Ch 7

Amegakure was one of those villages that were wounded the most during ninja wars. Since its country bordered the lands of Fire, Wind and Earth, it was an ideal battlefield. Being a neutral ground for the three big villages, they could lash out at each other without bringing any damage to their countries. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Ame's population.

Villages were destroyed and many innocent people were killed while Amegakure lost any ninja that was caught in the crossfire. The hidden village itself was mostly undamaged but the damage to the rest of the country weakened it greatly. It was only due to Hanzo that the village wasn't utterly destroyed.

After the war, however, even Hanzo was killed, by his own countryman no less. And now Amegakure was ruled by a man known as Pain. He was revered by the populace as a God with unmatched strengthand he certainly didn't dispute their claims.

Currently, the orange haired god was standing at the top floor of the tallest tower in Amegakure, silently observing his village as the rain poured around him. His gaze was cold and his posture relaxed as his senses spread across the village. He was expecting a report from his two subordinates yet none came as of yet. He wasn't worried about them, knowing their strength, but their silence was disturbing.

His eyes snapped to the left as he felt them approaching at fast speed. He also noticed that one of the signatures was incredibly weak and his brow furrowed. It wasn't long before a large bird flew beside him and entered the tower as its two riders dropped on the floor. The crow dispelled, leaving a cloud of smoke, and Pain's eyebrows rose as he saw one of his strongest subordinates crippled.

"Itachi, what is the meaning of this?" Pain asked stoically, his eyes on Kisame's bleeding shoulder.

"Later, Pain-sama," Itachi replied. "Kisame is in need of medical assistance now."

"I can see that," Pain said impassively. "Zetsu, take Kisame to the infirmary and prepare an arm for him."

"As you wish," a plant like man who appeared out of the floor said. The walking abomination picked the blue swordsman up and took him to the infirmary, leaving Itachi and Pain alone.

"Well?" Pain asked, although it sounded more as an order.

"We have located the jinchuriki and went to test him, as per your orders," Itachi began. "He was in company of Jiraiya, Tsunade and another kunoichi. Kisame incapacitated Tsunade immediately and he took on the jinchuriki while I handled Jiraiya."

"You expect me to believe that a genin managed to hurt Kisame to this extent?" Pain asked with a hint of a frown on his face.

"Yes," Itachi replied. "At first, Kisame handled him easily but, in a stroke of luck, the Uzumaki managed to cut off Kisame's arm. He also would have killed him had I not intervened."

"And what 'stroke of luck' was that?" the Akatsuki leader inquired.

"In the middle of the fight, Uzumaki's tanto blade transformed into a broadsword," Itachi said and Pain's eyebrows rose. "The blade was in a perfect position to cut off the arm. As I said, a stroke of luck."

"I see," Pain said thoughtfully. "What of his other skills?"

"Other than kenjutsu, he showed aptness in futon and raiton ninjutsu," Itachi said as he finished his report.

Pain stayed silent in thought for a moment. "And this sword, do you know anything about it?"

Itachi shook his head. "At first, it was a simple tanto. Even Uzumaki was surprised when it transformed. Do you have any idea what it might be?"

"It doesn't sound familiar," Pain replied shaking his head. "No matter, it's not important. For now, you will wait for Kisame to heal before you are deployed for another mission."

"As you wish, Pain-sama," itachi replied and bowed to his leader before leaving the room.

Pain silently watched the rain fall, thinking about the recent events. Having Kisame incapacitated for a longer while was not a major setback but it still wasn't anything good. The man was a fierce fighter and could complete any mission given. His eyes snapped to the side as he felt his longtime friend approach.

"It seems that the Kyubi junchuriki is stronger than we thought," an emotionless feminine voice spoke behind Pain.

The man turned around and his eyes landed on his friend, a young beautiful woman with blue hair and amber eyes. Her stoic gaze bellied no emotions as she looked at her friend right in the eyes.

"It seems so, Konan," Pain replied just as stoically.

"What will you do now, Nagato?" Konan asked. "Will you send someone else after the Kyubi?"

"No," Pain shook his head, "He's not important at the moment. After we seal the other beasts, then I will personally go after the Kyubi."

"Aren't you worried he will grow stronger in the future?" Konan asked.

"It is of no importance," Pain replied stoically. "He will never be a match for a god."

With that, the conversation ended and both turned to look at the falling rain.

Xxxx

In a small town on the Fire and Water border a single individual slept in a hotel. He was lying on a bed, his chest and half of his face covered in bandages. His long hair spread across the pillow as he breathed evenly. The door to his room opened and a young black haired woman entered moving to the bed to check up on him.

Shizune's hands glowed with chakra as she checked the blond's condition. His wounds healed nicely in the five days he was unconscious and she was expecting him to wake up any time now. And just as she thought that, a single blue eye cracked open and she leaned over the blond.

"Good morning, Naruto-kun," she said softly, looking at his face.

The blond in question didn't even hear her nor did he notice her at first as his thoughts slowly started to drift back to the last moment he remembered, a sword being lodged in his chest.

'Am I dead?' Naruto thought tiredly. His eye finally noticed the woman above him. 'Who is she? Is she an angel?' he thought as his eye tried to focus on the blurry image of her face. He saw her dark eyes flash in concern and her pink lips move. A single thought ran through his mind as he looked at her. 'She's pretty…'

His arm suddenly raised and he cupped the back of her head before he, much to her shock, pulled her down and kissed her.

Shizune's eyes went wide as Naruto's dry lips connected with hers. He wasted no time as he pushed his tongue between her parted lips, finding hers immediately. To him, her soft lips felt heavenly and he relished in them hungrily, moving his other hand to her cheek and deepening the kiss.

Shizune stood there frozen as her lips unconsciously began to move alongside Naruto's. She wanted to pull back and break the kiss but something inside her urged her on to continue. She didn't have much experience as she traveled with Tsunade most of her life and she had to keep her master out of trouble which didn't leave her much time for relationships. She couldn't even remember when was the last time she kissed someone.

Their kissing session was suddenly stopped when a cough resounded through the room. Shizune shot up instantly and looked at the source, her face as red as a tomato. Naruto also looked at the intruder and he saw a beautiful blonde woman with huge breasts.

"Am I interrupting?" Tsunade asked in amusement, her lips quirked into a smirk.

"T-T-Tsunade-sama!" Shizune squeaked, covering her red face.

"What the…" Naruto croaked out quietly as his ears finally registered the sounds around him. He tried to sit up but a sharp pain in his chest stopped him and he immediately dropped back on the bed as a groan escaped his mouth.

"Good morning brat," Tsunade greeted the blond. "Good to see you're awake."

"I… I'm not dead?" he asked quietly as the busty woman moved to him and helped him drink some water from a glass by his bed.

"Of course you're not dead. You had my pretty self to heal you after all!" Tsunade said with a laugh as she placed the glass back on the nightstand.

"T-then…" Naruto sputtered in reply as his eyes moved to the blushing form of Shizune.

Tsunade chuckled in amusement. "It seems you had a good time making out with my apprentice, brat. Should I be worried?"

Naruto soon sprouted a blush of his own. "I-I'm sorry, Shizune-san," he said embarrassedly.

"It's a-alright, Naruto-kun," Shizune replied, still blushing.

Another bout of laughter escaped Tsunade's lips as she looked at the other two. Her laughter soon drew out another person as Jiraiya of the Sannin appeared at the doorway.

"You're awake!" he exclaimed as he looked at his godson. Then he noticed the blush on his face, as well as on Shizune's, and the laughing Tsunade. "What did I miss?"

"Oh nothing much," Tsunade replied, waving her hand in amusement. "Just our two students making out like teenagers."

Jiraiya's had a huge grin on his face as he heard that and he patted Naruto on the back. "Good job, kid."

"Shut up," Naruto replied rolled his shoulders to ease the stiffness in them. "So what the hell happened? Last I remember was me almost cutting that fish's head off then…" his hand suddenly shot up to his face and he felt the bandages around it. "Don't tell me…"

"Yeah, Itachi happened," Jiraiya replied. "I'm sorry, Naruto. I failed to stop him in time."

Naruto clenched his fists as the memory of Itachi's sword flashed through his mind. "No, it was my fault. I completely disregarded my surroundings."

"I'm sorry I couldn't save your eye, Naruto," Tsunade said as she put her hand on his shoulder. "It seems Itachi's sword was coated in some sort of poison that cauterized your wounds extremely fast. I had to focus on your chest wound or else you would lose much more than an eye."

Naruto nodded in understanding and swung his legs over the bed before attempting to stand up. His legs almost gave out on him but Tsunade was quick to catch him.

"You shouldn't move yet," she said softly as he removed her hands off him.

"I… have to see," he replied and walked toward the mirror that was on the wall, unwrapping his bandages with each step. He looked at his reflection and frowned. First thing he noticed was the scar on the right side of his face. It went from above his brow and over his eye. The eye itself had a gash running straight through the iris and the crystal blue was lost under the ugly dark coloration. His eyes then went lower and landed on a scar on his chest. His fingers idly traced both scars before he shut his eyes and clenched his fist. He slowly wrapped the bandages back around his face to hide the ugly eye before turning back to others. "How long until we leave?"

"As soon as Tsunade says you're fit for travelling," Jiraiya replied. He saw that Naruto buried what he really felt now but he didn't push him. He would talk when he was ready. "We were supposed to be in the Land of Water by now. We also can't risk being seen by Danzo's men who are surely looking for Tsunade by now."

Naruto nodded and turned to Tsunade who sighed. "As much as I would love to make you stay in bed, I know I can't. Your wounds are healed by now but you should still take it easy for a while."

"Alright," Naruto said and sat back on the bed. Then he noticed he was only in his boxers. "Where are my clothes? And my gear?"

Jiraiya tossed him a bundle of clothes and his pouches. "Your clothes are messed up from the fight and I don't have another set on me," he said as Naruto began to dress. "And your sword is over there," he finished pointing at the weapon leaned on the wall.

Fully dressed, Naruto went to his sword and picked it up. It was as light as he remembered, which was strange for a blade of its size. He also remembered a strange voice coming from it but it was silent at the moment. Figuring it was probably his imagination, he focused on a much bigger problem at hand. How will he carry the sword around.

Jiraiya noticed his problem and smirked before tossing something to the blond. "I made this for you. It's not much but it will do the job for now."

Naruto caught the object and noticed it was a strap for the sword. Strapping it around his back, he locked the sword in it and nodded. It wasn't anything special but it worked. Seeing he was ready, he turned to Jiraiya. "Shall we?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Let's go then. Tsunade, Shizune, it was nice to see you again," he smiled at the two women and left the room.

Now left alone with the women, Naruto bowed. "I want to thank you for everything. You saved my life."

Tsunade smiled and hugged him gently. "Don't mention it. Just be safe, alright?"

Naruto nodded as he returned the hug. The two separated and Naruto turned to Shizune. "Thank you as well, Shizune-san," he said with a small blush on his face as he remembered their kiss.

Shizune also had a small blush as she approached him and wrapped her arms around him. "It was nothing. Be careful, Naruto-kun," she finished and tightened her hold for a moment before they separated.

Sparing a small smile to both women, Naruto turned around and left the room, following after his sensei.

Xxxx

The pair of student and teacher were currently on a trade ship which would lead them to the shores of the Land of Water. Both henged into a couple of forgettable men so as to hide themselves from Kiri's main forces. They would get off the ship when it would stop at the port on the main island before they would run the rest of the way toward the rebel camp.

The rebels set the camp on the south of the main island and used the island's natural defenses to hide it. It was a good distance away from Kirigakure, surrounded by rocks and mist so it was extremely difficult to locate. It was only because of Jiraiya's extensive spy network that the man knew where it was.

Sitting inside a small, two bed room, the two men waited patiently for their trip to end. They were travelling by sea for over a day now and it would take only a few more hours to reach the land. After a full night rest, Jiraiya found it a good time to talk to Naruto about his training for the following time.

Producing a scroll, He handed it to Naruto, who took it with a raised brow. "What's this?"

"Your training regime," Jiraiya replied. "I included a book of basic and moderate fuinjutsu, as well as some of my own techniques and seals for you to practice on. By the time we meet again, I expect you to learn everything inside it."

Naruto nodded and stored the scroll in his pouch. "You got it. But just so you know, I'm still skeptical about this whole thing. Why would the rebels let us help them? Or train me?"

"Because we have something they will surely want," Jiraiya said pulling out another scroll and unsealing it. The item that appeared made Naruto's eyes widen in surprise.

"That's Zabuza's sword," he said. "Kubikiribocho."

"Exactly," Jiraiya said sealing the sword back. "Kakashi told me about it so I went to wave to pick it up."

Naruto sighed as he remembered his first mission out of the village. It was both physically and emotionally taxing for him and his team as they had faced hardships that they never faced before. They ended up victorious but they were scarred for life. It was necessary though, Naruto mused. It made him grow as a shinobi.

"I'll trade the sword for your training," Jiraiya said. "Besides, they need all the help they can get and you're practically a one man army with your clones."

Naruto nodded thoughtfully. Jiraiya's plan was sound and the probability of failing was slim. The rebels certainly couldn't let a sword as powerful as the Kubikiribocho fall into the wrong hands.

A horn of the ship was suddenly heard, notifying them that the ship was about to land in the port. The two shared a serious look and packed their stuff as they prepared to leave.

Xxxx

An hour has passed since they docked and the two were currently running south towards the rebel camp. It was getting late and the afternoon sun was slowly dimming through the island's mist. By Jiraiya's estimate, they would reach the camp very soon and Naruto was grateful for that. He needed a good sleep the land after such a long trip.

It wasn't long before the two sensed several other presences in the area and they tensed, already making plans for if the worst happened. Landing on a small clearing, the two were surrounded by four individuals, each wearing a Kiri forehead protector.

"Stop were you are," the leader of the four said with a commanding voice. He was a man in his thirties with blue hair and an eye patch over his right eye, wearing a green kimono. He also had a talisman hanging off his ears. "State your names and purpose on this land."

"Jiraiya of the Sannin and Uzumaki Naruto," Jiraiya responded in a tone equally as commanding. "We're here to speak to the rebel leader."

The four ninja visibly tensed as they heard that. Jiraiya was well known over the word and considered one of the strongest shinobi in the world. The fact that he knew that the rebels were located somewhere around here made the situation even more grave.

"Why do you want to see our leader?" The same man asked, trying to keep the composure in his voice. He knew his team did not stand a chance against Jiraiya so attacking him was out of the question. The best course of action was to just talk it out.

"That is for your leader to hear," Jiraiya replied with finality.

The man sighed and nodded. It was pointless of trying to find out anything from Jiraiya if the man didn't want to reveal anything. He could also just kill them and continue towards the camp so trying to fool him was useless. That left only one option. "Follow me," he said and the group of six continued to run again.

It wasn't long before a large camp appeared in front of them. It was filled with tents and people were milling around, resting or training outside the camp. When the group began to walk through the camp, many saw them and tensed seeing two unfamiliar people. The fact that they were walking with their second in command quelled their worries a little though.

Soon they found themselves in front of the largest tent and the leader signaled the group to stay outside while he went inside to announce the newcomers. Few minutes later, he returned and motioned Naruto and Jiraiya to follow him inside.

As they entered, they were met by two other people. One was a boy barely older than Naruto with spiky blue hair and a strange sword on his back. The other was a beautiful woman with long auburn hair and green eyes, wearing a blue battle dress. Also, neither could miss her impressively large bust.

Her single revealed eye focused on the newcomers and she stood up and walked around her desk, letting her eyes roam the two ninja. She looked at Naruto first and noticed the bandages over his face. She also noticed he was quite young so it was unfortunate to lose an eye at such age. Her eye then traced his whisker marks, which she found incredibly cute and, if the situation was different, she would probably be rubbing them instantly. He was also built well for a shinobi and his chakra level was extremely high.

The second ninja however she immediately recognized. Long, white hair and the oil plate on his forehead were a dead giveaway on who the man was. Now she understood how these outsiders found them.

She stopped in front of her desk and addressed the two. "I am Terumi Mei, the leader of the rebel forces. Ao here informed me that you have something to discuss with me."

"Pleasure to meet you, Terumi-san," Jiraiya began with a small bow of his head. "I am Jiraiya and this is Naruto. We have come here to offer you help with the war."

Mei raised a brow. "A ninja of another village wouldn't come here offering help with such a thing unless he asked for something heavy in return," she said giving the man a suspicious glance. "So please cut to the chase."

Jiraiya smirked at the woman's perceptiveness. "That is correct but what I'm asking is training for Naruto here."

Now Mei was even more confused. "Why would you want us to train him?" she asked glancing at Naruto. "Shouldn't Konoha be the one to do it?" she immediately noticed how Naruto flinched at the mention of his village.

"There were some circumstances which prevented Naruto from staying in the village," Jiraiya replied.

"Why should we spare our time for him?" Mei asked. "Also, why would you even want to help us in the war?"

"Because it would give him battle experience as well as a potential ally in the future," Jiraiya began. "As for why, we have something you would surely like to have in your possession."

"And what would that be?" Mei asked suspiciously.

"The sword of Momochi Zabuza."

The eyes of the three Kiri rebels widened significantly and Mei took a step back. That sword was one of the legendary seven swords Kiri's swordsmen used and having it in their possession would be invaluable.

"How did you get in possession of that sword?" she asked. "Did you kill Zabuza?"

"No, it wasn't me," Jiraiya replied shaking his head. "From what I've heard, he died fighting a group of Gato's mercenaries. Naruto here was on a mission with his team at the time so he might be able to tell you more about it."

Mei's eye switched to Naruto momentarily before moving back to Jiraiya. She nodded curtly. "Alright, that would be a fair trade. I will allow Naruto here to help us in the war as well as have him trained in exchange for the sword."

Jiraiya grinned and pulled a scroll out of his pouch. "Excellent! I promise you won't be disappointed," he said patting Naruto on the back. "He'll be a great help for you," he finished, placing the scroll on her desk.

Mei took the scroll and unsealed its contents and, with a puff of smoke, a giant sword appeared. The Kiri ninja gazed at the sword in wonder, before Mei turned to Naruto. "Alright, I'll have Chojuro take you to your tent and you will report here in the morning so we can discuss your position here," she finished motioning to the blue haired boy wearing goggles.

"Well then," Jiraiya began, patting Naruto on the back. "Be good and train hard. I'll see you in a while."

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto replied waving him off. "Just don't get lost again."

Jiraiya scoffed. "Shut up brat," he said before turning to Mei. "Thank you for your time, Terumi-san."

Mei nodded. "Thank you for the sword, Jiraiya-san. I give you my word we will train Naruto to the best of our abilities."

Jiraiya returned the nod and looked at Naruto. "Well, see ya later Naruto," he said turning towards the entrance of the tent.

"Yeah," Naruto said as he watched the man leave the tent. The blue haired boy then approached him and the two left the tent as well.

Now alone with his leader, Ao turned toward Mei. "Are you sure this is alright? What if he is a spy?"

"I don't think he is," Mei replied honestly. "Jiraiya was never known for cunningness and it seems that the boy isn't very fond of Konoha. Besides, he could very well turn the tides of the war in our favor. Did you see his chakra level?"

"Of course," Ao replied with small amount of awe. "He has more chakra than Yagura."

"Exactly. Imagine the power he could generate if he is properly trained," Mei finished. "He will be monitored and we won't tell him of any operations we will start for a while just to be safe though."

Ao nodded somewhat uneasily. The situation was both favorable and suspicious. Only time can tell how it will end though.

Xxxx

Naruto and Chojuro walked through the camp silently, neither willing to start a conversation. Chojuro was slightly nervous, seeing that the blond was an outsider who suddenly appeared in their camp. Naruto on the other hand was tired and had no desire to lead an awkward conversation with the other ninja. He could see that the blue haired boy was shy and timid but the fact that he wielded a sword of the Seven Swordsmen must meant that he was strong.

Soon they found themselves in front of a regular tent and Naruto sighed, glad that he would finally get some rest.

"This is where you will be staying while you're in the camp," Chojuro said. "New clothes will be brought to you in the morning when you will be summoned to meet with Mei-sama."

Naruto gave him a small nod. "Thanks."

Chojuro returned the nod and turned around to leave while Naruto entered the tent. Inside was small but comfortable, with a single bed, a nightstand, small desk and a cupboard with a water basin and a mirror above it. He unstrapped his sword and took off his clothes before sitting on the bed with the sword in his hands.

Now that he was finally alone, he decided to study it a little better. The craftsmanship of the blade was impeccable and the metal used was both sturdy and chakra conductive. For its size, it was fairly light and easy to maneuver. Naruto grumbled as he realized that he had to adjust his style again.

"So will you finally tell me who you are?"

Naruto gasped in surprise as he heard the same feminine voice again. 'So it wasn't my imagination…'

"Nope, it wasn't," the same voice replied.

'You can hear my thoughts?' Naruto asked, his eyes wide.

"Yup! Now stop beating around the bush and answer my damn question!" the voice said heatedly. "And what did you do to Kushi-chan!?"

'I am Uzumaki Naruto,' Naruto replied. 'And Kushina… my mother is dead.'

A gasp of shock was heard from the voice. "No… h-how did it happen?"

'She died during the Kyubi attack,' Naruto replied remorsefully, the thought of his mother still hurt.

The voice stayed silent for a minute before speaking again. "How did you get in possession of me?"

'A friend of mine found you in the rubble of my parent's house and gave you to me,' Naruto replied. 'You were only a tanto though.'

"That was my sealed form," the voice said. "Since you managed to unseal me, it must mean you are worthy of wielding me. And since you're Kushina's son, I'll put my trust in you."

'Yeah, thanks,' Naruto said.

"Don't make me regret it, boy," the voice said with a hint of danger.

'I won't. I promise,' Naruto replied seriously, fully intending to keep that promise. 'So what's your name?'

"I'll tell you later," the voice said. "If you prove yourself worthy though."

'I guess that's fair,' Naruto said with a sigh.

"Good. We'll talk again later," the voice said. "I need some time alone now."

'Yeah, sure,' Naruto replied but the voice wasn't heard again.

With a sigh, he put the sword aside and lay down on the bed. This was becoming really troublesome. He closed his eyes and waited for sleep to claim him.