movements.

    ''His muscles are tightened on his right side. He should be preparing a big punch. Why make it so easy for me to see?''

    Neji thought about Hii''s actions, but quickly disregarded it as the openings were too tempting to pass up!

    "Haaa!"

    Neji slide close to Hii and reached to disable the points in his right arm!

    "Huuuo!"

    Hii prepared himself and tried to strike him with his right fist.

    "It''s over!"

    Neji ducked the fist and struck several points along the arm.

    "Ugh!"

    Neji positioned himself close to Hii as he prepared to further incapacitate him, but Hii was hoping he''d stay close!

    "Huuu!"

    Hii shifted his weight and shot his left fist towards Neji''s face!

    Neji didn''t think Hii could fight back so quickly with the pain from having his Chakra Points sealed!

    The fist quickly made its way towards Neji and all he could do was lean back on instinct!

    ''He won''t reach my face with this!''

    Neji believed Hii would only be able to barely graze his face from the angle, but Hii was prepared for it!

    ''I only have one shot!''

    Hii eyes flashed as he channeled chakra into his feet, closing the distance with a bit more distance and power in the punch!

    *Bam*

    Hii struck Neji barely on the chin, his head tilting from the impact.

    "?!!!"

    Neji felt everything go dark as his legs suddenly gave out as he fell down on his back, knocked out with his eyes open.

    Hinata was shocked to see Neji laid on the ground after one hit.

    "It worked."

    Hii looked at his hand and shook his head.

    ''I guess Akumu wouldn''t teach me something that wouldn''t work, huh?''

    The Knockout Punch Akumu taught him was a weird move to Hii, but he could see it worked well.

    Hii caught his breath as he looked over at his arm limply hanging

    Hii tried to move it, but he could only feel pain coming from it.

    He looked over at Hinata and saw she was still staring at Neji on the floor.

    "Hey, Hinata?"

    "Eh?! Y-Yes?!"

    Hinata recovered from her shock and she turned to Hii.

    "Can you help unseal my arm?"

    Between Hinata''s strikes and Neji''s, Hii truly felt that the Gentle Fist was anything, but actually gentle.

    ********

    Hii stretched his arm as he walked back home, enjoying the night breeze.

    "Hehehe! His face was priceless!"

    Hii laughed as he remembered the face Neji had once he woke back up.

    ''I''ll try and get him again once my arm feels better! Hehehe!''

    Hii joyfully walked by a neighborhood park on his way back home.

    *Sniff*

    "Hm?"

    Hii looked around after hearing a strange noise.

    ''Someone crying over here?''

    *Sniff Sniff*

    Hii looked over the area and decided after a while that be might as well be nosy.

    He crept closer to the area the sniffling sounds came from and found a boy crying on a swing.

    "Naruto?"

    "?!!!"

    Naruto looked up from his crying and quickly jumped to a nearby tree!

    Naruto fled away from Hii as soon as he saw him!

    "Hey, wait!"

    Hii was confused at first, but quickly jumped up and chased after Naruto.

    Something was telling him he shouldn''t let Naruto get away.

    "Hey! Where are you going?!"

    "Leave me alone!"

    "Why?!"

    Hii continued to chase him as they went from rooftop to rooftop. After they went through the town, Naruto started to head of into a nearby training ground!

    ''Ugh! Stupid! This brat has tons of stamina! I''m not gonna be able to outlast him!''

    Hii followed closely behind him anyway, hoping he would just stop and calm down at some point.

    Unfortunately, Naruto wasn''t giving in and kept running!

    Hii, however, had enough of Naruto''s obstinate refusal to explain himself!

    "Leave me alone!"

    "Argh! That''s it! I''ll stop you myself since you don''t want to on your own!"

    Lightning Armor!

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    Hii''s hair spiked up as he bolted into Naruto at high speed!

    "Ora!"

    "Uwah!"

    The two fumbled over,crashing into the ground with a slide!

    Hii rushed over to the dazed Naruto and slide towards his head!

    He grabbed on to Naruto''s neck, gripping him in place with a headlock!

    "Aaaargh! Let me go!"

    "After you tell me what''s wrong with you."

    Naruto continued to struggle, but Hii held a tight grip on him no matter how he moved.

    Naruto''s resistance soon began to crumble as Hii slowly started to increase the pressure on his neck.

    He slowly stopped struggling and laid in Hii''s grip powerlessly.

    "Well?! What happened?"

    "I....I have a monster."

    "A monster? What are you talking about?!"

    "I have a monster inside of me!"

    Naruto tried to broke out of Hii''s headlock and tried to run again, but Hii just tightened his grip on his neck once more!

    "Guh! Get off of me dattebayo!"

    "Quiet!!"

    "!!!"

    Naruto grew shocked as he never heard Hii sound angry before!

    "Now listen here! Enough running away! You will sit here and explain what the hell you''re even talking about, slowly and clearly from the beginning! Got it?!"

    "Y-yeah..."

    "Answer me!"

    "Yes!"

    Hii nodded his head and slightly released Naruto''s neck as he waited for him to explain.

    Naruto hesitated, but soon began to talk about what he and Shizuka learned from Kushina. Naruto decided to confide in Hii and hope he wouldn''t change after learning the truth.

    ********

    Inside the Uchiha estate, Maka came into her room after a long day.

    "Haaaa...."

    She laid back, letting the stress of the academy and training go as she fell into the covers of her bed.

    It was her happy place, but she wasn''t feeling very happy as of late.

    ''Nii-san is still out on a mission. I barely get to see him nowadays.''

    Maka brought one of her pillows to her chest and squeezed it. She slowly tossed and turned on her bed for a while while thinking of her training recently.

    She was making progress, but it didn''t feel as fun as it normally was.

    Sasuke was a good opponent for her, but...

    "Stupid Hii."

    Maka rolled around a bit more as she thought of his "secret training" he was doing with Hinata.

    ''I want to be part of secret training too! Stupid.''

    Maka punched one of her pillows as she just stared at the ceiling.

    ''I should just talk to him. Nothing''s changed at all. It should be simple like it used to be.''

    She would make an effort to talk to him, but it recently became an uphill battle. She felt her hands suddenly get sweaty, and she could barely look at him when they talked now.

    She couldn''t be honest with him like she used to for some reason.

    It wasn''t so bad before the academy starter, but ever since she met Her, it''s gotten much worse.

    "Stupid Shizuka!"

    She punched her pillow a few times before squeezing the poor pillow in a death grip.

    ''I don''t know when she''s being serious or not! Uggggh!!''

    She held the pillow tightly, then sighed and let the pillow go.

    She got out of her bed and stood in front of her mirror.

    She looked at herself as she had plenty of times before.

    She thought about what her brother had taught her when he first opened his Sharingan.

    ''Your eyes are red, Nii-san! How did you that?''

    ''It''s easy! You channel your chakra to your eyes and they change, just like that.''

    ''Can I do it too when I get bigger?''

    She remembered the pained expression Shisui had when she asked him that question.

    She looked into her deep black eyes and smiled wryly.

    "I''m an Uchiha, but not really an Uchiha. How stupid."

    She remembered the time before she resolved herself to be a strong ninja without those eyes.

    She would stand in front of the mirror and use as much chakra as possible to pump it into her eyes.

    She remembered crying in front of the mirror as her black eyes didn''t change into those red eyes she wanted so much, no matter how much chakra she used.

    ''What am I thinking?! It''s not like things will change if you wish for it. You have to make it change.''

    Maka shook her head and was going to lay back down on her bed, but she stopped.

    She looked back and looked into the mirror, like she used to do.

    "....One more time can''t hurt. Not like I haven''t already been cast aside anyway."

    She closed her eyes and started to channel her Chakra into them, just like she used to.

    ''I can consider it chakra control training anyway, so why not give it another shot for old time sake?''

    Maka joked, remembering how she did this all the time in secret.

    She always wanted to make fun of something if it hurt her.

    She felt an unfamiliar sensation in her eyes, but she quickly disregarded it. She had felt a sensation before long ago, but it just turned out to be her eyes drying out.

    "Channel chakra into your eyes and just like that! Easy~!"

    Maka opened her eyes away from the mirror and sighed.

    "As if it was ea-"

    She paused and looked at the mirror in disbelief.

    "W-what?!"

    Her voice grew sharp and frightened as she looked at the mirror!

    She could no longer see the deep black eyes in her reflection, only the red eyes she always wanted.

    ''T-This can''t be!''

    "Kai!"

    Maka immediately tried to break a Genjutsu when she saw her reflection.

    ''It has to be a Genjutsu!''

    Maka used the method her Nii-san taught her to break Genjutsu and kept her eyes closed.

    She held them shut for a long time before slowly opening one of her eyes.

    All she could see was the red hue and the small tomoe rotating around her pupils.

    "N-no way..."

    She touched her face around her eye and felt the warm sensation on her hands. She found herself crying again.

    Maka sank into her bed as she tried to understand the situation.

    ''I have the Sharingan?! I have the Sharingan!!''

    She couldn''t contain her emotions as they all graced her face.

    Shock from the surprise!

    Elation and relief for finally having her family trait.

    Righteous anger for the boys who thought they were above her that she would demolish soon enough.

    Of all of the emotions present, the one emotion that presided over all the others was confusion.

    ''How did I unlock it? I can''t remember anything that happened that wouldn''t have already done it before.''

    She thought about everything that could''ve been the trigger, but nothing seemed to match up.

    ''Wait! That one training session!''

    She remembered the training session she had with Hii and Sasuke long ago.

    ''That time when Hii healed me in a weird way!''

    She had nearly forgotten how bizarre he was during that time.

    She also remembered what he said. She couldn''t forget it.

    ''You have great potential, Maka. I''m sure you''ll rise up to be as great as you want to be.''

    She remembered his words and felt her face grow a bit hot.

    She wiped her eyes and thought of her plan of action.

    ''I''ll figure everything out tomorrow! I won''t let him get away from me this time!''

    Maka squeezed her pillow once more and started to roll around on the bed. A blooming smile was plastered on her face as a sense of relief washed over her.

    She was finally excited for tomorrow to come.

 Ch.57. Shock After Shock pt.2

    Naruto and Shizuka made their way back home. They found Kushina near the doorway as opened the door to the house.

    "We''re back!"

    "Welcome home! Come in the living room after you put your stuff away!"

    The two hurried off to their rooms to drop their stuff and headed over to the living room.

    "Geh?!"

    Naruto winced as he saw what his mom had in store for them.

    Kushina was sitting in front of a table with sealing books in front of her.

    Naruto had seen those books plenty of times.

    "Aaaagh! Not Sealing Jutsu again!"

    "Come and sit down. We have to review them to make sure you don''t forget."

    "Let''s go, Naruto~!"

    "Uuuugh!"

    Naruto sluggishly sat down at his spot while Shizuka sat down next to him.

    "Yosh! Let''s study some seals!"

    "Yes!"  "Yes..."

    The two got started copying the different seals and writing them with their Chakra.

    Shizuka wrote out the seals at a steady pace while Naruto wrote them in a slow manner, but packed full of chakra.

    "Good! Try to put a little more Chakra in this word here, Shizuka."

    "Yes!"

    "Take your time, Naruto. These seals could save someone''s life some day, or even your own. Make sure it''s neat and flows properly so you can use it."

    "Yes!"

    Naruto instantly straightened up his form when he heard someone''s life could be saved with the seal. Kushina smiled as she saw her son''s efforts. Her smile only bloomed further when she saw her daughter doing her best to memorize all the seals Kushina could provide her.

    She continued to instruct the two until night began to fall.

    Naruto fell on top of the table with steam coming from his head.

    "Ugh! Finally done!"

    Shizuka quietly read over her book once more and checked her memory of the seals inside.

    Naruto looked at her in disbelief.

    "How can you remember them all, Nee-san?"

    "Fufufu. I don''t remember every one of them completely. It''s just that alot of them are great for my goal."

    Naruto silently nodded his head as raised himself up and looked at his mother.

    "Mom! Didn''t you want to talk to us about something?"

    "I will still be talking to you. I just have to wait for your father to get back first."

    "Dad?!"

    *Tsss Thud*

    The three suddenly heard a thud come from a room nearby.

    The door opened from inside as Minato came into the living room.

    "Dad!"

    "Father."

    Naruto and Shizuka both stood up to greet their father.

    He had a big smile on his face as he rubbed the heads of his kids.

    "I''m back."

    "Welcome home, darling!"

    Kushina came towards Minato with a loving hug. A rosy atmosphere started to surround the two.

    "Ewww~."

    "Hehehe."

    Naruto stuck out his tongue in disgust while Shizuka just laughed.

    Kushina lightly blushed at her children''s teasing, but she wouldn''t let the chance go to show her love to Minato!

    "Ugh, Dear? We should probably start the discussion."

    Kushina visibly deflated as he mentioned the main topic.

    "Riiight."

    "I''m sure they''ll understand. Come on."

    Minato grabbed Kushina''s hand and brought her over to the table.

    "Sit down over there, kids. We have to tell you something important."

    The two head back to the table and sit down.

    The kids were curious as to what would be so important that their father had to be involved, so they sat attentively while waiting for the news.

    Minato and Kushina both had rather stern expressions, further showing how important it was.

    "Naruto. Shizuka. Have the two of you heard about the attack of the Kyuubi 8 years ago?"

    "Yeah! We hear the villagers always talking about it. They always say you helped save the village with the help of all the ninjas!"

    Shizuka also nodded her head in confirmation.

    Minato nodded his head and continued.

    "Today''s topic is about that. I think it''s better for you to know about this from us than from anyone else."

    Kushina took in a deep breath and looked at her children with a resolute gaze.

    "Shizuka. Naruto. The truth is....the fox that attacks the village is sealed inside me."

    ""?!!!""

    The two were shocked to hear this from their mother!

    Shizuka immediately turned to Minato and saw his face was serious, making the news true.

    "What do you mean by that?! There''s no way it could be inside Mom, right?!"

    "It''s definitely inside your mom, Naruto."

    Minato answer Naruto, watching his reactions carefully.

    "Why?! Why does Mom have it sealed inside of her?!"

    "Naruto.... I had to come to this village just for this."

    Kushina sighed as she continued to speak.

    "I had been chosen because my chakra was special, like the previous Jinchuuriki."

    "Jinchuuriki?"

    "Ah! That''s the name that people are called when they have a Biju inside them."

    Kushina tried to sound cheery about the information, but both Naruto and Shizuka could feel something dark underneath it all.

    Naruto didn''t know how to respond to the information, but he kept listening since his Mom wasn''t done.

    Shizuka, on the other hand analyzed the information much deeper than Naruto. She had a few guesses as to what her parents wanted to talk about, but nothing concrete.

    Kushina continued to explain as she saw the two calming down.

    "It wasn''t what I wanted at the time, but if I didn''t come here, I wouldn''t have met all of my friends or Minato. I can''t say it''s all bad,right?"

    Kushina awkwardly laughed while Naruto nodded his head.

    "I guess that''s true dattebayo!"

    ''So simple.''

    Shizuka looked over at her brother with a wry smile, but felt it was just like him to not truly get it.

    She looked over at her father and saw he had the same expression on his face.

    Minato seemed to read her mind as he lightly shook his head.

    "We''re a bit off topic. I will let you two know about something only a few people in the village know. You must keep it a secret. Understood?"

    The two nodded their heads and focused on Minato.

    "The attack of the Kyuubi happened on Naruto''s birthday. You were born a couple of hours before."

    "Eh?!"

    "...."

    Shizuka suddenly felt something was amiss, but couldn''t quite place it.

    "Due to some....complications, the Kyuubi wasn''t able to be completely sealed into your mother anymore."

    "It wasn''t?! Then where is it now?!"

    Shizuka suddenly looked over at Minato and Kushina in shock!

    She finally figured out what they wanted to tell them, or more specifically, tell Naruto.

    Kushina seemed to be faltering a bit, but Minato grabbed her hand, reassuring her.

    She grabbed the hand back and resolutely stared at the slightly confused Naruto.

    "You have the rest of the Fox inside you, Naruto."

    Naruto just blankly stared at the two, trying to register the information.

    "Eh?"

    He couldn''t seem to wrap his head around it at first.

    He soon starting to get what his father meant from the concerned look on his mother''s face.

    "I have....the beast sealed in me too?"

    Minato slowly nodded his head as Naruto''s expression started getting worse and worse.

    Naruto started to remember some of the looks some villagers had towards his mother when they would go shopping sometimes. There were very few, but he could still remember the coldness and anger in their gaze.

    Shizuka also started to frown as she could guess what Naruto was thinking. She also remembered the expressions those people had towards their Mom. She was very familiar with those feelings.

    "You don''t have to worry about it too much! Your Father and I can handle the fox if anything happens. Kurama isn''t that bad as well once you get to know him."

    Kushina quickly tried to coax Naruto, but his expression didn''t change.

    He was too overwhelmed in his hearts to hear what Kushina said.

    "Is that...."

    "Hm?"

    "Is that why those villagers all look at you with so much hate?!"

    The atmosphere dropped as Kushina''s face cringed and Minato had a sad look on his face.

    "If Dad wasn''t the Hokage, would we be looked at like that as well?!"

    "Naruto, that''s..."

    "Can''t you make them stop?! You''re the Hokage!"

    "Naruto..."

    "How long has Mom had to endure that?! How long until I have to?!"

    "Naruto!"

    Minato''s yell stopped Naruto in his tracks, but Naruto had an indignant face as he looked at his father.

    Shizuka looked worried as she looked between the two.

    Minato sighed and looked directly into Naruto''s eyes.

    "I know and I have tried to keep it down, but there is a delicate balance to everything with being Hokage. I don''t expect you to understand now, but this is the best situation I could get for us."

    "It''s fine, Naruto. I''m already used to it. I only hope that you don''t get caught in those gazes as well."

    "........"

    "What about when Naruto is discovered?"

    Shizuka entered the conversation with the biggest question in her mind.

    Minato had a difficult expression, but still showed confidence.

    "We''ll deal with it when it happens."

    "Tch!"

    Naruto stood up abruptly and headed towards the front door.

    "Naruto?! Where are you going?!"

    Naruto didn''t say anything as he slipped on his shoes and ran out of the house.

    Kushina wanted to chase after him, but Minato held her hand and shook his head.

    "He needs time to take it all in. We should leave him be for now. I have Anbu looking out for him as well."

    "But!"

    "It''s only natural he can''t accept it. It''s better to tell him now, so he at least understands in the future. I''m willing for him to hate me if it makes his life easier."

    Minato looked down at the table and shook his head.

    "If only I was compatible with Kurama. I could have sealed him in me instead."

    "Is there anything I can do, Father?"

    Shizuka looked at her parents with determination. She owed them all too much to just sit idly by.

    Minato smiled at her and shook his head.

    "Grow happy and follow your dreams. Let the adults handle this stuff for now."

    Shizuka slowly nodded her head, but her determination only grew stronger.

    ***************

    "So that''s what happened."

    Hii sat on the ground next to Naruto as he told the end of his story.

    "Yeah..."

    Hii looked over at Naruto who''s eyes had become a bit puffy.

    ''Now that he mentions it, he does have whisker marks on his cheeks. Is that a side effect?''

    Hii suddenly had another thought as he realized this.

    ''Will my kids have something like that because of Akumu?''

    "You....don''t think I''m a monster, do you?"

    Naruto looked over at Hii who was deep in thought. He was scared that he would lose a friend because of his secret.

    "Hm? I think you''re an idiot sometimes, but no monster. It''s nothing too surprising to me anyway."

    "Eh?!"

    Naruto was shocked as Hii stood up and stretched his body.

    "B-but I have a-"

    "If I had a demon in me or something like that, would you run away from me?"

    "N-no! I won''t run from my friends!"

    Naruto stood up with a shaky, but determined gaze as he looked at Hii.

    "See? So why would I run from you. Tell me. What''s your name?"

    "Huh? You know my name, Hii."

    "I know. Just say it."

    Naruto looked a bit confused, but nodded his head.

    "I-I''m Naruto Uzumaki."

    "Say it again."

    "I''m Naruto Uzumaki."

    "Louder!"

    "I''m Naruto Uzumaki!"

    "Louder!!"

    Naruto took in a deep breath and shouted!

    "I''M NARUTO UZUMAKI!!!"

    "That''s right! You''re Naruto Uzumaki, not Kyuubi."

    Hii nodded his head as he put his arm around Naruto''s neck.

    "If you ever forget that, I''m gonna have to beat it into your head. Got it?"

    Naruto nodded his head.

    "Yeah! But why do you have to beat me?!"

    "Because you''re stupid. I figured you''d have already realized you''re not weak and you''re mom certainly isn''t either."

    Naruto held his head down as he realized something.

    "I-I should''ve tried to understand them more before I left, huh?"

    "Yep, but we''re kids. We don''t understand everything right away. We have to take our time and learn."

    Hii patted Naruto''s back.

    Let''s go get some ramen so you can stop crying already."

    "I''m not crying right now!"

    "Sure, whatever you say."

    Hii started to walk back into the village as Naruto followed behind him.

    "Hey, Hii-nii!"

    "Ugh! You''re gonna call me that too?"

    "...Thanks."

    Hii turned to Naruto as they walked and smiled.

    "Don''t mention it. Shizuka and I have to look after you after all."

    "Hehehe!"

    Seeing Naruto back to his normal self put Hii at ease.

    "Oh yeah! I almost forgot."

    "Hmmm?"

    "Can you keep a secret, Naruto?"

    "Yeah! What happened?"

    "You said you and your mom are called Jinchuuriki,right?"

    "Yeah."

    "I''m one too."

    Hii turned forward and headed off to the village.

    "Come on! We better hurry and get to Teuchi''s before our parents get mad."

    ".......EEEEH????!!!!!"

    Naruto finally reacted to what Hii said and chased after him!

    "Wait! What did you mean?!"

    "It''s a secret~!"

    "Hii-nii!"

    Naruto chased after Hii all the way to Teuchi''s shop. He was going to ask Hii more about what he said, but Hii told him he''d pay for his ramen and promptly forgave him after 3 bowls.

    *********

    Kushina stood by the window, waiting for Naruto to come back home.

    Minato sat on the couch nearby, occasionally looking out of the window as well.

    Shizuka reviewed her seals silently, commiting them further to her memory.

    "?!"

    Kushina quickly headed out of the door at high speed!

    Naruto and Hii were both walking towards the Uzumaki House after eating.

    "Whew~! I''m stuffed!"

    "Where does all that ramen go anyway?"

    "Hehehe!"

    Naruto laughed as they got close to his house.

    Hii suddenly felt a chill and looked towards the Uzumaki house.

    "Naruto!"

    "W-what?!"

    "Prepare yourself. I feel your Mom is coming right now!"

    "Naruto!!!!"

    "Uwah!"

    Naruto didn''t see Kushina coming as she picked him up and spun around.

    "I know you don''t like the other villagers, but you won''t have to worry, Naruto! Nothing will stop me from being together with you!"

    "M-Mom!  I''m okay! Let me down!"

    "No! I won''t let you leave again!"

    "Umm, Kushina-san."

    Kushina stopped spinning once she heard Hii''s voice and faced him. She didn''t,however, let Naruto get out of her grasp.

    "Hii-chan! What are you doing out here at this time?!"

    ''So she didn''t see me at all.''

    "I found Naruto on my way back home. He seemed upset, so we went to go get some ramen."

    Kushina looked at Naruto with a concerned gaze. Hii only smiled and continued to speak.

    "He seemed concerned about his identity, but I only had to ask him who he was for him to snap out of it. Right, Naruto?"

    Naruto finally struggled out of his mother''s embrace and smiled.

    "Yep! I''m Naruto Uzumaki, and I''m gonna be the coolest ninja ever dattebayo!! I''ll make it so they have to acknowledge us no matter what!"

    Kushina was shocked at first, but a brilliant smile covered her face as she grabbed her son again!

    "Mom! Let me go!"

    "I''m not letting my little baby go today! You''re stuck with your Mom all night!"

    "Aaaaw!!"

    Hii laughed at the interaction between mother and son before noticing the other family members came out.

    Hii immediately bowed to the man approaching them.  No introduction was needed as Hii had gazed upon his face on the cliff behind the village.

    "Hokage-sama."

    "Hello, Hii-kun. Thank you for taking care of Naruto."

    "It was no problem at all, Hokage-sama."

    Shizuka chuckled lightly at their respectful interaction while Kushina just dragged Naruto back inside, despite his protesting.

    "There''s no need to be so distant. My relationship with your mom is much like your relationship with Naruto."

    "Well, I still want to at least be respectful."

    Minato had a wry smile as Shizuka continued to laugh.

    " I wanted to ask you something if you don''t mind."

    "Yes?"

    "Have you heard anything from Akumu recently?"

    Hii''s face became serious as he looked at Minato. Minato stared back with an equally serious face while Shizuka stopped chuckling and paid became confused.

    She didn''t understand her father''s question, but she could tell it was important.

    "....No. Nothing has come in yet."

    "....I see. Please let me know if any information comes in. Of course, you''re always welcome to come by without it."

    Minato smiled and patted Hii''s shoulder.

    "Do you want me to send you back home?"

    "If you don''t mind!"

    Hii wouldn''t turn down a free ride!

    "I''ll be be back in a moment, Shizuka."

    "Ok, Father. See you later, Hii!"

    Shizuka waved at Hii and headed back inside.

    Minato clasped his hand on Hii''s shoulder again and Hii felt his vision twist for a second before he was right in front of his house.

    "Wow!"

    "Haha. This house was actually one of the first places I practiced my technique on. I was here quite a bit back in the old days."

    Hii nodded his head while Minato looked at Hii once again. He seemed to be debating something before he shook his head.

    "Please take care of Naruto and Shizuka in the future."

    "I''ll do my best."

    Minato smiled and teleported away.

    Hii looked up at the dark night sky.

    ''I wonder where Akumu is now... I should see if I can contact him.''

    Hii thought for a short while, then decided to head into the house.

    "Hii."

    "Uoah!"

    Hii felt a chill crawl down his spine as he looked up to see Kaya''s twitching grin.

    "Where.Have.You.Been?"

    "I can explain, Mom!"

    It seemed Hii would have a hard time with his mother tonight as well.

    ********

    In a forest located in the Land of Iron, Akumu sat on a patch of grass that was shifting between being full of life and browning to death.

    <Whoooooah! This is soo much fun!>

    [.......]

    Akumu had watched a little white ball of fluff run around him for nearly 30 minutes without tiring out.

    The forest around them was covered in snow, but the circle she ran around him had green grass as if it was spring.

    [Fuyuki. Can you please stop? You''re making me tired with all this running.]

    <Awww! Don''t be such an old man, would ya?! I''m a kid right now! I gotta move!>

    [Haaa. You''re still full of so much energy. Maybe even more now.]

    <I know, right!?You''re out of luck once I''m older! I''m gonna make you mine and you can''t stop me with your Miyu shield anymore!>

    A small white wolf pup stood in front of Akumu. Her fur was white as snow, yet the snow under her paws melted nearly instantly. Her eyes were closed, but she seemed to sense where Akumu was just fine.

    She rushed into Akumu''s chest as she vigorously moved between his paws. Akumu''s cold aura seemed to be countered by Fuyuki''s energetic aura.

    <Hehehe!! Takashi''s all mine now! Miyu would be so jealous!>

    [Haaaah.....]

    Akumu shook his head as he watched her tail shake like a motor.

    *Rustle*

    <Oh! What''s that?!>

    [Wait! Don''t-]

    Akumu wanted to stop her, but she quickly ran after whatever was in the bush as she tore through it.

    The path she ran down melted the snow away as she chased after a white rabbit gleefully.

    <Come on, Takashi!>

    [Haaaa. Just like old times, huh?]

    Akumu stood up and trotted after them with a tired, but happy expression on his face.

    He never thought he''d miss this ball of energy until he found her once again. He knew he had a lot to explain and teach her now that she''d found her way into this world.

    ''Oh well. At least it definitely won''t be boring.''

 Ch.58. Maka’s Tenacity

    "I''m heading out!"

    "See you later, Hii!"

    Riku waved at Hii from the kitchen as he grabbed his backpack.

    Hii headed out the door and started to make his way to the Academy.

    He walked down his normal route until he saw the gates come into view.

    As he walked towards the Academy, he noticed his classmates heading into to the gates as well.

    "Hey, Hii-nii!"

    Naruto ran up to Hii with a smile on his face.

    "Hey, Naruto. Felling better?"

    "Yeah! Nothing''s gonna stop me now!"

    "Good. Just make sure you''re ready for Iruka-sensei''s tests."

    Naruto slumped over with a sad face.

    "Uuuugh! I don''t like his tests!"

    Hii shook his head as he noticed Shizuka coming towards them.

    "Morning, Shizuka-chan."

    "Morning, Hii-kun. Thanks for looking after my brother the other day."

    "Don''t mention it. I would like him to stop eating so much ramen though. My allowance can''t cover all those bowls."

    Shizuka chuckled, and poked Naruto''s arm.

    "You''ll have to pay him back someday."

    "Sure! I''ll definitely pay him back!"

    "Why are you so loud this early, loser?"

    "Haaa?!"

    Sasuke came to the gate as well along with Maka. He already started fighting with Naruto as soon as they met.

    "What was that?! I''ll beat you soon enough!"

    "Hmph! Keep dreaming."

    Hii looked on with a wry smile as he watched the two fight.

    ''Man. Will they ever get along? Hmm?''

    Hii looked over and saw Maka was looking at him.

    "Good Morning, Maka-chan."

    "Good Morning, Hii-kun."

    The two looked at each other briefly until Shizuka clapped her hands, catching everyone''s attention.

    "We should probably head inside now."

    "Ah! We''re gonna be late!"

    "No. Just you, Loser."

    "Outta my way, Sasuke-chan!"

    The two boys fought their way towards the door of the academy as Shizuka followed behind them while shaking her head.

    "Come on, Maka! We better get inside."

    "Wait a second, Hii."

    ''Hmm?''

    Maka grabbed Hii''s sleeve as she stared at him.

    "........"

    "Um, What''s wrong?"

    Maka''s eyes suddenly flashed red as a single tomoe rotated in her eyes.

    "Eeeh?! You have the Sharingan now?"

    Hii was shocked to see she could use her Sharingan already, but he figured she''d unlock it eventually.

    "....."

    Maka just stared at Hii with a scrutinizing gaze before a small smile grazed her face.

    "You fixed my eyes that day, didn''t you?"

    Hii freed his sleeve from her grasp and started to head to the academy.

    "No idea what you''re talking about. We should hurry up though. School''s gonna start soon."

    Hii quickly escaped to the classroom as soon as he could.

    Maka shut off her Sharingan and quickly followed after him.

    She came close to Hii''s ear before they entered the classroom.

    "I''m not letting you off. I will get an answer from you."

    She opened the door as they both went to quickly find their seats.

    Class soon started as Iruka came into the classroom and started going over a lesson on good placements for traps in case of pursuit by an enemy ninja.

    Hii was deep in thought as the class started.

    ''Should I tell her about what Akumu did? Telling Naruto is one thing, but Maka...''

    Hii debated whether he should tell her or not, but ended up shaking his head.

    ''There''s no rush. I''ll just take things slow.''

    Hii decided to just pay attention to the lesson and ignored the gaze Maka had on him every once in a while.

    **********

    Hii walked out of the classroom once class was over with a shadow lingering behind him.

    He sighed and turned around.

    "Maka-chan."

    "Yes, Hii-kun?"

    "Are you going to follow me all day today?"

    "If I have to."

    "Haaaa~."

    Hii sighed as he headed out towards the gate of the Academy with Maka behind him.

    "Are you sure you want to do this?"

    "If you just answer me, I can be on my way~."

    Hii shook his head as he slowly knelt close to the ground.

    "Hm?"

    Maka looked confused as Hii steadied his stance.

    "What exactly are you-"

    Lightning Armor!

    Hii''s hair spiked suddenly as he bolted away from Maka at high speed! His dash brought up a cloud of dust as he ran!

    "Kyaaa!"

    The dust settled as Hii disappeared from sight.

    "......"

    Maka looked in the direction Hii went with puffed up cheeks.

    "Maka! Where did Hii go?"

    Sasuke came out of the Academy and looked around for Hii.

    Naruto and Shizuka had also come out at the same time.

    ".....He just left, and I''m gonna go find him."

    Maka turned towards the three, making Naruto and Sasuke flinch. Shizuka had a hard time keeping a straight face as she saw Maka''s ticked off expression.

    "Do you guys mind helping me ask Hii a question?"

    "....Sure."

    "I-I don''t mind."

    "Hehehe. W-Why not? Hehehe."

    "Great. Thanks for helping. I saw him run that way."

    Maka pointed down the direction Hii went, but Naruto and Sasuke''s face couldn''t help changing.

    ''Ran?''

    "Hahahahaha!!"

    Shizuka suddenly bursted into laughter as the four started to look for Hii.

    *********

    Hii was swinging his sword in the training grounds, perfecting his form.

    ''It looks like I''ll have the stance down quicker than I thought.''

    "!!!"

    He suddenly felt a chill crawl up his spine and looked around the area, but felt nothing nearby.

    "......"

    Hii stopped his training and surveyed the area with even more scrutiny.

    ''I remember everytime I had a shiver, Akumu would come after me. The sensation was much lighter, so it couldn''t be him.''

    Hii had to thank his instincts numerous times before, so he couldn''t easily dismiss the sensation he felt just then.

    ''I should probably hide myself, just in case.''

    Hii put his sword away and headed to the nearby bushes as quietly as possible.

    He waited in the bush for a short while before four shadows landed in the middle of the training ground.

    "Alright! Time to find him!"

    "Don''t be so loud, idiot."

    "Hehehehe."

    "I''m sure he came here. He told me about this place before."

    Maka looked around as Naruto, Sasuke, and Shizuka all followed behind her.

    ''So she still wants that answer, huh? I don''t feel like dealing with her today.''

    "Spread out and search. He shouldn''t have known we were coming."

    "Hehehe. You never know. Hii is surprisingly tough."

    "You don''t have to tell me that."

    Sasuke and Naruto both checked the nearby bushes and trees with Maka and Shizuka, but they couldn''t find anything after a few minutes.

    "Where is he?! Did he actually come here?"

    "....."

    Maka ignored Naruto and stared at a nearby bush.

    She slowly made her way towards it, keeping her steps light.

    She suddenly shot into the bush, attempting to grab something!

    "Gotcha!"

    Maka entered the bush, but only found leaves and a grasshopper inside.

    "Hahahaha!!!"

    Shizuka couldn''t contain herself and started laughing hysterically.

    Maka''s face became bright red as she madly looked around for any clues, but found nothing.

    "Tch! He''s good."

    "Hey! Are these his tracks?"

    "Where?!"

    Maka flew over to Sasuke''s location and started to check the tracks he found.

    "I don''t think he''s here anymore."

    "Hooo. I haven''t had a laugh like that in a while."

    Naruto shook his head and started to look over in another area.

    Shizuka wiped the tears forming in her eyes and also headed over to another area to check.

    The four looked around the area once more, but couldn''t seem to find any trace of Hii.

    "He must''ve just went home..."

    "Should we go to his house?"

    "That sounds like fun! I want to go!"

    "...Hmph. Whatever."

    Naruto showed a great interest in going to Hii''s house, and even Sasuke seemed a bit interested in going despite his nonchalant attitude.

    ".... Not today. It would be weird if we went to his house without him."

    "Really? I don''t think Hii''s parents would mind!"

    "No. Let''s head back."

    "H-hey! Wait up!"

    Maka denied the visit and started to head back to the village center. Sasuke and Naruto followed after her while Shizuka lagged behind.

    "I really want to spar with you one of these days, Hii. See you tomorrow."

    Shizuka looked behind her with a smile as she followed after Maka, suppressing her giggles as much as possible.

    The grasshopper inside the bush slowly made its way to the edge of the bush and watched the group leave.

    Once the group was quite a distance away, the grasshopper jumped out of bush and landed on the ground.

    *Poof*

    "That was rather close. I''ll have to be careful from now on."

    He undid his Transformation Jutsu and shook his head.

    "I''m lucky Shizuka doesn''t care too much to reveal me. Shr must be able to sense chakra or something."

    Hii gave a deep sigh as he silently headed back to his house.

    He''d have to find a new way to get some training in if this kept up.

    **********

    Hii had underestimated Maka too much.

    Maka was sitting right next to him in class instead of Sakura.

    ''I didn''t think she''d switch seats.''

    Hii looked over to see Sakura blushing lightly as she sat next to Sasuke.

    His face looked quite confused as he didn''t anticipate sitting next to a different girl.

    Hii didn''t have the time to look over Sasuke''s situation. He had his own problems to deal with right now.

    "Answer me. How did you heal them?"

    "I can''t let you know how. Can you let me go?"

    "I really can''t. Do you know how crazy what you did is?"

    "Is it that important?"

    "The Hospital nor the Clan could do it, but you could just fix my defect?"

    "I''m a medical genius. What can I say?"

    "You''re not telling the whole truth. Your face tightens up when you lie."

    Hii turned over to Maka who was looking at him as well.

    "Pay attention to Iruka-sensei, not me. We''re in class."

    "We both know this subject. It doesn''t really matter."

    "That''s disrespectful to Sensei."

    "I''m sure you''re just going to read your anatomy book again."

    "I don''t read it all the time."

    "Hey! Can you two pay attention please?!"

    Iruka came to the two with a sigh as he broke up their conversation.

    "I know you two are both on the high end of the class, but quiet down so the others can learn as well."

    ""Sorry, Sensei!""

    Iruka nodded his head and resumed his lesson on how to successfully sneak on floorboards.

    "That was your fault."

    "You could just save this after class?"

    "You ran last time. What makes you trustworthy now?"

    "Haaa."

    Hii shook his head and decided to just pay attention to the lesson.

    ''It would be best to ignore her.''

    Hii tried to ignore her, but Maka kept kicking his feet to get his attention.

    Hii kicked back while facing forward, leading to a battle beneath the table where neither of them actually paid attention to Iruka''s lesson.

    He, of course, got mad at them again.

    ***********

    Hii finally saw how persistent Maka could be.

    She followed him all the way to his favorite training ground again and decided to be his opponent on her own.

    ''She would actually be a good tracker.''

    "How about this? If I win, you tell me the whole truth. If you win, I''ll drop it. Is that fair?"

    "....Sure."

    Hii sighed and took his distance away from her as he prepared his stance.

    Maka prepared her stance as well, watching Hii with eager eyes.

    "Ready,set....."

    Maka immediately started weaving seals before she finished!

    "Cheater!"

    Hii followed suit and weaved his own against her!

    Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

    Water Style: Raging Torrent Jutsu!

    *Boom*

    The two Jutsu collided into a small explosion, creating misty steam over the  area.

    Hii couldn''t see Maka anymore and slowly watched his surroundings.

    *Swish Swish*

    Shurikens suddenly shot out of a nearby bush!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Hii blocked the shurikens and hid in another bush nearby.

    The training ground became silent as the two maneuvered their way stealthly to each other.

    ''I don''t want to use it, but it''s useful here.''

    Maka activated her Sharingan and slowly surveyed the area. She could see the bluish hints of Chakra from a nearby bush and grinned.

    "Haaa!"

    Maka leapt out and shot shurikens over to the bush.

    "!!!"

    Hii rolled out of the bush, dodging the shurikens as he charged towards where Maka was.

    Maka charged towards Hii and started to strike at him ferociously with Taijutsu.

    Hii calmly parried her moves and struck back, aiming to hit her weakpoints.

    Maka dextrously dodged all of Hii''s strikes and jumped back.

    Hii noticed her eyes were red and frowned.

    Maka smirked when she saw his expression.

    "Hmph! You sure are motivated to keep your secret."

    "Ugh! Can''t we just drop it? I healed your eyes! I admitted it already! I just can''t tell you how I did it."

    Maka stomped her foot and came right up to Hii, staring straight into his eyes with frustration.

    "That''s the biggest problem! Why won''t you tell me abou-"

    "Maka!"

    Hii dropped his sword and grabbed Maka''s face with both hands.

    Maka''s face started to become redder and redder as she realized how close he was.

    Hii took a deep breath and looked her straight in her eyes.

    "I can''t tell you how I did it, okay? I just wanted to help you get better at any cost. I found a method and I used it. I didn''t tell you because I didn''t want this to happen. Just....enjoy my gift, okay?"

    Hii spilled everything out he wanted to say and let go of Maka''s face.

    ''Hm?''

    He noticed that Maka''s face was beet red before she quickly turned around.

    "I-I see. W-well, I''ll let you off the hook this time then."

    Maka seemed to be set on keeping her back towards him, but Hii could see her ears turning a bright shade of red.

    "......"

    Hii looked at Maka, circling her to get to her face.

    She turned with each move he made, making Hii start to chuckle a bit.

    "You know, you can be kinda cute sometimes."

    "C-c-cute?!"

    Hii swore he could see steam come off her face as she seemed to be panicking.

    "Hey, are you actually okay?"

    Hii tried to see Maka''s face once more, but she quickly jumped away from him and onto a nearby tree.

    "I-I''m fine! A-anyway! I have my answer, so I''ll leave you alone! See you tomorrow!"

    Maka quickly escaped into the trees and rushed home, leaving Hii behind with a confused expression.

    ''.....Well, at least that problem is solved.''

    Hii scratched his head and started to swing his sword once more. He had to get some training in, at least.

    **********

    Hii headed back home after a bit of a short workout and found Kaya at the table.

    "I''m back."

    "Oh! Welcome back, Hii! Come give me a hug!"

    Hii sauntered over to Kaya and hugged her, but she decided she wasn''t going to let go!

    He fell into her trap. Again.

    "Mom?"

    "I''m recharging my energy~."

    Hii sighed, but let it be as he just leisurely enjoyed his Mom''s embrace.

    Kaya hummed a lullaby as she held her eldest son.

    "Where is everyone?"

    "The men are working as usual, and the kids are with Grandma."

    Hii nodded his head, then decided to ask his Mom about his day.

    "Hey Mom? Is it wrong to fix an injury people can''t normally fix?"

    "Oh?! What makes you say that?"

    Hii decided to tell Kaya about what happened recently with Maka. He realized she probably have a better idea about what he shouldn''t or should do.

    Kaya looked at her son''s face for a bit after he finished before smiling brightly.

    "I see~! Do you heal her because she was hindered by it?"

    "No. I think she''s really strong to be able to stand up to her family and prove herself without it. I thought it wouldn''t be right to just ignore it if I could help. "

    "Uh-huh. Is she cute?"

    Hii thinks for a bit and nods his head.

    "Yeah, I think she''s cute."

    "Hmmm~! You said she''s staying at Sasuke''s house right now with Mikoto, right?"

    Hii nodded his head.

    "Hmmm~! Looks like I''m going to have to scout out her potential a bit."

    Hii didn''t know why, but looking at the serious face his mother had on  made him feel like he shouldn''t have said anything to her.

    This feeling doubled over once Riku came back and smiled the same way Kaya did towards him once she learned about what happened.

    Hii only had one thought watching the two whisper with a strange amount of energy

    ''I shouldn''t have told Mom.''

 Ch.59. Birthday Surprise!

    Months passed as life in the village flashed by rather quickly.

    Hii grabbed his backpack after breakfast to head out to the Academy as usual.

    "Wait, Hii-Nii! I''m almost done!"

    "Hurry."

    His siblings had finally made their way into the Academy, coming in to the class below his.

    He waited out front for the twins to get ready as he looked up at the blue sky.

    "Looks like it''ll be a good day today."

    "Don''t you say that everyday, Hii-Nii?"

    "Hehe. I guess I do."

    "Ready?"

    "Let''s go!"

    Hii and the twins started walking towards the Academy at a steady pace.

    "Hii-Nii! Are we going to train today?"

    Moya bounced in front of Hii in her new outfit.

    Moya now wore a black kimono top with black spats. The family symbol on her back was outlined in white, making the symbol pop from a distance.

    Hii nodded his head and looked over to Yozora who was wearing a similar outfit.

    The only difference between the two was that Yozora''s outfit had no sleeves, much like Hii''s outfit.

    Hii still had on his white top with a black cloud on his back and black pants. He now wore a sleeveless top as well, which was more comfortable for him. He remembered his Grandma shaking her head as all the men seemed to love this look.

    "Yeah. I want to work on my techniques more."

    "Yay! We''ll beat Hii-Nii today!"

    "Umu."

    "Heh! I won''t believe it until I see it."

    The three made their way to the gate and headed inside the Academy.

    "Bye, Hii-Nii! We''ll head off to class."

    "Bye."

    The two headed over to their classroom while Hii went to Iruka''s class.

    Hii came to the door and felt an odd sensation as he was about to open the door.

    ''Hmmm?''

    Hii looked up and found a board eraser lodged into the door.

    It had to be Naruto.

    ''Nope.''

    Hii decided to go through the other entrance and headed inside.

    "Hey Hii! You made it just in time! I''m gonna get Iruka-sensei this time!"

    Naruto jumped up from his seat and greeted Hii.

    He had on his trademark orange and blue jumpsuit, much to Hii''s confusion.

    ''Why that color, I wonder?''

    Hii didn''t think too much about it. Everyone has their own likes and dislikes.

    "I can''t wait to see what happens~."

    Hii turned to see Shizuka in her brown and black top and black pants.

    "Hehehe! This''ll be good."

    Naruto waited with enthusiasm as he watched the door.

    "Like he''d fall for that."

    "Watch, Sasuke! It''ll work!"

    "Haaa. How many times have you tried this again?"

    Sasuke and Maka watched on with some other students as they monitored the door.

    Sasuke wore his dark blue top with white pants while Maka wore a purple top with black pants. Both of them had the Uchiha symbol on their backs.

    She turned to look at Hii and smiled.

    "Hey, Hii."

    "Hey, Maka."

    Hii headed down to his usual spot in the front and sat down.

    *Tshhhh*

    Hii heard the door sliding open and saw the eraser dropped to the floor, leaving a stern looking Iruka in front of it. It was a complete miss.

    "Naruto!!!"

    "Geh!!"

    "Hahahahaha!!"

    Iruka roared.

    Naruto yelped.

    Shizuka laughed.

    It had been this way nearly since the first day of school, yet none of them seemed to have changed at all.

    Hii shook his head and opened another book he bought for his medical research. He also handed the old book over to Sakura to read, who was grateful for all the knowledge she was able to learn. Hii had given her pointers on how to use it, but she still needed more guidance.

    Hii looked up at Iruka yelling at Naruto and smiled.

    ''I''ll probably miss this place once we graduate. There''s still alot of time though.''

    He chuckled and continued to read his book, ignoring the yells and screams.

    ********

    Hii headed out of his classroom to go to the training grounds.

    "Hii! Wait up!"

    "Hmm?"

    Hii stopped in his tracks as Naruto came over to him.

    "Hey! Are you gonna go training today?"

    "Yep. Same as usual. The twins are coming with me this time though."

    "Yosh! Nee-san and I are coming too!"

    Hii was shocked!

    "Your Mom is letting you stay out late now?!"

    "Well, it''s because toda-"

    *Smack*

    "Owww!"

    "We''ll be joining you as well."

    Maka appeared behind Naruto and smacked him with Sasuke and Shizuka behind her.

    "I think I finally can match you, Hii."

    "Oooh~! How exciting! I can''t wait to see if you can."

    Hii looked around and smiled.

    ''Looks like we''ll have group training today.''

    "Hii-Nii!"

    "Nii-san."

    The twins came rushing down the hallway and straight into Hii. Hii opened his arms and caught both of them with a grunt.

    "Hehehehe!"

    Hii smiled and turned to the group.

    "Is everybody here?"

    "U-um...."

    Hii looked towards the classroom door and saw Hinata fidgeting while looking at them.

    Hii smiled when he noticed how she was mostly looking in Naruto''s direction.

    "Hey, Hinata! You want to come with us? We''re gonna go train today!"

    "Eh?! I-I can come?"

    Hinata started to debate on if she should go, but Shizuka was a step ahead of her.

    She reached over and grabbed Hinata''s hand and dragged her to the group.

    "Sorry~! You can''t refuse today."

    Hinata looked confused until Shizuka started to whispered in her ear. Hinata''s face started to light up as she was told what was happening today.

    "I-I would love to go!"

    Hii looked a bit surprised to see her so motivated, but he thought it was fine this way.

    "Great. We should start heading over."

    "Let''s go! I can''t wait!"

    "Shut up, idiot!"

    The group soon made their way out of the Academy and arrived at the training grounds.

    Naruto was giddy with excitement as he stretched his limbs.

    "Hehehe!! You have to be referee today, Hii!"

    "Eh?!"

    Hii was surprised!

    He wanted to deny it, but everyone else seemed to nod their heads at Naruto''s suggestion as well.

    Hii looked to Maka for some support, but she clapped her hands and apologized.

    "Sorry, Hii! You are the only one who can stop some of the matches. There will probably be another incident again today, so we need you to be ready."

    "Hii-Nii is really fast! He can make sure everyone''s okay too!"

    "Yep."

    Hii looked around and saw that everyone was already set on him being the referee.

    Hii sighed,disappointed in his skill set betraying him all the time.

    ''I wanted to fight too.''

    He decided to just play along and hope he''d get a turn.

    "Ok! Who is going first against me?"

    Maka stepped out into the open area, waiting for her opponent to come.

    "I''ll go!"

    Naruto jumped in front of her with an eager grin on hia face.

    Everyone looked at Hii, telling him to get ready.

    "Haaaa. Fine."

    Hii came between the two and raised his hand.

    "Ready?"

    "Yeah!"

    "Yeah."

    Maka and Naruto assumed their stance as they waited for the signal.

    "Go!"

    Hii''s hand chopped down and the two ninjas shot towards each other!

    "Haaaaah!!"

    Naruto swung wildly at Maka, but she dodged all of his swings with ease.

    "Haaa!"

    Maka then began to counterattack, striking at Naruto''s legs to make him lose his balance.

    "Uwaaah!!"

    Naruto tripped over on one of her attacks and slid a distance away from Maka.

    "Grrr! Try this!"

    Naruto made a cross handsign and churned his chakra!

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    7 other Narutos appeared and all got in their fighting stance.

    ""We''ll show you!""

    All 8 spoke in unison, bringing a smile to Maka''s face.

    "Hahaha! Bring it!"

    "Haaaaah!!"

    Maka beckoned Naruto with her finger, making them swarm toward her.

    Maka suddenly shot toward them as the gang of Narutos were close.

    They tried to stop her, but she moved too quickly for them to grasp!

    "Oww!"

    "Hey!"

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    They instead ended up knocking each other out as they tried to surround Maka!

    Maka easily reached the last two clones left and punched one in the chest, making the last Naruto clone disappear.

    Naruto tried to strike her again from behind, but Maka grabbed his arm and tossed him onto the ground. She covered his eyes with her hand, sealing his defeat.

    "Gah! Darn it!"

    "That''s it!"

    Hii called the match while Maka reached over and helped Naruto get up.

    "You did pretty good this time. You shouldn''t yell so much though."

    "I''ll win next time for sure! Believe it!"

    Maka just smiled as they both got out of the center for the next two to go.

    "Who''s next?"

    "I''ll go."

    Sasuke walked out to the arena and waited for his opponent.

    "I''ll go then~!"

    Sasuke stiffened as Shizuka made her way towards him.

    His fists clenched slightly as she made appeared in front of him.

    Hii sighed as he could guess how this fight was going to go. He warily watched both of them as hr started to raise his hand.

    "Ready?"

    "....."

    "Yep~."

    "Begin!"

    Sasuke immediately jumped back from Shizuka while she only stood by waiting for him to attack.

    Sasuke reached into his side holster and threw shurikens at her, but she dodged all of them with light movements.

    "Don''t use a fireball, okay~?! You remember what happened last time, right?"

    "Tch!"

    Sasuke clicked his tongue and shot towards Shizuka!

    "Ooh! You''re coming to me~?!"

    The two began to exchange blows as Sasuke punched and kicked at her, but she blocked him at every attempt.

    "You seem really irritated, Sasuke-kun~. What''s wrong?"

    "You''re annoying!"

    "Awww~! That hurts my feelings! You have to be nicer to girls, you know~?"

    "Shut up already!"

    ''Why do I keep letting them fight each other?''

    Hii and everyone else shook their heads as they watched the two fight.

    Over time, everyone began to realize that despite Shizuka laughing at jokes and being pretty friendly, she had a very strange habit that comes out when she fights.

    ''She''s a sadist. I''m certain of it every time I see it.''

    Hii watched as she continued to tease Sasuke at close range. Hii started to get ready to interfere as he saw the rage building in Sasuke''s eyes.

    "Sasuke~! That kick was a little soft. You have to hit a biiiit harder to win~!"

    "That''s it!!"

    Sasuke jumped back and started to weave hand signs and took a deep breath!

    "Wait, Sasuke!"

    Fire style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!

    Hii wanted to try to calm him down, but Sasuke was already too far gone.

    Sasuke spewed out several fireballs that started to converge towards Shizuka!

    "Oh no~! Not the fireballs~!"

    Shizuka slapped the ground beneath her and jumped back!

    A strange swirl symbol appeared where she slapped the ground, sucking in the wind and dirt near the area!

    Sealing Jutsu: Wind Tunnel!

    The fireballs were sucked into the kanji, as Shizuka raised her hands to Sasuke.

    A reverse swirl was on her hand as she waved at Sasuke.

    "Should I give it back~?"

    "You shouldn''t give it back!"

    "Tch! I won''t lose!"

    "That pride will get you in trouble, Sasuke~!"

    Shizuka palm with the swirl extended towards Sasuke.

    "Last chance~."

    Sasuke replied by weaving more handsigns, readying another jutsu.

    "Can you guys just not do this?!"

    Shizuka shrugged as she channeled chakra into the swirl on her palm.

    The swirl on the ground stopped spinning while the swirl on her palm suddenly started to rotate!

    *Fwoosh*

    An enlarged, combined fireball came out of her palm, shooting towards Sasuke!

    Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

    Sasuke fired back as he spewed a large fireball towards the giant one!

    Hii weaved handsigns and prepped his Jutsu!

    *Fwoosh*

    The two fireballs made contact with each other, struggling for supremacy! Sasuke tried to fight but the reflected fireball began to slowly close in on Sasuke!

    It became too powerful for him to stop!

    The others all jumped back towards the forest once they saw how destructive the techniques were!

    Hii darted over to Sasuke''s side and took a deep breath.

    Water Style: Engulfing Wave Jutsu!

    Hii spewed water onto the ground, then shot up to tower over the fireballs!

    *Ttttsssssshhhh*

    Steam rose all around the training ground, raising the temperature rapidly.

    Hii pulled Sasuke back with him as he continued to shoot water out to douse the fire.

    When he was sure the fire was gone,Hii stopped his Jutsu and whacked Sasuke in the head!

    "You can''t keep falling for her taunts! You do this every time!"

    "....Sorry."

    "Haaaa. We''re lucky no one was hu-"

    "Aaaah! It''s too hot!!"

    ".....Haaa."

    Naruto didn''t seem to get away from the blast in time, grabbing the back of his neck where the steam touched him.

    "That explosion was huge!"

    "Cool."

    The twins were used to these explosions so they had long gotten out of the way.

    "Are you okay, Naruto-kun?!"

    Hinata looked over at Naruto with concern for his burn. She was brought along by the twins when they escaped.

    "Here."

    "Eh?"

    Hinata turned around to find Yozora handing her a little jar of ointment.

    "Help?"

    Hinata saw Yozora pointing to Naruto and her face started to turn bright red.

    Moya came from behind her and started to push her towards Naruto

    "Hold still, Naruto! Hinata-san will put ointment on for you! You have to take off your jacket first!"

    "Eeh!?"

    Hinata was being pushed by the twins over to Naruto with the ointment somehow placed in her hand.

    "Please! You gotta stop the stinging, Hinata!"

    Naruto took off his orange coat and showed his back to Hinata.

    "Hawawawa!!"

    Hinata''s face started to become redder and redder until...

    ""Huh?""

    Hinata simply slumped down onto Naruto''s back, aggravating the burn again.

    "Aaaah! What happened?!"

    "Oops. She fainted again! So close!"

    "I''ll help."

    Moya started to fan Hinata while Yozora applied the ointment on Naruto''s back.

    Maka and Shizuka stood nearby with and shook their heads.

    "She''ll take forever to let him know if this keeps up."

    "You''re one to talk~."

    Maka''s face reddened a bit before she shot Shizuka a menacing look, which only got her a couple of giggles.

    Hii came over with Sasuke in tow and looked at the mess. Steam was still lingering in the air, Naruto''s back was nearly as red as a tomato, and Hinata was out cold.

    "I think we should have a short break."

    Being a referee was tough.

    *************

    The group continued to train the rest of the day with Taijutsu only .

    Hinata ended up fighting Yozora while Moya wanted to fight Hii.

    "Hii! I''m going to win this time!"

    "Oh! Show me how strong you''ve gotten."

    Moya took in a deep breath and shot towards Hii!

    *Bam Swish Bam*

    Moya and Hii traded blows while Hinata had a light spar with Yozora.

    "Sorry. I''m weak."

    "It''s fine! Let''s do our best to get stronger."

    Yozora already knew he wasn''t that good at Taijutsu, but he still tried his best to fight against her.

    The others all sat down and watched the matches, each doing different things.

    Sasuke watched Hii and Hinata''s movements while Shizuka applied the ointment on Naruto''s back again.

    "I-I''m fine, Nee-san! Really dattebayo!"

    "Just let your sister give you one more coat of ointment, okay~?"

    Shizuka rubbed the ointment on Naruto''s back while looking around for her next "target".

    She found her near Sasuke, propped up on one of the trees watching the fight.

    Shizuka smiled and quickly finished her task.

    "There! All done."

    "Thanks, Nee-san!"

    Naruto got up and put his jacket back on as Shizuka walked next to Maka.

    "You shouldn''t stare at him so intently. He''ll notice."

    "....Shut up."

    Maka turned her head, but kept the fight in the corner of her eye.

    "Hehehe. You''re so silly."

    Maka ignored Shizuka''s teasing as she continued to watch.

    Hii kept dodging and blocking Moya''s hits as she tried her best to hit him at least once this time.

    Naruto started coming towards them, back to his normal self.

    "Hey Hii! Can we go to your place today?!"

    Hii looked at Naruto with a confused look while Moya''s eyes glinted with mischief.

    ''A chance!''

    "Hiya!"

    Moya tried to jump kick Hii in the face, but he caught her in mid-air and slung her over his shoulder.

    "All of us?"

    "Yeah! I wanna see Riku-san again!"

    Hii didn''t know why he was so interested in his Grandma, but she didn''t seem to mind.

    "Put me down, Hii-Nii~!"

    "Sure."

    He put Moya down and looked over at Yozora and Hinata who finished fighting.

    "Let''s call it a day. Naruto wants to go to my house first. Anyone else wants to go?"

    Everyone raised their hands.

    ''Why does everyone want to go to my house today?''

    Hii continued to think about it as the group made their way to the Kurokumo house.

    Little did he know, everyone was nervous to see him deep in thought.

    They hoped he wouldn''t figure it out before they got to his house.

    The group made their way to the Kurokumo house while Hii was still thinking about what was so strange about today.

    ''We''re almost there.''

    The twins whispered to the group as Hii lead them silently.

    After a short while, they all made it in front of the Kurokumo household.

    "Nii-san! You should open the door."

    "Huh?! Oh! We made it back already?"

    Hii couldn''t seem to figure it out as he opened the door to his home.

    *Pop Pop Pop*

    All of a sudden, Hii could only see confetti falling on to him!

    """Surprise!!!!"""

    ".....Eh?!"

    Hii was caught completely off guard!

    He could see his Di, Riku, and Henda all laughing.

    He also saw Kaya, Kushina-san, Mikoto-san, and even Haruka-san around a cake at the table.

    Hii felt his shoulders being grabbed as all of his friends yelled at once!

    """Happy Birthday!!"""

    Hii could only stare blankly at everything.

    "Pfft!"

    Then he started laughing hysterically!

    "I can''t believe I forgot my birthday."

    "Haaah. I knew you would probably forget. You did it last year too."

    Kaya sighed as she rubbed her son''s head.

    "Happy 10th birthday, Hii."

    "Thanks,Mom!"

    Hii gave his thanks with a bright smile and he also promptly thanked everyone else for the surprise.

    "Hehehe! It was pretty easy!"

    "Even though I had to stop you from spilling the beans a few times?"

    "Eh?! W-What are you saying, Maka-san? I didn''t do that at all!"

    Everyone laughed at their antics and brought out gifts for Hii they selected.

    Kushina came first with a book in her hand.

    "Our family got you this sealing book! You never know when you''ll need it."

    "Thanks, Kushina-san!"

    Hii skimmed the book a bit and found all the seals were new ones he hadn''t studied before.

    Haruka came up next with her own book, which was much thicker than the sealing one.

    "I brought you a botanical medical book! I''m sure you''ll need this to be an effective medic."

    Haruka could see Hii take the book with a gleam in his eyes.

    The cover of the book was "Herbs,Poisons, and the effects on the Body."

    "Thank you Haruka-san!"

    Hii was very grateful to get another book

    He knew how expensive these could be.

    "Don''t mention it. It''s the least I can do for your help."

    Mikoto came up to Hii with an envelope and handed it over to him.

    "Fugaku and I wanted to thank you for taking Sasuke and Maka out so much. Here''s some birthday money to cover the costs."

    "Thank you very much!"

    Hii almost bowed to Mikoto for the gift! His wallet was usually pretty tight from treating the twins, and that was even before Naruto''s stomach! He could use some extra cash!

    Everyone laughed at his reaction, though Kushina had a wry smile on her face as she laughed.

    She knew how many bowls Naruto had received from Hii!

    "Hii."

    "Grandpa?"

    Hii turned around and noticed his Grandfather standing in front of him with a rare smile on his face. Henda came next to him with grin as well.

    "Do you guys have a gift for me or something? You guys look more excited than I am for my birthday."

    "Haha! That''s actually right, son! We might be more excited than you are right now!"

    Di nodded his head and pulled out a hammer from behind his back.

    "Huh? Why a hammer?! Hii uses swords, right?!"

    Naruto looked around for an answer and noticed something was off.

    The other families looked a bit confused as well, but the Kurokumos were excited.

    Hii, in particular, was shaking with excitement with his gaze frozen on the hammer.

    "Is it finally time?!"

    Hii''s voice cracked slightly as he looked at his father and grandfather.

    Di nodded his head and patted Hii''s shoulders.

    "Yes, Hii. You''re finally at the age for it. We will be making your real sword after today."

 Ch.60. An Image Change

    Hii rushed to his Grandpa and gave him a big hug!

    "Yes! Thank you, Grandpa!"

    "Hahaha! Don''t thank me yet! It''s gonna take a lot of data to get a good sword right. You better be ready!"

    Hii nodded his head and ran to hug his father as well!

    "Thanks, Dad!"

    "*Sniff* My son is thanking me! I''m so happy!"

    "Agh! Dad!"

    Everyone started laughing at the two until Riku sighed.

    "Alright then. It''s time to see who won, ladies."

    Riku stood up and headed towards Di.

    She stood right in front of him and looked him right in his eyes.

    "How many?"

    "..."

    Di looked at her and slowly looked away as the family started to chuckle.

    "Hey, what''s going on?"

    Maka came close to Hii and asked him.

    "Grandma is asking how many blades did he make before he decided to let me help him make it."

    "Is it 10? Or 15?"

    Di slowly shifted his eyes away from Riku as she called out her guesses.

    "...20?"

    Di still didn''t say anything as when she gave that number. Riku''s eyebrows arched as heat started to rise from her fists.

    ".....30?"

    "....Umu."

    *Smack*

    "You old stubborn mule! Isn''t that more than 2 full orders of kunais?! You had to waste it?! Wait! You didn''t try to make them for all three of the kids, did you?!"

    "........"

    "You! Come with me!"

    "Ugh!"

    Riku started dragging Di into side room and started to yell at him.

    Everyone was shocked, except for Moya who was snickering up a storm.

    "Pfft! Grandpa got in trouble~!"

    ""Pfftt!!""

    The other two siblings couldn''t hold it in as well.

    Everyone else started to laugh as well, bringing the tense atmosphere down.

    The two came back into the room with Riku dragging Di with an angry expression.

    "It was 30."

    "Tch!"

    "So close!"

    "I''ll bet smarter next time."

    "Thank you, ladies~."

    Kushina, Haruka, and Mikoto gave their bet money to Kaya before she stood up and went to Hii.

    "Come on Hii! You have to blow out the candles on your cake!"

    Kaya pushed Hii over to the table where the cake was as everyone began to crowd around.

    "Everyone ready!?"

    """Yeah!!"""

    Kaya started to clap her hands.

    "3,2,1! Go!"

    ""Happy Birthday to You!!""

    Everyone started to sing together with Hii in the middle.

    Hii''s face became slightly red from embarrassment, but he was equally as happy.

    """Happy Birthday, dear Hii~! Happy Birthday to You!!!!"""

    *Woosh*

    Hii blew out his candles and everyone started to clap and cheer.

    "Hehe! I want a birthday party like this too!"

    "Who''d wish you a happy birthday?"

    "You wouldn''t?! I''d wish you one!"

    "Hmph!"

    Naruto and Sasuke still bickered with each other while Shizuka and Maka just watched with plates of food.

    "Those two really can argue over nothing."

    "Yep~! It reminds me of us when we first met."

    "Don''t remind me of that, please."

    "Hehehe~. By the way..."

    Shizuka leaned close to Maka''s ear.

    "When are you going to give Hii his gift~?"

    Maka leaned away from her in shock.

    "H-How did?!"

    "Ehehe! I heard Auntie Mikoto say she and Fugaku-san got him some cash, but I know you aren''t going to let this opportunity go by without trying something. What did you get him~?"

    "D-Don''t worry about it. Eat your cake!"

    Maka''s face started to get red as she at some cake.

    Her face beamed as she ate a piece.

    "~!! It''s so good."

    Shizuka smiled at her reaction.

    "Well, I''m glad you like the cake. Oh! Hinata-chan! Come over here~!"

    Shizuka flagged Hinata down as she made her way towards the two.

    "Y-Yes?"

    "I wanted to talk to you. You know those two will definitely want a birthday party after they''ve seen something like this. The thing I''m interested in is what you''ll get Naruto for his birthday~?"

    "W-What?!"

    Hinata''s face became bright red as she fidgeted with her hands.

    "I-I don''t know what he would like..."

    "I thought so. Don''t worry! This big sister here will help you pick something good."

    Hinata''s face turned a bit redder, but she nodded her head regardless.

    "Thank you."

    "Your welcome~! Now let me tell you some ideas."

    The three continued to chat while Hii watched Naruto and Sasuke with a wry smile.

    ''Now how did this happen?''

    The two were devouring food while staring at each other.

    This wasn''t the worse part of the situation.

    "Go Naruto! You can beat him!"

    "You can do it, Sasuke!"

    ""Go! Go!""

    Kushina and Mikoto were both cheering their sons on with Moya and Yozora.

    ''Should... I stop them?''

    Hii turned over to see if his Mom knew about this, only to see her and Haruka watching the "fight" intensely.

    "I think Naruto is going to last longer. He is Kushina''s boy after all. That stomach is probably passed down."

    "Hmmm. I feel like Sasuke has better  pacing though. He might come out on top if he''s careful. He can still win if Naruto goes past his limit."

    The two seemed to be commentating on their progress as the competition began to heat up.

    ''''....I saw nothing.''

    Hii decided it was better to just ignore it after all.

    *******

    "Ugh! I''m so stuffed~..."

    "Pfft! I can''t believe you decided to have a match like that. Hehehe."

    Shizuka was helping Naruto get through the door as Kushina was waving to Kaya.

    "Thanks for inviting us, Kaya! I''ll be sure to bring you for Naruto''s and Shizuka''s parties."

    "Please do! I can''t wait to see this champion eat again!"

    "Auuuuh...."

    With that, the Uzumaki clan left the party. The Hyuga clan had retired earlier on, leaving the Uchiha clan as the last family to leave.

    Mikoto grabbed ahold of Sasuke, who was also reeling from overeating.

    "Ugh...Mom."

    "Good try, Sasuke. You''ll get him next time, dear."

    Hii watched them leave with a wry smile.

    ''I didn''t think they could eat that much.''

    Hii felt a pat on his shoulder and turned his head.

    "What is it Mom?"

    "I need you to escort your friend partway home."

    Hii turned to see Maka standing by the front door.

    "Sure. Let me get my shoes."

    Hii went to grab his shoes and missed the thumbs up his mother gave Maka.

    Maka blushed and nodded her head meekly.

    "Let''s go, Maka."

    "R-Right."

    The two headed after Mikoto and Sasuke at a somewhat slower pace.

    Hii could hear Mikoto giggling in front of him, but he didn''t hear why she was giggling.

    They came towards the border of the Uchiha district before Maka stopped him.

    "H-Hii?"

    "Hmm?"

    Hii stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Maka.

    "Are you okay? Your face is pretty red."

    "I-I''m fine! Really!"

    Maka shook her head and came close to him.

    Hii watched her approach and saw a cute package in her hands.

    "H-Happy birthday! T-This is something I thought you could use! Feel free to throw it away if you don''t like it! Ah! I mean! Ahh!! I''m so stupid! Just take it! I''ll see you tomorrow!!"

    Maka hurriedly put her present in Hii''s hands and dashed after Mikoto and Sasuke at high speed!

    ''........''

    Hii blanked out a bit as he looked down at the present.

    "...Thanks."

    Hii turned around and slowly headed back home.

    He came back inside and noticed Kaya and Riku both sitting at the table, waiting for him.

    "Did you enjoy your birthday party?"

    "Yeah! It was really great! I completely forgot it was today."

    "Haaaa. You only have swords and lightning in your head nowadays! It looks like I''ll have to bring you back on the path of Water Jutsus!"

    "Oh please don''t, Mom! We''ll just start a giant water fight again like last time."

    "I can control myself!"

    Riku snorted at the thought.

    "Anyway, where did you get that cute little present from?"

    Riku brought the conversation towards the present in his hands, making Hii''s face grow a bit hot.

    "Well...I got it from Maka."

    "Ooh~! Maka-chan, eh? What did you get?"

    "I don''t know yet. I''m gonna open it in my room."

    His response made both Riku and Kaya smile brightly as they couldn''t help, but look at him tenderly.

    "You should do that. Make sure to tell her thank you tomorrow at school."

    "I will!"

    Hii quickly fled to his room, away from the teasing eyes of his Mom and Grandma.

    "Ugh! They''re so cute!"

    "I know. Reminds me of you and Henda."

    "I-It wasn''t that bad, right?!"

    "Hahahaha!"

    "Mom!"

    Hii went into his room and jumped on his bed. His hands were shaking slightly as he looked at the cute brown box with a red bow.

    ''I wonder what''s inside? Only one way to find out.''

    Hii opened the box and a big smile came onto his face.

    "Huh. I never thought I could actually use something like this."

    *********

    "Ahhhhhhh!!!!"

    Maka yelled into her pillow with an anguished scream.

    ''That was so stupid! "Throw it away if you don''t like it!" I threw a kunai at my own foot!''

    Maka stretched out on her bed and stared at her ceiling with teary eyes.

    "I screwed it up."

    She whacked her pillow a few times before hearing knocks on her door.

    *Knock Knock*

    "Y-Yes?!"

    Maka quickly wiped her tears and sat up straight, trying to appear normal with puffy eyes.

    The door opened slowly, revealing Mikoto peeking in to her room.

    "Hey there. How did it go with giving the gift?"

    "Terrible."

    Mikoto came into the room and sat down on her bed. She tapped the space beside her, making Maka come towards her.

    "Tell me all about it. I might be able to help you."

    "Ok."

    Maka explained what happened and Mikoto folded her arms and nodded her head.

    "You really did screw it up saying that."

    "Uuuugh!!"

    Maka threw herself back to her pillow and started to punch it again.

    "Calm down. I think you''re still okay."

    "How can I be okay after that?!"

    "Do you think Hii is the kind of boy who would throw it away?"

    Maka settled down after hearing her question.

    "...No."

    "Then your present should still be fine. Did you give him something he could use?"

    "Yes! Well, no. I mean, he could use it. I''d really like him to use it."

    Maka couldn''t seem to make up her mind, making Mikoto giggle at her antics.

    "I''m sure Hii will appreciate your gift either way."

    "....I hope so."

    Mikoto gave Maka a hug as they sat on the bed.

    "Just trust me. He''ll love it."

    Outside, Fugaku and Sasuke were both looking at the moon in silence near Maka''s room.

    Her silent cries weren''t exactly silent at all.

    "Father?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Do all girls go through something like that?"

    Sasuke looked over at Maka''s door and back at the moon.

    "Hmmmm."

    Fugaku thought about Sasuke''s question.

    "It depends on the girl."

    "....I don''t get it."

    "Honestly, you probably won''t ever really understand them, son. Just do your best to understand the one you end up liking. That''s all you can do."

    The two stood staring at the moon for a while longer, each in their own thoughts.

    *********

    The next morning, Hii woke up and decided to use his new gift.

    He headed out of his room and sat at the table for breakfast.

    Riku came forward with his breakfast with a bright smile on her face.

    "Morning Hii. Is that the gift Maka-chan gave you?"

    "Y-Yeah. I never knew I needed something like this until I got it."

    Hii now wore a black and white headband over his bangs. He always had long hair, so he had grown used to looking through his bangs. The headband now kept his bangs at bay, allowing his full face to be seen.

    He had a strange feeling in his chest of elation and embarrassment that he couldn''t quite name after putting it on.

    Kaya came into the room with the twins and Henda shortly after he started to eat.

    "Ooooh~! Looking good today, Hii."

    "T-Thanks."

    ""Morning!""

    "Morning, you two. Morning, Dad."

    "Huuaaaah! Morning."

    Henda yawned deeply and rubbed his son''s head.

    "Hmm? Oh! You have a headband now? Where''d you get that from?"

    "F-From a friend."

    Henda looked at his son''s slightly red face and started to smile.

    "Oh? Girl or guy friend."

    "...Girl."

    Hii didn''t have to look at his Dad to know his smile was widening by the second.

    "Oh! Did she come yesterday?!"

    "Stop bugging Hii and eat your breakfast! It''s embarrassing him!"

    "Okay! I''ll back off...for now."

    Hii was grateful for his mom''s cover, but he quickly took it back when he heard her say she''d tell him about it later.

    The three kids quickly ate their breakfast and headed out to the Academy.

    Hii noticed that a lot of kids seemed to look at him more than usual.

    "What happened with them?"

    "Don''t know."

    "Hehe! They''re probably surprised to see your full face!"

    Hii thought about it and nodded his head.

    ''I don''t really move my bangs much at school. I guess no one has really seen my face since I was younger.''

    Hii thought about that as he went to his classroom.

    "See you later, Hii-Nii!"

    "Bye, Nii-san."

    Hii waved at his siblings and opened the door to his classroom.

    He noticed everyone seemed to be looking at him, but paid them no mind.

    "Hey! Hii! You moved your hair out of the way?!"

    "Yeah. With this new headband I got. Does it look good?"

    Naruto gave him a thumbs up with a grin.

    "You look different, but in a good way!"

    "Thanks, Naruto."

    "What do you think, Nee-san?!"

    Shizuka had a bright smile as she looked at Hii.

    "I think it looks great. It matches your outfit too. I wonder where did you got it from?"

    "Ugh, I got it as a birthday gift yesterday."

    Shizuka''s eyes flashed as a sly grin covered her face.

    The rosy blush on Hii''s face only made the smile deeper.

    "Oh~! Now who gave you that gift~?"

    "W-Well, Maka gave it to me..."

    Shizuka''s grin couldn''t get any wider as Hii answered her in the tiniest voice she''d ever heard from him.

    "Hmm~? What was that? I couldn''t quite hear you~."

    "I-I''ll tell you later."

    Hii swiftly walked away from her and came in front of Maka.

    "Thank you for the gift, Maka. I really liked it."

    Hii smiled brightly as he thanked Maka for the gift.

    Hii expected her to respond and noticed she was beet red and silent.

    "Umm, Maka? Are you okay?"

    *Hic*

    Maka immediately closed her mouth with her hands as her face seemed to get even more red.

    "Hic?"

    "Pfft!!!"

    Shizuka had a hard time containing her laughter as she covered her mouth tightly with her hands.

    Maka quickly recovered and tried to salvage the situation.

    "I-I''M GLAD YOU DIDN''T THROW IT AWAY!"

    Maka responded with a rather loud voice and immediately covered her face with both hands.

    "Hehehehehe!!"

    Shizuka leaked out a giggle as she watched Maka slowly sink her own chance.

    "I never even thought to throw it away. It''s surprisingly helpful to me. Thank you again."

    "Y-Y-You''re welcome! I hope you use it forever!"

    "Hehe! Well, as long as it will allow me to, I will. I better go find my seat. See you later."

    "Y-Yeah! Later!"

    Hii headed down to his desk and sat down at his usual spot. He noticed Sakura next to him and smiled.

    "Morning, Sakura-chan."

    "M-Morning, Hii-kun."

    Hii nodded his head and brought out his new medical book as he waited for Iruka to come in.

    "Ahahahahahaha!!"

    He suddenly heard Shizuka cackling in the back, but paid her no attention.

    The door suddenly opened as Iruka appeared in the classroom.

    "Good morning, class!"

    ""Good morning, Sensei!""

    "Hope you all are ready for today''s lesson! Hmm?"

    Iruka looked directly at Hii and was surprised.

    "An image change, eh? Looking good, Hii-kun!"

    "Thanks, Sensei!"

    *Bam*

    Maka''s head hit the desk, red from embarrassment.

    *wheeze*

    "Hahahaha!!!"

    "Hm? Settle down, Shizuka-chan! Class is starting soon."

    "S-Sorry, Sensei! Hehehe!"

    "And what''s wrong with Maka-chan? Is she feeling unwell?"

    Sasuke raised his hand and answered for Maka.

    "She''s fine, Sensei. Just a little under the weather today."

    "Oh! I see. Thanks, Sasuke-kun. Please take her to the infirmary if she doesn''t start to feel better, okay?"

    "Yes, Sensei."

    Sasuke shook his head as he patted Maka''s shoulder.

    "Psst! Hey, Nee-san. Why are you laughing?"

    "I-I''ll tell you when you''re older. Wheeew!"

    Shizuka wiped the tears from her eyes as soon as she could catch her breath.

    Today was a good day for her to be in class.

 Ch.61. A New Immortal?!

    In the land of Boulders, a small, desolate village stood in ruins.

    It seemed to have been abandoned some years ago due to battle with the leftover kunais still embedded in the walls.

    Akumu and Fuyuki appeared silently in a forest nearby the ruins, looking over the destruction.

    {Why are we here again?}

    [I felt a strange presence coming from here. I need to check it out and see what it was.]

    {How come I didn''t sense anything?}

    [You might be too small right now to feel it.]

    Akumu and Fuyuki looked around the ruins slowly.

    Akumu surveyed the small village as closely as as he could.

    He noticed the ground seemed to have fresh holes dug up around strange areas in the village.

    [There shouldn''t be anyone in this village right now. Who dug up these holes?]

    Akumu looked over one of the nearby holes and analyzed it.

    His face sunk a bit once he realized the hole didn''t seem to be dug from the outside. Each one of them were uneven, all dug out with different methods.

    He was beginning to get the creeps.

    {Hey! Did you find anything?}

    [....I hope not.]

    {Then doesn''t that mean we''re done here?! We should go!}

    Fuyuki came beside Akumu and looked at the buildings. He remembered she was never good with horror. He could see her shaking like a leaf.

    {B-Besides, t-there isn''t anything or anyone here. We should be all done now!}

    [That''s the problem. How did a small village that looked like it was abandoned long ago have fresh holes in the ground with no tracks of people or things around them?]

    Akumu surveyed the ground. He noticed footprints and drag marks all over the area.

    [There''s foot prints and drag marks everywhere, but they all lead towards the center. That''s weird.]

    {Well, It''s not like they came out the ground and moved there, right?}

    [......]

    {R-Right, Takashi?! That can''t be right, can it?}

    [...You always seemed to have the right guesses. It''s just I''ve never seen something like this before.]

    {But you watched the show with Miyu,right?!}

    [Everything was messed up the moment Hii, you, and I came into this world, remember? There will be some differences now that we''re here. ]

    {Ugh! I can''t handle horror!}

    [I know. I can''t even count how many times I had to hear you scream from running into something scary.]

    Akumu chuckled as Fuyuki''s paw struck him.It didn''t hurt in the slightest.

    {Just wait until I''m bigger! I''ll show you!}

    [Hah! Looks like I''ll have to wait for a long time.]

    {Grrr!}

    Akumu ignored the white pup as he continued to survey the area.

    His eyes scanned every area of the village slowly as they crept closer to the center.

    ''I can''t tell how many are over there, but it could be more than 30 people...or things.''

    Akumu became more and more cautious of what these tracks might be from.

    ''They slowly made their way to the center of the village when suddenly, Akumu jumping back behind a corner, grabbing Fuyuki in the process.

    {What?! What''s happening?!}

    [Quiet.]

    Akumu peered from behind a corner and watched the center from a distance.

    He could see a group of people standing idly by, swaying and groaning.

    Some of their clothes were ripped and dried with wounds covering various parts of their bodies. Their eyes all had a green flame burning in them.

    "Guuuuuu."

    Akumu could feel his fur spiking up as he observed them. He couldn''t help, but blurt out their identity.

    [Zombies.]

    {Eh?! No no no no!}

    Akumu had to grab hold of her with his mouth as she tried to run away.

    {Noo! Let me go!}

    [Shut up! They might hear you.]

    Fuyuki shivered in silence as she held her paws to her mouth.

    Akumu turned his head back as he watched the zombies crowd around someone.

    "Ah! I don''t think I have enough space to do clean up anymore!"

    A seductive voice complained near the center of the swarm.

    *Suuuuuu*

    The zombies suddenly all disappeared from view as a figure could be scene sitting down.

    [Hmm?!]

    Akumu noticed the figure of a woman with deep red braided hair looking rather annoyed.

    "Ugh! Does he have to try to kill himself so desperately? It never works for long anyway."

    The woman stretched her ample body as she stood up.

    "My tattoos are filling up again. I might need to make some new ones."

    The woman wore a white short top with no sleeves and red shorts. She wore no headband, but her body was covered in numerous kanjis. Some of the tattoos were fully detailed while others looked halfway done. Her eyes were a strange combination of red and neon green.

    "Stop whining! You do this every time you have to clean up any unintentional waste."

    A man approached from another road leading to the center with his hand around a zombie''s neck.

    "You missed one. He was stuck behind a door."

    "Ugh! Give it here."

    The man let the zombie go and it was also sucked into a tattoo of "death" on her chest.

    "How did Master do it this time?"

    "Hanging again. It must make him feel the closest to death since he doesn''t heal as long as he''s up there."

    The man wore dirty, black samurai armor that had worn away in many places. He wore his black hair in a messy topknot and had multiple swords on his back. His eyes also seemed mixed with brown and neon green. He looked around the area briefly, and turned to the woman.

    "Where did Koyo go?"

    "Looting as usual."

    "Tch! That damn bandit!"

    "Like you''re one to talk, sword stealer."

    "I do not steal swords! I only take the blades of fallen, worthy opponents! Don''t belittle me, Ink stain!"

    "What did you call me?!"

    The two stood off against each other and seemed ready to fight at any moment!

    "Woohoo! I got some more Ryo~! I''ll reach my dream soon~!"

    A cheery tune was being sung as a man came skipping out of one a nearby house. He held a pouch full of coins and a smile on his face as he came towards the two.

    "Hmm!? Are you two fighting again? You know Master doesn''t like that."

    ""We weren''t.""

    "Ah! You two synched up again. You''re lying!"

    Koyo''s brown hair hung close to his eyes as he looked between the two with a mischievous grin. His eyes were also a mix of brown and green.

    "Hmph!"

    "Whatever, bandit."

    "Ah! I''m not a bandit! I''m a thief! There''s a difference, y''know?!"

    The two rolled their eyes at Koyo and shifted away from each other. He sighed and held his pouch to the woman.

    "Kaira-san~! Can you store this for me, please?"

    "Tch!"

    Kaira clicked her tongue, but still grabbed the pouch and placed it into a tattoo of "money" on her on her shoulder.

    "Thank you! We should go get Master down now. I saw him near the edge of the village."

    "Good. Let''s move out of this place. He''s been here long enough."

    The three started to walk out of the village, heading towards the forest nearby.

    {What should we do, Takashi?}

    [Call me Akumu, and I''m thinking.]

    Akumu watched the figures fade in the distance. His mind thought of many possibilities of these new faces he didn''t know. He didn''t like any of them.

    {Wha?!}

    Akumu bit Fuyuki by the scruff of her neck and tossed her on his back.

    [I need more information. Stay quiet and hang on.]

    {Okay.}

    Akumu darted around the houses and kept after the group from a distance.

    He followed them to just outside of the village near a vibrant, old tree.

    "There he is."

    The three looked up to see a body hanging from a tree branch with a rope around its neck.

    The body was of a man with long, brown hair loosely sprawled over his face in a black cloak.

    His body was small and thin, almost like a child''s.

    "Doren. Cut him down."

    "Hmph! I would''ve cut down our Lord irregardless of your mouth."

    Doren pulled out one of his swords and held it with both hands.

    *Sssshuuu*

    Chakra slowly formed around the blade as he took aim.

    *Slash*

    A sharp wave of energy sliced forward and cut the rope above the man''s head.

    "I got him!"

    Koyo already waited under the body and caught him.

    He gently laid him against the tree and looked towards Doren.

    Doren nodded his head and cut the rope with a shorter blade from his back.

    Everyone watched the body of the man as the long brown hair began to slowly turn a vibrant green color. His skin went from being dry and pale to lively and smooth in only a few minutes.

    "I''m so jealous of his skin."

    "What''s the point anymore?"

    "A woman will always look pretty when they can. Do you enjoy looking at torn down women or something?"

    Doren scoffed at her, but didn''t have a retort.

    "He''s waking up."

    The three of them looked over the now vibrant body and watched as his eyes opened slowly. His eyes sparked with a neon green blaze like a flame. It held an eerie charm to it.

    "......"

    "Welcome back, my Lord. Unfortunately, you haven''t passed on this time as well."

    "...Shit."

    The man stood up languidly as he looked into the sky, ignoring the three.

    "How long was I gone for?"

    "Only a month or so. Cheer up, my Lord! You will be able to achieve your dream one day."

    The man looked at Doren and sighed.

    "...I hope you''re right."

    Koyo clapped his hands as he remembered something.

    "We should probably get out of here soon. Don''t we have to meet with that guy we heard about?"

    "Oh yeah! What was his name again, Koyo?"

    Doren shivered at the question.

    "It''s that bastard Orochimaru."

    Koyo clapped again.

    "That''s right! He said he might have a way to kill the Lord for good."

    The green haired man nodded his head.

    "Let''s go then. I want this to be over."

    ""Yes sir!""

    The three followed Koyo into the forest and disappeared.

    Akumu came out from hiding with Fuyuki as he gazed in the direction they went.

    {Ne ne!}

    [What?]

    {Is that guy the Immortal that Miyu told me she hated?}

    [....No. That''s a new one. And that''s not a good thing at all.]

    Akumu looked back at the lost village and shook his head.

    [Someone immortal with a death wish meeting with a maniac wanting immortality. There''s even a zombie problem connected to him.]

    {T-That not good, huh?!}

    Akumu shook his head as he turned back and started heading out of the village.

    [No. It isn''t. It looks like it''s time to report back at the Leaf village.]

    {Can''t you just send a message? You might lose them!}

    [I could, but I have to drop you off too.]

    {Eh?! Why?!}

    [You suck at being quiet. Even more so when the target could be something you''re scared of.]

    {I want to help at least!}

    Fuyuki continued to complain, but Akumu continued to make his way back towards the village.

    [You can''t help me until you''re bigger. It just so happens that I have a solution for that.]

    *********

    "Hmm?"

    Hii seemed to sense something calling to him from a distance.

    "You better not get distracted!"

    Kaya threw a spinning water ball towards his head!

    "Woah!"

    Hii ducked under the ball and looked at his Mom''s smug face.

    "Mom! This isn''t training at all! It''s just a water fight!"

    "Fight back or get soaked, kid!"

    "....Haa.Fine then!"

    Hii weaved handsigns and stretched out his hand.

    Water Style: Water Ball Jutsu!

    A large ball of water formed on his palm!

    He began to spin it to the right with his chakra as he tossed a curve ball at Kaya!

    Kaya watched it come toward her with a sneer.

    "Naive, son!"

    Kaya weaved handsigns and took in a deep breath!

    Water Style: Water Wall!

    Kaya spewed out a large wall of water, blocking the high speed ball!

    " I-Isn''t that too much, Mom?"

    "Hehehe!"

    Kaya snickered as she weaved more handsigns.

    Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!

    The water formed into a long dragon that coiled around in the air!

    "Wait! You didn''t teach me that!"

    "Water battles are all about how you use the water around you. Learn it with your body, Okay~!"

    "Mom!!"

    "Graaaugh!!"

    The dragon flew towards Hii at high speed!

    Hii hurriedly weaved handsigns and breathed in deep!

    Water Style: Engulfing Wave Jutsu!

    Hii spewed a giant wave that collided against the water dragon!

    *Splash*

    Water poured down from the skies as Hii weaved more handsigns.

    Water Style: Wolf Pack Jutsu!

    The water from the rain puddled into a giant ball of water.

    The water slowly split itself into a 3 blue, see-through wolves with red eyes.

    ""Awoooo!!""

    "Oh! That''s a new one."

    Kaya pulled out a kunai and ran towards Hii and the wolves.

    ''Go!''

    "Grrrrr!"

    The wolves quickly darted towards Kaya as Hii also went towards her with his practice sword.

    *Clang Clang*

    The two clashed while the wolves encircled Kaya.

    The wolves lunged at Kaya, trying to grab a hold of her with their teeth. Kaya dodged and stabbed at the wolves, but the nearby water recovered any wound she delivered to them!

    Hii continued to coordinate with the attack of the wolves, putting Kaya at a disadvantage.

    "Hmm. This is tricky."

    The three wolves formed a triangle around her after their failed strike while Kaya watched them warily.

    ''Now!''

    Hii weaved hand signs quickly while Kaya was still stationary!

    Water Style: Chains of the Deep Jutsu!

    The bodies of the wolves began to shake ominously around Kaya.

    "What?!"

    Water chains shot out of their backs and surrounded Kaya, binding her between the three!

    "Phew! Is that enough, Mom?"

    Kaya tried to struggle against the chains, but couldn''t break free at all!

    "Wow! This is a pretty good Jutsu combo! Make sure to train this more, okay?"

    "Huh? Isn''t this over already?"

    Kaya smiled despite being chained.

    "You''re right."

    "It is over."

    "!!"

    Hii wanted to quickly jump back, but Kaya''s arms already wrapped around his neck!

    Kaya rubbed her face against Hii''s with a playful grin.

    "My boy is getting sneaky~! I''m so happy you can fight with me more now!"

    "...Since when?"

    "When you used that giant wave. It was pretty easy with all the water. Remember what I said?"

    Hii looked over at his mother that was still stuck in his Jutsu.

    She smiled and slowly dissolved into a watery puddle on the grass.

    "Water clone Jutsu..."

    Hii released his Jutsu as well, letting the wolves flow down into a puddle.

    "Very impressive to make your own Jutsu like this."

    "Thanks, Mom. You should really stop using Jutsu that''ll flatten your son though. How am I suppose to just fight that?"

    Kaya looked at Hii and rubbed his head.

    "This training is not just for learning techniques. It''s also to teach you how to react quickly to foreign attacks. An enemy isn''t going to just teach you how their Jutsu works. You have to adapt quickly."

    "You just don''t want to teach me everything so you can bully me still, huh?"

    "Nope~! Not at all."

    Hii sighed and wondered why his Mom was so playful at such weird times.

    [Hii.]

    Hii suddenly shivered and quickly looked around rapidly!

    "Akumu?!"

    "Huh?! Where?"

    Kaya looked around for him as well, but neither could see him.

    [I''m not there yet, but I''m close to the village. Where are you now?]

    ''At the training grounds with Mom.''

    [Okay! I''ll be right there.]

    Hii turned to Kaya with an excited look.

    "Mom! Akumu is coming here right now!"

    "That''s good to hear! I was wondering where he went off to."

    The two waited for a few minutes before they both felt a slight shiver.

    Akumu came out of the shadow of a tree with Fuyuki on his back.

    "Akumu!"

    [Hey. I''m back.]

    Hii went over to him and noticed a white pup on his back.

    "Umm? What is this?"

    {Hi! I''m Fuyuki! You must be Hii, right?!}

    The white pup''s tail wagged wildly as she moved her head in his direction.

    "Yeah, I''m Hii. Nice to meet you!"

    {Nice to meet you too!}

    Hii looked over her white fur and noticed her eyes were closed.

    "Ugh, you can''t open your eyes either?"

    {It''s fine. I can still feel you!}

    [Akumu said that too when we first met.]

    Hii nodded his head as he rubbed Akumu''s fur.

    [No time for reminiscing! I have a favor to ask of you, Hii.]

    "What is it?"

    Akumu looked into Hii''s eyes.

    [I''m going to need you to take care of Fuyuki like you did me. I have to go back and investigate something.]

    "Eh?! I don''t mind, but what''s wrong?"

    Akumu looked over at Kaya who had a serious face.

    [I need to go with Kaya to the 4th Hokage. A new variable has appeared.]

 Ch.62. Fuyuki’s Nature

    Kaya quickly made her way to the Hokage office shortly after meeting Akumu.

    ''Great! Akatsuki is one thing, and another group just has to appear!''

    Kaya grumbled in her mind as she came to Minato''s door.

    *Knock Knock Knock*

    "Come in!"

    Kaya quickly opened the door.

    Minato and Shikaku were inside discussing plans for the village.

    "Kaya-san? What brings you here?"

    "My son got a report from Akumu."

    The expressions of the two changed as Minato and Shikaku immediately dropped what they were doing.

    "What did he find out?"

    *Tsuuuuu*

    Akumu slowly appeared out of Kaya''s shadow and sat next to her.

    [Good to see you two again.]

    "Good to see you as well, Akumu. What exactly did you find out? Anything about Akatsuki?"

    Shikaku asked him, but Akumu shook his head.

    [Not quite, but it could be equally as disastrous.]

    Akumu began to explain what he saw to the three in detail.

    The three all had grim faces when they heard of the green immortal man.

    Minato was especially concerned about him being able to revive himself.

    "...Thank you for the intel, Akumu."

    [You''re welcome. I want to continue to monitor them after I head back out.]

    "Understood. Should we form up a team to help you scout them out?"

    [No, I don''t think that''s a good idea. I think I should be the only one watching them for now.]

    "Understood. We will have to depend on you keep up with them for us."

    [It''s fine. I''ll keep a watch on them for the village''s safety. I, uh, also have another bit of information to give.]

    The two of them looked a bit confused at this. Kaya just had a wry smile on her face.

    Akumu sighed and looked up at them.

    [There was another Biju born, and Hii will be the Jinchuuriki of that beast as well.]

    ""!!""

    The two were shocked to say the least!

    Minato looked over at Akumu and slowly asked.

    "How would you describe this new Biju?"

    [.......]

    Minato was surprised to see a wry smile come to Akumu''s face.

    [If I had to say, she''s a energetic, grown child.]

    ********

    Hii walked around the village with a tired look on his face.

    {What is that shop over there?!}

    ''It''s a clothes store. You can get custom made clothes tailored there as well.''

    {What about that one over there?!}

    ''I''m pretty sure that''s a dango shop. Moya loves that place.''

    Hii had to play tour guide to the new Biju in his body.

    {I''ve only been out in the wilderness with Takashi, so this is my first big city!}

    ''I see. You don''t call him Akumu?''

    {No! He will always be Takashi to me! No matter what he says!}

    Hii shook his head as he could feel this wolf was quite headstrong compared to Akumu.

    ''You said your name was Fuyuki?''

    {Yep! And you are Hii-kun! I''m sure we''ll be best friends!}

    ''What makes you so sure?''

    {Because you are a part of Takashi! That''s all I need to know!}

    Hii was surprised to hear how much faith she had in Akumu. He couldn''t stop the smile from forming on his face as he continued to walk.

    "Eh? Hii-kun?"

    "Hm?"

    Hii turned around to find Maka with a empty bag in her hand.

    "What are you doing in this side of town?"

    "Oh! Hey, Maka-chan. I didn''t notice I went this far into the village. I was just taking a stroll. What are you up to?"

    "I''m doing some shopping for Auntie Mikoto. I just have to grab a few things."

    "I see."

    Maka nodded her head, and seemed to be struggling to ask Hii something.

    {You should help her out! Ask if she needs help!}

    Fuyuki suddenly urged Hii to assist Maka in shopping.

    ''Well, I guess it can''t hurt to help. Training is over today anyway.''

    "Hey, you mind if I help you with your shopping?"

    "Eh?! You want to help?!"

    Maka''s face suddenly lit up with glee as she quickly came to his side.

    "Then we should hurry up and go!"

    "H-Hey!"

    Hii was dragged off with Maka towards the stores. He swore he could hear Fuyuki snickering as he shopped with Maka.

    After a short while, they managed to find everything she needed to get.

    "Thanks! With a pair of extra hands, I got what I needed much quicker than by myself!"

    Hii was loaded up with bags and had a wry smile on his face.

    "N-No problem..."

    {Good job! You made her happy!}

    "Now we just have to head back. Let''s go!"

    Hii was once again dragged over to the Uchiha estate and saw a surprised Mikoto.

    "Eh? Hii-kun? How did you end up here?"

    "He helped me bring the groceries today!"

    "Ara Ara~! Thank you for helping then, Hii-kun!"

    "N-No problem! Glad I could help."

    Hii tried to catch his breath as Mikoto made eye contact with Maka.

    Maka and Mikoto gazed silently at each other for a short while before Mikoto smiled and turned to Hii.

    "As a reward for helping with the groceries, why don''t you stay for dinner?"

    "Eh? Is that okay?"

    "Of course! You''re always welcome to join us here."

    Hii started to think about if he should intrude.

    {You gotta do it!}

    Fuyuki screamed at Hii to stay. Hii thought about it and nodded his head.

    "Sure. Sorry for intruding and thank you again."

    Mikoto smiled and came behind Hii to push him towards the backyard area.

    "Go and play in the yard with the boys. They finally came back from their mission."

    "Oh! I didn''t know! I''ll go and say hi then!"

    Hii dashed off towards the courtyard with excitement, making Mikoto giggle.

    "Well then, I hope you''re ready to help, young lady."

    "I''ll do my best, Oba-san!"

    Mikoto smiled as she started to give Maka instructions.

    **********

    Hii quickly made his way towards the backyard.

    "Ugh!"

    He stopped when he heard Sasuke yell out in pain.

    "Good try, Sasuke. You''ve definitely improved."

    Hii could see Shisui squatting next to Sasuke as he tried to get back up. Even Fugaku was nearby, watching the fight with Itachi by his side.

    He turned and had a small grin on his face.

    "Oh, Hii-kun. I didn''t know you came today. Good to see you."

    "Nice to see you as well, Fugaku-san."

    Hii gave Fugaku a small bow while Itachi had a smile on his face.

    "Long time no see, Hii-kun."

    "You''re right, Itachi-san. It has been a long time."

    "Hey, Hii-kun! I haven''t seen you in a while! Have you changed your look since we last met?"

    Shisui came up to Hii and patted him on the shoulder.

    "I guess I did. I got a hairband as a present."

    "Oh! From who?"

    Hii suddenly felt a very strange sensation on his skin. He couldn''t help, but shiver slightly as he gave Shisui a glance.

    "It''s a secret. I''m embarrassed to say."

    "Hoho! You''re already being a little playboy, eh?!"

    Shisui rubbed Hii''s head, but Hii could only seem to feel a cold sensation all over his body.

    ''This feels like the chill when Akumu would attack me...''

    Hii warily watched Shisui as he decided he wouldn''t tell him until this sensation went away.

    {Good call. There''s no telling how he would react.}

    Fuyuki only further consolidated his thoughts as he went over to Sasuke to heal him up.

    "Thanks."

    "No problem. Did they get a lot stronger?"

    Sasuke nodded his head, looking at Shisui and Itachi with excitement.

    "They aren''t really holding back anymore. I must be getting stronger."

    "Good. Get ready to show them what you''ve got."

    Hii finished healing his few scratches and helped Sasuke up to his feet.

    "Nii-san! Spar with me!"

    Itachi smiled as he walked forward and stood next to Shisui.

    "Let''s test the two of them."

    "Ha! Sounds like fun!"

    Itachi and Shisui both had grins on their faces as they both started to approach.

    Sasuke looked at Hii with a grin and readied himself.

    Hii laughed as he pulled out his practice sword.

    ''I guess you never really escape training after all.''

    "Should I follow your lead, Sasuke?"

    "Yeah! Let''s show them how strong we''ve become too!"

    Fugaku chuckled as he saw his sons about to fight.

    "I''ll watch over the growth of my sons then. We''ll have a little sparring match then. Ready?!"

    The four all held their stances and waited for the signall.

    "Begin!"

    Sasuke shot towards Shisui with Hii right behind him.

    "Coming after me, huh?"

    Shisui smiled and grabbed his Tanto while it was still in it''s sheath.

    Hii darted in front of Sasuke and slashed at Shisui!

    *Clank*

    Shisui blocked his blade, but Sasuke came to his side with a kick.

    Shisui blocked the kick with his knee and jumped back from Hii''s second swing.

    "You gonna help, Itachi?!"

    "Do you really need it?"

    Shisui gritted his teeth and continued to fight the two on his own.

    Sasuke continued to attack wildly against Shisui with kicks and punches. Shisui could''ve easily dealt with Sasuke as he did earlier, but Hii kept stopping his counters with well placed slashes and stabs.

    Shisui jumped back and looked at the two.

    "Looks like I can get serious with you two now."

    *Tsu*

    Shisui suddenly teleported directly in front of Sasuke!

    ''So fast!''

    Sasuke saw the Tanto sheath coming down on him, but couldn''t move out of the way!

    *Clank*

    Hii quickly appeared in front of him and blocked the strike!

    "Tch!"

    Sasuke quickly shook himself free from shock and attacked Shisui again!

    Shisui kept striking at Hii and Sasuke at high speed, but Hii was able to keep him at bay!

    ''I didn''t think Hii improved this much!''

    Shisui was shocked as he tried to find an opening, but Hii was even more shocked!

    ''I shouldn''t be able to keep up with him! How come I can now?!''

    Hii felt a hot chakra circling in his body as his muscles started to feel full of power!

    {Go! Kick his butt!}

    He could hear Fuyuki cheering for him when a strange thought surfaced.

    ''Fuyuki? Did you boost my power?!''

    {I don''t know! Just kick his butt!}

    Hii decided to think about it later as he pushed himself to the limit as he started to swing at Shisui!

    ''What?!''

    Shisui started to become more defensive as Hii''s strikes started to increase in pace!

    "Haaaaa!"

    Hii''s pace grew frightening, forcing Shisui to activate his Sharingan to keep up!

    Sasuke was bewildered at first, but quickly snapped out of it as he saw a chance!

    Sasuke quickly weaved handsigns and inhaled deeply!

    Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

    *Fwoosh*

    Sasuke let out a giant fireball towards Shisui!

    ''Crap!''

    Shisui tried to counter it, but a shadow quickly darted in front of him!

    Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

    *Fwoosh*

    Itachi fired his own Jutsu and clashed with Sasuke''s fireball!

    The two fireballs canceled each other out as Itachi went to support Shisui.

    Hii was also in need of support as well.

    "Haa! Haa! Haa!"

    Hii could feel heart was beating harder than normal and his body felt like it was on fire.

    "Are you okay, Hii-kun?"

    "I-I actually don''t think so."

    Hii flopped to the ground and tried to cool himself down.

    He struggled to weave handsigns as he tried to use a Jutsu.

    Water Style: Waterball Jutsu!

    Hii raised his palm and formed a moderate sized ball of water.

    He then let the ball land on his head.

    *Tsssssss*

    He noticed steam coming off of his body as he slowly felt relief coming over him.

    ''My temperature and power increased dramatically after I tried striking at full power with that chakra. Shisui also seemed to have a hard time defending against me once it''s activated.''

    Shisui also squatted down on the ground to catch his breath.

    "Phew! I didn''t know you could do that, Hii! Well done!"

    "It''s an experimental move, Shisui-san. I haven''t gotten used to it."

    "That''s fine as long as you can make it count."

    Sasuke came over to Hii and helped him up.

    Sasuke was surprised by the steam coming off of him.

    "I''ll be okay. I just have to cool off a bit."

    He managed to stand up on somewhat shaky feet as he took in deep breaths. His breaths were hot as visible steam came from his mouth.

    "That jutsu seems to be quite painful to the user."

    Itachi watched Hii with his Sharingan scanning his chakra.

    "You better be careful while practicing that Jutsu."

    "I will."

    Hii straightened his body out and felt refreshed. Sasuke saw Hii looking better and turned to Shisui and Itachi.

    "Shall we go again?"

    "Dinner''s ready!"

    Mikoto''s voice rang out from inside the estate.

    Itachi smiled and poked Sasuke''s forehead.

    "Maybe next time."

    ".....Hmph."

    "Good job, everyone. Let''s go eat."

    Fugaku headed back inside as the others followed behind him.

    Itachi looked at Hii with a smile as they walked back.

    ''He''s gotten a lot stronger than I imagined. He''s a good opponent for Sasuke. Perhaps I should start to train him more.''

    Itachi thought about his brother''s progress as he headed inside.

    *************

    Hii thought he was done with surprises  for today, but he couldn''t have been more wrong.

    All the dishes were set at each seat of the table and everyone sat down for dinner at their spot.

    "Hm?"

    Fugaku seemed to notice something amiss as he sat down and looked towards Mikoto.

    Mikoto''s head tilted slightly in the direction of Maka and smiled brightly at her husband. Fugaku nodded his head slowly and started to eat his food.

    Everyone started to eat their set meal after him in silence, but Hii noticed something was strange.

    Everyone else''s set meal seemed to have a bowl of rice, a mackeral, and miso soup.

    Hii''s set, however, had two of each!

    One set looked the same as the others, but the other set looked slightly burned and messy.

    "....."

    Hii stealthily looked up to catch Maka stealing a glance at him. She hurriedly looked down with a red face as she ate her meal quietly. Hii looked over and saw Mikoto giving him a loving smile.

    Hii looked back down at his meal.

    ''Looks like I must eat all of it.''

    Hii wasn''t scared of the looks of the meal. Kaya made pretty gross looking meals, but they tasted pretty good.

    Hii picked up his chopsticks and started to eat the singed fish first.

    Hii was surprised to find the taste wasn''t as bad as he thought and continued to eat it with relish.

    ''Hm? Aren''t I eating a little too fast?''

    He noticed he was quickly finishing the messy set as if his hands were possessed.

    ''I shouldn''t be able to eat this much?''

    {This food is sooo good!}

    Hii''s face was a bit shocked as he bit a piece of fish, but he quickly recovered.

    {I can''t get enough. Feed me more food!}

    Hii rapidly finished his meal, ignoring Shisui''s shocked face.

    "Wow! You really put that meal away!"

    "Haaa. I was really hungry. That technique took a lot out of me."

    Hii finished his meal ahead of the others and just waited in his seat.

    {That was really filling!}

    ''We will have to train by ourselves to figure out the full extent of your abilities.''

    {As long as I get to eat, bring it on!}

    Hii shook his head and looked up at Mikoto giving him a teasing smile.

    "So Hii-kun? What did you think of the meal? I hope you enjoyed both sets."

    "It was delicious. Thank you for the food!"

    Hii gave a slight bow to Mikoto. She stood up and came behind Maka with a smile.

    "I''m glad you enjoyed it. Honestly, Maka helped me a bit today as well. You shouldn''t just thank me."

    "I see. Thanks, Maka! It was delicious!"

    "Y-You''re w-welcome! I''m g-gonna go lay down!"

    Maka''s voice barely reached Hii''s ears.

    Her face was bright red as she quickly got up and dashed out.

    Mikoto giggled as she saw Maka quickly escape.

    "Don''t worry about her, Hii-kun. You should come by more often. I''m sure she''d be excited to practice some more."

    "I''ll try to come by more often then."

    Hii looked in the direction Maka fled and smiled.

    "........"

    He suddenly felt a cold shiver crawl down his back.

    He could feel the source of the shiver nearby, and slowly turned towards it.

    Shisui was looking at him with a stern expression. Itachi also looked at him with a slight smile on his face. Sasuke''s face was filled with pity as he just shook his head.

    "Hey, Hii-kun. Why don''t you tell me a bit more about what you''ve been up to lately?"

    Shisui''s Sharingan activated as he calmly looked at Hii.

    "Especially how your relationship with Maka has been recently."

    "....Sure, Shisui-san."

    Hii had a wry smile on his face as he faced a new side of Shisui. He suddenly felt that his future training sessions might have a lot more fireballs in them than he would want.

 Ch.63. Birth Of Ame No Tsume

    Hii woke up the next day feeling exhausted.

    ''Haa. Shisui is surprisingly scary sometimes.''

    {It can''t be helped! You must defeat him to get to the goal!}

    ''I don''t think that''s how it works...''

    Hii got up and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

    {Love never comes easy! You have to fight for it sometimes!}

    ''You''re quite the love advocate.''

    {I had to fight hard for my love! Takashi definitely wasn''t easy to beat! He was his own final boss!}

    ''Really? I would love to hear your story about it.''

    {Really?! I can tell you later! You better clean yourself first.}

    Hii washed up, and headed to the kitchen table. Someone was already sitting down with a groggy face.

    "Huuuaaah! Good morning, Hii."

    "Morning, Dad. You''re up early today."

    Henda wiped his eyes as he greeted his son.

    "Yep. We will start working on your weapon today. You better come back quickly from school."

    "It''s today!? I''ll definitely be back on time!"

    Hii became excited as he sat down at the table.

    "Haha! Good! We can get started right away once you''re back. By the way, I heard you went to the Uchiha house yesterday."

    "Uh, yeah. I did."

    "Was it to meet that girl that gave you your birthday gift~?"

    Henda had a sly grin on his face as he poked his son with his elbow.

    Hii''s face started to get red as he looked away from him.

    "N-No. I just ran into her on a walk."

    "Heeeeeh~? So, have you figured out what to give for her birthday?"

    Hii looked at his Dad with a blank face.

    Henda nodded his head and sighed.

    "I figured you''d be like me. I get so happy when I get to make a new weapon, I lose some common sense too. Your Mom hit me super hard that one time I forgot her birthday."

    Henda shook his head as he patted his son''s shoulders and smiled.

    "The best idea for you is to ask a classmate or the teacher when her birthday is. It''s only right you get her something as well. I''ll help you too if you want to craft it."

    "Thanks, Dad! I''ll think of something to get!"

    Hii nodded his head as he kept the advice in mind.

    {You can''t let her know you''re looking for a gift. We have to be stealthy!}

    ''I''m a ninja in training. I can handle that.''

    Hii thought about the classmates he could ask. His list was actually quite small.

    ''Hinata...probably won''t know. I can''t ask Shizuka. She''d just make fun of me.''

    {Anyone else?}

    ''I could ask Sakura, but I don''t think she''s too familiar with that information either. Someone who''s popular and would know that information...''

    Hii thought deeply, then nodded his head as the best candidate came to mind.

    ''That just leaves one person to ask.''

    *******

    "Maka''s birthday?"

    Hii decided to ask Ino for the informationin

    Ino wore her purple blouse and skirt, as well as her stylish bandages on her waist and legs.

    A bright smile appeared on her face as her light blue eyes scanned Hii''s face.

    "I''m surprised. I thought Maka''s feelings were one-sided, but it looks like she''s lucky."

    Ino giggled while Hii scratched his face.

    "Um. Would you happen to know when it is?"

    "Yep. It''s actually next month. I think she''s going to have a party or something."

    "I see. Next month, huh?"

    The two sat near each other as students were getting ready to leave class for the day.

    Hii looked at Ino seriously and asked her another question.

    "Ino, your family runs a flower shop, correct?"

    "Yeah. Why~?"

    Ino''s playful tone told Hii she already knew what he wanted to ask, but he had to say it anyway.

    "Girls sure love to tease."

    "It''s fun to tease cute boys."

    "Haaaa. What kind of flower do you think would fit the...situation?"

    Ino placed her finger on her chin and thought for a moment.

    "Hmmm. There''s a lot of flowers you can choose from. How about you come to our shop and pick there? I can give you a discount for some information on Sasuke~!"

    Hii thought for a moment and nodded his head.

    "That''s fine. I need to bring one flower with me anyway for designing."

    "What are you two talking about?"

    Shikamaru approached the two with Choji behind him, munching on some chips.

    "Don''t butt in, Shikamaru! This is an important meeting on love!"

    "You should probably have your important meetings somewhere else with less people around. How troublesome."

    Ino looked at Hii and nodded.

    "We better head over quickly then so you can choose a flower."

    Hii nodded his head and started to walk out of the academy.

    {What kind of flower do you think you should get?}

    ''I''m not too familiar with what they mean, so I don''t know. Asking Ino is my best chance to make a good choice.''

    {Just make sure it''s pretty!}

    Hii shook his head as the two continued to head to her shop.

    Ino looked at Hii as they walked and started to giggle.

    "Hm? What happened?"

    "Nothing. It''s just...you look so serious with finding a flower to give. You never had that expression in class."

    Hii was surprised to hear his face changed to drastically. He smiled and looked ahead.

    "Well, I think she''s worth it."

    "....."

    Ino smiled and continued to lead Hii to her house.

    The two were unaware of a shadow following them with a sly smile.

    "Tsk, tsk. You can''t keep such a juicy development from me, Hii-kun."

    Shizuka had a hard time keeping the smile on her face under control.

    She continued to spy on the two with a mischevious look on her face.

    *********

    "Welcome to the Yamanaka Flower Shop! Hold on a bit while I go change."

    Hii nodded his head and took a seat nearby the counter as he looked around.

    Flowers of many different shapes and colors flooded the store. He felt overwhelmed by the wafting scent in the store.

    {This store is so pretty!}

    Hii couldn''t help, but nod his head in agreement.

    ''Hmmm. Ino should know about the flowers different meanings, right?''

    {Right! The reaction will change completely depending on what you give her. A red rose is totally different from a yellow carnation.}

    Hii''s face grew serious as he realized how complicated this mission had become.

    "Don''t make a face like that. That''s why I''m here to help you."

    Ino walked back into the room with a yellow apron on as she came up to Hii.

    "Okay! Did you have a specific emotion you wanted to give her?"

    Hii looked down and thought deeply about it.

    "I,I honestly don''t know. I really just want to show appreciation for her friendship and what she does for me. It''s not like I don''t like her, but I''m not sure if I like her in "that" way yet. "

    Ino closed her eyes and nodded her head.

    "Hmmmm. That makes it a bit tough. Hold on a minute."

    Ino thought about many different flowers that could work. Hii just waited for her to think about which flower would be suitable as a gift for him.

    Ino clapped her hands and gave Hii a smile.

    "I got it! I''ll give you a few choices you can choose from. They might just work!"

    Ino quickly went around the store and picked up 3 different flowers for Hii to choose from.

    "Your first choice could be a daisy. It means new beginnings in the language of flowers."

    Ino put a white daisy on the counter and placed down the next flower.

    "The next choice would be a dandelion. It can mean to overcome something or a promise."

    Ino laid that one down as well and held the next one up.

    "The last one I could find would be a hydrangea. This one means heartfelt emotion or gratitude."

    Ino placed the last flower on the counter and let Hii decide on which one would work.

    "Hmmmm."

    {You have to decide which one would be good. It''s all up to your feelings.}

    Hii folded his arms and looked at his choices with a stiff face.

    "None of these really show your relationship with her."

    "!"

    "Oh! Shizuka-chan! When did you come in?!"

    Ino and Hii were surprised to see Shizuka leaning over Hii''s shoulder.

    "Ino-chan~! These flowers are pretty nice, but I think I know which flower can describe his feelings."

    "Oh? Tell me!"

    Shizuka nodded and came close to Ino and whispered in her ear.

    Ino''s expression went through a few different emotions as Shizuka gave a detailed version of their relationship.

    "That explains it! Why didn''t you tell me about that before?!"

    "It must''ve slipped my mind. Sorry~!"

    Ino pouted and quickly ran towards a corner of the shop.

    Hii looked at Shizuka with a wry smile.

    "What did you tell her?"

    "A loving story of a downtrodden girl finding a companion in a dashing boy who believes in her. There might be even more juicy things between them soon~."

    Hii shook his head and waited for Ino.

    "This is a flower you can give her! I''m glad we have them in stock."

    Hii looked surprised at the flower and looked at Shizuka nodding her head.

    "It''s perfect!"

    "It''s pretty, but is it perfect?"

    "I can tell you more about this one."

    Shizuka whispered into Hii''s ear the meaning of the flower as well as some basic information on it.

    {I think this is a good one!}

    Even Fuyuki liked the choice after Shizuka''s explanation.

    Hii looked at the flower and nodded his head.

    "I''ll take this one then."

    *********

    Hii headed into the shop after he bought his flower from Ino.

    *Clang Clang*

    He could see Henda testing away at a piece of metal with a wide grin on his face.

    "Hey! You finally made it back."

    "Sorry Dad! I had to get an idea for Maka''s present."

    Hii excitedly told Henda about his idea of a gift for Maka.

    Henda nodded his head and looked at the flower closely.

    "Hmmm~. I think we can do that! You sure you wanted to use this one, right?"

    "Yeah! This one is perfect."

    "Alrighty! I''ll help you with that once we''re done with our first task."

    "Hii finally came in?"

    Di appeared from further inside the shop. He had on his beige fireproof apron and his hammer in his hand.

    "Yes, Father! We can finally make it!"

    "Good! We have the materials. Follow me."

    Di nodded his head and went back into the inside of the shop with Henda and Hii behind him.

    Di came to a table full of different size pieces of iron as Di sat nearby.

    He and Henda both had wide smiles on their face. Hii, however, was very confused.

    "What is all this?"

    Di rubbed Hii''s head as his smile widened slowly.

    "This is all for our attempts."

    "Eh?"

    "We have many different types of Chakra enhanced metal. We''ll definitely find the perfect fit for your weapon."

    Henda came next to Hii and patted his shoulder.

    "We got a lot of them this time. We''re gonna make sure the sword is perfect."

    Hii was getting a strange feeling that...

    "Don''t worry about school. We already told Kaya and Riku you would be with us for a while. They''ll inform them school about your absence."

    This was going to be an arduous task.

    "Hehehe. We have at least a week. Did you get some of those chakra pills?"

    "Yep! Kaya let me use a few. We could go a few sleepless nights."

    Hii started to sweat as he saw their grins become more and more sinister.

    "Let''s first go over the dimensions. I think a standard length would be good?"

    "I can see that, but what about a long blade?! Hii hasn''t finished growing so it might need to be longer."

    Hii just stared at the two as talking as he realized he might not get out of this room for a while.

    {...Uh...good luck?}

    ''...I don''t think that''s gonna be enough.''

    ********

    Maka sat at her desk, looking towards the front row with a bored expression.

    She stared at the seat next to Sakura that was still empty.

    ''Hii hasn''t been to school in a week. Where did he go?''

    Maka twirled her brush in her hands idly as she stared at Hii''s seat.

    ''Nii-san won''t even let me go see him! Ever since he came back, he''s been so protective.''

    "Haaaa."

    "You miss him that badly?"

    "...That''s not it, Shizuka."

    "Right~! Sure it isn''t."

    Maka hated how Shizuka seemed to catch her off her guard everytime.

    "It''s written all on your face."

    "I-I''m not worried about him, okay?"

    Shizuka held her chin in her hands and looked at Maka with a sardonic expression.

    Maka just looked away from her towards the front with an embarrassed look.

    Sasuke simply shook his head and waited for Iruka to come to class.

    "Hey Sasuke. Has Maka been getting upset at home because Hii is gone?"

    "W-What are you-"

    "All the time. It''s annoying."

    "Sasuke!"

    Shizuka giggled while watching Sasuke dodged Maka''s play hits.

    The door to the classroom in the back opened up as a student walked in.

    Shizuka turned her head to look and smiled.

    "Well! Aren''t you a sight for sore eyes?"

    "Ha! Morning to you too, Shizuka."

    "Eek!"

    Hii looked over at Maka who had held both hands over her mouth.

    "Who made that sound?"

    "Pffft!"

    "Haaa."

    Shizuka tried to hold in her laughter as Sasuke sighed.

    "Are you okay, Maka?"

    "I-I''m fine! No problem! Hahaha."

    Maka grinned widely as Hii came closer.

    "That''s good. I missed you guys!"

    Hii smiled as he looked over his friends. He could see Shikamaru still laying down on his desk.

    "Shikamaru is still sleeping?!"

    Shikamaru shifted his face towards them while he slept in his arms on his desk.

    "Shut up."

    "Morning to you too."

    Shizuka shook her head.

    "You expected anything different from him?"

    "I guess not. Did I miss anything important in class, guys?"

    Sasuke shook his head.

    "No. Everyone is still the same. Naruto bombed another test, as usual."

    "Hey! I just wasn''t prepared! I''ll get it a perfect score next time!"

    "Hmph! You said that last time!"

    Hii shook his head as he headed down to his seat.

    Shizuka looked over at Maka''s face and grinned mischievously.

    Maka looked like the present she always wanted was right in reach.

    Shizuka poked Maka''s shoulder and whispered in his ear.

    "You''re glad he''s back, huh?"

    Maka''s face became bright red as she slowly tried to stifle her grin.

    "I''m glad he''s back too! We can train again!"

    Shizuka''s eyes brightened as she patted Naruto''s shoulder.

    "That''s it! We''ll go and have fun at Hii''s house after school. We''ll do it as punishment for not telling us he left."

    "Yeah! Sounds like fun!"

    "....Fine."

    "......"

    Shizuka made plans for them after school, but no one rejected the idea.

    Hii had no clue he would be coming back home with a swarm of kids.

    ***********

    "Umm. Why are all of you coming to my house again?"

    "Punishment, Hii. Punishment."

    "Hehehe! I''m excited!"

    "...."

    "S-Sorry for coming unannounced."

    "Is this a sleepover?!"

    "Yay."

    The six kids all headed back to the Kurokumo house full of energy.

    Shizuka looked at Moya and Yozora with sparkling eyes as she crept up behind them, hands poised for ruffling!

    "Ahh!! Run, Yozora! The sly Nee-san wants to rub our heads again!"

    "Oh no."

    The two quickly dashed towards the house as Shizuka chased after them.

    "I only want one rub! Come back~!"

    Hii watched the three race into the distance.

    "Ugh! I better go after Nee-san."

    "Heh! I gotta see this!"

    Naruto and Sasuke quickly chased after them as well, leaving Hii and Maka by themselves.

    ''Aaaaaaaah!!!! How did this happen?!''

    Maka tried to keep a straight face, but her mind couldn''t catch up with everything that happened!

    "Haaaa. We should probably go after them."

    "N-No!"

    "Hm? Why not?"

    "Ah! W-Well, they do that all the time! We should just take our time. Your house is not far from here anyway."

    Hii thought about it and nodded his head.

    "I think you''re right. Let''s just take our time then."

    Maka nodded her head and did a guts pose behind him while they walked.

    {You can do it, girl.}

    The two walked in silence as they drew closer to the house.

    ''Oh no! What should I talk about? The weather? That''s stupid! Wait! I got it!''

    "So, Hii-kun? What happened to you anyway? You disappeared for a week."

    "Ah. Well, I was actually making my sword."

    "A sword?"

    "Yep! My personal sword for when I''m officially a Genin."

    "Heeeeh~! I bet it looks nice."

    "It really did come out well! It took a lot of work to get it just right! It was like torture! I had to stay up for a few days!"

    Hii talked on and on about his experience while Maka absently listened. Her eyes roamed all over his face as she watched him with a dreamy look.

    "We were down to our last bits of metal before we finally got the exact shape down. After that, it was a smooth transition. What about you? What did you end up doing while I was gone?"

    "Thinking about yoooouu missing so much class! Haha! I just studied and trained with Nii-san recently. Nothing too new."

    {Nice save.}

    "Oh! Sorry for worrying you. I didn''t know that it would take so long! I would''ve let you guys know otherwise. Training with Shisui, huh? He''s...quite strong."

    Maka took a deep breath and focused her determination.

    "Do, you want to, maybe, train together with us next time?"

    Hii felt a shiver crawl down his spine as he remembered Shisui''s angry face.

    "M-Maybe not right now. I have to get a bit stronger first."

    "....Okay."

    {Damn Shisui!}

    "I will be coming by for your birthday. I won''t miss that day! Look forward to it!"

    Hii turned to her and smiled.

    "....Good. I can''t wait."

    Maka smiled back and looked forward.

    The two finally made it to the house and noticed how loud it was inside.

    "Cool!!"

    "It''s looks great, huh?!"

    Hii heard the chatter and shook his head.

    "Come on! You can see the sword inside."

    Maka nodded her head and followed Hii inside.

    "Ugh!"

    Hii opened the door for Maka and noticed his Dad with an odd face.

    "Hehehe."

    Henda turned away from him, but that face told Hii exactly what was on his mind. He even felt he could hear him teasing!

    ''That''s the girl, eeeeh?!''

    Hii could feel his face growing hotter and hotter when he realized his Mom and Shizuka had on the same face while the kids gawked at the blade.

    "T-The blade is inside."

    "Y-Yeah. Excuse my intrusion."

    Hii and Maka come into the living room with everyone else.

    "Wow."

    "It looks good, right?"

    Maka saw the sword resting on a stand over the wall.

    On the stand was a 26 inch blade covered in a black and blue sheath.

    A cold aura seemed to swirl around it, as if a beast was waiting to be released.

    "That sword is so cool!"

    "....It is pretty cool."

    Naruto and Sasuke couldn''t help looking at the blade with sparkling eyes.

    Moya and Yozora liked to look at the blade as well, but they were a bit scared. They saw the aftermath of making such a work.

    "It took Hii-Nii a week to make this with Grandpa and Dad. How long will our weapons take?!"

    "I''m excited. I want a lot of weapons."

    "I''m scared!"

    Yozora''s eyes sparkled while Moya shivered at the thought.

    Di sat nearby with Riku admiring the blade.

    "...It came out good."

    "I''m glad. You''ll have to wait for the other two to find their styles first before it''s their turn. Don''t make any practice weapons, alright?"

    "...."

    Di looked downtrodden when he heard that.

    *Smack*

    "You dolt! I have every right to be restrict you since you used all the special materials! We have to save again to buy more! Did you forget that?!"

    "....."

    Everyone ignored the spat as they gazed at the blade.

    "Does it have a name?"

    "Yeah. It''s Ame No Tsume. I thought of it myself."

    Maka nodded her head as she gazed at the sword.

    "It''s a good name."

    "Haaa! Well, since all these kids are here, I better make something to eat."

    Riku stood up from the couch and headed to the kitchen.

    "Hii dear. Come help me cook."

    "Okay, Grandma. I''ll be right there."

    Hii put down his backpack and headed into the kitchen with Riku.

    Maka looked at Hii in shock as she watched him disappear into the kitchen.

    "Oh my. Handsome and can cook? You''re gonna have to claim him fast~."

    "S-Shut up! W-We don''t know if how good he is."

    "Hm? Nii-san cooks a lot."

    ""Eh?""

    Maka and Shizuka looked at Moya with surprise.

    "Yep~! Hii cooks way better than Mom. She''s a master at burning stuff."

    Yozora nodded his head.

    "Black toast."

    "Hey!"

    "Waaah! Mom''s mad! Run!"

    "Uh oh."

    The twins dashed away from their raging mother as she chased after them.

    Shizuka and Maka looked at each other and decided to wait for the food.

    Naruto and Sasuke talked with Di and Henda about different weapons they could use for battle while they waited.

    "Food''s done!"

    ""Yay!""

    Everyone headed to the kitchen table and stood around the dishes.

    Riku and Hii decided to make a few rice balls for everyone.

    "Hope you guys enjoy it."

    "Alright! It looks good!"

    ""Thanks for the food!""

    Everyone grabbed one and took a bite.

    ********

    The gang of four headed back to their homes together after the meal.

    "Man...that was really good!"

    "...Yeah."

    Shizuka looked over at Maka''s blank face and patted her shoulder.

    "You''re gonna need a lot of practice to get to that level. I can''t lose to that either."

    "...Yeah."

    Maka sighed as she remembered how tasty that rice ball was.

    She decided she would get more special training from Aunt Mikoto.

    Shizuka thought the same as Kushina''s face came to her mind.

    They couldn''t lose in cooking at all costs!

    Naruto looked back at their burning conviction and whispered to Sasuke.

    "Why are they so determined all of a sudden?"

    "...I don''t know. I also feel like I shouldn''t learn why either."

    "Hmmm. I kinda get what you''re talking about."

    The two looked at each other and both decided it wasn''t any of their business.

 Ch.64. Maka’s Birthday

    Hii wiped the sweat from his brow as he looked at his final product.

    Henda came behind him and looked as well.

    "Looks good. The likeness is strong as well."

    "Thanks, Dad! I can''t believe how long it took to make it."

    Henda patted his shoulder and moved a bundle of Kunais over to a nearby table.

    "Well, with the amount of detail you put into it, the time to complete it extended."

    Henda looked back at his son''s project.

    "Still, it came out really good. Maybe you should make a couple more. We can sell them if you want."

    "I''ll think about it. It could help us save for when Moya and Yozora need to get their weapons made."

    Hii placed his present in a small tray and shook his hands.

    "I just need to wrap it up and it''s all done."

    "Great! The day is coming soon right?"

    "It''s in a few days. I should get Grandma to help me wrap it."

    Hii went to the house next door to get Riku while Henda continued to observe the present.

    "I wonder where he got so much talent from?"

    "It''s in his blood."

    Di appeared from further inside the shop. He also looked at the present closely as well.

    "...Haaa. I sometimes wish he wasn''t a Ninja. He could keep the family business going making these."

    "We still don''t know about the other two. They might have more or less skill at it."

    "Still the same problem. Our family prefers Jutsu over crafts. If we can get them to take it as a side job, it should help them sustain themselves.

    Di nodded his head and looked at the nearby order sheet.

    "Looks like a spike in weapons might come soon. Get ready for it."

    "Oooh! I''m fired up!"

    Di nodded his head and went to process the next order.

    Everything was business as usual as the two went back to work.

    *********

    Hii was in the training grounds, slicing the air with his new sword.

    "Haaaa!"

    *Tching*

    The blade hummed softly as Hii cut the air with familiar katas.

    ''The blade feels much heavier than the practice sword. It has real weight to it.''

    Hii sheathed his sword in a slow manner as he practiced his draw again.

    *Tching*

    A much faster cut sliced through the air, cutting a floating leaf in half.

    ''Again.''

    *Tchinnnng*

    The next cut was much faster as Hii put more chakra in his arm.

    The cut was more ferocious than the previous one!

    *Shnk*

    Hii sheathed his blade and braced himself for one more slice.

    Hii then remembered his fight with Shisui and decided to test it out once more.

    ''I''m going to use your chakra this time, Fuyuki.''

    {Okay! Go for it!}

    Fuyuki was excited as Hii began to channel her power into his arm.

    He steadied his hand over the handle of the blade as he watched falling leaves come down.

    Her chakra slowly crept up his arm as  the veins on his right arm shined with an orange luster.

    ''There!''

    Heat surged in his arm as he swung at the leaf with precision!

    *Tchaaaaang*

    Hii cut through the leaf and sheathed his blade, watching as the leaf split in two.

    *krrrrrrr Boom*

    The tree behind the leaf was also cut in two!

    "Argh!"

    *Tsssss*

    The veins on his arm began to dull as black smoke began to rise from his arm.

    ''Ugh! This hurts bad!''

    Hii quickly brought his arm towards the nearby pond and dipped his arm in!

    *Ttssssshhhhh*

    "Aaaah."

    White smoke began to rise from the water as his arm began to rapidly cool down.

    {Are you okay?! Your arm looks bad!}

    Hii slowly lifted his arm out of the water and saw his arm looked burned.

    Hii moved his left arm towards his right and activated his Medical Jutsu.

    *Zuuuun*

    ''Hmmm. The skin on my arm seems to be the only damage at that level. I should only experiment with just this for now.''

    A few minutes of healing brought his arm back to normal. He flexed his hand as he began to think about the power.

    "It took around 5 minutes of healing to recover completely."

    {W-We shouldn''t use my power! It''s too dangerous if it hurts you like this!}

    "......"

    Hii started to think about the power in detail as he flexed his muscles.

    ''It seems like a physical boost that burns my body depending on how much power I use. Part of the recoil can probably be taken away with water. I wonder....''

    Hii placed Ame no Tsume on the ground gently and weaved a few handsigns.

    Water Style: Water Wolf Armor Jutsu!

    The water nearby suddenly flowed around Hii''s body in the shape of a wolf. It''s features were more refined than before as its blue fur looked fluffy and real. His eye color changed to a pale yellow as he looked at his sword.

    ''Now then, let''s see how I can do this.''

    Hii began to carefully pulled his blade out with his new paws and jaw.

    He carefully held the sword in his mouth as he angled the blade towards his left side.

    He locked his jaw on the handle and swung the sword with his neck carefully as he tried to get the motion of movement down.

    ''That should be okay.''

    {W-What are you doing?! How do you look like a blue version of Akumu and I?!}

    ''I made this move based on Akumu''s movements during a training session. I think this might help using your power effectively.''

    Hii started to charge Fuyuki''s chakra through his body this time, bringing  golden lines on the wolf''s body.

    ''Haaa!''

    The blue wolf shot forward towards the downed tree and swung his blade!

    *Tchinnnng*

    The cut went right through the middle of the tree and cut the log in half!

    *Ssssssuuu*

    The blue wolf began to emit smoke as Hii''s body was immediately cooled off.

    ''The pain still exists, but it''s tolerable.''

    {....}

    Hii released his armor, dissolving the wolf and starting the healing process.

    "I was right. My wounds are much lighter when we use it in water. It could also be because I distributed the chakra around instead of in one place, the drawback is lessened."

    {I-I''m sorry.}

    ''Hm?! Why are you apologizing?''

    {I didn''t know my power was so volatile.}

    ''It''s not much different from what Akumu could do. His chakra makes me feel the pain of anything I healed besides myself.''

    {R-Really?! He never told me about that.}

    ''I never used his chakra for combat before. He probably has a downside to his power like yours.''

    Hii picked his sword back up and carefully sheathed it.

    "I gotta polish the blade again. I also have to set up training in that armor mode. Maybe I can heal with that mode too."

    Hii looked up at the lush trees and sighed.

    "Good thing there are so many trees. I guess a few of them won''t be missed."

    ***********

    "Here you are, dear."

    "Thanks, Grandma!"

    Riku handed Hii a small box wrapped in pink gloss paper.

    Hii picked up the box and took a deep breath.

    "You''ll be fine. Just make sure to tell her how you feel honestly."

    Hii nodded his head and started to head out the door to the Uchiha Estate.

    "Hii-Nii!"

    "Wait."

    The twins followed behind him out of the door.

    ""We are going to the party too!""

    "Hehe. Fine. You two better behave."

    ""Ok!""

    The twins started to rush out in front of Hii as they started their journey.

    The three were halfway there before they spotted a bright orange jumpsuit in the distance.

    "Hey, you guys! Hurry up! We''ll miss everything!"

    Hii shook his head as he headed over to Naruto.

    ''How is Naruto going to be a ninja if he''s loud all the time? I guess he might tone down later?''

    Hii held his question in his head while they walked together.

    "Hm? Where''s Shizuka?"

    "Nee-san already went to Sasuke''s place earlier today. That''s why we have to catch up!"

    "We better hurry!"

    "I want cake."

    The three scurried on ahead as Hii suddenly felt tired.

    ''Those three give me a headache.''

    {They''re cute, so it''s fine! You only get one chance to have this much fun. It''s boring being an adult.}

    "Haaa. I guess so."

    Hii slowly walked over to the Uchiha Estate and found the party was already pretty festive from the sounds of laughter coming outside.

    "Pardon my intrusion."

    "Welcome! I''m glad you could make it!"

    Mikoto smiled widely as she saw Hii made it to the party.

    "Come in! Maka will be out in a moment."

    Hii looked around and noticed there were mostly girls here from the academy.

    ''This might get slightly awkward.''

    {Are you sure? Look at those three go.}

    "Oh man! This food is really good!"

    "Yozo! Pass me on of the chicken legs!"

    "Here."

    The three just stood near the food table just eating away.

    Hii couldn''t help laughing at how carefree they were.

    ''I should be like them. This isn''t a big deal. Just giving a gift, that''s all.''

    {Right! Don''t be nervous.}

    Hii began to relax as he started to just enjoy the atmosphere.

    He scanned the room lightly, looking at his classmates have fun.

    He also saw Sasuke sitting nearby, chatting with Itachi.

    ''I guess that''s one way to keep the girls off him.

    "Hii-kun."

    A soft voice reached his ear, making him turn towards it.

    "Hey, Hinata-san. Have you seen Maka around yet?"

    "Um. I think she is in her room right now with Ino and Shizuka."

    "Huh? Why is Nee-san in there? Shouldn''t they be out here for the party?"

    Naruto came by with a plate full of food and asked.

    Hinata''s face started to redden, but she didn''t faint.

    "U-Um, they said something about getting ready."

    "Ready for what?"

    "For battle!"

    Sakura suddenly appeared behind Hinata with a grin.

    "Hey, Sakura-chan!"

    "Don''t be so loud, Naruto!"

    '' You''re both loud though.''

    "What do you mean getting ready for battle?"

    "Hehehe!"

    Sakura giggled and shook her head.

    "I can''t tell you~."

    "You can tell me, Sakura-chan!"

    "No, I definitely can''t. You can never keep a secret."

    "Awwww!"

    Everyone laughed at their banter and waited for Maka to appear.

    "Ta-da! The birthday girl is here!"

    "Wait! I-I don''t know about this!"

    "Come on, you wimp! Rock your new look while you can!

    Ino announced Maka''s entrance as Shizuka pushed her in while arguing.

    ''They seem to be having fun.''

    Hii smiled at their antics and suddenly froze when Maka came into view.

    Her messy hair had turned straight as she walked into the room. Her entire aura changed, making her look breath-taking.

    "Oooh! She looks great!"

    "Waah! So pretty!"

    "Maka-san looks nice."

    "Pretty."

    Everyone liked her new look, praising her as she stood shyly.

    Maka grew embarrassed at the praise, but she was happy she let the two help her change her look.

    Ino and Shizuka both turned to Hii and drew the biggest smiles.

    Hii was frozen still as he stared at Maka.

    "Well? What do you think of her new look, Hii-kun~?"

    Hii finally caught himself and couldn''t stop the red blush on his face.

    "I, I think she looks great."

    Maka''s face grew hotter than ever hearing his praise.

    "Hehehe. Looks like the change was effective."

    "Yeah! Too bad it won''t last long."

    Ino pouted as she recalled how hard it was to get her hair in order. Her hair was could easily mess back up.

    Mikoto smiled as she watched the kids interact.

    "Come here, Maka. We have the cake ready!"

    "S-sure, Aunt Mikoto."

    Maka softly walked over to Mikoto as everyone gathered around her to sing.

    "Happy birthday to you~!"

    Everyone sang along with Maka in the middle, fidgeting from embarrassment.

    "Happy birthday, Dear Maka! Happy birthday to you~!"

    Everyone cheered while Maka got ready to blow out her candles.

    *Fuuuu*

    *Clap Clap Clap*

    The cake was finally to be served and soon, all the gifts were given to Maka to open.

    Hii watched her open the presents one by one with a complicated look on his face.

    "She''s pretty, huh?"

    "...Yeah."

    Hii casually responded to the question and suddenly shivered!

    Hii whipped around to find Shisui looking at him with venomous eyes.

    "S-Shisui-san! I didn''t see you when I came in."

    "I was held back by something. I wouldn''t miss this after all."

    "R-Right."

    Hii and Shisui continued to stare at each other awkwardly until Shisui passed by him.

    "I hope you don''t hurt her."

    Shisui softly said as he headed over to Maka with a gift in his hands.

    "Nii-san!"

    "Hehe! Happy birthday, little sis!"

    "....."

    Hii started to think about his feelings after hearing Shisui and waited for Maka to be done with unwrapping all of her presents.

    ''I''ll give it to her last. It''s a bit embarrassing.''

    Hii stood close to the door as everyone enjoyed the cake and company.

    "Hey."

    Hii turned his head and saw Sasuke standing next to him with a plate of hardly touched cake.

    "I thought you didn''t like sweets."

    "I don''t. Nii-san got it for me."

    Hii nodded his head and located his friends around a food table.

    "If you can''t finish it all, give it to Sakura. I''m sure she''ll take it off your hands."

    Sasuke clicked his tongue and just stood beside Hii, trying to eat the cake in silence.

    Hii didn''t mind at all since this was how Sasuke always was.

    "When are you going to give her the present?"

    "....At the end. Pretty soon."

    "Hope it''s good. She has been looking forward to it."

    Sasuke made a troubled face as he couldn''t take eating the cake anymore.

    "...You said Sakura would eat this?"

    "Yep. I''m sure she''ll take it."

    Sasuke looked at the cake and sighed.

    He headed over to Sakura and handed his cake over to her.

    "Here. I heard you like this stuff?"

    "Y-Yeah! Thanks, Sasuke-kun!"

    She had a bright smile on her face while she reached for Sasuke''s cake, but Naruto suddenly grabbed the cake and ran.

    "Hey! Give it back, Naruto!"

    "Hehe! I wanted another piece since they were all gone! Thanks!"

    "Tsk. Whatever."

    Hii watched the three while shaking his head.

    "?"

    He suddenly noticed a presence looking at him and turned his head.

    "!!"

    Maka stood next to him while looking at the ground.

    "H-Hi."

    "H-Hey."

    The atmosphere was a bit awkward as Hii tried to think of something to say!

    "Uh, Happy birthday."

    "T-Thanks."

    ''Ugh! That was stupid.''

    {Give her the gift!}

    Hii nodded his head and looked around to see if anyone was looking at them.

    He leaned over to Maka and whispered in her ear.

    "Can I talk to you outside?"

    Maka looked at Hii and nodded her head.

    The two tried to stealthily head out without being noticed, but they didn''t know everyone was watching them as they left.

    ''Good Luck!''

    Everyone gave their best wishes while Shisui sulked a bit while eating his slice of cake.

    Itachi patted his shoulder and tried to console him.

    **********

    The two walked in silence as they headed over to the tree near the edge of the Uchiha estate.

    Hii chuckled to himself as they arrived.

    "Wow. We seem to always have important events here, huh?"

    "Y-Yeah. Maybe it''s a lucky tree?"

    "Maybe..."

    Hii and Maka looked at the tree in silence for a while before Hii took a deep breath and faced her.

    "Maka."

    "Yes?"

    Hii saw Maka turn over to face him and noticed her hair was already becoming messy once more.

    Despite that, he still felt she was exceptionally pretty tonight.

    "I-I have a present to give you."

    Hii reached into his pocket and pulled out his pink wrapped gift. He held it out towards her with nervous, shaking arms.

    "T-Thank you."

    Maka also seemed out of it as she slowly grasped the present.

    "C-Can I open it here?"

    "Y-Yeah. I want to explain why I brought this as a present."

    Maka nodded and began to carefully unwrap the gift. She slowly opened the box and looked inside.

    "Eh?!"

    She looked up at Hii in shock and looked back down at her gift.

    "Hii! This is..."

    "Let me explain it."

    Hii took a deep breath and looked at Maka with a serious gaze.

    "Remember when we were training a few years ago, and we talked about why we wanted to be strong?"

    "Yeah. I remember it very well. That was a rather funny situation when I think about it."

    Hii nodded his head and looked at his present.

    "You remind me of a blooming flower as time passed. You continue to bloom throughout all the muck and dirt that you had to go through. I really like and admire that part of you. I made this once I found a flower just like that. I had to give it to you."

    Hii gently reached into the box and pulled out a necklace. It had a beatiful silver color while in the middle was a beautiful design of a Lotus attached.

    "The lotus blooms through nearly everything other flowers can''t. I''m sure you are and will continue to be just as pretty and strong."

    Maka stared at the Lotus pendant with a huge smile on her face.

    "C-Can you put it on me?"

    "S-Sure."

    Hii carefully came behind Maka and started putting the necklace on for her. His hands shook lightly as he snapped the clasp in place and stepped away.

    The necklace fit just right as it gleamed a beautiful silver in the moonlight.

    "Perfect. I''m glad I estimated it right."

    "Thank you, Hii! I love it!"

    Maka smiled happily as she admired her necklace.

    It was then that it happened!

    Maka in her excitement came over to Hii and kissed him!

    It happened so fast that Hii couldn''t react at all. He could only stand there, shocked as he stared at Maka happily admiring her necklace.

    Maka stared at the necklace happily until she realized what she had done.

    "?!?!?!?!"

    Maka''s face became crimson red as she looked at Hii''s face.

    His face had also become bright red as he didn''t know what to do!

    "U-um?!"

    "Ah?! I-I''m going to head back now! Thankyouforthegiftbye!"

    Maka turned around and darted away at full speed!

    ''Ahhhhh!!!! I really did it!!''

    Maka was so happy she could have kissed him, but she didn''t think her body would actually do it!

    Hii watched as she dashed away and stood in a daze.

    {Smooth. That went way better than my first attempt.}

    Hii felt his chest and listened to the chaotic rhythm of his heart.

    "....Haaa. Feelings are really hard to understand."

    {You''ll get used to dealing with them in time. Congratulations on getting your first kiss! We should tell Takeshi!}

    Hii touched his mouth and recalled the sensation of her lips on his.

    He turned around and started to walk back home.

    His first kiss tasted like birthday cake.

    *********

    As Hii walked back home and Maka dashed back to her room, some friends from the party were watching nearby from the corners of the houses!

    "Yes! Maka-chan actually went for it!"

    "W-Wow. I didn''t expect her to be so bold."

    "Huaaaa..."

    Ino and Sakura both acknowledged Maka''s boldness while Hinata struggled to keep her face from turning red.

    "That girl is good. I didn''t expect her to kiss him before she confessed."

    Shizuka thought with her hand on her chin as she played back what happened.

    "Still,I didn''t think he would get a necklace for her."

    "It looked really pretty too."

    The girls all nodded their heads thinking about the new necklace on Maka''s neck.

    "Ok girls! Let''s go get some answers out from her tomorrow! Let her have her victory tonight."

    ""Yes!""

    The girls all headed back to Uchiha estate.

    They were unaware of the two Ninja on top of the nearby house who also saw the scene.

    Itachi watched Hii heading home and  turned to Shisui next to him.

    "...How long will you sulk?"

    He was poking a tile on the roof with a sad face.

    "She''s growing up too fast..."

    "Haaa. Come on. Let''s report what happened to Mother."

    "....Sure."

    Itachi sighed again as he had to drag Shisui back home.

    *********

    "Nee-san?"

    "What is it, Yozo?"

    "Nii-san left?"

    "Yep! So we gotta eat as much food as we can since he can''t stop us."

    *Bang*

    The twins both looked up and saw Maka fleeing to her room at high speed."

    "....."

    "What was that about?"

    "Hmm? Did you see what happened just now?"

    Mikoto came behind the kids and asked them.

    "Maka came by."

    "Yeah! Her face was red too!"

    "Ara ara~! I better check up on her."

    "We''ll go too!"

    "Umu."

    Mikoto decided to check Maka''s room while the twins followed behind her with food still in hand.

    As they got closer to her door, they started to hear squeals of delight coming from Maka''s room. Mikoto decided to peek into her room and the twins followed her example.

    "Hehehehe! He got me a present! I kissed him! Aaaaaah! I can''t believe it!"

    Maka was rolling around on her bed with a happy grin on her face and her Lotus necklace in her hands.

    The three looked at each other, and slowly closed the door.

    "Aunt Mikoto?"

    "Yes?"

    "Does this mean we have an Onee-san now?"

    "Hmmm."

    Mikoto thought about it shook her head.

    "Not yet. Wait until they get a bit closer before you call her that, ok?"

    ""Okay!""

    "Good! Now if you''re still hungry, we still have some food left. You can eat until Itachi comes back to bring you home."

    "Waah! Thank you!"

    "Thank you."

    The twins scurried back to the table with Mikoto behind them.

    ''I wonder how my sons are doing with love as well. I guess it''s time to ask them about it. Ufufufu.''

    Mikoto smiled lovingly as she watched the kids devour the food happily.

    Sasuke and Itachi both felt a strange chill crawl down their spine. Trouble was brewing against them somewhere.

 Ch.65. Changed Future

    A forest near the Land of Grass was currently being traversed by a group of 4 moving through it silently.

    "Haaa. Are we there yet?"

    "Hold on! I''ll check the map!"

    Koyo reached into his backpack and pulled out his trusty map. He scanned the map from top to bottom and nodded his head.

    "We''re on the right path. Should be there within a day if we hurry."

    "Ugh! I need a bath! Is there a river nearby or something?!"

    Doren nearby just shook his head.

    "Haaa! All you do is complain! Don''t you have a summoning beast or a tattoo you can ride?"

    Doren looked at Kaira with an irritated gaze, but she ignored it and shook head.

    "I can''t ride Squiggle-chan. He''s too little! He needs water anyway to be of any use. "

    "Don''t you have a tattoo full of water?! Why don''t you just use that then?!"

    "That''s for enemy attacks! Do you want me to waste it so I have none to help you with when you''re on fire?!"

    Doren just shook his head.

    "I''ll worry about that myself when it happens."

    "Hmph! This is getting us nowhere."

    "Then shut up and keep moving. It''s not like you''ll die from a little dirt or anything."

    "Haaa. This must be why you died a virgin."

    "What was that, slut?!"

    "Enough."

    They both became silent once the green haired teen spoke.

    "We will move at a quicker pace. I want to make sure we get there no later than tomorrow."

    ""Yes, Lord!""

    The four resumed their journey as they quickly went through the forest.

    None of them noticed the shadow slowly trailing behind them.

    [....]

    Akumu gazed at the group, slinking behind them out of their detection range.

    ''Who is this guy? Is he related to Chaos?''

    Akumu held on to his thoughts as he continued to stalk them.

    The day quickly went by as the group continued their journey until night fell.

    Despite Kaira''s whining, the four made their way to a secluded canyon.

    The four landed at their destination and looked around.

    "Is this the place?"

    "Let me check once more!"

    Koyo whipped out the map once more and calculated their position. The other three just watched the area at ease.

    "This valley is pretty big. I wonder if it has a name."

    "What are you? A tourist?"

    "Life is a journey, and everywhere is somewhere new. Of course I''m a tourist."

    "Ugh! Don''t pull that philosophical samurai crap out now! Just say you like the view or something!"

    "Haaa. Why must you be so uncultured?"

    The two bickered while Koyo nodded his head.

    "Lord! I believe we are in the right area."

    "I see. We should get his attention somehow."

    "Do you want me to make some noise? I have a few explosive tags and tats left."

    Kaira turned around with a smile on her face as she offered her services to the teen.

    "No. We''ll just wait for a while."

    Kaira''s shoulders sunk as she nodded her head weakly.

    The four all took a seat as they waited for contact.

    Akumu sat down in the dark as well, watching the four intently.

    The group didn''t have to wait long until they saw a shadow coming towards them.

    A man appeared with a black cloak over his entire body, obscuring everything about him.

    "Greetings, guests. Orochimaru-sama has been awaiting your arrival. If you could please follow after me."

    The teen nodded and stood up. He began to follow the shadow as the other three followed closely behind him.

    Koyo couldn''t seem to stop shivering as he got behind Doren and Kaira.

    "...What are you doing, Koyo?"

    "I-Is that guy not creepy to you?!"

    "Eh. Nothing a fire tattoo can''t fix."

    "Nor a blade."

    "Haaa. I wish I had some combat skills."

    "At least you''re good at everything else."

    The encouragement didn''t seem to make Koyo feel better as he continued to shiver along the way.

    The group followed after the man to a mountain nearby the valley surrounded by dead trees.

    "In here, please."

    The cloaked man pressed down on a nearby rock on the mountainside.

    *Clink*

    The side of the wall opened up to reveal a long dark corridor.

    "This way."

    The cloaked man started to walk down the corridor as the teen and the other three followed inside.

    Akumu stuck quickly to the darkness in the corridor and followed behind.

    The hallway was dark for only a moment before torches started to light their way.

    Koyo was virtually vibrating at this point behind Doren.

    "Stop being scared. We''re already dead."

    "W-What?! I''m sorry! I didn''t hear you over my teeth chattering!"

    "Haaa. Just stay behind us and don''t talk."

    The five made their way to the end of the tunnel leading to a large arena.

    They soon saw a string of bodies on the ground along with a woman carrying a kunai.

    "Did we come at a bad time?"

    "Not necessarily. This is just entertainment for Orochimaru-sama."

    The woman hastily raised the kunai in her hand as she stared at the group.

    "W-Who are you?!"

    "Congratulations! It looks like you are the last one left."

    The cloaked man clapped his hands in applause as he walked right by the woman.

    "Lord Orochimaru will keep his end of the bargain and give you freedom shortly, miss."

    "R-Really?!"

    "Of course. Please get some rest down the hall there. I will have this cleaned up and bring Orochimaru-sama to you personally."

    "...."

    The woman didn''t move from her spot and only stared at the group with shaky hands on her kunai.

    "It seems I will have to assist her in getting to her room once we are done."

    The cloaked man shook his head as he once again brought the group further inside.

    Akumu watched in the shadows and followed the group slowly.

    They soon came to a furnished room further down the hall.

    "Please make yourself at home. I''ll be right back with lord Orochimaru."

    The cloaked man bowed as he exited the room.

    ''I should follow the cloaked man.''

    Akumu treaded lightly behind the man as he headed down the hall.

    The cloaked man quickly made his way to a large door.

    The man approached the door and knocked cautiously.

    "What is it?"

    The voice caused the man to shiver slightly, but he steadily informed him.

    "Orochimaru-sama, the guest you sent an invitation to has arrived. I would also like to tell you that the "freedom" competition has been completed as well."

    *Krrrrr*

    The door opened, revealing a bandaged man. His snake-like eyes scanned the cloaked man with a smile on his face.

    "Wonderful. I''m glad to receive two pieces of good news tonight. I should go and greet them quickly. Bring me to them."

    "Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

    The two headed back to the waiting room and entered inside. Once Orochimaru saw the teen, his eyes sparkled in fascination and obsession!

    "Your chakra is very interesting."

    "It''s annoying to say the least."

    "It all depends on perspective."

    Orochimaru sat on the opposite side of the teen and looked at the other four with interest.

    "Excuse me. I will go and settle in the winner."

    "Yes. Make sure she''s...comfortable."

    The cloaked man bowed and headed back to the arena.

    "Hmmm. Each of you are from different eras. How remarkable."

    The three all looked at Orochimaru with caution as they watched him carefully.

    The teen studied Orochimaru as well.

    "You look injured."

    "That''s not quite the case. It''s only temporary."

    The three looked at him in confusion while the teen nodded his head.

    "You will take the body of that women from before?"

    Orochimaru''s eyes flashed with intrigue as he nodded his head.

    "Correct. I didn''t think you could deduce that so easily."

    "Your chakra and your body don''t align with each other. I can feel it resisting you."

    A wide smile crept up Orochimaru''s face.

    "I''m already interested in what you can see."

    Orochimaru suddenly realized something as he stared at the teen.

    "I realize you know my name, but I don''t know any of your names."

    "...."

    The teen tilted his head as he seemed to be thinking.

    "....Aeon."

    The teen nodded his head and looked back at Orochimaru.

    "Call me Aeon."

    Aeon pointed towards the three behind him.

    "The red haired woman is Kaira. The man in the worn armor is Doren. The last one is Koyo with the backpack."

    "I see. Then it''s a pleasure to meet you all."

    "Likewise. Now, why did you invite us here?"

    "Well..."

    Orochimaru hesitated for a moment and looked at the four individually.

    "I want your assistance with two things, if possible."

    "What are the two things, and what can you do for me in return?"

    "I would like your help in my research of immortality."

    Aeon''s face frowned as he breathed in and exhaled.

    "Now, How can I do that?"

    "You can help me by allowing me to run some tests on you. Perhaps we can find the origin of your...peculiar disposition."

    "I already know the reason why. Once you find out as well, how confident are you at fixing it?"

    Both parties were silent as they stared at each other.

    "I can do my best. My research has brought about many different discoveries. It should be plausible to give you a permanent solution."

    "...."

    Aeon lowered his head again and sighed.

    "Fine. Killing myself isn''t getting me anywhere. Perhaps a different approach can change that."

    "Wonderful!"

    Orochimaru couldn''t hide his joy!

    "Good! You can stay here for now. We''ll begin research soon enough."

    Aeon nodded his head.

    "Fine. What was the other thing?"

    "I need your help attacking the Hidden Leaf village."

    Aeon tilted his head.

    "Why?"

    "I must kill my teacher, but the current Hokage is a bit... problematic for me to deal with. I need someone to hold him back. I can''t deal with both of them."

    Aeon frowned as he stared at Orochimaru.

    "Why do you want to kill your teacher?"

    "......"

    Orochimaru closed his eyes for a moment and opened them slowly. His yellow eyes glinted dangerously as he stared at Aeon.

    "He is a goal that I must pass."

    "......."

    Aeon turned to the three behind him.

    "What do you guys think?"

    "Beats being bored. I can get rid of some tattoos and make some new ones for it."

    Kaira nodded her head in agreement. Aeon then turned to Doren and Koyo.

    "I don''t think it''s a great idea! Aren''t they strong?!"

    "Do they have any swordsmen or unique weapons?"

    Koyo was against it, but Doren seemed eager to find unique opponents.

    Aeon turned to Orochimaru who answered with a smile.

    "There is quite a few unique opponents and weapon wielders. Sensei''s son has an interesting pair of blades as well as the current Hokage''s kunai. I believe there may even be a few sword wielders now."

    "Then I''m in."

    "Aww man..."

    Koyo huddled in the corner depressed.

    Doren and Kaira chuckled at him while Aeon nodded his head to Orochimaru.

    "We can hold them back however we wish?"

    "Just keep him entertained while I do my business. I had initially planned to do this a different way, but your arrival has made things a bit easier."

    Aeon nodded his head.

    "In that case, I want you to prioritize your research on my problem. I want results before we go attack. Consider it an advance payment for the job."

    "Consider it done."

    Orochimaru stood up and extended his hand towards Aeon. Aeon nodded his head and extended his hand as well. The two shook in agreement to their partnership.

    "Uwah!"

    The group paused as they heard a scream coming from the hall close by.

    "Well, it looks like the night has more surprises for me. One moment while I handle some business."

    Orochimaru stood up and headed down the hallway to the arena.

    He could see the cloaked man bleeding on the ground as the woman sat in the corner, still holding her bloody kunai.

    "S-Stay back!"

    Orochimaru grinned widely as he stared into the eyes of the woman.

    "Your freedom is close at hand. Come with me."

    "!!!"

    The woman tried to resist, but she felt her senses diminish at a rapid pace. She soon couldn''t resist Orochimaru''s words and followed slowly behind him.

    "Huhuhuhu. Your body will be put to good use."

    The two disappeared into the darkness of the hallway.

    Akumu appeared outside of the base and shook his head.

    [...Everything is changing so fast.]

    He could feel it. His advantage was slowly disappearing with the strange, new twists in the world.

    [For now... I should just make due with the knowledge I have and regroup with the others.]

    He had to go back. He couldn''t handle this alone.

    [I should probably give them a heads-up that I''m on my way.]

    Akumu disappeared into the nearby forest and tried to connect to his chakra at the Leaf.

    He continued to resonate with it for a while before he finally felt someone answer.

    [Hello?]

    {Hi, Sweetie!}

    [Haaa. Of course you pick up. Hey.]

    {Ehehe! How''s the mission going?}

    [Not too good actually.]

    {Eh?! What''s wrong?! Are you okay?!}

    [I''m fine. It''s just...things are changing too much.]

    Akumu started to tell Fuyuki about what he learned.

    {Ugh! That sounds bad! I don''t remember much about the story, but it doesn''t seem good.}

    [Yeah. It is. I''m heading back now so I can discuss it with the 3rd and 4th Hokage.They might have a solution for this situation.]

    {I see. Well, we''ve been pretty good as well. Hii is doing well with his training too.}

    [Good. Hopefully, you two won''t have to help me in this.]

    {......}

    [Fuyuki? What''s wrong?]

    {Don''t leave us out.}

    [....]

    Akumu stopped running and looked up at the sky.

    [Haaaa. Look, you know that this will be dangerous. The vibes that guy gives off is-]

    {I don''t care! Do you think we''re scared of fighting?!}

    [You''re not ready yet. I''ll pick up the slack until you are at my level.]

    {You do this all the time! Don''t take everything on by yourself when you''re scared!]

    Akumu was silent. He didn''t think she would get this mad.

    [Fuyuki...]

    {I told you not to do that! You did the same thing with Miyu''s case, thinking you had to take care of her by yourself because of what happened! I got mad at you then, and I''ll get mad at you now! We can help you, Takashi! You don''t have to take the burden all on your own.}

    [....]

    {Haaa. Just come back. We both miss you. We can talk more about it then.}

    [...Alright.]

    Akumu started to run again towards the Leaf again with renewed vigor.

    {Oh yeah! You want to know something good?!}

    Akumu sighed in his head when he heard that. She always had a knack for finding rumors.

    [Sure. What did you find out?]

    {Hii got his first kiss way before you did~!}

    [What?!!!]

    Akumu slid to a stop!

    He couldn''t believe it!

    [Wait! What happened?! With who?! Explain it from the beginning!]

    {Nuh-uh! You have to come back to hear it. I''ll tell you when you get here. Goodnight!}

    [Hey, wait!]

    Akumu no longer felt a connection to the chakra in Hii.

    [Grrrrrr!! What the hell happened when I was gone?!]

    Akumu would have never thought Hii would have a better love life than he did!

    [I need to hurry and get all the details!]

    Akumu speed up and hurried his way over to the Leaf.

    He knew he couldn''t miss this!

    ********

    Hii woke up with an odd look on his face.

    {Morning!}

    "....Morning."

    Hii slowly got out of his bed and stretched his body.

    ''Hey, Fuyuki?''

    {Hmm?}

    ''Were you, talking to Akumu yesterday?''

    {Yep! He said he was coming back! He can''t wait to see us!}

    ''...I wonder if that''s all you talked about.''

    {Ehehe! Don''t worry about it and go get breakfast.}

    Hii nodded his head and flexed his hands.

    "We can experiment with Akumu''s power as well when he gets back."

    {I''d rather you not do that, but I guess it''s for the best. Just try not to hurt yourself so much. Your family wouldn''t want you to suffer like that.}

    Hii gave it some thought and nodded his head. He headed to the bathroom and washed up.

    When he came back to the kitchen, he saw Riku preparing breakfast.

    "Morning, Grandma! Do you need help?"

    "Morning, dear. No, I''ll be fine. Sit down and get ready to eat."

    Hii nodded his head and sat down.

    "How was the birthday party? Did she like her gift?"

    "Ummm, yeah. She liked it a lot."

    Hii tried to keep his face from becoming red as he remembered the kiss. He noticed Riku looking at him with a sly smile.

    "Hmm~?"

    "...."

    Riku seemed to easily figure out what happened as she smiled.

    She picked up his breakfast and placed it in front of him.

    "I''ll be waiting for you to officially introduce her to us soon, Okay?"

    Hii''s face grew bright red as he could only helplessly nod his head. Riku smiled and rubbed Hii''s head before getting the rest of the food ready.

    Di made his way into the kitchen and sat down.

    "Morning, Grandpa."

    "Hmm. Morning."

    Di rubbed Hii''s head and said nothing else.

    Soon, the rest of the family came in as well.

    "Morning, Hii."

    "Good morning, Mom."

    ""Morning, Hii-Nii!""

    "Morning, you two."

    "Huaaaah."

    "Heh! Morning, Dad."

    The family all sat down and enjoyed breakfast as usual.

    That was until Moya casually dropped a bomb.

    "Hii-Nii! When will Onee-chan join us for breakfast?!"

    "Hnngh!"

    Hii almost choked on the rice in his mouth as he tried to clear his throat.

    Everyone looked at him as his face started to burn.

    "W-What do you mean?"

    "Didn''t you and Maka-Nee kiss yesterday?"

    "Kiss?"

    Moya and Yozora asked Hii and he couldn''t help, but sweat!

    "Well, Hii? Did you kiss her~?"

    "Ohohoho! That''s my boy!"

    Kaya and Henda both had happy grins as they looked at Hii with pride.

    Hii quickly devoured his food and brought his dishes to the sink.

    "I-I''m finished with my food! I better get ready to go to class!"

    "But Hii-nii! We don''t have school today!"

    "I''ll just go train then!"

    Hii flew out of the kitchen as the adults all laughed.

    Kaya called out to him from the kitchen while he quickly gathered his stuff.

    "Make sure you invite Maka-chan for dinner sometime! We''d love to learn more about her!"

    Hii''s face was burning red as he quickly grabbed everything he needed and headed out of the door.

    Kaya giggled watching her son disappear so fast.

    She turned back towards the twins and grinned.

    "Moya! Yozora! Make sure to tell Maka-chan to come by for dinner, okay?! I can''t trust your brother to do it properly, so I''m counting on you two."

    ""Ok!""

    The family gathered together and talked about the future of Maka and Hii.

    Hii felt a shiver crawl down his spine and knew some stressful days were coming his way.

 Ch.66. Youthful Experiments

    Hii had on a look of despair as he walked through the Leaf village.

    "Haa. I have to ask him, don''t I?"

    Hii was trying his best to think of another option, but no one else came to mind.

    {Didn''t you say he was the best? You need his help, right?}

    Hii sighed and nodded his head.

    "I do, but honestly, I just don''t want him to make me put that thing on."

    {What thing?}

    "You haven''t meet him yet."

    {Why does that matter?}

    "Haaa. You"ll see."

    Hii slowly made his way over to the dreaded training field. He was dragging his feet slowly, hoping he might somehow miss meeting him.

    {Why are you dragging your feet?}

    "...I don''t really want to go."

    {Do you want to maybe bring someone along with you? For support?}

    "No!! No one else should be subjected to his craziness!"

    Hii instantly rejected the idea and headed over to the training field.

    "I just have to refuse to wear the thing again!"

    {What thing?!}

    Hii ignored her this time as he hurriedly went to the training ground.

    As he approached the grounds, he saw a familiar scene.

    "Hahahaha! Youth!!"

    "......"

    {......}

    There he was again, on his hands "running" around the grounds. He stopped after a few more passes around the area and hopped to his feet.

    "Whew! That takes care of the 500 laps! I''ll beat Kakashi next time for sure!"

    "....Haaa."

    {...That. Is that the guy you wanted to get help from?}

    Hii sadly nodded his head as he prepared himself.

    "Oh! Hii-chan! Wait, It should be Hii-kun now! Long time no see!"

    The Beautiful Beast, however, didn''t give him a chance.

    Guy came over to him in a flash, glistening in sweat.

    "Haaa!! I feel refreshed!"

    "I''m glad for you, Guy-san."

    {Oh my God! It''s even worse up close! What is he even wearing?! You had to wear that once?!!}

    Hii decisively ignored Fuyuki and bowed his head.

    "Guy-san! I need your help polishing my fighting techniques!"

    Hii asked Guy for his help with sincerity.

    Guy only looked at him for a moment before tears streamed down his face.

    "Ugh! I''m so happy you want to learn the ways of Taijutsu once more. Of course I''ll do my best to assist you!"

    Hii breathed in deeply. He should get used to him by now.

    "Now let us sweat and show off our Youth to the world! We should start with a light workout. 20 laps around the training grounds! Let''s go!"

    Guy quickly went into a handstand and started to run!

    ''Oh no! I''m not gonna lose to you again!''

    {Wait! You raced him before like this?!}

    Hii ignored Fuyuki and chased after Guy!

    *********

    "Haa, Haaa, Haaa."

    "I''m so proud! I can''t believe you kept up with me so well! I see you''re still keeping up with your training."

    Hii squatted down to catch his breath while Guy looked at the blue sky in admiration.

    "Now! Let''s truly burn with the power of Youth!"

    Hii stood up, took a deep breath and exhaled.

    "Great. Are you ready, Guy-san?"

    "Of course! Come at me at anytime!"

    Guy readied his stance, putting one hand behind his back and the other extended out front.

    "Okay! Here I come!"

    Hii got into his stance and flew towards Guy!

    *Pak Pak Pak*

    The two struck against each other rapidly as they exchanged blows!

    Hii flipped backwards and dashed towards Guy again with an elbow.

    "Haa!"

    *Bam*

    Guy counter the elbow with his own!

    "Tch! Haaa!"

    Hii was sent back from the force, but didn''t give up as he kept attacking!

    Hii continued to try and strike Guy, but his blows were constantly blocked!

    All of his punches, elbows, and knee strikes couldn''t make it past Guy''s instinctual blocks!

    "Ha! Your youthful energy is appreciated, but you can''t use it so wildly!"

    Guy dodged Hii''s elbow and palmed his stomach with force!

    "Ugh!"

    Hii''s feet dragged against the ground, trying to stop himself as he clutched his stomach.

    "Haa. Just as strong as ever."

    "Haha! Now come again!"

    Guy held his ground and beckoned Hii to come forward.

    "Ok! I''ll try a new move now!"

    "Haha! Show me your youth!"

    Hii nodded his head and weaved a few hand signs!

    Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu!

    Hii spewed water on the ground into a wall while he continued to weave more hand signs!

    Water Style: Water Wolf Armor!

    The water quickly assimilated to Hii, forming a large wolf!

    Guy''s eyes flashed with surprise as the smile on his face thickened!

    "What an interesting technique!"

    Hii didn''t stop there as he made Fuyuki''s chakra flow through his body.

    Golden lines appeared all around the wolf''s body as steam slowly rose up.

    "Get ready, Guy!"

    "Hahaha!"

    Guy only laughed as he readied himself.

    *Tsu*

    The wolf quickly dashed towards Guy and swiped his claws at him!

    *Swoosh*

    Guy quickly dodged and kicked the wolf back!

    "Grrrr!"

    The wolf didn''t fly back very far and quickly returned to bite Guy!

    "Haaa!"

    The two traded blows with each other as Hii''s strikes became bites and claw strikes!

    Hii''s attacks became more powerful, but Guy still countered his blows with a smile on his face!

    "Haha! Look at us, two beasts sparring beautifully! I can feel the Youth!!"

    Guy punched towards the wolf, but Hii cleverly dodged to the side and bit into Guy''s arm!

    The wolf''s teeth were not sharp, however, so no harm was done to Guy. His arm was locked in Hii''s jaws as Wolf Hii tried to flip him onto the ground.

    "Nice move! However, that won''t work on me!"

    Guy landed on the ground with one hand and twisted his body!

    Leaf Hurricane!

    *Bam*

    The wolf was sent flying towards a tree and crashed right into it!

    "Urgh!"

    The wolf''s body slumped down and slowly started to evaporate into steam, revealing a battered and burnt Hii.

    "Oh no! Are you okay, Hii?!"

    Guy quickly ran over to Hii and checked over his body.

    "What happened to your body! Did I attack you too hard?!"

    "D-Don''t worry, Guy-san. This is just the side effect of the technique. J-Just give me a moment."

    Hii weakly weaved a few hand signs, making a green glow flow around his hands. He started to quickly mend the damaged parts of his body as Guy watched with a stern gaze.

    "Hii-kun. I think you may want to forget that technique for now."

    "Huh?! Why, Guy-san?!"

    Guy folded his arms and nodded his head.

    "It feels like you are actually burning your body with your Youth! You''re too young to practice such a technique like that. You were doing fine earlier without that technique."

    Guy gave Hii a thumbs up.

    "You must take care of your body and only use such power for the sake of protecting what''s important when there is no other option. Do you understand what I''m saying?"

    "I don''t really get it. Protecting what''s most important, but what is most important?"

    Guy shook his head and raised a finger.

    "You probably wouldn''t get it right now. Well, here is an example. You and your squad run into a very strong ninja. One of you would have to stay behind to ensure everyone else can get away. Who would you choose?"

    Hii was deep in thought as he tried to figure out what he would do.

    "It is a tough decision to choose who-"

    "Myself."

    Hii responded immediately, shocking Guy into silence.

    "I would stay, so the others would have a chance. I have a few tricks as well that my family taught me, so I should be okay. If anything, I''ll make sure I take them down with me if I go."

    ".....Hahahahaha!!! The grit to protect your comrades! That is the very core of Youth!"

    Guy gave Hii a dazzling smile, approving his decision.

    "You seem to have caught on to the Will of Fire much quicker than others, but I still want you to not use that skill just yet. Wait until you have something you want to protect no matter what before you use it. Understood?"

    Hii nodded his head slowly. He had to agree keeping that technique for last would be wise.

    {I think you should listen to Guy-san. I don''t want you to sacrifice yourself, but we should definitely go all out when it counts.}

    Hii kept silent as he healed himself. After a few minutes, he was back up and ready to fight.

    "I''ll keep your words in mind, Guy-san. I''ll just ask you to spar with me normally then."

    "Hahahaha! I love to see the power of youth form in the next generation! I respect your determination!"

    Guy gave Hii a thumbs up with a sparkling smile!

    {Uwah! He looks and dresses so weird, but he''s so cool! It''s so odd!}

    Hii couldn''t agree more with Fuyuki.

    "Now then! Let''s continue!"

    "Okay! I''ll give it my all!"

    "That''s the spirit!"

    Hii jumped up and got into position, preparing his stance with his marching rhythm.

    Guy also readied himself and looked at Hii.

    The two nodded and started to channel their chakra.

    ""Haaaaa!""

    The two instantly dashed towards each other and clashed again!

    **********

    "Haaa, Haaa, Haaa."

    Hii laid with his back on the ground, exhausted.

    {Good job today.}

    ''Thanks. But...''

    Hii shook his head in disbelief.

    "Guy is a Monster."

    {That he is.}

    Hii still remembered how energetic he was after their last clash today.

    ''Hahaha! I worked up a great sweat! Thank you, Hii-kun! Come by tomorrow to spar again if you like!''

    Guy continued to laugh as he dashed away on his palms as usual.

    "I didn''t hit him even once."

    Hii did everything he could, but he couldn''t get past Guy''s guard. Not one clean hit went through.

    "Not to mention that ominous thing he said before he left."

    Hii had shivers when he remembered Guy''s parting words.

    ''Soon, I might even have a direct disciple to my style! I''ll introduce you if it all works out! Hahaha!!''

    "...Another Guy...."

    {That''s..... really scary.}

    Hii sighed as he looked up at the orange clouds.

    "Haaa. Just when I think I''ve progressed, the goal gets farther away."

    Hii looked over at the setting sun and started to get up.

    It was time to go home.

    ''...Wait a minute?''

    Hii turned back towards the setting sun and frowned.

    {Hmm? What''s the matter?}

    Hii just looked at the setting sun and fell deep in thought.

    After a short while, he suddenly looked up and nodded his head.

    "I have an experiment I need to do right now. Can you come out please, Fuyuki?"

    {Uh, Okay! I guess.}

    Fuyuki came out of Hii''s stomach area and landed on the ground in front of him.

    Hii looked at Fuyuki and noticed she had changed quite a bit since the first time he saw her. Her body was no longer of a puppy, but a nearly teenage wolf. Her white fur now also had tinges of gold in it.

    ''She still has a ways to go before she reaches Akumu''s size. She does look prettier compared to him though.''

    Hii held on to his thoughts as he looked at a nearby set of trees.

    "I want you to strike the tree over there. Try to put some strength into it."

    {Oh? Alright then! I can get some training in too!}

    Fuyuki instantly charged towards the tree and swiped it with one of her paws!

    {Graaaugh!!}

    *Crack Boom*

    "!!!"

    Hii stood shocked as he saw the tree topple over! Dust and leaves covered the area as the tree slammed hard into the ground.

    *Cough Cough*

    {Ueeeeh! I got dust in my mouth!}

    Hii felt cold sweat fall down his back as he looked at Fuyuki come back,trying to get rid of the dust on her face and fur.

    Hii quickly weaved a few hand signs and came close to Fuyuki.

    Water Style: Water Ball Jutsu!

    A ball of water formed from the moisture in the air in front of Fuyuki.

    "Here. Put your face through the ball. I''ll help wash it."

    {Oh, Thanks!}

    Hii spread the water ball a bit wide, helping Fuyuki wash her face thoroughly.

    {Phew! That feels much better! So did that help you with your experiment?}

    "Y-Yeah. I have a guess on something now. We still have a few things I want to test before we go home."

    {Okay then! What''s next?}

    "First, I need to check the damage."

    Hii headed over to the damaged tree and started to check the scene.

    Hii saw that the stump left behind had shattered bark all over it.

    He also noted the upper half of the tree wasn''t cut down, but was rather snapped off.

    He couldn''t help, but look back at Fuyuki patiently waiting by the side.

    ''She basically swiped this tree down in one go. This is significantly different from Akumu. He definitely isn''t this strong.''

    Hii nodded his head and realized the sun had gone down.

    "Let''s wait for a few more minutes and try to break another tree again."

    {Ok!}

    The two waited for a while before Hii decided it was time.

    "Okay! Try to break the tree you struck down in half."

    {Alright! Here I go~!}

    Fuyuki dashed over to the tree and struck the middle of it with her claw!

    *Bang*

    Bark flew from the tree, but it didn''t break in half like before.

    {Huh?! Let me try again!}

    *Bang Bang Bang Crack*

    Fuyuki struck the tree a few more times before it finally snapped!

    {Ha! I did it!}

    "Y-Yeah! Okay! Come back in now for the next test."

    {Haha! That was fun! Let me know if you want me to hit any other stuff too!}

    Fuyuki trotted towards Hii and disappeared into him.

    Hii wiped the sweat from his brow as he made his way to the broken tree.

    ''Note to self. Never make her mad. Ever.''

    After making his mental note, he checked the damage of the trunk and nodded his head with excitement.

    ''I see. She couldn''t break it in one go like before. She shouldn''t be tired or anything, so the only factor that changed would''ve been...''

    "Time of day."

    {Huh? Time?}

    Hii nodded his head and looked into the night sky.

    He could see a few stars starting to pop out and decided to take the risk.

    He weaved a hand signs and took in a deep breath.

    Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu!

    *pwoosh*

    Water gushed out of his mouth into a circular wall while he continued to weave more hand signs!

    {Huh?! What are you doing?}

    ''You''ll see.''

    Water Style: Water Wolf Armor Jutsu!

    The water flowed around Hii and transformed into the blue wolf.

    ''''I''m going to use your power now."

    {Huh?! Wait, that''s not a good idea!}

    Fuyuki protested, but Hii ignored her as the wolf armor began to be covered by golden lines.

    {Don''t hurt yourself after Guy already talked about this! Turn it off!}

    Hii ignored her and made her chakra flow throughout his body like usual.

    Hii felt the increase in his strength, but he didn''t feel the burning sensation anymore. There was only a slight tingle in his body here and there.

    "I knew it!"

    {Huh?! Hey! You''re okay?! How?!}

    Fuyuki was still confused as Hii was now certain of the reason he was always in pain.

    "It''s the time of day."

    Hii looked out into the black night.

    "You''re always active during the day and Akumu always moves more at night. Your Chakra will most likely move the same way. It''s more oppressive when you two are most active."

    {Eh?! Wait! Yeah! Today and the time before with Shisui, the sun was out when you used my power!}

    "And the last time I used Akumu''s power was at night. This is the first time I used your power at night and I''m fine. I can assume Akumu''s chakra can be used in the day with no risk as well."

    {Great! Now you can use our power and not get hurt!}

    "Yeah, but I still should keep the technique as a last resort for now. We  just understand it better than before. At least I won''t have to heal myself all the time if I use it. "

    {Right. Well, at least we''ve made improvements.}

    Hii nodded his head and began to retract the wolf armor.

    He slowly stood up and checked his body. The golden marks spread all across his body, making him glow in the night.

    "I don''t feel the burning sensation at all anymore. I don''t even feel cold. It must be your energy keeping me warm."

    {I see! I haven''t really felt cold since I came here either. I even woke up in a snowy mountain area and never noticed. Probably because Takeshi was right there with me.}

    Hii was a bit surprised to hear Akumu found her right when she came into the world.

    "Well, I guess we''ll have to continue our experiments when Akumu comes back."

    Fuyuki''s chakra slowly receded from Hii''s body as the golden lines disappeared.

    Hii had a bright smile on his face as he didn''t have any new burn marks on his body.

    "Let''s get strong together so we can help Akumu!"

    {Yeah! We can finally help Takeshi out!}

    {"Ooooh!"}

    The two strengthened their resolve to grow stronger!

    {Hey, it''s gotten pretty dark now, hasn''t it?}

    "Yeah. It has gotten pretty.... wait a minute?!"

    Hii suddenly realized he had forgotten something scary!

    "Oh no!"

    Lightning Armor!

    *Tchi chi chi*

    Hii quickly dashed away from the training grounds with lightning all around him!

    {W-What happened?!}

    Hii didn''t respond as he only accelerated!

    ************

    He quickly zipped through the village to his house as fast as he could.

    He finally got to his house in only a few minutes, covered in sweat.

    "Haaa! Haaa! I, made it."

    "Well, almost."

    A cold shiver ran down his spine hearing that voice.

    Hii slowly looked up to see Kaya standing at the door. Moya and Yozora sat silently inside, saying nothing from fear.

    ''Oh boy. I messed up.''

    "I''m pretty sure I tell you kids to come back before the sun goes down nearly every day. Did you somehow forget?"

    "I-I can explain, Mom."

    "Yeah? I don''t want to hear it though?"

    Kaya tilted her head as her eyes flatly looked at her son.

    {Wait! It was my fault! I really wanted to train today and I made Hii help me!}

    Fuyuki jumped out of Hii and pleaded with Kaya.

    "....."

    {I''m really sorry!}

    ".....Haaa."

    Kaya sighed as she bent down and rubbed Fuyuki''s head.

    "I forgive you, but it''s still Hii''s fault. He knows that I want him back before the sun goes down. He still has to be punished."

    {But!}

    Kaya shook her head.

    "No buts. He breaks the rules, he gets the punishment. You don''t control his body after all. You just reside in it."

    Kaya stood up and pointed to the kitchen.

    "Squat against the wall for 30 minutes. Understood?"

    "....Yes."

    Hii went over to the wall and held the squatting position.

    "Awww. You got caught, huh? Your Mom seems pretty mad."

    Henda was sitting at the kitchen table with Riku and Di. He looked at Hii with a wry smile.

    Kaya came into the kitchen with a scroll and placed it on Hii''s head.

    "Don''t drop it, or you start over."

    "....."

    "Woah! She''s really mad!"

    Kaya looked at Henda with narrowed eyes.

    "Don''t help him, Henda! I''m going to help the kids with their homework for a bit. Give him dinner only after he finishes."

    Kaya headed over to the living room and grabbed the twins.

    "Come with me, you two."

    ""Okay.""

    The twins obediently walked behind Kaya, looking at Hii with pity in their eyes as they passed.

    "......"

    Hii just squatted silently and held his stance as still as he could.

    Fuyuki sat down next to him in support.

    {.....Maybe we should use my chakra?}

    "No. I messed up. I''ll deal with it."

    Henda looked over at Di and Riku before he got closer to Hii''s ear.

    "....You want me to feed you a snack?"

    "....."

    Hii didn''t say anything, but he looked at Henda with the biggest "Yes!" his eyes could make.

    Henda slowly got up and went to to the cabinet.

    He quietly got out a cookie and slowly treaded over to Hii. He looked back at Di and Riku with a smile.

    "You guys didn''t see anything."

    The two looked at him with a smile as they kept silent.

    He put the cookie to Hii''s mouth and shoved it in.

    "The rest is up to you, son."

    Henda quickly went over to the shop and disappeared.

    Hii watched him go with his mouth full of cookie.

    {...What just happened?}

    ''Nothing. Just my family being awesome.''

    Hii slowly ate the cookie as he waited for the time to finally pass.

    "Just a few more minutes, dear."

    Riku and Di watched the time for Hii as his legs started to hurt waiting for time to end.

    As the time winded down, Kaya came back into the kitchen.

    "How much time is left?"

    "About 7 minutes."

    Di answered her while he looked at his daughter with a smile.

    Kaya noticed this and slowly walked over to Hii. She looked over his face slowly with a indifferent face.

    Her hand extended to his face and removed a few crumbs on his lip.

    "...."

    "You tend to be a messy sometimes."

    Hii''s body shivered slightly from both his legs tightening up and his Mom''s gaze.

    "...Who did you train with today?"

    "Guy-san."

    ".....Haaa. You can stop now."

    Hii slowly straightened himself out and took the scroll of his head. Kaya had a disgusted face as she shook her head.

    "I''m only letting you go early because it was Guy. Training with that man is punishment by itself."

    Riku chuckled at the table looking at Kaya''s face.

    "He''s just a bit hot-blooded."

    Kaya''s head swiveled to Riku.

    "A bit?!"

    Kaya sighed and looked at Hii.

    "Don''t be late again."

    "Yes, Mom."

    Kaya stared at Hii for a moment and then hugged his head tenderly.

    "Welcome back."

    "....I''m back."

    Kaya rubbed his head gently with a smile and started to head towards the shop.

    "HEEENNDAAA!!"

    *Bang Boom Bang*

    "Ahhhh! Wait! Kaya, put that down! I''m sorry!"

    Kaya disappeared into the shop as a game of life and death began.

    "I''ll warm up your plate, dear. You must be hungry."

    ".....Thanks, Grandma."

    Di silently rubbed Hii''s head as everyone ignored the horrible sounds coming from the shop.

    {Uwah! Kaya-san can be really scary!}

    This fact was further enforced once Henda was brought back into the kitchen and had to squat as Hii ate his dinner.

    This time, Kaya sat right in front of him as he did it.

    Even the twins came out to check what happened.

    "Uh, Dear? How long do I have to do this?"

    "Hmm~. Until I say so."

    "P-please, honey! At least give me a time!"

    Henda pleaded, but Kaya didn''t answer him.

    ''Sorry, Dad. I can''t help you at all.''

    Hii could only keep his face in his plate as he slowly at his dinner while Riku and Di watched the young couple bicker with smiles on their faces.

 Ch.67. Confirming Resolves

    Akumu made it back into the Leaf a few days after Hii''s "late" incident.

    He reported directly to Kaya once again, bringing both of them back into the Hokage office.

    [That''s all I learned for now.]

    The participants in the room all sat with grim faces.

    Minato and Shikaku both seemed deep in thought as they mulled over the information.

    The new guest, the 3rd Hokage, was sitting with a tired look on his face. No one said anything as they digested the news until a tired voice called out to the group.

    "....I see. I''ll be ready then to take him out when he comes."

    Everyone turned to the 3rd Hokage and saw his face was at peace with his decision.

    "Lord Hokage?!"

    "It''s fine, 4th. I should be the one to correct my mistakes in failing to guide him properly."

    Hiruzen seemed to become invigorated as he accepted the situation.

    He would have to face Orochimaru, just as he had faced Danzo.

    He couldn''t back away from this match even if he wanted to.

    "I''ll leave the rest of the planning to you, 4th. Just inform me of what you decide. The future will be in the hands of the young. Allow these old bones to atone for his past mistakes."

    Hiruzen stood up slowly and headed for the door. No one could stop him since he made up his mind. They could only shake their heads and hope they could keep the two from battling altogether.

    "Haaa. We should do all we can to make sure that this attack is contained and neutralized effectively."

    Shikaku nodded his head in agreement.

    "It would be best to use this information and deal as much damage as we can to Orochimaru and any force he ends up bringing as well."

    The group nodded their heads and started to dive into different methods to counter their attack.

    [I''ll get going then. Come find Hii if you need me.]

    Akumu disappeared into a nearby shadow, leaving the Hokage office.

    Minato looked at the spot Akumu disappeared to and nodded his head.

    "Well, let''s go over our options. Let''s just set up an overall plan for now. We''ll go into more detail in the future."

    *********

    Hii sat at his desk with a scroll in front of him. He wrote down notes of techniques he could and needed to improve on it for reference.

    ''Lightning style moves and sword techniques can be improved with Grandpa still. Water techniques also have Mom as the best option. If only she didn''t play so much.''

    Hii crossed out those options on his list and looked at the rest.

    ''Taijutsu is definitely done with Guy-san, so the only thing I could possibly do is find training for my Wolf Armor. Who is good at fighting like a beast though?''

    Hii stretches softly as he looked around the classroom for ideas.

    Scanning the classroom, he noticed Sasuke and Maka looking like they''re paying attention in class, but Hii could tell they were probably playing tic-tac-toe again. He wanted to play against Maka one more time.

    Naruto was asleep again in the back while Shizuka looked over him with mischevious eyes.

    ''She''ll probably prank him again.''

    Hinata seemed to want to wake up Naruto, but she couldn''t seem to muster up the courage. Shizuka even   gave her enough space to do it, but she didn''t seem to want to disrupt Naruto''s ramen filled dreams.

    ''You can do it, Hinata.''

    Hii checked a few more spots for ideas in places he never usually looked.

    Some of his other classmates seemed to be having problems with materials, some were studious, and others were asleep.

    {This classroom is a mess...}

    [I agree.]

    Akumu had finally come back after the meeting with the 4th and resided in Hii''s shadow once again.

    Hii couldn''t look at Akumu at first as all he asked about as soon as he came back was " Who was Hii''s first kiss with?".

    Fuyuki was happy to tell him all the details as Hii just buried his face in his pillow.

    ''Well, looks like there is no way to try and improve it from class.''

    [What about Kiba?]

    Hii tilted his head.

    ''Kiba? ThatCaname sounds familiar.''

    [He''s the kid in the back with the dog im his hoodie. His family partners with dogs for their signature moves.]

    Hii spotted the only boy with a dog in class, Kiba Inuzuka. He sat back in his seat with Akamaru in his hoodie, desperately trying not to fall asleep and failing at it.

    ''Can''t hurt to try. I guess I''ll have to see if he''s interested after class.''

    *******

    "Hmph! I''ve been waiting for this!"

    "Arf!"

    "Huh?"

    Kiba was more than eager to spar with Hii, which confused him quite a bit.

    After Hii invited him to spar at the training grounds, he was becoming more and more confused by Kiba''s enthusiasm.

    "Uh, were you trying to fight me before this?"

    "Heh! I figured you would have to beat me since I''m top dog!"

    "......?"

    Hii was baffled by this kid''s confident illusion.

    ''Do you know what''s going on here, Akumu?''

    [Haaaa. He''s...very confident, I guess.]

    Hii was a bit confused, but he could sort of understand the logic in his head.

    ''Maybe it''s like a pack mentality.''

    Hii looked over to his right and tried to figure out the deal with the other person who came with them.

    "Um, why is he here exactly?"

    "I thought he was someone you brought?!"

    Both of the boys look over to see another boy covered in a long coat with black glasses.

    Hii jogged his memory a bit and remembered his name from roll call.

    "You''re...Shino Aburame, right?"

    "Yes. I''m disappointed that you''d question who I am even though we''ve been in the same class for years now."

    Shino spoke candidly as he pushed up his glasses.

    Hii and Kiba had no idea how to respond.

    "Ruff!"

    " I think so too, Akamaru."

    "What did Akamaru say?"

    "He said this guy is pretty weird."

    Hii had to nod his head to that.

    "That''s not very nice to say to someone who''s right in front of you. Have you never considered me as a comrade?"

    "I have never spoken to you! How can I consider you a comrade if I never even knew you existed?! I know Hii more than I know you and we barely speak at all!"

    "Arf Arf!"

    "That just shows you''re not observant of your surroundings."

    "What was that, weirdo?!"

    Hii felt a massive headache coming on.

    { Are all the kids like this, Akumu?}

    [....Some.]

    "Haaa. Okay. We''ve gotten off track. I wanted to ask Kiba how to fight in a more beast-like manner. Why did it become a fight for top dog?"

    "I don''t care about the reason you have to fight me! I just want to fight you since everyone says you are the strongest in class!"

    Kiba cracks his knuckles and placed Akamaru on the ground.

    Shino nodded his head.

    "Indeed, you are said to be the best ninja in class. I want to see how far I truly am from you as well."

    Hii couldn''t help, but sigh. He had just wanted to find a way to improve his technique, not assert dominance in class.

    [Well, just fight both of them. Makes it simple for you.]

    "Haaa. Ok, fine. Let''s say I am the strongest in class. Wouldn''t you have to fight Sasuke, Maka, or Shizuka after that to be the strongest? I''m not the only strong ninja, you know."

    "Urk!"

    Kiba seemed shaken at the news Hii gave him.

    ''Even Hinata being serious is a contender for class strongest. Why am I being targeted?''

    "Grrr! Whatever! It''s too complicated! As long as I take you out, I''ll be on my way to the strongest anyway."

    "Hmm. He''s not wrong."

    Shino kept his hands in his pockets as he observed the situation.

    "Ugh. Fine. Let''s just fight then."

    "Heh! Here we come! Let''s go, Akamaru!"

    "Arf!"

    Hii stretched his arms as he readied himself.

    "Haaa. Here we go, I guess."

    Kiba and Akamaru charged over to Hii!

    "Yahoo!"

    Kiba jumped high into the air and struck towards Hii!

    Hii casually dodged the attack and started to analyze Kiba''s moves.

    "Grrr! Get back here!"

    *Swish Swish*

    Kiba kept trying to claw at Hii as best as he could, but Hii kept dodging while studying him.

    ''He''s definitely feral-like, but he doesn''t really have anything that truly makes him special from what I was doing before. Let''s try a different approach then.''

    "Arf!!"

    Akamaru tried to sneak up behind Hii and pounce, but Hii grabbed him in mid-air and lightly tossed him to Kiba.

    "Why you!"

    Hii pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it on the ground!

    *Poof*

    "What?!"

    Hii quickly darted out of the smoke and observed the cloud while running around it.

    ''He couldn''t see where I went, so how will he attempt to find me?''

    "There he is!"

    "Arf!"

    Both man and beast flew out of the smoke and surrounded Hii, stopping him in his tracks.

    "Heh! You won''t be able to escape from us!"

    "I see. How did you guys know where I was through the smoke?"

    Kiba brushed his nose with a grin.

    "Your scent. Akamaru and I can smell your wherever you go."

    "Arf!"

    Hii nodded his head.

    ''Dog-like senses. We should be able to do that as well, right?''

    [Hmm. I don''t think I can. I usually track with footprints and Chakra. Never noticed any enhanced smells.]

    {I think I can do that!}

    ''We''ll have to test it out later.''

    Hii nodded his head as he decided he had held back on Kiba enough for today. Hii quickly weaved a hand sign!

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    *Poof*

    A single clone of Hii appeared and distracted Akamaru while the real one attacked Kiba!

    "Ugh! Why you!"

    *Pow Bam*

    Kiba tried desperately to fight Hii off, but Hii wouldn''t get intimidated from a knock off beast.

    ''This is nothing at all compared to the other beast.''

    Hii quickly subdued Kiba to the ground and pinned him.

    "Well, that wasn''t too bad."

    "Tch! We lost!"

    Kiba got back to his feet and sighed.

    "Ugh....Mom is gonna kill me!"

    "Hm? Aren''t you overreacting?"

    "Haaa! You wouldn''t understand. That lady is brutal all the time!"

    Kiba shook his head and started to head back home.

    Before he walked too far, he turned back around and pointed at Hii.

    "Look! I''ll let you win this time! Next time, you''ll be the one on the ground!"

    "Arf! Arf!"

    Kiba and Akamaru darted away after their declaration, leaving Hii stumped.

    "How did it escalate to this?"

    "Well, Kiba has a very one track mind. It was inevitable that you two would cross paths eventually."

    "Right...."

    Hii started to feel cold sweat forming on his back.

    ''.....I nearly forgot about Shino again.''

    "You forgot about me, didn''t you?"

    "....No. So we have to fight as well?"

    *Buzz Buzz*

    A small swarm of beetles suddenly came out of his shirt collar, forming a blackish fog above Shino.

    "That is only natural in a battle for the top spot."

    "Haaa. Who even told you I was strong?"

    "Uzumaki-san told me."

    "?"

    Hii''s head tilted.

    ''Who?''

    "Naruto did?"

    "No. Though he did mention you are really strong. His sister told me."

    ''Shizuka!!!!!''

    Hii clenched his fists as he could already see that teasing face of hers when he will ask her about this.

    ''Haaaa! No wonder! She sure loves to be a troublemaker. When did she even talk to him anyway?''

    Hii sighed and looked at Shino.

    ''How can I make him back down. This fight won''t help me much.''

    Hii wracked his brain a bit before an idea came to him!

    "You know, would you be mad if I killed off a lot of your beetles, Shino-san? I assume you took a lot of care in raising them."

    Light reflected off of Shino''s glasses stared at Hii.

    "I would."

    "Then we shouldn''t fight at all. All my Jutsu are pretty much bug killers. It would be better for you to fight me in Taijutsu. Are you as strong as Kiba in it?"

    Shino thought about it and nodded his head. The beetles flying around quickly entered back into him and disappeared.

    "You make a good point. I wouldn''t want my beetles to die for me to prove myself. If you can take down Kiba without much issue, then my chances against you would also be abysmal."

    Shino thought for a moment and nodded his head.

    "I''ll have to train hard to be your match."

    "Well, good luck, I guess. You can fight me when you feel ready."

    "I won''t give you a lackluster battle like Kiba. I''ll show you the power of the Aburame clan. Until then."

    Shino silently walked away as Hii shook his head.

    "Great, two new challengers for me to deal with."

    {It''s great to have rivals! You all will improve off each other.}

    "I''m already rivals with Neji. I don''t need more."

    [You can never have too much experience. More rivals means more training with others with different styles. It''s good to get as much experience as you can while it''s safe.]

    "Hmm. I guess I can look at it that way."

    Hii sighed and decided to just take it one day at a time.

    "Hii."

    "Hm?"

    Hii turned around to find Di coming towards him.

    "Grandpa?! What are you doing out?"

    "Training. Get your sword out."

    "Alright!"

    Hii smiled and pulled out his scroll from his backpack.

    He knew he was going to get some good training in today!

    ********

    "Ahhh! Where did our Nee-sans go?!"

    "Shut up, loser. I don''t know where they went. Why are you following me?"

    "Because my Nee-san is most likely with your Nee-san. We might as well go together, right?"

    "Haaaa."

    Sasuke sighed, but he didn''t say anything else as the two looked around for any sign of their sisters.

    "Oh! There they are!"

    Naruto shouted as he pointed to the direction of a Dango shop. They could see a large group of girls surrounding their sisters with smiles on their faces.

    "Come on! Tell us what happened, Maka-chan!"

    "Hmph! You probably already heard a out it from another girl in the class!"

    "Maybe~, but I want a first hand perspective on it! Please!"

    "H-Hmmm. Maybe I could tell you?"

    "Come on, Maka! They want to know for reference! Not everyone can get their crush to like them back."

    Maka''s face became red as the girls giggled around her. She kept her hands on her Lotus necklace, playing with it in her fingers.

    Naruto wanted to call out to them, but Sasuke quickly covered his mouth.

    "What are you doing, idiot?!"

    Sasuke quickly stopped Naruto who was going to head over and pulled him behind a corner.

    "Puah! Why did you stop me?!"

    "You can''t go there!"

    "Why not?!"

    "It''s girl''s talk, Naruto. No guy can get close to that without getting caught as a target."

    Sasuke felt a chill crawl down his spine as he remembered some unfortunate boys getting caught in that trap.

    "Ugh! I forgot!"

    "How do you forget that?! Come on, let''s get out of here before they notice us."

    "Since when were you the leader?!"

    Naruto complained, but he followed behind Sasuke anyway.

    He definitely didn''t want to get caught in girl''s talk!

    The two walked around the village, looking for something to do.

    "Man! Where did everyone else go?"

    "....."

    "It''s like all of our other friends disappeared."

    "...Yeah."

    "Hey, if you went over to the girl''s talk circle, would anything happen to you?"

    "...Probably not the same thing if you did, but it would be just as annoying."

    "Man! Must be nice to be popular with all the girls."

    Sasuke scoffed at him as they walked.

    "I''d happily pass it over to you if you wanted the title."

    "Naw! I''ll be like that too one day! I don''t need your sympathy!"

    "How long will that take?"

    "....Hopefully not too long."

    Naruto sighed as he put his hands behind his back.

    *Clang Clang*

    ""?!""

    Both boys stopped as they heard the sound of fighting coming from a training ground.

    "That sounds pretty intense..."

    "Hey! We should go and check it out!"

    Naruto started to move towards the sounds without waiting for Sasuke to answer!

    "Wait!"

    Sasuke followed behind Naruto as the two ran up a nearby tree and observed.

    "Eh?!"

    "What is it?"

    "It''s Hii-Nii!"

    Naruto watched as Hii was sent flying across the training grounds.

    *Tsssssh*

    His feet dragged hard against the grass as he forced himself to stop. He had light cuts over his bare chest and arms as his shirt was folded up and set on the side.

    "Haaa. Haaaa. Haaa."

    "Need a break?"

    Di stood over Hii with his blade on his shoulders, his chest also bare.

    Hii struggled to his feet and clenched his hands around Ame no Tsume.

    "No. I can keep going."

    Di nodded his head.

    "Good. Make sure your armor is as optimized as possible. I''m striking now!"

    *Tzzzzzt*

    Di cloaked himself in lightning and attacked Hii!

    *Tzzzzzt*

    Hii activated his own armor and swung his blade against Di!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    The two flashed across the training field at high speed, clashing at each other at every chance they could get!

    "....."

    "...Woah."

    Naruto and Sasuke watched the battle in silence. Both boys clenched their fists watching the fight, marveling at the power of their "older brother".

    ''Hii trains like this all the time?! I have to work harder as well! Maybe Nii-san has time to train me to this level. I can''t lag behind him!''

    ''If I want to be Hokage, I have to be able to fight like Hii when he''s like this! He never used that technique when we sparred before. I should ask Dad or Mom when they aren''t busy to train me!''

    Both nodded their heads at their own thoughts while Hii was sent flying and fell down.

    "Good. You maintained it pretty well. How does it feel to fight with a real blade this time?"

    Hii laid on the ground and tried to catch his breath. The little cuts were stinging him, but he felt they could help him improve.

    "Scary. It felt so different compared to with the practice sword."

    "That''s because your life is on the line now. Learn to hone that fear into your senses. It can save your life someday."

    "I''ll remember that, Grandpa."

    Di nodded his head and walked over to Hii. He picked him up and carried him over his shoulder.

    "G-Grandpa?! What are you doing?"

    "Carrying you back. It''ll start to get dark soon. Or do you want to squat on the wall again?"

    "N-Nevermind! Carry on then."

    "Hahaha. I thought as much."

    Di picked up their stuff and started to head home. Before he got far, he looked back into the distance and shouted.

    "If you two want to train with us next time, you''re free to do so! Make sure you''re ready because I don''t hold back!"

    ""!!""

    Di smiled as he continued on back home, making Hii shake his head.

    "You didn''t have to call them out like that."

    "Those two are your friends, yes? They shouldn''t have to hold back on getting stronger. I just gave them an opportunity. They can decide if it''s what they want."

    Hii nodded his head and rested on his Grandpa''s back as they headed home.

    Naruto and Sasuke watched as Hii and Di left the training grounds with fire in their eyes.

    "Hey, Sasuke? You want to spar a bit?!"

    "...Hmph! Don''t get mad when you lose!"

    "Hehe! Bring it on!"

    ''I won''t lose!''

    ''I can''t let him win!''

    The two sparred with intense vigor as they remembered how hard Hii fought.

    They felt they needed to get to that level more than ever before!

    Many days like this passed as time seemed to quickly pass by.

    Graduation from the academy was around the corner.

 Ch.68. Graduation And Squads

    Forestbear

    Merry Christmas everyone! Sorry for the delays! Hope to get rid of this crazy year and welcome a less crazy one!

    Graduation from the academy was only a few days away.

    Hii had finally gotten permission to be out a night from his mom some time ago, much to her displeasure.

    He was currently in the training grounds, glowing gold as he used Fuyuki''s power.

    His punches and kicks brought gusts of wind as he practiced his moves in the moonlight.

    [You''ve gotten pretty good at combat.]

    "Thanks to you and Guy-san."

    Hii shivered as he remembered his last session with Guy.

    "I still can''t believe he actually got a disciple. And students."

    Hii recalled when he was first introduced to Rock Lee. He remembered the cold sweat crawl down his spine at how similar the two were.

    [You even asked if that was his son.]

    "How could I not?! You saw the resemblance!"

    Hii shook his head to stopped thinking about it.

    "Nevermind that. Let''s spar, Akumu."

    [Sure. Let''s see if you improved.]

    Akumu leapt out of his shadow and stretched his limbs.

    Hii went next to the nearby pond and weaved hand signs.

    Water Style: Water Wolf Armor!

    The water swirled around him, forming a blue wolf around his body.

    {Ooh! Let me in too!}

    "...Okay, but don''t get too into it. You messed up the grounds pretty bad last time."

    {Yay! I''ll be careful!}

    Fuyuki leapt out of the wolf and stood next to Akumu. She had grown over the years, but she was still a bit short of Akumu''s size.

    Her white fur shined brightly in the night as she gleefully dashed around.

    {What are the rules this time?}

    [Should we go with pinning one of us to the floor before time runes out?]

    Hii nodded his head.

    "Let''s go with that. The first to get pinned loses."

    The three nodded their heads and began to circle each other.

    Hii watched Akumu carefully, but also checked what Fuyuki was doing as well.

    Akumu did the same, keeping his eyes mainly on Hii, but also checking on Fuyuki.

    {When are we starting?!}

    Fuyuki was too excited to notice the balance of the situation. Her tail wagged with explosive energy.

    "Let''s go!"

    Hii quickly dashed towards Akumu and tried to bite his neck!

    Akumu skillfully jumped back and distanced himself from him!

    {Yeah! It''s time to fight!}

    Fuyuki gleefully jumped and slammed her paw towards Hii!

    Hii felt a cold shiver and immediately jumped away from Fuyuki!

    *Boom*

    The ground bursted as Fuyuki''s paw slammed into it! Dust flew into the air, covering a fraction of the training grounds.

    ''Where did he go?! I have a better chance catching him than Fuyuki!''

    [Kukuku! You won''t be getting me that easily!]

    {Why do you sound so evil when you''re having fun?}

    Hii continued to chase after them for a while until Akumu suddenly stopped!

    [Hii! Time''s up! Last chance to win!]

    "Uugh! I took too long! Guess I gotta go for it!"

    Hii suddenly sprinted over to Fuyuki and reached for her neck with his jaw!

    {Oh ho!? You''re brave tonight to challenge me!}

    Fuyuki tried to counter Hii with a grab from her own jaws, but Hii feinted the initial lunge and latched on to her from the other side!

    "Grrrrrr!!"

    {I! Won''t! Give! In!}

    Fuyuki''s head was being slowly dragged to the ground, but she resisted against Hii''s power with all her strength.

    {Gruuuah!}

    "!!"

    Fuyuki suddenly lifted her head up violently and flung Hii into the air!

    Hii quickly reoriented himself and landed down on the ground with a thud.

    [Aaaand time!]

    {Yes! We won!}

    "Haaaa. I was so close!"

    Akumu came beside him and nudged him with his head.

    [You did really good. Almost like a real wolf! Next time, try to use your weight and gravity to knock her down.]

    "I''ll keep that in mind. We better hurry now. Time''s almost up!"

    [Right. I''ll see you there.]

    Akumu slowly sank into the ground and disappeared!

    {That''s cheating! Weren''t we going to race?!}

    "You know how it is. The only time you two are equal is at dawn or sunset. Looks like it''s you and me this time!"

    {Huhu~! This Onee-san will be gracious and let you get a 10 second head start then.}

    "Thanks! I''ll take it!"

    Hii immediately bolted towards home as Fuyuki stood there, mouth agape!

    {I was joking! Get back here!}

    Fuyuki chased after Hii as the two headed into the village.

    *******

    "Mmmm. Huh?"

    Hii woke up with white fur all around him.

    "...She snuck in again?"

    Fuyuki loved to sleep in Hii''s bed ever since she started coming out for fresh air more often.

    Hii has woken up quite a few times thinking his hair was over his face only to realize it was just Fuyuki.

    "Fuyuki. Time to get up."

    {Mmmm. Five more minutes.}

    Hii shook his head and slowly moved his body to the side of the bed. He got down on the floor and checked under his bed. The silhouette of Akumu could barely be seen as his stomach moved up and down slowly.

    "Morning, Akumu."

    Akumu''s white Sharingan slowly appeared in the darkness as hr woke up.

    [....Morning.]

    "You ever gonna just sleep in the bed like Fuyuki?"

    [Once the twins stop laying on me when I do.]

    ''That...probably won''t happen anytime soon.''

    Hii shook his head, stood up, and stretched his body.

    "Today''s the day."

    [Excited?]

    "Kinda. I''m just...ready to get it over with."

    Hii rubbed hia eyes and went to wash up.

    Fuyuki slowly rose from the bed, still with her eyes shut.

    {...}

    [You never could get up properly.]

    Fuyuki yawned and shook her head.

    {I can do it...when I need to.}

    [Ha! When will that day come, I wonder?]

    The two walked out of Hii''s room and sat near the table.

    Fuyuki laid down on the cold floor and soon went back to sleep.

    {Zzzz.}

    [Seriously?]

    "Haha. Fuyuki-chan acts just like Moya in the morning."

    Riku came out of her room with a grin as she rubbed both of their heads.

    [Morning, Riku-san.]

    "Morning. I''ll get breakfast started."

    She went to the stove and started to cook.

    Akumu watched her work, then noticed Yozora had latched on to Fuyuki when he wasn''t looking.

    "Zzzzz."

    [Huh? When did he-?]

    "Mmm...Fluffy."

    Akumu felt arms wrap around his neck as a face rubbed against his.

    [Haaaa. Get off of me, Moya.]

    "Zzzzzz."

    [She''s down too?!]

    Akumu could only sigh as Riku laughed at her grandchildren.

    "Hm? Those two fell asleep again? Well, three counting Fuyuki."

    Hii came to the table and stood close to Riku.

    "Morning, Grandma. Need help?"

    "Sure, dear. Help me with the fish."

    Hii nodded his head and started to cook with Riku.

    "Morning."

    Di came to the table shortly after Hii and sat down. He chuckled as he saw Yozora and Moya sleeping on their fuzzy family members on the floor.

    "Those two better get up before Kaya comes."

    "We have a show every morning, dear. They''ll learn eventually."

    Sure enough, the door to the parent''s room opened and Kaya came out in her mission gear.

    "...."

    "Zzzzz."

    "Zzzzzz."

    "....Haaa. No time."

    Kaya shook her head and looked over to Hii.

    "Morning, Mom."

    "Morning, sweetie. When you head to school, make sure you tell the twins they will be dealt with when I come back. Are you ready for your exam today?"

    "I''m pretty confident, or rather, pretty sure I passed already."

    "That''s my son! Just be careful of whoever your Sensei is."

    "Do you know who it is, Mom?"

    "I have an idea, but not a guarantee. Between your options, they''ll be weird either way."

    Kaya walked next to Riku and grabbed some nearby toast. She looked at Riku with a wide grin.

    "Sorry, Mom! Gotta get going!"

    "Hmph! You know very well I only let you do this because you''re in a rush. Don''t teach the twins anymore of your bad habits."

    Kaya gave a wry smile as she took a few more pieces of toast with some jam.

    Riku''s frown deepened as she stared Kaya down.

    "Hehe! Just this once! I''ll see you, son! Good luck!"

    "Thanks! Bye Mom!"

    Kaya hurried out of the door and dashed away with her breakfast.

    Riku sighed as she brought a plate over to Di and set it in front of him.

    "You can sit down and eat dear. Good luck on your test today."

    "Thanks, Grandma! I''ll do my best."

    Riku nodded and moved a few strands of hair away from Hii''s face.

    Di looked over and shook his head.

    "What are we going to do with this hair? It''s gotten so long now."

    "Well, we can''t cut it. You remember what happened last time?"

    Hii sighed as he sat at the table.

    Hii planned to cut his hair a few months before graduation to a shorter length. This was met with quite a bit of resistance from everyone since they had grown used to the look, but he persevered and got it cut to his shoulders.

    The problem was what happened the next few days after.

    ''It all grew back. It was like I never even cut it.''

    Looking for answers from Akumu for why that happened, they could only believe it was a strange trait from either Fuyuki or Akumu. Either way, his hair couldn''t be tamed.

    "Haaa. Guess I''m stuck with the wild look."

    [At least it looks good on you.]

    Hii nodded his head. There was at least a silver lining.

    Riku came over and put a plate of food in front of Hii.

    "Eat up. You''ll need to pay attention after you get your headband. There might be important facts you need to know."

    Hii nodded his head and began to eat.

    "Ugh....hm?"

    "Huh..? The kitchen...?"

    The twins finally began to stir up from their sleep, though they were still groggy.

    ""Morning.""

    "Morning you two. Mom said you''re gonna get it when she gets back."

    ""Ehh?!!!""

    [That woke them up.]

    {Huh?! What happened?!}

    Hii shook his head and continued to eat with a smile on his face.

    ''Another beautiful morning.''

    ********

    At the Academy, Hii sat patiently as he read the news about the newest medical breakthroughs.

    ''The Nara family really does have great minds. Maybe the laziness is just the side effect.''

    Hii flipped through the pages as Iruka began to go over the test.

    "Now class, the final exam to become Ninja of the Leaf is today! The Jutsu you must use to pass is.... the Clone Jutsu!"

    "Gaaah!"

    Hii knew who that was from the scream.

    "Calm down, Naruto! Now, the test will be held in a separate room nearby. We will call you all one at a time to the area and you''ll perform it in front of us. When you pass, you will receive your headband. Good luck with the test, everyone!"

    Iruka left the room to prepare for the exam. The students all started to jump out of their seats and wander around.

    "Ugh! I''m getting nervous."

    Hii looked over at Sakura with a smile.

    "You''ll be fine. Just remember your training."

    "R-right!"

    Sakura nodded her head, but Hii could still see her clenched fists.

    "Hehe. You can''t get close to Sasuke if you get held back."

    "!!"

    Hii saw her resolve firm up as she stealthily took a glance at Sasuke.

    "I won''t lose! Shannaro!"

    Hii chuckled when he saw the fire in her eyes.

    "Hii! You gotta help me!"

    Naruto came charging down the aisle and stopped right in front of Hii. His face was looking desperate and scared.

    "What do you need help with?"

    "I can barely do the Clone Jutsu! I don''t wanna be held back! What should I do?!"

    Hii looked at Naruto with a sigh, stood up, and hit him lightly in the head.

    *Whack*

    "Ow! Why did you do that?!"

    "Then just use the other one you know."

    "Eh?"

    Hii covered his face with his hand when he saw Naruto''s expression.

    "Use the Shadow clone Jutsu. It''s still a  Clone Jutsu and it''s harder to do than the one for the exam. Iruka should let you pass if you use that."

    "Oh yeah! That''s right! Hehe! Thanks!"

    Naruto heard laughter coming from the back of the class and realized something.

    "Nee-san! You could''ve told me that!"

    "Hahaha! Where''s the fun in that?"

    Shizuka smiled as she watched Naruto fume about.

    The door suddenly opened as a teacher leaned his head into the class.

    "The test will start now! I will now call the first student in to start."

    Soon students started getting called into the room and coming back with Leaf headbands.

    The first of the friend group to get called was Shizuka. She came back to the classroom with her headband in under a minute.

    "Awesome, Nee-san!"

    "Did you expect anything less? Don''t screw up now."

    "I won''t! It''ll be a breeze!"

    Shikamaru, Kiba, Sakura, Sasuke, and Maka all got called as well before Hii was finally summoned.

    Hii walked into the room and found Iruka, a teacher of the younger grades, and another teacher named Mizuki inside.

    "Ah. Hii-kun''s turn, eh? Well, show me the Clone Jutsu and we''ll give you your headband."

    "Ok, Sensei."

    Hii quickly made a hand sign and channeled his chakra.

    *Poof*

    A clone of Hii stood right next to him. Iruka scanned the clone and nodded his head.

    "Good. Everything is in order, as expected. Here''s your headband, Hii-kun."

    Iruka handed over a blue headband to Hii with a smile.

    "Thanks, Sensei!"

    Hii took the headband and headed back into the classroom. Naruto immediately came in front of him, eyeing his headband with envy.

    "Hii! You got your headband! How was it?!"

    "Pretty easy. Remember to do Shadow Clone Jutsu if you feel like your clone one isn''t good enough."

    "Y-Yeah!"

    "Relax! It''s not hard at all."

    Shizuka came down next to Hii and Naruto with a smile.

    "If Hii can do it, you can do it."

    "Naruto Uzumaki! Please come to the testing room!"

    "H-Here I go!"

    Naruto walked with determination to the exam while Shizuka shook her head.

    "He gets nervous for the weirdest things."

    "Well, He''s excited. There''s no harm in that."

    "True. Well, I guess we''re all gonna be ninjas. How are you gonna wear your headband?"

    Hii looked at his headband and thought about it.

    "I guess on my arm or neck. How about you?"

    "I think I''ll stick with the standard way."

    "Hii-kun!"

    The two looked over and saw Sasuke and Maka coming towards them.

    "The test was pretty easy, huh?"

    "Yep. No problems."

    "Now comes the hard part."

    "What hard part?"

    Shizuka looked at Maka with a mischievous grin.

    "Squad selection. Let''s hope we get in a squad with our friends."

    "!!!"

    Maka''s fists tightened in response.

    "I forgot about that."

    "We''ll probably learn about our squads tomorrow. Let''s hope for the best."

    Hii nodded his head and wondered who his teammates would be. He would definetely love to have his friends watch his back.

    Sakura watched Sasuke with a bashful gaze as he stood beside Maka.

    "H-Hi, Sasuke-kun!"

    "....Hey."

    Sasuke seemed to slowly slink behind Maka as Sakura stared at him with a heated gaze.

    "I did it!"

    Naruto rushed back into the classroom with his new headband in his hands.

    "They let me pass with the Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

    "You couldn''t do the regular one?!"

    Hii couldn''t believe it!

    [Haaa. Some things never change.]

    {Well, he passed, didn''t he? That''s still great!}

    Hii shook his head with a smile on his face as he saw Naruto dance with excitement.

    ********

    The next day, all the students sat in their seats excited for the day''s main event, squad selection.

    "Alright! Well class, this will be the last time you come to my classroom. From today onwards, you will be official ninjas of the Leaf Village. In a moment, I will announce what squads you''ll be apart of. Your teachers will also come to pick you up today as well. Now, I will go over the names of the squad members. Remember who you''re partnered with and get along with each other."

    Hii sat in his seat and waited for his name to come up.

    ''I wonder who I''m gonna be paired with?''

    [I have a slight idea on who. Just depends if things are still the same.]

    {Who were in the squads again?}

    [Just wait and he''ll tell you.]

    Iruka started to call off names of squads as everyone listened for their groups.

    "Squad 7 will consist of Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, and Sasuke Uchiha!"

    "Yes!"

    "Alright!"

    "Hmph."

    Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke all celebrated getting in the same group in their own way as Iruka continued.

    "Squad 8 will consist of Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, and Shino Aburame."

    "Alright!"

    "I-I''ll do my best!"

    "Hmmm."

    Kiba, Hinata, and Shino all celebrated as well.

    "Now then, Squad 9 will consist of Maka Uchiha, Hii Kurokumo, and Shizuka Uzumaki!"

    "Yes!!"

    "Eh? Really?"

    "Hehehe! This will be fun!"

    Hii was surprised! The squads had been one girl and two guys so far, but they suddenly switched it up.

    Iruka looked at Hii with a wry grin.

    "It''s because you three are the only outliers in the class. You would mess up the composition of other groups at your level, so you have to be together."

    "I see. Well, so be it."

    Maka face grew red as she realized she shouted a bit too loudly. Shizuka just giggled as she poked Maka in her shoulder.

    "You seemed really happy all of a sudden~. You like the squad members~?"

    "S-Shut up! I''m just excited I won''t have to hold back with you guys. That''s all."

    "Hehe. Suuure."

    "Ahem! Well, Squad 10 will be Choji Akamichi, Ino Yamanaka, and Shikamaru Nara!"

    "Alright!"

    "Ahh! I wanted Sasuke!"

    "What a drag."

    Iruka continued and finally finished his list after a few more squads were announced.

    "Okay! Now for each of your teachers to meet you. Come on in!"

    The door opened and a group of older ninjas lined up in front of the students.

    "Each squad will go with the sensei who calls your number! Learn from them and become strong Ninja together!"

    Iruka turned to the group and nodded his head.

    "Squad 1 comes with me!"

    "I''m the leader of Squad 2. Follow me."

    The leaders began to take their squads with them outside. The classroom started to thin out as students all left according to their squads.

    "Team 8. Come with me."

    A woman with vivid red eyes and messy black hair took squad 8 with her outside.

    "I''m the leader of Squad 10. Meet me outside."

    A man with a beard and a cigarette in his mouth took his group outside as well.

    The groups all slowly disappeared until it was just Squad 7 and Squad 9 left in the room.

    "Huh?! What''s wrong with our Sensei?! Everyone else is on time!"

    "Shut up, Loser! We aren''t the only ones left."

    "Haaa. Sorry, you guys. Your teachers are on the way. Please be a bit patient and wait for them. I have to finish other work as well. I wish you guys the best of luck!"

    Iruka left the class room and the six young ninja simply had to wait for their teachers.

    "Seriously~? I can''t believe we have to wait after all the tension was built up."

    Shizuka played with one of her bangs as she slumped over the table.

    "Haaa. At least we''re in a squad together."

    "True. Our squad is pretty balanced out. Look after me, would you?"

    "Likewise."

    Shizuka looked up to the front row and smiled.

    "Hii-kun! Sakura-chan! Why don''t you come back here? We can use the company from our squad mates~!"

    "Heh! Fine. Come on, Sakura-chan."

    "R-Right!"

    Hii and Sakura both got their stuff and moved to the back with the others.

    ''Hmmm. What should we do in the meantime?''

    {I put some cards in your bag! You can play games!}

    [Good idea. You might be here for a while.]

    Hii nodded his head and reached into his bag.

    "I got a box of cards. We can play while we wait."

    "Oh yeah! That should be good!"

    "Hmmm~? What should we play?"

    The Uzumakis were on board with the idea!

    "It''s better than waiting here twiddling our thumbs. I''m in."

    "....Fine."

    "Sounds like fun!"

    The Uchihas also joined in along with Sakura!

    "Hmmm. How about Old Maid then?"

    Everyone nodded their heads except Naruto.

    "Um? How did you play Old Maid again?"

    "Don''t worry. Onee-san will tell you all you need to know."

    Hii opened the cards and suddenly thought of something.

    ''This...might be the bane of Naruto.''

    ***********

    ''Ugh. The meeting took much longer than expected. Not the best impression to my squad, huh?''

    Kakashi was rushing over to the Academy to pick up his squad.

    "Kaya will make fun of me again if I''m too late."

    "Kaya-san will make fun of us either way!"

    Kakashi chuckled as he jumped from building to building with the other sensei.

    "Well, we better make sure we nail our introduction then."

    "Right!"

    The two made it to the Academy and reached the outside of the classroom.

    " We''re here. Let''s go introduce ourselves."

    "You first, Senpai."

    Kakashi nodded his head and opened the door.

    "Gah! How do you know?!"

    "Hehe! It''s written all over your face, brother."

    Naruto slumped over his desk in defeat.

    "I haven''t won once! One more game!"

    "Give it up, Naruto! This is our 9th game!"

    "Umm. I don''t think we have time anymore."

    Hii pointed his chin to the door as everyone looked at the two ninjas.

    "Huh?! We finally have a Sensei?!"

    "About time."

    The kids all faced the two, looking to see which one was their Sensei.

    Kakashi cleared his throat and looked at the group.

    "I''m in charge of Squad 7. My name is Kakashi Hatake."

    The ninja beside him looked at the kids and gave a nod.

    "I''ll be in charge of Squad 9. My name is Yamato. Nice to meet you."

 Ch.69. The Bell Test

    The group found a place to sit together close to the academy on a nearby building.

    Yamato nodded his head and looked at the group.

    "This place will do. Everyone, sit down and we''ll introduce ourselves to each other."

    The three nodded, making Yamato smile.

    "I''ll go first to set the example. Once again, my name is Yamato. I have been designated as a Jonin. My hobbies include studying architecture and my dream is to protect the Leaf village to the best of my ability. Just follow that format for yours. Who wants to go next?"

    Shizuka raised her hand with a smile.

    "I''ll go~! My name is Shizuka Uzumaki. I''m a new Genin. My hobbies include studying seals and playing with my friends. My dream...."

    Shizuka closed her eyes for a moment.

    "?"

    Yamato looked confused until she reopened her eyes. Her green eyes shimmered with a cold light as she looked at Yamato.

    "My dream is to kill Orochimaru."

    Her sentence sent a cold shiver down everyone''s spine!

    Just as soon as the chill appeared, it vanished into thin air.

    "Please take care of me~!"

    "...Of course. Thank you for sharing."

    Shizuka gave a small nod as she looked over to Hii and Maka.

    "I-I''ll go next. My name is Maka Uchiha. I''m also a new Genin. My hobbies include training and recently cooking. My dream is to be the strongest Kunoichi!"

    "I see. A very admirable goal. Now there''s just the last one."

    Hii nodded his head.

    "My name is Hii Kurokumo. I''m also a Genin. My hobbies also include swordplay, cooking, and studying Medical Ninjutsu. My dream is to be able to assist my friends."

    "I see. A rather selfless goal."

    Yamato nodded his head.

    "We''ll be together as a team. I plan to teach you how to become excellent ninja in the future.I must tell you first, however, that your exam to become a Genin isn''t over yet."

    "Really?!"

    "I figured as much."

    "...."

    Maka, Shizuka, and Hii were shocked, but quickly calmed down to find out what else was necessary to pass.

    "We will have another test tomorrow at 10 sharp. You''ll meet me at the southern training grounds at that time! Don''t be late and make sure you have an empty stomach!"

    *Tssst*

    Yamato flickered away after he gave his message, leaving the three a bit confused.

    Shizuka sighed and stood up.

    "Welp, I, for one, don''t like missing breakfast. I''ll have to ignore that part."

    "Eh, but Sensei..."

    "No one is every fully operational on an empty stomach. Right, Hii-kun?"

    "I can agree with that."

    "Eh??"

    Hii smiled as he stood up.

    He couldn''t wait for tomorrow.

    ********

    Hii woke up early in the morning and cooked breakfast with Riku.

    "Are you ready for your test today, dear?"

    "Yep! I have my scroll ready too, just in case. I don''t think I''ll use it though."

    Riku nodded her head as she moved the fillets in the pan with her chopsticks.

    "Always have it with you. You never know when death comes for you. It''s better to be ready to die fighting than cowering in fear. Remember that."

    Hii nodded his head slowly as he digested the message.

    Death was in every aspect of a Shinobi''s life. He had only realized now how heavy it was.

    Hii suddenly felt a gaze at his back.

    "......."

    Hii turned around and saw Yozora staring at him.

    "Morning Yozora. What''s wrong?"

    "Headband."

    "Oh. Did you want to see my headband?"

    Yozora nodded his head.

    "Okay. Just let me finish the food here and I''ll go get it for you."

    "You can go get it now, dear. I can handle the rest."

    Hii nodded his head and went to his room. He came back with his blue Leaf headband in his hands.

    "Here. Check it out."

    "Ooooh!"

    Yozora was rather enthusiastic as he played around with the headband. He looked back up at his brother with a determined grin.

    "I''ll get one too, Nii-san!"

    "Haha! I can''t wait to see you with one. You and Moya both need to wear it with style, okay?"

    "Umu!"

    Hii rubbed Yozora''s head and sat down to eat his breakfast.

    ***********

    Hii arrived at the training grounds an hour earlier than their meeting time to wait for his Sensei to arrive.

    "Hey! You made it!"

    "Shizuka?! I didn''t expect to see you here so early."

    Shizuka leaned against a tree and waved at Hii.

    "Of course I came here early! I''m not missing the chance to finally be a Genin because I overslept."

    Hii nodded his head and sat down near the tree with Shizuka.

    "You see Maka-chan?"

    "No. I think she''s on her way soon."

    "Hehe. I''m surprised she missed the chance to come together with you..."

    Hii felt her gaze on him, but he ignored it.

    "She doesn''t need me to babysit her or anything."

    Shizuka sighed and shook her head.

    "That''s not very romantic~."

    "It''s not the time for romance right now. We have to prepare ourselves."

    "True, but you should take every chance you can to be romantic. You can only live once and our profession makes it even more likely that it''ll be short life at that. Might as well have some good memories to reflect on."

    [That''s quite a way to see things.]

    {It''s true though?}

    [I didn''t say she''s wrong.]

    Hii nodded his head and kept silent. The two waited for around 30 minutes before Maka came running towards them, out of breath.

    "Haa! Haa! Haa! I made it!"

    "Did you actually almost oversleep?!"

    Maka caught her breath before she puffed her cheeks.

    "It was Nii-san''s fault! I had some trouble sleeping so he put me under a Genjutsu! He even turned off my alarm!"

    "Wow. Shisui-san is a prankster? I wouldn''t have thought that."

    Shizuka was surprised, but Maka looked away with a slightly red face.

    "H-He isn''t like that! I think...he''s just mad about the team I''m in."

    "Mad? Oooooh! Hehehe!

    Shizuka covered her mouth, giggling while she looked at Hii.

    "Must be tough for you, Hii-kun."

    "Hmm? What do you mean?"

    "D-Don''t worry about it! When do you think Sensei is coming?"

    "Hopefully on time."

    Maka quickly diverted the conversation while Hii looked around the training grounds.

    "I''m already here."

    ""!!!!"""

    *Ttst*

    Yamato jumped from a nearby tree and landed in front of the three.

    "Good. I''m glad you all arrived early. I can see you''re serious about being Shinobi!"

    "Can''t be late on the first day, right Sensei?"

    "Indeed, Shizuka-chan. You really shouldn''t be late, but that''s beside the point. I''ll now tell you all about the test for today."

    Yamato reached into his pocket and pulled out two bells.

    *Ching Ching*

    "Your mission is to take these two bells from me by force. I will be on guard against you, and you must retrieve them from me by noon. The two who can take the bells will be the ones to remain on the team. Is that clear?"

    The three looked at each other briefly before nodding their heads.

    "Good! We''ll start on the count of 3! Are you ready?"

    "Ready!"

    "I''m ready when you are!"

    "Hehe! Don''t be surprised when you lose, Sensei~!"

    The three readied themselves for combat as Yamato began to countdown!

    "1! 2....3!"

    *Tzzt Tzzt Tzzt*

    The three Genin all jumped into the bush and hid from their Sensei at the same time.

    ''Looks like we all have the same idea.''

    Hii hid under the nearby bush as he prepared a trap for Sensei.

    ''The big question is what can Sensei do?''

    The problem with any opponent is the unknown abilities they possess.

    Hii slowly set his trap and moved quietly to a different bush.

    ''One trap should be good enough. Let''s test him out.''

    Hii jumped out of the bush with 2 kunais in his hand and headed straight to Yamato!

    "Not bad!"

    Yamato pulled out two kunais as well and met Hii halfway!

    *Bang Clank Clank*

    The two blocked and parried each other at high speed.

    ''As expected from a Jonin! He has no openings!''

    *Swish Swish*

    "Hmph!"

    Shurikens flew towards Yamato from a nearby bush!

    *Clank Clank*

    Yamato expertly threw one of his kunai towards the Shurikens, blocking most of them and dodging the rest.

    ''Now!''

    Hii took this chance to throw one of his kunai at a hidden wire near a tree!

    *Swish Swish*

    Kunai came flying out from the branches towards Yamato!

    *Clank Clank Clank*

    "Nice job!"

    Yamato calmly blocked and dodged the kunai!

    He jumped back a distance from Hii, maintaining his defense.

    "Hmm?!"

    Yamato suddenly realized couldn''t move! He could barely look down and noticed the markings of a seal near his feet.

    ''It must''ve been on one of the kunai thrown earlier!''

    "Haaa!"

    Shizuka suddenly appeared behind him and reached for the bells at his waist!

    "Hrrrgh!"

    Yamato strengthened his chakra and forcibly jumped from the spot, dodging Shizuka!

    "Shoot! So close!"

    Yamato looked at the ground he was standing on and noticed a seal on one of the kunai stuck in the ground.

    "A seal?! That''s pretty amazing for a Genin!"

    "Tch! Not enough to win though."

    *Swish Swish*

    More shurikens were thrown towards Yamato from his left!

    "Ha! The third one finally wants to come out?"

    "Hehe! It''s a fun party!"

    Shizuka quickly pulled out several shurikens and tossed them over to the nearby trees!

    Hii could hear several wires being cut at the same time!

    ''How many traps did she make?!''

    *Swish Swish Thunk Thunk*

    Several kunai and even logs came out this time, surging towards Yamato at high speed!

    "Oh geez!"

    Yamato quickly weaved hand signs and pressed his hands to the ground!

    Earth Style: Mud Wall!

    A circular wall appeared around Yamato, blocking all the projectiles.

    ''So he can use Earth style...''

    Hii thought to himself as he quickly disappeared into the bush.

    Shizuka quickly followed after him once she realized her attack couldn''t continue.

    The dirt wall slowly sank back into the ground as Yamato sighed.

    "Sheesh! These kids are Genins?! Senpai lied to me again."

    Yamata shook his head as he kept his wits about him. One slip up here could be bad.

    ***********

    In the nearby bushes, Hii laid prone on the ground as he watched Yamato.

    "Pssst! Hii-kun!"

    Hii turned to barely see Shizuka waving at him.

    "What?"

    "Let''s team up! All three of us! He''s too tough to take alone.We can split the bells with rock paper scissors! What do you think?"

    "....."

    "Come on~! It''s fair!"

    Hii sighed and nodded his head. He didn''t think he could take him on by himself either.

    "Sweet! I''ll go find Maka and ask her too!"

    *Tzt*

    Shizuka disappeared quickly to find Maka.

    {Good luck with getting the bells! Oh! And with the game after too!}

    ''Thanks, but I feel like I''m missing something here. What is the point of this test? A skills check?''

    [In a way.]

    ''Any hints?''

    [You''re on the right track right now, but no more hints from me. Figure it out.]

    Hii nodded his head and continued to observe Yamato.

    ''I now know Sensei can at least use Earth Style, but he might have other skills up his sleeve too.''

    Hii silently thought to himself while hiding.

    A few minutes passed by and everything was still silent.

    ''Sensei hasn''t moved yet?''

    Hii observed that Yamato hadn''t moved at all. He only stood up with his arms folded and his eyes closed.

    ''That''s strange. He''s acting like he knows where we are...''

    Hii suddenly felt a shiver crawl up his spine.

    ''...Does he?''

    Yamato continues to keep his eyes close as Hii continues to think.

    "No way....right?"

    "Psst! Hii-kun!"

    Hii turns over to see Shizuka appear once again with a smile.

    "She said okay! Let me tell you the plan we came up with. I think you''ll like it."

    Shizuka had a mischievous smile on her face. Hii knew this was going to be an interesting plan.

    *********

    ''Hmm. It''s quiet.''

    Yamato looked around and studied the area.

    ''They haven''t made a move in a while. Did they already figure out how the test works?''

    Yamato tried to sense his students and realized they were nearby each other.

    ''Now then, what will you do?''

    *Rustle*

    Hii suddenly came out of the bush and quickly darted to Yamato with a kunai in his hands!

    "Time for the next attempt, eh?!"

    Yamato pulled out another kunai from his leg holster as well and waited for Hii to approach.

    *Swish Swish*

    "!"

    *Clank Clank*

    Kunais were thrown at Yamato once again from a bush, but he deflected them in time.

    Hii quickly approached Yamato and tried to strike at the string of the  bells!

    "Not good enough!"

    *Clank Clang Clang*

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    Hii was pushed back as more kunai were thrown at Yamato from two directions!

    "Tch!"

    Earth Style: Mud Wall!

    Yamato pressed the ground and the earth grew a wall around him once more!

    *Tak Tak Tak*

    The kunai struck against the wall with force!

    *Tssss*

    "!"

    *Boom*

    These kunais had explosive tags on them this time, blowing up the wall entirely!

    Yamato jumped out of the smoke, coughing out a bit of dirt.

    "Are you trying to kill me?!"

    "Not if you hand over the bells!"

    Yamato sighed at Shizuka''s response.

    Shizuka jumped out of her bush and began to weave hand signs.

    "Tch! Jutsus now?!"

    Yamato quickly readied himself for the next barrage!

    "Get ready, Maka!"

    "!"

    Yamato turned and could see out of the corner of his eye Maka jumping out of the bush on the other side of him. She also weaved hand signs as she and Shizuka took deep breaths!

    Wind Style: Air Bullets!

    Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!

    Shizuka''s many air bullets and Maka''s fireball converged to Yamato''s position!

    "Oh come on!"

    Despite his complaining, Yamato  quickly weaved a new hand sign Hii hadn''t seen him use before!

    Wood Style: Wood Locking Dome!

    "Wood Style?!"

    Large columns of wood grew from the ground, interlocking into a dome around Yamato!

    *Boom*

    The two techniques both landed on the dome, leading to a big explosion!

    "Hnng!"

    Hii quickly jumped back into the bush as he watched the outcome of the attack.

    When the smoke cleared, he could see the burning wood of the shield still hold strong!

    ''Sensei has great defensive skills...''

    Hii continued to observe him as he got in position for his part in the plan.

    *Pak Pak*

    The wood shield suddenly broke down and revealed no one inside of it, but a hole!

    "Crap! Where''d he go?!"

    "You three are making my job so much harder!"

    *Bang*

    Yamato came out of the ground away from the two and dusted off the dirt.

    "Now what will you do?"

    Maka and Shizuka quietly observed Yamato, weighing their options.

    "I didn''t think he had Wood style."

    "Me neither. That puts a few plans out of commission."

    "Which one do you think would work, Shizu?"

    "Plan E for now."

    "Got it!"

    *Tsu*

    Maka quickly dashed towards Yamato as Shizuka pulled out more kunai from her bag!

    *Swish Swish*

    "That''s not going to work!"

    Yamato dodged the kunais and approached Maka halfway!

    Maka weaved hand signs and breathed in deep!

    Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!

    *Fwoosh*

    Multiple fireballs spewed from Maka''s mouth towards Yamato!

    Yamato weaved hand signs as well and prepared his jutsu!

    Water Style: Water Ball Jutsu!

    "?!"

    Hii, however, beat him to it!

    *Tsshhhh*

    The two Jutsu clashed and created a steam smokescreen, blocking vision for everyone nearby.

    ''They are working together! I wondered where Hii-kun was!''

    Yamato leapt out of the steam for better vision, but suddenly felt someone behind him!

    "Hrrrng!"

    "Oh no!"

    Yamato barely managed to dodge Maka''s hands reaching for the bells!

    Shizuka sent even more kunai to Yamato as he barely landed on the ground!

    Flustered, he deflected the kunai approaching him and dodged the ones off course!

    "Huh?!"

    This time, however, the kunai had seals on them!

    They formed a triangle around Yamato, sealing his movements!

    "This again!"

    Yamato tried to overpower the seal, but it was stronger than the first one!

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    He suddenly heard the sound of lightning flickering behind him!

    Lightning Style: Chakra Armor!

    Hii dashed out from the nearby bush at high speed and quickly grabbed the bells while Yamato was sealed! He didn''t have enough to dodge!

    "Yes!"

    "Alright!"

    "Phew~!"

    The three cheered at their success while Yamato finally broke through the seal.

    "Great work! I can''t believe you two haven''t worked together before."

    "Well, we''re good friends so it''s only natural."

    Hii held the bells in his hand as the other two crowded around him.

    "The problem is what you will do with the bells. How will you settle it?"

    "That''s easy! We''ll settle it with Rock Paper Scissors!"

    "Eh?!"

    Yamato was surprised as Maka and Shizuka got ready throw down!

    "Come on, Hii! We won''t give you a retry if you''re late."

    "No need. Here."

    Hii tossed the two bells over to Maka and Shizuka!

    They both barely caught them as they were caught off guard!

    "What are you doing?! We decided it would be fair!"

    "Yeah! We should keep it fair!"

    "It''s fine like this. You both are my comrades and you put in a lot more work than me with the plans. I just had to grab it as fast as I could when he was open. I think it''s fair, right Sensei?"

    "Yep! I think that''s fair."

    Yamato nodded his head and looked at the three.

    Maka and Shizuka had rather vexed faces while Hii was very calm.

    Yamato shook his head and smiled.

    "Well, you all pass. Congratulations!"

    ""Eh!!!!?""

    Yamato let out a sigh and explained.

    "The test is designed to have you work together as one unit. Even if two of you get the bells, the team still accomplished the mission. Hii saw through it in the end, but you all worked together splendidly. I hereby announce you official Genin!"

    "Huuuu~! I thought we''d lose Hii because of this!"

    "Me too..."

    "It''d be way worse for you if that was the case. You''d probably cry in your bed."

    "I-I would not! Don''t believe her, Hii!"

    "Hehe. Okay, I won''t."

    *Gasp*

    Shizuka brought her hands to her face with a shocked expression.

    "Betrayed by my teammates already~! You believe she''d do it, don''t you Sensei?"

    "...Well I think we''re done for today. Let''s meet in front of the Hokage building tomorrow to get started on missions. I''ll be counting on you all from now on."

    ""Yes, Sensei!""

    "Tch! So stiff."

    "I''ll see you guys tomorrow! Make sure to rest up!"

    Yamato quickly flickered away, leaving the three on the battered training ground.

    Shizuka folded her arms with a sigh.

    "Jeez! It''s over already?! We never even got to play the game!"

    Hii looked at her with a wry smile.

    "Did you still want to play it that badly?!"

    "I''m game for a round."

    "Alright! Are you finally in, Hii-kun?!"

    "...Sure, I guess."

    "Good! Ready?!"

    The three each entered a stance around each other as they counted down.

    ""Rock! Paper! Scissors!""

    The result was a draw and a loss.

    "Gaah! One more time!"

    The same result happened.

    "Grrr! J-Just one more!"

    The same result came out once more.

    "....."

    "....."

    "...I''ll win next time..."

    Shizuka quickly flickered away as Hii and Maka watched her leave.

    The two found out that Shizuka was surprisingly bad at Rock Paper Scissors.

 Ch.70. Genin Blues

    The next morning, the three meet near the Hokage office with....barely any excitement.

    "It''s our first mission! I bet it''ll be boring~."

    "Almost guaranteed."

    "Well, you never know. It could be fun."

    The three waited near the entrance for Yamato to appear.

    "Alright, everyone is here."

    Yamato flickered in front of the three with a grin.

    Shizuka put her hands on her hips and shook her head.

    "Sensei, be honest. The mission is going to be a chore, isn''t it?"

    "Every ninja has to start somewhere. At least we aren''t at war now or your first mission could be your last. Just take it easy and let''s go see what we will be doing."

    The three nodded as they followed behind Yamato and made their way to the Hokage office.

    *Knock Knock*

    "Enter."

    The four stood in a line in front of the Hokage desk.

    Minato sat at the desk with multiple files around him, his eyes heavy with exhaustion.

    Shizuka gave him a small wave and quickly stood with her hands behind her back.

    Minato gave a quick chuckle and cleared his throat.

    "Welcome, Team 9. Congratulations on becoming Genin."

    Minato gave a tired smile as he found one file in front of him and lifted it up.

    "To be Ninja of Konoha means we must do jobs for the village to make sure everything is in order. The difficulty ranges from D rank, C Rank, B rank, A rank, and S rank. Genins all start out with D rank missions to get used to the procedures. Your group will be no different."

    "We will do our best, Hokage-sama."

    Yamato gave a small bow towards Minato.

    Shizuka leaned to her side and whispered in Maka''s ear.

    "Sensei seems like...he knows what''s coming?"

    Maka discreetly nodded her head while Hii shook his.

    Minato was having a hard time keeping a grin from his face as he tried to ignore Shizuka''s mischief on the side.

    "Your first mission is to help a restaurant post flyers in eye-catching places around the village."

    Yamato nodded his head with determined eyes.

    "We''ll get it done."

    ''....Flyers?''

    ''Flyers?! Really, Dad?!''

    ''....Haaa. Flyers, huh?''

    The three Genin held an array of faces  as they looked at Minato and Yamato.

    The two older ninjas ignored the kids as they discussed more details about the mission.

    ********

    "....So why do we have to carry all the flyers?"

    Hii held a large stack of flyers for "Yakiniku Q" as he followed behind the two girls.

    Each girl had two rolls of tape in their hands.

    "We''ll put them in good places while you just have to hold the stack. You really have the easiest job."

    Hii sighed as he looked over to his left.

    "Don''t worry, Hii-kun. I''ll support you as well!"

    Yamato walked next to him with his own stack of flyers.

    Maka looked back at the two, then over to Shizuka.

    "Shizuka, maybe we should take some as well."

    "No, this way is easier. We''ll just put them in good places fast so we can lighten their burden. There''s a spot there!"

    Shizuka grabbed a flyer from Yamato''s stack and flew over to a nearby pole and placed it with tape.

    She came back to the group with a smile on her face

    "See? We can even make it a competition if you want to help them out faster. That is, unless you''re scared~?"

    Maka face scrunched up as she looked at Shizuka''s smug face.

    "You''re on."

    "Great~! You take Hii''s stack and I take Sensei''s! Count us down, Hii-kun!"

    Hii shrugged and decided to play along.

    "Ready?! Set!"

    The two girls braced themselves as they found targets.

    "Go!"

    The two began to quickly zip around as they grabbed and posted the flyers at different sections in the town in nearly an instant!

    The two looked at the placement of the flyers with a nod and stared at each other.

    "Not bad!"

    "Hmph! I''ll clearly win in the next district!"

    "Ha! We''ll see!"

    The two darted towards the nearby district at high speed!

    "Hey wait!"

    "Haha! Guess we gotta follow them quickly, Sensei!"

    Hii and Yamato quickly followed behind them!

    "Slow down! We can''t move that fast with these flyers!"

    "They won''t listen to us, Sensei! We have to keep up with them!"

    Hii was rather excited as this boring job became a bit more interesting!

    The two men followed behind the girls, making sure no flyers were lost in the wind on the way.

    **********

    "Haa. Haa. You. Didn''t win!"

    "Haa. Haa. I''m. Sure I did!"

    The two girls glared at each other as they caught their breath.

    Yamato and Hii laid down on the ground behind them.

    "You. Haaa. Okay, Sensei?"

    ".....Yeah. I''m....okay."

    Yamato slowly got back up as he caught his breath.

    "I guess...the mission has been completed. Good work!"

    "Grrrr!"

    "Hmph!"

    Yamato tried to pacify the two, but the girls merely recovered and went back at each other''s throats.

    "Good work, Sensei."

    Yamato shook his head as only Hii seemed to have team spirit at the moment.

    "Haaah. I hope the next mission can be a bit better."

    **********

    A few months and a dozen miscellaneous missions later, the team was once again in the Hokage office.

    Yamato was drenched in a cold sweat a bit as Minato looked at him with a wry smile.

    The entire office was quite tense as Yamato held the file with the mission his team was meant to do today.

    "Helping....farmers with chores?"

    "Yes."

    Yamato felt immense pressure coming from his back, but he tried his best to ignore it.

    "Do we have a certain number of farms to help?"

    "Yes. Two of them have requested assistance for today. This mission will be a bit tiring, but do your best to assist with whatever you can."

    "Y-Yes, Sir! We''ll have it done!"

    Yamato bowed with a grim face.

    The squad of Genin said nothing and bowed before they just followed behind Yamato.

    Yamato glanced back slightly and quickly turned back around.

    ''Ugh! Their glares have gotten stronger!''

    The two girls held a dangerous glare as they stared daggers into Yamato''s back.

    "I''m sure Sensei once said we would definitely get a mission with some action soon."

    "I believe he did say that. I wonder how many missions we''ve done since he said those words?"

    "I''m pretty sure it was after our second mission to catch that cat. I believe this is...our 15th mission?"

    Yamato held his tongue as he stoically led his group towards the farms.

    ''It seems like even with a team, I''m still getting all the missions for village infrastructure...''

    Yamato knew that although his squad haven''t had any true combat, he believed they were a bit more competent than the other squads of their grade. They should''ve gotten a mission to deal with bandits or rogue ninjas by now.

    The problem was Yamato was always considered mission like this because of his Wood Style.

    This became apparent as the group seemed to only get missions for repair or agriculture jobs in the village.

    They paid well enough, but they weren''t quite the missions the young ninjas hoped for.

    His only saving grace was that Hii didn''t complain much about the jobs. He always seemed to find something fun or interesting about the mission he was doing. It was also Hii that managed to keep the girls from rampaging out of boredom.

    "Haaa. I have to thank Kaya-san next time I see her."

    "Hmm? You have to thank my mom? Why?"

    "No reason! Let''s head over to the farms!"

    "Yay."

    "Fun."

    Maka and Shizuka were "ecstatic" to go to the farms. Hii turned to them and smiled.

    "Don''t be like that. If we go to a cool farm, we might be a able to see some baby animals! Wouldn''t that be fun?"

    The two girls realized they could possibly see cute baby animals and their eyes started to sparkle with energy!

    "Alright! I hope they have baby chicks!"

    "For the chicks!"

    Yamato sighed in relief for Hii''s addition to his team.

    ''Thank you for this kid, Hokage-sama!''

    *********

    Minato watched Yamato''s group head off to their mission from the window.

    "Haaa. Sadly, Yamato is needed in a lot of places in the village. I hope this doesn''t make the kids volatile."

    *Knock Knock*

    "Enter."

    Shikaku came into the office with a wry smile.

    "Did you send Squad 9 to do more agriculture jobs?"

    Minato sighed and nodded his head.

    "What a drag! Those kids are probably bored out of their minds!"

    "I know, but Yamato is useful for a lot of jobs. Sadly, he''s the only one that can use that technique."

    Minato sighed and sat back down at his desk.

    "Well, what is it?"

    Shikaku''s face became serious as he placed the file on the desk.

    "The Akatsuki has made some moves recently."

    "!"

    Minato quickly grabbed the file and opened it.

    "It seems the movements of the group have expanded to just about everywhere. As Akumu mentioned, they do mercenary work for smaller nations at a high price. They have a pretty credible record as well, giving them an incredible rate of demand. As far as we can figure out, the most recent area they''ve come near is-"

    "The Land of Water."

    Shikaku nodded and pulled out a scroll from his pocket. He unfurled the scroll and laid it out on the desk.

    "We''ve pinpointed the most recent area of activity, but it looks like it''s close to the Land of Waves."

    "Didn''t we receive a mission recently in that region?"

    "Yes."

    Shikaku put another folder on Minato''s desk.

    Minato opened the folder and read the information.

    Once finished, he closed his eyes and sighed.

    "It seems easy enough, but this mission will take time."

    "Sadly, yes. Possibly a week or two depending on the situation."

    Minato took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

    "We don''t have many teams to spare. The other countries have been moving strangely for a while now, putting pressure on us."

    "We can probably send 1 or 2 teams."

    Minato nodded his head and began to think.

    "....."

    "...."

    Shikaku said nothing as he waited for Minato to come to a decision.

    "Haaa."

    Minato sighed and looked at Shikaku.

    "The only squads who will be free in time is 7 and 9. We''ll have to send them to complete it."

    "...Are you sure, Hokage-sama?"

    Minato looked at the mission folder once more and nodded his head.

    "I''m sure. I''m not a fan of sending my kids that close to danger, but Akatsuki shouldn''t be concerned with the group.  No one should be aware of Naruto or Hii right now. I believe Kakashi and Yamato should be able to handle any strange situations in case something does come up. Plus, Yamato can help them build the bridge much faster as well."

    Shikaku nodded in agreement.

    "Shall I inform the client of the changes?"

    "That would be a good idea. No change in the commission needed. We''ll pay the other team the same amount from my pocket. Consider it a last minute change on my end."

    Minato looked at the files and map once more.

    "It''s the least I can do. They can finally stop complaining at home about a proper mission now."

    Shikaku smiled as he collected the files.

    "I bet that must be quite a pain."

    Minato shook his head with a smile.

    "You have no idea. The kids complain about wanting to fight in real danger while their mother doesn''t believe they''re ready yet."

    "Sounds rough."

    Minato smiled and shook his head.

    "I love them all, so I just have to tolerate it."

    ********

    "I''m home!"

    Hii took off his shoes as he stepped into his home.

    "Hey, Hii-nii!"

    Moya came up to him and planned to give him a hug, but stopped halfway.

    "Eww! You smell like a barn!"

    "Well, I just came back from one. Let me clean up first."

    Hii started to go past her, but suddenly gave her a tight hug from behind!

    "Ewww! Get off! Get off!"

    "Hehehe! I missed you too!"

    "Geez!"

    Hii chuckled as he headed towards the bath.

    Hii quickly cleaned himself up and came back out to find Yozora, Henda, and Di standing near the bathroom.

    "Hey guys."

    "Nii-san!"

    "Hey, son! So you were in the bath! I should''ve just hopped on in."

    "No, you did not want to go in with me! I was smelling pretty bad!"

    "Rough mission?"

    "Haaa. I went to go help out on a farm."

    Di started to chuckle and shook his head.

    "You should''ve just stayed home. I could''ve used an extra set of hands with the orders coming in."

    "Next time, Grandpa! So? Who''s going in first?"

    Henda looked at Yozora and Di with a smile.

    "You two head in first. I wanna chat with Hii for a bit."

    "Okay."

    "Sure. Don''t take too long."

    Di and Yozora headed into the bathroom while Henda put his arm around Hii''s head.

    "My son has the same look his Mom has after a mission! Tired and bothered! You''re a true ninja now!"

    "Ack! Stop, Dad!"

    Hii no longer smell the scent of soap. Only the scent of sweat and smoke choked his senses!

    Hii finally broke out of his grip and waved the scent away.

    "Phew! You don''t smell much better than I did earlier!"

    "Ha! That''s what hard work smells like!"

    "Like smoke and armpits?"

    "Exactly like that!"

    Henda laughed and rubbed Hii''s head.

    "Jokes aside, has everything been going well?"

    "Yeah. Same old boring missions. Why?"

    Henda nodded his head and looked relieved.

    "I was just a bit worried about you. We''ve been having a lot of orders recently. Some of the ninjas told me that movements been happening in the other villages."

    "Well, it probably won''t have anything to do with me."

    Henda nodded his head and grabbed some towels nearby.

    "I hope so. Stay safe, son."

    "I will, Dad."

    Henda nodded his head and headed into the bathroom.

    Moya came next to him once again and gave him a quick sniff before she hugged him from the side.

    "Geez, Dad is such a worrywart."

    "Remember when he cried when I got my headband? That''s how he shows his love."

    Hii gave her a quick hug and looked at Moya.

    "Hmmmm."

    "What?"

    Moya''s curly blonde hair was starting to grow longer while her figure was shaping up.

    "Geez! My bratty sister is becoming a lady."

    "Hehe! We''re growing up, Hii-nii."

    "I guess Dad and I will have to fight off boys soon enough."

    "Ew! No one in my class needs Dad''s or your attention."

    Moya shook her head and looked at Hii with mischevious smile.

    "Speaking of relationships, how are you and Maka-nee doing?"

    "...Fine?"

    Moya sighed and pointed at Hii.

    "Nii-san! You gotta seal the deal! You two have been dancing around it for  long enough now. If you don''t settle it soon, you might lose her!"

    "...I''ll get right on it."

    "You better. I wonder how the wedding will go? Oh! I wonder if Dad will be crying more or Mom?! Hahaha!"

    ''You''re already thinking about the wedding?!"

    Hii watched his sister fantasize about his wedding with a cold sweat.

    *Bang*

    The two turned to the entryway and saw Kaya standing frozen at the doorway. Her eyes were staring blankly at the two of them.

    Hii and Moya looked at each other and looked back at Kaya.

    "Um? Welcome back?"

    Kaya just focused her gaze at Hii and calmly took off her shoes.

    Moya silently backed up from Hii slowly.

    "Hmm?"

    Hii turned to look at Moya, but suddenly felt a chill crawl down his back!

    He looked around to find the source, but it was too late!

    "My baby''s back!!"

    Kaya launched herself onto Hii and hugged him with all her strength!

    "Uwah!"

    Hii fell to the floor as Kaya locked her limbs around him!

    "Gah?! Mom?! What''s wrong?!"

    "Aah! I''m so happy my baby is back!"

    Kaya continued to squeeze Hii while Hii looked to Moya for assistance.

    *Clap*

    Moya clapped her hands and smiled.

    "Sorry, Nii-san! Yozora and I had to deal with her ever since your schedule clashed with hers. She hasn''t seen you for a while, so you just have to bear with it!"

    Moya quickly disappeared into her room, escaping out of sight!

    "What?!"

    "Hmm? What happened?"

    Yozora, Di, and Henda came back out from the bath and looked at Hii''s situation.

    "..."

    ""...""

    "My baby~!"

    They stared at each other in silence, then each of them slowly disappeared into their rooms!

    "Wait! Help me!"

    "Sorry, Nii-san."

    "Can''t help you with that one, son. She''s been missing you for a while now."

    "Consider it training in patience."

    All three of them dashed away, leaving Hii on the living room floor alone with Kaya!

    "Hehehe! My baby!"

    "...Haaa..."

    Hii sighed and just calmly wrapped his arms around his Mom.

    "Hehehe~!"

    Kaya giggled in delight as her grip tightened a bit more.

    Hii just patted her back as she held him close.

    "Long time no see, Mom."

    Riku came into the room and walked past the two.

    "Oh? You''re both back? I''ll make some food then."

    "Thanks, Mom!"

    Hii silently reached out to Riku, but she just shook her head.

    "She''ll drop off in about 15 minutes. Just wait patiently."

    Hii watched Riku disappear into the kitchen and sighed.

    ''I gotta stay home more often.''

    *********

    The next day, Hii headed over to the Hokage office while rubbing his back.

    "Mom has a death grip. I guess I hadn''t seen her in a while, but..."

    {Mothers always worry about their kids.}

    [Well, most do.]

    Hii continued to massage his back as he made his way towards the Hokage office.

    "Hm?"

    Hii looked up and noticed Maka and Shizuka looking rather excited.

    "Hey! I made it. What happened?"

    Shizuka turned to Hii and made a peace sign.

    "We finally have a C rank Mission! No more farming!"

    Hii was shocked at first, then a big smile came on his face!

    "Awesome! Do we know what we''re doing?"

    "Not yet! Dad told me a bit about it yesterday! We''re just waiting on Sensei to come now."

    Hii nodded his head and clenched his fists.

    ''We can finally get out of the village for a bit.''

    {I wonder where we''ll go?!}

    [....]

    ''Akumu? You okay in there?''

    [I''m fine. Just stay vigilant out there.]

    ''Of course.''

    Hii stretched his back as he waited for Yamato with Maka and Shizuka.

    "Sorry for the wait! Let''s head in!"

    Yamato appeared in front of them and quickly started to head into the Hokage building.

    Maka smiled as she followed after him.

    "Hehe! Even Sensei is fired up!"

    "I can''t blame him. Not after all those dull missions."

    Hii shook his head as he followed behind everyone.

    The group came close to the Hokage office door and soon heard yelling nearby.

    "Alright! We finally get a C rank mission!"

    "Shut up, Loser! Stop embarrassing yourself!"

    "Hey now, guys. Chill out!"

    Hii heard some familiar voices ahead of him and saw Maka and Shizuka shake their heads.

    "...Haaa. Those two..."

    "Can''t get along."

    "You two are only slightly better."

    The two turned to give him a mean look, but Hii just turned and admired the pictures on the wall.

    "Hey guys! You getting a mission too?!"

    Hii turned to see Naruto waving at them in front of the Hokage office door.

    "Yeah. It should be a higher ranked mission."

    "Alright! We should be getting one too!"

    Hii waved at Sasuke and Sakura, then slightly bowed to Kakashi.

    "Good to see you, Senpai."

    "Glad you made it, Tenzo."

    Yamato frowned and folded his arms.

    "I told you not to call me that."

    "Ah. Right. Well, let''s head on in."

    *Knock Knock*

    Kakashi knocked on the door once everyone was near.

    "Enter."

    The group headed inside and stood behind their Squad leader as they lined up in front of the Hokage desk.

    "Good. Glad you made it."

    Minato smiled as he looked at everyone for a moment.

    "Hehe!"

    He could see Naruto grinning from ear to ear and Shizuka smiling mischievously.

    ''Haaa. I hope they''ll be alright.''

    Minato closed his eyes for a moment and looked at them seriously.

    "I have a C rank mission for you two groups. You''ll be heading to the Land of Waves to protect a contractor building a bridge."

 Ch.71. C-Rank Mission

    Forestbear

    The groups looked excited as they heard the mission.

    "Finally! We can see the outside world for once!"

    "Geez! Calm down, Naruto!"

    Sakura reprimanded Naruto, but everyone could feel her excitement as well!

    Hii nodded his head with a smile.

    "It''s finally time! I can''t keep my excitement down either."

    "You don''t show it too often though."

    "Ahem."

    Everyone became silent after Kakashi cleared his throat. Well, except Shizuka.

    "It must be stuffy with that mask on all the time."

    "I''ll get by. Please continue explaining, Sensei."

    Minato nodded his head and picked up a folder from his desk.

    "Your objective will be in the Land of Waves. You will follow the client and assist in protecting him from external threats like bandits. This will be your first C rank mission, so proceed with caution on this one."

    The Genins nodded their heads and listened to the Hokage''s advice.

    "The client should be arriving here shortly. Make sure you''re on your best behavior. You represent the future of the Leaf, so act accordingly."

    Minato advised everyone, but they all could see his eyes focusing on Naruto and Shizuka.

    ""Yes, Sir!""

    Minato slowly nodded his head and withdrew his gaze.

    *Knock Knock*

    "Enter."

    Shikaku opened the door and let an older man walk into the room.

    "This is the client, Tazuna-san. Make sure to keep him safe."

    The old man with white hair looked around the room with a frown.

    "What is this, a daycare? I''ll be protected by brats?"

    "What was that?!"

    Naruto started to flare up, but Shizuka grabbed his shoulders before he could get any wilder.

    "Now now. No need to rush, little brother. We''ll just let a kunai fly daaangerously~ close to his head a few times. I''m sure he''ll soften up then."

    Tazuna shivers at Shizuka''s tone of voice and decisively stays silent.

    "Alright, that''s enough. I can assure you that these kids will be able to keep you safe. If the situation gets too dangerous, the squad leaders will be able to pick up the slack."

    "Thank you, Hokage-sama. I shouldn''t have judged them so soon."

    Tazuna bows his head low in appreciation and apology.

    Minato shakes his head.

    "There''s no need for that. Just make sure that you all do your jobs diligently, understood?"

    ""Yes Sir!""

    "You should head back and prepare for the trip. This mission will take some time to complete. Your teachers, however, will stay here with me for a moment. I must update them on something private."

    The kids and old man nodded their heads and headed out of the office.

    Kakashi and Yamato stood at attention as the two waited to be informed.

    "Be careful on this mission. The Akatsuki have been spotted having activity near the area."

    ""!!""

    The two men tensed up once they heard "Akatsuki".

    "Do you think they might try to intercept us in this mission, Hokage-sama?"

    Yamato asked Minato with a stern face, but Minato only shook his head.

    "I have no idea. Information on Jinchuuriki shouldn''t have been updated. Kushina should still be Konoha''s only Jinchuuriki. They should still be in the dark on Naruto as well as Hii. If you must engage, at least keep those two from being discovered."

    ""Understood!""

    Minato nods his head and dismisses the two.

    '' I hope nothing bad happens..."

    Minato sighed as he checked over the information once more, hoping his hunch was wrong.

    *********

    [I don''t like this.]

    Akumu shook his head as he laid on the floor, watching Hii pack the rest of his supplies for the mission.

    Fuyuki laid down next to him with an excited face.

    {Oh stop worrying so much! This should be fun!}

    "I''m excited! We can finally do a mission worthy of a ninja for once."

    [Look. I know you''re excited, but a real mission is going to be far more exhausting than you think.]

    "I''ll be careful. I have to put everything I''ve trained for to the test!"

    [Haaa. As long as you''re careful.]

    Hii clenched his fists with excitement!

    *Knock Knock*

    "Hii."

    "Ah! Mom?! What''s wrong?"

    Kaya came into Hii''s bedroom and looked at Hii with a concerned expression.

    "I came to give you some advice on a few things since you''re going near the Land of Water."

    "Oh! That would help!"

    Kaya sat down on Hii''s bed and lifted up her finger.

    "Rule number 1: When out on the field, Water is your friend and your enemy!"

    Kaya saw Hii nod his head and continued to explain.

    "I want you to look at any water source you find and imagine how you could take advantage of it if you had to. This will help you notice ambushes since if you can imagine it, someone can do it."

    Kaya raised another finger and continued.

    "Rule number 2: Always be aware of Mist and moisture! Mist Ninja are very good at ambushes and tracking! If you see any mist or feel moisture suddenly increase or decrease in the air, be on guard!"

    Hii nodded his head and she raised another finger.

    "Lastly, always be aware of where Naruto is at all times!"

    "Huh?!"

    Kaya sighed with her hand covering her face.

    "If he''s anything like his mother, he''s gonna be a trouble magnet. Try to keep him from going off on his own."

    "O-Okay. I''ll do my best."

    Kaya put her hand down and patted Hii''s head.

    "Make sure you and your comrades get back safe!"

    "Yes, Mom!"

    Hii was glad his mom had so much information. It would make the trip a lot less nerve-racking to know what to expect.

    "Right. Now for the main part."

    "Huh? You weren''t done?"

    Kaya put both of her hands on her face and sighed loudly.

    "Sadly no. You see, I''ve done quite a bit of bad things in that country. I''m gonna tell you about the clans and places you should definitely avoid, in case they figure out our relation."

    Hii then listened to his Mom as she began to tell him about the many different things she did when she was still allowed into the Land of Water.

    Hii was so shocked, he could barely close his mouth.

    "....."

    [...Really?! You used his technique to do that?!]

    {I can''t believe that! Why did you take their clothes?!}

    The stories kept going well into midnight before it ended for another time.

    **********

    The next day, the teams all met at the entrance of the village with their travel gear in tow.

    "Where did he go? Shouldn''t he be here by now?"

    Naruto held his hands behind his head, impatiently looking around for signs of him.

    "There''s still time before we are scheduled to get going. He can still make it."

    "Sorry! I had a hard time getting up!"

    Hii ran towards them, waving with his travel backpack jumping up and down behind him.

    "It''s not like you to be late. Did something happen?"

    "...."

    Hii looked at Yamato and Kakashi with a remorseful expression and slowly bowed his head deeply.

    "I''m sorry for the trouble my Mom caused for you guys."

    "".....""

    The two were shocked to hear those words from Hii while the others just grew confused.

    "Huh? What did Hii''s Mom do?"

    Naruto looked to Shizuka, but she was just as confused.

    "Hmmm? I''m...not really sure."

    Kakashi was the first to recover as he gave a wry smile through his mask.

    "It''s okay, Hii-kun. No need to apologize for your Mother''s...habits."

    Yamato, on the other hand, was nearly in tears.

    "I''m so glad someone from that family can actually apologize for her!"

    Yamato''s reaction only further confused the Genins as Hii just sighed in embarrassment.

    Tazuna just looked at the group and asked a question.

    "Um, can we go now?"

    Kakashi turned around quickly and scratched the back of his head.

    "Sorry! We''ll get ready to go right now! Everyone ready?"

    ""Yes!""

    The Genin all responded cheerfully as they held their stuff with excitement.

    "Alright, let''s head out!"

    The group started to walk down the path towards the Land of Waves.

    Maka came closer to Hii as they walked and whispered in his ear.

    "Hey. What happened back there with Kakashi and Yamato?"

    "...My Mom is a bit...problematic."

    "Huh?"

    Hii sighed and looked at her.

    "You should ask her next time you come by. She said she wanted to see you again anyway."

    Maka''s face blushed a bit and she nodded her head.

    "Okay! I''ll stop by and ask next time."

    Hii nodded his head and kept pace with the group. Shizuka came near them with a wily smile.

    "Ooh~? Already getting comfy with the parents, huh?"

    "Shut up!"

    Shizuka teased Maka as the other team looked back and watched.

    "Hehe! It feels just like class!"

    "Hmph."

    Naruto laughed as he saw his sister with a smile on her face while Sasuke grinned watching Maka''s expressions.

    "...How nice."

    Sasuke suddenly felt a strange shiver crawl down his spine as he heard Sakura. She was staring at Maka and Hii''s relationship with a bit of envy. She peeked at Sasuke out of the corner of her eye, but he quickly turned his head to face forward.

    Kakashi and Yamato merely shook their heads and kept walking in silence.

    The group continued to chat and tease each other until they came across a shaking bush on the path.

    *Rustle*

    Team 7 jumped up towards the bush while Team 9 fell back around Tazuna!

    "I got it!"

    Naruto quickly launched a shuriken into the bush, which intensified the shaking!

    *Rustle Rustle*

    A white bunny jumped out of the bush and quickly ran towards the other side of the road.

    "......"

    "...Well, that was underwhelming."

    Kakashi let out a sigh and looked over at Naruto with a wry smile.

    "You did get it. Good job."

    "Aww man!"

    "Hehehehehe!!"

    Natuto shook his head while Shizuka started to laugh loudly.

    "Shut up!"

    "Hehe! I''ll tell Mom you''re great at fighting bunnies! Hehehe!"

    The tension of the situation evaporated as they all started to laugh at the antics of the two.

    "Well then, we should continue."

    The group nodded as they picked their pace back up and continued on their journey.

    Kakashi and Yamato both noticed Tazuna''s face was getting stiffer and more scared as the group came closer and closer the Land of Waves.

    Kakashi and Yamato would glance at Tazuna from time to time, watching his expressions.

    Soon, the group walked on for some time and heard the bushes rustle once more.

    "Aww! Not again!"

    Naruto quickly grabbed a nearby rock and threw into the bushes.

    The bushes started to rustle more, making Naruto nervous.

    "Is it gonna be a rabbit again?!"

    "Don''t jinx yourself, Naruto."

    Hii tried to warn Naruto, but even he had difficultly keeping his face straight as four bunnies jumped out of the bushes this time.

    "Gaah! There are more of them?!"

    "Bwahahaha!"

    Shizuka couldn''t hold back as she howled with laughter.

    The others also chuckled along as the four bunnies shuffled around them playfully.

    "Aww! They''re so cute!"

    "They do look rather fluffy."

    The girls watched the rabbits hop around with glee while the boys just watched.

    "Ugh! I might really get a bunny nickname or something!"

    "Heh. Naruto, the bunny ninja."

    "Gah! Stop!"

    Naruto and Sasuke bickered as usual, but Hii couldn''t seem to calm down.

    ''This feeling...''

    Hii could feel small shivers come up and down his spine as he looked around warily.

    "...."

    "...."

    Kakashi and Yamato also both watched their surroundings more cautiously.

    After a while, Tazuna finally came forward to continue.

    "Hey! This isn''t a field trip! We should keep mov-"

    *Poof Poof Poof Poof*

    The four bunnies were suddenly all covered in smoke, transforming into four Hidden Mist ninjas!

    ""Eh?!""

    Two of the ninjas quickly rushed towards Kakashi and Yamato with kunais drawn!

    *Clang Clang*

    The teachers already pulled out their own kunais and blocked of the incoming attacks! They were pushed into the nearby forest, leaving the other two ninja to complete the mission.

    Hii turned and stepped in front of Tazuna quickly while pulling out a scroll.

    *Poof*

    His blade, Ame no Tsume, appeared out of the scroll as he quickly drew it and stood on guard.

    "Kill the target!"

    One of the Mist ninjas shouted before dashing into the group!

    The other ninja joined him, wanting to kill off the target as quickly as possible!

    "Nuh-uh!"

    "I won''t let you!"

    *Clang Clang*

    Shizuka and Naruto both attacked the ninjas, stopping their advance towards their teachers!

    "Sasuke! Go help Naruto! Sakura-chan! Watch over Tazuna-san with Hii!"

    "Right!"

    "O-Okay!"

    Maka, Sasuke, and Sakura moved quickly to their positions!

    "Tch! These brats!"

    "Ignore them!"

    The two ninjas tried to push past them, but Naruto quickly worked to stop them!

    Shadow Clone Jutsu!

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    10 clones of Naruto rushed in front of the ninjas and formed a wall, blocking them from Tazuna!

    "What?! He can use Shadow clones?!"

    The two ninjas shocked, but quickly tried to collect themselves and find a new way to Tazuna!

    The Genins, however, wouldn''t give them the luxury!

    "Haaa!"

    Sasuke dashed behind one of the Ninja and kicked him hard in the back!

    "Guh!"

    "Alright! My turn!"

    3 Naruto clones came forward towards the ninja and punched him in his chest and stomach!

    The Mist ninja was left gasping for air while Sasuke rushed up from behind again!

    "One more!"

    Sasuke jumped up and axe kicked him in the head for extra assurance!

    The ninja crashed into the ground with a thud!

    "This isn''t good!"

    The other Mist ninja tried to retreat, but he suddenly found himself unable to move.

    "Where did you plan on going after a surprise like this~?"

    Shizuka placed a stop seal on his back, keeping him in place!

    Maka rushed towards the ninja with burning rage!

    "On my mark~!"

    "I''m ready!"

    Shizuka jumped back and leapt towards the sealed ninja while Maka leapt at the same time!

    ""Double Roundhouse!""

    "Gwah!!"

    The ninja took two roundhouse kicks from the girls at the same time!

    "Ooooh~!"

    The Naruto clones winced at the impact as the ninja sank down to the ground.

    "That''s for posing as bunnies!"

    "Yeah!"

    The girls united in their anger while their brothers shook their heads.

    Hii looked around in silence, checking for signs of the teachers and any other ninjas.

    "We''ll protect you, Tazuna-san!"

    "I-I''m counting on you!"

    Sakura came and reassured Tazuna as Hii watched the surroundings.

    *Swoosh!*

    ""!!""

    The two heard movement coming towards them and moved to block it!

    Kunais came from a nearby bush, aimed straight towards Tazuna!

    "I''ll block it!"

    Sakura moved in front of the kunais and blocked them!

    *Swoosh Swoosh Swoosh*

    Two more kunai and a large shadow all shot towards Sakura at the same time from different directions!!

    "!!"

    "Sakura!"

    Naruto yelled out while Sasuke came beside her at high speed!

    "Sasuke!!"

    Hii moved to intercept the shadow as he saw Sasuke moved to assist Sakura.

    "Take my spot, Sasuke."

    "Right!"

    Sasuke pulled out his own kunai and blocked the other kunais with Sakura as the shadow swiftly approached them!

    Hii ran forward and engaged the Mist ninja in front of him!

    "Die!"

    The Mist ninja struck towards Hii, going for the kill!

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    Hii''s body quickly coated with Lightning and cut right through the kunai!

    "What?!"

    "Got you."

    Hii sliced down on the ninja''s shoulder, leaving a large gash!

    "Gaaah!!"

    The ninja slid down to the ground and held his wound. He had a problem gathering his breath as he stared at Hii with a dumbstruck expression.

    "Ugh! I lost to a brat?!"

    "I think I''m pretty strong for a brat though..."

    The ninja grit his teeth and tried to reach into his pouch to get even!

    "Huh?!"

    Roots suddenly shot up from the ground and held his hand and body tightly in place!

    "Well done, everyone. Looks like this part was cleaned up just fine."

    Kakashi came out of the bushes with Yamato, holding a Mist ninja under each of his arms!

    Naruto had a big grin on his face as he saw Kakashi.

    "Kakashi Sensei! You''re okay!"

    "Yep. No problems here."

    Shizuka put her hands on her hips and smiled at Yamato.

    "Did you have a fun time, Sensei~?"

    "Haaa. Can''t you be concerned for me like Senpai''s team?"

    Shizuka shook her head with confidence.

    "Now now, Sensei. We already know how strong you can be. If these guys beat you, then we''d laugh at you first before being concerned~."

    Yamato''s head sunk down while Kakashi chuckled a bit.

    "Your team seems pretty fun."

    "I don''t know how to take that, Senpai."

    ********

    The group of Mist Ninja were tied around a tree as Yamato tried to get information out of them.

    Kakashi and the Genin went to the side with Tazuna as they waited for any information.

    "So, do you mind telling us what is going on?"

    "W-What do you mean?"

    Kakashi turned to look at Tazuna, staring at him until Tazuna broke eye contact.

    "You might have your reasons, but endangering us any further without prior knowledge is unacceptable."

    "..."

    Tazuna sighed and began to explain the true circumstances of his town.

    "Our town used to be a very peaceful village up until a man named Gato came and started monopolizing all the trade coming into the village. I want to build a bridge so our village can be connected to the outside world beyond boat travel! We can get from under his grip as long as it can be made! I just didn''t expect his goons to get this far."

    "What?! This Gato guy has ninja as goons?!"

    Tazuna shook his head and explained further.

    "They are not his goons, but the goons of a partner that works with him. I don''t know who he is, but I heard he''s a scary looking guy with a large blade the size of his body. He also seems to wear a distinct cloak with red clouds over it."

    "!!!"

    Kakashi began to think about the situation with a serious face.

    ''This isn''t good. They were closer than we initially thought.''

    "Red clouds? What does that mean?"

    Naruto tilted his head in confusion as he tried to figure out what the big deal was.

    Shizuka, however, grew very concerned as she looked at Naruto. She remembered Minato telling her to watch out for people with those kind of cloaks.

    "Shizuka? Are you okay?"

    "Huh? Yeah! I''m fine! No worries!"

    Shizuka smiled at the concern from her friend, but Maka still kept an eye on her.

    Hii gazed at the Mist ninjas with intrigue as he listened to the information.

    ''I wonder what Water Jutsus they know that I don''t...''

    [Hii.]

    ''Hmm?''

    [Ask Tazuna if he had ever seen the guy with the big sword''s face.]

    Hii nodded his head and turned to Tazuna.

    "Tazuna-san. Has anyone seen the guy''s face before? The one with the sword?"

    "I haven''t seen it personally, but I''ve heard he had strange red markings over his mouth. Otherwise, he looks pretty normal besides his height."

    [Really?!]

    "Thank you, Tazuna-san."

    Hii went back to watching Yamato interrogate the ninjas as he continued to think.

    Kakashi watched Hii''s actions and immediately thought of Akumu.

    ''Perhaps he has some information on the man in question.''

    Akumu, on the other hand, was feeling a large headache coming on.

    [Why doesn''t that description match with my memory?! Who is that guy?!]

 Ch.72. A Complex Situation

    Hii looked confused as he heard Akumu.

    ''What do you mean? You don''t know who he is?''

    [I...I''m not too sure. I have an idea... But he shouldn''t be here at all!]

    {Well, you did say that things were different. We just have to roll with it.}

    [I don''t think rolling with it is gonna work on this guy!]

    {We can''t know if we don''t try, now can we?}

    [Haaa.]

    Hii decided to leave the two alone and walked over to Yamato.

    "Hey,Sensei? You need help?"

    Yamato turned around and pulled a flashlight under his face.

    Hii...didn''t know how to respond to this at all.

    "Don''t worry about it Hii-kun. I can easily handle this. We are talking rather nicely after all."

    Yamato had a sinister smile on his face as the ninjas tied to the tree all started to sweat in agreement.

    "I see. I''ll leave it to you then. Well, can I ask you something, Sensei?"

    "Sure. What is it?"

    "Do these guys know any Water Jutsu I don''t know?"

    Hii watched Yamato''s face contort in horror at the question.

    ''Why hasn''t he moved that flashlight away yet?''

    Hii, however, was unaware his question was one that started the first of many dreaded memories flooding in from Yamato''s memories

    Yamato let go of the flashlight and clasped Hii''s shoulders with a serious face.

    "Hii-kun."

    "Yes?"

    "I''ll be very thorough and make sure if they have anything that you might not know. Just leave it all to me, okay?"

    "Ugh, okay."

    Hii decided to leave it to Yamato and headed back over to Kakashi and the rest of the group.

    ''I have to make sure that Hii doesn''t end up like her!''

    Yamato nodded his head as he went back to interrogating the ninjas with his flashlight.

    "Did you learn anything?"

    Shizuka asked Hii, but he just shook his head.

    "Nope. Yamato-sensei said he got it. We just have to wait for him."

    The group looked over to see Yamato working the ninjas over extra hard now as the ninjas seemed to be sweating more than before as he yelled at them.

    Kakashi leaned over to Hii and whispered to him.

    "Hii-kun, what did you ask him exactly?"

    "Hmmm. I asked him if I could help and if they had any techniques I didn''t know."

    Hii kept gazing at Yamato, so he didn''t notice the shocked expression on Kakashi''s face.

    [Hii. You better watch out with that mindset.]

    ''Hmm?''

    {You''ll end up like Kaya-sama.}

    ''?!''

    Hii was shocked to hear he was just like his Mom!

    He wanted to say they were wrong, but he remembered his past few sentences. His innocent thoughts were just like how his Mom explained in those stories!

    ''I''ll be careful.''

    [Good.]

    {You can just follow her if you want. I kind of want to see how crazy you can get.}

    Hii shook his head as he ignored Fuyuki.

    "Sensei? Are you okay? You look out of it..."

    Hii turned to see Kakashi shaking his head and smiling.

    "I''m fine. Don''t worry about me."

    Kakashi looked over and found Yamato coming back to them. Kakashi could see on his face that the information he got was not ideal.

    "It looks like our situation, however, isn''t going to be so easy to overcome."

    *******

    The group moved closer towards the town and made camp a few hours away from the their destination.

    The group all sat near a campfire as they wrapped their heads around the situation.

    Naruto sat with his hands crossed, thinking as hard as he could. After a while, he looked up with a confident expression on his face.

    "I don''t have any ideas!"

    "Haaa..."

    "Seriously, Naruto?! At least throw something out there!"

    "Hahahahaha!!"

    Sasuke, Sakura, and Shizuka all responded while the others were still deep in thought.

    "Okay. Let''s go over the information again. Maybe something new might give us a better idea."

    Everyone nodded and looked to Yamato.

    "From what we got out of them, there is a group of rebel ninja from the Mist that follow a man named Juzo in the town. This man is one of the older members of the 7 Mist swordsmen, meaning his prowess is famous."

    The Genin nodded their heads.

    Yamato turned to Tazuna.

    "I believe Tazuna-san has more personal information on what''s going on in the town."

    Tazuna picked up a nearby dry branch and tossed it into the fire.

    "We tried to start a rebellion against Gato, despite the odds. Most people were too scared to go against him, but my son-in law still tried for the sake of the town."

    Kakashi nodded his head.

    "Right. You said his name was...Kaiza, correct?"

    "Yes. I tried to stop him, but he insisted on doing what was right."

    Tazuna bent his head and stared into the fire.

    "He got beaten and crippled by those goons. Even then, he never backed down. He kept his belief in his heart, no matter what. I thought we were gonna  lose him."

    "Instead, someone came and saved him?"

    Tazuna had a wry smile on his face as he recalled the scene.

    "Saved is a strong word. It was more along the lines of convenient help. A tall man with bandages over his face came and attacked Juzo just as they tried to execute Kaiza. Well, thanks to him and three with him, Juzo and Gato were pushed back and had to fend them off. A neighbor and I managed to get Kaiza back as well during the commotion, but he was barely hanging on."

    Yamato folded his arms and slowly nodded.

    "So the situation is unstable right now due to the two groups?"

    "Correct. I don''t know how long the stalemate will last, but I couldn''t just sit around and do nothing!"

    "That''s why you made the mission."

    Tazuna nodded his head and sighed.

    "I''m sorry for dragging you all into this mess."

    "Well, it''s too late to worry about it now. We can only think of solutions from here on. Now our next problem is going to be how we get into the town with little to no suspicion."

    Kakashi brought up a finger as he explained.

    "The main problem is we must appear as non-combatants. A third party entering into the fray suddenly will have explosive results, which we don''t want for the people of the town."

    The group all sighed as they arrived back at square one.

    "How can we do this?"

    Everyone kept thinking of an idea, but no one seemed to come up with a good one.

    "Gah! I can''t think of anything like that! Why can''t I just think of stuff like cool Jutsus?!"

    "Pfft! You want to think about Jutsus?! The only thing you created is..."

    Shizuka suddenly stood up!

    "That''s it!!"

    ""?""

    Everyone looked over at Shizuka with questions as she walked over to Naruto and put her arm over his shoulders.

    "We just have to treat it like a prank! That would be a lot easier for you, right Naruto?"

    "Y-Yeah! I think I can figure something out if it''s like a prank!"

    Shizuka nodded her head in delight, making cold sweat appear on Naruto''s brow. He knew what this look meant!

    It meant Shizuka had a weakness of his!

    "So what kind of prank should we use to get in?"

    Naruto thought extra hard as the smile on his sister''s face was getting wider and wider!

    "Huh?! Wait! I got it!"

    Naruto was soon struck with a great idea and smiled.

    "How about we do it like this?"

    Naruto explained the scenario, getting some approving nods from the team leaders.

    Kakashi folded his arms and went over the details.

    "It''s definitely unique."

    Yamato raised his hand as a question came to him.

    "Senpai and my roles are pretty much set, but what roles will you guys play?"

    "Hehehe!!"

    Everyone turned to see Shizuka smiling eerily as she looked at Naruto.

    "Wasn''t there an interesting Jutsu you''ve been working on, Naruto?"

    The group could see Naruto growing pale as Shizuka was enjoying every second of it.

    "Why don''t you show us this amazing Jutsu?"

    ********

    The boat arrived in the Land of Waves slowly as Tazuna looked at his home.

    He turned around and looked at Kakashi and Yamato.

    "We will be arriving soon. You guys ready?"

    Tazuna couldn''t help, but worry a bit as he remembered the plan.

    Yamato stood up with his new disguise on.

    He now had black hair, a small moustache, and a black and red jacket.

    "Don''t worry. We should be able to pull this off just fine."

    Kakashi shook his head in amusement. He was now dressed in a green jinbei, looking rather artistic with brown hair, shades, and no mask.

    "Even if this doesn''t work, the memory of this is going to last for quite a while."

    The boat reached the dock of the town while they conversed.

    "It''s time. Let''s get ready then."

    "Right, Senpai!"

    Tazuna expertly parked the boat and jumped out. He then got a few planks if wood and spread them into a ramp off the boat.

    Kakashi and Yamato both walked out from the ramp and looked back onto the boat.

    They continued to wait for a few more seconds, but no one came off the boat.

    They looked at each other and back at the boat.

    "Come on! We don''t have all day!"

    The two watched the boat for a few seconds until they saw someone appear.

    A blond haired girl slowly walked from the boat to the dock. She wore twintails, had whiskers on her cheeks, and was dressed in an orange kimono. She also had a sunflower ornament on her right twin tail.

    "Sorry~! I''m ready now!"

    Naruko gave Yamato and Kakashi a peace sign while they had wry smiles on their faces.

    "Where are the others?"

    "Well, Sasuki is hiding in the boat and Hiyo went to drag her up."

    The group saw the boat rocking intensely for a little while before a two figures could be seen.

    "Ahh! Let me go!"

    "I managed to grab her! Come on, Sasuki! You''re not the only one embarassed here!"

    "...."

    The group watched as two other girls came off the boat from the ramp and joined the group.

    One of them was a black haired girl who wore a dark blue kimono. Her face was pretty even with a grumpy frown as she was dragged by the other girl. She had a sakura blossom hairpin on one of her long bangs.

    The other girl had a black and white kimono, tanned skin, and long white hair. Her long bangs were pushed back with a hairband covered in a lotus design as she calmly moved with impressive grace.

    "Okay! We should be ready to go now."

    Tazuna sighed as he shook his head.

    "I can''t believe a kid thought of something like this."

    "Only a loser like him could think this kind of idea up."

    Sasuki glared at Naruko, but she wasn''t fazed at all.

    Naruko faked a shocked expression as she looked at Sasuki.

    "*Gasp*! I''m sorry! I don''t remember you coming up with something? You have to think faster next time, Sasuki!~!"

    "Grrr! Naruko!"

    "Now now. Let''s just get our job done so we can get out of this get-up, okay?"

    "Yes~!" "...Fine."

    Tazuna looked at the three in shock.

    "...You three are surprisingly good at this..."

    All three looked at him with fake smiles on their faces.

    ''""Sisters."""

    "...I see."

    Tazuna turned and lead the group into the town.

    The group walked in with no problems, but they could feel eyes watching them from a distance.

    Yamato was already in character as he looked through the town with his fingers making a frame around his eye.

    Kakashi just watched him act as he surveyed the area.

    ''There are already quite a few eyes watching us. Is this from Gato''s group or the other group?''

    Hiyo watched her surroundings carefully as she walked calmly after Yamato.

    [.....]

    ''Not a word, Akumu. This is already embarrassing enough.''

    {But you''re rocking it! The Jutsu didn''t even change you that much!}

    ''You too, Fuyuki.''

    Hiyo held in a sigh as they got closer to the house.

    "Hey! Tazuna! Haven''t seen you in a while."

    Two goons walked up to Tazuna as they were close to his home.

    Tazuna''s face grew tense as he became defensive.

    "What do you want?!"

    The man chuckled with his hands in his pockets.

    "Just wanted to remind you of something. Boss advises you keep yourself away from building any bridges. That''s fair warning, alright? Who knows what will happen to your family if you do..."

    "Tch!"

    "I would heed his warning if I were you. Some pretty scary guys has been attacking nowadays. Never know where one might turn up."

    The goon looked over suspiciously at Yamato. Yamato looked at him as if he was gauging a surveying a painting.

    "Who are the weirdos behind you? You decided to get some help defying Boss?!"

    The two goons looked over at the teachers behind Tazuna with aggressive gazes.

    Yamato stepped forward with a stern face and looked directly at the man.

    "We... are here to make the greatest calendar in all the land!!"

    "...Huh?"

    The goons were confused, and so were the ninjas watching from afar. Yamato struck a pose as he stared at the goons with released vigor.

    "We have had year after year of mundane pictures of the other lands, but they''ve all grown dull! I want to breathe new life into the stale world of calendars and the world brought me here to fulfill it! The water! The rivers! The view! I''ve only seen so little and I hunger for more! I shall give the Land of Waves the title of the ideal calendar background it deserves and spread it all over!"

    Yamato''s aura spiked ferociously as his passion burst forth!

    The goons had blank faces as they stared at him.

    "Uhh...huh?"

    "I even managed to find 3 beautiful girls to fill my pictures with emotion! The scenery combined with their personalities and figures will give rise to a new standard of calendar! I can feel it in my soul!"

    The goons started to slowly back away as Yamato''s aura seemed to get brighter and brighter.

    "...Uh. Okay then. J-Just don''t cause any trouble or we''ll come for you, got it?!"

    Yamato bowed up and down with intense enthusiasm!

    "Thank you very much! I will be sure to make this land shine with my assistant and models! Look forward to it!"

    "Models?"

    The goons looked back at the mention of models this time and felt their jaws touch the ground!

    ''Where did he find them?!''

    ''S-So cute!''

    The goons just stared at the girls as they took in as much as their eyes could hold!

    Naruko gave them a playful wink.

    Hiyo graced them with a shy smile.

    Sasuki clicked her tongue and looked away, not bothering with them.

    "Haha! If you think they''re beautiful now, just wait until you see them with more artistic flare! I assure you will love it!"

    ""Oooh!""

    The goons became excited at the thought!

    "I''ll buy one when they come out!"

    "Me too!"

    Yamato nodded his head and laughed.

    "Of course! If you''ll excuse us, we must get settled in and find appropriate backdrops for our pictures."

    "Of course! Good luck!"

    "Let us know if you need any help!"

    The goons quickly got out of the way as the group continued on to Tazuna''s home.

    No one said anything as they safely arrived with no more distractions.

    ''......''

    [You have fans now.]

    ''Don''t! Please.''

    {I''m pretty sure they were staring real hard at you! I wonder what month you''ll get for the calendar?!}

    [They should get 4 each. Maybe the winter months?]

    {I can see him with a Yukata at a summer festival vibe!}

    [Oh! I can see that too!]

    ''Uuuuugh!''

    Hii tried hard to fight the embarrassment as Tazuna knocked on his door.

    "Tsunami! Inari! I''m back!"

    "Grandpa!"

    The group saw a young boy with a hat open the door and give his Tazuna a hug.

    "Hoho! You''ve gotten bigger again since the time I was gone, Inari! You''ll be as big as me one day before you know it!"

    Inari smiled as his Grandpa rubbed his head.

    "We''ll have some guests staying with us for a little while. The two men behind me are Yamato-san and Kakashi-san. The girls are-."

    "Naruko!"

    "Hiyo."

    "...Sasuki."

    The three Genin filled in for Tazuna as he nodded his head.

    "Right! Sorry about that. They''ll be staying with us for a while, so be sure to get along with them."

    "...Okay, Grandpa."

    Inari went back into the house as Tazuna laughed.

    "Gahaha. Not many girls around here, so he''s a bit nervous. He''ll probably be more comfortable once you turn back. Come on in and we''ll get you settled."

    The group followed after Tazuna into the house.

    "...This trip seems to be a lot more complicated than I thought."

    Hii tried to keep himself from sighing, but this Jutsu seemed to get more and more dangerous for him by the second.

    *********

    The group all sat down and also met Tazuna''s daughter, Tsunami, inside.

    "It''s a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Tsunami. I hope you enjoy your stay here."

    Tsunami introduced herself, but looked to her father with a questioning gaze.

    Tazuna smiled and shook his head.

    "Don''t worry. I got proper help. They just had to find a way to get in unnoticed."

    Yamato and Kakashi both nod their heads and release the Jutsu!

    *Poof Poof*

    The team leaders reverted back into their mission gear, surprising Tsunami and Inari.

    "Sorry about that. My name is Kakashi Hatake. This is Yamato, the other team leader. We''re here to help Tazuna finish his bridge."

    "Thank you for your help! I was afraid Father would do something stupid if left on his own."

    The two greet Tsunami, who becomes more visibly relieved that they can actually help.

    The girls all first removed their hair clips and placed them on the nearby couch.

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    Sakura, Maka, and Shizuka all appeared out of the smoke.

    "Ahhh! Freedom!"

    "I think I should''ve taken Sasuke''s place."

    "....."

    Maka and Shizuka both stretched their limbs while Sakura just stared at Sasuki. Sasuki face became bright red as he looked over at Kakashi.

    "Tch! Can we release this already?!"

    Naruko shrugged his shoulders while Hiyo nodded his head.

    "I don''t know. I''m kinda starting to enjoy it a bit."

    "We should probably release it."

    Shizuka turned her head quickly and protested!

    "No~! I haven''t seen enough of Hiyo yet!"

    Shizuka came forward and hugged Hii, stopping him from releasing the technique.

    Maka looked over at Hii and blushed a little.

    "I-I prefer Hii in his original form..."

    Maka muttered quietly under her breath, but Shizuka suddenly let Hiyo go and pushed Maka over towards her!

    "Oh~? I''ll give you the front row seat then~!"

    Maka froze for a few seconds as she was forced to stare into Hii''s eyes up close. Hii could see her face rapidly turning redder and redder. Hii turned to Shizuka while patting Maka''s head.

    "Stop playing, Shizuka. We have to be serious here."

    "I''ll get serious when you turn back to a boy~."

    Hii sighed and pulled Maka off of him slowly.

    "You okay?"

    "Huh? Y-Yes! I''m okay!"

    Hii smiled and started to release the Jutsu.

    Sasuke quickly followed after him with Naruto being the last to release.

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    The three took their original appearances again, surprising Inari and Tsunami once more.

    Sasuke had a vicious scowl on his face as he crossed his arms.

    "I''m not doing that again."

    Hii turned to him while stretching.

    "You''ll have to. We need to survey the area and gather information. We can''t be boys while we check everything out."

    Sasuke clicked his tongue and looked away.

    "You and Naruto can go then."

    "Come on, Sasuki~! It''s no fun unless all three of us do it."

    Sasuke glared back at Naruto, but was splendidly ignored.

    The girls started to laugh seeing the three boys enjoy their role. Well, at least two of them didn''t mind it.

    Maka put a finger to her chin and looked at Sasuke.

    "I thought Sasuke was pretty cute."

    The other girls nodded their heads, including Tsunami.

    "Tch!"

    Sasuke turned his back completely to them, ignoring their opinions.

    "This is all your fault, Naruto!"

    Naruto chuckled dryly as he rubbed his head.

    "I-I didn''t think Nee-san saw me practicing that Jutsu. My bad."

    Hii shrugged his shoulders.

    "Meh. It wasn''t that bad."

    The girls soon came around Hii with sparkling eyes!

    "Hii! You have to let us style your hair the next time you transform, okay!"

    "Yeah! We''ll make you super cute!"

    "...Haa. Just don''t go overboard."

    The girls squealed in delight as they chatted about what they could do.

    Sasuke came over to Hii with a confused look on his face.

    "Hii. Aren''t you... a little too okay with this?"

    Hii looked over at Sasuke, making him flinch. Hii''s eyes seemed to be filled with desolation and helplessness.

    "You wouldn''t understand, Sasuke. Since my little sister''s hair wasn''t easy for my mom to work with at first, she had to start somewhere. It became a punishment soon enough so she could get ahold of me easier. I''ve been a doll for girls a whole lot longer than you think."

    Sasuke and Naruto were shocked as they could feel the despair from Hii''s voice.

    Hii felt two hands falls on his shoulders.

    "Sorry, Hii-Nii."

    "Yeah. It...wasn''t that bad."

    "...Thanks. Let''s just get through this with some class at least."

    Hii shook his head of his dark thoughts and looked towards Tazuna.

    "If you don''t mind, Tazuna, I would like to go see Kaiza-san."

    Tazuna and Tsunami became tense while Inari frowned. Tazuna looked up at the room Kaiza was in and sighed.

    "Why would you want you want to go in there?"

    Tazuna looked towards Hii and noticed he was smiling.

    "I didn''t mention it before, but Sakura and I have studied medical techniques. We might be able to get him back on his feet."

 Ch 73. Way Of Life

    Hii and Sakura followed Tsunami into Kaiza''s room upstairs. Tsunami came to the door and knocked lightly before entering.

    "Kaiza. We have guests."

    "....Okay."

    The two entered into the room and saw a sight that made Hii frown and Sakura gasp.

    Kaiza laid on the bed covered in bandages, unable to move at all. His face, however, had a natural smile like nothing was wrong.

    "Sorry that I can''t greet you properly like this. I''m Kaiza. Thank you for protecting Tazuna-san."

    "It''s fine, Kaiza-san. We came to fulfill the mission, but we also wanted to see if we could fix your wounds with our abilities if possible."

    "Go right ahead. Don''t feel bad if it doesn''t work. A nearby doctor already told me the worst."

    Tsunami bows her head towards Hii and Sakura in gratitude and left the room quietly. Sakura looked sad as she saw Kaiza''s wounds. Hii cleared his mind and looked over to Sakura.

    "Okay, Sakura-chan. Let''s check his body first for all the wounds we can heal now before we check the more severe areas."

    "R-Right!"

    Hii took the lead and headed over to Kaiza''s side. He reached his hand out to his chest and slowly began to spread chakra inside his body.

    [Make sure you do it slowly. You don''t want to jolt any organs or broken bones as you scan it.]

    {This reminds me of one of my old shows! I wonder how they ended?}

    [Probably in tragedy. You always did like drama.]

    {Shut up! You always watched those detective shows and I never said anything!}

    Hii decided to ignore the two as he focused on what his chakra could feel. His face slowly became grim as he assesed the damage.

    ''I see. His arms are broken in several places. So are his legs. The biggest problem though is his spine. It seemed to be fractured near the middle of his back. This is why he can''t move. Other than the cuts and bruises, that seems to be it. He''s lucky to be alive.''

    Hii pulled his hand away and backed off of Kaiza.

    "Sakura. Heal any small wounds you can feel on his body."

    "Yes!"

    Sakura weaved her Jutsu and placed her hands on Kaiza''s body slowly.

    Hii watched her circulate her Chakra and saw that Kaiza''s complexion was improving over time.

    Sakura was soon becoming haggard as sweat started to pour from her body. She continued the treatment for 15 minutes before Hii slowly pulled her off.

    "That''s enough. We''ll continue to heal him up more tomorrow. It''s my turn now, so go downstairs and get some rest."

    Sakura slowly stopped her Jutsu and nodded her head. She teetered her way towards the door while Hii opened it for her.

    "Sasuke! Come get Sakura-chan so she can lie down!"

    Hii yelled down the stairs and waited for a response.

    "Tch!!"

    "Thanks!"

    Hii patted Sakura''s shoulder and winked before he closed the door.

    He swore he heard "thank you" come from behind him, but he paid it no mine.

    Hii approached Kaiza and looked over his wounds once more.

    Kaiza''s eyes could catch a glimpse of his grim face and smiled.

    "You don''t have to help me. Just make sure Inari and the people are all treated better. I know I might not be able to move ever again. I can come to grips with that, so don''t beat yourself up so much."

    Kaiza looked at Hii with a resolute gaze while Hii ignored him.

    Hii reached into his pouch, pulled out a hair tie, and started to gather his long hair together behind his head.

    "Your wounds are severe, but I will make sure you are able to move again. It will just take time....and a lot of pain on my part."

    Hii tied his hair into a ponytail and looked into Kaiza''s eyes.

    "I''m going to start now. You might feel a bit uncomfortable, but I assure you will feel much better afterwards. Your spine is injured, so we will start with that today. For the next treatment, what part would you like healed the most?"

    Kaiza stared at Hii for a long while, but Hii didn''t move his gaze. Kaiza could see the determination in his eyes and looked back at the ceiling.

    "...My right arm. I want to be able to rub Inari''s head once more."

    Hii nodded his head and weaved a seal.

    ''Fuyuki. I need you to get out for a while.''

    {Okay. Don''t do too much. You can''t pass out on a mission.}

    Fuyuki slowly appeared out of Hii under the bed, raising the room temperature a bit.

    Akumu also appeared from Hii''s shadow, and quickly fired a ball of his chakra into his body. Hii shivered slightly as he absorbed it and breathed in.

    ''Let''s get this done.''

    [Alright. Start when you''re ready.]

    Medical Palm Jutsu!

    Hii''s hands began to glow green with Chakra and placed them on Kaiza''s chest.

    ''Begin.''

    The green light slowly changed into a black light as Hii quickly felt the pain.

    Gritting his teeth, Hii continued to pour Chakra into Kaiza''s body.

    "Uh?!"

    Kaiza felt the strange sensation as Chakra much stronger than the girl before swarm through his body, focusing on his spine.

    "Ugh!"

    He grunted from slight pain, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter. He realized he started to feel his limbs again!

    "Gggghhh!!"

    Hii''s body was covered in cold sweat as the first treatment was nearly done.

    [Almost there! Hold on a bit longer!]

    Hii continued the treatment for as long as he could, enduring the severe pain!

    After a few more moments, the black light disappeared entirely as Hii dropped to his knees.

    "Haaa, Haaa, Haaa."

    [Good job! He should be able to feel his body completely now. It probably hurts, but that''s better than being numb.]

    Fuyuki jumped back into Hii''s body from under the bed. The warm sensation made him feel a bit better.

    {Are you okay?! You''re sweating up a storm right now!}

    ''Yeah. I''m fine. Healing a spine was a lot more painful than I thought! I just need a breather now.''

    Hii wiped the sweat off his brow as a smile formed on his face.

    ''If I get better at enduring the pain, I''ll be able to use Akumu''s power as well. I have to take this chance.''

    [....]

    {I, really don''t want you to use Akumu''s chakra again. You should just stick to mine.}

    Hii ignored them as he slowly stood up and looked at Kaiza.

    "How are you feeling, Kaiza-san?"

    "Horrible. My arms and legs hurt like hell and these bandages are getting itchy."

    Kaiza bluntly informed Hii, but Hii still smiled as Kaiza''s face was flooded with tears.

    "I,I can feel all my limbs again."

    Kaiza slowly turned his head towards Hii. Despite the pain of moving, Kaiza''s expression was ecstatic as he couldn''t move at all before.

    "Thank you so much."

    Hii caught his breath and nodded his head.

    "No need for that. You can thank me once you can get out of bed. I''ll let your wife take care of your bandages since you said they itched."

    Hii made his way over to the door and slowly went downstairs.

    [You should take your time with the healing process. Haste makes waste, you know.]

    ''You know I can''t do that. I have to be able to take the pain. You never know when it will be necessary to use either of your power.''

    [You don''t have to rush it! We don''t want what happened to you last time to happen again.]

    {Right! You couldn''t do anything to fight that!}

    Hii remembered his attempt to use Akumu''s chakra just like he did with Fuyuki. They tried it in the middle of the day.

    Fuyuki''s drawback was burning of the body, while Akumu''s drawback was just as bad.

    Hii couldn''t move his body for nearly 10 minutes the first time he tried to use it for only a few seconds. His teeth chattered as he laid on the ground. His muscles clenching and releasing in a neverending spiral of pain, yet his body showed no signs of injury.

    He couldn''t heal himself. He could only grit his teeth and endure.

    ''I didn''t forget how bad it was, but I have to do it. If Fuyuki can only be used safely at night, I have to get used to using Akumu during the day.''

    {I understand the idea, but the pain you were in-!]

    ''The pain is only temporary, but the power could save someone''s life, or even my own! I can''t let that possibility exist without being able to use it.''

    [...Haaa. Let''s just see how well you do with healing Kaiza. If your endurance increases while you heal him, we can try again.]

    {Takashi!! You''re gonna let him do that to himself?!}

    Akumu was silent for a moment as Hii got to the bottom of the stairs.

    [He has to grow stronger so he can use us. The road ahead is only going to have stronger and stronger opponents. Even that Aeon guy I saw felt like he was out of my league. We need each other to bring out our full potential. It wasn''t going to be easy in the first place.]

    ''Thank you!''

    {But still....}

    [Don''t thank me yet. I might be giving you permission now, but understand something. We are a secret to the world for only a few at this time. Once we become known, who knows how the world will react. This is especially bad for you, since you are not an ordinary Jinchuuriki, but one we chose to reside in from their point of view.]

    ''.....''

    [The other villages will respond in different ways to your existence. It may be a deterrent for some, or a reason to attack for others. Just know if you use us and still can''t get out of danger, we  will be letting our presence known. Got it?]

    ''...I understand.''

    Hii could feel the weight of Akumu''s trust bearing on his mind.

    ''I have to be able to endure it. I have to!''

    "Hey, Hii-Nii! You okay?"

    "Huh? Yeah! Yeah, I''m fine."

    Hii shook his head as Naruto greeted him in the living room. He could see Sakura laying down on the couch with a grumpy Sasuke watching over her.

    "I''m just a bit tired from the treatment."

    Shizuka leaned against the wall and snorted.

    "Hmph! Yeah right! You look like if you dropped on the floor, you  wouldn''t be able to get up again."

    "You should go lay down too. You look worse than Sakura-chan."

    Maka came up to him with a tinge of worry as she dragged him over to a nearby chair.

    "Maka, I''m fine. Just a bit winded."

    "Just sit down and rest a bit, okay? You won''t be of help if you''re tired."

    Maka stared at Hii with concern, causing him to sigh and sit down.

    Kakashi watched the interactions with a smile and looked at Yamato.

    He motioned to the side with his head and Yamato came towards the corner with him.

    "What is it, Senpai?"

    Kakashi looked over at Hii and sighed.

    "That kid is really special."

    Yamato smiled with a toothy grin.

    "Sakura-chan is pretty good as well. I heard she picked up a lot from him during their time at the academy."

    Kakashi nodded his head and looked up towards Kaiza''s room.

    "He shouldn''t have been able to help him, but he came down with a satisfied expression. The power of those two is extraordinary to say the least."

    Yamato nodded his head in agreement.

    "The drawback, however, is intense. The price to pay for power."

    Kakashi nodded his head as well and looked back at Yamato.

    "We need to start gathering information. We should get some locations ready and bring them out tomorrow to keep our cover."

    "Roger, Senpai! I already have a few locations marked for the photos."

    Yamato pulled out a marked map and showed Kakashi.

    Kakashi looked at the map for a moment, then back at Yamato.

    "You...are getting really into this idea."

    "I think I can really make it happen, Senpai!"

    Kakashi sighed and shook his head.

    "As long as it doesn''t get in the way of the mission."

    Yamato nodded his head with a smile as Kakashi turned to see Maka watching Hii like a hawk. Hii seemed to be more tired than he thought as he immediately went to sleep after sitting down.

    He then turned to see Sasuke doing the same for Sakura, although he didn''t show it.

    Shizuka and Naruto both smiled and whispered to each other as they poked fun at the two.

    Kakashi chuckled and cracked his neck.

    "Well. We should go and check out the areas for the shoot then."

    "Roger!"

    *******

    Naruto slowly walked up the stairs to Kaiza''s room.

    He hadn''t seen the kid or his sister for a while after he took a quick nap. He decided to check if they were upstairs. His mind went towards Kaiza as well, wondering if he would be okay.

    ''I wonder if they could really heal him. It''s sad that he got hurt.''

    Naruto looked down at the stairs he stood on, deep in thought.

    ''I wonder if he can go back to how he used to be. He tried to protect his town, but no one thanked him...''

    Naruto started to get feel down as he thought of the haggard face Minato usually had after coming home.

    ''Ah! Don''t think about that. Let''s find Nee-san first!''

    Naruto nodded his head and tightened his resolve.

    He continued up the stairs towards Kaiza''s room when he saw Shizuka standing near the door.

    "Ne-!"

    Naruto almost yelled out, but Shizuka quickly closed the gap and held his mouth shut with her hand.

    "Shhhh..."

    She shushed him and pointed towards the door with her head.

    Naruto noticed the door was cracked and looked back at Shizuka.

    She silently dragged him over to the side while he brought his face close to peek in.

    "Why did you do it?!"

    Naruto could see Inari back while he was talking to Kaiza, bottling some strong emotions.

    "Why did you fight them on your own?! If you would''ve waited, we could''ve helped you!"

    Inari''s voice nearly cracked as he asked Kaiza.

    Kaiza could only chuckle softly, then grunt from the pain.

    "I wouldn''t allow them any chance to hurt the town, Tsunami, or you. I had to act."

    "...."

    Kaiza slowly turned his head to Inari, shocking him as he couldn''t do that before!

    "I wasn''t going to let them just hurt my new family while I did nothing. I wouldn''t stand for it."

    "...Why?! Couldn''t we just run away?"

    Inari couldn''t understand him, but Kaiza just chuckled more.

    "You remind me a bit of myself. I can tell you''re going to be the stubborn type."

    "...."

    "I didn''t want to lead a bad example for you. This was a problem you can''t run from."

    Kaiza gazed back at the ceiling with a smile.

    "Even if I died, I would never go back on my word."

    "!!"

    "I wanted to make sure you saw that a real man has to go against the odds sometimes. Even if I had a second chance, I''d do it again if it meant you two and everyone were safe."

    Kaiza began to laugh a bit before coughing and grunting from his wounds.

    "It didn''t end well for me, but I don''t regret it. Fate made a way for me to stay with you after all."

    Inari could see relief on Kaiza''s face, despite how he looked. He didn''t even realize his own tears were falling down.

    "Above all, I''m glad you wanted to stand up to them. I don''t want you to grow up too fast now, but you''re on your way to being a fine man."

    Inari started to sniffle and could barely see Kaiza beyond his tears.

    "T-Thank y-you, Dad!"

    "You''re welcome, son. If all goes well, I should be able to pat your head again soon."

    Inari continued to cry as Naruto and Shizuka watched from the hallway.

    "...To never go back on your word..."

    Shizuka heard Naruto mumbling to himself in deep thought and smiled.

    She patted her little brother''s head, making him look at her.

    "It''s a fine way to live."

    Naruto stared at her for a moment and slowly nodded.

    He turned and headed back down the stairs to think about what he just heard.

    ''Naruto is growing up more and more each day.''

    Shizuka had a bright smile on her face, remembering the mature look he had while deep in his thoughts.

    ''He reminds me of Dad when he thinks about reports at home. I guess he just might have the right stuff to be Hokage.''

    Shizuka''s smile started to disappear as she remembered her own way of life.

    ''My life can truly begin when he dies.''

    Her gaze grew cold as she remembered it all.

    The blood.

    The screams.

    The madness.

    All of it will be behind her once his corpse was in front of her.

    "Orochimaru..."

    Shizuka''s knuckles popped from the pressure of her clenched fist in cold anger.

    She turned to look back at the father and son moment behind her, relaxing her fists.

    She took a deep breath, and slowly let it out.

    ''Now isn''t the time. I will find him soon enough. I just have to be ready when I do.''

    Shizuka shook her head lightly and continued to watch Inari as he fell asleep next to his father''s bed.

    *********

    *Crash*

    A bottle of sake burst against a wall as a short man rampaged in his office.

    "Damn it! Where the hell did that bandage freak and his crew come from?! They''re ruining everything!!"

    The man continued to fling other objects around the room in a rage. His goons didn''t dare say anything as they only dodged any objects coming their way.

    "Yeah. This is getting on my nerves more and more."

    The raging man stopped abruptly as a calm voice echoed in his ears.

    He quickly turned around to find a tall man looming over him with a large blade the same height as him.

    "J-Juzo-sama! Did you manage to find out who dared to stop us?!"

    Juzo sighed and passed Gato as he headed towards a couch nearby. Gato followed behind him like a little duckling followed behind its mother.

    "Haaah~! I know exactly who it is that''s coming for me. I just didn''t think time passed by so quickly."

    Juzo put his blade next to the couch and laid back.

    "The little demon grew up into a big one, eh?"

    "L-Little demon?! He must be strong! Are you confident in-"

    Juzo gazed over at Gato and shut him up with a glance.

    Gato felt as if he was held under freezing water as his body shivered intensely.

    "I have no problem killing him. A good number of older Mist ninjas are under me now. His group won''t be able to take us all on."

    "Ooh! I knew you would be able to handle him, Juzo-sama!"

    Gato rubbed his hands as he smiled at Juzo.

    ''Hmph. I''m glad you''re happy. You won''t live long anyway.''

    Juzo rolled his shoulders as he relaxed on the couch.

    ''The recruits we found on the way here have been captured by someone.''

    Juzo thought of the recruits he managed to find on the way to this town. They were just poor men who wanted to get their hands on power. Juzo decided he might as well show them a thing or two, but the result was disappointing to say the least. It did, however, give him some clues.

    ''Well, it''s not all bad. They didn''t die, so I can already take it that little Zabuza wasn''t the one who found them. He didn''t leave any of the others alive.''

    Juzo looked over at the sweating Gato with a smile. It only made Gato sweat even more.

    "Did anyone interesting come into the town recently?"

    "Y-Yes! Two men and three girls made their way in today with that old bridge builder! He said something about making new calendars. I guess whoever he went to find couldn''t assist him!"

    "Hahaha! That''s interesting."

    ''So 5 people besides a resident. Very likely to be ninjas. There may even be more that we aren''t aware of.''

    Juzo nodded his head and looked down at the table.

    "Get me something to drink."

    "Yes!"

    Gato quickly ran for a beverage as Juzo continued to think.

    ''That old man wouldn''t be able to afford getting outside help for me specifically. He probably only wants to make that bridge. I honestly couldn''t care less since I reached the quota of cash Boss wanted me to bring in.''

    "H-Here you are!"

    Gato slowly placed a cup and a bottle of sake on the table.

    He gingerly poured the drink for Juzo and stood nearby.

    Juzo picked up the cup, looking at his reflection silently.

    ''Doesn''t matter who they are as long as they don''t come trying to capture me. The problem, however, is Zabuza. He definitely won''t let them just sit around. He''s likely to find some way to get them to help.''

    Juzo drank the cup in one go and placed it down on the table in front of him.

    ''If that''s the case, I''ll have to call in a favor.''

    Juzo looked at the ring on his finger and started to pour chakra into it.

    He continued this for a while until he felt the connection was answered.

    "I have a favor to ask of you. You mind being my partner for a bit?"

    "......."

    The other side was silent as Juzo waited for a response.

    His eyes flashed as he remembered something the other side might be interested in.

    "There is also a boy here that has an Ice Kekkei Genkai. You can capture him  since he''s on my opponent''s side."

    Juzo could finally hear chuckles coming from the ring as a smile came on his face.

    "Looks like I got your attention. How long will it take you to get here?"

 Ch.74. A New Model

    The sun was shining brightly as the clouds were nowhere to be seen. Waves crashed into the nearby cliff side, showing off nature''s power and beauty.

    "That''s it! Give me a graceful pose!"

    *Ka-chik*

    A small flash brightened the area as Hiyo and Naruko posed for the camera.

    "Excellent! Let''s take a short break! Rest up and we''ll take a few more photos while the sun''s out!"

    Naruko sighed as they went over to a nearby bench to rest that Yamato created.

    "Ugh! This is soooo hard~! I didn''t think there would be so many pictures to take!"

    Hiyo smiled at Naruko and patted her back.

    "It''s not too bad.  At least our moms aren''t here. Could you imagine what they would say?"

    Naruko shuddered at the thought as she rubbed her shoulders.

    "M-Mom can never know about this."

    Hiyo looked at Naruto with a knowing expression.

    "Naruko. Do you really think Shizuka will let this go so easily?"

    "....."

    Naruko''s head dropped in her hands as she realized the darkness had already encroached on her.

    "Tsk! Stop complaining! You made this stupid Jutsu so deal with it."

    Sasuki stood against a nearby tree as she watched Yamato and Kakashi go over the photos, marking the good ones.

    "Ugh! You don''t understand, Sasuki! Mom is never gonna let this go!"

    "No. I think he gets it. I can''t imagine what Fugaku, or even worse, Itachi would say if they saw this."

    Sasuki felt a strong shiver come up her spine as she thought about it.

    Hiyo looked over to Sasuki with worry as she brought over a jacket.

    "You might catch a cold, Sasuki. You should wear this."

    "If you aren''t cold, I''m not either!"

    All three of the girls had bikinis on as they stood near the water.

    Sasuki wore a black and red bikini while Hiyo wore a white and blue one. Naruko, on the other hand, had a yellow and orange bikini on.

    "Don''t be so stubborn. We don''t know how long we''ll be here. We might as well be ready for the long haul, just in case."

    "...."

    Sasuki looked at the jacket and silently took it.

    Putting on the jacket gave Sasuki a bad girl look, provoking Yamato''s art senses as he swiftly turned around!

    "Ooooh! I like this style! Let''s get some more pictures of you by the sand!"

    "Tch!!"

    Sasuki clicked her tongue and slowly stomped over.

    Hiyo smiled wryly as he sat down on the bench again.

    "Hey, Hiyo. How is Kaiza''s treatment going?"

    Hiyo smiled brightly at the mention of the treatment.

    "Really good! I''m sure he should be fully healed when we head back today."

    Naruko looked up to the clear sky and smiled.

    "Good. I bet Inari will be super happy."

    Hiyo watched Naruto''s new expressions with interest.

    ''It feels like Naruto has become a more mature recently.''

    [Makes sense. Kaiza had a lifestyle pretty similar to Naruto''s original way of life.]

    {I guess he can''t get away from it, huh?}

    Hiyo thought about it and also looked into the sky.

    ''A way of life, huh?''

    {It''s good to think about it now. After all the troubling stuff is over, what would you want to do?}

    ''...I never really thought of that. I just believed I would go with the flow of things. What do I want to do?''

    Hiyo reflected on that idea as she tapped her fingers on the bench.

    "Hiyo! Naruko! Come help take some pictures together with Sasuki!"

    ""Okay!""

    ''I''ll think more about it later.''

    The two headed over to Sasuki and posed all together, bringing Yamato''s creative passion to the next level.

    Kakashi only watched and nodded his head.

    ''This prank...will probably become something crazy soon enough.''

    Yamato continued to take photos, unaware of Kakashi''s vision of where this could go.

    ********

    "Haa, Haa, Haa."

    Hii took in deep breaths as the black light slowly dissipated from his hands. Kaiza could finally flex both his hands and his right foot with little to no difficulty.

    The only injury remaining was his left foot.

    "How are you feeling, Kaiza-san? Any discomfort?"

    Kaiza rolled his shoulders and laughed.

    "Not at all! I feel great! Almost too great in fact! I wanna go catch some fish now! Hahaha!!"

    Hii smiled at Kaiza''s energy as he sat down in a nearby chair.

    [Good. One more session and he''ll be back to normal.]

    {How are you feeling?}

    ''Better than the first session. I feel like I can heal him fully if I push through it!''

    [No. Take a break and relax. You''re getting tougher, but don''t get reckless. Building strength takes time.]

    ''...Fine.''

    Hii took in deep breaths before shaking some his tiredness away with his hands.

    "Phew~! Looks like you should be able to move completely tomorrow. I''ll have to take a rest for today. I''m going to go back downstairs. Do you want me to call Inari for you?"

    "Gahaha! Yeah! Tell him and Tsunami to come up! I can finally hug my family again."

    Hii nodded his head and exited the room.

    "Whew."

    "Good work."

    Shizuka stood beside the door, leaning against the wall.

    She had a bright smile on her face as she came off the wall towards Hii.

    "Does our miracle worker need assistance down the stairs?"

    Hii snorts and plays along.

    "Yes, It would be gratefully appreciated. Working miracles is surprisingly taxing on the body."

    "Haha! As you wish!"

    Shizuka leant Hii her shoulder and helped him down the stairs.

    "Hey."

    "Hmm?"

    "How do you do that? Isn''t it nearly impossible for someone as young as you to be that good at fixing someone up?"

    "....."

    "I understand if you want to keep it a secret. I was just curious."

    Hii kept his face forward and slightly nodded.

    "I''ll tell you and Maka about it soon enough."

    Shizuka continues to look forward with a slight frown, but Hii didn''t notice it.

    "So Sensei knows already, huh?"

    "....."

    "Whatever. Just let us know when you''re ready. We are a team after all."

    The two reach the living room where Shizuka drops Hii on the nearest couch.

    "Hope you feel better. I''m gonna go let Tsunami and Inari know about Kaiza wanting to see them. No need to thank me."

    Shizuka walks off while Hii watches her with a wry smile.

    {You plan to tell them about us finally?}

    ''Yeah. I''m sure they won''t be scared of you two.''

    [You can trust your teammates. You guys have been friends for a long time. I doubt they''ll treat you any different after they learn about us.]

    Hii leans back against the couch and looks at the ceiling.

    ''I''m sure it''ll be fine. It''s just... I''m kinda nervous about it.''

    [We''ll wait until you''re ready. Well, at least try to.]

    {No promises!}

    Hii smiled as he took a quick nap on the couch.

    ********

    Hiyo and Naruko both headed out towards the forest nearby with Yamato for more pictures.

    Naruko walked while extending her legs fully one after the other with her hands behind her head. She had an orange robe top today with a pair of black spats and sandals.

    Hiyo walked to his side, hands in front of her hips with a short, but purposeful gait. She wore a dark blue kimono today, covered in stars along with her geta. Her hair was pinned up with an ornament with the help of Maka and Sakura.

    Hiyo remembered how excited they were to play with his hair and sighed.

    "Hmm? What''s wrong?"

    Naruko turned and asked Hiyo.

    "I just hope they don''t put my hair like this when I''m a boy again."

    Naruko turned to Hiyo and put both of her palms together in prayer.

    Hiyo rolled her eyes and continued on.

    "You''re no help."

    "Hehehe~!"

    "We''re almost there. I heard from a local that there is even a nice flower patch near here. We have to take some pictures there to give you all some variety."

    Yamato told them with excitement as he looked around happily. Kakashi silently followed with the camera setup shaking his head.

    ''I can''t tell if he''s acting anymore.''

    The four continued through the forest and finally found the flower area after some searching.

    They also realized they weren''t the only ones in the area.

    They could see a figure in a distant circle of flowers crouched down, picking what looks like herbs. They had long black hair that shimmered with the dots of sunlights peeking through the trees. They wore a pink kimono with red trim and a black choker around their neck.

    The person turned around, showing the four of them the deep brown eyes watching them cautiously.

    "Ah! Sorry to disturb you! We heard this was a good sight to take pictures in. We didn''t mean to make you anxious."

    Kakashi quickly filled into his role as assistant as he tried to coax the other party for the group.

    Yamato only nodded his head and surveyed the other party together with the flowers.

    "Wow~! Nee-san is really pretty!"

    Naruko was shocked to see someone naturally as pretty as his Jutsu while Hiyo could only nod her head in agreement.

    "Oh. It''s fine. I was just surprised to see someone out here so early."

    The beautiful person giggled at Naruko''s innocent gaze of admiration and also responded to her.

    "By the way, you would have to refer to me as Nii-san instead of Nee-san."

    ""Ehhhhh!!??""

    The two girls were shocked while even Kakashi was caught off guard.

    The only one who was not shocked at all was Yamato, who had a fiery glint shine in his eyes as he heard the revelation.

    "Perfect! Then if you don''t mind, can you please assist us in our photo shoot?!"

    ""Ehhh?!""

    This time, everyone was caught off guard!

    ********

    "That''s perfect! Just pick up the herb like you normally would, Haku-san!"

    Yamato fiery passion burned as Haku picked them up with a soft smile.

    Hiyo and Naruko watched beside Kakashi while sitting down on the grass nearby.

    "Hey, why did Yamato pick up this...guy for the shoot? Shouldn''t we have used one of the real girls instead?"

    Hiyo shrugged her shoulders and watched Haku get smothered by the camera.

    "We came in as three girls. There''s no way a new girl appearing from out of nowhere would work. Haku has probably been seen around before, so they would just think we picked up a neighborhood talent. It was perfect he showed up too. We now have four seasons as models."

    "Huh? Four seasons? What do you mean?"

    Hiyo turned to Naruko and pointed at her.

    "Based on personality and months on the calendar, I can safely guess you are going to be on the summer months of the calendar."

    Hiyo pointed to herself and continued.

    "I think I would probably be in the fall season photos."

    Naruko nodded her head after some thought and looked over at Haku.

    "Then Haku-san would be?"

    " Most likely Spring. Yamato must''ve had a hard time figuring out who to put there since none of us really exhibits that style."

    "Ah! Then Sasuki would be winter, right?!"

    Hiyo nodded her head with a smile.

    "Exactly. No one tops that frosty demeanor."

    "Hehehe! So, if Haku-san is now taking the photos for today''s shoot, does that mean we can relax today?"

    Hiyo tilted her head in thought.

    "I''m not too sure. I think so, but be prepared. Yamato could have a crazy idea he wants to do in an instant."

    "Hehehe~! Right!?"

    [Be careful around that one, Hii.]

    Hiyo''s face suddenly grew serious as he watched Haku.

    ''Why?''

    [That kid...was a sort of opponent for Naruto originally. I don''t know how he will react now, but I do know you should keep your distance.]

    {Eh?! A pretty boy like that is actually a ninja?!}

    [Don''t let his looks fool you. He is definitely strong, even more powerful than Hii right now.]

    This really put Hii on edge as he heard it, but he quickly calmed himself down.

    ''He doesn''t feel like it though...''

    [He naturally isn''t a killer. He''s a gentle kind of guy. The only problem is his guardian. That man is a cold-blooded killer.]

    Hii started to watch Haku more closely as the photo shoot came to an end.

    "Fantastic! I really appreciate your cooperation!"

    Yamato was ecstatic as he looked over the pictures. Haku smiled as he continued to pick up the herbs he needed. He suddenly saw someone behind him put a herb inside his basket.

    "I''ll help you collect them since our producer dragged you into our shoot. I hope you aren''t mad we took some of your time."

    Hiyo said with a smile as she kneeled down close to Haku.

    "Me too!"

    Naruko also came over to help as well.

    "Thank you very much. It wasn''t too much trouble at all."

    "What do you need these for?"

    Naruko asked as she pulled up a herb.

    "They are used to heal wounds. I felt my supply was running low, so I thought I should pick some more just in case."

    Hiyo picked up another herb and tossed it into the basket.

    "I see. Are you someone in the medical field?"

    Haku shook his head as he picked.

    "Not really. I was just taught a thing or two about it. I''m doing this just to help some of my friends. They got injured around this area."

    "I see. I hope they feel better soon."

    "I''m sure they will."

    Hiyo said nothing more and went to pick up more herbs.

    "You girls are quite brave to come out here at this time."

    "Hehehe! We can take care of ourselves pretty well! Plus, the producer gets pretty crazy about his art. He''s tougher than he looks."

    Haku looked over at Yamato and saw him looking through the pictures with a dangerous aura around him.

    "I can tell he definitely has a strong passion."

    "Tell us about it!"

    "Hehe."

    The two quickly filled up the basket with Haku and got up while stretching their legs.

    "Thank you very much for the assistance."

    "Sure! Glad we could help!"

    "Thank you for helping us calm our producer down."

    Naruko and Hiyo smiled brightly while Haku closed up his basket.

    "Ah! Haku-san! You should come over to where we stay so we can thank you properly for your help. Please stop by so we can return the favor!"

    Haku looked back at Yamato and gave a nod.

    "I will. I''m sure we will see each other soon."

    Yamato told Haku where he could find him if he wanted to continue taking photos with the group. Haku gave a gentle smile and walked into the forest, disappearing from view.

    Yamato waved at Haku as he left, but soon slowly stopped and turned to Hiyo and Naruko.

    "That boy is definitely a ninja."

    "Eh?! Really?!"

    Naruko was shocked as she didn''t realize it at all.

    Kakashi walked behind her and nodded his head.

    "Yep. From his demeanor, I can say that he is likely with the other force against Gato."

    Yamato nodded his head as Hiyo and Naruko regrouped around them.

    "Should we really bring them to Tazuna''s place? Wouldn''t that put him in danger?"

    Hiyo asked Yamato and saw him nod his head.

    "We need to ascertain if the group against Gato is also against the bridge being built. If so, then they both will be considered enemies. If not, then we can have at least one less group to worry about. It''s better to have a home advantage just in case as well."

    Naruko and Hiyo accepted his idea as he turned back to the camera.

    "I''m also going to need him for the spring section! He''s perfect for it!"

    "".....""

    The three looked at each other and sighed. With each passing day, the idea of this being an act was becoming more and more distant for Yamato.

    ********

    Haku made his way towards a shack close to the river''s edge near the outskirts of the town.

    He knocked on the door of the shack two times before a delayed third knock.

    The door unlocked and he quickly made his way inside.

    "How was it?"

    A gruff voice greeted him inside the shack as two shadows appeared on each side of the door. They were the Demon brothers, Gozu and Meizu. The two were distinct by the one horn on Gozu''s headband while Meizu had two horns on his. They both had a few cuts and scratches between them from recent battles.

    "It went well, Zabuza-sama. I managed to bring in a lot of herbs. The people we suspected to be other ninjas also helped me out. They were quite friendly despite being cautious."

    Zabuza sat on a chair near the window, looking out at the water.

    "Did you figure out their objective?"

    "No. They actually came to the area I was in to take photos. Even I was brought into it as a model."

    "Haku-san took photos?"

    "I wanna see them."

    "Shut up!"

    Gozu and Meizu immediately went silent as Zabuza rubbed his forehead.

    "They were taking pictures? What the hell are these ninjas up to?"

    "They also invited me over to repay me for my assistance today. It could possibly be a dinner of sorts."

    Zabuza looked over at Haku who had a mischevious smile.

    "I actually had a lot of fun posing. I think I would like to do it again, if that''s okay..."

    "...."

    Zabuza felt a headache coming on as breathed in deeply and exhaled.

    "Whatever. Get Gozu and Meizu bandaged up. We can expect to run into those bastards again in a few days. We won''t be able to hold out here if this continues for too long."

    "Understood, Zabuza-sama. I''ll get right to it."

    "As for the weird group..."

    Zabuza thought deeply for a moment with his eyes closed. He opened them a short moment after with a grin over his bandaged face.

    "We should go greet them. I''ll head with you tomorrow to go see them."

    "Understood."

    Zabuza turned to look at Gozu and Meizu.

    "Make sure you two heal up properly. I don''t want you two holding me and Haku back."

    ""Yes, Zabuza-sama!"''

    Zabuza looked over at the river and reviewed his last battle with Juzo. He clenched his fists against the chair, making the wood creak as his gaze grew sinister.

    "I will have that sword and the title! It''s only a matter of time!"

    *********

    Hii looked over at Kaiza hugging Tsunami and Inari. The three all had tears in their eyes as they held each other near the bed.

    Tsunami was especially happy seeing Kaiza stand on his own!

    "I''m so glad you''re back to normal! Don''t do something like that again, Kaiza!"

    Inari was bawling his eyes out as he held a death grip on Kaiza''s waist. Kaiza merely laughed as he gripped his family members with all of his might.

    Hii smiled brightly as he closed the door behind him to let them enjoy their family time alone. He began to head downstairs with slow, but firm steps.

    [You can get down by yourself this time. That''s some good improvement.]

    {Great! Now that Kaiza''s healed, we can do other stuff like meditate!}

    [You just want to play games in the dreamscape again, huh?]

    {....Yes! I demand another Jetris game!}

    [You know you''re more of a DuyoDuyo kind of girl, right? You were much better at that game...]

    {I refuse to believe you''re better at any puzzle game I play! I will have you bow down to my skills!}

    [Hmph! Then I''ll just shut you down once again.]

    ''I wanna play card games again.''

    {We''ll play that after!}

    The three made plans as Hii headed down the stairs.

    Sakura, Maka, and Shizuka were all talking among themselves about outfits the guys could transform into while Naruto and Sasuke both learned about Jutsus with Kakashi.

    Yamato was, of course, checking the photos to see which ones were the best quality to use for the project.

    Hii made his way over to Kakashi to join the conversation when he felt a slight shiver.

    "...."

    Hii stopped abruptly and carefully looked around the room.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Shizuka and Maka quickly noticed his behavior and stood up.

    *Knock Knock*

    A knock was heard at the door, alerting everyone in the room. Hii made eye contact with Yamato and Kakashi. Yamato raised his eyebrow as he looked over at his Senpai. Kakashi nodded his head and looked over at Shizuka and Maka.

    They nodded their heads as well and dragged Sakura into a nearby room to hide.

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    Everyone else all quickly transformed into their disguises and prepared themselves.

    Hiyo made her way to the door and checked to see if the team was ready.

    As everyone nodded their heads, Hiyo came in front of the door with her senses as sharp as she could make them.

    "Who''s there?"

    A short silence came before a gentle voice was heard.

    "Hello. I was looking for Yamato-san. He told me to come by to talk about the photoshoots."

    "Oh! One moment~!"

    Hiyo slowly opened the door to see Haku looking at her with a smile while she looked at his guardian in shock. A short old man hobbled behind Haku with a stick and a wobbly disposition. It looked like he wouldn''t be able to stay on his feet much longer.

    "Ah! Good to see you again, Hiyo-san!"

    "Good to see you as well! You should come inside. Your guardian doesn''t look like he can stand much longer."

    Hiyo rubbed her head bashfully as she let them in. Haku helped the old man make their way inside as Hiyo lead them to a nearby couch.

    Sasuki was surprised to see Haku as he didn''t go out on their last outing for photos.

    "Naruko, who is that with the old man?"

    "That''s Haku. He''s a friend we made when we went to take photos without you. He''s pretty nice!"

    Naruko made her way to the couch Hiyo sat on as Sasuki looked at her in shock.

    ''He?!''

    Sasuki looked over at Haku and saw him smile gently at her.

    The old man slowly sat himself down on the couch and breathed a sigh of relief. Yamato and Kakashi both came from inside the kitchen with refreshments.

    "I''m glad you could make it over! I''ve been going over the photos and they came out really well!"

    Yamato quickly made his way over to the two while Kakashi placed cups of tea in front of them.

    "Thank you very much, Yamato-san. I really enjoyed myself while helping you."

    "I''m glad you did! We could use you for a few more pictures. How do you feel about taking a few more photos in the forest area?"

    "Ahem!!"

    Yamato started to tell Haku about his planned photoshoots for him when everyone heard his guardian clear his throat.

    "Seeing how you''re both getting carried away, I guess I don''t need to play around anymore."

    The old man quickly weaved a hand sign in front of him!

    "Release!"

    *Poof*

    As the smoke disappeared, in the old man''s place was a tall, muscular man with a bandaged mouth. Everyone, except Yamato and Kakashi, froze as a terrifying killing intent came out from the man.

    He raised both of his hands in the air and sighed. His bloody aura quickly retracted as he looked at Yamato and Kakashi.

    "I didn''t come to cause any harm. I just wanna talk to whichever ninja is in charge here. I have a proposition for you that can benefit both of our groups. How about we team up?"

 Ch.75. The Invitation

    Yamato and Kakashi looked at each other and nodded.

    "I believe you are Zabuza Momochi, correct?"

    Zabuza shrugged as he kept his hands in the air.

    "I haven''t heard of anyone else by that name before, so I''ll have to say yes."

    "I see. It''s not everyday you meet the Demon of the Hidden Mist."

    "Hmph! I only became a demon because the village wanted one."

    Zabuza looked over everyone in the room and chuckled.

    "It''s pretty rude if I''m the only one to introduce myself, right?"

    "...Right."

    Kakashi and Yamato both weaved a seal and dispersed their transformation.

    *Poof Poof*

    Yamato and Kakashi both appeared in their normal mission gear and sat down in front of Zabuza and Haku. Zabuza put his hands down as he scanned the two.

    "Hah! Konoha ninja, huh? I even get to see the Copy Ninja, Kakashi Hatake. I wonder who has the honor to meet who in this situation?"

    "How about we just call it a draw and continue where you left off? You want to team up with us?"

    Zabuza nodded his head and grew serious.

    "I have information on Gato and his forces. I just need enough back up to get what I want."

    "And that is?"

    "The Executioner Blade."

    Kakashi and Yamato looked at each other and back at Zabuza.

    "For what purpose?"

    Zabuza''s eyes gleamed with a cold light as he responded.

    "Revolution."

    "...."

    The two sides stared at each other in silence as they slowly exerted pressure at each other, filling the room with suspense.

    The Genin all tried to hold their ground, but the tension between the three ninja was becoming too much to bear.

    Hiyo, however, felt something else besides the tension of the room. There was a shiver of excitement running through her body. She wanted to pull out her blade and strike at him!

    Zabuza turned his gaze over to the other girls, but he lingered on Hiyo.

    He felt a smile coming over his face as he could feel a tinge of bloodlust coming from her. His started to pour out as well!

    "Ahem!"

    The two snapped their heads to the source of the sound and saw Yamato clearing his throat.

    Zabuza focused back on the task at hand and looked at Yamato.

    "...So. What is your objective here?"

    Yamato looked over at Hii, then back to Zabuza.

    "Our objective is to protect Tazuna and see to the completion of the bridge."

    "I see. That''s good."

    Zabuza crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch.

    "At least we don''t clash on objectives."

    "That doesn''t mean we can work together."

    Zabuza shook his head with a chuckle.

    "I think it does."

    Kakashi and Yamato waited for Zabuza to continue in silence.

    "I know for a fact Gato doesn''t want that bridge to be made. Haku has kept a few eager ninjas in check from entering this house while Tazuna was gone. He probably wanted to finish the job with that fisherman."

    "....."

    "My group and I won''t stay here long after I get that blade. You can have a easy time waiting for the bridge to be completed while I become the next Mist Swordsman. Benefits for both of us."

    Kakashi quietly thought of the conditions and he could also see the benefits.

    He still didn''t agree just yet.

    ''There is still some information we need.''

    "What are we up against exactly?"

    Zabuza smiled as he began to lean forward.

    "Gato has a hired mercenary named Juzo. He''s part of the older generation of Hidden Mist Swordsmen and a member of some new organization. He also has around 20 rogue Mist ninjas with him."

    The faces of the Yamato and Kakashi grew serious as they assessed the information.

    "We took care of 8 of them on the way here. Shouldn''t the number be lower?"

    Zabuza shook his head.

    "Those guys were most likely recruits. They only had the bare minimum of training. I would only count them as meat shields."

    Yamato frowned in silence.

    "What about the ones with him? How strong are they?"

    "From the clashes we''ve had before, I''d say around Chuunin level. Only some could be considered Jonin."

    Kakashi and Yamato were both silent as they analyzed the situation.

    "Heh. Haku can probably take care of all of them, but I''m not going to risk my weapon on small fries like that."

    Kakashi and Yamato frown at the mention of weapon, but Haku nodded his head in agreement.

    "What?! You just consider him a weapon?!"

    Naruko snaps at that while Haku turns his head and smiles.

    "Yes. I am Zabuza''s trusted weapon."

    "What?!"

    Naruko was too shocked to respond back to the sincere look in Haku''s eyes.

    Zabuza looks at Haku for a moment and then back to Naruko.

    "Konoha seems to only have pretty girls left to be ninja?"

    Kakashi turned to look at Naruko and Sasuki and nodded his head.

    Naruko and Sasuki both raised a handsign, releasing their Jutsu.

    *Poof Poof*

    Naruto and Sasuke appeared once the smoke cleared, both glaring at Zabuza for different reasons.

    ''How dare he treat someone like Haku as a weapon!''

    ''This guy! He''s strong!''

    Hiyo sighed and also undid his transformation.

    *Poof*

    Hii reappeared after the smoke cleared, shocking Zabuza and Haku.

    "Huh?! I thought you were the actual girl in the group?!"

    "No. I''m a boy too."

    "Oh my. We have a lot in common, don''t we?"

    Hii looked over at Haku with a wry grin.

    "People don''t confuse me for a girl, Haku-san."

    Haku giggled at his response.

    "I bet if you just dressed like me, they would."

    "......"

    Hii decided not to respond to that and just looked over at his Sensei for assistance.

    "Ahem! Anyway, did you have a plan in mind to get the blade?"

    Yamato came with the assist, bringing the topic back to the main problem.

    "I had an idea, but I need to know how many people we have to work with."

    Kakashi and Yamato look at each other once more and then back to Zabuza.

    "There''s just 5 of us he-."

    "That''s a lie."

    Haku coldly interrupted Kakashi''s sentence with a serious face.

    Kakashi frowned for a moment and sighed.

    "...There''s 8 of us."

    "Heh! A rather big group. Well, adding in our group as well, we have 12 people total."

    Kakashi and Yamato both scanned Zabuza for any lies, but found he was being honest.

    Kakashi scratched his head and sighed.

    "How can this benefit us? Seems like you would get everything you want for cheap."

    "...What conditions do you have on your end then? If they aren''t too crazy, they can be done."

    Kakashi thought for a moment and raised up 3 fingers.

    "There are three conditions for us to cooperate. One, you have to assist in protecting Tazuna-san and his family while he makes the bridge."

    Zabuza thinks for a moment and nods his head.

    "Fine. What about the other two?"

    "You have to let Haku be my model!"

    Yamato yelled out in passion, catching Zabuza off guard!

    "...Model?"

    "That''s right! If Haku-san is my model, the project will have a much better chance in being successful!"

    Yamato quickly rose up and reached for the photo album he worked on earlier and handed it to Zabuza.

    "See?! Haku-san has a talent for it! Look at the synergy between the four! There''s also his awareness of the camera! It''s perfect!"

    Zabuza looks at the photos with a frown.

    He checked them out of obligation to make forming an alliance possible, but he began to feel strange as he looked through them.

    ''These are....''

    Zabuza couldn''t believe it.

    He actually thought they were pretty good!

    "....."

    Zabuza handed the album back in silence and turns to look at Haku.

    "Haku. What do you-"

    "I want to continue modeling, Zabuza-sama."

    Zabuza looks into Haku''s eyes and notices a strange feeling of determination coming from him.

    They stare at each other for a moment until it''s Zabuza''s turn to sigh.

    "...Fine. The third one?"

    "Yes!"

    Kakashi looks over at the three Genin in the room and Yamato celebrating a small victory.

    Naruto was scowling at Zabuza while Sasuke looked at both ninja with a frown.

    Hii, on the other hand, had a thoughtful expression on his face, but Kakashi could see his knuckles clenching rather tightly.

    "...How about you spar with the Genin after we push Gato out of the village?"

    ""Huh?!""

    Everyone was shocked by Kakashi''s suggestion!

    "You can consider it practice with your new blade while the kids can get more practical experience fighting someone of your level. It would be a much better experience than fighting their teachers."

    "...Hahahaha!"

    Zabuza started to laugh heartily for a moment before he calmed down.

    He then suddenly exuded harsh killing intent towards everyone in the room!

    "Guh!"

    "Ugh!"

    "...."

    The three Genin flinched at the direct onslaught of pressure, but they all slowly stared back at Zabuza!

    Hii was the quickest to recover while Naruto and Sasuke both quickly stood their ground!

    "...."

    Zabuza slowly retracted his pressure with a smile on his face.

    "These brats aren''t half bad. I thought one of them would''ve piss themselves for sure! Fine. I could use all the practice I can get. Don''t cry over any injuries though. I''m not known to be nice."

    Zabuza nodded his head and looked at Kakashi.

    "I have a condition as well. I just don''t want you to tell the Hidden Mist any of us were here. You can''t try to capture us as well afterwards. Otherwise, I''ll show no mercy."

    "...Fine."

    Zabuza stood up and reached his hand out to Kakashi.

    Kakashi also stood up and the two shake hands on the agreement.

    "Haku will keep in touch with you to contact me. My other two comrades will keep an eye on the old man and his family as well. I''ll inform you once I finalize a good plan."

    "That''s fine. You keep your end of the deal and we''ll keep ours."

    Zabuza nodded his head and weaved a hand seal.

    *Poof*

    He transformed back into a frail old man and started to head out of the house. Haku quickly followed behind him as he grabbed Zabuza''s arm to support him.

    "Wait!"

    The group all turned to see Tazuna standing near the stairs as he looked at the old man.

    He suddenly bowed his head low towards Zabuza!

    "Even if it wasn''t intentional, I want to thank you for saving my son-in law and my family!"

    "...Hmph."

    Zabuza just snorted and continued out of the house with Haku''s assistance.

    Tazuna lifted his head back up only when he heard his front door close.

    "Grrr! What''s with that guy?!"

    Naruto growled in anger as he clenched his fists.

    "Calm down, Naruto. Some people are just like that. You have to learn to deal with all kinds of strange characters in the future. It''s a requirement to be Hokage."

    Kakashi sighed and looked at Tazuna.

    "I imagine you heard most of that, correct?"

    Tazuna nodded his head.

    "If Gato can get kicked out of the town faster, I''m all for it!"

    Kakashi nodded his head and looked over at the boys.

    "For now, just tolerate Zabuza''s attitude. You can let your aggressions out at him after this is over."

    "Hmph! I''ll punch him in the face for sure!"

    "Be quiet, idiot. Just don''t get in the way."

    Naruto burned with motivation while Sasuke seemed eager to fight him as well.

    Kakashi turned to Hii and noticed he was looking over at the door in a daze.

    "You alright, Hii-kun?"

    "Huh?! Yeah! Yeah, I''m okay."

    "Good. Now let''s see what happened with the girls."

    Yamato slapped his head in shock!

    "Right! I nearly forgot they were in the other room!"

    He quickly jumped up and went to the room they hid in.

    "Girls! Are you okay in there?"

    "Y-Yeah! Just give us a moment!"

    Shizuka''s nervous voice shouted out from behind the door.

    The boys were puzzled as they heard a lot of movement from behind the door until it finally opened.

    Shizuka and Maka came out first while Sakura came out with a dead expression.

    "Hey? Are you okay, Sakura-chan?"

    Sakura''s face was devoid of color as she slowly nodded her head at Naruto''s question and walked towards their room like a zombie.

    ''Hmm?''

    Hii seemed to notice something as he watched Sakura leave.

    ''Wasn''t she wearing a different pair of pants before?''

    [....Just leave it alone.]

    {Poor girl. That''s real embarrassing.}

    Hii quickly realized what happened and looked over at his squad mates.

    They both sent a sharp glare towards him. He quickly nodded his head, making the two slowly retract their gaze.

    "Nee-san? What happened to Sakura? She looked down."

    "Don''t worry about her. We just took a bit of damage from Haku-san earlier when we peeked in."

    "Damage?! Are you hurt?!"

    Shizuka patted Naruto''s head with a smile.

    "It''s a girl thing. Don''t worry about it!"

    "...Well, if you say so..."

    Shizuka nodded her head and quickly chased after Sakura along with Maka.

    Sasuke came over to Hii and leaned close to his ear.

    "Hey. Do you know what happened?"

    Sasuke had noticed their interaction early and figured Hii could tell him.

    Hii looked over at Sasuke and put a hand on his shoulder.

    "Sasuke. You will probably never learn what happened in there. I suggest you just forget it ever happened if you value your life."

    Sasuke became even more confused at the advice until he felt a freezing glare on his back.

    He quickly turned around and saw Maka staring at him from behind the door.

    She slowly shook her head from side to side as she stared at him and closed the door silently.

    Sasuke felt cold sweat pouring down his back as he took a deep breath.

    "...I think you might be right."

    Hii nodded his head.

    "You''ll live longer if you listen."

    The adults quickly made themselves scarce as Tazuna went to check on his family, Kakashi pulled out his book to reread, and Yamato began to filter his photos once more.

    "...Seriously?! What happened?!"

    No one answered Naruto''s question.

    **********

    Juzo was reading a scroll in silence as Gato stood nervously beside him.

    He was very curious as to what the scroll said, but he kept his mouth shut despite his burning curiosity.

    Juzo sighed and rolled the scroll back up.

    "Looks like the bridge builder has teamed up with the little demon."

    "What?! T-That can''t be! He shouldn''t have any money to hire a group like that!"

    Gato shivered at the thought! He could still remember the sinister aura that man had. It was no less than Juzo''s!

    "Haaaa. That''s the problem. If he doesn''t have money, then what would he have that made him decide to even team up?"

    Juzo looked over at Gato as he waited for his response.

    "What could he have?"

    Gato thought for a moment, then he suddenly grew pale.

    "He has reinforcements!"

    "Right. He has power that Zabuza needs. Power that can even the odds."

    Juzo tossed the scroll on the table and smiled.

    "Well, at least this mission won''t be too boring. Those two brothers have been spotted around the bridge when the old man works everyday now. Looks like their injuries weren''t that bad. They recovered rather quickly."

    "W-What are we gonna do?!"

    Juzo began to fall into deep thought when a Mist ninja appeared beside him.

    "Juzo-sama! A guest with the same cloak as you is waiting outside!"

    Juzo smiled and turned back to Gato.

    "It looks like we have reinforcements as well. I guess it''s time to end this little problem."

    "Great! Now we can take them out once and for all!"

    Gato grew excited as Juzo stood up.

    "I''ll go meet him. You just make sure everyone gets ready. We''ll strike once the plan is made."

    "Yes! I''ll have it done!"

    Juzo smiled and followed after the Mist Ninja.

    "Juzo-sama. How long must we work with that man?"

    The ninja had a look of disdain on his face as he looked over at Gato back.

    "Only a few more days."

    Juzo smiled viciously as a sharp gleam shined in his eyes.

    "His usefulness has run out. Alive, anyway. Find his safe and any stashes he has hidden around. He won''t need it soon enough."

    "Yes, Juzo-sama!"

    Juzo made his way to the front of the house and saw his companion standing out front.

    Juzo smiled happily as he came towards him.

    "Glad you could make it. It looks like we will have a lot of fun on this mission."

    **********

    *Ka-chik*

    "Perfect! I''m loving the energy! Just give me a few more shots!"

    Yamato''s passionately snapped more photos.

    The "girls" watched the shoot with strange expressions.

    "Naruko."

    Sasuki called to her friend with a confused expression.

    "Yeah?"

    "You did teach him how to do this stupid Jutsu, right?"

    "....I did."

    *Ka-chik Ka-chik*

    "Fantastic! Please take a break for now! I''ll sort out the photos!"

    "Thank you very much!"

    Sasuki looked over at Yamato and the girl with a frown.

    "Then why did he not change much at all?"

    "......"

    " I think all he needed were breasts."

    The three looked over at Yuki as she made her way over to sit with them.

    She was catching up with their photo themes during the past few days.

    The day''s theme was for swimsuits, showing off her new figure in a cherry pink bikini.

    Her face and body, however, was not much different from her original form!

    Naruko crossed her arms over her chest and pouted her lips.

    "I guess she was already sexy?"

    Hiyo giggled while covering her mouth.

    "This is a very strange situation. I don''t think we could tell the difference between them if she wore baggy clothes."

    Sasuki and Naruko looked at Yuki as she sat down next to them.

    She noticed they were all looking at her and smiled.

    "What? Is there something wrong?"

    "Yuki? Are you sure you are a boy?"

    Yuki chuckled slightly and nodded.

    "Positive."

    ''I''m not too sure about that.''

    All three of them were thinking the same thing as Yamato came towards them.

    "I think these photos came out fantastic. There are only a few more places we have to go to before the calendar for here can be considered complete!"

    "Yay! We can stop using this Jutsu!"

    "I can''t wait for this to be over."

    "You do realize he said "here", right?"

    "I thought this was quite fun. I wonder where else we''ll take pictures?"

    The girls all responded in their own way as Yamato chuckled.

    "Well, if this works out well, I''ll have you all make one for each nation!"

    "''Ehh!!?""

    "That sounds exciting."

    The girls all exclaimed, except for Yuki.

    Sasuki and Naruko both thought of the same thing.

    ''Please let this fail!''

    Hiyo would join them, but she had a feeling that it would catch on much faster than they could imagine.

    {These things were really popular in our world. Models are used to show off beauty everywhere.}

    [You could''ve been one if you tried.]

    {Nah! Not my style! I only wanna look good for one man.}

    "Oh! That''s it!"

    Yamato clapped his hands as he thought of a great idea!

    "Okay! How about one more picture with everyone just looking natural?"

    Sasuki sighed heavily.

    "Do we have to?"

    "Alright! Let''s do funny faces!"

    "Come on! It''s just one more photo."

    "Let''s do it."

    The girls all got together and posed for the photo. Sasuki was just looking in the distance since that was all they could get out of her.

    "Alright! Say cheese!"

    "Wait! Can we say Ramen instead?!"

    Yamato shook his head and smiled. Hiyo and Yuki both giggled at her antics.

    "You really love Ramen, don''t you? Fine then. Say Ramen!"

    ""Ramen~!!""

    *Ka-chik*

    "Perfect! Let''s head on back!"

    Yamato put his camera away and smiled from ear to ear!

    ''I can feel it! This one is gonna be special!''

    *********

    As the group headed towards Tazuna''s house, they noticed a large group of people gathered around a post in the center of town.

    "Hey? What''s going on?"

    Naruko decided to get a closer look, but was stopped by some villagers.

    "Don''t look at it, missy! It''s too gruesome for your eyes!"

    "Yeah! Please just run along! There''s nothing good to see here."

    "Huh?! What happened?!"

    The group came closer to the crowd and spotted Kakashi looking over at something.

    "Hey! What happened, assistant?!"

    Yamato called to Kakashi, but he didn''t seem to hear him. He continued to look at whatever the villagers were trying to block from the girls until he finally walked over to them.

    Kakashi whispered in Yamato''s ear what happened.

    The girls all watched as Yamato''s face became serious.

    "Ah! Wait!"

    "You shouldn''t look, Miss!"

    Hiyo turned to see Yuki moving the villager aside and finally seeing what the fuss was about.

    "!!"

    "...I see."

    Hii was shocked while Yuki sighed with a sad expression.

    On the post hung Gato''s head hanging from the end of a rolled out scroll, dried blood puddled on the ground from his severed neck.

    His shocked expression was frozen on his face as he blew in the wind.

    What made the display all the more sinister was the message written in what looked like his blood.

    Tomorrow night in the North forest! We''ll settle it all with the town and the blade on the line! No distractions this time!

    Yuki looked at the message with a cold gleam in her eyes.

    Hiyo looked at the head and started to feel sick.

    ''This guy. He''s cruel.''

    Hiyo started to sweat as the opponent this time was definitely the real thing.

    A cold-blooded ninja who had a reputation for killing.

 Ch.76. Heading Into Battle

    The group headed back to Tazuna''s place with a grim atmosphere.

    A big battle was coming and they needed to get ready.

    When they came back inside, the group found Tazuna and his family sitting at the table with pale faces.

    "I-I can''t believe it. Gato is gone, but we are even more fearful in this place than before."

    The group took off their disguises and sat down for an emergency meeting.

    "Don''t worry. We''ll make sure those guys won''t have the chance to attack you."

    "What should we do, Senpai?"

    Kakashi started to think of a plan when  they heard a knock on the door.

    Sakura went to get the door and found Haku, Zabuza disguised as an old man, and two little twins standing with them.

    The twins shot past Sakura and came up to Inari!

    ""Let''s play!""

    "Eh?! W-Wait!"

    The twins grabbed Inari and brought him over to a nearby separate room.

    Haku and Zabuza walked inside and sat down around the other ninjas.

    *Poof*

    Zabuza undid his disguise and held a serious face as he looked at the floor.

    "I didn''t expect him to come at us. It makes things easier, but now it''s far more dangerous."

    Kakashi nodded his head.

    "Right. Is everyone from your group here?"

    Zabuza nodded his head and looked back at the twins playing with Inari.

    "Those two are Chuunin known as the Demon Brothers. I told them to keep the kid out of the room. This conversation isn''t gonna be good for him to hear."

    Kakashi and Yamato nodded in agreement while Zabuza pulled out a map from his bag.

    "This is a map of the area in the North Forest. The most likely place he will confront us is near the water. It should be around here."

    Zabuza points to a clearing on the map close to a river.

    "This would be the best place for him. I''d pick here if I could set the rules."

    Yamato nodded his head while Kakashi folded his arms in thought.

    "How should we approach this?"

    The three teachers looked at the map in silence while the others stood by.

    "How about we go into groups and fight them that way?"

    Shizuka offered up an idea.

    "How should we split the groups?"

    Yamato asked her, making her smile in response.

    "We should split up based on the objective."

    Maka nodded her head and pointed to the clearing.

    "I think I understand. If the target is here, then we should have Zabuza-san go and fight him with his group."

    "I thought you would get it!"

    Shizuka smiled brightly as Maka continued.

    "Our teachers should assist him so that he can take out Juzo and also to provide back-up in case the worst scenario happens."

    "Eh?! With all three of them there, won''t that guy get destroyed?! I haven''t seen Yamato-sensei fight, but Kakashi-sensei is strong!"

    Naruto tilted his head with his comment while his team seemed to agree with him.

    "That''s not the case, Naruto."

    Hii shook his head as he looked at the map.

    "Eh? What do you mean?"

    "It''s too simple. Why would a guy who could fight evenly with Zabuza-san choose to fight in a place like this?"

    Hii didn''t understand what tactic Juzo could possibly be using.

    "Mom always said that any ninja with water techniques near water is double the threat. Why would he give Zabuza-san an even playing field? He could just hide in the forest and use the area to his advantage."

    Kakashi nodded his head in agreement.

    "That''s right. There is only one good reason why he wouldn''t use the forest method. It also explains why he waited so long and why we should provide back-up for Zabuza."

    Hii nodded his head as well.

    "It''s because it won''t matter where Zabuza-san fights him now. He''s not alone anymore."

    "Huh?! You mean there going to just crush us with numbers?!"

    Naruto couldn''t wrap his head around it!

    Maka thought for a moment and looked up in shock!

    "He must have back-up! He''s only striking now because he knows he''ll win!"

    Shizuka looked grim as she thought of that possibility.

    "If he is that confident now, that means the new person is a member of Akatsuki as well."

    Everyone felt a cold chill in the room as they realized how bad the situation was.

    Kakashi sighed and rubbed his temples.

    "There are two problems with the situation we have to face now if that''s true."

    The group looked at Kakashi as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    "Yamato and I can at least handle one of the problems, but the other one is going to be difficult to deal with."

    "What''s the other problem, Sensei?"

    Sakura asked Kakashi as the others waited for his thoughts.

    He opened his eyes and looked at all his students.

    "It''s you guys. You will most likely have no choice, but to kill the other ninjas this time. Can you do it?"

    The group had a mix of reactions as they heard Kakashi.

    Naruto grimaced with a pale face while Sasuke seemed aloof, but everyone could see his trembling arms. Sakura just froze in place, making Kakashi sigh at the frailty of his team.

    He looked over at Yamato with hope.

    "What about your students?"

    They both turned to look at the other students and judged their faces.

    Maka looked nervous, but determined to do her job.

    "I will do what I have to if it protects everyone!"

    Shizuka patted Maka and Hii''s shoulders and nodded.

    "My goal is killing someone anyway. I''m ready for this."

    Hii just nodded his head.

    "I''m ready."

    Zabuza chuckled and shook his head.

    "Looks like you have a few kids who aren''t ready to get their hands dirty!"

    Zabuza looked over at Hii with a grin.

    "I''m glad you aren''t as fragile as them. You must''ve trained hard for this."

    Hii nodded his head.

    "I''m determined to get stronger. This isn''t enough to stop me from my goal."

    "Heh! At least you are promising."

    "Grrr!"

    Naruto grit his teeth, but kept quiet.

    Zabuza stood up and started to head for the door.

    "I''ll come back tomorrow. I''ll leave the map here for you to go over."

    Zabuza looked over at team 9 with a sneer.

    "We''ll see if you three have the guts for this. Come on, Haku."

    "Yes! Let''s go, you two!"

    The two kids ran from the room and followed behind Zabuza.

    ""Bye!""

    Zabuza transformed back into an old man and left the house with his group.

    The Leaf group all sat in silence as the mood was at an all time low for the three Genin.

    "Haaa. Alright. Everyone, get your things in order and concentrate on the mission. We have a day to prepare for combat. Don''t waste it."

    Kakashi advises his students, but they seemed to be lost in their own worlds.

    Yamato turned to his students, nudging his head towards the others. Kakashi put his hands together as well, pleading for their assistance.

    Shizuka and Maka nodded and got to work.

    "Sasuke! We need to talk."

    "Huh?!"

    "Naruto~! Come chat with Onee-chan!"

    "Eh?!"

    Shizuka and Maka both grabbed their little brothers and headed to outside.

    Hii sighed and walked over to Sakura and patted her shoulder.

    "Hyaaa!!"

    "...."

    "I-I''m sorry..."

    "Haaa~. Let''s have a talk, Sakura-chan."

    ********

    Shizuka dragged Naruto to the backyard and sat him down near a tree.

    "What gives, Nee-san?"

    "You wavered."

    Naruto paused and stared at Shizuka.

    "You wanted to refute him, but you thought he was right."

    "...."

    Naruto squatted down near the tree and sighed.

    "Yeah..."

    Shizuka squatted next to him and held her chin up with her hands.

    "Are you scared of taking someone''s life?"

    Naruto didn''t answer her, but she could see his body shiver at the thought.

    "Just because you take someone''s life doesn''t make you bad, Naruto."

    "Eh?"

    "We''re ninjas. It happens all the time. Just look at our father. He got a run on sight order for killing too many Hidden Rock ninjas and he became Hokage. No one calls him a murder, just a hero. This is just an obstacle we must overcome to be great."

    Naruto thought about her words for a moment when she suddenly started to giggle in thought.

    "Do you remember when we first met?"

    Naruto thought for a moment and nodded his head.

    "...Yeah. You were scared to be around Mom and me. We always had to chase you around the house so we could sleep together."

    Shizuka nodded her head as she looked up at the clouds.

    "I was pretty silly back then. I was scared of growing attached to you guys."

    "Why?"

    Shizuka took in a deep breath and exhaled.

    "Because I thought that nightmare would come true."

    "...What nightmare?"

    "...I thought I was going to wake up and you would both be dead. Killed by something I brought into your lives. I had that nightmare almost every night. Mom would just hold me tight while you slept. It took a long time before I could get over it."

    Naruto didn''t look at her face, but he knew she had that miserable expression on right now. He would see it often when she went to hide in a corner from time to time. She thought he never noticed, but he waited for her everytime.

    He hated seeing that face. He couldn''t do anything to stop it from appearing.

    "That''s why I keep getting stronger and studying more. I swore I would never find myself not being able to protect those I care about."

    Shizuka looked at him with a smile.

    "So if you can''t do it, just leave it to me. I can protect you."

    Naruto''s fists clenched as he stood up abruptly!

    "Hey, Nee-san!"

    "Huh?!"

    "I''m not going to be protected by you! I''m gonna fight those guys as well! I will protect you! I said I never go back on my word and I won''t start now!"

    Naruto pumped his fists in the air in defiance!

    "I will be the greatest ninja ever and become Hokage!!"

    Shizuka was surprised by his energy!

    She stared at him for a moment, then...

    "Pft!!"

    "Eh?!"

    Shizuka started to howl with laughter as she held her stomach and rolled around.

    "Hahahahahaha!! You''re gonna protect me?! With what?! Your Jutsus?!"

    "Hey! I''ve gotten a lot better since the last time!"

    "Hehehehe!! You farted up a storm last time too!"

    Naruto''s face grew red as he stomped his way back into the house.

    "Shut up! I''m gonna get ready! Help me pack up some traps!"

    "O-Ok! Hehehehe!!"

    Naruto headed back inside as Shizuka got up and stretched her body.

    ''It''s okay, little brother. You definitely won''t be like Zabuza. You''re too bright for that.''

    She walked after Naruto with a smile on her face.

    ''Just let Nee-san handle the dark parts. It''s the least I can do for you.''

    *********

    Maka and Sasuke went to a nearby pond close to Tazuna''s home.

    Sasuke and Maka both looked out at the water in silence. The cool breeze gently rolled past them, bringing soft ripples to the pond.

    "Sasuke?"

    "....."

    Maka called out to him, but he just stood silently.

    She didn''t pressure him any further and simply stood by him.

    Sasuke gaze slowly went from the pond to his feet.

    His fists slowly cracked as he tightened his grip.

    "I..I.."

    Sasuke tried to open his mouth, but the words wouldn''t come out.

    Maka didn''t mind. She waited silently for him to finish his thought. She knew how he loved to bottle his emotions up, even if they were so clearly visible on his face. There was no need to rush him.

    "I thought about what Nii-san would do..."

    "And what do you think he would do?"

    "I''m sure he would have already completed the mission by now."

    Maka giggled as she heard him. She could tell he was pouting by his tone.

    "I think you give Itachi too much credit. He must have went through the same things we are now. He just has more experience."

    She could see that he was still moping in Itachi''s shadow.

    "I used to be the same as well with my Nii-san. He and Itachi would accomplish amazing feats together for the village. We both look up to them as our goals."

    Maka bent down and picked up a nearby rock.

    "But you seem to be confused about something, Sasuke. Something very important."

    "...What is it?"

    "We are not our brothers."

    Maka chucked the stone and watched it skip the water 3 times before sinking down with a splash.

    Sasuke now turned to Maka with confused gaze.

    Maka picked up 2 stones this time and turned to Sasuke.

    "We will never be our brothers, Sasuke. We can become like them, but we must ultimately be ourselves. They wouldn''t want us to be like them either."

    Maka tossed a stone to Sasuke. He caught it and continued to look at Maka.

    "Try to skip it. See if you can get as far as me."

    Sasuke turned to the water and saw Maka skip another stone. This time, the stone skipped 4 times before sinking.

    ''Yes! New record!''

    Maka grinned with delight as she turned to Sasuke. Sasuke looked out and tossed the stone across the water.

    *Plop*

    "...."

    "...."

    The two looked at the giant ripple from the stone and then at each other.

    "...Hehehe..."

    Maka had a hard time holding her laugh in as Sasuke''s face grew bright red.

    He quickly picked up another stone and quickly threw it as well!

    *Plop*

    "Hmmm! Hmmm!"

    Maka now had to physically hold her mouth shut to stifle her laughter.

    Sasuke was fuming at this point and tossed another rock high into the air!

    *Plonk*

    It landed right next to where Maka''s stone went.

    "Tch!"

    "Hahahaha!! W-Wait, Sasuke! Hehehehe!!"

    Maka grabbed Sasuke''s hand and stopped him from leaving the pond.

    "Hehehe! That was pretty good. You got as far as I did."

    "That wasn''t good! I couldn''t do it like you at all!"

    Maka tilted her head.

    "I didn''t say you had to do it my way. You just had to try and get it as far as me."

    "...."

    "See? You don''t have to follow behind my footsteps to get to my level. You just have to find your own path there. The same goes for you and Itachi as well."

    Maka patted Sasuke''s head with a smile.

    "So don''t feel down about your progress. You''re doing a great job."

    "...I''m not little anymore. Stop it."

    "Awww~. What happened to the Sasuke that would run to me when his brother wouldn''t play with him?"

    "Tch! He grew up!"

    "....You''re right."

    Maka placed her forehead on Sasuke''s, clinking their headbands together.

    "He grew up. This trial should be no problem for you. If you can''t kill, leave it to me. Just beat them up and I''ll finish them for you."

    "...."

    Sasuke softly pushed Maka away and started to walk back home.

    "I will be just as strong as Itachi. I won''t lose to some Mist ninjas. I won''t need your help either."

    "Heeeh? Is that so? I guess I was worried for nothing."

    Maka smiled as she slowly followed behind Sasuke back to Tazuna''s house.

    Sasuke stopped for a brief moment, stopping Maka as well in the process.

    "...Thank you."

    Maka''s face grew shocked, then shined radiantly as she smiled.

    Sasuke quickly hid his red face and continued walking back to Tazuna''s house.

    Maka followed behind him silently and watched his back.

    ''You will definitely be as strong as Itachi. It''s in your blood after all.''

    Maka''s face grew serious as she followed behind him.

    ''I''ll protect you as best as I can. I promise.''

    Sasuke continued until he found a stray rock on the road.

    He quickly picked it up and tossed it towards the pond!

    *Plish Plonk*

    ''He got a skip!''

    Maka couldn''t contain herself as she saw Sasuke''s face beam with satisfaction. He ignored her for the rest of the trip while she giggled to herself the whole way back.

    *************

    "Haaaah."

    Everyone scattered from the living room, leaving just Hii and Sakura alone.

    Hii really didn''t want to do this.

    He could see Kakashi and Yamato both peeking at him from the staircase and shaking their heads.

    ''Haaaa! No way out, huh?''

    {You gotta help her out.}

    [Good luck.]

    ''Thanks. Well, here we go.''

    "Sakura-chan?"

    "....."

    "Sakura-chan~?"

    "Uuah! Huh?!"

    Sakura broke out of her daze and looked down with a red face.

    "S-Sorry, Hii-kun. I just..."

    Hii closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

    "Sakura-chan?"

    "Y-Yes?"

    "Why are you a ninja?"

    "Eh?"

    Sakura was shocked for a moment, but soon smiled.

    "Ah. Is this like a test or something?"

    "No, Sakura-chan. I want to know why you wanted to became one. What are you striving for?"

    "W-Well...."

    "Besides Sasuke."

    Sakura was stunned for a moment and grew silent.

    The atmosphere grew tense as the Hii continued to stare at her.

    "W-Well, I should get ready for the mission."

    "Don''t run. Answer me. What drives you?"

    Sakura looked at Hii with a confused expression.

    "What do you mean?"

    "Why are you doing this? What is your motivation to be a ninja?"

    "I-I just want to be helpful to the team."

    Hii shook his head as he began to become impatient.

    "That''s not what I''m asking you."

    "Well, what are you asking me?"

    "Haaa. I want to know what your dream is. Why did you become a ninja? What drove you to become one?"

    Sakura''s face grows a bit red, making Hii even more irritated.

    *Bang*

    Hii''s hand slams into the table, scaring Sakura out of whatever she was thinking about.

    "I refuse to believe you of all people don''t have a goal! What did you learn Medical Ninjutsu for?! Just because you could?! To pass the time?!"

    "..."

    Sakura straightened her back and looked at Hii head on.

    "I-I wanted to be able to save anyone that needed assistance."

    Hii calmed down and nodded his head.

    "I see. If that''s the case, why did you freeze up when you heard we would have to kill enemies tomorrow?"

    Sakura froze up again as she lost her confidence.

    *Snap*

    "Ugh?!"

    Hii snapped his fingers, never taking his eyes off of her.

    "Focus. Sakura-chan, let me give you a situation to think about."

    "Ugh, okay?"

    "Let''s say you and your squad are recovering from an intense battle. You''re the only one who is combat ready at the moment. The others are healing their wounds and you have to be on the lookout for the enemy. Suddenly, you sense someone watching you and prepare your medical technique for combat. The enemy appears behind you and holds your hands behind your back. They demand you give up your comrades or you''ll die. What do you do?"

    Sakura began to think of all the ways out of the situation. Hii silently waited for her answer.

    "I...think I would use a Substitution Jutsu and gain some distance. I would then call for help and take them down together with my team."

    Hii closed his eyes and nodded his head.

    "A passive answer. Here''s what I would do in that situation."

    Hii opened his eyes, revealing a cold gleam from his icy blue eyes.

    "I would use Dissection blade and cut the enemy''s legs, immobilizing them since they came so close. I would then proceed to do the same to their arms and check them for any traps. Finally, I would ask where their comrades were."

    Sakura''s face became pale as she held her head down.

    Hii sighed as his gaze softened.

    "I''m not going to get mad at you, Sakura. There''s no point in that. I am gonna get mad at you for giving the enemy a chance to possibly kill you and your team because you are too passive. Why bother with a substitution if they give you close access to their bodies so easily? You and I have both remembered where the deadliest spots on the body are for injuries, so why are you hesitating when you need to be aggressive?"

    Sakura said nothing as she contemplated Hii''s words.

    "Just think if the enemy slipped past you and killed your team. Imagine if they killed Sasuke! How much regret would you have then?"

    "!!"

    Hii saw Sakura''s ghastly face and sighed.

    He stood up and walked beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

    "It''s not shameful to be afraid to take someone''s life. The problem is that not everyone shares this sentiment. We will run into all sorts of people in our lives as ninja. Some as peaceful as you, and some as evil as this Juzo guy, or worse. All I want you to do is find your conviction and fight for your own place in the world. Naruto wants to be Hokage while Sasuke wants to be just as strong as his brother.Maka and Shizuka have a dream they strive for as well. I also have my own dream. You need something that will push you forward. Something that will be your desire and keep you wanting more strength."

    Hii let her shoulder go and walked over to his room.

    "The only person who can find that conviction is you. I just hope you prepare yourself well. This fight will definitely be tough without it. The same goes for the future beyond it."

    Hii came to the staircase and saw Kakashi and Yamato nodding their heads.

    ''Good work. You should go rest.''

    ''Thanks.''

    Hii went into his room and laid down on the bed.

    {I think you handled that pretty well.}

    [Better than I would''ve done.]

    ''Thanks. I hope she shapes up soon. Her life will be on the line.''

    Hii thought for a moment, then decided.

    ''Let''s use the dream training tonight. I need to make sure I''m ready for anything.''

    {Yay!}

    [Alright.]

    The three trained for the rest of the day after Hii finished preparing his gear. He made sure he would be ready to face anything tomorrow.

    ***********

    The next day came silently as the sun rose over the town. It was a beautiful day without any clouds in the sky. The people, however, were not outside. The town was empty as everyone kept their doors locked and windows shut.

    It was the calm before the storm.

    Tazuna and his family could feel the strange atmosphere even from inside their home.

    Kakashi sat on the couch nearby, going over the map once more with Yamato.

    The first to be ready for the mission was Hii. He now had his blade strapped to his back, ready to intercept threats at any time. He made sure his tools were all prepared for the upcoming battle.

    "Morning!"

    The two looked up and smiled.

    Yamato looked over Hii and nodded his head.

    "Morning. I see you''re ready for this."

    "Of course, Sensei. We''re a team after all. I''m not going to run if I can help it."

    Hii sat down next to his teacher and looked over the map.

    Many different notes were written in areas of the map, showing good locations for ambush and traps.

    "Eh? When did you have time to look for all this information?"

    Yamato grinned as he saw Hii''s surprise.

    "We have our ways. We''ll wait for everyone to come before we go over the information."

    "Aww~! Sensei is so nice!"

    The three turned around and saw Maka and Shizuka coming over. Shizuka had her scroll belt filled to the brim with different seals while Maka had 2 holsters for shurikens strapped to her legs.

    "Good morning, Sensei! Good morning, Kakashi-san!"

    "Morning, you two. Looks like your team is all ready."

    "Yep! I''m not scared at all!"

    "We have to protect this town! We can''t run!"

    The two girls sat next to Hii and Yamato while they checked the map.

    "Ooh~! I can make a good trap over there."

    "This is a good vantage point."

    Kakashi and Yamato waited patiently as the three kids went over the map for ideas and places to watch out for.

    *Step Step Step*

    The group heard the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs and looked up.

    Maka and Shizuka''s faces lit up with smiles as they saw their little brothers ready to go!

    "Alright! Let''s kick some butt! I stayed up all night and figured out a new Jutsu!"

    "It better not be a seduction one!"

    "Hehehe! Don''t worry! You''ll like this one!"

    The two sat on the opposite couch with Kakashi and looked over the map as well.

    "Hmmm? So this spot is good for putting traps?"

    "No, Idiot! This means you should watch out for traps!"

    The two argued as soon as they sat down, making everyone smile and shake their heads.

    Now the five of them went over key areas of the map between each other.

    The sun started to go down slowly when they finally heard the sounds of movement upstairs.

    *Step Step Step*

    The group looked up and found Sakura coming towards them.

    "Hey! Sakura-chan!"

    Naruto greeted her, but notice she didn''t respond. She looked indecisive.

    "What''s wrong? Are you okay, Sakura-chan?"

    Sakura''s looked up at the group and noticed everyone was worried about her. Her indecisive eyes slowly began to gain more clarity and passion as she grew mad at herself!

    She didn''t look as lost as before. In fact,her eyes firmed with resolve when she saw Hii nodding his head at her change.

    She took a deep breath and let the worries on her chest go.

    "I haven''t found my own resolve yet! Please forgive me for not carrying my own weight!"

    ""Eh?!""

    "I realized that I haven''t taken myself seriously. I can''t just keep thinking everyone will handle my problems for me! I have to be dependable for your sake and for my own!"

    Everyone was taken aback as Sakura bowed her head to everyone!

    "I''m sorry for not having the same resolve as everyone! I won''t let you guys down or hold you back! I''ll find my own resolve and hold my own against our enemies! I promise I won''t let you down again!"

    Sakura lifted her head back up, letting everyone see the determination in her eyes!

    "I''ll do the best I can for you guys!"

    Maka and Shizuka both stood up and walked over to Sakura.

    "Eh? W-What''s wrong?"

    ""Sakura-chan!!""

    *Glomp*

    The two girls quickly hugged Sakura tightly as they surrounded her.

    "Eh?!"

    "Aaah~! I''m so happy for you! You''ll find your own path soon enough!"

    "It''s so good to see you fired up! Now you can keep up with those two! We were worried about you!"

    The two spun around with Sakura in their grasp before they looked over at Yamato.

    "Sensei! We''re going to go teach her a couple tricks we know really quick! We''ll be right back!"

    "Once we''re back, we can get started, okay~?"

    "Ugh, sure."

    "Come with us, Sakura-chan!"

    "We''ll teach you all you need to know!"

    The two dragged Sakura away as the others watched them disappear.

    Kakashi shook his head with a smile.

    "I''m glad everyone is going now."

    Yamato smiled as well and looked at Hii.

    "Good job, Hii-kun. It looks like your words got through to her."

    "I only told her how I felt. It''s her own strength that let her realize what she was missing."

    Hii looked over at Naruto and Sasuke and chuckled at their crazy expressions.

    Naruto looked genuinely shocked at Sakura''s change while Sasuke...

    ''Hmm?''

    Hii stared hard at Sasuke to make sure he saw what he wasn''t hallucinating!

    ''Is he...blushing?!''

    Hii quickly turned to see if he was the only one who saw this and made eye contact with the teachers and Naruto!

    They all had the same expression!

    Everyone stared at each other for a moment and quickly nodded their heads.

    ''....Ha!''

    Sasuke shook his head of those weird thoughts he just had and realized he was staring too much!

    ''Crap! Those guys are going to-''

    "So this spot here could be good if you get a shadow clone to watch over it."

    "Hmmm?! I think I get it!"

    "Good! I''ll back you up if the opportunity comes to use that spot. We''ll catch them off guard and ambush from here."

    Hii and Naruto went over a point on the map while Kakashi and Yamato advised any other spots that could work for an ambush as well.

    Sasuke sighed in relief and started to pay attention to the conversation.

    Little did he know, the four of them all looked at Sasuke with sly smiles when he wasn''t paying attention.

    ''Oh Sasuke! It seems Sakura-chan has a chance after all.''

    Hii shook his head as he imagined how happy Maka was going to be when one of them told her the news.

    *Knock Knock*

    "I''ll get it!"

    Naruto jumped up from the couch and came to the door.

    "Woah! You guys look scary!"

    Hii turned his head and saw Zabuza, a masked ninja, and two menacing men standing behind them.

    The ninja had on a Hidden Mist mask on had a green jacket with a black long-sleeve top underneath it.

    The ninja''s long hair was put in a bun while their bangs draped over the sides of their mask.

    Before Naruto could look any further, Zabuza pushed him aside.

    "Get out of the way, brat."

    "Tch! Whatever, creep!"

    Zabuza walked past him while the masked ninja came over to Naruto.

    "Don''t mind him. He''s just nervous about the mission."

    "Eh?! Haku-san?!"

    The mask ninja giggled and took off his mask.

    "I thought you knew it was me."

    "How was I suppose to know that?!"

    Sasuke sighed and shook his head.

    "Naruto, they already said they had 4 people and 3 of them don''t have full cover masks over their faces. It should''ve been easy to tell who it was."

    "R-Right! I knew that! It was just a test!"

    Mezu leaned over to Gozu and whispered in his ear.

    "Are we gonna be okay, big bro?"

    "...I hope so."

    Gozu shook his head and followed after their boss.

    Zabuza looked around and counted the heads. Before he finished, Kakashi interrupted him.

    "Everyone is doing the mission. The girls will be back shortly."

    "Heeeh~? So you all have some guts after all, huh?"

    "The Will of Fire isn''t weak."

    "We''ll see about that."

    Zabuza chuckled and looked over at Hii, more specifically, his blade.

    "Good craftsmanship. I can tell from here."

    "Thanks. My Grandpa helped me make it."

    Hii looked over at the twins behind him.

    "I don''t think we''ve met officially. I''m Hii Kurokumo."

    "I''m Gozu and this is my brother Mezu. I have one horn while he has two. We''re known as the Demon brothers."

    "Nice to meet you. We hope we work well together."

    "Likewise."

    The two began to introduce themselves to everyone as the sound of footsteps could be heard upstairs.

    Kakashi looked up at the ceiling, then to Zabuza.

    "Looks like they''ll be ready soon."

    "Hmph! As long as they don''t slow us all down, I don''t mind waiting a bit more."

    "You might be surprised by what they can do."

    "I sincerely hope so."

    "Sorry for the wait! Woah! Looks like we were the last ones!"

    The girls all came back down and joined the group.

    Everyone crowded around the map while Kakashi took the head of the table.

    "Looks like everyone''s here. This is the plan."

    ************

    The moon was full as it hung ominously over the forest.

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    Thr group all quickly appeared in front of the forest with determined gazes.

    Kakashi looked over at everyone and checked his gear one more time.

    "Everyone remembers the plan?"

    The group nodded as Kakashi made sure his gloves were tight on his hands.

    "Good. Remember to stick with your groups and above all, don''t die."

    Everyone began to focus as they started to group up with each other.

    Gozu and Mezu would lead Team 7 while Haku would lead Team 9.

    Zabuza, Yamato, and Kakashi would head into the center of the forest and attack Juzo directly while the other groups would intercept the rest of the ninja and join the battle to assist afterwards.

    "Remember, if you run into any one wearing a robe with red clouds, retreat immediately."

    ""Yes!""

    "Alright! Let''s go!"

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    The groups dispersed into the forest and headed towards their positions!

    *********

    The teacher group quickly made their way to the clearing and landed in position.

    "Well, you guys sure took your time getting here. I was starting to get bored."

    At the other end of the clearing stood Juzo, smiling with the Executioner''s blade leaning on his shoulder.

    "Sorry to keep you waiting. I''m glad you kept the blade clean for me."

    Juzo chuckled as he looked at Zabuza.

    "You''ve become bold, little demon. I guess since you have friends with you now, you''re more sure of yourself."

    "I would end you even without them here. This is your last day as a Mist swordsman."

    "Hahahahaha! You know, you''re not the only one who has friends."

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    5 Mist ninjas appeared behind him as he took his stance. He scanned the other two ninjas behind Zabuza and frowned when he saw Kakashi.

    "Hm? The Copy Ninja, huh? This will be a lot more entertaining than I thought."

    Kakashi lifted up his headband and revealed his Sharingan!

    "Come on, Yamato! I have a bad feeling about this. We should end this quickly."

    Yamato put his hands together into the Snake sign!

    "Then we need to hurry, Senpai!"

    Zabuza pulled out two curved kunai and ran forward!

    "The faster I get my hands on that blade, the better for all of us!"

    "Hmph! Let''s see if your worthy enough for it! Do it now!"

    Zabuza quickly reached Juzo and the two swung their weapons at each other as the 5 ninja yelled out at the same time.

    ""Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!!""

    *Clang*

    The sparks of their weapons quickly disappeared in the thick mist followed by silence.

    *************

    Gozu and Mezu''s group moved through the forest with no opposition. No traps or marks could be found on the way.

    This put everyone on edge. It was too quiet.

    Even Naruto was paying close attention to the surroundings, hoping to catch a glimpse of the enemy.

    Gozu and Mezu lead the group as they finally got into position.

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    "!!!"

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Gozu and Mezu both moved at the same time, blocking the enemy shurikens!

    "Incoming!"

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    A group of 15 ninja encircled the group, projecting killing intent towards the group.

    "Aww! We got a group of little chicks! I thought this would be fun."

    "Well, we can always play with the girl for a bit. I''m sure Juzo won''t mind."

    "No way! Only you have that nasty mentality! I want a real woman, not a kid!"

    The others laughed at their comrades while the Genin group gnashed their teeth in anger.

    "You bastards!"

    "....."

    Naruto and Sasuke were furious!

    "I-I will not fall behind you guys!"

    Sakura pulled out her kunai and prepared herself!

    The leader of the group finished laughing and pulled out their weapons as well.

    "Alright then! Let''s get this over with. I wanna watch Juzo-sama fight Zabuza-san!"

    "Ooooh!!!"

    Naruto weaved a hand sign with a cruel grin.

    "I''ll show you not to underestimate me!"

    ************

    Haku''s group moved quickly through the forest.

    "....."

    Hii looked around and felt an unsettling presence coming close to them.

    [....That''s not good!]

    {What is this dark feeling?! Who is that?!}

    [That''s the guy I didnt think we''d run into right now! He''s coming!]

    "!!!"

    Hii felt a strong shiver down his spine and stopped abruptly on the spot!

    "Hii-kun?"

    Maka stopped near Hii and saw him looking around.

    Shizuka grew serious as she reached for a scroll.

    "Can you sense someone here?"

    "...."

    Haku and Shizuka both formed around Hii as he scanned the surroundings.

    "I''m surprised you sensed me."

    "!!!"

    Hii quickly turned towards the sound and put his hand on his blade.

    The others turned with him and watched in the direction he was facing.

    The four soon saw a wide man slowly lumbering his way towards them. His face was covered by a bandana and his hair looked like spikes.

    The four backed up as they looked at the weird man and noticed the pattern on his cloak.

    ''Red clouds! We have to go, but he feels even more dangerous at a distance than up close.''

    [Be careful. His weapons are poisonous too.]

    ''Gaaah! This is getting more and more difficult.''

    The man soon stopped a distance away from them all as he scanned them.

    "Hmmm. 2 girls, 1 boy, and... an unknown."

    "I''m a boy."

    The man turned to Haku and nodded his head.

    "2 boys then. I''ll have to screen you to see if you''re worthy of my collection."

    "Your collection?!"

    Hii suddenly felt a cold killing intent come from the man!

    "Move!"

    ""!!""

    Hii quickly moved to the side with Maka behind him while Shizuka followed behind Haku!

    *Swish Bang*

    A tree behind the four fell down with a towering thud as a long, pale white mechanical tail drew back into the man''s coat.

    "Good. It would be a waste to consider adding you if you couldn''t dodge that."

    The man scanned the four once more as his tail positioned above him, waiting to strike.

    "Now then, which one of you is the Ice brat?"

    Forestbear

    Gonna make this my new standard length. Sorry for the wait.

 Ch.77. Battle In The Forest!

    Forestbear

    .....I have no idea how this happened. I was just writing and I looked up and..... Well, enjoy.

    The four watched the round man and his strange tail with caution.

    ''That thing strikes fast, but how is he controlling it?''

    Hii pulled out his blade and watched every detail of the man.

    *Swish Swish*

    Maka quickly threw shurikens at the man as she jumped back to gain some distance!

    *Clang Clang*

    The tail-like weapon blocked the shurikens with ease as he stared at the group with an stiff expression.

    "Hmmm. I think I might want to add you as well. You can be a good projectile puppet."

    His casual tone unnerved the group as they started to inch away.

    Hii looked over at Shizuka, hoping to catch her attention.

    Shizuka felt his gaze and turned to him briefly. They both stared for a few seconds and then nodded their heads.

    "Well, at least these won''t be wasted!"

    Shizuka took out a few shurikens and glanced at Maka.

    Maka nodded her head and threw more shurikens at the man!

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    Shizuka also threw her shurikens as well!

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    "You should know this is futile."

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Everyone was surprised by the flexibility of the tail as it  circled the man''s body, blocking every shuriken!

    After deflecting all the projectiles, the shurikens were all scattered around the man.

    "What a mess. Hmm?!"

    The man tried to come closer, but found his body stuck in place!

    He then noticed four columns of writing crawling up his body from the shurikens!

    They sealed him in such a short time!

    Shizuka backed up and yelled to her team!

    "Attack now!"

    The three quickly weaved hand signs and prepared their attacks!

    "Water Style: Raging Waves!"

    Hii fired a jet of water towards the ground, creating giant waves that crashed towards the man!

    "Guuoh?!"

    Shizuka''s and Maka''s attacks were on the way as well!

    "Wind Style: Air Cannon!"

    "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

    A giant fire and air ball came towards the man as he quickly broke through the seal and raised his hand!

    *Clack Clack Clack*

    *Boom!*

    An explosion of water and steam scattered out through the forest as sprinkles of water and dirt fell down from the aftermath!

    The team couldn''t see him, but they were sure they damaged him!

    "Let''s go! We have to get away from him while we have the chance!"

    "Right! We have to regroup with the others and come up with a plan!"

    Shizuka and Maka jumped ahead while Haku and Hii trailed behind them.

    *******

    The dust began to settle as the figure of the man started to become visible.

    ''Hmmm. I underestimated those brats. Those Jutsu weren''t on the weak side.''

    The man''s arm had transformed into a shield, blocking the blast!

    *Clack Clack Clack*

    His arm transformed back as he looked around at the area and himself.

    His robe was tattered and torn, but he seemed to be unscathed otherwise!

    "They couldn''t have gotten far. I still have to figure out which one is the Ice one and how strong they are."

    The man started to follow after them when he suddenly stopped.

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    The man jumped back from sudden barrage, but he couldn''t dodge them all!

    *Don Don*

    "Tch!"

    The man noticed that 2 long needles struck his shoulder!

    ''Impressive accuracy.''

    "You don''t seem to have any sense of pain. There is also that arm from before..."

    Haku walked out from a nearby bush and observed the man in detail.

    "Are you perhaps a puppet?"

    "....Hehehehehe! You''re pretty observant, huh? That must mean you are the Ice one."

    "....."

    Haku said nothing and slowly pulled out more senbon.

    "Hold on now. You can''t start the round without me."

    ""!?""

    The two turned towards the sound and found Hii standing on a tree with his blade drawn!

    He didn''t leave either!"

    "What are you doing here?!"

    "Like I''m gonna leave you behind with this creep! What would Yamato-sensei say?!"

    Hii jumped down and readied his stance next to Haku. Haku looked over at him before looking back at the enemy.

    "....Thank you."

    Hii couldn''t see his face, but he could tell from his voice that Haku was touched he stayed.

    "Thank me when this is over. We don''t know if I can help you out or if I''m in the way."

    The round man started to chuckle maliciously as his strange tail whipped itself into position, ready to attack.

    Haku and Hii focused on him and held their ground.

    "Be careful. I know his weapons are poisoned. Don''t get hit."

    "I''ll be careful."

    The man looked at Hii with a renewed interest.

    "Oh? Do you know of me?"

    [His name is Sasori of the Red Sand.]

    Hii smiled as he calmed his nerves.

    "I don''t know much more besides your name, Sasori of the Red Sand."

    Haku tried to recall any information he knew about him, but was interrupted by Sasori''s fit of laughter.

    "Is that so? I''ll have to fill in that information for you!"

    Hii began to circulate his Chakra as he watched Sasori.

    "Hii! This man should be a puppet master!"

    "A puppet master?!"

    Haku nodded his head.

    "Yeah. Judging from those Senbon in his shoulder and the bark colored skin, I think this is a puppet Sasori is controlling. We don''t know where he really is, so be careful!"

    "Right!"

    "Hmm! It looks like I''ll have two new puppets to add to my collection! How exciting!"

    *Clack Clack Clack*

    The arms of the puppet began to morph back into the shield while the other grew a long blade!

    Hii''s face fell looking at the transformations.

    "It transforms too?! Oh great! This is going to be so fun."

    Haku chuckled as he pulled out more Senbons to throw.

    "Would you rather do another photoshoot?"

    Hii glanced at Haku, then refocused in Sasori.

    "Honestly, a whole new calendar of photoshoots would be more fun than this."

    *************

    Team 7 and the Demon brothers were starting to engage in battle!

    "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    Naruto quickly made 20 clones and had them jump out towards the enemy ninja!

    "Shadow clones?!"

    The ninjas were caught off guard, but quickly reacted as they started to guard against the clones.

    Each ninja had to fight off one clone as the other 5 all pulled out a smoke bombs!

    *Poof Poof*

    The area was obscured with smoke as the sound of fighting and metal clashing filled the forest.

    ''The kid thinks quickly! We should get into position and help even the numbers!''

    Gozu thought quickly as he grabbed Mezu and darted out of the smoke.

    "Sakura! Follow me!"

    "R-Right!"

    Sasuke and Sakura fled in another direction, hiding in a nearby bush at the edge of the smoke.

    Sakura hid behind Sasuke and could see his trembling arms as he carefully watched the area.

    She was doing it again!

    She was leaving the hard part to others!

    ''Come on, me! You can''t depend on them forever! Let''s give it our all! Shannnaroooo!!''

    Sakura grit her teeth and moved next to Sasuke, looking out for the enemy as well!

    "...."

    Sasuke wouldn''t say it, but he felt more relaxed now that Sakura also stepped forward.

    "Aaah!"

    *Poof*

    "Tch! Where did they go?!"

    The two saw a Mist ninja jumping out from the smoke after dealing with his clone.

    Sasuke looked over to Sakura as she turned to him.

    Sakura could tell what he wanted to say by the slightly conflicted expression on his face.

    ''I know. We have to kill him.''

    Sakura''s gaze hardened as she nodded her head slowly. Sasuke nodded as well and turned towards the Mist ninja.

    The Mist ninja looked around and saw only vegetation nearby.

    "Did they get away?!"

    *Swish Swish*

    "!!"

    The Mist ninja saw shurikens flying towards him from a nearby bush!

    *Clang Clang*

    ''Too close!''

    The ninja barely managed to fend off the attack when he noticed a blur shooting towards him!

    Sasuke rushed towards him with a kunai drawn!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    The two battled against each other as their kunais sparked from contact!

    "Grrr! Why you!"

    "Guh?!"

    Sasuke had the advantage at first, but once the ninja got his bearings, he started to overwhelm Sasuke!

    "Kuh!"

    "Don''t get cocky, brat!"

    Sasuke could barely dodge the strikes, resulting in him getting multiple cuts from the clashes!

    "Haaa!"

    "Ugh!"

    The ninja unleashed a powerful upward swing and knocked Sasuke''s kunai into a nearby tree!

    "Hah!"

    "Ugh! G-Guah!"

    Sasuke was held against a tree by his neck as the man grasped him with an evil glint in his eyes.

    "Looks like the end of the line, brat!"

    "Wait! Don''t hurt him!"

    The ninja heard l the rustling of bushes as Sakura appeared.

    The ninja noticed her stiff expression and smiled when he saw her eyes dart between him and Sasuke.

    "Awww! Little lovebirds, huh? It''d be a shame if he didn''t survive."

    "Guuuh! Grk!"

    "No! Stop it!"

    The ninja could see tears in her eyes as she tried to get closer!

    "Stop and drop the kunai behind your back or he dies!"

    Sakura paused as she struggled deciding if she should comply.

    The ninja had the perfect remedy for that.

    "Gu-Guah!"

    "Okay! I''ll drop it! Stop hurting him!"

    Sakura grit her teeth as she flung the kunai away from her and into the bushes.

    The ninja smiled menacingly as he looked over Sakura.

    "P-Please! Don''t hurt him!"

    "Hehe! A pretty girl like you won''t have time to worry about him once I''m done with you."

    Sasuke instantly grew angry!

    This was the one who talked about Sakura before!

    Sakura also grew pale in an instant as the ninja''s smile grew more and more obscene.

    "Don''t worry, kid! I''ll make sure to take good care of her for you!"

    The ninja lifted up his kunai with a malicious grin as he aimed towards Sasuke!

    "No! Don''t!!"

    *Schik*

    *Schik*

    "Wha-"

    The ninja sliced through Sasuke, but immediately felt something slice his neck as well!

    ''Wha-What''s happening?!''

    The man felt his body hit the ground as he tried to make sense of what happened!

    His body was limp with his face gazing into the night sky.

    He could see the boy he held against the tree had turned into a log!

    *Step Step Step*

    He could hear the sound of footsteps coming over to him from a distance.

    His bloodshot eyes focused on the sound and soon saw Sakura come into his view.

    He could see her hands glowing with green energy and it dawned on him what happened!

    "You! You tricked me! You bit-!"

    *Schik*

    Her hand stabbed down towards his chest, striking with precision!

    He tensed up and felt a blade stabbing through his heart!

    He grit his teeth and stared at her face, hoping to remember who to send his hatred!

    He could see the nervous resolution in her eyes as she stared back at him.

    As his vision started to darken, he felt a wet sensation fall on his face from above.

    He could see her face slightly cracking as tears fell from her eyes.

    "...."

    The ninja felt the pull of the dark as he silently passed on, feeling conflicted that he was the first kill for a brat.

    ****

    Sakura pulled her hand slowly from the body as she tried to calm herself down.

    She still couldn''t believe it.

    She took a life, just like that.

    ''Stay calm. Breathe.''

    She was glad the Genjutsu worked. She was scared he would notice the kunai made no sound when it went through the bush when she tossed it, but he was too excited to notice.

    Her legs were shaking as she tried to steady herself.

    ''Come on! You have to move! It''s not over yet.''

    She had to help Naruto and the Demon Brothers.

    "Sakura!"

    Sakura stopped as she felt Sasuke''s hand on her shoulder.

    She could see the cuts on his arm from the earlier battle. The grief she felt seemed to lessen, remembering she killed the enemy that caused those wounds.

    "...Thank you, Sakura. You helped me out back there."

    "...."

    Sakura didn''t say anything, but she grabbed Sasuke''s hand that was on her shoulder and held it tight.

    Sasuke froze up! He didn''t know what to do in this situation!

    He could only let Sakura finish whatever she was doing!

    The two had a few seconds of silence before she gently let his hand go.

    She quickly wiped her tears and tried to motivate herself!

    "...I''m fine now. Come on! We have to beat them and... Sasuke?!"

    Sakura turned around to looked at Sasuke and froze in place.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Your eyes! They''re red!"

    Sasuke put a hand to his face as he finally noticed the changes.

    He could see things clearer and in greater detail than before!

    ''Did my Sharingan grow stronger?!''

    He swiveled his head over to the battlefield and saw multiple chakra signatures!

    He could see a few Naruto clones disappearing as well as Gozu and Mezu lying in wait to strike!

    Sakura could see a smile creeping up his face as he turned back to her.

    "Come on, Sakura. Let''s go help them out."

    Sakura''s face started to smile as well.

    "Yeah! We can''t leave them on their own!"

    **********

    ''Ugh! What do I do now?!''

    Naruto quickly hid near the closest tree he could find once he dropped the smoke bombs.

    He could feel his clones starting to disappear as they were beaten by the Mist ninjas. The memory of their locations were fresh in his mind.

    ''They''re pretty strong! I don''t even know where everyone else went either!''

    He began to scratch his head in frustration!

    ''What should I do?!''

    He continued until an idea struck him!

    ''That''s it! Now is a good time for that!''

    Naruto quickly reached into his bag and pulled out a scroll.

    A wicked smile came on his face as he started to open it.

    ''Hehehe! I have to thank Nee-san for helping me with this!''

    Naruto pressed his hand on the scroll and poured his chakra inside.

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    6 new Naruto clones appeared and saluted to Naruto.

    "We''re ready, Boss!"

    Naruto folded his arms and nodded his head.

    "Un! Try to take them out if you can. If not, give em the gift!"

    ""Oooh!!""

    The clones jumped out in all directions as they searched for the enemy.

    *Swish Swish*

    "Uh oh!"

    A clone dodged incoming shurikens from a nearby ninja and quickly landed to the ground!

    Two Mist Ninjas came out from behind nearby trees and charged towards Naruto!

    "Die!"

    *Schik Schik*

    "Ugh...hehehehe!"

    The two ninja stabbed Naruto from two directions, but he simply laughed at his situation.

    "W-What is this?"

    One of the ninjas noticed the blood on his hands was....white?

    He realized that something was wrong!

    "It''s a trap!"

    The ninjas tried to get away, but Naruto held their shirts, preventing them from running away!

    "Too late! Ninja Art: Prank Explosion Jutsu!"

    *Boom*

    ""Uuuaaaah""

    An explosion of white paint blasted the area, surprising everyone on the battlefield!

    "What the hell was that?!"

    "Who makes a Jutsu like this?!"

    Sasuke, who was making his way towards Naruto with Sakura, shook his head.

    "W-What kind of Jutsu is that?!"

    "That idiot! Only he could think of something like that."

    His eyes shined red as he could now easily spot where the painted ninjas were! They were disoriented from the blast and fully covered in bright paint!

    ''But that makes it easier for me!''

    Sasuke quickly came behind one of the Mist ninjas and stabbed him with his kunai!

    "Uuaargh!"

    "What happened?! I can''t see! Uuuagh!!"

    ''Huh?!''

    Sasuke finished off his enemy and looked to the other one in surprise! Mezu had finished him off with an iron claw while Gozu was looking for the other clones to find easy targets.

    Sasuke made eye contact with Gozu, nodded his head, then pointed towards a nearby bush.

    "Naruto! Over there!"

    One of the clones heard Sasuke and made a beeline for the bush!

    "N-No! Stay back!"

    *Swish Swish*

    The ninja tried to throw shurikens to stop him, but the clone just dodged them with a devious smile on his face.

    He came close to the ninja as his smile became wider!

    "Found you~!"

    "Noooo!"

    *Boom*

    The clone exploded, plastering the nearby area in color!

    This one was pink!

    "Hahaha!! I love hunting like this!"

    Mezu laughed as Gozu sliced the neck of the disoriented ninja!

    "It is pretty fun, isn''t it?"

    Sasuke and Sakura looked around at the strange forest now plastered in white and pink.

    "Wow!"

    "This guy..."

    Sasuke complained a bit because some paint got on him, but he had a small smile on his face.

    They could win with this idiot!

    "Hey, Sasuke! Sakura! Are you guys okay?!"

    Naruto landed next to them in a hurry.

    "We''re fine, Naruto! How did you do all of this?!"

    Naruto rubbed his nose and smiled.

    "Hehehe! Nee-san helped me make it! It''s pretty cool, huh?!"

    "Yeah. It helps us take them down easier too!"

    "Huh?! Your eyes are red, Sasuke!"

    "I know! This will help me locate them easier!"

    Naruto''s eyes lit up when he heard that!

    "Really?! Let me know where they are so I can get them!"

    Gozu and Mezu landed beside them, lightly covered in paint.

    "Let us know too. We''ll finish them off for you."

    "Hey! What other colors do you have?"

    Mezu asked Naruto who was getting ready to make more Shadow clones.

    " I have red, yellow, light green, and orange! It should be really easy to spot them once they get hit, Two horns!"

    "Haha! Those are some fun colors! Also, my name is Mezu!"

    "Hehehe! You haven''t seen anything yet! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    Several more clones appeared beside the ones filled with paint, hiding them in the crowd!

    "Okay, Sasuke! Where are they?!"

    Sasuke scanned the forest with a smile on his face.

    "Three are on the left while three more are to the right! I can''t see the other 5 in the area. They must be deeper inside!"

    "Okay! Let''s go find them!!"

    ""Oooh~!!""

    **********

    Shizuka and Maka quickly headed over to the other group with Haku and Hii trailing behind them.

    "I hope those three are okay!"

    Maka seemed a bit worried while Shizuka was at ease.

    "I''m pretty sure they will be okay! They''re our little siblings, after all!"

    "Since when was Sakura my sibling?!"

    Shizuka turned back to a confused Hii.

    "Since you kept lending her your used books. Those things are expensive! What''s one more anyway?"

    Hii shook his head and decided not to argue.

    *Boom*

    ""!!""

    The four heard an explosion in the distance and quickly headed over to the area.

    "Wait, why are the trees white?!"

    "W-What is this?!"

    "Bwahahaha!! He used it?! Oooh! I wanted to see their faces!!"

    Everyone looked at Shizuka for an answer, but she just sped up towards the sounds of battle.

    The group followed behind her and looked at the strange battlefield.

    The area was covered in colors of white, pink, light green, and red paint as far as they could see.

    Maka''s mouth was open while Shizuka tried her best to contain her laughter.

    Haku looked over the area with interest. Although he wore a mask, anyone could tell he was enjoying the situation.

    Hii just shook his head at Naruto and Shizuka''s antics.

    ''Of course they would make a Jutsu like this. I should''ve expected it, but it still caught me by surprise.''

    Hii sighed as the group followed the paint trail.

    "Hehehe! He used four of them, so two more should be left!"

    "What exactly are these?!"

    Shizuka turned to Maka with a wide grin.

    "You know how Itachi-san has that explosive clone technique?"

    Maka thought for a moment, then turned to Shizuka in horror!

    "No! You didn''t?!"

    "The technique is pretty impossible to do without fire nature chakra, but we can make due with paint! Nothing a seal or two can''t fix!"

    Hii couldn''t help shaking his head at their ingenuity.

    ''Those two are dangerous together.''

    "I sense movement ahead!"

    Haku shouted out, putting everyone on edge!

    *Boom*

    The group saw in the distance a yellow explosion of color shoot into the sky!

    "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

    *Boom*

    ""Guuaaah!!""

    Shortly after that, they saw an explosion of flames brighten the area before them!

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    Three shadows landed in front of the group in a hurry to escape the blaze!

    The three Mist ninjas looked up at the group in horror!

    "No! They have reinforcements?!"

    "We have to fight our way out!"

    The Mist ninjas tried to prepare for battle, but Haku swiftly struck them down with several senbon to their joints!

    The group then saw Naruto jumping towards them with an evil grin!

    "Finally caught you~!"

    ""Iyaaaa!!""

    *Booom*

    The area was quickly covered in orange paint as the group jumped back from the blast!

    Gozu and Mezu landed behind the ninjas and finished them off with their claws!

    "That''s all of them!"

    Mezu seemed to enjoy himself as he stood over the bodies, covered in blood and paint.

    Gozu was just as stained as he waved to their comrades.

    "Thanks! You guys finished up your side pretty early, eh?"

    Maka frowned as she recalled their original objective before they got lost in this strange battlefield.

    "There was a change of plans! We had to face a very strong ninja, but we managed to escape! We need to regroup with the others quickly before he finds us!"

    Gozu and Mezu looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

    "Alright! I think I should use this Jutsu more often!"

    Naruto landed right behind Gozu and Mezu when he noticed Shizuka and the other group. He was covered in red and yellow paint on top of his orange jumpsuit. He looked very colorful.

    "Hey~! Nee-san! It was a huge success!"

    "Hehehe! I noticed! They screamed in terror! Hahaha!"

    Sasuke and Sakura were the last to land, covered in specks of green and yellow paint.

    "Hey. You guys are finished early."

    Sasuke smirked when he saw the group, but soon looked concerned as he saw Maka staring at his eyes.

    ''Crap!''

    He quickly tried deactivated his Sharingan, but Maka just shook her head with a wry smile.

    "Don''t worry about that, Sasuke.That''s not important right now. We have a situation!"

    Maka explained to the three what happened while Hii helped them get rid of the excess paint.

    "Water Style: Water Ball Jutsu!"

    Hii extended his hand, bringing the still wet paint on their clothes to his hand and into a growing, multicolored ball of paint.

    Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto were glad the paint was gone from them, but Gozu and Mezu looked at Hii...with fear?

    Gozu seemed to swallow his courage and had to ask him.

    "E-Excuse me, Hii-kun?"

    "Yeah?"

    "Where...did you learn that Jutsu?"

    Hii looked at the Demon Brothers for a moment, then he remembered what his mom told him to say in case someone asked from the Hidden Mist.

    "I learned it in the Konoha library. I thought it would be useful out in the field. I think we should get going before that crazy guy shows up."

    "That''s right! We should get going and assist them however we can! Come on!"

    Maka started to leave while Sasuke followed behind her.

    Gozu and Mezu slowly nodded their heads and followed as well.

    The rest began to quickly follow behind them while Naruto quietly came close to Hii.

    "Hey, Hii."

    "What?"

    "Didn''t you say your mo-"

    Hii quickly covered Naruto''s mouth with a gentle smile on his face.

    "Naruto. There are some things you have to keep to yourself. Do you understand what I mean by that?"

    Naruto quickly nodded his head in agreement and no longer asked him the question.

    ''Haaa. Good grief. We better hurry up.''

    Hii started to speed up after group. He hoped his Sensei was having a better time than his main body.

    ***********

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    The sound of blades clashing echoed from the clearing as shadows dashed around the area in the thick mist.

    "Yamato! Come close to me!"

    "Right!"

    Yamato came next to Kakashi as the two guarded themselves back to back.

    The two could barely see anything in the vast, white mist that surrounded them.

    The air was tense as the sounds of Zabuza and Juzo battling still raged on in the distance.

    "What should we do, Senpai?"

    "I''m thinking..."

    Kakashi looked all around with his Sharingan eye and tried to figure out a solution.

    ''The mist will last as long as the caster is still keeping the Jutsu active. It looks like we have no other choice, but to find them and take them out.''

    Kakashi pulled out a Kunai and cut his arm. Using a bit of blood, he drew a line on his hand and prepared his Jutsu.

    "Summoning Jutsu!"

    *Poof*

    A small dog appeared from the smoke, looking around with curiousity in his eyes.

    "Hey, Kakashi! What''s going on?"

    Kakashi summarized the situation for Pakkun, going over the necessary things he needed to know.

    Pakkun nodded his head after hearing about everything.

    "I see. My nose won''t lose to this mist. Do you have a scent I can track off of?"

    "Not on hand, but we''re not far from where they were all standing. You should be able to find what you need there."

    "Alright. Take me there."

    Kakashi nodded his head and motioned Yamato to follow behind him.

    The three began to trek through the mist in silence as the battle between Zabuza and Juzo continued.

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    ''It sounds like the fight is getting more intense. We better hurry!"

    The three quickly found the starting point of the battle and Pakkun got to work sniffing out the area. It took only a few moments before Pakkun found all the scents.

    "I got it!"

    "Good. Where are they?"

    Pakkun bent to the ground and sniffed a few more times.

    "I smell one of them near the fight. Two of them are hiding in the forest nearby while the last two seem to be in the direction we came. Probably to ambush us."

    Kakashi nodded his head and looked back the way they came.

    "Let''s deal with the two who came looking for us first. We need to get rid of the mist!"

    Yamato nodded his head while Pakkun took the lead.

    "Alright then. Follow me. I''ll take you right to them!"

    ***********

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Zabuza kept swinging his kunai against Juzo with excited fervor.

    ''This bastard just won''t give in, huh?! That just makes this more fun!''

    Zabuza had his eyes closed as he heard the blade slicing through the wind!

    *Clang*

    The two pressed their blades against each other, constantly competing in strength!

    "Hehehe!! Just give up already! This blade would suit me better anyway!"

    Zabuza could hear Juzo chuckle lightly over the scrapping of steel.

    "Maybe if you were the same as I remember, but the you now is nowhere near good enough!"

    Zabuza and Juzo backed away from each other and held their stances.

    "Why does that matter?! You''ll be dead either way."

    Juzo''s chuckling increased when he heard Zabuza.

    "You''ve gotten soft! Only a demon should wield the Executioner blade."

    "I am a demon!"

    Zabuza''s face grew red with rage as he dashed towards Juzo!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    The two clashed a few more times until Juzo made a wide swing with his sword!

    "Tch!"

    He backflipped away and tossed his kunais at Juzo!

    *Clang Clang*

    Juzo blocked with blade and noticed Zabuza weaving hand signs!

    "Naive!"

    Juzo weaved his own hand signs as well!

    "Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"

    "Water Style: Water Wall Jutsu!"

    Water from the mist condensed into a raging dragon that flew straight towards Juzo!

    Juzo made a towering wall of water around him in response, blocking the dragon head on!

    The waves of water dispersed as Zabuza grabbed more kunais from his bag.

    "You know, that boy with you was a bargaining chip for help."

    "!!"

    Zabuza stopped thinking for a moment, but that was enough for Juzo to sneak up on him!

    "Haah!"

    "Urgh!"

    *Boom*

    Juzo''s sword slammed into the ground, scattering dirt and rocks as the blade cut through the earth.

    Zabuza managed to escape most of the slash, but was cut by the tip of the blade.

    A long slash trailed the length of his arm as blood began to trickle down.

    "See? Demons don''t care about anything, but themselves. That child makes you weak."

    Zabuza grit his teeth as he endured the pain. Something more important was on his mind!

    "What do you mean by bargaining chip?!"

    Juzo shook his head in disappointment.

    "Haaah! You think our group is full of normal mercenaries?! I think I might be one of the few that isn''t crazy! How do you think I managed to get help so quickly?"

    Juzo pointed the blade at Zabuza with a malicious grin.

    "I''m glad you have such a useful tool! I can only get that guy to move if someone worthy of his collection pops up! I was shocked a Yuki clan member managed to live through the cleansing! Even more so when you of all people decided to raise him!"

    Zabuza grinded his teeth in rage!

    "My tool is not for you to use!"

    Juzo couldn''t stop smiling as he heard that!

    "What? You can''t throw him away? So that means he''s that important to you?"

    "...."

    "Then you''ll really be happy when you see him as a puppet! He''ll be a real tool then! Of course, you might join him too if I keep your body intact!"

    Juzo laughed maniacally while Zabuza started to angrily weave hand signs!

    The injury on his arm made the process difficult, but Zabuza didn''t care!

    Juzo noticed this and leisurely used the same hand signs!

    "Again, huh?! Fine!"

    ""Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!!""

    *Roooaaar*

    Two dragons made from the mist swirled around each other in the air before smashing into each other!

    *Boom*

    The Jutsus turned into rain as the two men stared at each other. One was furious while the other was relaxed.

    "I will kill you!"

    Zabuza slowly uttered his sentence, but Juzo was unperturbed.

    "Yeah? I wonder will my partner have his new puppet by then? I can''t wait to see the look on your face. Maybe you''ll be back to your old self when you see it."

    The image of a purple Oni slowly began to manifest behind Zabuza, aiming all of its rage at Juzo!

    "Hahaha! That''s what I like to see!"

    Juzo smiled from ear to ear as he pointed his blade!

    "Show me if you''re a real demon or not!"

    "Huuargh!"

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    **********

    Gozu and Mezu began to lead the team as they quickly made their way towards the clearing.

    Maka and Shizuka were tense as they watched for any signs of the round man from before.

    Hii and Haku both looked out as well, but only for appearance sake.

    "What does the guy look like, Nee-san?! You haven''t even told us about him yet!"

    Shizuka turned her head and looked at Naruto with a serious expression. Naruto clammed up quickly, but was still determined to hear about him.

    "He was a round guy with hair that shoots up like spikes. He looks pretty intense and he has a weird scorpion tail too. He wears the same cloak Kakashi-san warned us about, one with red clouds all over it."

    "A Scorpion tail?! What kind of freak has that?!"

    Shizuka shook her head.

    "I don''t know, but he''s strong. He was definitely at the Jonin level. Maybe even stronger."

    Naruto gulped at the level of strength while the others felt the pressure of the man from the description.

    "We need to regroup with our teachers to have a chance. That guy was bad news. He just felt... creepy."

    Even Maka didn''t want to fight that man again!

    The group continued on to the battlefield when Gozu raised his hand.

    "Stop."

    Everyone abruptly stopped and looked at Gozu.

    Gozu pointed towards a spot not too far away from the clearing.

    "There''s two people hiding over there."

    The group quickly hid nearby and checked the area.

    "There''s a thick mist covering the clearing. It must be the Hidden Mist Jutsu."

    "That means that the guys hiding nearby must be here with Juzo."

    Gozu and Mezu both explained the situation to everyone.

    "The only way to stop the Jutsu is to either kill or knock the user unconscious. Allow me."

    Haku quickly disappeared from the group and appeared above the Mist ninjas!

    *Swish Swish*

    "Gah!"

    "Ugh!"

    Two thuds were heard as the Mist ninjas fell down to the ground with Senbon in their necks.

    "W-Whoa. Y-You killed them that easily?"

    Haku shook his head as he looked at the mist beginning to clear up.

    "I don''t like killing too much. I just hit the points in their necks to make them pass out."

    "O-Oh!"

    Naruto relaxed a bit as Haku head into the clearing.

    Hii followed right behind him along with the rest of the group except for Maka and Shizuka.

    Naruto noticed this and turned around.

    "Hm? Nee-san? What are you-?"

    *Schik Schik*

    Naruto held his tongue as he heard the cutting sounds of a kunai coming from the bushes.

    Maka and Shizuka soon came out of the bushes, each with a bloody kunai in their hands.

    "Sorry, little brother. Gotta make sure we''re not stabbed in the back."

    Naruto faced paled, but he stiffly nodded his head. He would rather not kill if he didn''t have to, but he realized there wasn''t always a perfect solution to everything.

    Shizuka noticed his expression and smiled. She was proud he stayed calm, even though she knew he would argue to keep them alive. He was probably going to talk with her later, but she would rather have that then losing him.

    "Let''s go regroup with Sensei and the others."

    Maka voiced her opinion and everyone nodded as they headed towards the center of the clearing slowly.

    **********

    *Schik*

    "Guah!!"

    A root pierced through the Mist ninja''s chest from the ground, impaling him where he stood!

    "I got him, Senpai!"

    *Crack*

    "Whew! Finally caught them! Good work!"

    Kakashi snapped the neck of the other Mist ninja and noticed they were finally able to see their surroundings more clearly.

    "Hm?"

    Kakashi noticed movement in the distance and observed it closely with his Sharingan.

    *Sniff Sniff*

    Pakkun sniffed in the direction Kakashi was facing and looked up at him.

    "There are some new smells coming. They smell young too."

    "Must be the other groups."

    Yamato came next to Kakashi as they saw the group come closer.

    "Hey~! Kakashi-sensei!"

    Kakashi palmed his forehead lightly while Yamato chuckled.

    ''Why is Naruto so loud?''

    The groups rejoined with each other, giving relief to the Genins.

    Kakashi and Yamato looked over everyone, happy they were all in one piece.

    "Whew~! Glad to see everyone''s okay! Did you have any problems?"

    "We still have a big problem, Yamato-sensei!"

    Shizuka began to explain to Yamato and Kakashi what had happened to them while the others observed Pakkun.

    "What? You never seen a cute dog before?"

    ""........""

    They had nothing to say about his attitude. The pug was apparently very confident in his appearance.

    "...."

    Kakashi looked over everyone with his Sharingan, getting surprised looks from Sasuke and Maka. The most interesting reaction, however, was from Hii.

    ''Oh no. I didn''t know he had a Sharingan! Don''t blow our cover, Sensei!''

    Hii sent a pleading look to Kakashi who only stared at the two a moment longer before refocusing on the situation.

    "So the other Akatsuki member is just after Haku? We have to make sure he stays safe then."

    *Clang Clang Boom*

    The group heard the battle between Zabuza and Juzo intensify as the two unleashed all their power.

    Kakashi noticed Haku looking in the direction of the battle with worry.

    ''These two are more troublesome than I thought. Luckily, their clones haven''t disappeared. That should mean the main bodies are still okay.''

    Kakashi sighed as he pointed towards their battle.

    "Let''s go and help him. There''s still one more ninja in charge of the mist, so be careful."

    ""Yes!""

    "Hii-kun and Haku-san. You stay with me for a moment."

    Yamato lead the team towards the battle while Kakashi trailed behind next to Hii and Haku.

    "Explain how this happened quickly. We don''t want to alarm the others."

    "Haaa~. I figured you already realized it."

    Kakashi pointed to his eye and smiled.

    "It''s a bit hard to fool this eye. Now tell me what happened."

    Hii nodded his head and kept his eyes on the others.

    "When we ran into the guy, he was referring to Haku as the "Ice boy". That tipped me off that he was only here for Haku and the rest of us were merely in the way. Haku probably came to the same conclusion as we tried to create an opening to escape. After we caught him off guard, I created a shadow clone and had it follow the group. Haku had the same idea as we both left clones behind."

    Kakashi nodded his head and kept pressing forward.

    "Why did you not inform your team? Is there a reason for you to stay behind?"

    Hii wryly chuckled as he shook his head.

    "Those two would''ve tried to fight with us if I told them. Akumu told me the weapon he had was covered in poison and from the way he was looking at us, I could tell he has a lot of tricks up his sleeve. I didn''t want to take the chance that they wouldn''t be able to dodge them all. I also think that me staying behind was the best choice since I have Storm Style. I think he will prioritize getting the both of us more than coming after the rest of the team."

    Kakashi''s face grew serious as the came closer to the sounds of battle.

    "Did Akumu tell you his name?"

    Hii nodded his head.

    "Sasori of the Red Sand."

    Kakashi slowly sighed as he kept his face forward.

    "...Hang in there. I''ll head to you as soon as I can."

    Hii nodded his head and silently followed the group as they arrived at the fight.

    ***************

    "Haaa. Haaa. Haaa."

    Zabuza tried to catch his breath as he held both kunai in his hands.

    His arms were starting to become numb from the cuts.

    His bandages were undone, revealing his face and his jagged teeth.

    He had no thoughts of backing down. He only strived to cut this man down and head to where Haku was.

    Juzo also tried to catch his breath as he held his blade close to the ground.

    ''This guy...''

    Juzo chuckled as he saw the crazed look in Zabuza''s face.

    ''That''s not the face of someone who could lose a tool.''

    Juzo took in one hard breath and straightened his back.

    "Let''s end this."

    "...."

    Zabuza only nodded his head as he slowly brought his kunais up, ready to strike!

    "Zabuza!"

    The two turned their heads slightly and saw the large group of ninja coming towards them.

    Zabuza visibly perked up when he saw Haku approaching towards the front.

    "Zabuza-sama!"

    "....."

    Zabuza refocused back on Juzo and felt energy coming back to him.

    "Did you escape from the other ninja?"

    The group was surprised at how Zabuza knew that, but Maka responded to his question.

    "Yes! We regrouped with everyone, Zabuza-san! We''ve come to help you!"

    "......"

    The aura around Zabuza darkened as his grip on his kunais tightened.

    "Don''t bother. I''ll do this myself. Wait for me, Haku."

    "...Yes, Zabuza-sama."

    The others, besides Kakashi and Hii, were confused by the exchange as Zabuza glanced at Hii for a moment.

    Hii looked at him and nodded his head slowly.

    "Heh!"

    Zabuza''s chakra surged as his purple Oni seemed to become denser!

    "Let''s end this! I have something better to do so make this quick!"

    "....Hmph! As you wish!"

    Juzo readied his stance as the two stared each other down.

    "Haaaa!"

    "Haaaa!"

    The two charged at each other with full killing intent displayed!

    "Ugh!"

    "Uwaah!"

    The Genin weren''t fully able to handle the bloodlust coming off of the two as they got closer to each other.

    As the two closed in, Juzo''s smile grew sinister!

    "Now!"

    Juzo suddenly shouted a command, prompting a shadow to appear from the bushes nearby and charge towards Zabuza''s back with a kunai in his hand!

    ""Nooo!""

    Everyone was shocked by the development while Kakashi and Yamato quickly tried to block the ninja!

    ''I can''t believe that last ninja slipped my mind! Can I make it?!''

    ''My Wood Style isn''t fast enough to cage him in!''

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    *Swoosh*

    One shadow and one lightning bolt darted past the two Jonin and quickly appeared behind Zabuza!

    Haku got in front of the Mist ninja, blocking his attack on Zabuza!

    "Die!"

    The Mist ninja struck out towards Haku with his kunai while Haku sent multiple senbon from his hands to the ninja''s neck!

    *Schtik Puchi*

    The two fell down to the ground, both incapacitated!

    *Poof*

    Juzo swung his blade towards Zabuza, aiming to behead him before he could get close!

    Hii quickly came behind Zabuza and aimed for the Executioner''s blade!

    "Storm Blade: Flash!"

    Hii slashed towards the blade as hard as he could!

    *Clang*

    The two blades clashed against each other, but Hii''s blade had cut halfway into the blade due to the Storm Chakra!

    ''What?!''

    Juzo was shocked that this boy also had a power similar to Haku!

    "Haaaaah!"

    Hii focused the rest of his Chakra into his blade and cut forward!

    *Shing*

    He managed to cut through part of the blade, but Juzo''s swing didn''t stop!

    But it was enough for Zabuza!

    *Schtik Puchi Puchi*

    The blade passed through half of Hii''s neck before completely missing Zabuza!

    *Poof*

    Zabuza''s two kunai were plunged deep into Juzo''s chest while Juzo''s swinging arm was wrapped around his back.

    He couldn''t believe it!

    "Blaargh!!"

    Juzo coughed up blood over Zabuza''s shoulder as his body started to lose strength.

    His blood splattered on the blade and was quickly absorbed into it.

    The blade grew slowly while Zabuza and Juzo stood still.

    "....Heh. I guess...a friendly demon is still a demon."

    *Schhhp*

    The Executioner''s Blade sank into the ground as Juzo''s hands lost strength.

    He patted Zabuza''s back as he started to fade.

    "Remember. You...are always...part of Bloody Mist. We...are all..demons."

    "....."

    *Thud*

    Juzo''s body fell to the side as Zabuza barely managed to keep himself up.

    ''Haku. Brat. Thanks.''

    Zabuza turned slowly behind him and put a hand on his prize.

    It''s weight was slightly off, but he would be able to easily fix that.

    He looked around and picked up the sliced piece of the blade and walked back over to Juzo.

    *Puchi*

    Zabuza stabbed the piece into Juzo''s chest, then pressed the blade along the cut line. This allowed the blade to recover by using his blood.

    Juzo''s body started to thin out as the blade fixed itself.

    Zabuza pulled out the sword from his body, revealing it in its original splendor.

    Zabuza looked over at the Leaf Ninja and noticed all their confused and astonished faces.

    He realized Kakashi was looking concerned as he came closer.

    "We have to hurry now. Do you think you can make it?"

    "....I''ll manage."

    Kakashi nodded his head and turned to the group.

    He noticed his Genin were all confused as to what just happened, Yamato had a very concerned face right now, and the girls....

    ''Oh dear. Looks like Hii isn''t going to catch a break after this.''

    "What''s going on?! Where is Hii?!"

    Naruto realized the big problem and turned to Kakashi.

    Kakashi sighed and rubbed his head.

    "We have to hurry and regroup with the other two. I''ll fill you in with what I know on the way. For now, keep quiet and let''s move."

    Kakashi viewed the faces of everyone as they all nodded in agreement.

    "Sakura-chan. If you can, please try to heal Zabuza-san while we move."

    "Yes, Sensei!"

    Kakashi turned to Pakkun.

    "Pakkun! You got both of their scents, right?!"

    "I got them! I can lead when you''re ready!"

    Kakashi nodded his head and turned to the forest.

    "No time to lose! Let''s go!"

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    The group all disappeared into the woods, heading for the east side of the forest as fast as they could!

    *****************

    Hii was hiding behind a tree close to Haku as the two kept an eye on the round puppet.

    Hii tried to peek out at the puppet from the side of the tree.

    *Clack Clack Clack Swish Swish Swish*

    "Ah!"

    *Don Don Don*

    A nearby tree was decorated in senbon that Hii was tired of dealing with.

    ''This guy doesn''t run out of things to shoot!''

    [He can probably replace it easily from inside.]

    ''Ahh! He''s a nightmare! What should we do?!''

    [You''ll have to come up with a plan with Haku. He''s just playing with you two right now.]

    "Tail!"

    Haku yelled to Hii, making then both jump away from the trees!

    *Bang Bang*

    The trees they hid behind fell down with a thud as Sasori slowly followed behind them.

    The two hid behind a new set of trees as they tried to catch their breath.

    Hii looked over at Haku.

    "Any bright ideas?"

    Haku thought for a moment and nodded his head.

    "We have to lead him to the river. If we can do so, we can possibly make the situation easier for us."

    Hii thought about the idea and nodded his head.

    "That''s the best we can do. Should we stick together or split up?"

    "Split up. I''m his target, so it should be easier for you to get by if he focuses on me."

    ''Target...''

    Hii thought for a moment and frowned.

    He did have a way to catch his attention, but he didn''t want to do it.

    ''Ugh! I can''t help Haku without getting into it myself! I already stayed behind! I have no excuse to chicken out now!''

    Hii weaved hand signs and prepared his technique.

    ''Water Style: Water Ball Jutsu!''

    Moisture in the air began to collect around Hii''s hand as it formed a sphere.

    ''Next.''

    Hii slowly melded his lightning chakra from his other hand into the ball.

    "Eh?!"

    Haku was surprised to see the ball of water becoming brighter as it began to fuse with the water.

    ''He has a bloodline move like me?!''

    Haku looked up from the ball and saw Hii''s smiling face.

    "We''re in this together, Haku! Be ready on three!"

    Haku looked at Hii''s face, then to the ball of chakra, and nodded his head.

    "One, two..."

    Hii shot out from the tree and threw the ball at Sasori!

    "Three! Storm Style: Laser Ball!"

    "What?!"

    Sasori was surprised by his aggressive approach, but still pulled up his shield arm to block the attack in time!

    Or so he thought.

    "Turn!"

    The speeding ball of energy went from going straight towards Sasori to curving around his shield!

    "What?!"

    *Bang*

    "Urgh!"

    An explosion of light went off in front of Sasori, blinding him for a moment!

    "Now!"

    *Bang*

    *Shuu Shuu*

    Haku threw out a smoke bomb as they quickly retreated!

    The two speed off in the direction of the river as fast as they could!

    Haku followed behind Hii while watching him silently.

    "Aaaah~! I did it now! At least it worked!"

    "...What kind of Jutsu was that?"

    "Haa. It was a Storm style technique I made off one of my mom''s techniques. That should get him to think of me as a target too. Makes it even for both of us."

    "...."

    Haku slowly nodded his head and followed after Hii.

    His fists clenched slightly as he memorized Hii''s back.

    "I''m glad I could meet you, Hii-kun."

    Hii turned around with a frown on his face.

    "Don''t say that! It sounds like you don''t want to survive this encounter. I have a plan to get him off of us, so just be patient!"

    Hii slowed down until he was next to Haku and grinned at him.

    "To make this plan more thorough, you gotta tell me what your Ice Jutsu can do."

    **********

    The light died down and the Smoke settled as Sasori slowly recovered. He looked over at his mangled hand for a moment in silence.

    "....Hehehehe."

    A low chuckle started to come from his mouth that slowly grew louder and louder.

    "Hahahahahaha!!!"

    Sasori looked over at his arm in delight!

    "A Storm user! Two unique users!"

    *Clack Clack*

    The back of the man opened up as Sasori slowly made his way out of the puppet.

    "Hehehe! I''ll have to take this a bit seriously."

    Sasori pulled out a scroll and opened it up.

    *Poof*

    A puppet appeared on the ground near the bigger puppet.

    He reached over and took on of the arms off the new puppet and moved over to the bigger one.

    "Let''s see here."

    *Clack Clack*

    Sasori detached and reworked the mangled arm with the smaller puppet''s arm at high speed as he threw damaged parts inside the new puppet and reattached parts that survived the blast.

    The arm was put back into socket and snapped into place, looking as good as new.

    "That should be enough for now."

    Strings shot out from the Sasori''s hand and attached to the puppet.

    *Clack Clack Clack*

    The puppet was turned to the direction the two ran off in, standing together with Sasori.

    "I have to examine them from head to toe! They will be my greatest masterpieces yet!"

    Sasori and his puppet chased the two down as an excited glint flashed in his eyes

    He won''t let these two canvases get away!

    **********

    Yamato and the others moved silently as they approached the eastern side of the forest.

    Yamato looked over at his two students far in front of him and sighed.

    "You two can''t go too far! Stay with the team!"

    Shizuka and Maka both slowed down a short distance before maintaining their speed.

    He turned to Kakashi with a defeated expression, but Kakashi could only shake his head.

    Yamato saw that even Naruto and Sasuke were staying away from their sisters.

    ''They aren''t the only ones who are impatient.''

    Yamato turned behind him to see Zabuza following them with Sakura by his side.

    She tried to heal his wounds as best as she could, but he just wouldn''t stay still.

    ''It''s amazing he can even carry that thing with all his injuries.''

    Yamato felt a fire in his stomach as he looked for traces of battle.

    ''Don''t worry, Hii-kun. We''re on the way!''

    "Sensei! I see it!"

    Maka landed where they first battled Sasori and checked the area.

    The others landed next to her and were frozen in shock over the sight.

    Lots of trees were toppled over while Senbon seemed to be scattered everywhere.

    Pakkun started to sniff around, and his face grew grim whenever he got close to any of the weapons and marks on the ground.

    "....Take a quick break while Pakkun finds more information."

    Kakashi instructed the group as everyone except Sakura and Zabuza stood on guard.

    Sakura focused on Zabuza''s wounds while he looked over the area.

    "...."

    His face started to frown as he saw the damage done to the area.

    The damage done to the trees, the closeness of the senbon , and the markings from a long weapon gave a clear feeling to Zabuza that whoever was after the two was hunting them leisurely.

    ''Bastard!''

    Zabuza''s gaze moved over to Pakkun who was sniffing the ground for a lead.

    Pakkun lifted up his head and looked at Kakashi.

    "I got a good news and bad news."

    Everyone''s face became grim as Kakashi motioned him to proceed.

    "The good news is the two kids here have fled towards the river. I assume they must have a plan in mind to either get away or fight back."

    Everyone relaxed a bit from hearing that information.

    Kakashi took a short breath and braced himself.

    "And the bad news?"

    "The person chasing them has no scent. All I can smell is mostly sawdust in the area. He could be hiding anywhere. The worse part is that all these weapons in the area have the same sharp, tingly smell to them."

    Kakashi''s gaze grew serious as he looked at the nearby senbon embedded into the trees.

    "Poison, huh?"

    *Bang*

    Everyone turned to Zabuza who punched into the ground!

    "He''s going to try and turn them into puppets!"

    "What?!"

    Maka was the first to respond as she stared at Zabuza.

    "That bastard Juzo said this guy only came here because of Haku! He must be trying to get the brat as well since he has a special technique too!"

    Zabuza remembered the technique Hii used to assist him earlier. The power of that technique was much stronger than ordinary lightning!

    "We have to hurry and find them!"

    Pakkun nodded his head and raised his paw.

    "I''m ready to lead when you are!"

    "Alright! We have to-"

    "What is that?!"

    Everyone turned to Naruto who was pointing towards a strange sight.

    A blue light shined in the distance for a short moment before it disappeared.

    "...What was-"

    *Booooom*

    ""!!!""

    Everyone braced themselves as a bright explosion went off into the night sky!

    Everyone braced themselves as the wind whipped past them!

    After a few seconds, the winds died down.

    Kakashi removed his hands from his face and looked in the direction of the light with a serious expression.

    "Head that way now!"

    Kakashi quickly ordered for them to move immediately!

    ***************

    *Fwoosh*

    Hii stood facing the flowing water of the river with a grim expression.

    {Do you think this will work?}

    ''It has to work! It''s either we win or we lose!''

    [Or I become known to their organization. Either way, we''re ready.]

    Hii nodded his head and breathed in deeply.

    "You ready, Haku?"

    Hii turned to his side and saw Haku standing nearby.

    "I''m ready as well."

    *Clack Clack Clack*

    The two quickly turned to the sound as the puppet man appeared once again!

    "He sure loves to be a pain!"

    Hii sighed as he drew his sword!

    *Clack Clack*

    This time, the puppet took no time to talk and charged straight for them with  bladed arms!

    *Clang Clang*

    Hii blocked the blades as safely as possible as he backed up into position!

    "Now!"

    Haku quickly weaved hand signs jumped into the air!

    "Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

    The surroundings grew foggy as Haku disappeared from view.

    The puppet kept its eyes on Hii, no longer looking for Haku at all.

    Hii felt it was acting strange compared to before. He then noticed a line of chakra that was barely visible going into the nearby forest.

    "...You got out of the puppet."

    "Hehehe!"

    A red haired man walked out from the shadows nearby and stood behind the puppet.

    "I realized I won''t be able to play with you to my full ability inside of Hiruko. It makes more sense to push you as far as I can before I get to work."

    Hii shivered slightly under the insane look in the man''s eyes.

    ''He''s functionally crazy.''

    "Well then."

    Sasori stretched out his hand as 4 more lines of chakra shot out from his fingers and into Hiruko.

    "Let''s see what you''re capable of."

    He flexed his fingers and Hiruko shot towards Hii at high-speed!

    "That''s unfair!"

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Hii did his best to block the two arms and tail from touching him!

    He had a hard time keeping the weapons at a distance!

    "So you are a pretty good swordsman. Guess I''ll have to add blades to the arms by default..."

    "Don''t talk about me like I''m dead already!"

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    Hii used his Lightning Armor to shoot through a gap in the puppet''s attack and strike at Sasori!

    "Oh! You''re a lot faster than I thought!"

    Sasori happily smiled as Hii swung his blade down towards his head.

    *Clang*

    "!!"

    Hii was surprised to see a detached arm blade blocked his attack!

    "Haaah!"

    *Crack*

    "Whoops!"

    Sasori backed up from the blade as Hii sliced through the arm with little resistance.

    *Clack*

    "!?"

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    Hii jumped away from the blade hand as senbon began to shoot out from its palm!

    "Tch! I thought I''d get you with that one."

    Sasori mumbled to himself as he flexed his fingers again, bringing Hiruko behind Hii!

    "What?! Argh!!"

    Hii tried to dodge it, but Hiruko''s tail wrapped around him!

    Sasori lifted Hii up above Hiruko using its tail with a smirk on his face!

    "One down. One to go."

    Sasori looked around at the foggy surroundings and smiled.

    "Come on out, Ice boy! Otherwise, the Storm one is gonna have a rough time!"

    Sasori goaded Haku to come out, but Haku didn''t come out no matter how long he waited.

    Sasori face started to frown as he became irritated.

    "Fine then. It seems you want to do this the hard way. I''m perfectly fine with leaving as long as I have one puppet on the way."

    Sasori flexed one of his fingers and the tail of Hiruko began to tighten!

    "Uuurgh! Gahhh!"

    Hii''s pain screams rang out, but Haku still didn''t appear!

    Sasori looked around frantically and began to panic!

    ''Did he actually run away?! I was sure he was going to try to rescue him! Was I wrong?! No...''

    *Swish*

    A smile crept up his face as he quickly turned around and grabbed the senbon out of the air!

    Haku quickly appeared and dashed towards Sasori at high speed!

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    Haku tried to take him down with a quick barrage of hits, but Sasori easily blocked his moves!

    The two deadlocked facing each other as their hands interlocked!

    "Hahaha! Don''t be mad! I''ll make sure you two will be in the same scroll together!"

    Sasori started to overpower Haku! He swept his legs from under him and pressed him into the ground!

    "Guh!"

    "Stop resisting. It makes the detailing much harder to do."

    *Click*

    Haku was in shock as one of Sasori''s arms detached from him, revealing a blade inside!

    "You are?! Ugh!!"

    "You will be perfect!"

    Sasori smiled as he struck the blade in Haku''s stomach!

    "I''ll make sure you will look just like you do now."

    "Guh!!"

    Haku quickly wrapped his arm holding the doll hand around Sasori''s neck!

    "There''s no use struggling. Just close your eyes."

    "....You''re right."

    Sasori smiled brightly as he let go of Haku''s hand.

    "There is no use struggling!"

    Sasori began to have a bad feeling as Haku''s body began to expand!

    "Wha?! Let go!"

    Sasori tried to get away, but Haku''s arm kept him in place!

    Sasori could see that Hii was also expanding!

    ""Water Style: Explosive Clone Jutsu!""

    *Boom Boom*

    "Guah!"

    Sasori fumbled through the air and landed in the mud!

    His teeth grinded into each other as he looked up to see Hiruko was damaged from the explosion.

    It didn''t help that another Haku appeared nearby as well!

    He began to weave hand signs and placed his hands on the ground!

    "Ice Style: Ice Prison Jutsu!"

    The air suddenly grew colder as the moisture around Sasori turned to ice!

    "Crap!"

    Sasori tried to get away, but his body started to harden as the ice kept him in place.

    Haku wasn''t done yet as he continued to weave hand signs!

    "Hidden Art: Ice Crystal Mirrors!"

    *Crack Crack Crack*

    Multiple ice mirrors began to form around the frozen Sasori and puppet, creating a wide dome around them.

    Haku began to condense the mirrors until they were circular and smaller in size.

    ''That should do it!''

    Once Haku finished his technique, he quickly ran to the nearby river and jumped on top of it.

    "Is that enough? That was the most I could manage."

    Haku looked down into the river and saw Hii holding steady against a rock underwater!

    He gave Haku a thumbs up and started to prepare his technique!

    Haku wished him well and dashed to a nearby rock to recover as much chakra as he could.

    Hii quickly weaved hand signs and used his technique!

    Water Style: Water Ball Jutsu!

    A rotating ball of water barely visible formed in front of him!

    Hii put his hands together and interlocked his fingers right below the ball. He began to pump Lightning chakra through his arms as well as draw in the surrounding water towards the ball! The ball began to glow bright blue and slowly got bigger and bigger as Hii focused his power!

    ''I''ll hope you like this, creep!''

    Hii added a bit more energy to the Jutsu and fired it!

    Storm Style: Laser Circus!

    *Pyuu Pyuu Pyuu*

    Multiple lasers fired out of the water into the air, giving off a deadly, yet mystical show!

    Sasori shivered from more than the cold as he struggled to free himself from the ice!

    More and more lasers flew and circled around each other before heading into the mirrors!

    One by one, each mirror began to hum with energy as the lasers all aimed at Sasori!

    *Crack*

    ''Yes!''

    Sasori finally managed to break his right side free and quickly pulled out a scroll!

    ''These crazy bastards!''

    *Poof Poof*

    *Clack Clack Clack*

    Several defensive puppets appeared around him and deployed their shields from their hands around Sasori!

    Hii came out of the water with the last laser entering a mirror and ran towards Haku!

    "Haku! Get ready!"

    Haku nodded his head and braced himself!

    Hii weaved a seal as well as he focused his concentration as the two synchronized their chakra!

    ""Combination Jutsu: Crystal Laser Blast!""

    *Vrrrrr Pyooooo*

    All of the mirrors suddenly grew brighter and fired at Sasori at the same time!

    "Block it!"

    The puppets moved to block the beams around Sasori, but the concentrated blasts tore through them in seconds!

    *Booooom*

    "Waah!"

    "Woah!"

    Haku and Hii huddled together as the blast exploded with light and wind in all directions!

    It sounded like a hundreds of explosive tags went off at the same time!

    ''That is way stronger than what you said!''

    [.....]

    Hii felt his ears wringing as his eyes slowly adjusted to the surroundings.

    Once the smoke disappeared, all signs of Sasori and the puppets vanished.

    A crater was left in the wake of the explosion.

    Hii slowly got up on shaky feet and went to cautiously investigate.

    "Did we get him?"

    Haku also struggled to his feet and checked.

    "I think so. I don''t see any more parts."

    "Haaaa~!"

    Hii let out the biggest sigh of relief yet as he slumped to the ground.

    [Never ask that question.]

    ''Hmm? Why?''

    *Clap Clap Clap*

    ""!!!""

    Haku and Hii looked over to the nearby forest and paled as a perfectly fine Sasori walked out.

    "Wonderful! Truly wonderful! That Jutsu was marvelous!"

    Sasori clapped his hands in applause and stopped a short distance away from the two.

    ''This guy is too scary!''

    Hii struggled back up to his feet and  pulled out his blade.

    "!"

    Hii suddenly realized he couldn''t move his body at all!

    Hii couldn''t turn his head, but his instincts told him Haku was probably in the same situation!

    Sasori held out his hands and shook his head. Hii could see several lines of chakra pointing at him from his fingers.

    ''Since when?!''

    Sasori looked at him with a smile on his face.

    "Hehehe! No need to look so grim. I just want to see your faces up close."

    The two had no say in the matter because with a few tugs and pulls of his chakra strings, the two were standing at attention.

    "First, I''ll need to assess you closely."

    Sasori leisurely walked up to Hii with a playful stride. He was like a kid with two new toys!

    "Let''s see here. Wow! Quite handsome. Long white hair. Pretty toned muscles. Definitely the fighter type."

    Sasori praised Hii''s features, but Hii only felt colder with each comment.

    "And now you. Oooh~! Even prettier than the other one! Hmm? Wait, you''re a boy?! Hahaha! That''s even better!"

    Sasori made Haku take off his mask and appraised him as well.

    "Perfect! Just perfect! You two will be great puppets!"

    The two felt their hearts sink as Sasori looked at them with a hungry gaze.

    "....in due time. It won''t be good to do it now."

    ""!!""

    Haku looked at him in shock while Hii frowned with disbelief.

    Haku didn''t want to, but he had to ask.

    "Why?"

    Sasori slowly started to chuckle, which then evolved to outright laughter!

    "Hahahaha! It''s because you''re too young!"

    Sasori shook his head as he looked at the two sweet unripe fruits in front of him.

    "It''s too early. Both of you haven''t reached your full potential yet. It would be a sin to claim you as you are now. My collection is all about quality! I won''t forgive myself if I pluck you two so early!"

    Sasori''s smile grew wide as he eyed the two!

    "I''ll treat you two as a special pair. Especially since you two already have such a wonderful technique together! Who knows how much more entertaining you''ll be when you''re older?!"

    Sasori pulled his fingers and made the two face each other.

    "I''ll keep tabs on you in the future. Do your best to grow a bit stronger. It''ll make my art of you truly last forever."

    Sasori continued to pull strings and made Haku pull out 3 senbons.

    "Farewell for now. Until we meet again."

    With a pull of his string, Haku and Hii were forced to stab towards each other!

    *Puchi Puchi*

    The two pierced each other and slowly started to drop down as water on the  ground!

    Sasori turned around and started to walk back to the forest.

    "Hehehe! I''ll make you two my 300th masterpiece! It won''t be long before I have it."

    He turned back towards the river with a smile.

    "Hahaha! I can''t wait! Don''t sit in there too long! Dried out skin is the hardest to work with!"

    *shuuu*

    Sasori disappeared, leaving only the cold winds and waters behind.

    After 30 seconds, two figures could be seen rising up from the bottom of the river, exhausted.

    "Haaa, haaa, haaa."

    Hii and Haku struggled to catch their breath as they laid on the bank.

    "Haaa. We did it! We pushed him back."

    Haku silently gathered his breath and shook his head.

    "No. He let us go."

    ".....Haaa. Yeah, I know."

    Hii slammed his fists into the ground as he looked up into the sky.

    ''Great! My first C rank mission and I''m targeted by a man who turns people into puppets!''

    [Could''ve been worse.]

    ''How so?''

    [He could''ve gotten the explosive one to come help him.]

    ''...There''s an explosive one?''

    [.....]

    Hii flopped on his back in defeat.

    "I need to train more."

    Haku smiled and nodded his head.

    "Me too."

    Hii looked over at Haku and held his fist out.

    Haku looked at it for a moment and tapped it with his own fist.

    "Let''s kill that creep together, alright?"

    "I would love nothing more."

    The two looked back up at the night sky as they appreciated its majesty.

    *Shuuu*

    "?!"

    Hii looked above his and saw a head of messy, black hair and red eyes staring down at him.

    Those two tomoes were filled with rage as Hii felt the cold shivers of death all over again!

    The two stared at each other in silence while Haku payed them no attention.

    Hii sighed and closed his eyes.

    He knew this would happen when he decided to stay behind. Now he only had one wish.

    ''Just don''t leave me in one piece. I definitely don''t want to become a puppet!''

 Ch.78. Bonding

    The group headed back to Tazuna''s home around the crack of dawn.

    Everyone was exhausted as they slowly ambled their way to their assigned rooms.

    Zabuza decided to take up a couch to rest while Haku slept in a chair nearby.

    The Demon Brothers decided to sleep on the other couch as they all felt exhausted.

    The Leaf group continued to their assigned rooms and slept their exhaustion away.

    Lots of things needed to be discussed, but it would have to be done once they were rested.

    Hii laid down with a grim expression.

    ''I screwed up, huh?''

    [Not exactly, but to someone who doesn''t know about us, you were pretty reckless.]

    {Don''t make your friends and comrades worried about you. It could make a bad situation worse. Keep this lesson in mind for next time.}

    Hii''s face grew red as he shuffled under his sheets.

    ''I didn''t mean to do that on purpose.''

    {You mean you didn''t think at all about it. You know those two are really mad at you, right? You not telling them is like saying they would be in the way.}

    ''.....''

    {They have their own goals for getting strong, yet you took the trial and the danger on your own. I can understand it because of your speed, but those two may not see you as being much stronger than them. You better get ready for their complaints.}

    Hii couldn''t argue against Fuyuki''s logic. He just decided to let it go and get some sleep. He''d have to deal with it tomorrow.

    *********

    The next day was....a battle for Hii to say the least.

    Hii and Haku were sitting on a nearby couch as everyone crowded around.

    Tazuna could finally work on the bridge in earnest while Gozu and Mezu went to go watch over him.

    With the two watching him, he would easily be able to finish the bridge in a few days.

    Sakura sat beside Zabuza and healed his wounds as best as she could.

    Maka and Shizuka both stood behind the teachers as. Hii and Haku went over their encounters. Sasuke stood beside them at a distance against the wall.

    "I see. So now you two are on his list of puppet candidates."

    Kakashi brought his arms across his chest and shook his head.

    "That''s some pretty bad luck you two have there."

    Yamato nodded his head as well and looked over at Hii.

    "Why didn''t you at least inform the team? It may have worked better for you with more people than with just Haku-san."

    Maka and Shizuka''s eyes narrowed as they waited for his response.

    "It was because of information I learned about him from....a source. His weapons were all coated in poison and judging from how he used his weapons, I could assume that the poison was definitely lethal and the primary way he would claim bodies."

    Hii kept his eyes on the two as he continued.

    "I wasn''t confident I could deal with the poison if anyone was hit. I became even more certain of my decision once he started spraying Zenbon everywhere. I didn''t want anyone to suffer whatever he had cooked up. He told us he wasn''t very far from 300 kills and he sure showed how efficient he was at getting those kills."

    Maka and Shizuka shivered as they thought of the insane amount of people he killed.

    Kakashi and Yamato nodded their heads at the analysis.

    "I also noticed that Haku had speed comparable, if not more, to my own. I felt he could dodge and move faster than the others could. He was also compatable with me since he and I can both use water techniques."

    Zabuza nodded his head in agreement.

    "That''s right. Haku can even be faster than me when he uses his secret techniques."

    Maka and Shizuka became a bit deflated as they heard the reasoning behind the events. They didn''t have enough confidence to refute his thoughts.

    Yamato looked over to them, then back to Hii.

    "Still, it would be good for you to at least notify your comrades. It may make the tension increase, but one mind might miss what three minds can come up with."

    "I understand. Sorry for going off without letting you know."

    Hii bowed his head in apology while Kakashi thought about the situation.

    "Hii, Haku-san, did Sasori say anything strange to you during the fight? Anything that stuck out to you two as important?"

    The two thought about it for a moment, but couldn''t remember anything noteworthy.

    "No. Other than his intense fascination with us because of our secret techniques, he only said something about the group having bigger things to do."

    Kakashi nodded his head and decided he''d think some more about it.

    "Well then. That''s all for now. I''ll start getting the report done for the mission. It should take a few days for the bridge to be complete, so do what you want for now."

    ""Yes, Sensei!""

    Kakashi stood up and headed off to write his report.

    "I still have to sort the pictures out! The fall section photos still need to be decided..."

    Yamato stood up as well, deep in thought over which photo should take which month.

    Hii sighed as he nearly forgot he might end up being in an actual calendar.

    "Hii-kun~."

    "!!"

    Hii shivered, and slowly looked up at Shizuka. He could see a sinister smile on her face.

    "Let''s go hang out at the forest area for a bit."

    ''...Doesn''t look like I can say no.''

    {Afraid not.}

    Hii could only nod his head at her invitation.

    *********

    The three made their way to the edge of the forest. Shizuka and Maka started to stretch as Hii looked on.

    "Um? What are we doing here exactly?"

    Shizuka finished her stretches and jumped in place.

    "Well, someone decided we weren''t ready to fight the enemy on our own without informing us. We have to test the merit of that decision and see where we stand."

    Maka shook her legs, stretching her lax muscles in preparation.

    "We need to see if you are really stronger than us."

    Hii sighed and cracked his neck.

    He knew he wasn''t going to be able to get away without fighting.

    "Are there any rules?"

    Shizuka smiled and weaved multiple hand signs quickly.

    "Hmph!"

    Her hand slapped the ground as a large, circular seal spread out around them.

    She patted her hands and nodded at her work.

    "You have to stay in the circle of the seal. You get knocked out, or give up, you lose."

    Maka and Hii nodded their heads and readied their stances.

    "Ah! Only use Taijutsu as well! We aren''t going for each other''s throats after all."

    "Fine."

    Hii pulled off his sword and placed it at the edge of the circle.

    "Whenever you''re ready."

    "Hehe! I''ll go first!"

    Shizuka dashed towards Hii shortly after speaking and punched towards his chest.

    Hii easily dodged her punch, then ducked under her kick from the left.

    *Bang Swish Bang*

    Hii steadily blocked and dodged her moves, only sending short jabs towards her in retaliation.

    Shizuka jumped back from Hii and stared at him.

    Hii realized her face wasn''t a smiling one, but a cold frown.

    "Take this seriously, Hii. I don''t want you to hold back. I have to see how far I am from you."

    "....."

    Hii looked at her and slowly nodded his head.

    "All you have to do is heal me if you injure me. I''m not going to cry about pain."

    Shizuka''s aura grew colder as she shot towards Hii at greater speed!

    * Swish Swish Swish*

    This time, Hii dodged her frenzied attacks with great ease!

    "Haaa!"

    Shizuka goes to her max speed, throwing everything she can at Hii, but he still reads her moves and dodges narrowly beside her.

    "Ugh!"

    Shizuka groaned as he punched her in the gut after dodging another furious punch.

    She tried to recover, but Hii grabbed her arm and tossed her to the side.

    "Hrrrng!"

    Hii''s toss flung her outside of the ring. She laid on the grassy ground for a moment before swinging her fists into the grass!

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    After she swung her fists a few more times into the ground, she took a deep breath and stood up.

    A smile was back on her face as she turned around to them.

    "Okay! I''m out!. Go ahead, Maka-chan! Avenge me~!"

    Hii watched Maka as he listened to Shizuka. She had tried to sound cheery, but both of them could hear the frustration deep in her voice.

    "Got it!"

    Maka took in a deep breath and rushed towards Hii!

    Hii punched out towards Maka preemptively, but his punch was narrowly dodged as Maka tried to sweep his feet!

    Hii jumped over her to avoid the attack and struck towards her back!

    She quickly evaded and punched towards him!

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    Maka countered and fought back against Hii, but her ground was slowly disappearing as she was being pushed towards the edge.

    "Tch! Haaaa!!"

    Maka made a push towards Hii after feeling the increased pressure!

    Hii moved to strike her away, but she feinted her attack and distanced herself away from the edge!

    "....."

    "Haaa. Haaa. Hooooh~."

    Maka evened her breathing and stared at Hii, her eyes shining with a familiar red glow.

    Hii was shocked at first, but soon started to smile.

    "I''m glad you''re starting to take this seriously."

    "??"

    Maka didn''t understand what he meant until she started to see faint images of his movements.

    "My eyes?! Hold on a moment!"

    Maka quickly closed her eyes and started to focus her chakra away from them.

    "Wait, Maka! Try to fight me with it on."

    Maka looked at Hii with a glare.

    "Why?"

    Hii chuckled, but didn''t back down.

    "I know you want to be strong without it, but it is a part of you. You shouldn''t neglect it. It could save your life someday."

    "......"

    Maka looked conflicted as she thought about his words.

    Hii shook his head lightly and tried one more time to convince her.

    "Just do it for me. I want to see you at full power, with everything at your disposal. Only then can we make an accurate comparison."

    "....Haaaa."

    Maka sighed and twisted one of her bangs in silence as she stared at him.

    Hii held a gentle smile as he waited for her to decide what to do.

    "....Don''t regret this."

    Maka opened her eyes and revealed her two tomoe Sharingan as she readied her stance.

    Hii smiled and readied his stance as well.

    Shizuka sat on the side, greatly confused at the turn of events.

    ''Maka has a Sharingan?! I thought she couldn''t use it! Hii knew about it as well?!''

    Her cheeks started to puff up as she watched the two continue their fight.

    "Here I come!"

    Hii dashed towards Maka and threw a punch!

    Maka saw the silhouette of the fist coming and nimbly dodged his strike.

    ''She can see a lot more now. I can probably go a little faster.''

    Maka jumped back from Hii and felt conflicted.

    ''I could see the moves, but I don''t want to rely on this. No, that''s not important now. I need to use this to its fullest potential!''

    Maka shook her head and focused her gaze.

    ''I have to see the distance between us! With everything I have!''

    This time, Maka shot towards Hii and the two engaged in close combat!

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    The two dodged and struck at each other in a deadlock of blows!

    The two were even in their exchanges until Maka noticed a savage grin forming on Hii''s face.

    "!!!"

    Hii''s blows became faster and faster as Maka went from being even with him to being defensive!

    Hii''s blows began to blend together in her eyes, making it impossible for her to see what angle he was coming from!

    "Tch!"

    She unknowingly kept backing up as Hii''s blows became more and more tricky to see!

    Just when she couldn''t take blocking any more hits, everything stopped.

    "Huh?!"

    She could see Hii standing with his hands on his hips and a smile on his face.

    "Look down."

    Shizuka''s voice sounded in her ears. She looked down, causing her face to frown.

    She was outside of the seal.

    "Haaah~! I didn''t think the gap was so big! He didn''t even look like he sweated against us!"

    Shizuka stood up and patted herself down, getting rid of any grass or dirt.

    She walked over to Hii and punched him in his shoulder.

    "You won this time, but don''t think I''ll let you stay the strongest!"

    "Hehe! I can''t wait for you to get stronger."

    Shizuka smiled as she looked over at Maka.

    Maka''s fists were tight as her nails threatened to pierce her palms.

    "Maka-chan~!"

    *Glomp*

    "Huh?!"

    Shizuka surprised Maka as she hugged her and started to rock side to side.

    "Hii is bullying us! Did you see how he punched me?! I''m sure I have a bruise on my stomach!"

    "What?! Are you okay?!"

    Hii quickly panicked as he started to ready his medical ninjutsu, but stopped once Shizuka started laughing.

    "Hahaha! I''m fine! Geez! How about you, Maka-chan?"

    "I-I''m fine, so can you..."

    Maka looked okay as well, but couldn''t seem to escape Shizuka''s grip.

    "I see~! In that case, I have a question for you two~."

    Hii and Maka suddenly shivered!

    Something was wrong here!

    "Why does Maka have a Sharingan~? Why aren''t you as surprised as me, Hii-kun~? Did you already know about it~?!"

    Shizuka turned Maka around and hobbled over to Hii menacingly with Maka in her arms.

    "Can you please explain this to me~?"

    **************

    "After that, Maka showed me her eyes and she kept it hidden ever since."

    Hii explained to Shizuka as she looked between the two of them with sparkles in her eyes.

    Her foot tapped on the ground rhythmically as she mulled over the information.

    "So basically, you helped Maka unlock her own Sharingan?"

    "Yeah."

    Shizuka looked at Maka with a wide grin.

    "I see~."

    Maka couldn''t withstand the look and checked the nearby bushes and trees for any movement.

    "Okay. I understand that now."

    Shizuka nodded her head and looked over at Maka.

    "There is something I want to say though, Maka-chan."

    "Hmm? What is it?"

    "I think you should use your Sharingan more often."

    Maka immediately frowned at the suggestion.

    "...I''d rather not, honestly."

    Shizuka sighed and raised her hands.

    " Just hear me out, okay?"

    Maka still frowned, but kept her attention on Shizuka.

    "You don''t want to use your eyes because they remind you of the scorn you felt from your relatives, right?"

    Maka slowly nodded her head.

    "I can understand that in a way, but they''re your eyes. You should be able to use them without worrying about people that don''t care about you. It would be a waste for Hii to help you get them if you don''t even know how to use them well."

    Shizuka paused for a moment, then continued.

    "I''m not saying to let the whole family know you can use it, but you should at least let your brother and Sasuke know. He can train you on how to use them and what to look out for. Being able to survive is better than being prideful about silly things."

    Maka didn''t say anything, but slowly nodded her head.

    She could feel the sincerity in her words, but the wounds from then wouldn''t disappear so easily.

    Shizuka rubbed her arm with her hand as she looked down.

    "It''s good to be able to have a bond with your family. It''s better than losing them all, no matter what had happened before."

    "".....""

    Hii and Maka looked at each other and back at Shizuka''s lonely face. They both immediately hugged her in a tight embrace.

    "What?! What are you-Hahaha! Stop! Hahaha!!"

    They both started to tickle Shizuka''s sides since she couldn''t escape!

    They only stopped after a few seconds, leaving Shizuka slumped on the ground.

    "Haa! Haa! You jerks!"

    ""Hehehe!""

    Maka and Hii copied Shizuka''s laugh while they helped her back up.

    "You feel better now?"

    Hii asked her with a smile.

    She frowned at him, but nodded her head.

    "Yeah. I do feel better."

    Shizuka rubbed her sides bitterly, but she felt refreshed.

    "Ah! I almost forgot!"

    Shizuka clapped her hands and turned to Hii.

    "There was something bothering me about your explanation."

    "Hm? What was it?"

    "You said you healed Maka and her eyes shortly after Sasuke awakened his, right?"

    Hii nodded his head.

    "How?!"

    The two looked at each other and then back to Shizuka.

    "What do you mean?"

    "It doesn''t make any sense."

    Shizuka shook her head and looked at Hii.

    "I''m not too familiar with it, but the way the eyes work is because they are linked to the brain. I find it really strange that a smart, little you could make his way through another kid''s brain without practice."

    Maka slowly looked at Hii as well as she also started to contemplate on the odd situation.

    "To be able to do that so young would make you a prodigy of medical techniques, but you studied those books in class."

    Hii stared at Shizuka while Shizuka and Maka stared back at him.

    "How could you do that if you didn''t know medical techniques then? Even more unbelievable is your Grandpa and Grandma."

    Shizuka folded her arms and went deep into thought.

    "Mom and Dad said that they were disabled when I went to ask them about the strong ninjas they knew in Konoha."

    Shizuka closed her eyes and recalled a memory.

    "But when we went to your house for your birthday, they were fine! Healthy even! You and the others are even being trained by them."

    "......"

    Hii stared down at the ground as Shizuka finished her thoughts.

    An awkward silence descended on the group as the sun started to set over the horizon.

    The two girls stared at Hii, but he didn''t answer their doubts.

    How did he do it?

    Shizuka stared a bit longer, but soon sighed and threw up her hands.

    "Well, it doesn''t really matter, does it?"

    ""What?!""

    Hii and Maka were shocked to hear that as Shizuka started to nod her head.

    "However you did it, you did it to help the people you cared about."

    Shizuka looked up at Hii and smiled.

    "I can respect that ideal!"

    Hii shocked face slowly turned into a smile as he nodded his head.

    Maka also smiled as she relaxed her gaze.

    The three felt a bit closer than before. They felt more like a team.

    "Hnnngh~! Well, we should probably head back. I think we practiced enough for today. We can continue this tomorrow."

    "Huh? We''ll keep doing this?"

    Shizuka gave Hii a cheeky smile as she nodded her head enthusiastically.

    "I''m gonna figure out all your moves and kick you out of the ring! I won''t let you get any leeway to widen the gap!"

    Shizuka made a peace sign as she posed triumphantly!

    "Mmm. I''ll get stronger too. I won''t be left behind again."

    Maka also committed to the training as she turned her Sharingan back on.

    ''I''ll try to use everything I can to keep up!''

    Hii looked at the two for a moment...and just started to laugh.

    The girls were taken aback by this and stared at Hii with concern in their eyes.

    ''Akumu. I think we should let them know about you two. What do you think?''

    [....If you really want to, I don''t mind. Their fathers already know about us anyway.]

    Hii nodded his head and looked at his comrades.

    "I have a secret I want you two to know. You can''t tell anyone about it until I say it''s time, okay?"

    The two looked at each other, looked back at Hii and nodded their heads slowly.

    ''How should we do this? You come out of the ground?''

    {I wanna meet them too~!}

    [....Fist bump then. I''ll connect to my chakra inside you and greet them that way.]

    Hii nodded his head and sat down on the grass.

    "Sit down with me."

    The two nodded and sat down in front of him.

    Hii raised his fists and extended one out to each girl.

    "Bump fists with me."

    "Ah. Okay."

    "....Sure."

    The two girls bumped fists with him and soon found themselves inside a white and black space.

    "Welcome to my inner space."

    "W-What?!"

    "The hell is this?!"

    The girls saw looked around in shock and found a large white wolf laying down on the side.

    It raised its head as it sensed the presence of people.

    The girls were shocked and mesmerized by her appearance.

    The silky white coat covered with golden symbols and sunny eyes gave the wolf a regal look the girls couldn''t pull their eyes away from.

    {Hello, Shizuka-chan and Maka-chan~!}

    [Oh. They made it in fine.]

    ""!!!""

    The girls turned and saw an even larger black wolf trotting towards them!

    The black fur with purple symbols scattered all over made it look sinister and mysterious to the girls.

    The two wolves came behind Hii and sat on next to him, Fuyuki on his right and Akumu om his left.

    "Maka, Shizuka, these two are what you would call Biju and my family. The black one is Akumu and the white one is Fuyuki."

    The two girls stared in shock as they looked at the pair of wolves with their mouths wide open.

    {Hello? Can they hear us?}

    [Pretty sure they can. They just seem to be processing everything.]

    {I guess it is shocking to see us, huh?}

    [That''s an understatement. Anyone that knows about Biju only know one beast can usually be contained in a single person. Two is rather-]

    ""What the hell is this?!!!!!""

    [....Unique.]

    Hii could only chuckle as the girls tried to make sense of the situation.

    **************

    "You suck."

    "Meanie."

    "Hahaha..."

    Hii laughed dryly as he saw Maka and Shizuka laying down on Fuyuki and Akumu respectively.

    "You get to have such soft and fluffy friends with you at all times? So unfair."

    Shizuka rolled to her side on Akumu''s stomach and buried herself in his fur.

    It was cold to the touch.

    "I''m mad you kept this a secret for so long."

    Maka rubbed her face into Fuyuki''s warm white fur.

    She simply didn''t want to leave.

    Hii looked over at the two shaking his head.

    "Are you two mad because they''re so comfortable?"

    ""Yes.""

    Hii just shook his head. They acted just like Moya and Yozora.

    {Nice to finally meet you girls!}

    "It''s nice to meet you too!"

    "Tell us a bit about yourself, Fuyuki-san!"

    The girls just laid around on Akumu and Fuyuki and talked for a good while.

    Hii sat down next to Akumu and rubbed his head as the two kept quiet unless they were asked a question.

    The three kept talking for quite a while until Hii finally stood up.

    "We''ll only be here for another minute or so. Sorry to inconvenience you two."

    [Don''t worry. I''ve already accepted I will probably be a couch of some sort in the house once this is all over.]

    {I don''t mind at all. It''s pretty boring in here by myself. I can''t wait until I''m complete!}

    Hii let the two rest for a short while before clapping his hands for their attention.

    "Okay! The first meeting is over. Let''s go back."

    ""Awwww!""

    {A few more minutes...}

    [No. They have to go.]

    {Boo! You''re being old again!}

    [But we are older...]

    The girls slowly climbed off of the two wolves, albeit very slowly.

    "We''ll head back now. I''ll probably bring them in here again to see you."

    {Yay!}

    "See you next time!"

    "Bye~!"

    The girls wave energetically at Fuyuki and Akumu while Hii disconnected from the two.

    The three woke up back in the forest. The sun was close to fully setting as Hii stood up and stretched.

    ""........""

    The girls were silent as they stood up as well.

    "Hm? You guys okay?"

    Hii couldn''t help being nervous about revealing the two to them. He didn''t want their relationship to grow sour since he held it a secret for so long.

    Both of them grabbed one of his shoulders and stared at him with sparkling eyes!

    ""Can we talk to them tomorrow too?!""

    "...Sure."

    It seems he didn''t have to think about it too much.

    *********

    Two days later, the group were once again in the forest. This time, everyone had gathered together besides the Demon Brothers. They still kept guard of Tazuna as he completed the bridge.

    Kakashi and Yamato stood in front of the group while Zabuza stood nearby, leaning against a tree.

    "Since Tazuna is almost done with the bridge and we have nothing to do, I thought some training should be in order."

    Kakashi folded his arms and began to explain.

    "Since you guys have officially battled in a life or death situation, it''s time for you to get used to reading and anticipating lethal attacks."

    Kakashi pointed over to Yamato.

    "The both of us will switch squads for this training to make it easier to fight at full power. Make sure to come at us like you would an enemy ninja. We will come at you with the same energy. Your objective is to draw blood from us."

    Kakashi looked at all the students to see if there qas any questions.

    Shizuka raised her hand after Kakashi''s explanation.

    "Yes, Shizuka-chan?"

    "Can Hii be excluded from our training?"

    "Eh?!"

    Hii was shocked!

    "Why am I getting excluded?!"

    Shizuka rolled her eyes and turned to him.

    "It''s because you''re the strongest of the three of us right now. You gotta give us a chance to catch up."

    Maka nodded her head in agreement and put her hand on his shoulder.

    "You should just wait by the side and relax for today."

    "But..."

    ''I wanna fight Kakashi too!''

    Hii frowned and didn''t say anything else.

    "If that''s the case, can I join the training?"

    Everyone turned to see Haku smiling in anticipation.

    "Sure! I want to see Haku''s speed more closely anyway."

    Maka grew excited as the three grouped together.

    "Sweet! The all girl squad is gonna kick butt!"

    "I''m a boy though..."

    Haku protested, but the girls paid him no mind. Despite that, the three readied themselves as they stared at Kakashi.

    Kakashi and Yamato looked at each other for a moment and shrugged helplessly.

    "Well, I guess I''ll have to fight you three then."

    Shizuka smiled at Kakashi with a playful grin.

    "Shouldn''t you use both eyes, Sensei~?"

    Kakashi cracked his knuckles and readied his stance.

    "I''ll have to check if you''re worthy of that first."

    Naruto grew excited and turned to his comrades.

    "Come on guys! We gotta show Yamato-Sensei how awesome we are!"

    "Hmph!"

    "L-Let''s do it!"

    Team 7 grew excited as they readied themselves.

    "Alright! I won''t go easy on you guys!"

    Yamato readied his stance as well as the groups started to brawl against the teachers.

    Hii sat on the ground with both hands under his chin.

    He was not amused.

    ''This is so not fair!''

    [You know how those two can get. It''s better to just give in for now. They really do need more training anyway.]

    ''Haku doesn''t! He''s probably stronger than me!''

    [That''s debatable. You are definitely more bloodthirsty than he is. Mindset can make all the difference in a fight. Trust me.]

    ''.....''

    "Whoa! There are roots everywhere!"

    "He can use Wood Style, remember?! I''ll block the roots! You get close!"

    "Be careful on the way to him! He might have traps set up around him!"

    "Okay! Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

    Hii watched the four fight it out on one side for a moment and turned to the other side.

    "You''re open!"

    *Pow*

    "Ugh!"

    Maka flipped in the air to offset the impact, but she could still feel the effect of Kakashi''s punch.

    "Haaa. He''s no joke. No wonder Dad said he was a genius."

    Shizuka was also recovering from being pushed back by Kakashi and watched Haku trade blows with him.

    *Bang Bang Pow Swish*

    The two battled in close quarters at high speed, beyond the level of Genin!

    Maka looked over to Shizuka and met her gaze.

    The two both nodded and struggled to their feet.

    "I have a seal that should hold him still long enough for us to hit him."

    Maka nodded her head and prepared to charge in.

    "I''ll use Body Flicker and give you an opening!"

    "Got it!"

    The two sped back into the battle while Hii''s frustration was building.

    ''That looks so fun.''

    [I guess fighting Di and Kaya all the time has made you crave combat.]

    {Hey. Is Zabuza-san okay? He keeps staring at you, Hii.}

    ''Hm?''

    Hii looked over to Zabuza under the tree and realized he was looking right at him. Zabuza continued to stare at him until his eyes suddenly squinted in delight.

    "Hmm."

    Zabuza jerked his head towards the forest and started to walk deeper into it.

    "....."

    Hii watched for a moment, then got up and quietly followed after him.

    ''''I wonder what''s wrong?''

    {Didn''t you want him to fight you? Maybe it''s that.}

    ''Haa! That''s right!''

    He almost forgot about that!

    Hii''s eyes sparkled as he quickly chased after Zabuza.

    The two continued until they came to another clearing nearby.

    "Here should be good enough."

    Zabuza turned around and faced Hii with a serious expression.

    "Since the others booted you out of your training, I''m gonna use you to get used to my new blade."

    Zabuza effortlessly lifted the blade off of his back and planted it into the ground.

    "Before that, I have a question for you."

    "What is it?"

    Hii had already unsheathed his blade and waited for the question.

    "Are you related to Kaya of the Storm?"

    "?!"

    Hii trembled slightly and didn''t say a word.

    "....."

    The two stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity until Hii weakly nodded his head.

    Zabuza breathed in deep and closed his eyes.

    Once he exhaled, his eyes opened with a fierce light!

    "I can finally repay that debt!"

    "Huh?!"

    Zabuza picked up his blade and pointed it to Hii!

    "You and I are gonna have a fun time! At first, I was going to spar with you a bit because you helped Haku, but now..."

    Zabuza slung the blade over his shoulder while his chakra started to rise.

    "I''ll show you how to fight like a Mist ninja."

    Hii was shocked for a moment, but a happy smile soon came over his face!

    "Awesome! I''ll do my best!"

    Zabuza nodded his head and readied his stance.

    "First, you can''t use Lightning Chakra in these matches. Second, you are to come at me with the intent to kill. I won''t be holding back on you."

    Hii nodded his head and focused.

    Zabuza had a devilish grin on his face as prepared to strike.

    "Your objective is just like the others, to cut me once!"

    Zabuza dashed towards Hii and swung the Executioner blade straight towards him.

    *Swish Bang*

    "Uwah!"

    Hii quickly dodged the attack and stared in awe as the part if the ground split with his strike!

    [Careful! He''s serious!]

    "Hahaha!"

    Zabuza swung his blade with one hand at Hii over and over, forcing him to dodge and deflect the blows as best as he could!

    *Clang Clang*

    ''He hits so hard!''

    Hii had a hard time finding an opening against him!

    He jumped back from Zabuza and quickly tried to run around him in a circle.

    ''I have to use my speed to my advantage!''

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    Hii zipped around Zabuza as fast as he could while Zabuza just stood by menacingly.

    ''Hmmm. He has pretty good strength and instincts in battle. He doesn''t even look affected by this level of killing intent now.''

    Zabuza''s aura started to rise as an illusory purple oni manifested behind him!

    ''Let''s test how much he can take!''

    Zabuza erupted with killing intent, flooding the area with it.

    Hii soon froze and broke into a cold sweat as he struggled to move his legs.

    ''Come on! Move!''

    Hii quickly shook himself out of it and drew more distance between them.

    Zabuza was surprised by his quick recovery, but his smile only deepened as he started to enjoy fighting Hii.

    Hii shot towards Zabuza, striking quickly towards any gaps he could find!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Hii hit quickly, but ran away quickly as Zabuza started to counterattack.

    "Looks like I''ll be able to get a bit serious then."

    *Shnk*

    Zabuza planted his blade into the ground beside him and began to weave several hand signs rapidly!

    Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!

    Zabuza activated his Jutsu, bringing a thick mist all around them!

    Hii had lost sight of Zabuza and quickly put up his guard!

    He turned around several times to see if he could spot him, but saw nothing except mist.

    "You have to be calm at all times and in all situations or you''ll end up dead."

    "!!"

    Hii was frozen in place as he heard Zabuza behind him!

    "Head."

    *Swoosh*

    Hii quickly ducked down and heard the familiar ring of metal slicing the air!

    ''He sure isn''t holding back!''

    Hii tried to stab behind him, but only hit air!

    Cold sweat dripped from his back as he readied himself.

    "Liver."

    *Swish*

    A swishing motion came towards Hii from behind him towards his left side!

    *Clang*

    "Urgh!"

    Hii was sent flying through the air and skidded on the ground!

    His legs were shaking as he stood up and watched the fog.

    ''I have to do something. Maybe...''

    Hii sheathed his sword quickly and weaved hand signs.

    "Water Style: Water Wolf Armor!"

    The fog grew closer to Hii and slowly formed into a transparent water armor. Wolf ears formed on his head as well as a wolf tail behind him.

    Hii kept himself upright as he drew his sword once more and watched his surroundings.

    "Interesting."

    Zabuza seemed intrigued by the move and came closer for another strike.

    "Lungs."

    Zabuza swung his blade towards Hii''s chest from the right side!

    Hii quickly went down on all fours!

    He even dropped his sword as he evaded!

    *Swish*

    Zabuza''s blade sliced the air once more, but Hii was ready this time!

    His tail suddenly grabbed his sword and swung it behind him!

    "Ugh!"

    Hii heard Zabuza groan as well as the sound of water hitting the ground.

    Hii turned behind him to see a fresh puddle of water a short distance away from him.

    ''A water clone...''

    "Good. You cut me in a pretty interesting way."

    Hii looked around and frowned as he heard Zabuza''s voice. He could see several shadows in the mist making a circle around him.

    The shadows all seemed to have blades pointed to Hii.

    ""Do it again.""

    "...."

    Hii closed his eyes and absorbed more water into his armor. His signature look came forth as the water formed around him like fur, turning him into a blue wolf. His tail still held his sword and tightened its grip.

    "Grrrrr!!!"

    Hii scanned his surroundings for the positions of all the Zabuza clones.

    Hii wasn''t gonna give up without a fight.

    **********

    "Whew~! I guess that should do."

    Kakashi scratched his head and looked around with a satisfied look on his face.

    Maka and Shizuka were laid out on the ground surrounded by scorch marks and busted seals.

    Haku kneeled close by and tried to catch his breath.

    "This...is....unfair!"

    "I....agree!"

    Maka and Shizuka both complained as they laid on the ground.

    "Haa. This is a bit easier than Zabuza-sama''s training."

    ""Really?!""

    The two girls turned to Haku with shocked expressions.

    Haku flicked his sweat soaked hair away from his face and nodded his head.

    "Yes. Zabuza-sama can get a little too excited when fighting someone he approves of."

    "".........""

    The two looked at Haku for the nth time today with doubt.

    "...What?"

    "Haku, are you really a boy?"

    Shizuka asked Haku once more.

    Haku had a helpless grin on his face as he nodded his head.

    "I''m pretty sure."

    "....I still don''t believe it."

    Shizuka sat up on the ground and shook her head.

    Haku could only wryly smile as he looked over at the other group.

    *Swish Bang*

    "Haaa! Haaa! Haaa!"

    Naruto could barely throw the kunai at Yamato''s shield as the three had all, but collapsed at this point.

    Yamato also lightly caught his breath, but he also had a satisfied gaze as he looked at Team 7.

    "You guys did pretty well. With a few more Jutsus, you three could take on quite a few enemies."

    Sasuke was leaning against a tree for support while Sakura just sank to her knees on the ground.

    Yamato watched them with a smile and checked the others.

    "Hmm? Where did Hii and Zabuza-san go off to?"

    Everyone immediately looked around for them, but they were nowhere in sight.

    Shizuka gritted her teeth in frustration as she struggled to her feet.

    "Crap! Is he getting training from Zabuza-san?!"

    "I wouldn''t envy him if I were you."

    Shizuka turns to Haku confused.

    "Why do you say that?"

    *Rustle Rustle*

    The group noticed someone approaching them from the trees.

    *Shuu*

    ""!!!""

    Zabuza landed on the ground with Hii over his shoulder. He was covered in knicks and scratches.

    "Are you okay, Zabuza-sama?!"

    Zabuza looked over at Haku and nodded his head.

    Everyone couldn''t help noticing Zabuza had a wide grin on his face.

    "I''m fine. This kid just ended up being a lot more fun than I anticipated."

    He looked over at the other teachers and motioned his head towards the town.

    "I''m gonna bring him back to the old man''s place. See you there."

    Zabuza turned to leave after notifying them, but soon stopped and turned back around.

    "Haku."

    "Yes, Zabuza-sama?"

    "Make sure you can keep in contact with this brat, understood? He''s gonna be my second disciple."

    Haku was surprised, but quickly smiled and nodded his head.

    "It will be done."

    Zabuza nodded his head, and headed back to Tazuna''s home with Hii in tow.

    Everyone watched Zabuza''s back as he disappeared.

    "Um, was Hii okay?"

    This time, nobody knew the answer to Naruto''s question except Haku.

    He, however, had no comment on the matter and only smiled gently when asked about it.

 Ch.79. Forced Down Time

    The final day in the Land of Waves had finally arrived.

    Everyone gathered on the now complete bridge with sad faces all around.

    It was time for the Leaf ninja to head back home.

    Tazuna shook hands with Kakashi and Yamato with a somber face.

    "I couldn''t have completed the bridge without your help. Who knows where we would be now if that man fulfilled his promise. Thank you for protecting us."

    "There is no need for that. We protected ourselves as well. This was our mission anyway, so we just did our duty."

    "Even still, thank you!"

    Tazuna bowed his head towards the group followed by his family and everyone else in town.

    The young ninjas felt pretty embarrassed by this, but also felt a boost to their confidence. They completed their mission like real ninjas!

    This also let them realize how crazy a real mission could be. Anything could happen when they were out in the field.

    Haku came forward and gave Hii a hug.

    "I''ll send you messages from me and Zabuza-sama soon. We''ll keep in touch so we can possibly do missions together."

    "Great! I''ll be stronger the next time we meet! We should spar at that time too. Don''t get caught by the puppet guy either!"

    Haku let go and gave him a warm smile.

    "I look forward to it. I won''t get caught so easily."

    ""Haku-san!!""

    The girls all piled onto Haku gave him a group hug!

    "We have to go get some sweets together soon!"

    "I''ll show you around the Leaf if you come to visit!"

    "You have to tell me what you use for your hair next time!"

    "But I''m a boy...."

    The girls ignored his protest and continued to say their goodbyes.

    Gozu and Meizu came over to Naruto and Sasuke to say their goodbyes as well.

    "You gotta show me how to do that move next time! It was pretty cool!"

    "Sure, Two Horns! I''ll show you a new move next time too!"

    "Sweet! And the name is Meizu! Why can''t you remember it?!"

    Naruto and Meizu chatted while Sasuke and Gozu shook hands.

    "I see a lot of potential in you. Make sure you don''t die before we meet again. I''d love to test your skills."

    "Hmph! I won''t lose so easily. You should do the same and make sure we can meet again."

    Zabuza came over to Hii and just loomed over him.

    The two silently stared at each other before turning away without a word.

    The sharp gazes that collided against each other told them all they needed to know. They couldn''t wait to cross blades with each other again.

    "Until next time."

    "Mmm."

    The two said goodbye swiftly as the group finally started to leave.

    "Well then, we''ll get on our way back home."

    "See you guys later!"

    "Goodbye everyone!"

    Inari waved both of his hands as the Leaf ninjas all started to leave the village.

    Tears welled in his eyes as he looked at everyone''s backs. He was grateful for their help saving Kaiza and the entire town.

    Tazuna rubbed Inari''s head as he also looked towards the leaving group with tears in his eyes.

    Kaiza hugged Tsunami close as they also watched in silence.

    "Ah! Wait! What will we call the bridge?! We never decided on a name!"

    It was Kaiza who suddenly realized that they hadn''t named the bridge yet.

    Tazuna laughed out loud at the oversight and looked into the distance.

    "How about Savior''s bridge? In respect of the heroes who gave our town hope and protection?"

    "Savior''s bridge, huh? It has a nice ring to it."

    Zabuza scoffed as he listened to them. He turned away from the group as he walked towards the forest.

    "Come on! We have training to do. I don''t want that brat to be the only one who improves."

    ""Yes, Zabuza-sama!""

    The four headed towards the forest, leaving the grateful villagers behind.

    "I want to see them again someday!"

    Inari shouted to Tazuna as he watched the ninjas all leave.

    "Perhaps you will. You never know what will happen in life."

    ********************

    Minato had his head pressed into his hands in disbelief.

    The others all looked at Minato with concerned gazes, but they knew they couldn''t do anything about what happened.

    Minato slowly lifted his head from his hands and looked at the two teams.

    He picked up the file on his desk and sighed.

    "Let me make sure I understand this correctly. An Akatsuki member appeared to be the back-up for a small time mobster that kept the town isolated for a monopoly on trade. The Akatsuki member was attacked by a separate rogue ninja squad who wanted to obtain his weapon while they also fought against his influence on the town. Your teams made their way into the town after this event and were forced to fight the Akatsuki member once he caught wind of you together with the rogue squad. The member called for reinforcements and brought another member of Akatsuki to assist in taking you both on, but the new member was so caught up chasing after Hii and...Haku that he didn''t mind his partner dying in exchange for more time to test them. The bridge is complete, and the remaining Akatsuki escaped and now marked the two as his next additions to his "collection". Is that all correct?"

    "Yes, Hokage-sama!"

    Minato looked at Yamato, then back down at the paper once more, and let out a deeper sigh.

    "You guys...have had quite a rough mission to complete this time."

    Minato rubbed his temples and placed the paper down.

    "These parameters far exceed a C-rank rating. This is more like an S-rank mission, and a dangerous one at that."

    No one said anything as they let Minato mull over his thoughts.

    Minato looked up at the group and set his sights on Team 7.

    "I hear you three had contact with enemy ninja forces as well. This should be the first time for you. How was it?"

    Naruto rubbed his head and grinned.

    "It was scary, but exciting! I used a Jutsu Nee-san and I were working on and it worked wonders!"

    Minato couldn''t help, but smile at Naruto''s happy face.

    "As long as you''re safe. You should, however, remember this for the future."

    Minato''s face grew serious as he stared at his son.

    "This will not be the last time you have to fight or kill an enemy ninja. Be sure to get used to this from now on. Those Akatsuki members will become more active in the future and may even come after you. All of you should be careful! Understood?"

    ""Yes!""

    The Genin all replied to Minato while he nodded his head in response.

    "How about you, Sasuke-kun? Sakura-chan?"

    Sasuke had a grin on his face as he nodded his head.

    "It was a simple task."

    "I see. You have confidence just like your brother."

    Sasuke''s smile grew a bit brighter as he heard Minato''s praise.

    Sakura seemed a bit pale, but she had a determined gleam in her eyes as she looked at the Hokage.

    "I-I had a hard time killing the enemy, but it let me find out how strong I really am. I''m lucky and grateful for the experience."

    Minato smiled as he heard Sakura''s reply.

    "It''s already amazing that you could do so much coming from a civilian household. I look forward to seeing how you progress from here."

    "Y-Yes, Hokage-sama!"

    Minato nodded his head and turned to Team 9.

    "How about you three?"

    "No problems here, Dad!"

    Minato sighed as he saw his daughter give him a peace sign.

    "Call me Hokage while on duty, Shizuka-chan."

    "Yes, Hokage-sama~."

    Minato ignored his daughter''s rolling eyes and turned to Maka.

    Maka clenched her fists and answered him.

    "I think I did well. Of course, I still need to work on getting stronger. Also..."

    Maka glanced over at Hii for a moment and turned back to Minato.

    "I will need to work on obtaining more techniques for battle."

    "Me too."

    Minato noticed the strong gazes of the two girls and glanced at Hii as well.

    ''There must be a wider gap between them than they anticipated. That''s good for sparking their improvement further.''

    Hii nodded his head and didn''t look the least bit proud of his accomplishment.

    "I have to train a lot harder than before. I realize I haven''t done enough yet."

    ''Weren''t you already training hard in the first place?''

    Minato could feel the sweat drip down his back as he tried to imagine what he had in mind to further his training.

    "Well, please improve with moderation in mind."

    Hii nodded his head, but Minato could tell his advice went through one ear and out the other.

    ''He''s stubborn like his mother.''

    Minato sighed once more and decided not to think about it.

    "At any rate, congratulations on completing your first mission beyond D-rank!"

    "Yeah!"

    "Woohoo!!"

    Naruto and Shizuka both celebrated as the others had smiles on their faces.

    "Now the original mission was C-rank, but with the way the mission evolved, the parameters have now reached S-rank."

    Naruto grew excited!

    "We completed an S-rank mission?! Hell yeah!"

    "Language, Naruto."

    Kakashi reprimanded him lightly, bringing Naruto back down from his excitement.

    "Gah?! Sorry, Dad. I mean, Hokage-sama!"

    Minato just shook his head with a smile.

    "I don''t mind. I know he''s excited. Although this has become an S-rank mission, I will have to classify this still as a C-rank mission for now. You will, however, receive the pay of an S-rank mission and you will have leave for 2 months."

    ""What?!""

    The Genin were confused by the strange events taking place!

    "I''ll explain the reason why for you."

    Yamato cleared his throat and turned towards the Genin.

    "Genins are usually paid after doing missions around the village and slowly getting to go out to do C-rank missions. There''s a set amount of missions and money that is given per month to these teams. In our case, the mission we''ve done has passed the normal level a Genin team would do. Because of this, we have gone beyond the cash limit we can receive each month by quite a lot. We will have to sit out on doing missions for a while as a team due to this situation."

    "....Huh?"

    Everyone understood, except Naruto.

    Shizuka leaned over and put her brother in a headlock.

    "It means because we did a mission beyond our level and we''re getting paid for it, we have to sit out from doing more missions because we hit the bank too hard."

    "Ah! I get it, so let go, Nee-san!"

    "Hehehe! Ninjas never drop their guards~!"

    Minato nodded his head and smiled at his kids.

    "That''s right. Since you are getting paid much more than the normal amount, we can''t use you until enough time has passed for you to be paid again. Use this time to train and better yourselves. It will help since the Chuunin Exams are coming in a few months as well."

    "The Chuunin Exams?! Can we take it?!"

    Naruto burst out of Shizuka''s headlock and leaned over the desk!

    Minato nodded and patted his son''s head with a smile.

    "That will all depend on how well you train up before then. Your teacher will be the ones to decide if you''re ready."

    "Hehehe! Alright!"

    Naruto backed up and came back in line with a bright smile on his face.

    "With that being said, you all should head back to your homes and rest up. Your teachers will inform you when the time is right. Good luck on your training and congratulations once again."

    ""Thank you, Hokage-sama!""

    The Genin all bowed and exited the room, leaving only the teachers and Minato behind.

    Minato''s smiling face became serious as he looked over to his student and subordinate.

    "Kakashi. Yamato. Tell me, do you think that this was all intentional or just an accident?"

    "I think it was an accident, Hokage-sama. The Akatsuki member, Juzo, was more concerned about dealing with Zabuza Momochi than with us. His partner also showed no knowledge or interest in Naruto or Hii prior to their battle."

    Yamato stepped forward and answered.

    Minato nodded his head and looked over to Kakashi.

    "What do you think, Kakashi?"

    "I agree with Yamato''s assumption. I think this was purely coincidentally. However..."

    Kakashi closed his eyes and digested the information he had noticed.

    He opened them again and looked at Minato.

    "I think that there might be a deeper story to Sasori that we can exploit."

    Minato''s eyes flashed with understanding as he nodded his head.

    "You mean his fascination with Hii and Haku?"

    Kakashi nodded his head and continued.

    "Right. I think that he must have at least one puppet that fits that criteria for his obsession. It should be someone similar to the two. If that''s the case, perhaps we can ally with Suna to track and deal with him without much effort."

    Yamato face flashed with understanding as he looked at Kakashi.

    "Do you mean the 3rd Kazekage...?!"

    "It''s possible."

    Minato closed his eyes and nodded his head.

    "We will have to look further into this before we make our move. Perhaps Akumu may have some information on him as well. He should''ve been the one to notice the poison on his weapons."

    The two teachers nodded at the assumption.

    "This could turn a bad omen into good fortune if used carefully. We''ll have to gather as much information as we can so we can be prepared before we contact the Hidden Sand village."

    ""Yes!""

    Minato nodded his head and looked over at the another file presented to him.

    This time, his face was rather stiff as he looked over the information.

    "....Yamato-san?"

    "Yes?"

    "You want to....use the photos you obtained undercover to make a calendar?"

    "Yes, Hokage-sama! I believe this could provide us with some much needed extra funds as well as promote a new era of calendar advertisement!"

    Yamato''s eyes sparkled while Kakashi sighed in defeat. Yamato just wouldn''t let the idea go.

    Minato looked over at the information and the photos for a moment before placing them down.

    "I''ll have to bring the 3rd Hokage here as well to discuss this. You may be on to something."

    ************

    Kurokumo Household

    ************

    Hii was caught in a common Kurokumo family situation.

    "......"

    Hii looked over at his siblings and family for help, but they could only shake their heads.

    No one could save him now.

    "Mom? You can let go now."

    "No! I''m going to hug my baby boy until I''m satisfied!"

    Hii was stuck in Kaya''s grasp as the rest of the family watched with affectionate gazes.

    "You''ll have to deal with it today. You were originally suppose to come back last week. Your mother got pretty worried over where you were during that time."

    Henda explained to Hii as Kaya''s grip seemed to tighten around him.

    "Hii. What happened out there to make you return so late?"

    Di asked Hii while he pulled up chairs for Riku and him to sit in.

    "Well, it''s kinda crazy when I think about it."

    Hii began to explain what happened in the Land of Waves while the family listened with interest.

    Moya and Yozora started to laugh as Hii explained that he had to use the strange Jutsu Naruto made to get into the town. Kaya demanded to see his girl form, but Hii decided to refuse her with all of his might.

    The tension began to rise once Hii started to explain what happened with Juzo and Zabuza. Kaya had let him go at this point and started to radiate a chilling killing intent.

    "So those two demons were there, huh? Were they the reason why you were late?"

    "C-Calm down, honey. Hii hasn''t finished the story yet."

    Hii wanted to stop the story then, but the piercing gaze from Kaya made him continue.

    Once he was done with his story, three sources killing intents were swirling around him! Di and Riku joined in as their faces contorted with anger.

    "Hehehehe...."

    Kaya started to laugh softly, then it slowly grew louder and louder.

    "I see! So some rogue Sand ninja thinks he can just turn my son into a puppet?! The galo of that bastard!!"

    "It seems that is the case, my daughter. We will have to go and see how strong he really is to think he can do as he pleases."

    "It''s been a long time since I''ve burned a puppet master. It should be quite fun to watch them melt with their toys."

    Henda blocked Moya and Yozora from the killing intent the three were giving off as they saw their loved ones huddle together and planning out their attack.

    "Wait!"

    Hii yelled out to them, making them turn towards him.

    Hii took in a deep breath and exhaled.

    "I''m really happy for having a family that will fight for me, but I have to refuse your help on this."

    "Huh?! Why?! It will be really quick if we just go and end him!"

    Hii raised his head and looked his mother in the eyes.

    "He''s mine. I''ll be the one to take his life for thinking I was someone he could kill at any time. I''ll show him myself how wrong he was."

    ""........""

    The three stared at him, stunned by how determined Hii was to prove himself.

    Di came over to Hii and gave him a fierce hug!

    "Ah! Grandpa?!"

    "I understand that feeling, Hii! You want to rise above your limits on your own! I understand completely!"

    The kids were all surprised as they had never seen Grandpa so excited.

    Riku shook her head.

    "Haaaa~. You are just like your Grandfather. I guess I''ll stay my hand on killing him for now."

    Kaya had her cheeks puffed to the extreme as she stared at Riku in protest.

    Riku chuckled and patted Kaya''s head.

    "Kaya. Hii has the right to kill someone after his life on his own if he wants to. You can''t force your way into killing them for him. It will not help him grow."

    "......"

    Kaya''s cheeks deflated slowly as she frowned. She knew her mother was right.

    Riku smiled gently as she looked at her daughter.

    "That doesn''t mean we can''t torture him viciously if we find him though."

    Kaya''s frown froze and quickly became a sly smile as she turned to her mother and saw the same smile on her face.

    ""Hehehehe...""

    Di looked at his wife bonding with their daughter and shook his head.

    "Hii. I believe that a clean death on the battlefield is the best honor for an opponent. Try not to be like those two."

    "....I will try, Grandpa."

    Moya tilted her head as she watched her Mom and Grandma discuss something in secret.

    "I kinda want to know what they''re talking about..."

    Yozora grabbed his sister''s shoulder and shook his head.

    "No! Nee-san will go bad!"

    ""What do you mean, Yozora?!""

    "Uwaaah!!"

    Yozora quickly hid behind Henda, avoiding the sinister gazes of his Grandma and Mom.

    ''Why me?''

    Henda had a wry smile on his face and turned towards Hii. He noticed the hilt of his sword was a bit chipped, making him frown.

    "Looks like you need to repair your blade a bit. Let''s do that tomorrow after you''ve rested for a while. Also, welcome home, son."

    Henda patted Hii''s head, making Hii smile towards his father.

    "Thanks. I''m glad to be home."

    ******************

    Uzumaki Household

    ******************

    "And then, I blew up the clone bomb Nee-san and I made! They were going crazy while paint was flying everywhere!"

    Naruto was telling Kushina all about his first S-rank mission.

    Kushina patiently listened to her son as she sat on the couch beside him, chuckling and gasping at the crazy parts of his story.

    Shizuka sat on the other side, deep in thought.

    "It was kinda scary, but I''m not going to give up just from that! I''ll be Hokage someday! Believe it dattebayo!"

    "Good! I believe in you, Naruto. I know you can do it."

    "Hehehe!"

    Naruto rubbed his nose as the two grinned at each other.

    Shizuka looked over them with a smile and glanced down at her hand.

    ''I killed someone. It didn''t feel as bad as I thought. Probably because I was prepared for it.''

    Shizuka clenched her hands opened and closed.

    ''I have to find more techniques to give myself an advantage. Seals are handy, but I need something that gives me more power or mobility.''

    Shizuka nodded her head and looked over at the clock.

    It was 9:30 pm.

    ''He should be back soon.''

    *Shuuu*

    A figure appeared suddenly in the living room next to a hanging three pronged kunai.

    "Phew~."

    "Dad!"

    Naruto jumped up from the couch and came towards Minato.

    Minato smiled and patted his head.

    "I already welcomed you both back as the Hokage, so now I''ll do it as your father. Welcome home, you two."

    "Hehehe!"

    "Thanks, Dad."

    Kushina stood up and helped Minato take off his Hokage jacket while he sat next to Shizuka on the couch.

    "Hey Dad! What are we suppose to do now that we will be stuck here?"

    "I actually have a plan for that."

    Minato placed his hands on his knees and looked over at Naruto.

    "You and your mother will be training with Yamato-san for a while."

    "Eh?! Me and Mom?!"

    Naruto looked over at Kushina and saw her nod her head.

    "That''s right. It''s time for you to get to know Kurama."

    "Kurama?! The fox?!"

    Kushina chuckled and pointed to his stomach.

    "That''s right. You''ll have to work hard though. He is quite an irritating guy to deal with."

    "Eh?! Can we really talk to him?! I always thought he wouldn''t want anything to do with us..."

    Kushina smiled and patted her chest.

    "Yep! Don''t worry! With me and Yamato-san, you won''t have to be nervous about meeting him! You''ll find Kurama to be a big, fluffy, softie!"

    "...Really?"

    Naruto couldn''t help, but be skeptical at the idea of a giant fox inside him being a softie.

    "Hey! Don''t look down on your mother! I''m telling the truth dattebane!"

    "R-Right! I believe you, Mom!"

    Naruto quickly nodded his head as his mother''s hair started to rise up into the air!

    "Hmph! Just be ready and try to get along him. We shouldn''t depend solely on him, but his power can help in tough times."

    Naruto nodded his head, though he didn''t really understand what getting to know a grumpy fox had to do with power.

    Shizuka, on the other hand, clenched her fists as she heard Kushina talk to Naruto.

    ''So Naruto will become stronger soon as well. I have to keep up with him.''

    Shizuka glanced at Minato and noticed he was looking at her.

    "Dad?"

    "Ah! Sorry about that. I just figured you would be a bit upset if we only announced Naruto having training."

    Minato smiled and patted her head.

    "I''ll help you learn whatever you want to know. Just let me know when you have an idea of what you want to train in. I''ll make time to teach you myself."

    Shizuka looked down at her hands and nodded her head.

    "I already know what I want!"

    Shizuka surprised everyone as she replied loudly and turned to her father.

    "Dad! I want to learn how to do the Flying Raijin like you!"

    ***************

    Uchiha Household

    ***************

    Sasuke sat in front of Fugaku nervously as excitement rushed through him.

    Fugaku looked over his son with pride.

    He was happy to find out his son could control his Sharingan now.

    "Good work completing your mission. It was quite a dangerous ordeal, but you completed it and came back alive. You even unlocked your own Sharingan as well. It was a blessing in a disaster."

    Fugaku nodded his head and looked into Sasuke''s eyes.

    "Activate them for me."

    "Yes, Father."

    Sasuke nodded his head and quickly turned his Sharingan on.

    Fugaku monitored him for a moment and activated his own Sharingan.

    "Now that you have unlocked your eyes, it''s time for you to learn how to use them properly."

    *Tsuu*

    The door to the room opened as Mikoto came in with two cups on a tray.

    She sat between them and set the cups down for both of them.

    "Good luck, Sasuke."

    Mikoto patted Sasuke''s head and headed back to the kitchen while Sasuke blushed.

    "Perfect timing. I was getting a bit thirsty."

    Sasuke watched his father lift his tea cup and blow away the steam rising from it.

    Sasuke felt a twinge of thirst and wanted to do the same, but when he looked down to grab his drink, it was nowhere to be found!

    "!!"

    Sasuke looked around the room, but didn''t see it anywhere.

    Fugaku continued to drink his tea calmly as he watched his son panic.

    "Haaaa."

    He exhaled softly and put his cup back down.

    "You have to pay attention to your surroundings carefully. You never know when you might run into a Genjutsu user or a trap like this."

    Fugaku looked at his son and closed his eyes.

    "Close your eyes and breathe in deep."

    "O-okay..."

    Sasuke closed his eyes and breathed in deeply from his nose. He held it for a moment, then let it go through his mouth. He repeated the process a few times and finally started to calm down.

    "Feel better?"

    "Yes."

    "Good. Open your eyes."

    Sasuke opened his eyes and was shocked!

    He stared straight at a warm cup of tea.

    "But?!"

    "It was there the whole time."

    Fugaku picked up his cup again, took another sip of his tea and smiled.

    "I just made it seem like it was never there to you."

    Sasuke felt sweat running down his back as he hesitantly picked up the tea.

    "This is just one of the things your eyes can do. I will show you the rest slowly since we have a lot of time together."

    "....Yes, father."

    Fugaku placed his cup of tea down and looked at Sasuke once more.

    "Your objective in this training is to find what is missing in the room. This will help you identify gaps in Genjutsu quickly. I will give you one minute to look everywhere and commit the room to memory."

    Sasuke nodded his head and quickly took in the surroundings.

    Fugaku looked towards the door for a brief moment, then back at Sasuke.

    He sighed lightly as he focused back on the training.

    Maka stood near the door, peeking in at the two training.

    "......"

    She closed the door slowly and headed towards the backyard.

    ''I need to train as well, but....''

    Maka stopped and fell deep in thought in the middle of the hallway.

    ''Should I tell Fugaku-san? I''m not too sure.''

    She shook her head lightly and continued towards her destination.

    ''I will at least tell Nii-san! The others will have to wait.''

    Maka reached the backyard and started to frown.

    ''Crap! I should''ve known those two were together.''

    *Clang Clang Swish*

    Shisui and Itachi were sparring against each other lightly as the two clashed with their kunais.

    "So~? Did you and Izumi have a fun date?"

    Itachi just looked coldly at Shisui for a moment before swinging at a gap in his defense.

    "Come on! Can''t you at least tell me a little about what happened?"

    "Hmm?"

    "What? Oh! Maka! I haven''t seen you in a while!"

    Shisui and Itachi both stopped after they noticed Maka''s presence.

    "Sorry to interrupt you! I just needed to ask you a favor..."

    "Don''t be sorry! I''m happy to help! What do you need help with?"

    "Well..."

    Shisui and Itachi watched Maka as she struggled to bring it up.

    "...If it''s related to Hii-kun, Shisui probably won''t help you. I don''t mind though."

    "No! Don''t help her with that! I''m sorry!"

    "That''s not it!"

    Maka stomped her foot and the ground and sighed.

    "Nii-san! Itachi-san!"

    ""??""

    "What I''m going to show you has to be kept a secret, okay?! Can you promise me that you won''t reveal it?!"

    The two looked at each other, then back at Maka.

    "Promise!"

    Itachi just nodded his head, but that still eased Maka''s nerves a bit.

    "Okay. Thank you."

    Maka breathed in deep and closed her eyes for a moment. After a brief moment, she opened them again.

    This time, her black eyes changed into her Sharingan!

    ""!!""

    itachi was greatly surprised, but Shisui reacted the strongest to her eyes!

    He blanked out for a moment until tears started to well in his eyes!

    "M-My prayers are finally answered! It finally happened! Uwaaah!!"

    "N-Nii-san?!"

    Shisui quickly grabbed Maka and brought her into a strong hug!

    Shisui was too happy!

    "Ahhh! All the worry I had for you has disappeared! Now I know you''ll be great! You were just a late bloomer after all!"

    "L-Let go! This is embarrassing! And I would''ve been great even without it!"

    Itachi just smiled as he watched the siblings celebrate with each other.

    "Congratulations. Shisui has been worried about you for a while now. I''m glad he doesn''t have to worry about you anymore. Well, I guess boys are still going to be a problem."

    Maka blushed as she tried to push her brother away.

    "Nii-san! Be serious! I want it to be a secret!"

    "Ah! Right!"

    Shisui immediately stopped and looked around to see if there was any eavesdroppers.

    Maka shook her head and wondered if it was really okay to tell her brother about it.

    ''It''s too late now. I better just make the most of it.''

    "Haaaa~! Anyway, can you two teach me how to use my Sharingan properly?"

    "Of course! Leave it to me! I''ll teach you everything I know."

    Shisui jumped at the opportunity to teach his sister while Itachi calmly nodded his head.

    "We''ll teach you what we can. What you''re able to retain will be up to your effort."

    Maka nodded her head and clenched her fist.

    ''I will get stronger no matter what! I will not get left behind! I''ll use whatever I have to my advantage!''

    Maka held a serious expression on her face while her brother patted her head in delight.

    ''Hehe. This will be interesting.''

    Itachi smiled as he realized his short break would be a lot more entertaining than he thought. He and Shisui would have something fun to look forward to.

    *************

    Konoha Library

    *************

    "Haaaa~. I don''t get it."

    Sakura flopped down on the desk softly, pushing the medical book in her hands out of the way.

    It had been a few days since she had come back from the Land of Waves and all she had done was sit in the library and study her weaknesses.

    She stretched her arms above her head, groaning as her joints popped softly.

    "I wonder what everyone else is doing?"

    Sakura sighed and picked up the book again.

    There were a stack of books surrounding her table. Some covered how to apply Medical techniques in common and complex situations, and the other went over how to use element nature Ninjutsu.

    Sakura was beginning to understand the theory, but she was stuck on the application part of the process.

    Her chakra reserves weren''t  large enough to practice too many techniques.

    "Haaa. I have to get my Chakra levels higher if I want to be able to practice these techniques."

    Sakura looked up at the library ceiling deep in thought.

    She realized how weak she actually was with the training they had before they came back to the Leaf.

    She was, without a doubt, the weakest member between the two teams.

    ''It won''t stay that way for long!''

    Sakura dug back into the book and continued to fully comprehend the theory of how to use the techniques.

    ''So I have to transform my chakra to an element and then use it for Jutsu. What element am I exactly?''

    Time passed by slowly as she slumped on the desk again a few hours later.

    "That should be enough for today."

    She twisted her hair while she rested for a bit.

    Her hair was now only to her shoulders in length.

    She decided to cut it after they came back since it got in the way.

    She sighed as she thought about how long it would take for her to fully implement these moves effectively on her own.

    ''Wait! That''s it!''

    Sakura lifted her head as an idea came to her!

    ''I should just ask Hii-kun to teach me! Since I can''t find Kakashi Sensei, I''ll have to ask him about it!''

    Sakura quickly put some of the books back and checked out the rest as she headed over to Hii''s house.

    "If I remember correctly... Ah! There it is!"

    Sakura came to the front door and knocked on it.

    ''I hope he''s here...''

    "Coming!"

    Sakura heard the sounds of footsteps rushing towards the door.

    *Creak*

    Sakura could see someone peeking out from behind the door.

    "Yes? Ah! Sakura-san!"

    "Hi, Moya-chan! Is Hii-kun here?"

    "Hehehehe!!"

    Moya started laughing hysterically as she opened the door for Sakura.

    "Hii-nii isn''t here, but Hiyo-nee is."

    "....Eh?"

    Sakura walked into the house confused until she saw the two people in the living room surrounded by clothes.

    In the middle of the room, Hiyo, who was held captive by her mother, saw Sakura walk in and sighed.

    "Mom. I have a guest. Let me go."

    "No! I still have one more outfit I want you to wear!"

    "Mom!"

    Sakura watched the two battle each other as she tried to figure out what was going on.

    Moya noticed her expression and couldn''t help, but grin.

    "Ever since he came back, Mom kept pestering Hii to transform into his girl form, but he refused. Since then, Mom has been betting with him to fight her for rewards."

    "Rewards?"

    Moya nodded her head.

    "The scary water Jutsus she knows. She''ll teach him one every time he wins one of their fights. If he loses, he transforms and becomes her doll for an hour."

    "Heeee~! What kind of fights do they have?"

    "All kinds of them. Fighting, cooking, family trivia, races. They just seem to do whatever is available. He hasn''t won yet though."

    Sakura turned back to the two fighting each other and chuckled.

    "They look like sisters fighting each other."

    "I know, right?! Still, it kind of make me mad how his figure is so good..."

    Moya glanced at her budding figure and sighed.

    Sakura nodded her head solemnly.

    ''I totally get what you mean, Moya- chan!''

    Sakura sat down and waited for a few more minutes before Hiyo came back into the room with a new outfit on.

    Her top was a mix of white and black with her midriff showing and a pair of black shorts. A white shawl was over her shorts with a cut along the legs from the left side.

    The problem Sakura had about it was how dangerous her figure was in it.

    "Haaa~! Sorry for the wait, Sakura-chan."

    "I-It''s fine. I did come unannounced..."

    Hiyo sat down next to her while Sakura had a hard time focusing.

    ''He''s really...I feel...offended somehow.''

    "So? What brings you to my place? Nice new look, by the way."

    Hiyo''s husky, yet feminine voice brought Sakura out of her thoughts as she remembered what she came here for.

    "Thanks! Wait, No! I want you to help me train!"

    "You want to train? With me?"

    Sakura nodded her head with a determined gaze.

    "I realized that even though I''m trying to become stronger by myself, I don''t really know where to begin. I was hoping you could help me by pointing me in the right direction."

    "Hmmmm."

    Hiyo crossed her arms and began to think.

    She didn''t notice both Moya and Sakura clicking their tongues as she flaunted her "assets" in front of them.

    ''Tch! My boobs will get bigger soon!''

    ''I-I''ll look like that too....I hope....''

    "Well, okay. I can help you out, but I''ll have to test you first."

    Hiyo nodded her head and looked at Sakura.

    "I would say to wait after the time is up, but there might be an easier way for you to get evaluated."

    Hiyo stood up and walked over to the room Kaya was in.

    "Mom! My friend wants to train. Can you help us?"

    "....Give me another hour."

    "......."

    Hiyo looked back at Sakura for a moment and sighed.

    "Fine."

    "Yes!"

    ''Hahaha.... Maybe I shouldn''t have come here...''

    Sakura started to regret asking for Hii''s help, but she was already here.

    She couldn''t back out now. She had to press forward!

    *************

    Sakura followed the Kurokumos to a nearby training area.

    Hiyo stood at the center of the field and looked at Sakura.

    "Okay. The first step in training is to see where you are now, and figure out what we can improve on from there. To do that, we just have to have you fight."

    Sakura nodded her head.

    "How should we do that?"

    "Easy. We will just have a quick sparring match."

    Kaya explained to her from the side as she sat down underneath a tree.

    "Moya. Go and test her."

    "Okay!!"

    Moya dashed in front of Hiyo and faced Sakura, shocking her!

    "Are you sure about this, Kaya-san?"

    "It''s better for you to fight her than to fight Hiyo. It''s an easier target for her to reach."

    Sakura looked a bit apprehensive about fighting Moya.

    "Come on, Sakura-san! I fight with Grandma and Grandpa all the time. I doubt you''ll do much anyway."

    "....."

    Sakura''s apprehension suddenly disappeared as she readied her stance.

    "Haha! That''s more like it!"

    Moya readied her stance as well, jumping in place with excitement.

    "Nee-san! Start us off!"

    "Stop calling me Nee-san. Ready?"

    The two grew serious as she raised her hand.

    "Begin!"

    ""Haaaa!!""

    Moya and Sakura sprinted forward and began to strike at each other!

    *Swish Bang Swish*

    Sakura swung at Moya as hard as she could, hoping to overwhelm her, but Moya lightly dodged all of her moves and blocked a few of them. She threw in light counterattacks as well, giving Sakura a high level of pressure.

    Moya continued to be on the defensive for a short while until Sakura began to breathe heavily.

    Sakura swung another punch at Moya, but it was caught with both hands.

    "Is that it?"

    "Wha-?!"

    *Bang*

    Sakura wanted to get break free, but she soon noticed her world was flipped upside down as she landed on the ground with a thud!

    Moya had thrown her over her shoulder and placed a knife hand on her throat.

    "You lost~."

    "......"

    Sakura wordlessly laid there as Moya stretched her arms.

    "That was fun! How long should we wait until the next match?"

    "Give her a bit of time to recover. Maybe 5 minutes?"

    "Boo! Can you spar with me, Mom?!"

    "Eeeh~?! I don''t want to though..."

    "Why not?!"

    Hiyo ignored the two arguing while she walked over to Sakura and kneeled down next to her head.

    "You okay?"

    "...I''m fine."

    Sakura sat up with Hiyo''s help and sighed.

    "I just... I didn''t realize I was this weak. It seems I need a lot of work."

    "That''s normal. The good thing is you want to get stronger instead of complain about it or depend on others. This is just the first step and also the hardest."

    Sakura''s gloomy expression started to lighten as she nodded her head in agreement.

    "Right! I''ll definitely get stronger. I''m only getting started!"

    "Yeah. Moya is pretty good at Taijutsu anyway, so don''t feel bad that you lost."

    Hiyo smiled gently at her growing determination and rose to her feet.

    "Oh right! Have you ever found out what Chakra nature you have?"

    Sakura shook her head and looked down at the grass.

    "My family is civilian class, so I never had the chance to find out. The slips were a bit expensive for me to buy on my own. I''ve been too busy studying to place an order for them."

    "Oh? I have one here if you need it."

    Kaya walked over to the two while pushing Moya''s face away from her.

    "Don''t ignore me, Mom!"

    "Be quiet! You know how to use it, right?"

    Sakura grabbed the slip with both hands and looked at Kaya.

    "Um... is this really okay? I can pay you back for this next time I come to train!"

    Kaya waved her free hand and smiled.

    "Don''t worry about it! It was wasting space in my pocket. It''s fine if it can be of use. Excuse me for a bit."

    Kaya lifted Moya up by her feet like a sack of potatoes and began to spin around.

    "Mama Style: Dry Whirlpool Punishment!"

    Kaya unleashed her technique and began to spin rapidly!

    "Uwaaaa!! Mom! Stooop!"

    "You''re 100 years too early to challenge me! Don''t get a big head just because you beat Sakura-chan!"

    Hiyo cover her face with her hand in embarrassment while Sakura chuckled lightly.

    "You have a very interesting family, Hiyo-san."

    "Yeah. I hear that a lot. Well, let''s find out what you can do. Give it a try."

    Sakura nodded her head and began to channel chakra towards the slip.

    Hiyo''s expression was calm at first, but it quickly became serious as she saw the results.

    Sakura''s slip of paper crumbled into dirt for a moment, then became soggy and limp.

    ''Oh no! That''s not good!''

    Hiyo quickly turned to see Kaya staring at the paper in Sakura''s hand!

    A wicked smile bloomed on her face that sent chills down Hiyo''s spine.

    ''Haaa~! It''s too late for her to run now.''

    Hiyo stood in front of Sakura and tried to block her mother!

    "Mom! You shouldn''t-"

    "Not now, sweetie! I''ve got to talk to Sakura-chan about something important. Here, carry your sister for me."

    "Uuuuuwaaaaaa......"

    Kaya gave a dizzy Moya to Hiyo and sat down next to Sakura in a flash!

    "Sakura-chan~!"

    "Y-Yes?!"

    "I couldn''t help, but notice that you have a water affinity! I''m the best at teaching how that works! You''re in luck!"

    "R-Really?!"

    "Yep! I bet you like the theory behind things, huh?! Let me just tell you a little about what I know!"

    Kaya slowly worked her magic and began to explain the wonders of Water style techniques to Sakura.

    From apprehension to excitement, Sakura started to fall into the flow of Kaya''s lecture.

    Hiyo just stood beside them and shook her head.

    ''I can''t stop it now. It looks like she''s going to get training from Mom. Grandma will probably ask about her too.''

    Hii looked up at the sky and sighed.

    She could only wish her good luck as she was drawn into the family web.

    "There are soooo many Nee-sans...."

    Moya groggily said as she was still recovering from her punishment.

    ''....I''m gonna be called Nee-san a lot from now on, huh?''

    Hiyo sighed as she waited for her little sister to wake up.

 Ch.80. Maturity And Discovery

    A few weeks have passed since the teams all came back.

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    Hii was slicing the air as he practiced his swordplay at the training grounds with a frown on his face.

    ''Hmmm. I guess I could incorporate my tail when I use the water armor into my swordplay. What would I call that though? Tail slash?''

    {How about something like Hidden Fang?!}

    ''Hmmm...''

    Hii contemplated on the name for a moment when he suddenly felt a presence.

    "You''re back. How did the meeting go?"

    Hii saw Akumu come out of the shadow of the nearby trees, shaking his stiff body.

    [Pretty well, I think. They''ll have to prove some bits of information on their own, but you shouldn''t have to worry about Sasori for a little while.]

    Hii nodded his head slowly and sliced the air once again with his blade.

    Akumu watched for a moment before tilting his head.

    Hii''s body seemed to glisten with sweat as he increased the speed of his slashes.

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    Hii held his breath as he slashed as many times as he could before he could no longer bear it.

    "Huuuu~!"

    Hii finally stopped and caught his breath.

    [You''ve gotten a bit faster. You should be quite the scary opponent once you use your armors.]

    Hii nodded his head and sheathed his sword.

    "I will work on that and my lightning jutsu next as well. They still have more potential in them I haven''t tapped into yet."

    {Awesome! You can make them even better?!}

    Hii nodded his head wiped the sweat from his brow.

    "Hmmm?"

    [What''s wrong?]

    "I was sweating?"

    Hii was confused as he pulled his shirt.

    He could feel the wet sensation on his fingers from his soaked shirt. This, however, made Hii even more confused.

    "Why am I sweating so much from a light workout?"

    [Wait a minute...]

    Akumu jumped up from the ground and sniffed around Hii for a moment.

    His expression hardened as he realized what was going on!

    [Fuyuki! Get out of him now and follow me!]

    {What?!}

    [Do it now!]

    "Urgh!"

    Hii grimaced as Fuyuki quickly flew out of his stomach and landed in front of him.

    Hii quickly recovered and noticed Fuyuki''s golden markings on her fur were glowing brightly, changing from gold to orange and then red!

    [Follow me and keep low!]

    {R-Right!}

    "Wait! I''m coming too!"

    The two quickly darted away while Hii also followed behind!

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    The three traveled in a strange pattern led by Akumu as they headed towards the Forest of Death.

    Hii''s hair spiked with lightning as he activated his armor to keep up with them!

    ''They can move so fast! Just more things to improve on in training. Should I tweak my armor more?''

    Hii thought about the possibilities a bit as he kept up with them. After some time, they finally reached the Forest of Death.

    The three jumped over the gate and made their way into the forest.

    {Takashi...I feel really strange...}

    [Hold it in! Don''t unleash it right now! We''re almost there!]

    Hii followed Fuyuki and Akumu as the two followed up a familiar path.

    They soon came to the area of the forest devoid of life that was slowly coming back to normal.

    ''This is where Akumu matured!''

    Akumu brought Fuyuki up to the hill where the forest was still completely void of life and finally stopped.

    [Okay! I''m gonna walk you through this. You feel the energy inside you start to bubble over, right? All you have to do is let it out! Don''t fight it anymore and just let it wash over you.]

    {O-Okay. Ugh!? Kuh!!}

    Fuyuki started to buckle under the stress as she laid on the ground.

    The lifeless dirt started to slowly turn from being pitch black to brown and fertile around her.

    Akumu quickly darted towards Hii and bit him by the collar!

    "Akumu?!"

    [We have to get out of here! We have no idea what''s going to happen when she matures!]

    Akumu quickly dragged Hii back towards the edge of the dead forest and started to wait around the edge.

    The two watched the hill from a distance and waited for something to happen.

    "...Do you think it will be as dangerous as yours was?"

    [I hope not. You''ve seen what happened here.]

    *Awwooooooo*

    A loud howl resounded through the forest as the hill began to glow with light!

    *Fwooosh*

    White flames suddenly spread across the hill at rapid speed, engulfing the nearby area in light and heat!

    The black soil on the ground quickly turned brown, then rapidly filled with grass!

    The trees covered in flames appeared to be growing bigger as the fire continued to burn.

    Hii and Akumu continued to move back as the fire slowly came towards them.

    "Is the forest growing while it''s on fire?!"

    [.....That''s a bizarre power for sure.]

    Hii tried to wrap his head around the concept when he noticed a snake in the trees close by was caught in the flames!

    "Shaaa!"

    The snake thrashed its body chaotically as the flames covered its whole body! It tried to get away, but fell from the trees with a thud and no longer moved.

    Hii and Akumu both wordlessly backed further away from the flames as they continued to burn for a time.

    After a while, the flames eventually lost their original strength and began to slowly fade away, leaving fresh grass and foliage where they burned.

    [......]

    Akumu curiously walked over to a nearby tree and tried to bite into it. He found it didn''t immediately wither when he tried to absorb it!

    Hii watched him test out the trees and was surprised to see the effects of the flame.

    "They''re full of life..."

    Akumu let go of the trunk of the tree and shifted his gaze to the top of the hill.

    [I think I''m starting to understand it. Bring that snake with us. It should be fine to touch now.]

    Hii nodded his head and carefully stored the snake into a scroll as the two headed back up the hill.

    The forest looked completely different as the trees here were now towering over the rest of the forest around them and the grass was flowing with the wind like a green ocean.

    In the middle of it all, the two finally saw Fuyuki beginning to stand up.

    "Fuyu-"

    Hii started to call out to her when she suddenly flashed with white light!

    {Hey! Are you guys okay?!}

    "Woah!"

    Hii jumped back from Fuyuki who appeared directly in front of him!

    "H-How did you do that?!"

    {What are you talking about?! Did those flames get to you?!}

    Fuyuki didn''t notice their shock as she scanned the two for burns. After a quick check, she breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down.

    {That was pretty scary! I couldn''t control myself at all! My power just went everywhere!}

    [You''ll get used to the power soon enough. Now we just need to study your new abilities. It should be helpful for the battles to come. You can finally help out more.]

    Fuyuki''s gaze grew determined as she nodded her head.

    {Right! I don''t want to be on the sidelines anymore! I can help out now too!}

    Hii scratched his head as he looked at the new and lively forest surrounding them.

    "First things first, we should probably figure out what you can do exactly. Only then can we move on to you fighting with us."

    [Agreed.]

    {Okay!}

    ****************

    "Huh? This is rather odd..."

    Hii looked over the snake with a confused expression.

    He saw the snake get burned by the flames, but no burn marks were seen on its scales at all. In fact, it actually looked better than when he first saw it!

    He pulled out a kunai and tried to cut into it. The problem was as soon as he cut it, black sludge came spilling out of it!

    "Ugh!"

    The smell was pretty bad as Hii backed away from the snake.

    Akumu and Fuyuki whined as they backed up far away from the snake.

    {Ahhh! The smell won''t leave!}

    [Haaa. The downsides of being canines...]

    Hii quickly weaved handsigns and prepared a jutsu.

    "Water Style: Waterball Jutsu!"

    A ball of water quickly formed on Hii''s hand and quickly wrapped the ball around the snake!

    He began to rotate the ball and started to wash the snake thoroughly.

    Once he washed the inside of all the gunk, he separated it into a smaller ball and chucked it as far as he could into the forest!

    ''Hope that doesn''t land on someone...''

    Hii sighed in relief and started to inspect the now clean snake.

    As he finished his incision and spread open the snake, he slowly grew shocked at what he saw.

    Akumu and Fuyuki also looked inside.

    {What the?! Why does it look so weird?!}

    [......]

    The meat and organs in the snake were different colors! Parts of it looked normal while other parts looked cleansed and pure!

    The three looked at the snake in silence for a moment, then Hii and Akumu slowly turned to look at Fuyuki.

    {W-What?!}

    [...Did your fire clean it to death?]

    {.....Maybe?}

    "Doesn''t this look like....refinement?"

    Hii looked down at the snake and nodded his head.

    "Yeah. It''s like when Grandpa chips the bad parts of metal away with a hammer. It''s just...with fire."

    [Hmmm. It looks like you might be on to something.]

    Akumu turned to Fuyuki.

    [We need to experiment more. Can you make more of those flames?]

    Fuyuki''s face grew serious as she looked at Hii.

    {Who are we going to use them on?}

    "Me?"

    Fuyuki shook her head and backed up.

    {No! I''m not hurting you guys again!}

    "Eh?"

    [You know we have to do this to figure out what those flames do.]

    {We can find another way to figure that out!}

    [It should be fine for him. He can take it.]

    {No!}

    *Boom*

    Fuyuki''s paw slapped the ground in protest, creating a web of cracks on the ground! Her figure became hard to see as heat started to fume off of her body!

    "Wait! Calm down, Fuyuki! I won''t be the one we use it on, okay?!"

    Hii quickly tried to calm Fuyuki down as ue came between the two!

    "There are some animals we can try it out on first nearby. Let''s find a few and continue the experiments with them, okay?"

    {.....Haaaa.}

    Fuyuki''s tense fur loosened as she calmed down. Her temperature also started to quickly die down as she looked at Hii.

    {I can handle animals, but we have to figure out what my power can really do before we try it on people. Otherwise, I just won''t use it!}

    Hii nodded his head and put his hand over his chest.

    "Don''t worry! I promise we''ll figure it out before I try to use it."

    {...Good.}

    [Haaa. You''re always so stubborn at times.]

    Fuyuki looked over at Akumu with a mean glare while Hii just backed away from the two.

    He was gonna stay out of it!

    The three began to scour the forest and found random animals to use Fuyuki''s fire on.

    First was a giant leech that tried to attach itself to Hii. It shriveled up quickly as the white flame surrounded it.

    Hii grabbed the body and put it in the scroll together with the snake.

    Fuyuki refused to experiment on a nearby bunny, but immediately burned a giant spider they came across.

    Hii and Akumu said nothing about the disparity as they continued to find more "volunteers".

    Once the scroll had around 10 creatures, they headed out of the forest and back to the training fields.

    Hii slowly took out each animal and cut into it to find out if their insides looked the same as the snake did.

    Akumu watched him as he examined the bodies. He suddenly looked up from them and noticed a rustling bush nearby.

    [......]

    Hii carefully cut into the bodies of the beasts and was surprised. Just like the snake, the other animals all had gunk coming out of them. Hii made several water balls and chucked them out into the forest.

    After washing his hands, he came back to the bodies and noticed they were actually different from the snake. Some had a higher percentage of their insides cleaner than the others while some looked like the process didn''t even start before they perished.

    ''This sure is a strange power...''

    *Rustle Rustle*

    *Squeak!!*

    "Hmm?!"

    Hii looked up and noticed Akumu was gone.

    {He went into that bush just now.}

    Hii looked over and found the shaking bush. The bush shook violently as the sounds of a scuffle could be heard.

    Akumu came out of the bush with a small rodent tail in his mouth and a smile on his face.

    The rodent tried to get away, but Akumu nonchalantly chucked it over to Hii and Fuyuki.

    Hii watched it plop on the ground and look up at him in fear.

    It was light brown with black eyes, looking at Hii with a pitiful gaze. The two stared at each other for a moment until the mouse tried to get away. It couldn''t get far, however, as Akumu blocked him.

    [We can use this one for a more controlled experiment.]

    Akumu crept up behind it and trapped its tail under his paw.

    "Chi! Chi!"

    The mouse struggled, but couldn''t get away.

    "Ugh, are you sure we can do it with this one? I thought we would want something aggressive like the others."

    [We have to take what we can get.]

    Akumu looked over to where Fuyuki was and sighed.

    [Please tell me you aren''t still afraid of mice.]

    Hii was confused until he turned around and saw Fuyuki.

    She was suddenly all the way on the other side of the training field!

    He didn''t even notice her disappear!

    {I-I''m not s-scared! I was just surprised!}

    [...Uh-huh. Come closer then.]

    Her fur began to rise up as she started shaking.

    {N-No need! I can do it from here!}

    Akumu tilted his head as he looked at her.

    [What if you hit Hii? You are pretty far away and you can''t control your power just yet.]

    {.....}

    Fuyuki didn''t respond and slowly made her way towards the mouse.

    "Huh. I didn''t know she was scared of mice."

    [That''s because I usually handled them before she saw them. She''s the worst with rodents.]

    Akumu shook his head as he watched Fuyuki stalk cautiously towards the mouse.

    The closer she got to it, the slower she moved.

    She eventually got closer to the mouse, but as soon as she did...

    "Chi!!"

    {Hyaa!!}

    *Fwoosh*

    Hii only saw a white blur disappear into the nearby bushes at high speed.

    "......"

    [........]

    "Chi?"

    Hii and Akumu looked at each other and sighed.

    [Fuyuki. You need to come out of there.]

    {.....}

    The two waited patiently for Fuyuki to finally peek her head out from the bush and slowly make her way to them again.

    [Just send us a small flame. That way you don''t have to get too close.]

    {F-Fine! It shouldn''t be too hard. I''ll send a slow flame then!}

    Fuyuki nodded her head rapidly and began to form her flame.

    *Fwoosh*

    A small ball of white flame appeared in front of her mouth and slowly came towards the three.

    "Chi! Chi!"

    The mouse tried to get away from the slowly encroaching flame, but Akumu mercilessly flung it towards the flame!

    ''This feels....wrong.''

    Hii made a difficult face as the mouse was engulfed in the flames.

    "Chi! Chi!"

    The mouse fell down, ran around, and struggled, but the flames wouldn''t go out no matter what it did.

    It quickly began to tire out, but still burned like the rest.

    The three all watched the mouse slowly burn, waiting to see if anything strange would happen.

    *Pssssshh*

    The sound of something sizzling could be heard from the mouse as black steam began to flow out from the mouse. This continued for a short while before the sound eventually stopped altogether.

    ''That''s a different reaction.''

    After a minute passed, the flames began to slowly disappear, revealing the small brown mouse''s body. It looked just like the other, except they could see it was still breathing.

    [Hmm?!]

    Akumu quickly rose to his feet and stared at the mouse in shock!

    "What''s wrong?"

    Hii noticed his reaction and asked him, but he only stared at the mouse with a strange expression.

    "Hii. I need you to slowly approach the mouse and get ready to catch it. I''ll provoke him towards you."

    "Uh?! Okay..."

    Hii decided to get behind the mouse slowly as Akumu got into position.

    "Uh oh!"

    Hii grew surprised when he saw the mouse waking back up!

    "Chi...?"

    The mouse groggily woke up and looked around.

    It noticed a shadow towering over it and looked up, finding only Akumu''s pearly white fangs in front of it!

    "Chiiii!!!!"

    The mouse dashed away from Akumu, heading straight towards Hii!

    "I got it!"

    Hii grabbed towards the mouse when something bizarre happened!

    "Chi!!''

    The mouse seemed to double its speed and zipped right through Hii''s fingers!

    "Huh?!"

    [Don''t lose it! It''s getting away!]

    Hii turned his head and barely saw the mouse zipping away!

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    Hii chased after the mouse at high speed!

    "Chi! Squeak!"

    The mouse tried to zip away as best as it could, moving in an erratic fashion to get away from Hii!

    "How is it so fast?!"

    [That''s what we need to find out! Keep up with it!]

    Fuyuki watched with amusement from her bush as Hii chased after the mouse.

    {Ugh... I don''t like rodents...}

    Fuyuki laid down on the ground and decided she would just stay out of the chase.

    {They should be fine anyway.}

    **************

    "Haaa! Haaa!"

    *Bang Bang"

    At a nearby training field, Hinata was striking a training log with pinpoint precision.

    "Phew~."

    Hinata grabbed a nearby towel and wiped off the sweat from her brow.

    "I feel like I made some progress today."

    A small smile appeared on her face as she looked up at the passing clouds.

    ''I hope I''ll do well on my next mission.''

    It was a good day to train.

    "Chi! Chi!!"

    "Huh?"

    Hinata looked over to a nearby bush to find a brown blur flying out of it at high speed.

    "Get back here!"

    This was followed by a bigger white blur as Hii chased after the mouse.

    "Hii-kun?!"

    Hinata was shocked as she watched Hii try to grab the mouse, but it slipped just out of his reach everytime.

    ''This is ridiculous!''

    Hii finally decided to make a leaping grab at the mouse, but it jumped onto his head and flew through the air towards Hinata!

    Hii turned around to continue chasing the mouse, but his face paled as he saw where it was going.

    "Hinata-chan!"

    Hii yelled out hoarsely as Hinata watched the mouse come towards her in slow motion.

    The mouse looked at Hinata, unaware of the situation it was running into.

    Hinata''s face grew stern.

    Veins appeared around her eyes as her Byakugan focused on the mouse.

    Her index finger pointed straight at the mouse in a split second!

    "Don''t kill it!"

    *Tak*

    "Chi?!"

    Hinata struck a small point on the mouse and made it freeze in its tracks!

    Hii dived and caught the mouse in his hands and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw it was still alive.

    "Whew! Thanks, Hinata. I need this little guy for research."

    Hinata slowly deactivated her Byakugan and softly smiled.

    "I''m glad I could help. I thought you were trying to kill it. Good thing I held back."

    "Hahaha......"

    Hii couldn''t help sweating as he remembered the first time he saw that bizarre activity of the Hyuga clan.

    ***********

    Hii had gone over to the Hyuga estate to challenge Neji a few years ago, but he had to wait until he was done with his training to challenge him.

    Hii decided that he would visit Haruka-san since he had free time and found Hinata there as well. While he waited for Neji to finish, he noticed Hinata staring at one of the walls with an intense stare.

    He thought she was thinking of something important until he noticed Haruka also looking at the wall with an intense gaze.

    Hii wanted to ask what was going on when it happened!

    "Hmph!"

    *Thump*

    Hinata poked against the part of the wall she was staring at with force and stopped moving.

    Haruka nodded her head slightly as she pulled out a scroll under her pillow.

    Hii couldn''t help looking over to see what was going on and was shocked!

    Haruka had a list of pest kills under her pillow?!

    There was even a ranking to the list and Hinata was pretty high on it?!

    Haruka clapped her hands after she marked down the score, making two servants appear.

    "Wow! It looks like Hinata-sama got another mouse today."

    "Ah! Not bad! She''s really doing her best! This means she''s tied to Hanabi-sama now!"

    "This season seems to be full of pests. I wonder who will win this year?"

    "Neji was a strong champion last year! He''ll probably claim it once again."

    "I''m sure Hinata-sama won''t make it that easy."

    Hii heard two servants discussing about it as they went to clean up the mouse left in the wall.

    "Good job, Hinata. You''re catching up to Neji pretty quickly."

    "I won''t lose!"

    Hinata pumped herself up as her mother smiled tenderly at her effort while Hii couldn''t believe what he saw.

    ************

    "Uhm, Hii-kun? What are you doing with that mouse anyway? You said it was for research?"

    The two came over to a Dango shop after catching the mouse. Hii bought Hinata a few Dangos as thanks for her help and also for not killing the mouse.

    He wouldn''t know what to do if it died.

    Hii nodded his head as he bit into his own stick of Dango and chewed it slowly.

    "Mmm! That''s right. I need him for an experiment with a technique. He''s my luckiest test subject yet."

    Hii tasted the sweetness and shook his head. He didn''t mind sweets, but more than one set of these was a bit much for him.

    He turned to look at Hinata and noticed she was already on her third stick of Dango while he still struggled on his first stick.

    ''I knew I should''ve just bought one...''

    Hii wryly smiled and drank a sip of tea. He looked over at his plate and saw the other stick.

    ''Now what to do with this?''

    "Chi!"

    He looked over to his side and saw the brown mouse staring at him with angry gaze.

    "Hehe. You sure are lucky. If I didn''t say anything, you would''ve been dead."

    "Chi!"

    Hii chuckled as he tapped on the steel cage. He had managed to find one for the mouse at a nearby store before it could wake up. It would have to do for now.

    He expected the mouse to be more aggressive when it woke up, but it seemed to have calmed down considerably from before.

    "Hmm?"

    Hii noticed the mouse gazing at his Dango with a feverish gaze and chuckled.

    "You want it?"

    Hii pulled off one of the dango balls with his fingers and placed it in the cage through a gap in the top.

    "Chi~!"

    The mouse quickly attacked the ball of Dango with vigor as Hii watched with a smile.

    "Hehehe. You like these, huh? Enjoy the rest of it then."

    Hii decided to give the mouse the rest of the mochi, which made it fly over the moon with happiness.

    Hinata watched the two interact quietly as she finished her last Dango.

    She was curious about the mouse and decided to peek at it with her Byakugan one more time.

    "Eh?"

    "Hmm? What''s wrong?"

    "This mouse..."

    Hii noticed Hinata continued to stare at the mouse with her face gradually growing more and more shocked.

    "It''s chakra levels are high for a mouse! It''s still increasing even now!"

    Hinata couldn''t believe it!

    Hii looked at the mouse stuffing its cheeks with as much Dango as possible and fell deep into thought.

    ''It looks like Fuyuki''s power really can refine the body. Even Hinata is surprised by the power the mouse has now.''

    [I think all the impurities in the mouse was purified.]

    ''I wonder what the impurities are exactly?''

    Hii stared at the mouse and noticed it had two large dango balls in its cheeks.

    ''I thought this was a mouse. Seems more like a squirrel or hamster now to me.''

    [Maybe this is also a part of her power. It could be drawing out abilities from its bloodline. Less impurities can mean it can possibly do things normal mice can''t do.]

    Hii couldn''t understand what her power was completely, but a basic idea had formed.

    There was only one big problem now.

    ''Why did this mouse survive while the other animals didn''t?''

    Hii poked the little mouse in its cheek and pondered why it was the only one to live through the flames.

    [ I think it was the will to live that pushed it to survive. None of the other animals had its tenacity to get away.]

    Hii thought about it and nodded his head.

    This mouse was definitely the most energetic of the captures they had made before.

    *Click*

    Hii slowly unlocked the cage and left the door open.

    ''This place should be safe. I wonder if it''s any smarter than what it was before.''

    Hii planned to release it back into the city once the experiment was done, but he soon realized how smart the mouse could be.

    The mouse looked at the open door with a complex look for a moment and continued to eat the dango in the cage.

    Hii and Hinata both looked at each other, then back at the mouse. They thought it would dash out of the cage at the first notice of freedom. Neither of them expected it to be so brave.

    Once the mouse had finished, it slowly crawled out of the cage. It didn''t dart away, but merely hopped onto Hii''s lap and looked at him.

    The two stared at each other for a moment until Hii asked a strange question.

    "You....want more?"

    To their surprise, the mouse nodded its head and moved next to the cage for Hii to get up!

    "Haha! This is really strange!"

    Hii laughed and shook his head, but he still got up and went to the counter for four more sticks of Dango.

    He came back and gave the mouse two and Hinata the other two.

    The mouse was ecstatic while Hinata was grateful, but confused as to why Hii treated her again.

    Hii shook his head and pointed at the mouse.

    "I don''t think I would''ve caught this mouse so easily without your help now. I think I was really lucky running into you, so I should thank you accordingly."

    If this mouse was getting smarter as time went on, who knows how hard it would''ve been to catch him.

    "I''m glad I could help."

    Hinata smiled meekly and picked up one of her dango sticks.

    "It''s a bit sad though. I could''ve added it to my score if you weren''t chasing after it."

    ""!!!""

    Hii and the mouse both shivered at Hinata''s whispers.

    "I-I thought you just did that when you were smaller."

    Hinata shook her head lightly and smiled.

    "Old habits are hard to break."

    The mouse quickly jumped close to Hii and hid behind him.

    It could tell this meek looking girl had a scary side!

    ***************

    "No!"

    "Mom!"

    "No~!"

    Hii had a wry smile on his face as he looked up at the ceiling.

    Kaya was plastered against the ceiling, as far away from Mochi as she could be.

    Mochi ended up being what Hii called the mouse.

    He decided he might as well bring it home with him, but he didn''t expect the women in his family to be so scared of Mochi.

    Kaya was on the ceiling, Riku had retreated to her room, and Moya was using a skillet to block her view of Mochi from the furthest wall away possible.

    Henda and Di just sat on the couch nearby with a bit of amusement on their faces.

    The one who really liked Mochi was surprisingly Yozora.

    "Hii-nii! Can I hold it?!"

    Yozora had a glimmer in his eyes that Hii couldn''t refuse!

    He let Yozora hold Mochi''s cage and watched as Yozora and Mochi stared at each other.

    Something seemed to click with the two as Yozora opened Mochi''s cage after staring at it for nearly 30 seconds.

    "Ahh!!"

    "Why did you open it?!"

    Kaya and Moya both screamed out as Mochi came out of the cage and quickly climbed up Yozora towards his shoulder.

    "Chi!"

    Mochi nuzzled close to Yozora''s face and waved at Hii.

    Hii laughed as he waved back at Mochi with a smile.

    All was forgiven after about 5 Dango sticks.

    [I''m surprised it''s so friendly with you now.]

    Akumu slowly climbed out of Hii''s shadow and laid down on the ground.

    "Kii!!!!"

    Mochi immediately hissed at Akumu as soon as he saw him!

    Akumu only turned to glance at it and proceeded to ignore it afterwards.

    {I guess it really doesn''t like us that much, huh?}

    Fuyuki slowly revealed herself as well as she laid next to Akumu.

    [Oh! You can turn invisible?]

    {Not really. I think it''s like.... um? I actually don''t know how to explain it?}

    Fuyuki tilted her head as she tried to explain it.

    {It''s like...whoosh! I just appear where I''m needed!}

    [......]

    Akumu decided to leave it alone. She wasn''t the best at explaining things.

    Mochi''s fur stood on end as he looked at the two wolves.

    Yozora took the moment to pat Mochi''s head, calming him down a bit.

    "It''s okay. Those two won''t hurt you."

    Yozora''s voice was calm and sure, letting Mochi relax a bit.

    He wouldn''t let his guard down yet. He had been through a lot today.

    "So, who is going to take care of it?"

    Di looked over his two grandsons and asked the question.

    "I will!"

    "No way! I don''t want that in our room!"

    Yozora wanted to claim responsibility, but Moya wouldn''t have it!

    "He can stay in my room then. You just have to pick him up and put him back. Deal?"

    "Deal!"

    "Hii-Nii!!!"

    Yozora quickly agreed to Hii''s condition, leaving Moya distraught.

    "Mom!"

    Kaya looked over at Moya, then at Yozora. She noticed the deep emotion in her son''s eyes and faltered.

    ''Ugh! He really wants to keep it?!''

    The two stared at each other for a moment until Kaya sighed.

    "As long as you don''t surprise me with it, I won''t kill it! Just promise me you''ll take care of everything dealing with it and keep it away from us!"

    "I will!"

    Yozora''s determined face made Kaya reluctantly yield, much to Moya''s shock!

    "No way! There''s a rodent in the house now?!"

    Kaya came down and patted Moya''s head. There was nothing she could do.

    Hii watched Yozora talk and play with Mochi and laughed.

    "I wonder how they would''ve reacted if the spider was the one we brought back?"

    {The house would probably be gone by now.}

    [Mmhmm.]

    At least the mouse wasn''t the worst option.

    ****************

    *Clang Clang Clang Bam*

    "Ungh!"

    *Thud*

    Maka hit the ground rolling as she tried to recover!

    *Swish Swish*

    "Haa!"

    *Clang Clang*

    *Shuu*

    "!!!"

    *Clang*

    Maka blocked Shisui''s blade with her kunai as the two stared at each other.

    "Good, but don''t look too long! It''s an opening with an Uchiha!"

    *Shiiing*

    "Crap!"

    Maka quickly averted her eyes from his and tried to push him off to get some distance!

    *Swish Swish*

    Itachi threw several shurikens at Maka while she tried to push Shisui away!

    "Tch!"

    *Bam*

    "Oooph!"

    Maka kicked Shisui in the stomach and pushed off of him!

    *Tak Tak Tak*

    The shurikens all missed their target as Maka tried to catch her breath and keep the two in her sights.

    "Haaa! Haaa! Haaa!"

    Maka watched the two leisurely approach her and frowned.

    ''I didn''t think Nii-san was holding back so much! Just him alone is a problem and I still have to deal with Itachi somehow!''

    Her brow furrowed deeply as she thought as fast as she could.

    ''I can only go all out then!''

    Maka quickly weaved handsigns and took in a deep breath!

    "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

    *Fwoosh*

    Maka spewed a giant ball of flame towards the two!

    "You take care of it, Itachi! I''ll get her!"

    Itachi silently used the same technique and also shot out a fireball!

    *Boom*

    The two balls of flame exploded together as fire covered the area rapidly before disappearing.

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Itachi turned to see Shisui flickering around Maka with four afterimages!

    "Haaa!"

    "Not bad! Keep it up!"

    Itachi stood back as he watched the two clash with their weapons over and over.

    He knew he was only here to apply additional pressure to Maka.

    Shisui was being overbearing to force Maka''s potential out!

    ''I should do this with Sasuke as well.''

    *Clang Bam Thud*

    Itachi came out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of somebody hitting the ground.

    "Urgh!"

    Shisui put his tanto back into his sheathe and stood above her.

    He stretched his hand out and helped his sister up from the ground as he started to guide her.

    "Maka. How come you haven''t used your Sharingan during training yet?"

    Maka got up and didn''t say anything. She just looked at Shisui and shook her head.

    Shisui frowned a bit before sighing.

    "Maka. I''m gonna give you some advice. Hear me out."

    Shisui looked at Maka and scanned her for a moment.

    He could see the cuts and bruises on her skin from the training.

    The dirt that collected in her curly hair.

    The determination that gleamed in her eyes.

    The tight grip on her kunai.

    He could see it all, which was why he had to say something to her.

    "It''s okay to be stubborn, but don''t be foolish."

    Maka was surprised by this lesson and looked at her brother.

    "What do you mean, Nii-san?"

    "Haha! I''m your brother! I know a bit about how you think."

    Shisui came forward and patted Maka''s head.

    "Even though the Sharingan is something from the Uchiha clan, it doesn''t mean your eyes are the clan''s. You should use them for yourself since they''re yours."

    Maka looked up to Shisui with a surprised look on her face.

    Shisui smiled and moved over to Itachi.

    "Besides, just because some brats have the Sharingan doesn''t mean that they will become elites like Itachi and I. Right?"

    Shisui nudged Itachi with his elbow. Itachi nodded his head with a smirk and looked at Maka.

    "How many of the kids who bullied you before would have the guts to fight both of us right now?"

    "....."

    Maka lowered her head and thought about it. She didn''t have to think long to come to a conclusion

    "None of them would."

    Itachi nodded his head.

    "That''s right. This shows the difference between a regular Uchiha and one with actual talent. You haven''t even used your eyes against us yet. Do you think people that can''t do that deserves your attention?"

    A smile slowly curled up on her face as she looked at her brother and cousin.

    "No! They don''t deserve my attention!"

    *Shiiing*

    Maka''s Sharingan activated on its own as she gripped her kunai and got into her stance.

    "Let''s go again!"

    Itachi and Shisui looked at each other and nodded.

    "Hehe! Itachi may have stolen my spotlight for advice, but I''m taking the lead on her training!"

    "Hmph. Do what you want."

    Their Sharingans also activated as Shisui grabbed his short Tanto blade once more!

    "Here I come!"

    "Bring it, Nii-san!"

    *Shuu Clang Clang Clang*

    Shisui and Maka both started to clash as Itachi watched for any opening Maka needed to pay attention to.

    "....."

    Itachi looked behind him for a brief moment, then looked back at the fight.

    Fugaku watched the three battle from a distance with a stoic expression.

    Itachi suddenly appeared beside him and stood in silence. The two watched from afar as the sounds of blades clashing rang in the air.

    "How long has she had her Sharingan?"

    Fugaku asked Itachi while he still kept his focus on Maka and Shisui''s fight.

    "It seems to be for quite some time now. Her activation of it seems pretty smooth."

    "...."

    Fugaku turned away from the fight and began to walk home.

    "Help her keep it a secret until she wants to let the family know."

    Itachi watched his father''s back and bowed slightly.

    "How is Sasuke''s training going?"

    Fugaku stopped for a moment and looked up at the sky.

    "He''s getting progressively better. He still makes mistakes, but he''s definitely improving."

    Fugaku looked back down and smiled.

    "He''s not the same as you, but..."

    Fugaku turned his head and glance at Itachi.

    "He''s also my son. Just like you."

    Fugaku turned back and continued walking back home.

    Itachi slowly turned his head away from his father and looked back at the fight.

    A small smile appeared on his face as he raised his hands into a seal.

    *Poof*

    The clone disappeared into smoke as the real Itachi smiled while watching the two sibling continue to spar.

    ************

    Shizuka frowned as she sat on the couch.

    "I just don''t get it."

    In front of her was a scroll Minato gave her and told her to use to expand her sense of space. The seal in the middle of the scroll helped her get used to the feeling as she probed and maneuvered her sense. It was rather easy at first for her to use, but as the distance grew larger and wider, her control grew unsteady and weaker.

    ''How does Dad do it? I can barely sense outside of the house, but he can teleport from the Hokage office. There must be something I''m missing. I just don''t know what it is. ''

    Shizuka looked up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

    ""Haaaaa~...""

    Shizuka sighed in frustration, but quickly realized someone was nearby.

    "Oh! Hey, little bro!"

    "Hey, Nee-san."

    Naruto walked over to the couch and sat down next to Shizuka, looking down.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Naruto didn''t say anything for a moment, but soon his face morphed into one of anger as he remembered what happened.

    "Gaaah!! Kurama is way too much!!"

    "Eh?!"

    Shizuka was confused as Naruto continued to rant!

    "He wants me to eat curry more than ramen!!"

    "...Ehh?"

    "The nerve of that guy! He kept telling me how curry has nutrients I don''t get from ramen! That guy doesn''t even eat!"

    "Well, curry does have potatoes and carrots in it. It''s pretty customizable when you think about it."

    Naruto turned to Shizuka with an intense glare.

    "You don''t get it! Curry can''t compare to ramen!"

    Shizuka was surprised by Naruto''s aggressive behavior, but she wasn''t too surprised. Naruto had been eating ramen for years now. He would definitely be defensive of his favorite food.

    "Ramen is so much-"

    Naruto suddenly grew silent as his face became stern.

    Shizuka was shocked again as Naruto had never shown a face like that.

    "Wait! Nee-san can''t hear you!"

    Naruto quickly made a seal and unleashed his technique!

    "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

    *Poof*

    A clone of Naruto appeared and folded his arms at the original.

    The Naruto sitting next to Shizuka suddenly had an oppresive presence! His eyes turned red and more pronounced "whiskers" appeared on his face!

    <Hmph! You''re wrong. Curry is obviously superior to ramen!>

    "Gah! Who could believe that?! Also, introduce yourself, you grumpy fox!"

    Shizuka couldn''t wrap her head around what was going on and just looked between the two with a rising smile on her face.

    <Hmph! I''m the big fox everyone is scared of! Happy?!>

    "What kind of introduction is that?! Do it properly!"

    <As if you can do it properly either!>

    "At least I give my name dattebayo!"

    <Tch!>

    Shizuka was enjoying the show when the real Naruto looked over at her.

    <My name is Kurama. Don''t use it too often.>

    "How is that suppose to work?! What''s the point of giving her your name then?!"

    <Shut up! You''re annoying me!>

    "You think I''m not annoyed with you spouting nonsense?!"

    <What nonsense! Curry is the best! Sweet, spicy, or mild! All of the flavors have many different toppings to go with it! It''s perfect!>

    Shadow clone Naruto shook his head with a sneer on his face.

    "You''re wrong! Ramen may not have that many toppings, but it makes up for it with the broth! Curry can never have the same impact!"

    <I''ve lived with you for 13 years now and I''ve never even seen you look in the direction of a curry shop! How can you know what impact curry could have?!>

    "How could I when Ichiraku exists?!"

    <If you had a better palate, you would try different things! There could be a curry version of Ichiraku and you wouldn''t even know it!>

    "Where did you even try curry at anyway?! Do they sell them Biju sized somewhere?!"

    <You''re not my first host, idiot!>

    "What was that?!"

    "Bwahahahahaha!!!"

    The two turned to find Shizuka laughing hysterically!

    "Aha! Aha! My stomach! Hehehehe!!"

    She held her stomach and continued to laugh.

    <Naruto, why is your sister laughing?>

    Naruto shrugged as the two watched Shizuka slowly calm down from her laughter. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she tried to wipe them away.

    "Haaa~! I needed that. Thanks, Naruto and Kurama, for the laugh."

    The two looked at each other for a moment and looked back at Shizuka.

    "<But which one is better?!>"

    "Pfft!"

    Shizuka couldn''t hold it in and started laughing once more!

    "We''re serious! You gotta break the tie for us!"

    <Your opinion can help me educate this brat on things other than ramen and pranks!>

    "Hey! I know more than those two things!"

    <I doubt that!>

    "Sorry, you guys."

    "<Huh?!>"

    The two looked at her with confused expressions.

    Shizuka gave them both a peace sign and a smile.

    "I''m in the omelet rice faction."

    "Ah!"

    <Tch!>

    The two gave up on asking her which was better and started to think.

    "Wait! We can ask Dad! He shouldn''t have a favorite!"

    <Tsk! As much as I don''t like seeing him, you may have a point.>

    "Let''s go settle this!"

    <Fine! Don''t cry when you find out your tastes are trash!>

    The two ran out of the house towards the Hokage office as Shizuka saw them off.

    "Hehehehehe! Hooo~! I haven''t laughed like that in so long! I would''ve folded over and laughed on the floor if they continued arguing."

    Shizuka continued to chuckle for a moment, then suddenly stopped still.

    "Wait, folding?"

    Her eyes started to brighten as she thought of a possibility!

    "Can I do it that way?!"

    Shizuka sat back down on the couch and began to activate the scroll and started to sense the space around her.

    "It should be like this... I think?"

    Shizuka carefully centered her sensing range and tried to shrink the distance.

    After fiddling with it for a few minutes, she started to sense the distance she could feel had increased!

    "Alright! I did it!"

    Shizuka had a happy smile on her face as she wiped the sweat away from her brow. Her hair was starting to stick to her face from her exertion.

    ''Once more should be the limit. Let''s see how far I can reach with my chakra.''

    Shizuka decided to send her sense of space in one straight line outside of the village.

    She folded her sense and reached out as far as she could in one bound!

    Although it was in a straight line, she could reach a few miles out already!

    It was even still increasing!

    ''I''m almost at my limit!''

    She reached out as far a she could strain and finally couldn''t push it any further. She took a deep breath and sighed.

    She felt she almost reached into another country with this method!

    ''Still, I can only get a sense now. Dad can do this easily, teleport, and react to attacks at the same time! I''ve got a lot of training to do...''

    Shizuka gave a wry smile as she thought about it, then shook her head of such thoughts.

    ''What am I thinking? Most people couldn''t even sense space in the same room in a few weeks of training and I''m mad that I can''t feel a country? Stop trying to be so awesome, Shizuka! Get a grip on your ego.''

    Shizuka laughed a little at herself. She was happy, so she could give herself a little slack.

    She started to retract her sense when she suddenly felt a violent shiver crawl down her spine!

    ''Huh?!''

    "Haaa! Haaa! Haaa!"

    She clutched her chest as she tried to catch her breath, but her heart started to beat at a faster pace!

    "W-What is this?"

    She tried to shake away the feeling when she suddenly sensed it.

    A pair of gleaming red eyes were looking at her from an absurd distance away!

    They came from an area near her limit of sensing space!

    She could feel the eyes watching her curiously as she tried to retract her sense back as fast as she could!

    ''Hurry! Hurry!''

    She had never panicked this much before! Not since when she first met that bastard that took her family!

    Upon remembering that, she stopped.

    ''No! No more running!''

    Shizuka clenched her teeth as her hands balled up into fists!

    ''I''m not scared of you!''

    Courage from somewhere unknown to her welled up as she stopped her retreat and tried to sense the direction the eyes were coming from!

    Though the sensation made her skin crawl, She located the direction of the source and tried to memorize any information she could to research later!

    The eyes seemed to be surprised, but didn''t let up the sinister aura that beared down on Shizuka!

    "Ugh!"

    Her nails pierced into her palm, bringing a clearing burst of pain to her mind!

    She was reaching her limit!

    ''That''s enough!''

    She quickly retracted her sense once again, rapidly shrinking it back to the Leaf!

    She could still feel the eyes watch her as she went, but their presence began to diminish the closer she got to the Leaf.

    The presence disappeared all together once her sense was back in the barrier of the Leaf village!

    "Haaauuugh!!"

    Shizuka exhaled loudly as she sank into the couch. She was covered in a cold sweat as she tried to recover.

    "What....was that?!"

    Shizuka looked at her arms and found goosebumps all over.

    She tried to close her eyes and relax, but she felt as if those eyes could still see her.

    ''I....used up all my chakra.''

    Shizuka sat silently on the couch for a few minutes as she tried to recover from her exhaustion.

    "....A quick shower should help me calm down. I should ask Dad about that too..."

    Shizuka thought about the bizarre encounter once more before taking a deep breath and sighing.

    "Nothing gets done worrying about it. I probably won''t see it again."

    Shizuka slowly stood up and checked her hands. Blood trickled from small cuts on her palm as she headed to the bath.

    "At least I beat my old record! Yeah!"

    Shizuka weakly pumped her fist in the air.

    She had to take the small victories whenever she could.

    **********

    Near the border of the Land of Iron, a small forest existed silently among the land.

    Everything in the forest looked normal, but the shadows in this forest where incomparably black and dark. Locals stayed away from the forest as stories of old gave the forest a sinister reputation that no one ever wanted to prove.

    Inside the forest, a pair of red eyes gradually opened and looked out in a certain direction.

    The eyes stared for a moment before slowly closing their red light.

    "Not yet."

    The eyes closed once more, bringing silence back to the forest.

    Only the wind could be heard through the trees as it brushed past a sign placed by a local.

    [Warning! This is the Forest of Rebirth. Stay away if you value your life!]

    Forestbear

    Whew! Long time no see! Now that life has decided I can write again, I''m gonna try to at least do a chapter a week starting with this one. Hope everyone''s having a great time and staying safe out there! Enjoy and thanks for reading!

 Ch.81. A Biju Affair

    Hii sat down near the river at the training grounds and watched it flow down its path.

    *Pachi Pachi*

    He played with a bolt of lightning as he looked between the two.

    ''Water and Lightning. One''s hard to control while the other is freely controlled. I have to bring them to the same level in order to master Storm. How do I make it more efficient to practice though?''

    Hii stared at the water for some kind of inspiration, but nothing came to mind.

    *Fwoosh*

    {Meditating again?}

    Fuyuki appeared beside him with a white flash of light.

    She had gotten much better at controlling her powers and secretly strolled around the village when she was bored.

    "Yeah. I wonder which way should I try to train my techniques to make them stronger."

    {Hmmm. That is tough...}

    Fuyuki thought about it for a moment until her eyes brightened up!

    {You should try to find someone who is an expert at them. Well, besides your mom and grandpa...}

    Hii thought about it for a moment, but couldn''t really think of anyone who could give him a different perspective.

    ''Maybe Kakashi?''

    Hii shook his head shortly after. He was pretty busy with his own students. That wouldn''t work.

    ''I can always ask Sensei for advice as well when he comes back.''

    "Well, let''s practice a bit for now. Maybe I''ll get some inspiration once we''re done."

    {Sure! What''s the condition this time?}

    Fuyuki''s tail wagged as she grew excited.

    Hii thought for a moment about what the condition could be this time.

    The two had been training to get Fuyuki used to combat, but it quickly evolved into fighting with random handicaps and goals.

    Hii quickly found out that compared to fighting Akumu, fighting with Fuyuki was pretty fun, but dangerous.

    She wasn''t very good at holding back when she''s excited.

    "Hmmmm. How about the first one to fall flat on the ground wins?"

    {Okay! I''ll let you get ready!}

    Hii nodded his head and jumped on top of the river.

    He weaved his hand signs and unleashed his technique!

    "Water Style: Water Wolf Armor!"

    *Splash*

    The water drew up and formed around Hii, changing him into a giant blue wolf!

    "Ready?"

    {Ready!}

    Fuyuki began to growl as she stalked towards Hii.

    Hii also growled and paced around Fuyuki as well, calculating how fast he could close the distance to her.

    Of course, Fuyuki wouldn''t give him that chance so easily.

    {Here I come!}

    "!!"

    *Shuu*

    Fuyuki rushed towards Hii and tried to grab his head with jaws!

    Hii barely dodged the bite and countered with a bite to her hind legs!

    Fuyuki dodged to the side and repositioned herself to attack again!

    ''Let''s try that out now!''

    "Graar!!"

    Hii''s blue tail suddenly grew thinner and longer as he swung it over at Fuyuki!

    {What?!}

    *Wuuuu Smack*

    {Kyaaa!}

    Fuyuki jumped back in shock! She didn''t expect his tail to turn into a whip!

    While she was recovering from the shock of a surprise whip to the face, Hii had closed the distance between the two!

    "Graar!!"

    {!!}

    Hii grabbed onto Fuyuki''s neck with his teeth and tried to take her down to the ground in a surprise attack!

    Fuyuki''s body nearly hit the ground with the surprise, but right before she made contact, she lifted herself up and threw Hii far away from her!

    ''Tch! So close!''

    Hii corrected himself as he landed, regretting not launching the surprise attack right after the confirmed hit.

    {Good try! Now it''s my turn!}

    ''Oh boy...''

    Hii braced himself as he watched Fuyuki closely.

    *Shuu*

    She flashed over to him in an instant and swung her paw down towards his head again! This time, there was much more force behind her attack!

    *Bang*

    Her paw struck the ground, bringing up a cloud of dust all over the area!

    Hii quickly jumped over to stand on the river and began to absorb more water into his armor!

    ''I can''t see her, but she''ll probably come at me by surprise. I have to bring my size up just in case!''

    Hii''s wolf armor began to grow more and more as he grew to double her size.

    ''This is all I can control right now...''

    Hii wryly smiled as he stopped absorbing water.

    His form was becoming a bit unstable, making the wolf armor look more watery and transparent than solid.

    Hii checked his surroundings for Fuyuki, but didn''t see her anywhere.

    ''Where did she go?''

    Hii watched for her and suddenly felt his senses tell him he was in danger!

    {Graaar!!}

    Hii suddenly saw Fuyuki flash from a short distance away and leap towards him!

    ''Here she comes!''

    He reflexively leaned down to dodge her lunge when he noticed something.

    The Fuyuki coming towards him had went straight past him towards the trees!

    ''Oh no!''

    Hii tried to jump up, but suddenly felt a hot vice grip on the throat of the wolf armor.

    It was then that he felt an irresistible force drag him down to the river!

    *Boom*

    He hit the ground hard as Fuyuki slammed him down without mercy!

    *Drip Drip Drip*

    Water splashed down from the impact of the takedown as Fuyuki celebrated.

    {I won!}

    "Ahh! That one really hurt!"

    *Splash*

    Hii''s armor slowly dissolved onto the ground, revealing a soaked and slightly bruised body.

    {Ah! Did I do it too rough again?!}

    "It''s fine. I''ll just heal it up in a moment."

    Hii quickly weaved his hand signs and formed a green glow around his hands.

    Fuyuki''s happy mood quickly died down as she watched Hii heal his wounds while deep in thought.

    ''Hmmm. There''s something missing from the armor that I''m not using. The surprise attack with the tail worked pretty well. Perhaps I should look into more aspects of the armor to turn into weapons?''

    Hii healed himself completely after a few minutes and stretched his body.

    "Huuu~! Now I''m excited! Let''s go again!"

    {....}

    "Fuyuki?"

    {Hii. Aren''t you...already pretty strong? Why do you always want to get stronger?}

    Hii looked at her with a confused expression.

    "Huh? You''ve been with me the whole time. You know I have someone after me, right?"

    {I know, but I also know that you would''ve still tried to improve even without that. I just want to know why it''s so important to you.}

    "....."

    Hii looked up into the sky in thought for a moment and nodded his head.

    "It''s kind of funny actually. I always wanted to be as strong as a Biju back when I was a kid because of Akumu. It was only recently that I realized something."

    Hii stopped for a moment and looked at the river.

    Fuyuki continued to listen patiently as she waited for him to continue.

    Hii watched the water push the rocks and dirt forward without pause and nodded his head.

    "I love the feeling of getting stronger. Despite all the pain and frustration I have to deal with, I genuinely love the feeling of breaking my limits everytime I make something new or reach a new level of technique. It''s like a rock getting pushed by this river. I love the feeling of being pushed past my limits."

    Hii looked at his hands, opening and closing them as he continued.

    "I realized that the strongest ninja is not the one born with great abilities, but the one who doesn''t stop improving. You can fight alone or with a team, but you can''t slack off because of your power. You must always push forward."

    Hii looked at his hands for a moment and noticed Fuyuki was silent.

    "Fuyuki?"

    Fuyuki had a smile on her face as she looked at Hii silently.

    {You know, I was worried about you when we first met.}

    "Huh?!"

    Now it was Hii''s turn to not know what to say to that.

    {When I heard you were born from a piece of Takashi, I thought you''d be the same as him.}

    Fuyuki shook her head with a chuckle and continued.

    {But I see you aren''t. You are already special in your own way. Takashi was a bit lost when I first met him, so I thought you might be the same. I''m glad you have a path you want to reach all on your own. I''ll help as much as I can to bring you to your goal, okay?}

    ".....Thanks."

    Hii nodded his head and stood up. He stretched his limbs once more and turned to Fuyuki.

    "How about one more game?"

    {Okay! Same rules?}

    Hii shook his head.

    "This time, it will be a speed battle. First to get their back touched loses?"

    {I''m in!}

    Fuyuki flashed a distance away from Hii and readied herself.

    Hii smiled and weaved hand signs!

    "Lightning Style: Lightning Wolf Armor!"

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    Hii''s long hair spiked up more than normal, becoming sharp and pointed!

    The lightning formed a blue wolf-like silhouette around his body, making him seem more imposing and ferocious!

    {Whoa! That looks so cool!!}

    "Thanks! I''ve been working on this one for a while. We''ll start on three, okay?"

    {Okay!}

    Hii and Fuyuki both readied themselves as they counted down.

    "Three."

    {Two!}

    "One!"

    {"Go!"}

    *Shuu Bzzzt*

    The two began to dash around the field at high speed, trying to tag each other as they closed in!

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    The two blocked each other''s attempts at high speed as they darted all over the training grounds.

    ''Doesn''t look like I''ll get through her defenses anytime soon. It looks like the only way I can win is by surprising her and catching her off guard.''

    *Bzzzt Shuu*

    The two clashed again, reaching and dodging each other as they delivered and baited attacks.

    ''It''s not fully done yet, but I could use that to try and catch her.''

    Hii thought briefly for a moment and decided to go through with it!

    The two were close to each other once again, but this time, Hii went all in on the attack!

    {What?!}

    Though Fuyuki was caught off guard at first, she still quickly retaliated to his attack, blocking his blows with her paws!

    It was then that Fuyuki got a surprise!

    *Bzzt*

    The vague silhouette of the wolf surrounding Hii quickly moved on its own, stretching towards her back!

    *Chomp*

    {Ah?!}

    It bit her lightly, delivering a shock down her spine before dissipating!

    The two stopped fighting and jumped away from each other to catch their breath.

    {You and those tricks!}

    "Hehe! I''m glad it worked."

    Hii had been trying to figure out what could be the unique trait the lightning version of his wolf armor. The only conclusion he could come up with so far was a paralyzing sneak attack!

    ''The shock wasn''t as good as I had hoped. Maybe I should try different seals?''

    Fuyuki watched Hii as he thought about other possibilities and smiled.

    ''He really caught me off guard with that. I wonder what else he can come up with?''

    Her tail wagged energetically as she couldn''t wait to play again.

    ***********

    "Here it is."

    Hii arrived in front of the home and became a bit nervous.

    ''I can''t believe someone like this slipped my mind.''

    He had never really met him, but he had heard of his titles since he was a kid.

    The most recent God of Shinobi!

    The Professor of Jutsus!

    ''I''m an idiot.''

    Hii had this resource the whole time, but he never even used it, let alone remembered it!

    It was only after his match with Fuyuki did his mind drift towards Hokages and remember there are two still in the village!

    {Don''t be nervous! He should be a nice guy, right?}

    Fuyuki was beside him, camouflaged by the light.

    ''I think so. I''ve heard a lot about him.''

    Hii slowly walked to the door and knocked on front door.

    *Don Don Don*

    ''Here goes.''

    Hii only had to wait for a moment before he heard the sounds of footsteps coming to the door.

    *Tan Tan Tan*

    ''Hmm? This old man moves pretty fast. It''s almost like a kid...''

    *Dan*

    The door flung open as Hii looked up towards the resident. After a moment of seeing nothing there, Hii looked down at a grumpy, young face scowling at him.

    "What do you want?!"

    Hii held in a sigh as he leaned down to look at the kid.

    "Hi there. Is the 3rd Hokage available today?"

    ''Might as well ask him.''

    The boy''s face grew grumpier as he looked at Hii.

    "Grampa is busy right now! Come back later!"

    ''His grandson? I wonder will he be just as strong as him in the future? I don''t think he''s gonna be good at hiding secrets though.''

    Hii''s eyebrows lifted up as he stared into the boy''s eyes without looking away.

    The boy''s strong facade began to crumble as he quietly looked away from Hii.

    ''That was a lie, huh? Thought so.''

    Hii''s stare slowly made the boy more and more uncomfortable.

    "Konohamaru? Who was it at the door?"

    "Ah!"

    Konohamaru panicked for a moment as Hiruzen came towards the door.

    He was dressed in a long white robe with a pipe in his mouth as he came behind Konohamaru.

    His white hair was fading, but Hii could still feel the aura of a strong Shinobi in him.

    Hiruzen''s face brightened as he laid his eyes on Hii.

    "Ah! You must be little Kurokumo-kun! It''s good to finally meet you."

    "It''s nice to meet you as well, Hokage-sama!"

    Hii bowed sincerely at Hiruzen who chuckled and patted his head.

    "No need for formalities. I''m no longer the Hokage now anyway. I see you met Konohamaru already. This is my grandson."

    Konohamaru squirmed as he figured Hii would tell on him. He shouldn''t have lied about how busy his Grandpa was.

    "Yes. He''s a pretty cute kid."

    Hii smiled as he patted Konohamaru''s head with a smile.

    Konohamaru''s eyes went wide as he looked at Hii.

    Hiruzen smiled and nodded his head.

    "I think so too. Let''s head inside then. No reason to talk out here when we have seats."

    Hiruzen turned and headed towards his study as Hii and Konohamaru followed behind him.

    Hiruzen could tell Konohamaru was up to his mischievous ways when he panicked after being called.

    He was surprised to see how mature Hii was compared to his mother at his age.

    Hiruzen couldn''t help chuckling as he remembered those times.

    ''It''s like night and day. How interesting.''

    Hiruzen lead Hii to his study and pointed towards a seat.

    Hii sat down with a hint of excitement and nervousness as he looked around the room.

    ''There are so many seals in here!''

    Hiruzen''s study was plastered with different seals from all different forms of Ninjutsu.

    The old man sat down at his seat with a low groan and relaxed.

    Konohamaru sat between them silently. Since Hiruzen didn''t shoo him off, maybe they would talk about something exciting?

    "Now then, how can I help you?"

    Hii quickly refocused from roaming the room with his eyes and nodded his head.

    "I wanted to know if you could help me with ideas on Water and Lightning Jutsus."

    Hiruzen''s eyes sparkled as a smile formed on his face.

    "Hahaha! How exciting! I love to see the next generation succeed in expanding techniques. Tell me, do you already have a direction you want it to go?"

    Hii smiled brightly and nodded his head.

    "Yes! It''s like this..."

    Hii began to explain the ways he changed the original technique of Lightning Armor and the variations he had made after that.

    The sparkle in Hiruzen''s eyes grew brighter and brighter as he followed Hii''s train of thought easily and listened with a smile on his face.

    "Fascinating! To think you would bring this technique so far on your own! The level of shape manipulation is already at an expert level! You are aiming to have them specialize in different things, correct?"

    "Yes! I was thinking I would try to find a unique trait for each armor. The problem is I haven''t gotten enough experience in both to make the Storm version of it. It requires both of the other armors to have a solid foundation."

    "I see. It would be imperative for you to keep the armors fused together simple then. That way you can maximize the effects and keep efficient chakra use."

    The two talked back and forth rapidly as Konohamaru tried to keep up with the conversation.

    ''That Jutsu sounds so strong! Nii-san must be really powerful!''

    Hii and Hiruzen both talked about many strange ideas and techniques as time quickly passed by.

    "I think that if you use it that way, you may find new ground on the subject."

    Hiruzen sighed in satisfaction as he stood up from his chair to stretch.

    "Hehe! Talking to you reminds me of talking to Lord 2nd. It''s very refreshing to see so many new ideas."

    Hii scratched his head shyly as he heard that.

    "You''ve set the bar too high, Lord 3rd. I can''t compare to the 2nd Hokage."

    "Hahaha! I don''t think so at all. I firmly believe you have what it takes. I hope to see you bring some of those ideas to life before I pass on."

    "Don''t say that!"

    Konohamaru hit the table with a puffed face as he stared at Hiruzen.

    Hiruzen flinched and laughed dryly.

    "Don''t worry, Konohamaru! I still have quite a few years to go before that happens."

    Konohamaru stared at Hiruzen angrily as Hii chuckled a bit.

    "Ah! I almost forgot! I need to talk to you about something, Hii-kun!"

    "Hmmm?"

    Hiruzen reached into his desk and pulled a folder out and put it on the table.

    Hiruzen motioned for Hii to open it with his hand.

    Hii felt something odd was happening as he picked up the folder.

    He slowly opened the folder and looked inside.

    He then immediately closed the folder and put it back on his desk like it was scalding in his hands!

    "Hmm? What was in there?"

    Konohamaru looked at the folder on the desk, then at both of their faces. He quickly became silent as the two stared at each other with an intensity unlike before.

    It felt like a fight was going to start at any time!

    "It was approved?!"

    Hii made the first move!

    "Of course. The quality was stupendous! There is no reason not to go through with the project. Support gathered for it almost immediately."

    Hiruzen countered easily as Hii''s face darkened!

    "But it started as a diversion! Is it wise to go through with it because of Sensei''s passion?!"

    "Many successful ideas have bizarre beginnings. This is nothing strange. Looking at the momentum it has gathered already, I don''t think it will fail anytime soon."

    The two locked their gazes on each other for a moment in silence. Konohamaru couldn''t help, but break out in cold sweat as the auras of the two spiked.

    ''They''re so strong! This is the power of a ninja!''

    Hii would''ve wanted to correct Konohamaru''s thinking, but now was not the time!

    "Do we have no say in this?"

    Hiruzen shook his head resolutely.

    "It''s unfortunate that it''s too late. The printing of the copies have already reached 500 and counting. Circulation of it will begin in a few days."

    "Isn''t that something important to let us know?! What about our privacy and identities?!"

    "Already taken care of. We even already have a cover for Haku as well. No one will be able to look into it."

    Hii was shocked at how thorough Lord 3rd and the others were on this project.

    His initial momentum had dragged to a crawl as his head dipped down.

    "...Will we get paid for it at least?"

    Hiruzen reached for another paper and handed it over to Hii.

    Hii''s eyes bulged as he looked at the numbers and looked back up at Hiruzen to see him smiling happily.

    "And that''s only a few countries. You''ll all receive a percentage as well for assisting in the project. Your mothers have already given consent to the payments."

    ''Mom!!''

    Hii''s vigor dropped fast as he knew there wasn''t anything he could do now.

    Konohamaru watched the battle with admiration in his eyes!

    ''I don''t know what''s going on, but Grandpa is truly strong! I''ll be strong like him too!''

    If Hii knew Konohamaru''s thoughts, he would try his best to change his mind!

    {Sheesh! I''ve seen shady business, but this guy is too good at this stuff!}

    Even Fuyuki could only watch on as Hii picked himself up and bowed his head listlessly.

    "Thank you for the advice. I will implement as much as I can in training."

    "Don''t mention it! If you need more advice, do come by! You can consider it my thanks for your understanding on this project."

    ''Don''t mention the project!''

    "....I''ll let you know if I need more assistance. I have much to think about, so I''ll take my leave now."

    Hiruzen nodded his head and turned to his grandson.

    "Konohamaru, go show Hii-kun out for me."

    "Okay!"

    The clueless Konohamaru lead Hii out as he tried not to trip on his scarf.

    Hiruzen watched the two leave and picked up the folder.

    He opened it and pulled out a calendar with Naruko, Sasuki, Hiyo, and Yuki on the cover. It was titled "The Seasons of the Land of Water".

    "Hehehe! The next generation will surpass the last indeed."

    Hiruzen chuckled a bit before putting the calendar away and smiling.

    "Perhaps I should look into my crystal ball again. It''s always nice to see the village grow."

    A strange smile formed on his face as he tried to remember where he last put it.

    ************

    Hii walked listlessly through the streets as he thought about the calendar.

    ''I wanted to be famous, but not like that!''

    Hii''s head hung low as he sighed.

    ''Haaaa! There''s nothing I can really do about it. Let''s just go get some food and move on.''

    Hii realized he was close to Ichiraku and decided to stop by. He hadn''t been there in a while.

    As he came close to the store, he noticed two identical people sitting next to each other.

    ''Twins? How rare to see another set around here.''

    Hii paid it no mind as he lifted the curtain close to his face and greeted the boss.

    "Yo! Teuchi-san!"

    The man raised his head from his cooking and smiled.

    "Oh! Hii-kun! It''s been a while. What will it be?"

    "Hmmm. I''ll get the seafood bowl today."

    "Coming right up!"

    "See?! People do eat it!"

    Hii turned his head to the familiar voice and was taken aback!

    "Naruto?! Why are you-"

    Hii suddenly stopped as he looked at the two.

    Naruto still looked the same as usual, but the clone he had with him had a completely different feel to it.

    Not to mention his aura, Hii also noticed his eyes were red and sharper than normal.

    "What''s going on with this clone? It doesn''t feel like you at all!"

    "Hehe! Hii-Nii is pretty strong, so of course you would notice. This is a weird effect I have from a new Jutsu I''m learning! It''s like a grumpy me! You don''t have to worry about it! Hahaha!"

    Hii looked at the strange Naruto and frowned.

    ''I''ve felt this chakra before. It could only be that.''

    He was certain this was just the Nine Tails taking over a clone, or was this the main body it was taking over?

    He could tell it wasn''t hostile since the other clone was genuinely Naruto. He even tried to cover for him.

    ''They must get along a bit now.''

    Hii had long been able to tell when Naruto was lying thanks to Shizuka. He always laughs when in awkward situations, or when he''s caught doing something he shouldn''t be doing.

    The strange Naruto noticed Hii''s stare and turned to him.

    "What? Are you scared or something?"

    "Eh? No, I just don''t know what to call you? You aren''t really like Naruto, right?"

    The strange Naruto became surprised for a moment, but quickly recovered and slowly looked down at the menu in front of him.

    "You can call me whatever you want."

    "But you do have a name you''d like to be called, right?

    "......"

    The possessed Naruto sighed heavily while the original Naruto was nervously smiling.

    "It''s Kurama."

    Hii nodded his head as he committed the name to memory.

    "Nice to meet you, Kurama. My name is Hii Kurokumo. I hope we can be friends."

    "You realize I''m just a clone, right?"

    "I noticed. I just want to show respect."

    "Hmph!"

    Kurama just snorted and ignored him, but Hii didn''t mind it.

    "Here''s your ramen!"

    Teuchi put the bowl down in front of Kurama and Naruto as he went to work on the next order.

    "Alright! Itadakimasu!"

    "......Haaa."

    Naruto eagerly grabbed his chopsticks and started to dig in while Kurama looked at the bowl in distress. He wanted to hate it, but he couldn''t bear to do so as he saw the immaculate display.

    Hii watched him struggle to eat with a confused look on his face.

    "You don''t like ramen?"

    "....That''s not it. It''s....complicated."

    Kurama seemed to give up as he picked up his chopsticks and ate slowly.

    "Order up!"

    Hii wanted to find out what he meant, but his food had already arrived. He looked at the bowl with excitement as he picked up his chopsticks.

    {That looks good....}

    Hii could feel Fuyuki gaze on the bowl as she longed to try a bite.

    Hii paused for a moment and had a strange thought.

    "Teuchi! Can I get another bowl of this?! I want to eat it right after this one!"

    Teuchi looked at him with a smile and nodded his head.

    "Sure! I''ll get it ready now! Make sure you have room for it."

    {Hii?}

    ''That one will be for you.''

    Hii could feel Fuyuki''s happiness through their link and smiled as he started to eat his food.

    {But....How will I eat it?}

    ''Don''t worry. I have an idea that might be able to pull it off.''

    Hii quickly ate into his bowl of ramen as an experiment he had never thought of before started to take form in his mind.

    ''It''s should be almost ready. Let''s test it out. Hold still, okay?''

    {Okay!}

    Hii placed his chopsticks down for a moment and placed his hands on Fuyuki''s head.

    ''Think about what you used to look like as a human.''

    {Eh?! Uh, okay.}

    Fuyuki thought back to her high school days as Hii began to channel his chakra.

    "Hmmm?"

    Kurama quickly noticed what Hii was doing, but grew confused as to why his hand was placed on....nothing?

    ''Wait a minute.''

    *Poof*

    ""!!!!""

    Everyone was surprised as a puff of smoke burst next to Hii.

    Once it cleared, the three were shocked as they saw a girl appear from the smoke.

    The girl looked at her hands in shock as she flexed them back and forth.

    She wore an identical version of Hii''s black and white outfit with slight modifications to show off her curves.

    The only difference was her face looked completely different from him.

    She had short white hair and a pair of dazzling orange eyes. Her face was also covered in with an intricate gold pattern that covered her entire body.

    She looked mesmerizing!

    {....}

    Fuyuki still couldn''t believe her transformation until Hii bumped his shoulder into hers.

    ''Act natural.''

    Fuyuki blanked for a moment before a bright smile appeared on her face. She quickly sat down at the seat next to Hii and couldn''t contain her excitement!

    *Gulp*

    Teuchi couldn''t help, but gulp in astonishment at Fuyuki''s appearance.

    Kurama and Naruto were no different!

    "It seems my experiment was a success. So you can use it that way as well. I wonder can he use it too?"

    Hii thought about it for a moment and turned to look at Kurama.

    "Sorry about that. I had an idea I needed to test and I couldn''t wait. Don''t mind my clone. She''s just a bit different from me."

    Kurama quickly recovered from it and looked at Hii with a scrutinizing gaze.

    "Hmmm. Maybe we should head to a training field to figure out if there are any similarities between our techniques? What do you think, Naruto?"

    "Eh?"

    "I agree!"

    Naruto couldn''t respond to what was happening, but Kurama instantly agreed to the proposal.

    "Order up!"

    Teuchi put the bowl in front of Fuyuki while they discussed.

    {Yay! Itadakimasu!}

    Fuyuki happily grabbed her chopsticks and started to struggle with her ramen.

    It didn''t take long for her to get her bearings back as she was soon enjoying the ramen like she used to!

    {It''s so good!!}

    Hii looked at Fuyuki enjoying herself and smiled.

    "Hehe. I might need another bowl, Teuchi-san."

    "Coming right up!"

    ***********

    Naruto looked at Fuyuki with his mouth wide open. Kurama wasn''t much better as he was both angry and confused.

    Fuyuki was no longer looking like her old self, but her original wolf form. She laid down on the ground with a full stomach and a happy grin on her face as she absorbed the bright sunlight on the grass.

    "Hii?! Isn''t that?!"

    Hii nodded his head and smiled.

    "Remember a long time ago when I said I was like you. I meant it."

    Naruto looked between Hii and Fuyuki a few times and slowly recovered from the shock.

    "...Hehe. Hehehehe!"

    Naruto started to giggle as he clutched his stomach.

    "Oh man! I thought I only had Mom to rely on! I didn''t think Hii would really be just like me!"

    Naruto had a genuine smile on his face as Hii shook his head.

    "I told you to trust me if you needed me. You just didn''t listen."

    "Hey."

    Hii and Naruto both turned around to see Kurama staring at Fuyuki.

    {Yes?}

    "You are a Biju, correct?"

    {That''s what we have assumed at this point.}

    "Then did we fight a while ago?"

    Fuyuki tilted her head.

    {No. I''d remember if I''d fought a giant fox before.}

    "....."

    Kurama looked at Fuyuki strangely for a moment as more questions came to his mind.

    "H-How are you outside? That''s not a clone or anything, is it?"

    Kurama looked at Fuyuki with more and more confusion.

    {Well, I don''t really know. I could just jump in and out of Hii when I was growing up. We can''t seem to do it anymore once we''re fully grown.}

    "We?"

    Just as Kurama noticed that strange difference, a cold sensation washed over him, triggering an old memory.

    He froze as he remembered this sensation.

    He couldn''t forget it!

    Kurama looked around angrily as he scanned for the source.

    "Where is he?!"

    "Who are you talking about?"

    [I assume he must mean me.]

    Naruto watched as Hii''s shadow morphed and changes into a large black wolf!

    He looked like the polar opposite of Fuyuki, looking cold and aloof rather than warm and approachable. The purple markings on his body added to the mystical feeling Naruto felt as he watched him approach.

    Naruto also noticed Kurama''s face becoming intensely angry!

    "You!"

    Akumu tilted his head and looked at Kurama.

    [Me? What about me?]

    "You''re the reason I''m in this brat!"

    "Hey! Calm down, Kurama!"

    *Shuuu*

    Kurama quickly charged over to Akumu and swung at him with his fist!

    *Swoosh*

    Akumu dodged the attack easily as Kurama''s fist only hit air!

    [Hah! You would''ve been caught either way. I just made the capture a bit easier for everyone.]

    "You!!"

    Kurama began to emit a strong, oppressive Chakra as Hii watched the two fight!

    ''So this is the power of Kurama?!''

    *Poof*

    Hii turned to see Naruto was getting affected by the Chakra as well and his Jutsu was forcibly cancelled!

    ''I guess he''s in full control now!''

    Hii and Fuyuki immediately got ready to fight, but was soon surprised to see Akumu looking at them and shaking his head.

    [Don''t get involved. This is between us. You should study Naruto''s body instead.]

    Hii grew confused, but Kurama wasn''t giving anyone the time to think!

    "I''ll pay you back for ripping me in half!!"

    Kurama shot towards Akumu and smashed towards him with his Chakra loaded fists!

    *Bam Boom*

    Hii was surprised to see how much Naruto''s strength increased with Kurama''s control and Chakra!

    ''Maybe I can learn something from this.''

    Hii began to focus entirely on the changes that went on with Naruto''s body as he swung at Akumu with intense rage!

    "Hold still!"

    [Hah! Now why would I do that?]

    *Swish Boom*

    The training ground started to become filled with craters as Kurama kept missing his target!

    His anger continued to boil over as red chakra bubbles began to cover over Naruto''s body! A one tail cloak completely surrounded Naruto as Kurama''s Chakra continued to rise!

    "You!! I won''t lose this time!"

    [You already did.]

    *Chomp*

    Akumu suddenly appeared next to Naruto and lightly bit his arm!

    "Wha?!"

    Kurama wanted to pull Naruto''s arm out of his mouth, but he suddenly felt the arm became too heavy to move!

    "What is this?! Aaaah!!"

    The cloak of Chakra forming over Naruto quickly disappeared into Akumu''s mouth as he drained the excess Chakra!

    Naruto looked distant for a moment before his eyes were filled with clarity again.

    "Huh?! Ow! What happened?! Why does my body hurt so much?!"

    Akumu looked at Naruto with pity as he pointed to Hii with his snout.

    [Sorry. Your partner and I didn''t meet on the best terms. He''ll probably be mad for a while. Hii can help you with your wounds.]

    {Hii? You okay there?}

    Fuyuki looked over at Hii and noticed he was looking at the ground, deep in thought.

    {Hii?!}

    "Huh?! Oh?! Right! Let me help you Naruto!"

    Hii quickly snapped out of his thoughts and proceeded to heal Naruto of his wounds.

    As he healed Naruto, he noticed the effects of Kurama''s chakra on Naruto.

    ''It''s like he was hit with a poison...''

    Hii was deep in thought as he continued to treat Naruto who was feeling better by the second.

    ''Man, why did you freak out like that, Kurama?!''

    <I can''t let that bastard get away with attacking me without getting him back!>

    ''Huh?! Well, that does make sense...''

    <.....I''ll get him back soon enough. We need to train more so you can take more of my power.I can''t exert all of my strength!>

    ''Ugh, okay then. We''ll do some training!''

    <Hmph!>

    Kurama and Naruto began to form their plans for training when Hii finished healing Naruto''s body.

    "Thank you, Kurama!"

    "Huh?"

    <Huh?!>

    Both of them were confused why he would be thanking them.

    Hii just smiled at them brightly.

    "Thanks to you, I think I figured out a new idea for my Jutsu!"

    *************

    Hidden Sand Village

    Rasa sat at his desk reading the files in front of him.

    His face was stoic, but if one was to look into his eyes, they would see a mix of shock, doubt, and anger in them.

    He put the file down on his desk and pinched the bridge of his nose.

    "Go and request Chiyo-sama and Ebizo-sama to come here. I need their knowledge and input on this."

    "Yes sir!"

    *Shuu*

    The Sand guard dashed away quickly to fulfill his task as Rasa stared at the document.

    ''I don''t know what to do with this.''

    Rasa waited in silence as his mind continued to analyze the data in front of him.

    The more he thought about it, the more it made little to no sense why Konoha would do this.

    "Rasa! What did you call these old bones for?!"

    Rasa looked up and saw an old woman with her gray hair in a bun standing next to a old man with drooping, shut eyes.

    "Thank you both for coming here, Chiyo-sama and Ebizo-sama."

    "Enough formalities! Get to the point!"

    "Calm down, sister. There must be a good reason for us to be here."

    Rasa nodded his head at Ebizo''s words and lifted up the file with his hand.

    *Shiiiiii*

    Small clumps of gold spread around the folder and brought it towards Chiyo in a slow manner.

    Chiyo reached out and grabbed the file.

    "What is this?"

    "You should read it yourself. I don''t think you would believe it if I told you."

    Chiyo frowned, but decided to look at the folder herself.

    Ebizo leaned over and also read along with her.

    As the two silently read, Rasa could see the lines on their faces grow thicker and thicker as they continued to read.

    "It can''t be!"

    Ebizo loudly exclaimed as Chiyo''s expression seemed to grow darker by the second.

    Chiyo looked up from the document and stared at Rasa.

    "Have we verified this information?"

    Rasa slowly nodded his head as he picked up another file.

    "The information from our intelligence correlates with what is written there. Sasori has been targeting specific kinds of ninja over the years. The disappearance of the bodies match up to the incident as well."

    Chiyo''s body seemed to become smaller as she held the file.

    "But...to kill Lord 3rd...."

    Rasa shook his head silently as he also didn''t want that to be the case.

    The file stated the high chance that Sasori had planned and carried out the assassination of their 3rd Kazekage. Even worse was the mention of Orochimaru being a possible accomplice in it all.

    ''Orochimaru...''

    Rasa felt a great headache coming as he remembered only a short while ago how he was weighing the pros and cons of partnering up with Orochimaru for the village''s sake.

    ''If this information is true, then he can''t be trusted, no matter how good the deal is.''

    Rasa remembered the other part of the file as well.

    ''What are they thinking?''

    Konoha had given Sunagakure an offer they couldn''t refuse.

    Resources and business could flow through the country again if they just accepted the offer. They were even given a chance to give their previous Kazekage a proper burial as Konoha would help give them the chance to find Sasori!

    There was only one catch.

    They had to help Konoha host the Chuunin Exams this year and have a short allegiance with them.

    Rasa couldn''t help, but grow nervous and excited at the thought.

    He had heard of Minato''s character.

    He had doubts dealing with Orochimaru, but the 4th Hokage was someone who kept his word.

    This was a good opportunity, but it was too good to be true.

    "What do you two think about the proposal?"

    The two looked at the rest of the file and slowly digested the information.

    "Haaaa~! Konoha seems to be the cradle of geniuses."

    Ebizo sighed as he shook his head. Rasa couldn''t help, but agree with him.

    If they could just have a quarter of that talent...

    "I don''t care about it. We are too old to deal with politics anymore. It''s up to your generation now."

    Chiyo handed the file back to Rasa and started to leave.

    Rasa looked at the file in deep thought once more.

    "I will say this, however."

    Rasa looked up at Chiyo''s back.

    He could feel a raging storm brewing from her small body.

    "If you accept it, I want to deal with Sasori."

    Chiyo said her piece and left the office.

    Ebizo looked at Rasa with a gentle smile and started to walk out as well.

    "I think Konoha is being sincere in their request. The village needs those resources as well. With them, we can build our strength even further."

    Ebizo looked back at Rasa and nodded his head.

    "Of course, this is coming from an old fogey. Just do as you like."

    Rasa watched as Ebizo left the office as well, shaking his head.

    He had been on a streak of making bad decisions.

    The decline of resources had plagued Suna for a while now.

    It seemed he couldn''t catch a break at all.

    Even when one finally appears in front of him, he was skeptical of it.

    "Haaaaa~!"

    He leaned his head back against his chair and sighed loudly.

    ''Am I doing the right thing?''

    He couldn''t help but think of this as his mind raced through the past years.

    He had lost so many things for the village, but nothing seemed to work in his favor.

    He tried to use the Shukaku as a weapon, but not only lost his wife, but even his son was a lost cause.

    All because of his wants for the village to prosper.

    "......."

    Rasa looked back down at the folder and clenched his fists.

    ''What is there to lose now, but my life and dignity? If that''s what it takes to make Suna strong again, I''ll do it!''

    Rasa began to draft a response to the Leaf''s proposal as he firmly made his decision.

    As long as his village could thrive, he would do anything!

    ***************

    In the darkness of a cave hidden deep in the mountains, a man sat by candlelight reading reports on various countries.

    *Nyuuuuu*

    A giant plant suddenly started to grow behind him as he continued to read the scrolls. He didn''t have to turn around to know who it was.

    "What''s the report, Zetsu?"

    The man inquired as he set down the scroll and reached for a new one to read.

    The plant opened up like a Venus Flytrap as Zetsu appeared. His black and white face smiled as he reported.

    "There are new faces around Orochimaru. They appear to be immortals of some sort."

    "Hmmm? More random experiments from him?"

    "They seemed older. They may actually be immortal."

    The man unfurled the scroll in his hands and continued to read.

    "That doesn''t seem to be important, Zetsu. Why did you tell me that?"

    "They plan to attack Konoha."

    The man''s hand froze for a moment. He slowly turned towards Zetsu and looked at the half black and white being with his red eyes. Three tomoes rotated softly as he studied his expression.

    "Now that is important. Did you get the details?"

    "The plans aren''t set yet, so they may change. I have the current plans available though."

    Zetsu handed the man a scroll.

    He opened it and read the contents of them quietly.

    A few minutes passed before he looked up from the scroll to the ceiling.

    "Aeon, huh? An interesting person. The others also seem to have great potential. I should keep a eye on them."

    The man looked back down at Zetsu.

    "Keep tabs on them and let me know when they attack."

    "Understood."

    *Nyuuuuu*

    The plant closed and disappeared back into the ground as the man turned back to his desk.

    A smile slowly creeped up his face as he picked up where he left off.

    "Looks like I will be able to get some spares after all."

 Ch.82. The Chunin Exams Begin!

    The moon hung over the night sky as Hii finished practicing his techniques in the training fields.

    "Phew! I think that should do it."

    Hii wiped the sweat off of his forehead as he looked around the area.

    The training grounds was covered in bizarre streaks and slashes all over the ground and trees.

    Hii smiled as he felt he made a lot of progress with his technique.

    Akumu and Fuyuki watched nearby as they laid on the cool grass.

    [Looks like he''s made a lot of progress.]

    {I''m glad he figured out how to do that! Though I guess we''ll have to refill his energy more often now.}

    [That''s nothing compared to him being safe.]

    "Hehe! I''m just glad I got that inspiration from Kurama."

    Hii smiled happily as he checked his sword for any damages.

    After finding nothing wrong, he sheathed his blade and put it on his back.

    "Let''s head back home. The big day is coming up pretty soon."

    [Are you ready?]

    "As much as I''ll ever be."

    {You''ll be fine!}

    Hii just smiled as he headed back home.

    ''I''ve done as much as I could for now. Hopefully, it''s enough.''

    Hii enjoyed his stroll back to his home, looking up at the stars as he walked.

    He made it back home and tried to tread softly to his room.

    "Chi!"

    Hii stopped and looked down to find Mochi looking at him.

    "Hey Mochi. Hope I didn''t wake you up."

    "Chi~!"

    Mochi scurried up Hii''s leg and onto his shoulder as he quietly squeaked at Hii.

    "Good to see you too, buddy. Mom and them still scared of you?"

    "Chi...."

    "Give them some time. I''m sure they''ll come around."

    Hii rubbed Mochi''s head with his finger as he continued to his room.

    Hii always left the Mochi''s cage open so he could go in and out when he pleased.

    Mochi was more like a roommate to Hii than a pet.

    "Good night, Mochi. I have to do some maintenance tommorow, so don''t be alarmed when I get up."

    "Chi!"

    Hii turned out the lights and laid on his bed. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before going to sleep.

    ************

    Hii woke up the next day refreshed. He was glad he had a good night''s sleep. There was a lot to prepare and do.

    Hii looked over at Mochi''s cage and found him still sleeping underneath a small blanket with a black cloud on it.

    ''Haha! They might not like him like Yozora does, but he''s already family.''

    Hii silently got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

    After coming out, he headed back to his room and woke up Mochi.

    "Come on, Mochi. Sun is up."

    "Chi....."

    Mochi slowly got up and wiped his eyes.

    He then slowly climbed up Hii''s arm and rested at his shoulder. He looked like he''d fall asleep at any moment.

    Hii shook his head and headed out to the kitchen.

    He saw Riku preparing food while Di was inspecting the latest order of kunai.

    "Morning, Grandma! Grandpa!"

    "Morning."

    "Good morning, Hii. Help me get the rest of the food ready."

    "Okay! Let me wash my hands first."

    Di greeted him without looking away from the kunai in his hand while Riku asked Hii for help.

    Hii placed Mochi on Yozora''s chair and went to wash his hands before he assisted his grandma with cooking.

    The food was soon done, so the two began to put plates down on the table.

    "Morning!"

    "Oh! Morning, Yozo! Where''s Moya?"

    "Hiding behind the corner."

    "....."

    Hii had a wry smile as he looked over to the corner to see Moya peeking behind it. Not only Moya, but even Kaya was behind her!

    Hii could tell they were still wary of Mochi, but it was a lot better than before. He didn''t have to pull them down from the ceiling this time.

    Mochi was also mindful of them as he tried to make the least amount of noise possible and move slowly about so he didn''t alarm them.

    "M-Morning!"

    "Morning, you two. Are you going to join us?"

    Hii was really surprised that Riku had recovered from her fear of Mochi so quickly. She even petted him now and then!

    "W-We''ll join! Just, give us a moment."

    Riku nodded her head as she sat down and looked around the table.

    "Where''s Henda?"

    "...Hehehe..."

    Riku looked at her daughter giggle with a frown on her face.

    "Haaaa. I know you love your husband, but you should tone it down a bit. At least let him be able to get up in the morning."

    Kaya pouted a bit as Riku reprimanded her.

    "But you did the same thing when I was younger...."

    "That was different. I only had you and no one else. I tried hard to get you some siblings, but it wasn''t meant to be."

    Everyone else started to eat their breakfast silently as the two continued to argue. This was a pretty frequent event at the table.

    ''Hang in there, Dad.''

    Hii and his siblings all sent prayers over to their Dad as usual. He would definitely need them. Kaya seemed pretty stressed lately.

    ************

    "Okay. I think that''s everything."

    Hii checked his list and nodded his head as he walked through the village back home.

    He found all the things he could think of that might be useful in the Chunin exams.

    All he had to do now was get ready for whatever was thrown at him.

    "Hey! Hii-Nii!"

    "Hmm?"

    Hii looked up and noticed Naruto was heading towards him.

    "Hey! What are you up to?"

    "Haaa~! I was just boooored~! Everyone has holed up in their rooms! No one wants to hang out."

    "Well, the Chunin Exams is in a few days. Everyone is getting fired up."

    "Tell me about it! Even Sakura has changed! She''s even more fired up than before!"

    ''I don''t think that''s because of the Chunin exams.''

    Hii had different thoughts on Sakura''s change, but he decided to keep it to himself.

    He still remembered how Sakura had to get healed by him quite a bit when her training started. That dead look in her face was hard to forget.

    The two walked around the area for a while, chatting about topics such as Ichiraku''s new addition and training with Kurama.

    "Ahh! Let me go!"

    The two looked ahead and saw Konohamaru being raised up by his scarf by someone.

    The person holding him was dressed in all black with something like a body strapped behind him. His face was filled with anger, purple lines, and....white cream?

    There was also a girl with blonde hair holding in her laughter as she watched the situation.

    "Apologize, brat!"

    "No! It was your fault!"

    "I didn''t do anything!"

    ""......""

    Naruto and Hii looked at each other, then back at the situation.

    "Should we go help?"

    "Yep."

    "Well, you talk to him. I got your back."

    Hii looked at him with a frown as Naruto looked up into the sky.

    "....Fine."

    The two walked over to the fight, attracting the attention of everyone.

    "Naruto Nii-san! Hii Nii-san! Help me!"

    Hii looked at Konohamaru for a moment, then back to the mystery man. He noticed the headband on his head was from the Sand village. He should be a bit cautious just in case.

    "What exactly happened here?"

    "I was walking and eating my ice cream, then this guy came from around the corner and scared me! I even dropped my ice cream in fright!"

    "You''re lying! We saw you walking by and you tripped on your stupid scarf! Your ice cream landed on my face! You did it all by yourself!"

    "Pfft!!"

    The man and Konohamaru argued while the girl behind them couldn''t stop chuckling.

    "Temari! It''s not that funny!"

    "Hahahaha!"

    Temari started howling with laughter as the man''s temper reached his peak.

    "Okay! Let''s calm down a bit and talk this through."

    Hii tried to defuse the situation, but the man wasn''t having it!

    "Shut up! I didn''t come here to be drenched in ice cream!"

    "Hey now. Just calm down for a bit."

    *Shuu*

    Hii appeared right in front of him and lightly tapped on his wrist, releasing Konohamaru in an instant!

    "!!"

    "Wha-!"

    Hii quickly grabbed Konohamaru and flashed back to where he stood before, placing him down on his feet.

    "Eh?!"

    "There. Now we can talk without any issues."

    Hii gave the man a smile as he patted Konohamaru''s head.

    The man watched Hii with a stern gaze as his hand brushed against the strange bundle behind him. The girl also lost her laughter as she also grabbed at her weapon with a serious face.

    Naruto also became wary as he took a stance.

    "Wait! We only want to talk. No need to get antsy."

    Hii raised his hands in the air, still with a smile on his face as he stepped forward.

    "I know it must be a bit nerve-racking to be in a village outside of your own, but I assure you we treat everyone fair here."

    "Eh? Outside of their own village?"

    Hii turned back to look at Naruto with an exasperated face.

    ''Really?! He didn''t see the headbands?''

    Hii quickly shelved the thought for later as he turned back over to the foreign guests.

    "Anyway, I''d like to apologize on behalf of my little friend here. He''s a bit headstrong without his Grandpa around."

    Konohamaru''s cheeks puffed up as he looked at Hii.

    "No I''m not!"

    Hii turned to glance at Konohamaru.

    "Urk! Uuuh...."

    Konohamaru just looked down at the ground as he stopped talking back.

    Hii shook his head lightly and turned back to the man.

    "As I was saying, I''m very sorry about what happened earlier. I hope you can forgive him for his excitement and stubbornness. He''s young after all."

    "......"

    The man dropped his hands and stood at ease.

    "I guess I can let it go. It would be unbecoming of me to get mad at a kid."

    ''You already did though?''

    Hii smiled brightly as nodded his head.

    "Yup! Accidents happen all the time with kids. Thank you very much for letting it go."

    "Hmph! That''s right, isn''t it?"

    The man folded his arms proudly as he agreed with Hii.

    "Ooh? I can''t believe you can make friends, Kankuro?"

    "Tch! Lay off!"

    Kankuro started to wipe off the ice cream on his face as Temari stepped forward and looked over Hii.

    "Hmmmm. You''re pretty cute."

    "Ugh, thanks?"

    Hii had a strained smile on as he backed away slightly.

    This only made Temari smile a bit more.

    "Thanks for calming my little brother down. My name is Temari, while he is Kankuro. You are?"

    "Hii Kurokumo. Pleasure to meet you, Temari-san."

    Temari gave Hii a smile and turned her gaze to Naruto.

    "Hey there! I''m Naruto Uzumaki! Welcome to the Leaf village!"

    "...It''s a pleasure."

    Hii and Naruto interacted with Temari as they waited for Kankuro to finish cleaning himself up.

    ""!!!!""

    Everyone soon felt a shiver crawl up their spine as a strange sensation swept over them!

    ''Killing intent?!''

    Hii''s hand moved straight to his blade as he quickly moved in front of Konohamaru and found the source of the intent.

    He stared into a pair of aquamarine eyes as a boy stood upside down on a tree branch next to them.

    His red, scruffy hair hung away from his face so Hii could see the tired, baggy marks around his eyes.

    Kankuro and Temari both tensed up as they saw the boy.

    ""Gaara!""

    Hii  lightened up his stance just a bit since they knew him, but still kept his guard up.

    He wouldn''t give it up until killing intent  fully disappeared.

    "....."

    Gaara continued to stare at Hii with a stoic expression for a moment before glancing at Naruto.

    "Ugh!"

    Naruto braced himself against the killing intent and didn''t turn away from him!

    "......"

    Gaara looked between the two for a moment before his eyes came to Kankuro and Temari.

    "Kazekage-sama is looking for you two. He sent me to find you."

    "Dad is?!"

    Kankuro blurted out in surprise as he didn''t think his father would need them so quickly.

    ''His father is the 4th Kazekage?!''

    Hii was mildly shocked, but he kept his face from showing it.

    "Eh?! You guys are the 4th Kazekage''s kids?!"

    Naruto, on the other hand, didn''t have that ability.

    Kankuro looked at Naruto and nodded his head.

    "Yeah. All three of us are."

    Naruto and Hii both looked back at Gaara who kept staring at them.

    "...What are your names?"

    The question caught him off guard, but Naruto quickly answered him with a smile.

    "Oh? I''m Naruto Uzumaki!"

    Gaara looked at him for a moment and turned to Hii.

    "And you?"

    "Hii Kurokumo."

    Gaara slowly nodded his head and committed both of their names to his memory.

    "I''m Gaara of the Sand. You seem strong. I hope you two will make me feel alive once more."

    ""??""

    Hii and Naruto became confused as they heard Gaara, but the other two siblings became pale after hearing him.

    "H-Hey! Let''s go see what Dad wants! Come on, Gaara!"

    "....Fine."

    *Shuuu*

    Gaara disappeared from under the tree and headed off back the way he came.

    Kankuro turned to the two and clapped his hands together.

    "Sorry! We have to go! Hopefully, we''ll see each other again soon!"

    He quickly dashed after Gaara once he said his piece.

    Temari looked at the two as well and nodded her head before dashing after the two.

    Hii relaxed his stance and went into deep thought as he watched them go.

    "Geez! What was that about?!"

    "......"

    Hii didn''t say anything and turned his head to look at Konohamaru.

    He was looking down at the ground with his fists balled up in frustration.

    Hii sighed as he came up to him and crouched to his level.

    "Konohamaru-chan?"

    Hii''s soft voice made him jump for a moment.

    He slowly looked up to Hii''s face and found him smiling.

    "Are you okay?"

    "....."

    Konohamaru slowly nodded his head as Hii sighed in relief.

    "Good. You have to be careful with foreign ninjas. You never know when you''ll run into someone who would be happy to hurt you if they found out your relationship with Lord 3rd."

    "...Aren''t you mad at me?"

    Hii looked at Konohamaru with a confused expression and turned to Naruto.

    "Are we mad, Naruto?"

    "Hmm? What would we be mad for? It''s not like you did anything wrong."

    Naruto looked at Konohamaru and gave him a thumbs up!

    "Don''t trip so much next time, okay? Strong ninjas don''t trip!"

    Hii turned back to Konohamaru with a smile.

    "You think you can do that?"

    "I, I swear I won''t trip again! I''ll be cool just like you two!"

    "Hehe! Then you better get to training! We''re gonna get stronger and stronger! You''ll have to keep up with us!"

    "That''s right."

    Hii stood up and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a few coins and placed them in Konohamaru''s hands.

    "Go get another ice cream and remember, don''t trip this time."

    "Okay! Thank you!"

    Konohamaru ran off towards the ice cream store as Naruto and Hii watched him go.

    "Naruto."

    Once Konohamaru was gone. Hii''s face grew serious as he turned to Naruto.

    Naruto''s face also grew serious and a bit fearful.

    "Kurama told me about him. That guy is just like us."

    Hii shook his head and looked back over in the direction the Sand siblings went.

    "No. He''s not like us. He''s nearly being controlled by whatever is in him. He''s dangerous."

    "...."

    Naruto nodded his head as he also looked in the direction they disappeared to.

    "Could we have become like that?"

    "Possibly. But we didn''t."

    Naruto nodded his head and clenched his fists.

    "He was strong. He''ll be a tough opponent."

    Hii had a small smile on his face as he rubbed his neck.

    "Looks like these exams are going to be very interesting."

    *************

    Yamato looked at his students with a big smile on his face.

    "Are you guys ready for the exams?"

    The three of them looked at Yamato with smiles on their faces.

    "Come on, Sensei~! You know we''re not gonna back down from a fight."

    Shizuka shook her head as she stretched her limbs.

    Maka nodded her head silently as she looked at her teammates.

    She could feel they were a bit stronger than before, which made her excited.

    She couldn''t wait to see just how strong they had become.

    "You''re right. I don''t know what I was thinking."

    Yamato nodded his head and looked at all 3 of them seriously.

    "You have to be careful during these exams. Your life and ninja career are on the line. Stay focused and protect each other and yourselves well."

    The three nodded in unison.

    ""Yes, Sensei!""

    Yamato nodded his head and pointed towards the building they needed to go to.

    "Go on and make me proud."

    Hii nodded his head and made his way towards the building.

    "We won''t let you down, Sensei!"

    Maka quickly followed Hii after receiving Yamato''s support.

    "Hehe! I''m sure Sensei is already proud of us. This is just extra credit now."

    Shizuka followed her team after giving Yamato a cheeky smile.

    "Haaa! That girl is too devious sometimes."

    Despite his words, a big smile came over his face.

    That smile disappeared rather quickly as he fell into thought.

    "I hope these exams won''t be chaotic. It''s not everyday two nations host an exam."

    Yamato thought for a moment and shook his head.

    "Perhaps I''m thinking too much. I just have a bad feeling."

    **********

    "Ahhh! It''s been so long since I''ve seen you two! How''ve you been?!"

    "Pretty good. I''ve made some progress with my techniques."

    "Awesome! So have I! We gotta spar against each other again at some point."

    "......"

    Maka silently led them as they passed by groups of ninjas.

    "Hey? What''s wrong with Maka-chan?"

    "It might be because of what you''re doing with my hair."

    Shizuka was peeking through Hii''s hair from his shoulder, using it like a wig for herself.

    Hii didn''t mind. He realized earlier in life that his hair was going to be a plaything for women in the future. He just had to accept it.

    "I don''t see why she would be mad."

    Maka turned and glanced at her.

    "You should be serious! We''re going to be up against all these people and the first thing you do is play around."

    Shizuka looked at her with a bored face.

    "Fine. I''ll stop only if you do it with me. Grab the other side and let''s match."

    Maka stopped walking and looked over at Shizuka with a frown.

    Her bright smile together with Hii''s silver hair made her look a bit prettier than usual.

    She....was slightly envious.

    "....You promise?"

    "Promise!"

    ".....Haaa."

    Maka went in front of Hii and blushed.

    "Excuse me then."

    She then promptly went to the other side and copied Shizuka''s style.

    Shizuka smiled brightly as she saw her joining in.

    "Great! Now, We are the Silver Siblings! Fear our power!"

    "Pfft! Hahahahaha!!!"

    Hii couldn''t hold it in as he started laughing at Shizuka''s joke.

    All the ninjas around them turned to look, only to see a boy laughing with two girls playing in his hair.

    Maka''s face turned red as she quickly darted out of Hii''s space and stomped her way to the exam.

    "Hehehehe! Hey! Wait up, Maka-chan~!"

    Shizuka quickly caught up with her and tried to coax her forgiveness.

    Hii shook his head and stifled his laughter as he tried to catch up.

    "Hii-kun."

    "Hmm?"

    Hii turned around and was shocked by who he saw!

    "Neji-san!"

    Hii saw a boy approaching him with long brown hair and lavender pupils. He came towards Hii and folded his arms.

    "I hope you haven''t been slacking in training. I will win this time."

    "Heh! You say that everytime, yet you''re only right 50% of the time."

    "I''m going to be 100% right this time."

    Hii folded his arms as well and looked into Neji''s violet eyes with a smug confidence.

    "We''ll have to see if you can back that up."

    "Neji has been training pretty hard lately. You might be in for a surprise."

    Hii looked to the side of Neji and saw a girl with her brown hair in two dumpling buns and a pink shirt.

    "Hey, Ten-san."

    Tenten smiled and waved at Hii.

    "Hmm? Wait a minute. If you''re both here, then where is Lee?"

    "Gaaah!"

    *Thud*

    The three turned their heads and saw Lee getting beaten up by two guards.

    Both guards were blocking the entrance to the exams with a sneer on their faces.

    "Ha! A weakling like you wants to pass the exams! Pathetic!"

    "Seriously! Why don''t you go back home and train some more?! Hahaha!"

    Rock Lee got up from the ground and wiped his face free of dust.

    "Ngh! I won''t lose to you!"

    "...."

    Hii watched the scene with a confused expression.

    "What the hell is Lee doing?"

    "Ugh..."

    Hii asked Neji what was going on, but he only groaned and shook his head.

    Hii turned to Tenten, who scratched her cheek with her finger.

    "I think Lee wanted to motivate his competitors a bit by fighting against the guards."

    Hii grew more confused as he looked at the sign at the top of the door.

    He had long noticed it was a Genjutsu and he was on the wrong floor for the exam.

    he also knew if Lee or Tenten didn''t notice the Genjutsu, Neji definitely would!

    He couldn''t wrap his head around why Lee was fooling around like this.

    ''Youth, perhaps?''

    "Don''t worry about it too much. We still have time anyway before the deadline."

    "Hii."

    Hii turned to Neji.

    "Yeah?"

    "Weren''t you chasing after someone?"

    "Ah! Right! I gotta go find my team! See you guys later!"

    Hii dashed off in the direction Maka and Shizuka left in while the two watched him go.

    Tenten turned to Neji and tilted her head.

    "Hey, Neji?"

    "What?"

    "Did you really used to get beat up by him for bullying Hinata-chan?"

    "......."

    Neji ignored her as she leaned in to watch his face.

    "Not gonna answer?"

    "....No comment."

    "Gaah!"

    The two turned back to see Lee selling the crowd with his technique.

    "You gotta let us take the exam!"

    "Yeah! You can''t just block the way!"

    "Keep fighting, Bowl cut!"

    "Hehe! You brats think being a ninja is easy?!"

    Neji shook his head as the show continued while Tenten giggled, wondering how long it would take for them to realize they were on the wrong floor.

    **************

    "Where did those two go?"

    Hii ran down the hall and looked for the two girls, but they were nowhere in sight.

    "They sure move fast."

    [They shouldn''t have gotten far.]

    {Good luck with the exams by the way!}

    ''Thanks! Good luck with your patrol!''

    Fuyuki and Akumu were not going to help Hii during the exams.

    Hii didn''t want them to help, but they also had another task to do while the exams were going on.

    They had to patrol for Orochimaru''s movements as well as the unknown group with him.

    "Oh! There they are."

    Hii came close to the exam room and found Maka and Shizuka waiting for him by the door.

    "Took you long enough. You got lost?"

    "No. I just ran into an old friend. They''ll be taking the exam too. You guys made up?"

    "Yep! Nothing a good old apology can''t fix."

    "You didn''t apologize."

    "Shhh! He didn''t have to know that. He''ll steal my secret."

    Hii shook his head at Shizuka''s antics.

    "We''re heading inside?"

    "The door only opens for three~."

    Hii nodded his head and pushed the door open.

    The three walked into the room and were noticed by most of the ninjas inside.

    The three paid them no mind and found a place to sit nearby.

    "It''s about time you got here."

    Hii looked over and smiled at Shikamaru and Choji who came over to greet him.

    "I thought you guys would''ve waited until closer to the start time to be here."

    "They would''ve if it wasn''t for me!"

    Ino came from behind Choji and stood proudly.

    Hii snickered and turned to Shikamaru.

    "So she just nagged you to be on time?"

    "Pretty much."

    Choji nodded his head as well as he kept munching on his chips.

    "Haaaaa~. These two! Do you wanna trade, Shizuka-san?"

    "Pfft! We''d get nothing done if I was with them."

    Both groups huddled together as they continued to talk amongst themselves.

    "Yahoo!! It''s finally time!"

    ''Oh boy. He''s as loud as ever.''

    Everyone turned to look at the door and found Kiba, Shino, and Hinata coming in.

    "Looks like part of the class is already here."

    Shino pushed his glasses up as he walked over.

    "Gah! What is Hii-san doing here?!"

    "Why are you so loud? Be quiet."

    Kiba kept his mouth shut as he came closer to the group.

    "Arf!"

    "You''re fine, Akamaru."

    Hii went over and petted Akamaru as Kiba frowned.

    "Don''t bully him, Hii-kun. Kiba is just excited."

    Hinata came over and vouched for Kiba.

    "....Fine. Only because it''s you, Hinata-chan."

    Hii decided to leave Kiba alone for a while.

    He knew he would be loud again soon enough.

    "Hii-kun~! You''re being unfair!"

    Shizuka pouted as she glared at Hii.

    "How?!"

    "You''re always too nice to her and Hanabi-chan! I demand equal treatment!"

    Shizuka raised her hand and Maka''s hand as she gave a one man protest.

    Neji, Tenten, and Rock Lee came in while she huffed and puffed.

    Hii stared at her for a moment and folded his arms.

    "What do you really want?"

    Shizuka stopped immediately and smiled.

    "I just want the signature of Fall-chan~!"

    "No!!"

    Everyone was surprised by how loud Hii was with his rejection.

    "Come on~! I already have Summer-chan''s signature! I just need to run into Spring-chan to get hers. Fall-chan and Winter-chan are all that''s left!"

    "No!"

    "Pretty please~! With a Dango on top!"

    "......"

    Hii turned away from her and shook his head.

    Why did she ask about such a cursed thing?!

    "Hmm? Fall-chan?"

    "Could she mean?!"

    "Is my goddess in the area?!"

    "I wonder if I can meet one of them! Any one of them is fine!"

    Hii felt a shiver run down his spine as he heard several scary murmurs from the crowd.

    He turned back to Shizuka with a glare that sent shivers down her spine.

    "NO."

    ".....I...S-Sorry. That might''ve went too far."

    "......"

    "Alright! We''re here!"

    ''Oh good. A distraction.''

    The group turned back to see Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke walking in.

    "Heh. That''s the whole class then."

    Shikamaru chuckled as the new group joined into the existing one.

    Naruto was as happy-go-lucky as ever while Sasuke was still silent and brooding.

    The change that everyone was surprised by was Sakura. She was no longer fawning all over Sasuke, but checking out the competition around them. Ino was especially shocked to see her hair much shorter than the last time she saw her.

    They also noticed once she saw Hii, she shook lightly before relaxing.

    "Phew, it''s just Hii-kun."

    "Huh? What are you talking about, Sakura-chan?"

    "N-Nothing, Naruto! Just talking to myself, I guess."

    Hii had a wry smile on his face as he remembered the days he had to heal her and carry her back home.

    She did get stronger, but the price seemed a bit high.

    ''Well, she''ll probably be okay after she sees how much stronger she''s become after all that.''

    "You guys mind shutting up for a bit? Everyone is already on edge. They don''t need more stimulation."

    ""!!???""

    The group all turned to find a man with glasses and silver hair approaching them.

    "What are you talking about?!"

    "You being so loud. Haven''t you noticed everyone''s looking this way?"

    Sure enough, Naruto could tell that everyone was indeed looking at their group.

    Too bad for them, Naruto didn''t care at all.

    "So what? They''ll see me as Hokage soon enough!"

    Naruto turned towards them with a smile and pointed at his face.

    "Take a good look! My name is Naruto Uzumaki and I''ll be Hokage one day! Believe it!"

    Everyone was shocked by how bold he was!

    Some had a bit of respect for him while others would remember to try and eliminate him from the test for being so arrogant.

    Naruto didn''t care as he turned back to smile at the man.

    "Hmph! You''re pretty arrogant, but you would have to be if you want to be Hokage."

    He pushed up his glasses and stared at Naruto.

    "Well then. I guess I should give you something for being so entertaining. My name is Kabuto, and I specialize in gathering information."

    "Information? What kind of information?"

    Kabuto smiled and pulled out a stack of cards from his back pouch.

    "All kinds of information. Knowledge of countries, products, specializations, and ninjas."

    "Do you have information on individual ninjas as well?"

    Sasuke suddenly spoke up, making Kabuto smile.

    "Depends on how much you can describe about the ninja in question."

    Naruto and Sasuke suddenly became serious as they looked at Kabuto.

    "Do you have information on Gaara of the Sand?"

    "Or Rock Lee of Konoha?"

    "Ooh! You have their names? That makes it easier."

    Kabuto pulled two cards from his stack and placed them on the floor.

    He quickly made a seal and pointed at the cards.

    *Poof Poof*

    Information suddenly appeared on the card as well as a portrait of the person in question.

    The two received the cards and analyzed them in silence.

    Shizuka looked at the information in Naruto''s hand while Maka hovered over Sasuke''s card.

    They both frowned when they read the details.

    "Only using Taijutsu and completing that many missions?"

    "Completing missions without a scratch? He doesn''t look fast at all."

    Everyone frowned as they heard their comments.

    Hii was the only one with a smile on his face as he grew excited.

    ''How interesting. So Gaara is about as strong as I thought. Even Lee got better than before. That shouldn''t be too surprising since Guy is his teacher.''

    "Those two are only a small portion of the ninjas here. This exam has the cream of the crop in regards to applicants. Even Otogakure sent their rookies in, despite them being a backwater country."

    Some of the group started to have second thoughts about their prospects at the exam while others were getting more excited.

    "Competition is necessary to grow stronger. I''m not going to run from that chance."

    "You said it, girl!"

    Maka embraced the challenge while Shizuka agreed with her.

    "I love a good challenge."

    Hii also welcomed the challenge, bringing the competitive side out of the others as well.

    Kabuto merely scoffed at their naivety and shook his head.

    "At least you''re courageous. That''s essential for surviving the test."

    Sakura tilted her head as she looked at Kabuto

    "You seem pretty experienced with this test, Kabuto-san. Have you done this before?"

    Kabuto nodded his head as he checked one of his cards.

    "It''s my seventh time taking it."

    ""Eh?!""

    Everyone was surprised!

    Was the test truly that difficult?!

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    Hii suddenly noticed fast movement in the crowd of people.

    ''An attack? Doesn''t seem like I''m the target.''

    Hii''s hand twitched before it relaxed as a man jumped up from the crowd!

    Hii noticed his headband had a musical symbol on it.

    "Take this!"

    *Swish Swish*

    The man threw kunai at Kabuto from the air!

    "Tch!"

    Kabuto clicked his tongue and dodged backwards!

    *Swish Swish*

    Several shurikens flew from within the crowd as a girl with a Sound headband also attacked Kabuto!

    *Swish Clang Clang*

    Kabuto quickly pulled out a kunai and deflected the projectiles!

    *Shuu*

    The last Sound ninja darted towards Kabuto with a strange glove on his arm!

    *Swish*

    The ninja threw a punch at Kabuto, but Kabuto dodged it with ease!

    "Hmph! What was all that for?"

    "Whoa! Cool moves!"

    Naruto praised his techniques as everyone else realized how skilled Kabuto was.

    *Crack*

    "!!"

    Kabuto noticed his glasses cracked and took them off in surprise!

    "This is what you get for calling Otogakure backwater."

    Kabuto didn''t understand what he meant until he suddenly felt dizzy!

    *Bluergh*

    Kabuto vomited suddenly as he lost his balance.

    "What?!"

    ""!?"''

    Everyone was surprised as they looked at the Otogakure team.

    They couldn''t pin the exact way he was attacked!

    ''They''re rather strong, but nothing too impressive. Looks like their skills are mostly sound based. If you counter that, they won''t be much.''

    ''Interesting concept, but I''m sure I can nullify it with at least 2 seals.''

    ''If you move faster than them, they can''t set up anything. Seems surprise is their best condition to win in a fight.''

    Maka, Shizuka and Hii all appraised the team quickly and didn''t pay them much more attention.

    Hii watched Kabuto recover slowly as he pulled out another pair of glasses.

    ''He''s more dangerous than all of them together. Whatever they did, he has already recovered from it. He probably knows more about them than he''s letting on too. He could even be holding back to the Genin level.''

    Hii''s eyes sharpened as he watched him stand back up slowly.

    "Alright! That''s enough playing around!"

    *Poof*

    A loud voice suddenly boomed throughout the room as a large cloud of smoke appeared!

    Several figures could be seen as the smoke cleared, revealing a group of Konoha ninjas.

    The leading member wore all black and had several scars on his face.

    "Sorry to keep you waiting. My name is Ibuki Morino and I''ll be your proctor for the exams."

    Ibiki gave off an intimidating air to the participants as he began to explain the rules of the exam.

    Unfortunately for Naruto, it was a paper exam this year.

    "Why?! Why would it be a paper exam?!"

    Naruto began to freak out as Shizuka patted him on the back.

    "Calm down, Naruto! Let''s hear the rest of the rules first. Maybe there''s a way for you to pass still."

    Shizuka tried to calm Naruto down, but as the rest of the rules were given out, it only made him more nervous.

    "Any one who doesn''t have any points by the end of the test will be disqualified! If anyone is caught cheating, they will also lose points for their team and can also be disqualified!"

    "Uuuugh!"

    Tension was in the air as everyone nervously looked at the paper in front of them!

    "You have 1 hour to finish the test! Begin!"

    The sound of paper being flipped echoed through the room as everyone started to take their test.

    Hii was placed in a corner far away from everyone while Shizuka and Maka were on the other ends of the room.

    He was all by himself.

    He flipped the test over and looked over the questions, then paused for a moment.

    ''Huh? These aren''t that hard to solve.''

    Hii expected the questions to be ridiculous, but they seemed rather tame compared to his medical books.

    Hii started to write his answers down as he steadily made his way through the 9 questions on the test.

    15 mins into the test, he placed his pencil down and looked over his answers.

    ''Seems right. Now I guess I wait for the last question.''

    At the bottom of the test, the applicants could see that the 10th question would be released near the end of the test.

    Hii looked around the room and noticed that many ninjas were trying to cheat secretly to get through the test. He shook his head when he managed to spot someone slipping up badly.

    *Swish Tak*

    "Aah!!"

    An applicant fell out of his chair from a  kunai flying towards his test.

    "W-What was that for?!"

    "You''re out. You and your team can go."

    The applicant''s face became pale as he saw two others stand up.

    He held his head down and quickly made his way out of the room with his teammates.

    ''Looks like people are starting to lose all their points now.''

    Hii had quickly figured out he needed to possibly cheat during this test to pass, but he didn''t expect he could actually answer all of the questions.

    ''With these, Sakura will probably be able to pass. Maka and Shizuka should be fine for most of them as well.''

    Hii turned his attention to Naruto and was suddenly stunned.

    He was writing on his test!

    ''He can actually answer one of the questions?!''

    Hii was surprised to see Naruto attempted to answer a question and smiled.

    ''I''m glad he seems to be getting smarter.''

    Hii didn''t notice the small seal that was on Naruto''s neck as he wrote his answers.

    ''For the next one, put down 36. Just make up whatever proof you need to make it look right.''

    A voice came into Naruto''s head as he continued to write with tears in his eyes.

    ''Thanks, Nee-chan! I don''t know what I''d do if you didn''t help me!''

    Shizuka had actually planted a new type of seal on Naruto''s body before the exam started!

    ''Don''t worry about it. Just keep listening and don''t talk too much. This seal is still experimental and might be noticed.''

    Shizuka kept talking to Naruto mentally as she kept an eye on the nearby competition.

    ''Huh? Someone even put a mirror in here! These guys have all sorts of tricks.''

    Shizuka enjoyed her remaining time analyzing everyone''s cheating techniques as she guided Naruto through the questions.

    Maka discreetly activated her Sharingan and copied Sasuke who was in front of her a few rows away.

    She noticed he suddenly started writing quickly while looking ahead.

    ''Good job spotting a smart one, little brother.''

    She cross checked the answers she got off of him and they seemed correct.

    *Swish Tak*

    "You''re out!"

    "Nooo!!"

    *Swish Tak*

    "Pack it up!"

    "I''m sorry..."

    Teams started to drop out left and right as time slowly dwindled down to the 1 hour mark.

    Once it was close to time, Ibiki stood up and addressed the room.

    "Time''s almost up! I will now prepare the final question! I will also be adding a new rule to this question! If you can''t answer it, you will be immediately disqualified and banned from taking the test!"

    "What?!"

    "That''s not fair!"

    "How can you do that?!"

    Angry voices rang out of the room, but they didn''t faze Ibiki at all.

    "If you feel so strongly about it, you can turn around and leave. You can try again next time."

    ""........""

    "I''ll give you a few minutes before the final question to decide."

    Silence hung over the group for a moment before the first person stood up.

    "I''m sorry! I don''t want to lose my chance!"

    "I-I''ll be back next time!"

    More and more people stood up and left the test.

    Hii shook his head as he watched them go.

    ''Even if you can never take the test again, they could always get raised in rank by their Kage if they do well enough. They must be too scared to take the risk.''

    Hii patiently waited for the question. He wasn''t too worried about it. As long as he had strength, he would be recognized either way. He was sure the others thought the same as well.

    Once a few more teams disappeared from the room, Ibiki checked the room for a moment and smiled.

    "It seems like you all are the only ones remaining. Congratulations! You''ve passed the first exam!"

    ""...Eeeeeeeh?!!""

    Everyone was shocked!

    "Why did we all pass?!"

    A nearby ninja couldn''t hold it anymore and asked the question everyone wondered about. Ibiki just chuckled and responded.

    "You all passed because you took the risk."

    He then removed his headband, making several ninjas gasp.

    His head was covered in gruesome scars and wounds, leaving no part of his head unscathed.

    "Information is important to a ninja, but the most important thing is to have the guts to seek the information at any cost and not get caught. It can save the lives of your comrades or loved ones depending on what information you can gather. Fail, and you''ll experience the pain of losing that chance first-hand whether it be physical, or emotional. You must keep that in mind as you continue on your path to becoming a great ninja. The fact that you put everything on the line for this chance proves you have those guts."

    "".......""

    Everyone silently memorized those words as Ibiki put his headband back on.

    "There''s quite a lot of you this year. We''ll see how many of you can make it to the end."

    *Crash*

    One of the windows suddenly broke as a black ball of cloth came flying into the room!

    *Swish Swish Tak Tak*

    The four corners of the cloth held kunais that opened up and shot into the ceiling and floor of the room, stretching out a banner for all to read!

    *The Second Exam Starts Now!*

    A woman stood in front of the banner and stood dauntingly in front of the crowd!

    She wore a mesh body suit with a beige trenchcoat and skirt. Some ninjas didn''t know where to look as she proudly flaunted her curves.

    "Alright! Don''t get too happy just because you passed the first exam! It only gets harder from here! Now, get ready and follow me!"

    "Sure, but who are you, Sexy Nee-san?!"

    "".......""

    Hii slapped his forehead as he groaned.

    ''Why did you call her out like that, Shizuka?!''

    The girl in question had a big smile on her face as she watched the face of the woman grow bright red.

    She forgot to introduce herself!

    "Haaa. You have to follow procedure, Anko."

    "Kuhum!"

    Anko cleared her throat and reasserted herself!

    "My name is Anko Mitarashi, and I will be your Second Exam Instructor. We''ll be having lots of fun in this next part, so get ready!"

    Anko gave a playful smile as she scanned the room, counting the number of participants.

    "30 teams?! Did you go soft on them, Ibiki?!"

    "Hehe! There are a lot of gutsy ninja this year. I''m sure you''ll see for yourself. There''s even some favorites of yours in this batch."

    "Hmm?! Favorites of mine?"

    Anko scanned the crowd once more with more scrutiny as she looked at their faces.

    ''Who is she looking for, I wonder?''

    "Ah!"

    Hii wondered to himself for a moment as she soon found who she was looking for.

    Or more accurately, they were waving right at her!

    "Anko-san~! You messed up your cool intro~! I won the bet~!"

    "Tch! Shut it! I''ll get you your sweets later! Let me work!"

    "Thank you~!"

    ''Oh no.''

    Hii could feel a headache coming as he saw the two interact.

    ''They know each other. This means that lady is probably trouble then!''

    Hii made up his mind to avoid her as much as possible!

    One Shizuka was enough!

    At least, until she noticed him.

    "...."

    "...."

    The two stared at each other for a moment before a smile crept up Anko''s face as she swiftly walked up to him.

    ''Please no.''

    Hii''s frown deepened as Anko''s smile grew brighter and brighter the closer she got to him!

    ''No no no!''

    *Glomp*

    Before he could think of getting away, Anko had grabbed his head in a tight hug!

    "I finally get to meet the infamous Hii-chan! Your mom just won''t stop talking about you!"

    Hii could barely see Anko''s mischievous smile as she smothered him in her meshed curves.

    Hii could feel anger directed to him by some of the guys in the room as he struggled to get out of her grip.

    "Ooh? Who''s pointing killing intent my way? Don''t start what you can''t finish, boys~."

    *Gulp*

    Hii felt all the killing intent disappear from the room in a flash as Anko flashed a sinister smile!

    Well, almost all of it!

    "Hmm? Oh~! I guess that''s enough of that for now."

    Anko finally released Hii as he caught his breath!

    He didn''t see Anko lick her lips in a savory manner.

    He also couldn''t see Maka frowning viciously at their new examiner!

    "Hehehe! This will be a fun exam if the little Storm is here!"

    ''Great! What did Mom do this time?!''

    Hii swore he was going to throw the biggest water ball he could at her when he got back!

    It was never a good thing when Kaya was involved!

    Anko smiled brightly as she leaned in close to Hii''s ear.

    "I can''t wait to see if your girl form is as cute as the pictures."

    Hii couldn''t process the whisper at first until an expression of overwhelming frustration appeared on his face!

    ''Moooooooom!!!!''

    ***********

    "Haaachu!! Uwaah! Is someone talking behind my back?"

    Kaya rubbed her nose as she looked around.

    "....Probably just my imagination. Now where was I?"

    She turned her attention back to an album she was completing. It was filled with pictures of her, Moya, and Hiyo together in many different poses and outfits

    The top of the album read "Mama and her girls".

    Kaya looked at the book with a satisfied expression.

    "Fufufu! My children are the cutest!"

 Ch.83. Separate Encounters

    Hii had a sullen face as he looked over the area in front of him.

    The trees were gigantic and filled with a menacing aura.

    The sounds of wild beasts could be heard echoing throughout the forest.

    Every other ninja was slightly intimidated by this, but he only felt a twinge of disappointment.

    "It''s here?"

    Hii silently said to himself as he saw the little knots he put on the fence years ago.

    He didn''t think he''d be back here so soon!

    "Welcome to the Forest of Death! This place will be your new home for the next few days during the test. I''ll go over the rules so you know what to expect."

    Anko smiled at the remaining participants and began to go over the rules.

    It was a survival game where each group held a scroll they must protect and had to snatch the opposite scroll from an enemy team.

    Once a team collected both scrolls, they would head into the tower at the center of the forest to complete the exam.

    The time limit to complete the mission was 120 hours, or 5 days to complete the mission. They could only complete it with all 3 members alive in their team.

    ''So it''s basically a survival game.''

    Hii looked at the forest once more, then noticing Anko was handing out consent forms for them to sign.

    "Now I need you to all sign these and hand them in to exchange for your scroll. I can''t have you getting me in trouble now, can I?"

    Anko gave an innocent smile, but none of the participants acknowledged it as they quietly grabbed a form and read through it.

    Hii looked over the form as well and read the details.

    ''Looks like there will be quite a few deaths in this test.''

    After reading the waiver in detail, Hii quickly signed it and looked over at Maka and Shizuka.

    "You two ready?"

    "I''m ready."

    "We got this! Gimme them!"

    Shizuka grabbed all 3 waivers and brought them over to tent set up to hand out the scrolls.

    She came back a minute later with a smile on her face.

    "We''re all set! Now we just have to wait for it to begin."

    The three of them stood together and waited near the gate, watching the groups read and hand in their waivers.

    "Hey."

    "Hmm?"

    "What?"

    Hii and Shizuka turned to Maka.

    "Doesn''t that girl look like Kushina-Neesan?"

    "Hmm?!"

    Shizuka quickly turned to the direction Maka was pointing at and barely noticed a red haired girl with glasses surrounded by her teammates.

    Shizuka''s eyes narrowed as she continued to look at the group for a moment. She started to frown.

    "They seem like....they''re keeping her hidden?"

    Hii looked at the group as well and slowly nodded his head.

    The way they made sure she kept her head down and out of sight was suspicious.

    Hii also noticed something else strange about the two boys.

    "Aren''t they paying too much attention to Naruto? They seem to keep glancing at him."

    Hii followed their eyes and noticed they never strayed far from him.

    Shizuka frowned even more when she thought more about the situation.

    "Naruto didn''t do anything, but be loud as usual. What did he say that cou-"

    Shizuka suddenly stopped as her gaze grew cold looking at the team.

    "I guess the one thing that could be a problem would be if someone took her away, claiming to be her family."

    Her voice oozed with anger and contempt.

    Maka turned with a surprised expression.

    "You don''t think...?"

    "You said it yourself, girl. She looks like Mom. I can even feel a familiar level of chakra coming from her."

    The two turned back to the group and watched them with their eyes narrowed.

    Maka memorized their faces and turned to Shizuka again.

    "We should get her out of there and teach them a lesson."

    "......."

    Shizuka slowly shook her head.

    "I have an even better idea. One I''m sure they will love."

    Hii and Maka saw Shizuka''s face morph into a sinister grin. The two decided to leave it up to her. When that face came out, she was definitely up to no good.

    "I think for this test, we should split up. I want to test something out anyway."

    Shizuka suddenly told the two as she tapped their shoulders.

    Hii felt a surge of chakra come into his body and formed a seal on his back.

    "This is one of my new seals I made. We can talk to each other through the seals when we are close by. The range isn''t very far yet, but it should be fine for this test."

    Hii and Maka looked at each other and nodded their heads.

    "I''m fine with it, but who will carry the scroll?"

    Hii turned to Shizuka with his head tilted.

    "Hmmm. Let''s decide once we''re inside the forest. Less prying eyes."

    The two nodded at her words and prepared to go into the forest.

    *Shiver*

    Hii suddenly shivered violently as he looked around the area.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Maka turned back to Hii with a hint of concern in her eyes.

    Hii shook his head and looked around once more.

    "....Nothing. Maybe it was just my nerves acting up."

    "Hehe! I can''t believe the mighty Hii can feel nervous."

    Shizuka turned around with a smile.

    "I get nervous like everyone else. I''m not mighty either."

    "Psssh! I''ll believe it when I can beat you."

    Shizuka dismissed his reply and continued walking.

    "Don''t worry. We should be able to take on anyone in this exam!"

    Hii smiled and nodded at Maka as he let the thought go.

    He still watched his surroundings though. He knew better than anyone that his instincts were usually right if danger was near.

    He had to be careful.

    *********

    A group of ninjas far away from the entrance looked over at Team 9 with interest.

    "Do those three interest you, my lord?"

    The three were a group of ninjas from the village hidden in the grass.

    The tallest of the three with long hair licked his lips with a long tongue.

    "They are rather interesting. At least one of them could sense me."

    The tallest one watched as the three started to line up next to their gate.

    "Keep an eye on that group. I think they''re worth playing with. Also keep an eye on Kakashi''s little team as well."

    ""Yes, my lord.""

    "Kukukuku."

    The man chuckled as he held his chin over his hand.

    "There''s so many toys to play with. How ever will I choose who to play with first?"

    ***********

    Team 9 went through the entrance of the forest as they eagerly moved to a secluded spot.

    "I wonder how everyone else is going to do in the exam?"

    Shizuka said her thoughts out loud as she raised her head to look at the imposing forest.

    "They should be fine. I just want to know what those Sand siblings are up to?"

    "You mean the scary one you talked about?"

    Hii nodded his head to Maka''s question.

    "Well, you should go and find out more intel about him. I need to go help out the little Uzumaki before she''s exploited any further."

    Shizuka turned to Maka and tilted her head.

    "What about you, Maka? Any plans during the exam?"

    "......"

    Maka closed her eyes and nodded her head.

    "I saw one of my relatives in a group. I''ll go find him and pay him a well deserved visit."

    Shizuka smiled as she nodded her head.

    "Good! Now for the method of who gets the scroll!"

    Hii and Maka both looked at Shizuka as she grinned ear to ear.

    "Rock Paper Scissors should be good enough, right?"

    Maka and Hii looked at each other and nodded.

    "I''m fine with it."

    "Hehe. I figured we''d do this again."

    "Alright! I''m playing to win!"

    The three grouped together and readied their hands.

    "Ready?!"

    ""Ready!""

    ""Rock!""

    ""Paper!""

    ""Scissors!""

    *************

    Hii jumped through the forest stealthily as he followed old paths he used to take.

    ''I''m shocked I still remember these paths. Well, running from Akumu is pretty scary when I think about it.''

    Hii continued to move until something caught his eye.

    "Hmm?"

    He stopped at a nearby tree and noticed some footprints on the moss of the branches.

    "Fresh tracks. Someone''s been through here recently."

    "Haha! I can''t believe you Sand ninjas are challenging us!"

    Hii suddenly heard yelling nearby and quietly snuck his way towards the source.

    In the nearby brush, Hii watched two teams stand off against each other. He saw the Sand siblings on one side while the other side had three ninjas from the Hidden Rain village.

    "I don''t know what made you think you could take us on, but we''ll make sure you regret it!"

    The older ninja was quite talkative as he stood with an imposing aura.

    Hii couldn''t help, but shake his head.

    ''Nothing too unique about that guy. His umbrellas seem pretty special though.''

    Hii couldn''t help admiring the craftsmanship of the umbrellas as the older ninja continued to boast.

    "Are you going to talk all day, or are you going to fight?"

    Gaara spoke with a tired tone as he looked at the ninja with a condescending gaze.

    ''Oh. That''ll rile him up.''

    Sure enough, the man couldn''t hold his anger in after hearing that!

    "You brat! Prepare yourself!"

    The man tossed the 3 umbrellas behind his back into the air and formed a seal!

    "Ninja art: Heavenly Rain Jutsu!"

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    Multiple senbon fell from the umbrellas straight towards Gaara!

    Despite this, Gaara looked completely unconcerned as he watched the hail of needles fall towards him.

    Hii watched with the utmost concentration as the needles were closing in on Gaara!

    *Fwoosh*

    "!!"

    Hii was stunned when he saw the gourd on Gaara''s back uncork itself as sand flowed out of it and blocked the needles.

    "W-What?! Not one needle made it through!?"

    The man began to falter as he saw Gaara''s unamused expression.

    "Is this all you''ve got?"

    "Tch! Why you!"

    *Swish Swish*

    More Senbon shot towards Gaara, but the sand blocked it all easily.

    Hii''s face grew serious as he observed Gaara''s movements.

    ''Sand, huh? That''s good for me at least. I can compete against him in elemental techniques. He doesn''t even really need to move to use it. Gotta be careful of that.''

    Hii nodded his head as he continued to watch the man struggle to fight Gaara.

    "This is the only rain you can muster? I''ll have to show you what a rain of blood looks like then."

    ''Ugh! So much cringe.''

    Hii frowned at Gaara''s sinister lines as he watched him form a few seals.

    "Sand Coffin!"

    Gaara stretched his hand out to the man, making sand swarm around the man!

    "What?!"

    The man tried to escape, but was quickly bound to the ball of sand that surrounded him!

    As he was caught, his Jutsu was released and his umbrellas fell back down to the ground.

    Gaara walked over to one of the umbrellas and opened it.

    "I''ll show you true rain."

    Gaara extended his hand up to the floating coffin of sand.

    "Sand Burial!"

    Gaara clenched his hand, crushing the ninja in his sandy grasp!

    Blood sprayed down from the sky as the body of the Rain ninja was crushed into paste!

    "....."

    Hii''s face grew solemn as he appraised Gaara more closely.

    ''He''s definitely strong. He''s probably already at the level of a Chunin now.''

    Hii silently watched the faces of the older Rain ninja''s companions grew pale as one of them reached into their bag and pulled out their scroll.

    "T-Take the scroll! Spare us please!"

    Gaara said nothing as he raised both of his arms, trapping the two in sand!

    "No! Please! Don-"

    *Splat Splat*

    More blood sprayed on the ground as Gaara crushed both of them as well!

    Kankuro walked over to where the scroll was and picked it up.

    "Well, look at that! Just what we needed."

    Kankuro put the scroll together with the other one and turned to his siblings with a smile.

    "Let''s head to the tower then. No point waiting here."

    Temari said as she turned toward the tower and sighed in relief.

    "No."

    ""!!!""

    The two froze at those words.

    Gaara refused to go, which wasn''t a good sign.

    "W-Why, Gaara?"

    "I haven''t had enough yet."

    A sinister aura started to rise from Gaara.

    "H-Hey Gaara! There''s no need to go that far."

    "Shut up."

    "Urk!"

    Gaara''s chakra started to rise as he looked over at a set of bushes.

    ''Hmm? Oh crap!''

    Hii suddenly noticed as well that there were three ninjas behind those bushes!

    The situation was even worse because he knew them!

    ''Why is Hinata''s team here?! I gotta think of something fast!''

    "Come on, Gaara! Listen to your Nii-san for once. It''s not worth it."

    Gaara kept his eyes on the bushes as he responded to him.

    "I''ve never considered you my family. Now shut up before I kill you too."

    "....."

    "Gaara..."

    The two were scared as Gaara lifted his hand up towards the bushes and started to make a grasping motion!

    On the other side, Kiba, Hinata, and Shino were all paralyzed with fear!

    ''Oh crap! He''s gonna kill us!''

    The three could see grains of sand floating around them as they held their breaths.

    *Rustle*

    Gaara''s chakra was going to form an attack when a sudden noise made him flinch!

    ''Someone else was there? Since when?!''

    Gaara stopped his hand and looked over towards the source of the sound.

    "Hehe! Sorry to bother you guys."

    "Huh?!"

    "It''s you?!"

    "...?"

    Everyone was surprised to see Hii come out of the bushes.

    ''Hii-kun?!''

    ''What is he doing here?!''

    ''I didn''t even sense him.''

    Team Kurenai were shocked to hear him so close to them! He was only a few bushes away!

    Gaara stared at Hii with a suspicious gaze.

    "What are you doing here? Have you come to fight?"

    "Huh? No, that''s not it. I actually came to get one of those umbrellas!"

    "....Huh?"

    Gaara was very confused as Hii''s expression became bright!

    "I saw the fight and I couldn''t help, but admire the design of those umbrellas! I have to get one of them to study!"

    Hii looked over at the bodies of the Rain ninjas and shook his head.

    "Did you really have to crush the other ones though? I could''ve used more samples..."

    Hii pouted as he walked closer to the umbrellas.

    He suddenly paused and turned towards the Sand Siblings.

    "Um. You guys don''t mind if I take them, do you?"

    Temari was still a bit shocked by his appearance, but recovered quickly and nodded her head.

    "Yes! You can take them! We''re going to head out of the area and finish our exam."

    Kankuro quickly recovered as well and gave a wry smile.

    "Right! We''ll would have just left them here anyway. Knock yourself out!"

    The two had no attachment to the umbrellas as they tried to get Gaara to come with them once more.

    "....."

    Gaara frowned as he kept his eyes on Hii.

    "Hm? What''s wrong? Is there something on my face?"

    Hii looked around him to see if anything was out of place.

    Temari and Kankuro were impressed by Hii.

    He was talking with Gaara so long without shivering!

    "Hmph!"

    Gaara suddenly lifted his hands, bringing the sand around Hii as he tried to surround him!

    *Shuuu*

    But before Gaara''s sand could close in, Hii disappeared out of sight!

    "What?!"

    Gaara was confused as he paused to look around for him!

    "Wow! You really are bloodthirsty!"

    Gaara and his siblings were shocked as Hii disappeared and reappeared right beside Gaara. His arm was around Gaara''s neck as he leaned on him.

    Gaara grew tense as he turned his head and looked at Hii''s face.

    Hii smiled and patted his head.

    "No need to kill each other so soon. I''m sure we''ll have a fun match all to ourselves soon enough."

    Hii stopped and grabbed the nearby umbrella next to Gaara.

    Gaara could only stare at him, growing more and more confused by the second.

    "Cool! This one still works. I''ll take it then."

    Hii laid the umbrella on his shoulder and started to walk away.

    "Let''s play in a bigger stage. This one isn''t good enough."

    Gaara watched as Hii disappeared into the bushes in silence.

    Kankuro and Temari watched Gaara, concerned he might go on a rampage.

    Surprisingly, a smile started to formed on his face, quickly morphing into a maniacal one!

    "He''s strong! Very strong!"

    Gaara held his hand over his eye and kept watch over the area he left in.

    "I can''t wait to fight him!"

    Gaara quickly raised his hand and recreated his stopper for his gourd.

    "Let''s go to the tower then. Lead the way."

    "R-Right..."

    ''Tch! This is why I don''t like kids!''

    Temari responded to Gaara while Kankuro clicked his tongue.

    He looked over in the direction Hii went to and smiled faintly.

    ''That guy. I want to fight him myself now.''

    Kankuro knew how hard it was to oppose Gaara. Anyone who could make it seem that simple must be strong.

    ''I guess we''ll have to wait until the next part of the test.''

    The three headed to the tower, leaving Team Kurenai behind to finally relax for a moment.

    "Ahh! I can''t believe how strong that guy is!"

    "Arf!"

    "W-We shouldn''t watch other teams fight anymore, in case this happens again."

    "Agreed."

    "I''ll say. You three definitely aren''t ready to fight someone like him."

    ""?!""

    The three of them turned around to find Hii smiling at them with an umbrella over his shoulder.

    "Why are you back here again?!"

    Kiba asked Hii as he smiled.

    "To make sure three curious ninjas don''t get killed off by a grumpy kid."

    Hii scanned the three for a moment and nodded his head.

    "Looks like you''re all healthy to me. I''ll take these other umbrellas too and leave you guys to your exam."

    The three of them watched Hii pick up the other umbrellas stuck in the ground with excitement and headed off in another direction.

    "".........""

    The three watched him leave for a moment until Shino stood up.

    "We should go and find ninjas at our level. We''ll be able to reach his level soon enough."

    Kiba shook his head and smiled.

    "Hmph! I''ll show him how strong our teamwork is! Right, Akamaru?!"

    "Arf!"

    "Right! We can''t let the other push us around."

    Even Hinata was pumped up after seeing Hii nonchalantly help them.

    The three nodded in sync and disappeared into the forest.

    They were a tracker team. It wouldn''t be hard for them to find an advantage in this forest.

    *************

    Maka dashed through the forest with an annoyed expression on her face.

    "How did I lose?"

    She muttered to herself as she looked at her side pouch. It contained the Heaven scroll for their team.

    She sighed as she remembered their game to decide the carrier.

    ''I shouldn''t have picked scissors!''

    She shook her head as she continued looking around the area.

    She hadn''t run into anyone yet, but the signs of a battle were still left in the area when she arrived.

    She also noticed quite a bit of shurikens embedded into the nearby trees.

    "....."

    She silently followed the trail of battle until she finally heard something.

    "Give up and hand over your scroll!"

    "N-Never!"

    ''Haaaah~!''

    She had to be the one to run into a fight!

    It was even worse when she recognized one of the voices speaking.

    She could feel a headache coming already.

    *Shuu*

    She landed on a nearby branch and could finally see the groups fighting each other.

    It was just as she thought.

    Three oppressive Mist ninjas were cornering three Leaf ninja. She frowned even more when she realized the leader of the group was one of her cousins.

    Kenta was a normal, egotistical Uchiha. He would get his butt kicked everytime he mentioned Maka was never going to be strong like him and it made him mad to no end. Once he unlocked his Sharingan, he thought he would finally be beyond her level.

    Reality, however, seemed to kick him in the face every time he saw her train.

    Even though he was frustrated, he still kept his pride in his eyes!

    He thought he would be able to easily pass this test with his team, but these Mist ninja were too strong!

    He looked over at the three Mist ninja with sneers on their faces.

    "I thought the Uchiha clan was much stronger than this. If that''s the case..."

    The man looked over at his male and female companions before forming a seal!

    "I''m sure they won''t mind if we have fun with a weakling like you!"

    "Grrr!!"

    Kenta unleashed his Sharingan in anger, but the Mist ninja had already completed his technique!

    "Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu!"

    *Sssssssh*

    Mist quickly formed over the area, hiding the three ninjas and surrounding Kenta''s team!

    " Tch!"

    "H-Here they come again!"

    "Can you see them, Kenta?"

    His two companions, Yama and Momo, pulled out kunai and watched his back.

    Kenta frowned in silence as he tried to peer through the mist.

    His Sharingan was only one Tomoe, so all he could see was vibrant colors of chakra surrounding them!

    "I can''t see anything yet! Stay alert!"

    ''Amateur at best.''

    Maka shook her head as she activated her own Sharingan.

    She could easily see the three ninja from Hidden Mist sneaking up on the group slowly.

    It was getting too hard to watch.

    "Haaaah!"

    ""!!!!!""

    Everyone suddenly stopped and looked around.

    *Pak*

    Maka slapped her head and groaned.

    She didn''t think her disappointment in her cousin was so large, she sighed for real instead of in her head!

    ''Need to work on that.''

    Maka shook her head and stood up.

    She might as well get a good workout in.

    *Shuu*

    Maka suddenly appeared between the two teams and looked at her cousin.

    Kenta was shocked at first, but soon changed into a discontented frown.

    "What are you doing here, cousin?"

    Maka looked at him for a moment before turning over to the other team.

    "What scroll do you guys have?"

    "....."

    The Mist ninjas were silent as they observed Maka inside the mist.

    Maka''s calm and nonchalant demeanor immediately put them on alert.

    Anyone who had seen this Jutsu before and didn''t become nervous was an enemy they might not be able to handle.

    "Hey! I''m talking to you!"

    Kenta started to become enraged as he noticed Maka taking control of the situation.

    "Shut up or I''ll take your scroll too."

    Maka''s confident voice hit everyone''s ear nearby and caused them all to react differently.

    The Mist ninjas were on guard despite being covered by mist.

    Kenta''s teammates didn''t dare to say anything.

    Even Kenta kept his mouth shut despite his anger reaching new heights.

    Maka sighed as she cracked her neck.

    "You won''t tell me, huh? I guess I''ll have to find out for myself then."

    *Shuu*

    Maka suddenly disappeared from view and caught the groups by surprise!

    ''So fast!''

    Kenta had a hard time accepting how he couldn''t even see her move, even with his Sharingan!

    "Guaah!"

    ""!!""

    The Leaf ninjas jerked as the heard a scream from the Mist''s side!

    "Look out!"

    They heard the Mist ninja scream towards his teammate, but he only heard silence before another scream!

    "Kyaaa!"

    "Damn it!"

    The Mist ninja cancelled his technique and jumped towards the Leaf ninjas!

    He turned and saw that both of his comrades were unconscious and laying on the ground. A girl stood in front of him from the receding mist and casually looked at him, bringing fear to his heart.

    "So you have it?"

    "...Tch!"

    The Mist ninja wouldn''t give up that easily!

    He weaved hand signs quickly and started to take in a deep breath!

    Maka rolled her eyes and clenched her fist.

    "Water St-"

    *Bam*

    "Ugh!!"

    Maka appeared right in front of the Mist ninja and punched him hard in his chest!

    "Why would you try that kind of Jutsu right in front of a fast enemy? Seriously?"

    The Mist ninja slumped over on the ground as Maka proceeded to check his belongings.

    The three Leaf ninja could only look in shock as Maka pulled out a white scroll.

    She looked at it for a moment in silence before turning to Kenta and his group.

    Her eyes sparkled as she saw the rising look of greed in her cousin''s eyes.

    ''I guess this''ll do.''

    Maka stood up and walked over to Kenta''s group slowly.

    *Gulp*

    Kenta could hear Yama gulp behind him. He would normally admonish him for being a coward despite being a big guy, but he couldn''t this time.

    He watched Maka, the cousin he thought he was one day be above, come towards him.

    Her eyes looked at him as if he was a piece of meat as she stood a few feet away.

    He had a bad feeling ever since he saw her appear between his group and the enemy.

    He hoped he was wrong about that.

    "Hey. Do you want this scroll?"

    "Huh?!"

    Kenta was shocked as he heard her!

    After a brief moment, Kenta had a smile on his face!

    ''Heh! Our family should at least support each other.''

    "Yeah! We need that scroll."

    Kenta couldn''t wait to get his hands on that scroll!

    "Sweet! I''ll trade you this one for yours."

    "....Eh?"

    "You can''t have both~."

    Maka''s smile brought Kenta from heaven straight to hell.

    ****************

    "Phew! Finally done with the seal. This one should be fun."

    Shizuka wiped the sweat off her brow as she rolled up her seal scroll.

    She couldn''t wait to see if it worked well.

    She rose from her hiding position and stretched her arms out.

    She had found her prey and only needed to make the experience more ''enjoyable'' for them.

    It was the second day, and it was finally time to make her move.

    She had also watched over the ninjas just to make sure she wasn''t being overly sensitive to red haired ninjas. She could have the wrong idea the whole time.

    It only took a few hours of monitoring for her to realize that she was right all along.

    They treated her like a med pack for every little thing.

    Fought a ninja for a few minutes and escaped? Bite her!

    Random encounter with nature and you got injured? Bite her!

    She had seen enough.

    It was time to get some revenge for the poor girl.

    She just had to be really careful. Although the girl was being used, she still tried her best to assist her teammates, despite their behavior.

    She had a sensor ability, so she had to be quick.

    Shizuka couldn''t help seeing parts of Naruto and Kushina in the girl''s caring nature.

    This, however, only made Shizuka want to hurt them even more.

    A sinister smile came over her face as she slowly made her way towards the group.

    This was gonna be fun!

    *****

    Karin laid with her eyes open as she looked up into the dense trees surrounding them.

    She wish she could peek at the stars.

    She would do this with her mother from time to time as well, but those days would never come back.

    ''Mom...''

    She looked over to her side to see her two comrades nearby.

    They couldn''t really be described as comrades. They were more like bodyguards and parasites to Karin.

    It was all due to her stupid bloodline!

    If she was just born a normal girl, she wouldn''t have all these problems.

    It couldn''t be that easy for her!

    Her village used her mother like a blood pack, draining her of all she had.

    She would be next if nothing changed.

    ''What can I do?''

    Her village would never let her have enough power to change her fate.

    She was only taught the bare basics of being a ninja and no other techniques. She only got this far because the village needed a more concrete reason to use her.

    She closed her eyes and thought back to all the ninjas she had seen so far in the exam. All of them were vibrant, powerful, and ambitious.

    ''Especially that one kid.''

    She wouldn''t forget his name.

    Naruto Uzumaki.

    The name rang in her ears loudly like a bell.

    It was just like hers.

    Karin Uzumaki.

    She couldn''t yell out her last name like he could. Her mother told her it could mean disaster for her if the wrong people heard it.

    She also was suspicious of him since she didn''t see any red hair.

    ''Maybe it might be written differently? Or his parents have strong bloodlines?''

    Karin couldn''t imagine that bright ball of energy to be a relative of hers.

    She tried to shake the thought off, but it kept resurfacing in her head.

    "Go to sleep!"

    A cold voice admonished Karin as she froze still and tried to calm her thoughts.

    She didn''t want to get on their nerves.

    *Twitch*

    Karin suddenly felt something coming at them fast!

    "Wat-"

    "Uuuaaah!!!"

    She tried to warn them, but only turned in time to see both of her teammates pushed into the bushes by a figure!

    "Oh no!"

    Her heartbeat started to echo in her ears as she slowly stood up and brandished a kunai.

    She went to check on them as she watched her surroundings, but she was stunned by what she saw.

    ''W-What is that?!''

    A sinister seal shined on their faces as they twisted in pain!

    Her hands grew sweaty as she looked around with heightened senses!

    Her hands couldn''t keep the kunai steady, but she tried her best to keep it still.

    She turned around constantly in case the figure tried to sneak behind her, but she found nothing behind her.

    ''Where is it?!''

    *Shuu*

    Karin felt the wind blow behind her as a figure grabbed her hand with the kunai and turned her around!

    "Hyaa!"

    Karin couldn''t help, but close her eyes!

    She braced herself for an attack, but didn''t feel anything besides the hand that gripped her wrist.

    She peeked at the figure and froze.

    The deep green blouse and black shorts.

    The brown, long hair that covered her right eye.

    That mischievous, yet gentle smile.

    "Relax. I''m not going to hurt you."

    Karin tried to jump away from her, but her grip on her wrist was iron clad.

    There was no escape.

    "W-why are you after me alone? Don''t you want our scroll?!"

    The girl shook her head and smiled softly at Karin.

    "No. I''m here for you. I have a question for you? Think you can answer it for me once you calm down?"

    Shizuka looked at Karin with a caring gaze.

    ".........."

    "........."

    Karin could feel the hearbeat in her ears slowly disappearing as the two stood in front of each other.

    Karin slowly felt she could relax around her, but the words that came out of her mouth once she visibly calmed down made her blood freeze.

    "Are you an Uzumaki?"

    Karin could only look at Shizuka, not knowing what she should say.

    Her heartbeat reappeared in her ears!

    ''Should I tell her? Should I lie?''

    Her current situation was because she was an Uzumaki, so would that change if she told her or would it continue?!

    Would it be worse?!

    Karin looked down and contemplated her decision.

    Shizuka kept quiet while she made her decision.

    Finally, after a few minutes, she nodded her head.

    "....Yes."

    Shizuka''s smile blossomed as she grabbed Karin''s shoulders.

    "I''m glad to finally meet some family members!"

    "....Eh?!"

    Karin stared blankly as her glasses tilted on hee face.

    "My name is Shizuka Uzumaki. The energetic boy you met before is my little brother."

    Shizuka smiled and let Karin go while also taking the kunai away from her.

    "I''m adopted though, but the feelings for family are all there! Naruto looks different because Dad''s traits are too strong."

    "......."

    Karin felt a fuzzy feeling coming over her with a wave of relief.

    "Y-You-"

    "Uaaagh!!"

    "Aaaaghu!"

    ""!!!""

    The moment the two had was shattered for a moment as they both turned towards the bushes the 2 from Karin''s team laid in.

    "W-what did you do to them?!"

    Karin started to become defensive again, but stopped once she saw Shizuka''s face.

    Her eyes blazed with fury as she looked into the distance silently.

    She then saw Shizuka raise a finger slowly to her lips as she crouched down.

    Karin crouched with her as she realized something wasn''t right.

    "I just knocked the other guys out and placed a Nightmare seal on them. They should only be whimpering right now."

    Shizuka''s fierce expression gave Karin a gut wrenching feeling.

    The two quietly crouched over towards the bushes and saw two masked ninja looming over Karin''s teammates.

    Or what was left of them.

    "Hehehe! I can''t believe these two were just sitting out in the open."

    "Well, easy kills. Less people to screen for Lord Orochimaru."

    *Fwoosh*

    Karin shivered as she looked over at Shizuka and couldn''t move.

    She was too afraid.

    The face Shizuka was making now was unimaginable from the one when she told her they were family.

    It was one of pure wrath!

    The two masked ninjas looked at each other leisurely as one pointed to them.

    "Would you look at that? Two moths getting a bit too close to fire, don''t you think?"

    "Right. Perhaps we should show them what it feels like to burn?"

    Karin''s body quivered, but Shizuka paid it no mind!

    "You two bastards know Orochimaru?! Where is he?!"

    The aura of the two ninjas became colder as they brandished their kunai.

    "I don''t think you should take that tone when referring to Lord Orochimaru."

    "Why? Because he''s a scaly, old, predator with a peeping fetish?!"

    Karin quickly realized that things were going to go south really fast!

    **************

    "Man! We haven''t run into anyone yet! Where are the other teams?!"

    "Shut up, Naruto. Your mouth would alert them if they were close by."

    Sasuke and Naruto walked ahead as they scoured the area for another team.

    Besides the first team they ran into who got away, they haven''t seen another team since.

    Even Sakura was a bit miffed at the situation.

    ''I can''t fight anyone if no one appears!''

    Sakura grumbled a bit as she walked behind the two.

    "....."

    Naruto looked behind him for a moment and leaned over to Sasuke.

    "Hey. Doesn''t Sakura feel...kinda dangerous now?"

    "What was that, Naruto?"

    Sakura quickly appeared behind Naruto with a sinister smile!

    "N-Nothing!"

    Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto''s question.

    *Kyaaaaa*

    The three looked in the direction of the sudden scream at the same time and turned to each other.

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    With a quick nod, the team quickly dashed in the direction of the scream.

    After following the screams for a few minutes, the team found a girl cornered by a large brown bear!

    "What?! Why is she alone?!"

    "Where''s her team?"

    Sasuke was confused at what he was watching, but Sakura had already rushed out and weaved hand signs to help!

    "Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

    *Dooon*

    Sakura slammed both her hands to the ground, forcing a wall of mud to appear between the bear and the girl!

    "Huh?!"

    "Graah?!"

    Both were confused by the sudden appearance of the wall!

    "Oh crap! Let''s go, Sasuke!"

    "Tch!"

    Sasuke and Naruto both jumped from their hiding spot and dashed towards the head!

    "Fan kick!"

    "Uzumaki Punch!"

    *Bam*

    "Gruaaah!!"

    The boys smashed the head of the bear down to the ground, knocking it out before it could test the mud wall.

    After they both landed on the bear''s head, Sasuke looked at Naruto.

    "......"

    "What?"

    "...Uzumaki punch? Really?"

    "Hey! It was Habanero punch before that! I had to change it from my Mom''s style to my own style!"

    "......?"

    Sasuke felt he wasn''t getting any information from him, so he decided to drop it.

    He turned and went over to the girl just behind the mud wall.

    "Hey. You alright?"

    "......"

    The girl seemed to just stare at Sasuke''s face for a moment before shaking her head.

    "Y-You have to help me!"

    "What''s going on?"

    Naruto landed on the mud wall and looked down at Karin.

    Karin stared at him for a moment and gritted her teeth.

    "I-I''m Karin Uzumaki! Your sister needs help!"

    ***************

    *Boom Boom*

    Explosions rang out through the night as Shizuka continued to throw explosive tag kunai at the two masked ninjas!

    "Guh! How many of those things does she have?!"

    The ninjas started to regret trying to play with Shizuka!

    They should''ve cut her up at the first chance!

    She started throwing explosives at them as soon as they started to praise Lord Orochimaru!

    "Die! Die! Die!"

    *Boom Boom Boom*

    Shizuka was seeing red as she only wished to kill these bastards!

    *Swish*

    She threw another kunai with at tag on it at the tree the two landed on!

    The two were tired from dodging, but noticed this kunai didn''t blow up!

    One of the men sighed in relief.

    "Hehehe! Looks like you ran out of bombs!"

    "Not really."

    Shizuka sneered as she formed a hand sign!

    *Shiiii*

    "Look out!"

    One of the Masked ninja jumped away from the spot immediately!

    The tag in the kunai didn''t explode this time, but the seal expanded from the tag and swiftly covered the surrounding area!

    "W-What is this?!"

    He tried to get away, but the seals were already on his feet!

    The masked ninja could only watch as the seal crawled up his body, paralyzing him in place!

    "Gotcha!"

    Shizuka appeared behind him with a crazed expression!

    *Slash Slash*

    "Where is he?"

    "Ack! Aaah!"

    Shizuka started to cut the ninja impatiently as she questioned him!

    "This crazy little girl!"

    The other ninja threw kunai at her from a distance!

    "Wrong move!"

    Shizuka quickly hid behind the sealed ninja and pointed him towards the projectiles!

    *Shik Shik Shik*

    "Aaaargh!"

    The kunai pierced into the sealed ninja, but Shizuka made sure to move his body away from his vital points!

    "Tch!"

    The other ninja was not amused as he quickly weaved hand signs!

    "Sound Style: Sonic Boom!"

    The man quickly inhaled air as he prepped his technique!

    "So he must be in the Sound village or Grass village then?! Thanks for the clue!"

    She quickly reached into her back pouch and pulled out another kunai with a tag and threw it at him!

    ''Oh no!''

    The ninja dodged away from the kunai, but the attack wasn''t over yet!

    *Bang*

    "Gaaah!!"

    *Boom*

    The tag exploded with bright light, blinding the man!

    His yell fired his Jutsu off course towards the nearby trees, smashing through them!

    "Ugh! You''ll pay for that!"

    The man jumped down from the tree into the bushes and began to hide from Shizuka.

    "Tch! He''s smarter than I thought."

    "Unf! Agh!"

    Shizuka shifted the man around slightly as she kept her senses sharp.

    ''Now. Where are you?''

    Shizuka waited patiently as the sealed ninja continued to groan as he bleed out slowly.

    *Swoosh*

    "!!!"

    Shizuka heard movement behind her and turned the ninja towards it quickly!

    "Crap!"

    She then jumped away from him as a demon wind shuriken sliced into the masked ninja!

    "Ah...."

    The ninja could only gasp his last breath as the shuriken lodged itself into his chest!

    "Hehe! Got you now, brat!"

    *Shuu*

    More shurikens flew towards Shizuka as she jumped back!

    *Clang Clang Shtik*

    "Ugh!"

    She tried to block the shurikens, but one managed to lodge into her arm!

    "Hehe! Looks like your advantage ends here."

    The mask ninja grew excited as he drew a kunai and focused his hearing.

    Shizuka jumped into a bush nearby and tried to hide her presence.

    "Haa! Haa! Unf! Ssss!"

    *Shuk*

    She pulled out the shuriken slowly and wrapped a bandage over the wound!

    ''I can take him! I just need an opening.''

    Shizuka quickly calmed her breath and pulled out a kunai as well.

    She could still use her arm!

    She honed her senses as sharp as she could while she readied herself.

    "Die!"

    The Grass ninja quickly jumped towards the bush from behind her and slashed for her neck!

    "Rrraaagh!"

    Shizuka quickly retaliated as she turned toward him!

    *Shtik Shtik*

    They both pierced their kunais into each other!

    "Pfft!"

    Shizuka couldn''t help, but spit out blood as she felt the kunai enter her chest!

    The masked ninja was no better as she could see blood leak down from his mask down his vest!

    They traded chest blows!

    "Ung! You''re such a crazy brat!"

    "Hehe! Why don''t you just die for your lord already?!"

    *Poof*

    Shizuka suddenly disappeared into a puff of smoke!

    "What?! A shadow clone!"

    "What?! Did you think I was as slow as you?!"

    Shizuka pointed a kunai at the masked ninja''s back!

    "It''s over!"

    "....Hehe,Hahahahahahaha!"

    The mask man laughed hysterically as he lifted his head to the sky!

    "You''re right! It is over!"

    *Crrrrrk*

    Shizuka saw the man''s body become like stone as he slowly hardened into a statue!

    "That''s?! No way!"

    "Too bad, little Genin!"

    "Gah!"

    The masked ninja appeared behind her and gripped her by the neck!

    "Hehe! Earth Clone jutsus are pretty good, no?"

    "Ghhk!!"

    The masked ninja chuckled as he poised his knife close to her throat.

    "Since you''re so young, let me give you a lesson before you go on your way. Never let your guard down."

    Shizuka was slowly running out of breath as she tried to get away from his grip.

    The ninja chuckled, then stabbed his kunai deep into her chest!

    *Poof*

    "W-What?!"

    "Noted. Thanks for the advice."

    "!!!"

    *Shtik*

    Shizuka disappeared in a puff of smoke as she came out from behind the ninja and stabbed him in his back!

    "G-Guh!"

    The ninja managed to dodge, but he couldn''t get out of the way completely in time!

    "Tch!"

    Shizuka''s breath was heavy as she held onto the bloody kunai.

    She didn''t have much chakra! She had to end him soon!

    "Guh...I won''t...lose to some brat!"

    The masked ninja struggled against the pain on his side as he stared at Shizuka with killing intent!

    "Haaa...haaa...that''s fine."

    Shizuka smiled mischievously as she looked at the ninja.

    "You''ll lose to brats instead."

    "Wha-"

    "Uuuurrraaagh!!!"

    *Pow*

    The masked ninja could only see a blur of orange fly at him before everything went dark.

    *********

    "Huuuu~! You sure took your time!"

    Shizuka sank against the base of a tree as she tried to catch her breath.

    Her chakra was dangerously low after the battle.

    She was glad Karin managed to find them.

    "....Sorry, Nee-san. I came late."

    Naruto looked down at the masked ninja he knocked out.

    His mask was broken into pieces as the force behind Naruto''s punch was tremendous!

    ".....Naruto."

    "......."

    Shizuka could feel a tinge of wild power coming off him as he refused to look at her.

    Her frown deepened as she put more power in her voice.

    "......Look at me, little brother."

    "......"

    Naruto slowly turned toward her as she looked at his face.

    She could see the whisker marks on his face looked wilder and darker while his eyes had taken a crimson red color.

    She stared at him for a moment before patting the ground next to her.

    Naruto was confused for a moment before going to the spot and sitting down next to her.

    Shizuka put her injured arm around his neck and looked at him.

    "Ne-"

    *Bam*

    "Oww!"

    Naruto quickly grabbed his head from the pain!

    "What was that for, Nee-san?!"

    "Hmph! You think I can''t handle a bunch of goons?! Stop showing that worried face!"

    Shizuka puffed her cheeks up as she kept slapping Naruto''s head! He tried to get away, but Shizuka''s injured arm was on him!

    "Okay! I''m sorry! I''m sorry! Stop!"

    Shizuka stopped after a moment and tenderly rubbed Naruto''s head this time.

    "Apology accepted. Thanks for worrying about me."

    "...Sure."

    Naruto and Shizuka couldn''t help, but smile as they shared a moment together.

    "Naruto! You still alive?!"

    "Hey! What kinda question is that?!"

    "Hmph! One that gets an answer out of you."

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    Sasuke, Sakura, and Karin all landed around the two as they finally caught up to Naruto!

    Karin sighed in relief as she saw Shizuka was still okay.

    "Haaa~! You shouldn''t run off like that, Naruto! What if you ran into a trap?!"

    "Ugh, sorry. I heard Nee-san was in trouble and blanked out..."

    Sakura saw the guilt on Naruto''s face and decided to drop it.

    "Nevermind. Let me help you, Shizuka-san."

    "Sure thing. Thanks."

    Sakura quickly weaved her hand signs and used her medical technique on Shizuka''s arm.

    "I-I can heal as well! You just have to bite-"

    "No thanks! You''ll have to learn how to heal properly! I will not bite into another girl! Thanks for getting help, by the way."

    "Wait?! You have to get bitten to heal?! How does that work?!"

    Karin fixed her glasses as she glanced at Naruto.

    "I don''t know! It just does!"

    "We''ll ask Mom about it when we get back."

    The three Uzumaki''s chatted with each other while Sakura focused on healing and Sasuke decided to watch the unconscious goon and the surroundings.

    ".....?!"

    Sasuke suddenly grew tense as his posture grew alert.

    "Who''s there?!"

    "!!!"

    The team grew tense as well as Sasuke slowly looked around.

    "I-I didn''t sense anyone!"

    "That doesn''t mean they can''t get close. I snuck up on you, after all."

    Shizuka watched the surroundings as well as she said her piece.

    Sakura was getting nervous, but she continued to heal Shizuka''s wounds despite the situation.

    "....Hmph! You asked for it then!"

    Sasuke blinked and activated his Sharingan while scanning the area again!

    He suddenly locked on to a small area of the nearby tree and watched closely.

    "Hmph! You can''t hide from me anymore!"

    *Swish Swish*

    Sasuke threw several shurikens at nearby tree!

    *Tak Tak*

    He noticed the chakra stopped abruptly and smirked.

    "Come out! You''ve been caught."

    ".....Kukukukukuku!"

    A sinister chuckle echoed through the forest, bringing a sense a foreboding dread to everyone.

    The group watched as a figure suddenly rose up from the shadows and walked into the dim light.

    Everyone stared at the figure and realized it was a Kusa village ninja!

    "This guy....."

    The group could all feel it.

    Something was different about this guy.

    "Ha....hahahaha!!"

    "N-Nee-san?!"

    Naruto turned to look at his sister and noticed an eerie smile on her face.

    "Shizuka-san?! Kyaa!"

    Her chakra started to rise as Karin, Naruto, and Sakura blew away from her!

    Shizuka kept her eyes on the man''s face as her fists clenched tightly around a kunai.

    "I finally get to see you again."

    "Hmmm? Where have I seen a little mouse like you before?"

    Shizuka grit her teeth as she calmed her nerves.

    "Don''t you remember~? It was when you killed my parents. I never forgot what your presence felt like!"

    "....Kukukuku."

    The man chuckled and put his hand on his chin.

    "You''ll have to be more specific than that, child. I''ve killed a lot of rats and it''s hard to remember every one of them."

 Ch.84. Battling The Great Snake!

    The air grew tense as Shizuka and the Grass ninja watched each other.

    The others stood at the ready as they eyed the man.

    Everyone could see a glint of excitement in the man''s eyes as he gazed at each of them like a predator watching its prey.

    "So many young bodies. I wonder which one is the best among you?"

    "Ugh! What''s wrong with this guy?!"

    Naruto shivered violently as he heard the strange man talk.

    "Get it together, Naruto. This guy is bad news."

    Sakura silently took out a kunai and monitored the situation.

    Sasuke kept his eyes on the man while a frown came over his face.

    ''His chakra...''

    Sasuke reached his hands into his shuriken pouch.

    This man was strong, and his chakra made him anxious.

    This wasn''t going to be easy.

    Shizuka was fuming as she responded to Orochimaru.

    "My parents weren''t rats, you bastard! You kept killing us for nothing!"

    Shizuka''s fists were clenched tightly as she stood before him.

    She knew it was Orochimaru. The face was different, but she was certain. She would never forget that gaze.

    "Hmmm...."

    The man seemed to be deep in thought as he tried to remember where he saw her before.

    After a few seconds of thinking, his eyes flashed as realization dawned on him.

    "Ah. That cursed forest family. I remember now."

    He shook his head slowly as he spread his arms out.

    "A complete waste of time. They were no different from regular people. I couldn''t find anything "cursed" about them."

    His arms came back to his side as he looked at Shizuka.

    "It was so disappointing that I just gave up at the last moment. I guess that means you''re lucky. Fufufu."

    Shizuka''s fists tightened as she looked coldly at the man.

    "You will regret saying that."

    "Fufufu! I have heard those words quite a few times. They haven''t come true yet."

    The man licked his lips as he pulled out several kunais in one hand.

    "Now then, shall we see how you react to this?"

    As the man spoke, his hand lightly pulled down on his face, showing a sinister yellow eye!

    ""!!!!""

    The group was hit with a wave of killing intent!

    They felt like they could see their deaths happening in front of them at the hands of a monstrous snake!

    "Kuk!"

    Shizuka quickly bit her lip as she shook off the sensation!

    "Don''t fall for his tricks!"

    She quickly yelled, but the others were still stuck!

    "Hehehe. Amusing. Can you save them all, I wonder?"

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    Orochimaru threw several kunai at the group!

    "Tch!"

    Shizuka grit her teeth as she quickly reached for her shurikens!

    *Swish Swish Swish Clank Clank Clank*

    "?!"

    Shizuka saw shurikens appear from beside her that clashed with the kunai, diverting their path!

    "This guy is scary!"

    Shizuka turned to see Sakura breathing heavily as she recovered from Orochimaru''s bloodlust.

    Naruto and Sasuke recovered seconds later and shivered unconsciously.

    Sweat started to form on their brows as they realized how much of a threat Orochimaru was!

    Sakura glanced to her side and found Karin was still frozen in place.

    She reached out and pinched Karin''s waist.

    "Hyaaa!!?"

    "Focus! It was just an illusion!"

    Sakura grabbed Karin''s shoulder and put her behind them.

    "Interesting. I didn''t think you would recover so quickly."

    Orochimaru looked at the group with interest as he smiled eerily.

    "Why you!"

    Shizuka wanted to rush in and kill him, but her instincts made her stay!

    She needed a plan!

    "Nee-san! This guy!"

    Shizuka heard Naruto behind her and forced herself to calm down!

    She wasn''t alone! If she made the wrong move, they could end up dead instead of killing him!

    "He''s the one who hurt you, right?!"

    Naruto''s eyes grew blood red as he stared angrily at Orochimaru!

    "Calm down, Naruto! You can''t fight him carelessly."

    Shizuka felt a sweet sensation come over her as her brother showed his affections, but she quickly stuffed it away as she also felt a dreadful chakra coming from him!

    She wanted to calm him down, but she couldn''t afford to take her eyes off of this snake!

    Orochimaru chuckled with fascination as he glanced at Naruto.

    His eyes flashed with a gleam of comprehension as he looked at him.

    "Oh?! It seems Kushina is no longer the only Jinchuuriki in the Leaf. How interesting. How did they pull that off?"

    Naruto and Shizuka frowned while the others grew confused.

    "Jinchuuriki? W-What is that?"

    Karin fixed her glasses with shaking hands as she asked her question out loud.

    Sakura and Sasuke both glanced towards Naruto and saw his back trembling.

    Naruto didn''t turn towards them and slowly clenched his fists.

    "I-I''ll tell you guys after this is over. Right now, we gotta beat this guy."

    Naruto took in a deep breath and stood beside Shizuka.

    "I''ll help you out, Nee-san."

    "....Don''t get careless."

    Shizuka''s grip on her kunai tightened as she readied herself.

    "Fufufu! How touching. Well, let''s begin, shall we?"

    Orochimaru quickly weaved multiple hand signs in a flash!

    Shizuka managed to catch a glimpse of a few, making her face pale with fright!

    "Get down!"

    "Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

    **************

    "Hmm?"

    *Fwoooo*

    Hii felt a breeze brush past him roughly, making him narrow his eyes. He heard a distant boom as well, putting him on edge.

    "....."

    He quickly jumped up the side of a nearby tree and climbed to the top.

    A large cloud of dust began to lift up out the other side of the forest.

    "....."

    *Shuu*

    Hii started to make his way towards the blast.

    His instincts were telling him it was important.

    **********

    As the dust began to settle, Shizuka groaned and pushed herself up.

    "Naruto?! Everyone?!"

    She couldn''t help, but shiver as she remembered the last seconds before the Jutsu hit. Naruto had jumped in front of the wind blast, blocking whatever he could.

    She frantically searched to find him, but couldn''t locate anyone from the team.

    Her hands clenched tightly as she closed her eyes and calmed herself down.

    "Calm down. You can do nothing if you''re riled up."

    Shizuka breathed in deeply and calmed herself.

    She formed a seal once she was ready  and began to sense her surroundings.

    "This should work."

    Shizuka focused her chakra on her seal and felt relieved when she still felt 2 responses nearby.

    "They''re not far, but he shouldn''t be either."

    ''I have to hurry!''

    *Shuu*

    Shizuka quickly started heading towards the seal as fast as she could!

    **************

    ".....Ooowww...."

    Naruto slowly pushed himself up from the ground.

    His body ached all over as he looked around and found himself in a completely new area.

    "Where am I?!"

    *You took the full brunt of the blast. It not surprising you got sent far away.*

    Kurama snickered a bit as he answered Naruto.

    "Crap! That guy is strong! I gotta find the others!"

    *You probably want to find them quick. I''m sure that guy is heading to someone right now.*

    "Which way, Kurama?!"

    *Since when do I help you? I''m going back to sleep.*

    "Aww! Come on!"

    *Shuu*

    "N-Naruto-kun!"

    "Eh?! Karin-chan! You''re okay?!"

    Naruto ran up to her and looked her over. He sighed in relief when he saw she wasn''t hurt much.

    "Hmph! I''m an Uzumaki too! I''ll be fine with a little pain!"

    "Hehe! Right! Wait!? We have to find Nee-san and the others! That freak is gonna attack them now!"

    Karin''s glasses shined as she smiles at Naruto.

    "Don''t worry! I remember their Chakras! I can sense them."

    Naruto smiled wildly as he hugged Karin!

    "Awesome! You''re the best!"

    "N-Not really! L-Let go!"

    Naruto quickly let go and rubbed his head.

    "Right! Lead the way!"

    Karin nodded her head and jumped towards a nearby tree with Naruto racing behind her.

    ***********

    "Ugh?!"

    Sasuke gasped for air as he woke up.

    "Hold on, I''m almost done."

    He could hear Sakura talking to him from his side as she healed him of his bruises.

    "Are you okay?"

    Sakura nodded her head and stopped healing him.

    "I''m used to it. This much is nothing."

    Sasuke looked at Sakura with growing respect and slowly nodded his head.

    They both stood up and checked their surroundings.

    "He separated us from the others. We have to be careful."

    "Right."

    Sasuke nodded his head and activated his Sharingan.

    "I''ll try to keep watch for anything suspicious."

    "Good. Shizuka mentioned that guy was called Orochimaru?"

    Sakura asked Sasuke as she pulled out a kunai.

    "Yeah. They seem to have a history."

    "I might be overthinking it, but if he''s who I think he is, we''re in trouble."

    "?"

    Sakura''s face was solemn as she looked around cautiously.

    "I read he''s known as the Great Snake, one of the Sannin from our village."

    "Sannin?!"

    Sakura nodded her head.

    "Yeah. They''re legends in our village. He''s definitely at the Kage level if it is him."

    Sasuke grew nervous as his eyes scanned the forest.

    "Sssss..."

    ""!!!?"

    *Swish Swish*

    *Puchi*

    "Shaa!!"

    The two attacked a large snake that slithered close with their kunai and hit it directly in the head!

    The snake writhed in pain before collapsing on the ground with its mouth open.

    "Whew. Looks like a false alarm."

    "...."

    Sasuke sighed in relief while Sakura still vigilantly watched the snake.

    *Shuu*

    "Watch out!"

    *Clang*

    A shadow quickly dashed out of the snake''s mouth and attacked Sasuke!

    Sakura quickly moved in front of him and blocked the attacker!

    Streams of moonlight revealed Orochimaru in front of Sakura with a sinister grin. He had a kunai aimed for Sasuke''s shoulder, but Sakura diverted it away from him!

    "Fufufu! Not bad at all."

    "Tch!"

    *Bam*

    Sasuke quickly retaliated with a kick to Orochimaru''s chest from Sakura''s side!

    Orochimaru fell back onto the ground and quickly rose back up with little to no damage.

    "Fufufu! The best prey is the ones who put up a fight."

    Orochimaru licked his lips as he looked over Sasuke and Sakura.

    Sasuke and Sakura shivered as they watched Orochimaru.

    "I''ll cover you, Sasuke."

    "Alright."

    Sakura quickly put her kunai in her mouth and weaved hand signs!

    "Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

    *Pah*

    *Goro Goro*

    Sakura quickly slapped the ground, forming a wall in front of the two.

    Sasuke quickly reached into his holsters and pulled out plenty of shurikens!

    His Sharingan memorized Orochimaru''s location before jumping above the wall!

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    Sasuke threw the shurikens in a strange pattern, instantly confusing Orochimaru!

    "This is?!"

    *Clang Clang*

    The shurikens began to bounce off of each other and changed their trajectory!

    All of the shurikens honed in on his position at high speed!

    "Marvelous."

    *Tak Tak Tak*

    Orochimaru made no moves to evade and merely let the shurikens stab into his body as he blocked his vitals!

    "What?!"

    Sasuke was shocked as he watched Orochimaru slowly pull out the shurikens one by one.

    "Fufufu! I haven''t seen such a genius like this since Itachi. I didn''t think his brother would be just as good."

    He pulled out the last shuriken with a smile as he licked the blood off of it.

    "Fufufu! How exciting. Show me more of what you can do."

    "Tch!"

    "Come on, Sasuke!"

    Sakura dashed forward with her kunai and engaged Orochimaru!

    "Hmph! I''m not interested in you."

    *Swish Swish*

    Orochimaru threw the shurikens in his hand towards Sakura with disdain!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Sakura swiftly dodged and deflected the shurikens before lunging towards him!

    "What?!"

    He didn''t anticipate that she would deflect them all so easily at close range!

    "Haaa!"

    *Puchi*

    Sakura stabbed into Orochimaru''s side while he was distracted!

    "You brat!"

    *Pow*

    "Ugh!"

    Orochimaru retaliated with a kick to her chest and sent her flying a distance away!

    "Sakura!"

    Sasuke quickly caught Sakura and stopped her from hitting the ground!

    He quickly escaped from the area to a nearby tree.

    "Are you alright?!"

    "Cough! I-I''m okay! Let me down."

    Sasuke quickly let Sakura down on the branch. She quickly assessed the damage she sustained and sighed.

    "He nearly broke my rib! He''s no joke at all."

    Her palm began to glow with a green light as she started healing the damage to a controlled level.

    Sasuke watched with a grim expression as he looked out for Orochimaru.

    "He''s too strong."

    "Yeah. We can''t do much about that."

    Sakura winced at the dull pain at her side, but it was more manageable than before. She stood up and cracked her knuckles.

    "We can only do what we can. Let''s think of a way to get the drop on him!"

    "....."

    Sasuke stared at Sakura for a moment and slowly began to smile.

    "Yeah. I think I have another idea we can try."

    "I''m all ears."

    Sasuke began to whisper a plan to Sakura while she healed herself a bit more.

    A sparkle shined in Sakura''s eyes as she heard Sasuke''s plan.

    She started to smile unknowingly and nodded her head once he was finished.

    "I think that''ll work."

    "Fufufufu! How exciting."

    ""!!!""

    *Shing Shing*

    The two pulled out their kunais and placed their backs against each other!

    "Where is he?!"

    "Mice will run and hide when hunted. Isn''t it common sense for a snake to be hidden until it''s too late?"

    The two looked over at a nearby tree and saw Orochimaru slithering around the trunk!

    *Shiver*

    Sakura and Sasuke both shivered as they looked at his strange methods of movement!

    Orochimaru twisted his head and faced them with a smile.

    "I grow tired of this little mouse chase. Shall we put an end to this?"

    The two looked at each other for a moment and faced him!

    Though there was fear in their eyes, a burning determination to live was ever present!

    "Now!"

    Sasuke yelled as the two jumped down from the tree to the ground below.

    "You two sure love to run, don''t you?!"

    Orochimaru smiled widely as he slithered after them!

    Sakura landed quickly and turned around, throwing multiple shurikens at Orochimaru!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Orochimaru blocked them with a kunai and continued to fall down towards them! Majority of the shurikens missed completely!

    ''Heh! A chick with a little potential.''

    Orochimaru snickered for a moment and poised his kunai to strike!

    That''s when he noticed a grin on Sakura''s face.

    "What?!"

    As he aimed his kunai at Sakura, he noticed faint shimmering lights near her hands!

    ''Wires?! Wait!''

    *Swish Swish*

    The shurikens that passed him flew back around and heades straight for his back!

    "Tch!"

    He quickly turned and prepared to deflect them!

    The shurikens, however, didn''t aim at his body!

    They flew through the gaps of his defense and headed towards the ground!

    Orochimare saw the wires trailing behind them wrapping around his body as they passed!

    *Tak Tak Tak Thud*

    He landed on the ground after the shurikens and glanced at Sakura.

    Sakura quickly handed the wires over to Sasuke before they both began to weave hand signs!

    "Earth Style: Pitfall Jutsu!"

    *Shuu*

    *Crumble Crumble*

    The earth underneath Orochimaru suddenly gave way as a hole swallowed Orochimaru!

    Sasuke jumped up to a nearby tree branch and took in a deep breath.

    "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

    *Fwooosh*

    Sasuke took in a deep breath before jumping up and spewing flames towards the hole and along the wires!

    *Boom*

    An explosion erupted from the hole as a tall pillar of fire burst from the ground towards the sky!

    Sasuke dropped back down to the ground and squatted down next to Sakura.

    "Haaa! Haaa!"

    "Haaa! Haaa!"

    Sasuke and Sakura were both catching their breath from using their techniques.

    They warily watched the hole continue to burn for a moment before slowly backing away.

    They didn''t believe that their plan had worked completely.

    *Crack Fwoosh*

    "Look out!"

    Sasuke hurriedly tackled Sakura out of the way as Orochimaru came jumping out of the ground like a snake!"

    He had a sword sticking out from his mouth as he tried to stab Sakura!

    He landed back on the ground and coiled himself to a standing position as he watched the Genins with a smile.

    "Fufufu!"

    He said nothing as Sasuke helped Sakura up and glared at Orochimaru.

    "You okay, Sakura?"

    ".....Are you okay?"

    "....."

    Sasuke didn''t say anything, but Sakura could see he was slightly holding his side.

    He had been grazed!

    He could already feel a foreign sensation invading his senses. He was starting to sweat as he could barely stay standing.

    "It seems the poison is kicking in now."

    Sakura immediately helped Sasuke stay on his feet as his knees start to buckle.

    ''I don''t have a lot of chakra left, but Sasuke needs help!''

    She grit her teeth as she tried to curb the poison as much as she could, her hand glowing green as she tried to detoxify Sasuke.

    Sasuke was barely holding on as he glared at Orochimaru.

    "Fufufu! I wonder how long you can last now?"

    Orochimaru couldn''t help dashing towards the two with an eerie smile!

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    Dozens of kunai suddenly flew down from the trees towards Orochimaru!

    "Hmph!"

    He easily jumped back and dodged the few in front of him.

    He then realized he was surrounded by a circle of kunai that had tags on them.

    ''Those aren''t explosive tags. What is this then?''

    *Susususususu*

    The seals on the tags began to crawl from the tag through the kunai, forming a strange seal on the ground.

    Orochimaru shivered slightly and frowned.

    "A paralysis seal?!"

    "I figured you''d let your guard down."

    *Shuu*

    Shizuka landed besides Sasuke and Sakura, glaring at Orochimaru with a sinister grin.

    "Shizuka-san!"

    Shizuka glanced at Sakura and Sasuke.

    She reached into back pouch and tossed two items towards them.

    "Take it. The powder is for Sasuke while the pill is for you. Get out of her and recover."

    "B-But!"

    "You''re in no condition to talk back. Get away from here and recover."

    Sakura looks at Shizuka for a moment before taking Sasuke and escaping.

    Shizuka watches them go with a glance. Once they were out of sight, she turned back to Orochimaru and formed a seal.

    "I''ve waited a long time for this."

    "Fufufu. Well then. Show me what you''ve got."

    Shizuka gritted her teeth and weaved her technique.

    Ink fell from the tags surrounding Orochimaru, blending into the already made seal.

    *ZuZuZu*

    The seal quickly became more complicated as it began to form a star.

    Shizuka began to sweat profusely as chakra drained from her body into the seal!

    "Secret Art: Dark Star Seal!"

    She feebly put her hands to the ground, her eyes radiating with hatred as the technique activated.

    *Sususususu*

    Long, shadowy hands began to grow out of the five points of the star.

    They waved and wiggled ominously before reaching towards Orochimaru!

    They grabbed his legs, arms, and his neck!

    "Kuh, interesting!"

    His body was suspended in the air as he kept eye contact with Shizuka.

    "I''ll, get, revenge for everyone!"

    Shizuka staggered to her feet and reached into her pouch.

    She pulled out 2 food pills from her pouch and stuffed them in her mouth.

    She couldn''t let this chance slip away!

    Her eyes started to tear up as she willed the seal!

    The arms of the seal wiggled ominously as they waited for her instructions.

    "This is for Anko-san!"

    *Crack Riiip*

    "Gyaah!"

    One of Orochimaru legs were ripped off and dragged into the seal!

    "Ggghk! Urgh! Hahahahaha!!"

    He quickly regained his cool and laughed.

    This only made Shizuka angrier!

    "This is for betraying Konoha!"

    *Crack Riiiip*

    "Ghhhk!!!"

    His other leg disappeared into the lower point of the star.

    Blood flowed from what remained of his legs as he hung by his arms and neck.

    "....Fufufufu. How...vicious."

    "Tch!"

    Shizuka''s face grew pale as she struggled to maintain the seal.

    "This! Is for! My parents!"

    *Crack Riiiip*

    "Gyaaaah!"

    Orochimaru''s right arm was ripped from its socket and disappeared into the seal!

    *Plop*

    Shizuka''s knees hit the floor as she struggled to maintain her seal.

    Her hands were shaking and her vision was going in and out.

    Blood dripped from her lips as she stared venomously at Orochimaru!

    "This....is for....all of the victims!"

    *Crack Riiiip*

    "Aaaaaah!!!!"

    Orochimaru dangled under the dark hand that held his neck while his remaining arm disappeared into the seal.

    "Haaa! Haaa!"

    Shizuka tried to to keep her eyes open as blood started to trickle from them.

    ''The backlash...but... I can''t give up yet.''

    The sound of her teeth creaking as she tried to maintain the seal for the last time.

    "The last one...is from me!"

    *Crack*

    Orochimaru''s head twisted as the dark hand broke his neck like a branch.

    That, however, was all it could do.

    The hand dissipated right after, dropping his corpse on the ground as the seal disappeared.

    *Thud*

    Shizuka collapsed on the ground, unable to move a single inch.

    A long pause of silence breezed past them as they both laid on the ground.

    ''I...did it.''

    She felt a great sense of relief as she could see the darkness starting to drag her into its embrace.

    *Crack*

    "!!!"

    An ominous sound startled Shizuka back to consciousness!

    ''No! It couldn''t be!''

    She struggled desperately to lift her head up, only to be greeted with a gruesome scene.

    Another Orochimaru crawled out of the mouth of the sealed one!

    This one had the face she remembered!

    His pale skin and yellow eyes looked at her with a sinister smile!

    She couldn''t keep herself from shivering!

    "Well, that was an interesting experience."

    "Gk!"

    Shizuka couldn''t say anything, but the hatred in her eyes spoke volumes!

    Orochimaru smiled at her as large snake came out of his sleeve.

    All Shizuka could see was her despair reflected in its eyes before losing consciousness.

    ***********

    "We have to hurry!"

    Naruto rushed forward with Karin barely keeping up with him!

    "Slow down, Naruto!"

    "I can''t! Nee-san needs me!"

    He couldn''t help feeling like he couldn''t slow down, no matter what!

    The two jumped through the trees at high speed before finally reaching their destination.

    "Urk!"

    "Oh no!"

    The two looked on as a large snake hung Shizuka up in front of Orochimaru, wrapping itself around her body.

    He glanced over at the two Uzumakis and smiled.

    The two could see his true form didn''t look much different from the snake next to him!

    "I wonder if you two have some surprises for me as well. This one had a pretty good one tucked away."

    Karin shiver uncontrollably as she saw Shizuka.

    Her confident demeanor in her memory was covered in blood and dirt as the snake wrapped around her.

    "Karin."

    Karin shook from Naruto''s cold voice echoing in her ears.

    "When you get the chance, take Nee-san away from here."

    "What do you-"

    Karin''s words became stuck in her throat as she noticed a violent, red aura start to cover Naruto''s body.

    "Grraaaah!!!"

    A violent wave of chakra blew out of him as he violently dashed towards Orochimaru!

    All he did was smile as he saw Naruto charging towards him.

    "Now this is a great surprise."

    ***************

    *Zuuuuu*

    Sakura healed Sasuke''s wound completely before gently breathing out.

    "How do you feel, Sasuke?"

    Sasuke opened and closed his hands before nodding his head.

    "Better."

    Sakura sighed in relief before reaching for a food pill.

    "We have to hurry up and regroup with Shizuka."

    "Don''t you have to rest?"

    Sasuke looked at her as she ate the food pill and stood up with a start.

    "There''s no time! We have to-"

    *Boom Boom Boom*

    The two quickly turned towards the sound to see multiple trees crashing down and dust clouds sweeping through the forest in the distance.

    They both looked at each other in shock as a bad feeling rushed through their bodies.

    "We have to go! Now!"

    "Right!"

    *Shuu Shuu*

    The two quickly sped over to the source of the explosions.

    They didn''t know what to expect, but they knew their friends were in danger!

    *************

    ''Oh no! What do I do?!''

    Karin held Shizuka in her arms as she hid away behind some nearby trees.

    She knew, however, that her current position was actually the worst one she could be in.

    That was because two monsters were fighting it out with each other!

    "Grraaaagh!!"

    *Boom Boom*

    Naruto smashed the nearby trees with red, ominous chakra that covered his body!

    The outline of fox ears and a tail surrounded him as he stared at his enemy with crimson, rage-filled eyes.

    "Fufufufu!!"

    On the other side, Orochimaru was gleefully laughing as he watched Naruto carefully with a smile.

    ''Minato is quite sneaky to hide such a fun secret from me.''

    Orochimaru chuckled to himself as he saw a red claw of chakra slam towards him!

    *Boom*

    Orochimaru dodged the claw as several large snakes flew out from his sleeves and attacked Naruto!

    "Gaaah!"

    Naruto roared at the snakes, sending them flying into the forest with force!

    "Kyaaa!"

    Karin could hear them popping like balloons close to her, exploding on impact with the trees!

    "How amusing."

    Orochimaru didn''t seem concerned as he bit into his thumb.

    He lined a smear of blood on his hand before weaving a few hand signs.

    "Summoning Jutsu!"

    *Poof*

    "Shaaaa!!"

    A giant snake appeared underneath Orochimaru, glaring at Naruto!

    "Let''s see if you can deal with this as well."

    "Graaaah!!"

    Naruto was too far gone to retort as he charged at the giant snake!

    Karin watched the battle from nearby while holding Shizuka.

    ''Crap! I can''t heal her without her biting me! What should I do?! Can I make it out of here without getting in the way?!''

    She didn''t know what to do in this situation!

    *Shuu*

    "Kyaaa!"

    She hurriedly hugged Shizuka closer and held her kunai out at the figure who landed near them!

    Karin''s eyes focused as she could slowly make out the figure in front of her.

    She shivered slightly as she looked into the red, spinning eyes of the girl.

    She then remembered seeing her before!

    "You are!?"

    "Don''t say anything. Give her to me and follow my lead. Now."

    Karin gulped as she swallowed the words she was going to say.

    She handed Shizuka over to her slowly while Maka placed her on her back.

    She could see a lot of concern on the girl''s face as she adjusted herself to let Shizuka lay comfortably.

    "Follow closely."

    "O-Okay!"

    *Shuu Shuu*

    *Boom Boom Boom*

    The two quickly got away from the battle that was coming to their location!

    *Crash*

    "Shaaa!"

    "Graaah!!"

    The two saw a giant snake trying to swallow Naruto, but red chakra coming from his body kept the snake''s mouth from closing!

    Orochimaru watched this with a smile on his face from atop the snake''s head.

    "Perhaps I should summon another one?"

    He contemplated his next move while watching Naruto struggle with the snake.

    He noticed movement out of the corner of his eye, and smiled as he saw Shizuka being carried away by her teammates.

    ''Hmmm. I guess I shouldn''t make it so easy for them.''

    As he contemplated, he extended his hand to the snakes head and slapped it.

    *Poof*

    A slightly smaller snake appeared besides the one he stood on and turned towards him.

    "Go and keep them company."

    "Shaaa!"

    He saw it head off and noticed his snake was having a hard time holding Naruto back!

    "Graaagh!!"

    "Hehehe! Someone''s getting impatient."

    A red tail lashed out at Orochimaru as he taunted Naruto!

    He dodged the tail and landed on a nearby tree.

    "Shaaa~!"

    *Boom*

    He turned around and saw his snake fell on some nearby trees with burn marks on its mouth.

    "Gruuuaaaah!!!"

    Naruto''s skin was peeling from the red chakra, but the anger in his eyes remained strong. The blood from his wounds were making the chakra a shade darker.

    "I''ll have to keep you company then."

    After saying that, a sword handle stuck out of his mouth.

    He grabbed it and pulled out the blade from within!

    "Let''s see how well that chakra can defend you."

    ************

    Maka and Karin carried Shizuka away from the battle as fast as they could.

    Maka watched her surroundings as they quickly made their way to somewhere secluded.

    "?!"

    Maka''s head quickly turned towards a nearby direction as she saw something.

    "Turn here, Karin-chan!"

    "R-Right!"

    *Shuu Shuu*

    The two quickly turned to the new direction and made their way down the path!

    Soon enough, they came across Sakura and Sasuke!

    "Nee-san!"

    "Maka-chan! We''re here to help!"

    "Sakura-chan! I need you to help Shizuka! She''s unconscious!"

    "What happened to her?!"

    The group quickly came together and Sakura looked after Shizuka.

    Her expression grew stern as she examined her.

    She said nothing and quickly weaved hand signs to start healing her.

    Maka turned to face Karin.

    "Karin-chan. I need you to tell me what''s going on! Who was that man and why was Naruto like that?!"

    "I''m not too sure why Naruto was like that, but..."

    Karin began to explain what she knew to Maka while Sasuke also assisted her with explaining some details.

    Once Maka heard all the details about the situation, her face grew serious as she looked in the direction they ran from.

    "We have to help Naruto and get away from that man."

    The others nodded their heads in agreement.

    "Here''s the plan right now. Karin-chan, you will have to stay here with Sakura-chan and watch over Shizuka."

    She then turned to Sasuke.

    "How are you feeling now, Sasuke? Can you help me assist Naruto?"

    "I''m fine. I''m just a bit woozy."

    Maka nodded her head and prepared to continue explaining her plan when she suddenly stopped moving. She quickly turned around and watched the distance.

    Sasuke quickly followed her gaze and stopped as well.

    Karin tried to follow their gaze, but was quickly stopped by Sasuke!

    He put his hand over her mouth as his face grew serious.

    Sakura lifted her head up and shivered violently upon seeing what they were all looking at.

    A giant snake slithered towards their area slowly, following the scent trail they left.

    Soon the snake and the group made eye contact with each other.

    Everyone froze as a slight breeze blew past them.

    "".....""

    "Shaaa."

    "Sasuke!"

    "Right!"

    Sasuke quickly turned on his Sharingan and looks toward the snake!

    His eyes spun quickly as he tried to put it under a Genjutsu!

    "Shaaa..."

    The snake wobbled from left to right before laying its head on the ground.

    Sasuje kept spinning his eyes as the snake slowly succumbed to the technique!

    Once the snake was fully subdued, Sasuke caught his breath.

    "Phew! We got it somehow."

    "....."

    Sasuke wiped the sweat from his brow and turned to Maka.

    "What''s wrong?"

    "That guy is way more dangerous than I thought. I''ll have to revise some ideas I had."

    Maka slowly shook her head and turned to Karin and Sakura.

    "Please look after Shizuka, okay?"

    "Leave it to us! I''d probably be dead if she didn''t help me."

    Maka nodded and turned to Sasuke.

    "Sasuke, control the snake. We''ll try to use it to our advantage."

    "Got it!"

    The two nodded their heads and quickly headed off to assist Naruto!

    Karin knelt down besides Sakura and watched as Shizuka''s complexion started to slowly recover.

    Her aura slowly darkened as she started to loathe her weakness.

    "If...only I could do more..."

    Karin''s hands clenched tightly against her knees as she watched Sakura work.

    "You still have a chance to learn. It''s not too late to change."

    Karin nodded her head slowly at Sakura''s advice and watches closely as she heals her new family member.

    *************

    Maka and Sasuke both jumped from tree to tree as the controlled snake follows behind them from the ground.

    Maka appeared to be deep in thought as she continued to head towards the distant sounds of battle.

    She glanced at Sasuke for a moment and made a decision.

    "Sasuke."

    "Yeah?"

    Sasuke turned to look at Maka and suddenly stopped on a nearby branch.

    "Y-Your eyes!"

    Sasuke could see Maka standing across from him, her red eyes gazing into his own.

    "I know you have some questions, but don''t worry about them right now. I will answer all your questions after all this is over. My plan will involve our eyes. I know you have trained with Fugaku-san, so you should be able to follow it."

    "....Okay."

    Sasuke slowly nodded his head.

    He did indeed have many questions for Maka, but he knew she would explain it all to him soon enough. She never really held back anything from him when he asked.

    "Okay. Here''s the plan."

    Maka jumped over to Sasuke and whispers her plans to him.

    He nodded his head from time to time, his eyes growing brighter as he listened to her idea.

    "I got it! I''ll do my best!"

    Maka smiled at her little brother and turned back to the stopped snake.

    "Okay! Let''s do it!"

    *****************

    *Boom Boom*

    Loud booms echoed through the forest, scattering animals and any ninja close by alike.

    "Hahahaha!! I see why the Ninetails is considered the strongest!"

    *Swoosh*

    Orochimaru quickly dodged an incoming claw as it tore through a nearby tree!

    "Graaauuugh!"

    Naruto mindlessly chased after him, still gripped with rage.

    His visible skin was nearly completely peeled off as he struck toward Orochimaru over and over again.

    (Naruto.)

    Kurama''s voice echoes in Naruto''s head, causing him to stop briefly for a moment.

    ''He...He hurt my sister! I have to kill him!''

    (Shizuka has already been taking by your friends. You won''t be able to last much longer.)

    Naruto frowned as his elongated nails sunk into the dirt in frustration.

    ''I have to get him back for what he did!''

    (You can, but not like this. Don''t squander my power with such weak resolve.)

    The red of his eyes changed slightly  as a sneer comes over Naruto''s face.

    (Let me show you how it''s done.)

    Orochimaru quickly noticed the lack of attacks and looked back at Naruto in amusement.

    ''Has he finally run out of power? Uzumaki blood is quite durable.''

    He notices the sneer on Naruto''s face and frowned.

    ''Is this still the same boy? He feels completely different from before.''

    Orochimaru quickly put himself on guard as he watched Naruto carefully.

    *Swish Fwoooosh*

    Naruto''s tail flicked forward and shot towards Orochimaru!

    "Hmph!"

    Orochimaru dodged the tail deftly as he continues to watch Naruto!

    "You''ll have to do better than that!"

    Orochimaru taunted him, but noticed the sneer on Naruto''s face grew deeper as he suddenly came closer towards him!

    "What?!"

    He quickly glances back and noticed the tail had wrapped around a distant tree behind him!

    Naruto raised his claw and prepared to swipe and Orochimaru!

    "Clever, but not good enough!"

    *Swish*

    Orochimaru ducks under the fist with a sneer of his own.

    "You''re still too-"

    *Bam*

    He couldn''t finish his words as another fist appeared from behind Naruto and slammed him in the gut!

    "Guuah!"

    The air was knocked out of Orochimaru as the new claw pushes his body back in front of Naruto who swung again, but even harder this time!

    *Pow Boom Boom*

    Orochimaru was knocked away with great force, slamming through a few thick branches before slowing himself down with a few snakes from his sleeve.

    "...That was pretty good."

    "Hehe."

    Naruto snickered at Orochimaru''s angry comment as he prepared to strike again!

    "Shaaa!"

    He was stopped when he heard the angry cries of a snake nearby.

    Orochimaru smiled as he looked in the distance.

    "Looks like he found your friends. I wonder how they fared without you."

    "Grrrr!!"

    Naruto also quickly looked in the snake''s direction, hoping his friends were okay.

    *Swish Swish*

    "!!"

    *Tak Tak*

    Shurikens flew towards Orochimaru, making him dodge quickly to the side.

    "Naruto!"

    *Shuu*

    Sasuke leapt out of the trees and landed next to Naruto.

    "....."

    He glanced over Naruto''s condition and was silently shocked!

    Naruto was covered in cuts, yet all the blood seemed to be mixing with that strange, red chakra around him.

    His eyes were a similar shade of red to Sasuke''s as the two glanced at each other.

    "Get away! He''s too dangerous!"

    Naruto yelled at Sasuke as he got ready to cover for him!

    *Schwing*

    Sasuke brandished two kunais in his hands and stood his ground.

    "We''re both getting out of here. Together."

    "......."

    Naruto shifted his gaze to Orochimaru and dug his nails into the dirt.

    "Fine."

    "Fufufufu!"

    Orochimaru began to chuckle loudly as he heard the two talk.

    "You think I''ll let you go so easily? We''ve only just begun to explore all you can do."

    *Shuu*

    Orochimaru smiled and flew towards Sasuke!

    "Graah!"

    *Boom*

    Naruto blasted Orochimaru away with a yell, only for him to recover midway and wrap around a tree.

    *Swish Swish Swish Swish*

    He didn''t have much time to recover as Sasuke started to fling loads of shurikens and kunai at him!

    *Tak Tak Tak Tak*

    The barrage missed him, but Sasuke didn''t let up!

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    Sasuke contined to throw projectiles at Orochimaru without stopping!

    "Go, Naruto!"

    "....Tch!"

    Naruto hesitated for a moment before rushing into the forest!

    "Hmph! I can''t let my toy get away!"

    Orochimaru dashed after Naruto while still dodging Sasuke''s barrage of shurikens with snake-like movements!

    "Naruto!"

    Sasuke tried to warn Naruto, but Orochimaru quickly caught up to him and stabbed toward his back with his sword!

    *Puchi*

    The cloak failed to stop the blade as it pierced straight through Naruto!

    ''Hmmm?!''

    At this point, Orochimaru finally had a different expression on his face as he looked at the body.

    He stopped completely as shurikens once again rained on him!

    *Tak Tak Tak*

    He saw as the shurikens struck his body and a slight sense of pain assailed his senses.

    ''...It''s different!''

    Orochimaru''s eyes shined as he formed a seal in front of him!

    "Release!"

    The shurikens flying towards him disappeared into nothing as his surroundings became quiet. Even Naruto and Sasuke were gone!

    "....Kukuku."

    Orochimaru slowly started to laugh.

    "Hahahahahahahaha!!!!"

    His laugh started from a snicker and grew until he was laughing out loud!

    "A couple of brats can trick me?!"

    His expression grew angry as he quickly tried to find a trail to follow!

    "Hmm?"

    Before he could find a concrete trail, he heard the sound of slithering coming from the distance.

    ''Ah. Did it find the others?''

    Orochimaru became excited as he saw the snake come towards him.

    The snake slowly made its way towards Orochimaru and stopped in front of him.

    "Where are they?"

    "Shaa."

    The snake turned and started to head in a new direction with Orochimaru right behind it.

    The two continued for a short while before Orochimaru realized something strange.

    "Hmph. So this snake was a part of their scheme too."

    He casually formed a seal.

    "Shaaa!!"

    The snake suddenly turned around and quickly tried to strike Orochimaru!

    *Poof*

    Orochimaru cancelled the summoning, bringing a lot of smoke about as the snake disappeared.

    *Shuuu*

    A shadow flew through the smoke and attacked Orochimaru!

    "Hmph!"

    Orochimaru dodged the attack and countered, but the shadow dodged his attacks with uncanny precision!

    The two separated from each other after the smoke cleared, assessing their opponent.

    Orochimaru was surprised to find Maka staring daggers at him with her Sharingan closely following him.

    "Another Uchiha. Your clan just keeps bringing out prodigies."

    "......"

    Maka said nothing as she grabbed her kunai and rushed towards him.

    Orochimaru chuckles and pulled out his own kunai in response.

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    The two darted across the forest, clashing into each other whenever one spotted the other!

    Orochimaru leisurely blocked her attacks and struck toward her viciously, but Maka continued to narrowly dodge his attacks!

    Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly as he pressed his hand to the ground, summoning snakes to corner Maka!

    Maka quickly weaved hand seals and breathed in deep!

    "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

    *Fwoosh*

    Her flames incinerated the snakes, but Orochimaru dodged the attack and shot towards her.

    Maka brandished her kunai and watched his moves as he slashed towards her!

    *Clang*

    ""?!""

    Orochimaru suddenly clashed heavily against something and flipped backwards in the air.

    He landed filled with confusion as he looked up at the shadow that stopped him.

    "Hii-kun?!"

    Maka was shocked as Hii brandished his sword towards Orochimaru.

    Hii took a quick glance at her before staring back at Orochimaru.

    "Hehehe. They just keep coming. So entertaining."

    Hii doesn''t respond as he gets into his stance.

    "Who is this?"

    "Orochimaru. He''s a Sannin.  He''s also the man who hurt Shizuka."

    *Bzzzt*

    Lightning surrounded Hii''s body as his hair spiked up.

    "That''s all I needed to know."

    Forestbear

    Sorry for the wait! My job hit high season so I had no time at all to get this done! Finally, I found some time to write so I can continue! I also have been working on an original novel as well, but that''s still in the oven. Please enjoy the chapter. The season''s still high for me now so my schedule is erratic at best, but I''ll try to get more chapters in on time.

 Ch.85 A Present No One Wanted.

    Orochimaru stood up and assessed the new Genin.

    "Ah! You must be....Kaya''s child."

    "....."

    He cracked his neck as he looked between the two.

    "Now this will be fun."

    With excitement in his eyes, he opened his mouth towards the sky as a blade handle popped out of his mouth.

    ".....Gross."

    Hii shivered as he watched Orochimaru grabbed the blade handle and pulled the sword out.

    "Fufufu! The Sword of Kusunagi should be enough for you to enjoy."

    Hii''s eyes narrowed as his chakra tensed up.

    *Bzzt*

    He flashed forward and slashed towards Orochimaru''s head from the side!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    The two traded blows with each other at high speed before separating again.

    Hii observed Orochimaru while adjusting his blade in his hands.

    ''His strikes are bizarre. They''re very snake-like and unpredictable. Perhaps I should look into following a style like that for my own.''

    As Hii thought about the technique, Orochimaru also had some thoughts.

    ''Hmmm. He''s actually pretty good at swordplay. His reflexes are very good as well. He''ll be a bit tough to deal with.''

    As Orochimaru thought more, he felt a shiver crawl up his spine!

    *Clang*

    He swung his blade behind him, blocking several shurikens heading towards him!

    "Tch!"

    He heard a tongue clicking, but before he could investigate it further, another dreaded sound came to his ears!

    *Bzzzt Clang Clang*

    Hii attacked Orochimaru once more, leading to another bout of sword clashes!

    ''So this is what it''s like to fight someone with at the Kage level!''

    Hii was relishing every second of this fight!

    His fights with his grandpa weren''t the same as fighting this guy!

    There was no fear of death!

    He attacked from strange angles that always put Hii on his toes!

    "Fufufu! How amusing!"

    *Clang*

    Hii jumped back and avoided a slash as Orochimaru chuckled to himself.

    "Shadow Snake Jutsu!"

    Orochimaru stretched out his arm as 4 snakes shot out of his sleeve towards Hii!

    *Puchi Puchi*

    "Shaaa!"

    "Hmph!"

    Hii sliced off two heads and dodged the rest of the snakes quickly!

    Maka jumped out from a nearby bush and weaved handsigns!

    "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

    *Fwoosh*

    "This brat!"

    Orochimaru had no choice, but to stop his pursuit and detach the snakes from his sleeve.

    "Shaaaa!!!"

    The snakes caught on fire and thrashed around before falling silent on the ground.

    Hii weaved his own handsigns and took a deep breath!

    "Water Style: Raging Waves!"

    *Pwooosh*

    The fire was washed away as smoke flew into Orochimaru''s face!

    He lowered his stance and waited for a moment.

    He wasn''t going to get caught off guard again!

    He continued to wait for the steam to dissipate, but it was persistently holding on.

    ''Wait!''

    "Release!"

    Orochimaru raised his hand and formed a seal!

    The mist quickly disappeared into nothing, leaving Orochimaru with a clear view around him.

    He was all alone again.

    "....Fufufufu!"

    His anger finally started to surface as he had been tricked by the Uchiha again!

    "I''ll get them back for this!"

    **********

    Hii followed behind Maka as she led him towards their designated rendezvous.

    The two quietly made their way towards it before Maka shivered and stopped.

    "What''s wrong?"

    Hii stopped next to her and asked.

    "He broke free from my Genjutsu."

    Maka looked back for a moment before shaking her head.

    "We still managed to get a lot of time from that trick, but we better hurry."

    Maka continued on her path as Hii once again followed behind her.

    Maka glanced at Hii for a moment and continued to jump from tree to tree.

    "Hmm? What''s wrong?"

    Maka stopped on a nearby branch and kept her back towards Hii.

    "Hii-kun?"

    "Yeah?"

    "Do you also have a form like that because of Akumu and Fuyuki?"

    "!!"

    Hii was caught off guard for a moment, but he quickly calmed down and kept silent.

    "...In a way, yes."

    "Is it okay if you don''t use it?"

    "Well..."

    Maka shook her head and kept moving.

    "Nevermind. I''m in no position to ask that of you. It''s stupid."

    "....."

    Hii could see her clenching her fists tightly before she started to speed up again.

    Hii chased after her in silence, unsure of how to respond.

    He just chose to keep quiet as they quickly caught up to Sasuke and Naruto.

    "Over there."

    Maka quickly landed next to a large tree with space inside of it. They saw Naruto laying down inside of the tree with Sasuke nearby.

    "Nee-san."

    Maka nodded her head and looked over Naruto''s body.

    Hii looked over his body as well and frowned deeply.

    Naruto was covered in bruises, cuts, and caked blood. His body was red and raw from the backlash.

    "He became unconscious as soon as we stopped. He must''ve hit his limit."

    Sasuke told Hii as he looked at Naruto. Hii could hear the concern in his voice and moved himself next to Naruto to get started.

    With a few handsigns, Hii''s hands began to glow green as he began to heal Naruto.

    Nothing changed after the first few seconds, but his skin began to slowly recover as Hii started to pump more chakra into his recovery.

    "It''s going to take a while before he''s done. You two will have to watch out for Orochimaru until I''m done."

    "Got it."

    "Leave it to us!"

    Sasuke and Maka both nodded their heads and started to monitor the area while Hii slowly worked on Naruto''s recovery.

    ********

    "...Mmmh."

    Shizuka''s eyes fluttered for a moment before opening slowly.

    The first thing she saw was Sakura healing her.

    "You''re awake! Thank goodness!"

    Karin leaned into her view, crying tears of joy.

    Shizuka paused for a moment and smiled painfully.

    "Where?"

    "Still in the exam. We got away from Orochimaru."

    Shizuka shivered at the mention of his name before barely clenching her fists in defiance.

    She tried to get up, but struggled to even make it off the ground.

    "Here! I can heal you now too!"

    Karin hurriedly rose up one of her sleeves and pressed her arm close to Shizuka''s mouth.

    Shizuka and Sakura were both surprised by the amount of bite marks all over her arm.

    "......"

    Shizuka only looked at the arm coldly before looking at Sakura.

    "I''ll have to trouble you, Sakura-chan."

    "No problem."

    Only Karin was rather confused as the two proceeded to ignore her help.

    "Um?"

    "Don''t worry about my injuries for now, Karin-chan. I need you to do something else for me."

    "Sure! What is it?!"

    "There should be a scroll in my pouch. Can you take it out for me?"

    Karin quickly looked at her pouch and began to look through it.

    "Is this it?"

    She quickly pulled out a scroll that was covered in red string.

    "Yeah. Can you open it at the top of one of these trees? Make sure it has a clear shot into the sky."

    "Okay!"

    *Shuuu*

    Karin quickly took the scroll and ran up a nearby tree.

    A short moment later, she reached the top of the tree and saw the night sky.

    ''Here should be good enough.''

    Karin carefully removed the red string from the scroll and began to open it.

    The insides of the scroll were marked with many strange drawings that Karin couldn''t make heads or tails of.

    All she knew was that they felt...familiar to her.

    *Wuuuuu*

    Once the scroll was completely unfurled, the writing inside of it began to glow brightly!

    "Huh?"

    *Fwoosh Fwoosh Fwoosh*

    Three strange balls of light suddenly shot out into the night sky from the scroll.

    The three balls of light were especially eye-catching in the night sky, making many watch them fly into the sky.

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    "Uwaa!?"

    Karin nearly stumbled off of the tree as she was surprised by the power of the fireworks.

    When she recovered, she soon noticed the after effects of the fire works didn''t disappear from the sky like normal ones did.

    "...How did she make that?!"

    **********

    Anko Mitarashi stood up abruptly from her seat and looked at the sky.

    A nearby Chuunin was surprised and looked at her cautiously.

    "What happened, Mitarashi-san?"

    He followed her line of sight and was greeted with a strange sight.

    Three flashes of light lit up the night sky and blew up in the distance.

    He frowned as he watched the spectacle.

    ''Fireworks? There shouldn''t be any festivals this time of year. A warning signal!?''

    His confusion lasted for a moment before being replaced with shock.

    The sparks of the fireworks turned into a giant snake in the sky!

    The snake slithered around and showed its fangs before disappearing into ash.

    "What kind of firework was that?!"

    The Chuunin couldn''t help, but shout out in surprise!

    He then noticed that Anko was looking at the sky with a hint of dread.

    "Mitarashi-san?"

    "Check the locations of each exam taker! I need all of their locations in hour! Also check the perimeter of the Exam site for any bodies! Someone may have snuck into the test!"

    Anko quickly turned to the Chuunin and ordered ferociously!

    "Y-Yes! I''ll get right on it!"

    *Shuu*

    The Chuunin disappeared quickly while Anko also darted over to the exam site!

    ''He snuck right past me! Hang on, Shizuka-chan!''

    ***************

    Orochimaru also looked up into the sky and frowned.

    ''That was a very elaborate firework.''

    He stared into the sky for a moment and suddenly began to chuckle.

    ''I see. It seems like my cover has been blown. It must''ve been the girl from before.''

    He licked his lips happily as he started to calculate.

    "Hmmm. They shouldn''t be too far away."

    Orochimaru smiled with a sinister grin as a plan came to mind.

    ''I wonder what face they''ll make when they head to their friend''s location only to find me there as well.''

    *Shuu*

    He quickly started to head over to the location to bring his plan to fruition.

    ********

    Maka also looked up into the sky and watched the strange firework.

    She began to frown deeply as she felt she had missed something.

    "Oh no!"

    She suddenly realized who would have such a firework!

    She turned back to the others with a pale face.

    "I think Shizuka used a weird flare to notify the examiners!"

    Hii was surprised for a moment before frowning deeply.

    "Her location was probably given away as well."

    Maka nodded her head and looked at Sasuke.

    "How are you feeling?"

    "I''m good to go, Nee-san."

    Maka nodded her head and turned back to Hii.

    Hii''s frown deepened as he guessed what she was planning.

    "You can''t intercept someone like that so easily."

    Maka smiled as she nodded her head.

    "I know. I just...have to do something. We need more time, however we can get it before reinforcements come."

    Maka exited the tree while Sasuke followed behind her.

    "Maka!"

    Maka turned around to see Hii''s back illuminated by his healing technique.

    "Watch out for everything he does. He''s called a snake for a reason."

    Maka slowly nodded her head and disappeared with Sasuke.

    Hii focused on Naruto and sighed.

    ''She really thinks I''m going to just let her fight him on her own. I have to hurry and get him stable so I can support them.''

    *Oooooom*

    Hii put a bit more chakra into his technique as he healed Naruto as best as he could.

    He didn''t have much time to waste.

    ************

    Orochimaru jumped between nearby trees as he headed towards the source of the fireworks.

    ''Hm?''

    He suddenly stopped and sensed everything around him.

    Once he finished, a smile came over his face.

    ''I have at most 10 minutes or less. I should be able to exact a little punishment for ruining my fun.''

    Orochimaru licked his lips as he continued to head towards his prey.

    *********

    "W-What was that thing?!"

    Karin came back down from the tree and asked Shizuka.

    Shizuka smiled weakly at her reaction.

    "It was a type of flare I made, just in case something like this happened."

    Shizuka weakly shook her head as she looked into the sky.

    "I just didn''t expect to use it so soon."

    Shizuka turned to Sakura with a serious face.

    "Sakura-chan. I need you to go into my pouch as well and pull out some items."

    "Got it!"

    "Look for a stack of seal tags. They should be bound together."

    Sakura quickly went into her pouch and found the seals.

    "This is?!"

    Sakura looked at the seals and realized she had never seen this type of seal before.

    "Don''t waste any time. Just put them on the nearby trees like a barrier."

    Sakura looked at Shizuka for a moment and nodded her head.

    She quickly ran to the nearby trees and slapped the seals on their trunks.

    *Zuzuzuzu*

    The writing on the seals began to spread down towards the ground as well as up the trees, forming a large circle around them.

    Sakura and Karin were shocked as they looked around at the seal.

    They didn''t notice Shizuka''s sly grin as she watched the seal expand out.

    ''I hope he comes...''

    *********

    Orochimaru leisurely made his way into the nearby area and looked for signs of his prey.

    ''Ah! There we are.''

    Orochimaru hid in a nearby tree and observed the three girls.

    ''Fufufu. Looks like she hasn''t recovered yet. How unfortunate.''

    Orochimaru snickered as he reached into his pouch and pulled out some shurikens.

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    He threw them towards the group!

    "Look out!"

    Sakura quickly reacted and prepared to throw her own shurikens.

    *Clang Clang*

    "Huh?!"

    "W-What?!"

    Sakura and Karin were both shocked as they watched the shurikens get swatted away!

    Strange black hands hovered from the nearby shadows of the trees.

    Shizuka had a frown on her face as she tried to find Orochimaru from her position.

    ''Tch! I thought he''d rush in!''

    Orochimaru looked at the strange black hands with sparkles in his eyes.

    "Fascinating! How were these made?"

    Orochimaru decided to simply walk towards the seal and examine it closely.

    Sakura and Karin immediately reacted, the former pulling out a kunai while the later held shurikens in her hand.

    They both hovered over Shizuka, but Orochimaru paid them no mind.

    He only looked at the symbols on the ground and trees with intrigue and greed.

    "Hmmmm..."

    He was oblivious to Shizuka''s death stare!

    "Orochimaru!"

    Her fists clenched, but she and everyone else knew she couldn''t move.

    "Such impressive work from a Genin. You really do have a talent for this."

    Orochimaru looked over the seal with more and more praise for it.

    "How do you...Oh! I see. So you implemented that into the seal. Impressive!"

    Orochimaru kept praising her seal, but Shizuka only felt more and more disgust for him and his ability.

    He was far stronger than she could''ve imagined.

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    "Hmm?"

    Orochimaru turned his head as he saw several shurikens flying towards him!

    He casually leaned his head to avoid them.

    *Clang *

    One stray shuriken was swatted away by a nearby black hand.

    "Is it time for us to dance once again, Uchiha brats?"

    *Shuu Shuu*

    Maka and Sasuke landed nearby and got ready to fight!

    "Maka-san! Sasuke!"

    Sakura shouted in joy seeing her teammates still safe and sound.

    "Are you ready, Sasuke?"

    "Ready!"

    Maka took a deep breath and focused on Orochimaru.

    He stood by casually with his arms crossed.

    "...Hmm!"

    Maka quickly reached into her pouch and threw several shurikens at him!

    Sasuke immediately darted towards him as well while Maka started to weave handsigns!

    "How will you deal with me now?"

    *Clang Clang*

    Orochimaru pulled out a kunai and deflected the nearby shurikens as he watched Sasuke approach!

    Sasuke pulled out a kunai as well and swung at Orochimaru with a leaping strike!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    He tried to circle Orochimaru and stab him, but Orochimaru showed the gap between them by dodging all of Sasuke''s attempts and countered!

    Sasuke''s Sharingan could barely catch his moves as he held his attention!

    He carefully checked Maka for a moment and noticed she was ready to attack.

    The only problem now was that he couldn''t get out of his rhythm!

    Sasuke''s brows furrowed as he deflected his attacks.

    ''How should I get out of this?!''

    "Earth Style: Stone Grip Jutsu!"

    *Crack*

    The ground beneath Orochimaru suddenly burst apart as two hands reached out and grabbed Orochimaru''s ankles!

    Sasuke glanced over at Sakura who placed her hands on the ground.

    ''Thanks!''

    Sasuke quickly jumped back from him and weaved handsigns as well!

    "Fire Style: Phoenix Blast!"

    "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"

    Maka and Sasuke both shot out fireballs at Orochimaru, cutting off his escape!

    *Boom*

    "Kyaaa!!"

    Karin blocked her face as the explosion sent wind all around them.

    Maka and Sasuke watched the fire intently as their Sharingan tried to peer into the flames.

    They both saw a silhouette of Orochimaru still bound to the ground by the stone hands.

    Sasuke trembled as he saw the shadow slowly burn away!

    "Nee-san! Watch the ground!"

    *Crack*

    A blade appeared right behind Maka from the ground!

    "Wha?!"

    *Puchi*

    The blade stabbed through Maka''s stomach as she held on to the blade to stop from sliding on it!

    "Ghk!"

    "Fuhahahaha!"

    Orochimaru''s head slithered out of the ground as it lifted Maka up!

    "How unfortunate."

    "Nee-san!"

    Sasuke panicked as he watched Maka get carried into the air!

    "No!"

    "....."

    Sakura and Karin both watched in horror as blood dripped down the blade.

    "You! You''ll pay!"

    "It seems like the Uchiha''s next generation isn''t much."

    Orochimaru gloated over his victory for a moment before noticing something strange.

    Shizuka was smiling as she watched Orochimaru!

    ''Wait!''

    Before Orochimaru could pinpoint the problem, Maka appeared right behind his stretched neck!

    *Slash*

    His snake-like neck was severed, splashing blood everywhere.

    Maka quickly backed up from the spray and watched his head slam to the ground.

    "Nee-san!"

    "She''s okay!"

    "Huaaa~! Thank goodness!"

    The Genin were all happy she was okay as Shizuka shook her head.

    ''Maka has grown stronger too.''

    Shizuka looked over at Karin for a moment and gritted her teeth.

    ''No! I just have to wait now! I can''t go off on my own again! The consequences could be worse next time.''

    Shizuka shook off those strange thoughts as the group heard a strange sound.

    *Splat Crack*

    A hand extended out of Orochimaru''s mouth, carrying the handle of his sword.

    Sasuke groaned as he saw that.

    "Again?! Can this guy even die?!"

    Sasuke could hear Sakura and Shizuka groan as well!

    "He''s more of a cockroach if anything at this point."

    Even Maka couldn''t help, but groan at his vitality.

    After a moment, the group saw the arm crawl away from the head, revealing Orochimaru''s figure.

    "I''m surprised again and again by you, little Uchiha."

    He wiped off the slime from his sleeves as he chuckled.

    Maka shivered at how gross he was, but didn''t take her eyes off him.

    "It''s pretty impressive how similar you brats are to those two. Fufufufufu! I wonder how much more you have to show me?"

    Orochimaru swung his blade and pointed it at Maka and Sasuke.

    Maka started to sweat as she held her kunai close.

    "I''m starting to see how Hii felt when that guy was chasing after him..."

    "Huh?!"

    Maka shook her head and sighed. She ignored Sasuke and focused.

    "Don''t worry about it. Let''s hold him off!"

    **********

    *Jyuuuuu*

    Hii healed the last section of Naruto''s injuries before wiping his forehead of sweat.

    ''He should be waking up soon. I just need a quick breather before I''m ready to go.''

    Hii quickly calmed his breath and tried to restore as much of his chakra as he could.

    He knew there wasn''t much time left before Naruto woke up.

    ''Akumu. Fuyuki. Can you guys hear me?''

    {Loud and clear!}

    [Yeah. Did something happen?]

    Hii started to recap what had happened since the start of the test.

    {Uuugh! He sounds really creepy!}

    [Sadly, we can''t help you on this one right now.]

    ''Is something else happening?''

    {Yeah! We''ve been getting this really bad feeling, like a net is being cast over the village.}

    [We have a lead, but we can''t expose ourselves to someone like Orochimaru. If he finds out, the target may be notified as well. It''s likely they are related to him.]

    ''....I see.''

    Hii had a feeling, but he never imagined someone striking the village at such a scale.

    ''Well, I''ll do what I can.''

    "Ugh..."

    Hii woke up from his meditation and looked over at Naruto waking up.

    "Hii. Where is everyone?"

    "At another location. We have to get going soon to help out!"

    Hii crossed his fingers and poured in some newly formed chakra.

    "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

    *Poof*

    Another version of Hii appeared and squatted down close to Naruto.

    "Come on! Get on quick!"

    "Ah. Right."

    Naruto weakly got on to the clone''s back.

    "Let''s go!"

    *Shuu Shuu*

    The three quickly ran after Sasuke and Maka!

    ********

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    Anko ran quickly through the trees as she headed towards the site of the flare with her team.

    "Mitarashi-san! We''ll be at the site soon."

    "Good! Everyone! Keep on your toes! I''m going ahead to get the drop on him!"

    ""Yes. Ma''am!""

    The three responded seriously as they followed behind her.

    ''I''ll catch you this time, Orochimaru!''

    Anko rubbed her shoulder with her hand as a her eyes gleamed with intent.

    **********

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    "Sasuke!"

    "I see him!"

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Sasuke and Maka held Orochimaru off with their kunais as they worked together to push him back.

    "Fufufufu! You two are looking more and more promising as we fight."

    Orochimaru had the grin of predator on as he continued to stab towards the two.

    "Earth Style: Rock Wall!"

    *Crack*

    Sakura palmed the ground as a rock wall appeared between Orochimaru and Sasuke, giving him some much needed breathing room.

    "Haa! Haa!"

    "Sakura-san! You can use me if you need more chakra!"

    Sakura glanced at her and shook her head.

    "No need. If anyone would need it, it''s Shizuka-san."

    "I''m not taking it!"

    Shizuka refused as she watched the battle with clenched fists.

    She glanced at Karin for a moment before focusing back on the fight.

    *Swish Swish Clang*

    Sasuke found an opening with Maka''s attack and stabbed at Orochimaru!

    *Puchi*

    Orochimaru grabbed the kunai with his own hand, letting the blade pierce through him!

    "It''s about time we end this game."

    Orochimaru quickly splashed blood from his wound onto Sasuke''s face!

    "Ugh!"

    "Sasuke!"

    Maka quickly darted over to him and slashed at Orochimaru!

    He backed away from the slash with a chuckle as she defended Sasuke.

    "Sasuke! Are you okay?!"

    "Ugh! I''m...fine! Urgh!"

    Sasuke fell to his knees as he held his head.

    Maka nervously looked between Sasuke and Orochimaru as she tried to keep the situation under control.

    "Fufufufu. He''s holding on quite well. I thought the poison would''ve knocked him out by now. Such a strong will."

    ''Poison?! In his blood?!''

    Maka was caught off guard by Orochimaru''s tricks. She never suspected that even his blood was tampered with.

    ''He''s too dangerous. I''m nowhere near ready to take him on right now!''

    Maka gaze never left Orochimaru as she quickly dug into her pouch and pulled out a canteen.

    "Here, Sasuke. Use the water in this to wash out the blood. You can''t let it stick to you."

    "Ghk!"

    Maka could feel Sasuke reaching for the canteen, but was only able to grab her arm or the air.

    "Tch!"

    She clicked her tongue and quickly came behind him and placed the bottle in his hands.

    "Thanks for helping me, little brother. I''ll take it from here."

    "W-What?!"

    "Hup!"

    She grabbed his shirt and threw him towards the seal!

    "Oh no!"

    "Wait!"

    The others watched in terror as they assumed the dark hands would attack Sasuke, but to their surprise, the hands actually caught him and placed him inside!

    "H-How?!"

    "Fufufu."

    Orochimaru watched with a gleam in his eyes as he figured something out.

    "I see. The hands respond to threats and ill intent. No, that''s not it either."

    His gaze focused on Shizuka, who also just so happened to be in the center of the formation.

    His eyes grew bright as another theory came to his mind.

    "It attacks or helps what the core thinks is good or bad. Such an ingenious invention."

    "....."

    Shizuka watched him as her fists clenched.

    ''I''ll have to make my seals more complicated if I want to catch him off guard...''

    Shizuka noted this down mentally as Maka pulled out another kunai and glared at Orochimaru.

    "You will pay for that!"

    "Ooh? I wonder how?"

    Maka snorted in disgust as her red eyes began to spin with fervor!

    Orochimaru paused as he saw Maka split apart into 5 different clones.

    "Interesting."

    ""Haaaaaa!"

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    All of the Maka''s darted towards Orochimaru in a synchronized manner!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    Orochimaru slashed at the clones as the continued to strike him!

    "I must commend you for copying your brother''s technique, but you aren''t good enough yet!"

    Orochimaru struck one of the images of Maka with his kunai, only to watch it disappear into nothing!

    "Now!"

    The four images of Maka all grabbed onto Orochimaru and held him down!

    "What?! Since when?!"

    Orochimaru was shocked! He didn''t see her use any seals!

    How could they be Shadow clones?!

    "Haaaa!"

    *Shwing Splat*

    Maka appeared in front of him and cut of his head with her kunais!

    She quickly backed away and weaved handsigns as she landed!

    "Fire Style: Great Flame Jutsu!"

    *Fwooosh*

    "Aaargh!"

    Maka shot her flames at Orochimaru and her clones as they were all swallowed by the flames!

    "Yes!"

    Karin shouted out gleefully as she watched the fire burn!

    Sakura looked worriedly at the flame as she helped Sasuke clean his face.

    "...Do you think he''s gone?"

    "Don''t hold your breath."

    Shizuka looked towards a nearby bush and sighed as Orochimaru appeared once again.

    "That hurt quite a bit this time. I see you''re becoming more and more desirable as time passes."

    "I''m not interested in what you''re selling, creep."

    "How rude. I only want your body after all. I wouldn''t mind being a woman again for a few more years. Especially if I can have that Sharingan."

    Maka felt a violent shiver come over her as Orochimaru licked his lips.

    "Don''t even think I''ll let you do that! Kuh!"

    "Shizuka-san!"

    Shizuka nearly stood up in rage at Orochimaru, but her body couldn''t hold itself up.

    Orochimaru chuckled as he turned to look at her.

    "Your body isn''t a bad choice either. That goes for little Sasuke-kun as well."

    *Shuu*

    Maka immediately struck at him, but he jumped back from her attack with a chuckle.

    "Oh! Did I hit a nerve?"

    "No. Your existence is just irritating!"

    "!!!"

    *Shaaa*

    Several large snakes appeared behind Orochimaru and bit into him!

    ""!!!!""

    The Genin were shocked at the sight until a kunoichi came from behind Orochimaru.

    "Anko-san!"

    Shizuka sighed in relief as she knew her flare worked.

    "Thanks for the warning, Shizuka-chan! He would''ve gotten away from us if you didn''t let us know."

    "Hehehe! It''s good to see you as well, Anko."

    Orochimaru chuckled as he could feel the snakes bite harder into his body.

    "You won''t be getting away this time, Orochimaru!"

    "Hmmm. I wonder if that''s true."

    Orochimaru''s hand formed a seal, trying to activate a technique.

    After a few seconds, however, he realized something as his face grew cold.

    "How did you do it?!"

    Anko''s face showed a sinister grin as she made her snakes wrap around him with a tighter grip.

    "Wouldn''t you like to know?"

    Orochimaru couldn''t feel his connection to her cursed seal anymore!

    His mind raced as he tried to figure out how this could''ve happened, until his gaze came across the strange seal the Genin made.

    It all clicked at that moment.

    "You...."

    Orochimaru''s gaze was cold as he honed in on Shizuka''s face, which was plastered with the biggest smile she could muster.

    She had already noticed that weird mark on Anko when she had first met her, and had already tried to fix it for her as soon as she learned it came from Orochimaru.

    Luckily, she found a way to suppress the seal by overlaying it with another seal. It gave a dull pain to the body, but it was nothing compared to the power the original seal would release.

    She did all of this just to get a glimpse of Orochimaru''s flustered expression and she had to admit it felt good!

    "Hehehe!!"

    "You little!"

    Orochimaru''s mouth opened wide as another version of him ripped his jaw open and crawled towards the seal at high speed!

    "Oh no, you don''t!"

    "You''re not getting to them!"

    Anko and Maka quickly tried to cut him off from reaching the seal!

    "Ninja Art: Shadow Snake!"

    Anko raised her hands as more snakes shot out from her sleeves!

    Maka also assisted as she threw shurikens toward Orochimaru to slow him down!

    "It''s useless!"

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    He deflected the shurikens, only to see reflective lines shine from the deflected shurikens!

    *Woosh Woosh*

    The wires quickly wrapped around him while snakes launched on to him once more, binding him in place!

    "This won''t stop me!"

    He yelled in anger as he opened his mouth and stretched his neck!

    The sword of Kusanagi stretched out from his mouth and shot towards the seal, aiming straight for Shizuka!

    *Crrrrrr*

    The dark hands instantly wrapped around the blade slowing it down to a crawl as it pushed forward slowly.

    Orochimaru tried to pierce the seal as hard as he could!

    "Don''t you dare!"

    Anko''s glare became sharp as she released more snakes from her sleeves into Orochimaru''s neck!

    Karin stood up and pulled out a kunai to block the slowly approaching blade as well!

    She was the only one who could help now since Sakura was busy!

    "I won''t let you through!"

    She valiantly stood up to Orochimaru, though her legs were still trembling violently.

    *Bzzzt Swish*

    Suddenly, everyone heard the crackling sounds of lightning as something streaked by and slashed Orochimaru''s neck!

    "Gyaaah!"

    Orochimaru yelled as he crashed to the ground.

    His body went limp as the figure shrouded in lightning became clear.

    "Hii-kun!"

    Hii turned around to look at everyone and sighed when he saw they were relatively safe.

    *Shuu*

    His clone followed shortly behind him and jumped into the seal with Naruto on his back.

    "Naruto!"

    "Hey, Nee-san."

    Naruto weakly waved his hand as he tried to recover his energy.

    Hii''s clone placed Naruto down and drew its blade as well.

    *Splich*

    Everyone was used to the sickening sound of Orochimaru regrowing his body.

    This time he came out of his neck wound as a new Orochimaru stretched his limbs.

    "Ugh! This guy is sickeningly tough."

    "Fufufufu! Thank you for the compliment, little Hii-kun. I must admit that the slice you gave me was quite majestic."

    "Enough! Give it up, Orochimaru! We have ninjas on the way to take you down!"

    Orochimaru looked at his old disciple and could feel numerous chakra signatures coming his way. Some of them were familiar while some were new to him.

    "Fufufufufufu...Hahahahahahahaha!!!"

    Orochimaru began to cackle loudly as he leaned his head back into the night sky, sending chills into everyone as they felt an unholy amount of chakra emanate from him.

    Once he was done laughing, however, his chakra completely disappeared. He looked calm as he looked at the group of Genin.

    "I''ll have to show my respect for such a group of Genin. You kept me so occupied, I forgot to check on the other saplings in this test."

    Orochimaru chuckled as he reached for an item.

    ""!!!!""

    He pulled out a scroll from his pocket. An earth scroll to be exact.

    "I''m certain your little group needs this scroll to pass. Consider it payment for my amusement."

    He tossed the scroll into the seal area, only to watch it be caught and sealed by the dark hands.

    He chuckled at the response, but that only made him more intrigued about the creator.

    "It''s unfortunate that I missed such a talent."

    He shook his head at his luck as he began to weave seals.

    "Of course, I can''t leave the other group without a present!"

    "Look out!"

    "!!"

    His neck extendend towards Maka at high speed as he opened his mouth wide!

    *Bzzt*

    Hii quickly reacted and bolted over to Orochimaru''s neck and sliced it once again!

    "Haha! Not good enough!"

    Much to his horror, Orochimaru''s neck transformed into the body of a white snake and kept going towards Maka!

    Maka was shocked, but still reacted quickly with handsigns!

    "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

    *Fwooosh*

    She breathed fire on the Snake, but the snake continued to dodge her attacks!

    "Tch!"

    Anko quickly flickered over to her and tried to block him!

    "Wind Style! Air Bullets!"

    *Fwoosh*

    Anko fired air bullets at the snake and used the fire to turn them in flaming air bullets!

    "Shaa!"

    Orochimaru dodged her blasts and shot its own airblast at her!

    "Ugh!"

    "Maka-san! Noo!!"

    Maka held her kunai and used her Sharingan to the limit!

    There was only silence for a moment before she saw a nightmarish sight!

    The snake came towards her on fire and with a crazed look in its eyes as it tried to sink his fangs into her!

    "Not yet!"

    She weaved handsigns as fast as she could as the gaping mouth grew closer!

    "Wind style: Air Bomb!"

    *Boom*

    Maka released a shockwave from her mouth that the Snake couldn''t dodge!

    "Shaaa!!"

    *Bang Bang*

    The snake was launched towards the nearby trees as it crashed through them with force!

    "Haaa! Haa! I don''t want your present!"

    Maka sank to her knees as she felt her chakra drop down to nearly nothing. Even her eyes couldn''t keep her Sharingan active.

    Anko sighed in relief as she saw Orochimaru didn''t get to her.

    "Good job, Nee-san."

    Sasuke was relieved as he still couldn''t feel his limbs and help her.

    *Crack*

    The relieved atmosphere broke as a loud crack was heard right behind Maka!

    "Shaaa!!"

    Another white snake appeared from behind her and lunged at her!

    *Bzzzt*

    While everyone was frozen, Hii raced to her side and stood in front of the snake.

    "You won''t hurt her!"

    "Shaaa!!"

    The snake lunged for Maka as Hii aimed to cut him down once and for all!

    Hii, However, felt a shiver run down his spine as he realized something. The eyes of the snake weren''t focused on Maka.

    They were only focused on him!

    The snake that attacked Maka roared and threw itself onto his blade!

    *Crack*

    "Shaaa!"

    A third snake appeared next to the other one and darted towards them!

    Maka gritted her teeth and held her kunai tightly to prepare for another fight, but her face quickly changed as she realized what was happening!

    "No!"

    *Bzzzt*

    Hii tried to keep the snake off of him with his lightning armor, but the snake''s fangs seemed to ignore the defense!

    *Chomp*

    The snake quickly bit into Hii''s shoulder and began to inject a strange type of chakra into him!

    "Aaaaaaaah!!!"

    Hii yelled in pain as the snake continued to brand his body with its technique!

    *Fuuu Bang Bang*

    The snakes near him suddenly burst into ash as his body suddenly began to glow black, white, and purple!

    He yelled in pain as a mark similar to the Sharingan appeared on his right shoulder!

    It pulsated with power as energy converged on that one spot!

    "Hii!!"

    "Hii-kun!"

    Hii felt intense pain come over him all at once as he crumpled down to his knees.

    His sword dropped from his hands as  his body fell forward, crackling with clashing energy.

    Hii couldn''t hear anything as he only saw Maka''s teary face come close to him.

    Her words were drowned out in pain, but Hii smiled at her condition.

    ''At least she''s alright.''

    That was the last thought Hii had before his consciousness slipped away from the pain.

 Ch.86. A Bizarre Change

    The village bustled with energy as the Chuunin exams was going on.

    On the rooftops above, Akumu and Fuyuki stood watching with irritated expressions.

    [Did you lock on to the source?]

    {No. Not yet.}

    Akumu growled softly as he continued to look around.

    {I wonder how it keeps disappearing?}

    [We don''t know, and that''s the problem.]

    Fuyuki and Akumu looked around at the many happy faces, scanning for something that stood out.

    Fuyuki sighed as she plopped down on the roof.

    {Maybe we imagined it? Like a world hiccup or something?}

    [Unlikely. It happened at least 4 times. Something''s going on right underneath us.]

    Fuyuki sighed again, but she decided to keep looking.

    {Well, I guess we get to see them being festive at least.}

    The two sat for a moment before feeling a strange sensation run down their spines.

    {W-What was that?!}

    [.....Hii!]

    Fuyuki shot up from the ground and looked over towards the forest.

    {We have to go see what''s wrong!}

    Right before she started to head towards the forest, an invisible wave of energy came from behind them!

    It was the energy they were looking for!

    {Crap! It finally shows up now?! What do we do?!}

    Akumu looks in both directions for a moment and turned to Fuyuki.

    [You go to the energy source and try to figure out what it is. I''ll check on Hii!]

    {Okay!}

    *Shuu Shuu*

    The two darted away in two different directions as they went to investigate what was going on!

    *******

    Fuyuki found herself outside of a strange looking building in the village.

    [The signal comes from here. I should look around for a bit.]

    Fuyuki started to look around the building, but quickly found herself in a troubling situation.

    "Aaaahn~!"

    "Ora! Ora!"

    *Smack*

    "Yaaahn~!"

    {.......}

    Fuyuki''s face became red as she started to shake!

    {Why is it here?!}

    Fuyuki freaked out for a moment, before shaking her head.

    {This, This is nothing. I''ll be fine.}

    Fuyuki tried to bear with the situation, but the sounds were getting worse as she snuck around the building.

    "Hahaha! Don''t you like this, piggy?! Squeal for me more!"

    "Buhiii! Buhii!"

    "My feet feel good, don''t they?!"

    "Buhii!"

    {What the hell are they even doing?! No! It doesn''t matter! Gotta find the source and get out of here!}

    Fuyuki quickly dashed around the place while invisible until she finally came to the window that the strange energy was last felt.

    {Okay! Let''s get the information we need and move.}

    Fuyuki gazed past the drapes and gulped at the sight in front of her.

    "Ungh! Ungh!"

    "Aahn! Aahn! More~!"

    A man with brown skin was behind a woman with long black hair, pounding into her with all he had.

    Fuyuki was starting to get upset as she looked around the room to find the source of the chakra, but couldn''t see anything of importance.

    {Where is it?!}

    All she found was a headband near a pair of panties and clothes everywhere.

    {A rock? So one of them is an Iwa Ninja?}

    Fuyuki squinted her eyes as she looked at the pair once again, searching for more clues.

    *Smack*

    "Aahn~!"

    "You like that, huh?! Urgh!"

    {Geez...}

    Fuyuki shook her head as the two kept going at it.

    Besides his skin, there was nothing unique about the man. He had a big build with black hair and eyes.

    The woman, however, was very unique.

    Long, black hair bounced along her back as she took the assault of the male with a salacious attitude.

    What drew Fuyuki in wasn''t the level of her debauchery, but the strange tattoos on her body.

    She was covered head to toe with different, bizarre markings and piercings.

    {Uwaaa! She looks like one of those punk girls from back home! I guess the style existed even in a time like this.}

    Fuyuki looked into the room as best as she could, but she still couldn''t spot the source.

    "I''m! Gonna!"

    "Yaaahn~! Hold on!"

    The woman quickly pulled him off and pushed him down. She then mounted him and continued her assault!

    "I''ve got you now! Hmmph! Aaahn!"

    *Slap Slap Slap*

    The woman rode on the man as they both bucked in pleasure!

    {......}

    Fuyuki kept silent as she just watched the pair reach for their climax.

    "Ugh! It''s coming!"

    "Let it all out!"

    *Slap Slap Slap*

    "Ugh!"

    "Aaah~!"

    The two shuddered in bliss as the girl plopped on his chest with satisfaction.

    Fuyuki waited for a moment before shaking her head.

    {Great. I''m a voyeur for nothing. I still couldn''t find it.}

    Fuyuki sighed and planned to head back, but she heard the two starting to talk.

    "Ne~? Let''s go again."

    "Ugh... You''re a monster of a woman. I can''t even get up anymore."

    "Oh. I think I can help with that."

    "Hehe. Now how will you do that?"

    "Like this~."

    The woman placed her lips on his cheek.

    "Heh. I don''t think that''s going to-"

    *Sssssss*

    The woman''s lips suddenly became bright red as they seared into the man''s cheek!

    "Ugh! Agh!"

    A lip mark was singed into his cheek as the woman pulled back.

    The man grimaced in pain as he glared at her.

    "You bit-"

    The woman cut him off by forming a seal in front of him.

    "Sealing technique: Memento Mark."

    "Wha-?!"

    The lip mark began to glow pink as the man''s face became void of emotion. The mark soon disappeared from the man''s cheek, fusing with his skin.

    Fuyuki''s face grew stern as the strange energy she felt before emanated from the lipstick mark!

    "Stand up."

    The man stood up immediately on the bed as the woman admired his physique.

    She smiled seductively and reached for one of her tattoos.

    It shimmered as her hand reached inside of it.

    She pulled out a seal and opened it in front of the man.

    "Sign here, please."

    The man bit into his thumb and wrote his name on the scroll in his blood.

    "Hehe~! I''m so glad I got a big scroll for this."

    Once he signed it with his thumbprint, she rolled the scroll up and put it away.

    "Now that work is over~!"

    She immediately turned around and put herself on all fours.

    "Get back to making me feel good. I need to at least cum 3 more times."

    *Slurp~*

    "Aahn~! You''re so bad!"

    The man bent down and thrust his face into her behind, eating her flower and lapping up as much nectar as he could.

    Fuyuki watched this as a chill came over her body.

    {She''s dangerous! I have to tell Takashi!}

    *Shuuu*

    She disappeared into the night as the woman''s moans began to grow louder and louder.

    *********

    "Haa!"

    Hii woke up in his mental world in shock!

    ''W-What happened?''

    Hii grabbed his head as whispers began to tickle his ears.

    ''Don''t you want more power? Only I can give it to you.''

    Hii could see the shadow of a large snake coiling around him. It radiated a purple, insidious presence as its face came towards Hii.

    "What the?!"

    Hii was taken aback as he noticed the snake''s face was Orochimaru!

    "Come! Only I can show you the way to get stronger."

    Hii balled his fists in anger as he looked at Orochimaru!

    "I don''t want anything to do with you!"

    "Hmph! Then you can only give me your body!"

    *Shaaa*

    The hulking Snake slammed towards Hii, trying to crush him!

    *Awoooo*

    *Awoooo*

    "What?!"

    *Bang*

    Two balls of energy slammed into Orochimaru''s snake body and pushed him away!

    The two balls of energy were black with purple lines and white with red lines.

    The balls began to morph into two giant wolves as they stood next to Hii!

    *Grrrrr*

    *Grrrrr*

    "I see. You have your own secrets, but this body is as good as mine!"

    *Shaaa*

    *Graaah*

    *Awooo*

    The three slammed into each other and began to fight!

    Hii watched the three battle as fury came over him!

    ''You think you can just walk in here and boss me around!?''

    Blue chakra formed around his hand, collecting itself into a blade! He held the blade with both hands and charged forward!

    "Don''t think you can take my body without a fight!"

    **********

    *Shuu Shuu Shuuu*

    "Anko-san!"

    Three ninja came down besides Anko as she looked over the Genin.

    "You guys need to go after Orochimaru! He was here a moment ago. I''m sure he hasn''t gotten far!"

    "Understood!"

    "What about the Genin?"

    The group looked over at the Genin as Anko sighed.

    Naruto and Shizuka looked glum as Karin and Sakura helped them up.

    Sasuke was a bit woozy, but he was more concerned with Maka as she carried Hii on her back in eerie silence.

    Anko looked at Hii''s shoulder and watched the seal given to him by Orochimaru swirl around chaotically.

    "Ung...."

    Maka''s face fell further into despair as each of his groans fell on her ears.

    She turned to Anko and the other Jonin and bowed her head.

    "Can you please guide us to the end of the test? We have the scrolls necessary to complete the mission. We would go by ourselves, but...."

    Maka didn''t finish her sentence, but the ninjas knew what she meant.

    Orochimaru may have targeted her as a ploy to get to Hii, but he could easily come back if they were left unattended.

    Anko nodded her head as she turned to the others.

    "You guys look for Orochimaru''s tracks. I''ll guide the kids to the end."

    ""Yes!!""

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    The ninjas all dispersed as Anko sighed again.

    Maka bowed gratefully as she looked at Anko.

    "Thank you very much."

    "It was my fault that he came in to the test anyway. Just consider it my apology since you ran into him."

    Maka nodded her head as she adjusted Hii''s body to be more comfortable.

    Anko looked over the group and saw everyone was ready for the most part.

    "Okay. Let''s go!"

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    The group moved quickly as they followed Anko over to middle of the forest.

    Shizuka gazed at Anko and motioned Sakura to move closer to her.

    "Anko Nee-san?"

    "Hm? What is it, Shizuka-chan?"

    "....What are his chances?"

    Shizuka could see Maka flinch at the corner of her eye as she asked her question.

    Nevertheless, she had to know.

    She looked at Anko for some hope, but Anko''s sullen face didn''t help their situation.

    "I-I don''t really know. Back when I got mine, it was the prototype. I barely survived that. Who knows how many people died for that seal to progress this far."

    Maka nodded her head slowly as she continued to carry Hii.

    Shizuka looked over at Maka as she carried Hii with a sad expression.

    ''He''ll be fine. He''s tough. I still have to pay him back. He can''t die before then.''

    Shizuka nodded her head as she kept her eyes on the Hii''s seal.

    She was shocked for a moment before whipping her head towards Anko!

    "Is it suppose to do that?!"

    Anko looked at Hii''s shoulder in response and was shocked as well!

    *Shrrrr*

    The seal on Hii''s neck began to spin as it started to glow with a bright light!

    "Guh!"

    Hii''s grunt was heard by the squad who all looked at Anko shortly after.

    Her face grew dark as she looked at his seal start to rotate.

    "Get to the tower! Now!"

    *********

    "Awoooo!!"

    "Graaaah!"

    "Haaa!"

    *Boom Boom Swish*

    The three attacked one after the other, raining attacks on Orochimaru as he was being pushed into a corner.

    "How can this be?! How can you have such a strong wills?! How do you have more than one?!"

    "I''m not gonna answer a dead man''s questions!"

    *Slash*

    Hii slashed at the snakes forming around Orochimaru''s soul as he dodged away, only to be corned by the two wolves.

    ""Graaah!!""

    "These mutts!"

    Orochimaru swiveled his snake body and swung his tail towards the three spirits!

    "Whoa!"

    Hii slid under the tail, but the pressure of the swing sent him flying!

    Fuyuki jumped over the swipe and tried to bite the snake!

    Hii tried to stabilize himself when he finally crashed into a wall of soft fur.

    "Thanks, Akumu."

    "Awoo."

    Hii dropped down back to the floor and looked at Akumu''s form in detail.

    ''He doesn''t have the cool air he usually has. Maybe....''

    Hii looked over at Fuyuki as well and noticed both were baring their fangs towards Orochimaru without much heed to him.

    Orochimaru coiled himself tightly, ready to strike towards Hii at any time.

    "Just give up and give me this body! Submit to me!"

    "No! Get out, creep!"

    "Ha! You think you can stop me?!"

    *Shaaa*

    Orochimaru flung himself towards Hii, ignoring the two wolves as he charged forward!

    ''This is my mind, so I should be able to do it here.''

    "Here goes! Akumu! Fuyuki!"

    *Awoooooo*

    The two wolves howled as their bodies were drawn towards Hii at high speed!

    "It''s useless!"

    Orochimaru jumped at Hii with his mouth opened wide, ready to swallow Hii''s soul whole!

    "Now!"

    Hii channeled the chakra of both Akumu and Fuyuki towards his sword, creating a mix of purple, blue, and orange on the blade!

    "Haaaa!!"

    *Slash*

    The blade slashed through Orochimaru completely as Hii passed on the side of him at the last moment!

    Orochimaru landed back on the ground and coiled up once more.

    "Hmph! Was that your attempt to stop me? Just-"

    Orochimaru wanted to gloat more, but he soon noticed his soul no longer moved as he wanted!

    "W-What did you do?!"

    He began to panic as his dark form began to disintegrate at a rapid pace!

    It spread from the cut Hii made with his sword!

    "No! This can''t be?!"

    Orochimaru''s soul soon faded rapidly as he struggled against the energy of the sword!

    Orochimaru could only glare at Hii as he vanished from his mindscape.

    The world quickly became quiet as Hii dropped to the ground.

    "Phew! That wasn''t something I want to do often."

    Hii breathed out a sigh as he examined his new blade closely.

    The blade was interwoven with all three of their Chakras, seeming to both meld together and separate from each other.

    "Huh?"

    Hii''s attention went to the ground for a moment as a Sharingan-like symbol appeared beneath him.

    "A seal? Is this the one I was bitten with?"

    *Huuuum*

    Hii''s head turned to the blade as he watched it slowly be drawn towards the rotating tomoes.

    "....."

    Hii let go of the blade for a moment and watched it stab itself right into the middle of the seal.

    *Wrrrrrrr*

    "Um..."

    Hii had a strange feeling well up inside of him as he saw the seal filling with the sword''s three colors.

    Hii saw the seal shining with three colors growing brighter and brighter!

    He blocked his eyes with his hand as the seal became blinding and washed his mind in white light.

    *************

    As the group came towards the tower, Anko immediately notified the other supervisors.

    High ranked ninja were notified of the situation quickly and came to assist.

    They placed Hii in room covered in seals as Kakashi took charge of the operation.

    Kakashi looked at Hii''s shoulder with a stern gaze while he lifted his headband up.

    "Something''s happening to the seal. This doesn''t look like the seal Anko received anymore "

    The room grew tense as the Chuunin and Jonin watched Hii with anxious gazes.

    They could see the black seal suddenly start to shine in 3 different colors!

    ''Please don''t let something happen to him!''

    Some ninjas couldn''t help, but pray that he would survive the seal.

    If he didn''t, his mother would become a nightmare to fear!

    *Wrrrrr*

    "Guh!"

    Hii''s groaned as his body jerked from the seal activating!

    Kakashi watched the seal tensely. His hands were ready to seal it up until he was shocked by what he saw!

    The pupil of the seal began to slowly shrink and divert towards the three tomoes around it. The tomoes increased in size and began to move in three different directions while solidifying a color.

    One of the Tomoes turned white and moved to his left bicep. Another kept the black color and went towards his right bicep. The final tomoe turned light blue and moved to the back of his neck.

    "......"

    Kakashi had an idea of what was happening, but still kept his senses sharp in case Hii had an adverse reaction.

    He slowly relaxed as Hii''s breathing began to soften and mellow out.

    ""Haaaaa~!""

    The room gave a collective sigh as immediate relief came to them.

    Kakashi kept watching the symbols on Hii''s arms and neck as they seemed to still be transforming.

    He watched the seals for a short while before a wry smile came on his face.

    ''Looks like he won''t be so hidden anymore.''

    ***********

    *Tap Tap Tap*

    Maka walked steadily towards the sealing room from the healing wing.

    Besides exhaustion, Maka was relatively fine compared to Shizuka and Naruto.

    Naruto stayed around his sister as his wounds lessened while they rushed to the tower.

    Shizuka grumbled about how unfair he was as she was tended to by medical personnel in the tower.

    Team 7 stayed with Shizuka as they gave a report of what happened. Karin was taken away after Shizuka told the ninja her connection to the Hokage.

    Maka hurriedly made her way to the sealing room Hii was taken to and found Kakashi standing outside of the door.

    "Kakashi-sensei! How did it go?!"

    Kakashi looked over at Maka and noticed her Sharingan was activated as she waited for his response.

    "Calm down. He''s stable and pulled through on his own. It seems like he''ll be fine for now. "

    "Haaaaa~!"

    Kakashi watched as Maka slumped down to the floor with a relieved face.

    He couldn''t help smiling as Maka realized what she had done and quickly stood up.

    "Ahem. I-Is it okay if I check in on him?"

    "Sure. Just refrain from touching him right now. We still don''t know what effects the seal now has. It seems to have mutated from the normal outcome."

    Maka was confused by what he meant, but nodded her head nonetheless.

    Kakashi moved aside and allowed her to go into the room.

    She saw Hii laying on a bed in the middle of the room without a shirt.

    Her eyes checked his shoulder for the seal, but saw that it was replaced with two new seals on his arms.

    "What happened?"

    Maka continued to check him and noticed his arms were vastly different from before.

    His left was adorned with an white tattoo that looked like a wolf head pointing up his arm.

    His right arm had a black version of the same tattoo pointing to his hand.

    She was curious of the new markings, but that didn''t matter now since he was fine.

    He was sleeping soundly and was no longer in pain.

    She would have to wait until he woke up to find out what brought on this change.

    She pulled up a chair nearby and sat next to him.

    She gazed at him for a moment before looking down at her hands, clenching them tightly as her mind replayed her actions.

    Mistakes were made and needed to be rectified.

    "...."

    *Bam*

    She punched her seat in silence as her face grew colder and colder.

    ''I need more training. This can''t happen again. Never again.''

    Maka continued to analyze her thoughts in silence, unaware her Sharingan was still active and rotating slowly with more power and emotion.

    ************

    "Naruto! I said I''m fine!"

    "Are you sure?! You pushed yourself pretty hard!"

    "Do you have the right to say that?! I heard about what you were doing when I was out!"

    "Ugh!"

    Sakura shook her head lightly as she watched the siblings argue with each other.

    She turned her head towards Sasuke who was leaning against a wall.

    His focus was outside as he looked at the door leading out of the room.

    Sakura thought for a moment before standing up from her seat and heading over to Naruto.

    "Come on. Let Shizuka-san get some rest. She should be exhausted."

    "But!"

    "We should go check on Hii for a moment. Maka still hasn''t come back yet."

    Naruto wanted to protest, but quickly grew quiet as he was also concerned about Hii.

    "....Okay. Let''s go visit him."

    "Finally! I can get some rest now."

    "This isn''t over yet, Nee-san! I''m telling Mom you''re making weird seals again!"

    Shizuka was shocked for a moment before her face became serious.

    "If I''m going down, I''m taking you down with me. I will tell Mom where your "research material" for Sexy Jutsu is hidden!"

    "!!!!"

    The room grew eerily silent.

    The two maintained eye contact for a moment before both turning away.

    "Let''s go."

    "Heh!"

    Sasuke couldn''t help laughing at the two as he got off the wall and followed Naruto outside.

    Sakura followed behind them, but turned before she got outside the door.

    "Don''t beat yourself up, Shizuka-san. Without you, we would''ve had a much worse experience than this. We might have died out there."

    "......"

    "Thank you. Get some rest."

    Sakura bowed her head before closing the door and following after her team.

    "......"

    Shizuka looked up at the ceiling for a moment before her eyes started to water.

    *Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang*

    She smashed her hands down on the bed as she vented her frustrations!

    ".....I won''t let you get away next time, you bastard!"

    A cold aura burst from Shizuka''s body as she made plans for a new seal. She wiped her tears from her face as her obsession became firmer than before.

    ************

    Deep in the forest, Orochimaru closed his eyes as he checked his connection to the seal he just planted.

    "......"

    He opened them as a gleam flashed across his eyes.

    "Fufufufu. Now how did you take over the seal? There are even deeper secrets in you I''ve yet to find."

    He wasn''t even mad at the outcome. It only made Hii more interesting in his eyes.

    ''Looks like I''ll have to keep a closer eye on him.''

    Orochimaru licked his lips as he slowly slithered away.

    Little did he know, a pair of white and black Sharingan watched him silently as he went.

    *************

    At the Hokage office,

    Minato''s face was serious as he listened to the report Kakashi and Anko gave him about the progress of the exams.

    "....And that''s what we know so far."

    "......Haaaa."

    Minato flopped back in his chair as he looked up at the ceiling.

    "Where is Kaya-san right now?"

    Kakashi''s posture became stiff as he answered his Sensei.

    "She''s out on a mission right now. She shouldn''t have heard about the attack yet."

    Minato''s hand came to his face and pinched between his eyebrows.

    "Make sure her family learns about this as calmly as possible. I can''t stop them all if they decide to hunt for him."

    "Understood."

    Minato wiped his face as he turned to Anko.

    "Was there anything else to report?"

    "Yes, Hokage-sama!"

    Anko turned around and headed towards the door.

    Minato was confused for a moment, but stood up as soon as another figure stepped into the office.

    Karin stiffly walked in and looked at Minato with respect and fear.

    "Um! I-I am Karin Uzumaki. I-I heard you married a relative of mine?"

    ************

    "Ugh..."

    Hii groaned as he opened his eyes to a ceiling.

    ".....I guess we passed the exam?"

    Hii sat up and looked around.

    He saw Maka asleep in a chair next to him.

    "......."

    A smile formed on his face as he got up.

    He draped the covers over him onto Maka silently before noticing his new tattoos.

    "....."

    Hii looked over at the both tattoos and sighed.

    "Mom is gonna kill me."

    [Maybe. Who knows?]

    Hii turned to the corner of the room and noticed Akumu keeping watch.

    "Hey. How was your search? Hopefully, it was better than what happened to me."

    [It wasn''t too different from your experience. I ran into Orochimaru as well.]

    Hii''s shoulder throbbed as he heard that disgusting man''s name.

    "I think I get how Shizuka feels whenever she hears his name."

    [That''s possible. Let''s go out for a minute. We need to go over what happened to us and those new tattoos of yours.]

    Hii nodded his head and went to put on his shirt.

    Akumu jumped into his shadow and followed him.

    *Wrrr*

    "Hmm?"

    Hii suddenly noticed something strange.

    The black wolf tattoo on his right arm began to glow for a moment before going silent.

    "This is..."

    [Let''s find somewhere quiet to figure out what this means.]

    Hii nodded his head and went outside.

    As he walked outside, he checked the hallways for where to go.

    "Where am I?"

    [The sealing ward. They were preparing to seal your shoulder like they did Anko''s, but your seal mutated. What happened?]

    Hii began to recount what happened once he blacked out as Akumu listened quietly.

    Once he was done, Akumu sighed in relief.

    [I''m glad we gave you our energy. That was most likely an attempt to control and destroy your soul. Our energy must''ve acted on instinct.]

    Hii nodded his head as he remembered the battle.

    [After the fight, our energy must''ve changed the seals functions and replaced the will Orochimaru left in it. It''s a whole new seal now. Strange to see three wolves though.]

    Hii nodded his head before stopping.

    "What do you mean three wolves? I only see two of them."

    [There is another one on the back of your neck. It''s blue and a little smaller.]

    Hii was surprised to hear he had three tattoos.

    "Mom is gonna flip now..."

    [Well, maybe it won''t be that bad. Not like you wanted to get bitten.]

    "True. Let''s hope she takes that into account."

    They arrived at an area in the back of the tower and saw Sasuke and Naruto fighting each other.

    *Bang Bang Swish*

    "Haaaa!"

    "Take this!"

    Hii watched as the two battled each other fiercely while he made his way over.

    He also saw Sakura watching the two battle and made eye contact with her.

    "Hii-kun?!"

    ""?!""

    The two stopped for a moment before turning around towards Hii.

    "Hii! You''re up!"

    *Shuu Shuu*

    The two jumped towards him and examined his new tattoos.

    "Whoa! Those look pretty cool!"

    "How are you feeling?"

    Naruto looked over his arms as Sasuke asked with concern.

    "I''m feeling pretty good."

    "Does Nee-san know you''re up?"

    Hii shook his head as he rolled his sleeves.

    "No. She was still sleep. I decided to let her rest."

    "That''s probably for the best. She was overworking herself ever since we got here."

    "Do they do anything?"

    Hii looked at his arms and shook his head.

    "I don''t know. All I know right know is they seem to glow around Akumu and Fuyuki. The right one turned purple earlier."

    "He''s here?"

    *Where is that bastard?!*

    ''Hold on, Kurama! No fighting right now!''

    *Zuuuu*

    Akumu jumped out of Hii''s shadow and shook his fur.

    [Don''t mind me. Just test yourself out with these two.]

    "Well? You guys want to help me test these...seals?"

    "Sure! But are you sure you''re okay? You don''t feel odd or anything?"

    Hii opened and closed his hands with a smile.

    "I feel fine. Great even."

    "Well, let''s find out how great you feel then."

    Sasuke jumped back from Hii and prepared his stance.

    "Heh! Let''s see what you''ve got!"

    Naruto jumped back as well and got ready to fight.

    *Fight the mutt instead, Naruto! I''ll give you my chakra!*

    ''Not now!''

    "Hehe! You guys are excited."

    Hii chuckled as he also got ready to fight.

    "I''ll be referee then. You sure you''re okay, Hii-kun?"

    Hii just nodded his head, making Sakura sigh.

    "Ugh, boys. Are you guys ready?"

    Sakura raised her hand as everyone got ready.

    "Go!"

    The moment Sakura''s hand went down, the three jumped towards each other!

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    Hii blocked Naruto''s and Sasuke''s assault while slowly countering their attacks!

    Hii sent his right elbow towards Sasuke''s head, making him dodge back so he could focus on Naruto.

    "Shadow clone Jutsu!"

    *Poof Poof*

    4 clones of Naruto rushed towards Hii and stalled him as Naruto jumped back with Sasuke.

    ''Well, this is as good a time as any.''

    Hii clenched his fists and focused his chakra towards his left arm as he prepared an attack for the clone approaching him.

    *Wrrrr*

    His left arm suddenly began to glow with an orange light as the wolf tattoo spread all around his arm!

    Hii felt a slight burn on his arm, but it wasn''t as bad as it usually was.

    "Hmph!"

    *Boom*

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    Hii threw his punch toward the clones and was shocked by the force of his punch!

    "Huh?!"

    "Woah!"

    Naruto and Sasuke braced themselves for the wind pressure coming towards them as Naruto''s clones burst into smoke!

    "Whoa! That''s super cool!"

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    Naruto grew excited as he made more clones and rushed towards Hii.

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    Hii fought the clones a lot easier than earlier before as he felt his speed increase.

    ''Huh. So physical improvement?''

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    Hii struck the clones through the gap of their attacks with his fists and knees as he continued to test the changes.

    ''I barely felt their attacks. I wonder if I can mix this with one of my armors.''

    *Shuu*

    Hii quickly flashed over to Naruto and punched towards him!

    "Haaa!!"

    *Boom*

    Naruto''s eyes grew red as he punched back and clashed with his own fist!

    The two separated as Sasuke somersaulted in and started to attack Hii with a flurry of moves!

    *Wrrrr*

    Hii''s left arm went back to normal as he dodged Sasuke''s moves.

    ''What about the other one?''

    Hii prepared to use his right arm, but suddenly thought about it more.

    ''If the left is like Fuyuki, then the right one....''

    He began to think about the scary abilities of Akumu and promptly decided against it.

    He might as well go hit a tree or something with it instead.

    "Huh? You''re not using the other one?"

    "No. That one might make Maka angry if I use it against you."

    Sasuke was a bit confused, but shrugged it off as he went to strike Hii once more!

    "Don''t leave me out!"

    Naruto came barreling in as well, increasing the difficulty as Hii fended both of them off.

    Suddenly, Hii drew back and held his hand out!

    "Wait a minute!"

    ""Huh?!""

    They both stopped as Hii weaved handsigns rapidly!

    "Water style: Water Gun Jutsu!"

    *Fwoo*

    A stream of water shot from his mouth towards a corner of the room!

    "Hey! Why did you shoot water over there?"

    "Wait a minute! What is that?!"

    Sasuke went over to the corner and noticed something splattered on the tiles.

    "....Mud?"

    "No. Sand."

    The two shivered as Hii responded to Sasuke.

    Sasuke turned back to see Hii staring towards a hallway nearby, never taking his gaze off that direction.

    "........"

    After a tense moment, he finally turned back towards the two and smiled.

    "Don''t use any secret techniques. We had an audience for a moment. He might come back."

    The two looked at each other and nodded slowly.

    Hii didn''t know this incident sparked their determination to grow stronger even further.

    Not only did they not sense someone spying on them, they also couldn''t have reacted as fast as Hii did.

    They couldn''t get left behind!

    "Alright! Let''s go again!"

    ""Haaa!!!""

    *Bang Bang Swish*

    The two attacked Hii again with intense vigor as he blocked them and countered with ease.

    "!!"

    *Swish*

    Hii suddenly dodged quickly out of the way as Sakura also launched a sneak attack at him!

    She smiled sheepishly as her surprise attack failed.

    "Sorry! I have to get in on this too!"

    Hii smiled as Sakura readied her stance beside Naruto and Sasuke.

    "Hehehe! The more, the merrier."

    ""Haaaaaaa!!!""

    ************

    Kankuro and Temari looked at each other helplessly as they stayed at the far side of their room.

    They had only been here for two days, but Gaara had been going through a strange set of mood swings.

    He was first really excited as they headed to the tower.

    He had slowly become bored as the day came to an end, but he then grew excited again the next day.

    Now, they couldn''t even look at him as he had a smile on his face only his "Mother" could love.

    He was nearly frothing with excitement as sand coiled around him like a storm.

    "Hehehehehe!! He''s even better than I thought!"

    Gaara''s excitement peaked as he got caught peeking at Hii''s training.

    He had only formed the eye for a few seconds before it was shot down!

    No one besides his father had ever caught him spying with his eye!

    "Hii Kurokumo! Show me more of your power!"

    Gaara''s sand thickened as it swirled around him ominously, lightly reeking with the smell of blood.

    *************

    "Mmmmm. Huh?"

    Maka woke up groggily as she straightened her back.

    The chair wasn''t the best of choices sleep in.

    "Agh! My back..."

    Maka rubbed her back for a moment before looking down at the sheet covering her.

    "......"

    Her eyes slowly widened as she slowly looked up to see the bed was empty.

    A smile bloomed on her face before she knew it as she gripped the sheet in delight.

    She stood up and headed out of the room to go find him.

    "Hey Maka!"

    Maka froze and turned to see Shizuka looking at her with a wry smile.

    "Shizuka! You''re okay now?!"

    Shizuka rolled her eyes as she walked towards her.

    "Yeah. I just needed a good rest. You, on the other hand, need to let go of that sheet."

    Maka looked confused at first, then looked down.

    Her face became red as she quickly put the sheet back on the bed, ignoring Shizuka''s smug expression.

    "I guess even an Uchiha can get caught embarrassed. I don''t know why I''m surprised."

    ".....Shut up, Uzumaki."

    Shizuka shook her head as she draped her arm around Maka''s shoulders while they walked.

    "Hey. Do you wanna go with me next time I meet Anko nee-san? She might have some tips for you to get his attention."

    Maka''s face resembled a tomato as she shook her head.

    "I-I don''t need that kind of advice yet!"

    "Hehehe! Don''t be silly. Information is always useful, especially if it''s from a senpai. You never know when you''ll need it or if you''ll see them again."

    "....."

    "I''ll at least let you know next time I''m looking for her."

    Maka looked at Shizuka and noticed the serious expression on her face.

    "We need to get even stronger. I heard Hii had fought off the seal''s corruption and mutated it."

    Maka looked at her and nodded her head.

    "It didn''t look like Anko-san''s seal at all. It was on his arms. I think it has been influenced by Akumu and Fuyuki."

    Shizuka was silent for a moment as she breathed in deeply.

    She released her breath and patted Maka''s back.

    "I want to see it up close. Hopefully, it really is under control. I''ll seal it myself otherwise."

    Mala nodded her head as the two came close to the area Team 7 headed to.

    They walked silently for a momemt before Shizuka sighed.

    "I didn''t kill him this time and you all almost got killed by him. I''ll make sure that doesn''t happen again."

    Shizuka spoke solemnly, not even glancing at Maka''s frustrated face.

    "Don''t take the blame for that. No one could''ve handle him. We only need to learn from our mistakes and move forward."

    Shizuka glanced at Maka and her resolute expression.

    She sighed and nodded her head, but she still couldn''t get rid of her guilt.

    "Just make sure when you do go kill him, call me as well. He actually tried to take my body with his stupid snake."

    ".....Pffft!!"

    Shizuka couldn''t stop herself from snickering.

    "Hey! Don''t laugh!"

    "Hehehe~!"

    Shizuka barely held in her laughter as she held her stomach tightly.

    "Ugh! Whatever."

    Maka quickly walked towards the training grounds as Shizuka couldn''t hold it in anymore.

    ''Stupid Shizuka! It did sound a bit weird when I said it out loud. Whatever. Let''s locate Hii first.''

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    "Haaaa!!!"

    ''Probably there.''

    Maka quickly came to the hallway and saw Hii fighting with Team 7.

    Naruto came jumping to Hii''s location, kicking at his head!

    "Too flashy."

    "Uwaaa!!"

    Hii grabbed his leg midair and chucked him off to the side as Sasuke and Sakura came rushing in together.

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    The two assaulted Hii with attacks from different directions as he blocked and evaded the two.

    "Now!"

    Sasuke attacked Hii with low kicks to his waist as Sakura backed up and weaved handsigns!

    "Water Style: Rushing Wave!"

    *Fwoooo*

    A jet of water spewed from Sakura''s mouth towards Hii!

    Sasuke rolled away from the attack, leaving Hii to take the full brunt of it!

    "Wrong move."

    Hii smiled as he dashed towards the jet of water!

    He quickly dodged to the side of the attack and weaved his own handsigns!

    "Water Wolf Armor!"

    Portions of the water beam were pulled toward Hii, giving him a watery cloak as he rushed towards Sakura!

    "Earth Style: Rock Wall!"

    *Boom*

    Sakura pressed her hands against the ground, bringing a large slab of earth up for protection.

    Hii smirked as he rushed on all fours towards the wall and jumped over it!

    "Grrrr! Urgh?!"

    He landed on the otherside and bared his fangs to Sakura, but was surprised to see only a hole in the ground instead.

    Hii rushed over towards the end of the wall and saw her getting helped up by Sasuke while Naruto cheered.

    "Good job, Sakura-chan!"

    "Haaa, thanks. I don''t think I''ll be able to support you two much after that."

    "That''s fine. We can take him from here."

    Sakura nodded her head, but her fists clenched tightly as she saw the two weren''t even close to getting exhausted.

    ''I need more training!''

    "Alright! That''s enough!"

    ""!?""

    The four turned to the doorway and saw Maka looking at them with her arms crossed.

    Sasuke shivered for a moment because he knew that look, but quickly calmed down.

    It wasn''t pointed at him.

    "H-Hey, Maka. Glad to see you''re okay."

    "........"

    *Splash*

    The water around him dropped to the floor as he rubbed the his cheek with his finger bashfully.

    "Now I know this looks a bit bad..."

    "How long did you rest since you nearly lost your life?! 5 minutes?!"

    "......"

    "Bwahahaha!!"

    Laughter rang out from behind Maka as she rolled her eyes.

    Shizuka appeared shortly after, wiping her eyes as she looked at Hii.

    "Haaa~! Hii acts like a kid with a new toy once he woke up. I haven''t seen that much excitement since Naruto got a Ichiraku coupon."

    "Hey! It was a big deal!"

    "Hehehe! Anyway...."

    Shizuka finished wiping her eyes as she seriously looked at Hii.

    "I need to examine those seals. Now."

    {And I need to talk to Akumu!}

    ""?!""

    Everyone looked to the side to see Fuyuki appear out of nowhere, looking at Akumu seriously.

    [Alright. Everybody go do their thing. We''ll be back in a moment.]

    Akumu rushed out as he lead her to a more secure location.

    Hii watched them leave and turned back to his teammates.

    He sighed as he knew they were gonna chew him out.

    **********

    Akumu and Fuyuki appeared outside in the forest as they stopped and looked at each other.

    [Okay. What happened?]

    Akumu waited for a moment until he noticed Fuyuki''s face was a bit red.

    [Fuyuki?]

    {The source was in a love hotel.}

    [.....!?]

    Akumu was shocked as the situation came together in his mind.

    [What the hell is going on? My bad. I shouldn''t have had you go there.]

    {I-It''s fine! It was just shocking at first. That''s not what''s important!}

    Fuyuki began to describe what she saw, making Akumu''s face turn grim.

    [I''ve never heard of someone who could do that. At least we know who she is. You remembered her chakra?]

    Fuyuki nodded her head.

    {What should we do?}

    [.......]

    Akumu thought for a moment before nodding his head.

    [We have to keep tabs on that woman. Could you see any names on the scroll?]

    {No. She was facing away from me.  I did notice she unfurled it quite a bit before he signed.}

    [Then we can expect a quite a few people in there. I just don''t know what they''re for yet, but it can''t be good.]

    Akumu frowned as he looked back towards the village.

    [Orochimaru must have a new addition to the original plan.]

    ***********

    A woman walked through the streets of Konoha with a smile on her face.

    She wore a dark purple kimono that wasn''t covering her very well, giving the male citizens peeks into an exotic nirvana.

    Her body was covered in symbols that made her stand out, yet it didn''t look too gaudy.

    She playfully winked at young men and husbands alike as women glared at her shamelessness.

    "Hmmm. I wonder where another bar is? I could use a drink after all that tongue. Fufufu~."

    She might have to call on his expertise once again if time permited.

    "Kaira-san. How is the plan going?"

    The woman stopped for a moment and looked at a man squatting in an alley.

    She smiled and leaned against the wall nearby, looking at the potential mates walking by.

    "It''s going well. I have quite a diverse team going on."

    "Good. Your master would be pleased."

    "I have no problems pleasing my master, snake. Just make sure you worry about yourself."

    "Hehehe."

    Orochimaru looked over at her for a moment before standing up.

    "I''ll keep tabs on the stronger ninja. Just make sure you don''t put any Leaf ninja in your palate. It could alert them early."

    "Fine. You know where any big boys are? I''m looking to get dominated after all this work~."

    Her voice this time wasn''t hushed, making quite a few faces red as they heard her.

    "Fufufu. Sorry, that''s for you to find out."

    "Tch! Aren''t you interested in bodies? You should know one or two people packing, right?"

    "......."

    *Shuu*

    He disappeared as Kaira looked at his shadow with disappointment.

    "He''s looking at kids for bodies, yet he can''t tell me who''s on the big side of the bed snake spectrum? Useless."

    The woman continued to walk down the road until she saw a Mist ninja drinking in a nearby bar.

    She licked her lips as she started to head towards him.

    She caught his attention as she sat next to him, giving him a good view of her assets.

    "Hey~. Is it true Mist ninjas are the best at Water Jutsu?"

    The man was confused at first, but slowly nodded his head as he poured himself a drink.

    "Y-Yeah! We''re definitely the best."

    Kaira smiled as she twirled her black hair seductively.

    She grabbed the cup he was drinking from and sipped some of his drink.

    She licked her lips as she looked into his red face.

    "Then you should have no problem making me wet, right?"

    Forestbear

    Finally have this done! Took way longer than I thought. Thank God summer is over. Maybe I''ll be able to write in peace! This is also the first lemon I ever wrote. Let me know what you think. Thanks for reading and hopefully I''ll see you guys on a scheduled basis.

 Ch.87. The Prelims pt.1

    Hii breathed in deeply as he slowly meditated in his room.

    ''Today''s the day. Hopefully, it won''t be too bad.''

    The Chuunin exams finally entered the third phase as Hii brought his mental state to the calmest he could manage.

    "Haaa."

    He exhaled and opened his eyes. He looked at his new tattoos and sighed.

    "I will have to analyze these more closely once this is over."

    Hii had many questions about his new seals, but he had to be patient.

    He put his blade on his back and headed out of the room.

    He walked down the hallway and found Team 7 and his own teammates waiting.

    "You guys ready?"

    "Hehehe! I''ve been ready!"

    "Hmph!"

    "Shaaa!! Let''s do this!"

    Team 7 headed out towards the exam area as Shizuka and Maka came beside Hii.

    "You two okay?"

    Shizuka stretched her arms and slapped Hii''s back!

    "I''m more than fine! I''m gonna be a Chuunin soon!"

    Maka nodded her head as she silently agreed with Shizuka.

    Hii smiled as he rolled his shoulders in anticipation.

    "Well? What are we waiting for? Let''s become Chuunin!"

    The three smiled at each other as they headed to the examination room as well. ready to take on the challenge!

    **************

    The group came to a large opening filled with other Genin as they stood patiently.

    "Wow! A lot of people passed, eh?"

    Sakura was surprised as she saw the different squads all around.

    Hii saw that all of his friends seemed to pass this part of the test as well.

    "No way."

    "Hm?"

    Hii turned to Maka who had a surprised look on her face as she stared into the crowd.

    "My cousin''s team actually made it."

    "Wait! isn''t that the one you "traded" with?! Oh, this is gonna be good!"

    Shizuka grew excited as Hii shook his head.

    Kenta heard Shizuka''s outburst and turned towards their team. A scowl immediately came across his face as he stared daggers at Maka, who didn''t even notice.

    Kenta grinded his teeth in frustration while Maka didn''t give him the time of day.

    *Shuu*

    Everyone turned towards a Leaf ninja who suddenly appeared in front of them. He looked very tired as his face looked fatigued.

    "Welcome to the third stage of the Chuunin Exam! My name is-"

    *Cough Cough*

    He suddenly started coughing as all the young ninja watched him with some concern.

    "Is he gonna be okay?"

    "That doesn''t sound too good. Should I check him?"

    The ninja finally cleared his throat after a moment.

    "...Sorry about that. My name is Hayate Gekko. Let me explain the rules of the third phase, the tournament."

    Hayate began to explain the rules of the tournament while Hii paid attention to something else.

    ''His posture.... I think he uses a blade.''

    A smile slowly crept up his face as he started to think of how he could possibly spar with the proctor.

    "If anyone doesn''t wish to continue the exam, you can take this chance to leave now."

    ""............""

    The group was quiet for a moment before a few candidates raised their hands to leave, including Kabuto.

    "Man, I thought he would want to keep fighting. He''s so close to the end now."

    "It''s his decision, Naruto. We have to get ready."

    "......"

    Naruto was a bit sad to see Kabuto go while Hii eyed him with a hint of doubt.

    As Kabuto passed Team 9, all three of the members glanced at Kabuto for a moment before ignoring him.

    That was what it looked like on the surface.

    ''That guy got this far and quits? Seems he had another goal he achieved instead."

    Hii couldn''t help feeling somethin else was going on with Kabuto. but he knew he couldn''t think of the solution now.''

    "Since there is more people here than anticipated, we will be conducting a preliminary knockout tournament. those who pass this tournament will participate in the real trial one month from now."

    The group grew excited as the end was drawing near!

    ''I wonder how strong the others have gotten since the last time we fought?''

    "Yes! I wonder who I''ll get matched with?"

    "Hopefully, it''s someone worthwhile."

    "I wonder how they decide who fights? Is it a lottery?"

    "Maybe? We''ll have to see."

    "Do you think we''ll settle a match with Janken?"

    ""I doubt it.""

    Hii and Maka both refuted Shizuka at the same time.

    "Wow! Shot down by my best friends! At the same time!"

    "Attention, everyone! We will begin with the first match momentarily! Please head over to the viewing areas if you aren''t called. The screen behind me will show who is chosen."

    The group soon waited for the first pairing to appear on the screen.

    The screen turned on as names of everyone flickered back and forth.

    "Nee-san! you gotta cheer for me when it''s my turn!"

    "What if we are fighting each other though?"

    "Urk! Then you gotta go easy on me!"

    "No way! I''m gonna kick your butt and tell Mom all about it!"

    Naruto began to sweat as Shizuka laughed at the face he was making.

    The two argued as the names continued to flicker.

    "Those two are as carefree as usual."

    Maka smiled at Hii''s words as she looked over the participants.

    Kenta''s glare caught her eye, but she merely smiled at him.

    ''He''s not worth my time yet.''

    "The first match has been decided!"

    Everyone looked over at the screen and saw the first pair."

    [Sasuke Uchiha vs Yama]

    "Hmph! I guess I''m up first."

    Sasuke jumped over the railing and landed on the ground swiftly.

    He was eager to get this over with.

    "Shoot! I have to deal with another Uchiha?! Just my luck."

    Yama also jumped over the railing with a lot less pep.

    Hayate looked at both participants as he held in a cough.

    *Cough*

    Or tried to.

    "Are you both ready?"

    Both nodded their heads and got into their fighting stances.

    "Begin!"

    *Shuu Shuu Bang*

    Both ninja ran towards each other and collided in the air!

    Sasuke flipped back from the collision and started throwing shurikens at Yama!

    "Woah!"

    Yama quickly rolled out of the way and threw kunai at Sasuke!

    *Clang Clang Swish Swish*

    Sasuke reached for his own and blocked the kunai before kicking them towards Yama once more!

    "Ugh"

    Yama once again dodged the kunai coming towards him,  not seeing Sasuke rushing to him quickly and kicking him right in his chest!

    Yama, however, didn''t seem to feel the kick at all!

    "?!"

    "Haaa!"

    *Bang*

    "Ugh!"

    Sasuke blocked Yama''s punch, but was sent flying across the arena!

    Sasuke quickly recovered and watched Yama cautiously!

    Yama''s muscles began to swell as his gaze grew sinister!

    "Ninja Art: Berserk Rage!"

    Sasuke watched with a shocked expression as Yama''s bulky figure grew even bigger.

    His skin grew dark while his muscles grew larger!

    His clothes grew tight as his transformation completed!

    "Uuuuurrrahhh!"

    Momo shook her head as she looked at her teammate.

    "He had to use that technique after all. He still can''t control himself yet. Will he be okay?"

    "He has to use it. Sasuke is on a whole other level. He can''t miss this chance."

    Kenta watched Sasuke with a complicated gaze.

    He respected Sasuke and his prowess, but he wanted to beat him as well.

    ''I am also a prodigy of the Uchiha!''

    His fists clenched tightly as his gaze moved over to Maka.

    ''I hope I get to fight her! I will get my revenge for the scroll test!''

    His hands tightened even more before he focused back on the fight.

    Sasuke watched Yama calmly as he started to charge towards Sasuke!

    "Ooooh!"

    "!!"

    *Boom*

    Sasuke quickly dodged as Yama''s fist crushed the floor tiles into dust!

    ''I can''t get hit by that!''

    Sasuke immediately started to form a plan as he gained distance from Yama.

    "Get back here and fight!"

    Yama rushed towards Sasuke while he formed hand signs!

    "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!:

    *Fwoosh*

    Sasuke shot multiple fireballs towards Yama!

    Yama grinned as he just ignored the threat and rushed forward!

    The flames all converged onto him, engulfing him in flames!

    "Ugh!"

    Yama winced in pain as he blocked the Jutsu with his arms, but he was confused!

    How did the flames injure him?!

    ''My body is strong! How can that puny technique hurt me?!''

    Once Yama got out of the flames, he found his answer.

    Embedded in his tighten skin were shurikens!

    Yama watched Sasuke with a bit more clarity as he pulled the shurikens out of his arm.

    "Checkmate."

    Yama''s eyes widened as he saw Sasuke weave multiple hand signs quickly as he breathed in deep!

    "Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"

    *Fwoosh*

    Sasuke breathed out a huge amount of flame towards Yama as he also weaved hand signs!

    "Earth Style: Rock Wall!"

    *Rumble*

    The flames Sasuke spewed seemed to wrap around the wall, locking Yama in behind it!

    "Nnnngh!!"

    The heat started to rise as Yama began to sweat!

    He tried to keep the wall up by pouring more Chakra into it, fighting against the flames!

    Sasuke''s flame grew bigger as Sasuke tried to blast the wall down with more chakra!

    Yama clenched his teeth and decided to see if he could outlast the attack!

    *Boom*

    "Urah!!"

    The wall crumbled and Yama was engulfed in flames.

    He grit his teeth as he tried to outlast the flames, but time seemed to move so slowly as he felt hit consciousness grow dark.

    "I...almost...got him."

    Yama didn''t notice that the flames started to grow lukewarm as he fell forward from exhaustion.

    *************

    The participants all watched as Yama fell to the floor while Sasuke tried to catch his breath.

    "Winner: Sasuke Uchiha!"

    "Phew!"

    Sasuke smiled haggardly as he deactivated his Sharingan.

    Maka nodded her head at the match.

    "That was pretty good. Yama had a decent advantage, but he got caught after Sasuke injured him."

    Hii nodded his head as well.

    "Once he was caught off guard, Sasuke put him in a Genjutsu."

    Shizuka glanced at Maka with pouted lips.

    "Did you tell Sasuke that strategy? It screams you."

    "Nope. Fugaku-san has been training him recently. It''s showing."

    Sasuke came back to the viewing area swarmed by his teammates.

    "That was awesome!"

    "Good job, Sasuke-kun!"

    "Thanks."

    "The second round will begin soon!"

    The crowd grew excited as they waited for the medical ninja to carry Yama out of the arena.

    Naruto became excited as he watched the names shuffle on screen.

    "Come on! I wanna go next!"

    Shizuka shook her head at him.

    "Silly brother! Obviously I would go first!"

    "Nuh-uh! It''s random! I''m sure I''ll go first."

    Shizuka let out a wicked aura as Naruto shook his head rapidly.

    Hii smiled as the two goofed off.

    "The second match had been decided!"

    Hii looked up to see the match-up and tilted his head.

    [Shino Aburame vs. Zaku Abumi]

    Hii saw Shino drop down from the viewing platform with an eager step.

    "Heh! Looks like this will be easy!"

    His opponent, Zaku, jumped down as well towards the opposite side of him

    Hii noticed Zaku''s headband was from the Sound Ninja.

    ''Sound Village, huh? Let''s see if they''re worth the time.''

    Hayate looked over both of the combatants before slicing his arm down!

    "Begin!"

    "Hehehe! You''re no match for my- whoa!"

    *Swish Swish Bang*

    Zaku started the fight with a taunt, but Shino was already determined to beat him without any provocation!

    "What''s wrong with you?!"

    Zaku jumped away from Shino and glared at him.

    "This is a match. I won''t show my opponent any mercy."

    Shino''s glasses reflected light black spots started to appear on his face from his collar!

    "Huh?!"

    *Buzz Buzz Buzz*

    Black clouds of beetles flew out of Shino''s jacket and started to surround Zaku!

    "Bugs?!"

    ""Bugs?!!""

    Zaku and quite a few others were shocked to see the amount of bugs flying out of Shino.

    Hii could see Naruto, Sakura, and even Ino shivering at the thought of fighting him.

    ''Good thing I have Lightning Release...''

    Hii wasn''t too concerned as he watched the clouds of insects swarm around Zaku.

    "Hmph! You''re as weak as an insect and you teamed up with them! Too funny!"

    Zaku exclaimed as he pointed his hands towards the black cloud!

    "Let me show you why you''ll lose!"

    Zaku began to build up chakra to his hands and prepared his arm cannons.

    His body had been modified by Orochimaru and he was going to show how great he was!

    "You should always keep a trump card!"

    Zaku grinned sarcastically as chakra began to build up in his arms.

    Shino looked up at him and stared into his eyes from his black rimmed glasses.

    "You''re right."

    "?!"

    That was all Shino said as Zaku felt something very wrong going on!

    *Boom*

    "Aaaaahhh!!!"

    Zaku tried to find the problem, but it was too late! One of his arms exploded with chakra and broke apart!

    Even his right arm flipped in the air as chakra spread out from his body!

    Zaku landed on the ground as his arm flopped a distance away from him.

    ""......""

    Silence filled the venue as everyone looked at Shino with a newfound fear.

    "C-Can those insects make people explode?!"

    "No, Naruto. It was just a horrible match-up."

    "Eh?!"

    "Look."

    Shizuka pointed to Zaku''s disarmed hand and focused on the tube inside of it.

    "His body was modified to have tubes in it for distance attacks. It would''ve probably shot out wind or something of that nature. Shino''s bugs, however, found a way to him before he made the big cloud and blocked them."

    Shizuka shook her head as she saw the medical ninja clean up the arena.

    "Don''t get cocky, brother. You also have a counter type. Make sure you''re on your toes. They''re truly fighting to win."

    *Gulp*

    Naruto nodded his head as he gulped in air.

    This could be a lot harder to win than he thought.

    "Winner:Shino Aburame!"

    Shino came back to the viewing platform with newfound respect and fear.

    "G-Good job, Shino-kun!"

    "Heh! Expected nothing less from you."

    "...Hmm."

    Shino merely hummed in response as an awkward air fell over the platform.

    "....."

    "....."

    "....."

    "The third match has been decided!"

    ''Thank goodness!''

    Everyone became relieved when they finally started the third match.

    Everyone looked over at the screen and saw the next match.

    [Kenta Uchiha vs. Kankuro]

    "Hmph! Let''s get this over with!"

    "Heh! Cocky, are we?"

    The two drop down to the arena and prepare to face each other.

    "Ready?"

    Both nod their heads as they prepare themselves!

    "Begin!"

    Kankuro starts the match out by throwing a few smoke bombs towards Kenta!

    *Poof Poof*

    The smoke covered the arena quickly as everyone could no longer see.

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    "Eh?! Kakashi-Sensei?!"

    "Yo."

    Kakashi waved at Naruto as he came behind his team.

    Everyone also noticed that the teachers of the teams all appeared behind them at the same time. Only the Sound team had no ninja behind them.

    "Where were you, Sensei? Sasuke already won his round!"

    "Sorry. The Hokage needed us for something. It took a long time."

    Kakashi looked at the smoke for a moment before lifting up his headband.

    "Who''s fighting?"

    "Kenta and a Sand ninja named Kankuro."

    Kakashi nodded his head as he stared into the smoke.

    "Can you see anything, Senpai?"

    Yamato asked Kakashi as he saw him staring into the smoke in silence.

    Kakashi shook his head before replying.

    "It''s looking bad for the Uchiha kid."

    Hii could see Neji and Hinata also looking at the match with grim faces.

    ''Kankuro seems to be pretty strong. I wonder when I''ll fight him?''

    Hii was eager to challenge Kankuro. He needed more experience with puppeteers after his encounter with Sasori, but Konoha severly lacked those kind of ninja.

    In fact, they were nonexistent.

    As Hii was pondering in his thoughts, the smoke began to clear on the ground.

    Everyone could see Kenta covered in a few cuts and not looking nearly as cocky as before.

    Kankuro stood on the other side with a strange three eyed puppet leaning over him.

    "You should give up while you can. The poison from this puppet is pretty nasty."

    "....Tch!"

    Kenta could barely weave hand signs for his technique. Kankuro shook his head and flexed his finger.

    "Too slow."

    *Swish Swish Swish Swish*

    "!!"

    Kenta saw Senbon flying towards him and tried to dodge it!

    *Tak Tak Tak*

    "Ugh!"

    He wasn''t fast enough, however, as the sharp needles still stabbed into his arm.

    "It''s over."

    Just as Kankuro spoke, Kenta felt his vision going dark as he crashed into the ground like a sack of coin.

    Kankuro flexed his fingers, bringing the pieces of his puppet back together again.

    *Clack Clack Clack*

    The puppet rattled as it draped itself over Kankuro''s shoulder as the fight ended.

    "Winner: Kankuro of the Sand."

    Medic ninja came in to take Kenta away as Kankuro easily made in his way back to the viewing platforms.

    The air was tense as the Leaf Genin realized the Sand ninja were pretty strong.

    The next match was being selected as the leftover participants grew excited and anxious.

    Hii, on the other hand, felt a shiver of delight as he looked over everyone lightly.

    ''Everyone has been pretty strong so far. I can''t wait until I get my turn!''

    A smile crept up his face until he grabbed his mouth with his hand. He smoothed his face slowly as he brow furrowed.

    ''What was that? That felt...different.''

    He glanced around him as his gaze slowly came to his arms.

    ''Maybe this seal is doing a bit more than I thought previously. I better be careful.''

    "The fourth match has been decided."

    Everyone looked over at the screen and saw the next pair.

    [Dosu vs. Choji Akimichi]

    "Ahh!"

    Naruto''s shoulders slumped as Dosu and Choji jumped down to fight.

    Choji looked very nervous as Dosu eyed him with a barely visible smile.

    "Begin!"

    Choji quickly focused and weaved handsigns!

    "Human Boulder!"

    His body expanded rapidly while his head tucked into his fat.

    *Rumble Rumble*

    The ground shook as Choji rolled towards Dosu at high speed!

    "Let''s see what your made of."

    He quickly dodged out of the way and revealed the strange gauntlet on his arm.

    Choji turned around quickly and came at Dosu once again!

    "Resonating Echo Burst!"

    Dosu slapped the ground with his hand, sending a wave of sound towards Choji!

    "Aaah!"

    His body quickly deflated as he rolled out of control!

    Dosu watched as Choji rammed into a wall, unconscious from the blast.

    "Winner: Dosu from the Sound Village!"

    "Heh! Thanks for the easy win."

    Dosu covered his arms with his sleeves again before walking out of the arena.

    Asuma sighed as he watched the medics take Choji away.

    "Unfortunate. His luck was pretty bad this time."

    The other teachers nodded their heads as Asuma fought the urge to pull out a cigarette.

    "Hmmm. Sound can be pretty useful as well. Better study that more."

    Shizuka mumbled to herself while Naruto eagerly watched for the next fight.

    "The next battle has been decided!"

    All the Genin became tense as they looked at the screen.

    [Hinata Hyuuga vs. Momo]

    "Ahhh! Again?!"

    "Hehehe! Your turn is getting pushed back. I bet you''ll be last."

    Naruto scratched his head furiously while Shizuka grinned at his antics.

    Hinata and Momo dropped down from the upper level and faced each other.

    Hinata looked a bit nervous to fight, but she wasn''t as nervous as Momo.

    Everyone could see her shaking like a leaf.

    "Um, are you ready?"

    "Y-Y-Yes! Just n-nervous!"

    Hinata smiled slightly as she readied her stance. She felt she could get along with his girl.

    "Ready? Begin!"

    Hinata eyes focused as she slowly circled the girl in her stance.

    Momo eyes grew determined as she reached into her pocket and threw out a smokescreen.

    "Hmm. That''s a mistake."

    Kurenai muttered silently as Hinata focused chakra into her eyes.

    "Byakugan!"

    The veins around her eyes bulged as she dashed into the smoke!

    *Swish Swish Swish Bang*

    Everyone heard the sounds of combat as the smoke slowly began to disperse.

    Once it cleared, everyone was shocked by what they saw!

    Momo hadn''t been taken out yet!

    Hinata continued to find an opening to attack as Momo held one of hder arms in pain.

    "Wow. I thought Hinata had it already once the smokescreen was used."

    Maka was surprised at the girl''s luck as they watched Hinata stride forward.

    Momo was surprisingly nimble as she dodged the attacks as best as she could.

    "She''s pretty fast, but Hinata will catch her eventually."

    Maka shook her head in pity.

    Momo jumped away from Hinata and tried to think of a solution.

    ''If I can catch her by surprise, I might have a chance!''

    Momo tried to reach into her bag, but Hinata instantly dashed towards her!

    ''Oh no!''

    Momo tried to jump back to gain more distance, but Hinata threw shurikens right where she planned to go!

    Momo faltered for a moment as she tried to think of a new plan, but it was too late!

    "Haaa!"

    *Bang*

    "Aah!"

    Hinata launched a palm at her core, knocking her back a few feet!

    *Cough Cough*

    Momo fell to her knees as she coughed for air. She couldn''t feel her chakra flowing smoothly anymore as all her chakra felt erratic and halted.

    Momo tried to catch her breath, but a shadow loomed over her once she got used to the pain.

    "....I give up."

    Momo''s eyes were shut tightly to stop the tears from flowing, but it only worked for so long.

    "Winner: Hinata Hyuuga!"

    Hinata sighed in relief as she watched the medics load Momo on the stretcher.

    "Y-You were really fast! I hope you will become even stronger."

    Momo was surprised to hear Hinata encourage her and smiled shyly.

    "I-I''ll show you my real skills next time."

    Hii smiled watching Hinata possibly make a new friend.

    "That girl was pretty interesting. Too bad she was too nervous and couldn''t fight well."

    Yamato frowned as he thought of the match.

    "Hey, Yamato-sensei?! How did she know where Hinata was in all that smoke? I couldn''t see her at all."

    Yamato looked over at Kakashi.

    "Should I answer him, Senpai?"

    "I can handle the question. It''s because of her hearing ability."

    "Eh?!"

    Naruto and the others were surprised by the answer!

    "Everytime Hinata moved, her ears twitched slightly. You could also see it when she dodged Hinata''s close range attacks."

    Kakashi lectured Naruto and the others as he revealed the truth.

    "Momo lost because of the shurikens. She couldn''t keep calm hearing them fly towards her and froze up, giving Hinata enough time to attack."

    Kurenai also added her observations, getting nods of approval from the other teachers.

    "Where is their teacher, Sensei? I don''t see them anywhere."

    Shizuka asked Yamato as she looked around.

    "I''m pretty sure it''s Aoba. I don''t think he''s done with his briefing yet. You probably won''t see him since his squad is in the infirmary now."

    Guy jumped in to the conversation with a sparkling smile and a thumbs up!

    "He''s a cool guy full of Youth!!"

    Everyone shook their heads at Guy.

    "Anybody with as much youth as you should probably be avoided."

    Kakashi remarked, but Guy just laughed it off.

    "The fifth match has been decided."

    Hayate called out to the remaining participants as the screen showed the next match.

    [Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kiba Inuzuka]

    "Aww yeah! It''s about time!"

    Naruto celebrated while Shizuka frowned.

    "Tch! It''s not fair. I''m older. I should go first."

    Kiba dropped down from the viewing area with Akamaru in his hood.

    "Alright! Let''s win this, Akamaru!"

    "Arf!"

    Naruto jumped down to the arena with an excited grin as he popped his knuckles.

    Hayate coughed a bit before he raised his hand.

    "Are both participants ready?"

    The two nodded as sly grins appeared on both of their faces.

    "Begin!"

 Ch.88. Prelims pt.2

    ��Yahoo!��

    ��Here I come!��

    *Bang Bang Pow Bang*

    Naruto and Kiba collided as the two began to punch and kick at each other.

    Shizuka slapped her forehead loudly and chuckled.

    ��I don��t know what I was expecting. I thought Naruto would clone immediately and trounce him.��

    ��Boys having fun, I guess. What do you think, Hii?��

    ��I��m calling it now. He forgot about it.��

    ��������..����

    Hii chuckled as he watched the two continued to strike at each other.

    After a few more rounds of close combat, Naruto and Kiba jumped away from each other.

    Kiba reached into his bag while Naruto turned around to fiddle with something.

    ��Hehehehehe!��

    Kiba didn��t pay much attention to Naruto as he pulled out a food pill for Akamaru and a pill for him.

    ��Grrrr!��

    Akamaru��s fur turned red as steam spewed from his mouth.

    ��Alright!��

    Kiba weaved a few seals before activating his technique!

    ��Man Beast Transformation Jutsu!��

    ��Arf!��

    Kiba and Akamaru activated their techniques at the same time!

    *Poof*

    Akamaru transformed into a copy of Kiba while the Genin himself turned more and more feral.

    Naruto also finished his preparations as he looked at Kiba with a wide grin.

    ��Ah! Right!��

    Naruto weaved his own technique as well.

    Hii glanced at Shizuka with a smile as she shook her head.

    ��Shadow Clone Jutsu!��

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    Several clones of Naruto appeared and smiled at each other as they drew their kunais.

    ��Alright!��

    ��Let��s get em!��

    ����Oooooh!!!����

    Kiba snorted as he crouched down on all fours and tightened his muscles!

    ��Heh! Your clones are no match for us! Let��s go!��

    Kiba and Akamaru clapped each other��s hands as they dashed forward.

    ��Fang over Fang!��

    The two began to spin at high velocity, turning into two tornadoes flying straight towards Naruto!

    ��Dodge!��

    ��Get out of the way!��

    The clones scrambled to dodge, but the spinning missiles honed in on them!

    *Rip Poof Rip Poof Poof*

    Kiba and Akamaru tore through the clones!

    The two turned around and shot towards the crowd of clones again!

    ��Launch up!��

    One of the clones ordered the others as they grabbed ahold of each other and tossed one another over the incoming attacks!

    *Poof Rip Poof*

    The feral missiles still attacked the clones, but fewer and fewer were getting hit! As the clones of Naruto jumped into the air, one of the clones used the Jutsu once more!

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    As more clones appeared, Kiba started to get angry and nervous.

    ��Grrr! You won��t get away! We''ll tear through as many of these clones as we need to!��

    ��Arf!��

    Kiba and Akamaru increased their rotation as they shredded through the crowds of Narutos.

    ��������

    Hii watched the fight silently as he marveled at the cutting power of Kiba��s technique.

    ��How interesting. I wonder if I can apply that to my techniques����

    ��Here we go! Hold the line!��

    ����Ooohh!!����

    A line of Naruto clones linked arms and held fast against Kiba and his dog.

    ��Nowhere to run now!��

    The two finally whittled down the clones to just a few of them left.

    ��Alright! Let��s finish him off!��

    They went to each side of the clones and started to shred through them towards the middle! Everyone grew tense as the clones disappeared one by one as the two tornados were closing in on the real Naruto!

    ��It��s over! Fang over Fang!��

    Kiba accelerated towards him while Akamaru copied his speed!

    With the intense spinning. However, Kiba wasn��t able to see the sly smile on Naruto��s face.

    *Boom*

    The two tornados collided against each other with force with Naruto in the middle!

    *BOOM*

    A bigger explosion suddenly went off, enveloping the two in a red liquid!

    ��Gyaaah!!!!��

    *Whimper*

    Kiba and Akamaru came out of the explosion holding on to their faces and screaming in terror!

    After thrashing around to remove the liquid from their noses, they both stopped moving and passed out from the smell.

    Everyone was shocked to see Kiba and Akamuru fall over!

    That is, until the smell hit them.

    ��Woah!��

    ��Oh Kami-sama! What is that smell?!��

    Everyone suddenly smelt an atrocious odor assail their senses!

    ��Ugh! It smells like peppers and dirty socks!��

    ��Hehehe! It��s my latest technique!��

    Everyone looked up and noticed Naruto on the sealing, grinning with his fingers forming the peace sign.

    ��I call it the Naruto Surprise Bomb Clone! I just came up with it!��

    Hii shook his head and marveled at Naruto��s creativity.

    ��That unpredictability makes him very dangerous.��

    *Cough Cough Cough*

    It seemed even the referee wasn��t able to get away from the attack.

    ��T-The winner is�� Naruto Uzumaki.��

    ��Alright! I did it!��

    ��Congratulations!��

    Naruto was in the midst of cheering when he suddenly froze.

    ��W-Why did that come from behind me?��

    Naruto turned slowly behind him to see Shizuka smiling at him in a gentle fashion.

    Naruto began to shiver as he remembered anytime he saw that smile, it meant he was going to get beaten.

    *Crack Crack*

    ��Don��t run. Your sister has some problems with that technique of yours. Let��s go over them slowly, okay?��

    ************* ************

    A brief intermission later*

    Naruto was kneeling in front of Shizuka as she lectured him on why stink bombs in enclosed spaces was never a good idea.

    The others decided to ignore them as they watched the Shikamaru try to dodge Kin��s Tsuchi��s Senbon.

    *Swish Swish Ring Ring*

    Shikamaru dodged the Senbon, but couldn��t seem to move after he heard the bells.

    ��Hey! Give me a break here!��

    Kin smiled as she tugged on the wire connected to the bells.

    ��I can give you a break as long as you give up.��

    ����.No thanks.��

    Maka yawned softly as she turned to Hii.

    ��He hesitated there. How lazy is he? Hey, do you think they will let us fight soon?��

    Hii shook his head.

    ��No idea. I just hope I��m not the last fight.��

    Shizuka came over to the two after finishing her scolding with a sigh.

    ��Geez! I can��t believe Naruto didn��t even think about everybody else when he used that move!��

    ��Well, it��s Naruto. We shouldn��t be surprised.��

    ��Haaaah.��

    Shizuka leaned over the railing as she watched the fight.

    ��They��re still going at it? I thought Shikamaru would��ve already won against her.��

    Maka shrugged and began to roll her shoulders.

    ��He might be too lazy to finish it quickly.��

    ��Hehehe! That sounds like him.��

    The three watched in silence as Kin��s Genjutsu took a toll on Shikamaru.

    ��Hey. Do you think they��ll let teammates fight each other?��

    The two looked over at Shizuka with puzzled looks.

    ��Why do you ask?��

    ��������

    Shizuka didn��t answer immediately and played with her front bang a bit.

    ��I just think�� it would be cool if we could have the chance to fight each other as well.��

    Hii and Maka both looked at each other and stared at Shizuka.

    Shizuka started to curl up slowly as she avoided eye contact.

    ��Shizuka.��

    Maka broke the silence and wrapped her arm around her shoulders.

    ��You are not going to fight him alone. We��ll kill him together. Your grudge may be bigger, but it��s not the only one anymore.��

    Shizuka looked at Maka for a moment before feeling a hand land on her shoulders from the other side.

    ��I want a rematch with him. Don��t take that chance from me, alright?��

    ����..��

    Shizuka was silent for a moment before nodding slightly.

    ��Thanks.��

    The two nodded their heads and noticed Shikamaru had somehow possessed Kin��s shadow.

    ��Oh? He got her finally.��

    ��Yeah. Let��s see what he��ll do to win.��

    The team watched as Shikamaru and Kin both drew shurikens from their side holsters and took aim at each other.

    Shizuka mouth grew wide as she turned to her teammates.

    ��He��s not gonna-?!��

    Shizuka couldn��t finish her sentence as the two threw a shuriken at each other.

    *Swish Swish Bang*

    The three grimaced as they watched Kin hit the wall with force!

    ��That had to hurt.��

    Shikamaru only rubbed the back of his head with a helpless expression.

    ��Sorry. I couldn��t afford to hold back.��

    ��Winner, Shikamaru Nara!��

    Hayate called the match as the medical ninja all came in to assess the situation.

    ��She��s gonna feel that one for a while.��

    Hii shook his head as he watched the medics carry her off.

    ��She should��ve trained more.��

    Maka shook her head as she watched the screen for the next match.

    ��Not many of us left. These fights should be pretty fun.��

    Shizuka cracked her knuckles as she also looked at screen for the next match.

    ��The next match has been decided!��

    The screen continued to flash for a moment until a new pair was decided.

    [Temari vs. Tenten]

    ��Hmph!��

    ��She looks tough. I might have to pull out the big guns.��

    Temari and Tenten jumped down from the viewing area and prepared to fight.

    ��Hii-kun.��

    Hii turned his head to find Lee looking over the battle next to him.

    ��Tell me honestly. Do you think Tenten stands a chance against her opponent?��

    Hii looked over as the fight began and saw Temari unfold her weapon.

    ��At this point, I don��t think she stands too much of a chance.��

    Lee looked surprised at Hii, but slowly refocused.

    ��Why?��

    Hii pointed at Temari��s back with a frown.

    ��If my guess is correct, She specializes in Wind Style Jutsus. If that��s the case, Tenten won��t be able to do anything or get close.��

    *Swish Swish Swish*

    The two watched in silence as Tenten threw multiple kunai and shurikens at Temari, only for them to be blown away by a swing of her fan. Tenten grit her teeth and continued to swing her tools towards her opponent!

    Hii nodded his head while Lee gripped the handrails tightly. ��She��s resisting! This means she has a chance, right?!�� ��She always has a chance, but not a big one. She has to capitalize on all of her openings before Temari goes wild.��

    Lee��s face grew serious as he noticed the fan had a purple moon drawn on the steel body.

    ��It��s has not been fully extended yet!''

    "Come on, Tenten!"

    They watched as Tenten threw everything she had at Temari! By the time she was done, the floor was littered with all kinds of ninja tools laying about.

    ��Haaa! Haaa!��

    Tenten tried to catch her breath as Temari looked over all the tools on the ground.

    ��Geez! You have everything in that scroll, don��t you?��

    Temari smiled as she leisurely waited to see what else her opponent would throw at her.

    ��Haaa! Haaa! Don��t think you��ll win so easily!��

    Tenten flexed her fingers, revealing long wires stretching from them.

    ��Hmm?!��

    ��Haaah!�� Tenten jumped into the air, pulling all the connected tools with her using her chakra!

    ��Secret Technique: Heavenly Rain!��

    *Swish Swish Swish Swish*

    All of the weapons flew towards Temari like a storm!

    ��Tch!��

    Temari opened her fan all the way as she swung her fan towards the weapons!

    *Fwoooosh*

    A gale of wind suddenly appeared, blowing the weapons away with insane force!

    ��Whoa?!��

    ��Watch out!��

    Yamato formed a wood wall in front of the railing, blocking the rogue blast for the other Genin!

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    The sounds of multiple objects slamming into the wall echoed to the ninja behind it. After the sounds died down, Yamato slowly lowered the shield, showing the arena.

    The Genin saw Temari panting softly while her fan was fully extended, showing three purple moons on its body.

    The ground was swept clean. Eerily spotless.

    ��Where��s Tenten?!��

    Lee grasped the rails as he searched for his teammate.

    The others checked around too, but didn��t see her anywhere.

    ����..��

    Shizuka looked up instead and found all of her weapons embedded in the ceiling.

    ����.Ah. There she is.��

    Shizuka pointed behind them, finding Tenten embedded in the wall along with several weapons around her.

    Her head hung limply as she hugged from the wall.

    ��Tenten is unable to continue battling! Winner: Temari of the Sand!��

    Hayate announced the end of the match, but most of the participants went to assist in getting Tenten out of the wall.

    Hii gave an emergency treatment to her body before the medical ninja arrived.

    As the medical team took Tenten away, Hii looked over at Guy.

    ��She��ll be okay. Surprisingly, she didn��t suffer too many wounds. It looked like mostly shock.��

    Guy nodded his head and looked at me.

    ��Thank you, Hii. Your healing was most appreciated!��

    ��No problem. I��m always ready to help as long as it isn��t when you and Lee do stupid amounts of training.��

    ��Hahahaha!! That is what Youth is all about!��

    ��You are not that young anymore, Guy����

    Hii wanted to say those words, but he decided to keep his mouth shut. The last thing he needed was a competition with Guy to show how youthful he still was.

    The screen flipped through the remaining names rapidly as a decision was being made.

    The remaining Genin watched the screen with ambitious passion.

    They all wanted to prove themselves to be strong among their peers as well!

    ��The next match has been decided!��

    The names on the screen stopped with the next pair.

    [Sakura Haruno vs. Maka Uchiha]

    Sakura grew stiff, but soon breathed in a mouthful of air and jumped down. Maka had also made her way down to the arena and started to stretch her muscles.

    Sakura calmed herself and tried to focus on what she could do to win.

    Maka nodded slightly as she watched Sakura.

    ��Don��t hold back.��

    ��Y-Yes!��

    Sakura smiled as Maka slightly nodded to her.

    ��Ready?��

    Both girls prepared themselves as they got into position.

    ��Begin!��

    Maka and Sakura immediately reached for their shurikens and threw them at each other!

    *Swish Swish Swish Clang Clang Clang*

    Maka immediately dashed to the side as she continued to throw shurikens at Sakura!

    ��Her Shuriken technique is too strong! I have to get close!��

    Sakura dashed forward as she dodged the shurikens by sliding and rolling!

    *Clink*

    Sakura reached into her pouch and threw a ball towards Maka!

    ��That��s!��

    Maka quickly went to cover her eyes, but it was too late!

    *Bang*

    A bright flash caught everyone off guard as Sakura threw out a Flash bomb!

    ��Now!��

    Sakura quickly weaved hand signs before rushing over to Maka!

    ��Clone Jutsu!��

    *Poof Poof*

    Sakura quickly dashed towards Maka as two clones followed behind her!

    Maka could barely see her approach as she braced herself for battle!

    *Swish Swish*

    Sakura ordered the two clones to attack Maka!

    Maka attacked the clones before they got too close, but she soon realized it was a trap!

    Her fists went through the clones of Sakura and put her off balance!

    Sakura quickly came up to her and delivered a strong blow on Maka!

    *Bang*

    ��Ugh!��

    Maka grunted from the punch to her face, but quickly recovered and struck Sakura back!

    *Bang Bang Swish Bang Bang*

    The two battled each other in close combat, blocking and striking at each other at high speed! The two fought for a few more seconds before separating to catch their breath.

    ��Maka really is strong! I only got one clean blow on her. I have to find another opening.��

    Sakura watched Maka closely as Maka rubbed her cheek.

    ��There��s no way Sakura could hit this hard before. This must be the training Hii told me about.''

    Maka narrowed her vision on Sakura and rushed towards her! Sakura nearly panicked at her speed, but quickly weaved hand signs to stop her.

    Too bad Maka already recognized those signs!

    ��Earth Style: Rock Wall!��

    Maka weaved hand signs and sped up towards the rising wall and jumped over it!

    ��Wind style: Air Bullet!��

    *Boom*

    Maka jumped on top of the wall and fired a ball of air at Sakura!

    Dust spread around the arena, but Maka couldn��t find her anywhere!

    ��Where?!��

    As the dust cleared, she was a hole going down through the floor!

    *Swish*

    "?!"

    Maka suddenly heard noise behind her and jumped off the wall onto the other side, dodging a kunai!

    Sakura weaved more hand signs before pressing her hands on the wall!

    ��Earth Style: Rock Launcher!��

    Her hands began to glow with chakra as she pushed holes of earth towards Maka!

    Maka��s eyes activated her Sharingan as she dodged the incoming chunks of rock!

    Maka quickly made her way towards the wall while dodging the attacks, weaving hand signs along the way!

    ��Wind Style: Vacuum Bullet!��

    Maka quickly sucked in a mouthful of air and fired it through one of the holes on the wall!

    *Boom*

    ��Waah!��

    Sakura was blown away from the wall by the blast and quickly tried to recover as Maka sped towards her!

    ��Tch!��

    Sakura quickly weaved new hand signs and breathed in deep!

    Maka quickly recognized these hand signs as well and weaved her own quickly!

    ��Water Style: Raging Torrent!��

    ��Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!��

    *Fwoosh*

    *Shuuu*

    *Boom*

    The two forces collided into steam as it covered the arena!

    Maka tried to find Sakura in the steam, but the chakra in the air masked Sakura��s position.

    ��!!��

    Maka suddenly felt a presence behind her as she ducked down from a haymaker by Sakura!

    *Bang Pow Bang*

    The two confronted each other again in close combat!

    Sakura had an advantage with her surprise attack, but she was slowly losing to Maka after she got her bearings!

    The two clashed against each other once more before separating a distance away from each other.

    ��Haa! Haaa! Haaa!��

    Sakura tried to catch her breath while Maka also took a brief rest.

    ��Ugh! I need to knock her out somehow!��

    Sakura racked her brain as she tried to think of a good way to win when she suddenly noticed something.

    The sound of her breath was loud.

    Too loud.

    She looked up at Maka and watched her breathing pattern for a moment.

    Her eyes widened as she made a seal, but it was too late!

    *Pow*

    Maka punched Sakura hard in the gut as the other Maka panting for breath disappeared.

    ��Genjutsu. I should��ve known����

    Sakura had bitter thoughts as she slowly lost consciousness.

    ��Winner: Maka Uchiha!��

    ��Phew!��

    Maka breathed out slowly as she laid Sakura down on the ground.

    ��She��s surprising to say the least. I never knew she could punch that hard.��

    Maka frowned as she realized a problem.

    She was getting arrogant.

    ��I should fight with Itachi and Nii-san more. It seems like I had the idea I was as strong as them.��

    Maka turned away as the medical ninja brought Sakura towards the infirmary.

    ��Aww! Sakura lost.��

    ����.Nee-san is too tough of an opponent for her.��

    ��But man! She really surprised us! Did you know she could do those moves?!��

    Sasuke watched Sakura with a thoughtful expression as he shook his head. Kakashi smiled as he watched Sakura get carried away.

    ��I��ll go check on her. She should be up soon.��

    *Shuu*

    Kakashi disappeared after the medical ninja as Yamato nodded his head.

    ��She did really well. I thought she would��ve won if not for Maka training with her family all the time.��

    Hii smiled as he nodded his head.

    ��I see Mom really did teach her good moves.��

    Hii turned to see Lee looking at the ground, deep in thought.

    ��Lee?��

    Lee seemed to have decided something as he looked up and turned to Hii.

    ��I��ve figured it out, Hii!��

    ��What?��

    Lee gave Hii a thumbs-up as he smiled with a shiny grin.

    ''What does he brush his teeth with to get them so shiny?''

    ��Don��t worry! You will see as well! I promise!��

    ��Huh?!��

    Hii looked over to Shizuka for support!

    ��I don��t get it either.��

    The two looked at Lee with a bit of concern as Hayate��s voice rang out once more.

    ��The next match has been-*Cough Cough Cough*!��

    Hayate started to cough for a moment before he cleared his throat.

    ��Haah. It has been decided!��

    Everyone turned to see the screen and saw the next match lined up.

    [Ino Yamanaka vs. Shizuka Uzumaki]

    ��Sweet! I finally get to go!��

    ��Crap! I��m not too confident against her!��

    Ino and Shizuka jumped down from the upper area and got into position.

    ��H-Hey. you��ll take it easy a bit, right?��

    ��������

    Shizuka only gave Ino a gentle smile as she readied her stance.

    ����.Great.��

    Ino sighed and got into her stance as well.

    The two looked over at Hayate as he slowly held his hand up.

    ��Ready? Begin!��

    Ino quickly pulled out shurikens and threw them towards Shizuka!

    ��Oh! We��re starting already?��

    Shizuka smiled as she ducked from the attack and placed her hands on the ground!

    Ino continued to throw more shurikens at her as Shizuka began to run to the other side of the arena.

    *Swish*

    Shizuka threw a lone kunai at Ino and pressed her hand on the ground once more.

    ��It��ll take more than that to beat me, imposter!��

    Ino dodged the kunai and dashed towards Shizuka!

    Shizuka had a confused look on her face as she also dashed towards Ino!

    *Bang*

    The two clashed and began to punch and kick at each other!

    ��What do you mean by imposter?��

    ��Duh! You copied my hairstyle!��

    Shizuka blanked for a moment before backing up and covering her mouth.

    ��Pfft! You think I stole your hairstyle?! How cute!��

    This didn��t help Ino as she now started to glow red with embarrassment.

    Shizuka brushed the bang on her face back with a provocative smile as she posed seductively in front of Ino.

    ��Are you mad I wear it better?��

    ��Tch!��

    Ino hated to admit it, but Shizuka��s body was comparable to hers.

    Definitely not better!

    ��I��ll give you a much better haircut once I��m done with you!��

    Shizuka smiled and waved for Ino to come over and show her.

    *Shuu Shuu*

    The two clashed again with increased energy!

    After attacking each other a few more times, Ino started to kick Shizuka at high speed!

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    ��Wow! You can kick pretty well!��

    Shizuka said as she backed up while shaking her hands.

    ��Hmph! Just wait until I drop you!��

    Ino rushed towards her with a flying kick, but Shizuka evaded it with a cartwheel to the side!

    Shizuka jumped back with a grin on her face as she pulled back a certain distance away.

    ��Keep your wits about you, girl. You don��t want to trap yourself.��

    Ino was getting fed up with Shizuka��s attitude!

    She decided she��d had enough!

    ��Ugh! You are so frustrating!��

    She pulled out a kunai and grabbed at her ponytail.

    *Slash*

    *Gasp*

    Shizuka looked genuinely concerned as she watched Ino cut off her hair!

    She launched her hair up in the air as it scattered everywhere between them.

    Shizuka looked at the scattered hair and slowly sunk to the ground on her butt.

    ��Are you crazy?! Why would you cut your hair like that?!��

    Ino looked refreshed as a sneer formed on her face.

    ��Hmph! I just feel better getting that smug look off your face!��

    Hii looked over at Maka with a questioning gaze above the arena.

    ��What is she doing?��

    ����. Probably just having fun.��

    Shizuka couldn��t seem to wrap her head around what Ino had done until she felt a tug on her leg.

    She looked down and was shocked to see a line of hair binding her in place. It connected all the way to Ino, tying them together!

    ��Hehehe! You fell for my trap!��

    Ino weaved a few hand signs and released a technique.

    ��Genjutsu: Mirage!��

    A row of Ino��s began to appear beside her and all of them did a strange hand sign at the same time.

    ��"You won��t be able to escape now!����

    Ino looked triumphant at Shizuka until Shizuka started to laugh out loud.

    ��Wow! We should hang out more! I didn��t think we had the same idea.��

    Shizuka raised a hand and formed a hand sign.

    Four points on the arena floor began to glow and connect to each other into a square!

    ��Sealing Art: Homing Bind!��

    The lines of the seal shot up from the ground and wrapped up the real Ino!

    ��W-What?! How?!��

    Ino struggled on the ground as the dark lines of the seal wrapped around her body like a snake.

    Shizuka laughed as she could feel the rope of hair and chakra loosen. She stood up, dusted herself off, and began to walk over to her.

    ��You got watch out for where you put your feet.��

    Shizuka smiled as she began to poke Ino with a kunai lightly on her side.

    ��Ah! Quit it! Ahn!��

    ��Give up then~! I��ll happily stop. Resist, and Sasuke will get an earful of your embarrassing sounds��

    ��Agh!�� T

    he others watching the match just shook their heads.

    ��She��s such a kid sometimes.��

    Maka mumbled as Hii nodded in agreement.

    ��Winner: Shizuka Uzumaki!��

    ��Woohoo!��

    Shizuka came back up to the arena excited as she wrapped her arms around her friends.

    ��Did I do an amazing job or what?!��

    ��Sure. You could��ve ended that fight easily. You just had to drag it out.��

    Shizuka smiled as she let go of Maka and hung on to Hii��s back.

    ��You got to have fun when you can! Right, Hii?��

    Hii rolled his eyes, but decided not to answer.

    ��Hayate Sensei!��

    Everyone turned their heads to Lee who had his hand up in the air.

    ��Uh, What is it?��

    ��I have a request! I noticed that there can only be three more matches now between the participants who are left! I wish to request my own opponent for when I am selected!��

    Hayate looked at Lee with a curious gaze.

    ��Why?��

    Lee calmed down for a moment and began to explain.

    ��I have watched the battles of everyone here. Their sweat, tears, and blood have marked the arena! I wish to have my own battle of hot-bloodedness! To prove my ninja way. I must fight someone important to proving my way!��

    ����Who is that?��

    Lee closed his eyes and opened them with blazing hot determination as he turned his head.

    ��Neji Hyuuga!��

    Everyone could see the passion in his gaze as he implored Hayate to give him the opportunity.

    ����.He is your teammate.��

    ��I know. He is also one of the reasons I have to prove myself! He is a true obstacle on the path of my ninja way. I wish to fight him now if possible. I would be eternally grateful!��

    Hayate looked at Lee and slowly nodded his head.

    ��Your request has been heard, but it will be up to the higher ups if your request is granted.��

    ��Thank you very much!��

    Lee bowed energetically as everyone could feel his passionate energy rising.

    Neji simply glanced over at him with a shrug, filled with the pride of the Hyuuga clan.

    *Bam*

    Hii turned his head as he saw Shizuka frowning deeply.

    ��What��s wrong?��

    ��I could��ve requested a match?! I��m so stupid!��

    ��������

    Hii shook his head and decided to ignore her as he watched the screen curiously.

    ��Will they actually let them fight?��

    No one had fought anyone on the same team so far.

    The screen soon flashed and everyone could see their decision.

    ��Youth!!!��

    Lee jumped up with unbridled fervor as Neji jumped down with him calmly.

    [Neji Hyuuga vs. Rock Lee]

    ��I can��t believe they gave it to him.��

    Shizuka stood shocked as she looked up at the ceiling.

    ��Does that mean I could��ve done that too?��

    Hii shook his head as he looked over to the two.

    ��This should be interesting��.

 Ch.89. The Prelims pt.3

    Lee stretched his legs out thoroughly as he looked over at Neji.

    ��Neji! You have to make sure you stretch for our battle!��

    ����.Hmph. I won��t need it.��

    Naruto began to frown after hearing Neji��s response.

    Lee, however, smiled brightly and nodded his head.

    ��I see! As expected of my rival! You must have done it beforehand.��

    Hii chuckled and shook his head.

    ��Lee will always be Lee.��

    ��Go, Lee! Go, Neji!��

    Shizuka and Hii looked over at Guy cheering happily for both of his students with tired smiles.

    ��That man never runs out of energy, huh?��

    ��He can, but you��ll be done long before he is. Trust me.��

    Hayate looked over the two combatants and raised his hand.

    ��Are you both ready?��

    ��Yes.��

    ��Ah! Wait one moment please!��

    Lee raised his hands in a panic as he turned towards his teacher.

    ��Guy-Sensei!!��

    ��Hmm?!��

    The two stared at each other for a moment.

    This continued as Shizuka leaned over to Hii.

    ��What are they doing?��

    ��Believe it or not, they��re communicating something.��

    ��Really?!��

    Hii nodded his head as Guy slowly raised his hand and gave him a thumbs-up!

    Lee��s face broke into a smile as he gave a thumbs up back and proceeded to take off his leg warmers.

    Neji looked at him curiously as he slowly took off what looked like leg weights.

    A smile came on Neji��s face as he got into the Hyuuga stance.

    ��Let��s see if you can change your destiny, or if you��ll be a loser once again.��

    Lee carefully put the weights away in a scroll and resumed his stance.

    ��Thank you for giving me the chance to test my destiny! I am ready!��

    Lee bowed his head slightly and kept his eyes on Neji.

    Hayate raised his hand again as he checked them once more.

    ��Ready? Begin!��

    Lee quickly jumped back and kept his eyes on Neji.

    ��Whatever you do, it��s useless!��

    Neji quickly dashed towards Lee!

    ��Here we go!��

    *Shh*

    Neji��s eyes widened as Lee��s figure disappeared!

    ��Behind!��

    Neji followed his instincts and ducked under a sweeping kick!

    He tried to counter, but Lee had already jumped back out of his range!

    The two circled each other slowly as they inched closer.

    ��Since when was Lee so fast?!��

    Neji quickly weaved hand signs and unlocked his chakra!

    ��Byakugan!��

    The veins on his eyes bulged as he focused his vision all around.

    He couldn��t take any more chances.

    Lee smirked with happiness as he planned his next attack!

    *Shh*

    Lee disappeared once more and appeared behind him!

    ��There!��

    Neji twisted his body and tried to attack his chakra points, but Lee disappeared again and attacked him from behind!

    *Bam*

    ��Ugh!��

    Neji felt a sharp pain in his back as Lee once again jumped out of his range.

    ��Tch!��

    Neji tried to close the distance, but Lee kept his distance out of his reach.

    Neji started to become frustrated!

    ��How is he so strong! He acts just like-��

    Neji soon stopped chasing after him and calmed down.

    He realized too late the shadow that Lee was following after.

    ��Hii.��

    Neji was already at a disadvantage.

    He had to adapt to this quickly!

    ��I have the advantage now! I have to end it quickly.��

    Lee carefully pushed forward and imagined his training with Hii.

    He imagined Neji��s hands like blades, avoiding them at all costs.

    The two continued to exchange blows like the other was a fire as they lightly tapped and struck each other quickly while maintaining distance.

    This continued for a few more minutes before the two looked at each other in their respective stances.

    Neji caught his breath as silently as possibly.

    His pride wouldn��t allow Lee the satisfaction to see him struggle.

    ��It seems I must use that technique. As expected of Neji!��

    Lee��s muscles tensed as he prepared to move!

    Neji��s eyes caught the movement as he warily watched his surroundings.

    The air was tense as Lee slowly gathered his energy for the attack.

    *Fwup*

    ��!!��

    Neji quickly turned around to Lee starting up with a kick!

    Neji prepared to block the move, but Lee quickly pulled the attack back and struck Neji in the stomach!

    ��Uph!��

    Lee quickly crouched down and kicked Neji into the air!

    ��Haaah!��

    Lee��s bandages on his arms unfurled and began to wrap around Neji��s body!

    Neji watched in horror as the bandages covered him completely!

    ��Primary Lotus!��

    Lee grabbed Neji and began to spin rapidly as the two came down from the air!

    *Boom*

    The two crashed into the floor as dust scattered all around!

    Lee jumped out of the smoke as he slid across the floor.

    ��Haaah! Haah!��

    Lee watched the cloud smoke slowly disperse as a figure slowly appeared from within.

    *Cough Cough*

    Neji coughed up a bit of blood as he held his stomach.

    ��Y-You won��t beat me! The Hyuuga clan will not fall here!��

    Lee kept quiet as he prepared his attack.

    ��I��m sorry, but the Hyuuga won��t win today!��

    Lee��s stance changed as his chakra began to visibly form around him.

    ��The first gate is already��opened!!��

    ��?!��

    His chakra began to rise even higher as he focused his will!

    ��Gate of Healing! Open!��

    *Boom*

    His chakra started to skyrocket as a subtle green glow covered his body! His skin started to redden as his pupils disappeared.

    ��W-What is this?!��

    Neji was stuck looking at Lee like a deer before a kunai!

    ��I saved this technique for you, Neji!��

    Lee flexed his leg muscles as he leaned forward!

    ��Here I come!��

    *Boom*

    The floor came up with the extreme force Lee used to propel himself towards Neji!

    Neji tried to block the attack, but quickly ran into a problem.

    Lee was too fast!

    His eyes could catch his shadow, but his body was still facing the other way!

    *Crack*

    ��Kuah!��

    *Boom*

    Everyone could only hear Neji��s cries of pain and the wind cracking under Lee��s fist as the arena cracked!

    ��Uwaaah!��

    ��Woah!��

    Everyone cowered from the pressure of Lee��s fist!

    The surroundings grew quiet as the wind died down.

    Neji was seen sprawled out on the floor, unconscious, but still breathing. Lee towered over him as his technique started to wear off. His body

    began to twitch and jerk as he slowly fell down to the ground on his knees.

    Tears were trickling from his face as he raised his closed fists to he sky.

    ��I,I did it! I beat Neji! I proved my ninja way!��

    ��YOOOOUUTH!!!��

    Guy flipped down from the viewing area and landed in front of Lee with tears flowing down his face as well!

    ��Lee! I knew you could prove your Ninja Way! Now your future will be brighter than ever! Remember not to get cocky! There are still many strong ninja out there!��

    I will, Guy-Sensei! I won��t let you down!��

    ��Lee!!��

    ��Guy-Sensei!!��

    The two hugged each other in triumph as the master and disciple were happy at their success.

    Everyone else was shocked and stunned by the turn of the events.

    Only after the crowd regained their faculties did Hayate raise his hand.

    ��Winner: Rock Lee!��

    The victorious Genin looked at Lee with caution and renewed respect. No one expected Lee to have that kind of power.

    ��Poor Neji. He really got handled this time.��

    Hii kneeled next to Neji, healing some of his wounds as the medical team rushed up to them.

    Hii stood back up as the medical team took Neji away and walked back to the viewing platform.

    ��When did you go down?��

    Shizuka looked at Hii, surprised to see him on her side as she was closest to the stairs.

    ��About when Lee started yelling. Can��t have his teammate die despite their feud, right?��

    Shizuka nodded her head as she watched the two continue to motivate each other.

    ��Where does those twinkles come from?��

    ��Youth.��

    Shizuka looked at Hii��s deadpanned face, then back at the two.

    ��I��should probably never investigate that.

    After a clean up crew came to fix parts of the arena came in, the Prelims finally came down to the last few fights.

    ��The next match has been decided!��

    Hayate yelled as the screen came to life. He looked a bit better as Hii volunteered to heal his chest a bit during their down time. The two began to converse about swordplay and quickly set a date to test each other��s moves. Hayate had heard of Di��s skill long ago but couldn��t fight him due to his injuries. He now had a chance to fight a much younger swordsman of the same style and couldn��t help getting a bit excited.

    The screen flashed for a moment as everyone wondered what the next fight was going to be.

    Maka and Shizuka both looked at Hii with a bit of worry. The last three Genin left didn��t look like they would be easy to beat.

    *Ping Ping Ping*

    Hii tapped on the railing impatiently as he waited for the screen to make the decision.

    ��Nervous?��

    Yamato stood behind Hii as he also watched the screen.

    ��Not really. I��m just ready to get this over with.��

    Yamato nodded his head as he looked over at the three ninjas left to fight his pupil.

    Two brooding men in purple and the last child of the Sand.

    ��You have any strategies for them?��

    Hii nodded his head as he continued to tap.

    Yamato said nothing more as they waited patiently.

    *Beep*

    Finally, the screen stopped on the next match-up!

    [Hii Kurokumo vs. Yoroi Akado]

    *Shu*

    Hii landed in the arena and slowly rolled his shoulders.

    The wait sure took a long time.

    He saw his opponent jump down and chuckled to himself.

    ��You don��t look so tough.��

    Hii raised an eyebrow at this guy.

    Hayate raised his hand and watched the two.

    ��Ready?��

    ��Let��s get this over with.��

    Hii only nodded his head and placed a hand on his blade.

    ��Begin!��

    Hii watched as Yoroi weaved hand signs, making his hands glow with a blue glow.

    ��Now you just have to hold still while I drain you dry!��

    Hii felt a smirk tug on his face as electricity quickly dashed around his body.

    *Zzt*

    *Bang*

    ��Ugh!��

    That��s all Yoroi could say as he stumbled down to his knees.

    He fell face forward as Hii appeared behind him with a blank face.

    ��Not even worth it.��

    The Genin were shocked by the display as Hayate recovered quickly and raised his hand.

    ��Hii Kurokumo wins!��

    ��Woooo! Great job!��

    Shizuka smiled as she clapped her hands loudly.

    A smile hugged the corner of Maka��s face before disappearing.

    She expected him to do that much.

    Hii slowly made his way back to the viewing platform as the medical ninja picked up Yoroi and brought him to the infirmary.

    Hayate��s eyes lingered on him for a moment before waiting for the right time to announce the next match.

    Once Hii made it back to his original spot, he noticed a strange gaze drilling into him.

    ��?��

    He turned his head and finally noticed Gaara��s bloodthirsty gaze focused on him.

    ��Hey, look. You got a fan now.��

    ��Haha. So funny.��

    Shizuka snickered as she poked Hii in the side.

    Maka silently watched as she was curious what the weird guy could do.

    ��The final match has been decided!��

    Everyone looked over to see the last match up.

    [Gaara of the Sand vs. Misumi Tsurugi]

    The last man draped in purple jumped down with Gaara right behind him.

    ��Heh! Don��t think just because that idiot fell so quickly that I will too.��

    Misumi boldly claimed as he took his stance.

    Gaara, on the other hand, didn��t even register his words as the cork on his gourd seemed to move by itself.

    ��Ready?��

    Misumi nodded his head while Gaara did the same, albeit a barely noticeable nod.

    ��Begin!��

    Misumi jumped back with a hidden sneer on his face as his arms began to crack.

    ��Hehehe! My Physique will bring you down, kid!��

    He sprung forward as his arms started to grow longer, nearly scrapping the ground.

    ��Haaa!��

    His arms shot out as they wrapped around Gaara rapidly.

    ��Hahaha! Give it up, kid. Otherwise, I��ll have to squeeze a forfeit out of you.��

    His arms began to bind around Gaara like a boa!

    *Creak Creak Creak*

    The sounds of squeaking joints silently rang in the Genin��s ears as they grimly watched the battle.

    Hii looked at Gaara for a moment and noted his blank face. He then turned to look at his siblings and noticed the same emotion on their face.

    ��Looks like the winner was already decided.��

    ��Gaaaah!!��

    A loud scream brought him out his thoughts as he looked over at the battle again.

    Misumi screamed as his hands were covered rapidly in brown sand.

    Gaara watched motionlessly as the arms were pierced by the sand and slowly fell from his body.

    His hand raised up as he opened his palm.

    ��Sand Burial.��

    *Crack Crack Crack*

    ��Aaaaah!!��

    Misumi felt his bones cracking into powder as the sand crushed his arms.

    His hoarse screaming echoed at the testing area as the Genin all winced at the savagery.

    ��How could he?��

    Naruto looked on in disbelief as he couldn��t believe someone could be that brutal.

    Hii looked on indifferently as he watched.

    He wanted to see how far Gaara was going to go with this.

    The sand left Misumi��s arms, leaving holes leaking with blood for all to see.

    His arms were twisted beyond recognition!

    He shakily kept standing for a moment before falling down to the ground like his comrade.

    ��Misumi is unable to continue! Gaara of the Sand wins!��

    The medical ninja quickly ran into the arena to take the man away as Gaara looked over all the competitors silently.

    His eyes stopped on Hii for a moment as a sinister smile came across his face.

    Hii smiled back as Gaara made his way towards the viewing area.

    *Shiver*

    ��Huuu! That guy gives me the creeps!��

    Maka nodded her head at Shizuka��s judgement while Hii remained silent.

    ��Guess we��ll see each other at the finals sometime.��

    ��Give us a moment and we will have the match ups for the next part of the test. If you could gather down here for a moment.��

    The group of Genin all came down from the platform and lined up neatly.

    Hayate looked over everyone and nodded his head.

    He started to speak, but quickly suppressed a cough before continuing.

    ��Congratulations on passing the preliminary round. Soon the listing of the matches that will happen one month from now will appear on screen. We encourage you to take note of your opponents and prepare for your battle accordingly.��

    The Genin nodded lightly as they patiently waited for the results.

    Hii looked over at Hayate with a burning curiosity.

    Hayate noticed this gaze and stared back at him with a pondering gaze.

    The two stared at each other for a moment before Hayate nodded his head, as if coming to an agreement. Hii quickly nodded his head as well and no longer paid attention to Hayate.

    ��What was that?��

    Shizuka asked as Hii shrugged his shoulders.

    ��I guess it��s an agreement.��

    Shizuka and Maka looked at him for a moment before looking at each other with confusion.

    Hii didn��t bother to explain as the screen flashed a list of matches!

    [Dosu Kinuta vs. Kankuro of the Sand]

    [Shino Aburame vs. Shizuka Uzumaki]

    [Shikamaru Nara vs. Temari of the Sand]

    [Naruto Uzumaki vs. Maka Uchiha]

    [Sasuke Uchiha vs. Hinata Hyuuga]

    [Hii Kurokumo vs. Gaara of the Sand]

    [Rock Lee]

    All the Genin grew excited as their opponents were selected! Well, except Rock Lee who sulked in the corner.

    ��I don��t get to fight anyone����

    Hii came to his side and patted his shoulder.

    ��Don��t think like that. You��ll get to fight a strong opponent. It��ll be either me or Gaara that gets to you.��

    Rock Lee paused for a moment before a blazing aura came over him!

    ��You��re right! I will have to fight the victor of your fight! I have to train harder than ever before!��

    Hii shakes his head as Lee��s pupils burn with YOUTH.

    His eyes catch the sight of Gaara staring at him with a hungry gaze.

    He could tell he was dying to fight him.

    ��Heh.��

    He returns it with his own smirk before Hayate calls their attention.

    ��You will have one month to train and prepare for your match! Do your best and make sure that you come prepared. We will be evaluating your skills and decisions during the exam. Those that pass the qualifications will become Chuunin. Good luck to you all!��

    *Shuu*

    Hayate teleported away as the examinees start to prepare for their upcoming matches.

    ��Alright! We made it!��

    Naruto shouted out with glee as Sasuke shook his head at him.

    ��What are you so happy about? This was how it was supposed to go, dork. I would��ve laughed if you lost to Kiba.��

    ��Hey! It wasn��t a guarantee, you know? I thought Sakura would be here too!��

    Sasuke��s smile dropped for a moment as he nodded his head.

    ��Well, she did work hard to become stronger. It��s too bad she had to fight Nee-san.��

    Naruto looked at Sasuke for a moment before a sinister smile came over his face.

    ��What? Why are you looking at me like that?��

    ��No reason. Just figured something out. That��s all.��

    Naruto put his arms behind his head as he walked towards Shizuka.

    ��Hey, Nee-san.��

    ��Hmm?��

    Shizuka looked at him with a curious gaze.

    ��What��s up? Why do you look so suspicious?��

    ��I just realized something.��

    He waved Shizuka over, looking like one of the gossiping mothers of the neighborhood.

    ��Oh boy.��

    Shizuka rolled her eyes and humored her brother as she huddled close.

    Naruto whispered in her ear his discoveries as she nodded her head with a dull expression.

    Once he was done, Shizuka whispered in his ear as well.

    Hii and Maka watched as Naruto turned towards his sister with a crazy look.

    ��You know already?!��

    ��Of course I do, Silly. Didn��t you know that it was going on for a while? You can be so dense.��

    Shizuka shook her head as Hii and Maka started to laugh.

    ��He must��ve figured out the strange atmosphere between Sakura and Sasuke. He��s pretty slow to finding out.��

    Hii nodded his head to Maka��s words.

    ��Worse yet, he doesn��t even realize his own love problems.��

    Hii turned to see Hinata taking glances at Naruto from nearby.

    Her face grew bright red when she noticed Hii staring at her and pointing towards her and Naruto.

    ��It��s fun to be the older sibling sometimes.��

    Maka nodded her head as she smiled at their antics.

    ��Heh. I guess it is fun from time to time."

    ��������.

    *Later that day*

    *Shuu*

    Hii jumped from the trees towards a clearing hidden in the testing grounds.

    The moon was full as it took up most of the night sky.

    ��Thanks for waiting. I appreciate you taking the time to humor my request.��

    Hii looked over to the person waiting under a tree in the darkness as he landed.

    The figure stood up and walked into the moonlight with a determined gaze.

    ��No worries. I have to say I��ve long been intrigued about the Kurokumo style.��

    The man suddenly covered his mouth as coughs came up from his lungs.

    Hii quickly made his way over to Hayate and weaved hand signs.

    His hand began to glow green as he came behind Hayate and pressed it against his chest.

    Relief washed over his face as Hayate started to breathe a bit easier.

    ��Thanks.��

    Hii shook his head as he moved his hand around Hayate��s back, healing and scanning his lungs.

    After a short while, he put his hand down and took a deep breath.

    ��I think you have some obstruction in your lung, Senpai.��

    Hayate took a breath before he turned to face Hii.

    ��Well, I just have to live with it. It��s probably just an old injury that couldn��t heal.��

    Hii shook his head before looking Hayate in the eye.

    ��I don��t think so. If you let me look at it, I could come up with a solution.��

    Hayate looked at Hii for a moment before snorting.

    ��Huh. You��re only starting to walk and you already want to run? No need to worry about me.��

    Hayate walked a distance away from Hi before pulling out a scroll.

    *Poof*

    Once he opened the scroll, a katana appeared in his hand as he strapped it to his back.

    ��Maybe if you beat me in swordplay, I might be more amiable to your help.��

    Hii sighed as he walked over while holding the hilt of his blade behind his head with one hand.

    ��Do you have to be so opposed to it? It could make you feel better.��

    ��Show me I need to improve first before you say that. Isn��t this what you wanted?��

    ����..��

    Hayate smirked as Hii ignored him and got into his stance.

    Hayate quickly focused as well as the tension in the air skyrocketed.

    The two were bathed in the moonlight, unmoving as leaves blew through the air.

    One leaf slowly swayed its way down to the ground between them, dancing in the wind.

    The two watched each other as the leaf softly brushed against the ground.

    *Shuu*

    *Shuu*

    *Clang*

    The two drew their blades and clashed against each other as they displayed their techniques!

    *Clang Clang Clang Clang Clang*

    Hii struck aggressively like a storm, but Hayate countered his moves with swift grace!

    Hii stopped and quickly drew back as he studied Hayate for an opening.

    Hayate readjusted his blade as he kept Hii in his sights, giving him no openings.

    ��Tch!��

    Hii clicked his tongue as he rushed forward to clash again.

    Hayate smirked at his energy as two copies of him appeared from his shadow!

    ��!!��

    Hii abruptly stopped as he watched the clones intersect in front of him.

    ��Dance of the Crescent Moon!��

    The two clones made a wide half circle around Hii, splitting his focus!

    ��Which one is he?!��

    Hii tried to keep his cool when he noticed the moonlight above him was blocked!

    He looked up and saw Hayate falling down towards him with his blade overhead!

    ��I��m not going to give up here!��

    Hii��s hair quickly spiked as his chakra jolted through his body!

    Lightning Armor!

    He jumped back out of the encirclement and gripped his blade tight!

    ��Storm style: Flash!��

    *ZZZT*

    Hii zipped towards the falling Hayate as the clones also swung at him!

    *Clang*

    *Puchi*

    Hii and Hayate faced each other silently as their blades crossed.

    Hayate poured large amounts of chakra into his blade as Ame no Tsume crackled with lighting chakra.

    Hii maintained eye contact with Hayate before checking his sides.

    ��������

    Hayate watched him as he slowly glance at the two clones who kept their blades on his neck and the other clone behind him with a kunai held to his side.

    "A kunai?! Really?!"

    "I can use my techniques without a blade. Can you?��

    ����..��

    Hii sighed as he slowly lowered his blade and pressed his hand against his shoulder.

    The force from the jump attack pushed him back enough for Hayate to cut through.

    ��Looks like I win round 1.��

    ����..��

    Hii backed away from him as a green aura covered his hand and healed his wound.

    ��Don��t think I��ll give up with just one loss.��

    *Splat*

    Hayate swung the blood off his blade as he took his stance once more.

    ��I see. Show me how determined you are then.��

    Hii finished healing his wounds as he took his stance once more.

    ��Don��t worry. I��ll make sure you to see if you��re that much better than me.��

    The two looked at each other for a moment before clashing again!

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    The two battled for a long while before they disbanded for the moment

    Hii couldn��t hit crack his moonlight blade at all.

 Chapter 90: Training pt.1

    Forestbear

    Hii woke up in his room with a grouchy expression on his face.

    ��I couldn��t catch him off guard at all.��

    He slowly worked his way up from his covers as the sting of his wounds were still fresh.

    ��I��ll have to get him next time.��

    *Squeak*

    ��??��

    Hii turned to the floor and saw Mochi waving at him.

    ��Oh? You��re here to wake me up?��

    Mochi nodded his head before rushing out of the room back to Yozora.

    Hii sat up and slowly made for the bathroom to clean himself up.

    Once he was done, he headed to the kitchen and saw Kaya placing plates of food down on the table.

    She glanced at him once he walked in and continued to place the plates down.

    ��You look like crap. Who did you try and fight?��

    ����Hayate.��

    Di perked up at the name and smiled.

    ��I see. No wonder you are so beat up. He��s really good at his swordplay.��

    ��I know. I��ll be able to beat him eventually.��

    Di only nodded his head and left it to his grandson.

    He knew he would improve the style sooner or later.

    Riku smiled as she ate her breakfast.

    ��A rival can bring you a long way.��

    Hii nodded his head as Moya groggily made her way towards her seat while rubbing her eyes.

    ��Morning,��

    ��Morning.��

    Yozora followed after them with Mochi on his shoulders.

    The whole family ate in silence for a while before Kaya took a plate of food back to her bedroom.

    The Kurokumo kids looked at each other for a moment before clasping their hands together in prayer.

    Dad had it rough again.

    **

    *Swish Swish*

    Hii swung his sword while deep in thought.

    ��Hayate��s swings were graceful like moonlight. Mine don��t have such finesse. They really don��t have anything but speed����

    Hii stopped swinging for a moment as he looked at Ame no Tsume.

    ��Do I need to put that kind of style into my sword?��

    Hii thought about Hayate��s movements and his Stormblade.

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    Sparks flew around his body as he slashed with his Lightning Armor engaged.

    His swings were nearly invisible, but they slowly became more and more visible as he slowly put in more of a graceful nature to his attacks.

    ��No. This isn��t it.��

    Hii suddenly stopped as he looked at his blade in confusion.

    [You look lost.]

    ��Akumu! You��re back.��

    Hii turned to the shadows nearby to see Akumu laying down next to a tree with Fuyuki.

    ��Uh. Is Fuyuki okay? She looks a little down.��

    Hii saw Fuyuki covering her eyes as she laid down next to Akumu.

    [����]

    Akumu looked at Fuyuki for a moment before shaking his head.

    [She��s got a lot on her mind. I heard you fought Hayate. How was it?]

    Hii sighed as he remembered his fight.

    ��Yeah. It didn��t go well.��

    Akumu nodded his head as his gaze slowly made its way to his shoulders.

    [How does your shoulders feel?]

    Hii checked his shoulders for a moment.

    He noticed his seals were gathering energy slowly from the surroundings, but it didn��t seem to affect him at all.

    Hii shook his head.

    ��I feel fine. I just want to know if this will affect my blade or not.��

    Akumu smiled as he could see Hii was still stuck contemplating his bladework.

    [How about you fight with me and Fuyuki for a bit? Maybe that will help you find your way.]

    Hii smiled and nodded his head as he jumped back and waited for Akumu and Fuyuki to get ready.

    Akumu came closer to Fuyuki and nudged her with his paw.

    [Hey. If you really want to get those images out of your head, the best way is through a fight.]

    {��. Fine.}

    Fuyuki rose from the ground and jumped to the space in front of Hii.

    Hii readied himself as he pulled out one of his wooden swords to battle with.

    {Grrrr!}

    Fuyuki was raring to go as she rushed towards Hii as her orange markings began to glow with power!

    The two stood still for a moment before darting towards each other!

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    Fuyuki and Hii struck at each other as her claws bounced of the sword playfully as he dodged and struck against her attacks.

    The black seal on his arm suddenly began to glow brightly as it slowly started to spread under his shirt.

    Hii could feel a cold sensation in his body.

    He ignored for a moment before realizing it was getting hotter and hotter.

    [Hmmm?]

    Akumu sat up from the ground and looked over at the battle with renewed interest.

    He noticed Hii��s swings were becoming more erratic.

    [Hii. Try to keep-]

    ��Grrraah!��

    *Bang*

    Hii struck Fuyuki hard and sent her flying back!

    [Hii!]

    ��Guhhhh!��

    Hii clenched his teeth as the seal covered half of his body in black seals.

    {Grrrr!! Now you��ve done it!}

    *Swish*

    Fuyuki quickly recovered and smashed her paw into Hii��s chest, sending him back this time!

    Her markings also blazed brightly as she kept on the attack!

    Hii quickly recovered as well and clenched his teeth as he ignored the pain.

    ��Bring it!��

    *Bang Bang Bang Bang*

    The two began to no longer practice, but trade blows as the ground began to crack from their force!

    {Grrrah!}

    ��Haaaa!��

    Hii��s chakra started to take a sinister chill as the training sword in his hand began to wither!

    Fuyuki��s claws began to glow white with energy as she combated the cold, chilly, chakra!

    *Bang Bang Crack*

    Shortly after the two clashed again, the training sword broke into dust.

    Hii wasn��t discouraged and began to punch and claw with his hands!

    *Swish*

    Akumu quickly dashed between the two, smacking Fuyuki on the head and pressed Hii down with his paw.

    [What the hell is wrong with you two?!]

    The two suddenly shook as they looked at each other in shock.

    ��I-I wasn��t supposed to strike that hard?!��

    {W-Was I starting to go full power?!}

    Hii looked at the receding seal with a vigilant gaze as it went back to normal.

    He was about to be relieved until he saw the white seal soon start to spread as a wave of feral anger came over him.

    Akumu quickly moved his paw away from him, stopping the seal from spreading once again.

    The two wolves looked at Hii in shock as they processed what just happened.

    [��I think we need to figure this out first before you continue to train.]

    {I agree!}

    Hii nodded his head as he looked at his white seal slowly recede back to his shoulder.

    ��Maybe��. Mom can guide me on this.��

    *

    ��What do you mean those seals are acting up?!��

    ��W-Wait, Mom! I can explain!��

    Kaya was understandably angry as she looked down at Hii for an explanation.

    Hii proceeded to tell Kaya about what happened as he trained today only to be met with silence.

    He was surprised he ran into her as he started to leave the training field and decided it was better she

    knew what was happening to him right then.

    Kaya had a bizarre mix of bitterness and excitement on her face as she seemed to be thinking of what it could be.

    After a while, she finally nodded her head and bit her thumb.

    *Puchi*

    She smeared blood on her hand and weaved a few handsigns.

    ��Summoning Jutsu!��

    *Poof*

    She stretched out her hand as a puff of smoke appears in front of her.

    A scroll appeared in her hand with the symbol of Turtle on the side of it.

    She slowly opens the scroll with a frown as Hii looked over the scroll.

    He found Kaya��s name on the scroll along with Guy��s name on it as well.

    ��Write your name on the scroll with ink. It��ll disappear after we use it once.��

    Hii looked confused as he takes a nearby inkbrush and writes his name.

    ��Wouldn��t you want me to use your Summoning like you do, Mom?��

    Kaya shook her head rapidly.

    ��Nope. Nuh-uh! If I can help it, this will be the one and only time you meet my Summoning.��

    Hii nodded his head, still curious as to why she never let any of her kids meet the Summoning before.

    She takes a deep breathe and uses some of the leftover blood to recast her Summoning Jutsu.

    *Poof* *Thud*

    A table sized blue shell appeared in front of the two as it landed on the ground.

    ��Huh? Is it dinner time already?��

    A grey skinned turtle slowly exited from his shell as he looked around in confusion.

    ��Hey, Old man. Wake up. I need to go see that big bastard.��

    The turtle turned towards Kaya and smiled softly.

    ��Ah. Kaya-chan. It��s been a long time since I last seen you.��

    Kaya and Hii wait for a moment as the old turtle slowly turned his shell towards them.

    ��Now, you said you need to see my son?��

    ��Yes. You could also help me out as well if you��re free.��

    ��Sure. What��s the problem?��

    Kaya begins to explain to the old turtle about Hii��s seals and the effect they are having on him.

    Hii watched as the turtle��s face slowly grew serious as he looks over at him.

    ��Your situation is a rather familiar one. I see why you would need to talk to my boy for help. Has he signed the scroll?��

    Kaya nodded her head with a smirk.

    ��He won��t be my successor.��

    The old turtle shook his head slowly.

    ��Well, He��s not gonna like that. At least he still has two more chances.��

    Kaya scoffed as she looked away from the turtle.

    The turtle didn��t say anything further as he turned to Hii.

    ��Sorry for leaving you waiting. My name is Gendo. I am an old turtle. Nice to meet you, Hii-kun.��

    ��Nice to meet you as well, Gendo-san.��

    Hii could see Gendo smile as Kaya shakes her head.

    ��Don��t let this turtle��s size fool you. He��s the Sage of the Turtle Marsh. He��s far more dangerous than he looks.��

    Hii��s eyes widened as Gendo just chuckled.

    ��Those days are long gone. I��m just looking after the little ones now.��

    Kaya shrugged and decided to leave it be.

    ��Well then, Let��s take you back to Gameyama so he can assist in helping you gain control of those seals.��

    Hii nodded his head as Kaya kneeled next to the turtle.

    ��Kaya, dear. If you could help me for a moment.��

    ��Sure, old timer.��

    Kaya touched Gendo��s shell and weaved a few handsigns.

    ��Grab on, son.��

    Hii held on to his mother��s arm as Gendo suddenly yelled.

    ��Reverse Summoning!��

    *Shh*

    The three disappeared from the fields as Akumu and Fuyuki watched from a distance.

    Fuyuki turned to Akumu with worry on her face.

    {Do you think this��ll fix him?}

    Akumu kept his head facing towards their last location and nodded his head.

    [If we��re lucky, he��ll come back much stronger than before.]

    Fuyuki nodded her head slowly.

    {Well, what should we do now?}

    [Train.]

    Akumu stood up and gestured for Fuyuki to follow him.

    {What are we training for?}

    Fuyuki bounded after him as he continued to explain.

    [Orochimaru seems to still be attacking the Leaf, but that other guy will be with him as well. We need to find the scope of their attack soon and bring our strategies and power to their optimum levels. We need to be ready for surprises.]

    Fuyuki nodded her head as she followed Akumu towards the Forest of Death.

    *

    Hii opened his eyes as he found himself in a marshland.

    ��Welcome to the Turtle Marsh. You��ll get sick of seeing it soon enough.��

    Kaya brushed Hii��s hair as she took in a deep breath.

    Hii looks around and saw lots of water, trees, and large mountains all around.

    ��This is the Turtle Marsh?��

    ��Yep. It��s like the Holy land for turtles and tortoises. This is the turtle side though.��

    ��Then where is the Tortoise side?��

    Kaya pointed her finger over to the distant mountains.

    ��Over there.��

    ��Past the mountains?��

    ��No. They are the mountains.��

    Hii quickly looked back over towards the mountains in the distance and noticed a small one moving very slowly.

    Hii��s mouth dropped as he began to realize the marsh was surrounded by these giant tortoises!

    ��A-Are the turtles the same size?��

    ��Some of them. The Turtles who master nature energy control their size. The big ones are either too young to control it, or too old to care anymore.��

    Hii nodded his head as he noticed Gendo swimming briskly around with a face of glee.

    ��Ahh~. This water feels good on my shell.��

    Kaya giggles at Gendo��s antics as she walks on the water towards her destination.

    Hii quickly followed behind her as Gendo swam around them.

    They walked on the water for a good while before finally coming across a hill-sized shell floating in the water.

    It was covered in rocks and moss, giving it a natural appearance.

    Hii started to notice some turtles that were below the deeper levels of the water slowly starting to rise in the distance. They curiously looked over him and sent nods of welcome to Kaya.

    The hill sized shell also started to rise from the water as Kaya��s face began to frown.

    ��Hii. Don��t listen to anything this old bastard says. It��s all lies.��

    Gendo just shook his head as the hill suddenly bursts from the water

    *Splash*

    The marsh water rolled away from the hill as a large snapping turtle appeared from the water.

    His skin was dark brown like wood, just like his shell covered in moss.

    Hii saw a plume of white hair covering under his jaw, making him look ancient.

    The turtle��s large eyes look down at Hii with curiosity.

    ��Huh?! When did Kaya turn into a boy?! How long was I asleep?!��

    Hii blanked out as Gendo came close to the turtle.

    ��Look again, boy. This is Kaya��s son, Hii-kun. He needs your help.��

    The turtle looks at Hii for a moment, before looking at Kaya with a sinister grin.

    ��No.��

    Kaya immediately answered him, prompting him to laugh.

    The volume was a bit grating on the ears for Hii, but he persisted silently.

    ��Gahahaha! No way am I helping him and not getting anything for my trouble! I expect to at least get 20 fights!��

    ��No! I don��t want to attack squads again! We got in trouble last time!��

    ��Bah! That��s just because they were Mist ninjas. You wanted their water Jutsus so bad! It��s funny when I think about it now.��

    Kaya puffed up her cheeks as the turtle seems to remember those times fondly.

    He snaps out of it quickly as his smile never leaves his face.

    ��Come on, Kaya! Let��s run wild like we used to!��

    ��No! And you were the one running wild��

    ��Pfft! I can��t use the Storm Technique without you, stupid!��

    ��You��re the one that��s stupid!��

    ��Nuh-uh!��

    The two begin to argue as Hii and Gendo watched on with the crowd of other turtles.

    The turtles merely greet one another and Gendo while introducing themselves to Hii with a calming, serene nature.

    Hii was shocked with how calm they were as his mom and the large turtle continue to argue louder and louder.

    ��What do you mean my sons can��t contract with your son?!��

    ��It can��t work! Haven��t you wondered why I need your help in the first place?!��

    The turtle shut up for a moment before turning his attention back to Hii and stares at him.

    After a moment, he surprisingly nods his head at her decision.

    ��You��re right. Those energies would tear my kids apart if they tried to fight together.��

    Kaya nods her head before looking a bit worried.

    ��How bad is it?��

    The turtle stared at Hii for a moment before silently looking over at Kaya.

    The two stared at each other for a moment before the turtle suddenly grins excitedly.

    ��You have to finish your training if you want me to help him.��

    Kaya��s face grew pale as she started to shake with anger.

    ��You! You just want to see me fat and bloated again!��

    The turtle laughs as he nods his head enthusiastically.

    Kaya sighs and nods her head shortly after.

    ��Fine. I��ll do it.��

    ��Yes! I, Goro, will finally come back with the Storm! Better than ever!��

    ��Shut up!��

    Kaya screamed at Goro, but he just laughed jubilantly.

    Hii smiled seeing his mom so flustered for once.

    Goro turned to Hii with the same sinister smile and surprised Hii with his command!

    ��Now, little Storm. I need you to cut me!��

    **

    The sun set slowly over the Leaf as Maka watched the leaves on the roof of the Uchiha Estate.

    ��Haaaa.��

    She tapped her fingers on the tiles with the pace of a childhood tune, one she heard from the older members of her family.

    Her mind raced with thoughts as she started to realize what was coming.

    A fight with her best friend.

    ����..��

    How was she going to do it?

    ��..Should I go all out?��

    ��I would be disappointed if you didn��t.��

    ��!!!��

    Maka turned around quickly and saw Mikoto standing behind her.

    ��Ah! Mikoto-sa-.��

    ��Don��t call me that, Maka. You still won��t call me Mom like Sasuke?��

    Maka blushed lightly and turned back towards the sunset.

    Mikoto shook her head as she walked over and sat next to Maka.

    The two watched the sunset in silence as Maka tried to find something to talk to her about.

    ��Are you ready to fight your friend?��

    Mikoto asked her first as Maka opened her mouth to speak, but said nothing.

    She shook her head as she tucked her knees to her chest.

    ��I don��t know.��

    ��What is it you don��t know? You want to be promoted, right?��

    ��I do, but I don��t want to drive Shizuka to feel bad about herself again.��

    Mikoto smiled tenderly at Maka and rubbed her head.

    ��You do know what the meaning of being a Ninja is, correct?��

    Maka nodded her head.

    ��It��s to protect our village from threats.��

    ��Not exactly. It means to endure. We endure the trials and tribulations of our village so that they can live without fear and prosper.��

    Maka looked over to Mikoto.

    ��You and Shizuka are Ninjas. If you two can��t endure the difference between the two of you, how can you endure the hardships of the village?��

    Maka was stunned for a moment before falling into deep thought.

    Mikoto just brushed her hair lightly as the light slowly began to dim in the horizon.

    The light in Maka��s eyes, however, kept shining brightly as she came to a decision.

    ��Mom.��

    Mikoto��s arms quickly latched on to Maka as she pulled her close.

    ��Ah! Mom! Stop!��

    Mikoto, however, didn��t listen and held on to Maka for a few minutes before letting go.

    Maka caught her breath for a moment before steeling herself and facing Mikoto.

    ��Mom, can you please train me?��

    ������

    Mikoto looked at Maka with the same smile as before, but Maka could suddenly sense an aura she never felt from Mikoto before.

    It was an aura that brought a chill to her neck.

    ��Of course, Maka-chan. I��ll make sure you��re ready for your battle.��

    Maka started to feel unsure about her decision, but the thought was quickly swallowed down as she refused to not give her best to fight.

    Especially if it was with a friend.

    **

    *Bang Bang*

    Naruto stood in front of Shizuka��s room with a frown on his face.

    ��This is the 3rd day since Nee-san hasn��t come out of her room.��

    Naruto nervously tapped his foot on the floorboards as he waited for his sister to come out.

    He stood there for a minute before his patience ran thin.

    ��Nee-san! Open up!��

    ��Naruto! What did I say about shouting!?��

    Naruto instantly shut up as Kushina��s voice nearly shook the house.

    ��You��re yelling louder than me����

    Naruto complained in his heart, but he would never let that thought come out.

    *Sssu Bam!*

    Naruto planned to knock on the door once again when it suddenly opened!

    ��NeeeEEEEE?!��

    Naruto started to call out to her before his call turned into a shriek.

    Shizuka looked like a mess, covered in dust, gunpowder, and ink.

    Her hair was smudged with all kinds of marks as she muttered to herself.

    ��N-N-N-Nee-san?!��

    Naruto called out to her, but she ignored him as she slowly walked her way to the kitchen.

    Naruto kept in place as he suddenly felt fear in his heart.

    He didn��t want to be anywhere near where she was right now.

    ��Kurama. Should we get out of the house?��

    {��.Can you make it out before they meet?}

    Before Naruto could give it an honest shot, the house began to rumble!

    ��WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, YOUNG LADY?!��

    ��I was training for the exam!��

    Naruto shivered as a sinister laugh rang out from the kitchen.

    ��Hehehehehe! Hahahahahahaha! YOU ARE TOO YOUNG TO THINK YOU CAN RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME!!��

    ��Bring it on, Mom! I��m ready to show you what I��m made of!��

    [Run, Naruto!]

    *Bang Bang Boom*

    Naruto booked it out of the nearest window as the sounds of combat rang out from the other side of the house!

    ��Dad! Dad!��

    Naruto called out to his father as he ran as fast as he could to the Hokage office!

    **

    Minato looked at the giant stack of papers on his desk as he practiced handsigns.

    Shikaku looked over at Minato with a tired expression as he knew he would have to figure out what was going on.

    ��What are you doing, Hokage-sama?��

    ��I��m testing out a new technique. Hopefully with this...��

    Minato��s eyes had a gleam to them as he quickly went through the hand seals.

    ��Sealing Technique: Supreme Eye Skimming Relevancy Jutsu!��

    *Bam*

    He slammed his hand on the table as a seal began to crawl over the stack of papers before papers started to move into 4 separate piles on their own.

    Shikaku looked at the separate piles for a moment as Minato beamed with glee.

    ��What��does that Jutsu do exactly?��

    ��Ah! It separates the papers based on relevancy and need. The pile closest to me will have everything that must be attended to immediately while the other piles are further away due to their needs. This will help me get the important work done faster than usual!��

    Minato smiled while Shikaku shook his head lightly.

    ��Well, at least he still likes to do the work.��

    ��Dad!! Dad!!��

    Minato��s face grew serious as he homed in on the familiar voice calling him!

    ��I need to go.��

    *Fuu*

    Minato quickly disappeared and appeared behind Naruto, grabbing onto his shoulder to calm him down!

    ��Naruto! Calm down! What��s wrong?��

    ��They! Mom! Shizuka! They!��

    ��Naruto. Take a deep breath.��

    Naruto quickly took a deep breath and breathed out slowly.

    He then made Minato panic as he screamed at him!

    ��Mom and Shizuka are fighting each other! I heard things getting destroyed when I left!��

    Minato quickly grabbed Naruto and teleported outside of their home, only to find it eerily quiet.

    The two looked at each other for a moment before Minato opened the front door.

    *Creeeeak*

    Minato and Naruto began to sweat as the atmosphere of the house felt dire and bleak.

    Once the door was opened, they were greeted with the sight of Kushina looming over Shizuka as she kneeled in silence.

    A strange seal was writhing and swaying underneath and over her legs as Shizuka tried her best not to cry out.

    Kushina��s hair rose nearly to the ceiling as she looked at Shizuka.

    ��Apologize.��

    ����..��

    ��It��s only going to get worse, Shizuka.��

    Shizuka just looked down as Kushina��s eyes bore into her.

    Minato slowly raised his hand to get her attention.

    ��K-Kushina?��

    Kushina twitched for a moment before turning to Minato and Naruto with a strained smile.

    ��Dear. Do you mind leaving us for a bit? Shizuka is just having a moment.��

    ����..��

    Minato just nodded his head as he slowly closed the door.

    He backed away from his house and looked over at Naruto.

    Neither knew what to do at this point.

    *Grrrrrrrr*

    Naruto��s stomach began to rumble in protest.

    ��Aaah! I��m hungry!��

    ����Haaa.��

    Minato sighed and decided to leave the situation to his wife. She��ll know what to do.

    ��Come on, son. Let��s go get some ramen.��

    ��Really?! Alright!��

    The two headed off to Ichiraku as they decided not to interfere with whatever was going on.

    **

    20 mins later.

    Kushina still stood over Shizuka as she watched her face with her nails squeezing into her skin.

    Shizuka still hadn��t apologized for her outburst earlier.

    ��This is taking too long. That seal causes pain, but it shouldn��t be applied for too long.��

    Kushina used the seal to punish Shizuka, but she expected her to give shortly after it was applied.

    She didn��t expect her to last nearly 30 minutes without a sound.

    ��I can��t keep this going.��

    [Softie.]

    ��Shut up.��

    ��Shizuka! Why did you come out of your room looking like a monk?!��

    Kushina pressed Shizuka for an answer, but Shizuka just kept silent.

    ��Tch!��

    Kushina quickly released her seal, breaking the circle surrounding Shizuka as she flopped down, exhausted.

    Kushina knelt down next to her daughter as she massaged her legs lightly, sending shocks that caused Shizuka��s body to shiver.

    ����.��

    ����..��

    The two said nothing as she continued to massage Shizuka��s legs in silence.

    *Sniff*

    ����.rry.��

    Kushina looked up to Shizuka��s face and realized she was crying.

    ��Sorry.��

    ����.��

    Kushina wordlessly grabbed her daughter into a hug and gently patted her head.

    ��What happened, Shizuka?��

    Shizuka didn��t answer her right away as she tried to wipe her eyes of her tears.

    ��I,I just couldn��t handle the pressure for a moment.��

    ��Pressure?��

    Shizuka nodded her head as she continued.

    ��I have my first match with Maka-chan. I got excited and started to think of a strategy to fight her, but����

    Shizuka��s right hand grabbed her left arm as she just stared at the floor.

    ��Nothing worked. I don��t have an answer to her abilities.��

    ��Sweetie. We all have match-ups we aren��t going to be perfect against.��

    ��That��s the thing, Mom.��

    Shizuka looked up from the ground straight into her eyes.

    ��I don��t have an answer for most of the people I could be fighting.��

    Kushina looked at her seriously as she could see panic coming over Shizuka��s face.

    ��I don��t have an answer for Maka. I don��t have an answer for Hii. I don��t even have an answer for Naruto and Sasuke if I run into them! Not to mention those Sand kids! Shino is a hard counter for me since his bugs eat Chakra! That��s my whole set-up! I can��t even begin to figure out how to handle Rock Lee before-��

    *Bam*

    ��Gah!!��

    Shizuka held her head as she rubbed her sore spot and looked at Kushina.

    Her face paled as she noticed Kushina was absolutely livid!

    ��Why are you psyching yourself out from something that hasn��t happened?!��

    *Grind Grind*

    ��Oww! Oww! Mom! Stop!��

    Kushina began to grind her knuckles into her child��s head to make sure she understood how stupid she was being!

    After she kneaded her foolish daughter��s head a bit more, she stopped and sighed.

    ��It��s because of your encounter with that snake bastard that you��re like this.��

    ��!!��

    Shizuka had a fearful expression on her face as Kushina just crossed her arms and shook her head.

    ��Haa! Don��t think I didn��t notice how you acted after you came back. All it took was one look at Minato and he told me everything!��

    Shizuka could only sigh as her Dad let Kushina do whatever as long as it regarded her two kids.

    She couldn��t help feeling warmth from her Mom��s care, so she wouldn��t bring it up.

    *Bam*

    ��Agh! What was that for?!��

    ��That was for a smart little lady who seems to get dumber and dumber as she gets stronger! Who told you had to get ready for your Chuunin Exam alone?��

    ����..Ah?��

    *Bam*

    Shizuka rubbed her head, but didn��t complain this time. She knew she was being silly.

    ��Naruto must be rubbing off on me.��

    Kushina giggled at that thought as she stood up and patted her dress.

    ��I��ll help you make some seals and moves that will definitely knock Maka��s socks off. I��ll even get your father in on the fun too. We just can��t let him name anything.��

    Shizuka laughed and nodded her head. Minato sucked at naming things.

    ��Don��t feel that you must do everything on your own. You can still get help from those that love you. And trust me, you have a lot of those.��

    Shizuka nodded her head slowly as she thought over Kushina��s words.

    ��Well then, now with that out of the way.��

    Kushina picked up Shizuka like a lost kitten.

    ��It��s time for a bath, little lady.��

    ��I-I can bathe myself, Mom!��

    ��Apparently not since you��re covered in grime and dirt. Don��t worry! I��ll get you squeaky clean, just like I used to!��

    ��Noooo!!��

    ��Heheheheehhehehehehe!!!��

    Shizuka immediately tried to get out of her grasp as Kushina dragged her towards the bath, laughing sinisterly all the way.

    When Minato and Naruto came back, Shizuka was sparkly clean and a little dead inside.

    Naruto shivered as he remembers the days Kushina would scrub them down after playing.

    He could only clap his hands together and pray for her swift recovery.

 Ch.91. Training pt.2

    Naruto kicked a rock he passed by as he walked through the village.

    "Man, everyone is busy all of a sudden. How am I suppose to get stronger if I can''t find anyone?"

    Naruto found out too late that everyone had already found training partners for the tournament.

    Shizuka took Kushina and Minato.

    Kakashi dragged Sasuke somewhere.

    Even Hii and Kaya we''re nowhere to be found!

    "Haaa! Guess I gotta train by myself. At least I got you, Kurama."

    (Hmph!)

    ''Ya big softie.''

    Naruto smiled as he rubbed his belly and looked around.

    "When did I get here?"

    He found himself in the hotspring area, right in front of the bath house.

    ''Maybe a bath will clear my mind. Hmm?''

    As he debated whether he should go in or not, he noticed something odd.

    "Uhehehehe~!"

    He saw a white haired old man giggling to himself as he looked into a small hole on the side of the bathhouse.

    "......"

    Naruto silently approaches the man as he tries to recall something.

    ''Hey, Kurama?''

    (Hmmm?)

    ''Didn''t Mom say something about a white haired pervert before?''

    Kurama thinks about it for a moment before he exclaimed.

    (Ah! She did! She said you should hold him down and scream pervert at the top of your lungs if you ever see him.)

    Naruto surveyed the man once more.

    After confirming the red, starved eyes he had and his bated breath, Naruto promptly weaved a hand sign.

    "Shadow clone Jitsu!"

    *Poof Poof Poof*

    "Huh?!"

    The old man turned around only to find 7 clones surrounding him and taking in a deep breath.

    ""It''s a pervert!!!""

    "W-Wait a minute?!"

    The old man tried to get out of the situation, but Naruto is surprised when a group of women instantly surround the man.

    "You again?! You never learn, do you?!"

    "N-Now hold on a minute."

    The old man pleads, but the women heard none of it!

    *Pow Bang Pow Pow*

    They immediately started to beat up on the man in coordinated unison!

    "Aaah!!!!"

    "....."

    Naruto watched on in fright as the women destroyed the man.

    **

    "....."

    "....."

    Naruto felt bad for the old pervert and decided to help him get away from the bathhouse...after the ladies were done with him.

    They were currently staring at each other.

    One with a hint of remorse in his eyes, the other with smouldering rage.

    "What was that for, huh?! You just had to go and ruin my fu- I mean my research!"

    "Sorry about that. It''s just something my Mom told me to do."

    The man''s face scrunched up for a moment before leaning in close.

    "D-Does your Mom know me or something?"

    Naruto thought for a moment and shook his head.

    "I don''t know. All I was told was that if I ran into a man with long white hair making a weird face while peeking into the bathhouse, I was supposed to do that."

    "....."

    Hearing the oddly specific instructions from his mother, the man began to sweat as he observed the boy.

    As he began to notice some similarities, the sweat started to pool as he shivered in fear.

    "Wait. W-What''s your name, kid?"

    "Oh! I''m Naruto Uzumaki! A proud Leaf Genin soon to be Chuunin!"

    Naruto smiled brightly while the old man began to become progressively worried.

    ''Oh no!!! My grand disciple caught me researching! Kushina''s gonna kill me!''

    The man quickly shook off his worried expression as he smiled amiably.

    "Nice to meet you, Naruto! I''m Jiraiya!"

    *Poof*

    Jiraiya was suddenly covered in smoke as a large frog appeared underneath him as he struck a pose!

    "The Toad Sage!"

    "Woah! How did you do that?!"

    ''Hehe! Got him!''

    "You wanna know how? I can teach you, but you gotta keep what happened today a secret, got it?"

    Naruto thought for a moment before nodding his head.

    "Alright! You got it! Show me how to do it!"

    Jiraiya grinned as Naruto grew enamoured with his technique, poking the frog''s skin with fascination.

    ''Now I just gotta make sure Minato doesn''t find out as well.''

    As Jiraiya was caught in his thoughts of getting away successfully, Ebisu watched on with a scowl.

    ''Hmph! I''ll have to inform the Hokage that his master is acting up again. I can''t believe he didn''t let me peek as well!''

    *Shuu*

    Although he did a good job covering his meeting with Naruto, Jiraiya forgot all about Ebisu and his grudge.

    **

    *Chi Chi Chi Chi*

    "Hngh! Ugh!"

    Sasuke focused his attention on his left hand as he tried to harness his chakra.

    Kakashi stood on the sidelines, watching silently as he gave pointers to Sasuke.

    "Make sure not to overburden your chakra pathways. If the power cuts off, the technique won''t work."

    Kakashi could see Sasuke nodding his head as sweat dripped down from his bangs.

    *Chi Chi Chi*

    Once Kakashi sensed the Jutsu was stable, he nodded his head.

    "Try it again."

    "Uooooh!!"

    *Crack Crack Crack Bang*

    An explosion of rubble shot out as Sasuke slammed his hand into the nearby boulder.

    A large crater formed around his fist as his arm shook from the discharge.

    Sasuke looked solemnly at the crater, then to his hand.

    ''Is this enough?''

    Sasuke clenched his fist as he turned over to Kakashi.

    "How was it?"

    Kakashi tilted his head and fell into deep thought.

    Sasuke waited for him to finish as he rested and reflected on the sensation of his Jutsu.

    "Not bad. You have a good shot now, but only a shot."

    Sasuke nodded his head as he unclenched his fist.

    "Hinata shouldn''t be a problem, but that can change at any point. You can never be too sure against the Hyuga clan."

    Kakashi continued to explain as he thought of the matches that Sasuke might face.

    "The true battle will be after that match."

    Sasuke fist clenched at the thought of those two being his opponents.

    One gave him the feeling of insanity and bloodlust while the other was a wall he had tried to climb for years now.

    ''It doesn''t matter who wins. I''m not gonna lose to either of them!''

    His Sharingan spun energetically as he readied his technique once more.

    **

    *Bam Bam Swish Woosh*

    "Haaa!"

    *Bang*

    Two silhouettes collided and separated from each other, taking their stances a distance away.

    "Haaa! Haaa!"

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    The two clashed over and over again before they both stopped, covered in sweat.

    The two exited their stances as they caught their breath.

    "Great work, Hinata-sama."

    Neji calmed his breath as Hinata smiled.

    "Thank you, Nii-san."

    Neji shook his head as he went to get a towel for Hinata from a nearby servant.

    "You shouldn''t call me Nii-san, Hinata-sama."

    "I don''t want you to call me Hinata-sama either, Nii-san."

    "....Haaa."

    Neji sighed as Hinata giggled at his expense.

    Hanabi sat nearby and smiled as the two seemed a bit closer since the exam started.

    Neji focused his gaze on Hinata as he asked a serious question.

    "What are your chances against him?"

    Hinata finished wiping her sweat and folded her towel.

    "I-I don''t think I''ll win this fight."

    Neji nodded his head. Sasuke was an opponent even he couldn''t guarantee to win against.

    "It doesn''t mean I won''t give it my all! I''ll fight him for as long as I can!"

    Neji nodded his head in agreement.

    "Honestly, I would want you to win. It just that the opponents after him are..."

    Hinata looked at the ground and silently agreed with her cousin.

    Gaara and Hii were two scary opponents. She didn''t have the confidence nor the techniques to take them on now.

    "I won''t be able to win now, but I''ll be able to take them on in the future."

    Hinata''s resolve brought a smile to Neji''s face as looked up into the sky.

    "Break time''s over. Let''s spar some more."

    "Yes!"

    Hinata and Neji returned to their combat stances and flew towards each other!

    *Bang Bang Bang*

    The two collided once more as Hanabi smiled and watched them execute their techniques.

    **

    *Clack*

    Shikamaru placed a shogi piece on the board as he faced off against an imaginary enemy.

    *Clack*

    He didn''t go easy on himself whenever he faced his own wit.

    He would exploit every possibility he could and use it against himself.

    After all, the enemy would do the same.

    *Clack*

    Shikamaru envisioned his opponent''s tactics.

    She was haughty, but definitely didn''t lack the skills to back it up.

    She would be a challenge.

    "......"

    He breathed in softly and thought about the exams.

    ''What a drag...''

    He knew realistically, he wouldn''t be winning the tournament unless something crazy happened.

    The line up of opponents were too strong.

    ''Especially those Uchihas and Uzumakis.''

    Shikamaru thought for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.

    "No use worrying about that. I should get past the first match before I worry about that."

    *Fwoosh*

    The wind gently breezed by as Shikamaru continued his mental game.

    *Clack*

    **

    Rasa looked over the files in his lap with a sigh.

    ''What could they be hiding?''

    He had stayed in the Hidden Leaf for a few days and he could already feel something strange was going on.

    He could sense the Leaf Ninjas were tense of something, but it wasn''t of him and his village.

    *Shuu*

    A figure appeared before him, crouched and waiting.

    "Did you find anything, Baki?"

    The man''s head was covered in cloth besides one half of his face.

    He was the Jonin in charge of Rasa''s children, Baki.

    "I couldn''t gleam into much, Lord Kazekage."

    "Hmmm...."

    Rasa rubbed his chin as he looked out at the surroundings from the nearby window.

    The greenery and atmosphere of the Leaf had always left him envious.

    ''When will our village be just as prosperous?''

    Rasa stared for a moment before refocusing his mind.

    "How are they doing? Are they prepared for the exam?"

    Baki nodded his head.

    "Yes. Temari is pretty confident in her match. She still practices her technique and hasn''t slacked off."

    Rasa nodded his head and urged him to continue.

    "Kankuro seems to be confident as well, but I urged him and Temari to not take their opponents lightly. I still remember many of our comrades getting killed being careless. Especially to the Nara clan."

    Rasa agreed with him.

    "The Nara are a silent threat. Their intelligence and techniques have always been problems for us."

    Baki agreed and stayed silent for a moment.

    Rasa sighed again as his mood soured.

    "And him?''

    "....."

    Baki took a deep breath and began his report.

    "He''s....excited."

    "...."

    The room became tense as Rasa''s chakra started to rise slowly.

    "Excited?"

    Baki slowly nodded.

    "I haven''t seen him like this in a long time. I heard he grew an interest in his opponents during the exam. It seems the interest not only stayed, but increased over time."

    Rasa thought about his son for a moment.

    If he could even call him his son now.

    ''If I l keep thinking about it, it will drive me insane.''

    Rasa could feel his chakra pulsing at the thought of Shukaku bursting out in the village.

    All of the hard work and good fortune he obtained from the Leaf would be gone in one roar.

    Baki watched in silence as Rasa''s thoughts began to wander in his frustration.

    He couldn''t help bitterly laughing at the comparison of Konoha and Suna.

    Better environment.

    Better resources.

    Better ninjas.

    Even better Jinchuuriki.

    ''Ah. I''m so jealous.''

    *Crrrrr*

    Rasa''s hands clenched as the metal in the room started to strain under his chakra.

    Suddenly, it all vanished again.

    Rasa took in a deep breath and looked at Baki.

    "Make sure he''s in proper form for his fight. Don''t let him disgrace the Sand any further."

    "Yes!"

    *Shuu*

    Baki flickered away as Rasa looked back outside.

    He stared at the lush forest for a moment before getting back to work.

    **

    In the Forest of Death, Shino walked around with a container in his hands.

    It held three strange looking beetles inside, trapping them as the slowly clawed at their prison.

    Shino held the cage up to his face. His glasses flashed with light as he stared at his catch.

    "Perhaps I''ll be able to use a new type of beetle if I can integrate these three with the rest."

    He had found these beetles near a strange area filled with nothing, but half dead trees. It was wholly bizarre as everything else around it was brimming with life except that area.

    ''I wonder if it''s a rare phenomenon. None of the books I''ve read seem to talk about something like that.''

    Shino was excited as he carried his beetles back to his home.

    He couldn''t wait to see what made these beetles so special.

    **

    Dosu stood still as sweat covered his body.

    He stood in his hotel room as a shadowy figure watched him with pleasure.

    The sinister feeling of something preying on him sunk deep into his mind as he felt the yellow eyes of his master watching over his form.

    "Good work. I''ll have you continue in the exam. Fight or give up. It''s up to you. You must be ready to fight, however, once the operation begins. Understood?"

    "Y-Yes Lord Orochimaru."

    Dosu''s bandages couldn''t hold in all the sweat as he tried not to wipe it.

    This seemed to only entice Orochimaru more as he enjoyed his squirming.

    *Shuu*

    A shadow quickly appeared in the room before kneeling in front of Orochimaru.

    "Lord Orochimaru. It seems Aeon''s group has completed their preparations."

    Orochimaru''s smile grew wider as he stood up from his chair.

    "Good. My preparations have also been completed with some volunteers."

    Dosu''s body shook for a moment before he forcefully stilled it, but Orochimaru still noticed it.

    "Don''t worry about those two. Failures have a way of...being recycled for a better chance."

    "Y-Yes."

    Orochimaru suddenly appeared behind him and put his arm around his shoulder.

    "You show promise. Make sure you keep doing well. The more you shine, the more likely you''ll stay shining."

    Dosu heard a hissing noise come from Orochimaru''s arm as he lifted it off his shoulder.

    "Stay out of trouble and remember to be ready."

    *Shuu Shuu*

    The two disappeared from the room, letting Dosu fall to his knees as his biggest fear disappeared from the room.

    "Haaa! Haaa! Haaa!"

    Dosu gulped for air as his mind raced.

    ''Those two were killed because they lost! What should I do?!''

    Dosu clenched his fist as he looked out the window towards the moon.

    Should he run? Should he fight and hope he''ll survive the operation?

    Dosu dragged himself towards his bed, deep in thought.

    He would have to make a decision soon on what he would do.

    He didn''t have a lot of time left to decide.

    **

    "1001! 1002! 1003!"

    Lee continued to power through his push ups as the boulder on his back dropped flakes of stone.

    Guy watched on with a joyful expression as he nodded his head.

    "Lee! Your youth burns brightly! I''m proud of you for how far you''ve come. However! That doesn''t mean you can slack off! You must shed more sweat and blood to reach the levels of even higher ninja."

    "Yes, Guy-Sensei!"

    Guy nodded his head before dropping down and standing on his hands.

    He pulled up one arm and gave Lee a thumbs up!

    "Well then, I''ll be back in a jiffy. Gotta run around the village a few times for my warm-up! Remember to get your one armed push-ups done as well. Today''s training will be burning hot!"

    *Fwoosh*

    Guy sped away on his two hands as Lee''s eyes grew fiery with spirit!

    ''I managed to beat Neji, but I realized I''m not done. With the loss of one obstacle, many more have appeared.''

    Lee''s mind raced with the images of Naruto and Sasuke before focusing on their big sisters in the shadows of his mind.

    Above that was his comrade in hard work. The long flowing white hair and blade of his friend and rival.

    ''I have to get even stronger! I can''t be left behind!''

    "I''ll finish this workout in the next 5 minutes! I can''t leave Guy-Sensei waiting!"

    Lee continued to push-up, counting in his head as the sweat flowed from him like a river!

    "Uuuuooooh!!! Youth!!!!!"

 Ch.92. The Eve of the Exam

    "Haaa! Haaa! Haaa! Finally!"

    Kaya wiped her sweat and smiled as she raised her hands in the air!

    "I''m getting out of this swamp!!"

    Several turtles looked over at her, causing her to freeze.

    "Ugh...Sorry."

    The turtles sank back into the water as Kaya sighed.

    She had to get out of here, but not without her son.

    ''Who knows what that crazy turtle will teach him if he stays.''

    Kaya quickly rushed over to the large tree surrounded by turtles and found the shell of Gendo.

    *Knock Knock*

    She knocked on the shell gently and waited for him to wake up.

    "Huh? Is it dinner time already?"

    "Not yet, old timer. Where''s Goro and my son?"

    Gendo turned to Kaya and tilted his head.

    "Hmmm? Weren''t you suppose to help Goro today? I heard him say something about the Storm technique."

    Kaya''s face grew stern as she swiftly looked around for his shell in the distance.

    After a few glances, she realized it was near the edge of the swamp and grit her teeth!

    He was doing it again!

    "Goro!!"

    *Shuu*

    She flickered away as Gendo shook his head.

    "My my. Those two always liven up the place when they''re together. If only they didn''t fight so much."

    *Ssssha Ssssha*

    *Pyuuu*

    A large wasp flew overhead of Gendo before he shot it down with a tiny jet of water.

    He slowly swam over and devoured it with one gulp before slipping back into the water.

    ''Well, time to go to sleep again.''

    **

    "Goro-san? Are you sure I can learn this technique?"

    Goro smiled at him as he turned his head.

    "Yeah! No problem! All you gotta do is listen to my instructions. It''ll be super easy!"

    ''Yeah, I doubt that. This is the fourth time you tried to teach me. I wonder how far we''ll get this time?''

    Hii sighed and prepared himself.

    Goro had tried to teach him this technique several times, but Kaya stopped him at every point.

    He didn''t even hear the basics of it yet, so he couldn''t say he wasn''t curious about it.

    It was Kaya''s famous technique, yet he never saw her use it.

    "All you have to do is mix our chakras a little and-"

    "You turtle bastard! Stop trying to teach him!"

    *Shuu*

    Kaya flickered in front of Goro with a menacing face.

    Goro couldn''t help rolling his eyes.

    "Seriously? How is he suppose to take over after you if he doesn''t learn the technique?"

    "He''s not taking over after me!"

    "Why not?! He has the talent!"

    "I will not let him get persuaded to bring you out again!"

    The two argued with each other as Hii looked on with a somber face.

    ''Ignored again,huh?''

    Hii decided to stop minding them and clenched his hands.

    ''Did I manage to gain more control over myself? I''m not craving a fight anymore. I should go test it when we get home.''

    Hii jumped down from Goro''s shell as he looked at the two argue.

    He focused on Goro''s new beard.

    Goro''s long beard had been shortened by a few feet, thanks to his training.

    ''Glad that counted as a cut. It was still hard to do though...''

    Hii looked over at his right shoulder and stroked his wolf seal.

    It glowed lightly as he touched it, as if growling to his call.

    ""Hmph!!""

    Kaya and Goro both turned away from each other as they were done with their arguing.

    "Umm. Mom? Goro-san?"

    ""Yes?!""

    The two looked at each other with disgust as they synchronized their response.

    "Can you tell me why I was so aggressive before we started training?"

    Goro looked over at Kaya with a smug grin.

    "Tch! Go ahead then."

    "Heh!"

    Goro turned back to Hii and smiled.

    "You see, the energy in those seals will affect your mind if they are imbalanced. I was surprised at first that you hadn''t exploded already from the pressure, but it looks like your body was used to it."

    Goro''s face grew serious as he looked at Hii.

    "This state, however, can''t last for too long."

    "What do you mean?"

    "You''ll need to get those two energies under your control. I can tell you now that they''ve become balanced again thanks to you using equal amounts of their energy, but you have to be in control. Your energy will have to dominate the other two. You can''t let them be dominant and against each other."

    Hii''s face grew stern as he heard that solution. It wasn''t going to be easy to beat two Bijus in an energy contest.

    "Fortunately, the seals have something you can use to even the playing field."

    "It does?!"

    Goro nodded his head.

    "Senjutsu."

    "What?! You want him to learn this too?!"

    Kaya jumps in and hugs Hii as she glares at Goro.

    Goro surprisingly shakes his head as he continues to explain.

    "No. I don''t think he''s able to fully grasp our way of doing it. It''s not compatible with the energy."

    Goro focuses his gaze on the seals as he continues.

    "Those seals hold Senjutsu and that bizarre chakra. Whatever energy you use has to be something similar in order to gain control over them. We''ve been watching how your body absorbs the chakra here to make sure you were comparable or not."

    "We?"

    *Plop plop plop*

    Hii suddenly noticed several shells of turtles popping up nearby as Goro continued.

    "My children have kept an eye on you to make sure you don''t go crazy again. Sadly, you can''t seem to absorb our energy properly. Where did you get this energy anyway?"

    Hii thinks for a moment before answering.

    "...My family. They''re wolf Bijuus."

    "!!"

    Goro looks over at Kaya who nods her head.

    "There are two of them."

    "....."

    Goro thinks for a moment before shaking his head.

    "I''ll need some time to figure out how you can achieve dominance. In the meantime, just try to keep the use of the seals the same if you have to. Don''t let the energy consume you."

    "I understand."

    Hii nodded his head.

    "I''m going to go practice some more."

    "Don''t take too long! We''re finally leaving today!"

    *Shuu*

    Hii smiled at Kaya''s enthusiasm as he flickered off to his practice area.

    Kaya''s smile turned serious as she turned to Goro once he left.

    "Why can''t he learn your Senjutsu? It''s safer than the others."

    Goro sighed as his body sank into the water, blowing bubbles before he answered.

    "It''s because our energy isn''t compatible with it. His energy is wild and untamed. Our energy is calm and serene. It doesn''t mesh well together. He needs something that will have the same effect."

    "What does?"

    Goro shook his head.

    "I don''t know. Frogs have distinct Senjutsu. So does snakes and slugs. Their characteristics don''t match. The only thing I can think of is he will have to make his own."

    Kaya''s face grew concerned at the thought.

    "It''s nearly impossible to do that! There aren''t three holy lands for no reason. It takes time and possibly generations to do that!"

    Goro shook his head as he turned to the direction Hii went to.

    "He''ll have to do it in record time then. That energy may be from friends, but it''s not his friend. They''re trying to consume each other and him in the process."

    "....."

    Goro turns over to her as a wicked smile graces his face.

    "How about some practice yourself since you''re gonna leave soon? I have some cousins I need to wake up. Haven''t moved in years."

    "....."

    "Come on! I know you miss being in the heart of the Storm! Let''s go wake up those old fogeys like we used to."

    "....Haaa. Fine."

    *Splash*

    Goro grinned as rose out of the water.

    "Sweet! The Storm is back, baby!"

    "No we''re not!"

    Kaya protested, but still jumped on his shell as he started to head towards the giant shells.

    ******

    "Whew! We''re finally back!"

    Kaya stretches her arms as the two appeared back at training ground 13.

    Kaya finishes her stretches as they both breathe in the fresh air.

    "Ah! It doesn''t smell like moss and swamp stench anymore!"

    "It is really good to be back."

    "Let''s get home. I''m sure the others are waiting."

    The two make their way back home, greeting their family as they rest from their training.

    Of course, the two kids had many questions.

    "Mom! How big were the turtles!?"

    "Why are you excited about the turtles?! They were big, okay?! As big as the house!"

    "Cool! Could you ride them?!"

    Moya was particularly interested in meeting the turtles, giving Kaya a headache.

    ''Ugh! Will the title actually pass down?!''

    Hii smiled at his sister''s enthusiasm, but he needed his Grandpa''s help before it''s too late.

    "Grandpa?"

    "Hmm?"

    "Can you help me maintain my blade? I think there was a fracture during my training."

    Di nodded his head and wordlessly headed into the workshop.

    Hii followed behind him as he brought his sword.

    Di took the scabbard and pulled out the blade.

    Nicks and cracks flowed through the weapon as his face frowned.

    "You''ve swung it much harder than before."

    "It''s hard to control my new strength once I use my techniques. It''s not mastered yet."

    Di nodded his head and set to repair it.

    "Be careful. The cracks run deep on the blade. I may not be able to fully repair it."

    Hii nodded his head as he set to help him.

    "It''s fine if it breaks, but try to make sure it doesn''t when you need it."

    Hii nodded his head as he helped Di.

    ****

    Night came quickly as the village began to bustle with energy.

    The coming Chuunin Exams brought in many merchants and clients wanted to see the next generations level of skill.

    *Shuu*

    Hii jumped on the roofs of the village, looking for someone.

    "Where is he?"

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    Continuing to search, Hii noticed a lot of ninja from other villages were coming for this Exam as well.

    ''Why are there so many foreign ninja here as well?''

    Hii even noticed that most of the ninjas didn''t even have any candidates from their village in the finals.

    ''.....''

    Hii looked around, noticing more Leaf ninja were around than usual as well.

    He thought for a moment, then shook his head.

    ''It''s above my grade to worry about that. Let''s just find Senpai so we can challenge him again.''

    "Ah. You''re back."

    "!!"

    *Shuu Shuu*

    Hii turned around to find Hayate and a woman land behind him.

    "Senpai!"

    Hayate grinned, but suddenly covered his mouth.

    *Cough Cough*

    "Ugh! All this excitement makes me breathless."

    "I don''t think that''s it, Senpai!"

    "Geez! I told you to take it easy."

    The woman shook her head, making her purple hair flicker back and forth as she patted his back.

    *Suuuuu*

    Hii''s hands began to glow green as he placed them on Hayate''s chest.

    Hayate''s face started to take a healthier shade as he began to breathe easier.

    "Thanks. I saw you were looking for me. Another match?"

    Hii nodded his head.

    "Yeah. I just came back from training. I wanted to see if I had improved any further."

    Hayate nodded his head and turned to the woman next to him.

    "Yugao. This kid is pretty good. You should test him out for me."

    The woman smiled as she assessed Hii once more.

    "I wonder if you really do have the skills."

    Hii shivered slightly as he looked at the woman.

    She wore casual clothes, but Hii could sense just a hint of her skill.

    It wasn''t much different from Hayate''s at all! Maybe even better!

    "I would also like to see how I fare against you."

    Hayate chuckled as he could see the fire in Hii''s eyes.

    "We should move this to a different area. Follow me."

    Hii and Yugao nodded as they stopped staring at each other.

    *Shuu Shuu Shuu*

    The three headed off towards a nearby training ground, ready to test their mettle.

    *********

    *Clang Clang Clang*

    *Shuu Shuu*

    "Haaa! Haaa!"

    Hii found it hard to breathe as he tried to keep up with Yugao.

    Without his armor, he found it hard to keep up with her.

    He had to try anyway.

    He had to improve his base, just like Goro said.

    ''You have a lot of techniques, but you depend on them too much. You need to bring your base abilities up to par. Once you do that, your Jutsu will be even better and you''ll have more resistance to that foreign energy. You have to be stronger both physically and mentally to master it.''

    *Clang Clang*

    Hii tried to keep up with Yugao with only his Body Flicker Jutsu.

    He would personally lose if he used anything else.

    He had to discipline himself this way to go further.

    "Hahaha! You are pretty good, but is this all you can do?"

    "Tch! I can do more!"

    Hayate stood back as he analyzed Hii''s progress.

    He nodded his head as he felt Hii made a solid effort to improve.

    ''He''s not using his cloak anymore. His skills have become a little sharper, and he''s becoming better at hiding where he''s slicing.''

    Hayate smiled as he pulled out his sword.

    ''He''ll reach our level in no time. Better make sure to grind out his weaknesses now while he''s young.''

    "Your enemy won''t always play fair, Hii-kun. You have to be ready for stacked odds!"

    Hii turned to him with a betrayed face!

    "You too?!"

    "Prepare yourself!"

    "Hahaha! This will be one of our more memorable dates."

    Hii''s face paled.

    No wonder her blows were so heavy!

    "You guys were on a date?! I''m so sorry!"

    *Clang Clang*

    Yugao shook her head as Hayate attacked Hii.

    "Don''t be. You made it better."

    ********

    Hii limped his way down the road as he headed home.

    ''I need to be careful next time. Can''t just ruin someone''s evening like that.''

    He couldn''t truly say he did though with how happy Yugao was as they both wailed on him.

    That wasn''t the only problem he was dealing with.

    ''That feeling is here again.''

    Hii clutched his chest as he looked at the ground.

    The fury of being attacked.

    The need to tear into his opponents.

    The want to decimate his foes completely.

    This hunger had begun to linger in his chest since he was ''given'' his two seals.

    The problem was it was getting stronger overtime.

    It was never...truly abated.

    The only time he felt some relief was in Goro''s training.

    The problem was he didn''t remember doing anything special and no one seemed to remind him of it as well.

    ''Am I becoming more feral?''

    Hii was starting to become scared.

    Scared of what he could become.

    Scared of what he might do.

    Scared of who he could hurt.

    "Don''t be afraid."

    "?"

    Hii looked up to find a man leaning against the nearby building.

    He wore a straw hat over his head as he seemed to blend in to the wall.

    ''Was...he talking to me?''

    Hii looked around and noticed no one else seemed to notice the man as he played with a reed.

    "A blade that has doubts will dull. Only a blade that''s true to itself will cut down the opposition."

    "!!"

    Hii turned to the man, now on guard as he felt a tingle down his spine.

    Danger.

    This man was dangerous.

    "No need to feel threatened. I''m not going to come at you. Yet, at least."

    "......"

    "You see, I envy you ninjas."

    The man turned his head towards the Hokage Faces and shook his head.

    "You guys respect those that have reached the top of your village. I did the same, and was cut down in fear."

    The man chuckled under his breathe as he began to walk away. He pulled out a gourd from his belt and began to drink from it.

    "I guess it''s nights like these that make me reminisce."

    "...."

    The man began to walk off as he kept drinking from the gourd.

    Hii watched him leave, but couldn''t help asking him something.

    "Where is your sword?"

    "...."

    The man stopped for a moment and turned towards Hii.

    "!!!"

    Immense killing intent fell on Hii, nearly bringing him to his knees as he stared at the man!

    His eyes were brown, but they may as well have been black with how much malice he had in them.

    "It broke. Like all my dreams, ambitions, and plans."

    The man slowly turned his head back and continued walking.

    "That''s why no one will remember me. I will be another sorrowful tale buried in the sands of time. A curse now upon the warriors who live in this day and age. A curse who can only feed on the memory of others."

    The man raised his gourd high to the moon in farewell.

    "A curse to young warriors like you."

    The man soon disappeared into the crowd as the hustle and bustle of the Chuunin Exams were in full effect.

    Hii stood there, his palms sweating and his back drenched in sweat.

    He couldn''t fathom how to beat that man.

    He couldn''t fathom how many people he had cut down.

    He could only feel the weight of his words like a hulking beast breathing on a young sprout of grass.

    The worse thing about it all was that the hunger grew as the man left.

    *********

    *Flip Flip Flip*

    "Haaa."

    *Fwip*

    Shizuka shut the book up and laid on her bed.

    ''Am I ready?''

    She looked over her palm as she extended her hand to the sealing.

    Ink was covered all over her dainty fingers as she clenched her fist.

    ''Of course I''m ready! Ready to kick everyone''s butts!''

    She began to pump herself up as she thought of her new techniques.

    ''I''ve got brand new tricks up my sleeve now! They won''t know what hit em!''

    She sat up with a grin as she looked over at the massive scroll on her desk.

    She contemplated for a moment before going over and slowly opening it again.

    ''Let''s just make sure they''re all drawn correctly one more time.''

    This would be the third time she checked, but she couldn''t help herself.

    She had to make sure they were right.

    *********

    "Phew!"

    Maka laid down on her bed, exhausted from her intensive training.

    ''I now know why Sasuke always feared her. She really is no joke.''

    Maka thought back on Mikoto''s chilling smile and shivered.

    She was thankful, but she wasn''t going to forget how strong she was anytime soon.

    Still, her help made it easy for Maka to grow even stronger.

    "Her Jutsu were impressive too. I can''t let her down."

    Maka smiled as she got up and stretched her body.

    ''I can''t wait to see the look on Hii and Shizuka''s faces. Hehehehe.''

    Maka couldn''t help giggling at her new gaggle of Jutsu.

    She was sure one of them would catch them off guard!

    "Hehehe!!"

    ******

    Deep in a dark cave near the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.

    *Shuu*

    A robed figure dropped near the entrance of the cave and began to head inside.

    *Drip Drip*

    Water dripped from the sides of the cave as the rocky interior gradually changed into a building.

    *Clang Clang*

    Ninjas practiced and attacked targets as the cloaked figure made their way past them.

    Others checked equipment and went over plans.

    Soon the figure came to a long hallway, adorned by torches and tile.

    *Creak Creak*

    The figure continued towards what looked like a body, hanging from a rope connected to the sealing.

    "Kabuto. How are the preparations?"

    Orochimaru suddenly appeared from one of the corners of the room, keeping his eyes on the hanging body with fascination.

    The cloaked figure removed his cloak, revealing his white hair and glasses.

    Kabuto turned to Orochimaru as he pushed his glasses up.

    "The preparations are complete on our end, Orochimaru-sama. I believe the others have also made their preparations as well."

    Orochimaru chuckled and nodded his head.

    "Finally, I''ll kill off the past. Completely this time and look towards the future."

    Orochimaru smiled as he curiously turned to Kabuto.

    "Kabuto. How long do you think he''s been hanging there?"

    "....."

    Kabuto looked at the body of Aeon as he hung listlessly.

    His brown hair hung softly as his expression looked peaceful.

    Kabuto suddenly grew intrigued as he realized some things.

    Aeon''s body looked no different than the last time he saw him, but the rope leaving him in place had frays and tears along its stressed areas.

    His eyes grew wide as he became perplexed.

    "How is this possible?"

    "Fufufufu. I knew you would see the contradiction. He''s been up there since you left two months ago."

    "!!!"

    Kabuto looked at Aeon with a strange sensation of fear.

    He didn''t know how he did it, but he could still feel life coming from his body.

    "Fascinating."

    "Fufufufu."

    Orochimaru silently agreed as he watched with an ever increasing curiosity.

    ''I can''t wait to dissect you thoroughly once we come back.''

    Orochimaru smiled as he remembered his newest breakthroughs thanks to his new ally.

    He hoped The Leaf would like his fun surprises. He knew he did.