Been some time (UNDERSTATEMENT) but here I am!

I hope to have this chapter rock you like a hurricane lol

Disclaimer: pain17ification owns nothing

A Sun's Devilish Maid

Chapter Twelve: A Genin Rating Game

Grayfia awoke to a concerning sight that had her nearly gasp and recoil in shock, had she not mastered herself. On the walls, the covers of the bed, and the floor on her Naruto-sama's side were stains of crimson that couldn't have been anything else but blood.

And seated in a chair, being the only unstained thing there, was Ophis. The strangest thing to the she-Devil was that the Dragon Goddess was missing her right arm from the elbow down…and that she had a familiar tanned one resting across her lap.

"…what did you do?" Grayfia whispered out, feeling genuinely afraid of the being sitting so casually before her and her resting master.

"I invested in him," Ophis replied stoically. "You both speak of his lesser lifespan, and I refuse to allow another Uzumaki with his kind of potential perish prematurely."

"By ripping off his arm? Explain the reasoning behind that," the silverette demanded, struggling not to scream at the Dragoness.

"Remove the covers. See for yourself."

Frowning, Grayfia turned to her somehow still asleep master, reaching over to him so that she could pull away the bed covers. Upon revealing his form, her keen eyes zeroed in on his right arm, spotting how it dramatically changed from his natural tanned skin tone to the same pallor as the Goddess seated in their room; the two skin tones separated by a scar that was a perfect ring around his arm. The arm itself had reshaped itself to look like his proper size, simply being incredibly pale in comparison to his left.

"You… You gave him your arm…" Grayfia breathed out, stunned at what she was seeing before turning back to Ophis. "Why do something so…drastic?"

Instead of immediately answering, Ophis surprised the she-Devil by lining up her master's amputated arm to her own, and a flash of violet light erupted. After the blinding light died, Ophis had two fully formed arms once more, but her right arm was the reverse of Naruto's; going from pale to his tanned shade and looking more feminine to match her current form.

Testing the flexibility of her new fingers and clenching her fist, Ophis gave a pleased hum when she felt a foreign energy intermingling with her own; satisfied that Naruto's lingering chakra in his separated arm was integrating seamlessly with her own Void Energy.

She then got off the bloodstained chair she had been sitting in and approached the resting blonde, much to Grayfia's concern. Resting her new hand atop the scar on his new arm, she closed her eyes and searched for both his chakra and her voidness. When she found them, she released another pleased hum as she felt that same seamless amalgamation of energies.

"I'm pleased to see that this worked," she finally spoke up. "This chakra that he and these ninjas carry within them is quite adaptable, and his body has willingly accepted my voidness within itself."

That statement amazed Grayfia, and she reached over to gently brush her hand through her master's hair while her gaze turned affectionate and full of relief. After some time caressing his sleeping form, she turned back to Ophis.

"You never answered why you chose such a drastic path…"

"As I said, I invested in him. By giving him a piece of me, and by taking a piece of him in return, I am now linked to this Uzumaki. His triumphs carry me alongside them, and that pleases me. The Uzumaki were an innovative people, managing to craft a seal that summoned me to them. That kind of potential is something I cannot ignore, for I am now personally involved in it."

"I…think I understand. Does this mean that you wish for him to help you in the future? You mentioned Great Red before…"

Ophis gave a surprising smirk of amusement to the she-Devil. "You need not worry. I understand that he is still young and has not reached his full power. I despise Red for taking residence in my home, but I'm not reckless enough to attempt to remove him. I can be patient and wait for Naruto and his comrades to improve."

Releasing a breath of relief, Grayfia graced the Dragoness with a bow. "You have my gratitude for your patience and understanding, Ophis-sama."

Ophis merely hummed indifferently in response, leaving the bedroom for the kitchen. "I require food now."

Nodding, though Ophis couldn't see it, Grayfia quickly got dressed and followed Ophis to the kitchen. She planned to serve a large meal for the house's morning meal. After all, if Ophis was demanding food, then she had no doubt that the gastral black hole that was her Naruto-sama wouldn't be hungry as well.

Especially since he now carried Infinite Dragon blood in his veins.

Naruto yawned as he trudged into the kitchen, feeling unusually starved this morning, and yet oxymoronically full of energy. He played it off as last-minute jitters since this day was the Chunin Exam Finals.

"Good morning, Grayfia-chan, Ophis," he greeted as he took his seat, only to do a double take at the feast that filled the table. "Whoa… Not that I'm complaining, but what's the occasion? It can't just be because of the Finals, right?"

Setting a platter of eggs and meat before him and gracing him with a loving kiss to his whiskered cheek, Grayfia replied, "Something happened last night, Naruto-sama. Eat first, and then I'll tell you."

Blushing at her sudden affectionate gesture, Naruto dug into his meal and looked across the table to see Ophis was also partaking in breakfast…her fifth serving of it. Brushing it off as a Dragon's appetite, he decided to enjoy his meal as Grayfia sat beside him and ate as well.

To his surprise, he went through ten servings in comparison to Ophis's fifteen and Grayfia's single. Granted, he had a big appetite – one simply needs to ask the Ichiraku family about it – but he usually held back during breakfast so that he could get his day started faster. Not to mention Grayfia was rather strict on how much he ate.

So, it was odd to him that she simply kept refilling his and Ophis's plates this morning without a word of reprimand. He wondered if it was due to the Finals, and she believed he needed a large meal to give him the energy for the tournament. But that hardly explained why Ophis was also eating so much when she rarely ate at all.

After helping Grayfia with the dishes and getting his gear ready, he sat beside Grayfia in the living room while Ophis sat across from them. "So…what happened last night?"

Grayfia looked to Ophis, who simply held up her discolored arm. "I removed our right arms from the elbows down and exchanged them with one another."

Blinking once, Naruto's gaze drifted to his arm, and he rolled back the sleeve to see the differently colored limb that he controlled without issue. "…how the hell did I not notice that?" he muttered with an awkward sweatdrop.

Grayfia looked amused at his question, knowing that her Naruto-sama could be inattentive at the most comical of times. His reactions were always entertaining, no matter how small they were.

"So, what does having your arm mean for me, Ophis?"

"Our blood is mingling, and with that, our energies have merged as well. My Void Energy and your chakra are integrating themselves into our bodies. However, I won't have the full capabilities of your chakra, and you won't have the capabilities of my voidness."

"That's… That's pretty awesome, actually," he replied with an eager grin before he shook his head to focus. "As much as I'd like to know more and practice using your Void Energy, I need to focus on the Chunin Exams. After everything is said and done, I'm looking forward to learning from you, Ophis!"

She nodded before getting up and approaching him, standing in front of him with an expectant look in her dull gray orbs.

It took him a moment to realize what she wanted, and he smiled at her before reaching out with his new hand and rubbing the top of her head affectionately. "Thank you, Ophis. You didn't have to do this for me, but I appreciate you giving me a piece of you." His smile became a grin again as he finished, "I'm glad you trust me so much, ttebayo!"

Ophis's eyes shined briefly at the grin he gave her, and she felt an oddly comforting warmth building inside her. When he spoke of trust, that warmth grew, and her lips quirked in a faint smile that she aimed at him.

'Trust… When have I ever placed my trust in another? When have I ever felt this…warmth?' she mused, closing her eyes, and savoring the new feeling with her faint smile remaining.

Grayfia was proud to see the effect her Naruto-sama was having on Ophis, surprised to see a smile on the normally stoic Dragoness's face. And once more, she saw that compassion of his on full display; and she loved every moment of it.

'If you can change a Goddess, Naruto-sama, there's nothing your compassion and drive cannot do,' she thought proudly.

Naruto, with Jenna happily running in circles around him, smiled in greeting to his teammates outside the walls of the stadium. "Morning, ladies. You two ready to kick names and take ass?"

Yakumo rolled her eyes at his joke while Ty Lee, who was flanked by Chamū, giggled at him and fired back, "I didn't take you for a fan of butts. Should we warn Miss Grayfia?"

He blushed at how quickly she turned his joke on him, and his blush turned into one of mortification when Jenna happily cried out, "Ass!"

"Jenna, no! That's a bad word!"

"But Master say ass… Why not Jenna?" the adorable puppy asked with the canine equivalent of a pout.

As his teammates giggled at his plight, Naruto nervously answered, "Because you're still a puppy. When you get bigger, you can say that word. Okay?"

"Master promise?"

Sighing in defeat at the hole he dug for himself, Naruto nodded and replied, "I promise…"

Jenna wagged her tail in delight at hearing her master's promise.

"You're like a parent who accidentally cussed in front of their kid," Yakumo pointed out in amusement.

"Laugh it up, Yakumo… Laugh at my pain…"

"It's hard not to," giggled Ty Lee as she scratched Chamū on his head before Team 11 decided to head inside.

Once the three Genin checked in as participants, they were guided to the field where they saw the other contestants and a lone Jonin while the stands were already packed with spectators and visiting foreigners to the Leaf. Sadly, they knew that their sensei wouldn't be watching the matches.

She had spoken to each of them, informing her students that she had been assigned to a sector of the village in case it came under attack. With Orochimaru's presence in the Exams, and him having branded Sasuke with a Curse Mark, an invasion of the Hidden Leaf was a possibility.

She wished them all luck, though immediately claimed that they didn't need it with a badass like her teaching them, and she warned them to keep their eyes peeled for anything suspicious.

Naruto was happy to see that Grayfia was acting as security for the Hokage; something that the elderly man had requested during the month of training. His other guard would be Jiraiya the Toad Sage, who was regarded by many as the strongest ninja in the Hidden Leaf.

Tsunade, the last member of the three Sannin, was regarded as the strongest kunoichi; but she was still away from the village. Team 11 hoped to meet her someday, for varying reasons.

They were brought out of their thoughts when Genma Shiranui, a Jonin who wore a bandanna with his headband attached and held a senbon needle between his lips, spoke up.

"Alright, brats. You lot are here for the entertainment of the masses you see before you. And, at the end of it all, you may win yourselves a shiny new Chunin vest for beating the shit out of each other today," he informed them with a smirk, enjoying the annoyed looks on a few of their faces. "Try to make it a show they'll remember, yeah?"

Team 11 ignored the man's words, standing at the ready as the whole stadium heard the Hokage announce the start of the Finals, much to the excitement of the stands who erupted in cheers.

Grayfia stared down at the arena floor, her face professionally neutral as she performed her duty as a guard for the Hokage. The same couldn't be said for her…partner in this assignment.

"I'm serious! If I could have you model for me, my next book would be a major success! I'll even give you a royalty in sales on top of what I'd pay you for your time!" Jiraiya declared with a lecherous grin, having never seen anyone in the Elemental Nations that could match the cold beauty he was blessed by the kami to work with. 'Sensei, where did you find this woman?! I'll have you spill your secrets, you old bastard!'

Grayfia said nothing, but internally she was swearing to never allow her beloved master to be alone with this perverse cretin. True, as a Devil, she was more in touch with desire and sin; but even she knew that such things in excess were shameful. To think that this was the man who instructed her Naruto-sama's father.

Absently, as she ignored the inane ramblings of the wart-ridden lecher, her silver eyes looked to her peripheral and observed the visiting Kage and their guards.

The Raikage, Ay, was a man rippling with muscle and wore no top save for his cloak signifying his position as Kage. He had pale blonde hair that was brushed back, a small mustache/goatee combo for facial hair, and wore standard Hidden Cloud bottoms with a golden belt that was engraved with a boar's head in the center. Finishing his look were golden vambraces on his arms; no doubt weighted to maintain some manner of physical activity.

One of his guards was a man who looked to be related to him; though, this was mainly a presumption on Grayfia's part simply because the two men shared a few characteristics such as hair color, skin tone, and build. However, the Raikage was more physically imposing than the guard, and there was something about the shades wearing man that felt familiar to her.

The same could also be said for the Raikage's other guard, who Grayfia recalled seeing at the Preliminary Matches a month prior. Probing deeper with her power, Grayfia fought showing her surprise when she realized that the familiar feeling was because the two guards of the Raikage were both Jinchūriki, like her Naruto-sama. If the events of today worked out well enough, perhaps a suggestion to him about meeting with his kin should be considered.

Moving on to the other visiting Kage, there wasn't much Grayfia could gather from the veil-faced man…save for the vile energy she felt hidden within and coiled like a worm she had faced before.

She didn't even bother with the guards, for they were also heavily concealed like the false Kazekage. Instead, she leaned down to speak quietly to the Hokage. "The worm fancies himself the king of the sands."

Knowing precisely what Grayfia was hinting at, Sarutobi said nothing in response and merely nodded so faintly, it almost looked like he hadn't moved a muscle. Grayfia stood straight once more, but now she was more alert than before. If the man who toyed with her master wished to cause trouble, she'd be more than obliged to freeze his cold-blooded heart and shatter it to dust.

The first match was between Roa of the Hidden Beast Village against Rock Lee of the Hidden Leaf Village. Two combatants who physically dominated their preliminary fights.

"Yosh! I'm looking forward to this, Roa-san! I'll show everyone here the burning heat of my Flames of Youth!" Lee exclaimed as the match was initiated.

Roa said nothing, taking a stance similar to a boxer while bending his knees slightly. He had seen this kid run circles around Martel after dropping his weights. Roa already was pretty slow compared to the average person, but he made up for it with his physical might; both offensively and defensively.

So, he waited for Lee to make the first move. It wasn't a long wait, for Lee was too excited and rushed in with a joyful battle cry. Roa's eyes narrowed as he watched the green-clad Genin leap and perform a spinning kick, spotting the feint in the first kick and raising an arm to catch the true attack.

With Lee halted midair, Roa shot a straight punch with his free hand that struck Lee in the chest, sending him hurtling back a few feet before he righted himself with a flip and landed on his feet, wincing faintly at the blow taken.

"Don't just bullrush into a fight," Roa commented, his voice still as calm and stoic as it was during the Preliminaries. "You never know if someone can catch you off guard like I did."

Lee grinned and nodded at the advice. "I thank you for your lesson, Roa-san. From that exchange alone, I can tell that I need to come at you harder to do anything, and you hit just as hard as I can. Forgive me for holding back on you instead of coming at you with my best effort."

The taller Genin simply grunted softly before he unholstered his hammer and held it before him at the ready. 'He will more than likely drop his leg weights, making him too fast for me to catch his attacks. However, if I can change the battlefield into one that works in my favor…'

As Roa predicted, Lee crouched down to remove the weights on his legs, giving him time to make his move. He had spent quite some time this last month perfecting this particular technique, and his youthful opponent was being generous enough to give him an opening.

With a grunt of effort, he threw his hammer into the air, forming handseals as it spun in ascent and finishing them off as it descended, catching it perfectly while carrying the momentum in his swing. As he struck the ground, Roa dispersed his built-up chakra into the earth below, sending fissures and fault lines all around the arena before they became encased in a circular outline.

"Earth Style: Labyrinth Dome," he declared calmly.

On the ground, fault lines erupted as solid walls of earth that rose up and interlocked together, encasing both Genin from sight in a massive dome. Unseen by anyone outside of the earthen structure, the fault lines within the dome became a maze of linear pathways that had no exit. The only way the audience knew the two Genin wouldn't suffocate inside of the dome was the small holes no bigger than an eyeball that littered the outside, allowing oxygen to come inside the structure.

"Impressive," Sarutobi spoke to his fellow Kage. "He knew he couldn't keep up with Lee's speed, so he forced them into a confined space. A shame we cannot see what's happening within."

Ay grunted with crossed arms. "It would've been more enjoyable to see them face off without pointless tricks, but I have to admit that this was a good strategy. Now, Roa has determined the battlefield while Lee should've pressed his advantage. Handicapping himself at the start of the match was foolish on his part."

The Kazekage hummed thoughtfully. "Well, considering who the boy's sensei is…" he spoke, letting the statement hang.

Ay chuckled at that, nodding in agreement. "True. Green Beast of the Leaf, indeed."

"Whoa…" Ty Lee commented. "He trapped them both in that dome."

"That must have taken a lot of chakra, not to mention the control needed to convert it into a hammer swing," Yakumo added, watching nervously. "I hope Lee-kun will be alright…"

Naruto smiled warmly and placed a hand on her shoulder. "He'll be fine. Even if he loses, it's not like these are meant to be death matches. If anything, whoever loses will be pretty banged up, but it shouldn't be anything a trip to the medics can't fix."

She smiled back before refocusing on the dome when it suddenly rumbled. 'Lee-kun…'

Lee narrowed his eyes at the barely visible linear path before and behind him. Whatever his opponent did, it placed both of them in an enclosed maze; a labyrinth, according to the name of the technique.

Deciding to test the structural integrity of the walls flanking him, Lee picked up one of his leg weights and chucked it with all his strength. When it impacted, it shook the structure, but the wall itself was barely damaged.

"He must've gathered the strongest minerals from the earth below us to make these walls," he mused, quietly turning around, and taking the path behind him. "Going forward feels like I'd be walking into a trap…"

Being forced to take a few turns due to the layout of the domed maze, Lee knew this couldn't be how the match continues. He had to take the initiative here. So, borrowing an idea from Tenten from a mission in the past, Lee pulled out a spool of wire and some kunai, tying the wire through the ringed pommels of the kunai and hurling them upward with all his might.

When he heard the faint thunks of the blades piercing the earth above, Lee used the hanging wires to pull himself up, thankful that the kunai held his weight. Pulling his body up a few feet, he held himself in midair and waited for Roa to come to his location.

After some time, he heard faint shuffling and looked to where it was coming from, only to have his eyes widen in shock at what he assumed was his opponent. While Roa was already large for a Genin, it was like he had used the Akimichi Partial Expansion technique to bulk up further. His hair had grown in length, and he also had horns like a bull poking out of his head.

'His bulk is too much without opening any of the Gates… Guy-sensei, I'm sorry, but if I wish to win, I'll need to break my promise to you about the usage of the Gates. I'm not protecting someone I cherish, and my ninja way is not under threat. This is simply to win…'

With a plan in mind, Lee waited for Roa to be directly below him before he let go of the wires. Falling down, he flipped and aimed a heel drop for Roa's head, taking care of the horns that could lacerate or pierce his leg. Thankfully, his aim was spot-on, and he dazed the larger Genin who groaned in pain from the unexpected blow.

Lee took this opportunity to open the Inner Gates, taking care to only go up to the Third Gate, the Gate of Life. As the power of the Third Gate surged through his body, his skin turned red, and his pupils disappeared from his eyes. Roa, having reoriented himself, turned just in time to take a heavy punch to his stomach, knocking the wind and some blood from his mouth before Lee spun in place and delivered a roundhouse that sent the Hidden Beast Genin flying.

Due to his current bulk and the power granted to Lee from the Gate of Life, Roa broke through the walls of his domed maze and crashed through the barrier of the dome itself, tumbling to the ground out in the open, much to the surprise of the spectators. He struggled to his feet, only to grit his teeth as Lee blurred in front of him and kicked upward, striking Roa in the chin and launching him skyward.

Appearing a blink behind the larger Genin, Lee used his loosened bandages to wrap Roa in a binding he was too weak to break through. He then had them corkscrew and dive to the ground below, crashing into the earth with such force that it shook the stadium and engulfed the arena floor in dust. Such was the power of the Primary Lotus when enhanced by the Gate of Life.

When the dust cleared, Lee was back to normal, but was in visible pain despite the exhausted grin he had. Opening the Inner Gates was not something to take lightly, even if they weren't opened fully or for very long. As for Roa, he was unconscious and had also reverted back to his normal self; though, his top had been damaged enough for people to see what looked to be seal markings shrinking into a single marking over his heart and losing their reddish glow for inactive blackness.

Genma stepped forward and asked Lee, "You good, kid?"

Taking a few heavy breaths, Lee nodded in response. "Yes, sir. I just need some time to catch my breath and rest. I'm still fit to continue the Finals."

Nodding back, Genma raised his voice so he could announce, "The winner is Rock Lee of the Hidden Leaf!"

Lee silently basked in the applause, proud of himself for his victory. However, when he heard a familiar voice amongst the cheers, he looked up and saw Yakumo looking both proud and relieved for him. A faint blush spread across his cheeks, and he smiled faintly at his crush cheering for him.

When her match came along, he vowed to cheer for her with as much vigor as she did for him.

"Well, there wasn't much we could see until Roa was literally kicked out of his own dome," Sarutobi spoke up. "Still, I suppose the rumors of the Hidden Beast Village are true. A seal that changes the appearance of the bearer based on an animal. Most interesting…"

"That student of Guy's…" Ay brought up. "To think he could access the Inner Gates, even if only partially, at this age. It's worth noting, for sure."

The fake Kazekage said nothing, choosing to watch intently as Roa was placed on a stretcher and carried to the medical ward while the arena was restored to normal. 'I wonder… Did Jūgo originate from the Hidden Beast Village? I must look into this after killing sensei and destroying his precious village.'

While Yakumo cheered for Lee, Naruto and Ty Lee discussed the ending of the match. "Whatever Lee used to end the match really took a toll on him… Any idea what it was?" Ty Lee asked him.

"No idea… I don't know anything that gives you a huge boost in physical ability and turns your skin red…" Naruto answered before frowning in thought. "And that Roa guy had a seal on him that faded after Lee ended the fight. Before it faded, he looked like he was bigger, and he had horns on his head."

"Have you ever heard of seals that do something like that?"

"There are some seals that grant you power, but you need to fill them with whatever you use them for beforehand. I wonder just what the Hidden Beast is capable of, and if Dolcetto and Martel have similar seals on them."

Yakumo stopped cheering in time to hear that last statement. "If he does have something like that, I'll need to be careful when I face Dolcetto."

Her teammates nodded in agreement before focusing back on the arena floor, where Karui and Shino were about to have their match.

"Both of you ready?" Genma questioned with his arm raised.

"Ready to go," Karui answered with her hand on the grip of her sword.

"I am prepared," Shino replied, hands in the pockets of his coat.

Dropping his arm, Genma declared, "Begin!" before jumping away.

Karui wasted no time, blitzing Shino with great speed while tightening her grip on her sword. 'Aburame… That means he's never alone. Yugito-sensei told us that Aburame can have hundreds of beetles at their command. That means I can't give him time to make any moves!'

She was upon Shino in seconds, slicing through him like nothing; but his body dispersed into a shower of beetles. Clicking her teeth, she channeled lightning through her blade, producing a multitude of cracking and popping sounds as dozens of beetles were fried to death.

Keeping her sense sharp, she heard the droning of insect wings growing louder by the second and turned to see Shino stepping of the shadows of one of the many trees of the arena…followed by another, and another, and a fourth for good measure. All of them stood against her, formed in a line with nothing to differentiate them from one another.

With a scoff of annoyance, Karui sheathed her blade and carefully weaved some handseals for the newest jutsu she had trained with for the month. In bursts of smoke, three copies of herself appeared beside her; though, she was forced to take a soldier pill after drawing so heavily on her chakra stores.

"You're not gonna scare me with cheap copies, bug boy!" she declared, withdrawing her sword alongside her duplicates as the four of them charged. She ran at a slower pace, allowing her clones to take the lead and pursue the copies of Shino that broke away from his formation. 'He wouldn't be stupid enough to hang back. The one who stayed behind is definitely a copy, so I should…'

Channeling lightning through her blade once more, she swung it while still a short distance away from Shino, sending out a flurry of bolts that flew erratically and with blinding flashes as they sparked. Shino tried to backpedal, but the jutsu was too fast for him to avoid and he was struck in the arm…which released dozens of pops as insects were once again fried to death, the clone they had formed falling apart.

Karui never stopped running, only this time chasing one of her clones at random. Out the corner of her eye, she spotted one of her clones miss her swing against Shino and was grabbed at the wrist. A smirk formed on her face, one that was matched by her clone before it dispersed in a burst of lightning that killed another copy of the Aburame; laying waste to more of his beetles as it was revealed to be a Lightning Style: Shadow Clone.

This left her with two clones against Shino and a single copy of himself. She liked the odds, but she couldn't afford to let confidence blind her. Yugito-sensei had beaten that into her on day one when she bragged about being the only member of her squad to make it to the Finals.

She caught up with one of her clones, double teaming one of the two Aburame while her other clone faced the other alone. As her clone kept him occupied, she sheathed her sword again and went through handseals before using the jutsu Omoi tried in the Preliminaries.

"Lightning Style: Lightning Ball!" she called out, shooting the sphere of volatile electricity at Shino just as her clone flanked him, pushing him into the path of the jutsu.

He then held up a handseal – cementing that he was the original – before he and his copy were both engulfed in smoke; the results of the Substitution Jutsu. The Insect Clone of Shino was struck by the lightning jutsu, sacrificing the beetles used to make the copy while the original managed to avoid a slash from Karui's clone and dispel it with well-aimed kunai that pierced her, making her erupt into lightning.

However, Shino had wasted too much chakra with his clones and expediting the growth rate of his beetles to recover the losses his hive had sustained. So, when he found himself facing his opponent and her clone on his own, he did the logical thing and raised his hands up in defeat.

"Winner by forfeit, Karui of the Hidden Cloud!" Genma announce, getting the spectators to applaud the young woman for her victory.

Karui stood tall as she looked to her Kage, Lord Killer Bee, and her sensei. Bee gave her a thumbs-up, Yugito smirked in approval, and Ay nearly had her teary-eyed when he gave her a small nod of respect. This is what she wished for; to show her teacher, someone she admired, and her leader that she deserved to be here. Seeing them acknowledging her efforts was enough to get the normally brash girl emotional.

Shino and her shook hands in respect, and while he left for the stands, she returned to the competitor's booth.

"She did good," Yugito praised with a proud smile.

"She did, but she had areas where she could improve," Ay commented. "Still, I'm impressed with how much she's grown under your guidance, Yugito. Keep up the good work with her and your other students."

"Yes, sir."

"Karui stuck like lightning! Her moves were so swift and frightening! She's gonna go far and rise up as a superstar! Ah, yeah!" Bee rapped out, earning rolled eyes from his brother and fellow Jinchūriki.

Sarutobi chuckled at the eccentric man. "I'm curious, Ay. You have mastered the Lightning Armor technique, and yet have not taught to anyone except for Killer Bee here. Do you believe Karui will be worthy enough to learn such a technique?"

Ay grunted at that. "No. She has a different style of fighting than I do. If anything, I think Bee will take her under his wing and help her master the sword."

"I hope to see her come into her own before I depart from this world, then," the oldest of the Kage spoke sincerely. "It warms my heart to see the next generation – whether they're from my village or another – rise up and become splendid ninja."

"You're still too soft, Sarutobi," Ay admonished, though it was done in jest and with a small smirk.

"Sometimes…the softer hand is the one who will make the strongest changes," Sarutobi replied cryptically, sharing a knowing look with Grayfia, who smiled faintly at his hidden meaning.

Just as she fell in love with the compassion and softness of her master, the Hokage had come to believe and support that same compassion.

"I'm curious," the Kazekage began, entering the conversation. "Wouldn't the softer hand be more prone to foolish notions of sympathy and mercy? We are ninja, and we do what is necessary to survive. Ideals such as pacifism, peace, and compassion have no place in this life."

Sarutobi frowned at the words of his disguised ex-student, knowing that they were meant to twist the knife on what his past actions had done for the nations. His refusal to kill Orochimaru after discovering the true depths of his depravity had allowed the monster in human skin to escape and terrorize the nations. His softness had damned the lives of countless people, and it was still damning more to this day.

He said nothing, though. His old student was trying to get a rise out of him, and he would not take the bait.

He couldn't afford to.

"I wonder who will win if you and her only used Lightning Style against one another," Naruto mused aloud to Yakumo. "I mean, she comes from a Hidden Village where that element is the most common, but you have insane chakra control. You'd save way more chakra than her overall."

"True, but she can use it through her sword for both range and closeup," Yakumo argued. "Besides, nobody should limit themselves to one style in a fight."

"Fair point."

Hearing her name being called, Ty Lee gave a beautiful smile to her teammates. "Wish me luck! Let's go, Chamū!"

She reached down to scratch her friend behind his ear, rousing him from his sleep as he gave a loud yawn and revealed his dangerous teeth. Standing up, he followed the acrobat down to the arena floor as the duo stood across from Temari, who looked rather put-off at the sight of the incredibly large feline.

"That thing can't be legal," she told Genma, who raised a brow at her almost condescendingly.

"It's a registered ninja animal, just like the Inuzuka pup from the Preliminaries. Besides, ninja out there won't give two shits about legalities when in a fight. Suck it up or quit."

Temari scowled at the dismissal, but she said nothing more. If the pink obsessed girl wanted to have her overgrown housecat torn apart by her wind jutsu, then that's on her.

"You two ready?"

"Yep!" Ty Lee replied eagerly as she rubbed Chamū on his head. "You ready?"

Chamū gave a soft growl at her query, eyeing the blonde human before him as he crouched slightly.

"Let's get this over with," Temari groused, not looking forward to dealing with multiple opponents.

"Then begin!" Genma announced before giving them the floor.

"Let's go, Chamū!" the acrobatic Genin declared as she rushed ahead, flanked by her feline friend.

Clicking her teeth in displeasure, Temari quickly opened her fan and gave a mighty swing that released a massive wave of sharpened wind. "Fan Wind Roaring Wall!"

Ty Lee responded by jumping onto her friend's back, riding him as he darted to the side to get out of the way of the wind wave. While riding him, she weaved through handseals before ending in the Tiger Seal.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!"

From her lips, a multitude of small fireballs flew in varying arcs and angles as they raced toward their intended target. Temari swung her fan again, sending another wave of wind that blew out the flames, only to see another jutsu following immediately after them.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

The larger and denser sphere of flames wouldn't be dispelled so easily, so Temari was forced to dive away from the jutsu before the area surrounding her was littered with smoke bombs. With a scoff, she blew away the smoke and saw her opponent still on her large cat; though her thumb was oddly bloody.

"Not about to let you smokescreen your way to me so you could give me those annoying love taps of yours, Pinky," Temari admonished, referring to what happened during the Preliminaries.

Shrugging, Ty Lee reached down with her unblemished hand to stroke Chamū gently. "That's fine. I wasn't doing that, anyway. I have another way to get to you."

"Yeah? Which is?" the Hidden Sand kunoichi challenged before she was caught off guard when a pair of enlarged snakes burst out of the earth and wrapped around her, squeezing her dangerously tight. "AGH!" she cried out in pain, feeling the heavy fan pressing agonizingly into her back.

"Give up? Those are anacondas, y'know? They'll crush you if I don't call them off. And the Twins, there; Ran and Shaw? They're especially effective when they work together," Ty Lee warned, watching the red and blue serpents slowly applying more pressure onto Temari's body. (1)

"ACK! I… I GIVE UP!" she choked out, her eyes going bloodshot at the lack of oxygen she was receiving. When the snakes were ordered to release her, she dropped like a lifeless doll and struggled to breathe.

"Winner by forfeit, Ty Lee of the Hidden Leaf!" Genma announced, and the spectators cheered for the young woman; none of them as enthusiastically as her teammates.

The acrobat sighed sadly as she kept petting Chamū, not liking what she needed to do. However, Temari would only keep pushing her back and preventing her from getting close. Thus, the Anaconda Twins.

Ran, the red snake, and Shaw, the blue one, slithered over to Ty Lee as she got off her feline friend. She gave them thankful smiles and rubbed the tops of their heads before dismissing them back to the Snake Realm. (2)

Walking back to her teammates with Chamū, she looked forward to telling Anko about her victory.

"I wasn't aware that Anko had her sign the Snake Contract," the Hokage mused while stroking her beard. "Still, she used what tools she had to her advantage."

"I wasn't expecting to see a sabretooth on top of snakes from someone like her. She looks too sweet for the life of a ninja," Ay commented.

"Would you believe me if I said that her team was incomplete before they encountered her on one of their missions? She was part of a circus troupe as an acrobat before she decided to join her new friends on their team. I'm sure she hasn't regretted that choice yet."

"A circus girl? Seriously?"

"I was surprised too, but one of her teammates is good with people. He can bring out the best in them simply by getting to know them and being a friend."

Ay smirked at that. "You seem to hold a soft spot for this mystery kid, Sarutobi."

"I do," he confessed. "If I had more time, I would've gladly taken him on as another student. Perhaps I could've helped raise a proper Hokage; one this village needs."

Grayfia smiled faintly once more, sharing a look with the elderly Kage once again. She conveyed her gratitude at the man's words to him, showing that she appreciated the faith he had in her Naruto-sama.

That smile vanished as she heard a certain lecher speak.

"Well, what if I took him under my wing after the exams? I helped Minato become the Fourth Hokage, and while his tenure as Hokage wasn't the longest, he was still a damn fine ninja," Jiraiya offered.

Seeing the tenseness of the she-Devil standing near him, Sarutobi replied, "We'll discuss this another time, Jiraiya."

Unseen by anyone, Orochimaru narrowed his disguised eyes at Ty Lee. To think his failure of an apprentice would risk the stigma of being a Snake Summoner upon the bubbly girl.

Just what was Anko thinking?

"Congrats on the win, Ty Lee," Yakumo greeted when her teammate returned. "I wasn't expecting Anko-sensei to make you a summoner."

"Snakes are a tough bunch, too," Naruto added. "One of the three Summon Animals that make up the Legendary Sannin."

"She was a bit worried at first," Ty Lee revealed. "She gets stigma because of what Orochimaru did, and how connected to snakes he was. She was worried about me being mistreated by becoming a Snake Summoner."

"If anyone says anything about you, I'll crack them in the jaw," the Uzumaki promised while popping his knuckles.

"And I'll put them in a nightmare that'll make snakes seem like a blessing," Yakumo added with her pink eyes glowing dangerously.

Despite her teammates promising pain and torture on people who have yet to insult or mistreat her, Ty Lee couldn't help her eyes growing misty at her best friends sticking up for her. She surprised them both by pulling them into a hug that they returned.

"Thanks…" she whispered.

They said nothing in reply, simply hugging their friend while absently hearing Sasuke and Neji getting called down for their match.

Sasuke was glad that he ditched Kakashi this morning. His sensei was strong – Sasuke read his info page in the most recent Bingo Book – but he was needlessly eccentric, in the young Uchiha's opinion. The man was always nose deep in erotica, was constantly aloof and laidback, and was never NOT late to a team meeting.

When Kakashi suggested that Sasuke be fashionably late to his match – For stylish points, the man had justified – the Genin calmly rejected the idea and left their campsite to head for the arena. He was not about to jeopardize his chances for a promotion for stylish points.

'Honestly, why do I feel like the adult between the two of us at times?' he thought while sighing as he took his place across from Neji. Sasuke's hair had grown slightly due to not having time to trim it, but his attire remained the same save for having a tanto blade strapped behind his back across the waist.

"You both ready?" Genma asked.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied.

"I am ready, Proctor," Neji answered.

"Then begin."

Sasuke decided to test the waters, so he formed some handseals before unleashing a volley of shuriken with one hand. Then at the same time, he exhaled Fire Style chakra onto them, setting them ablaze and launching them at the Hyuuga teen.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Shuriken!"

The fiery weapons flew at Neji from multiple angles, but the Hyuuga whipped out a kunai and infused it with chakra as he activated his Byakugan to better see them all. With the kunai, he deflected the first shuriken, only to fight a wince at the intense heat despite him coating his knife in chakra.

Knowing that deflecting the rest would be too dangerous, Neji scowled as he had to reveal one of his trump cards earlier than he wished, simply because he underestimated the starting move of his Uchiha opponent.

"Eight Trigrams: Palm Rotation!"

A dome of pure chakra formed from Neji, and it became a whirling barrier as he spun in place. The dome caught and deflected the shuriken, dispersing the flames but leaving the weapons superheated. Normally, he would have caught them and flung them back, but he simply let them drop to the ground when he stopped spinning.

Sasuke frowned at what he saw, having memorized what he witnessed via his Sharingan which he activated after launching the shuriken. Thanks to his bloodline, he saw chakra emitting from the entirety of Neji's body when he performed his defensive jutsu. From what he knew of the Hyuuga, based on what he saw during the Preliminaries and what Kakashi-sensei had told him, their Byakugan could see what were called chakra points.

'If they could see chakra points,' he began in his head, 'then it should stand to reason that they could send chakra through the more uncommon ones most people can't see or feel.'

Sasuke went through more handseals, this one for a jutsu Kakashi had taught him for defense. However, the Jonin had also said it could be used offensively as well.

'Time to see if he was telling the truth,' Sasuke thought before performing the technique. "Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

Three walls were erected around Neji; two flanking his sides and one cutting of the exit behind him. While they were being raised, Sasuke went through more handseals. He had performed this sequence of seals for so long that he could keep an eye on Neji without needing to make sure his hands were moving correctly.

With a deep inhale, he unleashed his clan's rite of age jutsu.

"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

Instead of a typical fireball, as the jutsu's name implied, Sasuke blew out a continuous flamethrower that roared with life and shot at Neji. Keeping his Sharingan on him, while still maintaining his flamethrower of a jutsu, Sasuke watched the Hyuuga perform the Rotation once more, breaking the Mud Walls and dispersing the fire as it got close.

'How long will you last?' he thought, keeping up the jutsu and bleeding through his chakra stores like a running faucet. Still, Neji had to be dealing with the same issue. 'Hopefully on a larger scale with the amount of chakra that technique of his is releasing. Plus, he's constantly spinning, and no one can keep up something like that for too long.'

The standoff lasted for roughly a minute in total, and it ended in a draw as both teens exhausted themselves. Sasuke fell to a knee, pulling out a soldier pill and eating it to restore some of his chakra, while Neji wobbled on his feet and looked slightly green in the face.

With the soldier pill giving him a quick boost and refill, Sasuke went for his closer; a jutsu he developed with the guidance of Kakashi. Acting similar to the man's Chidori, Sasuke gathered Fire Style chakra in his hands and focused on superheating it, rubbing his palms together furiously to add friction to the heat before containing it in his left hand.

With the technique ready, and his skin starting to burn and peel from the heat, Sasuke rushed Neji while he dealt with his vertigo and loss of chakra. Pumping what chakra he could spare into his leg muscles, Sasuke covered the distance quickly and aimed his hand at Neji while erupting the flames in a burst.

"Fire Style: Immolation Burst!"

A blast of heat and a flash of light blasted at Neji, not close enough for severe damage, but not far enough to do nothing. The jutsu burned Neji's face, but the burst had a flash that blinded the Hyuuga, both effects causing him to cry out in pain. This left him open for Sasuke to move around him and knock him out with a blow to the head from a kunai.

Genma came over and did a lookover of Neji, seeing minor burns on his face and possibly a concussion. Still, he would be fine once the medics were done with him.

Turning to Sasuke, he asked, "You good to continue, kid?"

Sasuke was breathing a little heavier and he felt like his chakra was practically running on fumes at this point. While annoyed that this was likely the end of his run in the Finals, he was proud of how he worked around Neji's defense and that he got to test his own original jutsu.

So, he shook his head negatively. "Nah, I used too much chakra. I don't think I can rest enough to get back in this thing, and I already took a soldier pill."

Genma nodded and replied, "Good call. Those things help in a pinch, but after they're used up, you crash. Almost like a caffeine rush, but worse." He then raised his voice to address the crowd, "The winner is Sasuke Uchiha! However, he has chosen to withdraw from the Finals due to exhaustion!"

Sasuke ignored the mixture of cheers and groans. He didn't know why people obsessed over his family name. All that was left of his clan was him and his traitorous kin slayer of a brother.

A kin slayer that he needed to get answers from. He wanted justice for his dead clansmen, but he needed to know why Itachi did such a horrible thing. He needed to know if it was truly a means for Itachi to test his ability or if there was another reason.

Paying no heed to the spectators, Sasuke made his way to the stands where he spotted Kakashi and the other Jonin sensei.

"An innovative use of the Uchiha Clan's fiery chakra," Ay noted. "That looks an awful lot like Hatake's Chidori, if I'm not mistaken…"

"Well, the man is the boy's sensei," Sarutobi commented. "Despite only being able to take part in one match, he did well. He managed to match Neji's chakra usage, and was prepared to deal with low chakra levels. Not to mention him knowing when to quit while he was ahead." He looked at the fake Kazekage out the corner of his eye as he added, "He didn't let arrogance cloud his better judgement. Too often does that happen to has-been genius ninja."

Grayfia also kept a peripheral eye on Orochimaru, fighting a smirk at seeing a gleam of annoyance in the man's disguised eyes. 'I dare you to lash out, worm. Try it, and you will see firsthand what a Devil's wrath gets you.'

"My match is next," Yakumo noted while taking a breath. "I'm kind of nervous…"

"Hey, just remember everything Anko-sensei taught you," Naruto advised her with a smile. "You've got this, Yakumo. We believe in you."

"Right! Kick some butt out there!" Ty Lee cheered, hoping to raise her friend's morale.

Yakumo smiled gratefully to them, and she saw Lee giving her a thumbs up with a large smile in support. She blushed faintly and nodded to them all in thanks before making her way down.

She stood across from Dolcetto, who looked eager to begin as he stood with his arms crossed. "You ready for our match? Both of my teammates have lost to you Leaf Ninja, so I want to see if I can do better than they did. Win or lose, let's have a good fight, yeah?"

While a bit surprised at his chipper attitude, she was more relaxed at the same time. He acted like this was about to be a simple spar between friends, and she smiled faintly to him.

"Yeah. Let's have a good match, Dolcetto-san."

His grin grew as he turned to Genma. "Well, we're both ready!"

Genma nodded and raised his arm, prompting both Genin to take their ready stances. He then dropped his arm to start the match.

Dolcetto wasted no time, dashing at Yakumo with his hand on his sword. Yakumo responded by pulling out some smoke bombs and dropping them all around her, making them burst into a mix of white and purple smoke. The Hidden Beast Genin halted his charge and hopped back before going through some handseals.

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

A pressurized wave of wind blew away the smoke, though Yakumo was nowhere to be seen. Dolcetto frowned at this, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air for her scent. His eyes widened in surprise before he quickly swung his sword to the side, the blade getting caught against a kunai that Yakumo was revealed to be holding; her form fading into existence as her genjutsu was dispelled.

"Sneaky, ain't ya?" Dolcetto asked rhetorically before crying out as he was shocked by a sudden stream of Lightning Style chakra Yakumo channeled through their locked blades.

"You don't know the half of it," she fired back as her eyes flashed and she blew out some sparkling pink smoke, obscuring her from view as dolcetto was forced to breathe in the smoke from his mouth and his nose.

He coughed and waved his arm to try and clear away the smoke, but his eyes had gone hazy, and his surroundings slowly faded away. The sounds of the crowd became muddled together before they too disappeared from his senses. He sniffed the air, only to smell the scent of honey that enraptured him in an instant.

Stumbling after the heavenly smell, he saw the images of dozens of beautiful women, each looking exotic and desirable, and he couldn't believe that such goddesses could even exist. One of them beckoned him over with a tempting flick of her finger, and he obeyed.

As he approached, he felt her reach up from her lounging position, caressing his cheek with a sultry smirk as she guided his face towards her lips. Just as he was closing his eyes in anticipation of tasting her kiss, the image shattered like glass.

Outside his fantasy, Yakumo had grabbed Dolcetto by the back of his head and channeled a non-lethal, but potent, amount of lightning through his body. This broke him free of her spell, but he screamed in pain before she let him go, his body dropping unconscious as she sighed in relief.

This was another technique she had developed using her succubus abilities. She didn't have a name for it, but it ensnared the five senses and trapped the target in a world where they saw every version of their perfect paramour. The less preferences they had, the more variety they would see in the fantasy. Only those who knew exactly who they wished to spend the rest of their lives with – in other words, who had a true love – would have the best chance of breaking through the fantasy.

"The winner is, Yakumo Kurama of the Hidden Leaf!" Genma announced.

The Kurama heiress smiled at the cheering crowd, but her gaze went to her teammates. Seeing their proud looks made her heart soar, for she had come to see them as the family she wished she had before. While she wished Anko-sensei was here to watch, she was happy that her brother and sister witnessed her victory.

She then spotted Lee shouting out about how youthful and ingenious she was throughout her match. Rolling her eyes in amusement at his exuberance, she couldn't help her small blush.

'After the Finals, Lee-kun… I'll ask you out after the Finals,' she mentally promised, looking forward to going out with the boisterous martial artist.

"Yakumo has truly grown since she recovered from her physical disability," Sarutobi commented proudly. "You truly have done this village a great service, Grayfia."

Bowing to the Hokage, the she-Devil replied, "I only did as I was ordered, Hokage-sama. Anko-san should claim the credit for making her into a competent kunoichi."

As much as she disliked Anko at first, Grayfia couldn't deny that she was an effective teacher. She brought out the best in her students, improving their strengths and having them work on their weaknesses so that they weren't a liability. Yakumo's lack of physical ability was a prime example of Anko's competence as a Jonin Sensei.

"Yes, I'll be sure to let her know personally how well she's done."

"What was that smoke she used? Some sort of hallucinogen?" Ay asked curiously.

"Something like that, I'd assume. After all, Anko has trained with the Snake Summons and has developed a knack for different toxins and such. If she taught one of her students how to summon, she probably taught the other about toxicology."

"The Snake Girl be spitting fire, spreading poisons most dire! Passing her craft to the Genin and giving them the skills to win!" Bee rapped out, giving his own unique praise the Anko.

Jiraiya laughed at that. "She might be a more effective teacher than Orochimaru was!"

Grayfia and Sarutobi fought smirks at the flash of annoyance on the Kazekage's face.

It wouldn't be long before he slipped and acted prematurely.

"Well, we've seen two of Team 11. The last will have his match with your son next, Rasa," the Hokage spoke. "What are your thoughts on the upcoming bout?"

"I have no thoughts. Gaara will win. It is a guarantee," the man replied in a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

Ay looked at the bracket and raised a brow at the name. "An Uzumaki, eh?"

"Indeed. The last Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf Village, at that," Sarutobi confirmed. "He's reestablishing his clan here, and he hopes to find others out in the world and offer them sanctuary here. The Uzumaki prided themselves on their familial bonds, after all."

"Very true, Hokage. Very true…"

Yakumo smiled as Ty Lee pulled her in for a tight hug, gushing over her victory. Yakumo simply hugged her back and shared a smile with Naruto before the two girls watched their teammate leave the competitor's booth and head for the arena with Jenna excitedly following him.

They noticed Gaara not moving, standing like a statue with his eyes closed and muttering inaudibly to himself. After a few moments, his slightly bloodshot eyes opened, and he vanished in a swirl of sand that reappeared on the arena floor.

"I hope he'll be okay," Ty Lee whispered. "That guy's aura… It's so dark and twisted…and sad…"

Yakumo frowned at that, knowing that Ty Lee was quite the empath. "He'll be fine. We need to have faith in him, just as he had faith in us."

Ty Lee nodded as her face set into an observant frown. "Right…"

Naruto frowned at his fellow Jinchūriki, feeling a similar feeling of Bijuu chakra coming from the redheaded Sand Genin. While Naruto has yet to truly call on the chakra of the Kyuubi, it felt as though Gaara had no means of restraining the chakra of his.

"Be careful, boy," the Kyuubi warned him. "Shukaku may be the weakest of us, but he is still a Bijuu. Do not hold back."

'Right… I just hope I can get through to him. It looks like he hasn't slept his entire life…'

"Such is the life of those who hold my youngest sibling. He lost his mind centuries ago, and he drives those who contain him mad with sleepless nights. Only when they finally succumb to sleep is Shukaku free to act as he pleases."

Naruto frowned sympathetically at that bit of information. Staring down his fellow vessel, the two Jinchūriki Genin of the Chunin Exams were set to have their fated face-off.

He just hoped that he could reach out to Gaara before something horrible happened.

1~ Ran and Shaw were the Dragon Masters from Avatar: The Last Airbender

2~ It was never specified, to my knowledge, which dragon was Ran and which was Shaw. All I know is that one was red and the other was blue, so I simply assigned them names at random.

A cliffhanger (of sorts) after not updating this story for…*checking story information*…nearly two years.

It's official: I'm an asshole lol

Hope y'all liked this chapter! Doing so many fights is very time-consuming…

Not much else I have to say except that I have a small excerpt from a potentially new idea I wanted to share with you. I'll post it just under these ending notes!

Also, if y'all could please vote the poll on my profile page? It has nothing to do with stories, but rather a poll about something I like and wanted your opinions on!

On to the excerpt!

"That was the last," he said stoically, allowing the boy to head into the house with the flowers he had found earlier. He allowed the boy a moment alone with his deceased mother, focusing on chopping the wood from the last tree with her axe she had bequeathed to him.

As he chopped, he thought back on past times with his wife. She had truly started to change him for the better, looking past the monster he had become back in his home realm. With her help, he had started to become a man again; one that he hoped would set a good example for his son. He couldn't allow the boy to go down the same path he once walked.

After finishing his work, he set up the funeral pyre before heading for the front door of his home. He saw the boy offering his prayers to her body, and he slowly approached as he stood up and backed away while wiping his tears.

"She's ready…" the boy told him, and he knelt before the body to place his hand gently atop the swaddled form.

"Find your way home," he whispered to her corpse. "You are free."

With that said, he lifted up her body and carried it to her pyre with the utmost care. He didn't show it, but this was one of the hardest things he was about to do. He had faced literal gods and titans, but cremating his wife's body was harder than he had thought it would be; despite it being her wish.

Setting the body down, he crouched to the ground and used her axe and a stone to light the pyre. Once it started igniting, he backed away and stood beside his son, the two of them watching the flames spread over her wrapped body. Suddenly, the boy reached out to grab her knife, wincing and groaning as the still heated memento burned his hand before he had to drop it.

Looking to his son, the boy muttered, "I'm sorry…" as if expecting to be scolded.

The man said nothing at first, crouching so he could grab a handful of snow and place it into the boy's burnt hand.

"Squeeze," he ordered before ripping off a piece of the many wraps that concealed the literal scars of his bloody past. Using it as a bandage, he wrapped the cloth around the boy's hand to cover his burn; a future scar of his own, and a reminder of this day.

He then reached down and picked up the knife, offering it to the boy.

"This knife," he began. "It was hers. And now it is yours."

The boy took the knife with his unburnt hand, holding it with a look of longing before both of them heard a pair of feet land onto the snow nearby.

Turning to the newcomer, the father and son saw a familiar whiskered face and bright blue eyes. His skin was peached in color, and his wild blonde hair seemed to catch and absorb the sunlight. Dressed in a simple shirt and pants made from the hides of deer and boar, and with some cloth to hold back his bangs from covering his eyes, he looked to be a normal man…save for the fact his right arm was missing from the elbow down, with the end of his stump wrapped in a multitude of bandaging.

What would be odd to some, but not to them, was the diminutive woman sitting comfortably on the blonde's shoulder. She had pale blue skin while her hair was a much darker shade. Her eyes were also blue, but glowed with power while runic markings were seen just below her right eye on her cheek. She was dressed in a furry cloak that hid the minimal clothing beneath – just enough to cover her modesty – and a large hat with a very wide rim and a pointed top. The oddest thing about her, not including her size and skin tone, was that she had four arms.

The blonde nodded to them in greeting. "Kratos. Atreus," he spoke with a small smile. "Sorry we're late. We had to deal with something in the woods before coming."

"Hey, boys," the blue-skinned bluenette greeted with a wave.

"Uzumaki," Kratos replied. "Witch."

"Hey, Uncle Naruto," Atreus greeted back with a sad smile. "Hey, Ranni. Thanks for coming…"

Approaching them, Naruto faced the funeral pyre with a somber smile. "I couldn't miss saying goodbye to a friend…"

"Faye really was a kind woman," Ranni added, clasping her four hands together in a small prayer. "She will be missed…"

Naruto dropped his smile as he bowed to the body from the waist, offering his final respects to the first person he had met in this realm. She had done so much for him in that simple act of extending to him a hand in friendship. Because of Faye, Naruto had started to have hope again.

And now she was gone.

"Goodbye, Faye… I hope you find peace in the afterlife…"

"We'll miss you," Ranni added softly.

A moment of silence was shared between the quartet, and after it passed, Kratos spoke up.

"Boy. Your mother taught you to hunt, yes?"

"What she knew," he answered softly.

"Show me."

Confused, Atreus asked, "Now?"

"Now," was the immediate reply from his father, prompting the boy to head inside to gather his things.

As Atreus went inside, Naruto asked, "I know this is your way of testing if he can make the trip…but couldn't it wait until you gathered her ashes?"

"He must prove that he is ready. When I require your council, I will ask for it, Uzumaki."

Naruto simply sighed and nodded. "Fine. I'm not gonna tell you how to raise your kid. I've never had one. But still…"

"Try to go easy on him," Ranni finished. "The boy still needs time to grieve…"

Kratos gave a soft grunt in reply, something both of them were used to by now.

"You mind if we tagged along? I'd like to see what Faye taught him," Naruto requested.

"Do as you wish, but do not interfere."

"You got it."

Atreus then returned, asking as he holstered his bow to his back, "What are we hunting?"

"You are hunting deer," Kratos informed him.

"Okay. Which way?"

"In the direction of deer."

Naruto said nothing as he saw Atreus frown slightly before taking the lead with his father following. He sighed once more before joining them as Ranni moved to his hair.

This would be quite the hunt.

So, this idea is Naruto crossed with God of War; specifically the Norse storyline. Also, Ranni the Witch from Elden Ring is here, as well.

She'll be paired with our favorite knucklehead! ^_^

Tell me what y'all think in your reviews, please!

Until next time!

Stay safe! Stay healthy! Stay positive!

Dreaming of the Future

pain17ification