Naruto grinned while he watched one of his clones testing the recently completed Uzumaki Hover Board. The clone was grinning like a loon, two thumbs up as he gave it a few test runs around the room at Chuunin-level speeds, easily overcoming the Genin-level obstacle course he ordered set up beforehand.
It took two weeks for Naruto to figure out the steering problem but he finally found the solution in a scroll detailing the Yamanaka mind transfer technique. A few seals later, the board could now be controlled by channeling a constant stream of chakra towards a control seal in the middle of the device when the rider steps on it. The sliver of chakra channeled through the seal serves as the rider's will since chakra was a combination of physical and mental/spiritual energy. The only requirement for this method was for the rider's focus since daydreaming was not an option when you were riding something that could pick up active thoughts.
The only problem, which was somewhat irrelevant at this point, was the speed of the board itself. With the current capability of the chakra absorption seal, the board couldn't only go up to Chuunin-level speeds without draining the battery dry. He already had a few clones working on upgrading the seal matrix to increase the percentage of energy absorption from 5% to 10% so the chakra battery could keep up with the increased drain. He hadn't experimented with the possibility of directly applying large amounts of chakra into the battery itself to power the thing since he didn't have the time with other projects taking up his schedule.
He wasn't in a hurry though since the project was stamped as successful with notes on potential upgrades in the future.
"Alright, I think you tested it enough." Naruto spoke through the com-system, his voice blaring out of the speakers in the 'Test Room' as he dubbed it, an unused training room inside ANBU HQ. Neko told him that the room was too cramped for the ANBUs' use so they scrapped it for the underground training chamber built by the Hokage after a petition. Upon learning this interesting tidbit, Naruto immediately commandeered the room, had a few clones set it up as a testing chamber for the testing of his experimental seals. He made a point of placing durability seals on the walls since the last seal test almost blew up the lab into smithereens if not for the clone having the foresight to teleport out to the Forest of Death before the thing could explode.
"Aw come on, boss. Just a few more minutes." the clone whined, clearly enjoying the test run of the hover board.
"Why do I even bother." murmured Naruto as he exited the room towards his laboratory to record the success of his newest creation. He couldn't blame the clone since he was itching to give it a try himself.
"Naruto-sama, you have a message from the Hokage. Should I send it over to your data pad for viewing?" bellowed a voice from the speaker system. The voice belonged to an artificial intelligence created through the collaboration of a hundred clones working for a week. It had the personality of a Daimyo's retainer with the processing power and intellect of a Shinra mother computer. He gave the AI the designation Kuroto since he couldn't come up with a unique name for it.
"Please do, Kuroto." said Naruto as he fished out his data pad and pressed on the blinking icon indicating the new message his AI was talking about. He raised an eyebrow after reading the missive from his boss-slash-grandfather. "Huh? Backing up Team 7 in their C turned B-rank mission…interesting. Kuroto, could you inform my clones in the laboratory to proceed with the experiment. They can use the spare chakra batteries in the vault inside my office if more clones are needed, all are fully charged and ready for use. Also, ask a clone to encode the most recent bingo book into your data banks since I might need inquiry soon if this mission parameter is anything to go by."
"I will inform them, Naruto-sama. I'll make sure that the information is readily available when you're ready. Good luck on your mission."
"Thanks, Kuroto. Watch my clones while I'm gone. They can be pretty stubborn sometimes." Naruto said cheerfully then growled in irritation when he heard his AI's response to that statement.
"They are you after all, Naruto-sama."
"Team 7 needs backup?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow upon appearing in front of the Hokage who wasn't even startled by his entrance. In fact, the Sandaime was already desensitize of his constant appearing and disappearing to and from his office that he could now detect Naruto's chakra signature in an instant before materializing, a testament to his moniker as the God of Shinobi during his prime.
Sandaime nodded. "Yes. I just got a message from Kakashi informing me that they continued the mission despite the increase in difficulty. Considering that they just encountered the Demon Brothers, I bumped it up to an B-rank. Any more rogue shinobi showing up would practically place this mission as an A if we're lucky." He informed the blonde who nodded in understanding.
"Bummer. I think Inu hit his head a few times to continue a mission despite the dangers involved. He's no longer in ANBU and he is babysitting three kids so he'll definitely need an extra hand." said Naruto while shaking his head. He knew that Kakashi was Inu, one of his ANBU guardians when he was an untrained whelp. It wasn't hard to figure out considering Kakashi had a unique hairstyle that was easily recognizable if you knew the man long enough. "Fine, I'll take the mission. Did you give Kakashi a communicator?"
"No I didn't since I already used up the dozen you gave me. Why don't you bring a few extras when you meet up with him? We'll have a conference when you set up camp. I definitely want to know why he decides to continue the mission with only his Genins backing him up."
"If you ask my opinion, I think Kakashi is just too lazy to decide and I bet that he let his Genin dictate the continuation of the mission." Naruto sniffed but was amused all the same.
"That is the reason why I sent for you to back him up. That and the other teams are busy with their missions and I don't want to risk a rookie team to take up the slack." the Hokage admitted. Naruto agreed the man's reasoning but couldn't help point something out.
"You do know that I'm technically a Genin, right?" Naruto asked with a smirk. In truth, he was a Genin on paper but due to his rank as Head of ANBU's Research and Development, he was directly under the Hokage in terms of rank.
"A Genin that can beat a seasoned ANBU in an all out shinobi match?" the Sandaime deadpanned making Naruto chuckle.
"Touche. Anyway, I'm off, old man. I need to rendezvous with Kakashi as soon as possible. Who knows, I might have to bail out his ass if he's neck deep in trouble. Knowing his luck, I daresay he's going to need it." Naruto said dryly before exiting the office towards his personal armory to stock up on supplies.
"Kuroto, did my clone finish encoding the bingo book?" Naruto spoke to his ear piece while maintaining the feed to his communication system back in his lab. He made sure to add a specific seal matrix to his personal com-piece that would directly interface with his AI's server just in case he needed information or to relay orders to his clones working on various experiments.
"Yes, Naruto-sama."
"Good. Please give me any information you have on the Demon Brothers and mention any accomplice they might have."
"Demon Brothers of the Mist. Name: Gouzu and Meizu. Both are C-rank rogue shinobi hailing from Kirigakure no Sato. Both are known for their perfectly coordinated attacks. Last known sightings was in Tea Country working alongside Momochi Zabuza, an A-rank rogue ANBU hailing from Kirigakure no Sato. Momochi Zabuza is one of the Seven Swordsman of the Mist, wielding a zanbatou known as Kubikiribouchou (Decapitating Carving Knife). He specializes in Silent Killing and known to be a master of the Hiding in Mist Technique that blankets the area with chakra-laced mist that hinders any detection via visual, doujutsu, or chakra sense."
"Ah. Kakashi is definitely up to his ears on this one. With the mist in play, his Sharingan is useless. Not to mention that he grew weak after slacking off in his training when he quit ANBU." Naruto mused, thinking of a way to get there faster. He still hasn't mastered unassisted flight yet since he couldn't maintain enough magical saturation on his body to achieve flight. Float? Yes. Flight? No. A thought occurred to him before channeling large amounts of chakra to his board causing it to lurch forward before speeding up. He grinned. "Kuroto, please relay to my clones that the speed of the Hover Board is increased through the injection of chakra directly on the chakra conversion seal. Have them assign a few clones to test this out and try to see how fast the board could go. I am currently going at Jounin-level speeds and will monitor its activity. Please tell them to test it out in a controlled environment.
"Will do, Naruto-sama."
With the newly discovered speed of his board, it didn't take long for Naruto to reach the coast of Wave Country. He sensed a chakra spike the moment he entered the island. He veered off from his current course and made a beeline towards the disturbance and ended up in a clearing covered with thick mist. He immediately picked up the traces of chakra.
"Not your ordinary mist. This has Zabuza written all over it." murmured Naruto as he landed and sealed the Hover Board into his pocket dimension. "Ugh, I hate being blind. Dispel!" a wave of magical energy erupted from him, easily dispelling the chakra-laced mist that covered the area. It revealed quite an interesting sight.
Naruto saw Kakashi trapped in a water bubble with Zabuza holding it stable and active. Six Zabuza, which Naruto knew were clones, surrounded the rest of Team 7 composed of Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and a Genin he briefly encountered by the name of Sai. Sasuke was valiantly fighting the clones who looked like they were toying with him, Sakura trembling like a shaken tree in front of an equally shivering client, and Sai was on the ground unconscious and bleeding.
Considering how dire the situation was, Naruto decided to forgo calling everyone's attention, but instead, blurred out of sight to appear in front of a Zabuza clone with his hand gripping its head. He broke the Zabuza clone's neck with a simple twist of his wrist causing it to dispel back into its base substance. He kicked one that was about to give him a haircut by zanbatou before elbowing the one on his left. The strength of his attacks was enough to dispel the two. Three down, three more to go.
"You might want to sit this one out, Sasuke." Naruto said with a smile as he stood calmly surrounded by the remaining clones. Sasuke was currently trying to pick himself off the ground, bleeding from a split lip and bruises on his face. He was sporting a very nice shiner.
"What are you doing here, dobe?" the last loyal Uchiha all but growled at the interruption. He didn't expect the dobe to appear all of a sudden and dispatch three of his attackers with ease. The ease Naruto destroyed the clones infuriated him.
"The Hokage sent me as backup, great timing too considering how you were getting trashed by mere clones." Naruto said, eyeing the Zabuzas who was doing the same but wearily before turning his attention to the original out in the lake. "Momochi Zabuza, aka Demon of the Bloody Mist, and A-rank rogue shinobi. Glad to make your acquaintance." He said with a grandiose bow, totally ignoring the fuming Uchiha.
"It would seem that Kakashi here brought reinforcements. I applaud how you dispatched my clones. Anyway, you shouldn't have come out but it's too late. I'll kill you first before everyone else." said Zabuza with a smirk visible through his bandaged face as he made a single hand seal causing six more clones to materialized around the blonde. "Farewell, blondie."
Naruto wasn't surprised when he saw Zabuza call up more clones, effectively surrounding him from all sides. The chakra needed to create and maintain solid clones at a distance was noteworthy, definitely the work of an ANBU of Zabuza's caliber. He decided to raise it up a notch to give the man a fair fight. He raised his right hand to the side and materialized Masamune. With a smirk, he swung his blade twice as if testing its weight. Zabuza was about to say something about the materialized sword but stopped when all of his clones were sliced to bits before turning back into water.
"Interesting. Water clones aren't that durable or powerful. I daresay that those clones only had a percentage of your strength and nothing else." Naruto observed the puddles of water that were once clones. He looked up to smile at a startled Zabuza. "I think its fine time we end this, don't you think?" he asked before blurring out of sight before appearing in front of rogue shinobi with Masamune already on a downward strike.
Zabuza was quite surprised when the blonde suddenly appeared in front of him about to slice him from head to groin. He hastily removed Kubikibouchou from his back and blocked the strike. He almost lost his grip on his sword due to the power behind the blow. He channeled a chakra to his arm to strengthen it before pushing the kid off with a swing and a grunt.
Naruto was pushed back but calmly landed on top of the water with only a ripple. "Definitely an A-rank. I'm quite happy that you're strength wasn't exaggerated, Momochi Zabuza." he complimented the masked shinobi with a grin on his face.
"You have moves, kid, I'll give you that. What's your name?" Zabuza asked, showing off his own grin but this one was a bit forced in Naruto's opinion. He didn't know who this kid was but he was definitely not an ordinary shinobi.
"The name's Uzumaki Naruto." he replied before lunging forward to attack the Demon of the Mist with a flurry of slashes and thrusts that forced Zabuza to hastily block or parry while keeping his technique active. "You are definitely a skilled swordsman." Naruto mused before calmly shifting his grip into a double-handed one and followed it up with an upward slash that caught Zabuza by surprise. Since he channeled a bit of chakra into the swing, it was strong enough to lift Zabuza off the surface of the water and into the air. The sudden rise in altitude resulted in canceling the technique that trapped the one-eyed Jounin in place and depositing the man into the water.
"Naruto?" asked the Jounin as he floated. He didn't bother to water walk since Zabuza's technique drained a sizable amount of his chakra. His currently active Sharingan wasn't helping.
"Who do you think, Inu-niisan?"
"Could you please not call me that, otouto. I'm no longer in ANBU you know."
"Fine, Kakashi it is then. The Hokage sent me here to back you up. From the looks of things, you definitely need it."
"That's a relief. I was expecting a team but you're a welcome sight nonetheless."
"I feel the love. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a rogue shinobi to finish." said Naruto to end the conversation before shooting forward to engage Zabuza in an intense swordfight.
Zabuza was scared. He didn't know who the brat was but he was definitely something. This Uzumaki Naruto was definitely strong. The six-foot nodachi was definitely not for show and the boy's kenjutsu style was so unpredictable that he was practically using his battle-honed skill and instincts just to parry the blows. The boy also displayed amazing strength and used it to overpower his many swings despite his smaller frame. He couldn't attack since the boy placed him on the defensive with non-stop slash and thrust. Heck, he couldn't even find any opportunity to counter due to the boy's speed and precision. Growling in irritation, he intercepted the boy's attack with a horizontal swing while putting all of his power into the move but was surprised when he didn't feel any pressure on his sword or the sound of steel on steel. He heard a chuckle to his left and turned to see the blonde swordsman easily standing on the tip of his blade, the nodachi-class blade held lazily by his side.
"I haven't had this much fun in weeks. Sure, I had fun with Ten-chan during our weekly spars but she definitely doesn't have your strength and skill, Momochi Zabuza." said Naruto with a chuckle before smoothly sliding down the blade and kicking Zabuza hard on the head, throwing him to the side. However, the man flipped to regain his balance as he went through a series of handseals, switching to a jutsu battle since the boy was quite skilled with the blade.
"Suiton: Water Trumpet." Zabuza bellowed before opening his mouth to release a highly-pressurize stream of water at Naruto who merely raised an eyebrow at the puny counter.
"Wall."He said calmly as a prismatic hexagon shield appeared in front of him that effectively blocked the attack then cancelled itself when the attack ended. He raised his hand towards Zabuza. "Thunder!"
A bolt of lightning flew out of his outstretched hands forcing him to dodge instead of defending since it wasn't a good idea to use water to block lightning techniques especially when he was standing in the middle of a lake. Naruto calmly raised his nodachi to block a zanbatou strike from above courtesy of a very irate rogue shinobi. The attack was strong since it pushed him down on the water a bit but Naruto corrected that easily as he channeled more chakra to his feet.
"I think we should end this now since I have comrades to treat." Naruto said with a smile before flipping back resulting in the tip of his boots to hit the man on the chin and throwing him into the air. Naruto crouched on top of the water before jumping up, preparing himself for a technique he saw Cloud use on his past counterpart and practiced it to perfection with this many clones. He had to hand it to Cloud Strife, this attack was definitely on a whole new level.
"Omnislash!" in a blur of speed, Naruto showered Zabuza with slashes after slashes that caused the man to scream in pain as various wounds of all shapes and sizes appeared all over his body. The attack ended with Zabuza still alive and conscious but definitely in pain, dripping blood to the clear water below. Amazed at the man's resilience, Naruto kicked the Zabuza back to dry land, bouncing a bit before grounding to an immediately halt when his back collided with a rather large tree. He definitely broke a few bones on that one if the cracking sound he heard was anything to go by. Naruto landed softly a few meters away from Zabuza with intent to finish him off when a masked individual appeared and grabbed the rogue shinobi before disappearing in a flurry of ice.
"Curaga." Naruto whispered the most powerful healing spell he knew, targeting the three injured shinobi in front of him. Sakura gasped as the wounds on Sasuke and Sai disappeared while Kakashi's sat straight when he felt his energy return to him in a rush. "That takes care of that. Shall we proceed with the mission in? I daresay we're done here so we need to get Tazuna to safety."
"Thanks, Naruto." said Kakashi while covering his Sharingan with his forehead protector to stop the chakra drain. Whatever technique Naruto used, it replenished his chakra reserves to full capacity much to his amazement but he didn't want to waste the sudden burst of energy with his exposed Sharingan without reason. The battle with Zabuza was definitely a wake-up call. He made a mental note to train with Naruto while giving his team a few exercise to kill time. "What was that technique you used? That was no ordinary healing technique. You didn't even use hand seals to activate it."
"A healing spell courtesy of my bloodline." Naruto lied, sticking to the story he gave the Sandaime.
"You don't have a bloodline." Kakashi pointed out.
"Not that you know of anyway." said an amused blonde before turning to an awed bridge builder. "How far is it to your home, Tazuna-san?"
"Um, an hour walk from here, shinobi-san."
Naruto nodded. "Please, call me Naruto. Shall we go then? I might have defeated Zabuza but we can never tell if Gato deployed his thugs in the area as backup to bring you down." It was a bluff of course since he already checked the surrounding foliage with an overpowered Scan. The spell didn't report anything besides plants and animals so it was relatively safe.
"Zabuza's still alive?" Kakashi asked after a few minutes of walking towards Tazuna's house. He and Naruto were behind Tazuna with Sai and Sakura flanking the man and Sasuke taking the front.
Naruto nodded, his eyes not leaving the road and the client. "The man definitely lives up to his reputation as the Demon of the Bloody Mist. He survived fifty slashes from my attack and lived to tell the tale. He is very much injured that would take a month to heal, two weeks tops with a skilled medic to patch him up. To answer your question, yes, Zabuza is still alive since his accomplice bailed him out in the nick of time."
"Are you sure it was an accomplice? Kakashi asked. "Whoever that was, he or she was wearing a Kiri Hunter mask so it is quite possible that Zabuza is dead."
Naruto nodded but sighed. "I know. I saw the person clearly despite moving fast and whisking Zabuza away without stopping long enough for me to get enough identification. No, I don't think the person is a Hunter shinobi. If he or she was then that person would have simply killed Zabuza on the spot and burned the body after decapitating the man. Ergo, Zabuza is still alive and he has a skilled accomplice to patch him up." Naruto told the Jounin in a no nonsense tone. "Once healed, Zabuza will return for payback and possibly with reinforcement this time. Not that it matters."
"If you say so." Kakashi said with a shrug. Both were silent again as they walked but Naruto brought something up that made him wince.
"You know, niisan, I've known you as an ANBU and I can safely say that you're not as strong as you once were." he whispered to his surrogate brother-slash-superior.
Kakashi sighed. "I know. I am going to train when I have time." He promised before giving Naruto a sidelong glance, smiling at his surrogate brother. "Hokage-sama told me of your exploits and inventions but he definitely didn't tell me about your skills. You wield the blade like a master. Your Academy file definitely didn't say anything about the strength you displayed earlier. Not to mention those powerful techniques you used without hand seals."
Naruto turned his head towards the Jounin and grinned. "Deception is a shinobi creed, niisan. I decided to hide my skills while in the Academy but continued to train every day keeping my skills sharp. Neko-neechan and Tenzo helped me with my training and some of the ANBU lent a hand if their time permits. Let me tell you, the elites definitely know their stuff. They have been keeping my skills sharp ever since I set up shop at headquarters."
Kakashi nodded in agreement. "I know. I had a chat with them a couple of times last month and they kept me updated with your training regimen. I might no longer be part of ANBU but they keep me posted of what's happening in the ranks out of respect being their former captain. I hope you don't mind if we train for a bit after I teach the kiddies."
"I don't mind. It gives me something better to do." Naruto said with a shrug. "What are you going to teach them anyway? You might want to teach them something a bit more advance since Zabuza is going to come back with a vengeance."
"I think they are ready for the Tree Climbing exercise." Kakashi informed Naruto who was surprised, but not in a good way.
"You didn't teach them the Tree Climbing exercise? What in the hell is wrong with you, niisan? I know you're lazy but I didn't know that you're this lazy!"
"Mah, I think it's early to teach them that yet." Kakashi replied defensively.
"Tree Climbing is a basic chakra control exercise taught to Genins by their respective sensei to prepare them for high-tier ninjutsu, genjutsu, and as a basic survival skill out in the field. It is a mandate that Jounin senseis teach their Genins this skill before undergoing any C-rank mission. Why in the world did you let them take a high rank mission without this important skill backing them up?" he all but demanded causing Kakashi to slump in depression.
"Try teaching that to dysfunctional team and let's see how you fare." Kakashi grouched, giving the Genins in front of him an evil eye. "I passed them because they showed an ounce of teamwork during the Genin Test but that teamwork didn't improve or manifest as I trained them every day. I decided that I would up their teamwork a bit before teaching them tree climbing. In fact, I was forced to get this C-rank mission since Sasuke was practically making me deaf demanding for a stronger mission every day. What's worse, Sakura backed him up and her screeching almost popped my eardrums."
"You definitely need to set your priorities straight, Kakashi-niisan." Naruto shook his head after hearing the man's explanation. "You're their sensei so you call the shots. If you think that your team is too hard to train then drop them. The Hokage knows that it's better to have your Genin take a remedial than ending up dead in a ditch somewhere, more so with an Uchiha on your team being the pampered prince he is."
Kakashi huffed. "I planned to do that last month but decided against it to spare the Hokage a migraine."
"The civilian council?" Naruto asked with some curiosity.
"Who else?"
"You know that they don't have a say in shinobi matters, right?" the blonde pointed out.
"I do but I don't want to trouble Hokage-sama any more than he already is."
"Fine. I'll have a talk with jiji about it." Naruto shrugged. "Who knows, he might grow a spine or two to finally throw the old idiots out. That would definitely make his life easier if nothing else."
"Go ahead. Oh, you might want to stay away from Sasuke for a few days." Kakashi warned him.
"Why is that?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow.
"With the skills you showed and how you defeated Zabuza, expect him to pester you to teach him. He'll be worse considering that you both graduated at the same time and he's the Rookie of the Year."
"Ego much." Naruto said with a shake of his head before giving Kakashi a smile. "Don't worry, niisan. I'll be moving around and won't be seeing Sasuke as much as you implied. I suggest that you train all of your Genins while I take care of guarding Tazuna."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure. This way, the client is protected while your team gets the training they need. Two birds with one stone."
"If you insist."
"I do and no more needs to be said on the matter."
They reached Tazuna's house without problems, not that Naruto or Kakashi expected anything since they instinctively knew that Gato specifically sent the rogue shinobi to finish off the client and expecting it to succeed. Tazuna invited them into his house and introduced them to his daughter, Tsunami. After exchanging greetings, Naruto asked a room where they could hold a meeting. Tsunami ushered the Konoha group to a spacious bedroom on the second floor that she prepared for them in advance.
"Alright, let's get this show on the road." Exclaimed Naruto cheerfully as he brought out a spare communication system from his pocket dimension. He placed it on the bed before removing his earpiece and installing it on the slot. He channeled a lot of his chakra into the storage matrix to charge it up while listening to the hushed conversation of Team 7 in one corner of the room.
"Kakashi-sensei, how did Naruto become so strong?" asked Sakura in a whisper. "He's a Genin like us so how come he is not on a team?"
"It is not my place to tell. I can safely say that Naruto is possibly stronger than me if he was serious enough to use all of his skills." Kakashi informed his surprised team of the truth. He knew that Naruto was quite strong thanks to the updates he got from Neko, Tenzo, and the Hokage. It was only normal for him to ask since he treated the blonde like a brother with Naruto returning the affection. If Naruto could spar with Neko and Tenzo in a stalemate and sometimes win with his unique abilities then the boy was definitely stronger than him considering how weakened he was due to his lack of training.
"I find that hard to believe, Kakashi-sensei." said Sai in his usual monotone but the fake smile was absent from his face telling everyone that he was serious.
"Don't believe me if you don't want to." Kakashi said with a shrug.
"Hn, he will always be a dobe." Sasuke grunted though he was inwardly furious at how powerful the blonde was. He couldn't even beat a clone and Naruto beating the original into a bloodied mess. It was unacceptable for his ego to admit defeat especially from someone he considered an inferior throughout the Academy.
Naruto decided that he channeled enough chakra to sustain the long-distance connection so he called to the whispering team, amused at the attention he was getting from his fight with Zabuza. He definitely made an impression, not that he cared of course. "I think that's enough chakra. Gather around everyone."
"What's that?" Sakura asked, eyeing the complicated box-like instrument on the bed.
Naruto patted his invention proudly. "This, Sakura, is one of my inventions. A long-range communication system I invented at the Hokage's request. It is an advanced form of communication device powered by chakra that has a much longer range than the ANBU ear piece they once used before this baby came out." He explained before pressing the switch to connect to the communication line in Konoha. "Hokage-jiji, do you read?"
The speaker released a bit of static before the Hokage's voice came through much to the amazement of Team 7.
"Loud and clear, Naruto-kun. What's the status of the mission?"
"The mission is now officially bumped to A-rank, jiji."
"Explain."
"Right. I was able to rendezvous with Team 7 when I entered Wave Country via Hover Board. I dispelled the mist surrounding the clearing and immediately engaged Momochi Zabuza and defeated him before healing Kakashi's team and escorting the client back to his house. We are currently in a room on the second floor of Tazuna's pad if you're curious."
"I…see. And Zabuza?"
"Alive and kicking. He was able to survive my Omnislash and you know how…bloody that technique is." Naruto pointed out since the Hokage was usually an audience when he sparred with Neko or Tenzo to check on his progress. The last time he used that technique was with the latter who luckily used a replacement with a wood clone that got sliced to pieces in a matter of seconds. He definitely put the fear of blades into the man if nothing else.
"I expect nothing less from an A-rank rogue shinobi of his caliber. Is Kakashi there with you?"
"I'm here, Hokage-sama." Kakashi quipped, trying in vain to get the amazement out of his voice. Sure, he knew of Naruto's invention but seeing one in action was definitely an experience.
"Glad you're safe, Kakashi, and I'm thankful that Naruto was able to reach you in time. However, I would like to point out your lapse in judgment regarding the continuation of the mission despite the increase in difficulty. We will talk about that when you get back. Here are your orders, continue with the mission to protect Tazuna until he finishes the bridge. Understood?"
"Hai, Hokage-sama."
"Good. Naruto will have his own mission to take care of but will provide back-up if necessary. I think that is enough for today. Could you please get out of conference mode, Naruto-kun. We need to talk in private."
"Alright, jiji." Naruto agreed. He turned off the machine and removed the ear piece before replacing it back on his ear. He channeled a bit of chakra to sustain the feed. "Conference is down, jiji. What do you need?"
"Good. I learned from the grapevine that Gato currently has Wave Country in a chokehold. Leave the protection of Tazuna to Kakashi and his team. Your mission is to find Gato and take him out, freeing Wave from his tyranny. Seal up anything of value while returning the money to the people of Wave. Anything shinobi related should be brought back with you. We might be able to use this to our advantage if nothing else or as compensation if you will with the bump in mission rank."
"Smooth move there. Mission accepted, Hokage-sama." Naruto said in all seriousness. "I would like to hold the start of my mission for a few days. Kakashi will be training his team and bring them up to scratch so I'll guard Tazuna in their stead. I'll proceed with the mission after that."
"That's acceptable. Please be careful, Naruto-kun. I know you're strong but it's always best to be careful."
"Don't worry about me, jiji. I can take care of myself."
"It's only normal for me to worry about my grandson."
"Stop worrying. Why don't you contact Kuroto through the communication system on the base and have one of my clones set up a computer in your office. I already have all the Konoha Archive and reports from the Missions Office encoded there. That should give you something to do instead of being worried all the time. You might also want to have Kuroto teach you how to work the GPS while you're at it. That should help you keep track of your ANBUs during missions."
"Fine! I'll do that. Over and out."
Naruto smirked when he heard the connection end and stopped channeling chakra to the ear piece. He turned to Kakashi who looked at him expectantly. "I have a side-mission but that can be postponed. Let's stick with the plan. I'll guard Tazuna while you train your team. Is three days enough?"
"That's fine." Kakashi said with an eye smile. "Thanks for picking up the slack, Naruto."
"No problem. Anyway, I'll leave for now and scout the island. I need to know what we're up against. Ciao." said Naruto as he made his way to the window after grabbing the instrument from the bed. He sent it to his pocket dimension with a thought before jumping out, not noticing the glare he was getting from the loyal Uchiha of the Leaf.
Naruto was currently high up in the air on his Hover Board looking over the entirety of Wave Country. He was thankful for being given the chance to do what he wanted to do ever since he learned of his mother's name - to find and explore the ruins of Uzumaki Kushina's first home, Uzushiogakure no Sato.
After learning of his mother's legacy, he practically ransacked every history book he could find. His goal was to find the exact location of Uzushio, the Uzumaki Clan's homeland. He found the information in one of the old books deep within the Hokage Archive describing the Third Shinobi World War, specifically the fall of Uzu due to the combined efforts of Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa. According to the author, Uzu was a group of islands off the coast of Fire Country. The main island where the Uzumaki Clan flourished was surrounded by whirlpools that kept invaders away. It was said that the shinobi of Uzu knew of a technique that countered these natural defense so they could safely enter or leave the island before starting it back up again. Naruto used the description to triangulate the location– an uncharted island a few miles east of Wave Country.
Despite this formidable defense, they were attacked thanks to Kiri's Nidaime Mizukage who found a way to bypass said defense. How he did that, no now knew and its knowledge was lost in the sands of time.
It took quite a while but the search in his current altitude made things easier. An hour he spent flying afforded him the chance to finally set his sights on the ruins of Uzushio, his mother's home country. Lowering the amount of chakra he was channeling on the board, he slowly decreased his altitude until he landed at the center of the village. He looked around excitedly, yet with a sad gaze, noting that every wall of the ruined buildings sported crisscrossing designs that marked the clan's love and mastery of the Sealing Arts. Even the layout of the village looked like a gigantic seal, a giant whirlpool in the middle of the island.
"Kuroto, can you check my signal and memorize my current location?"
"Already done, Naruto-sama. What name should I label the location?"
"Hm, name it Uzu and keep it in a separate server along with some of my personal data. I don't want the wrong sort reading the information I plan to put in it."
"Done. I will encrypt it in the usual way for added protection."
"Thanks." said Naruto before creating two hundred clones. "Alright guys. You know what to do."
"Hai, taichou." The clones chorused in excitement before blurring away to check every nook and cranny of his mother's former home to salvage anything he could find to add to his growing legacy.
It was two hours later, an hour before nightfall that one of his clones stumbled upon the ruins of what was once the home of the Uzukage, the leader of Uzushio. Many of his clones were able to find scrolls on different subjects, ranging from the mundane to shinobi arts and sealing from underneath the rubble of the many ruined homes and buildings. However, the star of the show was found later by a clone who deciphered a language written in an old fuuinjutsu script that simply translated to 'The Whirpool's Heart' or more accurately 'The Heart of Whirlpool'. It was safe to say that the clone found the ruins of the Uzukage Tower much to his delight. Naruto immediately dispatched a hundred clones to help him sort through the rubble for anything. He got a lot of practice using the Float spell since some of the rubble was too large and heavy for him to move.
An hour later, Naruto and his clone army finally uncovered a seal on the floor that would have been in the basement of the once complete edifice – a large seal matrix with a hand print at the center.
Using his knowledge of seals, Naruto was able to determine that the lock was a form of Blood Recognition Seal but this was attuned to Uzumakis. Grinning, he bit his thumb to draw blood and bled on all of his fingers before placing his bloodied palm on the array. The effect was immediate. The moment his hand touched the seal, it recognized his blood as an Uzumaki causing the ground to shudder to reveal a secret room just a few feet away from where he was kneeling. A large slab of cement moved out of the way to reveal stairs.
Grinning like a loon, Naruto magically created a ball of fire to light the way as he descended into the catacombs below.
Naruto returned to Tazuna's home the next day with a large smile on his face. He finished exploring the catacombs and found a huge library that contained hundreds, if not thousands of scroll on various shinobi subjects, most of them on the Sealing Arts, as well as various books on the Elemental Nation's complete history. It was the discovery of the century and Naruto was going to milk it for all its worth.
Also, there was a letter on the lone desk in the middle of the library written by the Uzukage before the village was destroyed. It explained what the library held and passed the legacy of the clan to him. Naruto vowed that he would make his ancestors proud and continue their legacy as powerful Seal Masters in the Elemental Nations.
Considering that he didn't have time to peruse all them without anyone getting suspicious, he decided to store everything into his pocket dimension to be sorted later. He informed Kuroto to delegate a few full-powered clones to make a large basement to hide his legacy in. He expected it to be finished upon his return into two weeks. He entered the house to find the Tazuna, Tsunami, Kakashi, and Team 7 eating breakfast. He just realized that he was hungry. His stomach grumbled upon smelling the delicious aroma of food on the table.
"Good morning, everyone." he greeted the group.
"Good morning, Naruto. Glad to see that you decided to join us." Kakashi said with an eye smile. "Where have you been?"
"Scouting the island to make sure I know the geography enough for my mission to be successful." He lied. He had no intentions of telling Kakashi that he went on a private field trip to Uzu, surrogate brother or no. Nope, he was keeping this to himself. "I hope you have an extra plate for me. I'm starving."
"Of course." said Tsunami who hurriedly went to the kitchen to retrieve an extra plate for him. She set it on the table before beckoning a hungry Naruto to sit who did so immediately and scooping some rice onto his plate. "Thank you, Tsunami-san."
"Eat your fill, Naruto-san. I don't want you to go hungry now considering you're protecting my father." Tsunami said with a kind smile on her face. Naruto couldn't help but return it with one of his own.
"Much appreciated." Naruto said gratefully as he started eating. He ate in silence for a few minutes before looking at Tazuna. "What your plan for today, Tazuna-san?"
The bridge builder thought for a bit before answering. "I'm going to rest for today since my nerves are still shot from yesterday." He admitted with a shudder. "I'm going to start working on the bridge tomorrow."
"Good. I'll be your bodyguard for tomorrow and the next day." said Naruto before turning to Kakashi. "You're going to train your kids after breakfast?"
"Yes. I saw a sizable clearing behind the house with some thick trees for the exercise. You are welcome to join us if you wish."
"I will. I want to see your Genins in action if nothing else." Naruto said with a smirk.
"Aren't you going to train with us, Naruto?" asked Sakura a bit timidly. She wasn't that close with the blonde despite being classmates back in the Academy. Granted that she only had eyes for Sasuke and she never really got to know him since he tend to just sit there and listen to the lessons. She did notice that Naruto was close to Shikamaru, Chouji, and Kiba.
"Nah. I already mastered the exercise Kakashi is going to teach you today. I think I'll just join you guys and help if needed." He answered her before turning to the one-eyed Jounin. "Will you be teaching them anything else if they master it?"
"If they master the exercise then I will teach them the next step." Kakashi answered as he read his favorite orange book. "There's a river a few meters away so I might do that."
"That's good, I think." Naruto said with a nod and was about to take another bite when Sasuke decided to make his presence known.
"Teach me, dobe."
Naruto sighed before setting down the chopsticks beside his plate. "What do you want, Sasuke?" he caught Kakashi giving him a look which said 'I told you so'.
"Teach me everything you know."
Naruto stared at the boy for a few minutes before answering. "No thank you. You have a sensei to train you to the best of his abilities. I am not and will ever be required to teach you what I know."
"I demand that you teach me!"
"And I will keep telling you that I won't. You have no right to demand anything from me, Uchiha, so I suggest that you shut your mouth before I do it for you." Naruto said coldly.
"Hey, don't talk to Sasuke-kun like that. You should be honored to teach him everything you know." Sakura screeched causing Naruto and Kakashi to wince.
"Would you mind lowering your voice? You're making my ears ring." Naruto scolded the pink-haired Genin who blushed at the rebuke. "And to answer your question, I will repeat what I told your paramour earlier. I am not obligated to teach him anything and you have no right to berate me for answering him the way I did."
"You're a Genin the same way we are so don't lord yourself over us." Sakura pointed out with a smirk. Thankfully, she was speaking normally this time.
Naruto shook his head. "Poor pitiful fools. Kakashi, would you please enlighten them as to my exact position in the shinobi ranks?"
Kakashi nodded before addressing his students. "Naruto is correct. Despite being a Genin like you guys, Naruto is practically above all three of you in term of rank. He was given a position by the Hokage and has proven himself worthy of said position. In the past four months, Naruto earned the respect of the entire ANBU Corps due to his strength and intellect. He was even given the moniker Konoha's Inventor for his many discoveries and inventions to improve the village, most specifically, the military. You already saw one of his inventions that allowed us to communicate with the Hokage despite the distance. Only the Hokage outranks him and can command him to do anything. So he is right. You have no right to demand anything from him."
All three gaped at him in disbelief.
"How…How can he be that strong? He is the same age as us?" Sakura stuttered out while Sasuke merely glared. "He's not even the Rookie of the Year. If anyone deserves that position it's Sasuke."
Naruto scoffed. "I'm 14, Sakura, two years older than you. I delayed my attendance in the Academy for two years due to self training. Since I don't have any parents or a clan to back me up, I have to learn basic education on my own. I started training myself at the age of six and continued to train myself even during the Academy. Even now, I still train my butts off when I have the time. I achieved my current strength through sheer hard work, blood, and tears. I didn't ask for anyone's help. I researched, studied, and trained on my own. That is the reason why Sasuke cannot demand anything from. My skills are mine and mine alone. If I can achieve this strength then your Uchiha Prince can train to achieve his." He said coldly before standing up. "Thank you for the meal, Tsunami-san. I'm no longer hungry so please forgive me for leaving."
"Don't worry about it, Naruto-san." said Tsunami while giving Sakura a glare.
"Thank you." said Naruto before turning to Kakashi and threw something at him which the man easily caught. "That's one of my spare communicators. It works the same way as the old one but I already configured the seal matrix so it is always connected to mine." He explained, tapping the one attached to his ear. "If you need anything for today, you know how to contact me."
With that said Naruto left the house and out into the woods, intending to do something productive instead of getting angry over Kakashi's team.
Naruto spent the whole day reading in a clearing quite a distance from Tazuna's house. He wasn't worried since Kakashi could easily call him via communicator if a problem comes up. He knew that the one-eyed Jounin wouldn't be bothering him since he would be tormenting his Genins with training. Well, since Sasuke wanted training then he should have his fill right now.
He was currently reading the history of the Uzumaki Clan, the real history of his legacy not the ones written by someone outside the family. Naruto was awed over his family history, a rich family history that started since the beginning of the Elemental Nations. Not only was the Uzumaki Clan powerful Seal Masters and Kenjutsu Experts, the line was directly descended from the mythical Rikudo Sennin himself. He was lucky that the Uzumaki History detailed the history of the Elemental Nations during the time of the famed Sage of the Six Path, the appearance of the Juubi, and finally, the creation of the bijuu, and finally, the formation of the shinobi world through the introduction of chakra.
Naruto enjoyed his clan's history as much as he did with his experiments and inventions. He metaphorically gobbled up the information like a starving man to food. It also answered a lot of unasked questions during his training a few years back.
For starters, his healing factor was merely an offshoot of the Uzumaki's potent chakra, which in itself was a side-effect of their potent life force. His inhuman chakra levels were pretty much a normal thing if he grew up within the clan. In fact, that was the reason why Konoha had the Kage Bunshin in its possession since it was gifted to them by the Shodaime's wife, Uzumaki Mito, as a form of dowry. If Konoha had the Bunshin no Jutsu, the Uzumaki's had the Kage Bunshin since their massive chakra reserves made it impossible for them to pull off a decent illusion. Genjutsu was never his clan's forte because of the same reason. In most cases, the Uzumaki Clan specialized in fuuinjutsu (Seals), ninjutsu, and kenjutsu. Taijutsu was a given.
The reason why the Uzumaki had this bloodline was because of the Rikkudo Sennin. After his defeat of the mythical Juubi, he sired three sons that eventually became the Uchiha, Senju, and Uzumaki. The eldest (Uchiha) was gifted with the Sage's eyes, because of the Juubi, mutated into the Sharingan. The second child was gifted by the Sage's calming presence, hence Senju Hashirama's ability to subdue any bijuu using his Mokuton. The youngest was gifted the Sage's body and potent life force, thus the Uzumaki.
The Sage also created the bijuus. The reason for their creation was the Sage's fear that if he died, the Juubi would be set free to destroy the world once more. He didn't want that to happen so he used one of many powers of the Rinnegan to create nine living bodies in the form of animals. He separated the Juubi's chakra within himself into these nine animals who later became the nine bijuus of the Elemental Nations.
When the Sage died, his three sons had an argument. The eldest wanted to rule the world through fear and power. The middle child opposed him since he wanted to unite the world under the banners of love and peace. The youngest child sided with the middle brother causing a rift. Each went their separate ways to build up their own clan until such time that three major families were born – the Uchiha, the Senju, and the Uzumaki – that formed the backbone of Konohagakure no Sato.
The Uzumaki settled into an island off the cost of Fire Country. They flourished and became masters of the Sealing Arts and the sword. They stuck to the Rikkudo's creed of spreading peace and love to the world but tempered it with a belief that fighting was necessary to promote them. While the Uzumaki Clan flourished, the Uchiha and Senju Clan fought for dominance until such time that the two feuding families united to form Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaf. Of course, upon hearing this, the Uzumaki Clan contributed to the creation of the village and was honored by having their clan symbol combined with theirs, the spiral in the center of the leaf signified Konoha ties with Uzushio.
Naruto couldn't help but be amazed that the Uzumaki Clan once had a healthy relationship with the bijuus, even to the point that they knew their names. However, the corruption of man reared its ugly head as many families and groups rose up to try and capture the tailed beasts and subjugate their powers for evil use. This was the reason why the bijuus were hostile to humans. Various methods and plans were created just to get them under control until some of them followed the Sage's example to seal the bijuus into humans who could control their powers – a jinchuuriki.
The last of the tailed beast that was sealed was Kyuubi. The most powerful of the bijuus was able to avoid humans who wanted his power, especially Kumo who started a hunt to get him under their banner. However, Uchiha Madara used the advanced version of the Sharingan to place him under his control and turned into a summon beast. He later forced Kyuubi to fight Senju Hashirama in the place now called the Valley of the End. A fierce battle ensued but Hashirama was able to destroy Madara's control over the bijuu. Uzumaki Mito who witnessed the battle decided that no one should use Kyuubi's powers for evil so she attempted a powerful ritual that resulted in Kyuubi being sealed inside her. She became the first jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko.
The blonde reincarnation of Sephiroth finished the book, his mind whirling with thoughts as to what he discovered. The Uzumaki Clan had a rich history and it was practically the reason why Kumo, Kiri, and Iwa was so scared of them that they banded together to wipe the clan out. They were successful in this regard since they totally destroyed Uzushio. However, the Uzumakis had the last laugh since the three powers didn't even get anything from their attack and suffered a huge loss in the process. The Uzukage had all of the clan's rich legacy stored into the catacombs underneath the Uzukage Tower and sealed it so that only an Uzumaki could open it. It was their victory despite being wiped out from the face of the Elemental Nation, a bitter victory but a victory all the same.
Naruto placed a hand on his stomach where the seal was located. He was now the third jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko. His mother and father entrusted him with the burden of protecting the most powerful of the bijuu from anyone who wished to subjugate its power. With a glint in his eyes, Naruto decided that he would get in contact with Kyuubi as soon as possible. If he wanted his goals to be reached then he needed to fox to help him out.
The only problem was – he didn't know how.
Naruto sat himself on top of a pile of lumber writing on his notebook while keeping an eye out for Tazuna as he labored on the bridge with the rest of the workforce. Thinking of the bijuu gave him an idea for a project that would be a great help in his shinobi career. It was currently in its planning phase, coming up with different theories, cataloguing the seals he would need, and the overall design of the weapon. He wasn't in a hurry though so he simply took down whatever he could think of and work on it when he got back to Konoha. He was about to turn another page when he overheard a conversation in front of him. He looked up to see Tazuna frowning at a man who had a defensive look on his face.
"You know, Kamo, if you can't work then just tell me." Tazuna informed the man.
"It's not that I don't want to work. It's just that…" Kamo trailed off but Tazuna had an understanding look on his face even though it was a sad one.
"No need to tell me anything, kid. I know how you feel. Tell you what, why don't you go home and take care of your family. I'll handle it from here." Tazuna assured the young man and patting him on the shoulder.
"…I'm sorry for letting you down, Tazuna-oji-san." said Kamo before turning away and left the bridge.
Tazuna sighed. That was the tenth worker this week. He started off the project with a hundred workers. Because of Gato, his manpower dwindled until he barely had enough to accommodate a skeleton crew. If any more quits then he would be the only one to finish the bridge. He sighed and turned to go back to his work but stopped when he heard someone call his name.
"Tazuna-san, what seems to be the problem?" asked Naruto, frowning at the dejected look on the man's face.
"Nothing. It's just another worker asking for a break." Tazuna answered with a fake smile plastered on his face but it didn't fool Naruto one bit.
"I see. How many workers do you have left?" Naruto asked immediately causing the old man's shoulder to droop.
"I only have 15 left. If this keeps up…" Tazuna trailed off before shaking his head, determination returning to his eyes. "No matter. I don't care if all of them stopped working because of Gato. I will finish this bridge even if I die trying!"
Naruto grinned. He liked the man. Despite having the odds against him, he would do anything to free his people from Gato's tyranny.
"Let me ask you this, how many workers do you need to finish this bridge in a week?" Naruto asked innocently, his mind also coming up with a number on how many the unfinished bridge would be able to accommodate in one go.
"A week, huh?" Tazuna mused, pulling on his beard while deep in thought. "If I want to finish this bridge in a week then I need a solid 200 workers to get it done."
"Is that so?" Naruto said with a nod before a sly look crossed his face. "What if I tell you that there is a way to get 200 workers easily?"
Tazuna drooled at the prospect of having such a large force under his command. If he had 200 workers then this bridge was as good as done. He looked challenging at the amused shinobi in front of him. "Hah! What's the catch, kid? Even if you can provide me with that number, I don't think I have the money to pay them all for a week."
Naruto smirked before flaring his chakra. "Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"the unfinished bridge was covered in smoke before it dispersed to reveal 200 Naruto's grinning at him. "Well, old man. There's your workforce."
Tazuna stared at the sea of blondes in front of him. Even his remaining workers were speechless at the sight. "H-how?" he managed to stutter out.
"I'm a shinobi. We can do anything." was Naruto's cheeky reply before clapping the old man's shoulder. "These clones are solid and have all of my abilities and skill. Tell them what to do and they'll do it. Keep in mind that they are shinobi too, like me, so expect them to be stronger than your average person."
Tazuna stared at Naruto in shock before bowing profusely. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I don't know how to repay you for all this."
"I don't require payment. Just finish the bridge and free your people." Naruto said with a shrug before going back to his notes. "If you need any more, don't hesitate to ask. There's more where they came from."
Tazuna grinned before turning to look at the expectant faces awating his order. "Alright, gakis. Let's get to work!"
The shouts of 200 clones and a few of Tazuna's remaining workers scared the grazing herd of deer on the other side of the island.
Naruto stood on his Hover Board overlooking a large mansion in the middle of the forest. He finally found Gato's base by following the thugs who came to the town and 'acquired' the offering for their boss. He immediately followed the group when they exited the town using an invisibility spell before using his board to rise above the trees to assess the terrain. He was so disappointed.
It would seem that Gato's main army consisted of thugs, thieves, bandits, and a few mercenaries he picked up along the way. A brief use of Scan showed that none were shinobi except for two signatures that he recognized. When he got the result of the diagnostic spell, his lips could help but curve into a smile. He was looking forward to a rematch with Zabuza and maybe have a round with the pseudo-Hunter shinobi too if given the chance. However, he decided against it since they weren't a part of his mission.
His mission was plain and simple – eliminate Gato.
Naruto frowned. Unfortunately, or fortunately in his case, he was accustomed to death thanks to his memories as Sephiroth. However, memories were quite different from reality. Sure, these memories were genuine and they did happen but there was a difference between then and now. Naruto knew that he could take a life if he really needed to but it doesn't mean that he had to like it. If he was honest with himself, he had no qualms killing Gato since the man was a scum, a thief, a parasite, a bane to all innocent. No, he had no problems killing if such a person was concerned.
There was also the question on what to do with Gato's men. His strategic mind already came up with difference scenarios on how these people would react if they suddenly found Gato dead in the morning, torn to bits, sliced and diced like chopped meat. One possibility, the one that he liked, was getting them so spooked that they would leave Wave with tails tucked between their legs. Another possibility was the potential of venting out their anger on the nearest target – the town of Wave. Naruto's face turned grim when he realized that these men were petty enough to opt for the second possibility.
If he wanted to succeed in this mission then he would have to take care of Gato and his bandits in one fell swoop. A bloodthirsty grin made its way to his way, a quirk he got from Sephiroth that bled to his present reincarnation. Tenten noticed it at first and commented when she first saw it. She wasn't afraid of it since this was simply an indicator that he was enjoying the fight. He could control himself easily if he wanted to kill his opponent or hold back to let them live another day. Tenten called him an oddity but in a good way that made Naruto smile.
Naruto watched the bandits light up the fires as the sun set over the horizon.
The culling would start tonight and he knew of the weapon to get it done.
But first, he had two people he needed to recruit and if they accept then he would have two new helpers to help him in his goal.