Kapitel 5: Chapter 4 part 2

Otogakure

It didn't often happen that Orochimaru would end up being disappointed having assured himself of success but truly when things did go left, it really did sting. The last time his sensei had truly done him a number. Taking away his hands had been a rather sinister move. He had cursed his sensei but he couldn't be mad forever. This time around, it had been Naruto. But the blond hadn't been in the way. In fact, Orochimaru was happy things turned out the way they are.

It wasn't what he had gone expecting but he was fine with it. He had something else to look at now and it was certainly something very interesting. Naruto had not only managed to hold his own against Sasuke but he had managed to deal some damage that forced the Uchiha to utilize the cursed seal. It had been unexpected but nothing to be too shocked about.

He was going to be grounded once more. He had avoided fighting Jiraiya because it wouldn't have been healthy for him.

Orochimaru glanced at the brooding Uchiha for a moment before laughing. It was a bit gleeful. Both he and Sasuke had been confident that the latter would win against Naruto but it hadn't been going according to plan. Sasuke did not lose. The battle hadn't ended yet. Maybe Sasuke would have won, maybe he would have lost, they couldn't be certain about anything.

But to Sasuke, it felt like loss. Orochimaru wasn't that concerned by the Uchiha's wounded pride. There wee more important matters to deal with.

"Are you that afraid of Jiraiya?"

"You can ask him, Sasuke-kun, but Jiraiya knows out of the Three Sannins, I have always been the strongest. None of us have surpassed our sensei but I was strongest…" Orochimaru said. "Admittedly, the condition of my body doesn't allow me to match him. I'm afraid fighting him would result in more severe consequences for me."

Sasuke snorted. "I came to you for power, Orochimaru… but you have not given me what I want if I could still struggle against Naruto. If I can't defeat him, I can't defeat Itachi."

"I can only push you so far, Sasuke-kun…" Orochimaru responded calmly. "There are some things that you cannot be taught. You need to look at where you have failed. Power I have given you. You depended on my cursed seal to defeat Naruto the last time and this time around, you still used it."

"He was using the power of the Kyubi last time…"

"Yes, frightening power… but Naruto has no bloodline and still this time around, he didn't use the chakra of the Kyubi…" Orochimaru pointed out, a little amused by Sasuke's glares. At this point, he was going to end up taking Sasuke's body even when he wasn't ripe.

"You are the one who has failed. If you cannot improve me, there will be no reason for me to stay with you, Orochimaru…" after saying that, Sasuke stomped away from Orochimaru.

Kabuto looked at the retreating Uchiha for a moment before turning to his master. "He looks like he has taken quite the knock."

Orochimaru shrugged carelessly. "Sasuke has grown strong but he fails to control his emotions when Itachi is mentioned. Unable to control himself, he doesn't act rationally. Naruto didn't do anything impressive…" the Sannin looked thoughtful for a moment. "But admittedly, he is truly better than expected. It could have gone either way."

Well, Kabuto could understand why Sasuke would be displeased. Naruto's growth was the reason Sasuke had felt like he needed to get away to gain more power. Sasuke was strong, Kabuto could admit that much. But this was going to turn things back a bit.

"Are you going to have another try?"

"Not at the moment…" Orochimaru said. He was grinning. "You should have seen the way he handled himself. Even when I was there, he didn't blink. He just stared into my eyes and asked me what I wanted. He has a way with words…"

"Should we increase our efforts on him?"

Orochimaru nodded. "You need to work quickly. I don't know how this body will hold on. If we don't take Sasuke, I will have to find a new host. It is becoming troublesome since he is talking about leaving…" Orochimaru couldn't allow that to happen. If Sasuke left, he might never be able to get him back. To stop him from leaving, Orochimaru would be willing to take over even when the time wasn't right. There hadn't been this threat before, so it was never a consideration.

"I will get on it."

"And the other thing?"

"It has been wiped clean of everything. There was dust, so I assume they did it some time ago…" Kabuto responded calmly.

"Well, it is safe to assume that there are possibly people who saw Uzu's destruction and who know about its secret hideouts and possessions…" Orochimaru said. "Even though the mask temple was in the outskirts of Konoha, it wasn't something that everyone knew."

"Considering the things that were in there, it did make sense to keep its location hidden…" Kabuto said. "How has Naruto been able to improve drastically in such a short time?"

"There are two possibilities: it is either he has always been good but chose not show it or he has one big appetite for learning new things. He proudly wears the symbols of his clan, and yet even though it has revived, doesn't claim to have any desire to reunite with his clansmen, isn't that strange?"

"Are you suggesting that Naruto has a connection with Uzu?"

"Yes…" Orochimaru said with a nod. "We just have to discover what that connection is…"

Kumogakure

The Hidden Cloud: a power hungry nation it once was. Perhaps it was still power hungry. Had it not been for the Sandaime's methods and the Hyuga's sacrifice, maybe Konoha and the Leaf would have gone to war over something the village was truly guilty of doing. Ridiculous. In this world, 'right' no longer mattered. Power was everything. The strong did as they pleased and the weak suffered. Maybe Kumogakure felt confident it could boss Konoha because it had two Jinchurikis who are known for being the best in the shinobi world.

Kumo's Jinchuriki knew how to control the power of their Bijuus and they stood out because of this. The beast inside of him had resisted plots and attacks from the Hidden Cloud. When none wanted to come near because the Kyubi was too powerful, Kumo was more than willing to send its shinobi on suicide missions. Power. Bijuus: the 'right' in this world.

The Cloud was rather lovely, and perhaps Jiraiya would be having the joys of his life. Kumo and Konoha didn't have the best of relationships because of the past. Then again, none of the Great Nations were truly friends, there was always some bitter history between the nations. Wars haven't done any favors to the relationships of these villages.

Naruto didn't dwell much on the scenery within the village, he walked around for a bit. He was mindful that he was being watched. Perhaps he had been watched too often that he could spot a pair of eyes staring at him even from across the seas. But he didn't mind it: he had metal plates around his body and looked like he been in battle. It was understandable for them to be curious.

He found himself a good place to rent and rested for about two hours. It had been after noon when he arrived in the land. Once up, Naruto went to the window and settled nicely for about two more hours while staring blankly into the streets.

His little birdy friend appeared before him. Naruto let it rest on his hand before smiling. "You've come a long way from home…" he said, walking over to the small table he'd requested.

The bird nodded and flapped its wings a bit. It looked tired.

"Was it dangerous?" Naruto asked, taking out the scroll it had. Five mountains of paper work appeared in a puff of smoke. For a moment, Naruto stared at it before shaking his head. He looked at the bird and waited for its response.

The bird nodded and showed him the inside of its right wing. It had a wound. People do try to attack them messenger birds.

Naruto put his finger on its head, as if to pat it. "Ask for a vacation when you get back home. I'm sure they'll grant you." He said with a smile before turning his attention to the paperwork. He glanced at the bird for a moment before speaking once more. "You don't need to keep watch… you can go on to rest… I'll wake you up once I'm done."

The Bird nodded its head and gave him a look that clearly said, 'thank you, master.'

Naruto just smiled and went to work.

Darkness had already descended on the village by the time Naruto was done. It was time for scums to wake from their slumber. The night was full of many things. Many evil. But Naruto liked taking a stroll through the night. It had been safe in Konoha to do so. The hateful glares were not there. There was nothing but a silent breeze that kissed his body with relaxants.

With his armor off, Naruto was wearing dark clothes. They suited the night. He strolled around for a couple of minutes before finding his place.

A bar

Entrance was never an issue with shinobi. This was a shinobi place. There were Kumo headbands everywhere. Naruto felt like he was the only foreign person in the place. It didn't bother him. He just danced around the tables and sat by the counter on a stool. It was fully loaded. His usual place was occupied. A pity. For a moment he wondered if he should go tell those people that they were sitting on his spot, but he realized, it would make a scene.

And he was far away from home. He didn't need to get kicked out.

Since he was sitting by the bar, Naruto ordered one bottle but told the barman to keep them coming. He had paid already. There was no opening of a tab. He wasn't at Konoha. For about an hour, Naruto drank alone.

He was at peace.

The noise around him was non-existent.

He was lost in his thoughts but he never missed his drink. He continued drinking absent mindedly.

When his thoughts deserted him, Naruto started to look around. He saw two women sitting by themselves. They were not civilians. He could see their headbands: Kumo kunoichi. Well, he could indulge himself just this once. When was the last time he felt compelled to approach people and dine in the pleasures of the body?

Naruto ordered two more bottles and walked over to the women. He smiled charmingly. While he continued to say he would not win any beauty contests, Naruto knew he had a certain look about him. He would not compare himself to anyone.

"Ladies, can I join you?" Naruto was already sitting even though he was asking.

"You are a bit far away from home… and considering you're drinking, you are not going to make it home soon."

Naruto took a sip before responding. "That is the intention… well, unless you ladies decide to leave the table a bit early."

"The night is still young."

The following day

"Coming from somewhere?" Jiraiya asked as Naruto walked into his room.

Naruto frowned seeing the grin on Jiraiya's lips. He was willing to bet that Sannin was thinking that he should have been there to watch. A sick perverted old geezer. He was going to die peeping one day. "You don't exactly come from nowhere, now do you, sensei?"

"You know what I mean." Jiraiya said.

Naruto shrugged. "I know what I mean but I don't like discussing my nights with you. I'd rather not permit my conquests to become part of your stories."

"You are no fun…" Jiraiya said. He then grinned again. "So, who was she? Was she young or old? I can't tell if you like older women or young ladies your age."

"Girls my age are still napping and breastfeeding…" Naruto responded calmly as he walked over to the window. "The morning is always rather unpleasant no matter how much you have."

"How much did you drink?"

"A lot…" Naruto said. "I approached two women who got drunk before I could. To even the score, I had to drink more. But some shinobi from Kumo blocked my path and to avoid a battle, I had to back down. Went by a corner, drank some more before being approached by someone who seems to like young men."

"I knew it!" Jiraiya exclaimed. "You do like older woman."

"Some of them but that there was no helping the situation there was rather difficult. And I really didn't want to come back here alone…" Naruto said.

"You would prefer being in bed with a stranger than someone you know…" Jiraiya said with a shake of his head. "That is some way of doing things."

Naruto wanted to remind the Sannin that he got into bed with people who didn't he didn't love because the one person he has loved his whole life didn't love him in the say way he loved her. But he figured it would be a low blow. Jiraiya was okay, there was no reason to make him miserable, especially when he was here trying. Naruto wasn't that cold hearted to ignore the man's efforts.

"How long have you been here?"

"A day or two…" Jiraiya said with a shrug. "How was fighting Sasuke?"

"Eh…" Naruto said with a shrug. "Nothing fancy. He is easy to mess with, so not that much of a problem. I would have been in trouble had you not come in around that time. The power of the cursed is something else. Not to mention Sasuke already has the Sharingan. I am fortunate his eyes are not like his brother's. I wouldn't have willingly fought him if there was a choice."

"Are you afraid of facing the Sharingan?"

Naruto shook his head. "No… it just makes me mad… the ability to see the 'future' the ability to copy jutsus and the ability to cast genjutsu upon you with just a look. If I fought against the sharingan with the intention to kill, I wouldn't kill that person; I'd just gouge out their eyes and leave them blind."

"Sometimes I think you'll be capable of cruel actions…" the Sannin said with a shake of his head. "Well, there was no helping the situation. I will have to make a report to Tsunade that you encountered him. If I had been there, we could have captured both."

"If I had used the Kyubi's power, I could have captured both. Although he didn't want to show it, Orochimaru was weak. He wasn't the same person who appeared in the Chunin exams. Then I had been amazed by his power. Then, he looked like a normal person. But I would have still released six tails and brutalized him…" Naruto explained lightly.

"Being confident is good, but being overconfident will get you killed, Naruto."

"You're talking about the same situation in which you sent a clone to intervene, pervert-sensei…" Naruto said with a stern look to the Sannin. "Why did you send a clone anyway?"

"I was held up with the Raikage and I wasn't sure…" Jiraiya said. "I'm still glad you did well though."

"Did you have any doubt?" Naruto asked the Sannin. "You have been sparring with me; do you still doubt my strength?"

"You can never be sure…" Jiraiya said. "I didn't think he'd take this chance though. He was must have waiting for the right moment. We will have to be careful from now on. We can't have moments like this happening again. We might not be fortunate next time."

Naruto said nothing but he could agree with the Sannin on that point. "How was your talk with the Raikage?"

"A bit unpleasant but nothing to worry about…" Jiraiya said before taking out a file. "This is the Jinchuriki you are going to meet. I won't introduce her to you. Well, she might not like me since I may have done something without knowing. Anyway, she is around the village and you can see her any time you want. Keep it light, and she isn't a bad person. You should be able to get along with her."

"I refuse to take comfort in anything you say to me about women, Jiraiya-sensei…" Naruto said. "I'll see her tomorrow; we are not in a hurry, anyway. Kumo hasn't been all that bad… I could stay for than two weeks…"

"We can't stay for too long…" Jiraiya said in a serious tone. "We have some leads we must follow… we are almost done with training so, it will be best if you start following me around when I gather Intel… we'll have to start thinking about going back to Konoha?"

"How long?"

"A month or two…" Jiraiya said. "Tsunade insists. I had asked her to give us a year, she sent a message, and she wants us to return. I managed to convince her that I needed you to learn a couple of things about my spy network so that you can be in a position to take over when I am not able."

"You have fine hopes… sensei…" Naruto said. But he would disappoint.

Uzushiogakure

The Emperor's compound: a traditionally built place at the heart of the village. It wasn't that big, but it was majestically built – worthy of someone who calls himself the emperor. Guren had been to the throne room a couple of times, but the throne was always empty. It was always cold. Each time she went there, she thought she'd finally meet the person who sits on the throne, but she'd not seen him, not once, not ever. Too many people have not seen him. She'd never come across anyone who says they have seen him in the streets.

The village had a 'leader' who led the village but it wasn't the emperor. The compound was usually quiet. People didn't go there. The old geezers went there at times to have their meetings. It was a place of secrets.

The Uzumaki were secretive. It was almost an obsession – Perhaps filled with some paranoia. But Guren didn't criticize it. These people would do anything to protect the village. It was a fortress because of their methods. And anyone who found a loophole to enter the village never returned home, unless there was a message that had to be sent.

The village itself was vibrant. The Uzumakis were not many, but they were the most energetic people you could find. The atmosphere was fine. Yukimaru enjoyed his time at the academy and she did her job as one of the higher ups in the command chain. She had no complaints. Orochimaru couldn't hurt her from here. He couldn't touch Yukimaru. She was safe and that was what mattered to her.

She had fun chasing after spies during night. Perhaps the sadistic nature in her would not completely go away despite being asked to control her urges. They didn't complain, so she kept at it.

"Guren-san…" Haku greeted the woman who was standing by the entrance to the Emperor's compound. It was dark in the streets. And she shouldn't be standing here. "Are you nervous?"

Guren didn't nod. She glanced at the Ice user she'd mistaken for a woman. A complicated past with this one but she'd never bothered to pry. They spoke well. Both had been recruited but when she came here, Haku was the one who welcomed her. He didn't act as the leader, but he was high up in the chain of command.

Why would she be nervous? Yes, after being here so long, she'd been summoned to meet the emperor. Finally, she was going to meet the mysterious leader. The Uzumakis she'd met spoke well about him. A master of fuinjutsu they said. A truly brilliant man.

"Maybe…" Guren said.

"I didn't think even you would be nervous. I mean you did work with Orochimaru…" Guren said.

"I'm curious here and when you get used to something, it hardly becomes a problem. You only realize its cruelty when it turns to you but when facing things you do not care for, you don't see it – you actually enjoy the show."

Haku shook his head. He could never understand this woman. She was strange and nothing like the Uzumakis. Then again, she'd been hired to do a job that demanded that you do dark things. A job he could never do but perhaps he might fight himself in the battlefield somewhere in the years to come.

"There is no need to worry; he's not a bad person." Haku said with a smile. "Best we not keep him waiting." He said walking over to the entrance.

There was no one guarding but both he and Guren knew there was a barrier around this place. The moment they stepped into the compound's ground, their presence had already been known. Uzu was just a giant barrier that could be turned on at any moment. It had a particular ability and it would certainly offer a nasty surprise to enemies but it was reserved for cases of an invasion.

"How many times have you been here?" Guren asked. "I hardly see you around the village. You're mostly on the other side of the island."

"Well, I actually live here…" Haku said with a smile.

Guren was surprised. She didn't know that and she ran the village's covert affairs. Then again, whatever happened in the compound was always secret. It was after all the most secret place within the village.

"You're not always around when I come around…"

"With spies always trying to sneak in, there is no rest. Sometimes you have to chase some across the sea." Guren said with a shake of her head. It was a busy job but she had to do it.

"People are curious…" Haku said.

"I'm surprised I haven't even seen my former master's number two sneaking into the village to try to get Intel…" Guren said. "Then again, with how good he is, tracking him would be difficult…"

As she said those words, they entered the throne room. It was dimly lit. But the walls were in the form of a pale blue crystalized ice. The floor was the same. You could see a massive Uzumaki symbol on the floor, deep within the ice. The same could be said when you looked into the ceiling. There were pillars around the throne. Today, there was a person on the throne. Cold eyes were staring at them without blinking. His head was tilted to the side, resting on the palm of his right hand. She couldn't see him clearly but there was no presence from him, she couldn't even tell if he had chakra. If she wasn't seeing the silhouette, she would have said there was no person there.

When Haku kneeled – a bit away from the throne – Guren followed his example.

"Your Majesty, it is good to see you again." Haku said in a calm tone.

Guren noticed the slight nod if his head. Those eyes were staring at her. "Guren… we finally meet. I wish this was a social call so we can dine together. But there are agent matters that you two must attend to… Both of you were chosen because of your unique bloodlines and we'd like to recreate that. That isn't why you here, but your bloodline is the reason you are being sent to this mission.

"We worked hard to develop the Wave country after taking over Gato's company. It has now developed. Its economy is healthy and its population has been increasing drastically over the past two years. Its new strength has made the Land of Water uncomfortable and it seeks to undermine us. The Wave is mine but its importance lies in the fact that Uzu doesn't directly procure its needs from any village or merchant but we get everything we need through the Wave. If the Wave is hurt, we are hurt.

"The Feudal Lord of the Water country is behind the move to slow down the Wave's progress, but you won't see him. You are going to meet the Godaime Mizukage to discuss the issue and try to seek a way forward. At the moment, we don't need trouble, but if we are threatened, we will take action. You are to leave tomorrow; all necessary arrangements have been made."

The mission aside, the voice was powerful yet it sounded young. It wasn't what Guren was expecting.

"We will depart tomorrow morning and try to return as quickly as possible." Haku said.

"Study the Mizukage for me… I'd like to see what kind of a person she is…" The emperor said. "Guren: you will try to assess Kiri's capabilities without getting caught."

"Hai…" Guren felt compelled to give that response.

"You may leave."

And those words and the two stood up to leave. As they arrived at the exit, Guren glanced back. She saw two redheads leaning in to the emperor, both whispering something. His eyes: they were staring back at her. She immediately turned away.

Once out, she breathed and then spoke. "That wasn't much of a 'meet' with the emperor…" she said.

Haku merely smiled. "You'll do that when you dine with him. Perhaps when we come back… He is a delightful person..." he said.

"Somehow I doubt that…" Guren said with a shake of her head. "I can understand us being sent for our powers, but why isn't the Leader going with us to be the one to handle the issue? We could simply go as his guards."

"That is simple… they want to keep the mystery going… nobody actually knows if the Uzumaki have indeed revived, sending us there doesn't confirm it…"

Guren nodded and looked back at the compound. The throne room shouldn't fit in that place, should it? It was much bigger when you were in the inside than when you looked at it from the outside. She glanced at Haku. "Why is there a difference in size?"

Haku got what Guren was asking. "Because the throne room you entered is in its own dimension, not in this space. You can enter the dimension because of the seal you were branded with. People who don't have the mark will see the normal throne room."

Kumogakure

That damned pervert in the form of a Sannin. He wasn't going to watch him battle Yugito and he wasn't even helping out. Naruto had to do everything on his own. Jiraiya wasn't doing this to measure his strength. The Sannin probably didn't want to see it as he already knew what he could do. He was using this as training for him. The man wanted him to use a sparring session with Kumo's Jinchuriki to help him experience what it is like to fight another Jinchuriki. He couldn't count Gaara. The Kazekage was unique. That aside, they'd been genins when they fought. Well, he was still a genin.

Naruto shook his head, rubbing off those thoughts.

The secluded training ground he found Yugito in was a bit away from the village. Then again, she was Jinchuriki who fought using her Bijuus power. She had to be away to avoid the collateral damage and to cause panic around the village.

Yugito wasn't alone. She was with another blonde haired woman with a large bust. What was with blondes and sizeable chests?

"You were just staring, weren't you?"

Naruto looked at the woman whose cold tone made him raise an eye brow. "Yes…" Naruto responded with indifference. "I was thinking, if my sensei saw you, he'd emigrate to this village and abandon his beloved slug princess."

Naruto said walking over to the two women. None of them seemed cautious of his footsteps. He stood in front of them and smiled. "Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchuriki of the Kyubi."

Yugito stared for a moment before speaking. "The armour, are you here for a battle?"

Naruto completely ignored Yugito and faced the other blonde. "I know her… But I do not know you. If she is willing to indulge me, I might not get the chance afterwards…"

"Samui…" she said. She had seemed to get where he was getting at.

"A pleasure, Samui."

"Cool." She said.

Naruto merely smiled before turning to Yugito. "Sorry about that…" he said. "I travelled to this village to test myself against an experienced Jinchuriki. I have been told that you're fully able to control the power of your Bijuu. Although I house the Kyubi, I still cannot control most of its power. Even so, I'd still like for you to indulge me."

Yugito eyed him for a long moment. The Kyubi was the most powerful – Even more powerful than the Bijuu Bee held. She was confident but if he was saying he cannot control most of his Bijuus power, it meant that there was the chance that even Bee would defeat him. Then again, power alone wasn't everything. Personally, Yugito didn't think anyone could defeat Bee while using his Bijuus power.

"I haven't tested myself against another Jinchuriki aside from Bee, I don't see why not…"

Naruto smiled. "Then let us entertain ourselves to our hearts' content…" the blond said before jumping backwards.

"There are no rules, no?"

Naruto nodded. "Please come at me with the intention to kill. I find it more satisfying to battle someone who wants to kill me. You need not take it easy on me… I house the Kyubi… if you break my legs, its fine…"

Yugito grinned, hearing those words. "Are you not going to regret those words?"

"Will you make me regret them?" Naruto asked. "If you make me regret them, I'll treat you to a meal every day while I'm still around in the village. I don't want to brag, but I am quite the cook."

"You are offering to cook for me?" Yugito asked. "If you don't regret those words, what do I have to do?"

"Take me out, tonight…"

"Deal…" Yugito said.

Naruto took out his lightning sword and sped towards Yugito. The blonde didn't wait for him to arrive, she also charged, holding a kunai which was encased with blue flames.

Naruto swung his sword towards Yugito's left shoulder in a horizontal slash. The blonde aligned her kunai over the shoulder and blocked the swing. The flames burst lightly upon contact with Naruto's sword. Yugito lifted her right foot, aiming for his shoulder, Naruto jumped back slightly to avoid the kick.

Yugito twisted quickly while shifting the kunai she held towards her left hand. When Naruto touched down the ground, she was already upon him, stabbing the kunai towards his throat. He lifted up his sword, blocking her strike. She felt her kunai tremble slightly as Naruto's blade slid through the kunai, cutting it.

'Rasengan!' Naruto formed a orb of chakra on his left palm and tried to smash it towards Yugito but she managed to speed away from the path of the jutsu. The Rasengan slammed onto the ground, and exploded. The explosion tore through the ground, creating a small crater.

When Naruto tried straightening up, Yugito flashed in front of him: her fight foot cleaved through the air in tremendous speed. Naruto could only cross both his hands across his face while holding his sword to avoid the kicking slamming into his face. When the kick connected with his defence, it sent him flying backwards.

Naruto recovered quickly by flipping several times before landing on both his feet.

Yugito dropped into all fours as she formed claws. She then lunged towards Naruto in blistering speed. Naruto didn't wait for her to reach him; he summoned his sword once more and began to dart towards the woman. He held his sword in a reverse grip and slashed towards the blonde. Reacting swiftly, Yugito slid through the ground, while ducking under the sword.

Yugito stretched out her right hand, her claws swiped through Naruto's right foot as she slid down the ground before quickly getting up. She retracted her claws and went through hand seals. "Flame Explosion!" She spat a small ball of flames that sped towards Naruto at close range.

Naruto didn't try to use his jutsu upon seeing the flames. He did hand seals while flashing around to face the incoming jutsu. "Futon: Great Wind Breakthrough!" He released powerful gusts of winds in a flash. The gusts covered a wider area and were bigger than Yugito's flames. But when the jutsus collided, the flames went off, setting off a huge explosion that disrupted the gusts, causing a violent reaction of flames and wind fighting it out.

Naruto was forced to jump away to create some distance from the explosion to avoid getting caught in it. Once he touched down the ground, Yugito flashed in front of him in blinding speed. He couldn't react quickly as she swiped her claws across his chest. There were sparks when the claws ran through the armour plate. Yugito swung her left with claws racing towards his face. He leaned back slightly as watched the claws pass by his face.

"Wind Bullet!" Naruto didn't spit the bullet from his mouth; he channelled chakra into the tip of his index finger, forming a small orb of wind. He flicked it, and it slammed into Yugito's chest. When it collided with her, it caused her to slide back slightly but not enough to cause massive damage.

Naruto lunged; his left foot graced the ground while his right foot charged towards Yugito with wind gathering around it. The kick slammed into Yugito's chest, causing her to wince painfully. She rocketed backwards like a bullet. She ended up crashing down the ground a distance away and tried to get up. She clutched her chest painfully and coughed up some blood.

Yugito wiped the blood on lips and glanced towards Naruto who was slowly walking towards her. "What the hell was that?"

"Wind… it just knocks the air out of you."

That was dangerous. It was like being hit by one of the Raikage's lightning punches. A normal person would have suffered more damage than she did. She could still continue but she wasn't about to receive any more of those hits.

"Nezumi Kedama!" Yugito created a ball of blue flames. The ball shot towards Naruto who halted his movements seeing it. When the ball split into multiple projectiles, charging towards him, he leapt into the air and then rushed through hand seals.

"Futon: Decapitating Wind!" He released hundreds of twisting blades that covered a wide area. The blades charged towards the rushing flames and cut through them. Naruto cursed when the flames only multiplied. He should have just shredded them. Seeing flames rushing towards him, Naruto flashed towards the ground.

When he landed, he cursed once more when the flames still pursued him. They arrived in a heap and exploded upon contact. The explosion was huge; blue flames surrounded Naruto's entire body for about a minute before dying down. When it ended, Naruto was standing in the middle of a small crater; hands folded across his face, with slight burns all over the parts were his skin was exposed.

Yugito flashed in front of him, with a huge blue cat claw – she had transformed her right hand. She slammed into Naruto, sending him flying backwards like a bullet. She didn't let up; she flashed above him and created a punch before slamming him into the ground.

Boom!

He crashed into the ground in the blink of an eye. Naruto closed his eyes in pain when his back crashed deep into the ground. His eyes snapped open when Yugito continued with her charge: she was crashing down towards him, her punch first. Naruto folded his hands together and summoned the Kyubi's chakra to help him a bit defensively.

There was a loud crash when Yugito's large hand slammed into Naruto's defence. The collision caused the ground to shatter around Naruto, burying him further into the ground but his defence still held on, and he avoided damage.

Yugito jumped away from Naruto, and landed a distance away. Her hand returned to normal as she watched Naruto get up. Naruto held out his right hand and formed a small orb of intense crimson flames. He allowed the flames to float in the air before doing a quick jump into the air. He kicked the flames, sending them towards Yugito in blistering speed.

Yugito jumped up while stretching out her legs, she allowed she ball of flames of pass in between her legs but cursed when she felt intense heat burning through her. The ball exploded behind her, and a second later, another ball of flames was rushing straight towards her. She was certain; it was going to hit her on her chest and would leave her in an unhealthy state.

She summoned Matatabi's chakra, covering herself in dark blue chakra before the flames collided with her chest. They exploded in a blistering explosion that surrounded her in a large cloud of flames. Yugito burst out of the flames moments later and rushed towards Naruto in blinding speed. She flashed just above the blond and attempted drove her huge claw towards the blond.

Seeing Yugito coming towards him like that, Naruto summoned four-tails of chakra, turning into a miniature fox. He folded his crimson hands just above his forehead as Yugito's punch reached him. The powerful claw slammed into his defence in a loud boom that caused the ground to shatter below him.

Naruto's tails moved from behind and twisted towards Yugito in blinding speed. Two of them pierced through her shoulders. Yugito gritted her teeth before opening her mouth wide while still above Naruto. A ball of flames formed before she shot it towards the blond at point blank range.

Boom!

The flames exploded, creating a huge shroud around Naruto before Yugito flashed away from him to avoid being caught in the explosion. When the flames died down, Naruto was standing there in all fours, in a sizeable crater.

He then suddenly faced up into the air and started forming a small Bijuudama. Seeing this, Yugito cancelled her form and raised both her hands. "Wow wow!" she shouted. "That is a bit too far!" She said.

Naruto had already started and his jutsu was almost complete. He couldn't just stop it like that, not when he had already started. It would a waste of chakra and effort. He ate the small orb of condensed chakra. The ground below him shattered under the massive weight of the jutsu. Naruto then spat it, before releasing it into the air.

Afterwards, Naruto cancelled his form and stared into the heavens as the jutsu exploded. He smiled, "Well, that is dangerous…" he muttered.

"We should stop here…" Yugito said. "I can see that we'll end up causing unwanted attention." She said lightly. "I just felt that power, I'm afraid I don't know what kind of damage you might cause… or we might cause. I'd rather not have shinobi coming to this side."

Naruto thought about it for a moment before sighing. "I guess that will do…" he said. "Collateral damage can't be avoided at times, but I know what a Bijuu's power can do."

Yugito smiled. "You're really skilled… it became obvious that without transforming I couldn't do anything," she said.

"I have had time to train…" Naruto said looking up into the sky. "What about our bet?"

"I couldn't make you eat your eats… let us just call it even…" Yugito said. "But still willing to dine with you… only if Samui joins us."

"Cool." Naruto said with a smile.