Seven Swords

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Author's Notice: Hey guys here's another new story I've been planning on doing for a while now. There are still a lot of uncertainties about this story for me, I'm still undecided about pairings if I should make it NaruSaku or Harem. Well let me know what you guys think. Also, I already know what sword I'm giving to Naruto in this story, but I'm curious if it were up to you what sword would you guys give him? Also if this were to be a NaruHarem, the characters involved will be Sakura of course, Mei, Hotaru and Karin as the definite ones. Then there are the likes of Shion, Koyuki, Shizuka, Temari, as possibilities. Maybe Ino and Tenten. Just to throw a few names out there, it won't be all of them of course, at most there'll be six. But do let me know your thoughts on the pairings, and your thoughts on the swords.

I kind of started this story to help spark myself to get back into writing, I still have intentions of finishing my other works of course and I have made strides to update them but sometimes the inspiration isn't there. So i'm working on this at the moment since the concept has gotten me kind of back into it, so I hope this will be a sign of things to come. I apologize if i've been away and inactive for so long, but life is just a pain in the ass with all these other commitments. I hope you guys enjoy this story, and please do let me know what you think.

Well this is a bit of an AU sort of story, and an idea I've been intrigued about. I hope you all like it and a big thanks for all of you continuing to support my work as a writer. I really appreciate all you guys, I plan on releasing a few other new stories that'll help me rekindle my writing, so you have that to look forward to. Please Favorite, Follow and Review.

Chapter 1: Exile

A young blonde whiskered child traversed through the dense fog surrounding this willowy forest. The young man was bruised and beaten, his clothes were covered in dirt and blood. It had been months since he was last home, he had been on the run for a long time now. The bounty on his huge was huge and it was because of that he couldn't trust many people.

The young man was named Naruto, said boy cursed his luck it wasn't that long ago that things had been looking up for the blonde but in a matter of days his entire life was practically ruined. The Godaime Hokage was not a man on Naruto's good books, he was responsible for turning the young boy's life upside down.

Had Tsunade been chosen as the Godaime Hokage things would never have turned out this way, after retrieving Tsunade from Tanzaku Gai she was chosen as a major candidate for the Hokage position, but her opponent was a man known as Danzo Shimura. The council voted in favor of Danzo Shimura, Tsunade's long absence from Konoha, her excessive drinking, and her addiction to gambling were the only blemishes on her amazing repertoire. But they were still enough to sway the vote in Danzo's favor.

Not that long after Danzo's appointment as Hokage, Sasuke had left the village to join Orochimaru. Danzo had sent Naruto along with Neji, Kiba, Shikamaru and Choji to capture Sasuke. Naruto knew he couldn't afford to lose this battle, the life of his best friend was on the line, and he made a promise of a lifetime to the girl he loved that he would return Sasuke to Konoha.

In the end Naruto met Sasuke in the Valley of the End, and after a long hard-fought battle Naruto was the victor. Though it wasn't much of a victory since the fight itself nearly killed Naruto, had it not been for the Kyuubi's power he would've died from the wounds he had sustained from Sasuke.

Naruto was brought back to Konoha by Kakashi himself, and while he was resting in the hospital one day he was immediately arrested by the Hokage. He was placed on charges of assault and attempted murder on the Uchiha, he was of course found guilty and as punishment he was to be placed in ROOT and stripped of personality and free thinking by Danzo. He was being prepared to be the Ultimate Human Weapon, but the day before Naruto was forcibly inducted into ROOT, Jiraiya and Tsunade came to his rescue. They broke him out of his cell, and they supplied him with a bad full of supplies.

During the escape Danzo was made aware and so he sent ROOT after them, Jiraiya and Tsunade could both sense the incoming threats, so they decided to stay behind to fend them off and buy time for Naruto. Since then Naruto hadn't known the fate of the two Sannin, but despite whatever happened to them the blonde was forever thankful for their sacrifice.

The following day when Naruto escaped from ROOT, he checked the supplies given to him in the bag, the first thing he noticed was a scroll. He decided to open the scroll first and it he saw directions from Jiraiya. It instructed Naruto to meet with Jiraiya's spy network, they would help him hide from the people chasing him down, Naruto followed the map that came with the scroll and headed to meet with Jiraiya's spy network one by one.

Each of them helped Naruto, all of them had been notified of this from Jiraiya since before the prison breakout of Naruto. They housed Naruto for a week, some for days, they fed him, and they helped hm go from one place to the next. But Naruto had his eyes set on one place, his goal was to reach Kirigakure, it was a dangerous place since it was in the middle of a bloody civil war. But nonetheless he knew this was the best place for him to hide since no one would dare attack the revolutionary army.

With the help of Jiraiya's spy network they were able to slowly but surely smuggle Naruto into Kirigakure. Those months were long and arduous for Naruto, but they were a thing of the past, now all Naruto had to do was find the Kiri Rebel Base and possibly join them, then he'll be able to find a home.

But things were finally looking bright for the orange-clad boy, he began to hear voices grow louder in the distance the closer he walked, maybe he finally reached the encampment. He walked as quick as he could to the voices and eventually the fog began to thin out. Once past the fog Naruto looked around and found that he was by the encampment he was looking for. The revolutionary flags were waving, there was many camps around the area, and many intimidating ninjas walking around the place.

A few noticed the arrival of Naruto and they decided to walk over to him just in case, he may look innocent and young but for all they knew he could be a spy. The Mizukage Yagura was known to be a sneaky and relentless leader, so they had to take all precautions to make sure their organization wasn't going to be compromised.

"Hey kid what are you doing here? What do you want?" asked one of the men as he glared at Naruto.

"I need to speak to Zabuza" he replied.

The two men glanced and nodded at each other before turning back to Naruto, "We'll take you to Zabuza- sama but we'll have to handcuff you just in case for precaution" one said, Naruto nodded allowing them to handcuff him.

The two led Naruto to a largest tent in the encampment, inside the tent gathered five people huddled around a table which splayed a large map of the Land of Water.

Naruto quickly scanned the room and his eyes immediately met with the one familiar face; it was none other than Zabuza the first true enemy he encountered as a Konoha ninja. The battle at the bridge was a turning point in Team Seven's ninja lives, it was then they realized the reality of shinobis.

Team Seven was quite close to killing Zabuza during their mission in Wave, but just before Kakashi was able to land a killing blow to Zabuza, Gato had arrived with a large militia of hired mercenaries. He sent them to kill everyone in the bridge, of course this angered both Zabuza and Haku.

The two rogue mist ninjas then changed their targets from Team Seven to Gato, with the rich man's evident betrayal it meant there was no longer any reason for them to keep fighting Team Seven. The demon of a man, and the ice user Haku managed to cut down and kill Gato and all his mean in a matter of minutes.

After that entire fiasco Team Seven parted in good terms with Zabuza and Haku, the two mentioned something about rejoining the rebellion effort and this was what brought Naruto all the way to Kiri. With Konoha betraying him he had no home to go to, and no matter where he went, he had a large target in his back.

Many of Jiraiya's spies noted that Kirigakure would be Naruto's best bet to be able to stay away from both Konoha ninjas and the Akatsuki. Joining the rebellion would be dangerous, but at least he would be far away from his old home, and here he had a chance of cultivating his skills as a ninja. He placed himself in a position where it was to kill or be killed, but it wasn't all bad.

After hearing of the stories about the Kiri's reputation for being the Bloody Mist, he knew that by going here to join the rebellion he would also be doing a service to people. He wasn't the type of person who could turn a blind eye to injustice, and so he after months of travelling and hiding, he made his way to the last place he'd ever expected to end up in, the Kiri Revolutionary Army Encampment.

"Is that you Naruto? What the hell are you doing here brat?" asked Zabuza before turning to the two revolutionary soldiers accompanying Naruto, "You two are dismissed, can you unlock his shackles, he won't bite. He's an old friend of mine".

The two soldiers nodded and undid Naruto's restraints before bowing to the five ninjas and leaving the camp, Naruto felt a lot comfier and at ease without those handcuffs.

"Um Zabuza-san I hate to interrupt but who is this child?" asked one of the ninjas.

"He's the kid from the Land of Waves, the one I told you all about. Don't worry everyone we can trust this kid; I can personally vouch for the brat" he replied.

Naruto smiled brightly at the others forgetting that there were others present, "Hey my name is Naruto Uzumaki. It's a pleasure meeting you guys" he said.

A middle-aged man with spiky blue hair and an eyepatch on his left eye nodded at the child, "Greetings, my name is Ao, I serve as the advisor for Mei-sama" he replied in a curt manner. He wasn't sure about this child; he noticed the obvious Konoha hitai-ate on his forehead and despite Zabuza's connection to him he wasn't going to immediately take the man's word on it.

A large chunky man with three blue stripes adorning his round face spoke next, "Well if were having introductions then I guess its my turn, my name is Chūkichi I run the spy network and Assassination department of our little operation" he said.

After Chūkichi's brief introduction a tall, slender and feminine looking man walked over to Naruto to shake his hand. The man had pale golden eyes and brown hair that reached down to his shoulders.

"My name is Utakata, I serve as the Front Line Commander of our is nice to meet you Naruto Uzumaki"

Finally, Naruto's eyes landed on the sole woman in the tent, she was a tall, busty and beautiful auburn-haired woman. She had stunning green eyes which reminded Naruto of his crush back in Konoha, and her red hair reached down to her ankles.

The young blonde was entranced as he noticed the young woman staring and smirking straight at him, it left him blushing and unable to maintain eye contact with the lady. But from what he saw she didn't seem that much older than him, she seemed to be in her teens, if Naruto had to guess she was probably just three years older than he was. A stark contrast to the other people in the camp who all seemed to be seasoned and experienced ninjas.

The woman strutted over to Naruto before leaning down to give him a small kiss on the cheek, "You're cute, the name's Mei Terumi I'm the leader of this rebellion. It's so nice meeting you Naruto-kun" she whispered in his ear in a sultry tone as Naruto shivered in delight.

Naruto then turned to Zabuza, "So what do you do then?" he asked.

"I serve as the Military Strategist and Drill Sergeant. Well with introductions out of the way I feel like you owe us an explanation Naruto. Not that I'm complaining or anything but what are you, a Konoha ninja doing all the way here?" asked Zabuza.

Zabuza was right they deserved an explanation. Naruto told them the events that occurred over the past few months to varying degrees of shock. Zabuza was of course livid, he had grown to like the young man despite once being enemies and it was a shame as to how Konoha was so willing to discard him.

"That's pretty much the entire story, and here I am right now" finished Naruto.

"I see, I'm sorry about what happened to you Naruto-kun. But it doesn't answer the big question, why are you here?" asked Mei.

Naruto sighed; he caught the attention of the entire tent when he bowed down in respect. Zabuza didn't know Naruto all too well, but he knew enough to know that Naruto wasn't the type of person to bow down to anyone, and to see the boy in this state surprised him greatly.

"I wish to join the Revolutionary Army" declared the blonde shocking the five ninjas.

"You an outsider? Why would you want to help our cause? It has nothing to do with you" asked the skeptical Ao.

"I know it seems shady with me being a former Konoha ninja, but I am serious. I want to help because I know it's the right thing to do" replied the blonde.

Zabuza then voiced his own opinion, "I can vouch for the brat, I believe him" he said as Naruto smiled thankfully at him.

Ao scowled in response, "If you vouch for him you can have the responsibility of dealing with him" he replied.

"I'll gladly take that responsibility. I know for a fact that this kid can help our forces" replied the man.

Naruto smiled in appreciation towards Zabuza, Mei then eyed the two before speaking.

"I see no problem in allowing Naruto-kun to join our ranks, but we have to know for sure what he's capable of. The risks of joining the rebellion are incredibly high, there's a reason why most of the troops we've recruited are seasoned shinobi" she said.

"I know for a fact that Naruto can fight, for Kami's sake he managed to defeat Haku" replied Zabuza.

"Hm that does sound promising" Utakata added on before facing the young blonde, "Now Naruto could you please explain your skills and weaknesses as a ninja. We want to evaluate your skills so we know what kind of role you can have in our ranks".

Naruto nodded in understanding, "Hai Utakata-san, I'm pretty confident with my chakra levels but my control isn't the best from what I've been told. Because of the amount of chakra I have it is impossible for me to use Genjutsu. I also don't know too many jutsus either but the ones I do can keep me alive" he explained.

"I find it hard to believe that a child such as yourself can hold as much chakra as you claim" Ao mentioned skeptically.

"Well I can" Naruto replied abruptly.

"Don't mind him Naruto-kun, Ao-san has always been an unbelieving fellow" interjected Mei, "Now what kind of jutsus are you capable of Naruto-kun?".

"I can only really do three jutsus" he said causing Ao to scoff in an unimpressed tone, "I can create shadow clones with ease, I can do an A-Rank Konoha technique called the Rasengan, and I can also summon toads".

The techniques mentioned by Naruto sparked a sudden interest among the council, two of the jutsus Naruto mentioned were synonymous with the Yondaime and it was hard to believe a child such as Naruto would be able to use those techniques himself. Ao was the only remaining member of the council unimpressed, he just couldn't fully believe what the kid said without seeing it for his own eyes.

"If you claim to be able to do such jutsus then surely you can show us?"

Naruto nodded and summoned a single shadow clone, together the two of them formed the Rasengan on one of his hands much to the shock of the Kiri ninjas.

"Well I'll be damned the brat actually did it" muttered Ao.

"Well I guess he doesn't have anything else to prove then Ao" said Zabuza.

"Hmph, I guess not but just remember Zabuza, he'll be your responsibility" warned the man.

"Don't worry I intend to look after the brat myself, I owe him one"

"Actually, there is one other thing I need to tell you guys about myself" Naruto interjected, gaining the attention of all the ninjas.

"Oh, and what would that be Naruto-kun?" Mei asked curiously.

Naruto sighed nervously in front of these ninja, "The truth is I am also a Jinchuuriki" he claimed shocking every single individual in the tent. A tense silence surrounded them; all eyes were directly on Naruto after this bold statement. Naruto then noticed a hushed discussion among the elder ninjas, he tried to listen in, but they did well to keep their voices low and quiet. A few minutes of soft discussion ensued, to Naruto it felt like hours. All of them were staring at him and talking about him among themselves, this unnerved the young man making him slightly nervous.

"Tell us Naruto, what beast do you hold within you?" Zabuza questioned.

The young blonde was brought out of his trance, "Um well you see I hold the Kyuubi" he answered. Mei gasped in shock, while the others studied Naruto and his form.

"This could be useful for us" exclaimed Ao, "We all know that Yagura is also a Jinchuuriki himself".

"That's true, Yagura holds the Sanbi but now we can use the Kyuubi against him. This will increase our chances significantly. He can be the weapon that wins us this war" muttered Chūkichi.

That final statement greatly annoyed Naruto, "I'm not a weapon" he declared passionately as the attention of the ninjas was placed back on the boy.

"I have no intentions on using the Kyuubi or his powers, I've seen what it can do, and it is dangerous. I want to help you with my own merit. I can fight for myself; I am a ninja not a mindless weapon"

Mei decided it was best to apologize to Naruto for their conduct, "Forgive us Naruto-kun, we didn't mean to speak of you as such. We are in a difficult position and news such as this can tip the scales in our favor" she explained to the boy.

"Before any of that if what you say is true then you have the potential to hold an incredible amount of power. If used and harnessed correctly you may be able to singlehandedly win us the war" argued Ao, "But what proof do we have that what you say is true?".

Naruto glared at the blue haired man before lifting his shirt to show the seal placed on his stomach, "This is the seal that holds the Kyuubi within me" he replied. Utakata couldn't take his eyes off the seal, he knew then and there that the boy wasn't lying.

"I believe Naruto, during our battle at the bridge he unleashed a powerful and evil chakra that had an incredible amount of killer intent. I was rooted to the spot, and it was with that power he managed to defeat Haku" explained Zabuza.

"If so then all the more reason we allow him to join us, the Kyuubi's powers can easily overwhelm the powers of the Sanbi" said Chūkichi.

Naruto clenched his fists in frustration, "I said it already I am not a mindless weapon. You guys don't know what the Kyuubi's chakra is capable of, I am fully aware. I do not want to rely on it, it is far too dangerous" he yelled.

"I agree with Naruto, as the Jinchuuriki he would surely know best. I am confident that his skills as a shinobi alone are valuable enough, and if he feels as though the Kyuubi's powers shouldn't be used then I for one am inclined to agree"

The young blonde nodded gratefully towards Zabuza for standing up for him, right after that Utakata too spoke up.

"I too agree with Naruto-san, I can understand his position" he said to his colleagues before turning to face the young blonde, "Naruto-san I too am a Jinchuuriki and I sympathize with you. I hold the Rokubi and I found it difficult at first to control his powers. I can only imagine how much harder it is to hold the Kyuubi's, I commend you for your strength".

Naruto was surprised to find himself with yet another Jinchuuriki, first it was Gaara and now there was this man Utakata before him, "Arigato Utakata-san" he replied.

"Well you all already know where I stand" replied Ao.

"Same goes for me" Chūkichi added.

"Then that leaves me I guess" Mei sighed, "I understand the concerns of both parties, but I agree with Naruto-kun. He would best know the powers of the Kyuubi and if he deems it too dangerous to use then I must go by his word. Besides if Zabuza-san is already willing to vouch for Naruto-kun's skills as a shinobi then I can't see a reason as to why that wouldn't be enough to recruit him".

Naruto smiled before nodding thankfully at the auburn-haired kunoichi.

"Well I guess that settles that" exclaimed Zabuza, "Welcome to our forces Naruto".

The young blonde smiled before bowing respectfully in front of the five, "Arigato, you won't regret this decision. I know I may not be from Kirigakure, but I will fight for it the same way I once fought for Konoha" he answered sincerely.

Mei chuckled softly, "My, my, what a promising recruit we have" she said.

"Now is there anything else you four want to tell him before I give him the tour?" asked Zabuza.

"Hai Zabuza-san, as you already know you will be responsible for the kid. But I also ask if Utakata could also help watch over him as a fellow Jinchuuriki. If he doesn't want to use the fox's powers at least let Utakata help him control and subside the Kyuubi's influence" said Ao.

"Very well I must agree to that" said Mei as all the others agreed to it as well.

"Well if that's all then the two of us will be on our way.

Zabuza walked out of the tent with Naruto in tow, the two explored the areas of the large encampment as Zabuza showed him to the infirmary tents, the kitchen tents, the sleeping areas, the latrines and other facilities around the encampment. Near the end of the tour they only had two final areas left to go, the weaponry and the training grounds.

Zabuza decided to show Naruto the former first, the two entered a large tent within the camp. Once inside Naruto's eyes couldn't help but widen at the sight of so many weapons. There were kunai, shuriken, swords, axes, explosive tags, and many other forms of weaponry.

"Here Naruto is where you go in the encampment to stock up on supplies. But make sure to not to be wasteful, I know that we have a lot of weapons stocked up but procuring them can be difficult at times so remember to try your best to hold on to them" he explained.

Naruto nodded as he continued to scan the area, but then his eyes landed on the very end of the tent, and there stood three unique blades placed in a safe display. Naruto was able to recognize two of the swords, it was the large blade that Zabuza once held and the other were the twin swords of Raiga Kurosuki, another member of the Seven Swordsmen that Naruto and his team defeated when he was still loyal to Konoha. If Naruto remembered correctly Zabuza's sword was named Kubikiribōchō and Raiga's was named Kiba.

"Hey Zabuza-san why's your blade over there? Don't you always carry it around with you?" asked Naruto, "And what's with that other blade next to it? It looks badass".

"Unfortunately, during our battle at the Land of Waves I sustained heavy injuries. I barely survived the onslaught of Gato and his men, but when you and your team nursed Haku and I back to health Haku was able to recover well but I lost a lot of mobility and strength in my arms. Wielding the blades are extremely difficult and taxing, and no one has proven themselves worthy yet so for now those blades are retired in the armory" he explained.

"Ah I see, I'm really sorry with how things turned out" replied Naruto.

"You have nothing to apologize for, in fact if it wasn't for you and your team Haku and I may no longer be walking this earth. So, if anything you have my thanks gaki" he said.

Naruto smiled up at the man, "I never pegged you for a softie Zabuza" he said.

Zabuza bonked Naruto on the head eliciting a pained hiss from the blonde, "Don't push your luck brat" he warned.

The young blonde rubbed the top of his head nursing the lump before turning his attention back to the other two swords, "What's up with Raiga's swords how'd they get here? And what's with that last sword over there." he asked.

"Well when news spread about Raiga's death at the hands of you and your team we immediately sent out a skilled unit to recover the swords. We made sure to reach it before the Mizukage's forces could. Let me say this kid, you certainly have a knack for defeating members of the Seven Swordsmen".

Naruto blushed at the praise, "Yeah well I have good teammates that's all" he said.

"As for the third and final sword that is the Hiramekarei, it once belonged to one of best warriors in the rebellion, Mangetsu Hozuki. A few years ago, he was ambushed and killed by the Mizukage's best forces. We couldn't save him, but at least we recovered the sword before they could. Though the loss of Mangetsu left us severely weakened".

"Man, these swords must really be important for you guys to fight over them" muttered the blonde.

"They really are Naruto; the Seven Swords are all legendary swords each with a unique power making it extremely powerful. If placed in the right hands they could shift the tides of war, that's why there's currently a large power struggle for possession of all seven swords. Now we have three of the seven, leaving four more out there. I for one believe that the swords are our key towards winning this war, and so we are putting a lot of our efforts into gathering all seven of the swords".

"Four more? Do you know where they are right now?" asked the boy as Zabuza nodded.

"From the remaining four three are currently in the possession of Yagura and his forces. Among the previous generation of the Seven Swords three of them remained loyal to the Mizukage. Two of them turned rogue, while Mangetsu and I joined the side of the rebels. The three loyal to the Mizukage are Kushimaru Kuriarare he wields the Nuibari, Jinin Akebino he wields the Kabutowari, and finally there's Jinpachi Munashi he wields the Shibuki" he answered.

"Who were the two that went rogue then?"

"One was Raiga but since he had been killed, he is no longer a factor. Personally, I would like to thank you for that, Raiga was causing too much trouble for our liking and it was because of his death we claimed the Kiba putting us in even grounds with the Mizukage".

"Ah it was no problem at all, I couldn't let Raiga continue doing what he pleased".

"Then there's the wielder of the Samehada, he is by far the most powerful of us all, he was second only to the Mizukage himself in turns of power. His name is Kisame Hoshigaki"

Naruto's eyes widened, "That name sounds familiar. Is he that real tall shark looking guy? Carries around this bandaged up sword or something?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah that's him, how do you know him?" asked Zabuza.

"I fought him once" replied Naruto, "I was almost done for before my sensei came to my rescue".

"You fought Kisame? It's amazing that you're still alive"

"Yeah no kidding, that guy was dangerous" replied Naruto, "So anyway back to the topic at hand, what's going on with these swords then? Wouldn't it be a waste not to use them against the Mizukage?".

"Yes, but it would be more of a waste to hand them to someone not ready only for them to get killed. If that were to happen and Yagura reclaims any of those swords that will put us at a severe disadvantage since I'm certain there's people in his ranks who can wield the swords".

"Man, that sucks then. Surely there's someone around here who can use those swords?"

"Unfortunately, not at this moment in time but we have some recruits around your age showing extreme promise. Typically, we refrain from recruiting teenagers into our ranks, but desperate times call for desperate measures. We don't have many, but we have a few soldiers your age, the only reason they were accepted was because they showed aptitude advanced for their ages, and each of them showing incredible amounts of potential. I guess that's just something war will do to you, it forces you to grow up quickly" he said.

"Ah I see, that's a shame" said Naruto, "But I guess there's no other way".

"No there's not, now come on I'll bring you over to the training grounds. There I'll introduce you to the rest of the kids your age. We train them to the bone to prepare them for things to come, starting tomorrow you'll be joining those kids in action".

"Hai you can count on me Zabuza"

Training Grounds

Naruto followed Zabuza through this thick mist as they traversed through this maze of a forest. Eventually the two found their way towards a large lake and a shoreline, there Naruto was amazed to see all these other teenage shinobi training around the water. Upon the arrival of Zabuza all ceased their actions and lined up in front of the man.

Naruto eyed all six of them, all of them young but despite their age they exuded a certain level of power advanced for their age. This heavily impressed Naruto, and he hoped to be of use to them seeing as how they would be his new comrades. His eyes then landed on one familiar figure, on the very end of the line was Haku, Naruto nodded towards her and she nodded back with a faint smile on her face.

"Attention everyone, I have another new recruit who will be joining us starting tomorrow" said Zabuza as he pointed towards the whiskered teen by his side, "This is Naruto Uzumaki and from this day forth he will be your comrade in arms. Please introduce each of yourselves to him".

"Pleased to make your acquaintance Naruto-san my name is Jugo, if you are ever in need of any assistance make sure to let me know. I'll be more than happy to help a recruit such as yourself out"

Naruto could tell just how kind-natured this guy was just by the tone of his voice, the young man known as Jugo was tall and muscular. Physically he was the most advanced out of all of them, and his bright and spiky orange hair added a few more inches towards his overall height.

Next to speak up was a lean young man of average height, he had shark-like teeth similar to Zabuza's and straight white hair to go with it.

"The name's Suigetsu Hozuki, I don't know you but if Zabuza-senpai vouches for you I'm sure you can't be too bad" he said with a smug grin.

A slender and fair-skinned girl spoke next, Naruto eyed her and noticed that she had wavy blonde hair and dark green eyes.

"Nice to meet you Naruto-kun, my name is Hotaru. I look forward to working with you" she said.

Up next was another tall teenager, he had a fair complexion and messy grey hair. What immediately caught Naruto's attention was the bloodlust seen in his eyes, it somewhat reminded him of the teme.

"Kagura Karatachi" he said as he stared straight at Naruto unnerving him slightly, "It's a pleasure to meet you Naruto".

A short and meek looking kid spoke next, he wore glasses and his teeth also resembled Suigetsu and Zabuza's. He had messy blue hair and he spoke…or stuttered in a very soft tone.

"Hello…I'm Chojuro...Nice to meet you Naruto-san" he nervously stuttered.

Then there was the final person, Naruto knew her by now and he greeted her with a smile.

"It's good to see you again Haku" he said as Haku nodded in return.

"Likewise, Naruto-kun"

Naruto turned his attention to the other five before nodding to them as well, "Yosh It's nice to meet you all. I look forward to working with all of you" he said.

"I'll let you know now Naruto, since I can no longer wield my sword I act as a sensei for the new recruits now and from this day forth I'll be training you as well as these brats. So, get ready for the training from hell" he warned in a menacing tone.

With Itachi

The infamous Uchiha Assassin trekked down a beaten old path in the middle of nowhere, by his side walked his Akatsuki partner Kisame Hoshigaki. The two journeyed in relative silence, Itachi was never one to talk when it was unnecessary.

News of Naruto's fight with Sasuke and subsequent banishment immediately spread amongst the Akatsuki ranks, of course it was to be expected with a spy such as Zetsu. Itachi was obviously privy to the knowledge and as such it left him with a sense of inner turmoil.

Itachi's time in Konoha as a member of ANBU had him look after Naruto when he was just a boy and he had grown to like the young man, seeing him as a sort of second younger brother. Of course, Naruto never knew his real-life identity, probably for the best since he was playing as an Akatsuki double agent.

'It pains me to see you suffer for the foolishness of my younger brother Naruto-kun' he thought to himself, 'But for your actions you have my eternal thanks. My brother might be a fool, but he was lucky to have a friend such as yourself'.

Itachi continued to walk through the old path, it was times like these that gave Itachi time to think. Things weren't looking good for Konoha. Danzo was the new Hokage, Jiraiya and Tsunade were imprisoned in the tightest prison in Konoha for their assistance in Naruto's escape, and Sasuke was now apparently taken in as Danzo's protégé. All of which grew to anger the usually calm and composed Itachi. But just as his inner anger began to rise a small crow summon briefly flew down to his shoulder.

The crow began to whisper important information back to Itachi before dispelling, the rush of information made Itachi stop his tracks in surprise, gaining the attention of his partner.

"Hey Itachi, you alright?" asked Kisame.

Itachi turned to his partner and nodded, "I apologize I was simply caught off guard by the news I was given" he replied.

"Oh, so even you can be surprised. What was the news about anyway?" asked the former Kiri Nin.

"Apparently Konoha is gathering resources for a war" he coolly lied, that much was a given if you knew Danzo but fortunately for Itachi his partner had never met the old warhawk.

"Hm very interesting indeed" muttered Kisame.

Itachi continued to walk by Kisame's side, but the shark man failed to notice the rare and uncharacteristic grin on his partner's face.

'So that's where you're hiding Naruto-kun, you've done well to hide yourself from the Akatsuki and escape our eyes. I must commend you but worry not Naruto-kun your secret is safe with me' he thought to himself before briefly glancing on the gigantic sword on his partner's back.

'I think I may have found a way for me to pay you back for your actions in saving my brother'.

One Year Later

The past year flew like a breeze to Naruto, since joining the rebellion he never once slacked off. Everyday he and the others would train, the only days they weren't training were whenever they were getting deployed for missions. It took Naruto a while but after working hard and keeping his head down he managed to fully gain the trust of the others, most especially the ones close to his age. It had only been a year but in that time, he managed to connect and learn more about his new comrades.

From what Naruto learned Suigetsu was the younger brother of Mangetsu Hozuki the former wielder of the Hiramekarei. After the death of his older brother, Suigetsu decided to join to finish off the dream of his brother, the dream to free their country from Yagura's reign.

Jugo on the other hand was a former Orochimaru experiment, Naruto was shocked to learn that his clan were the ones who held what would be the powers of the curse seal. But Naruto trusted Jugo with this power, he knew that Jugo would never openly harm someone without reason.

Chojuro appeared to be an orphan on the verge of dying but he was saved by Mei, and she brought him here to join the rebellion. As a means of thanking his savior he chose to join their ranks. Hotaru was like Chojuro, she came from a prominent clan, but they were killed off by the Mizukage. While on the verge of death she was saved by Utakata and she joined the rebellion as thanks.

Haku was Naruto's first friend among the group since they already had their past, she knows longer saw herself as a tool, but she was still extremely loyal to Zabuza.

By this time Naruto had managed to befriend and gain the complete trust among these people, but there was one individual who Naruto was still somewhat wary of. He tried his best to connect and get to know Kagura, but he was always quite distant, not just to him but everyone. He could tell that Kagura was a dangerous shinobi, and that he had incredible potential. But his attitude just reminded Naruto too much of his old teammate Sasuke.

But Naruto could also sympathize with Kagura, Suigetsu had told him Kagura's story and he could understand why he acted the way he did. It turns out Kagura is the biological grandson of the Mizukage Yagura, Kagura's parents revolted against Yagura and for their betrayal they were executed. Kagura has since then run away from home and vowed to exact revenge on his grandfather. The death of his parents really affected Kagura, and the drive for vengeance made him strong. But despite all that he and Kagura retained a level of respect for each other.

Other than the new connections Naruto made, his training under Zabuza allowed him to progress tremendously. He was trained in taijutsu, shurikenjutsu, genjutsu defense rather than genjutsu itself since Naruto found standard Genjutsu difficult. The focus of their training however remained with kenjutsu and ninjutsu.

During their first day of training Zabuza made Naruto use a piece of chakra paper to determine his elemental affinity, Zabuza was pleased to learn that it was wind which happened to be his secondary element. He began to teach Naruto some wind techniques, and it was just recently that Zabuza discovered the true usefulness of shadow clones. With the use of shadow clones, they were able to bump Naruto's training up. Not only was Naruto learning wind techniques, but since they were in the Land of Water, they found it fitting for Naruto to also learn water techniques as well.

The second focus of their training was with Kenjutsu, Zabuza made it a necessary for all ninjas in their ranks to be reasonably skilled with a weapon for the moments when they are low on chakra. All the teenagers chose to wield swords, and this made things so much easier for Zabuza with him being one of the greatest living Kenjutsu experts at this time.

During Naruto's off time from Zabuza's training he usually trained with Utakata. The man being a fellow Jinchuuriki taught Naruto chakra control knowing it to be difficult with their incredible amounts of chakra, and he also taught him to control his animalistic tendencies. Other than that, he also helped Naruto with his water elemental techniques seeing how it was Utakata's affinity.

During the off days when Naruto wasn't training with either Utakata or Zabuza, he and his clones would study and work on the scrolls given to him by Jiraiya, before he left Konoha. The scrolls were extremely useful since they contained valuable information regarding seals and barriers.

All in all, with his new home, Naruto knew he couldn't remain stagnant so every opportunity he had to train he took it. He was now in survival mode, in Kiri it was eat or be eaten, and so Naruto made sure to hone his skills.

Konoha

Since Danzo had been appointed Godaime Hokage the village of Konoha has since then gone through drastic changes. Gone now were the beliefs of old, a new Konoha was rising. One of Danzo's first decrees was to lower the genin requirement age from twelve down to ten, he also forced all ex-shinobi to unretire. It was clear that the Hokage was planning something, one wouldn't typically amass soldiers in such a manner for the sake of it.

True to the statement news of a declaration of war from Konoha was soon spreading across the Land of Fire. Just a week ago the Hokage had bravely issued a retaliation against the Land of Wind and more specifically Sunagakure, for their involvement in the attack from the Chunin Exams. Truth be told many expected this kind of move from Danzo of all people, Suna is the weakest it's ever been, an attack from Konoha wouldn't be unwarranted, and Konoha was significantly stronger than Suna. All factors pointing to only one logical conclusion for the old warhawk, to conquer and annex Suna for their betrayal.

With the loss of one Jinchuuriki due to the interference of Tsunade and Jiraiya, this new plan gave Danzo an opportunity to capture another in its place. Although the Ichibi may be the weakest from the nine, it still has enough power to trample and terrorize a village. Danzo wouldn't let an opportunity such as this go to waste, and so once his forces had been gathered, he sent the newly appointed Kazekage a letter of intent.

Of course, it wasn't difficult for Danzo's cause to be supported by the public, many were still grieving from their attack during the Chunin Exams and so tensions were still high, and many of the public demanded punishment be brought down onto Suna for their betrayal. A demand Danzo was more than happy to comply to.

As for Team Seven, since the banishment of Naruto the final member of the team was replaced by a Root operative by the name of Sai. Danzo had purposefully placed Sai in Team Seven as a means of keeping an eye on the Last Loyal Uchiha. The Hokage had high hopes for the Uchiha, with the Uzumaki gone the person with the highest potential in the village was Sasuke Uchiha. As such the warhawk had taken him under his wing, training him and molding the boy in his ideas and teachings. He was proving to be a potential successor for Danzo, and of course Sasuke was more than happy to receive this level of training. Anything for the sake of power.

Of course, with Sasuke now being Danzo's apprentice he was immediately promoted to a Chunin, he alongside the likes of Shino Aburame, Neji Hyuga, and Rock Lee were all promoted by the Hokage himself from the latest Chunin Exams, this time held in Takigakure.

The loss of Naruto had affected Team Seven in a multitude of ways. Sasuke was by far the most positively affected, with the orange-clad ninja gone from his life his goal to become stronger had been greatly hastened. Sasuke hardly cared at whatever happened to Naruto, for all he cared Naruto got what he deserved for getting in his way.

Kakashi on the other hand sorely missed the energetic young blonde, Team Seven just wasn't the same without him. He just hoped that wherever Naruto was that he was safe and alive. Kakashi was extremely disappointed in Sasuke for his actions against his teammate, it went against everything Kakashi taught them. But unfortunately for Kakashi he was not able to argue about his team, the Hokage ordered him to lead them and he had no choice but to follow.

Then that only left Sakura, she probably took Naruto's exile to heart the most. She didn't attend Naruto's court martial; she hadn't seen Naruto at all since that fateful day in front of the Konoha gates. She could not muster up the courage needed to face Naruto or even visit him when he was in the hospital. She had only heard of the degree of injuries Naruto sustained trying to keep his promise to her, deep down she felt that all this was her fault. She regretted not seeing him of, to this day she worries if he's safe, or if he's even alive.

Nearly all the Konoha 11 other than Sasuke, dearly missed Naruto. But the Sasuke Retrieval Mission and its repercussions left an indelible mark on the young ninjas. Many of which distanced themselves away from Team Seven. A large majority of them placed the blame on Sakura for using Naruto's feelings for her, as a result leading to the banishment of their friend. It was only now they began to see Naruto in a different light, and now all his dreams and aspirations were forcibly taken away from him. The only ones who remained on friendly terms with Sakura were Team Ten, and it was mostly due to her best friend Ino always vouching for her.

She regretted her treatment of Naruto; it was only now she was seeing how important he was to her life. Since he left Konoha had gotten significantly quieter and livelier, everything around them felt so grey and dull especially with Danzo at the helm. Other than Naruto she was also beginning to worry about her other teammate, the Sasuke that was brought back by Naruto was not the Sasuke she knew.

He changed and she was beginning to question her love for him. She wondered sometimes how different things could have been if he left instead and if Naruto stayed. This new Sasuke was a lot more closed off, prone to anger, aggressive, cold and obsessed with power. It scared her to see what he was becoming, for the first time she began to regret her pursuit of the avenger.

Another Year Later

In that span of time the war for Kiri raged on but things appeared to be on somewhat of a standstill. Both sides were fighting on even grounds with neither successfully swinging the tides of war towards their side. For the most part both coalitions seemed to be evenly matched.

But the rebellion had plans of changing that, their spy networks had recently gathered a key piece of information. In the Commander Tents of the Rebel Encampment stood Mei, the young and charismatic leader of the rebellion. By her side were her two most trusted advisors, Zabuza and Ao. The three of them stood in front a table holding a large map of the Land of Demons.

Standing by the map were the soldiers summoned by Mei. There was Naruto, Suigetsu, Chojuro and Haku. The sixteen-year-old Naruto directed a question to Mei, "Mei-chan why'd you summon us?" he asked.

Chojuro and Suigetsu to this day are still shocked at how casual Naruto was with their leader, granted she wasn't that much older than them she was still the figurehead of the entire rebellion. Mei was a dangerous ninja known far and wide, and she wasn't someone you wanted to piss off. Back in Kirigakure she was heralded as a genius and a prodigy, she held two Kekkei Genkai the Lava Release and Boil Release. With her powers she quickly rose through the ranks and even becoming a Jonin by the age of Twelve. But of course, all that changed once the Bloodline purges began to happen. She quickly escaped and rallied people to her cause.

Mei chuckled at Naruto's sincerity, "Well Naruto-kun I'll have you know that we gathered incredible information that could give us the edge in this war" she replied causing gasps from the young soldiers.

"No way, what could it be Mei-Sama?" stuttered Chojuro.

"Our spies have gathered that Yagura has sent two of his beloved swordsmen to the Land of Demons, they plan to kidnap and ransom the holy priestess of the land, thus guaranteeing the support of the Land of Demons. What I want to do is send a team of soldiers to intercept them and save the priestess, if all goes well, we could instead sway the Land of Demons to support our cause and we may be able to retrieve two of the Seven Swords" she explained.

"If you don't mind me asking Mei-senpai, who are the swordsmen he sent?" asked Suigetsu.

"Yagura sent Jinpachi Munashi and Jinin Akebino, meaning we have a chance of securing the Kabutowari and Shibuki respectively".

"Sounds like in a walk in the park, so who are you sending with us Mei-chan?" asked Naruto.

"That would be us" answered Zabuza, "Ao and I will serve as the two leaders of this operation. We plan to separate into teams of three to attack and dispose of the two swordsmen".

"My team will hold Chojuro and Suigetsu, while Zabuza-san will have Haku and Naruto by his side" Ao added on.

A foxlike grin formed on Naruto's lips; he was excited this gave him the opportunity to test his own skills. He was no longer the same helpless little boy he once was; the war had turned the innocent young man into a hardened killer. Naruto still to this day hated killing and he would try avoiding it if he could, but the war made him realize that sometimes it was better in the long run to end a life, and so because of that if it ever came down to it he wouldn't hesitate.

The war had really taken a toll on Naruto, the young man had now seen the true side of war. He had grown accustomed to death, and it hardly bothered him anymore. Of course, all this death and chaos really influenced the teenagers. Naruto began to grow slightly more distant, and he even began to find vices that help him take his mind away from the horrors of war. The young man had taken a fancy to the life of adulthood, the way he saw it if you old enough to kill you were old enough to drink, fuck, gamble or smoke.

True to that Naruto had begun to pick up bad habits along the way, having to witness the deaths of comrades over and over again in a regular basis sometimes drove Naruto to the bottle, he occasionally relieves the stress with a calming smoke or through physical pleasures. It had been a tough few years for the young man, since joining the rebellion he had been forced to grow up, and in doing so he was scarred. He needed an escape from the realities of the world, even for just an hour, just enough to keep him sane.

Naruto had also grown physically through the years; he was no longer the thirteen year old squirt that arrived in camp a couple years ago. He had hit puberty finally and began to grow a couple feet taller. His frame and strength grew as well due to the intense physical training conducted by Zabuza. Gone was the orange jumpsuit he once worse religiously, since joining the rebellion Naruto had been forced to wear darker shades to protect himself from assassins. Now the young man wore a blue long-sleeved shirt, he accompanied it with camo pants and a pair of traditional blue shinobi sandals. Now stood a sixteen year old Naruto, he was no longer a little boy. He had grown up to become a man.

"I'm kind of excited, when do we leave?" asked Naruto.

"Now" replied Mei.

Author's Note

Thanks for reading this everyone, I really appreciate it. Please let me know what you guys think. Please Favorite, Follow or Leave a review, any of which would be greatly appreciated.