Ascension of the Kitsune by Wandering Maverick

Chapter 27: The Fourth Great Shinobi War (Final)

With Anko, Natsumi & Naruto,

"It seems like we've finally made it to his inner circle." Anko stated wiping off the remaining blood on her kunai, as she Naruto and Natsumi stood in the middle of a bloody clearing with nearly a hundred corpses each wearing the 'Oto' symbol behind them, and Orochimaru's remaining personal bodyguards in front but more importantly currently in their way.

"Good cause I like a massacre as much as the next demoness...but this is just TOO boring..." Natsumi said boredly, while sizing up the four bodyguards standing in front of her...Sakon, Tayuya, Kidoumaru, and Kimimaro. "...at least THEY look like a challenge." She smirked.

"You know that bet is still on between you two on who has the bigger bloodlust." Naruto joked while shaking his head, even knowing there REALLY was a bet going on within the shinobi ranks of snow.

"Well it won't be decided with us just standing here." Anko argued moving forward only to stop before a single step was taken when something was fired at her feet.

"I suggest you leave Orochimaru-sama alone." The monotone voice of Kimimaro spoke out.

"What the hell! If you were going to give them a damn warning shot, why didn't you just fucking kill one of them!?" Tayuya's feminine voice raged, though still with a tone of fear knowing that Kimimaru was the strongest of them.

"Because they have not directly attacked Orochimaru-sama...yet, if they had I'd have given no quarter." He retorted bluntly.

"Asshole" Tayuya whispered under her breath.

"Well that was interesting." Naruto said quirking an eyebrow at the display he just witnessed.

"Hai that it was..." Natsumi agreed, although for a completely different reason as she examined what was shot at Anko. "...I haven't seen the Shikotsu Myaku (Corpse Bone Pathways) Kekkei Genkai in decades." She finished sounding rather surprised.

"And...?" Anko questioned with a raised brow. "Is it a Kekkei Genkai that will pose a problem?"

"If Orochimaru weren't involved I'd say for us no. But with that man involved who knows what kind of perverse experiments he has done on that Kekkei Genkai..." Natsumi answered, before a grin dressed her face. "...however I'm excited to fight him. I haven't faced a Kaguya in some time." She finished taking on a far away look as if remembering a battle from long ago.

"I wanted him." Anko pouted.

"You can have the 'bitch' and the 'spider', I'll take the Kaguya, and 'pastey'" She answered, now eying her self-appointed prey.

"And what I'm just suppose to do? Watch?" Naruto questioned, looking at his mate expectantly.

"Of course not Naru-kun..." She cooed, giving him a wickedly evil smile. "...you my sexy kitsune are going to deal with Orochimaru. To make sure he stays alive long enough for us to complete the 'mission'." She explained, now getting grins from both Naruto and Anko.

"I think I can do that." He answered back, as he pulled 'Shinku Kaijin' from his hip and handed it to Natsumi.

"Just remember Whiskers, we want him alive...for now." Anko chided.

"Hai hai." He retorted dismissively, before he rushed forward, with the girls right behind him.

The Oto shinobi began to handseal seeing their three enemies charging forward. Naruto jumped into the air preparing to just jump right over them, with the four turning with him as he passed.

"You think we'll just let you get past us!?" Kidoumaru shouted as he finished handsealing, and opened his mouth as a golden spearhead appeared aiming right at Naruto's chest.

"Gomen but your opponents are us..." Anko shouted as both she and Natsumi appeared behind the four whom were distracted by Naruto's movements, and were sent flying in different directions with heavy backhands to the face. "...care to make a bet?" Anko questioned her back pressed against Natsumi's, as each zoned in on their designated opponents.

"Sure...first one to bring back both the heads?" Natsumi stipulated, unable to see Anko's smirking face at the stipulations.

"Hai!" She shouted happily as the two women pushed off one another to begin their fights.

With Anko,

"Get up! I didn't hit you bitches THAT hard!" Anko complained seeing Tayuya, and Kidoumaru wobble to their feet after her blindsiding hit.

"Says you bitch!" Tayuya shouted back.

"I'm beginning to like her..." Anko thought smirking at the red-head's 'take no shit' attitude. "...which is unfortunate since she I have to kill her." She concluded as she whipped out a pair of kunai, and launched them at the disoriented shinobi.

Anko was rather surprised however when several golden objects were released from the six-armed boy's hands. The objects not only intercepted both her own kunai, but the remaining four were aimed right at her. She easily deflected them however and immediately reconsidered her opponent's standings after seeing that the golden objects were actually kunai made out of some strange substance.

"I see you like my 'Kumonenkin (Spider Sticky Gold)'..." Kidoumaru said in a jovial tone, as a pair of kunai formed right in his palms. "...you see I need no shinobi weapons...because I AM an entire armory on my own." He boasted.

"Shut up you six-armed faggot! Why are you fucking boasting when you could be attacking her!?" Tayuya shouted with a glare towards her tan-skinned teammate, before she took a flute out of her robes and placed it against her lips.

Anko was about to attack noting their distracted attention, when a melody hit her ears and the moment it did everything before her went black.

"Dammit..." She cursed, looking around trying to figure out what happened. "...I'm treating these brats too dismissively. I should know that HE would make them his bodyguards for a reason" She said to herself as she put her fingers into a seal. "Kai!"

What happened next she didn't expect...instead of the blackness disappearing after she figured out it was a genjutsu and tried to cancel it, the darkness seemed to only become even denser. A sharp pain shot through her neck, easily feeling liquid begin to fall down her skin after realizing some kind of weapon was thrown.

"Seems that girl's specialty is genjutsu...and rather powerful ones at that...not as powerful as an Uchiha's but still ones I shouldn't underestimate..." She thought to herself before she closed her eyes, allowing her other senses to be heightened. "...thank Kami-sama that Whiskers taught our Jounin and FROST officers (Yuki's ANBU) how to fight without out using our eyesight so the Sharingan and many genjutsus can't effect us as much." She finished.

Anko stood like a statue and waited...waited for the sound of an incoming attack. More then likely since her opponents knew she was under that particular genjutsu they wouldn't feel the need to move from their current positions...so when the next strike comes she'll be ready. She waited for what seemed like forever in this cold, silent, black abyss...until it finally happened.

Her ears twitched when the faintest sound of something cutting through air could be heard. Now that she knew her opponent's position, all she had to do was wait for the perfect moment to counter attack. She didn't have to wait long as the sound became louder and closer. And when the sound became almost deafening to her she reached out, grabbed the hilt of the kunai, before flicking her wrist sending it right back from the way it came at an even faster speed. Then without missing a step she charged the spot herself with a pair of her own kunai in hand ready to strike. As Anko charged forward she heard foot steps beginning to thump against the ground, and threw both her kunai in separate directions at each respective sound. She waited a moment before hearing a clash of metal in both directions, and then a second later the darkness that shrouded her vision rose like a curtain.

"How did you fucking break out of my 'Kokuangyou no Jutsu (Journey into Black Darkness Technique)'?" Tayuya who was to Anko's left shouted after dislodging the embedded kunai from her Flute.

When Anko looked to face the girl, her eyes quickly widened in surprise, before shrinking to slits in anger.

"Cursed Seal..." She thought menacingly, as she noticed the lightning-like pattern running across the girl's skin, and turning to the six-armed boy noticing the vine-like pattern on his tanned skin.

"Simple..." Anko finally answered with a smirk, after gathering her thoughts from seeing the seals. "...Yuki is the strongest village in the world, and is led by the strongest shinobi in said world. Do you REALLY think a simple genjutsu even modified with a cursed seal could stop me for long?" She rhetorically questioned, her mention of the cursed seal making the two grow surprised...considering it's name and abilities were one of Oto's most highly guarded secrets...even from her own allies.

"If thats the case." Kidoumaru retorted before his cheeks puffed out, and he let a long white substance resembling a spider's web shoot out towards Anko. "...Ninpou: Kumonendo (Ninja Art: Spider Sticky Vomit)!"

Anko noticed that the large web-like object split off into smaller versions of itself...probably to be harder to dodge. In response she raised her right arm and smirked sadistically.

"Senei Jashu (Hidden Shadow Snake Hands)!" She called out as a dozen snakes shot out of the sleeves of her trench coat towards the oncoming attack.

The snakes intercepted the webs and once tangled up in the sticky substance, fell to the ground rendering the jutsu harmless to Anko. Both Tayuya, and Kidoumaru looked on in shock at the revelation they just witnessed. They weren't facing some unknown kunoichi from snow who had a chip on her shoulder. They were facing Mitarashi Anko...first apprentice to their lord and master, the only person he ever chose to exclusively teach before Uchiha Sasuke, and only one of three people to ever sign the powerful snake summoning contract!

The two were now worried for an even greater reason then now knowing that Anko wasn't exaggerating about the strength of snow shinobi...but the fact they now faced the infamous snake mistress herself. Whispers of her name and past exploits with the snake sannin were wide spread throughout the halls of Oto. She was like a myth or a legend, many not knowing if she was a real person, and if so if the rumors about her were true...and NO ONE dared to question their lord about their validity.

"Y...you're Mitarashi Anko...the snake mistress aren't you?" Kidoumaru asked...though more as a statement then an actual question.

"Hai." Anko answered, quirking an eyebrow noting the two's change in demeanor.

"Dammit Kidoumaru...who cares who the bitch is!? Its two against one and we have something that she doesn't." Tayuya argued trying to get over her fear, and awe.

In truth Tayuya had secretly looked up to Anko ever since she first heard the rumors...or at least the image people gave her of the purpled haired woman. Tayuya believed that Kunoichi couldn't be emotional damsels in distress when it came to being a shinobi. That gave way to the sexist image given to kunoichi as well as an early death in battle. Deadly, sadistic, tough, sexy...Anko was the perfect epitome of what a kunoichi should be...at least to the younger teen.

"I know but still...they say she once gave a guy a snake enema just for pinching her ass in the street!" He retorted, before taking a long breath, regaining his shinobi 'edge'.

"If all you two wanted to do was talk, I could just leave." Anko stated boredly, not really caring why they were reacting like that to just her name...though mentally smirking remembering that particular incident back in Konoha...ah the memories!

Her words seemed to have the desired effect and knocked reality back into the two. Tayuya raised her flute to her lips, while Kidoumaru created a golden kunai for each hand.

"They're decent partners, one traps me in a powerful genjutsu and the other attacks me with long range projectiles from his body. If I'm not careful they could actually take me down." She thought to herself preparing for their next assault.

Suddenly another wave of music hit Anko's ears before the scenery around her erupted in scorching flames. She knew this was an illusion, but if Tayuya was as good with genjutsu as Anko thought...the 'kai' method wouldn't work. She simply waited knowing that the boy would attack soon enough. As she waited though the sky darkened above her and when she looked up her eyes widened momentarily as a gigantic fireball headed right for her...and despite knowing it was a genjutsu couldn't help but feel a quick pang of fear. Suddenly she felt a pain crash through her leg, which kick started her brain once again, and when she looked back down noticed several more kunai rushing towards her. She launched a single kunai at them before handsealing quickly.

"Ninpou: Kage Kunai no Jutsu (Ninja Art: Shadow Kunai Technique)!" She shouted as the single kunai turned into a dozen, and luckily for her deflected all but one of the incoming projectiles which she in turn easily avoided. "So you like to play with fire huh?" She questioned rhetorically, before handsealing again. "Katon: Hibashiri (Fire Style: Running Fire)!" She called out as a spinning column of fire erupted from the ground, before searing towards where Kidoumaru launched his attack.

The flaming scenery soon fell from Anko's vision as she saw both Kidoumaru and Tayuya jumping out of the way of her Katon jutsu as it passed.

"Dammit...she won't stay in my damn genjutsu!?" Tayuya cursed.

"At this rate we'll run out of chakra at level 1." Kidoumaru retorted, silently asking the question to which Tayuya nodded in understanding.

Anko whom noticed this interaction, smirked before rushing forward towards the pair.

"If you think I'm going to let you damn brats do whatever you're planning...you're dead wrong!" She yelled brandishing some shuriken, awaiting the right moment to launch them.

In response to the rapidly approaching kunoichi, Kidoumaru bit his finger and slammed his hand into the ground.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" He shouted and a plumb of smoke appeared between the Oto shinobi and Anko, whom skidded to a stop not knowing what the odd boy summoned...though she did have an inkling.

Her idea was confirmed when a giant spider rose from the smoke and screeched at her, making her grimace at the horrible noise. Anko then noticed two things occurring, the first was that the spider's behind was pointing to the ground and seemed to be squirming. Her silent question was soon answered as a large egg sack fell out, and soon baby spiders began to flood out of the sack crawling towards her with a hungry look in their eyes.

The second and more important thing she noticed was that both Tayuya and Kidoumaru seemed to be transforming. The markings on their skin were spreading all over their bodies before it turned from black to a dark brown. Tayuya's form grew several horns atop her head, her hair grew several inches longer as it turned a pinkish color, while her eyes took on a black tone and her pupils a dark gold color...she looked more like a demon then a human now. Meanwhile Kidoumaru's skin turned into a mixture of dark brown and a deep red, while small horns protruded from his forehead and several places along his body. His hair grew out a good foot as it turned a dull silver, while his jaw elongated and teeth turned to small fangs. The last change was the third eye that now adorned in the middle of his forehead.

"So this must be the infamous level 2 cursed seal." Anko thought, feeling the large spike in chakra within her two opponents.

"Well now...this just got interesting." She said jovially, before handsealing, biting her thumb and slammed her own hand on the ground. "Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique)!" She called out, when a plumb of smoke came to life before a rather large blue scaled snake rose up in front of her. "Sick 'um." She ordered pointing towards the large spider.

The azure snake hissed angrily before charging forward crushing the baby spiders that raced at Anko in it's wake while slithering towards the angry looking 'mother' spider. Noticing it's approach Kidoumaru spit out a chunk of the gold substance from his mouth, and molded it into a rather intimidating looking bow. He then pulled on the bow string, and from the tips of the same hand, several gold tendrils protruded from his fingers before forming into arrows. Kidoumaru then began to launch volley after volley of golden arrows at the underside of the approaching snake, hoping to impede it's approach or better yet kill it.

"You know you CAN do something instead of just standing there!" The spider-like boy yelled out to his female partner.

His words knocked Tayuya back into reality from watching the summons battle, and just growled at him before speaking.

"I fucking know that you six-armed moron..." She huffed before placing the flute to her lips and began to play, but moments later her eyes widened in surprised and stopped playing which made Kidoumaru turn towards her questioningly. "...She disappeared." She said disbelievingly.

"What do you mean she disappeared!? She couldn't have...her damn summon is wrecking my spider's kids!" He shouted back, while continuously sending more arrows towards the snake whom was nearly upon the 'mother' spider now.

"Well I don't know what you want me to say fuck-tard...when I just played I couldn't feel my music effecting her...which means she has to be out of listening distance." Tayuya explained, half tempted to just walk over and punch him out.

"Ugh...just great, I'm stuck with the bi-polar bitch whose only ability is a skill that requires the target to be able to HEAR it." The boy boy grumbled loudly, making a tick mark appear over Tayuya's head.

"Shut the FUCK up before I just leave your sorry ass to that fucking snake!" She shouted back, but before he could respond a large shriek resounded in the clearing making the two teens look towards the summoning battle.

They now saw the spider completely ensnared by the blue snake whose head was right above the spider's neck...it seemed that the snake was the better. The two now looked on in morbid curiosity when the snake opened it's maw for what appeared to be the final blow against the spider, but what they never expected to happen, did. From within the snake's mouth shot out a tan colored object that sailed through the air above them, and at the pinnacle of it's ascent, opened up to reveal the smirking form of Mitarashi Anko whom launched a series of shuriken towards the shocked duo.

Tayuya and Kidoumaru only had a second to jump out of the way before getting skewered by the weapons, and luckily for them their level 2 cursed seals afforded them that second if just barely. Unfortunately Tayuya's own reprieve after that close call was cut short when Anko pivoted on the foot she landed on and without missing a beat shot towards her, another pair of kunai in her hands.

"Where in the hell does she put all those weapons!?" Tayuya mentally cursed, while grabbing a kunai from her pouch...never realizing that THAT very same question has yet to be answered even by Anko's closest comrades and friends.

Kidoumaru watched at the two females clashed in a rather 'cat fightish' way with their weapons and taijutsu. He heard a shriek that diverted his attention from them whom didn't seem to hear it, and saw something that make his usually cold heart ache. His summon was literally being devoured by the snake at that very moment, and before he could watch anymore he unsummoned the spider. Once he knew it was safe and recovering in the 'summon' world, he turned his head back towards the girl's fight, and with a vengeful glint in his eyes, raised his bow and pulled back four arrows waiting for the perfect moment to let them fly.

"You're not bad" Anko conceded with a smirk towards the dark tanned girl.

"Really? From all the stories and rumors I've heard about you I'd have thought the 'snake mistress' would be better then this." Tayuya shot back with her own smirk, while inwardly smiling like a Cheshire cat at being complimented by her 'hero'.

"Well...then you'd have thought right..." Anko answered, as she spun the kunai in her left hand to deflect Tayuya's flute which she had been using as a shield until then out of her hand. "...its over." Anko finished with finality stopping the spinning on the kunai so it faced down ready to stab the still stunned Tayuya in the head.

"What a shame, if we'd have met in different circumstances I would have probably tried to teach her a thing or two...since she reminds me so much of myself with that spitfire attitude of her's." The purple haired Jounin thought lamentingly.

Tossing that thought away Anko's arm descended for the finishing blow, but stopped when she felt something approaching from behind her. Both she and Tayuya jumped away just in time for three arrows to sail past them, one of them coming so close to Tayuya's head it actually clipped off some of her hair when she evaded. Unfortunately for Anko the last arrow had hit it's mark in the form of her now bleeding bicep of the very arm she was about to strike Tayuya down with, the arrow making a clean shot straight through.

"What the FUCK you asshole you nearly killed me!" Tayuya yelled, seething that he had nearly ended her life if the arrow was only another inch in the direction she jumped to.

"Get your damn flute." Kidoumaru said coldly, that same gleam in his eyes from before.

Tayuya was rather startled by the boy's reaction...she had never before seen him as focused, or as pissed as he was right now. And despite her 'bad-ass' attitude she knew that any one of Orochimaru's bodyguards were NOT to be messed with when angered...herself included...well angered more so then usual.

"Like I'd give you the chance." Anko spoke up, as she finished tying the shabbily-made tourniquet made from the sleeve of her trench coat, before jumping towards Tayuya to stop her from getting that troublesome instrument.

It was now a race to the flute that laid on the grass, Tayuya having a head start was confident in getting there first, but felt Anko quickly catching up. She cursed knowing that being on the level 2 cursed seal for such a prolonged period of time would cause the body more harm then good and it seemed that her body would soon reach it's limits. Luckily for her Kidoumaru was her partner, and better yet a partner who seemed to now have a vendetta with the older kunoichi, obvious by the fact of the dozens of arrows that flew towards Anko who had to slow down to keep herself from being impaled by more.

"Damn...these arrows are a pain...and they seem to be getting faster and faster." Anko mentally growled, while jumping around the clearing to keep from getting skewered.

"Gotcha!" Tayuya shouted to herself triumphantly, as she turned on her heels, skidding to a stop while looking at Anko still jumping around dodging the volleys of arrows. "Now lets see how you like this." She smirked pressing the flute to her lips once again.

Anko continued to raced around until that dreaded music began to play and once again the scenery around her seemed to melt away and left a red colored barren wasteland littered with rotted skeletons and bones in it's wake. Anko had to stop her moment lest she fall into some kind of trap the pair has set up. She expected that the arrows that were being fired at her would have hit her since she stopped moving, but now being in this genjutsu she couldn't really tell what was going on.

As she surveyed the terrain, she felt her left hand jerk, making her look at it oddly, before the arm was forcefully pulled up and hung in the air as if tied to something. She tried to jerk herself out of whatever invisible force was grabbing her, but then her other arm did the same. Then she felt a rough tugging at her midsection, but the tug was so great it actually forced her down to her knees with her arms still hanging in the air. When she looked back up her eyes widened slightly when out of no where around her wrists were chains that seemed to be connected to the scenery the genjutsu created. Anko knowing full well she was at the mercy of her opponent's the moment she heard that damnedable music began to jerk her body, hoping she could some how bust free.

Outside Genjutsu,

"Just fucking finish her off! Don't be so damn broody like that fuckhead Uchiha is about his Nii-san...your summon is fine geez!" Tayuya shouted to the six-armed boy whom at the moment seemed to be chewing on something in his mouth.

Kidoumaru glared heatedly at Tayuya, who simply growled before looking away. He opened his mouth and slowly but surely a rather vicious looking arrow sprouted from his throat. The head of the arrow was shaped much like a miniature pitchfork, only the ends were serrated pointing upwards...which meant that whatever this arrow hit would be literally ripped to shreds as it forced it's way through. Grabbing the arrow from his mouth and with slow deliberate movements prepared the arrow across the bow string to be fired.

"Accuracy: 120%..." He began to speak almost a mantra to himself while all three of his eyes were closed. "...Destruction level: Super Maximum!" He finished, opening his eyes in a flash and pulled back the bow string to it's greatest stress level, before smirking and letting the string go sending the arrow screaming at the now motionless kneeling form of Anko. "Shi Ne!"

Inside Genjutsu,

"It seems I have no other means of escaping this jutsu, then using THAT." Anko mentally resigned after trying to both physically and mentally break out of the jutsu for a full minute.

Anko closed her eyes and took in a deep breathe to settle her body and concentrate on what she needed to do, never realizing the danger she was in as Kidoumaru's arrow screamed towards her. Anko let out a deep sigh as she felt a familiar dormant strength overwhelm her body, a strength that she hadn't felt in over a decade as a raging flame-like pattern crossed over her skin before her eyes snapped open. The next moment all the muscles in her body flexed with new strength, causing the chains subduing her to break, before she disappeared only a small dust cloud where she once was.

Outside,

"Nani!?" Kidoumaru shouted in shock.

One moment Anko was kneeling on the ground defeated about to get skewered by his arrow. The next, a VERY familiar black pattern flared on her skin before she just disappeared right before the arrow would have punctured her skull.

"W...was that a cursed seal!?" He mentally questioned...knowing that from the records in Oto, Anko's seal was the prototype for Sasuke's, and there hadn't ever been a recorded incident of her using it...not even by Orochimaru himself. Many believed that the seal was faulty and didn't even allow the chakra boost for Anko like the newer generations did...but apparently everyone was wrong.

Both he and Tayuya were frantically looking around for the woman, but sensed her chakra too late, obvious by the spray of blood that danced in the air as Kidoumaru's body fell to the ground convulsing as he gurgled up blood from his mouth with him frantically holding his neck trying to stop the copious amounts of blood from flooding out. The stunned and now scared expression on his face never leaving as his curse seal receded, and the light in his eyes burned out before leaving only a bleeding, ghostly pale corpse on the blood ridden earth.

Anko slowly turned to Tayuya to see her ghastly expression, at not only witnessing Kidoumaru die, but that the black flames on her skin weren't a figment of her imagination...Mitarashi Anko truly did activate her cursed seal. Anko took an intimidating step forward with that same infamous sadistic grin on her lips. Tayuya couldn't help but take an unconscious step back...even with her pride as a kunoichi on the line, her baser instincts roared for her to run...run and don't look back. Unfortunately for her...that option was too far gone to even consider...especially when a pair of hands erupted from the ground, grabbed her feet...and the next thing she knew her eye sight was equal to only about several inches from the blood-soaked grass, while her body was completely immobile.

"Doton: Shinjuu Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Style: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique)!" Anko said smugly, her smirk now threatening to cut her face in half, as she spun a kunai around her finger knowing that Tayuya was at her complete mercy.

Tayuya now finally over the shock of the past thirty seconds, just glared up at Anko's slowly approaching form. Knowing that she couldn't pull out a weapon, her arms were too far apart to form any seals and her flute was lying several feet away...Tayuya just spat at Anko's sandals when the Jounin stopped walking only a foot away from her head.

"So now what? Do you expect me to beg for my life!?" She growled, looking rather comical considering for all intents and purposes she was now only a talking head.

Anko kept quiet and simply crouched down and pressed the cold blade of the kunai against Tayuya's warm neck, sending a shiver down the girl's spine.

"While that might be fun...you don't seem to be the type to beg for you're life." She finally answered as she caressed the blade all over the girl's dark tanned neck and face.

"You're fucking right I won't beg! So if you're going to kill me be done with it! At least I finally won't have to listen to those fucktards anymore, nor be forced to follow that fucking pedophile's orders!" She yelled

Her words caused Anko to quirk a brow...those words summoned up old feelings that Anko had hoped to never feel again. She glared at her prey, and pressed the kunai hard against her throat.

"Explain." She ordered...leaving no room for negotiations.

"What the hell do you mean...explain!?" She shot back. "Its not that hard to understand. Do you honestly think I CHOSE to follow that fucking snake!?" She rhetorically questioned before scoffing. "I'm not some kind of emo bitch, or a spineless puppy that would follow some guy just because he spoke a few sweet nothings in my ear about a better life if I went with him. That son of a bitch came and ransacked my village for all it was worth when I was only four years old! He killed EVERYONE in the village but the children...including my parents. And as we watched our families cry in agony while they and our village burned to the ground...he asked every child if they would follow him to a better life...a better future. Knowing who you are I'm sure you can imagine what he did to those kids who refused to follow him..." She paused...indeed Anko knew all TOO well what Orochimaru would have done. "...so I had no choice but to agree and get this fucking cursed seal the next moment. Of the ten kids who agreed and got the seal...I was the only one who survived! That bastard took everything from me, and all I could do was follow him out of survival...cause it certainly wasn't out of any loyalty to that fucking murderer!" She raged on, so distraught she never even realized that the rims of her eyes were tearing up from speaking about her past to another human being after so long of keeping her true feelings bottled up. "So if you're going to kill me just fucking do it and be done with it so I can finally have some peace in my otherwise fucked up life!" She practically ordered.

Anko just stared at Tayuya, while she was ironically both shocked at her story, as well as not surprised in the least that Orochimaru would do something like that to get more followers, whether voluntarily or forcefully.

"Shes more like me then I first thought..." Anko surmised, while unconsciously loosening her grip on the kunai. "...but still up until a minute ago she was trying to kill me." She concluded.

Anko stared at Tayuya for another second before letting out a long frustrated breath, and relinquished her kunai from Tayuya's neck.

"Tell me...how can I believe this story of yours? Do you have any proof?" She questioned to the still angered girl, who only seemed to get more so with the question she just asked.

"What the hell do you mean proof!? Do I honestly seem like a person who'd make up such a pathetic sob story just to stay alive!?" She questioned, her angry expression softening ever so slightly. "Besides even if I did have proof what the fuck does it matter when you're about to kill me?" She questioned in a subdued whisper.

In response Anko stood up to her full height and glared down dauntingly at the pinkette.

"Because if you have proof to back up your story, it may just allow you to live another day." She explained

"And that matters to me why!? That just means another day to be a slave to that fucking snake...I'd rather be dead!" She spat back, the mention of Orochimaru and her future making Anko smirk once more.

"Trust me after today...that snake won't be bothering anyone...EVER..." She answered with a tone of omnipotence, which caused Tayuya to quirk an eyebrow. "...I'll let you on a little secret. My comrades from Yuki and I aren't here to help out in the war directly. We are here to fulfill each of our own vendetta's...and the strongest of us...the man who was with me earlier, is currently taking care of Orochimaru personally. Needless to say Orochimaru will be dead by the end of this very day. Therefore...if you can back up your story with some proof perhaps I don't have to kill you...another avenue may just present itself." The older woman explained, making Tayuya's expression go from shock, to hope, but ended in disbelief.

"Don't say such stupid shit...not even the Sannin, the Sandaime Hokage...hell not even the fucking Yondaime Hokage could defeat Orochimaru! And you expect me to believe that HE has the power to do what some of the most powerful shinobi in the history of the world could not?" She retorted angrily, but couldn't hold back the sliver of hope that Anko had planted in her mind about finally being free from slipping into her voice.

"I've been that man's comrade and close friend for over three years...if I didn't think he could completely destroy Orochimaru in a fight...I wouldn't have sent him on his own to attempt it. Besides that...do you really not know who he is? He is Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto...the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune...the strongest of all the demon lords! And you think he can't kill some pathetic snake? You my dear girl are insane..." Anko said with a smile, before it quickly disappeared and her gaze hardened. "...so like I said...do you have any proof of your story?"

Tayuya looked at Anko...and easily noticed that the Jounin believed without any doubt that Naruto would kill Orochimaru. She knew it was far from her better judgment, but for once and more then likely last time in her life...she would trust someone with their word alone. She bowed her head so her face was hidden, before she spoke again.

"Around my neck there is a locket...inside is a picture of my parents and I after I was just born." She answered, her voice one of defeat and the last remnants of hope and trust. "I was able to keep it a secret from everyone in Oto...it's the last thing I have of my parents."

Anko, hesitated a moment before she went inside the girls shirt and easily found the silver chain and locket. Anko found it slightly odd that no one had noticed the chain before...but soon chalked it up to the girl's rather obvious 'sociable' attitude, and 'sunny' personality. With great care she took the chain out from around the girl's neck and opened the circular locket to see a picture of three people.

A young woman with fiery red hair, brown eyes and a smile you'd swear would reach her ears. A slightly older looking man with his arm wrapped around the woman's shoulder who had brown hair and brown eyes, and smiled gently at the camera. And the final person was a little baby that was tucked into the woman's strong and protective arms. After examining the picture Anko noticed that on the backside of the locket's cover there was an inscription:

Tayu-chan,

Always remember who you are, and that we love you.

Love always,

Kaa-san & Tou-san

Anko now knew that she had been telling the truth...Orochimaru just wasn't capable of doing something this heart warming...even if it was a planned trap. Without a word Anko closed the locket, and placed it back around Tayuya's neck.

"I believe you..." Anko said without any hesitation, making Tayuya look up rather surprised. "...however this now leaves us with a problem...what exactly to do with you." She concluded, Tayuya now mentally questioning what exactly would become of her. "It seems that you are very much like myself, albeit with some differences..." She paused before leaning down to look at the younger girl right in the eyes, their faces only inches apart. "...with that being said I'd rather not be forced to kill you since in a way I'd be killing myself. Therefore there is one more question you must answer, and know that if you lie to me...NOTHING in this world will save you." She said in a deathly serious tone, and just to make the point hit home she brandished her kunai again and let the blade dance across the girls neck just enough to draw some blood. "If I let you out of here...you must agree to come where EVER I tell you to without question, or reason. If you agree and disobey you're life will end. If you refuse to agree I will end you're life. I may not be giving you many options right now...but the alternative is you dying right here and now...so choose...and choose wisely."

Tayuya was speechless at Anko's ultimatum...never had she expected someone she had just been trying to kill show her any form of mercy...especially Mitarashi Anko the snake mistress. In truth the answer to the question was easy for the pink haired girl. The problem was the possible variables that could arise in the future. If Orochimaru some how survives, she would not only NOT be allowed back in Oto, she would be killed the moment she entered the gates for failing her mission. If she accepts this...she would be putting her life in the hands of this sadistic, deadly woman...even though her life currently WAS in said woman's hands. The difference being this time would be by Tayuya's own choice, not her forced duties to sound. Her choices really were dumbed down to death, or living towards an unknown future.

"I agree." She finally answered hesitantly.

"Very well." Anko answered back emotionlessly as she began to dig the girl out while watching her body movement for any suspicious motions.

Several minutes passed, until Tayuya was finally able to get out of the hole, an awkward silence reigned in the clearing, neither of the two women truly knowing if the other would betray their words to one another...after all deceit, and deception are one of a shinobi's most powerful tools. Several more minutes passed, with neither moving an inch, before a silent grace period ended between them and began to move albeit cautiously.

Tayuya dusted herself off, and quickly released her cursed seal on Anko's order, and couldn't help but wheeze feeling the side-effects of the seal. Anko too released her seal, and grimaced from the effects, before recovering and rummaging through her flack jacket's pockets, grabbed and then tossed what she was looking for to Tayuya whom caught it and quirked an eyebrow.

"Cuff yourself." Anko ordered.

Knowing that now wasn't the best time to argue Tayuya cuffed her hands behind her back.

"Where are you going to take me?" Tayuya's curiosity finally got the best of her, and couldn't hold back the question.

"I'm going to take you back to our main forces as a P.O.W, then once this ridiculous battle is over Whisker's will decide what we can do with you."

Tayuya grimaced at the idea of her being surrounded by people considered her enemies not half an hour ago, but knew that to argue now would only mean certain death...and if what Anko said about Orochimaru were true, would then be wasting a golden opportunity to actually live her life for herself and not like some scared minion.

"I see."

Anko looked at Tayuya and noticed the grimace, and couldn't help but sympathize with her. However with snow's strained truce with Konoha, Suna, and Whirlpool...if one could even call it that...doing something so outside authority may end up doing more harm then good for not only Tayuya but herself and the rest of her snow comrades.

"Konoha has strict rules in regards to P...you'll be safest there. I'll make sure friends of mine will be your keepers until everything is over."

Tayuya mentally thanked her 'hero' for that little bit of understanding and mercy, while nodding in appreciation and acceptance.

"If I can ask..." She paused, awaiting Anko's answer, who simply nodded. "...can we take my flute with me? You will hold on to it of course but please bring it." She requested, knowing that cursing within the request is a sure fire way to NOT get what you want.

Anko looked strangely at the bound girl, but relented seeing the same look in her eyes when she mentioned the locket...apparently the flute meant a lot to her. She went over and picked the flute up and pocketed it, noticing Tayuya's lips curve the tiniest bit upwards in appreciation for the gesture.

"Lets go." Anko ordered not acknowledging the smile, jumping away towards the camp, with a slightly satisfied and even happy Tayuya behind her.

Anko took one last look at the clearing and pouted slightly.

"I lost the bet." She mentally whined, before turning back and continued on towards base camp with her prisoner.

With Natsumi,

"So I get two Kekkei Genkai users ne?" Natsumi questioned with a satisfied smirk on her lips as she watched Kimimaru and Sakon get to their feet from her punch.

"H...how did you know we have Kekkei Genkai?" Sakon asked, surprised that this woman knew.

Natsumi simply pointed to her temple and smiled.

"These eyes of mine can see much more then either of you could ever imagine." She answered cryptically.

"It is no concern to us what you can or cannot see..." Kimimaru spoke up as a bone began to protrude from his shoulder before he grabbed it, ripped it the rest of the way out of his body and brandished it like a short sword. "...what does is that you are now a threat to Orochimaru-sama and MUST be stopped." He finished.

Natsumi couldn't help it and bit her lip trying to hold back her laughter, but even that couldn't stop her when she finally began to laugh merrily out-loud.

"You two must have no idea who I am to really think you have any chance against me as you are now. You would think you'd figure it out with the ears and tails..." She chuckled after calming down, before her smile turned drastically different...to one of a psychotic, bloodthirsty, sadist...as an unholy amount of KI washed over the clearing. "...I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune! I've ravaged these lands for over a millenia! I could cause natural disasters with a simple flick of my tails! Ningens shook with fear at the mere whispers of my name! And you two honestly think you can even come close to compare to me, let alone BEAT me?" She questioned as she continued to chuckle...but this chuckle much like her smile was now cold, dark, sadistic and hallow. "Very well I will accept your challenge...it will be a nice warm up at the very least." She finished, before pulling out 'Shinku Kaijin' from it's sheath, and reeled in her KI.

Sakon at the realization of whom they stood against, now wanted nothing to do with this battle. He and Kimimaru now faced a demon...a true demon in every sense of the word...he could tell just from how this woman held herself, as well as her tone and words that she wasn't exaggerating an ounce about her boasts. And to top it off, apparently people on their side KNEW who she was and failed to mention that a REAL DEMON was participating in this battle. Of course she could be easily mistaken as one of the hottest women on the planet...but was a DEMON nonetheless.

"If you run...I will kill you myself." Kimimaru's monotone voice whispered as if reading Sakon's mind, before he rushed forward to engage their opponent.

Natsumi and Kimimaru rushed throughout the clearing in a kinjutsu only battle, which slightly surprised Natsumi considering that 'Shinku Kaijin' had previously been able to cut through anything in a single swing. Yet the 'bone' sword this boy wielded, didn't yield an inch during any blow they exchanged. Natsumi's view of the Kaguya jumped a few notches in that respect, knowing that the density and strength of the bones his clan used correlated directly to their individual mastery of their bloodlimit...meaning that this boy's mastery was of the highest caliber.

"I'm impressed Kaguya...I've not met someone from you're clan that has wielded their 'Shikotsu Myaku (Corpse Bone Pathways)' so masterfully..." She complimented as she continued to dominate the fight obvious by all of the cuts currently dressing the Kaguya's body. "...perhaps you truly will give me a worthy fight." She finished, jumping away quickly putting a small distance between them.

"I wouldn't know...I've only been in battle with my clan once...and after that Orochimaru-sama trained me." He retorted blandly...it seemed this boy had buried his emotions so deep that the only one he still felt was his rather zealous loyalty to the snake sannin.

No sooner had the boy finished speaking did he rush forward once again, Natsumi noticing this prepared herself to continue, however a black blur passing her peripheral vision caught her attention. She looked back and noticed that Sakon was no where to be found, and figured out they were trying to pincer her. Not giving away that she knew their plan...even though it seemed to be a spur of the moment between the 'comrades', prepared herself for Kimimaru's incoming attack.

"Tsubaki no Mai (Dance of the Camellia)!" The bone-user shouted, as he unleashed a barrage of thrusts towards the demoness with only a yard separating them.

Natsumi strengthened her defensive stance, before she felt another presence behind her rushing towards her back much like Kimimaru was from the front.

"TarenKen (Multi-Connecting Fist)!" Sakon said, with his arm flashing back and forth at extreme speeds while wielding a kunai, making it look almost like he had multiple arms each holding a razor sharp kunai.

Natsumi smirked when she sensed the two attacks coming at her, and with a grace and speed the two could only hope to see, turned 'Shinku Kaijin' in her hand before driving it into the ground several inches and closed her eyes.

"Kitsune Issei Ryu: Kitsune Shippo no Mai (Fox Cry Sword Style: Dance of the Fox Tail)!" She said, as a pulse of chakra filtered through the blade until it disappeared into the ground.

The next moment was a blur for both Sakon and Kimimaru, the last thing they remembered was nearly piercing Natsumi with their respective attacks. The next they were on the ground several yards away lying on their backs. Kimimaru was the first to recover and get up looking at Natsumi when he saw chakra emanating from the ground that looked like a large version of the tails that flowed behind the demoness whom called upon it. Seeing the chakra begin to seep back into the ground, his memory of the last fifteen seconds kicked in.

- FLASHBACK -

They were about to strike at the demoness whom was a threat to their master, but before his bone 'sword' or Sakon's kunai could pierce her flesh, a large amount of chakra shot out from the ground where the sword was plunged in the shape of a fox's tail, and quickly wrapped itself protectively around it's summoner. Despite the surprise jutsu both teens continued on with their attacks and connected with the strange barrier. They attacked the barrier relentlessly with their jutsu with little effect since they couldn't seem to puncture it.

Unfortunately with their hidden frustration rising they failed to noticed that with each strike they landed on the barrier, little bits of the barrier began to collect on the weapons. And by the time the teens had noticed...it was too late, and Kimimaru's sword along with Sakon's kunai and fist were completely surrounded by the chakra. The chakra then did something strange...it seemed to move of it's own volition by lifting up both teens off the ground before throwing them harshly through the air.

- FLASHBACK END -

"That sword style of hers...I doubt even Orochimaru-sama has heard of it, or even seen it for that matter..." Kimimaru thought, his eyes hardening ever so slightly. "...seems I'll have to use it early...she isn't one I should underestimate even being a human looking demon." He concluded as he shed his shirt, while the cursed seal on his chest spread across his body.

Natsumi watched the reactions of both her opponents with barely suppressed glee. She hadn't had a battle last this long in such a long time. And even better she noticed that the one with the scroll on his back had already activated his cursed seal level 1 when he had attacked her moments ago obvious by the bacteria-like pattern across his skin. And now Kimimaru activated his as a rip-like pattern adorned his skin.

"Finally getting serious I see..." She taunted with a shit-eating grin on her face as her grip on 'Shinku Kaijin' tightened. "...good because I want to have more fun with you." She finished, her voice taking on that psychotic tone once more, before she disappeared from sight moving even faster then before.

Kimimaru only had time to parry against her swing as she appeared in front of him, her speed and strength obviously increased by the fact that he was struggling just keeping the blade's stalemated, while she was pushing him back his feet digging across the earth. Also in the fact that his bone sword began to crack under the new pressure of her strikes.

"TarenKyaku (Multi-Connecting Leg)!" Sakon shouted as he appeared behind Natsumi, with his leg already extended moving so quickly it looked like multiple feet at once.

Natsumi just smirked, and phased out of existence from between the two teens, who quickly recovered and looked around for her.

"You two are getting boring already..." Her voice called out in a whine, as they whirled around to find her just standing several yards away from their position. "...I thought with your cursed seals it would be more fun. But apparently all it did was make you slightly faster and stronger." She continued on but disappeared again. "Show me more...more of what that snake has taught you! I want to savor this fight as much as possible before I kill you both!" She whispered, her lips now right next to both teen's ears...her breath tickling their skin. They whirled whirled around to find no one there, but then heard giggling from behind them again and turned to see her with that same evil smirk. "Now show me...show me what I want before I dance with your corpses and drink your blood from your skulls!" She cooed out holding 'Shinku Kaijin' in a ready position...silently giving the teens the first move.

"S...shes completely insane!" Sakon thought, currently feeling completely helpless in this women's presence...her agility, power, and skills with a sword. She outmatched them in all three yet didn't end their lives like any normal shinobi would, quickly...efficiently. No she seemed to be playing with them like a cat would a wounded mouse before the final strike. "S...she truly is a demon!" He concluded, up until now still convinced she was just trying to intimidate them, while her ears and tails were just some kind of horrible experiment or bloodlimit. However now...now he was convinced this woman, who was so beautiful...seemed so innocent...was actually the lord of all demons.

As Sakon mused on his fears Kimimaru still seemed unaffected by Natsumi's obvious superiority since the fight began. He pulled up his sword and noticed the large nick that extended halfway through the bone. He narrowed his eyes slightly...this being his only true show of emotion so far, and threw the sword to the ground. He then closed his eyes, before his body tensed, which made Natsumi who had been watching him in interest quirk a brow...before her silent question was answered when 'bone' spikes shot out of his body in three different spots: his knees, elbows, and palms, making him look slightly like a pin cushion.

"Well I see someone's ready for some more fun" Natsumi said appreciating the new 'additions' to Kimimaru.

Kimimaru didn't respond to her, and simple rushed towards her once again. When he was close to reaching her he jumped into the air.

"Yanagi no Mai (Dance of the Willows)!" He spoke as he descended towards her.

Natsumi noticed the more precise movements of the boy's body compared to before, and parried both his palm 'spikes' as they tried to impale her as he landed. Kimimaru spun on his heels, deflecting the katana to the side and sent his elbow across Natsumi, who jumped back soon enough to only get a shallow slash across her stomach from the 'spike'. She skidded across the ground before stopping, however Kimimaru didn't wish to give her any time to recover and attacked her relentlessly with the multiple 'spikes' in his body.

Unfortunately for him, Natsumi was no stranger to pain, and in actuality after such a long time without feeling this sensation, reveled in it. Because of this Natsumi's guard wasn't lowered like he would have expected when he assaulted her again, and she parried his blows with ease like before. After one particularly long stalemate between them, Natsumi smirked in the face of her opponent.

"Now this IS getting interesting..." She said jovially, before she disappeared, causing Kimimaru to fall slightly forward before grunting in pain when he felt a sharp object rush across his back running from his right shoulder blade down to his left hip, which forced him to a knee. "...mmnn...blood of those with Kekkei Genkai ALWAYS seem to taste better then those without." Natsumi's voice cooed from behind him.

Kimimaru stood up with a sight wince, and turned to see Natsumi licking the sharp, and now bloody end of 'Shinku Kaijin' with a sadistic smile.

"Even with my cursed seal and Kekkei Genkai she is treating this like some kind of game." He thought wondering just what he could do to kill her as quickly as possible so he could get back to his master sooner.

Kimimaru noticed that Sakon was now nowhere to be seen in the clearing, and narrowed his eyes. If there was one thing he hated almost as much as those who hurt his master it was those who would betray him. Throwing the 'justice' he would dispense upon the traitor later, he raised his fingers up and pointed them at Natsumi who just looked unfazed at his movements.

"Teshi Sendan (Ten Finger Drilling Bullets)!" He said, when from the tips of his fingers several bullet-like objects fired out at a fast velocity.

Natsumi did nothing to evade the odd 'bone' projectiles and simply cut them down with the katana leaving them harmlessly at her feet. Kimimaru called upon his jutsu again only this time he began to rapid fire the 'bullets' making the air buzz thanks to the multiple spinning bones. Noting the almost hundred bone weapons coming at her, Natsumi decided to just do the easy thing and evade them. She phased in and out of existence as the bone projectiles continued to follow her throughout the clearing, until she got tired of evading, and pivoted on her feet shooting towards Kimimaru. She evaded or cut down any approaching bones, and when she raised her sword to cut the boy vertically down the middle, noticed with widened eyes an arm holding a kunai came shooting out of Kimimaru's chest, before piercing her own.

"Ha ha ha...gotcha." A voice that Natsumi didn't recognize laughed mirthfully.

Natsumi jumped back the second she was struck and pulled the kunai out of her upper left chest, before spitting out the blood that collecting in her mouth. She looked back to see one of the strangest things she had ever seen...and for a millenia old demoness that was saying something. From Kimimaru's left side a glob of flesh began to ooze out, before it began to form a body next to him.

When it was done Natsumi quirked a brow...whoever this was looked like the other boy she had been fighting...only he looked like a demon more then anything. His hair was white, his skin had turned a faded red, his face was more angular with his chin extended to a point, and he had a long horn protruding out of the right side of his forehead. The last thing was that the left side of his body was covered in what looked to be onyx-colored scales that were reminiscent to a dragon's.

"So we have a new player..." She said after getting over the odd looking boy. "...but if you aren't the same one I was fighting before, then where..." She began to question before recognition twinkled in her eyes and in a single swift movement plunged 'Shinku Kaijin' into the ground directly in front of her, and half a second later a muffled scream could be heard when she lifted the sword from the earth and blood began to ooze out of the blade sized hole. "...guess that answers my question." She finished rhetorically.

"S...sakon..." The new boy spoke in an unbelieving voice while watching more of his brother's blood ooze from the earth. "...YOU BITCH!" He shouted when he looked back at the unfazed woman who merely shrugged at his curse.

"What did you expect me to do? Just let him ambush me? Don't take me for an amateur...while I'll admit it was smart to hide your presence inside the Kaguya and he in the earth where chakra is displaced thanks to the natural chakra flow the world creates. He was a fool to have actually moved. For those who have a keen sense of nature...which would be pretty much ALL demons, we can can feel nearly any disturbance against Nature's 'flow'. So while his ambush against me would have worked against any other shinobi...against me it was basically pinning a giant bull's eye on his back...or head as the case may be." She explained, that same smirk adorning her face once more. "Now then...back to the rest of this fight...its gotten much more interesting especially with your Kekkei Genkai now involved. To be able to enter someone else's body? Must be perfect for assassinations."

"When we finally take you down...I'm going to enjoy every moment as you scream for mercy as I kill you cell by cell." The armored boy spat out hatefully.

"Ukon...at this stage you are useless outside of a body..." Kimimaru stated bluntly. "...stay inside until the time is right." He ordered, staring at the demonized boy with a blank expression that almost dared him to disobey

Ukon glared at Natsumi for several more seconds before relenting and phased back into the bone-user's body, watching the mere act sent unconscious shivers through Natsumi.. Its not everyday even for a millenia old demoness to see somebody literally melt into someone else. Kimimaru's body finally returned to it's 'regular' state before the six 'spikes' in his body receded and a second later his body tensed again as what seemed like his entire ribcage extended out of his chest in spikes. However that wasn't all, even bones protruded out of his forearms, top of his shoulders, and back...making him look even more like a pin cushion then before.

"This boy truly has mastered his 'Shikotsu Myaku (Corpse Bone Pathways)', he even adapted a full taijutsu style based solely on his abilities with it. Not even the strongest Kaguya that I've fought could use his Kekkei Genkai with such control and ability. They mostly just fought like frenzied barbarians throwing whatever they could control over their Kekkei Genkai at me." Natsumi thought, appreciating Kimimaru's strength...even if it was still below her own.

With Ukon secured inside his body, Kimimaru decided to continue with his assault, hoping that with the add edge of Ukon's bloodlimit he could defeat the powerful demoness. He once more called upon his 'Teshi Sendan' launching them at his opponent. Natsumi sighed, at the boring recycling of jutsu the Kaguya was coming up with despite his strength. She easily maneuvered around the 'bullets' so none hit her, but when she looked back where he had been standing to attack him, found him missing. She looked around before feeling his presence, and jumped back quickly only for Kimimaru to appear flying towards her.

"Karamatsu no Mai (Dance of the Larch)!" He called out before he began to spin his body in a barrel roll.

Natsumi began to parry the spikes that attacked her while he spun in the air, and while dodging many of them a few nicked her in the appendages, though they were only flesh wounds that would heal quickly enough. After several seconds of his assault, Natsumi noticed his spinning slow down, and was prepared to deliver a counter-attack of her own when the time was right. However Kimimaru had a trick up his sleeve, or rather in his skin...because the moment he stopped spinning, Natsumi got a good look at him, and saw his hands in a sealing position.

With widened eyes Natsumi jumped back from the pale boy on instinct, but it was too late. All of the bones that were protruding from Kimimaru shot out of his body, much like shrapnel would with a mine. Natsumi wasn't able to get far enough away in time to use a jutsu to escape the attack, and could only swing 'Shinku Kaijin' once in one large arc. The arc while protecting her vital organs, couldn't protect her from the several large rib bones that now impaled her thighs, lower stomach, and arms. Natsumi landed with a grunt, before beginning to pull out the several bones going through her body, after noticing that Kimimaru just stood there like a statue not seeming about to strike.

Once all the now bloody bones fell to the earth, she readied herself to continue the fight, but paused when she began to hear dark laughter that wasn't coming from Kimimaru...which is when her eyes widened at the implications. She quickly surveyed her body, and when she looked at her right shoulder confirmed what she thought.

"Boo" Ukon said, his demonized face only several inches from her own with a evil smile on his face.

"How?" She asked, already over her shock, and now just curious how he 'entered' her.

"Oh this?" He mocked innocently. "It seems that his bones, even after being expelled from his body has both living cells as well as chakra infused in them...therefore I can hop a ride when I wish...luckily...well for me anyway I just picked the right bone...the one that gutted you to be precise." He explained his lips curling upwards even more as he spoke.

"I see"

"Not yet you don't..." He retorted, before his eyes took on a icy gleam. "...but you will. You will see just what my word's TRULY mean as I destroy you cell by individual cell. And he will do nothing to stop me either...no matter how much you scream and beg for a swift end." He finished coldly.

"I do have one question for you then...we are currently connected through my body correct?" She responded calmly, making the boy quirk a brow but nod in affirmation. "And you may look like a demon... but you aren't one are you?" She questioned.

"No...but why would you ask such a ridiculous question right before your death?" He shot back, before his eyes filled with slight fright when he saw a certain glint enter Natsumi's eyes and that same damned smirk appear again.

"So I can enjoy your screams." She answered, before the entire clearing was weighed down by her KI that she began to unleash, as her chakra began to swirl around her.

For a moment, the clearing was silent as the KI washed over it...that is until a blood curdling scream echoed throughout. The scream coming from Ukon who was currently rolling on his back on the ground writhing in pain as he clawed at his skin, which at the moment appeared to be steaming before literally melting off much like if acid was thrown on his persons. The reason for this being that although human's CAN gain a slight tolerance to demonic chakra the more they are exposed to it...those who've never experienced it before tend to have a hard time adjusting to the new, highly potent chakra entering their unsuspecting chakra system. Ukon's reaction being the usual reaction...at least it would be if his first experience wasn't with the chakra of the Kyuubi no Kitsune the queen of all demons, meaning his reaction was severely worse then the norm.

It's purpose done Natsumi called off her KI as her chakra dissipated, and simply watched with obvious satisfaction Ukon's painful looking as well as sounding torture. Kimimaru himself watched on in morbid curiosity as well...not really caring either way about the life of the boy...only the means in which Natsumi did that to him so it wouldn't happen to him later on. Eventually Ukon stopped flailing about, and actually began to crawl across the ground towards his comrade. As he did so you could see more and more of his skin bubble and melt off his bones, which in a few spots could actually be visible by now. He dragged his burning and pain-racked body to the toes of his comrade, before he latched onto his ankles and looked up into the boy's face, chunks of his own missing.

"H...help...me..." He wheezed out holding back the urge to scream as the words flowed out of his burning throat.

Kimimaru simply looked down at the dying boy with no pity in his eyes...nothing in his eyes in fact...as if he didn't care at all. And if how the bodyguards interacted before was any indication he probably didn't. After a full minute of the two just staring at each other, Kimimaru finally moved by stretching out his hand, palm towards Ukon who smiled uncharacteristically at the boy's gesture. He lifted his right arm about to grab Kimimaru's, when his eyes opened in shock and his mouth in surprise, his voice trying to convey pain...but no sound escaped his lips after hearing what Kimimaru just said.

"You are of no more use to Orochimaru-sama." Kimimaru stated coldly, as he retracted the bone spike that he only seconds ago lodged into the middle of Ukon's skull.

Natsumi looked on impassively at the boy's execution, in truth she never figured Oto shinobi to be either merciful to their enemies nor hold any camaraderie towards their own. So Kimimaru's actions weren't a surprise to her in the least. She continued to watch the boy scrape off Ukon's other arm from around his other ankle, before he unceremoniously stepped over it like it was just an obstacle in his way, much like a rock in this clearing.

"And people call me a monster...he was your comrade." She spoke up...in truth not really caring about the situation...really she was just bored at the moment.

"Those who are weak have no right to be by Orochimaru's side. And those that can't serve him any longer deserve death." He answered automatically...much like how a robot would...clearly this boy was an unchangeable zealot of the snake sannin.

"To each their own I suppose." She answered uncaring.

"YOU on the other hand..." He said, his voice taking a tone of slight anger, and duty...before Natsumi noticed that the cursed seal that was spread over his chest now began to spread over the rest of his body before turning his whole skin a dark brown. "...ARE strong...and need to be eliminated for the glory of Orochimaru-sama's dream." He finished, as his transformation did...making him look much like a dinosaur...several large, thick bones now protruded out of his back pointing upward, while all down his spine bones protruded out of his skin, as well as along the three foot long tail he grew.

Natsumi couldn't help but smirk at the boy's new power as well as threat his words produced. She readied 'Shinku Kaijin' in her hand, and waited to see the new skills his cursed seal level 2 form would provide him with. She wasn't disappointed when a rumbling from the ground got her attention, and she immediately jumped into the air. It was a good thing too, because a moment later what seemed to be a large forest made up of what appeared to be bones jutted out of the earth encasing the area in it's white confines.

"Sawarabi no Mai (Dance of the Young Ferns)!" Kimimaru's voice said, in almost all directions as Natsumi landed back on the ground, now surrounded by the bone 'forest'.

"Well this will certainly make things more interesting." She mentally deadpanned.

"Submit and I can guarantee you a swift and painless death." He offered, from behind her.

"Arigato...but I'm having to much damn fun." She answered after turning around and grinned at him.

"I see..." He paused, before his right hand and forearm became encased in a large bone that took the shape of a twisted spear. "...Tessenka no Mai: Hana (Dance of the Clematis: Flower)!"

Her brow quirked delicately. "Do you honestly think you can hit me with such a large weapon?" She mocked.

"Perhaps not...however..." He paused, before reaching his hand out to touch one of the large 'tree trunks' when a second later his hand and the rest of him melted into the bone until he was completely gone. "...I don't need to move to you with such a large weapon...because I'm now completely surrounding you." He explained and to prove his point, his spear shot out of the 'tree' behind her and slashed across her back while she tried to evade feeling his presence at the last moment.

"Reminds me of Haku-chan's 'Makyou Hyoushou' (Demonic Ice Crystal Mirrors)." Natsumi thought to herself, keeping her senses on alert for any distortion.

"Nice strategy...to use your Kekkei Genkai to completely surround me..." She stated in almost a defeated tone, before it turned slightly mocking. "...unfortunately for you I've been training with a cute little girl whose own Kekkei Genkai jutsu is quite similar in it's purpose as yours." She concluded, and no sooner did she finish talking did she slide her finger across her katana and allow her blood to flow down the bade. "Hakkei: Shinku Kaijin (Release: Crimson Ash)!"

After she spoke those words and her blood hit the tip of the sword, the blade glowed red before it exploded in fire.

"That is no ordinary sword..." Kimimaru who had watched what she'd done thought. "...however if she can't hit me with it, then its of no use to her." He concluded, remembering the advantages this particular dance of his afforded him.

Had Kimimaru's opponent been a normal shinobi he'd have been right...but Natsumi was anything but normal. And to prove that point, she raised the now blade-less hilt into the air, and when all the fire accumulated where the blade once resided, the flames exploded outwards in a large wave. The flames encompassed the bone forest, lighting the once white trunks on fire quickly turning them black. After only a few moments the entire forest was lit aflame, the fire danced across the area almost as if it was alive, and left no area of the forest bereft of it's burning touch aside from a small circle where Natsumi herself stood.

"So she wishes to smoke me out?" He mentally questioned, noticing that the heat of the flames had already begun to eat away at his jutsu.

"Shall we finally finish this? I believe you only have a few minutes before these flames completely eat away your forest. And I'd much rather have the satisfaction of finishing off such an interesting opponent such as you myself, then hearing you burn alive at a distance." She offered out-loud not knowing exactly where the boy was. "What do you say Kaguya? One final jutsu to end this battle?"

A full minute seemed to tick by in silence, aside from the sizzling of the forest burning around her, as Natsumi awaited Kimimaru's answer. However not being one to take chances on actually getting a verbal answer to determine his choice, she opened her hand before a red colored Rasengan appeared. However no sooner did the Rasengan appear did her arm tense under some kind of pressure, when three rings began to encompass the Rasengan itself...but these rings were made of pure fire. After forming her jutsu, Natsumi simply stood and waited closing her eyes concentrating on her other senses for any attack that were to be executed by the boy.

"I can't afford to be hit by whatever that is...I know its based off the Rasengan. However Orochimaru-sama never notified us of one like this. I'll need to completely surprise her to keep that jutsu from connecting." Kimimaru thought, his mind racing for the best way to catch her off guard.

Several minutes past as Natsumi stood in the middle of the forest completely still, as the flames of her sword danced around her while continuing to leave the charred remains of the forest behind as the blackened trees fell one by one. She could feel that several of the better sneak attack trees had fallen and were now useless. However there were still several more that were viable choices to him. She also knew that he would choose a killing blow for whatever he had planned, so a single miscalculation could NOT be afforded.

Her ears twitched as sounds sang in her ears, her nose twinged with the smell of smoke, earth and the Kaguyu all around her. Her skin gained goosebumps when a new breeze blew into the forest. Finally it seemed that she zoned out every distraction that she could, almost as if she heard, smelled, and felt nothing...just blank...she was searching for something...and wouldn't stop until she found it.

"THERE!" She mentally yelled, as her eyes sprung open after feeling the barest of changes in her surroundings. She doubted that even Naruto would have noticed the change, even with his demonic senses...her's were honed to a mastery he had yet to achieve.

She pivoted on one foot, and ground the other into the earth for a sturdy foundation, before she shifted her upper body upwards, where she saw Kimimaru flying towards her his spear pointed directly at her skull. With the last few precious moments she had she thrust the Rasengan forward to meet his spear.

"Katon: Rasenkaen (Fire Style: Spiral Blaze)!" She shouted when the tip of his spear impacted her jutsu.

After the initial shock of the colliding forces which knocked down many of the still standing trees, the two shinobi were locked in a power struggle. Unfortunately for Kimimaru, despite making his spear the strongest density he could which at this point was even harder then steel...he never knew of just how powerful a Rasengan could be...let alone one being manipulated with elemental chakra. So when Natsumi's serious face as she looked dead in his eyes turned into one of through enjoyment with a happy smirk, he not only mentally questioned why...but fear was actually creeping up in the recesses of his mind when he saw her change in demeanor.

"Its been fun Kaguya-san...but I win our little game" Natsumi said with a slightly strained voice.

Kimimaru's brow rose, before he heard something he feared...a sound of a large crack...one specifically associated with a bone breaking. And when he turned his attention to the colliding jutsu he learned why. Several large cracks now adorned his bone spear, along with the sharp tip of the weapon now broken and what was now touching her jutsu blackening quickly.

"Its over..." He mentally resigned, closing his eyes in defeat hearing several more cracks on his spear...it was only a matter of seconds. "...gomennasai Orochimaru-sama." He apologized, right before he felt his spear completely shatter from his arm.

Natsumi felt his weapon crumble, and noticed the resigned expression on his face, and decided on being slightly merciful towards the boy who while not making her go all out in this fight...certainly gave her more then a worthy workout. Feeling no resistance now, she maneuvered her jutsu in front of the boy's face, and simply waited for gravity to do the rest. It was only a second later when blood, shattered pieces of skull, and brain matter exploded all over the area, and dressed Natsumi herself in a thick layer of the boy's entrails.

The rest of the boy's body fell to the ground with a meaty thud, as small spurts of blood oozed out of the singed screw-like wounds that were left from Natsumi's jutsu. When the body fell, so did the rest of the forest now that it's summoner was no longer in this world. Natsumi called back 'Shinku Kaijin', and when all the flames were combined turned back into it's unreleased form before she sheathed the blade. She looked at the entirely of the bloody clearing going over the fight in her mind, before looking back down at the fallen Kaguya...or what was left of him.

"You were certainly an interesting opponent. If only you were older you might have proven to be a rival to me some day." She complimented, closing her eyes for a moment.

"Find peace with your family...last of the Kaguya clan." She prayed, before her eyes opened and she sighed.

"Damn...lost the bet." She cursed, just remembering it and then realized how she killed the boy. "Oh well there will be other bets." She concluded, before allowing her senses to be enhanced again.

"Hm...I don't sense Anko...and she wasn't fighting THAT far away from me when we both started. Which means she either screwed up the bet like I did and went to have more fun to get out of the funk of losing...or found someone or something that was worth keeping and went back to base camp." She concluded, before she heard a voice call out to her that knocked her out of her musing.

"Natsumi-chan!" Hana called out, when she, Anko, Yugito...and to Natsumi's surprise and annoyance Tsunade landed near her.

"I take it this is your handiwork?" Tsunade questioned, barely hiding her disgust at the sheer brutality of the scene.

"What is SHE doing here?" Natsumi questioned slightly glaring at the Kage.

"Couldn't be helped..." Yugito answered, not liking her presence there either. "...after she examined the Raikage's remains and briefed some ANBU to announce his death to the rest of Kumo...she over heard Anko, Hana and I talking about meeting up with Naru-kun...and volunteered under heavy threat to come with us." She explained, making Natsumi snort indignantly.

"And you didn't just incapacitate her because?"

"Too troublesome." Anko answered boredly, getting a snort from Tsunade herself at the mere idea that any of those three could best her even at her age.

"Very well..." She sighed out. "...Tsunade...I will warn you now...you should be prepared to see some things that most would find...grotesque even for war. So if you get the smart idea to try to stop Naru-kun...don't. Because I will take great pleasure in stopping you if you try. We are here for our own ends...it just so happens that yours are along the same path." She finished, making her threat VERY clear to the Kage, who simply nodded.

"Lets go he might finish before we get there." Yugito suggested.

"He better not be!" Anko, Hana and Natsumi mentally shouted, before all the women nodded and jumped off in the direction that Naruto jumped towards when getting past the Oto bodyguards Anko and Natsumi just defeated.

With Naruto,

"So you've finally come for round two ne Naruto-kun?" Orochimaru's teasing voice called out to him on the other side of the clearing that Naruto stood in.

"You know for a fact had Anko-chan not been there...a round two wouldn't have been needed." Naruto stated calmly, noting the dozen or so Konoha, and Suna shinobi corpses scattered throughout the clearing

"No doubt his handiwork." The hanyou thought while surveying the severed bodies.

"Ah...still harboring that ill attempt at morality and honor? How quaint...makes me recall my fresh Genin days." The pale man responded wistfully.

"Perhaps, but at least when I die I'll die with a cleaner conscience then you ever will." He shot back, before he began to slowly walk towards the sannin.

"I suppose...but there IS one problem with your statement..." He paused, before a superior smirk dressed his lips. "...I will NEVER die! I've already perfected my immortality jutsu." He explained happily.

Upon hearing this, Naruto stopped his feet and narrowed his eyes slightly, towards the smiling man.

"No doubt at the cost of others, like Anko-chan, and Natsu-chan..." He said, a slight growl rumbling in his throat, which only made Orochimaru's grin increase. "...and if that is the case...then I'll just have to make sure that by the time I'm finished with you there won't be enough of you to to still be considered an existence." He promised, before slowly unsheathing 'Souten Kaze' which seemed to hum in anticipation of this fight knowing just how much it's 'master' desired it.

Unfortunately for Naruto, before he could even take another step towards the snake sannin, another player entered the field.

"Gomen Naruto-kun...but Orochimaru-sama has much more pressing matters to attend to then to deal with the likes of you..." The visage and voice of the new speaker made Naruto's body grow rigid in anger, and wasn't able to hold back the guttural growl which escaped his throat. "...therefore your opponent will be me. And I assure you I will not let you get past me like sound four did." He finished, before brandishing twin kunai, one in each hand.

"Ka...bu...to..." Naruto growled lowly, his teeth clenched together as he pronounced each syllable distinctly, with his grip tightening on his katana making his knuckles go white from the pressure.

"Oh you remember me? I'm quite flattered Naruto-kun, I didn't know I left such an impact in your life." Kabuto replied in a pseudo-friendly tone, after hearing his name.

"Oh you did..." Naruto answered, as he began to walk forward with slow deliberate steps keeping his eyes solely on the silver haired man, while remembering everything that occurred to Hana thanks to him. "...and now you will died for it." He guaranteed, before disappearing after his foot next touched the ground.

Kabuto smirked, and disappeared while rushing to meet the orange haired hanyou, as Orochimaru just looked on in amusement and interest. He heard the single clash of metal, before seeing both Naruto and Kabuto appear again, but now on the opposite sides of the clearing then where they began. He awaited with morbid curiosity to see who now had the upper hand, since he didn't want to spoil the surprise and looked away at the last moment before they reached each other.

"You've gotten faster." Naruto complimented, before several drips of blood fell to the ground from the shallow cross slash that now ran across his chest.

"Arigato...and so have you since what I witnessed back in the Chuunin exam finals." Kabuto returned with a smile, before it turned into a painful grimace as a meaty thud could be heard.

The reason for this being that Kabuto's left arm up to his bicep was now on the ground with the kunai still in his grip. Kabuto quickly began to heal the wound...knowing that trying such a delicate operation such as a limb reattachment in the middle of a fight would be suicide. He simply hoped that even with only one arm he could finish Naruto off soon enough that the limb wouldn't 'die' before he could reattach it. Once the wound was closed he turned to face Naruto again.

"You're wrong Kabuto...you stated that in a fashion which implied that I trained AFTER the Chuunin exams to get as fast as I am now..." Naruto responded, after swiping his blade to get the excess blood off, with his own wound already healed. "...what you don't seem to realize is that, I've been this fast the entire time, since the moment I returned to Konoha. You've simply grown slightly less weak compared to me in the past three years, whereas I haven't changed at all. And I'm sure I can say the same for your master as well. Had he not used Anko-chan...I'd have easily killed him." He concluded, looking back at Kabuto with the same coldness he held before.

Kabuto himself, narrowed his eyes at Naruto's words...you can make fun of his skills as much as you like but when you cross THAT line by disrespecting his master...nothing will save you. Kabuto's anger began to boil, and before he even realized it the mental dam broke, and he began to feel a dormant power begin to surface.

Naruto quirked a brow when he felt, and saw a change in Kabuto...his chakra seemed to spike and concentrate on a singular emotion...rage. Not only that but Kabuto's body seemed to have gotten bigger, his toned muscles bulged slightly stretching the clothes he wore. But the most prominent change, at least physically were his eyes...instead of his deep brown eyes that appeared almost black, they turned a dark teal, and the outer whites of his eyes became blood shot red.

"Ah...is that 'Oudai Chishio' (Old Blood)? From what Natsu-chan told me I figured it became extinct, seeing as not even she knew what that Kekkei Genkai truly did, other then it's physical manifestation." Naruto stated in slight surprise.

Kabuto stayed silent at Naruto's words and without warning charged at the hanyou. Naruto prepared for the one armed boy to strike, but was surprised when Kabuto got close and out of no where jumped over him so he landed in between himself and Orochimaru. In a fluid motion after landing Kabuto pocketed his kunai and began to do one-handed seals, before taking in a deep breath.

"Katon: Haisekishou (Fire style: Burning Ash Accumulation)!" He shouted, as he released his breath but ash escaped his mouth instead and quickly surrounded Naruto.

Seeing this Kabuto bit his front teeth together which ignited the ash. The flames raged towards the enveloped hanyou, before exploding when the large ash ball ignited. Kabuto watched in suspicious wonderment if he got Naruto...though his shinobi sense was telling him no. Unfortunately, that same sense wasn't able to pick up Naruto fast enough when he rushed out of the smoking cloud right at Kabuto seemingly uninjured. A single flash of metal crossed Kabuto's vision before searing pain racked his body, and a second later nothing...only darkness.

Orochimaru watched this battle with amusement until this point, he was now regretting Kabuto taking on the jinchuuriki. He thought that the extra three years of training had given Kabuto enough strength to at least match Naruto in battle. He was sorely mistaken and he mentally cursed himself, especially since he just witnessed his best medic, as well as most loyal servant be sliced horizontally several times across his body, before said body exploded in a cloud of blood and fell to the earth in pieces.

"He wasn't joking about his abilities...I was only able to catch two slashes of his sword...when at least eight were dealt to the body. His strength and speed are in a league which few shinobi have ever or could ever claim." The snake sannin thought.

"Now its just us." Naruto's emotionless voice called to the snake.

"So it seems..." Orochimaru said back sounding rather distracted as he continued to gaze at his fallen follower. "...but do you really think you can take me all by yourself? I'll admit that you are good...but good enough to take on an man whose defied the Shinigami himself? A man who was has been hailed an a genius since he was eight years old? Whose created more kenjutsus then anyone in history? A man who has made himself immortal?" He questioned, tearing his gaze from what was left of Kabuto now landing it upon Naruto.

"I have no wish to hear about your delusions of grandeur Orochimaru. This fight will be our last, and I don't need a warm-up, so I have absolutely no need to hold back my power any longer..." Naruto stated before pausing making the sannin quirk a brow in curiosity...before his knees buckled from a tremendous KI that now weighed down the area, as Naruto released all the chakra contained in his five tails. "...let us begin." He finished with a menacingly cold tone.

"So he was holding back this whole time...and even in our little fight in the forest...how interesting." Orochimaru thought, while regaining his balance once the KI dissipated from the clearing.

"You're certainly stronger then I gave you credit for Naruto-kun...but as I said the last time we fought...strength alone will not decide a SHINOBI battle..." He stated, before falling on his stomach, opened his mouth and released hundreds upon hundreds of snakes from his mouth. "...Mandara no Jin (Myriad Snake Net Formation)!" He was able to speak out, as the snakes slithered towards Naruto like a wave, not allowing Naruto to see the other group of snakes slither out of Orochimaru's sleeve and burrow into the ground.

Naruto just watched unaffected as the wave of snakes continued their charge while hissing venomously at their target. As if without a care in the world, Naruto began to move slowly, grabbing 'Souten Kaze' and dropped into a Battoujutsu stance, with all of his weight on his back leg before he let out a slow breath and flicked the sword just barely out of the sheathe, while his finger nipped the blade.

"Hakkei: Souten Kaze (Release: Azure Breeze)!" He whispered, before ripping the rest of the blade from it's home in a large horizontal arc.

As the blade cut through the air, it burst into a visible blue wind, and as Naruto swung the blue hilt the wind extended outwards. The blue arc grew large as it sailed through the air towards the snakes, before it impacted the hissing reptiles. Though no sooner did it do so did the crescent of wind chakra slice right through the snakes like paper. Once the energy finished going through the snakes, the snakes which were lopped in half were then sliced into small pieces from the invisible remnants of wind chakra before disappearing in a large plumb of smoke.

The smoke dissipated quickly and Naruto just looked back towards the sannin with 'Souten Kaze' back in it's blade form, only for his eyes to widen ever so slightly when he finally saw the snakes slithering out of his sleeve and into the ground. Realizing what was coming Naruto disappeared from his current position only for a snake with his 'Kusenagi' in it's mouth to erupt from the ground where Naruto was just standing. Naruto reappeared a few yards away, only to disappear once more with another snake erupting. This same sequence went on for nearly a full minute...until Naruto stopped moving, now standing in the middle of the dozens of snakes that hung in the air like trees, with 'Kusenagi' in each mouth all pointing at him from above.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, and grunted before disappearing towards the sannin knowing that he could out run the snakes. The second he moved, the snakes descended from the sky in an attempt to skewer him. He weaved in and out of any snakes that got in his way, but skidded to a stop when dozens more erupted from the ground in front of him locking him in a pincer attack. Naruto realizing his position flipped 'Souten Kaze' in his hand and embedded it into the ground before closing his eyes with the snakes from both sides coming ever closer.

"Kitsune Issei Ryu: Kitsune Shippo no Mai (Fox Cry Sword Style: Dance of the Fox Tail)!" He said, as a purple pulse trailed down the blade, before a purple spike of chakra emerged from the ground in the shape of a fox tail and wrapped itself protectively around Naruto.

The snakes immediately impacted the barrier, while hissing in both frustration and rage at their target, as Naruto just kept the flow of chakra going. A full minute of the stalemate passed before Naruto seemed to have grown frustrated, and began to do one-handed seals, which caused the onlooking sannin to widen his eyes at the concentration Naruto must be using to keep both the barrier up as well as use a completely separate jutsu. Naruto finished sealing before taking a knee and slammed the same hand to the ground.

"Doton: Iwa Yado Kuzushi (Earth Style: Stone Lodging Destruction)!" He shouted, when dozens of rock shards from the holes the snakes made when shooting out of the ground levitated, before shooting towards his barrier.

Soon the snakes who were once the attackers, were now the defenders as the rocks ripped through them mercilessly. No sooner did the earth technique begin did the snakes vanish in small plumbs of smoke, which finally allowed Naruto to release his barrier. The hanyou got up off the ground, and looked right at Orochimaru, as he himself got up.

"You have no chance to win Orochimaru...you have no hostages to use against me this time, and my power far dwarfs your own as I am now. Even with three more years to get stronger you are still no where near my level. I will not ask you to beg for mercy or your life...because the moment you harmed those important to me...your life has been over. Therefore I ask you to do only one thing for me...scream." Naruto said emotionlessly, with a sadistic, and vengeful glint in his eye.

Orochimaru simply smirked at his words and chuckled lightly.

"And you think your little speech will make me give up so easily? True you seem to have many tricks up your sleeve...but so do I Naruto-kun..." He said before opening his mouth to allow his the legendary 'Kusenagi' out. "...and knowing how this sword can effect demons, this battle is FAR from over. Don't be so quick to judge...I am far from losing this battle, and even farther from losing this war." He stated with finality.

Nothing more was said between the two fighters before they disappeared from their spots and sounds of metal clashing against metal could be heard all throughout the clearing, along with sparks that flew for the same reason.

"I see...he was even trained to such a degree in the art of the sword. This proves my theory...Konoha was NOT the one to train him, they were never ones to consider swordsmanship worth the trouble of teaching. And after Itachi-kun's and my own defection, the village wouldn't be so quick to allow someone to gain strength of this caliber without insurance they wouldn't defect as well. So I can only conclude that he was at least partially trained by the Kyuubi no Kitsune herself...with how their close interaction during the invasion was..." Orochimaru thought while they continued to cross swords. "...perhaps I was too impatient to deal with her brats. Instead I should have befriended the beast and learned from her before I 'dealt' with her children" He concluded, though throwing the thought out quickly realizing that past mistakes are ones to learn from not dwell on.

Orochimaru blocked a slash that would have beheaded him, before he pinned the tip of Naruto's blade to the ground. He then cupped his left hand before his finger tips lit ablaze with purple chakra symbols burning within the center. The sannin smirked at Naruto before he thrust his hand forward and sunk them into Naruto's prone stomach right where his seal was.

"Gogyou Fuuin (Five Elements Seal)!" He said with a gleeful hiss, before looking up to see the horror stricken face of his opponent...but was shocked to see a dead expression the man's features.

"Was that suppose to do something?" Naruto questioned lowly.

"H...how? You shouldn't be able to produce any chakra from the Kyuubi any longer!"

Naruto's response was to swiftly grab Orochimaru's left wrist, effectively holding him in place.

"Its over Orochimaru..." He said, swiftly flipping 'Souten Kaze' in such a manner that caused the 'Kusenagi' to go flying out of the sannin's grip, before Orochimaru felt a cold steel tip pressed his own stomach. "Kitsune Issei-Ryu: Kisune Tsume no Mai (Fox Cry Sword Style: Dance of the Fox Claw)!" He whispered to the sannin.

Orochimaru gasped in pain, as he felt Naruto's sword pierce right through him a hundred and fifty times, all throughout his body. Oddly enough however the sannin only felt his body as a whole in pain not each individual thrust because of the sheer speed of them. Once the stabbings ceased, he felt his body gain a new wave of pain, as he felt his blood begin leave him.

He stumbled back as soon as Naruto released him from his grasp, and felt his legs grow weak from pain and numbness from blood-loss, before losing his ability to stand only to fall to his knees. His blood pooled around him as it ran like rivers down his body and clothing, while he just stared at the hanyou who simply stared back.

"I told you Orochimaru...this time I would not be holding back." Naruto stated coldly before turning around and began to walk away...never seeing the bloody smile that graced the sannin's lips.

"And I told you...you will need more then just strength to beat me Naruto-kun..." Orochimaru gurgled out in between spurts of blood that flooded from his mouth, his words making Naruto stop and turn back before his eyes narrowed at what he witnessed next. "...Ninpou: Hebi Monuke (Ninja Art: Snake Skin Shed)!"

He watched as Orochimaru seemed to look like he was throwing up something that was larger then he could possibly swallow. Naruto watched in morbid curiosity as whatever it was finally reached the sannin's mouth before it shot out of his jaw. No sooner did whatever it was do that did it open up the man's mouth to inhuman degrees...and that was when Naruto realized what it was...it was Orochimaru himself.

He somehow created a jutsu that allowed himself to regurgitate himself, and from how this 'new' Orochimaru looked it also healed all his wounds that the 'skin' he just ejected himself from had sustained...making the name of the jutsu much more then just a name. Orochimaru now stood straight and tall with a smug smirk on his lips looking as good as new albeit much more 'slimy' then before.

"You shouldn't underestimate someone whose created more Kinjutsus then you could possibly fathom." He advised again his voice sounding just as normal and smug as he looked.

"You're right about that...I should have made sure that you were dead..." Naruto stated emotionlessly after getting over the sannin's 'rebirth', and got back into a fighting stance. "...I won't make the same mistake again." He stated with finality.

"Though in truth I'm kind of glad...because Anko-chan, Natsu-chan and Hana-chan would have killed me had you actually died." He thought in the back of his mind, shivering at just imagining the reactions the three would have at the news of the snake's untimely death.

"You know you have me at a disadvantage now that my sword is all the way over there..." Orochimaru spoke up pointing in the direction of his sword. "...why don't we fight like shinobi." He offered with a smile that was too sweet to be real.

Naruto grunted recognition on what the snake was trying to pull...trying to even the playing field by using his honor against him, and unfortunately it worked. Naruto stood from his stance and sheathed 'Souten Kaze' before it 'poof'ed from his hip, which made the sannin's smile widen before he began to chuckle.

"My my what a fool you are Naruto-kun...I'd have expected the Kyuubi to have taught you better then that..." He laughed and bit his thumb, before slamming it into the ground. "...Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning)!" He shouted as a large plumb of smoke engulfed much of the clearing.

Naruto guessed that it was a snake...and a large one at that considering the smoke's volume...even in spars with Anko he never saw that much smoke when she summoned. His answer was given when the smoke dissipated and the enormous purple and black stripped form of Manda the leader of the snake summonings appeared with Orochimaru standing atop his head. This was actually the one snake that Anko herself was never allowed to summon due to a prior incident which she had never fully divulged to Naruto.

"Using a summon to do your fighting for you Orochimaru?" Naruto yelled up at the sannin.

"Why have you sssummoned me Orochimaru? You realizzze that you mussst give me sssacrificccesss to barter my cooperation." The large snake hissed out.

"I have summoned you for the simple task of ridding this war of THAT man." He answered pointing to Naruto. "As for the sacrifices...you may enjoy the bodies of the fallen Suna, Leaf, and Whirlpool shinobi once we win."

Manda nodded in acceptance, before taking his first look at his first victim only to hiss angrily when looking upon Naruto and his obviously non-'human' appendages.

"You realizzze we are fighting a hanyou...and not jussst any hanyou. A hanyou who isss the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsssune?" The snake questioned.

"Of course I realize who we are fighting...do not take me for a fool." Orochimaru growled out not liking that his own summon was questioning his intelligence.

"Very well...for thisss encounter I will need 1,000 sssacrificccesss. A hanyou sssuch as thisss will not be easssy" It hissed back, getting a nod from the pale man.

Naruto watched their interaction carefully, and couldn't help but mentally chuckle when Orochimaru got offended at the snake's question. However that quickly changed when he disappeared from where he was standing when a tail appeared above him and smacked into the ground, making the ground shake.

"He is much faster then I gave a creature that size credit for..." Naruto mused, after reappearing several yards away. "...however considering that Orochimaru is who I want...I'll have to deal with Manda quickly." He concluded.

With his next move set, Naruto set it in motion when he launched towards Manda, whom watched the hanyou closely, before opening his mouth.

"Jouro Doku Senbon (Sprinkling Poison Needles)!" He hissed, as dark purple needles shot of out his maw towards Naruto.

Naruto hearing his jutsu, looked up and saw the needles coming, before quickly disappearing and reappearing a yard away where the first wave of needles embedded the ground. He had to continue to dodge the needles while racing towards the snake, before he finally reached the place where Manda's body rose from the ground.

Manda being unable to use his jutsu any longer thanks to Naruto's proximity decided to go the old fashioned way and bared his fangs which dripped and glistened with poisonous saliva, before he lunged directly below where Naruto now stood. Naruto either oblivious or not caring, didn't try to avoid the bite as it came hurling towards him, and simply gripped his right hand into a tight fist, and cocked it back.

"Gomen Manda-san." Naruto apologized quietly, before unleashing his punch upon the snake's under belly, while twisting his fist when it impacted it's target.

The large impact resounded through the clearing when the hit occurred. Said hit actually making Manda's descending head to stop immediately, as the snake's eyes widened in shock, and it's mouth turn from one of anger to one of great pain. When the sound disappeared, Orochimaru was looking at the situation with little amusement...but held his tongue to see just what occurred. The answer was given as soon as Manda's mouth closed, bulged, and then quickly opened once again releasing a torrent of blood which rained upon the ground as well as Naruto himself who still had his arm embedded in the snake's underbelly.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes, after realizing that with the amount of blood his summon was losing it wouldn't last much longer before it died let alone stay in this plane of existence to fight for him. So knowing this fact, he jumped off the head and handsealed preparing an attack of his own, seeing that Naruto was not paying attention at the moment. However his sneak attack was averted when Manda exploded in a cloud of smoke signaling his return to the summoning 'realm'. With the smoke disrupting his vision Orochimaru couldn't tell what happened with Naruto now that Manda wasn't around to occupy his attention.

His answer came in the form of a fist erupting through the smoke from below and connected with his face...hard. Despite his velocity from gravity it seemed that the punch was strong enough to propel Orochimaru back into the sky...as well as break parts of his skull in several places. Completely dazed from the power of the punch... being reminded of one of Tsunade's more devastating punches during one of the times that Jiraya had tricked her into thinking HE had been the one peeking on her in the hot springs. Unfortunately for him...he wasn't given enough time to dwell on those thoughts, nor to even recuperate because another punch just like the one before invaded his stomach causing him to spit up a mouthful of blood. Another punch swiftly connected with the right side of his ribs, making him grunt in pain knowing that at least three broke from that.

This same kind of beating continued for several more seconds...though Orochimaru himself would have sworn it to be an eternity. A reprieve was finally given as he began to fall back to earth, before several furry things clamped down around him not allowing him to move an inch, as a body to appear behind him. He immediately knew what jutsu Naruto was going to use...he had seen this same jutsu used three years ago with that grotesquely dressed boy, who admired Konoha's resident taijutsu Master...Rock Lee if he recalled the name correctly. He looked towards the ground with widened eyes, recalling the devastation this jutsu could do not only on the environment it collided with, but the victim of it as well.

"I don't know whether you'll survive this Orochimaru..." Naruto's cold voice carried over the whizzing of air into the sannin's ear. "...but I'll be ready for you if you do..." Naruto said as they both looked towards the ground before Naruto began to spin them both like a top. "...Omote Renge (Frontal Lotus)!" Naruto called out as he released his tails from Orochimaru only yards from impacting the ground.

The earth shook as Orochimaru impacted the earth leaving a large crater in his wake, with the upper half of his body buried under the ground, and his lower half lying limply in the air. Naruto stared down at his opponent with unflinching eyes while standing at the edge of the crater, and simply waited.

"I highly doubt that he is dead...that man is far too annoying to be killed like this" He thought after several minutes passed as he continued to watch the unmoving body.

Another minute passed before Naruto's eyes dilated slightly when he noticed the body move, however it wasn't in the way he expected. The lower half of Orochimaru's body literally deflated and fell to the ground much like a blown up balloon would once it was relinquished of air. This action caused Naruto to look wide eyed at the implications, but before he could take any action another earthquake rocked the clearing. Naruto on impulse jumped away as close to the forest edge as possible awaiting what the sannin had planned. However what he witnessed next, was something he would have never imagined during this fight...yet even so he wasn't surprised considering it was Orochimaru who he was fighting.

From under the ground arose a humongous eight-headed white snake, which dwarfed Manda's stature almost two-fold...and more then likely stalled many battles going on considering the snake rose high enough in to the sky to be seen from a great distance away. The snake's heads hissed back and forth while lolling to and fro...before as if thinking the same thought, zoned in on the small orange spot that now represented Naruto in their vision.

They hissed in unison which sounded more like deafening horn...at least to Naruto who had to cover his ears lest he go deaf thanks to his advanced hearing. Once the hissing receded he uncovered his ears, and looked back towards the large snake, and finally saw his true opponent...Orochimaru staring down at him with that same crazed smile on his lips within the recesses of one of the head's maw. Or at least his upper half since the rest of him seemed to be fused together with the middle snake head.

"My my you certainly aren't pulling any punches like most shinobi do Naruto-kun. If I hadn't created my 'Hebi Monuke' that probably would have killed me especially with the damage you dealt. I could tell that not only were many of my ribs broke but one of them snapped into my lung, causing me to bleed internally. It was quite painful while I prepared myself to not only use the 'Hebi Monuke', but also one of my greatest, strongest and a personal favorite justu of mine...the 'Yamata no Jutsu (Eight Branches Technique)'. With it I will repay the 'kindness' you showed me a few moments ago...please accept it graciously." He offered, though his voice now took on an even more...'snake-like' quality to it.

No sooner did he finish speaking did the other seven heads launch towards Naruto with their maws ready to strike him down. Naruto knowing he couldn't summon Natsumi since he had no idea if she was done fighting, nor having enough time to contact her mentally to find out, grunted in annoyance, before he bit his thumb and summoned 'Souten Kaze' once more.

Noticing the little time he had before the heads would reach him, he adjusted the black sheathe to his hip, and once again took the same Battoujutsu stance from before. He gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, and in a single motion pulled it out of it's sheathe, and swung it in a diagonally horizontal arc in the direction of the incoming snakes.

"Kitsune Issei Ryuu: Kitsune Houkou (Fox Cry Sword Style: Fox Roar)!" He yelled, as 'Souten Kaze' sliced through the air...before purple chakra encased the blade, and when the sword finished it's arc the chakra shot forth from it in a crescent shape at its target.

Orochimaru knowing the powers that sword wielded considered an attack like this, and called upon his snakes to evade the chakra wave. Although the heads began to evade, they miscalculated the speed of it, and as it passed the main body, two of the heads were lopped off, before falling to the ground making craters from their mass. The beam continued upwards disappearing behind the clouds, leaving five heads left which after dodging the beam continued towards their target.

Naruto disappeared from his spot right when the five heads slammed into the ground, before they recovered and shot upwards where Naruto was now sailing upwards in the sky after reappearing. He watched as the snakes climbed up towards him, their fangs glistening in the sun's rays, he once again summoned more chakra into the blade making it glow purple once more before launching another 'Kitsune Houkou' downwards. With the surprise attack coming at them, only four of the heads could evade it, before it cut the last one in half, sending it back down to slam into the earth with a bloody crash.

The snakes were reaching their target's altitude quickly, while Naruto just continued to release 'Kitsune Houkou's one after another. The snakes dodged the onslaught, however the closer they got to Naruto the harder it was to dodge the waves. And by the time they finally reached him, there was only one head remaining before Naruto narrowed his eyes as the snake's mouth encircled him and snapped shut swallowing it's dinner.

"How the mighty have fallen. Shame too, I'd have loved to have experimented on him...hanyous are a rare breed." Orochimaru smirked as he witnessed the demise of his opponent.

Unfortunately for the snake sannin his victory was short lived, when he saw the remaining snake's belly begin to bulge. The snake itself released a pain-filled hiss before it's eyes widened and the next moment it's stomach exploded as it's top half was sent careening into the air. Flesh, scales, and blood scattered throughout the clearing as it's bottom half fell lifelessly to the ground right before a slime ridden Naruto landed in front of it. Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at the still living hanyou, as well as the final head landing in the background with a meaty thud.

"So you survived...I'm surprised...but glad." The white skinned man said warmly, though knowing the situation it wasn't for the reason of Naruto's health.

"That I am...but you won't be for much longer I'm afraid...I've allowed you enough fun and games for your last moments on this earth. But now I believe it's about time I actually get serious and finish this..." Naruto retorted coldly, while sheathing 'Souten Kaze', allowing it to puff out of existence, before a Rasengan formed in his right hand. "...Fumetsuou no Rasenken (Spiraling Fist of the Immortal King)!" He said, and like back in the Chuunin exams the Rasengan climbed up his arm to and a little past his shoulder.

The jutsu he used caused Orochimaru's eyes to widen, as he remembered the devastation it caused within the arena of the finals. Unfortunately the sheer size of his transformation basically made it impossible for him to dodge the jutsu...especially at the speeds Naruto could move, and if his words just moments ago were true he's be even faster now. And sure enough he was right, because only a split-second after Naruto disappeared from his spot and immediately after Orochimaru felt a painful drilling sensation on the lower part of his 'snake' body.

He looked down to see Naruto's arm indented into him, before he saw the chakra in his arm begin to recede towards his fist, and felt a spike in chakra where the fist was pressing against his body. His eyes widened in horror once he realized what was going to happen, but it was too late. All the energy used to power Naruto's 'Fumetsuou no Rasenken' collected into his fist before he released the chakra into the snake's body...much like how a Hyuuga does with their Juuken. Orochimaru could feel the burning sensation of Naruto's foreign chakra enter his body, but before he could even scream out in pain, the spinning chakra literally exploded throughout his body.

Naruto had jumped back the moment he released the chakra into Orochumaru and simply waited for the end result...which he didn't have to wait too long for. Only a few seconds passed before the snake's underbelly bulged and twisted. Just like when he used his normal Rasengan to escape the snake that ate him, only this time the bulge didn't stop there.

As the chakra continued coursing through the white snake's body it bulged as well until the entire thing was bloated to almost twice it's size. Orochimaru could feel the burning sensation of Naruto's chakra flow all throughout him, and as he screamed out in pain at the feeling of both the chakra and the disfigurement of his body, his body reached it's limit and exploded in a blender-like motion. Now an even larger cloud of blood then before spread across the sky as large chucks of white flesh, and fresh blood rained down upon the entirety of the clearing, leaving nearly no stone untouched by the crimson liquid.

Naruto watched as all this come to pass, and didn't bat an eye as the flesh and blood began to fall. He merely watched on...waiting to see of Orochimaru had pulled yet another miracle out of his box of tricks. The blood began to slow to a drizzle as the final bits of flesh squished against the ground, and to both Naruto's surprise and annoyance he heard a choked cough several yards away from him.

He walked slowly towards the sound before he rounded one of the larger pieces of flesh that was scattered around, and saw the fallen human form of Orochimaru lying on his back looking up towards the sky. The pale man panted for breath as sweat rolled down his forehead and neck with his blood dancing down his body and clothing before hitting the ground. Naruto noticed the look of exhaustion in the normally smirking sannin, and was able to hear the man's heart beat and lungs pumping double time to try to allow blood and air to reach their destinations as fast as possible.

"That was your trump card wasn't it?" Naruto asked, making his presence to the sannin known since the downed man seemed to either not care or not notice him.

Orochimaru simply continued to breath heavily, ignoring his question, and just stared blankly towards the sky. Naruto walked up to him until he was standing just before his head and looked directly down at his face, only for his eyes to narrowed dangerously when Orochimaru turned to mud.