As the group of young ninja and their older client trudged along the path leading to Tazuna's house, all of them were thinking about the marvelous display of swordsmanship that was displayed by the two swordsmen, more importantly, by Naruto. All of them had thoughts about him which were varied, but the thought that predominated other thoughts, was respect for his strength.
Inuzuka Kiba always thought Naruto as an average student who did not have the same amount of power and skill that was displayed by his family. During the years at the academy, Naruto never displayed the skill or knowledge that his siblings displayed. While his siblings showed the various Ninjutsu taught to them by his parents, he never showcased his talent. His Taijutsu at the academy was acceptable but not very great; he also used the Academy Taijutsu style at the academy instead of the Taijutsu of his clan. Kiba always thought of him as a talentless loser. But now, he could not help but be amazed at the way he used his sword and defeated an A-rank missing-nin who specialized in swordsmanship. His movements were so quick that they were simply a blur. He was determined to get his answers as to why he hid his skill.
Aburame Shino did not mind Naruto at all. He was a reliable team mate who was not put off by his bugs or his silent nature. During his time on team 11, Shino saw the skill Naruto had. His Taijutsu was something which could defeat Anko-sensei, his chakra control would have made a medic-nin green with envy and he was probably the fittest person in the whole village. But, what he just saw was not just skill, it was almost scary for him. The way he handled the sword felt so natural that the strikes seemed to flow. Shino never thought about the skill level of Naruto, but he knew, his Kenjutsu could defeat anyone he wished. It was probably also the reason why he never concentrated on projectile throwing.
Haruno Sakura initially joined the academy because of her crush on Uchiha Sasuke. She was very happy when she was able to graduate. She cheered for him at every occasion and was quite sad when she was not able to get on the same team as him. After two months of intense training at the hands of Yuuhi Kurenai, she broke out of her fangirlish tendencies. She always thought that Sasuke would save her when she would face danger, but while facing Zabuza, she was certain that Sasuke would not be able to protect even himself. As she thought of the most gruesome ways she would die, her friend Mito's elder brother came, faced a very strong missing-nin and defeated him without any jutsu. She never saw arrogance, some flashy technique or some kind of trick. Naruto-san defeated Zabuza through his skill. In that very moment, Naruto became her idol, not her crush. She wanted to be as strong and majestic as Naruto-san.
Kurama Yakumo always thought that, Naruto was hiding his skill. Today's fight showed her something that she had ignored completely. He was not hiding any of his skill, he was not challenged into revealing his skill, heck; no one among the Gennin could even make him draw his sword. It was not him hiding, but her not being strong enough for him to force him to reveal his skill. She grew determined to make him reveal his full skill.
Hyuuga Hinata was a gentle person. She was mostly seen as weak because of her aversion to hurting people, which was a liability in the field of ninja. The other reason she was unable to grow till now, was her sensei Yuuhi Kurenai's mothering. She led a sheltered life till now, which caused her to freeze up when Demon Brothers and Zabuza attacked the team. She expected to die at the hands of Zabuza but the quick action of Naruto saved the team's life. As she looked at the person who saved them, she vowed to become strong like him.
The senseis of the two teams were keenly observing Naruto. The boy had managed to push back someone who was a part of the greatest and most fearsome swordsmen, and carried an oversized butcher knife, with a simple Katana. If he was to leave the village, he would be able to join any group without any problem. They would have to keep an eye on him for any kind of treasonous activities.
Tazuna just thought how lucky he was, to hire such a powerful team. When he was first introduced to them, he was apprehensive. But the redhead was able to dispel any doubts he had about the team. Even if all the members of the teams were not freakishly powerful like the redhead, they were competent for sure. He was also inspired by the conviction of the swordsman, that he will protect the hope of Wave Country by any means possible.
A few miles down the road and team 11 and 8 arrived with Tazuna at his house. The house itself was near the ocean and seemed a simple wooden house. Tazuna led the shinobi inside.
"Tsunami I'm home" - Tazuna said happily that he finally got home.
"Father" - Tsunami said hugging him "I'm relieved that you are alright". Tsunami was a very beautiful woman. She had mid back dark blue hair and black eyes. She wore pink shirt with red sleeves and dark blue skirt.
"It's thanks to these shinobi. They saved me" - Tazuna said. Tsunami approached his protective detail and bowed saying "Thank you for protecting my father shinobi-san. You are welcome to our house".
Naruto stepped forward and bowed his head and said," Thank you for having us."
"You are a very polite young man; what is your name?" asked a pleased Tsunami.
"My name is Namikaze-Uzumaki Naruto, Gennin of Konoha, member of team 11 led by Mitarashi Anko. Behind me are Kurama Yakumo and Aburame Shino, my team-mates. The other team is team 8, consisting of Inuzuka Kiba, Haruno Sakura and Hyuuga Hinata, led by Yuuhi Kurenai. Can you show us some rooms where the teams could rest? We need to be in our top condition on the mission."
"Very well, there are three guestrooms on the top floor, where you all can retire for the night. I have yet to cook the dinner, so you can ask for anything you want." instructed Tsunami.
The teams quickly entered the home and decided to clean up before questioning Naruto. Taking some time to clean the dirt and grime acquired during their trip put them in a slightly better mood. Once everyone was clean, they all surrounded Naruto, while shooting him accusing glances.
Naruto was a little unnerved by their glares and nervously stammered out," What?"
Anko got angry and yelled," Don't 'What' me brat, what you did back there, was reckless and arrogant which would have resulted in death, loss of limbs or the death of your comrades. What do you have to say for yourself?" ranted Anko while tapping her foot.
"I was confident about my ability. Since no one in the village was there for me to practice Kenjutsu with, I decided to clash my sword with Zabuza." Spoke a timid Naruto.
"I am quite curious about your Kenjutsu style Naruto, who taught you such a powerful style?" inquired Kurenai.
Sitting down on a bed nearby, Naruto looked at the team and said something which would have been considered as a joke if they did not hear it from Naruto's mouth," I created the two Kenjutsu styles I use. I had to because no one taught me anything before."
Everyone sitting around Naruto was shocked into stunned silence, before the screamed in incredulity.
"WHAT!"
Naruto winced at the loud noise and said in a laidback manner while cleaning his ear," Yeah, it is quite surprising. I learnt the basics from the scrolls in Konoha Library while the techniques were created by me after extensive study of anatomy, physics, forging, and many other branches. Even my chakra training is completely self-taught."
Anko was the first to snap out of her shock. This was a lot to take in, after all, when do you learn that the a Gennin in your squad is a prodigy of Kenjutsu and is skilled enough to push back a master Swordsman of the Mist. Zabuza skills may have gotten a little rusty, but he was still a fearsome swordsman.
"But why did you hide your skill? Hiding one's skill is viewed with suspicion." asked Anko.
Naruto simply looked at her in a strange manner, as if she was an alien.
"I never hid my skill. I just did not have any opportunity to showcase it. I may be many things, but not a showoff. Also, my Kenjutsu styles are very difficult to learn and almost impossible to master. To utilize my Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu, a person must have at least high Kage level speed without using chakra, perfect reflexes and a pinpoint precision. Even the Rikudou Sennin would have trouble if he faces this style at its highest level. It was my dream to create a style that is unmatched in the shinobi world."
"But what about the other style that you used, the Shingetsu Ryu? I was unable to grasp the concept behind that style." enquired a curious Kurenai.
"That explanation can wait, for we have much more pressing concerns than my Kenjutsu styles. I believe that Zabuza is still alive, and might recover his strength in about ten days." Naruto spoke seriously.
Everyone was shocked; how could Zabuza be alive when they all saw him die? Kurenai even checked his pulse; there should be no way for Zabuza to be alive.
"But how can Zabuza be alive Naruto-san, we all saw him die?" asked a nervous Sakura.
"Those weapons that the hunter-nin used were simple needles..." Naruto trailed off as he looked at his team,"… which can be used to put someone in a false death state. Also, the hunter-nin are supposed to destroy the body of the missing-nin at the spot. The hunter-nin was most likely an accomplice; fortunately, the death like state would keep him incapacitated for about a week because all of his muscles were contracted to the maximum in that state, coupled with the injuries I gave him, we have about ten days before Zabuza attacks again."
A silence fell across the room as the teams tried to take that information in. Sakura finally broke the silence, a sliver of fear causing her to stutter, "S-so, what are we g-going to do?" she asked.
Anko grinned excitedly and announced, "We are going to get you ready for battle. You are going to receive heavy training. As I can see now, Naruto is the strongest among us, which means that we will have to improve s much as we can by the time Zabuza attacks. Also, we must start your Ninjutsu training as it can give you an edge. Tomorrow, I will evaluate your skill in Ninjutsu and Taijutsu. Have a good rest, and be ready for torture, I mean training."
Everyone shivered at the thought, already dreading the hellish torture they would face in the morning.
Next Morning
After a quick breakfast, courtesy of Tsunami, the two ninja teams of Konoha gathered in the forests of Wave Country to train for their upcoming battle.
"Yosh! The first thing me must do is to evaluate where you stand in terms of your training. First will be your physical evaluation, then your chakra training and finally your tactics. I already know the skills of my team, but the other three Gennin are a mystery. So maggots, start running through the forests without any chakra enhancement. I'll provide the motivation." yelled an excited Anko, before biting her thumb and doing the Kuchiyose no Jutsu. A huge brown-colored snake appeared and began chasing the three Gennin who began to run while screaming in fright.
On the other side of the clearing near the lake, Kurenai was instructing Anko's team on the finer aspects of chakra usage.
"So, do you all know water-walking exercise?" asked a curious Kurenai to which they all nodded. Kurenai thought for a moment before deciding," In that case, we will learn about Kunai balancing and the finer aspects of Genjutsu. While most people do not put much stock in Genjutsu, it is a very dangerous and subtle art which can ensnare the senses and mess with the brain. I mostly deal with visual Genjutsu but there are also auditory Genjutsu which are slow acting but very dangerous. The first step towards a Genjutsu is to send your chakra in the opponent's chakra system and then manipulate it. Why don't you all try it." advised Kurenai.
The first person to get this exercise was Yakumo, because she was a Genjutsu user, the second one was Shino when he was able to inject his chakra through his insects into Kurenai's chakra coils.
Naruto did not have any way to do so, so he decided to ask his tenant and partner.
"What do you think Kurama, Yamato, how will I do this exercise? Yakumo uses her paintings, Shino used his bugs, how to I do it?" asked a frustrated Naruto.
Kurama smiled at his tenant. After such a long time, Naruto began to show the emotions he had bottled up as a child who grew neglected. His emotions always made Kurama smile, which was also shared by Yamato. Smiling, Kurama said," Well brat, chakra can be sent through your parts. That Yakumo girl infuses her paint and painting with her chakra, while the Shino boy injects his chakra through his bugs which eat chakra. The only other way to do so would be by handseals, or by Yamato."
Naruto was confused, how could he use Yamato to cast Genjutsu? Yamato laughed at Naruto's confused expression before explaining," My physical form is made up of your chakra. As a result, I can infuse yin chakra to anything that touches me. You can put people under Genjutsu by either cutting them with my edge, or you can infuse the surroundings with chakra through me. I can even infuse light with chakra which can be used to cast Genjutsu on anyone who looks at my blade."
Naruto was really impressed by the idea and a water mirror came to his mind, you can see and touch the reflection, but not the real thing." Thank you Yamato, you have given me a great idea." spoke an excited Naruto before leaving the mindscape, leaving two smiling tenants behind.
Opening his eyes, he looked at Kurenai who was expecting him to invade her chakra coils with Genjutsu chakra. Naruto grinned and pulled out his sword while saying," Look closely Kurenai-sensei. Let's see if you can detect the Genjutsu I place on you."
The rest of his team waited for a moment before Shino threw a punch at Naruto who was stupidly holding a drawn sword.
Suddenly, the Naruto who was holding the sword shattered like glass and the real Naruto appeared behind Kurenai while holding his sword at her neck, completely surprising her and scaring the astonishing his two teammates. Naruto looked in her eyes and said," Genjutsu: Kyoka Suigetsu (Genjutsu: Moon Water Mirror), a special Genjutsu that controls all the five senses of the victim and can be placed without much difficulty. Unbreakable until the Genjutsu is broken by destroying my Genjutsu image. It cannot be broken or defeated by normal release technique because the person normally uses deductive reasoning to detect a Genjutsu and this Genjutsu can bypass any deductive reasoning. For the people caught in this Genjutsu, anything done in the Genjutsu is completely real."
Kurenai was floored at the applications and power of such a Genjutsu. It looked like Naruto was truly a prodigy that comes once in a lifetime. Even if he did not have many Genjutsu, the one that he had could do anything. He completed Genjutsu training and became a master by only one strong Genjutsu, and this accomplishment made her very proud of him.
"That you did Naruto-san, looks like I don't have much to teach you. But I reckon that you won't use it much. It seems as though you consider Genjutsu beneath you." spoke Kurenai in a steely tone.
"I do not consider Genjutsu to be beneath me, but it makes me feel conflicted. Genjutsu is a perfect ninja tool, but I feel almost dirty when I use it, as if my whole being revolts to the idea of winning a fight unfairly." said Naruto. Taking a deep breath, he continues," I wish to train my Kenjutsu, if you will allow me."
Kurenai sighed and relieved Naruto. Naruto was working on two special moves for his Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu style. The first was Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu: Kuzuryusen (9 headed dragon flash). The types of attacks in Kenjutsu are; first, the Karatake (downward stroke), Kesagiri, the slantwise downward stroke to the shoulder), reverse Kesagiri, right Nagi (belly stroke), left Nagi (reverse belly stroke), right upward cut, left upward cut, and the Sakakaze,(upward stroke) and the stroke that pierces at the shortest range to the chest, the Tsuki. In all forms of Kenjutsu there is no killing technique that does not aim for one of those nine points. Naturally, the stances of defense were developed to correspond to these same nine points. But If you move with the godlike speed of the Hiten Mitsurugi style and strike at all nine points at once, there is no possibility of defense. This was the ultimate attack move of his style, and Naruto was looking forward to perfecting it.
Ninja used their chakra for everything, even in Kenjutsu, which was an insult to Kenjutsu in Naruto's opinion. It caused him to study all sorts of topics from the basics of swordsmanship, to high-level physics. With constant practice and hard work, he was able to use his Kenjutsu without chakra, in a way that would make a chakra user jealous. Kuzuryusen was an attack that cannot be avoided or blocked, except by the ultimate technique of Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu.
Naruto took out Yamato and created ninety Kage Bunshin and gave them commands," All right everyone, take a clone and practice one of the vital cuts each, when the cut is perfected, dispel."
Naruto kept practicing for a while, and began to make headway with the technique. Using the data feedback from his clones, the stance and movement of Kuzuryusen began to become clear. Deciding to leave about fifty shadow clones to commit the technique to his muscle memory, he decided to rest.
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