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Akatsuki's Animalistic Spy & Hinata's Arrival

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Killer-Bee and Yamato stood silent, towering over a motionless Naruto. Standing on the razor's edge in anxiousness for so long had them numb in the toes. It had been a while since the Kyuubi's cloak dissipated. Had this meant that Naruto had turned the tables in his fight against the vicious beast? Or had the prolonging of his endeavor meant that something terrible had gone awry?

Suddenly, a smile stretched our hero's lips and his eyes opened in a flash. "Right on!" He raised his arms high in an exuberant cheer.

Yamato almost had a fit in his shock, while Bee merely grinned, never doubting him for a second. Yeah, right.

"What happened?" Yamato approached him, inquisitive. "Did everything go well?"

"Well, a lot happened." Naruto looked to Bee, bumping fists.

"Yo! Oh, so that's what happened? Got it!" Bee nodded with a smile, sharing his fellow Jinchuuriki's evident glee. "Your face, right now, coolness!"

"What about the Kyuubi?" Yamato pressed. "Did you manage to control it?"

"Well, you did great!" Bee bumped fists again, as if enhancing their telepathic Jinchuuriki-connection. "Especially back then when you did that, yo!"

Naruto giggled while Yamato looked from him to Bee in his frustration, impatience eating him from the inside out.

"Hey, Naruto! Don't tell me..."

He heaved a goofy grin, mirroring that of his new best buddy. "Yeah, that's right!"

Yamato was breathing deadly fire by this point. "Come on, tell me what happened already! 'This, that, there.' I don't get it! On purpose! You're doing this on purpose! That I do get!"

Sometime later...

"Don't worry, Yamato-taichou," Naruto reassured, sitting crossed-legged before both him and Bee. "The Kyuubi's chakra is now stored in a separate place within me. It's not like I'm always using it."

In a separate dimension, from the one that housed the Kyuubi, Naruto looked up at a colossal orb of pure energy. It hovered in the air above four red gates that formed a square, each wooden structure sitting at a right angle.

The composed knight looked up at the vast reservoir and, with a mere lift of his arm, the chakra extended in a slender stream into his palm, giving him complete access to the overwhelming measure of natural energy.

Killer-Bee and Yamato watched in silent astonishment as Naruto was suddenly enveloped in flames before their very eyes. Powerful chakra emanated from his body in an upward wave of pure awesomeness. There was no heat, no crackle — but they could tell he had once again ascended to a new pinnacle of power, raising the bar once more for his peers, seniors, and teachers.

"This is how I felt when I used the Kyuubi's chakra."

"Unbelievable..." Yamato muttered, watching as the wooden totem statues he had created towered high into the air, sprouting thick limbs and braches, as well as lush leaves as they basked in Naruto's energy. "It's full of life force. For my Wood Element to be so influenced by it..."

Suddenly, Naruto felt a telling prick — his complacency jostled by the alarm his newly found sensory abilities raised.

"What is it?" Yamato and Bee noted the abrupt shift in his mood, and followed his eyes as they veered to the animalistic sword strapped to a certain someone's back.

"Do you really think you can hide from me like that?" Naruto drove his fist into his palm; nonchalant and ready to test-drive his newly attained form.

Yamato broke into a sweat, looking around apprehensively, eager to have the preemptive strike. "What, can you sense someone else's chakra?"

Bee struck a few cool poses despite their predicament. "So you can feel it — another being? For me not to notice — so embarrassing."

Impossible, Kisame snarled, folded in an anatomically impossible fashion deep inside Samehada's belly. My chakra is the same as Samehada's; there's no way that he'd notice.

"It's not chakra," Naruto explained coolly. "I'm feeling something more gloomy and evil... there! That!" He pointed at the sword.

"The sword?" Yamato pivoted around to look at it.

At the same time, the weapon flew off from Bee's back and Kisame pushed his grotesque head out of the creature's mouth, tearing through the coils of cloth that wrapped it. "Seems like you can sense evil or hatred."

Naruto frowned.

"That is not something regular sensory-types can learn. I suppose it's the power of a Jinchuuriki who has managed to control the Kyuubi." Kisame was awfully calm despite the bind in which he was tangled.

"You're that shark bastard from Akatsuki," Bee dissed. "Why? I'm sure we chopped his head off!" He remembered when he, along with the Raikage, performed their notorious Double Lariat to separate the shark's head from his shoulders. "How did you escape our tag-team attack?"

"I just switched places while we were fighting in that mass of water; you chopped my clone's head off."

"A clone disappears when you kill it," Bee retorted. "There was a corpse. I'm having doubts. Plus, if someone had transformed, our seer would've noticed. Different problem."

"It was a very special clone, you see — a parasitic clone that can be remotely controlled. With that said, I suppose our chat is over." Without averting his gaze, he moved a little to the left with a grin. "Still, with the situation I am in, facing two Jinchuuriki and a Wood Element user, to be frank, I'd say it's quite harsh."

One of the spikes extending from Samehada pressed a small, circular switch on the floor, opening the only door leading out of the room.

"What?" Bee frowned behind his shades. "How do you know how to open the door to this room?"

"What a foolish question," Kisame smiled mockingly with two rows of razor sharp teeth. "I entered here as a spy, you see."

He began his hasty escape toward the exit — crawling using the spikes at either sides of Samehada's rectangular form, like a cockroach. Naruto's eyes narrowed and, almost instantaneously, he was there, delivering a fierce downward punch onto the fiend's back, shattering the earth beneath them.

Yamato gasped.

"The Body Flicker Technique?" Bee exclaimed, gesticulating with style. "From where I'm standing, just like a Yellow Flash!"

He's fast, Kisame snarled inwardly. I never expected...

He spat up a mouthful of blood — an indicator that withdrawal had suddenly become top priority. And, without looking back, he continued his escape, slipping speedily through the door.

"My foot," Naruto grunted struggling to pull it out of the hole he had made upon dropping in on Kisame. "I used too much power, so I got struck! Dammit!"

"Seems like you're not at the Fourth's level just yet," Yamato commented. "Bee-san, please go after him! I'll help Naruto!"

"Leave it to me!" He made a sporty dash toward the exit. "I'm in hot pursuit!"

In the event of a cataclysmic nuclear explosion, cockroaches are one of few insects that are likely to survive; therefore, Kisame couldn't allow himself to be captured and taken out by such a minuscule force.

He blazed down the corridor at breakneck speed toward the waterfall with Bee hot on his tail.

Meanwhile...

"What? Your true self will appear if you sit down in front of the waterfall? Is that really true?" Gai's Springtime of Youth was blazing with curiosity.

"Yeah," Motoi replied. "Naruto also defeated his own true self at this very spot."

"Why don't you give it a try, as well, Gai-san?" A fellow Konoha shinobi suggested playfully.

"D-Don't be ridiculous!" Gai retaliated in his panic. "Supporting Naruto takes priority! I came here as a sensei to protect him!"

"No need to get so upset..." the man returned quietly. "The truth is that you're just afraid of what your true self might be, right? By any chance..."

Gai giggled awkwardly, like a braying donkey, sweating bullets. "What? You-You think I'm scared? No problem!" He leaped onto the spot of earth in the water.

"I was only joking!" The man admitted with raised hands. "Although, I do get the feeling that your true form won't be human."

The Jōnin laughed aloud, while Motoi quietly withdrew into his invisible shell, merely a passive spectator without any commentary. Drama obviously wasn't one of his most favored pastimes.

"No need to take this so seriously..."

The man's voice dwindled as Gai closed his eyes and quickly slipped into a trance. When they snapped open, he saw a silhouette behind the falls, proceeding ever closer with beastly strides.

"Honestly," the voice was low and saturated with ridicule. "Should you be blabbering only about 'youth, youth' all the time? If an old-timer like you keeps pushing himself all the time, he'll end up destroying his body, you know.

I understand that you have to keep it up in front of Lee but, do you really think anyone likes that faked youth that you're forcing upon yourself?"

"Show yourself!" Gai was livid, pointing with a sneer at the obscured imposter. "Come and say what you want to my face!"

"Fine. It's time for you to know your true self..."

Just before the silhouette could walk through the cascading water and proceed to beat the so-called immature Jōnin into shape, Kisame busted through in his stead.

Gai cringed, his eyes popping. "That is the true me? A rare bug!"

"If I'm not mistaken, that's the rare beast," Kisame said to himself.

Gai took an offensive stance. "Me-who-has-forgotten-youth... I shall beat you into shape with my guts!"

"Gai-san!" His fellow shinobi called. "That's not your true self!"

"Be careful!" Motoi warned.

With fire in his eyes, Konoha's Green Beast sprang into the air and attacked an airborne Kisame with an elbow and kick combo, sending him crashing into the face of the mountain with destructive force. "Leaf Rock — Destroying Rise!"

At the same time, Bee cautiously exited the cave.

"Eh?" Gai swiveled his head to the side. "It's not my true self?"

"Take a closer look!" His comrade instructed. "There's no way that could be you!"

"The instant you open your eyes, you exit the Waterfall of Truth," Motoi informed, assuming a battle-ready posture like everyone else.

Gai turned his attention to the cockroach again. "This guy... if I'm not mistaken... he's a blowfish?"

Everyone looked at the full-ass-grown Jōnin with shock and disbelief.

Gai cupped his chin. "Or maybe it was a balloon fish."

"Well, there are a lot of funny-looking creatures around here," his comrade agreed. "Is that really a blowfish? I've heard they taste delicious!"

"Are you being stupid on purpose?" Motoi snapped, tempted to pound him a top the head.

Kisame grinned. "As always, it seems like your brains are below that of a rare beast."

Bee began rapping coolly, determined to squash the cockroach before it could flee any farther. "This guy, a spy, an Akatsuki fly. If we let him escape with our intel, we'll all be put to shame."

At the sound of its master's melodious voice, the animalistic sword undid the fusion and separated itself from Kisame, skipping atop the water's surface to reunite with its delicious chakra source and friend.

"Damn you, Samehada..." Kisame sneered, emaciated from having to shrink his body to fit inside the organic sword.

"This guy… I'm certain he's the shark man who was partnered with Itachi." The Konoha shinobi disliked the situation more by the second. "Although, he seems to be weakened."

"How did he get in here?" Motoi wondered.

Samehada crawled up against the Jinchuuriki's torso, snuggling against him, and Bee grinned, baby talking the creature. "Oh, I see. He forced you. That must've been harsh on you, huh?"

Samehada vibrated and made some throaty snarl by way of communication. Wait, did Bee really understand all this?

The Konoha shinobi frowned. "That's pretty disgusting..."

While everyone was distracted, Kisame took the opportunity to slip into the water without a sound, using his affinity with the element to swim against the current and taking a hold of Samehada's hilt without notice. The creature writhed in discomfort at the connection, biting seemingly with harmless fun on Bee's arm.

"Hey, hey, you're playin' rough!" The Jinchuuriki rapped coolly. "Bein' popular — that's pretty tough."

Motoi cringed, while the shinobi from Konoha in his dark shades veered his attention back to Kisame, who was already gone. "Shit! He went underwater — and he's a Water Element user!"

"I know," Motoi gritted his teeth, and then looked to his old childhood friend. "Bee, watch out!"

But it was already too late. Kisame had already started absorbing the Jinchuuriki's chakra by using Samehada as the medium. His once emaciated body regained its vitality — biceps, triceps, abs, pectoral muscles and the like grew and went rigid with power.

He grinned slyly.

"He's absorbing your chakra!" Motoi alerted, running over.

"Dammit!" Shades frowned. "Why are the strong ones always this stupid?"

Gai blinked obliviously — a total goof ball.

"Oh, stop it!" Bee giggled. "You're so cute, and I'm losing strength."

Kisame released Samehada's hilt, poking his head above the surface with his trademark grin. At the same time, Bee collapsed to his knees, robbed of most of his energy.

"Gai-san, support me!" Glasses exclaimed. "I'll try to get intel from him, instead! Secret Technique: Stone Needles!" He threw a pair of kunai suspended by wires, which Kisame took in his forearm, to protect his face.

The man grinned, carefree despite falling victim to the attack. A technique that paralyzes by injecting chakra into the target? However, to me, that's quite convenient.

Glasses grunted, his knees buckling beneath him. So... he's absorbing my chakra, instead. Such absorbing power... he fell flat on his face.

"Leaf Whirlwind!In the same beat, Gai pounced on the bastard with a powerful roundhouse kick to finish the job but to no avail — the man effortlessly blocked the strike, and drove Gai back to boot.

Kisame grinned, always grinning. I've regenerated enough chakra, he gloated inwardly and then slapped his palms together in an ominous seal. "Water Element: Water Shark Bullet Technique!"

Water suddenly enveloped him then morphed into a large shark, encasing the fiend in an almost impenetrable body of water. Gai was knocked mercilessly out of the way, as the water-forged titan shot into the air, like a bullet.

"Shit, he's getting away!" Motoi swore in his frustration. "He's fast! If he crosses the barrier surrounding this island, we're done for! If we don't stop him before that, even I won't be able to sense him!"

"I'll stop him!" The spotlights were all on Gai now, and he was ready to make up for his blunder by stomping the former cockroach. "Eight Inner Gates!" His knees bent a tad as he unlocked and exerted his power, the water and immediate wild life trembling by the spiritual pressure thick in the air. "Sixth Gate: Gate of View... Open!"

"Let yourself be captured by my Hachibi arms, my odd beastly friend!" Bee was also eager to contribute toward the hunt, and he tapped into his Jinchuuriki powers, transforming his right arm into that of the Eight-Tail's. "I'll throw ya away in the direction of ten!"

"Don't sacrifice the truth for the sake of a rhyme!" Motoi chided, pointing to the sky. "The direction is two o'clock!"

Ignoring the ranting man, Gai jumped into the giant hand and allowed himself to be catapulted into the air after Kisame. Afterwards, Bee fell flat on his face. Samehada approached him with what sounded like a worrisome snarl.

"Bee, are you okay?" Motoi called.

"I'm okay," he raised a wary arm, pointing to the sky in style. "Be back in a sec..."

"You've lost a ridiculous amount of chakra!" Glasses took his turn to chide. "Still, it seems like we can still stop him." He pointed to the waterfall. "Naruto and Yamato are behind this waterfall, right?"

"O-Ouch..." Naruto whimpered as Yamato slowly wrapped a length of cloth around his ankle secured with a splint. He was sitting down, no longer in his new mode. "Can't believe I twisted my ankle." I can't afford to make such pathetic mistakes if I plan to protect everyone in this war.

"Make sure to control your strength from now on," Yamato advised as he completed the delicate task. "Okay, let's go."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded.

Gai was rapidly losing velocity, and he clicked his tongue as the wind pressure continued to oppose him, quickly forming hand seals to summon his old turtle friend. "I'm counting on you!"

"Here I was, thinking it's been a while, but mid-air?!"

"I'll borrow your back!" Gai ignored him, using the creature's sturdy build as a foothold to launch himself into a high arch in hopes of completing his aerial journey.

The turtle plummeted down to earth in a violent spiral, withdrawing into its shell before colliding into what appeared to be a massive boulder before hitting the ground. The poor thing landed on its back. "That Gai — using me as a stepping stone..."

After a moment of struggling, the reptile finally turned over onto its four stubby legs and realized that what it had collided into was in fact a massive turtle and not lifeless landscape. "O-Oh, hi there..."

The creature cast him a curious gaze, munching on some greenery.

Kisame surfaced from the dark depths of the ocean and looked around with that customary grin, scouting the surrounding area. Good, seems like I've lost them.

Biting his thumb, he formed the seals to summon a large blue shark and then followed up by regurgitating the scroll he had swallowed and placing it into the fish's mouth. Then he pressed a hand to the creature's body, as if telepathically instructing the predator what to do with the intel it had received.

Gai landed atop the water in that same instant, green chakra radiating from his body with fierce intensity, stirring the salty tides around him.

"You sure are persistent!" Kisame exclaimed, molding chakra for an impending strike.

"I saw it!" Gai frowned. "That scroll you put inside that shark was intel, right? I won't let you escape!"

"Oh, can you stop me?" Kisame challenged coolly. "You see, I'm at an advantage here." He raised his arm and then threw it downward, initiating his move. "Water Element: A Thousand Feeding Sharks!"

The sea responded to the villain's command, lifting a thousand ravenous sharks far into the sky, to ride upon a fierce tidal wave with their summoner. But Gai held his ground, like a boss, standing firm before the might of the sea and the man-eating sharks that threatened to crush and devour him.

"Now I don't know which shark is which..." he obviously wasn't worried about being crushed and/or devoured. "Then, take this!"

The spirited Jōnin leaped into the air and began throwing wild punches in the face of the approaching tsunami. His hands were like that of machine; moving so fast that they were merely a blur. Then there was fire — hundreds of hurtling beams that shot out from the shockwave of his punches, subduing the giant wave and obliterating majority of the shark clones.

Where's that scroll? Gai pondered as he plummeted back down from the sky, looking down at the fleeing sharks beneath the ocean's surface. Dammit. There's too many of them. There's no helping it; I'll just have to take care of them all in one blow!

He allowed himself to fall and slip beneath the water's surface, intercepting the school of ravenous beasts before unlocking another critical gate. Seventh Gate: Gate of Wonder... Open!

Kisame grinned. "You won't even let the sharks in the water get away, eh? Fine. I'll just have to mince you into pieces, then."

Instinctively, the sharks homed in for a quick feast but the spiritual pressure gushing out from the man's body proved too much to challenge and endure. Even the very water was being driven away from him; repelled by his chakra's intensity as though he were using Pain's notorious Shinra Tensei.

"I see..." Kisame murmured, his hands pressed together as he molded a large amount of chakra for his next move. "A taijutsu that defeats the opponent by hitting them with shockwaves created by striking the air so hard it catches on fire. You truly are a rare beast; to find a shinobi capable of such levels of taijutsu is indeed rare.

For me, it's a third time, but..."

"The next taijutsu is so strong, the previous one can't even be compared to it," Gai warned, poised to unleash hell and then some. "A one-shot-certain-death-strike. Something you don't see very often."

Kisame seemed more exhilarated than apprehensive. "To think that your blue chakra would push away all the water..."

Gai was silent, ready to blow away the man's imminent attack.

Kisame laced his fingers. "Water Element: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"

Daytime Tiger!

With two rows of sharp teeth on both the top and bottom of its jaws, Kisame's shark was bigger and fiercer than the last. But Gai's white tiger didn't shy away. The shape-manipulated beasts charged toward one another in a powerful tackle, wresting viciously to overpower the other for dominance.

Kisame heaved a sly grin. This Great Shark Bullet is no ordinary jutsu. The technique itself absorbs chakra, and then becomes greater and stronger. The stronger the opponent's technique, the stronger it gets.

But, despite his theory, his shark didn't seem to be getting any stronger — and the man's Tiger didn't appeared to be losing any strength or backing down. Instead, it was gradually piercing through his struggling shark.

"What's going on?" He panicked. "It should have deflected his technique already, but the Great Shark Bullet won't get any bigger! It should have absorbed all the chakra... it's not made out of chakra?" He bellowed in disbelief, wide-eyed.

"Howl, my youth!" Gai gave one final push in his intention to dominate. In response, his tiger grew five times its original size, amassing more power and velocity as a result and effortlessly devouring Kisame and his vile horde of sharks.

The sea thrashed about in resistance as the beast cleaved through the unruly waves with graceful ease. The force of the attack kept expanding rapidly, enveloping any stray sharks that tried to escape and repelling any clouds that dared hung too close.

Naruto, Bee, Yamato, Motoi, and Glasses struggled to maintain their balance as the blast threatened to swallow up the entire island.

"What the hell is that?" Motoi asked in his shock.

"That's... Gai-san's Eight Gates Release technique: Daytime Tiger!" Yamato was flustered.

"Daytime Tiger?" Naruto reiterated curiously, watching as the blast slowly crept slower toward the island. "I didn't expect such a melancholic name from Gai-sensei with all his 'vigorous youth' talk."

Yamato cringed in defense as the shockwave reached the threshold of the island. "This is no time for idle talk! Daytime Tiger's force spreads rapidly over a vast distance; we need to brace ourselves!"

In that same instant, the blast hit them with powerful wind speeds of up to 82 knots — most of which being absorbed by the surrounding forestry. Leaves and debris blew past the gang as they struggled to defy the hurricane-like force and the nearby trees and ferns shook and protested so violent that Naruto thought they would've been uprooted and swept away in the current.

Gai was standing over a motionless Kisame by the time the blast's repercussions had calmed, the scroll perfectly secured in the master's hand. "Don't move," he warned quietly as the cockroach — lying flat on his back atop the water — slightly tilted his head to look up at his formidable adversary.

"This technique... it wasn't a blast of chakra. And that blue aura..."

"Daytime Tiger isn't ninjutsu made up of chakra," Gai enlightened. "It's taijutsu — it's simply a punch. However, it's an incredibly quick punch. The punch concentrates pressure in a single point. After this compression, the pressure is suddenly released.

The aura that surrounds me is not chakra. One who has opened the Seventh Gate of Wonder releases blue sweat; it is the evaporation of one's fervor."

Kisame grinned. "No wonder, then... I thought it was a blast of chakra, although I saw it getting smaller. This is the third time I've fought you, yet you were still hiding such a technique. You don't seem to remember me, though."

There was a moment of prolonged silence. Then, despite the man's warning, Kisame's thumb twitched beneath the water. Instantaneously, Gai brought down a fierce punch in his gut with the same destructive force of a cannonball.

Blood spewed from his mouth.

"I said, 'don't move'," Gai reminded coolly.

---

Regrouping with the gang along with his unconscious prisoner, Gai relinquished his hold of the spy so that Yamato could restrict him using his Wood Elemental binding technique.

Afterwards, Glasses opt to extract vital information from the man's mind using a special technique. However, just before he could learn Madara's true identity in the process, Kisame regained consciousness and bit his tongue. Then he struggled despite the chakra suppression effects placed on his wooden bindings until, finally, he broke free.

Before anyone could restrain him, he used the last of his chakra and stamina to enclose himself inside an impenetrable orb-like prison, within which he summoned a trio of sharks to devour him alive. He would rather die than compromise the organization's ambitions and the secrets that would contribute to them coming to fruition.

Everyone looked on in abject shock.

Naruto frowned, a bit curious and perplexed. Kisame had perished by means of his own technique, then why could he still seem to sense a foul and evil presence? Since he was no longer in his newly attained form, could he just be imagining it? There was only one way to know for sure.

Right then, Gai casually unfurled the scroll that Kisame had tried to dispatch with his shark, only to subject everyone to a trap placed within its contents. And, in the same beat, a shark was able to snatch the scroll and fly off toward the sea in a perfectly forged bubble.

Time slowed. Just before Naruto was also swallowed up inside a watery prison — like the one Kisame had sealed himself within — he transformed into his Bijuu-mode, quickly avoided being captured and simultaneously extended an arm made of chakra to pull Bee away from danger's range.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" He created one clone to aid the others in escaping their watery tombs while he headed for whatever was buzzing on his sensory-radar. "Octopops — you go after that shark, while I chase after that other thing I'm sensing!"

"I hear ya!"

They both took off.

---

Kurama slowed to an amble trot as they came within close proximity of the island and its invisible barrier. First, there was a fierce gust of wind that almost took the princess to the skies, and now they saw a horde of Zetsu warriors charging toward them from the island's direction.

"Ze-Zetsu?" Hinata exclaimed in her dismay. "But how?"

"That's not possible; I didn't sense anyone on our trail all this time."

"And I didn't see anyone, either," Hinata added.

"In any case, we have to destroy them; they've already compromised this location."

"H-Hn!"

Suddenly, Naruto appeared before them both, as if he had leaped through time and space to get there — and time slowed to a lazy crawl. Before his feet could touch down atop the water's surface his eyes locked with Kurama's, and, in his peripheral vision, he could see his Hyūga princess mounted atop the miniature-sized beast.

Then what he had felt in his subconscious was real, after all. But how was this all possible? And why hadn't he hurt Hinata, as he threatened he would?

"Na-Naruto-kun!" Hinata called passionately as she assessed the golden figure before her. "Is that really you?"

"Hinata... what're you doing here? And how did you find this place?"

"Tsunade-sama sent me." She smiled.

"Granny Tsunade, did?"

"Hn!" She nodded exuberantly, unable to control the influx of emotions that gushed through her.

"In any case," he pivoted around to face the incoming horde, still wary of the Kyuubi. "Let's talk about that later. Right now, we have to enforce some pest control."

"I'll take care of it," Hinata offered, hopping down from Kurama's back and sauntering in front of the glowing warrior. She blushed when she passed him.

"Hinata?"

"Trust me," she reassured calmly, her expression changing into battle-readiness as the mob entered her attack range. Sailing through a complex series of hand seals, our princess bent her knees and drove her hands down to the water. "Ice Release: Zero Landscape!"

Ice Release?Naruto was in state of complete shock.

The temperature suddenly plummeted down to minus zero. And, from where Hinata stood, to the clone that lingered at the very back of the horde, the water's surface hardened into a thick sheet, encasing their legs in a hard block of ice.

In that same instant, the rest of the gang arrived on the scene, with Killer-Bee still on the search for Kisame's shark, and Gai absent, as well.

"What's going on here?" Motoi exclaimed. "What are those things?"

Yamato was uneasy. "I think these are the things that Kakashi-sempai told me about. The man behind them is called Zetsu. We aren't to take these things lightly."

"What the hell is that?" Glasses stared pass Naruto. "Isn't that the Kyuubi standing over there?"

"The Kyuubi?" Motoi was also anxious.

Yamato broke into a sweat. "Nothing's making any sense right now. What's Hyūga Hinata doing here, and where did all that ice come from?"

"Ice Release: Mobile Wolf Claw!" Hinata followed up by forging a pack of vicious wolves wrought of ice. With a feral snarl and growl, they swiftly followed their alpha and sprung into battle. The beasts separated and pounced on their pray with wild fury. With a single bite from their pointed fangs and teeth, the clones' body gradually began to freeze over, and then the wolves shattered the body using their claws.

"Ice release?" Glasses couldn't believe his eyes.

Yamato frowned in his astonishment. "I've never heard of a Hyūga using another Kekkei Genkai before. It must have been passed down from a long line of ancestry, outside of their clan."

"But to think she would awaken that power at such a young age," Glasses added.

"And to be capable of such high-level shape-manipulation," Motoi was also impressed.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata called in a telling tone.

"No problem!" He grinned, wondering when he was finally going to get his chance to go wild. "My girlfriend has gotten even more badass!"

Hinata blushed scarlet at his compliment.

Naruto took off in a flash, leaving a luminous streak of gold and orange in his wake. Forging a powerful Rasengan in one hand, he zigzagged across the frozen landscape, effortlessly tearing through the immobilized pests, as if they were ragdolls made of straw. And the wolves were busy having their way, as well — mangling the frozen bastards as if they were disposable ice sculptures.

All of a sudden, the remaining clones broke free from their ice-shackles and converged — fusing together to form a grotesquely deformed titan of immense size and power. And the beast was more than ready to avenge its fallen counterparts. "I'll capture the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki right here and now!"

"This doesn't look good!" Glasses said anxiously.

And Yamato shared his sentiments, already molding charka to perform a Wood Element binding technique. But then, he noticed that Hinata was already flying through another series of hand seals.

"Ice Release: Rising Serpent — Frozen Pillar!"

She gently tapped her foot as she invoked her technique. In that same beat, a massive ice-serpent pierced through the sheet of ice from the ocean, coiling its long frame around the giant abomination and sinking its jaws into the monster's neck. Slowly, they both began freezing to form a pillar of ice.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata called in a telling tone.

"I know," he returned coolly.

Standing to the side of her, he extended his arm and began constructing a Rasengan in his palm. The princess extended her arm over his own, forging a secondary layer of rotation in the sphere with a darker tone of blue to complemented his lighter one. Then Kurama approached them from behind, his nine tails converging around the orb to infuse its nucleus with his fire-natured chakra.

Now a new Rasengan was made with a delicate balance forged by The Inseparable Three — an incredible force that would bring an end to the existence of this miserable fiend.

Kurama allowed a wolfish grin.

Hinata smiled sweetly, and then looked to Naruto with a nod. "Let's end this."

"Right!" He smiled back to her.

"Triple-Layered Rasengan!"

"Quadcore Rasengan!"

Intel Quadcore Processor!

With a rising battle cry, the couple charged toward the creature and leaped into the air with their epic weapon, drilling through the thick pillar until the sphere found Zetsu's stomach in a most destructive collision. He roared.

Naruto roared, too, manipulating a chakra-based arm from his cloak to extend and push the Rasengan in their stead — propelling both it and Zetsu until they gained enough momentum to fly more than fifty meters into the air.

"You guys might want to brace yourselves," Naruto warned, looking up.

"Why?" Yamato queried, curious and a bit anxious as he, too, gazed upward.

"I infused a lot of wind-natured chakra in that Rasengan and enclosed it inside a strong shell of natural chakra. So once it comes into contact with the fire-natured chakra the Kyuubi also put in there..."

"Oh, no!" Glasses gasped as he got the picture. "Everyone, get down!"

They did.

And Naruto grinned coolly, snapping his fingers, which triggered the breaking of the chakra shell and the exposure of the wind-natured element to that of the fire. Suddenly there was a massive explosion of spirally energy in the sky — the blast and shockwave swallowing nearby clouds and throwing the sea into utter chaos but yet again. But, most importantly, Zetsu's remotely controlled clones were history.

Before everyone could regain his or her composure, Naruto turned around slowly to face the Kyuubi. He couldn't sense any evil or malice from the creature. But since, technically, he was using the Bijuu's chakra, could the fox somehow be masking its darkness from detection?

Naruto ambled toward him. "I don't know what the hell is going on here, or why you chose to help us just now. But one thing's for certain — when we were fighting before, in my mind, you threatened to hurt Hinata and I won't wait around for that perfect opportunity to come around."

The princess's eyes widened. The situation had suddenly taken a turn for the worse, and her scalp prickled with dawning apprehension. "Wait, Naruto-kun! This is a misunderstanding; Kurama-kun would never—"

"Hinata, you stay there," he interjected curtly. "I'll take care of this. I'm sure the Kyuubi has some ulterior motive; we can't allow ourselves to be deceived."

"Wait, Naruto-kun! You don't understand..."

Yamato clasped her wrist as she attempted to take off.

Gasp!"Yamato-sensei..."

"The Kyuubi's dangerous; you should remain here..."

Naruto frowned. There's no way the Kyuubi has turned over a new leaf, not after that fierce fight we had earlier. There's just no way. But how did he get out? And how did he find Hinata? Is this really even the Kyuubi?

"Hi-Hinata! What're you doing here?" Naruto's clone called, dashing over to the gang with Killer-Bee by his side.

"It's Bee-san and Naruto!" Yamato stated the obvious as they all turned around.

"There's no sign of that shark," Bee confessed once they came to a halt. "My guess is that it's swimming close to the ocean's floor. But, more importantly," he shot the Demon Fox a gaze. "Why is the Kyuubi standing over there?"

"That's what we all would like to know," Glasses pointed out in his frustration.

Yamato frowned. "Nothing's been making any sense for the longest while now."

Retrieving a book from her knapsack, Hinata shot her fiancé an earnest gaze and held the book out for him to take. "Naruto-kun! I need your help. Since the original won't listen to what I have to say, I'll have to depend on you."

"And what's this?" He took the peach-colored book from her.

"It's my dairy..."

"Your dairy!" Naruto repeated with a blush.

"Hai. Read it and you'll understand everything. But you have to hurry; Naruto-kun's about to start fighting with Kurama-kun!"

The shadow clone frowned a tad. "I have absolutely no clue what's going on, but I'll trust you, Hinata..."

"Thank you!"She smiled in relief, wiping away her tears.

Yamato blushed. He was always sensitive about these sorts of things. "Naruto... you shouldn't be reading a girl's dairy; it's private."

The warrior was busy reading the first page to hold his gaze. "Well, there can be an exception," he said casually. "Since Hinata's my girlfriend."

"WHAT?!"

Kurama looked to a dismal Hinata and then back to Naruto. "Nothing I say would make a difference, so I'll fight you."

"Yo, wait a minute, Naruto," Killer-Bee called out to him in a smooth rap. "I wouldn't suggest using that form just yet — since you haven't mastered control. Besides... fighting against the Kyuubi with its own chakra isn't a wise strategy, either."

Naruto grinned. "I'm way ahead of you, Octopops!"

Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and dismissed his Bijuu-Mode. And, upon opening his eyes a few second later, he had already accumulated enough Senju Engery to enter his Sage Mode.

Kurama had his own special transformation to shock and awestruck the on-looking spectators, too. With a wolfish grin, he was suddenly surrounded by a vortex of flames, morphing into his small and nimble human form. And with a glamorous twirl, the deity summoned and spun his mighty scythe on his fingers in his battle-readiness, the thick luster of his Persian red hair waving in the ocean's breeze.

"Now... show me if you're worthy of Hime's hand in marriage."

"WHAT?!" Yamato was freaking out again.

Naruto's eyebrows pulled down above determined eyes, and then he leaned into a telling arch, flying through a series of hand seals. "Oh, I'll do more than that, pal. Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"

"Wait, but that's Kakashi-sempai's move," Yamato muttered in his surprise.

"Was Naruto always able to use Nature-transformation techniques?" Glasses said, sharing the man's shock.

Hinata frowned, her eyes quivering in her dismay. It's true... Naruto-kun really has gotten more powerful, but that means Kurama-kun is only in that much more danger. She looked to the clone whose eyes were still glued to her dairy, his expression enigmatic. Please hurry... only you can put a stop to this fight now.

Kurama decisively countered Naruto's water dragon by unleashing a fire dragon of equal power from the tip of his scythe. The elemental beasts clashed with fierce ferocity, canceling each other out and veiling the battlefield in blanket of mist.

Naruto's eyes flitted about robotically, scanning the shrouding mist for any trace of the man's silhouette. So, like the Kyuubi, he shares an affinity with fire — and his shape-manipulation is high-grade, too. Let's see what else you can do...

Hinata, I'll try a water-based version of your technique. "Water Style: Rising Serpent — Water Pillar!"

Kurama looked down suddenly, feeling a rising turbulence beneath his feet. His instincts told him to move before his mind could even assume what was dwelling underneath. And not a moment too soon, either. A great big serpent with piercing blue eyes and long, swaying whiskers rose up from beneath the dark tides, firing circular water projectiles at the running deity.

That's right — in Sage Mode he can feel my whereabouts.

Serpents kept rising and Kurama continued depending on his keen instincts and quick reflexes to evade their ascent and dodge on-coming projectiles. But, finally, he was forced to cleave a projectile in twain. Time slowed, and he felt a spasm of panic upon realizing that the water pressure had been significantly condensed using chakra, imprisoning the blade of the scythe within the bubble.

Before he could abandon or dematerialize the weapon and retreat far enough from danger, he was captured within the jaws of another rising serpent and carry high into the air, trapped by the intense gravity of the water pressure.

"Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!"

Kurama's eyes popped open as Naruto plummeted down from above the serpent with a massive sphere of destructive energy, like a meteor. The deity quickly retaliated by forging a shield of fire and pumping a vast quantity of chakra into it to enforce its defense.

The Rasengan collided with a high-pitched shrill, the tremendous force annihilating the serpent and driving Kurama down onto the water's surface where he continued to defend. The shockwave blew away the mist and stirred the ocean into chaos once again.

The instant Naruto dispelled his Rasengan, he quickly engaged the Kyuubi in hand-to-hand combat, but the sage's overwhelming strength was proving much more than the deity could handle. And the moment he switched from defending to dodging, he was taken by surprise by an invisible blow to the face by the warrior's Frog Fu!

While the Bijuu was stunned, Naruto stormed him with a barrage of impetuous blows to the gut and face — and with one final right hook, sent him flying across the waves, like a stray missile. But Kurama didn't take well to the idea of being pushed around, nor the lingering ache of Naruto's blows to his torso. While hurtling backward, he transformed into his tailed beast form and fired off a powerful laser beam from his mouth.

Naruto zipped to the side, lightening across the water to outrun the lethal beam that was hot on his tail, threatening his heels. Suddenly, Kurama ceased in order to focus on forging the Bijuus' trademark move, his tails curling in as a means of support to condense the massive orb.

"Hey, yo — it's no longer safe standing around here!" Bee rapped coolly despite the looming threat.

Yamato broke into a sweat. "Oh, no, he's right! I saw Naruto use this attack on Orochimaru once before when he summoned the fourth tail and lost control. The explosion covers a wide radius; we have to get far away from here right now!"

They all scurried off. Hinata was a bit reluctant but the shadow clone hauled her away, reassuring her both warriors would be fine. In addition, he was almost through reading the dairy and everything was becoming clear, so this duel wouldn't last for that much longer.

Naruto summoned two shadow clones side-by-side. Without a moment's delay, they began molding their chakra and running through their seals, like machines. Then they placed a curved index finger in front of their lip — one clone launching a wave of water while the other released a wave of wind, both from their mouth. The two potent elements converged to form a great and powerful vortex, a mighty barrier of pre-eminent power.

But would this obstacle be enough to ward off Kurama's devastating attack? The Tailed-Beast Bomb made impact with all its overwhelming force, then. The thunderous collision was both intense and daunting. The atmospheric pressure destabilized in the surrounding area — wind currents changed and the sea churned about in its rising fury, bringing about a level of chaos that was becoming all too familiar.

"Sage Art: Ultra-Big Ball Rasengan!"

With his tornado-like barricade having cut the bomb's power and velocity close to half its original glory, Naruto ran up to the nuclear warhead from the side and rammed his Rasengan into it — and, with a strenuous push, was able to change its trajectory, sending both spheres flying out at sea.

Kurama snarled in his irritation, and he didn't give Naruto the opportunity to witness as the gigantic explosion in the distance painted the sea and sky a dreary orange and yellow. The instant the explosive shockwave from the blast whipped passed them in a most unpleasant sting, the Bijuu began firing a fusillade of fire-based projectiles at him.

Naruto couldn't stay still. He had to be concentrating on incoming fireballs, dodging each one with as little movement as possible, to have enough time to evade the other. By the time he could take heed of the growing gushing sound he heard since the blast, there was a humongous tidal wave on the verge of crushing them both.

Kurama delayed his reaction time to the imminent disaster to launch another barrage of projectiles at Naruto, and then he fired a beam at the wave, opening up a massive rift through which to leap.

Naruto, on the other hand, attended to the wave first. Raising and then swinging his arms behind in a fluent motion, he manipulated the water in such a way that the wave split into two halves, allowing him to pass through the fissure that was created.

Time seemed to slow afterward. The sage was able to sidestep through a few fireballs, performed a spectacular aerial spin over another, but had to think fast and creative for the final one — capturing it in a sphere of water. He was able to suppress the blast within the orb a tad, but was knocked backwards back the shockwave.

"Dammit! That really hurt!"

Naruto didn't get much time to gather himself before a Human-Kurama was plummeting down from the air, gravity adding a few tons worth of force to his fire-based sword. Naruto clenched his fingers, accumulating a large amount of chakra around his forearms into an extremely thin sheet, reinforcing them with his spiritual energy until they were as hard as steel.

"Oh, no! He's about to lose his arms!" Yamato exclaimed from a distance.

"Naruto-kun!" Hinata cried.

Shing! The impact sent Naruto sinking into a fleeting indentation atop the water's surface with water blasting upwards, like a geyser. Sparks gashed from the blade of the mighty sword, but the weapon was unable to penetrate Naruto's chakra-like gauntlet. Nevertheless, Kurama was tenacious; just how long would the rigidity of his chakra lasts?

The deity kept assaulting the sage with a fierce follow-up of slashes. But Naruto wouldn't allow himself to be driven back; he pushed, too, blocking with his arms when necessary. They exchanged a fervent array of punching and kicking combos along with evasive aerial dynamics and backflips.

Kurama switched to his scythe in the heat of their duel and the back and forth sequence of fiery onslaughts ensued. The crisp sea air gusted as they went back and forth repeatedly, hands and legs shooting out at each other, like ghostly bullets.

Suddenly, Naruto made another mistake and Kurama dealt a quick series of blows to his face and gut. Then he used both hands to charge a large fireball beneath his stomach, blasting our hero far into the air. Naruto yelped, but retaliated with a hearty battle cry.

Creating a Kage Bunshin in midair, he swung the clone around, to gather momentum, and then slingshotted the warrior forward in a roundhouse throw. "Transform!"

He suddenly took on the form of a massive double-headed hammer, threatening to crush the deity where he stood. But Kurama bolted to the side, to escape the weapon's range of impact, only to be ambushed by Naruto and a non-too-pleasing Rasengan. There was no time to maneuver.

With a roar, the sage strikes — sending both the Kyuubi and sphere hurtling into the air. Then Naruto rockets behind him in the same beat, as if he had ridden on the very wind, sandwiching the deity with another Rasengan, which sent him plummeting down to the water in an explosive crash.

Droplets rained down upon the water's surface in a soft symphony that Kurama couldn't relax to appreciate, merging once more with the perturbed sea.

Battered and bruised, torn and tattered, he pushed to his feet in an uncharacteristic display of effort, his eyes burning fiercely in his evident struggle. Naruto was standing a few meters away, and the deity pivoted around to face him, squared off against the formidable sage for the final bout of their epic duel.

There was a moment of prolonged silence, and then Kurama cast aside his haori jacket, his tail swaying about in his eagerness to begin. "Is that all you've got, Naruto?" He mocked with a grin. "At this rate, you might not be able to save even one of your friends in this upcoming war... and that includes Hinata."

"Water Style: Lions' Stampede!"

A tall and powerful wave, lead by a large pride of lions and lioness's, charged toward Kurama, imbued with the rage and wrath he had evoked in the sage. But the deity wasn't intimidated. Using his mighty blade wrought of flames; he cut through the menacing wall and lunged at the nonchalant warrior.

Naruto whisked to the side suddenly, allowing Kurama to run into his open palm within which he had constructed a spirally ball of condescend wind. But, just before his face could meet with a most horrible fate, he bent his knees and slid underneath the Jinchuuriki's arm.

When he turned around, Naruto was nowhere in sight. Flustered, he switched to his scythe from his sword and looked around on the defensive. All of a sudden, he could sense a presence behind him. But, in the middle of twirling on his heels, bringing around his blade for a finishing slash, our golden warrior countered.

Augh!Kurama's eyes popped open, and he spat up a handful of blood as his body folded around a powerful right-hook to the gut.

Naruto continued with three more echoing punches, each one lifting the deity's feet farther off the ground. Then, he grabbed him by the ankles and spun him around, like a ragdoll, hurling him a few meters away where his back slammed into a transparent wall made by a shadow clone — Sage Art: Cyclone Shield.

Meanwhile, Naruto and another clone was busy racing through a series of hand seals:

"Wind Release: Slicing Bullet — Gatling Gun!"

"Water Style: Heavy Bullet — Gatling Gun!"

Small projectiles accumulated and fired from the tip of their joint middle and index fingers in rapid succession — wind from the original and water from the clone. Kurama roared in a fit of pain as the minute elemental bullets slowly tore him apart against the transparent screen.

Dazed, aching all over, he saw a pair of blue eyes hurtling toward him — piercing blue eyes belonging to a dragon with far too real detailing. The creature crashed into him, like a rocket, a continuous wall of high-density water that left him breathless and disoriented — Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!

And, if that wasn't traumatic enough, the screen detonated without warning, blasting him face first into the water, dealing farther damage to his numb and over-exerted form. Kurama was motionless, his ears sagging, tail steady, eyes glazed, and he was barely able to sustain his human form.

Regardless, Naruto wasn't through, not until the creature had ceased to exist outside of his seal. Not until his only existence was a place where its claws where out of reach, incapable of potentially harming Hinata.

— "Friends? Don't make me laugh! All you humans are just the same — weak, greedy, selfish, manipulative. Pitiful! Once I'm done absorbing you, I'll find that woman and tear her apart slowly, limb from limb."

A muscle worked in Naruto's jaw, and his blood churned beneath his skin as he contemplated the danger this fiend posed to his fiancée. Setting his feet apart, he leaned into a slight arch and pressed his hands together with a daunting battle cry, molding a mountain of chakra to cast his finishing move. Then, he ran through his seals.

"Water Style: Grand Fissure Jutsu!"

For a moment, there was silence, and then the sea seemed to grumble and quake in defiance, as the jutsu took effect. Naruto gritted his teeth, pouring more chakra into his endeavor. And, in response, the ocean gradually, reluctantly, began to part. A rift opened up beneath Kurama, stretching almost fifteen meters long and roughly four meters in width. As for the depth of the chasm — it stemmed all the way down to the ocean's floor, a dark and dreadful place.

Hinata went pale, and a deep dread unfurled in her stomach as Kurama dangled dangerously above his intended grave, clinging desperately to the water's ledge. "No, Naruto-kun!" She cried, running over to them. "Don't do it! Kurama-kun isn't a bad person! Wait — you have to listen to me!"

Ignoring her, he looked down at the weary creature and frowned. "After all those times you helped me to protect Hinata, I wanted to believe you had changed a little; that we could actually be friends. But that fight we had in my mind earlier made me realize the harsh reality that you're still a slave to your rage. And I can't imagine you not bearing ill feelings, after I robbed you off your chakra.

One day, I'll erase all the darkness from your heart. But, right now, I have to protect Hinata — and, in light of the upcoming war, I can't afford to take any risks. I'm sorry."

"Naruto..."

The sage forged a Rasengan. But, before he could deal the final blow, he felt his body stilled when his shadow clone returned to him. For a moment, he stared unblinking, focused like a laser, as if his mind was preoccupied processing a flurry of information to operate anything else. And, indeed, that was precisely the case.

Suddenly he blinked rapidly, his once icy gaze thawed to a warm gleam of recognition and compassion. "Kurama, give me your hand. Hurry!"

With a wanly smile, the deity reached for the hand of his once heartless executioner and was swiftly rescued from the dark abyss.

"Naruto-kun! Kurama-kun!" Hinata sobbed worrisomely, folding her legs and dropping down beside them in the water.

Sprawled out on his back with a reassuring smile, Kurama looked up at her tear-streaked, beautiful face, his saffron eyes soft. "It's okay, Hime... don't cry; I was saved, thanks in part to your smart move."

"Kurama-kun..." she began rubbing her eyes, like a child.

Naruto grinned repentantly. "Sorry about beating you to a pulp, Kurama." His expression hardened. "I owe you... thanks for looking out for Hinata while I was away."

The deity's eyes closed, his breathing unsteady. "I told you before, didn't I? I can't help but protect her..."

Suddenly, there was a puff of fluffy smoke as he reverted to his chibi form.

"Ku-Kurama-kun!" Hinata exclaimed, reaching for him. She held the motionless fox against her chest, her eyes quivering with dread as she looked from his closed eyes to Naruto calm gaze.

"It's okay, Hinata," he soothed, clearly being able to sense the Bijuu's flow of chakra in his Sage Mode. "He's just resting. He exerted a lot of power in our fight."

"Hey, guys," Yamato called. "Let's head back to the island. We left Gai-san all alone there, and I think I speak for everyone when I say there's a lot to be discussed."

---

Sensual Reunion & the Inseparable... 4?

---

The Hachibi's eyes hooded in an uncharacteristic show of adore. I can see why the Kyuubi — the most stubborn and impatient of the Bijuu — would be taken by this woman. Just being in her company is so relaxing; her aura radiates a warm and soothing energy. Her personality is so innocent and cute, too.

And she has a nice pair of racks to boot,Killer-Bee heaved a lewd grinned. I have even more respect for Naruto now. Impressed!

Bee, you really ought to be more discreet when you take on that pedophile-persona. Don't be so proud about it.

I'm just being true to my hormones like nature intended, he rapped.

I would stay on the Kyuubi's good side, if I were you. And that goes for Naruto, too. Did you see the way he effortlessly danced around the Kyuubi in his mind? He's strong...

"Bijuu Fission... Heaven's Judgment," Glasses repeated, pondering it for a while.

Yamato had one finger cupping his chin, pondering it, too. "So, basically, you're the embodiment of all the goodness in the Kyuubi's heart."

"I'm surprised the Kyuubi has any goodness at all," Glasses remarked curtly.

"Darkness can't survive without light and vise versa," Naruto corrected coolly in defense, looking to a tiny Kurama lazily sprawled out atop Hinata's head. "There's goodness inside everyone..."

"Bee-san," Motoi called, having struck a fascinating idea. "Why don't you ask the Hachibi about the technique the Kyuubi used?"

"That's a great idea!" Yamato agreed, veering his curious eyes to the much-too-relaxed Jinchuuriki. "Can you do that?"

"Sure, sure," he raised his hands in compliance, then quickly fell silent and found his center, allowing a small replica of the Bijuu's head to take form on the side of his upper-arm. "Go ahead."

"Yes, the Bijuu Fissure Technique does exist," the creature verified candidly. "But, out of all the Bijuu, only the Kyuubi managed to learn it from old man Rikudo. We were all jealous, of course, especially since he had a very strong bond with the old man. We thought he was getting more favored than the rest of us.

I'm pretty sure this is the Kyuubi, though; nobody else would know about the jutsu."

Yamato frowned inwardly. He mentioned the Sage of the Six Paths just now... does that mean he truly exists and what Madara said before was the truth? "Well, the technique seems to be legit, but why did you wait until now to make an appearance?"

Everyone turned their attention to the deity.

"I have my reasons — one of which being self-preservation as it relates to the upcoming war. If Madara really is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes, then we might be way over our heads challenging him, even with alliance.

Nevertheless, in times like this, we have to put our differences aside and pool our strength and resources to prolong our existence. Madara isn't a force to be underestimated."

"The Kyuubi's right," Hachibi agreed. "We have to push aside our indifferences unless this war could turn out for the worse."

Yamato frowned. "But then, why did you go berserk in Naruto's mind when he opened the seal, if you intend on helping us?"

A spell of lethargy glinted in Kurama's eyes as he lifted his chin from Hinata's head to speak. "My other half and I share different personalities; I'm the embodiment of all the light he holds while he's the original body carrying all the darkness and rage. These characteristics determine our persona.

He might have used the technique to summon me but that doesn't mean he's proud of it. He's still the same bitter and cold Kyuubi and I'm one of the last entity's he'd like to meet right now."

"Why don't you just admit that you used the technique to be closer to the girl," the Hachibi asserted teasingly.

"A girl?" Yamato murmured puzzlingly.

"Be quiet, you fool!" Kurama tackled.

"I see you still have the habit of shooting down others who threaten to embarrass you."

"Tch! And I see you're still far too talkative."

Bee grinned. "Two Bijuu fighting — now, that's something you don't see every day. Rare banter!"

"You can say that again," Naruto smiled.

"By the way, Kyuubi," the Hachibi was intent on continuing to talk to him. "I didn't know that the technique also allowed you to take a human form?"

"Oh, Konohamaru-kun was the one who taught Kurama-kun how to transform," Hinata enlightened sweetly.

"Really? Konohamaru did?" Naruto grinned. "How is he and Hanabi doing?"

"Still lots of fireworks," Hinata giggled softly, much to Kurama and the Hachibi's delight. Her aura was breathtaking.

"By the way, Naruto... just how much more stronger have you become, exactly?" Yamato asked.

"Yeah, you pulled some sweet moves while you were duking it out with the Kyuubi earlier," Bee rapped with his slick gesticulations. "Star shinobi!"

"Your chakra control and shape-manipulation has grown exponentially in such a short time. And, aside from now being able to create the Rasengan in one hand, you've learned about nature transformation.

How many elements can you use?"

Naruto tousled the back of his hair, contemplating that. "I honestly don't know. I have hundreds of clones out there doing their own thing — gathering knowledge and intel, training and developing techniques, and even learning from others throughout various villages.

Right now, I can only use wind and water. I especially wanted to learn how to use water techniques, so that I'd have a chance against Sasuke's fire attacks. Now, I just need to learn how to throw rocks around, so that I'll be able to handle his lightening attacks, too."

"I see. And that's still pretty impressive, Naruto — being able to use both water and wind natures. Plus, they're a powerful combination." He grinned. "You've come such a long way and in such a short time. Who would've though you would think to use Kakashi-sempai's training regime in such a unique and diverse way."

Naruto almost blushed. "Thanks, Yamato-taichou."

"And you, too, Hinata," Yamato was looking at her now. "I've never heard of a Hyūga having two Tekkei Genkai. That's pretty amazing, especially since you can control it so well already."

"Thank you," she said softly, then blushed when Naruto cast an impressed gaze, and even a lovely wink. Was it suggestive?

"You said Tsunade-sama sent you here?" The man continued.

"Hai," she nodded, approaching him as she reached into her knapsack to retrieve a scroll. "Here's the report."

She handed it to him.

The Jōnin carefully unfurled the scroll and read it, shocked by one piece of information in particular that he learnt. So it was true... Naruto and Hinata were having an affair. But what about Sakura — what about the confession she made to him in the Land of Iron? Was it truly just a means to an end, or had Naruto truly and permanently shunned her? Was his involvement with Hinata a show — an act of revenge?

Agh! Yamato sighed inwardly in his frustration. This was too much drama for him to handle; too much complexities for him to comprehend. I'll just follow Kakashi-sempai's example and leave it all alone; it's not my place to pry.

"What did Granny Tsunade say?" Naruto was curious and getting impatient.

"Oh. Ah... so, it turns out Hinata will now be a part of our group while Naruto completes his mission here."

Glasses couldn't help but grin openly. "So, the love-birds couldn't stand being apart for much longer, huh?"

"Eh?" Yamato wondered how he knew about them.

"Haven't you been reading the newspaper, Yamato? Naruto's a celebrity now, so the papers' are always keeping tabs on him. The last headline I read stated he and Hinata were in a relationship, and, by the looks of it, turns out it's true."

"EH?"

The couple stood up straight, like statues, flushed from head to toe as everyone stared at them, as if they were a popular tourist attraction. And Naruto couldn't help but scratch at the blush that stained his cheeks, sheepishly casting his girlfriend a gaze.

"Yo, way to go, Naruto!" Bee congratulated in a singsong tone, maneuvering his hands in a rhythmic fashion. "You've found yourself a nice shortie — Jinchuuriki love! I'm jealous!"

Naruto grinned, then they bumped fists.

"Hey," Kurama said, his wolfish eyes grim and narrowed as he greeted Naruto with a slight lift of his head. "I... need your help." His voice was unusually weak and dreary.

Naruto stared at the chibi for a long moment, his sapphire eyes weighing the deity in unflinching scrutiny. "You don't look so good, man."

"Kurama-kun," Hinata raised her hand over her head and gently smoothed her palm across his head, over his ears. "Are you okay?"

He quietly prompted them that he had recklessly exerted far too much energy in his fight against Naruto, and that he was at risk of losing himself; ceasing to exist on the outside once more.

Apparently, the only way to save him was to rest his body atop Naruto's belly. Physical contact with the seal was theoretically having physical contact with the Kyuubi's body. And since, technically, the Heaven's Judgment technique was still in effect, natural energy would automatically flow into the tiny deity, slowly rejuvenating him.

To Kurama's surprise, Naruto complied without hesitation, despite Yamato's anxiety. And Hinata was eager to initiate his road to recovery, as well.

"It's just a copy of the Kyuubi," Yamato asserted ardently. "Are you willing to risk everyone's well-being and possibly compromising the Four Trigram seal?"

"I kinda agree with Yamato," Glasses said. "You should probably let this version of the Kyuubi go, considering the potential hazards of helping it."

Killer-Bee frowned with silent exasperation behind his dark shades.

Naruto glowered at the man. "I didn't ask for your advice. Also, what if he's the Kyuubi or just a copy... he's alive, isn't he? We talk and breathe under the same sun; he can feel despair and pain. That's reason enough to help him. Besides, he saved Hinata's life on more than one occasion and I intend to return the favor.

If something were to go wrong, I'd take full responsibility and take care of it. What do you say about that, Octopops?"

The man grinned, throwing him a thumbs up. "Nice speech, Naruto; I couldn't have said it better myself. All life should be treasured and appreciated — respect nature!"

Yamato and glasses smiled in defeat.

Hinata beamed, looking from Bee to Naruto. Kurama beamed, too, and he found himself gradually confiding in the young Jinchuuriki. It was so much easier to be true to his emotions when there was no rage and excessive pride to cloud his judgment.

"Naruto," Yamato approached him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Before you go, why don't you listen to the details of your mission?"

"Yeah, why not."

Glasses cleared his throat as he unfurled a scroll, winning everyone's attention. "With regard to the state of emergency in the Five Great Nations, in preparation for the coming Fourth Ninja War, for support of the shinobi and samurai forces, I hereby order the creation of a third force: the Animal Corps.

With regard to that, due to his great skill in understanding animals, I appoint the Jinchuuriki... uh... animal lover, Uzumaki Naruto, to select personnel and organize the Animal Corps.

The first task of the Corps is to investigate the ecosystem of the island. This is a Super-S Rank secret mission. Take measures to keep this matter secret.

Hokage of Konoha, Tsunade."

"Is this fairy tale really going to work," Yamato murmured, breaking out into a sweat.

"It has to," Motoi was always worried.

Glasses rolled up the scroll quickly and stood up straight with his arms firmly at his sides. A bead of cold sweat sat at his temple in his nervousness, as if he was a new recruit in the military and a notoriously vindictive and high-ranking officer was walking by him. Everyone shared the man's anxiety, and Yamato and Motoi couldn't help put swallow as a muscle worked in the Jinchuuriki's jaw.

Naruto finally opened his eyes, and Hinata and Bee watched him curiously. "Maybe the Naruto from a few weeks ago would be gullible enough to believe all that, but not this Naruto. Nice try, though."

Everyone gasped. Shocked.

"I came here to gain mastery over the Kyuubi's chakra and to train. I also wanted to avert anymore possible attacks on the village on my behalf. But I have no intention of hiding away on this remote island while my friends fight alone in this war to protect me. And My decision isn't up for discussion or debate."

He left, gently tugging Hinata behind him.

"So that's what brother was hiding from me, huh?" Bee didn't really seem entirely interested in the truth as he harassed a motionless Gai-sensei who was suffering from the aftereffects of his forbidden jutsu.

"This is bad," Glasses panicked as the three of them huddled together to formulate some kind of resolve. "This is really, really bad."

Yamato frowned, careful to keep his voice low. "Naruto hasn't only gotten stronger; he's gotten incredibly clever, too. When he told us that he has hundreds of shadow clones scattered throughout different villages and possibly countries, I had a feeling he was well-informed about the current affairs."

The man bit down on his fingernail. "The aim of this war is to protect Naruto by keeping him out of Madara's reach. If he manages to leave, then Bee-san will go with him — and if they have their Bijuu extracted, the entire world will be at that man's mercy."

"First thing's first," Motoi began, jotting down information on a blank sheet of paper. "Kisame's Water Prison technique and Naruto's fight delayed us from reporting the information leak. So we'll just file that report now and also inform them about Naruto's knowledge of the war and his headstrong decision to be a part of it.

I'm sure they'll come up with some kind of alternative and possibly send reinforcements. But, for now, we should concentrate on keeping Naruto here."

The man neatly folded the piece of paper and summoned a messenger owl on his forearm. Once the note was properly secured in a tiny pouch strapped to the bird's leg, he allowed the creature to take flight.

"Sounds like a plan," Yamato agreed.

"We can safely assume that the enemy is now aware of this location, right?" Glasses began in a careful whisper, mindful of the Jinchuuriki's close proximity. "Then, shouldn't we move Naruto and Bee-san from here? The enemy will expect us to move, so they're likely to attack soon."

"I know," Motoi was calm. "We'll move them, but not by ship. We'll have them stay on this island."

"Eh?"

"This island isn't on any map; they won't find it that easily. That's because this island..."

Back in the forest, where Gai's turtle had landed, the reptile was busy complimenting its fellow brethren's humongous size.

"Me? I'm still just a tiny turtle," the creature returned modestly.

"I don't believe it. I've never seen or heard of any turtle bigger than you."

The island trembled.

"What? Really?" Both glasses and Yamato and supposedly he turtle's mouth hung open in their shock.

Motoi allowed a smug grin. "Yeah. This island is a moving fortress. It's an enormous turtle that Kumogakure has been keeping for ages."

Yamato and Glasses still couldn't believe it, while Gai was busy screaming out his lungs as Bee poked his chest in his inquisitively, sending surges of pain throughout the man's entire body.

"Of course, it's safe to assume the enemy is aware of that, as well," Motoi continued. "Still, this island is a lot safer than taking a ship to Kumogakure. Also, Naruto said he was going to train, right? At least that will keep him preoccupied for a while. If we attempt to relocate, he might very well decide to make his move onto the battlefield sooner than later, before my report even gets back to the village."

Yamato's eyes narrowed as he considered that. "He's right. It's best we stick to the island. I'm sure Madara wouldn't personally come here, since he's the commander for his troops. And, this might be a long shot, but if we end up having to fight the enemy, then that would also keep Naruto preoccupied long enough until your report gets us some reinforcements."

Glasses nodded.

Gai cried out in pain again, and then Yamato went over to his rescue. Finally.

---

Meanwhile the entire shinobi world was hard at work making final preparations for the Fourth Ninja War, our lovable NaruHina couple was quite relaxed in a small clearing of the forest, comfortably resting on a blanket.

Naruto was sprawled out on his back with his head propped up on Hinata's knapsack. He had far-too-casually taken off his undershirt, leaving just his open jacket with an unconscious chibi resting on his belly, slowly recovering.

Hinata sat innocently on her heels next to them, hiding her face behind a familiar book, peeking shyly at him every now and then as he gazed unseeingly into the canopy.

Finally. Here he was... lying inches away from her with a light that was almost blinding. It was warm and comforting, powerful and omnipresent, seeping beneath her skin to dismiss the darkness and the pain; the loneliness and the grief — all the unpleasant emotions that had taken up residence in her heart during his absence.

The princess pursed her lips sheepishly as her eyes wondered over the fascinating curves and surfaces of his bare chest. She was a bundle of nerves and heat as her body tantalized and protested in its lack of maintenance. Time hadn't made her immune to the perfection of his face, and she was certain she would never take any aspect of him for granted. Her eyes traced over his russet-colored features: the hard curve of his jaw, the softer curve of his lips, the enchanting blue of his eyes, and the spiky mass of his golden hair.

"Hinata..." Naruto's whisper caught her off guard. "I'm really sorry..."

"Eh?"

"...I shouldn't have left you behind in the village."

"Mm-mm," she shook her head slowly. "Naruto-kun did what he thought was best for me at the time..."

"Yeah. What I thought was best. As a result, you were ambushed by Zetsu and almost taken away from me. I made you hurt..."

The princess heaved a wanly smile, staring down at the slumbering chibi. "Everything happens for a reason, Naruto-kun... don't you think so? It's because you were away that I got the chance to meet Kurama-kun and that he eventually opened up to me. And it was because you were away that I pushed myself even harder in my training so that I could protect you, once we reunited again.

You read it in my dairy, didn't you? A lot of wonderful things happened."

Naruto blew out a slow breath, awed by the strength that dwelled within her. He caressed her arm for the briefest second, memorizing the velvet texture of her warm, honeyed skin. "I've missed you... more than I can put into words."

Hinata's eyes quivered as his whisper resounded in her mind, driving off the remnants of loneliness that clung to her poor heart, and she hid behind her book again, her face pink with embarrassment. "I… I've missed Naruto-kun, too... so much. It's hard to believe we are actually together again."

"Well, you better believe it!" He grinned playfully, and she couldn't help but giggle at the sound of his merry tone. "That book... is it by any chance—"

"Hn!" She nodded cutely, following his eyes to the hard-covered book. "Tales of a Gusty Ninja. I've read it over a few times already; it's a really wonderful book. Thanks for lending it to me."

"Hey, don't sweat it."

She smiled. "I was really surprised that the main character was given the name 'Naruto'. Were you an inspiration in the writing of this story?"

"It's the other way around, really."

"Eh?"

His smile was warm and his eyes, reminiscent. "After reading that book by Jiraiya-sensei, mom and dad decided to give me the name 'Naruto', after that heroic character in the story."

Hinata beamed, and a radiant smile stretched her lips. "I met her..."

"Huh?"

"I met Kushina-san, Naruto-kun..."

His eyes widened in utter disbelief and, for a moment, he couldn't find his tongue. "But... how is that possible? When exactly did you meet her?"

"Etto... I met her today, while I was on my way here. Right after leaving you, she used Kurama-kun as a gateway to connect with me."

Naruto felt tears pooling in his eyes. "And... what did she say?"

Putting the book down, the princess leaned forward so that she could cup the side of his face. "She said she's happy that you chose me to confide in, and to entrust your heart to. She said we're to win the war and change the world, as Jiraiya-sama said you would."

Naruto heaved an emotional grin. "Then she got the chance to meet you, after all."

"Hn! She wanted to watch us get married... but, instead, she could only give us her blessings. And, as a farewell gift, she helped me to unlock my affinity with the water element."

Naruto chuckled. "I'm jealous that you have a Kekkei Genkai and I don't. But, I'm happy my girlfriend's so wicked awesome!"

Hinata blushed, and even more so, when he placed his hand over hers, his eyes doing that smoldering thing that her body has never been able to resist.

Suddenly, Kurama was awake, pushing to his tiny legs on Naruto's tummy.

"Hey, buddy... how are you feeling?"

"Kurama-kun... have you recovered your chakra?" Hinata was still a bit flustered from the power of Naruto's eyes, and her inner goddess wasn't making it any better.

"I've replenished my chakra reserves," he informed softly. "All that's left is to rest some more to regain my stamina."

"Well, that shouldn't be too hard," Naruto returned.

Kurama pivoted his head to the side furtively. "Thanks for trusting me..."

"I should be the one thanking you." Naruto slowly sat upright as the deity reclined onto the blanket. "You stood by Hinata's side and protected her while I was away. I'm eternally grateful. Will you continue protecting her for me?"

The Bijuu clicked his tongue sheepishly and veered his head to the side again. "I'll do whatever I want!" He leaped into the canopy. "I'll see you later."

Naruto nodded with a grin.

"Kurama-kun, be careful."

His eyes brightened, and then he disappeared into the shadows.

"He sure has a lot of spunk, doesn't he? Reminds me of Neji." Naruto pushed to his feet with a far-too-sexy grunt, creating and dispatching a shadow clone to request training lessons by his perverted senior Jinchuuriki.

Hinata reclined onto her heels, briefly gazing up at the fascinating lines and curves of his chest through his open jacket. Her body responded, and she quickly got self-conscious as her inner goddess began stripping her clothes in preparations for what she hoped would come.

Naruto watched her; watched as she shyly swept the length of her hair over her chest and began combing her tiny fingers downwards through its thick luster, twirling locks around her index finger.

Hinata Hyūga was an angel that was in a league of her own — uniquely crafted, authentic, flawless, irresistible, irreplaceable, and every fiber of him yearned to sample her sweetness again, to drink of her sacred elixir and listen to the symphony of her cries as she writhed in ecstasy.

"Hinata." He watched in amusement as she looked up at him, her lips pursed timidly. Naruto desperately wanted to taste the fullness of those unpainted lips — both the pair up north and down south. "You know... doing that only makes it that much harder to resist having you right here, right now."

The princess stared up at him in abject shock, speechless, aroused, her cheeks scarlet. But she tentatively placed her hand in his when he offered to help her to her feet. He grinned mischievously, pulling her up against his chest and taking her lips so fast that her head spun.

Hinata could feel muscles unfurling in her tummy with delicious familiarity at the sweet taste of his kiss, and she willingly surrendered to the responses it summoned in her body, even as he pulled her closer into the hard wall of his chest.

Him holding her like this — cast in the cool shadows of the trees — made her feel shielded from the world and the weight of her responsibilities... their responsibilities.

"Naruto-kun..." she whispered breathlessly when he allowed her to take a breath, and she buried her face in his chest, smelling deep of his skin. "Never leave me again..."

"I promise..."

A telling heat surrounded them in a perfect cocoon of love, and Hinata would give anything to have this moment last forever. But she wanted more…

Reversing her head, the needy princess pressed her hand to his chest sensuously, seeking his eyes, and the warrior's muscle went taut in response, blood rushing down south to supplement his unruly sword... and she could feel its impatience, its vigor. "Naruto-kun..." her voice was a faint whisper and a hopeful plea. "I need you..."

He smiled lasciviously, sharing her sentiments. When he pumped fists with Bee earlier, the man mentally told him of a secret chamber through the waterfall where they could hide away together. "I've never been there before, but I think I know the perfect place we can go..."

---

Down the corridor — a few feet away from the stone door leading into the bizarre room he had undergone his epic trial — Naruto came across the statue Bee had told him about in their telepathic synchronization.

It was a naked, life-sized statue of a female deity and, apparently, this was the key into finding and getting into their sacred haven. Hinata pouted with a blush as Naruto cupped and probed the sculpture's perfectly carved breasts. She couldn't believe this was actually the means through which to reveal a hidden door.

"It looks like Octopops might be a pervert, just like Ero-Sannin."

The princess was still dissatisfied with her fiancé's lewd exploration, even if it was to an inanimate object. Killer-Bee would be held responsible for ruining her complacency, and he was going to have to explain himself.

Suddenly, there was a muffled clicking sound as Naruto's hands pressed harder against the sculpture's chest. Both nipples retracted simultaneously triggering the switch to opening a hidden door in the wall.

Naruto and Hinata sighed in astonishment.

Inside the room was tinted a soft golden hue by the matching colors and lights of the decor — feather plume walls and sandy brown tiles, brown and ebony tapestries and ornaments. The golden oak wood of the queen-sized bed had an intricate and elaborate design that could woo any girl, as well as the two bedside tables and the fancy dresser sitting against the wall next to the bed.

But the lovely furnishings and warm colors didn't distract the couple for long. The fact that they were alone and in the presence of a capable bed deteriorated their patience and added fuel to the driving lust that consumed them both.

Hot and needy, Hinata gazed up at her attractive prince with quivering eyes. All the days they were apart felt like centuries. And she loathed the idea of waiting for another minute. She wanted to be naked and gathered up in his arms, to be kissed and touched, coaxed and mounted to glory by his delicious skills and techniques.

"What'd you say we take a shower together," Naruto suggested, his voice velvety soft and promising as he took the knapsack from her hand and dropped it to the floor.

Hinata swallowed instinctively, then she did something reckless again — unconsciously pressing a finger to her lip in that fashion Naruto found both endearing and irresistible.

He caught her wrists gently in that same instant, his eyes smoldering dangerously beneath the relaxed plains of his lovely eyebrows. The princess's breath hitched in her throat, and her hormones suddenly stirred into wild activity — an uncontrollable tide that kept rising by the second, triggering sweet chemical responses.

"Na-Naruto-kun..." she whispered sheepishly in her nervousness.

But our scheming warrior didn't utter a single word. His oceanic eyes locked with the gleaming crystals that were her own, silently making her aware there was no means of escape from the intimate and sensual beast she had nudged awake inside him.

Doki. Doki. Doki — the beats of her poor heart was erratic, and even more so when he smoothed his thumb across the fullness of her bottom lip, breaking down any feeble measure of defense she might have had in play, stirring her desire to burn as hot and reckless as his own .

They were naked now, clothing having faded away as if it were made of mist, in the heated fever of passion. Hinata found herself braced against the tiled wall of the shower stall, Naruto's magnificent body pressed seductively against hers as water undulated down their hot, restless bodies.

His russet-colored skin was warm and firm to the touch. His broad shoulders and thick arms, his muscular chest and rigid abdomen... all of him was real and inviting and perfect in its masculinity — just like she remembered.

Naruto, in turn, took his time reminding himself of every inch of her sweetness. The princess bit her lip and moaned as he unleashed a chain of soft, wet kisses across her collarbones and down her tummy. Her body trembled and she clutched his head as his journey took him to regions in close proximity to her bubble. Her centre clenched with each long, lazy kiss, and when he smelt the intoxicating perfume of her arousal, he ceased his teasing and allowed her to breathe. But his sensual conquest was just beginning...

Loosely wrapped in a towel, they both returned to the bedroom, where Naruto held her from behind with a salacious gleam in his eyes and a fierce erection below his waist, which pressed hard against her bottom.

"Did you touch yourself... while I was away?" He whispered much too softly at her ear, his tone thick with seduction.

Hinata gasped, and then pursed her lips meekly, endearingly, her quicksilver eyes gleaming as she veered them to the side. Ho-how does Naruto-kun know about that?

"If you show me how you did it, I promise I won't punish you..."

Doki. Doki. Doki — her heart was drumming a wild overdrive in her chest again, pumping blood and heat throughout her body. She was torn between wanting to do what he requested and also anxious to surrender to his punishment. But, overall, she was paralyzed with embarrassment.

"It's just me, you, and our love," he reassured quietly, even as his length throbbed against her. "There's no need to be afraid. Com'on, I'll ease you into it."

He led her over to a nearby love seat and then loosened her towel so that it fell and pooled around her feet. With a blush, her eyes changed, as a woman's would when her system was brimming with desire and anticipation.

"You've only gotten more beautiful since I last saw you."

"Naruto-kun..."

With a slow deliberation that the deed did not demand, he lightly skimmed the back of his fingers down to her breasts — patiently, over those soft, creamy slopes, brushing his thumbs over nipples that hardened and ached in response.

Abruptly, he could hear her breath catch, see her eyes widen, as he cupped the side of her face and plundered that small, unpainted mouth in a deep, hot kiss. The princess tasted love, delight, and solemn promises. The combination swirled inside of her — a tastier brew than any cup of tea, she imagined absently.

Sitting her down in the couch, Naruto knelt down before his sexy goddess and opened her legs in preparations for his long-awaited feast. When Hinata released she couldn't cover her centre in her embarrassment — hiding it from his unnerving scrutiny — she covered her eyes, instead.

Naruto smiled teasingly. "Something tells me you were really looking forward to this."

"No!" She was crimson. "Don't look!"

Regardless, he stared in appeal at her freshly shaved hotpocket, admiring the lovely V of her fair hair. The pattern almost resembled a phoenix engulfed in dark blue flames. Her workmanship was quite impressive, but Naruto couldn't ignore the carving the musky perfume of her arousal evoked in him.

"You're already wet down here..."

"No! Don't say that!" Her eyes were still concealed.

Closing his eyes, Naruto laved his tongue across her swollen lips, over her button, and up the column of downy hair, relishing the heady taste of her nectar, putting the unique flavor to memory. Hinata tilted her head back and moaned heartily in response, her hands dropping to his head, holding his mouth in place as her loins buzzed with delight.

As his tongue lazily swept across her g-spot — once, twice, three times, every fiber of her being, of her femininity, stood on edge, rapture and exhilaration washing over her with extra potency. And she opened her legs as wide as she could, hoping the pleasure would exceed the boundaries of what was feasible.

"Mmmhh!" Her body trembled and arched up against his mouth as he slid one finger inside her. He circled it slowly, deliciously, impressively, stirring her juices inside. It felt so good that she couldn't help but moan, her body losing control, completely subjected to his sensual caress.

"Don't stop," she whimpered as he began to withdraw, gazing at him with desperate eyes now.

"Touch yourself for me," Naruto whispered back, so sweet and compelling that the princess couldn't resist.

And he took a few steps back as she continued pleasuring herself for him to see, unfastening and casting aside his bath towel before plopping himself down on a chair.

Fueled, propelled by the fierce winds of her desire, Hinata's fingers lingered at her centre — caressing the sensitive areas around her bubble, rubbing her plump cheeks, and dipping her two fingers into her wetness at random intervals. She moaned, she panted, she writhed and massaged her breasts, but it wasn't enough, not unless these hands were his.

Naruto's eyes were slitted and glazed as his body hardened on a heady mix of neurochemical cocktail. All of him — every fiber and cell — loved all of her, all her curves and all her edges, and all her perfect imperfections.

He watched as her body shot up when her fingers lightly skimmed over her g-spot and listened to the symphony of her cries as he, in turn, touched himself. He swallowed passed the hot lump in his throat as he indulged in his voyeuristic fetish — coiling his fingers around his rigid width, stroking the hard muscle back and forth. His chest tightened, and desire pooled in his belly as the mesmerizing goddess before him chanted his name, like a prayer.

Steamy puffs of breath escaped her lips with every sigh and pant, her sleek, silky, milky, snow white skin flushed pink in all the right places. Finally, Hinata couldn't take it anymore, not when the beautiful tool she needed was being flaunted before her very eyes. She could feel that familiar static electricity raging between them and some invisible magnetic force pulled her to him. She didn't resist.

From the love seat, she slowly crawled on all fours across the floor to him, boldly seizing the hard, hot muscle from his hand. The princess's eyes were glazed, liquid topaz that gleamed with her most heartfelt desire, even as her tiny fingers stroked and parted her swollen wet petals.

"Nhh," she panted, slipping two fingers inside herself. "Naruto-kun is already so hard..."

He watched and listened in awe. And it became harder to breathe. "Hinata... use your mouth, too; I want to feel it..."

She smiled obediently, amorously, lazily skimming her tongue up the lean length of him and daintily licking his tip, her eyes drifting close as she relished her erotic feat.

Naruto swore beneath his breath when she took him inside her mouth, and the princess cupped both his knees so that she could accommodate him farther, a cute whimper bubbling up in her throat as his crest stimulated the back of her throat.

"Hinata," he groaned. "It's incredibly good there." Naruto reclined his head, his mouth gaping small and wide as gratification gathered in his loins, his body a mass of aches and needs as she stroked, licked, and sucked him — ushering him into sweet oblivion.

The princess lets out a cute mewl as he held her head in place with a groan, ejecting his rich essence inside her mouth in an overwhelming orgasm. Hinata went silent for a moment, as if testing the thick product on her tongue before swallowing.

...

Naruto threw Hinata down on the bed, and she responded with adorable an whimper. She said nothing, only lie innocently below him, her expression subservient and needy, her lips soft and swollen from his kiss.

She moaned lightly as he fondled the perfect curves of her breasts — squishing them together and apart, watching in marvel as the soft, creamy skin folded around his fingers. He pressed a forefinger atop one ripened nipple, circling his fingertip around that aching pink peak.

And Hinata panted, staring as he sank each peak inward. "Naruto-kun... the way you do it is so lewd."

Suddenly, to her surprise, he pushed her legs back until her toes were almost touching down on the bed beside her shoulders, her back a lean arch, her centre propped up for him to see. "They've swelled so much," he commented looking down at her privates. "When did you become such a perverted girl?"

Hinata pursed her lips and averted her eyes shyly. "It's not like that," she protested softly, whimpering when he ignored her and found her g-spot with his tongue.

Then he slipped two fingers inside the steamy portal, stroking her, increasing his speed to the point where her juices began splashing out, trickling slowly down her thighs. "Hinata, it's incredible. You're so wet. Can you hear that sound?"

She could hear, and she could clearly see, but everything was too embarrassing to endure. "No, Naruto-kun, don't do that! I want you inside now..."

He sighed in a little disappointed, but disposed himself to her wish, releasing her legs and bending his knees, his eyes alight with excitement and intent.

Hinata's body braced itself in a heady mix of wild anticipation and arousal. Then he entered her, his crown fluently pushing passed the princess's double-doors, stretching her deliciously to accommodate the length and width of his hard, impatient shaft. "You're so warm inside, Hinata; it feels like I'm melting."

Naruto's hips were a machine, optimized for this sexual conquest. She squeezed the pillow beneath her head as he moved back and fro inside her — deep, hard, and delicious, his possessiveness, his power, his virility washing over her. And her body, her core, her femininity, went prostrate in subservience, overwhelmed by the fires of love, passion and desire.

Sensuality knew no bounds. Her centre clenched and her body hummed as the couple proceeded along the suspension bridge of ecstasy. Fierce gusts of wind rocked the bridge, but still they continued to cross, intent on reaching the other side: the home of fulfillment — rapture.

Now the princess was on her side, one leg bracing against Naruto's chest. "...Hinata," he whispered as he moved back, forward — a slow sensual tempo, savoring her, feeling her. And it took no time at all for her to fall over the edge, spiraling into a delicious, violent, exhausting orgasm. It was impeccable! And Naruto followed soon after, spewing his semen deep inside her.

...

Clinging to the bed-head, Hinata's breasts bounced back and forth, as Naruto tackled her from behind in a standing position, plunging hard and deep. "Na-Naruto-kun's penis is burning inside me!"

He was ravenous with need, ruthless, relentless, reckless. Climbing to the very summit of ecstasy was all that mattered. It sliced through him without remorse; daggers of desire that severed all ties to the civilized, like a hot knife cutting though butter. And he cupped her hips, holding her steady as he dominated her insides with the steely might of his rod.

"Hinata, one more time!" He groaned strenuously, feeling that familiar downpour.

"You can't!" She whimpered, swiveling her head around to look at him. "You just came inside me!"

With a breathless oath, he slammed into her, emptying another round of hot, thick protein inside — and she cried out in response.

...

Naruto entered her inner sanctum again — both her legs held wide open by his hands as she lay restlessly on her back. Her prince's body was flushed in his intensity, his eyes burning as he sought to engulf them both in flames. And the princess pressed her hand over her tummy with a whimper as his delicious assault reverberated in her abdomen, rendering her bones to water.

Suddenly, Naruto closed his eyes and veered all his senses to feeling. His length throbbed vigorously inside her as warm pleasure pooled in his loins, and then he exploded — blasting another round of his hot essence inside her. The princess screamed. And, with each delicious throb, Naruto felt a measure of otherworldly delight and fulfillment.

...

"Naruto-kun, you're cumming inside me too often," Hinata murmured adorably in between her panting. "It's too much!"

They were both lying on their back now, she on top, his hand crushing her breast while the other massaged her bubble, even as he thrusts his hips beneath her, pumping, stretching, stimulating the highly sensitive walls of her passage.

Despite her complaint, Naruto knew she was with him, flame for flame, demand for demand, but he wanted to push her further and faster, until there was nothing but blazing heat and wild winds.

"Hinata! I'm cumming again!"

Squirt!

...

Hinata's inner goddess was still basking in a remnant post-coital glow when Naruto penetrated her again, driving her from her stupor. She couldn't get her breath. The air was so heavy. And hot, so very hot she wondered that her skin didn't burst into flames.

The princess was on her back again, her legs stretching vertically against his chest and over his shoulders. Her plump cheeks were squished together in an erotic display as he rammed her over and over again, the visual adding fuel to his desire.

"Naruto-kun's milkshake is brimming over!" Hinata whimpered suddenly as they set out for yet another glorious release, her eyes glossy with shock and delight, her limbs going numb having been rendered to jell-o.

"Incredible!" Naruto groaned, breathless and exuberant. "Inside is so slippery with my semen! I can't take it!"

"Me, too, Naruto-kun! I'm going to cum again, as well!"

"Hinata! Hinata!" He felt a sudden buildup at the base of his shaft, and he increased his pace for a magnificent finish. Then his body was taut as a fierce orgasm arrested him, his legs weak as his masculine juices spewed deep inside his goddess.

Hinata orgasmed with him, and they cried out together as their bodies trembled and shook out of control, beaming with pleasure and satisfaction.

...

Naruto held her with a seductive flair against the wall of the shower stall, water spraying down upon them, waving down soft, flushed skin. "One last bout?" He suggested questioningly, his eyes hooded and hypnotic.

Breathlessly, Hinata nodded, incapable of speech. Her hair tumbled like restless night around her shoulders, wet and sleek. And her eyes filled of smoke and secret promises, constantly tugging on the chains of the beast that Naruto had suppress not too long ago.

His hands moved over her chest, over the elongated peaks of pink-tipped nipples, leaving aches and trembles in their wake. Naruto knew just how to whisper, and he knew where just to touch her, what to prove. The day was fading. The war was near, and there was much to put to memory, so much to savor.

Hinata cried out adorably as his mouth scorched her soft skin, his tongue laving up the sweet, slender column of her throat before his lips captured hers in a bruising kiss. Patient hands squeezed, massaged, and smoothed over heated skin. Then he cupped and propped her right leg up against his hip, following up by finding and slipping his muscle inside her with a finesse that made her clench in response.

"Incredible!" She moaned. "Naruto-kun's penis is hitting deep inside me. It feels so good!"

They both panted and moaned as hard, veiny muscle and hot, wet flesh conjured up a fierce storm between. Sated with heat and numbing pleasure, their bodies hummed, a symphony crooned by their drumming heart.

In a sweet and heavenly stupor, the princess instinctively followed the white cobblestones leading into the valley of ecstasy. She tightened around him as that oh so familiar orgasm came gushing through her, stealing the life from her legs and coaxing Naruto to his own grand finish. And, finally, he slammed inside her for the final time and stilled as he exploded with a groan, spewing his seed deep inside her womb.

...

Hinata allowed her muscles to sag as she surrendered, sprawled out in the imbue of her post-coital glow. A complacent smile touched her lips, mirroring the one that stretched Naruto's as he slinked toward the bed, his eyes fixed upon his adorable and willing submissive that laid motionless on her back, her bones rendered to mush in their epic journey.

"I don't think I've ever cum that much before," he said once he was lying on his side beside her, wrapped in a towel as she was.

The princess giggled softly. "That's because Naruto-kun overdid it."

"Hmm-hmm," he hummed, mirroring her expression.

"Oh. I have something special to give Naruto-kun..."

"Eh? What's that?"

She beamed. "It's a surprise!"

He watched in curiosity as she made her way off the bed and pattered over to her knapsack, quickly retrieving something from one of the many compartments before making her way back on groggy feet.

The girl exhaled heartily, completely fatigued by her brief undertaking. But she sat back on her heels and summoned him before her. "Close your eyes," she instructed on a sweet whisper.

He did what he was told, and, in a few moments, he felt as she took his hand and the cool, hard nature of steel could be felt gradually slipping up the length of his finger. His heart throbbed in vague recognition. Could it possibly be what he thought it was?

"Naruto-kun!" She said in a thrilling, singsong voice. "You can open your eyes now..."

His eyes fluttered open, wide and gleaming with the spirit of the sea when he spied the silver ring on his engagement finger. "This... this isn't by chance the—"

"Hn!" She beamed in delight at the evident emotions that flickered across his face. "It's the Coatlicue ring."

"Hinata..." he couldn't find the right words. "I don't know what to say. According to your dairy, you went through so much to get this. Thank you so much."

She closed her eyes in a blink and shook her head with a smile. "Naruto-kun went through the same effort to get my ring, too. Besides, I wanted to be true to this marriage's customs."

Naruto closed his eyes momentarily, savoring her words. "I still have to say thank you; at least I didn't get attack by Zetsu in my search."

"I should be the one thanking Naruto-kun." She was teary-eyed. "I'm happy that you want me as your wife..."

Naruto frowned, cupping the side of her face. "Don't be silly, babe. You're my soul mate; you've made me the happiest guy alive."

She smiled wholeheartedly, even as tears spilled over her lids. "I love you." Her voice was just a whisper. "I love you more than anything..."

"And I love you more," he challenged, leaning forward so that he could press his lips against hers in a brief kiss.

Hinata reciprocated by lightly skimming her lips across his hungry mouth. "And I feel like the luckiest girl alive."

He grinned. "What'd ya say we go out there and take control of this war? We'll turn Madara on his head and go back home with all our friends!"

"Hai!" She nodded briskly, like a child with a perpetual sugar rush.

"Jeez, why are you so freakin' adorable?"

Naruto held her against him in a protective embrace, giving her a hundred solemn promises that he was eager to keep, loving her with all the reverence and worship of a man madly in love.

Capturing her soft, tender lips with his own for another time, he know without a shadow of a doubt that he held the embodiment of heaven in his arms, and he was determined to guide and protect this fine miracle until the end of time.

---

"Naruto! Hime!" Kurama knocked impatiently on the stonewall behind which he sensed the Jinchuuriki was hidden.

Both him and Hinata having already dressed, Naruto hit the switch from the inside, opening the door for the anxious deity who stole inside, standing tall in his human form.

"We have a situation," he stated coolly.

Naruto frowned. "A situation? What's going on?"

"We've been ambushed, and the Wood Element user has been taken."

The princess gasped.

"What? Yamato-taichou was?" Naruto was shocked. "But what about my Kage Bunshin?"

Ignoring him, Kurama's attention suddenly veered away from the perplexed warrior and to the Hyūga princess that stood adjacent to him. He could sense a dramatic change in her — physiological processes that he couldn't quite comprehend. But he knew well what it mean and, despite the predicament they faced outside, the Nine-Tailed deity allowed a warm smile.

"Hime. You're pregnant."

...

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