A/N: Jesus Christ! I know that a lot...or maybe all of you readers, what little is left, are most likely pissed off at me for not continuing. But! I thank you all for being patient with me. First off, whenever I tried to save a document in any format, it read as could not be saved. It also auto-closed my window and the document was deleted...all that hard work, gone. Every. Single. Time.

You could not imagine how painful it was to suddenly find those thousands of words deleted. Truth be told, I'm still hesitant writing just this author's note, but after downloading this LibreOffice and giving it a good few test runs, and with Finals over early due to construction as well as having 4 months of summer vacation, I am now more inclined, as well as dedicated to finishing this mini-project of mine! Let it be known that I haven't quite shaped out the ending yet, but during my externally-imposed hiatus, I've broken clear out of my writer's block!

Let's hope the content I write hasn't dulled too much though...you'll be the one to judge it after all!

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Let's get this started!

Disclaimer: the same as last chapters...honestly, though...did you guys think I would own Naruto during my being MIA for the past year? Maybe...

Naruto sighed.

It just wasn't a good week for him.

It has started off promising. Yugito clearly showed skills capable of matching his own, the mission success rate hit a high point that couldn't ever be matched. Both of them were filthy rich from taking missions, though they weren't very picky with their money. They were both boyfriend and girlfriend, though they decided not to step past hugging and kissing as of yet.

So why the hell was he stuck in the middle of nowhere, alone?

The numerous amount of missing-nin and bandits littered the rather desolate scene of cliff sides and rocky inclines.

Missing-Nins were stuck with their status for one reason or another, most likely due to circumstances out of their hands. It was an achievement, and a frightening one at that, that they would pair up with bandits, who were considered scum of the earth, because they decided, more or less, to harass the civilians, ninja, and the economy of everyone that was effected by foreign trade.

Needless to say, that was pretty much all the organized nations under the sky.

He had taken a day-off his imposed vacation to do the universe a favor, and rid the existences of those who constantly plunder, kill, rape and Kami knows what else.

It was supposed to be a simple A-ranked mission.

Then again, nothing's ever really simple these days, is it? Naruto mused.

He was tense, he saw that these people were armed to the neck in whatever they could salvage, and they, themselves were silent. Acknowledging the threat the Lone Marksman would give off.

Naruto was surrounded on the top of a rocky incline, three of the ways directly from his position was crowded with hostiles. They were spread out and obviously told in advance about his fighting style. Most likely, some of the missing-nins had a bingo book.

The only other way out was to jump off an extremely high-up cliff down into the unforgiving seas below. It was nearly Fall and the temperature would surely whittle his health and stamina down in the best-case scenario. Added to that fact, was that the seas surely led to Kiri waters. He did not want to place Konoha into a political situation with them on the bargaining side.

It wasn't like he had some kind of jet pack. Yet. Kyuubi and himself were beating themselves up on how to turn an already miniaturized reactor into a slim and non-bulky jet pack that would not interfere with combat.

Regardless, he knew he was truly in precarious situation. Though he had the range advantage and would most certainly eliminate more than a good number of what was bound to charge at him, he could not hold all of them off indefinitely. That was a easy job for a fully-automatic weapon though, which he did not have, and the only other person that did have that capability was currently trying to sneak back into Kumo for both information and her own personal items back at her apartment.

Naruto insisted that he accompany Yugito's search-and-grab mission, just as much as she insisted right back that she would be fine alone, what with her knowledge of secret routes and all. Damn his girlfriend's stubbornness...

Either way, he realized that he could of set up some kind of reconnaissance on this area. It was a total black spot across all five great ninja villages. It held no precious minerals and was not a spot to farm or live on. However, it made for a great base of operations to strike at multiple trade routes between villages nearby, which meant a safe haven for bandits and the like.

Konoha wanted whoever was orchestrating these operations dead. Not only to free trade up again, but also for some political weight to throw around in the faces of the other four villages who would also have their own trade routes freed up by the results of this mission.

It was classified an A-rank but bordering on S-rank because of the lack of advance intelligence on the camp.

It was surely to be bumped up into a S-ranked mission when he ran straight into a fortress.

Naruto decided to cut his loses and make a break for open land, but his luck ran short when he ran into the dead-end where he was right now.

Naruto crouched slightly. He brought his trusty sniper to bear, feeling the comfortable weight resting against his right shoulder.

His mind went through multiple tactical scenarios. His total amount of options and results were not satisfying at all. He cursed.

Fuck.

Konoha military doctrine dictated that he should immediately fight his way back to Konohagakure.

All the military villages had a military doctrine, each different and unique. Konoha's own military doctrine and operating procedures is what allowed Konoha to prosper with a staggering amount of missions, thereby pushing Konoha to the top of the food chain as the strongest ninja village in the Elemental Countries.

Little is known about the other villages' standard military doctrine, despite many sabotage and infiltration missions during the Great Shinobi Wars.

Konoha's standard doctrine called for a mission-dependent, reactive losses. This term meant that based on the mission ranking, the mission called for a certain number of losses before the mission is considered a failure, called acceptable/unacceptable losses.

As of the present time, it was currently 10% for D-ranks, 25% for C-ranks, 35% for B-ranks, 60% for A-ranks, and 90% for S-ranks.

This concept is based on a reactive measure, the variable depending on the number and skill level and set of the participants.

For example: if an average Konoha Genin team consisting of 4, the jonin and 3 genins, were to embark on a D-rank mission, the doctrine would allow one of the combat-readiness of the group to fall 10% down, leaving them with the combat effectiveness of 90%. This meant, if one of the genin's were to receive a moderate injury, but not life-threatening or if the jounin were to receive an injury that could potentially hamper some of his fighting efficiency, the doctrine would allow the team to move on with the mission.

If that same team were to embark on a C-ranked mission, the doctrine would call for 75% combat-readiness before considering the mission a failure. 25% losses on a genin-team would entail multiple injuries on all personnel, serious injuries on 2 or less genins, life-threatening injuries on one genin, or the death of one genin. Any more 'losses', and the doctrine called for an all-out withdrawal back to Konoha to report.

This measure however is reactive, if a chunin-team of three said chunins were to set out on that same C-rank, protocol would demand up to, but not past 75% combat-readiness as well. For a 3-man chunin squad, that would entail moderate injuries across the group, or one serious to life-threatening injury. Any more would consider the mission a failure.

The reason for the large jump from B to A and from A to S ranks in combat-efficiency losses, was that those missions were of a particularly great importance to well-being of Konoha. After all, shinobis and kunoichis were nothing more than tools that live to serve the village as a whole, not unlike an ant colony, with the workers working to seek the betterment of the colony and it's queen.

S+ and SS ranks and even beyond that called for an absolute 100% dedication to finishing at all costs. It is speculated that these terms are alike between the villages, however there is a universal-set limit, agreed upon at the end of the Third Great Shinobi World War, on the number a village can make S+ and above ranked missions a year.

The 100% absolute dedication of a S+ rank or higher mission is not made without the stipulation that there must at the very least, be some of communication between the participants and the host village informing them of the situation. This is to ensure that at least the information would shed some light upon the inner workings of another village to insure that the operations within a village are not inhumane or crossing an unsaid, unofficial, but very real line.

Since this was a special A-ranked, most definitely turned S-rank, by counting the shear number of enemies that could potentially destroy a minor village, if not cripple a major village, Naruto could take up to 90% loss in combat-efficiency. However, with the pressing situation, he knew that if his combat-efficiency was taken down below even 70%, he would be swarmed with no chance at getting the information back to Konoha, let alone alive.

He knew he was good, better than most. But against a number like this? Even Konoha's Yellow Flash was human. And a 1000 to 1 if not greater odds were not looking good for even a Kage.

His situation was made drastically worse when he found out that the route to, frankly, get the hell out of the place was block by that indomitable fortress standing in his way. He was sure there were at least a couple hundred more men and women waiting to strike gold by obtaining his weapons and claiming to have killed a person with his status as Yuiitsu no Shashu or Lone Marksman.

Double-Fuck.

He was the epitome of a soldier's specialization of anything but a close-combat, crowd-controlling soldier.

He was an assassin. He took out specialized targets within protection at long-range with precision and control. He was also made for support within a highly coordinated group mixing in a member proficient in CQC (Close Quarters Combat), along with a crowd-control support member and heavy weapons/demolition expert.

That usually translated into a marksman, a shotgun, a rifleman, and an explosives carrier/anti-armor support back in days of old.

He was a sniper.

He was a sniper, without support, which in fact, the sniper was meant to give support.

He was a sniper, alone against an unprecedented number of bandits armed for close range stabbing and missing-nins who we was absolutely certain to have an arsenal of ninjutsu. Even a fairly limited range of ninjutsu could compliment the charging bandits well.

A sniper had no place within this side battlefield.

Triple-Fuck.

Naruto was forced to give a little more of the precious ground he already stood on in order to dampen the affects of multiple area-effect water and lightning jutsus.

Now his back was to the wall. A wall made of air, and a floor made of turbulent seas, which at this height and surface-tension would be akin to falling the same 200-meter height onto concrete.

And the bandits started their charge.

Quadruple-Fuck.

Naruto sighed. Aiming in at the closest bandit, he fired off three shots in quick succession. He quickly sighted onto another missing-nin who was preparing to fire off another jutsu, while he inwardly acknowledged the seven or so bandits falling to the ground with missing heads or holes in their upper torso. Firing off another two shots before the missing-nins fired their own ranged jutsu, he quickly reloaded as they fell.

He was forced to fire all of the new bullets in the recently fresh clip at the rapidly approaching bandits.

As thirteen more men and women fell, he cursed once more.

Quintuple Fuck...

He realized that the approaching wave of flesh which wanted nothing more than to skin him alive for the death of their comrades, was using chakra to aid their speed in their goal to close the distance.

He had no trouble back in Kumo with those ANBU operatives. Not only was the opposing force much smaller, they were also rather surprised at the speed of which his weapons could kill.

Now however, they were well-informed, had good coordination, and were attack en masse.

With a force whose numbers could shake even the hardest of Kages.

He lifted his sniper up and over his back and secured it onto a strap. In one swift movement, he pulled out both of his handguns. The black steel coating shining in the glum atmosphere filled with death and destruction.

Firing off a double tap of Fire shots into the crowd, he watched impassively as their bodies were soaked with burning and devouring flames. He then fired off some Earth shots in the general location of the missing-nins in order to keep them on their toes and to hopefully disrupt any jutsu they were readying.

He then finished his clip off by firing Water bullets and curving those sideways and imploding upon the fires that were created by his Fire shots earlier. Those shots were more like scars carved into the bandit group. Slash marks of red and white heat trying to claw it's into the group. However that meant that the total line of advancing bandits were not completely impeded by the fires. The water shots curved into the fire and crisscrossed.

Normally, this would have have counter-producing effects and put out the flames. However, Naruto discovered another power within his already devastating elemental shells.

He could alter the molecule structure of the elements produced through the medium that was the bullet and it's SS (semi-sentient) feature.

By separating the hydrogen from oxygen, he could use both components in order to feed the fires more energy as well as the youkai that the bullets themselves gave off as a by-product of being made with youkai. Also the resulting breaking in hydrogen bonds also released a good amount of energy itself to fan the flames as it were.

This led to the shots having trails of white flames following their course that was altered by Naruto. The resulting lines were stonewalled by white flames threatening to devour them whole. They were further disheartened by the fact some of the comrades left and right were already being killed off by the flames that seemed to burn no matter what they tried and more likely spread the fire itself.

The missing-nins were again forced to break off the offensive jutsu placement in favor of readying water jutsu to help put out the flames that were creating mass panic within their lines. Though, they had no idea that the flames actually ate chakra in order to fuel itself, so they would actually be helping in spreading the fires.

Naruto reloaded and proceeded to push the line further back by launch a combination of water, earth and fire bullets, each one complementing the other as well as wreaking havoc on the bandits, who by now were taking the burnt of the damage and paid for it with lives.

Gaining ground slowly, but surely, he unleashed a hailstorm of wind bullets at the now growing bonfire of white phosphorus. When his clips emptied once more, instead of reloading, he unleashed as many of his personal Rasengan Bullets as humanely possible into the wind-fueled flames.

This had the desired effect.

The forward bandit lines were all but decimated, and the middle lines were halfway to hell with the flames gnawing at their clothing and armor. The flanks and rear guard were in full retreat in order to escape the searing heat but were all but killed by the resulting firestorm that Naruto Uzumaki produced.

The flames themselves encompassed the entirety of the lines advancing before him. With the addition of the Wind shots, the flames spread out further while retaining their width so that it left no chance for the enemy to take advantage and rush him while reloading.

The omnidirectional winds that the Rasengan Bullets had instead turned the bonfire into a red and white hot firestorm that hamper the effort of the supporting missing-nins, if not entirely taking them out of the battlefield.

As Naruto advanced hastily, the flames curled around him in order to both allow him passage and to protect him further. This was a direct result of the youkai residue still present within the lingering flames. It recognized the mass moving towards itself as the main host and granted him passage with minimal effort and heartache.

Pushing past the flames and running, coincidentally keeping pace with the, by now, retreating hostiles, Naruto proceeded to reload while advancing on the tall, imposing fortress laying before him.

As the retreating enemies realized their enemy was hot on their trail (rather literally as well), they regroup along with reinforcement from the fortress, now up close looking like a castle.

The bordering walls made of stone and steel along without a doubt, many traps within it's walls, Naruto decided to stall for time and perform his, current, signature.

"Fūton: Naruto no Jutsu!; Wind Release: Maelstrom Technique!" Naruto was encompassed by a gray semi-sphere bubble of multi-directional winds moving at high speed.

This defensive-oriented technique had it's desired affect of stalling for time. All of the enemy combatants quickly realized the futility of trying to pierce the wind shield by any means, as shown by the effortless repelling of many jutsus and weapons.

Naruto had totally mastered this technique back awhile during his vacation. He could now effortlessly maintain this technique in combination with Kyuubi's youkai and even with him going at full human speed. However, youkai was unused at multitasking and he could not both empower his speed and the Naruto no Jutsu at the same time. Yet.

However, he was taking his time purposefully. He needed a way to both end the threat now as well and getting back home in one piece. The downside to the Maelstrom Technique was that it was a total shield and would not allow anything besides regular oxygen and a desired amount of light to be filtered through. If any amount of chakra or even youkai were to come into contact with this technique, the jutsu would recognize it as a threat automatically and both repelling the host if s/he was in range as well as taking as much chakra from the host or technique as possible to both fuel the technique and empower it further. And so Naruto could not perform any damaging technique to anyone outside the bubble.

The bullets themselves could not pierce the shield, though his sniper could somewhat fight it's way about ½ into the shield before detonating and rendering the attack harmless by slightly buffeting the winds. Plus, his sniper was large enough that he could not properly use it within this enclosed space either way.

In order to get out alive along with completing his object alone, he would need to every ounce of skill as well as intellect to come out as the victor. He grimaced as he drew up of Kyuubi's youkai once more.

On the outside, many of the hostiles quickly tensed in anticipation as the gray wind bubble slowly transformed into a red and black maelstrom.

As fast as it came, it disappeared, the bubble and the even the occupant inside.

All were confused at this new development, at least until it reappeared on top of a missing-nin. He didn't even have the chance to scream as his head and resulting nerve-connections were simply eradicated.

It seemed to have used his face as a stepping stone to get onto a section of the fort walls. The bubble then disappeared when it made contact with the wall, but not until it released all it's pent-up energy by demolishing the entire section of the second floor northern walls.

The dust faded away to reveal Naruto in tatters. He was worse for wear as his outfit, or the remains of which, depicted. His crimson and black soldier jacket with Konoha's emblem on the front and the Uzumaki swirl on the back was completely shredded and revealed black muscle shirt underneath, which also was held together on by a thread. His ANBU-style pants were torn and beat up with overuse.

Remarkably, his weapons looked to be unharmed, or rather looking fresh and glinting in the pale sunlight. The on board reactions reacted and resonated with the youkai and repaired whatever damages it had endured.

Re-holstering his pistols in favor of his sniper, he proceeded once again to decimate the lines he had jumped past. Along with collapsing the the front gate and killing the wall's guards, Naruto made his way through the facility to find it's leader.

On the third floor, he found a rather lavish command room in which he found the leader of the misfit group behind his desk, looking straight at him no fear, as if anticipating this.

Well, he must have heard the screams, gunfire, and explosions either way. Naruto mused as he brought out one of his pistols to bear on the rather old man.

The supposed leader had black hair and a stubble. Dressed in unexpectedly regal-looking clothes, he gave out an aura of a charismatic leader.

He then stood up and placed himself in front of Naruto's weapon. His heart directly in front of the business end of the sleek looking pistol.

"Well then, Konoha shinobi-san. I have waited for this day for so long. You cannot imagine how hard it is to organize an army of both bandits and missing-nin. Though, if you really killed off most of them by your own hands, you deserved to be commended at the very least." Naruto was inwardly shocked at the politeness of his tone.

He then heard footsteps approaching and decided to end this.

As he pulled the trigger, he heard some shocking words before the leader's heart exploded.

"You actually look so much like Minato-san, now that I take another look at you. Well then, give Danzo-teme my regards, Konoha shinobi-san."

Unlike that time back in Kumo, he did not hesitate this time. He decided to get the bloody hell out of here and dwell on this later.

Quickly swapping his weapon for his trusty sniper, he fired out an Earth bullet at the wall behind his desk. He knew that was the southern wall judging by the northern-wall he had demolished. South, back to Konoha.

He quickly escaped his pursuers by firing another two earth bullets behind him blindly. They were meant to slow his pursuers down in order to give himself a head start rather than kill anybody. He had enough blood on his hands for a week.

–

Turning in the mission had more consequences then he thought. By ridding the Elemental Countries of a good amount of the bandit and missing-nin population, he earned himself a great pay check, and fame.

It seemed the survivors of the exchange gave up on their ways of life and went into minor villages, who welcomed the extra set of hands and protectors with open hands. All the while, it spread across the Countries that the Yuiitsu no Shashu took down the huge fortress by himself. If any other village had sent in any amount of numbers and/or skilled shinobi and kunoichis, it was certain that they would suffer a good amount of casualties, if not repelled outright. The way they fought was like a well-oiled machine and to be taken down and humiliated so thoroughly by one kid?

Naruto was basking in the praise as Kyuubi reluctantly allowed him to be graded as Kage-level with his combat experience.

Of course, all this praise and acknowledgments from various sources was not all good.

Yugito had gotten word of this and immediately confronted him. Naruto let it slipped that if he fought with any less effort or such, he would have not gotten back alive. Yugito beat herself up over it by not being with him, and thus she would nag him about future mission requisitions and nagged the Hokage about become a more permanent partner for Naruto in all future missions.

The request was denied with the stipulation that Yugito will accompany in all missions with Naruto whenever the requested together, however, if he decided to send only one of them out of a mission, they could not complain about it.

Yugito then agreed after a heated debate. Then, she turned her fury on Naruto.

The end result? Yugito now nagged Naruto like an over-protective wife whenever he tried to do some missions, and most of them she now accompanied. Now mainly known as the Kimu De~Yuo or Gold Duo, they together accomplished and completed many missions, not only with zero losses, both also going above and beyond the call to serve, propelling them above the rank-and-file soldiers they were. The council, whatever arguments it tried to come up with, could not deny results. The new breed of Special Operatives in Konoha were beneficial in every way and pulled it's own weight and then some.

But Naruto and Yugito's rather peaceful lifestyle, along with Konohagakure's rather idyllic life, was coming to an end.

Thanks for reading! Please review! I need encouragement to continue with this project of mine, or I'll consider it a lost cause!

Also credit goes to Lloyd Neruameshi and Foxes-rocks for helping me with the translations of Lone Marksman and Gold Duo. I chose theirs over Reikson, so sorry, but thanks for the help!