Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Naruto Dragon Champion ❯ Suna Under Siege ( Chapter 27 )

Naruto The Twin Swords

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Naruto at all.

Chapter 23

Suna Under Siege…

( ): Thoughts

\ “ ” /: Kael's voice

((“ “)): Holy Talon's voice…

(((“ “))): Death Fang's Voice…

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In Konoha…

Naruto had a feeling that things were going to be rather interesting as he and his team escorted Valena and Kaelyn to see the Hokage and the two were already getting quite a number of stares from just about everyone in the street and for good reason…it was not everyday a woman dressed the way Kaelyn does is seen on the street…and the same went for Valena as they made their way to the Hokage Tower…however…along the way…Kiba appeared and he was helping a young woman who was dressed in some rather odd looking clothes and carried some unknown weapons with her at the moment.

Kaelyn and Valena quickly recognized their friend Liara and rushed to her aid…Kiba was shocked at being approached by two attractive but strangely dressed women all of a sudden and thought that this was bad news until Naruto was there with the two women and he spoke to Kiba.

“Kiba, relax…they're friends of that woman you have with you…”

“You sure?”

“Yeah…let me take a look at her for a minute.”

Kiba wanted to take this woman to the hospital in Konoha but he knew he could trust Naruto and allowed Naruto and the two unknown women tend to Liara and Naruto took out a bottle of salve and used the mixture that resembled a soft green paste on the wound and sure enough the paste rapidly hardened and a sweet but calming smell filled the air as the two women helped their companion to her feet as she began to recover…

Liara woke up and appeared happy to see Valena and Kaelyn as she appeared happier and it was then that Naruto spoke using some of the languages he was taught by Holy Talon…to the others including Kiba…Naruto was talking utter nonsense…but to Liara…it was he was talking a very common tongue in her world.

“Who are you?”

“I am Liara of the Northern Emerald Forests' Order of the Druids….you are the current Dragon Champion….am I right?”

“That is correct…how did you people get here?”

“We…petitioned a Holy Dragon named Kashel to create a portal to your location…but due to the distance of the location the spell fragmented and we were separated.”

“Is there anyone else in your group?”

“Yes…a Steel Lancer named Meer, a Falcon Ranger named Coryin, a fellow Druidess named Telis, a Silver Star Mage named Vlana, a Sword Adept named Valken, and a Zealot named Shandra. We came together to seek out the fate of the Holy Dragon Sword and see if it was in good hands.”

Naruto got the names and wondered just where those said individuals were at the moment….if what he understood was true…then things in Konoha were going to be a heck of a lot different than he was used to and just about everyone else here in Konoha was going to be in for some very interesting times.

He however had no idea HOW interesting it was going to be….

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In one part of Konoha….at the other training fields…

Neji was currently busy training with his Byakugan when he spotted movement coming from the tree line and he quickly halted and tried to locate just who the person was moving about in the forest at the moment. What greeted the Hyuuga clan member was a barrage of arrows that were fired with amazing accuracy as he had managed to block them with his kunai….but whoever shot them was an exceptionally gifted archer from his estimation ….as there were nearly a dozen arrows around him. He looked into the forest and spoke.

“Come on out of there whoever you are!!!! I know you are here!!!!”

Neji looked about and used the Byakugan to try and locate the shooter….but had to move as another barrage of arrows came right at him…and this time the arrows were different….the first barrage were the regular metal tipped arrows….but the next barrage were glowing in a purple like haze and something about those arrows were not very pleasing to the Hyuuga's eye as he moved into the forest.

(Whoever this shooter is….he or she is good.)

The Hyuuga clan member was then greeted by another barrage of arrows and he used the Kaiten to block the incoming shots and then got ready to attack….until he was greeted not this time by arrows…but a massive bear!!!!

The giant bear dwarfed Neji and was now on the move to maul him, and that forced him back to try and find an alternative method of attack….since this was the first time he would use the Gentle Fist on a living animal. However the giant bear suddenly landed on it's paws and apparently received some sort of command to halt it's movements and from the forest….came a robed and hooded figure.

Neji realized that this person was the mysterious shooter as he saw that the person was carrying a bow…but it had several extra strings, wheels, and pulleys on it….thus making the bow's shots a lot more effective and deadly.

He spoke once more to the stranger.

“Who are you and what are you doing here?”

The archer seemed to not understand him and he repeated the question as he kept wary as there was a chance that the two would attack him yet again. The bear sensed Neji's caution and growled loudly at that but the robed and hooded stranger merely patted the bear gently on the head and the bear calmed down quickly and then the person spoke.

But not in a dialect that Neji understood…it was completely foreign to him at the moment and made little to no sense to the young ninja. Neji was surprised as he had been one of the best students in the Academy in his day and had understood a number of languages….but this one was absolutely foreign to him in most if not all respects. The stranger apparently understood his confusion and then began to chant in an arcane tongue…but this time…it was one language that Neji recognized…after all….only one person spoke that language.

(Wait a minute….that language….that is the same Naruto uses when he uses the powers of the sword!!!! But how does this person know the language?!)

The stranger then stopped speaking and removed the hood and cloak…revealing the person to be a woman wearing armor.

Neji deactivated the Byakugan and saw that the woman had deep white hair and had a quartet of bear claw like tattoos on her face on the right side in deep blue and those did not detract her appearance but added to her overall looks. The woman was attractive with deep amber eyes which had the looks of a hawk after a meal….focused, precise, and direct. Neji then found himself looking at the rest of her.

She was tall, almost the same height as him and carried herself as a full fledged warrior and skilled fighter….more like a Kunoichi than a stranger. The armor she wore was leather armor with several thicker layers in certain areas and were in various hues of brown and green….naturally allowing her to blend into the back-ground with ease. However, Neji's Byakugan had the edge over the camouflage as he spoke seriously once more towards the female stranger.

“Who are you and what are you doing here in Konoha?”

“The name is Coryin to you….who are you and how were you able to see me?”

Neji looked at the woman and saw that she was not making any gestures that were to be considered hostile and replied to her question.

“My name is Neji Hyuuga of the Hyuuga Clan of the village of Konoha, I saw you using my Byakugan….now that I answered your questions, answer mine….why are you here in Konoha?”

Coryin then looked the young man over and smiled a bit mentally to herself as she found him to be nice to the eyes even though he acted somewhat stiff and formal on occasion….she could tell that he was born of a noble bloodline from the way he spoke and carried himself when talking to her. As a Falcon Ranger, Coryin was more at home in the wilds than in cities and towns though she visited them on occasion, she then decided to be nice to the young man and spoke to the massive bear that she summoned..

“Kojo…that is enough.”

The bear relaxed and so did Neji as Coryin gave him a smile and replied.

“I came here looking for someone….I think you might call him or a….Dragon Champion….”

The very second he heard that phrase….Neji quickly recognized just who was Coryin looking for….though what would a foreigner want with Naruto was something that he had no idea about….however….he recalled the language that she spoke with earlier and thought that maybe she would be familiar with Naruto's powers. Though it still didn't make complete sense to the young man he decided to help her.

“You must be referring to Naruto- Uzumaki then….come on, I'll help you find him….though I suggest you….uh…”

“Oh, you mean Kojo right? Hold on…”

Coryin then chanted once more and the bear seemed to glow and faded away as she faced Neji and spoke once more.

“There….happy now?”

Neji nodded and as he accompanied Coryin to locate Naruto and see if he could make sense of all this happening at the moment, he couldn't help but notice how Coryin looked in his eyes at the moment….he found her to have a rough yet angular beauty that demanded attention and despite the marks on her face, the marks did nothing to detract her features and attractive qualities at the moment.

Neji was not the only one who was having a very odd encounter…

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Shikamaru was busy working on some matters with Asuma when they heard incoming activity in the land near the place where the usually had their shogi competition. Asuma and Shikamaru got ready to investigate when a massive gust of wind stopped them in their tracks….for a moment, the lazy genius Genin thought that it was that blonde Kunoichi with the fan but when he and Asuma took a good look, it was a tall woman who was wearing a flowing white robe with blue lining and golden characters on it and carrying a staff which was made from wood and had metal on the tips….one end had a beautiful gemstone on it that glowed as well. The strangely garbed person was apparently a female as the robe revealed the woman was wearing a very interesting set if clothes.

She had on a tank style top on which was silver with golden thread in unique characters and some sort of necklace made from gold and had a deep blue gemstone with several smaller white stones that were like diamonds around the blue stone and the tank top did a good deal keeping her somewhat large bust from spilling out at the moment…much to the surprised stares of the two ninja, as soon as they finished, the two of them looked at the woman before them once more.

She had white cloth bracers on her hands that reached her elbows and they had a lattice work of gold thread characters and she had a flowing long skirt that was also pure white and she wore sandals and had a dagger hanging in it's sheath on one side plus some sort of belt that had bottles and a book of some sort on the other…

The woman was hooded at the moment but Shikamaru and Asuma could see that she had some sort of jewel on her forehead and wisps of deep silver hair was seen from the hood and she was certainly an attractive sort….and amazingly….her eyes were deep red….like Yuhi Kurenai's own eyes.

Shikamaru and Asuma wanted to know what was going on when another person appeared…armed with a long staff with a spear point and a large axe head on the side and unlike the women who was wearing armor….this new arrival…who was also a woman was wearing metal armor. That seemed to resemble the armor Naruto would sometimes wear on his missions.

The woman was not wearing a hood and therefore…the two men could see that she had deep blond hair and had a clasp made from silver with a trio of emeralds that were there to hold her long hair in a pony tail…and her own eyes were also deep green. As she looked at both Shikamaru and Asuma and from the way they saw this new arrival carry the weapon she had with her at the moment…she was very skilled in how to use that weapon. The woman was wearing a suit of what appeared to metal armor made to resemble the scales of a fish of some sort with some sections of pure hard plate to protect the very vital regions of the body….and like the woman in the clothe robes….the armor did little to hide the fact the woman had a considerable bust….not in the same measurements as her clothe clad companion but enough to grab a man's attention….apart from the weapon she had one….she wore leather bracers with metal guards on them and she wore the same kind of pants as well….with the same fish scale like designs and wore boots as well….she had a cloak on and had a sword strapped to her side and she was guarding his companion.

(Who the heck are they?)

Both ninja asked themselves when they looked at the two women before them at the moment and it was not long before the two women spoke….with the robed one removing her hood to reveal her hair was in an intricate coif. However, neither of the two ninja had any idea what the woman was saying at the moment as she spoke in an utterly alien language of sorts.

The woman wielding the spear like weapon frowned at them and pointed her weapon's spear tip at the closest of them and it was none other than Shikamaru and she spoke harshly at him at the moment. The lazy Genin had no idea what she was saying but from the bossy way she spoke….she was demanding something from him.

“I have no idea what you are saying….so stop trying to point that darn thing at me.”

The woman with the spear like weapon apparently took offense to Shikamaru's reaction and words and lashed out with a powerful slash with the weapon and the Genin managed to move away and recover as Asuma took out his trench knives, and the robed woman then hefted her staff and got into a defensive position and then summoned a cloud of mist using an arcane language that was foreign to the two ninja and then Asuma ducked when the woman fired out a massive blast of ice spears at him….he moved away and closed the gap to try and stop the woman with the staff, but the spear armed woman was quick on her feet despite her armor and blocked Asuma's attacks and she quickly pushed him back and unleashed several arcing attacks with her weapon at high speed and forcing Asuma to defend himself and it was then that Shikamaru fired several kunai at the woman who spun her weapon with amazing strength and grace and blocked the kunai and she lashed out with a thrust at Shikamaru and he replied.

“Man….I don't like fighting a woman….it's such a drag….”

The woman however blocked his punch with her free hand and she pushed him away with surprising force and spun her weapon around and planed another arcing strike when she was surprised to suddenly find herself unable to move….Shikamaru had used his family Shadow Manipulation Jutsu to restrain her. But Shikamaru knew that he had to be careful of the other one who apparently could manipulate ice without hand seals.

Asuma engaged the woman in question with his trench knives and she fought him off with several attacks of her staff and he was able to get closer to her and while he was focused on trying to stop her, he had to admit that she was attractive. The woman blocked his next strike with her staff and once more spoke in that odd language and he replied.

“I don't understand what you are saying.”

The woman apparently was able to understand what he said when she suddenly seemed to relax a bit and to his surprise….and Shikamaru's own surprise as well….the woman leaned forward to Asuma and chanted something and kissed him on the cheek. Asuma was startled by this and he looked as the woman backed away and then spoke once more….only this time….she spoke in a language both of them understood.

“Now do you understand me?”

“How did you?! You were speaking gibberish before….”

“I used a Language Spell to understand your words….who are you two and where are we?”

Asuma was still wary and watched the strange woman who apparently realized that until they showed that they were not going to be hostile towards the two they were not going to get the answers they sought. She turned and cast a spell which was a cloud of mist and cast it on her companion and the mist covered the spear wielding woman and faded and the woman then spoke to her robed companion.

“Vlana….what on earth is going on here, why can't these men understand a word we're saying? And now this man's got me in some sort of binding spell!!!!”

“It's all right Meer, they can understand us now.”

The woman turned her attention directly to Shikamaru and spoke.

“Can you understand me now?”

“Oh yes….now what the heck are you two doing here?”

“I'll answer that question the very second you release me from this binding spell you put me on.”

“No….answer my question right now, and then I'll let you go….you tried to take my head off with that weapon of yours one too many times already, and I would rather have my head on me at this point and time.”

“Grrr….fine then, the name's Meer, I'm a Steel Lancer and Vlana and I are looking for a sword.”

“A sword?”

Asuma and Shikamaru were confused at first but Asuma was quick to come up with an approximate idea on what the two women were looking for and while he was not entirely sure about that, he decided to take a shot and tell them what he might know.

“This sword you two are looking for wouldn't happen to have the power to summon armies, heal wounds, manipulate the elements, and even summon Dragons?”

The two women looked with surprise and Vlana was the very first one to speak to both Asuma and Shikamaru.

“You know where that sword is? Does it have an owner already?”

“Yes….that sword is under the use of one named Naruto Uzumaki.”

“Take us to him…we need to see if he is the one that Holy Talon has truly chosen.”

Seeing that this was the most they were going to get out of the women that they were facing at the moment, Asuma and Shikamaru had no choice but take them to find Naruto….perhaps they could finally get some much needed answers around here.

However, they were not the only ones at the moment…

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In another section of Konoha…

Shino was busy training with his bugs in a far part of the lands surrounding Konoha… when he heard some noise in the lands ahead of him and he sent out one of his bugs to investigate….but for some reason, the bug scout had not returned and that was somewhat worrying to the young member of the Aburame Clan as he took after the bug and to his surprise….he found himself being greeted by a swarm of butterflies that blinded him briefly and then heard a cool and gentle voice.

“Hello there…”

Shino looked as the butterflies parted and despite his somewhat stoic and silent nature….the young man couldn't help but take a near silent breath as he saw just who was the owner of the voice he had just heard at the moment…

The person was a woman who was dressed in deep forest green clothes and wore brown armor that was made of leather; she had a simple straight sword on her hip and a staff on her back as well, the short sleeved tunic she had on exposed her slender arms that had strange markings on them and she wore leather bracers that had metal guards on them, she also had a necklace that was made of gold and silver. The armor she wore seemed to hug her frame very well and showed that the young woman was fell formed and strong though with a slender build as well. She had a garland of leaves like a crown on her head and her hair was as black as the night sky and her eyes were silver-grey as well…making her look very attractive in a very elegant and serene fashion. Shino then noted that the butterflies were speaking to her and to his amazement….the woman spoke to the bugs as well.

The woman then pointed her finger and there was the missing bug he had sent to scout ahead and the bug told him quickly that the stranger was not a threat to him or anyone but was lost and her name was Telis and she was a Druidess….apparently a person attuned to nature and could speak animal languages and learn from them…the reason she was able to speak to him was that she learned his language from the bug he had sent out.

Shino then spoke to Telis.

“You can speak the language of insects?”

Telis nodded.

“Of course….apart from insects, I can speak the language of birds, land animals and other creatures as well….and you can speak to insects….are you a Druid?”

“Not…exactly, my family clan have a pact with the Destruction Bugs….they feed on chakra and we give them access to our chakra while they then obey our commands.”

“I see…my name is Telis, and you are?”

“Shino….Shino Aburame….what brings you here? Judging by the way you dress and your abilities….you are not from around here.”

“I can tell that you are a trust worthy sort Shino Aburame….so I will tell you why I am here at this time and place….I am looking for an ancient sword of power from my realm….it goes by many names in the tongues of other races, but the most common name associated with the sword I seek is Holy Talon, my friends and I came here to find it and see if it is either safe or in good hands, but I was separated from the rest of my group.”

Shino already had a very good idea of what the sword was that Telis was seeking, he was aware that Holy talon was in the hands of Naruto at the moment and if Telis was seeking it, it had to be for a very good reason, his Destruction Bug told him that Telis was the trust worthy type and he had little to fear from her and his Destruction Bugs have never lied to him in any fashion for as long as he can recall.

“I am aware of the sword you speak of….if you would like I can take you to it…and it's current owner.”

Telis was naturally surprised by the news that Holy talon had an owner, in this case, the Druidess, like all familiar with the lore and history surrounding the two swords of legend of her world, knew that the owner that Shino spoke of was a Dragon Champion and she was amazed that there was already someone chosen by the Holy Dragon Sword.

“Thank you Shino Aburame….you have saved me a great deal of time and effort….I can only hope that my comrades are also able to be found.”

Shino nodded and guided Telis to Konoha, and wondered how Naruto would react this kind of news.

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In another part of Konoha…

Chouji was busy munching down on his usual bag of treats when he heard some strange noises in the forest and he was curious and went there to see just what was going on at the moment and the Genin was suddenly surprised to find himself facing a woman who was wearing strange armor that he quickly recognized as a style of armor worn by Naruto that he had seen once….

The woman was carrying a long blade that resembled a double edged straight sword that had some rather odd but very attractive symbols on the middle of the blade and his had a v shaped hilt guard and a two handed handle. The way the woman held the sword made Chouji aware that the woman….despite being slender and tall, she was well muscled and strong, even more so to be able to use both that sword and wear that kind of armor that she had on the moment.

The woman had a long cloth headband on her forehead and that kept her deep red hair which was in a series of ponytails on the back. She had deep blue eyes and had a very flawless face, with only a thin scar on the left side of her face that was on her eye all the way to the middle of her cheek, though the scar gave the woman a strong, rough, but powerful and glowing beauty, coupled with her skin being slightly dark.

The woman's armor was in a combination of plate and chainmail armor made in such a way that the upper plate armor acted as a breast plate and covered her chest, including her rather large bust, the chainmail covered her lower torso all the way to her hips which had a section of plate mail covering her lower body and the sides of her thighs….the chain mail reached her knees and ended there….she wore leather boots and had forearm guards with metal sections as well., and there was a long red length of cloth that was in deep red that were wrapped around her neck like a scarf.

The woman apparently was trying to find her way through this mess and Chouji was getting very curious just who this person was….he was curious though on the fact that she was wearing a form of armor that he had seen Naruto wear on more than one occasion. As he stepped forward and spoke, the woman turned towards him and gave him a rather startled look for a few moments.

“Who are you?”

The woman looked somewhat confused at that question and didn't respond but she didn't raise her sword and pointed it at him so that told him that she didn't see him as a threat to her, as much as he disliked fighting, he would defend himself should he b suddenly attacked by the woman if she did strike first. Chouji looked at the woman carefully, but no matter how hard he tried…he couldn't find any marks that could tell him at the moment on who this woman was and where she was from. The woman then took out some sort of rolled up piece of paper….maybe a scroll and when she unrolled it, she spoke a quick command in a very foreign language and the scroll was suddenly disintegrated….startling Chouji and he got ready to defend himself….apparently the woman realized that she had no doubt startled the young man and she spoke once more….only this time….she spoke in Chouji's language.

“Calm down….I was merely using a spell scroll to understand your language….my name is Shandra….who are you?”

Chouji was surprised at that and it took a while for him to respond, to which Shandra asked the question yet again to him.

“I asked you your name….who are you?”

“My name is Chouji….Chouji Akamichi. Why are you here in Konoha?”

“Konoha….is this the place I came to?”

“You're not from around here are you?”

“Not….exactly….I was separated from my comrades in coming here from….our world… and we came looking for a legendary sword from our world….a sword with the recognized name of Holy Talon.”

Chouji felt that the name was somewhat familiar and then thought about the sword she mentioned….he knew of only one sword that came close to the thing mentioned by the woman, he heard the name of Holy Talon being directed to the sword Naruto carried and decided to tell this woman what he knew….besides, if anyone could explain to him just what was going on at the moment, it would be Naruto.

“I can guide you to someone who might know about that sword you're looking for.”

Shandra smiled at that and she placed her sword on her back as the sheath was there and with amazing strength and dexterity she sheathed her sword and walked over to Chouji and spoke amiably.

“Thank you….by the way….do you have anything to eat with you? I haven't eaten in a while and I feel rather hungry.”

Chouji thought of saying no but there was something about the woman that told him that doing so was bad news….and besides that, he was not the kind to deny others the chance to try having good food in their stomachs, he loved eating and he wanted others to understand that good food is a good thing to have in the world that one lived it, he loved his mother's cooking and the food of the village and allowing this stranger to try some for herself was something that he considered a duty of his.

With that in mind, he rummaged through his food pack and removed a roll of sweet bread that his mother had made for him a day before and it was wrapped in a paper towel.

“here's some sweet bread, my mother made it for me but you can have it.:”

Shandra smiled in thanks and unwrapped the bread and took a bit of it and smiled at the taste of the sweet bread as Chouji led her towards Konoha, as she chewed the food and swallowed the bread which to her satisfaction was very well made, she spoke to Chouji.

“My compliments to your mother Chouji, this bread reminds me of the sweet cake that I used to buy in my home town's bakery when I was a little girl, though the bread back then had sweet nuts in them.”

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In another part of Konoha's outer grounds…

Iruka was busy moving about in the grounds as he had no classes to teach at the moment and was enjoying the morning before he had his next class to take care of at the moment and he was busy taking a walk when he spotted movement in the forest and went over to investigate the situation and see what was happening….and to his surprise, the Chuunin found himself facing a strangely dressed woman who was wearing some sort of armor that resembled the armor worn by Naruto on occasion….the one known as chain-mail though this one had sections of plate mixed into it.

The woman carried a small shield of some sort that had a dragon symbol on it and surrounded by trees and flowers….and she had a sword similar to the one Naruto carried but it was only with one handle and it was on her left hip. The woman had no helmet and had deep black hair and when she turned to face Iruka, she had deep green eyes that were focused on him as if she wanted to know if he was a threat to her, whoever this woman was….she carried herself as a warrior and Iruka knew that he would have to be on his guard, but he decided to find out just who this person was and hope that violence would not sprout out soon.

“Who are you?”

The woman couldn't answer at the moment and merely looked at Iruka, but she was clearly aware that he was asking her a question and she spoke back….however, her language was totally odd and unknown to the Chuunin and he couldn't help but feel helpless at being unable to figure out just what was the woman saying to him at this very moment. He then spoke once more and tried to hope that there would be a way to understand her language.

“I don't understand what you are saying to me….who are you?”

The two stared at one another at first and she then seemed to understand and pointed to herself and spoke a single word that Iruka managed to understand.

“Valken.”

Iruka was confused for a second and he then realized that since she was pointing to herself when she said the word, that must mean that what she said was actually her name and he was able to understand that word at least. He nodded, showing to her that he understood and he decided to point to himself and say his name.

“Iruka.”

Valken was able to understand and she spoke slowly Iruka's name to show that she understood something at this moment.

“Iru….Iruka.”

The Chuunin was relieved by the situation and he decided to talk a bit more with the woman named Valken and slowly he was able to convince her to follow him, she was not very receiving of the request at first but she did so….he had a feeling that someone in the village might provide him some answers, and he had a feeling that it would be Naruto as she woman seemed to wear armor in a fashion like he did at the moment, it was a long shot but who knows how this might turn out….and with Naruto's growing abilities….he might be able to help him understand just what sort of language was Valken using.

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In the Hokage Tower…

“Who the heck are all these people?”

Tsunade asked when the large number of people trooped right into her office as she was busy with the day's reports and documentation. She had been shocked by this and Naruto knew that he was going to have a hell of a time to explain all this to Tsunade….when Chouji, Asuma, Neji, Shikamaru, Shino, and Iruka brought the others in Kaelyn and Valena's party, the Dragon Champion was surprised to meet them and they with him as well….they then spoke that they all sought he sword if it was in safe hands and if it could somehow be brought back to their world despite the severe energies that could be used up to send them and the sword back home….but now that the sword was badly weakened, there was no way for them to return to Dagern and be reunited with their fellow warriors and family…

It was disheartening for them, but they knew the risks after all and took it anyway. Naruto then faced Tsunade and spoke to the Hokage what exactly was going on and the Hokage couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed at the moment. However….she was willing to hear things out for the time being….though she had no doubt in her mind that things were going to be very serious from here on out.

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In Suna…

“How is it?”

“It's looking very bad….these Reapers….they don't know the meaning of the word retreat at all!!! And they have really dark jutsus Baki-sensei….no matter how many times we kill them….they just come back to life the next day and are ready for more!!! There seems to be no end to them!!!”

Baki took in the information seriously as he and the other Council members were talking about the situation that they were currently in. It had been three to four days since the siege of their village began. The ninja of the village were caught off guard on the first day as the Reapers killed a good number of them as their weapons and armor were unlike anything the Suna ninja have ever encountered before in their long history of warfare with other nations….these foreign warriors were like demons incarnate as they attacked with a blood thirsty relish that made even Gaara's previous blood thirsty nature pale in comparison. And for every one they killed, three to four of their ninja fell to the scythes of these foreign warriors> And what was terrifying was when night fell and the warriors seemed to fall back….they went through great risks to recover their dead.

The ninja wondered if it was for burial….but to their horror….the warriors that they had slain….came back to fight them the next day….as if they had somehow been brought back to life once more for combat against them!!! The Suna ninja were horrified to see the faces of the Reapers they had slain….even the top ranking Jonin of the village had never seen anything like it before….the reborn Reapers were alive and were smiling in a very sadistic and blood lusting fashion and they continued their bloody battles with relish….killing more of the ninja that were sent out to fight them….

This happened for the past days and there seemed to be no end to them….the only thing that kept their losses few was Gaara himself and his new found control and mastery over the demon that resided in him, his desire to protect those closest to him and the village's people made him stand defiant before the blood thirsty Reapers and allow him to slay many of them and allow their medic nins to heal and save their wounded…Gaara dedicated to defeating and slaying as many of the Reapers as he could manage and some were not able to be found and reanimated by the other Reapers easily….but time was against them….there were too many wounded and whatever the weapons of the reapers were made of inflicted horrendous wounds on their ninjas….and the reapers would manage to find the ones Gaara buried in the sand at times they would return….ready to spill blood and rend flesh once more….it was a serious situation indeed, and while many of the ninja thought of slaying the leader of the Reapers….they couldn't because the Reapers were always on guard and ready to fight to the death to defend their lord and without any means to permanently destroy the Reapers….the weapons and techniques of the Suna ninja were meaningless in every fashion at the moment.

“We have to do something….unless we find a way to stop them permanently….our wounded will grow in numbers until we are too weak and exhausted to fight them.”

“At least we didn't lose any more ninja to them….Gaara's support has proven great for our survival.”

:”True….but we still must do something. The leader of these Reapers must be defeated…it is no doubt he who can reanimate the ones we have managed to slay in battle….defeat him….then we have a chance.”

Gaara then stepped forward and spoke.

“We don't have the weapons to kill these Reapers.”

Baki turned to Gaara and asked the young Genin what he meant by that.

“What makes you say that Gaara-san?”

Gaara turned and looked out to the village and thought over on how things had become for the past four days since the siege of Suna had began. He had done his best and many of the ninja he helped in the battle were safe and recovering, though he could do little to ease their wounds and allowed the medic nins to do their job….he would then visit the wounded and promise them that he would not let their sacrifices mean nothing and he would do his best to defend the village and it's people.

Some of the ninja were not that accepting, while others thanked him and many families….who were frightened of him greatly, thanked him for saving their brothers, sons, fathers and more. The families were also very thankful for his actions defending the village and while others were not too trusting of him, they were more accepting of his actions.

He faced the Council and then spoke.

“Temari-san told me that she had heard about Naruto Uzumaki from Konoha had fought with a demon similar to the Reapers….he was defeated but survived and managed to slay the demon. If there is anyone who can help us find the way to defeat the reapers….then it is him. We need to send an emergency dispatch to Konoha requesting reinforcements.”

The Council thought about that and talked it over and Baki stood up and spoke to Gaara.

“You've changed a great deal since you fought that Uzumaki youth Gaara-san. “

“He and I are the same Baki-sensei….but he showed me a different path, and he helped give me greater control and a chance to have a peaceful life. If there is anyone I trust to help us all in this time….it's him.”

The Council agreed and they quickly made a letter to be sent quickly to Konoha…as Gaara and Baki left, Kankurou arrived and gave his report to Baki.

“We've got another band of wounded coming into the hospitals….the supplies have are enough but I hope we can find a solution soon.”

Gaara nodded and spoke to his elder brother.

“Don't worry brother, the Council already plans to call for support….and it will be Naruto-san coming to help us.”

Kankurou nodded….it was still kind of hard for the elder sibling of Gaara to get used to hearing his little brother call him that, without any malice or blood lust, but he was getting used to it for the time being.

“Gaara-sama!!!”

The three turned and there came another person….a young brown haired girl named Matsuri who Gaara had rescued…a band of Reapers had recently attacked the village and came into the village and killed a number of villagers….including Matsuri's parents and she would have been slain hadn't it been for Gaara's intervention….he defeated the Reapers and sent them out while shielding Matsuri….he stood there as Matsuri cried over her parents and he stood there to shield her….he then told her that he would make sure that they would not be forgotten as Matsuri's parents were ninja who died to save their daughter.

Matsuri turned to face him with her tear streaked face and instead of being frightened by Gaara….the young girl who was a year older than him cried out and hugged him and sobbed on his shoulder…startling Gaara at first at the show of emotion towards him at the moment and he could only respond by hugging the frightened young girl. Ever since then, Matsuri was very close to Gaara and was never far from him and she would always talk to him and be there for him….the young girl showed a strong sense of attachment, devotion, and trust to Gaara and it was almost like hero worship or maybe more…

Gaara looked to Matsuri and smiled….which Matsuri responded by smiling as well and Gaara walked with Matsuri who was silent for a while but was very happy in Gaara's presence as they walked through the halls…making other people in the building look at the two in surprise.

The closeness between Gaara and Matsuri was very open, that several bands of ninja, namely the male ninja began to think that Matsuri had a romantic affection for Gaara…even Kankurou thought so though he decided to ask at a much better time….but that didn't stop him from shaking his head as he watched the happy young girl latch onto his little brother.

(Who knew my little brother would get a devoted follower….who might very well be in love with him?)

--------

The next day…

Naruto woke up the next day and wondered just how Kaelyn and her comrades were doing with the new status they had as refugees in Konoha….he was not happy with the fact that the group of Kaelyn were being allowed to stay for the time being…as he got up for the day and was about to eat his break-fast….he was suddenly greeted by a very urgent knock on his door.

He changed quickly and grabbed Holy Talon and went to find out who was knocking on his door….he was somewhat surprised to see Shizune and two ANBU with her.

“Shizune-neechan, what's going on?”

“We've got an emergency….a letter has arrived from Suna….they're under attack!”

“What?! Who would attack Suna?!”

“We don't know….Tsunade-sama needs all the teams there….Sakura-san and Sasuke-kun, along with Kakashi-sensei are there already….you're the only one not there yet.”

“All right!”

--------

In the Hokage Tower…

Tsunade read the emergency dispatch letter from Suna and her face was very serious as she read the situation that had befallen the village of Suna at the moment…she had no idea what was going on at the moment as she finished reading the letter, and then going through it over twice to make sure she was not missing any important details.

Naruto and the others looked on and Tsunade looked gravely at Naruto….the information was something that he alone would have to know…but there was no way she was going to let Naruto handle this battle on his own….it was risky and was going to get flak from the Council….but things as they were….they could not afford to leave Suna to their fate.

“This letter arrived no less than four hours ago….it seems that Suna is under heavy attack.”

“What?!”

Temari was shocked by the news as she was frozen solid….her home had a large population but their numbers of ninja was not large enough and they were still in the process of recovery at the moment…who would willingly attack her home?!

“According to the letter that was given to me by Shizune on our messenger bird…the Village is currently under siege by a large army of armored warriors that are armed with massive scythe like weapons who called themselves Reapers….the Reapers of Chorvax…”

Naruto gave a dire look at the news and Holy Talon spoke its master.

((“The Reapers….they are a dangerous sect of warriors back on Dagern….they were founded by a man who called himself the first Reaper of Chorvax and founded their order….the Battle Scythes they carry are enchanted with Curse and Necromantic magicks that make the blades very deadly in combat and they are nearly weightless….this allows the Reapers great agility and speed to attack their foes….If Death Fang sent them….then Suna will be hard pressed to push them back.”))

(Why?)

((“They are already dead….but unlike the zombies that summoned by the Wraith Knight….they still retain their memories, personality and experience….I've seen Suna already Master Naruto and they can hold….but without any weapons to counter the undead flesh of the Reapers….they will fall soon.”))

(I see….can we fight them?)

((“We can….but we can't do it alone….we'll need help to do this.”))

Naruto then spoke to Tsunade.

“Tsunade-sama….let me and a band of any ninja we can spare at the moment take the fight to these Reapers.”

Tsunade looked at Naruto and wondered just what he meant by that, she however quickly understood what was going on. She was familiar after all with the name of Chorvax as she had seen the evil sword that was the destined weapon of Naruto's dark mirror as a Dragon Champion. No doubt the Reapers that were attacking Suna were agents of the said sword. And she knew that since these were not beings of this world, only Naruto and Holy talon can equal them. She hated the idea of sending him alone and therefore decided to send out Naruto with a team to help him in this mission.

“All right….Naruto, you and the others in your team will need to go straight to Suna as quickly as possible….the ninja of Konoha might be at lower numbers but considering that we have a priority alliance with Suna, we need to send support to them immediately as they will need all the help they can get. Kakashi….you and your team will move out, I will gather whatever teams we can spare at the moment for this mission!”

The ninja agreed and Shizune then offered Tsunade a list of the available ninja teams and Naruto knew that they were going to be facing some very serious opposition and the other with him were going to need all the protection they could get at the moment, and that meant that he would have to get his powers and spells up to speed.

--------

Later….Naruto was busy at the gate with Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi with him as they watched him take chunks of metal that was actually Orchaelium. The blonde who was dressed in his normal chain and plate mail armor had been able to use Holy Talon's reserves to create several large chunks of Orchaelium and then began to use his Transmutation powers to create weapons and armor for his team and the others. It was going to be a long and quick process and the work was somewhat rushed but he had no choice.

His team watched as he transformed several lumps of the metal into armor that was similar to the one he was currently wearing at the moment as well as some weapons. Naruto knew that the weapons the teams would have now would be utterly useless when they faced the Reapers as they were foes that none of the people in his world have ever fought with before at the moment. He was making chain mail shirts as they would allow the others to move more freely and that was what they all needed at the moment.

Naruto's training with using Dragon Fire to make a tree grow properly allowed him to use only the right amounts of Dragon Fire to create the weapons and armor….just in time for the assembled teams to arrive.

They were none other than Maito Gai's team, Asuma's team, and Kurenai's team….along with Kin, Zabuza, Temari and Haku….these were the only support teams he and his team were going to have at the moment. He knew that now was the time to hand them the gear they would need to survive.

“Here….you all are going to need these.”

The other ninja looked at the gear that Naruto was handing out and were confused at first as they had never seen their kind before, though they had seen Naruto wear armor before, these didn't match the ones he normally wore. Naruto noted their hesitation and replied.

“You're going to need them….trust me on this. These weapons will serve you better as well.”

The groups took the armor and were wearing the chainmail shirts already….the armor resembled a normal tunic but made entirely of Orchaelium and covered only the front and back of their torso and abdomen while leaving their limbs free to move about, with lengths of the same armor guarding the lower thighs without restricting movement. The group were surprised to find the armor to be very light….almost like they were wearing normal cloth.

The weapons were swords, spears, shuriken, kunai, and others that were useful to them all at the moment… but Naruto had done a number of changes to the weapons as they were enchanted to make them more potent and effective as well….namely when they would be facing off with the Reapers who no doubt would be wearing enchanted armor and their weapons, the Battle Scythes were also enchanted with Chaos magic….thus were going to be tough to face on their own, which was why he had done the same to the chainmail shirts that he had handed to his comrades.

As soon as things were done, Kakashi spoke.

“We should get going….though it will take three days to get to Suna on foot, we might be too late by then.”

“I'll take care of that Kakashi-sensei….we're not going to walk….we're going to fly.”

Naruto took out Holy Talon and spoke in the same arcane language and then shouted out the command and the ground glowed and from the glowing symbol came Kael as the Sky Dragon obeyed the summons of the Dragon Champion.

\ “You summoned me Champion?”/

“Yes Kael, I need your help in dealing with the Reapers, they're attacking an allied village of my home village and it would take too long to go there on foot. Can you help us?”

\ “I can, but you will need to summon more of my kind to help you…I cannot carry that many people at once.”/

Naruto nodded and focused his powers once more and then repeated the commands and language and sure enough a number of Dragons made their appearance right in front to the Jonin and their Genin students. One Dragon had deep green scales and golden horns that curled backward on the head with tufts of gold hair on the head and the tail, another Dragon was colored deep blue in a shade similar to Kael himself and had a pair of silver colored horns curving backwards and to the sides of the head and frills on the sides of the head and also on the legs and tail, another dragon was colored silver with golden hair running from the top of the head all the way to the shoulders and the scales were tinted with silver on the edges as well, and the last dragon was golden in colored and had had flowing wings and there were also bony spikes on it's tail. Kael turned and spoke in a bestial tongue to his fellow Dragons and they looked at the assembled ninja and the Dragon Champion and nodded in agreement. Kael then turned and spoke.

\“My kin and I will transport you to Suna faster….get onboard Champion and quickly, the Reapers are deadly force and no matter how high those walls in Suna are, they will not be enough to stand up to the blood thirstiness and brutality of the Reapers….they would gladly sacrifice thousands of their own warriors to gain victory, and these Reapers are already dead….unless their leader is slain he can reanimate his kin to fight again.”/

Naruto nodded and he got on Kael's back and he spoke to the others.

“Get on, we need to hurry quickly to Suna and Kael and his kin are more than ready for this.”

Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, Gai, and Zabuza nodded in agreement with Naruto's words as they led the groups under them to ride the Dragons, the Genin were a bit wary but they wasted little time and were now on the other Sky Dragons. Naruto turned and spoke to them all.

“Hold on tight! This will be a heck of a ride!”

And sure enough, the Dragons flapped their wings and they quickly took to the air like rockets, Kiba roared out as Akamaru yipped and barked as the pup was in Kiba's jacket at the moment and the dog familiar held on for dear life. Shino held tightly to the saddle and Hinata gave a shout of surprise as she felt the rush of air hit her, Kurenai was in awe as she found herself deep in the air and could only look to see the other Dragons Tenten held on tightly as she looked in awe as she found herself in the clouds and felt the rush of air on her face, Rock Lee and Gai roared out and called this the ultimate ride and Neji merely held on tight as the air slammed into him and the others. Zabuza and Haku had to admit that this was the very first time they could ever fly in the sky and it was very different, Kin was also impressed and a bit terrified at the same time as well, Sakura likewise was impressed by how high they were flying at the moment, while Sasuke remained silent, Temari was familiar with this already but it was still something that still surprised her….and Kakashi finally spoke to Naruto.

“So this is what you were feeling when you rode a Dragon for the first time eh Naruto?”

“How do you know?”

“Me, Iruka, and the Hokage were watching after all.”

Naruto got the message and the Sky Dragons took their charges towards the direction of Suna and like Naruto predicted….they arrived in Suna at record time and the villagers of Suna was surprised to see Kael return to their village with a few more Dragons of his likeness though of different appearances and color and when they saw the ninja behind them and wearing the Konoha symbols, they realized that this was some backup from the village they were allies with at the moment. As the Konoha ninja and Naruto got off the Dragons and Kael and his kin faded away into light and went back into Holy Talon, Gaara arrived on the scene and smiled in greeting to Naruto who smiled back

Naruto looked at Gaara and saw Matsuri who was standing very close to Gaara and the way she held Gaara's hand tightly, made the blonde Dragon Champion smirk a bit and he couldn't help but tease his good friend a bit.

“So….who's your girlfriend?”

Gaara blushed at that and so did Matsuri who held tightly on Gaara's arm and she spoke.

“My name is Matsuri….and I, well….I….”

Naruto knew that he was embarrassing the girl and decided to apologize….plus he felt that it was bad form to be acting like this in the middle of a crisis.

“Sorry about that then….couldn't help it. How bad is the situation here Gaara?”

Gaara's blush faded and he could tell that Naruto was now serious and when he saw his friend serious, he was as well. He then gave the information to Naruto as he guided them and Kankurou arrived to join in. The serious expression on his little brother's facer was enough to tell Kankurou that this was going to be their final attack into the heart of the enemy that had attacked their home.

Matsuri walked behind them and saw that both Gaara and Naruto were very much in close session with one another and she recalled how both Gaara and the blonde ninja from Konoha seemed to be friends, Temari was nearby and she decided to speak to Gaara's eldest sister.

“Temari-sama….who is that ninja with Gaara-sama?”

“That is Naruto Uzumaki from Konoha….he's a good friend of Gaara's, though back then they used to be enemies.”

“They were enemies?!”

“Yes….Naruto was the one who fought with Gaara when we were duped by Orochimaru to fight Konoha who as you knew we had a treaty with when he disguised himself as the Kazekage….Naruto defeated Gaara in combat….but that changed Gaara greatly and Naruto created a very special gift for Gaara to help him….which is why he and Gaara are very good friends Matsuri.”

Matsuri nodded as they all entered the tower of the Kazekage as Gaara, Naruto, and Kankurou were now talking with the other ninja including Kakashi, Kurenai, Gai, and Asuma….while the others were following behind them. As soon as they entered the room and Baki outlined the situation before the assembled ninja, the Sand Jonin looked at Naruto and spoke to him.

“Gaara said that you can help us Naruto-san since you've fought a demon like the ones we face and you might know how to kill these….Reapers.”

Naruto nodded and spoke.

“The one I fought with was different but fundamentally the same as the ones we're facing….I need you to get as many weapons from your armories as you can….i know a jutsu that might give your weapons the power needed to slay these Reapers and to ensure that this time, they stay dead.”

Baki gave a slight smile and turned to some of the Chuunin and gave the orders and the two obeyed quickly. Naruto knew what he was doing as Holy Talon explained that he could enchant the weapons of the Suna ninja to burn and destroy the flesh of the Reapers and also ensure that they would not be reanimated.

As the weapons were brought in….Naruto studied them, there were swords, clubs, daggers, whips, throwing weapons, and more. Naruto then was assured by Holy Talon that since it was merely a limited but useful enchantment that they were doing, they were not in danger of losing their precious reserves of Dragon Fire and there was already more than enough to bless the weapons.

“I'll take a while Gaara….get as many ninja than can be spared to fight at the moment and once I'm done….tell them to grab their gear….it's time we take the fight to the enemy.”

Gaara nodded and went out to meet with the ninja as Kankurou and Temari came a long as well. Naruto went to work as the others watched him begin to chant as he sat down near the pile of weapons with Holy Talon already out of the sheath and ready for use. The sword opened it's eye and glowed in unison with Naruto who was bathed in a deep golden light and the light began to bathe into the weapons that were made available to him….much to the awe of the groups there….

As the process was finally finished….Naruto turned and saw the ninja that gathered and Gaara told them to arm up with the newly enchanted weapons and they were now going to take the fight to the enemy at the moment. The ninja looked at the slightly glowing weapons with some mistrust at first but they took them if these weapons could help them defeat the Reapers and free their village. Naruto then said that the leader of the Reapers would be dealt with by him and Gaara….the sword he had was more powerful than the weapons they had and the sword also could slice through the armor of the leader and defeat him.

As they got ready to move out….Matsuri got one of the weapons that was a jouhyou….one of the weapons that was left behind by the other ninja. Gaara saw that and walked over to Matsuri and spoke to her.

“What are you planning Matsuri?”

The woman looked at Gaara and she replied.

“You're going to fight with the reapers….Gaara-sama….I want to protect you, please let me fight with you Gaara-sama!”

Gaara was surprised greatly by this and he felt something in his mind and heart telling him that while her desire to help and protect him was something that was noble….it was not a good idea and would no doubt bring her to great danger and more and he was not in the mood to let anything or anyone harm Matsuri….she had already lost her family and he was not in the mood to let her die….besides….she didn't have the training needed to be a ninja of the village and without proper training….she would be injured or worse….

And for some reason….the thought of Matsuri lying dead before him terrified Gaara….as much as seeing Temari or Kankurou slain before him….he had grown closer to his family and the thought of losing them to death was something that scared him….and now…the thought of Matsuri lying dead was painful for Gaara…

He then spoke to Matsuri…

“I understand….but I can't let you go out there by yourself Matsuri….”

“But Gaara-sama…..I can't….I….”

“Matsuri….I want you to stay here, stay safe….for me okay?”

Matsuri began to cry a bit but she slowly calmed down and nodded at that. She looked at Gaara and spoke.

“I….I'll try…”

Gaara nodded and turned about to leave with the rest of the strike team and Naruto joined Gaara while Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi walked behind them, as well as the other Konoha Genin and Jonin . Naruto the spoke to Gaara.

“She really cares about you Gaara.”

“I know….it's really odd but I want to make sure that everyone is safe here in Suna….and her as well.”

“What happened to her?”

“Her parents were killed when the Reapers attacked the village….somehow some of them fought their way past the defenses and Matsuri's parents fought them and she was with them….the Reapers were able to kill her parents….and were about to kill her too, but I stepped in and fought them off…after the Reapers were driven back, she was still grieving over their deaths….and I promised that I would not let their deaths be meaningless…ever since then, she's been with me and she seems to trust me.”

Naruto could tell and despite Matsuri not saying anything….he could sense that there was more than gratitude there between Matsuri and Gaara.

“I see…she cares deeply for you Gaara….I've got a feeling she might sneak out and try to help you so be ready for that.”

Gaara nodded while the other ninja watched the whole thing….and they were very much shocked by the sight of Gaara and Naruto being like best friends in many ways and the former blood thirsty and brutal Gaara being this kind of person now.

Sakura couldn't help but recall how Gaara had been in the past and the others, including Shikamaru and Sasuke were surprised at how much the young man changed since the last time they had met him and saw him in combat. Gaara then turned to Lee and spoke.

“I have to apologize about the injuries I gave you last time…have you fully recovered?”

Lee was probably the one who was not all that surprised at the moment and he replied to Gaara's question in a very positive and respectful manner as he always did.

“Yes….I was hospitalized for a while and our new3 Hokage, Tsunade-hime healed my injuries and Naruto-san provided her with the needed medical supplies and tolls to make sure that I had a full recovery.”

Gaara nodded at that and smiled a bit more.

“That's good to hear, we don't have much time though….the Reapers will be coming back when they get the chance….no doubt the Reapers we've recently slain are among them as well, reanimated and ready for another fight with us.”

--------

Out in the desert…

As the group got ready to lead the attack….Gaara's prediction was very much true as they spotted the Reapers making their next attack on the village….the sight of the blood thirsty and malevolent warriors was enough to make Gaara angry at what they had done to the village but he kept his anger in control….the village now had the means to fight back and end their menace permanently this time and they were not going to let these Reapers claim more of their people.

Naruto thought likewise and used his Piercing Sight to locate the leader of the reapers and soon he spotted the leader….he was at the rear of the dune behind the other Reapers….no doubt there to watch and wait to see the result of their latest assault on the walls of Suna, he could tell that despite not participating in the battle directly, this evil warrior was not someone to take lightly as he could see the evil power that was radiating directly from the triple bladed scythe that the leader was carrying and from what he was told by Holy Talon, this foe was not going to be an easy foe to defeat.

The ninja force got ready to face the Reapers and the ninja of Suna who were on the walls unleashed arrows and crossbow bolts and many of the Reapers were hit directly and many were now coming in with arrows and bolts in their bodes….but their armor protected them, and their strong resistance to pain made them attack with a vicious ferocity that made them move through the barrage. Only this time as the ninja of Suna and Konoha got out to fight them….they were now better and ready. Naruto turned to his comrades Hinata, Neji, And Rock Lee and knew that their skills in Taijutsu will not be enough and the weapons he handed them will truly help them.

“Hinata-san, Neji-san, Bushy brows, keep in mind these guys don't feel pain the way we do….use your weapons to finish them off or else they'll just come back to life!”

All three of them nodded as both Gaara and Naruto took the lead….Gaara rose on a wave of sand while Naruto was on the side and armed with Holy Talon in a single hand grip and ready to fight with the incoming Reapers. The incoming forces finally ran into each other and the fight was now underway. The Reapers roared their battle cries and were now moving their scythes in a defensive and offensive movement as Naruto and his comrades struck into them.

The skills of the Reapers with their Battle Scythes were proven to be well deserved as the weapons would swing and lash out with amazing speed and power. The Reapers could use the Scythes well and several Suna ninja got cut by the weapons and they were injured and that drove the Reapers to increase their attacks. However….this time the ninjas of Suna were now armed with the weapons needed to damage and kill the Reapers. The enchantments that Naruto had bestowed on the weapons allowed them to wound the Reapers in a way that truly injured them as the wounds burst into fire and the Reapers were very much surprised when the once useless weapons that the Suna ninja wielded could now cause them real pain. This was enough to uplift the spirits of the ninja who were nearly losing hope in being unable to permanently kill the Reapers.

Gaara and Naruto stood their ground together as they were now in the thick of it….surrounded by a large number of Reapers who were armed with a varied number of designed Battle Scythes, Gaara's sand acted as it always has….as a method of offense and defense while Naruto fought with the skills of his training both as a ninja and as a Dragon Champion and relied not just on his sword skills, but his Orchaelium armor and Gaara's support as well. The pair fought together with Naruto's Taijutsu and Kenjutsu skills, as well as his cautious use of Dragon Fire to even things up. One Reaper was stopped by Gaara's sand and the young Jinchuuriki used him like a living mace to slam him into several of his own comrades, Naruto also unleashed a wave of fire that incinerated several of the Reapers as they continued to move quickly through the ranks of the Reapers….Gaara rode on a pillar of sand and was calmer in battle as he picked his spots….knowing that Naruto was there to defend his back if he needed support. The two fought side by side as more of the Reaper closed in….apparently they knew Naruto was the Dragon Champion and he was a priority target while the others of their order would deal with the pests, Gaara noted that and did his best to protect his friend and the Reapers were also impressed with Gaara's powers and some of them focused on killing the young ninja.

The Suna ninja were being supported by the Konoha ninja as the battle continued to grow in level and intensity at each powerful blow. Gai and Lee were armed with a pair of short blades and while Gai preferred his pair of nunchaku since these warriors he was facing were very talented, the swords were useful and effective….the same thing went for Lee as the young Genin fought with the Reapers and seeing how utterly blood thirsty these warriors were, he knew that holding back was not something he could afford to do…and that was why both of them were giving all they had to defeat the incoming force before them.

“Damn….these guys are something else!!!”

Kiba shouted as he used the kunai he got from Naruto as well as a short tanto to fight with these foes….his normal Taijutsu was not as effective as the Reapers fought like berserkers . unmindful of injuries that would have sent normal people to the hospital…Akamaru likewise agreed as the pup stayed nearby to fight with his master using their transformation to even the odds, but Akamaru's claws and fangs….while deadly were not doing well in challenging the armor and weapons of the Reapers.

“I know….there's something utterly different about them…..they don't feel pain like we do!”

Hinata said as she managed to avoid a deadly arcing swipe from one Reaper and lashed out with her Gentle Fist Techniques as she was using the Byakugan, the blows did injure the foe before her….but it amused the Reaper that this slip of a girl could actually injure him….it was only when Hinata was able to defeat him and use the short sword that Naruto had given her for her protection that the Reaper died….Hinata then focused on defending herself and her friends as the fight went on.

“But the weapons Naruto handed to us can hurt them.”

Shino replied as he used his Bugs to create clones to distract the Reapers and then strike….he had attempted to use the bugs to drain the Reapers of their chakra to weaken them….but he discovered quickly that the Reapers were not really alive but still had will, sentience and feelings….yet were almost like corpses themselves….it made him shudder to be fighting beings who were alive….yet not alive at the same time.

The other ninja were learning that quickly as Temari and Kankurou were also in the battle field as they supported their fellow ninja….Temari unleashed waves of air to send several Reapers flying while stopping others in their tracks, while Kankurou used his puppets to even up the odds, Neji used his sword to even the odds and managed to fight evenly with the Reapers despite his apparent lack of swordsmanship skills….it seemed that when he trained with Naruto, he would witness the blonde Dragon Champion use his sword Holy talon and he decided to try some of the moves Naruto used….though in his case, he couldn't match Naruto move for move due to his complete lack of sword training.

Tenten however….being a skilled user of weapons for all her young life was able to adapt some of Naruto's fighting style into her own….namely his Steel Lancer techniques as she had witness him with such moved before, though those moves were somewhat difficult for her to master alone. But she used her already present training with staves and other long weapons to her advantage though some of Naruto's moves with a pole-arm were harder for her. She proved to be able to face a pair of Reapers and slay them….though she had come close to being sliced by the doubled edged weapons of the Reapers.

Shikamaru and Chouji fought side by side as they normal did and Ino was there as well as she supported her friends, Ino realized that her family's signature jutsu would not work on the Reapers as their minds were so filled with malice, anger, and blood lust that they formed literal walls of terror in their minds….and since she was not as proficient as her father….there was no way for her to win in using the jutsu….thus she resorted to fighting in Taijutsu and using the katana that she had with her while Shikamaru used the short spear and Chouji a two handed sword similar to the one wielded by Shandra though it was lighter as it was crafted from Orchaelium like all the other weapons wielded by them.

Asuma himself used his trench knives to even the odds and fight the Reapers, but he had to be constantly on the move as the way the Reapers fought was alien but highly effective as they would move and spin their Battle Scythes on their bodies and on their arms like the weapons were extensions of their bodies….showing extreme levels of skill to be using such weapons in such a fashion. He pushed back a Reaper and landed a punch n the attacker as Kakashi and him were back to back with one another.

“These guys are something else….they might not be ninja….but they are more than capable fighters.”

“I have to agree….I've never seen anyone use Scythes like these guys before and those weapons have something on them….something evil.”

Kurenai used her Genjutsu to her advantage and fought with the pair of kunai that she had given by Naruto and was now with her fellow Jonin as Gai came in as well.

“I can feel it too….and you saw the wounds they inflicted on the ninja here in Suna….we have to be careful and hope that the armor that Naruto handed to us to use can save us if we get hit.”

The Jonin were then joined by Zabuza who wielded a sword similar to the one he had wielded in his past and it was crafted from Orchaelium as he and Haku fought side by side and Kin was with them as she used her Orchaelium made needles to wound and disable the Reapers while Haku and Zabuza did the rest of the battle.

“These are not normal people Zabuza-sama, they are like beasts….”

“Intelligent beasts Haku….they use those scythes like extensions of their own will….in my years as a ninja in the old village and under the Mizukage….I've never fought with warriors like these in my entire life.”

“I have to agree….just who trained them?”

--------

In one part of the desert…a good distance from the battle…

“You think they will know we're here?”

“I don't think so…the Suna ninja and their reinforcements from Konoha it seems are too busy with these warriors to notice us. They have been under siege after all.”

“I know….I was surprised to hear about that myself….but these Reapers….they are my kind of people.”

Itachi looked at Kisame who was grinning and he looked on at the battle he spotted Sasuke but decided not to bother at the moment. He and Kisame heard about the siege and knew that Konoha would respond sooner or later and this would have been a good chance to capture Naruto and the Kyuubi….but the battle proved to be too much for even them to enter….and there of course were several good Jonin there in the battle and Itachi was not in the mood to get into a needless fight with either the ninja of Konoha or Suna or both at the same time.

--------

In another part of the desert…

“Hmmm….I wonder how this will turn out?”

“Should we get involved Kabuto-sensei?”

“I must agree with my brother….we have to make a choice on what to do at the moment.”

“Hey….the sooner we do something the quicker we can get out the damn heat!!!! This cloak stinks and the sand is making my skin itch!!!”

“Calm down….there's no…”

“Shut up you big tub of lard!!!”

“Such a foul mouthed girl…”

“You think I'M foul mouthed now?! You want to see me REALLY angry….”

“Enough….Orochimaru-sama wanted us to keep track of Sasuke-kun and here he is….you know how valuable Sasuke-kun is to Orochimaru-same so do not complain anymore….unless you want me to punish you all?”

“No Kabuto-sensei!”

“Good…now be silent.”

Kabuto turned and looked through the binoculars as he guided his team into the battle….not to fight in it….but to go and see just how things would turn out at the moment.

--------

The battle was now in the favor of the Suna ninja and that of the ninja from Konoha as more of the Reapers were felled by them….but another force of Reapers came from a nearby dune and charged right for them….intent on cutting them down like wheat in harvesting season. Naruto unleashed his own surprised as he summoned a spell.

“QUICKSAND!!!!”

The land before the Reapers suddenly glowed and the force were suddenly dragged under by the sands before them as they were now unable to escape….Gaara did likewise and brought down several more groups of Reapers into the sand to immobilize them…allowing his fellow ninja to fall on the Reapers and finish them quickly. However…one Reaper came at Naruto and managed to slice into his side with a powerful cut…

“AAAAAAAUUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!”

Sakura saw that and rushed to Naruto's defense and so did Sasuke who was armed with a hilt less katana.

“NARUTO-KUN!!!!”

Naruto moved back and was about to be attacked once more when Gaara forced the Reaper away and Sasuke fought with another pair. Sakura saw that the wound was deep and where Naruto's armor couldn't shield him completely….she felt so helpless at the moment and it was then that she tried to focus her chakra to heal Naruto's wound despite not having the proper training as a Medic nin….she wanted to help in some way….and not be a burden to her team…

(I have to do something….I have to help them I have to!!!!)

It was then that Sakura's hands were engulfed in green flame….the very same green flame that Naruto would use to heal wounds, either his or those of others….Sakura had no idea why her hands were suddenly covered in the green flame but she was amazed at the fact that the flames didn't harm her at all and she placed her hands on the wound and to her amazement and that of Naruto and Holy Talon….the green flames healed his wound. Sakura was stunned and looked at her unharmed hands and spoke.

“What was….how did I….what happened?”

Naruto knew that this was what Holy Talon told him….apparently the reserve of Dragon Fire was awakened inside Sakura and was now manifesting itself. And since it was Dragon Fire that was attuned to the Life Magic Branch….she could heal wounds easily and that could mean that her chakra would be even stronger now.

“Sakura….do you remember when I healed you with the same power when you were stabbed by Orochimaru's sword?”

“Yes….”

“Well, I used a greater deal of power then and it left a residual amount of that magic in your body and it's grown for a long time….the magic you have is Life Magic and it can heal wounds and injuries….”

Sakura was stunned by this and couldn't help but be awed….but she got her wits back and focused on the incoming battles as the group fought their way to the location of the Reaper leader….and as soon as they got there…

The Reaper leader sent a band to attack Sasuke and Sakura…leaving only Gaara and Naruto to face the dark warrior. He hefted his triple bladed Battle Scythe and spoke to both Naruto and Gaara.

“You both are impressive….I will admit to that….but can you beat me? Arise me sons and daughters….show to me that these pests are worthy of my time!!!”

--------

Several Reapers came out of nowhere and headed straight for both Naruto and Gaara. Apparently these Reapers were their leader's chosen body guards as they had better armor and were armed with more deadly looking Battle Scythes…Gaara summoned his sand once more and got ready for a fight.

Naruto quickly unleashed his trump card….knowing that he should reserve the Rasengan for later use.

“KAGE BUSHIN NO JUTSU!!!”

The Kage Bushin then used their powers to their advantage….one took out the wing spear, another had a Reflex Bow, the other had a sword and shield, while another wielded a short sword and long sword, two had staves, another had a longbow, and another was unarmed and flexed his fists and got ready to fight without weapons….the Kage Bushin then attacked and Naruto was in the lead….it turned out that the Kage Bushin were fighting in the style of the various Dragon Champions and they fought with the Reapers that came at them at great speed. This allowed Naruto to fight effectively and with the Kage Bushin fighting in different combat styles to confuse the Reapers….he had the advantage. The Reapers fought o test the Champion and Naruto did his best to fight his way to support Gaara…

Gaara meanwhile fought with the Reaper leader and the Reaper leader attacked with full force and the Sand ninja stood his ground and fought on…relying on his sand to even the odds….the sand proved to be as effective as ever and with his full control over the Shukaku….Gaara had improved his combat style as the sane could not attack in various angles and areas,….forcing the Reaper leader to move defensively for a few minutes….Gaara also decided to use the sand that was ordinary….he knew that it would be risky as the sand required more chakra than the sand he had in his gourd….but he could tell that this Reaper leader was no simple foe…and that was proven to be true as the Reaper leader sliced through his own chakra enhanced sand with ease and it was only through the ruse of his Sand pillar that he evaded a deadly strike that would have cut him in half…his manipulation of the normal sand allowed him to drag the man half way into the sand as he got down and faced him. The Reaper leader then spoke.

“Impressive….my brethren were indeed correct in how interesting your sand manipulation abilities were….but do not think it is the end just yet.”

“You are not going to get far….I'll make sure of that, you will never harm my village or my people ever again.”

“Are you so sure about that?”

Gaara was suddenly surprised when the leader tossed his Battle Scythe at him and he dodged….but it was then that a red orb on the Battle Scythe glowed and the weapon seemed to come alive and attack Gaara….almost like it had a mind of it's own. The weapon moved and attacked as if it was still in the hands of it's master and Gaara was forced to move away as the weapon slashed and swung at him as all three blades were double edged. That was enough for the Reaper Leader to break free from the sand and charge at Gaara….the sand stopped him by shielding Gaara but was not fast enough to stop the Reaper leader from sending a hidden mystical command for the Scythe to move the blades in a fashion that created a unique weapon formation, one blade remained the same while the middle was now forward and the other was backward….creation a curved three bladed double edged spear, the weapon them moved and slashed Gaara from behind and Gaara was saved only by his sand armor but the attack was enough to break his concentration and the Reaper leader managed to free himself from Gaara's sand….showing just how strong he was in combat.

Gaara moved away as the weapon continued to attack him and as soon as he had some distance….the weapon flew back to it's master and he was bracing himself for the soon to come attack from the Reaper leader. The Reaper attacked at high speed, despite his height and size and was now attacking Gaara and Gaara's sand was hard pressed to defend him….the sand unleashed spikes to attack the Reaper but he moved back and spun his Battle Scythe in a defensive pattern and sliced off the tips of the sand and Gaara looked on as the Reaper moved his Battle Scythe back into position….this guy was a tough opponent….similar to Lee, Sasuke…and even Naruto….but this was a man or a being with a blood red heart and a lust for death…it almost made Gaaara feel like he was looking at an adult version of himself.

“You're good boy….but now play time is over!!!”

The man swung his Battle Scythe and arcs of blood red light came at Gaara….the sand shield blocked the first strike but the rest was able to break Gaara's shield and he discovered that his chakra was beginning to run out, not entirely but it weakened him….he looked at his eyes widened as the Reaper Leader was there before him and was about to slice off his head.

“Good bye….what?!”

“I won't let you hurt Gaara-sama!”

Gaara and the Reaper leader turned….and there with the jouhyou was Matsuri….Naruto's warning to Gaara was proven true….somehow she had snuck out of Suna and had managed to avoid the battles there and when she saw Gaara in danger…she reacted and managed to wrap her weapon on the Battle Scythe of the Reaper leader.

The leader of the Reapers looked at the jouhyou that was wrapped on his weapon and glared at Matsuri who dared to pit her strength against his and he spoke evenly.

“You're brave little girl….but also foolish….for that….I will harvest your soul!!!”

And with amazing strength, the Reaper pulled his scythe and sent Matsuri flying and landing on the ground in a heap….she barely had enough time to look up to see the Reaper spinning his weapon behind him and then landing with a deadly downward slash of all three blades. Matsuri quickly rolled away but as she got up….she was knocked down by a solid kick to the stomach and then she screamed as the three blades of the Reaper Leader's scythe bit into her arm and she fell down.

“AAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!

Gaara shouted out in anger….

“MATSURI!!!!”

The leader hefted his massive Battle Scythe and was about to attack Matsuri as she held her wounded arm. Before he could strike the young girl down….Gaara unleashed a powerful waves of sand that slammed into the leader and he quickly moved in and as the leader slashed through the sand and Gaara blocked the Battle Scythe but got wounded in the shoulder and his blood fell into the sand as one the blades tore into him.

“Gaara-sama!!!”

Matsuri shouted as she grabbed a handful of sand and in an act of desperation to save Gaara….and somehow it worked as the sand that she tossed at the Reaper hit him in the eyes and the Reaper leader moved back and Gaara quickly reacted by using the sand Matsuri had thrown to wrap around the Reaper leader and he unleashed a power wall of sand and then slammed it hard like a boulder into the Reaper's chest. He then created a sword of sand and then tossed it like s spear and it tore into the arm of the Reaper leader who managed to remove the sand and he grinned at Gaara.

“You fight well….I will kill you yet little man.”

Gaara glared back and stood his ground and replied.

“Try me!”

“As you wish….DIE!!!!”

The leader attacked with his Battle Scythe at the ready and Gaara used his sand to block the scythe in the shaft and he quickly got himself and Matsuri out of the way and as they were safe, Gaara used the sand to toss the Reaper Leader aside and he then created a powerful spear that was made from the hardest minerals and sand and created a powerful spear and with all his strength in him….Gaara tossed the weapon right at the chest of the Reaper leader.

“SAIKO ZETTAI HOGEKI!!!! SHUKAKU NO HOKO!!!!”

The Reaper was hit right in the chest….it's armor breaking at the power of Gaara's new weapon and he fell back with the halberd of sand piercing his body….and he looked at Gaara with a grin as blood flowed out and he laughed despite the pain.

“Good….but you think this is over? Only a weapon of divine power can truly slay me!!!!”

“How about this then?!”

The Reaper leader turned and there was Naruto who had defeated his foes and quickly unleashed his Kage Bushin and like before…the Kage Bushin attacked in formation….one attacked with the wing spear and slammed hard into the leader, another attacked with sword strikes, another with fist blows….another unleashed a hail of arrows and another came with a glowing sphere of fire in it's hands.

“FIREBALL STRIKE!!!!”

The impact of the attacks slammed hard into the leader of the Reapers and it was then that both Gaara and Naruto came into the fight as the Reaper tried to attack once more despite the injuries Gaara then unleashed yet another jutsu to help his best friend to slay the Reaper leader….as he understood that with Holy Talon's divine energies, Naruto and him could finally slay this leader of the Reapers. As the Reaper attacked with a one handed Battle Scythe swing, Gaara made his move and despite losing s good amount of chakra….he commanded the sand to cover the arm of the Reaper and then he made his move.

“SAIKO ZETTAI BOGYO!!! SHUKAKU NO TATTE!!!!”

The Reaper was surprised to see the sand take a shape he had never seen before and it resembled a giant sand statue with several marks and symbols on it and a bestial and human look….the statue cause him to have his arm completely trapped and he was unable to attack…Gaara then shouted to Naruto.

“NOW NARUTO!!!!”

“RIGHT!!!”

The Reaper leader looked up to see Naruto armed with Holy Talon leap into the air and spinning about like a top and Naruto brought the blade of the weapon down on the head of the Reaper leader…the force of the spin added greater speed and momentum to the attack and the blade glowed bright green as it cut deeply into the Reaper leader5….who screamed out as red fire erupted from his body and his body was completely reduced to ash…

Gaara and Naruto turned and saw that many of the slain and still fighting Reapers were suddenly screaming as they were bursting into statues of flame and then they fell dead on the ground into piles of ash and bones….their Battle Scythes already on the ground and were now useless without their masters. The others in their group cheered out loudly and were relieved as the battle was now over.

Naruto smiled and so did Gaara as Matsuri, Sasuke, Sakura and the other Konoha ninja came closer…

“It's over…”

Holy Talon however sensed something coming and shouted a warning to Naruto.

((“Master Naruto!!! Something is coming…it's Death Fang!!!”))

The others were surprised to see Naruto turn and ready Holy talon as if expecting a fight until they saw a blood red and midnight black mist suddenly appear before them once more and then they saw it…

(((“My…this is interesting….”)))

Death Fang looked at the carnage and the sword released a blood thirsty laugh that lasted for a few minutes as it glared at the group before it….Naruto in the lead with Holy Talon in both hands, Gaara beside him with his sand ready to attack, Sakura looking on…armed with her katana, and Sasuke who was holding his hand with a Raikiri ready to attack despite his weakened state. The others were stunned by the malevolent power of the sword that was before them and for some reason….they felt great fear….even the normally confident Gai and the cool and talented Kakashi couldn't help but back away a bit as well as Kurenai and Asuma…and even Zabuza was disgusted by the sheer evil that came from the demonic blade before him, he even shielded Haku and Kin with his own body. The other Genin were also very much shocked and very wary….Hinata was terrified of the sheer evil resonating from the sword while Neji himself was backing away as he felt fear sending shivers on his skin like ants biting his skin, Shikamaru looked at the evil sword and backed away, Chouji did likewise as the evil blade frightened the young Genin….Ino herself was backing away from the sight of the evil sword and so was Kin, Tenten herself was not feeling comfortable at the sight of the evil sword before the at that moment and held her sword at the ready.

Matsuri was frightened as well….but Gaara moved to her and held her hand…making the young girl braver as she stood up.

Death Fang then spoke to the group before it…

(((“VERY impressive….and you Naruto….you're latest moves have impressed me….it seems you HAVE taken my advice….very commendable….unexpected, but commendable.”)))

“Death Fang….what are you doing here?”

(((“Why do you even need to ask Champion? I came here to see the carnage for myself….and on why I sent the Reapers to attack Suna? I did it to entertain myself and see the kind of opposition my minions will face when the time comes….and I must admit that Suna does have good fighters, if not the proper weapons.”)))

Gaara growled and spoke.

“You sent these monsters to attack my village and my people….merely for the sake of fun?!”

(((“Yes….Gaara of the Sand….I am well aware of your….shall we say, unique status…but do not think your anger can frighten me, in fact, it does the opposite, it amuses me greatly. No matter, you cannot destroy me for only Holy Talon can destroy me in battle.”)))

The Chaos Dragon Sword then looked at the others and rested it malevolent gaze at Sakura and spoke to the pink haired Kunoichi.

(((“Ah….you have Dragon Fire in your veins….not a very large amount, but it's there….and that of the Life Magic Branch no less. It seems that this world shows GREAT promise.”)))

It then looked at Sasuke and spoke to him….

(((“Ah….you must be Sasuke Uchiha….the vaunted genius Uchiha and survivor of the clan massacre….and you KNOW about me….I am touched that one such as you are aware of me….but that will not be enough little man. Power you have….but it is weak….at least for now, and I know who it is you seek….”

“What?!”

Sasuke was shocked at this information, he had only heard of this sword before but this sword seemed to know more about him….

(((“I can read your mind boy….it's fairly easy once you know how to bypass defenses….you seek power don't you? To slay someone….hmph, all for the sake of what? Justice? Revenge? No matter, you are not worth my concern for the time being….only Naruto Uzumaki is worthy of my attention.”)))

Sasuke didn't know why but the fact that he had been cast aside by Death Fang grated on his nerves for some reason.

(((“You have grown Champion….and for that I congratulate you….it will make killing you all the more pleasing and interesting….grow….be stronger, I will always be watching and testing you until one comes and becomes my true master….and then….then the real battle begins….for now….I shall take back my minions and let them rest for as long as my form is whole….they can be brought back to test you again.”)))

Death Fang did just that as the bodies of the slain Reapers were suddenly bathed in deep red light and the lights blasted off the ground and were quickly absorbed by Death Fang and the when that was over….the Sword then spoke to both Naruto and Holy Talon.

(((“You two will be a very interesting challenge….I like that.”)))

((“Don't get too comfortably with that Death Fang we will defeat you soon enough.”))

(((“Ahhhh….I will be waiting for that day….farewell…oh yes…you can keep the Battle Scythe of my Reaper leader as a trophy, I can always make a new one anyway.”)))

With that, Death Fang faded away as it's Astral Projection disappeared….allowing the others to relax and Naruto sheathed Holy Talon and turned to see Sasuke staring at the ground where Death Fang was previously….and as much as he tried to place the thoughts out of his mind, he couldn't help but feel somewhat worried with the way Sasuke was acting when he was staring at the Chaos Dragon Sword….and Holy Talon felt the same way.

((“I hate to say it Master Naruto….but we need to watch him.”))

(I know….)

--------

“So….that's the thing you saw….that is one impressive sword…”

Kisame said as he looked at the sight before him.

“That it is…we must go….we're soon to be found if we stay any longer.”

“Right.”

Itachi and Kisame left the scene and headed out…

--------

“What the heck was that?”

“Interesting…all right….Sasuke-kun is not dead yet….we must leave….Orochimaru-sama will be interested in the news we bring.”

“HAI!!!”

--------

(Oh boy!!!)

--------

In Suna…three days later…

Naruto yawned as he got out of the bed in the hotel room in Suna…that was reserved for him and the others by Gaara's orders. The blonde ninja looked out the window and decided to take a look of the desert on the walls of Suna's outer defenses. He placed on his chainmail and hooked Holy Talon behind him and left through the window and made his way to the village walls and relaxed as he got there and saw the sun coming from the outlines of the dunes.

“Naruto…you all right?”

Naruto turned and there was Gaara riding his sand and his former enemy now best friend and battle brother joined him as they stood in the wind and saw the sun coming up…and he replied.

“Feeling very good…how about you Gaara…the seal holding up?”

“Oh yes…thanks to you…and you and I fought to save Suna…I thank you and your teams for being here.”

“No problem Gaara…you're my friend and I don't ever leave anyone behind.”

Gaara smiled at that and knew Naruto spoke the truth and he looked at the sun as it's light and warmth began to make itself felt by the two of them. The two smiled as the warmth touched them and the light was there before them and Naruto turned to face his friend,

“So how is the village doing?”

Gaara replied.

“It'll take some time…and while we lost a number of ninja we will recover and we will never give up on defending the village…and neither would I…I will be Kazekage and I will dedicate my life to protecting my home and all the people precious to me.”

Naruto smiled at that and replied.

“I have no doubt you'd make a powerful Kazekage Gaara…and I will be Hokage myself someday.”

“I have no doubt of that Naruto-san….”

“Oh yeah….you've got a real special someone with that girl, Matsuri Gaara….take good care of her, she is now one of your precious persons.”

Gaara blushed at that and nodded.

“I will.”

Both ninja smiled and both laughed a bit as they saw the sun rise up and the light bathed the village of Suna as the village began to wake up and things began to get ready for a brand new day and both Gaara and Naruto then decided to stay there and watch the villagers go about their businesses for the day and the two decided to rejoin the others…

Later in the day…Naruto and his friends were given a hero's party and Gaara approved of it as the village celebrated the end of the siege that had fallen on their village for the past few days and the avenging of their kin who had died in the battles…and those who survived toasted to both the Konoha Genin and their respective Jonin sensei and their own team of Gaara, Temari, and Kankurou for their efforts…but the focus was both Naruto and Gaara as the two friends were very much recognized by all in attendance.

It seemed that seeing Gaara fight with great skill and ferocity to defend the village from the invading Reapers had softened the public image of him in Suna considerable deal and that in Naruto's mind was a good thing. All the while, Matsuri was close to Gaara and to the amazement of both Temari and Kankurou…..Gaara was comfortable around Matsuri and Temari was happy for her little brother, and so was Kankurou….though he was a bit envious. Both of them were healed of their injuries as well and were on the road to recovery.

Naruto then gave the Reaper Leader's Battle Scythe to Gaara as it was Gaara who had severely wounded the Reaper with his new attack jutsu and together they struck down the leader….without it's master, the weapon lost all it's evil power but not it's menacing looks and near weightlessness. Gaara accepted the weapon and planned to place it at a memorial for the Siege on Suna.

Gaara and the others bid Naruto and the rest of the Konoha teams farewell as they headed back to Konoha on the backs of Kael and the rest of his Sky Dragon kin….

--------

In Konoha…weeks later…

Things were back to normal….or as normal as can be….new workers were coming in daily to help the village rebuild itself and things were still hard for the rest of the village and the ninjas that formed Konoha's military forces, the ANBU were strained to their limits as they worked to ensure that the village was in safe hands at the moment, and the Jonin were currently on rotation duty to fill in the gaps in man power as well.

Naruto was currently in training once more and was currently working with another spirit essence of a previous Dragon Champion, a Silver Star mage named Kyrie. The male Silver Star Mage was showing him new and improved versions of the current spells that he was already familiar with. The blonde ninja was sitting on a nearby rock and using the spell of Chain Lighting….with the only difference of moving the lightning on his hands and controlling it slowly and carefully. The Silver Star Mage also instructed Naruto on how to use the elemental energies in his own environment to further amplify his spells and make them last…as well as using his own chakra to improve and power the spells. This was possible as Naruto's chakra was now infused with amounts of Dragon Fire….with Naruto's high reserves of chakra adding greater power to the Dragon Fire reserves he had at the moment he had more than enough power to be a formidable spell caster.

As soon as Holy Talon told him that the training was over and he could take a break, Naruto stopped and gave an explosive sigh

He knew that later he would be using the time he had to help Sakura with her newfound healing abilities. When she had awakened the well of Dragon Fire in her body and healed several of the injured ninja, he finally told her of how she was able to use Dragon Fire the same way he could and he decided to create a Dragon seal so the power could be easier to use….even though the spell was taxing in some way….Holy Talon did have the energy for such a spell and he wanted to make sure that Sakura would be able to use that power well.

He had completed the seal a few days prior to his current time and he had explained to Sakura what exactly happened and it was then that Sakura asked him to ask Tsunade if she could learn how to be a medic nin. He was surprised and hoped that when he told Tsunade of Sakura's request….she would grant it. Sakura had the potential to be great ninja in his mind and with the magic of Dragon Fire in her body to aid her….especially when it was from the Life Magic Branch. Sakura would be a great medic nin though she would have to learn some stuff from him as well as from the others from Holy Talon's world.

As he walked back to his apartment….he wondered if maybe he could try having the place rebuilt….but he knew that he needed money and a Genin's paycheck wasn't exactly high thus it would take many missions for him to have enough money to make his apartment presentable to just about anyone for that matter. Normally he didn't mind it but he began to feel this need to have a much nicer place to stay instead of the rundown apartment he had.

Holy Talon sensed that and the sword spoke to it's master.

((“Something troubling you Master Naruto?”))

(Yeah, I was wondering if I should move to a much better place….my apartment isn't bad and I do have money to buy supplies and clean the place…but it's really old and really run down….and I don't have the money to have the place fully repaired.)

((“Couldn't Tsunade contribute some funds for that….she is the Hokage after all.”))

(I know….but with the money of the treasury being used to rebuild the village, there's not enough for personal projects….)

(( “Hmmm….why not summon some help in making your new house….just ask for a plot of land that the Council can afford for the time being for you to use and then when you get it….you can build your house there.”))

The more Naruto thought about it, he smiled a lot more and realized that the solution could work….there was a good deal of land that was not being wholly used by the village at the moment and the land could certainly be of great help to him. Plus it would finally be nice to have his own place….and who knows….he might be bale to have enough money to have his old apartment fully renovated and it could be used by others as well who needed the rooms. Plus it would be nicer to have a new place that he could show off to his team and the others when he did get visitors….the question was….who was going to help him?

Holy Talon already had the answer…

(( “Rumkil and Thorell are the ones you should speak to…dwarves are known as excellent stone masons and there are some elven allies who can help you….all you need is the land and they will deal with the rest.”))

Naruto nodded and decided to take a chance for the moment and summoned the dwarf smiths and he spoke to them to try and see if they could make him a new home. Rumkil and Thorell looked over the home that Naruto resided in and were not happy with the living conditions of the apartment….the smiths looked the place over and nodded that a great deal of work had to be done to provide him with a decent place of living that was good for someone like him.

--------

In the Hokage's room…

“You want to move out of your apartment?”

Tsunade was surprised by that announcement by Naruto as she looked at him, as well as Shizune….the two had been busy working on some important documentation and the latest reports from the missions undertaken by the ninja teams when the blonde ninja came on the scene and asked permission to speak to them at the moment. His request was very much unexpected as the two wondered why he wanted to leave his home.

“Yes I do Tsunade….”

“May I ask why Naruto-kun?”

“Well….my apartment might be nice and clean now….but it is pretty old and it really needs to have a lot of repairs done. But I don't have the money and resources for that plus the time as well. And I know that I can't divert any money from Konoha's treasury for this as we need the money to help with the reconstruction and all, plus asking for workers to help me is not a good idea as the workers are busy with rebuilding the village at the moment…so I figured I could handle this with the help of my….'special friends' and they can help me with the building of the house….all I need is a good place to have my home built Tsunade-sama.”

Tsunade had to admit that Naruto did have a good point…even if she was the Hokage and the Council were her advisors….there would be people in the Council who would balk at the idea of having funds, materials, and workers diverted from Konoha's reconstruction to helping Naruto out…and they would use whatever excuse they could find to make her support of the idea look bad on her. However….she agreed with Naruto….his apartment was cleaner and better kept now….but the foundation was still very much a mess and a lot of repairs were needed on it…and it would be unsightly to have someone like him live there for the time being….however….she still needed to talk to the Council to a lot land for Naruto to live on for the duration of his life there.

Tsunade then turned to Shizune and spoke to her long time apprentice.

“Shizune….bring me all the maps we have on the lands that are part of Konoha's current territory and are close to village grounds….and get me in meeting with the members of the Council.”

Shizune nodded and went to get those maps and allowed Tsunade and Naruto some privacy and Tsunade then spoke to Naruto.

“You know that some of the Council might not like the idea of me giving you the land you need Naruto-kun.”

“I know….but I think there will be those who will see things differently.”

“We shall see.”

Soon enough, Shizune came back and with her were the maps that outlined the lands in and around Konoha and they began to look at the lands that were open and available for Naruto to use for the time being. Naruto himself decided to locate the land and with Holy Talon on his back, he joined the two women in looking for a good place to stay in…he then pointed at a large tract of land at the west of Konoha and the two looked and saw that it was not in the areas controlled by the noble families of Konoha and was underdeveloped as well.

“How about this place then Tsunade-sama? This place looks pretty ideal for my new home.”

The two women looked it over and Tsunade studied the map carefully to be sure. And to her approval the place was not in the holdings of any of the old noble families….with the slight exception of one clan….her clan, the clan of the Senju and there was plenty of open ground there for her to claim if she so wanted as she was the last living member of the clan of her grandfather and her people. But she decided that it would be better that she handed the lands of her clan over to someone she knew that she could trust….and who better than the young man she cared for and loved?

“This place will do quite nicely Naruto-kun….come…we'll need to meet with the Council soon to talk things over.”

--------

Later, in the Council Chambers…

“You want to give Naruto land?”

The Council were shocked by Tsunade's announcement when she called them to the meeting room, There were the rest of the Counci8l, Ginji Haruno, Chouza Akamichi, Shikaku Nara, Hiashi Hyuuga, Inochi Yamanaka, Homura and Kohane….along with the other members of the Council. In front of them was Tsunade with Naruto standing at attention with Holy Talon on his back.

Tsunade nodded.

“Yes.”

“Why would you want to offer Naruto land? Doesn't he already have a place to live in?”

“He does….but he has made this request as his old home is already reaching the end of it's durability, it is already old by most building standards and it will take a long time and some considerable funds to repair….however, I am well aware of the fact that we do not have the resources or the man-power.”

“So why give him the land in the first place?”

Tsunade looked at the questioning Council member who was one of the members who was not very much trusting of Naruto and expected that from him and those who treated Naruto as a the Kyuubi still, regardless of Naruto's different nature to the demon imbued inside of him. The Hokage however was able to see that Naruto kept a cool head and focused on getting things done than waste his breath arguing with the Council member, and she smiled mentally at the show od discipline Naruto was showing.

(He is growing….if only they could see him now…)

Tsunade then spoke to the Council.

“The land I am giving him is his reward for all of his training and hard work….he and his team, along with the teams of Maito Gai, Yuhi Kurenai, and Asuma Sarutobi aided our allies of the village of Suna when they were under heavy attack by the army known as the Reapers. They worked together to win the battle….but it was Naruto and Gaara who worked in tandem with one another to slay the leader of the Reapers…and the land I plan to hand him in question is under my authority as Hokage….and as last of one the ancient founding clan of Konoha. The land I am giving Naruto Uzumaki….is Senju land.”

The Council were shocked as such land was considered to be off limits to just about everyone….but Tsunade was handing the land of her family to Naruto himself for the creation of his own new home….it was unbelievable and also somewhat scandalous. Homura then spoke out his own thoughts.

“You want to give that kind of land to him Tsunade-hime? Even if that land has not been touched for over many decades since the founding of Konoha?”

“Yes….and do not forget that as the last descendant of the Senju clan and granddaughter of the First Hokage, I have full ownership of the land by blood and right, and therefore I have the right to do with the land I deem fit for the village. Naruto has proven himself to be a great ninja of merit and many of the clients who have hired him and his team consider him the best they have seen….it is time in my mind that his hard work be repaid in some fashion.”

The Council could see that Tsunade would not budge on the matter and it was then that Ginji spoke up as well.

“I will agree with Tsunade-hime, Naruto's actions ever since the Chuunin exams and the invasion have proven him to be a capable ninja. If rewarding him for the time being with a more decent home and living accommodations is one way of reward then so be it.”

Inochi, Shikaku, and Chouza also nodded as well as Hiashi until another member of the Council spoke out.

“Be that as it may….we will still need resources, funds, and manpower to make his new home, and with the reconstruction going on, we can't divert the workers to that project.”

Naruto then took his turn and spoke.

“Tsunade-sama….may I speak?”

Tsunade nodded and Naruto stepped forward and spoke to the Council directly.

“I am well aware of the fact that Konoha's resources are being directed in the reconstruction, but I will have the resources and materials…and the manpower needed for the home, you do not need to divert anything from the reconstruction of Konoha. I will handle those details on my own accord.”

The Council were still in discussion as Naruto stepped backward and Koharu then spoke.

“And just how do you plan to handle the requirements of making your own residence Naruto Uzumaki? You may be getting payments for missions you undertake, but the earnings of a Genin will not be enough to buy the materials, tools, and the payments for the workers…not to mention how to feed and house them for the duration of the job.”

Koharu asked this practical question to test Naruto and see how he would respond. She like Homura didn't have that much faith in the young man despite his apparent growth in ability and strength. Naruto was quick on the uptake and decided to reveal something that he had been practicing for some time. He had gotten so skilled with Alchemy for the past few days he could do things that many would have deemed impossible.

He took out a lump of coal and chanted a bit as he held the coal in his hand and after a few minutes he opened the hand for all to see and before the stunned members of the Council….was a large diamond….the size of a small orange and in a pure state of beauty. He tossed the diamond on the table and Kohane looked at the forged jewel and her eyes told her that there were no flaws in the diamond and it was a very valuable treasure. Naruto gave a simple smile and replied.

“As you can see Elder Koharu.I am very capable of generating my own funds….but I only do so when I need to do so as this is not easy for me to do all the time, plus I am well aware that too much wealth will devalue the economy of the village….I will pay for all the needs of a new home's construction myself. I trust that is enough for everyone in the Council?”

Tsunade smiled a bit and so did Shizune as the Council were stunned at how Naruto turned a near worthless lump of coal into a pure diamond in a matter of minutes.

--------

Later…

Naruto smiled at the land he had been given by Tsunade….there were trees there and a large open field and there was a large river nearby that came from the upper mountains and the river created a fairly large lake in the middle of the grounds as well….allowing Naruto a good deal of leeway when it came to his training….the land he was given for his new home was idyllic indeed and he thanked Tsunade profusely in private for letting him have the land for his new home….and since it was well within Konoha's borders he had little to fear. Tsunade smiled as she kissed him on the lips and said that he had done a lot and if this was one way to repay him, then she was happy he approved of it at the moment. The blonde Hokage then bid him farewell and whispered that when the time was right, then he could properly thank her….making Naruto blush bright red, much to her amusement and she told him to relax for the time being.

He had ordered large amounts of quality stone, wood and other building materials for his new home using his Transmutation magic to create a small but very valuable pile of treasure that he could use to fund the construction of his home….but he focused only on buying the materials and not the workers themselves. He already had a number of workers who he knew he could trust already and they were certainly going to be of great help to him. Holy Talon then spoke to his master as he stood in the field of the large tract of land and there were the materials that he requested.

((“You are ready Master Naruto?”))

(Yeah….let's do this.)

--------

Weeks later…

“Hey….did you hear? Naruto moved out of his old apartment and got a new home!!!!”

“What? You're kidding….”

“No I'm not, he's on the land that used to belong to the old Senju Clan….and get this….Hokage-sama was the one who gave that land to him.”

The rumors were all over the village that Naruto had moved out of his apartment….the villagers who still didn't like him or hated him thought at first that he was finally going to leave and they were happy, but when they learned that he was actually awarded land to settle into near Konoha, and it was the former land of the nearly wiped out Senju clan, they were shocked and stunned at the news. The land of the Senju was considered off limits and was not to be handed down to anyone with the exception of a direct blessing of the Hokage. They then heard that Tsunade….their current Hokage and last of the Senju Clan had rewarded a portion of her clan's lands to Naruto for ownership, and while many of them were not very pleased with the news they could do little but complain silently and privately.

Others in the village however were of better moods and tempers, some of them who were sympathetic to Naruto's case were actually happy that he had finally moved out of the old, drab, badly maintained, and dusty apartment and finally getting a decent place to stay for once and with the Hokage's blessing as well. Teuchi and Ayame were frequent guests to the site and when they returned they were telling stories about Naruto hiring strange beings who wore working clothes and had beard….and who were very short and stocky, as well as tall and very strong yet graceful looking people who were skilled workers of wood, while the shorter beings were masters of stone and metal.

The villagers were also hearing rumors about the foreign women who were given residence in one of the apartment complexes in Konoha, the women who apparently were not from any of the known countries would often travel to Naruto's new home and would return to their apartments as well…many rumors flooded out and most of them were not very nice towards the women, namely from married women as their husbands would often stare at the women who were walking about in sometimes odd clothes….what was surprising was the fact that the women in question also were with other men in the village.

Asuma was normally seen with Kurenai and they were also seen at times….but recently, the Jonin was seen in the company of one of the foreign women who had silver hair and red eyes like Kurenai herself, and the woman was rumored to be as attractive as Kurenai herself. The Jonin and the foreign woman named Vlana would routinely speak about the history of Konoha and despite looking delicate and slender….the woman named Vlana was strong and skilled as a fighter.

Asuma's own students, that is his male students were also meeting several of the foreign women, Shikamaru was having a usual chat and an occasional game of shoji with the woman who carried that strange spear like weapon on her back…even when she was not wearing her armor at the moment, Chouji was also seen eating with another of the foreign women and this woman has slightly dark skin and red hair and was seen to be very strong despite being slender, compared to Chouji, the two would be eating some form of food together and would at times even spar with one another. Ino was on cordial terms with the two women and they would even tell one another about their experiences.

Gai's own male students were also with some of the foreign girls….Lee would be seen learning much from the pointy eared woman named Valena who proved to be an amazing fighter in terms of Taijutsu….earning even Gai's approval to train with him, Lee, and Neji. Valena was not the only one as Coryin was also there and both she and Tenten would test Neji's combat skills and defensive techniques, The Falcon Ranger proved to be a real challenge for Neji as well as Tenten and instead of being enemies, the two females were very friendly to one another.

The same could be said for the male students in Kurenai's team, Kiba and Liana were getting along well with one another and both Tsume and Hana were approving of the friendship between Kiba and Liara….and so was Akamaru as well as the dog familiar considered Liana a good friend. Liana's gift of understanding animal languages and also her unique powers made her a considerably skilled warrior and her combat skills were very good. Plus her love for nature made her welcome in the Inuzuka household and she decided to apprentice herself to Hana to learn the trade of veterinary medicine. The same could be said for Telis as she took the time to be with Shino and his family….most other people would be scared somewhat by the Aburame clan, but not Telis, rather she considered the family to be nice people and good company. Her familiarity with animals and insects as well was considered rare even by the clan's standards as she had not made pacts with the insects and animals she speaks to but they came to her freely as well. Shino and his bugs felt comfortable in her presence and she was very curious about Shino's abilities as well. The two female warriors got along well with Hinata and even joined Kiba in teasing Hinata about her long time crush on Naruto though in a kind and gentle fashion.

Kakashi himself was normally seen in the company of Kaelyn and while some of the women in Konoha were not that happy with the situation, not everyone complained….as they would see Kakashi with a real woman for a change and that was a good thing….though Kaelyn seemed not to mind when Kakashi did buy the books on occasion. The woman who spoke the language of Konoha seemed to like Kakashi and the Jonin didn't mind her company as well. Kaelyn also removed her armor and dressed in a more civilian fashion for the time she was out in public as well and she seemed to find Konoha fascinating as well.

The female warriors were granted safe haven by Tsunade as they were not there to fight with the village or cause trouble and they proved that they were allies and considering the fact that they had no other place to go, she decided to let them stay. The apartment complex that was handed to them was not used much and was damaged…..but the female warriors proved themselves to be more than capable of doing things on their own as well.

Naruto's new residence was not very large but the way it was built was certainly something very new and different….it was similar to make houses that belonged to the noble clans of Konoha…..but there were quite major differences in the way the house and surrounding grounds were built at the moment. The dwarves crafted intricate walls with unique symbols and pictures…and the stone masonry in the house was delicately made, as if the house itself was a work of art….but it was also more than that as well. The house was surrounded by a well crafted wall that was surrounding the house and was amazingly strong enough to withstand explosives….the people were unaware that Naruto and Holy Talon had imbued the stone with Dragon Fire to reinforce the stone of the walls and in the house itself….so it was stronger, and tougher as well. The wood is also enchanted with Dragon Fire so it was stronger, tougher, and was not affected easily by rot, insects, and water….making the wood very much high valued wood for construction….the wood also was filled with intricate symbols and pictures….along with stone statues and more.

There were several good rooms there as well…a central dining room with several stone fire places to warm the house in cold nights as the dwarf craftsmen had placed special channels that spread out the heat all over the house to keep it warm and cozy. The room also had a well crafted set of tables. One was small for Naruto eat one and several larger ones on the chance he would have guests in his home. The kitchen was also very much a well crafted on and there were storage bins to store food and more in them…Naruto's kitchen tools and equipment were also there as well as those had been moved out of his apartment and placed into his new home. The sleeping quarters were very spacious and well stocked as Naruto bought a goo number of things to fill up his new home. The dwarves and the elves that he summoned also created several other sleeping quarters if Naruto had any guests come over to his him. There was also a large bathing area….similar to a hot spring that Naruto could relax in if he decided not to go out for a bath in the hot spring resorts in Konoha or had little time to leave. There was even a shower and bath tub as well. There was a training hall for him to practice in when he was in his home and an armory as well….

The outside of the compound was also well made as there were gardens there as well and a large pool that was fed by the river and he could easily swim there as well. And he could practice with his Dragon Fire there as well.

The house had good roofing and design and resembled the home of a royal member of a country, that was one thing that Naruto took pride in as it really set him out from others….but he was not going to have the old apartment he lived in destroyed, but he planed to have it fully rebuilt and refurbished for use. His new home also had power and electricity as well so he would be able to use the appliances he had with him at the time he needed them.

Weeks later, he got his first visitors as Tsunade, Shizune, Sakura, Hinata, Ino, Tenten, Kin, Kurenai, Anko, Kakashi, Sasuke, Neji, Iruka, Lee, Shikamaru, Kiba Akamaru, Asuma, Shino, and Gai saw the new house and they were amazed at how unique the house was and now Naruto had quickly build the house he was now going to reside in for the rest of his life….it was not as big as the Uchiha compound or the Hyuuga estate…but it was undeniably majestic and spoke of power and position.

Naruto did his best to be a good host to his new home and as soon as the house was properly blessed, it was back to his duties as a ninja as several new missions finally came up for him to take and they seemed to be tough ones. However….one mission that got Naruto very excited was escorting one of his favorite female actresses for a film shot in the Land of Snow.

--------

In the Konoha Council chambers… three months later…

Tsunade was busy there on the round table that was the meeting place for all the top leaders and officials in Konoha for the annual leaders meeting…she was not dressed in the Hokage robes but wore her normal clothes and was reading a new bunch of reports…but all these were reports of the accomplishments of a certain blonde ninja and his Team and she couldn't help but smile warmly at the news…she then placed the documents down.

“It seems that Konoha is beginning to get back to it's feet…the recent reconstruction funds have been doubled by the Feudal Lord and we have more than enough money to begin full scale repairs to the village at the moment.”

“That's correct Hokage-sama…we've also gotten reports of a soon to come number of Snow artisans to help us with the repairs on our electrical systems, power, and sanitation…and all of them have been personally recommended by the new Feudal Lord or rather Princess of Snow/Spring Country to help with the repairs.”

Tsunade smiled at the news as she recalled how the mission to Snow Country had turned out…she then took up another report and read the information and it was the report on the Chuunin Exams and as soon as she was done…she spoke out and called the Council to attention.

“I have recently been aware that before the Chuunin exams were halted by Sound and Sand's invasion months before…that there were two viable candidates to be Chuunin that were recommended by the senior and junior Jonin and judges presiding the event…and the names are Shikamaru Nara and Naruto Uzumaki…I have read the reports and their performances in the invasion and I am approving their promotion into Chuunin.”

Several of the Council were in agreement…namely Inochi, Shikaku, Chouza, Ginji, and Hiashi…they had heard Naruto's performance in battle and having seen him train had made them see that Naruto would truly be an asset to the village and be one of their best…hard to believe that like the others of the Council…they had some reservations about making the blonde a ninja before…but now they were in full agreement of the idea.

“I have to agree with Tsunade-sama…Naruto's training had proven to have improved his overall standing and ability as a ninja of the village. And he is worthy of promotion since he has undergone a number of successful missions for the past months.”

Hiashi said and Ginji nodded as well.

However…not everyone was happy with the decision as they still did not trust Naruto well enough…they recalled that he had given them a very serious ultimatum before and knowing that he had threatened them the way he did still grinded them the wrong way and they were not in the mood for the blonde Genin to get another advantage. Tsunade however was able to see that and she was not the least bit happy with the sight at the moment.

Tsunade glared at the small number of dissenting Council members and replied pointedly…

“Are you questioning Naruto Uzumaki's accomplishments as a ninja? He has proven to be more than a capable ninja time and time again and the people in the said reports have made excellent commendations and mentions of the said ninja…in fact the Feudal Lord of our own Land has recommended him to be promoted in light of his accomplishments…and the new leader of the technologically advanced Snow/Spring Country, Princess Koyuki Kazahana has given him her own seal of approval and commendations…and you still think that he does not deserve to be promoted to a higher rank?”

The Council members were not happy as there was great truth in Tsunade's words…to prove that…the Feudal Lord himself had given a massive monetary payment to Konoha for the defense of a vital gold and silver mine that had been the target of a highly organized force of renegade ninja and bandits…many of them were arrested and others were slain by Naruto's group…and his defeat of the tyrant of the Land of Snow…Doto Kazahana added further weight to her words. Tsunade then looked at everyone ion the Council room and then to the oldest leaders and also the ones that earned her ire…Homura, Koharu, and lastly Danzo himself…

The former head of the secret police/assassin division of ANBU Root had been a fierce contender for the place of Hokage when her sensei Sarutobi had been alive and was younger. While his policies and ideals were more fanatical and blunt…he was a shrewd tactician and politician and that made him influential in Konoha's politics despite being forced off his position and Root disbanded…that and there were members of Root loyal to him. He favored direct attacks and assassination than diplomacy and that was what made him a fierce opponent to Sarutobi…there was also the fact that she disliked him immensely and the feeling was mutual…she knew that while he respected her…he disliked her as she was the First Hokage's granddaughter and was like the Third Hokage.

Homura was the first to speak.

“We do not question his accomplishments and the praise given to him is well deserved…however…he has not take the full extent of the Chuunin Exams. We have not seen him unleash his full potential for ourselves to make a sound judgment at the time being.”

“So are you suggesting that we wait until he takes the Chuunin Exams again Homura? We cannot do that as we are still rebuilding Konoha and we are short handed in ninjas. However…Naruto has proven himself time and time again in these missions he and his group have undertaken and to deny him a just promotion would be a slap in the face.”

Koharu then spoke to Tsunade.

“So you wish to promote him due to his actual mission records Tsunade-hime?”

“Yes…it has been done before as I recall and Naruto has proven to be a ninja worthy of an official promotion…I have received records of his battles and I can see that he has the promise to be one of the finest ninja we have.”

Danzo coughed a bit and that directed the attention of everyone to him and he replied.

“I fully agree with Tsunade-hime…many here might have thought that he should have never been made a ninja…but his records have proven that Iruka's judgment on the matter of his graduating as a Genin was the right one.”

The Council were surprised at this and another wave of discussions were made and the Council thought it over and it was then that Jiraiya arrived in the Council chambers…while some of the Council were not happy with the unexpected arrival of the Sannin, they did little to stop him as well. The Sannin had been back to his usual antics and had been keeping tabs on both Akatsuki and Orochimaru who had been silent for some time and it would not be long before things would pick up.

Jiraiya grinned at his team-mate and spoke to her.

“So you're getting Naruto promoted to Chuunin eh? Nice move…that blonde kid will be utterly happy with the news.”

“I know…I guess I'll need to buy some ear-plugs before I break the news to him and his group. The very second he finds out he's promoted by the Council and me…things will be very interesting.”

Tsunade nodded at that and wondered just how Naruto would take his promotion. She knew for a fact that he would be utterly happy with the news and the decision of the Council to allow him to be promoted into a Chuunin. He was probably going to be utterly happy as he was now one step further into accomplishing his dream of being the next Hokage.

She however had to keep an eye on Danzo, and even Homura and Kohane….she didn't know why she had the desire to keep a strong watch on them but she was not going to challenge these thoughts as she knew for a fact that sooner or later they would prove to be true….she knew that all three of them were not very trusting of Naruto and his abilities as a ninja….which was why she was wary of them at the moment and although they finally budged on promoting Naruto, they might have an ulterior motive in mind.

--------

And sure enough…

Naruto was dressed in his clothes and Holy Talon strapped to his back and with him were his team-mates and Jonin-sensei Kakashi…who was carrying a newly forged katana…courtesy of his young Genin student who had began to learn the art of being a smith with the aid of his dwarf comrades. Sakura was very much curious why Naruto had been summoned and so was Shikamaru…along with the Nara clan heir's team of Chouji and Ino…along with Asuma. Tsunade, Shizune, and Jiraiya were there as well and they were eager to see Naruto react to the news.

Kakashi stepped forward and spoke.

“You wanted to see us Hokage-sama?”

“Yes Kakashi…I have been reviewing most of the missions taken by Team 7 and it seems that your team has proven to be quite a good force and there have been many good marks from various clients…the most coming from the Feudal Lord and the current leader of Snow/Spring Country, Princess Koyuki has sent her best regards for Team 7 as well.”

Kakashi smiled as he felt great pride for his team and knew that he got a good team under his command.

“I also have reviewed the performance of each Genin in your team…Sakura has proven to have exceptional chakra control and is the brains in the team…while Naruto and Sasuke are able to work well as a team when the time comes…as it stands…I and the Council have decided to have one of your team to be promoted…and it is Naruto Uzumaki along with Shikamaru from Asuma's team.”

The Jonin were surprised and the Genin were as well…and Naruto was even more awed by the news…Sakura felt great surprise for Naruto while Sasuke was silent for the moment as Tsunade spoke even more.

“Shikamaru is by far one of the best Genin in terms of tactical brilliance and skills in analysis and leadership…as were noted by the judges in the previous Chuunin Exams. As for Naruto…his battle records and the good commendations from our clients concerning his performance have given him the right to be promoted to Chuunin by battle rank merit.”

“Has this been approved by the Council?”

“Yes it has…as of today…out of the named Rookie 9…Naruto Uzumaki and Shikamaru Nara are the ones who have earned Chuunin rank. Both of you know that by being Chuunin, you both will be taking sub leader positions as Chuunin and therefore will only be with your teams when under the command of your Jonin sensei…should the mission require haste and your sensei is not available…then you will command your teams…understood?”

“Yes Hokage-sensei!”

Naruto was utterly ecstatic but he didn't rush up and hug Tsunade in public as her lessons in social graces were still with him and he knew better than to try such a thing in public. However, he showed his joy with his warm smile. Shikamaru merely groaned and gave a silent complaint about another workload coming his way.

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Later…

“Man…congrats Shikamaru…you're a Chuunin!!!!”

Chouji said as he patted his best friend on the back while Ino was smiling all the while…and Asuma was smiling warmly as he smoked his cigarette as he watched the three members of his team enjoy the news…he knew Shikamaru had the talent to be a Chuunin and he was not disappointed as well.

One the other side…Kurenai's team, including said Jonin were congratulating Kakashi's team as well.

Hinata was blushing as she approached her long time crush.

“C-Congratulations on being a Chuunin N-N-Naruto-kun.”

“Yeah! Who would have thought you'd be Chuunin? But hey…you deserve it, right Akamaru?”

“ARF!!!”

Naruto smiled as despite not being fully skilled in understanding animal speak as Kiba and Liara was, he could tell that Akamaru agreed with his master's words. Shino then walked over and offered his hand for a shake,

“Congratulations Naruto…you did well and deserve this rank.”

Normally people would be wary of Shino with the exception of his team and his family but Naruto had long since known that he could rely on the bug user to help out in a dire situation when needed and accepted the handshake from the normally silent Genin.

“Thank you guys.”

Sakura was also smiling as she looked at Naruto and spoke honestly.

“I can't believe you've been promoted…it's so unreal…but still, I'm happy for you Naruto-kun!”

Naruto smiled wider and replied.

“Thanks Sakura-chan!”

Kakashi looked at his team and smiled a bit more though he gave a worried look to Sasuke who was silent the whole time as the others in the Rookie 9 were all having a fun time…it didn't take long for another team to arrive…along with several others. Gain and his team were there as well and they were grinning, and with them was Haku, Kin, and Zabuza…Lee was the very first to reach Naruto and he gave his `Nice Guy' look to Naruto complete with glinting pearly white teeth and thumbs up.

“You did it Naruto-san…you're a Chuunin…you're `flames of youth' burn brightly today!!!”

Gai also did the same thing…much to the discomfort of Neji and Tenten…but Gai then replied to Naruto.

“It's going to be a tougher situation now that you're a Chuunin Naruto-san…so do your best and keep your training sharp and honed like Lee okay?”

“I understand Gai-sensei!”

Neji then showed his hand and the two shook hands as Neji replied in pure honesty. He had held Naruto in high regard ever since their battle in the Chuunin Exams and during the mission in Suna when he and his team were there to back up Team 7 in the fighting. If it hadn't been for Naruto giving him that specially made Orchaelium chainmail shirt that protected him…that Reaper's scythe would have torn him in half with one swipe.

“You deserve this promotion Naruto-san.”

“Thanks Neji…I've got no doubt you'd make a great Chuunin yourself…heck you might even be a Jonin soon.”

“I might do just that.”

Tenten smiled and shook Naruto's hand as well in congratulations as she was happy for Naruto's promotion and hoped that sooner or later…she and her team would also be able to take their own step into being Chuunin or even Jonin…it would also help her achieve her dream of being a famed Kunoichi like Tsunade…her idol.

Haku and Kin were there as well as Zabuza…the probation period had ended for the two former citizens of Water Country and they were now given positions in the Konoha forces…with Zabuza being given a position in the ANBU forces, while Haku was placed as a Genin to earn his way back…despite his skills being in par with a Chuunin…Haku however didn't complain much with the decision and relished the chance to put his skills back to good use and being a Medic nin would be worth it.

Kin was happy for her savior and showed her support for his promotion as she hugged Naruto a bit and shook his hand.

“You did great Naruto-kun…you deserve this promotion!”

“Not bad kid…not bad at all.”

Zabuza replied as he smiled underneath his mask, while Haku gave his usual smile and his own words of encouragement.

“I am happy for your promotion Naruto-san. You've proven yourself worthy of such an accomplishment.”

Naruto was very happy and it was then that Kakashi spoke as he revealed a very thick envelope.

“By the way…I've gotten a very big bonus during a mission a few days before and I figured that the time has come to celebrate…especially since it's Naruto's promotion as a Chuunin and also Shikamaru's, we're going to have a celebration in one of the best steak houses in Konoha…and as much I don't like spending a lot…I'm inviting others to come in and join as well.”

Asuma, Kurenai, and Gai was surprised and for good reason…it was not every day that Kakashi treated others out to a celebration and they had no idea how to react…that is Asuma and Kurenai had no idea…but Gai certainly did as he grinned.

“I'm game!”

The others agreed with the sole exception of Sasuke who silently left the scene….by the time the others found out he was not there…the group had decided to go ahead and go to the one place Kakashi was known to enjoy eating out…a fair distance away…Sasuke was not happy as he was in a nearby forest and was looking at the group in a very unhappy fashion.

As soon as he was alone…Sasuke turned and growled.

(I have had enough of this…..I will kill you Itachi even if it's the last thing I do! But….I have another path in mind….)

Sasuke then looked out towards the direction of the sun and the horizon…and thought of a certain sword… and then spoke to himself.

“I will claim you…Death Fang….”

Unknown to him…four cloaked figures were watching him and they were apparently spying on him…one turned and spoke to the others…their words were not heard by Sasuke and they faded away in the background and as soon as they were out of sight and a fair distance away from Konoha….another band of ninja came to meet them…all having the musical note symbol of Sound….

In another part of the world….A certain Uchiha was currently giving a report to a number of other figures who were dressed just like him while Kisame was looking on and eager to hear just what the plans were for the new information.

Itachi however…while giving his report knew that as things were…he had to make contingency plans of his own…the arrival of Death Fang and Holy Talon into this world has brought complications that he had not properly planned for…he only hoped that he would have enough time to plan out things he knew had to be done soon.

Unknown to all parties involved…the topic of their thoughts and discussions and was already sensing their motivations.

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In it's lair…

Death Fang gave a dark and sinister chuckle as it sensed what was happening. The emotions it could sense from massive distances was really making it smile…things were on the move and soon…it will see just who will prove worthy to be it's master…but until then….sowing more discord was on the agenda…

It wanted to see just what sort of chaos and death it could send into this rich world…the death of it's Reaper minions was somewhat regrettable but not a serious dent…after all…the spirits of the Reapers were under it's command and would not die unless he was either severely drained of power or shattered. The victory of Naruto and Holy Talon was not entirely expected…but it further impressed the evil sword as it saw Naruto's growth to be truly a challenge… But for now it had other plans…

The last three months have given it time to plan out a very special treat for Naruto and his companions…it was a little experiment it had in mind and it had spent the time being silent in order to plan things out and now…it's latest agent was on the loose…only this particular agent was very delicious…and deadly.

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A cloaked and hooded figure walked out a nearby inn and looked at the setting sun and gave a dark and seductive chuckle…indicating that the figure was a female woman…the hooded female looked outward and there were two glowing points of red in the recesses of the hood.

“Mmmm….it's been an age since I got to have my fun…and the new boys back there have been rather nice to the taste…I wonder if there are other delicious morsels out here in this world? Regardless….I know where my target is…but why go all the way there…when I can lure him out?”

The figure then moved on…it's destination unknown….but inside the inn were a large number of people in their rooms….and all males….and they all had looks of bliss and happiness…a normal scene…unless one overlooked the fact that they resembled shriveled mummies as their skin was dry and taunt on their bodies, their bones being seen… and their eyes were nearly white.

They resembled mummies at the moment…barely alive but apparently were drained dry of their life force and fluids.

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To be continued…

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Author's notes:

This wraps up the chapter….but I have to admit that this one took a while due to the fact that with me being swamped with so many projects…plus other real life issues that had to be at my full attention.

As you can see in this chapter…the situation is going to be rather explosive as things get underway as Sasuke…after seeing the ability of Death Fang and knowing that it is Holy Talon's only rival in power…now plans to seek the sword out and use it to accomplish his plans…now everyone thinks that this is a letdown…however…Kabuto now knows the origin of the only equal to Holy Talon and now doubt Orochimaru will learn of it as well…and so will Akatsuki….

It will not be long before they seek out Death Fang and maybe others will as well…like those of evil hearts and desires did long ago in Dagern when they sought to take Death Fang and use the dark powers of the evil sword for their own use…

However…there are two factors that are against them…

The first is that none of them know Death Fang's true location….when the sword made it's first appearance, I have not told anyone where it is located….I only said it was in it's lair but never where…so they will have a hard time seeking the sword as they have no idea where to start looking for it.

And the second is the most obvious…

The sword CHOOSES it's master and it can sense ulterior motives and desires, that allows Death Fang to weigh them and see just who deserves it's powers and become the master. Just because it's an evil sword, it does not just choose anyone to be it's master, it seeks only the most evil, the ones who are willing to sacrifice everything to be it's master and to wield power and spill the blood of those that stand in his or her way. Death Fang can read the minds of those who seek it and will react accordingly.

Making ownership of this sword….very difficult to just about anyone…

Trailer:

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“AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!”

“Itachi!!!!”

Kisame rushed in and caught Itachi as the Uchiha fell to the ground in pain….Kisame took out the Samehada and got ready to fight but found himself surrounded by Wraith Knights….and Reapers who quickly appeared out of nowhere to surround them….and without any knowledge of how to defeat these undead warriors, Kisame knew his chances were slim.

(((“No….do not kill them my minions. They are not worth the time”)))

The Wraith Knights and reapers obeyed without question as Death Fang's eye turned to Itachi and it glared darkly at Sasuke's elder brother. The sword was surrounded by a blood red aura mixed with midnight as well and the lava in the caves grew darker and more evil and vile by the second. This time….the sword spoke directly to Itachi.

(((“You pathetic fool….powerful you may be….but you are not truly evil….I sense something in your mind…a love for a brother. I know your mind Itachi Uchiha….I have seen it…and all your lies and disguises mean nothing to me! You are powerful and yet you are dying….I have no use for a sentimental and dying fool as my master…I might cure you of your disease easily, but your still lingering love for your brother disgusts me.”)))

The evil sword glowed even more malevolently and spoke harshly at Itachi.

(((“You may have found my lair….but you shall not be so lucky next time….and if you dare to seek me out yet again….to shield your brother from me….then you shall be slain quickly….now, you and your companion…..BEGONE!!!!!”)))

A massive cloud of red light surrounded Itachi and Kisame and Kisame tried in vain to fight their way through but the light surrounded them and faded away as Death Fang spoke.

(((“This place is no longer a good place to be in….I need to be somewhere….nicer.”)))

In a lake the red light appeared and down came Itachi and Kisame….uninjured and alive. They walked out of the river as Itachi sat down and felt the pain in his right hand begin to slowly fade away….his mission to find the sword was successful….but who knew what that evil blade would do now….and his real mission to sacrifice himself to claim the sword and keep it from claiming his brother….has failed utterly…

“Itachi….we need to go.”

“I know…”

“Pain is not going to like this…”

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See you in the next chapter as we are about see just what this new….and more attractive threat comes to seek out Naruto and have a little fun with the Dragon Champion….how will this turn out?