Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Naruto Dragon Champion ❯ Forging Power ( Chapter 37 )

Naruto Dragon Champion

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any part of it so don't ask me if I do…

Chapter 27

Forging Power

( ): Thoughts

((“ ”)): Holy Talon's voice

(( )): Kyuubi's voice

(((“ ”))): Death Fang's voice

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`Give me a good working hammer, a good pair of tools, a hot forge, and some time and decent material, I can make some real magic!'

`Those were the words my Master said to us when we were your age, and he was right…'

`Some say that magic is best left to those of the divine and the arcane, that is not entirely true, the art of being a blacksmith is as powerful as being a Mage of the highest order, for it takes a true genius to create a blade worthy of challenging the darkness. To be bend fire, metal, and at times even magic to your will to make a weapon or a suit of armor takes a true master, and that is what I hope you will be…'

A Grandmaster Blacksmith's words when training new students in the art of forging…

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In Naruto's home…

Naruto was busy running through the list of orders that was given to him by the ANBU recently on the types of weapons and armor that they needed from him. The blonde Chuunin was busy gathering all the needed materials and equipment as he was now getting ready to make the needed equipment.

The blonde had undergone more training from Rumkil and Thorell and the art of forging weapons and armor as well as other arts of craftsmanship. He also was allowed access to several other metals by the dwarf smiths as well as two other new helpers, Findalas Silver Leaf and Corin Star Forger, two elven smiths who were summoned by Holy Talon to help him as well as Lhona Firestar who was an elven artificer. The five began to teach him how to create new weaponry and armor as well as artifacts that could prove highly useful to not just himself but his fellow Konoha ninja as well and to those who were interested in the. creation and ownership of such weapons.

Naruto was working currently with iron and steel, basic metals that would be very useful, depending on the techniques that were used in their forging as well as the techniques on how they were used in order to be alloyed. He had searched for high quality iron and high quality steel ingots in order to do his work better, the dwarf brothers as well as the elves who were there to help him taught him how to melt the metals as well as how to make the right mix to create the quality metals that he would need in order to make the weapons and armor that the ANBU would need from him.

Of course he had also Orchaelium to work with and he had every intention to create whatever defensive and offensive tools the people of Konoha would need in these dark times, Orchaelium was by far the most basic metal that he could use and after months of using the metal for all his armor and weaponry with the exception of Holy Talon, he was already familiar with how to make this light as cloth but hard as Dragon skin metal. Orchaelium could also be used in creating armor that could be used to boost the power of Ninjutsu, thanks to him getting the plans on the chakra enhancing armor

The metals he was going to be working with were not just limited to Iron, Steel and Orchaelium but also several others, one such metal was known as Arcane Silver, a metal that had the appearance of silver itself, but had powerful properties as a weapon as it could ignore the defensive power of the skins of were beasts of evil and when properly enchanted and folded, could be able to slice through the hides of demon beasts as well. The metal was something Naruto had to learn about carefully in order to make sure that the weapons itself was properly forged and could be useful against any were beast servants Death Fang may unleash on the world he lived in.

The next metal Thunder Steel, a metal like iron but had unique properties that allowed it to unleash a powerful charge of lightning energy on a target and the metal could be forged into armor that would create an invisible barrier that countered magical energy, making it very useful in turning away spells meant to harm the user as well as also create an energy field that can actually enhance the user's speed and strength with no ill effect. And when properly infused with magical energy, the metal could be able to enhance even the power of certain spells, mostly those dealing with Lightning.

Yet another metal that Naruto was going to be working with apart from Orchaelium, Arcane, Silver, and Thunder Steel, was Shadow Iron, this jet black metal was as light as Orchaelium itself but had the black appearance of midnight. This metal was used to create weapons that had a deep midnight black appearance and armor as well that had a deep midnight black appearance, while odd at first, the weapons and armor made from Shadow Iron had the power to be highly flexible and malleable as well as being smooth and cool to the touch. The metal was as hard as normal steel but could absorb light, making the wearer invisible in the dark and since the weapon had the same color, it too couldn't be seen, and with the right enchantment, the weapon and armor could even be invisible in daylight, with no ill effects to the user.

The next metal was known as Frozen Steel, the metal had to be forged through pure muscle power and through magical means when being enchanted, but when done so in either fashion, Frozen Steel could release a powerful freezing aura that would slow down the movements on an attacker. The metal was as cold as ice to the touch and needed a special sheath to be contained, thus it was not useful as armor but with it's abilities to freeze it's targets without quick harm it could be used to restrain foes on contact or can be used to freeze them and cut them down as well. A deadly way of combat in most regards, but it would work well. With the right enchantments, weapons forged using this metal could also be able to bypass the defensive power of certain spells and also the natural defenses of other creatures who were under the service of Death Fang.

And the last metal was known as Dragon Steel, this metal is the hardest metal that Naruto had to work with as it was from the bones, teeth, claws, and scales of deceased dragons themselves and seeped deep in Dragon Fire, literally pulsing with large amounts of energy. Holy Talon was made from Faldren's metallic claw and a piece of his scales and thus was very powerful and while the materials Naruto had with him came from lesser Dragons, the powers they had were very strong indeed and contained a vast amount of pure Dragon Fire. The weapons and armor made from Dragon Steel could prove to be truly powerful and would no doubt be the edge that Konoha needed. However, Naruto knew that his training in the art of being a blacksmith, and artificer was nowhere near enough to create the wondrous weapons and armor made from the material and thus he would have to limit his creation of the weapon, armors, and also anything else that could be made using the rare metal substance, not to mention it's rarity meant to him that making such weapons was for very rare moments.

Apart from weapons and armor, the blonde Chuunin was also given the training on how to create other forms of equipment and tools as well. Most of which took the form of jewelry and other items. These items could prove useful in the long run for most of the people in Konoha who needed them apart from the ANBU and the Konoha ninjas, of course, he was assured to keep a contract with those said allies who were going to receive the items he was going to forge and create. This also included devices that house a small and self renewing power source in the shape of crystals that could be fueled by either chakra or Dragon Fire.

Apart from learning the art of being a blacksmith, the blonde ninja needed to learn how to be an enchanter and artificer as well in order to make very wondrous and rare items, and using the knowledge he gleamed from Holy Talon in the art of Transmutation and also from his elven and dwarf teachers, Naruto was proving to e a good student and used his Kage Bushin in order to speed up his training more effectively in the various arts.

Naruto also took the time to improve on other things apart from what he was already trained in doing. To keep himself ready for battle and for the missions he would be taking with his team as well as the kinds of missions he would be undertaking as a Chuunin.

His training with Wind Chakra was proving to be highly advantageous though Kakashi knew that Naruto needed more time and years in order to get better in the art of mastering his Wind Chakra, but he was more than getting a good head start on the matter. His training in Taijutsu was working well enough and he was as dedication to his training as ever before and it was paying off. That also included the fact that as a Chuunin, he took higher paying missions and the fact that he had a higher degree of recognition was nice and it brought him closer to his goal of being Hokage, of course things had changed for him in many ways.

Back in the past, he wanted to be Hokage just to be recognized, but now he wanted to be Hokage in order to protect his home, his friends, those he considered family, those he loved and cared for, and more besides. The death of Sarutobi was a lesson he would not forget, as well as the examples of the many Dragon Champions who fought, bled, and died to defend what was good and just in their world. That was why he still wanted to be Hokage, to defend the people and the place he called home. And the fact that he would be getting lessons from others in the village certainly helped.

Jiraiya was still around and would give him a good chatting on various matters, namely on things involving women and while some of the stuff the young again pervert was too much for his ears, the rest was very insightful advice and the blonde wondered just why had his sensei of the pervert had not found a woman yet who could finally keep him occupied and out of trouble. But Naruto knew that it would take one hell of a powerful and patient woman to deal with Jiraiya's antics when he was about and also to hold the pervert's attention full time so as to avoid getting into some serious martial spats that were no doubt going to end up tearing the village a new set of holes all over it.

He also had to contend with other details as well. He had worked with Telis, Liara, Coryin, and Valeena on the projects that they had with the green house and also with other matters, the Silver Star Mage was busy on teaching Naruto a few spells that could prove to be very helpful in the long run for him when he began to work on the weapons, armor, and equipment that the ANBU forces were going to need.

Naruto also used the designs handed to him by Koyuki in order to produce a number of new weapons and armor, the chakra enhancing armor of Koyuki's country proved a good challenge to make and he was more than ready and willing to take the challenge on designing Konoha's own variant of the armor. He also took the time to study the kunai thrower system and as soon as he worked in the key details of the weapon systems, he went to work as quickly as he could. He would need to show the prototypes in a short time.

He had taken some ideas from the weapon used by Koyuki's uncle as well as an idea he had gained after seeing his Fire Heart Archers in action as well as the Falcon Rangers. It was not a new concept per se, but in his mind it placed a whole new spin on the idea of rapid fire weaponry that could be a difference maker in the hands of experts in a fight.

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Two weeks later…

The ANBU gathered in the testing grounds as Naruto displayed his first creation, it resembled a simple crossbow, unless one overlooked the fact that it was constructed entirely of Orchaelium and was extremely light weight and could be easily hefted by the blonde Chuunin, Naruto had taken the design of the kunai thrower and had scaled it down to much more portable version and then had taken it further by making it as a crossbow that had the bow arms folded away and there was a small drum below it that seemed to have a store of metal bolts. There also appeared to be a glowing crystal in the weapon that radiated chakra.

The ANBU Captain then spoke to Naruto.

“What sort of weapon is this Naruto-san?”

Naruto smiled as he pressed a switch and then the arms extended and clicked into place and the rope that would fire the bolts was taunt and ready, the blonde spoke to the assembled ANBU.

“This was something that came up when I studied how the ninjas of Snow/Spring Country used mechanics to fire kunai, and also from crossbows that we have here in our land as well as from others, the weapon is what you can call a repeating crossbow and the crystal here is powered by a custom made crystal that produces its own supply of chakra to power the whole crossbow. The weapon can fire and load itself automatically so there is no need to pull the rope back like in a normal bow. The crossbow can even fire a single bolt, or more than one at once with the push of a switch.”

Naruto then demonstrated the principle as he had a foot thick plank of hard wood shaped as a human prepared at least 200 yards and clicked a switch and with a press of the trigger, the crossbow fired a single bolt of pure tempered steel which was specially crafted and imbued by Naruto's training in Transmutation at a very high speed and to the surprise of the ANBU, the bolt easily tore through the wooden plank as if it was butter and then was buried halfway into the stone wall behind it.

Naruto grinned as he switched the firing mode once more and then he pressed trigger and held it….and the ANBU were surprised as the crossbow unleashed a hail of specially tempered and enchanted steel bolts into the large plank of wood and in moments, the human plank had at three dozen holes in it and in the back was over three dozen steel crossbow bolts. In less than a minute, Naruto had fired so many bolts that no normal crossbow could ever hope to fire.

The ANBU were impressed and Naruto then spoke.

“The crossbow itself is specially made in order to ensure that it's bolts are able to travel at very high distances and the chakra crystal inside of it ensures that the speed it can fire the bolts will allow the bolts to have enough force to punch through even armor.”

Naruto proved his words when he aimed for another figure, only this time it had a sheet of thick iron plating on the chest and the figure itself was made from the same hard word and Naruto made the crossbow fire a single bolt and the bolt tore through the armor and the figure easily and then he unleashed another storm of steel bolts that reduced the armored figure into a hole ridden mess and then there was a loud click and the drum was empty. Naruto nodded and pressed another switch, only this switch was located above the drum and then the drum was released and Naruto spoke as he took another spare one that he had spent crafting.

“The drum contains at least a hundred and twenty of the steel bolts so you can have plenty of rounds, the drum itself is made from Orchaelium and the steel bolts have been enchanted to have half their normal weight so you won't be weighed down by them. I can also fashion special bolts that can be able to have various effects, but keep in mind that this is a prototype after all and I have to yet work on some bugs in it as well as perfect it a bit more so it can be ready for use.”

The ANBU nodded and the Captain hefted the weapon, finding that despite the size and shape, it was near weightless and with Naruto's directions, the weapon was able to fold it's arms as well as the stock and the trigger assembly, reducing itself to a small plank of metal, allowing the weapon to be easier to carry, the bolts were about a foot long and were razor sharp at the tip and could prove useful for some ranged firepower in the event of an attack on Konoha or when range was needed and kunai as well as shuriken were not going to be up to the task.

The ANBU Captain smiled at the results and spoke to Naruto.

“This is a good weapon Naruto-kun, however, we still need to take these through a very important test to make sure that they are worth the effort, and that is in a combat condition, can you make a small number in a few months for a few of us to take on a mission?”

Naruto thought it over and nodded.

“It might take me some time but I can make a few units for you and the other ANBU, but give me time to do so.”

“Take as much time as you need Naruto-san.”

Naruto smiled as the Konoha Council arrived, and at the head was Tsunade as well as Shizune, Naruto smiled and bowed at them as he decided to redo the demonstration for the Konoha Council and even Danzo who was with them had to admit that the weapon was certainly not something to discard, especially when it folded nicely into a lightweight weapon pack. Naruto then revealed another item which was a set of armor that he had developed using the blue prints given to him by Koyuki.

The armor was crafted directly from Orchaelium and it was very light as well as strong as some of the ANBU tried them on. The armor was able to channel chakra more effectively as well as being able to store chakra in small crystals so the ANBU could draw from a reserve when using too much of their own personal reserves of chakra. He also created special bracers that copied the same powers of the bracelet that he gave Tsunade, these would look like normal bracers, but with the special properties of healing magic that would serve to heal mild to severe injuries that were not critical in nature, this would allow ANBU to remain in the battle field when a Medic Nin was not part of the squad, he also created special magical bags that would serve to store a large number of items despite the fact that the items in question were normally too large for a normal sized pouch to carry.

Another item was light chainmail shirts made from Orchaelium and as such could be worn as extra protection underneath the already present armor worn by the ANBU and since it was as light as cloth but very durable and strong, they would not weigh down a ninja team in battle. Tsunade assured the ANBU that since she had her own suit of Orchaelium Armor that Naruto's two dwarven friends, she was very familiar with the abilities the armor gave the users. Having worn the armor in the battle with Kagura as well as with the Wraith Knight's forces before, she knew the value of the armor itself first hand.

Along with the armor, the crossbow, as well as the bracers for healing, Naruto also had several other bracers that were able to enhance the physical strength as well as the striking speed of the user, the one that granted strength could increase a user's overall physical power, allowing them hit harder and carry things that would normally require strength levels that were not the norm. he had also given a pair of the strength enhancing bracers to Tsunade who found her already existing strength to be boosted to the point she could easily reduce a stone to powder in her grasp as well as her punch being strong enough to bend even a single bar of pure Orchaelium or crack even finely tempered steel. The other bracers increased the movements of the hands and even could be used in the feet. He demonstrated these in action and he was able to cut down a pair of tall trees as well as a massive boulder in a flash.

The bracers had boosted his attack speed to the level of when Lee would remove his weights and that was an impressive sight to the people before them, even Inochi, Chouza and Shikaku were looking on with interest as this would prove invaluable in a close combat fight. Naruto then took out another set of bracers that shimmered and released a powerful yet faint energy that quickly bathed him in light for a brief moment and he then used a kunai as well as a sword on himself and to the surprise of everyone, he was not easily harmed, either weapon didn't come close to an inch of his skin, showing that the bracers released a strong and near invisible shield of energy around Naruto's form, he then explained that the bracers he had with him would grant a limited but useful level of physical protection to the user in combat.

The items he brought with him were certainly attractive to the ANBU and they were eager to get their hands on them and put them through their paces. The Council themselves expressed some degree of interest in the results of the weapons and equipment while Homura, Kohane, and Danzo looked on, silent and evaluating the outcome before them as Naruto showed the effects of the items he had been working for some time for the arsenals of the ANBU. The three of them didn't have much faith in Naruto but apparently he was proving to be a strong aid to the village and seemed to be focused on doing his best.

Tsunade looked on with pride in her heart, Naruto was a lot different now and seemed to be more concerned for the betterment of the people of the village than most. It made her think that his decision to take his ninja training seriously to be perfect for him and the fact that he was able to fight toe to toe with some of the strongest foes she had seen him fight yet, he would prove to be a great ninja yet, and even better than a certain person who had a deep tie to Naruto and to the village of Konoha itself.

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As Naruto went to work on the weapons, armor, and equipment that the ANBU ordered he wondered just how his life had gotten so complicated. He had been visited by a number of men who were giving him the look, and it was only due to the fact that he was already a powerful ninja that the ones who were hostile didn't try anything, however, the other men were reacting differently, some of them were asking him how it was like being with Koyuki in bed while others asked him how he was able to make such a performance.

It boggled his mind at times and when he left his home and headed into the village to buy groceries and the like, he would be greeted with whispers, blushing looks, looks of envy, jealousy, and more besides. The women who were about the mid teen stages would give him hungry ogling looks, as well as blushes, while the older women did the very same thing which was making him all the more nervous. The men would also give him glares that made him a bit more nervous, while some of the younger men would approach him, some with bad intent barely controlled, while others were willing to talk to him and ask him question, those of course made him wish that he could just cover his ears and drown them away before they started putting crazy thoughts in his head. Some of the older married men would try to keep their daughters from looking at him and he couldn't blame them in the least.

The only men who were not in a complete hostile mood, amazingly enough about his escapades, were Ginji, Hiashi, Teuchi, Inochi, and Tenten's father. Apparently they were informed of the circumstances that led to the event of Naruto being in the film and in the scene with Koyuki, after all as ninja themselves, they were familiar that not all missions involved combat and the like, sometimes seduction and sex as involved as Kunoichi and Shinobi had to learn that in order to be better ninja, they had to be ready for the situation. This was something that thankfully kept Naruto from a severe beating from the men in question, they respected him well enough and knew that he had been in a situation which most ninja would eventually find themselves in at some point in their lives and in their line of work. The only good thing that came out of it was that sometimes romance might bloom as well as getting the chance to be a normal young man..

Asuma and Kakashi were the ones he got the support from as well. Asuma was grinning and told Naruto that it would happen to any ninja eventually, the Jonin sensei of Ino, Chouji, and Shikamaru even told the blonde Chuunin that when he had gone off on his own from Konoha when he was younger, he had run into that situation before especially when he took up being a member of the Feudal Lord's Twelve Guardian Ninja, thankfully he knew a jutsu that helped reduce the chance of him getting a woman pregnant. The last thing one needed in the wrong time was a wife and a child, not that it was bad, but it could have made things harder for one to deal with on a very regular basis.

Kakashi himself said that it happened to him growing up when he was younger as he was a Jonin at a very young age and informed Naruto that after all that had happened, he was going to have to get used to the fact that his face was no doubt going to be easily recognizable the very second he was out on a mission, which might require him to wear a mask like he did. Naruto was surprised by this and wondered just what other secrets his Jonin sensei was hiding from him, but decided not to prod too deeply on the matter before him as he respected Kakashi well enough not to ask….not to mention the fact that since finding out that his sensei was a former ANBU Captain, the stories he would have told him if he went too far would no doubt have been rather….unpleasant.

As he worked on more of the designs, he decided to go out for a walk from his forge and his home, as he made his way on the village via the roof tops dressed in his regular clothes, no armor and Holy Talon on his back, he looked about to see the reconstruction still going on, Kagura's attack had halted construction and caused more damage, but since his Golems had stepped into the fray, the damage was not as extensive.

As he made his way through the village he spotted Shizune heading home and even though he was moving about, he could tell that she was tired and he spotted the papers she had in her hands, it was not nice in his mind for her to be working so hard all the time. With that in mind he decided to pay the Jonin a visit to help cheer her up as well as help her relax and enjoy the day. For now he decided to just enjoy the warm sun as well as grab a bite to eat for lunch, a light lunch as well since he would need to head back to his forge to work on the gear even more.

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In Shizune's home…

Shizune was busy working on some left over papers that she had to bring home and it was quite tiring for her at the moment and she then heard a knock on the door and she walked over to see who would be at her home at this time of the day.

(I wonder, is it another request from Tsunade-sama?)

The thought of seeing Tsunade again was not bad in her mind, it was just that she wished to have a bit of a break for herself for the time being. However she was also thinking about the beautiful bracelet that Tsunade had gotten from Naruto, when Tsunade showed it to her she was awed that Naruto would make something that for the Hokage and her teacher, and hearing that it was meant to shield her from harm and pain, made her smile as well as Tsunade did, the bracelet never left Tsunade's arm and it made her wonder if Naruto would make something for her as well, it would be nice for Naruto to be the one asking her out on a date and then giving her a gift that was not only beautiful, but effective and helpful to her at the very same time. But considering the situation he was currently in, she was going to have to wait and see how things will turn out.

Like Kurenai, Anko, Hinata, Temari, Tenten, Sakura, Ino, Ayame, and Kin, she had been informed by Tsunade of what had happened with Naruto and Koyuki with Sakura and Ino providing the details, needless to say they were all very surprised by the news and they were not happy, but they were very familiar with the fact that as ninja, there would be assignments that would require them to go things with the opposite gender, apart from female ninja, it would also apply to male ninja as well, though no doubt the women liked it.

The fact that Koyuki Kazahana enjoyed it greatly when she and Naruto had done it together told them that there was a chance that she was going to be after Naruto soon enough. While they were not very comfortable with the idea at that moment, they decided to see just how serious Koyuki was in chasing Naruto. Tsunade and the others knew that as ninja they would have to be ready for most things and in the ninja world, female ninja had to be ready to sleep with a target or a VIP at times when it was necessary or they would have to be prepared for, that was why they had taken birth control medicine and a special jutsu to prevent pregnancy as the last thing the female ninja needed was to be pregnant when in the line of duty

Of course that certainly didn't mean that they were adverse to the idea of being pregnant, as the apprentice of Tsunade began to have ideas involving her and a certain blonde Chuunin…

(No….I must not think that right now, I have a lot of things that I have to do before I think of them at this time.)

However. As she opened her door, she quickly found herself seeing the one she had been thinking about in question.

“Naruto-kun? What brings you here?'

The blonde Chuunin and Dragon Champion smiled and replied.

“What's so wrong about me coming here to greet you Shizune-chan?”

Shizune blushed at the endearment that Naruto said and she allowed him into her home. It was not much, but she had been the kind to carry the bare essentials, though she did have some of her female vanity with her as she had a makeup kit and a number of beautiful clothes to use as well when she needed to use them for any important functions. The blonde smiled at her home and he then turned to face Shizune who was happy to have some company in her home as she didn't have many visitors.

“How are you doing Shizune-chan?”

“I've been busy and the paper work I have to do right now is going to keep me busy for a while longer.”

Naruto could tell from her voice that Shizune was tired and he decided to give her something to help her relax herself while she was working.

“You want me to help you out Shizune-chan?”

Shizune was surprised by the offer and while she wanted to do it herself, she was very much eager for some help this time to deal with the current workload that she had to deal with today. And the fact that Naruto was willing to help her was a gift she was not keen on turning down, he was quite capable now as a young man and she knew that she could trust him well enough to be able to hold his own when the situation called for it. That and the fact that he had been taking lessons back in the Academy on the subjects he had flunked before as well as getting important lessons from Tsunade was certainly helpful in giving him an edge.

“I would appreciate that Naruto-kun!”

Naruto kept his promise and helped Shizune out as best he could with the paper work, with the use of Kage Bushin to ease the work load, he even made Shizune's favorite drink for her while helping her out. It was not long before Shizune was finally able to feel a lot more relaxed than before, she was able to finish her work with Naruto's help in record time and she was enjoying her favorite drink while Naruto was busy massaging her shoulders and neck.

“Mmmm….you're very good at this Naruto-kun….”

“You're welcome Shizune-chan.”

Shizune smiled even more at the endearment that Naruto gave her, it did her heart good to know that despite the fact that she was older than him, he found her attractive and the memories of her times with him in bed were more than enough to make her very happy that she knew him and that he was this nice to her. It was then that the Jonin apprentice of Tsunade had a very wicked idea that seemed outright scandalous, but with her paperwork done and plenty of free time on her hands, she decided to make the most of it before she reported back to the Hokage Tower. With that in minds she decided to stand up and guide Naruto to her room.

“Come with me Naruto-kun.”

Naruto naturally obeyed and he took off Holy Talon and placed the sword aside but not before having a mental conversation with the living sword.

((“It seems that you're going to be in a more intimate situation with Shizune Master Naruto.”))

(Does it bother you?)

((“No, it doesn't bother me all that much, I have had Master before you who were more than willing to do these things.”))

(I guess.)

It was then that the Kyuubi was quick to get into action as the Demon Fox spoke.

((You know something brat….you've got a very interesting life, at least this is not boring.))

(I didn't know you cared all that much Kyuubi)

((At least you keep yourself busy, besides I've got plenty to see in my free time here.))

(You perverted demon.)

((Whatever, you better hurry up brat, you're going to be late.))

Naruto agreed with the Kyuubi and moved into Shizune's room to find that the Jonin had taken off her kimono as well as her pants and was lying on her bed on her stomach, Shizune smiled as she looked him while blushing as well.

“Naruto-kun, can you give me a body massage?”

Naruto gulped as he looked at Shizune's form, while she was not really naked due to the fact that she had on her bra and panties of black material he had very vivid memories of Shizune without a stitch of fabric on her and it was making it hard for him to get his brain to move and order the rest of him. He managed to get his thoughts organized in a relatively simple manner and moved to fulfill Shizune's request.

As he sat down and started with Shizune's shoulders he did his best to see how his work was affecting the Jonin, he then could tell that Shizune was enjoying the way he moved his hands on her body, he then used his chakra to make sure that he was able to hit Shizune's pleasure centers in order to make sure that the stress Shizune was under would finally be gone for the moment. The Jonin's moans or approval grew as Naruto moved from her shoulders to her neck as well as her shoulder blades, he used his already very intimate knowledge of her body to find the right spots to touch in order to make Shizune feel even more relaxed as well as loosen the tension. HE also sensed the cramped up muscles that were there on her shoulder and back, telling her of the hard work that she was dealing with in helping Tsunade run Konoha for the time being.

“Naruto-kun…..this feels good….”

Naruto then moved to her head and gently rubbed her temples with his chakra, gently massaging the nerves as well as the muscles, further removing the strain he felt in Shizune, he made his way back to her shoulders, then her back, all the way to her stomach as he rubbed the muscles on her sides as well as her spine, aiming for the nerve clusters there to help her be free of the strain, he then moved his hands gently on her still covered butt, making Shizune giggle at that and he reached her thigh, he then massaged them gently, hoping to keep himself objective in helping Shizune ease the tension from all of her hard work.

She also began to get very eager for something far more pleasurable and while her practical and hard working side told her not to think about such things at the moment, the rest of her female mind was telling her to go for it and grab Naruto right now to really release the tension. The female side also happened to be wining the argument as well. It was not long before the war between her practical and serious side and her playful, and seductive feminine side had winner…

She felt her body relax and as soon as Naruto told her that he was done with massaging her body, she turned and was now on her back, allowing Naruto to see her in the front. She smiled as Naruto blushed at the sight before him, and the fact that she could make Naruto blush bright red even when she was still clothed in her undergarments was something she enjoyed greatly.

She then decided to tease the blonde Chuunin.

“So Naruto-kun, how do I look with my bra and panties on?”

Naruto gulped as he studied Shizune's form, the memories of seeing her utterly naked before him and being able to feel, kiss, lick, and taste her body and all it's secrets was fresh in his mind and while they were not currently in the nude, he was already getting affected as Shizune posed before him on her bed with only her undergarments hiding her other feminine attributes. He managed to get his thoughts back and spoke.

“You….you look very beautiful Shizune-chan?”

Shizune smiled at that and before Naruto could say anything, she reached out and pulled him to her as he was now on top of her, Shizune smiled deeply at the feel of having Naruto on top of her and she moved to kiss him, Naruto replied in kind as he kissed Shizune back, the kiss was chaste at first, but it was not long before the two were kissing one another hotly. Naruto moved back after a deep three minute lip lock with Shizune and he began to remove his clothes in order to allow Shizune to see his form, He didn't take too long in removing his clothes as Shizune blushed as well as whistle deeply as she got to see his well formed and chiseled body, she ran her hands on Naruto's chest as well as his arms, moaning gently at the feel of his hot skin as well as the muscles underneath as well.

Shizune decided to be fair to Naruto as she reached behind her neck and untied the knot that held her bra together at the neck, as soon as that was out of the way, Shizune then moved to prop herself on one elbow and she then reached behind her to unhook the latch to her bra, as soon as that was out of the way she was now half naked in front of Naruto as she moved upward as Naruto moved back to allow the Jonin to sit up. They looked at one another for a brief moment as they blushed at one another. Shizune then spoke to Naruto.

“Naruto-kun….you know that compared to Tsunade-sama after you used the Rebirth Flame Spell, I am older now than the others who are close to you….do you mind being….”

Naruto shook his head and replied.

“You are beautiful in your own way Shizune-chan, no matter how old you are right now, you are a beautiful woman.”

Shizune blushed even more and gave her response to his praise by rubbing her body to his as well as kissing the blonde Chuunin deeply as Naruto responded in kind, kissing her even deeply as well as running his hands on her back as well as her shoulders, he used the chakra in his hands to rub all the areas where Shizune's pleasure centers were.

However, just as things were going to get good, the clock hit the mark of one o'clock in the afternoon and Shizune sighed as she moved away from Naruto….very reluctantly as she knew that she still had duties to take care of and she couldn't very well leave Tsunade to do all the work, she was about to apologize to Naruto but the blonde smiled at her and replied.

“You don't need to say anything or apologize Shizune-chan, you have work to do with Tsunade-chan to keep Konoha in good condition as well as working, I understand that and I have to agree that this is a better choice.”

Shizune nodded, happy that Naruto understood the situation and was not giving her problems about her need to get dressed and head back to the Hokage Tower, as she got dressed, so did Naruto and as he left the room he made his way to make her something to eat which was hot bread with some butter, Shizune thanked him and ate what she could until Naruto decided to ask an important question to the Jonin.

“Shizune-chan, do you have any free time in this week?”

Shizune thought about that and recalled that four days from now was a good enough day for her to take a break, despite the fairly recent damage done to Konoha by Kagura's attacks, the repairs were very much underway and the recruitment of new ninja students was going well, the fortifications of the village was also growing stronger, and with the new gear, weapons, and armor made by Naruto himself being given to ANBU, things were becoming easier and she would be able to take a much needed break just like Tsunade herself as well.

“Yes, in four days I will be able to take a vacation, why do you ask Naruto-kun?”

Naruto blushed a bit and replied with a very serious but cute way.

“I…I wanted to ask if you would….go out with me….on a date.”

Shizune was surprised and she couldn't help but feel very happy with the news given to her by the blonde Chuunin, in fact this was the very first time in her life that she had ever been asked out on a date by ANY man, and that fact as well as the fact that it was someone she loved and cared for who asked her to go out on a date with him made Shizune smiled even more and she answered Naruto with a slight tear in her eye.

“Nothing would make me happier Naruto-kun! Where will we meet?”

“How about here in your house? I will be paying for the whole thing if that is all right with you Shizune-chan?”

Shizune was very happy with the invitation, and decided to help with the events, she had saved a good deal of money ever since she and Tsunade got back to Konoha as well as taking the missions that she had undertaken when she was asked to by Tsunade, so Naruto didn't have to spend too much of his hard earned money, and since she was a Jonin her pay check was higher than Naruto so she could handle it.

“Why don't we both spend on our date Naruto-kun?”

”All right then, I'll pick you up at two in the afternoon here at your home Shizune-chan, is that all right with you?”

“Of course!”

With that done, Naruto decided to head back to his forge, he still had some work to do, but now he had to provide Shizune with a wonderful gift in order to make her both happy and protect her the same way his present to Tsunade would shield the Hokage from harm if she was ever attacked. But it would have to be different in some regards in order to show how unique his relationship was with Shizune and he had a feeling she was going to need something very special from him in the near future.

--------

Four days later…

Naruto tidied himself up with his white, long sleeved kimono top and his comfortable grey-black pants which worked well enough with his black sash, he then checked his hair as well as his smell and saw that he was ready for the date he promised to take with Shizune today. With his clothes ready and with his sandals on, he checked on the gift he had been working on for four days and left his house, but not before locking down not just his home but also his work place, his forge and the shed that had all of his newly created gear.

As he finished getting ready, he spoke to Holy talon as the sword's eye was open and looking at him as it stood on the special sword handle that held the sword by the hand guard.

(How do I look?)

((“Not too bad, at least the outfit is different, but it should do for your needs.”))

(Thanks, I was kind of worried about dressing up in the same outfit, I think I should get going soon.)

((“it is a bit early for you to be on your way isn't it Master Naruto?”))

(Better this way, I want to surprise Shizune just a bit.)

((“I suppose, good luck, I will keep watch of your home as well as Konoha, enjoy yourself Master Naruto.”))

(I will.)

With that done, Naruto was well on his way to go and see Shizune, with his gift already with him to give to her at the conclusion of their date together.

The days had gone well enough and so far since there were not that many missions that he had to deal with that Tsunade had handed to him, he had plenty of time to craft the gift he had in mind to give to Shizune at the conclusion of their date this day, he decided to go ahead to the home of the Medic Jonin, he knocked on the door to see if Shizune was there and he heard the voice of the Jonin who was apparently very busy for some reason.

“Yes? Who is it?'

“It's me Shizune-chan!”

“Oh! Naruto-kun, you made it just in time! I'll be right out.”

Naruto didn't have to wait long as Shizune opened the door to her home showed herself before him.

Shizune was dressed in a more elaborate variant of her traditional garb, though in this case her kimono was soft blue with yellow lotus blossoms stitched into the clothing itself she had a well made deep white sash with specially woven thread wrapped on her waist and while she had short hair, Shizune did her best to decorate it with a hair clip that had a beautiful rose like design on it. She wore comfortable sandals and had a light application of makeup to compliment her natural looks which Naruto admitted were very much attractive, she also carried a small purse with her that had her supply or ryo from all the missions she had undertaken.

The fact that Shizune looked very attractive in this made Naruto wonder why was that Shizune never got the chance to have a boyfriend long before he came, she was very attractive, skilled in the ninja arts, a talented medic nin having been trained by Tsunade of all people, as well as being hard working and practical, why no man ever asked her out was beyond him…though he did consider that fact that she was with Tsunade all her life could contribute to it as Tsunade was very attractive in her own right.

Despite that line of thinking however, he was happy to be with Shizune for this date, the female ninja then turned around to let her date for the night see her in her dress as well as get an opinion on how she looked in the way she dressed.

“So Naruto-kun, how do I look?”

Naruto looked at Shizune and replied with a smile.

“You look wonderful Shizune-chan.”

Shizune blushed, she had worked hard for this moment and Tsunade was more than willing to help her when she informed her sensei of her plan to go out on a date with Naruto, Tsunade said that it was time for Shizune to catch up on all that she had been missing ever since they started traveling together and she was happy for her chance to finally be able to be a woman in all ways. Shizune was happy for this and vowed to do her best to make this date with Naruto a very special one for the both of them.

“Thank you Naruto-kun, shall we?”

As the two went on their date, they traveled to the parks as well as several other areas that Shizune knew well despite having not been in Konoha for many years since leaving the village with Tsunade after her uncle died. Naruto and Shizune spent time to really get to know each other and Shizune couldn't help but feel great sympathy for Naruto. While she knew of his status as the container for the Kyuubi she knew that Naruto was no demon, he had grown into a fine young man and she could see why Tsunade would give him her necklace, which Naruto continued to wear to this day.

She couldn't help but laugh as Naruto told him about how he used to pull pranks and even paint on the faces of the Hokage statues as well as do his best to defy authority, but she also was told about how much his team meant to him as well as everyone in the village, he admitted that long ago he sought the position of Hokage to be recognized and respected, but now….after all he had been through, he vowed to become Hokage to protect those dear to him as well as being a leader who can be trusted and loved.. Naruto admitted also that the time he had acquired Holy Talon, he had learned just how great a legacy he had….to be one of those who had wielded the divine sword to defend others, it filled him with pride and also a sense of duty and responsibility, to not only defend Konoha, but to uphold and honor the traditions and sacrifices of the previous Dragon Champions who were there before him.

He also began to admit that he didn't regret learning the truth about the Kyuubi, and that was something that surprised Shizune. Naruto then replied that if he had been in the Fourth Hokage's place, he would have been hard pressed to do what he did. He still disliked the Fourth for sealing the Kyuubi in him, but at least he could use the Kyuubi's power for his own reasons and he shuddered at the thought of how it would have turned out had it been different.

Despite the seriousness of the conversations they had while being on their date, Naruto and Shizune were able to have a great deal of laughter as well as Naruto told her about the other things he had done, and she in turn talked about her own childhood.

It made Naruto sad to know that Shizune lost her parents when she was young as well and had to be raised by her uncle Dan and then left with Tsunade when the blonde Sannin left the village to be on her own due to all she had seen, and Shizune was happy to at least be there with Tsunade. She then was happy to be able to meet him alter in life and that made Naruto smile even more.

They stopped by the barbeque restaurant that he had been with Asuma and his team as well as his own group when he and Shikamaru became Chuunin; the two paid for each other's meals and enjoyed the calm atmosphere as well as the beauty of the day as time wore on for the two of them. Shizune and Naruto enjoyed their food and Shizune got to see Naruto appetite in action and couldn't help but laugh at how cute Naruto looked once he felt full, it also allowed her to see just why Iruka would pray whenever he treated Naruto out for food.

As they reached the end of the night, they knew that dinner was no longer needed as they were very much full and as Shizune and Naruto reached her home, Naruto decided that not was the right time for him to reveal the gift that he had made for Shizune. The item in question had taken some time to make as well as enchant with the right spells that he knew and felt that it would help protect the Jonin apprentice of Tsunade.

“Shizune-chan?”

Shizune turned and she looked at Naruto with some surprise.

“What is it Naruto-kun?”

Naruto then took out the small container in his pocket and he then spoke to Shizune with a warm smile. He knew that he was still getting used to the idea of giving gifts, but after his experience with Tsunade on their date, he would be a lot better off in doing this with Shizune, and eventually with the others as well. For now he wanted to give this gift with all he had to make sure that it would be good for Shizune to have.

“Here, I made this for you as a gift Shizune-chan. It took me four days to make this will all the work I had to do for the ANBU, but I hope you will find this to be very helpful for you.”

The Jonin was surprised and opened the box to see just what was inside the box itself and she couldn't help but gasp a little at the sight of the item before her and she took it out to admire the item in question that Naruto made as a gift for her.

It was a necklace, but totally different from what would call a regular necklace, it was unique and very beautiful in design and appearance.

Shizune touched the beautiful necklace that had a beautiful emerald in the middle, surrounded by a pair of dragons and there was the symbol of Konoha on the outer rim in gold leaf. The gem glowed beautifully and the golden chain that held the necklace also glowed with beautiful rune characters and she felt a great deal of warmth in it. She smiled at her companion, friend, and loved one.

“Thank you Naruto-kun.”

“You're welcome Shizune-chan, that necklace is also not just for decoration, it has powers as well to protect you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, the gems can create a very powerful mental shield that will make sure that will prevent anyone from trying to pry into your mind and like Tsunade-chan' gift, this releases a flowing energy that heals wounds and counters poisons. It also has the power to create a mystical barrier that acts like a suit of armor from magical attacks as well as some chakra attacks.”

Shizune was touched at how much Naruto wanted to keep her safe, it was very heartwarming to get such a precious gift as Naruto had no doubt struggled in order to create this necklace for her to keep and use if ever she needed greater protection, and she still had the Orchaelium armor that she had been given when they fought with the Wraith Knight as well as the weapons given to her.

The Jonin apprentice of Tsunade hugged Naruto and as he hugged her back, she whispered into his ear.

“Thank you so much Naruto-kun, I will keep this close.”

As she moved away, she decided to have some free time with Naruto for herself this time as she wanted to take some time off, with all of the work done for the day, this was going to be her time off and she was very much happy that she was going to be with Naruto in order to spend that time wisely. Shizune then grabbed Naruto by the collar and dragged him through the door of her house.

Naruto didn't have time to ask Shizune just what she had in mind but he had a fairly accurate idea as the Jonin apprentice placed the necklace down and hugged him once more. As soon as she was done holding him close to her, she removed her sash and parted her kimono as she kissed him and did the very same thing with him as well. Naruto took the invitation as he closed the gap between him and Shizune.

As soon as he was close, he removed his clothes and now they were back to the same position they were in four days earlier, only this time they were not going to be interrupted. Naruto and Shizune were now more than ready and eager to have their fun this night.

--------

(The lemon for this will be in the Lemon Story board for Naruto Dragon Champion so wait for it there!)

--------

The next day…

Naruto woke up in an unfamiliar room and in an unfamiliar bed, he shook his head trying to recall what happened and where he was until his memories came back and when they did he blushed at how Shizune showed her deeply passionate side as well as her more adventurous personality when it involved intimacy.

((So the conquering hero decides to wake huh?))

(Kyuubi….)

((Don't waste time asking me questions, go get out of bed and go see your lady friend.))

Naruto did so and he was able to put on his boxers at the moment, as he left the room, he moved to the living room/dining area and there was Shizune wearing a simple robe and placing some hot food on the table and he couldn't help but speak out to Shizune.

“Shizune-chan!”

The Jonin smiled at Naruto and walked over to hug him tightly as she felt happy that he had finally decided to wake up, she was already wearing the necklace that he had given her for her gift as well as something that could help protect her from harm.

“Good Morning Naruto-kun, I managed to cook some food for both of us, I was hoping you would wake up so you and I can eat together.”

Naruto smiled and replied.

“Sorry for being late then, now let's get down to having a good meal together.”

--------

Two months later…

Naruto was smiling as he finished the last touches on the array of swords that he had crafted for the ANBU from all the metals that he had on hand, the pride of his work however was his first Dragon Steel katana….the weapon was not perfect as the metal was VERY hard to mold and forge properly, but it would be a good test bed for his other projects involving the extremely rare metal. Rumkil and Thorell had told him much about its powers as well as how hard it was to make and while they admitted that his work was crude, it was a surprising result considering that he had little training on how to forge the metal properly as well as how to properly temper it in his forge as Dragon Steel required a temperature that was harder than most to get with normal fire, making Naruto resort to using raw Dragon Fire to forge the weapon and that was hard.

Holy Talon had taught him how to harness Dragon Fire in its raw form a week before and the results were impressive indeed, while normal Fire Spells were quite potent, raw Dragon Fire was much harder to use and it took some time before Naruto was able to fashion a massive orb of burning Dragon Fire to for his first Dragon Steel katana. It had been very hard work and had it not been for his enhanced body as well as the Kyuubi's still distributed chakra, he would not have the needed stamina, strength, and power to forge the sword. It was still like a normal katana and was actually able to block Holy Talon's own strikes as it was made from the same material, but since it was not properly tuned with the use of spells, it was not able to be used in the same way as Holy Talon and was not a sentient sword, thus it was a regular katana.

As he looked the blade over while sharpening it with a powerful and hard whetstone along with a spinning roller to further sharpen the edge, he looked it over and was happy with the current balance. He could work on the sword at a much better time and since it was not like iron or steel that would rust, he would not need to worry about it all that much when he would leave the blade outside.

He then placed the blade into the sheath as he had finished working on the hand grip and it was comfortable to the hands despite being wrapped only in cloth, he then placed the weapon on a nearby sword stand and got up to stretch his limbs as well as work on the kinks in his body. He would need to present the blades to the ANBU while his first Dragon Steel Katana was going to be a support weapon as it was his very first test and after he got the needed training in order to be better at forging another, he would perfect it more, just like he had worked on Kakashi's own sword.

He then decided to go to the shed that he had built and there in racks were the swords, daggers, light armor, kunai, shuriken, spears, chakra enhancing armor, and more in stock. Apart from weapons and light armor, the blonde Chuunin had been making special armor pieces that could be used by the ANBU to further increase their combat abilities Naruto's created shed was sealed off by a special chain forged by the dwarf brothers that only unlocked when Naruto touched it, and to further ensure that security was strong, the blonde Chuunin had imbued the stone walls of the shed with powerful wards to strengthen the stone. He used his power to unlock the chain and entered the room, there was more weaponry here than before and they were for the ANBU.

He smiled at them all and he left it and returned the chain just as Sakura and Sasuke arrived.

“Naruto-kun!”

He turned to his team mates and smiled in greeting at Sakura and gave a smile of respect to Sasuke who merely nodded in reply. As they reached Naruto, he spoke.

“Hey, you guys are here in an unexpected time, we have a mission or something?”

“Not really, just checking all the weapons that the ANBU had ordered from me, making so many weapons is hard as hell, but these will pay off big time when they are used.”

Sasuke then turned to see the shed, and while he tried to act dismissive, he was very curious on what sort of weaponry the blonde had made, it was then that he spotted a katana in a nearby stand in the blonde Chuunin's forge. He made his way there and spoke to Naruto.

“Hey Naruto….what's this thing?”

Naruto walked over and replied.

“It's one of my new prototypes, it's a katana made from Dragon Steel.”

“Dragon Steel? What's that supposed to be?”

“It's similar to the material that makes Holy Talon, so this is one of the few weapons that can stand up to Holy Talon in combat since they are made from the same material, to a degree anyway. It's not forged in the same way Holy Talon was so it's not alive and it's inner power is still unfocused so it can't cast spells.”

Sakura looked at the weapon and due to the fact that she had a portion of Dragon Fire in her body as well as her blood, she could feel the power of the sword, but even Sasuke could feel it as he felt his skin crawl a bit. Sakura then turned to Naruto who smiled proudly at his work.

“If its incomplete as well as crude, why did you make it Naruto-kun?”

“To see if I could, it's already a good looking weapon and very powerful indeed, but it still needs to undergo some changes to be more powerful and effective. But that's for another time since I've got to have the rest of the gear ready for inspection by the ANBU since this stuff is for them.”

Sasuke raised an eye brow at that.

“You're giving all that to the ANBU?”

“Yeah, it was a request from their head Captain so I surely can't turn that down even if I wanted to, besides, the extra weaponry and gear wouldn't hurt too much. Say, you want me to make you a sword Sasuke?”

Sasuke looked at Naruto and shook his head.

“I don't need one yet.”

Naruto shrugged his shoulders and then he was surprised to see that Kakashi as well as Kaelyn had arrived on the scene and he swore that the two were close, making him raise an eye brow and a foxy grin as he had a very sneaky thought in mind, he had seen that the two had gotten close and it made him feel happy for his sensei that he finally got a lady friend.

“Hey Kakashi-sensei!”

“Yo, Naruto-kun, how are you doing?”

Kaelyn gave a ritual greeting of bowing with her right hand and her chest and Naruto replied in kind as Kaelyn looked over his home. The blonde then decided to be a gracious host to his new arrivals and quickly guided them into his home. As soon as they got there, he checked his fridge and saw that he still had a good number of groceries as well as plenty of ramen packs left for eating, Naruto decided to busy himself in making his guests comfortable as he got them some food and drink.

Although Sakura had been in the house before, she still found it nice to explore while Sasuke was till himself and merely glanced at everything, as well as Holy Talon which was currently resting on its stand nearby. Kakashi looked the house over with Kaelyn alongside him to explore the house while Naruto busied himself in the kitchen. He was not a world class cook like Teuchi, but learning how to cook was something he had to learn, plus learning some new cooking recipes from the summoned beings was something he would get used to.

As he finished the light meals, he wondered just how far had Kakashi and Kaelyn gone, he would never dare ask his sensei while Kaelyn was about and he doubted his Jonin sensei would just blatantly say how it was for him, but the blonde hand no doubt he would find out eventually. He looked at Kakashi and Kaelyn who were close to one another in a very telling fashion, though they were very good at hiding that fact from the others, but the blonde Chuunin and Dragon Champion was not something who was easily fooled, not like when he was still younger.

All he could think of was how lucky his sensei was to be with someone who liked him back.

--------

However, Kakashi was not the only ninja of Konoha who was going to do his best to be able to score lucky with one of the women from Holy Talon and Death Fang's world. Of course he was a bit more patient with his approach with the said woman in question.

--------

In another part of Konoha…

Asuma was busy getting some flowers from Ino as he was currently in the flower shop owned by Ino's family, the female Genin smiled at her sensei and asked him a question.

“Hey Asuma-sensei, how is Vlana-san?”

“She's doing well, she usually studies all the books and scrolls in the libraries, she seems to want to learn everything there is to learn in our world, to be honest, I've never seen anyone dedicated in reading the way she is, plus she's applying as a teacher for the younger Academy students.”

“I see, well then, that will be twenty ryo.”

As Asuma gave the money, the young Kunoichi spoke to him.

“By the way Asuma-sensei, say hi to Vlana-san when you give her those flowers.”

Asuma sighed and nodded as he left the building, shaking his head as he recognized that Ino had easily determined that the flowers he had purchased were meant for Vlana in particular, he had retained a good friendship with Kurenai but found himself being attracted to Vlana as the young woman was certainly different as despite her scholarly pursuits, she was more than capable of fighting well on her own if the need came to that.

As he made his way to the library he was greeted by the curator and guided to where Vlana was, she was not in class at the moment and was currently reading on the second floor of the library. As soon as he got there, there was Vlana dressed in a simple long sleeved shirt as well as a long skirt with pants along with a pair of sandals, with her silver hair tired in a simple bun with a pair of chopsticks holding in place as well as a long tail of her hair on the side. The young Silver Star mage turned to look at Asuma and she smiled at him as well as the flowers.

“Hello there Asuma, are those for me?”

Asuma blushed a great deal and nodded as he handed the flowers to the young woman. Vlana gave him a very happy smile as she took the flowers and sniffed them deeply, liking the fragrance and when she placed them down, she spoke to him.

“Thank you for the flowers Asuma, I don't get that many flowers back in my world.”

Asuma was surprised at that as he knew that with her looks, Vlana would have no trouble snaring a man and he was very curious as to why that was the case, until he recalled that considering the way she looked, she was no doubt being targeted by lechers as well as perverts, that made him somewhat angry at the prospect of her being subject to such scrutiny, though he privately admitted that he was not exempted from that as he also found himself staring at her direction more than most.

Vlana noted that and replied.

“It's due to the fact that most of my fellow Silver Star Mages are usually studying and gathering magical artifacts and training with our spells, so we don't go out much unless there is a battle where our powers are needed. I have gotten praises but not that many. By the way Asuma, how are you doing? Have your missions gone well?”

Asuma nodded and replied.

“I'm in good straits, I still miss my father the previous Hokage but I am fine, as for the missions, they are not that hard, but since we're somewhat shorthanded here in Konoha after the attack of Orochimaru and his forces of Sound and Sand, we have to make due at the very least. By the way, how goes your own efforts?”

Vlana smiled a bit as she looked at the collection of books and scrolls before her as she spoke.

“These books have helped me a great deal in learning all there is to learn about your world and it's customs, as Mages we always seek knowledge and learning about these jutsus that exist in your world. It's nice to learn a lot of things while one is still young.”

Asuma nodded and then he decided to try something to get to know Vlana a lot more, after they had first met, he had taken it upon himself to help her adjust to being in Konoha and after several months it seemed that his efforts had finally paid off. He could see that she was tired and needed a chance to take a break, however he wanted to ask her properly if she would mind coming with him for a chance to grab some good food to eat.

“Vlana, have you eaten anything recently?”

Vlana was about to reply when the two heard a slight growl from the Silver Star Mage's stomach, that was enough to answer his question as Vlana blushed a bit, her face becoming somewhat red that matched her own blood red eyes as well as her silver hair.

“Sorry….I get so immersed in reading as well as study that I forgot to have something to eat.”

Asuma sighed a bit and replied.

“It's all right, by the way, there's some very good places here in Konoha where you can eat to satisfy yourself, I could pay for your food if you like?”

Vlana shook her head with a smile and replied.

“I couldn't possibly distract you from your duties as a ninja Asuma, it would seem like I am taking advantage of you. Besides, shouldn't you be out with your team?”

Asuma shook his head as he took out a cigarette and lit it as he smoked and replied.

“We don't have any mission lately and things are settling down well enough, besides, I have already a considerable amount of money stored away so I can afford to use some of it, besides, it would be rude for me to let you go hungry like this when I can help.”

Vlana smiled at that and replied.

“All right, I'll take you up on your offer, thank you Asuma.”

The two left the library and headed off to the rest of Konoha and along the way, a number of people, including some out of village workers commented on Vlana as she and Asuma walked by, they commented on how different she looked as well as how strangely attractive the silver haired and crimsoned eyed woman was, and apart from them, there were other men in Konoha who were also commenting on how she looked.

Vlana was very much eager to try out the food before her as soon as they arrived in the restaurant and Asuma, true to his world paid for the meal and commented that this was a bit easier since feeding Chouji after their missions was usually a bit of a strain on his wallet. Vlana dug into the food which was sushi and tempura, marveling at the food as she had not tried this before in her younger days and wondered just why that was the case. Asuma then explained Chouji's appetite as well as Chouji's family background as a member of the Akamichi Clan, Vlana had to admit that it was surprising and she asked Asuma to describe the rest of his group, he agreed and told her about Ino Yamanaka, her clan's special abilities of Mind and Body Manipulation that Vlana found both interesting and very surprising, as well as Shikamaru Nara and his clan's special abilities which Vlana also found to be very interesting as she continued to eat the food placed before her.

“My Goodness, you have quite a team, a young genius with shadow manipulation abilities, a woman who can control minds, as well as a young man who can manipulate his body at will.”

“Yeah, though I consider my team as being comprised of a slacker, a glutton, and a loud mouth, but I would never have them in any other way, I have to bribe or trick them into doing what I want, but when push comes to shove, they are excellent together, though I mostly do the bribery and trickery on Chouji more than Shikamaru and Ino.”

Vlana laughed at that and so did Asuma as they continued to discuss things about themselves, it was then that Vlana decided to tell Asuma about herself as well to be fair to him.

“I was born in a simple village in the Northern lands, I had a sickness then which made it hard for me to walk, thankfully a healer was able to correct my weakness and that was where I was discovered to be skilled in using Magic, namely the arcane form of magic.”

“What's the difference with Arcane anyway?”

“Well, Arcane magic deals with the use of elemental powers for offensive and defensive combat, so arcane users like myself are better suited for attacking than healing, unlike the Dragon Clerics who's powers over magic are more inclined to healing, restorative, and curative arts. When I was able to use some basic Arcane spells, I entered into the Academy after I fully recovered, normally we don't train as heavily in the combat arts than most warriors, but we do get some basic training in combat, and that is something I wish to thank you for.”

Asuma smiled at that and replied.

“No problem Vlana.”

As time passed, the two of them left the restaurant and they headed back to the library, and it was then that Vlana decided to speak to Asuma about something important.

“Asuma, I want to know something, considering how much time you are spending with me are you asking me out?”

Asuma blushed at that and Vlana laughed a little bit and she spoke to him in a very friendly way.

“I see….well then, when you have no missions that will take your time, pay me a visit and we'll see how far we can go all right?”

Asuma nodded a bit and before he could say anything, Vlana moved closer and kissed him on the cheek and walked back into the library, leaving the male Jonin shaking his head. He then smiled and wondered just how his nephew was going to handle it if he found out that he was going out with one of the women. However fate had other ideas for at that moment.

“Asuma-haku!”

Asuma gulped mentally and turned to see none other than his nephew Konohamaru with his friends and a very wide grin on his nephew's face, and before he could say anything, the young Academy student spoke.

“Are you going out on a date with her soon?”

Asuma wondered just what he was going to say to his nephew, he knew that despite his childish nature, Konohamaru was a fairly sharp minded youth and was not the kind to be easily convinced of something that that what he had seen already was not the truth. With that in mind, he replied to his nephew's question with a grin.

“And if I said I was, what will you do Konohamaru?”

Konohamaru grinned and replied.

“Oh I have my ways….”

Asuma slapped his forehead and laughed a bit, he then told Konohamaru to come with him since he looked like he could use a bit to eat, that was enough to convince Konohamaru to drop his interest in his uncle's love life and join him for a meal, Asuma however knew that Konohamaru was not going to give easily in seeing just how he and Vlana would go. Despite the fact that Konohamaru wanted to be his own man and not to be recognized as the former Hokage's grandson, he had one trait that was very much present with his grandfather and that was his grandfather's secret perverted nature. That fact was something of an object of amusement and exasperation for Asuma for as long as he could remember but he couldn't help but let it be….after all, Konohamaru was still young and who knew what he would be like once he grows up.

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Two weeks later…

Naruto was very busy as he had finally completed his latest creations and these were for a close person to him, he had every intention to give a present to several important people in his life, one of them was Tsunade who treasured his gift to her, and Shizune as well who showed just how happy she was that he gave her a beautiful and useful gift as well.

It was already in the afternoon when he had finished with the last requirements and with those done, he got ready to be on the move.

He then thought about the need to give the others some gifts, currently Kurenai and Hinata were with Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino on a mission, Ino was going with her team on a routine job with Shikamaru as well as Chouji and Asuma. Ayame was busy with her father doing a lot of routine deliveries and Kin was out on her own missions with her team of Haku and Zabuza. Anko was currently on her own mission as well and the only team that was not moving around at the moment was Team Gai.

He then thought about how Neji and Lee had changed, Lee might still have his friendship with Sakura, but he currently had a strong deal of attraction to the elven Fire Dancer Valeena, while Neji seemed to be content with hanging out with Coryin, of course he still kept his friendship with both Lee and Tenten. The thought of the female member of Gai's team then reminded Naruto who he made the new weapons for.

Tenten was a skilled weapon user though he had no doubt she could handle herself well enough in a close combat fight with her other weapons as well as her own Taijutsu skills but he wanted to make sure that she was going to be all right when the time came, he had a feeling that Tenten, being a tough minded woman, didn't like the idea of being weak to others and she would want to prove that she could hold her own in a fight without any assistance, she did have a softer side to her tough personality which Naruto found to be very appealing in his mind and he decided to make the items two weeks before. His skill in the art of forging had grown well enough and he was proud of his work at the very least.

With that in mind, he decided to pay Tenten a visit to see how she was doing and he placed his items in a container. He left his house and was able to reach Tenten's residence, his fears on the possibility that she would be on a mission proved to be unfounded as the young Kunoichi was currently working in the front of her family's home. She still wore her usual choice of clothes so she was very easy to spot.

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Tenten was currently working in the front yard of her home when she spotted Naruto coming towards her with a smile on his face and she decided to greet him with a wave of her hand as well as some words.

“Hey Naruto-kun!”

Naruto smiled back and waved as well as he faced Tenten, he looked about and wondered just where Tenten's parents were at the moment. He had expected them to be present in their home with their daughter. Tenten noted that mode of thought well enough and decided to explain just where here parents had gone recently.

“My mom and dad were on a special trip to but some new materials and tools for their work, that's why I am here in the house and since no missions have come up, Gai and Lee are currently on another training session and Neji-kun is training with his uncle Hiashi.”

“I see….I guess that answers the questions I was about to ask you. How are you doing today Tenten-chan?”

“Fine I guess, though I have to admit, I kind of miss the excitement I get when my team is around, doing nothing is really becoming quite a pain Naruto-kun.”

“I can understand that, but even doing nothing can be a blessing sometimes, I need to take a break from all my work since the ANBU are really driving me to do my very best work for their armories, not to mention the fact I've got to work on some brand new models for them as well to take into the battle front at some point in time.”

`I guess…say, what brings you here?”

Naruto then replied as he revealed the items he had with him at the moment.

Naruto smiled as he handed over the weapons to Tenten, he knew that Tenten loved good weapons and these were certainly his best work for her as they were good to her skills as a weapon mistress.

Tenten looked at the specially made set of kunai that Naruto gave her as a present and will these kunai were certainly attractive and strong looking, she could tell that they were more than just good looking weaponry, she didn't know why, but she could feel a slight wave of energy coming from the weapons as she touched them. The kunai were different despite all of them being deep silver white in color, one had a green gem in the middle of the blade near the handle, another had a deep blue sapphire in the same location, another had a ruby in it, the next had a deep white diamond, and the last had a deep brown gemstone. She then noticed there was a smaller grove in the handle as well.

She looked at Naruto as he gave her yet another gift wrapped present and Tenten took it and unwrapped it and found herself looking as a katana that was straight in appearance and the blade looked to be made of pure Orchaelium, having seen Naruto use his own pair of Orchaelium katanas in conjunction with Holy Talon, she was familiar how powerful this weapon was in combat, she then notice an empty loop at the pommel of the sword and she looked at Naruto.

“Thank you Naruto-kun, these look lovely.”

Naruto nodded as he decided to explain to Tenten her gifts.

“The kunai are very special Ten-chan, the silver kunai is made from Arcane Silver so it had a deadly bite against certain foes that you might face in the future and it is fused with a special surprise. Place a drop of your blood on grove.”

Tenten nodded as she bit her finger to draw blood the same way one would when using it to use a Summoning jutsu, she then allowed a drop of her blood to fill the grove and watched as the blood turned into a small crystal. She then looked at Naruto who explained.

“That kunai and the others like it are gifted with a recalling spell, and the blood that was crystallized allows them to return to their master. Try throwing it and then focus your chakra and will the kunai to return into your hand.”

Tenten did so and as she fired the kunai at a target, she summoned her chakra and to her surprise, the kunai faded from sight, until she looked to her hand and found that the kunai she released was back in her head. She had never seen this before and it made her smile at her boy friend.

“This is a great gift Naruto-kun, what are the gems for?”

“The gems contain special powers that can be similar to the five elemental chakra types so they can be used for attacking in the same way as using elemental jutsu, these are all made of Orchaelium so they are near weightless and strong for use in combat in both long range and short range.”

Tenten smiled and tried it as she threw one of the kunai and focused on fire, the move worked as the kunai was quickly coated in a fireball and when it struck, there was a small explosion of flame with the kunai utterly unharmed and she quickly summoned it back, the kunai quickly returned to her and she decided to get some much needed practice with it as well as it's fellow kunai, she then directed her attention to the sword as she drew it out, admiring the balance and weightlessness of the sword due to the material that it was made from, as soon as she was done admiring the weapons she hefted, and swung it a few times.

Naruto then handed her another small pouch and when Tenten looked inside, she saw the same gems there with the very same symbols of the five elemental chakras. She quickly got the hint and took out the gem marked with the symbol of Lightning and placed it into the hole in the pommel and then spoke mentally the element of Lightning and the blade was quickly coated with a field of pure crackling lightning, making the weapon fairly impressive in it's abilities.

Tenten then decided to train with this weapon in a much better time and she sheathed the sword. The weapon mistress of Konoha then kissed Naruto on the cheek as she hugged him.

“Thank you Naruto-kun, I will cherish these gifts greatly, plus I will put these into good use.”

“No problem Tenten-chan.”

Tenten smiled at the endearment and decided that since he had given her some gifts she might as well treat him out, this could very well be a date for her, with that in mind she decided to go to his home and give him some reward for such interesting work. With a plan in mind as well as knowing for a fact that the day was not over yet, she placed her thoughts into action.

“Naruto-kun, I need to put these in my home, can you wait for me?”

Naruto had no idea what was it that Tenten had in mind, but he was not going to stop her. With that in mind, the young blonde Chuunin nodded.

“Sure thing, I'll be here.”

Tenten smiled as she moved back into her home and deposited the weapons and made it back to. She made it back to Naruto and the two of them moved to the restaurants and with the money she had earned in several missions with Gai, Lee, and Neji, she bought some very delicious food items and as soon as they were done, they made their way to Naruto's home.

As soon as they arrived in Naruto's house, Tenten and Naruto decided to eat their food, since Tenten's family were currently on a traveling journey to gather new materials for their work place, the young Kunoichi had the key to her family home and the security that was there would help discourage any potential robbers. As they relaxed in his home, the Kunoichi decided to make her move as she walked over the blonde Chuunin and they moved to his living room.

As soon as they were there, Naruto decided to relax on his sofa, but it seemed that Tenten had other more interesting ideas for relaxation between the two of them as the Kunoichi moved behind Naruto and began to massage his shoulders and Naruto smiled at the pleasure.

“Tenten-chan….you don't have to do this….”

Tenten however replied in a very serious but yet playful tone.

“Don't argue with me Naruto-kun, just enjoy the fact that I'm doing this for you.”

Naruto decided not to argue with Tenten and allowed her to do her thing. All the while they talked about several things about themselves, Naruto told Tenten about how he had started out as a Genin while Tenten talked about her missions when she and her friends graduated a year ahead of the others of the Rookie Nine as Naruto and his school buddies were called back in the day, she even told him about how hard it was at times to deal with Gai and Lee's antics.

Naruto himself was surprised at this and also asked how she found the way Lee and Gai acted together, and much to his surprise, Tenten was quite entertained with the hilarity that the two would usually conjure up and she told her lover about how Neji would react when his Team mate and his sensei would do something foolish that brought him a great deal of embarrassment. However she admitted that with her team, it was very exciting and despite his antics and off the wall personality, Gai in her mind was and still is a great teacher to them all. Plus the fact that he was already quite a deadly ninja in his own right made it fairly clear that he was not to be underestimated.

Naruto agreed with that and even told Tenten of how Lee and Gai had shown themselves before him and his team during the early part of the Chuunin Exams

As time passed Naruto was getting to be very relaxed and Tenten decided to make her move as she moved away and straddled his lap and kissed Naruto deeply in the lips, Naruto was by no means totally relaxed just yet as he responded in kind as Tenten moaned into the kiss as well as Naruto did. The two parted from one another for a brief moment or two and then Tenten decided to remove not just her Konoha forehead protector but her upper clothes as well. Besides this was her night in this sense.

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(See the lemon in the lemon story board for this fanfic!)

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The next day…

Naruto woke up as he found himself in his bed and feeling tired and yet happy, as he got out of bed, he moved to the living room and saw that there was some food already there, he smelled it and it was delicious, but decided to hold off the eating for the moment and looked for Tenten as she seemed to be nowhere in sight, that is until he spotted her in a simple shirt and pants training with her newly acquired weapons in his outer yard. The blonde decided to take a look and see Tenten in action. Despite that fact he had seen her in combat with Temari in the Chuunin exams only a few months before, seeing her in actions was still something of a subject of great interest.

As the Kunoichi continued to fight with her weapons, the blonde looked on without bothering the Kunoichi; Tenten was deadly accurate with her kunai and made that fact very clear to him as she continued with her training with the weapons. She then stopped and smiled at his direction.

“Morning Naruto-kun I thought you would never wake up.”

Naruto scratched the back of his head and replied.

“Sorry about that.”

Tenten however replied in a friendly fashion.

“That's all right Naruto-kun, you needed your sleep anyway. By the way, why don't you and I spar for a bit, I want to see how much you have grown as a ninja since becoming Chuunin.”

Naruto could tell that Tenten was being serious and he agreed. He unlocked the shed and took out some of the weapons that he had previously made but kept in storage, of course the Dragon Steel katana was something he was not going to use at the moment so he took out a very strong tempered steel sword. Tenten took out her own sword as the two faced each other, this was not to wound our kill, but to see how well they had each grown as ninja.

Tenten was not keen on hurting Naruto….not after they had been through as well as that fact that last night still made her feel more alive than before. She and Naruto looked at one another seriously and got into position with blades drawn…and they began to spar with one another with their swords ringing out in the air.

The two ninja enjoyed this as they traded blow after blow while evading and dodging each other's strike, Naruto learned from his spirit trainers in the ways of the Sword Adepts, the War Blades, The Zealots, the Falcon Rangers, and the Wild Forest Warriors that a warrior was able to learn how another foe fights by observing the enemy in action and that was enough to tell him that Tenten was currently at her very best.

The two trained for the better half of the day until they took lunch together and Tenten went home with a smile on her face while Naruto went off to take yet another mission with Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi. After the simple mission was over, the blonde Chuunin went back home and decided to get an early night's sleep in order to be at his best for the duration of the day.

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Enjoy the rest while you can Naruto…

“Master….the forces you have requested are ready….”

(((“Good, the news is good to hear…now I believe that we should make sure that they were ready for the soon to come battle with Naruto and his allies. However, I believe the time has come to allow a few of my other pets to have a go at this world.”)))

Death Fang glowed with dark power as it was in yet a new lair….far away from where it had been found by Pain and Konan, and as the living, evil sword glowed in it's dark glory with it's servant before it, a massive bolt came from the blade and it formed into a man, covered in black as well as blood red tattoos who bowed before Death Fang and said no word.

(((“Rise….I want you to and cause all manner of slaughter, seek out worthy prey and consume them and make an army to threaten all who dare to oppose you, I wish to see how well my foe has grown since our last meeting. Now, show me your pure form”)))

The tattoos on the man came to life and covered him in a deadly mix of black and red, and a moment, the man changed completely. Before Death Fang was a massive seven to eight foot tall humanoid wolf, with razor sharp claws as well as large teeth with a pair of enlarged canines, the creature was covered in dark fur and had blood red eyes as it howled and bowed before it's master. As soon as it bowed before it's master, the werewolf turned and with tremendous agility and speed, left the lair to begin it's deadly and no doubt, blood thirsty mission.

Death Fang laughed as the now transformed lycanthrope warrior moved through his lair, eager to see the carnage his new pet would unleash into this world.

Outside of the lair, the dark furred Alpha Werewolf looked at the silver moon and howled in primal hunger and fury….it's howls filling the sky and sending waves of ear into the night sky.

The Hunt was on….

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To be continued…

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Author's Notes:

Sorry for the long delay, but things are kind of hectic at the moment, but as this story is coming to a close, that certainly does not mean that it will be quiet. I will see what else I can add to the other fanfics for this time and GunDread SEED The Second Stage will not be on hold for long, I just need time to get back into writing it so I hope for those who have read GunDread SEED The Second Stage that you a;; can wait and allow me to have the time to do it all right.

This chapter is finished and that is a good sign that I was able to finish it in a good amount of time and that is a good thing in my mind as well. This chapter is not too long or too complicated; at least I hope it isn't and it will be something as a preview to fro more stories to come.

It seems that Shizune is the lucky girl to get her own gift this time and it seems that the women who come from Dagern are also doing their part to help Konoha in their own fashion and it seems that they will be very busy at this moment. And it will not be long before the other couples get a shot, namely a certain trench knife wielding Jonin and a certain red eyed and silver haired Silver Star Mage. Of course it seems that Tenten got her own gift as well and it seems to suit the young lady as well.

It will not be long before more things happen, we will have Death Fang's latest trail for Naruto and then comes the part everyone is aching to see, Naruto and Sasuke fighting one another, but considering the fact that Naruto has received a higher degree of training at the moment, one can bet that the blonde ninja will not be so easily beaten as he was in the canon anime and manga.

The collapsible crossbow was inspired by the one used by Hugh Jackman in the movie Van Helsing. I am a big fan of the movie and as you can see….Naruto has plans to incorporate much larger versions for the defense of Konoha as well as several attempts to fortify Konoha's walls and reinforce them with magic to complement the Golems that he had previously created in order to safe guard Konoha. Also the crossbow gathers the folding concepts from both the movie as well as the game Mass Effect

The katana Naruto forged from Dragon Steel will play a key role in the coming chapters as well as make it's appearance in the second story section so expect that this will see action soon enough, but on who's side will this sword in particular be? That remains to be seen in the soon to come chapters in Naruto Dragon Champion.

There is also going to be the chance that Naruto would distribute a handful of his creations to the village of Suna in a much later date, to further reinforce the alliance with Suna and Konoha, how will the village of Suna fair now that they have access to Naruto's arsenals in the near future? That will also be seen in the coming story board so hold on to your hats and get ready for a ride!

It seems that Naruto gets lucky with both Shizune and Tenten, he gets a chance to be with Shizune twice. Thought the first was interrupted, and then once with Tenten, not a bad start. And it seems that Kakashi and Kaelyn are close now, is there a chance that we can be expecting a Kakashi Hatake junior in the near future?

And what of Vlana and Asuma, will their respect and friendship blossom into something more in the near future?

We shall see now won't we? Also for the fans of this fanfic, a new chapter will highlight the growth of the relationships of Kakashi And Kaelyn as well as Asuma and Vlana as their teams will be sent to deal with a new threat from Death Fang and they will be joined by Gai and his team with Coryin and Valeena coming into the fray as well as Meer and Shana. How will the female Zealot, Steel Lancer, Falcon Ranger, Fire Dancer, War Blade and Silver Star Mage work as a team in combat?

This coming chapter will be a very interesting situation indeed!

Also, the polls will soon close and soon the highest votes females will soon make their appearance into the story, so expect Naruto's love life will get a hell of an upswing. Not to mention that Konoha gains an alliance that will further reinforce and strengthen it as a whole.