Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor One Piece.

"Talking"

'Thinking'

"Demon talking"

'Demon thinking'

[Time – Place]

THE LEGACY OF THE GREATEST SWORDSMAN

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Chapter 1: The Rebirth

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[Unknown Place]

An expanse of water extended infinitely in all directions. The sky above it had a hue between gray and green without even a cloud, not even the sun or the moon were present, yet light wasn't still lacking. The only particular elements of such a surreal environment were iron pillars that rose to the sky and into the depths of the surface of the water, vanishing into the darkness. However, among that infinite set of pillars, there was also a gate constructed in the same way but with thinner metal bars and the kanji for seal positioned at the center of the gate on a large sheet of paper.

A sudden movement shook the water, creating concentric waves whose origin was behind the gate and that source was the huge body of a nine-tailed fox, currently lying with the two front paws crossed under the muzzle. One of its long tails moved slowly, shaking the water again. Despite the apparent depth of that ocean, its body did not seem to sink for more than a few inches, as if there was a sea bottom.

In all its majesty, the legendary and feared Kyuubi no Yoko yawned loudly, showing its long line of sharp fangs. Its eyes slowly opened, looking at the ocean in front of it from right to left and from left to right for a couple of times. When it finished what had become its daily routine, the Kyuubi closed its eyes again.

'And even today nothing happened...' thought the beast with a mental sigh. Nothing new under the sun. After all the situation had been the same for six years now, since it had been sealed inside the body of a newborn baby named Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze, even though the second clan name was still a secret in the village where he lived.

'Well...not always the same...' mentally added the giant fox. At first, for the first three years of its new imprisonment, the world around it did not present anything at all. Nothing at all. Only a boundless white expanse and the ever-present iron bars along with the gate representing the seal that kept it sealed inside the young baby. Then something started to change. The 'sky' has become gray and green and the 'floor' has begun to flood in a few months. Over the years, the situation has worsened to the present situation. The Kyuubi almost missed the white nothing.

'It does not surprise me since the kit is spending his life in the most total solitude. I guess that three people can not fully fill his life.' the fox mentally groaned while cursing its wet fur 'I only hope that the situation does not get worse...the last thing I need is that this place turns into a sewer...'

Its thoughts were interrupted by a slight, almost imperceptible movement of water in front of the gate, albeit very far from it. The huge creature opened its eyes, curious about that change. There was nothing in Naruto's mindscape and the Kyuubi was the only occupant of the seal so the desire to know what had shaken the water was almost palpable.

After a few seconds the Kyuubi saw it.

There, a few miles away, the fox could distinctly see a black dot moving towards the gate.

'It is not the kit, I would have felt his presence...' thought the Kyuubi arching an eyebrow while remaining silent, still looking at that black dot. Its muzzle did not change for several minutes until the dot became bigger and more visible. It raised the other eyebrow at seeing that thing coming closer. Strange to say but the Kyuubi seemed to see a black platform with a cross stuck on it.

'What the hell...?'

After a few seconds, its eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

Now that the foreign object was closer, the Kyuubi could see it clearly and actually there was a large silver cross but it was not a simple cross, but the mast of a small boat with black sails. The boat itself had the shape of a coffin and on its sides there were two large white candles whose flames were not yellow or orange, but green. On the inside of the boat there was a wooden block where the mast was set and, at the tip of that block, there was a man sitting with his right leg above the left hand and the hands closed on his knee. Behind him there was another cross and his large black hat was inclined forward, shadowing his face.

The fox continued to look at the stranger until his boat stopped by itself a few yards from the gate. Moments of silence followed its stop, until the man looked up and the Kyuubi could not suppress a shiver down its spine.

His gaze was a thousand times more penetrating than Madara's own, and even its father's eyes were not so threatening. His eyes were divided into two parts. Around the pupil were yellow as the sun, while around that part there was a yellow circle of a darker shade. The Kyuubi could not help but think to the eyes of a hawk...except that his were much colder and focused.

"Who are you human?" asked the Kyuubi after taking a look at his strange clothing, black hair and short beard with mustache.

The man, who probably was in his late forty, simply looked at the beast for several seconds before saying "Dracule Mihawk, also known as the Greatest Swordsman of the World."

"Such a powerful title..." mused the Kyuubi looking at him "I'm the Kyuubi no Yoko, the strongest among the nine Bijuu."

Mihawk didn't even blink at that, looking at the iron bars of the gate "You're in a cage, a strange cage if I may. I've never seen something like this during my time."

The fox narrowed its eyes with annoyance before using one of its tails to point at the endless ocean "Yes, this is actually a seal. We're inside the body of a young boy, in his mind to be precise. I've been sealed inside of him shortly after his birth." the Kyuubi then pointed at him using the same tail "However this is the first time I see another entity in his mindscape and I have never heard of you in spite of your title."

"It must have been a long time since my death. Before my last moments, the Navy still ruled over the seas and only two of the four Yonko were still alive. I was one of the last three members of the Shichibukai." said Mihawk looking at the ocean.

"Never heard of them...probably you belong to an era prior to the birth of my father, the Rikudō Sennin." hypothesized the Kyuubi, now more curious about his past life but before that, there was a simply question in its mind "You're dead...so why are you here right now?"

"Did you say we're inside a young boy?" asked Mihawk and the Kyuubi nodded.

"This place is his mindscape, his mind if you want. It can change with his mentality and the emotions he experiences. Right now it's empty just like his life."

The swordsman looked again at the ocean with his face carved in the rock.

"You don't seem very affected by my words."

"I've seen many things during my time. While a huge nine-tailed fox and this place may be somewhat new to me, I can clearly feel the solitude of this boy. I can almost see his empty eyes." explained Mihawk having seen many dead eyes during his travels by sea.

"You have not answered my question." said the Kyuubi arching an eyebrow and this time the man looked back at the fox.

"Right now I can not feel my soul, not completely at least, but I perceive a fragment of it in this young boy. I think he's somehow related to me."

"A descendant?" the Kyuubi would not be surprised to find that Mihawk was an ancestor of Kushina, after all she was also a skilled swordswoman.

"No, I never had children so he does not have my blood, only a fragment of my soul." said Mihawk while thinking at a solution for his question.

"Ah I get it...a reincarnation." mused the Kyuubi with a little grin "I'm not new with this phenomenon. My father is the one who created me but he had two children who inherited almost all of his power, albeit a bit each. After their death, I saw with my eyes their return in the form of reincarnations." the fox then thought back at Indra and Asura and their first reincarnations, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.

"Interesting. So this child is my reincarnation..." said Mihawk looking at the seal for a brief moment "Can I talk to him?"

The Kyuubi nodded "Yes, but not now. The kit never came here and currently does not have the patience or the mentality to do so, that's why tonight when he gets to sleep I'll pull him in here."

"I see. In that case I'll simply wait." said Mihawk before lowering his head, falling asleep almost immediately with the arms crossed over his chest.

The Kyuubi could only sweatdrop at that 'Is he really the greatest swordsman of the world...?'

[That evening – Streets of Konoha]

Naruto had not had a good day. Hell, none of his days could be considered good. Every morning he got up from the bed hoping to have a better day than the previous one. Sometimes his prayers were heard but they were limited to a visit by the Hokage, which lasted two hours at most, or a free meal at the Ichiraku Ramen, although after a few hours his stomach was empty again.

In his mind, he was simply destined to pass a life of solitude without any kind of joy. He did not have a family or friends and all the villagers, whether they were ordinary civilians or ninja, ignored him completely. Obviously at first he had not paid too much attention to them, having remained in the orphanage for the first four years of his life. Everything had changed when the matron of the orphanage had thrown him out of the building and the Hokage had procured him an old apartment.

Fortunately he did not have to worry too much about money. The Hokage, whom he called Jiji, paid bills the for light, water, and gas, even though Naruto used them little, and every month the old man gave him a pocket money to buy something. Naruto appreciated it a lot but the money that would have been enough for one month would always end in one or two weeks due to the exorbitant prices that the shopkeepers forced him to pay. Many times they even sold to him expired food but he never complained about it, not verbally at least. It was enough for him the first time when a merchant had chased him with a wood bat threatening him to never approach his shop again.

On the front of friends the situation was even worse. No one wanted to play with him, or at least some children were tempted to play with him but their parents were always present and never allowed him to get close. The adults looked at him with hateful looks and murmured words behind him. Luckily he did not know the meaning of all those words but the effect was still the same.

He was alone.

Of course, there were people who treated him as a simple human being, but he could count the number on the fingers of a hand, without using them all. Besides, they could not always be present. The Hokage had to govern the village while Ayame and Teuchi had to look after their ramen stand.

With a loud sigh, he walked into his apartment ignoring the new graffiti on the door and went straight to the bedroom. Today he was more tired than normal. Having found no one to play with, he had decided to train a bit so that he could improve even during the spar matches at the academy.

The ninja academy, another sore button. Although it had only begun a few weeks ago, he had already figured out the situation. The teachers ignored him as everyone and his peers tried to avoid him as if he was a disease. The only moment he could hope for to have human contact of some sort was during those spar matches but he lost each time because their teacher always put him against the best in the class, Uchiha Sasuke, or against the children anxious to beat him so as to prove themselves superior such as, for example, that annoying child with the dog, Inuzuka Kiba.

With another sigh, he flopped down on his bed, slipping quickly into a light sleep, unaware that a certain fox was waiting for that moment to change forever his destiny.

[Naruto's Mindscape]

"He's here." boomed a deep voice, waking him up suddenly.

Naruto panicked immediately after feeling the water around him but after a few seconds he calmed down, noticing he was sinking or drowning. However the panic returned even stronger as soon as he saw the huge fox with nine tails a few feet away from him, albeit with a gate between them.

"Now I can understand why I appeared here in addition to the presence of the fragment of my soul. Despite his terrified look I can see a burning flame in his eyes." said a male voice to his left and, upon turning in that direction, Naruto couldn't help but shiver after seeing the eyes of that man with a huge black sword similar to a cross on his back.

"W-who are...y-you...?" asked Naruto looking at the two of them with a scared face but while the man stood impassive, the giant fox grinned at him.

"Oh I missed that look so much...you learn to appreciate little things only after having lost them for years." chuckled the Kyuubi before changing its voice in a more serious tone "To answer your question kit, I am the Kyuubi no Yoko."

Naruto widened is eyes in utter shock "The K-Kyuubi...?! But...but Jiji said...!"

"That the Kyuubi was killed by the Yondaime Hokage. Unfortunately for you, I am a being made entirely of chakra and therefore I can not be killed. Not by traditional methods at least. That night six years ago, I was released from my previous jail but then the Yondaime Hokage, by sacrificing his life, sealed me again in a newborn's body." the giant beast pointed at him with a tail "You."

The young blond stared at the fox with an incredulous look and trembling lips "W-w-why?! Why did he use me?!"

"It does not surprise me. He had been infected by his wife, my previous jail, whose clan put the family in front of everything. Probably the Yondaime thought that only his son could take on such a burden." said the Kyuubi with a calm voice as if talking about the weather before grinning at his stunned face.

"His...son...?"

"Yes kit, you're the son of the Yondaime Hokage, the famous Namikaze Minato. That means that your mother, Uzumaki Kushina, was my previous jail, as well as wife of the Yondaime." explained the fox with the grin still visible. Meanwhile, Mihawk could not help but think to a young pirate with a straw hat whose whole family, both real and foster, was made up of very important people in the world of the past, both positively and negatively. Mostly negatively.

"B-but then why the villagers treat me like that?!" shouted Naruto with tears in his eyes "If I'm the son of a Hokage I should at least acknowledged!"

"The reason is in front of you. All those fools believe that you are me when in fact I'm 'simply' inside you." said the fox using two tails for air quotes at the word 'simply' "If they discovered the truth they would probably deny the evidence."

"But...but that's not fair!"

"Welcome to the real world kit! Life is never fair, I am a more than clear evidence." chuckled the Kyuubi with its grin in full show "But enough of me, there's someone who wants to talk to you." and one of its tail pointed at the swordsman who was silently looking at them. Naruto shivered again under the man's eyes, and to say that he was getting used to the presence of the Kyuubi.

"Hello young boy. I'm Dracule Mihawk, the one who was once known as the 'Greatest Swordsman of the World'." said the man without blinking and Naruto gulped at the sudden pressure in the air. Who the hell was this guy? He was much scarier than the Kyuubi.

"T-the greatest...?" repeated Naruto slowly understanding the meaning of those words.

"Yes, even though it's been a long time since my death and now that title is lost if what the Kyuubi told me is correct." said Mihawk since, during the waiting, the fox had told him some things about that world and the swordsman had remained, despite not showing it, surprised by the changes. Gone were the Navy, the World Government and the Revolutionary Army while the pirates, albeit still existing, had fallen in number and the Devil Fruits no longer existed. The last of them, according to the Kyuubi's memories, had been eaten by the Rikudō Sennin's mother even though the fox did not know if it was actually a so-called Devil Fruit. The only thing that had vaguely attracted his interest was the mention of a group of seven swordsmen called Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū, where each one of the seven swordsmen possessed a legendary sword. After hearing their story, Mihawk thought to the Shichibukai despite the fact that the two groups had a completely different structure and way of acting.

"You're dead...? Why are you here then?" asked Naruto now more calm despite the light pressure.

"Because you're my reincarnation. I don't know how this thing works but I can feel a fragment of my soul inside of you." explained Mihawk with his impassive face "If this is true then you're the one who will bring back to light the title of 'Greatest Swordsman of the World' and I'm here to make it happen."

"Really?!" now Naruto had an excited face with stars around his eyes "Do you mean that I'll become the greatest?!"

"Yes. The path in front of you will be far from easy and you will have to face numerous and strong opponents but remember, this is not the path of a ninja but a swordsman, a path carved into honor and mastery with your sword. Are you really willing to follow this path?"

Naruto closed his mouth looking at the water under him. The path of a swordsman wasn't the path of a ninja so perhaps he would be unable to become Hokage...but he could become the greatest. Someone stronger than the Hokage himself.

Straightening his back, Naruto looked at the swordsman straight in his eyes, trying to master as much security as possible "I'll do it. I'll become the greatest swordsman of the world and with that power I will protect the people I love."

"Are you sure? People will try to hurt you by killing your loved ones." said Mihawk without missing a beat.

"One more reason to become the greatest! If I become the greatest swordsman no one can hurt those I care about!" almost shouted Naruto before closing again his mouth, hoping not to have offended Mihawk.

'What a strong heart...I haven't seen anyone like him for a long time.' thought Mihawk before asking "So that means that you're ready to die?"

Naruto widened his eyes in surprise while the Kyuubi merely arched an eyebrow.

"If you really want to become the greatest then you need to die first and I'll kill you with my own hands." said Mihawk narrowing a bit his eyes. Naruto began to tremble at the prospect of dying but after shaking hard his head, he nodded only once. The swordsman nodded in turn and, with only a fluid movement of his arm, drew his long black sword that sent a shiver long the spine of Naruto.

"You can choose. I can hit you on your chest or on your back."

"Will there be a scar?" asked Naruto without thinking and Mihawk nodded. After a moment, the young blond gulped "Once Jiji told me that the most famous swordsmen are the samurai and they fight face to face with their enemy. If I had a scar on my back it would mean that I ran away from the enemy and that's not what the strongest do!"

For the first time since is arrival, Mihawk grinned recalling the words of a young swordsman with green hair.

'Scars on the back are a swordsman's shame...'

'Admirable...just like him.' thought Mihawk still smirking before raising his sword toward the sky. Even the Kyuubi held its breath. The fox knew how reincarnations worked and this was certainly not the right way.

Without saying anything, Mihawk dropped a violent vertical slash until the blade was just an inch from the water. Behind Naruto, almost immediately, a long cut opened in the ocean for miles and miles, shaking the water like a storm but the blond wasn't even scratched by that blow, confusing him.

"You're my reincarnation and this is my sword, Yoru, which means that it's is your sword too. It never would hurt his master in this way." explained Mihawk before turning the blade in his hand into a reverse grip "Young boy, you have shown a strong heart but never throw away your life like this. There will always be a way to overcome the challenges you will face, you just have to find out how." after a couple of seconds, his face became even more serious.

"My name is Dracule Mihawk! Learn about yourself! Learn about the world! And become strong! No matter how many years it takes, I will hold this seat of the strongest and wait for you. Surpass this sword! Try to surpass me Uzumaki Naruto!" Mihawk then lowered the blade "Now, grab the hilt of Yoru and accept your new destiny."

Naruto silently watched the man in front of him and then the sword. Slowly but with determination he reached the hilt with one hand and then gripped it tightly. A moment later, a blinding purple light illuminated the entire ocean, forcing the fox to cover its eyes with a paw. The glow lasted only for a few seconds and, when the fox turned its eyes to the spot where the two humans were, raised both eyebrows, looking in slightly awe at the change.

Mihawk was nowhere to be seen and the same could be said for Yoru while Naruto was still there although now he was definitely different.

The young boy had undergone a growth spurt, growing by several inches and all the baby fat was now gone, replaced by light muscles over his body, obviously nothing exaggerated or vaguely impressive but it was still a step forward for him. His blonde hair was now completely pulled back and his sideburns were now longer and defined, pointing upward while his whiskers marks were clearly more visible. The last change, the most notable, were his yellow eyes now perfectly identical to those of Mihawk, including the cold chill that the fox could not suppress.

"How are you feeling kit?" asked the Kyuubi still looking impressed by the changes.

"I'm fine...in fact I never felt better." said Naruto with a calm voice while his face was almost the same of Mihawk, carved in the stone. He then looked at the surrounding ocean and asked "Kyuubi, this place is my mind right?"

"Yes, why?" asked back the fox now seeing a more smarter version of its young jail.

"I think it's time to change a bit the view." said Naruto before closing his eyes. The Kyuubi could only gape as the ocean split literally into two and an enormous island emerged in a few moments as the clouds of the sky became black and purple. The metal bars that represented the seal vanished into nothingness, and in a few minutes Naruto found himself in front of an ancient castle in the middle of the island. The building was surrounded by a huge forest and many ruins which, however, were not visible due to a dense violet fog. Although Naruto had never seen it in person, the image of Kuraigana Island was still vivid in his mind which now also housed the memories of Mihawk.

"Can I ask you something?" asked a new, calm female voice behind him and Naruto already knew who she was, thanks to the aura generated by the girl behind him.

"What Kyuubi?"

"I have to say this place is not bad at all. A bit lugubrious but at least it's better than an immense ocean. What I wanted to ask is...WHAT THE HELL ARE THESE?!" shouted the Kyuubi at top of her lungs.

Naruto turned on his heels just to see a young woman in her early twenties with red hair styled in long curls and the eyes of the same color which were focused on his form. The now human Kyuubi was wearing a long black gothic lolita dress with red boots, a large black hat and a red umbrella with two little horns and two eyes that were drawn on it. The particular thing was a patched fox-shaped plush that she was holding with her right arm and on its belly there was the seal of the Shinigami.

Naruto looked at her for a full minute before saying "Clothes."

"I can see that! What I want to know is...WHY THESE CLOTHES?!" shouted the Kyuubi throwing away the umbrella "Why an umbrella?! It's not even raining!"

"U-ghyo?"

The Kyuubi went immediately silent after hearing that strange sound behind her and turning very slowly, she saw a pack of huge mandrills which where looking at her and one of them was holding her umbrella just like her before throwing it away in the same way.

"W-what the hell are those monkeys...?"

"Humandrills." was the quick answer and Naruto showed a little smile "They were the only inhabitants of this island with Mihawk and Perona, the girl who wore that kind of dress."

"Mh...so what, are you trying to recreate his home?" asked Kyuubi looking at the Humandrills which were shouting something while swaying in the air their weapons.

"More or less." admitted Naruto looking at the building while thinking back at when he was Dracule Mihawk, one of the Shichibukai and the Greatest Swordsman of the World.

The Kyuubi looked down at her ample chest that was put in full show thanks to the dress and a small toothy smirk found its way on her lips "Oh are you sure that these were her clothes and not one of your dirty fantasies?"

Naruto looked at her, noting that she was leaning forward just to show her bosom, and said "Yes." without missing a beat.

The former fox looked at him for a second with a deadpanned face 'I already miss his old personality...'

"By the way Kyuubi, how should I call you?" asked then Naruto surprising her "Kyuubi sounds like a title or something like that."

"That's right, 'Kyuubi no Yoko' is just a mere title but my real name is sacred to me. I can't simply say it to you like this." explained the woman walking toward the castle.

"I see. Then you can call me 'The Future Greatest Swordsman of the World' when you're addressing me." said Naruto freezing her on the spot.

"And why should I do that kit?" asked the Kyuubi whit narrowed eyes.

"A title for a title. You already know my name so..." answered the reincarnation of Mihawk with his calm face.

The woman glared at him before sighing "Kurama. My name's Kurama." and she walked away toward the castle.

"Kurama...I'll remember it." nodded Naruto before materializing a katana in his right hand as the Humandrills where approaching him "Now, I think it's time to remove the rust from the sword." and with a little grin he charged against the beasts which mimicked him at the same moment.

[The next day – Hokage's Office]

Hiruzen cursed under his breath looking at the mountain of papers to sign on his desk. Why did he, the Sandaime Hokage, the student of the first two Hokage, the Professor, the God of Shinobi, have to spend most of his day locked in his office to sign unnecessary papers?

'New shopping center? Repairs for the kennel? A bigger spa center?' Hiruzen read quickly before ripping apart those papers 'These are no problems for a hidden village...I feel almost inclined to hope for a new war so that the routine changes a bit...' after a couple of seconds he sighed while rubbing his eyes 'By Kami, for a moment I sounded like Danzo. I really need a break from this curse.'

"Hokage-sama, there's one Uzumaki Naruto here for you...should I send him in?" asked his secretary through the intercom on his desk and Hiruzen could almost touch the nervousness in her voice.

'Naruto-kun is here? He should be at the academy...' thought Hiruzen before pressing a button "Yes, send him in. I'll talk with him immediately."

After a couple of minutes, someone knocked at the door an after a firm "Enter." the door went open and the Sandaime had to suppress the strong desire to shiver after seeing who was at the doorstep.

"Hokage-sama." said Naruto with a bow before entering in the office with a calm pace.

The Sandaime could only gape at this. Naruto always called him 'Jiji' and had never shown such a fairness in the way of walking and referring to someone. Obviously the innumerable changes of his body had been noticed but only his eyes had really caught the attention of the old man who thought almost immediately at the eyes of a hawk.

"Naruto-kun...?" asked Hiruzen while he could feel the confusion in his hidden ANBU who were looking at the young kid now sitting in front of their leader.

"Yes." nodded the blond "I came here to discuss something important. I hope not to interrupt your work."

Hiruzen spared a side glance to the mountain of paperwork.

"Of course not Naruto-kun!" he quickly said with a smile before turning serious again "But I'd like to ask...what happened to you and your eyes more specifically?"

"My changes fall into what I wanted to talk to you, but for this information I have to receive something in return. An exchange of information if you want." explained Naruto still remaining calm while Hiruzen narrowed his eyes.

'His voice is the same but then again his whole body is different and he is much calmer than usual. I can feel his chakra and that shouldn't be possible, they haven't reached that point yet at the academy...' thought Hiruzen before asking "What kind of information would you like to receive?"

"Actually I have already inferred that information but I would like to have a confirmation on why I was never told that I am the son of Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage, and Uzumaki Kushina, the previous Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi." said Naruto with his calm voice freezing Hiruzen and the ANBU.

"H-how...?"

"The Kyuubi." was the quick response "I met the fox last night in my mindscape where it explained some things to me, and this morning it also helped me to unlock my chakra."

Hiruzen stared at him in silence for several seconds before moving his hand in a silent signal. Soon after, the hidden ANBU left the room and Hiruzen used activated several seals in the office to have some privacy with the young blond.

"Okay Naruto, I'll explain everything now but please you've to understand that I did not do what I did for pleasure." said Hiruzen and Naruto simply nodded, allowing him to continue "As you already know, those two famous ninja were your parents. If they were just two simple ninja died during the Kyuubi attack, I would not have hesitate a second to tell you who they were but unfortunately their fame was at the same level with their infamy in other villages, especially your father's with Iwa. As you probably already know, the village treats you horribly because of the fox sealed inside you and for this reason there are not many ninja willing to protect you in the event of an attack. If I had announced who your parents were, perhaps more ninja would have been willing to protect you but I would also have drawn a huge target on your back and in the world we live in, there are really few people who would stop in front of a child. Iwa and Kumo, and maybe even Kiri, would not have hesitate to send assassins to kill you."

"I can understand Iwa due to my father's infamous name during the Third Shinobi World War and the Kyuubi told me that Kumo tried to kidnap my mother...but what about Kiri?" asked Naruto raising an eyebrow when Hiruzen smiled nervously at him.

"During her first year as a jonin she practically humiliated the generation of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū of those years. Some of their members have survived and their successors still have a certain desire for revenge against her."

'So my mother was also a skilled swordswoman...interesting.'

'Yes, you can say that. She was for the most a heavy hitter with her chains and jutsu but she was also a deadly swordswoman.' said Kurama in his mind while flying over the castle. Naruto had given her the ability to fly just like Perona and the fox really appreciated that little gift, it was really fun!

"There, I explained everything and I still hope that you'll forgive my foolish actions regarding you." said Hiruzen looking at the young boy with an anxious look.

"No need to worry Hokage-sama, I can understand you reasons even if I had to live alone during these years..." said Naruto with his calm voice without any emotion on his face. Immediately afterwards he began to explain what had happened that night, telling him about Mihawk, their merging and his new goal. In the end, Hiruzen was gaping at him with wide open eyes.

"That's...that's a lot to digest. If it was not for your appearance and for your new knowledge I would come to think of an excessive use of alcohol or drugs..." deadpanned Hiruzen still looking at the young blond who merely shrugged.

"I may have a desire for a good red wine right now but you can be sure that I will not take drugs." said Naruto without blinking. The merging with Mihawk had awakened in him new desires and now he was much more inclined to make a nap than to think of a new prank.

"I see...well I must ask, what are you going to do now?" asked Hiruzen with concern in his voice.

"I'll remain in the shadow for several years while training my body and mind to become the Greatest Swordsman in the World, however I'd like to have the access to the bank account of my parents. I need some money for a project." explained Naruto.

"Oh? What kind of project?" asked Hiruzen who was now unnerved by the little grin on the face of his surrogate grandson.

"A sword." was the simple answer and in that moment Hiruzen could not know, but that sword would have become the first milestone on the path that Naruto had undertaken.

The path of the Greatest.

TO BE CONTINUED...

End of the first chapter!

So, how was it? Good? Bad? Meh? Let me know!

This story is a challenge of The Sith'ari and on his profile you can find A LOT of challenges!

As you can see, Naruto and Mihawk have merged and now our favorite blond is on his way to become the Greatest Swordsman of the World! I do not know if I will insert other elements from One Piece but you will see it in time.

That's all for now!

Have a good morning/afternoon/evening/night!