YES! I've finally updated. XD

I finally got a USB to put all my stories and chapters on! (^-^) Down side, I don't have another one. (TT~TT)

Sorry it took so long guys. (^_^;)

For those of you who didn't know, it was NOT because of writer's block this time. I couldn't type up and save anymore new chapters for anything without risk of something else being deleted or the story not saving at all. If that weren't bad enough, a virus all but crashed my laptop and I had to use a friend's or my mother's computer to check emails and messages.

I just seemed to have the best of luck don't I? (-_-;)

WARNING!: Mentions of gore and blood among other things.

A/N: Sorry guys! felt the need to change the ranking just to be safe.

x

x

Chapter Six

The Sandaime Hokage could not begin to explain just how annoying such ignorantly antagonistic the civilian half of the council was being over his decision to close the ninja academy for the time being.

Most of it at least.

Some, sadly so few in number, could grasp the concept at least and didn't let their opinion of certain individuals get in the way of the overall decision making. The rest, however, were not so wise.

"Lord Hokage, please, this ridiculous." One of the civilian councilmen halfheartedly pleaded. "There was no need to close the ninja academy for such... absurd reasons."

"The only thing I find ridiculous, at the moment, is that members of my council," the Sandaime said gesturing to the civilian half seated, "the people I trust to make fair and just decisions, be it by vote or otherwise, see nothing wrong with the academy instructors showing favoritism towards their students. Favoritism that may cost the lives of your own children in the long run for poorly made choices."

"Come off it Hiruzen." Koharu, one of the Sandaime's advisers and former teammates, scoffed. "Your only concern is for that... that boy."

"That is Lord Hokage to you." The Sandaime said looking to her sharply, making her slightly flinch. "While I'll admit, my closeness to Naruto makes me worry for him, I will not let my personal life get in the way of my decisions on what is best for the village as a whole."

"Then give the chūnin instructors their vests back and reopen the shinobi academy." Homura, the Sandaime's other adviser and former teammate, said. "It's useless to hinder our future ninjas' learning even more."

"Why did you do such a thing anyway?" Danzo, the Sandaime old rival, said in a too-pleasant-too-be-true tone. "You yourself gave the decision making of our future generations' schooling to the civilian half of the council. Why have you not included their decision in the closing of the ninja academy?"

"While it's true I gave the rights of what should be taught to future generations of ninja to the civilian half of the council that is only because those who do not or have not graduated are considered civilian themselves." Sandaime said flatly. "However, it is ultimately my decision, as Hokage, what chūnin are fit to teach the future ninja in my service."

If Danzo's frown hadn't appeared, you wouldn't have noticed he'd been smiling before.

"Chūnin instructors who intentionally change the outcome of the passing or failing grades of any students are not fit to teach." Hiruzen stated firmly. "Despite what any of you may be thinking, I didn't do this just because of Naruto. His and Sasuke Uchiha's cases were just the more popular bouts of bias treatment."

"Sasuke Uchiha?" A civilian councilman questioned immediately as the others sat up in interest as well.

"Yes." Hiruzen said with a frustrated sigh. "From what I've seen, Sasuke's learning is prevented by actions of inaccurate answers remaining uncorrected, over-praised actions, and crude choices remain unguided."

"Well that's not any reason to delay his learning." Councilwomen Haruno claimed.

"So you find it justifiable that Sasuke remains unaware of the difference between a kill and a knockout?" Sandaime asked skeptically.

"What?!" Most of the council, on both sides, gasped or exclaimed as the others conversed worriedly among themselves.

"Impossible!" Haruno exclaimed in shock.

"I assure you, it is not." The Sandaime said opening a thick folder in front of him and handing out papers to be spread and viewed by the council members. "These heedlessly corrected test papers and written physical tests are proof enough. And these are not just Sasuke's papers and notes but those of Naruto's, clan children, and civilian children as well. You'll find that favoritism was shown particularly towards civilian councilmen children over children from other civilian families."

"They didn't correct my daughter on the difference between a poisonous and edible plant. That could get her killed!" Councilwomen Haruno stated staring at her daughter's test paper in horror.

"Listen to this," Shikaku, Nara Clan Head, said. "Sasuke Uchiha showed elite skill in today's lessons. He will make Rookie of The Year upon graduation and be a great ninja afterwards. Naruto Uzumaki was kicked out of class again today. He will remain Dead Last upon graduation if he even graduates at all. It doesn't even state why or the thesis behind this information. It has absolutely no detail on what the lessons even were that day. And how could this teacher possibly know what their skill will be like two years from now?"

"You'll find that the only papers that are actually precise and detailed notes are the children from the Hyuuga, Aburame, Akimichi, Inuzuka, Nara, and Yamanaka Clans and very few civilian family students." Sandaime stated leaning his elbows on the table and twining his fingers together satisfied with this new development for now. "There is still a show of prejudice in the notes but it is not as obvious as it is for the other students."

"Shikamaru Nara is as lazy as any other Nara to come to the academy. He shows wisdom and excels in strategy but seems to favor his friendship with Naruto Uzumaki over his test scores. What hell is that supposed to mean? That anyone who associates with Naruto isn't deserving of their grade?" Chouza Akimichi, Head of the Akimichi Clan, questioned skeptically. "I mean, sure, Naruto skips class with Shikamaru and my own son, but I know they don't let that get in the way of the work they're assigned."

"Uh... Chouza?" Shikaku said hesitantly. "There's something you ought to hear from me rather than read yourself."

"... What?" Chouza questioned, knowing by Shikaku's hesitance he obviously wasn't going to like it.

Shikaku clear his throat and read, "Choji Akimichi is just as... big boned... as any other Akimichi. While seeming determined to prove his worth as a ninja, it seems useless. If it weren't for his association with Naruto Uzumaki, he could prove to be a minor but still useful asset to the village. But as it goes, any intention he has of being a ninja is void."

Chouza fumed where he sat. It was obvious that Shikaku replaced "big boned" with what was really written just so Chouza wouldn't completely lose his temper. But everything else that was written about Choji had him seething as it was.

"Hinata Hyuuga is rather useless despite her bloodline." Hiashi Hyuuga, Hyuuga Clan Head, read in an even but still obviously livid tone. "She is rather timid and shy but shows promise when her focus is brought onto her lessons. She doesn't really associate with anyone but rather than being stand-offish as most Hyuuga, she seems more like a frightened animal. She has an unhealthy obsession with Naruto Uzumaki that may be the cause of this. Now that is absurd."

"What makes you say that?" Councilwomen Haruno questioned. "It is no secret that your daughter is timid. My daughter once told me that she couldn't understand why Miss. Hyuuga would like Uzumaki over Mr. Uchiha."

"Because my daughter does not have an unhealthy obsession with Naruto Uzumaki." Hiashi said flatly. "I once questioned my daughter of her feelings and if they would get in the way of her lessons. She told me that she has noticed the looks Naruto gets from most of the villagers and some of the ninja, teachers included, and admires Naruto's determination to stand up and fight anyway. And what of your daughter?"

"What do you mean?" Haruno said with an eyebrow raised.

"Sakura Haruno is rather brilliant and will surely be top kunoichi by the time she graduates. Her attraction towards Sasuke Uchiha may be a bit distracting in her physical work but she may prove to be the one to become the last Uchiha's wife." Hiashi read stoically.

The other clan heads, even the Hokage, couldn't hold back a snort at this note.

"I don't see what's wrong with that." Haruno said assuredly.

"The chūnin who wrote this note is obviously looking to be in your favor." Hiashi said flatly.

"Excuse me?" She said crossly.

"Lady Haruno, this chūnin has fawning approval of your daughter's own unhealthy obsession."

"Excuse me!" She exclaimed heatedly.

"Lady, it is no secret that the reason your daughter even tries to be a ninja is to get the Uchiha's attention." Tsume Inuzuka, Inuzuka Clan Head, said with a snicker. "Even some of her test papers reveal her obsession for answer-in-your-own-words questions. I don't need to know how to escape a hostage situation, Sasuke-kun will save me. Does that sound promising to you?"

"Does she really say that?" Inoichi Yamanaka, Yamanaka Clan Head, asked surprised. "My own daughter has quite the fixation on the Uchiha but she doesn't let it affect her school work."

"Guess again." Tsume said a bit more seriously towards her fellow shinobi councilman, having a couple papers passed along the shinobi council side to reach him. "The essays both Ino and Sakura wrote for extra credit on their most recent test ties for the top spot on the creepy scale for their Uchiha-fetish. Sakura goes on and on about Sasuke being wonderful, his supposed accomplishments in class, what she sees on his private training grounds while in hiding, and what it would mean to be his wife in the future. There's nothing about being a ninja in the essay, at all. Ino's is slightly better, having written about the accomplishments of the Uhicha family but then it slowly starts turning into what she thinks she knows about Sasuke's accomplishments, what he likes in a girl, and how pretty she needs to be to show Sasuke she's perfect Uchiha spouse material."

Inoichi skimmed over both test essays once they'd been handed to him and sighs in disappointment at what he finds. "Seems I'll have to have a few words with my daughter about the seriousness of the shinobi lifestyle when I get home. I suggest you do the same Councilwoman Haruno. Both our daughters seem to think that the academy is a beauty pageant with Sasuke as the prize rather than the bridge to becoming a shinobi."

Councilwoman Haruno pinched her lips together to hold back the urge to argue on behalf of her daughter.

/

/

Several days and nights had passed in Benkei Village since Konoha came to aid them and still no more attacks from the bandits had come.

Most of the demolished parts of village were rebuilt once more.

Those who had little hope of the bandits not showing up again grew more buoyant that the bandits had left their village alone for good and those on edge growing paranoid had begun to hope it true as well.

As much as he wanted to, Naruto had not gone back to the temple because of the reconstruction.

When Daisuke once again ordered him to take a break, he used it to study his mother's notes for chakra chains again. He realized why, or at least partially why, the seals were made to be like a bloodline that would not be transferred from parent to child. Once the seals were painted, the Uzumaki who painted the seals would have to continuously focus their chakra for twelve hours and could not stop the flow of chakra at all, not even for half a second, or else the seals would not work the way they are supposed to.

Unless the chakra is concentrated into the seals for a full twelve hours, the ability to create chakra chains would then only be temporary and, depending how long the person was concentrating their chakra into the seals, the ability to use chakra chains would only last from a day to a week or two before disappearing and could not be used by that person again unless they had Uzumaki blood in their veins.

Apparently, Naruto's father was one of the non-Uzumakis to try to gain chakra chains and even with his above average amount of chakra, he was only able to focus chakra for six hours or else he'd have died from chakra exhaustion. His ability to use chakra chains only lasted for a week and a half. He'd repainted the seals on his hands and feet but found the seals would not accept his chakra like they had before.

One of Naruto's great-great uncles tried later. Like all Uzumaki's, the uncle had huge reserves compared to the average ninja but was two old to continuously focus chakra into the seals for the full twelve hours. He made it to ten at least until he nearly passed out. He was able to use chakra chains for a little over two weeks and repainted the seals to try again. He only focused for two hours this time and, seeing as the seals still accepted his chakra, he found he was able to use them again though still only temporary.

Naruto wanted to paint the seals but decided against it for now seeing as no one was really sure the bandits wouldn't be back and he couldn't know what concentrating chakra into the seals for twelve hours straight would do to him. He didn't doubt that he'd be out of commission for some time afterwards though.

On the other days passed, he used his breaks to eat and drink like the others. As soon as he was ready to get back to work though, Tenten would drag him to an open field for training as her grandfather said she could start her own break.

At first, she just wanted to spar again.

Only this time she wanted to spar her katana vs. the dian sword he fixed but did not create.

She still lost.

Tenten supposed she could only be thankful Naruto was not the type to gloat... most of the time. In the later days though, she would drag him away for training stating it was time he take ninja lessons seriously. At least... that's what she would say. In reality, she wanted to see how good he really was and just how much more the dobe a year under her was skilled than her.

Neither noticed Cat watching from the trees with a shake of her head in amusement during these training sessions just as she didn't notice the other watcher looking on just as amused.

/

As the second week of the Konoha residents' stay in Benkei came to an end with the setting sun, all hope the villagers gained in thinking the bandits had left for good had gone with it.

Apparently the reason the bandits had not come for a week was because they were recruiting more members to take over and destroy the village and even the numbers with the more experienced warrior monks.

*BOOM!* *CRASH!* *GLASS SHATTERING!*

The sound of an explosion hitting a, thankfully, empty house seemed to be the signal to start chaos.

Naruto shot up from where he sat fixing some door hinges in the forge when it began. Takato unwound his chain whip from his waist, Kiro brought out a pair of emei piercers from where they'd been hidden in the back of his overalls, and Genki seemingly opened his narrowed eyes bringing out a bo staff from seemingly out of nowhere. All three left their work stations and ran out to defend their village with the warrior monks.

"Naruto, find Tenten and make sure to get the other villagers to the safe houses at the temple!" Daisuke ordered.

"Right!" Naruto said running out as ordered.

He'd just barely avoided being part of an explosion leaving the shop. Refusing to look over his shoulder at the damage, Naruto sprinted down the street in the direction of the temple, stopping from time to time to help some villagers fleeing from their homes.

"Is this how bad it was before?!" Naruto asked a villager over the chaos.

"No!" The man said angered but fearful. "They have more members to their group and there weren't as many bombs as there are now!"

"ART IS A BANG!"

Naruto only had time to duck with the villager when another bomb was thrown, destroying the house they'd just left.

"Go and get your family to cover!" Naruto ordered as he ran through the village.

He'd only gotten to the end of the street when he was stopped by Dog.

"Naruto, you have to take cover with the villagers!" The Anbu shouted over another explosion.

"I can't! I have to find Tenten!" Naruto shouted back as they leaped behind a brick building for cover.

"She's already with them! Get as many villagers to follow you along the way, some of these bandits are missing-nin! Now get to the temple, hurry!"

Naruto nodded and they both sprinted in different directions. Naruto towards the temple and Dog towards the front lines of the chaos.

Naruto had just passed the line of buildings separating the third of the village in reconstruction and the third still standing when he saw Tenten rushing a group of children from the chaos only to be confronted by a monster of a man.

He was eight feet tall at least and he his muscles looked to be straining against his skin which was riddled with blade slash and whip scars. His head all but shaved, he wore an open brown keikogi and black slacks, flat Geta sandals, a blunt hunting knife in hand, his bloodshot crossed eyes a brown that looked red, his grin showing his yellow cracked teeth taking up the lower half of his face...

Naruto wasn't sure if this man was a bandit or a missing-nin but the crazed look in his eye staring at the children in front of him was enough to know that just killing them would've been mercy in comparison to what he was planning.

"Look at all those pretty eyes..." The man said licking his lips with a crazed grin.

Nuff said.

Naruto threw kunai and ninja wire to surround the man, bloodying the man's ankles as he tied them together and made him fall face first to the dirt when he tried to approach the children and Tenten.

"Let's go!" Naruto shouted running past the downed man and rushing Tenten and the children up the steps.

Another explosion hits one of the huts near Akemi's shop as they hurry the younger children up the stone steps to the temple and shrine.

They had nearly reached the top when Kurojiro leaped down from the top of the stairs and landed in front of the group with a scowl.

"What do you think you're doing outsider?" He all but demanded.

"Not now!" Naruto said trying to push past him only for Kurojiro to grab his arm.

"No. I demand to know what it is you think you are doing!"

"Bringing the children to safety at the temple, okay?! Now let go!"

"No! No one is allowed on the temple grounds during an attack!"

"Are you kidding?!" Naruto exclaimed in disbelief and rage. "It's the safest place in your village and you deny safe haven to children?!"

"... Rules are rules." Kurojiro said with a smirk out of spite.

Naruto just stared at the older boy before glowering, "Yeah well some rules are meant to be broken!" Naruto shouts before socking him in the eye so hard it sent Kurojiro off the steps, rolling down the hill, and into a bush.

This wasn't the time for an argument with an overgrown child, the kids needed to be taken to safety.

So as soon as Kurojiro was out of the way, Naruto rushed Tenten and the children up the last few steps and to the nearest safe house.

'No one allowed here during an attack my ass!' Naruto couldn't help mentally scoff at the sight of the dozens of safe houses.

Tenten and Naruto had the children enter the safe house first. The children, in their fear pushed and shoved, knocking others to the ground. Naruto and Tenten were quick to get those who'd been pushed back to their feet and got them inside before Tenten and Naruto followed. Naruto hurriedly latched down the locks on the metal framed wooden door before crouching slightly to peek out the keyhole beneath the door handle, hoping none of the bandits had been able to reach the temple as they hadn't before.

Unfortunately, with the added number of bandits, the monks were too busy defending the village to guard the temple. This left the duty of guarding the entrance to Kurojiro alone as one of the eldest of the students while the other students were hiding in the safe houses with the villagers as their teachers ordered. With Kurojiro out of commission for the time being, no one was there to stop the bandit who'd targeted the children from entering the temple grounds.

The bandit noticed a doll dropped onto the ground just outside outside the safe house Naruto, Tenten, and the children just entered. Naruto, seeing the bandit looking at something on the ground, shifted to change the angle of his view. Naruto saw the doll as well before looking back to the bandit to see a predatory smirk stretch across his face as his crazed eyes lifted from the doll to the door. Naruto started hissing curses under his breath and quickly places paper security seals over the locks and hinges before turning to scan the inside of the safe house to see if their was another door for situations like this.

There wasn't that he could see.

There were barrels of grain, water, sacks of rice, boxes of dried meats and fruits, pots, pans, and other utensils at a small fire pit, several other things to allow the large one-room house to be safe for a time for multiple people... But no other door.

"Is there an emergency back door in here?" Naruto whispered to the children.

"This is a safe house." An older child said confused at the question.

"There's no need for an emergency back door in the safe houses of the temple." Another younger child said just as confused.

Naruto groaned in frustration fighting the urge to pull at his hair before shaking it off and growing a new bout of determination. If there wasn't a door to get these kids out of the "safe house" they're now trapped in, then he'll just have to make one. Naruto goes to the other side of the safe house and pushes a barrel of grain away from the wall just when the bandit reaches the door.

"It's inevitable blonde boy!" The bandit shouts excitedly, making the children jolt in fear, some even squealing and crying. "You caught me off guard with that ninja wire, I'll admit, but the fight only makes me want to break your spirit all that much more!"

*BAM!*

The sound of the bandit slamming his hand against the door made the children scream in fear and the bandit cackled insanely at the reaction. Naruto didn't let any of this distract him as he motioned for Tenten to help him carve out a hole in the wall big enough for the children to escape through.

"You don't know who I am!" The bandit continued tauntingly with an amused cackle.

*BAM!* *BAM!*

"You must not, that's why you're not afraid! That's okay, though! I'm Tonpa! I used to want to be a ninja too! I came from Grass! But I was too big a fan of Mist and the way they promoted genin way back when before that Momochi bastard got them to disband it!"

*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*

"Yoohoo!" The bandit, Tonpa, cheerfully said. "You listening in there blondie?!"

"Yeah, I HEAR YOU!" Naruto shouted letting his anger and disgust in the man be heard as Tenten unsealed a pair of her tomahawks to started hacking at the wall.

The bandit cackled again. "Well good! You see I thought I could pass the same way he did but with my own style! I took the first years to my house one by one, every month for the year I was supposed to graduate and become genin. I lived with my mama but she hung herself after killing my pap! See, he had to rape her a few dozen times to have me and with me in my last year of the academy, he wanted another kid! Mama didn't want another kid so she killed him. First time I'd ever seen so much blood and I was doused in it!"

Naruto felt ready to throw up at how the man ecstatically explained why he was so messed up in the head. He was happy he got the children to cover their ears after the bandit said he wanted to graduate like Momochi Zabuza, Demon of the Bloody Mist, with his own flare. He just wished he and Tenten could afford to do the same. Tenten didn't look much better then he did in reaction to the bandit's words.

*BAM!* *BAM!* *BAM!*

"I actually thought it was funny!" Tonpa cackled again, slamming his hand against the door a few more times. "Mama was such a mouse of a woman! She would jump at the sound of a leaky facet dripping like it'd attack her! Seeing her covered in Pap's blood with that big smile made her look so pretty! But then she took one look at me and she was a mouse again! She hung herself while I was at the academy the next day. Silly me! I'm getting off track! So anyway, I wanted to have fun like Mama did with Pap to become a genin. I would corner them like the mouse my mama was, let them squeal and scream as I scared them into one spot... The ones who fought back or tried to were always the most fun... I would... I would start with their arms first... to let them know they couldn't fight me forever... I wouldn't let them keep anything above the elbows before I move to their legs... That was to let them know that now that they can't fight me, they can't run from me... The blood... So much bloooood coming from their tiny little bodies... Seeing the life flood out their eyes like the blood... They looked just as pretty as Mama... You'll all look soooo pretty..."

*BAM!* *CRACK!* *CRACK!* *BAM!* *SLAM!* *CRACK!* *BAM!* *BAM!*

Tonpa starts slamming his body against the door when most of the children are already out. When the last one slips through, Naruto shoves Tenten out and doesn't give her the chance to get back in as he shoves the barrel of grain in front of the hole. He turns to face the door just when the paper seals break, letting Tonpa throw the door open. Tonpa seemed angry at first when he saw that all the children he'd been expecting weren't there but could stop the smile on his face at the sight of Naruto back up against the barrel.

"Awww... Did the little ninja think he could trap me?" Tonpa asked amused.

Naruto didn't answer, he just swallowed as much of the fear he could manage, though he knew it still showed. But despite his fear, he was more determined to let Tonpa believe he wasn't just the distraction for Tenten to get those kids to safety.

"That's alright." Tonpa said leisurely approaching closer with his dull hunting knife ready. "You're a fighter but you cornered yourself for me... This'll be fun... Those pretty eyes will look so much more pretty when I'm done... When they tried to kill me for doing what I thought best to become a genin, they thought they could trap me too... The chūnin they sent after me weren't nearly as pretty as the academy students, but they still gave me some fun..."

Tonpa was too busy talking and staring at Naruto's "pretty eyes" to notice Naruto's hand slip behind his back, taking out a kunai and wrapping a paper bomb around the handle.

Tonpa attacked first, slashing towards Naruto's shoulder. Naruto was quick to dodge but struggles to block the next attack and has to jump to the side because Tonpa's just too strong. He dodges left and right but then has no choice but to turn and duck when he's forced into a corner and can't dodge or block. He can't risk the paper bomb getting stuck or smudged before he's ready and he hasn't had the chance to arm himself with a kunai for his left. Naruto is able to partially block the down-slash to his left elbow but his left eye was slashed in the process.

Naruto shouts in pain and palms his eye on impulse. The pain distracted Naruto and Tonpa was able to grab Naruto's left wrist.

/

About three miles away, just on the borders of Benkei Village in a clearing, a sleeping dragon sits up with a jolt and disappears.

/

Tonpa backs up with satisfaction, wanting to take his time, savor the kill, the torture of his latest victim who's fighting more than any of his tougher victims ever have. Tonpa is amused that Naruto is still standing, staring at him with one good eye, his kunai ready now to block another attack defiantly, while blood dripped from his closed left eye and what remained of his left arm, hacked off at shoulder down by his duller hunting knife.

"So lovely... and yet so frail..." Tonpa crooned with stars in his crazed and blood thirsty eyes. "Like a butterfly with a torn wing yet so determined to fly again... You've not graduated academy yet, but still you are sooo... vigorously good with pain..."

He took a taunting step forward and grinned with a light cackle when Naruto flinched back on reflex. Tonpa feigned attacks to make Naruto jumpy and it worked, but Naruto was at least able to duck and roll with the next real attack towards his right. With all his boasting, Tonpa didn't seem to understand he'd given Naruto all he needed to know how to get out of this alive. He would pretend to attack left but because he'd already did what he'd wanted to Naruto's left, he'd really attack Naruto's right.

When Tonpa readied another attack, Naruto took his chance.

The blonde got in close, throwing his kunai into the dirt at Tonpa's feet as a distraction, pulled out a second kunai and stabbed it into Tonpa's wrist of the hand gripping the hunting knife. When Tonpa dropped the knife with a shout of pain, Naruto ducked and grabbed the kunai in the dirt before throwing it into Tonpa's throat just when Tonpa pulled the second kunai from his wrist. With a wet choking gasp, Tonpa grasped his bleeding neck with the kunai still in it so more blood wouldn't flow. His eyes glared down at Naruto with insane rage now. With harsh wet gasps of breath, Tonpa lifted the kunai with a bleeding wordless yell ready to charge at Naruto, when the wall of the former safe house behind Tonpa was blasted off with a flash of bluish white fire like a lightning strike.

Toothless appear between them from where the wall and some of roof used to be, hissing and growling at Tonpa. Naruto decided not to question why or how his dragon had gotten to Benkei but rather just hopped up onto the saddle.

"Go Toothless!" Naruto shouted dazedly.

His will alone is what kept him from passing out in blood loss already.

With that, Toothless took off vertically and when they were high enough, Naruto whispered a breathless, "Boom."

He didn't look back to see the damage done with the answering blast.

Tonpa would've been seriously, if not fatally, injured had the tag been on the wall of the safe house, but the blonde very much doubted he'd survive a paper-bombed kunai to the neck.

But Tonpa must have had his own means of explosives on him because the blast was bigger than it should've been from one paper bomb. The shockwave of the blast sent them higher and lit the leather of Toothless's replacement tale-wing aflame.

Naruto sees this when he finds they weren't flying in control anymore. 'Damn!' He mentally cursed as gravity came into play and Naruto feels himself slipping from the saddle. 'Why didn't I think of making it fireproof?!'

They fell and Toothless is able to turn midair to wrap around Naruto protectively before they crash to the ground.

The last thing Naruto heard before slipping out of consciousness, was Tenten shouting his name.

/

He'd been sent to this village to pick up a new recruit from the cells beneath it, guarded by warrior monks. The recruit had been a bomber for hire in the bandit group attacking Benkei but he was still a missing-nin. He was not told there would be Konoha Anbu here.

He stuck to the shadows, making his way to the cells when Anbu Dog ran right past his hiding place carrying a very familiar blonde boy in his arms in a rush. If that didn't surprise him enough, the dragon wearing a saddle hurriedly following Dog did.

There wasn't any hurry to get Deidara from the village jail cells, not really.

He followed Dog and the dragon to a small medical house and overheard the doctor saying Naruto's eye had to be removed as the damage done was irreparable and that Naruto was just lucky he hadn't died from blood loss after his arm was hacked off.

Naruto could be a ninja just fine with one eye. One arm, however... Naruto was clever, but the council would use it as the perfect excuse to disband Naruto from attending ninja academy any longer. Anyone who knew Naruto knew any and all civilian's would make his life more miserable than it was already if he couldn't be a ninja.

He waited until Naruto was alone before entering... Well almost alone.

Hsss!

And it seemed he wouldn't be alone if the dragon had anything to say about it.

"I won't hurt him." He told the, supposedly extinct, creature. "I want to help him."

Toothless kept his narrowed and thinly slit eyes on the man, but decided to let him be. The man looked over the blonde lying in a hospital bed with a few blood bags hooked up to him for transfusion. Naruto was shirtless and was missing most of his left arm. What was left of if had been bandaged up along with the upper left side of his face. Despite the blonde's most recent horrific encounter, he seemed peaceful.

The man took out a small scroll and unsealed a pair of eyes with a fully developed dojutsu. Shisui made him promise to put his eyes to good use. The man doubted this is what his friend had in mind, but it was as good a use as any.

Using his chakra and Mangekyou Sharingan, he combined the two eyes into one, the power of two as one, and removed the bandaging covering Naruto's empty eye socket.

x

X

WARNING SPOILER ALERT!:

Before some of you curse at my creating yet another fanfic where Naruto has Sharingan, Naruto WILL NOT be having a Sharingan in this story. You will see what happens in the next chapter.