Bending The Ninja Way

"Talking"

'Thinking'

KYUUBI TAHIKING

'KYUUBI THINKING'

Attacks (jutsus/ bending)

EARTH BOOK:

CHAPTER 7- SWORD

The air swirled around the two figures of Naruto and Sin Long as the the pair stared each other down. The surrounding people dared not to utter a word at the blond's statement. Aang stared up at the taller man with wide eyes and an unhinged jaw. Many firebenders looked at the whiskered man with the same shocked look, abeit fear was also mixed in. The red armored men knew their troop leader was strong, but few ever questioned where his power came from. They mostly thought it was some kind of advanced firebending. Never in all the time they gave their service had anyone so blantedly and bluntly accused him of his power not being his own, but of that of a demon's. Many heads turned from the blond to the leading frebender and the sword he weilded.

Shin Long gritted his teeth as he tore the shuriken out of his arm and threw the star shaped weapons to the ground. He was shocked, though he hid it well, to hear the younger orange and black clad man speak the truth of his weapon. No one knew of his sword's secrete beyond himself, especially not even the great Fire Lord Ozai.

Naruto watched the larger warrior pick up the sword. He kew that sword was not made by a human. The monstrous chakra it gave off assured him of that. Naruto studied the sword for a moment, recognizing the familliar angry red glow around it and feeling it pull at him, all the while conversing with his inner demon.

HOW DARE THAT FILTHY LITTLE HUMAN TAKE UP THAT SWORD! Kyuubi's enraged roar echoed loudly. The elder fox gave a beastly snarl. KYUUSHIMARU NO JIGOKU IS MINE!

Naruto mentally nodded. 'I thought as much.'

THROUGH MY VERY OWN BLOOD AND CHAKRA I FORGED THAT BLADE WITHIN THE FIRES OF THE DEEPEST PITS OF THE HOTTEST VOLCANO SEVERAL CENTURIES BEFORE I WAS SUMMONED AWAY INTO YOUR WORLD. The demonic kitsune explained.

Naruto was stumpped. 'Oi, you don't even have opposable thunbs! How the hell can you even hold a sword?'

Kyuubi gave an irrated growl. 'OF ALL THE DAMN HUMANS IN THAT WRETCHED VILLAGE THE FOURTH COULD SEAL ME IN, I WINDE UP IN THE MOST BRAIN DEAD OF THEM ALL.' The great fox thought grudgingly. I POSSESS A GREAT COLLECTION OF ABILITIES. ONE SUCH ABLITY ALLOWS ME TO TRANSFORM INTO A NEAR HUMAN-LIKE FORM, BAKAMON!'

'Okay, okay, I get it.' The Hokage thought. 'That sword is far too dangerous to be left alone with this bastard, so I'll just have to... liberate it from him.' Naruto heard Kyuubi growl in agreement.

Aang stared between the two men, he could feel the tension rising. Things were about to get very nasty very soon. Aang felt torn; half of him didn't want be around when things did get bad and the other wanted to be there just incase something happened.

"You know, that sword doesn't rightfully belong to you."

Aang looked up at the blond's second out of the blue statement.

The young Hokage crossed his arms, making his already menacing figure even more imposing. "An... aquantance of mine forged that sword. He wants it back." Naruto explained. "He said filth shouldn't touch his things," Shin Long glared at the insult. "So be a good boy and hand it over?" He growled out.

Shin Long looked at the shorter man before bursting out into a fit of amused laughter. "How ludacrous! You believe I'll will relinquish my blade simply because you said to." The oversized firebender sneered, more statement than question.

Red slitted eyes looked at the man in annoyance. Then again, he expected that kind of answer. Kyuushimaru was a blade of great power and most who have had but a taste of that kind of power never really give it up.

"Then I will take it by force." Naruto sighed before he took a step foward and vanished in a display of speed.

The blond covered the ten feet between him and Shin Long in seconds. Naruto punched at the man's gut, fist coming in to contact with fire colored steel. However it wasn't the armor the troop leader wore, rather, it was the Kyuushimaru. At the last second Shin Long shifted the sword so that the flat end of the blade recieved the hit. Effectively protecting himself.

The giant's hand raised and made a forward thrust movement. Bent fire leaped from his hand, forcing the blond to jump back. Naruto pulled several shuriken from his holster before flinging them at the the dark haired man. Shin Long blocked again with the sword, the flying stars harmlessly bounced off the fire shaped blade. The young jinchuriki rushed in again, zigzaging between fireblasts, flashes of yellow appearing in his wake. With his intense he managed to get into Shin Long's defenses and gave the man a heavy kick to the ribs. Naruto could hear the armor crack under the sudden force of the kick.

Long stumbled, but did not fall. He swun his sword at Naruto's neck, aiming to decapitate the blond. Naruto ducked just in time and delivered a sharp uppercut the man's jaw. Shin Long took a couple steps back to catch himself before he fell. With his frustraited anger growing in him, Shin Long eyes flashed as he swiped the Kyuushimaru down in virtical chop. Naruto used Shunshin away a fair distance away. The ground exploded where he last stood. Naruto looked back down at the firebender.

Was it him, or was Shin Long gainning speed in his attacks?

THE CHAKRA IN MY SWORD DOES TO THAT HUMAN FILTH WHAT I DO TO YOU. Kyuubi warned. KYUUSHIMARU IS FEEDING OFF HIS NEGATIVE EMOTIONS AND TURNING IT INTO CHAKRA. IT IS GIVING HIM A SORT OF POWER BOOST.

'Then like I said, I'll just have to take it from him.'

THAT PATHETIC HUMAN DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE HOLDS. HE HAS JUST BARELY SCRATCHED THE SURFACE OF THE DANGEROUS POTENTIAL HIDDEN WITHIN MY WEAPON. Came Kyuubi's barking voice. IF THE BAKA CONTINUES ON LIKE THIS WITH MY BLADE NOT ONLY WILL HE BECOME POSSESSED BY ITS WILL, BUT MY SWORD WILL EVENTUALLY DESTROY HIM FROM THE INSIDE OUT. KYUUSHIMARU REQUIRES A STRONG MIND TO TRUELY WEILD IT EFFECTIVELY.

'Tch, I can tell you're sword is gonna be a pain in the ass.'

Naruto flashed through a series of seals. "Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu ( Phoenix Immortal Fire Technique )!" Like falling hail, dozens of golf ball sized fireballs fell on to the leader of the firebenders at high speeds. Shin Long's eyes grew a fraction wider at the attack. To Naruto's annoyance, three grunt firebenders jumped in the path of the jutsu and punched and kicked the incoming flames away, protecting their leader. One had even redirected the attack back at him! Then the trio shot streams of fire back in retaliation. The blond had ducked and dodged their attacks easily.

Aang stood again after his moment of rest. He moved the air in front of him; having it twist and spin, creating a small but powerful tornado just a few feet bigger than him. He pushed his creation forward at the three defending firebenders. Shin Long, having some sense of the strength inside the speedily oncoming mass of wind, dodged to the side as his three defenders were picked up and swept away, only to be forcibly thrown in random directions a moment later. Almost a dozen more firebenders from the sidelines moved in to replace the fallen and attacked.

Jumping back again in order to dodge another set of fireballs, Naruto landed near Aang, droping into a defensive stance.

Shin Long looked the odd man up and down, his face a mask of confusion. "Boy, tell me, why do you side with the Avatar when you've just made it obvious you are a firebender?"

Naruto stared balefully back at the older man. "Me? A firebender? Don't insult me! I'm a Leaf Shinobi, not one of you assholes, ojii-san ( grandpa )!" The young Hokage hissed as he pulled out a kunai. "As for siding with Aang, well that's non of your damn business!" With those last words, Naruto shot forward, Aang coming up behind.

"No good firebenders!" A voice yelled. "Get the hell out of the way!"

A large stream of earth suddenly ejected from the ground and crashed through the group of firebenders. Then a barage of many stones the size of a person's head began to pelt them. Aang turned to see Toph. Naruto gave a fanged smirk. He had sensed her coming back for a while now.

The returned tambourine glared blindly where she sensed all the enemies. She then turned towards her teacher and fellow student/friend/traveling companion. "You bums!" She fumed as she continued to bend and throw rocks at the firebenders. "You were gonna fight these pricks without me, weren't you?!"

"You weren't here." Aang aurged before he ducked several small pebbles perposely thrown at him.

"I don't care! You guys could have waited up!"

"Ow! Quit it!" The Avatar whined when one pebble got him in the forehead.

"Dammit! Both of you pay attention!" Naruto roared over both of them, scaring them out of they petty arguement. The blond turned to the massing red and black benders who were now beginning to fling fire balls at them. The three rolled out of the way before they could be roasted alive. Naruto silently swore. He needed a quick change of tactics. He couldn't fight with fire; dispite the strength and power he put behind his earlier attack, the firebenders proved just as capible at blocking fire based techniqes as they were at sending them. Again Naruto flipped through several seals before slamming his hand down onto the ground. "Daton: Doryuheki no Jutsu ( Earth Style Wall Technique )!" A wide and tall wall of stone sprung up from the ground and blocked the oncoming fire. Naruto then made another seal. 'Gotta get rid of the the small fries first before I go after Long' "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu( Shadow Clone Technique )!"

The group of fire warriors were just about to charge the blond when their target suddenly came from around his protective sheild and threw a single kunai at them before the blond quickly snatched up the air and earthbenders and hurried back behind the wall. The small blade landed landed just at the group's feet. Wrapped around the handle was a note with many seals.

Aang opened his mouth to protest but whatever he was about to say died in his throat when a explosion went off. The wall behind them stood strong as it protcted them from any smoke and debris that flew their way.

When the smoke cleared a little, Aang poked his head around their shield to see the results of the explosion. There was a shallow but wide crater, fire, and many downed firebenders ( dead or unconsious? He couldn't quite tell ).

"Get ready to go back out," Naruto said. "That blast only put a few out of commission."

Toph tilted her head up at the blond in front of her. Critical curiousity eched on her face. By his voice he at lest sounded like the Rokudaime, and when he grabbed her and ran for it, he moved the same way as her teacher, however she could feel nothing from him. No heartbeat, no pulse, not even vibrations that came from breathing. Who or whatever this thing was, it wasn't a living being and it wasn't the Rokudaime.

"Take out the rest of the firebenders," 'Naruto' ordered as he pulled out another kunai. "I'm going after Long." With that said, Naruto vanished. Seconds lated the two bender could hear the cry of steel against steel.

Aang threw himself back into the fight, vaulting above the reaming Fire Nation soilders, kicking off the top of their metal covered heads like stepping stones before leaping into the air. He spun his glider staff like a helicoptor propellor before sending a heavy rush of wind at his enemies.

Toph too had rejoinded the fight, all the while locating her real missing teacher, she had found him hanging out in the most surprising ( not quite ) place and wondered how long he had been there and how much longer could he take staying there? Toph summoning up pillars to send opposing benders flying or the ground to shake to force them to lose footing before darting in and out of range to deliver a speedy rock covered fist; left hooks and right hooks, uppercuts... or a few low blows to where the sun don't shine ( those were accidental... at first ).

Aang and Toph held their own well, though they had to admit it, the strain of bending was beginning to ware on them while the firebenders continued to pour in. The two were about ready to start complaining. The more stubburn ones got back up after being knocked down while others just seem to pop out of nowere. The firebenders had apperently noticed how badly they out numbered the three and was using it to their advantage.

The air and earthbenders stood back to back with each other while the firebenders surrounded them.

"... I'm... getting tired." Aange said a little breathlessly.

Toph heaved a little as she nodded. "I know... me too." 'Jeeze, the guys just won't stay down! What's taking so long?!' The blind prodigy asked herself.

As if to answer her unspoken question, Toph sensed a large wave of small rocks before it came. It knocked into the soilders from behind, taking them by surprise.

Aang turned to see a small group of disgruntled earthbenders not too far away. Deep anger flashed in there eyes as they glared at the firebenders. Toph smirked. "Hope you don't mind my friends dropping in?" Toph asked mockingly as her fellow benders began to attack.

"Where'd they come from?"

Toph knocked her small knuckles into the back of his head. "They're the captured earthbenders, duh! I broke them out before coming here."

"Oh," Aang rubbed the spot on his head where Toph had hit him. "Right."

"Now, let's get back to kicking their ass's!" The tambourine yelled, finding her second wind, before picking out the nearest fire warrior. Aang nodded as he too faced off with the nearest opponent.

As the group of one airbender and many earthbenders finish off one Fire Nation trooper after another, 'Naruto' was busy avoiding death blows from Shin Long and was slowly being pushed back. The blond went to bring his kunai knife down on the troop leader after he jumped over a horizontal slash, but the red demon sword came up to defend again. If anything, the blond knew for sure now that the man before him was steadily gainning in the fight. Shin Long's stamina was growing, he was moving faster and striking harder. Though his body was moving more wildly, the hand that carried the sword aimed true and focused. Shin Long's body was enhancing the more the fight was drawn out. The chakra flowing out of Kyuushimaru was building and was showing signs of extrem heating, much like what happened when Naruto was younger and summoned four of Kyuubi's chakra tails. Naruto had a sneaking suspicioun that it was the all sword's doing.

Shin Long pushed the smaller Hokage away and charged at him before the blond could land, swinging a glowing Kyuushimaru. He cut his blade into Naruto's shoulder in a cross slash and dragged it down to his waist. The super heated chakra melted flesh and bone and caused blood to boil and evaporate before the actual blade touche it.

Shin Long grinned maliciously. It looked deranged and beastly.

Aang stared in horror as he watched his teached get cleaved in two.

Toph frowned.

Shin Long's victory was short lived. His eyes widened when Naruto's body exploded into a puff of smoke and vanashed. The millitarisic bender's gave a angered roar as he looked around wildly. "Where are you?!" Shin Long's deep, booming voice was not normal, it sounded over shadowed, possessed."Come out and fight me, you coward!" He called over the crowd. The chakra from the sword once again snaked its way up onto the giant's body. Shin Long gave a distinctively inhuman roar.

"Looking for me?!" There was a sharp cacking sound of breaking rock. Before Shin Long could register it, two hands bursted out of the ground and latched on to his ankles then dragged the man down into the ground. By the time it was over the only part of the firebender leader that could be seen was his head. Naruto towered over the grounded giant with a triumphant grin. "Comfy?"

"Release me!"

Aang and Toph came running over. "Rokudaime-sensei!"

"What'd you do to him? What happened back there? I saw you get cut in half!" Aang franticly asked.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa slow down. First off, that," The Hokage pointed down at a struggling Shin Long. "My friend, was a jutsu called Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu or the Inner Decapitation Technique."

"Let me guess," Toph crossed her arms. "It allows you walk around underground through solid rock where you can get under then pull your opponent down, right?"

Naruto shrugged. "Almost, but not quite. Walking underground is a different jutsu. I had only sat underground and waited for him to move in possition so I could pull him under. Since he's no earthbender, I knew it'd work. And the part where I was 'sliced' in two-"

"That wasn't you." Toph finished. "Whatever that thing was, it may have looked, sounded, and acted like you, but it wasn't, was it?"

Naruto gave a half nod. "Again, partially right. It was a shadow clone I created. It was not me, but still part of me. Clones are mostly used for reconnaissance and information gathering or to make a quick get away."

Okay, Aang and Toph deffinitely thought that was a cool technique.

"Let me go!"

Naruto turned to the still burried tyrant and glared. The demonic chakra was slowly beginning to drain out, the griant also began to lose the animal-like fierceness he displayed earlier, and the wild glint in his eyes dulled tough the greedy want for power was still present as continued to thrash in stony confines, staring longingly at the Kyuushimaru. Naruto bent to pick up the fallen sword and a pair of smaller hands grabbed his wrist..

Naruto looked up to see Aang looking at him as if he'd lost it. "Don't touch that thing, it's evil!"

"It might possess you." Toph added.

The blond smirked. His blue eyes, long since returning normal, looked at the Avatr with amusement. "No worries. This sword came from my little inner demon." Naruto stated. "He's tried many times over to get control over me and it never worked. This thing can't be any more worse than it's creator."

With that his hand wrapped around the hilt. The sword pulsed bright red.

"Take your hand off my sword, you little welp!" Shin Long bellowed. Naruto rolled his eyes before resettling the back of the demonic blade.

Through Naruto's eyes, Kyuubi looked at his creation. IT SEARCHES FOR ME. The demon stated. IT SENSES MY PRESENCE WITHIN YOU AND IS LOOKING. Kyuubi then turned his attention to his vessal. SINCE I AM IN NO POSSITION TO WIELD KYUUSHIMARU I AM GOING TO... ENTRUST IT TO YOU... FOR THE TIME BEING. The fox quickly added. It nearly pained him to allow his sword into the hands of another human, vessal or not. SEND A LITTLE OF OUR FUSED CHAKRA INTO IT AND IT WILL RECOGNIZE YOU AS ITS CURRENT WIELDER.

Naruto nodded once and did as told. Concentrating, Naruto dipped into his well of chakra and urged a little out as Kyuubi let an equal amount leak out of him. Blue and red mingled and swirled until two became one and violet chakra touched the hilt. The sword pulsed again, glowing brighter. The demon sword began to change. The blade receded and shorted a few inches while still remaining long, Kyuushimaru lost much of its width and became thin, the wide hilt and guard shrank until it could properly fit in his hand but was still a decent weight. By the time the glow subsided the change was complete.

Naruto now held in his hand a nodachi. While the sword retained its flaming colors, everything else about it was different from the broadsword it once was.

The blond looked it over before giving it a test swing. The blade whistled as it sliced through the air.

I SUGGEST FINDING A SWORD MASTER TO TEACH YOU SOME KATAS.

'I know how to handle a sword!' Naruto stated. 'I was issued a katana back when I was in the ANBU, remember?

Kyuubi snorted. BOY, YOU CAN BARELY GRASP THE BASICS AND YOU HARDLY EVER TOUCHED THAT KATANA. WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU KNOW ENOUGH OF THE WAY OF THE SWORD? HMM? Naruto grumbled. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. AFTER ALL THIS NONSENSE IS DONE WITH, YOU ARE TO GO FIND A TEACHER. The fox ordered.

'Fine, alright.'

"What have you done to my weapon?!" Came Shin Long's raging indignated shriek.

Annoyed, Naruto looked at them man again. "If you must know, nothing. It simply sees me as its new weilder, so I'll just hang on to it, okay?" He then turned to his students. "Get these villagers back home. I think they'll wanna see their families after all this."

"What about you? You coming or what?" Toph asked.

Naruto patted her shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be right behind you, just get them home." He said, turning her towards Aang and the group of benders. "I'm just gonna clean things up here. I'll catch up soon"

The two nodded before they ushered the group towards the surrounding forest, to the village.

When the small group disappeared into the forest and then from his sensing range, Naruto dropped his mask of smiles and turned his cold, emotionless gaze to the still burried troop leader. "So now it's just the two of us." He crouched down until they were nearly at the same eye level. "Aang and Toph are still kids, they're still soft no matter how much of a fearless front thet put up. I don't want them to see me as a true shinobi." Naruto said as his grip on the Kyuushimaru tightened. Long's eyes widened in fear, knowing what the younger man was about to do. Raising the demon forged steel the blond said, "You are a threat to the innocent and all threats must be dealt with. That is the Will of Fire."

And then the sword swung down.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Aang and Toph turned to see their blond sensei streaking ( not naked streaking! ) towards them. The group were already nearing the gates to Fen Min Ge by the time he had caught up.

"What took you?" Aang questioned.

Naruto just grinned. "Just had to make sure no lingering firebenders were following." He answered before he continued on with the others.

Aang shrugged and ran after.

Toph's blind eyes followed the Rokudaime's back as a slight frown marred her young face. Though the vibrations from his heart and voice betrayed nothing but seemingly truthful words, the young Bei Fong felt deep down in her gut that there was more to the reason behind sending them ahead. Most likely so that they, she and Aang, wouldn't have to see him 'clean things up' after them.

It sent a shiver down Toph's spine when she realized how easily he could cover things up with just a fool's grin and lull people into making misinterpretations about him with his hyperactive happy-go-lucky acting. It was just the same way as Ty Lee's ditzy airhead act. The Rokudaime did say once that deception was part of a shinobi's every day life. That kind of deception could easily be fatal. She'd have to watch herself more carefully around him.

"Toph-chan! What's the hold up?!" Her young ninja teacher called. "Move your scrawny little hide or I'll leave you here in the forest!"

"Hold yer Buffalo-yaks! I'm coming!"

Hello everybody! Good to see you again! Sorry about making you wait again, but that was totally my fault and it wasn't anything like last time. I've been running around town most of all this time doing very important work. I'll be moving come June and that means a lot of prep work must be done before the big day. Looking for a new apartment or house; depends on what's availible and convenient.

Sorry if the action seems less than mediocre or what not. Especially at the end. I'm not used to writing fight sences. Maybe with a little time and practice, I'll be better at it. Constructive criticism is welcomed. And for those who keep harping about spelling and grammer errors; I can't help it, my computer is a cheap ass bastard, and soon to be a chucked out the window bastard, right next to it's programmer. I got no freaken spellchecker! I don't even have microshoft word dammit! I'm working off my sucky WordPad! I tried to have a beta, but my provider sucks ass too, their over priced and the e-mail is shitty! I couldn't even get through to the guy. So yeah, that should tell how much my computer life sucks.

Anyway, please update.

Ja Ne