Did I hear someone wanted an update?

I know, I know, it's been way too long. But in my defense I'm pretty actively working on two stories at once, and it's all I can do just to get up in the morning for school. So bear that in mind and go easy on me, if you'd be so kind.

Anyway, enough excuses, here we go…

"Where are we, Naruto-san?"

"Somewhere that was… important to me."

The Kamui dared not speak any more, fear of intruding on his host's personal matters. The choice was justified when they came upon a small clearing with two roughly hewn mounds in the center. The crude metal slab behind one of the mounds was unnecessary to indicate this as a grave site. Though grass and fallen leaves had blanketed most of the disturbed earth, they could do nothing to erase the still fresh pain which lingered like the mist so common in this country.

"Hello, Zabuza-san, Haku."

Senketsu could tell this was a moment of fragility for the young shinobi and he tried to remove himself as best he could. But it was useless, for he also knew that this visit was in part caused by his very presence. He was the culprit which precipitated such unease in the young man, such turmoil to set that stalwart path in a curlicue to end up back here.

He knew that Naruto needed something to root him while his world was tossed upside-down. Thus, while he knew it was discourteous, he couldn't help but listen to what was so important.

Listen, and feel guilty.

The inside-conversation was difficult to follow, but it was rife with the emotions he supposed ought to be there. He could feel them, taste them as the tears flowed from his wearer's eyes.

Oh, how he wished he could do something to restore his confidence. Oh, how he wished he'd never shown up in this strange land. In all respects… it would have been better that he died on that return journey to Earth.

But Naruto's words were a sermon against that mindset. He could extract that much from the one-sided conversation as the young shinobi recalled another tale of tragedy.

It was ironically this invasion of Naruto's privacy which made him remember his vow to Ryῡko, that he was not simply a tool, that they were not simply weapons to be used to defeat the Life-Fibers.

They were people. And they were friends. And they would work together to overcome.

Someday, he hoped to be Naruto's friend as well.

"And so, Kyῡbi-sama, where do you think you would rate Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's power?"

It was strange. The whole thing, really, but having so many eyes trained on him and yet not actually looking at him. But at least Naruto was getting some help at long last.

"Hmmm… difficult to say, especially with how much time has passed." The demon-turned devilishly good-looking outfit pondered the question for the millionth time himself, finally resigned to lay the facts out bare. "She is the mother of all Chakra, and our father used the entirety of her power to create the nine of us, though not necessarily splitting it evenly." Amongst his siblings he would always boast of being the strongest. But it was a difficult thing to quantify. Power could be bested by treachery, and his arrogance had cost him victories against both Bijῡ and human. Was there a qualitative aspect to strength then? That was a question for another time.

"Though I am technically a part of her, I share none of her memories and so have only hearsay and my father's stories to go on. Legend has it that she arrived from space, much like your Life-Fibers." This confirmation caused a disturbed murmur among the crowd of listeners. "In addition to being the mother of all chakra users, she is also the progenitor of all Doujutsu. The Rinegan, the Byakugan, and the cursed Sharingan."

Though managing to reign in his most temperamental episodes, the mentioning of that topic still managed to rile Kurama. Instead of hairs being raised, threads became hard and itchy. Naruto didn't have the heart to tell him he was bunching up in all the wrong places, and he tried admirably to remain silent whilst Senketsu filled in the rest with what he knew about the Bloodline Limits.

"Anyway… of course her name gave rise to the Kaguya clan which resided in Kirigakure until the purge. I guess that makes her the only wielder of the bone-jutsu left. Like them, she has almost complete control over her skeletal structure, able to harden them past steel and most alloys. But even that is nothing to some of the other rumors. Supposedly, she can also create portals in between worlds. Not just in between places in the universe, but between the universes themselves."

Though it sounded almost like a joke, no one was laughing. To have such an intimidating being tell them all this in absolute frankness was enough to send even the heartiest heroes running. It was only after going through a trial against a similarly omnipotent foe that they were not giving up all hope right then and there.

"Of course, she may be more, or less powerful when she finally catches up with things. Legends never cover everything, sometimes combining powers, and sometimes misinterpreting them. I am sorry I cannot be of more assistance."

Though miffed that the Kyῡbi was actually being considerate enough to apologize to someone, Naruto listened like everyone else with rapt attention as their technical wizard wove his mathematical magic.

"That is perfectly alright Kyῡbi-sama. I think I have at least enough to create a reasonable model."

While numbers crunched both biologically and electronically, Naruto glanced around the room, absent in his thoughts. And truthfully, slightly uncomfortable with the dedicated effort being invested into his problem. Although, no one else seemed to give it a second thought as they all followed the severely militaristic woman with almost pious devotion. It was obvious he had Satsuki to thank for all this.

"Boy, you guys are sure putting a lot of time into this." Naruto grinned sheepishly towards the woman in question. "I guess I really owe you all big, huh? Heh, heh…" Even though he knew it was true beyond any doubt, he hesitated to put himself at the mercy of such a shrewd woman, and wondered just what would be entailed when she came to collect his debt.

"Hmph!" Flicking her eyes back to the screen, Satsuki gave a contemptuous snort which made Naruto's eye twitch in ire. Now that things had settled down somewhat, he could appreciate just how much the woman irritated him. "If this Kaguya woman is as dangerous as you both make her out to be, then it is prudent to make our own preparations should she decide to endanger this world as well."

It was simply incredible how she managed to both irritate him and make him feel guilty at the same time. Though he supposed that was how she managed to coopt so many followers.

Before he could slink off into a corner and die of embarrassment however, he kenned onto a tensing in her hands. It began around the pommel of her longer sword and was accompanied by a further downward turn in her lips. Almost like she was swallowing something especially officious.

"And… being as Senketsu is such a valued comrade to all of us, we are indebted at least this much for his safe return."

Naruto blinked in wonderment, trying to figure out if this was an actual official 'thank you' for his efforts. Glancing around at the rest of the shocked faces in the room, he guessed it was, which only served to make him more shocked (and if he was honest, a little giddy in the devious sort of way).

"Umm… right." He decided to save that fact for later.

"Okay, and… done."

In the meantime, Inumuta had finished with his own ministrations and another series of meaningless (to them) charts and graphics popped up on the IMAX-sized screen. Including what appeared to be a trio of caricatures of- if he wasn't mistaken- Naruto himself, Kamui-Kurama, and the Rabbit Goddess.

Depicted as an actual rabbit.

"The Rabbit Goddess is just a title, stupid ningen."

"Regardless," Inumuta deflected, hiding his blush behind the perpetual high collar. ", this is sufficient to run any scenario we input. It doesn't matter what the avatars actually look like."

"WAAA! Naruto-kun! How could you want to fight such a cute little bunny?!"

"Mankanshoku," Gamagōri loomed menacingly. "if you wish to remain here you should learn to take this matter seriously!"

"Why did you invite her again?" Naruto leaned in to whisper to his counterpart.

"You think I can go anywhere without her tagging along?"

"Fair point."

During their little back and forth, the combine efforts of the Elite Four managed to reach at least a haphazard impasse with the obstinate girl.

"Okay! So, the cute little bunny is really just a nefarious disguise for a mean-old hag who wants to put a curse on everybody!"

Close enough.

"Moving on… short of a holy hand-grenade falling into our laps, how do we go about defeating this thing?" Ryῡko tapped a finger on her jaw as she stared at the cartoonish representations of powerhouses.

While the others mulled the problem over in their respective corners, Naruto looked at his compatriot taken aback.

"We?"

She gave him one of those confident smirks that was beginning to grow on him and folded her arms.

"Don't look too much into it. Like Oneesan said, Kaguya could pose a problem for all of us. 'Sides," She flicked a hand roughly against the hem of her skirt. "Senketsu threatened to nag me about my weight if I didn't help."

"I see."

The self-assured smile she had on drooped a bit hearing the disappointment in his voice. But even as she was getting annoyed with his persistent ill-humor, she soon found herself accompanied by a subtler, but no less profound smile hoisting up his cheeks. He nodded resolutely, looking towards the screen.

"I'm glad."

While not watching her younger sister and the odd young man during their interaction, Satsuki was without a doubt paying attention.

'It is good to see some of that indominable attitude Senketsu spoke so highly about begin to return. You should know by now that I do not support losers, Uzumaki, but if Ryῡko can help you recover some of that determined spirit, I shall support your goals with all my strength.'

And as the three shared this silent triangular interaction, another chibi-character popped up on the screen wearing a little sailor's outfit and carrying an oversized pair of scissors.

"Well, I suppose that part's done." The blue-haired young man spun away from his desktop, staring pointedly at the blond and demon garment combo. "Now the only thing left is to get some more data on what we have to work with."

"Can't say I haven't been looking forward to this."

"Likewise."

The last two Kamui left in existence as well as their bearers stared back at each other amidst the graded and repaved courtyard, leftover dust scraped off by the strong breeze riding micro-currents and swirling into eccentric eddies between them.

"Just be sure to restrain yourselves from damaging my school." Satsuki instructed, regarding the manically eager looks on the two teens with disapproval.

"I will need Ryῡko to push Naruto and Kyῡbi as much as possible though, to collect any meaningful data. So they can't afford to hold back too much." Inumuta contradicted from his questionably safe position behind a reinforced concrete bunker.

The hideout was jampacked with electronic equipment the Student Council President was fairly certain she'd never seen before, and was left to wonder where it had come from.

"I guess then it's our job to make sure they don't." Sanageyama declared with more bravado than he had reason to show. But the Disciplinary Committee Chair Nodded with dutiful agreement.

"Ryῡko-chan~ you're supposed to show these boys how to behave…" Jakuzure whined behind her baton, but then uttered darkly. "… so show'em who's boss and break their legs!" The other two took a cautionary step away from the fearsome pigmy.

"Yeah, yeah, got all that already. Just tell us when you're ready."

The Life-Fiber imbued woman waved off their concern as her sister turned to look at Inumuta who then nodded in affirmation. She then raised her main weapon to the sky, morning sunlight glinting auspiciously from the tip before it cut down in the air between the two.

"Hajime!"

Satsuki, demonstrating her extreme poise and confidence in the two combatants did not move a muscle as battle errupted all around her. Amidst a violent and close explosion which whipped her steely blue locks back and forth, she turned on her heel and walked calmly back a distance, never so much as glancing at the war raging behind her.

But her safety was not even in the considerations of the two sparring teens going at it like rabid Pitbulls let off the leash. This was something the both had been looking forward to eagerly for a long time. The desire might have started even before they were fully aware of it themselves. Back at that first encounter, which felt like years ago but in reality had been less than a month.

In fact, maybe they had been waiting their entire lives for this and never realized what they were yearning for. A meeting of two kindred souls who could understand one another on a spiritual level, and only now were beginning to appreciate the other on an intellectual one.

It was an interesting experience for the two inhuman lifeforms as well, one which might have helped them both understand humans a little better. And yet conversely, added another undiscovered dimension to the complex equation which was humanity. In this respect, Senketsu probably had a leg up on his contemporary, for he had desired to work closely with Ryῡko all along. For his failure to properly mesh with Naruto, he would do his best to make sure the Kyῡbi could succeed.

Both had let out primal screams at the start of the match, pent up emotions of all sorts blending into one dissonant note which shook the grounds next to explosions echoing around the walls.

In the spirit of fairness, and so no permanent damage was done on either side, the scissor blades were divided evenly between them. Though Ryῡko had more experience with said weapon, neither had any formal training and so were evenly matched as Naruto used his vermillion blade like an oversized kunai.

And in any case, the duel turned into more of a slugging match in which no surface was left unmarred.

But Ryῡko was without a doubt the more experienced when it came to working with the Life-Fibers and had already synchronized with Senketsu at the beginning of the match. Whereas Naruto and the Kyῡbi were relative neophytes to even tolerating one another. And despite the impressive natural strength in each, it showed in their lagging movements.

Even from her position at the bottom a crater, she smirked in pre-ordained victory.

"Senketsu-Shippu!"

Even before the words were out of her mouth she was skimming along the ground at the shocked shinobi who was not prepared for such a rapid transformation. He braced the ungainly weapon in front of him and let her crash against it, pushing him back with long trails dragging in the dirt from his heels.

He gained no relief even when the pressure let up, for it was followed seamlessly by the girl's engine-shrouded leg whipping up to slam into him and blast him back with a concentrated outgas.

Pressed even further to the defense, he flipped and dug his feet into the earth to arrest his retreat He was determined not to give up any more ground and be forced into a corner. He kicked off and flew like an arrow in the opposite direction towards his adversary, but was again caught by surprise when she reappeared with a burst of speed by his side and slashed at him. First with the scissor blade and then with spikes which jutted out from every part of Senketsu's body.

She managed to score none too few hits, small cuts littering his bare chest and nicking the Kamuified Kurama, much to his annoyance. Luckily, he was able to distance himself before any solid blow landed, showing that he had not atrophied as a shinobi.

"What are you doing, brat?" The Kyuubi growled at his host. "You're letting her make a fool out of us. If you don't start picking up the pace, I'm going to take over, and as per our deal there isn't anything you can do to stop me, as long as I let the vixen live."

Naruto ground his teeth but didn't have time for a rebuttal as Ryῡko jetted back into his range, unrelenting in her assault as much as he would normally be.

Very well. He realized that if she was going to pull out tricks he couldn't do yet, he would do likewise. He let out a small prayer as he put his hands in a cross-shaped seal. His sigh of relief came out with a series of resounding pops which covered the field in orange and black.

"That all you got?!"

And just as soon as they appeared, nearly half of all his clones were wiped out as the spikes she had shown previously jutted out to extreme lengths, skewering dozens on each and dismissing even more with a simple shake of her shoulders like a wet dog.

"Like hell it is!"

Through the billowing clouds shot the legions of surviving clones, most all of which were brandishing a Rasengan in addition to their scissor blades. But Ryῡko's smile only broadened as the fight finally started to get interesting.

Her rough swordsmanship caught the first wave of Naruto clones, pops going off like firecrackers as she jerked and dodged out of the way of their forward assault. But even she was beginning to get overwhelmed. Before she could get to this point, though, the ground underneath her caught fire as she rocketed with Seketsu into the air, well out of the reach of the ground-bound clones.

At least that's what she hoped.

But in the continuously obscuring cloud came a small salvo of shuriken which she scoffed at firstly. But soon regretted her early dismissal when they multiplied one-hundred-fold much like the clones.

Though most of the cuts healed near-instantly, it still hurt to be peppered by the pointy metal stars, and she growled in annoyance as she scanned the ground for the original amongst the remaining copies.

"There!"

"Damnit! Isn't flying like cheating or something? She's out of the ring!"

"Quit your griping. You think Kaguya is going to play by any rules? You're going to have to figure out a way to defeat an airborne opponent anyway."

He conceded the point reluctantly since Ryῡko had already spotted him and he needed to focus on that issue first. But then Naruto began to realize the truth in the demon's words and began thinking of a way to overcome this problem. The answer was obvious as it hit him a moment before his opponent did.

"Senketsu and I were able to do that trick once. You think you're up to the challenge?" He asked hurriedly with a smirk trained on the ballistic woman.

"Hmph! I am the greatest of Bijῡ. Flying should be no problem for the likes of me. Just don't get in my way."

"Wouldn't dream of it, now hurry up!"

As much as he'd like to chastise the ingrate for ordering him around, Kurama was honestly starting to get a little worried waiting there under the knife, and so set about figuring out his newfound biology.

"Hey! I think you got iiiiiiIIIIIIAAAAAAA!"

Neither of them were quite ready for the transformation. Naruto less so, for he had yet to synchronize at all with Kurama, and so was little more than an action figure stuck haphazardly into a wayward model rocket.

"What is Uzumaki thinking?" Questioned Satsuki as she calmly sipped her tea behind the concrete barrier. "Surely he should know by now that he must sync with the Kyῡbi before attempting such a maneuver."

"To be fair, the Kamui are symbiotes, and it requires just as much effort on the Kyῡbi's part as it does Naruto's." Inumuta observed clinically, admitting that it was not a smart decision even though it got the teen out of danger temporarily. "While I am willing to trust his assessment on the demon's potential threat to us, I fear that doesn't necessarily make him cooperative." He adjusted his glasses so that the glare from the screen covered up his inner thoughts. "And if that's the case… I see little hope that we can win against Kaguya."

Similar thoughts were going through Naruto's head as he was rocketed around the arena like a firehose without someone to hang on.

"Hold your horses, will you? I can't do squat if you don't let me fly this thing!" He berated his obstinate partner.

"I told you, I can do this without your assistance, just try not get yourself killed and we will be fine!"

"Bastard…" Naruto muttered under his breath, though he was sure the fox heard him.

There was no time for further argument, however, as suddenly a weight alighted on their combine backs.

"Hey there. Looks like you're having some trouble." Naruto paled at the casual greeting from the woman crouched like a cheery gargoyle. "Here, let me give you a hand. First lesson is on how to land properly!"

In the midst of his struggles and protests, she shoved down hard with both of her legs and sent the directionless rocket downwards towards the ground. Both teen and Life-Fiber garment balked at the inevitable impact, and braced themselves in their own way for the expected pain.

"Okay, this isn't going to work…"

There was no amount of preparation for that abrupt and brutal change in momentum. And no licking their wounds, either, which were mostly internal, both the physical and mental type. There was only the feeble effort to drag themselves out of the hole they found themselves in.

"Damn right it isn't. But if you were to let me-"

"Enough!" Naruto barked, pushing himself to his feet with the scissor blade he had just barely managed to hang on to. He stared defiantly at the crimson eyes on his chest.

"Enough, Kurama. The deal was that we wouldn't get in each other's way, but that's not going to work here. You see that?" He pointed back up at the hovering Ryῡko whom he could tell was gloating down at him, though also waiting patiently for him two start the next round. "-That's what partners look like. That's what strength looks like. If we keep resisting each other like we've been doing all my life, we're never going to have a hope of beating Ryῡko, much less Kaguya."

The Kyῡbi was about to contest this idea out of habit, but stopped himself when Naruto continued.

"You said yourself that Kaguya was stronger than you alone. Well, she's also probably stronger than all the Bijῡ combined as well. Alone, we have no hope." He grimaced, tightening his grip on the handle of his loaned weapon. "As much as I hate to admit it… we can't rely on Sasuke to help in this. I can't ask the others to get involved either. So what other choice do I have? What choice do we have?

"I don't know about you, but I don't want Ryῡko and the others fighting my battles for me. I don't want to resent anyone, least of all myself. I'm through arguing with you, I want to work hand and hand and not have bitter feelings about one another for the rest of my life.

"So, what do you say?"

Kurama contemplated these words for a moment. A moment in which he parsed over his own words thrown back at him, realizing that perhaps he had not fully understood all that he had agreed to. He had made a deal with the boy, giving him his word and accepting his in return. And yet he was still acting defensively, honoring the accord in word and not in spirit. In his arrogance, he never acknowledged his side of the reciprocity.

"There is nothing to say."

Naruto felt his heart drop at this dismissal. All hope he had of teaming up with the Fox, any inkling of anticipation with regards to defeating Kaguya, going home, resolving his many shortcomings, all were gone in an instant.

"No more words need to be said. We speak with our actions from now on, Naruto!"

He lifted his head as a warm upwelling disseminated throughout his body from his stomach outwards. It was indescribable in its totality, it filled him and yet felt like he was being removed from his earthly body and uplifted into a higher form. He was multiplying even as the two were becoming one. It was the same sensation from when he merged with Senketsu, but this was so much… more!

"Let's do this!"

"LIFE-FIBER SYNCHRONIZE! KAMUI KURAMA!"

Ryῡko had been waiting patiently for her sparring opponent to pick himself up off the ground she had planted him into, wanting to give him a fair chance to recover his strength and work out any kinks he was having with his partner.

At least, that was what she was telling herself. She mainly wanted to bask in the revived feeling of wearing and being worn by her best friend and her own partner. It had been so long that she almost forgot the sensation of meshing body and soul with the living garment.

But why did it have to feel so good? Why did it have to be so right, when she knew it couldn't last? Did one have to experience separation in order to appreciate that little time? Did one need heartbreak in order to tolerate love?

Even if it was so, it was worth it in her mind.

"I missed you, ya know?"

"Ee." The Kamui chuckled. "As did I. However, it may be best to save this reminiscing for later." As she was about to ask him what he meant by that, the answer became clear as a torrent of crimson energy was unbound far beneath them.

"Heh, I see." She smiled, not a smirk or a leer, but rife with excitement all the same. "Seems round two begins now, huh?"

The sounds of snapping threads and rearranging molecules was her answer as she was abruptly joined in the air by a wonderous and awesome sight.

"'Bout time."

Like all Kamui, it was difficult to know whether to be offended or impressed by the transformation. The kataginu's mass shifted into the shoulders even more and sharpened further, sprouting jets underneath which were helping to keep him aloft in conjunction with the ones jutting out from underneath the metallicized hakama. Everything in fact seemed to become armorized, and a breastplate sprouted across his upper chest. Yet like her own questionable battle suit, his stomach was exposed still, perhaps to draw attention to the reinvigorated 'tails' of cloth that were now fringed down their lengths making them look like furry concertina wire. The only thing completely new to the ensemble was a horned headband which appeared around his forehead with the kanji for 'nine' stylized so that it was nearly impossible to tell apart from that of 'sword' or 'power'.*

"Got that right."

"So," She removed her hand from her hip and held her weapon up level with her friendly adversary. "Ready for me to kick your ass now?"

"Whenever you are." Naruto answered with equal confidence. "Just don't expect me to make it easy for you."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

And they came together as one.

Down on the ground, the six observers were almost blown off their feet in spite of the massive concrete structure in front of them. Of course, Satsuki was still seated and so did not have this problem, but had to place a protective hand over her teacup, uncaring for the wave of dust which passed over everything else.

"Good thing this is military-grade equipment." Inumuta grumbled. "Aren't you three supposed to be making sure those two don't get out of hand?"

Though glowering at their classmate for presuming to given them orders, the active members of the Elite Four looked up at the battle being waged mostly in the sky above Honnouji.

"And how do you expect us to do that, exactly?"

"… Maybe we didn't think that through fully."

They circled one another like hungry sharks in the sea of air around them, lashing out with biting cuts every now and then, more to test one another's defenses than to score a hit. There was already blood in the water and they were raring to go.

Suddenly one of them decided to make a move, and the dynamic of the battle changed irreparably. From one there became a school of Naruto, all darting in a squadron V at Ryῡko who, rather than face them head on, began leading them on a wild goose chase.

As the six were closing on her tail in a vertical climb, she instantaneously let go of her transformation and began plummeting towards the ground. Her pursuers scrambled to react, but were too close to nabbing her before and so had no time to dodge as she latched onto the one in the center. She drove the clone against its brethren with a fierce kick and dispelled the both as she hopped onto yet another.

This clone was slightly more prepared and began dueling her while she was latched on to one of his undulating belt-tails. But before either could get more than a couple of blows in, a sword stabbed straight through the middle of the mildly shocked clone and straight into Ryῡko.

"Ha! Got ya- Oh Shit! Are you o-?"

The question was answered before it could be asked as she grabbed a hold of the blade in her stomach and yanked it and Naruto towards her. She kneed him brutally in the stomach, and Naruto was sent tumbling backwards. Barely recovering before he hit the ground, he stared back up dumbfoundedly with a hand clutching his doubled gut.

"D'you forget that I can survive almost anything?" She asked with her usual confidence restored to her face, accentuated by the second scissor blade now twirling in her left hand.

"Actually, I kind of did, yeah."

"It would be wise to take that into consideration in future battles. It is not unreasonable to assume that Kaguya also has such regenerative capabilities." Iumuta's voice carried out from behind the bunker with the Arena's excellent acoustics, reminding them both of that fact.

"Right…" Naruto muttered resignedly.

"But this is also a spar, and we shouldn't encourage them to cause any more damage than they already have the potential to do, Inumuta." The offhanded comment was distinctly loaded to be a command, and the technical member of the Elite Four bowed his head in reverence.

"Yes, of course. Forgive me, Satsuki-sama. However, I stand by what I said, as I have not yet collected enough combat data to make a meaningful simulation yet."

"Very well." She took a careful sip of tea, not paying any mind to her butler who was carefully dusting her off with a small hand brush. "But if they damage anything, it is on your head."

He might have protested, but there was ultimately no point. It was not nearly worth the risk of upsetting his leader. Luckily the battle took that time to remind them of its ongoing pace.

"Remember, this is a spar!" Naruto shouted even as he shot straight at the sword-wielding woman.

"Oi! You were the one who stabbed me! I ought to get at least one freebie!"

She bantered, though carefully reminded herself that she could not afford to cut Naruto with both halves of the twinned blades. His healing capacity was not yet on par with her own, and even if it was, the weapons were specifically designed to sever Life-Fibers irreparably.

But with the unconcerned and crazed look on Naruto's face, she didn't think she had much to worry about. At first, she wondered how he intended to fight her without another blade. But it soon became obvious as the tails proved that they, like most parts of the Kamui, were not just for show.

"Damnit! What the hell?! When did you get so good?"

Naruto smiled as he pounded on her defensive posture with his two fists in addition to the nine other limbs harder than most steel.

"Remember: It's not just me who's fighting!"

Her eyes widened in realization as she dared glance down at the narrowed eyes emblazoned on his lapels.

True enough, the Fox was sticking to his word and being cooperative. However, rather than an even exchange of power, each of them stuck to what they did best. Accidentally but instinctually maximizing their teamwork as if they had been doing it all their lives.

"Heh, well two can play at that game."

Not to be outdone, Senketsu already knew what to do and ballooned like a pufferfish with numerous spikes driving Naruto back from his relentless rampage. When the garment deflated it seemed to propel Ryῡko outward at him like a blowgun. He automatically brought his hands up in a feeble defense, but was preempted by the Kyuubi bracing his 'tails' in front of him.

The nine appendages burst outwards and shoved Ryῡko back, where Naruto followed with a Rasengan. She let it grind against her crossed blades, neither giving the other an inch as the fought for supremacy.

Naruto knew that she was strong even before the start of this match. His hard head could attest to that. But to match him blow for blow? Even with Senketsu aiding her, that was an impressive feat.

No time to marvel, though, as she broke the deadlock by rolling over and slashing at his side. Except, it wasn't just a single strike, oh no, that one rotation kickstarted a succession of them as she turned into a bladed drill bearing down on him.

"I suggest getting out of here- and fast! I don't think I can hold her back!"

He heeded his partner's words, jetting up above where she would have to follow. While the whirling Ryῡko-Senketsu combination flew off in a random direction, boring a nasty hole in the Academy wall, Naruto took the time to catch his breath.

It wasn't just that he was a little out of shape from not getting enough exercise the past few days. The 'little' spar with the Elite Four should have been enough. No, this was entirely due to the synchronization which was a concentrating effort to maintain. Not for the first time, he envied Ryῡko her natural ability such as he did Sasuke in his prowess.

Except that is was no longer envy. Or if it was, his reaction was like how it should have been all along. The wanting drove him onwards, pushed him to get better and stronger through boundless hard work. It was a good feeling.

It couldn't last, though, as the drill tornado turned upward seeking his scent. He paled, but immediately drew up a battle plan. Realizing that he was, and always had been, the king of rotations and unexpected upsets.

Having already tried the normal Rasengan on her while her blades were static, he didn't think it would work any better this time. He had to come up with something stronger. Something he had been working on before all this craziness had derailed his perfectly laid story.

"Kurama, mind giving me a hand with this?"

"Hm? What are you-?" But he suddenly realized he could feel what Naruto was doing. It was a disturbing, but invigorating all the same. "Ee, got it. Let's give it a try." It might not have been a tailed beast bomb, but he doubted Satsuki would be happy with one of those going off within school grounds.

"Alright then, ready?"

"Better be. Don't have much time."

Indeed, though slower than her average, the worming drill was still speeding towards them frighteningly fast. Pushing this fact out of his mind and calming himself till his breathing was regulated like the ins and outs of the tide, he gathered his chakra into the palm of his hand like he would for a normal Rasengan. But as he was doing this, the Kyῡbi's nine tails encircled the sphere, focusing his own energy into the nexus.

He could feel it. They could feel it. It was as if the entire universe was being sucked into that black hole. And in a way, it was, as the Kyῡbi's newborn Life-Fibers branched out through the cosmos, creating connections on microscopic level and wrangling them into that artificial center.

"Rasengan: Shōnetsu Jigoku!"*

The name Rasenshuriken had been in his mind at the formation of the technique. But as he became a conduit for it, the power itself changed the words in his mouth. All in all, he had to say it was more appropriate. It was like he was holding a furnace in the palm of his hand. He had once seen Tenten's family forge, and it was like a child's kitchen set compared to this.

There was a moment where he considered whether it was appropriate to use this in a friendly spar, but then he remembered all the times he had been an unprovoked punching bag and decided it was suitable payback. Besides, she was a big girl and could handle it. If not, well… she had Senketsu looking out for her.

It felt like his worries were for not when his fist impacted the tip of the drill. While it stopped the whirling death machine cold, it didn't plow through it like he was expecting. Of course, being a newcomer to the world of Life-Fibers, he had yet to appreciate just how strong they were.

Or their limitations.

The stalemate only lasted a few seconds until the careful stability being maintained by each of them came undone. The counter-rotating forces grinding on each other in either direction were perfectly balanced, at least until the drill made of Ryῡko and Senketsu began to slow. And then, like the last few rotations of a top, everything came undone all at once. Naruto and Kurama's hybrid Rasengan unraveled and exploded in their face with the heat of a thousands suns, and sent the two pairs flying.

"AAAAHHH!"

"RYŪKO!"

Fighting through the flames still licking at his face, Naruto was too hyped up on the knowledge that he screwed up yet again to feel any sort of pain. The fact that he was already healing and the injured woman would be as well didn't register as he dove after her.

Though in considerable pain himself, Kurama accelerated to his partner's wishes, letting the smoldering bits of his cloth tails be snuffed out in the rushing wind.

"Gotcha!"

Uncaring if he got yelled at later for it, he snagged Senketsu's suspenders and hauled her up into his arms just as the ground came rushing up to greet the both of them. The jets from Kurama's afterburners scorching deep ruts in the ground which instantly became glass and shattered as he touched down.

He had no concern for the blistered flesh on his arms and stomach where the Kyῡbi's cloth didn't reach. His eyes could only roam the cauterized lacerations littering both the girl and garment in his clutches.

"Ryῡko! Senketsu! Are you alright?!" He asked frantically, not registering the crowd which was rushing over to them.

There was no response from the soot-covered woman and Kamui for what could have passed for an eternity in his eyes. Then came a groan, and ever so slowly a single steel blue eye cracked open, followed by striped crimson and gold.

Then came a headbutt right into his nose. He dropped the two in his arms into an ungainly mess of flailing limbs and indignation.

"Oi! What was that for?!" He asked while pinching his nostrils to keep the blood from exciting the Kyῡbi (he had also learned through experience how to talk normally through a broken nose).

"What was it for?! You tried to barbeque me and Senketsu!"

"You were trying to screw me!"

"Don't pretend like you weren't trying to drill me too! And you didn't have to make things heat up so fast!"

"What did you expect?! I wasn't going to be satisfied pounding you into the ground all day long!"

"I'll show you a pounding-!"

"ENOUGH! I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS SORT OF CONVERSATION IN A SCHOOL SETTING!" Gamagōri interjected himself between the flabbergasted teens. "YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED! USING SUCH CRASS LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF A CHILD!" He held up a cheerful Mako by the scruff of her neck, who was happy just to be involved.

"Umm, isn't she like the same age as us-?"

"REGARDLESS!"

"Gamagōri."

Satsuki didn't even need to raise her voice or utter another word of command for the brute of a man to quit his browbeating and return to her side with his head bowed and hand over his chest. She looked at him for a second before turning back to the combatants.

"Quit acting like children. Make the sign of reconciliation and drop it already."

"Yes ma'am."

The response came in stereo as the two turned to the other with a quick but deep bow and hand poised inside a fist, before they broke from the hypnosis and looked at one another sheepishly.

"You both need to learn restraint."

Satsuki shot one more admonishment before turning to face the resulting damage, shaking her head dismally. Despite her feigned attitude, she was actually slightly impressed that they'd managed to keep it to a minimum.

"Hmm. Well, be that as it may, I think I still got some pretty good data out of it. Luckily, I still have Ryῡko's old stats to use as a baseline. So even if they weren't fighting all out, I can normalize the results using that assumption." Inumuta spouted some technical mumbo-jumbo that went over their heads, before muttering to himself the rest of the way back to his closet where he would shut himself in with a carafe of coffee and push more buttons.

Seeing that they were mostly off the hook for now, the two sparring partners turned to look at one another uncomfortably before they both broke out into hearty laughter which lasted a good while.

Both of them had to admit that they looked like shit, and it was so much better to be able to laugh about it than bite one another's heads off. Both Kurama and Senketsu let their partners have this moment of decanting, not wanting to spoil it for anything.

Even for the knowledge that Naruto's last attack had caused permanent but shallow damage on both Kamui. That talk could come later, after the stitches had been set.

While the other members of the Elite Four and Mako stopped what they were doing to rubberneck at the two hysterical teens, Satsuki quickly reminded them that they all had duties to attend to (as well as making some up on the spot to keep Mako occupied).

As the last one there besides the two and their partners, Satsuki shot her sister a knowing smirk before disappearing back into her castle. She was accompanied by her everlasting butler who furrowed his brow but did not stoop to question.

"I will deal with the damage to the school later. Something tells me this sort of destruction is going to become more frequent anyway." She answered him regardless of his silence.

"Yes ma'am, of course. Shall I let the contractors know to hold off?"

"Please do."

"And do we have an expected date when we shall need them back?"

Satsuki stopped in her stride to look back, past Soroi and to the two bearers of the burden whose name was heroism. They were laughing and having it on animatedly, as if they hadn't been at each other's throats just minutes before. As if, instead, it had all been one big joke or nightmare, and they had really been friends their entire lives.

"Everything heals in time, Soroi. Everything in time."

"Yes, ma'am, so it is."

*力 Chikara = Strength 九 Kyῡ = 9 刀 Tō or Dō = Blade . All very different for a Japanese speaker, but to us Gaijin they're all just squiggles anyway. Don't even try to tell me that some of the stuff you call 'calligraphy' is real and not some modern art joke. (Just kidding. I use humor to disguise my terrible attempt to learn).

*Loosely translated meaning 'Hellfire' or 'inferno'. This is my neophyte attempt at inventing a Japanese name for something, so someone PLEASE tell me if I am doing it wrong.

And I guess I should note this too, but to 'normalize' something mathematically or scientifically is to put it in a significant scale. In this case, if he knows a number for Ryῡko's strength, he puts that at 100%. Then, during the latest battle, the power output is at, say, 70%. He then takes Naruto's power and uses the ratio (70/100) to boost Naruto's numbers to get an estimate of what he could do going full out. It's not perfect, but it can be useful. But in this case, it's probably more like normalizing in Quantum, where you divide by infinity and things get weird….