2 A battle in the woods.

[you can skip to chap 12 to avoid re-reading the parts of summoner of the league, it deviates starting from there.]

Naruto didn't even have the time to be freaked out or find out what the seals did. He heard rustling in the trees. Naruto's time with the scroll was ruined as he looked up and noticed Iruka looking down at him. His face was an odd mixture of humor and anger. Somehow, in the stillness of the night, while Naruto was getting his ear torn off by Iruka's rambling, he heard something else. Something swirling in the trees.

He watched as Mizuki stepped out behind Iruka and started talking "You really are an idiot Naruto, to think you would go to such lengths as betraying your village, just to bring me a forbidden scroll for me to give to Orochimaru-sama! Truly for the brat with that damned Kyuubi inside him, you would think you wouldn't be so useless!" Naruto did the best to adopt a look of shock and disbelief as Mizuki laughed at his face maniacally. "That's right Naruto! You are the Kyuubi who attacked Konoha 12 years ago!" Mizuki proclaimed as Naruto glared at him. Iruka widened his eyes as he turned to look at Naruto, and seemingly falling for Naruto's acting as well.

"Now you know why you are hated and why you will forever be the filth of this village. The Sandaime made sure that everyone hated you, that NO one loved you! It makes me wonder who would truly love someone like you! Now, why don't you be a good brat and die!" Mizuki shouted as he flung his Fuma shuriken towards Naruto's face. Naruto could hear the blades hissing through the air and he honestly made no attempt to move. Iruka gasped before he found his strength and desperately charged at Naruto. Iruka pushed Naruto to the ground only for the shuriken to slam into his backside letting out a painful yell from the academy teacher as blood dripped from his backside.

"Why Iruka?! Why would you protect the same demon that killed your parents?!" Mizuki asked. Iruka chuckled as the shuriken seemed to embed itself even harder. With one hand he touched Naruto's forehead. "It's not fair is it Naruto? To work so hard, but to never be acknowledged, I understand that pain well. He's wrong you know. You're smart. Smarter than anyone in the class. You might think you don't care, but I know you do. I know you aren't what they call you," Iruka said. Naruto would have snorted now thinking back to that. Iruka must have thought too highly of him. No, he didn't care about proving himself to others. He sent a small glare over to where Mizuki was standing.

"Naruto, you have to take the scroll and get away. You can't let Mizuki have the scroll!" Iruka said urgently.

Oh please, Naruto wasn't an idiot. Of course, he knew he couldn't let the man have the scroll. However, at the same time, Naruto had a rather hard peeve with being insulted. even if it wasn't his body. He loathed it. He…absolutely…loathed…IT! "Sorry Iruka-sensei, but that's not an option," Naruto said as he stood to his feet. He quickly dusted himself off from the dirt before he sidestepped Iruka. Iruka watched Naruto in surprise and shock.

"Oh?! The demon is going to fight me?! You who failed the academy test three times think you have a snowball's chance of defeating me, a chunin?!" Mizuki proclaimed boastfully. Naruto could feel his right hand burning as he continued glaring at Mizuki. He tightened his right fist. "…" Naruto didn't reply as he looked down at his right arm. An interesting development. He didn't know what to think of the seal lighting up like this. But soon it struck him as memories flooded his brain from what he assumed was the seal. "So that's how it works.

"Sounds like fun! Bring it on demon brat! Show me the power of the Kyuubi!" Mizuki shouted with a mad cackle as Naruto took a firm step in front of Iruka. A power was coursing through his right arm begging him to be unleashed. Naruto looked down and noticed the kanji for the numbers 7 & 8 light up. "Naruto don't fight him! Just run!" Iruka pleaded, but he only saw Naruto raise his hand into the air.

"Be silent Iruka Umino-sensei. I will teach Mizuki-sensei that NO ONE insults Uzumaki Naruto! Summoning Technique (Kuchiyose no Jutsu." Naruto shouted as he slammed his hand into the ground. Iruka covered his eyes as did Mizuki as smoke came over the area. Naruto squinted his eyes for a brief moment before the smoke started to dispel. Naruto, Iruka, and Mizuki looked on as…a little girl appeared from the mist. Her pink hair actually reminded Naruto of Sakura, if he remembered correctly though this little girl's hair was probably a shade darker than Sakura's. Her shirt was simply purple in color as well as her semi-pink skirt. Naruto blinked. Had…he summoned what he thought he had? He looked down at his hand and noticed both Kanji 7 & 8 were lit. So…why did he only see this little girl here? Why was a little girl here at all?! However, something was wrong. Growing up as he did and playing games that required strategy and forward thinking, Naruto had a knack for assessing situations. Though…perhaps that needed refining given this situation with Mizuki at the moment. In any case, this little girl who looked like someone who shouldn't even be in this world. She gave him a playful giggle before turning around to Mizuki.

"Hey Mister, have you see my bear, Tibbers?" she asked. Mizuki and Iruka gawked though Iruka was the only one showing fear. While it was impressive that Naruto performed B-ranked ninjutsu. given the blond's record with ninjutsu and genjutsu in general, he had actually summoned an innocent little girl to a full-blown fight. Iruka had to get up before Naruto got this girl killed! "Ha! Is this the best that your power can do? How you killed the Yondaime is far beyond me! I will become the true hero this village deserves by slaughtering you, Iruka, and this little brat!" Mizuki laughed as he took out a kunai.

"No Mizuki! let her live!" Iruka shouted from his place and started to stand, but a hand from Naruto stopped him. He could feel it in his head. A connection bonding with the girl on the ground and….the shadow in the trees. He knew this girl's name and honestly, he should have known it when he first saw her, seeing as he had played her many times. He also knew the person in the tree's name for the same reason. Mizuki had to be so sure of his victory that he didn't even check his surroundings and sense the woman in the trees. Naruto snorted. It didn't matter though, Naruto would make him regret it!

"Go on, Annie, and kill him," Naruto ordered. The smile on the girl's face seemed to darken as Iruka and Mizuki watched a fire cover her hands. "Playtime!" Annie said happily and before Mizuki could even question the situation a huge fireball fired from the little girl's hands. Iruka and Mizuki gasped.

"Nani?!" Mizuki screamed before he dodged to the fireball by jumping to the side. Annie's eyes followed his form before she tossed another fireball at him.

Mizuki jumped up and over the fire shot just in time to watch it completely incinerate the tree behind him. Iruka was stunned to silence while Naruto turned to Annie. He then glanced back to the figure in the trees. He could understand them. Their abilities, their names, their very memories. He could feel it following into him. Like pieces of a puzzle, they joined together in his mind.

The archer in the trees awaited his command. Naruto held his hand into the air. "Wait for my signal. Annie, make sure he doesn't escape," Naruto commanded. Annie gave another grin before she laughed as she skipped towards Mizuki as the man landed to the ground. Iruka just continued to watch, stunned. "Was this summoning from the forbidden scroll? What a strange jutsu," Iruka thought to himself.

Mizuki's thoughts were in disarray. How the hell could a little girl command the powers of fire release without using hand signs?! Is this the demon's true power? Mizuki thought but he didn't have time to think as Annie came up to him. He watched as the fire filled her hands.

"Don't be a scaredy-cat!" Annie exclaimed before she fired another volley of fire in Mizuki's direction. Mizuki quickly jumped to the side before tossing three kunai at Annie. She had to be eliminated at all costs. However, Mizuki only watched in disbelief as a shield of fiery aura surrounded Annie. The kunai effortlessly melted into the flames as Mizuki sucked his teeth.

He backflipped through the air as Annie continued to grin. Mizuki looked around the area before focusing on Naruto. He gave a quick glare to Naruto. 'So he's controlling her? Well, I'll just take the damn fox out first!' Mizuki thought before he dodged another fire volley. Mizuki jumped over Annie causing her to gasp.

"You failed, Kyuubi! I'm going to kill you now, no hard feelings!" Mizuki said while laughing as he swung a kunai at Naruto. Naruto closed his eyes and couldn't resist a smirk. "Checkmate Mizuki-teme! Now, Ashe!" Naruto ordered. Iruka and Mizuki gasped as a teenage girl dropped to the ground. Everything about this girl screamed, cold. Not the emotion, but the literal feeling. The flames of hell behind Mizuki from Annie and the cold front of Ashe in front of him. Her blue and gold hood, cape, battle skirt, and shirt had Mizuki glued, but the thing that gave her away was the solid ice bow in her hands along with five frozen ice arrow. Ashe narrowed her eyes with a solid glare as her hands tightened around her bow. She pulled the string.

"Right between the eyes, Bare! ( Volley)" Ashe yelled out as she shot five arrows at the Chunin ninja. Mizuki's feet skidded across the ground before he noticed Naruto hold out his hand. Fear overcoming Mizuki, he turned and noticed Annie smiling…fire in her hands. "Shokyaku( Incineration)," Naruto called out as the flames exploded from Annie's hands. Mizuki glanced at the icy arrows coming for him from the front and the flames coming to him from the back. He was trapped! Mizuki couldn't die here! He wouldn't die to the Kyuubi brat! He wouldn't die to the dead last!

Mizuki tightened his legs and jumped into the air in time as the flames and ice arrows collided exploding in a sea of flowery fire. "You can't kill me, Kyuubi! Don't be so damn full of yourself Brat! You're a hundred years too early to think you can defeat me!" Mizuki said, but Naruto merely closed his eyes while Annie and Ashe looked up. Annie was the only one who was surprised.

"Yay! Tibbers! I found him!" Annie shouted with joy as Mizuki felt a shadow loom over him. He looked up and the last sight he saw was a flaming teddy bear, the monstrous fluff toy opened its mouth and decapitated Mizuki's head from his shoulders with a single bite. The Chunin's blood sprayed through the air before falling on the ground around Naruto, Ashe, and Annie. His body twitched once before going limp. Annie walked over to the body and kicked it slightly. "Beaten by a little girl. Hehehe," she giggled before Tibbers faded back into an ordinary teddy bear. Annie grabbed him while Ashe put her bow over her shoulders. Both moved over to Naruto.

Naruto looked at the deceased Chunin's body before turning back to Ashe and Annie. "May we continue to aid you, Summoner," Ashe said before she vanished. Annie smiled and walked up to Naruto. Naruto gave a distressed look at Iruka when Annie hugged his leg before vanishing away as well leaving Naruto and Iruka alone.

"Naruto, what was?" Iruka wanted to ask, but he watched Naruto turn back to him. Iruka's gasped in wonder. Naruto's eyes, had they ever been so blue before? Iruka wasn't sure he could remember such a time. Whatever Iruka was going to say died in his throat before he smiled. He groaned as he leaned against a tree. "Naruto, come here," Iruka said, the smile never leaving his face. Naruto narrowed his eyes for a moment but complied and stood in front of Iruka.

"Close your eyes for a second," Iruka said. Naruto did so, he was too tired to complain. The few seconds passed in a blur and Naruto opened his eyes to see Iruka without a headband. "Congratulations, Naruto! You graduated!" Iruka said. Naruto frowned for a moment. He could honestly say that Iruka looked a lot happier than Naruto could remember from these bodies memories. Naruto might have given the man a thank you if he didn't pass out just before Iruka congratulated him.