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A groan of pain escaped Omoi's mouth as his back landed hard on the ground.
"Wow ... It's the seventeenth time you've been knocked down in less than 30 minutes," Naruto commented distractedly, "Come on, Omoi! You can do it! Go for the eighteenth!"
"Shut your mouth, Naruto!" Omoi growled as he got back to his feet, unwilling to give up.
But his moment of distraction cost him dearly when Omoi was caught in a submission hold and thrown to the ground almost brutally by his opponent.
"Ouch, that must have hurt!" Naruto said.
He didn't feel any sympathy for Omoi, though. After all, he did ask for it by asking Samui to teach him to fight. And if there was one thing Naruto knew about Samui, it was that she never, NEVER, held back from anyone.
It still amazed him that Samui agreed to train Omoi. Naruto guessed that after so much insistence from Omoi, Samui agreed just to get him to stop bothering her so much.
At first, Naruto was upset that his alone time with Samui training was gone due to Omoi's interference. It was his private moment with Samui, damn it!
Samui realized that fact and suggested that Naruto train the two of them alone in the mornings—a slight warm-up before starting the Academy training for the day. Naruto gladly agreed. He could spend time alone with Samui during the mornings, and during the afternoon, after training, he could watch Omoi being used as a punching bag by Samui. Life is Beautiful!
The blonde heard another grunt of pain from Omoi.
"And that's the nineteenth fall!" Naruto exclaimed. "A new record, ladies and gentlemen!"
"I hate you ..." Omoi growled in annoyance due to the constant teasing.
Naruto had been doing it since he started training with Samui.
"Why don't you try to fight her and see how you're doing?" Omoi challenged, glancing at Naruto, who was sitting in the shade of a tree.
The blonde boy shrugged without looking up from his book as he wrote.
"I already had my 'intimate moment' with Samui this week," he replied. "And we both ended up quite sore after our long, intense, heated, and passionate ..."
An annoyed growl from Samui and a withering look were what it took to make Naruto shut his mouth and chuckle.
"Anyway, we can't do it every day, or we won't have the energy for C's training," Naruto shrugged. "So I'll settle for watching you get beaten up. It's strangely inspiring for me."
"Am I a source of entertainment for you?!" Omoi exclaimed in outrage and annoyance.
"Not entertainment, but inspiration," he corrected. "In fact, you, Omoi, and Yugito are great inspirations. But for now, I'll just watch you being used as a punching bag. Do your best, Omoi. Because Samui won't be easy with you. In fact, it wasn't even easy on me. And that's considering how much she appreciates me, loves me, and ..."
"Naruto," Samui interrupted, giving him one of her famous withering glances. "Shut up."
Naruto wasn't intimidated as he smirked at her.
"Oh ~ Why don't you make me, Samui?"
There was a strange tension in the air as they both looked at each other. But it was not just a tension of defiance. It was also something else. Even Omoi seemed to feel it when he looked at both of them expectantly.
Omoi would be lying if he said he didn't want to see a fight between Samui and Naruto again.
At first, Omoi thought he would train alongside Naruto under Samui's instructions. But surprisingly, Naruto was on par with Samui in skills, maybe even higher. Naruto used a combat style similar to Samui, favoring kicks and quick movements. When he asked the blonde boy who had taught him to fight like this, he simply replied:
"I did it myself. My father taught me many things, but I implemented my movements based on his. I didn't want to be a copy of my father's fighting style, so I decided to fight with my own moves. Although, it is still in development."
If Omoi wasn't awed by that, he actually did when he saw Naruto and Samui fight in a friendly match. Omoi's jaw dropped at their movements. It was like watching a strange deadly dance. Seeing that fight, he clenched his fists with resolve. A new fire sprang up within him and burned brightly. He set out to catch up with them one day. And he would do it no matter how much time, effort, sweat, and blood he spilled for that.
Surprisingly, Naruto also helped him in his training, although to a lesser extent. That was due to Samui saying that "A mountain is too small for two wolves."
Omoi didn't quite understand the analogy, but apparently, Naruto did. He even looked strangely pleased when he heard that.
The sound of the bell ringing brought him out of his thoughts.
"Good, it's dinner time," Omoi said, getting up and dusting his pants. "I'm starving. See you tomorrow, guys."
"Sure. Rest, Little Omoi."
"Stop calling me that, damn it!"
"As you wish, Oto."
"Ah, fuck ...!" Omoi growled under his breath. "I don't understand how Yugito can bear you. Not to mention Samui, who trains with you."
"What do you want me to tell you?" Naruto puffed out his chest with pride. "I'm a real heartthrob. Girls love me."
That comment earned him an elbow in the abdomen from Samui.
"Although Samui is quite harsh in expressing her love for me ..."
Samui rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Moron..."
Omoi smiled in amusement. "Well, I better go," Omoi announced. "I hope Karui has saved me a place. See you, Samui, Naruto!"
Naruto and Samui watched Omoi go in the direction of the dining room, Naruto waving his hand goodbye.
"It's been a little over a month since you started training Omoi," Naruto pointed out. "So, what do you think? Does he have any talent?"
"None," Samui said flatly. "He doesn't have a single shred of talent for close combat. He looks more like a street thug than anything else when it comes to fighting."
"I see you're still as kind as ever."
Samui ignored his sarcastic comment.
"But he has something better than talent," she said.
That got Naruto's attention, who looked at her curiously.
"Really? And what would that be?"
"Determination. People like Yugito, who have innate talent, are capable of great things. But determination is more important. All the talent in the world will be worthless if you don't have determination."
"How come you never talked about me that way, Samui? You have never spoken so highly of me. I thought we had something special, Samui."
"Do you live looking for the approval and recognition of others?" Samui questioned. "Don't be an idiot. The only recognition you need is from yourself and no one else."
With those last words, Samui left, although she managed to hear the last thing Naruto said:
"Well, it wouldn't be bad to receive the praise and recognition of the people I appreciate ..."
Samui pursed her lips but said nothing. She had a blush on her cheeks, but she knew Yugito had similar feelings for the idiot.
Later
Omoi's body crashed against the hard dirt floor. A whimper of pain escaped his mouth as he felt his arm being pulled behind his back and pulled up to immobilize him. As if that wasn't enough, he also felt the bottom of a boot press against the back of his neck.
"I told you, don't just rely on your strength and size," Naruto said, imprisoning Omoi. "That can work on someone who has no training and doesn't know how to fight. But someone with a modicum of knowledge will use your strength and size against you. Just like I just did. The fact that you have a weapon means nothing if your opponent knows how to fight."
"Maybe so ..." Omoi growled from the floor, "But not everyone will know how to face an armed opponent. Civilians flinch when a kunai is pointed at them."
"Don't think all civilians are defenseless. I know quite a few who are not weak. Even I, who is shorter than you, can knock you down by using your weight against you. Never underestimate your opponent, Omoi. Doing so spells a death sentence on the battlefield."
Naruto got up and offered a helping hand to Omoi, who accepted.
Naruto turned and raised his eyebrow in intrigue when he saw Samui confront Koo. He let out an impressed whistle as Samui brought him down smoothly.
"That's what I mean, Omoi," Naruto said to Omoi while pointing his thumb at Samui, subduing Koo without much effort, "Samui is smaller and physically weaker than Koo, but that didn't make it difficult for her to knock him down and use his weight against him."
"Hah, what a joke," Omoi teased. "Samui is one of the strongest in hand-to-hand combat. Of course, Koo wouldn't be a problem for her."
"Once again, a perfect example that technique and skill well-used can defeat brute force."
"A-Samui ... I give up ... I give up!" Koo muttered in a choked voice due to her iron grip on his neck.
"You give up? I don't want you to give up. I want you to learn your lesson!" Samui replied, tightening the surrender boy even more. "Learn to use your own strength ... And the way to talk to a lady."
"Ok ... okay!" Koo exclaimed with obvious effort, "I'll learn, but let me go!"
"Is that so? Are you really so eager to learn? So prove it with actions, not words."
Naruto squatted down to watch Koo's face start to turn purple from lack of air.
"Hey Samui, you better let go of him if you don't want him to pass out," Naruto pointed out, "His face is turning as purple as a beet. Although ... I didn't know Koo had such a big forehead. His forehead could probably protect Kumo better than the Raikage."
That comment earned an amused giggle from Omoi.
"Do you want to take his place?" Samui asked, looking at him defiantly.
Naruto smirked.
"Well, if you're on top of me like that, then I wouldn't mind."
Samui narrowed her eyes at him, ready to fight him, when they heard footsteps approaching their position.
"What is her problem?" Omoi asked, pointing at the approaching Jinchuuriki of Two Tails.
"I think I have a slight idea," Naruto commented, turning to look at Yugito, who was approaching with a look that did not bode well.
'Damn, even I would shit my pants if I get up and the first thing I see is that look.'
"Hey, Samui," Yugito called, "If you aren't too tired of beating Koo, how about a real challenge."
Samui was unfazed by Yugito's gaze and got up to approach her as she returned the same commanding gaze.
"Are they going to beat the shit out?!" Karui exclaimed, punching the air.
"I wonder who will win."
"What do you think, Naruto?" Omoi asked the blonde boy, who didn't look away for a second. "You more than anyone knows what both are capable of. You have dealt with them in the past. And you have trained together with Samui for a long time. Who do you think will win?"
Naruto put a hand to his chin as he considered the question.
"Well ... it's hard to say," he said, "Yugito is really talented. There's no doubt. There is nothing that does not go well for her, including fighting. On the other hand, Samui has spent years perfecting her fighting technique, which makes her a truly dangerous fighter. But ... if I had to choose someone, it would be Samui."
"So you think Samui will win," Koo pointed out.
"I could be wrong," Naruto shrugged. "But I think both of them have an equal chance. Both are incredible."
"Samui is strong, but I think Yugito is stronger," Karui agreed, looking more and more excited, "Now start fighting!"
Everyone started whispering excitedly as Yugito began to walk slowly toward Samui, looking even more annoyed than before for some reason.
Samui tensed her muscles in readiness and was about to attack when another roared with authority and fury.
"Stop right now!" C roared, approaching the two students, "What the hell do you think you're doing, worms?!
"Oh shit, it's C!"
"Do you think that training is a play for you to entertain yourself by watching the students fight?!"
"A little ..." Naruto admitted quietly.
C shot him a glare that caused Naruto to make a zipper-like motion to close his mouth.
"Go back to training!" C ordered, causing a sigh of disappointment from most of the students who were awaiting the fight between the top five students.
"You take the fun out of life," Naruto sighed, ready to continue his training with Omoi.
Yagura
A group of six Shinobi raced silently through the treetops. The leader of this group appeared to be a male with a head of messy, light brown hair, pink eyes, and a scar running from under his left eye down his cheek. Despite his youthful appearance, he held a powerful air around him. He was none other than Yagura, the Yondaime Mizukage.
Yagura stopped as he and his squadron reached the Hi no Kuni border. Raising his hand, he signaled for his group to halt. His eyes quickly scanned the area and decided that the area was safe.
He slowly turned to face the five Shinobi that had accompanied him.
"Well, I guess this is where we part," he announced.
Observing their expressions, he noted that a few of them were showing reluctance at his words.
Sighing, he asked, "What is it?"
Haru was her name; One Shinobi glanced at her companions before nervously standing forward and bowing her head. She was the youngest of his guards but the bravest. She was 17 years old, with purple hair tightened into a ponytail.
"Um, with all due respect Mizukage-sama, we believe this is too dangerous for you to go into Konoha's territory without an escort," she breathed out while still having her head down.
"Raise your head," she heard the Mizukage command.
Doing as he ordered, she stepped back into line with the rest of her squadron.
Yagura narrowed his eyes and gave each of the Shinobi in front of him a glance.
"Do you know what we are doing here?" he asked.
"To escort you to the fire country's border, sir!" they replied in a union.
"Yes, the border," he repeated, "So now," he continued, gesturing in the direction they came from, "You have to go back to Mizu no Kuni."
Once again, they began to look reluctant, and Haru spoke up.
"But what if you run into an enemy ninja, they might attack you, and we are very far from Mizu no Kuni. You could..."
Yagura interrupted, "I am here on the Hokage's wishes, so I should be fine, and even if something does happen, do you truly believe that I cannot look after myself," he said, frowning. "I'm not a child,"
He gazed at the Shinobi through blank eyes before nodding and speaking again.
"You will come to this spot in one week exactly, and I will return then."
"Hai!"
"Alright, now you will go back to Kiri and tell Kuroya that the escort was a success."
"Hai!"
"Dismissed!"
Haru hesitated but followed the others. The Shinobi in front of him immediately disappeared at his word, and he could feel their presence getting farther away. Yagura turned back to face the border of Hi no Kuni before he began running towards Konoha.
Before
' "Mizukage-sama, a letter has come for you from Konoha!"
Yagura glanced up from his paperwork and took in the man before him.
"Is that so?" Yagura asked before taking the letter from the messenger's outstretched hand. "When did this arrive?" he asked, opening the letter.
"Just this morning," the man replied.
"I see," he replied as he began to read the letter. Suddenly, a wide grin split Mizukage's face.
"Interesting," he whispered to himself. Looking up, he addressed the messenger. "You're dismissed, but before you go, tell Kuroya to come here,"
"Hai!" the man replied before shuns in away.
A few minutes had passed when a new man appeared before the Mizukage. He had plain brown eyes and long black hair that covered most of his face; however, a long scar that ran down the entirety of the right side of his face was still visible. He looked straight into Yagura's eyes, something most people would not do when talking to the Yondaime Mizukage. His eyes were blank, showing no emotions.
"You summoned me, Mizukage-sama?" he asked unflinchingly.
"Kuroya, I told you not to call me that. Call me Yagura," Yagura said, crossing his arms in front of himself.
Kuroya gazed at Yagura before replying, "You summoned me, Yagura-sama,"
Yagura sighed before continuing, "Yes, I just wanted to tell you that, in two weeks, I will be leaving," he said, a slight smirk playing on his lips.
Kuroya's eyes stayed blank, but Yagura had known him for a long time, and he could tell by the way his body stiffened that he was surprised by this news.
"Leaving to where exactly?"
"Why don't you see for yourself," Yagura said, extending the letter to him.
Kuroya stood, approached Yagura, and took the letter from him. He read the letter in silence before looking up at Yagura.
"You're not going to agree to this, are you?" he asked in disbelief, shaking the letter slightly, "These terms are ridiculous; it's obviously a trap,"
"Or, maybe it's a genuine request," Yagura countered while standing and walking to Kuroya, taking the letter from him.
"Yondaime Mizukage," he read out loud, "I am writing to you to request a meeting. This meeting will be, of course, a peaceful one, as I wish to establish an alliance between both Konoha and Kirigakure. To do this, however, we must meet in person; therefore, I have made the following arrangements: firstly, I have arranged for the meeting to take place in Konoha two weeks from the time you receive this letter. This meeting, as I already stated, will be a peaceful one, and I am well aware of your country's reputation as the bloody mist village, so I request that you come alone as not to disturb the peace in Konoha." Yagura snorted at this but continued reading, "This means no escorts; however, rest assured, you will not be attacked by any Konoha shinobi while in our borders. Sincerely, the Third Hokage."
Yagura finished reading the letter before glancing back at Kuroya.
Kuroya shook his head before saying, "I know there's nothing I can say to stop you once you've made up your mind, so do whatever you want." '
Now
Yagura kept running but could feel something wasn't right, the silence around him and the mist blocking his vision.
"I don't like this Yagura," Isobu suddenly said—his voice on edge.
Yagura was about to reply that everything would be fine when he stopped running and saw two figures walking toward him. Slowly dark cloaks with red clouds appeared.
Yagura knew one of them. "I didn't expect to see you here, Juzo," the Mizukage called his former Shinobi. The said Shinobi gritted his teeth and glanced at the man beside him. Yagura noticed the man was actually young, with dark hair, and . . . Sharingan!
"Long way from Home . . . Itachi Uchiha", Yagura said with a glare, gripping his staff, ready to attack. Itachi didn't react to being called by his name. He simply stared blankly at Yagura.
"I will need your help, my friend," Yagura said mentally, and his body was covered in red chakra, two tails slowly growing behind his back.
"Let's show them the power of the Mizukage," Isobu roared with Yagura's body before charging.
He rushed at his former shinobi of Kiri. Juzo brought up Kubikiribōchō to block his claw which was almost like a sword itself. His giant sword swung towards his head, but he used his right hand to block it before punching him in the chest and throwing him towards a tree; he tried to rush at him again when Itachi showed up in front of him with a Kunai, he blocked his claw with his kunai much to Jinchuuriki's shock.
Yagura jumped away from him before landing on his feet and started doing hand signs. Itachi understood what he was about to do and started doing hand signs.
Water Style: Wave Rush
Fire Style: Fireball
Yagura threw a massive amount of water from his mouth, and Itachi threw a giant fireball. Both jutsus collided, creating a considerable amount of steam around; Itachi's fireball could keep up with his water jutsu, much to Yagura's shock and anger. Who was sure that his jutsu should be superior? Gritting his teeth, Yagura was starting to get annoyed.
"Time to end this," Yagura shouted with Isbobu's voice before coiling himself with his two tails around him. Yagura was enveloped in a blackish-purple barrier that blocked Juzo's view of Yagura. A second later, the barrier exploded with a roar, and their eyes widened at what they saw.
It was The Mizukage; however, it wasn't the one they knew. Yagura was now completely enveloped in the Isobu's Chakra as it became his own skin. His head was a shell to protect it, and he had three tails in his back. This was his version two cloak, and he looked like a miniature Isobu.
Juzo froze in fear, seeing what was before them; they both saw and felt the overwhelming Chakra. The trees started creaking before breaking down like glass. Sweat rolled down Juzo's forehead. His body was shaking in fear.
They didn't have time to plan how to fight him when Isobu started preparing for his next attack. His tails were coiled around Isobu, ending just above his head. Blue and red Chakra were seen floating in the air. Suddenly all the Chakra started compressing until it formed a perfect sphere hovering mid-air. The wind blew everywhere with enough speed to rip trees from their roots, the ground cracking like glass.
Itachi's right eye turned to Mangekyo, which looked like a three-blade shuriken. He knew what the Mangekyo would do to him, but he needed it now.
"Meet your End." Isobu released a cry of fury and threw the bomb toward them. The ground exploded from the pressure, throwing debris everywhere.
Juzo used his big sword to block the attack without knowing what else to do, which exploded in contact. Itachi was thrown away from the force of the explosion, his black cloak had burned in several places, and his hands were burned badly. He quickly stood up to see Juzo leaning against a tree, but his sword had pierced him in the stomach, blood leaking from his mouth and his wound. He slowly turned his head to face Itachi.
"I - Itachi ru. . . run," he warned him; Itachi turned to see the Mizukage preparing another bomb. Itachi focused his Chakra on his right eye; blood slowly started rolling down his right eye like tears.
"Amaterasu," Itachi whispered, and the Jinchuuriki was engulfed in black flames; he started screaming in agony and shaking his head and body, trying to blow away the flames from him. Not knowing what else to Yagura ran away.
Itachi released a sigh of relief and turned towards his comrade. His blond had turned the ground around the tree red. Jozu looked at him with a slight smirk on his face. "Don't look at me like that; you don't need to be a medical shinobi to know my time has ended." He said, his breathing rapid, struggling as his legs started feeling numb, his hands slowly losing strength.
"Do you have any last words?" Itachi asked him with barely any emotion on his face. Jozu showed him a bloody smile. "I want my sword with m... Meeee. . . " his hand fell on the ground. His eyes lose the life in them like blowing a candle. Itachi said a small prayer and put the handle of his sword in his hand.
Later
Yagura was panting; he had returned normal, his skin burned in several places, and he started coughing. While he was running away, Isobu told him to turn his body back to the first form chakra cloak; after doing that, the black flames moved away from his skin and started burning the chakra cloak instead; Yagura then slowly made the part burning his chakra fall in the ground. It took a lot of effort, but he finally got rid of the damn flames, but he had lost a lot of chakra, and even Isobu told him to rest.
His head resting against a tree, he decided to return to his village when he felt a presence behind him. Ignoring the enormous pain, he stood up and turned around to see a man with a mask, the same black cloak with red clouds; his mask covered his whole face except his right eye.
The mask looked orange with lines that collided in the right eye, almost like a spiral. Looking closer, he saw that it was a Sharingan. Backing away, he grabbed his staff tightly.
"Who are you?" The young Mizukage demanded. His whole body screamed from pain, knowing he couldn't do much right now. The man just stood there and chuckled at his question.
"Who I am doesn't matter. Soon The Hidden Mist Village will pay for what they have done."