Hello my dear readers, it's me speedy24! How are things?

Ya know things are up, sorry for making you guys wait so long. I had the story on my laptop from last time but thanks to my little sisters, it ended up crashing on me, meaning I had to rewrite most from scratch and from some notes I had. So sorry if it's not good or if it seems a bit rushed.

Among other things, I got breath of the wild and it. Is. Breathtaking! Everything from it is wonderful and I love it. I might just take this march break from school just to play it until school.

Besides that, now I am looking over the poll and it seems as Yakumo is winning the poll with Sasuke, ino, and anko right behind her, I'm already writing the chapter for reflection of a cracked mask so you should expect that in a week or two.

Anyway my rambling aside here's the next chapter, Enjoy!

"Speaking"

'Thought'

Techniques

'Phantom thoughts'

"phantom talking"

Chapter 5: A New friend? & learning Chimera Shift.

'How the hell did I ended up in this situation!'

Naruto thought as he danced through the combined assault of both deadly sand and savage swings of a huge axe-like club trying to bash his skull. Levi himself is not there at the moment as he was still out searching for any trouble.

Naruto backpedals from both the sands and the monster before him to his right. It was colossal being in 8" in height and having bronze color skin with specks of black and a hide of blacken stone covering it up to its face. which formed a rocky raptor-like helmet that hid everything but its red glowing eyes staring at Naruto with anger. It had tone forming sharp claws with bones poking out and its rib cage showing. Bone spine coming out in its back and sharp bones from its shoulders.

While to the left side of him stood a red-haired Suna kunoichi with a gourd on her back staring at him as well. She was controlling the sand to attack him since she wanted to kill him for some stupid odd reason, he couldn't figure out for the life of him at all.

So, when he considers his position, Naruto really wonders sometimes if he pissed off some god in his previous life, for them to convince kami to make his life this horrible.

'and to think this day started off so simple'

[The day earlier]

Two years

Two years have passed since Naruto and Levi have left the hidden leaf village, and so far, so far live has been better for the both of them.

Ever since they left, Naruto has been training to get stronger in both shinobi arts and as a phantom streamer. Like right now at their campsite not that far off from a small village is Naruto along with a group of clones fighting on a riverbank. Levi watching him practice off to the side next to Naruto's tent.

Deflecting an ax kick to his head from one of his clones only to block a swing from one to his right. Naruto retaliated with sweeping his clones feet from underneath them, then a swift hammer strike, dispelling a few of them.

" come on! Your supposed to be me, right? I know I'm more capable than this!" he mocked them as some gave him an annoyed expression.

"boss you shouldn't be cocky. That'll get ya killed" one of the clones commented, others nodding.

Naruto waved the warning off, he knew he shouldn't get cocky since he isn't in kohona anymore and he's not that far from the border between fire and so he should be cautious and weary. His clones looked like they were ready for round two but before Naruto could move, splashing out from the riverbank he was standing on. A familiar curved and twisted tail shot out and coiled around his leg before tossing him around.

Naruto's clones stopped at what was happening, seeing that the tail belong to Levi and begin to laugh at their creator being tossed around like a sack of potatoes. They all dispel while Naruto fell to the riverbank finally being released by Levi who chuckled lightly, watching with amusement.

"I believe that was what your clones were getting at Naruto. You have to be more aware of your surroundings and be able to adapt you know" the serpent phantom lectured the soaked glaring blonde.

"Okay okay, I get it, Levi. You don't have to drown and toss me around to prove a point," Naruto complained while taking off his wet clothes and putting on dry ones on, setting the others to dry by the fire.

"Oh no that was for my own amusement brother" chuckling at his partner's expression before he starts laughing as well.

[some time later]

After packing up their things, Naruto noticed the odd look that Levi was giving him.

"okay bro what's up? You've been staring at me like that for the past few minutes." Having put his bag down to stare back at Levi, making the serpent sigh heavily.

"brother I think it's time for me to teach you more about Phantom stream, you already know how to use it very well but you don't know the real consequences of using it rashly." Gaining his attention he continued, turning away from him he brought his tail to the ground between them.

"you already know that phantom stream uses your memories as the basic medium to form your different form correct?" Naruto nodded knowing that each time he does, he's using his memories. " then let me ask you what do think happens to memory or memories that you use to change? The very question stopped Naruto, he didn't think of that? Where did they go? I mean Levi eats them right? So why does he still have them?

"they don't essentially disappear." He said

"think of your memories as canisters filled with water. Each time you change you drain some of the canisters and when it's not being used it's being restored either by remembering or reacting the same thing that's in the memory again. This way you don't lose most of your memories at first." this was new information to him.

"why do you think your form mostly resembles a shinobi? It's because that memory is constantly being restored since everywhere you go, there's shinobi." He told him as Naruto was letting this sink in, but this just raised some more questions.

"I'm letting you know now so you don't do something reckless like continuing to used the same memory over and over until you lose a treasured memory." He warned him, seeing him realize the weight of the price of phantom stream.

"that's the real price, but it's not what all I'm talking about now"

"huh? What do you mean?"

"well I was hoping to tell you about my home but that can be dealt with at a later date brother. What I wanted to talk about is Chimera shift."

" Chimera shift? What's that?"

Levi looked at Naruto as he stared at the serpent. "chimera shift is another form of phantom stream on a simpler degree. While the basic of phantom stream is to use your memories to create a body to fight phantoms in, chimera shift is the ability to adapt to your enemy… even if you gain small amounts of skill or power from different memories when you change. It won't fully help you against your enemy, chimera shift allows you to gain the quirks that counters your opponent.

Imagine you're facing an enemy that can hit you from afar but if you used chimera shift you could gain armor thick enough to walk through their assault and reach them or a slim body made for running that'll allow you to reach the enemy before they could even attempt to strike again…. But it'll only work on your resolve, it is the ability to adapt at a fast rate."

Chimera shift sounds like a great ability to have if you're up against an enemy that you can't fight normally against but…. After hearing the risk of phantom stream, what's the price for using it?

"It sounds good Levi but." Levi listen closely, "what's the cost for using it?" he asked

"Hmm, the cost? it'll put more of a strain on your body, at the rate you are now. You would have about five minutes before you collapse from overtaxing yourself…" He told Naruto

"Really?... "he said in thought, the ability is good but he needs to test it out first than out in battle where he could collapse before taking out the enemy. It's better to be safe than sorry…he stares at his brother.. there's something he's not telling him..

"brother?"

"It's nothing. C'mon we need to stock up on supplies before we leave." He said picking up his bag with the serpent shrinking to the size of a small horse and joining him as they walked to the village.

[konohagakure]

Two years passed, The Hidden Leaf Village still hasn't changed a lot. Many people were out and about talking happily amongst themselves. The children were at the playground laughing happily and chasing each other around.

At the Hokage Mansion, Minato Namikaze looked out at the Village with a small smile. He turns around and saw his Shadow Clone just finishing up the demon known as paperwork. He sat down on his chair and sighed to himself, looking at an old photo, a lot going on in his mind right now, the first being Naruto.

It's been so long. So long since he and his wife drove away their one and only son. They've been looking everywhere for him and still hadn't found anything on his whereabouts. Every day he kept praying for his son's safety and always asked 'What are you doing now Naruto?'.

The Yellow Flash shook his head. The more he kept thinking about Naruto, the more it brought up painful memories of what he and Kushina had done to him.

He had to give Naruto credit, though, the boy knew how to stay hidden.

Naruto had already proven himself more resourceful than anyone had given him credit for by not only getting out of the village but also somehow making it to the border before they could catch up. He had timed it perfectly and had them waiting time to look around the village before even getting trackers involved. But it still made no logical sense that the frail boy that they thought they all knew that couldn't live long, cover such a distance in such a short amount of time. It got to be the something that tsume smelled along with naruto's scent that took him.

He sighed again thinking about how much he didn't do for Naruto, how much he wasn't there for him. If he could go back and redo everything, he be a better father for him.

[Living room]

Kushina was sitting on the couch, looking at a picture of a smiling happy Naruto, with a lifeless look in her eyes.

2 years since her son ran away from home and was abducted.

2 years since she abandoned him to himself.

2 years since the feeling of regret and guilt have entered her life.

Naruto...she caused him so much pain over the years...all because she was listening to her daughters...they all drove him away and now...he has been taken by something that wasn't human! For all, she knows he's probably...

Just the thought of it scared Kushina to death! And it only got worse for her...

Whenever she fell asleep, she would always dream of everything she said and did to her son. There was also where she even beat him to the point that he almost died! She's a monster! She's a horrible mother to her son! A disgrace to her Uzumaki Kin!

She saw Mito Uzumaki, her great grandmother, in her dream at one point in time and she told her that she was disappointed and ashamed that someone like her was part of the Uzumaki Clan. The Uzumakis never abandon one of their own, yet she did!

Mito was right. An Uzumaki never leaves their own, and she had left Naruto behind.

She didn't even know he had left his home until Hiruzen told her and Minato.

*Flashback*

After Naruto Left

It's been a few days since Naruto had disappeared after the party. Minato and the rest of the family never noticed or didn't really care.

After Hiruzen found a note left for him and read it, he called Kakashi and the other Jounin, he quickly told them that Naruto ran away, shocking them, and to hurry and find him. The Jounin left and Hiruzen prayed that Naruto was still okay. Even if he didn't talked to him much he and even after what happened at his and sisters party didn't want the young boy dead or worse to happened to him.

Tsume used her hounds to follow Naruto's scent only to come up empty as the scent died at the placed where he disappeared. The hounds began to whimper as they smelled something else and whatever it was scared them. Tsume noted that whatever the scent was it started to disappear as well. She wouldn't admit but the mysterious scent got her shivering a little in fear.

But the Jounin knew one thing.

Whatever that scent was, it had Naruto.

Hiruzen was truly heart broken by the news. None more so than Hinata as she overheard the conversation, as she went to see if Naruto was with him. After hearing the news, she fainted on the ground.

The moment she woke up, she broke down into tears and hugged Hiruzen, crying out Naruto's name. After she calmed down, she went and told her family, causing shock, sadness, and anger. The shock that Naruto ran away, sadness that someone took him, and anger to the Namikaze family.

Speaking of them...

Hiruzen would always see the Namikaze family together with bright smiles on their faces. Anger would appear on his face as he glared at Minato and Kushina. Not only did Minato and Kushina disowned Naruto as their son on the night of the party, but both and his students were still training with his former sisters not noticing Naruto was gone! HOW THE HELL COULD THEY EVEN SMILE LIKE THAT WITH NARUTO GONE!?

Enough was enough.

So, on the day when the girls went to the Academy, he marched right to the Estate with a scowl on his face that would've made Madara green with envy. He walked up to the front door and knocked on it repeatedly. The door opened, showing it was Kushina Uzumaki.

"Old Man?" Kushina asked in a surprised tone. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Kushina," Hiruzen said, in an emotionless voice, surprising and confusing her more. "May I come in?"

"Um...sure?" Kushina moved out of the way and let the former Hokage enter. She closed the door behind them and walked into the living room. "So, what brings you-"

"Is your husband home? If not call him, Call Minato, Kushina." Hiruzen interrupted her. "There's something I need to talk about with you two."

Kushina raised an eyebrow but just nodded her head. She sent Chakra into her wedding ring and in a flash, Minato appeared right next to her. He was about to ask what was wrong but noticed that Hiruzen was there with an emotionless expression

"Lord Hiruzen?" Minato asked. "What are you doing here?"

Hiruzen ignored the question. "Minato. Kushina. Tell me, how has Naruto been doing?" He saw the two parents blinked at the question.

"Naruto?" Kushina sighed and shook her head in annoyance. "I have no idea. He's always been such an annoying troublesome brat, who doesn't know when to stop asking questions when he already knows the answer to it but he hasn't been asking me or Minato lately." She and Minato hadn't noticed but Hiruzen was already shaking in his seat, trying to keep his rage under control.

"There's also the pranks he's pulled and the fights he keeps getting into with the other kids or the villagers and it's just so..." Kushina growled a little. "Why can't he be more like his sisters? At least they're perfect sweet little angels unlike him who should be staying in bed. I swear I think we spoiled him too much and that's why he's acting the way he-"

"YOU TWO SHUT THE HELL UP!" Hiruzen roared out, unleashing his KI in the room.

Kushina felt her legs give way as she collapsed onto the couch, while Minato found it out hard to breath. The two looked at Hiruzen and saw the dark glare he was giving them, making shivers run down their spine.

Hiruzen never felt this angry all his life. When Kushina said all those things, the more his anger kept trying to escape, even when he tried to suppress it but now he finally unleashed it. How dare these two! How dare they say such things when they don't even know who Naruto really was!

"How dare you..." Hiruzen spoke in a whisper. "HOW DARE YOU TWO!"

"L-Lord Hiruzen..." Minato tried to speak to him but couldn't due to the Killing Intent he was releasing. "Why are you..."

"Spoiled him!? You two spoiled Naruto?" Hiruzen asked. "you two never spoil him! You two never even gave Naruto a glance! Ever since you two started to train the girls you never once included Naruto in any of them! You pushed him away! Even worse since you found out You neglected him for his entire life! Do you even know what he likes to do? What's his favorite color or food? His hobbies? What he hates!? If he has any friends at all!?"

Minato and Kushina were wide-eyed as they tried to come up with something but nothing came out of their mouths. He was right! They don't know a kami damn thing about Naruto!

"And those sweet little angels that you were talking about earlier Kushina..." Hiruzen continued. "They are not angels! Naruto has told me all the things that the girls have done to him! They made fun of him, teased him because they were better than him! And as for the 'fights', you were talking about...Naruto was never into any fights, he was being beaten up by nearly half of the village, with his sisters there to watch!"

Minato and Kushina gasped in shock from the sudden information. Naruto was being bullied by his own sisters!? That...that was a lie! It had to be! Their girls would never do that to their own brother! There was no way the little angels wouldn't do such a thing...

"And for the so-called pranks/incidents that Naruto caused, it was never him, to begin with! He was framed! It was his sisters who did all that!" Hiruzen yelled at them, shocking them to the core. "Naruto has told me that in the small times that we have talked whenever he tried to explain to you two, you would always ground him, slap him, all of you were abusing him both mentally and physically!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU MONKEY!" Kushina roared out as tears were in her eyes. Lies...it had to be lies! "YOU'RE LYING! MY LITTLE GIRLS WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT! IT WAS ALL NARUTO! THEY TOLD US SO! OUR DAUGHTERS WOULD NEVER LIE TO US! THEY'RE GOOD GIRLS! NARUTO'S THE BAD CHILD!"

"Kushina is right!" Minato agreed. "That's the reason why I took his birthright away from him! It was because he wouldn't act right and the fact that he couldn't even become a shinobi We couldn't take much more of his nonsense!"

"Is that right...?" Hiruzen spoke up as he dug into his pocket and took out a diary. He threw to at the parents' feet. "It's Naruto's Journal. Look into it and see if the villagers or his sisters are the innocent ones that you claim they are."

...

…

Naruto...he was the real good child. He was innocent all along...

Soon all the things that Hiruzen had said earlier began to resurface in their heads and different emotions were running their heads. There was shock, regret, horror, sorrow, pain, etc. Minato put a hand to his head as eyes were widened and Kushina had tears falling from her eyes as she fell on her knees and cried her eyes.

She couldn't believe herself! She neglected her one and only son and not that but was accusing him unfairly! She should've listened to her son all along but she didn't and just beat him! She was an awful mother! And all the terrible things she said before and just now, she had to fix this! She needed to find Naruto and fix this! She looked up at Hiruzen's face as he stared back with his face emotionless.

"Lord Hiruzen, where is he? Where's my little Naruto!?" Kushina pleaded, wanting to find him and apologize for everything she's ever done to him.

"He's gone Kushina," Hiruzen said, causing the parent's eyes to widen.

"W-What do you mean he's gone!" Minato demanded.

"Because of what you and Kushina did at the party a few days ago, he ran away from the Village. I sent Tsume and the others to go out and find...only to discover that Naruto has been taken." Hiruzen answered causing them to gasp in horror. "Because of you two, someone or something has a defenseless 8-year-old child. I hope your happy with what you've done. Good day, Minato and Kushina."

The former Hokage vanished in a swirl of leaves, leaving two heartbroken parents alone crying their eyes out.

*Flashback Ends*

They had realized that Naruto had likely run away after hearing that his heir status had been taken from him. It had only been around 6-7 hours, and he was only an untrained 12-year-old. He couldn't have gotten far. They soon realized that he had left the village when a report of the gate guards had reached Minato. Naruto was out of the village.

At the Namikaze house Minato and Kushina tried to explain to their daughters that their brother had ran away. While Natsume seemed to be a bit devastated but she was alright, Tsubaki just seemed more annoyed than anything else.

They were appalled at their daughters and tried to fixed their attitude but they were too stuck in their way, so they just went along with it.

The more either Minato and Kushina thought about Naruto, all they felt was guilt and sadness of their treatment of Naruto. Even knowing about his illness, they could've treated him better.

Apparently, as close as the doctors could tell anyway, it was a result of him being affected by the Kyuubi's chakra while still in the womb. Tsubaki and Natsume were fine because they each had half the Tailed Beasts chakra sealed into them less than an hour after birth, but Naruto didn't,

They had been told that the chances of him living past his sixth birthday was less than 40% and that they should distance themselves as much as possible to make it easier for them. At one point, they had even suggested that they give him up and put him in care, not that they would ever do such a thing.

As years went by they were forced to watch as their son appeared to waste away more and more, with nothing they could do to stop it, and despite hating it had started to distance themselves from him more and more. They didn't mean for that to turn into treating him poorly or not believing him at all.

When he had started asking to be trained with his sisters, Kushina had felt her heart breaking at the expression on his face when they told him no. But what else could they say, his body was fragile, and while he had now passed what the doctors told them was the danger age, he was still too young and weak for his body to train without causing more damage. They just couldn't afford to let him try and harm himself any more than he already is, thanks to his body.

But they also knew he wanted to be a ninja, just like both, and just like his sisters, so they told him he needed to wait, that they needed to focus on Tsubaki and Natsume so they could control the fox.

She often wondered if it wouldn't have been better to have told the three the truth about his illness, after all, they had been honest about the Kyuubi, but in the end, both she and Minato had agreed not to tell him until he was older.

Telling the girls about the fox had been easy, they just had to explain it in the right way so that it sounded more like a power boost until they were older and could go into more detail.

Sadly, that went to their heads like the title everyone called them and made them into little devils that tormented their brother.

But for Naruto, it was different.

After all, how do you explain to a child that his own body was basically trying to kill him?

She let out a winded sigh. She just hoped that Naruto, that he's alright and safe.

[with Naruto and Levi]

"You want me? To help you. Really?" Naruto asked, a bit skeptical, Levi curled around his neck and glaring at the head guard.

"Ah yes if you can, it is a pleasure if you can help us," he asked cordially, once the guard and the others have gotten themselves treated and their situation explained to Naruto.

"It'll be very certainly reassuring to have your help like how you dealt with these bandits that ambushed us." Gesturing to the tied-up bandits, beaten with broken bones or the few dead ones, by the trail.

Earlier after gaining supplies Naruto and Levi began to travel towards wave country before heading towards Land of Water, they heard of the bloodline purge and want to help the rebellion against the Mizukage Yagura. They just happen to cross upon a group of bandits ransacking them and killing some of them.

Naruto's eyes narrowed as they fell upon the client that the guard asked them to help protect, a middle-aged, diminutive noble sagging beneath the weight of his expensive robes and jewelry. He was balding, and what hair he did have left was rapidly fading to gray. His eyes were green and sharp, but with paranoia rather than any sort of intelligence- in his modest opinion, at any rate. His weathered skin and peculiar fashion would have tipped him off to his origins even if he hadn't already met him the first time around.

The guard introduces them to the client.

Mioyoto Akiro. Noble of Kaze no Kuni. Loyal friend and one of many advisers to the Wind Daimyo.

Dead man walking.

"A pleasure to meet you," he greeted them cordially, once names had been exchanged. "It is certainly reassuring to see a shinobi like you being so skilled! Why I don't know what we would have done without your intervention."

A corpse, hostage, really a lot of things do come to mind.

Naruto promptly bowed his head, a real bow, even if he didn't trust or like this noble but it'll be good to be in one's good grace at least. "I'm sorry we didn't come sooner."

And he was, taking a side glance to the many dead bodies that littered the ground.

Akiro bowed his head in return surprisingly. "You did your best. We could not possibly ask you anything more." Naruto's jaw worked with the effort of holding back what he wanted to say in response.

"I understand"

"We've been discussing a few things," the guard gently cut in. "the others and I are part of a team that Mioyoto-san hired to accompany him on his travels through Hi no Kuni, before escorting him back to Kaze no Kuni's capital."

"We had roughly two more weeks of travel time scheduled before the escort back to Kaze no Kuni," the clear senior of the three mercenaries said wearily. "However..."

"I am quite ready to return," Mioyoto said quickly. "Considering recent events, I would rather not burden you any longer than is necessary." The senior mercenary nodded in thanks.

"Which brings us to the current situation," the head mercenary said, gesturing to the Naruto and Levi. "I and the others wished to bring back the others home." Their corpses, they need to be brought back to their families at the very least. " which is why He's asking for your assistance in completing the mission, in case another incident occurs."

"I want to think this was just a case of us being at the wrong part of the border at the wrong time," the senior mercenary, Tetsuno, explained. He ran a hand through his straight, shoulder-length hair, grimacing. "But I'd feel much better with you present." He smiled wryly. "if you would please accept."

Of course, they were going. There was still so much left to do.

"Fine," Naruto said.

"Wonderful, wonderful!" Mioyoto cried. "You have my sincerest thanks, shinobi-san. I won't forget this, I assure you." He wouldn't be able to forget or remember much of anything at all, soon enough, but Naruto didn't say that. Levi on the other hand wanted to, though.

And so, they went with the group.

Kawa no Kuni, the Land of Rivers, was an odd nation. As one of the Lands of Fire's direct neighbors, Kohona got a respectable amount of work from their people on a regular basis. He's heard all about it from Hiruzen when they talk from his past. Courier missions, escorts, and so on. Naruto didn't mind despite only hearing about it, either way. It's a beautiful country.

Wait? What's that over there?

Levi seemed to pick on what Naruto was staring at over the distance

There were the caverns.

Surprisingly, the Land of Rivers had a lot of rivers. These rivers flowed, and unlike most of the channels we had in the Land of Fire, they flowed fiercely. The result of this, after countless centuries, was cliff faces worn away by water and time. Nature, both above and below ground, washed away by relentless currents. Caves hollowed out by the sea's prying freshwater fingers.

The Land of Rivers' most defining feature was its underground caverns, which was why I could never really like the place. The caverns were a symbol of nature overcome by the elements, and they were everywhere. They ran deeper than some of the rivers themselves, which ebbed and flowed with time.

"whoa…," Naruto said

"I'll say," Levi said as well

"They're one of the more famous natural phenomena around," Tetsuno gestured with his hand down below at a strong current of water rushing into the caverns. "The rivers here are strong, and over time they've carved out more than a few of those caverns. If you were to go down and follow that stream, you'd get a lot further than you might think."

Man, but Naruto and Levi hoped that was the case.

they had reached something of a critical point after the last three days of travel. they hadn't been going particularly fast since their client was a civilian not at all in his prime, but they'd covered a good amount of ground nonetheless. The Land of Fire's borders had come and gone a few hours ago, giving way to rising landscapes with a more reasonable number of trees. They had been on an incline for a while now, which Naruto guess was why the caves were so far below them.

"They're spectacular, aren't they?" Mioyoto asked. "I know more than one adventurous soul whose travels have taken them beneath the surface of this country, and you wouldn't believe some of their stories!" The client civilian gestured excitedly as he went off on a tangent

Despite what him talking Levi couldn't help but feel on his guard, it got Naruto worried for if something here was putting Levi on guard then he should be expecting something big and dangerous to fight.

Naruto couldn't help but had to ask.

"Hey Tetsuno," he said, the hair on the back of his neck now on standing on end. "We almost there?"

The seasoned mercenary hummed, shifting a bit of his shoulder-length hair out of his eyes and peering down at the rivers below us in search of a familiar landmark. He found it a few seconds later. "At this pace, we have one more night before we reach the coast. From there, it should only take us a day of steady sailing to reach the capital."

That didn't make him feel any better if not it made him more on guard like his brother right now.

A change had come over Levi suddenly, a subtle but unmistakable tension in his bearing that had naruto's blood pumping furiously as adrenaline surged through me. Tetsuno noticed it, too, his stance shifting just so.

"Tetsuno-san. I think it'll be better if you set up camp here for the day. I'll go ahead to scout out while you stay here with the others." He asked surprising the head Mercenary.

"but why? We are but a day away from the coast." He asked

"I know but I felt something dead ahead and wanted to be sure if it was hostile or not, besides your men looked exhausted, they deserve a break don't you think?

Looking back at his men, he gave a nod of understanding before signaling his men and letting the client know why they were camping for the night.

Naruto and Levi looked at each other, Naruto then proceeds to run ahead.

For a while, nothing caught his eye and he didn't sense what he was before, but he stopped once he thought he saw a red-haired girl staring at him. He looked around but didn't see anything.

"brother why have you stop?

"I… I thought that I saw someone" he stated looking around once more to make sure he wasn't hallucinating.

"is that so? Hmm?... maybe we should double back then, just to make sure everything's okay with the others and the client. For we know it could be a pitch phantom with an illusion ability"

"no. if it is a phantom then you should go scout and check if it is one, I can wait for," He said, arms crossed and in the thinking position.

"what? No! you be by yourself. Naruto, you may be able to fight well against pitch phantoms and bandits but not against other shinobi, even if they can't hit or touch you with your phantom Art it doesn't mean that it that you won't grow tired by overusing it." Levi scolded him, Naruto flinching from how high his voice was and that he was next to his ear.

"I know. I know. Bro, I know my limits and I'm not stupid. Just please trust me okay?" he asked the serpent phantom. "I'll stay here and wait for you and if something happens- "

Poof!

Next to Naruto was an exact copy of him, thanks to the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu he copied from his former family's library.

"I'll just send a Kage Bunshin to come get you if I'm being an attack or fighting enemy shinobi, alright?"

"hmm… very well. But send one clone if troubles brew up alright?" he told Naruto who'd waved him off. Levi leaped off his shoulder before slithering off in search of any pitch phantoms.

Naruto nodded his head at that before turning in the opposite direction only to see the red-haired woman that he saw before.

'what the-' was all he thinks of before sand exploded from behind the woman and encircle around him. Caught off guard by her, allowed her to capture him in her sand. She emotionless stared at him.

As sand crushed him from all sides. "Um, Miss, before you crush me to death, can you tell me why you're doing this?"

The redhead looked at him, then her eyes narrowed. "Because I am allowed to kill enemies."

"Enemies?" the blond asked. "Um, I don't recall being your enemy."

"You are not of the village; thus, you are my enemy," she said. She tightened the cocoon of sand around him. "Now stay still and die."

"Wait!" he shouted, "Please before you kill me, can I at least defend myself?"

The girl considered this. As she stood there considering, he got a chance to look at her. Really look at her. She looked roughly one year younger than him and was even smaller. Her red hair was cut short, it only fell to her chin. On her forehead, the kanji of love was imprinted in deep red, and she wore, of all things, a cloak.

"no" her answered really making him feel desperate.

"wait! Wait!" he yelled out stopping her.

"what?"

"Is that really your only reason? I mean come on other people would either capture their enemy or possible steal from them." He said in hopes that she wouldn't crush and kill him.

"I need no other reason than to prove my existence. You will help me prove my existence, now be quiet and die" she stated, the sand now covering him up until he was in a cocoon of sand.

"no!" he got out before the sand encased him.

"sand coffin" she called out as the sand condensed to crush him, but for some reason, no blood splatters out like her usual victims she kills.

Where is the blood to feed her mother?

While the red-haired girl comprehends this a body emerged from the ground behind her, going unnoticed by the red-haired woman.

"yeesh, you really wanted me dead huh?" Naruto asked from behind her taking her by surprise, her sand moving at a quick pace to swirl around her and attack him once again.

"hey hey! Watch it with the sand! Whatcha trying to do, kill me?"

"yes" she answered, her sand went and hunt him with tendrils to capture him to make sure he can't escape and so, she can feed his blood to her mother. Naruto weaves through the tendrils of sand, at certain points using his abilities to phased through the sand that would either catch him or try to immobile him.

Once Naruto backpedaled and onto one of the stones nearby.

'Ooookay... she's really bent on killing me… and that sand of hers automatically reacts to her like it's alive... that's not weird at all.' He thought with a sweat drop.

Saara was both curious and frustrated with her prey. First, he somehow manages not only to escape her sand and his death but also elude being captured by her sands. Then there was that strange power of his that allow her sands to phase through him like he wasn't there or as if he was a spirit.

Maybe she will try a different tactic to feed his blood to her mother. But before she could take on this train of thought the stones that which he was standing on began to more with spikes shooting out.

"shit!" Naruto shouted jumping away from his spot, not wanting to be impaled.

What emerged from the area was what looked like a mixed of a skeleton raptor and a stone golem? It finally stood on its feet... okay that's huge! Being at a massive height of 8 feet.

It shook its frame before grabbing a Jagger stone next to it and pulling it out, the stone was in the shape of an ax blade. It rested it on its shoulders while looking between Naruto and the Saara, its sight then honed in on Naruto.

He flinched at its red eyes glaring at him.

'Uh oh… a pitch phantom here… of all times'

Unknown to Naruto, the phantom could feel the power coming from him. Usually pitch phantoms go after people or other phantoms that have the very memories of emotions that they lost and drain them of it, they're are like small flares, leaving them an husk, though people who formed a contract on the other hand are great beacons for pitch phantoms if their close enough to get a feel.

The moment it realized what Naruto was, it leaped from its spot right at him with its stone ax raised high.

'Shit!' he mentally screamed, rolling out of the way of the giant golem? Fossil? He doesn't know! he sank into the floor to avoid its fist that created a crater where he was.

He reappeared behind it. He was about to attack with the opportunity but he jumps instead and uses its back as a springboard to avoid the sudden wave of sand from capturing him again. He looks at the direction it came from and saw the red-haired girl glaring at him, he could feel the bloodlust coming off her in waves.

'Ah crap' he thought to see the sand gathering around her.

[Earlier]

Her prey was being elusive and difficult. Why did he have to move so much? He's only delaying his death. As he continues to evade her sand until he landed onto a boulder far from her, but to her and his surprise, it wasn't just a boulder. What emerged after he leaped away was a stone creature of some kind.

She then notices how it turned its attention to her prey. It glared at him, before leaping to attack him, this creature seems to want to kill him now.

Kill him? Kill her prey?

She could feel anger come to a boiling point. Nothing takes away her chance to prove her existence. Her sand gathered around her before she sends it at her prey.

[present]

' shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!' were the mental thoughts of naruto as he was on the receiving end of a brutal assault of both the sand wielding red head and a huge pitch phantom, both trying their best to kill him.

' think naruto! Crazy redhead wants your blood and the pitch phantom probably sees a buffet from you… grrah this isn't helping me at all!' he raged in his mind meantime ducking from the swing of the stone ax and evading tendrils of sand.

'send one clone if troubles brew up alright?"' Levi's voiceringed in his mind. Nodding, now having a plan in mind naruto backed away to put some distance quickly while crossing his fingers together.

" time for some reinforcements. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" six more naruto's appeared in a puff of smoke each side by side the original. Three of the clones shot off at the phantom while naruto turned to the others.

"go and find levi and lead him here quickly" he ordered the clones as they raced off in a sprint. Sadly, they didn't make it far enough before they were popped by the red-heads sand he felt. Bloodlust behind him as he sinks into the ground once again from the sand and dashed away to avoid the stone ax.

"Shit!" Dancing around both the sand before jumping over the stone ax, he landed on top of the phantom's head.

"Hey! You want to kill me!? I'm right here!" He taunted Saara, she glaring as her sand attacked him and by extension the phantom he was on.

Leaping from the phantom as it was hit hard with sand. Failing around its stone ax, the phantom trying to clear its face from the attack of sand.

Seeing the opportunity, Naruto quickly weaved hand signs, his hands ending on the hare hand sign.

"Suiton: Reijingu nami! (Water Style: Raging Waves!)" Water gushes out from his mouth like a waterfall and washes over both the phantom and sand in one sweep. Turning the sand into wet mud from moving as fast and causing the sand on the phantom to slow it down

'finally, a chance!' he thought to disappear through the ground.

"Kage bunshin Jutsu!" Popping into existence was ten more clones of himself.

"You five hurry and go get bro!" he ordered the clones, leaving quickly to avoid being popped by any remaining dry sand.

Naruto turned to see the phantom now moving at a snail's pace thanks to the mud from saara's sand. Okay if that's slowed down then where's….?

Phasing through the ground, Naruto escapes being hit from shurikens made of sand.

' oh come on!' he turned to see her coming out of a sand dome, Saara growled as the sand around her began to bubble and hiss like it was angry as well at him.

"can't you just leave me alone?!" he yelled as he dodged a small tidal wave of sand and jumped over it as well, avoiding it from grabbing him.

While this was happening the phantom from before had finally removed the harden mud, it turned its attention back to Naruto who was weaving from the red-haired girl.

It rose its hand and the bones claws began to change and extend, changing into a huge claw of bone. It then brought the claw down towards Naruto.

Seeing the descending shadow, he was about to jump away but.

'wha?' looking down to see his feet stuck to the ground by small patches of sand. 'how the hell did I miss this?' he thought, looking around to see patches of sand scattered around the area.

Naruto tried to phase out of the sand and through the ground but he couldn't, looking up at the huge claw coming down upon him, he braced himself since he had no way of dodging.

Suddenly a scythe sickle attached to a chain shot out from the woods and wrapped itself around the claw. It then pulled the claw away from naruto, dragging the phantom along with it and into the woods, striking and breaking a few trees.

"what the?..." was all he said before realizing his situation he was in while feeling the sand crawl up his legs in its attempt to engulf him, pumping chakra into his legs he ripped his legs from the sand binding his feet. Just in time too for spikes crafted from sand shot up from the spot he occupied previously.

[meanwhile with pitch phantom]

Smashing through a few more trees before the chained scythe sickle released the phantom. It getting up to see a black figure on one of the tree branches, the same chains with the scythe sickles used to fling the phantom were wrapped with some loose and in his hands. Staring at the figure with a Dragon like a helm that has twin glowing red spots that would be the eyes.

The pitch phantom ready itself for battle but the figure shook his head as he pointed to the right. Something coming towards them, What came were five clones of naruto and Levi.

"the pitch phantom? Wasn't it fighting naruto?" he said before noticing the figure on the branches above them. ' what? Who's that? Another pitch phantom?' Levi thought to look at the figure until it stared at him before disappearing into the black fog. 'that feeling… he's a streamer as well….interesting.' he thought before directing his attention back towards the phantom in question that was attempting to go searching in the direction it's facing.

' Probably after Naruto'

Levi begins to grow until he was his normal size, bearing his sharp teeth and his bladed tail towards the phantom. " sorry but I'm afraid you're gonna have to deal with me instead of my little brother" Levi stated as it growled back at him.

' give me some time brother I'll be by your side shortly'

[back with our protanaginst]

"Suna Shigure! (sand shower!)

Sand rained down upon the area as a blonde blur blitz through it. As fast as he tried to be he was still hit, grazing his left arm and shoulder. "gah!" screaming in pain before he was nailed in the chest by sand in front of him.

Crashing onto the floor, he grunted in pain but before he could move, Saara did in a surprising show of speed. With her right arm and hand condensed into a claw-like spear.

"KICHIGAI SHUKAKU NO HOKO! (MAD SPEAR OF SHUKAKU!)" She roared, stopping before the downed blonde with her arm poised to strike.

He didn't get a chance to move as she swiftly skewers him through his stomach.

"aaaaagh!"

Saara as she had her hand speared buried into Naruto's abdomen, blood splattered across the ground where they stood. Hearing naruto's cries of pain, Saara started laughing before she started to giggle as it evolves into cackling madly.

With a sickening squelch and crunch, she ripped his spear-like hand out of Naruto before laughing even more. She watches as her sand begin to engulf his body.

"gah…. no... can't…. die… not here..." were his thoughts

[?]

Behind bars, a pair of red ruby eyes with slit pupils opened.

"hmph! stupid kit couldn't handle shukaku's host by his own for long…" it growled.

" Tch… can't have you dying on me boy, you're more of a better host than those bratty girls. I'll let you have a taste of my power, be grateful kit," it said before closing its eyes.

Feeling new energy flow through his body, his eyes snapped opened.

"RRRRAAAAHHHHH!" Naruto roared, the force of his roar collapsing the ground beneath him, forming a crater. The sand blasting off his very form, Naruto's hair, got wilder than before while his teeth turned into fangs. The scars on his cheeks darkened and got wilder as well as his eyes turned blood red and cat-like. Red chakra covering his body like a thin aura, steam coming off his body as his wounds healed as if they weren't there.

Her sand spear forgotten and crumbling, Saara braces herself as her sand formed a shield to protect her from the shockwave of naruto's roar.

After naruto's outburst, he reeled his head back as he glared at the shield Saara was hiding behind. He charged towards the wall, the shield creates spikes on the side he was charging, only for him to phase through the sand and grab Saara by her face before chucking her at a tree.

The gourd on her back explodes into the sand, softening her impact. She got up and stared at him, fear in her eyes as she looked at his glaring red eyes, her mother screaming to run away from the boy in front of her. She watched as a pole rose from the ground and he tore it out to reveal a bladed spear, he looked ready to attack her again but before that could happen. He turns his head to the left hearing noise

Smashing through the stone and boulders was Levi with his tail wrapped around an arm from what Naruto could presume was the phantom.

"Gah!" levi groan in pain, bone spikes jager out of the arm and impaling levi. the phantom then proceeds to smash him into him into the ground repeatedly and then fling him away.

It growled at the down serpent and raised its axe to finish him off but dropped it, feeling flaring pain in its arm.

Naruto with his spear in its shoulder, glaring at it. "he's off limits! Get the point!?" he yelled, ripping his spear from its shoulder, it hissing as it tries to swat him with its claw.

Leaping from it and landing in front of Levi, he turns his head back at levi. Seeing the damage to Levi's body only made him more enrage. Levi stared at his brother, looking more feral and wild than before and his eyes…. they were burning red.

'what in the name of Yggdrasil?'

The phantom charged toward Naruto with its large ax at the ready and when the two met in center clashing spear and ax the phantom was overpowering him. The phantom was pushing back against Naruto as he slid across the floor being pushed and slams into the side of the small mountain denting them and forming a crater.

Naruto already tapped in red chakra pushed back and now it was the phantom that was being pushed back. However, the phantom manages to stop itself but Naruto pushes forward once again making it slide back along its feet slowly if you were to looking into naruto's eyes they were briefly turning back to his normal blue.

The phantom manages to push Naruto away who flips away into the air and lands safely upon his feet, the fossil golem was going to charge at Naruto but the streamer pulls out a Stun Sack and throws it into the phantoms face. The fossil was now swinging its blade before itself while having its other hand covering its face.

Naruto decides to take advantage; Spear becomes Scythe and Naruto charges toward the fossil. He leaps over the swinging blade flipping over it slashing its arm off that wielded its large kitchen knife blade.

Naruto smirked as he lands on the other side but it wasn't for long as he looked over his shoulder seeing the fallen limb still twitching before looking over to the phantom. Seeing the phantom in pain he charges it once again, dodging its attempt to crush him, he slid through its legs and in full motion with the momentum he cleaved it from its side to its shoulder.

The two lumps of its body falling to the ground then turn into smoke, its core floating above what use to be its remains.

Not caring about the core or the wounded Saara, he ran towards the wounded body of levi." Levi! Are you alright!?" he exclaimed in panic, looking over his brother and partner for his injuries.

Levi had to chuckle at that, he was worried about him after he was the one to warn him to be careful. Naruto ran through a few hand signs and use the Healing technique on levi, healing his injuries, levi breathing pleasantly at the feeling of naruto's familiar chakra enter his body.

"my thanks, brother."

"don't mention it bro. just relax and rest for now okay?"

"why?" she questioned, her voice with curiosity.

"huh? Why what?" he shot back.

"why do you not kill me? You're stronger than me…" she questioned him again.

He raised his eyebrows at how lost she looked. 'Oooookay,…..what the fuck?'

He exchanged glances with Levi who looked just as stumped and lost as he was, where did she get that mindset he should off her just because he beat her…...riiiiight! shinobi.

"any idea bro?"

"none what so ever, though I'm not sure why brother but I am sensing something dark and menacing from her, deep within." He exclaimed, a bit curious and cautious of her since she did try to kill Naruto.

Turing from his brother, he looked at Saara who'd looked scared and frighten of him.

Naruto walked up to the fearful girl, looking at her with gentle blue eyes. His thumb brushed away a tear, strangely the sand did block the contact, his lips then met her forehead. Still, in shock from the kiss, she didn't realize when he pulled her closer, hugging her close to himself.

He wasn't sure of what happened to her, he wasn't sure what made her this way and he wasn't sure who raised and taught her that mindset. Though once he does, he's gonna kick their ass all the way to lightning country and back, I mean seriously kill to exist? Who teaches kids that?

Both Naruto and Levi's head shot up, hearing footsteps. Two figures arrived in the area, a boy in a black jumpsuit with a bundle of bandages and a women in a battle kimono with a large war fan strapped to her back.

Kankuro has seen many things, his first kill, his little sister kill a man in cold blood but what he is witnessing is what shocked him to the core and dumbfounded him. His sister Saara, his little psychopathic cold blood murdering sister is in the arms of a boy and hasn't yet killed him.

His older sister Temari shared the same thoughts at the sight they were watching. The little girl she knew for most of her life is in another's arms, a boy's at that and that he's not dead at all.

To the shock of Temari and Kankuro, she began to cry in Naruto's arms. Tears of pain, sorrow, and most of all happiness the voice was gone, mother was quiet. Naruto merely sat down and held her as she wept into his neck.

"well…this is weird..." were his thoughts as he comforts the Suna shinobi in his arms as she wept.

….

….

[ somewhere else]

The fog vapor of something more... Dark, more menacing was blowing through the village until it came upon the graves of the dead. It came to the first one in its sights if it had eyes, it encircles the grave and tombstone before it began to seeped into the buried grave. Above the grave was a core oozing the vapor as it burrows itself down into the grave...

The grave rumbled and shook, before a small and feminine hand shot out of the grave. It tore away some dirt as a body came out of the ground and soil, the vapor was coming out of the body and circling it.

It then begins to seep into it, the body began to change slightly as certain body parts began to grow and stretch. Becoming taller than before and more developed than before, its hair grew longer until it reached its knees and was covering the tombstone.

The vapor then began to swirl around the figure's body becoming a vortex. An eerie high pitch laughs echoing throughout the graveyard but then…

"Fu Fu Fu, I remember…I'll find you… Naruto-Kun."

End

Well….shit that can't be good…my bad. Well, that was the new chapter, I hope Saara will feel better than before. We also get to learn another ability for phantom streamers, chimera shift! You bet that might be in the next chapter and we get a mysterious black phantom streamer that helps out levi! Who knows when he will appear again?

Well my dear readers, as you can see where I left this story off is pretty much foreshadowing for what's to come later on.

This is to answer the questions about naruto's ability.

Aqua Phase-

The ability for naruto to phase through people or objects through the minute alteration at the specific frequency at which the molecular structure that comprises the entirety of his respective physical composition vibrates. This allows himself and any objects he maintains direct contact with, to effortlessly phase through the majority of solid materials, without inflicting irreparable damage to either of the articles in question.

-drawback

Naruto can't keep this up for obvious reasons such as constantly using this ability in battle would tire his body out more since he's altering his own body structure, the strain could become fatal to his body if he's not careful. The second reason is that naruto is still young in phantom streamers term, he's still growing into his power and hasn't really mastered it in a sense.

I hope that clears somethings up for you and if it doesn't, then why not come up with your own theories on his ability, you can leave it in the review or PM me if you want.

Phantom: [name of phantom.]

Abilities: [an original skill that they have.]

Attribute: [element it represents.]

Weak Point: [easy spot that causes damage to it.]

Elemental Weakness: [element its weak to].

Origin: [what it's based on or what inspire it]

Phantom- Encyclopedia

Fos-Wrath – The berserk fossil

These huge goliaths were actually once gentle giants that live in peace with another species, they were also called the peacekeeper statue since they often sleep for so long in place that other smaller phantoms rest near them for protection or build homes around their bodies. Now they are raging berserkers often looking for either their next meal or for warriors to crush underneath their stones ax. Trivial fact: their stone axes are made from either bones or stone and clay from their bodies. Whenever they need to repair their weapon they just take a part of their body and fuse it with their ax.

Well, that's all for now. With march break, I might be able to post new chapters this week or next week, It depends really.

This is speedy24 signing off until next time