Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Naruto Check out my stories on fiction press ancient sniper if you could.**

Naruto fell down, he saw Sakura run over to Sasuke who had fallen down after a short amount of time, and to him everything faded to black even the Kyuubi's whispers in his ears started to fade as his world changed to black.

Mean while a ghost heard a thump, and he turned hearing the thump of another dead body his name Zale, although his hope was small he decided that seeing another dead body wasn't going to do anything to him.

'Look at that the kid's teammates are abandoning him, you don't see that too often usually they prefer to die together or forcefully die.' Zale thought walking over or more like hovering, and what he found shocked him. 'It's perfect, sure a little short, but the body, potential, although this wouldn't be my first choice he's the first in over a thousand years to have the potential to use manipulation, but even I have to follow the rules.'

Zale picked up the wrist of the body it was cold, and he couldn't feel any spirits rolling around in there, if he looked up he could see the boy's spirit fading from this world onto the next something that he refused to do.

Slowly as if moving too quickly would make the body disappear he pulled his forehead to the forehead of the hollow husk of a body. From the pit of the body shone a bright light that showed through the mouth and eyes as a new spirit moved into the previous body.

"Yes, yes, I walk the earth once again!" Zale said his back arching as he rose as if being held up by strings slowly going to his feet. 'Examine the memories, I have to know what's going on I don't want to end up dead once I barely came back to life. Okay so ninja now, I didn't expect that, These Chunin exams, and I fought the lord Orochimaru guy.'

"**Who are you, and why am I still alive. According to the seal I should have died when the kit did." **A deep menacing growling voice said in the back of his head. **"What is happening the, mindscape is altering, and so are the powers that are in here."**

** '**So that must mean that you're the Kyuubi huh well I guess I could have done worse for a new body.' Zale thought falling onto his back getting used to having a body once again it felt odd getting to actually touch things despite those things being dirt.

Getting frustrated at being ignored the Kyuubi forced the boy into the mindscape of who she no longer knew, but it certainly wasn't Naruto's anymore. Who she saw despite looking like Naruto was not Naruto the feel of him was not his, she had been with Naruto for thirteen years and this boy was not like Naruto.

**"Don't ignore me boy, do you know who you are talking to. No matter how you took the body of the host it does not matter I command you to release me." **Kyuubi growled out viciously, and to her surprise he started laughing a maniacal laugh that made Kyuubi wonder about the boy's sanity. **"You dare to laugh at my presence boy, I have had villages cowering at my feet, the strongest of ninja reduced to tears at the mere sight of me coming in their general direction."**

"You obviously don't know who you are talking to." Zale said walking toward the cage his arms swinging at his sides his eyes shaded by Naruto's hair, and Kyuubi watched the boy walk toward her cage something about him was off. "You should bow down before me I am Zale the mightiest manipulator to ever exist. Your power has no chance against mine, I can make something out of nothing, I can bend the reality of space and time, to me there are no limits."

"And you, you're the ultimate power house if I were to manipulate your power into mine then nothing could stop me, imagine that I could bring entire nations to their knees, reduce the mightiest of ninja to tears as you put it. To think to gain all that power all I have to do is will it to be, the great and mighty Kyuubi would be gone me with all the power."

Kyuubi watched him as he finally got to her she couldn't believe it she felt fear actual fear from this pitiful creature. He grabbed her nose, and she was almost praying to her sister the death god to not let this be the end, she didn't want to let all these years of gaining power go to waste at the hands of a little human.

"Of course if I took your power I wouldn't be strong I would just be relying on someone else's power to get me through so I'll keep you around. Of course I'll need to give you some kind of form on the outer world or else you'll be just an annoying conscious in the back of my head." Zale said looking at the Kyuubi who stayed silent is seemed like the boy wasn't going to kill her.

"**You can use this manipulation ability to move me out?" **Kyuubi asked.

"Not all that, but I can create a body as well as transfer your consciousness into said body, once I do that you'll naturally begin to regain your demonic chakra." Zale said forcing himself out of the mindscape where he woke up to see a giant tiger. "Oh a fight, this will be so fun."

The tiger took the first hit with Zale's shoulder blowing into his side. It roared out loudly as Zale smiled his insane smile before charging again. It hit him second its paws moving faster than he could react with Naruto's body, and a claw grazed his cheek.

"ROAR!" It growled out once again turning on its hind paws moving lightning fast, and Zale ducked down from the second paw, but he forgot about its tail.

"Damn, you're not going to take the life I've waited so long to gain." Zale said from his position on the floor the tiger's tail wrapped firmly around his leg keeping him from standing. "Focus, there's nothing that panicking will do for me. Manipulation!"

The tiger roared back as its tail began to peel itself the fur, the skin, the flesh, leaving only the bone, and this preceded until all that was left of the thing was a few piles of different parts of its body, as well as the skeleton with the organs in it. **'So how is this new body thing going to work?"** Kyuubi asked curious as to how this manipulation ability worked.

"Well I haven't been able to use it in a while, but this body will do well as a base." Zale said his hands glowing red, his eyes turning a bright purple as he used manipulation.

Kyuubi could feel her consciousness leave the body as a hollow husk, and she could feel herself being put into a body that felt oddly feminine she had more than expected an animal body. "This feels odd." she said incredibly surprised to find that her voice was no longer had an angry malice to it, instead it was a soft tone, high pitch voice, had a rather joyful shrill to it.

"Yes I haven't been alive for years, having this body is more than difficult to control. Now according to my memories or those of the boy the others have run off, and without any scrolls either. The only thing that we're going to be able to do as of now is get some scrolls, and then head to the tower." Zale said.

"How do you plan on doing that?" Kyuubi asked and he turned to look at her with his bright purple eyes. "You expect me to do it, I'm a lady aren't you humans supposed to take care of a lady? Wait what are you doing with that ninja wire, no get away, NOOOOOO!"

**Random Team **

"Hey did anyone hear that?" the self proclaimed leader of the group said, and the three boys turned direction hoping to find a team with a heaven scroll. What they found was much better than what any of the boys would have hopped. It was a hot girl wrapped in ninja wire, her private areas almost there. "Let's have some fun shall we?"

"Oh no, that's not going to happen." a voice that came from seemingly in their heads said causing them all to look around trying to find where the voice came from. "There's no point in looking, I am not only your greatest fear, but something you cannot fight, MANIPULATION!"

Suddenly from the ground rose dozens of spears formed of nothing less than sand which formed into razor sharp points that quickly impaled them, it was only then that they noticed the bodies of the three other bodies as well as the boy who smiled maniacally. "AH!" they screamed as they were hit from all sides.

"I hate you, you know that?" Kyuubi said struggling in the ninja wire, he had left her in a more than suggestive way. "What kind of plan is this?"

"I have the scrolls don't I?" Zale asked untying her and rewrapping the ninja wire. "How much time do we have left?"

"Two days, five hours, twenty six minutes, and twenty four seconds." Kyuubi immediately said her inner sense of time never failing her even in that prison for years. "What are you going to do?"

"I have to harness my manipulation ability, thanks to your influence it was able to form and thrive, but it remained unused therefore not nearly as strong as it could be. I have two days in one day I should be able to strengthen it to the point where I can use it freely without some kind of trap to keep my enemies in place." Zale said raising his hand and out of the ground rose pieces of metal that quickly formed into kunai that he in turn forced to fly at the tree. "That will be so much more deadly than it is now when I am able to make it out off any little material."

"So what is your plan any way, you look like a take over the world kind of type." she said.

"No, not at all. I want to bring peace to the world no matter what it takes, when the world is at peace I can rest at peace, and no matter who I have to kill, how many villages I have to burn, or if I have to watch whole continents burn then so be it as long as I have can have the world at peace." Zale said with a maniacal laugh and Kyuubi was surprised at this, you didn't expect this from a person that looked so incredibly insane. "That last part emperor Uzumaki sounds nice doesn't it?"

"Why not use your own name?" Kyuubi asked.

"Because, emperor Uzumaki just sounds so much better than Emperor Zale." Zale said pushing out with his hand and it broke down a huge tree. "It keeps getting stronger; soon there will be nothing to stand against me to bring peace to this earth."

"You're right that does sound good, but you know what sounds even better?" Kyuubi asked him seductively breathing into his ear.

"What?" Zale asked.

"Emperor Zale Uzumaki, and empress Kurumi Uzumaki."

"You are really quite the go getter aren't you?" Zale asked with a chuckle.

"That's right, that's who I am." she said happily.

**Two Days Later **

"Where's the dope?" Sasuke asked looking around, neither of them could go inside without him, and they thought he had the scrolls covered so there was no reason to collect any and risk their lives any further. "I bet he died in the forest."

"Oh Sasuke kun you're so cool, after this do you want to." Sakura asked, but she was cut off.

"No." Sasuke said still scanning the forest line, and finally he saw Naruto walking along. He seemed to be in better shape than they were, and at his side was a girl with tan skin, long red hair, shining red eyes, ruby red lips, pants hung loosely from her hour glass figure, a mesh shirt that much like Anko's didn't covered much of her. "Dope what took you so long?"

"You baka, what the heck took you so long?" Sakura asked sending a punch his way, and to her surprise it went right through him.

"Touch me and you die Haruno." 'Naruto' growled out at her and she was scared.

She then looked from 'Naruto' to the good looking young girl at his hip. "Who are you?" she asked trying to salvage her shame.

"Hmph." she said turning away as 'Naruto' walked with her inside with his hand on her hip leaving the fuming Sakura and Sasuke behind him.

"Hey guys." Iruka said poofing out of the scrolls once they were laid down. "Naruto whose the girl?"

"I'm his girlfriend." she said in a seductive manner.

**With Hinata**

"I feel like something bad just happened." Hinata said looking up from her book on medical justu.

** With 'Naruto'**

"Kids not even fourteen and he already has a hotter girl than I ever had." Iruka said anime tears streaming down his face as he looked at the sight. He then proceeded to explain about the heaven and earth, and how they had an hour to do what they wished before they had to fight so enjoy it.

**Everything is the same as it was in the cannon.**

"Next match *cough cough* will be *cough cough* Naruto Uzumaki against Kiba Inuzuka. Will the two competitors please come down to the arena.

"Alright Akamaru looks like we get a free bee." Kiba said.

"Oh I'm going to enjoy this." 'Naruto' said cracking his knuckles.

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	2. secrets revealed

**I do not own Naruto **

"You should tell your student to give up; he's not going to be beating Kiba any time soon." Kurenai said smugly looking at Kakashi who didn't look like he was going to argue.

"You might be right, but Naruto is the number one unpredictable knuckle head ninja in the whole village."Kakashi said picking up his book seemingly uninterested in the fight.

"You should give up now Uzumaki, not even your parents thought you would live that's why they left you." Kiba said getting down on all fours his family jutsu making it comfortable to do so. "I'm going to prove to Hinata how much better than you I am then she'll be my bitch."

"Kiba!" Hinata growled out her eyes dark and Shino allowed sweat to drip from his forehead he could feel the evil from her, and just thinking about what was going to happen to Kiba made him slightly scared not that you could tell from looking at him.

"So Hinata likes me huh." Zale said turning to look at Hinata who blushed red and turned away just like he expected. 'That makes a few things for me easier.' Zale thought as he cracked his knuckles. "Women aren't things that you can label or take you bastard, and you'll be eating the floor soon enough. Proctor, start the match already I don't want this blood bath to last any longer than it has to."

"Why you!" Kiba angrily said Akamaru jumping off of his head.

"Begin." Hayate said slicing his hand through the air, and Kiba threw two smoke balls at Zale who wondered what that was about.

"Man beast clone, beast mimicry." Kiba shouted performing the clan's signature jutsu and Akamaru turned into a clone of him both of them with animal characteristics. "You can't see, but with our noses we don't have to. Fang over Fang!"

'Is this the best he has?' Zale thought as he quickly thinking up of a way to get out of this situation. "MANIPULATION!" Zale crossed his arms a dome of air surrounding him blowing away the smoke, as well as jutting out incredibly sharp gusts of winds that would cut on contact. Kiba and his dog quickly hit the dome immediately flying back cuts all around them.

"What the heck was that Naruto?" Kiba asked feeling the sharp cuts leaking blood the same wounds on Akamaru who growled.

"That is none of your business." Zale said walking out of the mist leaving everyone to wonder what had just gone on inside of that fog that left Kiba in such a bad state and left Naruto unscathed. "Manipulate the fire." Zale threw his head back roaring, and he shot both his arms out from all of them came fire.

"What kind of fire jutsu is that, Kakashi what kind of training have you been putting that kid through?" Guy asked his eternal rival who with his one eye looked just as shocked as he did.

"I didn't show him that, wherever he picked that up it wasn't a Konoha jutsu." Kakashi said putting down his book, and watching as Naruto spit/threw fire at Kiba and Akamaru both of whom desperately dodged. He lifted his head band to look at what he was doing. "That's odd according to the Sharingan all that he's doing in making those movements there's no chakra involved here."

"Could it be a genjutsu since you can't see with the sharingan?" Asuma asked.

"No that's no genjutsu it's doing real damage to the arena, and I've never heard of one that could affect a whole stadium of people." Kurenai said not including the genjutsu that made people fall asleep that went without saying of course.

"Ha you can't beat me if you can't catch me." Kiba said gloatingly quickly dodging the fire, and Akamaru growling in agreement.

"If you can't return my attacks and only dodge, the obvious thing to do is to make an attack that you can't dodge." Zale said raising his hands. "Manipulate the solids." From the walls came balls made from seemingly the walls themselves and they turned into sharp spikes that all aimed themselves at Kiba and Akamaru who looked slightly scared. "Try and dodge this you little mutts."

"Looks like you're student is going to be the one that's going to lose in this match." Kakashi said smugly looking at Kurenai who scowled. "Oh is the big bad ice mistress sad that she didn't call the match, or is it because it didn't go the way you wanted to?"

"You know, there's a Genin down there that's about to be killed by a blonde. I personally hate the little brats, and find the teasing to be much more fun, but you might be in a little trouble if one of them kills another." Anko said appearing out of nowhere to in between the two who immediately looked at the arena floor where the items still hovered.

"Manipulate into a destructive force." Zale said throwing his hand down, and Kiba watched as the spikes headed toward him scared for his life.

"Tunneling mole jutsu!" Kiba yelled out tunneling into the ground Akamaru close behind, and everyone was shocked with this jutsu they had no idea that he had that in his arsenal. 'Kami I hated sis for pounding that jutsu into my head, to think that it actually did save my life. Note to self never let her know about this, she'll never let me live it down.' "Let's try it again, fang over fang."

"Manipulate into shield." Zale said bringing up his arm to create a wall made out of the floor it was actually rather thin. "Manipulate hydrogen and oxygen into water." Kiba crashed through the thin wall, and he was trapped in a solid block of water he couldn't move, and there was Naruto standing right outside the water. "See you after your nap, manipulate the water into ice."

The block of water froze solid leaving the shocked looking Kiba whose eyes swiveled around Akamaru looked outside. "Ruff ruff." he said.

"Oh right, you want to join your master, or just bow out." Zale asked looking at Akamaru who whimpered before going down on all fours and backing away.

"The winner of this match is Naruto Uzumaki." Hayate said erupting into a fit of coughs after allowing the medic ninja those that knew a few fire jutsu to thaw out Kiba.

Everyone in the arena looked on shocked as they saw what had just happened, what were all those crazy jutsu and where did he learn any of them. 'Is this really Naruto?' Sarutobi thought looking at Naruto who didn't even looked shocked that he had won the match.

"Hey old man did you see that, you might want to hand over that hat of yours right now just to save us all the trouble." Zale said quickly to avoid the suspicion that he had seemed to acquire through the fight, and this led everyone to sweat drop.

"Go Naruto." Kyuubi said holding up fans that had go Naruto on them.

"How did he get a girl like that on his side?" Asuma asked his cigarette falling out of his mouth.

"Makes you think who the sensei should be." Kakashi said the upper half of his face now revealed turning red at thinking of all the nasty and perverted things he would do with a girl like that.

"You're perverts!" Anko yelled out kicking them both respectively in their most precious place, and they fell to the floor tears streaming out of their eyes.

"Still it does make one wonder." Kurenai said looking at the girl.

"Ooh you're not getting jealous, are you Ms. Ice Queen?" Anko asked quickly dodging the punch that Kurenai had sent her way.

"No I'm worried for Hinata who knows what this will do to her confidence." Kurenai said, but Anko kept the grin on her face.

"The next match will be Hinata Hyuuga versus Neji Hyuuga." Hayate said.

***Same as cannon including Zale cheering in place of Naruto since he thought that was what Naruto would do.***

"I hope she's okay." Zale said watching as Hinata was taken away on the stretcher.

"Why you aren't second guessing your choice in an empress are you?" Kyuubi/Kurumi asked him leaning on his body.

"No, but she's an okay girl that had to fight a real jerk with too much power behind his belt to be considered safe." Zale said turning away allowing the girl to fall to the floor.

"Will all the competitors that have moved on to the finals please come down to the arena." Hayate said immediately bursting into a fit of coughs after. "These are the match ups, the first round will be Neji Hyuuga versus Naruto Uzumaki in exactly a month's time."

"Yes use this time to prepare, and gain some things to put in your arsenal." Sarutobi said dismissing all of them.

***The Next Day***

"So now that we have some free time what are we going to do?" Kurumi asked following Zale who walked along the streets of Konoha.

"What do you mean we?" Zale asked looking at her. "In fact, why are you following me, I told you to stay in the apartment."

"Are you kidding me, I've been sealed for so long I never want to be inside again I want to be as outside as much as possible." Kurumi said in an almost happy way as she whistled. "What are you going to do about all of Naruto's friends and such? At one point or another they're going to notice that you're different from the person they remember."

"I'll tweak a few things every here and there small personality changes that won't be noticed, and change this color little by little until my personality is here and no one questions it." Zale said already of come up with the answer to the problem. "As to answer your first question I'm going to be working on my mastery over manipulation."

"What you did yesterday at the exams seemed pretty masterful of that manipulation ability." Kurumi said.

"Not even close I had to say what and how I was going to manipulate something just to be able to focus enough to do the actual manipulation. This month should give me just enough time to fully regain my previous powers." Zale said putting his hands behind his head in a very Naruto like way.

"Hey boss." a familiar voice to Kyuubi and she turned Zale around as well who wouldn't have turned around otherwise. "Hey whose this is she your girlfriend?"

"Oh who is this little cutie?" Kurumi asked scooping Konohamaru up his head up against her rather impressive bust. "Give it a few more years and you'll be better looking than the blonde one over there, but for now I'm stuck dating him."

"Deh." was the brilliant response Konohamaru managed to muster before he regained his bearings and Kurumi put him down blood trickled down over his lower lip. "My names Konohamaru miss, wow boss you got a really good one not like that big forehead pink haired girl."

"Well aren't you quite the charmer." Kurumi said with a giggle.

'You're a great demon that is supposed to terrify people to the full extent that is possible, I can't believe that she likes children so much.' Zale thought as he looked on at the scene. 'Then again she could just like to watch him squirm.'

"Hey boss." Konohamaru said snapping Zale out of his thoughts. "Gramps said that you used this real cool jutsu called manipulation, and that it was ultra powerful. Could you teach me?"

"Sorry Konohamaru I couldn't even if I wanted to it would be irresponsible for me to teach an academy student such a powerful technique, maybe when you're a Genin." Zale said looking at the incredibly disappointed Konohamaru who moped away before cheerfully bouncing back.

"Hey boss you better not screw up with her, cause if you do then I'm going to be right there waiting for her." Konohamaru said grinning ear to ear.

"You know in theory he might be a better choice." Kurumi said.

"You're a pedophile." Zale said and she shrugged it was obvious that she didn't care.

**With Sakura and Sasuke**

"So why are we spying on Naruto again?" Sakura asked Sasuke who stood glaring through a pair of binoculars at the pair of Naruto and Kurumi.

"I'm doing it for my own reasons, you followed me like the stalker you are!" Sasuke yelled out angrily leaving Sakura to straighten out her hair and stare at the duo that seemed to be walking around aimlessly. "He's probably going to the ramen stand he's always at."

"They turned towards the hot springs." Sasuke said lowering the binoculars and taking off across the roof tops following quickly behind Naruto and Kurumi. 'Who the heck is that girl, and what is she doing with Naruto?' "Are they getting a private hot spring?"

"Looks like it, hey Sasuke wouldn't it be a good idea to do that?" Sakura asked trying to show off her nonexistent figure. "It would be great all that privacy."

"Get your bathing suit." Sasuke scowled disappearing with incredible speed and leaving Sakura to happily squeal into her hands before running off.

**With Zale and Kurumi**

"Here's the money for two entries for the public hot spring." Zale said handing the woman the money, but then out of nowhere Kurumi handed her extra money that he had no idea where it came from. "What's that for?"

"A private hot spring what else." Kurumi said winking at him, and he sighed.

"Pick four random numbers you have the hot spring for the whole day, if you choose to come back later you will have to give the code and you will be allowed in once again." The woman at the cash register said, but despite being taught not to show bias to customers you could tell that she thought they were just a little too young to be going into a private hot spring together."

"Oh well 3840." Kurumi said gripping his arm and leading him into the changing rooms which led to their hot spring. "Oh no, I don't have a bathing suit; well I'll just have to."

"Manipulate air into bathing suit." Zale said and out of the air came an unrevealing bathing suit that Kurumi quickly put on pouting.

"Aren't you a boy, you should have been making me one of those skimpy bikinis that are about three sizes too small?" Kurumi asked him. "That is what I understand male humans do."

"Although I can't say that I wouldn't have enjoyed the sight for now it'll look too suspicious, most girls would never do such a thing with a boy they just met." Zale said walking out into the hot spring and lowering himself into it a wet towel resting on his head. "I never did this when I was alive last time, I really should have though."

"How did you die anyway?" Kurumi asked.

"Well that's actually a very interesting story you see." Zale was cut off when two annoying teammates came in.

"Hey dope." Sasuke said walking in plopping in between Naruto and Kurumi interrupting their conversation,, wearing a pair of swim shorts and a towel over that.

"Oh Sasuke looks so hot don't you think Kurumi?" Sakura asked.

"Oh I guess, but 'Naruto' here looks much better without his shirt on. I wonder what he's packing down there." Kurumi said moving around Sasuke and sitting in Zale's lap.

"How did you even get in here?" Zale asked.

"Sharingan, all I had to do was imitate the lip movements." Sasuke said sinking beneath the water, but Zale could feel an eye on him.

"Something's off." Zale said and they all turned to him. "KAI!"

"Naruto STOP!" Sasuke yelled leaping out of the water at Naruto, but it was much too late he or she was exposed for who she was.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura screamed out covering her eyes shocked at the newest revelation.

"Well can't say I didn't see that coming he always did seem a little PMSing around the same time every month." Kurumi said comparing her bust to the newly revealed girl, and to her happiness she was still bigger. "That is quite impressive."

"You saw nothing." Sasuke said a menacing aura surrounding her as she looked at Naruto who had his eyes covered. "You either Haruno, uh Haruno?"

Sakura had run out of the place trying desperately trying to keep up her deluded fantasy that would have been broken had she admitted that Sasuke was a girl. "Hold on." Zale said holding his hand up and they all were silent, and they heard perverse giggles.

"Oh this is just great the secret female." A half giggling voice said and they turned toward the source.

"Manipulate the intangible to tangible." Zale said and what was revealed was a large white haired man who stared scared looking at the newly revealed female Uchiha who were known for their violence and a girl who looked like she could do some damage. "Well my day is ruined; I'm heading to the training area."

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	3. Neji V Naruto & Invasion

**I do not own Naruto **

Zale panted hands on his knees exactly three and six days into training, and here he was in pretty in control of his manipulation ability. "This is boring we should be doing something fun." Kurumi said with a sigh flexing her legs in the air as the training ground that Zale had created repaired itself. "I'm a fun girl, and although watching you sweat is entertaining I can't say it doesn't become tiresome."

"Then go do something." Zale said raising his arm and throwing his hand down causing the trees in the surrounding area to be ripped from the ground and hit each other. "The manipulation in this body is incredibly powerful, and this chakra thing makes it even more potent than the original form."

"That reminds me, why can't people use manipulation anymore? I'm more than surprised such a powerful technique could be forgotten." Kurumi said shifting from her position leaning against a tree to standing on her hands her still rather loose pants sliding up her legs.

"I have no idea; my corpse is somewhere buried deep beneath that forest of death place. The reason for its unsightly growth is most likely the residue from my body forcing the area to change, and as for the answer to the actual question I guess that manipulation caused chakra and the chakra caused the manipulation to no longer be needed." Zale said wiping the sweat from forehead.

"Although demons seem to hold onto manipulation as their prime source of power, so I assume you at least originally descended from incredibly powerful manipulation users."

"NEH!" Kurumi yelled out causing Zale to jump and miss his target with the ice needles he manipulated. "That's it take me out already, I promised myself to you as a mate, the least you could do is take me out on a date or something."

"You really are like a thirteen year old girl aren't you?" Zale asked, and she stuck her nose in the air. "Fine then, what do you want to do?"

"Some place to eat, you're cooking is terrible and I want to eat some good food." Kurumi said standing up her pants hanging off her hips and as Zale unable to tear his eyes away started to get a nose bleed. "Or you know, we could do something really fun.

Shaking his head he stuck out his arms and threw his head back roaring fire coming out of all three points letting out any hormonal frustrations out. "I was an elite warrior the best that there was, the master of manipulation." Zale said.

"And you died at thirteen just like Naruto; therefore you never got to experience anything fun." Kurumi said.

"So I should give up on my dreams of becoming the emperor of the new world filled with peace to pursue a happy normal life?" Zale asked.

"I didn't say that, but a little living never hurt anybody." Kurumi said and Zale nodded at this he had to agree with her, he often wondered what it would have been like had he decided to indulge in that little romance he had a while ago. "Alright then, let's go to that Icharaku ramen stand. From what I remember that's the only place that would even allow Naruto in the door, or curtain really."

"Alright then I'll take you there." Zale said, and she happily wrapped her arms around one of his. "So the Uchiha is a girl?"

"I always had my suspicions, but they've never been confirmed until now." Kurumi said as they walked into the stand. "Oh boy this place smells really nice."

"Naruto how's my favorite customer doing, oh you brought a date."Ayame said walking in through the back of the restaurant to see the rather attractive girl in rather indecent clothing clinging to her favorite customer.

"Yeah Ayame, this is Kurumi." Zale said letting his head all into his hand as he stared at the bubbling pot that held a rather attractive aroma. "Can we have two bowls?"

"Only two bowls." Ayame asked looking concerned and putting her hand to his forehead, and she felt it was normal. "Well you don't seem to have a fever, but you should really get some rest. Like right now, I'm sure that your date here would understand." Ayame sent a slight glare toward Kurumi who disregarded it and buried her face in Zale's shoulder.

"Don't worry, it's just that I need to stay light since the Chunin exams are going to be here in a few days, and eating excess amounts of food will slow me down." Zale said quickly avoiding any suspicion and Ayame nodded before serving two exceptional looking bowls of ramen. "Ayame this is a little over the top, I only paid for some beef ramen."

"Don't worry Naruto; they're on the house as early congratulations on making it through to the finals of the Chunin exams." Ayame said smiling and Zale looked slightly shocked before smiling and breaking the chopsticks before eating.

'Is this what it's like to have friends?' Zale asked slightly shocked at this he had never had friends that would just give him things like this. 'This boy Naruto had people who cared for him; I never knew what that was like my own parents gave me up for a few gold pieces. Maybe this is the real way to live not gathering power, but gaining allies.'

**With Hinata**

"Oh who's that girl that Naruto's been spending so much time with." Hinata said worriedly tapping her fingers together her sister sitting across from her in her room.

"Well what do you expect; he can't wait for you when he doesn't even know that you're after him. I'm eight years old for pities sake, and even I know that. If you don't make your move soon big sis then he'll move on, and you're going to be left behind in the dust as that girl that always blushed when he was near." Hanabi said in front of her sister on all fours. "If you want him then you better be willing to fight for him tooth and nail."

"You're right Hanabi if I really love him then I shouldn't be scared to tell him. I'm going to go and find him right now and say that we need to go on a date right now." Hinata said not once stuttering as she said this with confidence.

"That's the spirit big sis let's go right now and find the blonde baka, and tell him how you feel about him."

"Yeah, let's go."

"So any way I heard that taking down a Hyuga in close range combat is out of the question since he has that jyuken style thing so I'll have to rely on long range attacks." the voice of Naruto said drifting into their spot right beside the compound walls where they could hear and see everything, but couldn't be seen or heard.

The sound of his voice immediately broke down Hinata's confidence causing her to deflate like a balloon, and Hanabi to sigh. "We're going to need to break you of this sooner or later." Hanabi said waving fan in front of her sister's face.

**With Gaara **

"I will kill him." Gaara said staring down at Naruto who walked along his arms tucked behind his head, but in his head he could hear Shukaku telling him to be wary. "Why mother, why must you do this now when the proving of my existence is most important?"

Then the girl behind Naruto staring right at him in his hiding place, but he was sure that he wasn't revealed so why did it seem like that girl could see right through his hiding place to him. The Shukakau started going insane thrashing about yelling how to stay away no matter what. "Mother I will prove that I am alive by shedding the blood of both that boy and that girl there is nothing you should fear." Gaara said with a maniacal laugh a smile of a murderer upon his lips as he stared down the back of the person's head he was planning on killing.

**With Zale and Kurumi**

"Hey Naruto," Kurumi said, and he turned his head to look at her, "With this Chunin exams thing coming up tomorrow and everything I wanted to give you a gift. You've never had one before have you?"

"Well the ramen that Ayame just gave I believe more than counted." Zale said.

"No I mean like a real gift with a bow and everything I mean even I've had a few." Kurumi said while at the same time thinking, 'My mother was a rather kind woman it really was a shame that I had to kill her to attain this power, especially since I can't even access it."

"No, my life was that of silence things like gifts weren't needed when you needed to survive on the battle field more than anything else." Zale said wondering where this was going.

"Well since that seems pretty unfair I suppose that it would be appropriate seeing as you are my future husband that I give you one on what you petty mortals would consider a big occasion." Kurumi said with a snarky undertone in her voice, but you could tell that she was slightly embarrassed.

"Where is this all heading?" Zale asked.

"Let's just head back to the apartment and I'll give it to you there."

So they went in silence the festival surrounding them, but neither of them paid any mind to it. When Zale locked the door behind him he turned and saw Kurumi rummaging through a small bag she had which she took a liking to. "Here." she said handing him a small scroll which expanded to a large one the second he touched it. "It's the fox summoning contract."

"Kurumi I can't take this." Zale said. "It's like I said to that pervy sage, this isn't good just to take it and not earn it.

"I'm the boss I can give it to whoever I want that includes puny mortals like you so just sign it. Besides you've proved to me that you do deserve this I mean not a lot of people are so ready to sacrifice things as quickly as you are. You even vowed to beat that boy just because he hurt a good person for no reason what so ever."

"Kurumi I literally can't take this I have no idea how to use chakra, signing would just be a waste of my energy and blood." Zale said and when he turned to look at Kurumi who looked positively angered he decided to save himself allowing a bloody smile to take over his face. "But then again having one of the world's fiercest creatures at my disposal would be more than exceptional."

"Indeed." Kurumi said matching his smile with her own before he signed and they retired in the bed.

**With Jiraiya and Sarutobi**

"It was odd sensei Naruto didn't want the scroll at all." Jiraiya said rubbing his chin the wart on his nose wiggling slightly as he spoke just like it always had. "From all the letters you sent me he should have been all over this, he should have been begging me to train him."

"You're sure that he did this?" Sarutobi asked.

"Yeah I remember it like it was three weeks and six days ago." Jiraiya said scratching his chin as he recalled the memory.

***Flashback***

"Alright kid you got me revealed, but how did you break my intangibility jutsu?" Jiraiya asked coming out of nowhere infuriating Kurumi who was going to kill him, but Zale held her back.

"I cast a simple release." Zale said quickly saving himself, knowing that revealing his manipulation for what it really was instead of a jutsu would cause a lot more problems.

"Well then you've earned my respect boy, for that I'll train you." Jiraiya said spinning the scroll off of his back, and dropping it unrolling it to the point where it revealed the next empty slot. "Go ahead and sign this kind and you'll be in control of the toad summons that helped defeat the mighty Kyuubi no kitsune. There is truly no greater summon than this one." Jiraiya said gloatingly and he seemed to either be oblivious to Kurumi's rage or he was ignoring it. "All you have to do is sign it in blood, and then you'll be able summon them, and we'll be able to get your training underway."

"That's something that I don't need, what can a summoning do in a real life battle?" Zale asked turning to Jiraiya who flinched at the cold eyes the boy held. "They disappear after you run out of chakra, and even a few minor hits will send them away. I need physical allies not ones that will have to do what I say because I'm their summoner."

"Kid do you know what you're talking about right?" Jiraiya asked shocked. "Summons can be great allies, and do a lot of things that you couldn't be done by oneself."

"Then I'll find a summoning contract of my own, I'll make my own allies if you give that to me then that'll be no better than the people that steal jutsu." Zale said firmly believing in this, if he had no relationship with the toads besides servant and master then how could he trust them. "Now if you please get out of here I need to get to work on my training."

"Well what if I teach you a super powerful jutsu along with the summons?" Jiraiya asked trying to tempt the boy.

"I'll sick Kurumi on you again if you don't leave me alone." Zale said and Jiraiya high tailed it out of there.

***END FLASHBACK***

"Well Naruto does not believe that power should just be given so I suppose it would make sense." Sarutobi said lighting his pipe before deciding to meet with the other Kages leaving Jiraiya to finish anything that was going to be needed for the Chunin exams. "That reminds me the Mizukage, Kazekage, Raikage, and Tsuchikage all requested the same seats as I."

"Well hello Hokage." The Mizukage Mei said her bosom bouncing.

"It's a good day for all of our villages." The Kazekage said. "This Chunin exam will be the next world peace creator, a great day indeed."

"I am sorry for being unable to submit any students, but things have been too busy lately." the Raikage said.

"I understand, I am simply glad that we can all settle our differences here and now before things get out of hand into a new great ninja war." Sarutobi said smoking his pipe. "Now onto the subject of discussing the terms of the treaty between our five villages."

"I believe that would be better to be left after the exams as to see if we like anyone for political marriages, or trading heirs to clams and such." Mei said and the others agreed so the meeting was rescheduled.

**THE NEXT DAY**

"What are you doing?" Kurumi asked sitting up and rubbing her eyes watching as Zale began to get dressed in a sapphire blue gi emperor shirt, and black combat pants. Both of which were hundreds of years out of style. "Come back to bed it's cold."

"The Chunin exams are today, I need to be there in about thirty minutes." Zale said stretching to get out any kinks. Just to test it he waved his hand and sure enough several crystals accumulated in the air. 'It almost feels unreal just the fact that I have a useable body, and on top of that a powerful manipulation ability.'

"Well what's up with that outfit?" Kurumi asked.

"This is the first appearance of the next emperor of the major event this is how important people used to dress therefore this is what I shall wear." Zale said adjusting the sleeve, and he turned toward Kurumi who seemed to not be getting out of bed. "Aren't you coming it seems like one of those events where friends would come to."

"I'll be there eventually I can't wait to see you kick the ass of those damn Konoha idiots, they've been pissing me off for a while so I'm certainly not going to miss watching one get pounded, but I need to nap first." Kurumi said dropping back onto the bed and Zale sighed before walking out the door his sleeves hanging three inches below his waste.

Zale walked through the training ground he had beaten into submission, and he heard a powerful strike to a piece of wood. When he walked up he saw Hinata standing there striking one of the few remaining training posts. "Hey Hinata." he said watching as she suddenly jumped and started playing with her fingers. "You're really strong, but the jyuken is too solid for you?"

"W-w-what d-do y-yo-you me-mea-mean N-Na-Naruto kun?" Hinata asked, and she almost feinted when he wrapped his arms around her and forced into a more relaxed position, bit there was something that kept her awake what she had no idea.

"You are very flexible; you should use that to your advantage." Zale said grabbing her ankle and lifting her leg high just to prove a point, and sweat dribbled down Hinata's temple she had no idea how she was still awake her face shined redder than Rudolph, but some unknown force seemed stop her from going under.

'Naruto-kun and I in this position so many possibilities." Hinata thought a slightly pervy smirk on her face, and drool escaped her mouth as she noticed they had suddenly switched to a new one with her leg bent way back, and their arms stretched for forwards.

"You know Hinata." Zale said manipulating himself away from her, and it took her a few seconds to realize this before she turned to him. "I think that you can be really strong, but you let other people's opinions get in the way too much." 'I've lost too many friends because of that.' Zale thought. "I hope that in the future that I can rely on you for any reason in the future." He turned back his head before leaving and gave her a charming smile. "Ja ne."

"Oh Naruto kun why did the Chunin exams have to be today I had so many ideas." Hinata practically screamed once he was outside of hearing range, and she ran toward the stadium.

**At the stadium**

** "**The first match will be Neji Hyuga against Naruto Uzumaki, begin." The proctor said drawing his hand down to begin the match.

"You should give up now, fate has already declared me the winner, and as such you the loser." Neji said getting into the Jyuken fighting stance. "There is no way that you can beat me, but coincidentally what is that horrible garment you are wearing.

"The last thing you will see before you pass out." Zale said shifting so he could easily flex his muscles to use manipulation. He swung his arm and immediately earth spikes shot out which Neji barely dodged.

**Kage Booth**

"Oh that certainly seems like an interesting jutsu." Onoki said looking at the technique with interest. "He didn't even have to cast any hand signs; it seems like an incredibly powerful technique. I did not know that Konoha had such earth techniques, perhaps a trade."

"That you will have to talk to Naruto about, he seems to have discovered these new techniques. They seem to have no affiliation, but they are incredibly powerful. I have seen them in action, and they have incredible accuracy and effects. It seems he has improved upon it though before he had to say manipulation now it seems like he only has to make a gesture."

"Oh I want, any idea what it's called?" Mei asked turning to Sarutobi.

"From what Jiraiya has told me it is called manipulation." Sarutobi said.

"I wonder how it works." A said.

**Battle Ground **

"It doesn't matter how many times you change your clothes it won't make you stronger just more like a girl." Neji said sneering as he tried to zero in on Naruto who didn't get mad. "I have your technique figured out, those arm swings are your hand signs of you don't have enough room to use them then that power of yours is useless."

Neji closed in and he was about to deal a strike to Naruto's shoulder when suddenly earth erupted into a pillar straight into his stomach. "You should talk; you probably spend more time taking care of your hair then most female ninja heck most female's period."

"You'll pay for that dead last." Neji said dodging another column and delivering a straight strike to his chest causing him to launch back. 'I don't understand this ability, he seems to be able to cast jutsu just by thinking about them, but that shouldn't be possible except for advanced ninja.'

"That is a powerful attack? I barely felt it." Zale said running at Neji who dodged under his fist, and delivered a strike to his shoulder leaving that arm dull and useless. "Ah, this is idiotic prepare to die!" Zale allowed a crazy smile spread over his face only noticed by Neji who flinched back. He opened his mouth and roared and blue fire came out.

"Rotation!" Neji yelled out spinning on his feet and extorting chakra from a few points creating a shield that repelled the fire burning the ground around that. "It doesn't matter what you throw at me that defense is ultimate."

"I'll break it down!" Zale yelled his smile matching Gaara's and said red head looked shocked something was up with that boy. Zale raised his hands and from the ground came balls of earth which quickly formed into spears. "These are made of the hardest minerals in the earth, they'll penetrate anything."

Neji spun once again, and as he promised they were deflected off of his chakra shield the tips were even bent. "No more chances, I will take you out." Neji said breaking through many earth spikes that Naruto had created in their fight. "Eight trigrams, two palms, four palms, eight palms, sixteen palms, thirty two palms, sixty four palms, one hundred twenty eight palms!" Neji struck all of Zale's point's nerve and chakra which should have completely shut down his body.

"What is this, why can't I move?" Zale asked barely twitching his head to look at Neji who smiled.

"I completely shut down your body, if you get back up then I will not hesitate to kill you. Proctor call the match." Neji said turning around.

'I can't believe it, but this could be a sign maybe this is a sign as to no longer try for my dream maybe it would be better if I just died.' Zale thought to himself as he tried to lift his broken body, but all he succeeded in doing was flipping himself over. 'What is that?'

What he saw was Kurumi dressed in a kimono bright red with orange and golden foxes on it. She held two fans that said go and Naruto which she waved around a pout on her face, and he thought that he couldn't lose against this boy. He would become emperor of the new world, and he would start his reign of victory here. He would become emperor and make her his empress that was a promise.

'It was the same technique used to kill me. The mind is supposed to be quicker than the body can move, yet manipulation relies on the speed of the mind. I can't manipulate my body though too complex I could lose an arm in the process, but the way the man that killed me fought. If I could only imitate that then this would be over.' Zale thought focusing on the ground beneath him and it forced him to his feet.

"How are you still standing?" Neji asked charging up some chakra into his hands truly willing to kill this nuisance.

Zale watched trying to anticipate his movements watching every little movement, and he watched as the hand came toward his face. There the drop he allowed the wind to let him fall his body dropping avoiding the jyuken strike and bending at an impossible angle.

He turned the humidity in the air into ice which allowed him to gain some distance between the two of them by sliding away on the ice. By no means was it graceful, but none the less he was able to get away, and this was the best he could do since he wasn't able to focus on an attack. "Catch me if you can." Zale said watching as Neji charged at him, and he manipulated the earth beneath his feet to allow him to move the feet becoming more fluid the more he dodged.

"How are you still moving!?" Neji demanded furiously striking Naruto who smirked, but it wasn't evil more confident. "Just lie down and die!"

"MANIPULATE THE EARTH INTO SPEARS!" Zale yelled out just to get enough focus to cause the attack.

What happened was not what he expected. Instead it was the ground erupting into spikes leaving Neji and him in a dangerous position their bodies in front of each other mere inches apart both completely suspended neither completely understanding what was going on. Zale was the first to react, and he pulled his head back and slammed it into Neji's effectively knocking him out.

"The winner is Naruto Uzumaki." the proctor said allowing the medic ninja to figure out a way to get into the field and get both boys who were stuck in the spears. "Maybe you should return the stadium to its original position to make it easier."

Zale shut his eyes shut hard, and he could feel a vein burst as he swung his hand down and the spears went down, leaving him on all fours coughing out blood. "Oh Zale kun you really should be more careful." Kurumi said quietly so no one else would hear, and she helped him up infusing some demon chakra into him to heal the burst arteries as well as open the nerve endings.

**Kage Booth.**

"Oh well that one sure has promise, I want that one." Mei said smiling as she stared at Naruto, but she pouted when that girl showed up. "How many girls do you think will be his limit."

'Lucky, lucky, lucky boy.' Sarutobi thought giggling perversely at the thought.

**Arena**

"The next match will be." The proctor was cut off by a loud bang.

"The invasion has begun." A random civilian said as the genjutsu fell over the whole crowd.


	4. A new alegence

**I do not own Naruto **

"What the heck is going on?" Kurumi asked looking around and seeing nearly the whole arena had fallen under a genjutsu, and she looked at Zale sighing to see he too was unconscious. "Release."

Zale jerked up looking around noticing the same thing quickly analyzing the situation, from the fighting and that scary looking Gaara he supposed an invasion by the sand village. "It looks like an invasion." he said and Kurumi sweat dropped at this. "I know stating the obvious, but what should we do?"

"Well that boy Gaara doesn't look like he's going to last much longer the way he is." Kurumi said turning to look at the boy who seemed to be twitching at the prospect of fighting, but was apparently waiting for some kind of signal. "You should probably take him out."

"Why?" Zale asked seeing no point in doing such a thing.

"Simple when you do become emperor your subjects will have to be able to tell tales of great legend, and which would be better then penetrating and defeating the ultimate defense." Kurumi said helping him to his feet, and they glared down the red headed boy whom seemed to be smiling their same crazy smile. "Besides the Shukaku is getting restless, and I won't like the look of things is it decided to go south."

"Fine, I'll kill the crazy red head." Zale said pushing off Kurumi who backed off to watch how her chosen mate would fair against a demon. "You and me right now Gaara you'll be eating that precious sand of yours once we're threw here."

"Mother says you contain power, so killing you will be the proving of my existence there is nothing that will make me happier then to kill you and feel your blood bathe the ground!" Gaara said unable to contain himself any longer no longer caring about the plan he just had to kill. "Sand coffin!"

Zale felt the sand close around him as it applied pressure, and with each breath it closed tighter. His eye twitched and the sand exploded releasing him coming down in clumps around Gaara who looked slightly shocked, before he scowled. "I'll show you what it means to live!" Zale yelled out running toward Gaara and sending a direct punch to Gaara's face.

To everyone who witnessed the feat they were amazed instead of it being blocked by sand the sand seemed to cower away from his hand allowing him to punch threw and hit Gaara knocking him into the wall barely cushioned by sand.

"You hit me." Gaara said putting a hand to his cheek feeling the blood on his and he looked at it. "No! You will die not me, Mother will have your blood and you will be the proof of my existence!" Gaara raised his arms and from the earth raised sand which formed into shuriken. "Multiple manipulation of sand into Shuriken."

'That's the multiple manipulation ability, it takes a lot of concentration as well as calm nerves to perform, but this kid obviously doesn't have either of those. It must be his demon forcing his mind to access the lost manipulation ability.' Zale thought watching as the sand hardened and the shuriken came at him. 'Damn I can't manipulate them all away.'

Three landed in his leg, eight cut his face, two in his foot, one in his left arm, three in his right, and one in his chest. "Die Uzumaki!" Gaara yelled out angrily getting ready for another wave of shuriken, but he was interrupted by Naruto holding him by his neck.

"You have discovered an ability that has been lost to the ages most likely inherited from your demon, unfortunately so have I." Zale said manipulating the earth from under them into a pit hole which he dropped Gaara into. He twitched his finger and from the hole in the ground burned a fire.

"You will not kill me Uzumaki!" Gaara shouted grabbing Zale's ankles from under the ground and pulling him down. "It seems like I am not the only one with a demon, the difference is that I know how to use mine Uzumaki boy! Manipulate the sand into a burial!"

"BANG." Zale said simply and the earth around them exploded releasing Zale from the earth. "You may have some easy to control demon on your side, but I have the stronger ability on mine, I've had a better handle and advantage with the ability. I can manipulate anything you can manipulate only earth."

"I'll show you what sand can do." Gaara said manipulating a spear into his hand made from incredibly dense minerals that he held in his hand as if it was light as air. 'Shukaku also has power over wind so in theory it should work!'

Zale watched as the spear flew at him at incredibly furious speeds hitting him right threw the gut. He turned into a log. 'A substitution impossible manipulation user shouldn't be able to use jutsu.' Gaara said his instincts flaring as he jumped away from his previous spot to feel an explosion take place behind him. 'What kind of manipulation is that?'

"Earth manipulated into dragon!" Zale yelled out his focus unable to be harnessed he would have to yell it out if this was going to continue.

"Manipulate the earth into armor." Gaara immediately said and rock surrounded him the dragon and armor shattering on impact. 'I can't keep this up I have to do it now.' "Manipulate the earth into Shukaku ultimate defense." A sphere formed around him and Zale looked confused.

"You think that'll stop me?" Zale asked running forward again and to his surprise the sand didn't go away when he came in contact, he barely managed to jump away when the spikes shot out. 'Crap this is a level of manipulation that's beyond what I can counter. This truly is a fight!' Zale thought to himself waiting patiently trying to find a way that he could get around this defense some kind of imperfection.

There didn't seem to be any a perfectly smooth dome, it seemed like all he could do was wait for the little brat to come out.

Mean while inside Gaara stood holding his head panting the insane screams of the Shukaku giving him more information almost over loading his brain with all of the information. None of it was useful who cared about how dense sand was, how hot his fire was when there was no way to stop it. 'I need to use my transformation right now!' Gaara said his eyes turning blood shot as sand formed around one of his arms.

'What the heck is going on in there?' Zale thought to himself watching as sand began to get absorbed into the dome he didn't like the way that looked. 'What is he doing in there?'

"MANIPULATE THE BODY INTO SAND!" Gaara yelled out causing Zale to look shocked looking as from the sand burst a creature that didn't even look human anymore.

"You did a body manipulation Gaara that is incredibly dangerous with each usage there is a chance that you will never return to normal!" Zale yelled out at the Gaara like creature that glared at him drool escaping from the corner of his mouth.

"As long as I kill you Uzumaki there is no reason to have to return to the state I was once in." Gaara said slurping the drool back into his mouth. "With this form my manipulation ability will surpass yours."

"What are you talking about manipulation relies on the mind." Zale said hoping to convince this boy to turn back as it would be really bad to lose here.

"As well as the power of one's physical body that is why you have such strong manipulation ability." Gaara said slurping the drool away his voice now odd and deformed. He raised his hand and from his own body formed sand shuriken that launched at Zale.

'These shuriken are slower much slower as well not shaped as well either. This form may make his physical body stronger, but it also slows down his processing ability.' Zale thought this time easily blocking the shuriken by pulling up a tree from the arena and using it as a shield. He quickly swung his arm and hit Gaara with the tree knocking him out of the arena.

"Who is this guy no one's ever been able to keep up with Gaara's, manipulation before." Temari said watching as the fight was taken outside of the arena, and she knocked away another dozen ninja.

"I don't know, but Gaara seems to be getting his butt handed to him he had to transform against one opponent. If that keeps up then we're going have to give him back up." Kankuro said trapping a ninja inside one of his ant then killing it with crow. "Then again that could be a bad idea considering the fact that Gaara hates it when his kill is taken."

"We won't kill him just hurt him enough so Gaara can kill him a lot easier." Temari said and Kankuro nodded no matter how scared of him they were they had to admit he was still their kid brother. "Take this, RAGING WIND JUTSU!" Temari waved her giant fan.

He didn't even turn around the wind suddenly being reversed and hitting her instead. "How dare you face crow." Kankuro said his puppet dropping and the joints popped off showing the hidden blades all of which dripped with poison and aimed toward Zale who didn't turn around.

Their tips all bent curling up to the handle. "This is a battle between the users of manipulators and although you aren't exactly innocent I do not wish to kill you." Zale said and they looked at him wondering who he was to talk to them like that. Suddenly sand came up around them squeezing. "That is my work, you cannot escape or interfere."

Gaara glared at the boy how did he dare to copy his manipulation. He slammed his hands on the ground and spikes launched up one hit would go right through him, and Zale looked at spikes coming. One came right under him and he grabbed it quick as a flash instantly turning it into a staff. With it he slammed it down over Gaara who fell down his sand body twitching.

"I will not take this from such a pitiful person such as you." Gaara said running through his thoughts thinking about how to force his mutated state into a newly renewed state. "Manipulate the body into a full sand deity, turn me into the demon!"

Zale watched as Gaara started to scream out in pain as his body no longer became his, but that of a demon. He saw the sand swirl around Gaara who screamed in pain as the sand became a part of his very being. 'He'll die like that if I can't stop it.' Zale thought wiping blood from the corner of his lip the large scale manipulation hurting him.

"Let's see how you do against the Shukaku itself!" Gaara yelled out calling out an actual jutsu. "FORCED POSSUM JUTSU!" Gaara's eyes closed as he fell limp.

"What is falling asleep going to do?" Zale asked himself then he watched as the eyes of that horrifying beast's eyes changed into a diamond like shape.

"Alright I'm free, there's nothing stopping me now." The new being said and Zale realized he was no longer fighting a kid who was too big for his britches with a small manipulation ability it was a full blown demon with godly manipulation. "Hey you little brat what are you going to pull out now?"

Zale's eyes narrowed as he looked at the giant demon in front of him he couldn't access the Kyuubi's chakra like Naruto had he couldn't even use his own, and Kurumi couldn't access it either. The only way he could do this was by using that move, and even that would take a lot of planning and time that he didn't have.

He was going to have to pull a hail marry a completely crazy idea that was uncoordinated, unplanned, and only meant to weaken the opponent enough to get a good hit in. 'There's a natural oil deposit right under me, despite the stuff supposedly having dried up thousands of years ago. If I can just pull this one thing off then I could do it.' Zale thought to himself.

The oil swirled in its little hole pressure building up that he quickly forced to get higher and higher until finally it began spiraling like a whirlpool like a maelstrom and it launched up erupting like a volcano. He quickly formed it into a bubble around him and manipulated himself up into the air charging at the large beast that looked slightly shocked all he needed was a light which he couldn't of produced in the state that he was in.

What came wasn't what he expected it was an explosive kunai looking down he saw the thrower was Kurumi who he smiled at. It blew like a bomb in a movie completely destructive and he remained in control the fire not burning at all.

The Shukaku was surprised by this it couldn't have expected this that was why it was able to hit it right then and the face not blocked or protected from just full on in the face incredibly hot like the sun itself.

Zale panted on the ground looking at the Shukaku who with Gaara now awake was crumbling on the ground leaving the boy to fall about ten years away. He stood up limping over to Gaara who looked at him horrified. "Stay away, please do not kill me. I will do whatever you please I wish to keep living." Gaara said backing away horrified as Zale got closer.

Once he reached Gaara Zale stuck his fingers to Gaara's head like a gun and flexed his fingers. Sending Gaara through searing pain as if someone had placed a hot iron to the back of his eye balls, and screaming his pupils disappearing as the pain died away and he feinted.

**Later**

Gaara woke up feeling a weight on his chest. 'When I open my eyes what will I see?' Gaara thought. 'The fiery pits of hell and a demon the Shukaku no less to greet me, or the faces of those I killed torment me for eternity?' His eyes cracked open and what he saw was not what he expected.

Blue skies, trees, birds chirping, and a cool breeze blew threw his hair it felt like heaven. The most surprising part was a beautiful brown haired girl nuzzling into his collar, black circles around her closed eyes, a button nose, mousy features, a dark tan, and a raccoon tail waving side to side. It tickled his nose and he sneezed, causing her to look up.

"You're awake." she said happily smiling at him her big brown eyes looking at his almost hypnotic her breasts pushing on his chest causing him to blush and look away. "Come on I had you kill hundreds of people, you can't say a little female body makes you blush."

Gaara realized this wasn't just a cute girl this was the Shukaku. "The Shukaku is a girl?" Gaara asked shocked.

"Well you did always call her mother." Zale said walking out of the forest Kurumi helping him along his right hand holding his left side which was covered with blood and bad bandages.

"How did you do this, the voices have stopped." Gaara said shocked at the first time since he was born he could close his eyes without being assaulted by terrible images. "Naruto Uzumaki I must thank you."

"Well now that' I've done you this favor I will ask something of you." Zale said and Gaara nodded. "I am not Naruto Uzumaki I am Zale Uzumaki I took over the boy's body when he passed on."

"I had my suspicions' that something happened, but body possession was not something that I was sure about." Gaara said as Shukaku helped him up. "What will you do now that you are free?"

"Stay with my Gaara kun of course." She said burying her head into his neck and her breast pressing into his shoulder once again causing him to blush. "You smell like blood my favorite."

"What is happening?" Gaara asked.

"Well the demons form a bond with their containers so this is a result." Zale said nodding. "Well onto my pay back I will be the next ruler of the world. To do this I will need soldiers and strong ones at that, you could handle yourself so I wish for your loyalty even over your own village."

"You have bested me Zale; you have proved to me that you are a worthy leader so you have my loyalty." Gaara said nodding as Shukaku healed his wounds. "Shukaku will you help me to my siblings?"

"My name's not Shukaku its Shiki so remember it my lover." she said attaching herself to him causing him to turn even redder.

"Fine then Shiki." Gaara said limping away.

"Well then it seems you have gotten yet another step closer in your conquest Zale an ally a strong one at that with a demon on his side. If you keep this up then you could have all nine demons on your side by the time this dream of yours comes to fruition." Kurumi said kissing his cheek and he smiled at her before throwing up blood. "Let's try not to burst any more blood vessels until you get to the point where you can forcefully heal your own body though huh?"

"Yes that would be a good idea." Zale said falling down and bringing Kurumi with him, both of them staring up at the sky peacefully. "Think in a few years time this will be our land Kurumi, that will be our sky and we can watch it from a great palace."

"That truly is something to look forward to." Kurumi said closing her eyes the rhythmic sounds of Zale's breath, the breeze, and the birds chirping soothing them both to sleep.


	5. Memories & A trip begins

**I do not own Naruto **

Zale lied down in the hospital his stomach bandaged, Kurumi sitting by his bed reading a book he was utterly bored and in pain. "You couldn't have healed me to the point where I didn't need to be in the hospital?" Zale asked not taking his eyes off of the ceiling.

"I could have, but then we couldn't have spent all of this quality time together." Kurumi said sarcastically turning the page of her book. "You know some people might find a day of doing nothing rather relaxing compared to bursting veins because of having to focus so hard."

"What are you reading?" Zale asked deciding to ignore that comment because she was right.

"This great book called Icha Icha make out paradise it has some great ideas in it?" Kurumi said a smile gracing her lips as well as a perverted giggle leaving her mouth. "Come to think of it as the future emperor of the world shouldn't you have like some kind of backup like an heir or something?"

"Sex is something I'll save for later." Zale said reaching over to the table that held a glass of water. "You're much too eager for that specific part of this relationship."

"Oh come on you made these I assume you want to use them." Kurumi said hugging her breasts and squeezing them almost visible through her shirt, but Zale refused to look. "Besides I'm a ten thousand year old demon, and I haven't gotten laid in over three hundred years."

"Aw is the sexy seductress losing her young Gevity?" Zale chuckling as she pouted furiously about to claw his eyes out. "When did the doctors say that I could leave?" She didn't respond. "So now you're not talking to me, that's fine we can sit here in silence."

They did for a few hours the sound of Kurumi turning the page the only noise in the room, and eventually the soothing noise rocked him off to sleep.

_Dream_

_ "But mother, I don't want to leave you and father." a little boy not six years old with sky blue hair, purple eyes, dark skin, white teeth, wearing a burlap sack, and bandages to cover his worn feet. "Please I swear I'll work harder, just don't let them take me."_

_ "Here are the ten gold pieces." the soldier wearing camouflage pants, a black shirt, and a rifle over his shoulder said grabbing the small boy by his arm and tossing him in the back of a truck. "Keep quiet back there, we're going to be at the base in a few days if you're nice and set then you'll get fed."_

_ "Please, MOM DAD, DON'T LET THEM TAKE ME!" He yelled out, throwing his body against the wooden door hoping to break it down and run as fast as he possibly could._

_ "Have a good life Zale." His supposed mother said waving his father smiling at the small amount he had traded his only son for. "I cannot believe that useless boy brought in so much."_

_ "Times are hard they need all the workers they can take." Zale's father said walking into the home._

_ Zale lied in the little space for days waiting, trembling in fear wondering what they would do to him sobbing silently. A few days later the door of his truck cell opened and they grabbed him by his arm quickly forcing him out into a lineup of kids varying from kids his age, younger, and older. "Alright maggots, your parents have all given you to us because you're all worthless. We paid good money for you brats so get to work!" a large man said._

_ They were led off to a small tent where they worked with dangerous material called uranium which dangerously hurt one of them a day. All through that Zale didn't shed a tear even as the stuff severely messed up and burned his skin. He refused to give them the satisfaction of him shedding tears he knew that crying wouldn't do anything. _

_ It didn't seem like any one would ever see themselves out of there again they spent a year working in that tent only about ten kids left sweat poring off of them the guards outside messing with the manipulation ability. "This is stupid, we do all of this work with so much risk and they take all of the abilities we should do something." Zale said running a hand through his hair which was now bleached white._

_ "Don't talk like that Zale you know what they did to the last people that talked about trying to escape." A girl with black hair named Suzie whispered to him._

_ "What's the difference, we'll die from the poisoning soon enough! I'd rather die fighting then roll over and take it like a dog!" Zale yelled out in fury throwing down the uranium in anger his dull purple eyes glowing with energy that he didn't feel._

_ "Hey what's going on in there?" a guard asked rushing into the tent in his hands were a flame that he was more than happy to use something he had proven many times over they all had the horrible scars to prove that. "Get back to work right now you little brats!" _

_ Zale looked at the man a terrible frown spread across his face well it was closer to a show of hate, rage, and destructive force; he threw one of the yellow cakes at the man who fell back a radiation welt already spreading on his head. "I won't let any of you keep me locked up any more!" Zale yelled out mimicking the movements that he had seen the guards do._

_ From his hands shot fire and his other captives looked at him shocked, how had someone exposed to no testing just odd radiation and a lot of it develop manipulation. "Zale what have you been doing?" Cole whose original hair color black which was now red asked watching the boy he thought he knew completely obliterate the tent. _

_ "I've been making sure that we'll see the world without chains again!" Zale yelled angrily his body burning the feeling of all that radiation being forced to the surface to create a new being a new stage in human evolution the thing that the few humans that survived had been trying to accomplish for a long time. _

_ All the members of the small village slave or not turned their heads toward the tent where all the slaves feared going, and all the scientists loved to get new bodies to dissect from. It was a bright light a beam originating from that tent, and the scientist with guards of course ran toward the tent pens and notes at the ready. _

_ "You think you can do this to people just to further your own agenda, we aren't things to be bought and sold, we're not items, man or woman we're still people!" Zale yelled out a smile spread across his face as they started pulling out tranquilizer guns. They shot many times all of them hit, but he never stopped. "What I am the super soldier you've been trying for shouldn't you be happy. Instead you're trying to tranquilize me?_

_ Cole and Suzie watched their friend tear down guard after guard without even trying, they wondered was their freedom worth this yes, yes it was. "Come on we did everything he has, we can do it too!" Cole yelled out copying Zale's movements as best he could and to his pleasure just like Zale he lit up. _

_ The others soon followed suit, all of them tearing down the people that made their lives miserable, and setting the slaves free. "You've always been friends, and I'd really like it if you could stick by my side while we conquer this world and bring peace to this world together." Zale said his signature criminally insane smile spreading on his face. _

_ They grew the same smiles they seemed to be equally insane matching him as the slaves that the camp had bought running for their old homes. _

_ So it happened they ran through different areas that were against them bringing horror and carnage to any area that dared to stand against them. They were soldiers in their own army showing emotion only with each other, and never knowing the comfort of a true romance or a gift. Zale was the face of all that horror, he was the story that the few veterans that survived told the rookies, that monster that hid in your closet at night just beyond the light of your lamp; but always dancing in your peripheral vision. _

_ This went on for six more years until they were known only as the ten devils that had a twisted face of judgment, the reason the wars stopped. No one wanted to feel their wrath in their village, and they felt that their mission was complete they had stopped war. People saw their faces as law and no one dared defy it. _

_ That is until that day the day that war began again that the peace they had brought came crumbling down because one idiotic person believed that their vision of justice was free will, little did they know that there could be no true justice without at least a little fear._

_ Zale sat in a luscious chair that he had dug up some time ago, what he heard was not pleasing it was wet thumps of bodies hitting the floor and the sounds of an incredibly confident person walking or strutting even through his area his area. The metal door crumpled and shot off its hinges revealing a person with bleach white hair to match his own. "I'm taking you down top devil, I'm just as evolved as you are here, and I'm going to take you down." The boy said confidently and Zale looked behind him._

_ "You killed them; you killed the people that I was enslaved with. The only people that I remotely cared about. __**I'll kill you where you stand!" **__ Zale roared out allowing his anger to over take him ignoring the one rule he had followed through all of these years. "I have almost become the emperor of the world I killed thousands of other manipulators, and you will be no different."_

_ Unfortunately it was not to be, the mighty Zale was defeated with a simple last move that was absolutely lucky that it worked at all. A simple weak wave of the arm was all it took to finish off the last of the devils and the world to topple into chaos once again the young hero never expected it. _

Zale woke up shocked sweat poring off of him, it was dark outside, Kurumi was sleeping next to him, and he remembered the elite warrior life that he used to live the terrible end and the terrible destruction his hard sought after empire had turned to. All because of that stupid little boy that wanted to play hero, boy did he love to watch that boy become horrified at the chaos he caused even as a spirit.

Still it made him tear up a bit recalling the horrified faces of his sort of friends their bodies pierced and their souls moving on while he stayed on this earth determined to accomplish his dream no matter how long he had to wait. He looked at Kurumi's sleeping face her head dropped onto his chest, and Zale smiled hugging her to himself liking that he had something to keep him here.

'It almost makes it worth it to know I have her here with me.' Zale thought to himself wrapping his other arm around her, and she unconsciously snuggled into his chest a smile on her face and Zale hugged her even tighter just to make sure she was there.

To this day that hero still haunted him, but no longer would he hate the boy he would forgive him because without him he wouldn't have this empress or that Ayame girl sure he barely knew her, but she was still kind to him genuinely even the other devils only joined him out of fear.

**The next day**

Kurumi woke up with a sneeze because of her hair tickling her nose. She looked up at Zale who smiled at her she knew he was dreaming last night, but this wasn't what she expected. "That was such a good fox nap." She said purring slightly as she stretched.

"I thought you were a fox not a cat." Zale said and she growled at him. "Let's do something today Kurumi something that'll be fun."

**ROOT headquarters**

Danzo looked through his own crystal ball one that he had "found" one day when the Hokage was out, and he smiled as he looked at Naruto who held that girl like a life line. "I have found a weakness in the seemingly unbreakable boy. I sent Orochimaru after the boy and he somehow lived through it, there seems to be someone up there looking after him." Danzo smiled walking away from the crystal ball liking this new information. "I will get the secrets of the Kyuubi as well as that new manipulation ability."

**With Zale and Kurumi**

Who walked in on the scene was the perverted hermit who looked at the two of them inches away from kissing before he took out a note pad and giggled. "Oh kid you have a lot of game." Jiraiya said happily his hands making a groping motion. "Go in for the squeeze kid."

"You know that might not be such a bad idea." Kurumi said into his ear, and Jiraiya giggled again. Instead of doing anything Zale sat up Kurumi hugging his shoulders. "We were about to have some real fun, but then someone had to come and interrupt it.

Outside the door Hinata gave a thumb up to Hanabi who smiled before they snuck away.

"Oh come on kid you have to do it now she gave you the thumbs up for it." Jiraiya said, but Zale just gave him a blank look that said "what the hell do you want?" "Alright we're going to need to leave Konoha in a little bit in order to be able to bring the next Hokage since the old man decided to retire ever since Orochimaru teme's attack."

"What was the story with that any way?" Zale asked who hadn't heard the whole thing.

"I don't know Orochimaru came up with a jutsu that brought back the dead, but they weren't enough to take down four kages so we won and Sarutobi sensei decided it was time to hand up the hat and enjoy the rest of his old man life reading my books." Jiraiya said revealing a copy of his book and seeing one on the table. "Oh I see you've heard of my work."

"Not me, her." Zale said pointing to Kurumi who raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Kid where did you find this girl, cause I got to go there." Jiraiya said. "Any way we're going off to find the slug princess, the legendary sucker, the only sage still in existence."

"You're a sage you take the position I'm tired." Zale said flopping back into bed,

"No way, being stuck in an office all day is not for me. Stuck doing all of that paperwork, not being able to peek at woman in the hot springs as I please it would be hell." Jiraiya said smiling and striking a stupid pose. "Tsunade being the legendary sucker is sure to be easy to trick into coming back and taking the position. It's likely going to be in a gambling town."

"Oh I want to go." Kurumi said raising her hand and smiling a blush on her face. "I love gambling towns, sake, bad decisions, good looking girls, and hot springs."

"You mean good looking guys." Jiraiya corrected.

"Nope I'm bisexual." Kurumi said Jiraiya falling over blood rocketing from his nose, as well as drool from his mouth. She turned toward Zale who was slightly shocked. "Gives you some ideas doesn't it?"

Zale this time did shoot back with a nose bleed a smile on his face one that he couldn't stop no matter how many perverted fantasies he tried to force away.

**Later**

** 6:00 AM**

"Alright then gaki's let's head out." Jiraiya said walking away early in the morning only to see them not following him. "Okay what's the problem?"

"Kurumi not used to being up so early." Kurumi said clinging off of Zale who made no comment. "I want to be carried.

They set off just like that with Zale carrying Kurumi and Jiraiya too happy too early in the morning. "You are too happy you know that." Zale said catching up with the old man.

"What's not to be happy about, we're going to a big town full of hot girls that just love to flash guys when they're drunk off their asses." Jiraiya said making grabbing motions with his hands. "Which is pretty much every night my little buddy."

"You're both filthy perverts." Zale said walking ahead of Jiraiya. "If anyone asks I don't know you."

"Oh but kid you were going to be the little brat that I used to score." Jiraiya said anime tears rushing down his eyes.

"Don't know you and that's final." Zale said picking up the pace of his walking Kurumi yipping happily.

**Review everyone I command it**


	6. Akatsuki make their move

**I do not own Naruto **

Zale rolled his eyes as they ran through the window that Kurumi was staring through, on the other side was a golden bracelet over priced and the old man in the shop could see the greedy look on Kurumi's face. "Hey if you want it I'll buy it for you." Zale said uncomfortably looking around making sure that the perverted hermit wasn't anywhere in sight.

"Oh goody!" Kurumi practically squealed and this drew the attention of other couples who stared at them with smiles that said they remembered what it was like to be used to be young and in love. "Hello, can we have a look at that bracelet in the window?"

"Of course, oh ninja I see well then I'll have to give you the special ninja price." the old man said dollar signs in his eyes, and when he saw the fancy looking clothes Zale was wearing he undoubtedly tripled the price in his head once again. "Yes well, total it will be sixteen thousand yen (I don't know what the currency is in the Naruto world or the exchange rate so it's in American currency so please excuse this)."

"This is not going to end well for my wallet." Zale said taking out the wallet which wasn't the frog wallet of Naruto, but a leather wallet that was soon emptied when before it was incredibly fat. There was almost nothing left after the bracelet, but when he looked at the smiling Kurumi he realized that her smile was worth it.

"Hey brat loan me some money will you." Jiraiya said popping up out of nowhere causing Zale jump up in fright knocking over a pile of boxes. This is in turn revealed a box filled with the supposedly golden bracelets as well as many other plates.

Kurumi and Zale looked at the man who sweated under their gaze, and he shook his hands in the air trying to salvage the situation. "How's about I cut the price in half and throw in a second pair of matching bracelets." he said his white hair standing on its end.

"You almost swindled me out of my money, I am a ninja that could burn the whole place down with a simple hand gesture, and you dare try and make a deal with me." Zale said his eyes filled with fire as he glared at the old frail man who was now completely horrified, he looked to Kurumi hoping that she would try and stop him, but if anything she seemed to enjoy watching him squirm.

"Alright take whatever you want just leave this old man to live." he pleaded and Kurumi immediately began grabbing different items that she liked the look of putting it all into a supposed designer bag that she had found. "Thank you, thank you!" he nearly bowed when they left the store with very little merchandise left.

"Wow kid I expected you to be a little more forgiving." Jiraiya said looking at the boy who didn't seem like he cared. "Well any way give me some cash will you?"

"I'd really rather not." Zale said looking at the perverted hermit who still held his hand out. "You're a ninja too don't you get paid for whatever it is you do, plus with you writing all those books you should be rolling in it."

"Yeah, but it's always so much more satisfying when you spend someone else's money." Jiraiya said still holding out his hand and Zale while still glaring at the sage, but somehow the man got him to hand over the wallet leaving him three hundred yen to spend on whatever he wanted.

"How did he get me to hand over all my money?" Zale asked looking at the measly three hundred he had in his hands. "What can we do for this measly sum?"

"How's about going in there, it's bound to get us more money with your ability." Kurumi said pointing to a building it was a casino. "Besides they have an open bar, and since you're a ninja you can gamble, and drink as you please."

"Well it's better than nothing." Zale said walking into the casino Kurumi following closely behind.

Inside they exchanged the small sum for some chips, and the smirk on the chip exchanger's face was just a little too smug for a person who spent their days taking money of people that actually had money to lose, and exchanging it for chips.

"Alright the game is roulette gentlemen and." the dealer looked at Zale who stared right back at him. "Others, now everyone place your bets." Once he looked around to see if anyone was going to join the game, after a few seconds people began shuffling around their bets, but Zale still left the whole three hundred yen on the zero. "That's it no more bets."

The zero landed and people watched shocked as the dealer handed Zale ten thousand five hundred dollars which were his winnings. "Does sir wish to play another?" the dealer asked giving Zale a little respect.

"Put it all on red thirty six." Zale said sliding the chips over and everyone looked at him shocked at this, it was insane. To their surprise it landed on exactly what he called, and since there was no one who dared challenge a ninja they watched as his ten thousand five hundred increased to three hundred sixty seven thousand five hundred.

As the night progressed his money kept increasing playing more and more games to the point that the casino employees were getting worried that they would be out of luck soon. Zale himself was off his ass, Kurumi had been getting him a great supposedly non alcoholic beverage, of course now he knew what a load that was.

At this point, he didn't care as he spun in his chair lined up with the poker table his face a bright red his opponents sweating profusely their money on the line. "Weee!" Zale said spinning in his chair hiccupping his face a bright red his focus slightly off.

'I have a full house no one can beat this hand.' the only man still in said smiling sliding in the rest of his chips. "I'm all in.

"Oh then so am I." Zale said hiccupping again before he watched the cards shuffle as he turned in his whole hand before manipulating the shuffling so that he would get four aces. "There four aces!"

The man looked horror struck his eyes angry looking at the boy before walking away in a huff. The girls that had accumulated around him suddenly got much closer than Kurumi would have preferred, but the fact that Zale didn't push them back was her own fault she had fed him like eighteen of those things a loaded with alcohol.

"Hey big boy how's about you and I get out of here with that money and have a nice good time." a tall woman with profound features said making sure that her bust was in front of him her cleavage showing.

Instantly a few other girls did the same squishing him in between their bodies hoping to get into his deep pockets, and Kurumi watched slightly angry, but she had to admit that she would have slept with some of these woman given the chance. Nonetheless she grabbed the drunken ninja before things could get out of hand and dragged him away.

"Where are we going Kurumi?" he asked in his happy drunk voice.

"To find that perverted toad sage, we're getting out of here as soon as possible." Kurumi said continuing to drag away the boy who put up no resistance in the state he was in. "That man will probably be in the cheapest dirtiest place in the town."

With her still enhanced fox nose Kurumi quickly found the place where the white haired man was also slightly buzzed ladies on his arms. "Hey old man check this out, I won big at the casino just now." Zale said his voice changing from deep to high as he held up the case full of money.

"Oh have I ever said how much I liked blondes?" one of the girls asked running over to Zale who didn't seem to notice as she latched onto him followed by several other girls all of their eyes filled with the case as long as they got a cut they wouldn't mind sharing.

"Alright that's enough for the night." Kurumi said a tick mark appearing on her head as she once again pulled Zale away from the crowd of girls. "We'll be in the hotel across the street if you need us."

"Yeah that's great kid, now if you'll excuse me a real pretty young lady just winked at me." Jiraiya said running off a perverted look on his face, and leaving Kurumi to drag the drunken Zale to the hotel she was referring to.

With the money he had they rented a nice sweet which once again she had to drag him up to. He was soundly asleep in bed when someone knocked at the door. "Probably that pervert." Kurumi said walking over to the door and opening it to see a large man with blue scales, and a shorter man that had black hair. "Uh oh."

**Come on guys more reviews or I'm deleting the damn story. By the way I need Oc's more people to join Zale and Kurumi in their quest to rule the world. If they are ninja or manipulation user make sure to explain where they come from or how they gained their skills, if not I'll decide myself. Leave it in the reviews or PM me with the idea. **


	7. Chapter 7

**I do not own Naruto. I want Oc's as allies for Zale and Kurumi if you want to explain how they got their powers. I want a description of them, where they grew up, their personality, and what they can manipulate. **

Kurumi's blood froze as she stared at the man with shark like blue skin, and the pin wheel eyes of the sharingan spinning, but this time instead of falling victim to it she turned back to the blue man. "Well, look at that this cute little thing knows who we are." Kisame said smiling at her rather horrified reaction.

"That is not of our concern Kisame we are here to get the boy and nothing else, but be wary of his new abilities we have been informed it's something to be wary of." Itachi said looking at the girl with cold dead eyes, and he grabbed her chin with his fingers. He spun the sharingan Kurumi unable to look away as the hypnosis started to set in.

Except this time something odd happened instead Itachi jumped in shock holding his eyes which were bleeding. "What the heck." Kisame said looking at his partner who was holding his eyes. "That was a neat trick brat, but, OW!" While he was talking Kurumi slammed a vase on his head. "You will pay for that brat!" Kisame yelled grabbing the handle of his sword.

"Eeek!" Kurumi squealed running back inside of the room the large blue man following after her.

"I was planning on being nice and only chopping off a limb or two, but you're going to die now." Kisame said stomping into the room his chakra and killer intent trying to scare the girl.

"Kisame beware there's something about this girl that is off." Itachi said walking into the room; it was large enough that they had to look a bit. "No normal girl could do that to a sharingan user."

'I've been alive for thousands of years and watched countless wars played out with ever dirty trick in the book I can handle two people.' Kurumi thought to herself watching the two look around, since she had virtually no chakra as long as she stayed quiet they wouldn't be able to find her. 'Okay I have some shoes, string, and Zale's kunai and such.'

"Damn it girlie get out here!" Kisame yelled out kicking over a sofa and growling. "Well the kids right there so that means we could just take him and get out of here." Kisame said walking toward the sofa and he hit a string breaking it. Instantly shuriken came flying at him, but his sword took care of those. "That is a terrible and pitiful trap."

"Never mind the girl now if she's worth looking into we'll get her later, let's just get Naruto." Itachi said, but none the less he was a bit irked.

"What's going on?" Zale asked waking up rubbing his eyes to see a blurry Itachi and Kisame who glared at him their arms reaching out to grab his still drunken for.

"The toad sage is in the building!" Jiraiya said coming in out of nowhere a girl on his shoulder.

**Sorry for the short chapter, but I have writers block. **


	8. Longest chapter

**I do not own Naruto. **

Jiraiya grabbed Zale, and Kurumi quickly performing a jutsu that changed the field. "You know if you hadn't filled the brat with alcohol he could have been fighting for you." Jiraiya said to Kurumi not taking his eyes off of the duo.

"Shut up I wanted to get laid." Kurumi said angrily as she helped to dispel the Genjutsu the girl was under. "Just fight them while I try, and pump Naruto's stomach."

"It would be much better to just hand him over to us, and not to mention that it would be much easier." Itachi said sticking out his hand as if they would just toss Naruto over to them. "Come now it will make everything much better for everyone."

"Please you brat, such simple Genjutsu on a sage will never work." Jiraiya said keeping his eyes on Itachi's and Kisame's feet watching for any sudden movements. "Let's go!"

"It's my pleasure." Kisame said drawing his sword, and running at the tall white haired man dodging the attacks with somewhat difficulty.

"I got bigger fish to fry than you." Jiraiya said grabbing his arm, and tossing him.

"Don't disregard me so easily old man!" Kisame said sending a fierce kick to the super pervert's stomach, and sending him flying into the wall of the toad's stomach.

Meanwhile as they attacked Itachi turned his head looking over at Kurumi, and Naruto the latter mostly out the former trying to revive him. "Hand him over little girl." Itachi said walking over slowly sure not to meet her eyes less he damage his eyes even further.

'_God, why now, we need more time, please anything to buy us more time.'_ Kurumi thought to herself desperately trying to revive Zale who was her only hope since Jiraiya was too busy with the fish.

Suddenly a large hole was broken into the wall of the toad in bursting a girl disguised as a boy wearing black garments. "ITACHI GET READY TO DIE!" Satsuki Uchiha yelled bursting into the battle field a chirdori charged in her hand charging with a sharp look of anger, and hate in her red eyes. '_I can do it, I know I can. If Naruto can beat Gaara then I can beat Itachi, and I'll finally be over this!'_

Itachi remained impassive to the attack sidestepping it, and slamming her into the side of the hall his hand around her neck. "Why hello dear sister." he said easily dispelling her Genjutsu, and holding her high up. "I hope you haven't forgotten the fun we've had." He leaned forward so she could feel his breath on the nape of her neck, and his hand ran up her shirt.

'_No, please no, not again, Naruto please help.' _ Satsuki thought mortified by what was happening begging that it was not happening that it was a terrible nightmare although she had stopped having them quite a while ago. '_Please help me, someone, anyone, anyone.' _Tears came to her eyes.

'There." Kurumi thought to herself successful as Zale's eyes cracked open seemingly cleared of any alcohol, and most likely a simple hangover.

Zale looked on in the situation slightly confused now that his body had worked out all of the alcohol from his system. Satsuki Uchiha terrified the hand of her older brother up her shirt as she wiggled, and squirmed trying desperately to get away with tears in her eyes. Jiraiya was in close combat with a blue skinned shark man they seemed to be at odds with Jiraiya slowly overpowering him.

Kurumi stood over him slapping him to seemingly get him awake. "What the hell is going on?" Zale asked sitting up looking around the gaze of Itachi, and Satsuki turning to look at him. "You know from what I can see you're raping her, and I saw my best friend raped once, so I won't let that ever happen again!" Zale waved his arm, and the ground underneath Itachi swallowed him up immediately freeing Satsuki who ran behind Zale. "Get back Uchiha you'll get in my way."

"He's right we're useless here." Kurumi said pulling away and consoling the terrified girl.

"I had heard that you had learned some new tricks Naruto, but that was certainly surprising." Itachi said appearing behind the boy who barely managed to jump away from the kunai swipe. "Of course you must make things difficult, but do not worry I will take care of that girl for you when you die."

"Don't you dare talk about Kurumi, you bastard!" Zale said with a deathly calm voice as his eyes pierced Itachi's own.

"Naruto don't look him in the eyes!" Satsuki yelled seeing his mistake.

It was too late their eyes met, and Zale could only watch as Itachi drew closer, and closer grabbing his shoulder. "Perhaps I'll force you to be my slave on the way there." Itachi said.

'_God why; what the hell can I do? I can't manipulate anything in here: I can't use anything; except.' _Zale summoned up his will power forcing his shaky mind to manipulate the bracelet around his arm into a knife that he stabbed into Itachi's eyes. "Bastard!" he spat.

"You little brat!" Itachi yelled holding his eye his normally calm face contorted into a look of pure rage. "AMARETSU!" Zale couldn't believe it.

To the normal people this was a jutsu a normal as hell appearance, but there was nothing about this that was normal. This was powerful, amazing Manipulation. Somehow Itachi had gathered fire from the sun itself in this small little area, and was using it against him. He stuck out his arm knowing he couldn't dodge, and he spent his energy simply diverting its path. "You're just as spent as I am; get the hell out of here."

A scowl was set on Itachi's face, but he was right. "Kisame, we are leaving." Itachi said, and the fish man scowled before they both leapt out of the hole Kurumi had made.

"God damn it." Zale said collapsing against the wall which made him sticky. "Hey pervert get rid of this damn jutsu, it's making me sick."

"You know gaki I saved your life you should be more grateful." Jiraiya said dispelling the jutsu.

"Please you bought time Kurumi was more effective than you were." Zale said gesturing to the girl who suddenly leapt into his chest burying her face into his shirt crying her eyes out. He turned to Kurumi with eyes that pleaded to tell him what to do.

'Comfort her.' Kurumi mouthed motioning for him to stroke her hair.

'_God dam it I've never done anything like this.' _ Zale thought to himself awkwardly placing his hand on her head, and running it through her now long hair. "There it's over now, no need to cry."

"Naruto I thought he was going to do it again, I thought he was going to defile me. I couldn't even look him in the eye, because I'm so weak." Satsuki cried hugging him tightly, but he suddenly grabbed her by her shoulders forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Listen to me Satsuki, I had a friend who got raped too; she blamed herself just like you did, and I've seen what that does to a person. I can assure you that whatever he did wasn't you fault, it wasn't because of you, it's because some people are born bad. If you let yourself believe it's your fault then you'll be wrong all your life. You dealt with this for years by yourself without telling anyone, and I know I wouldn't have been able to deal with that." Zale said looking her straight in the eye his look stern, and voice forceful to show that he refused to let her believe he was wrong.

Again she buried her face into his chest, and started crying. "Whoa gaki that's deep." Jiraiya said.

"Of course it is Naruto's got to be." Kurumi said leaning over, and hugging his shoulders.

"See this is why I didn't want to come something bad always happens when you leave home." Zale said staring at Jiraiya who held up his hands. "For your sake Jiraiya, Tsunade better be close by, or else there will be hell to pay, and I'm going to put a down payment down in your name."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah gaki, but get some sleep we've got a walk for us in the morning. If you feel like it Uchiha go ahead, and stay with the brat, and his girl. I'm going to go see if that girl from earlier wants to talk about the person that saved her." Jiraiya said walking off waving his back to them so they couldn't see the tear in his eye. 'Minato if you could see your son now, you would be so proud of him.'

"I got to go to bed." Zale said standing up leaving Satsuki with Kurumi in the hall.

"Um so if you don't mind me asking Kurumi, how did you, and Naruto meet?" Satsuki asked.

"Oh we've known each other for a long time, but those stories are from another time, come on let's get to bed." Kurumi said smiling at the girl, and helping her inside the room, and into bed.

**The next Morning**

"Get up gakis!" Jiraiya yelled bursting into the room slamming two trash can lids together causing all of them to jerk awake.

"You ass hole!" Zale yelled out holding his ears peeved at the sage. "What the hell do you think you're doing waking someone up like that?"

"I was thinking that you needed some motivation gakis, now let's get going. If Tsunade is where I think she is then she won't be staying around for long." Jiraiya said simply slamming one hand into another. "Come on we have to move fast besides I heard the really pretty girls like to get their public baths in early, so we got to get going."

"Isn't this a waste of your talents Jiraiya-sama?" Satsuki asked.

"Don't call this pervert sama he deserves no honorific, he became a sage on a fluke." Zale said shaking his head at Satsuki who nodded at him.

"Why are you listening to him, and not me?" Jiraiya asked.

"Well because he saved me, and you fought a fish." Satsuki said a light blush on her face.

"Oh well then I just lost my sense of pride." Jiraiya said. "Are you sure that you don't want to put up your Genjutsu before we leave Satsuki?"

"No I only put it up in Konoha, so no one would force me into being a baby factory, so I should be fine out here." Satsuki said running a hand through her now long silky black hair tied up in a bun. She wore a black skirt; shinobi sandals, a white t-shirt with a splotch of blue, and a hair pin on the left side.

"I love your sense of style Satsuki; you have to take me shopping one of these days." Kurumi said.

"Oh I could never do anything to improve what you do Kurumi, besides I was actually hoping for some dieting tips from you." Satsuki said kindly.

'_Well I guess that it's nice that now Kurumi has someone to talk to about girl stuff now, after all if I had listened to one more time about how cute that top in the window we saw ages ago is then I was going to blow my brains out.' _Zale thought to himself his hands behind his head, and dark circles under his eyes. "Jiraiya where are we going this time?"

"A little place called Tanzaku town, my informants have told me that she was last spotted there." Jiraiya said handing the girls a pamphlet.

"Oh I went there when I was a little kid mom took us for vacation, it's really famous for the castle walls." Satsuki said.

'I think that I remember tearing down those castle walls a few hundred years ago.' Kurumi thought to herself putting a finger to her chin. "How long will it take us to get there?"

"Not long if it were just us ninja, but with you we should make it in about a few days." Jiraiya said.

"Not happening, I'll carry her." Zale said grabbing Kurumi, and tossing her over his shoulder.

"Ah! Naruto stop it this isn't funny!" Kurumi squealed, but despite her claims she squealed in laughter pounding his back screaming.

"Which way?" Zale asked Jiraiya who pointed in the general direction of the town which he followed immediately the others leaping after him. "At this pace by when should we get there?"

"In about two hours." Satsuki said remembering the trips with her mother. "It's actually a really fun town, they always have something going on, and they're a big tourist attraction because of the historical sites, so we won't be bored."

"I bet Kurumi will be." Zale said lightly chuckling to himself since Kurumi actually had lived through said historical eras. This earned him a sharp crack on the back.

**Two hours later**

"Finally we're in town; I never wanted a hotel more." Kurumi said cracking her joints.

"What are you complaining about? You never even walked on your own." Jiraiya said.

"Yeah well when someone loves you they'll do anything to make you comfortable, but you don't know anything about that do you?" Kurumi asked earning herself a sharp rap on the head. "Ow, ow, ow, Zale he hit me!"

"Want to earn yourself a broken arm?" Zale asked Jiraiya who backed off.

They walked around for half an hour before they heard something blew up, and they saw people running. "Hey, what the hell is going on? Jiraiya asked grabbing a man.

"It's a monster buddy you got to run!" he said before running off.

"Stay here." Zale told the two girls before he ran off with Jiraiya.

They discovered a large crater, and no monster. "Oh I only know two people that can do this kind of damage, and this amount means both of them." Jiraiya said bending down and picking up a chunk of blonde hair from the rubble. "We're not too far behind, we got to find Tsunade."

For the rest of the day they searched, but came up with nothing. "I really hate you old man." Zale said slamming his head down on the table of the restaurant they were sitting at.

"Hey I'm paying for dinner." Jiraiya said.

"With the money you took from me in the last town." Zale said angrily slamming his fist on the table, but relenting when the smell of the food hit his nose. "This place really does smell nice."

"Best food in town." Jiraiya said nodding his head as their food was placed in front of them. 'There's also a chance that a busty blonde will show up here, not that he needs to know that.' "Hey Tsunade is that you over there, and whose that Raven haired vixen with you, you hag?"

"Jiraiya you're going to eat those words!" Tsunade yelled angrily slamming her heel into his chin.

'_I'm an orange haired vixen.' _Kurumi thought to herself.

"I can't believe that the sages act like such children." Satsuki said shaking her head as the black haired girl names Shizune slid into their booth as the two fought.

When things calmed down they sat down around the table eating the food. "So Jiraiya where did you find this guy, I swear they're getting younger." Tsunade said leering at Zale who leered right back at her. "Ha a brat like you wouldn't last a second in the ninja world."

'You bitch I probably killed more people that you have.' Zale thought to himself. "Shut up grandma, I doubt you could do much to me."

"Oh yeah you idiot, I bet that you couldn't even perform a simple jutsu!" Tsunade said.

"Bet I could!" Zale said thinking of ways he could fake it.

"Fine then I win, and you quit being a shinobi!" Tsunade yelled at him.

"Name the jutsu, and if I win then you got to um." Zale thought what could he make her do.

"You have to wear whatever Jiraiya wants for a week." Kurumi suggested, and she and Kurumi immediately erupted in giggles thinking about what the perverted man would do, the pervert himself steaming already,

"Deal, you got to learn the rasengan!" Tsunade said.

"Name the time."

"You have to learn it by the end of the month!"

"Give me the jutsu!" Zale said sticking his hand out to Jiraiya who was hesitant. "Come on."

"Gaki you sure you want to do this?" Jiraiya asked.

"Hand it over." Zale said his glare never withering as he stared down the physically strongest sage. He stuck out his hand, but right when he was about to shake her hand Tsunade suddenly grabbed him looking over his hand.

"How the hell?" Tsunade asked looking over his hand which he just noticed was a little pale, but other than that didn't seem too bad. "How the hell are you still standing?"

"What are you talking about?" Zale asked trying to pull away his hand the one that had diverted the black manipulated fire.

"This hand is incredibly damaged; the fact that you're still able to use it is amazing." Tsunade said taking a firm hold on his hand. "Shizune get me some bandages." In the end his hand ended up bandaged. "Now no jutsu or hand signs for the next few weeks, in fact I'd like to get you to a hospital, and strip away some of that damaged flesh."

"Don't worry about it just get ready for Jiraiya to pick out your outfits. Where did he go anyway?" Zale asked looking at the spot the perverted hermit previously occupied. "Whatever I'm going to go find him, and make him give me that jutsu, can you two get to the room okay?" Zale looked at Kurumi, and Satsuki who nodded. "Kay I'm going to head out."

"So lady Tsunade what are you going to do about the preposition Jiraiya gave?" Shizune asked referring to the Hokage position.

"Oh who cares about that I'm just glad that I'm going to get a kid off the path of becoming a monster especially that one." Tsunade said after the girls had left. 'Shizune, I wish that I could ask you what to do, but this is such a terrible thing, how can I decide what to do?'

Zale walked around the town the instructions for the rasengan in his hand a bag in the other. He came upon a boy who sat down on the side of the street gambling with random passer byes. The boy was scamming everyone out of their money, and no one at all could figure out how. It was a simple game spin three coins you could provide them if you wished, or you could use his.

Then you'd bet on the majority one, and they lost. 'That movement's unnatural.' Zale thought to himself watching as the boy concentrated too hard on the coins a vein in his head bulging. "Hey kid, what's your name?" he asked crouching down to look the sitting boy in the eye.

"Chrome, what of it?" he asked him staring at him. "Look play a game, or move along."

"Tell me do you know what chrome is?" Zale asked cocking his head knowing that chrome was actually an artificially made material, and shouldn't be found in this time.

"What's it matter, pay, or move along." he repeated.

"Sure put me down for a game." Zale said taking a ten thousand ryo note, and putting it down. "What's the exchange rate?"

"Double what you put down, you want to put your coins down or mine?" Chrome asked.

"I'll use mine." Zale said narrowing his eyes taking out three coins one held between each of his fingers. "I always found games like this interesting you think the guy is cheating, but you just can't prove it." He tossed the coins up, and caught them before throwing them onto the board where everyone watched them spin. Zen once again watched as the boy focused on the coins, but he casually flicked his pupils, and the coins bounced away toward heads.

"No way." Chrome said looking up at him his black hair hanging in his face as he looked up at Zale who had somehow easily overpowered his ability that he had trained for years now. "Who are you?"

"I'm a guy that could take that ability of yours to the next level." Zale said looking him straight in the eye.

"Piss off guy, what the hell can you do?" Chrome asked, and Zale laughed at him.

"How's about a spar, if you think I can't teach you anything then I'll give you some money to get out of town, but if you decide that I can teach you something than I'll teach you." Zale said tossing several coins in the air which immediately turned into razor sharp needles that he tossed at Chrome.

Chrome managed to somehow flatten the ends, and they bounced off of him useless. "Ha that's so lame; I could do that since I was like five." Chrome said waving his arm a few pieces of metal launching themselves at Zale who easily deflected them. Just as Chrome was about to run forward his legs were entangled in some fast growing roots, and he fell face first. "How did you do that?"

"An old trick, can't teach you right now though, but I'm staying in that casino place downtown." Zale said walking off leaving Chrome to scowl in his direction. 'That kid has a lot of potential, and I'm sure as hell not going to leave him here where he might end up fighting against me.'

**End Chapter Read and Review guys, and I'll be updating much more often now.**


	9. The Senin Showdown

**I do not own Naruto. **

Satsuki and Kurumi sat down in opposite beds Zale was leaning against a wall tossing a rubber ball against the wall, and catching it. "What are we waiting for?" Satsuki asked as she wanted to go out, and see the town.

"I'm not sure what you're waiting for you two can go whenever you want I have a friend that I need to talk to." Zale said losing focus of the ball that immediately hit him in the face. "Ouch."

"Oh we just couldn't have any fun without you Naruto-kun." Kurumi said with burning sarcasm in her voice. "So who exactly are you meeting, I don't think that you've ever been to this town."

"Someone I met on my way back, and he has a few cool "tricks" that I'd like to learn." Zale said putting special emphasis on the word "tricks," so that Kurumi knew **Manipulation **was an underlying tone.

"Some new ninja things I would love to learn it." Satsuki said turning to look at them.

"No, some awesome new pranks I can use, believe it!" Zale said throwing in some old Naruto which Satsuki rolled her eyes at.

Knock, knock, knock. Zale turned to the door opening it, and stepping outside. "I think _I_ should go with him just to make sure that he doesn't get into any trouble." Kurumi said emphasis on _I_so that Satsuki knew that she shouldn't follow. "We'll be back in a few hours at most, we'll all go out, and see what's left of the castle walls later." She shut the door behind her leaving Satsuki to entertain herself.

"I'm glad that ended up coming Chrome." Zale said to the somewhat scrawny looking boy with greasy black hair. "Come on I have some training to do we'll talk when we get there."

The walk to the clearing was spent in silence that to Chrome was awkward, but to Kurumi, and Zale seemed natural. They arrived after twenty minutes, and then Zale unpacked some items. "Can we talk now?" Chrome asked him.

"We could have talked ten minutes ago you just didn't." Zale said continuing to unpack the items. "Alright then from what I've seen you can use **Manipulation**. Is it just coins or can you do bigger?"

"I've been able to handle metal pretty well." Chrome said shrugging his shoulders. "Look I don't know a lot about what this is, but the way you're so good at it I'm guessing you do."

"You assume correct Chrome, you see the ability you can do is called Manipulation. It lets us manipulate reality as it exists; the demons you hear about are able to use chakra, and Manipulation giving them amazing power. It has no limitations, and provided it's used right it could defeat any opponent that the world could throw at you. I didn't know that any Manipulation users besides a friend and I existed, so it was quite a surprise to find you."

"But I've only ever been to mess with metal, and you could do it with the roots." Chrome said.

"That leads me to believe that Manipulation as dead a technique as it is has been weakened. My friend has manipulation over sand, and his ability seems to have gotten stronger. With some training you could manipulate more than metal, and I want to use that." Zale said beginning to bounce a ball again.

"What do you want to use it for?" Chrome asked suddenly aware there was a third person that had come with them, and she was casually blocking the only path off the mountain.

"Simple I wish to bring peace to the world, and Manipulation is the best way to do it. Of course leading the peaceful world will require people; people like us." Zale said a lecherous smile spreading across his face as he spoke. "Tell me, would you like to join me in my quest, or will we have to use certain methods to ensure your silence?" As he spoke the earth under them seemed to ripple, and morph as if it was water.

"I'll help you." Chrome said without hesitation. "This is the best offer I've ever gotten, and I don't think I'll ever get anything like this again." Immediately the atmosphere became normal once again, and Zale shook his hand as if they were old friends. "When do we start?"

"We'll start as soon as I figure out the answer to this problem that I've been having lately." Zale said staring at the rubber ball in his hand with a scowl on his face. "God damn it why did I make that bet; without being able to gather chakra I can't perform this jutsu."

"Maybe it's because you haven't learned how to harness charka properly." Kurumi suggested speaking up for the first time that night.

"No I read plenty of books, and sat in on some of the classes that they were teaching new ninja, and I just can't get the chakra out." Zale said with a frustrated sigh.

"I can help." Chrome said, and they turned to look at him. "Well chakra isn't just in a body it's all over, and since I couldn't ever use chakra I messed with seals a lot. I can't promise that it'll be pretty, but I could make some kind of absorption seal, so you can have chakra ready to manipulate." Chrome looked at them, and they seemed to converse with their eyes before turning to face him.

"I knew that you would come in handy." Zale said with a smile patting him on the shoulder. "Just tell us what you'll need to do it, and I'll get it for you however I can. By the way in public it's Naruto, but in private you call me Zale. Keep that close to your mind because if you ever slip I'll kill you in an instant."

"I'm going to need some ink, and brushes." Chrome said as he recalled exactly what he needed to draw the seal. "Zale, I also need to go to the town library just so I don't mess it up. Tampering with seals can be really dangerous, so I'm going to need to double check my work."

"Go with him Kurumi make sure that he doesn't decide to wander off while I go, and get some supplies." Zale said walking off the mountain, and in the direction of a shop that sold ink, and brushes.

"So how long have you known Zale?" Chrome asked Kurumi who followed in a slightly threatened manor. "You two seem really close.

"We've known each other for a few months now, and I suppose we're so close because we share some similar aspects in our life." Kurumi said knowing that Zale wouldn't want her revealing all of their secrets just yet. "Tell me Chrome, where do you come from."

"I came from a little town a few hundred miles that way." Chrome said pointing to a random direction then shrugging his shoulders. "Everyone there used chakra, and they made fun of me because no matter how hard I tried I couldn't. Then I discovered that I could use Manipulation, and they made me leave. Now that I met you guys though it's nice that I have some people that understand me."

"Well don't expect too much I've been dating Zale for a while, and he doesn't show much emotion to me." Kurumi said as they came upon the library where she easily stole a book on seals, and tossed it to Chrome.

"How did you do that?" Chrome asked seeing that none of the security measures of the library had been set off.

"What, just because I'm the girlfriend of someone powerful doesn't mean that I can't have a few tricks of my own." Kurumi said honestly. She had in fact retained fox like speed, and reflexes, even some strength that allowed her to hoist herself up. "Come on we should be getting back to the field I'm sure that Zale was able to find what you asked for."

Sure enough when they got back Zale was standing with a bag on his hand filled with all kinds of inks, and papers. "I'm going to need you to be held down by something, and I need you to take your shirt off. Since it's my first time putting a seal on a person it'll be big, and clumsy, and it's going to hurt a lot." Chrome said as he mixed some inks, and picked out certain brushes.

"Oh please Chrome I have suffered some terrible attacks in my life, and I doubt this will be much worse. GOD DAMN IT!" Zale didn't expect the sudden burning of the ink as it touched the dark skin on his back, and he struck Chrome sending him flying the newly prepared ink across the floor. "Okay then point taken. I'll restrain myself this time."

He lifted his hands, and chains shot out of the ground keeping him restrained as Chrome prepared new ink, and Kurumi rubbed his back. "Not going to cry like a baby this time are you?" Kurumi asked him.

"Shut up Kurumi." Zale said biting his cheek as the brush suddenly hit his skin a terrible burning as the seal was applied. "I swear if this doesn't work I'm going to kill you Chrome."

It was twenty minutes before Zale could be released the seal applied, and hissing as Kurumi tried to sooth him. "Did it work?" Kurumi asked.

"How can I tell?" Zale asked looking at Chrome who told him to release the chakra all he would need to do was focus on the seal, and release it. "Release." There was an intense pressure as a bit of Kurumi's chakra was released, and some of the chakra already absorbed. "Good I really am glad we met Chrome. Now I have a special job for you."

From that day on if you were to ask anyone about it they would say that after walking with Naruto they felt rather drained of energy depending on what their current amount of chakra was.

**-SCENE CHANGE- Not sure if this was clear, but Zale will be referred to as Zale unless someone speaks to him as Naruto.**

"Hey you guys are bad." Satsuki said watching as Zale, and Kurumi walked into the room. Zale seemed to be walking with some hesitation as if he was in pain. "I thought you guys weren't ever going to come back. Are you okay Naruto, you seem like you're in some pain?"

"Yeah of course I am Satsuki, nothing can keep me down. I mean who on earth could do any damage to the greatest ninja to ever walk this earth?" Zale said with a foxy smile making Satsuki blush a deep red. "You two wanted to go out, and see what's left of the castle walls right. Come on let's go, and see what there is to do in this old town."

They walked outside seeming like a normal group of friends, and for now he supposed they were. Just as Satsuki had said there seemed to be a festival going on. People were going around some hand in hand others just walking, and many wearing kimonos. "Oh look there's a kimono shop over there." Kurumi said pointing to a random shop on the street with kimonos in the windows.

"This looks really cute." Satsuki said stopping looking in the shop window where there was a deep blue kimono with black wings on the back.

"Do you want it?" Zale asked not looking them as she and Kurumi turned to look at him. "What it's my money; I can do what I want to do with it."

"Oh Naruto I want one too!" Kurumi said, and Zale nodded as they walked in. Kurumi picked out one with a deep red color, and an orange sleeping fox on the back. "Come on Naruto put one on."

"I don't do kimonos; I think they're way too open to be considered clothes." Zale said turning his head as he paid for the items. "What do you girls want to do out here, there's definitely a lot to do here."

"Let's go to the fish scooping." Kurumi suggested as they paid for three scoops. In the end they only kept three of the eighteen fish that they had caught, but none of them were disappointed about it. "You know we should do this more often."

"Yeah well if I could I would." Zale said referring to the abuse they usually got if he tried to take Kurumi out on a date. "Whatever let's just enjoy it while we can. I think I saw a cotton candy booth over there, does anyone want some." He was met with "yes" from the girls.

"Kurumi, so when you said you, and Naruto are going out you really meant it?" Satsuki asked, and met with a nod making her feel a bit dejected. "Oh, okay."

"Hey no need to be so glum I can share." Kurumi said with a playful smirk, winking at Satsuki, and giggling when she blushed a deep red. "Oh calm down."

**-Scene change- 3 weeks, and six days later**

Tsunade watched as the group of Zale, Kurumi, Satsuki, and a new boy she didn't recognize trained in an area. Out of all of them Zale seemed to be trying the hardest, and had been destroying tree after tree claiming each time that it wasn't good enough although it seemed to do plenty of damage. "I've got the basics down, but I can't keep it in a controlled form." Zale said watching his hand which was scorched the other his left having healed from the Amaretsu fire.

"Don't worry Naruto you'll get it." Satsuki said trying to comfort him only to be pushed off. "Oh come on calm down, you can't be expected to get it right away. I heard it took the Hokage a year to perfect it."

"Yeah well I'm supposed to be better than that." Zale said panting sweat coming off of his brow glaring at the recently torn apart tree his blonde hair long overdue for a haircut. "Hey you three go ahead, and go get some lunch I've got to train some more."

"We don't all need to go do we?" Kurumi asked ever lazy.

"Go." Zale said rubbing his hand. "Besides all you guys have done is watch me run myself ragged go into town I still need to train some more, and besides I'm going to collect my thoughts." They left leaving Zale to sit down exhausted. 'I can release the chakra that the seal collects without problem, but it also releases Kurumi's unending, and unstable reserves. That makes the rasengan nearly impossible to control.' Zale bit his thumb hard drawing blood, but nothing came to mind. "AH why do things need to be so hard?"

He spent the next few hours practicing his group returning, and then leaving when the night fell, and they decided to go back to their respective hotels. "Just a little bit more." Zale panted holding his badly damaged arm before he collapsed onto the ground snoring loudly.

"I can't believe this kid; he won't stop trying even now that there's no way he could win this bet." Tsunade said walking over to him, and doing a quick diagnostic. "Let's see he's just out of energy, he'll need to sleep it off, but nothing besides that." She picked him up, and dropped him off in his hotel before leaving to drink with one perverted sage.

**-Scene Change- The Next Day**

"Where am I?" Zale asked sitting up slowly holding his head. Looking around he saw only Satsuki. "Satsuki what's going on, and how did I get here?"

"Tsunade brought you back after you passed out last night; she said that you should have been out for a few days at least." Satsuki said slightly surprised by him being awake so soon.

"Please not even death could keep me down after some sleep." Zale said moving his shoulders around, and cracking every possible joint he could. "Where is everyone?"

"Well Jiraiya never came back, and Kurumi went downstairs to explore the town some more." Satsuki said.

"Okay then, we should be heading out too." Zale said getting out of bed, and opening the door to see Shizune about to knock on the door a panicked look on her face. "What's wrong Shizune?"

"Lady Tsunade she's disappeared and I think that she might have accepted a deal with Orochimaru!" Shizune practically screamed, and she stopped to explain everything. "I could not find master Jiraiya, and I think that Tsunade might have taken him. We need to find them."

"I did not need to deal with this today." Zale said cracking his joints. "Alright let's go, and find them before we have murder on our hands to deal with."

They rushed out of the room, and ran around the town. "I think that that's Jiraiya." Satsuki said pointing to a mass of white hair that was in a pile of garbage. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know Tsunade must have drugged my drink last night." Jiraiya said holding his head. "I can't even form chakra properly. Can you do anything about this Shizune?"

"I'm afraid not we're going to have to let it work itself out of your system." Shizune said propping up the old man. "We need to find Tsunade right now who knows if she did take someone else. Naruto do you think you can keep up with us."

"Of course I can with my techniques I'm unbeatable." Zale said with a scowl at how they didn't as Satsuki most likely because they had heard of her as being a very talented rookie. "I need to find Kurumi to make sure she's safe. I'll catch up as best I can."

"Okay then Tonton, lead us to Tsunade." Shizune said petting the pig which leapt off them closely following behind. "Do you think that Naruto's going to be able to find us?"

"Please that kid does the impossible on a daily basis finding us won't be any trouble." Jiraiya said as they moved as best as they could with him as he stood. "I can't believe that Tsunade would make a deal with Orochimaru that's like making a deal with the devil."

"If you don't mind me asking Shizune what exactly is this deal about?" Satsuki asked.

"Tsunade's precious people died some time ago, and Orochimaru's offer is to revive them in exchange for healing his arms. That snake losing his arms is the best thing that's ever happened to the world, and if Tsunade gives them back to him then we'll all be in a lot of trouble." Shizune said changing direction as they leapt through the trees, and suddenly stopped. "They were definitely here look here's Tsunade's coat."

"But where are they now?" Jiraiya asked already winded.

"They went that way." Satsuki said pointing to the direction of the rubble. "Come on we need to catch them before they end up hurting anybody. All of this rubble must mean that Tsunade must have blown off Orochimaru's deal, so we need to give her a hand in beating him."

"Alright I knew Lady Tsunade wouldn't have gone to the dark side." Shizune practically cheered.

"I wish I could say the same for Orochimaru." Jiraiya said as they leapt away. Eventually they came upon a large field where a bleeding Orochimaru stood, and a horrified Tsunade was shaking. "Orochimaru what did you do to Tsunade?"

"Why nothing at all my best friend you see we had a deal, and she betrayed that deal. Thankfully my assistant Kabuto here got there just in time to warn me of this. Tsunade's simply suffering from her acute fear of blood." Orochimaru said with what sounded like glee. "Let me tell you shinobi are a lot braver in the Mist then they are here in the leaf. He used a special jutsu that would cost him his life, and stole my arms from me."

'So that's how he lost his arms, but who did it.' Satsuki thought to herself getting ready for the impending fight. "Wait a second I remember you, you were in the Chunin exams."

"That's right Uchiha, let's have some fun huh." Kabuto said pulling out two medical scalpels green with chakra.

'I'll pull a Naruto I'll use some clones, and attack from the right side because of that injured hand of his.' Satsuki thought preparing hand signs only to be stopped by the white haired sage to stop her.

"Satsuki stay here this kind isn't a normal Genin he could go toe to toe with Kakashi if he had to." Jiraiya said cracking his knuckles. "Shizune," the medical ninja turned to look at him. "You take care of four eyes over there; you just leave Orochimaru over there to me."

"Right." Shizune said taking out senbon. 'He's a medical shinobi just like me, so I can't assume that we don't know the same techniques. I'm going to have to pull some fast ones if I want to win.'

"Now then how's about we get this thing started!' Jiraiya said, and they immediately bit down on their thumbs before doing the appropriate hand signs. "SUMMONING JUTSU!" He slammed his palm down on the floor, and there was a large poof as the two summoning jutsu brought forward their summons.

When the smoke cleared Kabuto, and Orochimaru stood upon a giant two headed snake, and Jiraiya had a small orange frog. "What the heck, why are you here, what happened to your father?!" Jiraiya demanded of the small frog that only waved in happiness. "Looks like I can't build chakra because of Tsunade's drug."

"You were always the fool Jiraiya." Orochimaru said with a laugh as Kabuto leapt onto the second head of the snake. "Let's begin shawl we?" The snake launched forward, and Shizune grabbed Tsunade throwing them both out of the way.

She was met with a blow to the chin knocking her back. Satsuki leapt as best she could from one stone to another, but she made a misstep forcing herself through the jaw of the snake. "AH!" she screamed as it came down upon her; sure that she was going to be devoured.

"Can people not die every second that I'm away!' someone yelled, and she was shocked when she was tackled out of the way one arm wrapping around her as they fell to the ground. Looking up she saw Zale with a scowl on his face, and Kurumi in the other arm. "Hey old man sage can't you stall these snakes?"

"Earth style: Mud Swamp!" Jiraiya called out in response, and the snakes sunk. 'Well not a total loss at least these snakes aren't going anywhere.' "Naruto get them out of there, and stay back this is a fight among professionals!"

"I take a lot of offense to that old man!" Zale called back as he ran to a safer area putting Kurumi, and Satsuki down. "I'm glad that you're both okay." Zale said smiling at them making them both blush. "Can you walk Satsuki?" Satsuki shook her head at this her legs shaking too much to walk. "Make sure she's comfortable Kurumi, I got to go, and help fight."

"Being comfortable doesn't matter." Satsuki tried to protest.

"Of course it does, I'll do whatever it takes to make you two comfortable." Zale said, and Satsuki blushed a deep red at this as he leapt away. When he got to Tsunade, and Shizune he saw the latter on the floor, and neither of them in any condition to fight. The culprit seemed to be the silver haired four eyes Genin. "Although I don't like the old hag all that much I sure as heck don't appreciate someone beating up little old ladies you know."

"Stay out of this Naruto I doubt even with your new tricks that you'll be any match at all for me." Kabuto said adjusting his glasses. "Big talk is all you are nothing else. It would be better if you just ran away let go of what you said, that you'll never run away."

"I said that?" Zale asked supposing that it was before Naruto had died. "Well it sounds like something that I would say. Come at me there's nothing you can do that can hurt me." Zale cracked his knuckles as he charged forward, but Kabuto sidestepped tapping his thighs with his hands. "Agh, what the hell did you do to me?"

"I severed a tendon in both your legs. Now you won't be able to hit me." Kabuto said adjusting his glasses once again. "You should have run away, dreams don't come true when you're dead."

"Trust me I know that." Zale said with struggle in his voice as he stood up used Manipulation of the wind to prop himself up. "Old lady we'll have another bet I'll beat this loser with the rasengan, and you'll return to the leaf village to be out next Hokage. If I lose then well I won't be around to find out, but the stakes seem fair to me. Let's go Kabuto."

"You idiotic kid!" Kabuto said somewhat angrily charging at Zale who stood somewhat shakily. When he was close enough to hit him two earth spikes shot up, and through his feet. "Huh, why didn't you just kill me?"

"I made a bet, and now that you can't move I can do this." Zale said performing a hand sign that the former host of this body was famous for. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" There was a poof, and next to him stood a perfect clone that began to scratch at his hand. 'I can't control the chakra because of Kurumi's chakra being so unstable, but if I use a second party to focus the chakra I should be able to poor more into it, and get better results.'

'I can't believe this making the rasengan like that is pure genius.' Tsunade said shocked at the boy's ingenuity, and she saw noticed the slightly purple color of the rasengan. 'On top of that he's able to use the chakra of the nine tailed fox, without even thinking about it.'

"Here we go!" Zale yelled as the rasengan was completed, and he drove it into the stomach of Kabuto who coughed up blood as it impacted upon his gut. The impact was for approximately twenty seconds before they blew apart, and Zale panted. "There I won two bets, and beat a smart ass. Today was a good day." He suddenly collapsed making Tsunade gasp.

"Ha you stupid kid I regenerated everything you tore apart, and severed the chakra network from your heart. You'll be dead in a few minutes." Kabuto panted only to suddenly cough up blood. "God damn it you did too much damage for me to recover from; I didn't even think that such a thing was possible."

"Naruto!" Tsunade yelled running over to the blonde who was breathing heavily. "No his hearts failing I need to heal it, or he'll die."

"There's no point he's going to die no matter what you do."Kabuto said smugly from his position across the field. "Not even the nine tailed fox can help him now. You'll be wasting time, and chakra."

"SHUT UP!" Tsunade yelled at him shocking him a little. "I'll save this boy no matter what happens do you understand me." The next few minutes were spent trying to support his breathing, and keep his heart beating until it was finally stable. "I can't believe you're still alive."

"Death is but an inconvenience for the strong." Zale said with a smile blood at the corners of his mouth.

"I couldn't agree more boy, but today you're going to die." Orochimaru said flying toward them apparently already having taken care of Jiraiya who was in the rocks seemingly in pain. Out of his mouth came a sword ready to pierce the boy, and everyone was shocked when instead it pierced Tsunade's hand.

"You're not going to touch this boy Orochimaru." Tsunade said her hand bleeding. "I'll protect this boy with my life no matter what happens."

"Why would you do such a thing for such a lowly Genin Tsunade, you don't even know him." Orochimaru said with seeming disgust.

"Because this boy is the future; I may not know what his place in the world is, but I'm sure that he's important to the world." Tsunade said throwing away the sword.

"That won't happen again." Orochimaru said with a hiss bringing back the sword, and swinging it forward ready to chop Tsunade into little strips.

"Oh shut the hell up." Zale said catching the blade between his hands avoiding any damage. "You're just an old man that doesn't realize that no one wants him around anymore. If you want to see someone with power then I'll show you power, and I promise you that you'll always regret it." Orochimaru was forced to leave the blade behind as the ground beneath him erupted. "Come on stop running!"

'What is this power is the Manipulation I've been hearing so much about?' Orochimaru thought leaping away as every step he took caused spikes to shoot out blocking him from making a stable landing, and keeping him in the air. "Where does a brat like you come across such a technique?"

"You got to be born with it!" Zale said leaping forward the spikes under him flattening giving him a place to leap off of. He brandished the sword he had stolen from Orochimaru ready to fight the snake sanin.

They met in mid air Zale swinging the sword which Orochimaru dodged, and somehow parried with his foot. "You'll never defeat me as you are, we fought in the forest of death, and you lost then too." Orochimaru hissed a smirk on his face. "I'm surprised you didn't die."

"I'm not the same person I used to be you snake freak." Zale said going to a stab in the snake's face only for the blade to be swallowed. "God you seem a little too good at handling hard long things in your mouth Orochimaru."

"You'll lose your tongue for that you brat." Orochimaru said easily getting behind Zale, and wrapping his arms around him. "I'll crush you little by little until you're little more that paste on the ground."

"I don't think so." Zale said forcing the wind to slam them against the ground shaking the snake loose. 'I can't keep up with his speed, so I'll need to make the environment hard to move in.' The air seemed to crackle before water droplets formed in it then dropping to the ground leaving a slippery sheet of ice.

"Oh what an interesting strategy boy, but such a thing won't work." Orochimaru said channeling chakra to his feet only to feel them freezing over. "What on earth."

"Special ice it'll freeze whatever chakra hits it, so you got to be real careful." Zale said with a smirk pulling out two kunai one for each hand, and spinning them around on his fingers. "That'll really cut down on your speed with all that chakra you let out unconsciously."

Orochimaru scowled at him running at the boy every step he took freezing his foot, and he was forced to yank it free cutting his speed in half every time. "You're going to pay for that boy!" Orochimaru said swinging at Zale who easily moved out of the way with the sage's reduced speed. "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" Orochimaru yelled using the jutsu he had greeted Naruto with in the first place.

With the ice beneath them the wind turned icy tearing at Zale who was hurled off of his feet, and into a rock an ugly noise, and blood following the impact. "That might need to be fixed later." Zale said through gritted teeth peeling himself off of the rock, and staring at the Sanin who was ready for a fight. "I'll burn you through!" His hand waved, and fire formed launching at Orochimaru. "Did it hit?"

The smoke cleared slowly, and just as it was about all gone hundreds of snakes came hurtling out of it all of them intent to tear off a bit of his flesh. "How interesting, you can even produce fire out of nowhere with that ability. Perhaps your body would be better than the Uchiha after all." Orochimaru said coming out of the smoke his skin slightly seared, but it seemed like he was otherwise fine.

Zale was left motionless the snakes digging deep into his flesh, and all seemed to be pumping him full of acid. "Perhaps I'll save your life, and steal your body from you." Orochimaru pondered drawing ever closer with agonizingly slow steps. Then he drew his sword his tongue wrapped around it. "Then again killing you would feel so much more rewarding than that."

CRACK! Orochimaru's head snapped to the side as a foot impacted in his side a small body flying across him. "Did I just do that?" Chrome asked slightly shocked by that.

"Yes, and you'll pay for it." Orochimaru said bringing the sword around only for it to suddenly shorten, and become useless. "My, my Naruto you seem to be saving everyone today aren't you?"

"I didn't do that." Zale said nodding to Chrome who smiled. "Meet the other Manipulation user I've found in this world."

"Oh then I'll take your body instead; what a happy day!" Orochimaru said turning to Chrome (no longer deeming Zale a threat) who tried to back away only slip on the ice. "With the new technique I'll be able to conquer the world with ease." He went to bite Chrome only for a kunai to pierce his neck forcing him to retract him. "I'm surprised you can still move Naruto."

"Never underestimate me." Zale panted moving his arms to gather all the electricity in the air, and forming it into a deadly attack that he sent at Orochimaru.

"AGHH!" Orochimaru screamed as it impacted messing with every body system he had. "What did you do to me I can't move!"

"I've over whelmed your body with electricity messing with the electrical impulses that run it. Your body should shut down in a few minutes, and leave you dead." Zale said removing the snakes with extreme pain. "You'll die here, and I'll just manipulate the fire out."

"How ignorant of you to say that, you of all people Naruto should know there is always a way out." Orochimaru said his mouth opening wide, and what happened next left Zale disgusted. Another Orochimaru shot out of the first covered in body fluids, and sticky as he pulled himself free from the original's mouth. "Manipulate the poison out all you want I'll send more and more snakes out to bite you until all the blood is sucked from your small short body."

'He's right there's no way I can win this.' Zale thought watching as the blood flowed out of him. Suddenly there was a hissing noise that made his body feel like it was on fire. 'What is this feeling, it hurts, but it's getting rid of all of the poison.' "Chrome, what's going on your stupid seal's burning!"

"I don't know it's not supposed to do that." Chrome called out wondering why steam was coming up, and out of his friend.

"What an interesting development." Orochimaru said watching as the blonde burned.

Hand seals appeared in his mind, and his hands shakily formed them. "Ne, tori, I, Uma, Saru, Hitsuji, U, Tatsu, Tora, Mi, art of summoning summon the fox!" he called out slamming his palm on the ground a large palm of smoke appearing, and his body burning red the seal for the chakra harnessing burned right off his back.

"No way." Tsunade said watching as four deep orange legs appeared followed by tails, and finally a snout. "This kid summoned the nine tailed fox sealed within him?"

"Is that even possible?" Jiraiya asked finally coming back to consciousness.

'Wait a second if I'm out here then whose controlling my body?' Kurumi thought to herself looking at the large nine tailed fox stood with Zale on his forehead.

"Is that the nine tailed fox!?" Satsuki asked horrified trying to back off only for Kurumi to catch her. "What are you doing we need to get out of here Kurumi."

"Calm down." Kurumi said touching their foreheads, and effectively knocking the girl out with a simple jutsu she had learned. 'My, did I use to be that big, I should have gone on that diet after all.' "Go Naruto kick his snake ass!"

Zale himself felt amazing although he had no control over it he had chakra coursing through him healing all of his injuries, and burning away the poison. "Alright then we're going to be doing this fighting with my friend here." Zale patted the hallow shell's head, and closed one of his eyes. 'I can see everything it sees with this eye closed, so controlling it shouldn't be too much of a problem.'

"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto yelled running over to the white snake, and quickly performing a summoning to summon the purple boss snake Manda.

"Orochimaru why did you summon me out here you know how much I hate being summoned." Manda said angrily.

"Trust me Manda you'll be well rewarded." Kabuto was cut off.

"Shut up you idiot what do you have that I could possibly want." Manda said. "I expect a thousand offerings for this you white snake."

"Of course Manda." Orochimaru said.

'It looks like we're going to be battling it out.' Zale thought to himself watching carefully through Kurumi's old eyes. "Let's see what these claws can do!" The body charged forward scratching at Manda with clumsy movements that seemed to be barely supporting itself.

"This is the Kyuubi no kitsune how disappointing." Manda said easily avoiding the clumsy attacks with his amazing speed. He wrapped himself around the body's legs forcing it to fall down where it in turn wrapped itself around its neck squeezing as tightly as it could.

"Hey guys could use some support!" Zale yelled to the sages who snapped out of their surprise, and preformed their own summons. "Got to get Kurumi, and Satsuki out of danger, and I suppose Chrome too." Zale said making Kyuubi's paws go up, and pry away the snake from its neck. "I'll bite you in half you stupid snake."

"A summoning with the foxes surely is impressive. I will take his body after all what a pleasure." Orochimaru chuckled as Manda wrapped himself around the slug squeezing until it fell apart into pieces then quickly avoiding the toad's blade.

While the sages duked it out Zale had somehow picked up his three friends in the mighty tails of the Kyuubi, and placed them with him on the forehead. "Do you have any advice on how to control this thing Kurumi?" Zale asked hard pressed to make it move it all.

"Will power and focus." Kurumi said confidently.

"Wait a second you used to be this?" Chrome asked slightly shocked.

"Let's save that story for another time; Chrome give me some defense for this body." Zale said.

"I've never done anything this big before you can't expect me to." Chrome was cut off by Zale.

"That's an order not as Zale, not as your friend, but as your emperor." Zale said angrily now feeling the pressure that came with controlling this huge body.

"Alright I'll give it a shot." Chrome said closing his eyes, and focusing as best he could. Slowly out of the earth came iron sand that although seemed to be insignificant was more than enough to do serious damage. "Alright ready to attack."

"Good, we're going to need some power to take down this guy down." Zale said forcing out the Kyuubi's chakra causing large plumes of fire to launch out scorching the area. "Hey Orochimaru it's you, and me!"

"How pitiful." Orochimaru said diverting his attention from his old teammates leaving Manda to do what he must, and leaping up Kyuubi's legs.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Jiraiya demanded of him running after Orochimaru up the same leg Tsunade following closely behind.

"I've got better fish than you to fry my old team mates, so I'll leave you with this as a parting gift." Orochimaru said as two blood clones appeared out of air causing the two sanin to divert their attention. He came upon Zale, Kurumi, Satsuki, and Chrome sooner than he could have hoped. "Good you're both here, so when one of you dies I'll have another body to use."

"You can't have our bodies." Zale said releasing control of the Kyuubi's body so he could focus on Orochimaru. "Chrome, can I have you backing me in this fight."

"I'll be your entire defense sir." Chrome said the iron sand floating up ready to defend at a moment's notice, and attack at any opening that it saw.

"How cute your teamwork is." Orochimaru said with a laugh. "Kabuto take care of the metal user for me while I take care of Naruto here."

"Yes lord Orochimaru." Kabuto said before leaping for Chrome.

"Do you really think you can win boy?" Orochimaru asked approaching Zale who scowled the fur tickling his arms making it hard to keep his fighting stance. "I am one of the sanin with limitless jutsu at my control, and just about an infinite chakra reserve you should really just give up."

"Don't try to bluff your way out of this you're spent old man you must have used a lot of chakra on that new body technique." Zale said with confidence. "You aren't winning here I control this body, and every step you take I can make a living inferno with the abilities of the Kyuubi."

"It doesn't matter I am an opponent impossible to defeat." Orochimaru said running forward sword in mouth ready to decapitate his opponent.

Zale borrowed some of the iron sand Chrome was using to defend against the blow, and Orochimaru jumped back before charging again each blow parried by the iron sand. "It's a stale mate as it stands." Zale said jumping back from Orochimaru now using the iron sand as a sword. 'I need something to tip the scales. I can't use the Kyuubi, and fight Orochimaru at the same time, so what can I do?'

"Need a hand?!" Chrome yelled having already taken care of Kabuto who was on the ground in pain. The rest of the iron sand flew over slamming against Orochimaru tossing him over the side of the Kyuubi soon followed by Kabuto. "Do now Naruto it now crush them with the Kyuubi!"

Zale complied with the order despite him not being the one supposed to take orders from any of his generals. The back leg lifted, and pinned the sage to the ground. "Well I suppose that it's our time to go Kabuto." Orochimaru said sinking into the ground and Kabuto poofing away a few seconds later.

"Where's Orochimaru?" Tsunade asked as they leapt up, and over the Kyuubi's fur onto its head.

"You're a little late." Zale said his energy drained as he fainted the Kyuubi dispersing.

**-SCENE CHANGE- 1 WEEK LATER-**

"Well it's good to be heading back home, and with so many sexy photos to take." Kurumi said taking pictures of Tsunade who was in a bunny suit a blush on her face. "Come on Tsunade you work that so well show off your nice body."

"Stop taking pictures you're a bigger pervert than Jiraiya!" Tsunade yelled at the girl who ignored her, and continued snapping pictures.

"I can't believe that Tsunade followed through on that bet." Shizune said somewhat shocked by that. "I'm more surprised that Naruto actually won it though."

"Yeah well I've got a knack for finding talent." Jiraiya said stroking his own ego.

Meanwhile Zale, and Satsuki were talking privately having fallen behind the group. "So what happened to Chrome?" Satsuki asked.

"I sent him off to do me a favor." Zale said. 'In other worlds travel the world collecting any other Manipulators he can find, and make them swear their allegiance to me, and my dream.' Speaking of Chrome he had applied a new neater and more efficient chakra seal to his upper chest between his nipples.

"Naruto did you mean what you said back there?" Satsuki asked making Zale tilt his head wondering what he had said. "That you'll do whatever it takes to make me comfortable?"

"Of course I did Satsuki; I never say anything I don't mean." Zale said grabbing her hand in his own, and squeezing it lightly causing her to blush deeply.

"Aww how sweet now we can all be a happy family." Kurumi said surprising them both, and hugging them both to her well endowed chest. "We'll have plenty of kids, and be happy." Zale didn't react whyle Satsuki turned bright red rivaling Hinata.

**-CHAPTER END-**

**SHOULD ALL CHAPTERS BE THIS LONG I THINK THEY'RE WORTH THE WAIT **


	10. Team 7 reunites

**I do not own Naruto. **

Zale walked into the Hokage's or Tsunade's office tired from the day of intense training he had with Satsuki, and the other two on his team; Kurumi following closely behind. "Hey old lady what did you want me for?" Zale asked only to have to duck, when Tsunade threw a desk at him.

"Stop calling me that you brat!" Tsunade yelled sitting back down in her chair minus one desk. "You know what I don't have time to deal with you, and your insults you blonde brat. Because of you, and that stupid Manipulation ability Jiraiya's told me about I have to deal with all of these marriage requests coming in. You need to get a damn lawyer to deal with all of this you know."

"Oh why do that when it's so much fun to watch you suffer." Zale said sitting down across from Tsunade sure she wouldn't throw her chair, but he had to duck when she reached for a lamp. "Is this what you called me in here for because I want to go home, and take a bath?"

"No it isn't Naruto." Tsunade said folding her hands in her lap. "We're going to need to discuss some things. As hard as I've tried, and the old man has we can't ignore that you've gained all this power quite suddenly, and the council has noticed. None of them like you very much, and those that are on your side don't have enough political weight to protect you. Some people are claiming that it's the nine tails that gave you that power, and that it's using it to control you."

'Well they're part right Kurumi did give Naruto this power, but she didn't have any influence over the kid.' Zale thought to himself resting his chin on his arm. "What are we going to do about this then? You can't expect me to just stop using Manipulation it's my most powerful technique, and has kept me alive more times than I can count."

"Look I called you in here to see what you wanted to do about it. Without some serious support backing you up then you're going to be in a lot of trouble." Tsunade said with a sigh at the young kid's carefree attitude. "Although there is a thing that Sarutobi sensei told me about this situation to make it at least a bit better. A mission request came in a few days ago for a team to act as guards to that movie star Yukie Fujikaze while they film a film in snow country. It'll get you out of the village long enough for all of this to blow over."

"Oh I've seen her movies I'd love to meet her in person!" Kurumi said holding up the flier that she had pulled out of nowhere. "I'm going to meet her that makes me so happy."

"Wait a second who says you're going?" Tsunade asked the redhead who immediately hugged Zale.

"The only thing keeping people from burning her is me, and if I'm gone on an extended mission; I'm sure people aren't going to just leave her alone." Zale reasoned, and eventually Tsunade stamped approval for Kurumi coming along with them.

"We should go see the move Zale just so you know what to expect." Kurumi said hugging his arm as they walked through the streets receiving glares from the villagers. "But the next showings not for another half hour, so let's get something to eat before it starts; I see that Icharakus is open."

"Yeah okay let's get some food, and go see the movie." Zale said the ever agreeable as he was. "Hey Ayame, can I get two bowls?"

"You sure you're not starving yourself Naruto?" Ayame asked leaning over the counter to see that he seemed in relatively good condition. "You know there's a difference between dieting, and anorexia."

"Don't worry Ayame I've just been feeling less hungry lately." Zale said kindly as to ward off any worries. As it stood he was slightly disgusted about how much the old Naruto had eaten in one sitting. "Hey Ayame I'm going to be out of the village for a little while, so don't expect me to come in."

"Is it a mission Naruto?" Ayame asked, and she was met with a nod as she prepared the bowls. "Well be careful, we can't have our favorite customer dying out there."

"Come on Ayame give me a little more credit than that, I mean I am the world's greatest ninja after all." Zale said with a laugh getting a giggle out of the two girls in the ramen stand.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled the pinkie making an appearance for the first time in a long time. "You idiot I bet you didn't know that Kakashi sensei wanted us to go watch that movie do you!"

"No I don't, but I do know why, and I was planning on going to go and see the movie with Kurumi here anyway." Zale said shutting the pink head up effectively. "Besides the showing isn't for another half hour, so Kurumi and I are here killing time."

"Seems like a good idea." Satsuki said in her Sasuke brooding emo voice. "One barbecue ramen hold the onions, and extra pork."

"Oh yeah it's really great idea Sasuke." Sakura said hearts in her eyes as she watched him sit down, and she sat down on the other side of him. "You know Sasuke this is kind of like a date."

"No it's not, it's nothing like a date, and I'll never go on a date with you." Satsuki said her voice cold, and clipped as she started to dig into her ramen while it was still hot. "How do you know about the mission already anyway Naruto I thought it was supposed to be really top secret."

"Tsunade told me about it." Zale said passively, but this shocked Sakura who had been the last to hear of the closeness of Tsunade, and Naruto.

"No way lady Tsunade would tell you anything Naruto she's a respectable lady such as me; in fact the only difference is that I need to talk to you. Why would she talk to you for any reason at all?" Sakura asked quite smugly unaware of the Ayame with glowing red eyes, and holding a frying pan only held back by her father who struggled to do so.

"Haven't you heard Sakura this year I'm the village's hot button. With my new abilities everyone wants to jump on the Naruto wagon." Zale said laughing at the pink haired girl who seemed shocked by that. "Then there's you, you're still the useless little pink haired girl that's trailing behind the team mates that have to drag her along because we'd be thrown in jail for abandoning a team mate."

This shocked Sakura leaving Satsuki, and Kurumi to try and hid their laughter from the girl who was on the verge of tears. "My would you look at the time we're going to be miss the movie if we don't go." Satsuki said leaving the stand closely followed by Kurumi, and Zale leaving Sakura to pay the bill.

**-Time skip 2 hours-**

"Oh wasn't it such a beautiful movie Naruto?" Kurumi asked turning to see Zale asleep a snot bubble coming out of his nose. "NARUTO!" She screamed at him making him jerk awake. "Were you even paying attention to the movie?"

"Yeah that girl used the rainbow magic or whatever." Zale said stretching, and receiving acute glares from Satsuki, Kurumi, and Sakura who had bounced back from the earlier shock. "Okay so I got bored on fifth of the way in, but it was a movie that I don't care for. Look I don't need to like this lady's acting career just to protect her. Come on we got to meet the Cyclopes before he decides to leave, and get a new copy of his porn."

"Shut up Naruto we knew that!" Sakura yelled at him, but it didn't seem like Zale even registered what she said. They met up with their sensei behind the movie theater. "Oh okay, but where are we going to meet her?"

"Well." Kakashi said only to be interrupted by a horse jumping over the fence they stood in front of, and run off several males smashing through the fence itself. "That would be her, so get to work guys we better not lose the client before the mission even starts."

"I hate you so much old man." Zale said grabbing Kurumi by her hip then disappearing leaving a dust cloud appearing because of his intense speed.

"Ditto." Satsuki said disappearing soon followed by Sakura who was hard pressed to keep up.

"Who the heck are these guys?" Zale asked easily keeping pace with the big men, and easily knocking the three of them out even with Kurumi over his shoulder. He hopped up on the horse, and just stood there for a few seconds before the actress noticed him.

"Hey kid no free rides." Yukie said slightly shocked he could keep standing with the horse going at top speeds as it was. "Get off."

"In case you haven't noticed lady I took care of those guys for you, so the least you could do is say thank you." Zale said unworried as the horse buckled, and jumped over many obstacles. "If you don't mind I think we should slow down before we end up hitting anybody."

"Aren't you a little demanding kid?" Yukie asked as she pulled the horse to a halt, and dismounted.

"Finally found you, you brat." a gruff voice said, and they turned to see more big men all of them looking angry, and disheveled. "You're going to be coming back with us, and you're little friend is going to be getting a real beating for what he did." They cracked their knuckles before pulling back their fist only to suddenly fall flat on their faces a look of pain frozen on their faces.

"It took you guys long enough." Zale said with a tired look as Sasuke, and Sakura started to tie up the men without his help not that he would have offered anyway.

"Whoa who the heck are you guys you took out my entire protection crew." A man with a beard said in shock at what had just happened.

"Protection crew?" they all asked sweat drops at their heads.

"Everyone meet our employee Yukie's manger." Kakashi said with an awkward laugh. "Now let's get capture the person we're protecting once again, and we can get this mission started."

"Huh?" Zale asked turning to see that the actress had run off her horse nowhere to be seen. "Take Kurumi I'll go get her."

"Oh Naruto get me an autograph!" Kurumi called, and she was met with a nod before he disappeared.

'Where did she go?' Zale thought to himself as he ran around the town his eyes scouring the area. 'There the only one that can move that fast on horseback.' He leapt down landing perfectly, and more importantly silently shocking the actress once again. "You know running is useless."

"What do you want kid?" Yukie asked not taking her eyes off the street as they galloped along.

"An autograph." Zale said simply sticking out a piece of paper at her as well as a pen.

"I don't do autographs." Yukie said increasing the speed.

"Well then we're not going to get along." Zale said with sarcasm.

"Really, and here I was thinking we were going to be great friends!" Yukie said dramatically stopping the horse, and the surprise sent Zale careening off of the horse, and into a pile of planks. "Ha take that you little brat!" Yukie sped off feeling victorious.

"Oh now it's personal with that bad actress." Zale said picking himself up off the ground, and throwing the wooden planks away from himself. "I'm going to get that autograph, and that rub it in her face that I got her to sign it, and a happy Kurumi to boot." He drew quite a bit of attention charging down the street angrily after a horse that somehow eluded his grasp.

"How the hell is he still on my tail?" Yukie asked looking over her shoulder to see Zale charging, and slowly advancing on her and the horse an evil gleam in his eye. "I'm definitely going to lose him with these ink bombs I bought off those kids a while back." She reached into her coat, and tossed them at Zale who held his eyes in pain giving her enough time to round a corner, and change clothes. 'Just got to make it down here, and I'm away from this crazy kid. Oh crap a dead end!"

"I want my autograph." Zale said standing on the wall ink surrounding his eyes. He had forced the wall up by making the supplies build themselves into it, and saving a lot of people money.

"Fine what's your name kid?" Yukie asked reaching into her coat seemingly for a pen. "You've worked harder than a lot of people for this."

"Yeah, and I hope Kurumi appreciates this. Make it out to her by the way." Zale said thinking it was taking too long for her to find that pen, and he started searching his own pockets. "Here I got it." Zale looked up only to suddenly be sprayed by pepper spray. "God damn it you freaking actress!"

"Ha, and you almost caught me too!" Yukie said more than happy that she had beaten the rather determined boy. She started walking away only for her feet to suddenly be wrapped around, and force her to trip. "What the heck just happened?"

"You almost got away." Zale said with a laugh standing up, and trying to rub his eyes, and clear his nose of the offensive substance. "Pepper spray I didn't expect that; hell this is the first time I've ever had it used on me." He blew hard, and seemingly got enough of it, so his nostrils didn't burn like fire. He walked over, and made cuffs out of the cement keeping her bound.

"What are you going to do to me?" Yukie asked struggling on her place over his shoulder trying to escape his grip, but failing.

"We're going somewhere to wash my eyes, and stop struggling you're making me uncomfortable." Zale said slightly annoyed by the girl who kept moving, and struggling. The closest area with a bathroom was actually a bar that had dim lighting. He placed her down on the stool manipulating the metal from the legs to hold her in place. "Stay." Zale said before walking into the bathroom, and rinsing his eyes out.

"I can't believe that kid actually caught me." Yuki said struggling in the binds that he had somehow set around her legs, and hands, and now there was one around her waist. "What are these things even made of, it looks like cement. Is this some kind of new ninja trick?" She continued wrestling with the restraints for the next few minutes before she gave up.

"How are you feeling?" Zale asked walking out his eyes still red.

"That's a stupid question." Yukie said. "I'm trapped her by a kid I met this morning, and somehow him, and his weird ninja tricks made a wall that I'm sure wasn't there before. I work as an actress making crappy movies, and what a stupid career an actress is. All that I do is lie on screen, and idiots like that Kurumi girl just lap it all up."

"Although I don't disagree with you on crappy movies I will hurt you if you call Kurumi an idiot again." Zale said simply ordering her a drink. "If I let you go then can I trust that you won't run off, and make my job harder?" Yukie nodded to him, and he snapped his fingers the binds turning string like, and dropping to the floor. "Can you hold you liquor?"

"I can better than you can buddy." Yukie said downing the drink shocked a second later when she felt all hiccupy, and the feeling of walking on air. "Hey what kind of drink is that, I got to get the name of that."

"I slipped a few happy pills in your drink." Zale said watching as they quickly took affect leaving Yukie practically drunk, and definitely not going to be able to stand. "Alright then come on my teams going to be mad at me as it is."

"Aw aren't you the cutie?" Yukie asked hiccupping as he held her up, and she stroked his hair. "Why can't I find a nice guy like you to take care of me? I've only got that old manager of mine always bossing me around, and always pressuring me to go back to work in snow country. I don't like that place way too cold, and it makes it so I need a thousand blankets."

"Yeah sure." Zale said wondering how long it was going to be before she passed out. Suddenly her head hit his shoulder. 'That's it she's out cold, and we can get moving on this mission.'

**-Scene Change Several Hours Later-**

Zale shuddered in his position on the ice wearing a cloak that did nothing to guard him from the cold. 'I should have brought Kurumi out here then she could warm me up, but now I'm stuck out here. I hate the freaking cold.' Zale thought to himself bending his knees trying to get feeling back in his legs to no avail. "Am I the only one this cold is getting to?"

"Yes quit asking." Kakashi called back still reading his book. 'Honestly that boy gets rid of one weakness, and then develops another, a ninja that can't take cold is pitiful.'

'Dumb Jounin.' Zale thought leaping around the ice for anything to do while the director started to do his thing with the movie making. 'Movies aren't even all that good I don't get what the real problem is with missing this shooting. In fact where did this chunk of ice even come from it wasn't anywhere in sight a couple hours ago.'

Suddenly there was a crashing noise. "ICE WHALE JUTSU!" someone cried out, and the ice chunk shook angrily again. "Oh Kakashi of the sharingan how quaint that we meet again going to the place we met in the first place."

"Sounds like this guy's gay for you Kakashi!" Zale yelled out at him not concerned with what was going on. Suddenly a plume of snow appeared under him, and he barely got out of the way. "He's got allies with him watch out you guys!"

"Just look out for yourself!" Satsuki yelled back avoiding a large man that tried to tackle him. "Fire style: fire ball jutsu!" The ball of flames erupted from his mouth hitting the man against the snow. "That was a direct hit; no way is he getting back up."

"Ha as if such a puny attack could beat me." the man said with a laugh his stomach jiggling. "I'm a heck of a lot stronger than you boy, and I'm sure that no attack you make can hurt me."

"Let's try this again." Satsuki said making the appropriate hand seals again, and bringing his hands to his mouth. "Fire style: Grand Fire Ball Jutsu!"

"Ice style: Ice Crystal Barrier!" someone else called out, and Satsuki watched as her fire ball was deflected off of the barrier with little ease. "Ice Style: Ice Imprisonment!" Satsuki felt as the ice suddenly went up incasing her in it, and keeping any movement out of the question.

"Ice Style: Blizzard!" Zale yelled slamming his hands on the ground the wind picking up, and the snow being forced off the ground. The blizzard was actually a jutsu he had learned, and could use with many variables.

"Ice Style: Ice Imprisonment!" a feminine voice yelled, and he was reminded that there were two people in this fight, and he had been dealing with only one.

Ice launched up, but Zale felt no Chakra from this even as he was caked in ice that he blew apart with ease as well as the coat. "I know what you are." Zale said with a sinister smile spreading across his face turning to face the snow girl who leapt back ready to fight. "Please your control over ice will do nothing against my control over everything." Zale puckered his lips, and fire came out, and since there was no chakra involved in the attack it tore through her armor with ease.

"You're not going to win." she coughed out trying to get away as he approached her.

"I don't care if I win my dear you see you are a prize all on your own." Zale said reaching for her only for a snowball of all things to be thrown in his face making him lose focus, and allowing the girl to run to her team mates. "God damn it; now I got to go to the trouble of finding her again."

He leapt onto the boat with enough ease, and immediately went to his room where he stripped off his clothes, and put on fresh warm ones. "How did it go?" Kurumi asked him rubbing his back in an effort to bring him back from his stupor.

"I'll tell you how it went when we rule the world we're not going to be living anywhere cold, and people that wish for snow I'll kill them." Zale said in a bored tone, but then he perked up. "On a better note I've found a new manipulation user. Unfortunately she's on the snow people's side, so I'm going to have to find a way to turn her."

"Well maybe you'll do it with your charismatic personality, and charm." Kurumi said helpfully.

"Yeah maybe." Zale said with a laugh leaning his head back keeping the hair from falling in his eyes. "You know Kurumi I think I should dye my hair."

"NO!" a familiar female voice shouted startling them both. Satsuki walked in, and after locking the door behind her, and making sure it was really locked she undid the henge that she had taken up again as they had returned to the village. "I like your hair Naruto you shouldn't change it."

"Well thank you Satsuki, but I just don't like the way it looks maybe doing the tips at least." Zale said running a hand through his blonde hair before lying back in his bed. 'This is going to be a long, and annoying mission, and it might not even be for anything unless I can get that Manipulator of ice on my side."

**Review everyone**


	11. Ninjas clash in the land of snow

**I do not own Naruto. **

Zale trudged through the hailing snow Kurumi by his side, and she seemed to be faring much better than he was. "Come on Zale what's wrong?" Kurumi asked him as he had been in a sour mood since that morning when they had gotten off the boat.

"Nothing's wrong." Zale lied pulling his foot out of the snow, and advancing. It was true he had been in a terrible mood ever since that actress had put annoying ideas in his head that had immediately put him in a depressed mood. He still remembered it with vivid clarity, and if he tried to think more about it the cloud above his head would grow larger

**-Flashback to that Morning-**

Zale leaned back in his chair Yukie was sitting in her bed playing a card game he had no idea how to play with Kurumi. "I don't see why you're here all you do is sit there like a lump." Yukie said looking over the cards in her hands, and suddenly slamming one down victoriously. "Why can't you ninja be like Kurumi here she's nice, and doesn't sit there grumbling, brooding, or reading porn."

"That's because we have a job to do." Zale said staring out the ship's window. He had been thinking a lot lately, but not particularly about anything. "Besides if you didn't have such a tendency to run away whenever we take our eyes off of you then there would be no need to do this. Heck I heard Sakura has to sit in the shower because your manager was worried you'd swim for it.

"That happened once, and he's never let it go." Yukie said with a sigh when Kurumi slammed a card down seemingly in defiance to the one she had played earlier. "I still say you're cheating."

"I'm really good at that, but not this time." Kurumi said looking over her cards, and watching Yukie closely seeing the reflection of her cards in Yukie's eyes. "You know Zale I think she has a point a girl needs a little privacy every now, and then. I'm sure that all of you around constantly invading all of that privacy aren't helping anybody."

"Why can't you ninja be smart like Kurumi here?" Yukie asked slamming down another card, but this one seemed to be in defeat like she had accepted her loss.

'How did those two become such fast friends? I'd of thought that Kurumi would have torn her apart by now, and at this point I want to.' Zale thought to himself rubbing his eyes. There was a sudden whistle signaling they were docking, and Kurumi left saying that she had to go get her coat.

"Now how did a jerk like you become lucky enough to date a girl like Kurumi?" Yukie asked him as he grabbed his now dark orange coat.

"Well." Zale said coming to a halt realizing what a good question that was. Kurumi had no reason to stay with him after he had given her a new body. Sure she had said that it was because she wanted to become his empress, but would a girl give up her whole life for that one thing. Then again she had nowhere to go when she had been out, and it was unlikely that she had any money saved away. Had she only stayed with him because she had nowhere else to go, so was he only the meal ticket to her?

"Naruto, Naruto, NARUTO!" Yukie yelled snapping the boy out of his thoughts. "I asked you how you two met, and then you just zoned out on me."

"Oh well that's a long story." Zale said dismissively, but the more that he thought about it the bigger the cloud above his head became. 'Why did she have to bring that up I was perfectly happy being the way I was even if it was being an oblivious meal ticket.' Zale walked into his room, and grabbed the yellow cloak before putting the useless garment on. "Kurumi are you ready?"

**-Flashback End-**

"Well you've been in a bad mood since we got off the boat, and it's not fun hanging out with you." Kurumi huffed crossing her arms, and not looking at Zale who continued their walk in silence. "What are we even looking for?"

"Kakashi told us to look for any possible ambushes." Zale said bored tossing around rock after rock before he discovered an odd looking cave. "This cave wasn't naturally formed. The ground is too flat, and the walls are way too rounded. It was either made by jutsu by those ninja, or the Manipulation user put her talents to work."

"You're not getting out of discussing this Zale why are you so mad at me?" Kurumi asked angry at this point. "You shouldn't get mad at me for something I had no part in. I've been nice and supportive all this time I don't see anything that you can complain about."

"Look it's not about anything, so can we just stop talking about it?" Zale asked not wanting to discuss it.

"If it's nothing then you should be able to talk to me about it!" Kurumi yelled firmly placing herself in front of him, and moving so he couldn't walk forward. "Come on being in a relationship means talking about what's bothering each other; we are in a relationship aren't we?"

"I don't know are we?" Zale asked her finally reaching his limit, and this claim made Kurumi stop to look at him as if he was crazy. "Is the only reason you're staying with me because you want to become empress. Is it because I'm a meal ticket to you because if it is then I'll give you any amount of money you want. I don't want to hold you back."

"Is that what you think; that I'm only staying with you because I have no other place to go?" Kurumi asked sad tones as she yelled and glared at him.

"Is it?!" Zale asked angrily.

"No it's not!" Kurumi yelled back tears in her eyes as she stomped on his exposed toes before running off.

"Kurumi wait its dangerous!" Zale yelled his worry for her overcoming the thoughts he had. He tried to catch up, but she disappeared quite suddenly. "Where the hell did she go?" He walked through the cave determined to find her, and apologize. After a few minutes the ground started to give off steam, and Zale wondered what was going on. "Why is the ground doing that, and what's that noise?"

There was a sudden noise as well as a bright light before he finally saw the odd contraption that sped toward him like a kunai. The metal and wooden tube was picking up speed, and he was forced to turn tail and run. "Hey there's another kid to get!" he heard someone yell and he could feel the contraption pulling closer.

'I have to use Kurumi's chakra.' Zale thought to himself a sudden burst of speed overtaking him as he charged forward barely leaping out of the cave in time to see Kurumi with a hand clamped over her mouth on the back of the train. The person that was holding Kurumi left into the tube leaving the others to deal with Zale. "They're not getting away!"Zale ran forward on all fours closing in on the train.

"Fire at the boy he could get in the way!" someone yelled, and a volley of arrows hurtled forward, and he was only able to block a few the rest piercing his legs keeping him from moving.

"You're not getting away!" Zale yelled reaching forward, and as gently as he could he ripped off the end of it making it so it stopped moving. "Where is she!" he screamed walking forward pulling one arrow out after the other. He walked over to the stopped tube one of which opened up, and hundreds of arrows came out all bent, and broken before they impacted. "I asked you a question!"

He placed a hand on the wall, and tore it right off with no trouble at all. Inside he found many people all wearing some kind of protection or another, but that didn't matter to him. "Get him he's only one boy!" one of them yelled, and they all charged forward only to be torn to shreds by Zale's claws.

His eyes were crazy, and he couldn't gain any focus there was a single thought running through his mind, and that was to find her. It was all of two minutes before he came upon the last compartment where one of the snow ninja the Manipulator sat huddled trying to disappear. "WHERE DID THEY TAKE KURUMI?" Zale demanded fury imminent in his voice his hand wrapping around her throat not at all caring if he killed her or not.

"They're heading for your team to kidnap Yukie, and get the necklace around her neck I swear that that's all I know." she said tears coming down her eyes, and Zale gave it a second's thought before dropping her on the ground, and tearing his way.

'I don't care what the hell happens. I don't care who gets in my way. I don't know who's taken her, but I won't stop until they're dead at my feet, and begging for mercy!" He charged forward on all fours his eyes slit as his emotions channeled chakra through the Hokage's and Chrome's seal from Kurumi's mass chakra reserves.

Without noticing a red cloak enveloped him as he charged forward the snow blowing out of his way. Finally he came upon the sight of his team mates charging forward trying to catch up with the train that sped away. "Naruto stop right now!" Kakashi yelled at him seeing the chakra of the Kyuubi thinking him dangerous.

His words hit deaf ears as Zale charged forward trying to catch the train that sped away. "I said stop!" Kakashi yelled charging forward a kunai in hand as he tackled Zale to the ground, and preformed a few hand signs. "Repression Jutsu!" he slammed his palm onto Zale's gut, and the chakra immediately died down. "Calm down Naruto we'll get her back."

"Who the hell cares about her they took Kurumi." Zale said struggling under Kakashi and Satsuki looked shocked at this. "Get the hell off me Hatake they're not going to get away with this!"

"Not until you calm down we can't let you go on a rampage." Kakashi said struggling with the blonde until he dropped to the ground defeated. "Good now can I trust you not to go on a rampage?"

"Probably not." Zale said simply, and Kakashi sighed before tying him up, and they headed back to the ship to figure out their next move.

**-Scene Change- With Kurumi**

Kurumi walked away absolutely furious with Zale, and she was about ready to kill him. "I can't believe him thinking that way! Who the hell does he think he is talking to me like that!?" she demanded of herself stomping forward her body giving off intense heat melting the snow.

"Hey did you hear that?" someone said, and she gasped when they found her grabbing her by her hair. "Oh you're with those ninja we saw the other day. I'm sure that you're going to be a nice bargaining chip." They pulled Kurumi onto the train which she recognized from a long time ago. "Alright just stay quiet, and everything will go great for you, or maybe you won't die at least."

Kurumi watched Zale try to keep up before she was taken toward the front of the train, and thrown into an empty compartment toward the front. "Stupid Zale, this is all his fault." Kurumi said struggling to get to her feet, and hopping over to the window. She was just in time to see the army get slaughtered, and Yukie get captured a few minutes later. "What the heck are those useless ninja doing to help?"

Looking out the window she turned to see Zale charging with on tail of chakra to aid him, and for a second she forgot all about her anger, and only got happier when he took out the second one gaining on the train. That was ruined when Kakashi tackled him to the ground, and let the train get away.

About an hour later Yukie was tossed into the room missing a necklace, and with a few new bruises. "I can't believe Naruto let them get you." Yukie said sitting up her back pressed up against the wall.

"Well to be fair I sort of ran off." Kurumi said with a sigh looking her friend in the eye. "Still he was being a jerk about it. He came up with some crazy story that I was a gold digger, and that I should just leave if I wanted to, how dare he think that I would do that?!" Kurumi slammed her bound feet against the compartment wall. "Still if it wasn't for Kakashi then we wouldn't be here. Naruto would have stopped the train, and saved us."

"That little brat could have done that?" Yukie asked with a snort. "I think you give your boyfriend a little too much credit Kurumi even if he is a ninja."

"Naruto has a lot more to offer than people give him credit for. He's not one to be taken lightly." Kurumi said with a sigh her anger dying down to her exhaustion, and slight annoyance. "I'm going to take a nap."

"Yeah it doesn't seem like we're going anywhere fast." Yukie said with a sigh leaning her head back, and allowing her eyes to drift closed. "I hope those leaf ninja know what they're doing because if they don't then neither of us is getting out of this alive, and I doubt the snow village will let them go peacefully."

Kurumi didn't respond instead letting herself drift off into unconsciousness.

**-Time skip a few hours later-**

Kurumi's eyes opened groggily, and she felt new restraints on her wrists.. "Looks like sleeping beauty finally woke up." Yukie said, and Kurumi looked up to see her in the same chains, and in another steel cage. "They brought us here about an hour ago, and I've just been waiting for you to wake up so we could have some idle chitchat."

"Oh this is really good." Kurumi said shifting uncomfortably in the chains, and wiggling around.

"How is this good; now we're not just stuck in a box we're officially prisoners." Yukie said.

"It's good because this lock I can pick." Kurumi said wiggling around a bit more before her picks were shown in her shirt which she struggled to grab with her mouth. A few minutes of expert lock picking later her hands were free, and she began working on her legs.

"How did you learn to do that?" Yukie asked watching the skill with fascination.

"Hang out with enough ninja, and you'll learn a few things." Kurumi said with a smile as her legs got free.

"Don't try the doors they're electrocuted." Yukie said, and Kurumi nodded. "How are we going to get out of this prison?"

"When do the guards do their next rounds?" Kurumi asked her feet free.

"In five minutes." Yukie said a bit proud that she had memorized the guard rotations in the few hours they were here.

When the guards came around a few minutes later they found Kurumi's cell empty. "Where did the prisoner go?" he asked Yukie who shrugged, and he opened the door walking inside. Panicked as he was he didn't notice the key being lifted from his belt, and the door closing behind him. "What the heck?"

"Glad to know that I haven't lost all of my tricks." Kurumi said happily outside the cage holding the key. 'I can't believe that the Kitsune art of Disappearance still works in this body. It'll definitely come in handy later.' She ran over to Yukie's cell, and unlocked it freeing the snow princess before they snuck off.

"They should have hired you to protect me Kurumi that was amazing." Yukie said as they snuck past a few guards. "That disappearing thing you did was really interesting."

"Let's talk about it later; for now let's focus on escaping." Kurumi said making her friend be quiet. "We've got to find a way out of here without announcing our presence."

"Attention all crew members our two captives have escaped their prison keep an eye out." a voice said over the intercom.

"Crap." Kurumi said.

**-Scene Change-**

Zale struggled in his binds tied to the bed Kakashi, Satsuki, and Sakura standing over him. "What should we do?" Satsuki asked.

"We should be out there trying to kill them!" Zale yelled pulling on the ninja wire only for his wrists to be cut then healed a second later. "The longer we wait around her talking about it the farther they get, and the less chance I have of finding Kurumi!"

"Naruto calm down, I know that you care about Kurumi, but going crazy over this isn't going to help anyone. If you can't stop yourself from unleashing the Kyuubi's chakra then I'll let you go, but it doesn't look that you're going to be doing that." Kakashi said the secret of how Naruto used to be a Jinchuriki known to team 7.

"Piss off Cyclopes!" Zale yelled at him.

"I thought so." Kakashi said looking out the window to see a snow storm had brewed in the time it took to come up with a suitable course of action followed by night. "Sakura come with me; Sasuke stay here with Naruto, and stop him if he gets out." Satsuki nodded as the two of them headed out, and she looked at Zale who struggled.

"Satsuki let me out of here." Zale said struggling desperately.

"I can't do that Naruto." Satsuki said turning so she wouldn't have to look at his pleading eyes. "You're too dangerous, and too valuable to be let out in this mission. The snow people have seen you, and if they get a chance I'm sure they'll force you to become one of their ninja."

"Screw what the hell they'll do they have Kurumi, and we have to get her back." Zale said angrily, and he decided to appeal to her more sympathetic side. "Come on Satsuki you know Kurumi; she's your best friend, and you want to help her as much as I do. You can't say that you want to leave the fate of her to that stupid silver haired fool, and that pink haired banshee."

"What can we do; they took off in an aircraft, and Sakura and Kakashi took the only hot air balloon in a hundred mile radius." Satsuki said finally breaking down.

"Just untie me, and I'll get us there no problem." Zale said, and Satsuki gave up resistance cutting him free with a spare kunai. "Come on we need to get to a high point." They got onto the top sail of the ship where she pointed to where the hot air balloon had floated off. "Alright then, I'll get us there no problem." Zale closed his eyes focusing the best he could before slamming his palms together.

Satsuki watched shocked when two buds ripped through his jacket, and then two full blown black wings with a wing span of ten feet cut through the air making a horrible ripping noise. Zale looked no worse for wear when he grabbed Satsuki his new wings started flapping lifting them both off the ground. "How are you doing this?" Satsuki asked completely shocked to be flying through the air.

Zale didn't respond focusing on the effort it took to fly through the air. "Birds make this easier than it looks!" Zale yelled over the wind and Satsuki laughed slightly. "We got to catch up to them!"

"Follow the smell!" Satsuki said reminded of the awful smell that the balloon had brought with it.

They found the balloon a few minutes later, and Zale couldn't remember a time he had been so relieved to see such an ugly contraption. "How are we going to get in?" Zale asked looking over the exterior barely seeing anything in the darkness the rain pounding down on them, and making it hard to see.

"There's a vent!" Satsuki yelled pointing it out, and Zale flew over to the small metal grate that was quickly taken care of. "Come on!" she yelled.

"No I won't fit with these wings you go on, and I'll find another way inside!" Zale yelled forcing her into the vent, and she had no choice, but crawl into the ship Zale flying off careful to avoid anything that could send him to the ground.

"Hold on Kurumi we're going to have you, and Yukie out of here in no time." Satsuki said to herself wiggling forward. Kicking open the grate at the first opening she found she saw Sakura on the floor in tatters. "Sakura what happened, where's Kakashi sensei?"

"They came from out of nowhere, and they took Kakashi sensei." Sakura said weakly. "Sasuke please stay with me." Satsuki let out a sigh how could she expect her to stay with her when their squad leader had just been taken.

"I'll be right back try not to die Sakura." Satsuki said before running off in the only open door in the entire area.

**-Scene Change with Kurumi and Yukie-**

"This just became a lot harder." Kurumi said running over to a door, and making quick work of its lock. "How the heck are we going to get out of here?"

"They have to have escape ships on here somewhere we just need to find them." Yukie said trying to remember what she had seen of the ship when they had brought them aboard. "We've only been in the upper levels, so they must me in the lower levels."

"Then let's stop talking about it, and find it." Kurumi said with a nod opening the door. To their surprise someone bumped right into them knocking them both off of their feet. "Oh shoot!"

"Kurumi!" Satsuki whisper yelled hugging her friend tightly, and when Kurumi realized who it was she hugged back. "I'm so glad you're okay we almost didn't come."

"What do you mean we?" Yukie asked seeing the boy was alone, and she was slightly worried by his sudden mood change.

"Naruto came too; he's trying to find a way in." Satsuki said, and immediately she saw Kurumi get an annoyed face. "Did you two fight Kurumi?"

"Yeah, something like that." Kurumi said angrily before they all got up. "We need to find a way down to the lower levels; there should be some escape ships to get us off of here."

"Well that means that we have to go back for Sakura, doesn't it?" Satsuki asked, and they all looked at each other briefly before nodding. "Too many people would notice her not being there."

"And weep in relief." Kurumi said getting a snicker out of all of them. "Okay how are we going to get down?"

"Well going right over the edge wouldn't be an option, but I think I saw a stairwell back there, and it's on the way to getting Sakura, so it's best." Satsuki said, and they reversed her steps picking up the pink haired girl before creeping down the stairs. "You don't think that they're stupid enough to put one of those directory things up do you?"

"Apparently so." Kurumi said opening up another door to find a map of the entire ship. "Looks like the ships are on the lowest level, and we can get there by following the staircase."

"Then let's get going." Satsuki said, and they all nodded before continuing down the stairs.

"Attention guards the prisoners have been spotted on the staircase, so if you want to keep you jobs get on it." a voice over the intercom said, and the girls scowled.

"They're going to be flooding this place." Yukie said a bit horrified. "How the heck are we going to get out of here?"

"I might have a way." Kurumi said, and they turned to her the unconscious Sakura letting out a groan. She placed her hands on them, and closed her eyes. 'Kitsune art of Intangibility.' They all immediately felt lighter, and they started to sink through the stairs slowly leaving the guards flooding the empty stairway. "I can't believe that worked."

"I'm going to ask you about that later, and for right now just be grateful." Satsuki said checking to see that everything was where it was supposed to be. "Why is there only one escape ship?"

"Who cares let's just get out of here." Yukie said running over to the escape ship.

"Wait Yukie you have to be careful!" Satsuki yelled running over only for a knife to be stabbed through her stomach when she got to the boat.

Yukie was grabbed, and out of the boat popped Doto who had done the grabbing pulling her into the boat. "You don't mess with me, not you ninja, not your women, and not a god damn wannabe princess!" he yelled, and he held up a small button that he pushed, and immediately the ship lurched as well as a loud explosion sounded. "Now when I kill you all of your rebellion will stop!"

The floor underneath them opened up, and the ship dropped away. Unfortunately Kurumi was too preoccupied with Satsuki was bleeding on the floor. "You're losing too much blood." Kurumi said putting pressure on the wound not daring to remove the knife. "I've got to do it, but boy is it going to hurt." Kurumi flinched when her hand started to glow red but pressed it to the wound causing Satsuki to scream in absolute agony.

"IT HURTS!" Satsuki screamed withering under her touch.

"I know, but if I don't do this you will die." Kurumi said desperate to calm the girl down. She placed her hand on the knife, and closed her eyes. "Make it quick like a band aid." She yanked it out causing Satsuki to scream again, and Kurumi quickly seared the wound closed. "Are you okay?"

"Barely." Satsuki breathed panting unable to move the pain so great. "Thanks not a lot of people would do that for a friend."

"Come on we're practically sisters." Kurumi said with a smile. "How the heck are we going to get off of this ship?"

"Naruto!" Satsuki suddenly gasped, and Kurumi suddenly nodded.

"We need to find him too." Kurumi said,

"No Naruto!" Satsuki said pointing out the opened hatch, and she turned to see him flying up through the hatch carrying a knocked out Jounin. "Where'd you find Kakashi?"

"He found me." Zale said rubbing his back. Suddenly he noticed Kurumi, and he attached himself to her his arms firmly locked around her.

"I'm still mad at you." Kurumi said trying to get him off, but relieved.

"I don't care I'm just so happy you're okay." Zale said hugging her tightly to his chest tears almost spilling from his eyes. "I'm so sorry for what I said, I'm an idiot, I'm a terrible person, and I was being the biggest jerk in the world, but when I saw you get taken I couldn't take thinking that they might have taken you." Eventually Kurumi hugged him back, but they were separated.

"Okay now that we've had our reunions, how are we going to get them?" Satsuki asked.

"How willing are you guys to die?" Zale asked looking at the only two conscious people in the room who nodded silently confirming that they would agree to whatever he had in mind. He raised his arms, and immediately a thick orb started to wrap around all three of them one piece at a time. "Alright this is the final layer, and be prepared for a rocky path." Zale's arms swung up, and the metal sheet under them wrapped around them leaving only the top open.

They plummeted to the ground at high speeds thrashing around before they stabilized. "How are we going to steer this thing?!" Satsuki screamed over the air.

"I have keep this thing stable, someone needs to peek out over the edge, and tell me where to Manipulate to!" Zale yelled, and Satsuki nodded peeking over the edge to see a feint dot in the distance. "Where to Satsuki?"

"Take it three hundred yards west!" Satsuki yelled, and they all felt a sudden lurch as it moved. "Can't you smooth out the ride a little?"

"Not unless you want this thing to break apart!" Zale yelled a vein bursting in his eye at the focus that it had to take to keep the sphere from breaking apart. "I can't do it we can't take an impact to the ground take us to a snow filled area!"

"Three hundred yards north!" Satsuki yelled, and it lurched again. "Twenty yards south!"

"Don't push yourself Zale." Kurumi said pumping demon chakra into Zale's bleeding wounds trying to heal them as best she could. "Just keep us alive."

"Ten yards east!" Satsuki yelled, and he complied. "We're about to hit!" They all curled up as little as possible, and they hit with a solid thump bouncing a bit. "Anything broken?"

"We have to get to Yuki." Zale said launching the metal sphere away, and running at full speed toward the fast melting snow.

"Take care of Sakura and Kakashi." Satsuki said following Zale, and leaving Kurumi with the bum job.

"Is that playing a movie?" Zale asked shocked seeing what appeared to be ghosts act out a rather touching scene. Two swords formed in his hands from the ice, and Satsuki started to power up her most powerful jutsu.

"Is this it, you're father was a fool, and you will die to pay for his reckoning!" Doto yelled out slamming his hand against her cheek causing her to fall to her butt. "Get ready to die!"

"That's my line!" Satsuki yelled her fist charged with lightning that she slammed into Doto's chest causing the man to stumble back a large crack forming in his armor.

"You brat!" Doto yelled slamming his fists over her head knocking her out cold. "You brats aren't respectful of you betters, and you'll pay for it."

"You'll be eating those words!" Zale yelled slamming his blades straight into his armor, and finding them shatter into a million pieces.

"Get ready to die!" Doto said punching Zale straight in the stomach sending him flying across the grass field. "I'm going to be happy to do this."

"And I'm going to enjoy doing this." Zale said a rainbow rasengan forming in his hand of course it was unstable, but nonetheless he had it at least to the second stage. "Rainbow Rasengan!" he thrust it into the large crack, and Doto was sent flying away. "God that sucked."

**-Time skip 3 days later-**

Kurumi, Satsuki, and Yukie were standing in a circle. "You know what I do think that I'm going to keep up my acting career. I think I'm going to produce a movie actually." Yukie said taking a sip from her drink.

"What's it going to be?" Satsuki asked.

"Ninjas Clash in the Land of Snow, and I want all of you to be there acting right alongside me." Yukie said, and they giggled, or in Satsuki's case just laughed. "I need to tell Naruto about this, where is he anyway?"

"I don't know; Chrome showed up yesterday, and they disappeared about an hour ago." Kurumi said looking around to find her boyfriend gone.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it; I doubt he'll get into anything he can't handle." Satsuki said, and they nodded before continuing their conversation.

**-Scene Change-**

Zale, Chrome, and the new Manipulator Chrome had found named Kira whose specialty in Manipulation was fire. "How long has this chick been out here again?" Kira asked pulling up his foot.

"Three days." Zale said simply.

"Wouldn't she be dead in this cold?" Kira asked.

"Manipulation users are a little more stubborn than that." Zale said his eyes scanning the area. "She has control over ice, and we could really use that.

Kira suddenly hung back, so he was in step with Chrome. "Hey Chrome, this guy's nuts no one can survive that long out here. Let's waste him right here, and we'll take his girl, and do this without him." Kira whispered barely above a breath. Chrome immediately leapt away from him, and Kira felt two spikes launch through his hands and one through each leg. "AGH!"

"It seems that Chrome was too lenient on convincing you to join me. Trying to waste me won't work because you're a hell of a lot weaker than I am, and neither of you could touch me. The simple fact is that you're here to serve me, and if you ever betray that then you'll die immediately. You're not so important to my cause that I won't kill you." Zale said standing in front of Kira who stood bleeding from the wounds. "Don't worry you're a Manipulator you'll heal, but do you understand that I won't tolerate any disloyalty from you. Do you understand that?" Kira nodded, and the spikes melted away instantly leaving Kira looking like Swiss cheese. "Get up we have work to do."

Kira got to his feet glaring at Zale, but not doing anything. They walked for another half hour before finding an arm sticking out of the ground frozen over. "Is she really still alive?" Chrome asked.

"Yes, she's a clever girl. She's completely frozen her body, and in that way sustained herself until she's dug up, and revived. She probably thought that her teammates would come looking for her." Zale said grabbing the arm, and pulling up violently the girl completely frozen over. "Give me a second she's going to need somewhere to warm up." An igloo formed, and they brought her inside placing her in an ice chair. "Heat her up."

Kita glared at him, but nonetheless sent a wave of heat through the girl her layer of ice going away her feet stuck in hot water. "Where am I?" she asked shocked to see Zale, and she tried to get away only for Chrome to hold her down. "You Leaf village scum won't get anything out of me!"

"That's great because we're not from the Leaf Village. I work for them out of obligation, and by obligation I have to give you to the land of spring, but I'm going to give you a choice. That ability that you have is something that I want really badly. Now if you stick with me then you get to never be found, and we'll give you a new life with my buddies here, and in exchange for it you'll be loyal to me. You'll do what I say when I want, where I want, whatever the hell it is."

"I think I'm getting the short end of the stick here." the silver haired girl said.

"Not at all, you see I'm going to conquer the world one day my friend, and when I succeed if you were there standing by my side as a general like these two then you'll have a nice powerful place in the new world." Zale said seeing his personality of a natural leader starting to convince the girl. "Think about this offer my friend; it's a life in jail, or serving some family that bought you, or a guaranteed spot of power. I promise you my boys here won't touch you."

"My name's Aria." the girl said, and Zale smiled knowing their deal had been made. She was about two or three years older making her seventeen, and now he had her in his army. "What's yours?"

"It's Zale in private, and around guests it's Naruto Uzumaki." Zale said leaving the girl to Chrome, and Kira.

**-An Hour later-**

"Hey Naruto, where were you?" Kurumi asked as he walked over a drink in his hand.

"I was just taking care of some business." Zale said simply a smile on his face.

"Really Naruto I have to thank you for what you did, can I repay you in any way?" Yukie asked.

"Actually there are two things." Zale said pulling out a piece of paper, and a pen. "First the thing that made me hate you when we began this journey." This got a laugh out of the three of them. "Go ahead, and sign it to Kurumi."

After signing it Yukie looked back up. "Okay then what's the second thing?" Yukie asked handing the paper to Kurumi who was happy.

"Do you have some kind of device that allows you to chat with someone over a very long distance like a few hundred miles?" Zale asked, and Yukie got a pondering face before smiling.

"I think we have just the thing." Yukie disappeared into her mansion, and came back a few minutes later holding a box that she opened up.

Zale looked at the device it was a small rectangle with rounded corners, and the size of his kunai pouch. It had a hinged lid that he opened up, and inside there was an odd crystal, and a screen. "Just synch them up like this, and you'll have contact with anyone who's on the same frequency." Yukie tuned two together, and turned them both on holding one to her own face. Zale was shocked when Yukie's face appeared on the screen, and her voice came out of the little lines. "Take the box my father made a lot of these."

"Thanks." Zale said grabbing the box, and handing one to Kurumi.

"I'm so happy we're going to be home soon." Kurumi said with a bright smile.


	12. Partially Revealed Secrets

**I do not own Naruto. **

Speaking

_Thoughts_

"So if we want to take over the world." Kira was cut off by Gaara.

"We want to bring peace to the world." Gaara said.

"Right, so if we want to bring peace to the world then shouldn't we start now? Maybe **"Bring peace" **to the leaf village, and assert our place as a strong "Peace Force"." Kira said.

"If I had a week I wouldn't be able to tell you all the reasons that were wrong with that idea Kira." Aria said simply to him, and he had to be held back by Chrome. "We're trying to bring peace not be feared."

"You're existence here is one I do not appreciate Kira, you've put in no good ideas in all the meetings we've had, and have shown countless times how disloyal you are to our cause here." Gaara (who had been in the village because of a diplomatic meeting between the sand, and leaf) said.

"You want to go raccoon boy!" Zale asked forming around his fists, and Gaara's sand turned into a spike ready to be hurled at any time.

"Children I'm sorry to have interrupted play time, but I've called you all out to my village because I wanted to discuss the battle plan not to fight among allies." Zale said, and they all jumped to attention except for Shiki who lounged on the ground asleep. "How quickly you all fall to pieces without a leader."

"Zale I apologize for." Gaara tried, but Zale cut him off his patience wearing thin.

"It's none of my business, but I want to make it quite clear that if your little fights ever get in the way of what we're trying to accomplish here then I won't tolerate your presence ." Zale came to stand in the center of them as they formed a circle around him. "The council has been making some waves that I'm going to have to deal with, but if things continue the way they have been then we're going to have to make a move sooner than originally planned."

"What exactly is the first move Zale?" Aria asked him.

"If things keep going the way that they do then I'll have to leave the village, all of you will accompany me to ensure my escape." Zale said, and he motioned for them to sit down in their circle which they did. "Now if we do end up having to resort to that then you'll all have to put a stop to the fighting, and Chrome I expect my future followers to be more tolerant."

"Yes sir Zale." Chrome said sitting up straighter trying to not look intimidated, but failing quickly. "If you don't mind me asking Zale, why is it that you called us here anyway?"

"I will be going away for a little while, and if that happens I want all of you here to protect Kurumi, and Sasuke Uchiha." Zale said with a monotone voice.

"Oh Sasuke Uchiha is that the girl that pretends to be a boy?" Shiki asked nonchalantly, and Gaara looked slightly terrified, but instead of killing her he nodded. "Kurumi told me about how she's really nice, and has a great sense of style."

"How did you find out about it anyway Shiki?" Zale asked looking at the former demon.

"She smells like a girl." Shiki said simply tapping her nose, and Zale nodded again. "Gaara I want to get some food; when is this meeting going to be over?"

"It'll be over when it's over Shiki." Gaara said effectively shutting her up. "Zale, how are we going to go about escape if it comes to that?"

"I've been surveying everything as best as I could from my limited position, and the logical conclusion is to go right through the front door. I'll give you more details when I can, but for now make sure that they're safe. The old hag has decided to send me on a solo mission that'll get me out of town, so I'll entrust you two to take care of my," Zale's cheeks turned red, and he turned away. "Girlfriend and good friend."

"Uh boss?" Kira asked, and Zale turned to look at him. "What's that furry thing on your back?"

"Umba, Umba!" it said detaching one arm from Zale's back, and waving cutely.

"I don't want to talk about it." Zale said simply with a scowl, and the others were forced to hold back a laugh. "Alright you've got your job, I'll be going."

Zale dismissed the meeting, and left the others soon following his example. None of them noticed a hidden presence, none of them noticed a black haired girl, and they didn't notice her leap away to a hidden place. "Why did they call him Zale, and who were some of those people?" Satsuki asked herself hugging her knees, but she came to a single conclusion. "It doesn't matter I can't let it come to that no matter what happens. I won't let Naruto, or Zale leave the village no matter what."

Satsuki ran off to meet Kurumi. "Hey Kurumi, how're you doing?" Satsuki asked now in a henge, so she looked nothing like Sasuke Uchiha, or Satsuki Uchiha, and not to be bothered.

"I'm doing okay, but I don't think that this guy tagging along will make hanging around any easier." Kurumi said of course referring to Gaara stood with his eyes closed behind her. "You know you can get out of here I'm only going to hang out with my friend here."

"I apologize, but Naruto's asked me to look after you while you are out of the village, and I've chosen to do him that favor." Gaara said simply.

"Well can you look less imposing?" Kurumi asked, but Gaara's face remained in a scowl. "Fine then, if you're going to have to follow me around everywhere then at least make yourself invisible to the villagers." Gaara nodded before disappearing in a swirl of sand. "You can tag along Shiki."

"Hooray!" Shiki said appearing out of nowhere. "I haven't seen you in ages Kurumi, I'm so happy to see you again!"

"Satsuki, Shiki here is my little sister. We haven't seen each other in a long time because she was settled in the sand village, and I was here." Kurumi said patting the girl's head.

"But you two look the same age." Satsuki said examining the girls closely.

"It's a minor difference." Kurumi quickly covered, and Satsuki left it alone. "I've been in the village for a while now, and I've never seen its shopping district before. Zale's never taken me before."

"Oh well there's a really great shopping mall there, and a few nice shops. It's all on me too because I just got some clan money out of the vault, and I need something to spend it on." Satsuki said, and this made Shiki squeal with excitement. '_What do I tell Kurumi about what I heard? Does she know about Naruto or Zale? Is it my place to even tell her, but if I was living with Zale/Naruto I would want Kurumi to tell me.'_Satsuki thought. "Hey Kurumi do you think that Naruto tells you everything?"

"Well I'm sure that he has his secrets, but we all do, so I think that it's okay." Kurumi said with a smile.

"I guess that makes sense." Satsuki said, but she still had doubts, and worries about whether to tell Kurumi about Naruto/Zale. "Let's go in here; I need to get some new kunai, and shuriken."

"Ooo all of these things are really shiny." Shiki said looking over the weapons that gleamed with light. "I like the way that this one looks."

"Shiki stay away from that." Kurumi said pulling the girl back. _'She always was the stupid one of all nine of us.'_ "So Satsuki, how has the ninja thing been going lately anyway?"

"It's been going well, but since the sand attack we've been having a lot of missions, and not enough shinobi to fill them." Satsuki said. Things had been going crazy left Naruto/Zale had been giving the brunt of that. The council had stacked him with missions making it so he and Kurumi were almost never in the village. "Kakashi sensei's never in to train us anymore."

"What about Sakura, I've seen her in the village all the time." Kurumi said.

"Would you send Sakura on any mission?" Satsuki asked, and Kurumi nodded in agreement. "Um I think that Shiki went chasing that cart."

"Oh no she got hit last time." Kurumi said running off after her sister leaving Satsuki to inspect the weapons. She came back panting holding Shiki who glared at her. "I found her arguing with a dog."

"I don't care what you say he was being a jerk, and deserved that smack." Shiki said with a huff turning her head away from Kurumi who glared at her. "I'm going back with Gaara he doesn't stop me in the middle of an argument."

"It wasn't an argument you were glaring at an Inuzuka dog." Kurumi said, and Shiki stuck her tongue out at her before disappearing in a swirl of sand. "Sorry about her she's always been the stupid one."

"Don't worry about it, I think it's sweet. I never had a really good relationship with my family." Satsuki said trying to ignore what she had just said, and Kurumi seemed to move past it. "This looks nice."

They spent the afternoon shopping, and came back arms filled with bags. They were walking down an alley when Kurumi decided to come clean with what she had been occupied with. "Satsuki you've been distracted all day, what's wrong?"

Satsuki hesitated. '_Do I tell her, but I would want her to tell me.'_ "Kurumi if you knew something serious about someone that involved me would you tell me?" Satsuki asked, and Kurumi nodded. "What do you know about Zale?" She didn't get the response she was looking for. Satsuki had to dodge a sudden strike to her head that ended up going through a brick wall. "Hold on Kurumi!"

Kurumi didn't give her a chance to explain instead prompting to send of a barrage of punches each one too fast to block, and she was forced to dodge. Being her friend Satsuki wouldn't fight back, but Kurumi didn't seem to hesitate each strike full force, and more than enough to blow her brain out of her skull. She was forced to back away until her back hit the wall, and her path was blocked by two sand walls.

"What do you know about that?" Kurumi finally asked her fist shaking behind her.

"I only saw Zale, and the others talking!" Satsuki said, and Kurumi's arm came down. "I only heard them talking about how they might have to leave the village, and how they wanted to bring peace to the world. That's it, I swear."

"Oh okay." Kurumi said backing away, but she could feel Gaara ready to kill Satsuki. "You probably want an explanation for that huh?" Satsuki nodded. "Well that's going to be a little hard to explain. You see Naruto or Zale has this dream, and in that dream everyone lives happily, and in peace. Ever since he learned how to use Manipulation he's wanted to use it to bring peace to the world. Naruto's real name is Zale the leaf village gave it to him because Zale is so uncommon."

"I also saw how Naruto/Zale was really different from how he usually acts." Satsuki said.

"Well you must have seen how they acted with each other, so he has to be pretty tuff on them, or they'll kind of kill each other." Satsuki seemed to buy this, and Kurumi let out an inner sigh of relief.

"So the Naruto I've known all this time is kind of an unreal form of him?" Satsuki asked.

"Not exactly unreal, but you know how the council is. He has to act the way he did because they might just send him off to die, or something because of being a Jinchuriki, and all."

"Well why did you attack me?"

"Please a Jinchuriki with big dreams like his, how quick do you think the council would have him on the chopping block?" Kurumi asked.

"Still it seems pretty weird." Satsuki admitted curious.

"This comes from the girl that pretends to be a boy." Kurumi said with a smile, and Satsuki smiled back. After a few minutes of that she felt Gaara lower the walls, and the KI was gotten rid of. "You're definitely not going to tell anyone right?"

"Please, I would do anything to keep Zale in the village." Satsuki said, and Kurumi silently thanked Kami that she wouldn't have to kill her friend."


	13. A Somewhat Questionable Marriage

**I do not own Naruto. **

Speaking/_Thoughts_

Zale sighed looking back at the Onbaa that walked away from the village. "That was weird." Zale said turning to the village.

"Get back here you little raccoon brat!" Kira yelled out chasing Shiki who held his wallet in her mouth. "Oh Zale you're back."

"Yeah I am; who's guarding Kurumi and Satsuki?"Zale asked ready to kill him if no one was.

"I think its Aria's turn. Last I heard they were at your apartment." Kira said, and Zale nodded dismissing him allowing him to chase after Shiki. "Get back here you sand brat!"

"I hope they're okay." Zale said leaping up on the roofs and running along the roof tops until he got to his apartment. Looking in through the window he was relieved to see them both inside sitting on the couch Aria standing by the door. "Hey girls I'm back."

"It's about time Zale, you're guards were getting creepy." Satsuki said, and Zale was slightly shocked when she addressed him by his real name. "Don't worry Zale, Kurumi told me everything."

"Yeah, I told her your real name, how you want to give peace, and how you recruited people to help you accomplish that dream." Kurumi said in a very strained tone that indicated how limited the information she had given Satsuki was. "She also knows that you might have to leave the village at a moment's notice because of how edgy the council is."

"Oh okay, I'm glad you're in on the secret." Zale said, and Satsuki nodded. "You're dismissed Aria I'll call you if I need you." Aria nodded before disappearing in a swirl of ice. "I should have told her not to do that."

"You know Zale you could have told me about it I mean you can trust me with anything." Satsuki said she was honestly a little disappointed that he had never told her a little hurt even.

"Sorry Satsuki, just a little cautious, with all the politics, and such you can't ever be too careful. Besides you never told me that you were a girl, so it's kind of fair you found out the way you did." Zale said sitting down in the kitchen to find a pile of mail. It was mostly bills with a few paychecks from missions with a sizeable chunk cut from them because of the council. "Hey Kurumi did anything else come?"

"Yeah there was something from the council that came this morning; it looked important, so I pinned it up on the fridge." Kurumi said pointing to it which was nearly buried under all the other pieces of paper, and plans that he hadn't bothered to throw away. "I hope it's not anything serious."

"Please their bark is worse than their bite, and with a current Hokage, a sage, and a former Hokage I don't believe they can do anything to me that I can't handle. Still having to send back all these forms they send me is a hassle. I think I actually feel bad for that old lady." Zale leaned back in the chair.

"Still Zale there are a lot of powerful influential people on the council, and there are a lot that want you gone. Even the elders have been pushing for your banishment or worse going through Danzo's special "Loyalty" course to make sure you use Manipulation for the "Good of the Village," and I think they're starting to convince people that it's the right thing to do." Satsuki said speaking from experience from the many council meetings she had sat in on.

"Don't worry about it Satsuki with all the things I've had to deal with because of the council I know a few legal strategies that'll keep me around for a little while." Zale said, but that was a lie. Any political experience he had was when he was alive in his past life, and was most likely out dated. He tore open the letter, and looked it over. "The council's called a meeting involving what to do."

"I should probably go to that too." Satsuki said standing up, and performing a henge into her male form cracking her joints. "I'll be there to support you, and vote against whatever terrible thing they want to do you, or Kurumi."

"Thanks it's nice to know that I'm going to have some friends in there to help." Zale said ruffling her hair, and she blushed lightly. "According to the letter they're going to be sending a ROOT soldier to pick us up." As if on cue there was a knock at the door, and he opened the door to see a soldier standing tall, and silent. "How can I help you?"

"The letter has arrived, and from what I have heard you have already read it." the Root man said with absolutely no embarrassment that he had been ease dropping on fourteen year olds. He suddenly noticed Satsuki, and he seemed to be disappointed. "I would advise the gutter trash to stay away from the prodigies Uzumaki."

"You'd be wise to follow your own advice." Zale said, and this earned no response from the ROOT. "Okay let's get going let me just lock up the house." Zale didn't get to do that instead suddenly being shunshined to the council room, and forced into a chair in the middle of the room Kurumi standing by the doors, and Satsuki in the Uchiha clan head seat.

"All to order, all to order." Danzo called, and the noises of the council room quieted all except for Tsunade grumbling about how the meeting had interrupted her drink. "This meeting has been called to discuss the fate of one Naruto Uzumaki."

"What is there to discuss Danzo, he's committed no felonies, or crimes, and has even been commended by the many people that have hired him for missions. He has not let the work load throw him off, and has not failed a single mission to date." Shikaku Nara said, and this was immediately agreed to by most of the other clan heads.

"Such things do not matter the boy's special status containing the demon makes him a very dangerous threat to the village, and its people." Danzo said in a calm tone others immediately agreeing to him. "It's in the village's best interest to have the boy taken to an area where his power can be trained, and contained if need be."

"Your human weapons idea is a great one on paper, but you seem to be forgetting how wrong such a treatment can be. When humans are exposed to the training that you have given your ROOT agents Danzo things don't always go the way you intend them to. How many people have died or killed themselves unable to deal with the mental trauma during your training Danzo?" Sarutobi asked his pipe letting off a puff of steam. "The simple fact of the matter is that Naruto has given us no reason for concern on this matter."

"No reason for concern?" Danzo asked with sarcasm dripping from his voice. "The boy before graduating caused chaos in the village, and countless amounts of it. If the reports need to be brought in then so be it, but do not turn a blind eye. In such a short amount of time he has gained a power that has only made him an even greater threat to the village then before."

"You forgot to mention that Naruto has never once used his ability to lay a hand on a Konoha citizen." Satsuki said, and this gained murmurs showing Danzo was losing the crowd. "Believe me when I say that he's had every right to as well."

"Look how he has gained the favor of the last loyal Uchiha; he has managed to trick the boy into standing for him." Homura said using the influence he had. "If the witness accounts we have are reliable you have said countless times that you were going to beat him down, and take the title of the best from him. Now he stands for you here; what could influence such a change."

"It's called the loyalty of being on a team; you remember what that was don't you Homura. I remember a time when you would have died to save Koharu, or I." Sarutobi said, and this immediately called glares upon the old man who scowled at his former team mate.

"Sentiments aside Sarutobi the reason we are still here is because we knew how to run a village, and having one boy, a few council members, a rundown old fool, and an inexperienced novice of a Hokage protect a serious threat isn't how to protect the village." Koharu said getting back on track knowing if things continued than they would lose the support they had. "Now does the boy have anything to say on the matter?"

"I've helped the village as best as I could, and you have chosen to punish me for such a thing. If you continue the way you are then you are not any better than the other villages you claim to be superior to." Zale said simply, but they didn't seem to pay attention.

"Naruto is an important bargaining chip with the other villages, and has been since the beginning of negotiations. You can't have hi without destroying what we've tried hard to establish." Tsunade said finally choosing to look up from the scrolls she had been reviewing.

"Has anything been set in stone?" Danzo asked, and Tsunade hesitantly shook her head. "Then there is no risk, and Naruto is not such a prime bargaining chip. Still if such a thing is so important to the village then I'll strike a deal. Put Naruto is my care for some time so that I may guide him in the right direction as how to protect the village, and if his dreams come true then someday lead it."

"By that logic sensei should be given Naruto as he has more experience, and more powerful than you are." Tsunade said, and this was considered by all.

"Sarutobi would be too lenient on the boy, and I would be fair, and firm. It is only logical for this to happen." Danzo said, and he seemed to gain favor with the civilians.

"Still Naruto is my ninja I have final say over him." Tsunade said feeling she had won. "I rule against this, and my decision on that is final."

"Tsunade although I am sure you do not know this in times of distress the council can overrule the Hokage's decision." Danzo said.

"We are not in a time of distress." Tsunade said feeling a sneaking suspicion of the old war hawk.

"Ah, but with the invasion of the Sand Village we are, and that means the final decision will come down to the council; all opposed?" Danzo looked around twelve votes. "All for the notion to place Naruto Uzumaki in my care please raise your hands?" Once again twelve hands rose, and that meant only one was left contemplating what to do. "Come now Aburame make your decision."

Everyone was on the edge of their seats. The Aburame clan head was the only one of them who truly came to the meetings without true set prejudice. He could go either way, and the look on his face was unreadable, but Danzo was still confident of the man making the "right" decision.

Meanwhile Satsuki was practically squirming in her seat, and sweat coming off her brow. She could see Zale tense up as if ready to make a run for it if need be, and it was highly likely that the other Manipulation users would be at the ready to help him escape.

'_I can't let Zale's future be decided by some Aburame who doesn't know where his loyalties lie.'_ Satsuki thought, and she took in a deep breath before speaking. "According the bylaws of "Konoha's _Laws_" page one hundred thirteen, paragraph two, subsection A, an orphan cannot be adopted if he has been put into a clan."

Her legal knowledge stunned them all, and apparently they were somewhat pleased to know that she hadn't just been sitting there bored for the past five years. "Yes Sasuke, but at this point in time there is no way to integrate Naruto in a clan so quickly without too many political repercussions would be to marry him. Is there anyone here who would marry their daughter to the boy?" Danzo asked, and no one spoke up.

**-Scene change-**

Hinata suddenly looked up from the book she was reading, and felt that when her father came home she should be very, very angry at him. Like he had made it so she had missed an opportunity that she would never get again.

**-Scene Change-**

"I will!" Satsuki said, and they all turned to her shocked. "Kai!" She felt the henge drop, and for the first time in years she wasn't afraid to look at the council. "That's right I'm a girl, and as the clan head I execute my right to marry who I choose. I choose one Naruto Uzumaki by the regular terms, and agreements that succeed every basic marriage contract."

"You can't do that!" some of the civilians yelled, but by all rights of the law she could.

"Satsuki I can't let you do this." Zale said knowing how sacred marriage was.

"Don't worry Naruto this is the best for everyone. They can't banish you anymore, and things like trying to give you to that creep are out of the question." Satsuki said a small smile on her face.

"You realize that we need to check up on this marriage, see how legitimate this will be. It will mean sleeping in the same bed, living in the same house, and eventually producing an heir." Danzo said trying to scare the newly revealed girl out of it, but it seemed that Satsuki would not be deterred.

"I know what's going to happen, and I'm fully prepared to accept that." Satsuki said, and she nodded at Tsunade who she had made her lawyer for these matters as well as Sarutobi. Sarutobi reached into his robe, and pulled out a thick stack of papers one of which was a brittle old marriage contract that he handled delicately.

"I didn't ever expect to use it; I simply carry it as a precaution in case Konohamaru ever showed sudden interest." Sarutobi explained handing it to Satsuki who signed it without hesitation before handing it to Zale who hesitated.

"Come on Naruto I swear I'll be a good wife." Satsuki said, but that wasn't was Zale was concerned about he was afraid that he wasn't right for Satsuki that the person she loved wasn't the person that she wanted to marry; the person she was willing to do this for.

'_Still I'm a tyrant, an evil person that'll do anything to get ahead, aren't I?'_ Zale thought to himself looking at the piece of paper, a pen Kurumi had handed him in hand. Kurumi suddenly placed a hand on his, and nodded as if to comfort him, and he steeled his resolve signing the paper. "Thank you Satsuki, I can never repay you for this."

"Don't worry Naruto we're married now you'll make it up to me eventually." Satsuki said with a smile, and a somewhat naughty look in her eyes.

The rest of the meeting was spent trying, and failing to argue the marriage, and confirming Satsuki was a she by Tsunade.

**-Later-**

Danzo looked into his palms ROOT soldiers around him an unreadable expression on his face. "Does this affect your plans Danzo-sama?" one of them asked him.

A smirk crossed Danzo's face, and an audible chuckle was heard. "No, no, if anything this seems to have put an accelerant on it. Now I have a new strategy to use against him." Danzo said a full blown smile on his face as he blew out a candle allowing the room to fall to shadows.

**Come on people review, how do I have 12 followers and only 5 reviews?**


	14. A Family Dinner

**I do not own Naruto. **

Speaking/_Thoughts_

"How's the roof coming Zale?" Satsuki asked the boy who was on the Uchiha compound roof hammering away on the hottest day of the year, and because of a decree of the council unable to use Manipulation. "I can't believe you volunteered to do that today of all days."

"You tricked me!" Zale yelled at her, and she laughed Kurumi doing the same. Both of them were drinking ice tea. '_They never told me that this was the hottest day of the year, and how much damage there was to the roof.'_ Zale wiped the sweat from his bow frustrated. "How did you live here for the last six years?"

"My room doesn't have any holes, or ceiling damage, and if things get too bad then I just hire a roofer, but they always do a half assed job." Satsuki said.

"Why didn't you call them this time?" Zale asked pulling out some more tiles from the bag he had brought up with him, and hammering them in.

"What's a husband for if you can't make him do things around the house?" Kurumi asked stirring her drink, and she was forced to dodge a tile he had thrown. "Oh come on Zale it's not like you had anything else to do today, and you said that you felt useless ever since you moved in."

"That doesn't mean I wanted to become a slave!" Zale yelled back angrily. "Can I at least get drink?"

"Yeah I'll go get it." Satsuki said walking inside, and Zale found himself accompanied by Kurumi up on the roof.

"So how's the training with Tsunade been going?" Zale asked as Kurumi had asked or more blackmailed the slug princess into training her.

"It's been going alright so far, and Tsunade said that my chakra is naturally potent, so healing is made easier. She's even taught me the basics of that super strength of hers, so don't make me mad ever again." Kurumi said sipping her drink. "You know Zale I like the way you look in a tool belt."

"Careful Kurumi I'm a married man." Zale joked, and they found themselves wrapped around each other, but unfortunately the intimate moment was interrupted by a swirl of fire. "I just finished patching up that god damn roof Kira, whatever the hell you wanted to tell me better be important!"

"Sorry, but Aria told me that I needed to tell you about something weird going on outside the village." Kira said, but he was met with glares from both Zale, and Kurumi. "She said that it may be something that would be worth looking into. It's about a thousand meters south of where we are." Zale let out a sigh before pulling away from Kurumi who scowled. He pulled off the tool belt, and handed it to Kira. "What's this for."

"You messed up the roof, so I'm going to make you fix it. Don't worry I'll send back Gaara to help, but remember no Manipulation because of that stupid village policy the civilians came up with. I'll be back as soon as I can." Zale leapt off leaving Kira to fix the roof.

"Oh hey Kira, where's Zale?" Satsuki asked coming out with a tray of new ice teas.

"Oh he had to go, and take care of some business, and I'm going to help out until he comes back." Kira said, and he eyed the ice tea on the tray. "Oh is one of those for me?"

"I believe she was making those for Zale, and the two of them Kira." Gaara said appearing out of nowhere causing them all to jump. "I hope you don't mind sharing one with Shiki while Kira and I get to work." Satsuki nodded giving the other drink to Shiki who sipped at it happily while she and Kurumi took the other two.

While they were on the roof pounding away they spoke in hushed whispers. "What did you and Aria see out there that Zale needed to check out so quickly anyway?" Kira asked grabbing a tile.

"There wasn't much to see that's what made it odd, and we decided to check it out before Konoha decided to conduct their own investigation. The area was completely wiped out, and had a hundred meter radius of destruction. All in all it didn't seem like something that a normal shinobi or even a powerful one could do. We assumed that Manipulation had to be a factor." Gaara answered barely missing his thumb with the hammer.

"Manipulation gets weirder and weirder the more we know about it." Kira said shaking his head.

**-Scene Change-**

Zale launched through the trees at a high speed. "Where is it from my position?" Zale asked into the communicator he had gotten from the land of snow.

"Keep going for another ten minutes, and you should get here." Aria said before the communicator cut off unnaturally with only static.

"That's never happened before." Zale said putting away the communicator into his pocket, and continuing his preset path. After only five minutes he came to the large field completely destroyed by whatever had done it. "They were right to call me in there's nothing, but Manipulation that could cause this much devastation in such a short amount of time. Aria, where are you?!"

He didn't get a response, but his instincts screamed at him to jump up in the air. Immediately beneath him a jaw like thing clamped down around where he was catching the tip of his sandal. "All these years Zale and you haven't missed a step." Someone said, and Zale landed on the ground looking for the source of the voice. "Come on don't you remember me?"

"Get out here, and fight me." Zale said, and he was forced to put up a dome around him to protect from several tree spikes. "Plant Manipulation, that's a new one." Zale said making a note to stay away from the foliage of the forest.

"Come on Zale such a weak little barrier won't do anything to me." the person said, and Zale felt his barrier split a person that looked eerily familiar holding it open. "I thought that you were still powerful, but it seems like your Manipulation has weakened to the point of that girl from earlier."

"What did you do to Aria?" Zale asked his mind slowly piecing together who this person was. Suddenly the ground split under him opening up a chasm that he barely avoided. "I'm getting a little pissed at you right now, and if you don't tell me who you are then I will kill you."

"Oh that really hurts Zale we were such good buddies back when we were in that imprisonment camp, and you broke us out, or you did it first that is." The boy said, and Zale pieced it together. He was Cole the friend that had helped him almost conquer the world, but had been defeated by the hero. "You know Zale I can't believe that you would forget your best friend."

"How the hell are you here? I saw your body, and died next to it; I'm sure that you weren't holding on in spirit form." Zale said now standing quite a bit away from his former best friend.

"Come on Zale, you seem to be forgetting that Manipulation also gives you the ability to manipulate with time. Right before I died replaced myself with some out of the world idiot that died in my place, and I launched myself into the future. Took me a while to recover enough to move around, and about, but now look at me. I can beat down our former leader."

"What the hell are you talking about; I'm still the most powerful Manipulator in the world and you couldn't ever beat me before." Zale said ready to blast Cole, but he was still wary about the boy.

"Honestly Zale I'm surprised that you could hang on at all, and what the hell's with that body you're wearing. I mean I get that you were out of commission for way longer than I was, but hell you lost eight inches of your height, and your hair."

"I had to take a new body, and had to wait for a really long time to find this thing. Fortunately enough I've been able to harness Manipulation almost as well as I could before."

"You always thought that you were the top dog Zale, but you never learned how to use Manipulation to the full ability it could. Bending reality to your will is what a true Manipulation user can do." Suddenly the air seemed to shimmer, and everything except for Cole moved in slow motion.

'_My body isn't moving like it should be, I can't even move at my normal speed.' _Zale thought watching as Cole ran forward, and smashed his fist into his face sending him flying across the field into a rock that immediately shattered. "I'm going to ask you one more time, what did you do to Aria?"

"Come on Zale you've gone soft; who the hell cares about that weakling, she went down too easily. I'm not the only one that made it out Zale in fact I think you're the only one that actually died that day; think about it getting the old team back together. Of course you're probably the weakest out of all of us, so you're going to have to start from the bottom with me over you." Cole spoke in a confident tone that made Zale's blood boil.

"Listen to me you little idiot; none of you ever beat me in a fight, and I'm not going to sit at your feet like a dog because you think you're strong." Zale said holding his face where a bruise was forming.

"Oh you were always the stubborn one Zale." Cole said to him the area shimmering, and time slowing down once again. "I'll make sure that you'll never be a threat to us, because if I let you live now you'll get in the way when we try to rebuild what we started." Cole pulled back his leg, and stomped down on Zale's chest causing the blonde to scream in pain.

"I'll make you pay." Zale choked out as Cole stepped down hard on his throat.

"How are you going to do that little bunny rabbit when you can't even get up?" Cole taunted him by calling Zale "bunny" something he had allowed the girl that liked him back then to call him. "Your friends are too far to help, and those girlfriends you have are going to be next."

Zale struggled under his enemy's heel, but that one sentence was enough to break him out from his stupor. "You were always too confident for your own good Cole." Zale said bringing his hand up, and grabbing Cole's foot surprising the boy by throwing him to the ground. "You caught me by surprise earlier, but that's not going to save you now."

Cole found himself under Zale who threw one punch at him after another busting his nose, and giving him quite a few bruises before he was finally able to toss him off. "You should have just died." Cole charged forward slamming his palms into Zale's gut, and Zale felt his organs mesh around.

Zale had to keep his heart from quite literally popping out from his mouth, and head butted Cole sending a jolt of electricity through his body. "Crap that'll take some time to fix." Zale said aloud, and Cole twitched on the ground. "That was an impressive attack."

Cole suddenly sunk into the ground before reappearing in the wood work once again roots exploded from the ground forcing Zale to stop his healing, and dodge them. "You're weak, you're old sole doesn't do well in a young body." Cole said slamming his palm onto the ground, and the ground shook violently.

"Calm down, you aren't a god." Zale said appearing behind Cole, and delivering a kick to his back sending him flying to the ground. Zale finally used his Manipulation thousands of razor sharp needles forming in the air, and hurtling at Cole who disappeared. '_He's not using that time ability, so that means there has to be limits to what he can do with it.' _ Zale felt Cole slam his hands down on his skull, but the dirt under him turned to mud taking the oomph out of the attack.

"You're not getting away that easily!" Cole reached into the mud, and tried to pull Zale out, but Zale's fist met his chin instead, and he fell back. "That's so lame."

Zale didn't respond instead launching a barrage of punches that Cole was forced to duck, and block. He took the full brunt of those attacks forcing him to back up, and his arms to turn purplish. "I'll show you to never touch or threaten anyone that's important to me." Zale said sending one more punch meant to finish him off when suddenly Cole sunk into the ground beneath him, and appearing behind him.

He seemed to catch his second wind forcing Zale back with a fighting technique that he hadn't seen for a long time. Sending a counterattack Zale's arm was caught, and Cole tossed him over his shoulder on the ground pinning him to the ground with his arm behind his back bending back to the point of snapping. "Now what are you going to do?" Cole was shocked when Zale forced the arm out of its socket, and freed him of the grip. "You've always done whatever it took to win."

"It's not hard to do when you're up against a weakling." Zale said popping his arm back in and charging forward.

Cole brought up his arms a field of some odd energy blasted Zale back onto the ground. "Do you like it, we figured out how to Manipulate some kind of odd energy into a special barrier nearly impenetrable. It's not chakra, but it gets the job done." Cole said with a smirk. "Soon we'll have it working as a nice offensive attack."

Zale smirked drawing upon the seal that Chrome had improved upon when he came into the village a month ago, and that had made it much easier to draw upon Kurumi's chakra. "You have your attack and defense sure, but I have my own." Zale said, and a red cloak of chakra surrounded him surprising Cole who held up the defense as a large red claw descended upon his shield.

"It looks like we're not the only ones that picked up a few new tricks, Zale." Cole said feeling the intense pressure of the red chakra. "Still that chakra is something I've never seen before, how the hell did you come across it?"

"The boy that I took over had a few interesting powers of his own, and I've taken full advantage of them." Zale said feeling his wounds sizzle closed, and his second wind come up. "That energy that you're using won't stand a candle to what I'm packing, and guess what every one of my Manipulation users can use chakra because one of them knows what he's doing. Not like you idiots."

Finally the shield shattered, and Cole screamed when the red claw impacted on him as if it was a real claw, and it left slashes across his face. There was another claw that came from Zale's red chakra cloak that was ready to slice Cole across the middle.

"My, my, it seems that Zale was just a little too powerful for just one of us at a time after all." Time slowed down, and Zale saw Suzie still black haired beauty move naturally through the shimmering space. "This is an interesting development, but we're going to have to come back to take you out later. Rest assured my little bunny next time you're not going to live."

Zale watched them walk off, and he allowed the red chakra to fade as time returned to normal. Finally he could move at normal speed. Chrome arrived a few minutes later looking around at the destruction more than before anyway. "What happened boss?" Chrome asked helping Zale to stand.

"Some old friends reappeared, and they're going to be a big problem in the future." Zale said looking around finding no one. "I don't know what happened to Aria, she was gone when I got here."

"What are you talking about Zale; Aria's been at Satsuki's for the past ten minutes." Chrome said, and Zale hit the ground he couldn't believe that he had believed that those idiots had taken down one of his own. "Come on we need to clear out of here before Konoha shows up."

"Yes sir." Chrome said, and a few minutes later they stood in the Uchiha compound everyone except the girls helping with the roof.

"I'm going to freaking burn this roof!" Kira yelled out holding his hand that already had red marks, and a swollen thumb.

"If you do that then we're going to have to start all over." Zale said holding nails in his mouth. "Look we're almost done, so just suck it up."

"Why isn't Aria helping?" Kira complained.

"We're males, are you telling me that you are so weak that you need a girl to do your job for you (did that sound sexist)?" Gaara asked immediately infuriating, and then motivating Kira to get the job done. "There see it wasn't that hard."

"It did take a good chunk of the day." Zale said looking out at the setting sun. "Hey Satsuki we finished!"

"That's great; tomorrow we can work on the plumbing." she cried back, and they all sweat dropped. When they came down they began on dinner that Satsuki, Aria, and Kurumi had already started on. "Thanks for everyone helping with my house; I can see why Zale trusts you guys so much."

"Whoa this guy trusts us I thought that he wanted to kill me!" Kira said laughing the others taking the hint, and doing the same. The truth was that Zale did sometimes almost kill Kira. "Wow this stuff all looks really good."

"You know I heard there was some pretty violent explosion outside the village." Satsuki said, and Zale nodded spreading butter on a roll. "It's making the civilians a bit nervous."

"Forgive me if I the peace of mind of people that tried to have me brainwashed isn't on my top list of priorities." Zale said filling his plate, and taking a few bites. "This stuff is really delicious, so I assume you had nothing to do with it Kurumi."

"Hey I take offense to that." Kurumi said she had in face helped chop the vegetables.

By all means it was the most family like event any of them had, had in a long while.


	15. The Leaf Village Abandonment

**I do not own Naruto. **

Speaking/_Thoughts_

Danzo smirked to himself looking over the many pictures that littered his desk, and each one made him happier, and happier. Each of them had Zale and Kurumi in intimate positions that you would find many young couples in. "Sai!" Danzo called out, and one of the ROOT members appeared. He handed the young boy an arrest warrant made under Tsunade's nose. "Please go arrest Kurumi for violating a marriage contract between two consenting individuals. I may not be able to touch Naruto, or Satsuki, but I can, and will turn their lives upside down.

**-Scene Change-**

Satsuki, Zale, and Kurumi sat in the living room reading their respective items when a pounding on the door made them all looked up. "I'll get it." Kurumi said getting up, and opening the door. All of them were surprised when she was slammed to the floor, and chakra suppressing cuffs were slapped on her wrists. A gag was placed over her mouth, and she was forced to stand up.

"Hey get away from her!" Zale yelled getting up his arm cocked back ready to kill the ninja at a moment's notice if need be. "You heard me get the hell away from her."

"We have an arrest warrant for Kurumi, and if you get in the way then you will be arrested for aiding, and embedding a criminal." the ROOT said handing Satsuki the arrest warrant.

"This says that Kurumi has violated the marriage contract that legally binds Naruto, and I." Satsuki said.

"Yes, officially you and Naruto are married. We have countless photos, and eye witnesses that show or explain how they've seen Naruto, and Kurumi being too intimate for friends." the ROOT said, and Zale charged forward.

Zale didn't expect to be held back by his own people. Chrome, Kira, Gaara, and Aria were all holding him back from killing the ROOT ninja. "What the hell are you doing, you should be helping me kill this bastard!" Zale snarled sending death glares at them while the ninja left with Kurumi dragged behind him. "Why the hell did you stop me; it would have taken a minute to kill him."

"If we were to win here we would have lost Zale." Gaara said calmly as they forced him to sit down in a chair. "They are baiting you by taking Kurumi; they arrested her only to make you attack. Then they would have arrested you for attacking a fellow Konoha shinobi you could only watch."

"Then let them, I'll kill them all!" Zale growled, but he didn't move from the chair instead resting his head on his hands. "What are we going to do now?"

"Well there's not much we can do from this point on. Kurumi will be held for a few hours, questioned, and then giving an obligatory hearing before they decide that she's guilty, and send her to whatever punishment they think is fit." Satsuki said scanning her memory of what could happen.

"You know what they're going to see fit, they're going to come up with some bull shit story, and add a bunch of crap charges." Zale said in an eerily calm voice as he stared hard at the ground. "When's the hearing going to be, and can we be there?"

"According to this she's going to be trialed by the Konoha elders, and Danzo in a closed court. We could get in, but we wouldn't be able to talk to her." Satsuki said looking over the arrest warrant. "I think it'll be in a few hours."

"What do you mean think?" Kira asked.

"Well they write these things with so many legal terms that it's too hard to decode even with people that do it their whole lives." Satsuki said shaking her head, and they all took solemn expressions. "Come on we should probably get going now, it's going to take at least that long to get through all the security."

**-Scene Change-**

Kurumi was led through numerous halls that threw off her sense of direction, and occasionally she would hear barks, or angry sobs. "Wait here." the nameless ninja said tossing her into a room with a closed cell, and taking off her cuffs leaving her to take out the gag.

Without saying a word or making a noise Kurumi started pacing the small room trying to ignore the worrying nagging sensation at the back of her head. _'What's Zale going to do, and what can they do to me? Zale might end up destroying all of Konoha.' _Kurumi thought shaking her head.

It was an hour before they finally showed up, and after putting the cuffs and gag on once again she was dragged into a room with guards everywhere. Danzo, Hamura, and Koharu sat in front of the only chair in the room; Zale, Satsuki, Kira, Gaara, Shiki, Chrome, and Aria stood on the edges of the room, and she gave them a slow nod showing that she was okay.

"This court has come to order." Danzo said, and Kurumi sat down in the chair. "Kurumi you've been accused of breaking a legal document involving Naruto Uzumaki, and the newly revealed Satsuki Uchiha. Unless Satsuki decides to press charges Naruto will not be charged with any crimes, but you are a different story. Now is it true you are in an intimate relationship with Naruto?"

"Well yes, but." Kurumi was cut off by Danzo.

"Thank you, now we've heard from countless eye witnesses that you have been very express in these feelings. Satsuki was even kind enough to allow you to live with her, and you breached her marriage is that true, or do you call the many eye witnesses unreliable liars." Danzo said as if reading from a script.

"Yes, yes, and I'm sure that the reports you got from the villagers are very prejudice against me and Naruto." Kurumi said, but they didn't seem to hear her instead nodding when she said yes.

"Thank you Kurumi you've told us everything that we need to know." Danzo said, and they grabbed her ready to perform any action the supposed "unprejudiced council" would decree "fair." "Now normally this would be a minor offense, but you have betrayed an Uchiha. The last loyal, and you have possibly committed genocide by emotionally damaging the victim leaving her unable to reproduce."

"That's bull, and you know it!" Satsuki yelled, but nobody paid attention.

"You're being sentenced to enrolment in the Konoha task force for the rest of your miserable life training will begin tomorrow as well as rehabilitation; have a nice day demon whore." Koharu said, and they took Kurumi away. She turned to the six at the back of the room all of them glaring at the council "As for you six be sure to follow everything in accordance to law. Naruto and Kurumi have a happy life together."

The court was dismissed, and they sat in the living room late at night. "Zale don't worry we'll get this overturned, Tsunade won't let this go down the way it has." Satsuki said, but the hard glare Zale had in place didn't change.

"Don't worry Satsuki, I won't do anything crazy. Go to bed; I'll be there in a little while. There's nothing we can do for now, and even I'm not stupid enough to try to break someone out of high security prison." Zale said looking like he had calmed down, and Satsuki left relieved.

"What are we going to do Zale?" Aria asked concerned for her leader.

Zale waited until he heard the door close before he looked up to meet their gaze. "This isn't going to just going to go away, and Tsunade won't be able to stop it. We're going to break Kurumi out of that prison, and then we're going to leave Konoha for good." Zale said his tongue pressed against his cheek. "Whatever you think you need to do to get her out do it. Kira, and Gaara you're both with me; Aria, Shiki, and Chrome get everything ready to run. We need to be gone fast."

They stood up making no noise as they all disappeared in a swirl of their respective elements all except for Zale who disappeared in a burst of black feathers. "How do we know where Kurumi's being held?" Kira asked in full rampage mode fire charging his hands.

"Who cares how we know; we rampage through the place, and kill anyone that gets in the way." Gaara said, and they had to admit there was a little glee in the air. None of them liked Konoha very much thanks to that hearing, and this was a lot like a payback they could dish out. "How long before Konoha will realize that we're the ones that did it?"

"They're going to be spending a lot of time rounding up prisoners that escaped, so we'll probably have a few hours head start on them." Zale said looking at the full moon. "I still don't want any screw ups because Konoha aren't pushovers, they'll come after us as best they can."

"Then we'll strike fast, and hard." Kira and Gaara said at once. Although they argued a lot they definitely weren't on bad terms more like rivals.

There was a loud explosion when they blew through the Konoha prison wall, and it immediately drew together any free Chunin or above ninja. Despite what Zale had said they didn't kill anyone simply blasting through the prison, and knocking out anyone that would get in their way. "I've got ten." Gaara said after knocking out a ninja that came out.

"Only, I just finished my fifteenth." Kira said slamming his palms on the ground a burst of fire burning five people severely enough to keep them from moving.

"Twenty." Gaara said slamming ten people into the wall effectively getting rid of them. "Zale have you found Kurumi?" He spoke into the snow's communicator.

"No, and I'm a fifty losers." Zale said slamming the communicator closed running forward tearing through the walls at a fast pace. '_Come on Kurumi, where are you?' _ Zale burst open door after door finding no one of any use, and then leaving the door open behind him. Eventually he came to a directory where he found a list of all prisoners, and where they were; nowhere was Kurumi listed. "Wait a second they must have changed her name."

After some searching he found a male named Miukru listed in the medical ward. "That has to be her." Zale grabbed some keys off a knocked out guard, and ran over to the other end of the prison. There was a giant metal door between him, and the room where Kurumi was being held in. Zale pressed his hands against the door that began folding in on itself before it was crumpled up on the ground.

Inside the room there was Kurumi laid down out cold on a hospital bed with a mask on her face, and above her stood a doctor holding a medical scalpel. "Hey you can't be in here!" he said waving him off.

"Didn't you hear the word, it's a prison break." Zale said the medical instruments on the table (all extremely sharp) rose up into the air, and hurtled at the doctor pinning him to the wall. "Now because you almost hurt her I'm going to take away what makes you a man." Zale grabbed the medical scalpel from his hand, and pushed it hard into his genitals.

He unstrapped Kurumi grabbing her clothes, and removing the mask that kept her knocked out. "Zale is that you?" Kurumi asked not quite there, but lucid enough to speak, and Zale nodded once again dressing her before tossing her over his shoulder, and whipping out his communicator.

"I've found Kurumi; let's get out of here while hell's still going on." Zale said, and he got confirmation from the other two, and they all leapt out of the prison meeting Aria, Shiki, and Chrome at the now unguarded gate because of the prison break. "Alright everyone's here, we have to go."

"Wait a second boss, looks like we've got a visitor." Chrome said, and Zale turned to see Satsuki standing her hands clenched tightly, and tears fell onto the ground her face staring at her toes.

"What are you doing Satsuki?" Zale asked gently.

"You said that you wouldn't go after her, but I guess I expected you to." Satsuki said trying to look him straight in the eye, but Zale refused to meet her stare. "That's why I'm here. Still why are you leaving, you could just hide here in the village until everything dies down."

"Satsuki I have to be honest." Zale said not with his kind and caring voice, but with a cold tone he used with the others when they were annoying him. "There are things I need to do, that I want to do, and those dreams are too big to stay in Konoha for. I always planned on leaving this just forced me to leave more quickly than I first anticipated."

"Zale, you can do anything here in the village." Satsuki tried to argue.

"No I can't, and I think you always knew that. There are too many limitations here, and if I got any more powerful then I wouldn't ever be able to see the light of day again. They had Kurumi strapped to a table ready to cut her open, and they would have made it legal." Zale looked at her with a hard gaze that nearly made Satsuki cringe.

"Then fight it, you never let anyone bully you around before, why start now?" Satsuki demanded.

"I'm not letting them bully me. The best thing to do right now would be to get out of the village and start again somewhere else where there's no powerful force working to sabotage me." Zale said before he disappeared, and his final word to her before she passed out was "Watashi wa anata o aishi tenakatta (I did love you)."

"Come on she'll be found here, we have to get going." Chrome said touching his shoulder, and Zale nodded before leaping off leaving Satsuki to sleep.

**-Scene Change Several Hours Later-**

Satsuki jerked awake shocked by the dream she had been having. "Oh my god Zale I had such a nightmare." She turned over, and fell off the bench she had been placed on. "It wasn't a dream." She didn't hesitate to run off in the direction of the Hokage tower not listening to the people asking for help. She busted the door in shocking Shizune, and Tsunade on the other side. "It's Naruto, and Kurumi they left the village."

"Oh no, I knew that he had something to do with that." Tsunade said with a sigh looking out her window. "I'm contemplating whether to even send a squad after him, maybe its better that he gets out of the village, so the council can't touch him."

"Of course you need to send a squad after him, how the hell could you not want to send a squad after him!" Satsuki demanded stomping her foot hard, and crushing the ground.

"You're right if I didn't the council will, and that would be under the intent to kill not the intent to capture." Tsunade said getting out a form, and handing it to Satsuki. "It's an official mission order, Shikimaru the newest Chunin will lead it, and take any available Genin you can find. We can't spare the man power especially with the criminals getting out of prison."

"I'll bring him back no matter what, that's a promise." Satsuki said running off to find the pineapple head. "Alright then Shikimaru stop staring at my chest, and let's get going."

"I wasn't staring at your chest." Shikimaru lied before he fed them the plan, and they all agreed before leaping through the chest. "Alright stick to the formation, and whatever you do don't go at it alone because from what Satsuki told us they can all use Manipulation which is a powerful, and deadly ability."

"Come on we're wasting more time talking about it then doing anything!" Satsuki said, and they leapt off.

"Hey Satsuki so you, and Naruto are like?" Choji hooked his fingers, and Satsuki nodded a light blush on her face. "Never would have thought that he'd have it in him. Then again he did get that Kurumi girl, and we thought that that was impossible."

"I'll have you know that Naruto's a great guy, and I would appreciate it if you didn't insult him!" Satsuki said, and Choji shut up immediately. "Come on can't we pick up the pace?"

"If we did then by the time that we actually got to them we would be too out of energy to actually fight them." Shikimaru said in his same monotone voice. "It's best that we stay at this pace, and leave ourselves enough energy to fight them."

Satsuki didn't say anything more on the matter, but she did give intent glares.

**-Scene Change-**

"How are you doing Kurumi?" Zale asked, and she gave an incoherent grumble in response. "Whatever they drugged her with was powerful stuff; Kurumi's chakra as little as it is usually clears out anything toxic to her system. The fact that it's taking this long isn't good."

"We can't worry about that now Zale we have to keep going until we're outside the Fire country or else they'll keep following." Chrome said, and Zale scowled before nodding.

"They're coming." Gaara said. "There are five of them, and among them is Satsuki."

"Someone needs to stay, and stall them, so we can get out of here." Zale said, and he looked around to see Gaara nod. "Try not to kill them Gaara."

"Hey Gaara." Kira said right as they were about to leave. "You lose, and I get to call you on it for the rest of your life."

"Then I won't lose." Gaara said, and Shiki nodded agreeing with him whole heartedly. He stood in the clearing waiting until they came, and then got into a fighting stance. "Today you're fight is with me."


	16. Stalling Chapter

**I do not own Naruto. **

Speaking/_Thoughts_

"Today you're fight is with me." Gaara said holding out his hand, and they stopped waiting for his signature sand attacks.

"We don't have time for this Gaara; we need to stop Naruto from leaving the village. You should know how serious of a crime this is, and you're in on it just like Naruto." Satsuki tried to reason, but Gaara didn't waver. "Don't you have any village loyalty?"

"Why should I have loyalty to that place?" Gaara asked in his monotone voice. "They condemned me to a life of an outcast, my own father tried to have me killed for the last six years, and everyone feared me. Now that I've found someone that I can trust there's no reason to abandon him; my loyalties are not toward the place I was born, but toward the place I believe deserves it."

"Careful guys, this guy could take down Lee." Shikimaru said quite literally keeping on his toes, and his eyes analyzing any break in his stance. "Shadow possession jutsu!"

Gaara didn't bother to move instead a sand wall blocking off its progress. "A cheap trick like that won't work on me." Gaara said blocking Choji who had used the "Human Boulder" technique. "You'll need more speed than that to break through my defense."

'_We need to break through that sand barrier of his, and the only one capable of doing that with speed is Lee, and he's still bandaged up. We need to pound right through it with pure brute force.' _Shikimaru said biting the inside of his cheek. "Satsuki can your Chidori get through his sand."

"Maybe, but touching his sand is a death sentence. We need to get through without touching it." Satsuki said realizing the impossibility of the task. '_Why hasn't he attacked, he could have killed us all by now.' _"That's it." Satsuki said surprising them all. "He can't kill us, isn't that right Gaara."

Gaara scowled at this, but didn't respond instead being forced to stare at them. _'I can't use lethal force simply because I would risk killing Satsuki; I'm in this fight with an extreme handicap. They'll come at me ready to kill, and all I can do is maim them.' _Gaara thought to himself watching them closely. "If you're not going attack then run on back to the Leaf Village."

"Don't be scared, he won't kill you." Satsuki said performing several hand signs. "Fire style: Grand Fire Ball Jutsu!" Satsuki blew her a jet of fire at Gaara who defended effortlessly. '_That's it keep on using up all your sand to defend!' _The fire stopped, and revealed a solid wall of glass.

"Impossible that much heat would be impossible for a Genin to produce." Gaara said shocked seeing his sand turned to glass.

"You overlooked the fact that fire style jutsu are the Uchiha specialty." Satsuki said narrowing her eyes. Gaara was trapped in a glass dome. "We can't spend too much time on this guy, someone has to stay, and take care of him."

"I'll stay." Choji said confidently, but Shikimaru looked at him with worry in his eyes. "Don't worry I have a secret weapon that'll definitely let me beat him."

"If you're sure Choji, but whatever you do don't eat that red pull." Shikimaru said, but he didn't get a response from the rotund boy as they leapt off.

Gaara was especially frustrated with the situation every time he tried to block their path with sand Satsuki would turn it to glass, and they would go around. Eventually he reconciled to the fact that he would have to go after them once he had beaten the one in front of him. "You would do well to call back your team mates, and return." Gaara said Shiki tapping the glass.

"Partial Expansion Jutsu! Choji yelled out his wrapped hands expanding to mass proportions before slamming down over the glass dome. '_Did I get him?" _

"That was close, but no cigar." Gaara said his voice strained. Choji's fist had collided with a sand dome very low to the ground making it so he had a few inches of wiggle room even less with Shiki pinned under him. "Now it's time for my counter attack!"

Choji pulled back his fist when spikes impaled it. "God damn that hurt!" he yelled out to no one in particular. "Let's try this again!" Choji spun around wrapping himself in kunai, and once again preformed the human boulder technique charging at Gaara. A new sand dome rose around, but Choji's technique nearly tore through. "Alright I just need a little more to break through."

"I need to get rid of those kunai they tear at my shield, and act like natural shovels." Gaara said analyzing as Choji wrapped more kunai, and wire around his body before going at him again. This time Gaara had to lean slightly back to avoid his face being cut. "No death, but I wonder if tubby here bounces as well as he seems to."

"Who are you calling tubby?!" Choji screamed angrily increasing his rotation speed only for a sand column to slam into his side sending him into a tree his expansion fading away. Without Gaara noticing Choji popped a pill into his mouth. "Take this raccoon boy!" Gaara was caught off guard when Choji had a sudden burst of speed, and to his surprise he was punched right in the face cracking his sand shield. "Whoa I actually hit him."

'_This isn't good without Shiki controlling the sand my defense isn't as good because my instincts aren't as honed.' _Gaara thought holding his face with a scowl on his face. "You're not going to get a lucky strike like that in again."

"I'll beat you, and we'll get Naruto back!" Choji said running forward his fists pulled back. "Partial Expansion Jutsu!" His arm expanded to mass proportions, and launched forward at Gaara who brought up as much sand as he could to protect him and Shiki.

Choji felt Gaara's sand block his fist, but he put more, and more pressure into the punch until he felt it crack under pressure, and he forced it through. "This guy might prove to be more of a challenge than I thought." Gaara said gaining some distance between them, and hiding Shiki away. He breathed in deeply before letting out a gust of chakra, and air from his mouth. "Wind Release: Infinite Sand Cloud Great Breakthrough!"

Choji was torn at with gale force winds the sand getting in his eyes, and blinding him. While he couldn't defend, or attack Gaara pummeled him with strong attacks one right after the other until Choji was on the ground on his knees panting. "I believe we're done here." Gaara said turning away going to go, and grab Shiki who was hiding in the bushes.

"Don't underestimate me!" Choji yelled gaining his second wind, and he started pummeling Gaara's sand shield pulling away fast enough so that Gaara's sand couldn't grab his arms. "I'll pound you!"

Gaara brought his arms up a few seconds later Choji managed to burst through his barrier, and he launched back skidding across the ground. "I need to end this fast, or I'll fall too far behind." Gaara said sand rising from the ground, and forming shuriken. "Wind Release: Violent Wind Palm!" A large wind whipped forward the shuriken riding it, and ready to impale Choji.

The large boy pulled an unexpected move raising his large foot, and slamming it down over the shuriken effectively stopping the attack. "You're going to need to do better than that sand man!" Choji yelled out to Gaara who looked mildly impressed with the boy. '_Gaara will just keep pushing me back no matter how close I get, so I've got to find a way to draw him in to close ranged combat, and do enough damage to knock him out. I might have to use the third pull after all.'_

"Where is he getting all of this energy?" Gaara asked panting from the toll of using Shiki's chakra.

"He smells nasty." Shiki said from her hidden area.

"Excuse me?" Gaara asked turning one eye to look at her.

"He smelled like spinach before, now he smells like curry, yucky!" Shiki said sticking her tongue out, and making a disgusted face. "He's taking these pills, and then he gets really strong."

"Were you ever planning on telling me this Shiki?!" Gaara asked somewhat angrily, and she gave a coy smile before shying away back into the bushes. "Where is he keeping them, if I let him take another one then I'm not sure that I'm going to beat him."

"Alright let's go!" Choji yelled charging forward punching at a radical pace before leaping back. "Full body expansion!" Choji did something that completely shocked Gaara. His entire body expanded making him incredibly large man, and making Gaara slightly nervous. "How do you like me now?!"

"I think that you looked better when you were less fat." Gaara said, and this infuriated the giant who raised his foot ready to stomp the red head. '_This got a whole lot more complicated.' _Gaara raised his hands sand forming a protective barrier, but he wasn't too sure.

Choji brought his foot down hard, and felt the resistance. "I can't believe that you can still be holding up after the pounding that I gave you, most people wouldn't be able to stay conscious let alone fight like you are." Choji said straining, and putting more pressure on the heel of his foot trying fruitlessly to crush the redhead.

"I've got to end this now, or I'll risk being defeated." Gaara said straining under the pressure Choji was putting up against his barrier. "Shiki, I could use some help out here."

"Yay! I get to fight too." Shiki said a little too happily before her eyes narrowed, and a killer gleam got into her eyes. "I'm going to summon up my sand body, and then we'll beat fatso here no problem!"

"How many times do I have to tell you people; it's not fat its big bone, and muscle!" Choji screamed a giant tick mark appearing on his giant forehead.

"Alright then Shiki, you can start any time now." Gaara said forced down onto one knee.

"Sand, and earth of the elements, I command you to hear the call of your queen. Lend me your strength, and give me my demon shape!" The sand started to swirl around causing Choji to back up leaving Gaara to recover before the sand wrapped around him and Shiki like a comforting blanket.

"This isn't good, if Gaara turns full monster like I heard he did at the Chunin exams then I'm definitely going to have to take the Chili pill." Choji said under his breath, and he held the pill case in the palm of his giant hand before tossing it into his mouth, and immediately the affects of the pill took place two chakra butterfly wings forming on his back.

"Now he smells like Chili." Shiki said wrinkling her nose on her old body's head along with Gaara.

"He must of taken the last pill, and that means there's a real chance that I can lose here." Gaara said a deeper frown etched on his face. "Shiki leave the control of the body here to me, just hide, and stay out of any danger." Shiki nodded before sinking into the body leaving Gaara to control every little move that the hulking monstrosity made.

"Come on demon, let's do this!" Choji said, but he had no idea how big of a nerve he struck.

"I'll hurt you so bad that your children will feel it." Gaara said his eyes narrowing, and a slightly insane gleam coming into them.


	17. Shadow's Vs Fire

**I do not own Naruto. **

Speaking/_Thoughts_

Choji charged forward at the Ichibi's body, pulling his fist back, and delivering a quick blow to its side. Gaara didn't hesitate making the sand wrap around Choji's arm, and squeezing until the boy screamed in pain, and pried him off. Gaara forced the body back on its hind legs. "Air bullet!" Gaara cried, and from the Ichibi's body shot off several violent gusts of wind.

The attack tore through the air uprooting trees, and luckily only one of them hit Choji who was sent careening a few hundred feet back, but managed to stay standing. Choji let out a monstrous yell before he ran forward, and started to tear at the mass of sand trying to disarm it. Gaara let out a growl before he swung his arm the mass of sand delivering a blow to Choji's side.

Without missing a beat Choji grabbed the sides of Ichibi digging his nails deeply into its sides before with straining to lift him from the ground. Gaara was slightly shocked that the Akimichi had the strength to do such a thing, and the surprise stopped him from defending when he was slammed into the ground. The slam was enough to shock him out of his stupor.

Like a fool Choji tried to once again pick him up, but this time Gaara was prepared forcing the Ichibi's body to clamp around Choji squeezing tightly. "AGH!" Choji screamed in pain as the body started squeezing tighter, and tighter not leaving him even room to breathe. "Get off of me!"

With strength unheard of in a human Choji managed to throw him onto the ground leaving Gaara trying to recover, and leaving Choji to try to catch his breath. They both stood there not moving for a few minutes before they recovered enough to fight.

Gaara said reached over to pick up a large boulder, and raising it to eye level. Choji turned into his human boulder form, and he spun forward demolishing the terrain, and with a seemingly unstoppable force hit an immovable object.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" Choji screamed as he hurtled forward at Gaara who struggled to uphold the sand barrier the Shukaku body had provided. "YOU'RE NOT GOING TO DEFEND AGAINST THIS!"

"Gaara what are you going to do?" Shiki asked poking her head outside of the sand.

"Go back inside of the sand Shiki we're going to be alright." Gaara said with a very strained voice his body under high strain as it took at least some of the damage that Shukaku was taking.

"Alright." Shiki chimed before her head disappeared.

Finally Gaara's stamina broke because despite being a Jinchuriki, and training for a few months he had still never done much of his own physical activities leaving him physically weak. The body fell apart leaving Gaara, and Shiki to fall in a feather soft pile of sand. "Looks like I beat him." Choji said shrinking back to his normal side exhausted. He then noticed Shiki who was still awake. "Right he had a girl with him."

"You meanie." Shiki said tears coming to her eyes a deep pout on her face. This left Choji bewildered when a dark nearly evil aura came off of her frightening deeply. "You hurt Gaara you jerk!" She was quite literally giving off a black aura. "I'm going to beat you down!"

She launched at Choji catching him off guard making his stumble back, and she sat on his stomach launching a barrage of chakra punches at his face. Normally this wouldn't be so bad, but in his highly weakened state, and each punch was coated in demon chakra singing his face. She continued this until he was knocked out cold.

Gaara woke up ten minutes later with Shiki stroking his hair soothingly, and smiling down at him. "You won Gaara!" she said cheerfully pointing over at the unconscious Choji who seemed close to death, and very skinny. "He's not dead, but really close."

Gaara smiled at this she was very nice despite being slightly naïve, and he knew that he hadn't won, but it was nice to know that she would try and save his pride. "Thank you Shiki." Gaara said rubbing her face with his right hand causing her to blush, and smile.

**-Scene Change-**

Zale, Kira, Chrome, and Aria ran forward Kurumi slung over Zale's shoulder. There was a loud demolishing noise as well as a roar. "I think that Shiki might have had to use her demon body." Kira said with a bit of a shudder he himself had been Shiki's assistant in training herself to conjure up the sand body. "I actually feel bad for the leaf guy."

"We don't have time to worry about that." Zale said his eyes cold, and calculative slightly worrying them all. "Gaara can handle it, and he won't kill him. He'll be hospitalized for a few months maximum."

"Still, you served with them for while Zale, don't you feel bad for him at all?" Aria probed.

"What I feel doesn't matter from this point on they're our enemies, and sympathy for enemies is what gets people killed in the battlefield." Zale said closing his eyes, and when he opened them up they were red. "We need to pick up the pace come on."

They started leaping forward, but the team following them didn't let up in their pursuit with Satsuki urging them all on to near dangerous speeds. "I can see them behind us." Kira said as they came upon a clearing with nothing, but trees and hanging shadows around it. "I'll stay behind, and stall them."

"Just don't take too long." Zale said, and he got a nod of confirmation before they ran off.

"We don't have time for this." Satsuki said as they halted seeing Kira standing with his legs apart, and arms up. "Shikimaru would you mind staying behind, and fighting Kira. Remember that he has random attack patterns, and no predesigned fighting style, so be careful."

"Man this is really troublesome, but if I take care of it then I'll be able to get back home faster and take a nap, so I'll do it." Shikimaru said forming a hand sign carefully staring at Kira his eyes analytical taking in every little move that he made. Satsuki, Kiba, and Lee ran around intent to catch up to the others.

"I won't let you guys just pass by." Kira said running to intersect them only to suddenly stop, and feel his body move without his consent. "What the hell did you do to me pineapple head?"

"It's my shadow possession jutsu; you won't be able to move without my own body. You couldn't have chosen a worse field for combat with all of these shadows around you won't be able to avoid me like Gaara did." Shikimaru said with a somewhat smug smirk on his face. "I'll just keep you here until the retrieval squad comes, and picks you up so we can interrogate you."

"That's a really stupid idea; do you think that I would just let it end like that?" Kira asked a smirk forming on his face as steam came off of his body.

"Ow, that really hurts." Shikimaru said grabbing his hand that had steam coming off of it.

"It's a double edged sword, what happens to you happens to me. I heard that from a few friends." Kira said more steam coming off of his body causing Shikimaru to scream. "I can Manipulate fire so that it doesn't hurt me, but you'll feel it." The steam stopped replaced with full blown fire that made Shikimaru scream, and pull back the jutsu. "You can't take it can you? Well if you can't take the fire get out of the kitchen!"

Shikimaru jumped back as a blaze of flame shot at him Kira running at him trying to deal a hit because of Shuko Hand Claws. Pieces of black cloth wrapped around his hands with spikes on each knuckle sharp enough to split a hair, and could cause enough damage to kill. "Aren't those a bit lethal for a non death fight?" Shikimaru asked sweat coming off his brow.

"I'm thinking it's no worse than fighting on fire." Kira said a smirk placed on his face. He punched the air fire launching from his knuckles forcing Shikimaru to dodge the columns of fire, and left him panting. "You know I'm starting to think that I got a freebee fighting you."

"Don't underestimate me." Shikimaru said disappearing, leaving Kira to look for the hidden boy.

"Come out, and fight me you wuss!" Kira yelled out launching more, and more fire out in random directions hoping to randomly hit Shikimaru, but not getting any cries of pain from the boy. "Alright then if you're not going to come out then I'm going to have to flush you out." The fire on Kira suddenly stopped mid burn, and turned a deep blue. "This is some of my hottest fire."

'_This isn't good; he might actually kill me if I'm not careful.'_ Shikimaru said looking around to see fire around him burning hot and he had to wipe his brow. Unexplainably he found it harder to breathe as the fire burned longer. _'Wait a second he wasn't just firing off randomly, he planned that. The fire is burning away my oxygen; if I stay here then I'm going to pass out.'_

"I wonder how hot I need to burn it before I can flush you out." Kira said more fire launching off of him, but this one burned through the trees and grass much faster. "You're over there!" Kira yelled burning right through a boulder that fell to the ground in ashes. "Whatever I'll burn him eventually."

'_Satsuki was wrong his attacks aren't completely random; it just seems that way. There's a pattern to it, but it's hard to see.'_

Kira looked around at his fire, and smiled. He loved the burning heat that it came off. "Over there!" Kira screamed throwing senbon intercepting the kunai that launched at him. "Over there!" More senbon intercepted more kunai.

'_There it's a split second hesitation, but it's definitely there. His left side is slower, and that means it's his weaker side.'_ Shikimaru said taking out more kunai, and some ninja wire.

"One kunai is so lame!" Kira said going to intercept to kunai only for it to be suddenly pulled back, and hit him on the left side cutting his hand pulling back fast enough to not be burned by the fire. "God damn it, this one might be a little harder to stop then I thought."

Shikimaru smiled happy that he had found the boy's weakness. He wrapped more wire around his kunai, and did the same tactic cutting Kira. _'This fight's going to come down to smarts because he's not strong enough to take me down. It's too bad we didn't leave Chrome, but I'll be damned if I'll give Gaara an opportunity to make fun of me for losing.' _

Kira watched closely as the kunai came from him now from all angles making it hard to determine where the lazy genius was. He leapt back avoiding all except one kunai that slashed his cheek, and shocked him slightly. All the kunai retracted, and hurtled back at him wrapping around his body cutting off escape.

"It looks like I win this one." Shikimaru said holding a stick with the other ends of the wire wrapped around it. A single tug was all it would take to cut him to ribbons.

"You're an idiot; nothing like this could bind me." Kira said a smile on his face as his body stopped flaming for a few seconds. "I'll show you a fire burning hotter than your will of fire." The fire immediately returned this time white hot the wire burning away leaving the ground underneath him literally on fire.

The fire turned back to red, and orange leaving Shikimaru shocked. "What kind of monster are you to do that without sustaining a single burn mark." Shikimaru said horrified backing away from Kira who came closer, and closer. '_Stop it Shikimaru, stop being afraid, you can fight this guy.'_

"You're right. I may not be a Jinchuriki like Naruto, or Gaara, but I'm no less than a monster." Kira smiled a demonic smile his claws brought up ready to strike down Shikimaru.

'_This feeling, it's not real it has to be genjutsu!'_Shikimaru thought straining to stand at this point Kira's genjutsu enough to mess with his brilliant mind. _'Don't let him get to you, fight it off!'_ Shikimaru's finger twitched, and a kunai that was tied to it came hurtling at Kira (did I make Shikimaru too much like a puppet master) who simply turned his head easily dodging it.

"That was a sad attempt." Kira said moving agonizingly slow.

"It wasn't meant to hit you." Shikimaru said with a kunai buried deep in his leg, and a smile on his face. "I can't believe that you could use genjutsu. It threw me through a loop, and you almost had me with that fear." Shikimaru leapt back never taking his eyes off of Kira who glared back at him.

Kira suddenly fell to all four panting. _'He called my bluff that took more out of me than I let on.'_ Kira thought looking up to meet Shikimaru wondering how he would fight the genius now. '_I'll give my earth Manipulation a try.'_ Kira slammed his palms on the ground the rock under them barely cracking.

"Looks like that fire took more out of you then you let on, and now you've lost." Shikimaru said pulling out the last of his ninja wire to tie up Kira who panted. He stood straight above him holding the wire ready to wrap around him.

In a last ditch effort Kira threw his head up slamming into Shikimaru's chin, and sending him careening back into the only tree still standing, and hitting his head. "That was a sad victory at best." Gaara said appearing out of nowhere.

"Shut up, you don't look any better than me." Kira said panting as he slowly rose to his feet. Shiki and Gaara walked over to him helping him to walk. "We're not in any shape to fight, I've used up my chakra, and if I Manipulate again my brain will implode in on itself."

"Hopefully no one will require any help from us." Gaara said as they tried as best they could to catch up to the others.

**Sorry, but I'm not good at fighting scenes, and the next few chapters might lack in luster**


	18. The Ice Attack

**I do not own Naruto. **

Speaking/_Thoughts_

Satsuki looked behind her to see that the only two of the team still remaining was Kiba and Neji who both had angry looks on their faces. "You two aren't holding grudges because Naruto beat you are you?" Satsuki asked a bit worried about how much force they would use to retrieve him.

"Of course not, but if he happens to acquire a few unexplainable injuries on the way back; well we wouldn't lose any sleep over it." Neji said with a pompous smile on his face. Both he and Kiba had been taking his training to the maximum ever since he had lost to Zale, and this left her a little worried about bringing them on this mission, but they needed man power.

"I'll say." Kiba said with a laugh.

"Just so you know if you kill him you'll be charged with killing a fellow ninja." Satsuki said, and their smiles faded. "I hope Choji and Shikimaru are okay."

"I'm not concerned anyone that follows Naruto's orders can't be all that strong." Kiba said Akamaru barking in agreement, and he was growled at by Satsuki. "What did I say?"

"Naruto is plenty strong you idiot!" Satsuki said her fist clenched, and Kiba fell a bit behind. _'What happened to Naruto in the Forest of Death; he changed a lot after he came back from that, but I think I might actually like him better this way.' _

**-Scene Change-**

Zale took a brief look over his shoulder not seeing the leaf team anywhere in sight. "I think we should stop for a rest." Chrome said looking behind them seeing no one. "We should be far enough ahead so that it won't be much of a risk."

"Don't be an idiot for all we know they could be right behind that next tree just waiting for us to take a rest, so they can attack." Zale snapped back causing Chrome to flinch then keep his eyes on his feet. "Aria, go back, and stall them when you beat them check in with the communicator."

"Yes sir." Aria said stopping on a tree trunk while Chrome, and Zale with Kurumi tossed over his shoulder ran ahead. She waited for a solid five minutes before they finally arrived, and they determined that her opponent would be Neji who sneered as if she was an unworthy opponent.

"Look I'm advising you to surrender as my quarrel isn't with you it's with Naruto Uzumaki battling you would be a waste of time, and chakra." Neji said with his superiority voice.

"I believe I know you; you're the one that lost to Naruto when he had less power." Aria said teasingly, and Neji's brow furrowed deeper. "I'm fairly certain that you won't be able to beat me, and I'm sure that you'll never come close to the power that Naruto possesses. You two fighting as it stands would be like an ant trying to defeat an elephant. That is the difference between your power."

"You'll pay for that you gutter trash!" Neji yelled charging forward only to run face first into an invisible wall of ice. "Do you think that this will stop me?" Neji delivered a strong open palm strike to the barrier shattering it to millions of pieces. "Tell me can you do that?"

"I'll admit that I may have underestimated you." Aria said closing her eyes, and Neji took this opportunity to go for a strike only for needles to cover his arms. "Those are my ice needles a very useful, and devastating technique."

"This won't stop me!" Neji charged forward again this time seeing the ice needles hurtling at him. "**Rotation!" **Aria was slightly shocked that this technique completely stopped her volley of attacks. She tried once again only for the same thing to happen. "You can't penetrate this, it's an ultimate defense."

Aria didn't respond instead suddenly disappearing in a burst of snow sending the tiny ice crystals up his nose, and causing him to sneeze. "Let's try again!" Aria swung her arm, and ice needles materialized an invisible force sending him right after Neji who once again blocked it with rotation. "You didn't even see the attack coming."

"I'm a wielder of the Byakugan, there's nowhere to run, or hide from me because I will find you." Neji said running at incredible speeds towards Aria actually landing a few blows before she managed to scramble away. "See you're weak against me."

With a dead arm Aria scowled this time large arrows forming then moving toward Neji who just used rotation once again. _'He took the bait!'_ Aria thought excitedly changing the direction of the arrows to spin against the chakra dome's rotation. As they spun ice sprayed from them coating the dome, and forcing it to stop.

"You stopped my defense." Neji said shocked by this looking at the ice spray to make sure that it was true.

"Yes I did, and a ninja that hides behind a seal is no ninja at all. If you're not prepared to die in combat then you shouldn't be a ninja." Another arrow formed in her hand this one spiked, and splintered, and she threw it with surprising power behind it. "Even if I can't kill you."

Neji unexpectedly actually ran turning on a heel, and sure to keep the arrow out of his blind spot hid behind a tree. It missed by a few inches landing a few feet from his having torn through the tree like butter. "I need to get close." Neji panted looking at Aria whose eyes scowled at the tree he hid behind. "I'm going to need to make a run for it."

"Where do you think you're going?!" Aria demanded when she saw Neji try to move from his position. He was met with a volley of the spiked arrows one of which grazed his cheek.

'_Then I am going to have to fight.'_ Neji thought. He scooped up a rock, and threw it opposite of him before running the other way leaving Aria distracted by the action.

"You moved to be out in the open, how stupid are you?" Aria asked with mirth in her voice a new volley of needles, and arrows coming out of the air, and at Neji.

"Eight Trigrams: One Hundred Twenty Eight Palms!" Neji yelled getting into his stance in a hurry before he struck down one arrow after another only a few ice needles getting through. "My rotation wasn't the only defense I had, with the sixty four palms, and my Byakugan I can destroy all of your arrows, and needles."

Even as he spoke Aria's eyes scoured the scene investigating what just happened. _'Despite what he says a few of my needles made it through. That means that he must have a blind spot, and that means that I can beat him.' _Aria looked at the needles on the ground trying to decide exactly where Neji had been blind. '_In a spot right in the middle of his hair line, and the start of that pony tail. I just have to time it right.' _

Neji looked as more ice needles formed, but he didn't notice the high concentration of needles toward his blind spot. They came at him, and he shattered thousands of them with his quick reflexes. Aria lost sight of him in the hail of all of the needles, but she was confident that she had won.

She was shocked when Neji stood with a smug look on his face, and only a few needles impaled in his neck head none of which fatal none of which even made it past his hair. "You saw the weakness in my Byakugan, but I knew it better than you. All I did was pump the chakra from my body, and I managed to save myself from any severe damage." Neji smiled as he approached her.

Aria tried to form needles or anything really, but all that accumulated was a few beads of ice that fell to the ground. "I figured out your weakness too, you use the water vapor in the air to make your ice, but now you've used it all up that leaves you helpless." Neji said walking closer and closer to her until he stood right in front of the exhausted girl.

"Now I'll you'll feel the full assault of my attack, and you're not going to survive like that idiot Naruto did. Eight trigrams two palms, four palms, eight palms, sixteen palms, thirty two palms, sixty four palms!" Neji ended the technique with the strong step forward delivering the finishing blow to Aria who coughed up blood into the air. "Now who's an ant?"

"You've lost Neji." Aria said with a smile wiping the blood from the corner of her lip with very stiff motions, and it turned into a small shuriken that barely cut deep enough to draw blood from a previously made wound. This caused Neji to smile as if it could do anything. "Human bodies on average are 65% water. Now I have an opening."

Neji watched shocked as the blood was drawn from his system, and no matter how much he tried to stop it the blood kept drifting out of his body until he was pale white, and he fell to the ground unconscious. Once she had regained her bodily functions Aria returned his blood with a smirk on her face before taking out the communicator.

"That was a very smart victory Aria." Gaara said walking out with Shiki and Kira behind him.

"Too much brain power involved, but I have to hand it to you. The way you used his own body water on him to win was really impressive." Kira complimented, and Aria smiled before pulling out her communicator. "What are you doing?"

"Making sure that they don't think we're dead." Aria said opening it up, and she saw Zale on the other side. "Victory confirmed, and by the looks of Kira and Gaara here we can confirm they won their fights too."

"That's great catch up as soon as you can." Zale said before cutting off the communication.

"Come on let's get going." Kira said picking Aria up.


	19. The Official Departure

**I do not own Naruto. **

Speaking/_Thoughts_

Chrome stood in a clearing with a rocky terrain with a river running down the middle of it. He had decided it best to wait for the others, and if need be then stop what was left of the retrieval squad. "I hope Zale's okay he doesn't seem all that stable lately." he said aloud watching the tree line, and noticing some rustling. _'Someone's there.' _

He was forced to dodge shuriken that darted at him, and then stop Satsuki and Kiba by wrapping them up in iron. "Let us go Chrome; we need to bring Naruto back." Satsuki said struggling in the iron chains that were wrapped around her legs keeping her in place.

"I'll let you go Satsuki." Chrome said, and the chains fell to the ground useless. This obviously surprised Satsuki who stared at him in shock. "Naruto doesn't seem to well off, and I'm worried he won't be normal unless he can talk to you again. Still I do have a job to do, so I can't let Kiba go."

"Then let me go, and keep her here!" Kiba yelled struggling in his bindings. He was intent to beat on Zale who must have been very far ahead by now.

"You would be a nuisance, and make him even more unstable Kiba. Besides I never really liked you, you're dog peed on my shoes once." Chrome said, and Kiba was unsuccessful at repressing a laugh at this. "Whatever just get going Satsuki." Satsuki nodded before leaping off. "Wait a second where's your little dog?"

Chrome was thrown to the ground violently when Akamaru spun into him a big burn mark on his back revealed. "Ha that's my boy Akamaru!" Now that Chrome had lost his focus the chains melted off of him like puddles. "You're not going to stop me from putting a beating like that on Uzumaki."

"You're couldn't put a beating on a fly with a fly swatter." Chrome dismissed with a wave of his hand. "In fact that's a pretty good idea." Chrome gripped the air tightly, and in it iron sand formed a giant fly swatter that he moved with ease. "I should warn you that I'm not the same as the others. I've been personally training with Zale from the beginning. That means my Manipulation is second only to Zale, not even Gaara has the same mastery over it that I have."

"I couldn't give less of a damn." Kiba snarled getting down on all fours Akamaru barking. "Fang over fang!" They hurtled forward spinning at an unnatural speed, and Chrome didn't even flinch the iron sand coming to block Kiba who hit his head back, and fell onto his feet.

"You're not nearly as tuff as you talked about being." Chrome said gripping the air, and the iron sand formed into a sword which buzzed loudly. "This will be the weapon that will take away your pride as a shinobi by giving me the ability to beat you without a single scratch."

"Don't be so damn cocky!" Kiba said throwing two small smoke balls at Chrome who watched the purple smoke envelope him. "Let's try this again; fang over fang!" Kiba and Akamaru went into the smoke navigating by smell as they hit what smelled exactly like Chrome. "Ha take that!"

The smoke cleared, and Kiba watched what he had been hitting to see a beaten stick with Chrome's jacket tied around it. "You're going to need to do better than that." Chrome said a swirl of iron sand delivering him safely on the ground. Once again he smirked at Kiba who growled along with his dog. "It looks like the owner and his mutt are getting frustrated."

"Don't talk about Akamaru like that!" Kiba barked.

"Oh how cute you thought Akamaru was the mutt." Chrome said with a chuckle even Akamaru seemed to be laughing at that one.

Kiba launched forward with no hesitation, and an iron sand knife pierced his stomach. There was a pop, and Kiba turned into a log causing Chrome to look around forgetting about Akamaru who leapt into the air. Immediately a thick yellow substance spilled into his eyes blinding him. "Ow what the hell was that? It's like acid!" Chrome yelled rubbing his eyes.

Now that he was distracted Kiba launched at him only to fly through iron sand. Chrome stood by the river raising a few droplets of water into his eyes washing them free of what he hoped wasn't what he thought it was. "Who the hell is this guy?" Kiba asked panting hard his teeth sharp. Without looking at him Chrome threw a few grain of iron sand into Kiba's eyes blinding him.

"Wait a second you only need your nose to attack." Chrome sent a few grains into Kiba's nose overfilling his senses with the sharp scent of metal. The fight was one sided, and it infuriated Kiba that he couldn't even touch the power that Chrome had under his belt. "I hope you see the difference in our power now."

"Piss off!" Kiba said furiously rubbing his eyes, and blowing hard out of his nose trying to get rid of the terrible smell, and the horrible feeling in his eye.

"I'm going to give you a chance to say sorry." Chrome said the iron sand sword forming in his hand, but Kiba once again told him to piss off like an idiot. "Well then I'm going to beat you into the ground." Chrome struck Kiba once sharply across the chest sending the boy flying, but instead of allowing him to fall he kept beating Kiba one whip right after the other.

Every one of the whips left an ugly red mark that bit through the sweater, and Chrome continued to do this until Kiba was a bloody mess. "Please no more." Kiba pleaded barely conscious.

"Calm down, you haven't even take the full brunt of my assault yet." Chrome said tossing a plasma bill into the boy's mouth so he wouldn't die of blood loss. He placed his foot gently onto Kiba's hand, and pressed down until the boy passed out from the pain. He took out his communicator, and flipped it open. "Zale I took care of Kira, but Satsuki got away. She's going to be coming after you, so I'll just wait here for the others."

Zale was quiet for a little while before saying "Okay" and hanging up.

**-Scene Change-**

Zale didn't like what was going on, but he couldn't focus long enough to bring himself to stop Satsuki here and now. It was idiotic she was still chasing him; he wasn't Naruto Uzumaki he was Zale just Zale, and for some reason he felt terrible for breaking her trust like that. "Why do I feel so bad Kurumi?" Zale asked her, and all he got was an incoherent grumble.

He stopped for a quick rest examining the damage Kurumi's demon chakra had taken on his body. His body was under high strain with the constant running, and the demon chakra came out randomly ripping out of his skin then instantly repairing it. "ZALE!" he heard someone yell, and he turned his head to see Satsuki getting closer.

Without saying a word Zale turned on his heel, and started running in the other direction knowing that he was close to the border. He didn't want to deal with her, and he sure as hell wasn't ready to either. It had been hard enough to knock her out when he left, but if he stopped he wasn't sure he would be able to keep running.

Finally she caught him at the Valley of End where he stopped because of the wall of fire blocking his path. "Look at me god damn it!" Satsuki screamed at him tears streaming down her face. "Why the hell would you even think of leaving?! What happened to your dreams of becoming Hokage?"

"I have a new dream Satsuki, one that's too big for Konoha." Zale said not turning to look at her.

"There's no such thing. It was because of you that I knew that. I used to think about going to Orochimaru all the time because I thought that there was no power in that village, but when I saw how hard you trained, and how hard you fought I knew there was power in that village. You were the dead last before, and now you could hold your own against a sanin!"

"That's another matter entirely." Zale said clenching his fists as his lies came to fruition. "Even with what you did for me Satsuki the village will stop me at every corner they could. They'd stop at nothing to make sure that I would stay loyal to the village. When I broke out Kurumi she was strapped to a surgery table, and there was a doctor ready to cut her open."

"No that's not what Konoha would do." Satsuki said shocked at what could have happened to her friend.

"You're right it's what the corrupt would do." Zale said with a shake of his head. "People are too corrupt no matter where you go."

"We could change all of that; you'd become Hokage, and clean up the village. You could start at home." Satsuki tried to reason.

"My dream couldn't be done in Konoha." Zale said, and he could feel Satsuki shift into a fighting stance.

"Then I'll make you come back, and I'll force you to have the same dream. I'll become Hokage myself, and then make you my god damn successor if that's what it takes Naruto Uzumaki!" Satsuki yelled using the name she remembered all of her childhood.

"That's not my name." Zale said with a quiet voice his nails tearing into his flesh, and blood pooling on the ground right under his hands.

"Sorry Zale Uzumaki." Satsuki said tears streaming down her face.

"No that's not my name either." Zale said, and an actual tear coming to his eye, and this statement confused the heck out of Satsuki. "Naruto Uzumaki died a hell of a long time ago."

"I get it you changed, but that's no reason to abandon who you were!" Satsuki yelled at him.

"No!" Zale yelled angrily causing her to jump. "I'm not Naruto Uzumaki, he died. I'm Zale the guy that took over his body when he did. I was a spirit, and took over his body when he died. That's why I can use Manipulation, and that's why I changed so much."

"How long has it been this way for?" Satsuki asked him.

"It's been this way ever since the Chunin exams." Zale said with a long shuddery sigh. "There now you have it, and now you know that the person that you loved died a while ago. Everyone knows, even Kurumi has her lies that you don't know about."

To Zale's surprise Satsuki started laughing, and hard. When she got her laughter under control she said "I'm not going to buy that piece of crap story." she said determined, and this left surprised Zale who turned to look at her finally. "I don't care what the hell you call yourself because I fell in love with you; I fell in love with you."

"You're tricking yourself Satsuki." Zale said with a head shake.

"No I'm not, and I'm sure about that. Now let me tell you how this is going to happen I'm going to beat you down, and drag you back to Konoha!" Satsuki screamed, and a smile dawned on her face as she felt the confidence that the old Naruto undoubtedly held.

"Look if you want to fight then I'm not going to hold back, and that means demon chakra, and Manipulation." Zale said trying to scare her, but she stood determined in her fighting stance. He pulled off his now black jackets, and then his black shirt shocking Satsuki slightly. His two large black wings came from his back in a flurry of feathers, and on top of that a bright red glow as he put Kurumi down in a safe area. "Come at me ready to kill because if you hesitate for a second you'll be dead before you know it."

"You don't have to worry about me." Satsuki said narrowing her now Sharingan eyes the tomoes spinning defiantly to the fear that Zale tried to instill with. "Lions Barrage!" She ran forward at an incredible speed delivering a quick dozen strikes to his chest knocking him off into different directions where she would be to kick him again. "You're coming back with me."

The bandages around her arms started to unwrap, but she was thrown off when Zale's wings suddenly expanded sending him crashing into Satsuki's chest and her into the stone wall. His wings folded, and he hovered there watching her crash down to the river. "I really am sorry Satsuki." He whispered to himself his wings flapping to keep his aloft.

"If you're really sorry then you'll come back to us!" Satsuki said appearing behind him, and she went for a quick strike between his wings to disable his movement. Her hand hit a log, and shattered it. Looking down she found Zale standing on the water looking at her. "Hold still so I can hit you." She dropped to the river creating ripples.

"That's like telling me to pick the weapon to kill me with." Zale said dodging each strike she sent with his demon speed, and occasionally flying up to move out of the way. "You should just give up."

"Fire Style: Grand Fireball Jutsu!" Satsuki yelled sending giant waves of fire at Zale. He disappeared in the flames. "Did I get him?" She got her answer when she saw his black wings unwrap themselves from his figure revealing him.

"My wings are nearly invincible." Zale said, but now they were virtually useless. He drifted down slowly, and they turned ash leaving him on the ground. "At least they were." Satsuki charged at him avoiding the spikes that rose up out of the ground to pierce her body. "Chidori!"

"Shadow clone Jutsu!" Zale said making a signature Naruto jutsu the clone appearing with a pop and quickly forming the spiraling ball of chakra in his hand. For a moment these attacks mid air a terrible flesh tearing noise going through the air.

They launched back, and both hit an incredibly soft patch of dirt that was curtsey of Zale. Zale looked shocked the seal on his chest had been sliced right through his control of Kurumi's chakra fading away. "I knew that I wouldn't be able to beat you when you use your demon's chakra, and I knew that the second seal let you control it, so I got rid of it." Satsuki said with a smile.

"You really are the prodigy that others claim you to be." Zale said with a smile holding the gash, and it closed slowly. "It's too bad that since I spent so much time reading up on the human body in the medical ninja library I can Manipulate my own body without too many repercussions."

"Manipulate all you want I'll bring you back no matter what happens." Satsuki said smiling at the compliment. She disappeared from view the only indication she was still there was the water rippling with every step she took.

Zale used this as a way to keep track of her, but he didn't take into account that the ripples were a few seconds behind the actual person moving. He received a strong blow to the chin sending him flying through the air. "That's not bad." Zale said disappearing not even leaving the ripple of water.

Satsuki turned he was moving too fast for her Sharingan to track. "Where is he?" Satsuki asked. The water under her started to form under her. "He went under water?"

The water began spiraling and she saw many Zale at the bottom of the whirlpool seemingly coming from his hands. She couldn't escape, and was eventually pulled underneath the water where the wind was knocked from her lungs as she thrashed about. As deadly as the tactic seemed she knew Zale wasn't trying to kill her every few minutes he force her to the surface, and allow her to refill her lungs.

Satsuki felt her consciousness start to slip little by little, but then something snapped inside of her. '_I need to bring him back, no matter what.' _Satsuki thought to herself her eyes snapping open and an extra tomoe formed in her blood red eye. '_That's it I can see now.' _

Using brute strength Satsuki burst free of the whirlpool launching getting up on land as quickly as she could taking in deep breaths letting the darkness fade from the corners of her vision. "How foolish you can't get away just like that." Zale said sending spikes at Satsuki and to his horror they pierced her. "You were supposed to avoid them."

"And I did!" Satsuki yelled the bloody body turning to a log and Zale couldn't turn in time to dodge a sharp kick delivered to his jaw sending him hard into a wall. "Come on I know for a fact that a little attack like that wouldn't take you out."

"It probably would have taken Naruto out, but for a guy that has survives for a few thousand years without a body that's nothing." Zale said walking out of the dust cracking his neck with an ugly sound. His eyes narrowed and his fist clenched as he got into a peculiar fighting stance that Satsuki had never seen before. "I'm going to prove to you that I'm not Naruto Uzumaki. This is a fighting style that I used to use in my old life, and haven't used since.

"With this fighting style I can beat anybody and the only people that could have held a candle to stop me aren't on your side."

Zale's right foot went behind him his toes touching the ground the rest of his foot sticking straight up. It started to rub the ground, dirt started piling up furiously much more tension then there should have been for such a small movement. It was too late for Satsuki to realize that he had been building up tension in his feet like a spring.

He leapt forward at an incredible speed that she was barely able to counter. Her arms came up blocking him, and he leapt back building up the same tension. "Not this time!" Satsuki yelled charging forward ready to interrupt him, but he teleported (not moving quickly, but he actually teleported) behind her slamming his palm over her back sending her sprawling on the ground. "Ouch."

"You didn't think I needed to build it up did you?" Zale asked standing over her his elbow sticking out having done the damage to her back. "Please Satsuki just give up."

"You keep telling me not to hesitate, but that's all your doing." Satsuki said disappearing from the ground and she slammed her foot into Zale's back sending him flying through the air. His fingers barely scratched across the ground, but a big cloud of dust formed hiding him from view. "Where did he go?"

In an idiotic way Satsuki got closer to the dust cloud and a column of earth shot out of it slamming her in the face and sent her skipping across the river regaining her balance only to be met with a hail of frozen water shuriken. These she countered with her own shuriken, but Zale had a limitless amount.

'_Whatever it takes.' _Satsuki thought placing a hand on her neck where the curse mark was, and she scratched the seal binding it. Immediately the affects took place shocking Zale who watched as Satsuki was wracked in pain and odd marks spread across her body. "AHHH!"

"Satsuki stop!" Zale said taking a step forward wishing he could stop whatever the hell was hurting her.

"No!" Satsuki said as the dark evil chakra flooded her system, and she got enough of it under control to fight. "It may not be the right way to do it, but I'm going to bring you back."

She disappeared too fast for even Zale's trained eye to follow, and he heard the sound of chirping birds. "Chidori One Thousand Birds!" A black chidori plunged deep into his chest nowhere near anything that would hurt him, but it was more than enough to put him out of commission.

Without even giving himself time to recover Zale grabbed the fist now sticking out of his chest and squeezed it tightly. Satsuki screamed in pain trying to pull it out, but she was stuck in place, and somehow Zale managed to stay conscious even with a fist sticking him right through the chest. "I knew that you weren't going to win this right from the beginning." Zale whispered and Satsuki felt the marks start to recede along her body her dark chakra being sealed off.

"How are you doing that, you said you can't Manipulate chakra." Satsuki said shocked as she felt herself become weaker and weaker.

"No, but I can use Chrome's seal to control yours." Zale said looking at the crudely drawn seal on her hand. By no means was it as good as Chrome's but it gave him ruff control of that dark almost evil chakra that Zale had felt from her.

Satsuki's arm was suddenly thrust out of Zale's stomach launching her back, and she looked to see him roughly heal his own body very quickly. He held a kunai, and she was much too drained to block him from killing her, so she laid there silently accepting her death. He loomed over her, but she was left surprised when he fell to his knees his head in her shirt as tears leaked out of his eyes.

"I can't do it; I don't know why, but ever since I came to live like Naruto I've made all these connections. I've never felt this way before, but you and Kurumi make me feel so happy. I feel terrible and I don't want to leave you or her. I wish we could all stay together forever." Zale whispered his eyes flooded with tears. "I would just give it all up if I could just stay with you two. I'd even stay in Konoha."

"Then why don't you?" Satsuki asked wrapping her arms delicately around him.

"That's not an option anymore by breaking out Kurumi we opened ourselves to being prosecuted, and we've officially abandoned out village. There's nothing anyone can do to fix this anymore, and I really wish that they would have given me to Danzo. Then we'd at least be safe." Zale said wrapping his arms around Satsuki.

"I've got an idea!" Kurumi said startling them both to look at her smiling. "We're all going to be such a cute family, why don't you come with us Satsuki?"

"No I couldn't just abandon Konoha." Satsuki said shaking her head, but she looked at Zale then at Kurumi both of their eyes full of hope that she would come with them. Tears came to her eyes at how happy she felt. "I can't believe that I'm agreeing to this, it's insane."

"Is that a yes?" Zale asked her, and she nodded. He couldn't have been happier not even when he got Naruto's body had he been this absolutely excited. "Thank you, that's amazing."

"Hooray!" Kurumi cheered hugging them all tightly to her bust.

"Aww that's a great that everything turned out, but we need to get out of here now because Gaara said that we're going to have company of one copy ninja, and none of us are in any shape to fight." Kira said, and they all jumped before agreeing. "We won't be able to outrun him, so what do we do."

"Wings." Satsuki said and they turned to look at her. "Zale can give us wings, and we could fly away."

"Alright then line up I need to do this fast." Zale said his long black wings forming once again a confident UN Naruto like grin on his face. This wasn't cockiness that he had this was pure confidence, and it was well deserved.

Zale easily gave Gaara, Shiki, Aria, Kira, and Chrome a large pair of black wings, but he hesitated slightly with Satsuki and Kurumi. Finally he as gently as possible placed his hands between their shoulder blades, and after feeling for a bit a pair of wings sprouted from their backs big and beautiful. What was different and the first thing they noticed was these were a brilliant white. "Not that I'm complaining, but why are they this particular color?" Satsuki asked a cheeky grin on her face.

"Well they're because you two are my angels." Zale said with a shy smile, and they each gave him a kiss on the cheek leaving him blushing red. "Come on let's get out of here."

"Wait Naruto, Satsuki!" Kakashi yelled running toward them, but they all launched into the air leaving him behind and it was impossible for him to tell where they were heading.


	20. The Land of Sea's Problem

**I do not own Naruto. **

Speaking/_Thoughts_

The newly formed and official starting army of the Uzumaki Empire sat down in an old fashion dango shop near the land of sea trying to plan their next move. "We don't have too much money, so we have to focus on that." Zale said the others immediately agreeing. "Where's Kurumi gone to now?"

"I think they went back up to the room." Satsuki answered and Zale nodded.

Behind them two men from the Land of Sea were silently discussing. "The problem with the demon is getting worse and worse; we need to hire those Konoha ninja to help to take care of them. The problem is that with all of the money that's already been stolen we can't afford an A class mission as well as the traveling expenses that they'll charge us." one of them most likely a samurai said.

They looked at each other and nodded. Zale turned to look at them as casually as he could. "Hello I couldn't help, but overhear your problem. We can help you with your problem, and since we're already here you won't need to spend money on travel." Zale said, and they looked amongst each other. "We'll take the pay after the job is completed successfully."

"Well I guess it can't hurt to let the kid have a try, and it'll give us at least some protection until we can scrape together enough money for the Konoha job." he said and Zale nodded standing up and using the last of the money to pay for their meal. "What qualifies you to do this job anyway?"

"All you need to know is that we're more than capable of doing what you need, and I hope that when we're done we can rely on the land of sea in the foreseeable future." Gaara said Shiki cooing in agreement, and petting his hair probably the only one in the world that could get away with that. "Come on we need to find a boat."

"I'll take care of that just get Kurumi." Zale said leaving the dango shop intent to make a boat out of some material that he would find out in the nearby forest. A few minutes later they were standing at the beach with several small boats that could accommodate no more than two at a time.

"What do you think you're doing?" an old man with his own boat asked them almost terrified. "Don't you know about the legends? If you go sailing at night then you're sure to be spirited away by the demon island."

"That might actually help us with our job." Gaara said getting into one of the boats Shiki crawling in behind him. "Tell us what you know about the islands old man." It was an order on Gaara's part and the man was startled by how much authority he spoke with.

"Well there are four islands the Mother Island, Jiro, Taro and Demon Island. No one's ever come back from Demon Island before, and no one dares to sail at night in fear of being taken by that island's evil magic. I advise you against it." the old man said before walking off.

"Nothing but some local legend, come on Kira!" Chrome yelled at the fire Manipulator who stood still as a statue on the shore. "Oh man, don't tell me that you're actually scared of that stupid story."

"Of course I'm not you metal head, I've just never been good around water." Kira growled back at him and Chrome burst into laughter even drawing a chuckle from Gaara who had a smirk on his face. "Come on Zale back me up water's never been my element, and large masses of it like this make me uncomfortable."

"We all have problems, Gaara's scared of heights." Shiki said earning a growl from the red head, and she laughed it off. "Besides you need to come with us to finish the mission."

"I'll find my own way onto the island and preferably on where there isn't the chance that I'll be stolen away by some kind of demon." Kira said immediately regretting his choice of words because of the horrifying aura that Shiki and Kurumi emitted.

"**Do you have a problem with demons?!" **they hissed together ready to claw his eyes out only stopped by the boats starting to move toward the main island.

"Can't you just make me a pair of wings?" Kira yelled to the disappearing boats.

"We already started on our journey!" Zale yelled back.

"What about Kira?" Aria asked Zale who was directing the water current. "It's not wise to leave him on his own, how do we know he's not going to run?"

"Kira may not be smart tact wise, but he'll never let fear get in the way of his fight. He'll find his own way onto the island if only to spite us." Zale said and they spent the rest of the soothing boat ride in silence moving into the darkness.

Kira scowled watching the sun rise from his position atop a cliff that he had found. "I haven't mastered walking on water, and my chakra control sucks so I'm am going to need to find a boat that I'm sure isn't going to sink." Kira said hopping to his feet, his eyes scanning the horizon.

He didn't expect a sharp blow to the back of the head in the shape of a small black flying bird. "God damn it!" he yelled as he plummeted down the cliff colliding face first onto a sharp rock barely avoiding anything lethal, and sinking like a stone to the bottom of the ocean. '_Is this how I die?'_ His eyes drifted closed and he could feel the darkness sink in.

A small figure swimming under water saw the body at the bottom of the ocean, and without a moment's hesitation tossed him over her shoulder. She swam to the top of the water quickly filling her own lungs before filling Kira's. She dragged him atop of the shore, and treated the wounds on his face to the best of her ability. '_It's all up to god whether he wakes up or not.' _she thought to herself preparing a broth in a large boiling pot.

**-One Day Later-**

_It was a dark night rain pouring down upon a small village leaving all of the occupants soaked staring at the boy in front of them all his hands bound. "Do you have any last requests?" a man holding a useless torch asked. _

"_Would it matter if I did?" the boy asked him kicked in the back and forced to his knees. _

"_What a smart demon child." the man said stroking his soaked beard. "Today we gather to rid our village of the sin that has been cast upon it. "You have eaten our crops, decimated the land, and have burned down countless huts destroying many lives. You will now be punished for your crimes. The one that brought you into this world will be the one to remove you from it."_

"_Mother." the frail boy breathed watching as a women wrapped in holy robes, and holding a polished katana that could split a hair. _

"_WHY?" she screamed to the heavens at the top of her voice her frail body racked with sobs. "Why was I cursed with this demon as a son, what did you do to my real birth demon spawn, did you drag him down to hell in your place? Today you will stop haunting me with those eyes." She raised the katana above her head with a steady hand, and brought it down. _

_Kira's eyes snapped shut waiting for a blow that wouldn't come for him. "So this is what I came here to find?" a voice said and everyone turned to see a boy with a black blanket over his shoulder and a metal plate on his face. The blade Kira's mother had been holding was twisted at an odd angle. "I've come for the boy born of hell's fire."_

"_What do you want with the demon?" his mother asked trembling with anger a glare directed at him. _

"_Well you see us demons need to stick together." Chrome answered with what everyone assumed was a smile on his hidden face. _

"_Another has dared take a step in our village strike him down where he stands." the leading man called pulling another blade from his robes his followers doing the same, and charging at Chrome who didn't flinch. Not one of the blades pierced his skin instead bending at odd angles as if the metal itself refused to pierce his skin. _

"_They're your opponents aren't they?" Chrome asked at the still chained Kira who nodded. "Then burn them, and raze them because I'm not here to fight your battles I'm here to show you the path." _

"_But the rain is soaking my skin, I can't make any fire." Kira answered shaking his head._

"_If you let a little thing like rain get in your way then I promise you you'll have no place in the new world, use your anger, and let it burn hotter than the sun." Chrome said and everything the villagers had ever done to Kira came to the center of his mind forcing his rage to show externally. _

_He rose from his kneeling position his legs no longer felt tired, and the villagers looked at him with fear in their eyes. "I'll kill you all!" Kira yelled pulling on his bindings hard and they snapped like they were made from string. Steam started coming off of his body at mass rates, and he screamed. Blue fire came from his skin destroying many villagers and most of the village. A few dozen were left, and Kira collapsed. _

_Chrome smiled beneath his mask walking over to the unconscious Kira. He looked back at the cowering villagers who took a few steps back, and among them Kira's mother stepped forward or shoved to be more accurate. "You wouldn't kill me would you, I'm the boy's mother." she said horrified as he walked closer to her trembling figure. "I cared for him, and fed him, you demons must have some sense of chivalry to those you are indebted to."_

"_You're right we do, but that is not the reason I spare you and your pathetic village. It's because among you lies true power that my kind will harness, and trust me there is nowhere in the world you can hide, so it would be best to stay here and rebuild. If any more like this one are born or have control such as him I will return, and claim them, so treat them properly." Chrome said walking off. _

Kira woke with a head ach and doused in sweat as if he had just stood in the rain that had almost been the only witness to his murder. "It was that dream again, no matter how much time has passed I can't get over the fact that it's really over." Kira said to himself his hands clenching tightly. "Wait a second where am I?"

"Are you up?" a girl asked walking inside to see him. "Why, you've had a fever for the last day, and everything I've done has only seemed to make it worse."

"Fever?" Kira asked putting a hand to his wrapped forehead to find it was incredibly warm for a normal person, but for him it was normal. "No that's my natural body temperature, but if you don't mind me asking where am I, and how did I get here?"

"I was out diving and I saw you at the bottom, you nearly drowned." the girl said simply. "I brought you here, and treated that wound as best I could, and it has healed with very surprising speed, but it seems to have left a scar."

"A scar?" Kira asked looking around for a reflective surface and finding it in a pot of cold broth. He looked, and sure enough there were two diagonal marks running from the top of his eye to his bottom right jaw. "I don't need a scar along with everything else."

"Yes well we don't always get what we want." she said with a look of what seemed to be anger that Kira didn't understand.

"That's true most people don't." Kira said examining the scar closely before his hand glowed bright red. He pressed his hand to the deep scars, and when he removed it a few seconds later the scars were gone with no trace of where they went.

"How did you do that?" the dark eyes girl asked him running over and examining his hand then his face. "It isn't a henge it's the real deal." she breathed running a finger over the healed flesh.

Her question was legitimate, but Kira didn't know whether to answer or not it was unlikely that this girl would actually believe him. "Why do you need to know?" he asked pulling away from the girl who suddenly realized what she had done and stood facing away from him.

"That thing that you just did would it work on deeper more disfigured scars, or perhaps mutations?" she asked him with a solid voice.

"Well scars are easy to fix, but I'm not sure about mutations." Kira said and he saw her slouch seemingly disappointed. "I would need to see what you're talking about before I could confirm anything though."

"Alright, but promise that you won't call me demon, or anything of the sort." she said to him bringing a bandage on her arm to her mouth. She took in her breath dramatically, and bit down on it the knot holding it together immediately unraveling. "Can you tell from that?"

"Uh hold on." Kira said not at all disgusted by the sight he had been born on fire, and he had seen a picture of that spectacle. "This is out of my range." The girl immediately went to re-bandage her arm and hide her disfigurements, but stopped when Kira spoke again. "But my friend may be able to help with it."

"Then as repayment for saving your life you'll have to take me to his friend and have him heal Me." she said commandingly and Kira sweat dropped.

"That might not be the best idea." Kira said and she turned her head to the side to know why. "He's not the kind of guy that would do anything for anybody, if you want him to heal you then you have to have something of value. Can you offer some kind of surface that might be useful to him? He's planning on making an army, and giving out good deeds isn't how he's going to go about it."

"I saved one of his owns life, isn't that enough?" she demanded, and he shook his head. "I have something that I'm sure any leader of any starting army would want. Take me to him and I'll show him, and I'll be your ally if you need help in a fight."

"Alright, but I don't really know where they are, so we're going to have to go into the village." Kira said and after some coaxing she agreed and gave him his name. "Get your walking shoes on Isaribi it's going to be a long day."


	21. A Yellow Fox

**I do not own Naruto. **

Speaking/_Thoughts_

"Are you sure that they're even here?" Isaribi asked draped in a cloak that hid her from any prying eyes. "What if they knew that you were dead, and just decided to move on without you. This leader of yours seems cruel enough to do it after all."

"No they wouldn't do that; as much as we hate each other there is a sense of loyalty among us. Besides one of them has a score to settle with me, so we'll both have to die later until we can decided who's stronger." Kira said with a shrug stopping suddenly and taking in a deep breath through his nose. "Jease what's that smell?"

"It's a village burning." Isaribi answered having witnessed a few in person.

"Burning?" Kira asked immediately interested.

"Yes anyone they suspect to be a demon, or is accused of some kind of relation to the demon island is burned." At this Isaribi pulled the cloak tighter around herself as if the villagers' stares were able to pierce right through and look upon her mutations with disgust.

"People just allow this?" Kira said and Isaribi nodded it was a common occurrence that was actually something people looked forward to. "Come on we need to go see."

"No they'll accuse me, and burn me." Isaribi said pulling her hand back only to be surprised by Kira and pulled forward somewhat forcefully.

"You saved my life Isaribi, and until I pay you back I won't let you die. I hate leaving a debt unpaid." Kira said sternly, and she nodded somewhat dazed. As obligatory as the statement was she had never had anyone say words like that to her, and even when they were from some stranger she didn't know she felt happy hearing them from him. He pulled her to the center of town where a fire that gave off green smoke was lit on a torch. "It's just a kid."

True to his word there strapped to a pike was a little girl with her arms tied to a pike behind her. Underneath her feet was kindling, and several substances that Kira knew would accelerate the fire to dangerous levels. The person holding the torch lit the kindling faster than Kira could respond, and the pike burst the fire licking at the girl's feet. "MOMMY!" she screamed tears streaking her face.

Nothing could have infuriated Kira more at that moment as he charged forward into the flames people yelling at him to stop. He wasn't touched as the fire moved out of the way until he was at the pike nearly incinerated at this point. It finally gave and he caught her hugging the little girl tightly to his body away from the flames. "Get out of my way!" Kira yelled and they jumped from his path.

What greeted everyone's sight was a boy walking out of the fire without a scorch mark on his body holding the supposedly demonic little girl as if she was his daughter. "It's another from Demon Island!" someone yelled and the person holding the green flame pressed it into his exposed lower back. It sizzled out without leaving a mark on him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Kira asked his eyes glowing grabbing the arm of the person that tried to scorch him.

Meanwhile on the other side of the island well away from any of the commotion or fast spreading rumors was the rest of the official starting army of the Uzumaki Empire. "Things here are pretty calm. We should get a house here." Satsuki said offhandedly picking up a little charm that had the kanji for "Burning Love" stenciled on it. "Hey Gaara think you'll get it for Kira?"

"I'm not gay!" Gaara bit back angrily, and Shiki giggled. "What became of Kira anyway we haven't seen hide or hair of him since yesterday."

"I'm sure he's somewhere around her causing trouble." Aria said forming an ice pall in her hand and pressing it to her forehead. This immediately drew attention from children in the surrounding area demanding she make them ice to play with hey. "Hey get off me your brats."

"That's what happens when you're so nonchalant with your powers." Chrome said with a snicker before he caught up to Zale who stood on his own a little ways off. "You don't think that Kira made a run for it do you, I mean it can't be that hard to get onto an island after all."

"Even if he did there's nothing to do about it now, we have a mission to do. Get everyone on that by the way we've learned nothing, and we're going to have to make some kind of progress." Zale said and after a few more quick words with Chrome they all left in different directions to investigate about the water demon that had been ransacking the boats.

Back on the scene with Kira, Isaribi, and the mystery girl stood in front of a crowd of angry villagers who were ready to kill them all without any remorse. "Stay behind me, and whatever you do don't scream it'll make it worse." Kira said reaching into his pocket and pulling out his hand claws. _'I can't kill them because of the damper on the job, but if I scare them enough then they'll run off on their own.' _

"Get them!" someone yelled and Kira's body turned to fire causing everyone to take a large step back. "What are you?"

"Want to stay and find out?" Kira asked, and they shook their heads. "Then get out of here, and if you try to flame broil someone again then I'm going to burnt he place down." They nodded before running off; Kira turned to Isaribi and the girl who were slightly shocked at his transformation. "Are you okay, do you have any place to go?"

The little girl nodded then shook her head and Kira sighed in relief. "I was worried there, but you seem okay. Stick with us until we can find you a place to stay." Kira said and the little girl nodded Isaribi had no objections. "Why did they want to burn you anyway?"

"Because of my eyes." the girl said, and they saw them. They were deep crimson that would have sent shivers down anyone's spines, and seemed to belong to a demon. "What's your name?"

"It's Kira." the redhead said standing up straight. "Let's keep on looking for my team, and then we'll get you wherever it is that you need to go."

For the rest of the day they searched, but found nothing of Kira's allies, so they retired to Isaribi's remote little cabin. "Where do you live?" Isaribi asked the young girl who shook her head. "You don't have a home either huh, that makes the two of us, but you're welcome to stay here whenever you'd like. What about you Kira do you guys have a destination in mind."

"Not us, we're a merry little band of freaks that'll go anywhere that is convenient. It's actually kind of nice." Kira said simply then his mission recurred to him. "Hey do either of you two know anything about that monster that's been taking the money from the boats?" Isaribi immediately tensed up her hands freezing. "What is it Isaribi?"

"Get out." Isaribi said to him, and he looked shocked. "We're not letting a boy sleep under the same roof you could get naughty thoughts, sleep outside." After having a few things thrown at him Kira left the little house and stood out in the night air. "Come on Kimiko let's get ready for bed."

Kira stood on the little cliff looking over the ocean when he felt something nudge his leg. Looking down he saw that it was a fox with a bright yellow fur and a white tipped tail. "Zale must have summoned you to look for me." Kira said remembering that Zale had the Fox Summoning Contract under his belt. Tied to his leg was a scroll with information on where to meet. "Great we'll meet up tomorrow then.

Its task completed the little yellow fox disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving Kira to his thoughts.


	22. Filler

**I do not own Naruto. ** Speaking/_Thoughts_

Zale looked at the location it had one way in and one way out the only other possible escape route was the path that led to the oceans, and that would leave someone exposed. It was a good place for his combat because with their luck someone would come attack them. "Are you sure it was okay to leave Satsuki and Kurumi back at the hotel alone?" Chrome asked.

"They're not alone they're with Shiki besides it's not like Satsuki isn't a capable ninja, and Kurumi with how sick's she's been lately would only be a hindrance. It's better that she's out of the way if anything happens." Gaara said and as always Gaara had last word on the argument.

"Kira's almost here and it seems he has visitors." Zale said turning back around to see them round the corner. It was with a girl that had dark hair and pupil-less eyes as well as a little girl that couldn't have been very old. "Why are they here Kira?"

"I needed to ask a favor, and she could be useful." Kira said as relaxed as possible, but Zale was intimidating even though he was taller than the blonde. "She has damaged DNA, and I was hoping that you would repair it for her."

"Why would I do that?" Zale asked sitting down on a rock.

"I saved his life you should be grateful!" Isaribi nearly yelled at him, and everyone except for Kira took an immediate step back. To him she immediately whispered "Did I say something wrong?"

"I recommend that you pray to any god you believe in." Kira whispered back pulling her and Kimiko back away from Zale who wore a cold stare looking directly at them. They started to sweat under his gaze.

"Well the fact that Kira didn't bring it up means that he was smart enough to know that I couldn't give less of a damn whether he lived or died. The fact that you had the courage to say that to me means that Kira didn't warn you exactly how little regard I have for human life. There better be a damn good reason that you've spoken to me like that." As he spoke a dark aura whipped around behind him as if it was its own being with a mind of its own.

Isaribi was immediately horrified by this person, and regretted her decision of speaking in such a disrespectful way to this short boy that commanded respect. "I was told you were building an army." Isaribi said with a trembling voice and the rage that came off of him in waves relented a bit. "I have something that you would find very useful, and if you would at least make me look normal on the outside I would be more than happy to serve you."

"How interesting." Zale said with a smirk everyone breathing a little easier now that he had calmed down. No one except Kurumi and Satsuki had ever been able to talk to him like that they knew that they would be murdered if they were to even breathe a word of disrespect to him. "Well then how's about you show me what you can do and then we'll see if it'll be worth me making you look normal."

"Please give me a second." Isaribi said encouraged by Kira and Kimiko who stood behind her even in front of his leader. She took in a deep breath before her transformation took hold of her body the scales ripping though her clothes, her eyes becoming those of a fish, gills sprouting on her neck, her teeth turning sharp, and a large fin sprouting on the back of her head.

To many people she looked like a monster, but to Gaara, Aria, Zale, and Chrome she was a target. "Chrome!' Zale yelled tossing ninja wire holding onto one end and Chrome Manipulated the wire to wrap tightly around Isaribi.

"What the hell are you doing; let her go!" Kira yelled angrily at them his brain not putting the pieces together. "Stop it right now!"

"Are you an idiot Kira, she's the monster that's been hijacking the ships, and we're being paid to stop her." Aria said to him.

"No there's no way she did that." Kira said shaking his head. "Tell them Isaribi tell them that you're not the one that did that." Isaribi didn't look him in the eye and stayed silent. "Tell them Isaribi."

"Oh she's the one that did it, and until we get paid she's not going to stop." a familiar voice said and Zale turned just in time to dodge sharp thin blades. This got him distracted from the blade that cut through Isaribi's bindings allowing her to escape into the water without any problem. They looked up to see a boy with blood red hair. "Honestly I didn't expect to see you again so soon Zale, and with your little brigade of Manipulation imitators."

"What the hell are you doing here Cole?" Zale asked tensing up read to fight and give the others time to escape since these weren't the type of people that they could fight.

"Oh come on bunny that isn't any way to talk to your old buddies is it?" Suzie asked with a playful smile appearing behind Cole out of thin air sitting on a rock behind him. "Oh how cute. They think that they could actually hold a candle to us in combat; they're even getting into their little fighting stances. It's just adorable, don't you think so bunny?"

"Don't underestimate us it'll be your fatal mistake." Gaara said sand whipping up.

They were all shocked when Zale spoke his next words. "Stand down and go after Isaribi she's our job here, and if we lose her then we don't get paid. All of you, and whatever the hell you do don't engage in combat with either of them. This isn't something that I'm allowing you to argue with run for it." Zale said. It didn't matter how powerful they thought they were these were opponents they couldn't fight.

"Yes sir." they all said after a moment's hesitation. They ran out across the water except for Kira who had to run across ice Aria had formed for him.

"Oh how precious; they really think they're an army." Cole said with a laugh.

"You know our offer still stands bunny, and until you do something that's downright unforgiveable then it will." Suzie said with a kind smile that didn't suit the evil aura that clung to her like a second skin.

"If you were confident that you could beat me then you wouldn't be trying to recruit me." Zale said reviewing the psychology he had helped study back before his current life.

"Oh yes I guess a sharp mind like yours free of aging or damage wouldn't forget the tactic we've used so often bunny. Still you know humans are unpredictable species even with all the books and records that you read it's impossible to predict the behavior of a human. Of course beasts are a little more predictable, all you have to do is back them into a corner and they'll go insane. I wonder Zale how much pushing will it take to get you into your corner." Suzie smiled delighted the morning light sucked in by her dark hair as if trapped by a vortex. "Nothing personal, but we've got a job to do just like you do, so I guess you should be ready to die."

Zale flew across the small pond an earthquake caused by Cole slamming his fist into the ground, and the damage barely avoided him. "You should really stop with the running away Zale." Cole said looking up at him with a sneer on his sharp face. He ran forward at what seemed like a near impossible speed for someone of his age.

Zale leapt up dodging Cole, but a sharp rock impacted with back barely missing anything vital. "Forgot about Suzie." Zale said spinning around to see them smirking smugly. _'I remember an old saying we used to have those who drew first blood wins the fight, so I really hope it was just dumb luck.'_

"You always were such a lucky brat." Cole said running forward to give Zale a finishing blow to the stomach, but his arm was caught by Zale in a perfect manor.

"It's skill you moron!" Zale yelled grabbing him by the wrist and elbow before slamming him into the shallow water onto his back rocking him slightly, but there was something else there. _'What the hell?'_

He didn't have time to put more thought into it because Suzie had used the same energy Cole had used in their first fight to slam him against a wall. "See you're no match for us." Suzie said.

"ENOUGH!" Zale yelled shaking the area. He got down on all fours as red chakra flowed over him healing his wounds and allowing him to focus. _'What the hell is that; I'm sure that it's there.' _Zale didn't ponder it anymore instead deciding to swing a chakra claw down onto Suzie who barely avoided it. "Stop running you miserable excuses for a devil; why we gave you two that title is a mystery to me!"

"You're going to eat those words." Cole said running forward.

"Not falling for it this time." Zale turned dodging Cole's punch and then avoiding the blades that Suzie had tried to throw in secret. "I finally remember where I had seen that tactic. When we attacked the Northern Army with a small one in the front then while they were distracted we snuck in and took over the country. It's on a smaller scale sure, but it's still effective."

Cole was caught by surprise when Zale grabbed him by his gut tightly twisting it around and around. "Help Suzie." Cole managed to choke out.

Zale used Cole's own body to block the barrage of blades that Suzie had tried to send his way. He jumped up high out of the way of the spikes that Suzie had tried. "You're still breathing?" Zale asked Cole who had rasping breaths that barely filled his lungs. _'What the hell is up with this guy he's been taking full brunt attack; somehow is still alive!' _Zale located Suzie and threw Cole at her pinning them both to the wall. _'There it is again.'_

"We're not done yet." Cole said slowly rising to his feet Suzie doing the same. They seemed to be on their last legs. "Come on you loser you won't ever be able to beat us."

"You're right I won't be able to beat you because you're not there." Zale said getting out of his fighting stance. "You're either a pile of rocks or something else that Suzie and Cole Manipulated to think on their own. You've been faking all the pain, but you have no power they're probably somewhere else trying to focus on making it look like you can really use Manipulation."

"You're wrong!" Suzie yelled disappearing and reappearing behind Zale, but was put in place when he grabbed her by the head and slammed her hard into the ground cracking her skull open. Inside wasn't blood because they couldn't bleed. It was a bunch of sand.

"It was a clever tactic one that I haven't seen, but knowing you you're out attacking my squad so I'm out of here." Zale said running off before either of them could stop him.


	23. Chapter 23

**I do not own Naruto. ** Speaking/_Thoughts_

"Do you really think that they're that powerful?" Chrome asked to none of them in particular.

"Zale wouldn't tell us to run off for no reason, but with his pride he might have told us to run off because he wanted to beat them himself." Gaara answered. "What do you think Kira?"

"I think that you guys are crazy for even thinking that Isaribi is the monster she only ran off because you attacked her." Kira said with a scowl, but none of them seemed to care about his opinion. "Is all that you guys care about completing this mission, Zale doesn't even care that she's innocent in this."

"Look even if we do think differently we all knew what Zale was like before we joined, and we agreed to follow him, so unless you can beat him in a fight then I suggest you shut up and do your job." Aria said and Kira fell silent running along the ice she had formed for him. "I don't see her, spread out and cover all the area you can."

"Oh Zale must have taught them that one, I doubt they could have come up with such a tactic on their own Cole." a feminine voice said and they were forced to by a sharp burst of water that formed an ice wall too large to run around without exposing their backs for too long. "I recommend that you all just lie down and die peacefully."

"These guys again, didn't Zale take care of you?" Chrome asked getting into his fighting style.

"Not particularly, you see we were all on equal ground on fighting terms so he wouldn't be able to stand up to two of us." Cole said with a laugh running a hand through his hair. "Besides he was always the weakest even before our time skips."

"Really the way Zale told it you lost the last fight you had, and you even ran away in the end." Chrome said and this infuriated Cole while Suzie stood unfazed by the comment. "What do you want?"

"Well like you we have a job to do, and that's making sure that the bats keep getting ransacked, so that means were enemies." Suzie said simply as if she had no personal grudge against them. "Don't get us wrong with you we have don't have a quarrel, it's Zale that we want to eliminate. If you were to renounce your devotion to him then we could be on our way."

"Yeah well Zale's our leader, so his enemies are ours too." Chrome said the others getting into a fighting stance behind him. "I hope you don't think that you can beat us, I mean you've got two, and we have four on our side plus we can use chakra."

"Do you really feel so confident that you can boast about your advantages? From what our spies have told us the only one who is any good at Manipulating water is the girl over there, and even then it's only as ice. Besides you seem to be forgetting the fact you're up against two masters of Manipulation." Suzie smiled waving her hand and the water erupted around them splitting them up. "I'll get those two you get the others."

"Yeah alright I've got it." Cole said with a sigh troubled by the tedious job of wiping out other people. "We should get little lackeys to get rid of other people for us." Cole pounded one of his knuckles into another cracking them as he approached Kira and Aria. "Alright you pipsqueaks it's time for you elders to beat some respect into you."

"What big talk for such a little man." Kira said bringing out his claws, and flaming up. He punched the air and flames shot from his fist launching at Cole, but they stopped mid air. "What the heck?"

"You seem to be forgetting you're dealing with a master of Manipulation any kind of attack you can dish out I have better control over, and I can deal it back at you tenfold." Cole said with a smile sticking out his fist in a similar manor as Kira had, but from it erupted deadly white hot fire that nearly fried them.

"This isn't good we're pinned down, and we'll have to stay on the defensive." Aria said behind her was a wall of ice that was constantly reforming itself to keep up with the white hot heat that was burning away at in on the other side. "Hold your breath and try not to take up too much oxygen."

"Wait a second hold on!" Kira tried to argue, but Aria didn't listen instead an ice sphere formed around them successfully allowing them to go into the inky black water that even in the early light of the morning was impenetrable with any kind of light.

"Great more work." Cole said watching the fire dissipate, and finding no charred remains. "Well they couldn't have gotten too far from here."

A little ways away Suzy stood across from Chrome and Gaara all three of them panting. "I'll give you the fact the two of you combined might actually pose a threat in my current condition." Suzy said smugly. '_Still with that other me keeping Zale occupied I can't focus as much as I would normally be able to; if I could fight at my normal capacity they would be wasted.' _A drip of sweat came down the side of her face.

'_What the heck's going on she seems so tired, but we've barely done anything.' _Chrome thought. _'For us this is a hard fight, but she's a master of Manipulation, she should still be ready. There must be something else that she's using her power up on.' _"Hey Gaara are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Yes her abilities are limited right now, so we might actually have a chance of beating her." Gaara said turning to see Chrome make a few hand signs that signified a double assault tactic. "Let's go!"

They ran at a fast pace, but Suzy seemed to have read their minds a hurdle of ice needles attacking both of them. For Gaara with the sand gourd on his back that easily blocked the ice needles it was no problem, but for Chrome with no iron sand it was a problem. Suzy didn't expect the boy to turn to a log that fell into the water. "It was a fake out." Suzy said turning around to see Chrome.

She received a direct punch to the face sending her skipping like a stone across the water. "You'll pay for that you Manipulator wannabe's!" Suzy said true anger showing as she waved her arm and the water launched at them effectively dousing them both. "Try to use that sand of yours now."

"She's right I can't control wet sand." Gaara said with a scowl at how useless he currently was. He screamed as a jet of water launched forward striking him straight in the stomach and leaving a deep cut.

"What didn't you know that water can cut through steel provided the pace and concentration is good enough." Suzy said turning her attention to Chrome who barred his teeth. "Well then what can you do, from what our spies have told us you can only control metal, and you're the strongest out of all of the others. We're out in the middle of the ocean that means no metal for you to Manipulate."

"We're not limited to our element it's just preferred." Chrome said the water coming up, but the control over it was shaky at best, and it didn't even look like it would hold against an attack let alone be able to make one.

"Please." Su said and the water burst falling back to the ocean useless. Chrome fell into the water when he was attacked blood coming out of his mouth.

Aria and Kira fared no better than him already out of commission in the water. "Looks like Zale discovered our little trick we better get out of here." Cole said and Suzy nodded before they ran off both of them exhausted by the effort that their dummies had taken.

Zale ran as fast as he could, but he came to see his team down on the water gasping for every breath, and his enemies were just dots in the distance. He could go after them and end it now, but if he did then those in the water wouldn't be alive when he came back to collect corpses. "Damn it." Zale cursed grabbing them and running to the hut where Satsuki, Kurumi, and Shiki were.

"Oh my god what happened?" Satsuki asked seeing them all in a terrible state.

"It was my enemies they tricked me and attacked them while I was distracted." Zale said helping as best he could, but he seemed mostly useless. "Where's Kurumi?"

"She's sleeping in the other room, her fever broke while you guys were out, but she'll need her rest, or she'll just end up sick again." Satsuki said treating everyone to the best of her abilities. "You don't have to stay here Zale."

"But I can help just give me some time to examine their bodies and I can heal them." Zale said.

"There's nothing you can do, you've been examining your own body and can barely heal yourself with body Manipulation. If you were to try on them then you'd just end up tearing apart their insides, Shiki get away from Gaara and help me with Chrome they tore a hole right through him."

"But Gaara." Shiki tried to argue, but she was cut off.

"Is along with being a Manipulator who already have fast healing capabilities is also a Jinchuriki, your chakra will keep him alive longer than the others. For now you'll have to put aside the crush you have on Gaara to worry about the people that have a real chance of dying, so get over here, and help me with Chrome." Satsuki said and Shiki nodded walking over helping. "Zale."

"What is it?" Zale asked eager to be of help.

"Get out of here." Satsuki barely said not liking the slightly shocked look Zale had. "They're in a dire state, and you have no experience with medical treatment, you're only getting in the way here. Get out of here and see if you can scavenge a few leads for when they're healed." Zale scowled, but Satsuki didn't retract her statement, and he eventually gave up leaving.

'_Why didn't I see it sooner those idiots aren't people to fight fairly, they'll try any underhanded tactic, and sacrifice anyone to further their own agenda. Like, like me.' _Zale thought suddenly stopping his walk his eyes widening slightly. _'I keep bashing them in my head, but the truth is that I'm just like them hell I was them a few million years ago.' _Zale let out a scream punching a boulder that shattered on impact. _'I can't dwell in the past not now, we have a mission to do.'_

That evening the money transport ship would take off, and they had no idea where Isaribi or his old devil partners were. _'Well that's not exactly true we have one lead, but I don't like it, it looks like I'm going to Demon Island on my own.' _

**I was wondering if I should do a time skip, or show the adventure of building their empire**


	24. The Brawl Begins

**I do not own Naruto. ** Speaking/_Thoughts_

Zale wore a bored expression on his face. His large wings were out in case he had to make a quick getaway, but there was almost nothing in this world that could force him to flee. He stepped across the water silently the sun high in the sky, but he was practically invisible with the surrounding mist. Demon Island was a shadowed figure in the distance, and he could feel the energy that radiated from the place.

'_It's not just Suzy and Cole in there it has to be more of them in there.'_ Zale thought breathing in deeply the chilled air burning as it went down. _'I don't care how many of you are in there because I'll take down every single one of you slow and painful for what you did.' _Zale felt the chakra seal now small and on his shoulder activate drawing out the chakra from Minato's seal.

Red swirling chakra surrounded him, and the water began to violently thrash with every step he took. His features turned more feral red streaks forming on his wings, and finally his steps reached the land of the island immediately drawing attention. "Hey who's there?" someone asked turning to him. "What the hell are you?"

"Do you really want to know, or would you prefer to run?" Zale asked seeing the man drop his weapon and run off most likely to alert the others, or even more likely the devils currently occupying the island. "I'll need to storm the castle if I want to finish the job before they get out of here."

The door was found easily enough. It was a heavily reinforced steel door that he easily tore through with no more than a flex of his fingers. "Who's there?!" a ninja demanded one that Zale had remembered to have been part of the Konoha ninja. "Oh it's you the no talent Uzumaki; I guess that the rumors of mercenaries taking the job were wrong. Konoha did take the job."

"I guess that you didn't hear the other rumors I abandoned the leaf village in order to pursue my own agenda." Zale said bored with the person he was facing. "Tell me where the devils that your boss has hired are?"

"Why would I tell you Uzumaki?" Yoroi asked with a sneer on his square face. "I don't care what kind of abilities you have you're no match for me?"

"Orochimaru must have not told you that I'm capable of going toe to toe with him, if he can't defeat me then you have no chance of defeating me." Zale said his red chakra flaring. _'This bastard was on Kabuto's team back in the forest of death, and I don't like that glasses wearing freak any farther than I can throw him. I'll just take this guy out instead." _

Yoroi grabbed at Zale his palms glowing with blue chakra, and he caught his arm. "Now that I've latched onto you, I'll take all of your chakra, and those techniques you used at the Chunin exams will be useless to you." Yoroi said as if he had won.

"I almost forgot that you were a chakra eater, well if you want it so bad then come and get it." Zale said with a snarl unleashing vast quantities of the demonic chakra in his possession. All of it Yoroi ate up unknowing of the terrible mistake this was.

"Wha-What's happening to me?" Yoroi asked himself ripping his hand away from Zale, and looking as the skin on his body started to blister and peel. Lines appeared underneath his skin his veins no doubt, and they felt like fire. "Stop it, please stop."

"Where are the mercenaries that were hired?" Zale asked once again looking as Yoroi was mutated and his body torn apart unable to adapt to the demonic chakra flowing through his system. "Where are they?" This one was coupled with a crippling blow to the stomach.

"I don't know please, stop." Yoroi begged, but Zale paid him little mind turning on his heel to examine the rest of the area. "Kill me!"

His cries echoed through the labs, and Zale smirked.

"These labs haven't been in use for a long time, I doubt that anyone has been performing experiments, but then why do they need guards?" Zale asked tearing down another door to find a lab covered in dust. There was a large tank on the other side of the room filled with what seemed to be water, but he could not see anything besides that.

Below the tanks stood many filing cabinets that were the only thing in the room not covered in dust. He opened one of the drawers careful not to damage any of the contents in case they would prove to be useful in the future. He saw hundred of papers all with notes, equations, and formulas that held no meaning to him, but once he had skimmed over enough his mind was able to put together enough.

"These are plans to alter human DNA and make things like fish people. It looks like Isaribi was one of their first experiments, but it says here that there was a second the one that was deemed officially successful." Zale said to himself deeming the knowledge useless.

"Looks like somebody found my lab." someone said and Zale turned around to see a man with a fat nose and greenish hair wearing a lab coat. "You're part of the mercenaries that the Land of Sea hired; this gives me a chance to destroy you. You're also something to dissect if we can recover the body."

He laughed and pressed a button in the palm of his hand instantly explosions followed blocking the exits, and he walked away leaving Zale trapped in the room. "Screw this I'll rasengan my way out of here." Zale said, but that thought was immediately put to a stop by the rumbling of the building. _'This place is too unstable for me to do anything.'_ The roof caved in without warning Zale crushed under the derbies.

Chrome's eyes snapped open taking in a sharp breath sitting up the rest of them doing the same shocking Shiki and Satsuki who had been tending to their injuries. "Where are we?" Chrome asked looking around. "We were fighting those guys, and then we were beat."

"Zale brought you guys here, you should get some rest. You've all been asleep for the last couple hours; you still need to get some rest." Satsuki said trying to coax them all back into bed, but they all stood up ignoring her protests.

"Where is Zale?" Gaara asked seeing that their leader was nowhere to be found.

"I told him to scare up some leads, he's probably around the village somewhere trying to find out where the guys that beat you all are." Satsuki said.

"No he's in trouble we all felt it." Chrome said grabbing his clothes, and quickly changing into them. "We have to go now he might be dead."

"Dead?" Kurumi groaned out, standing in the doorway of the only room in the home they were in.

"Don't worry he's not going to die that easy he's hurt at worse." Aria said soothing Kurumi and Satsuki. "Please take care of each other I have a really bad feeling about what's about to go down." They all nodded, and then Aria took notice. "Um Kurumi do you have a tail?"

"Yeah that's why I was sick, I was recovering chakra." Kurumi confirmed before they ran off. "Satsuki I want chicken soup."

"Don't worry Shiki's cooking it already."Satsuki said lying her back down on her bed.


	25. Land Of Sea Ark

**I do not own Naruto. ** Speaking/_Thoughts_

Chrome scowled seeing the boat had already taken off. "Who the hell told them to take off?!" Chrome demanded slamming his foot against the ground kicking up dust.

"Oh hello you are the ones that took care of our sea monster problem we really can't thank you enough." the soldier that had hired them said happily. "Anyway thanks for the help you can pick up your check at the town center, I hope that we can rely on you and your crew in the future."

"Who the hell told you to send that ship out?" Chrome demanded grabbing the man by his collar.

"Your leader he sent us this letter." he said incredibly scared trying to pry off Chrome's hand, but his grip was impossible to break. He handed the letter over to Chrome, and he was released.

"This isn't even Zale's handwriting his kanji isn't nearly this proficient, the person behind the attacks must have sent this, so they can steal the money on the ship." Chrome said the soldier already having run away in fear of him. "We need to move fast come on." Chrome ran across the water followed closely behind by Gaara, Kira, and Aria in that order.

"What are we going to do about Zale, who knows where he is?" Kira asked.

"I'm sure he's okay, and if anyone knows where Zale is then it's going to be those old team mates of his." Chrome said picking up the pace.

***On the Boat***

"Looks like clear waters today, and thanks to those mercenaries we're going to be able to keep our relations with the neighboring lands." someone said, and everyone cheered at this the political unrest finally going to come to a close.

"Hey look someone's running out across the water." a rope tier said pointing to running people.

"Probably the mercenaries I'm sure that they are looking for some extra pay; give it to them if they want they deserve a bonus for capturing the creature." The captain said. Their movement stopped without warning throwing everyone besides the captain to the ground. "What on earth?"

"Captain the waters have frozen!" someone screamed, and sure enough the water around their boat had frozen keeping them in place. "Who's doing this?"

"You may have taken care of the little sea monster, but you still have us to worry about." a man with green hair said with a sneer. "Take all the money, and then I'll give you your cut."

"Actually I wanted to talk to you about that." Suzy said, and Amichi turned to receive a sharp kick to the center of his chest. "You see we decided there would be a lot more money in it for us if we decided to cut out the middle man, or you, and unfortunately we can't have you getting in the way of that. We're going to take this ship for ourselves. The rest of you sailors get all the money up here, and give it to Cole while I raid the place for what I deem valuable."

No one put up any fight dropping their weapons, and doing whatever they were told. "This was too easy, I almost feel sorry for taking out Zale and his crew; it would have been way more fun if they were alive." Cole said receiving a nod from Suzy. "Is that all of it?"

"No there's a hidden supply under the bathroom tile." a sailor that no one recognized said, and no one had any idea of this secret cash supply.

"Then come with me and get it." Cole said and three more unidentifiable soldiers came with him to the bathroom.

Cole bent over easily prying off the fake bottom from the bathroom floor. "Hey there's nothing down here." Cole said.

"Now there is." Chrome said slamming a metal rod against Cole's forehead knocking him back.

"God damn it; it's you guys again." Cole said holding his forehead trying to recover from the sudden attack. "Ah!" Water shot through the floor, but it hit no one his semi delirious state leaving him unable to aim. "God damn it; stop spinning!"

"Go into your hole." Chrome said pushing the easily off balanced boy hitting his head, and effectively knocking him out. He fell into the hole which they sealed up. "Gaara you're up."

Gaara nodded silently and left.

"I don't like this Cole's been taking too long." Suzy said looking and seeing him walk out of the hall he had walked into. Behind him was a small crate that just drifted along in the air. "Where's the guard that you took with you?"

"I killed him." Cole said and Suzy nodded seemingly in approval. "When are we going to leave?"

"Stop being so impatient Liam's going to be here in a little while with the boat and Zale's body." Suzy said, and when she saw Cole's normal confused expression she sighed. "We talked about this Zale was crushed in the wreck when we blew up the labs along with Isaribi and that little girl that she forced us to bring with us. We need Zale's body to see if we can extract that red chakra that he uses."

"Right." Cole said his chest rising and falling a little heavier. "Is that Liam over there?"

"No that's." Suzy squinted to look at the dot in the horizon that was quickly advancing. "What the heck is that?"

"That's Zale!" Cole said surprised.

***With Zale***

"I can't believe that they sent you of all people to retrieve my body Liam." Zale said squeezing this throat slightly tighter. "Now tell me where you were supposed to meet up, and how." Liam was incapable of speaking, so he pointed to a door that housed a well-built ship that was meant for speed and quick escape. "The cargo ship, you're hijacking it right now aren't you?" Liam nodded. "You're lucky that I don't have enough time to kill you!" He threw Liam to the ground, and he spluttered there for a moment before falling unconscious.

Zale threw the door open seeing the ship, and something else. Isaribi was strapped to a table struggling against leather bounds that held her down Kimiko knocked out against the wall. "Help me please." Isaribi said seeing that Zale was in the room.

"There's no reason for me to help you, you're the enemy and if I leave you here then I can say my job is done, and because of you my army has been severely injured." Zale said getting the boat ready to set sail. "You have been nothing but a nuisance, and I'll be glad to get rid of you."

"You have no idea what it's like to be a monster I did what I did because I wanted to look normal again, what's happened to me is a curse that I have to live with. Now that I know that they were going to leave me here I regret what I did." Isaribi said tears streaming down her face as she spoke; her head now laid flat on the board not looking to be saved anymore just wanting to confess her demons. "Haven't you ever done something you're not proud of?"

Zale remained silent focusing on the boat. "Could you at least take Kimiko?" Isaribi asked a smile on her face actually happy about having admitted her demons, and how selfish she was. Zale was silent, and she turned her head. "Ah!" Zale brought down a blade hard, and her bounds were severed. "I thought that you didn't want me to come with you."

"You offered to be a part of my army a while ago, and since you're no longer with the enemy that means you'll be a good soldier for me." Zale said cutting her loose and putting Kimiko on the boat. "Get on."

"Don't you need some help pushing?" Isaribi asked.

"No, now get on before I decide to leave you here." Zale said, and she got in the boat deciding it best if she just went along with what he said. Zale hopped onto the boat, and moved his arms. The ground split open followed by wall giving them an open path to sea. "Alright then let's get on it." The water sloshed around throwing them forward at a fast pace. '_I'm coming for you, and you're going to pay for what you did to my team.' _

"Why are we stopping?" Isaribi asked seeing the boat come to a halt.

"Get out, and if things go bad then come out from under the water. We'll leave Kimiko in the boat to keep her out of trouble when things get messy." Zale said and Isaribi nodded hopping into the water. His signature black wings shot out of his back ripping his clothes that were already in tatters, and he flew across the water as fast as he could.

"How the hell did you survi!?" Suzy was cut off by a sharp blow to her cheek sending her skipping across the surface of the water.

"Cole!" Zale yelled turning to punch the boy his fist stopping an inch away from his face seeing he was now a redhead. "You should really be more careful." Gaara nodded, and Zale turned to look at Suzy who had recovered from the kick.

"How the hell did you survive that explosion?" Suzy asked shocked to be seeing him alive and kicking. "What did you do with Liam?"

"He's alive because I didn't have time to hang around." Zale said simply his wings twitching slightly. "Get the boat out of here Gaara, and don't stop moving until that money is in the hands of whoever it's going to."

"Yes sir." Gaara said turning to the men still frozen in place on the ship. "You heard the man get your butts in gear, we don't want to be anywhere near this place when they fight." The men scrambled around getting the sails up and dumping any unnecessary cargo to move them faster. "Aria, get up here, and move the water!"

"I'm busy trying to keep Cole on ice." Aria said struggling to keep the boy from busting out of the ice she had made to incase him.

"That has priority over that go, and we'll keep him caged for as long as we can." Chrome said and Aria nodded running to the deck leaving him and Kira to deal with Cole. "Do you think we're going to live?"

"Not really." Kira said strapping on his hand claws.

There was a loud explosion at the back of the boat, and everyone froze watching the mist clear. When it did three figures were revealed standing on top of the water. "What are you waiting for; move it!" Gaara commanded and they practically skipped across the water Aria and the strong winds keeping them at a 45 mile per hour speed.

"See that, Cole's coming to help, and you won't be able to do anything." Suzy said with a sneer.

"Actually he might have his hands full with Chrome and Kira." Zale said bringing his hands up and forming a hand sign. "Multi demon clone jutsu!"

"What the heck is a demon clone?" Suzy asked slightly curious looking at the smoke as it cleared. There were literally hundreds of Zale all of them with feral features and glowing red. "Oh shit."

They charged at her none of them even looking human making noises that a beast would going for any kind of logical attack just wanting to make some kind of damage before Suzy knocked them out of existence. Suzy tore through the clones delivering a knife to Zale's abdomen. "I knew that you were going to hide out behind the clones, so I just had to attack the one that wasn't going after me." Suzy said twisting the knife hard before the clone turned to nothing. "What the heck?"

"I'm no coward not back then not now if I need to settle a fight then I'm going to be settling it myself." Zale said before driving a rasengan into her stomach.

"AGH!" she screamed in utter pain as the spiraling sphere of destruction dug a hole deep in her stomach. "You bastard, I'll make you pay for this."

"I'd love to see you try." Zale said and she launched away the rasengan fading out of existence. He stood ready waiting for her to come up from under the water knowing she wasn't out. Steam rose up from the water clouding his vision, and keeping her hidden. "Hiding like this is cowardly!" Two hands wrapped around his ankles, and pulled him deep into the water.

"I've got you now, and I'm going to destroy you right here." Suzy said wrapping herself tightly around him, and squeezing. "I don't need to breathe for hours thanks to this oxygen seal on my neck; from the looks of things you're not going to last for another ten minutes." Zale scowled struggling against her, but she squeezed him tighter until he was purple circulation cut off leaving him unable to use his limbs. "How does it feel as your body functions are slowing down; your brain must have cut off your ability to use Manipulation to keep itself alive."

Zale was unable to speak left trying to hold onto his last bit of oxygen. "Leave him alone!" Someone pried Suzy right off of him leaving Zale to swim to the surface, and gasp for oxygen refilling his lungs as best he could.

"Who did that?" Zale asked looking around coughing out water. "Isaribi?"

"Yes sir." Isaribi said popping up next to him.

"You really know how to prove you were worth saving." Zale said looking around to see the water swirling around violently. "This is Suzy's doing, and I can't use Manipulation for a while."

"I'll take care of things until you can fight again." Isaribi said.

"Don't be crazy she can use Manipulation you wouldn't stand a chance."

"Even if she can use Manipulation we're in water, and this isn't a field that I'm going to go down in." Isaribi said and Zale nodded leaving her to dive, and take care of the situation temporarily. Isaribi looked around seeing Suzy on the sea floor her hands up and violently thrashing the water around.

"You had the nerve to get in the way of me killing that nuisance, and now you dare to come and face me. You'll regret not running away when you had the chance." Suzy said, but before she could make a move Isaribi was in front of her and delivered a sharp blow to her rasengan wound causing her to scream in pain. Suzy moved to grab her only to be thrown back by a sudden burst of water. "AH!"

"Kira gave me a basic understanding of Manipulation if you can't think straight then you can't use it." Isaribi said shooting several more jets of water straight into Suzy's wound causing her to scream in absolute pain. "It seems that you can't use Manipulation to heal yourself."

"Don't you dare think that you know my limitations." Suzy said now panting hard.

"I can fight down here all day and night if need be, but you're limited by the need for oxygen." Isaribi said Suzy glared at her, but she knew that it was the truth.

"You win this round just don't think it's because you're better than us." Suzy said swimming away rapidly, and Isaribi knew to let her go.

"Are you okay Zale?" Isaribi asked coming to the surface seeing that he seemed to have recovered.

"Yeah I'm fine, but we need to check up on the others they're facing off against Cole." Zale said pulling himself up on the water looking over to the battle that was still in place.

**With Chrome and Kira**

"You little punks are going to get it." Cole said angrily the water moving in response to his emotions. It was a problem he always had to let his emotions heavily influence his Manipulation. "Take this!" He waved his hands and a jet of water shot forward.

The water was blocked by a weak shield of iron sand the little that Chrome was able to gather, and the coins he had in his pocket at the time. "This will last for a while, but we need a strategy." Chrome said frowning. "If we had everyone here then we might stand a chance, but with just the two of us we're going to get our butts kicked."

"You always tend to look on the bright side of things don't you?" Kira asked.

"It's a habit." Chrome said with a shrug squeezing his fist tightly before launching across the water creating a stream of water.

"Ah!" Cole yelled running across the water to meet Chrome on impact. Suddenly Chrome dropped into the water shocking Cole. "What the heck?" Out of the mist Chrome had created Kira's fist came and punched him hard the claws on his fists cutting him deeply. He went to grab him only to be burned by Kira's body flames, and Kira dropped into the water. "Come back here!"

The water started to evaporate leaving him blind standing there waiting for them to make their next attack. "Over here!" Chrome called, and Cole took the bait launching at the sound of the voice. "Missed me!" Chrome delivered a sharp blow to the back of Cole's head.

"You little weasel." Cole said grabbing his leg and throwing him down into the water.

"Forgot about me!" said Kira attaching himself to Cole the fire on his body singing him.

"AHH," Cole yelled angrily ripping Kira from his person holding him by the neck. "I'm done playing with you idiots, now you're going to die!" He shoved his hand into Kira's stomach the organs immediately rearranging themselves in an incredibly painful way.

Kira was left unable to even scream feeling his innards shift around his heart almost in his throat. "Kira!" Chrome yelled coming out from the mist tackling Cole, but he was caught by Cole's hand that had pulled away from Kira's stomach.

"Now I've got you both." Cole said with a vicious smirk squeezing them both tightly causing them to cough up blood. "Now you little parasites are going down, and you'll never bother us again."

"Not this time!" Zale yelled launching a jet of water direct at Cole knocking him off his feet, and releasing his grip on Chrome and Kira. "Are you two okay?" They were unable to respond gasping for air their bodies trying to make sense of what just happened. "Alright just bear with me this is going to hurt a lot." Zale struck their stomachs with one finger this returning their breathing patterns returning to normal, but it left the rest of their organs to slowly move back. "Just hold on you'll be good as new in a little while."

"AHH!" yelled Kira his vocal cords now functioning. "Kill me, kill me please!"

"Just hold on Kira hold on." Isaribi said pulling him and Chrome onto a little island as they screamed and pleaded for death.

"Saving them like that; the rule is if you can't fight then you don't live." Cole said with a frown staring Zale down. "Did you forget the rule that you enforced so harshly?"

"I'm not the same person that I was back then, but you're the same devil you always were." Zale said his eyes shadowed by his hair red chakra restoring him. "Now I'm going to show you why I was the lead devil!" Zale shot forward on all fours kicking Cole into the air delivering sharp blows to keep him in the air.

Cole suddenly turned in the air avoiding Zale's kick. He grabbed Zale's foot as they hurtled toward the ground holding him under his body as they hit the water making a large splash. Cole and Zale stood on the water quick to recover from the feeling of slamming down on hard concrete. Zale launched forward ducking and weaving between the punches Cole threw.

"Hold still so I can hit you!" Cole yelled going to grab him only to be put in a body lock his limbs bent to the point of snapping like twigs under the strong grip Zale had on them. Zale was shocked when something struck him in the stomach taking him off Cole's back. A white sharp stick was sticking out of Cole's spine.

"You used your own spine?" Zale asked shocked by what he would do to win.

"Do whatever it takes until your opponent is begging at your feet." Cole said straightening up the sharp white shank sinking back into his spine.

"Shadow Clone jutsu!" screamed Zale forming the hand sign, and an army appearing behind him. Half of them stuck out their hand the other half formed purple rasengans in their hands. "Rasengan!"

Cole was hit with one rasengan after another each one demon empowered with demonic chakra tearing apart his body leaving withered flesh. "Did you kill him?" Chrome asked weakly sitting up.

"No." Zale said with a shake of his head. "He substituted himself, and escaped after the first few rasengans, he probably took off with Suzy." Zale fell to his knees panting hard the red chakra cloak receding leaving him exhausted.

"Well now that you took care of them for me how's about I take care of you!" Amichi said and they turned to see the green haired men in full fish form his red eyes sinister. "Summoning Jutsu!" None of them were in a condition to fight watching him as he formed a hand sign. Without warning a figure darted across the water a sharp wind following its movement, and it tackled Amichi attacking him harshly, and forcing him out of fish form. "Alright I give just get her off me."

"Yes!" a familiar red head cheered, and they saw her face finally. It was Kurumi her fluffy tail waving around behind her as she celebrated her victory over the man. "Hey guys I feel a lot better, and now I even got some of my chakra back!" She was completely excited.

"Hey guys did we miss all the fighting?" Satsuki asked and they turned to see her. "Kurumi said that she felt a lot better, and insisted on coming to help fight."

"As much as I hate to admit it she probably saved us." Kira said finally back to par flinching as he sat up forced to lay back down by Isaribi resting his head on her lap. "I hope that Aria and Gaara got the ship where it needed to go; it would suck to not get paid after all that."

"I'm sure they did." Zale said standing wobbly before falling unceremoniously on his butt. "Kurumi did you have a tail when I saw you before?"

"No." Kurumi said.

"Alright then." Zale said before laying back on the ground his eyes closing.

***A Week Later***

"We really can't thank you enough without you we would have never made the delivery in time if you all hadn't done the job. It was genius to lure out the sea monster by having us take off, and to think it was a male from the reports it sounded female." the person that hired them said shaking Zale's hand once again.

"Yeah it was a great plan." Zale said awkwardly everyone stone faced behind him. "Anyway thanks for the bonus it'll really help out."

"No problem, and if you're ever in town we'll treat you to some drinks." he said happily and Zale nodded before they left the village.

"Hey Zale?" Kurumi asked and he turned to face her. "Isaribi told me that you were planning on leaving her there, but that you cut her lose right before you left. What changed your mind?"

Zale turned away. "Nothing she said she would work for me, and if so then she'd be a valuable asset." Zale said.

"Don't lie you just hate to see a girl cry." Satsuki said and Zale blushed. "Aw we love a big softy."

"Anyway what happened to Kimiko?" Zale asked not looking either of them in the eye.

"We left her with a decent couple that couldn't have kids." Kira answered. "We should head out soon things are going to get sticky if Isaribi's seen."

"Why?" Zale asked questioningly and they looked at him. "I fixed her genetic code, although I can't take away her ability to transform I was able to make her human form completely normal."

"He's right." Isaribi said and they looked at her. No bandages just standing their wearing a happy smile. "Where are we going now?"


	26. Worshiped

**I do not own Naruto. ** Speaking/_Thoughts_

"What are we doing here; this place has nothing around for miles." Kira said looking around at the land of rice paddies with its large planes filled with water.

"There's something important right around here, but my memory might not be as accurate over the millions of years that I've been in spirit form." Zale said stomping around leaving deep impressions in the mud covered ground.

"What are we looking for that's so important?" Gaara asked imitating the stomping of Zale.

"It was an old base that isn't in fire country, and shouldn't be buried too deep to uncover." Zale said slamming his fist down hard the earth immediately moving, and uncovering a door. "This is the place, line up people you're about to witness millions of years of history before your eyes." The doors were barely standing as it was, and they easily ripped them off.

"This place is really well kept." Chrome said as they stepped into the area. It was unnaturally well clean not a speck of dust anywhere, the statues even looked waxed. "You don't think that there's anyone besides us that has found this place has there?"

"Even if there was it doesn't matter, we're not here to sight-seeing we're here to collect some valuables that I left here a while ago." Zale said not sharing their suspicions.

"Who goes there?!" someone demanded, and they turned to see a women holding a weapon that took both hands to hold, it was something most of them had never seen before. "You are trespassing on sacred ground, leave now, or I will shoot."

"Please what is that thing going to do?" Kira asked cockily before he was hit with several metal pellets in his shoulder. "AH!"

"Kira." Isaribi said panicked going to the floor and looking at the wound. "He's hurt badly we need to treat him, or he'll die from the blood loss."

"What is that weapon?" Chrome asked stunned by the precision and force that it had fired at. He hadn't even seen the projectile leave it, and now Kira was lying on the ground bleeding.

"He'll get treatment when you take him to the hospital now get out of here before I lose my patience." she said waving the gun once again making them all flinch, and take a step back except for Zale who was still examining his statue. "You get away from there, if you touch that then you'll be up for execution by my clan."

"Zale maybe you shouldn't anger this girl she has that weapon after all." Satsuki said taking a step toward him only to be shot at jumping back hugging Kurumi tightly. "Zale!"

"This, it should be right here." Zale said tapping a point right beneath a plaque that had an unknown language written on it. It slid in like a puzzle piece, and immediately the plaque slid away revealing a mirror that glimmered, and shone. "I haven't seen this in quite a while."

"I said get away from there!" the orange haired girl said firing her weapon with several times at Zale, and they all waited for him to scream out in pain and fall to the floor. "Huh?" she asked shocked to see that Zale had not been affected by her weapon the name had been lost to time.

"I know that you didn't one of my own weapons at me in my own base." Zale said angrily sticking a hand straight out holding the mirror. Everyone gasped seeing the similarity between him and the statue behind him even the mirror was the same an intimidating aura coming off of them both. "You're about to stare death in the face, any last words?"

For an instant everyone saw the same thing Zale not Zale in Naruto's body, but Zale standing on the battlefield of chaos ready to order an army without any second thought. "W-w-watashi no omo!" she said suddenly dropping to her knees dropping the weapon. "Forgive me for my rudeness; I had no idea that I was in the presence of such greatness."

"Zale do you know this girl?" Kurumi asked him recovering from her fear.

"How could I; I came back to life six months ago." Zale said with a shrug, but Kurumi kept giving him a nasty glare.

"Omo-Sama has been reincarnated in a new body, I am honored to have been here to witness your first appearance at one of your shrines." she said almost hyperventilating for what reason they didn't understand. "Please come with me, and I will introduce you to your loyalist of subjects in our clan."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Zale asked crossing his arms.

"You are the Great Emperor, he who is capable of miracles of god, and will lead the world into a new golden age. You were stricken down by an enemy, but under the promise of returning to your loyalist of subjects, and giving us a new world where we can prosper." she said reciting the story that was engraved upon her memory. "We have preserved this shrine for thousands of years after discovering, and translating the ancient scriptures."

"Did you intend to start a religion Zale?" Chrome asked.

"No, but from what I saw after I was killed by the hero the world and empire I created went to hell just like it was before. It wouldn't surprise me if people saw me as some kind of savoir for making the world an orderly place again." Zale mumbled walking past Chrome, and looking down at the girl. "What is your name?"

"It is Sasame Fuma, my Great Emperor if you wish to strike me down then I would be honored to be ended by my lord." Sasame said tears streaming down her face, and tears streaming down her face. "Please end my life in any way you see fit for misdeed I have committed against you." They looked down at Sasame freaked out by the commitment that this girl had to her religion they guessed.

"Now there's no need to kill anyone, stand up, and take me to these loyal subjects of mine." Zale said patting her head this simple action seemed to make her incredibly happy. Sasame immediately stood and nodded walking quickly the others following behind her through winding passageways and tunnels. Where they came was an amazing underground cavern filled with people.

"Subjects of the Great Emperor," Sasame called out her voice echoing loudly over the cavern. "Our savior has returned to us!" People looked up to see Zale standing with Sasame beside him clearly excited about being able to introduce the Great Emperor. None of them seemed to believe her, and continued about their day leaving them all standing there to be grabbed by guards, and taken away.

Later Zale was sitting on a matt a frown on his face. He had decided that it would be better if they didn't fight back against these people and just go along with the situations and if things went ugly then they had permission to fight their way out. "Well is this the Great Emperor that we have been informed from Sasame has existed." an old man said with mirth in his voice. He had a pointed hat, and a long white beard that covered the lower half of his face.

"Don't taunt me." Zale said. He had actually been excited to see these people, and didn't like that the second one he had met was so disrespectful.

"Yes well you see we have had many fake emperors come in, and give us false hope. Unfortunately we have disproved them all, and the penalty is death for such a false claim for both you and Sasame. Your friends we will let go, but perhaps death won't be necessary in this case." He stood up, and motioned for Zale to follow.

A large crowd had gathered; Sasame had been stood wearing a white kimono behind her stood their executioner holding a polished katana. Where the others where Zale didn't know. "What is your test?" Zale asked looking around. There was water around the platform they stood upon, what looked like a flower bed that had been recently tended, and a dead bird lied down peacefully on a stone table.

"The legends state that the Great Emperor is capable of making flowers bloom, and breathing life into a dead soul. If you are capable of such feats we will believe you are our Great Emperor, and honor you as such." the old man said putting on a priest rob, and handling an old metal staff that Zale had used quite some time ago.

Zale looked around it wouldn't be hard to give life back to a bird unlike humans they had no complex body functions that couldn't be immediately repaired by Manipulation, while blooming flowers were more difficult. You would have to force to growing process to accelerate, and then have their roots expand then Manipulate the water in the ground into their bodies then force growth. If you pushed too hard then the plant would die, and you would be left with dead crops.

Kneeling down to look at the flowerbed Zale clapped his hands together, and focused hard. The flowers budded then bloomed blossoming beautiful unnatural colors that left everyone amazed with their breath take away from.

Quietly someone handed Zale the dead bird not daring to look him in the eye, and then stepped back trying not to trip. Zale took in a deep breath through his mouth breathing out a golden light (this was just for showmanship) the bird's wings fluttering, and then it hopped to its feet chirping happily.

You could hear a pin drop the silence was so deafening, and then people erupted cheering and jumping in excitement. The priest dropped the staff falling to his knees the men that had taken them earlier doing the same everyone else following. "Honor the Great Emperor!" Sasame said everyone echoing her cheer.

***Scene Change***

Zale now held a stronger position over the priest who was holding his tea cup with a jittery hand refusing to look up from his tea cup not even attractive woman that had served him the tea. "Great Emperor, please excuse my indiscretions, if I had known it was you I would have never spoken with such arrogance." he said bowing his head humbly.

"Water under the bridge." Zale said waving his hand and this immediately calmed the priest who raised his head.

"Speak for yourself you should have seen the way those guys pushed around Shiki they deserve to die!" Kurumi said her instinctive sister guard gene kicking in.

"Kurumi you shouldn't say that when your words can actually kill someone." Zale said watching the guards that had taken Shiki held at knife point by several others; he dismissed them by waving his hand once again. "Anyway I had no idea that I had this many followers as a dead guy. I'd like to know what happens now."

"What happens now?" the priest asked slightly shocked from the question. "You are the Great Emperor you are to lead us into a golden age in human prosperity, and will reward our loyalty to this religion. We have prayed for your return, and now you will reward us."

"Right, but how do you want me to do this? What you want from me is oddly general, the fact that you've been loyal to me all these years means that you do deserve some kind of recognition, but if you give me some kind of specific thing you need done then things would be much easier." Zale said, and the priest nodded stroking his beard.

"Well there are some things that definitely need some attention in both out above ground dwellings, and the underground. Along with the Fuma clan we have a few dozen more here with us as well as any outsiders that were saved by your religion. All of them wish for something, I can take you to them, so they can make their requests of you." he said leading Zale to one of the clan areas.

"First before I address our petty problems to you Great Emperor please know that it's a great honor to finally meet you." the man said bowing his head, and Zale nodded letting him stand straight. "Our main source of income the moon blooms have not been sprouting, and this has left us in a bad situation. Would it be too much trouble to ask them to bloom once again?"

"It's no trouble at all." Zale said walking over to the flowers. They were definitely dead, and that was due to the ground. It was dry and sucked up of its nutrients, but with a little demon chakra the flowers would be self-dependent, and would be able to survive on the little sunlight they had. A slight difference was that they would bloom faster, and more frequently.

A red hue spread throughout the field of moon bloom flower before the flowers stood a little straighter, and looked healthier. "My goodness that is certainly amazing." the clan head said shocked by how easily Zale had been able to solve their problems. "Thank you, thank you, you must stay for tea."

"I would, but there are quite a few things that need to be done today. Maybe next time." Zale said shaking his hand before following the priest to the next problem, and the next, and the next.

"Well those problems certainly took their sweet amount of time." Kurumi said stretching her joints that made loud pops before her muscles relaxed.

"I don't know it was nice to see all the people that Zale's helped." Satsuki said coming out of one of the two bathrooms in the elegant room they were in. She was dressed in her usual night clothes. "How's the bed Kurumi?"

"It's so much better than all of the cheap dingy hotels that we usually stay in." Kurumi said spread out star shaped on the bed still leaving room for Satsuki and Zale. "It must be silk or something it's so comfortable religious people really know how to treat their messiahs." Satsuki sat down on the bed next to her, and they sat in silence.

"Hey looks like today wore you two out." Zale said walking in from the other bathroom freshly showered, and wearing pajamas provided for him by those that followed him.

"You know Zale it was nice to see you help people, and you know this bed wouldn't be a bad place to get it on." Kurumi said bouncing up and down excitedly Satsuki immediately blushed. "Oh come on I know that you've thought about it, and I know that you've thought about weirder things than I have."

"How do you know that?!" Satsuki demanded turning a brighter shade of red.

"You talk in your sleep." Kurumi said.

"I've never heard her." Zale said interested by the sudden change of conversation.

"That's because you sleep like a dead man Zale." Kurumi said, and Satsuki buried her face in a pillow. "Wait a second do you hear that?" They stopped, and their ears perked up trying to locate the sound. It was a squeaking one with a rhythm, and it was coming from the next room over. "That's Gaara's room; he's doing it with Shiki!"

"Well what do you know; I didn't even know he had a sex drive." Zale said.

***Gaara's Room***

"Gaara it feels so good!" Shiki said.

"Shiki get down from there, you're going to break it." Gaara said trying to stop her from jumping on the bed.

"But it's so good on my feet." Shiki said bouncing before down hard and falling on the bed asleep.

***Zale's Room***

Zale got a pillow thrown at his head. "What did I do?" Zale asked ducking under the several others.

"If they can do it then why can't we?" Kurumi asked angrily tossing pillow after pillow. Once things had calmed down the three of them were lying down in bed Zale in between the two girls. "You know this is really nice, I could get used to this."

They blew out the candles beside the bed, and drifted off to sleep.

A burst of wind awoke Zale in the middle of the night darkness barely allowing him to make out the outlines of objects, but one thing was clear the door was open wide, and it hadn't been when he went to sleep. With Kurumi and Satsuki sprawled out on the bed he was able to leave the room to investigate this. He found Sasame trying to sneak off the above ground balcony they had in the shrine they were currently residing in. "Great Emperor, I was just leaving!"

"No you weren't you were in my room, and you left the door open." Zale said, and she immediately she turned away. "What the heck do you think you were doing if someone had seen you then they would have killed you on sight."

"I-I apologize." Sasame said nervously bowing down low her eyes clenched shut.

"Look Sasame there's no judgment, but I want to know why you were in there. Actually I wouldn't mind having a few questions answered as nice as things have been since we've come here there are a few things that don't make too much sense to me." Zale said shaking his head, and Sasame froze. "For instance there were ten devils, but you all chose to worship me. Not only that, but I've been hearing rumors of the unfaithful."

"Great Emperor, Zale, I was in your room tonight trying to muster up the courage to ask you for my own favor." Sasame said her fists tightening as she steeled her resolve. "I will admit to the fact that the Fuma clan has not been as faithful as we would care to admit, but he meant well they all meant well. A man came, and he lured away several members of the clan including my cousin Arashi with the promise of restoring the clan to its former glory. We have heard nothing of them since, and I wanted to bring him back."

"What was this man's name?" Zale asked having a creeping suspicion.

"His name was Orochimaru." Sasame said.

"We're going on another adventure." Chrome said appearing from nowhere and Zale nodded not at all shocked about it. "I'll get things ready, and we'll leave in the morning."

"Yeah get on that." Zale said helping Sasame to her room before helping Chrome with gathering needed supplies.

"Should we take those?" Chrome asked pointing to the weapon that Sasame had fired at them earlier. There was a large assortment of them in a room.

"No the originals that we used jammed and exploded a lot; these are based on those terrible designs, and are probably even more dangerous." Zale said with a shake of his head grabbing a few extra kunai. They had put an arsenal in the shrine, and they were grateful for that.

"Great Emperor what are you doing?" Gomu asked seeing that he seemed prepared to go on a long journey. "You don't intend on leaving do you, you've not been here a week. There are still many things that require your attention."

"Don't worry I'm coming back; I'm just going to take care of some business with a guy that I don't like." Zale said replacing his old shirt.

"But sir if you were to leave now then everyone would be horrified, and I cannot guarantee that the people will allow you to leave." Gomu said.

"What do you mean not allow me to leave?" Zale asked.

"Well Zale you're like a god like figure to these people; if you were to suddenly leave then they'll probably go ballistic." Chrome said putting a hand on Zale's shoulder to calm him. If there was one thing that Zale hated it was people trying to keep him locked up. "We need to think about this they're your followers, and it would be better to keep them happy for now."

"Yeah okay, but at the first sign of trouble call me on the communicator, and I'll be there as soon as I can." Zale said and Chrome nodded before getting the others and giving them their equipment before they left with Sasame.

"This wouldn't be that bad we could start a family here." Kurumi said happily putting on the clothes that were provided for her. It was a white outfit that complimented her figure held closed by a red sash, but it definitely wasn't a kimono just a few inches below her knees, and the sleeves were very loose.

"Still this outfit seems a little more revealing than it needs to be." Satsuki said trying to pull out the fabric only for it to stick to her body. "What's Zale wearing?"

"Don't want to talk about it." Zale said with a frown. He was wearing full battle armor exactly alike to the one he wore on the statue, and although on Zale's original body it would have looked intimidating and fierce on Naruto's still small body it was almost laughable. In an attempt to make him look more like he did before they had even dyed his hair to an unnatural black color, and had him decked out in old fashion war paint.

"Oh don't worry Zale it looks cute." Kurumi said trying to hold in her laughter cheeks turning pink against her tan skin in effort.

"It wasn't meant to be cute this outfit was meant for combat, and to strike fear in my opponents." Zale said angrily tearing off a few pieces than making a few changes to the war paint. He revealed himself again, and now his appearance was less comical and more intimidating.

"Aw you look like a real warrior." Kurumi said happily.

"I am a real warrior." Zale said angry at how patronizing her voice sounded. "I was a ruthless killer that was the first to take the leap of forced human evolution on myself making the next step in the evolutionary chain, and became an established machine of death and turmoil. Not only that, but I couldn't be sealed."

A tick mark appeared on Kurumi's head as well as steam coming off her head in anger. "Yeah, but you died." Kurumi said feeling victorious. Zale decided to leave it at that before things got ugly.

"It's fun to watch you two go at it; it's like watching children fight really." Satsuki said flinching when she received glares from both of them. "Anyway when are we going to appear to the public?"

"We're going to leave as soon as Gomu comes for us." Zale said. "Why do you suddenly look so happy Kurumi?"

"You know Zale since technically this is a religion, and technically Gomu is a priest he can marry us." Kurumi said with a devious smirk on her face, and she tackled Zale to the bed pinning his limbs and keeping him from moving. "Oh come on consummating the marriage early won't hurt anybody, and I know that Satsuki's on my side with this."

Zale turned to look at Satsuki she was blushing, but wasn't making any move to stop Kurumi if anything she was watching a bit too intently. "I uh." Zale was speechless watching as Kurumi lifted her hand from his arm, and started undoing the buttons on his shirt.

"Come on I promise it'll feel nice." Kurumi said in a sultry voice neither of them had heard before.

"Great Emperor it's time to address the public." Gomu said walking in to the scene opened mouthed.

"On it." Zale said somehow escaping from under Kurumi and buttoning up his shirt on the way out Gomu following closely behind trying to get details from him.

"I was this close." Kurumi said angrily fixing her clothes before following with a seemingly frustrated Satsuki behind her. "Then again Zale's such an innocent guy when it comes to this stuff, it might have taken a long time to get in a rhythm."

"You mean Zale's never you know done it before?" Satsuki asked.

"From what he's told me about his past life he never has, but it'll be fun to teach him." Kurumi said with a perverted grin on her face. "What about you Satsuki, do you think it would be fun to teach him every little thing, and how the female body works."

"Oh I don't know." Satsuki said blushing red not daring to look Kurumi in the eye.

"You know that you'd like to." Kurumi said right before they stepped out onto the balcony with Zale greeting the mass of people that had gathered all of then unaware of the discussion that had happened right before they had come out here.


	27. Akiyama

**I do not own Naruto. ** Speaking/_Thoughts_

"This lifestyle's gotten old quick." Zale mumbled to himself with his left eye lid twitching which he found odd considering that he always assumed his right eye would twitch. They were sitting down to a tea ceremony with several other people that were considered of importance to his followers. Normally being worshipped or feared Zale was used to, but these people did neither of those things. They spoke in a way like they were superior to him, and deserved his respect.

"Yes I'm sure that being pampered gets tiring after two days." Kurumi muttered back sarcastically. She hadn't felt the same annoyance that Zale had, and liked the lifestyle of not having to do anything even with having to deal with these people. "Look just deal with this for now according to Gomu we only need to have a few meetings with them every now and then."

"Still some of these people seem just a little too much like Danzo for me to be comfortable around them." Satsuki said bowing her head when everyone else did.

"Thank you all for coming, and if there is nothing else to discuss then this meeting will now officially conclude." Zale said bowing down in a traditional manner that to him felt degrading. _'These people might be a little dangerous in the future; Gomu says that they have quite a bit of money invested in the religion, and they threaten to pull their funding to get their way. If they demand something outrageous then I might have to give it to them.' _

"Great Emperor I hope that this meeting did not bore you it seemed like you were particularly distracted all throughout it." Gomu said stroking his long beard.

"Yeah well I can't be expected to like everything that I need to do." Zale said with a shrug of his shoulders. He received a tap on the shoulder from the one that had been kneeling right across from Zale a tall man with broad shoulders and a stern face. Although he wore a smile on his face you could tell that he had seen his fair share of battle by the scars that covered his exposed skin. "Hello Mr. Akiyama."

"It is an honor Great Emperor; it's nice to know that our faith has grounds. In all honesty there was some doubt regarding your return for a good chunk of time." Mr. Akiyama said with a laugh shaking Zale's hand with a bone crushing grip. "Would you be open to a spar among allies, it would be a nice way to prove your power."

This was said loud enough for others to hear and that left Zale in a position where he couldn't refuse the fight less the people's opinion of him be tarnished, but he had no idea what Mr. Akiyama had to gain from wanting to fight. "I suppose that it wouldn't be a problem I don't have anything of importance going to for the rest of the day."

"But Great Emperor the hot spring grand opening was going to happen today." Gomu said clearly disappointed by this. "I will make the arrangements, and it will be quite interesting to see you battle Akiyama-sama he's an infamous warrior with many years of fighting under his belt."

"Yes well just be sure not to destroy this old man." Akiyama said pulling his hand from Zale's, and they shared a laugh. They moved to a dojo with a wooden floor, and plenty of areas for observers that wished to witness the fight. "How do you wish to fight?"

"A hand to hand combat will do the first one to get a solid hit will be the winner." Zale said and Akiyama nodded taking off the upper half of his clothes revealing his muscular figure as well as a tattoo of a dragon across his chest. People had gathered now, and were excited to see such a strong fighter facing off against the Great Emperor.

Zale ran forward intending to end the spar quickly, but was caught off guard when Akiyama parried the attack with the exact right defense. "Is there a problem Great Emperor?" Akiyama asked standing up straight. "I hope that I didn't hurt you."

"No you just caught me off guard." Zale said adjusting his stance for the estimated weight that he assumed Akiyama was. He ran forward once again parrying every blow that Akiyama made; Akiyama doing the same to his own hits. Neither of them looked like they were going to give up or tire any time soon each hit deflected by the other who would strike back.

"It's like a dance." Satsuki observed watching them attack and defend stepping rapidly around each other no movement wasted. "Still if Zale were to use Manipulation then I doubt Akiyama would stand a chance."

"No." Kurumi said shaking her head. "This man uses a taijutsu specifically made to counteract Zale's and I'm sure even if Zale were to use Manipulation in this fight he would be hard pressed to bring Akiyama down. In an all-out fight with each other Akiyama would lose by a narrow margin he might even win depending on the circumstance."

"Could Akiyama really be that much of a threat?" Satsuki asked turning back to the battle. Both of them has sweat poring off of them, and as hard as they tried to stand straight in front of the other there was a slight slouch in both of their posture.

"Ha that is a fine a spar as I ever had; I hope that you see me as a worthy fighter Great Emperor." Akiyama said with a smile shaking Zale's hand.

"Please Akiyama call me Zale." Zale said returning the hand shake. As nice as their words sounded the message that Akiyama wished to send was clear "If you cross me know that I can kill you." "I say we call it a day for now no need to scare everyone."

"My, my, the presence of those two in the same dojo is simply overwhelming." Gomu said stroking his hand clutching the staff tightly. Despite saying this Gomu seemed to be the only one that wasn't physically trembling from the pressure that they were producing making them think that Gomu was more than just an old man with a wise looking beard.

"I hope we can have more spars in the future." Akiyama said pulling his shirt back on. "Have a good day Zale it was a pleasure meeting you."

***With the others***

"Sasame do you know where we're going to go, or are we just wandering around aimlessly?" Chrome asked tired from the hike that had been going on for what seemed to be forever even though it had at most only been a few hours.

"Of course I know where I'm going." Sasame said coming to a sudden halt. "Still we should take a break it wouldn't do to go in there tired I packed us all lunch." Sasame reached into her pack and set up a lunch looking at the other expectantly as she knelt down grabbing a rice ball.

"I guess she's right, take a knee guys." Chrome said and they took off their gear sitting down to the meal that was well prepared. "You really know how to cook this stuff is really good."

"Thank you, it's an honor to know that I'm useful to the subordinates of the Great Emperor." Sasame said with a smile watching them all with an intuitive eye. "Would any of you like some tea?" Everyone took some except for Gaara. "Are you sure that you don't want any Gaara?"

"No thank you, I never cared for tea." Gaara said his eyes closed as he bit into a rice ball.

"Gaara that food made me sleepy." Shiki said yawning and rubbing her eyes. She dropped snoring softly followed by everyone else.

"Just as I thought, you drugged the food." Gaara said getting to his feet unsteadily.

"Why aren't you going down?" Sasame asked slightly shocked to see him standing even though it was shaky. "You ate just as much as everyone else even if you didn't drink the tea."

"I'm a Jinchuriki the demon chakra that runs through my veins will burn these drugs out of my system in five minutes I'll be at full fighting capacity, within ten they'll wake up, and within fifteen they'll be ready to fight." Gaara said his power increasing even as he spoke.

"Then we'll make the most of the time that we have." someone said their voice coming from everywhere as webs shot around them cutting off escape routes, and leaving Gaara with little option to fight. "You won't be able to use your taijutsu thanks to my webs limiting your movement, and any ninjutsu would be caught up in my webs."

"You're an idiot our power is not limited to such pitiful ninja techniques." Gaara said purple chakra pumping out of him making him more aware. Someone launched at him intent to take him and the others out before they were at full power. Without warning an earth spike shot up right through his stomach leaving him stuck there.

"You bastard you killed Kamikiri!" the same voice from before yelled angrily. It was an exaggeration with modern medicine it would be easy to heal such a wound. "I'll destroy you and then the Great Emperor!"

"Over there!" Gaara yelled his sand launching at a spot in the webbing filled with darkness. "What the?" Gaara was thrown into the webs by the fist of a bald man with a scar over his right eye. His limbs were stuck as if superglue was holding them in place, and the bald man stood over him holding a kunai ready to end Gaara's life.

"Hi-ya!" Shiki yelled a spinning kick knocking the man to the side using his kunai to Gaara free.

"You cut that pretty close Shiki." Gaara said grabbing the kunai when one arm was free.

"I was tired!" Shiki whined dropping to her knees the little demon chakra she had was working rather slowly to cleanse her system.

"It doesn't matter just stay back now, and leave the rest to me." Gaara said, and she nodded yawning cutely. Gaara waved his arm and from the earth hundreds of spikes raised intent to take out the spider ninja wherever he may be. There were no screams of agony telling him that they were not killed. "They can't penetrate these spikes you'd need to be a ghost to get through here."

"Or a spider!" someone yelled calling Gaara's attention to see the bald man with long spider like limbs expertly maneuvering through the spikes. More spikes sharper and longer than the ones before went to rip him apart, but he avoid them easily crawling over.

"I'm getting tired of this!" Gaara yelled sand flying off the spikes after Jigumo. Spider webs shot out of Jigumo's mouth wetting the sand making it too heavy for Gaara to use. _'I might have a chance of getting away or even winning, but they'll only drag me down and waiting for them to recover isn't an option here. What do I do?'_

"Jigumo stop the deal was to take them to Orochimaru not kill them." Sasame said watching her bald clan member preforming a jutsu that would undoubtedly kill the group. "He was going to talk to them, and then we would still be able return to the Great Emperor."

"Screw the Great Emperor; he let the Fuma clan lose their power, and now one of his own killed Kamikiri! I'm going to kill them all no matter what Orochimaru says!" Jigumo prepared the final hand seal and launched a destructive fireball that would incinerate them on impact.

"No!" Sasame yelled suddenly throwing a kunai wrapped in paper through the fireball cutting it in two leaving Gaara and the others safe if only slightly singed. "That wasn't the plan, and I'm not going to let you kill them!" Sasame grabbed his arm trying to hold him back from preforming another jutsu.

"Get out of my way Sasame." Jigumo by now had lost his patience, and had thrown Sasame off of his arm intent to kill the Manipulators.

A pillow of sand caught Sasame bringing her to the location where Gaara and the others were holding up. A sand shield rose up consuming a great deal of whatever chakra had Gaara left, a great deal of his mind was occupied trying to retain it leaving him no room to process an attack. "I'm sorry I had no idea that they would kill you I was told that they would only take you to Orochimaru, not kill you."

"He's a vile person that has killed thousands in genetic experiments, and has even taken some of your own clan members what do you think would happen?" Gaara asked in a monotone voice causing Sasame to flinch. "It doesn't matter now anyway; you did the right thing in the end and for that I'll forgive you, but I can't say the same for the others."

"Thank you." Sasame said tears in her eyes. Gaara's eyes closed creating his third eye technique outside of the sand dome watching Jigumo treat the injured Kamikiri. "I never thought that those three would resort to anything like this even if Orochimaru ordered it killing you all is beyond the question."

"Wait a second three?" Gaara asked looking around violently with the third eye trying to locate the third ninja who was nowhere in sight. The question of where he was was answered when a hunchbacked man slammed down into the earth blowing away the sand shield as well as leaving them exposed. "Oh crap."

Kagero turned to look at them his big buck teeth accompanied with a large hump disgusting Gaara and Shiki who instinctively took a step back. "Sand coffin!" Gaara yelled trying as a last ditch effort entrapping the brute in sand, and closing his hand. There was a sickening crunch, but neither blood nor screams of agony came to sight leaving him to wonder what had happened.

"Antlion Ninja Arts: Ephemeral." a soft voice said causing Gaara to spin around. It was a pasty faced green haired girl with four glowing chakra wings on her back radiating power. She flew at Gaara intending to get close before trying her ultimate technique.

Gaara intended to block with a sand shield, but that option was stopped when she teleported right in front of him easily penetrating his defense and knocking him back off his feet. "Ouch." Gaara said rubbing his stomach which was already healing. "What is she doing?"

"This technique will destroy you, I have no doubt that these words are true, and I am glad that I was the one able to defeat those that opposed lord Orochimaru." Kagero said in her same soft voice her four wings folding in to form a single pillar that sent of destructive energy at them.

"Demon jutsu: Raccoon's Claw!" Gaara yelled out his form cloaked in chakra one arm shooting out to intercept the beam both chakra forces fighting for dominance. "AHHH!" he yelled sweat forming in beads dropping off his face putting as much into the attack as he possibly could.

In the end neither attack one both dying out leaving Kagero to fall to the ground in a near death state, and Gaara's body tearing itself apart then healing. Sasame ran forward catching the girl in her arms and delicately maneuvering her onto her back. Jigumo was torn knowing if he tried to fight especially with the others Manipulators looking like they would wake up soon that he would lose, but if he left with just Kamikiri then Kagero would be in their hands. "Forgive me Kagero." he muttered under his breath grabbing Kamikiri before running off.

"Gaara what happened?" Chrome asked seeing the torn apart landscape and the damaged Gaara.

"Some enemies drugged the food that Sasame prepared somehow, and they attacked when you fell asleep." Gaara said his story excepted by the others who believed that he had no reason to lie to him. "That girl's name is Kagero, and she's used a jutsu that's left her in a near death state. We need to get her back and have her taken care of."

"Isn't she an enemy?" Kira asked. They turned to Chrome letting him make the decision in the absence of Zale.

"She's also been Manipulated by Orochimaru, and from what I've heard about him he can manipulate people pretty well. We'll take her back and get her in the right state of mind if she still sides with Orochimaru then we'll take care of it." Chrome said the others nodding before going back.

**Review please**


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