Naruto stood at the north gate of Konoha as he waited for his team and sensei to arrive so they could go on their mission.
Today marked their first C rank mission ever and Naruto could not help but feel a little excited.
The night the Kumo shinobi had attempted to kidnap the Hyuga heiress, the Hyuga Clan as well as the shinobi council had been extremely thankful towards him, Itachi and Anko since if it was not for Naruto and Itachi holding the ninja back and Anko going to warn the Hokage then they may have lost the Hyuga heiress.
As a reward, they made the rescue a completed A ranked mission and all three genin got the pay. It also set a new record as Naruto, Itachi and Anko became the youngest team to ever go on an A ranked mission.
Mikoto of course gave them a small scolding but they knew that was just the mother in her talking. Though she was extremely proud of her first genin team and knew from that moment that Naruto, Itachi and Anko would go on to do great things.
They had their test the next day, which was basically to let Mikoto see their level of strength.
She was not disappointed and, on more than one occasion, had found herself on the defensive before managing to push them back and subdue them. It made the trio realize that Mikoto was a very powerful woman who had rightfully earned the title of Fire Mistress of the leaf.
Since then for the next six months, they went on simple D rank missions all around the leaf village. They came up with a simple routine, which was to perform D rank missions in the morning, and then they would break for a lunch break before meeting up again for a few hours in the afternoon to train.
Mikoto had managed to find certain aspects with each of the three to help train them in which she was thankful for since she was not the type to leave one out while focusing on the other two.
With Itachi she helped him with his ninjutsu and genjutsu since they both had the Sharingan. Anko was taijutsu and she would spend a good hour or more just blazing it out with the girl while also focusing on her elemental ninjutsu, which she decided to learn after seeing the two boys use theirs for the first time.
Not surprising she had fire element as well which was a bonus.
With Naruto she struggled with for a short while before she could also help him with his taijutsu and kenjutsu. Though she used a tanto as a weapon other than a katana, the dynamic were similar plus it gave Naruto plenty of time to practice his kenjutsu skills against his sensei and improve them.
As Naruto thought of his skills he looked down to the ground and stared at his two hands.
He had always wondered what could help him stand out from his parents and teachers since they were all very world-renowned. His father had the Hirashin, his mother had her Kenjutsu and both had fūinjutsu, Mikoto had her fire jutsu, Tsunade her healing skills and super strength, Jiraiya had his toad jutsu's, Kakashi had his chidori, Itachi his Sharingan and Sarutobi with his bojutsu and decades of experience.
He had wondered what would set him apart from the rest. And it was one month ago when he finally found just what that was.
Flashback
Naruto panted a little as Tsunade threw another punch towards which he managed to jump to the side and dodge at the last second.
He regained his footing and charged towards Tsunade.
This was one of their normal taijutsu spars that Tsunade began ever since she began teaching him. They were in a small training on the Senju compound that they used recently over the few years since Tsunade was the last of her clan and she did not want to see her ancestral home collect dust.
He threw his right fist towards her which she caught almost effortlessly in her right hand. When she did Naruto right leg came up and swung from the side as well. Tsunade brought up her left elbow and blocked the strike.
"Got you now Naru-chan." She said with a smirk before her eyes flickered to the side to see his left fist now coming toward her, having used the momentum to push another strike towards her. It was about to strike but she dodged the strike by moving her head to the side before she spun around on the spot and threw him towards the other end of the area.
Naruto managed to land on his feet but due to the speed he was going at, he fell in to his behind and hit a tree.
From the sidelines Shizune and Hiruzen winced a little at the impact but saw that Naruto was already getting back up before he went forward and charged again, quickly engaging Tsunade again.
"Naru-chan sure has spirit. He and Tsunade-sama have been going at it for two hours now and he is still going." Shizune commended though she was not surprised given the Uzumaki stamina.
"Naruto-kun has come a long way in these few years." Hiruzen commented amazed at how far the young blonde had come since he began his training with them. "Are you and Tsunade still planning on showing him the Shōsen Jutsu?"he asked as Shizune nodded.
"Tsunade-sama wants him to know it just in case of emergencies plus his chakra control has only gotten better. I dare say a few more years and his control might surpass my own. She had even been thinking of giving him the Sōzō Saisei on his forehead, but she wanted to leave that decision to Naruto."
Hiruzen nodded, knowing that while the Sōzō Saisei Tsunade created was indeed amazing, it had its drawbacks by shortening one's life span.
Back with Naruto, Naruto panted as Tsunade kept throwing him around like a rag doll. 'Her taijutsu is just too strong. It is no wonder she hardly needs to use any ninjutsu or genjutsu.' He thought before he his eyes widened when her hand glowed blue and she clenched it into a fist.
"Be ready Naru-chan!" She shouted to him before she brought her fist down to the earth causing the ground in front of her to begin cracking apart and causing the earth to tear apart.
The ground around Naruto felt like an earthquake and did his best to keep his footing. Tsunade's strength was always going to be a game changer, even if she was the one who was winning.
When he was about to jump out of the war zone, he felt his foot get stuck and trapped between a piece of the rubble and kept him in place as the ground in front of him burst open and debris went flying towards him.
Tsunade, Hiruzen and Shizune saw his foot had gotten stuck and were about to dash over to help him when they stopped and watched Naruto perform a feat Hiruzen and Tsunade never thought they would ever see again.
Not knowing what to do, Naruto unconsciously channeled chakra into his hands and grasped his palms together. Just as the rubble was about to hit, pillars of wood suddenly shot out of the ground and formed a protective dome around him which stopped the debris in its tracks.
As the shaking stopped, complete silence was heard as Naruto looked at the wooden dome in front of him with eyes widened so much they looked like they would fall out.
To the side the three older shinobi were in a similar state as Tsunade had even dropped to her knees as she saw one of her grandfather's techniques.
"It's not possible." Tsunade muttered trying to understand what just happened while Shizune was muttering that it had to be some kind of genjutsu and tried to dispel it.
"Naruto." Hiruzen muttered as he looked at the boy who was in a similar state to them. "Just what are you going to become?"
End Flashback
'A day I will never forget.' Naruto thought as he and his three teachers came to the conclusion that somehow which they were still trying to figure out, that Naruto had received the most legendary bloodline Konoha had ever had.
The Mokuton.
For the time being they kept it a secret since if word got out to enemies of Konoha or even to some of the higher-ups in the village like the elders or Danzo that Naruto had the legendary Mokuton of the Shodai Hokage, Naruto's life would never be the same.
"Naruto-kun." He heard snapping him out of his daze as he saw Mikoto along with Itachi and Anko at her side coming towards him.
"Do you have everything you need?" Mikoto asked as he showed a scroll in his right hand.
"So to recap what was the mission again?" Naruto asked wanting to familiarize with the mission as much as possible.
"It's very simple really. We are to take this scroll." Mikoto said waving a small scroll in her hands before sealing it away into her wrist. "And we have to deliver it to Mifune, the General of Iron Country. The scroll has updates on the next shipment of chakra metal that we get traded with from Iron Country."
"I thought Iron Country was a neutral country. Plus it has samurai's not ninja." Anko asked.
"It is, but even though it does not align itself with the other nations, it does trade with them since Iron Country is a cold nation and it needs thing like food imported since they can't grow food well in cold climates."
"Then let's go. I can't wait. This will be my first time out of the village." Naruto said. Itachi quickly said the same while Anko stayed quiet.
Team 13 set off from Konoha to the cold conditions of Iron Country.
Two Days Later
Naruto, Mikoto, Itachi and Anko sat on two logs as they stopped for a short moment to take a breather from tree jumping and to get some food in their stomachs.
Two days of travelling were an interesting experience for the three genin since their D ranks only ever took a few hours at the most.
Naruto was currently eating a few onigiri he had made prior to the mission. Another thing his nee-chan Shizune had drilled into his head was how to make simple basic meals that could be taken on missions and which would not take up much room. Onigiri had quickly gone to the top of the list and he made sure to make enough for the trip there and back.
Mikoto and Itachi were eating some leftover stew that Mikoto had made for dinner before they left while Anko was eating some dango she acquired before they left Konoha.
As they ate Naruto began to pick up on multiple signatures closing in around them and were coming towards them at a fast pace.
He looked towards Mikoto who had already picked it up as had Anko and Itachi. The four nodded to each other and silently readied their weapons.
A minute later a swarm of arrows suddenly flew out of the woods around them and hit them, only for all four members to burst into smoke and be replaced by a log.
Naruto blocked a sword strike from an overweight bandit before he kicked the man in the gut, which knocked him back and knocked him out.
A dozen or so men, who were obviously bandits, ran into the small area where they had been eating. They obviously thought they could win against three children and a woman.
"Where did they go?" One asked as they looked over the logs that were now on the ground.
Just as another was about to speak, a rustle from above them made them look up to see Team 13 drop out of the tree's and in the center of them before they began to attack.
Naruto dropped between two and managed to split kick them both in the face making them get knocked back. When one of them got back up he ducked a strike and landed a strong strike on his left knee cap, making it break in the process as well as the bandit fell down holding his knee in pain.
The other got up but before he could do anything Naruto threw a bunch of shuriken towards him, pinning him to the tree.
From his side he watched as Mikoto and Itachi easily took out the bandits around them, though Mikoto just looked bored if anything and was simply chopping the back of their necks and quickly tying them up or drove her tanto through their chests.
He watched as Anko shot a snake out of her sleeve to which the snake then bit down on the man's jugular causing blood to pour out of his throat and drop to the ground like a sack of potatoes. Anko had killed and he noticed she had no problem with it. It made him wonder if she had ever killed before.
He dodged a swing of a large wooden club and kicked the man square in the face making him fly back and hit a tree. He sensed around and felt there were only a few of the bandits left which quickly were taken out by Itachi and Mikoto.
However he suddenly felt a small burst of killing intent hit him. It was nothing in comparison to what he was use to during his spars with either Mikoto or Tsunade, but it was enough for him to notice it.
His body acting on autopilot he turned round readied his blade and threw it forward. When he did he felt a small warm splash hit his face.
He wiped his other hand over the wet splash and looked at his hand in front him.
Blood
When he looked forward he saw a man in his early twenties wearing similar clothing to the other bandits around them with a chipped sword in his hand. Naruto's blade was in front of him, currently stabbing the young man in the chest.
Naruto had a look of horror appear on his face as he realized what he had done and his hand began to shake. His eyes stared into the man brown ones and watched as they suddenly rolled into the back of his.
Naruto slowly took his blade out of his chest and just stood there as the man fell to the ground as his breathing stopped completely.
"Naruto?" Mikoto asked from behind him as Anko was seen standing behind Itachi who had just thrown up. He had taken his first life as well by snapping one of the bandit's necks. Anko patted his back gently as Itachi just stared down at the ground.
"I-I k-killed him. I-I didn't m-mean to, it just happened. My b-body reacted on i-its own." He said stuttering as Mikoto closed the distance between them and placed her hands on his shoulders.
'The first kill is always the hardest to take.' She thought as Naruto suddenly ran from her grasp and like Itachi had done moments ago, threw up behind a bush.
As he did that Mikoto began collecting the bodies of the dead bandits and placed them in a pile. She then performed a few fire jutsu's and set the bodies on fire so that the bodies could be properly disposed of.
The ones that were still alive did not stay alive for long before Mikoto slashed their throats with her tanto and added them to the burning fire.
Afterward her gaze softened towards Naruto and her son. This was one of the reasons she wanted this C rank. The way to Iron Country was known for having a lot of bandit encampments and she wanted Naruto and Itachi to have their first kill. It was always tough for a genin to kill but killing was in the job description of being a shinobi.
She saw Anko was okay which she knew she was. Anko had already killed due to her past tutoring.
By having their first kill, they would not hesitate to do so again later on. Though she was thirteen when she had her first kill and the memory of the man she killed still appeared in her head from time to time, but Naruto and Itachi were strong, a lot stronger than others their age and she knew deep down that they could take it, handle it and rise above it.
"Come on." She said patting Naruto and Itachi's shoulders and rubbing them gently. "Let's get moving. We should cover as much ground as we can while we still have light." She said making the three genin nod.
Naruto and Itachi were a little slower than normal but that's because their first kills were on their minds and would be for a few more days.
Two Days Later
"The scroll we were sent to deliver Mifune-sama." Mikoto said as she, Naruto, Itachi, and Anko stood in a large office that was had numerous blades and samurai armors decorating around it. On one of the walls was three picture frames hanging up showing three men all dressed in samurai armor and all looking very powerful and intimidating.
"Thank you Uchiha-san." A man said from behind the desk as he took the scroll politely from her and began to read the contents of it.
Mifune was an elderly man so to speak, perhaps in his late forties, early fifties. He had long purplish hair that showed signs of graying along with bandages that wrapped around the top of his head along with a small moustache. He wore a simple navy blue kimono with black sandals.
Strapped to his side Naruto saw a katana with a black handle strapped to his side.
Beside him were two samurai wearing the traditional Iron country armor along with the helmets which Naruto had to admit looked a little strange.
After a few minutes of reading with an expressionless look on his face, Mifune nodded and gave them a small smile.
"The terms in this scroll are agreeable. Allow me a few minutes to right up a reply scroll." He said as he brought out a blank scroll and some ink. He began to write as the team stood their silently as they waited.
After he finished he handed the new scroll back to Mikoto who bowed and thanked him. They were about to leave but Mifune stopped them.
"If I were you Uchiha-san, I would stay in town for a day or two. There is a strong blizzard that will be coming through the area tonight. Anyone who gets caught in it will most likely freeze to death." He said.
"I see. Thank you for the information and looking out for my team." Mikoto said bowing to him again to show her thanks.
As Naruto, Itachi and Anko began to leave the room Mifune used a few hand signals to send a silent message to Mikoto. The two boys had looked so emotionless and both had a tired and worn out look on their faces.
What is wrong with the two boys?
Mikoto sighed a little sadly and made a few hand signs in return.
First kill.
Mifune immediately had a look of understanding cross his face since it did explain everything. He nodded to her as they left and sat back in his chair while putting his sword in his lap. He noticed Naruto's blade in his right hand couldn't help but feel intrigued.
He knew that not many from the leaf practiced in Kenjutsu and it made him a little curious at how the he was progressing.
Early Next Morning
Naruto lay on his bed as just stared up at the ceiling spread all over his futon with the image of the man he killed still on his mind. Every time he tried to fall asleep he would see that man standing in front of him.
'I wonder if this happens to others who kill for the first time.' He thought as he looked out the window to see it was still dark outside though the morning sun was slowly pushing its way through.
He looked over to see Itachi was asleep having spoken with Mikoto for a few hours about it the night before and he looked a lot better than he did. Mikoto did the same for Naruto, however even with her words; it would not leave his mind.
Realizing he would not be getting anymore sleep for the time being, he got out of his futon and put his clothes on. He carried Shusui in his right hand and made his way out of his room, which Mifune had kindly given them during their stay in Iron Country and not get caught in the blizzard during the night.
Making his way through the hallways as well as looking at some painting and decorative samurai armors that were presented on display, Naruto eventually stopped at one of the indoor training room that they were told they could use.
Since the environment of Iron Country was not the best to train in, the samurai had multiple giant rooms made for the sole purpose of training. In the room Naruto went in there were training dummies made of both wood and stone, a large circle about ten meters wide for small time spars to take part in as well as racks for weapons of various kinds.
He went over towards one of the wooden training dummies and unsheathed Shusui and began to train with his sword. The blade didn't feel very heavy to Naruto anymore since he had carried it around for nearly six months and had both grown accustomed to it as well as got physically stronger.
For about thirty minutes Naruto danced around the wooden dummy slashing and stabbing at the straw dummy though since he had no specific sword style, he was just sort of going with the strikes.
From behind him a pair of eyes rested on him as they watched him attack the straw dummy.
Where Naruto was, he could feel someone watching him but did not let on that he knew. They did not feel like a threat but more like they were curious. As if they wanted to see what he would do next.
A few moments later the figure that was watching Naruto dashed forward at great speed with a katana in their hand and swung towards Naruto.
Naruto feeling them suddenly appear behind him, turned around as quick as he could and block the strike with Shusui. Turning around he was surprised to see Mifune standing there in front of him examining both Naruto and Naruto's sword.
"Lord Mifune…" Naruto said in surprise as he quickly sheathed his sword and gave the general of Iron country a bow. "My apologies for engaging you." Naruto said but quickly saw that Mifune was waving it off.
"I engaged you young Namikaze. It is I who should apologize. I wanted to see how well you acted with a blade since I saw you carrying it the other day. I must admit your reaction time with it is quite impressive."
"T-Thank you Lord Mifune." Naruto said a little taken back that one of the best sword users in the world was complimenting him.
"Though by your foot work and the way you hold the blade, you do not have a style for it?" He asked as Naruto shook his head.
"Does your mother Kushina Uzumaki not teach you? She is an expert in Kenjutsu last I checked." Since he found it odd that a boy with a mother as well versed with a blade as Kushina was, did not have a sword style already.
Mifune watched as Naruto shifted a little as well as saw this small look of bitterness cross his face. "My mother is a busy woman. She does not have the time to teach me and continue her other duties in the village." He said looking away.
"I see." Mifune said before his face softened a bit.
"May I?" he asked wanting to take a look at Shusui.
Naruto was a little hesitant since his sword was becoming one of the most precious items he had, but allowed it.
Mifune took it and immediately noticed that it was heavier than other blades. He also noticed how different looking it was since the metal was black with a red wave like pattern going down the middle of the blade ending at the tip, but admired it's unique beauty.
"This is a strong blade. A blade meant for a lot of power and physical strength. To be able to hold a blade that is as heavy as it is at your age is impressive. Though you would need a style to fit this." He said as Naruto nodded.
"Come." Mifune said as he gave Naruto Shusui back and headed towards one of the sparring circles.
They stood in the circle and Mifune drew his blade out of its sheathe as Naruto did the same. "Come at me with the intent to kill Naruto-san. Otherwise don't attack at all."
Naruto bit his lip a little but nodded. Taking a deep breath, he gripped the handle of Shusui in a tight grip though not to tight and went forward towards Mifune.
He swung at Mifune who easily blocked the strike with his blade and first acted on the defensive, letting Naruto get a few strikes in.
Every strike Naruto sent towards Mifune, the experienced samurai blocked it each time and blocked it with little difficulty.
"You must try much harder than that." Mifune said to Naruto as he spun, catching Naruto off balance and knocked Naruto in the chest with the back on his sword and making him stumble back.
Shaking his head Naruto went forward again, this time striking at a fast speed and trying to catch Mifune of guard.
Mifune though once again blocked with ease and dodged the strikes. Naruto swung Shusui a little higher than before and brought it down at a greater speed and with a bit more power behind it.
Mifune locked his blade with Naruto's making a loud clang sound out through the training area.
Naruto tried to push back but Mifune strength was greater and Mifune pushed him back before pushing him off a little bit and like earlier knocked Naruto back with the back of his sword.
Naruto breathed in and out a little heavily, getting a little frustrated that he could not land a single strike on Mifune. He charged forward for a third time but this time Mifune locked his sword with Naruto, spun it around in Naruto hand before disarming Naruto with a swift chop to the back of his hand, making him drop Shusui.
'No!' Naruto thought as he watched Mifune swung his sword towards him, obviously putting Naruto on the post and wanting him to think of his own way to get his sword back. As the strike was about to hit him, Naruto took a leap of faith.
'Please let this work.' He thought as he waited for the strike to hit before he felt the air shift a little. Raising his hands up, he threw his hands in front of him and caught the blade in his palms.
Mifune for one was a little taken back by the sudden move. The strike may not have been very strong since he was holding back a lot but still to catch the blade in two palms like that had impressed Mifune.
'Not bad.' He thought as he slid the blade out of Naruto's palms. He swung again towards Naruto but this time Naruto used his stature to his use, ducked, and rolled towards his blade.
Picking the Shusui up, he brought it up and deflected another strike.
"Not bad. Now you are thinking like a swordsman; however, you should never drop your sword in battle as your opponent may use it against you." Mifune said and leading to example, pushed Naruto away again but this time knocking Shusui out of his just enough to make it fly in the air. Mifune reached and grabbed it before holding the two blades against Naruto neck in a scissor like form.
Naruto meanwhile was a little awestruck at how quickly that just happened, reaffirming how strong Mifune was.
Mifune examined the boy. 'He has talent that's for sure. If he works hard enough and find the right style then he will be a force to be reckoned with.'
Mifune gave the sword back to Naruto who accepted it before taking a few steps back; he sheathed his sword, but kept his hand on the handle.
"Again." He said making Naruto look at him for a few seconds before smiling internally and charging forward as the two sparred for the next few hours, Mifune fully believing that Naruto was going to be a force to be reckoned with as he got older.
One Day Later
Naruto packed his belongings and put them away into a storage seal as he and his team prepared to set off back for the leaf village.
Itachi, Mikoto, and Anko were waiting for him just outside the room as Naruto finished the last of his packing.
Shusui was strapped to his side as he patted the handle. Having sparred with Mifune a lot during the stay, Naruto felt that he somewhat improved as a swordsman and was taught that to be a great swordsman; his sword must become one with him, like it was an extension of his body.
Mifune also drilled into him to have patience since patience was a key element for a swordsman. After their last spar Mifune had been impressed with Naruto and told him to get stronger so that one day Naruto and Mifune could have a clash of swords like never before.
As Naruto was about to leave a small breeze went through the room making Naruto stop and a chakra signature appeared suddenly. However it disappeared as quickly as it came. Turning around he saw on one of the side tables a slightly large scroll now stood out.
He went towards it and saw a note on the side.
This style has no master and has yet to be mastered. It will teach you the basics and fundamentals but will allow you to create your own techniques. Perhaps you can be the first.
Mifune
Naruto eyebrows shot up in surprise. He was thankful that the general of Iron Country was nice enough to point out a few of his flaws and help improve them as well as a part with him, but now he really had to thank the man for he believed he had found a style that would fit him.
Naruto took the scroll and read the name of the side of it.
Ittoryu (One Sword Style)
'Weird name…' Naruto thought as he opened it up and took a few glances at it before a grin appeared on his face.
"This is perfect…" Naruto muttered before quickly sealing the scroll into a storage seal on his arm.
As he left the room, he didn't notice Mifune standing with his back to the wall beside the window with his arms crossed and eyed shut.
"I look forward to seeing who you become young Uzumaki." He said before disappearing.
Naruto met back up with his team, looking back for a second at the compound before they finally began making their way back to Konoha.