Disclaimer: Don't own any rights to Naruto or Yu Yu Hakusho, so don't sue.

A/N: Been a while since I updated but don't worry, I just got distracted by other things. But I'm back and with the final chapter of the Dark Tournament, and after this will be an original arc, the one I've wanted to write since I started this story. ) As always, review responses at the bottom. Also, for those who are perceptive (or reread stories for the hell of it), I have done an overhaul on the previous chapters, taking out some ackward dialog, scenes I didn't like, and replaced them. I might also have added more characterzation and explanations for otherwise vague situations ;).

---

"Master, are you sure you want to go? I mean, no offense but you don't look like you would survive in a serious encounter with any of the demons at the tournament," Naruto questioned Genkai, hours after being 'invited' to the Dark Tournament. The messengers sent to inform Genkai of her required presence had been surprisingly strong, but it was nothing that Naruto and Suzaku couldn't handle, having killed them after they delivered their message, deciding they had served their purpose.

"Yes, I'm sure of it. Toguro no doubt was behind this charade, probably to finish what he started fifty years ago. However that does not mean you can get away with not coming with; one of you will be needed to replace me if I die," she replied tersely, growing annoyed at Naruto's persistence to convince her to stay at her complex.

"But why? I'm sure me and Suzaku and the others could take them, I'm sure of it," Naruto tried to sway her to his side thinking, that they could beat them if they were given another chance at it. Ignoring the fact he technically lost the last time, he was sure of it, since they knew what to expect from the two.

Genkai sighed, before standing from her sitting position and walking out the temple where the three had sat, sipping tea while discussing the tournament and what it had in stock for them. "It's an old story. Far older than I'd like it to be, but one spawned of a mans desperation to gain power and immortality. I have no doubt within my mind that you and the others could beat him, in a 5 vs 2 battle, but it is not that easy."

"Then explain it to us Master Genkai. Tell us why it is not easy to beat him," Suzaku spoke up, having remained quiet while Naruto tried in vain to convince her. While she might not have admitted it, Suzaku was good conversation for a demon, since he was more intelligent than Naruto, not that it was a bad thing, and far more intelligent than her apprentice, which was a bad thing. Granted, he knew very little outside of demon tactics and such, but he was willing to learn to live up to his deal he made with Naruto, months before. Genkai sighed again, before explaining what had led her to meeting Toguro, and their subsequent adventures afterwards, ending in their victory in the Dark Tournament fifty years ago.

"So he sought power and immortality to atone for his sins? That guys kinda screwed up in the head if he thinks that would right the wrongs of his past," Naruto commented, stretching and laying on the floor of the temple. Suzaku replicated a similar stance of casualness, choosing to lean back on his hands while sitting.

"I do not know why he chose the path he did, though I have my theories. He might have done it because he was still blaming himself for the deaths of his disciples, or because he didn't want to face his mortality. The only person who knows would be Toguro himself, though he won't be as forthcoming with the reason as I am. Regardless I'm going, since he would come himself if I failed to show up. It's the way the tournament works; those who fail to show up after being put on the guest list, are killed," she said, her tone final.

This time it was Naruto who sighed, "Fine, but I'll be the one to kill him, I owe him that much. He'll regret the day he chose power over his friends, I'll make sure of it."

Genkai merely shook her head at the narrow-mindedness her disciple showed at times. She knew it would be pointless to try and argue about who would fight him, since she knew it was his form of a compromise; she would attend as required, and he would fight in her place. Some things, she knew, would never change.

'God what a moron I was. I can't beat him in a single battle, if this fight was any indication,' Naruto thought to himself as he lay on the ground, his wounds bleeding steadily from his fight with the taller man. Hours had passed since his fight, if you could call it that, and he awoke to find himself alive, but barely, which was odd. He knew Toguro fought to kill him, but his wounds seemed to say otherwise, like he only wished to expose his weakness and cause him to fight harder.

'But why? Why didn't he tell me outright? Why did he leave me here to die instead of telling me to get stronger before I would stand a chance?' he wasn't grateful for being left to get stronger, but there was something about the man that didn't make sense to him, and he couldn't put his finger on it. A presence made itself known as he lay on the rocky ground, trying to figure out the puzzle of a man/demon/whatever he was.

"So you fought him," Genkai wasn't one to beat around the bush, much like Naruto himself, and it showed as she walked towards him, kneeling to heal some of his life-threatening wounds. While he had 'inherited' some form of a healing system from the Nibi, it was more focused on the other life-threatening wounds he had received.

"Yes, but I don't understand why he left me to live, even when I knew he was fighting to kill me," Naruto replied, voicing what was on his mind. He lay on the ground for another minute while Genkai continued to heal his wounds, afterwards he stood slowly, stretching to get the kinks out of his limbs as he hadn't moved from the uncomfortable ground in hours.

"Maybe he did kill you, but you came back because your purpose wasn't completed?" she suggested, hinting he might be a case similar to Yusuke, however doubtful it was.

"Couldn't be, I just woke up about ten minutes ago. I would have known if my spirit left my body otherwise." Genkai merely shrugged and walked back into the forest she had emerged from initially, while Naruto stood at a crater caused by Toguro's final attack. Seeing as he was being attacked relentlessly at the time, it was understandable that he focus on his pain rather than his surroundings, but now that he had time to study them he noticed that even at seventy percent of his full power, he was still a threat, judging from the fifty-foot wide crater. It made him realize that if he were to fight Toguro again, he would need to train, and badly.

---

"Team Urameshi, you need five members to be eligible for the final battle. If you fail to do so I'm afraid I'll have to disqualify you," a fish-like female Apparation announced, much to the chagrin of the three members of the team. They didn't want to be disqualified just because the other two members decided to take an extended training mission, and it looked like that was what was gonna happen, until they entered the arena dramatically, as though they were waiting till the last possible moment to enter. Both looked slightly winded, but both sported arrogant grins on their faces, as though they had a secret about the battle no one but themselves knew.

"Sorry we're late guys; got lost on the way here," Naruto made a rather lame, but true, excuse about their late arrival. They had woken up later than the others, thinking the arena was nearby but found themselves wandering the forest until they saw the other arena, constructed just for the final battle. Though it went without saying that they walked at a casual pace even though they knew they would be late, they enjoyed riling up their teammates just for their reactions.

And it was without a surprise that Yusuke exploded at the lameness of the excuse and started to chew out Naruto, who didn't care or seemed shocked in the least; the other members of the team realized that he probably didn't know of the new location due to his absence in the semi-finals, since Genkai had to step in to take his place. It had been contested since no one but her knew of his state, and she merely told them he was incapacitated and thus incapable of fighting.

After Yusuke had calmed down considerably, the fish-woman began the final round, with a strange man, Karasu, stepping forward, indicating he would fight in the first match. Kurama made a step towards the ring but noticed Suzaku already there, making him wonder why the blonde would take such an easy opponent.

"Karasu is not to be underestimated Kurama. Suzaku is taking the first fight to ensure we have a victory. We might need it, if earlier fights are any indication," Naruto spoke up softly, a serious expression on his face.

"First match, Karasu versus Suzaku, begin!" the announcer announced. She wasn't clueless either, jumping out of the ring as fast as possible, not wanting to be next to the fighters while they fought.

Suzaku wasted no time talking, instead rushing towards the raven-haired opponent and launching into a melee fight with fists, which Karasu avoided gracefully, making no attempts to counter-attack or exploit Suzaku's openings. Upon landing a solid blow to Karasu, Suzaku leaped back in surprise, the point of the close-combat display was to formulate a plan, and he knew Karasu was more than skilled to continue avoiding the blondes attacks.

"What do you have planned," it wasn't a question, but more of a statement.

"Nothing," Karasu answered as an explosion occurred dangerously close to Suzaku's left foot, making him jump in the opposite way to avoid injury, but it was too late. As he jumped away another explosion occurred, this time hitting his right leg and causing him to stumble and he gripped his leg to stem the pain and blood flow. Yet another explosion occurred, hitting his left arm, making him cry out in pain.

"You know, I always enjoy a good explosion, there's just something...majestic about them that makes me shiver in delight. I'm not quite sure what it is, maybe the destruction they cause, or the pain that ripples through the survivors, it's just invigorating to see them in action. Don't you agree?" Karasu spoke up, breaking the uneven silence that gripped the arena. Suzaku didn't bother responding, instead gathering his demon energy to heal his wounds, waiting for another explosion to trigger it. On cue it hit his right arm, and using the dust as a diversion, he released his energy, healing the crippling wounds and giving him time to put some distance between the opponents.

Unsurprised at the turn of events, Karasu walked calmly towards the blonde, thinking the newly-healed Suzaku would give him more time to play with the former Saint Beast before he killed him. However, it seemed Suzaku had other plans in mind, gathering more demon energy and forming seven clones of himself, who surrounded the raven-haired enemy quickly. As one they raised one arm towards the air and called upon demonic lightning to end the match as fast as possible. The longer the match dragged on, the higher the chance that Karasu would emerged victorious.

Suzaku was no fool, he knew he could win, given the chance, but Karasu's ability was too unpredictable, since he could surround all his clones with the invisible bombs and kill them instantaneously. The sooner he was killed, the better. As one they launched their attacks, the only thing being said was "Storm of Desperation" before Karasu looked towards the sky as a bolt of lightning hit the real Suzaku and the others went to engage the raven-haired enemy.

'Quite impressive. But it is not enough,' he thought to himself as he avoided a clumsy attack from one of the clones, even as another tried to attack his back. Thinking it to be a clever tactic, Karasu faced a clone that somehow got under his front guard, until he felt thousands of volts of lightning enter his system, jolting his innards and making him cry out in agony, the clone behind Karasu having turned into the real Suzaku at the last second. His fist was crackling with lightning and jammed below his rib cage, piercing his kidney and frying a few other organs. And just as fast as his fist entered his body, it left, Suzaku deciding to put some distance between him and his enemy, while absorbing his clones at the same time, feeling the lost energy return with abundance.

As the lightning in his system died down, Karasu's face mask came off in a violent burst of coughing, and Suzaku took notice when the black-hair turned blonde as he breathed in, standing straighter while his wounds attempted to heal. Deciding to finish the match as fast as possible, he charged, intent on finishing him in one blow, absorbing another bolt of lightening and readying it for a final attack, this time aimed at his chest and heart. He was stopped short however, when he stepped into another of Karasu's bombs, this time hitting his left leg and causing him to stumble, the lapse in concentration making his dispel the lightning stored in his fist.

As he stumbled, he inadvertently collided with another bomb, hitting his left arm again, and making him curse in pain. He was foolish to think the crafty-bomber wouldn't booby trap the arena, to ensure he wouldn't be caught off-guard. However, as he stumbled back from the explosion, he walked into another trap, this time triggering a bear-trap-like vice, that prevented him from moving his good leg and making realize he was now like a mouse in the corner, put there by a cat. He was as good as dead, unless he acted quick, but he knew it would be pointless since he was surrounded by bombs. Karasu proved him right, when he noticed the bombs gave off a green-glow, floating in mid-air eerily.

"How does it feel, Suzaku of the Saint Beasts, to be trapped? Surely this feeling isn't new to you, since you did spend three hundred years isolated in Spirit World," the black-turned-blonde questioned rhetorically, knowing Suzaku wouldn't answer since he rarely talked during battles. At his obvious silence Karasu waved his hand, causing numerous bombs to collide with the Saint Beast, some hitting vital points, others missing by a mile, but causing insufferable pain nonetheless. It was rather impressive that he was still standing by the end, gasping through the pain.

"How does it feel, Karasu, to be killed by an opponent on deaths door, while you're incapable of fighting back?" Suzaku shot back as surprise filled Karasu's face in realization; his chest holding a sword of lightning sticking out, before it was drug towards his feet, severing his spine and causing his body to crumple, before it was dismembered by the remaining clone, hidden from sight and smell. It had been a risky strategy, since it would be able to sense, but luckily Karasu was too arrogant to realize Suzaku didn't absorb all of his clones when the first blow connected.

Feeling the bear-trap release his leg he fell to the floor, while the announcer, Juri, declared Suzaku the winner, who absorbed his remaining clone, feeling slightly better as he healed the wounds to his vital points and his legs. Everything else would have to heal on their own, since he didn't have the energy for a Prism Clone, which would allow him to heal completely. Everyone, sans Naruto, looked in shock at the brutality of the match, and the swiftness that Suzaku used to defeat, and subsequently kill, Karasu. It showed that training with Naruto had been beneficial to more than just the human members of the team, as most demons wasted more time talking than fighting, and used their skills to make a statement.

As he left the ring, he was congratulated by his team; a word or two from Yusuke and Kurama, a smirk from Hiei, a slap on the back from Naruto, and promptly collapsed on the floor, unconscious. His wounds might have marginally healed, but the pain still flowed through the veins, making it quite unbearable for the blonde. Placing him against the ring to recuperate, Naruto looked to see Kurama in the ring already, much to the chagrin of Hiei who looked livid, but knew he could do nothing to sway the red-heads mind. If he wished to charge to his death, then so be it.

The smaller Toguro looked to step forward but was stopped by a man nearly two times his height, who leaped into the ring, causing it to shake and crack under the weight and force. Kurama put all concentration on the man immediately, anyone who could exude that much power in one measly jump was not someone he wished to underestimate. Juri looked between the two and wondered if they incorporated some sort of weight class to the tournament, as it looked like Kurama was about to become dog poop on Bui's boot, judging from the size and girth of the armored man.

"Second match, Bui versus Kurama. Begin!" much like the first match, Juri got out of the arena as fast as possible, knowing that it would be brutal, bloody, and end with one dead, the other just barely alive. Unlike the first match, however, it didn't start with a bang, but rather a whimper. Nonchalantly Bui raised one of his arms high above his head, and used demon energy to call forth a very large battle axe, similar in appearance to the others he used in his previous battles at the tournament. This immediately put Kurama on edge, as he knew the armored man could use in close-quarters with ease, as well as at a range.

Without warning the blade was hurtling towards the red-head, who dodged out of the way as fast as he could as it whistled past and lodged itself in the arena and crowd, killing quite a few Apparitions in the process. Dodging another, which seemed to be formed fast than the first one, Kurama started to formulate a plan, knowing that the faster he ended the match, the higher the chance he would be the winner. He had already digested the juice Suzuka had given him days before, and patiently waited for the effect to kick in, it was supposed to force his body into his demon form, but he wasn't going to put all his apples in one basket. So he tried to think of a decent plan before Bui got bored and decided to make things entertaining.

It seemed Bui was capable of reading minds, as he threw the next axe into the ground and picked it back up, the section of the ring attached to the end. Instead of throwing the axe however, he just tossed the large 5x5x5 brick towards Kurama at breakneck speed, a large step up from the previous speed of his axes. On instinct Kurama used his Rose Whip to destroy the stone, before realizing the near-fatal mistake as Bui had used the width of the stone to hide his equally-large body and attempted to bring his axe upon Kurama's head, whose instincts and reflexes saved him just barely, jumping to meet the large man and cutting through the axe at the same time.

Bui landed with a boom, but was unharmed or fazed at the damage to his new axe. It was of no consequence, and pulled a small seed from his thigh, where Kurama had managed to place without notice. Tossing it aside he spoke, in a surprisingly calm and collected voice.

"It would seem I have to remove my armor, if I am to fight you on equal ground," he stated, slowly removing his armor and letting it drop to the ring, each forming a considerably sized crater where they landed, hinting that the weights were higher than a normal person could comprehend. After removing his armor Kurama wasted no time in restarting the fight, taking the initiative to try and end the fight as fast as possible, while Bui rushed to meet the red-head head-on.

What he didn't predict was seed he tossed aside, to burrow deep under the ring and explode upwards near his feet, causing him to jump back to prevent impalement. It was also the time needed to cause a diversion, as he felt his body taking on the form of Youko, who seemed pleased that he was called forth without waiting another fifteen years. He would make this fight more enjoyable than the last one, and judging from Bui's strength, he might make it memorable for the ancient fox.

Bui dodged another plant that grew like a wildfire, avoiding another near-impalement while he tried to put some distance between him and the demon fox, to call upon his Battle Aura. He would no doubt need it, if the rumors and legends were true, those who dueled the fox in the past rarely emerged to tell of the tale, and even fewer lived, most having died from another cause, usually a fight but occasionally old age.

When he felt he was a good distance away, he began to focus on the scar on his forehead, forcing demon energy into it to trigger his Battle Aura. Usually it flared up instinctively but after years of harsh training he had learned to call upon it at will, however it too a good deal of concentration to do so, making it hard to use in battle. Now was no time to be playing around, he would need it judging from the red-heads strategy, he figured the seed was for a plant to grow in his body, not to grow in the earth.

He wouldn't make the same mistake again, as he rushed the silver-haired fox, his green aura covering his body protectively and destroying any foliage that tried to intercept his path. As he reached the fox he noticed him reach into his hair and withdrew his signature rose, making Bui smile in anticipation; he would be in for quite the surprise when the rose shattered in the foxes hand, the petals drifting in mid-air as though they were frozen, before they speed towards the brute, just-barely piercing his Battle Aura making him falter in his advance.

"You're first mistake was stopping in your charge. You're second mistake was not putting distance between you and your enemy. And you're final mistake was not putting up a defense," Youko muttered as Bui was impaled by the plants that grew beneath the arena. It had taken a good deal of concentration and energy, but Youkuhad used his rose-petal-distraction to buy him enough time to kill him. He might have been a fox, but he wasn't going to underestimate his opponents unknown ability, and decided to kill him using one of his more powerful techniques. It would have worked more efficiently if he was the one to grow the plants, but he figured Mother Earth was a good enough substitute.

And he was correct, as the plants eventually broke through Bui's Battle Aura, shocked etched on his face as they pierced his hardened skin and wrapping around his body, forming a cocoon of sorts. Juri looked at the strange turn of events, as it was rare that a match in the final round would end this quickly, but declared Youku/Kurama the victor as he walked away from the fight, joining his teammates who seemed shocked at the swift victory but congratulated him nonetheless. After sitting next to Suzaku, and reverted back into his human form, Kurama faced Naruto.

"Who will fight the Toguro's? They are the only fighters left, and we all know what they're capable of first hand," he voiced what everyone was thinking.

"The younger Toguro is mine; I have some unresolved issues I need to settle with him," Naruto spoke before anyone else could, leaving Hiei and Yusuke to debate who would fight the elder.

"I should face him. We might need your help Hiei, if I can't beat him. At least with me facing him you can find weaknesses to exploit if I lose. I'm not the most strategy-oriented fighter you know, so this might help more than it hurts," Yusuke admitted, while Hiei bit back a retort. He didn't appreciate the fact everyone would get to fight except him, but it didn't matter to him, as Yusuke would lose against the elder Toguro, leaving him at his mercy.

Jumping up to the arena Yusuke did some mock-stretches, to get his mind prepared for the battle. He knew very little of the Toguro's abilities, mostly from what Naruto had told him, so he'd be going in blind in this battle; but then, that's how he always fought his matches, without a damn idea of what they're capable of. It was probably his greatest strength and weakness. On one hand it let him catch them by surprise, but it also put his life in danger, both of which suited the black-haired kid very well.

The older Toguro walked arrogantly into the arena, taking his time to extend his fun time. He would have preferred to get revenge on the blonde who inflicted pain on him the last time they met, but the Spirit Detective would have to suffice for now. Who knows, he might even be able to talk his brother into letting them both play with the blonde.

Looking between the two, Juri called the match from outside of the ring, not trusting her legs to be fast enough to get out of the way in time. Without missing a beat Yusuke rushed at the smaller man, who didn't make any movement, even as the boy assaulted him with punches and kicks from every possible angle, even adding spirit energy to give them an extra umph. As a sadistic smile found it's way onto the older mans face, Yusuke froze, trying to sense what was going to happen, and from what angle. A second later he felt something piercing his chest, bringing the boy to his knees in pain, trying to rip out the offending appendages to no avail.

Laughter caught his attention, as he noticed the Toguro in front of him melted into the ground, his eyes following the clone to it's point of origin, which lay at the other side of the arena, where the Toguro lifted himself out of the cement blocks. "My my, you seem to be as stupid as you look, Spirit Detective. I thought they had standards for that job but it appears they'll hire any schmuck who wanders into their path," he taunted as the fingers in Yusuke's chest dug deeper, trying to escape through his back.

Futilely Yusuke tried to remove them but failed, their grip seemed more solid than a vice. "Why don't you fight fair, you sick fuck?!" trying to rile his opponent up, he tried to ease his pain through words, since it usually worked in the past. But this time was it not meant to be, as the elder Toguro sent another hand towards Yusuke, this time piercing his legs to prevent the Spirit Detective from moving effectively, earning a cry of pain from him.

"Fight fair? Silly boy, I am fighting fair. If I was choosing to fight dirty I would have killed you the instant this match started, as I can move any part of my body separately from that of the rest of my body, making me nigh-invincible both in and out of fights. So resisting will only make the pain worse, and my entertainment longer-lasting, until I get bored. After which you will die in the most painful way possible. Until then, you're mine to play with," he replied coldly, a cruel smile plastered on his face. Extracting his hand from Yusuke's chest, he used his power of body-manipulation to pierce his lungs and shoulders, causing the boy to cry out louder in pain.

Outside of the ring his team stood in shock at the sight of the heartless Toguro, and felt a fury boil inside. Whoever faced him next would make his suffering ten times worse than Yusuke's, even if they had to kill the committee to be eligible for the next match. With each cry their fury grew, and with it grew their impatience, they knew he had but a few minutes left before he bleed out, and that was if he was lucky.

However, a few minutes would be calling his life to be worthless, and his will to be to weak. Inside Yusuke felt himself approaching the embrace of death once again, but was stopped by a voice in his head.

"Pathetic. To give up so easily, you must truly be as weak as the man claims," it was a clam, commanding voice, like one of a relative but he didn't sound like someone Yusuke had ever met.

"How can I fight when my body won't even listen to me?" Yusuke asked, not expecting an answer. In truth he figured it was just a bout of insanity before the big dirt nap, but the voice replied.

"Like this," the voice responded, before seizing control of Yusuke's body, forcing him to watch but not touch.

Outside the elder Toguro grew tired of his little game and decided to end it fast, intending to pierce his human heart and be gone with it. It seemed, however, that the voice had other intentions, calling upon the boys dormant demon energy to force the fingers from his body, and heal the deathly wounds. The Toguro stepped back instinctively in shock, never guessing the boy had any demon relations in his history. Taking the falter by the horns, the controlled Yusuke shot at Toguro, and engaged him in melee combat, turning the tables by inflicting several blows that he felt, unconsciously releasing a cry of pain.

Recovering quickly the Toguro flew into a rage, he enjoyed other people in pain, but when he was presented with his own mortal flaws, he was quick to respond. And respond he did, using his body-manipulation to try and trap the possessed Yusuke, but it seemed that every time he had him in a corner, he slipped away with an arrogant smile on his face. It was apparent that Yusuke was toying with him, well, apparent to all but Toguro, who seemed intent on ripping him limb for limb for the pain he inflicted. It wasn't until he noticed Yusuke was no where in sight that he stopped his assault, but realized a second later he had fallen into his trap as Yusuke used his Spirit Shotgun technique in point blank range, hitting chest full on and dismembering it, the pieces scattering in the arena.

"Che, weak. Not even worth the full power of the brat," Yusuke commented, or rather his body, as the voice was a mix between his and someone else's, making Naruto wonder if he inadvertently triggered his demon transformation, like the Nibi warned him months before. Taking a look at the other Toguro, he sneered and walked away, relinquishing his control back to Yusuke who promptly fell unconscious due to the energy loss, only to be caught by Naruto, who handed him to Hiei who placed him to the still-unconscious Suzaku.

Naruto acquired a defensive position, indicating he was going to start the final fight, and avenge his demon. What he didn't expect was the ominous thunder and lightning that brewed up above the arena, a portal hidden within the clouds.

---

Naruto awoke with a start, feeling a sudden sense of deja vu as he noticed the blue skies out the window to his left, before trying to figure out what happened. The last thing he remembered was standing in the ring before his and Toguro's match, and he was somehow transported to this room, location unknown.

"Oh you're awake, good," a light cheerful voice called out, catching his attention as Botan walked over to his bed as he tried to sit up. Seeing this she pushed him back on the bed with surprising strength for a girl of her figure and skills. "Don't get up, you're no doubt feeling weak from the SDF's technique. I should go and tell Koenma that you're awake though, he wishes to talk to you about something important," she went to get up but Naruto caught her hand, causing the blue-haired Grim Reaper to blush obviously while Naruto got hints of pink in his cheeks.

"What happened? All I remember is facing Toguro before waking up here," he trailed off, trying to look her in the eye but she seemed nervous for some odd reason.

"Eh, I think Koenma would be able to explain it better," she said abruptly before dashing out of the room, making Naruto raise an eyebrow at her actions. All he did was grab her hand and ask a simple question, which he was sure she knew the answer to, so it was definitely an odd reaction from the girl but decided to not worry about it.

Koenma entered minutes later, followed by a less-nervous Botan, who was still blushing but it seemed to have cooled down a bit, though Koenma ignored it.

"How are you feeling Naruto?" the toddler-turned-teenager asked, not wanting to beat around the bush. The sooner he got this out of the way the better.

"Tired. What happened? One minute I was in the ring about to kick Toguro's ass, and the next I'm awaking to find myself in some room," he replied.

Koenma sighed, before figuring out how to explain the situation. "It's...complicated. Apparently Yusuke's table-turning on the elder Toguro was related to his demon blood, blood I didn't even know he had, and it caused an alarm to go off in the Spirit World, causing the SDF to scramble and try and quarantine the island before it spread too far into the human world."

"SDF?" Naruto asked.

"Spirit Defense Force. A group of the strongest warriors in Spirit World. Their job is to ensure demons never cross into the human world, and the Spirit Detective's job is to eliminate those who get past them. However since the former Detective was busy, they were organized and sent to eliminate the threat."

"Former Detective? I was under the impression that Yusuke was the current Detective."

"He was, until he was dismissed by my father. I don't know why he didn't order Yusuke killed, which is what usually happens when the SDF is forced to gather in the human world, but whatever it was that caused him to not kill him, it must be important, as my man lives by the Spirit World laws to the dot."

"So then who will replace him?"

Koenma sighed, "I'm afraid you will Naruto. You are the only one qualified for the job, and the only human that can accept it without repercussions."

"So I have no choice in this? You just expect me to take this job like a good little boy?"

"You have to understand Naruto, I don't want to force this job on you. But I have no other applicants I can trust. Kurama has declined it and Hiei and Suzaku are ineligible due to their demon-blood."

"So you're telling me there are zero people on this god-forsaken planet that have even the slightest hint of Spirit energy? That's what you're telling me, right?"

"Yes, that is exactly the predicament. There is no one the Earth that have the required amount of energy to become Detective. Originally I would have passed the job to someone who would have the power, but I would have to wait a few years. And sadly, I can't afford to send the SDF to Earth every time a D-rank demon gets past the Kikai Barrier. Trust me, I would rather not force this upon you, I really would, but I just can't let the world be unprotected for a few years while the other applicants grow into their power."

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes to calm his emotions and think. He probably would have accepted the job if he had been asked, but for Koenma to blatantly drop it in his lap was rather rude, but then again, it was better the brat would tell him straight up as opposed to leading him along a nicely-structured story.

"When will my first mission start?"

"I'll let you know when something comes up. Until then rest, you've earned it," as he left the room, Koenma barely heard Naruto's muttering of it being bullshit, but didn't reply as he went to meet the rest of the team.

---

Chapter 5 done finally, and with it ends the era of Yusuke the Spirit Detective and begins Naruto's reign of terror, for demons anyways. Next chapter starts the begining of an original arc that will last for quite a few chapters; not sure how many as of yet, but it'll be well worth it. )

Review Responses:

Honebar: He does have some ninja techniques, and they might/not be used. But as for when, it's a surprise that would spoil the story ;P

Blizzardfang: Since he wasn't trained by either the 4th or Jiraiya in this story, all arrows point to "no". However he doesn't really need it since his other abilities more than make up for it. :)

As for everyone else who reviewed, a big thank you, but I can't very well answer every question cause that'd ruin the story. But I'd be willing to answer them where other eyes can't see them (I.E. send me a message/email). )