Chapter 22: The Protector of Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze

## Two Years Later - Streets of Konoha ##

Senshi and Yukari were walking side by side, just looking around and casually conversing. Senshi was now 18 years old and a lot about him and the village had changed since that fateful night two years ago on October 10th, the day Minato and Kushina died, and the day Naruto was born. Senshi's Senju armor had disappeared, which didn't really bother Senshi, because he simply wore lightweight ANBU armor under his jacket and over his shirt, along with a ceramic mask with slits for eyes and various lines of red making designs. (Think the mask worn by a performer in the Blacklite District song, Living In A Nightmare. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb7U1LceIMg) Ever since unlocking Fune's Saishu Ryokin or Final Charge, Senshi could tap into it by shouting a new Kaigo or Release Command which was 'Tengoku Ni Noboru, Saiko no Senpaku!' or 'Ascend Into The Heavens, Supreme Vessel of Power!' Fune told him that this form had more powers and they were the power to make structures out of chakra, extend the blade to up to hundred times its current length, make multiple copies of the sword that become tangible when piercing foes and intangible when moving or when touched, cut through pretty much anything without need for a Wind Style enhancement and absorb and redirect kinetic energy. Fune can also become a tangible and ethereal humanoid and wield his blade form in case Senshi is disarmed, and Fune can also split into two different swords, called Kanosei no Aru Fune or Vessel of Might and Kyodo no Yoki or Vessel of Strength, and all Senshi has to do is funnel chakra into Fune to make him split. When Fune splits, his power and length is halved between the two swords but his consciousness remains whole. Both blades have the same powers, but halved to a lesser degree. The twin blades can only extend to 50 times its current length. Ever since the Kyuubi Attack, the village had began to hate Naruto, though it was contained and just simmering beneath the surface for now, but a lot of death and destruction had resulted from that fateful Kyuubi attack on October 10 when the Yondaime, Namikaze Minato and Kushina died, and Naruto Uzumaki was born. Many people had died and the Uchiha part had been destroyed and rebuilt on the outskirts of the village. Senshi had given Naruto to Hiruzen, who put him in the Konoha Orphanage. Now that he was of age, Senshi was living seperately from his family. Senshi and Yukari were walking arm-in-arm just looking around and casually conversing. They saw a crowd gathered around something and Senshi, curious, put on his mask, went to the center causing the crowd to part, and to his anger and shock, Naruto curled up in a fetal position bruised and hurt. Senshi asked, "What are you doing to the poor boy?!", and one of them said, "He's not a boy, he's a demon! And we're finishing what the Yondaime started!", and he tried to hit the boy again, but Senshi grabbed his hand and crushed every bone in the man's wrist into dust before saying in a voice that seemed demonic and was loaded with killer intent, "The Yondaime didn't want to kill the Kyuubi, you disgrace of a ninja. Since you broke the Third's Law, I can kill you right now. So leave. The boy. ALONE.", and all of them ran for their lives. Yukari thought, "The poor boy. He doesn't deserve to be treated like this. He's not the Kyuubi. It's not his fault." Senshi and Yukari then ran and crouched near the boy, who flinched upon contact. Senshi analyzed the wounds and thought, "Multiple shallow and deep lacerations and cuts, multiple serious bruises and a black eye. God, what did he do to deserve this?", then he turned to Yukari and said, "Yukari-chan, do you have a medical kit?", and Yukari said, "Yes I do.", and she pulled out the medkit she always kept in case of emergencies and she gave it to Senshi, who pulled out bandages and healing ointments and applied them to Naruto's various wounds and bruises. Senshi also used the Mystical Palm medical ninjutsu along with some other medical ninjutsu to speed the healing process. Senshi heard a voice ask, "Who.. are you?", and Senshi saw Naruto looking at him with tears in his eyes and an expression of pure fear as Naruto curled up and said, "P-please d-don't hurt m-me..", and Senshi hugged Naruto and said, "It's okay, kid.", and he placed a Hiraishin seal on the boy that would alert him when Naruto was hurt. Senshi then turned to Yukari and said, "Sorry, I didn't expect our date to go like this, Yukari-chan. Let's at least bring this boy back to the Orphanage.", and Yukari said, "You're right, Senshi-kun.", and Senshi took off his mask and carried the unconscious boy as he and Yukari went to the Konoha Orphanage and gave the boy to one of the few matrons who was kind to Naruto, before leaving. As they left, Yukari asked, "Why were they hurting that boy Senshi-kun?", and Senshi replied with a question, "Do you remember the Kyuubi Attack two years ago?", and Yukari nodded. They sat down and Senshi warned beforehand, "By the way, this is an S-Ranked secret, so you can't tell anyone else, okay, Yukari-chan?", and she nodded. Senshi said, "That night, the Yondaime didn't kill the Kyuubi like many think. You can't kill a bijuu, because they're just chakra. So the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi inside that boy. People hate him because they think he's the Kyuubi itself, not it's jailer. They don't know a difference between a scroll and the kunai it holds.", and Yukari said, "But that's wrong. You shouldn't judge someone just by what they hold.", and Senshi shook his head and said, "But that's how people treat others like the boy. It's just human nature to fear what you don't understand." They both sat there for a bit until Senshi stood up, held out his hand and said, "Let's go eat first, Yukari-chan.", and Yukari smiled before taking Senshi's hand and heading to a restaurant.

## After The Date ##

Senshi and Yukari had talked a bit more and even had their first kiss, after which they blushed as red as tomatoes for a while. Afterwards, Senshi went back home and began thinking about Naruto and the fateful day of October 10. He then remembered that when he first used the Toad Contract, he ended up summoning the Toad Sage, Fukasaku, who realized Senshi's potential for a Sage was immense. So Fukasaku told Senshi that if he wished, Senshi could just summon him and ask to be taught Sage Mode, and Fukasaku would teach him all that he knew about Senjutsu. Senshi knew that Sage Mode would be incredibly useful in the future, and that Hagoromo actually had Sage Mode and that was one of the reasons why he was so powerful. Senshi had vowed long ago to become stronger than Hagoromo so Sage Mode would bring one step closer to that goal. He also knew that he would need to grow stronger in order to protect those he loved. So, Senshi went out of his home and went out to the Third Training Ground's grass clearing. Once he was standing outside, Senshi bit his thumb, drawing blood, before slamming his hand into the ground and shouting, "Kuchiyose: Gama Sennin (Summoning: Toad Sage)!", and a large cloud of smoke was made. When the white smoke cleared, Fukasaku was standing there with his staff and the old Toad Sage asked, "So what do you want, Senshi-san?", to which Senshi replied, "I'd like to call in that Sage favor. Is that okay, Fukasaku-sama?", and Fukasaku replied with a laugh, "Of course it's okay, Senshi-san. And there's no need to call me 'sama', just call me 'Fukasaku-san', okay kid?", then Senshi nodded. Fukasaku said, "Let's go!", and Senshi asked, "Where, Fukasaku-san?", to which Fukasaku replied, "To where you're learning Sage Mode, of course!", and Senshi said, "Okay, I'll just say goodbye to my friends, Fukasaku-san.", to which Fukasaku replied, "Okay. Just don't take too long, and meet me at the gate when you're done." Senshi nodded before leaving. He went around and said goodbye to his friends, his family and Yukari, before heading to the gate, where Fukasaku was waiting. Fukasaku asked Senshi, "Are you ready to go?", and Senshi nodded. Fukasaku then said, "Okay!", before slamming his hand on the ground and shouting, "Gyaku Kuchiyose (Reverse Summoning)!", and they both disappeared and Senshi's vision went black.