Sorry for the lateness of the chapter here. I had problems writing my Mass Effect chapter, and with the craziness going on, I had some motivation problems. But I have gotten back on track, and I hope you all will enjoy this chapter. And I hope you all are keeping safe right now.

RagingStar19: Hopefully, things will calm down soon.

LR: Not likely. Too much is going on right now, thanks to a mixture of the virus and people exploding over practically anything going on. In some cases it is justified, in other cases, far from it. Not to mention people in power continually caving to the shrieking of a tiny minority who aren't actually doing a damn thing to help the world, and just want to force everyone to think like they do. *glares in the direction of a certain social media site*

Diehard NaruHina LeafRanger: You're a right ball of sunshine, aren't you?

LR: I'm just so damn annoyed people continually listen to Twitter like it somehow actually represents the majority of the world, when it probably, at best, represents a sliver of the world's population. You know how many adults in the United States use Twitter daily? Somewhere between 2-4%. The rest of the population? Barely uses it or doesn't use it at all. *shakes head* It's a site that was supposed to be about communicating with each other, not dictating social and political policies for the rest of the world. I'm thrilled I never bothered to get into that crap. *moodily glares out the window*

Diehard LeafTayu LeafRanger: You need to cheer up. I know what will help you.

LR: What-*is suddenly drenched in water*

DLTLR: CHEER UP ALREADY! NOW GET TO THE STORY! *Blows a horn in my face before running off*

LR: ….I need a towel. *is pouting as I drip water everywhere before shaking my head* So a few reviews to reply to before I get going. To guest reviewer WearyCurmudgeon, thanks for your review. Sadly there is so much there that I can't really address it all here. I did enjoy your thoughts, and thank you for your info and input.

To guest reviewer puppy, glad you're enjoying the fanfic, and sorry you can't get ice cream.

To guest reviewer NJred2000, I have seen the new trailer for Assassin's Creed: Valhalla and read about it in the latest issue of GameInformer. I am quite excited for the game, as it does look quite amazing so far. But with regards to having someone use an ax, or that style of hidden blade, I cannot say at this time. I hadn't given it much thought yet. Guess we'll see in time.

Lastly, I was recently approached by storyreader21 with a fanfic challenge. I sadly cannot take it at this time, between my own writing and other issues. However, I am advertising here for it. It is a Naruto fanfic, with NaruHina pairing, that involves the two of them fusing. If you're interested in writing it, please contact them for more details.

Sorry for the rant here, but honestly…needed to get it off my chest. And now on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Assassin's Creed. They are the properties of Masashi Kishimoto and Ubisoft respectively. This is a work of non-profit fan-made fiction. Please support the official releases.

Chapter 46

A Close Call

"You're sure she was watching us?" Naruto asked Tomo, who nodded eagerly as he sat before the blonde-haired assassin and Jiraiya. The trio was currently back in their hotel room after the young fennec fox summon had returned to them with news of their unknown watcher.

"Definitely! She was watching all of you before disappearing. She definitely was a kunoichi, though I didn't see any sign of a village emblem on her," Tomo told them, looking from Naruto to Jiraiya. Naruto glanced at the old sannin as well, seeing the man looking pensive.

"Hmmm…she could be a bounty hunter here to collect a debt off of Tsunade," Jiraiya mused, leaning back in his chair while thinking. "She could also be an agent from another village, here to try and either recruit or remove her entirely."

"Should we tell Tsunade-san?" Naruto asked him, causing Jiraiya to look at the ceiling before nodding in agreement.

"If they're after her, we'll definitely want to make sure she knows about it. Might help persuade her to be more reasonable about coming back to Konoha. I doubt she'll be too happy if you win that bet," he said, causing Naruto to smirk.

"C'mon ero-sennin, nothing's going to happen. I'll be fine," he said, only for Jiraiya to shake his head.

"You're tempting fate far too much here, kid. Just be careful," Jiraiya said in a warning tone, standing up. "In the meantime, I'll go find Tsunade. You stay here and practice your fuinjutsu," he ordered before heading out the door.

Naruto just sighed as he reached into his supply pouch, pulling out a storage scroll and quickly summoning out the supplies he needed. Having mastered the basics of storage seals and even regular explosive seals, he recently started to learn more intermediate level seals, such as paralysis, chakra sealing and other average security seals.

He smiled as Tomo hopped up onto the table next to him, sitting down as he watched Naruto carefully studying a sealing array in one of the books Jiraiya had given him. "What is this nii-san?" He asked curiously, tilting his head.

Naruto smiled at the small fox. "Fuinjutsu. I've been studying all about it since my mom's clan was famous for their in-depth knowledge and use of seals. They're incredibly handy if you know what you're doing."

Tomo nodded at that, before looking down at the scroll Naruto was studying. "…what can they do?" He asked.

Naruto looked up again, pausing in thought before answering. "Well, all kinds of things. You saw me pull stuff out of that one scroll, which is a storage seal. You can make bombs, use them to make locks and stuff, use them to stop people or capture them. Gravity seals let you increase the weight of something. And then there are even more powerful things. Like the one on me, that my dad used to seal the Kyuubi in me," he said, only to hear a growl inside his head.

Tomo nodded at that. "So, you want to learn all about that stuff?" He asked.

"Yeah. Plus…well…I can maybe learn how to…well how to help Hinata-chan, since…she has a problem with a seal," Naruto said. His voice dropped off a bit as he looked down, remembering the day his first human friend was sealed and exiled by her clan. Shaking his head, he focused on his work. "If I can help her get rid of it, then I'm going to," he added.

Tomo growled softly, remembering seeing Hinata upset but not ever really understanding why. It didn't matter much to him though, the mere fact that she had been upset was enough to make him angry. "How can I help?" He asked.

Naruto smiled, reaching out to gently scratch Tomo's head. "At the moment, there's nothing really you can do. But I'll let you know otherwise," he said as Tomo rubbed his head against Naruto's hand, enjoying the head-scratching. He then focused on the scroll, feeling new determination in him.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya shook his head as he entered one of the town's gambling dens, finding Tsunade glaring spitefully at a set of dice in front of her. In contrast, the man opposite her grinned, counting up the money he won. She just growled as she stood up to leave, Shizune following her with a somewhat comical depressed look on her face. It was understandable given how she just witnessed most of the money Tsunade had won recently be lost in yet another one of her sensei's losing streaks.

Jiraiya chuckled as the pair moved past him. "Nice to see some things don't change," he said, moving with them.

"Shut up, pervert," Tsunade snapped at him, storming off with Shizune on tow, the woman struggling to keep up while carrying Tonton. Jiraiya just shook his head before catching up to them, growing more serious.

"I need to ask you two something. Someone watching us earlier today when you handed the necklace to the kid. A kunoichi with no village markings. You two wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" He asked them.

Tsunade slowed down, looking a bit confused as well as annoyed. "Hard for me to say if all you've got is they were a kunoichi," she said.

"Blue spiky hair in a ponytail, green kimono, rope belt," he said, watching them carefully as he described her. Tsunade didn't give away anything, but he did see the slight flinch from Shizune as he described the kunoichi. 'Bingo,' he thought, realizing they knew about her.

"…no idea. Haven't seen anyone like that," Tsunade said with a shrug. As she turned, she gave Shizune a quick look, one that immediately silenced the younger woman from speaking up.

Jiraiya mentally sighed, realizing something was going on here. "Well, keep an eye out for them. She's probably a bounty hunter or debt collector, but you can never be too careful," he warned them. "Course if they are a debt collector, I could pay them off for you-," he started to say, only to stop as Tsunade glared at him.

"Like I want to be in debt to you, pervert. You'd probably force me to strip naked for you or something," she growled, one fist clenched.

"Tsunade-chan, perish the thought! I'd simply make you pose in a cute skimpy outfit for me is all," Jiraiya said with a chuckle, barely dodging the fist from Tsunade. The blonde sannin growled at him, eyebrow twitching before she turned away. Jiraiya kept up his smile, even as mentally, he tried to figure out who this woman could be.

It was apparent that if Shizune and Tsunade knew who she was, she wasn't a bounty hunter or debt collector. They would have already left or paid her off. She was something else, something that they didn't want to share with Jiraiya. He would need to try and find out more, most likely from the source itself. Letting out a mental sigh he, simply followed the two women, finding this whole situation to be getting worse and worse.

Elsewhere, Guren was kneeling before Orochimaru as the rogue sannin stared out the window of the room. "How unfortunate. It seems Tsunade-chan has gone and let her temper get the better of her," he said, turning to Guren. "The bet is for one week?"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. The boy stated he would wear the necklace for one week. If he survived, he would return it to her, and she would go back to Konoha," she said, head bowed.

"Hmmmm…then we might need to…rig the bet in our favor. I might need you to kill the genin after all, Guren-chan," he said with a smile, as Guren looked up.

"Command me, and he shall die," she said, eager to prove herself to her master.

"When the time is right, my dear…when the time is right," he said with a smile, moving away from the window. "Return to your duties. Oh, and….find a suitable specimen for me to use. I need to provide Tsunade-chan with…'incentive' to join me," he said, as Guren nodded and quickly left the room.

Hyuuga Compound

Neji did his best not to show any emotion as he shakily returned to his feet, feeling the dull throb of residual pain left over by the use of the Caged Bird Seal. Shortly after his return from training with his teammates, one of the elders had seen fit to 'remind' him of his failure against Hinata. He slowly made his way to his quarters, intent on getting some fresh clothes before cleaning himself up while struggling to keep his rage and frustration in check. He had several years of practice at hiding his real emotions, as it was a necessary skill for survival as a member of the Branch family in the Hyuuga clan.

Slowly sliding the door to his room open, he stopped as he saw a small envelope on his futon, with a scroll laid near it. Slowly approaching, he took the envelope first, opening it and finding a simple note inside.

"The scroll is your father's final letter to you, which was supposed to be given to you when you were ready to read it. Certain elements within the clan would have denied you this to try and maintain control over you. I feel otherwise. Do not let anyone know of this for your safety."

His eyes widened in surprise, looking at the scroll. This had to be a mistake. A cruel joke someone was playing on him. If this was a letter from his father, why was it only being given to him now? Neji trembled as he stared at it, unable to decide if he wanted to believe it was from his father and read it or if he would deny it and toss it aside. A trembling hand slowly reached out to it, stopping briefly before finally grabbing it. Sitting on the floor, he opened it and slowly began to read the words within.

"My son…I cannot tell you how painful it is for me to write this letter. To know that I will not be able to watch you grow into the fine man and shinobi I know you will be one day. I am sorry, Neji, for not being there for you. I am sorry that I must leave you alone in this world. But I have a duty as a shinobi of Konoha…and as a brother, uncle, and father. I want you to understand what happened, Neji. When Kumo demanded that Hiashi be handed over for killing their ambassador, the Elders decided that for the benefit of the clan and village, I should be sent in his place. As his identical twin, I could pass as him. I know you might think that I had no choice in the matter. That I was forced to go, at the orders of the clan. The truth, though, Neji, is that I chose to go. I will admit, I would have preferred to not die, to stay and watch over you. But as I said before, I have a duty. As a shinobi of Konoha, I must do what I can to protect the village, even if it means I must die. Because every shinobi is sworn to protect their home and the people within. As a brother…I chose to protect Hiashi, to save him from the fate that Kumo demanded. As an uncle…I protect Hinata from losing her father. And as a father myself…I made this choice so that you would not have to grow up in a village at war. I am sorry if you cannot understand my choices, son. I am sorry if all I have done is filled you with anger and hate at me not being there for you. I just hope that, in time, you can understand why I did what I did. Just know that no matter what…I am watching over you, my son. Love, your father."

Neji trembled as he finished reading the scroll, the material shaking in his hands. He could not begin to describe the emotions welling up in him as he struggled with them, struggled with the reaction to his father's words. Disbelief, anger, sadness, confusion, joy, guilt, and more raged within him as he dropped the scroll, staring blankly in the space it had occupied. It took him some time to realize his vision was blurred, and more to realize it was from tears welling up in his eyes. He struggled to control himself, and yet he couldn't. He sat there as the tears began to fall, as he tried to comprehend exactly what he had read, and what it meant to him.

Outside his room, a figure listened and heard the barely controlled gasps and sniffles before slowly leaving.

Tanzaku Quarters

Tsunade let out a melancholy sigh as she sat in a bar, staring blankly at the counter while idly swishing a saucer of sake before her. It had been three days since she had made that bet with the boy, and four since Orochimaru had approached her. And so far, nothing had happened to brat. Of course, Jiraiya basically was hovering over the boy whenever he could, keeping an eye on him, but still. She felt herself wondering a bit about the curse she believed was on the necklace.

It had killed Nawaki the very next day after she had given it to him. He had barely celebrated his birthday, and his life was cut short. For Dan, it had been a bit longer, three whole days, between when she gave him the necklace and when it killed him. So far, Naruto was unharmed, but perhaps the curse simply would take a bit longer this time. Or maybe it had to be someone she cared about. She quietly shook her head, looking down at the saucer of sake before downing it. That was probably it. She didn't give a rat's ass about the boy, so the curse likely wouldn't affect him. He'd survive, she'd lose the bet, and be forced back to Konoha.

Her eyes hardened at that, slamming the saucer down. She wouldn't stay in the village. Hell, the only reason she'd go back is because of this bet and the threat Sarutobi-sensei had made. She'd go back, help out at the hospital, and then be gone as soon as she was done. She wouldn't stay in that cursed village for a second longer then she needed to.

As she prepared to pour herself another saucer of sake, someone approached her. "Excuse me…are you Tsunade Senju?" The man asked her a bit nervously.

"Who wants to know?" She demanded while not even looking at the man who was speaking to her. He nervously set down a piece of paper in front of her.

"I was told to give this to you," he said, backing away from her quickly. Tsunade just blinked at the paper, before sighing as she grabbed it and flipped it over. Her brown eyes narrowed as on it was a short message directing her outside.

Growling softly, she left a few bills on the counter before heading outside. Immediately she saw a figure beckoning her towards an alleyway. A form she recognized all too easily. She glared as she headed to where the hebi sannin waited for her, watching him head into the alley as she drew closer. She rounded the corner, still angry.

"What do you want, Orochi-," she started to say, only to trail off as she saw the figure next to him, a figure that caused her to immediately freeze.

Next to Orochimaru was a tall, broad shoulder, muscular man dressed in the shinobi uniform of Iwagakure no Sato. The man had closely cropped white hair and a hard face with a square jawline. However, his skin was pale and cracked, with his eyes being black with yellow pupils.

Orochimaru smirked, seeing the look of recognition and terror on her face. "Oh my…Tsunade-chan, don't tell me you're still frightened of Minamito-san here," he said with a fake surprised tone.

Tsunade could only just stand there, frozen as she stared at the man with Orochimaru. The reason for her fear was simple. When she was part of genin team Seven under Hiruzen Sarutobi, they had been ambushed by a team of Iwa ninjas. Their sensei handled most of the enemies, but two of the Iwa shinobi had attacked the genin. One of them, a chuunin, had fought Jiraiya and Orochimaru while the other, a jounin known simply as Minamito, had attacked Tsunade with the intent on killing her and helping further end the Senju bloodline. Tsunade remembered how close she had come to death at that point, and how close the man had come to succeeding. It was only a last-minute intervention by her teammates that had saved her life, and they had managed to distract the man long enough for Sarutobi to finish him off. She had watched the man die at the hands of Sarutobi-sensei.

And yet now he stood there with Orochimaru. Tsunade trembled, barely able to tear her gaze away from him to look at Orochimaru. "W-what is this?" She finally managed to get out.

"This, my dear Tsunade-chan…is proof of what I offer you. I told you that you'd get a visit from an 'old friend.' Here he is. He is proof that I can bring back Dan and Nawaki," Orochimaru said with a smile. "Of course they would be …livelier than this. This is simply a demonstration, so you understand my offer is legitimate," he added as he gently patted the Iwa jounin on the face. Said shinobi didn't react at all.

Tsunade, now slowly getting herself back under control, glared at Orochimaru. "How do I know this is even real?! It could just be a clone or some clever illusion," she said, trying to find some way to test for a genjutsu.

"Mmmm, a fair point. But I think I know how to answer your question. Tell me…do you remember that special jutsu your grand-uncle had been working on? That one that he and your grandfather fought all the time about? A certain…forbidden jutsu?" Orochimaru asked gleefully, seeing Tsunade's eyes widened.

"You didn't…that jutsu…it was…," she gasped out, only for Orochimaru to grin further.

"Oh yes, I found it…I learned it…and I improved upon it," Orochimaru gloated at her. "I have the power to resurrect the dead and command them, Tsunade-chan. Do you understand now what I'm capable of? Do you not see what I can offer you…and how foolish it is to try and stand against me? Join me, Tsunade. Join me, and you will have Dan and Nawaki back. Your loved ones will be returned to you, and you can have all that happiness and love you always dreamed out, that was so cruelly snatched away from you."

Tsunade could only stare at him before looking at the revived shinobi, the proof of what Orochimaru offered to her. She knew that what he was doing was deplorable, a sin against nature. To accept his offer, to help him out, should have instantly filled her with disgust and revulsion.

And yet a part of her couldn't help but think about what it'd be like to have Dan and Nawaki back. To have them in her life again. A treacherous part of her brain said that she was owed something after all these years of helping others and suffering alone. She trembled, unable to decide.

Orochimaru smirked as he saw the look on her face, knowing he had her interest. He dispelled the Edo Tensei, causing the ash and dirt that made up Minamito's form to disperse, revealing the corpse of an unknown man. "You need time to decide. I can see it. But think long and hard, Tsunade-chan, now that you know what I offer," he said, picking up the corpse and disappearing in a shunshin.

Tsunade could only stand there in the alley, staring at where Orochimaru had stood as his words rang in her ears. She remained rooted to that spot, unable to think or do anything beyond staring blankly into nothingness. This meant she was unaware of the figure on a rooftop dispersing, along with the worrying form of Shizune coming up to her from behind.

Meanwhile, on the outskirts of town, Jiraiya stiffened as the memories of the shadow clone he had tailing Tsunade returned to him. "Damnit," he growled out, causing Naruto to look up from his training.

"What is it?" He asked, taken aback at seeing the angry, serious posture the toad sage had. Jiraiya shook his head as he immediately turned back towards town.

"Head back to the hotel immediately. Lock yourself in the room. Do not answer for anyone except me, and only if I tell you this code-phrase," he said, leaning over to whisper to Naruto. The young genin slowly nodded in understanding, looking a bit worried about whatever could have put the usually jovial pervert in such a deadly mood.

Jiraiya simply shunshined away, leaving Naruto to dismiss his own clones he had been training with and begin the trek back to his hotel room.

As he reached the town, entering by the main road, he heard a whirring noise that caused him to instinctively duck and roll, drawing his ninjato as he turned to the source of the sound. He found himself staring at several snowflake-shaped shuriken stuck in the road, each one made of jade-colored crystals. A few other people who happened to be on the street, all stared as well in surprise and shock at this sudden attack, before they began to run. Naruto looked up to see a woman standing on a rooftop, smirking down at him. Noting her blue hair and attire, his eyes narrowed. "You're the one who was watching Tsunade-san," he said, slowly standing with his sword held at the ready.

"How very perceptive. I was right to think you're a threat. One that I finally have permission to deal with," she said with a smirk, quickly running through a couple of handsigns. "Shōton: Suishōtō! (Crystal Release: Jade Crystal Blade!)"

Naruto's eyes widened as on her right forearm, blue crystals formed into a cutting blade that went from slightly below her elbow to past her hand. She grinned as she leaped towards him, arm drawn back. Naruto quickly brought his sword up, blocking her strike but grunting in surprise at the force behind it as she actually drove him back a step. She quickly spun, trying to catch him with a fast roundhouse kick, but he ducked under it, only to find her stabbing towards him with her arm blade. He quickly flipped backward, kicking at her arm as he did so and knocking it up, throwing her off balance as he landed back on his feet, sword still at the ready.

"My, you're certainly a quick one," Guren said with a smirk. "But…are you quick enough to dodge this?" She asked him as this time she made handsigns with only a single hand. Suddenly large pink needles formed around her, all aimed at Naruto.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding," Naruto whispered as the needles flew towards him at high speed. He quickly jumped back, dodging one while deflecting another with his sword. He turned quickly to avoid another, only to wince as one nicked his cheek, cutting his face and almost hitting the scarf Hinata gave him. He rolled away from another trio of needles, rapidly grabbing a few throwing knives from his pouch and hurling them towards her as he did so. She merely smirked, bringing up her left arm. Naruto blinked in surprise as he saw light seemingly reflect off her arm before the knives hit and bounced off.

She smirked at his confusion as she tapped her left hand with her right one, causing a 'tinking' noise as she struck a layer of transparent crystal. "Kesshō no Yoroi (Crystal Armor). Don't think you'll be getting through this anytime soon," she said before readying herself again. However, her eyes narrowed when she saw that the scratch on his cheek was already starting to heal up.

Naruto didn't notice, instead trying to formulate a plan, as he held a defensive stance. He quickly realized he was likely outmatched here. Her speed had caught him off guard, as did the power behind her blows. And these crystals of hers most likely meant she was a bloodline user with a rather powerful bloodline. Taking a deep breath, he reached into his back pouch, the beginnings of a plan forming in his head.

Guren, seeing this, quickly shot forward. "I don't think so!" She shouted, preparing to stab him with her crystal wrist blade. Naruto cursed as he immediately grabbed his sword with both hands, using it to withstand her blow. Even then, he was driven to one knee, only for his eyes to widen as she reared back and slammed the crystal-covered left fist into his jaw. He flew back, only to be replaced by a log that broke in half from the blow.

Naruto panted softly as he crouched in an alleyway, watching Guren as she straightened up. He turned to try and escape down the alley, only to suddenly find his way blocked by a wall of dark red crystals, which surged up through the roofs of the buildings to either side of the alley. He turned to see Guren smirking as she quickly created more walls of red crystals surrounding the area, preventing him from escaping. "You don't think you're getting away that easily, do you?" She asked him, her smirk turning sadistic. "You're here until you die!"

Naruto got back into his defensive stance, watching her. "What the hell did I do to you?" He asked, gripping his ninjato.

"You are a threat to Orochimaru-sama's plans. And so, I am here to eliminate you," she said, causing Naruto to start in surprise.

"I didn't think he was that much of a sore loser. I know I stopped part of his plans for the invasion, but-," he started to say, only to be forced to dodge several more shuriken from her.

"Do not dare mock Orochimaru-sama! You are a thorn in his side, both then and now. And I shall remove you," she said, the blade on her arm now turning into a massive lance of blue crystal. Naruto blinked as he saw it before quickly sheathing his ninjato as she charged at him. She leaped at him right before a massive cloud of smoke engulfed him, causing her to thrust blindly into the smoke.

She frowned when she didn't feel her lance hit anything before suddenly she saw several arms and hands wrap around it. The smoke cleared enough to reveal a half dozen clones gripping the lance, all glaring at her as two more leaped off their backs and delivered a pair of solid punches to her face right as the clones let go. Guren was knocked back, staggering a few feet and reaching up to touch her face where she had been hit. She glared at the dozen or so identical figures now standing before her, dispersing the lance and creating two crystal blades, one on each arm. "You really think that hiding amongst these clones will save you?" She snarled out, now angry that he had actually hit her. The clones merely responded by going through several handsigns, half of them expelling fireballs while the other half launched blasts of wind from their palms.

The wind jutsu immediately fed the fireballs, expanding them into a massive ball that shot towards Guren rapidly and engulfed her within seconds. The clones stood there, watching the raging inferno that now rose up where the woman had been. After a few moments, it died away, leaving them shocked when they saw what appeared to be a crystal dome with Guren inside. She smirked and mockingly waved at them before the dome cracked, breaking into dozens of shards that shot towards the clones and eviscerated them. She stood up from inside the dome, watching the cloud of smoke from the dispersed clones dissipate, revealing nothing. "Are you hiding from me, little genin?" She called out mockingly.

Naruto was crouched behind a cart left behind by one of the civilians when they fled earlier, trying to come up with a plan. His combination ninjutsu had failed, but he had thankfully not been present when his clones had been torn apart, using their attack as a chance to seek what cover he could. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out a few things from his supply pouch, setting them on the ground before creating more clones. "Keep her busy," he ordered, as he set to work.

Guren smirked as she saw a larger group of clones appear this time, all of them rushing to engage her in melee. "Oohhh, this should be fun," she said, readying her crystal arm blades and leaping into combat.

Meanwhile, Naruto was feverishly getting to work on his plan, all while mentally wondering where in the hell Jiraiya was.

Some minutes earlier

Jiraiya appeared on the street near the alley, eyes narrowing as he saw a still shaken Tsunade being escorted by Shizune. He immediately strolled up to them. His face was hard as he looked at Tsunade, with Shizune gasping as she could feel the hint of killer intent Jiraiya was leaking out as he stopped in front of them.

"So…I don't suppose you were planning to tell me that our old teammate was in town?" He asked, his voice sarcastic and biting instead of his more usual jovial tone. Shizune flinched at him while Tsunade simply tried to push past him.

"Not now, Jiraiya," she said, only for Jiraiya to block her.

"Yes, now. That traitor tried to kill our sensei and destroy our home, and you're busy having secret talks with him," Jiraiya snapped at her. "You didn't think to maybe let me know that one of the worst traitors to Konoha was around when you decided to agree to a bet that could kill my godson?!"

"J-Jiraiya-sama, n-now is not-," Shizuna started to say, only for Tsunade to interrupt her.

"The brat came up with the bet, don't blame me for him having a death wish," Tsunade snapped back, anger and annoyance helping her overcome the shock and fear she had been experiencing.

"And you think Orochimaru won't kill Naruto off if he thinks it'll help get him what he wants, or he thinks Naruto is in the way?! Damnit Tsunade, what the hell is wrong with you?!" Jiraiya asked angrily.

"Don't you dare go judging me, Jiraiya! Don't you dare when you chose to spend your time peeping on women and writing smut instead of taking care of your godson!" Tsunade shouted back at him angrily. "The people I cared about are dead, while you at least still have someone! You chose to abandon him!"

Jiraiya glared at her, opening his mouth to speak when a sudden burst of fire near the edge of town drew his attention. He cursed as he turned back to Tsunade. "And thanks to you, I might lose him now," he snarled back before turning and leaping away in that direction, leaving behind a horrified Shizune and an angry Tsunade.

At the battle site, Naruto was wincing as each memory came back to him from his clones. Guren was definitely faster and stronger than him, leading to his clones being taken apart. Thankfully the longer length of his ninjato gave his clones some advantage, meaning they weren't instantly destroyed. While his clones kept fighting, he continued working on the seal in front of him, hoping he was getting it right. Finishing it, he glanced over the cart to take in the battle.

Only three clones remained, the trio of them engaging at the same time, trying to watch each other's flanks as they fought Guren at the same time to keep her defensive. She seemed to dance between their strikes, darting in to strike at one before skipping back or to the side as another covered their flank.

She suddenly ducked down, slashing one of the clones in the leg while spinning to kick another, dispersing both clones before she turned to the last one, catching his ninjato with one of her crystal blades and slashing him across the throat with the other, finishing him off. She turned towards the cart, smirking as she approached slowly.

"Please don't tell me that's all, little genin," she mocked, only to blink as she started to hear a roaring sound coming from the other side of the cart. Suddenly three Naruto's leaped over the cart, two with ninjato drawn while the third had a spiraling ball of chakra in his hand. The trio charged her, the two with swords drawn moving to attack her from the sides as the one with the Rasengan charged up the middle.

She grinned wider, finding a small amount of admiration for the plan, knowing the clones were meant to distract her while the one with the jutsu was the main attack. Still, she had no interest in testing her armor against it. As the two with swords charged in, she quickly spun, slashing them across the chest while stepping towards the one charging at her, smirking as she stabbed into his chest with the momentum of her spin. It dispersed into smoke, catching her off guard when another Naruto burst through said smoke, this one with a seal tag. She barely managed to grab his arm in time, smirking as she held him up.

"Are you the real one this time?" She asked with a smirk, holding him up with her right arm while slowly bringing up her left blade and stabbing him in the chest. Naruto let out a grunt of pain, before smirking at her.

"No…he's behind you…" 'Naruto' said before dispersing, while at the same time, she felt someone slap something against the skin of her leg. Almost immediately, she let out a cry as she felt her body seize up, causing her to topple over onto her side and then onto her back, where she could see the real Naruto panting, holding his chest with one hand as blood seeped out slowly between his fingers.

"You almost got me…," Naruto panted out, sitting down while trying to staunch the blood flow from the wound on his chest. Guren could only stare in shock and growing anger as she realized that one of the two sword-wielding Naruto's had been the real him instead of a clone. Thinking he was just another kage bunshin, she had barely even bothered with a full strike, only hitting hard enough to disperse what she thought was a clone, leaving him with a wound that wasn't deep or fatal, though it was bleeding a fair amount.

She growled angrily, feeling her legs frozen in place, preventing her from getting up. She could move her arms, though, and she immediately started to run through handsigns until she heard the thud of feet hitting the ground near her. "None of that now," an older man spoke before a fist slammed into her face, slamming her head into the ground and knocking her out.

Naruto let out a sigh of relief when he saw Jiraiya, giving him a weak grin. "Hey ero-sennin," he said, grimacing as he tried to reach into his supply pouch for bandages.

Jiraiya immediately was by Naruto's side, grabbing the bandages and setting to work on helping Naruto. "Damnit gaki, what did I say? You're tempting fate!" He growled out angrily, with a hint of worry in his voice.

"I'm still alive, aren't I?" Naruto said, wincing as Jiraiya yanked the bandage tight.

The toad sage just growled as he cuffed the back of Naruto's head. "Through sheer dumb luck, yeah," he said, looking to Guren and seeing the seal on the exposed part of her leg. Taking a look, he scoffed. "What the hell is this gaki?"

"Paralysis seal but…guess I didn't get it exactly right. I was kind of rushing it," Naruto said a bit sheepishly, taking a blood pill.

"You idiot! You tried to make a seal in a combat situation without having properly tested it first?! What were you thinking?!" Jiraiya yelled at him, even as he felt a small amount of pride. "You could have killed yourself!"

"I think she was definitely trying to do that herself," Naruto murmured, glancing down. Jiraiya just let out a frustrated sigh before crouching in front of Naruto.

"Just…be more careful next time, alright?" He said, before helping Naruto to his feet. Naruto nodded before looking around curiously.

"How did you get past her crystals?" He asked, only for Jiraiya to point to a nearby building.

"I jumped off the roof of that building," Jiraiya said, glancing around at the red crystal wall that still surrounded them. "Not exactly sure how we'll get out of here with you and her, but-," he started, only to stop as suddenly the crystals on the main road shattered, exploding outwards in a hail of shrapnel. Jiraiya shielded himself and Naruto, his mane of hair forming into a massive spiky shield that somehow protected them from the fragments.

On the other side, Shizune shook her head quietly while Tsunade lowered her raised fist while a glare crossed her face. "The brat still alive?" She demanded, glaring in Jiraiya's direction, only to stop and flinch when she saw the blood on the front of Naruto's outfit and the bandage on his chest. She trembled slightly, memories stirring in the back of her mind as she took a step back, while Jiraiya shook crystal fragments out of his hair.

"Yes, he is. And now that this unpleasantness has been dealt with, I think it's time we ALL have a talk," Jiraiya snapped, looking at Tsunade and Shizune while grabbing the unconscious Guren.

"F-Fine," Tsunade said, turning away and stalking off. Jiraiya sighed and started to follow, pausing as he reached where Shizune still stood.

"Shizune-san…can you please take care of Naruto?" He asked her quietly before moving past her, while Naruto slowly moved up the medic jounin.

Shizune took one look at Naruto before gently placing a hand on his shoulder. "Let's go. I'll need to make sure that the wound is properly cleaned and healed," she said, escorting Naruto after the other two.

Naruto nodded while grimacing and touching the bandage on his chest. Despite his assurances to Jiraiya, he couldn't help but realize how close he came to dying there. If Guren had thought to strike a little harder, instead of assuming he was a clone and hitting him with a quick swipe, he would have been finished. Trembling for a moment, he did his best to take a deep breath to calm himself down as he followed Shizune and the two sannin.

And chapter. Man, I really sort of went all over the place trying to write the end of this chapter. First, I had a touchy-feely moment for Tsunade, then I had a whole drama/anger/angst scene instead, but ultimately, I felt neither was the right way to end this chapter. So, I decided to scrap that and end it a bit earlier. I hope you all did enjoy this. And sorry about the rant at the start of the chapter. I was sort of in a moody, annoyed place when I wrote that.

DLTLR: Glad to see you've cheered up now.

LR: Well hearing about a brave little kid selflessly sacrificing himself to protect his little sister and being treated like the hero he is, as well as some time watching funny videos, hanging out with friends, and summoning Saber Fran and Berserker Nobunaga in Fate/Grand Order cooled me off. A lot more than your dumbass water dunking did. Which reminds me. *pulls out freeze-ray and freezes DLTLR with it*

Diehard NaruHina LeafRanger: What the hell?!

LR: Hah! It works! Now I just need to go freeze a bunch of water to make giant ice cubes to place around the Lair and keep it cool for the rest of the summer! *rushes off with my freeze ray*

Elroth: ….when did he become a mad scientist?

RS19: He always had the mad part down.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! And thanks go to Bill Alain for betaing the chapter! Till next time!