Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Kyubi Defeated: A new begining ❯ The Final Four---Chapter 16 ( Chapter 16 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Final Four---------------------------------------------------


The cold rush of air that Sakuras face as she seemed to reappear out of thin air was unexpected. Looking around she noted that she and Naruto seemed to be in a type of walled chasm. Shivering in the cold air Sakura noticed that Naruto had already placed her back on the ground and was drawing forth his sword from its sheath.

Then with a vicious slash Naruto shouted. "Salamander!!"

Then with a bright flash of reddish orange light. The ninja of flames was released and stood before the two.

"Time already?? Well and here I was thinking that you were going to chicken out." "I'll commend you for your bravery, but today I shall win. You shall not beat me twice, and this time we agreed you wouldn't claim the help of one of the other seven." Spoke Salamander in a cocky voice.

"That is true Salamander I did agree to that. Before we begin, I have to ask if you wouldn't mind an audience for the fight?" Naruto replied. Then turning he motioned for Sakura to step forward so he could see her.

"An audience? Well as long as its someone I've met or have been seen by before then, no I could care less. And if I'm not mistaken she was in the room that night you had us introduce our selves to the Kazakage." Salamander replied lazily as he looked Sakura over.

"Good. Sakura step back a little and under no circumstance are you interfere. This is a fight between me and him understand." Naruto said. Then as Naruto watched Sakura step backwards he moved a little ways away from her so as to not endanger her while he was fighting.

"Yeah, I understand. No interfering. But what happens if he tries to kill you???" Sakura questioned.

"He won't get the chance. By the time the match begins I'll have already landed enough blows that more than half his chakra will be sealed." Naruto replied as he began making hand signs.

Then as he finished his hands began to glow a pale greenish color as the chakra flowed freely through them. Turning he Naruto faced Salamander and crouched low.

"Ready to have your ass handed to you?" He asked the Ninja of flames who stood watching Naruto curiously. upon hearing this Salamander's rage began to boil over.

"Why you insolent punk! The only reason you defeated me last time was because you had assistance. For that I'm not gonna hold back. I'll turn you to ashes before you even have a chance to move. Then forming hand signs at a speed faster than Naruto imagined, Salamander shouted. "Fire Style Ultimate Technique: Fire Dragons From Hell!!!"

And as Naruto stared on in horror the earth around Salamander erupted spewing forth twelve flaming serpents. Then with might roars, they all charged at Naruto.
Without thinking Naruto instinctively dodged to the left as one of the twelve dragons let forth a stream of black flames from its mouth.

'Amaterasu!! Shit this guys not playing around. He brought forth Hell Dragons that can spew forth Amaterasu! I have to end this now or I really will be turned to ash.' Naruto thought as he rolled backwards to avoid another Amaterasu that the dragons were releasing. 'Alright enough games, its time I get serious.' Naruto thought as he dove headlong into an Amaterasu that was just fired.

"NARTUO!!! Sakura screamed as she watched in horror as Naruto dove headfirst into the incoming flames.

"What a fool! He dove head first into the hell dragon’s flame. He must be suicidal." Cackled Salamander as he watched Narutos body disappear inside the dragon’s flames. Turning Salamander was about to release the jutsu when a voice shouted out. "Who's suicidal?

Turning Salamander looked around wildly.

"WHAT!!!!" he shouted. As he watched with shock and disbelief as Naruto burst forth from the dragon's flames and drove his hand straight into Salamander’s chest. Then striking him three times, Naruto leapt away.

"How?!?! How could you survive being scorched alive by the dragons of hell! It's not possible, not even I the Flame Ninja Spirit can withstand there fiery embrace.” Salamander said as the air in his lungs caught. Coughing and wheezing Salamander dropped to one knee.

"Well unlike some people I know, I have a massive, almost never ending supply of chakra at my disposal. All I did was wrap myself in chakra before I drove into their attack. True I may have some slight burns, but now you can't use half of your chakra anymore. I used my father's chakra sealing technique to seal off your chakra by injecting it with a flood of my own." Naruto shouted as he let his hand turn normal once more.

"WHAT!!!!!" Salamander cried as he tried to summon more chakra.

But even as Salamander shouted, the fact was obvious. His Flame dragons had already begun to disintegrate, and with each passing second the flame on his chest seemed to grow dimmer and weaker.

"You lose today Salamander." Naruto spoke the words feeling a true sense of accomplishment. He had defeated one of the seven using nothing but his own might. He didn't need to have another one of them help him. 'And even if I did have help from another one of them, I already used one of the ultimate combination Techniques. He would be prepared for the next one. Though I have to admit I did learn something interesting today.' Naruto thought. Then calling out he said. "Salamander I’m happy I fought with you today. I learned something from this battle that I never knew before." Then as Salamander watched Naruto began forming the exact same hand signs he had used just moments before. Then in a mighty cry Naruto shouted. "Fire style: Fire Dragons From Hell!"

And just as before the earth erupted with the twelve mighty serpents. Quickly Naruto released the jutsu for fear of having his dragons attack the already weakened Salamander.

"How? How did you learn that technique?!?! I am the only one who can use that technique. I have never used before and no one else knows it...SO HOW!!!" Salamander bellowed as he drove his fist into the ground. Looking up he waited for Naruto to answer.

"Easy. When you used it I memorized the signs you were performing . After that all it is , is replicating the signs and releasing the chakra." Naruto replied and as Salamander watched Naruto mimicked each sign as fast as Salamander had done. "I've trained my eyes to be able to follow any signs. And through concentration, to memorize the sign pattern needed to perform the jutsu. My eyes might even be on par with that of the Uchiha's sharingan...Though I can't see the difference between an item created with chakra and the real thing. But besides from this fact, my eyes can follow any jutsu."

Sakura too stunned for words could only stare at Naruto as he explained this to Salamander. 'He....He really will surpass all other hokage that came before him.' Sakura though as she stared on and watched as Salamander slowly began to fade.

"Damnit!! I underestimated you....your name was Naruto right. Well now more so then ever before do I hate and despise you for your victory. But to think that there was someone other than the seven with so much strength. It pains me to say it, but I wish to see just how far you can really go, and for that I will lend you my power when you ask. For now I must leave and rest. This battle was more than tiring. Good-bye Naruto."

And in another blinding flash of red light he was gone.

"Phew." sighed Naruto as he collapsed into a sitting position. "That was some battle."

Sakura seeing the Fire Spirit vanish was on top of Naruto at once, hugging him and kissing him.

"Naruto...I thought that...I thought that when you dove into the fire that you had actually.....NARUTO." She sniffed, speaking each phrase between her kisses.

"Ouch! Sakura You can hug and kiss me later. Right now I need to heal these burns." Naruto said he pointed towards his arms.

Startled Sakura looked at Naruto up close. He had severe burns along his face, arms, legs, and neck.

"AHHH Naruto why didn't you tell me sooner." She shouted and then began to charge her hands with healing chakra. then with her hands aglow with pale blue chakra Sakura began healing Naruto's burns. 'Jeese I really though I had lost him back there,' thought Sakura as she continued to heal Narutos wounds. 'He really has come far from the bumbling idiot that he use to be.' Thinking that Sakura began to laugh silently at the memory of how Naruto use to be.

"Sakura? What’s so funny???" questioned Naruto hearing her laughing silently to herself.

"What? Oh nothing. Just remembering some things from the past that’s all." Sakura replied still chuckling.

"Hey Sakura, Do you remember when we fist met???" Naruto questioned.

"Baka of course I do how could I forget. You tripped over your feet and fell face first into a pile of mud. Then you got up and offered to shake my hand." Sakura replied. 'But in her heart she knew it was not true. In truth the first day she had met him was the day her mother and four other ninjas had beaten him senseless in the middle of the night.

"If I remember right you ran screaming to your mother, saying something about a mud monster was trying to get you." Naruto said laughing.

"BAKA your making me blush again." Sakura replied as she hit Naruto gently over the head.

"Aye. Sorry, I'm still pretty new at the whole relationship thing so you have to excuse me." "That reminds me, shouldn't you let your parents know that were together now?" Naruto questioned looking over at Sakura.

"OHH no. No I don't thinks so. My mother and father were always telling me to stay away from you, that you were dangerous and such. Its because they fear the demon you have housed inside you. I don't think they would want to know that there little girl, decided to fall in love with you no." "I think we should keep this to ourselves for a while, you know until your named Hokage." Sakura replied. She didn't want to think about what her mother would do if she discovered that her daughter had become lovers with the "demon."

"Yeah I guess your right." Sighing again Naruto stood and fetched his sword from where he had dropped it.

"Hope you don't mind but I still have to talk with some of the other spirits so, I'm gonna call them out now." Naruto called as Sakura, realized that she had been lost in thought.

Turning she called back. "Ok just so long as its not that shadow dude, he scares me with every breath he takes. I feel like at the slightest inclination he will kill me."

"Yeah Sin has that effect on people. No I'm not calling him out. I still haven't really met Rock, Shimmer, Electo or Silence, so those are the ones I'll be calling out." Naruto replied as he swung his sword once more shouting. "ROCK"

Then with a dull flash of light, the Ninja of earth appeared.

"Hello. So what did you want to talk to me about young Uzumaki." Rock asked in his gravely voice.

"Rock I want to get to know you. Who you are, what you like/dislike...those sort of things. I think that if I get to know the person you are then the easier it will be for us to get along."

"Right you are young Uzumaki. By the way I saw the damage you inflicted to Salamander. He's pretty upset that you beat him without the help of one of us. If you don't mind me asking, how did you manage that?" Rock questioned as he looked at Naruto who seemed to be in perfect condition.

"Sure." Naruto replied, and then he found himself recounting the battle that had taken place minutes before. By the time he was finished Rock was nodding his head.

"You did very well young Uzumaki. He is indeed one of the strongest amongst ourselves. I think the only one who can actually defeat him like you did when he gets serious are Silence, and Sin. So young Uzumaki..." Rock was about to say more when Naruto cut him off.

"Naruto. My name is Naruto." Naruto said.

"Naruto. Alright, so what is it that you wish to know?" Rock inquired.

And so Naruto asked the Ninja question after question about himself. His favourite food, how old he was, whether or not he liked anyone, who he got along with and didn't get along with out of the seven. Rock answered each, and after wishing Naruto a good-day left in the same dulled flash of light.

'Alright one down three to go,' thought Naruto as he once again raised his sword and swung shouting

"Shimmer!"

Then in a blinding Flash of white light so intense that Naruto had to shut his eyes, The female ninja appeared.

"OH How long I have waited for you to call me out," she cried dashing forward to hug Naruto. Then noticing that Sakura was present she stopped stood and walked slowly back to her spot before, in an icy voice she asked

"What is SHE doing here???" Shimmer demanded.

Startled Naruto did the only thing he could think of. He told the truth.

"Well Sakura and I are in love and I asked if she wanted to meet you guys with me today. She accepted and so here she is." "Why?" Naruto asked.

Right after he said it Naruto knew he made a bad choice. Shimmer's eyes already bright and cheerful began to glow and shine with the same intense brightness as the armour she wore around herself.

"WHAT!!!!!!!!!!" She screamed sending a blinding white light all around herself. "You have chosen that...That WENCH." This will not do, no not at all. You shall be mine and mine alone. The moment I first saw you I knew that I had fallen in love. I could never feel this feeling towards anyone but you. And yet here you are saying that you have chosen HER!!!!!"

"Wait now lets calm down now Shimmer. Be reasonable. You are a million year old spirit who can live forever, I on the other hand am a mortal who has only lived for eighteen. It would never be able to work out between us." Naruto replied calmly as he stood shielding Sakura from Shimmer's hateful glare.

"But I could make it work. I could give you immortality and we could be together forever." Shimmer replied still seething at the thought of her new found love, and Naruto being with another other than herself.

Sighing Naruto replied. "Yes you probably could but forever is a long time to love someone. And that is why mortals are so interesting. We can only live for a certain period of time. So we try to accomplish as much as we can given the time we have left before our deaths. This includes loving another person. Because we don't know when the next will be our last, we try to gain the truest fulfilment out of everyday and every action we do. Whether its going to the store or loving another, we are able to pull happiness from whatever it might be." "As I said before it wouldn't work out between us. I'm sorry."

Shimmer having listened intently to Naruto as he spoke slowly allowed herself to dim back to her original brightness, then in a voice close to the verge of tears she spoke. "You are right. It would never be able to work out between us. I'm sorry for what I have said today, can you and your lover forgive me?"

Sakura finally no longer afraid of Shimmer stepped forward and replied. "Of course you are forgiven. It is nothing to be ashamed of to feel jealousy. It is human, and you...even though your a spirit can feel all of the emotions that we humans can."

Sniffing Shimmer smiled at Sakura and then turned to Naruto and asked. "So what is it that you have called me out here for?"

"Well before you lost control I wanted to get to know you better. After all I feel we'll be able to work better together if I know who you are and what you really are like as a person."

And so for the second time that day Naruto found himself asking and listening to a ninja spirit. When they finished Shimmer gently bent down and hugged Naruto. Then straightening she turned and spoke to Sakura. "Be good to this one. He is a great man. You should feel great happiness that you are together with one such as himself." Then before Sakura could say anything in reply Shimmer in a blinding flash of white light was once again gone.

A little unnerved at the how quickly Shimmer had gone from being A happy kind hearted person, to a jealous, seething, woman, Naruto began to debate whether or not to call forth the other two until later that night.

'Might as well just get it over with,' though Naruto as he once again retrieved his Sword slashed the air shouting. "Electo!"

In a bright flash or silvery yellow light, Electo appeared.

"You called young Uzumaki. I take it, that it is my turn to tell you about myself." The blurred Ninja asked.

"Yeah. But how did you know that you would be talking about yourself???" Naruto requested.

"Ah well the other seven told me before I was summoned that that was the interest in calling us forth. It is always a surprise to hear that someone else may have an interest in you."

"Yeah it is isn't it." Naruto replied.

And so for the third time that day Naruto found himself asking a ninja spirit about it self. After he questions were complete. Electo waved goodbye and vanished in the same yellowy silver light.

"Alright the final one." Then swinging the sword a final time Naruto called out.

"Silence!"

Standing there expecting another flash of light, Naruto closed his eyes for a second. But not seeing the burning light through his eyes Naruto opened them to find that there was to be no flash of light. Instead the sword had started sucking the wind around him, like a vacuum. Soon it was like Naruto was holding a small gale, much like his resengan. Then without warning the air burst from around the sword and began to spin. Then after a small cyclone of air had appeared Naruto saw a figure begin to appear. A man with A long gaunt face and slender arms had formed in the cyclone. Then Naruto watched in horror and wonder as the cyclone began to peel the flesh away from the man's body. When it was through not even bone remained all that floated there was the armour the man had been wearing. Then the cyclone dispersed in a rushing wave of air that blew Naruto a couple feet back, and Sakura flat onto her back.

"Ah Young Naruto, I was expecting to be called out soon," Came a booming voice that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere in particular.

"Silence. I was surprised to see your entrance. I was expecting you to apear in a flash of light like you usually do." Naruto replied, a little unnerved at having witnessed the ninja being stripped of his flesh.

"Well seeming that it was only you and I here I figured that I would summon myself the proper way...though I now see you are indeed not alone. Who is the girl? She was with you and the Kazakage the other night you summoned us." Silence questioned.

"This is Sakura, and yes, yes she was with me the other night when I had you introduce yourselves to the Kazakage. She and I are lovers now, and I asked her if she wanted to meet you guys when I met with you today. She agreed so here she is. Say hello Sakura, and there is no need to be shy, he is by far the most trustful of the spirits." Naruto replied and motioned for Sakura to step forward.

Sakura getting up off the ground and brushing herself off replied. "Hello. My name is Sakura Haruno, it a pleasure to meet you Silence-sama."

"Wonderful she even knows how to address people properly. You could learn a thing or two from your lover Naruto." Silence laughed.

"Yeah I suppose I could, but right now I want to learn a thing or to from you. Like who you are, your likes and dislikes. Those sorts of things. I think we'll get along better if I get to know you." Naruto replied laughing.

"Right you are. For one so young you certainly are wise in the ways of the Shinobi. Just like your father." Silence replied casually.

Startled at hearing his father mentioned Naruto's jaw dropped and he stared open mouthed at the invisible ninja.

"What? You did not think that I would make the connection between yourself, and Arashi did you?" "Well I may be old, but a simpleton I am not. You look a great deal like your father, and it was easy for me to tell who he was. So Naruto Uzumaki, what is it that you would like to know about me first. As I understand Sin already told you about who we truly are as beings in this world. But I take it that is not what you want to know." Silence said more of a statement then a question.

Recovering from the initial shock of learning that Silence had made the connection between himself and Arashi, Naruto replied. "Well first you could tell me your favourite color and we could move on from there."

"Why how long has its been since anyone asked me my favourite color?? I'd say about two hundred years give or take a year. Well If I remember correctly its Emerald green. It holds so much passion and resilience in its color. Its the color that supposedly represents courage, so I find that I get along better with courageous people." Silence replied passionately.

And so Naruto asked question after question to Silence, who in returned answered all of them to the best of his abilities. Then after he was finished Naruto prepared to watch Silence depart.

"So tell me now Naruto, What is YOUR favourite color?" Silence questioned.

Naruto was startled to find that unlike the others Silence had an interest in him and without thinking Naruto replied truthfully. "Blue. Its such a soft color, but It never wavers and can only grow more beautiful."

"And your favourite food?” Silence asked.

"Ramen. Its one of the reasons Sin is so easy going with me. We both share a love for ramen that is unmatched by any other food." Naruto replied.

And so now it was Naruto that found himself answering questions to the best of his ability as Silence asked question after question about Naruto. Finally after Silence had asked just as many questions about Naruto, he spoke in his same deep booming voice. "Very good. It is good to see that you have a passion for the world. Its been so long since I have seen anyone so passionate about what they discuss. Arashi had passion for the world too, but he did not have 1/10 that of what you do. Take care Uzumaki Naruto, I hope to see you again in he future." And as he turned to leave he stopped and began to speak again. "Oh I almost forgot, the reason none of the others asked you questions about yourself was because that is my job. I am then the one who retells what I have learned to the others. So do not be surprised if they begin to treat you more...how should I say this....more like friends rather than as an enemy." "Good-bye Naruto, Let us talk again in the near future."

Then with a flash of grey light Silence was gone.

'So those are the four of the seven.' Thought Sakura as she walked towards Naruto, who had already retrieved his sword and was once again sheathing it into its case.
Then turning around Naruto reached over and draped his arm around Sakura's neck.

"So Sakura. Do we have to keep our relationship secret from "everyone"?" Naruto asked.

"Well not everyone but most people ok. I don't want tons of people to know about it, but we can tell a few." Sakura replied.

"Ok." Replied Naruto as he began to think about who he could tell that Sakura would agree with. "Sauske, and Kakashi have to be informed." "I'm not sure about Iruka, and Ibiki also has to be told."

"Yes and if were telling Sauske we might as well tell Ino cause if we don't he'll tell her." Sakura replied.

"Ino? Why would Sauske tell Ino anything??" Naruto questioned.

"Aye??? Oh right, I forgot that you haven't been around for two years. Ino and Sauske are married." Sakura said and then giggled.

"WHAT???" " Man and hear I was hoping I was gonna get married before Sauske. Damn, oh well." Naruto replied in a voice on the brink of tears

"Baka." Sakura laughed as she heard the sorrow in Naruto's voice.

"Yeah I know." Naruto replied all the sadness gone, replaced by laughter, and happiness. "But jeese now we have to go congratulate them."

"Speak for yourself I already did on their wedding day." "But I'll come along just incise." Sakura replied seeing the hurt in Naruto's eyes.

Smiling the hurt disappeared, and Sakura realized that he had been faking it. Then without another word Naruto lifted Sakura up off the ground and Body Flickered away in search of his friend Sauske and his wife Ino.